Wow umm this is extremely late because my life has been nothing but hectic, anyways here ya go.

Chapter 12: Kind Man

Itachi buttoned his shirt and headed towards the door, when he opened the door a pair of black eyes were waiting for him. Shit. He had promised him. His little brother sat there on the floor just outside his door. Had he seen the girl exit his room? He must have if he had been sitting there waiting for him. Before his mind could come up with an excuse he spoke.

"You promised you would take me to the festival," he said no emotion present in his delivery

"Sasuke I am so sorry, I lost track of time-"

"Iruka already took Naruto and I to the stinking festival. Let me make this clear, Itachi. I frankly do not care if you go, I am relieved you didn't go. However I am honestly fucking tired of your shit, do not promise me shit that you know you won't do." He said getting up getting ready to walk away

"Happy birth-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear from you." Sasuke finally snapped before walking away. "You should really stop fucking so carelessly, if you get a noblewoman pregnant you'll be dead meat," he said as he left his brother behind. He didn't expect his brother to actually spend time with him, Itachi was much too busy. If it wasn't training, it was conferences, if it wasn't that then it was sex. Everything seemed to be before him and he was okay with it, what he wasn't okay with was his lies.

"Sasuke! I was looking for you!" the blonde popped out of nowhere grinning as he horribly hid a present behind his body. Sasuke was not in the mood to deal with Naruto but that never seemed to stop the blond ball of energy.

"What do you want?"

"I GOT YOU A PRESENT!" Naruto pulled out a long box and held it in front of Sasuke. Sasuke examined the boy before taking it, it was heavier than he had anticipated.

"Thank you, Naruto" Sasuke said before he kept walking

"Aren't you going to open it?" Naruto asked visibly disappointed

"I'll do it later," Sasuke replied

"But I want to see if you like it? Father said if you didn't like it we could get you another one" Naruto pouted. This managed to get Sasuke's attention.

"Fine" He sighed letting his curiosity get the best of him. He carefully opened the box and couldn't keep himself from smiling when he saw what was inside. "a sword. My own sword"

"It is made from steel. Father said since we were turning eleven this year it was about time we had our own swords. I even talked to Kakashi and he said he could train us" Naruto smiled

"Thank you" Sasuke traced the handle's pattern with a smile still on his face.

"I'm glad you liked it! I can't wait to start, I will probably kick your ass" he grinned

"Don't be such an idiot that will only happen in your dreams" Sasuke scoffed

"Keep your head up, don't slouch! Your posture is off" the older boy corrected the seven-year-old Hinata. Hinata preferred his defense lessons rather than etiquette ones.

"I can't tell if I prefer my nurse over you," the girl mumbled. She very much knew who she preferred as mean as Neji could be he did not hold a candle to the sour old hag.

"I can very well call her if all you do is complain" he threatened

"No. I will listen."

"Your expression is off," he said, gaining a confused look from Hinata. "Don't let your emotions show, you look annoyed" he explained

"I am" she whispered

"It doesn't matter, Hyugas never let people see their emotions. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Hinata asked completely uninterested in the answer

"Because people can use them against us"

"You are starting to sound like the council"

"I am not the council. I want you to learn now so you won't get in trouble later"

"So you say"

