Chapter 7:
Takanome was currently reading a book on summoning. Or at least trying to read a book on summoning. Turns out, reading is hard when someone sitting across the table is constantly mumbling about space-time, scribbling notes and saying some very unflattering words about Tobirama Senju. He glanced at Shodo, his teammate the epicentre of a maelstrom of blank paper, open book, and, most importantly, the pair of intricate formulas positioned right in front of her.
"Have you made any progress?" He asked her, anxious to try and distract himself from his current dilemma.
"No thanks Takanome, we just ate," was the reply, which he took as a no. This was the third time this exchange exchange had been completed in as many hour, so Takanome finally decided that maybe he should just leave Shodo alone and concentrate on his own problems. He returned his attention to his own book, which was currently detailing the process of signing a contract.
Before he could make any more progress, the door was kicked open. The two ninja leaped out of their seats, Takanome's Byakugan flaring alongside Shodo's glowing seals. They landed in combat stances facing the door to the small study room they had booked...
Only to see Heiko standing in the doorway grinning, a tray of four take-away cups held in her hands.
"Wow guys, so excited to see me?" Her grin elicited an eye roll from both teammates, but their expressions quickly relaxed into small smiles as the group sat down once more, the newcomer distributing green tea from the tray. It was one of the few tastes the three had in common and it had become something of a tradition to get after training. The fourth cup wasn't normal, but Heiko was probably just extra thirsty today. Or was she expecting someone else...
"So, how's it going with the FTG Shodo?" Heiko asked after taking a sip of scalding hot tea.
"FTG?" Shodo looked slightly puzzled, as she sipped a slightly colder beverage.
"You know, Flying Thunder God. I mean, it's a real mouthful to say, so I thought it could do with an acronym."
"Heiko I don't mean to rain on your parade… but aren't you the one who insists on developing long flowery names for all of our combinations?"
"Well yeah, but that's different…"
"Oh really, how so?"
"I don't mean to be rude, but can I talk to you two about something?" The two girls flinched slightly as they stared at Takanome, before nodding. The Hyuga never interrupted people, so if he was doing it now, it had to be something important.
Takanome explained to the girls the basics of senjutsu, and the conflict of duty he was currently experiencing. The two glanced at each other, Heiko the first one to speak, her tone all business.
"Takanome, as a clan heir, I fully understand where you are coming from, but at least in my family, duty to your village comes before duty to the clan. If your uncle has lost sight of that, then he will have to lose a valuable ninja."
Takanome opened his mouth to speak, to try to offer some logical rebuttal to Heiko's argument, but he came up empty. Shodo took the opportunity to speak her mind, to try to appeal to the emotional angle.
"Takanome, you made a promise to both us and yourself. A promise that you would gain the strength to defend your home. This is that strength Takanome. So take it."
"I know that but… I don't want to be kicked out of my clan? Where will I live?"
"You can sleep at my house, we've got plenty of space. Or you could apply for your own apartment through the village system." Shodo reached over the table and put her hand on top of Takanome's. He just sat there for a moment, mind turned totally onwards. Then, a voice seemed to echo from empty space.
"You seemed to have forgotten the central tenant of the Will of Fire Takanome. The village is your family." Fugaku smiled as he stepped out of seemingly thin air. Takanome was even more shocked then his teammates that their sensei had randomly appeared, but that wasn't the only thing he noticed... Interesting that he was watching.
"But I had my Byakugan on, how did you…" Takanome stopped as Fugaku smiled and shook his head. The Jonin reached down and took the last cup of green tea before replying.
"Takanome, I figured out how to evade the Byakugan long ago. I'm not the best genjutsu user in Konoha for nothing. But back to the topic at hand. I understand the fact that you probably think me too biased to properly assist you in making this decision, but I'm going to give you advice anyway. Take this opportunity, and if there are any consequences, I will do my absolute best to shield you from them. The Hyuga may be one of the greatest clans in this village, but you will have the might of the Uchiha behind you, and that is a promise."
Takanome was once again quiet for a moment, before he rose from his chair, facing his team.
