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

Chapter 37: Of New Bonds

I didn't remember much from the night prior and waking up suddenly in my bed was disorientating.

Before I could sort through my scattered memories, my mind reminded me of training with my new teammates this morning, and I swiftly dragged myself out of bed. I spared a thoughtful prayer for a swift recovery for Shisui's father as I started my day and hoped to see my friend in better spirits the next time we crossed paths.

I shared a modest breakfast with Riku and Father, who confirmed that he had saw to the Uchiha's safe return to the hospital, so I was glad that my sleepy mumblings had helped in any way- even if I couldn't remember half of it. I only spared Mother's absence a single sad thought before pulling myself together and getting ready for the long day ahead of me.

Or rather a long week.

Because the week that passed was more of the same; frustrating training sessions with my teammates and an increasingly worrisome lack of Mother. On the days I didn't have training with Anko and Shichirou, I continued my training under the tutelage of Hizashi and disdainful eye of Hideyoshi. Father sat in on some of my sessions and despite all this, I didn't have the heart to ask of Mother's whereabouts, the only solace of her safety being Father's calm demeanor and her own handwritten letters left on the counter alongside homecooked meals still warm from the stove.

A week to worry and overthink.

I was covered in soot from a successful mission gone awry as I shuffled my way into the house, an equally sooty Riku trailing happily behind me.

"I'm home," I called into the house as I slipped off my sandals, not expecting a response.

It was usually a hit or miss whether Father was home when I returned from missions, so I wasn't expecting a voice to call back. And definitely not two feminine voices in unison.

"Welcome back Junko-chan!"

Riku and I perked up simultaneously hearing Kushina and Mother's voices from the kitchen, the hound bounding ahead of me as I hesitated at the genkan. Listening to the women exclaim about the sooty state of my companion, I let my eyes trail down to my stained toes, contrasting with the rest of my pale feet. Apprehension grew in the pit of my stomach alongside the relief, like toothpaste and orange juice. Things reasonable on their own but sickening together.

While I was happy to see them, those ugly feelings I had buried away had started to resurface, growing as I forced myself forward. They're probably sharing more secrets that they're hiding from you, whispered nastily in my ear, while another snickered, They abandoned you.

Completely irrational.

Taking a deep breath and shaking my head, I mustered the best smile I could, latching tightly to positivity as the two redheads came into view. Mother was stationed near the doors to the porch deck, having let the soot-covered dog out into the garden before he could shake anymore ash onto the floor and Kushina was sat at the table, gracing me with a warm smile that transformed my own into something more genuine.

Kushina looked bigger despite it only being a few weeks since I had last seen her in Minato's new office, I noticed immediately. I did a few quick calculations in my head; since it was the beginning of June, she should be about five months away from her due date, but it already looked like Naruto was coming along nicely- which was weird to think about in that way. My feet dragged me over to the pregnant woman and I rested my forehead lightly on her occupied belly.

"Your new teammates are dragging you through the mud huh," she said, a laugh on her lips.

I simply let out a sigh which I hoped conveyed everything I felt on the matter, causing another laugh to sprout from the Uzumaki. At least she was in a good mood.

Mother came behind me unnoticed, which I blamed on my physical and mental exhaustion. Though she gripped my shoulders gently, I turned to her with a startled jolt as I looked up at her. And as I expected, there was a sad glint in her eye as she smiled down at me.

As always. I couldn't remember the last time she'd hadn't looked at me with sadness in her amber eyes.

"Why don't you take a soak in the bath while we take care of dinner and Riku? You look like you need it." She offered and I felt my head dip in agreement.

"Alright; thank you kaa-chan."

I was only half aware of Kushina and my mother talking behind me as I turned and drifted down the hallway. I stopped by my room to grab a simple light blue dress from my closet and when I arrived in the bathroom, the tub was already full and steam was rising from it surface. How did she do it?

I washed off the soot the best I could before sinking into the tub. My muscles cried in relief as I melted into the lavender scented water. I didn't know how Shun dealt with those two for as long as he had. If I had to give them one thing, they had been the only ones in this new life who had been able to make me almost break my mask. Though I was ninety percent sure that Anko was doing it purposefully, like it was her only goal in life.

