Reckoning [Hiashiko, Hyuuga Elders] [Log]
Set immediately after I've Felt This Way Before. So we took a while. Hush. >.>;
Fifteen years ago, Hyuuga Hiashiko almost lost her son, killed an ambassador, and made a hasty, reckless, selfish decision. Now it was time to accept the consequences.
Nejiko had left and taken her fit of temper and the mission report with her not long ago. Hiashiko hoped that Nejiko would see her mother soon, though optimism was in short supply. As she left the offering for Noburo, Hiashiko couldn't help but remember how Nejiko had adored her mother. She had been a happy child, then, but that was long enough ago to be irrelevant. Irrelevant except for in Hizashiko's memories. That cheerful, eager daughter Hizashiko remembered would not be the one to greet her in the hospital. Hiashiko prayed Nejiko would deal with her mother with more grace than she had her aunt. Difficult and confusing times were ahead for the pair, and Hiashiko was grateful the initial meeting would not play out in front of her.
Hiashiko caught herself smoothing her hands over the front of her formal kimono and clasped her hands together in front as she began her walk to the meeting hall. The kunai tucked into her wide sleeves brought her an irrational amount of reassurance. She had called a full council of Elders together barely a handful of times--two of them to formally announce the births of her sons--normally preferring to deal with them in small groups or individually for all they were on the same side. Their duty, like hers, was to guard their noble bloodline and thereby keep the clan safe. Everything else was but in service to this burden.
She had betrayed her purpose fifteen years ago, in her own fit of temper. Her relationship with her twin had been tempestuous throughout their lives; only after Hizashiko's marriage to Noburo had the sisters' relationship approached something Hiashiko could privately term friendship. They had always been bound together, but in those last years...
Hiashiko had been expecting to die. She had said goodbye to her husband and to Hinaji and gone to meet with Sandaime-sama where her expectation had shattered. Hizashiko had volunteered to take her place, and Hiashiko had gasped for air and understanding on the floor.
Air she found, but understanding had eluded her then. Brashly, she had concocted a plan--ill-formed, poorly executed--to give her sister a chance at life. She remembered the agony of uncertainty, waiting for Kumo's delegation to leave, waiting for the sun to sink, waiting for Hizashiko to return, broken, bleeding, but breathing, home.
With the third sunrise after Hizashiko's body left the village, Hiashiko finally brought herself to understand her sister's choice.
Now was her time to make a similar choice. Hiashiko could have foisted the blame of this treachery upon her sister--she remembered Hizashiko's apologetic words about letting the Hokage discover the truth--but she refused to let Hizashiko accept the consequences of someone else's actions again.
Hiashiko closed her eyes and focused on her clasped hands and the cool metal brushing against her forearm. Then, with her head held high, she strode into the formal council room.
Elder Hiroki, of the Hyuuga, was not the oldest member of the Hyuuga Council. He was most certainly not the youngest, but he wasn't the oldest. Still, he had been around long enough to know when things weren't quite right and something big was on the horizon. Hyuuga Hiashiko had spent practically the entire day in the company of the Hokage; she had set aside a day, no less. A rumor or two had popped up that someone had seen her following the Hokage into the hospital and someone else had claimed to see the Hokage holding a limp figure in his arms. Those were really just rumors, of course, but when the Clan Head called for a meeting of all the Elders afterwards...
...well, it certainly was interesting.
He had been listening to his colleagues talk back and forth about what this was all about (one had been so absurd as to insinuate she might be pregnant again! Really, everyone knew that was impossible with how she doted on her late husband) Hiroki simply listened, and waited; they would be told in time. Some of the other Elders had begun to get agitated, even though it had been only a few minutes, when Hiashiko made her entrance. She looked every inch the clan head, of course, in a formal kimono with her head held high and her face carefully blank; Hiroki wondered what she was hiding.
Straightening, Hiroki bowed to his clan head, murmuring, "Good evening, Hiashiko-sama."
