Sorry for the wait. And thank you for reminding me to continue this (you know who you are)

I'm beginning to think I work much better with the occasional poking...

Katsurou and Takemaru moved quickly through the streets of Konoha, weaving between the lower citizens and careful to avoid touching the grubbiest of them. Yesterday, Takemaru had been tasked with delivering a notice to Uzumaki Naruto that declared he was to be prepared to present himself to the Hyuuga elders at a certain time, which was just minutes from now. But Takemaru had never realized the 'boy' he’d handed the scroll to was actually the same man walking beside him now.

Katsurou knew his friend well, and knew how to deflect any suspicion. Now, all his experience with his friend of many years went to preparing for the meeting with a boy who would declare loudly and certainly that he’d never received any notice, and that he was completely unprepared to stand before the elders.

His friendship with Takemaru also worked to dull his anger. He knew Takemaru was young, with a brash voice common to this latest generation that did not always know when to remain silent. He’d heard Takemaru’s laughter, seen the sparkle in his eye when he’d heard the news that the container of the Kyuubi was vying for Hinata’s hand in marriage.

But to see this as some kind of joke? How Takemaru could see such a thing so lightly was completely beyond him! He had no particular hatred for the boy, of course. He did not share the more extreme opinions that some held, not at all. He only did this small thing because the political support Naruto possessed was no reason to even be considered for entry. The child was simply not worthy of mixing his blood with that of Konoha’s strongest and most noble clan.

That was why he did what he did, to counter those who might attempt to worm their way into such a noble house through dishonorable means. Unlike some, Katsurou would never work counter to a degree of the elders out of some ridiculous personal opinion.

It was not his place.

The two men arrived in the run-down complex where Naruto lived, climbing creaking stairs to a door that was farther from all the other occupied apartments. There were voices seeping through the doorframe, soft tones that seemed out of place for what they knew of him. Takemaru knocked firmly but politely, a half-a-smile on his lips. He’d happily risk a little reprimand for the chance to eavesdrop later on the bedlam that was bound to ensue when Naruto appeared for his first formal test.

Katsurou was hiding his smile, looking forwards to the bedlam that would be happening in the next few minutes.

But when the door opened, it wasn’t Naruto. It was a girl neither of them recognized, a kunoichi with her hair in buns.

“Yes?”

“We are here to escort Uzumaki Naruto to his meeting with Hyuuga Hiashi-sama.”

The confusion registered clearly on her face. As Katsurou had hoped, the announcement was completely unexpected. Being unprepared for this, the first formal test, would be utterly-

“Tenten-san, do we have guests?”

Unforgiva…wha…?

The voice was neither loud nor frantic, but calm and controlled. The level tone of his voice told Katsurou something was wrong, and as the girl stepped to one side, the two men could see Naruto standing calmly in the hallway, seeming perfectly unsurprised by their arrival.

Naruto’s hair had been trimmed; the usual wild spikes tamed somewhat. His skin looked like it had been almost polished, and the fingernails peeking out from the long sleeves he wore practically sparkled. The faintest trace of makeup hid the rough wear of a ninja’s life and accented Naruto’s natural features, clearly the work of an expert.

Even more surprising was his outfit. The lack of orange on Naruto seemed to have an even bigger effect on the eyes then the usual obnoxious colors he tromped about in. Naruto stepped forwards in a fine formal robe in muted, earthly tones with pure write highlights, and his movements were careful and measured to not shift or wrinkle the fabric in the slightest.

Katsurou was beside himself, a greeting offered by Takemaru drawing attention away from his shocked expression. If Naruto noticed, he gave no indication, bowing to Takemaru and replying in the most proper form imaginable.

How?

Bid farewell and good luck by two other girls, Naruto had accompanied his escort down the stairs and out the building with his head held high and a casual stride that showed little anxiety.

How did he know?

Did someone see him intercept the messenger? Impossible! Was there someone acting on his behalf within the Hyuuga household itself? Yes! That must be it, someone showing favor for Naruto, likely as part of some ridiculous political maneuvering.

Katsurou fumed as people stopped and stared at the procession. Whispers flew as the three passed, a dozen different expressions worn among the people in the crowd.

If only an escort had not been required! No, that would have made no difference…however Naruto knew, he was unlikely to gain any points for raising the issue of the undelivered notice when he appeared at the Hyuuga complex, escorted or not. Strategy dictated that doing so might give a clue to how he’d yet managed to receive the information, and potentially expose his ally…no, Naruto was playing the ignorant. Let him.

The three went their separate ways at the gates to the main house, Katsurou vowing to find whoever was risking the sanctity of the bloodline for the sake of some personal machination.

Takemaru would double back to a position he’d prepared ahead of time, just close enough to enjoy the show.

