DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the related characters.
Author's Note: I would appreciate a lot of good reviews. This is the first Naruto fanfic I've posted and the first one I ever wrote. It's the only one that's complete. If I get good reviews I may post some of my other ones. I've also got a good Harry Potter fanfic which any Snape fans will enjoy.
It was growing dark and I let out an impatient sigh. I lay back on the tree branch and watched the stars that were appearing in the sky above me. I was trusting my Chakra wouldn't fail me this time as I lay on the branch. I was waiting for me cousin Sasuke and his friend/rival Naruto, who had agreed to meet me here at sundown. They were currently in Konohagakure, also known as The Village Hidden Among the Leaves. I was not with them due to the fact that I was now a missing-nin from Kirigakure and was being hunted by Hunter-nin. That is why I needed my cousin's help…my life was in danger.
I was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps and I fell from the tree with a loud thud that knocked the breath from me. My Chakra had failed me, yet again. When I regained my breath I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the silver eyes of a boy I had never met before.
"Are you alright?" He asked in a concerned voice. I nodded numbly and he extended a hand to help me up. Cautious as ever I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet. I brushed dirt from the front of my clothes and picked leaves out of my long black hair while looking around. My cousin Sasuke stood not far from me and his friend Naruto was at his side. On Naruto's other side stood a girl with pink hair.
"Sasuke I thought you were only bringing Naruto," I hissed at him. I didn't particularly mind the presence of the silver-eyed boy, but my life was in danger and the more people who knew about it the more danger I was in. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders with indifference and I frowned at him.
"We can trust them," Was all he said.
"Right," I said testily. There was an awkward silence in which I decided I would have to let it go for the moment.
"Fine. I need your help, cousin," I said after the silence had passed.
"Helping people is what we're here for," Said Naruto with a grin. I didn't return his smile.
"What is it you need, Hoshi?" Sasuke asked calmly.
"I…I may be in danger and I need somewhere safe to stay," I replied awkwardly. They all looked surprised at my sudden revelation.
"What? Why are you in danger? Who's after you?" Naruto demanded.
"Perhaps you should start from the beginning," Suggested the silver-eyed boy in a soothing voice. I took a deep breath and launched into an explanation.
"I left Kirigakure. They were being too harsh and the training they had for me was too intense. I couldn't control my Chakra, I still can't, and they wanted me to try and harness it through intense special training that left me completely drained of energy. I barely had enough strength to crawl into bed at night, much less eat. I asked the Mizukage if I could leave respectfully, but he would not allow it since I was still in training. So I left on my own accord and now there are Hunter-nin after me and I need a place to stay," I said quickly. A silence met my words and I stared intently at the ground, waiting to be chastised for being foolish, but nothing happened. I looked up to see them all frowning in thought.
"You could stay with us!" Naruto said gleefully.
"No. I have seen Hunter-nin here in the forest. They would most likely expect me to go into the city. I cannot take that risk," I replied quietly.
"Let 'em come! We'll kick their ninja-hunting buts!" He declared.
"Quiet Naruto. We're no match for Hunter-nin. …but I think I know a place," Said the silver-eyed boy.
"Where?" Sasuke and I asked simultaneously.
"There is a place in the forest. A house in the trees that no one uses and it is not easy to locate unless you already know where it is. I think you could stay there…at least until we come up with a better plan," He replied.
"That's a great idea, Neji," Naruto said with a smile.
"Thank you…Neji. Can you show me the way to this place?" I asked quietly.
"Of course. We can all go," Neji replied with a faint smile.
"Check around. Make sure no one is around to follow us," Sasuke said to Neji who nodded.
"Byakugan," Neji said. I recognized it as some sort of jutsu, though I didn't know what sort. It reminded me a bit of Sharingan, which I had only ever heard about, not seen. Neji's eyes were squinted for a moment and then went back to normal.
"There is no one around," He confirmed, "But I discovered something interesting."
"What did you just do? What sort of jutsu was that?" I asked curiously.
"Hijutsu. Byakugan is a bloodline trait among the Hyuuga clan. It allows me to see any danger around," Neji said to me.
"So it is like Sharingan?" I inquired, referring to the bloodline trait of the Uchiha clan that Sasuke and I belonged to.
"No, but my father once told me it derived from Byakugan," Sasuke put in.
