Under the Sun

Chapter Twenty Nine

The day of the duel passed in a blur. Hanabi remembered the highlights of the event. She was one of the first to arrive on the scene and look for a good place to watch from. A row of chairs was set out around the stage for the elderly, expecting mothers, and high ranking members of the main house. Everyone else would have to stand. People began to flock in from all over the clan grounds. They were eager to cheer in support of Neji, who was selected to be Seiichi's opponent. Hanabi didn't see him around, or her sister for that matter. So she figured that they would both be arriving later. The discussion she'd had with Hinata the night before was still fresh in her mind. They had shared feelings, exposed secrets, and tackled those hard to answer questions that kept vying for their attention. Seiichi was mentioned briefly, and by that Hanabi meant hardly at all.

But today, Seiichi was at the forefront of her mind. She thought about him as she had last seen him - a man overwhelmed by guilt and beset by night terrors. Was someone so fragile going to be capable of fighting Neji? Hanabi didn't think so. Seiichi had been a good fighter once. But like all Hyuga, the byakugan was a large part of his ninja repertoire. Without it, he was more or less an average person. It was the kekkai genkai that made them special as individuals. In the clan's eyes Neji now reigned supreme. He was spoken about with the highest admiration and respect. Seiichi was the traitor that needed to be punished. So the people belittled him by throwing about his name like an insult. The only thing that had changed since his arrival was the weather. The winter season had been cold but it was not rainy.

The people around Hanabi were bundled up in coats and warm clothing. Some wore gloves, while others rubbed their hands together in a persistent effort to keep them warm. The only ones in outfits far less suitable for the chill were members of the council, elects from the branch and main houses, and of course, Hanabi. She'd put on one of her nicer kimonos for the event. It was one no one had yet seen her in. Hinata joined her close to the start of the duel, when the councilwoman took the stage. Even though she was a woman in her late 40s, with little experience in politics compared to her colleagues, she emitted an air of unchallenged authority.

Behind her stood three of her most trusted advisors (or henchmen, as Hinata was fond of calling them). There was a plump man with dark curly hair. The one next to him was tall, somewhat gangly, and couldn't seem to stop bouncing up and down. The last of the three was the eldest of them. He had silvery hair and deep set wrinkles that reminded Hanabi of a deflated balloon. As for the councilwoman, she held her chin high and her pointy nose in the air. It was her most prominent feature. Hanabi wanted to laugh at how ridiculous she was dressed. She wore her hair pinned up into a bird's nest atop her head and the kimono she was wrapped in was covered in an exotic print of various colored feathers. She looked like a peacock of the male variety, showing off for a future mate. Her flashy appearance made the crowd anxious. She spoke over their chatter in a hoarse voice.

When it came time to announce the rules of the duel, Neji suddenly appeared. He waited at one end of the stage and across from him was Seiichi. They glared at each other like two angry children who had just had a spat. They kept up a staring contest throughout the councilwoman's speech. Neither dared to blink or look away. These displays of strength were amusing to watch but what was about to go down would not be. Although Hanabi wished for Neji to win, she did not necessarily want Seiichi to lose. She assumed that her sister felt the same. Sitting beside her, Hinata fidgeted unconsciously, as if she were about to be called up onto the stage to speak. Maybe she was. But minutes passed and nothing happened so Hanabi assumed that her sister was just nervous in general.

Finally, the councilwoman closed her speech with a few words about the winter attack. She promised that those who had died were not forgotten. Unity, she said, was the one thing holding the clan together. It had seen them through one nightmare and would continue to inspire them to preserve the peace their comrades had died fighting for. Hanabi only half believed that the councilwoman was genuinely affected by the deaths of their clansmen. And it made her sick to hear her speak about unity. The death of the main elder had been a shock to everyone but her. Hanabi hated to think it, but she was convinced that the councilwoman had known about Kazuko's plans all along, which was why she was able to secure the main elder's seat on the council after his unexpected passing. For now they had to bear with her being in charge. Luckily, thanks to Hinata, Neji, and her uncle, the councilwoman's word was not yet law. The three of them (separately and together) were working hard to foil each of her power hungry ploys. One day they would succeed in revealing her true colors to the clan.