Fall Story
chapter 3
AN: thank you thank you :) for everyone who reviewwed and to those who gave me detailed review, no offence taken.Actually helped me to span out my story better.
I hope you will enjoy this better, and thanks again .
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Sasuke stood in front of the Hokage and requested that he had to go along in this mission, since they were still chuunins.
"Uchiha Sasuke, there was a reason why I only sent two out this time.It was specific request from someone."
Sasuke didn't care, she was his team mate and if anyone else could work in synch with her..it would be him more then Hyuga Neji.
"She's my team mate, it's natural that I look after my team mate.Naruto and Kakshi-san agreed that I would be the one to go with Sakura this time, since we all can't go."
Tsunade's eyes widened a little, since she never heard so many words or a sentence long enough from the Uchiha boy.She was Hokage after all, yesterday she was wondering why she had help Hiashi Hyuga in his problems.After all Sakura was more familiar with the Uchiha boy and it may help the mission.
"Alright, I will inform other two that you will be joining.Here is the mission I have them.It's c class mission, to investigate activities from another dangerous crime organisation.Sakura is the person to record much as she can in a special scroll I gave her.So if possible, she should be protected the most out of all three of you.It is critical that you successfully complete this.Much as this mission has been classified as C, we don't know much about the criminals you might face.We don't know about their abilities or anything in clear details.So expect this mission if they turn out to be very very dangerous criminals change into B class.Are we clear?"
Tsunade said in business like voice and looked at the Uchiha boy who just nodded and silently retreated from her office.Tsunade sighed and flopped on her back, wondering if she made a right decision by sending Sasuke with Neji and Sakura.She will just have to fight off Hiashi if any complain came from that quarter.It was two more days until the mission started.The informer came from water country few days ago and said that they couldn't fight the organisation as they needed to defend against portential war outbreak with sound country again.Life was not exactly comforting as a hokage, but she couldn't give up.Her love and brother all dreamed of becoming the Hokage but never got the chance.She tried to assure her self that the decision was a right one.
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Hiashi looked at the scroll he didn't finish reading about last night.He didn't want to remember the chilling performance of the seal.It was vivid as if it was just moments ago, back then he didn't understand the true nature of the seal that was performed by him and Kouro.He still remembered Emiko crying endlessly as she saw the rarely used seal being performed on her daughter.
Flash back
Hiashi gently but with some hesistation took the small knife from Kouro and carved triple crescent moon into the tender flesh of the baby.The knife cut the skin easily, blood slowly started to trickle from the thin wound on it's back.Hiashi could still hear the sobbing of the baby's mother.Kouro murmured the words the words and the blood rushed back from it's small puddle on the floor and swirled and then spread all over the baby like thin veil then it sunk in to the body of the baby.Both him and Kouro then sighed tiredly, this Jutsu has drained their chakra totally.Baby has been put to sleep, a deep sleep so they could be spared of any pained wailings.They then woke her up gently and saw that the seal worked well, but Emiko didn't feel peaceful and cried.
But what Hiashi didn't tell the Harunos was that if either he or Kouro dies the seal will break sooner or later.He looked at the couple, once his ex team mates and one his friend and the other one he loved still.
--end of flash back--
"Hyuga - sama, Neji-sama is here." a male servent announced quietly and Hiashi nodded to signalt hat he was to be shown in.
Neji walked into the room, facing the man he called uncle, but even now after apologies and all...he wasn't sure how he felt about this man.
"You have called me Hyuga-sama?" he asked quietly as sitted in front of Hiashi.
"I called you, for a reason..I want you to protect that Haruno girl at all costs."
Neji wasn't expecting this sort of command from his uncle but nodded and got up to go.
"You uare probably wondering why I asked you to protect someone outside the family." Hiashi said quietly as he looked out the open door to the court yard.
"Yes"
"You will know why soon enough but she has to be protected, especially if situation gets dangerous.There is a seal on that girl, that needs to be sealed up long as possible.Her father, Kouro Haruno who was my team mate told me that if he dies..the seal willl break out..but even more faster if she gets into a situation that requires all she has.It was one of the promise her father made me do incase he had die early.To protect his daughter."
Neji couldn't quiet understand the importance of keeping her seal from breaking out but if it was a promise his uncle is willing to keep even after god knows how many years...it had to be of some importance.He nodded and left the sitting room quietly as he came.As he walked to many of the isolated gardens of Hyuga complex, he saw the pink haired girl with vibrant jade eyes.She was one of the female shinobis he recognised as probably most skilled female chuunin among them.Even after years, the Heir to Hyuga clan, Hinata fell behind the Haruno girl. Yamaneka was next best up but she was thinking of being a kunoichi more then a shinobi.Ten Ten, his team mate was more of specialist in weapons then in in ninjutsu and other shinobi arts.