Elder Hinata tilted her head slightly as the round of evening pleasantries were exchanged and the Council settled down to business. The second to oldest, Hinata had seen and survived many, many things in her lifetime and it showed. Her hair was an iron gray streaked with silver that she wore braided to midway down her back. Wide crow's-feet cornered her eyes, and deep furrows lined either side of a mouth pruned from decades of lip-pursing when members of the branch misbehaved or failed to show the proper respect. Slender hands spotted by age and slightly gnarled from hard work (for in war, even members of the Hyuuga main family were pressed into helping and surprisingly enough she found the labor satisfactory), she was still strong in mind and body and chakra.
Hinata ventured only rarely from the clan walls as she disliked the presence of so many chaotic outclan, preferring the peace of the compound. She had lived through wars, helped care for the wounded as needed (though if she could she treated clan before outclan), seen the Sandaime Hokage claim village leadership twice, and dealt with the insufferable and arrogant Uchiha more times than she cared. She survived her husband, two sons out of the three she bore, a grandchild killed during the Kyuubi attack. Recently she became a great-grandmother through her granddaughter, and held the infant with a gentleness rarely seen.
Observant and intelligent, she was formidable and knew how to command. On the occasions she spoke with Hiashiko, it was one-on-one. She was a harsh woman also who disapproved of much but loved the clan more than anything. Its protection and survival as a whole were more important than individual members. Back when the Kumo-nin failed at kidnapping Hinaji, she had been among the first to swiftly back Hizashiko's decision to go in her sister's place. The curse seal would protect the Byakugan. The corpse was just a corpse.
"For what purpose have you summoned us, Hiashiko-sama?" she asked, her voice strong and clear. Marble-white eyes stared at the clan leader, intense but not disrespectful. Hinata had heard the rumors as well as Hiroki, and to the idiot who suggested Hiashiko may be pregnant again she gave an icy stare.
Hiashiko expected Elder Hinata to get straight to the heart of the matter once they had all settled on the sitting cushions. The woman had served Hiashiko's own parents on their council of Elders, and time had worn her down to her most essential parts. Most of the rest of the council was the same--nearly two dozen men and women that had dedicated their lives to helping the Heads of Hyuuga protect their bloodline.
Guilt tugged at her conscience--not for what she had done, but for hiding her subversion from the Elders. These men and women before her were about to learn of a betrayal by the one person they should never have suspected would betray the clan. She would not hope for pity or lenience--in their places, she would give no quarter.
"Elder Hinata, I've summoned the council of Elders to confess my betrayal," Hiashiko said with unbowed head. "My sister, Hizashiko, is alive."
Air hissed softly as several Elders inhaled sharply. Hinata's eyes narrowed as she made a small gesture for silence from the others. "Explain."
Hinata was taking the lead as Hiashiko half expected. At the very least, that was good--Hinata had never been interested in vengeance or pettiness, only what was right for the clan, what was just.
So Hiashiko told them of her betrayal fifteen years ago in plain yet unrepentant words. She made no excuse for her rash decisions, made no attempt to gain sympathy. The simple, guileless words slipped past her lips to pool in the space between her and the Elders.
"Hizashiko had chosen to die for me," she began, letting her gaze travel from one Elder to the next as she spoke. "I had a difficult time accepting it, even though I knew that Hizashiko's decision was for the best of the village and the clan." And for me, she thought, but did not tell them that. "I decided I needed to give her what opportunity I could for her to survive. Instead of using a lethal poison, I gave her a drug that would mimic death so that, once Cloud had legally accepted her body as mine and signed the treaty, she would be able to escape. I lied when I confirmed her death and the destruction of the Byakugan within her 'corpse' and sent her body to the Cloud delegation. I waited for her, but she did not return, and I assumed that she had been killed in the attempt to escape or that I had dosed her incorrectly and she had suffocated while unconscious.
"I submit myself to your judgment," Hiashiko concluded. She felt herself relax, slipping into a serenity that had eluded her ever since the Hokage had taken her down a cramped, forbidding staircase. Her choices had been made, and what was done was done and she would never wish it otherwise.
Well. Now wasn't that interesting.
