Obligatory Disclaimer: The series Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto; I only own the OCs, picture, and this story.

Chapter 3: Of Routines and Realizations

The days following my parents' departure were the hardest, as one would expect. They promised at the gates that they would try to write me letters whenever they could but I knew I wouldn't expect anything for several months. I had told them not to worry about me and to focus on protecting each other and their teammates. But to that, they had said it was a parent's job to worry about their children, and I couldn't exactly argue.

I told them I loved them with a smile and watched as they walked through the gates along with the other platoons of shinobi who had all said their goodbyes. A nameless Hyūga had taken my hand and led me back to the compound, back to my empty home where I barricaded myself in my room for the rest of the day.

I had cried myself to sleep that night and several nights after that.

The woman who had been taking care of me was named Mei, one of my aunts and my father's oldest sister. Father had been born with four sisters, none of which I had a real connection to. After my 'adoption' into the Main family, most of them had become distant from my little family, not that they were all that close to begin with. I wasn't sure of the real reason as Father and Mother tried to keep that stuff away from me, but I assumed that they believed him to be a traitor to the Branch family. As though he had sided with their masters.

How petty and misguided.

I wasn't so sure about Mei. Although she had shown no ill-will towards me, I was still wary of her. From what I remembered from the series, the Branch family had a deep seated hatred for the Main family. It was justified considering everything the other half of the clan put them through, but would they really take their frustrations out on me?

Mei had given me all the space I needed, even going as far as to set food outside my room when I wouldn't answer her knocking on the door. I could hear her move about the house, purposefully making noise so I would know she was still here. It wasn't until about a week later that I fully came out of my room. My eyes were sore and probably very red from my almost nonstop cycle of sleeping and crying, but the world was still turning outside my door and sitting in my room wouldn't make my parents come back any sooner.

I stepped into the hallway and walked to the kitchen where I could hear the woman cooking something on the stove, the rhythmic scrapping of a wooden spatula against a pan echoing down the hall. Standing in the entry way, I watched as she moved with the grace of a skilled kunoichi. There wasn't a sound to her step as she moved alongside the stove top, the smell of miso soup heavy in the air. I didn't know what to say; I was so embarrassed of my actions. I was technically twenty-four years old; I should act better than this. But my three-year-old emotions were too much to handle.

I just missed them so much.

I clutched onto my wrinkled yukata, the same pale green yukata I had been wearing when my parents had left, as a new onslaught of tears threatened to fall.

"Junko-hime," a soft voice startled me. I blinked up at the woman who was now standing in front of me. She crouched down, maintaining all the grace expected of a Hyūga woman.

"You must be hungry," she smiled with a small earnest upturn of her lips. Just like Father. "Why don't you come and eat; and then we can get you cleaned up, okay?"

I gave a nod and let her lead me to the table where a bowl of miso soup and a side of rice and vegetables were waiting. We exchanged no words as I ate and as soon as I was done, she had dumped me in the bath and scrubbed me down until my too pale skin turned a hot pink. What a terrifying woman.

With a full stomach and fresh yukata, I felt better than I had all week. Of course, I still missed my parents terribly but I was able to think with a much clearer head. I sat on the porch to collect my thoughts while Mei busied herself cleaning the remains of lunch. There wasn't much I could do about the war, especially with my pitiful child physique. But since it was wartime, I expected that I would be attending the Academy soon enough, probably in the next year or so.

I needed to set up a routine. It was how I had gotten through my rough patches during college; stick to a schedule that would distract me from all the negative feelings about the war -the possibly of my mother and father being killed, lying in pools of their own blood as enemy ninja stood laughing over their corpses-, the future, and the absence of my parents. I was sure that the Hyūga wouldn't let me sit idle just because my parents were gone; more likely, they would be watching me constantly. I was a potential clan head after all.

Mei and I set up a sort of routine.

