Chapter two - Reaction.

Her father paused. He didn't actually know what to think, so he wouldn't give an outward reaction to his little girls' exclamation until he thought it through.

Her mother however wasn't so levelheaded. "WHAT!?"

Innocently, Sakura turned in her fathers arms to look at her mother, who was standing next to Kizashi and a bit behind him, with a wide smile while finding it very hard to contain her happiness, "I want to be a ninja! I will be strong so those bullies would stop hurting me! And Neji-kun offered to train me! And you guys won't have to fight anymore! It's perfect! I ..."

"NO!"

Everything went silent for a few moments. Sakura stayed very still in her fathers arms, her eyes and mouth were wide open from shock. Of course she had every right to be shocked, sure she had heard her mother yell thousands of times before, but not at her. Never at her.

"I will NOT allow my daughter to become a ruthless, heartless killer!"

She went to stand in front of her husband and tried to snatch Sakura away from her father, but he refused seeing the horror in his daughters' eyes and the way she scooted more into his embrace. So Mebuki settled for turning Sakura around to face her crouched form, while still inside her fathers embrace.

"Listen to me young lady! You are NOT going to be a ninja! You are going to be a lady when you grow up and marry one nobleman! You hear me?!"

Sakura didn't know what to do. What could a four-year-old little girl do when her mother started yelling at her -"Like a crazy banshee, no less!"-. She wasn't expecting this reaction to her dream!

"Mebuki, calm down!"

"No! I won't let this happen Kizashi!"

Sighing he turned his head to look at Sakura, "Honey, go to your room, get ready for bed and wait for me till I come. Okay?"

Sakura nodded, and dashed to her room, happy to be away from her mother.

She entered her room, closed the door and went to her bathroom to get ready for bed. While brushing her teeth, she heard both her parents talking (screaming) and she tuned them out.

Climbing into bed, she waited for her father.

...

When Kizashi entered his daughters room, her found her sitting up in bed, nodding off. Smiling, he approached her and lifted her up and sat down on her bed, with her in his lap. Sakura was now looking up at her dad with wide emerald eyes, so much like his own.

"Mind if I crash in here for the night? Your mother kicked me out of our room."

Sakura giggled at her fathers fake distressed expression. Her father always had a way of easing the tension.

After a few minutes of silence Sakura spoke up, "Outo-san?"

"Hm?"

"Did I make it worse?"

"No, cupcake. Your mother just doesn't like ninjas."

Scrunching her eyebrows, she asked, "Then how did she like you, Outo-san?"

Smiling softly at her innocence, he told her about how he saved her mother on one of the trips she had with her parents, when they were attacked by rouge Shinobi, and he, and his team, happened to be on their way back from a mission. But what he didn't tell her was that Mebuki had both her parents killed on that incident, and that they attacked them because her brother was a ninja that interrupted a mission of theirs, and killed a comrade of theirs. So they were after revenge from her brother, but he has already died on another attack. He felt sorry for her. They had stumbled upon her crying over her parents' body's and one of the rouges was about to kill her when they stepped in. After everything, she was exhausted, and fainted. He took her to the hospital and stayed by her side till she got better.

"Then why does she hate ninjas if you saved her?"

Then she jumped up on the bed and declared, "I want to do that, too! I want to save people and be strong! Oooooh, Tou-san! You were like a prince! And Kaa-san was like a princess!"

Kizashi laughed at the poses Sakura made while talking. He let her rant on tuning her out a bit to focus on the person listening in on the conversation. He hoped Mebuki would come around. He really didn't want to stand in the way of what his daughter wants. Which is what he tried telling his wife hundreds of times, but she won't listen.

"... And I will train with Neji-kun every day! .."

At this Kizashi tuned back into the conversation, frowning he cut her off by saying, "And who exactly is this 'Neji-kun' you've been talking about?"

Somehow, he knew would recognize this person. He heard of that name, but just can't put his finger on it.

"I met him today! He was training! And crying!" She frowned. "His father was killed. Something about 'clan politics' or whatever."

'A clan kid? And he offered to train her? Must be one of the lower clans then.'

"He has white eyes!"

"What?"

"He has white eyes! And long brown hair! It's soooo pretty Outo-san! He said he's a Hyuuga!"

Everything seemed to click in Kizashi's head. He smiled. Now, he honestly couldn't say that he saw this coming.

