Bonjour, mes amies! And how is everyone. I'm feeling... spiffy. Why? Well, I'm feeling clean I guess. I just listened to my brother leaving the house with his little friends and he went 'later, Lauren! Laters cuz!' Yuh, I coulda sworn we were brother and sister just two seconds prior. Little Freak.
So, my thankies and warm hot chocolate go to...
Moogle In Paradaisu (you always review first it seems...wow) - Zero Asakura - Ugly.Beautiful - Frozen Tempest - Depressing Truths - Hibiki-chan - Neko of Light - Exhale Vanilla Lace - Joster13 - P260even - Silver Mononoke - Gaara's Pyro RACCOON - Blood Zephyr - Sanya12 - Kimura Akira
Enjoy the virtual hot chocolate! Onwards!
Chapter Twenty Five
"Go away Mizu." Richochet said through gritted teeth, holding back her irritation as she walked back slowly to her current home, the Hyuuga Residence.
The beautiful person pouted, just annoying our worldly anti-heroine even more. "B-But your mission… Didn't you have fun? Didn't you learn any secrets? Did you learn any new techniques?"
Richochet glared at her suspiciously and shoved her away. "Why the hell do you want to know?"
Mizu shrank back and it was then the other person saw it. The drawing of her eyebrows that signalled spite before it left and a woeful, stupid look came to her face. "I just wanted to know how it went and if you were okay!"
She sniffed and ran off dramatically and several people who had witnessed scowled at the girl left behind disapprovingly.
The Kazangan wielder merely flipped them off with a middle finger, not in the mood to spit words of venom at them. Stupid idiots. What the hell did they know? She shoved her hands in her shorts pockets, a dark look on her face as she glared hatefully at the ground.
Walking off down the road and ignoring the whispers of gossip about her that she could hear with her enhanced senses, she tried not to flinch at the stares she felt on her, thinking back to what had just happened with the small blur of emotion on her 'rivals' face.
She hadn't exactly thought about Mizu as of late, since training, important people and missions had been her prominent problems in life. It was hard to juggle these things fairly without missing something. Especially when she had never done something like this before. It grated on her nerves and she seemed to have few left lately.
What she needed was a long sleep in that bed she always could return to in the Hyuuga household. She felt relieved at that thought. If there was one stability, it was that bed. At least until she got kicked out of the place, in which she would have to make sure that she had somewhere else to stay.
'I guess its time to start a new part of my life. Rokubi was my introduction into this world and now it's time for the next chapter to begin.' The lava eyed girl mused to herself as she rounded the corner to the Hyuuga's home. 'I should buy an apartment. With the money from the missions both those two big ones, which had turn A-rank bordering on S simply because of two missing nins, the other S one, and those D-rank, some of the money from Hiashi and the rest from the bandits, I should have more than enough.'
'Ne, Ne, Richochet-chaaan!' Naruto said, apparently listening to her internal conversation, as he interrupted. 'You can buy an apartment block down from me! Wouldn't Neji's face be hilarious?'
Kyuubi disagreed. 'YOU SHOULD STAY NEAR HIM. ROKUBI WOULD HAVE WANTED IT.'
Richochet leaned against the wall of the Hyuuga Estate, thinking.
'There's also the point of Hyuuga's thinking I was taking advantage off of them.' Richochet said to them and she felt agreement on their link. 'Then again, it surely must have been expected I would leave sometime? I mean…'
'Well, 'ttebayo, it's up to you.' Naruto shrugged. 'I agree with both you girls. Neji is your teacher and you haven't learnt all about Gentle Fist. What if they put that curse mark on you?!' He shouted suddenly, loud as usual.
'I don't have Byakugan.' Richochet pointed out. 'Deidara did so to prove his loyalty. I'm Seishou and not Hyuuga, anyway. They'd have to consult me first or something.' Then she shook her head, ignoring those who walked past her as she felt them with her Kazangan. 'Anyway! This whole thing was at first a mission for Neji to train me! A mission!'
'A VERY LONG MISSION.'
'And he's getting repaid by having a bitchy student, dattebayo! What a crap mission!' Naruto grinned as he mocked her.
Richochet just smirked instead of running off to find him and smack him one. 'Sucks for him then. I've been having fun.'
'Evilness.'
She chuckled lightly to her self in sadistic amusement. 'Definitely. So, should I get an apartment and leave?'
'BUY AN APARTMENT, FURNISH IT WITH YOUR HUMAN CONTRAPTIONS, AND STAY UNTIL YOU HAVE OUTWELCOMED YOUR STAY.' The Kyuubi suggested. 'OR EVEN A LARGER HOUSE AND SHARE WITH THIS BRAT.'
