The Alliance

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure how quickly or slowly this story will be updated. I am hoping to update it about once every 1-2 weeks, but updates might be a bit slower or faster. Happy reading.

Chapter 7

This was awkward.

A few days after determining that the Hokage Mountain was the ideal spot for the wedding, Hideki Hyuga was now drinking tea with his father. Which normally would have been a welcome, if slightly nerve-wracking experience.

This wasn't normally though.

"She wants to do what?" Hiashi openly gapes at Hideki.

All because his future wife had a rather unique idea of what constituted a suitable wedding venue. Not that that Hideki disagreed with her though. The points she had raised were valid ones in his mind, but he wasn't entirely sure that his father would see it that way.

So he sips his tea as an excuse to collect his thoughts. "Suki wishes for our wedding to take place on the Hokage Mountain. I was rather shocked at the suggestion initially, but the idea does have merit."

Hiashi chuckles and shakes his head. "Perhaps. I'm willing to entertain the idea, if the reasoning is sound and I'm quite certain that Lord Fugaku will feel the same way." He pauses for a moment. "The match was an unexpected one to say the least, but it is likely a good one. I cannot recall the last time you spoke to me with such certainty."

That was because to be near his father was to be near a mountain. Strong, powerful, silent, and utterly unmovable or so it had seemed.

"I hope that will indeed turn out to be the case." Hideki nods.

Things were going well between them. Perhaps awkward, but Hideki was certain that was because they were still getting to know each other. Neither was quite clear what the boundaries were in their relationship.

One thing was clear though. Suki was an exceptional kisser and didn't seem to mind kissing him. That was something. Right?

"You are going to eat dinner with the Uchihas tonight, correct?" Hiashi smiles at him.

It was phrased as a question, but Hideki knew better. It was a polite command. One that he had every intention of obeying.

After all, it wouldn't due to alienate his future in-laws by refusing such a request. Besides, Mikoto was rather well-known for her culinary prowess.

"Yes, I am." Hideki manages a polite smile before he sets his tea cup down. "I'll bring the matter to his attention there and if the Hokage has no objections, that's where the wedding will take place."

Hiashi smiles at that. "Good. That sounds like a fine idea. You should probably prepare yourself for the event. I'm not entirely certain what happens at Uchiha family dinners, but I'm quite certain it will be exhausting."

Hideki laughs and shakes his head as he stands. Some things would never change. The Hyuga and Uchiha Clans were two sides of the same coin. Complete opposites and somehow, connected.

No one understood how and to what extent, but that was just a fact. Now with his marriage to Suki, they'd be even more connected than before.

Still, old habits died hard. Hideki would count his blessings if this sort of teasing was the worst thing that came of their union. Mostly good-natured teasing with a dry or sarcastic flair to it that should have been insulting, but there was no real bite to it.

At least, Hideki didn't believe there was. Who could really say.

"I suspect you're right. I shall see you later, Father." He bows to the other man before he makes his departure.


Meanwhile Neji was going to go insane. Lee and Gai were both good men, but they had a tendency to get carried away. (That and horrible fashion sense, but he digressed).

"You're both being ridiculous. They do not need that many flowers for their wedding and where did you even find them all?" The Hyuga prodigy shakes his head in exasperation.

Never before had he seen so many flowers in his entire life. There were more than enough blossoms to make a house. No, not a house. A mansion.

Tenten giggles at Neji and kisses his cheek. "I think they're beautiful and I'm sure that Hideki and Suki will like them, but you're right." She tilts her head at the massive display of floral elegance. "I think that they might have gone a bit overboard."

A bit? Honestly, the woman was insane if she truly thought that this qualified as a bit. Then again, he was in love with her. So what did that say about him?

"You can never have too many flowers at a wedding." Gai grins at them.

Well, Neji was sure that you actually could have too many flowers at a wedding. For one thing, he didn't have the faintest idea where they were going to put them all.

"That's right! The flowers will serve as a representation of their love!" Lee gushes.

Honestly, Neji just couldn't understand it. How was it possible for two human beings to be this perky? It just defied all logic in his mind and yet, here they were going for another embrace and beaming at each other as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Gai embraces Lee. "That's right, my young student! To celebrate their love, let us take a hundred laps around the village while walking blindfolded. For love is the best guide of all."

"Yes, Gai Sensei!" Lee produces two blindfolds and the two of them head off together.

"Did that just happen?" Tenten tilts he her head as she stares at Neji in shock.

