Yo! Purple Hale here.
Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto
Hope you like it!
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Until We Meet Again
Her Decision, Their Meeting.
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The sun shines brightly that day. The wind blew harshly that made the leaves on the trees dance. She shivered and covered the right side of her eye, blocking the rays of the sun. She let out a sigh and grimaced as her eyes yielded on the wide field in front of her.
"Klang!" The sound came from an unnoticed shuriken that was targeted to him. He evaded swiftly bending slightly where he quickly pulled a kunai from his knee holster and blocking the shuriken. The shuriken was thrown on the nearby tree making a pointed mark.
He rushed forward seeing his opponent out in the field. He made his famous stance and attacked. Konoha Senpuu! But it was cleanly evaded.
"Let's rest for a while, Lee." Hyuuga Neji said and removed some strands of hair away from his face. The guy frowned and straightened up. "But Neji, the springtime of youth doesn't rest, you know."
Neji sighed and walked away, pretending not to hear his hot-blooded teammate. His eyes met Ten-Ten's dark ones. His eyebrow rose as he detected something is wrong with her. She was sitting on a nearby bench, her hands both holding towels. She handed one to him as he reached her place. She smiled and stood up. She passed him and walked towards a slumping Lee.
"Here." As she handed Lee his towel, she turned around and returned to the bench. Bending slowly she got two bottled water and gave it to her two teammates. The two exchanged looks noticing the sudden change of her personality. She was never sweet to them. They knew her as a nagging and strong woman but not sweet.
"Uhm. Ten-Ten is there something bugging you?" Lee asked. He was so curious why the sudden change that he can't help but ask. Ten-Ten was taken aback from the question. She thought she was able to hide it but it seems her stealth abilities are not working. She bit her lower lip. She let out a long sigh.
"I'm sorry!" She said and lowered her head. Neji was surprised at her. Lee panicked, thinking he did something that made her upset. Lee waived his hands in front of her. "What are you talking about, Ten-Ten? You didn't do anything so you don't have to apologize."
"That's not it, Lee." She got back up and looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. "I'm.. I'm leaving for a while."
"Oh, I though what it was, you're just leavin-" He halted. His eyes bore on her. "WHAT!? What… Why… Why are you leaving?" He asked as if he just heard something unbelievable.
Ten-Ten sat down on the bench. She was finding the right words to explain things. She looked up, trying to give the two an assuring smile that it's fine. "I've been thinking about this for almost a year now. It never occurred to me that this big decision of mine would knock on my door." She started. Both men listened carefully on her words.
"When they told me that it's possible, I was happy." She gave them a big smile. "So asking some guidance from Gai-sensei, he agreed to my decision." She paused. "I just want you to know and remember that I'm doing this for you and this is what I want." The two eyed her, waiting, anticipating what she's talking about. "I want to be a medic nin."
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Three silhouettes walked towards the large gates of Konoha. Two both were carrying giant backpacks on their shoulders. The other silhouette was half the size of the two. As they cleared the thick and wide forest that they walked for a day. Two women came to view accompanied by a large dog.
Both women stood at least 5 feet and 6 inches. The one with fierce features had ear–length spiky blonde hair with a long braided tail behind. Her eyes were fierce brown accentuating her rough features more. She had two red marks on the lower part of her eyes. She was wearing a brown sleeveless jacket with a hood attached on its ends was the fur of a bear and gray pants. Her forehead protector attached on her waist like a belt. She had a giant boomerang type of weapon hanging on her back.
The other one had neck-length scarlet hair. She wore an ANBU mask that was tilted on the left side of her face. Her emerald eyes are emphasized by the ray of light that the sun produced. She was wearing a black midriff that showed her creamy stomach. It was topped with a red three-fourth sleeve jacket and black shorts. Her legs are bound with white cloth on her left leg a knee holster was attached. On her back twin Sai's are strapped inside her belt. Her forehead protector was not visible.
Their four-footed companion was a giant gray dog some of its fur is tinted with white. On its right eye, a long scar stretched from the forehead to the cheeks.
Nonchalantly they entered the gates. Two pair of eyes widen upon seeing the new arrivals.
Kotetsu was happily looking into the distant when his eyes spotted two unusual yet familiar faces. His eyes widen when he finally remembered the two. He hurriedly turned his attention to Izumo who has dozing off to slumber. His right eye twitched upon seeing his companion sneaking for a few minutes of sleep.
"Oi. Izumo! Wake up." He shook his companion to snap out. "Wha.. what? Enemy?!" He mumbled. In an instance, his eyes were snapped open when he felt two large hands slap his cheeks. "Awake now?" Kotetsu asked with a smug in his face.