Though she was overly friendly, I couldn't help but feel targeted by her. Perhaps linked to her idol worship of the one who shall not be named, but maybe she was feeling threatened by me? Although she had no trouble from me in that regard, she could have all the attention from snake man she wanted, the amount of attention he had given me had obviously sparked some kind of one-sided grudge.

As if I didn't have enough problems.

It had become more obvious with today's round of missions. Anko had purposefully sabotaged every mission so far, with me as her target instead of Shichirou. Perhaps a test of how far she could push me.

We'd gotten a mission to take care of a retired ninja's house on behalf of his non-shinobi relatives after his passing. I guess the commission's office thought it suitable for us since the poor old man had only ever been promoted to chūnin in his forty years of life. His family had requested we clear out the old little shack he had spent the last of his days so they could take the heirlooms back to their family home. When Anko had (rudely) asked why they couldn't do it themselves, the matriarch of the family had explained that the man had become very paranoid before his death and so it had become dangerous for the family to clear out the rest of the house.

Ninja were dangerous no matter what rank they were, especially to civilians.

It had been quick work with my byakugan and Riku's nose as I directed my teammates to successfully diffuse every trap that was present. It should've been a short and sweet mission with an easy paycheck. But of course, it could not be that easy despite the fact that it was a d-rank. But by accident, as she claimed, Anko had tripped up on the diffusion, sending the small attic of the house crashing down on us. Although it had been easy to avoid the falling beams, the decades worth of dust and soot hadn't been easy to avoid whatsoever.

As the shack finally came down, Shichirou, Riku, and I had become the source of laughter of a completely clean Anko, ending the mission with a pay cut and scolding from the council and a pitying glance from Minato.

Maybe I needed see if I could learn a wind release jutsu. Just in case.

I sunk deeper and dunked myself under the water, allowing it to cocoon around me in its warmth for a moment before remerging. I would have to deal with that attitude sooner rather than later, especially with the big mission coming up in less than a week. With that man's attendance I was almost certain that Anko would calm her shenanigans, but I couldn't be completely sure.

I stepped into the kitchen, only somewhat refreshed but definitely cleaner than I had been. A newly washed and dried Riku was sucking up to Kushina, his large head laying on her lap as she showered him in head scratches. Mother smiled at me when I walked over to the table and ushered me into a chair, brandishing a brush from somewhere on her person. I was struck with overwhelming nostalgia as she combed through my damp hair and I could feel her chakra tingle against my scalp as she pulled the remaining water from my hair. It was comforting in a way that I didn't realize that I'd missed, and I found myself dozing off until a little tug to my completed braid woke me up from my mini stupor.

"Lunch now, naps can come later Junko-chan," Mother teased lightly, and I straightened in my seat as a plate of deliciousness was placed onto the table, which perked me up instantly.

Ignoring Mother and Kushina's amused giggles, I gave thanks and the food was gone within minutes, a second helping almost gone as soon as it arrived on my plate. Fully sated, I felt a second wind come as I looked between the two redheads, before turning to Kushina as Mother took my plate to the sink.

"I'm surprised that Minato-sama let you come here without at least a platoon of shinobi camping outside," I began, pulling my long braid over my shoulder.

I was sure he had ANBU following her just out of sight but was too tired to try and see if I could seek them out. Kushina chuckled.

"Oh he tried, I'm sure he has a couple about but the compound is one of the safest places in the village. Nothing to worry about, dattebane."

I nodded; despite how the Hyūga may have felt about the new Hokage, they would make it their duty to keep his wife and child safe.

"It is good to see you doing well in any case," I nodded to myself. "Are you and kaa-chan taking a break from cryptography duties?"

I wasn't going to push them into telling me anything, knowing that it wouldn't get me anywhere, but I could try to be sociable before their tightly held secrets forced me to retreat. At my question, a mischievous grin pulled at her face and I found my own brows rising questioningly as Mother returned to the table, a similar grin on her face, much better than the sad tinged façade she usually sported. The redheads shared a glance at each other before Mother put her hands on her hips, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"I may have been working on obtaining a little early birthday present for you, but if you're too tired, we can always do this later."

