Author's Notes: Life has been exceedingly difficult for me recently, and my attention/time/energy has been dragged in many different directions (and not just by other interests). Also, this story is a difficult one to write, because the dates and timelines and keeping track of everything and when everything needs to happen…

So, yeah. Sorry about that.

(And holy shit the meeting between Hiashi and Minori was difficult as all hell to write. Fucking politics, man. They break my brain. But I hope I'm getting a little more adept at them…Maybe?)

Chapter Twelve:

Encounter

[…to meet with or contend against…]

The letter arrived via a stone-faced Hyūga, who rather looked like he didn't want to be anywhere near my apartment.

That was just fine by me, as I didn't want him anywhere near my apartment either.

I still smiled placidly at him, and accepted the letter with my murmured thanks. He didn't leave, either, which was doubly awkward.

God damn it, now I had to invite him in for tea.

As I bowed him inside, I noted how his considerably freaky eyes – seriously, they had no goddamn pupils, that was fucked up – flicked with disdain over the walls, the second-hand furniture, and Naruto's toys left strewn about.

I stiffened at that, feeling ashamed and dirty and small before him.

Then I straightened my back, and nailed him with the coldest, most haughty don't fuck with me boy stare I could muster. There was nothing wrong with saving money by buying second-hand. All of the furniture I had was sturdy and durable and would last a lifetime or more, even if it wasn't ostentatious enough to pass muster with some smarmy Hyūga. And my son was more than allowed to be messy and act like a child, because god knows he wasn't allowed to do it anywhere else!

And for that matter, why the hell should I care about the opinion of some fuckwit whose vaunted family practiced a form of virtual slavery towards its own? I mean, come on now.

The Hyūga may have been rich and 'noble', but they were also one of the most dysfunctional and borderline abusive clans I'd ever seen in all of anime. The Caged Bird Seal was no longer an efficient way of keeping the Byakugan out of enemy hands (if it had ever been), and had long since degenerated into a way of keeping the Branch House quiescent.

(And for that matter, the damned thing didn't even work, if I was remembering canon right. Didn't that Mizukage's guard who'd fought Shisui – named Aoba, or something – have a stolen Byakugan? Like…the whole thing was so utterly pointless, and if I was remembering right it didn't even work.)

"What brings you to my humble apartment today, Hyūga-san?" I asked him, after setting the tea before him.

His eyes flicked to the letter and back up to my face. "I was told to await a reply," he said coldly, as though I was an idiot.

My smile gained a sharp edge. Treating me like an infant does you no favors, boy, I thought coolly, or maybe Jiao-long thought it.

Instead, I put a hand to my lips in faint surprise. "Well, why didn't you say so when you arrived? I certainly wouldn't want to take up any more of your very important time, Hyūga-san."

Those freaky as hell eyes narrowed at me, but I simply smiled and went about opening the letter.

It was thick parchment, and the writing bordered on near-calligraphic levels of neatness. My eyebrows shot into my hairline as I began to read, and then they somehow went even further when I came to the name of the person who'd written the letter.

You've got to be kidding me.

I fought for composure and found it, drawing it up like a shield to hide the shock. Memories from the hated 'noblewoman's education' came to the fore, and I clung to them almost desperately.

"If you would but give me a moment, I will write a reply," I said mildly, and went to find the box of special box of stationary I'd been given by the Hokage.

Normally, as a 'young noble woman of a noble clan' (even though I wasn't, you know, a woman) approached by a caller for an appointment with another noble clan, I would have been expected to hand the letter over to my guardian, and have them pen a reply in my stead.

But as things stood, I was on the outs with most of the Sarutobi clan, and I couldn't possibly bother the Hokage just because Hyūga Hiashi was inviting me to tea.

Hyūga Hiashi was inviting me. To tea.

Took me a moment to process that, I had to admit.