His words came back to her in times like this. She stood there watching as the city's leaders and elite celebrated the Uchiha, she put on a smile. The past couple of days had helped her in so many ways. She understood it better now, the country her family was fighting so hard to rule over. Although she had a better understanding, it was not enough and she now knew that. Kakashi and Tsunade had made her realize how small-minded she was, she hadn't considered so many other things. Most importantly she hadn't considered how fragile the country was. She had thought of this as only involving two players, the Hyuga and the Uchiha. She was right the fight was between the two of them however the people who lost the most were the common folk. She had learned both clans enlisted the residents from the cities and towns they controlled to fight the war. She also learned the houses were sending out poorly trained common folk to die in the front lines. Both houses were hated and the way she saw it she had two options. She had to either turn the Uchiha and their allies against each other or enrage the public so much with the Uchiha they would revolt. One required her to be an insider and the other a woman of the people. She had thought it over and overlooking at the best way to approach this situation. Kakashi had proven himself to be a rather helpful voice, but she had to know more. Perhaps it was too ambitious of her but she wished to take both approaches. She wanted to enter the Uchiha's insider circle and create support for herself from the public. If she were to create support for herself it could prove very useful, she would hold some power, and if she were to reunite with her family like she planned. She could turn Uchiha cities to the Hyugas. For her plan to work she also needed the Hyuga to be perceived better, she also needed to know the state other cities were in. She would visit two more cities, however, that was not enough. There were countless towns and cities she could not get to visit to understand. She restrained herself from yawning and finally looked over at her husband. He had his serious face on as he watched everything, six guards surrounded their sitting area. The increase in security a product of the incident she and Sasuke had with the drunken man. She understood her husband now, why he was so set on gaining public support. If peace was what he truly desired it would be rather difficult, the different houses that supported the Hyuga would certainly not fold if the Uchiha were to get an upper hand. Her own family was not one to go down without a fight. With this new exposure to the outside world her memories of growing up in the Hyuga castle made her realize how ruthless her people were. They held little regard for individuals putting the house's survival at the very front of anything. Did they truly deserve to win? Nobody really deserved to win. Was Itachi's ideal peaceful world a better idea? Yes, it was but it was also far-fetched. The Hyugas did not want peace, they wanted to control and so did the Uchiha. She did not doubt Itachi's heart but he was only one man, one man that could easily be replaced with another one like his brother's. Her family was also depending on her, Hanabi was waiting for her and so was her father and Neji. She would go back and perhaps she could sway the council to switch some things for the better. Was it all hopeful? Yes but it was all achievable all she needed was a plan

"You are quite pensive today" his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I am thinking about the people in this city, they are the ones that suffer. But here we celebrating"

"Hn" Itachi nodded, he had noticed a change in her, over the last days she had been rather pensive and quiet, more so than usual.

"How do you know you can fix everything?" She asked her eyes pleading for an answer

"Because I am ready to sacrifice what it takes to achieve my goal"

"Would you sacrifice yourself ?"

"If it comes to that. Now I believe is time for my special announcement" He said getting up

"Special announcement?" She looked up at him confused. He looked down at her and grinned before he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips.

Sasuke bit his tongue as hard as he could in an attempt to not curse. His brother was truly insane.

"Your brother is so kind, those people must feel so lucky to be getting help" Sakura smiled innocently

"Yes. Kind that's my brother" he managed to say without shouting. He was asking for trouble, he couldn't simply redirect the budget of the city like it was nothing. This was something that had to be agreed on by at least three other people. He turned to face where his father was sitting, he did not react in any way. He simply let it happen, the murmurs from the crowd eventually quiet down and the celebration proceeded. He watched Itachi who appeared pleased with himself by his stance, he looked at the council members who all were looking at his father like lost children. His brother was a delusional selfish self-righteous asshole, and his actions confirmed it all. Itachi didn't care for others, Itachi only cared about his own goals. He would admit the city's resources were not being properly spent but one person alone could not decide to change that unless that person was his father. His action would have a lot of backlash and would make the following week hell. His father would probably rage, everyone would be more stressed, more meetings would be crammed in the already busy schedule, more disagreements, more discussions, and more work for everyone. And all because his brother wanted to play the hero. Sasuke's mood had gone from sour to rotten thanks to Itachi but he tried his best to not let it show too much. The people seemed to have forgotten after enough alcohol had entered their bodies. People began laughing and boasting again forgetting that hours prior Itachi had announced a lot of the money they hoard would be given to those in need.

"Come on Sasuke, don't you want to dance?" Sakura asked

"Forgive me but I am rather tired at the moment" he declined. She frowned a little before smiling again.

"I understand" she sat next to him

"You can go enjoy the celebration if you want to."

"It's okay I want to be with you"

"Hn"

"I don't assume you asked for permission to adjust the budget" she whispered to her husband as they danced

"I'm sure I could work on it afterward" he pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.

"You know even you could get in major trouble for doing such things," she said with a frown

"Aww you care for my well-being my sweet wife" he smirked

"Don't stray away from the subject. How capital is spent in cities is a very serious decision which affects many and most importantly those in charge, which would be you. Mismanagement of funds could break the city." She scolded him. He was a bit surprised by her tone. He enjoyed it, it amused him.

