A/N: Hello again. Sorry about the not-hiatus hiatus. I was studying for mid-term exams. I promise a longer chapter when I next update. (Though maybe you wouldn't like a longer chapter… Hmm… No seriously. My friend tells me that they're too long)

Chapter 11: Meeting

A hand hovered over him and was about to make contact with his body when he caught it and bent it back in an unnatural angle, sleep still hazing his eyes. "Wuh?" Hiruko half mumbled half slurred at the piercing shriek of pain, before it was stifled. "Hiruko... Please... Let go," he heard a trembling voice plead. It immediately clicked in his head and he let go like he'd been burned. Yuki stood at the side of his hammock, cradling his hurt hand in his other, uninjured one, tears at the brink of falling.

He let out a strangled whimper of pain as Yumi stood at his side and softly fussed over her twin. The problem was that she let loose bursts of flames when she was worried, so it was no surprise when a lick of flame danced across the boy's arm, doing more harm than good. Yumi stepped back and lifted her hands off her brother, sparks literally flying from her fingertips.

Hiruko, on the other hand, was horrified. He'd just hurt a family member. Sure, they weren't related by blood, but everyone in the troupe was family and no one was left behind. Hurting each other was taboo. He'd acted out of instinct. Something someone... Ka... Ka... Well, it was something someone had instilled in him, ambushing him - anytime and anywhere and even in his sleep - over the years he'd been with that somebody. That didn't make sense, though. He had been in the circus his entire life. Besides, his mother was always the one to wake him, and she could handle the random, sleep-fogged attacks when she attempted to do so. Wake him, that is.

Hiruko hopped off his hammock and his feet touched the ground soundlessly. He lay a gentle hand on Yuki's wrist and diagnosed that he'd managed to snap it somehow with his sleep-fu. A warm green glow enveloped his hand and he laid it on Yuki's broken wrist, the ebony haired boy gasping as a warm, numbing feeling flooded his wrist, driving the near-unbearable pain away. The twins watched in fascination as Hiruko's brow creased in concentration, sweat beading near his hairline and sliding down across his temple. When Hiruko pulled his hand away, he stared at the appendage in fascination, as if not believing that it was actually attached to his body. "It's healed. How... How did you do that, Hiruko?" asked Yuki, his voice shaky as he gingerly tested his wrist for any sign of its former injuries.

Shock had registered on his face when he realised that his wrist was completely healed. Even the slight scorch mark Yumi had given him on his forearm had vanished without a trace. Not even a scar. Hiruko just stared at his hands with wide, slightly fearful eyes. "I... I don't know," the blond continued to stare at his hands in awe even after he found his voice. The three just stood in silence as they took in what had just happened. Even Yumi the Motor mouth was lost for words, and that normally happened when humans started being able to fly. Perhaps a certain perverted author doing research was sailing through the air right this very moment. Perverts. Somehow, everything's their fault. (No offence to perverts. I'm okay with them. After all, my sis is one.)

The tent flap swung inwards and Rushi strode in, dressed in her performance clothes. It was only then that Hiruko realised that Yuki and Yumi were in their costumes too. "Why are you three taking so long? We have to prepare for the raid," Rushi asked. This puzzled Hiruko. What on Earth was this raid supposed to be about? "What's a raid?" Hiruko asked, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "Yuki, Yumi. I asked you to explain to him," Rushi berated the twins sternly, both of whom hung their heads as if in guilt. The ringleader turned back to Hiruko, "A raid is a rite of passage in our troupe. We sneak out into the village and bring one person each to our master as proof of our loyalty and abilities."

Hiruko was about to open his mouth to object when he felt a strong sense of obligation wash over him. It was an obligation to obey Rushi without question, or rather the obligation to join them on their 'raid'. As if he'd done this all his life. Waking up in the middle of the night, going in a raid and handing the body to their master. It was intoxicating and he wanted the feeling to last forever. He was only subconsciously aware of his body ripping off his pyjamas, zipping up his shirt, slipping on his pants and throwing on his coat. The hem fluttered around his knees menacingly, the flames dancing around like a faithful guard dog. He was floating on a cloud and nothing in reality could touch him. It felt one step above heavenly as he pulled his boots on and laced them up, his fingers working deftly around the laces to pull them into a tight bow.

