A strange new life

I was guessing things hadn’t gone as Hiashi had expected. I wasn’t the meek, shy girl Hina—I once was. The many death experiences and recent traumas left me frazzled and with little patience for politics and power moves.

Hypocritical, given what I was doing.

Hiashi’s face went through several expressions, too fast for me to decipher, before it settled on the calm, indifferent facade again.

Not everyone else had his control.

An elder at the back had risen to his feet only to be pulled down by someone at his side. The peanut gallery kept trying to stare me into submission. Bared teeth and clenched fists weren’t uncommon either. Some even activate their Byakugan.

Hiashi dipped his head. “Welcome, Hokage-sama,” he said, as if nothing at all had happened. “Thank you for taking the time to oversee this matter.”

Shisui dipped his head in acknowledgment.

“I had refreshments prepared,” he said, looking at me. “But it seems our clan's wayward daughter has taken it upon herself to observe the clan’s customs while breaking others.”

I narrowed my eyes. What kind of nonsense was this?

He clapped his hands twice. From one of the side entrances, a couple of family branch members hurried over. They arranged a small table between Hiashi and the Hokage as well as the utensils for a tea ceremony. After everything was settled everything, Hiashi spoke again.

“As you well know, we are a clan of warriors, but we observe the customs.” His eyes weren’t on me, but I could feel the jab aimed my way.

Then he went on to explain the tea ceremony, the properties of the tea, where the leaves had been planted, how long they had matured, the steps to grind it, and all that annoying talk that often happens at the traditional tea ceremony. Worse, after the introduction, came the tea preparation.

I couldn’t do or say anything. By all accounts, I had been the one to throw the first stone, and now I was paying the price. If I said anything or interrupted, I’d be giving them grounds to do something stupid, which wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted peace and to be left alone.

I had to give a begrudging nod of respect to Hiashi. I got played like a fiddle. I saw the dangling insult and played my hand. My bluff got called, and now, I was the one in the wrong. I couldn’t be rude anymore because that’d be grounds for escalation, which I guess was his goal all along.

Gah, I hated politics.

To add salt to the wound, Hiashi served tea to the main family, the Hokage, Ino, and me, as if my previous actions hadn’t meant anything.

There was a tense moment when it was my turn to be served, but there were no pointed stares, rude gestures, or anything of the sort. Hiashi served me, then Ino, and then moved on with the ceremony.

I sipped the tea. Bitter, strong.

The appreciation part of the ceremony followed, and by this point, I had given up trying to follow things. I inched closer to Ino while nibbling sweets to contrast the bitter tea flavor.

My patience was wearing thin, which I think was his goal. I took a deep breath, aware that most of the people in the dojo were trained in cold reading and would learn a lot from that one gesture.

Hiashi was the one who broke the silence. He clapped his hands two times again, and the same people from before returned to take away the tea set and cups. Worse yet, they even took away my stuff.

“I invited you here to observe while we resolve the dispute between my clan and our estranged daughter,” Hiashi said to Shisui after the utensils were taken away.

I rolled my eyes, scoffed. “Oh, please,” I objected out loud.

Hiashi stopped, looked at me. “What is it?”

“What dispute?” I said, aware I was being riled up, but too annoyed to care. “I left you and your clan well alone.”

Hiashi nodded. Face still calm. “Until you tried to kill my son,” he said, looking at Neji. Behind, I saw Hizashi shift; the movement was minute, but it was there. “And would have if others hadn’t interfered.”

Neji had his Byakugan active, his eyes having never left me, but his face was back in control.

I tilted my head. “He tried to kill me first. It was only fair.”

It was Hiashi’s time to tilt his head. “Did he?” he asked, looking at Neji, the Hokage, and then me. “When?”

I opened my mouth. Closed it with a snap. I had read the reports. Neji had sought me out in the Forest of Death, but that could have been explained by his trying to take my scroll. Maiming there was fair game. At the preliminaries, he’d displayed killing intent, but I had been the one to react with overwhelming force to prevent any mishap.

Shit.

“Semantics,” I said after a while. “You know what happened. Twist the truth now if it suits you.”

It was a petty insult, but I had nothing better. It was my word against his, which was a losing battle if there was ever one. My insult didn’t go unreacted to, however. Hanabi’s face turned red, and Hiashi’s appeasing hand was the only thing that kept her from leaping at me.

Hiashi nodded. “I see. The years away from the clan haven’t helped with your manners. That’s something we’ll have to fix.”

I shrugged, then squared my shoulders. Pushed down the anger and outrage. “You wish,” I said. “That ship sailed long ago.” I waited until he opened his mouth to start an answer before I kept talking loudly. “Seven years ago, to be exact, when I was in that hospital bed. What did you say back then?” I asked, voice carrying.

Hiashi’s mouth snapped shut.

I pointed at him, finger glowing with chakra. The same way he’d done when he tried to kill me after Kakashi saved me from Orochimaru’s lab. Some around us got to their feet, chakra flared. Byakugan activated. “My daughter died two years ago,” I repeated the exact words and cadence, even if I couldn’t imitate his timbre. “This thing is not her.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the room. Some were giving Hiashi strange looks.

“So, cut the crap, you were the one who said I wasn’t your daughter. You were the one who kicked me out of the clan.”

I leaned forward, put some, maybe a lot of, of my resentment on my glare.

“Don’t go on saying now that I’m your daughter. People might believe you, and I don’t want that.”

Hiashi calling me his daughter, acting like he had any authority over me, rankled bad. I was lashing out. I knew I was, but it felt so satisfying. Even if this wasn’t what I wanted. No. I wanted peace. Maybe a family. Why was I pushing them away? At this point, I was expecting someone would try something dumb. And someone did.

The surprise didn’t come from the irascible elders or offended branch family.

Hanabi stood, Byakugan active. Before Hiashi could stop her, she shouted.

“Fight me!” She took a step toward me. “You tried to kill brother Neji and now spit on our clan’s dignity and disgrace father with your lies. I won’t let you.”

I looked around, unsure of what to do. Hiashi wasn’t saying anything, nor was the Hokage.

Ino reacted though. “This is insane, you won’t fight her, right?”

Hiashi turned to Ino. His face was stern. “Quiet, Yamanaka. I accepted your presence and your offense even though you weren’t invited. Don’t make me reconsider my tolerance.”

Ino wilted on herself. I glared at Hiashi.

Hanabi approached. I sighed. Deep and tired. Got up from my stool. Walked toward a suspiciously open area in the dojo. Had this been planned all along? Was this why no one was stopping this madness?

Not everyone moved. The branch family seated near the walls stood but didn’t approach. The ones who came closer were Mom, now with a sad look on her face, Hizashi, Hiashi, and some of the elders. Ino and Shisui also joined the spectators.

Hanabi shed her white kimono to reveal dark grey training clothes beneath. A sleeveless shirt, trousers, and fishnet undershirt. A pouch at her back with ninja tools. I sighed again. More and more, this seemed like something that had been planned. Why would she be wearing that if it wasn’t.

I took a fighting stance. Opposite me, Hanabi grabbed a kunai. I sent a pleading look to Shisui. Couldn’t he, as Hokage, stop this?

It was Hiashi who spoke. “This is a spar between family,” he said, looking at me. “Be gentle with your sister.”

Hanabi’s glare and the beginnings of killing intent sent my way contradicting Hiashi’s call for a peaceful spar.

I didn’t say anything. I lifted a hand and beckoned her forward.

She did.