I perked up instantly at the mention of a present and the women laugh when I jump out of my seat.

I was lucky that they weren't going to tease me any longer as Mother motioned to follow her out into the backyard, Kushina and Riku following behind. An excitement I hadn't felt in a long time tingled under my skin; similar to when Kushina had brought up the prospect of learning fūinjutsu a couple of years back. It seemed like the stage for whatever they were planning was already set up as we all gathered onto the porch deck.

The expanse of our yard between the deck and the garden was bare of any grass for training purposes but today it was covered in a large scroll that took up half the space. I could tell that it was ancient with a glance even with the fading light of the day, many of the characters on its surface faded with time, but somewhat legible. A certain aura came from it as well and with a few more moments of examination, I realized what it was.

"A summoning contract?" I asked, eyes widening as I looked to Mother for confirmation.

I hadn't known that Mother even had one, though I suppose it was always a possibility due to her lineage. I definitely never thought I'd have the chance to have one considering the Hyūga-centric life I had lived thus far, which had only ever focused on taijutsu and the byakugan.

Mother beamed down at me, noting my excitement. "I was going to save it for once you completed your chūnin exams but I figured it wouldn't hurt for you to have it now."

My mind churned with ideas of what it could be as Mother and I stepped onto the dirt below, Kushina and Riku staying on the lifted deck. Though that was quickly replaced with an air of seriousness as she turned to me once we stepped in front of the scroll.

"The Owls have worked besides the Nishimura clan for generations, having once been settlers of this land in ancient days, and protectors of its forests and skies for thousands of years," Mother began solemnly. "The contract first formed with the clan's founder, Nishimura Kazuo, and henceforth each contractor since has taken the same vow, which I and my mother before me have pledged as well."

Grandmother Miu, the dark haired, golden eyed woman from the altar back at the Senju manor reappeared in my mind's eye. My back straightened, the importance of the event falling on me heavily as she continued.

"The Owls bring protection and wisdom to those who enter their parliament, but only to those who swear to uphold their values, of protecting the forests and those who live in them as those before."

Her golden eyes met mine.

"Hyūga Junko, do you vow to take this oath, following in the burdens of descendants before you?"

Was there really any question there? I had already taken dozens of burdens since my birth, both knowingly and unknowingly. What was one more?

"Yes okaa-chan," I said, and an easy smile overtook her face and her shoulders relaxed.

"I thought you would," she grinned, then motioned to the scroll. "As proof of your acceptance, please write your name to complete the contract."

Stepping towards the end of the scroll, I let my eyes rest of my grandmother's name, Miu Nishimura and Mother's, Kimiko Senju, before settling on the empty space besides them. I channeled a bit of chakra into my thumbnail and made a small incision into my pointer finger allowing blood to flow. I knelt down into the dirt and with a few swipes of my finger, my name was written in red besides my Mother's. There was a sting, only briefly as my finger pressed against the ancient paper, like the chakra within was passing into me through it.

I assumed that it was the chakra in my blood interacting with the inherent energy in the scroll that caused it to glow briefly before drying, turning black. Even in the dimming lights, I couldn't help but notice how my mother and I's names stood out like interlopers in the sea of Nishimuras. Just like us in the Hyūga.

Straightening, I was distracted by Kushina's excited clapping and Riku's barking. Shaking my head at their antics, I looked down at my finger which was fully healed, possibly from the chakra in the scroll itself, before looking up at my mother who had gone silent. She wore a curious expression, the smile still on her face but much softer.

As our eyes met, she lightly rested her hand atop my head, ruffling my hair.

"You know, I never got to share this moment with my mother, so I'm glad I was able to share it with you," she said simply, casually and yet my throat closed up slightly at her implication. But I smiled in returned.

"Me too. Thank you for sharing this with me."

She pulled her hands away, clapping her hands as though to dissolve the seriousness of the tender moment before glancing at the skyline which the sun had disappeared behind.

"Why don't you try it out? I'm sure they're expecting you."

