CHAPTER 4: Revelations, Pt. 2

5. Now, how does Ibiki realizes he like Hiashi? Something involving paint (blinding orange paint), ramen, Anko's snakes and a pissed off Sakura.

(I know this chapter was supposed to be about relationship dynamics, but I decided to leave that for later on in the story. Instead, now you get the day in which Ibiki starts to realize he feels some type of way about Hiashi Hyuuga.)

~..~..~

It wasn't often that he got a day off.

Because of the rarity of such an occurrence, he should have known better than to actually leave his home.

Even though the kids were already old enough to be considered adults under the law and went out on missions without having to be accompanied by their respective joining teachers, they were still very much still kids. And, as kids, they could never pass up on the chance to enjoy something that didn't happen very often.

So, that was how he found himself being trailed all around the village by Teams Seven and Ten. They probably hoped that they were being sneaky and inconspicuous, seeing how none of them had bothered to even greet him and were trying their best to remain unseen as they followed him. But, they weren't doing the best job at remaining hidden. Ibiki had seen flashes of all of them at different points as he went about his grocery shopping- and they definitely needed to get some further education on how to stamp down on their chakra. He could feel their presence even when surrounded by so many distractions.

Of course, it wasn't fair to say that they were doing a bad job. He was just well versed in having to parse through civilian and shinobi levels of shinobi on a daily basis- not just to capture targets, but also to track down wayward tokubetsu jounin to force them back to work. Their chakra levels were clearly more developed than what would find in civilians, even if they were attempting to tamper them.

It was odd, he found himself thinking as he looked over the selections of strong brands of coffee at his favorite foreign merchant's stall, that Team Eight wasn't part of the excitement. Even though Ino was the kid with the most attachment to him, Hinata was as dear to him as he was to her. Kiba was also a firecracker that never passed up on the chance to stir up some trouble- and innocent old Ibiki going about an uncommonly mundane day should have been a prime target.

Now that was a thought.

With a sigh, he pulled his gaze away from the two bags that were most calling for him. Even though he knew what he most loved, he also believed that Genma might enjoy a different blend.

But he could feel surge of chakra coming from the nearby ramen stall, and he knew for a fact that such a stall could basically offer a direct view to where he was.

When he turned to look over there, he found a flash of white fur- the end wisps of a tail- near the ground disappearing into the bottom of the stall itself.

It seemed that Team Eight had finally appeared.

That stall wasn't Ichiraku's. It was a merchant that exclusively sold ramen that would then have to be made at home. Some of it was pre-made and just needed to be boiled because it came with its own flavor packets and such. Others were just the noodles and could be used for any run of the mill at-home recipe. But there wasn't more to the shop than dry noodles. There was nothing there for the children to eat.

So, if this was just a stall that shouldn't be of too much interest to the children… why in the world were they even hiding near there?

Well, as long as whatever would happen had nothing to do with him, he really had no reason to interrupt. This was his day off and he was going to take that seriously.

With this assurance to himself, Ibiki turned back to the coffee he had been looking over. He spent some more seconds looking over the labels of both brands that caught his eyes, then reached out and picked up the one he knew Genma might find more favorable. Even though Shiranui insisted he liked coffee in all its facets, Ibiki had come to learn that he truly enjoyed flavor profiles with a bit more sweetness to them.

The back of the label had a standard story about the history of the coffee maker and the struggle it had been to establish their craft in the midst of the Second Shinobi War… but this was a sweeter brand. The coffee would never turn out quite as strong as Ibiki liked it, but… well, if he couldn't hand this over as a gift- because Shiranui had a martyr complex a mile long- he could at least brew this whenever it was his turn to make the coffee they drank on their morning walks to work.

Unlike Genma, he made enough money to be able to splurge comfortably on luxury items. So, he would buy this, hope the idiot accepted the gift, and prayed that Shiranui would never come across this brand in a shop to come to learn how much the bag cost. If he did, Ibiki knew that there'd be some type of hell that would be raised by the foolish idiot.

