Chapter 33: Another step forward
"Wait..." The blond trailed off, cerulean eyes widened in surprise at their presence. "What are you even doing here?"
"Who do you think was the moron who failed to show up to dinner? And was nowhere to be found for hours after?" Irritation dripped from Sasuke's every word, but his eyes were still fixed on the blood-thirsty teen inside the hospital room. "We wasted a full day before we got told you passed out like an idiot and ended up in the hospital."
"We came yesterday as well, but you were still sleeping?" Kagome's voice was still soft even as she finished entering after the Uchiha.
After spending a sleepless night researching Orochimaru and the remaining Sannins, it hadn't really taken much for them to realize just who was the perverted old man who offered to take over their menace of a childhood friend's training. Despite all of his reservations, the girl had still nodded in agreement, insisting it would be a good idea. To be fair, their previous experiences had taught them that letting the fox take over was the farthest from a good idea as it could be. Someone at the level of a Sannin, however, should be able to stop the blond without injuring the idiot. Even if things turned ugly.
And then, the moron failed to show up.
"And would you look at that?" Fingers tightened around the grip of his kunai. This was dangerous. "Here you are, doing something stupid, again."
"Argh, shut up! It's not like I can get killed so easily, anyway." With that, the blond turned back to glare at the redhead. "I have a real monster inside me...I won't lose to the likes of him!"
"A monster, huh?" For some reason, the word seemed to catch his attention. "Then...it's the same for me...as you said, I had a messed up childhood."
Taking advantage of Naruto's absence during most of their day, Kagome had made sure to fill him in on as many details as she could as well as her own deductions. From the opponents each of them got; to the fighting styles of every winner of the prelims... along with the wild, untamed feeling she got during Gaara's fight. A feeling that gave her the same kind of reaction no one but the village jinchuuriki's chakra should create.
They were all tools, after all, to this village and to every single one. At this point, the Uchiha was not really surprised to find out that something similar to the Kyuubi could exist and be sealed inside another kid. His foreknowledge was likely one of the only reasons he managed to keep his mask on as the redhead's words seemed to confirm their theory. Inside Gaara of the Desert, a monster was being contained; it was what produced the bloodlust the Higurashi heiress had felt during the prelims.
"A possession jutsu that allows one to be possessed before birth..." Dark eyes glanced towards the Nara, the tension on his form more than evident in his stance. That binding jutsu of his would not last long. "To go that far...that's insane."
It was a small movement, but with one step, Kagome had gotten closer to the blond, likely a show of reassurance. An attempt of comfort.
Right...the usually cheerful prankster had taken a good hit on his self-confidence the day he lost control. Sasuke didn't need the heiress' analysis to know Naruto had been afraid, terrified of being rejected by them, of ending up alone. Half forgotten words echoed in his mind; how easy had it been for the young girl to see herself in the blond's place?...
And the prankster...the prankster had to realize it by now. That his story had even fewer differences with the one of the crazed genin in front of them. How much would it take, he wondered, for the village's sacrificial pawn to accept that he was all but seeing a once possible future?
"Family..." The redhead continued, ignoring the terrified expressions on the other two boys. "You want to know what kind of connection that is to me?
"They're just pieces of meat, connected to me with murderous intent and hatred. By sacrificing my mother's life, I was created as the village's greatest masterpiece." Naruto would be unable to keep his distance...It would seem, though, he's not the only one. It's not the same, not really; parallel lines are showing to another person's story. "As the Kazekage's son, my father taught me the shinobi secrets. I was spoiled and allowed to do as I pleased...I thought that was love...
"Until that incident occurred."
"That incident?" Yes, the blond was definitely getting invested in this whole thing, urging Gaara to continue after Shikamaru's question was left unanswered. "What happened?"
"For the last 6 years, ever since I turned 6-years-old..." An unsettling grin sets on his face. "...my own father has tried countless times to assassinate me."