Why is this so hard? He thought, How long have I hated the ways of my clan, how my path in life has been chosen purely by the circumstances of my birth? This is my opportunity to choose my path.
Takanome straightened up from his hunch and glared into seemingly empty space past Fugaku's head, eyes blazing in their sockets. The spatial distortion of a remote Byakugan viewing stared back at him.
"Uncle Himura, I am going to study the path of a sage, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. The traditions of the Hyuga clan hold not only themselves back from becoming the best ninja they can be, they hold the village as a whole back by doing so. As a follower of the Will of Fire, that is not something I will abide by any longer. Thank you for your kindness to me, but this is the path I choose. My own." Takanome smiled, but internally he was bracing himself, ready for the pain he was sure that would come.
And come it did.
Takanome dropped to the floor, screaming in agony as his caged bird seal was activated. It was like someone had shoved an icicle into his brain, a spear of burning frost wiping out all rational thought. He had endured the horrible pain for a few seemingly eternal moments, when his vision was filled with a flash of red.
Then he saw only black.
Fugaku Uchiha was pissed.
Himura, the slimy bastard, had obviously decided the best way to show his displeasure was to reduce his nephew to a screaming wreck. He had noticed the Byakugan distortion earlier, but he hadn't expected the situation to devolve this much. Resisting the urge to head straight to the Hyuga compound and drive his fist through the man's gut, he strode over to Takanome. Fugaku picked him up by the collar and made eye contact, his Sharingan spinning like a crimson whirlpool. A moment later, the genjutsu took effect, Takanome unable to resist its knockout effect while in such a state.
The Genin stopped screaming as his body went limp, the seal on his forehead flickering and going out, unable to function with its bearer's current state.
Fugaku turned to look at his two other charges, standing there with looks of concern plastered on their faces.
"Get Takanome to the hospital now, tell them that he has received chakra-based brain trauma and that I've placed him in a second grade genjutsu coma as a preventative measure." They shook themselves free from their shock and bounded out of the room, Heiko carrying Takanome bridal style.
Fugaku took a moment to center himself, then body flickered to the gate of Hyuga compound. The guard standing out front held up a hand to stop him, but a mere glance sent the man into a glassy eyed state.
He continued towards the clan head's house, but was stopped by two more guards, both in identical gentle fist stances. Fugaku prepared to disable them as well, but a commanding voice from the clan head's garden made them all pause.
"Let him through."
The guards glared at Fugaku as he walked past into the garden. Standing at the center was the locus of his rage, staring calmly into a koi pond. Fugaku opened his mouth to speak, but Himura interrupted him.
"Takanome is no longer welcome here. I allowed him more flexibility than most of the clan, and I see the folly in that decision now. I may have overlooked this, but the boy decided to insult the clan in the same breath as his childish rebellion. If he enters the clan compound ever again, I will end his miserable life. He is no longer a member of this clan." Fugaku took a few deep breaths, drawing in his rage until it was a tightly contained core at the center of his being. He sighed and shook his head.
"That "boy" is far more of a man than you'll ever be." He disappeared before Himura could respond.
Takanome came to in the hospital about three hours later to the worried faces of Teams 3 and 7. He sat up slowly, massaging his forehead, the ghost of the mind rending pain still in his skull.
"I really messed that one up didn't I?" he tried to inject some level of humour into his voice, but it was no use. Fugaku relayed what Himura had told him, none of which shocked him.
"How are you feeling though? Emotionally and physically?" Shodo asked,a sentiment echoed by the rest of the room.
"Physically I'm okay, but emotionally I'm most definitely not. I need some time to process all of this, even though I somewhat expected it. Alone, if that's okay." Numerous noises of protest were made, but a pleading look from Takanome forced them to acquiesce. As they filled out of the room, Obito glanced back, and before anyone could stop him, rushed back to give Takanome a bone crushing hug.
"We're here for you, remember that." Takanome could only nod as he was left alone to the silence of the hospital room, white eyes stinging with tears.
