The sounds of a pair of wooden sandals clicking against the smooth stone road of Konohagakure no sato is what filled Madahiko’s slightly ringing ears. Although the young boy knew his father walked beside him, his eyes rarely moved from the ground underneath his feet. The atmosphere between the pair was tense, not hostile but definitely strained and neither dared break the silence that had fallen between them. Even Ryuhiko, Madahiko’s father, didn’t attempt to reach out to his son in fear it would place more strain on their already dysfunctional relationship, in all honesty he loved his son dearly but wasn’t sure how to communicate that to the boy without looking weak to the rest of the clan. Instead the pair walked in silence towards their mutual destination.

Ryuhiko had set up lessons between the current Hokage, Senju Sousetsu and his son in hopes that the man would teach his son the importance of strength and power of those in office. He hoped the man would explain WHY sometimes what seemed cruel was in fact necessary to for survival of everyone involved underneath the leader. Ryuhiko wasn’t using these lessons as an excuse for his actions and the accident his son had suffered at his hands when he was just a young boy, he firmly believed in a strong separation between the Main House and Branch House castes of the Hyuga clan. One house being designed to both protect and serve the other in effort to keep the secrets of the clan safe but it was clear to Ryuhiko that his son didn’t share in those beliefs. Thus, why Ryuhiko had disheartenedly approached the Hokage so the man could convey to his son what he, as a failed parent could never explain.

“Madahiko.” Ryuhiko finally said calling his son by name in order to grasp him attention.

“Yes father?” The boy replied, his voice was light, almost harmonious with the world around him despite the tension he felt within his body.

“When we arrive at the Hokage’s office be sure to bow before him and thank him for spending his precious time with you. Remain submissive, be respectful, and listen to every word he has to say when he instructs.” Ryuhiko stated in a monotone without looking down at his son, unable to look the boy in the eyes. “Everything the Hokage says is important, he is a man of great power, we are lucky he agreed to teach you much less spend time with you.” He continued off-handedly, not even realizing he had underhandedly insulted his own son.

Madahiko’s eyes grew wide at his father’s last words, did he honestly think that little of him? The young teen didn’t understand why his father couldn’t simply try to teach him whatever it was that he had asked the Hokage to impart himself. The young Shinobi had begun to wonder if the strain between his father and himself was his fault, if their differences in beliefs had caused the schism between them or if he had failed to live up to his father’s expectations in some way. Honestly, Madahiko loved his father as much as Ryuhiko loved him but he didn’t know how to express those feelings without enraging the man.

“Yes father.” Madahiko replied after taking a moment to allow his eyes to dry from the tears he had just pushed back.

The rest of the trip was transversed with complete silence between the pair of Hyuga Shinobi, neither wanting to have to speak with the other. Once the pair arrived at the Hokage’s office, Ryuhiko ordered his son to remain in the lobby while he went to inform the Hokage of their arrival. Madahiko obeyed his father’s order without uttering a word, instead he took a seat on one of the lounging pillows in the office and waited for his father to come back and tell him he could enter the Hokage’s chambers. In the meantime, the young man gazed out a window, staring at bird which had perched itself on the window seal and tweeted out its bold song bravely, Madahiko smiled slightly at the sight.

After a few minutes of climbing several floors of stairs, Ryuhiko found himself standing in front of the door to the Hokage’s office and rasped it with the knuckles of his left hand twice. Ryuhiko wouldn’t open the door to the Hokage’s office; instead he would simply speak to the man through the door, as a servant would to his master. This was born out of the deep respect Ryuhiko had for the Hokage as a man and as a title, he dared not violate the Hokage’s sanctuary, just as his own servants never entered his own chambers out of respect for their master.

“Lord Hokage, my son, Madahiko has arrived for your first lessons.” Ryushin stated after giving the Hokage a short bow at the waist in front of the papyrus door. “Would you like for me to send him up to you? Or would you prefer to fetch the boy yourself?” Ryuhiko asked his Lord.

Word Count Stats Training E-D: 846/3750

The scribbles of a pen could be heard echoing through the silence in the Hokage's office. His assistant sat in the corner beside him, proof-reading every form that he had finished signing, ruffled papers scraping off one another as she moved from page to page. No voices escaped their lips as they seemed enthralled by their work showing remarkable dedication to it. The desk was cluttered with an encyclopedia of books and sheets in relation. Sousetsu would only stop to scratch his cheek as he continued to read the terms and conditions of each law, mission, supply list, or building confirmation that required his signature. He turned his head to his assistant and gave off a soft smile, to which she looked up and returned a gesture of slight confusion.