"Huh? But you just said your father spoiled you...what do you mean?"
"They got scared." There's a certain coldness within Kagome's words as she answered Shikamaru's question. "They couldn't control you..."
Of course, the others wouldn't understand, blissful in their ignorance as they were. The idea that a village could go that far sounded insane...and yet...in a way, wasn't that the exact same thing that had been done to the Uchihas? The same thing his own parents had done to all of the kids in their charge?
Spoiling their children to use them as pawns and growing scared of them once they become too strong to control?
"Yes..." The non-blinking stare of the redhead changes towards the girl. "Born through a jutsu, my spirit was unstable. It seems the idiots in the village finally realized there was a problem. To my father, I was a trump card; at the same time, I was also a very dangerous being... and by the time I turned 6, it seems like the risks outweighed my usefulness.
"To them, I am simply an object from the past they wished to disappear."
Honestly, it was too much.
Sasuke could feel the metallic tang on his tongue as he made sure to stop himself from losing his temper. Because didn't that story sound fucking familiar? It would seem like, no matter where all this fucking villages were just the same. All too happy to use a tool until it broke and then throwing it away. Getting rid of their mistakes and tying them up in pretty little bows so they could pretend nothing ever happened in the first place.
Really, these places should just burn down until not even their ashes remained.
Although...the nonsense coming out from the redhead was utterly stupid. Mindlessly killing everyone and anyone who happened to be unlucky enough to catch his eye instead of looking to the ones responsible for his situation. A wild beast, indeed.
"So what?" The words left him before he even noticed he'd spoken.
"What..."
"So what?" Contempt laced his every word; his emotions were turning, boiling inside his veins. "They saw you as a too? That's what we all are; all a shinobi is, a tool for others to do their dirty work. So spare me your pathetic sob story."
"Sasuke..."
He could hear the warning in Kagome's voice. The Uchiha was acting like Naruto would, letting his anger chose his words. This was only angering the Suna beast; to make matters worse, the Nara was also here, listening to all of this. Any slip-up would be harder to sweep under the rug.
Still, he just couldn't take it. The burn of his hatred as the boy realized the only reason his brother didn't have active hunters in his heels was because the executioner was supposed to be Sasuke himself. Violent feelings swirling and mixing because their stupidly optimistic friend could've very well ended up the same as the deranged teen in front of them. And even after all of that, they were still supposed to bow down and praise their masters.
There may be repercussions for his words; the Higurashi heiress would certainly scold him after. At this point, though, he just didn't care. Not even when whatever jutsu the Nara had sed fell, and the sand began to rise again. Directly at them.
"I see...you..." Cold ice stared into him as the redhead began to move. "You are the same then...but your existence is not enough."
"That's enough!" The loud voice of the bowl-headed jounin instructor rang in his ears as the man appeared in front of them, a swing of his arm dispersing the sand. "The finals are tomorrow, don't get antsy. Or, do you want to stay here starting today?"
There was an obvious reaction in the redhead the second the jounin appeared. Right, Kagome told him, it was Gai who jumped to intercept the Suna boy's last attack, the one that was supposed to be the final one.
"I'll definitely kill you..." The whisper was more a promise than a threat. "Just wait."
"Thank you for intervening, Gai-sensei." With the softly spoken words from the girl, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate. "I apologize for causing a disturbance. Lee-san could probably use some quiet here."
"No..." The man shook his head, his eyes revealing the tiredness inside them. "It doesn't take much to realize what happened here. If anything, I should be thanking you four."
Giving a silent nod, the Uchiha pulled himself and the girl out of the room. His patience was thinning; coming here after their spar with the Taishos had done him no favors in that regard.
"Let's go, moron."
"Huh?"
"Do you want to have your dinner here?"
"If you're already standing, then there shouldn't be any problems with getting you checked out of the hospital." As usual, the girl added a kinder explanation to his comment.
"Oh, right!"