Richochet perked up. 'Bunk with Naruto?'
Naruto seemed surprised but willing. 'YEAH! Let's buy a house and live together! Oh, Oh! Deidara tooo!'
"I wonder…"
"Wonder what?" The voice of Hyuuga Neji replied.
Richochet stared up into white lavender eyes in surprise, having ignored the Kazangan's abilities. A small smirk then settled on her lips. "Well, sensei, you wouldn't like it. I think."
'Kissy, kissyyyy!'
Her hand twitched, clenching into a fist but then she crossed her arms over her chest before Neji saw and wondered what the hell was wrong with her. Well, more than normal anywho.
"Oh?" Neji raised a brow at her, arms crossed in patience, trying to prompt her into telling without words being spoken from him. "I wouldn't like it? Try me."
'Should I…? Should I not…?' Richochet couldn't decide. Having a temporary bit of triumph and pissiness from him or having him find she had a whole bloody house already and had been planning it for a while and having him being disappointed in her. She immediately chose the former choice but stopped as her mouth opened to spew the words.
Wait.
Why the hell would she care?
What was this feeling she had when the thought of his disappointment was worse than his anger?
'SHAME.'
Had she truly let him in that far that she'd feel shame, SHAME of all things, grip her because of her own selfishness? She'd never felt shame for anything she did because she had been truly shameless since she was young.
Naruto and Kyuubi wisely left the conversational link they had. She needed to explore her own life and emotions on her own right now. The time of back up would come later and that was when they'd step in to lend an unwanted but unwillingly accepted hand. Anyway, they had their own thoughts, wants and needs they have to get back to.
Her teacher was there to help her, at least.
Neji blinked and uncrossed his arms.
She was hesitant?
Seishou Richochet was confident in all her moves, like a well experienced chess player, always smirking at you from the other side of the board with amusement and superiority and making you grit your teeth in annoyance.
"Richochet, what's going on in that head of yours?" His voice interrupted her and she looked up at him.
He frowned very slightly.
She seemed, unsure, maybe?
Lost, even.
Gently exhaling a sigh from his mouth, he grabbed her elbow and led her away from the Hyuuga estate to go to the nearest quieter spot and she let herself be dragged wondering briefly where they were going.
Richochet decided she didn't care and left it at that.
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
The park.
It was late evening, so the sun had already set, it being the middle of February, and not many children would be out in this chilly month. There were a few birds chattering in their own song like words to each other, calm and happy, settling down to sleep.
Neji quickly found a bench and guided her to it. It unsettled him to know she didn't even argue or make sarcastic or somewhat perverted comments about him taking her wherever he pleased. A pull at him emotionally made him redden at the implications before he put his thoughts into something else.
He sat her down with a point of his finger and she slumped into it, staring at him apathetically. Settling himself next to her as she drew up her right leg to set her foot on the bench and wrap an arm around her knee, leaning on it, Neji stared at her waiting for her to begin.
There was a short silence as she looked up at the stars, figuring what to tell him first. She was heading back to the start of everything, in her mind, of what started off her problems.
The mission?
Rokubi?
Mizu?
The apartment?
Neji himself?
"Tell me." Said person cut through her thoughts. He sighed at her silence. "What the hell is wrong?"
Finally looking to him she gave an answer that was very vague, but for her it was a beginning as she wasn't too happy on being half force to tell anyone anything as she didn't want to. "Many things at once."
"Then… tell me something little first…" He said awkwardly, having next to nothing of experience in this field. "If it helps…"
Actually, it kinda did.
"I have a demon in me. Raijuu no Rokubi, was his name. A complete bastard and merciless at the beginning of our…" Richochet narrowed her eyes in thought, trying for a word but came up with nothing that suited it. "…Relationship, I suppose you could call it. He was cruel to me as I was back to him but we both found it helped in our… situation."
Now.
How to go on?
"It's hard to talk about it really since it's so… close to me that I can barely get my meaning across of how deep we were, no matter how shitty we were to each other in this connection." She despised the fact she could only basically repeat what she was saying. "I guess it truly stopped when we became allies with Kyuubi-sama and Naruto. I have a link and can speak to them anytime." The girl took a deep breath as Neji hissed.
"You idiot. Do you realise how two demons together could-"
"Rokubi's gone." She stated monotonously, looking at the stars.
That grabbed Neji's attention as he snapped his head to her, eyes searching for lies on her blank face. "What?"
"He's… gone." She bit out harshly, practically snarling at him, glaring at her knee. "It happened a few days back. I'm guessing you realised my illnesses were because of coming to this world and because of the demon in me?" Richochet sighed at his hesitant nod. "Naruto will go through it when he's fifteen, and maybe for all the other Jinchuuriki if they get the chance. And the result will be the same."