"Have I done something wrong, Lord Hokage?" her puzzled expression displayed slight concern. A soft giggle was exerted from the Senju as he turned back to read more of the propositions.

"Not at all. I find it fascinating how quickly you adapted to my methods." he scanned further down the pages, seemingly comparing the two as they were tied with the same objective. With a small blush, the assistant turned her head away from him.

"Thank you, Hokage-Sama. It is my job assist you however you see fit." she gave off a small smile of her own.

"And I couldn't ask for a better assistant..." he continued as he came to an end of the page. Little attention was paid to the woman as he had spoke. It was merely on the tip of his tongue, a compliment that meant more than he could of assumed. Red flushed her cheeks before she buried her head in the stacks of paper that rested on her knees, hiding her 'shame.'  With a short glance over to the woman, Sousetsu had to take another look hastily after to ensure his eyes were not fooling him.

"Are you... Okay?" he looked blankly towards the woman who nestled her head. Was she feeling ill? She shot her head up with a sheet of paper sticking to her forehead before standing and bowing to Sousetsu, apologizing for making him ask for concern. A raised eyebrow and the same blank expression was his response before taking the sheet that leaned out towards him. Glancing at it and seeing his signature the woman stood up with further embarrassment and retrieved the page from his grasp with a short giggle of discomfort. Sousetsu giggled slightly in reply giving off the warm smile once again.

"Why don't we take a break. Could you please bring us some tea? I have an appointment momentarily." he added as he took note of the time on the clock above the door. With the attention taken off her, the red began to fade. She bowed formally and agreed to his wish, exiting the door and making her way down to the lobby. On her travels, she met the man due for the appointment in question.

"You must be here to see Lord Hokage. Please, make your way to his office. I was just off to bring tea for your arrival." she bowed before Ryuhiko.

A small moment in time had passed. The Hokage looked out of the window behind his desk and watched over the village. It was a warm day, a small breeze as the tree leaves flailed. The districts were occupied by the many villagers and ninja no doubt running errands. A smile etched upon his face as he thought about the journey to where he was today. The Hokage. A well respected individual to the village hidden in the leaves and neighboring countries alike. He was and still remains, the same man he was growing up. The meeting between himself and the Hyuuga Clan head may reveal some nostalgia for the Senju as he was here to deliver his son for a little lesson in what it was to be shinobi. Before he could think any longer, his attention was taken to the door behind him, and the voice from the other side

“Lord Hokage, my son, Madahiko has arrived for your first lessons.” the voice of Ryuhiko, the Hyuuga clan head could be heard. He began his short journey to the door to greet the two as more words could be heard. “Would you like for me to send him up to you? Or would you prefer to fetch the boy yourself?” The door opened by Sousetsu's hand where he had seen the Hyuuga bowing, already showing his respect for the Senju.

"Please, bring him here. Will you accompany us for some tea, Ryuhiko-Sama?" he bowed formally before him as he offered the tea.

Before long, the assistant returned to find Sousetsu behind his desk with two individuals, a man and a young boy, and left a tray of tea on the desk before them. Sousetsu picked up one of the cups before smelling the contents and taking a sip of the warm beverage. It was satisfying, smooth and easy at it made its way down his throat. A small smile escaped him as he looked up to the man he agreed to meet.

"I will pass on words to your son, Ryuhiko-Sama. I respect your families traditions and will be cautious of my tongue." he informed him with a stern look upon his face. His jaw tightened as his teeth clenched, grinding on one another as he finished another sip.

"First, I must ask the young man however..." he darted his eyes into the fathers before looking over to the boy. "Will you accept my words, Madahiko-Kun?" he spoke softly but still confirming his dominance in the room.

As Ryuhiko walked down the main hallway leading to the Hokage's office he passed a small Senju woman. She appeared to still be finding something that had just occurred either embarrassing or humorous or perhaps both, judging from how flushed her cheeks were and her general cheery demeanor. When the pair were about to pass one another the woman greeted the Hyuga nobleman by saying.

"You must be here to see Lord Hokage. Please, make your way to his office. I was just off to bring tea for your arrival." Along with a small bow of respect to the guest.

While Ryuhiko didn't verbally respond to the woman, he didn't ignore her. Instead, the Hyuga gave her a small but warm smirk and simply nodded his head to return the small respect she had paid to him. Once this was done Ryuhiko would bow before the Hokage's door and speak, remaining motionless until his Lord replied.

"Please, bring him here. Will you accompany us for some tea, Ryuhiko-Sama?" Came the voice of Sousetsu, the current Hokage and lover of Senju Chisaki, the head of his clan.

