Children of Sorrowful Fate
AN: Naruto is not mine, though the second generation herein are. And those last two chapters were doozies, weren't they. I was in tears as I wrote them.
Training Fire
Weeks after the sand nin had returned to Suna, Hitori looked down the humongous cliff, "Are you sure?"
"It's how your dad learned it," Konohamaru crossed his arms, "The Hokage said you could go if you can summon the boss toad and he demands it. This is where your dad managed it. Jirayia-sannin threw him off from here."
"You're not going to throw her are you?" Chozo asked with wide eyes.
"Hitori, this isn't a good idea," Shiro added, "There's another way, I'm certain of it."
She chewed her lip and nodded, and the group started to walk back.
"That's a relief," Konohamaru started to say, "Have to say I would..."
She suddenly turned around and ran back, leaping off the cliff.
"Hitori!" the men shouted as they ran after her, stopping at the edge, and flattening themselves to watch.
Alright Kyubbi... give me that power... her pale blue eyes narrowed as she bit her thumb and performed the jutsu, concentrating all the chakra she could muster into the seals, including the new well that had came with the rest of the fox.
She slammed her hand down and a large explosion of smoke appeared.
Above her she heard cheering as she landed on the snout of a giant toad, who took out his pipe and narrowed his eyes at her.
"Took you long enough." he said.
She grinned, placing her hands on her hips, "Well... whaddya say? Do I pass?"
"Grandpa's not giving me much of a choice. We've all been looking forward to meeting you," Gamabunta sighed, "But you still have to pass a test before I consider you for the sage training. I don't care how much he wants to train you."
She rolled up the sleeves to her robes, "Bring it on."
He looked to the sky, "If you can manage to stay on my head until sunset, I'll go right then to the Hokage and demand that you to come back to Myobokuzan. If you fall... then no training, and you're on your own for when the four years are up."
She nodded, and with that, the test began.
With five minutes left until sunset, the entire village had gathered to see the results.
"Can you see her?" Shikamaru asked Neji, who had activated the bykugaun and was watching the toad's back.
"She's scrambling, but she's still on. Her chakra and physical strength are almost depleted though," the Hyuuga said with a great deal of concern in his voice, "She's stubborn. You're going to have to send her."
"I had hoped that she wouldn't be able to summon him so early," the Hokage said wearily, "I suppose I couldn't have kept her in the village and safe no matter what I said."
Neji didn't say anything, but a small smile washed across her face.
On Gamabunta's back, Hitori had summoned chakra to her feet, "Is that all you have?" she asked, panting heavily, but still standing, she looked toward the sun. Less than a minute now.
The chief toad didn't answer, instead directed all of his strength into bucking wildly one last time as he leaped through the air.
The villagers below gasped. The sun set, and they all stared expectantly at the toad, waiting for the results of the test.
He walked over to the balcony where the Hokage and Neji were standing.
"Honorable Hokage of Konohagakure," Gamabunta started, "I demand the services of one of your shinobi for special training at Myobokuzan."
Shikamaru's eye twitched, but he reminded himself that he himself had ordered the pomp and circumstance of this test, "And which of my valuable shinobi do you require?"
"This girl still standing on my back, Uzumaki Hitori."
Neji was the only one who heard the muttered "Troublesome" as the crowd below cheered, and he stepped in the conversation, "How long will this training take, and when will she part?"
"We'll summon her tomorrow morning at sunrise," Gamabunta eyed the Hyuuga, "And there's no telling when, if ever, she'll be able to return."
He nodded sadly at that, "Hitori. Choji's been cooking up a storm ever since his son came with the news of this test. You missed the last banquet, it would be bad manners to miss this one."
She climbed over the toad's head, and jumped down to her Uncle's arms, "Let me take a shower first, and then I'll head right on over."
He set her down gently and as she walked away, he began to wonder just when it was that she stopped being the scabbed knee girl that he knew so well. He looked back up to Gamabunta, "Take care of her when she's up there."
The giant toad nodded and puffed back to the mountain whence he came. Shikamaru sighed, "I don't remember doing all this when Naruto left," he grumbled.
"You're the one who wanted to have more respect for the office." Neji reminded him as he walked away.
Hitori was carrying her pack, with Chi on her shoulder as she headed to the gates, "Bye..." she whispered to the home she had lived in with Neji.
"Wait," a voice said, and she turned, not recognizing it. Standing behind her was Megami, looking less like the proud Hyuuga heir, and more like...
Well, she looked more humble than she had been at least. It was a start.
"Uzumaki... I don't think I ever really liked you... but..." the girl wrung her hands, "But you were never really that bad, you stood up for your friends and then for people that weren't really your friends. Even in that fight with me... you didn't really want to fight me did you? But because you don't like hurting others." She bit her lip, "A lot of things have happened since then... and I... I want to say I'm sorry."
Hitori grinned, "Megami, whatever for? I don't hold anything against you."
"Just like that?" the girl's eyes were wide, "But I almost killed you!"
"So, what will me hating you for it do?" she held up a finger, "If anything, you'll find it easier to get along with Jin and Lian now, because you got all your anger out. Jin'll be tough, because he's one of those who picks on the ones closest to him, but Lian will forgive you first. And once you've made one friend, it'll be easy to make another and another. So get to it."
Megami stared at her for a long moment, before nodding, "What about you? Do you consider us friends?"
"Sure!" Hitori gave her a thumbs up, "So I'm your first!"
A genuine smile came to the heir's lips then, "Thank you!" she said as she ran off.
The girl watched her cousin run off and was lifted in a great hug, "I'm proud of you," Neji said quietly, "Be safe."
She closed her eyes, as she hugged him back, "Take care of yourself Uncle... I'm going to miss you."
He placed his hands on her shoulders, "You too little bird," he smiled, "Don't be like your father and push yourself too hard."
"I'm going to have to Uncle. Remember, I'm the one carrying on his will." he moved his hands and she adjusted her backpack, "If you get any missions to Suna, make sure to tell Taran that I never take it off... not even during heavy training."
He raised an eyebrow, "It?"
She blushed a bit, and pulled out the small gourd hanging on a chain to her uncle, "He gave it to me the night after..." she blushed harder, and Neji briefly considered the reasons why he had saved the boy's life, but pushed the doubts aside.
Instead he gently chuckled, and reached over to ruffle her hair, "I'll tell him," he promised, then looked to the sun, "It's time."
She nodded and backed away from him, "How is this..." she started, but gasped as the smoke surrounded her.
Soon, Neji stood by himself on the empty street.
She landed with a thump in the middle of the giant mushroom forest, "It's beautiful," she whispered, and then grimaced, "And really, really hot and sticky."
She took off her robe and mesh undershirt and pants, and dug around in her bag for one of the sets of shorts and tank tops she had packed. Chi had floated away from her then, giving her a sense of privacy, and when she was in the new clothes, she placed her old ones, including shoes in the pack and hefted it up again. "Hello?" she called.
It was then she noticed the stairs, and reaching up to tighten her ponytail, she nodded, and began to run up the long flight.
Thus began the rigorous sage training. It would take her four years to fully complete, during which time, no one in any of the Great Nations heard a peep from the girl.
Every now and then Shikamaru would have a report on her progress, but apart from how strong she was getting there were no personal matters included.
She wasn't the only one training though. Her peers were working hard as well, waiting in excitement for the day that she would return again and searching for any news of what had happened to Uchiha Kurai.
There was none to be found.