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

Chapter 7: Of Borders and Lines

I walked through compound with a spring in my step. Although my first day at the academy hadn't gone the smoothest, my encounter with the two civilians had given me a needed boost of normalcy in the headache that was my life. I greeted every Hyūga that I came across, Main and Branch alike, who were a bit startled at my forwardness. It was crazy how a simple encounter could brighten up a miserable day. Helping others, making even the smallest changes in their lives, made me feel as though I had a purpose. Even if it was only today.

Kenta and Satomi met me at the gates to the compound, Satomi as lovely as always and Kenta looking nervous. But I wouldn't let that get me down. Satomi made disparaging comments behind my back, quietly so no one but Kenta and I could hear them, the boy trying to quiet her all the while but I didn't mind. I certainly didn't deserve the insults but as the older person, in spirit at least, I'd look past it.

For now.

We ran into Aunt Mei in the center of the compound talking to some older ladies. They noticeably stiffened as I approached but I gave a smile in greeting regardless.

"Good evening, everyone," I chipped, Satomi copying me in a mocking voice under her breath.

They gave scattered replies before excusing themselves, which struck a little at my mood. However, Aunt Mei gave her full attention to me, briefly glancing over to my pair of shadows with a small smile.

"How was your first day at the academy Junko-hime?" At the question, my smile became slightly strained but I masked it with a bigger one. But before I could explain the situation, Satomi quickly interfered.

"Mei-obachan, Junko-hime was being disrespectful to Ikeda-sensei in genjutsu class," she said, an almost victorious smile on her face.

The older woman frowned, shifting the bag of groceries in her arms. "Is this true?"

It would do nothing for me to lie to her and I didn't have any remorse for my actions so I gave light shrug.

"I suppose my actions could be considered disrespectful, yes."

She regarded me with appraising look then sighed. "We will talk about it later."

"Okay." Satomi deflated at the simple dismal and that filled me with even more joy. Aunt Mei turned to the siblings.

"How was your day Ken-kun, Sato-chan?"

The familiar and easy way she talked to the duo was unlike how she spoke to me. At home, it was all formal- caring, but formal. I convinced myself she must have known them longer as they were older than me, but that familiar spark of alienation found its way into my chest before I could squash it down.

So much for my good mood.

I kept a patient smile on my face as the two talked animatedly to her, looking more relaxed than they had all day. I wonder what it was about me. Did it have to do with my status? It didn't really make sense to me; if anything happened to either Hideyoshi, Hiashi, or Hizashi, the title of clan head would be decided by the other Hyūga elders and appointed to someone else from the Main house if I wasn't around. At least that was the way I think it worked. My 'promotion' was cause for much disdain, that much was clear, but I still didn't know why. Even with Aunt Mei there was a distance between us.

That wasn't all. There was something about me that was too different, and that wasn't even my reincarnated state. It was even in the clothes I wore. Most, if not all, Hyūga stuck to muted earthy colors like browns, tans, and greens, with some dull blue at times. My clothing spanned the rainbow courtesy of my mother, as I had inherited many clothes from her old wardore. Today I was even wearing my favorite lavender yukata, while my cousins were wearing more subtle tans and grays.

Then there were my eyes. While almost all Hyūga had either a lavender or blue tint to their eyes, mine's had an amber, honey tint to it due to my mixed bloodline. Maybe they were worried or angry that my byakugan would be affected by that. That I would ruin the Hyūga clan because of it.

Who knew? They were never happy with anything.

"Mei-obasan," I interrupted as unobtrusively as I could. The trio looked at me as though just remembering my presence.

"I would appreciate it if I could walk to the academy myself from now on."

She frowned again. "Is there a problem?"

Kenta flinched and Satomi shot me a scathing look.

"I just think it's counterproductive," I said, casting a look at the siblings. "As a ninja in training, I should be able to handle myself within the village at least."

It was kind of insulting as an adult, even stuck in a child's body. Although, the high pitched voice and short stature would beg to differ.

Mei looked between the siblings and I before sighing again.

"We will discuss that later as well."

She gave them a parting smile before leading me away to my home that lied farther on the edge of the compound. The trip home was silent, my mood thoroughly dashed into the ground. We didn't talk about what happened at the academy until we were taking our sandals off on the genkan.

