A/N: So now, we start with a slow transition into the third arc. Beta'd by Alice J.

Chapter 31 - Reclamation

This looks awfully lot like a body bag. That was the first thought that came into my mind when I saw the big black bag hanging on the rack. I couldn't believe this. I finally get a day off and I have to use it for this?

"Miss, your kimono." The employee at the cleaning shop handed me the body一I mean, the cleaning bag and I returned the courtesy with a smile. Quietly, I held the bag of clothing articles and walked to the side. It was very heavy, making me wonder just what the hell was the kimono made out of. Out of curiosity, I slipped open the bag to observe the fabric.

The kimono wasn't that bad. The base of the fabric was white and it was decorated with flowers of several shades of red. It was sort of pretty, but it was not the reason why I chose it. Underneath the white outer layer, there were seven other layers in either red or white. Now, this was the only formal kimono in my size that I could find in the Uchiha Compound that was under ten layers.

After the fiasco in the Land of Snow, which was hastily resolved by an insincere apology from the Snow Daimyo that basically said 'I'm sorry that there's a misunderstanding, but your shinobis tried to kidnap me, so I guess we are even. Here, have some metal and let's forget that this ever happened' but in an elongated version filled with unnecessary words.

A new trading clause had been signed. Compared to the one before, the terms in this clause was essentially a blowout sale for Konoha. People in Konoha was happy about the fact that the inflation of metal prices had gone down, so the Hokage did not start a war for our sake. I wasn't happy when I heard that I couldn't kill the Snow Daimyo, but I was content when I got the pay for an S-rank mission.

However, there was something strange about the trigger of this whole event. The Snow Daimyo's kill order was so sudden and unexpected, almost as if he had a secret he wanted to protect no matter what. Nevertheless, Kakashi and I destroyed around ten percent of their military forces and the Hokage had ordered close surveillance on any movement regarding the Land of Snow. It was unlikely that they would dare to stir up trouble anytime soon.

The point was, something had changed: they started to take notice of me, not as a kunoichi nor as an Anbu agent, but as the representative of the Uchiha Clan. I kept telling myself that it was because I had turned fifteen last week, that it had nothing to do with what had happened in the Land of Snow. But rumours spread fast. It wasn't long before people started to blab about the black fire that had incinerated the entire coastline. That was an exaggeration of what had really happened, but I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.

So to accommodate my newly made reputation, apparently, they sent me an invitation for an upcoming gathering of all of the clans in Konoha. From what I knew, this was more of a social gathering than anything, where the clan heads chat and complain about recent events and introduce their heirs to each other. It sounded painful, but it would be very rude not to accept the invitation they so 'graciously' sent out.

I was an 'honorary' clan head, which made me barely meet the requirements for the attendance. Then there was Sasuke, who was the 'heir' at the moment. But with one look at the heavy kimono I had picked out, he walked away without mercy and left his sister to the wolves.

"Oh, Senpai! That's a beautiful kimono!" Just as I was about to sigh, I heard a cheerful voice behind me.

"Hi, Momo. How are you doing?" I greeted my little kouhai, who looked very happy to see me for reasons unbeknownst to me. After the last Chunin Exam, all three members of Akira-shishou's genin team had passed (just barely, or as shishou told me) and were promoted to Chunins. Maybe this says something about Akira-shishou's superb teaching skills.

"I'm good, senpai! Satoru and I are doing fine in the Chunin corps, but Ryuu … I don't know where he went. Akira-sensei said to not worry, so I hope he will be fine," Momo said with a worried tone. I narrowed my eyes slightly at Momo's words, suspicion heavy on my mind as to where Ryuu went. After all, there was only one place where identities were kept secret. Akira-shishou had a tendency to pick a favourite (even if it was more or less at a subconscious level), and in his most recent team, it was Ryuu. However, I would pick Momo any day just because she was such a hard-working and kind girl.

"If Shishou said so, then I suppose you shouldn't worry too much," I reassured the girl who gave me a bright smile in return. Suddenly, I remembered something so I asked the little kunoichi, "Momo, do you know how to wear a formal kimono?"

"Uh, senpai, regular kimonos, sure. But if you are talking about that," she pointed at my body bag, "then, unfortunately, I have no idea."

The look on my face must have been heartbreaking, as she immediately bowed with her hands clutched tight above her head.

"I'm so sorry, senpai! I should have paid more attention in kunoichi class!" She did look very sorry at the prospect of me drowning in misery, so I had to reassure her that it wasn't her fault and that she was a great help. Eventually, I left the shop with my heavy body bag and waved goodbye to my little kouhai.

I had five hours until the gathering, but I had no idea how to wear this really expensive kimono. Think, who else might know about women's kimonos? Well, there was one more option I could try, but I had no idea where to find her. However, I did know someone who could potentially tell me that location … after some persuasion.

