This is a one-shot story about Yume Yukisaki once again. This story, however, is a personal mission for the current Ino-Shika-Cho from their sensei Asuma Sarutobi.


White Camellias

Three years later before Naruto Uzumaki's return after his training with Jiraiya, Yume Yukisaki, the Ally of the Byakugan came to a flower shop, the Yamanaka Flowers. This shop is owned by Inoichi Yamanaka, the father of Ino Yamanaka.

She entered the shop as Inoichi noticed as he began to welcome her, "Welcome to the Yamanaka Flowers. How may I help you?"

"Do you have white camellias?" she asked.

"White camellias," he replied.

Yume nodded her head at the flower shop owner. "I was wondering about camellias with white petals. If you only have red camellias, that's okay," she stated.

Inoichi became surprised and wondered about the camellias. "White camellias," Thinking about this flower, he suddenly noticed Yume's white eyes. "You're from the Hyuga clan, right?"

"Yes, I'm their ally." she answered.

"Ally?" The flower owner suddenly surprised that she's the famous kunoichi, the Ally of the Byakugan. "Oh! I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't know after you came here. I heard that the Hyuga clan entitled a kunoichi of the member of branch and main families as their ally just like Kakashi Hatake after the Chunin exams had ended three years ago."

Yume knew about herself, the member of the main and branch families and Hiashi's servant and Neji's kohai as well. Of course, her father Musashi Hyuga was once a branch member before she was born and raised in Konoha after becoming the member of both families.

"If you're looking for white camellias, we only have red camellias."

"I see," she realized.

"May I ask your name before you leave? I'll make a reservation for you if you really want the white camellias," Inoichi asked.

"Yume Yukisaki," she introduced herself with a faint smile. "Thank you. I'll come back."

After giving her name to Inoichi, she left the flower shop. The owner went to check the camellia section, realizing they only have the red camellias.

"White camellias, huh?"

The next day, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji walked to meet Asuma at the Yakiniku Q for lunch. However having their lunch together, the chunin Ino-Shika-Cho became surprised that their sensei himself requested a mission.

"Eh?! What? A mission from you?" Ino became confused, yet shockly surprised.

"Asuma, what's our mission?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Well, it's a personal mission, that's all. Inoichi requested for white camellias," Asuma explained to his three students.

"White camellias? Tou-san wanted us to find those." Ino realized.

"Yes, your flower shop are only have red camellias recently. So he made a request for you three." their sensei explained.

"So we need to find the camellias that are white?" Choji implied while eating his meat.

"That's right. Shikamaru, you're in charge. You need to find the white camellias and once you find them, give those flowers to Ino."

"Got it." he replied.

"All right. After this lunch, you'll begin your mission."

After the lunch with Asuma, the Ino-Shika-Cho started to find the white camellias as they left Konoha.

"According to Asuma, the camellias appear on small trees in 20 meters tall and small bushes," Shikamaru explained about the camellias to Ino and Choji.

"That's a special mission from Asuma-sensei for the very first time," Choji realized.

"Yeah, I didn't know Tou-san requested us to find white camellias," Ino wondered.

"Anyway, we'll find those white camellias once we're here." Shikamaru replied to Ino and Choji.

As the Ino-Shika-Cho arrived at the current site where camellias appeared, Yume, however, came here in a separate way as well.

"I have to find those flowers." said the Ally of the Byakugan.

She walked towards the field of camellias while Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji arrived here as well. Meanwhile, Ino looked for white camellias after separating with Shikamaru and Choji.

"White camellias..." she replied the color of the camellias. "Geez. Tou-san could have told me in the first place, but I have to find those camellias. It's a personal mission from sensei. Guess I can't help it."

Flustering about the camellias, she suddenly saw someone just now. It was a Konoha kunoichi just like her, only to notice her snow-white eyes. Her attire is a black kimono with a gray sash while her right sleeve is white as snow. Her long pants are white and high-heal sandals as a medical kunoichi.

"That girl... Is she from the Hyuga clan?" the Yamanaka kunoichi wondered in her mind.

"Ino!"

She heard Choji calling her and saw him and Shikamaru with her head turned at them. Hastily, she looked at the Hyuga kunoichi, only to realize she suddenly disappeared like a wind took her away.

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

"Eh? It's nothing! I thought I saw someone, but it's just a wind." she lied to her comrades, despite seeing a Hyuga kunoichi. "Anyway, let's take a break. We have bento, right?"

"Yay! Bento!" Choji exclaimed with glee.

However, the young Yamanaka flower shopkeeper wondered with confusion after seeing the Hyuga kunoichi.

"That girl... Who is she?" she wondered.

Day by day, the Ino-Shika-Cho looked anywhere for the white camellias, only to find red camellias. Until that late night, Shikamaru and Choji were asleep except for Ino, of course. Despite that she lied to her two comrades, she wanted to know who's this kunoichi from the Hyuga clan. She stood up and started to find a kunoichi from the Hyuga clan.

This late night, Ino searched for the kunoichi of the Hyuga clan. Looking for this girl, she realized that she wasn't here just now.