"Junko-hime." She stopped me before I could flee to my room. "We still need to talk."

I frowned but followed her into the kitchen. I helped her put away the groceries and soon we were sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea. I had never been that fond of tea in my old life, but now I couldn't get enough of it. I was a sucker for anything with honey or cinnamon in it.

We discussed what happened in genjutsu class; she was mixed about how she felt about it. On the one hand, I had pretty obviously gone against authority with my actions and had verbally argued against Ikeda-sensei. That was a given. But on the other, I had demonstrated a certain amount of skill and initiative that couldn't be ignored.

"While I recognize the reason behind your actions, please understand that your actions have consequences," Mei advised me, lips turned downward in a disappointment. "The elders would not be pleased if they heard about such blatant insubordination."

I couldn't help the scowl that grew on my face. "The elders care only for appearances. I would think they'd be fine with me showing such prowess as a Hyūga."

It was if my words had flipped a switch. Every muscle in my body froze as the air grew cold around me. The familiar pinch of intent caused goosebumps to rise on my arms. And the look on her face…

"You are not to speak of the elders in such a way." Her voice was ice cold and the air grew thin. "They are the reason you live comfortably within the protection of the Branch family. They are the reason you do not share our burden. Never forget that."

My face fell into a mask of submission, because I was afraid. Afraid of what she would do if I did anything else. It wasn't like the oppressive aura Hideyoshi would produce when he'd come over. That was almost absentminded, as though he expected others to bend to his will. This was different. This was frustration and fear. Hatred. All bundled together and targeted at me.

I barely succeed in stopping my lip from quivering as I replied. "Yes, oba-san. I'm s-sorry."

Her face went ashen and twisted in a grimace as the killing intent dissipated from the room. She looked as though she wanted to say something but she simply picked up her cup to finish off her tea. I asked to be excused which she allowed me without a word. I didn't stop until I was down the hallway and in the safety of my room before I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I couldn't care less about how the elders felt; they didn't care about me. They only cared about the potential of my bloodline. Mei had cared about me; for more than half a year we had gotten along, talked, laughed together sometimes. At least, I thought she did.

But I guess that wasn't the point. Maybe she was only here to make sure I was fed and taken care of properly. I knew her disdain towards the Main house, rightfully so, but it was always a quiet thing, exchanged through glimpses and vaguely noticeable gestures.

It wasn't something that was allowed to be spoken outright.

That was it. It had to be. I had no doubt that my actions would reflect poorly on her, as though she was the one putting these thoughts inside my head.

And as much as I didn't want to think about it, maybe these past months were just a ruse.

The next morning seemed to come way too quickly and I ambled into the kitchen for breakfast, fully dressed and tired as hell. Ever since my parents had left to fight on the front lines, I'd have nightmares occasionally; things I don't remember but plagued me when I'd wake up, tearstained, shaking, sweating, and nauseous. It's been over eight months since I'd last seen them, but at times it seems like years. Most days I'm alright but the stress of the academy had jumpstarted them again, along with the family issues.

I wasn't holding it together well as it was and I couldn't imagine how I would if I didn't have an additional twenty-one years of experience already under my belt.

I don't know how much it's helping.

A warm bowl of rice porridge was waiting for me on the table, Aunt Mei's back to me as she worked to prepare a bento for my lunch. I bid her morning quietly which she returned without turning from her task. I had a few hours before I had to get to the academy so I took my time. Mei was focused and quiet while she worked and I hated it. Mother would be humming and singing, dancing even as she cooked or cleaned. I missed it; the music and rhythm that used to pulse around my home. It's too quiet now.

It's stifling.

Mei would never come close to Kimiko or my original mom, especially not now, but I missed being close to someone. The interaction between Kenta, Satomi, and Mei and the incident yesterday had made it clear that I was separate; that I wasn't included in their circle. That even though we were related by blood and by clan, I wasn't wanted. Which only made me miss my parents more.

I lost my appetite and pushed the bowl away, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"Is something wrong, Junko-hime?" Mei asked, placing a finished bento on the table.

"I'm fine. Just not hungry, oba-san," I answered in a neutral voice, threading my fingers together on my lap.

The air was awkward and strained. A nervousness twitched in her face as she looked down at me before she turned away.