So, was this it? On one of my rare off-days, I had to go on a manhunt - not the type I would like to have. This sounded like the beginning of a dreadful day already.

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

Kakashi was having a relatively nice day. This was one of the rare occasions where he didn't have any mission assigned. He had planned to spend the afternoon enjoying Icha Icha Paradise. Then again, he should have known not to rely too much on his hopes for it to last, considering those he surrounded himself with. Still, he was somewhere ranging from mildly annoyed to moderately irritated when he heard the knocking on his door.

She was back. Again.

Yes, that demanding girl was back. Like a puppy high on adrenaline, she went back to the phase of shamelessly demanding every skill she could find. He supposed that he had asked for it when he set up that standard for her. It was, in the essence, his only standard. Because once she reached captaincy, she would no longer be under his care and thus, free to go to any direction she wanted.

It was a bit melancholy, Kakashi supposed. When he actually took five minutes of his precious time to comb through what Maiko needed in order to reach that bar, he realised that there weren't much left that he could teach her. Experience, the biggest flaw of young shinobis, the one criteria that Maiko was still lacking. However, that wasn't exactly something he could teach her. Still, the demanding kunoichi was really bringing back that feeling of annoyance and amusement, mixed in a ratio of four to six, only achievable by Uchiha Maiko.

When he went and opened the door, the first thing he saw was a huge black bag which the girl was holding behind her back. That's not a body bag, is it? He didn't smell any blood nor the stench of a corpse, so maybe not?

As if reading his mind, the girl sighed and said, "Rest assured, it's not a body bag and there is no dead body in it."

Kakashi nodded slowly, still quite confused by the sudden visit. "Okay? Do you have any extra information you might want to add?" he asked.

"Yes, I need a favour. It may break some minor protocols, but if you look at it the right way, it can be as small as you want it to be." That was not a good start to a conversation. Maybe Kakashi was just pessimistic, but it sounded awfully like a euphemism for illegal stuff. At that moment, the likelihood of a dead body being in that black bag just increased exponentially.

"You can come in first. It's best not to flaunt a body bag in the open right in front of my apartment. I live a very comfortable and low profile life and I would like to keep it that way." Just in case that there really was a body or something illegal in that bag, Kakashi would like to make sure that there wasn't any head of a missing-nin rolling out the bag, freaking every civilian on the street out.

Maiko rolled her eyes at him, but she still politely took her shoes off on the doorstep before walking in, all the while holding her 'not-body-bag' high so that it wouldn't touch the floor. Kakashi watched the girl sit down on his couch and drop the bag unceremoniously onto the seat next to her without an ounce of guilt or discomfort. There better not be a corpse or anything unpleasant in that suspicious bag, or she would owe him a new couch.

"You are not going to ask me to bury a corpse for you, are you?" He asked jokingly, knowing full well that it would make her irritated.

"So little trust in me. No, I am not asking you to commit a crime for me. I just need an address, Uzuki-senpai's address." She said lightly, pausing a bit before the last phrase as if pondering over whether or not he would agree. Otter's address? Kakashi was utterly confused now. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't give up his subordinate's personal information. However, one thing he had learned over the years was that Uchiha Maiko never brought him any problem with normal circumstances.

"Any good reason? You do know that an Anbu agent's personal information is confidential, even if you are on the same team as them." Kakashi didn't even need the girl's amused glare to tell him that what he had just said was very ironic. Everybody on his team knew Rabbit's information, in fact, with more details than they should.

"I can give you a reason, although it might sound ridiculous. Because even as I repeat it in my head right now, it sounds so stupid." She said with a dry laugh before continuing, "I have a formal gathering to attend in five hours, and I don't know how to put on a formal kimono. Considering that Otter is the only female I have established a relatively close relationship with, other than my kouhai who has no clue on how to solve my problem, I thought I might as well try to ask her."

Kakashi had to stay silent for a few seconds to process that information. She's right, it does sound ridiculous. However, the more he mulled over it, the more it made sense. He did warn her that once their mission from the Land of Snow ended, her identity would be exposed. That had been her debut as the Uchiha Clan Head, and there was nothing more eye-catching than slaughtering an army. It was no surprise that the village council and the other clans had taken notice of her.

She is preparing for it, Kakashi realised. She knew what she was getting into and how she was expected to behave. Even if everything she had to do today would be the opposite of her usual habits, she was still trying to accomplish them without a fail.

"I don't know which part is sadder. The fact that you only know two kunoichis in the entire Konoha well enough to name them, or that you are asking an Anbu agent for party fashion advice." Kakashi decided that the least he could do for her was to maybe relax her mood a bit so that she wouldn't appear so nervous and twitchy. But then, he remembered how unpopular his jokes were with the Uchiha girl.

