He felt as though it was raining blows. Dodging expertly, he swiftly dismissed all of Naruto's shadow clones, before reaching his blond teammate. "You fucking bastard!"
Sasuke blinked, and then rapidly bent to the right in order to avoid Naruto's wildly-flailing fists. "As you very well know, dobe, I have full knowledge of who my father is… and he is married to my mother. Now, will you please stop acting like a - "
Whatever he had to say was abruptly cut off as Naruto's orange-clad leg flew out of nowhere, and Sasuke watched as though in slow motion, filled with horror, as it approached his nose…
THUMP!
"You fucker!" a voice wailed – yes, wailed – above the sound of the surrounding civilians. The citizens of Konoha gaped at the scene. "Fucking hell, what the fuck is wrong with you?"
Naruto let out an indignant squawk. He had stopped his vicious advance, but it was clear that he still simmered inside. "What the fuck is wrong with me? I should be asking you that! Why the fuck are you sending me flowers, you idiot! Especially with that stupid poem! And especially in the middle of the fucking market! What is wrong with you? Everyone thinks that we're dating now! What if news of this… this… this thing gets back to Sakura-chan? She'll… she'll…" Naruto's face paled as he thought of Sakura's possiblereactions to the events of the morning. "Good god, she'll kill me!"
"Nice to know that you're scared of a harmless medic, Naruto," a voice sneered from behind. Naruto whirled, his hands clenched into fists, and mouth wide open in a snarl. The expression on his face was so furious that Kiba – who had spoken – did a double-take.
"Whoa, there," he said, sounding a bit worried. "I didn't mean it seriously… I mean, obviously man, anyone would be scared of Sakura…" Kiba grinned shiftily.
Naruto relaxed a little. "Boy, you have no idea. Sakura-chan's anger…" he shuddered, distinctly glad that all of his body parts were safely attached to his body… for now.
The two shinobi in front of him winced a little, having seen the pink-haired shinobi in her full angry glory. Kiba looked slightly queasy, while Shino simply looked impassive, but it seemed as though any semblance of colour had faded from his normally pale face – he looked bone white. Sasuke frowned, but he was unable to place them properly. Then something clicked, and he looked up to the quieter of the two shinobi with newfound recognition in his eyes.
"You're the Aburame heir, aren't you? I remember you from the Annual Great Clan Meet…"
Shino inclined his head in some semblance of a nod, while Kiba gaped openly. "Oi, whaddaya mean he's the 'Aburame'? Don't tell me you've forgotten his name!"
Sasuke turned to the Aburame's companion, frowning slightly. He distinctly remembered this boy from their time in Iruka's class, but for some reason, he simply could not place his face…
"Don't tell me you've forgotten my name now, you little pansy…!"
Naruto had to physically restrain Kiba from launching an attack against the younger Uchiha son. "Calm down, Kiba, he's really… well, he's just really bad at this. He's never been able to remember anyone's name. I bet he doesn't know Hinata-chan's name, either!"
That got his attention. How many women did he know who were named Hinata? It couldn't be a coincidence.
"Do… ah, Aburame-san, by any chance, are you talking about Hyuuga Hinata…?"
Shino maintained his facial expression, but Sasuke thought his eyes might have gleamed behind those dark sunglasses. There was no way to know for sure. Kiba, however, turned upon Sasuke with a suspicious glare. "Maybe. What's it matter to you?"
He blinked at them. "Do you know where she lives?" his voice and manner had abruptly changed into something matter-of-fact.
Kiba's suspicious glare intensified, but before he could get a word in edgewise, Naruto broke in. "She lives in the Hyuuga compound, obviously, teme! Great Gamabunta, I can't believe you didn't see that."
Sasuke felt his eye throb as he contemplated bonking the idiot on his head. It would only lead to more conflict, and waste more time, and time was something which wasn't on his side right now. "Yes, dobe," he bit out through gritted teeth. "Obviously a Hyuuga would live at the Hyuuga compound… but I was asking your dear friends if they could tell me where the fucking compound is?"
Naruto was about to retort, when – of all people – Shino beat him to it. "We could… if you tell us what your business with our teammate is." He tilted his head, inscrutable as ever behind his jacket and glasses.
