Sarutobi Hiruzen was old. He had been the first Hokage, and remained to be the only, to survive and peacefully retire from his position. He had overseen the training of his successor and relinquished the mantel for a new Konoha. He had survived the attack of the Kyuubi, and the fall of his successor. He was old, he was weary, and he felt every bit his age as he stared down at the deceptively slim stack of papers upon his desk.

Surely, it was the least amount of paper his desk had ever seen in nearly two decades, but it came with the quality of that many times its quantity.

He spun his chair to face the window behind him and stroked his salty beard in contemplation, pipe half tipped from his lips. It was easy to wish to accept the proposed request. Very easy, and that was what made it all the more suspicious.

The contract was simple.

And quite honestly? Too simple and too good to be realistic.

An orphaned clan (and just how many of those had he seen in his time?) requested permanent residency and sanctuary in exchange for a multitude of gifts Konoha could never hope to repay. From external medicines and miracle cures to monetary stability and even a new kekkai genkai.

How could he refuse?

Yet, at the same time, how could he possibly accept?

They were providing a solution to just about all their current tribulations. It almost made him curious to see what else they had to offer.

However, what worried him most was that he had never heard of this group before.

They were powerful and could tip the balance of power whichever way they swayed, but there was absolutely no whisper of their existence before this letter. Even the contract currently burning a hole in his desk and in his mind was air tight and though appeared to be equal in favor, allowed just a tad more secrecy to the other party.

It took skill, and strength, to do such a thing. And people did not become strong in the Hidden Countries without being known.

His curiosity was getting the better of him, this he knew, and so he also knew his judgment was already slightly impaired. Snapping his fingers to summon one of the ANBU from his office walls, he hummed pleasantly around his pipe and said, "Find Commander Nara and his associates." The use of his commander's occupational title rather than his lordship certainly told his subordinate of the urgency to the matter. "Have them report to me at their next availability."

Which was a mighty kind way of saying: get their asses in my office yesterday.

Konoha's Hokage did not have to wait long—he never did with this group, unlike someone. Elsewhere, a certain silver haired Hound ANBU Captain trembled with the suppressed urge to sneeze. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," he greeted with a slow, dramatic turn of his chair to face the three imposing men that stood across from him. "I apologize for any inconvenience my summons may have caused you." The three acknowledged and accepted the admission with a nod of their heads, and he went on, "Unfortunately, the matter is urgent. I find myself in quite the dilemma. Look through this and inform me on your thoughts."

He carefully spun the file on his desk and pushed it forward with just the tip of his gnarled index finger, watching their faces closely.

Nara Shikaku was head of his clan as well as Jonin Commander, and his laidback persona hid the most brilliant mind in all of the country of fire. His clan's disposition to be lazy made the transition from the napping Nara Clan Head to sharp, serious Commander more than terrifying in its own way. The man's dark eyes sharpened as he read.

Sarutobi did not allow himself to be phased by his Commander's impassive stare. He had only seen the man enraged once before, and that had been the day his Lady wife was killed. Still now, the intensity in his eyes affirmed that his own suspicions were not unfounded.

Yamanaka Inoichi was quite similar to his childhood friend and genin teammate. They both hid their darker, dominating personalities behind a persona-non-grata type façade. He was externally equal parts kind, calm and the soothing balm to a bee's sting.

This, too, did not fool Sarutobi. He had personally seen this man rip apart the mind of a traitor and regress yet another to a drooling, mindless mess. His reaction was most peculiar, he thought. Inoichi's eyes lit up in curious wonder, then fell back to their impassive blankness.

Akimichi Chouza was the simplest of his teammates, though also the team leader. Most would have pegged Shikaku, for all his laziness aside, for the role, but no. Chouza was the weighty balance between his two companions and brothers in all but blood. He was discrete for all his massive size made him impossible to hide. He fought with ferocity and protected his loved ones with that same viciousness.

Thus, Sarutobi knew that if this contract passed the evaluation of these three men, it could be trusted. Seeing that they were taking the contract seriously as was appropriate, he turned back to his window and waited for the verdict they would return.

"Hokage-sama," the Nara said, his tone tight with simmering curiosity, "Who sent this request?"

