The Bedeviled Legacy

by softshisui

Asami Uchiha knew death the moment she was born. Her family fell to war that was not their own, not their fathers, or their father's father, but to men that existed many years before them whose names were long forgotten. Asami may not have known it when she took that first breath, but she would create a legacy that would last for generations to come.

9. Fuma Jin

The next morning before they set off to the Fuma, Asami had Hikaku summon one of his hawks to send Madara the letter about the scroll they found on the Shimura. She could have waited till she got back to the compound, but she felt it was important to alert Madara of their enemy's conniving as soon as possible. They needed time to come up with their course of action, and waiting however many extra days while she was dealing with the Fuma wasn't something they could afford. That wasn't even taking into account the possibility that she could be killed while away from the compound, and the information would die with her.

The possibility was unnerving, but it was still a very real one.

Asami stood at the balcony of the room they rented for the night, Hikaku beside her. Izanami was inside, straightening up and gathering their things to prepare for the group to leave.

It was early morning, a cool summer breeze blowing through her hair, some of it pulled over her shoulder and the rest loose down her back. She was dressed in a black high-neck yukata, for once free of the chokuto that usually sat around her waist. Instead, the weapon lay inside on the bedroll she had used for the night, deciding she didn't want to put it on until she had to leave. She would probably need to be armed the entire time she was with the Fuma, including while she slept if they were to stay the night. She didn't want to wear it now if she was going to have to constantly for the next two days.

Asami wasn't sure how friendly the Fuma were going to be with them when they showed up. The Uchiha and Fuma were distantly related, but still only allies and nothing more. It's not as though they were closely tied or trusted them enough to be completely relaxed in their presence. Even when you had allies, you still had to watch out for yourself and cover your own back. You couldn't afford to be too comfortable with anyone outside of your clan, no matter who they were.

It was one of the pains of living in a war-torn time. There was no true loyalty other than your own clan. Truthfully, Asami thought it was a shame. Not that you were forced to trust your own clan, because frankly, that was a given. You should trust your clan without a second thought. But it was a shame those who claimed to be allies would be quick to stab you in the back just to gain the upper hand. You had to be on guard 24/7.

It was like that anywhere you went, really. Even straying from your compound could result in death. She had learned that the hard way as a child, and if Izuna hadn't come to her rescue back then, she probably would have died. Hell, you couldn't even stand by the river and clean your things without someone leaping out of the trees and stabbing you to death in one clean swoop. Those Shimura from the day prior were a demonstration of that.

There was the possibility the Fuma would find it insulting that their party was going to remain armed the entire time, but they were going to have to get over it. The Uchiha didn't wear heavy battle armor anyway, so it was a fair compromise if they kept their weapons on them. If they were given lip about it Asami had the intention to shut it down. Politely, that was.

Asami held the letter bound into a scroll for Madara. She scrunched up her brows, staring down the hawk that sat perched on Hikaku's arm like she was scoping out the enemy. Slowly, she extended her hand, holding the scroll out to the bird. She waited, getting ready to yank her hand back in case the stupid bird decided to scratch her like they usually would.

Hikaku stared at Asami with an amused expression, finding her hesitancy around the bird a little funny. Especially when she was usually pretty neutral. "Not a fan of the hawks?'

Asami frowned. "No."

The bird suddenly snatched the scroll from her, scratching the top of her hand with its talons. It bristled its feathers as though it was offended by her comment, before taking off without further instruction.

Asami made an unintelligible noise of pain and irritation, staring at the decent-sized cut on her hand that had begun to dribble blood. She raised the back of her hand to her mouth, sucking on the wound. She grumbled under her breath, glaring at the hawk that was becoming a speck in the sky as it flew off. "Stupid bird."

"I think you upset it with your comment." Said Hikaku, crossing his arms and also watching the retreating bird. He turned his head to the side, giving her a sideways glance as she continued to glare, hand still in her mouth. "Those hawks understand what you say, you know. They're quite intelligent."

Asami grumbled, pulling her hand back to stare at the cut. "I don't care. There's a reason I don't go near them. They always scratch me, even when I haven't done anything. The first time I was attacked by one I was ten. Madara-nii was trying to show me how to summon a hawk and the thing pecked the top of my head. Repeatedly."

