VII

On the next day, Kakashi dressed his Hokage clock and followed with Naruto and his daughter to the old Hyuga's clan compound.

"You do have the Hyuga's eyes and hairstyle, except for the gray streak." Naruto pointed. "These guys are very introspective, if you wanna know my opinion… And they don't have any sense of humor too…"

Yumi had her waist-length hair loose, waving graciously with the wind. She listened to everything Naruto had to say with great curiosity. "I don't know Naruto-kun… I think they won't like me at first."

"Yumi, I can tell you: you're wrong. You're absolutely adorable. How would anyone be able of not liking you?" He calmed her down. "Besides" he whispered "fuck this clan if they don't like you. You don't need them. You don't need to be a Hyuga, you are a Hatake, the Hokage-sama's daughter, uh? How 'bout that?"

When they arrived at the Hyuga's compound, Yumi was told to wait outside the room, which she did. Kakashi and Naruto entered the room and there they met Elder Hyuga, Hiashi, Hinata and her cousin Neji. They all sat around Elder Hyuga, Hiashi and Hinata at his right and Neji at his left.

"Kakashi Hatake." The old man said. "I've heard rumors around the village…"

"Hyuga-san, Hiashi-san, Neji, Hinata" Kakashi greeted "Although I am here dressed as the Hokage, I am not visiting you in this position. I come as an old family member."

"I see. So there rumors that my daughter's baby survived are real?" he concluded patiently. "How could that be possible though?"

"She sealed the wolf inside the baby in her belly."

"A jinchuuriki." Hyuga-san followed. "How has it survived for seventeen years?"

"She was trained by two different senseis in fire village where she was hidden, Hatusko Nitta and Itachi Uchiha."

"Itachi Uchiha?" Neji sounded surprised.

"I had previous knowledge of the whole Uchiha's situation. Besides, at the time, he was disguised as someone else."

"And why would the jinchuuriki need two different senseis?" Hyuga asked.

"She is not ordinary. She domesticated it and it obeys her. She is a powerful ninja." Kakashi said proudly.

"And I couldn't expect less from a Hatake. Now, what do I and my clan have to do with her?" Hyuga sounded arrogant, as only the eldest man of a nobble clan could sound.

"She is your granddaughter, child of the daughter who gave her life for you and your clan, even after you disinherited her." Kakashi replied with his fists trembling.

"That doesn't make her one of us." He said solemnly. "She is a jinchuuriki; she has a beast inside of her."

"She has a blood right. You can't deny it to her. She might have questions about her ancestors. You cannot deny it to her." Kakashi said, serious and dangerously.

Hyuga-san took a deep breath. "Let the girl in." he said.

The door opened and Yumi graciously walked in the room. Her hands in front of her body, her eyes down, but the head straight. She knelt in front of them and positioned her hands in front of her body. "Look up." Old Hyuga ordered.

Yumi straighted up her head facing Hyuga fearless. Her delicate traces were calm as a summer breeze, and her light purple eyes shone in front of the Hyuga master. Neji felt his legs trembling and opened his eyes open wide. 'She is the most beautiful creature I've ever seen', he thought. "She does have the traditional traces of our clan." He told Kakashi. "Tell me, child, what are you here for? Do you want to learn the secrets of our Byakugan and spread all over the country?"

"No, Hyuga-san." She replied, looking down.

"You, then, want to have the wealthy that belonged to your deceased mother. Is that money that you want?" he asked.

"No, Hyuga-san."

"So, what do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"A photograph." She whispered.

"Excuse me?" he sounded confused. "You traveled all these miles, you came from so far, do you even know what this clan is about? Who are we, how powerful are we? And you come in front of me and ask me for a photograph? I imagined that you were more ambitious, but I was mistaken. You are just a little lamb." He mocked. "Whose photograph do you want after all?"

She still locked into his eyes, not shaking, not crying and firmly, she announced "My mother's."

Old Hyuga couldn't reply her. Twice he opened his mouth, and twice he shut it. Hinata left a tear drop and Hiashi felt a deep sorrow in his heart to remember his late sister. But Neji kept glazing at her, without blinking his eyes and still mesmerized by her grace and beauty.

"I never met her, Hyuga-san. When I think about her, the ghost has no face. I see why you don't want me as part of your clan, and if you don't ever want to see me again, I will never impose my presence. But, if you can find any kindness in your heart, please listen to the humble request of an orphan. You were her father. If you have any photo, I promise I will just look at it and save it in my memory. I won't even take it from you."

Hyuga stoop up and, gently, offered her his hand to help her stand up as well. Gently, he took her to a window glass and said "If you wish a face for the ghost of my Hemi, look at yourself in the mirror, child. You resemble her so much that I could say she was brought from the dead when you entered the room. But besides the looks, Hemi was fair, fearless, brave and courageous. She fought for hers and for what she believed." He told her, with his big hand on her shoulder. "Now, you have the Hyuga's blood running in your veins, so I believe you should join this clan, but only if you truly deserve it."

"What does that mean?" Kakashi interrupted.

"Well, she needs to be successful in two tasks. The first is to be approved in the jonin exams," he explained "and her rival shall be a Hyuga." He continued. "After that, she will be tested by another ninja, in the jonin level."

"That sounds like a lot of things. She will need to take written tests as well. It will take her months to do it all!" Naruto pointed.

"Actually, in the space of a month she can have it finished. She was well instructed." Kakashi said.

"Thank you, Hyuga-san." She said bending gently towards.

When they left, Kakashi suggested Naruto and Hinata to show Yumi the village, as she didn't have the chance to see it all.

"We should go for lamen, Naruto-kun!" Hinata happily suggested.

"Yes, let's do it! It is the best lamen in the world!" he exclaimed.

Naruto ordered a big bowl, while the girls went for a small one.

"It is delicious!" Yumi said.

"Yumi-san" said a masculine voice. A young man with long straight brown hair stood by the lamen house. Neji Hyuga approached with a brief reverence "We met earlier today; I am your cousin, Neji."

'I remember you, Neji" she smiled "would you like to join us for lamen?" she invited.

"Uh, maybe another time…" he seemed to be fighting to find words, and avoided to look in her eyes. "I just came because… Earlier today you asked for your mom's photo and Hyuga-san didn't have any to offer you... Well, I found one in my dad's old things. If he were alive, he would want you to have it." He said, giving her an old yellowish photograph.

Yumi stood up and took the photo, looking at it with tears in her eyes. In a second she jumped on Neji's arms, to hug him and thank him. 'Thank you, Neji-kun!" she said. Neji felt her light body against his and her soft skin and allow himself to touch her waist. He tried to disguise, but by then, the volume in his pants was visible and Naruto had seen it already.