"We do not know," Sarutobi replied with a laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. "It merely appeared at the check in desk outside the front gate this morning."

Yamanaka announced, "Cautious then."

Humming in agreement, the Hokage tapped out his pipe and placed it back on his lip to inhale deeply. "Yes, they are also quite brilliant." Pausing to exhale silver rings, he turned and raised a wizened eyebrow at them, "What do you say on this gamble?"

Nara glanced back at the contract then set it on the desk, and his shoulders promptly rounded downward in a slouch as he lost the intensity that had gathered about him. "They have written it well. Regardless of the fact that they request both permanency and sanctuary, what they are willing to offer more than makes up for it."

"Yet it begs to question what they need sanctuary from," Yamanaka said quietly, pale eyes thoughtful, "What is to say they are not on the run from a megalomaniac of which we have also not heard of?" He tapped the papers with his index finger and the drum of his nail against wood echoed ominously, "We have never heard of them, and they are obviously on the run from something that knows them intimately well. How can we defend against a threat that we do not know?"

The Akimichi popped a chip in his mouth for the first time since entering the Hokage's office and decided to break up the conspiracy theories, "What say we propose a meeting with an envoy? Judging their request without even meeting them at all seems a bit unfair. Considering they have seemingly no other option than to reach out to us or another hidden village, it ought to be the least we can do."

Looking from one to the next, Sarutobi cracked a smile, "Objections?"

When none were made, he pulled a scroll from his desk and a brush. Writing out their determination in formal calligraphy, he rolled it thrice and tied it off with a ribbon. Then, handing it to the men before him, he said, "I trust no other with this. Perhaps delivery is a task beneath you, but considering the circumstances, I cannot in good conscience send anyone else."

Two weeks later saw Sarutobi Hiruzen and his three chosen advisors in his office across from three very different individuals.

Of the three, two were male and appeared to be almost mirror reflections of each other. They were identical in frame and height and bulk, but where once was pale as day and blond, the other was dark as night and bore equally black hair. Both kept their hair long, tied back from their faces in a low, hanging tail, and the question of it being a Clan habit was considered. They both had silver eyes, and neither looked any of them in the eye, choosing instead to remain on either side and behind the sole female amongst them.

The female was tall for a woman and bore long crimson—almost Uzumaki red—hair that swept down to her waist and also tied in a similar fashion to the men behind her. She had blue eyes and a kind, though wary, smile on her face. "It is a pleasure to meet you," her voice was deep as she offered the pleasantry, and she bowed elegantly before she sat in the chair offered to her.

Both men remained standing behind her.

"My name is Byakko Ayane," she said then waved a hand to the dark male behind her followed by the blond, "and the gentlemen behind me are Mamoru and my husband Ryuu." She paused to let both men bow curtly, then she quickly got down to business, "Before we begin, I must explain an unusual characteristic of our clan. We all carry the name of 'Byakko' but everyone but the main branch is written with the character for fox. The main family, currently compromised of a sole member, is written with the character for tiger."

She let this sink in then gathered a significant amount of papers from her satchel and set them atop the desk in the area provided. "I was not certain what you would require to know, so I brought as much as the time and journey allotted. Though small, our clan history is extensive and intensive. Perhaps it would be swifter to merely answer any questions you may have at this time."

Sarutobi peered up at the two men stoically standing at her side and privately wondered at the strange imbalance between female and male standing. Then he nodded briefly and crossed his hands idly before him on the wooden desk. The gesture seemed to have made its mark as her smile lightened slightly, "Let us begin with the basics then. How many members make up your clan and what are their skills?"

The Byakko representative sighed softly and shook her head. "And you have managed to ask one of the hardest questions to answer first. Very well." Leaning back in her chair, she collected her thoughts and began. "There are nine of us total. Aside from myself and the two with me, there are Hibiki and his wife Shiori, Tsukiko and Chigusa, Takeshi, and our clan head Hitsuki."

"Their skills are finely intertwined with our kekkai genkai and it is difficult to put into words," she warned tersely, tension tightening her shoulders ever so slightly. Likewise, the two men behind her straightened even more so. "While this may sound unbelievable, I ask you be patient."