Fugaku came home about an hour later after giving a report to the Hokage. He immediately collapsed into his wife's arms, exhausted from the day's trials. They were alone that evening, as Itachi was sleeping over at his sister's house, probably all snuggled up with Shisui. So he was able to explain the whole situation without holding back on the cursing. By the end, he was sat on the couch with a cup of tea Mikoto had made for him, tears welling up in his eyes. The whole situation reminded him far too much of what had happened to Seiji, the image of his brother-in law's corpse calling a familiar burning sensation to his eyes. His Mangekyo spun into being, called by the recollection of the same event that had caused them to manifest. He gripped the table in front of him, wisps of silver chakra dancing around his body, on the edge of coalescing into something more.
"If Himura ever lays a hand on Takanome again, I'm going to... " he trailed off, unable to articulate his emotions properly. Mikoto once more pulled him into a tight hug, doing her best to console her husband.
"Don't worry, the old bastard is on his way out, and if he does try anything, he'll have both of us to answer to." Fugaku nodded, the ghost of a smile returning to his face and his eyes reverting to their natural state. He took a few more moments to steady himself, before breaking off the hug and taking a sip of his tea. A thought popped into his mind, a perfect way to raise the team's spirits.
"We should have them over for dinner. The rest of Team 3 that is. I need to tell them about the Chunin exams anyway, plus I'd like for them to meet you and Itachi."
"Sure, when will Takanome be out of the hospital?"
"Tomorrow, they just wanted to keep him overnight for observation."
"Well then why don't we have them over the day after that. Does he have a place to stay?"
"Yes, he's staying at Shodo's house."
"Excellent. Now why don't I make us some dinner, you look like you need it."
"Can I help?"
"Of course." Somehow, his wife's smile made some of the pain go away.
Takanome was discharged from Kato Ninja Hospital just after lunch the next day, having spent the morning having all manner of tests run on him. Fortunately, nothing was wrong with him anymore, Fugaku having interrupted the seal before it could do any permanent damage. Shodo met him at the front of the building, dressed casually in a purple t-shirt and skirt. Takanome meanwhile was still in his combat gear from the day before. Shodo looked him up and down, an assortment of rips, burns and dirt covering the jacket and pants.
"Okay, before we go to my place, we need to take you shopping." she said, nodding sagely.
"I'd definitely appreciate some new clothes. I don't have any money though…" He'd contributed most of his mission pay to the clan stores as was required of a clan shinobi, with the rest having gone towards equipment maintenance.
"That's fine, I'll pay for it." Shodo shook her head as Takanome offered to pay her back.
"You will do nothing of the sort. Actually scratch that, you can pay me back by letting me take a look at your caged bird seal."
"What? Why?" Shodo sighed and rolled her eyes in reponse to his question.
"To work out how to undo it of course! Honestly Takanome, why else would I want to see it."
"But that is illegal under the clan's laws!"
"Well so is denouncing their traditions and learning elemental ninjutsu, didn't stop you before."
"That's… a very good point." It would obviously take some getting used to before he could truly wrap his head around the idea of being free. In a way Himura had done him a favour. A very painful favour, but a favour nonetheless.
"Oh, you need new ninja gear too don't you?" Takanome had his bow and quiver slung over his shoulder, she'd gone back to get them from the room where they had left them yesterday, but he didn't have his various other weapons and accessories.
"Correct, I decided not to bring them to training yesterday since it was supposed to be ninjutsu day. But we don't have to worry about buying them now, I'm sure I can convince the village to get me a new set."
"Sounds fair, but let's focus on getting you out of those," she gestured at his clothes, to which he nodded. The casual clothes didn't take too long, but Takanome took a while to pick out a new set of shinobi attire.
He settled on an assembly relatively similar to his previous outfit. A snow white jacket and black mesh-armour shirt, with black shorts. He had added a set of black arm and knee guards to the assembly, with both having storage seals woven into them. They bought a few sets of the outfit, and with that out of the way, they moved onto formal wear.
