"Yes!" Tenten grinned broadly, her hair was disarrayed and some strands of hair fell out from the two buns on the top of her head. YAY! I hit bulls eye two hundred times in a row! Now, Neji'll like me more! Tenten thought and then went up to collect her throwing knives from the bulls eye dummy.
"Tenten." She heard a small voice ahead, looking up, she blushed madly. The source of the voice looked at the birds flying in the sky, "Do you hear that?" The young girl listened closely, amidst all the training grunts of her team mate Rock Lee she heard a soft crunching of leaves about two miles away.
"Yes. Yes, Neji-kun, I can hear it." The boy named Neji got up, he was about five foot, four inches and he walked slowly towards the noise, hands in his pockets. Tenten saw that her crush was walking away; quickly she came up with something to say, "Neji! Wait! Are you going to that sound? At least let me and Lee come with you."
Neji stopped for a moment and turned his head slightly so you could see his colorless eyes, "Peh." He stared forward again, "If you want, I'm not liable for any of your injuries." Tenten smiled.
"Hai!" She threw a kunai blade towards Lee, it hit the ground a hair's width away from his hand, he was doing push ups.
"WHA!" He looked at her angrily, "WHAT!" The young girl with the buns motioned towards her walking team mate. Lee understood at once and followed them.
: x :
Aki, her soul actually, stopped by a tree and took a deep breath. Again, at least for a while, she was free. She was exhausted though, using time traveling was a very tiresome process. She had a week before her soul would have to go back into her body. Aki walked on hoping to find some river or stream, she didn't remember where she had gone the last time she was 'free.'
She sat on rock to catch her breath; it was cold though so she got up quickly. She scoured the ground for the herbs that helped with her usual symptoms of dizziness, headaches, fevers and drowsiness when she time traveled. Aki found one petal of the Red Clover plant. She quietly ground it up and put a pinch of the dust into her mouth. She felt a little better, her nerves were soothed and she could breathe better, but she was not better enough. She kept walking, on and on, stopping occasionally to lean on a tree, breathing was getting harder and harder.
CRUNCH. Aki turned around, scared it might be one of the Akatsuki. Quickly she activated her Byakuugan and looked into the bushes. There were two people there, apparently one of them was a girl, the other…
"STAY WHERE YOU ARE YOU PIECE OF VERMIN!" Lee jumped out of bushes and pointed a finger at Aki. Aki sweatdropped when she saw what Lee looked like. He was wearing bright green spandex from head to toe. He had a bowl shaped hair cut and the worst was… the caterpillars that danced about his forehead. Were they caterpillars? ! They're his EYEBROWS! Aki's eyes widened. "HEY! YOU – YOU – YOU HAVE WHITE EYES!" Aki noticed her Byakuugan was still activated, she hastily de-activated it. Aki put her hands behind her back and produced a sand storm, her eyes turned into Hazel-brown. The sandstorm kept running. "HEY! WHERE'D YOU GO! ACK! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" Aki thought it was enough and slowed down the storm. She heard a sharp gasp from the green beast. "TENTEN! Oh no, oh no, oh no…"
Aki stopped the storm completely. She saw the green beast, Lee, bent over his friend, Tenten apparently, she was lying on the ground, blood was just visible under her forehead protector.
When Aki approached, Lee stood up and tried to attack her, of course, she dodged easily, she was some sort of a ghost anyway. Lee recovered from his shock that someone had dodged his attack. Aki stared at him thoughtfully. He charged at her again, before he was in a two meter radius from her, she disappeared.
"You're funny. Let me heal your friend." Lee noticed that Aki was kneeling beside Tenten. A weird, soft glow was coming from her hands. She closed her eyes and a bright flash of light illuminated the forest. When Lee could open his eyes again, he saw Tenten sitting up and looking around.
"Hey, Um… What happened?" Tenten looked at Lee. "Haha, you look confused, I guess you don't know."
Neji was still in the bushes as Tenten and Lee left the premises. He was shocked at how a girl could contain so much power. He went over to the place she was kneeling, a long red ribbon caught his eye. This looks familiar. It brings back old memories. Neji quietly pocketed it and then walked back to where his partners were.
Aki was on a tree near by. Phew, that was close. She giggled to herself. That was fun, I like those people! I hope I can see them again. A harsh breeze came by and Aki disappeared.
: x :
Aki arrived at the colorful village of Konoha. Luckily, she became a chuunin here at age of 8. Her Konoha forehead protector hung like a bandana from her neck. The Konoha symbol was engraved in gold instead of plain silver, seeing that she was one of the youngest Chuunins at age 8. The symbol glinted proudly from under her hair.