"That's okay; I'll just add more to your bento for lunch."

"Okay, oba-san. Thank you." I kept my voice on the edge of a mumble, low but clear.

The room settled back into silence once more. I absentmindedly rolled a marble in my hand before letting my chakra take it away. She had given them to me as a gift but I felt as though I couldn't enjoy them as much as I used to. If you were going to do something begrudgingly, why do it at all? I wondered if she had felt that way when she got them for me. Stuck with child she cared for only in duty. I took a deep breath, stretching my chakra and the marble away from my body.

No matter how old you get, emotions were a confusing and uncontrollable thing at times. While it was certainly easier to control your emotions when you were an adult, well for some, losing control was always more harmful and destructive. And adults always had problems apologizing as their pride wouldn't let them accept they had been wrong, especially to someone younger than them. I had been on both sides of that equation Before.

Just because you get older doesn't mean you have everything figured out. The opposite was more true than not.

I could only feel sympathy towards Mei; she wasn't in the most favorable position any more than I was. But I was only four years old; I couldn't do anything despite all the hype. Really, I was nothing more than a backup plan; once the twins came back and the war was over, they'd probably forget all about me.

"Junko-hime." Her voice startled me, and the marble fell back into my hand. Mei slid the bento to me and took the cold porridge away. "Here's your lunch."

"Thank you." The room went quiet again as I slipped it into my bag on the floor nearby.

There wasn't much I could do before Kenta, and presumably Satomi, came to take me to the academy. We hadn't talked about it yesterday but I could only assume that too was a part of the elders' decisions. I was an investment and it would do no good if I got myself injured or lost. I rolled the marble across the table between my hands as I waited.

Mei went back the sink with the half eaten bowl. "Ken-kun will not be taking you to the academy this morning."

I looked up in surprise. I didn't speak and she didn't turn from her position at the sink.

"The clan has many expectations for you," she said. "It would be counterproductive if you could not handle yourself within the village walls."

I let my face fall when she continued. "You will be expected home before dinner. Ken-kun and Sato-chan will collect you on your sparing days after the academy so that you all can practice your byakugan and jūken."

As the war had taken its toll on available ninja, I only practiced with the dōjutsu every other day when Hideyoshi or one of the other elders could oversee my progress. And plus, eye strain was a high possibility if used often enough. Still, this was better than I could have hoped for.

I kept up my act of neutrality, even though the possibility of freedom made me want to run out of the house.

"Then may I go, oba-san?"

"Yes, but do be careful."

I don't give her time to rethink as I pulled my bag over my shoulder and distanced myself from her and the table. I turned to bid her goodbye at the doorway and waited for a reply before practically skipping to the genkan to pull on my sandals.

"And Junko-hime?"

I looked up as I pulled on my last sandal. Aunt Mei stood behind me, a dish towel wrung between her fair wrinkled hands. I tensed in apprehension as she paused; why won't she just let me leave?

"I apologize for my indiscretion yesterday," she said, bowing lowly.

Will surprises never cease? I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not; was it because she felt guilty of her actions or was that obligatory as well? I was technically of the Main House after all. My stomach churned at the thought.

"I forgive you," I said before she continued, zipping up my sandals before standing as she rose from her bow. I gave her a small cheery smile. It wasn't her fault.

"May I leave now, oba-san?"

I barely caught the look of grief on her face before it cleared. She gave another bow, less deep this time.

"Yes. I will see you once you get home."

I was out the door before she could stop me again.

I had a full hour before classes started so I took my time walking through the village. It was pretty early; merchants were just now opening their stalls for business, employers shouting directions to their employees as they got ready for the day. It was nice and relaxing. It was around the beginning of fall and the weather was cooling down but not terribly so. It was the Land of Fire after all; it wouldn't get cold for another month or two and I was looking forward to the few months of consistent rainfall and cooler weather. I was quite familiar living in hot weather, having lived my entire life in California in my past, but autumn would forever be my favorite season.

A cool breeze brushed my dark hair across my neck. It was startling how content I was by simply walking through the village. It was so tense in the compound and home wasn't home anymore with my parents gone. Sure, civilians barely spared me a glance but it wasn't like the alienation I felt in the compound. The Branch House resented me because I was the part of the Main House now and had essentially 'betrayed' them. The Main House resented me because they were a bunch of elitist pricks who couldn't make up their minds whether they thought my blood was valuable enough to keep around or hated me for it.

