Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 2

Second hour passed, and Hinata was still wandering aimlessly around the village. She didn't want to talk with anybody, didn't even want to bump into anybody familiar. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hold her tears. Thoughts abut what her father said were still passing through her mind: even as a civilian – she was weak. Sending her to Land of Wind meant sure death for her. And by doing so, the council wanted to reinforce agreement! Hinata was nothing more than a pawn, cheap enough to sacrifice it at will.

She stood in the middle of empty street. Everything was silent. Even if someone killed her – no one would ever know. And no one would care. She was only small, pathetic girl…

Then she heard something, a small, soft whimper. Looking around her, she couldn't identify its source. She didn't have enough chakra to activate byakugan, so she decided to rely on her hearing. Moving as slowly and silently as she could, she reached for a kunai… only to discover, that she left her ninja kit at home. Well, father was right – she was failure of a kunoichi after all. Despite being practically defenseless, she decided to check who was making such noise. Anything worse than what awaited her in three weeks couldn't happen, right?...

She entered a blank alley. A cat was lying there, his cries highly resembling those of a new born child. Animal had short, brown fur and half closed eyelids. Hinata moved closer and touched it, but cat didn't react. Alarmed, she picked it up, and then conclusion came to her mind: this animal was dying. Fur was stiff and coarse from dried blood – probably its own. Without thinking, she started to run towards Kiba's house. His sister was veterinarian, maybe she would be able to save this kitten…

People were staring at her while she was running through the town with whimpering cat in her arms. After some time animal went silent, which alarmed her even more. Fortunately, she saw familiar looking brown hair among the crowd.

-Kiiiba-kuuun! Kiiiiba!

Kiba turned to her, slightly surprised. He smiled at first, but then he recognized what she was holding close to her body. His smile faded in an instant.

-Akamaru! Go to our house and find my sister! Tell her that we have a cat in critical condition! Hinata, give it to me, I'm faster than you!

She gave cat to Kiba without opposing. Boy quickly run in his house direction, Akamaru was long gone. Hinata leand her hand on knees, trying to calm her breath and pain in lungs. Kiba surely would be in his house faster than she would be. She made her way towards Inuzuka clinic. Kiba's dog was sitting at the front door, apparently waiting for her. He squealed and went inside the house, meaning that she should follow him.

-Kiba, hydrogen peroxide solution! – she could hear Hana's voice from surgery.

-'So kitten is still alive…' – she thought, relieved. After second thought, she turned somber again. 'Still' alive…

She sit on a chair in the corridor leading to surgery. Akamaru jumped on her lap and licked her cheek. Smiling, she scratched him under his chin. She had three weeks until trip to Suna. Three weeks to sort everything out… But what will happen to this cat? Who would take care of him while she would be gone?

-'If kitten will make it…' – she corrected herself in thoughts. Dog squealed, looking in her eyes.

-How do you think, Akamaru: will everything turn out well?

Dog just waved his tail and barked softly, which Hinata took as 'yes' and smiled lightly. All she could do now was waiting and having faith.

After an hour, door do surgery opened and Kiba's sister left the cabinet. Smiling!

-Surgery was a success! – she announced happily.

XXXXXXXXXX

Visiting little, furry patient had become her daily routine. It had turned out, that the cat had short, sand-coloured fur and relatively large ear. Tufts of darker hair were growing on their tops. Kitten had many fractured bones and looked emaciated, but Hana said that he would be ready to leave Inuzuka clinic in few days. Paying visits to a cat had diverted Hinata's attention from her trip to Suna, which was closer as days passed. Still, her behavior was slightly different, which didn't escape Kiba's attention. And he didn't hesitate to ask.

-What's the matter? You seem different lately.

-Wha?... oh, it's nothing, really…

Kiba sighed and crossed arms on his chest.

-We've known each other for quite some time now, Hina. You must try harder if you want to lie to me. I'm sure it's not about the cat, 'cause he's nearly healthy by now. So – what's going on?

Hyuuga lowered her eyes and bit her lip. She didn't want him to know about her stupid mission. He would tell everyone and they wouldn't leave her at peace. If she only could – she didn't want to tell anyone! And Kiba, well… He didn't have to know everything, did he?

-It's about my father… He said I wasn't fitted to be a kunoichi… - she said quietly.

-Awww, Hina-chan… Don't listen to him! You have great potential, but you just don't know how to use it yet… - he patted her back in a friendly manner.

-'It worked!' – she thought with satisfaction.

-It's nothing, Kiba. Really. I must go now, I'm having a training with Neji soon. See you tomorrow! – having said that, she hurried to the door. What she didn't realize, was that a pair of furry ears were listening to them with full attention.

After she had came back home, she started to order and sort her belongings. Training with Neji was obviously a fake. It was the first and only time in her life that she lied to Kiba, and she just started to feel remorse.

-'It's not like anything serious happened' – she tried to calm herself. – 'Besides, I didn't lie to him entirely… I just didn't tell the whole truth.'

Suddenly, she heard a very loud meowing from outside. Opening the window, she saw the cat she rescued, walking nervously on the grass.