If you don't get where her forehead protector is, read below. If you do, then skip everything that is in italics until in bold it says STOP.
(I know you don't get where it is… hmmm, let's see. You know how cow boys where those bandanas around their necks or how people tie bandanas around dogs' necks? Well, her forehead protector is around her neck like that, except the triangular part of it is on her back and that is where the Konoha symbol thing is. (like when you tie a triangular piece of cloth there is the knot part and then the bigger part extending from the knot.) you know what, go on google and search up 'cowboy' not 'cowboys' and click on the picture titled "A cowboy's Christmas" on page 1. You see the purple thing there? Well, you see the big triangular part that goes down to this person's belly? That is where the Konoha's symbol is. Now, turn it, the purple scarf, around so that the triangular thing is on the cowboy's back. Voila, there's how Aki's forehead protector is. You can also go on my profile and click on "headband" link and go to the place where I posted a picture that will help you understand a bit more.)
STOP.
Children were running around everywhere, one of them stopped at her feet. "Hiya Miss! My name is Jenai! I'm gonna be a great shinobi like the fourth hokage!" Aki smiled, and bent over to ruffle his hair.
"I know you will." She grinned at the overjoyed boy. She focused her chakra to her future sensing powers.
It was a mess. Everything was black and smoking. In the middle of all the havoc stood nine different people, each held one of the Bijū (尾獣), the magnificent tailed beasts. Starting with one tailed, Ichibi no Shuzaku to nine tailed, Kyubi no Yoko. Each person lay on the ground, being freed from their beasts at the price of their life. Aki watched as each beast successfully crawled out of their former bodies and destroyed each town. Aki felt the pain of each one of the Jinchūriki as their screams were muffled. Aki could sense that these beasts would bring havoc and distress to the rest of the world. The little boy she just touched appeared in front of her, he was running from Sanbi, the three tailed demon. Sanbi looked very much like a shark with three tails and three dorsal fins. Sanbi had a horn protruding from the middle of its forehead that was able to pierce through any metal or rock. The little boy kept running, but stumbled, Aki couldn't bear to watch as Sanbi grew closer and closer. Aki closed her eyes to summon herself out of that vision.
"Miss?" The little boy looked at her. She smiled back.
"I think you better get back to your academy classes." Her voice trembled as she was on the brink of crying. Sweat had formed on her brow and the thoughts of that vision crept slowly back into her mind. Once the child had left, Aki ran into a nearby forest to think about her vision.
She landed on a tall maple tree, its leaves were still full and it was a perfect place to hide and just think. She hardly noticed the other person sharing the tree with her.
"Who are you?" Aki jumped; unaware there was another in the premises. She leapt off the tree and landed on the ground. She looked up and saw that there was a young boy with white eyes on the tree, he had long hair up to the middle of his back and wore blue shorts. His t-shirt was beige/brown, and skin was quite pale.
"What my name is none of your concern." Aki replied glumly.
"It is. You have the eyes of my clan, yet I have never seen you." The boy jumped off the tree and landed in front of Aki. Aki backed away cautiously.
"I don't know your clan. I just know that I have been known as Aki." Aki eyed this boy, something about him seemed familiar, "Who are you?"
"Me? Why would you care? My name is Hyuuga Neji. My clan is the Hyuuga clan." He closed his eyes, "A cursed clan with the powers of the Byakuugan or white eye."
"Well, my eyes might be white now, but I can turn them into different colors depending on the elements that I choose to control at the time. Brown for earth; white for wind; red for fire; and blue for water." Aki closed her eyes and summoned the earth to make a sand castle. When she opened her eyes again, they were chocolate brown, "What kind of elements can you control?" She smiled.
Neji looked at her in surprise, "Control?" He took a step towards her, "What are you? What business do you have in Konoha?"
"Chill dude." Aki turned around to show him her forehead protector with Konoha's crest. "I'm from here. I just don't train here." She shuddered slightly at the thought of the Akatsuki.
Neji narrowed his eyes, "I need you to see Hiashi-sama." Aki thought, another familiar name.
She tapped her foot. "Oh hurry up will you, you're taking forever with all your formalities." Neji glared and grunted at her. He strode over to her and grabbed her hand, starting to drag her back into town.
"Fine! I'll take you there." Aki wiggled her hand free from his grasp.
"Yeah yeah, get on with it." She quietly followed him for the rest of the way.