(A tiny voice in my head was panicking to a tune called HOLY FUCK MOTHER FUCK AAAAAAAAAH)

So it fell to me to write the reply, with all the tools Hiruzen-sama had handed me for just this reason.

Twenty minutes later, as the Hyūga-drone left with my reply – written in the correct formal language, formatted properly, etc – I sat back, looking out the window.

"Here I was, thinking the first time I was going to have to use that shit was when a suitor showed up," I mused, rubbing my hand to ease the faint aches that lingered from gripping the pen in the right way.

But it made sense that it wasn't, in hindsight. Rie still hadn't finished figuring out whether or not my systems would allow me to bear a chakra-bearing child, or if my kekkei genkai could even be passed to a chakra-bearing child.

(It probably could, Rie had said, but she needed to make sure before any announcements were made to the noble clans.)

And whatever suitors were waiting in the wings didn't want to go to all the trouble of announcing themselves for a person who may not even be able to bear children.

I groaned, and rubbed my face.

While I would have been perfectly goddamn happy to never be able to bear children unless it was on my own goddamn terms and not via coercion, the whole contract allowing me to stay in this village had been made on the basis of me having children…who could then be exploited by the perpetual war machine known as Konoha.

Haaa…that's even more bitter than normal, I thought wryly.

I shook that aside, and turned back to the window.

…But why was the clan head of Hyūga approaching me, if not for matters of gaining my kekkei genkai?

Is it not obvious? Jiao-long asked, sounding amused. Naruto befriended his daughter, as he's mentioned to you before, and Hyūga wants to get a closer look at him. He cannot do it by cornering the boy – he is your acknowledged son if not by law, and under the implicit guardianship of the Sarutobi clan, instead of just being an orphan street rat and hated jinchūriki. And added to that, you are a noble maiden under the care of a noble clan, with a remarkably powerful kekkei genkai that – if it can be passed along – will be the prize of whatever clan has you. So he must go through the proper channels to get your measure, and your son's.

I groaned.

Fucking politics.

You'll need proper clothing, and a proper appearance, for a meeting with the head of a noble clan. Go into your bedroom, we'll need to practice applying makeup and how you'll be speaking. We'll also have to speak with the Hokage, to see if things such as litters are done here.

I blinked. A litter? Why would I need one of those?

Jiao-long laughed. You will be dressing quite finely for this meeting, and we cannot have you walking the streets in a kimono, no? It would get all dirty, and would not make much of a good impression on the Hyūga, who have already looked down on you for the appearance of your house. You go not only as your son's mother, but also as the representative of the Sarutobi noble clan. And a first impression is one hard to break, so it must be a good one.

But, a litter? I asked her, trying my hardest not to whine.

It depends on how such things are done here. In my time it was what was used by nobles during travel, if one wasn't used to riding a horse or wore clothing that didn't permit it. Things could very well be different here, though, which is why we should inquire of the Hokage.

I sighed. I had today and tomorrow off from work, and while I had planned on catching up on some chores and doing some cleaning, I'd probably be spending it getting ready.

Maybe it would be better for you to ask Rie, Amaruq commented thoughtfully.

Rie?

He has a point, Jiao-long said. I should have remembered that. Rie was a ward of the Hyūga clan, was she not? If there is anyone who would know the proper way to make a good first impression on them, it would be her. And it would be easier to see her than the Hokage, would it not?

And if Rie-chan doesn't know, then her hubby should, Dorje said. He probably had to be all proper 'n shit when he was asking for her hand, right?

I rubbed my forehead.

"Fucking politics," I grumbled, feeling a migraine building behind my eyes.

Naruto would be getting out of school soon, I thought, looking out the window.

I could think of all that nonsense I'd have to deal with later.

Litters were still in fashion, Akihiro and Rie both assured me.

Shinobi, of course, rarely used them or saw the need to (unless they were hosting the Chūnin Exams and had noble visitors), and in many Hidden Villages the practice had died out entirely. Konoha was an exception, as it still boasted a substantial civilian population, including many nobles and gentry.

