Chapter Seven: Blood and Dusk
Sakura peered through the wardrobe closet in her temporary room. She'd placed her regular clothing inside, but wanted to see what other options were there. She already stuck out like a sore thumb with her candy pink hair amongst a sea of brunettes. At least she could tone down her attire to something not bright red or a dark green flak jacket. There was a simple dress of white and gray that she decided to wear.
She followed Hinata to join the Hyuga Head Family for breakfast. A quick glance around the table revealed the presence of women only in attendance. "Where are Neji and Naruto?" Sakura asked.
Tomoe sat at the head of the table. She directed her opaque lavender eyes at Sakura. "Now that Neji has been named heir, the tradition of separate male and female breakfasts can be resumed." She turned to her daughters, before looking back at Sakura. "As I was unable to give my husband a male heir, I'm afraid it put my daughters in a precarious position."
"Mother, it wouldn't have been the first time a female had been named heir," Hinata pointed out, as she calmly poured tea for them all. "The last time was a century ago, before the clan had joined the Leaf Village."
"Studying clan history won't make you more appealing to father," Hanabi mumbled, stabbing her breakfast forcefully with her chopsticks.
Hinata ignored her sister's barb and turned to Sakura to explain further. "Normally, father would eat breakfast with his advisors and on occasion Hanabi would join him as the clan's heir."
Hanabi stared at her food with a sullen expression. She set aside her chopsticks and held her teacup, but didn't drink.
Tomoe clapped her hands abruptly. "Enough of this sour talk!" She smiled, and her face lit up beautifully. When she wasn't around her husband, she seemed a different person entirely. "We need to plan for Lord Neji's nineteenth name day!"
"Do you always focus so much on birthdays in this clan?" Sakura asked, leaning close to Hinata.
Hinata shook her head. "At the age of nineteen there is a ceremony to officially become the heir. In one year from that time, on his twentieth name day he will become the new Head," she explained.
"What if he's called on a mission? He is a very skilled jounin," Sakura said.
"Until his twentieth birthday he will be allowed to participate in missions. After that, his duty will be to the clan," Hinata said.
Tomoe leaned across the table with an eager expression in her eyes. "And of course, he must be married by his twentieth name day."
Sakura began to choke on her orange juice, and Hinata patted her on the back. "Are you okay?" Hinata asked in concern. Sakura nodded.
"My husband told me that you and Neji are now courting, Sakura," Tomoe said. "We should invite your parents to Neji's birthday celebration. It would be fitting."
The very idea of Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno amidst the proud Hyuga clan gave Sakura a strong case of heartburn. Only tapping into the seal on her forehead a bit, Sakura healed the gastritis without so much as a sweep of her fingers.
"Just grin and bear it," Hinata whispered in Sakura's ear.
Sakura took the advice and offered Lady Hyuga a polite smile, as she concentrated on eating her breakfast. Did Neji realize exactly what kind of time frame he was working with? They would have to work hard to find him an appropriate wife so that he might avoid an arranged marriage. She looked forward to helping Naruto and Hinata find happiness with each other, but she thought it might be harder to help Neji. That stubborn man didn't want to be helped.
OoO
Hiashi hosted breakfast for Neji, Naruto, and a few advisors. Naruto ate his breakfast at a steady pace, but he took little pleasure in the food. He worried about Sakura and Hinata's absence. If he knew that he'd be stuck in the company of the stuffy Hyuga clan leaders he'd have preferred to stay home, spar with Sasuke, and eat Ramen all day with the occasional visits with his old teacher Iruka.
"How goes your training, Naruto?" Hiashi asked.
"After I pass the upcoming Chunin Promotion Exam there won't be much time before I climb the ranks to jounin," Naruto said. He glanced in Neji's direction and couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of jealous at Neji's superior jounin status. "Though, I need to practice with Sasuke. We are teammates," he said with a pointed look in Hiashi's direction.
It was as if a wall of indifference covered Hiashi's face. "Why do you continue to wear that atrocious orange tracksuit?" he asked.
Naruto glanced down. "I like it. What's wrong with it?"