"We have special guests." He continued and pointed to the newly entered individuals. Izumo's eyes widen much like as Kotetsu's when he saw them. "Oi. Kotetsu, am I dreaming?" he asked. Kotetsu grinned sheepishly and shook his head. His mouth gaped.
Their head popped out from the little hut and followed the new arrivals as they disappear into the outskirts of Konoha.
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"Medic?" Lee spout. Ten-Ten found Lee's reaction funny and gave a low chuckle. "Yes, Lee a medic and if you have some smart remarks to say just keep it to yourself." She said before Lee can spout things like they cannot picture her healing. "And I'm not only talking about him, Neji."
Neji smirked before taking a drink from his bottle. "And here I was thinking of a few good remarks." Ten-Ten gave her the "Don't start with me" glare that made the Hyuuga smirk again. "But Ten-Ten you're not good with controlling chakra, right?" Lee asked innocently that was rewarded by an elbow on his side. Lee cringed on the side. Neji watched in amusement.
"See, instead of healing people you hurt them instead." Lee said as he recovered from the attack. Ten-Ten instinctively brought out two sharp kunai's and aimed at Lee. "Why don't I make that real here?" The bushy-browed shinobi evaded. "Hey, that was close."
"Neji, you should try and talk some sense to her, convince her, you know." Lee looked at Neji's position where the Hyuuga prodigy was sitting comfortably on the bench. "And stop sitting there as if you're watching a movie."
"Well I don't really mind though." He answered. Lee stopped on his tracks. He looked at Neji his face turned glum. He then rushed towards him. "Are you serious, Neji!?" Lee asked furiously that he grabbed him from the collar. "You're saying that it's okay for Ten-Ten to leave."
"Yes." He replied. A punch made contact on the Hyuuga's pale cheek and he was thrown into the ground. Ten-Ten let out a loud gasp. She immediately walked towards Neji and helped him up. "Lee! What's wrong with you!?" she yelled.
Neji wiped the blood that trickle his lips. Damn! That idiot didn't even control the strength of his punch. "H…how co…could y…you j…just s…say t…that…?" Lee stuttered. Neji didn't budge or got mad at him. He perfectly understood his feelings. He knew what this hot-blooded shinobi really felt at the moment.
"Ten-Ten decided this. We must respect her decision." He said and glanced at the woman on her side. "... and she decided this because of us. She wanted to protect her teammates. The reason why she wanted to become a medic nin."
Lee lowered his head. He knew that he was being an ass. He knew that convincing her was out of the options to stop her. And he knew that he needs to support her decision. But his heart clench, at the mere thought of her leaving for a while. The mere thought of not being able to see her for what, a year or more. He looked at Ten-Ten and saw that if it's hard to them it must harder for her.
"I'm sorry. It's just I was totally shocked." Lee said. "But I know that you'll do well there." He forced a smile. Ten-Ten was trying to stop her tears from falling.
"Thank you." She whispered and buried her face on her hands. Her back was shaking from the tears that kept from falling unto her cheeks. Lee seeing the tears on her eyes began panicking again. "Neji, she's… she's crying! What do we do!?"
Neji found the scene amusing as he never saw Ten-Ten cry. She was a strong woman at all. But watching her right now made him realize that she's still a woman. A fragile one that can also be broken into pieces too. "Relax, Lee. She's just glad."
Ten-Ten drew Neji into a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispered again tightening the hug. Neji hug her back. He caught a glimpse on how Lee's face change.
"Yosh! There's no time to be crying here. The springtime of youth is waiting." He said as he wiped his teary eyes with his left arm. Lee then walked toward the nearest tree trunk and started kicking it. "If I don't kick up to 5000 times, then I can't send Ten-Ten off with a smile."
Ten-Ten released him and her gaze went to Lee. "Lee.." she muttered and lightly chuckled. "I think it's best if you spend the day with him." Neji said standing up from the ground and help Ten-Ten up.
"Eh?" She asked with a confused tone and burrowed her eyebrows connecting it into a thin line. "Just stay with him and talk." He said and pushed her towards Lee. Still confused, she went up to Lee and asked him if he wanted to take a walk. The guy nodded enthusiastically.
Neji left the two as they walked the opposite way. Since he had an early break from Lee's weekly training, he decided to visit the place he discovered a while ago.
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"This place didn't change even a little bit." The girl with the spiky blonde hair said as she tossed herself on the soft bed in front of her. She snuggled the pillow with her face and yawn. "Why are you still here?" From a voice at the now opened door.
Yui raised a brow when she found her friend/teammate lying on her bed. "Yo! Welcome back." Rei said and gave the scarlet-hair a smirk. She let out a sigh and walked towards the kitchen leaving her on her bedroom. "Oi. That's cold of you. And to think I came to visit since I missed you already."