And yes, I would be expected to ride in one to meet with Hyūga Hiashi. Either that or a carriage.

"Gods, just- fuck everything," I complained, stretched out on the floor in front of the small table, while Akihiro made a valiant effort not to snicker. "I'll have to wear a fucking expensive kimono too, won't I?"

(I'd never hear the end of this at work. I already got enough flack from everyone who wasn't Makoto about my being 'noble' and what not, much less about the whole nepotism thing and whatever. It wasn't the blatant harassment I'd gone through at the Library, but it was still fucking annoying.)

Akihiro's giggling got louder, and I made a rude gesture in his vague direction.

"Kaa-chan!"

I sat up as Naruto charged into the room, Naoko and Jun hot on his heels. For some odd reason, they were all covered – head to toe – in glitter. I raised one eyebrow, an expression that I'd come to consider an essential part of parenting.

Nao and Jun paused, blanching in unison when they saw their parents, but Naruto just grinned, rocking back and forth on his heels. I bit my lip, hiding a smirk.

"Have fun?" I asked, wondering if Naruto would need to replenish the kit I'd gotten him for his birthday.

Naruto's smile grew a bit terrifying. "Yup!"

"Need an alibi?"

My irascible son tapped his lips with a finger, a gesture I recognized with a start as my own 'thinking pose'. Having a child was weird.

"Mmmmmaybe?"

"U-Um, if you see Daishiro-sensei, could you tell him that we spent the day hanging around the training grounds?" Jun blurted.

"Is Daishiro-sensei tall, stringy-haired, doesn't particularly like the three of you?" I asked, my mouth twitching down into a scowl. I'd had a couple of very pointed arguments with that damned bigot, concerning my son and how he was treated.

Rie and Akihiro had had a bit more success in getting him to back off from their kids, but the bigotry surrounding my son started early and persisted, no matter how much I made sarcastic, cutting comments about the man's lack of hygiene, or came into the Academy to have Pointed Words™ with the teachers and faculty. They were, after all, just a symptom of a much larger issue.

"That's the one," Nao said, grinning just as maniacally as Naruto was.

"You won't get caught?" I asked, and all three kids grinned at each other.

"Naru-baka wanted to put his signature on the wall where we put the traps," Nao said, making a picture perfect Cassandra Pentaghast Disgusted Noise™. "But we convinced him not to. It's better stealth training, anyway." Naruto stuck his tongue out at her, and I had never been so grateful that I had Rie and her family in our lives.

My eyebrows shot through my hairline. "Well, well, well, you seem to have it all under control."

"Now go get showers," Rie said, sounding every bit as amused as I was. "Scrub behind your ears, as well."

"Yes Mama!" "'Kay, Auntie Rie."

Footsteps thundered past, leaving a small trail of sparkles on the floor. I bit my lip, trying not to giggle furiously as I heard them talking frantically about what I suspected was another prank. I'd thought that I'd have to nudge Naruto along to start with his pranking, but it seemed that my kid had things well in hand.

…Heh.

Was it weird to be fangirling over your own son? Because the thought of what Naruto would wreck in the future really awesome, and appealed greatly to my inner five year old.

"Hooligans," Akihiro said, smirking just as widely as me.

Rie sighed, but her mirth gentled whatever frustration she may have felt. "So now that our children are plotting how to cover the entire village in sparkles," she said, "let's discuss what Hiashi-sama will expect of you during the visit, and plan for some kimonos. You would look best in darker colors, I would think."

My smile fell off my face.

Akihiro's grin – somehow - got even wider.

The noble clothing stores (the few that existed, as most noble women used personal tailors) were not…suited, let's put it like that, for someone of my size.

I wasn't nearly as big as I'd been back home, but I'd long since resigned myself to the fact that I would probably be a fat person for the rest of my life, no matter how many times Gai kicked my ass across the training ground or how many meals I had to skimp on so that Naruto wouldn't go hungry.