"Aside from the fact that you'll never be camouflaged in such a ridiculous outfit?" Hiashi asked. The advisors on either side of him chuckled.
"I can mask my chakra, what does it matter what I'm wearing. No one will see me. And besides, let them see me! I am Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the strongest Ninja in the Leaf! Let Konoha's enemies know who's coming for them," Naruto exclaimed, his eyes bright in excitement.
Hiashi turned to the advisor on his left. "Toshiro, see to it that Hinata's betrothed has an assortment of clothes in his wardrobe closet in his room here."
"Yes sir," Toshiro said, dipping his head low in respect.
"Any news on the Daimyo?" Neji asked, effectively changing the topic. No one would convince Naruto that it was a bad idea to wear orange. The best compromise was to convince Naruto to wear a cloak over the bright color.
"The Daimyo's twin children — a son and daughter — are approaching their nineteenth name day as well," Hiashi said. "Most likely, he will host a big celebration now that we are in an era of peace. I wouldn't be surprised if some elite ANBU were called to participate in the festivities."
"Or some renown heroes from the last war," Ishida, one of the Hyuga advisors said. He was an older man with many streaks of silver in his dark hair and who wore glasses that he constantly adjusted. "If I was the Daimyo I would ask for Naruto Uzumaki to honor me with his presence!"
"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikazi is not even a chunin," Hiashi stated, a cool look of dismissal in his pale eyes. "He would not be allowed to attend."
"Well then," Naruto said, pushing away from the table and trying to reign in his temper. He was frustrated at the ease in which he was dismissed because of the technicality of his rank. He was the Hero of Konoha! He was the Sage of the Six Paths! He was the strongest Jinchuriki! "I better go practice for my upcoming exam. I'll be a jounin in no time — believe it!" He started to leave the area.
"If you'll excuse us, we'll be practicing our taijutsu," Neji said politely. He caught up to Naruto moments later. "Mind if I join you?"
Naruto shrugged, working to keep his anger contained. He was starting to regret agreeing to come to the Hyuga compound. He wanted to focus on his training so that he could hurry up and be promoted. How could he do that when he couldn't even see half his team? And his motivation for being there — Hinata and Sakura — what was the point if he wasn't going to be around them?
OoO
One of the keys to successful medical treatment was proper record keeping. The Hyugas excelled at record keeping so that the task of teaching proper medical documentation was a breeze. Sakura reviewed the work of medics she'd been training since breakfast that morning.
"Blood type is important in case there is need for a transfusion," Sakura explained. "Why?"
The dozen Hyuga clansmen and women looked at each other. The woman on the far right, Misao, was the one that answered. "If you transfuse the wrong blood you could cause hemolysis, the breakdown of healthy blood, and make the patient even worse off."
"So, what is the universal donor and what is the universal acceptor?" Sakura quizzed.
"O is the universal donor and AB is the universal acceptor," Misao answered again.
"Should we also memorize the blood types of our clan leaders?" Kohaku, another student asked.
"It would be helpful to know if you didn't have access to the records," Sakura agreed. "However, it would be impossible to remember everyone. Though, on a mission there generally is one medic in each four-man squad. It's vital for that medic to know the medical history of their teammates."
"Lord Neji has type O and Lady Hinata has type A," Misao said. "What are your's and Lord Naruto's blood types, Lady Sakura?"
Sakura stared at her student dumbly for a moment. Did she just call her a Lady and Naruto a Lord? "Naruto and I aren't nobility," Sakura started.
"Lady Sakura, one day you two will be part of our esteemed clan. We are simply showing our respect," Kohaku said holding his hands out apologetically. "We mean no offense."
Sakura's lips thinned and she struggled to contain her temper. She wanted to scream that she and Neji weren't really courting. She was just doing her friend a favor. "I'm type O and Naruto is type B."
"So the children of you and Lord Neji will be type O blood and the children of Lady Hinata and Lord Naruto will be AB, correct?" Misao asked.