Every morning I would meet with her in the kitchen for breakfast. I had been the first to break the silence between the both of us. After my stint of isolation and avoidance, I took it upon myself to set a good, or well, better impression for her. I couldn't do much in helping her in the kitchen as I was still a very tiny child, so instead we would chat about random topics while she cooked. She told me a bit about herself; being the oldest of the siblings, she had taken charge of their little family after their father had fallen during the Second Shinobi War and their mother had collapsed in her grief. That role hadn't changed even when the others had grown old enough to take care of themselves and entered the shinobi forces. However, she was not a shinobi herself which I hadn't expected.

"Why not Mei-obasan?" I questioned with a light tilt of my head. "I thought most Hyūga were ninja."

She paused in her stirring, the bubbling of the soup the only sound in the room until she spoke.

"I wasn't suitable for the responsibilities that come with being a kunoichi, that's all."

There was, at least to me, a noticeable tightening around the wooden spoon she held and a slight edge to her voice. It wasn't something she was comfortable talking about and I respected that. We moved onto safer topics from then on. Sometimes she would forget that she was indeed talking to a three-year-old and would pause during our conversations and give me this look, similar to how Mother and Father would when I first started learning how to talk. It was funny.

After breakfast was cleaned up, I would go study for hours by myself while she went off to the market or went to take care of other business. With neither my aunt or parents' home, I was still wary about what I did and said around the house; I did live in a clan of all-seeing ninja. They didn't even need to be close to see what I was doing, which was why I had taken to doing brief physical training stints in the hour that she was gone. I had to show out after all and Mei was against me training, for the same reasons my parents had been. But I couldn't help it. I needed to get better.

She had given me a slight stink eye when she had returned one time and found me almost passed out in the backyard from fatigue. Before I knew it, I had been gathered up and dumped into the bath, my skin once again scrubbed raw.

Aunt Mei didn't even need ninja training to be scary.

On certain days, I focused on several topics, ranging from math to chakra theory, while on others I would study geography, history, and literature, though those really went hand in hand. Every other day, I would build my chakra control under Aunt Mei's careful supervision. My reserves seemed to be developing faster than expected, especially after I added the short physical training into my schedule.

Things had become much more manageable. Yeah, I still cried at night sometimes but I was getting better. The routine held for several weeks until Mei put a cork in it. I was going to my usual spot on the porch when she pulled me back inside.

"What is it oba-san?" I asked as I noticed the troubled look on her face.

"You are a very ambitious child Junko-hime," she said, pulling the scroll on chakra theory and cushion from my arms. "But you are still just that, a child."

I frowned. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all." A look of pity crossed her face. "I'm sure Hideyoshi-sama and the elders would be quite proud of your achievements."

At the mention of the current clan head, her face twisted slightly in a grimace before smoothing out. "But I'm even more sure that your father would not want you to push yourself so hard."

I winced. I still hadn't received a word from them, but I had expected as much. It was war after all, not vacation. When they were home, they would never let me train and study all day. We'd play games both physical and mental, or just relax in the backyard. Sometimes Mother would purposely start a game of hide and seek in the compound against Father. In essence, it was just a game of stealth and evasion since he had the byakugan but it was fun. So much fun.

Even though I enjoyed time with Aunt Mei, it wasn't the same. It seemed like forever ago that I genuinely laughed or smiled; that I was truly happy.

She continued. "Although you have the makings of an excellent kunoichi, you are still human. Please do not forget that. Do not give up that part of you so easily."

I looked at her. Pale white eyes with a hint of lavender stared back at me. There was something there that I wasn't privy to, but her concern for me seemed genuine.

"Okay, oba-san. I won't." She gave me an earnest smile.

"Well then, why don't you come to the market with me today? You haven't seen much of Konoha, have you?"

I shook my head; the first time I had even been out of the compound was when I was bidding my parents goodbye and had secluded myself in my home since then.

Mei gave me another pitying smile. "Let's go then, shall we?"

Out of the compound, Konoha was similar to how it was illustrated in the series but even more larger than life. Even with the war going on, life continued; citizens busily moved back and forth through the streets and children ran in between the legs of adults to get to wherever they were going. We even passed Ichiraku Ramen on our way to the main market. I had paused to stare at the building, slightly fangirling at the sight. It was an important place in the series, visited by generations of amazing ninja. Aunt Mei had paused as well since I was holding her hand but tugged me along, taking me on a scenic route through the village.