"First off, our kekkai genkai does not require chakra and is in fact the existence and implementation of a secondary formation of spiritual energy. Second, our kekkai genkai allows us to bend reality as we see fit," she said the latter portion slowly and carefully, watching as the shinobi weighed her words.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" the Nara head questioned as he stared down at the slender woman, "You do realize you speak of something improbable?"

"Improbable it may be, but it is, I assure you." Byakko Ayane glanced over her shoulder at her blond companion, then she rose to her feet and placed both palms on the table, "Would you care for a demonstration then?" Her eyebrow rose with her voice and she waved a hand towards the men behind her, "We would be pleased to show you just how real our abilities are."

When the Konoha four unanimously decided to take up her offer, she looked at the two men and said perplexingly, "Nothing higher than year three, keep it clean and nothing too dramatic, boys. Go ahead."

Ryuu smirked at her, the expression oddly at home on his face despite it being the first time his expression had changed at all in their presence, and he spoke in a purr-like baritone, "Why, you wound me, darling." She glared at him and he turned to the Hokage with a laugh. Sweeping into a bow, he flexed his fingers and a bouquet of flowers suddenly appeared in his arms. Laying the bundle on the Hokage's desk, he allowed the four men to inspect them with interest to ensure they were not mere illusions.

Then he clenched a fist and opened his palm. Each finger was now tipped in long claws reminiscent of a felines. With one extended, he pointed purposely to the Hokage's hat and the other three were stunned to see it levitate up and move into a crystal rose. He twirled it about his finger and let it fall onto the table before him. "I could just as easily have pulled the heart from your chest." He rumbled as he stepped back into his place, a snap of his fingers causing the hat to morph back, yet the flowers remained.

Ayane sharply rapped her knuckles against his chest in reprimand and he acquiesced with a terse frown. She sat back down and raised her brow even higher, "You will find that we have not used chakra once today, despite our coils being appropriately developed." Then she slid a paper across the table to the Hokage's side, "We cannot disclose more unless you sign this secrecy contract. This information cannot leave this room."

Conflicted though now tremendously curious, Sarutobi read through the contract which was less than a paragraph long and required nothing more than absolute secrecy. He signed with a flourish, and his eyes widened at the sudden sensation of something settling over him. He raised a hand to stop his ANBU from taking their heads, though the men's expressions had not changed and that intrigued him all the more. "What was that?" his tone no longer benevolent.

Ayane tilted her head to the side and a predatory smile crossed her lips, "Just another facet of our kekkai genkai. We have only insured that the information from here on out will not leave this room. Should you or our subordinates attempt to speak of it outside this office, you will simply find yourself unable."

Without preamble, she laid out another file and handed it to the commander behind him, "A profile of all our members and the fields they are most comfortable or compatible with."

After only a few moments of viewing the files, Nara Shikaku cleared his throat, "There seems to be a mistake. You have your clan head listed as male, yet his medical file indicates a pregnancy?"

"Oh that is no mistake," she said, smiling all the while, as if not rocking the foundation of all their thoughts, "Our clan head is indeed male, and he is currently pregnant. With twins." She shook her head at their expressions, "We are a fairly infertile clan. However, even the males in our line are capable of conceiving and carrying a child to full term. The opportunity window is typically even less frequent than with the females, but are more likely to result in multiple births. A full medical file and examination can be requested if our terms are agreed upon."

"You expect us to believe that a man can become pregnant," the Nara asked impassively, and most carefully without infliction. Then proceeded to watch the three before him suddenly become hostile.

"You will not call us liars, Nara," the darker male, who had yet to speak thus far, suddenly said as he stepped forward, "We may be many, many things, but when it boils down to it, being a liar is not one of them. We do not take well to that accusation."

Ayane raised her hand and settled it against the man's arm. The boys calmed, as if all the anger drained out of them, and she in turn raised blazing eyes. "My sincere apologies, sir, but we have had quite the spot of trouble with being disbelieved. It has left a lasting mark upon us." A weighty grief settled across the three, then she raised empty, voided eyes to the Nara's and nodded, "That is quite exactly what I am saying. Our kekkai genkai is capable of bending even the reality of our physical bodies."