"The city is already broken" he countered

"Maybe. But what good will you be if the leaders decide they no longer want to be allied with the Uchiha because of this. They could switch over to the protection of Hyuga or try to make it as an independent city. When the state of something is fragile, change should be implemented gradually." She said. She was good at arguing and made decent points, she appeared knowledgeable on the topic. She had clearly gotten a more in-depth education than most ladies.

"The leaders are outnumbered by the people. And how much gradual change can they take before they end up broken? Sometimes a drastic decision is best" he said

"That would work if you were in charge, but you are not. Your father could easily make a liar out of you"

"He won't," He knew that for a fact. "Such serious matters should be discussed later, my love. I think it's time we enjoy the party" he decided to drop their interesting conversation, a conversation like that would be better had in privacy.

"Of course my husband. I apologize if I soured your mood"

"You could never even if you tried"

"I will test that theory moving forward," she grinned.

"That was an interesting move don't you agree," the older woman said as she took a sip of wine

"It is. It will be interesting to observe" the man said with a grin behind his mask. He had known the woman for the majority of his life, she alongside Jiraiya had been helpful guides to him during his youth.

"It will be although you won't be here for long will you?"

"The battlefield cries for my help," he said

"So it does. You spend an awful suspicious time with the little girl" Tsunade pointed

"She is a woman and she is also quite amusing" he corrected her.

"Is she now?" she raised a brow

"Why don't you tell me, from what I've heard you had a talk with her"

"She is either extremely naive or a mastermind"

"One can be both" he argued

"One can't. That is simply called delusion"

"Not even the wine softens you up" he chuckled. The woman was known for her no nonsense demeanor; the only softness she showed was towards her pupils which she had only ever had two of.

"Some of Gaara's associates have asked for my presence" she whispered

"A possible ally?" he locked eyes with her

"Doubt it. But it is a possible opportunity. This war is doomed, we need a plan."

"I've been exchanging letters with Guy" he said just loud enough for her to hear

"My dear general, that's a gutsy move," Tsunade smirked. Guy was a valuable general to the Hyuga and of course Kakashi's closest friends.

"Of course no information about our battle plans has been exchanged, however, he knows it too. This war will end up killing this country"

"We need a third party"

"My dear lady that's an even gutsier move"

Hinata decided to use her time wisely and begin socializing, she already had someone in mind. Shikamaru Nara. Heir to the Nara, a young intellectual according to many and the Uchiha's head strategist. She had heard he was a blunt individual but that didn't deter her. She hadn't had the time nor the opportunity to speak to him and tonight she would make it happen. He was currently standing talking to Kakashi which was a great opportunity for her to join the conversation. Kakashi instantly noticed Hinata approaching and invited her into the conversation.

"Hinata, are you enjoying yourself so far?" he made space for her to physically joined their circle

"Of course it's a wonderful event, are you enjoying yourself?" she asked with a friendly smile

"Of course, we all are"

"Excuse my intrusion my lords" she turned to the Nara who seem bothered but her presence

"It is no intrusion at all, it's always a pleasure to have you in conversations. This is Shikamaru Nara. I don't believe you have had the chance of a proper meeting" Kakashi introduced them. To say Hinata was thankful for Kakashi's presence was an understatement. Of course, she instantly worried about his intentions but decided that she would address that later.

"No, it's a pleasure, lady Hinata" Shikamaru finally spoke.

"The pleasure is all mine, I've heard quite a lot about you"

"Hopefully not troublesome rumors"

"Of course not, Itachi speaks highly of you," she smiled and watched how his expression slightly changed. Had Itachi spoken about the Nara, well not really? He had mentioned him a few times but a bit of exaggeration never hurt anyone.

"Does he? I hope he hasn't oversold me. I would hate to disappoint" a minuscule hint of sarcasm laced his words

"I doubt it, Itachi is not one to praise those who don't deserve it" Shikamaru wondered what the woman in front of him was trying to accomplish. He had noted how friendly Kakashi had acted towards her. He had watched her and Itachi, their relationship seemed friendly enough he had also noticed when Kakashi quietly began slithering away leaving him with the woman. She looked innocent enough but Shikamaru knew better than to judge based on looks.