Hikaku blinked at her, at a loss for words.

Izanami came to the doorway and leaned on the frame, smirking. "Oh, are you talking about the great hawk incident? Madara talked my ear off about how baffled he was that the birds hated you. He didn't know what you did, but he said it seemed they had it out for you. Comparatively, the birds love Madara."

"I know they have it out for me." Asami frowned. "I didn't do anything to them. So rude."

She rolled her eyes. "And I know the hawks love him. He's an obsessed mother bird. He treats them like his children. Sometimes I wonder if he won't get married and he'll try to make a hawk his successor."

Izanami barked a laugh, almost keeling over at the thought. Hikaku coughed and looked off to the side, trying to cover his own laugh.

Asami huffed, walking into the room past Izanami, who was still laughing. She began to gather up her things from the night, ignoring the brash woman who was getting a kick out of the thought of a hawk as an Uchiha clan head.

Izanami wiped a tear from her eye, coming back inside to grab her own stuff. "Oh kami, that is hilarious. I'll be telling him about that when we get back. I cannot wait to see his face."

Asami grimaced, knowing his temper. "He's going to come for my neck."

She imagined his mop of spikey black hair bristling as a hawk would with its feathers when agitated.

"Especially because I won't ever let that one go!" Izanami said, grinning at Asami as she went over to the door and opened it. She swung her bag over her shoulder, lazily trailing into the hallway of the inn, expecting the group to follow. "All hail hawk-sama!"

Hikaku made a face, watching the woman walk away, his bag in his hands as he stood beside Asami. He stared at the empty doorway where Izanami was moments ago. "She's crazy."

Asami shook her head, not saying anything in response to either of them.

Hikaku and Asami left the room shortly after and met Izanami at the front of the Inn. The group began to head down the dirt road towards the exit of the village, not many people in the streets at all.

The civilian village was quiet, Asami accumulating it to the early morning since the only noise came from deep inside the village where the trade center resided. Only those who were doing morning trade deals were awake at this hour. Well, those who were trading, and shinobi like them, she supposed. The rest were sleeping or nursing a hangover from the heavy drinking going on in the various food stalls the night before.

She wondered faintly about that civilian man from last night. She extended kindness to him on a whim, and in most circumstances, she would have just stepped aside and kept on. But the fear the civilians regarded her with left a bad taste in her mouth. She was dangerous and had killed more people than she could tick off on her fingers and toes, so she couldn't blame them for being afraid. Even so, she didn't like the thought of people who she had no intentions to hurt fearing her. She wasn't going to hurt people for no reason, especially not a man who was drunk and just thrown out in front of her. The concept these people had about her and her people did upset her, and it was hard for her to ignore.

But overall, the way Izanami put it was true. They were shinobi, and they wanted people to be afraid of them, right? They wanted their enemies to be in pain, they wanted the alliances their enemies had to be in shambles, they wanted the name of the Uchiha to instill fear in the hearts of any man, woman, or child. The Uchiha were a revered clan full of war machines that wielded large, angry fires and harbored the demonic spinning tomoe of the Sharingan. They wanted people to perceive them like that. Didn't they? Didn't she?

The hushed whisper in the back of her mind of no, you don't want that was something she was quick to shut down.

Asami wanted to be taken seriously as a ninja, but she also didn't want to be perceived as a sick, twisted, disgusting human with no morals, the only methodical thought behind her eyes being to kill, kill, kill.

She fought off that thought again. It was ridiculous to think shinobi were to do anything besides take lives. They served no other purpose than to cut down their enemies and move on to the next.

Even if those enemies were brothers, sisters, had mothers and fathers, or maybe they were the mothers or fathers, or even a cousin, an uncle, a friend—a human.

How was it that the only purpose a shinobi held was to kill and take? Was that really a productive life to live?

"Asami-sama." Hikaku said, gaining her attention.

Asami looked over at him, realizing they had reached the edge of the village.

He regarded her with a concerned look, noticing her distracted behavior. "Are you ready to depart?"

Izanami didn't notice her brooding, staring off into the forest as she waited for Asami's instruction.

Asami blinked, looking at Hikaku for a second, before giving a firm nod. "Yes. Let's get there before sunset."