Hiroki could see, when he spared a quick glance around, that several of the Elders looked quite shocked at Hiashiko's statement of betrayal; they didn't seem to think she had had it in her. Hiroki himself wasn't quite as shocked. Hiashiko had always had a soft spot for her stronger, more angry sister. Many times the woman had gotten away with actions or words that in any other case would have had a Branch member writhing on the floor with the curse; but Hiashiko would let her go. Whether it was out of pity, guilt, or maybe even some twisted love, it really didn't matter. The problem at hand was that Hizashiko had been delivered, alive, to the enemies and they could have gathered any number significant secrets from her.
But, Hiroki thought, as he resettled himself, the secrets obviously couldn't have been THAT significant. If they had been, the Hyuuga or Konoha already would have been attacked. Shinobi, when they gathered information, didn't wait fifteen years to implement it; doing so could mean that the information would change and be useless. So the question on Hiroki's mind was really what HAD Kumo actually found out from Hiashiko's twin.
Tucking his hands inside his robes, Hiroki quietly watched, and listened, to see if his colleagues would be see what he had, or if he was going to have to speak up soon and tell them.
Hinata's unreadable eyes never wavered from Hiashiko's face; she counted on peripheral vision to pick up the clues of the body. She heard and saw that all the words spoken were true but wondered if all of the truth was spoken in words. One never revealed everything if it could be avoided, regardless of reason. All clan children were taught this from the cradle. Her mind still stumbled over this announcement. Hizashiko was alive? Hiashiko willingly allowed for a living Hyuuga, a direct blood descendent of not just the main family but the ruling line, to be handed over to a village that coveted the Byakugan so much? The betrayal of the entire clan by the youngling in front of her spliced her heart in two; a pain that even the deaths of her husband and children could not equal. How had this come to pass? How had the Council allowed this to come to pass.
"It is good that you do, Hiashiko-sama," Hinata said evenly. She cast her gaze about her fellow clansmen, her relatives. "Have the members of this Council questions to ask of her before deciding upon judgement?"
For many long moments there was silence in the room, everyone stunned by the revelation over what their leader had done. She was always so calm and cool headed, to hear she had done something in the heat of the moment was practically unthinkable. Hinata's question nearly went unanswered; Hiroki could tell by the looks on their faces that they were already contemplating what harsh punishment to dole out. What surprised him, however, was that no one had asked a very obvious and very poignant question.
"If I may, Elder Hinata," Hiroki finally said, shifting in his chair. His gaze slipped to Hiashiko and he tilted his head faintly. "Hiashiko-sama. How much information did Hizashiko-san give to her captors?"
Of course it would be Elder Hiroki to ask a question she had no answer to. Or rather, Hiashiko had an answer, but she knew it was one the Elders would not like. Nor should they--this whole affair had been a gross breach of trust, of duty, of honor, and not having vital answers only compounded the problem. "I don't know," she answered. "Hizashiko claimed she gave them nothing, and while there is little proof, I believe her." Hizashiko had always told her the truth, whether she had wanted to hear it or not. "If she had broken, Kumogakure would have undoubtedly used the information if they had reason to believe it was still relevant. The lack an attack that we are aware of is the only evidence supporting her story, and even that is weak."
Hinata nodded, face impassive. There weren't very many questions to ask; Hiashiko had wisely been most forthcoming. "Thank you, Hiashiko-sama. If you would step outside; we will summon you once we have a decision."
Hiashiko bowed to the Council before stepping out, and Hinata looked at the others. Where to begin? Never before had such treason been committed, had even been conceived. Of course, Hinata shouldn't have wondered too hard; one of the elders immediately demanded proposed Hiashiko be ordered to commit seppuku. Other suggestions were offered up: banishment into the branch family, removing the Heir from her custody and tutelage, a public stripping of power (in that the whole clan would witness, not the village)... She fought the urge to massage her temples.
It was quite amazing, really, that a clan that was as cool headed as it could be had apparently lost it's head over this. Resisting the urge to sigh, Hiroki just smiled faintly and tilted his head as some of the mutterings died down. "We're being a little drastic here, aren't we?"