With his mind made up, Ibiki picked up a bag of the stronger brew he wanted for himself and took the two steps necessary to go from one side of the stall to the boxed off, tiny cashier's area.

The stall's owner was currently in the back, so Ibiki needed to wait to pay, but he didn't mind. This was his last errand of the day and he had managed to complete everything he had set out to do before midday had even hit. He had the whole afternoon ahead of him and, for once, there was no true need to rush.

When another person walked into the stall, Ibiki shifted ever so slightly to look behind himself. The long dark hair and pale skin were immediate giveaways to which clan the person belonged to- but the height, body composition, and simple yet regal clothing pointed towards only one possibility.

Huh. He hadn't known Hiashi Hyuuga did his own grocery shopping. Clan Heads tended to have other members help out for such a thing because it wasn't really necessary to be done by any specific person.

"Morino-san." Hiashi bowed his head by a fraction, even though he was keeping his gaze firmly on the coffee that he had previously been perusing.

"Lord Hyuuga." He nodded back, voice as flat as Hiashi's had been. He took a moment to watch the older man look over the brands of coffee, then turned his head back towards the cashier area.

The owner was still nowhere in sight.

As tension slowly began to ebb into his body, Ibiki began to think that maybe, just maybe, it would be a good thing if he called for the owner to hurry up whatever he was doing in the back. A chill was beginning to appear in the air and he wasn't quite looking forward to being in the same small space as Hiashi Hyuuga if he could avoid it.

Even though they had both apologized to one another after they had gone too far in an argument over Genma's well-being… things weren't right between them. Even though he had apologized and been genuine about his feelings, he had still given the Head of the Hyuuga Clan a black eye not more than a month ago. Even though the injury had healed up nicely, the guilt that he had first felt gnawing at him a handful of seconds after he had punched the man was slowly bubbling up within him.

They had both been wrong; they had both apologized; they had both agreed to move on and not hold a grudge over something that had been stupid yet human on both of their parts.

But Ibiki still felt that he had done the worst wrong.

Yes, he had been angry over having failed at a mission and he had been worried out of his mind for Genma's health after the absolute idiot had almost gotten himself killed yet again… so, yeah, he had a pretty good excuse for having allowed his frayed and chaotic emotions to get the best of him. But that wasn't good enough. He never should have allowed his anger and fear to get the best of him. He should have been able to weather any and all of Hiashi's curses and reproaches with the dignity and patience he had acquired through years of hardships.

They may have apologized and Genma may have healed up after yet another close brush with death, but they had not shared the same space ever since the heated argument. Genma still went to drink tea with Hiashi, and he had commented more than once that it would be nice for Ibiki to come along once more, but he had always managed to come up with a serviceable excuse as to why he couldn't.

Ibiki had not told Genma what had happened between them while he had been unconscious. He wasn't sure if Hiashi had done so; they had never promised anything about keeping it a secret, after all; but he dared to think that he hadn't because Genma hadn't yet come raving at him over having wounded someone so near and dear to him.

Ibiki frowned at that thought.

It was a fallacious one; misleading as only an intrusive and unwanted thought could be. Genma would not attack him for having hurt Hiashi. Instead, if Shiranui ever truly found out about what had happened, he would have tried his best to force them both to come together and reconcile their wounded egos.

He heard the tell-tale sounds of bags crinkling as they were picked up, then Hiashi sighed heavily.

It wasn't common for the Hyuuga to be so… well… emotive.

Turning his body, Ibiki looked over at the man to find him frowning down at another bag from the same coffee he had thought to buy for Genma. His eyebrows were furrowed as he glanced down- he seemed strained to some degree.

If Hiashi had let him hear of his frustration, it had been for a reason.

Ibiki could have ignored the man… but he could see a peace offering when it appeared before him.

"Something wrong?"

Without looking away from the bag, the older man explained, "Tsume mentioned this particular blend to be a good idea to give Shiranui… but I am admittedly put off by the description in the back. There's barely any information of the coffee itself."

