CHAPTER FIVE

A Visit to the Village Leader

For the rest of the evening the woman pondered all that the guard had said to her. Not that she ever had any intention of bringing it up, but why shouldn't anyone from Leaf know about Souta? What would having a bloodline limit have to do with anything, and what if they did find out - what would they do? The uncertainty was unbearable - she needed to know that her baby was safe and what sort of threat the ninja village in Fire posed to him.

"So what did Kaemon san say to you yesterday?"

Takara gave Hiro a suprised look as they walked from his house, where she'd dropped off Souta that morning, to work together. "Why do you ask?"

"Only because you've been acting like you're under some sort of genjutsu ever since he spoke to you," claimed the young shinobi.

The woman was silent for several moments as she decided how much to tell him. Hiro, meanwhile, continued to fix her with his solicitously impatient stare, "Weeeell?"

"Hiro, what do you know about kekkei genkai?"

"What?"

She gave a deep, steadying sigh before continuing, "I mean what would having a blood inheritance from a certain clan have to do with the village you belonged to or who you had children with?"

The young man's expression grew increasingly perplexed as she spoke, "Wait a minute - where is all of this this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Souta may have a kekkei genkai," she admitted quietly.

Hiro's scowl deepened as he scrutinized her, "How? Did someone in your family have one?"

"No, but his dad did."

"That guy," gasped the disgusted teen, "You're kidding! What sort of ability did that looser have, anyway?"

"He's not a looser, and nervermind," she snapped back irritably.

"Sorry," Hiro muttered after a brief pause, then a little hesitantly he went on, "So you really think he passed a blood inheritance down to Souta?"

"Well, I just don't know - but they do have the same kind of eyes..."

"A doujutsu," interrupted the youth with sudden interest, "those are really rare."

"Are they," she asked.

"Yeah - the only one I know much about is sharingan."

"This is a different one than that."

Hiro was amazed, "You mean Konoha has two eye-technique clans; no wonder they're so powerful!"

"Yeah, I guess," she trailed off, "but what does that mean for Souta?"

The boy's scowl, the intensity of which usually indicated his level of concentration, was as deep as ever, but at last he let out a satisfied snort, "Well, assuming he ever does develop some special ability - which wouldn't be for years from now anyway - he was born here in Grass from a native of Grass Country, and therefore is a natural born citizen of Grass; there's nothing Leaf or Fire can say about that."

Takara slowly allowed what Hiro said to sink in, "That does make sense..."

"Besides," he went on with growing assuredness, "how are they supposed to find out anyway - can they really keep up with every single stray individual with a specific kekkei genkai - I doubt they'd even care very much if they did know."

"Do you really think so," she asked hopefully.

The young man's dismissive shrug drove the point home, "'Corse I do - everybody here loves that kid, and we aren't just gonna let him get whisked off by some foreign country; he belongs in Kusa."

Just those few mettlesome words uttered by Hiro were enough to bring courage to her heart and tears of relief to her stinging eyes; gratefully, she reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank you Hiro."

She was unable to see his face, but felt the young ninja's body go completely rigid against her embrace, his long neck (he'd only just shot up past her own height in the past couple of months) radiated heat against her cheek. After a long moment, a clumsy pair of hands slowly twined themselves around her waist and the teen's frame relaxed slightly next to her.

Takara released him, wiping at her face. The young man continued to gaze intently at her until she grew self-conscious and had to look away.

"Whew, I need to pull myself together," she laughed awkwardly. Quickly she took a steadying breath and smoothed down her long wavy tresses before turning back toward him, "Okay, let's get to work."

"Yeah," he answered soberly, staring fixedly off into the distance as they continued silently the rest of the way to the diner.

000

Another week passed and once again it was Takara's day off. The woman awoke with a smile at the sound of her baby sqirming and cooing beside her. More than anything, she looked forward to the day she could spend entirely with her young son doing whatever she needed or wanted to get done. Before Souta was born, she'd always worried that a baby would be an enormous impediment to her busy life, but he was such a good baby. She carried him around everywhere she went and together they had fun whatever they did.

"Are you hungry, you little cutie," she asked the boy. His toothless grin was all the reply she got, but it was all that was needed. Chuckling, she scooped the child up into her arms and kissed him on his bright red head.

"Alright then, let's eat and we'll start getting you ready - you've got a busy day ahead."

A little over an hour later, and the two of them were fed, dressed, and ready for a day out together. Takara had just finished harnessing Souta into his pouch and was heading for the door when a loud rap from the opposite side nearly caused her heart to stop.

