Three Months, and One Day after. Dinner with Asuma and?
She tries to look a little put together when Asuma arrives, putting on some nice clothes (she'd had to ask one of her cousins for help, her wardrobe was somewhat barren) and pulled her hair back out of her face. It still felt weird, but she kept her headband tied around her forehead to hide the mark than made her a branch member.
Asuma was outside the compound promptly at five, and met her with another one of those charming grins she remembered from before and lead her happily through the town.
She'd had to tell Hiashi and Hizashi she would be unavailable that evening, and both of them had conveniently been walking past the front of the compound when Asuma had arrived.
They glared at the back of his head, silent warnings to bring her back happy and in one piece.
She glowered over her shoulder at them both, they were worse than old women sometimes with the way they overshadowed her life.
"It's just a small get together," He told her as they walked "at a local barbeque place we all like."
She nodded, she liked barbeque.
"We told Kakashi to arrive at half three so he should actually be on time for a change."
She frowned, who kept time that poorly that they had to lie about what time to arrive? She'd not had many dealings with Kakashi Hatake in the original timeline so maybe she would be able to get to know him and others this time around.
The closer she became to the main players, the better she could prepare them and herself for the battle that was coming.
When the pair arrived, she definitely recognised a few of the faces before they introduced themselves. Kurenai, Kakashi (who they were mocking for being on time due to their lies) Gai, and the collective Ino-Shika-Cho trio amongst a few others.
It wasn't a small gathering at all, they had pushed three tables together so they would all fit.
They greeted Asuma warmly, and said their hellos to Shoko who managed to get pushed between Gai and Kurenai once they were all sat down.
She was pleased it was finger food, she had already felt nervous about someone mentioning how small her portions were but with a get-it-yourself barbeque it would be harder to notice what she was or wasn't eating.
She didn't chat too much, she was happy to let them chat around her and answer questions when asked.
"So, what is your role in the clan?" Kurenai asked her "I don't see you take missions often."
Or at all, she thought.
"I assist Lord Hyuuga." She told her, picking at a rib.
She was honestly more focused on eating a decent sized meal than she was on the conversation, oblivious to the fact Kurenai had snuck a few extra bits on her plate when Asuma was distracting her. She was starting to feel bloated, she'd finish this rib and that was enough.
"What a great honour to assist the head of the family!" Gai exploaded, earning snickers from a nearby table of Hyuuga.
Shoko sighed "I'm just an errand girl honestly."
She could hear the Hyuuga's near their table mocking them and did her best to ignore them. She had been mocked relentlessly for being taken off active duty, scornful older ninja making comments about the weakness of the new generations and younger ninjas getting angry that one cousin was getting them all branded badly.
"Still," Asuma added "you must get to see a lot about how the clan is run?"
She shrugged "Mostly I see the trade dealings, the compound produces most of its own food, but we trade with the other clans and the village for the things we can't produce."
The group actually looked interested, not many of them got to go anywhere near something that important, they just did what the mission told them to do and that was about it.
"You must see lots of other clan heads then." Kurenai commented.
"A few, sometimes I take meeting notes but-"
One of the Hyuuga from the nearby table had come over, halting the conversation.
"Shoko." He said, she recognised him and nodded.
"Hello Hiro."
He glowered "Is it appropriate for you to be out?"
She shrunk into herself, "I am allowed to go out for food."
He sniffed "You should be at the compound, you are a liability."
Asuma watched, angry, at the way Shoko just shrunk and allowed the other Hyuuga to berate her. She was just having food for gods sake why was it any of his business.
"Hiro Hyuuga?" Kakashi asked, in a thoughtful voice.
Hiro turned his eyes to him, scowling through his feminine lashes.
"Didn't you get hospitalised recently?"
Instantly, he turned beet red. Shoko snorted, she had heard all about his recent hospitalisation, after he taunted the local wildlife and ended up with a rather nasty snake bite in a rather…sensitive area of his body. It had been a hot topic in the compound, given the nature of the injury.
"If you want to spend time with outsiders, fine." Hiro hissed "But don't blame us when you go crazy and frighten them all off."
The sudden change in Shoko was frightening. Her hands clenched the table so tight the wood snapped and cracked under the face of her grip. Splinters cut into her hands, and she gave an aura of death.
Even Hiro looked unnerved.
Shoko stood, releasing the table, but still holding the tension in every single muscle.
"I need to go home."
Before Kurenai could make a move to stop her, Shoko had leapt out of the booth and out the door of the BBQ. They stared after her, and Kurenai stood and turned angrily to Hiro.
"You're supposed to be her family!" She yelled at him, making him shrink now "Why don't you help her instead of trying to torment her!"
