No matter how gilded a cage is, it is still a prison. Still, it is better than a prison made of thorns, darkness and hate, is it not?
-Cage-
Mito disliked the Hyuuga clan head, although on the surface she should have admired him.
Hyuuga Hideki was a perfect nobleman. His long, oiled hair was perfectly tied, his clothes were immaculate, his posture straight. The man embodied the simple perfection that all noble and high born aspired to have. And yet, she despised him. The slight upturn of his straight nose, the veiled derision in his pearly eyes, they grated on her nerves. This man was unlike the nobility she knew and had grown to emulate. He did not care for those less fortunate; he did not help others. He ordered, he sneered, and— her hands fisted inside the kimono's long sleeves— he blinded children.
"You will assist us in creating this seal, Lady Mito, however, you will not be the one to place it. Such a task must and will be carried out by myself, as well as any alterations required," stated Hideki. "Furthermore, any document you use to create the aforementioned seal will be destroyed."
"Lord Hyuuga," began Mito, the calm in her voice veiling the storm she felt brewing inside. "With all due respect, Uzumaki seals are different from any other. Our seals are tailored for our use. I can make the seal for you, and I can even cast a chakra mold which would aid you in placing further seals in the future, but any alterations made to it will have to be done by me."
"Unacceptable."
"As I explained, there is no way for you to alter the seal, Hyuuga-sama, due to the fact that you are not an Uzumaki and thus do not have the necessary chakra."
Hideki smiled an insipid gesture that curled his lip and narrowed his eyes. "Then, Lady Mito, you will change your way of sealing."
"Impossible."
"In that case, the arrangement falls. I will not lend my troops to incompetent allies and I will certainly not allow my clan to dwell in a village that claims safety and integration, but fails to cater to the needs of their citizens."
She could swear that this was the opening he had been waiting for. Hyuuga Hideki never intended to join Konoha, never intended to help them out. Mito wanted to believe that they didn't need the stuck-up man and his clan, but the truth was they did, desperately.
The quest of building a shinobi village had quickly morphed into the battle to subdue Fire Nation. There were those that wished to join other clans and make a peaceful alliance, and there were those against it. Peace was a difficult concept to grasp when one spent their life fighting. It was as such that they began a war of attrition, and they were currently on the losing side. Both Madara and Hashirama, two respective powerhouses for their clans and the alliance were powerless. Even their strength couldn't feed the troops, or replace the steel needed to make more weapons. Something had to give, and soon. And if the Senju/Uchiha alliance fell, then Uzushio would soon follow.
An alliance with the Hyuuga was mandatory.
Mito could feel the noose tightening around her neck. She lifted her head, stormy grey eyes piercing Hyuuga Hideki's pearly ones. "I will present you with a formula by this week's end. We can then review the application together."
"I shall accept this offer. Make sure to deliver, Lady Mito."