Instinctively clutching her baby closely to her, she cautiously reached for the handle and pulled the door open a crack, revealing a uniformed guard from the village leader's office.

"Hello," she said, peering out hesitantly at the unexpected visitor, "can I help you?"

"Takara-san," said the rigid-looking man standing on her doorstep, "I have a summons for you from the village head - I am to escort you to his office immediately."

Stupefied beyond speech, the frazzled woman stood opening and closing her mouth like a koi. She'd never been 'summoned' to see the village leader before - that was something that ninja did before and after going on missions. Like every inhabitant of Kusagakure, Takara knew the leader of Grass on at least the most basic level, but had never gotten beyond 'good morning, Shimeji-sama,' in a conversation with him. That he now wished to see her at the village headquarters did not bode well in the civilian's mind at all.

Helplessly, she looked from the messenger to Souta and back over her shoulder, strangely feeling like a captured war prisoner forced from a foxhole.

"You may take the child with you," the man continued, "this shouldn't take long."

"May I ask why the village head wants to see me," she ventured as calmly as possible, her arms still protectively wrapped around the six-month-old.

"I'm afraid I don't have any more information to give you," appologized the guard, dismissively. With that, he turned and began to stride off. "Please follow me," he added without turning around. Takara was obliged to scurry after him.

Along the way, the woman glanced fleetingly toward the wall: she noticed a few people observing thier progress above her, but couldn't identify any of them. She wondered where Kaemon might be - would he know what was going on? Doing her best to put off the fearful questions bouncing around in her brain, she decided to wait and see what the leader wanted - maybe she was freaking out about nothing. She couldn't allow herself to dread the worst.

At last, though in reality it only took about ten minutes, they reached the village headquarters and Takara was gestured inside by the guard. She entered a reception hall, empty accept for the large desk in the center where a lone woman sat doing paperwork.

Without warning, Souta began to whimper softly against her midsection. The woman behind the desk presently glanced up as Takara tried to soothe the little boy, and immediately gave a grim nod toward a door to her left.

"Hello, Takara-san. Shimeji-sama is waiting for you inside."

The leader of Kusagakure was a deceptively unassuming man of middle age. Having served in his post as village leader for fourteen years now, his wisdom and diplomacy remained highly respected throughout Grass, and the prestige he'd won during the Second Ninja War remained legendary among the inhabitants of Grass Country even to the present day.

He smiled warmly at mother and child as if welcoming a couple of old friends, despite having never said more than three consecutive words to the civilian woman at any given time. Takara grasped for hope from his kind expression in the midst of her overwhelming anxiety, managing with some difficulty to return it. Maybe, she forced herself to consider, everything was going to be okay; after all, how could such a compassionate and powerful leader ever allow anything to happen to her precious Souta?

"Takara san, good morning; please have a seat. I'm very sorry to have asked you here on such short notice, but I wanted to catch you early before you got too involved with your day." His eye landed distractedly on the unhappy baby that sqirmed like a captive against its cloth bindings and the man's beaming smile seemed to waver slightly. "How are you doing, by the way?"

I've been better... "Very well, thank you," she said aloud, anxious to cut through the niceties and get to the reason for her current presence in the village headquarters.

"Well, I suppose you're wondering why you're here, so allow me to get straight to the point," he went on as if reading her mind, "Takara san, how much do you know about the Hyuuga clan of Konoha?"

Automatically, her fingers tightened around the bundle in her lap - it was about Souta after all - of course she'd known it would be.

"Not much at all," she confessed.

Shimeji held her for a few moments within his meaningful stare, "I see. Well, let me fill you in: simply put, they are the oldest, most distinguished clan of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and they own the eye-technique know as byakugan."

Takara nodded that she understood.

"More importantly, like all clans with secret techniques, they are extremely possessive of them. For most clans that simply means keeping jutsu within the family and not teaching them to outsiders, but with bloodline abilities things get a little more complicated," once again, his glance traveled to the still fussing Souta who paused to look back at the unfamiliar man with tearful, snowy-colored eyes.

"For example, Hyuuga clan has strict policies govorning every aspect of its member's lives - including procreation with outsiders." Momentarily, a dark shadow passed over his benign coutenace, "And recently, it has somehow reached the attention of spies from Leaf Village that an infant with Hyuuga 'features' lives here in Grass."

He cocked his brow at her in a wry expression, "I am correct in assuming that this baby's father isn't from around here - am I not?"

"Yes," she meekly responded, casting her eyes downward.

"Then, circumstances being what they are," he abruptly cleared his throat as if to rid it of whatever unpleasant thing he was going to say next, "the Hyuuga clan has insisted on examining the child - which, if indeed one of their own is responsible for fathering - I cannot deny them the right to do."