"That's… brilliant though." Neji spoke up to her, wondering why she was so solemn. "We don't have any more worries. Uzumaki-kun will be fine and won't be shunned any-"
"No." Richochet ran a hand through her hair which sparked with electricity for a brief few moments. "Uzumaki won't be fine, Neji. Just like what I'm about to tell you won't be fine either." She took in a shaky breath and clenched the bench with her shaking palms.
This was it.
Make it or break it.
Deidara had accepted it.
Hinata had accepted it.
Naruto had accepted it.
But would the person that she, admittedly to herself, cared for most accept it?
The dread of the answer was probably worse than the actual answer, she told herself.
"Three other people have accepted it. Naruto has understood what will happen to him also." Richochet took in another shaky breath and put on a resolute face as she turned to him. "Demons don't truly ever go away, Neji. Rokubi gave me a parting gift."
Neji stared back at her, a sense of knowing filling his subconscious as his conscious didn't recognise what he already knew. "What is it, Richochet? What do you to have to tell me?"
"I'm… half weasel demon half human. Rokubi died in me, giving me his power and half of his demonity, I should call it if we are humanity."
The response who she thought she would get wasn't it at all.
"…Do you want to kill everything in sight?"
What the hell…
What the hell… did that have to do with…?
She shook her head in a negative fashion.
"Then I don't care."
Richochet looked in disbelief as a sense of fury welled up in her at his uncaring attitude. She stood up abruptly and started to rant and vent at him to get rid of the red hot pins of emotion in her. "I brought all of that up, wasted seconds of my life getting worried and pissed off and scared trying to work up the nerve to say something like this and you don't even react with any great emotion?! I'm FUCKING half demoness here!"
He looked around to make sure no one heard, but as it was blank he decided there were no worries, and smirked at her in amusement. "What did you expect, stupid student of mine?"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!!" She looked away holding her hair in confusion as tears of unrepressed emotions welled up in her eyes and turned away from him. "I FUCKING WELL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M THINKING OR WHAT I WANT, ALRIGHT?!"
"You want to know why I'm calm?"
"YES!!"
"I'm not." Neji stated, knowing the time for truth was needed. He stood up and turned her around by the shoulders. It was then she felt his shaking hands. It was then she saw the look of… something on his face. It was then she saw his eyes. "I'm scared. Do you know what it's like to be told the person you feel closest to you, the closest person who had always been a, unknown to them, a source of strength and is crumbling in front of you?"
'Source of strength? Shit, it really is true… Balance…'
"Neji, I-"
"No, listen. You've had your rant." His hands gripped her shoulders tightly and she supposed it would've hurt if she were… fully human. "Let me have mine, please." That last note of slight pleading got to her and she felt… worried… at that. "You're my student; I'm supposed to look after you. You said I was your tree. That you needed my stability. I don't know why but I took that to heart, Richochet. Hell, I needed to hear that. When my father had that scroll written to me and given by my father, I lost my way."
The weasel girl wondered for a very brief split-second what the scroll said on it before listening again.
"All my anger into being the best just to spite Hiashi was worthless. I needed something. I got you."
She felt her eye twitch when he said that with a funny smirk as he looked at her.
Why that…!
The Hyuuga continued before she got violent. It was as if he has a sixth sense to her changing moods. "I got a rambunctious, blunt, prideful, stubborn, bitch of a girl that I didn't want to deal with at all."
"Charming." She replied sarcastically, feeling as though she was becoming herself once again.
"Hmph. It hasn't changed either. Your arrogant tendencies grew on me over these months. You became someone who needed my strength and could put up with me." Neji chuckled at her surprised look. "Yes, I'm aware of how I can be at times."
"A bastard." Richochet said brusquely. "And at times? You must be joking."
He glared at her.
"I'm being honest here. Shut up."
Richochet complied, knowing it best to back off.
"Meh."
He glared at her a little more before letting the tightness of the frown go. "I saw that, in the beginning of our stormy relationship, you had secrets. Well, I did too, so I didn't care. When you started to become ill again however, things started to change. I knew I'd grow to like you as a comrade at least, since being with you and teaching you would take quite the while. I didn't realise that I would depend on you to be around as a constant like you do for me. That tree analogy just made me realise it sooner."
Richochet tried to wrap her head around his words, but just couldn't find what she was looking for and it pissed her off. "Hyuuga Neji, tell me what the hell you're trying to say."
He twitched and then sighed once more, knowing who he was dealing with and how she could be. "What I realise is there are other things about you that I like on top of the obvious. There are things I see in you I don't even think you see. It's also odd that… Unlike with my team mates or even with my family, I need you. You're my best friend." He gripped her and pulled her to his chest, hugging her tightly. "I'll always accept you; I guess the bottom line here is."
