Seven: Hyuuga Dinner
“Again.”
“Why?!”
“Because I don’t want you screwing this up!” Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Fine. You’ll do all the talking, I just bow and say hello. Even if I’m asked a direct question, I’ll just let you handle it. Don’t touch anything. Eat all the food I’m given and nothing more. Don’t go to the bathroom until we’re out of there.”
“And?”
“Don’t talk to Hinata, even greeeting her.”
“Why?”
“Because in YOUR little world, women are not exactly equal to men, and even though she’s the family heir she's still a girl. I don’t need to say hello to her.”
“Good.” Sasuke said, sighing. “Please don’t forget any of that.”
“Why are you even going? It’s not like the Hyuugas are all buddy-buddy with you.”
“But that’s the reason I’m going.” Sasuke said. “I’m curious as to why Hiashi invited us to dinner. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t get it.” Naruto said, lying back on the bed, not really caing if his suit wrinkled. “But whatever, It’s your thing.”
“Sit up. You need to look presetable.” Naruto just got up on his elbows.
“Why do you care if I look presentable or not?”r32;
“You’re a reflection on me. If you look bad, I look bad.”
“Whatever.”
“Why are you so pissy today?”
“Because I’m going to a stuffy dinner where I can’t even talk! That just sucks!!”
“Well, I’m sorry is I don’t trust you enough to speak to a well respected politician and businessman.”
“Who is this Hiashi guy, anyway? I’ve never heard of him.”
“He’s working directly under the govenor of the state and has run several times for the senate. He won a seat once, but there were some strongs pulled, the ballots recounted, and basicly he was booted out of his position. He decided that he wouldn’t run again if that was what was going to happen.”
“Oh. . .”
“So now you know. He;s a pretty powerful man. In all honesty, the govenor doesn’t really run the state. Hiashi does. The govenor is just an elected face who relies on Hiashi to do his job for him.”
“. . . Okay. . . I don’t think I’ll talk then.”
“Speak. The word is speak.”
**-**-**
Everything went according to plan when Sasuke and Naruto arrived. They presented their omiyage, greeted and thanked their hoests, gave little attention to Hinata, and sat down for dinner. Sasuke and Hiashi made small talk while Neji, Hinata, and Naruto said nothing while eating a decadent meal served in courses. However, right around the time the main course, Hiashi set aside his hashi and looked Sasuke straight in the eyes.
“Uchiha-san, I’ve heard something strange from your family.”
“Oh?”
“That for some reaosn your older brother is not to inherit anything of the Uchiha power. You are.”
“Saa na.” Sasuke said, putting down his hachi as well. It seems that Hiashi was finally getting to the point of the dinner. “My parents felt that I would be more suit for the job as Head than my brother.”
“What of the business? Itachi-san is the president currently, is he not?”
“Yes.”
“Do you plan to take over the business?”
“If I do receive the title of Head, I will let my brother run the business. He has a mind and the skill for it, and I do not.”
“You are not sure if you will recieve the title?” Hiashi asked.
“Things have complicated within the last few months.” Sasuke explained without explaining. “Namely for the sake of procreating.”
“As I’ve been told.” the Hyuuga said, looking over to Naruto. “May I speak plainly?”
“If you wish to.”
“I don’t believe that this relationship you have is real. You simply do not want to marry so young.” Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow.
“How have you come to this conclusion?”
“Circumstances.” Hiashi said, simply. “Though you hadn’t been happy with your last public relationship, supposedly you had been making advances to other girls in your life. Girls, not boys. Suddenly then you have a new interest just as you hear that you will be forced to marry Miss Haruno.” Hiashi laced his fingers together in front of his face. “We can conclude that it was just good timing, or this is a fake. Personally, I believe it to be the latter.”
“If it is?”
“Nothing will come of this whether it is or not. I would simply like to know.” Sasuke doubted this and looked over to Naruto. It wasn’t like the blonde held any answers, but it seemed to comfort him to see Naruto’s expression. Sasuke then looked back to Hiashi.
“It’s true. This relationship is a complete sham. Naruto agreed to help me so that I would not have to marry so suddenly.”
“I assume your family doesn not know this?”
“No, they do not.” Hiashi smiled.
“Let us, t hen, strike a deal.”
“So forward for someone who lied.” Sasuke accused. Hiashi laughed.
“You knew I was lying anyway.” he said. “But nonetheless, I would like to bargain with you.”
“For what?”
“A position on the Uchiha business board of directors. Itachi-san is growing the businesss and I would like to profit from this growth.”
“Do you hvave a position in mind?”
“Just a small one. I, too, have a business to take care of as well as aid the govenor.”
“And in exchange?”
“I will speak to the Uchiha elders about your position as Head. They will grant you the title.”
“That’s a bit of an unbalanced trade, don’t you think? You receive long-term money while exploiting the Uchihas, while I simply gain power of my family. There is nothing being gained on my half.” Hiashi seemed slightly impressed, but at the same time disappointed that he would have to increase his half of the bargain.
“I’m not sure what I could offer you as of now that would be of interest to you.”
“I see.”
“However, as a good-faith promise, I will send Hinata with you. If I do not find something that will satisfy you, you may marry Hinata if you wish.”
“Otoosama!!” Hinata shouted, not believing her ears.
“Da-me!” Hiashi spat back at her. Hinata recoiled as if his voice has struck a fatal blow, and sat back in her seat quietly.
“This is an odd promise, Hiashi-san.” Sasuke said. “It’s not like a family to give away their heir.”
“As I said, it is only insurance. I will find something else to pay you with. If I do not. . . you will have a wife if nothing else.” Sasuke looked over to the girl, who was now stone-faced: a natural mask to hide her feelings.
“I’ll take the good-faith promise, but Hinata will stay here. It will look suspicious if there is a Hyuuga female living with me so suddenly.” In the corner of Sasuke’s eye he saw both Neji and Hinata smile. Likely, that was as much thanks as he would get for now.
“Understood.” Hiashi said. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Uchiha-san.”
“And you, Hyuuga-san.” Sasuke said, resuming his meal.
“Dude, is that what all your dinners are like?” Naruto asked, sighing while he took off his tie. “It’s like inteisive power-play.”
“Not all, in fact not even most.” Sasuke asnwered. “A lot of them just involve small talk.”
“Do you think that you’ll be invited to any more?”
“Probably. Expect at lest one more with my family.”
“Why?!”r32;
“Likely, the elders will want to speak with me, possibly you too.”
“Sheesh, do you ever just go to dinner for the hell of it?”
“Not lately.”
“We should go sometime.”
“We?” Sasuke asked, curiously.
“You’re so stuck up! You need to be shown around and have a good time!”
“I’m not that kind of a person .”
“You should be! You’ll enjoy like a lot more!” Sasuke sighed and kept driving.
“You won’t stop bugging me until I say yes, will you?”
“Nope!”
“Well, I guess we’re going sometime, then.”
“Yay!!”
TBC...
**-**-**
Notes:
Otoosama: Father (a more respectful version of Otoosan, but not as formal as Chichiue)
Da-me: Literally "bad", but can be used as "stop" or in this case "silence"
A/N: I have sold my soul to TONFA to gain reviews.
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A/N: GAHH! I'M UPDATING IN HAWAII!!!!!!!!! XD
Anyway, I'm so sorry I haven't been here in a long time! I've been really busy and I'm never home anymore. . . I'm going to try to steal the internet while I'm at school *evil ideas* X3.
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