I couldn't win with these people.

Even if it was for only a moment, it was nice to be away from all the judgment and expectations.

My languid walk was interrupted by a shout of my name. "Junko-san!"

The voice should have given it away but I was still surprised when I turned around and caught sight of the two civilians from yesterday running toward me. I didn't remember their names.

The girl walked up first with a friendly smile. "Good morning, Junko-san."

"Likewise…" I trailed off, giving her a look. She never introduced herself yesterday. Her fair face lit up in a blush and she bowed slightly, causing one of her braided pigtails to fall over her shoulder.

"Oh! I'm Ueda Akane!" she squeaked. "And this is my friend Fuijoka Noburu."

He threw up a hand in greeting before stuffing it back into a pocket of his dark red pants. He kind of reminded me of Sora from Kingdom Hearts, with his brown hair and bright blue eyes, but his hair wasn't spiky enough.

"Yo."

They stared at me and I stared back, or rather up at them since I just barely came up past their elbows. I didn't know what they wanted. I hadn't been all that social Before, and this new life had not improved my social skills at all. With the age difference, attempts at finding common ground would be difficult. It would take a considerable amount of effort on my part to act like the four-year-old I biologically was, or at least at a child-like level. Something I really didn't want to do.

"Was there something you needed from me?" I asked, tilting my head out of habit.

They shared a look before Noburu nudged Akane, who shyly ducked behind him. He sighed.

"Akane wanted to know if you would walk to the academy with us."

Today was coming to be a very interesting day and it wasn't even afternoon yet. The sandy blonde peeked from behind Noburu's shoulder. Honestly, I was done entertaining people, especially with what happened yesterday and this morning. I wanted some time alone more than anything else. But the look in her eyes stirred the more empathetic side of me.

"Sure, I don't mind Ueda-san," I said and she perked up instantly.

"Oh, you can call me Akane." A smile bloomed across her face. "And you can just call him Noburu, he doesn't mind."

He gave a bored shrug in response, watching me carefully as though I might take it back. But I smiled sincerely at them.

"Alright then. Let's go Akane-san, Noburu-san."

Author's Notes

Posted/Edited: September 10th, 2016

Minor edits: January 29th, 2017

...

As always, thanks to all who've followed and added this story to their favorites.

Reviews:

Thanks to k123, Ceralyn, 372259, LaStranger, UniCryin, jewell01, Guest, and MyNameisLaura for reviewing on the last or previous chapters. I appreciate it!

-To Guest: There will be romance later on down the road if that's what you're looking for in this story. For now, please enjoy some relationship and character development.

-To UniCryin: I haven't addressed the marbles but they will definitely have a use later on. I was planning on mixing them with fuinjutsu, so you're basically in my head. Although, Junko will definitely need a teacher for that sort of thing. I wonder who could fill that role, hmm?

I hope Mei's outburst didn't seem to come from left field. As a member of the Branch Family, she has her own responsibilities and expectations to work through. And she's very instilled into the traditions of the Hyūga as well.

In other news, as of posting this chapter, I have started on the second arc of For a Chance at Happiness. I have about eight chapters left of this arc (that I still have to edit) so I hope you guys look forward to it. Also, I have some questions for you guys.

1. How do you guys feel about the length of the chapters? Are they alright lengthwise or do you prefer longer chapters? The chapters I have are usually between 3k and 3.5k words, sometimes a little longer; I can foresee the only problems with longer chapters than this would be the time to write and edit them, thus I wouldn't be able to update as quickly as I've been.

2. Would you like to read interludes following the other characters, like Mei, Kenta, Satomi, or any upcoming characters? Or would you prefer to stick with Junko's perspective all the way through?

3. I might make a poll for this, but what kind of art sites do you like to frequent? I kind of want to post some art or doodles I've done for this story of the characters. Maybe I'll make a deviantart for it.

Let me know your thoughts.

Next time on a For a Chance at Happiness:

Chapter 8: Of Cliques and Fighting Fists

{in which our protagonist learns about civilian life and that the academy is no joke}