A/N- I apologize if this chapter seems a bit short compared to the last one. My first few chapters are a little uneven like that but soon they will all hit on about 10 to 12 pages each.

Disclaimer: Neither the anime Naruto nor the characters thereof are mine. However, Sorano is.

Enjoy!

Enigma

Chapter 3

The two prodigy geniuses of Konoha watched with growing irritation as their whiskered friend strolled casually towards them, not that one could tell from their carefully blank expressions, but Naruto wasn't fooled as he deliberately slowed his pace and started whistling an absent tune. He enjoyed their squirming, and they were squirming in that subtle eye twitchy I'm-not-going-to-flinch way.

"Enough with the theatrics, Naruto," Sasuke finally growled, his patience infinitely less than the Hyuuga's when it came to the fox boy.

Naruto only grinned wider. "Why, Sasuke, could it be you are seriously interested in the lovely Sorano-chan?" Oh, he was going to die for that for sure, but you only lived once.

"Spill it, Naruto." Okay, so maybe Neji's patience wasn't that much greater.

Naruto shrugged. "Well, I can tell you one thing for certain," he paused and the two men leaned imperceptibly closer, waiting for conformation of their suspicions.

Naruto grinned again. "She is one awesome cook! She made this curry chicken that was amazing! It was almost as good as ramen!"

Neji and Sasuke groaned.

"Don't tell me she didn't say a word," Sasuke grumbled.

Baby blues blinked innocently. "Well sure, she had a lot to say. Did you know that they don't have ramen in the Snow Country? No ramen! I would just die!"

"So she's from the Snow Country," Neji said.

"No, why? What gave you that idea?"

Sasuke glanced at Neji. "Can't you just interrogate her?"

It wasn't like he hadn't considered it, but…"Tsunade would have my head."

Naruto laughed. "Wow, she was right. You guys really are pathetic. Well, she said you were pathetically predictable, but still I never thought I'd see you two so riled up over a girl!"

Neji stiffened. "What do you mean predictable?"

Naruto folded his arms behind his head and grinned cheekily. "Yeah, she saw you coming a mile away. If she were anything like Sakura, I'd be her new doormat right now."

"Some genius plan," Sasuke muttered. Neji merely glared at him.

"So she didn't tell you anything," the Captain said.

"Oh, she told me a lot of things," Naruto said. "I'm just not going to tell you." Despite his cheeky grin, there was a glint in his eyes that assured his friends he was serious.

"This was a waste of time," Sasuke said.

"Not really." Naruto stared thoughtfully towards the forest. "You can be certain she's not a threat to the village."

"And we are suppose to trust your judgment?" Sasuke scoffed.

Sharp blue eyes turned on him. "I was right about you, wasn't I?"

Sasuke blinked, grunted, and glanced away. It was annoying when the idiot was right.

"Besides, if Granny Tsunade wants to convince Sorano-chan to join the ranks, she's really got her work cut out for her."

Neji frowned. "She's really against it?"

Naruto's brows furrowed. "I don't think it's that simple. I just have a feeling is all."

"Could you please be more vague?" Sasuke said.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing she did say." A foxy grin curled his lips as he rolled up his sleeve. "She said your aim was off, that you didn't intend to cut her, but that's not going to save you."

"What are you—," the avenger's words were cut off sharply with a fist.

Sorano frowned at the newspaper as she circled another ad. Work opportunities were more sparse than she anticipated, and dull. It wasn't that she was a thrill seeker, quite the opposite really. She just had a tendency to get restless, a result of her ceaseless wanderings in the last eleven years. This was only her third day in Konoha and she was hoping to find something to keep herself occupied before the wanderlust hit.

There were a number of restaurants hiring, including the one directly across from the quaint little café she was currently sitting in, but as she watched the comings and goings of the customers, she decided waiting tables was not a good idea. There was too much exposure and though she was abnormally tolerant and patient, she wasn't a people person. That really slimmed down her options.

"Ninja missions always pay well," a deep, even voice spoke above and behind her.

Sorano didn't bother to glance up. "Stalking is not an acceptable hobby," she said as she circled something about dog-walking.

"My sparing partner is currently being thrashed," Neji said as he glanced over the options she had circled.