Shino wasn't stupid. He had noticed – and discussed – this new change in Hinata, who had retreated deeper into herself than she had in the past few years. Combined with her odd behavior – skipping training sessions, pretending to be asleep when he and Kiba visited the Hyuuga compound – this deviation from normalcy had been enough to concern the Aburame heir quite a bit. Now, here was a truant Uchiha, wandering around and searching for his teammate. Shino may not have been the most politically gifted person, but, being a member of one of the Four Noble Clans, he knew well enough that the Uchiha and the Hyuuga were on less than friendly terms. Indeed, even the most clueless civilian was aware of the bad blood between the two clans. For an Uchiha to be searching for Hinata… it was quite strange, to say the least.
Sasuke snorted. "Of course. Your teammate." He sighed, fully aware that it would not be wasy to divulge the information from the two shinobi standing in front of him. Being part of a team, even one with such differences between them, he could somewhat empathize with their overprotectiveness over a strange shinobi showing up and asking for their friend. However, if she really was a member of their team, then there was no doubt that she had told her teammates about her upcoming nuptials. Therefore, it would be easier for them to understand why he was seeking her out. He would just need to fib a little.
"I would like to meet Hinata-san," he worded his request carefully, fully aware that any casual insult against that infuriating, insipid girl, could be incite her two team-members. "in order to get to know her better. After all, we are eventually going to live in extremely close quarters, once she marries Itachi next year."
A moment of silence. Only the chirping of the birds could be heard. And then a collective "WHAT?!"
Sasuke blinked, suddenly uncomfortably aware of their shocked faces. Naruto's mouth gaped open, attracting flies; Kiba's teeth were gritted, and he glared at Sasuke with alarming intensity, grinding his teeth. Even impassive Shino's eyebrows were furrowed. A feeling of foreboding rose in him. "Surely you know… about the Hokage's plan... marrying my brother off to this bloody Hyuuga girl…"
That was not the right thing to say. Kiba looked furious. "What the fuck are you talking about, Uchiha?!"
Sasuke stared at him incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that you're not aware of the fact that your teammate is betrothed to my brother? They're getting married next year, you dipshit."
"Of course," Shino breathed, a look of enlightenment spreading over his face. "That explains everything…"
"Oh hell no, it bloody doesn't!" Kiba growled. "What the fuck do you mean by that, Uchiha! Hinata-chan would never marry your sodden prick of a brother…"
Naruto yelped, and jumped to restrain Sasuke as he lunged for the Inuzuka. He knew exactly how volatile Sasuke could be when provoked about his elder brother. "Sasuke, no, don't, it isn't worth it! Forget about it, man!"
Sasuke shook the blond shinobi off, turning around to walk away. Hot red rage filled his vision, and he felt like strangling that stupid ignorant prick of an Inuzuke. "You," his voice was practically a growl. "Know nothing about my brother. Nothing, you hear me? Don't you ever fucking dare to talk about him that way again!" The sense of fury that had risen in him the moment he had heard Kiba's condescension… how dare they talk like that about Itachi, when they didn't know him! They had no right to mock a man who was a thousand times better than them, both on the battlefield and off it.
He shook his head angrily. This day had been a complete failure. Squinting into the sun, he became to stomp back to the Uchiha compound.
The sun was setting when he finally reached the Hyuuga compound. He noted absent-mindedly that it was a rather beautiful evening. The sky had a faint purple hue, and brilliant orange-and-pink clouds drifted across the horizon, accentuated by the dying rays of the sun. The picture was completed by the presence of the Hyuuga compound, which seemed to have somehow softened against the pale sunset. The insects hummed around him, and birds chirped amongst the gently rustling trees, and for a moment, he felt glad to simply be alive.
The Hyuuga compound was not built like the Uchiha area. While the Uchiha compound was flat and sprawling, with many entrances and no manposts, the Uchiha compound was built like a fortress. Itachi could see just one entrance, and even that had what appeared to be a guard standing in front of it. The whole compound was surrounded by high walls, and the structure itself had a cold feeling to it. Painted a cold off-white, it was designed in the traditional Japanese manner, and while the architecture was superb, it seemed to be built for impressiveness and not for comfort. The entire place reeked hostility and standoffishness.
He slowly approached the gate, noting the small figure who sat garbed in Hyuuga garb in front of it. The person he had taken for a guard was really no older than a child, but she scowled at him as though she was trying to provoke him. "Uchiha," her voice leaked disdain. "What are you doing here?"