He couldn't blame her. No matter how many times the Hyuga man told himself that he was used to their antics, it was always astonishing to see Lee and Gai be well, Lee and Gai.

They were truly two of a kind.

"Yes, that just happened." Neji shakes his head as he picks up one of the blossoms and puts in Tenten's hair. "Let's just pretend that it didn't. Never mind the fact, that it's a bit premature to say that Hideki and Suki are in love. Reality need not get in the way of their happiness."

Tenten smiles and touches the bloom tenderly. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Well, we might as well get in some training while they're out celebrating The Power of Youth and Love."

"You're right." Neji smirks as he gets into position. "Let us begin."

After all, they were ninjas. Training was a requirement, if they wanted to hone their skills and if he enjoyed the sight of Tenten's bosom jiggling slightly while they trained, well all the better.


Later that night, Suki could only hope that her family wouldn't embarrass her even further. A family dinner was something of a requirement, if she was truly going to marry Hideki.

That didn't mean that she was looking forward to it though. Between her brother's teasing, her mother's matchmaking, and her father's interrogation…poor Hideki likely wouldn't know what hit him.

"You look beautiful." Hideki smiles as he comes into the house with a few yellow roses in hand.

"Awe. That's so sweet." Mikoto giggles. "He brought you flowers, Suki."

Oh yes, she was going to die of embarrassment long before her wedding day at this rate. Oh well. Suki Uchiha was a ninja. She'd just have to do her best to survive this S Class Mission.

The family dinner mission.

"Yes, he did." Suki shakes her head as she takes them into her arms before putting them in a vase on the table. "Thank you, Hideki."

"You're welcome." He smiles back at her.

That's when Itachi and her father walked in. This was going to be a very long evening, Suki muses.

It didn't take long for everyone to sit down or the good food to loosen everyone's tongues. People just tended to talk more when their stomachs were happy.

"We're thinking of having the wedding on the Hokage Mountain, but of course, we want your permission before doing such a thing." Hideki glances at Fugaku.

It was hard to believe that Hideki was the same shy boy at the Academy that Suki had barely noticed all those years ago. Here he was, making direct eye contact with Fugaku Uchiha, the current Hokage and his future Father-In-Law.

"Do you mind if I sit by you?" Suki looked at Hideki.

He looked normal enough. At least, he yelling for her attention or trying to drag her off like some of the others.

"Oh um y-you can if you w-" The shy boy started to answer her, but he never got the chance to finish his statement.

Suki found herself being drug off by some admirers. Only to give them her best Uchiha Death Glare as she regained her freedom by a few good whacks.

Unfortunately, by the time she did, someone else was sitting next to the quietest boy in their Academy and she ended up getting whacked into Naruto.

Their accidental kiss was a disaster and served to distract her from Hideki for a good long while. After all, it was hard to focus on much when your first kiss had been 'stolen.'

Never mind the fact that it had been an accident. Suki had been twelve. Logic didn't count as much back then.

It was rare to see her father look shocked about anything. So Suki could be forgiven for almost laughing at the sight of Fugaku Uchiha's gob smacked expression.

"Well, it would certainly send a statement." Mikoto tilts her head.

Her mother had found her words before her father. Suki wasn't entirely sure if that was a good sign or not.

"It'd also make it harder for wedding crashers to crash it." Itachi chuckles and shakes his head. "We wouldn't want anything to ruin Suki's and Hideki's wedding. By the way, Suki have you chosen a kimono yet?"

"Of course not." Suki shakes her head quickly. "We haven't even picked a date yet. Why would I get one before we know when the wedding is happening?"

"That's right and your mother will want to take you." Fugaku smiles.

That was just as well. Mikoto Uchiha would probably be better at that sort of thing than Suki. Most of the time, the young Uchiha just wore training clothes or clothes for comfort.

"I know." She smiles.

Though Hideki wasn't done with his suggestion just yet. "What do you think of the idea?"

Her father grows disturbingly quiet for a moment. "I can see how some would be outraged by such a move, but I believe that the merits outweigh the risks." The Hokage's grimace slowly turns into a smile. "That and while the courtship has obviously been unconventional, we do want the two of you to be happy and it would seem rather hypocritical not to allow you to choose the venue's location."

"I'm glad that you feel that way because there is also something else that I have been meaning to speak with you and my father about." Hideki smiles nervously at Fugaku.

So this was it then. Her fiancé wasn't going to waste any time, it seemed. Not that Suki could honestly disagree with his direct approach. The Branch House of the Hyuga Family tree deserved to be set free.