"I'm already in a bad mood, Captain. Please refrain from pissing me off anymore or I might just be tempted to carry out my urge of stabbing a few holes in you." She glared at him and tapped her finger very lightly on the swords strapped to her waist. Well, I tried.

"So, it's the Clan thingie or whatever today, isn't it? Sounds dreadful." Not so subtly, he changed the topic. A moment later, the girl looked at him with question marks.

"The Hatake Clan is still on the village register, so they send me an invitation every year. In fact, there's one in the trash can right now. You can just learn from me and not go." Unlike Maiko, Kakashi had abandoned anything to do with clan responsibilities. In his defence, there weren't much left to the clan name. But he supposed that there was still much left to the Uchiha name, at least to this pair of siblings.

"See, you can do that and people still respect you. However, if I throw that expensive piece of paper with the perfect calligraphy into the trash can and forget it ever existed, I am somehow rude, arrogant and condescending. Considering that my brother - and I, to some extent - still think that my clan is worth salvaging, I decided not to be the temperamental child who tarnished the very little positive reputation that my clan still possesses." Well said, spoken like a true aristocrat with sarcasm embedded in every superfluous word.

"Now, you are avoiding my request by changing the direction of this conversation elsewhere." Against the girl's accusing claim, Kakashi didn't exactly deny it. He simply ignored it.

"And you really should start using honorifics if you don't want to be seen as rude. Funny, it seems that you can remember the rules with everyone but me," he said casually, not at all phased by the Uchiha death glare he was getting.

"I can call you whatever honorifics you want when you give me the address." On the area of misdirecting a topic, Kakashi could do it all day for no other reason than the fact it was amusing to watch. However, the same could be said for Maiko. Once she wanted something, she would bite on it like a shark, never letting it go.

"I heard the food there is nice, and it's free."

"Right, because I totally look like a poor soul who needs to steal food from a party." With a slight pause, she surveyed his room quickly. When she laid her eyes on the Icha Icha book on his coffee table, Kakashi knew exactly what she planned to do.

Kakashi immediately flickered across the room, reaching for that limited edition novel with Jiraiya-sama's signature. He was late by just a fraction of a second as Maiko grabbed the book and flickered to a corner. She learned from Shisui of the Body Flicker, after all.

"I know you really want to continue reading your precious book, but I'm not leaving until you tell me what I want to know." She held up the novel by her head like a tempting trophy. Now, who taught her how to read situational cues and use it to her advantage? Right, he did. At the moment, he wasn't sure whether he should feel accomplished or betrayed.

"Fine, I'll give you her address under the condition that you are not to mention my name." Reluctantly, Kakashi agreed. He was probably breaking some Anbu protocols right there - just minor details … Besides, she would find a way to get that information herself anyway.

When Maiko finally got what she wanted, she picked up her body bag with satisfaction. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Kakashi-senpai?" She said with feigned innocence as she dropped the novel into his hands on her way out.

Yep, he was definitely too lenient with her recently.

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

I felt like I had sent myself on a wild goose hunt. But when I actually reached the finish line, I didn't really want to cross it. Oh, screw it, I don't have time to waste. I knocked the door lightly and waited for a few seconds before the door creaked open to reveal a woman with long purple hair.

"Rab… Maiko-chan, why are you here?" The woman caught herself before spouting out the Anbu codename by accident. Slowly, her eyes moved to the huge black bag over my shoulder. I could see it in her expression that she was contemplating the chances of it being a body bag.

"Good afternoon, Uzuki-senpai. First of all, this is not a body bag. In fact, I was wondering if you could help me with something," I greeted her politely. Otter was someone I really hit it off with. She was very kind to me when I first joined Team Ro, not to mention her kenjutsu skills were something not to be trifled with. However, before she could say anything, a loud round of curses rang from the room.

"Anko! Keep it down in there, I have a guest!" My senpai yelled back immediately.

"I'm sorry for interrupting. I'll just … go now. See you at work," I said. I was ready to scurry away, but Otter stopped me and pulled me into the ajar door. If there was one thing that was common in Anbu, it was that fact that we all like use actions rather than words.

"It's fine, what kind of senpai would I be if I can't even help a kouhai in need." Ah, this is why she is my favourite senpai, I thought as she directed me through the door. She took my body bag and hand it by the door. It seemed that she had already figured out that it was actually a dry cleaning bag.

"Besides, you actually knocked, unlike these two who just invited themselves in without informing me." She signalled to the three people sitting at the coffee table. A deck of cards spread across the table top, a few more was tossed onto the floor as a woman with the spiky ponytail lamented and cursed.

"You started the gambling game, so don't blame others when you lose money." The man beside her with a scar across his nose rebutted immediately as he picked up the cards and reshuffled them. I couldn't help but feel that I had seen him somewhere, but my memory was hazy at the moment.