The group departed from the village and reached the Fuma before night fell, a few hours before the sun would be setting. They were about a mile out from where she knew the Fuma compound resided when they were intercepted by a shinobi on patrol.

"I am Fuma Aizen." He said, introducing himself with a waist-deep bow. His hair was a rich shade of indigo, true to his namesake, cut short and spikey. The large Fuma shuriken was attached to his back on top of the light chest plates he wore over his black yukata.

Like the Uchiha, the Fuma did not wear heavy battle armor. They wore light items, such as the chest plate Aizen had, or arm braces, but nothing more. Like the Sarutobi and Shimura, allies of the Senju, their combat gear were similar styles. Allied clans wore similar apparel, especially in this case as the Fuma and Uchiha were distantly related. Though, unlike the Uchiha who wore no armor at all, the Fuma had some sort of protection. This was most likely due to being weaker and slower compared to the Uchiha.

He looked to Hikaku. "You must be the leader Uchiha Madara sent for negotiation?"

Hikaku looked at the Fuma clan member blankly.

Izanami scoffed, but before she could get a word out, Asami stepped forward in front of Hikaku.

"That would be me."

Aizen looked at Asami for a moment, scoping her out. Asami didn't look weak, but sending a platoon led by a woman was an unusual circumstance. Clans did not have many kunoichis, as women on the front lines were still a new concept. Though the Uchiha were different in that aspect, as if someone were to unlock their Sharingan it was given they would be trained to fight. No matter if they were a man or a woman.

Asami could be perceived as threatening, since she was rather tall for her age and a woman, standing at 5'8. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sheathed chokuto, though it wasn't in a threatening manner—more that she was comfortable, sending the silent signal that it could be used if she really wanted to. "I am Uchiha Madara's cousin, niece to Tajima Uchiha, the previous clan leader. I am one of Madara's right hands."

Aizen nodded his head. "Very well. Asami-sama, please follow me."

As the Fuma walked them into the forest, she realized the area was actually covered by a light genjutsu. It made the forest appear endless and the location of the compound hard to find, even though it was quite close. The group hadn't actually reached the area where the genjutsu was layered, so the moment Aizen led them through the thick of it, Asami was able to see through the illusion, even without her Sharingan. Surprisingly, the genjutsu was rather weak. Whether she thought it was weak due to her experience with genjutsu, or because the Fuma were not as adept at genjutsu as she was, she didn't know.

Actually, the average shinobi who was not as experienced with genjutsu probably would have been caught in it easily, she concluded as they walked further into it. They would slide by without a second thought and not investigate it anymore, thinking there were endless miles of trees where the Fuma compound actually was.

It was kind of clever. Asami appreciated the thoughtfulness of the defense.

After peeling through all the layers of the genjutsu, the group came to the entrance of the Fuma compound.

The architecture was similar to the Uchiha, though the buildings seemed to be angled around one in the center that was the largest. The building was round and surrounded by various plants and herbs. It seemed like some sort of garden, but Asami didn't pay it too much attention as Aizen led them past it.

Various Fuma clan members watched them in mild awe as they walked past, those talking to fellow clan members or buying produce pausing their tasks. Their conversations hushed, choosing to stare in favor of talking. Asami tried to not pay it any mind, since she knew the awe was reasonable and more so in wonder than judgment. Those that weren't shinobi didn't see people outside of their clan often, so the appearance of someone else was enough to make you stop whatever you were doing to get a look.

The Fuma, unlike the Uchiha, had a variety of hair colors, though their faces were all very similar. The most common colors were greens and different shades of purple, along with the occasional brown. Asami had seen members of the Fuma before, the clan aiding them in a battle against the Hyuga a long time ago. The clan had come to their compound to rendezvous after the fight, but it had been years since then, so the image of their clan members were a little foggy. She did remember though, that she had looked at those Fuma the same way the Fuma were looking at her now. Eyes filled with wonder about people different than them and their family, wanting to know about them and their culture.

It was interesting to see how the dynamic had shifted. She was once a curious girl watching the foreign ninja walk through her compound, and now she was that ninja to them.