Well, if that's the case, I'll be leaving now." The Nara nodded his farewell before turning to walk off slowly.
"Good luck for tomorrow, Shikamaru-kun," she said to his back. "And thank you for sticking with Naruto-kun."
"Not like me being there would've made too much of a difference," the Nara added with a lazy drawl. "Without that guy, we'd probably be dead."
"Come on, We can pick up some ramen from Ichiraku's on the way back."
A familiar sting on his palm kept his mouth shut. Yes, now that he was starting to calm down, it was clear the blond was shaken up. Even now, there was a lingering shakiness to the usually loud prankster. His bitterness was probably making things worse.
Sasuke managed to hold back a sigh. Sometimes, he wondered if it wouldn't have been easier for them if they'd never gotten close to Naruto. Certainly, the guilt that had settled in his gut ever since deciding to leave the blond in the dark wouldn't be there in the first place.
For once, the couple of teens weren't enveloped in complete silence. The blond's loud snores could still reach them, even though they were sitting inside the former head's private studio. The open door likely had something to do with it, but doors were hardly ever closed in this house. Not for years now.
And yet, something was bothering her.
Her eyes were not moving from the quickly cooling cup of tea she'd insisted on making. This was the first night Kagome didn't even attempt to get something out of their regular insomnia-filled nights. Not bothering to pretend to open a single scroll. It would be easy to blame it on the fact that, in just a few hours, the final part of the chuunin exams would be taking place. It would also be stupid. They wanted the title, yes, but only for the information they'd be able to access because to it. Besides, the girl had spent the past three weeks getting used to the idea of who their opponents were. Even their encounter with Gaara had failed to shake her up this badly.
Making sure not to make any noise that could wake up the snoring idiot sleeping in their living room, Sasuke stood up, pulling the chair the girl was sitting on with the same care.
At last, azure eyes seemed to regain focus as the Higurashi heiress looked at him, a questioning look in her eyes. Still, her hand closed around his without hesitation, following him as he guided her out of the small room. If she wanted to have any rest, this was one of the worst rooms in the house for them to be inside.
It went to show, he figured, that perhaps his hatred towards Uchiha Itachi had never been so encompassing that it was his room the boy's feet guided them to.
For just a second, it felt like stepping back into the past before the dim light of their lamps uncovered the layers of dust covering every surface. Out of all the rooms in the house, this was the only one they never touched. Originally it was supposed to be a reminder of his target. A way to keep his anger and hatred constantly burning high...and now...now it somehow felt like a safe haven.
Slender fingers left his as Kagome made her way toward the window. The same spot that clued them to yet another secret hiding behind their past.
"You have a bad feeling about something." It wasn't a question. There was only one reason the girl could be so nervous.
"Yes..."
"Is it about any of our matches?" Usually, this kind of feelings only came a few moments before whatever was going to happen happened. If it was starting since now, then... "Naruto's?"
"That's just the thing, I'm not sure...something just feels...wrong." Despite being on the second floor, the girl kept her voice low.
The view from the window was...unsettling didn't quite cover it. Ghostly images of corpses strewn across the streets threatened to overwhelm him for a second before Sasuke managed to push them back. His arms came around to wrap around the girl's slim figure, and he reveled in the way she settled inside his grip, burying her face in his chest. Even in this situation, the satisfaction it brought him flowed through his veins.
"Orochimaru?" he asked, forcing himself to remain focused.
"Maybe..." the girl trailed off, frustration coloring her voice. "There are too many people here, too many eyes..."
Irritatingly, the memory of the man's words remained vivid in his memory. The part of him that wanted to feel the rush of power filling every cell of his being not quite as muffled as Sasuke would've liked.
The same idea that had assaulted him when they visited the Higurashi compound coming back, infiltrating his thoughts. One he had yet to brought up with the girl because the Uchiha was fairly certain he already knew the answer. To be fair, if their positions were to be reversed, his answer would likely be the same. Protecting her, making everything in his power to keep the little heiress safe had been his first priority ever since this district became a haunted sector. It was the same for her.
