Author's Note: Sooo… I decided to continue this lousy fic. Just for the sake of… well… fulfilling the "to be continued" saying. ;p Maa… for those who read the first and the second… thanks! I hope this story is truly worthwhile. But… er… may I ask? What is the title of this fic? I truly don't know!!! XDDDDDD Idiotic me… But I truly don't know the title! Somebody help me!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… but the kids are OCs. THEY'RE MINE! –Laughing maniacally-

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Chapter II
The Words

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Hey Dad,

Here's a riddle for you
Find the answer
There's a reason for the world

You and I

Five for Fighting: Riddle

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"A little something, eh, Tsunade-sama?"

The Fifth Hokage stared at her from behind the sheets she was working on and heaved a sigh. She leaned herself forward, supporting her chin with her hand.

"I know this may sound rather rude to you… but I must admit that you are the best kunoichi for this task," said the Hokage wearily. She sighed again. "I know this is not something to be asked to someone like you, who is already married and has a wonderful family… but there really is no better option than you, Tenten."

The dark brown eyes of the weapon mistress narrowed a bit. She smiled.

"Well… then… have you talked to my husband, Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage snorted and closed her eyes. Suddenly she looked like she was walking a path of doom.

"That will be… a rather hard conversation indeed."

Tenten laughed. Tsunade smiled faintly at her reaction and said slowly, "Do you accept the mission, Tenten? I presume you do."

"Well… I will if my husband allows me to," said the weapon mistress gracefully. Her smile turned softer. "I know I have not served this village actively for over ten years already… and I must admit that I miss that opportunity. The children… the house… it's not like I hate them, but it's more like… I am still a full pledged ninja at heart and body, Tsunade-sama… It may not seem so, but you can assure yourself that my ability in weaponry and jutsus remains the same as it was back in the day when I was still an Anbu… Nevertheless, I am a wife and a mother and I cannot make my decision without the approval of my husband. If he approved the mission… then it is positive that I will go, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade's eyes turned warm as she looked at the woman before her—the little girl that had grown in front of her very eyes and blossoming into a lady she was today. Little did she know back then she would be this mature…

"I see… that's a wise answer," the Hokage said with a smile. She exhaled audibly. "MA! Tell your husband I will be waiting for him this very afternoon. I guess I need to prepare a dozen of excuses to make him let you go but anyway… this must be done, eh?"

The Hokage looked at her and smiled.

"Thank you, Tenten."

The weapon mistress grinned.

"Always at your service, Hokage-sama."

X

"An undercover mission, I see…"

Neji's eyes observed the paper before him. He looked at the Hokage with impassive eyes.

"As an 'illicit' bar employee?"

The Hokage raised her shoulder then said, "Not just an ordinary bar, you see, Neji. This bar is a rendezvous point for the Imai faction which holds almost half of the Fire Country. He is a very sly man in the Fire country's political affair and there has been a couple of report on him doing some… well… illegal activity in the back. That is why we need your wife, Neji."

"Why must… Tenten?" Neji narrowed his eyes. Tsunade smiled faintly and answered, "As a kunoichi who already… well… inactive for ten years, her name already fades. Besides, no one really knows her face as an Anbu. She is skilled and has a broad experience on this matter so it is obvious if I choose her. She is best suited for this, Neji… and now I need your approval."

"My approval?"

"Yes," Tsunade linked her fingers and smiled at the man before her. "She is willing to, but she said that she cannot make any decision yet before her husband gives any word on this matter."

The translucent eyes of the man wavered. Tsunade smiled at his silent response.

"I can see that she is so devoted to her status as a wife and a mother, Neji," said the Hokage softly. "If she takes your opinion that highly… I think I have no chance but to do so as well. Do you permit her to go?"

"As a husband… I'd rather say no," Neji said firmly. The Hokage narrowed her eyes. "Under this kind of circumstances, I think it is natural to reject that sort of mission. But then again…"

Neji put down the paper in front of the Hokage.