Ryuhiko didn’t rise from his kneeling bow to face Sousetsu while his Lord spoke; instead the man remained in his bow until Sousetsu had finished speaking. It was only then that the middle aged Shinobi rose up into a kneeling position with his posterior firmly planted on the ankles of his feet. The Hyuga Noble had nearly fifteen years of life on the Hokage and yet he never moaned nor pointed this fact out; instead he remained completely respectful and submissive to the younger man.

Up until this point, Ryuhiko’s face had been relatively emotionless; instead a simple stern gaze and expression had been plastered to his face. That was until the Hokage made his offer for Ryuhiko to join him for tea; it caused a small pleasant smirk to appear on the Hyuga’s face. He nodded his head slightly before responding to the Hokage’s offer, it was an unspoken “thank you” to the man for the consideration.

“If that is what the Lord Hokage desires.” Ryuhiko responded calmly before standing to his feet and walking back down the hallway towards the stairs to fetch his son.

The sound of his wooden sandals clicking on the wooden floors would tell the Hokage of his departure to gather Madahiko from the lobby of the building. As Ryuhiko began his descent down the steps towards the lobby he could not help but allow his mind to drift back to what the Hokage had stated about his clan’s traditions and the manner he had stated it in. Ryuhiko knew that Sousetsu was a man who believed in equality and peace amongst Shinobi but he allowed many of the more ancient clans of Konoha to continue some of their more…barbaric practices.

Ryuhiko was suddenly relieved that Sousetsu invited him to stay for tea, he could intervene in the lesson should it take a turn he deemed undesirable this way. Ryuhiko respected the Hokage as a man of honor but there was something about the way Sousetsu had made his pledge that put him on edge and made him doubt the Kage’s promise. As not only Madahiko’s father but one of the Hyuga Clan’s most influential figureheads he wouldn’t allow subservient thoughts to infect his son’s mind, lest he fall further from their traditions then he already had.

The time it took to reach the bottom floor to the Hokage’s Office seemed to pass quicker than normal due to Ryuhiko being drawn in by his own thoughts concerning this first lesson. He walked into the lobby as silently as he could to watch his son for a moment; his distant yet loving gaze fell upon the boy as he gazed out at a bird singing outside a window. He began to approach his son, allowing the boy to clearly hear his footsteps to announce his arrival into the lobby.

“Madahiko, that bird is free, just as every Hyuga now is. No longer is the Branch House caged by our most ancient of arts, never forget that it was our ancestors that ended that practice.” Ryuhiko stated to his son with a small smile on his face, an attempt to bond with the boy.

“Are they truly father?” Madahiko questioned, his gaze still locked onto the bird outside the window. “Or did our ancestors exchange one brand for another?” He asked, challenging not only his father’s beliefs but the actions of his ancestors.

Ryuhiko was silent for a moment, stunned by his son’s response and the boldness of it. Normally, he would have walked away to avoid striking the boy for his insolence but instead the man simply pushed aside what he deemed was an insult to their heritage. Ryuhiko let out a small sigh before addressing his son once more.

“Come Madahiko, the Hokage is ready to begin your first lesson.” He stated.

“Yes father.” Madahiko distantly replied as he stood to his feet and followed the man up to Sousetsu’s office.

After several minutes the pair of Hyuga arrived in front of the Hokage’s open door and bowed on all fours before him. They remained this way for several seconds as a sign of both their reverence and respect towards the Senju. After a few seconds of complete silence, Ryuhiko would speak but not raise his head until the Hokage gave him permission to rise up.

“Lord Hokage,” He stated to draw Sousetsu’s attention. “Allow me to formally introduce my son, Hyuga Madahiko of the Main House.” He continued introducing his son to the Senju.

“It is a pleasure to receive tutelage from you Hokage-sensei.” Madahiko stated after his father finished speaking, his body still bent over in a bow and his eyes locked onto the wooden floor just outside the Hokage’s office.

"I will pass on words to your son, Ryuhiko-Sama. I respect your family's traditions and will be cautious of my tongue." Sousetsu stated, a comment aimed towards Madahiko's father and one that seemed to be laced with distaste.

“You have my appreciation, Lord Hokage.” Ryuhiko stated in a monotone voice in reply to Sousetsu's pledge.

"First, I must ask the young man however..." Sousetsu stated, his eyes pulling from Ryuhiko and towards Madahiko. "Will you accept my words, Madahiko-Kun?" He asked, his voice changing from that of a stern leader to a caring teacher.

