A/N: Apparently we passed the 100k+ club a few chapters ago. Nice to finally break that barrier! Enjoy the short chapter.


A sharp knocking at the front door made Neji startle awake.

Turning, he glanced at the clock and groaned when he realized it was only midnight.

Tenten stirred beside him, blinking blearily in the darkness as he slipped out of bed. "Neji? What's wrong?"

"I suppose they're calling me," he grunted, pulling on his pants. "I'm sorry to leave you like this. I'll be home soon, alright?"

Letting out a quiet sigh, the woman nodded and settled back into the pillows. "... alright. Be safe, okay?"

He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and tried his best to smile. "Alright. I love you."

"I love you," she mumbled in reply as she rested her head back down onto the pillow and closed her eyes.

Turning, he left the bedroom, irritation growing with every frantic knock.

"Calm yourself, I'm coming," he snapped as he neared the entry.

Opening the door, he opened his mouth to tell off whoever it was, but stopped short when he saw Hanabi standing there, breathing heavily, tears dribbling down her face.

"Hanabi-sama? What's wrong?" He was instantly alert, resting his hands on her shoulders and looking her over. "Why are you crying? Has something happened to Uncle?"

"N- no," she breathed, hiccupping and wiping her eyes. "Father sent me to tell you that you're needed for an emergency meeting - the Uchiha have just killed one of our own."

Cold fear settled deep into his stomach at her words as he slipped on his shoes and coat, hurrying after her into the cool night.


"Around ten o'clock this evening, one of our young kunoichi was heading home from a rendezvous with a civilian woman of high standing," Hiashi reported, an icy edge to his voice that sent a chill down the young man's spine. "Around ten-fifteen, this young woman got into an altercation with a patrolling guard, who told her off for being out so late. Around ten-twenty, this young woman was struck down in cold blood."

Beside him, Hanabi squeezed his arm and bowed her head to conceal the anguish on her face.

"This has gone on far enough," the patriarch snapped, his hands clenching into fists in his lap. "The curfew is only in place for the civilians here, not for ninja. This guard knew of this and still decided that death was the only option for this altercation. This cannot stand."

"Has the girl's identity been cleared yet?" Someone else spoke up.

"Only to her parents and fiancé," the clan head replied. "The rest of you will be notified when we meet again in the morning to figure out where we should go from here. I have been told she was not of very high standing in the clan, but her fiancé was of the higher branches. High enough that this will prove to be a substantial problem for both clans."

"I say we put our foot down right here and now!" One of the senior elders declared, a scowl twisting his wrinkled face. "If they've gotten so comfortable with killing even us, what depravity will they begin to accept from here on out? What will they do if they decide we are of no use anymore?"

"Their egos have gotten too big for their own heads yet again," another sniffed dismissively, his nose turning up. "We should have seen this coming. Have none of you recalled when they pulled this exact stunt when the civil war began not so long ago?"

"What will we even get for the girl? Hardly enough compensation to prevent our leave, surely?"

"It's likely we will only receive a small monetary apology for her," Hiashi's voice was tinged with bitterness, and as he glared at the ground he took a breath to steady his temper.

The council broke into even louder mutterings and protests, and some shook their fists as they decried the Uchiha.

"To prevent the total destruction of the city from our ancient interclan bonds imploding, we need to act fast before word gets to the civilians." The clan head turned to his daughter, and for but a brief moment his expression softened. "Daughter."

"Y- yes, Father." Her voice trembled slightly, but as she looked up she schooled her expression into something more neutral.

"How have negotiations gone thus far?"

"Things are going smoothly as ever," she replied, folding her hands in her lap. "Currently we are on standby."

"Not good enough." He shook his head. "We must act soon. We cannot allow this injustice to go unpunished."

"Of course, Father. Neji and I will speak to Mimei tomorrow about it." She bowed her head in quiet deference to the man. "Trust me when I say they're working hard on it, as are we."

"Excellent. Keep up the pressure. We must be ready to act at a moment's notice." His eyes bore into Neji's for a brief moment, but all too soon he was looking away.

He felt the tension in his shoulders relax some at that. "As soon as this meeting is over I swear I'll collapse."


A/N: Please tell me what you thought!