family affair
six:
the shinobi rivalry
Sasuke's back burned as if his skin was trying to reject the tattoo.
He resisted the urge to scratch the itch or to dig his nails into his skin. He resisted the urge to think of his family, his mother and father, and brother. In the back of his head, he watched their faces twist with disgust as he allowed the ink to settle in his skin.
The tattoo hadn't hurt too bad. Burdened with a tattoo machine, the Hyuga princess was gentle and quick with her work, finishing the piece in only 25 minutes. She patched him up quickly with a piece of saran wrap and tape, and instructed him on how to care for it in that low, almost meek, tone of hers.
Naruto stood at the door, waiting for his turn. He hadn't yet become the boisterous, friendly character Sasuke knew he had the potential to be. It was too soon for that. They still had to figure out the politics of the place.
Sasuke knew that his last name had given him an elevated status within the Syndicate and that his ascension, and in turn Naruto's, was incredibly unusual. He knew that because Hiashi had said it himself, but also because other Syndicate members had been giving him snide looks all day: looking as if they wanted to fight, but could not.
He also knew that there would be a great party in the yards and throughout the Estate in his honor. Hiashi was showing off, had to be, and on purpose. He was showing the world that he had the last Uchiha under his thumb––and he was warning Sasuke, threatening him, now that the whole world knew it.
He was making it so that Sasuke could never betray him and live. Sasuke was sure that the news would reach every corner of Konoha, every alley, every pool lounge, every bar. The people who needed to know would know. He was making Sasuke a spectacle, belittling him, and calling him his bitch.
After Hinata sat Naruto in the chair, she told Sasuke that he was free to roam the gardens or grab something to eat from the kitchens until the Initiation started. Sasuke dipped out of the room like a shadow and walked slowly around the Estate, memorizing every step, dent in the wall, and exit.
It was certainly an Estate: three floors tall and three wings wide, it was one of the central holdings of the Syndicate. It was every bit as luxurious as you could imagine––floor-length windows that showed picturesque gardens, even in winter, a pool and firepit entertainment area, two kitchens, multiple bathrooms, and various sprawling empty rooms.
Sasuke ventured as far as the east wing before anyone spoke to him. The switch to a traditional style of interior design was more subtle than abrupt, the doors turning to paper as if they were natural. This side of the Estate was much quieter, with fewer servants moving around. It seemed that no one came to this wing without reason.
He passed what he remembered was the Affair room and continued on. This wing, he knew, was looped around a large plot of garden, with all the inner doors looking into the other. Casually, he turned the sharp corner to see what the rest of the rooms looked like.
And ran right into Hiashi Hyuga's office. He had the paper doors open, both inner and out, and a sharp breeze came in from the garden. Incense waned in the air as Hiashi sat at his desk––a beacon of technology in the middle of a traditional tea room. When Hiashi saw him, he didn't look surprised. He waved him inside.
"Sit," the older man said. His hair was in a low ponytail at his back. Between his fingers was a cigar, which he extinguished as Sasuke stepped across the threshold.
Sasuke bowed low, keeping his expression neutral as he did a quick scan of the room. A sliding paper door, so it could not be locked. But surely Hiashi was not stupid enough to leave his office open when so many worked and visited the Estate?
Sasuke sat in a leather chair in front of the desk, looking straight into the Hyuga's face as he said, "My apologies. I thought I'd familiarize myself with the Estate since I'll be working here. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Hm," Hiashi said. He didn't make any sort of expression. "You did not interrupt. It's your day, after all."
Sasuke bowed his head again, saying nothing.
He made mental notes of other things. A locked laptop on the desk. A safe. A closet that looked out of place. A camera––no, three cameras, all red-lighted and blinking.
Hiashi moved slowly as if relishing in every movement he made, as he reached for his crystal glass of dark liquor. He made a big show by setting a glass in front of Sasuke, and pouring him his share. He stared at him hard as he handed it to him, not bothering to speak until Sasuke accepted it.
"Do you know why the Uchiha and the Hyuga have fought for so long?"
The question startled Sasuke, but of course, he did not show it. The truth was, he didn't know. The Uchiha Clan did not care to talk about the history of rivalries, they just cared to win. To come out on top. The Hyugas would always be their enemies simply because they were Hyuga.
"No, sir, I don't."
Hiashi hummed again. He gestured to Sasuke's glass with his own, and Sasuke took the cue. It was respectful to drink together, after all.
"Well, it goes back to the Age of the Shinobi. The story, I imagine, is controversial. If you had a father to ask, I'm sure he'd tell you something different."