"She's not here," she noticed. "Who is she?"

After Ino left, the young kunoichi of the Hyuga clan appeared sitting on a tree with red camellias, watching her leaving and return to Shikamaru and Choji. Of course, this Hyuga kunoichi was none other than Yume Yukisaki, the Ally of the Byakugan.

The next day, Choji tried to wake Ino up.

"Ino. Ino," he sighed after realizing that the Yamanaka kunoichi who was now asleep. "That's odd. She doesn't sleep on mornings."

Shikamaru wondered why Ino didn't sleep well last night. Suddenly, he saw an autumn maple leaf appeared in front of him.

"An autumn leaf," the Nara chunin thought as he became curious. It suddenly disappeared and then...

"Shikamaru Nara. Can you find me?" A familiar voice called him, much to his surprise.

"Choji, look after Ino." he told him.

"Where are you going, Shikamaru?" he asked.

"Well... I'll find the white camellias on my own," he answered to Choji. "I'll come back once I find those white camellias."

Choji nodded and replied to his friend, "I'm counting on you."

"Yeah."

He went to find the white camellias and a familiar voice he just heard. Searching for the person, he finally saw a Konoha kunoichi surrounded by bushes with red camellias. Of course, Yume Yukisaki. She turned around and smiled at Shikamaru.

"I knew you'd come, Shikamaru." said the Hyuga's ally.

"Yume Yukisaki," Shikamaru noticed the kunoichi of the Hyuga clan's appearance.

Three years ago, after Shikamaru's mission with Naruto, Choji, Kiba, and Neji to saved Sasuke from the Otogakure became a failure, Yume was the one who found her senpai wounded. Of course, Shikamaru heard about Yume as a medical kunoichi from the other medical-nin.

After he met Yume once again, he began to ask her, "Can you tell me why you're here? Ino, Choji, and I have a personal mission from Asuma. We need to find white camellias."

"To be honest... I came here because I want to find those as well," the Ally answered the genius Nara chunin.

"You're looking for them as well?" Shikamaru realized.

"White camellias... are my sensei's favorite flower."

"Your sensei's favorite flower are white camellias?" he replied to her.

"Yes, I always remember white camellias. Three years ago, he told me about them," she explained. "He also told me his favorite flower. My eyes are special as the white camellias."

Shikamaru didn't realize that Yume's sensei likes white camellias. "How troublesome. Inoichi-san requested us to find those. After all, it's a personal mission."

"Then let me help you find them. He made a reservation for me back then."

Shikamaru surprised that the Ally of the Byakugan told him that Ino's father made a reservation for her.

"Is this why Asuma-san gave a personal mission you, Shikamaru?"

"Well... I heard you're already became a Tokubetsu Jonin back after the end of the Chunin exams. I heard about you from Asuma. The Third Hokage promoted you as chunin right before the finals," he said to Yume. "If those white camellias are very important to you, I guess you can help me by using your Byakugan."

"Well, I can't interfere your mission. You have to keep a secret that I'm helping you," Yume complied. "Last night, I noticed Ino was looking for me while I was trying to look for them. I realized that you and your teammates came here to find those white camellias ."

"How troublesome. Oh well, I guess I could help you then." he accepted Yume's offer.

"Thank you," she thanked him. "I'm sure we'll find those white camellias."

"Right," he replied.

Shikamaru and Yume together looked for the white camellias. Finding only red camellias, they didn't give up yet. With the Ally's Byakugan, she noticed that she and Shikamaru found the white camellias from the trees and bushes. After finding them, they put the camellias in a flower basket.

"Thanks for your help, Yume."

"Well, I'm going back. I'll get them by tomorrow when I go to the flower shop," Yume stated.

After Yume and Shikamaru exchanged good-byes, he took the basket of white camellias and returned to Ino and Choji. As he returned, he noticed that Ino already woke up from her sleep.

"What took you so long, Shikamaru?" she yelled with an impatient look from her face.

Choji noticed that Shikamaru brought the basket of camellias with white petals.

"Shikamaru, you found them already." he said.

"Eh? You found them by your own?" Ino implied.

"Yeah. Anyway, let's go back. This mission is now completed." said Shikamaru.

"Right!" Choji and Ino replied together.

Completing their personal mission, they returned to Konoha at sunset. Ino was now carried the basket of white camellias when they were here at the Yamanaka Flowers shop.

"Well, see you tomorrow." Ino waved at Shikamaru and Choji.

"You too!" Choji replied.

After seeing her two comrades leave, Ino entered and answered, "I'm back."

"Oh, you're back, Ino." Inoichi noticed and replied to his daughter. "And you brought the flowers I requested."

"Yeah. Do you need my help, Tou-san?" she asked as she put the basket on the counter.

"No need to. You need a rest although you just got back," Inochi stated.

"Um... Tou-san, there's something I want to ask." she complied.

"What is it?"

Ino wondered about the white camellias that her Tou-san requested.

"It's about the white camellias. Why do we need them?"

"Well, there was someone who requested white camellias. She's a famous kunoichi just like Kakashi-san," Inoichi stated.