(Thank all the gods I hadn't had to do that frequently…but it had happened, and probably always would until Naruto and I started really making names for ourselves.)

But even though this place didn't have custom shops on the Internet for me to use (the lovely invention that allowed fat people not to have to be humiliated by dressing room mirrors and stupid clothing!) it did have something else – the Akimichi Clan.

God bless the Akimichi Clan.

Naturally, the shops catering to the clan did have to employ seamstresses who were capable of dressing fatter bodies than the much thinner 'norm' that was often seen in the rest of the noble and/or shinobi clans of Konoha. It also had to employ people who were a lot less judgmental that the workers in boutiques and shops at home had ever been.

So all I had to worry about was being chased away because of fact that I was Naruto's mother.

Great.

I followed behind Rie, and my eyebrows raised when she was greeted by name by a buxom woman without the Akimichi clan markings on her cheeks, but with the wildly spiky hair that I associated with the Akimichi.

"Oho! So is this Kaname-chan, then?" The woman – who was about five inches taller than me – put her hands on her ample hips. "My, you're a cutie, aren't you?"

I went red, keeping my eyes above her generous cleavage. Why was everyone that complimented me or paid me good attention so goddamn hot? It wasn't fair.

"Well, let's get to work then, shall we? We have Chōsei-sama here, but she doesn't mind us doing your appointment at the same time. I think she wouldn't mind someone to talk to," the woman commented, leading us into the back of the shop.

I noticed several girls – most of whom looked Akimichi in some way – as we passed, but none of them gave me more than a second look before they were sternly told to go back to their work. We entered a small room decorated sparsely but elegantly with luxurious accoutrements of the clothing trade.

Sitting on a long couch I might have thought would be from the Sunpan Modern Home line if we were back home, was a plump woman who looked like an Akimichi top to toe – minus the markings on her cheeks I associated with the characters I had known - waiting patiently.

She smiled when she saw us, her smile crinkling in a way that reminded me greatly of Akimichi Chōji. "And now who is this, Rie-chan? Another stray who has wandered into your clutches?"

Rie rested a hand on my shoulder. "Not at all, Chōsei-chan. This is Minori. They are a ward of the Sarutobi clan, and possess a kekkei genkai I had been studying and training them in."

Tears stung my eyes at the unexpected usage of a gender-neutral pronoun – I loved Rie so much - but I bit the inside of my cheek until the pain drove them away, and bowed to the Akimichi woman. From what I had learned in my studies, Akimichi Chōsei had been the daughter of the former head of the Clan, and was now the sister of the current head – Akimichi Chōza. She hadn't been part of the series, or at least not that I remembered.

While I did not need to genuflect, it was only right for me to show my respect to someone so high up in a noble clan. And besides, she was an Akimichi! If any clan besides the Uzumaki still had my fannish adoration from my previous life, it was the Akimichi.

"Now, now, darling, no need for that," Chōsei chastised, smiling. "Come sit here while Mariya-chan gets ready, and tell me about that son of yours. My brother's Chōji has had many stories to tell of Naruto's pranks. Do you know he managed to cover every single teacher at the Academy in lasting paint?"

I looked at her for a long, long moment. I had for so long been used to facing overwhelming hostilities or outright disdain from members of Konoha – that weren't the Hokage or Rie's family – that I wasn't entirely certain to do with this honest, non-malicious amusement.

There was something almost apologetic in her eyes when she spoke next. "Rie's told me a great deal about him,. And Chōji and Shikamaru-chan, Shikaku-kun's son, they like him a great deal as well. Our clans have always been excellent judges of character, you know." She did not take her eyes off me for a second, and I realized I had been correct.

She was apologizing to me.

Jiao-long got a hold of me before I could say something rash like well that took you long enough, and instead I took a seat next to the Akimichi and smiled politely.

