"Isn't it a beautiful day father?" Neji smiled up to his dad. A white bandage was wrapped around and around his little head. Hizashi smiled back.
"Yes, it is beautiful." Hizashi looked at the broken path they were climbing. It was headed straight for the Hyuuga dojo. A gym where only specially chosen Hyuugas were allowed to enter. Since Hizashi was the brother of the Hyuuga leader, he was allowed and so was his children.
Aki, unfortunately, was still bed ridden and the nurses would not allow her to train until her wounds had healed up. Neji was accompanying his dad to the dojo so he could train with Hinata, the future Hyuuga heir.
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"Your footwork is poor!" Hiashi cornered his daughter.
"Awh!" Hinata tripped on her feet.
Hizashi stared daggers at the girl. Today, is the day… He cleared his throat.. " Neji." Neji looked up eagerly at his father. He smiled that little smile, that last and final little smile.
"Neji, you are to live to protect Hinata-sama and the Hyuga blood." Hizashi continued watching his brother and niece fight it out in front of him.
"Yes, Father!" Neji looked at his opponent, keen on battling. Hizashi focused and activated his Byakugan. He looked at the girl's chakra points thoroughly.
Hiashi's senses perked up. Killing intent! He slid his body in front of his daughter.
"Huh?" Hinata gasped quietly as her father shielded her from what to come.
"Hah!" Hiashi focused his power to his hand sign. A sharp noise kept tinging in Neji's ear. He found his father gasping and screaming.
"FATHER!" Neji fell to his knees to try and comfort his father. Hizashi screamed and rolled around the floor clutching his head. The forest was filled with sharp wails from Hizashi as his curse seal sliced through his head.
"ARGHH!" Hizashi tugged his headband off. "ARGHH!" He winced some more in pain, "ARGHH!"
"Father! Father!" Neji tugged on his father's kimono fearfully, "What's wrong?"
Hiashi lowered his hand sign. "Leave, I will forgive your foolishness no longer." Brother, I am sorry it had to come to this.
Neji heard his uncle say this and hatred and anger filled his once innocent heart. He glanced at his father trembling on the floor in pain. Tears billowed up in his eyes.
"You mustn't forget your duty!" Neji though of his uncle. How could he be so evil. To do something like this to his own flesh and blood. Hizashi shuddered as he tried to stand up.
"Gah!" Hizashi coughed up some blood. "C-come Neji, let's go." He took his son's hand in his. Hizashi was still quivering. Neji looked back at his uncle and cousin before closing the dojo door, tears coming out in torrents. He glared at his cousin and uncle and slammed the door.
He grasped his father's hand harder and sobbed, pitifully, into his kimono.
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Crickets chirped near by. A distant song, played by the shiest creatures. A full orchestra. A so called 'peaceful' night. I think not. Thousands of kilometers away, two distinct groups were planning. The Akatsuki and the Ninja of the city hidden in the Cloud. Each had a set goal.
A fierce voice echoes through the quiet night, "GO!" But a thousand kilometers away, nothing was heard, but the orchestra of crickets.
At the park, some little kids were still playing to the light of the fire flies. It was so peaceful, looking at the children, no one could guess how much pain and suffering one little boy could take. That little boy sat with his father at the swing set. He had cried himself to sleep, and the tears still shone brightly on his face. The father also cried. Hizashi Hyuuga looked at the sky. The bright stars twinkled off his creamy white eyes. Paradise. He closed his eyes and stood up.
(A/N: don't you just hear a sad song playing in the background? REALLY quietly as Hizashi carries Neji to his bed and thinks of things? PLEASE review!)
The other children took no notice of the man and son. Hizashi feet made the grass whisper. With each step he took, his sanctuary faded. He gazed soberly up towards the Hyuuga mansion. The white marble was incredibly dirty and the name plate '太陽'.
(AN: I think that says hyuuga, but im not sure it could be this one too à 日向市. Also, REVIEW! And I changed the ages of Neji and Aki from 14 to 13. I don't know why, I might change it again. REVIEW to tell me what age they seem like.)
