Meeting of Dreams

Neji managed to reclaim some measure of his dignity by the time Lady Hinata returned.

The Sharingan of Madara had forced his mind to be honest, and no matter how hard he'd resisted, he couldn't stop it. And now he stood, trying to remain stoic and await punishment.

"Neji, are you alright?" asked Hinata.

Neji hesitated to answer. "...No," admitted Neji. "No, I am not."

"What happened?" asked Hinata. "What did he do to you?"

"Madara he... he used his Sharingan on me, Hinata," said Neji. "He drew up... he drew up parts of myself that I've kept suppressed and... and now they're back."

And then Hinata embraced him. The feeling was... good, and he tried to avoid breaking down. He would not lose his dignity again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone with him," said Hinata.

Remembering his own words, his own feelings, Neji stiffened and shook her off. "Get off me!

"Get..." He remembered who he was talking to. "Forgive me I..."

Hinata sighed. "I see.

"I'm sorry, Neji. I...

"I have wronged you, Neji. I realize that. The truth is, I was just as obsessed with avoiding the Caged Bird Seal as you were. But, I was willing to do things you weren't.

"I know you hate me.

"But we have to deal with what is happening now. If we can get the clans together, our clan will change. The Hyuga have avoided strife with the Caged Bird Seal. But Hashirama and Madara have plans, plans for a unified village.

"We will change the Hyuga. Maybe not in this generation, but a future one.

"But I need your help for it to happen. The Hyuga have to be strong now." She put her hands on his shoulders. "So I need you to stand up and help me, Neji. You can hate me if you want, and I'll understand why. But don't let it condemn our descendants."

Neji measured himself and thought Hinata might be serious. And even if she wasn't, he had nowhere else to go. "I understand, Hinata.

"What are our priorities?"

"I'm hoping to arrange a political marriage to Hashirama. Or,. failing that, Madara," said Hinata. "If I bear a son with either clan's bloodlines, it will greatly strengthen our clan. In addition, neither Madara nor Hashirama will ever tolerate their children being branded."

That made sense. "...And both of them are enough of a catch that the elders won't dare question the conditions."

"Once we have that, I'll be able to have enough children that the Caged Bird Seal will be arbitrary," said Hinata. "With Hashirama or Madara's help, it will be a simple matter to dismiss it at that point.

"We only need to arrange a marriage of this kind, and the rest falls into place.

"No one will ever have to grow up as we did, and the future of our clan will be secure."

Neji thought the plan made sense. Better still, it working relied on factors outside of Hinata's control. So it would be difficult for her to backstab him. "I understand."

"Now, we have a meeting to get to," said Hinata. "Remember, you can't speak at it. I know you're probably upset, but-"

"Yes, I know," said Neji. "This is too important to jeopardize."

Hinata nodded. "Good."

Neji followed Hinata into the next room, and they were soon seated at a large round table with many seats. Into the room first came a radiantly beautiful blonde woman who Neji had met before. In another life, perhaps he'd have seen far more of her.

"Ino Yamanaka, you're here," said Hinata.

"Yes, my Father sent me on ahead to negotiate at this," said Ino, carrying a book and sitting down. She instinctively turned to Neji, then shifted to Hinata. "You uh... look well, Hinata."

"Never better," said Hinata. "We're on the verge of changing the world."

"Neji, I see..." Ino shifted. "My condolences on your loss, I guess."

Neji looked to Hinata, who nodded. "My thanks."

"Shikamaru and Choji ought to be here soon," said Ino. "I sensed them coming up."

At that moment, into the room came another man, a little older than them. He had shaggy brown hair and bore red tattoos on his cheek. As he saw Hinata, his expression darkened. "Hinata."

"Oh, Kiba, there you are," said Hinata. "All healed now, I take it?"

"Never better," said Kiba. He'd been crushed in his last match with Hinata.

"Kiba, where were you?" asked Ino.

"I got sidetracked hunting a deer," said Kiba. "How did you get here first?"

"I moved," said Ino.

"You know that doesn't really answer my question, right?" asked Kiba.

"It wasn't supposed to," said Ino with a smile.

At that moment, another man with his hair tied up over his head entered. With him was a rotund man with some real muscle. "Uh, this is such a drag," said the man with the topknot. "I can't believe I had to come all the way out here just to hear Madara make ultimatums."

"What makes you so sure Madara's going to make an ultimatum?" asked the rotund man.