"Why, Chōsei-sama, if the teachers of the Academy cannot outwit a six year old boy, then that certainly isn't my Naruto's fault. Or mine. Better teachers should be employed to train the future of our village," I said mildly, and Chōsei laughed, a great burst of sound that rolled up from her belly.

"I see why Rie-chan likes you. Are you here for formal wear?"

Mentally, I girded my loins as Rie sat down in a chair to my right, and Mariya brought a wealth of cloth samples out for me to peruse.

I am so far out of my depth, I thought wryly. I had never been a fashion plate before, and that certainly hadn't changed these days.

My normal clothing consisted of loose, casual clothes around my house and the village, my uniform for the Buntai was simple and to the point, with colors even I couldn't make look stupid, and my workout clothes certainly weren't meant to be fashionable. And everything, of course, came secondhand.

Watch Chōsei, Jiao-long said. Mimic her and ask her questions. Treat her as you would a treasured grandmother, or perhaps an auntie would be better. She is the sister to a noble Clan Head of this village, and another ally that will be advantageous to you in you and your son's future. Do not be timid, but not aggressive, and you will find a friend.

After the excruciating experience, Rie and I left the store with a kimono that would be delivered to Rie's house a day from now, and several that would follow afterwards. And I found myself with something else too – an invitation to join the Akimichi Clan for dinner in a week, and to meet with Akimichi Chōza and his immediate family.

(Once, Inoichi had made me that offer…but we hadn't spoken since that night. All of my appointments in the days after had been made with members of the Yamanaka clan who did not resemble Yamanaka overly so. I appreciated it.)

I fought the urge to laugh, pushing back the memories as I followed Rie back to her home. Are you ever wrong? I asked Jiao-long.

Not often.

The Hyūga estate was…

Uh.

It was something else, and that was putting it mildly.

The estates were an expansive sprawl of elegantly Japanese buildings and gardens, located in about the same area the other of the noblest clan compounds were located. They were nearer to the Inuzuka and Aburame compounds than I had expected, but in hindsight, I supposed that made sense.

I didn't know how things had gone during the Clan Wars, but in the here and now it was frequent than members of the three clans worked together and were partners, wasn't it? Or was I just remembering things wrong yet again?

My palms felt clammy, and very discreetly I wiped them on the inside of my wide sleeves.

The kimono I wore (the dressmaker had called it hōmongi, or something along those lines) was combination silk-and-cotton dress, sized perfectly to my body. The top half and left sleeve black and patterned with white flowers that crossed my body to the very hem of the kimono's skirt, while the other sleeve was white, merging with the color that flowed over my hip. The wide belt (it was an obi, right? I wasn't just pulling that out of my ass, was I?) was the gold-green of vines and roots, that blended with the rest of my outfit.

It was gorgeous, beautiful, and scared the absolute shit out of me. What if I stepped on the hem? What if I ripped it while sitting? What if (god forbid) I got it dirty? I mean, I technically hadn't paid for it – the bill had been sent to the Sarutobi clan, as was only proper (cue my petty laughter) – but still. It was stupidly expensive, and I didn't want to make an ass of myself.

Calm down, Amaruq said. Worrying about things that will not happen will not make this any easier.

Says you, I shot back, as I was helped out of the carriage by the three men Akihiro had sent with me for the trip. I spared a quick look down the front of my kimono, to make sure the Sarutobi sigil was in plain sight.

There was a small group of Hyūga waiting for us as we approached up the path, one of the Oono men remaining behind to see to the care of the horses and the carriage (both of which had been rented by a local company for just this purpose).

I was flanked by the other two men as we were led into the house by a matron. They were Akihiro's cousins, men with a little shinobi training, though they had never progressed beyond genin rank before retiring. They were polite to me, practically interchangeable in terms of appearance, and – best of all – were kind to Naruto.

These days, I often judged men and women alike on their natures by how they treated my son. I was never the best at judging someone's character, after all, and to see if they looked at my son with genuine kindness or just even polite neutrality was a far better bet than to look at them alone. Far more accurate to boot.