"Sharingan allows you to see your opponents next attack. Also it has to be activated before you can use it. I have always been able to use my Byakugan and it also allows me to see the Chakra that flows through a person's body. Which brings me to my other point…your Chakra is leaking," He said awkwardly. I looked down at myself, alarmed, but I could see nothing.
"Don't worry. It's not enough to be noticeable, unless you are looking with Byakugan, but…I have never seen anything like it before. It just startled me is all," Neji said in a reassuring tone.
"That's probably why you got so tired during the training they made you do," Naruto remarked.
"We should hurry if we're going to this hidden house. It's getting late," Said the pink-haired girl.
"Sakura is right. We should go…though it won't take long to get there," Neji said to me. I nodded my head and retrieved the small bag I had brought with me from where it hung on the tree branch. I glanced up at the twinkling stars one more time before following the silver-eyed boy into the woods.
Though the journey was a short wall I seized the chance to talk further with Neji. Mostly we discussed the difference between Byakugan and Sharingan.
"One of the more prominent differences is the fact that Sharingan drains you Chakra energy at an alarming pace. It is the one weakness of the bloodline trait," Neji told me as we walked deeper into the forest.
"What about your Byakugan? Surely it has a weakness as well," I replied with a frown.
"It does," He admitted, "Byakugan does not allow me to see in a complete circle. Only 359 degrees."
"You have a blind spot."
"Yes, but I am working to perfect that. Training as much as I can," He said.
"How can I train to control my Chakra? To stop it from leaking out? I'm no longer enrolled in the training academy since I left Kirigakure," I wondered aloud.
"You should meditate," Neji said calmly. I made a face.
"Meditating is boring," I complained. He smiled slightly.
"We'll help you train. I'm a Jounin, after all, it is my job to train Lower Ninjas," He replied quietly. I blushed faintly, but it was dark, thankfully, and he couldn't see.
"Here's the house," Neji announced quickly. We all looked up to see a house nestled amongst the leaves of a particularly large oak tree.
"Wow. How do we get up there?" Sakura asked, looking up.
"Climb the tree, of course," Said Naruto as if this should have been obvious. Naruto grinned and, using his Chakra control, walked right up the side of the tree trunk. I felt only slightly jealous and a little depressed that I had not mastered that sort of Chakra control. I climbed up the tree using branches like any non-ninja person could. The entrance was located at the bottom of the house and opened up into the floor. Naruto went first, followed by Neji, Sasuke, Sakura, and myself.
I was slightly impressed with the accommodations. A table was in the very center of the room and on the table sat a candle. There were windows that served their purpose effectively, even if they were a little crudely made. There was a shelf that had a few bowls and cups stacked on it. There was also a mattress in one corner that served well as a bed.
"Aw man! There's no food here!" Naruto complained as he looked around.
"What did you expect, Naruto, no one lives here," Sakura said to him.
"We can bring you food tomorrow, cousin," Sasuke said to me.
"If Naruto doesn't eat it all first," Grumbled Sakura. I beamed at my new friends.
"Thank you. All of you. You've been good friends. I feel confident that the Hunter-nin can not find me here," I said to them. They all smiled and Sasuke looked away, embarrassed.
"We should go. Guy sensei will be suspicious and Rock Lee can't hold our cover for ever," Sakura said to them. They all nodded and said good-bye before leaving.
When they were gone I let out a sigh and tossed my bag onto the floor. I sat down on the bed with my head in my hands. Now that they were gone I didn't feel so safe anymore. It wasn't them in particular- It was Neji. Neji made me feel safe, though I would never have admitted it, and I wished he would have stayed with me.
It was still nighttime out so I went outside quietly and sat on a tree branch and stared at the stars. I wished that there were some way I could have lived amongst the stars. It seemed so peaceful up there, like nothing bad would ever happen, except the occasional falling of a star. As I gazed at the night sky I though of my past.
When I was young I lived with my Aunt and Uncle after the death of my parents. My Aunt and Uncle had sent me to Kirigakure to train to be a Ninja. They already had my eldest cousin, Itachi, and with Sasuke on the way they didn't have room for a girl with a faulty Chakra. So I went to Kirigakure. While I was there I had lived with my Great Aunt, Hiromi, and when she died mysteriously I stayed with my sensei, Shishi. Shishi always pushed me to the limit and beyond and he was not a very understanding person. I learned from a traveler that my cousin, Itachi, had wiped out the entire Uchiha clan and that only he and Sasuke remained. I also learned that Sasuke was training in Konohagakure. I thought that if I came here no one would be able to find me, but I was wrong. There were wanted posters bearing my name and picture. The village of Kirigakure wanted me dead; there was no disputing that.
