I.K.- well back from training at my new school and from the famliy reunion.. sorry it took so long to put this one up! Enjoy!
Sasuke+Me - thanks for the support! you rock!
itachiismyluver - haha! Layla's height is fine!
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"Ready."
"Steady."
"GO!"
Not losing any time, Layla jumped up onto one of the tree branches with her fast speed and excellent chakra control. Not wanting to wait for Layla to make an attack, Umeko followed and activated her Byakugan. The world turned black and white, a sight that the Hyuuga was accustomed to. Eyes scanning the area, Umeko spotted Layla almost at the top of the old willow on the other side. A small smirk- or was it a smile? - formed on the girls face as she pulled a kunai out of her pouch and jumped.
From branch to branch, Umeko's target became closer. As she got closer, Umeko saw that Layla's eyes were a smothering black instead of her usual blue. 'Hm. Kitosu no Justu, eh? She's definitely gotten better...'
Bringing her hand with the kunai up to her chest, she flung her arm out, sending the kunai flying right towards Layla's face. But, Layla didn't flinch and the kunai seemed to pass right threw her. Umeko blinked and frowned. 'Oh yeah, she definitely got a lot better.'
Layla brought her hands up to her chest and ended in a diamond-like position, the two pointer fingers and thumbs together. "Banyou no Jutsu!" Seemingly clear flames sped towards the Hyuuga and she bent low to the branch and sprung up, holding three shuriken between her fingers on her right hand. "Mn!" All three shuriken flew right on target only to have a plank of wood block all three. 'Wha? She has telekinesis now too?'
"Hey! Umeko! I know you're holding out on me!" Layla grinned up at the older Hyuuga.
"Heh! If you say so." Umeko closed her eyes and preformed hand seals. 'Tora, Nezumi, Ryu, Hebi, Ryu...'
"Kuroi Hi no Justsu!" (Black Sun Technique.) Layla shivered as she suddenly felt a little cooler. Looking above her, the sky was no longer there, a black orb covered the sun, making every thing fade into a blinding darkness. (I.K.- wow... oxymoron...)
Layla cursed knowing it would take her a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Even when her eyes adjusted, it would be harder for her to spot Umeko even with her Banyou... The sound of metal slicing air reached Layla's ears and a cold sting greeted her on her left shoulder. "Damn."
Concentrating, Layla closed her eyes and tried to find Umeko's footsteps, breathing, heck, her heart beat even! Just something to pinpoint Umeko's position. But, alas, all the silver-haired girl could hear was the occasional rustle of leaves from the wind, birds, and people from Konoha. No Umeko. It was as if she was floating or something... but... that's not possible. ...Is it?
Meanwhile, Umeko was watching the 16 year old struggling to find her. Where was she? Oh she was levitating in a sitting stance, not 10 feet from Layla. Finally deciding to just attack her, Umeko stood up (still levitating) and jetted towards Layla, hands at her sides. When she arrived in front of Layla, she flung her hand and poked (I.K. - HAHAHAHA! That sounds so weird! ... Sorry, continue now.) Layla in the stomach. And with lightning like speed, she closed the chakra points in Layla's body.
"8 strikes... 16 strikes... 32 strikes... 64 strikes!" With the final poke, (I.K.- snickers) Layla fell backwards, a small amount of blood trickled down her chin. Umeko released the Kuroi Hi jutsu, and her eyes went back to normal. Jumping down the tree, Umeko kept an eye on Layla, making sure she'll be able to catch her once she reached the bottom. And, she did.
Placing Layla at the base of the willow, Umeko raked her brain for a healing technique. Umeko's face fell into a sad SD face. Waterfall tears flew freely from the closed eyes. "I don't know any healing techniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiques!"
For an hour, Umeko sat next to the unconscious girl amusing herself with whatever she could find. She built a wood cabin out of sticks and leaves with a complete chimney and pool, threw rocks and twigs at poor, unfortunate birds and/or squirrels, tossed kunai, carved her name at least 57 times in the tree in all the different ways she could think of, balanced a kunai on her nose, poked at a little ladybug, you know, things like that.
"Uh? Wha time is it?" Layla sat up all the way and was tackled to the ground by the Hyuuga.
"THANK KAMI-SAMA! YOU'RE ALIVE! I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU FOR CRIPES SAKE! AND- YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BORED I WAS! HONESTLY! I ALMOST KILLED MY SELF BECAUSE OF THE BOREDOM! HOW THE HELL CAN THAT NARA KID JUST BE STILL FOR HOURS ON END!" Umeko screeched, forgetting that Layla's ears were only a foot away or so.
"Itai..." Layla whispered, "I'm right here you know, Umeko-san, no need to yell to the lightning country..."
"Oh, eh heh, I'm sorry, Layla-chan!" Umeko blinked, "Um, are you ok? Did I hit you too hard?"
Layla smiled then stood up almost flawlessly, "Yeah, I'm fine. But now, I have to go treat Naruto to ramen."
Umeko's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "Ra- Ramen Buddy?" Turning chibi, Umeko latched onto Layla's legs. "Dun do it! You'll be broke!"
"Really? But honestly, I have to go now." Layla said as gentle as she could.
"Yeah, yeah ok. See you later then?" Umeko stood up straight smiling at her friend, waving until the silver-haired girl was out of sight. "Now, what to do?"
An idea lit up in her brain and she grinned. 'I'll pay my dear, ol' teamates a little visit!' Now, Akio Wataru and Jin Akera were Umeko's teammates from her genin years and partially chuunin years. Akio, who was dubbed team leader by Hisoka-sensei because well... Jin and Umeko weren't so... skilled in the leader roll...