: x :
The house in the distance was newly cleaned and sparkling. It was pure white marble that glinted in the setting sun. The nameplate shone and smelled of Carnauba wax.
"Wow! Is that where you live?" Aki waited for his response but only a received a mere 'hn.' "Well, it's pretty, and awfully… familiar."
Neji walked with his hands crossed at his chest and his chin up. He was really proud in Aki's eyes and was a total snob. He walked pretty fast, trying to think why he had brought along someone as stupid as her. She acted like such a little kid, but seemed familiar to him too. She had dark, straight hair, almost like his. Her eyes were happy and always wandering around, curious to see. She had the same face shape as him, if he didn't know better; he would've thought her as a sibling.
"Hey Neji, that's your name right, can I call you that?"
"No. I mean yes that's my name. No you cant call me that because I haven't the faintest clue who the heck you are." He continued walking towards his house.
"Well fine, I guess you're older than me. Hmmmm." Aki performed some hand signs and flew about four feet into the air, she then sat cross legged and floated behind Neji. "I know what'll annoy you." Aki took in a big gulp of hair and quietly bobbed over to Neji so that her mouth was right at his ear, "NEJI-NII-SAN!" Aki bellowed loudly into his ear.
Several more anger marks appeared on Neji's head. "Do you know what 'nii-san' means!" Neji fumed, his eyes were closed and twitching and his teeth were bared, "It means BROTHER! I have no SIBLINGS! So LEAVE ME ALONE!" He screeched into Aki's face.
"Well, I had a brother once, but I don't know if he's even still alive. We were separated." Aki thought for a while, and was quiet until they reached the Hyuuga manor was where Hiashi was waiting.
"Good evening sir." The person at the door went and took off Neji's sweater. Aki looked around. The place was maybe even more beautiful on the inside. The floor was made of the usual marble and there was a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. Two other crystal chandeliers were hanging on the left and right. Those chandeliers were hanging on top of two stair cases. The curving stair cases lead to an upper landing where stood a simple oak door the size of two walls of a bath room.
Neji trudged along climbing the steps, Aki closely behind. When they pushed open the doors three different hallways stretched out in front of them, to the right and to the left. Each hallway was lit by a series of different colored lights. The hallways were covered with doors, smaller than the main one, that led to each Hyuuga's rooms. Neji went down the hallway in front of them, which ended in another stairway, and climbed the stairs.
Once they were on the fourth floor they saw another set of doors at the end of the lone hallway. The door was made of glass but dark spirals of wood made its way across the glass. Aki guessed that someone of importance lived in that room.
Neji walked towards the glass doors and tapped gently on the wooden spirals. "Hiashi, I have a guest."
The man named Hiashi opened the door. His eyes widened as he saw Aki. "Neji, my nephew, come in." Aki and Neji entered the room. It was as beautiful as the rest of the house. They had stepped into nice, lush, blue carpet. Ceiling fans ran on the ceiling. There was a flat screen television and a balcony. They entered a sort of sitting room through an arch. Aki sat happily in one of the bouncy arm chairs. Neji shot her a warning look as she tried to bounce up and down on the chair.
"Tell me Neji, who is this girl, she has the Byakuugan." Hiashi eyes Aki with much curiosity.
Neji opened his mouth to say something, but Aki was determined to introduce herself, "I'm Aki. At least, that's what those people called me. I think I'm an orphan and this place seems awfully familiar-"Aki kept talking while she looked around. Her eyes fell on a picture of the man Hiashi. It looked like a self-portrait but this man in the picture seemed different. For some reason, it brought tears to her eyes.
"Aki, if that is your name, what is wrong?" Hiashi looked at her. A tear dripped off her chin. She looked back at Hiashi, and smiled.
"Nothing. It's just that picture. I have no idea who it is, I'm sure it's not you, but it made me cry because I can sense that something bad had happened to him in his past."
Hiashi stared at her blankly. "That is my brother." Hiashi got up and picked up the picture. Aki glanced at him, he looked so sad and somehow angry. Then she glanced at Neji, his hands were on his lap and he seemed to be trembling uncontrollably.
"Something did happen, huh." Neji then got up, almost knocking over his arm chair and left the room. Aki heard the glass door slam and his foot steps receding down the stairs.
"Aki, I believe, I know, that you are a Hyuuga. You have all our characteristics, so you may stay here for now. To being an orphan, yes you are. I had known your parents and your sibling." Aki's eyes lit up, "I cannot tell you who that person is but you will find out after sometime, but please, pick an empty room on the third floor and enjoy your stay!"