Many pairs of eyes turned to him, and the mutterings ceased. Ah. Blessed silence. Elder Hinata was probably grateful.
Clearing his throat a bit, Hiroki stood and gestured with his hand, just slightly. "Killing her--pardon me--forcing her to commit seppuku and things such as removing her into the branch or taking young Hanabi-sama away... are these really options? There are things the clan head knows that must be passed down to the heir by the clan head, such as how to do the curse seal."
He smiled benevolently and continued. "And while stripping her of her power within clan isn't a bad idea, it also wouldn't work. Word would get out eventually and then what would we do? What would the other clans think, if we had a child suddenly in control because, essentially, that is what would happen. No, I propose something slightly different that, I think, could serve all parties and settle all questions regarding this matter."
Sliding his hands back into his sleeves, Hiroki waited to see if they'd listen to reason.
Elder Hiroki could be a nuisance, but he was certainly showing much more clear-headedness than the others. The great Hyuuga Elder Council, squabbling like children. Blessed Fate.
When others started talking, she silenced them with icy stares before signaling for Hiroki to continue.
Hiroki dipped his head to Hinata, before spreading his hands and continuing. "Obviously, Hiashiko-sama must be punished. And obviously, she much be watched, and Hanabi-sama must be evaluated. We should allow Hiashiko to retain her position-"
There was a sudden uproar of voices and Hiroki waited very patiently for Hinata to stare them back into silence before continuing. "... allow her to retain her position, but have her hand the position over to Hanabi-sama earlier then planned. We will take over some of the duties for teaching young Hanabi-sama, and for much of the time that Hiashiko-sama is working, she is accompanied by at least two Elders. Those Elders will be up to our discretion."
Another smile lit his lips. "And then we can spin Hizashiko's return to our liking, and have the control we worry about, without looking bad to the other clans. Don't you all agree?"
Sets of silver eyes regarded Hiroki as voices murmured quietly. He was not universally liked, but at the least he was respected. Hinata was about to speak when the slight movement of her neighbor caught her attention. She held her tongue.
"I believe that for ... the most part if not on the whole, we can agree that Hiashiko ... is not to die." The eldest Elder's voice was querulous, but still had strength behind it. He spoke rarely, preferring to offer his wisdom only when he felt it truly necessary. A silver mane framed his wrinkled face, eyes visible as shining slits in the folds of aristocratically white skin. "Knowledgeable as this esteemed Council is, there are ... certain matters and secrets that Hyuuga-sama alone knows. She must be able ... to instruct Hanabi-sama on these matters. ... Her death, would serve no purpose ... except to further wound our clan."
Profound silence punctuated the words as the Elder seemed to sink back in upon himself, still observant of the others.
Hinata agreed, but her anger and disappointment towards Hiashiko was not discouraged. The others also indicated their assent with the Elder's words. Like it or not, the Elder spoke the truth. The Council was privy to almost everything concerning the clan, but those who held the title of Hyuuga-sama passed down secrets that no one else in the clan would know. Likewise, so did the members of the Elder Council, to their successors. It allowed for a system of checks and balances, making sure the welfare of the entire clan remained at the forefront of every serious decision. As shown, however, the system was not perfect and now accommodations needed to be made.
Hiroki was watching everyone, like he usually did. Hinata did not like his plots and schemes and therefore kept a careful eye on him herself. Distasteful as he could be, his 'talents' --if one could call them that --did have their uses. He would be useful for spinning Hiashiko's censure and Hizashiko's return both inside the clan, and outside. "Hiashiko will live, and as Elder Hiroki has proposed, she will be watched and her power limited. We will all have a hand in deciding on the exact details of her punishment, as well as say in how the news is broken."
There was a tiny, but pleased, smile on Hiroki's face as he settled back down in his own seat. Few more voices were raised in the council room that night, but he had already gotten done what needed to be done. The hammering of the details would likely take the next couple weeks, and who would be Hiashiko's... caretakers would take days to figure out but Hiroki was confident that he could steer the choosing of that as well. Within a short time, Hizashiko would be back in her home.