"Hn. You seem to think highly of Itachi"

"He has been so kind and welcoming, he has my respect"

"And what do you wish to have from me?" he finally asked

"Pardon me?" she blinked and cocked her head in confusion

"Well my lady conversations are usually held with ulterior motives"

"I wish to be part of you people," she said bluntly. He was a blunt man, that was fine with her she would give him what he wanted. If he would take it would determine her success. "I am aware people see me as an outsider, a Hyuga. I want to change that"

"Why would you want to change?" he asked not because he didn't have an idea but because he wanted to hear her answer

"Because I am not a Hyuga lord Nara. I am Itachi's wife, Itachi is the heir he can't have a wife who everyone mistrusts"

"You're doing this for Itachi?" He raised his brow

"I am doing this for my future and Itachi is part of my future. My lord I simply came to introduce myself, I do not wish to stay an outsider forever. You are part of the upper circle, are you not? My husband alone does not secure me a good image, I have to put the effort in it as well" She explained. Shikamaru stared at her as he thought of her words. She was clearly intelligent, was she sent here by Itachi? Perhaps Itachi had found himself a puppet? No, she was not a puppet, he had a feeling she was sharper than a mere puppet.

"You aren't much of an outsider." He finally said

"Please elaborate"

"You are another wealthy noblewoman. There are many of those here" he played dumb. He wanted her to explain herself. To follow her so-called logic, to catch any inconsistencies.

"But none of them are related to the enemy," she said

"People forget easily, smile and you should be fine"

"Thank you for your advice, my lord, I apologize if I've taken your time"

"Of course not my lady. You are after all our future queen"

"if survive that is" she let her face fall into a frown.

"I'm sure you will if you keep playing your cards right" was it about survival? The whole point of life was survival, he was sure survival played a role in her motivations.

"Thank you, my lord. It was a pleasure talking to you" she flashed him a smile, trying her best to make it genuine. Shikamaru nodded, if she was being honest he could understand self-preservation was a natural instinct instilled in the human body.

Her talk with Shikamaru had gone well, she hadn't gotten any information but she had established a relationship. He now knew who she was and had conversed with her making it more probable he would in the future. Before she could find another person an arm wrapped around hers. She turned to the person and smiled.

"Good evening Sakura, having fun?" Hinata asked, Sakura gave a little pout and leaned closer to her ear.

"I'm not having any fun, I'm sad" she whispered.

"Is it because of Sasuke?" she said, taking a peek at the brooding male sitting down with a glass of wine. Almost as if he could sense her stare he looked up, locking eyes with her and deepening his frown even further.

"Yes, he is tired and he insists that I enjoy the celebration without him," she said

"Then we should do just that. You wouldn't want to disobey your future husband" she grabbed her hand and pulled her in closer to the dancing circle.

"You're right," Sakura smiled brightly. For a good while, Hinata danced with Sakura. She noticed the looks people had given them, they were so strong even Sakura must have noticed. It didn't matter, not really. Sakura was very much respected in this circle, her family could very much be the wealthiest. She was a princess in her own right. As Hinata danced with Sakura she felt a sense of freedom she never experienced before. The eyes of the people didn't bother her like she thought they would. She understood Hanabi's constant rule-breaking, although she wasn't breaking any rule she did feel an excitement run through her. For the first time, she felt she had let go of her act. She was still conscious of her actions but she did not feel as if she was hiding herself. Their dancing did not last forever and she later found herself walking with Sakura far from the crowd.

"That was really fun, thank you" Sakura smiled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You don't seem to be too happy here" Hinata gave her a disappointed smile

"I'm happy to be here. But the process has been really hard, I never really had to adapt to such a different environment. I feel alone. Sasuke is great, he is everything I imagined but I… I can't get to him. It seems like I just annoy him. I feel like a failure" she said, tears beginning to fill her ears. Hinata instinctively wiped them off, giving her a gentle smile.

"You are not a failure and you are not alone. I'll be here for anything you need. Sasuke is a hard person to deal with and that isn't your fault" In truth, Hinata wanted to say more. She wanted to tell her she was more than just a future bride, that Sasuke's opinion did not matter in the slightest. But that was a lie. Hinata knew exactly how she felt, she had been told since she could remember she was to be wed one day. It was a bit different in her case, she was first meant to be the head. However, she refused to be the head and let Hanabi be the one who the house would give away. She had noticed Hanabi's fiery spirit since she could walk, she knew Hanabi wasn't meant for the life that was ahead of her. Thinking about how the process would break her sister and put out the fire in her eyes pained her. She decided to refuse her role and since that day she wasn't only looked at as a disappointment and treated as a pester but was also taught her only worth was tied to the man she married. She was okay with that, truth be told Hinata didn't have a fire of her own which is why she found it so necessary to keep Hanabi's alive.