"He's right, pay up, or do you want to add this week's debt to last week's?" The third man with dark circles under his eyes joined in as well before the spiky-haired women threw a poker card at him.

Generation, this was the concept of generation. Konoha thrived on the idea of camaraderie, therefore, people formed packs within their generations - like this one in front of me. One find packs within their academy graduates who were often around their age. I had envied this framework once. Sometimes, I had wondered, if I were to graduate a few years later, would I fit in this concept of generation?

Probably not, I would most likely find a way to get out of the conventional framework somehow.

"Ooh, who's this cute little thing you've brought." The women chirped with curiosity as she suddenly appeared in front of me and bent down to study my face. Yeah, not creepy at all.

"It's Maiko, nice to meet you too," random stranger, I said to the woman whose face was too close for my comfort.

"Mitarashi Anko's my name. Say, how do you know Yūgao?" She asked in a way that made me feel like I was being interrogated. I was fifty percent sure that it was her intention.

After some thoughts, I just said briefly: "Teammates. We are teammates." That was as ambiguous as it gets. The women - Anko - let out an 'ah' in understanding, and the two other people stopped their card games, suddenly curious about this random stranger in the apartment. One thing that I had learned over the years, confidentiality in Anbu nowadays didn't worth nearly as much as it was advocated.

"So … I should probably introduce you to my friends. You already met Anko, that's Umino Iruka." Otter pushed past the spiky-haired woman and pointed at the man with a scar across his nose bridge. "And that's my boyfriend, Hayate." When she pointed to the third man at the table, her voice dropped off timidly and started blushing light. That was kind of sweet, but it wasn't the main point I was pondering. When I heard the name 'Iruka', I suddenly remembered where I had met the man.

"You are Sasuke and Naruto's Academy teacher." I just blurted it out of the blue. It made sense, I might have seen him somewhere when I was picking up Sasuke. Besides, he was the only teacher that Naruto wouldn't stop talking about. Just to clarify that I wasn't a stalker, I added: "Sasuke is my younger brother, and Naruto talks about you often. He says you are his favourite teacher." Seriously, I taught Naruto most of his taijutsu, yet I couldn't even get that title.

"Haha, that's nice of you to say, Maiko-san, umm, I mean, Uchiha-san." He changed the name to address me as he scratched his head in embarrassment, which kind of defeated my point of never telling anyone of my last name unless absolutely necessary.

"Ah, that explains the pretty face." Before I could protest, Anko had already placed a hand on my cheek and tilted my chin up for further examination. "All the Uchihas have such nice genes, shame that most of them are gone." Well, that was blunt.

"Hands off. Please." I added the last word after much debate. I mean, this conversation could go both ways and one of them was much more diplomatic in the approach - which I should probably learn - than the other.

"Oops, my bad. I usually say things without any filters." The pendant on her neck swung in front of my eyes and its close resemblance to a snake fang was giving me a bad vibe, though, not necessarily directed towards the candid woman. People who were brave enough to say whatever they wanted was rare these days.

"That's quite alright if we can just keep a reasonable distance." I poked her wrist and guided her hand away. This woman was … eccentric, that was the word I was looking for.

"So, about that favour which you are about to ask, what is it?" It was my favourite senpai who saved the day. Suddenly, I remembered exactly what I was here for, so I pointed to the forgotten body bag by the door.

"Ah, I see." "By the size of the bag, I'd say that it's very dreadful." Both women sighed in pity and I nodded frantically. Finally, someone understands my pain!

"How many layers?" Otter asked me.

"Eight. Or six, if you take out the outer and the inner layers," I answered cheerily for absolutely no reason at all.

"Lovely." I was sure that she didn't find it lovely at all. "Why don't you take it to that room and hang them up one layer at a time. I'm sure that I can help you figure it out." She said to me kindly as she pointed to one of the doors.

"Thank you, Uzuki-senpai, you definitely are and will always be my favourite senpai," I said as sincerely as I could before heading off to follow her instructions. In the background, I heard Anko muttering: "Is that seriously the Uchiha who slaughtered a whole army?" Hey, I'm in a desperate situation both then and now.

"Huh. This makes no sense." When I finally hung up everything (which basically covered all the wall space), I stared at it in amazement.

"At least it's a very pretty kimono," Yūgao comforted beside me.

"Why am I here as well? I was having a winning hand!" Anko complained (even though she really wasn't winning), seeing that she had been dragged into the room by Yūgao. "But the fabrics are seriously expensive. You're one of those rich kids." I would be if I can actually liquidise all the useless things in the compound.

"It's been a long time since I graduated from the Academy, I hope I still remember the things they teach at the Kunoichi class," the purple haired woman mumbled lightly.

"Kunoichi class? I don't remember a thing from those useless classes," Anko mocked with a snort as she sat down on the floor with a bored expression.