A tone of excitement had slipped into her voice again, and I wonder idly what other surprises she could have in store for me but nodded all the same. She rolled up the giant scroll with ease to give me room and stepped away while I scrubbed through my brain for notes about summoning as I lifted my hands together. The hand signs were easy to remember, but from the series, I also remembered that the amount of chakra used correlated to the size of the summon.

I couldn't imagine how big the Owls could get, remembering the slugs and toads from the series from the other sannin. So pulling a moderate amount of chakra from my core, my hands flashed through five seals before I pressed it to the earth. And the results were instant.

I took a short hop backwards as a large poof of smoke rose from the seal, accompanied by a powerful surge of chakra. A strong gust of wind easily dissipated the dust to reveal one of the most powerful beings I had come to meet in this world thus far. The owl was easily over six feet tall, towering over me and Mother. I was instantly caught within its eyes, wholly black and infinitely wise, stark against the pale white of its face. The rest of its body was covered in white and dark brown feathers, instantly reminding me of the staff Father had given to me.

A voice vibrated in my ears, in my very bones, startling me with its intimacy.

"Hello there young Junko," a distinctively male voice chuckled, seemingly amused at my awed state. "Welcome to the Parliament."

"Thank you for allowing me to join," I responded automatically, my mind blown.

I knew these beings existed but never thought of the possibility of having one by my side. And I knew that there were special animals in this world who could use human speak, Pakkun being one example, but this was something else entirely.

"It's good to see you again, Sota," Mother said behind me, coming to rest her hands on my shoulders.

The large owl nodded. "Agreed. It has been a while since you've needed my services has it not?"

"For good reason," she laughed lightly. "My missions require a bit more stealth these days."

"I suppose your brood will make better use of me," the being responded, turning to me.

I smiled, still somewhat baffled at the scene. "Thank you in advance."

He nodded again, the amusement in the voice so out of sorts with the blank face of the large bird. He stared at me for a moment longer and I didn't know what he saw, but it seemed to see me inside and out, on a deeper level than even the byakugan could.

"I'm sure Kimiko-chan has already told you about the vow, my being here being a result of that," he continued. "And now I will present you with your first task."

There was more? He let out another amused chuckled that rattled my bones and lifted one large wing to reveal another much smaller owl that was hidden behind a large, dangerous taloned foot, not even coming up to my knees. I couldn't help the surprised gasp as a similar round white face and deep black eyes peered around it to look at me.

So cute!

"This here is my daughter Miki," the large owl said, nudging the little owl who hopped forward and stared up at me with endless eyes. "New contractors are first tasked with introducing juvenile owls to this world, not only so that they can get used to its ebb and flow but for you as well to know our own."

This piqued my interest immediately.

"Is the chakra from your homeland different than this realm?" I asked.

Although I knew that summoning domains weren't exactly separate from this world, they were almost ethereal lands that were largely untouched by humans, the only exceptions being those with contracts. Could that have something to do with it? Sota's large eyes crinkled in what I could guess was a smile.

"You surely take after your mother," he chuckled again with a nod. "You are not wrong. The home of the Owls, in the Ural Forests, is a site of mostly pure chakra. When humans are added to the mix, along with their machineries, things tend to get muddled."

I nodded in understanding; chakra manipulation and release had invisible effects on the world around us. I often saw it in my altered sight, little after images of people's and animals' movement through the world though they usually dispersed a while later. Maybe it had more of an impact than I initially thought.

Something to ruminate on later.

"The bond between the Owls and the contractors are deeper than surface level," he continued. "We can also become your eyes and ears, so you must get used to our chakra as well. You have already experienced a fraction of this through our conversation tonight. Miki will be your companion for this endeavor."

That must've been the sting I felt when I had signed the contract, a small transference of chakra. And why his voice vibrated in my head without my ears picking up anything. Letting my eyes return to the quiet little owl, she took a few more hesitant hops forward until she was within reach. I was probably one of the first humans she had ever met. I smiled gently at her.

"I'm Hyūga Junko. I appreciate you working with me Miki-san. I hope we get along."