The next morning when I awoke it was to a faint taping on the door in the floor.
"Who is it?" I asked, sitting up with a yawn.
"It is Neji, may I come in?" He asked quietly. I stretched the knots out of my back and looked around the room.
"Sure," I called to him. The door in the floor opened and I smiled at him. He smiled back at me.
"I brought you some food," He said, holding up a backpack. I waited eagerly as he pulled out a small pot and took off the lid. He set it on the table and we sat down. I peered into the pot and found it full of ramen.
"Smells good. Where is everyone else?" I asked casually.
"Back in the village, training," He replied.
We ate in a comfortable silence. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating. It had been a while since my last good meal and before long we had devoured all of the ramen. Neji smiled at me and I blushed faintly.
"Sorry I ate more than I should have. It's been a while since I've had a good meal," I said sheepishly. He nodded and put the pot back into the bag.
"I understand. Would you like to try meditating today?" Neji asked me, standing up.
"Huh?"
"To gain better control of your Chakra. I promised I would help you train, remember?"
"Oh. Sure."
Neji smiled at me again and lit the candle that sat in the center of the table. He sat back down, after stretching, and crossed his legs and closed his eyes. I imitated what he did and we were silent.
I got bored quickly and began to hum quietly under my breath. I didn't realize he could hear me until he opened one eye and looked at me.
"Hoshi…You're humming," He said patiently.
"Sorry…" I said on an exhale.
"Don't be. You're bored, I understand. You should try concentrating on something…the candle flame, for instance," He replied, nodding to the candle.
"I'll give it a try," I said faintly. I stared at the candle, watching the flame flicker back and forth. A few times I thought it would go out, but it didn't. The whole meditation thing wasn't working, but I didn't want to disappoint Neji so I forced my eyes shut and tried to clear my mind.
"This isn't working," He said suddenly. I jumped, slightly startled.
"What?" I asked, "I'm trying."
"You're trying too hard, Hoshi. You're creating a negative energy. Meditating is about relaxing, but you're on edge," He replied calmly. He wasn't angry with me.
"I don't like meditating, except when I'm looking at the stars…that's kind of like meditating," I mumbled, looking down.
"You're relaxed then?" Neji asked.
"Yeah."
"Then I shall return when the stars are out and we shall meditate then," He said, getting to his feet. At that moment there was another knock on the door. We exchanged startled glances.
"Who's there?" Neji asked, on guard.
"Its Naruto, let me in, I got big news!" He shouted back. Annoyed, Neji went to the door and snatched Naruto inside.
"Quiet, you idiot, don't be so loud," Neji hissed.
"Sorry, Neji. What is it? What's wrong?" Naruto asked. Neji had his eyes squinted, using his Byakugan.
"Someone is walking through the forest…but they pose no threat. It is no ninja and they are not very near to us," Neji said, relaxing slightly.
"What's your big news, Naruto?" I asked, turning to him.
"I got an idea," He said triumphantly.
"Can't wait to hear this one," Neji said sarcastically, but he smiled at his friend.
"C'mon, Neji, this is a good one!" Naruto retorted.
"All right, let's hear it," I said soothingly.
"Well I think we could get you into the village, using an alias of course," Naruto replied eagerly.
"It's a good plan. Other than the fact that her picture is plastered on every billboard in town and everyone will recognize her it's absolutely flawless," Neji said sardonically.
"You didn't let me finish! We'll disguise her. We can't use Genjutsu since the hunter-nin can probably see through our illusions, but if we change her hair and her clothes she'll look like a completely different person," Naruto said happily.
"That may actually work," Neji said, impressed.
"It's worth a try," I said with a shrug. Inwardly I was thinking I wasn't an easy person to disguise. My eyes, for instance, are a brilliant shade of purple and it's not like my hair could change colors or anything. I'd still look pretty much like me and hunter-nin weren't that stupid.
"We'll gather Sakura and Sasuke and return later, before dark," Neji said, opening the door as Naruto hurried down.
"Thank you," I said softly. Neji smiled slightly before following Naruto down. When they were gone I blew out the candle and sat down on the bed. Somehow the 'meditating' had left me drained and I wondered just how bad my Chakra was leaking. I had never heard of anyone's Chakra leaking before. I knew that many people had problems controlling the amount of Chakra used, but leaking? It was a little bit perturbing.
