Chapter 7 (Early)
We worked throughout most of the day and by noontime I was getting tired. I had not managed to form Wings with my Chakra and we had reverted to a different sort of training. Neji would through one kunai at me, then I would block it. Then he threw two, then three. We got up to five before a flash of movement caught my eye and prevented me from blocking the last one. Luckily I ducked just in time and missed having my shoulder ripped open.
"What happened?" Neji asked as I bent to pick up the knives.
"I thought I saw…"
I looked around and spotted immediately what I had seen. I swore softly. It was Lady Tsunade, watching us from a distance. When she saw I had spotted her she ducked behind a tree.
"It's the Hokage," I explained to Neji, "she's been watching us."
"Ah. I can't believe I didn't notice…even with my Byakugan," he said, annoyed. Byakugan was Neji's Bloodline trait. It allowed him to see just about anything, including the flow of Chakra. Obviously this made it easy for him to see if someone was following him.
"You had your attention focused entirely on me, not over there. It is completely understandable," I assured him. He didn't respond and I walked over to where Lady Tsunade was hiding.
"You can come out now. We know you're there," I called to her as I approached. She came out with an embarrassed smile.
"Kakashi told me Neji was training you. I just wanted to see how it was going," she explained as Neji and I walked up to her.
"How long have you been watching us?" I asked, partially annoyed.
"Almost an hour. You're doing good…but what were you trying to do shooting Chakra out of your back?" she inquired.
"She was trying to make wings," Neji explained, "I've seen it done before. Saromi told her about it."
"Ah. I see…but you were unsuccessful?" Tsunade asked.
"Obviously," I replied coolly. She frowned slightly.
"Well, I'll let you get on with your training. I'm supposed to be doing paperwork. It's getting late so unless you want to train all night I suggest you two call it quits soon," she said as she walked away. I narrowed my eyes at her retreating back and then turned to face Neji.
"She does have a point. It is getting late," he admitted.
"Well, why can't we train all night?" I asked him. He laughed quietly.
"You've got the spirit, but not the strength, Kiko. You can't build up strength by repeatedly exhausting yourself beyond the breaking point. You need your rest, just as I do," Neji said to me.
"Right…and you've just gotten out of the hospital, too. I should have let you go home ages ago! You must be exhausted!" I exclaimed.
"Not at all. …well, maybe a little bit. But I had fun, training with you. Would you like to go to Ramen Bar?" he inquired.
"Uh, sure. I'm starved and I doubt Kakashi has cooked anything for dinner. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen him cook anything. All he ever does is read," I said, rolling my eyes, "…but he is a good teacher. The best, actually. And he's always taken care of me."
The sky was growing dark and a few stars had appeared as Neji and I reached the Ramen Bar. We walked in and who should we find there but Naruto, stuffing his face, along with Sakura and Neji's cousin Hinata. Sakura was one of Kakashi's students. She had pink hair and green eyes and I got the impression that she usually didn't do anything. She fit the 'helpless girl' stereotype perfectly.
Hinata on the other hand was silver-eyed and blue-haired. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, but she was a shy, timid person. It was public knowledge that she had a major crush on Naruto. Naruto himself seemed to be the only person who didn't know. Hinata and Neji pretty much got along, most of the time, seeing as Hinata's father was training Neji personally. Hinata was basically the heir of the Hyuuga Clan, but Neji was the prodigy.
"Hey Kiko, Hiya Neji. What're you two doing out so late?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of Ramen.
"They're here to eat, obviously," Sakura said, rolling her eyes at him.
"We've been out training all day," I explained as Neji took a seat beside Hinata. I took a seat on the other side of Neji.
"Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy, Neji?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice. Neji smiled at her.
"I'm fine. It's Kiko that's been doing all the training. All I had to do was sit there and throw kunai at her," he assured her.
"Can't put it anymore blatantly that that," I said, smiling at him.
Once we ordered our food and it had arrived we began to eat. Naruto, who was on his third bowl of ramen, insisted on talking to us.
"Man, I wish Grandma Tsunade would give us another mission to go on already. I'm bored," Naruto said. Naruto always called the Hokage 'Grandma Tsunade' because, although she didn't look it, she was actually in her fifties. Lady Tsunade used her jutsu to keep herself looking young and it worked. Not a wrinkle on her face or a bag under her eyes.
"Naruto, didn't you just come back from a mission yesterday?" I asked accusingly.
"Yeah, but that was just some stupid escort mission. I want to go on a real mission!"
"Naruto, it wasn't just some stupid escort mission. We were accompanying the daughter of a feudal lord to the Sand Village," Sakura said, annoyed.
"She was just some kid going to visit her friend. She was like 6 years old…she still had a teddy bear for cryin' out loud!" he exclaimed. I studied my ramen, avoiding eye contact with anyone for a moment. I was thinking of the fact that I still slept with my stuffed lion. What sort of Shinobi was I?
When Neji and I finished eating he walked with me back towards Kakashi's house. The lights were all out and I wondered if Kakashi was out or if he was asleep.
"I'll see you first thing in the morning, Kiko," Neji said as he waved good-bye to me.
"Sure. Thanks Neji," I said, smiling gratefully. I ducked inside before anything else could be said. I went to my room and lay down, feeling exhausted. Isamu stared at me with his little, black, beady lion eyes.
"Training with Neji is fun…it's a lot better than training by myself," I said to Isamu. Being a stuffed animal he didn't respond. I picked him up and hugged him to me, yawning sleepily. I curled myself into a ball and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, before the sun was even up, someone was knocking on my bedroom door.
"What?" I mumbled sleepily. Kakashi stuck his head in the door.
"The Hokage has summoned all the Genin and some of the Chunin to her office. You're one of the Chunin she wants," he said to me.
"Ah! The woman never speaks to me and all of a sudden she comes to watch me train and summons me to her office at-…what time is it anyway?" I demanded.
"Five o'clock," he replied.
"Five o'clock! She can't even wait until sunrise!" I groaned.
"Will you get up? Stop whining, at least you finally get to do something," Kakashi said, rolling his eyes at me.
"Fine. I'll be out in a minute," I grumbled. He left, shutting the door behind him. I got up reluctantly, leaving Isamu on the bed as I got dressed.
"I am right, though. Tsunade's never paid any attention to me before. I wonder what's changed…" I said to Isamu.
On my way to the Hokage's office a few minutes later I met up with Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and a bunch of other Genin. Among the Chunin chosen was, to my delight, Neji.
"This was earlier than I expected," he said with a faint smile as I walked up to him.
"Yeah. Do you have any idea what's going on?" I inquired.
"Something to do with an intruder. That's all I know," he replied with a shrug. Shikamaru, who was also a Chunin, was walking along beside Neji. He looked as depressed as ever.
"Man this is such a drag. Why couldn't this have waited until later?" Shikamaru groaned.
"you think everything is a drag, Shika…but in this case I agree with you completely. This is such a drag," I said, smiling faintly.
"Are you kidding? This is gonna be great," Naruto said, running to catch up with us, "I bet Grandma Tsunade's got some big, Top Secret mission for us to go on."
"All of us?" Shikamaru said skeptically.
"Naruto how can you possibly have this much energy so early in the morning?" Sakura whined, "The sun isn't even up yet!"
As much as I disliked Sakura for her lack of contribution to anything, I had to agree. The horizon was just starting to turn faintly pink.