If they went for it, though...
There would be danger, a constant threat, almost... And yet, weren't they in a similar enough position right now?
"I just want this thing to be over. There're so many things we need to do." With a sigh, the girl shook her head before adding in a whisper. "Say...what do you think would've happened if everything had turned out alright?"
He felt himself freeze for an instant.
What would their lives be like...if the lies had been the truths that were claimed to be? If the clan had truly been loyal? If the village had cared for them?
The memory of the old marriage contract flashed through his mind. Would that have gone through? He knew Itachi had loved the girl just as much as he did back then. But back then, they'd been children. The love they felt for each other something different (less twisted, less consuming) than what Sasuke felt now. Would Itachi's love have changed like his? The teen wouldn't be surprised if that were the case...and in that case, what about him? Would he have accepted it and swallowed down his own feelings? Fight for them, maybe?
"Does it matter?" It was as much a question for her as it was for him.
"I suppose not..." Her voice was getting lower, sleep finally getting back at her. "We can't change that...only what happens now..."
It was...amazing, honestly.
As the small girl gave one last hit to the wooden practice logs, Hinata couldn't help but still wonder at the lack of pain in her body as she moved. She knew how long it took for someone to heal after receiving a fully powered hit from the juuken. She'd suffered through the healing process herself. That a mere month later, the girl could already do a light workout without any sudden attacks...it was nothing short of amazing.
Just as much as it was surprising.
Had she done enough to repay the other heiress? Kagome-chan's action had been unexpected. And honestly, helping her out by activating her byakugan a couple of times just didn't feel fair. Yes, the other kunoichi insisted that was enough, but the shy Hyuuga had also gained a wealth of information on the Higurashi bloodline during the exchange. Even if her eyes had still failed to gain a full understanding of the strange energy that was the base for the azure-eyed teen's kekkei genkai. Maybe she could have done more...
"Hinata-chan!" The loud cheerful call made her jump. "You already feel good enough for practice?"
Heat rushed to her cheeks even faster than she thought possible for blood to flow inside a human's veins. She was doing better; she really was. With all the times this past month both, her former classmate and Kurenai-sensei had conveniently needed to do this thing or the other and left her alone with the notorious prankster, she had to get better or faint. Being taken by surprise, though, was clearly enough to invalidate all of that.
"Na-naruto-kun..." Her stuttering was clearly showing. "A-and the o-others?"
"Already there, I wanted to come here before going to the stadium." There was something slightly...off on his grin. "Since this is the place I became a genin."
"O...oh, why?"
"Nothing!" And there was too much energy in that reaction. "Nothing important!"
Silence fell between them. Thanks to the last few weeks, at least the shy girl managed to stop herself from squirming. It wasn't exactly what she'd call a comfortable silence, but it was far from the kind of awkwardness and anxiousness she'd felt before. Risking a look at the blond, she almost froze at the seriousness in the usually upbeat prankster.
"Say...Hinata-chan." the boy started again. "You know about the strong people from outside the village, right?"
"H-huh?" This was really not what she expected him to ask. "A-a little, i-it's part of some of my lessons."
"Those Taisho guys...they're really strong, aren't they?"
The words got stuck on her throat for an instant. Because they were, and those from the main family were supposed to be the strongest among them. As far as Hinata knew, Naruto-kun's opponent sported both the notorious silver and the extravagant length that identified all members of that branch of their clan.
"Y-yeah..." She couldn't lie to him, even as worry pooled inside her at the subdued version of the prankster she was seeing now. "B-but...you might be able to beat him...b-because..."
"Hahahahaha, yeah! I'm really strong!" There was still too much, too much forced energy behind his smile. "That's why I was teamed up with those guys after all."
Again, the conversation faded away with the breeze.