He just shirked back to the table of Hyuuga, who had gone very quiet at her words. Kurenai sat back down, but the mood of the evening had been ruined.
"Is she?" Shikaku asked "Crazy I mean?"
Asuma sighed "She was signed off active-duty not long after the attack, something to do with her mental stability."
"She just seems so lonely," Choza said with a mouthful of beef "and she's so skinny."
Asuma just nodded, but said nothing more. When they finally headed home, he had talked quietly to them about perhaps trying again, this time without the other Hyuuga to ruin the evening.
"You're very interested in her," Kakashi pointed out "why?"
They were walking through the village, it was much quieter now so he felt he could share the details of what he had heard.
"She disappeared during the attack, doesn't have any recollection of it but apparently she came back a totally different person," He explained "screaming in her sleep, unable to eat, going crazy whenever there's a loud noise."
"That…that sounds like…"
"Yeah," He told Gai "It sounds like something big happened, but if she can't remember what then how can she get better?"
"You want to help her remember?" Kakashi asked.
"I just want to help her; nobody should go through that alone."
They dispersed, but did not forget about her.
Six months after.
As it turns out, Shoko feels a lot more like herself when she gets her eating habits under control. When she looks in the mirror, her cheeks are fuller and pinker, and she's lost the sickly glaze to her eyes. It's impossible to sleep for longer than three hours, but loud noises no longer make her jump.
Her eyes have activated, but she hasn't told anyone yet.
"So," Hiashi told her "give it another few months and we might be able to get you back on active duty again."
She grinned, unable to stop herself.
Finally, she needs to get out there again. Her training has been going well, even if she is learning in secret she knew it would help her eventually.
Neji gurgles in her arms, and she coos down at him happily. Hinata is held close to her mother, her adorable eyes bright and brilliant. They're both so wonderful, she thinks, so wonderful and young.
She's out again tonight, this time with Kakashi, Gai, Asuma and Kurenai. Just going out and having friends and doing the things that young ninja did.
Her birthday was coming up soon; apparently she was going to be twelve. She didn't really keep track, she was in her late thirties in the last timeline, in fact she might have been in her forties for all she knew.
Thankfully, she'd only got a few light duties today before she heads out to see her friends, they've tried pretty hard to make sure she feels included in their activities but it was hard when they were away on missions and she was stuck in the village.
"Alright," Hiashi sighs throwing the last bit of paperwork tiredly towards her "that's all the compounds new permissions for expansion signed off and acknowledged for the Hokage."
They were undergoing some changes in the compound, and old wing was being torn down and rebuilt with a few expansions, which required purchasing land from the village itself. It had been signed off on already, given the land was dead and no good for anything except building.
Still, the paperwork had taken weeks for Hiashi to read, have looked over by advisors, and then sign. Now it once she had taken it to the Hokage she would be done for the day.
"Maybe you should take the rest of the day off too Hiashi," She told him "You know what they about all work and no play."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, he was tired and honestly needed a rest from all the work, but they were still rebuilding the village and all the clans were under extreme pressure.
"No, I'll finish after the next batch." He decided, she shrugged.
"Well I'll be back tonight, I'll see you tomorrow."
They bid her farewell and she held the paperwork tightly in her arms, as she headed through the village.
Despite the destruction, the village was doing well. They all knew that the attack would hit them for generations, many had died and by the time Naruto got to the academy she knew the classes would be less than half the size they once were.
Speaking of Naruto, nobody actually knew where he was being raised, supposedly in top secret. Eventually she would have to find out where he was, he deserved better than what he had originally gotten and now she had the sense of mind to fix it she would do just that.
She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice she'd arrived at the Hokage's office. She bumped into the door, and blinked herself out of her stupor, before knocking a few times.
"Come in."
She pushed the door open, and paused. The Hokage was not alone, Danzo was also there. He'd always made her feel deeply uncomfortable, she held the papers a little tighter to her chest.
"Lord Hokage, Lord Hyuuga's expansion paperwork is ready for you."
He smiled "Thank you Shoko, please could you bring them over?"
She tried not to shudder as she walked past Danzo, handing the papers over to the Hokage and nodding her head in respect as he placed them in front of him.
"You would let the Hyuuga expand?" Danzo demanded "After they did so little in the attack?"
If she had been truly as young as she appeared, she might have reacted to his statement. As it was, she quite agreed with him. It was a sad moment in Hyuuga history, that they responded so slowly to the attack and did so little to help protect the village.
Still, she didn't even pretend she cared about what he was saying.
"Thank you for your time, Lord Hokage."
She gave a little bow, and a sympathetic smile, and left him to deal with Danzo alone. Now, she was going to see her friends.