"Eh? A famous kunoichi?" Ino surprised.

"Her name is Yume Yukisaki and she's the Hyuga clan's ally. She is known as the Ally of the Byakugan," he explained. "After the Chunin exams had ended, she obtained that title by the Hyuga clan."

"The Ally of the Byakugan?" thought Ino with wonder. "Hm... I wonder what she looks like."

The next day, Ino worked at the Yamanaka Flowers shop on part-time and helped her father arranged the flowers on each section. Suddenly, a customer came in. The customer who just came at the flower shop was Yume Yukisaki. Inoichi noticed that Yume came here for the white camellias.

"Yume-san." said Inoichi.

Ino turned around and surprisingly noticed that Yume Yukisaki, the Ally of the Byakugan, was actually the girl she saw the other day.

"It's that girl I saw the other day. I never knew that she's the Ally of the Byakugan." she surprisingly realized.

"I hope you have the white camellias," Yume replied.

"Yes, we got those yesterday. Ino, can you get them?" Inoichi complied.

"Okay," Ino replied.

She went to get the white camellias and came back. She brought a basket of white camellias to Yume. After giving the basket to her, Yume paid them and took the basket with her. After she left, Ino wondered and began to leave the flower shop.

"I'm going out," she told her father as she left the flower shop.

After leaving, Ino looked for Yume and saw her going to the Konoha Cemetery. Much to her curiosity, she went after her and noticed that Yume placed the white camellias on the gravestone. Ino realized that the camellias were for someone Yume knew.

On the other side, Yume placed the white camellias on the gravestone and stood up. She stared at the gravestone with sadness. Suddenly, a voice called her.

"Those white camellias are for someone, right, Yume-san?"

She heard a familiar voice, and turned around and saw Ino came.

"Ino." she realized. After realizing that Ino assumed that those camellias were for someone, she nodded.

"Kai Kurosaki," Ino replied, seeing the gravestone. "Someone you know?"

"He was my sensei. He died from his mission three years ago." Yume explained.

Ino became shocked that Yume's sensei was killed three years ago.

"I see."

"It's okay. I'm not alone." Yume complied. "I have my senpai and his teammates."

"Your senpai?"

She nodded. Suddenly, the two kunoichi noticed Asuma, Shikamaru, and Choji came here.

"Asuma-sensei, Shikamaru, Choji." Ino surprised.

"Hey," Asuma greeted the two kunoichi.

"What brings you here?" Ino asked.

"Well, just come here to visit," Asuma answered.

"I see." Yume replied.

Asuma smiled at Yume after giving respect to her deceased sensei.

"Kai was a talented medical shinobi all the time. He taught you very well, Yume."

Yume smiled with a content look. "Kai-sensei was the only one I had despite I don't have two teammates back then. This is why I became a medical kunoichi because it's my interest." she explained.

"Yume-san," Ino surprised.

After coming to visit Kai's grave, Team Asuma and Yume left the Konoha cemetery.

"Thank you for coming," she thanked Team Asuma.

"No problem." Asuma replied. "Do your best as the Ally of the Byakugan, Yume."

"I will."

"Well, I need to get going. See you guys later."

They watched Asuma left after their conversation.

"Well, we better get going as well," Shikamaru complied.

"You know. I think I'm kinda jealous after all," Yume exclaimed.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji noticed as Yume commented that she's jealous for some reason.

"What do you mean?" Choji asked.

"Having no comrades except having a team leader after becoming a shinobi, it feels like I was the only one, having a sensei. But Kai-sensei told me about comrades, he explained that I might find comrades of my own someday and protect them and support no matter what. That's why I'm not alone anymore."

"Comrades, huh?" Ino replied. "Well, what about us? We're comrades, right? And also we're friends."

Yume noticed that Ino told her that comrades were friends as well. She smiled at Ino's complement.

"I guess you're right."

Just then, a voice called to her.

"Hey!"

Yume heard a familiar, and turned her around and saw Lee, Tenten, and Neji.

"Lee. Tenten. Neji-senpai."

"Wait, Neji-san's your senpai." Ino suddenly surprised.

Yume nodded.

"We were looking for you, Yume. We got a mission today." said Tenten.

Yume noticed that she had a mission with Team Guy just now.

"Tsunade-sama is waiting for us right now. We must hurry right now." Lee convinced.

"I'll see you later. Thanks," Yume thanked them.

As Yume left with Team Guy, Ino smiled that Yume wasn't alone at all. Choji noticed Ino's smiling at the moment.

"Why are you smiling, Ino?" Choji asked.

"Nothing. Just being glad, that's all," Ino replied.

At the Konoha cemetery, the white camellias at Kai's grave let its petals to the sky. One of the white camellias' petals flew to Yume while she was with Team Guy at the gates of Konoha. As a white petal came to Yume, she surprised that a petal came to her hand. She smiled that a petal was a white camellia she placed them at her sensei's grave. After seeing a white petal on her hand, she watched a petal flew away from her hand with a smile on her face.

Owari