I've gotten anxious waiting. With the cut on my neck still looking new, I don't feel safe anywhere outside my clan's estate, in case Obito might accidentally see it. It's faded some, but it'll still be a number of days before it's pale enough to cover with makeup.

Then there's the matter of Lady Sorano's visit. Though her meeting with Lady Tsunade should be perfectly normal, I have a sinking feeling it won't. It's so odd thinking of ways to act like everything's normal when nothing is and really needs to be. Should I wear these shoes, or how about this hair clip? Or what about that makeup I got as a present but still haven't used? In the end, I just decide to wear my usual outfit to the meeting.

On the way to Lady Tsunade's office, I wonder if Lady Sorano will just be here to talk about the things that happened in the royal city, or if she'll just want general knowledge on how Konoha works. Actually, it would be rather like her to get both out of the meeting. I'm still unsure of how to handle my role in the meeting, and what exactly that role will be…

At the tower, there's an air of excitement in the halls. I don't overhear any mentions of Lady Sorano, but I'm sure her arrival late yesterday caused a stir- some of us younger ninja are as interested in royalty as she is in ninja. Hmm, I hope she still doesn't have an interest in actually becoming one… Right before going in to Lady Tsunade's office I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Am I making this more complicated than it has to be? Probably. I open the door, and find that Lady Sorano is early, already talking with Lady Tsunade. "A- am I late?"

"No, we just got carried away and started early. Come in, Hinata." I nod to Lady Tsunade, and walk up to take a seat at the desk. "Lady Sorano, this is Hinata Hyuga. I've brought her in for an outside perspective." I smile, and Lady Sorano gives me a gracious nod.

"So, about how many of your ninja go through Tanzaku Quarters each year?" She asks Lady Tsunade.

"I can't think of the exact number offhand, but it isn't that high. Most of the businesses are fine with the protection the Akiyama Group and the other gangs offer, and rarely hire outside help. Nearly all of our ninja that go to the quarters on a mission are hired by one of the gangs when they need an extra hand in their dirty work." Lady Tsunade glances my way, and I decide to risk saying something.

"It's not always about taking out this or that rival. I was on a mission there a couple months ago, and all my team did was act as extra bodyguards for some drugs that were being shipped in."

Lady Sorano looks at me, her delicate features very serious though she's not angry. "Do you remember where the drugs were headed to?"

"I didn't see the name of the place, we stopped in the alley behind it. I think it was some kind of bar, though." Technically true, though I later learned the place was called Mr. Miyagi's Dojo. Lady Sorano nods, and directs her next question to Lady Tsunade.

"What about the number of ninja in and around the royal city?"

"It's pretty rare we send anyone out there, we've only sent one in the last couple of years."

"And besides, your father is very well protected. The city's a peaceful place," Shizune adds.

"What about rogue ninja?"

"Well, that's a different story. Most rogue ninja have very local goals and ideals. The most recent ones that were a nationwide threat targeted the daimyo of all the Five Great Nations, but to my knowledge they were the only ones to do so. Generally, either rogue ninja don't have the means to target your father and the royal city, or outright know better than to try something so idiotic."

"What about those ones that you just mentioned?"

"One is dead- again- and the other is no longer a threat. Your father and the other daimyo weren't their main target, though. They were just threatened to gain a bit of leverage. The tactic was mostly a success, I'll admit."

"Hmm. How many rogue ninja are there?"

"Again, I don't remember the exact number right now, but it's low- rogue ninja are something we and the other hidden villages take seriously. If they're trained by a hidden village, then they're very aware what should happen if they go into business for themselves, and that keeps most from deserting."

"I heard there were a few Uchiha that were active as rogue ninja recently. Do you know what's happened to them?"

"Well, as I said a moment ago, one of them has died again- this time for good. The other two, Sasuke and Obito, are still living. After the events at the end of the war, they returned home, and remain loyal to Konoha."

Lady Sorano sighs, and shifts forwards in her chair slightly. "I mentioned there was a rogue ninja active in the capital in my letter, and I had the misfortune of meeting her a couple times. She… revealed that she was an Uchiha. I'd been told that there were only two left alive…"

"Well, whether she was right or not, there are only two now."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that we heard of her, too. Tanzaku Quarters literally exploded into an uproar because of her, but she didn't just stay there, she covered a lot of ground. I got the word from one of my interrogators she was coming back from the direction of the royal city, and I sent a team out to capture her."

Lady Sorano struggles to remain calm, and barely succeeds. "If you have her, I'd like to talk to her in person."

"I'm sorry to say this, but she died a few days ago-"

"How?!"

"She lost a lot of blood during the fight to capture her and the interrogation. She fell into a coma, and died in her sleep."

"How did I not hear about that?" I ask Lady Tsunade. "You'd think that it would be everywhere…"

"When I told Obito and Sasuke, they weren't very keen on another supposedly long-dead Uchiha appearing. To be honest I agreed with them, that would be the last thing Konoha needs right now. I had Ibiki bring her in through the underground tunnels instead of the streets."

"And what did your interrogator get out of her?"

"Mostly insults, from what he told me. However, I'm told she claimed to be involved in the plot to kidnap Miss Hyuga here."

"What? But, my family never said anything about an Uchiha being involved in it…"

"That's because there weren't," Shizune says.

"We've been looking into it since the interrogation, and while she had a very convenient alibi, it was a total lie."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Not everything has a nice and tidy ending, and frankly it's a relief this didn't escalate past where it did."

Lady Sorano sighs, and sinks back into her chair. "...I have something I'd like to ask. Out back in the palace, I'm very removed from this kind of thing, and I want to get to the bottom of what Raiko and the man who kidnapped Ruza were involved in. So…" This is amazing, I've never seen Lady Sorano get nervous before. It also makes me a bit anxious, as it baffles me as to what could do that... "Would there be any place for me to stay here in Konoha? And… I'm looking to be trained, in case I have to investigate myself."

"...Trained in what?"

"Being a ninja."

"...Ninja training is difficult, and here in the hidden village usually starts in childhood. It's not quite as simple as suddenly deciding to become a ninja."

"I- I'm willing to work at it. Would there be anyone available to help train me?" Lady Tsunade glances over at me, and my stomach drops towards the floor.

"There are a few."

"Alright… well, I'll retire to my hotel until I can get my training arranged."

"Okay. Good evening, Lady Sorano."

"And to you." Lady Sorano stands and leaves, and I start to go too, but Lady Tsunade waves me down. After Lady Sorano is out of the room, Lady Tsunade turns back to me.

"How have you been since the interrogation?"

"I… how long have you known?"

"Since you assassinated Yamaha and blew up the warehouse. I won't tell the Uchiha you were Raiko, but there's no guarantee they won't find out on their own. Hinata… sooner or later you're going to have to have a talk with Sorano about what you did in the royal city. There's only so much I can do, and if she really does follow through with her investigation and ninja training, there won't be a whole lot left protecting Konoha from her and her father coming down on us."

"I- I think she'll be focused more on Taizo and everything he did in Tanzaku Quarters, than on Raiko."

"It doesn't seem likely that she'll forget Raiko, though," Shizune says. I wish she would… Lady Tsunade dismisses me, and I'm left wondering what the point of anything I've done in the last few months is. Perhaps after my trip to Mount Myoboku I'll be able to come at this from a new angle and start over...