"As a ninja and a person, I will let her go. This is her mission as a ninja… and as a husband, I must accept that condition. I have faith in my wife, Hokage-sama… So now I hope she will be of service to our village in whatever kind of mission she is assigned to. She will always have my permission in every decision she makes in regard of her status as a shinobi."

Tsunade's smiled broaden. Now she knew into what kind of person the boy that was once filled with hatred had turned into. Perhaps she already missed a few important pieces of them as she saw them grow up… That was something that she truly regretted now as she looked at them today.

"And just like what I said to your wife, Neji… You, too… had made a very wise decision indeed."

X

"That's the class for today!"

Iruka tidied up his belonging on the teacher desk and leaned forward to talk to his students.

"Well, remember to do your homework! We're going to test that jutsu in the end of the semester and I must remind you that the test perhaps will be your gate in becoming a real ninja. So practice well, minna! Mata ashita!"

Iruka disappeared in a poof of smoke and the chatters then began to arise as the students tidied up their stuff and readied themselves to go home. Hiiragi took his notebook, brown eyes examining his fellow classmate. They were busy chattering about the new exam and the possibility of directly becoming a new Genin. They were 10 years old now anyway…

"Hiiragi will most probably pass, right?" a black haired plump student said. "You're the Genius's son! Of course you'll pass!"

Hiiragi didn't answer at all since his attention was stolen by figures outside their class—the class below their level. While his entire classmate still showered him with praises and talked about his possibility of becoming a new Genin, his eyes caught the sight of his brother. He was surrounded by his friends, smiling and laughing along with them. Hiiragi snorted and put on his backpack. It was another day of slipping away from Higure's eyes, just so he wouldn't need to go home along. Since if every time they did, what people always looked at was…

"WOOOOW!!!"

The cheers from outside the classroom stole his attention once again. This time, his classmates also looked outside. Hiiragi furrowed his eyebrows. The ones who cheered were Higure's friends…

"Wonderful! You can do Byakugan?! Do it again! Do it again!"

"Come on, Higure! Once again!!!"

"Ahahahahaha…" Higure's voice was heard among the crowds. He seemed shy. "No… no… any other Hyuuga can do this to! I practice hard to be able to master it! Otou-sama said it's not the time for me yet and…"

"You're wonderful!!! Not your time but you can?? WoW! Do it again, Higure-kun!!!"

The cheers continued… and the ones inside the classroom could only examine from their place. Hiiragi clenched his jaw. Higure is able… to master it?

"Any other Hyuuga? Too bad you don't have the Byakugan too, Hiiragi!" A blonde girl beside him said. She put her finger on her lips. "You see, it's cool! And you can be a genius just like your father, not only as a weapon specialist like this! Perhaps you can even pass the exam. It's kinda odd you know, having Hyuuga as your name but you don't have any Byakugan. My parents even…"

"I must practice," Hiiragi flung the backpack to his shoulder. "Farewell."

And under three seconds away, he was nowhere to be seen anymore.

X

She was sipping her tea when she felt Hiiragi's chakra slipped into the house. She closed her eyes as she felt him went to his room—feeling his chakra slowly fading away.

Somehow she couldn't help but to smile inwardly.

Her oldest son… had indeed grown in the way that other man had…

X

Hiiragi put down his bag on the futon, brown eyes roaming his surrounding. He was concentrating hard, very hard, to hide his chakra. He didn't know whether his mother already felt him or not but he hoped that this time the practice would finally…

"Okaerinasai, Hiiragi."

The sound made him heaved an audible sigh. He turned around quickly and said grimly, "Tadaima, Okaa-san."

His mother smiled sweetly at him as a reply and said, "You've come home. Where is Higure, Sweetheart?"

"Why must I know about his whereabouts?" He snapped, looking another way. His mother raised her eyebrows and said lightly, "Well… he is your brother, that's why. It's obvious if I ask you about…"

"I never asked to be his brother!!"

His sudden rising voice surprised his mother. He clenched his fists and shouted again.

