She was nervous, more than nervous. In fact, if there was any one thing she could have called on to have gotten her out of this, a last minute meeting, some forgotten duty, something, anything that she thought could have helped her walk away she would have tried to employ it.
But she knew ahead of time it would not work, so she hadn't even bothered.
After all, when the Demon King wanted to meet with you personally in his estate in the early hours of the morning, there were few things that would barely even make him hesitate for more than half a second from getting his wish.
To any other who knew of her state of mind, they would find it somewhat odd. Though, indeed, the leader of what was establishing itself as an Empire with blitzkrieg speed was an intimidating figure, she'd met him before and had even been witness to some of his less than pleased moods during the early years of his rein. So though nervousness was somewhat understandable, the near fear she felt at the prospect of walking through the door in front of her, was not; given her history.
But to her, those previous encounters had always held the shielding presence of her sister as a buffer between herself and him. He normally spoke to Hinata, almost never to her beyond a slight nod or the spoken word of her name in greeting before he was down to business.
Now that shield was missing, and she was soon going to be diving into the proverbial fire, head first.
She took a breath, steeling herself as she realized she was being ridiculous. She'd been standing outside this door for at least a minute already after one of the housekeepers had led her here. He'd probably sensed her presence as it was and her head still wasnt missing. So no harm would come to her
So with that in mind, the newly anointed Hyuuga Matriarch reached her hand forward and opened the door.
Only to find an empty room...
'What in the-'
She looked around, the room was little more than a balcony with a sho-gi board set up near the railings that were overlooking the gardens..
She stepped forward, eying her surroundings with a new level of disquiet. She was half tempted to activate her Byakuugan after a minute or so before the sound of footsteps, reached her ears. Heavy footfalls announcing the presence of the Kage before he'd even rounded the corner to enter the room. The sound was a courtesy she was surprised to see from him at all really.
"Young Hanabi." He said, greeting her with a nod. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting for very long. There was something I needed to attend to this morning that took longer than anticipated."
She bowed, as gracefully as she could. Though her stomach felt like she'd swallowed a block of lead and her limbs felt unnaturally stiff. Her voice carried only the merest hint of hesitation. "It is of no trouble, Naruto-sama."
He offered a slight bow of his head, in return before gesturing towards the table.
She swallowed, choking down her own trepidation before following.
As they took their seats, she watched him nod to a housekeeper, by the door, whom promptly entered with a steaming pot of hot water in one hand, and a tea set in another, held in a basket.
She set it down at their side, before bowing out to fulfill some other task.
Sitting in the Hokage robes, sharing tea with him, was almost a surreal experience for her really, so surreal, she found herself just going with the moment, more numb than anything after a few quiet seconds. She couldn't say she was still afraid...but she was not at ease either.
Finally, after their second cup, it was he who broke the silence. "Do you play much?"
It took her a second, but then she realized what he was talking about. "Sho-Gi? I used to. Hinata was always better at it than I was though."
"Yes..." He said, and though she dared not look at him directly, staring instead at some small part of his collar, she almost thought he sounded...wistful. "On the rare occasions that we played, I was never assured of my victory."
"She was good enough to beat you?" Hanabi asked, genuinely surprised, her sister rarely spoke of what she discussed with Naruto whenever they would meet.
A nod was her answer.
There was a long and decidedly uncomfortable silence between the two before Naruto served them both some more tea.
"I would like to ask you a question." He said, and with that, whatever small surety she had held promptly evaporated. Her mouth was suddenly very dry and the plate like cup in her hands felt very heavy. "And I would like to receive an honest answer."
Not trusting herself not to drop the expensive cup, and what was probably equally expensive, imported tea (she guessed because she'd never tasted any like it before and she'd tried virtually every tea that grew naturally in fire country) she carefully set the thing down before fisting her hands at her lap. "A-alright." She stuttered and hated herself for doing it.
She could feel his eyes on her, examining her, measuring her, and suddenly she felt very self conscious.
"Do you trust me?"
She could have sworn her heart stopped entirely, especially considering the organ was currently lodged in her throat. Her white eyes were wideas every muscle in her body froze at once.
"Ah-ah...ex-cuse me Naruto-sama?"
"Do you trust me?" He repeated, neither impatient nor angry at her hesitation.
"I-Yes...I do."
"I said I wanted an honest answer."
She averted her eyes, staring at some nameless spot in the floor.
"Look at me."
She obeyed and met the intense, sea blue with as much composure and dignity as she could, finding her courage returning to her from wherever it had been hiding.
He held the tea cup in his hand, and then, in one smooth and easy motion, spilled it off to the side, the wet drumming of liquid striking wood easily reaching their ears in the silent room.