She gulped as she felt his heart beat in his chest softly in her ears. Without even wanting to, her arms moved up to wrap loosely around his waist, tightening with each moment passing. Her hands gripped his back, shaking as her emotions, after years of pent up rage, sorrow, unhappiness and simply everything exploded from her head into tears that steadily dropped out as her body quaked.
Neji looked down at her in shock as she broke down, sobbing and rocking herself from side to side. Gulping in shock and surprise, he pulled her to the ground and helped to rock her.
She mumbled something like a mantra, but he couldn't pick it up until he put his ear right next to her mouth.
"I'm needed…. I'm needed… I'm needed…"
Neji frowned in disbelief.
Something like this so easily….?
The Hyuuga decided that he'd keep a closer eye on her. He wouldn't let his friend enter any situations that could damage her mentally without him anymore when he was there to help.
If a simple honest admission could do something to her like that…
Yes, Hyuuga Neji would look after his student with greater attention than he'd given to anyone or anything else.
His head snapped down when he felt her collapse and quickly checked her vital points.
He groaned in annoyance and relief.
She was just asleep from being completely drained.
Picking her up and putting her on his back so as to grip her lower thighs, since there was no way he'd let her lie in a park – it'd do more than damage his reputation, to be sure – he carried her back to his house.
A small smile spread on his lips.
It felt good to be needed like this.
Neji liked this feeling.
He frowned. He was getting somewhat clingy.
Ah well.
He'd think about that part of himself later.
The teen looked up at his household as it came into view, tightening his hold on his charge just a little bit more.
Right now, he was kind of tired.
As he walked into his house…
…Neji couldn't help but think there was something else he should have said.
Something else important.
But what?
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
Richochet blinked up blearily at the pillow from her sleeping position. She was on her stomach, looking to the right, her left arm above her head and cradling her skull in the angle of her elbow while the other held the pillow to her face and chest, her covers barely covering her waist and feet as it fell off her legs to group on the floor.
She shivered and sat up, and noticed that she was in some spare adults top that reminded her of what Neji now wore, but larger as it fell to her mid thighs. Not giving a damn how she got into it, she stood up and realised that she could feel the top right against her developing chest.
She was about to mutter how annoying it was that she didn't know what happened since yesterday, she felt a churning in her lower abdominals and groaned.
Staring at the bed, she woke up quicker than she would when she realised there was blood dripping down her leg and was on her bed.
"WHAT the HELL?!"
She immediately felt Neji's chakra stroll down the corridor in a hurried fashion and he slammed open the door.
He opened his mouth but then took everything in and paled.
'That's why she was so un-Richochet-like in the park... Oh shit.'
"Neji! What the fucks wrong with my body?! My lower body hurts!"
Neji paled even more, looking very white before reacting in the only way a guy could.
"HINATA-SAMA! COME HERE IMMEDIATELY!" He shouted at the top of his voice. "P-PLEASE!" His voice squeaked at the end a little, making Richochet wonder what the hell was going on with him.
The small purple haired female did so.
Neji went red as he pushed her in. "Tell her about the facts of life, please! I'll get some help to replace… these…" He sped out of there. His instincts were warning him to stay away for the next few instances, lest he incur the wrath of a certain half demon girl.
Hinata took in everything and made a small 'oh' as she understood. Patiently, she walked over and sat down on a chair next to her desk with all the elegance of a princess despite what was going on. "This'll be hard to believe but… Children come from the stomach of woman. Or rather a womb."
"I know that bit, but how is that connected to… this?"
Neji came back in with a maid who also took in everything with a wince and then a peculiar smile. Then she looked at Richochet's confused face and gave a deeper, motherly look to her. "First time?"
Richochet just stared at her blankly, slight confusion evident. Then she spied Neji retreating. "Wait right there mister." Neji stilled and looked over his shoulder, giving the impression of being cornered. "If I go through this, shouldn't it be taught to me, sensei? S-Stay, damnit."
Flustered, Neji - Neji was actually flustered – came back in and leaned against the wall uncomfortably.
"Come with me for a second, please."
Richochet and the maid left, some clothes in hand, and five minutes later Richochet was back in the room in her old training clothes. These were her black shorts and strap top, weights in place and baggy dark red jumper around her waist, hair a little more tamed. Not that she wasn't a tame looking person anyway, but still.
"Now, let's begin from the top…"
Somehow, Richochet felt as if someone was giving her a jail sentence.
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
In the courtyard, Neji, Richochet and Hinata were sat on the wooden flooring overlooking the tree.