"Theoretically, if such children existed that would be one possibility," Sakura said through clenched teeth. She would explain later about the fact that a blood type had two markers. She was OO. Was Naruto BB or BO? Was Hinata AA or AO? She'd save that lesson for the next day. "I think we've had enough for today's lesson. Work on your documentation. I expect each of you to write a thorough medical history for your immediate family members and have it for me in the morning to grade."
Sakura was relieved to dismiss her class. She didn't care for the way the Hyugas were looking at her like she was some visiting princess. She was a simple kunoichi, that happened to train under the Hokage, and possess both great strength and intelligence. She wasn't the hope for their future. Naruto was the hope for the future. She understood why people would look at him with such obvious hero-worship in their eyes.
She had a sense of being watched. Leaning against a nearby tree, Naruto stood in his orange and black tracksuit eating an apple. When he saw that he'd been spotted, he grinned and started for her. "How's class going?"
"It was getting too personal," Sakura said with a sigh. "They're starting to ask questions about our future children," she said waving her hand about, flustered.
Naruto's bright blue eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. He shut his mouth quickly and cleared his throat. "To be clear, who's children?"
"They were analyzing the blood types if you and Hinata had children and if Neji and I had children," Sakura explained. "What did you think I meant?" she asked. She raked her fingers through her hair in exacerbation. How was she going to handle being surrounded by Hyugas if they kept trying to play match-maker.
"Nothing, that's why I was confused. So, is that why you ended class so early?" Naruto asked. He had his hands behind his head, fingers laced together, as he feel in step alongside Sakura.
Sakura's fingers tangled in her hair. "I really need to cut my hair again," she mumbled, dropping her hands back to her sides.
"I think it looks better long, you just need to brush it properly," Naruto said eyeing her critically. "Maybe Hinata can give you some good tips. Her hair feels like silk and its twice as long as yours."
Sakura raised an eyebrow at her friend. "How do you know what Hinata's hair feels like?"
Naruto's face grew red. "I may have run my fingers through it a time or two," he admitted. He grinned cheekily at Sakura. "How does Neji's hair feel? It's even longer than Hinata's. I bet he could give you some tips on caring for long hair." He started cracking up laughing.
"Ugh, not you too," Sakura said pushing Naruto in the chest, only making him laugh harder as he stumbled back, arms falling in front of him in a peaceful gesture. She waited for him to calm down. "You think he's alright?"
"Neji? Well, he's a bit of a prick, but once you get past that icy exterior he's a pretty all right guy," Naruto said thoughtfully.
"Not him," Sakura said rolling her eyes. "You know who," she said not daring to voice Sasuke's name. They'd both figured out that his name was pretty much taboo on the Hyuga estate. "We've been here for almost a week."
"Let's go see him, tonight," Naruto suggested. "We're elite ninjas. We should be able to sneak out of here."
"You may be an elite ninja, but you're terrible at stealth," Neji said, approaching them from behind. His steps made not a sound as he drew near. Sakura suppressed a groan. She realized now that the outfit she chose for the day made her look like she was trying to match Neji's clothing style. "Exactly where do you think you're going tonight?"
"You still want to visit your teammates?" Naruto asked.
"Lee and Tenten? Of course," Neji answered.
"We want to see the bastard and Sai," Naruto said.
Neji looked from Naruto to Sakura, his opaque lavender gaze lingered on her seeming to penetrate into her very mind . "I don't think that's a good idea."
"It's a good thing we didn't ask for your opinion," Sakura said looping her elbow through Naruto's arm in a gesture of solidarity. She and Naruto might fight like cats and dogs, but they really loved and supported each other. They may have been the only children of their parents, but they were siblings in everything, but blood at this point.
Neji's pale eyes narrowed and he shifted into an aggressive stance with his legs spread apart and his arms folded over his chest. Sakura had seen the Hyuga prodigy in action enough times to know that he'd be able to shut down their tenketsu— the nodules where chakra entered and exited a body — within seconds. "If you think you can get past me, you better re-evaluate."
"I'm coming too," Hinata said, stepping out of the shadows and surprising them all.
"Hinata? Where did you come from?" Naruto asked, turning towards the young woman and dislodging his arm from Sakura's grip.