Evidently, she had recognized the stylized fan embroidered onto his clothes. He briefly wondered if she thought that he had come to present a challenge to the Hyuuga clan. "I would like an audience with a member of the Main Family," he said, his voice carefully controlled, but not dismissive. He was well aware of how touchy the white-eyed ones could be.
The child in front of him had evidently not expected this answer, for her mouth gaped open. That small, detached part of him that had no connection with his very real surroundings wondered if it really was possible for flies to wander in through the open, succulent pink hole, and then dismissed the idea. He stared down at his small opponent, meeting her gaze with his own emotionless one.
She broke eye contact first. "You've gotta be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "You can't just walk in here and demand a conference with someone from the Main House –"
"Hanabi!" a voice exclaimed, and the scarecrow in front of him – Hanabi, evidently – jumped and cursed, glancing warily behind her shoulder at a dark-haired woman approaching them. "What are you doing at the gates! You know you're not authorized to guard them!"
Hanabi scowled, automatically becoming pouty. "I thought I'd help out, that's all. Ginta wanted to go meet his girlfriend, and, nee-san, you know I'm qualified… I can handle all the dipshits who come through here on my own, whether they're travelling salesmen or wandering Uchihas."
Hinata – for that's who it was – reached them, her midnight-blue yukata billowing around her, and, upon hearing Hanabi's spiel, automatically looked up to see who this mysterious visitor was.
And got the shock of her life upon seeing the face of her fiancé staring back at her.
"U-U-Uchiha-san!" she gasped, feeling as though she was about to faint. She recognized him immediately – those features, which she had tried so hard to recollect, were suddenly in front of her eyes, sharply in focus. She gulped, flabbergasted. "M-may I help you?"
Itachi directed all of his attention upon the newcomer, who seemed more intimidated than the younger brat was. "Yes," he said simply. "I would like to meet with a Main House member."
"I've already told you that you can't just do that –" Hanabi angrily broke in, when Hinata interrupted.
"That's quite enough, Hanabi, I don't want to hear any more from you." At her younger sister's incredulous look, she frowned slightly. "Go back to your rooms immediately. No," she continued, interrupting what would have undoubtedly been an outraged protest. "I don't want to hear anything else." Directing her attention back to Itachi, "U-Uchiha-san, if you'd just come along with me, I could lead you to Fa – er, Hiashi-sama." She bit her lip.
Itachi regarded her impassively. She seemed flushed and flustered, and under his gaze, she squirmed uncomfortably in that pale blue yukata, but overall, she seemed sincere and determined. "Arigatou, Hyuuga-san." He maed a motion as if to follow her.
She flushed an even deeper shade of red, something that he would not have thought possible, and turned to lead him. Itachi maintained a safe distance. Her obvious discomposure suggested that she was unnerved by his presence, and while it may have just been the fact that he was an Uchiha on her territory, he couldn't take the risk of disregarding the alternative – that she was a fangirl, in which case he had best remain on full guard.
Hinata felt as though she was going to melt through the floor, and not in a good way. The weight of Itachi's glare lay heavy on the back of her neck – damnably exposed, since Jiraiya had tried to teach her the different styles of doing up your hair a while ago. She felt miserable. What on earth was he doing here? Had he come here to see her? In that case… why wasn't he saying anything? The constant nervous anticipation made her jittery.
Itachi, meanwhile, frowned at the back of her head. Something was different about this one. Somehow, her physical appearance was subtly different from that of the other clanmembers whom they passed on their way. The differenced must be very slight, for he could not quite put his finger on it, and this inabilitiy left him slightly unnerved.
They reached the end of what seemed to be the umpteenth hallway, and she slid open the door to a room which seemed to be a small, elegantly-decorated sitting room. She ushered him inside politely. "If you could just wait here until I summon Hiashi-sama…"
He nodded his acquiescence, and then settled down to observe the elegant furnishings. The quality of the material was obviously quite high, but they rather looked like they were infrequently used. Even though the room was clean to the point of appearing to be an advertisement for a cleaning agent, the room still appeared to be mostly in disuse. He swept his eyes over the decorations, stopping when his eyes came across a small scroll stuck to the wall. Written there, in beautiful calligraphy, was a single word: "Determination."
He stepped across to it. Although he wasn't well aware of the intricacies of calligraphy, it was clear that the word in front had been inscribed by a rather talented amateur. The lines were beautiful; strong, and elegant, and surprisingly warm.