It was going to be most interesting, of this Hiroki was sure.
Fifteen years ago, Hyuuga Hiashiko almost lost her son, killed an ambassador, and made a hasty, reckless, selfish decision. Now it was time to accept the consequences.
Nejiko had left and taken her fit of temper and the mission report with her not long ago. Hiashiko hoped that Nejiko would see her mother soon, though optimism was in short supply. As she left the offering for Noburo, Hiashiko couldn't help but remember how Nejiko had adored her mother. She had been a happy child, then, but that was long enough ago to be irrelevant. Irrelevant except for in Hizashiko's memories. That cheerful, eager daughter Hizashiko remembered would not be the one to greet her in the hospital. Hiashiko prayed Nejiko would deal with her mother with more grace than she had her aunt. Difficult and confusing times were ahead for the pair, and Hiashiko was grateful the initial meeting would not play out in front of her.
Hiashiko caught herself smoothing her hands over the front of her formal kimono and clasped her hands together in front as she began her walk to the meeting hall. The kunai tucked into her wide sleeves brought her an irrational amount of reassurance. She had called a full council of Elders together barely a handful of times--two of them to formally announce the births of her sons--normally preferring to deal with them in small groups or individually for all they were on the same side. Their duty, like hers, was to guard their noble bloodline and thereby keep the clan safe. Everything else was but in service to this burden.
She had betrayed her purpose fifteen years ago, in her own fit of temper. Her relationship with her twin had been tempestuous throughout their lives; only after Hizashiko's marriage to Noburo had the sisters' relationship approached something Hiashiko could privately term friendship. They had always been bound together, but in those last years...
Hiashiko had been expecting to die. She had said goodbye to her husband and to Hinaji and gone to meet with Sandaime-sama where her expectation had shattered. Hizashiko had volunteered to take her place, and Hiashiko had gasped for air and understanding on the floor.
Air she found, but understanding had eluded her then. Brashly, she had concocted a plan--ill-formed, poorly executed--to give her sister a chance at life. She remembered the agony of uncertainty, waiting for Kumo's delegation to leave, waiting for the sun to sink, waiting for Hizashiko to return, broken, bleeding, but breathing, home.
With the third sunrise after Hizashiko's body left the village, Hiashiko finally brought herself to understand her sister's choice.
Now was her time to make a similar choice. Hiashiko could have foisted the blame of this treachery upon her sister--she remembered Hizashiko's apologetic words about letting the Hokage discover the truth--but she refused to let Hizashiko accept the consequences of someone else's actions again.
Hiashiko closed her eyes and focused on her clasped hands and the cool metal brushing against her forearm. Then, with her head held high, she strode into the formal council room.
Elder Hiroki, of the Hyuuga, was not the oldest member of the Hyuuga Council. He was most certainly not the youngest, but he wasn't the oldest. Still, he had been around long enough to know when things weren't quite right and something big was on the horizon. Hyuuga Hiashiko had spent practically the entire day in the company of the Hokage; she had set aside a day, no less. A rumor or two had popped up that someone had seen her following the Hokage into the hospital and someone else had claimed to see the Hokage holding a limp figure in his arms. Those were really just rumors, of course, but when the Clan Head called for a meeting of all the Elders afterwards...
...well, it certainly was interesting.
He had been listening to his colleagues talk back and forth about what this was all about (one had been so absurd as to insinuate she might be pregnant again! Really, everyone knew that was impossible with how she doted on her late husband) Hiroki simply listened, and waited; they would be told in time. Some of the other Elders had begun to get agitated, even though it had been only a few minutes, when Hiashiko made her entrance. She looked every inch the clan head, of course, in a formal kimono with her head held high and her face carefully blank; Hiroki wondered what she was hiding.
Straightening, Hiroki bowed to his clan head, murmuring, "Good evening, Hiashiko-sama."