I lie down on the bed and closed my eyes. I figured I might as well get some rest if I was going to assume a new identity in a few hours.
My friends returned about an hour before sundown and again they came bearing food. Rice and Dumplings. While I ate they discussed what they would do to change my appearance.
"We could definitely cut her hair to make it shorter," Naruto remarked as they circled me.
"And I've brought her new clothes," Sasuke said and when we all shot him curious looks he added, "Sakura picked them out."
"What about her eyes? They're vivid purple… too conspicuous," Neji remarked.
"My eyes? What about your eyes? All bright and white!" I spluttered indignantly. The others laughed.
"I didn't mean it offensively, Hoshi. Also, my eyes aren't plastered on every poster in town," Neji replied with a faint smile.
"Well what do you suppose we do about it?" Sasuke asked him.
"I suppose she should keep her head down and let her hair cover her face. I don't really see what else we could do," He responded.
"What about her name? She needs and alias," Naruto piped up.
"Oh well that's an easy one- Hoshi isn't my real name," I said to him.
"It's not?" He asked blankly.
"Of course not, Naruto. Didn't you see the posters?" Neji asked him.
"Yes, the Hunter-nin are seeking one Naoshi Uchiha. Not Hoshi," Sasuke said casually.
"Good. So let's cut her hair and let her change clothes, then we can take her to the hokage," Naruto said.
"The hokage? Why?" Sakura asked him.
"We could say that we found her in the forest and Hoshi could pretend to have amnesia about where she came from," Naruto replied.
"That's brilliant…but if anyone ever found out you'd all be in huge trouble," I said uncomfortably.
"Don't worry about it, Hoshi," Sasuke said confidently, "No one will find out."
About an hour later I looked like a completely different person. I wore black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt that Sasuke had bought me. My hair had been cut to shoulder length and it had become a little bit straighter in the process. The sun was already gone from the sky when I climbed down out of the tree house wearing my new clothes.
"You look wonderful, Hoshi. I think we should wait until tomorrow to take you to the village, though," Sasuke said to me.
"Fine by me," I said with a shrug. Neji caught my eye and smiled at me.
"We were going to try meditating again anyway," Neji said to the others.
"I think I'll head back to Konohagakure, I'm starving!" Naruto said brightly. The others all nodded in agreement and promised to come back first thing tomorrow morning. Then they left, leaving Neji and I alone again.
"Come. I know a place where we can lay back and look at the stars," Neji said to me. I nodded and followed him into the woods.
Neji led me to a hill where there were no trees and the view of the sky was wonderful. The grass was soft and I lay down on my back to stare at the stars. Neji lie down as well and looked up. I let out a content sigh and relaxed.
"I think if we can find you a ninja headband the Hokage may let you train with me," Neji said to me as we lay there.
"A headband?" I asked, puzzled.
"So they won't make you go back to the academy. I don't think you belong there, anyway. You just need to control your Chakra. If they had noticed it was leaking they may have been able to fix it ages ago," He replied tightly.
"Oh. Where will you get a ninja headband?"
"I have an extra one. I can remove the insigma and perhaps everyone will think you lost yours," Was his answer. We were silent after that, watching the stars twinkling across the sky. I felt peaceful. It wasn't the exact same thing as meditating, but I think it served the same purpose.
After about a half-hour of stargazing I sat up, bored again. Neji sat up as well.
"Sorry, I got bored again," I said sheepishly.
"Well at least it was more effective than meditating. You should try to use your Chakra now. Can you do any attacks?" He asked, standing up and stretching.
"Well I wouldn't be an Uchiha if I hadn't mastered the grand fireball," I replied haughtily.
"Then let's see it," He replied lightly. I turned nervously away from him and brought my hands together.
"Fire Element; Grand Fireball," I said loudly. I inhaled deeply and willed a small amount of Chakra to gather there as well. Then I exhaled. Even though I'd done it a million times before, it still startled me when a large fireball emerged from my mouth and shot forward. It extinguished before hitting anything because I'd been careful about how much Chakra I used.
"Very good, Hoshi," Neji remarked, clapping his hands quietly. I blushed and smiled.
"It was good wasn't it? And I didn't even use very much Chakra," I said, delighted with my self.
"I have a question. Have you ever used Sharingan?" Neji inquired.