"Well, he's here, isn't he?" asked Shikamaru. "When was the last time you heard about an Uchiha making a compromise with someone."

"Will, both of you, quit whining," said Ino. "We're representing our clans and our alliance. So stop acting like kids."

"You seem to know one another very well," noted Hinata.

"They've been like this since we were children," said Ino with a shrug.

And then Hashirama and Tobirama entered the room. "Well, it would appear everyone is here, aren't they?" said Hashirama.

"Tobirama, why did Hashirama call us all here?" asked Shikamaru simply.

It was bait, but Hashirama showed no sign of offense.

"Yes, that is the question of the hour?" asked Tobirama. "Would you care to make your pitch, brother?"

"Yes, I'll just get right to the point," said Hashirama, moving forward with a map under one arm. "Your presence here is part of my attempt to fulfill a dream that I came up with with a friend. That friend and I have been working toward this dream in our own way. And we're hoping to get your help in finalizing it.

"Friends, I give you..." He unrolled the map and set it onto the table, showing a forest. "The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Silence ensued.

No one was taking this idea seriously. Most of them seemed only incredulous he'd made the suggestion. Eventually, Shikamaru stood up. "...Lord Hashirama, every person in this room has a debt to your mercy,"

"Your power has defeated virtually all of us, and none of our clan have tasted death by your hands. You've also prevented each of us from suffering major losses by interceding on our behalf. But is this some kind of bad joke?

"You cannot ask an entire land of conflicting loyalties to form an alliance overnight. Nobody can become friends that quickly."

"I wasn't suggesting that we form an alliance," said Hashirama. "I was suggesting that we form a nation. The Land of Fire has fallen on hard times. The Lord of Fire is in need of regional governors that will pay taxes. If all of us were to pledge ourselves to him as a figurehead, he would grant us authority over the land.

"It would be a small price to pay for him and for us."

"Even if you made such arrangements, it simply would not be possible," said Shikamaru. "Old hatreds can take decades to fade, and many hatreds here are not old."

"I have already made extensive plans as to how it may be done," said Tobirama.

Shikamaru looked at Hashirama incredulously. "...You are living in a dream world, Hashirama."

"Then why don't we all live in the same dream world together?" asked a voice.

Madara made his entrance, and as he did, everyone stared at him.

"Madara Uchiha?" asked Ino.

"Hashirama has my full support in this matter," said Madara.

Shikamaru looked to Madara, then Hashirama. "...What is the Uchiha's connection to this? You and the Senju have been bitter enemies for ages."

"We have," said Madara. "But everything comes to an end. With my Father's untimely death by my hand, I have decided a change of foreign policy is in order. The endless bickering of warring states has grown tiresome to me. And I have decided to put my own clan behind this measure.

"It was a dream we had as boys, actually.

"We hope to make it a reality."

"As do we," said Hinata, standing up. "The Hyuga Clan has been fighting its entire history. As have all of you. Each of us has our own unique abilities that we specialize in. Consider the great deeds we have performed by ourselves?

"Imagine now that all of us were gathered together into one power.

"One village."

"And how would this village be organized?" asked Kiba. "Would it be ruled by Senju and Uchiha?"

"We have no ambitions in that regard whatsoever," said Tobirama.

Silence ensued.

"What does that mean?" asked Ino.

"What Hashirama means is that we don't care who rules the village," said Madara. "Whether it is Senju, Uchiha, Abarame, Nara, or Hyuga is of no concern to us.

"We simply want the Land of Fire to... settle down for a little while. We should catch our breath before we exhaust ourselves completely."

"We were hoping to discuss the details of rule with all of you," said Hashirama. "Our general outline is that we coordinate our abilities together. Just as the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi have learned to do. Missions will also be handed out to ninja based on what they are capable of. This will ensure that inexperienced children won't be sent out to die."

"And who do you plan to fight army?" asked Ino.

"For the present?" asked Hashirama. "Outsiders, bandits, and murderers. Instead of choosing our own missions, we will work as... mercenaries. Local Lords will hire us to escort them through dangerous territory or to track down bandits. Or, perhaps, some more mundane missions."

"...That might actually work, Ino," said Shikamaru after a moment.

"What do mean, Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

"Think about it," said Shikamaru. "All this war has given rise to a lot of warlords and bandits. Our reputation as a whole has become mud. Ninjas aren't trusted or liked when we're known. That's one of the reasons nobody gives out their last name. We'd be in danger.