"We were together a little while ago." She said as she stuffs the things on the fridge she brought from a nearby store. "And there is no reason for you to even miss me." She added as she spun and walked pass her. "Now get out." She ordered as she opened the door and gracefully laid her hand in the direction which is the way out.
"Tsk. You're really a sourpuss, you know." She remark and sat down on the kitchen stool. She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket that was on top of the counter. "I'm on my way out. There's no one that will entertain you."
"Oh! On a date already, that's fast of yo-" A bread knife pass her right side cutting a few strands of her hair. "Feisty, are we?" She said and took a bite from the apple. She stood up and walked towards the door. "Fine. I'll leave okay. You don't have to be such a kid."
After Rei left, Yui immediately locked the door and jump down the building landing on her feet scaring some passer-by's. She walked to the west part of Konoha. She glanced on the north end and saw the mountain that bordered Konoha from the Fire Land. Her eyebrow twitch upon seeing the face of the person she despise the most.
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Tsunade-hime,
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the Fifth Hokage,
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the granddaughter of the First Hokage,
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one of the 3 Legendary Sannin and
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the one that dragged both of them back to Konoha.
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She gritted her teeth and focused on the path she took. It's been years since she came back to the village. And it's been a while since she visited the most important place in the entire Konoha.
Yui jumped from tree to tree. She was going deep into the western forests. Slowly she could hear the loud gush nearby. With a few more jumps, she landed on a rock. Then she jumped to the ground, a low thump as her feet made it into the ground. She walked forward and wonderful scenery came into view filling her emerald eyes of God's creation.
A tall waterfall towered the place. The water poured violently onto the solid rocks below it. The wide stream was clear, clean not tainted. It was pure and that excite her. Memories flashed rapidly into her. Memories she cherished and valued the most. A small smile plastered on her lips. She slowly walked towards it as she drowns herself with this magnificent site. A cold wind blew her way, she shivered from it. She removed her foot from her sandal, dipping it slowly into the stream. It's icy cold. The words she can describe it.
She searched the surrounding, wanting to have some privacy. As she concluded that the coast was clear, she slowly stripped. She removed her three-fourth sleeve red jacket, then her black shorts, her black midriff and lastly her undergarments. She hung it up into the nearest tree branch, leaving her bandaged legs as it is. She walked gracefully towards the stream.
A toe was dipped first then slowly her legs. She was trying to make her body accept the cold water slowly. As she finally adapt to it, she walked into a deep part of the water. Few minutes, she began swimming, diving down as little ripples of water came. She was enjoying her skinny-dipping not noticing that she already spent an hour. She dove again, now longer than before.
As she rose up to catch some air, her back facing the forest, as she watched the flowing water hitting the rocks a few meters away from her. She wiped the water from her face and ran her hand on her hair. Its color darkens as it was soaked and was hit by the rays of the sun. She was deep into her thought when she felt a presence, a weak feint of chakra. She immediately spun around and she gasped. Emerald eyes met the purest eyes. She felt hypnotized, as their eyes didn't budge a bit.
After a few seconds it hit her. Shit! Upon noticing the circumstance, her eyes widen.
"WHAT THE-" she yelled and dip her body back into the water only her face is left into view.
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Neji took a turn to the left as he left the training place. He jumped from tree to tree. His eyes focused in front. He actually delved into the forest once he had a solo mission. He took the opposite road, believing it was a short-cut to town. But he was wrong, yet he didn't regret his decision.
In front of him was a waterfall that towered the whole western forest. He just found in a fluke and a little bit of luck. The place was serene and quiet, a place that calms the soul and takes away the pain, stress and frustrations of a person.
So three months ago, this place became his little sanctuary. It's a place where he can free himself from the harsh and dangerous world of a shinobi. But as he reached the place, he was greeted by something, nope someone.
Neji can see the clearing and jump down, landing gracefully on the ground. As he walked towards it, he didn't notice the clothes hanging from a nearby tree. He walked towards the giant rock and sat. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate when he heard a splash.
His eyes flung open and it widen when he saw someone came out from the water. Neji saw a scarlet-tint hair. It was short yet he found it fascinating soaked on water. Rays of sun hit it and made it darker. His eyes traveled down the strangers back. It was pale and he could see a small X-shaped scar on it. His eyes traveled lower to see her firm butt and he wondered what was beneath it.
An electric jolt coursed to his body as he noticed what he was doing. Damn! He cursed at the mere thought of what he was doing. If he was in his right mind, he should be leaving now and forget it but no matter what he do, he was STUCK. He can't friggin' move from his spot.
