The moon fades away, hidden by clouds passing by. She feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and Kuromaru lets out a low growl beside her.
Moonless nights are dangerous nights even if only for a second.
She flicks a senbon hidden in her sleeve over her shoulder. Whatever shadow that had been standing there is quick to leave. She snorts contemptuously at such a cowardly act.
This cloak and dagger shit is getting older than the Hokage's face.
"You think they'd know better than to sneak up on the two of us by now," she grumbles to her partner.
"They underestimate us," Kuromaru growls loudly in human speech, "we will not take such insults lightly."
The sound of light footsteps and the familiar scent she's been tracking stays her hand from throwing anymore weapons. She finds she's still tempted to throw a knife anyway.
"I suspect it is the opposite. They believe they cannot take you head on and aim for a killing blow in fear," is the calm reply to her ninken's words.
She gives Hiashi a smile that is all teeth and beckons the Hyuuga to take a seat on the blanket next to her. Hiashi makes no move other than to give her a blank stare.
She reminds herself that murdering her allies is generally not a good thing.
"Oi, I invited you out here for a moon viewing," she says, "get your ass over here and pour some sake."
"It's not time for moon viewing," Hiashi notes, not budging from his insulting position over her. "I didn't think you actually meant it."
"Anytime is time for alcohol," she tells the Hyuuga, "now sit down before I make you."
Kuromaru backs up her demand with a small growl and a narrowing of the eye.
Hiashi's mouth opens, no doubt to argue against her, before the Hyuuga's shoulders slump uncharacteristically. The man settles down gingerly on her blanket. A rush of satisfaction fills her, and she doesn't fight down the smirk.
"Kid's got your perfect hair frazzled, huh?" She says, reaching for a sake cup.
The pissy look on Hiashi's face is amazing. She barks out a laugh and forces the sake bottle into the man's hands.
"The elders are not happy," Hiashi says, pouring her a cup with a tight expression.
"Course they ain't happy," she says, taking the bottle to pour a cup for the Hyuuga like the civilized lady she is. "You finally pulled your balls out and started being a leader."
She downs the sake in one gulp and makes a mental note to get stronger stuff next time. Dealing with a Hyuuga feels like being smothered in paint; it might as well taste like it too.
She slides a cup of sake to Kuromaru, who lets out a haughty sniff at the scent. Even her ninken thinks it's too weak.
"They don't find it agreeable to live as hostages in their own home," Hiashi eventually says, carefully not looking at her. "I believe you'd say, 'They also don't find it agreeable to have their faces blown off.' "
She throws her head back for a laugh.
"So the boy actually used the cream idea?" She chuckles, slapping her knee. "I'd give anything to see the looks on their faces!"
Exploding Hyuuga heads was always something of a fantasy for her. It's almost upsetting that she missed it.
"Neji was particularly," Hiashi pauses, "enthusiastic about the situation. I have never seen him so lively."
She personally believes that's due to bad parenting on Hiashi's part, but it's not any of her business.
"Heard your boy is finally getting over himself," she says, biting into a piece of cake. "Got it out of his system with that fight with the puppet ninja. Good."
Hiashi's eyes do that flicker thing when he's upset, and she wonders if she can make him do it again.
"You know he is my nephew," Hiashi tells her stiffly, "and he knows to protect the clan."
Hiashi has always been the type to say a lot in as few words as possible, as misleadingly as possible. She's never had the patience to deal with this shit, and that's never changed.
"You know as well as I do that boy's your kid," she tells the Hyuuga, "and the only thing Hizashi would mind is that it took fighting an enemy together with his cousin to stop the crazy."
Hiashi's eyes are doing the flicker thing uncontrollably, and she pats herself on the back mentally. Kuromaru's ears prick up, and she gives the ninken silent permission to pursue with a toss of her head.
Her ninken hunts the prey that would dare intrude on their private talk, and she holds out her cup to Hiashi for another round.
"You are not one to talk about crazy children," Hiashi says flatly, obliging her with more sake.
She lets out a throaty laugh, almost spilling the alcohol on herself. Hana, her argumentative and proud girl, is definitely not part of the children Hiashi is referring to.
"But mine's the good kind of crazy," she grins, "they got it from me after all!"
She'd never imagined having such solid ties outside her own clan after her first team's failure to bond, but life has a way of surprising her. She's never been prouder of her boy whose sole mission in life seems to be to make it as interesting as possible.
Her mad scientist of a daughter is only the highlight of what Kiba's given her.
"I think we've seen the moon plenty," she says as she picks up some new scents on the wind, "it ain't going anywhere either."
Kuromaru's excited howl reaches her from the trees behind her.
"You up for taking out the trash?" She asks, throwing a thumb over her shoulder.
She's not talking about their little party setup.
Hiashi's Byakugan is already active. No doubt he already knew about the dissenters circling in on their position this whole time.
"It would be my honor," Hiashi tells her, mouth curling up by the smallest amount.
She lets out a howl and jumps for the nearest tree. Hiashi follows her after her silently, and she moves to join up with Kuromaru.
She wonders what Hiashi's face would look like if she took a bite out of one of the Hyuuga's wayward kinsmen. Maybe if she starts going for the throat with her teeth, she'll have a chance.
She spots a shadowy figure below her, bares her fangs, and lunges. Kuromaru leaps from the bushes, and she can smell the exasperation rolling off Hiashi.
Who knew hanging out with a Hyuuga could be so much fun?