Chapter One: Her Likes, Dislikes, Goal
Natsuki Hyuga likes a lot of things.
She likes waking up early to go outside to meditate; to listen to the singing birds; and to feel the warmth of the morning sun on her face and the dampness of the ground on the soles of her bare feet. She likes breathing in the cool air while performing a set of complicated stretches to kick start her day. Afterwards, she goes to the dining area to eat the breakfast her mother had prepared for her before going to work. She, then, takes a bath and sets off for the academy.
After 8 hours of classes, she either rushes to her mom's workplace to help out or returns home to finish her assignments and chores. If there was clan training, she trains with the other branch family members. And depending on her mood, she either wanders around to find a place to hangout or plays with random kids. Finally, she arrives home before her curfew lest her mom gets angry for staying too late outside.
Natsuki dislikes angering her mother because she believes in the saying, "A happy mom, a happy life."
Each day that passes by was of the same formula with little to no derivation. Natsuki likes her routine that others may or may not find boring. She likes this kind of life. She likes this peace. She wishes everyday could be like this.
Unfortunately, her mom doesn't understand that. She worries a lot for her friendless 8 years old child.
"How was your day, sweetie?" Asked Natsuki's mom, Yuki, during dinner.
Aware of her mother's concern, Natsuki beamed and stated today's accomplishment with pride, "I made a new friend today."
"Oh, really?" She says friend, but Yuki knew that by 'friend' Natsuki meant 'an acquaintance whom she played a few games with'. Someone she had good impressions of. A friend, but not exactly a friend.
"Yep, really! I met her at the park. She is… " Blah, blah, blah.
Yuki ate and listened well to the adventures of her daughter. How she dominated today's games; how ninja tag was a piece of cake; how much her teacher praised her; and how she tripped on her way home from the park. Her daughter talked endlessly to the point the food grew cold. Clearly, her daughter can beat even a Yamanaka at socializing if she tries.
That was the problem. She never tries. She doesn't speak unless asked. Other than her mother, she doesn't open her heart to anyone.
The worst part?
She had never gotten into trouble before! Natsuki never creates too big of a mess. Even if she did, she cleans up after herself.
That's a problem because isn't getting into trouble the whole point of childhood?
Her daughter's maturity unsettles Yuki yet it is also the source of her pride. Just imagining the envious faces of other parents brought a smirk on Yuki's lips.
"Mom! Are you listening?" Natsuki pouted. She was about to tell her mother the best part but she wasn't listening!
Yuki chuckled in response. Her daughter was just too cute! Her daughter may act mature but, at the end of the day, she's still a child. Still her baby.
And, babies need sleep.
"I am listening." Yuki stated. "But, oh! Look at the time. It's time for bed."
Natsuki glanced at the clock. It read '9:27 p.m.'. She has 33 minutes to wash up before she sleeps at 10.
After washing away all the dirt accumulated from being out and about, the pair of mother and daughter slept side by side on the same bed.
Today was Saturday. Instead of classes, there was 5 hours of mandatory clan training session with the aim of teaching the gentle fist taijutsu style and byakugan activation to the young Hyugas.
As usual, Natsuki woke up early and did her morning routine. When she returned home, she found her mom cooking in the kitchen while humming.
From Tuesday to Saturday, her mother works as a chef of the head of the branch family. So, why was she here?
Puzzled yet happy, Natsuki asked, "Mom? Don't you have work?"
Yuki continued humming as if she hadn't heard her child. But, Natsuki knew her mother was in one of her moods where she would ignore everyone else— including her precious daughter.
Natsuki shrugged and helped set the table. Afterwards, she sat on the chair and propped up her chin with her elbow on the table. She stared at her lovely mother and noticed how the natural light entering the window softens her mother's facial features.
Beautiful.
Oh, how she wished she could burn this scene into her memory.
Warmth entered Natsuki's heart. She closed her eyes and focused her senses on listening to the playful tune of her mother's humming.
"Time to eat."
Natsuki opened her eyes and helped her mom carry the dishes.
As they ate, the pair talked about what were today's plans. They told harmless jokes and laughed. Natsuki made sure to liven up to keep the atmosphere. Afterall, this was one of those days where she could eat breakfast with her mom. But…
But, something was wrong.