"If what you said is true." He spoke. "Then your trust is like that tea. Easily given, easily discarded, and useless once it has been so."
She didn't say anything, watching as he placed the cup down, knowing that he would continue speaking.
"I trust you as much as I would trust any vassal under my command." He paused for a moment, and she felt the intensity of his stare increase. "I trusted Hinata more than that. And she trusted me, enough to request my looking after you."
She was surprised, and it showed for a moment before she forced her expression back to neutrality.
"So now, I am going to ask you again for an honest answer. Do. You. Trust. Me. Hyuuga Hanabi?"
This time, she did not stutter, her voice was firm, and her heart did not hammer in her chest with nervous fear. "No...Naruto-Sama...I don't even know you."
He nodded, closing his eyes as he did so. "Hmmm...Trust...is earned...through deeds...and through honesty. And so I will be honest with you. There now lie before you, two choices."
"And what would those be?"
"Your sister was my commander and one of my most trusted advisers I offer you now the chance to fill her role. You will be entrusted with the highest military secrets, exact numbers of strength should you so wish it, authority over the armies when they are fielded.." He paused, serving himself some more tea as he let his words sink in.
"This position however entails risks." He continued. "Being of such obvious importance you will be targeted by our village's remaining enemies, both martial and political. Unlike your sister, whom had time to ease herself into the position and took on her responsibilities as they came. You will have no such luxury. You will be thrown straight into a trial by fire. Given your age and lack of experience, it will be even harder than I care to emphasize. " He paused, taking another sip of his tea as he waited for her reaction.
But still she spoke with a surety and confidence that was pleasantly surprising to him. Aparently when it came down to it, she could handle pressure. "And what is the second choice?"
He gestured towards the door. "You can say no. Return to the Hyuuga estate, assume your responsibilities as Clan head and fulfill them to the best of your ability. You will still be under my protection, political and otherwise, regardless of what you choose here today."
"Why are you offering me this?"
"As I said...before she died, Hinata asked me to protect you. Though the threat of danger is marginally greater should you choose to take up Hinata's responsibilities, you would be directly under my aegis. Which would enable me to keep a closer eye on your movements, and the movements of those around you."
"I am not my sister. And you're just offering this to me because of her."
His eyes seemed to flash for a moment with some indiscernible emotion before he responded. "No you are not. And though the offer extends to you in large part because of her, it would not be offered at all if I did not believe to some degree, that you could bear the burden of the responsibility."
In one fluid motion he stood dusting off his clothing with one hand before he returned his stare back to her. "I will give you some time to think on this decision. The room is yours as long as you like. I tell you now however, that I require an answer today. There are many things which cannot be delayed any longer than necessary."
In truth, he would have preferred to leave her in his study, the many books there could provide respite and distraction to ease her nervousness and possibly make her decision the one he wished her to take if she was a bit more at ease. Following yesterday's...events...however, it was hardly in a condition to accommodate guests.
For her own part, Hanabi wanted to say something else, but her mind was still fishing for words by the time he turned and marched through the rooms solitary exit, leaving her alone...
Alone...with nothing more than the prospect of becoming the Demon King's right hand to occupy herself.
When he saw her again, it was nearly three hours later, shuffling with unease once more, apprehensive and hesitant.
From the farthest corner of his peripheral vision he saw her look away from him, bite her lip, looking to the floor a moment more before she nodded to herself, regaining that confidence he'd seen earlier as she approached him. Or at least making a convincing show of it.
She stood at his side, waiting. And for the briefest of moments he felt a gut wrenching familiarity to her stance, in her calm demeanor as she stood there, waiting for his word.
Unexpectedly he found himself needing a moment to compose himself before he finally did speak.
"You've made your choice then?"
She nodded. "Yes I did."
"And?"
She took a breath. The one before the plunge.
"If Hinata could do it. Then I have to be able to as well. Otherwise I...I'm not fit for the position of clan head.
"Moments ago you were angry at me for comparing you to her." He said. "Now you do the same."
He waited for her response, knowing it would come in but a moment.
"There's a standard I need to hold myself to...And I can think of no higher."
He nodded. Though if it was in acknowledgment or agreement, she couldn't tell.
He turned around, uncrossing his arms from his chest as he brought his eyes away from the expansive garden he'd been looking over as he spoke, facing her fully and meeting her gaze with his own.
"Very well then." Reaching down, he unclasped a small scroll from his belt, handing it to her. "You are to read these tonight, in it are instructions on your duties and who is best to orientate and help you become accustomed to them. One week will be your probationary period. If I see that you cannot take hold of your new duties adequately in that time I will make it known by then. And likewise if you have.