Elder Hinata tilted her head slightly as the round of evening pleasantries were exchanged and the Council settled down to business. The second to oldest, Hinata had seen and survived many, many things in her lifetime and it showed. Her hair was an iron gray streaked with silver that she wore braided to midway down her back. Wide crow's-feet cornered her eyes, and deep furrows lined either side of a mouth pruned from decades of lip-pursing when members of the branch misbehaved or failed to show the proper respect. Slender hands spotted by age and slightly gnarled from hard work (for in war, even members of the Hyuuga main family were pressed into helping and surprisingly enough she found the labor satisfactory), she was still strong in mind and body and chakra.
Hinata ventured only rarely from the clan walls as she disliked the presence of so many chaotic outclan, preferring the peace of the compound. She had lived through wars, helped care for the wounded as needed (though if she could she treated clan before outclan), seen the Sandaime Hokage claim village leadership twice, and dealt with the insufferable and arrogant Uchiha more times than she cared. She survived her husband, two sons out of the three she bore, a grandchild killed during the Kyuubi attack. Recently she became a great-grandmother through her granddaughter, and held the infant with a gentleness rarely seen.
Observant and intelligent, she was formidable and knew how to command. On the occasions she spoke with Hiashiko, it was one-on-one. She was a harsh woman also who disapproved of much but loved the clan more than anything. Its protection and survival as a whole were more important than individual members. Back when the Kumo-nin failed at kidnapping Hinaji, she had been among the first to swiftly back Hizashiko's decision to go in her sister's place. The curse seal would protect the Byakugan. The corpse was just a corpse.
"For what purpose have you summoned us, Hiashiko-sama?" she asked, her voice strong and clear. Marble-white eyes stared at the clan leader, intense but not disrespectful. Hinata had heard the rumors as well as Hiroki, and to the idiot who suggested Hiashiko may be pregnant again she gave an icy stare.
Hiashiko expected Elder Hinata to get straight to the heart of the matter once they had all settled on the sitting cushions. The woman had served Hiashiko's own parents on their council of Elders, and time had worn her down to her most essential parts. Most of the rest of the council was the same--nearly two dozen men and women that had dedicated their lives to helping the Heads of Hyuuga protect their bloodline.
Guilt tugged at her conscience--not for what she had done, but for hiding her subversion from the Elders. These men and women before her were about to learn of a betrayal by the one person they should never have suspected would betray the clan. She would not hope for pity or lenience--in their places, she would give no quarter.
"Elder Hinata, I've summoned the council of Elders to confess my betrayal," Hiashiko said with unbowed head. "My sister, Hizashiko, is alive."
Air hissed softly as several Elders inhaled sharply. Hinata's eyes narrowed as she made a small gesture for silence from the others. "Explain."
Hinata was taking the lead as Hiashiko half expected. At the very least, that was good--Hinata had never been interested in vengeance or pettiness, only what was right for the clan, what was just.
So Hiashiko told them of her betrayal fifteen years ago in plain yet unrepentant words. She made no excuse for her rash decisions, made no attempt to gain sympathy. The simple, guileless words slipped past her lips to pool in the space between her and the Elders.
"Hizashiko had chosen to die for me," she began, letting her gaze travel from one Elder to the next as she spoke. "I had a difficult time accepting it, even though I knew that Hizashiko's decision was for the best of the village and the clan." And for me, she thought, but did not tell them that. "I decided I needed to give her what opportunity I could for her to survive. Instead of using a lethal poison, I gave her a drug that would mimic death so that, once Cloud had legally accepted her body as mine and signed the treaty, she would be able to escape. I lied when I confirmed her death and the destruction of the Byakugan within her 'corpse' and sent her body to the Cloud delegation. I waited for her, but she did not return, and I assumed that she had been killed in the attempt to escape or that I had dosed her incorrectly and she had suffocated while unconscious.
"I submit myself to your judgment," Hiashiko concluded. She felt herself relax, slipping into a serenity that had eluded her ever since the Hokage had taken her down a cramped, forbidding staircase. Her choices had been made, and what was done was done and she would never wish it otherwise.
Well. Now wasn't that interesting.