"Hinata thank you for being my friend" Sakura threw her arms around her pulling her into an embrace. Hinata returned the gesture.

"Excuse me, Lady S-sakura" a servant approached them

"Yes?" sakura turned

"Lady Tsunade is asking for you" the servant informed her

"I'll be right there," Sakura let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry Hinata I have to go" Sakura smiled sadly

"Don't worry, I'll always be here in case you need to talk."

"Do you wish to go back with me?" Sakura offered

"I'll stay here a bit longer, I enjoy the quiet here"

He had been listening to every single word they had spoken, Like hell, he was going to let the Hyuga bitch poison Sakura's mind. He had to admit he did feel a bit of sympathy towards his future wife. He had to get shit together if he kept acting like this the marriage could end up weakening their relationship with the Harunos instead of strengthening them. He would keep that in mind moving forward. However what he would not let slide was that fucking bitch. He waited for Sakura to leave before he made his presence known.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near my betrothed," He spat. She narrowed her eyes, catching him off guard.

"Someone has to since you are never there for her," she said with a frown. He clenched his jaw, she was being gutsy. Perhaps she was starting to get too comfortable again. It was time to remind her of her place. He walked closer to her, one more step and their bodies would make contact.

"She is my bride and I do not want to see you anywhere near her. You are nothing but worthless trash, trash does not speak, trash does not comment on people's lives" he hissed

"She is hurting and you are the cause" she stood her ground

"I will deal with that."

"Will you though? You are too selfish-" she felt the wetness on her cheek and instantly she slapped him.

Perhaps he had gone too far, he didn't plan to spit on her. He had done it before he could think of what he was doing. But how could he say he was selfish? Sure he was but no more than others were. Especially not more than Itachi. The cunt idolized Itachi but somehow Sasuke was the selfish one. Did she have any idea of who she clung so closely to?

"You asshole." she hissed tears of anger filling her eyes. She knew it was bound to happen for her hatred towards Sasuke to finally show. She wished she could have kept it together a bit longer, however, it was all too much Sasuke was too much. He had let the last drop go and her cup was now overflowing.

"This will be the only time you will get to do that. Do you understand?" he grabbed her arm forcefully.

"What have I done to you?! You are a pester to everyone but you are especially cruel to me… WHY!?" she cried through gritted teeth

"YOU FUCKING WHORE DON'T ACT SO INNOCENT. YOU-"

"I WAS TAKEN FROM MY FAMILY! I did not choose to come here and make your life hell with my mere presence" she defended herself

"Don't think for a second this act will fucking fool me bitch. You are only here to poison. You are like a sickness. You are weak and useless and infect those around you."

"I never did anything to anyone here. Especially you"

"I detest you Hyuga because I know you are a disease," his fingers were gripping her jaw. She felt his hands shake with what she guessed was angered. She did not back down, however. She glared up at him and he glared right back. She was fed up with him and she knew exactly what to say.

"Why do you never act like this in front of Itachi?" She watched his face closely. She watched how his eyes twitched, the anger in them grew, as the muscles on his face clenched, and she heard him gritting his teeth. She felt him push her to the ground before turning his back to her and walking away.

At that moment he saw the options he could have taken. How he was still aware of his actions with all the fury boiling inside of him was nothing short of a miracle. He could give in to his body and rage and have his way with her right there but that would be weak, that would make him weak just like she was. He could say something back to her but how long would his awareness last? Would he be able to control himself if he kept it up? He did not know. Instead, he pushed her to the ground and walked away. He walked away because he had to, there was no other choice. If he did choose something else he was not sure he could ever come back from it.

Fugaku looked at the paper in front of him, he had let Itachi run wild for too long. He had never had anyone humbled him and now he was flying too close to the sun and Fugaku would cut those wings of his and throw him back to the ground. Perhaps Itachi would finally learn that way. He signed the paper and placed it in an envelope before sealing it. He would let his eldest son show off for the rest of the stops, he would let Itachi do what he wanted. However, on the last day in the last celebration, he would have his new will read. He would pass down the future of the House to his youngest son Sasuke, Sasuke would be his new heir. A smile grew on the man"s face, he could already picture Itachi's face and could already taste victory.