"I'm sure he deserves it," she muttered absently.

Neji silently agreed, but decided Naruto was the better man for the job. He always did have a flare for chivalry. Plus, it would give him some time to check up on Konoha's latest enigma.

There was something about what Naruto said, or more accurately what he didn't say, that bothered him. Sorano obviously told Naruto something to convince him that one, she was not a threat to the village, and two, the possibilities of her becoming a ninja of the Leaf were very, very slim. It was the unknown reason why that kept niggling in the back of his mind. Naruto had his suspicions, that much was obvious, but he wouldn't even share that much with them, which could only mean one thing. Naruto felt she needed to be protected.

Strange. From her he could sense confidence and profound tranquility, some insecurity with people in general, but not vulnerability. Perhaps she was just better at hiding things than he anticipated, even from his all-seeing eyes.

"Is there something you need?" Sorano finally looked up at him.

He blinked his pale eyes at her. "No, why?"

The middle of her forehead creased slightly before she sighed. "Sit down and make yourself useful."

"Useful?" He took the seat across from her at the small table, concealing his amusement with well-practiced ease. She always seemed so irritated with him.

Sorano pushed the paper towards him. "Find me a job that doesn't involve pointy objects or excessive contact with people."

His lips twitched to contain a smirk. "Picky, aren't you."

"I have standards," she said with a shrug. Honestly, if the man was going to pop up wherever she went, she might as well make use of his presence, not that it was impossible to bear. He was clearly off duty, wearing a traditional fighting kimono that only served to add to his aristocratic features, and his rich, coffee brown hair that had been tied up high when they first met was now down and considerably longer than hers. Even she had to admit Hyuuga Neji was very pleasant to look at.

Oblivious to her musings, Neji glanced over the classifieds. Slim pickings. "How are your organizational skills?"

"Fair enough, why?"

"Are you fond of books?" he asked.

"Depends on the content."

He smiled faintly at that, wondering if Kakashi's favored book series would qualify. "There's an opening at the library."

Sorano snatched the paper back. "I didn't see that."

"It's not in the paper," Neji said.

"Then how…"

"My cousin helps out there when she's not at the hospital."

Sorano scowled. "You could have said something sooner."

Neji fought the urge to laugh at her disgruntled pout. "Come on. She's probably there right now."

He was having too much fun at her expense, she decided, but followed him anyway.

The library was centrally located, a large dome shaped building with books and scrolls piled half-hazard around the floor and shelves. It was warm and welcoming and Sorano could imagine spending a great deal of time there, if she didn't get eaten alive by the mountains of tomes just waiting to bury an unsuspecting passerby.

"Neji-niisan," a softly pitched voice chirped happily as a pretty young woman with the same bright eyes as the man beside her materialized from the maze of shelves.

"Hello, Hinata-sama," Neji greeted with a soft smile.

Hinata's lavender shaded eyes focused on the woman beside him and she smiled shyly. It was unusual to see her serious minded cousin in the company of a woman other than herself and those he worked with, so she couldn't help being curious. This one was slightly taller than her and had such unusual white hair. She would have felt intimidated by the penetrating blue eyes if not for the gentle smile offered her.

"I'm Sorano," she said as she bowed formally. The gesture surprised her as much as it did the Hyuuga's. Those age-old instincts should have been dead, but she knew a prestigious clan member when she saw one. It was a handy icebreaker just the same considering Neji's unveiled surprise and Hinata's blush.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Hinata said. "I've never seen you around before."

"She's new to Konoha and in need of a position," Neji said.

"Oh!" Hinata clapped her hands excitedly. "I will get Taka-san immediately!"

Sorano watched her scamper off with amusement. She had to be the cutest thing she had ever seen. "Is she always this flighty?" she asked.

"She's improved a lot over the years," Neji said. "She hardly stutters now."

"I really don't see the resemblance," she murmured and he blinked at her in bewilderment before noticing the mocking smile she was trying to suppress.

"Funny," he grunted.

"Hm." She moved way to peruse the shelves.