Hiroki could see, when he spared a quick glance around, that several of the Elders looked quite shocked at Hiashiko's statement of betrayal; they didn't seem to think she had had it in her. Hiroki himself wasn't quite as shocked. Hiashiko had always had a soft spot for her stronger, more angry sister. Many times the woman had gotten away with actions or words that in any other case would have had a Branch member writhing on the floor with the curse; but Hiashiko would let her go. Whether it was out of pity, guilt, or maybe even some twisted love, it really didn't matter. The problem at hand was that Hizashiko had been delivered, alive, to the enemies and they could have gathered any number significant secrets from her.
But, Hiroki thought, as he resettled himself, the secrets obviously couldn't have been THAT significant. If they had been, the Hyuuga or Konoha already would have been attacked. Shinobi, when they gathered information, didn't wait fifteen years to implement it; doing so could mean that the information would change and be useless. So the question on Hiroki's mind was really what HAD Kumo actually found out from Hiashiko's twin.
Tucking his hands inside his robes, Hiroki quietly watched, and listened, to see if his colleagues would be see what he had, or if he was going to have to speak up soon and tell them.
Hinata's unreadable eyes never wavered from Hiashiko's face; she counted on peripheral vision to pick up the clues of the body. She heard and saw that all the words spoken were true but wondered if all of the truth was spoken in words. One never revealed everything if it could be avoided, regardless of reason. All clan children were taught this from the cradle. Her mind still stumbled over this announcement. Hizashiko was alive? Hiashiko willingly allowed for a living Hyuuga, a direct blood descendent of not just the main family but the ruling line, to be handed over to a village that coveted the Byakugan so much? The betrayal of the entire clan by the youngling in front of her spliced her heart in two; a pain that even the deaths of her husband and children could not equal. How had this come to pass? How had the Council allowed this to come to pass.
"It is good that you do, Hiashiko-sama," Hinata said evenly. She cast her gaze about her fellow clansmen, her relatives. "Have the members of this Council questions to ask of her before deciding upon judgement?"
For many long moments there was silence in the room, everyone stunned by the revelation over what their leader had done. She was always so calm and cool headed, to hear she had done something in the heat of the moment was practically unthinkable. Hinata's question nearly went unanswered; Hiroki could tell by the looks on their faces that they were already contemplating what harsh punishment to dole out. What surprised him, however, was that no one had asked a very obvious and very poignant question.
"If I may, Elder Hinata," Hiroki finally said, shifting in his chair. His gaze slipped to Hiashiko and he tilted his head faintly. "Hiashiko-sama. How much information did Hizashiko-san give to her captors?"
Of course it would be Elder Hiroki to ask a question she had no answer to. Or rather, Hiashiko had an answer, but she knew it was one the Elders would not like. Nor should they--this whole affair had been a gross breach of trust, of duty, of honor, and not having vital answers only compounded the problem. "I don't know," she answered. "Hizashiko claimed she gave them nothing, and while there is little proof, I believe her." Hizashiko had always told her the truth, whether she had wanted to hear it or not. "If she had broken, Kumogakure would have undoubtedly used the information if they had reason to believe it was still relevant. The lack an attack that we are aware of is the only evidence supporting her story, and even that is weak."
Hinata nodded, face impassive. There weren't very many questions to ask; Hiashiko had wisely been most forthcoming. "Thank you, Hiashiko-sama. If you would step outside; we will summon you once we have a decision."
Hiashiko bowed to the Council before stepping out, and Hinata looked at the others. Where to begin? Never before had such treason been committed, had even been conceived. Of course, Hinata shouldn't have wondered too hard; one of the elders immediately demanded proposed Hiashiko be ordered to commit seppuku. Other suggestions were offered up: banishment into the branch family, removing the Heir from her custody and tutelage, a public stripping of power (in that the whole clan would witness, not the village)... She fought the urge to massage her temples.
It was quite amazing, really, that a clan that was as cool headed as it could be had apparently lost it's head over this. Resisting the urge to sigh, Hiroki just smiled faintly and tilted his head as some of the mutterings died down. "We're being a little drastic here, aren't we?"