She nodded and after a moment, bowed as she realized that she was, as of now, dismissed.
As he watched her leave, the Demon king closed his eyes in thought, contemplating the pros and cons of his next decision for a split second before he decided to made it.
"Hyuuga." He said, surprising himself, more than her. "What skills have you mastered besides those of your clan?"
"I err." She stumbled, caught off guard by the abrupt, almost random question. "Well, I know some Genjutsu, and some lightning techniques.
"How many"
"Disorientation Genjutsu mostly, If the enemy stumbles to regain his balance because he's dizzy, my attacks can land in more vulnerable areas and cause crippling damage at the very offset of an engagement." She answered, once again, recovered and in control.
"And I would imagine your skills in the lightning element are to complement your close range skills as well then?" Though he posed it as a question, it was not.
"Yes exactly."
"Then you do not know enough." He said, surprising her. Though his next words would nearly drive her to cardiac arrest by comparison however. "You are to report here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Five AM; this, is non negotiable."
She stuttered and chocked on her own spit as words began emerging from her mind too quickly for her to voice properly. "But...But sir I-I err."
"Believe me Hyuuga." He interrupted, narrowing his eyes just the slightest bit. "I am more than capable of dragging you out of your home by force if need be. Which would make your first days rather unpleasant, I can assure you."
'I...I'm going to be training under you?" She asked, the disbelief she felt, being quite evident.
His tone was dry, and she would later realize that it was about as close to a joke as he would ever get. "That is the general notion, yes."
At her gaping, slack jawed silence he offered a wave of his hand. "You may now leave to your home Hyuuga."
He walked into the camp, a burlap sack over one shoulder, and...oddly enough, spears over the other.. It caught her attention enough to draw her eyes up from the animal she'd been preparing.
As he set down his "catch" of the day, she was, not for the first time, struck by just how completely ridiculous this was. If just two days ago someone would have told her she'd essentially become the traveling companion to Hoshigake Kisame, the Monster of Kirigakure, she would have laughed in the person's face before checking to see if they were, or should be, taking medication.
Odd the way life turns out to be.
"We were in luck, caravan from Iron country." He smiled his usual smile as he began rummaging through the items. "Half were already asleep, the other half were stupid. They were easy pickings."
"Did you kill them?"
His look said it all.
She averted her eyes, a vague feeling of...something...welling up and settling at some point between her stomach and ribs. Something that wasn't quite anger yet wasn't quite disgust either.
She focused on her task, driving the thoughts from her mind.
There was a flat silence between the two, and with no fire yet lit, there was not even the crackle of flames on wood to fill the gap.
She caught movement from the corner of her eye, and in reflex, her hand shot up, catching the object with little effort before she realized what she was holding. Though still, she just had to ask.
"What's this?"
"Your new weapon." The Monster of Kiri answered simply with a shrug. "You need a new one."
She looked down at the spear, its long shaft making the thing just about a full head taller than her. "I don't know how to use this. I have my own style of weapon."
"A style which that brother of yours has seen a dozen times over and already knows how to fight and counter." He answered before brushing his hands clean against each other as he stood. "You need to learn how to fight with something he wont expect. Can you think of anything less Shinobi-like than a spear?"
She shook her head, now standing with him. "It takes years to master a weapon. We don't have years. Hell, we don't even know if we have a week!"
Kisame scoffed. "Please. You dont need to master the damn thing. You're learning to fight one guy! And what weapon has he used since the start of this. He uses two swords. If we're going by statistical advantages you'd already have a huge advantage with that weapon just in your hands."
"Why's that?" She asked, looking up at the spear tip.
He seemed to scoff, crossing his massive arms over his broad chest. "People use one sword for a reason. Two throws off your center of gravity when you swing. It may seem like a dual wielding fighter would have the advantage over a single sword to an amateur, but the fact is any real swordsman skilled enough with a sword could make his dual wielding opponent overextend himself in a swing. All it would take would be that split second opening. With this weapon-" He grabbed the spear, striking a stance as he demonstrated. "Your center of gravity is always perfect, no matter which way you move or try to strike.
He gave off a few false thrusts of the weapon. Emphasizing his legs and thighs with a few, exaggerated stomps."If you keep your enemy out of reach then he will be the one offering you numerous openings in order to try and close the distance between you."
"He's faster than me." She said. "He can close that distance easily."
"Never said he couldn't." The Kiri swordsman grunted as he handed her the weapon back. "You just need to land a good enough hit before he does. That way, you can gain an advantage. You said you wanted to beat him, not kill him right? Well, this should be the perfect weapon for you to keep him at bay. Especially when you combine something like this with your lightning chakra."