"No. I keep waiting for it to awaken, but…"
"Don't worry. I'm sure it will soon. When it does you'll be able to copy almost any attack, except bloodline traits like Byakugan," He replied reassuringly.
"Perhaps Sasuke will help me develop it," I mused.
"Or Kakashi Hatake," Neji added.
"Isn't that Sasuke and Naruto's sensei?" I asked, frowning slightly.
"Yes. Also Sakura's sensei. He has one Sharingan eye," He replied.
"How? He's not an Uchiha is he? I thought Sasuke and myself were the only ones left, besides Itachi," I said, alarmed.
"You are the only Uchiha left," Neji said soothingly, "Kakashi Hatake was given his Sharingan eye by his closest friend before he died."
I was still alarmed by this fact and Neji could sense my unease.
"Come, show me what other attacks you know," He encouraged, changing the subject. I grinned suddenly.
"Stand still and I will show you what the Kirigakure taught me," I said mischievously. It was Neji's turn to be slightly anxious as I gathered my Chakra in my left hand.
"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu," I said. A sphere of water gathered around Neji, not harming him, but making escape virtually impossible.
"Try to get out of it," I encouraged him. From inside the water prison I head Neji laugh.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation," I heard him say and I was shocked when I felt my Chakra weaken and since the sphere of water was part Chakra it weakened as well and Neji burst forth. Exhausted I released the water and collapsed onto the ground. Neji was at my side in a moment.
"Are you alright?" He asked, worried.
"Fine," I replied, panting slightly, "Just need a moment to recover my strength."
"You did very good. You would make a worthy opponent for most any ninja, with a little training," He complimented me. I nodded my thanks, unable to speak anymore.
"Come. You need to get back to the tree house and rest," He said. Neji helped me up and allowed me to lean against him as we walked back to the tree house, since I was incapable of walking myself.
When I awoke the next morning I was alone. My energy and strength was fully recovered. I lay still for a moment until I remembered that today was the day I was going to meet the Hokage of Konohagakure. I leapt to my feet and looked out the window in time to see Naruto, Neji, and Sasuke emerging from the woods.
"Are you ready to go, Hoshi?" Sasuke called up to me.
"Definitely. Be right down, cousin," I called back. Excited I grabbed my bag off the bed and hurried down the tree.
"Are you feeling better today?" Neji asked quietly.
"Yes. I'm fine," I replied, touched that he was concerned. He silently handed me a ninja headband and I smiled delightedly.
"Thanks Neji," I said as I tied it around my head.
"Not a problem."
"Come on, you guys, let's go!" Naruto said excitedly.
I kept my head down as we walked through Konohagakure. Strangely enough no one even looked twice at me and for that I was thankful. Neji stuck close to my side and when we reached the house of the Hokage my friends paused.
"You should let us go in first, Hoshi," Neji said to me. I nodded numbly and he smiled reassuringly as he and the others all walked inside, leaving me alone.
I was anxious as I waited for them to return. A little ways away from me stood a man, leaning against a wall and reading a book. A cloth covered most of his face and he had a ninja bandana pulled down over one eye. From description I recognized him immediately as Kakashi Hatake. He looked up at me repeatedly when he thought I wasn't looking. As much as I wanted to go over and talk with him, I remained where I was, waiting for my friends.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji came out a moment later, looking triumphant.
"Hoshi, come with me. The Hokage would like to see you," Neji said to me. I followed him inside as Naruto and Sasuke walked off.
"What's going on?" I asked Neji.
"She just wants to meet you," He said reassuringly.
The Hokage sat at her desk, observing me silently and I was careful to keep my face studiously blank.
"So…you really can't recall where you're from?" She asked me.
"No ma'am," I replied smoothly.
"You have no memory of anything at all?"
"Almost nothing. I remember my attacks, but not where I learned them."
She continued to stare at me for a few more minutes before saying anything else.
"Well, Hoshi, you don't seem like a bad person, and Neji claims he hasn't picked up any bad vibes from you. If you want, you may stay in Konohagakure, at least until someone comes to find you or you remember where you came from. Until then you may train with Neji. Since you don't have a village insigma on your headband I can give you one from Konohagakure. Also, there's a place you can stay- a house where traveling ninja often stay when they are passing through here. Neji can show you where it is. Please don't do anything to make me regret my decision to let you stay here," She said finally.
"Thank you, Hokage, I won't let you down," I promised. She smiled and nodded, and then I turned to leave.