He leapt up and swung rapidly through the trees to the open training ground where he can work out this useless thought he thought of now.The next mission was really dangerous one, he had to practice harder.But when he got there, Sasuke was already there training.
"I didn't know you trained here." Neji asaid as he swung down onto the ground.Sasuke slowly turned, smirking in a little unpleasnt way.
"Joining your next mission." before he went back to some jutsu practice.
Neji frowned at this, was this joining an official one, declared by the Hokage?but as if Sasuke heard his mind, he spoke.
"Hokage gave permission."
Neji's face became cold as an ice block.
"Hmphh." was all Neji said to this, not bothering to pick up a conversation with Sasuke.
" Hyuga Neji, suprised to see you here." Neji groaned inwardly as Sakura walked into the training ground.Sasuke gave a recognising nod and Sakura just smiled.He noticed that between two of them, actions spoke louder then words.
"I was going to train here, I have been informed that we will be going with Uchiha in next mission." Neji gave the latest information for their next mission.He felt a little tug at his heart when her eyes lit up with delight.
"Really?? this is going to be a successful one then! with Sasuke-kun around."
Sasuke smirked as he walked over to the pair, it's was somehow comforting to here that 'Sasuke-Kun' from her.But then he noticed Hyuga cold as an ice berg and his smirk stopped.He forgot Hyuga wasn't Naruto or Kakashi.
"So should we all train together tomorrow at 8 o'clock?" Sakura asked as she looked at two boys who might well as qualify for being a rock..well at least Hyuga Neji.Sasuke in her opinion, even in his most still moment..he electrified with intense emotions that can be easily mistaken as being cold.Well at least they weren't at each other's throat for now.
Sasuke just nodded and so did Neji, after all both boys..very talented yet so little amount of words came from them.Sakura was silent between them for a minute or two before clearing her throat.
"Umm...I think I have some errands to do for my mum, so I will see you guys tomorrow."
Sasuke nodded and so did Neji, then they looked at each other for a minute or so before going in their own direction.
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Sakura whistled as she walked in and stopped dead in her track when she saw a guest sitting at their sitting table across from her mother.Her mother was glaring and Hiashi Hyuga was looking cold as Neji.
"Uh..umm...Mother?" Both looked up at her, startled.
"Oh hi sweet heart, Mr. Hyuga have come to tell me some news.It was a little unpleasant but nothing for you to be concerned about now." Emiko said as she got up and warmly greeted her daughter.
"Say hello to Mr.Hyuga." Emiko said formally and pleasant as possible.
Sakura numbly nodded and bowed to Hiashi Hyuga,
"Good Evening, Mr.Hyuga."
"Very well thank you, you do like your mother at your age." Hiashi said as he got up.
Sakura blushed at the compliment and hurridley replied,
"No not at all! my mother was far prettier in her days.But thanks for the compliment."
Hiashi nodded to Emiko and left with a formal greeting for a pleasant evening to the mother and daughter.Hiashi gave one discreet glance back at hte two figures standing at the door then disappeared totally into the star lit darkness.
-- Back 2 hours ago --
"Hiashi what are you are you doing here?" Emiko said in unpleasant voice at sight of her enemy.
Hiashi looked at the pink haired woman in front of him and smiled, which was pretty rare from him.
"Few things to talk about, I been to Hokage-sama about the problem and she has given me several scrolls to study about the seal on your daughter."
Emiko sighed and stepped aside to let Hiashi Hyuga in.Hiashi noted the house was rather big, not a mansion but a decent size with fine decorations.It was sort of house his ex team mate Kouro Haruno liked.
"In the scroll...I have found some problems." Hiashi said as he sat across Emiko in the sitting room.
"And that is?" Emiko impatiently snapped in reply.
"Your daughter either stop going on dangerous missions involving combat with other ninjas or let it break.I have asked Hokage-sama specifically to pair up with my nephew to protect her much as possible...in fact at all costs."
Emiko felt her temple twitching anger but kept her self from going after his neck.
"Why not her team mates? I know they will protect her at all costs too."
Emiko answered back evenly, barely restrained anger detectable in her voice.
"I felt that I had to do my obligations, especially to you and to Kouro."
Emiko scoffed at his answer and didn't say anything for a minute or two before askin ghim a question that silenlenced them for some time.
"Is there someone else you forgot to mention in that little 'Obligations' list?"
Hiashi froze, he knew what she meant and so did Emiko, they glared at each other for at least another ten minutes.
"As I was saying, about the seal...it may be a blessing if she could handle the result of it breaking, or be a curse if she can't stand it.That is why I asked Hokage-sama to send my nephew to help her."
Hiashi paused then spoke something else other then that problem.
"About Kouro's heritage...Did your daughter ever tell you about an encounter with a missing-nin called Haku from Water country? years ago when she was a genin?"