Madahiko’s eyes widened in shock, he didn’t understand the tone of the Hokage’s voice his teachers within the Hyuga clan had always been domineering and forceful in their lessons, pushing the young boy to new limits. To hear someone of such an esteemed office talking to him with compassion in his voice didn’t make sense to the young Hyuga. Instinctively, Madahiko raised his head from the blank stare on the wooden floor to meet the Hokage’s gaze, his white eyes asking questions he dared not ask in front of his father.

“Of course, Hokage-sensei” The boy replied his voice taking on the shock his entire body felt. “I will take all of your lessons to heart.” He continued, before dropping his head back to the floor and awaiting the Hokage’s permission to rise and enter his office.

Post Word Count: 1242
Word Count Stats E-D: 2088/3750

Only a brief moment had passed before the young man that knelt down in front of the Hokage alongside his father, lifted his head with shock lingering upon his person. He was still, and it seemed his body could no longer move and his mind could not comprehend the warm gesture that the Senju had given him. Instead of reacting in a similar way, the Senju simply grinned as he watched what he could only see as something new unfolding within the boys eyes. They asked questions of the unknown in search of an answer that only Sousetsu possessed. The seasonable warmth was not the only sensation he began to feel as wandering into an abyss of the child's mind was also a learning curve for the Hokage.

“Of course, Hokage-sensei. I will take all of your lessons to heart.” the boy graciously replied.

He looked back to the father and gave off a rather stern look. The young man had chosen to take heed of his words, he was not ordered. Sousetsu had allowed Madahiko to choose, for the first time, for his life as a ninja. A simple seed he implanted into the boys mind that only left the Hokage to feed it for it to grow. He was well aware of the traditions that the Hyuuga kept, the strict authority figures that came with each branch and households, but would they go as far as to go against the words of the Hokage? Their presence here could answer as they knelt before him, loyal, trusting, formal, and hard-working.

"Please stand and join me." he smiled as he opened an arm to the tray of tea that was provided.

Sousetsu stood. He could be seen wearing a simple black jumpsuit under the Hokage's cloak. His hat remained on the side of his desk where it would continue to reside. He took a sip of the tea, its smooth flow caressed the throat and leaving a taste for more. He swallowed a few times as he tried to rid the taste before he clenched his teeth, a common feature he used to define his jaw to give off his stoic presence, looking at the father and to his child as he continued his words.

"Madahiko will accompany me in my training area with no-one to interfere." he almost ordered the father not to follow.

"I teach many in different ways, not one lesson is the same. They are unique to each individual." he took another sip before looking back to Madahiko. There were no lies in these words, not one student had learned the same as the next. As he matured, he began to understand that everyone had different methods of learning. Some could learn visually, others through first hand experience. The words he offered were also different as each individual had a different line of thought. It was through the right words that he could create a connection between them. Having another interfere could determine a counter argument to one's own beliefs. In the end, they would become wiser, stronger.

"He will not leave my sight. You have my word." he nodded towards him and back to his father with determined eyes to reassure him.

He stood tall from his desk and retrieved his hat at last before placing it on its rightful place, looking at the two with a firm grin. A new day was upon him, and a new outlook on life was upon his student. "Let us not waste any more time here." he spoke strongly and clear with more authority. He would have the assistant retrieve the tray and take it back to its rightful place as the Hokage would escort the two out of the building where only the father would go on his own separate path. He looked down at Madahiko, and under the hat that shaded his face, another grin appeared. Beginning to make their way to the nearby forest at the south side of the village, there to begin their first lesson.

Ryuhiko flinched internally at his son’s compliance to the Hokage’s request. While the Hyuga noble certainly respected the power behind the man who held the title of Hokage, he didn’t agree with all of his policies nor his beliefs. Sousetsu was known within the Leaf for preaching messages of equality and peace; he actively worked to bring about an era of unity between the Hidden Villages. Ryuhiko believed otherwise, he believed the only way to secure peace was to dominate his rivals, to justly rule with an iron grip and firm demeanor. He knew the ideals of unity, equality, and found through those virtues were fallacies taught only by the foolish or by cowards. Despite his own beliefs, Ryuhiko would never state them aloud; he would never dare to betray his Hokage nor the Village that had allowed the Hyuga to thrive within its borders. Besides, Ryuhiko was sure he could remove any stains of corruption from his young and idealistic son’s heart without any real issues.

"Please stand and join me." Sousetsu stated in a harmonious voice.

At the Hokage’s demand both Madahiko and his father raised their torsos from their bow and sat placed their weight on the backs of their calves. The Hokage stretched forth his arm, a grandiose gesture to draw attention towards the small tea tray before him; it was an invitation to the Hyuga to drink with him. Madahiko hesitated for a moment, his white eyes turning up towards his father, as if he was asking for permission to reach out and grasp one of the cups. Madahiko watched his father’s unchanging melancholy face for a moment, after a second Ryuhiko gave the small boy a nod which signified that he was allowed to take his tea.