Aizen led them to a house at the end of the main center. He turned to them, bowing deep at the waist again. "This is where you may leave your extra things and stay overnight. When you are finished please head to the building in the center of the village we passed on the way here. Jin-sama will meet you there soon."

Asami gave him a nod. "Alright. Thank you for leading us here, Aizen-San."

Aizen vanished from them with a quick shunshin, presumably to return back to his rounds of patrol. He had led them into the compound with a sense of urgency, so it seemed as though he did not want to dottle more than necessary.

Izanami was the first to enter the home, sliding the shoji door open. She let out a low whistle, looking around at the place. "Well isn't this luxury."

Asami came to peer over her shoulder, blinking at the kitchen and nice sitting area for dining or tea. There were many potted plants littering the open room, a large piece of art in the dining area that looked as though it had been delicately picked out for whoever was staying there. It was a beautiful painting of cherry blossoms, framed by thick black wood, that in Asami's opinion looked very, very expensive.

She tilted her head to the side in confusion, taking off her shoes and stepping in after her old sensei, who was having no issues poking around the place to find any knick-knacks she thought were interesting enough to make a comment about.

Hikaku came inside and closed the door behind them, taking off his own shoes. He picked up Izanami's bag that she had carelessly dropped by her sandals, before turning to Asami and holding out his free hand. "I can take your things and put them in your room."

Asami handed him her bag. "Thank you."

He nodded, walking off with their things down the hallway, also probably to do some further investigating of the home.

Asami watched in mild amusement as Izanami open and close cupboards and continue to poke around. "Having fun, are you?"

Izanami stopped what she was doing and turned to face Asami. She closed her eyes and shrugged, not thinking much of her actions. "What can I say? It's not every day we stay in the compound of another clan. I'm a little curious about it. Maybe there's something interesting in here. Though I'm not finding much of anything after all my poking around. For such a large home it's totally empty."

Hikaku came back into the room from putting their things away. "There's not much in the rooms besides some bedrolls. I didn't see anything suspicious or any strange seals, so we should be alright for the night."

"We shouldn't need much more than a bedroll anyway." Asami placed her hand on her hip, staring off to the side at the large cherry blossom painting she had been eyeing earlier. "I would prefer if we could do our business and leave, maybe even attempt to get back to Tanzaku Quarters before nightfall as a resting spot, but I know that might be pushing it. I don't want to travel at night if we don't have to anyway."

"The Fuma isn't so bad." Said Izanami, looking around the kitchen she stood in. "They gave us a nice home to stay in. Quite luxurious."

"I would like to return home as soon as possible, whether or not the living conditions provided are above what is required." Said Hikaku. "I also agree that I would like to try and get as far as possible after the meeting with the leader of the Fuma, but as they gave us a home to stay in, I'm under the assumption they are expecting us to stay the night, and what they have planned for us is more than a quick exchange of letters."

Asami sighed, raising the hand that wasn't resting on her hip to pinch the bridge of her nose. "It would probably seem insulting if we weren't to stay overnight as well."

Hikaku nodded. "Yes."

Izanami shrugged, feigning sadness. "Such a shame. We'll have to stay in this large, luxurious house overnight... whatever shall we do?"

Asami shook her head at Izanami's antics, whereas Hikaku gave her a deadpan stare. "I'd like to finish the mission in a timely manner so we can depart back to the compound."

Izanami shot the man a mischievous look, folding her arms as she began to walk past him, heading towards the front door. "I know why you're in such a rush to get back home... you miss your fiance, hm? Suki-chan is quite a cutie after all. I'm sure she's making you some sweets in Kaori-san's bakery eagerly awaiting your return."

Hikaku looked off to the side, a subtle pink color covering his cheeks. "Stop it."

Izanami opened the door and sat down, sliding on her sandals, amused with herself. "I'm not trying to be mean, Hikaku-kun. I know how much you love Suki-chan, so I was just reminding you of what's awaiting you at home. I totally, and completely understand your desire to get back to the compound."

Asami made a mental note about who Hikaku's fiance was, having seen her work around the bakery with Kaori before, even though she hadn't spoken to her personally. She still could only shake her head at the pestering going on in front of her. Izanami could be worse than Izuna when it came to pushing people's buttons. It was a little mad sometimes how much enjoyment she got out of making even the most composed people, Hikaku for example, have some sort of emotional reaction that they normally didn't.

