SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY! T_T But me and my sister got into a huge fight on Tuesday, and 13-year-old little sis called our mom like a little 5-year-old. So we got busted and the computer was confiscated. But I'm back! I really hope you like this chapter. And if anyone has any ideas they might want to share with me to put in this story, message me and let me know!

Chapter Four:

~Tsuki's POV

It's been a few weeks since I've joined Guy-Sensei's team. I'm getting along with them just fine, even though they never hear me actually speak. Tenten's seemed to learn a system, and she can tell exactly what I'm thinking. I'll admit, we spend a lot of time hanging out when we're not training or on silly Genin missions. Tenten, I suppose you could say, has become my best friend.

Lee would spar with me every chance he got. He came close to beating me quite a few times, but I worked past it and defeated him in the end.

Neji had introduced me to his younger cousins, sisters Hinata and Hinabi. Hinata was a Genin as well. She was nice, and she'd talk to me about things that she's been learning amongst her team.

I became familiar with the village again since six years ago. Grandpa Sarutobi would call for me every once in a while to see how well I'm doing. I met his grandson, Konohamaru. The kid was a free spirit, I'll give him that.

Our team was getting stronger and stronger with every training session. They even told me their daily goal they've had since they first became a team a year ago. "Stronger than we were yesterday." It's a nice goal to reach.

Our team was done with our training session for the day, so Guy-Sensei gave us the rest of the day off. Neji and I were walking back to the Hyuga estate.

I slowed down to fix the bow in my hair a bit. On behalf of my own account, I ran into somebody's arm. I turned to see the person looking right back at me.

He was wearing a black suit and had purple markings on his face, along with a wrapped up thing on his back, a weapon I assume. I took a look at his headband.

'Sand Village?' I thought curiously.

Nonetheless, I bowed my apology and turned to catch up with Neji. But someone caught my arm in a tight grip. I turned my head to see the same boy.

My gaze turned into a glare as I flexed my arm muscles to force my arm out of his hold. But his physical strength out-matched mine.

"I don't think that's a proper apology," the boy sneered.

"Just leave her be," a blonde girl said behind him. "At least she apologized at all."

"I want a real apology," the boy said again.

My glare hardened. I want to gain my voice back and speak, but not for this rude shinobi.

I tried to pull my arm out of his hand again. He chuckled with satisfaction when he realized I couldn't.

"All you have to do is say 'sorry,'" he said.

Suddenly, another hand grabbed his wrist and pried it off my arm.

"Unfortunately, she is unable to speak," Neji told him with a scowl. "You're lucky she bothered to apologize to begin with due to your behavior."

The boy just scoffed and walked off with the blonde girl.

"Try to be more careful, Tsuki," Neji told me. "With the Chuunin Exams approaching, shinobi from all the different lands will be arriving within the next few days."

As Neji started to walk ahead once again, I thought maybe it was time I tried to speak once again.

"...Th-Thank..."

Neji stopped and looked back at me with surprise. "Are you trying to speak?"

"...Thank...you."

~Neji's POV

"...Thank...you."

Tsuki spoke. After six years of trauma, she finally spoke out loud. I'd have to report this to Guy as soon as possible.

But her voice was different than I'd imagine it to be. Judging by her looks and behavior, I'd assume Tsuki would have a voice like Hinata's. But I was wrong. Tsuki's voice sounded grown-up with wisdom.

"You're welcome," I said, after my moment of surprise.

~Tsuki's POV

That was the first I've spoken in six years. I couldn't believe it. I was opening up finally.

The way Neji helped me just a few moments ago made me feel like the safest person in the world. Even if it was just a thug who threatened me.

"You're welcome," he said after a moment. He was probably shocked of me speaking.

"I've just remembered that I have to meet with Guy for a brief meeting," Neji said. "Try to be back at the estate before long."

I nodded my reply this time as he left. I decided to walk around a bit before evening. It was only late afternoon anyway.

I walked the streets of Konoha, enjoying the happiness of the people. I did nothing else for about thirty minutes.

"Tsuki?"

I turned around. A raven-haired boy was staring at me questionably and curiously.

"It really is you, huh, Tsuki-nee?" he said.

I nodded.

"You remember me, don't you?"

I definitely knew him. Sasuke Uchiha. He was Taiyou's best friend. Of course he didn't hang around her as much after his brother killed off the entire Uchiha Clan. A year before my clan was attacked.

"I heard you were back in the village from my sensei," Sasuke said. "You're mute now, right?"

I waved my hand sideways as if to say "Sort of."

"They don't...know where Taiyou is yet, do they?"

I shook my head sadly. Sasuke sighed defeatedly. I walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. It was then I realized he was about my height, even though I was a year older than him.

I motioned for us to take a walk for a bit, and he began telling me about his training and his teammates. He doesn't seem to like either one of them, and I find it amusing. He talked about these things until we heard shouts coming from over the fence we were standing by. We hid in a tree overlooking the area and watched the scene.

"Konohamaru!"