He tossed the spear back, and she caught it with one deft movement as she glared at him
"And why are you helping me?" She asked, only to see his signature fanged smile.
"Like I said, we're all going to that fight for a reason. Mine is to have as much fun as I can. You're the one that's gotta keep ol' red eyes off my back long enough for me to do that. Not much enjoyment to be found in just getting your ass kicked five seconds into the battle.
"I thought you liked challenges."
"I love em." He answered with a bark of laughter. "But I enjoy to face the challenge after the cannon fodder is dealt with."
Somehow, she knew this wasn't just some lie or empty boast. He really would fight Naruto if it came down to it. He'd fight despite knowing that he would die... maybe it was even because of that knowledge that he was so driven to do it.
Still despite what sense he made with this advice on weaponry, she couldn't help but look at the offered spear with a degree of mistrust...even fear. It felt as though with this, the discarding of her old weapon of choice, was the last straw, the last thing that held her ties to the two villages she had belonged to since she first left Konoha.
It was only now that it was starting to hit home for her.
Now there was nothing.
She was no longer the apprentice of Zhuge Liang, special Jounin of Kumogakure.
She was no longer the angel of Suna.
She was no one now.
It was a concept that was discouraging, hurtful, and frightening all at once.
And yet...
There was a sound overhead, rolling thunder. The clouds were darkening above them as the first trickles of a morning rain began to lightly fall.
"Goddamnit, all it does in this miserable place is rain." The Shark ninja snarled staring up at the sky with a sneer on his face.
"Tell me Kisame..." She interrupted him, her eyes never leaving the spear's shaft as it rested in her hands.
"Hn?"
"How was it..." She paused, swallowing as though unsure of her own question. "That you felt when you finally realized that you might never be able to go back?"
He was quiet and the rain began to fall more heavily now.
For the briefest second, she thought he would actually answer her; then he snorted in that familiar way indicating his dismissal. "We each deal girl, I suggest you find a way. The less you know about me the better off you'll be."
And with that answer the rains fell over them, crashing over their bodies and soaking them both.
She heard him turn away, begin packing up but paid the Akatsuki member no mind, she simply stood. Stood in the rain's cold embrace, and in that frigid hold she found herself, all that she was, all that she'd been, being washed away.
She didn't know what made her feel this way, or why she was feeling this now, here, in this, the most inappropriate of places, with a cold blooded murderer at her side, feet half sinking in floor that was quickly becoming mud, dressed in beaten tatters that did nothing to shield her from the biting wind of drenching downpour.
But she knew it was still real.
Here, in this place, with cold rain that felt strangely comforting even as her body shivered; she realized it...
She was no longer apprentice to Zhuge Liang, special Jounin of Kumo.
She was no longer the angel of Suna.
She was no one...
She...was free.
The last person Hanabi expected to see as she made her way up the small hill to her sister's gravesite was Konoha's infamous Sharingan-no-Kakashi.
Some part of her realized it should have been somewhat expected. Hinata was Hatake's student once upon a time, though they were never particularly close, the man would come here to pay his respects.
Perhaps they'd been closer than she'd known, given the fact that none of the Hyuuga clan's occupants said he was here, meaning he'd made his way here through...a less than legal route.
As she walked up to his side, she noticed flowers, or, to say it better, a flower. A lone white lilly, its stem placed carefully over the grave marker, next to a long incense stick, almost burnt out, nothing but the crumbled trail of ashes lying beneath where it had once hung aloft. How long had Kakashi been standing here for that thing to burn out?
"Forgive me." He said, and then as though realizing how he sounded he decided to clarify. "For intruding I mean. I overheard that you'd most likely be gone for most of the day...guess I lost track of time."
"It's no trouble." She assured. "You were her teacher correct?"
He seemed to hesitate, his lone eye returning down to the gravestone. "Yes...I suppose I could be called that."
Though his answer was strange she did not have the will, nor the desire to question him overmuch on it. "Then it is only right you should see her."
"Thank you." He nodded. "But...I think you want to be alone now...isn't that right."
She didn't speak, though courtesy dictated she assure the man that he could stay as long as he liked.
But she could not offer him that now. She did wish him to leave, so that she could be alone with her own thoughts, and her own conflicting emotions over recent developments. So that she could seek the guidance and quiet strength of her now dead sister in peace.
She could only offer... "You don't need to sneak in next time. I'll tell the ground's-keeper to let you through."
"Thank you."
She nodded, and as he turned she looked back down to the flower. "And thank you for the flower."
He looked back at her. "I'd accept your thanks...but I wasn't the one who left it there."