"Until now, we've been assuming the Land of Fire was dead. A corpse that everyone was tearing to pieces. But if this works..."

"What then?" asked Choji.

"If this works, we'd be helping the Lord of Fire reclaim his rightful dominion," said Shikamaru. "He'd be restoring order using us. That would give us some legitimacy."

"And what about the territories we've already won?" asked Kiba. "Why should we give what we've conquered just because they ask?"

"We don't have to," said Shikamaru. "We can just keep our original lands as fiefs or Clan territory. The village Hashirama and Madara hope to build would be a... capital of sorts. A base of operations."

"A nation of ninja that exists inside the borders of the Land of Fire," said Kiba.

"Now hang on a sec," said Ino. "As much as I like this idea, what about our clans? Do you really think they're going to just forget about years of nonstop blood?"

"They won't," said Shikamaru. "But they might be willing to tolerate it, Ino. The past generation has been a lot less bloody than the ones before. All those informal codes ninja operate by came into existence to limit bloodshed.

"And they've done the job.

"Things are bad, sure. There are still blood feuds and genocides. But compared to what they were a generation ago, we got off lightly."

"Shikamaru is correct. The Hyuga Clan have always kept careful histories," said Hinata. "We live in an age of war and famine because the last few generations lived in one. The nonstop destruction obliterated fields killed people, and destroyed valuable assets. Even though we've had fewer and less destructive wars, the damage is already done.

"The Land of Fire was laid to waste by our ancestors. And we've been charged with picking up the pieces."

"In which case, the logical thing to do is scale back the fighting and fix things," mused Ino.

"Yeah, but how are we going to convince our clans? Assuming this idea even works?" asked Kiba.

"It might, it might not," said Choji. "Personally, I'm willing to give the idea a trial. We can talk about how it could be done best and see if things work out. I'm sure we can talk our clans into giving the idea a chance."

"Speak for yourself, Akimichi," said Kiba. "The Abarame didn't even meet your invitation. Shino sent me a letter telling me he'd be sure I had a very nice funeral.

"And I don't see anyone in my clan going ahead with this!"

"Relax, Kiba," said Ino. "We can say that we have to join because Madara, Hashirama, and Hinata will kill us if we don't go along with it."

Silence.

"...You know, that actually makes sense," said Madara.

"No," said Hashirama. "It does not.

"Madara, we are not threatening anyone. The village we hope to build will not force anyone to be a part of it. If people don't willingly work to make this dream real, it'll only be surface deep. You're all free to agree or decline as you want."

"Don't be absurd, Hashirama," said Madara. "Merely by presenting the idea, we are forcing them to make a decision.

"We are attempting to create a powerful hegemony that will slant the balance of power in our favor. Our reasons for doing it are, in practical terms, irrelevant. Anyone here who doesn't want in will immediately seek an alliance with other factions.

"This will inevitably lead to a confrontation.

"Neutrality, meanwhile, is simply not an option. One seeking to avoid a confrontation with us should feign friendship. Then get in while we're building it.

"So I suppose the questions are;

"Does the idea of this village appeal to you?

"And if not, what are you ready to do about it?"

Silence.

"...What about clan techniques and bloodlines?" asked Kiba. "Are we supposed to just share those with you?"

"Of course not," said Hashirama. "All of us will agree not to steal from the other anymore. Anyone who does will have to be punished severely. We'll need to devise a legal code and a means of policing things.

"As for bloodlines, they are yours and remain yours. If you wish to make marriage alliances, that is perfectly acceptable."

"Well, that all sounds very nice in theory," said Ino. "But a lot of things are nice in theory."

"Ino, what's wrong?" asked Shikamaru.

Ino groaned. "Ugh, I just realized that this is the part in the stories that everyone is going to say 'and then they built the village.'"

"So, what of it?" asked Shikamaru.

"So, we're about to get into the boring stuff," said Ino. "Landscaping and legalese. We're going to have to do paperwork and write out treaties and stuff.

"Ruling isn't about what you're seen doing; it's about what you do when you aren't seen."

"Good point," said Shikamaru. "This is going to be a real drag."

"Yes, yes it is," said Tobirama.

Neji stood up, deciding he wanted to get out of here. "Lady Hinata, I don't believe I will contribute anything here. With your permission, I'd like to check the perimeter."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, go ahead, Neji."

"Neji, as in Neji Hyuga?" asked Kiba, only now noticing him. "Didn't those two have a blood feud or something?"

"We had nothing of the sort," said Neji.

And he left.