Neji is… four, I think, and in a yukata, which is way too flimsy for this weather. Even with the temperate climate, there is still a dusting of snow on the ground. If he is cold, he doesn't show it. Instead he slowly moves through a series of Katas. He wobbles and adjusts his footing often, but there's no doubt he is good at it, for a four year old. Compared to even Hana - four years older than him - he shows about the same skill, and a great deal more determination. But that still doesn't explain why he is out here…
I pad over to him, playing cute and cocking my head at him. He only looks blankly at me, and then returns to practicing. I let out a whine and he shoots me a look. Jeez, what a serious kid. It's not until I actually jump up and press my front paws against him that he actually says anything.
"Get off!" he snaps in a high pitched voice, betraying how young he is.
By the time my feet are back on the ground his father has appeared. He kneels down to his son's level as he checks in on the boy, glancing at me. He shakes his head and starts explaining something to the boy, but the language is too hard for me to follow. I do pick up words like play and gentle. Then the man turns to me and looks at me kindly, before reaching out a hand. I decide to play dumb and trot over to sniff it, tail wagging. He gently pets me, something I am not used to from the rough and tumble Inuzuka clan, and then guides his son's hand to do the same.
As he reaches me I see his sleeve pull back, and I see the bruises on his wrist and arm. While it's hidden out of sight, I can smell the faint smell of antiseptic and blood underneath his clothing. Something must have happened. This war is growing more and more dangerous. If I didn't know it would be over soon, I would be worried.
But what if it's not? What if your meddling prolongs it? What if by saving this man, you continue the war… Tsume and the others leave again and again. Eventually, their luck will run out…
I wince and grit my teeth. That voice again, echoing in my head. Neji withdraws, and I see a flash of fear in his eyes. He looks at his father, whose hand has also stilled. Not knowing what else to do, I perk up and point, pretending as if I had caught the scent of one of those rats, before running off.
"Seriously voice? All that time alone in recovery, but you wait until now to talk to me?" I think to myself. But there's no response. Honestly, I should be more concerned, but it's just another addition to the weird things that have happened to me, and of all of them, doesn't seem like the most pressing.
Eventually I run into Akira, and Explain to her that I met Neji and his father. She's been walking the perimeter, trying to figure out how Kumo nin would get into the compound in the first place.
"Are you sure you don't have anything to go on? No jutsu, not even an affinity?" she whinges, and I shake my head. She makes a noise of frustration. "Well, the main house - I assume that's where the little princess-" "Hinata" "Sure… where she is kept, faces Kohona to the front, but on the other three sides is flanked by Hyuuga buildings. Best bet, they come in from Kohona side, where they have a clear shot, and then head out the back and to the south, knowing that by then the Hyuuga will have noticed, but hoping that if they're fast enough they can buy enough time to cut across the rivers… That would throw the trackers off for a hours at least… or at least that's how I would do it… of course, if they have earth Ninjutsu that's a different kettle of fish entirely…"
As she trails off, she begins sniffing the ground around the walls. "Akamaru, have you learned to sniff out seals yet?"
"No?"
"Well, It's not like it's a very common skill for ninken these days anyways. There aren't many seal masters out there setting new traps or anything like that these days. Has he taught you how to sniff out chakra?" I nod, hesitantly.
"I can recognize the size of chakra, and use that to tell what kind of animal or human is coming… if I really focus. I haven't been able to do it all the time like he does…" I say, shuffling. We were going to practice it, but then there were the snakes, and everything that came after.
"Ok, good enough. Anyways, sniffing seals isn't that much different in principle, but what you're looking for is very faint, and slow moving. It's almost like a feeling for the chakra of moss. You can't feel it most of the time because it's so small, and the moss isn't using that energy to move, and it grows too slowly to notice. No brains, no complex organs. So you don't notice it, because damn, if you sensed even that, all the time, your senses would just be overwhelmed. But now, you're trying to focus, just on that feeling, of that chakra. Does that make sense?"
It doesn't really, but I nod anyways, and assume my chakra sensing position, eyes closed, all four feet planted firmly on the ground, and head held high. Kuromaru always yells that I need to be able to do it will my eyes open, but Kenta assures me that for now, it's fine. There's a twinge of sadness thinking about them, but I push it aside to focus on the moss, or whatever it is I'm supposed to be looking for.
"Now… there's already a seal, and a pretty potent one at that, right below us, so try looking for it, but be careful, don't send too much chakra out near seals, you never know what they'll do." she warns, and I try to follow her advice. I try to send out my chakra, through the pads of my paws, not with any kind of force, but just to feel.
Like Akira says, focusing like this I can feel the gossamer threads of chakra that must be roots, and small little pinpricks of animals scurrying away from my chakra. It's not long before I feel something, almost like oozing mud below all of the threads and pinpricks. It's slow, and as my chakra touches it I can feel it extending in all directions below, pulling, almost, towards the earth.