There was no accompanying voice, but the small owl inched closer still, looking at me with those round eyes of hers. I was reminded briefly of my first meeting with Riku and was hit with another bout of nostalgia.

Until it was interrupted by a voice coming to tingle in my head and a sharp nip at my fingertips, causing me to jerk back into Mother, who caught me with a soft snicker.

"…Your chakra is weird," a soft young voice whispered in my head.

What did she mean by that? I blinked back down at her, not really knowing how to respond. Though luckily, I didn't have to.

Sota's large wing came down on the owlet's head, causing her to make an audible squeak.

"Really now? That's the first thing you say to your companion?" her father said, exasperated, and an amused smile lifted my lips at the display. "I taught you better than that."

"Sorry…"

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

It was surreal how human they were in their mannerisms, despite being largely separate from us. Maybe it was due to contractors interacting with them throughout the centuries. How strange. Miki ruffled her feathers, settling them back into place before returning her eyes to me.

"Sorry, Junko-san," she said, "Please take care of me."

The larger owl let out another sigh.

"Establishing a strong bond is imperative for both of your sakes." He looked down at Miki especially. "Please take it seriously."

"Yes sir," we chorused.

Sota nodded again. "That will be all for tonight; I am well aware that humans need their sleep. You will too Miki if you want to succeed in helping Junko."

Miki nodded, eyeing me one more time before hopping back to her father and hiding behind his large wings once more, overtaken by his shadow.

"I look forward to seeing your growth."

With a burst of chakra and a gust of wind, they were gone. And with their absence, a deep exhaustion overcame me, and I leaned against my mother's hold as the errant leaves stirred by their exit settled.

"Takes a lot out of ya doesn't it," Mother laughed lightly as she wrapped her arms around me and I simply nodded against her stomach.

I didn't know what to expect from this task Sota had given me, though I certainly didn't expect for Miki to be in my face as I woke up the next morning or subsequent mornings of that week. Apparently, their supposed dismissal had been a ploy, as Miki remained on our side of the world, her stay here supported by a mixture of my chakra and her father's, so that she could remain without issue. Mother had assured me that Miki couldn't or wouldn't stray too far away from me because of our tenuous bond, so any worries about her getting into trouble as she explored our world was easily assuaged.

Other than the night I had summoned her, I hadn't heard her say anything else, but her presence was a constant nudging in the back of my mind, as though she had rented space inside my head. It wasn't exactly comfortable- but Mother had assured me that it was a part of the process. If I were to compare it to anything, I'd say it was similar to the blind spot that the byakugan had- always present and glaringly obvious.

Although I didn't hear a word from the owlet, her feelings transferred through our link intermittently. I could be walking through the village running errands and feel a sudden ping of excitement. And if I touched that link, reached towards that spot in my mind, I could see, albeit briefly, through her eyes of whatever had caught her fancy- whether it be workers in the market, fellow shinobi traveling atop the rooftops, or, more often than not, food.

Her feelings for my teammates were quite the opposite, Anko's exuberance and Shichirou's lukewarmness ruffled her feathers, as it were, her distain traveling over the link as she often peered at us from the outskirts of the training grounds. Miki adamantly refused to enter the boundary of the intricate seal work that spread underneath, which simultaneously validated my own suspicions of the place and strengthen my wariness. Though luckily, through the owlet's open connection with me, whatever matter of bull Orochimaru had pulled with his cursed ground was much easier to overcome.

She similarly stayed distant when we went on our d-rank missions, preferring to watch Anko's shenanigans from the sidelines. Neither of my teammates seemed to notice her presence which I attributed to some skill her kind had, becoming one with the trees and leaves around her, so they'd never met her in the week before our main mission and I wasn't willing to push the little owlet out of her comfort zone, when we hadn't even gotten that close.

Though that would soon end as the day of our mission arrived.

I awoke with a mild headache and no appetite but trudged through a tense breakfast with my parents, Miki watching me from her newly acquired roost while Riku ate his own without a care in the world. It was quiet and somber between the dog's chomping, like the morning of a funeral instead of what should be a standard mission. Their worries remained locked behind tight lipped smiles and last-minute hugs and kisses for good luck, alongside checks and double checks of my equipment, unused to me being away for such a long time.

