Note: This is sort of a transition chapter. It has some character development that needed to be put out there. Things get more interesting from here.
Battlefield
"I still don't see why we do this." Yukiko muttered, watching as her mother fussed over Kouki. He was six now and Yukiko couldn't help but laugh at her younger brother. He was squirming as Hinata attempted to make his messy hair look presentable. Beside Yukiko, her father placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know you don't enjoy it, but humor your mother." He said. Yukiko sighed.
"But why don't you ever come with us?" She asked, hoping that her father would at least make the day bearable.
"The last time I set foot in that place, I swore I would never go back. I'm a man of my word." Her father said, his tone dark. Hinata let out a small laugh and released Kouki.
"He also set the main house on fire. I doubt they would let him come back anyway." She said, her voice light. She moved on to Kazuki, who was standing perfectly still, awaiting his mother's inspection. She fussed over his clothes while Yukiko grinned at her father.
"Really?" She asked, eyes bright. "You really set it on fire?" Sasuke chuckled, but turned to Yukiko and whispered so only she could hear.
"When I married your mother, I promised I would protect her from her clan. But that doesn't mean I can keep her from seeing them. Be strong, Yukiko. Just make it through dinner and you'll be fine." Yukiko nodded once, though she still dreaded the rest of the day.
Finally, Hinata moved from Kazuki to Yukiko, gently making sure her formal attire fit properly and was in place. Yukiko wasn't one for dresses or kimonos. So when she needed formal wear, she donned dress pants and a simple white shirt. Though the Uchiha emblem was boldly embroidered on the back. Hinata smiled at her daughter.
"Thank you for coming with me. I know it is difficult. Your grandfather..." She trailed off for a few moments. "He prefers to be stuck in the old ways. But he will come around. I'm sure of it." Yukiko met her mother's eyes and nodded. As much as she despised and hated having anything to do with the Hyuuga clan, she never could say no when her mother requested they go join their grandfather for dinner ever couple of months.
.~.~.~.~.~.
If there had to be a positive side to the tortuous visit to the Hyuuga compound, it was that the food was beyond delicious. Yukiko sat at the table, awaiting the food to be served. But it would be some time before anything besides tea was on the table. To her left, Kouki was moving in his seat, bored of the talk and not interested in tea. Across from her, Kazuki was turned so he faced the head of the table, where their grandfather sat. When he wasn't staring adoringly at their grandfather, he shot glares at Yukiko.
"It is good that you have come to visit" Hiashi said. Yukiko watched silently as her mother and grandfather exchanged small pleasantries. Across from her mother and beside Kazuki sat Neji, who had been kind enough to her, but still seemed distant. Yukiko stared into her tea, wishing that the food would finally be served so they could eat and leave.
"Kazuki, Neji has told me that you continue to improve quickly in your training." Hiashi said. Kazuki seemed to sit up a bit taller.
"I still have much to learn." Kazuki said. "But my training is proceeding faster than I had anticipated." Hiashi nodded his approval, and Yukiko nearly winced when she felt his gaze turn to her.
"And how is your training, granddaughter." He asked, all emotion gone from his voice.
"It is going well." Yukiko clipped out. "I've been training under the Hokage, as well as with my team and with Lee." She watched as her grandfather smirked.
"Such a shame that the next head of the Uchiha clan isn't being brought up in the proper environment. I would have expected your father to have taken over your training by now and prepare you for your duty." He intoned. The table was silent for a moment, and Yukiko felt the tension envelop her like a blanket.
"We are not a clan." She replied, meeting Hiashi's gaze with a glare. He raised an eyebrow. "We are a family." Yukiko continued. She could see her mother's smile out of the corner of her eye, and Hiashi frowned.
"And yet there has been much violence within your family." He glanced from Yukiko to Kazuki. "I hear that you and your brother fight often, even now, so many months after the chunin exams." He watched as Yukiko paled. She looked down at her lap, where she had her hands fisted, shaking uncontrollably. Everyone was silent.
"Sometimes Kiko lets me ride on her shoulders when she trains with Eyebrow-Sesei!" Kouki said, nearly jumping out of his seat. Everyone turned to the six year old, and Yukiko grinned at her little brother.
"Eyebrow-Sensei?" Neji asked, holding back a laugh.
"Yeah!" Kouki replied. "He's got huge eyebrows! And when he makes Kiko run laps, if I behave, she lets me ride on her shoulders. I count how many times she runs around the village." Kouki was grinning. Never before had Yukiko been more grateful for her little brother. Hiashi was speechless. But Kouki continued.
"And then sometimes, if Mommy isn't home, she takes me with her when she trains with Naruto!" Kouki's eyes lit up as he continued to speak. "And he makes loads and loads of clones, but Kiko gets rid of them all super fast! Sometimes Naruto says she's even better than Daddy!" Yukiko bit her lip, not quite sure if she appreciated the praise her little brother was giving. Her training with the Hokage was usually unknown to most people. She didn't need everyone knowing her new techniques.
"I think that's enough." Yukiko muttered to Kouki. But her brother just kept speaking.
"And he even says that if she keeps training hard, Yukiko will get to be Hokage! Just like she wants!" Yukiko covered Kouki's mouth with her hand, her face turning red with embarrassment. That was the last thing she wanted her grandfather to hear. He already mocked her enough.
"I'm surprised you would want to become Hokage, granddaughter." Hiashi said. "I will admit I expected you to run away and live a life of crime like your father. You tend to be a delinquent." Yukiko nearly jumped out of her chair to punch the old man out of anger when she felt her mother's hand grasp her own under the table. She glanced over to see her mother had a determined look on her face. Yukiko took a deep breath.
"Well, I tend to be full of surprises." She said, not bothering to look at Hiashi.
"I think that she will be able to do it." Her mother said, making Yukiko beam. "Naruto made his dream a reality. Yukiko is twice as determined as he is. She will become Hokage."
.~.~.~.~.~.
The gate of the Hyuuga compound never looked more beautiful. Yukiko was ready to run out the gates to freedom, but she held herself back. Just a few more minutes and they would be gone.
"It is always good to see you, daughter. I do wish you would come by more often." Hiashi said before he embraced Hinata for a moment.
"I am very busy." Hinata replied, not bothering to look at her father.
"Perhaps next time your daughter will wear something more appropriate for a young woman of her status. I'm sure you could find something that would flatter her rather ill proportioned body." He watched as Yukiko turned to look at him. Yukiko glared at her grandfather, her sharingan activated.
"Call me ugly one more time," she seethed, "And I'll make sure that what my father did the last time he was here will be nothing in comparison to what I do." She watched, taking every twitch of Hiashi's facial features, now in perfect clarity. He did a good job of masking his emotions, but Yukiko saw the flicker of fear in his face. She grinned.
"That's what I thought. You should really watch what you say. I don't think you want the next Hokage on your bad side."