It was so different; it was so alive, unlike how quiet and subdued my home had become. I had forgotten that it was possible to be so alive, that there were things beyond my textbooks and scrolls. That an entire world existed beyond the walls of the compound.

Mei asked me what I wanted for lunch and dinner as we walked through the marketplace though I had no preferences. I was never a picky eater, not even in my last life. Though someone close to me had been; she could barely eat a meal without changing something about it. We had been close, if only I could remember her name…

My thoughts were interrupted when I was pushed roughly from behind. I managed to catch myself against one of the food stalls clumsily as a dark haired boy stumbled and ate dirt a few feet away. He looked a few years older than me, though that was all I could tell as his face was planted in the road. He released a long groan and pushed himself up as I rubbed my arm.

Just when I was having a good day. I narrowed my eyes but sighed as the boy began spitting out what seemed to be wads of dirt. Gross.

"Junko-hime, are you alright?" My aunt's cool hand was on my possibly bruised arm before I knew it. She had begun to pull up the sleeve of my yukata before I could confirm or deny, but I didn't bother saying a word as I watched the boy stand. Aunt Mei's eyes followed mine and narrowed dangerously.

Oh no.

She moved with a quickness that could rival any active shinobi on their best day. Within the blink of an eye, she was gone from my side and had snatched the boy up by the ear. He squeaked in surprise and she began to lecture him on the spot in a quiet but stern voice. I watched this unfold for a few moments before taking pity on the boy. Her lectures weren't as bad as her baths but by the way the boy's already fair skin began to pale, he was very unprepared for the whirlwind that was Mei Hyūga. She was pro at handling children; one way or another. That boy would never run into another person after this for the rest of his life. Maybe.

"Mei-obasan," I began. "I am alright. I'm sure the boy has learned his mistake."

Aunt Mei turned to look at me with a frown on her face, her fingers pinched around the boy's earlobe who stood frozen in place.

I gave a smile that I hoped was disarming. "It was just an accident."

The boy suddenly came back to life, shaking his head viciously even though his ear was still captured.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm so sorry. I was just in a hurry because today my team is being sent out on a mission outside the gates-" he paused to take a breath, "-but I'm running late because I had to help my grandmother out with the laundry this morning, and this little girl asked me to help her find her lost stuffed kitten toy, and I couldn't say no, so-"

"That is enough Uchiha child," my aunt interrupted him. I was tired just from hearing him talk so fast.

What a second, Uchiha?

I took closer look at the boy. Though his face was covered in dirt, he had the features I remember the infamous clan having, dark hair and black eyes set in a fair face. He was wearing a mostly blue outfit with orange accents and I had no doubts that the fan was probably stitched into the back of his shirt. My first meeting with an Uchiha and he nearly runs me over. This was a great sign for future clan relations.

I moved to stand by Aunt Mei as the boy bowed, multiple apologies falling from his mouth. Shaking my head, I lifted a hand to pause his rambling.

"I accept your apology; I know it was an accident. I'm pretty small, so you probably didn't see me. Now, aren't you late for something?"

He paused and stared at me, realizing how young I was. I sighed and gave him a deadpan stare.

"Something important?"

The boy's eyes widened and he took off, yelling another apology as he rushed down the street, his voice remaining even as he disappeared around a corner. What an odd kid.

It wasn't until I was back in the comfort of my home within the compound that I realized that I had been just run over by one Obito Uchiha.

Oh no.

Author's Notes:

Posted/Edited: August 22, 2016

Minor editing: January 27th, 2017

I'm trying a variety of formatting styles until I find one that I like; I'm feeling this one since it lets readers get into the story and leaves the housekeeping for later. Let me know what you think.

Thank you for all the favorites and follows. I appreciate it!

Reviews:

Thanks to k123, I Growl for Fun, Morietachibana, and xxOchibixx for reviewing.

In regards to xxOchibixx's question: there will be romance in this story for our little protagonist but that won't be for a long time. And it won't be easy; life can only get more complicated for her here on out.

Next time on For a Chance at Happiness:

Chapter 4: Of Ghosts and Legends

{in which decisions have to be made}