The four of them exited the tent to see the other members of the circus standing in a small group outside, all decked out in their costumes. They swept down the dirt path towards the village, Kino being left behind. The purple haired interrogator huffed in amusement and slinked off quietly, trailing the group in the shadows. The blank looks on the faces of the troupe members not going unnoticed to her. Hiruko padded swiftly through a tiny apartment, his feet moving silently and quickly across the boarded floors. His ears perked and caught the sound of slow, steady breathing. Turning and striding soundlessly across the floor, he inched open the door to the source of the sound.

A man was sprawled across the bed, saliva building at the corner of his mouth and forming a small viscous pool below it. Pieces of paper were strewn across a desk that was shoved against a wall. An opened ink bottle and a brush lay on the table, midnight fluid dripping off the jet black bristles. The blond picked the brush up and took careful, measured steps over to the man. His hand worked swiftly, imprinting a silencing seal across the skin of the man's throat. He sent a burst of chakra through it, bringing it to life. The heavy breathing was now muted, even to his ears. He picked the man up and effortlessly threw him over his shoulders. The man was incredibly light. Malnutrition, Hiruko guessed, glancing at the half-eaten can of baked beans on his desk. He launched himself out of the window and onto the roof.

Kino watched from the subtle shadows of an alley as the troupe met in the centre of the village. The troupe members all had captives with them, ranging from a child to an old lady and anything in between. All of them alive and struggling against their bonds or screaming into their gags, all save for the one slung across Hiruko's shoulder. The man's eyes were wide open in shock, bulging from their sockets, and his mouth was open in a silent scream. His chest heaved up and down rapidly. Hyperventilating, perhaps. His mouth closed and his eyes darted around wildly as he squirmed desperately in Hiruko's iron grip. Vibrant black lines stood out against the pallor of the captive's skin, blanched white through fear and desperation. Silencing seal.

The group then disappeared in a swirl of leaves. "Shit," Kino cursed under her breath. She ran to the spot the group had vacated and cursed again. She whipped her head around in vain, scanning the area though she knew they were long gone. 'You said there'd be no ninjas, Sandaime. Then what the hell is this?" Kino ranted in her head, using her creative juices to picture herself strangling the old man in frustration. She turned and headed back to the camp. She'd have to ask Hiruko later.

Her mind stewed with the thought of Hiruko meeting an enemy too powerful for him to fight and end up dead. The thought kept her up all night, a constant nagging at the back of her mind, harbouring the possibility that Hiruko would not return. 'Naruto, if you don't make it back alive I am going to personally go to the afterlife and kick your ass. And then I'll drag you back with me.' She didn't get a wink of sleep that night.

The troupe kneeled before their master, who greeted them with a slick, "I see you have a new member."

Rushi bowed her head and the others had followed suit.

"Come here, boy," the man beckoned. Hiruko raised his head and an amused look crept across the man's face. "Welcome to Kamikakushi," he grinned.

"Dispatch me as you please, master," Hiruko bowed reverently. The man looked even more amused and tilted the boy's head using his finger for closer inspection.

"Cute, aren't you?" he said, his finger still under the boy's chin.

Hiruko gazed blankly into the man's eyes and the finger on his chin retracted. Hiruko glanced over at the other troupe members, all of whom were still on bended knee. A sliver of black stood out against their skin, orange hues dancing across them in the pale light of the candle flames. Seals that took away memories from those that had contact with it as well as their loved ones. Another seal was overlaid each if the seals, though he couldn't identify them.

'How do I know this? I... I've been in Kamikakushi all my life, haven't I?' Hiruko shook his head to relieve it of those thoughts. They were dismissed, and the ones they'd captured were left with their master. Hiruko never spared a second thought about them. He collapsed in his hammock and instantly spiralled into a void of sleep.