Well, if Tsume had said so, then he could be assured that his eye for analyzing others was still as sharp as it had ever been.

Clearing his throat to get rid of the lump that had suddenly formed, he offered, "My best guess is that they think a sob story will gain sympathy from buyers."

Hiashi scoffed and turned to look at him with tentative mirth dancing in his pale eyes. There were no longer any signs of the injury he had caused. "Maybe from civilians. But from a shinobi clientele? I will only buy this because I'm sure Tsume would hound me if I bought anything else."

"That she would." Ibiki offered a small smile because the image of an enraged Tsume turning on Hiashi because of coffee was an amusing one. But he didn't dare smile openly.

There was still a distance between them that was almost palpable.

Silence fell over them; Ibiki shifted from his left foot onto his right and Hiashi returned his gaze to the bag.

"Well, if it's of any consolation, I'm buying the same for him. I know that it's sweeter than what I prefer, so he should enjoy it."

Hiashi looked back at him with a curious glint to his eyes. "You have tried it before? I thought you enjoyed only the strongest blends."

He allowed what he hoped to be a light smile to play on his lips as he forced his body to fully face Hiashi. Where in the world was that owner?

"I also enjoy tasting new blends. Although the last time I got this particular one, it was in a travel sized bag. I don't invest in regular sized brews I'm not sure I'll like."

Hiashi hummed as he nodded; and he wasn't sure, but Ibiki could swear that there was tension to him that was missing. Or, at least, that he couldn't pick up on. He somehow seemed… more relaxed than what he generally assumed with the Hyuuga Clan.

"Sound strategy." The other man eventually rattled off.

This time, when they were once again plunged into silence, it wasn't nearly as cold as it had previously been.

Ibiki reached out with his chakra to make sure that the owner was still well while in the back and was only marginally relieved to find that he was fine. Mostly, he was just annoyed that the man hadn't come back in what had felt like way too many minutes.

"Would you, by any chance, know what the children are up to so early in the day?"

Ah, so Hiashi was also aware that the kids were out and about and undoubtedly planning to cause some mayhem.

"I'm just trying to enjoy my day off, Lord Hyuuga." He hoped the man could understand that he was hoping to stay far away from whatever those kids were up to.

From the lopsided, half-grin Hiashi gave and the tired look his eyes acquired, he could tell that the sentiment was shared.

"One can only hope, Morino-san."

Morino-san. He wasn't Ibiki any longer.

The distance between them would have been laughable if Ibiki didn't know that he had caused it.

He felt another surge of chakra, this time sharper and harsher than the last one, and he turned his head in the direction of the ramen stall… only to suddenly see that its whole outward facing façade was covered in obnoxious orange.

The sound of particularly loud hissing filled the air only a few seconds before the people around the stall began to scream, turning swiftly to begin running away.

Ibiki kept his eyes open beside the fact that he wanted to close his eyes and just walk away. He needed to watch the chaos unfolding to make sure that no one was injured. And he'd probably be called on as a witness for whatever disciplinary hearing would be thrown to try to (unsuccessfully) punish Genma's menaces to society.

Sometimes, he wondered if they had done enough to curb their chaotic energy. Whenever he did, he didn't even have to think too hard to reach an answer.

The children were dangerous, but judgmental and analytical. Well, not all of them. But they only ever mobilized whenever those that did think about the consequences of their actions gave the go-ahead.

All he was truly curious about right now was what the stall owner had done to incite the wrath of the children.

After the crowds had dispersed, Ibiki was able to see an array of different sized snakes surrounding the paralyzed owner of the stall- who was drenched in the same color of paint that now decorated his business.

"Maybe now you'll think twice about blackmailing my family!"

That shout sounded quite a bit like Sakura Haruno. He wasn't completely sure so, if he was asked, he would have to admit that he had only heard a young, female voice.

Hiashi sighed loudly beside him.

"I would wish to avoid having to deal with whatever headache this will undoubtedly cause."