"I never asked… I never asked to be born as his brother at all!"

That was already over the limit. His mother's eyes wavered.

"Why you…"

"I NEVER ASKED!" He even shouted. He tightened his fists. "I never asked… to be a HYUUGA!"

"So you want to say that you're not happy about it?"

He quickly looked up to see his mother when the voice showered over him like a cold rain. The brown eyes that were inherited to him were almost unfeeling as she looked upon him.

"So you want to say… that you don't want to be born this way at all?"

"I—"

"Do you realize that you actually hurt not only Higure but your parents as well?"

Her statement was harsh and straight. Hiiragi opened his mouth but the eyes of his mother made him closed it at once. He bit his bottom lip, averting his mother's gaze. His mother heaved an audible sigh.

"Do you realize how much those words mean to your family, Hiiragi?" She said slowly. "Not only have you rejected the fact that you are Higure's brother, you also reject the fact that you are our son. That… is something quite unforgivable, Hiiragi. And I must admit that I am disappointed in what you have already said. Truly disappointed."

Hiiragi closed his eyes. Disappointed… in him? He… what had he…

"And what makes you think that being born another way will give you something better? You are not satisfied with everything that has happened to you? You are not satisfied on being Higure's brother? Why? Because you don't have the eyes that he has?"

The statement snapped his eyes opened. He quickly said, "Kaa-san, I—"

"You are disappointed… for being born by me?"

His brown eyes widened. His mother was so heartbroken... His mother's voice turned so wounded that he couldn't bear to hear. Yes... the brown eyes were from her after all... and... what.. what had he done?!

"N-No! Kaa-san, I never—"

"You wish you were born by someone else, right, Hiiragi? That way you could have the eyes of your father, not those from me. Is that what you really think?"

"N-No!!! Kaa-san, I never said that! I never meant to…"

"You don't want my eyes?"

"K-Kaa-san, I…"

Her eyes shimmered with something as she lowered her eyes.

"You don't want me as your mother?"

"NO!!!!" Hiiragi suddenly grabbed his mother's forearms, looking right into her eyes in fear. "Stop it!! I never said that, Kaa-san! Stop that! I…"

She put her hand on his cheek so gently that he fell silent by the touch. Love. Had he forgotten that?

"That's what those words really imply if you meant everything you said, Sweetie."

He froze. He slowly released his grip over her arms and looked down to the floor. He closed his eyes then whispered, "I'm sorry."

The weapon mistress smiled and bent down towards him. She put her hand on his head and gently said, "You understand now, do you, how much those words mean?"

He nodded, still unable to look at her in the eyes.

"You do understand the consequences of your words, don't you?"

He nodded again and whispered, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

She smiled and hugged him. She gently shook him to look at her in the eyes. He anxiously did what the silent gesture asked him to and loathed himself for being such an idiot.

"Never say those kinds of words again, Sweetheart. Promise me."

He nodded slowly.

"I promise."

She smiled gently at him and hugged him once again. He returned the gentle embrace, feeling the warmth of his mother. She cupped his cheek and looked at him in the eyes.

"And now I ask you, Honey… so please answer it honestly."

Hiiragi nodded for the fourth time. She closed her eyes.

"Tell me. Do you really wish for the Byakugan?"

X

Neji read the paper in his hand as he walked to his home. The mission was quite something… and he could see that Tenten was not the only kunoichi assigned to the task. A few new names were assigned but there was also an old acquaintance. Yamanaka Ino was an attractive woman after all…

"Kaiten!!!"

A sound of spinning chakra quickly took over his interest from the paper. It was faint and far away but he knew that his son was somewhere near by, training alone behind the bushes and trees.

Byakugan. He quickly found the familiar figure of his son in the woods, training alone. Amusement found its way to his eyes as he watched him spun.

"I believe… he is a little jealous of Higure, in many ways."

Maybe it would be good to have a little chat…

X

Hiiragi clenched his fists harder. He looked into his mother's eyes.