Wham! I feel something shoulder check me and I stumble over. Akira stands, braced.
"What did I say about sending too much chakra? That thing could have sucked you dry!" she admonishes, and I wince. "Damn Akamaru, trying to get yourself killed? Whatever, at least you found the seal, and on your first try too! There should be some kind of award…" she begins to mutter to herself, but then snaps back to look at me. "Now, do not mess with seals unless you've got someone else watching you, ok? They're more dangerous and unpredictable than some Chunin... " at this she seems to remember something and snickers to herself. I just nod along.
"Anyways, point being, this place has some extra seals, above and beyond those that were woven into the village, so whoever this Kumo nin is, they must be pretty powerful. My best bet, is that to avoid these seals they would have to come in from the top, and make it as quick as possible. But once again, that's only a guess, I mean who knows with Ninja these days? Maybe it's some Kumo version of the yellow flash? Anyways, lets go check on your sister."
We do not find her in the warehouse. Instead we track her down in the training grounds with Neji and his father. Neji is still running through Katas, while his father looks on fondly. Beside his father, however, is a harsher carbon copy. This man's face is drawn into a tight scowl as he watches Neji practice. I can see the tension in Neji's shoulders now. Yuki also seems tense, as she sniffs under the porch of the house.
When Neji stumbles, it comes as no surprise, the kid seemed tired when I passed by. But the sound of him catching himself is cut off by the sterner twin saying something and then turning to leave. I see Neji's father begin to say something, before his brother shoots him a dark look, and cuts him off again. Neji's father sits down on the porch, a grim look in his eyes. I knew the Hyuuga had high standards but seriously? This is insane. Before I can do anything, Yuki is there, gently licking the man's hand, and Neji dusts himself off before approaching his father to say something. His father ruffles his hair and smiles at him, then Neji scampers off somewhere. Yuki remains by the man's side, and Akira nudges me, so we go join her.
"So, Yuki, what have you been up to?" Akira says playfully, and Yuki looks away ashamed.
"I found where the mice are coming in, but…" and then her voice drops so low even my dog's hearing can't register it.
"What?" Akira says, softer and more serious now. Yuki looks up at her, eyebrows furrowed, and then glances at me. She gulps and then whispers something in Akira's ears. Akira looks shocked for a second and then nods in understanding.
"Well, It's a job for another day. For now it's getting late. I say it's time to head back and get some grub! Right?" Akira says, cheerfully. But I can tell something isn't right. Next time we are alone, I need to remember to ask what that was all about.
But the next few days, Akira makes sure that we are never alone. Instead she sticks to Yuki like glue. It worries me, it really does. Every day bright and early, she comes to wake me up, Yuki already at her side. We walk over to the Hyuuga compound together and then Yuki and Akira walk the perimeter. They've assigned me to the warehouse. The Hyuuga are repairing a few of the small holes that Yuki found, but Akira keeps saying better safe than sorry, and tells me to find more. It's been three days, and I am about to go mad pacing these four walls again. I can't even see Neji.
I didn't realize until later, but seeing Neji was important for me. Everything seemed so abstract and far away until I saw him and remembered that in a short time, he is going to be without a father, in this cruel compound, and raised to hate Hinata. Seeing him reminded me of what I was doing, and why it was so important to succeed. In fact, maybe I need to see him again, remind myself of what I should be focusing on. Yuki has Akira with her anyways, and I know Akira can take care of it!
With that in mind, I set out to find Neji, a spring in my step. Even though I hadn't exactly seen him too often, when Surrounded by all of these unfamiliar people's scents, it was easier to track the few scents I did know. So it wasn't long before I found him in a small, almost shrine like building. I could smell a few more humans in there with him, but the doors were closed, and there were no windows. I decided to wait.
I shouldn't have. Within a few seconds, I heard screaming, High pitched, a child's, and one of deep pain. It sent a jolt of pain up my own spine into my heart and without thinking I launched myself at the door, clawing at it to try to get in, but for all the claw marks, it did not budge. I let out howls of my own. Let me in, let me in! Then a shadow covered me and the door flew open. Neji's father leapt into the room screaming and ran to scoop up his son. Neji curled into his shoulder sobbing, and I leapt to reach the boy, something in me needing to be right there, to comfort him. His father was shouting at all the people around, eyes brimming with tears, neck bulging and red in the face. His voice boomed with a kind of authority only Tsume had. The other Hyuuga scurried away, one of them turning back to shout something at the man.
When the man finally calmed down he put his son down, and I felt heart drop. There, on little four year old Neji's head was blood, tricking down from his forehead. On his forehead I saw the ink seal, the caged bird. I wanted to throw up, but I held it back. Tenderly, his father picked up some cloth, dipped in water and began dabbing at the blood. He kept muttering something softly, something that should have been reassuring, but it wasn't not to me or the boy, because we both knew.
This was wrong.