Hinata hastily shut the sliding door behind her, gasping and feeling panic well up in her chest. All through the rather long journey, he had not spoken a single word to her, but she had felt the heavy weight of his gaze trained on her back. What was going on? She had received no prior intimation of his visit, no sort of warning whatsoever. He – he couldn't have just dropped in, could he? People of their stature didn't just drop in, they made long announcements and informed their hosts well in advance.
And yet… it had seemed like he didn't even know who she was. Was it possible? Was he even aware of the strange situation into which he had abruptly been thrust? It didn't seem like he couldn't be. There could be no other reason for his strange and abrupt visit to the Hyuuga compound, a destination usually avoided like the plague by anyone with a claim on Uchiha ancestry. If there had been a mission, he would have come decked in battle gear; but he was in civilian clothes.
And yet, there was a chance…
Hinata was, for lack of a better phrase, invisible in Konoha. Despite being the (now ex) heiress of a very prominent and prestigious clan, her own unremarkable nature had contributed into turning her into a virtual nobody. Many recognized the distinctive Hyuuga eyes that she claimed as her birthright, but few knew of her status or true position within the clan itself. It was entirely possible, then, that Uchiha Itachi had never quite known who Hyuuga Hinata was. She, after all, was not a famous genius like him…
In that case… in that case, the entire situation changed. If he had not really come to observe her, then he wouldn't pay much attention to her. She was off the hook.
But at the same time, he was sitting inside the Hyuuga compound. It was her duty, as a member of the Hyuuga clan, to be hospitable towards any and all visitors, and to uphold the reputation of the Hyuuga clan. She had to take care of her unexpected guest.
Besides… maybe it was time to practice some of what Jiraiya and Shizune had been teaching her.
She straightened herself and obediently trotted down the hallway, searching for her father.
Itachi was distracted from his perusal of the hauntingly beautiful calligraphy hung on the wall by the sliding door suddenly opening. Turning, he expected to be confronted with the strict contours of the Hyuuga leader's face, but instead came upon someone quite unexpected.
Jiraiya gaped at the Uchiha heir standing in front of him. "Okay, seriously, what is it with people popping out of nowhere today!"
Itachi blinked, confused. "Wha –" he began to articulate, when he was interrupted.
Jiraiya sighed heavily. "Nevermind. What are you doing here, lad?" He eyed Itachi suspiciously.
The latter felt a twinge of irritation. Granted, it was quite unusual to stumble across an Uchiha when on the Hyuuga grounds, but still, that was no reason for this careful calculating inspection that he had had to endure from several members of the Hyuuga clan since he had stepped onto their property. He was marrying into the family, after all. "I'm here to meet with Hyuuga Hiashi," he replied formally, doing his best to meet Jiraiya's gaze.
Jiraiya's suspicion intensified. "Hiashi? Did ya dad send ya?"
"No," Itachi replied quickly. A little too quickly. "I mean… I felt that it would perhaps be beneficial if I were to become acquainted with the Hyuuga family, due to… extenuating circumstances."
Jiraiya sighed heavily. "You mean the fact that you're getting wed to Hiashi's daughter? Oh, don't look at me like that –" he let out a heavy burst of laughter at seeing Itachi's frozen expression. "I am friends with Slug-Tsunade, ya know? Even if she doesn't treat me as such." He sighed heavily once again, all traces of mirth disappearing. "I woulda thought that you'd be here to meet with the girl," he said softly.
Itachi felt the words rain on him as blows might. "That would be highly inappropriate," he said stiffly. "Given the fact that our clans have yet to decide on when we are to meet. No, I merely wished to seek an audience with Hyuuga-san."
Jiraiya nodded a bit wearily. "Of course. Of course that's why you'd…" he trailed off, mumbling incoherently for a moment.
Itachi seized the opportunity to ask a question that he had hitherto forgotten. "Jiraiya-sama," he began formally. "Have you by any chance seen my brother here? Sasuke?"
Jiraiya's eyes snapped open. "Your brother? Sasuke?"
Itachi nodded slowly. "He was – he is Uzumaki Naruto's teammate. I was wondering, have you come across him here today? I had heard that he was making his way over here…"
Jiraiya grinned. "Sasuke! Who doesn't know him. That little shit," he added affectionately. "Always buzzing around Naruto. But that's how they motivate themselves, y'know?" he said suddenly, in a confidential tone.