The black-suited boy and blonde girl I ran into earlier were there. The boy was choking poor Konohamaru, lifting him off the ground. Two children around Konohamaru's age were practically in tears out of fear for their friend. A blonde boy and pink-haired girl were there as well.

"Tch, of course they'd be the ones to start something like this," Sasuke muttered.

'That must be Naruto and Sakura, the two from Sasuke's team,' I thought, recalling what Sasuke had told me.

"So, does this hurt, punk?" the Sand boy taunted.

Konohamaru was struggling to pry the boy's hand off.

"Put him down, Kankuro," the Sand girl huffed, "or you know you'll pay for it later."

"Hey, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized, "the whole thing was my fault."

"You better take your hands off him right now!" Naruto shouted.

"We got a few minutes before he gets here," Kankuro said, straining to contain obvious laughter. "Let's mess with these punks, huh?"

Konohamaru started kicking Kankuro, but it did him little good. "Let go of me you jerk!"

"You're fiesty," Kankuro commented, "but not for long."

Kakuro seemed to tighten his grip on Konohamaru.

Naruto was about to lose it, I could tell. He charged at Kankuro the next second.

"Put him down!"

Kankuro opened his eyes in a flash. He made a strange hand motion using his left hand. All of the sudden, Naruto tripped backwards, landing on his back.

"What the? What was that?" the blonde boy questioned, completely oblivious.

Sasuke and I glanced at each other, knowing exactly what happened. We turned back to the scene that was happening.

"You're a Leaf Genin too?" Kankuro mocked. "Looks like your village is full of wimps."

I gritted my teeth, ready to go in and take Konohamaru from this Sand nin. But Sasuke read my mind and put a hand out in front of me. I looked at him curiously. He lifted a few rocks in his hand, and I understood what he was waiting for.

Instead of trying to do anything to help Konohamaru, Naruto and the two children called out Konohamaru's name. Kankuro tightened his grip more.

"Hey!" Konohamaru shouted in protest. "Cut it out! That hurts!"

Naruto jumped to his feet. "That's it! Drop him now or I take you apart! You got that, fool?"

Sakura came up behind Naruto and put him in a headlock. "You're the fool! Making threats isn't going to help, Naruto!"

"And that is?" Sasuke muttered sarcastically.

Kankuro observed them for a second longer. "You're annoying. All of you. I don't like runts or scrawny weaklings. So when a wimp like this starts shooting off his mouth," he lifted Konohamaru an inch higher, "I just wanna break him in half."

Naruto and Sakura seemed shocked with a bit of fear. Konohamaru's friends were crying.

The Sand girl sighed. "Fine. I'm not involved in any of this, okay?"

"First," Kankuro said, "I'll take care of this little squirt, then I'll waste the other one!"

Kankuro lifted his fist, ready to throw a punch at Konohamaru. Naruto went to charge once again.

Sasukr threw one of the rocks, and at lightning speed I jumped and caught Konohamaru before he hit the ground. I was standing on the opposite fence with perfect balance, Konohamaru in my arms.

Konohamaru looked up at me and smiled excitedly. "Tsuki-nee-chan!"

Sasuke was sitting casually in the tree on the other side, throwing another rock up and down in his hand.

My head was turned a bit. I glared at Kankuro with narrowed eyes for a second time that day.

Kankuro was seething towards Sasuke.

"You're a long way from home," Sasuke said. "And you're way out of your league."

"SASUKE!3" Sakura shouted in glee.

I sighed inwardly. I leaned down and set Konohamaru on the ground. I crouched on the fence and pushed off, performing a backflip to the opposite fence. I stood on top while Sasuke remained in the tree behind me.

"Well, well, if it isn't the mute elf," Kankuro snickered. "Your boyfriend isn't here to help you this time."

"If it comes to her needing help to kick your ass, I'll be the one helping her," Sasuke scoffed. He crushed the rock in his hand to dust and let it drop bit by bit. "Get lost."

The others were having their own silly conversations on the side. Sasuke and I were focused on the Sand nin.

"Hey, punk and punkette, get down here." Sasuke and I simply glared at Kankuro. "You two are the kind of pesky little snots I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up."

He untied whatever weapon he had hanging on his back and set it on the ground.

"What, are you gonna use the Crow for this?" the blonde girl asked in disbelief.

Kankuro didn't answer. I crouched on the fence, ready to leap into a fight if needed.

"Kankuro, back off."

I started and looked to my right. A young boy with red hair was standing on a tree branch upside down opposite Sasuke. Sasuke seemed just as surprised.

"You're an embarassment to our village," the red-haired boy said.

'He's from the Sand as well.'

"Uh, hey, Gaara," Kankuro greeted uneasily.

Gaara glanced at me Sasuke and I. I took a close look into his eyes.

'His eyes are colder than anyone else's I've seen before. And the way Kankuro reacted to seeing this boy...There's something about this boy to fear.'

Now the question is, how do I pass this knowledge on to my teammates when I still can't speak fluently?

I hope it isn't a boring chapter. So Tsuki talked! Even if it was a little word or two. But she's getting there. :) Tune in next week!