Silence fell between the pair of Hyuga nobles and the Hokage as the sipped the warm tea. Apparently, none of them wanted to breach the silence that had fallen between them, nor slice through the tension that had been steadily mounting between Ryuhiko and Sousetsu. Instead the elder Hyuga simply sipped the tea, his eyes closed in pleasure while he enjoyed the warmth of the liquid as it cascaded down his gullet in small stead streams.

Madahiko wasn’t able to enjoy his tea the same way Sousetsu and his father did, to him the tea wasn’t warm and for the most part was largely tasteless. Instead the young boy took a small sip from the wooden cup before glancing back down at it in a defeated manner. He lightly swirled the cup about in his hand, watching as the contents began to cause a small spiral, a vortex of sorts. The swirling liquid reminded him of the garden in the Hyuga compound and the small Koi pond within it. Occasionally an air pocket would collapse in the sandy bottom of the pond; the sudden collapse would cause a small vortex on the surface as water rushed in to fill up the void.

The young Hyuga had seen this happen countless times, he had often wondered what the tiny Koi pond was attempting to teach him. Perhaps it was trying to teach him that whenever a void in his life appeared, something else would always rush in to fill it up, but that wasn’t always true. Maybe it signified that change was inevitable but not necessarily bad? Before the young Hyuga could come to a conclusion about the lesson the Koi pond was teaching him Sousetsu’s voice would echo forth once more.

"Madahiko will accompany me in my training area with no-one to interfere." He had stated, his voice was slightly harsher than before and he was clearly speaking to Madahiko’s father.

Madahiko visibly flinched at the Hokage’s words; he knew his father did not take kindly to being spoken down to. The young boy halfway expected his father to react towards the Hokage the same way he did to anyone within the Clan who spoke to him in such a manner. However, Madahiko was surprised by his father’s calm and cooperative reaction towards the Hokage.

“But of course, Lord Hokage…” Ryuhiko replied in a smooth and disarming voice before taking a final sip of his tea. “I would have it no other way, the words of wisdom you have for my son are for his ears alone after all.” He continued before placing the empty tea cup back onto the wooden tray.

"I teach many in different ways, not one lesson is the same. They are unique to each individual." Sousetsu stated, almost confirming what Ryuhiko had stated just seconds before. "He will not leave my sight. You have my word." The Hokage continued, promising Madahiko’s safety under his care.

Ryuhiko allowed a small smirk to appear on his normally placid face, it was almost as if something about that final statement Sousetsu had uttered humored him in a way. Ryuhiko wasn’t a foolish man, he knew leaving his son in the Hokage’s care kept him safe, physically safe at the very least. Sousetsu was of course the strongest Shinobi within the Hidden Leaf; Ryuhiko needn’t worry about his son’s safety.

“Lord Hokage, I believe that you will return my son to me in the same physical condition that he left my side in. You needn’t worry about my confidence in you as a man or shinobi, you have proven yourself on multiple counts to be a man of valor.” Ryuhiko stated as he stood to his feet. “However, it would seem my son is as eager to begin his lessons under your care as you are my Lord.” He continued, his eyes cascading down to Madahiko’s eager face. “I shall take my leave, Lord Hokage.” Ryuhiko stated as he gave a small bow to the Hokage before turning and leaving his son with Sousetsu.

"Let us not waste any more time here." Sousetsu said calmly as he stood up from his desk and placed a straw hat upon his head.

“Mmm” Madahiko replied, affirming the Hokage’s demands. Before placing his largely full tea cup back on the tray and standing to his feet.

Madahiko would follow Sousetsu out of his office, keeping about a pace and a half behind the man who was his Hokage. The young Hyuga was silent, yet excited! Although, he didn’t ask any questions for a few minutes as he followed Sousetsu out of Konohagakure and into a small forest where he was certain his lessons would take part. For the first time in his life, Madahiko felt safe from the all seeing eye of his father’s Byakugan. He was certain the location the pair was in was far beyond what his father could see and that finally prompted the young Hyuga to speak.

“Hokage-sama…” Madahiko stated in a small and shy voice. “…I have a question. I don’t understand why my father treats the Branch House like he does. Are they not people too? And if so, why is it acceptable for them to be treated less than how I am treated?” Madahiko asked the Hokage, his voice genuinely concerned and confused about the treatment of the Branch House members of the Hyuga Clan.

Post Word Count: 1195
Word Count: Stats Training E-D: 3283/3750