Uchiha Fugaku took a sip of tea as Hiashi spoke.
Ten minutes later, he tapped the rim of his teacup four times and his youngest son started drinking the tea as well.
Perhaps he was being overly mistrustful, but Itachi couldn't blame him. In fact, he appreciated the concern Fugaku had for Sasuke by testing everything they were given before allowing him to follow suit. While they went about it in different manners, Itachi was convinced that he and his father at least remained on the same page when it came to Sasuke's wellbeing; especially in an environment so unknown like the Hyūga compound.
Their timeless neutrality made them the perfect enemy or the perfect ally if properly convinced. If they were to become allies in the face of the Grand Council, the one which governed Konoha alongside the Hokage, a level of appeasement could be reached. After all, the Hyūga and Uchiha clans together made up a not insignificant portion of Konoha's military force.
When a branch cadet announced that a late lunch would soon be served for them, Itachi slipped away under the pretense of needing fresh air. A shinobi was one who endured, but who was he to waste an opportunity to truly enjoy fresh air and also reach his objective.
Voices and steps beyond the next corner forced him to hide in the shadows. While he could probably get away with claiming that he was merely taking a walk, they would grow suspicious. If they were members of the main house, they would doubtlessly report their findings to Hiashi. No need to risk antagonizing the clan while negotiations were still underway.
"I heard that Hinata-sama challenged Hisoka-san's eldest to a Kettō. Were you there for that?"
"No, but Hitomi was," the other man said. "Apparently the piece of shit Hisoka was harassing a couple of branch cadet girls and when Hinata-sama realized it… you know the rest."
The shinobi hummed thoughtfully. "But why would she challenge him, wouldn't it have been easier if she went to Hiashi-sama?"
"I guess even Hinata-sama doubts the existence of his heart."
"That's tough."
"Yeah, but she probably planned the confrontation with the bastard before actually challenging him."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why else would she challenge Hisoka herself?" The man lowered his voice. "No matter how disgusting he is, he's still a good shinobi. The odds of Hinata-sama winning were low and by complete coincidence, Tokuma, our best shinobi, happened to overhear that argument and volunteer himself as her champion."
When the pair of voices diminished with distance, Itachi continued on his merry way and filed the information for revision. If the evergrowing mouth watering aroma was any sign, then he was on the right path to the kitchens of the Hyūga compound. Across the terrace several cats rested on benches under the final rays of sun for the day. No matter how pristine the Hyūga clan portrayed itself, their love for the local cats of Konoha was evident in the amount of random food and water bowls littered across the compound.
When he turned to a new hallway, a flock of Hyūgas burst from a side door with trays in hand. The one at the front took a quick glance at him before tilting her head towards the neighboring hallway. "Restrooms are over there, second door to your left," she said without skipping a beat. The rest of the group continued after her without sparing him a glance.
"Ah, thank you…" Well. That answered the question as to whether he would be in trouble or not.