It was quiet.
It was tense.
It was making Neji sweat with hidden nervousness.
Honestly, he hadn't been this edgy around any other girl when he knew unfortunately they were because of the Byakugan… but he supposed going through what he did with Richochet – A.K.A. the talk and seeing the blood - made it ten times worse since he felt apart of it.
"Hey, Neji?"
"…I'm afraid to reply but, yes?"
Hiashi walked by, intent on getting to his study to get some more work done as he overheard by accident.
"You're so lucky you have a penis."
He paused in his step, put his Byakugan on, smirked in realisation, turned it off, and walked on again.
His nephew would have to get used to his student growing up.
Sometimes, it was good to be a male.
Hopefully Neji would appreciate his gender when Richochet showed more symptoms.
Hiashi's smirk widened in sadistic amusement.
Oh the poor boy.
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
A little ways over in a dirty, ramen-cup infested room, Naruto was staring blankly at the wall, eyes wide and mouth even wider.
'So a man has a… for…'
Kyuubi was enjoying this.
'YES, KIT.'
'And a woman had these… monthly's… for…'
She was more than enjoying his plight.
'YES, KIT.'
Naruto twitched.
"…OH MY GOD, DATTEBAYOOOOOO!!"
Kyuubi roared with laughter.
"I should go see her and help her somehow!"
'NO.'
Naruto frowned in confusion. 'WHAAAT?! But Kyuu-chan!'
'NO.'
'Aww, come on, Kyuu-chan!'
'NO, KIT. YOU WILL NOT SEE HER TODAY, SHE IS LEARNING SOMETHING IMPORTANT.' Kyuubi replied, wanting to hit the brat for being so hot-headed and stubborn. 'WE WILL SEE IN THE DREAMS.'
Naruto pouted as he sat on his bed, scrolls in front of him. He had been trying to summon foxes, but when he hadn't got one completely right he had, against his pride and knowing she would mock, decided to ask the ever-brazen Richochet to help, wanting to see if she had started practising her one summon.
Then heard the conversation.
It kind of scared him how Richochet would act…
…As if she wasn't scary enough.
'SOMETIMES, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR FONDNESS FOR HER. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION HAS SHE INSULTED YOU.'
Naruto just grinned. 'It means she cares for me. Kinda like how Sasuke…' He fell into a pause. 'Like how he was before he left, but just a bit more… like me and him as a mix! He didn't speak up, but Chet-chan does on anything she wants to speak of, even if to insult me. And I argue back, so it's all good, dattebayo!'
Kyuubi pondered on that for a while. 'YOU HUMANS ARE ODD. DEMONS WOULD JUST KEEP IT TO THEMSELVES AND ONLY CONTRIBUTE COMPLIMENTS WHEN NECESSARY.'
'Yeah, well, demons can be too simple in their ways of social stuff and humans are reeeeeeealy weird.'
'HMPH. WORK ON YOUR SUMMONING.'
''
A sudden tapping at his window made him look up in confusion. A Chuunin stood there, waiting to be let in. Naruto opened his window and gave him a puzzled look. "Why're you on my window sill, dattebayo?!"
"To give you a scroll." The Chuunin rolled his eyes and tossed it to him. "Later." He bounded off back to the Hokage's tower.
Naruto glared at his back. "Arsehole."
'JUST READ IT.'
'Fine.'
His eye blurred though it quickly and all he got was 'Naruto' and 'Richochet' and 'Jiraiya' and 'Three Year Journey' before grabbing his new dark blue or orange coat, turned it inside out for the orange, shoved it on and raced out of the apartment to go and visit Tsunade-baa-san
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
Richochet was staring at the ground glumly, hating her cycle as she meditated as much as she could to get her new chakra circulatory systems working properly.
Hinata was rubbing her lower back helpfully, bird summon scroll next to her, unopened as she worked her hands into circular motions. She knew how depressing such a thing could be, having been an 'early bloomer' at ten.
Neji was just practising his Byakugan time to see how long he could keep it going when he spotted a certain blonde kid running towards them and stifled a groan.
"OI! Chet-chaaaan! We have business! We gotta see Tsunade-baa-san! Now!"
The three looked up at him.
Sighing, the other-worlder nodded and stood up. "Whatever. Let's go see that damn hag then."
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
"Glad to see you came."
'On three, yeah? One… Two… Three!'
'Now!'
"Good to see you too, Tsunade-baa-san, you pretty old hag you!!" The two chimed together with smirks on theirs faces as they waved happily at her causing her to scowl deeply and put her in a bad mood.
Jiraiya, perched on the window sill to her left, burst out into guffaws of laughter, slapping his knee in joy at the Hokage's expression of pure murder and rage.