Emiko firmly nodded, she still remembered her daughter telling her the tale of a talented mist hunter nin boy who became a missing nin.
"Haku's great grandfather was brother to Kouro's grandfather, it's a hidden advanced bloodline that flows in her blood.They said that Haku Haruno's advanced abilities were dead but it lives through your daughter."
Emiko was getting impatient, trying to figure out what Hiashi wanted to really say.
"Hiashi just say it, no eleborations and all."
Hiashi looked at her with his pearly eyes then spoke,
"Haku is not dead, he has been sighted by our own ANBU members.Haku has been searching for his relatives, which means you and Sakura."
Emiko's eyes widened at this piece of news,
"And exactly what is he going to do when he finds us?and How do you know that he is looking for us?"
Hiashi hesistated a little before continuing his news.
" He was actually captured by our own ANBU squad but escaped.When they interrogated him...that is what he told them.He was looking for his relatives who happens to live in Hidden Leaf, but only one ANBU lived to tell the tale out of 6 of them, when he unleashed his bloodline limits.When they told him, even if he genuinely has relatives living in the Hidden Leaf...he was a missing-nin and exception of a rare case...he would not be allowed to become a proper ninja again."
Hiashi then continued on,
" He doesn't know your names or anything but been told by his mother when he was very young that he had relatives in Hidden Leaf.And there was a girl around his age that had pink hair.Obviously...there is only one pink haired girl, who happens to be around his age and is a ninja in Hidden Leaf."
Emiko's face becme frown and worried.
"What does he really want? kill us for not taking care of him? kill us for what Sakura and her team did?"
Hiashi shook his head,
"You know better then that Emiko, he wanted a home..he is tired of being dead missing nin or still a living missing nin."
Hiashi then stared coldy at the woman sitting across from him, he could not repet what happen when they were alone last time.Emiko glared at him in fury, for coming into her life again and messing it up.
--- end of flash back---
Next Morning---
"Good morning Sasuke -kun!" Sakura said beaming and only nodded to Neji with a smile.
"Let's go now." Neji said normal as possible as he strode ahead then leaped, disappearing among the trees and so did Sasuke and so did she.
Sakura sped throught he trees, feeling someone else was on her trail.Sakura blocked aswift attack from Neji and dropped to the ground when she lost her balance.She landed gracefully as a cat before flipping to her right to avoid another strike.Then it was for Neji to avoid a flame roar past him as he saw Uchiha launch himself at him.Sakura used this as chance and jumped away from Neji and molded her chakra into wires.
Sasuke had given Sakura a chance by distracting Neji when he was about to pin her down easily.Neji realised Sasuke was in league with Sakura in a teamwork, that seemed so natural for them.Neji's hair got sliced as he avoided a slicing wire thrown by Sakura.Several of his hair from the right side floated down to the ground but before it did, Sakura launched three more of the wire, one from behind and one from his left and one from above.Neji was about pin her down with defeat when she kept persuing him using her wire techniques.This was usually different from her usual ways.He had to be on alert, especially with Uchiha around.Sasuke waited for a chance when he realised Nejiw as about launch into his 64 hand Hakke technique to Sakura as Sakura kept up trying to exhaust Hyuga.What was the point, when Hyuga wasn't getting really tired at all.
Sasuke then saw something he thought he would never see, defeat of Byukagan techniques.He saw it clear as day when she did it.
"Blind Blood Moon!" As she performed series of unusual combination of seals then Hyuga fell, clutching his head as if he was in pain.
Sasuke gently dropped from a branch nearby when Neji finally got up,like if his Chakra has been all used up.
"I didn't see that coming, Haruno..Where did you learn it?"
Sakura grinned,
"My mother of course, Sasuke did you see that?" Sakura asked Sasuke who just nodded.
"Hyuga, I saw you crop to the ground as if in pain."
Neji was tired, really tired but answered Sasuke,
"I was blinded, I couldn't see anything.."
Before forcing himself up and left without a word.
"I guess that means training is cancelled?" Sakura asked no one in particular.Sasuke just nodded and left without much of another word just like Hyuga Neji much to Sakura's frustration.Sakura shrugged before running off herself as well to join her mother soon.
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preview of next chapter
"What do you mean? yo only a person pretending to be him! he died in front of mine and Sasuke-kun's eyes!Not many have survived the Chidori from Kakashi-sensei!"
Sakura said as she stared at the young man with a familiar hunter nin mask.
"Mistake, I wasn't technically dead, but almost dead."
The young man witht he mask stepped closer towards Sakura and said his name, to which Sakura could not believe.
"My full name is Haruno Haku.Distant relative of Haruno Sakura of Hidden Leaf village."
Sakura opened her mouth in silent scream as if to waken her self up.
yup with Haku back from near dead and related to Sakura creates another problem and perhaps a story I thought it was a bitof a waste.Poor Haku .
Dream wind.