Hizashi went along inside and climbed the steps to his childrens' quarters. They were on the second floor from the top, under his and his brother's rooms. He laid Neji to rest and stayed awhile over him. He silently left, a hint of a tear at the corner of his white eye. He climbed steps again and his legs almost ached because of them. He look at his feet, oops, I left my shoes on… He continued looking down until he reached the top floor. An uncanny presence overwhelmed him. A dark one, a mysterious one.
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Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
o
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across a distant shore
o
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping
o
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
o
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass
o
Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
o
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping
o
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West
-o-
("Into the West" - Annie Lennox)
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"Sleep, my children." Hizashi kissed Neji's and Aki's foreheads and left the room.
The cold wind rattled against the windows. A small draft entered the room, and with it, three black shadows. The shadows nodded in an agreement. They would help each other acquire whatever they needed. The shadows disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Aki's eyes gleamed in the dark night. She had heard footsteps outside. What happened? Her brow furrowed slightly as she remembered the shinobi that attacked her.-
(AN: This is really off topic, but I just noticed that Aki, which means autumn and Hyuuga, which means sun: together Hyuuga Aki means Autumn Sun but actually Sun Autumn… well then… REVIEW PLEASE!)
- The footsteps had come closer. She closed her eyes, thinking, Oh no, if father has come to check on us, he'll scold me for being awake so late! The paces subsided. Aki heard the shoji (障子) door slide open. Aki peeked out and could make out two silhouettes behind the noren curtains. (Japanese curtains) Slowly, a hand appeared on the other side of the noren. It was a covered hand, so it was black. Aki quickly sealed her eyelids together. People who had soft and silent feet entered the room. A normal person wouldn't have been able to here them, but Aki, who was trained as a Shinobi could hear it as if it were the hubbub of a large crowd.
"Deidara…" One of the shadows whispered ever so softly.
The other shadow slapped the speaker hard on the face, "You idiot! They are shinobi too remember. They're even supposed to be 'prodigies!'" She hissed in his ear, "Shut UP! Go to the room beside this one and get the boy!"
By the sound of their footsteps, it seemed one left and the other was gradually moving forwards. Aki felt the presence of the person loom over her bed. "Well, well, well, little one." Aki recognized this voice, it was the man-woman. (See Ch. 2: The Last Day) Aki felt her blankets rustle. She was being picked up! Aki grabbed the nearest thing and threw it against her wall. It created a loud thudding sound, loud enough to be heard throughout the mansion. She then kicked her lamp shade so it broke into pieces on the wooden floor. Glass shards scattered across the tatami mat. A cold hand slapped her face, Aki could feel cold tears tingle at the edges of her eyes. Then, all she could feel was the cold air rushing as she was being carried out of the room.
The cold air gushed towards her face faster and faster until her face felt numb. The arm that carried her was holding too hard, and for a little kid, it hurt a lot. She felt a familiar presence beside her, she peeked and saw her brother. "Nii-san!" He looked up and saw her before they both were whacked on the side of the head with a piece of cloth. (more of like a whip) A choking sensation flooded my body. The cloth was wrapped against my neck and it was obvious that she had much difficulty breathing.
Hizashi rushed into Aki's room, he noticed the broken lamp and the thrown clock. He ran into Neji's room and saw that his bed was a mess and the swan feathers that stuffed his pillows floated in and fell from the air. Hizashi's eyes widened and he ran to get his brother.
A third shinobi came round to her right side. The shinobi was carrying an out-cold little girl. Aki opened one of her eyes slightly but then winced as the cloth grew tighter. The cold air had stopped, they had stopped moving. She looked ahead and saw her father and uncle coming towards them. She looked at her brother and saw that his captor had fallen at the hands of her father. The little girl was also safe, in the hands of her father. Aki smiled a bit, knowing that her brother was safe.
"Damn!" The person carrying her threw some shuriken at her father and then preformed hand signs that would allow him to transfer his body to another place. Aki watched in slow motion as her father put Neji on his feet and dodged the throwing stars. Hiashi watched as one of the throwing stars hit his daughter. Aki knew he wouldn't make it to her on time.She screamed, "FATHER!"
- and then, she was gone.