As if sensing him, the girl spun around. Their eyes met and he saw the darkest emerald eyes, much darker than the pink-haired kunoichi in town. It seems that time stand still as neither of them moved.
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Tick, tack, tick, tack.
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Shit! This is awkward.
Moments later, the scarlet-hair yelled, he can't decipher what she said as she dip her body roughly back into the water. And that triggered him to move. He automatically jumped down the rock. He was about to leave when he felt something pass at his face.
Neji glanced and saw an ice-type kunai plunged into the tree. She turned the water into ice and into her weapon? How interesting. He had the time to praise the girl in their present condition. He can't help it. There are only a few shinobi's that can produce this kind of ice-chakra and one of them was no longer breathing in this world. He was talking about the Second Hokage. As he was about to take a step, the woman yelled.
"Hey! What the hell were you doing? Pervert!"
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Bang!
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Pervert? Neji halted. Never in his entire life or let's say shinobi life that he was called a pervert. No one dared to. And that was because he was Hyuuga Neji, the prodigy that carried himself properly. He obeyed the rules and every command of the Fifth Hokage. He, who dedicated his life to protect the village was insulted and degrade to not a scum, idiot or bastard but to a pervert.
It hit his male pride and ego.
He took a deep breath. He decided that there is a calm way to fix this misunderstood problem.
"Look. This is a misunderstanding." He said calmly. "I just came to take a breather and I never thought that someone would bathe here." He added, making his point.
"Are you an idiot?"
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Bang!
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It was the Second Blow.
Okay, now he wanted to take back the word that he wanted to hear rather than the first one. Being called a pervert ticked him off. But calling him an idiot after raised his defense. He can't be defeated by this wrong misconception.
"I am not a pervert and I am not an idiot." He said strongly put an emphasis on the word.
"Then if you're not an idiot then why didn't you see those." She said and pointed her clothes that hung on the tree beside him. His eyebrow twitched. Those things were there? He didn't notice the clothes. "Guess from your reaction, you didn't notice it. I thought you Konoha shinobi's are keen observers' maybe you're an exception." She said sarcastically as she went out from the water and walked towards the branch.
Neji could here the droplets of water that hit the ground. Yes, he was aware that the woman behind him was naked and she flaunted it to the surrounding ignoring the fact that he was there. He then heard her fumbling her clothes and after a few minutes, he heard her zip the zipper on her jacket.
"Or was it, let me see." A long pause came as she whispered to his ear. "…a shinobi's hormones that went berserk when he just saw some flesh." She added and chuckle. His brows furrowed.
Neji turned around to face the girl. He paused for a while examining her face. Her hair's still dripping onto her body; her clothes were soaked a little maybe from the fact that she just dressed without drying herself. Their eyes met again for the second time. Her eyes were mocking him.
"Like what you see?"
Neji was on the verge of insanity. No one can drive him this mad. This woman just knew how to hit his male ego. And I repeat. No one was able to make him this frustrated before until this stranger that is strangely alluring and beautiful crept into his mind. And he must not yield. It's not only for his pride but for his sanity. He needs to stand up and win this little fight.
"I believe that someone's self-confidence has a limit too, you know." He said, calming slightly. The woman titled her head and crossed her arms. "I never want to destroy your privacy, never meant to." He added.
"Then why not leave after seeing someone popped out from the water?" She asked. He paused and tried to think of a good answer or for his case excuse. He didn't know what just happened a while ago. Frozen there and stood still, unable to move. Or the mere fact that he was just mesmerized. He mentally shook his head from the thought.
"Let's just say, I was too stunned. It's not everyday I see someone that will bathe there." He replied. "And don't worry I didn't see anything worth it, anyway."
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Stab!
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Okay, this guy is going down. His gut, I will sell at a high price. Yui wanted to kill the man in front of her. Too bad she didn't bring her Sai's since she's in her own territory and the guy had some luck on keeping his head. I'll remember your face, buddy. She mentally noted herself for the next time they meet; he'll die a slow and agonizingly painful death.
"As I don't have a lot of free time to stay and chat with you, I still have a lot of important things to do." Neji blurted as the woman in front of her was in a dazed. Maybe she's plotting my death. He smirked. But as he remembered he still needs to meet up with Lee and Ten-Ten.
"Then again, I apologize for the improper act."
"Goodbye!" and he walked towards the village.
Yui was left. Her face reverted back on being a poker face where she wore from day to day.
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I might not see you again…
But I will surely not forget you…
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And a cool wind blew her still damp hair.
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to be continued...
Yo! Purple Hale here.
I rewrite everything. I was not satsified by the first one and decided the rewrite the whole thing. I hope the story is more interesting now.
And yes.. I deleted the first one :D