Sasuke didn't let his grimace show, this quiet punch to the gut. He kept looking at Hiashi, his eyes stony mirrors. Whatever look Hiashi gave him, he would reflect.
"But you were raised in a Syndicate, and so you know how these things go. Don't you, Sasuke?"
Sasuke kept his gaze steady, hot furry beginning to build in his throat. He heard the gunshots ring across the field as his foot connected with a soccer ball. Itachi wrapped his arms around his middle as he dived, their bodies colliding with dirt. Hizashi Hyuga, walking out of the compound with young Neji at his side, flickered through his memory like flame.
He took a drink, letting the liquid be the fire down his throat instead of his words. His gaze was neutral, he said, "Yes, sir."
Hiashi nodded, satisfied. He continued his story, leaning back in his chair, exposing his throat and chest, unafraid. Sasuke thought of all the ways he could kill him in that position, assassinate him, with the glass cup cold in his palm. His new tattoo burned like it did not belong there.
"During the Age of the Shinobi, the Uchiha and the Hyuga were some of the most important clans. They both had genetic gifts, which made them better at espionage. For a period of time, they worked for the same Noble: the Hokage and Lord of the land.
One day the Hokage sent the most powerful of both clans on separate missions, at the same time. They were both to kill a group of mercenaries, who had put a price on the Hokage's head. The Hyuga shinobi completed the mission quickly and quietly, returning with the head of the target. Nothing more, nothing less. The Uchiha returned much later, with three."
Sasuke felt his jaw begin to tick, and he willed himself to relax. He took another sip.
"The Hokage was horrified that the Uchiha had disobeyed his order, taking more than was asked, and for what? Glory? Pride? Worse, even the Uchiha had taken the head of a spy that he was meant to rendezvous with. In his bag, he carried the head of a lowly Hyuga, whom the Hokage had stationed with the mercenaries for months.
The Hyuga were rightfully furious, the Hokage, embarrassed, but the Uchiha did not seem to care. They defended their young. They told the Hokage 'The Hyuga was nothing but a traitor! Our boy got rid of an extra problem!' They could not know how wrong they were, you understand?"
Sasuke realized that Hiashi was waiting for a response. He said, "I do."
"But the Hokage had asked for one thing. One task and the Uchiha had gone and done more. Because of this error, the imperial court was becoming undone. The Hyuga wanted revenge, and the Uchiha refused to atone for what they had done. The Hokage refused to be a part of the scandal, having already punished the Uchihas in his own way. So, the Hyugas took matters into their own hands, starting the first Great Shinobi War."
Sasuke said nothing.
"So that we are clear," Hiashi said, as he re-lit his cigar. Smoke curled around the two of them, covering their serious faces in fragrant clouds. "The error was that the Uchihas did more than were asked and ruined relationships, undid cities, and cast the imperial court in flames because of their pride. Hyuga––we don't do things for pride, we don't need to. We only do what is needed."
"I understand, Hyuga-sama," Sasuke said gravely, his face a mask, his fists knotted at his side in tight fury. "I will know my place here."
"Good," Hiashi said. He blew out smoke and stood to his full height, looking down at Sasuke whose face was a catalog of calm. "I'm glad we are on the same page. I'll see you at your Initiation."
Dismissed, Sasuke exited the office, exited the wing, exited the building. He walked outside and stared into the tree line that sat yards away, near the edge of the Estate. He bit hard into his hand so that he would not yell. This would be the only sign of his distress, his anger. There was no room for more than that.
Besides, there was a mission to focus on.
-:-
After tattooing, Hinata's muscles always felt tight, no matter the length of time she did it. When she was finished with Shenji, she went back into her room and changed clothes for the Initiation, shedding her sweater like it was a second skin.
Her knuckles were red. Sasuke's session had been needlessly intense, but Shenji's had been easy, like bringing an animal to water. She liked the bright-eyed blonde who seemed to laugh easily, joyously. She wondered why he and Sasuke had come to the Hyugas together.
Some sort of bond, she mused. Shenji had gotten his tattoo on his arm, so Hinata had more time to look into his face when he wasn't paying attention. At certain periods, stretches where the silence was due to concentration, Shenji had a reserved, sad look in his eye.
Hinata asked about his family, lightly drilling a green line into his arm. He said he didn't have one. Ah, Hinata thought. An orphan bond.
She felt a little bad about thinking it, but the circumstances were just so weird. Musing over the two tattoos and how different the two men were, she got dressed for the second time that day. She chose, again, a black dress, this one was longer and suede, down to her ankles, with off-the-shoulder sleeves.