There was deep regret to Hiashi's words. Just like there was the tiniest hint of indignation, worry, and the smallest thread of amusement.

Honestly, with the amount of instability these kids caused Konoha, Ibiki was sure he would actually be very amused whenever they struck if he didn't have any connection to them. But, considering how he did have such connections…

He still couldn't believe he had punched Hinata and Hanabi's father, who was simultaneously Neji's uncle, in the face because he had been pissed.

"We don't get paid enough."

He could hear unhinged laughter accompanied by the still shrill screams of civilians that were terrified of the chaos being unleashed on the ramen stand.

Ibiki continued to watch as the snakes slithered over the legs of the man, fully aware that he was safer than he probably than he thought because none of those were venomous. They still sounded terrifying, though.

"Morino-san?" he turned to look behind him to find Hiashi holding a handful of ryo in one hand, the bag of coffee in the other. "I know of a fine tea house in Midori no Mori. If we were to leave for it now, we would be reaching it by nightfall."

As Hiashi spoke, Ibiki was thoroughly surprised at his use of 'we'. But when he finished speaking, the scarred interrogator could only smile softly.

He could see a peace offering when it was right in front of him.

"I would first have to leave my groceries in my apartment." He pointed out, and Hiashi walked forwards, right beside him, to leave the ryo he had pulled out on the counter.

"I shall help." With clear determination, Hiashi grabbed ahold of a few of the bags and hefted them away from Ibiki. "That should be enough to pay for our purchases, yes?"

Ibiki looked over the amount of money and knew that it was more than enough.

"Let's get going before any proper authorities can see us here."

Hiashi offered a small smile before he nodded, hastily exiting the stall.

Ibiki followed him at a similar pace, aware that if they wanted to avoid any and all possible complications wrought by the children's actions, they needed to move as if they had just been called to aid in an emergency out of the village.

~/~

Slowly but surely, all of the tension between them had melted away. The more they had spoken with one another, the more Ibiki felt that their relationship could be repaired and they would, eventually, return to normality.

They had never been particularly close, but they had always gotten along. Their dynamic was always one that had brought Ibiki comfort- Hiashi didn't see him as a foe, an obstacle, or even a lesser annoyance. They had always been equals and their conversations, while superficial, were never uncomfortable.

As they shared a round of gyokuro tea- which he had insisted to buy because Hiashi had already paid for the coffee-, Ibiki noticed that, even though they had never been friends, they had never been just acquaintances. They had been something caught in between and, when everything had come crashing down, they had been on their way to actually forming a worthwhile friendship.

And now that Ibiki could see that they could fix this... he found Hiashi's quiet laughter to be particularly melodic.

"I should feel more guilty than I actually do over not having stopped to convince Genma to escape with us, shouldn't I?" the Hyuuga's eyes were dancing with clear lack of guilt and Ibiki couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Nonsense. We mobilized appropriately." and then he smirked, "Now we know that we can spend a few minutes searching for Genma to save him when next this happens."

Hiashi's smile showed teeth- and Ibiki's heart jumped. "I'm sure he won't complain about an impromptu vacation if it saves him from having to deal with the trouble his children stir up."

Hiashi took a sip of his tea and Ibiki decided to mimic him in an attempt to cover up the surprise he knew his face would show if he didn't move quickly.

He had no idea what about Hiashi's smile had caught him so off guard... but... well... at least he had a night of calm to think about it.

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The children followed Ibiki around because they had plans to attack that one merchant that attempted to blackmail Sakura's father but were worried he may have tried to interrupt. Seeing how he did nothing, when Team 8 finally appeared, they decided to just move ahead with their plans of nuisance retribution.

Genma's headache that night became a migraine when he noticed that Hiashi was nowhere to be found and he would have to take complete responsibility for all of the Hyuuga that were part of the prank/attack.

Hope y'all enjoyed!

Next chapter will be about how the children find out about these guys being in a relationship together. Or the chapter in which Ibiki punches Hiashi. One or the other.

Please review!