Chapter One
Neji's Rival Returns! The power of the Iron Fist!
The sun shone with an unusual radiance today. She pulled at her collar trying to allow some more air flow to reach inside her thick jacket. She wasn't used to these sorts of temperatures, and her wardrobe definitely wasn't suited to it either.
She raised her head and shaded her eyes with a hand. She could just make out the tall adobe wall of her home town rising out of the forest. It had been awhile. She smiled to herself. It felt good to see it again after so long.
She shook her head so her bangs fell away from her face then stretched a little before taking off at a run.
Home at last.
The Hokage was tired. More specifically, she was tired of the ridiculous things the villagers were sending in requests for.
"I didn't realise we were a gardening company." She growled, as she threw the fifth request to help with weeding she had received that day.
Shizune, who as always was standing off to one side, sighed and stared absentmindedly out the window. She also wished she wasn't inside with the paperwork, but some things just had to get done.
Suddenly, the door of the office burst open and both the Hokage and her assistant flew into a ready position.
"Guess whose back!" The girl standing in the doorway exclaimed.
The Hokage narrowed her eyes. There was nothing familiar about the ninja to her.
"It's only your favourite ninja, old man!" The girl continued. Suddenly she seemed to notice something with amiss. "Wait… you aren't the old man… did I walk into the wrong office again?"
She flicked her bangs out of her eyes again, revealing them to be a startling green. She was frowning, clearly confused as to what was going on.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Tsunade said eventually. Moving out of her ready position, sensing no real threat from the girl standing in the doorway.
"Chieri of the Udai. You can call me Chi." The girl said, adjusting the green and blue jacket she wore. Underneath she wore a mesh shirt. "Who are you?"
"She is Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage." Shizune stepped in and explained.
"The Fifth!" Chi exclaimed. Her face visibly darkened for a moment. "Then the old man…"
"The Third died nearly four years ago now." The Hokage said, taking her seat once more.
"I guess that makes sense… I left nearly five years ago now." Chi said quietly.
"So, could you please explain to me exactly who you are?" Tsunade said, snapping Chi out of her sobriety.
"Chi Udai, Heir to the Udai Clan and Chuunin of the Leaf Village. I was sent on a covert training mission in the Land of Water for the past five years." Chi explained in a suddenly business-like manner.
"You were sent on a mission that took you four years… how old were you when you were given the mission?"
"Eleven... Just became a Chuunin actually. Came out top of the exam."
"You were sent away on a four year mission on your own at the age of eleven?"
"It wasn't necessarily meant to be a four year mission but a lot of things happened, and I actually didn't complete the mission."
"What was your mission?"
Chi paused for a moment, as if saying what she had failed at would make it more real. "I was to guard the Six Tails host and prevent the six tails from being captured."
Tsunade's jaw dropped a little. If she had failed that mission that meant…
"I see." Tsunade said slowly now. "Tell me exactly what happened."
Chi nodded and began her story.
Chi left the Hokage's office, pleased she no longer had to worry about her failed mission, although the weight of what had happened weighed on her. She pulled her headband out of her backpack and fastened it to her head before heading in the direction of her home.
Suddenly a noise caught her attention and she paused to listen, closing her eyes. She grinned, this was just too perfect. She leapt up onto a nearby building and climbed up until she was on top then sped in the direction of the noise, finally coming to a stop in a tree above the training ground.
"Today is the day, the day I defeat you." Chi muttered, looking down at the three ninja training below her. "It's been years but I'm definitely still stronger then you."
"Whoever you are, I suggest you show yourself immediately." One of the training ninja yelled up at Chi. She momentarily froze then leapt lightly to the ground into the middle of the three ninja.
"Ah, hi guys. Sorry to drop in without sending you a note first but… well… you know me." The three ninja looked at her blankly, as though knowing her was the last thing they knew.
"Ah… who are you?" Tenten said, looking perplexed.
"The same question had crossed my mind." Lee said
"I'm-"
"Chi Udai." Neji said flatly, "I thought you were dead."
"You wish!" Chi declared "I have been braving foreign lands in search of adventure."
"Oh… Chi…" Tenten said, realisation dawning on her face, bringing with it a look of annoyance.
Lee gave Chi the thumbs up. "One should never stop seeking adventure or training to be the very best they can."
"Same as always Lee." She laughed, "Anyway… back to business… as you know doubt have noticed I have returned from my long absence and there are a few things I need to sort out." She spun around and pointed a finger at Neji. "Fight me!"
Neji rolled his eyes, turned and walked away. She didn't look disappointed but rather grinned widely.
"I'll keep asking to the day I die!" She declared, turning to leave. If she could have seen his face she would have known he was smiling too.
"Hey, are you Neji Hyuga?"
Neji turned and looked at the small girl in front of him. He guessed she was probably a year younger then him.
"Mm."
"They say you're the strongest Hyuga ever. I'm Chi Udai and they say I am the strongest Udai ever. So… fight me!"
Neji looked mildly surprised. "What?"
"Fight me!"
"Why do you want to fight me?"
"I am going to prove that I am the strongest ninja ever, and to do that I have to beat every strong ninja."
Neji frowned, turned and walked away. The young Chi stood there with her mouth open gaping after him.
"I'll fight you one day! Just you wait!"
Chi walked into the Udai family sanctuary and removed her shoes. It was very quiet which didn't seem to worry her. She dropped her bag and made her way to her father's study. She knelt in front of the door.
"Father, I'm home."
The door slid open and her father knelt on the other side of the door.