"That was brilliant, kids!"
"WHY YOU-!! AND YOU JIRAIYA! DON'T PUSH THEM INTO THINKING SUCH THINGS ARE FINE!!!"
Jiraiya took in her evil look.
"EEEP!!"
Richochet and Naruto gave each other a thumbs up and winked with larger smirks of triumph.
"We did good, ne?"
"If I was part of it, then of course."
Naruto sweatdropped before glaring at her. Then he sighed at her smirking at him. "Richochet will be Richochet."
"We're here because Jiraiya wants to ask something of you." Tsunade said through gritted teeth, and the two looked from her to the old man with fuzzy white hair. "Take over, Jiraiya."
He slapped his knees and stood up. "I've decided to take on some more students. Namely you two. You both passed my expectations when I took you out for training. Also," he turned to Richochet. "I took your friend on a week trip too. That Mizu girl. She did far better than either of you did."
The Genin twitched.
"You've got to be kidding me." Richochet muttered in disbelief. "That thing beat me and Naruto?"
"EH?! But I've been training for years, and even Richochet has been doing gymnastics, claw blades and Taijutsu since she was a kid and then that stupid girl comes with only a few months training and beats us? What the hell, man?!" Naruto ranted like usual. "That's not right!"
Another thought occurred to Richochet as she blurred out Naruto's voice, scowling at the ground with arms crossed over her chest. Mizu seemed to be a bit too good at what she did and she seemed a bit too keen on wanting to know what was gong on in her life. It was getting pretty damn suspicious.
And Richochet hadn't been learning to be more focused like a ninja instead of an underground fighter for nothing.
Yes, Mizu was trouble.
She cursed herself for not noticing soon enough.
"Enough Naruto." Tsunade held up a hand before sing it to brush her hair back from her view. "What's done is done."
"Anyway, I want to bring you two with me to train for three years away from Konohagakure no Sato." Jiraiya finished his short monologue. "I know it might not be a big thing for you Richochet, but Naruto, I'll understand if you'd rather not."
Naruto looked up at him, still shocked hearing it despite having read it already, before staring out the window mouthing 'three years…' silently. It was hard to choose whether he wanted to or not.
"You're going Naruto." Richochet said putting a hand to her hip. "It's not that hard to choose."
"Yes it is!" He insisted, startled at her demanding tone. "I can't just leave!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya watched with frowns. Tsunade was about to yell at Richochet for speaking like that but her team put a hand to her shoulder gently making her look at him.
He shook his head and leant down to her ear. "They're closer than you think. Richochet knows what she's doing, despite how harshly she's actually handling it."
Tsunade just tightened her lips to a thin line and continued to watch.
"Yes you can. What's so hard to choose about it?"
"My friends! They'll wonder where the hell I am!"
Richochet's eyes narrowed, ignoring the fact that the statement could have meant she wasn't his friend and taking in a breath. Act mature. Act mature. Act mature. "What about your other friend? Isn't he, too, under a Sannin? Every second that goes past is one where he's learning techniques, to defeat your friends, to decimate your country, to destroy you. You want to be left behind in power? You want to be left behind in power where he could possibly come back and destroy Konoha with that snake?"
Naruto flinched and gripped his hands into fists. "If we go he could-"
"He's not that strong yet, Naruto. In war both sides need time to recuperate, to regroup. We have a bigger land, and as such, more people to defend it." Richochet commented. "And on the way we'll find rumours of his whereabouts." She hated where she was going next - the words were too flowery, deep and pretty for her. She put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around to face her. "Also…"
Naruto cocked his head to the side.
"…Do you doubt the strength of Konoha's spirit of fire? The spirit that the Third Hokage died for?"
That brought all three to stare at her.
"…N-No I…"
"Didn't you make a promise to… Sakura? Don't you wanna get strong to uphold your word? Isn't that your ninja way? Since the Naruto I know doesn't go back on his word."
Naruto gawped at her as she actually said his team mates name without insult before smiling softly.
"…Yeah…"
"Don't you wanna get strong to protect your home?"
He nodded with a grin.
Richochet felt as if she didn't need to go on, but what the hell.
A smirk crawled up her face at her next statement. "Don't you wanna protect Hinata-hime?" Her eyebrows waggled twice as he blushed red and she had to dodge a right hook as Naruto nodded. "So whatcha say? You coming with me to get strong or not?"
"YEAH!! Let's get strong, dattebayooo!"
Richochet crossed her arms and nodded once. She was satisfied.
"Good, cause if you said no I'd drag you with me anyway."
"HEY!"
"Whaaat? You wanna turn me into a liar or something?"
Naruto just huffed.