Itachi found himself to be more than a little intimidated. Courtesy be damned, he was going to stick to his guns on this topic. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. I was wondering if he had come here today…?"
Jiraiya abruptly straightened up. "Nope. And I'm pretty damn sure about that, laddie. I know all that's going on around here, if ya know what I mean," he winked exaggeratedly at his younger compatriot. "Trust me, if your brother had been here today, I'd have known about it. An Uchiha wandering about does count as news in here, ya know."
Itachi sighed, disappointed. Somehow, he had sensed this very fact the moment he had spied the gate; and yet, he had still come in. Why had he come up with his pathetic excuse, anyway? He could have simply asked the guard, and upon receiving the answer in the negative, have gone about on his way.
Sometimes, Itachi didn't understand his own actions.
"Well, I guess I'll just stay here and wait for Hyuuga-san, then," he said morosely.
"You do that," Jiraiya agreed, and he gave the younger man a hearty pat on his shoulder. "Well, good luck with that!" he said briskly, and then, all of a sudden, he was gone.
Itachi sank back to his seat, unnerved by the unexpected meeting with one of the sannin and by the topic of their conversation. He had almost managed to make himself forget for a moment… it had almost slipped his mind that the woman he was engaged to was residing in this very house at the moment. It was strange… since he had suddenly found himself engaged, he had not spared much thought for his fiancée. Sure, he had looked at her through his own context, but never had he actually wondered what she was like. Was she a shinobi? If she was to be the future Head of the clan, there was no doubt that she would be trained in the shinobi arts. Moreover, she had been in Sasuke's class in the Academy… but that meant nothing. Only nine people had passed from Sasuke's class; the chances of her failing were high.
He could not shake the uncomfortable feeling that she might be unbearable. She had, after all, been raised as a veritable princess, and expected to be treated as such. What if her views on life were very different from Itachi's? What if the things that she wanted, nay, expected, were very removed from what Itachi wanted? For the very first time, Itachi realized that he was to be wed to someone who truly was a complete stranger to him. He had never laid eyes on this woman, never talked to her: he did not know her likes and dislikes, was unaware of how she liked to live. He had no idea how they were supposed to coexist together when they did not know each other.
Dimly, he remembered Fugaku mentioning something about how he was expected to meet his intended a few times a week, under heavy supervision, of course. The idea made him wince. He was not good at meeting new people, and undoubtedly, the conversation would be made even more awkward by the fact that they would likely have an old and strict Uchiha or Hyuuga matriarch standing guard over them. He could not imagine it; the thought of it horrified him.
The door slid open once again, and he looked up, startled. He had been so consumed with his own thoughts that he had once again failed to pay attention to his surroundings. Chiding himself internally, he was slightly surprised to see this new visitor was no one other than his initial hostess, and that she came bearing a tray laden with tea and what looked to be home-made snacks.
He raised his eyebrow a little, almost imperceptibly, but she seemed to sense it. Resting the tray on the low wooden table in front of them, she sat down in front of him and deftly offered him a cup of steaming green tea. He accepted it graciously, still staring at her.
"Hiashi-sama is currently in the midst of a meeting with the elders," she clarified. "He shall be here as soon as the meeting ends. Until then, I'm afraid, you'll just have to endure my company. I hope you don't mind." She smiled timidly.
And Itachi found, to his surprise, that he didn't mind at all.
The conversation flowed freely. They discussed the current state of Konoha, how it seemed that the fighting had lulled around them and that Konoha was finally at peace – both acknowledged that it could not last. He learned, with some surprise, that she was a shinobi – while the calloused state of her hands indicted wear and tear, her otherwise unblemished skin had not indicated that fact. She informed him that she was a chuunin, and then blushed slightly, exclaiming "Of course, it's nothing – nothing compared to being an ANBU member, but somehow, I think it's serving the village in its own way, don't you think?"
He found her company to be quite pleasant. She was as quiet as he was, and sometimes the silence between them stretched long, but it was never awkward. Her stuttering her disappeared, and her voice had lost its timid and tremulous quality. She treated him like an equal, quietly asking about his family and his duties and what he thought about the current proposals put forward by the Hokage.