"I skipped all of them," I added helpfully, and that earned me two weird looks. What, if Itachi didn't have to take them, I wasn't going to either.

"Okay, you win. I like that delinquent attitude, though," Anko commented.

"You two are hopeless." My senpai shook her head lightly, then she asked, "Not that I don't welcome you, but how did you get my address?"

"A stray dog led me to you." I answered instinctively, "I returned its favourite bone, so the dog led me to your apartment." Kakashi did say that no throwing him under the bus, so technically, I never mentioned his name.

"That's … nevermind, I'm just going to pretend that it's true."

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

I suppose that this gathering thing happened every year. I didn't know much about the ones in previous years, but this year, the gathering was hosted by the Hyūga Clan.

There weren't many clans in Konoha big enough to have a grand gathering hall, but the Hyūga Clan was one of them. Being one of the four noble clans since the founding of Konoha, its influence in the village was not to be underestimated. The Uchiha Clan used to be able to rival the Hyūgas, both in clan size, title, and dōjutsu. Not anymore.

I walked towards the Hyūga compound gate, following the clan heads in front of me. The heavy kimono weighed down on my body, forcing my steps to be slow and heavy. Even though the invitation instructed formal attires, it was not like it was very strictly enforced. Take Inuzuka Tsume for example, that woman strolled in wearing a jacket and training pants, and not one guard in the Hyūga compound dared to stop her. However, the problem was, if I were to do that, I was pretty sure that they would fling me back out simply because they didn't recognise me. Also, right now, I carried the dignity and image of the Uchiha Clan. For Sasuke's sake, and my parents' sake, I should at least try to do my best.

I handed the Hyūga Clan member by the door the invitation. His pearly Byakugan eyes eyed me critically before they landed on my letter invitation. After a few seconds, he raised his eyes again and said, "Uchiha-san, welcome to the gathering, please proceed to the grand hall." I nodded once before entering and walked down the one-way path that led to the hall.

Everyone was standing with their back straightened, holding their composure as stiff as they could. I would laugh my head off if not for my desperate attempt to hold it in. I was not born for this; I was born to fight. I didn't have a way with words, so what was I here for?

"Uchiha-san, I am glad you could make it. Would you like to talk for a bit?" Suddenly, I heard a voice beside me. I tried to turn around gracefully, but instead, my instincts got the best of me and I whipped my head around in the blink of an eye. Standing before me were the Jōnin Commander Nara and his wife Yoshino-san.

"Jōnin Commander, Yoshino-san, it's an honour to meet you here." I greeted. Due to Sasuke's common random appearances at the Nara compound, the Nara housewife had insisted that I call her Yoshina-san instead of Nara-san. Nara Shikaku held out a hand and guided the three of us to a rather deserted corner in the hall. When a Nara goes through the trouble to talk to you, the only option was to listen, especially if that Nara were the Jōnin Commander.

"Nara-san, I must thank you for letting my brother come to your compound despite all the trouble he has caused." I was very thankful for Hokage-sama's order and the Jōnin Commander's help. It was not a fail proof strategy, but it was definitely safer than leaving him at the apartment when neither Shun nor I were home. Besides, Nara Shikamaru, the heir of the Nara Clan was very successful in dealing Sasuke several blows of defeat in Shōgi and failure would do some good for Sasuke every so often.

"That is no trouble at all. However, the real question is what do you plan to do, now that you are under the council's attention?" Ah, the Naras, they really like to keep things simple and trouble free.

"I have little experience in this, but would you be willing to give me some advice?" I asked plainly. The Naras wouldn't do troublesome and unnecessary things, so the fact that the Nara was talking to me meant that he was doing more than making small talk. Whether it was the influence from Hokage-sama, or that he genuinely wanted to help me, I would take it. Every bit of help I could get in this muddy new world I stepped in was critical for every step I would take.

"You really don't know the art of subtlety, do you," The Nara said with a raised eyebrow, a little surprised by my frankness.

"I just thought that it would be faster and easier for me to spit it out. Besides, I don't believe that flattery and empty words would work well with Nara-san." Since the Jōnin Commander didn't walk away, I would assume that my answer was correct.

"See, this room that is full of Clan Heads and heirs, they have known each other for years, if not for decades. Ever since the massacre, the power balance has pretty much been set without the presence of the Uchiha Clan. Normally, they wouldn't want to introduce any other potential players, and they would just leave you be until you demand attention. However, because of what has happened in the Land of Snow, they have no choice but to take notice of you. This is a trial period, we are trying to gauge what you are and what you want to do with your position as the Uchiha Clan head. So now you have two paths, young Uchiha Clan Head. You can pretend like nothing ever happened and out of the sheer desperate preservation of balance, they may leave you alone for a few more years. Or, you can step into the arena and try to integrate yourself into this circle. Many are curious here. They have heard of your tales and read your reports, but they want to know you personally. So, which one will you choose?" He laid out the map for me in a low and calm voice as I listened to every one of his words attentively. However, this seemed to be all he was willing to offer because he walked away right afterwards along with Yoshino-san who gave me a bright smile before leaving.