"Well, leave in two days later on at eleven PM." Jiraiya stated with two fingers up before placing the hand on his hip. "By the way, how are you with the scrolls?"
"I can summon Kamaitachi-san. The 'Boss' as he likes to be called. He's the highest summoning of weasel and he told me that Inari hadn't been summoned in quite a while." Richochet turned to Naruto as he stared at her again. "Well, it's easier than it was before…"
"My foxes are easier than my frogs but… THAT'S SO UNFAIR!" Naruto whined. "You better help me, Chet-chaaan!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were amazed at the change of scenes from inspiring to childish in ten seconds flat. The adults sighed. That's just how it was with these two.
"Yeah, yeah, you big baby. Don't expect me to bottle feed you on this trip. I'll leave that to Ero-Sennin instead."
Two males cried out passionately in protest at that.
Richochet winced at their loudness. Damnit, her eyes may suck by seeing in long distance but without colour and detail but hell if her hearing wasn't good.
"Tsunade?"
"Yeah, brat?"
Richochet looked out to the country of Konoha. "Look out for Mizu."
The Hokage seemed surprised. "I thought you didn't like her."
She put a hand to hip. "I don't. That's why I'm telling you to look out for her. I've never trusted her to do anything but screw everyone over. She may have told you what I'm like and how I'm a bitch, which honestly is mainly true, but she's been asking way too many questions too. And gaining so much power in a few months... That's not right."
So, 'way too many' and 'so much' was a bit if an overkill, but if it got the job done…
Tsunade gave her a narrowed eye suspicious look which told her she didn't exactly believe her but didn't exactly doubt either. "Right now, you seem more suspicious than her." She replied bluntly.
'She's got the Hokage wrapped around her finger already. That slippery water whore.' Richochet held back the twitch in her eye. "Whatever. I don't care either way. Your choice."
'Seriously? Not because she bugs you?'
She replied in the affirmative. 'That bitch does more than bug me. But yeah, seriously. And since you care for Konoha so much, I figured I do a favour or whatever to you.'
'Thanks…'
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
A couple days later - it was now night time at about ten in the evening - Richochet was, thankfully, over her… womanly situation… and the teacher and student where back to learning. Neji was happily back in a role of control while Richochet was trying her best to defend herself or learn what he wanted.
And right now she was learning the 'divine spin' to a greater extent.
"Now!" Neji called out as he stood watching with critical eyes and crossed arms and Richochet nodded.
A quick draw of the breath was taken in. "Hakkesho Kaiten!" She yelled out vehemently and exploded her raging chakra out of her circulatory chakra system. A huge ball of reddish gold energy surrounded her in a sphere and she forcefully made sure that the sphere stayed a sphere as she patched up the parts of the ball that chakra escaped from when she felt it weaken in parts.
The only problem was that there was far too much chakra exploding out to help her. She slowed down quickly, hands on knees and breathing deeply. "Too much chakra… to control." She fell onto her butt ignoring the fact her clothing, the same clothes she had on when taking Hanabi out along with the parka, was getting dirty. This had to have been the thirtieth time she did that this training time due to her immense chakra storage.
Neji sighed. He figured that she could go on far longer as part demon and she could, but control escaped her. Shaking his head in annoyance, he held out a hand and she gripped it as he picked her up. 'She's actually pretty… light. I'd have supposed she would have more muscle now she was demon but... everything's lithe and tone. That'll be bad for heavier opponents… Smaller targets equal more damage on the target.'
Letting go of her hand he put it to his hip. "You'll have to start tree walking and water walking exercises again. They might increase your chakra storage as well, but you'll need the control once more." He said wisely and she nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, yeah… Damn this pisses me off. You'd think it gets easier now your part demon but, no-o-o it's even worse." Richochet muttered to herself, much to Neji's amusement and consternation.
'She's not still on her time is she…?' He sure hoped not. The last time he did something wrong – apparently to her - she walloped him one and he had briefly wondered if she had taken lessons from their Hokage before realising she was a demoness on the edge and didn't need to before he went into gratifying unconsciousness.
"I'm taking a break to visit a friend." She said to him. The lava eyed girl was about to go but then paused and looked at him. "You coming?"
Neji raised a brow. 'Probably Naruto.' He shook his head. "No."
Shrugging, she accepted his answer.
"Alrighty, if his highness doesn't want to mingle with us peasants..." She smirked at his pissed off look. "Heh. Oh yeah. Rokubi wanted me to give you this. For my own safety and his own arrogance."
"Are you sure it's not the other way around?" Neji replied to her making her give a fake laugh of amusement as to which he smirked. "Well? Stop wasting my time."