Hikaku then looked at her sharply, his blush subsiding as a smug expression took over. "I know someone else is waiting for you at home as well."

Izanami didn't stop putting on her sandals, remaining unphased. "Oh?"

Asami looked between the two of them in confusion, feeling as though she was out of the loop here. She knew Hikaku was engaged and had been for a few months now, his wedding with Suki planned for the summer. But she was not aware that Izanami was romantically involved with someone. To be perfectly honest, she never thought Izanami would be romantically involved with anyone. Ever.

"Yes." Said Hikaku, not letting up. He was perfectly aware he was trekking into dangerous territory with his comments but continued on anyway. "Someone who is very, very important."

Izanami looked up, giving him a close-eyed smile, though it didn't appear friendly in the slightest. "Let's not speculate things, shall we? I think it's about time we head to that little building Aizen-san pointed out to us. Want to wrap this up quickly, just as you said, right, Hikaku-kun?"

Izanami didn't wait for Hikaku or Asami to say anything to her. She got up and walked out of the doorway, disappearing from their view as she went to walk further into the dirt road in front of the house.

Hikaku shot Asami a sideways look, before moving to put on his own shoes and follow her out.

Asami stood in bewilderment, wondering what the hell that interaction was about. Who was Izanami romantically involved with, and why was she being so dodgy about it? Not only that, but Hikaku used that information as a jab towards Izanami, which was something Asami would have never expected to see from the usually composed man. He wasn't one to give in to his emotions easily. It seemed Izanami's constant berating had finally come to bite her in the butt, since Asami's curiosity was going to get the better of her now that she knew these two were passing information right under her nose.

Deciding she should probably follow her clan members outside and not dottle anymore on the topic while they were still with the Fuma, she put on her own shoes and stepped outside, closing the door to the house behind her.

Izanami and Hikaku stood in the dirt road, having an intense discussion. Izanami looked irritated, talking in a hushed voice to Hikaku, who looked passive, though mildly apologetic. The moment she stepped outside the two stopped talking, the both of them looking at her expectantly. Asami stood at the entry to the house, staring at the two clan members with a frown.

This was getting a bit annoying. They were acting like children, really.

"Let's try to keep our composure as we negotiate with the Fuma, yes?" Asked Asami, coming down the stairs of the house and brushing past the two of them, sending subtle signals that she was annoyed with their behavior.

Izanami and Hikaku followed after her, but she didn't wait for them to catch up, continuing down the road towards the large round building they passed on the way into the compound.

Asami stopped in front of it, turning around to see Hikaku and Izanami were behind her now. "Before we head inside, is everyone fine?"

Hikaku gave a firm nod. "Yes, Asami-sama."

Izanami gave her a nod, not responding verbally.

With another shake of her head, Asami climbed the couple steps into the building and slid inside. A man dressed in a sage green yukata stood in the entryway awaiting her, his long braided hair the same shade as the clothes he wore. He gave her a polite, closed-eyed smile, holding a tray with three steaming cups of liquid. "Hello. You must be Asami-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like something to drink?"

Asami held her hand up, ready to politely decline.

"Please, something the Fuma takes pride in is our herbs used to brew tea. Jin-sama insists that all of his guests try at least one cup." Said the man, cutting her off before she could verbally decline his offer. He held the tray out to her a bit more, trying to get her to take one.

Izanami and Hikaku came to stand behind her, waiting to see if she was going to take one.

She stared at the cups for a moment, before looking back at the man who was patiently waiting for her to take one as well.

"They're not poisoned if that's what you're afraid of." He said flatly.

Asami frowned. "Rest assured that wasn't something I was concerned about."

It would be stupid for the Fuma to attempt to poison them, since it would be throwing away an alliance with the Uchiha that was decades old. It would also put them in a compromising position since the Uchiha were the last clan the Fuma would want any conflict with. They would have few allies to turn to if the relationship with the Uchiha were to turn sour, as those who were on good terms with the Uchiha would turn on them too once they learned they committed such an act. Not to mention the Senju and their allies most definitely would not trust them, leaving them to face the Uchiha alone. A battle they would lose.