Which path? That is the question of the day, isn't it? So what do I want to do? Hide or pave the path for Sasuke? I thought I was ready for this, and I even cleaned a kimono for this. Now, I just need to take the first step. The arena, I suppose that it is my time to enter.

Having said that, it seemed like the arena opened its gates before I could even attempt to push it open. Before I could even consider how to integrate myself, someone decided to invite me into a conversation, and it was none other than the host of the gathering, Hyūga Hiashi.

"Uchiha-san, I am glad that you accepted our invitation. I hope that you are enjoying the event." The Hyūga Clan Head inquired with a stern voice and his pale Byakugan focused on me with no show of any emotions.

"I am very much enjoying the gathering and I thank you for the gracious invite, Hyūga-san." I was not really enjoying the gathering, but oh well, there was only one response I could really say.

"I realised that you probably have not had a chance to meet all the other clan heads before, therefore it would only be proper for me to invite you this time." There were some things that were better left unsaid, for example, the real reason of why I was invited, or that they didn't really want to see another Uchiha clan rising.

"Indeed, and I appreciate your careful considerations." I really couldn't think of anything else to say. The Hyūgas and the Uchihas, I guess that I could say that we were adversaries in many fields. The two clans had similar backgrounds, similar prestige, and similar dojutsu. They say that the more similar the two competitors, the more likely they would fight in order to be above the other. But then again, that was my father's generation. I neither had the power nor the time to play this game of clan feuds.

"This is my daughter, Hinata. I remember that you have a brother of the same age." Hyūga Hiashi stepped aside and pushed a small girl around ten to the front. The girl had the same pearly Byakugan as her father, but unlike her stern father, the girl lowered her head shyly and buried her eyes behind her dark purple bangs.

"Hinata-hime, nice to meet you. You probably don't know me but I believe that my brother, Sasuke, is in the same class as you in the Academy." I bent down and said to the small girl with a smile. I extended my hand and placed it in front of her. Hinata glanced at her father for a second, then she quickly shook my hand after seeing her father give a nod.

"Hinata is still young, but I do hope that she can learn a few things from you. I have heard some impressive things about you despite your young age. What do you hope to accomplish from now on?" So we were on the actual topic now? After that string of useless pleasantries. But how am I supposed to tell you when I am not even sure myself? Still, all I could do was to keep that smile plastered on my face.

"I don't expect to achieve everything in a short time. I am still only a Chunin and I have much space for growth. It is my brother's dream and mine to restore the Uchiha clan, but I know that it will take more than just a generation's time." I continued to smile, hoping that my message came through to him in the politest way possible. I have no intention of upsetting your current power balance right now, but you better believe that the Uchiha Clan is coming back, whether you like it or not.

"How do you plan to do that when you are still a Chunin yourself, my child?" Suddenly, an unpleasant voice intruded our conversation. That spider, that irritating spider. As I suspected, a man dressed in black and white robes with half of his face bandaged walked towards us. Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of his cane tapping against the wooden floor irked me to no end. Shimura Danzō, the spider that weaves its web in the dark.

I can't see your greed because you are too good at hiding, but I know it's there. So what do you want from me this time?

"Surely you've realised that every clan head of the prominent clans is above the level of tokubetsu jōnin, to say the least." Danzō said calmly, continuing without an ounce of hesitation, "You are only a Chunin and there are things that your rank doesn't allow you to command. The Uchiha Clan will never be recognised as a noble clan unless its leader is strong, and the clan will never be reborn unless the new leader can step out of the shadows of the previous one."

See, this was the reason why I found him irksome. He said it so calmly and so mellowly, but every one of his words was a knife that stirred up turmoil in my head. Why in the world would I need something as artificial as ranks when I'm in Anbu. His last sentence was simply genius and ruthless at the same time, bringing up my father and Itachi at a time like this. Incompetent, maladjusted, inexperienced, hopeless … those were what people were thinking when they called me a clan head. The 'shadow' of my father's leadership and the 'shadow' of Itachi's atrocious actions, he was just asking what everyone else was thinking: Can the Uchihas still be saved? Double entendre, a politician's true friend.

Subtly, I glanced at the Hyūga Clan head beside me. This man had once helped me to keep the Uchiha compound despite the feud between our clans. He stared back at me with no hint of wanting to help. I supposed that I would have to come up with an answer myself. Besides, why would he when he was also trying to test me? At least he had the decency to look me in the eye with a clear answer.