She looked back to the white lilly. Lilies had always been her favorite. Had one of her fellow Hyuuga's done it then?
She shrugged. It didn't matter. "Thank you regardless." She said, her voice in the wind.
He nursed the flower in his hand as he stood in the garden, soft white petals ghosting over the flesh of his calloused fingers.
"That cane impairs you, Jiraiya.." He said, not looking away from the piece of flora.
"Would it matter?" The Toad Sannin said, gruff and informal as he stepped through the brush after a brief moment's pause
Naruto didn't answer. There was no need. They both knew what it would be regardless.
"What do you want here then?"
" Well to be perfectly blunt." The toad sannin said, and Naruto could easily detect the hostility in his tone. "I want to know why you didn't go to the funeral." Straight and to the point. He'd always been that way, even with him.
The answer that he gave was automatic at this point, he'd repeated it so many times in his own mind, that it came only naturally to say it to another."My presence there was unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?" The veteran ninja asked, teeth gritting as his eyes flashed with something very close to disgust. "Going to pay your respects to Hinata; one of the people who helped you fucking build this whole empire of yours, is unnecessary?"
The older man had come here looking for an explanation. Naruto's absence at the funeral was something he did not expect at all. He'd been so furious he almost stormed into the Kage's estate right then and there, willing to give a good hand at dragging the blond kicking and screaming if he had to.
It had only been through a nearly superhuman act of sheer willpower that he'd forced himself not to come. Deciding to let his head cool and to not go looking for an argument on the day of the young Hyuuga's funeral.
The day and a half since however, had not acomplished their intended purpose. Instead of easing his anger at the simple hurt Naruto not going had caused in him, it had festered, settling in the pit of his stomach like a writhing thing until, today, when he decided to come here.
Hearing Naruto's callous answer of unnecessarywas not helping at all.
And now he was just standing there with his back turned to the older man, and Jiraiya wouldn't stand for it.
"You look at me when I'm talking to you!" The toad Sannin roared, stepping forward and, with force few would think him capable of, and even fewer would have ever dreamed of employing, grabbed Naruto, spinning him around and taking hold of the younger man by the scruff of his clothes, the white flower the blond had held, crushed under the older man's foot.
"So what, she was just useless to you? Another little stepping stone on your way to make this so called world of peace! She was with you from the beginning Naruto!" The venom in his voice surprised the both of them.
In response Naruto glared, though there was no real anger there, no real malice, only an odd look of...indignation.
"What do you want from me, Jiraiya?"
If Jiraiya hadn't been so furious at the blond, he would have recognized just how different this was. How open. There were no walls here. No defense mechanisms. No anger, no evasiveness.
If the Toad Sannin would have seen such, he would have certainly been surprised.
If he'd have seen it, he'd have been able to take this rare opportunity, he may have taken this one and only chance he would ever have to perhaps, inflict some permanent damage on the icy shell of iron the young man called a soul.
It was just there. Lying within reach, and if he'd have seen it he may have been able to seize it, and shatter a shield that was already battered and cracking, held together only by waning threads of a weary man's will.
But he didn't see it, and his own anger clouded his eyes until all his gaze could beheld was that calm, placid expression.
Unperturbed...un-bothered...uncaring.
"I want to know that you actually give a damn! I want to see you bat a goddamn eye. I want to hear you say something other than the next phase of your grand design. I want you to let yourself see, and feel something for someone other than your goddamn mission!
His moment passed. And like with Akina before him, the great iron doors sealed shut once again, no more chances. No more cracks upon the armor.
No more weakness.
And through his fury, Jiraiya knew right then that something had changed now. That something had...moved back; shifted. Like something just...clicked...back into place, and the gap between the two suddenly seemed, irrevocably immense.
With a brush of his hand, Naruto shoved the Toad Sannin's arm away, and though it was not a violent gesture, he made his opinion perfectly well known.
Jiraiya matched his glare, and after a moment,turned and walked away, his gait and his heart, heavy through the hurtful, anger that still boiled at the pit of his stomach.
And above them, the thunder rolled, and the rains came crashing down with a sudden, deafening hiss, leaving the Godaime soaked from head to toe in mere moments as he stared up towards the darkening clouds above as Jiraiya left.
'Are you still there then? Do you still weep for me now; as you always did?'
Hidden in a corner, just before the opening porch to the garden, stood a lone Suna Princess, watching and listening carefully as she held three, small, trinkets in her hands.
And, as she saw him standing there, beneath the rain, in a way that reminded her of that time just mere weeks ago on that island, she knew that nothing had really changed here...nothing was different.
He still stood...and he still fought...alone.