Hinata smiled in bemusement. "My speciality is stealth and tracking," she reminded him. "It's Thursday. Father will be occupied." Her cheeks flamed bright red. "He and mother have 'date night' on Thursday evenings," she explained.
"Date night? What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. "Sometimes it's best not to ask questions," she whispered.
"Oh. Right," Naruto said, nodding his head sagely, though it was clear he didn't understand.
"This is a bad idea," Neji stated.
"Then I guess you better come along and keep us out of trouble," Sakura said with a sweet smile. She walked closer to Neji, and stood on tiptoe, to whisper in his ear. "I just learned what's expected at your twentieth name day. If you're going to put me in this position, you owe me."
Neji's eye twitched subtly. "Fine. We leave at dusk."
OoO
Sasuke glanced up as Sai entered his den once more. He held the familiar shoji board in his arms. "Black or white?" Sai asked, as he sat across from him on the floor.
"Neither," Sasuke said. Sai set the board aside and stared back at Sasuke patiently. "Tell me of your time with Naruto and Sakura — from when you first joined the team until when I returned."
"Originally, I was supposed to spy on them for Danzo," Sai said. He rubbed his jaw absently. "When you killed Danzo the cursed mark on my tongue vanished and I've been able to speak freely. So, I can tell you the reason I was placed on their team. They had the highest probability of tracking you when you were a rogue shinobi. I was ordered to kill you, but those two, they wanted to save you."
"I didn't understand either one of them at first. Naruto was eager, determined, and more brawn than brain. Sakura was stubborn, smart, and generally cautious — except when it came to either Naruto or you being in danger. I was jealous of their devotion to their bond with you. I had to wonder, just what was so special about their missing teammate?"
"And I did everything in my power to severe that bond," Sasuke said, staring at the wall to his side. "It was that bond and Itachi's will that brought me back. I had been consumed with rage and my thirst for vengeance."
"They aren't just your teammates," Sai pointed out. "Naruto and Sakura are just as much mine, as they are yours." He smirked. "I still don't see what's so special about you," he teased.
Sasuke threw a nearby pillow at the pale boy, which Sai easily evaded.
Sasuke stood abruptly. Sai turned to the door with a ready smile. The ANBU guard on duty opened the door. "I had a feeling that you'd want to see these visitors," he said, behind his mask.
Sasuke's eyes zoomed in on the pastel pink hair first, then the bright shock of blond hair next to it. "How did you—," he started, but clamped his jaw tight when he noticed the two dark haired Hyugas behind his teammates.
"Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto said with a friendly smile. His arms were full of take-out bags from the local Korean Barbecue restaurant. "Sai! What are you doing here?"
Sasuke tried to ignore the hint of jealousy he felt at Naruto's happy greeting of his supposed replacement. It was becoming harder to think of Sai in that manner, as he'd grown to know him. The artistic ninja was fairly strong and clever — which Sasuke respected. However, as he witnessed Sai's determination to befriend him over the past few days he could see Naruto and Sakura's influence on the former Root ninja.
"Keeping our teammate company," Sai said calmly, as he rose to his feet. He gestured towards the board game. "Honing our shoji skills. I believe I can now take on Shikamaru."
"Sai, you've always been able to compete with Shikamaru when it came to analyzing strategies," Sakura said with an encouraging smile. Her smiled faded, as she looked at Sasuke hesitantly. He opened his arms in invitation. She stepped forward and hugged him. He banded his arms around her waist, rested his cheek against the crown of her pink hair, and breathed in her clean scent. He didn't like the simple outfit she wore — it was too similar to that of the Hyugas. He would rather see her in the vibrant red of the Harunos even if it made her as bright as Naruto in the forest.
"That's a sight I never thought I'd see," Neji said. His pale eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Sasuke Uchiha willingly hugging someone."
"As long as that someone isn't you," Sasuke said, possessively tightening his arms around Sakura. He felt a sense of unfriendly rivalry between himself and the Hyuga heir. He was home now, ready to pick up his life, and restart his clan. He just wanted to be able to visit with his teammates in private without the presence of a member of his family's rival clan.