"What," gasped Takara, jolting bolt upright as if she'd just recieved an electric shock.

At his mother's outburst, Souta's small whimpers instantly dissolved into a long wail that filled the village leader's office. Reaching into his carrier, she pulled out the baby and held him comfortingly against her shoulder. Her wide blue eyes, all the while, stared pleadingly at the older man, "Shimeji-sama, I don't understand - what does this mean?"

He stood up from his desk and crossed over to where she was, placing a hand on her unoccupied shoulder, "right now it doesn't mean anything," he reassured. The woman's intial panic was suspended in the face of the seasoned shinobi's steady and compelling gaze. "I have given consent for a handful of representatives to enter the village, and nothing else at this point."

"But," objected the red-head, "what if they do find that Souta has byakugan - then what?"

The leader took a step back from her and folded his arms across his chest, "I can't say," he continued pensively, "what conclusion these Leaf nin will draw concerning your baby...but regardless, I have no intention of simply letting them do whatever they please. I still hold the final authority in Grass, and my advisers and I will do whatever we can to ensure that Souta remains here - even if it means coming up with some kind of agreement between our two villages - Leaf isn't completely unreasonable."

The confidence in his tone and demeanor sent a surge of courage to the distressed mother's heart. Clutching her tearful baby close, she managed her first genuine smile since entering the office. "Thank you so much, Shimeji-sama," she choked out, her own eyes streaming.

000

Takara's head swam with the morning's events as she aimlessly carried Souta through town. Eventually, she found herself standing in her favorite park; she walked over to sit down on a bench and reflect on everything that had taken place in just the couple hours since she'd left her appartment. According to Shimeji, the representatives from Leaf were already on their way and would be arriving by the end of the week. The mere idea of anyone trying to take her son from her still had the woman severely shaken, and for a moment all she could do was take breath after breath in order to keep herself calm.

Souta, since changed and fed, remained quiet yet not entirely content. His tiny brow puckered as his round, pale eyes glanced solicitously at his mom. Takara absently stroked his soft, crimson hair as she weighed her options - of which she admittedly had very few. She found herself once again remembering the band of missing-nin she'd met as a young girl and wondering what it would have been like if she'd become a ninja who could abandon her village to live among a small group of fugitives. But she knew she was being unrealistic - these were only the wild fantasies of a desperate woman.

Gazing down at her increasingly drowsy son whose head now lulled against her arm, she thought about Tenmei: what did all of this mean for him? Would he be punished by his clan for impregnating an 'outsider'?

A memory from over a year ago suddenly popped unbidden into her head - a scene of the ninja lying in a hospital bed, a pale green manji branding his forehead...the good-luck charm of Hyuuga: it protects the clan - while forever reminding us of our place in it. A shiver ran down her spine; she'd never imagined how relentless one clan could be, all for the sake of a glorified family trait. What if Hyuuga did get their hands on her boy - would they slap one of those ugly symbols on his forehead as well? Though she didn't know the mark's exact function, she understood enough to know she didn't want Souta to ever have to wear one.

The baby was now sleeping soundly and Takara watched as his chest rose and fell rhythmically with his peaceful breathing. She silently swore anew to use whatever power she possesed to ensure her son's safety and well-being regardless of what ninja or elite or entire clan she had to take on in order to do so; whatever happened to her, Souta was going to be okay - she would make sure of it. She wrapped her arms protectively around her child and pulled him closer, letting go of everything else.

When Takara arrived to drop off Souta the following morning, she found to her shock that Hiro and Hakuai already knew about the impending arrival of representative from Leaf Village.

"I found out yesterday from Kaemon-san," the boy told her.

"But how did he know about it," she wondered.

Hiro shrugged unconcernedly "He and the village head are pretty close; I think they used to be teammates - besides everyone knows by now."

"They do?" Takara knew about news traveling fast in a small town, but this was rediculous.

"That's right, nobody can believe what Leaf is trying to do - Shimeji-sama will never let them take Souta..."

"Hiro," his mother interrupted, giving him a look.

The young man paused in the middle of his next breath and conspicuously closed his mouth. "Well, I guess it's time to head to work, then."

"Please take care and have a good day, Takara," Hakuai said with a such a sympathetic expression that the other woman found it difficult to meet her eyes.

"Th-thank you, Hakuai, I will...are you ready to go, Hiro?"

The teen nodded, "Yeah, let's go."