Hinata was scared. Everyone she had spoken to didn't know who Naruto was. Even Iruka-sensei had acted like he didn't know him. 'W-what's going on? I-is everyone playing a prank on me?' Hinata wondered, fear starting to creep its way into her thoughts. The new school year was starting soon, and Naruto was still missing. 'Where did you go, Naruto?' Hinata thought, depressed, as she sat on a park bench thinking about Naruto's disappearance. A wind blew through the park and she relished the cool caressing of the wind, like Naruto's touch. Gentle, yet strong and cool to the touch.

A tear slid down her cheek and a sheet of paper slapped onto her face as it carried on the wind, stopping its fluttery progression through Konoha. She peeled it off her face and read the headline. It was a flyer for a circus called Kamikakushi that would be performing in the forest around Konoha that night. Directions were printed in red at the bottom of the flyer. 'One ticket per flyer' was etched in small print at the far bottom left corner and her eyes scanned through the introduction.

'Animal tamer' was circled in red with scrawled words in longhand stretching from below it. The words were unreadable to her, but it certainly seemed like someone was very keen about seeing the animal tamer. She pocketed the flyer and resolved to sneak out at night to watch the circus. A nervous sense of elation ran through her. This would be the second time sneaking out of the mansion at night, and it was just as exciting as it was before.

"Konoha? We're going to be performing in Konoha?" Hiruko asked. "Is there a problem?" Rushi asked. "No. The name just seems familiar somehow. Konoha... Konoha... The image of a tower flashed in his mind, as well as a girl with pale eyes. 'Hina-ta?' he wondered, before the image vanished. He opened his eyes. He hadn't realised he'd shut them. Rushi was staring at him with a concerned expression on her visage from her position behind the wheel. "Are you okay? You seemed really erm... lost in thought..." she said. "Yeah, I'm fine," Hiruko said, sighing as he thought about 'Hinata'.

He sat back down on the floor of the caravan as Rushi drove on, feeling the hum of the vehicle beneath him. He felt an odd sense of anticipation swell in his chest. He couldn't wait to see Konoha again. 'Again? But I've never been there before. I'm going crazy,' Hiruko rapped his forehead with the heel of his palm and shook his head to clear the cobwebs. 'Why's everything so… hazy?'

Hiruko lay his head on his mother's lap and fell between the realm of sleeping and wakefulness, the guttural purr of the engine lulling him into a hazy dream. A soft warm body pressed itself against him and he draped his arm around it. The baby deer blinked at his touch and snuggled closer before falling asleep as well. A peaceful silence fell over the occupants of the caravan as they journeyed towards Konoha.

Iruka was perplexed. Hinata constantly asked him about someone named Naruto. As far as he knew there was no such person. Something struggled to break free from the confines of his mind. Memories. The only thing the name brought up was a small blond boy, which should have been odd seeing as it should have unearthed images of maelstroms or fishcake or ramen, but it felt perfectly normal. Speaking of ramen… wasn't there a student in his class who loved the food? He had never seen any of them eating any though, so the boy might have been from another class.

He rounded the corner on the street and spotted a shop. "Ichiraku… Ramen?" Iruka mumbled. The image of the blond boy appeared in his head again and his stomach chose that moment to growl like the Sasquatch. 'And on today's lunch menu, ramen,' Iruka sighed inwardly as he made a beeline for the stand, willing his stomach to shut up at the same time.

It was after lunch break. Hinata stared anxiously at the clock, her pencil twitching between her fingers as she rotated it to work off the adrenaline. Something flew into her, glomping her from the seat behind. "What's got you so twitchy, Hinata?" a voice called out from by her ear.

"Naruto?" she exclaimed.

"Nah, sorry. It's just me, Kiba. But have you seen Naruto anywhere? I keep asking where he is and everyone keeps saying something like, 'Who?' and giving me the dopey face," Kiba frowned in annoyance.

"N-No… I-I w-was g-g-going t-to a-ask y-you t-the s-same th-thing," Hinata stumbled over her words.

"Hey, what'cha got there?" Kiba ripped the flyer from its place between the pages of her book.

"K-Kiba. G-Give th-that b-back," Hinata stuttered.

"Sorry," Kiba handed her back the flyer. "But I've got one too. Just without the markings. You must really wanna see that animal tamer huh?"