Sakura cleared her throat delicately, and gently pushed away from his embrace. She reached behind her for Hinata's hand and with her free hand took the bags out of Naruto's arms. "Will you help me in the kitchen, Hinata? We brought dinner," she explained casting both Sasuke and Sai a quick look.
"Of course," Hinata murmured, allowing Sakura to pull her towards the kitchen.
"I think I'll go see if they need help," Sai volunteered, following after the two kunoichi.
OoO
Sakura set the bags on the kitchen counter and then pulled Sai into a bear hug. "Thank you, Sai. Thank you for looking out for him while we couldn't."
"It's no problem," Sai said, patting her back awkwardly. "He is not the only one missing you two. It helps us pass the time waiting for your mission at the Hyugas to finish. One week has passed. I anticipate after another week you'll be free again, right?"
"It might be a while longer than that," Hinata said. She rummaged through the drawers and found placemats to set on the large dining room table. It was big enough to seat a group of eight comfortably. "I don't know that my father intends to let either of you leave, really."
"I'll stay until Neji's birthday party. Then I'm leaving with or without your father's permission," Sakura declared. "I'm a jounin now. I won't be closeted away while I could be out and about making a difference."
"You make a difference even when you're not on the field," Hinata reassured her. "Sai, could you send a message to Lee and Tenten to tell them to meet us here? We brought enough food for all of us."
"Yeah, it saves us time that you were already here," Sakura said with a grin. "We're having an official Team Seven celebration for my jounin promotion. Do you know if Kakashi-sensei is back from whatever his last mission was?"
"Not yet," Sai answered. "Though, if he was in town I'm sure he would attend. Kakashi Hatake is not one to turn down free food."
OoO
Elsewhere, Kakashi Hatake was perched in the upper boughs of a tree observing a group of suspicious people. He sneezed, quite loudly and unexpectedly blowing his cover.
He leapt from the tree and moved further out of sight as the possible bandits looked around worriedly after the sound of his sneeze.
"Must be bats," one of the men said.
"Or an owl," another of the men said.
"Or there's someone talking about me," Kakashi mumbled to himself.
OoO
"We figured you'd be running low on your groceries," Naruto explained. He walked further inside the house and settled himself against a pile of pillows on the floor. His sharp eyes looked around the room and settled upon the painting Sai had brought on his last visit. "That's new," he said.
Sasuke followed his gaze. It was a painting of their extended Team Seven in front of the Hokage Monument. Sakura had her slug summon, Naruto his frog summon, Kakashi his ninja dog pack, and Sasuke with his snake summon. Sai flew above them on his painted eagle.
"Guess what?" Naruto asked.
"What?" Sasuke said rolling his eyes.
"I don't have to do my own laundry anymore," Naruto said with a smirk.
Sasuke looked him up and down. "Then whey are you still wearing that horrific orange and black outfit?"
Naruto snorted. "Better than a giant purple rope belt." He raised his hands above his head and cracked the joints of his upper back. "Seriously though, we need to practice," Naruto said. "The Chunin Promotion Exam will be here soon."
"Naruto, we don't need to practice," Sasuke argued. He sat next to Naruto and leaned back against the pillows to look at the painting. "It would certainly be a better pastime than sitting under ANBU watch all day. We're already capable of being S-ranked ninja. This is all, but a formality," he said.
"An important formality," Neji pointed out. He sat across from them. "Speaking of formalities, I feel I should inform you that the Hyuga Head believes that Sakura and I are courting. There will be an announcement at my birthday celebration next week."
"What?" Sasuke hissed. He could feel his Sharingan activate on instinct and he wanted nothing more than to unleash his Amaterasu upon the Hyuga and burn that smug look off his face.
"I don't want you to take your anger out on her. She's doing me a favor. But, I won't stand by while you offer to make her a broodmare so you can revive your precious clan," Neji warned.
"Um, guys, we didn't come here to fight," Naruto said in worry. "Well, I did want to spar," he confessed with a nervous chuckle.
"No," Sasuke said. "I want to hear what he has to say. You think I want to make her my broodmare? I want her to be the matriarch of my clan. Isn't that exactly what you're wanting her for? The Noble Clan of Hyuga?"