Any-who, Umeko made her way westward to Jin's house. Jin was a hyper active child- almost like Naruto- but not so much. Once, Umeko made the mistake of giving Jin one (just one) pixie stick and the house, was no longer a house when Jin's parents came home. So ever since that day, they made the 10 Commandments of Team Hisoka- number 3 being: 'Jin Akera is not allowed to obtain any sort of caffeine, sugar or sweets around innocent civilians.'
Jin was an 19 year old lad now, and reached about 5'6". Umeko heard that he grew his red hair to his shoulders now. Umeko thought that Jin fitted in perfectly with the fire country. His flaming red hair and orange eyes took on an image as fire.
Umeko hummed as she glanced around the small quaint street that Jin lived on- most of the people who lived here were young families with kids in toddler years. She shrugged and kept walking. Soon she reached a semi-small green house. Walking up to the old house, Umeko knocked on the door and waited. Few moments passed and she knocked again. Silence. Umeko's right eye twitched and she kicked the door, sending it off the hinges and smacking into a person.
The Hyuuga girl gasped and ran over to the door and the person squished beneath it. "Kami-sama! Jin are you al- ... You're not Jin..."
A small framed girl pushed herself from the floor and on closer inspection, Umeko saw dirty blonde messy wavy hair and big, blue eyes. Foot steps were heard and Jin came running down the steps with only pants on. "Arisa! Are you ok?"
He helped Arisa up and looked over at Umeko and blinked for 5 seconds and then grinned. "Ume! How's it goin'?" Scooping the Hyuuga into a bear hug, Jin laughed and then set her back down on her feet.
Umeko glanced around Jin to see Arisa looking down at her toes. "Hey. I'm sorry I kicked the door on ya... It's just that dummy didn't answer the door. And by the way- my name's Umeko Hyuuga!"
Arisa looked up and smiled shyly at Umeko, "No, I'm sorry I didn't answer it sooner. And my name's Arisa Suzuku. Pleasure to meet you!"
Umeko grinned broader. "Now, I'm sorry I interrupted your moment and I shall be leaving! Exit stage right!" Leaving the house, Umeko picked up the door and pulled it back into place even though the hinges weren't attached.
'Let's see... where was Akio's house again? ...Wait... I heard he moved into an apartment... or was that a rumor? Why do people start rumors anyway? They're stupid. Makes no sense to lie just to confuse people!' Umeko was lost in her thoughts walking aimlessly throughout Konoha. "Me thinks I shall check his old house first!" Levitating all the way, Umeko landed in front of a three story house and knocked on the door.
A thump, thump, thump of feet going down the stairs reached the Hyuuga's ears. And the door opened to reveal a brown-eyed, brown-haired 18 year old clad in pajamas. Akio's brown hair was messy and tattered. His cheeks and forehead were flushed an unhealthy red. "Oh geez, Akio, what's wrong?"
Akio let his former teammate inside his house and closed the door. "Cold. A very bad cold."
"Oh... well, let me make you something to eat! Hinata-nee is a very good cook..." Umeko walked into the kitchen and searched the kitchen for a pot. Finally she found one and placed it on the heated stove. Then she added water. Digging through the fridge she found carrots, celery, onions, and left over chicken breast. Grinning she grabbed a large kitchen knife and started mutilating -er... chopping up the veggies and putting them into the boiling pot. Next she added the cut up chicken pieces. "Meh... noodles... spaghetti, something pasta like..." Looking up in the food pantry, she spotted ramen noodles... She nodded. "That'll work!"
Umeko snacked the ramen off the shelf and dumped it into the boiling pot. Adding spices to her liking, the Hyuuga stirred the soup round and round causing her to get tired and she started to lull her head. Very boring stuff makes Umeko very tired...
"Ah! DONEEEEE!" Umeko grinned and served soup into a bowl for poor, poor Aki-kun!
Akio winced at the loud scream but nonetheless, he stood up only to see Umeko's grinning face holding a tray with soup, water and toast! "Now! Eat up. I want you to get better faster. So you'll be able to-"
POOF!
A cloud of smoke appeared to the left of Umeko and after the smoke disappeared, Izumo was standing in it's place.
"Umeko! Tsunade-sama needs to see you in her office right away!" Izumo said with a slight bit of panic in his voice.
"Hm. Izumo looks weird without Kotetsu there with him..." Umeko mumbled attempting on tucking a loose bang out of her face. She frowned as it fell right back into the place it was before.
Izumo and Akio sighed. "C'mon, Umeko, we have to leave.. now." Izumo grabbed the girl's upper arm and in a poof of smoke, they were in front of the Hokage's office.
Umeko straightened her clothes and stood up straight. Bringing her hand up, she knocked loudly against the wood of the door.
"Umeko? Come in." Umeko frowned again. 'She sounds... almost pitiful...'
Sliding the door open and closed it once she stepped inside. Strolling up to Tsunade's desk, she stood waiting for what was to come.
However, this wasn't a mission as she expected, nor about her misbehavior. No this was something that she didn't expect at all..
"Umeko..." the Hokage paused to collect her thoughts and then continued in a rare, soft voice,
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"Layla is missing."
I.K. - gasp Layla's missing? If you want to know the whole story, go to this site under 'Bloody Valentine' itachiismyluver
Oh and people, vote for who the pairing is! You don't have to write a comment just put the guy's name... pretty pleassssssssssse?
There's:
Kakashi - 26
Hayate - 23
Kotetsu - 24
Izumo - 24
Gai - 26 shivers
Asuma - 27
Genma - 29
Iruka - 25
or any guy you can find that's over 18 or so...