The men were shown into a small room where they would wait until the meeting was done, and we continued on. The house was beautiful, almost as much as the Sarutobi compound had been (if a lot more ordered and strict), but I did not allow myself to give into the urge to gawp as I had done in the Hokage's family home.

I was perfectly aware of the gaze of many people – even those who were not in the rooms we passed, with the Byakugan and all – on me. And I was even more aware that any weakness, any slight give in the armor of politeness and courtesy Jiao-long was helping keep firm about my shoulders, would be used as a weapon against me and my son.

For Naruto, I thought, my shoulders firm and my gaze a polite mask.

The room I was shown into by the matron was as opulent as the rest of the house, all over clean, expensive lines and textures that didn't have a hint of the homey atmosphere and wild, rioting nature the Sarutobi compound had. The theming in here was very Hyūga-esque, the sigil of the clan prominent on the expensive things present, and on the walls.

And sitting at the small table in the middle of the room was the man himself – Hyūga Hiashi.

Here we go, Amaruq said quietly.

I could feel Jiao-long slipping into the forefront of my mind, ready to guide me. Get ready, Minori.

The patriarch of the Hyūga clan was a stoic man, his face betraying not a hint of whatever thoughts he might have been thinking as I was shown to the seat opposite him, and the tea ceremony (of a sort) began).

I was not overly familiar with the methods of the tea ceremonies back home, but they were used here – if infrequently and in a manner that was different from the little I remembered.

Formal tea ceremonies (for lack of a better terminology) were used primarily among noble clans and the Daimyō and his court. Most shinobi clans did not see the need for such things – they preferred to have the tea poured themselves, or by people they trusted – though one or two of the richer clans in Konoha still did such things, as Akihiro had told me.

The formal ceremony – which was happening now, formal bows by the servants, elaborate pouring of the tea - was considered somewhat snobbish, but, well. It was the Hyūga. What else did I expect?

Hiashi was served first, and that was an insult in itself as normally the guest was served first, or perhaps a reminder of whose turf I was on. I thanked all the gods that Akihiro (and Moriko, too, for all that she was a bitter old hag) had taught me the intricacies of ceremonies like this, and what they meant.

Confusing though it was, it was knowledge that I would have been lost without. I took a drink as Hiashi did, not fearing any poison. If I died in the very heart of the Hyūga compound, there would be hell to pay for this clan, especially if they cost the village my kekkei genkai.

Even as my thoughts whirled, the tea was set aside for the moment, and the servants left.

"Kaname-san," Hiashi said, his voice calm and cold, just as emotionless as his face.

"Hyūga-sama," I said, as polite and emotionless as he.

So it begins, Abhaidev said, and I could feel his hand on my shoulder, the earth steady below my knees.

"Your son is impudent," he began, and I did not roll my eyes.

"He is charming and confident," I corrected him gently, politely. "To most, that may translate as impudence. But I have found that, in the friends he makes, that translates to confidence of their own."

One eyebrow raised.

You didn't think I would be aware of why I'm really here, huh? I thought, amused.

"He is a strong boy, and a loyal one, too," I commented, idly. "His friends will be as such for the remainder of their days."

My son is loyal to Konoha, so long as Konoha is loyal to him.

"One would think he would be better suited for less…gentle company than he seeks," Hiashi said.

My eyes did not narrow at that insult, and the implied one towards myself.

"My son is determined in his choice of friends, and those he deems strong enough to keep up with his energy," I said, again very mildly.

An insult right back. Will you now claim that your daughter is not strong enough to run with my son?

Hiashi's eyes did not narrow, either. I would have been surprised if they did.

I tilted my head to the side, smiling gently at him. I knew I was not an impressive figure, even with my perfectly tailored kimono and applied makeup and muscles. I was shorter than him, my cheeks still round, my hair short, still plain and placid and not very beautiful at all.