"I respect her," Neji said simply. "I don't have the same ideas as my uncle regarding the clan's future. It is my believe that Hinata would make the best leader," he said.
"Really? You want Hinata to be the clan Head?" Naruto asked.
Neji shrugged. "Especially if you're her husband."
"Wait? Husband?" Sasuke turned Naruto. "You and Hinata?"
"Yeah," Naruto said with a blush. "We're kind of courting, but you know, for real, not for fake — like Neji and Sakura."
The kitchen door opened and Sakura stood in the doorway. "Okay, boys. Dinner is served. We have the dining table all set up."
Sasuke pushed himself off the floor and crossed the distance to Sakura, took her by the arm, and pulled her into the den. "You cannot court Neji. I told you that's what the Hyugas wanted. I warned you. You're falling into their hands, Sakura."
Sakura jerked her arm out of Sasuke's grip. "You don't own me, Sasuke. If I want to help Neji then that's my business, not yours."
"Fine," Sasuke huffed. "But be careful, please?" he asked, gently.
Sakura's angry expression softened into one of understanding. "Of course, Sasuke. I appreciate your concern."
The group sat around the large dining table, with two extra place settings.
"I sent an ink bird to Tenten and Lee," Sai said. "They should be on their way."
Sasuke groaned. Lee had come by every morning to practice taijutsu with him. His patience for the evening was already non-existent. He couldn't promise not to become violent with additional guests to their dinner party.
OoO
Dinner had been awkward, though the food and company had been pleasant enough. Hinata didn't know Sasuke well, but she enjoyed seeing the way Naruto, Sakura, and Sai interacted with him. She could see the similarities between the last Uchiha and her cousin, Neji, though the two men would be loath to admit it.
Also, it had been some time since Hinata had seen a genuine smile on Neji's lips. He'd smiled in the presence of his two teammates — Lee and Tenten. It gave her hope that he would start to appreciate his new lease on life.
"When father questions us, and he will, we should tell him the truth," Hinata suggested.
"The truth?" Sakura asked. "That seems too easy," she murmured.
"The truth is rarely easy," Hinata argued.
"I need to train with my teammate," Naruto said, his voice determined. "Besides, if the bastard doesn't see us, he'll get depressed again."
"You can also train with any of us," Hinata pointed out.
"Who will train Sasuke?" Naruto growled in frustration.
"Don't whine so loudly," Sakura hissed, turning to Naruto with a scowl and an upraised, threatening fist. "Sai, Lee, and Tenten all agreed to train with Sasuke at dinner. And he even accepted."
Naruto held up his hands in a sign of peaceful protest. "Okay," he whispered. "But he only accepted because you threatened to pummel him into the ground."
As they approached the gates, it was a relief to see that it was Ko and Hotan again on guard duty. "Date night went well. Your absence hasn't been noted," Ko informed them. "We made sure of it."
That would certainly make things easier, if her father didn't know about their evening visit to Sasuke, Sai, Lee and Tenten. Ko had always been a dear friend to her and she appreciated his efforts.
Naruto saddled up close to Hinata and leaned close to her ear. "I hear you're quite the challenge to spar against. Would you be willing to work with me in taijutsu tomorrow morning? Neji is cranky in the mornings and Sakura might destroy the training field."
Hinata was supposed to help Sakura with the medical training. She cast the pink-haired kunoichi a quick glance. 'Say yes,' Sakura mouthed to her. "Yes," Hinata agreed. "Neji, big brother, could you help Sakura with tomorrow's medical training while I spar?"
"Sure," Neji agreed. "It beats listening to your father's political agendas."
A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! I wanted to apologize to Shotgunhero because I posted this chapter before she could beta it.
And for those of you feeling bad for Sasuke, I encourage you to read either of my Sakura x Sasuke stories: Dangerous or my dark story: Insatiable. The latter is a vampire story that is a cross over with Highschool of the Dead, but you don't have to be familiar with the other anime to appreciate the story. And it's rated M, so it might get a little naughty and a little intense. So, if you like those kind of things, check them out!
