We are seated at a classic rectangular dark wood table on tatami mats and everything. There is a large spread of food laid out, though nothing compared to what the Akimichi's eat. Still, judging by the jump of excitement in Sasuke's chakra, it isn't like a regular meal. As we walk in, everyone is already seated. Sasuke stands nearly as stiff as his older brother as we walk in. Fugaku is on one side of the table, while Mikoto is on the other. Shisui is seated on Mikoto's left, and Itachi moves to sit on Fugaku's right, next to Shisui.

Fugaku looks very stern. His face somehow looks completely blank yet inching more towards disapproval. His skin is far tanner than that of his wife or his sons. With his dull black or perhaps very dark brown hair, in the same hairline as Itachi and those dark Uchiha eyes. I could feel his gaze on my skin with precision laser intensity. I try not to let my shock that he is here at all show. The confusing feeling of him not appearing in my chakra sense but being right before my eyes. I continue forward, following Sasuke, who sits next to his father. I sit between Sasuke and Mikoto. I'm on edge, even more so because… well, I couldn't feel his chakra or Mikoto's anymore. I could feel a tiny hiccup now and then if I strain, but it was being tightly controlled and bundled up other than that I would swear that the husband and wife weren't around.

What was that Izumi said? That Uchiha had reasonable control over their internal chakra to be able to control the Sharingan? That is being made abundantly clear right now.

I shift uncomfortably, and Sasuke turns his head minutely in an almost unnoticeable way, a little concerned but unwilling to show it. Come to think of it, sensing had become my main way to take in the world around me. I close my eyes, and I can't see. Easy and familiar. Plug my ears or enter a loud crowd, and my hearing is messed with. It's not the worst. I plug my nose, wear bulky clothes, or burn my tongue and smell, touch, and taste can all be affected. My sensing? It's always a constant, even when I enter meditation, an anchor. The closest I've ever gotten to being affected was with the Nara deer. I hadn't dwelled on the head-spinning confusion of clashing stimuli being focused on the little faun and the topography, nor had I spent enough time with the Hokage to feel it.

Now though? Now, it was like I was set on fire, but all I felt was cold. I didn't know which sense to trust. I suddenly felt great sympathy for birds knocking on the glass again and again, not able to understand that there was a barrier preventing their escape. What to trust? Eyes or chakra? Chakra that had led me in my mindscape, that revealed hidden dangers, that was supposed to be reliable!

"Are you cold, Syouri-chan?" Sasuke asks out of the blue, and I realize I'm shivering like my body is denying reality. Not a good impression at all.

"I-I'm f-fine," I spoke in a stuttered tone that made me blush rapidly. It also had Itachi and Shisui sliding looks at the older Uchiha couple. I felt Mikoto relax her grip on her chakra. It was still tucked away, smoothed out not to show anything, but it was there. It comforted my mind without realizing it, making my shoulders relax a little, though I hadn't realized they had tightened to begin with. Fugaku's signature continued to allude to me. I forced my shoulders up and back. I tightened my muscles, then relaxed them, and the shiver subsided after a few tries as bowls full of food began to be passed around the table. I focus on something else, something to tell me I'm not going insane. Fugaku is on the mini-map… sort of. His signature isn't, but a little dot showing someone is there… does this mean genjutsu can affect the map? Or is this confirmation that I can trust my eyes? All is silent except for the occasional clink of utensils, which is the soundtrack as no one dares speak. Am I supposed to be the one to start the conversation? If that's the case, they are going to be sorely disappointed.

"How are things going in the academy, Sasuke?" Mikoto finally asks. It's a safe question, one I, as his classmate, already know the answer to, more or less, so it will not reveal anything.

"It's good. We are finally sparring and using chakra," Sasuke says proudly and then looks towards his father. "I'm the best in my class overall. Daikoku-sensei says that he thinks my future ninjutsu aptitude is excellent." He adds, this time looking straight at Fugaku. Something tells me he isn't often the one people ask about. I smile at him.

With the food now distributed, eating begins. I take a bit, and it is SPICY! I swallow down some food, my hand reaching for water. Is this a fire affinity thing, a Uchiha thing, or like concealed chakra meant to keep me on edge? As I am chugging down the water, a flare of chakra I haven't registered hits me hard. Fugaku just released a mid-sized amount of chakra. I nearly jumped out of my seat in shock or spit out my water. My fumble is covered up by a comically loud sneeze by Shisui. Still, water goes into my nose, giving me that additional burning feeling. I straighten up and resist the urge to glare at clan head.

"You know, I think I might have allergies. Mikoto-obasan, what do you think?" Shisui says, deflecting easily. "Or maybe some sort of cold… do they call it a cold in places always hot? Thoughts Fugaku-ojisan?" Shisui quickly says and begins to ramble on about how things have weird names sometimes. As he rambles, different chakra flares happen at seemingly random intervals. They aren't large, but they seem to be launched directly at me specifically. I have to work to keep myself from faltering each time. Alas, my reprieve does not last long.

"Tell me Syouri-san, how did you meet my son?" Fugaku asks, and I try to think about how to state things. I look at Sasuke semi-apologetic, but if it gets people off my back? Well, I'll make it up to him later.

"We met at the academy. I commented on Sasuke-san's fashion choice," I state, and things freeze a little clearly they expect me to elaborate. "Sasuke-san looks good in pink," I say with a seemingly nonchalant shrug. Eyes pin Sasuke, making me feel a little guilty. But at least it's an innocent, childish subject. A small laugh that hopefully can calm everything down.

