Chapter Six: Family Dinner
Mikoto sat at the dinner table silently and looked around.
Everyone was eating so delicately. From the way there were sitting gracefully on their cushions, to the way they held their chopsticks; everything was just so dignified. She had no idea what to do.
She was sitting at a table in the Hyuga compound with Hinata, Neiji, Hanabi, and her uncle, Hiashi. It was a family dinner. All the cousins together.
Mikoto's hand hovered over her chopsticks. She picked them up gingerly and tried to copy the way the others held them. She went to pick up a dumpling from her plate, but it immediately slipped to her plate.
"Kuso," She mumbled under her breath.
Someone giggled. Mikoto's head snapped up to see that Hanabi was covering a smile behind her hand.
Mikoto scowled. She activated her Sharingan and Hanabi's eyes widened.
Mikoto quietly watched her Uncle eat and Hanabi watched curiously.
Mikoto watched for about a minute and then gave a self satisfied smile as she deactivated her dojutsu. She the picked up her chopsticks again and proceeded to eat, perfectly copying Hiashi's movements.
"Did you just…?" Hanabi asked, but hesitated.
"What is it Hanabi?" Hiashi asked his daughter.
"I think she just copied you with her Sharingan," Hanabi said.
Hiashi looked at his niece, "Did you just use your Sharingan?"
Mikoto's face turned red, "I've never learned meal etiquette," she said, eyes downcast.
"No you copied my eating habits with your Sharingan." Hiashi stated, it wasn't really a wuestion.
"I…" Mikoto looked down, "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"It's alright," Hiashi said gently, "But you could have just asked."
Mikoto's face was still red as she stared at her plate.
Hinata looked at the poor girl and decided to help her out, "So where did you live before you met Naruto-kun she asked."
Mikoto smiled at her gratefully, "lots of places!" She replied.
Now Neiji was curious as well, "What kind of places?"
"Well…" Mikoto began, "I actually traveled with papa and Kisame-san for a while after mom…" She hesitated as she looked over to Hiashi.
Hiashi had a look of shock on his face, "You traveled with Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" He asked.
"Yup!" Mikoto said with a grin, "For almost three years!"
"Did he… talk to you or teach you anything?" Hanabi asked, her interest piqued as well.
"Mmmhmm," Mikoto nodded rapidly, "Kenjutsu!"
"You learned swordsmanship from one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Neiji asked, his voice breathless.
"Yup!" Mikoto said. She looked pleased with herself, now that she seemed impressive.
"Why don't you carry a sword than?" Hanabi asked.
Mikoto shrugged, "Never had one of my own," She answered, "We always used wooden sword. Kisame-san always said that one had to completely master the wooden sword before they could use a real one." She said this as thought she were quoting a lecture.
"So Mikoto," Hiashi started, "Why did you stop traveling with them?"
Mikoto was quiet for a minute before she responded, her eyes sad, "The goals of the Akatsuki changed and it became more dangerous."
"What do you mean their goals changed?" Hiashi asked. If she knows more information about the Akatsuki I should report this to the Hokage immediately.
"No, no, no," Mikoto said quickly, having an idea of what her uncle was thinking, "I didn't understand much at the time! Papa didn't explain anything. He just told me it would be too dangerous from then on. Everything I know now I pieced together from what Naruto-sensei and Jiraiya-sama told me!"
Hiashi nodded, "And what did you piece together."
"Well before the Akatsuki missions were primarily about making money. Most of the time I could just stay at camp while papa and Kisame went and worked. Sometimes they would leave me at an inn for a few days. But then the Akatsuki started to go after the jinchuriki and they began alienating the large villages. That's when it became unsafe."
Hiashi nodded. That made sense. Once Itachi and his partner came to Konaha to capture Naruto, they became much bigger targets.
"And in addition," Mikoto said her eyes downcast, "Sasuke had left the Leaf."
Neiji's head shot up. He remembered that night well. He had almost died that night. "What does that have to do with you?"
"Again," Mikoto started, "I didn't understand at the time, but Papa said that we really shouldn't be seen together. Now that I know about the massacre thought I think he was a little worried that Sasuke would…"
Mikoto hesitated as stared at her plate, trying to find the right words. Her cousins and uncle watched her, waiting for her to finish.