"Sakura."

She paused. Her father never called her by her name. He always used some kind of nickname. So she knew what he was about to say was important.

"I would like to meet your friend. Maybe you could ask him to come to dinner tomorrow?"

Sakura beamed at him. "Of course, Tou-san!"

After that, things settled down a bit, and Sakura curled on her fathers chest and fell asleep. 'Just like a small kitten.' Mused Kizashi.

...

The birds were chirping, the morning sun was on her face, and she could smell her fathers breakfast from her room. Smiling, Sakura sat up and stretched in bed before lazily opening her eyes. She was so happy! She was going to tran with Neji today! She should get ready! Her happiness was building up and she was about to squeal and start happy dancing when all of a sudden all the sounds and sensations came to a screeching halt.

She furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. 'We didn't agree on a time or place to meet!'

'Nice one, smarty pants!'

Ignoring her Inners' snickering, she dashed down to the kitchen.

"Tou-san! Tou-san!" She called from the top of the stars as she dashed down the stairs.

'Well,' Kizashi mused 'I was waiting for her to come eat breakfast with me.'

Before he had the chance to put down his newspaper, Sakura stepped on his feet and yanked it down, causing her father to look at her in alarm for the weird behavior.

"Tou-san!"

"Yes, princess?"

"Me and Neji didn't agree on a place or time to meet today! We just said that we would start today! What hour should I go?! Where should I go?! What if he goes somewhere else!? Or to the same place but a different time!?"

Kizashi couldn't contain himself, he had to let his laughter out, but he didn't want to hurt Sakura's feelings. So he settled for raising the newspaper again, to hide his face from his princess till he regained his composure.

All attempts at smothering his laughter went out the window when she yanked the paper down again and cried, "Tou-san! This is serious!"

At her fathers rumbling laugh, she felt hurt. She had a problem! And all he could do was laugh at her! Tears started gathering in her eyes.

When Kizashi noticed his daughters huge green eyes start to water, and were looking up at him with an accusing look, he held in his laughter but couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face as he put the newspaper aside and gathered his little girl in his arms resting her on his lap.

"Don't cry Sakura-chan! I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist! You are so adorable!"

Scrunching her nose she turned her head away from him and said, "I want to be a ninja! I'm supposed to be intimidating! Not 'adorable'!"

"Aaah, but you're still daddy's little princess! And you'll always be cute and adorable to me!" He said, grinning.

Sakura huffed and tried, unsuccessfully, to cover her smile. Kizashi carried her to the kitchen table and began feeding her while giving her the answer to her problem. "How about you go where you saw him yesterday at the same time? Hm? I'm sure he will realize the same problem and come to the same conclusion." He smiled softly at his daughters wide smile while her fed her.

"Great! Then I should be getting ready soon!"

She jumped off the chair and hurried to her room to get ready for the day. Half way up the stairs her father called out to her.

"Yes, Tou-san?"

"What are you planning to do after you come back from training everyday?"

"I'll be training all day everyday with Neji-kun! So I'll come back eat and sleep! Why?"

"Ouch, Sakura-chan! That hurt!"

At her, cute, confused face he elaborated, "You only want Neji-kun to train you? And here I thought that I was gonna train you, too!"

Her whole face lit up, "Really, Tou-san? You want to train me? When? Where?" And she began jumping up and down again.

Laughing, he put his hand on her head to stop her jumping, and crouched down to her level. "How about you two train on your own till noon, then come back here for lunch and I'll help you two train after that?" He asked with a gentle smile.

Looking up at her father with wide eyes, she asked, "Neji-kun, too?"

Keeping the smile on his face he nodded, "Yes, Neji-kun, too."

She started squealing and jumping up and down thanking him while trying to rush to her room.

"Oh, and Sakura-Chan! Don't wear a dress! It's not suitable for training!" He yelled after her.

"I know Tou-san!" She answered, not even minding that her father was underestimating her intelligence. She was just so happy! She got her first friend! And her dad was willing to train them both!

She went to the bathroom and took a shower. While dressing, she remembered something. She hadn't seen her mother! Dressing quickly into black pants and an emerald green T-shirt, she went over to her parents bedroom door and knocked quietly on the door.

Sakura wasn't stupid. She knew her mother hadn't agreed to her becoming a ninja, but she didn't want their relationship to go downhill because of this.