Hiro hadn't been exagerating when he'd said that everyone in Grass knew about her meeting with Shimeji sama. Seemingly every customer she waited on had some word of encouragement for her or disparaging remark against Konoha. Takara took everything in stride as best she could; uncomfortable as the subject made her, it was heartening to feel the entire population of Kusa backing her up. She felt stronger knowing she was a part of something so much larger than herself as her heart swelled to the point of bursting for her addoptive village that so readily accepted and embraced her son as one of their own.

By the end of the day, she was so anxious to get back to her baby that the first thing she did after arriving at Hiro's house was grab the little boy and toss him into the air - to his shrieking amusement.

"I think he's missed you today," giggled Hakuai as she watched.

"Not as much as I've missed him, I bet," replied Takara, tickling the still sqealing Souta.

"Why don't you have dinner with us, Takara," offered the other woman, "That is if you don't have any other plans - we'd love to have you."

The server hesitated, "Are you sure it's okay - I don't want to put you out any more than I already do - I mean you're always sitting for Souta."

"Haven't you figured out by now that she wouldn't let you stop bringing him over even if you tried," huffed the son of the woman in question, "So stop dithering and eat with us, already."

"Hiro," gasped his demure mother, unused to the way the two co-workers generally interacted with each other.

"Well when you put it like that," grinned Takara, "how can I say no?"

Hakuai prepared a beautiful dinner for the three of them, "It's nice to have someone else to cook for," she beamed happily.

Takara marveled once again that one person could be so versitile: parent, ninja, gormet chef, while at the same time remaining so at ease and perpetually gracious. Beside Hiro's mother, she felt very much like an underachiever. As alsways, she wished that some of her more experienced friend's accomplishments might somehow rub off on her through osmosis, but was beginning to suspect that Hakuai's natural disposition was something you could only come by honestly.

After the meal, Takara offered her assistance with clearing the table and helping Hakuai wash and put away dishes. Meanwhile, Souta slept on Hiro's lap.

"That should do it," said the older woman, stacking the last bowl in its place. She cast a side-long glance at the two boys reclining peacefully in the next room, Hiro's head lulled until his chin drooped heavily onto his chest and he let out a soft snore. The two mothers tittered quietly together at the tender scene in a way that, had he been cognizant, would have instantly incured the wrath of the volitile teenager.

"It'd be a shame to wake them," whispered the broadly smiling Hakuai, "Would you like to step out for a few minutes; we could take a little walk."

"Sure," Takara smirked, "that'd be nice."

Several minutes later found the pair of them walking leisurely down the street together. Once they'd passed the first couple of blocks, Hakuai favored her friend with a solicitous look. "How have you been these past couple days?"

Takara thought she understood what the other was getting at and took a calming breath before answering the question. "Well, it's been a bit rough I suppose."

The dark haired woman nodded soberly, "I can only imagine."

They continued in silence for a few more moments, each absorbed in thought before Hakuai spoke again: "But do you feel good about what the village head told you?"

The red-head sighed in thought, "I feel good that he won't just let Leaf call all the shots..." She found herself wringing her hands as she spoke, "I just want to get this over with and not have to worry anymore, but I can't think about-"

Takara broke off.

She felt Hakuai's slender fingers on her shoulder and turning, suddenly buried her head against her older friend's neck. The kunoichi patiently waited as Takara unloaded all of her anxieties of the past week.

"What will I do - I don't know how I'll keep going if they take him away..."

"Don't think about that," said Hakuai in a soothing voice as she stroked the young woman's crimson curls, "You have more strength than you realize, Takara-chan, no matter what happens, you're strong...just take each moment as it comes and don't try to predict the future, no matter how much you want to. It just isn't possible to live that way."

Takara lifted her head to look into the warm pair of chocolate-brown eyes smiling back at her - she immediately understood that she wasn't simply being mollified with empty words - she was standing beside someone who'd known her own share of physical and emotional pain.

Though years had passed since the death of her parents, Takara still felt the loss left by their absence. However, somehow, with the people of Grass Village she'd managed to build a new life for herself. She couldn't have fathomed nearly thirteen years ago that she'd not only be living comfortably among ninja, but would be embraced like any other natural born inhabitant of the hidden village; life was unpredictable. At any rate, she knew Hakuai was right - even if it seemed impossible she couldn't allow her mind to get ahead of her. For now, she still had her son, and took comfort in the fact that she had so many powerful and influential individuals backing her and Souta up.

Instilled with renewed hope, she brought her baby home that evening. After bathing him and dressing him in his pajamas, she and the little boy played until his pale eyes drooped in sleepiness once again. Never one to fight sleep, the small child quickly curled up against his mom and the two snuggled in for the night. Takara drifted peacfully to sleep to the smell of Souta's no-tears baby shampoo.