Naruto was simply trying to keep from freaking out at the suddenness of it all. Really, wasn’t he going to get any warning about this stuff? Sakura, Ino and Tenten had been giving him cram lessons on proper behavior for the past three days, making him wear these ridiculous outfits he’d been told he’d be expected to wear just so he could get used to them…

It had taken hours just learning how to drink tea without those oversized sleeves getting soaked!

“You don’t have to learn how to act like a noble!”

“Huh?”

Ino sighed and shook her head, sitting back as Sakura and Tenten poked at Naruto’s face with their brushes and held up different tones and colors of makeup for approval.

“There are a few things you need to know for sure…like how and when to do certain things, but when it comes down to it…think of it like an infiltration scenario where you have an incomplete knowledge of the person you’re attempting to impersonate.”

A quick hand seal transformed Ino into the perfect image of Hyuuga Hiashi, and ‘he’ crossed his legs and adjusted his posture, filling in the filling of the nobleman so perfectly that Naruto twitched involuntarily under his glare.

“There are certain expectations you will be held to while speaking to the Hyuuga elders.” The voice was Hiashi’s, perfectly blended with the stern expression on his face. “Particularly…” The voice changed, louder, higher-pitched and with a different rhythm to it. “You need to control your natural way of speaking, dattebayo!”

Ino reappeared in a puff of smoke, while the girls snickered at the way she’d made Hiashi sound. Naruto was frowning as if he’d been insulted somehow.

“Don't volunteer anything unnecessary, don't assume anything, and when in doubt, just copy the tone of the people you’re speaking too. Keep the same volume along with the same speed and rhythm, and try not to let too much emotion show, understand?”

“Yeah!”

“…You really understood all that?”

As the doors to the main hall opened before him, Naruto made the seals for henge inside the voluminous sleeves he wore, trying to imagine himself on a mission on a foreign country, trying to bluff his way into an enemy stronghold. With the way everyone spoke in measured and even tones, the way everyone moved so carefully around each other, it wasn’t such a difficult thing to imagine.

And this time around, his didn’t have Hinata with him. She’d been a…an anchor, someone who moved and acted in a way he’d expect in an otherwise strange place. But now he was alone without a single reference to the way he expected things to work. There were so many little things that he couldn’t but his finger on, drawing his attention and distracting him from what he was supposed to be doing.

The way they spoke, the way they stood, even they way they were just looking at each other…

Not once in his life had Naruto ever thought the familiar way they looked at him could ever be so reassuring.

The procession of servants and guides slid down one long corridor after another, the liquid rhythm only slightly disrupted as they turned a corner or a door was opened for them. Naruto was nervously following their every step, trying to remember the advice that had been given him.

Watch the way they move, when they move, when they stop. His steps quickened into openings that appeared in front of him, the robes hiding the awkward steps that corrected the amount of space between himself and those around him when he began to drift. Everything was practiced, precise, mechanical, and Naruto ground a thumbnail into his own skin to throw off the almost hypnotic effect it had on his attention.

Minutes, or maybe even hours later, the procession stopped before a large and intricately painted set of doors. They slid open to reveal Hyuuga Hiashi standing calmly with a half-dozen other men, all looking at him with carefully neutral expressions.

Every muscle in his body ached from snapping between tension and forced relaxation. His head ached from the sudden stop and he clamped down on the desire to keep blindly walking forwards behind those who stepped around him.

Naruto responded with the correct words when spoken to, stepped forwards the precise distance and bowed at just the right depth to each man in turn. Servants brought tea before vanishing without a sound, the ornate doors sliding shut behind Naruto without a sound, and Hiashi bade him to sit.

The tea was bitter, the room cold, and Naruto got the distinct impression that things had been set up to make him as uncomfortable as possible. The questions had started simple enough, but quickly grew more personal, more pointed, every decision and mission picked over. Sasuke was a favorite subject of theirs.

To his left and right, he was flanked by a trio of men, elders of the Hyuuga clan, every gaze more disapproving then the last. At any other place or time, Naruto wouldn’t have hesitated to let them know exactly what they could have done with their opinions, but he couldn’t. He had to bite his tongue and sit still and be perfectly polite no matter what they said or how they said it.

Directly in front of him, Hiashi sat calmly, his expression flat and neutral, silent as he sipped his tea and allowed the elders to do the talking. Even though he hadn’t yet said anything throughout the entire conversation, only observing him in the most casual sense of the word, Hiashi’s presence was constantly tugging at Naruto’s focus throughout the meeting.

Too late, Naruto realized someone had spoke and he hadn’t been paying attention.

“What was that?”

Too brusque a reply, much too casual and not even listening to begin with? The elders were practically bouncing in their seats at Naruto’s faux pas.

“I said…what ultimately makes you think you are worthy to marry Hinata-sama?”

Naruto’s eyes lowered, and the sudden pall that formed over him had the nobles grinning to themselves, leaning forwards as far as politely possible to see the gloomy expression on his face.