She met Hanabi in the hallway. Initiations were the only syndicate-related meeting she was allowed to go to, and for good reason. Hanabi needed to know who was coming in, and coming out of the Estate. She needed to know who her father's most trusted men were.
She wore a green babydoll dress with a square neckline and puffy sleeves. Always a drama queen, Hinata mused. She suggested Hanabi wear a sweater because the Affair room was always drafty, but Hanabi ignored her.
"I heard the new hires are cute," she said, and the sisters walked down the stairs, arm-in-arm.
"Where'd y-you hear that from?" Hinata intoned dryly, already knowing the answer. Ino, of course.
"Ino," Hanabi confirmed. "She tells me more than you do."
"They're m-much older than you so I didn't think it mattered how a-attractive they are," Hinata said instead. With her free hand, she held her dress up as they walked to the west wing, careful not to let the suede attract dust.
"So...you agree," Hanabi said in a conspiratorial tone, "they're attractive?"
Hinata flushed and let Hanabi's question meet the silent sweep of her hair as she took it out of its coiled bun she had been wearing for the better part of the day. The result was what mattered––gentle, dark waves cascading around her shoulders. She allowed herself, just for a moment, the image of Sasuke's back and how his muscles moved when he took off his shirt. The soft skin of Shenji's arm as she wrapped the bandages around it. The quiet mystery that settled around both of their shoulders, the Uchiha more illustrious than the other man.
Hanabi took Hinata's blushing face as a yes. Hinata buried the feelings deep inside of herself, because she couldn't afford to want anything more than she already had. She wanted her basic needs met, that was it that was all. Seeing Gaara yesterday had shaken her to her core, and though she hadn't dreamed of him like she thought she would, all day she remembered his touch in flashes. Sometimes the memories were good, like him pressing a daisy into her nose, and laughing. And sometimes they were horrifying.
Hanabi slid open the Affair door with glee, practically leaping over the threshold. Hinata took a more measured approach, stepping casually onto the tatami floor mats and taking in the space. A half-full room. Neji and Tenten were seated up front, Ino and Shikamaru standing beside the door leading to the garden. Shenji and Sasuke sat in suits, in front of Hiashi's navy cushion, with their legs crossed.
Their expressions were of rose-colored calm. They looked like they were meditating.
For initiations, Hinata sat with everyone else in the audience, and she took her seat quietly between Kiba and Hanabi, carefully folding her dress around her. Kiba greeted her with a hug, his expression sour as he looked at the initiates. Hinata poked him, raising an eyebrow in question.
Kiba simply shook his head. Today he wore a proper suit and tie. Perhaps Tsume had hounded him for his last Affair's clothing. Hinata could not say she blamed the mother.
"Y-you don't like them?" Hinata asked, whispering. "I-I thought you b-brought them in."
Hana sat down beside her brother with a burst of disgruntled air. She crossed her legs––she was wearing a pantsuit of sorts––and frowned at the Hyuga. Her cheek tattoo that Hizashi had done years before he died looked red and angry against her skin today. "Of course, we don't like them!" She exclaimed. She slapped her hand hard across the back of Kiba's head and he jerked forward, holding the back of his skull. His hair had flattened.
"Damn Hana, I get it," he whined, turning a bit red as people turned around to look at the noise.
Hana crossed her arms, huffing, and leaned over Kiba to whisper to Hinata: "What? I mean, do you trust those guys? Especially that Uchiha! I almost shit myself after mom told me she was asking for clemency on Kiba's behalf. I mean––" she looked like she was about to hit him again, but changed her mind. "––what the fuck?"
Hinata leaned towards her in a conspiratory way, looking up at Kiba with comically-large eyes, "I m-mean, Kiba, w-why did you vouch for t-them?"
Everyone was curious, but Hinata was as close to the source as she thought she would get. If anyone could get something out of Kiba, it was her. This information felt precious and important to know. But instead of succumbing to Hinata's wide eyes, Kiba looked away, a twist to his lips. He was being stubborn, and Hinata's subtle charm would not work here.
She pulled away as Tsume took her seat beside Hana, completing their row. Her lips were twisted in a thin line and frown lines rose into her forehead, joining the brown hairs at her hairline.
Hinata folded this interaction away for later as her father stepped up and welcomed everyone to the Estate. He thanked Hinata for giving the ceremonial tattoos, said a few words about the history of the Syndicate and its place in Shinobi history, and began the drinking ritual.
Neji poured Sake into four cups as he stood proudly beside Hiashi, his movements deft and calculated as he handled the small porcelin cups. The audience watched with an almost indifferent reverence until the room shifted as their eyes fell on the Inuzukas.