"Just a moment, Hoshi," Neji said to me, then turned to the Hokage, "Hokage have you ever heard of anyone's Chakra…leaking?"
She thought silently for a moment before shaking her head no.
"No I haven't, Neji. Why?" The Hokage asked.
"Just something I noticed when I was using my Byakugan," He replied, shooting me a sideways glance.
"You should ask around. Talk to Kakashi Hatake. He knows a lot more than I do…about some things," Said the Hokage.
"Very well. Thank you, Hokage," Neji said, bowing slightly. Then we left the room.
When we were outside we found that Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi Hatake were outside, waiting for us.
"So, you're Hoshi," Said Kakashi Hatake, looking at me lazily with his one eye. It chilled me to think that he could be using his Sharingan with his other eye.
"Yes…you're Kakashi Hatake," I replied.
"Mm."
"Kakashi, Have you ever heard of anyone's Chakra leaking?" Neji asked him. Kakashi turned to Neji.
"Leaking? Not that I can recall. Why?" He asked interestedly.
"Hers is," Neji replied, nodding to me. Kakashi frowned intensely.
"It's not enough for anyone else to notice nor is it enough to make much of a difference in her strength. It was just something I noticed," Neji said to him.
"That is…very interesting, Neji. I'll ask around, but I've never heard of anything like that before," Kakashi replied, and with that he left. I was left in my own silent awe of the ninja.
"Come. I'll show you where the house is that the hokage mentioned," Neji said to me, jolting me out of my stupor. I nodded and followed him through Konohagakure.
The house that Neji led me to was pretty decent. It was way better than the tree house at any rate. There was a kitchen (not that I knew how to cook) and a dining room. The bedroom had an actual bed and not just some mattress stuffed in a corner. While Neji showed me through the house I heard the front door open. I ducked my head into the hallway to see who it was and I found myself face-to-face with a red-haired, blue-eyed, girl that startled me so that I fell to the ground. If I had better Chakra control I would not have fallen and I had to face this humiliation as I struggled to get to my feet.
"Destiny boy!" She shouted as Neji rounded the corner.
"Hey, Space Cadet," Neji replied, embracing her. I raised a curious eyebrow at the girl…she seemed strangely familiar. Neji noticed my curiosity and smiled as their hug ended.
"Hoshi, this is my little sister, Yumi," He said to me. Yumi? Where had I heard that name before…
"I didn't know you had a sister," I said vaguely as I tried to recall where I knew her from.
"I must've forgotten to mention her," He replied and flinched slightly as Yumi shot him a dark look.
"How could you've forgotten to mention me? I am your only sister, after all," She said hotly.
"Sorry, Space Cadet. What're you doing here anyway?" He asked coolly.
"Looking for you."
"Well, you found me."
Yumi dug around in a bag she had on her back and produced a brand new Konohagakure ninja headband. She handed it to Neji.
"The hokage said to give this to you. …I think it must be for her," Yumi said, nodding to me. Neji nodded and handed it to me. I removed the old headband and put the new one in place.
"I now I really feel like a new ninja," I said delightedly.
Neji left a short while after that, but a curious Yumi remained to talk to me.
"So, where are you from?" Yumi asked me.
"I don't remember. Neji and the others found me in the forest, but I can't recall anything…except my attacks, that it," I replied quickly.
"Really? What sort of attacks do you know?"
I thought for a moment before replying.
"I can do a water wall and a water prison," I answered. When in doubt, go with the truth…or at least part of it.
"That's all?" Yumi asked skeptically.
"That's all that I know. I can't do very much…My Chakra is leaking," I replied.
"Leaking?" She asked, slightly perturbed.
"According to your brother it is. I'm hoping to become a little more skilled in taijutsu, since taijutsu attacks don't use Chakra," I explained.
"Oh. But still- a leaking Chakra? That's so weird!" She exclaimed.
"Tell me about it," I groaned, "And I can't control it."
"Is that why you fell down when I came in?" Yumi asked with a slight smile.
"You startled me! …But yeah. I can't even sit in a tree without falling," I replied gloomily.
"Well if anyone can teach you Chakra control, it's my brother," She said confidently. I smiled at Yumi, envying her apparent confidence.
"It'll take a lot of Chakra control if I ever hope to become an Anbu Ninja," I said to Yumi.
"An Anbu Ninja? Really? That's what I wanna be, too!"
"Awesome. So tell me- why do you call Neji 'Destiny Boy'?" I inquired curiously.
