Karma

Disclaimer: What? I don't own Naruto? Wow, who would have freaking known.

Important Notes: I forgot to put the summary in the first chapter! (facepalm) I corrected my mistake. HINATA IS IN THE ACADEMY STILL. I made a huge mistake and accidentally made her a genin, but I changed that quickly. I skipped the years a bit too far haha.

P.S. The reference to California was the descriptioin of Hinata, saying she is like a poppy.

I officially love MayMaiand sugarnspiders. Muah! Thx for reviewing!

Last Chance

The next morning was eventful to say the least.

Hinata had woken up, her eyes slightly swollen from her salty tears, and for a few moments in the morning, she was completely serene.

Yesterday's issues were past tense, and she felt glad when the warm rays of sunlight crept in through the windows and tickled her nose.

All of a sudden, the morning peace was shattered when two bustling maids stampeded into her room and badgered her to wake up.

"Oh Hinata-sama, wake up!" the maid with her hair up shouted. She tucked back a strand of Hinata's bangs. "Hinata-sama, today is an important day,"

"Yes! Oh quite," the shorter and pudgier maid added. She giggled before continuing. "You do want to meet-" she leaned in on the little girl's sleeping form. "-a special man, do you not?"

Hinata's ears perked, but she remained stubborn and kept her eyes closed.

The two maids snapped her blanket right off her warm body. The Hyuuga girl twitched. One pulled her pillow out from under her head and the other tickled her toes. Hinata just dug her face into her bed sheets and pretended not to be amused at their efforts.

"Katsumi-san, does she look different?"

"She looks bloated, no more night meals for you Hinata-sama," the chubby one named Katsumi said. Hinata thought to herself that Katsumi was being very hypocritical.

"Agreed, now wake up and smell the roses Hinata-sama, it is time to meet your husband-" the maid stopped and screamed.

Hinata had gotten up right away. She sat straight up, her eyes wide open. Katsumi held a hand to her round bosom.

"Oh- you gave me a fright," Katsumi said, fanning herself. "Now come," she beckoned for her mistress to follow. Hinata had a sinking feeling in her stomach. After all she had been through, she truly did not think herself ready for such stress. It was so early in the morning.

They brought her into the dressing room Setsuko had insisted on making for Hinata. Of course, Hinata had protested, but Setsuko was a force to be reckoned with.

They pulled at her and tweaked her and spun her around multiple times, fussing over what to do with the tiny girl.

The Hyuuga heir's eyes remained expressionless the entire time. She was worrying. She did not know when or where or why she was going to meet her fiance, but she knew that horrid man Fugaku would be there. As would her father and several other clan leaders no doubt. The Hyuugas and Uchihas did not gather for nothing.

At first she thought it was her engagement party or something, but she quickly realized that she would have been on an intensive diet regime for at least a week prior by Setsuko if that had been the case.

Many thoughts ran through her mind, and she hardly realized they had finished until they stopped talking and gave her a mirror. Surprised at how fast they had finished, Hinata looked at herself in the mirror and did a double take.

Her hair was pinned into beautiful, lavender hair ornaments, and she looked lavish in the off-white kimono they dressed her in. Her oversized obi was decorated with floral designs and lapped off her tiny waist and into a rather large bow they had tied. In other words, she was prepared for whatever that day had in store for her.

"Your husband will think you a goddess," Katsumi smiled.

Hinata tried not to gulp.

One Day Prior

Several village council members were gathered around a small, private room. They were quiet, patiently awaiting the arrival of an essential member to their party.

Said man slipped through the back door silently, moments later. All eyes were on him.

The Anbu captain slipped his mask off and excused himself for his tardiness. The head of the meeting nodded and dismissed the small mishap.

"Why was I not informed of this... new ordeal," the head elder named Isao asked. He stood at the middle of the room and commanded everyone's attention. His eyes were cloudy, he had not been able to see for fifteen years. The man at his direct right was fittingly his right-hand man.

"I am sorry, I did not want to be too anxious to tell all," Itachi Uchiha apologized. His face was firm, as always.

"Do not joke," the right-hand man gritted his teeth. How dare the teenager back talk to the Konohagakure council!

"I did not mean to be sarcastic. At first I did not know if the clan knew of my intentions or not, and although the recent events seem to point to an obvious direction, I did not want to voice my opinion until I was sure things were as they seemed," the Uchiha boy explained. Isao narrowed his misty eyes.

"They chose Sasuke to marry to the Hyuuga heir, does this not mean they plan to disown you as their heir?" Isao asked. He already knew the answer.

"It seems so," Itachi sighed. "They must have caught on to the fact that I was aware of their plans against Konoha," he ran a hand through his hair. His smiling brother Sasuke came to his mind, and he couldn't help but push against the Konoha council's wishes. "Maybe if I try to reach a compromise-"

"Uchiha-san, we have prolonged this date for too long, we all know the Uchiha clan is not going to back out from their coup d'etat," the right-hand man raised his voice. "How long are we going to wait? Until they gather more forces against the village? Until they kill the Hokage? Until-"

"I believe they deserve one more chance," Itachi interjected. "Perhaps a meeting, played off as a village annual meeting or a party," ideas were running through his head.

"Ridiculous, no one will-"

"Stop Kurou-san," Isao snapped. The man named Kurou stopped talking immediately. Isao looked straight at the young Uchiha as if he could actually see the boy. Itachi kept a sober face. The Konoha council elder was known for his quick wit. He seemed to know good intentions from bad, he sensed the uncertainty in people's voices, and he was known for his accurate assessments. "I agree with your idea Uchiha-san," Isao finally said. Kurou looked bewildered. The council members began to burst into harsh whispers as they discussed the situation.

Itachi was relieved, but he tried not to show it externally.

"Thank you, I am glad the Konoha council is considerate enough to allow my clan one more chance. If nothing changes, then I will carry on my duty to this village," Itachi bowed deeply to Isao, who looked at the Uchiha prodigy with amusement in his opaque eyes.

"Last time," Kurou grumbled, red in the ears. He said some incoherent words to himself in his annoyance.

"Until then," Itachi slipped back on his Anbu mask and abruptly left. The council members were dismissed. They retired for the night, but everyone was on the edge of their seats.

No one was going to miss that party.

A/N: I know! I know! A very short chapter, but I was trying to update fast, and it is incredibly late right now. I did not want to postpone my update until tomorrow, so make do with what you have! Sorry, next chappie will be twice as long, scout's honor!

If all the extra names confused you. Here's an overview.

Amako = Hinata's old maid

Setsuko = Hinata's new, bitchier maid

Katsumi = A fat, Hyuuga maid

Yuriko = The other Hyuuga maid (Her name wasn't mentioned yet lol)

Isao = Konoha Council's elder/head

Kurou = Isao's right-hand man and also part of the Konoha Council

Thanks for sticking with me! And remember the Golden Cycle! More reviews= Quicker Updates. R&R