They arrived at one of the more upmarket clothing stores in Konoha, Shodo somewhat dazzled by all the finery on display. Takanome meanwhile immediately gravitated towards a row of kimono on dummies, particularly focusing on an emerald green one with a gold obi.
"Remind me why you need formal wear again?" Shodo asked, her wallet already significantly lighter than it had been an hour earlier. Takanome paused and thought for a moment, before offering a response.
"Well what if we need to escort or protect an important noble, and need to blend in at dinner or the like?" He replied as he tied up one of the sashes.
"Well just use a transformation jutsu then."
"That would be a waste of chakra."
"Oh please, even I can do a transformation jutsu without drawing upon my seals."
"Fair, but it is also considered highly rude to do such a thing at a formal event."
"Really? Are you sure you just don't like dressing up?" Shodo's eyes glinted as Takanome ceased "dressing up" to scowl at her, before he relaxed once again.
"Perhaps I do, but it is still very much against decorum. Trust me on this one, I received far too much etique training when I was younger."
"Well that's another positive isn't it? You don't really have to worry about all that stuff clan stuff anymore." Shodo was worried
"True." Takanome nodded as he pulled on the last layer of the kimono.
"How do I look?" he asked, giving his teammate a slow turn to show off the garment.
"Quite dashing if I do say so myself. Now let's pay for this thing and get you back to mine, we need to take the tour before dinner."
"The tour? How large is your house?" Takanome had the idea that Shodo's family was fairly wealthy, judging off of how freely she spent money and the passing references to her father's success as an ore merchant. Just what was he getting himself into here?
"Quite large, you'll see in just a minute." Shodo grinned an awfully evil grin at Takanome as she paid for the kimono and sauntered out of the store.
Large was an understatement.
Shodo's house was situated somewhat close to the clan compounds, and while not as big, it's size was definitely considerable.
They had to pass through a metal gate to enter the grounds, which was guarded by a Chunin who waved them through when he saw Shodo. It was then that Takanome was able to see their destination in full.
The house was three stories tall, made from a combination of red brick and a grey stone that Takanome didn't recognise. It was was surrounded by a garden that featured many exotic plant varieties. He took a moment to marvel at the menagerie of specimens of display, trees and flowers from all over the continent existing together in harmony.
"Unlike humans," Takanome whispered to himself as he and Shodo's arrived the front door. Before The great wooden slab swung open to reveal a young man in a suit. He bowed slightly, smiling at Shodo as he rose.
"Good afternoon little lady," his voice was rich and sweet, like that of a singer. Shodo smiled in response.
"Afternoon Haru, I'm doing quite well."
"Excellent, and this must be master Takanome." The man, evidently a servant of some kind, turned to him and bowed.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Shodo has spoken a lot of you and your team." Takanome inclined his head in greeting, as was the proper response in this situation.
"Where is my father Haru?" Shodo asked as he led them inside to a cavernous entry hall.
"He is currently engaged in closing a deal, but he should be out shortly. How about I place Master Takanome's belongings in his room, and the two of you can wait for your father in the west sitting room."
"An excellent suggestion," she affirmed, Haru taking the shopping bags and the bow. Shodo then led Takanome down a hallway, it's walls decorated with tapestries depicting great events in shinobi history, such as the first Five Kage Summit and the destruction of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools. When they entered a room at the end of the hallway, Takanome was greeted with a breathtaking sight. In front of him was a floor to ceiling window surrounding a glass door, that looked out over a patio area. However, that was not what drew his attention.
The room was dominated by another tapestry that hung from the North wall, this one a recreation of Hashirama Senju's battle against Madara Uchiha and the Nine-Tailed Fox. The craftsmanship was impeccable, down to the detailing on Hashirama's various weapons.
"Pretty sweet isn't it? Dad is really interested in Shinobi history, so he makes a point to collect stuff like this." Takanome nodded along with Shodo's explanation, still focused on the tapestry, as the two sat down on the padded chairs in the center of the room. They chatted for a while, mostly about what they had been researching lately. After about 5 minutes, the door to the sitting room opened, and Shodo's father walked in.