Father had gifted me a new addition to my outfit, in the form of a high-quality leather spaulder that was strong enough to protect my shoulder from Miki's sharp talons but flexible enough so it didn't impede my maneuverability. Since we would be going out of the village, her father had insisted that she stay by my side and not wonder during her own brief visits to her home realm, to ease the burden on my reserves.

I didn't think we would get close enough for her to actually settle on my shoulder willingly, but I wore it anyways to get used to it. Even after a week of her 'supervision', I was still unsure of her feelings towards me. It had taken my entire day off getting used to her weight when we tried it out, her stubbornly refusing to move from her perch unless absolutely necessary until it was time to go to bed.

Miki was kinda spiteful.

Getting out of the house was a surprisingly stressful endeavor than going into the great unknown with a psychopath for a teacher. I returned their muted smiles with one of my own before heading out with my animal companions. Heading towards the mission tower, I was surprised at how easy it was to fall into work mode, all reservations falling to the wayside as I left the compound.

…

It didn't take long for Anko and Shichirou to join me in front of the tower, the later almost comically out of breath, causing Miki to send another bout of distain over the line from where she was hidden in the trees. Anko babbled loudly as we climbed the stairs, the boy and I sending apologetic glances over to the chūnin on duty. I took comfort in the presence of Minato's chakra just beyond the door despite the sharpness of Orochimaru's nearby.

Stopping Anko before she could barge in, I knocked and waited for Minato's comforting voice to allow us entry. The other kunoichi bounded to the snake man all smiles and puppy dog eyes and I fought the urge to sigh as I approached the Hokage's desk, flanked by Shichirou and Riku. I wasn't surprised to meet the sannin's dangerous eyes and irritating smirk as we, I begrudgingly, greeted him and Minato, who still looked a bit silly in his over-sized hat.

"Welcome Team Orochimaru and thank you in advance for your service," the blond began and I felt myself settle more firmly into work mode. "For the sake of our continuing efforts to rebuild since the conclusion of the war, I have tasked your team with delivering a letter of alliance between Konoha and Kusagakure."

Being tasked with such an important mission seemed to be beyond the scope of a genin team, even if our sensei was a sannin – S-rank level importance. Unless it was some sort of ploy and an actual team of jōnin would be following behind us or something. I raised a brow at the man whose blue eyes twinkled knowingly.

"The transfer of such vital documents are to be handled by only the most experienced and trusted jōnin, and thus are ranked S," he continued. "Originally Orochimaru was to complete this mission individually for the sake of secrecy, however he has requested you genin's accompaniment as a sort of learning experience. And the council and I have agreed to this request."

As my teammates gawked at our passively amused sensei, my eyes didn't stray from Minato's, brows now a bit furrowed.

This has to be some sort of trap or something.

Although I had the highest amount of respect for Minato, I couldn't see his or the councils' reasoning for agreeing to this – even if Orochimaru was a 'trusted' shinobi and sannin no less, that didn't really mean anything other than he was really dangerous.

And not just to our enemies.

Besides what little I knew of the snake, he largely worked alone and only gained followers through persuading others with offers of power. I didn't think he had any diplomacy, or charisma, but then again he did convince the daimyo of the Land of Sound to let him form Otogakure within its borders. Though, who needed charisma when you had power?

Ninja society respected power above all else.

This is one of the stupidest decisions I've ever heard. At least in this life.

I fought the shiver that tried to slither down my spine as Orochimaru finally spoke.

"Rest assured, they will be completely safe within my care," he said, voice dangerously silky. "This is an opportunity not many shinobi ever receive; I'd be a bad sensei if I didn't allow them to learn from this experience."

Bullshit.

Anko whopped with glee and Shichirou gulped with anticipation. I kept my eyes on Minato who did not let an ounce of what he thought as any good shinobi did.

"We're goin' now right?" The purple haired girl beamed, eyes darting between Minato and Orochimaru.