You are just full of surprises, aren't you, Neji mused as he watched her gracefully pick her way around precariously balanced stacks of scrolls, occasionally pausing for a closer look at a text of interest. The last thing he expected from her was a glimmer of clan etiquette. Had they been in a formal setting, he was certain she would have pulled off the exchange flawlessly. But how did she know…ah. His formal addressing of Hinata was a habit he was never able to break. Sorano sure didn't miss much, did she? So she was a woman of breeding, but she seemed to have left her family name behind her. Why? What other secrets was she harboring?

"Do you like books?" an aged voice broke the silence and Neji glanced towards the old librarian shuffling along beside Hinata.

"Better than people, sometimes," Sorano said as she to turned to smile at him. "More trustworthy, I think."

Taka-san chuckled. "That they are. Hinata-san tells me you are looking for a position. Are you a ninja?"

"Not really," she said in the vague, evasive manner Neji was becoming used to. What was 'not really' supposed to mean anyway?

"In that case, I can certainly use a dedicated hand in putting some order into this mess," he gestured wildly at the stacks of books and Hinata ducked to avoid his flailing arms.

"I'm up to the challenge," Sorano said.

"Good, good. Hinata-san, why don't you show…eh, what was your name?"

"Sorano."

"Sorano. Show Sorano-san what you've done so far."

"Hai, Taka-san."

"I will leave you to it, then," Neji said. "I have a sparring partner to revive."

"Goodbye, niisan," Hinata smiled.

He waved absently and left the two girls alone in the foyer of the library. After the doors closed, Sorano immediately turned to Hinata.

"Niisan?" she asked.

The raven-haired girl blushed. "Neji was raised by my father since his own died when he was young."

Sorano suddenly felt uneasy knowing such a personal thing about the pale-eyed Anbu Captain. "Why don't you show me what you have done so far."

"Sure," Hinata smiled.

Sorano followed her through the twists and turns of the library, filing away every bit of information she offered all while reflecting on things not entirely her business. If Hyuuga Neji was raised by Hinata's father, then his mother was no longer for this world either.

Looks like we have much in common already, she sighed mentally. And that was exactly why she hated learning intimate facts about anyone.

I decided to post my replies here because I don't trust the fanfic server (it breaks down way too often), and if the replies are at the end of the chapter, they don't interfere with reading. Besides, not everyone leaves signed reviews and I don't want to leave them out.

To my readers:

Hongse- Nice name by the way (chuckles). People tell me I'm good with OC's, but I'm always glad to hear when another reader approves of my character. I try to make them easy to identify with. You really think my writing is smoother? I personally can see a big difference between these first few chapters and those that come later because I started writing this story when I had just come out of a very long, very dry spell. Some of it doesn't meet my expectations, but then we all are perfectionists when it comes to our own writing.

And I don't pander for reviews because I understand that many people are either too tired to review (like me sometimes) or honestly don't know what to say. I'm just happy to see that people are reading and enjoying my story. That's the only reason I post anyway.

Lieutenant Laqua Quacker…- I like wacky reviews. They always make me smile. At this point, I would be feeling a bit sorry for Sasuke…

Anonymous- Thank you. I promise to make my next fanfiction an RK because I know so many enjoyed Oni and are eager for more.

Aether Rogue­- I hope I can keep everyone interested. I feel like things move a wee bit slow in the first few chapters because of introducing different characters, but there is a whole lot of meat to this story later on. I don't like to rush character relationships because it always seems so unrealistic if I do.

Vir M.- I kind of got lost on the road to life…but a handsome, silver-haired guy with an orange book showed me the way back.

Sakuya- I don't want to say exactly how many chapters are in this story, but it is longer than my other stories. However, if I finish writing an RK fanfiction (I promise to start working on it in January) I will probably start posting it while I am still posting Ryukaze. I feel bad for keeping everyone waiting for so long, but my brain often refuses to cooperate these days.

Silver Fantasy- I'm glad you like Sorano. This story originally started out very different and I had trouble making it work, but I had already fallen in love with Sorano as an OC and I refused to give up and finally she agreed to write the story herself, as my characters usually do. The thing I like the most about her is that she is very expressive, much like Naruto but in a calmer manner. You will find out in later chapters why she is like that.

xKillerxShinobix- Thank you. I hope I can keep you enthralled. I will update once a week (sometimes sooner if the spirit moves me) so you know to look for it.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story : D