"Return the favor," She finally said.
Everyone's eyes widened at that as they understood. If Sasuke knew that Itachi had a daughter, he might want to kill her as an act of vengeance.
"B-b-but Sasuke wouldn't do that," Hinata said, "Would he?" She asked, looking to Neiji.
Neiji said nothing as he looked at his newfound cousin with steady eyes.
Mikoto shrugged, "I've never met the guy," She said looking to Hinata, "So you tell me… would he?"
Hinata didn't answer and turned back to her plate. Hinata had known Sasuke. She was with him in the academy and had also watched him as he trained alongside Naruto.
He might. She thought to herself.
Mikoto sighed and went back to her food.
"So…" Hiashi started, changing the subject, "Your training in the Gentle Fist starts tomorrow."
Mikoto's head snapped up, "But I already have the Gentle Street-Fighting Fist, I'm happy with that!"
"No!" Hiashi said firmly, "You are a Hyuga, you need to learn our regal fighting style."
Mikoto made a face. Regal huh? She thought to herself. A little pompous are we?
"Besides," Neiji interjected, "It's always good to learn more taijutsu styles. You already have two right? The Gentle Street Fighting Fist and the Uchiha Intercepting Fist."
Mikoto raised her eyebrows as she looked at Neiji, "You figured that out watching the one match?" She said, surprised.
Neiji's eyes narrowed, "Don't underestimate me."
"If it's good to have more than one style," Hanabi started, "Can I learn the Street-Fighting version?"
"No." Hiashi answered immediately.
Mikoto made eye contact with Hanabi and grinned. Hanabi grinned back in understanding.
As dinner wrapped up Mikoto began to stand only to notice that everyone was looking at her, "What?" She asked, "Is there something on my face?"
"We wait for Father to stand first," Hinata replied.
Mikoto's face turned red again and she plopped back down, "Stupid etiquette," She muttered under her breath. It had been easier on the farm, they usually just ate with their hands.
Hiashi looked at her as he stood, "Did you say something?" He asked.
"No I didn't Uncle."
Mikoto sighed as she walked back to Naruto's apartment. The evening had been overall nice, if not a little tense. While Mikoto did forgive Hiashi for what he did, she wasn't quite ready to be part of the family. She still needed a little distance and her head wrapped around the face that could now trust the Hyuga Clan.
Hiashi had offered her a room at the compound; as family not as a prisoner. However, she didn't feel ready to become a Hyuga completely, at least not yet. She had been raised to distrust the clan and after her mother…
Let's just say her hatred had turned into general distaste and was slowly becoming indifference. Perhaps one day she would fully trust the clan, but today was not that day.
A nice double bed would be nice though, she thought to herself. She had been sleeping on Naruto's couch, and while it wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't a bed.
She opened Naruto's door with the key he gave her and walked in. He was packing.
"Going somewhere Naruto-sensei?" She asked him.
Naruto nodded, "Yup! I have a mission."
Mikoto smiled, "Anything interesting?"
Naruto hesitated.
"What?" Mikoto asked, "Why are you hesitating? Your not usually one at a loss for words!"
"We're going after Sasuke." Naruto said finally.
Mikoto's eyes widened. Without a word she immediately began shoving clothes in her pack.
"I don't know if you should come on this one," Naruto said.
Mikoto's head snapped up and she glared at him, "What do you mean? Of course I'm going!"
Naruto shook his head, "Orochimaru wants the Sharingan." He said, "I don't want him to get you too."
Mikoto scoffed, "He already has Sasuke! I doubt he wants to wait another three years for mine to fully mature. Besides…" Her voice trailed off, "He's family."
Naruto smiled at that. Having known Mikoto for a year now he understood a lot about her. She was stubborn, like Sasuke, but far more loving and loyal. He wondered where she got that from. It must've been her mother.
"Yosh! Ok Mikoto but we'll have to be careful ya know! I'm not losing another Uchiha."
Mikoto chuckled at the joke, "Don't worry Naruto-sensei!" She said with with a grin, "I'm not going to go running off anytime soon."
Naruto returned her grin, "Ok Mikoto, let's go bring Sasuke home."