"I-It w-was th-there wh-when I-I f-found i-it,"

"Huh. Person must really love cats then. I heard the animal tamer only works with cats. Kinda like Naruto, but that's stupid. Right, Hinata?" Kiba laughed.

"I-I d-don't kn-know. M-Maybe…"

"Look, let's go together. You look like you're gonna go crazy, worrying about him. Try to take your mind off him for a while. This is Naruto we're talking about. He'll come back no matter what. He's the guy who's harder to kill than an immortal bastard (inside joke. So sorry = [ )," Kiba grinned.

"O-Okay," Hinata said, attempting a weak smile.

"Hinata! Kiba! Stop talking in class!" Iruka yelled.

Kiba crashed back into his seat and grinned broadly, "Sorry, sensei."

Iruka nodded and turned back to the board, only to be sprayed with a jet of water from a seal on the blackboard. The class roared with laughter and Hinata couldn't help but join in, feeling her spirits lift. She turned around to see Kiba grinning triumphantly and hide an ink brush in his bag.

Night couldn't have fallen sooner. There was so much to do before the show that night, and it seemed like time had a personal vendetta against them. They barely made it in time to choke down a plate of aglio olio courtesy of Kino. They hastily donned their costumes and Rushi ran to the entrance of the tent to receive the visitors. Hiruko poked his head around the flap to see that the tent was packed. The baby deer skittered at his feet as if he were its mother.

Hiruko reached down to pat its head when another two heads joined his around the tent flap. "Hey Yumi, Yuki," Hiruko greeted them.

"Mino's incredible isn't he? He got the crowd laughing the moment he appeared," Yumi said.

"Yeah…" Hiruko drifted off. His attention was focused on a pale eyed girl in the crowd and the feral looking boy next to her. They looked so familiar. 'Hinata… Kiba?' his mind supplied those two names. 'Are… are those… their names? I can't be sure. It's probably nothing,' the blond reassured himself.

"H-Hey K-Kiba, I-I t-think th-the s-seats o-over th-there a-are e-empty," the pale-eyed girl said, waving the feral boy over.

"Ok, Hinata," the feral boy shouted back over the crowd.

"That's not possible," gasped Hiruko after hearing their conversation.

"What's not possible, Hiruko-chan?" Yumi asked.

"It's nothing," Hiruko dismissed her question and fiddled nervously with the cuff of his coat sleeve. 'How did I know their names? I've never seen them before. I AM going crazy.'

Hiruko sat on a prop and distracted himself with the hem of his coat, running his fingers over the black and white flames trekking their way up the coat. It was an exquisite coat and he felt drawn in by it. The flames seemed to come to life and dance across the coat before his very eyes. He tore his eyes away from the hypnotic progression of the flames and in turn began to fiddle with the laces of his boots. He turned the metal encased tip in his fingers and felt two grooves.

He flicked it casually and nearly ripped a finger out getting his hand away from the tip. Two diminutive blades had whipped out from their roosts in the grooves and connected at the tip, their edges keen and laced with poison. 'Most likely from Chironex Fleckeri… Box jellyfish.' "How did I know that?" he wondered out loud, but he'd stopped trying to make sense of these random flashes of information. He flicked it again and the blades returned to their positions, ready to flash out, stab, poison and kill.

"Hiruko, it's your act," a voice broke through his reverie and stopped his thoughts in their tracks.

Hinata stared in disbelief as a familiar blond strode into view. He looked exactly the same, except for the clothes he wore. She was about to shout down to him when a thought stopped her. What if this was all an illusion. What if she embarrassed herself by shouting, especially with all the people around her? Just then, two monstrous beings burst through the tent flaps. She screamed and so did a lot of people. The blond at the centre walked up to them as they snarled and gnashed their teeth. They calmed as he approached, and he leapt onto one of them.

Hinata was awed by the display as the blond did acrobatics mid-air between the two cat-like creatures. She could've sworn he spoke to them a few times during the act. 'He's definitely Naruto,' she thought to herself. She felt an elbow in her side and turned to Kiba. "That's Naruto. No mistake," he said. She nodded.