Like she thought, the boy was seriously worried about his fight. Maybe not just his either. His teammate's opponents weren't what she'd call easy matches. Hinata wouldn't be surprised if he was just as worried for them as he was for himself; the boy was just that kind.
What could she do, though? They'd spoken for a bit (mostly Naruto-kun chatted as she nodded, too flustered to actually offer any long answers), but for all of her heiress' status, the girl wasn't sure what she could say to help. If she kept quiet, guilt would consume her, though...
"Oh...uhmmm...when you cheered for me, back in the prelims..." she started, her stuttering thankfully under control. Even if she had to make constant pauses. "I felt like I'd become stronger...after the prelims ended, I started liking myself a little more." It was part of the reason she managed to summon enough courage to help the other girl out. "To other people, it may not seem like I changed a lot, but I felt like I did...even if just a little.
"It was thanks to you, Naruto-kun..."
"Really?! Thanks to me, huh? Yeah, I'm very influential!" His grin brightened and dimmed in an instant. "Hey, Hinata-chan...do you really think that?"
"Huh?"
"I may appear strong to you, but..." There was something dark and grim and sad in his expression. It almost hurt to see. "That's because I act all tough cause I'm so frustrated from always failing..."
"That's not true...even when you always fail..." She's trailing off again, heat rushing once more to her face, but she had to continue. Because self-deprecation is a poison she was used to, and it didn't go well with the blond. "I-in my eyes...you're a proud failure!
"When I look at you, I get an intense feeling in my heart...b-because you're not perfect...you fail, but you have the strength to get back up. A-and I believe that's what true strength is...I...I think you are an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun."
"Thanks, Hinata-chan." His smile was smaller this time, but the clouds inside his eyes seemed gone. "Earlier, I was feeling uncharacteristically depressed, but now I feel great!
"You know, back in the academy, I thought...you were kind dark and gloomy, a bit of a weirdo, honestly." He was still grinning; in fact, he was grinning even more now... "But...you're also really strong, you know. I could see that during the match. Someone like you...I really like people like you!"
If her face hadn't been crimson before, it was definitely beet red now. She could feel the heat as blood rushed to her cheeks, and a light, warm bubble of happiness seemed to grow inside her. Because she, shy, small, and weak Hyuuga Hinata was able to help the boy she admired regain his brightness.
"Well, I'm off to the exam." His voice was cheerful once again. "You better come watch me kick that snobby guy's ass. Plus, even if it's not me, that Neji jerk is gonna get a good beating as well! Later!"
The warmth remained even as the blond's back grew smaller. Hinata was being useful, actually helping others. She could change, she would change herself.
In fact, she was already changing, wasn't she?
For her to get the courage to defy her father's orders and meet so often with what was technically still a rival clan. To gain the courage to not run away from the prankster when he naively offered to take her back to the compound with worry in his eyes...
Hyuuga Hinata was changing, and this time, she would get stronger as well.
"Sorry, Hinata." The voice behind her made her jump once more. "Some last-minute advice or some shit. Is it okay for you to run there? My fight's not until later, but I was supposed to be there before it started."
The first thing she would need to try and learn, though, had to be a way to stop jumping every time she failed to notice someone near her...or maybe just learn to notice when people are near her.
"Y-yes, I can run." The girl gave Kiba and Akamaru a small smile as soon as her heart settled inside her chest. "A-also, I want to w-watch it, K-kagome-chan's fight."
"Oh yeah, you two were kinda close back in the day, weren't you?"
Taking advantage of the warmth she still felt, the Hyuuga heiress nodded. For once, Hinata refused to let her insecurities stop her from answering what she wanted. Besides, she really wanted to see the other heiress' match. The strategy the Higurashi girl had come up with was ingenious, not anything she'd ever heard of anyone attempting to use against the byakugan. Precisely because it was that unusual though it could work. The tests they'd done with her own eye technique guaranteed that at the very least, there was a chance.