"One would think that you would spend your time more among the Sarutobi, than indulging in the boy's wildness," Hiashi commented. "In his eccentricities."

Anyone and everyone in this village knew well enough that I was ostracized from the Sarutobi clan for my decision to take in Naruto. What Hiashi was really saying was a reprimand of a different sort – why don't you act like a noblewoman should, and keep to yourself.

"This village has given me much," I said. And it will take even more, I did not say. "Caring for my son, when no one else will…it is but one of the ways I give back, to Konoha. Teaching my son the same principles of loyalty and respect towards the village he will one day be fighting for – why, it is the least I can do, surely, as one day he will be Hokage."

Bold words, but they were the truth. And I wanted to get it across to Hyūga Hiashi just how determined I was to see my son succeed.

"You speak exaggeration."

"Where?" I asked him, curious. "A loyal man to Konoha, trained well and determined to succeed, undeniably powerful and willing to protect the village he and his mother call home. A loyal man with his lineage, with his friends…and he cannot become Hokage?"

Very dangerous words, those, lacking the soft silver twist of politeness and armored courtesy negotiations normally had, the few times I had gone with the Buntai squads outside Konoha to minor villages. But this wasn't totally a negotiation, was it? This was a meeting of two mind, hashing out an alliance, maybe.

This time, I saw the twitch. Just a small twitch of his eyebrow that, in a man without Hiashi's control, would have registered as shock. It was only there for a moment and gone in the next, but I saw it.

He had heard the way I had placed emphasis on the word lineage. And he understood.

"You are his mother," Hiashi said.

"In spirit, yes," I said. But not in blood or by the law.

"My daughter told me that he outwitted a group of ANBU," he said, still calm, but there was a strange intensity in the way his discomforting eyes watched me. "That he was faster than any of them, even so young."

"I do not doubt it was in the pursuit of some prank," I said, tutting. "He has such a fondness for pranks and his ramen both, you know." I looked at him under my lashes – and yes, he definitely understood.

What I knew of Uzumaki Kushina beyond the details of her life and heritage, how she had come to love her husband and eventually how she came to die, were two things well known by the village: she had loved ramen and pranks. She had been legendary for them, almost as much as she had been for being the Fourth's wife.

It had been spread as truth that she and her child had died in Kurama's attack, but Hiashi was not an idiot. He had been a comrade of Minato's, and his wife had been a friend of Kushina's.

"Rie-san's daughter has been working on teaching him the art of subtlety, but I fear it is a thing that may take some time, with that hair of his and his love for all things orange," I commented idly, just to make myself clear.

"My daughter could teach him something of that," Hiashi said, and it was only Jiao-long's grip on my mind that kept me from betraying shock.

That was quick.

"I cannot speak for Rie-san, but I know her children and mine would be honored and delighted to host your daughter for the day," I said, as calmly as I could. "My son speaks very highly of her."

Now Hiashi could see the merit of a friendship (and perhaps even a potential betrothal) between Naruto and Hinata. Which wasn't what I was aiming for – I wanted Hinata as the head of the Hyūga clan, with enough fire and confidence in herself to turn away the horrifying tradition of the Seal, now that I thought about it – but if it got Hiashi on mine and my son's side, then that worked for me.

There was a very big difference between letting his daughter (as useless as she might have seemed to him, she was still his firstborn daughter) run around with the ruffian jinchūriki hated by the village – and letting her become friends with the talented son of the previous Hokage, who was being groomed by his 'noble foster mother' (who was seeking allies in their own right) to take that position himself, sometime in the future.

And, if through a betrothal, Hiashi could very neatly circumvent the situation that had occurred with his own brother – the wife of the Hokage could not be possibly be branded with the Cursed Seal, even if her sister became the Head of the clan. In one fell swoop he would be able to protect his daughter and make sure the Hyuga clan would be in what he thought were the best hands possible.

Which would have its own problems, in time, and wasn't particularly what I wanted for Hinata, but still.

It was progress.