Many pairs of eyes turned to him, and the mutterings ceased. Ah. Blessed silence. Elder Hinata was probably grateful.
Clearing his throat a bit, Hiroki stood and gestured with his hand, just slightly. "Killing her--pardon me--forcing her to commit seppuku and things such as removing her into the branch or taking young Hanabi-sama away... are these really options? There are things the clan head knows that must be passed down to the heir by the clan head, such as how to do the curse seal."
He smiled benevolently and continued. "And while stripping her of her power within clan isn't a bad idea, it also wouldn't work. Word would get out eventually and then what would we do? What would the other clans think, if we had a child suddenly in control because, essentially, that is what would happen. No, I propose something slightly different that, I think, could serve all parties and settle all questions regarding this matter."
Sliding his hands back into his sleeves, Hiroki waited to see if they'd listen to reason.
Elder Hiroki could be a nuisance, but he was certainly showing much more clear-headedness than the others. The great Hyuuga Elder Council, squabbling like children. Blessed Fate.
When others started talking, she silenced them with icy stares before signaling for Hiroki to continue.
Hiroki dipped his head to Hinata, before spreading his hands and continuing. "Obviously, Hiashiko-sama must be punished. And obviously, she much be watched, and Hanabi-sama must be evaluated. We should allow Hiashiko to retain her position-"
There was a sudden uproar of voices and Hiroki waited very patiently for Hinata to stare them back into silence before continuing. "... allow her to retain her position, but have her hand the position over to Hanabi-sama earlier then planned. We will take over some of the duties for teaching young Hanabi-sama, and for much of the time that Hiashiko-sama is working, she is accompanied by at least two Elders. Those Elders will be up to our discretion."
Another smile lit his lips. "And then we can spin Hizashiko's return to our liking, and have the control we worry about, without looking bad to the other clans. Don't you all agree?"
Sets of silver eyes regarded Hiroki as voices murmured quietly. He was not universally liked, but at the least he was respected. Hinata was about to speak when the slight movement of her neighbor caught her attention. She held her tongue.
"I believe that for ... the most part if not on the whole, we can agree that Hiashiko ... is not to die." The eldest Elder's voice was querulous, but still had strength behind it. He spoke rarely, preferring to offer his wisdom only when he felt it truly necessary. A silver mane framed his wrinkled face, eyes visible as shining slits in the folds of aristocratically white skin. "Knowledgeable as this esteemed Council is, there are ... certain matters and secrets that Hyuuga-sama alone knows. She must be able ... to instruct Hanabi-sama on these matters. ... Her death, would serve no purpose ... except to further wound our clan."
Profound silence punctuated the words as the Elder seemed to sink back in upon himself, still observant of the others.
Hinata agreed, but her anger and disappointment towards Hiashiko was not discouraged. The others also indicated their assent with the Elder's words. Like it or not, the Elder spoke the truth. The Council was privy to almost everything concerning the clan, but those who held the title of Hyuuga-sama passed down secrets that no one else in the clan would know. Likewise, so did the members of the Elder Council, to their successors. It allowed for a system of checks and balances, making sure the welfare of the entire clan remained at the forefront of every serious decision. As shown, however, the system was not perfect and now accommodations needed to be made.
Hiroki was watching everyone, like he usually did. Hinata did not like his plots and schemes and therefore kept a careful eye on him herself. Distasteful as he could be, his 'talents' --if one could call them that --did have their uses. He would be useful for spinning Hiashiko's censure and Hizashiko's return both inside the clan, and outside. "Hiashiko will live, and as Elder Hiroki has proposed, she will be watched and her power limited. We will all have a hand in deciding on the exact details of her punishment, as well as say in how the news is broken."
There was a tiny, but pleased, smile on Hiroki's face as he settled back down in his own seat. Few more voices were raised in the council room that night, but he had already gotten done what needed to be done. The hammering of the details would likely take the next couple weeks, and who would be Hiashiko's... caretakers would take days to figure out but Hiroki was confident that he could steer the choosing of that as well. Within a short time, Hizashiko would be back in her home.
It was going to be most interesting, of this Hiroki was sure.