As for Neji-niisan...she would try again.
Try and reach out once more.
If his idea of destiny was thwarted due to Kagome-chan winning their fight, perhaps he'd be a bit more open to hear her out...'
Yes, she would make one more attempt, and even if she failed, she would try again.
Golden eyes wandered lazily as she leaned on her armrest. Fingers combing long silver tresses as the woman pretended not to stop to look at the pair that would've definitely been the highlight of this event had their clan not decided to enter. As it was, the spotlight was firmly divided between those who wished to see the revival of two nearly extinct bloodlines and the ones who were too cheap to pay for the superior services the Taisho clan offered but still wanted to know if it was worth it.
With a bored gesture, Kimi began to play with her husband's hair as well; she'd taken the liberty of rearranging her assigned seat closed to the man she'd married over a decade ago. It left a strong impression while also covering for the fact that she needed to be this close to make sure not a word she said had even the sliver of a chance of being overheard. They were expecting...complications, to occur before the show was over, from one source or another, being able to get her opinions to him without delay could prove essential.
"Seems like you had a good batch this time."
"Ah yes," The old Sandaime smiled at her husband's light praise. "We did get lucky with more than a few clan heirs in this generation. Of course, the quality of your children is as astounding as expected."
"Yes, well, Sesshoumaru is not the kind of person that would go easy on anyone, even family."
"Oh dear, I would say he's especially harsh with family." Kimi laughed airily, waving her hand in a careless gesture. "After all, it would be a pity for someone to try and undermine their accomplishments by claiming favoritism."
Expertly ignoring the small sound of Toga choking back a laugh, the noble lady continued with more embellished words. Yes, the children could barely stand to exchange more than 10 words without starting to swipe insults (and no, just because it was Inuyasha the one to curse first it did not mean her son was forgiven for snapping back), but why would that stop her from playing up the happy, united family approach? It was useful, efficient, and seeing the stubborn males have to force down their objections was always an entertaining sight.
"A wise decision." The old man nodded at her before trailing off. "Oh...well, well, Kazekage-dono."
"Oh, my." Golden eyes scanned the small group approaching them. "It has been so long since we've met, Kazekage-sama."
"Indeed...I must admit, I don't think most of us expected to see your children here." His voice was the same as it had been the last time they traveled to Suna. It was still wrong, though.
"Well, the last renewals happened some time ago, after all." Toga's charisma was at full force as he offered a nod.
"All the more reason for us to come, I say." With a flick of her wrist, her fan was open between her fingers. "How can we call ourselves friends when so long passes between visits, after all?
"Oh, but do sit."
"Yes, you must be tired from the journey." The Hokage's answer was standard.
"Not at all. Good thing it's here this time, while you're still young, the trip may have been too much for you, Hokage-sama." The man sat, and it was still wrong, the motion not quite what it had been years ago. "Maybe it's time you decide on a Fifth."
Making sure to keep a smile on her face, the woman settled back into her cushions. Her fingers trailing on her husband's hair in a deceptively lazy manner. There was no code, perse, but years of working side by side made it easier for the man to catch the subtle nuances of her actions. And this was one that most certainly hid a meaning beneath.
"Haha, please, don't treat me like an old man." There really was nothing in Sandaime's posture to betray a thing. Either the Hokage was perfect in his masking, or the man believed everything was fine. "I intend to do this for another five years."
"Well, having the right spirit is half of the work done already, hahaha." It was barely there, a bit more tension on the muscles of her husband's arm. He'd caught on. "I certainly hope to reach your age with as much energy."
"Oh, your boy would surely be happy to hear that, Toga-dono."
"Sesshoumaru can wait for some more years. I enjoy this work too much to take early retirement."