The rest of the conversation passed in a much milder vein, returning to the polite words and hidden meanings that it had taken before I had turned the conversation. Then it was time to go, and I was shown from the room by Hiashi himself.

We passed a woman leading a young girl, and I recognized her instantly, though I had never seen her in the flesh before.

Hyūga Hinata was an adorable little girl, dressed in a softly pink and white kimono, even with her family's disconcerting eyes. She kept those eyes downcast as Hiashi spoke to the woman, arranging a visit to the Oono compound in a day's time. If the woman was surprised, she did not show it, only nodding her head and whispering acquiescence as Hinata hovered by her skirts, looking very much like she would like to clutch

She was so quiet, so submissive – I felt alarmed just looking at her.

Even as a child myself (from the memories I did have), I had never been half so quiet and submissive and almost fearful, for all that I had been an obedient girl.

And finally I could not take it anymore, looking at the shy, downtrodden little girl. I knelt on the floor, and gently tapped her chin with my finger, so she would look up at me.

Fuck politics and armored courtesy, I thought then.

Let the Hyūga think what they would of me. This little girl needed an adult someone to reassure her that her kindness did not make her weak, that she was liked for being who she was.

Gods all knew she more than likely received very little of that in this place.

"You must be Hinata-chan," I said, my voice warm. "Naruto has spoken to me at length about you."

Her eyes widened. "Y-You're Naruto-kun's mother?"

"That I am. And I must say, I am surprised that such a young girl could manage to knock a boy halfway across the training yard," I commented in a teasing fashion, and Hinata flushed red.

"N-Naruto-kun was just making things up," she protested.

"Oh? So you aren't the Hyūga girl who managed to knock Uchiha Sasuke's legs out from under him and send him staggering, then?" I said archly, one eyebrow raised.

Naruto had gone on – at length – about how awesome that moment had been for days after.

"Is this true?" This from Hiashi, and Hinata faltered under her father's stare.

Then she looked at me, took a breath, and nodded. "Yes, Father."

He looked at her for a long moment, with a hint of that same intensity in his eyes that had been there during the conversation between him and I, before he moved along.

"Confidence, you say," Hyūga Hiashi said. "She has never shown it here."

Perhaps what I said next wasn't the kindest, or even the wisest thing to say, but I was feeling cruel and a bit snarly and exhausted from the strenuous ordeal.

"I have learned in my own studies, that to be comfortable in your surroundings, and with those who teach you, does much to improve one's confidence and in turn, how much one wishes to learn," I said.

We did not speak another word, but the silence was-not comfortable, but not tense. It was just silence.

I kept the straight shoulders and polite expression of mild interest back on my face until I was in the Oono compound. But once I was divested of my kimono and ensconced in a dark, cool guestroom, I dragged my son (who protested only mildly) into my arms and buried my face in his bright gold hair as I sat on the bed.

The things I do for this boy, I thought wearily, only to blink when Naruto's arms came up around my neck in a tight hug.

"You've been away a lot, Kaa-chan," he said, snuggling into my arms.

I thought of the days with the Buntai, the days I spent training, the days I spent worrying and fretting about my future and his, the days I spent getting ready for this meeting.

"I have, haven't I?" I commented idly, leaning back against the headboard of the bed with my son still in my arms. For a moment I thought of what was to come, before I shooed the thought away.

"You have," he said firmly. "I missed you."

My smile was foolish and soft. "Well, that won't do. Why don't we go get some ramen after I get off work tomorrow?"

He cheered, and I winced at the noise as it cut through my headache.

The things I do for this boy, I thought once more, after he had fallen asleep. And yet I would do them again and again and again.

I sighed, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

You did good, Dorje said, grinning in my mind's eye.

They are correct, Jiao-long said. Now, get some sleep. You have earned it.

I fell asleep with the laughter of my companions in my ears, smiling to hear it.

And I dreamed of running through an immense temple, hand-in-hand with a monk in yellow robes.