The blond gave a good-natured smile in returned and nodded, holding a scroll out for Orochimaru to take, who slid it into his long sleeves. Minato leaned back in his seat, overlooking us genin. "I expect to see all of your bright faces back here soon. Go forth and make Konoha proud."

I was sure I wasn't the only one to hear the slight threat in the tone of his dismissal. Orochimaru gave a bow and the rest of us followed suit. Anko hopped up and out of the door, following our sensei's smooth gait, Shichirou nervously shuffling out afterwards. My eyes caught Minato's gaze of reassurance, though I didn't share the sentiment. Giving him a slight nod I exited, closing the door behind me.

It didn't take long for us to reach the village gates with Anko's lively pace leading the way. The anxiety and unsettling realization that I would be stuck with these people for an indeterminate amount of time out in the wilds made it home in my stomach. Reassuring myself with the weight of equipment and the soothing assuredness of Riku and my new bond with Miki, I was as prepared as I could be.

I took comfort in the odd looks the guards gave over the team as the snake gave them our itinerary. As we passed through the gates, Orochimaru took the helm, his eyes piercing as he cast his gaze down at us.

"As you heard, our mission takes us into Kusagakure," he began, eyes falling on me for a second. "Our new teammate here has never been to Kusa unlike you two, isn't that right Junko-chan?"

I fought my eye from twitching. "That is correct, sensei."

He let out a hum, then his eyes darted to the tree line. Where Miki was. And in that moment the owlet and I were on the same wavelength. Surprise with a dash of fear. They returned to me.

"There shouldn't be a problem with your skillset, even considering you've never been out of the Land of Fire. Stay close though, we don't want our youngest teammate getting lost now."

His false sincerity caused bile to rise in my throat. He was more dangerous than anything I could encounter in the wilds, unless it was a jinchūriki or Madara himself, God forbid. I swallowed back the burn.

"Understood sensei." He turned to the rest of our team.

"It'll take approximately a week to reach the border of Fire and Grass Country, disregarding any detours." He gave Anko a look at this point, who grinned sheepishly. "We'll make for the Tenchi Bridge."

My teammates and I gave a chorus of confirmation, mine the slightest bit delayed as I processed Miki's flustered emotions as well as my own. As the rest of them began to move I felt the world lag around me.

Get it together.

The words were for both the owlet and myself. I was a ninja of Konoha. I was Junko of the Hyūga, 'prodigy heiress'. I couldn't fail my village, the clan, or even more importantly, myself. Orochimaru wouldn't be foolish enough to spirit me away; the Hyūga and Minato would come looking for me, at least that was what I was banking on. With my trusted companions, both new and old, I would complete this mission and return home.

Return to Mother and Father. Maybe visit Noburu, Akane, and Shisui together at Tsukuda's if they weren't on their own missions. Visit Itachi and train with him like old times. I would reestablish some kind of normal.

Glaring at the road ahead, I entered formation with my teammates, my mind centered.

Goodbye Konoha.

Author's Notes

Posted: January 8th 2021

Yeah so, 2021 has started off with a bang hasn't it?

In better news for those who care, updates should come more regularly this year because I had a random burst of inspiration amongst the trashcan that was 2020 in November and drafted the entire next arc (like ten chapters, totaling almost 40,000 words). Unless I suddenly deem them to be garbage and delete them, they should all go up this year. I have made some decisions that not everyone will agree with but hey, you can always just stop reading if you don't like it.

Side note, since this has come up in a couple reviews, this is fan-fiction for a reason; I am going to take some liberties with the source material, which doesn't even make sense in canon sometimes. If that upsets you, feel free to ignore this little indulgent project of mine.

I'm still not sure if the pacing is where I want it completely but at this point it's better than not writing at all. And I'm kinda done with the prepubescent shenanigans and ready for the teenage/adult shenanigans. I was looking at the progress tracker I made for FACAH and I only posted one chapter in 2019 and two in 2020; that's three chapters in two years. I want to get this show on the road and hopefully if the inspiration continues to flow I can at least get to the start of canon by the year's end, but who knows.

Stay safe and see you next time.

(Also thanks for all the lovely reviews. I really do appreciate them. Okay bye.)