-Kitty, what are you doing here? – she called him. Cat run in her direction and jumped directly on windowsill. He started purring and rubbing himself against Hinata's arms.

-Hinata! – she heard her father's yell. It wasn't very joyous one. Few moments later enraged Hiashi barged into her room. – what is this dirty cat doing in the manor? I told you already, didn't I - we are not running an animal shelter here! Get rid of this cat, right now!

-But, otou-san, this is…

-A summon. – ended some squeaky voice. Hinata looked down at the cat she was holding in arms, and he looked up on her.

-What? What are you talking about? A summon? Hyuugas fight by themselves! Using others during combat is greatest dishonor to a true warrior! And besides – where did you learn summoning?

-Old granny Inuzuka taught her – answered cat. Hinata's eyes went wide from astonishment. Not only was he talking - he was a born liar! – No one from Inuzuka clan can actually summon a cat, so granny Inuzuka took a chance and tried to teaching Hinata… with an apparent success! – cat rubbed against her and purred loudly.

-Hinata! Are you insane? A summon, a cat summon! And on the top of that… some… someone else's! And a cat, I am telling you! Everyone knows that cats are disloyal and mean!

-Not true, nyaa! – cat replied.

Hinata held her breath. Her father couldn't stand any opposition. Living hell would unleash any moment now!... But Hiashi only lowered his hands helplessly and was about to leave the room, when he remembered something:

-You are taking this cat with you on a mission, right?

-Yes, otou-san! – Hinata replied at once.

Cursing under his breath, Hiashi left. Something was awfully wrong. She activated her byakugan quickly… His chakra flow was altered! Someone put a genjutsu on him! But who? In the room, there was only her and…

-Oi, hime! What mission was this man talking about, nya?

He managed to jump from the arms of fainting girl in the last moment.

XXXXXX

A soft purr woke her up. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw cat's muzzle.

-Kitty? – she asked cautiously.

-Mrrrr – cat purred in response.

-Oh, what a strange dream I had… - she said sitting up, not fully realizing she was on the floor. – I was dreaming of a talking cat… and that he was my summon…

-Well, I see talking people every day, and it doesn't seem strange to me. Not even a bit. – some squeaky voice interrupted her from behind her back. She turned slowly, only to see the cat, openly staring at her with his green eyes. All of sudden, she felt lightly…

-Oh no! Nononono! – yelled the cat and put his paws on her stomach. – I know this look! Don't you go fainting on me! Not again! It will be a deadlock!

Hinata just looked at him in astonishment.

-Are you really a summon?

-Hai, hai – he replied impatiently.

-And my father really had been there and been talking with you?

-Hai, and after that you had fainted! Look, you're still sitting on the floor!

-Oh, guess you're right – she replied, not too cleverly. – But, wait a minute… Even if you really are a summon, you're not mine! I mean: this whole thing with Kiba's granny was a lie!

-Well, here begins the fun part… Get comfy, it will take some time to explain. – Cat started to wash its muzzle in nervous manner. – Um… You know, in order to summon a creature, a shinobi must sign appropriate contract. And… cat contract is in the Land of Claws. To be more precise, on the island near Land of Claws. Exactly in Cat Forest. But… I can't fetch it, not having any object from there with me. Well, I had my stone beads, of course…

Cat started to walk around in circles.

-Gambling is a bad habit, you know? Never gamble! Never ever! That's how I lost my precious possession and the only way back to the Cat Forest… I made a bet with some heron. Don't you think it was for fun! – he pointed his paw at dumbfounded Hinata. – It was a matter of honor! I was given a task to catch a hundred of tadpoles in one puddle…

-Oh, and you didn't catch them all?

-Wrong! Of course I did! But I still ended up losing the bet my beaded bracelet… You see, in this puddle, there wasn't hundred tadpoles to begin with… I had to give away my beads. Without them, it is impossible for me to go back to the Land of Claws. Not with these little paws of mine. – He ended with sorrow in his voice.

-Um, kitty-san…

-My name is Usagi – saying that, cat pricked his large ears. Now that he said it, she actually saw slight resemblance to a rabbit. – But you can call me Usa.

-Usa-chan – continued girl – how am I supposed to know you really are a summon? And that you won't do anything bad to me? – stupid question, she knew that fairly well. But seriously – was there any other reasonable way to check it?

-Oi, hime – Usagi grinned, showing all his teeth – you were lying there unconscious, right? Could there be any better moment to assassinate you?

-But… you put genjutsu on my father!

-He was violent. – Cat looked away from her, his tail waving furiously.

-I can not believe this, Usagi. You don't even seem as if you were a summon!

Cat laughed shortly and jumped on the windowsill by the previously opened window.

-See that tree? – he asked, pointing his paw in the general direction of a garden. Hinata's eyes went wide.

-What…

-Wind claw!

…and her father's favorite sakura tree was cleanly chopped down.

Now the perspective of three years mission in Suna didn't seem so bad. Everything was better than furious Hyuuga Hiashi!