He was struck by her grace. He had always known that the Hyuuga greatly believed in the art of physical beauty, as was exemplified by their cold and beautiful building, but he had expected them to be static and solid. The woman in front of him was anything but that, and her grace was not frozen or acquired, but rather warm and liquid. She was evidently knowledgeable about many of the things that they had discussed, but at the same time, she didn't seem overtly proud of this knowledge, and of the fact that she was Hyuuga. She had inadvertently disproved many of the myths that he had harboured about the Hyuuga.
He was, therefore, surprised to find himself somewhat disappointed when the door opened to admit the head of the Hyuuga clan, and his companion quietly slipped out.
Hinata leaned against the hallway, her hand pressed into her mouth. She had just spent the past half hour in the company of the man who she was one day to be wed to, the Pride of Konoha, Uchiha Itachi.
He hadn't killed her.
He hadn't maimed her.
He hadn't left her horribly crippled for life.
He had been quite nice, actually.
She didn't know what she had expected – she knew that the man was supposed to be a genius, of course. However, to find that he was not only very knowledgeable about many things, but also that he was also polite and dignified, and that he didn't seem to throw his status around… well, that had been a surprise.
She didn't know what to think at this moment. She was certainly not pleased that she was being forced to marry someone against her will. However… and there was a definite however… she found that she felt somewhat relieved. Relieved that her husband-to-be wasn't a complete prat who thought that the world ought to bow at his feet. Relieved that he didn't seem to resemble (mentally, not physically – in the latter respect, they may as well have been twins) his younger brother's pomposity at all. Relieved that he didn't seem to be a murderous psychopath, and definitely relieved that he seemed to be capable to hold his own end of a conversation.
Of course, he had no idea of who she really was.
Laughing quietly to herself, she made her way down the hall.
The first thing that struck Itachi was of his future-father-in-law's resemblance to his father. It wasn't just physical, for the two clans, while originally allegedly originating from the same genome, had been separate long enough in order to have completely different facial characteristic. Hiashi, with his cold white eyes and pale skin, looked nothing like Fugaku, who had shorter hair and tanned skin. And yet, at the same time, both men held themselves with that same self-righteousness, that same sense of importance that so characterized them.
Maybe I wasn't so off the mark with my original assessment after all, he wondered, and thought with a pang of his former companion. She, after all, had at least been pleasant company…
Hiashi was saying something. "Uchiha-san. What a pleasant surprise." His tone was quite at odds with the suspicious tone of his voice.
Itachi fought to control himself. "Yes," he said neutrally. "I felt that it was perhaps advisable to pay a visit to the Hyuuga compound, given our impending relations."
Hiashi raised an eyebrow expertly, and said in a voice containing just a tinge of incredulity "I'm afraid that I wasn't quite prepared for this visit. Am I to have the honour of also receiving your parents, Itachi-san?"
He noted with a bristling irritation that Hiashi had dropped the more distant 'Uchiha' for the familiar 'Itachi', and felt a stab of anger. Having just met the Uchiha prodigy for the first time, the Hyuuga head had no business conversing in such a familiar manner with him. "I'm afraid that my visit was quite… unplanned," he bit out. "I had not realized that my presence here would cause such trouble."
Was it just him, or did it seem as though Hiash's cheeks had coloured just a little. The elder man took a deep breath before replying. "I can assure you that it is no trouble at all. I will appreciate whatever opportunity I get to acquaint myself with my son-in-law. We are to be family, after all." He smiled, a cold smile that reached nowhere near his eyes. "I'm sorry to inform you, however, that I will be unable to introduce you to your fiancée today… tradition must be observed…"
"Of course," Itachi replied automatically. He had not come here to catch a glimpse of the woman he was about to marry in the first place, and strangely, he found that he had no inclination to do so as of the moment. "I fully understand."
"Yes, well," Hiashi suddenly became all business. "As you know, an engagement ceremony must be held. Now, the Honourable Hokage –" it was clear from his tone that he could have used a less flattering word " – insists that you and your fiancée are to meet before the engagement. Therefore, and this I'm sure your father has told you, I have proposed that the two of you meet a few times a week – under strict supervision, of course. I believe that the Hokage had already chosen an appropriate man for the job…"
He had not said anything. The mention of an engagement ceremony once again brought into sharp relief the reality of the situation. He could not help but acknowledge it, the looming dark mass that his future had become. Making an effort, he continued to listen to Hiashi's rambling speech.