Asami tentatively reached for a cup, blowing on the steam that was rising from the hot drink. The man looked at her expectantly, waiting for a reaction. She was uncomfortable by his behavior, but took a sip anyway, trying to ignore the fact he was watching for any flicker of emotion as she drank it.

He continued to look at her expectantly as she lowered it from her lips.

Asami blinked at him, deciding she should probably give the man what he wanted. "It's good."

He smiled at her response, seeming to be pleased, before turning on his heel and heading down the hall. "Good! I am glad to hear you enjoy it. Jin-sama will be most pleased. Here is the meeting room where he will see you any minute now."

He slid open a shoji door and walked inside, Asami, Hikaku, and Izanami trailing in after him.

There was a long table low to the ground that took up most of the room, a green table runner along the center of it. The setup was similar to the Uchiha meeting rooms, though this one was much more extravagantly decorated in comparison, a large painting of cherry blossoms on the wall, plants pressed into the corners of the room. The Uchiha tended to have minimalist decor, not a clan known for spending their funds on extravagant items that were only for the aesthetic. It was a little overwhelming and slightly ugly in Asami's opinion.

The man that led them inside set the tray on the table, two steaming cups of tea left on the tray. He turned to face the group. He bent over into a low bow. "Please make yourself comfortable."

He left the room swiftly after that, shutting the door behind him.

"The Fuma do like their decorations." Murmured Izanami, taking a seat at the table.

Hikaku took a seat beside Izanami but did not sit any closer to her than he had to, seeming as though he was still irritated with her for her behavior earlier. Asami took a seat on the opposite side, leaving it open at the end of the table for the head of the Fuma.

It was a little strange that they were not greeted by the clan leader the moment they came into the compound, since whenever there was a foreign ninja in the Uchiha compound, Tajima had been one of the first to greet them. In fact, it could even be considered rude that they were still waiting on the clan leader—it could easily be interpreted that they were not of importance to him, and he had better things to deal with than negotiating with the Uchiha. Asami wasn't offended by it, other than the fact she wanted to get home as quickly as possible, she had no qualms about his behavior. She just wanted to do the mission and wasn't about to get her panties into a twist about something trivial.

The door slid open again, a tall older man with straight, shoulder-length dark brown hair coming into the room. He was accompanied by a much younger man who looked very similar to the first, both of their faces blocky with black eyes. The younger man had short spikey hair, longer but equally spikey bangs framing the sides of his face, stopping just an inch past his chin. They were both good-looking and stood like strong, well-rounded shinobi.

"Ah, hello." The older man came over to greet the group. He smiled at Asami, shaking her hand as she stood up to greet him as well. "I apologize for Aizen's behavior earlier. We were not aware that Madara-san had a younger sister, and thought perhaps he would be sending his brothers or an advisor. A slip-up."

Asami frowned. "I'm not their sister. My name is Uchiha Asami. My mother was the younger sister of Uchiha Tajima, and I grew up under his guidance as a member of the main family after the death of my father when I was a young girl."

"I see." He said, letting go of her hand. He placed a hand to his chest, the other gesturing to the young man behind him who still hadn't said anything, and was only looking at her with an analytical gaze. "I am Fuma Jin, the leader of the Fuma clan. This is my son, Fuma Tadashi. He is my oldest living son and the heir of the Fuma clan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Said Asami, giving Tadashi a polite nod. She gestured to the seated Uchiha, introducing them as well. "These two are shinobi from the Uchiha who have accompanied me on the journey here. Uchiha Hikaku and Uchiha Izanami."

The two got to their feet and gave a polite bow to the man before he and his son came to sit down at the head of the table. Jin sat closer to Hikaku and Izanami, Tadashi closer to Asami's side. The three Uchiha also sat back down.

"Did you enjoy the tea?" He asked, gesturing to the drinks on the table, and looking at the one that was in Asami's hand.

"It was good." She said, repeating what she told the man earlier.

Truthfully, she couldn't care less.

"Your friends don't seem to be interested in it." He said, pointing out the two untouched drinks on the tray. While his voice had an edge to it, he continued to smile at her.

Asami in comparison only frowned at him, "Would you like to discuss the trade deal, Jin-sama?"