Richochet dug into her pocket and took out the heart on its chain gently. "I give you this." She could see it glow white and disappearing before reappearing on his upper right bicep as a tattoo. "It's to support and endorse our relationship… or whatever the hell we're in."
"I greatly accept." He said in revelation from getting it and pulled the button out of its place and taking off the sleeve. The heart shone different colours quickly and the chain was wrapped to his elbow, seemingly going into the bone. "It looks as if I could pull it out."
She pointed at him and a look of concern came over her features. "Instinct tells me that you can pull it out. Only you can do that now I've chosen you to look after me. You can look after it. You can break it. You can kill me. Though, I'd rather you don't do anything with it unless you feel you have to." She said with a fragile sense of sarcasm.
"Why would you give me your heart?"
She jumped up to the roof and smirked down at him with an oddly kind light in her eyes.
"I couldn't think of anyone better to give it to. I feel it belongs to you, Hyuuga Neji. See ya, yeah? I'll be back to torment you soon! Try to ease up, too, and don't forget me."
Richochet dashed off.
Neji scowled as he looked down.
She says all that and just… ups and leaves?!
That was cruel!
That wasn't funny!
That was…
"Just like her."
He chuckled wistfully.
"Does she even understand the implications of giving her heart away…?"
For all his annoyance and affection…
…Neji couldn't get the sense of her saying this was actually 'adieu' off of his chest.
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
"Said all of your goodbye's?"
Richochet cocked her head. "Goodbye? Heck, I never really said 'Hello'."
Jiraiya couldn't deny that logic as he handed her the bag she had packed a day ago.
She tossed it onto her back; grimacing at the heavy weight before taking out a sealing scroll and taking the bag back off. She did a quick blood sealing of it and shoved it into her parka jacket's pocket.
"You won't regret this will you?"
Richochet looked back to the area the Hyuuga complex was in and gave it a longing look before half smirking. Turning back to the old pervert of a man, she shook her head. "I don't regret."
"You won't regret saying goodbye?"
"I don't do goodbye."
He looked at her in disappointment.
"I said see ya later. I intend to make sure its stays that way. Anyway, no one ever truly says goodbye or hello." She looked up at the sky in a pensive moment. "It's more of a 'welcome back' and 'see you soon' if you think about it." She smiled at him sadly.
Jiraiya was exceedingly surprised to see such an emotion on her face. Her words were even more surprising yet. He'd leave the positive attitude to Naruto but, it seemed everyone had their moments. Including this weasel whisker marked girl.
It was…
Peculiar.
It seemed Richochet could be quite as good at surprising as the number one knuckle headed ninja was.
Though he warned himself not to get used to it.
It wouldn't be happening on a regular timescale.
That's for sure.
"It's weird, but I think I might actually miss this place. A lot of shit has happened to me here in Konoha."
Jiraiya was about to reply but Naruto jumped down from the roof to land next to them. "Yo! Time to go, 'ttebayo!"
"Nice rhyme. We have a lyrical master on our hands, Jiraiya." You could drown in the sarcasm in that one sentence. She smirked at his adorable fox like pout. "Kidding. Let's go, un?"
"Yeah! Hey, does Deidara know we're going?" Naruto asked her.
"I left a note in the scroll that he completely missed. I think." Richochet shrugged. "I bought him an extra set of camomile and jasmine shampoo, conditioner and body lotion trio as a good bye and thanks for training me present and I left it on his front step. I saw him come out, gawp at the set, grab them and run back in to have a shower. No questioning if there was some type of poison in it or anything. Crazy bastard."
Naruto sweatdropped as Jiraiya raised a brow.
"I also let Hiashi know, so he'll tell the other three Hyuuga's for me."
The blonde nodded and spoke up. "I told Sakura and Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei."
"Well, kids, let's go."
They left, with Richochet and Naruto looking back for one last time before jumping after their new Sensei.
R¬NR¬NR¬NR¬N
Maa, Maa, they left! For me, this is a mile stone in writing the story. I feel kinda sad they left. Still, who can tell me they saw it coming? Truthfully people! You can say Yay! Nay! Kinda thought it could happen but... blah blah blah and stuff. I liked this one quite a bit too. More so than other chapters.
I like Jiraiya a bit. He's a funny character in the anime that brightens it up and is good with Naruto.
Waah... Nearly everyone reading this seems to live in the USA. Crazyness. I update as soon as I could so I could have my cheesecake! Haha G-P-R! I have the cheesecake! Raspberry flavour too!
Oh Yeah, Happy Birthday to P260even! Hope you get what you wanted! Say Happy Birthday, people!
Please review!
Ten words.
Swimming. Kino. Middle Stage. Homesick. Scared. Hyuuga Curse Mark. Dad.
R.