"I do not look nice in pink," Sasuke mumbles, looking at his father.

"Maybe just colourful things, then? You don't wear a lot of colours…" I muse out loud, happy to enrapture in a safe conversation with Sasuke rather than try to maneuver around Fugaku if his ability to put me on edge already is any indication.

"You don't wear colour either." Sasuke defends back, and I seem to think. I mostly wear darker things, but I wear some purple and green…

"How are you doing in the academy? Sasuke speaks highly of your skill." Mikoto prods, moving the subject back on point.

"Man, the academy remembers those good old days?" Shisui interjects again, now nudging Itachi. "You skipping classes, then again, I'm pretty sure you had the leaf exercise down."

"That one's tricky," Sasuke says, drawn in by Shisuis's light tone.

"The exercise requires good chakra control," Fugaku states, the smallest twitch of his lips, but I can't tell if it's up or down. "You must be rather well versed in it," Fugaku lightly states.

"Why's that?" I ask, genuinely curious and wary.

"I have heard you have quite the sensory potential that usually goes hand in hand with chakra control," Fugaku says, and I try not to stare. I'm pretty sure that the only way he would know that is if he checked some record. That seems really overkill and creepy.

"I do," I muttered because I really didn't want to talk about this. "Though I'm better with throwing weapons," I say, trying to lead the conversation away from chakra.

"What are you talking about, Touchan? Syouri-san hasn't managed the leaf-sticking exercise yet." Sasuke says, nodding. He had only managed it a little before Naruto started burning leaves. I'm unsure if it is an attempt to shine a light on his progress or just an innocent comment. I just barely notice the look the adults share before we continue with the discussion/interrogation. Something tells me they would be very good in the interrogation division.

POV Shisui Uchiha

I smile and laugh throughout the night, shaking off tense atmospheres and disapproving glares with practiced ease. I'm a jonin, alright? Jonins are allowed to be as eccentric as we want, and no one can judge us. It's one of the perks.

Dinner at the main house is always a very stressful affair full of meaningful looks and coded phrases. All for not only the village in case they are spying or listening in (a genuine possibility) but for Sasuke.

For everything Fugaku-ojisan has done wrong, he, at the very least, knows better than to involve Sasuke in any of this. (I'm fairly sure Mikoto-obasan would skin him alive if he tried. They may be a united front in public, but Mikoto-obasan is far from a pushover. She's a jonin, after all. I still remember the yelling, screaming, and crashing sounds coming from the main house after Fugaku-ojisan brought chibi-tachi to a battlefield. I also remember him limping for weeks after with a red handprint on his face that no one commented on and flinching under his wife's seemingly innocent gaze. Yeah, I don't think he's forgotten that yet, or anyone in the compound since the Uchiha rumour mill ate that up.)

Anyway, I am used to the codes and secrets. I'm half amazed that Sasuke hasn't figured out all the codes. (He probably has figured out at least half subconsciously.) The Uchiha clan has always been very independent, but at the same time, we build intricate webs between those we accept as kin. My Touchan, before he died in the last war (under suspicious circumstances, no less), had always told me that it is the job of the clan head to protect the clan from all threats. Sometimes, that meant playing the villain. Ojisan is like that. He will play the villain to protect the clan. He's a lot like Itachi, not that either sees it.

I owe this family so much. They took me in after Touchan's death when I started to spend time with Itachi. I wasn't that distant a cousin to begin with, but they made me feel at home. They made me feel safe again after having fought in the third great ninja war towards the end myself.

Uchiha's love is like no other, so much that that love burns in our very eyes. Therefore, my clan has always adopted a closed-off attitude towards others. We cannot give that love, that acceptance away too quickly or risk destroying ourselves. So Ojisan will make the tough choice of cutting off unnecessary complications before they find themselves too deep in our web, complications like human-stray-cats (kitten really), complications like Syouri.

I would have come whether Hazuki-san asked me to or not because someone needs to ensure that Ojisan doesn't take things too far. Besides, Syouri is good for the clan. Her presence softens our image in the eyes of the villagers and reminds the Uchiha that not everyone in Konoha is against us. However, seeing how Fugaku intentionally antagonizes Syouri, it looks like I came for nothing. He's already made up his mind. (Whether for or against, I can't tell as he often shows his affection and acceptance with criticism and disappointed looks; it is when he is impassive that you need to worry.)

Of course, Sasuke makes a slip. It is not his fault, really. How could Sasuke know that the leaf-sticking exercise is the first chakra exercise taught for a reason? The only ones who have continual trouble with it (for more than a few weeks) are those with large chakra reserves (considering that the Uzumaki-jinchuriki is starting to get it so soon is impressive) or those with a deficiency. Considering that I don't think Syouri has that large of a chakra reserve, the first one is out, with her only 'deficiency' is chakra sensitivity that should bolster her chances, so the second one is out too. So why is the Uchiha's newest stray trying not to succeed?

Is she trying to avoid attention (possibly and wise but going about it the wrong way) or something else? I know Fugaku-ojisan loves a good mystery, so I can't tell what his decision will be, but no matter the outcome, the Uchiha will be watching closely.

I sigh, leaving the dinner and watching Syouri-chan walking home. I wish that family drama were the sum of my problems… the coup is coming up faster and faster. At this rate, my eyes are the only option, an option that will betray those I hold in such high esteem (even if I won't tell them that). I will need to get the go-ahead from the Hokage tomorrow. Then, hopefully, things can settle down, and hopefully, peace can be maintained.

Somehow, though, I doubt that.