Hiruko flipped in the air and his body rushed to meet the ground, head first. Gin was rushing beneath him to catch him when he noticed a small brown form tottering over to his position. His eyes widened when he realised that it was the baby deer. Gin was right in collision course with it and could accidentally crush it. His hands flew out as he neared the ground and his arms absorbed the impact. His legs latched onto Gin's muzzle and he swiped the deer into his arms, its legs flailing in protest. He brought his body up to stare above Gin's head and his eyes locked with pale ones.

"Sorry. Gin," he mumbled. The animal grunted in consent as he braced his hand against the animal's muzzle and did a one handed handstand. The deer scrambled up his body and rested on his legs, which were bent horizontally over his head. "Already the performer, aren't you," he chuckled. Yumi appeared in his peripheral vision and grinned maliciously. She held aloft a bucket of water and gave no warning before chucking it at him.

He launched the deer into the air, used Gin's muzzle as a pivot and slid under the animal's body, arriving at the end in time to catch the deer. "Aww… You're no fun," Yumi pouted. Hiruko simply bowed to the crowd.

"Well, I know this is cliché, but, break a leg. Just don't actually break one," Hiruko grinned.

"Thanks," Yumi slapped his back amicably.

Hinata simply stared at the girl. It was the last act and she was looking but not seeing. Who was that girl and why was Naruto acting as if they knew each other? Before she knew it, the act was over. The show was over, and they were filing out of the tent. "K-Kiba…" Hinata began.

"I know," the boy interrupted. "That was, without a doubt, Naruto."

"S-So… h-how d-do w-we g-get t-to h-him?" Hinata asked.

Kiba pondered for a while before planting his fist in his palm and saying, "I know. We'll sneak in and find him."

"Th-that's r-really d-dangerous, K-Kiba."

"Who cares? We're ninjas right? Let's go save Naruto." Kiba grabbed Hinata's arm and dragged her off towards the tent before she could protest.

They were hit by pitch darkness and it took their eyes a while to adjust. Footsteps assaulted their ears and they scrambled behind a cage. Heavy breathing accompanied the footsteps as well as a soft growl. They turned their heads to face two round golden eyes, not inside the cage. Hinata opened her mouth to scream but Kiba clapped a hand over her mouth. He lifted a finger to his lips and she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. The footsteps receded and they slowly backed away. The creature made no move to follow them and simply snorted before laying its head on its paws.

The two heaved a sigh of relief and took calming breaths before making their way to a room full of props and saw the girl from before turning pieces of scrap paper into beautiful origami sculptures. She picked a piece of metal up and it morphed into a blade in her hands. It left her hands and embedded itself in the wall near their heads. They drew back, breathing heavily at the close call. "OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod," Kiba whispered. "Think she saw us?"

"No, but if you don't identify yourselves I will finish what she couldn't complete," a voice whispered near their ears, teasing and playful. Cold steel touched the skin above their jugulars and they froze.

"Inuzuka Kiba," Kiba ground out.

"H-Hyuuga H-Hinata," choked Hinata, her voice barely audible.

"Hinata?" the voice whispered, and the blades clattered to the floor.

They turned around to see the animal tamer, two kunai at his feet, forgotten.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata took a step closer.

"Excuse me but, do I know you?" the blond instinctively retreated a step back, confusion written all over his face. The words were like knives to her heart.

"I-It's m-me, H-Hinata. D-Don't y-you r-remember m-me?"

A/N: Ok. That's about it. I'm so sorry it's so short. Can someone also correct me about the Chironex Fleckeri thing? I'm really not sure if it's correct or wrong or… you get the point. Well, Singapore celebrated her 47th birthday 2 days ago. I know it's a little late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE! XD Oh, and I want to do a little poll. What animal should Kushina's anima be?

1)Wolf

2)Panther

3)Hummingbird

4)Lion

5)Dingo

6)Kangaroo (got kicked by one before. Damn, they're nasty when protecting their young. xp)

7)Alligator

8)Bull

9)Hedgehog

10)Other

Please either PM me the number for what you think should be her animal or put it in a review. And if you chose 'Other' please specify what animal. Thanks! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE! And happy very very belated birthday Yu-chan. You know who you are. :3 (P.S. pls dun kill me. I noe ur nails r rly sharp n I dun wanna b on e receiving end.)