"Chi." he said. He pulled her into a rough hug and kissed the top of her head.
"Yes Father, I'm home. Now stop smothering me. I still have to see everyone else."
He didn't let go.
"Ok, I guess you really missed me."
He nodded to her and she squeezed him tight. "Well, I missed you too, Dad. I have to say, I never imagined I'd be away for so long."
"Ready." Chi asked, stretching out her back and arms.
Her cousin, Gure, nodded. In her absence he had been made the heir, and Chi had chosen to reclaim her title in a one on one fight. She cracked her knuckles then pulled her headband down over her eyes.
Most of her relatives had gathered to watch, knowing the fight's winner would be the next leader of the family.
Chi took a deep breath then held her breath. Slowly she allowed herself to exhale, listening carefully to the beat of Gure's heartbeat. She cracked her neck just as she heard him leap forward.
Without a moment's thought she sidestepped his attack and reached a hand out sideways, grabbing him by the hair and slamming him into the ground. She head a bone break, and she estimated it was one of his ribs. He groaned in pain but got to his feet again.
"Gure, stop now! You can't beat Chi." Chi's sister, Ieri, yelled from the crowd pushing her way forward.
Gure ignore the comment and continued to focus on Chi. He began forming hand-signs rapidly. Chi waited to see what he had decided to try.
"Iron Style: Blade Dance"
"Ranged attacks are useless against me." Chi laughed. He sent several blades whizzing through the air towards her and she effortlessly dodged them all before moving quickly behind him, landing a kick square in his back, sending him flying. "You need to get faster and stronger before you stand a ghost of a chance beating me."
He winced in pain from the impact against his broken rib. He growled between his teeth at her. Before standing once more.
"Shouraigan!" He yelled.
Chi's face darkened. She didn't need to see him to know his eyes would have change from their normal brown to a yellow.
"So you have that do you. Let's see how good you have it." She said, before leaping forward on the offensive. This times as she threw punches and kicks he was effortlessly blocking them. She picked up her pace, throwing more attacks more rapidly, and slowly he began to struggle to keep up.
She changed from punches and kicks to a sweep, attempting to throw him off balance but he managed to avoid it. Swinging a kick in her direction. She just managed to catch the leg and threw him across the yard. Instead of crashing to the ground as he had previously though he landed lightly on his feet, swinging around and returning to attack almost instantly.
In a swift movement Chi lifted her headband off her eyes and caught his next attacked with one hand, holding him there.
"I told you, you don't stand a chance." She said flatly before landing a kick square in his face, breaking his nose.
With that final blow her cousin slumped to the ground, obviously defeated. A couple of members of his branch ran forward to take care of him.
Ieri ran forward to Chi, clearly livid. "Why did you do so much!"
Chi laughed and rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah I guess I did go overboard. Sorry sis. You think he'll be okay though, right?"
Ieri sighed and rubbed a hand over her face, "Probably. Come on, let's go inside now this stupid fight is over."
"Always so harsh."
Chi went to follow Ieri when she suddenly heard a noise coming from a tree outside the sanctuary. She turned to look but could see nothing. Still, she smiled to herself, she knew what she had heard.
She'd find him later and talk to him then.
"Neji, Neji… don't you know it's rude to spy on people." Chi said. She was leant up against the wall of a nearby building. Neji, would had been passing by, came to a stop.
"What are you talking about?" He asked, not missing a beat.
"Sneaking around outside the sanctuary trying to spy on my fight with Gure. Anyone would think you were trying to see my techniques."
"What is the point… Your techniques are purely brute force considering neither of your clans Kekkei Genkai have manifested in you." Neji said without looking at her
"I'm a master of my clan's Iron Fist technique since it's all I can have. The technique is pretty much exclusively about brute strength. If I had the Iron Style limit I would have been able to put him down with one hit.
There was a brief pause. The sun was starting to go down.
"I suppose there are many techniques you developed while you were away." Neji said finally, taking a place next to Chi against the wall, watching the sun set.
"Of course. Doesn't stop the fact you stole the advantage." Chi said with a smile, "I still don't know any of your new techniques."
"Now you're back on active duty I guess it won't take you long for you to see them." Neji said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Never does. Though it would be more fun if you just fought me."
"Not likely."
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Some things never change, but…" Chi sighed and smiled, "You know, that makes coming home so great. All my friends are still my friends."
"Friends?"
"Well… let's face it, you and I have a love/hate relationship."
"Love/hate." Neji smiled a little at that.
"Well, I don't think I'd be standing around watching the sunset with someone I truly hated." Chi said. Neji raised his eyebrows at her.
"Ah ha."
"You can deny it all you want, but I know you're happy I'm back." She lightly punched him in the shoulder.
"I never denied it."
Chi smiled at him. "For such a hard exterior you're pretty sweet under it all."
"Don't go getting mushy on me. You're just better company then Lee."
"So cruel…"
They fell into a comfortable silence again. Chi stretched her arms and yawned.
"I'm going to head home. I'll see you around." She pushed off the wall and began walking back home down the road. After a few steps though, she stopped and called over her shoulder. "Oh and Neji, you have some leaves in your hair."
"Lady Tsunade, I've brought the files you asked for."
"This is all of them?" The Hokage said, looking at two small files.
"I searched all the Chuunin and Genin folders and this is all I could find."
The Hokage paused and quickly scanned the contents of both folders. She paused and rested her head in her hands.
"Something just doesn't add up here… When Ibiki gets back from his current mission tell him I need to speak with him.
"Of course, Lady Tsunade."