She was brought out of her musings when her mother opened the door and stared at her with puffy red eyes. Her blonde hair was disheveled, her nose red and she was wearing a soft pink robe. No matter how much Sakura saw her mother, she always thought that she was the most beautiful woman she has ever seen.

"Good morning, Okaa-san." She said politly, still wary about her mothers reaction the day before.

She was pleasantly surprised when her mother went on her knees in front of her and hugged Sakura tightly.

"You really want this, don't you?"

"Yes, Kaa-san."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then." Pulling back she looked straight into her daughters eyes, sternly telling her, "Listen, Sakura. Under no circumstance am I ever going to agree with this." Sakura lowered her head, but her mother hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head, "However, I will not stand in the way of something you want. Just ... " And here she faltered and her voice cracked. "Just be careful, honey."

Her mother had tears at the corners of her eyes as she hugged her. And she nodded vigorously and said, "I promise! I'll be careful, Kaa-san!"

Satisfied, her mother let go of her and stood up to look at her husband, that was leaning on the wall at the top of the staircase, watching them with a gentle smile.

Her mother scowled at him and said, "If anything, and I mean it Kizashi, anything, happens to my baby, I'm blaming you! And don't you think that you are off the hook! You're still going to sleep on the couch! For a week!"

By now Mebuki was going downstairs, and didn't see the playful wink that Kizashi shot his daughter as he carried her, but she did hear Sakura giggle. So she abruptly turned and pointed a finger in his face.

"And if I ever find out that you snuck in Sakura's room for the night, You'll be doing the dishes for a month! You hear me?!"

It was funny how her father crossed his eyes to look at his wife's finger. Then he smiled and kissed it. When she blushed he grinned like an idiot and said, "Loud and clear, honey. Loud and clear."

She huffed and turned, but not before Kizashi caught the smile that was blooming on her face. He put Sakura down and said, "You should be going now honey, and don't forget to tell your friend that we are expecting him for lunch, training and dinner."

"Hai, Tou-san!" And then she was skipping out of the door.

Smiling, he felt his wife hug him and rest her head on his back. "I'm scared." She whispered.

"Me, too, Mebuki. That's why I want to train her."

She snorted.

"What? I'm still alive, aren't I? That's good enough evidence of how skilled a ninja I am!"

Walking to the kitchen with her husband following after her, she said, "Well, you could start using your 'skills as a ninja' to clean up after your mess."

Rolling his eyes, he complied with her wish (demand).

...

"Neji-kun!"

Neji stopped in the middle of his Taijutsu practice, to look at the pink haired girl running towards him. She stopped a few inches away from him, almost entering his personal bubble, and started trying to catch her breath.

Neji frowned. From what Sakura told him, she doesn't live that far away from this clearing, and if she got tired from running that distance she sure has a problem with her stamina. He filed away that information for their training and focused on the girl infont of him as she raised her head, grinning at him.

"Guess what!"

"What?"

She deadpanned at the coldness on his face and in his voice. She's going to have to work on having him drop them around her completely.

Sighing, she told him about what had happened the day before and that morning, in lesser detail, of course. When she finished, she started giggling at the shocked look on his face.

"Your father really said that?"

"Yes!" Exclaimed an excited Sakura.

Her father wanted to train them both. But why? He could just train his daughter without having to worry about him. Why would he do such a thing? Did he find out that he was an orphan and wanted to trick him so he could get his hands on the Byakugan?

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Sakura's finger rubbing the crease between his eyebrows.

"Don't frown Neji-kun! You'll get wrinkles!"

He scowled. "I'm a Hyuuga! We don't get wrinkles!"

Sakura just giggled softly at him. Then she said, "Can we start training now?"

He sighed. It looks like he was going to comply with her fathers wish, if only to see what it is exactly that he wanted. But for now, he has to begin building up Sakura's stamina.

...

A/N: Well, that certainly was long! Anyhow, I've already started on the third chapter, which is going to be about Kizashi and Neji meeting. There is a little twist and a reason why Kizashi wants to meet Neji, it's not random, and it's more than a father wanting to meet his daughters guy-friend.

And I apologize for any mistakes. My first language isn't English

Tell me what you guys think about this and if you guys have any suggestions I'm all ears

Ja! Zee