"You are correct, Elder Shimura. But I wonder, are there really dark shadows, or did someone just turn off the light and forgot to turn it back on?" I answered with another innocent smile. Metaphor, it was my best friend at the moment. Butt out of my life - no, the Uchiha business, you are not welcomed. You do not get to judge whether my brother's actions are stains to the Uchiha name or not.

"Someone? As in who?"

"I was just speaking metaphorically, Elder Shimura. I'm afraid that you will have to forgive me if my philosophical insights are not profound enough."

He wasn't fooled by my innocent gaze, just like how I would never believe in his harmless demeanour. Shimura Danzō stared at me for an awfully long period of time, then without another word, he walked away.

Wait, that's it? He's just going to come, insult me, and then walk away? Is there a point to his actions?

"There is some truth in his words. Despite how superficial it is, the rank does matter, especially if you are dealing with people who don't know the details of the shinobi system - which I assure you, will happen quite often. In order for the Uchiha Clan to be recognised, its clan leader must be in the rank of jōnin." The Hyūga Clan head spoke beside me, "You would probably have a quicker promotion if you rejoin the normal shinobi force."

"Thank you for the warning, Hyūga-san, I will keep that in mind." The thanks were genuine on my part. Hyūga Hiashi nodded his head slightly to acknowledge my thanks before walking away with the young Hyūga heiress.

Little Hinata trailed behind him, following her father from a safe distance. She looked back hesitantly in my direction with curiosity and shyness at the same time, before she turned around and dipped her head low. One day, she would probably be in the same position as me, dealing with choices in life that reach far more than her own survival. Now, that was something I needed to get used to.

Oh, this is going to be a long night. Dad, Mom, am I even doing this right? There were more people in the room examining me now, scrutinising my looks, attitude, and actions, each with agendas of their own. Some were actually walking towards me, hoping to get a sense of the newest mystery in the room. It wasn't long before I realised that the answer would never come to me if I just stood there lost in my own dilemmas. Instead, I just marched into the arena and hoped for the best.

"It is an honour meeting you. My name is Uchiha Maiko."

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

I sat on the sofa bed that I bought a year ago. It wasn't anything fancy, pull the back side down, you get a bed; pull the back side up, you get a couch. Since I usually just crash in the Anbu locker room most of the time, I rarely come back anyway. Still, the sofa bed was much more comfortable than Shun's dingy couch, even though my own bed (which Sasuke graciously occupied) would still be better. I paid for two-thirds of the rent because Shun argued that technically three people lived here and I wasn't stupid enough to argue with him for money, but really, all I get is a sofa bed?

The sofa bed was a couch right now since there were a few things I wanted to get done before I fell asleep. However, seeing that the gathering had gone on until eleven and how it wasn't until midnight that I actually got out of the suffocating kimono, I sincerely doubted that I could get any sleep today.

The paperwork rustled under my touch; bills, account balances, they were all about the Uchiha Compound, the place I abandoned years ago. Sasuke was sound asleep in the next room. Two more years and he would be out of the Academy. As his sister, I did want to finish taking care of all this before that happened.

With the light scraping sound of the pencil against the paper, the door to the apartment opened. Shun stepped into the apartment and placed his bag on the rack by the door, where my black body bag was. After giving the black body bag a strange look, he walked towards the table covered with stacks of paper and sat down on the side across from me.

"Rare sight seeing you here. May I assume that you are going to spend the night here?" He asked, keeping his voice low so that it wouldn't wake up the ten-year-old on the other side of the wall.

"Probably, I did buy the sofa bed myself, so I might as well use it." I shrugged my shoulders lightly, still keeping my eyes on the stack of paper, "Besides, I've been coming back more often recently, so I don't think you should complain."

"That's only because Hatake locks the locker room more often nowadays. What are you doing?" He picked up the piece of paper I had been writing on only a second ago and eyed it curiously.

"And that's the estimated price for repairing the roof. I need that, thank you very much." Immediately, I snatched the piece of paper out of his hand and returned it back to the pile.

"Roof? As in where?" Shun asked with a hint suspicion in his voice.

"Not here, if that's what you are worried about. It's for the Uchiha Compound. I haven't touched it for three years so the roof has to be replaced first before anyone can live there." Quickly, I circled the price in the midst of small words introducing me to different types of roofs.

"Why are you repairing it all of a sudden after all these years?" He asked lightly and I put down my pencil.

"Well, I own it, do I need another reason?" I said as Shun surveyed my carpet of papers filled with advertisement and numbers.

"From a philosophical standpoint, I suppose that you don't. However, financially speaking, if you are going to throw your life's saving into a sketchy real-estate investment, then it's probably better to make a pro-con chart first," he said joking, but the metaphor worked pretty well in my situation. Just for the sake of having something fun to do, I flipped that flyer from the roofing company and started to write something down.