Quietly, Tsume rose from her spot to join Hiashi centerfold. Kiba made no movement as everyone processed this new information. Neji gave her two cups.
"Tsume, because you vouched on behalf of your son, Shenji will be your charge. He will report directly to you."
"Yes, Father," Tsume bowed deeply, her eyes steel and serious. She stood tall and unwavering in her dark gray tunic dress and long-sleeved knit sweater. Her face was a constellation of duty. Hinata looked quickly at Shenji, who still hadn't moved an inch.
"Uchiha Sasuke will report directly to me and no one else," Hiashi said. Nobody said anything, but no one moved, either. It was rare that anyone under an Uncle or Aunt's status would report directly to Hiashi. Extremely rare. It never happened.
That honor was only given to his own blood, his own children, and nephew. The fact that an Uchiha would join this caste left a bad taste in Hinata's mouth. Hiashi did not trust this boy at all. No one did. So why should he be allowed to be here at all?
Revenge was always the answer. Hinata bit her lip and tasted the blood. When Hizashi died and they went to collect his body from the prison, they saw his face was bulbous; undone. When her mother was quietly dressed before her cremation, her face had been at peace, so no one thought to avenge her. But Karma was a God Hinata bowed to. She left fruits on Karma's altar. Her hands fisted at her sides as Hiashi handed Sasuke a cup.
They drank in unison. Tsume and Shenji were a mirrored action that Hinata ignored. She watched the Uchiha's Adam's apple move as he drank the liquor. Her father's expression did not change.
Shenji had to be told what to do next, but Sasuke wordlessly exchanged cups with Hiashi's, his eyes steadily meeting the patriarch's gaze. After a beat of tense silence, Hiashi and his new charge drank together from each other's cups, finishing the alcohol.
Hinata could practically taste the liquor going down their throats, and her breathing briefly stalled. She sucked in air, her shoulders tight with the knowledge of what was passing, and what else would come in response. Uchiha Sasuke was theirs now, but did they belong to him, too?
Hiashi's bellowing voice rang out above the heads of the two initiates: "May your days be blessed with fortune, and your nights be protected and virtuous."
"God willing," they called.
The Family received their new members in silence.
-:-
"You w-wanted to see me?" Hinata slid her father's office door closed and stood with her hands behind her back. He sat at his desk, sipping more sake as soft music curled out of his surround-sound speakers.
"Sit," he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. He pulled out a tin, and from that, a plump cigar. "My daughter, tell me: what did you think of the initiation?"
Hinata sat, observing her father. His expression was casual, his face fairly open. Meetings with him never felt stifling...however, they were almost always formal. She only sat in his office when he needed something from her. Usually, he'd smoke a cigar and give her an order. He was lighting it now.
The smoke that filled the room was so familiar, Hinata almost relaxed. She didn't though; she remembered herself and the question, "I t-thought it was...peculiar," she answered honestly. "It was...less j-joyful than a normal initiation."
Hiashi hummed and smoke curled out from his mouth. "Are initiations meant to be joyful?"
Hinata smiled gracefully as if accepting a challenge, "They a-re meant to h-honor the family. I am, o-of course, excited for the dinner a-afterwards."
Hiashi gave her a rare upward twist of the lips, a small smile that looked more like a grimace. He continued to smoke and said, "Of course, you are right about it being peculiar. You know I don't trust those boys or their reasons for being here."
"Y-you would be a fool to," Hinata said, letting the words slip off her tongue like she was testing poison on her mouth. She's been testing the limits of her and her father's relationship; seeing what she could get away with saying and what she could not. More than that, though, she was testing herself. She needed to know what her place was here.
Hiashi chuckled, and Hinata let herself exhale minutely from relief. "I suppose I would," he said. "And that's what brings you here. Shenji. I want you to watch him, get close to him. The Uchiha..." he paused, thinking. "I'm not sure if you can crack the Uchiha, he is trained to be like us, you see."
Hinata nodded. She did see. Hiashi didn't think she could get anything out of him, and the acknowledgment of that made her stomach hurt. It's not that he was wrong––it's just that she wished she wasn't cast aside so easily.
"Shenji will be easier," Hiashi confirmed, as if speaking to himself. "the boy seems simple. Figure out where he's from, where he came from, and how he knows the Uchiha."
"O-orphanage," Hinata said, her eyes bright with the thought of already having information for her father. "He t-told me this afternoon. They w-ere both in foster care as children, t-that's where they met."
"Hm," Hiashi's face didn't change with the information. He put out the cigar, "just keep digging."
AN: Happy Tuesday! Bit of a transistionary chapter here, I hope you don't mind! See u next week - pls review! 3