Her honorable father-in-law had retired the day Toga was able to beat him in a one-on-one fight without ending up half-dead. Within their clan, there was one simple rule, one that was always followed: Strenght is Might. A clan head cannot be weaker than anyone, not even their successor; age did not matter, fame held no sway. The moment her eldest became able to best his father in combat was the day Toga would retire, probably go back into the field, as her in-law had done before him. Only Kimi was able to see the joke for what it was, a subtle barb at the way these villages held themselves.
Silently, the scarred jounin behind the old Hokage made a subtle sign that had Sarutobi stop his retort, instead, coughing a bit before standing up with a quiet "well now, let's begin." So it would seem, the time for the sho to begin had finally come.
"Thanks to everyone for coming to Konoha's Chuunin Selection exam! We will now start the main tournament matches between the 12 participants who made it through the preliminaries...please stay...and watch until the end!"
The crowd filling the stadium erupted into cheers, clearly clueless about so many of the things happening around them. From the very real meaning of having a generation of finalists who came from only two Hidden villages, to the dangers they were all very much in with someone like Orochimaru on the loose. And that was without mentioning the real reason behind their appearance here. Truly, ignorance was a death sentence.
With a lazy gaze towards the people around her, the woman held back the mounting disappointment within her.
Not the jounins in charge of taking care of the gates, not the ones tasked with security, not the ANBU stationed around them...not even the Hokage...none of them seemed to have realized there was something off with the Suna entourage.
She could speak up, raise the alarm and have the whole thing stopped. Kimi, matriarch of the Taisho clan, would not be ignored...golden orbs glanced around once more.
People like Orochimaru were, without a doubt, moved by greed and ambition, but the man was not a fool. For him to invade his former home like this to try and get two possibly unique bloodlines may fit with those parts of his personality, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't greedy enough, ambitious enough...or careful enough.
The treaties between the villages were, in reality, just as frail as the ones the Taishos had. Perhaps, even more, considering their habit of rotating between territories meant they never really hogged too many clients from one specific village for any period of time that could negatively affect the tied-down villages. But with the way things were in say, Suna, they could get their commissions severely depleted if their rates were considered too high. Orochimaru of the Sannin, a genius and talented shinobi who was ranked high enough that it would require only the elites of their own clan to deal with him. A man that had apparently decided to create a village of his own, or a mockery of one at the very least, was not the kind of man to be satisfied with just that.
Temptation was something Taisho Kimi was more than well-versed in.
And there was more than just one kind; how much of an oasis would it be to get an alliance and a plan from such a well-known prodigy?
She could say something, but as her gaze went back to the leader of this village, the noblewoman simply smiled. Power was all. They would not oppose Konoha, nor would they betray their accords. To attain power, however, surviving through strife was a necessity. The village would not fall, but perhaps some changes were required now to keep them safe, and who was she to take away the opportunity to learn?
Idly, Golden orbs fell back to the stadium. The public parade part of the show was over, so now anyone other than the two combatants were leaving the soon-to-be battlefield. A young teen who could not be anything but a Hyuuga was standing in the middle of the field. Arrogance dripping from his every movement. A stark contrast to the fake fragility that seemed to radiate from the Higurashi heiress.
Well, now...
This was promising to become such an interesting day.
A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter today but hopefully still good. And yes, Inukimi is playing with the board for her own purpose, she likes to scheme, really. She does not hold in high regard the hidden villages, at all.
Also, hope the reason for Kagome and Sasuke to be present in that first scene makes sense. The original team 7 was not really close at this point (or at any point, honestly) Sasuke left to train with Kakashi without leaving a note, Naruto never tried to check on Sasuke even after seeing him collapse after his match in the prelims, Sakura never even knew Naruto was in the hospital when she goes to visit, for all of Kakashi's speeches about teamwork the team did not really spend any time together outside missions. This group however does spend time together, and even with training taking over most of their time they still try to meat up for meals, so yeah, they would notice Naruto not showing up, and they would look for him, ergo, they being in the hospital.
As always, thank you guys so much for reading, and any and all review/comment/criticism/or question is greatly, greatly appreciated.