"Straight to business I see." He took one of the cups of tea himself, blowing on the steaming liquid. He took a sip, before setting it down on the table, then hummed in thought. "Tell me, Asami-san, what do you think alliances provide for those involved?"

Asami stared at him evenly, trying to conceal her surprise at the question. It was strange for him to ask that, but the question had an ulterior motive. Obviously, he knew what value alliances had for clans, so there was something else he was trying to get out of her by asking such a thing. Unfortunately for him, Asami was not one who enjoyed mind games and riddles. Just because she was a woman, it did not mean she was going to be pushed around easily, or forced into a corner to do whatever Jin wanted.

"Jin-sama, if you are concerned about your relationship with the Uchiha or what you may be getting out of it, I am willing to discuss that with you." Asami reached into her yukata and pulled out the scroll from Madara. She passed it to Jin, who took it and began to read. "This entails Madara's trade deals for the upcoming summer. Please take a look at it. I do not wish to work out riddles, so if there is something on your mind I am more than willing to listen. I did come all the way here to speak with you, after all."

Tadashi stared at her with the same even expression she had given his father moments ago. "You still did not answer my father's question."

Asami sighed, folding her hands in her lap. What was with these men? But she answered him anyway.

"Alliances are to the benefit of all clans involved. I can assure you there is no intention to deliver a shorthand to the Fuma if that is a concern. The Uchiha prioritize fairness and wish for all parties to be satisfied with the conditions of the treaty. If something is not to your liking I will listen to you, as I said before. You haven't been wronged by us before, so you can rest assured it won't occur just because Tajima-sama is no longer the clan leader."

"And how do you know something is to be to our benefit?" Challenged Tadashi, continuing to stare her down. "The Uchiha do not get anything out of being fair. When negotiating there is always someone who is in control. Even if those involved claim to be on an even playing field, there will always be someone who is in control of the room and will be the ultimate deciding factor in how events play out. There is always a big and small dog."

Jin was still reading, though he seemed to falter for a moment, listening to the conversation between his son and Asami.

"If you believe that to be the truth, then who do you think the big dog is, Tadashi-san?" Replied Asami cooly.

There was an underlying threat with her words, Tadashi bristling at her response. He narrowed his eyes, a dark expression covering his features. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

"As I said before, Tadashi-san," She slid her arms inside the sleeves of her yukata, not a twitch of emotion in her passive expression–quite the opposite of the young Fuma who looked more irritated. "The Uchiha don't have a desire to deliver the shorthand to the Fuma. As long as the dogs can get along, there should be no issue, right?"

Tadashi didn't say anything else.

The room fell quiet, Jin continuing to read the letter from Madara.

This was proving to be more trouble than Asami had predicted. Madara had warned her that the Fuma may have a special reason for meeting in person when most negotiations were done by letters, but she hadn't expected the cryptic questions. What the Fuma was trying to get from it, she still didn't know, and the unnerving of it was making her head hurt. She almost felt like the butt of a bad joke. She was doing her best to take control of the meeting and turn it in her favor, but Tadashi's more aggressive prodding was difficult to handle.

"I see." Jin lowered the scroll, rolling it back up. "I have no issues with what Madara-sama has provided. I will write up a response for him."

He looked to Asami, smiling again, though she could tell it was still fake. "No hard feelings about my question before, right? Or about my son's curiosity. I only want to see the perspectives of the younger generation of the Uchiha and hear what they have to say. I am pleased with your answer. I also find it humorous how you shut down my question and took control of the meeting without care."

The underlying message was there—he was not pleased that she refused to bend to his will, or that she was dominating the meeting.

His fake smile turned razor-sharp, Asami's eyes narrowing as his demeanor changed. The mood shift was quick and slight, but she was not the only one to pick up on it as Hikaku and Izanami seemed to tense a bit. Tadashi cast a look at his father out of the corner of his eye but didn't say anything more.

"Tell me, do you drink?" He raised his hand and made a 'come hither' motion without turning around. Almost instantly, a servant slid out of a door off to the side, a tray with cups in their hands. They set the tray down, bowing in respect, before turning and leaving through the door as if they had never been there at all.

Asami watched the servant leave, frowning, before looking back to Jin. "I do not."

"I insist you have some." He continued to smile at her in false politeness. "The Fuma does not only make good tea but sake as well."