"Well?"

"… I do."

His mother closed her eyes again.

"I see… then another question," She sighed a little then proceeded with the interrogation. "What would you do… if you could acquire the Byakugan… by sacrificing your own family?"

Everything that had happened to him… everything that had been said to him… He had seen them all, felt them all… It was frustrating to hear people kept on saying why he didn't have any Byakugan, why he had the name of Hyuuga. He was trying his best… but people didn't feel satisfied. Something was wrong with him all along… and he was wrong the way he was… All just because of… mere eyes…

Hiiragi looked into the brown eyes of his mother in a firm answer.

"I will reject."

X

"You will lose your balance if you spin that way."

Higure swiftly turned just to find his father already behind him, folding his arms in front of his chest as he watched him move.

"Otou-sama…"

Higure bowed down to his father as he walked closer. The older man gave a slight nod in return and watched their surrounding.

"Is this why you always come home late, Higure?"

His son sheepishly grinned.

"But… how does Tou-sama know about this? You're never home… How do you know I always come home late?"

"Your mother and I talk," answered the older Hyuuga lightly. "She told me all about what happened in the house to keep me informed. Being away doesn't mean abandoning my family. As a father, looking after you and your brother comes first above everything. I hope you will learn about priorities as well when you grow up."

Higure nodded firmly. His father turned to look at him.

"Now… why are you training alone? Why do you hide yourself?"

Higure grinned awkwardly yet again. Seeing his reaction, his father involuntarily remembered the same grin… the grin of that young girl back in their days of genin…

"Oh, shoot… You found me, eh, Neji??"

"I… don't want to be found… That's all."

"Why?"

Higure bit his bottom lip. He laughed anxiously.

"Ah… well… so… that… Anii-san… doesn't know…"

Hiiragi?

"Why mustn't he know?"

"Well…" Higure moved uneasily. He finally looked into his father's eyes. "I… I envy him so much, Tou-sama… I want to be like him."

X

"Why?"

Hiiragi clenched his fists again.

"I…"

"You don't want to be Higure's brother, you said… Then why you don't want to sacrifice your family to acquire the Byakugan?"

Hiiragi looked into the deep brown eyes of his mother… and finally realized something. Something that almost faded away from his memory because of sheer jealousy… finally resurfaced again by the sound of his mother's voice.

"Since… it is not what I after…"

His mother's eyes softened.

"What is it you after then?"

He averted his gaze from his mother's.

"I… want to… make Otou-sama proud of me. I want to make him see me."

X

He watched as his own son said the things that were more or less out of his surmise. He was, indeed, his mother's son…

"Envy him?"

Higure nodded again. He smiled to himself, lowering his white orbs.

"Anii-san is wonderful… Nii-san always trains hard everyday, Tou-sama. He doesn't stop until Kaa-san told him to. He always trains and… Nii-san always strives for the better… I want to be like Nii-san. I always want to…"

So for all this time… His father's eyes softened. Silly.

"That's why, Tou-sama… I don't want to be found at all."

And he really wished his youngest son would learn about mind learning someday. That would make everything easier…

X

"What makes you think he is not proud of you at all?"

Hiiragi tightened his jaw as his mother gave him a hard look.

"I…"

"He loves you."

The statement made him froze once again. He looked straight into his mother's eyes then said firmly.

"Prove me, Kaa-san."

She laughed at his reaction. That firmness was indeed, inherited from that one person…

"You will never defeat me. Yield."

"My… Hiiragi…" She moved her index finger in front of him. "That is not something that I must do but you. You must proof it yourself, Sweetheart."

He gritted his teeth then snapped, "But how?"

She put her finger on his lips and said affectionately.

"That… is your job, not mine. You will see it soon, Sweetie. Believe me."

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To Be Continued

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Author's Note: Ah… there goes the second chapter… Thanks for reading! For those who have any idea what the title of this fic may be… please say it in the review. Since I'm too lazy to think, that is. XDDD Thankies!