“I…don’t know if I am worthy. I mean I still can’t really understand why…how…she could love me. I’m know still just a genin. I don’t have alot of money or anything like that. But she still gave me something…something that I’ve never had before, and all I really have to give in return is my life…”

The noble to Hiashi’s right nearly laughed out loud. To him, it was a childish reasoning that might as well have come out of one of those ridiculous books that Naruto’s sensei w-

“Of course.”

The assembled men, Naruto included, jumped in their seats at the first words Hiashi had spoke since they had been seated.

“Nothing less than an absolute dedication to Hinata and the Hyuuga family would be acceptable. But simple dedication is not sufficient. You must possess the qualities needed to bear the Hyuuga name in time of both war and peace. That level of strength and wisdom is something you must yet show us.”

Naruto tensed, shifting in his seat and focusing on Hiashi in return. Hiashi only set his teacup down and returned the look, giving Naruto his full attention and nothing more.

“If I need strength, I’ll train. If there’s something I need to know, I’ll learn it. I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“You certainly seem determined, I will give you that.” One of the men, a rail-thin figure with a narrow beard, leaned forwards casually as he spoke. “But it is easy enough to say that you are worthy of our notice, and a great many have said much to us in that regard. How are you any different?”

Perhaps it was the one of conditions the elders had set up to distract him, or being tired from the extended questioning, but Naruto's voice suddenly held an edge that was well outside the bounds of polite discourse.

“Because I’m not doing this for money or for politics or because someone else wants me too. I’m doing this because I’m in love, and I’d bet that’s something you’ve never heard before!”

The illusion of calm tore away from the man’s posture, and he snapped straight upwards, his body going stiff and rigid. The elder’s face began contorting in anger, and while a part of Naruto realized he’d crossed a line somewhere the rest of him didn’t care. The clear chime of a bell sounded before anything more was said, and all eyes went to see Hiashi’s hand retreating from the small bell had had sat quietly throughout the entire meeting.

Wall panels slid away, and any unpleasant expressions were suppressed as servants appeared and bustled about, gathering cups and trays and vanishing without a sound.

Hiashi stood without warning, followed by the other men present and with Naruto quickly mimicking the motion, biting down on the protests from his stiff legs. Hiashi’s expression was still carefully neutral, while Naruto could plainly see the other men casting careful glances at Hiashi and each other. The man that Naruto had told off was quietly seething, apparently unhappy that he'd been unable to respond.

“We are honored, to see such sincerity in the desire to prove yourself worthy of the Hyuuga name. But it is time to part ways for now. Return home and prepare yourself, for soon your words and your conviction will be put to the test.”

Naruto heard a sound behind him, Half-looking over his shoulder to see a door opening and a pair of servants standing at attention. He turned back to Hiashi, mind spinning and trying to re-focus on what was said and what was happening, and what he was supposed to do in return.

“I…am grateful, for this…”

Naruto’s voice trailed off, completely lost. He fell into a deep bow, grateful at least they couldn’t see the expression of desperation on his face, and he tried to pull himself together as he straightened.

“Thank you.”

Hiashi gave a slight bow in reply, and Naruto bowed a second time before turning to leave, racking his brain and hoping he hadn’t forgotten anything else on the way out.

“Hiashi-sama…”

“Yes?”

“Why did you stop the interview?”

Hiashi might’ve thought the man’s choice of words humorous if he hadn’t been forced to sit through the ‘interview.’ While he could understand the other’s dislike of Naruto, he’d truly expected more questions and less veiled insults. Most of the comments, worded in the graceful style of insulting other noblemen without actually saying anything undignified had gone right over Naruto’s head, but Hiashi knew enough had been caught by the growing flashes of anger in the young man’s eyes. While Naruto should have shown more self-restraint, Hiashi didn’t care to let one of the Hyuuga’s feelings about the Kyuubi push the two of them to the point of starting a brawl in his house.

“It grows late, and I believe everything that needed to be said has been said and understood by all. I believe we should move on and decide who shall render the next test…”

That was a topic that the elders discussed with relish, and Hiashi listened to their debate carefully. Since it was his daughter involved, his only function in the testing would be, by tradition, only to formally acknowledge or deny a suitor’s worthiness when the elders had completed the testing. But this was as far from an ordinary case as possible, and Hiashi knew it was in his clan’s best interests to monitor the situation very carefully. Denying Naruto's request to marry Hinata would not result in a loss of face for the clan, but only after the course of a proper examination. While a little provocation in itself might be a worthwhile test of Naruto's personality, Hiashi was beginning to fear that the a few raised voices were the least of his worries. The Hyuuga’s pride was beginning to work against them, and if the elders made the mistake of choosing someone for the next test who attempted to bring a personal vendetta into the matter...

Hiashi would have be ready to apply a fair hand in the proceedings to avoid any serious incidents without appearing to favor the boy, and based on what he was hearing from the elders now, both he and Naruto would have to move very carefully during the next test.