Chapter Ten: On The Road Again

Mikoto stood alone at the village gate. One her back was a pack full of the things that she would need. A short sword swung from her hip.

"I'm going to leave the village for a while," Mikoto told Hiashi quietly.

Hiashi looked up.. Mikoto was standing the doorway of his office. Her dark hair was tied back in her usual braids that made her look like such a little girl. Her eyes were violet and almost seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.

Hyuga compound after the cursed seal incident. Although Hiashi had tried to stop her, he understood. She no longer felt saf. Naruto however had sprung to buy her a cot for his living room. Hiashi had to hand to the boy, he was doing his best to help Mikoto.

"What about Naruto-san?" He asked her.

"Naruto-sensei and Hinata are both going on a mission," She responded, "To find my father."

Hiashi's eyes widened briefly in surprise and then narrowed in understanding, "You want to find him first."

Mikoto didn't say anything. That was all the answer that Hiashi needed.

Hiashi stood and reached up to a shelf and pulled down a long thing box, "I was going to give you this for your birthday," He said, "But I actually realized… I don't know when your birthday is."

"December 5th," Mikoto said quietly, taking the box. She opened it and her eyes widened. Inside was a sword about the length of her arm.

"It's a chakra blade," Hiashi said, "If you can channel your wind chakra and it will cut through anything. Since you trained with one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, I assume you'll be able to get some use out of it."

She looked up at her uncle, "Thank you," She whispered.

Hiashi nodded as sat back down at his desk, "Come back alive."

Mikoto touched the hilt of her blade and gave a small smile. She began to walk.

"Wait!" A voice called.

Mikoto spun to see Naruto standing there, "Naruto-sensei," She said quietly.

"Why don't you just wait until tomorrow?" Naruto asked, "We can go find them together ya know!"

Mikoto shook her head, "I have to go myself," she said.

"Why?" Naruto asked, "Please Mimi-chan, I don't want to lose you too."

Mikoto looked at Naruto and gave him the biggest smile she could muster, "You won't! I promise."

Naruto looked at her surprised. She looked so determined and sure. She actually reminded him of… him. He smiled back, "You better not go back on your word ya know!"

Mikoto chuckled, "Of course not, because that's our Nindo!"

And she turned and jumped off into the distance.

I'm coming Papa!

Mikoto traveled quickly for the entire day, keeping her Byakugan active as she searched a wide area. She looked up, it was getting dark, she would need a place to spend the night.

She saw a village up ahead and smiled to herself. Time for one of my old cons.

As she walked through the village she looked around for a good mark. There. And older woman was fussing over two young children.

Mikoto created a desperate face and allowed tears to stream down her face. She raced to the woman, crying loudly.

"Miss! Miss!" She cried in a shaky voice.

"Oh dear," the kind woman said, "What's wrong sweet child?"

Mikoto smiled internally. This woman was the perfect mark.

"P-p-please ma'am," Mikoto stuttered, "M-my bag was stolen."

"Oh no!" The woman said, "Where are your parents child?" She asked.

"They left me in the inn for two days, their not coming back until tomorrow." Mikoto started to sob.

The woman came over to her and gently placed a hand on her head, "Is there anything I can do?"

Mikoto just continued to cry, "I don't know what I'm going to do tonight!" She sobbed, "All my money was in my bag."

"Oh dear," The woman said again, "Here," She reached into her belt, "This should cover one more night in the inn. You're parents are returning tomorrow right?"

Mikoto noded shakily and looked at the money. Now for the kicker, "I couldn't…" She said, "It's not right to take money from strangers," She started to cry harder.

"Oh sweetheart, I insist," The woman said firmly, "If I didn't help a child in need what kind of mother would I be?" The woman nodded to the two children nearby.

Mikoto shakily reached out a hand and took the money, "Oh thank you! Thank you!"

Twenty minutes later Mikoto was laying on a bed in the local inn with a grim smile on her face. She didn't like conning kind people like that, but it was always much more effective than stealing. And she usually got away with it.

She sighed, Not sure what I'll do when I'm less cute, she thought to herself, I guess I'll need a real job.

After a few days of traveling and searching Mikoto finally got a lead as she sensed a familiar chakra. But it wasn't her fathers.

I guess I'll deal with you first, she thought determinedly.

She reached into her pouch and pulled a seal and looked at the large kanji that read, "suppress."

Here I come… Uncle.