"Here, the pro-con chart, as per your order." I placed the page in front of him.

"Let's see. 'Con: too many to name so let's just skip over them' … You know, that's not how a pro-con chart works." He threw me a criticising glare, but I just signalled him to continue. "'Pro: I'm just taking back what's mine'. Hmm, so you are looking at this from a philosophical perspective." Slowly, he put down the piece of paper and stared at me, deep in thoughts.

"Sorry, I should have told you this earlier. Our lease will expire in a year and I don't know what's your plan after that. I thought, Sasuke would want to go back someday and I can't just leave it like that forever. It doesn't matter what has happened there, it's still our home. Maybe, after I fix it, Sasuke and I can move back." Cons: money, emotional turmoils, responsibilities … there really were too many to name. However, for some reason, I never thought that I couldn't get pass them. Perhaps it was just an intuitive confidence.

"However, I do want to know how you think of it. I don't want to make decisions that will force changes on you when you are not prepared," I confessed, while the light sound of pencil tapping against the wooden table drowned out any suspended thoughts.

"Six years, has it really been that long?" He asked, and I just shrugged my shoulders lightly. "I suppose that compared to your problems, mine are easy. All I have to do is go rent out another place, preferably somewhere closer to work, without a moody ten-year-old nearby. But I wonder, are you doing this for said ten-year-old, or for yourself."

"That's a stupid question. I wouldn't be the same 'me' without considering for Sasuke. Sasuke is the clan leader, or he will be. He will rebuild the clan and reclaim the Uchiha name, and as his sister, all I can do is to pave the path for him." I answered immediately without an ounce of doubt. To be honest, this lifestyle had to change. I want an actual bed, not just four square metres of the living room and a sofa bed to call my bedroom.

"I still think that you are coddling your little brother too much. He's not a greenhouse orchid, but he's far from the resilient dandelion. Right now, he's more like a dethroned prince, and our prince needs to learn to live like a peasant. I'd say make him do the roofing, painting, and gardening for the compound. This way, you only have to pay for the raw materials," Shun argued like a true economist. I would admit, it was quite tempting albeit the fact that it was unrealistic.

"Yes, Sasuke is impatient, temperamental, and judgemental, I will give you that. But he is also determined and quick at learning. His flaws can be corrected with time, but he can't do everything by himself. One day, Sasuke will learn the things he needs in order to rebuild the clan, and I am not leaving him with nothing. I will give him a foundation he can work on," I said as I tapped the pencil down on the floor plan of the Uchiha Compound. "This place contains our history and heritage, a perfect gift for saying 'I believe in you', don't you think?"

"Sure, but you forgot to add the taxes. The same goes for the prices of repairing the windows, the floors, and the doors. Poof, there goes your salary." Whoa, way to ruin the moment. I rolled my eyes before shoving the papers towards Shun.

"You do it then, since you are so good at anything money related." I looked at him expectedly. After a few seconds of the staring contest, he gave up and picked up the pencil begrudgingly. Friendly exploitations happened quite often in this apartment.

"It's funny, for this whole day, all I could think of was how annoying and troublesome this whole clan thing is. I hate doing it, but I did it anyway," I muttered while resting my head on the tabletop. "It's not that I couldn't get out of it; I know that I made a choice. An unexplained motivation, perhaps; definitely something contradicting."

The rhythmic sound of pencil pressed against the rough paper murmured in the background for a while, before I heard Shun spoke up: "Trust me, I get that feeling a lot."

"So, what does that make us? Masochists, hypocrites, adults?" I asked.

"Dreamers. I prefer the word 'dreamer'; it has a much more positive connotation," he answered as he finished up the last bits of calculation for the roofing price. "So, did anything interesting happen today?" I raised an eyebrow at his sudden inquisitive attitude. There was something fishy about the way he sipped his tea as if he were waiting for some gossip.

"Well, I got a marriage proposal today." I waited for exactly one second before holding up a sheet of tissue paper in front of him, just in time to hear the violent coughs that were loud enough to wake the entire neighbourhood.

"You really need to give warnings next time before you say something like that." He squeezed out the words between broken coughs. However, it seemed that he was quick to realise that I was just messing with him because he crumpled up that sheet of calculations and threw it at me in retaliation. "So, who's the unfortunate guy?"

"A five-year-old. I doubt that he actually understood the implication of his words. So I directed him to a plate of mochi and we never saw, and never will see, each other again."

"..."

A/N: Confession time: remember Shun's comparison to Orchid and Dandelion, yeah, there's actually a psychology theory about psychological resilience to traumatic experiences in the environment. Orchids can bloom into spectacular flowers, however, they are sensitive to changes in the environment, but dandelions can pretty much survive anywhere. Interesting stuff one can learn from school...