Takanome rose from his chair and bowed to the man. He had the same auburn hair as his daughter, albeit tied back into a short ponytail rather than leaving it down. He was clad in a two piece suit, and his brown eyes glinted in the afternoon sun. As Takanome rose from his bow, he locked eyes with his host.
"I thank you to the depths of my heart for your hospitality Mr Maekawa, I will do whatever I can to repay you in the future."
"It isn't a problem Takanome, although I would have thought I would have taken a bit longer for my daughter to bring home a boy," he said, causing Takanome and Shodo to turn bright red, both of them avoiding eye contact with the other. Mr Maekawa gave a short bark of laughter at his own joke, before the mirth sloughed off of him, replaced by a relaxed but neutral posture.
"Oh don't worry, I'm just messing with you two! But in all seriousness you are more than welcome here, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your current situation. If it weren't for you Shodo may not be alive right now, the least I can do is give you a place to stay. Unfortunately, I can't stay for long as I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on. It turns out that shipping is a lot harder when all of the ninja are out fighting in the war."
"I understand sir, but I still very much appreciate your hospitality. I must say, your house and the grounds look incredible, these tapestries in particular." Takanome motioned toward the piece of Hashirama and Madara. Mr. Maekawa smiled at this, and opened his mouth to reply. He was interrupted by a tapping on the door.
Shodo walked over to answer it, but when she opened it there was no one to be seen. Well, no one at eye level anyway.
"You're Shodo Maekawa, correct?" came a high pitched voice from near Shodo's feet. When she looked down, she was greeted by a female hawk with snow white feathers, her yellow eyes focused on her.
"Ummm, yeah?" Shodo was a bit taken aback. She'd of course heard of intelligent summoning animals, but had never actually met one. The hawk hopped around her and into the sitting room, taking a short flight to perch on the back of one of the couches. From her roost she focused on Takanome, taking a much closer inspection of him than she had Shodo.
"So you're the one Fugaku was talking about," she mumbled, seemingly to herself, before continuing at a louder volume.
"It is Fortunate that I found the two of you in the same place, saved me some time. Fugaku has invited you both to a casual dinner at his house tonight at 6. Heiko and Team 7 will also be there, I've just come from informing them."
"Thank you very much for informing us Ms Hawk, we will both be attending. But, do you know where Sensei's house actually is?" Despite teaching them for the last couple months, Fugaku had given his students very little insight into his personal life, save for a couple of tidbits here and there. The hawk sighed and shook her head, somehow radiating immense disapproval despite her lack of facial expressions.
"That man, he really needs to learn to open up quicker. Humans and their emotional stunting, ugh. In any case, Fugaku lives in the clan head's house."
"Wait what, Sensei isn't the clan head… I think? Isn't the Uchiha clan head a woman? ...Oh" Shodo came to the realisation of the situation, Takanome joining her a moment later.
"Yes indeed. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm needed elsewhere." The hawk moved to leave through the door, jumping on the handle in order to swing it open.
"Wait!" Takanome said, just before she was about to take flight. She stopped and turned, regarding him with a single eye.
"Thank you for delivering the message," he said, giving a slight bow. The hawk's beak parted slightly, and Takanome got the impression that this was her version of a smile.
"Not a problem, hopefully we'll be seeing more of each other soon." And with a flutter of snowy wings, the summon disappeared into the orange hue of the afternoon sky. Takanome froze in place, as Mr Maekawa spoke from where he had been silently watching the interaction.
"You didn't mention that your sensei had the Hawk Contract Shodo, maybe I can convince him to help me move some important goods around."
"Well sorry dad, I didn't know myself until now."
"Really? It seems you weren't exaggerating when you said your sensei was a mysterious figure. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get going," he said as he slipped out of the room, leaving Shodo to turn her attention to Takanome was still staring out into the sky.
Hopefully we'll be seeing more of each soon. That had to mean what he thought it meant, right? He'd been worrying about actually finding a summoning contract to learn Senjutsu from, but it seemed as though one might have been under his nose this whole time...