All that was stated in Chp. One is true in Chp. Four

12) It would be difficult to marry into a Konoha ninja clan.

A)

She doesn't know when Hinata started flinching every time she lifted her hand in the girl's direction. Or when the cheerfully bright voice dropped into a trembling whisper, or when soft crying came from behind a closed screen door instead of being brought to her.

Sometimes she likes to fool herself into thinking that it was always there; just another aspect of her gentle daughter's personality. She herself had been a shy child before blossoming under the combined efforts of her mother and grandmother, maturing into a woman with the fortitude to become a wife of the Hyuuga clan head.

But then Hinata coughs into her napkin and fails to hide it before the speckle of blood can be seen. Or can't use her left arm for weeks because the muscles in it have been so badly damaged, or shakes like a leaf in the wind whenever her father is near, or turns red and clumsy fingered in response to something her mother just can't see...

She's tried talking about it. "Husband," she'll say, seated next to him on her knees in their bedroom, or more rarely with her unbound hair spread across his bare chest, "This sort of training isn't good for our daughter. There must be other ways to teach her to be head of the clan."

But always his answer is the same. "The Hyuuga cannot allow weakness."

So she doesn't remember when Hinata became afraid. But she remembers when Hinabi became strong, like clay hardening in the intense heat of the kiln. She remembers bruises and bleeding born with pride not shame, and a sharply angled chin---just like the father, so little of the mother there---lifted in adult-like self-confidence. She remembers Hinata being turned aside, left to train and struggle on her own.

And when she can escape the all-seeing eyes of the family she has bound herself to, she cries for being grateful of this.

B)

"Kiba is where?"

Her husband glanced idly at the massive, snoozing pile of very large dogs. "In there, somewhere," he said, making a vague gesture and returning to his scroll, "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry ?" she fairly shrieked, fists knotting up, "He could be smothered in there! Or get scratched or get dirty or get fleas !"

Several huskies and a mastiff made offended noises at this and her husband looked hurt. "Love, do you honestly think I'd let our only son play with the pack if I thought they would hurt him? He's fine! Why," he began, getting the fond, boyish smile that had attracted her to him in the first place, "When I was three, I spent almost the entire summer sleeping out in the kennel, and never once-----"

"I don't care what you did!" she quickly interrupted what promised to be a fairly long trip into the past, "I care about what our son is doing and I don't want him buried under a bunch of dogs who are still dogs not matter how smart they are! Take him out now!"

Sighing and looking hurt again, he stood up and began wading his way through the congregation of furry bodies. They made no attempt to move out of his way, of course, merely groaning or growling as he shoved and pushed his way through. She clenched her hands together, experiencing a surge of anxiety at the thought of him stepping on Kiba before finding the boy.

"Ah," he said mildly, pausing somewhere in the middle of the pile and leaning over. He dragged out a stocky toddler that had been hidden in the thick belly fur of a golden retriever. "See, just fine!" he continued, holding the drowsy eyed Kiba up by his left ankle.

Kiba yawned and then sneezed, a small cloud of white hairs being expelled from his face in the action.

His mother went red and began to shake.

"Um...honey? Something wrong?"

13) Practical clothing is a must.

"No, Sakura," Kakashi said after a long while, having finally completed his slow once-over of his student's new apparel. His mind kept blanking out on the part between her neck and her knees, forcing him to try again. Thirteen year olds were not supposed to have hips like that and the fact that he even noticed horrified him immensely. "You can't wear that on missions."

"Its just for today, Kakashi-sensei," she said reassuringly, tilting her head so that the ridiculously long earrings brushed her shoulders, "Don't you think I look nice?" She turned around to show the low cut back and gazed coyly over her shoulder.

That she aimed said look at the thoroughly disgusted Sasuke and not Kakashi was the only saving grace of the expression. As it was, Kakashi still had the inexplicable urge to knock the boy over and dig his eyes out with kunai.

"Nice or not, Sakura, you can't wear something that----" Puts your teacher's sanity at risk? Distracts at least one of your teammates to the point that he looks ready to wet himself with joy? (Naruto was also in danger of having his eyes removed at this point) Could be torn off by the merest breeze and make a bad situation that much worse? "----impedes upon your ability to complete your duties," he concluded smoothly.

For a moment she looked frustrated and annoyed, but it was quickly replaced with a pout that was thankfully much more childish then what a considerably older and more experienced woman would produce. "Kakashi-sensei, I can still fight just fine in this dress. See?"

She started to lift her leg in what he was sure would be a nicely executed high kick, but he missed it because that ridiculously short skirt rose even higher with the motion and so he quickly switched his attention to some trees in the distance.

As a result, he didn't get to see what it was that caused Sakura to let out a sudden shriek, but he did look back in time to watch as a fist sized rock laid Naruto out flat.

"Pervert!" she yelled, red-faced and panting with fury. Kakashi raised his eyebrow. Obviously whatever had happen was not a reaction she'd expect to get.

"Sakura," he said with affected playfulness. "Go home and change. We'll wait for you."

She took one last forlorn look at Sasuke---who'd added impatience to disgust but was otherwise unmoved---shot a furious glare at the still on the ground Naruto, and let out a long sigh. "Yes, sensei."

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