"… and that's why, of course, you realize why the ceremony must take place soon… it would be quite unseemly to keep it waiting. Of course," and here Hiashi looked shrewdly at the Uchiha heir. "You'll inform your father about this, right, Itachi-san."
Itachi felt a wave of disgust sweep through him. Here he was, sitting in the Hyuuga compound, in the house of someone who was supposed to be their sworn enemy, and all he could think of was the fact that the family who was supposed to be their diametric opposite seemed to be damningly similar. He could glean and recognize many similarities between Fugaku and Hiashi's personalities. Both dominating, domineering men, who believed themselves to be extremely clever, and both always looking for an opportunity to show their own power.
He wondered if Hiashi too had bullied his own child, and felt sick.
He stood up suddenly, nearly upsetting the small wooden table. "Hiashi-san," he announced formally, carefully choosing the common suffix '–san' as compared to the respectful '–sama'. He did not want to give this man any ideas. "Thank you for a lovely evening, but I'm afraid that I really must be on my way now. Father will be quite worried," he added, just a little bit of spite in his voice.
Hiashi's eyes were shuttered as he gazed upon the Uchiha prodigy. If he was insulted by the abrupt manner in which Itachi had chosen to announce his departure, he didn't show it. "So be it," he said in a soft, deadly voice. "I'm sorry that we were not able to converse for a longer period of time, Itachi-san," his words were casually dismissive. "But I will not concern myself with it, given all the time that we do have." And here, he looked pointedly at the ANBU captain.
Itachi felt nausea roll over him. Nodding tersely, he swiftly stepped outside the room –
– and nearly crashed into his previous companion, who had been approaching the room with what looked like a new pot of tea on her tray.
"I'm so sorry!" his companion gasped, blushing to the very roots of her blue-black hair. "I didn't realize that – oh!" she said dazedly as she saw Itachi move away towards the other end of the corridor. "Are you leaving, Uchiha-san?"
Itachi nodded absently. "Thank you for your kindness, Hyuuga-san," he said quietly. "I'll show myself out."
"Oh – ah – it was nothing, really," she replied, flustered. "I – I'll walk with you," she said impulsively.
And so they silently moved along the corridors, Itachi silently contemplative, and Hinata unnerved and confused, stealing glances at the figure half-shrouded .
They stopped at the open entrance of the Main House, and Itachi turned to her. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Hinata fiddled with her fingers. "Ah – it really was nothing… please be careful, now! You know that the crime rates have been rising… but of course, you're ANBU." She laughed weakly, her voice a little wobbly.
He stepped out of the door and strode towards the gate, his face contemplative. Something about her was off, and he couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was something missing. She had appeared slightly different than all the other Hyuuga clan members he had come across today. He couldn't quite grasp what it was.
He reached the gate, which was once again manned, though by an adult this time, not a sulky child (and, although he did not know it, this was the very same Ginta who had played truant earlier). He turned to wait as the Hyuuga Branch-House member eyes him suspiciously, and then absent followed the latter's hand as it reached up to wipe a bit of sweat off his forehead-protector-covered forehead…
His eyes widened as they came to rest on the Konoha symbol tied around the other man's forehead. The protector… of course. Everyone he had come across today had something covering their forehead, in order to hide the cursed seal, the infamous 'Caged Bird'. All the Branch House members had it; only the Main House was exempt. He vaguely remembered the the Main House only consisted of a bunch of elders all well past their retirement age, the widowed head of the house, and his two… daughters…
The only people whom he had seen with unmarked foreheads today had been Hiashi, the young girl who had been at the gate when he had first entered (her name was Hanabi, he remembered, the name of Hiashi's younger daughter), and of course, the girl in the navy yukata…
He lunged for the other man's arm, ignoring his sharp exclamation of surprise. "That girl," he said hurriedly, hardly able to get the words out of his mouth. "The one who came up to the door with me. Did you notice her? Do you know who she is?"
The other man nodded, looking extremely unnerved by his odd behavior, and a little insulted, too. "Sure, I do." He glared suspiciously at the Uchiha heir standing in front of him.
"What –" Itachi swallowed. "What was her name?"
The two seconds that he had to wait for a reply seemed like an eternity.
"Why, that's Hinata-sama, of course. Hiashi-sama's daughter."
He stared back at the building from which he had just emerged, dumbstruck.
It's over, folks!
Maybe I'll see you again, someday.
Till then, farewell!