"I do not drink." She reiterated, starting to not care that her refusal could come across as rude. Her patience was beginning to wear thin.

Hikaku shifted uncomfortably.

Jin took a cup and set it down in front of her. "Please. Let us drink as friends, and forget the way we started off."

Asami looked down at the white cup full of alcohol before her. She stared at it for a moment, before looking up and meeting Izanami's gaze. The woman sitting across from her met her eyes through the bangs that swept across her forehead, before glancing down to the cup that was on the table. Asami took it that she was mentally urging her to take a drink, so with a deep sigh, she lifted the cup and held it out to the Fuma clan leader.

Jin lifted his own, meeting hers halfway, the porcelain cups making a clink! as they connected.

The two pulled back their respective cups back and took a drink. The bitter taste of alcohol was not a pleasant experience, Asami pulling the rim of the drink from her mouth, face contorting as though she had swallowed an entire lemon. She turned her head away, squeezing her eyes shut as though doing so would vanish the taste from her mouth.

Jin barked a laugh, grinning at her for real this time, the fakeness having disappeared at the sight of her reaction. He seemed to take pleasure in her cracked composure. "My, you weren't lying! You really do not drink!"

Asami set the cup down away from herself, looking at it in distaste. "Thank you for offering a drink as allies, but I will not have anymore."

Jin took another sip from his cup, chuckling as he set it down. "Do not worry. I won't make you drink anymore. I think we have done enough discussing for the night. You may retire to the house provided for the night and I will give you the letter tomorrow morning before you depart. If you wouldn't mind staying for breakfast before you are to leave, though, we would be more than happy to serve you."

Asami nodded. "That would be very kind of you, Jin-sama."

Jin gave her a closed-eyed smile, folding his hands on top of the table. "Of course. Anything for our friends of the Uchiha clan."

Asami gave the Fuma leader a polite half-smile, though she couldn't force herself to give him the same amount of friendly treatment, especially as she could feel the eyes of his son, Tadashi, staring right through her.

The three Uchiha returned to the house they were given by the Fuma after the meeting. The group was preparing for bed, eager to leave the Fuma and head back to the Uchiha in the morning. Well, more than others were eager to depart, as Izanami seemed to be enjoying the living quarters provided by their host clan. She had been in the bath for what was probably over a half-hour now, enjoying the amenities provided.

Hikaku was just as eager as Asami to get back home, more so to get away from Izanami than anything else. He wanted to see his fiance, just as Izanami had predicted, but it was mostly to get away from the woman that had been getting on his nerves through the entire mission. Asami on the other hand was just... not a fan of the Fuma so far. The clan leader was odd, and his mind games with her were nothing but irritating. She didn't like when people couldn't come out and just say what they wanted since doing so would make negotiating so much easier.

In a way, she could understand, since it was how a lot of these things were done. Politics were not a clean-cut matter, unfortunately, and she was only starting to see this for herself. People would use manipulation and sly, demeaning tactics to get what they wanted. Jin's comment when he asked for her opinion on the value allies brought was a perfect example of that underhanded tactic. His son joined in on grilling her as well.

Asami didn't even want to think about his son. He was just as annoying as his father, and the way he challenged her during the meeting was something she couldn't ignore.

Tadashi was aware of the power dynamic between the Uchiha and Fuma. The Fuma would bend to the Uchiha's will if they so desired since if they refused, the Uchiha and Fuma would become enemies. They would lose all the allies that came having a relationship with the Uchiha. It wasn't as though the Fuma were a weak clan, but against the Uchiha without any support, they would be wiped out.

Asami knew the Uchiha didn't have any intentions to do that now, but it's not like the Fuma could be totally reassured by her words alone anyway. During times like these, you really could not fully trust anyone.

The 'big dog vs little dog' comment was something that she still found unsettling as well. Perhaps she was too forward with her response, insinuating that the Uchiha were in fact, in control of how things would play out.

Why did it have to be this way? Life would be so much easier if people just got along, and didn't fight tooth and nail for any source of power they could. It was hopeless to wish for a world like that, though. She knew that. But she could still hope.

She only hoped breakfast with the Fuma family would be a better experience than that meeting was.