"It just suits him, don't you think?"
"It does," I admitted, "And you're…Space Cadet?"
"Only Neji's allowed to call me that," She replied coolly.
"Oh."
There were a few minutes of silence and Yumi seemed to be considering something. When she finally did speak it startled me, almost to the point where I fell again.
"Hey! I know some things you can do to help build up your Chakra control, and you don't even need Neji," she said suddenly.
"Really? Like what?"
"Tree walking, for one. It's pretty basic, but it's all about controlling your Chakra output. You gather Chakra at the bottoms of your feet and try to walk up a tree. Use too much and you get thrown back, but use too little and you fall down," Yumi replied.
"Sounds painful," I said, not at all liking the idea of falling down or being thrown backwards.
"No, it's fun, come on," She encouraged. I shrugged my shoulders and followed Yumi outside.
Yumi led me to a large oak tree with a smooth trunk that was about 30 feet tall. I was antsy as I approached it and willed my Chakra to gather at the bottom of my feet. Tentatively I approached the tree and took a step onto the trunk. I took a few more steps and the triumph I felt distracted me to the point that my Chakra failed me and I went crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
"Ouch," I said weakly, dazed.
"You didn't hit your head did you?" Yumi asked. I shook my head and got to my feet, intent on trying again. The next time I had almost gotten to the top when I felt my Chakra starting to fail me. I let out an involuntary shriek as I plummeted towards the ground.
A pair of strong arms caught me just before I hit the ground. I opened my eyes in surprised and found that my voice had left me.
"Another moment and you would've been nothing more than a Hoshi-splatter on the ground," Neji said, smiling slightly, "…Are you okay?"
"Fine. A Hoshi-splatter?" I asked with a smirk. He smiled slightly again and then set me down safely on the ground, though my heart was still racing.
"Are you sure you're alright, Hoshi?" Neji asked again.
"I'm fine," I insisted, "Yumi wouldn't have let me fall."
At that moment I looked around and saw that Yumi was not anywhere near us. She was a little ways away talking to a boy with a dog and she seemed oblivious to the fact that I had almost become a 'Hoshi-splatter' as Neji put it.
"Flirting with Kiba, as usual. Let me go drag her away," Neji said with a sigh. He sent me another brief smile and walked briskly over to where Yumi and Kiba stood.
"Come on, Space Cadet, you're supposed to be teaching Hoshi," I heard Neji say to her as he grabbed her arm and attempted to drag her away.
"Stop it, Destiny Boy, I'm talking! You go teach her!" Yumi retorted, snatching her arm away and turning back towards Kiba. At that moment another slightly familiar face appeared as Kakashi Hatake walked across the field. He glanced at me briefly as he passed and at that moment my entire body went numb. When he looked away I was still in a bit of a stupor and could only listen as he spoke to Kiba.
"Kiba, I would like you and Akamaru to help me with something," Kakashi said to him.
"Of course we will. See you later, Yumi," Kiba said to her, kissing her cheek.
"See ya, Kiba," She replied with a smile. Neji rolled his eyes as he and Yumi walked back over to me. My eyes followed inadvertently as Kakashi Hatake led Kiba and Akamaru off the field. Neji's voice snapped me back to attention.
"Yumi, if you're going to help Hoshi train you need to stay focused and make sure she doesn't fall again," Neji was saying to her. His concern was touching and I blushed faintly.
"Okay, fine, whatever," Yumi replied coolly. Neji sighed and walked away.
"Sorry about that. I got a little distracted. Did you get to the top of the tree?" Yumi asked me as soon as he was gone.
"Uh, sure," I lied quickly, hoping she wouldn't make me tree-walk anymore.
"Great. You know, Hoshi, if we're going to be friends you can't be cheating on my brother," She said seriously.
"Who- wha- huh? What're you talking about?" I stammered.
"Well you were practically drooling over Kakashi Hatake," she replied. I blushed again and covered my face with my hands.
"I don't like him," I said, but we both knew that was a lie, "…he's old."
At least the last part was the truth, but Kakashi didn't look old, at least not to me. He looked…intriguing.
"Well good. Neji wouldn't like it if you drooled at Kakashi every time he walked by," Yumi retorted.
"But…I'm not even dating Neji…I don't even know if he likes me," I replied, staring intently at the ground.
"Of course he likes you! It's so obvious. He's never concerned about anyone like he is with you. You two may not be dating now…but you will be," Yumi assured me.