Her mother's smile… It failed to reach her eyes.
Natsuki put down her chopsticks. With worry in her eyes, she asked. "Mom, …is everything okay?"
Yuki stared at her daughter with pride. She's perceptive as always.
"So, you've noticed." Yuki sighed and put away her chopsticks. "Sweetheart, I resigned."
What? Mom liked cooking. Why would she resign?
"I came out of retirement. I'll be on active ninja duty starting next Saturday. So, I'll be gone for quite some time." Yuki paused. "While I'm gone, Aunt Kira will check up on you often. And, well, she's more than happy since my daughter is so adorable and smart," bragged Yuki.
Natsuki bit her lower lip which Yuki noticed.
"There, there… you'll keep our house safe when I'm not around, right? I won't need to worry about my plants dying or the kitchen exploding, right? I taught you well after all. You know what and what not to do. And—"
Natsuki's mood turned more sour with each sentence that escaped from her mom's lips. "—Must you go?"
She doesn't want her mom to go. Unlike other kids, Natsuki understood what being a ninja meant. It means exposing yourself to danger to complete missions and get rewards.
Unlike other kids, she's not happy with having a ninja mother or being born in the ninja clan. There's no way she would be happy. Not when the sole person she loves would be at risk. Not when her mother would go away for long periods of time.
Yuki sensed the mood of her daughter. She, too, didn't like it. Alas, what could she do? "It's an order from above, sweetie."
"But, why now? I thought you retired." Natsuki grumbled.
Yuki hugged her daughter. "There was an accident in a recent mission. And so, the clan head wishes to put every able-bodied shinobi back into the active roster."
That, and the fact that she is overstaying her welcome for too long by not going on missions. Hyuga branch members are, after all, the ones meant to be doing the more dangerous missions for the village and for the clan. But, she doesn't need to tell that to her daughter right now.
"...Mom, please don't go."
"Oh, sweetie… ," Yuki hugged her precious daughter tighter. " On the bright side, I can spend the whole week with you. We can eat breakfast and dinner together. I can help you train. Just imagine the fun things we can do together, sweetie. Can you do that?"
Natsuki doesn't want to hear anymore of this. She nestled in her mother's embrace and whispered, "...I love you, mom."
Yuki patted her good daughters' head.
"I love you more."
Natsuki kicked a stone in the middle of the road to let off some steam. She's annoyed at the above for forcing her mother out of retirement. She could feel that her mother likes their current life as well. There's no way her mother would be willing to be back in ninja business.
After breakfast, her mother escorted her to the clan training ground. There, Natsuki waited a good few minutes before skedaddling away.
Natsuki was not one who habitually skipped training. But right now, she just wasn't feeling it.
No, to be honest, she was completely out of it while kicking stone after stone.
Natsuki knew how long the missions of branch family members take. The shortest was a month.
Just a month.
Just one long dreadful month of worry.
No biggie, Natsuki can handle it. Or can she?
"How hard can it be?" She thought as she positioned herself in front of a rock the size of an average cat.
With one foot, she stepped on the rock and spoke, "How hard…"
Natsuki took a step back and laced her right foot with chakra.
"Can it…"
After locking her ankle and swinging her arms to create momentum, she kicked the rock towards a clearing. "Be…!"
Pyung! The rock flew, high and far.
Natsuki went through all the hand seals for byakugan activation in one fell swoop before the rock could make landfall. In doing so, her vision expanded. She saw the directory of the rock and hypothesized where it might land.
But what she saw scared her shitless.
Like really, really scared her.
There was a blond kid wandering around on the place where it might land.
A wounded clueless child that was even younger than her!
Oh no!
Natsuki ran with chakra on her feet. "WATCH OUT!"
No response. The blond kid did not hear her.
The rock was already a few meters above ground. Panicked, Natsuki ran even faster. "KID, LOOK UP!"
"Eh?" Finally, the kid looked up. He saw a big ass rock in the sky. Too fast and too close. His heart pumped madly. Too scared to look, he closed his eyes and awaited for impact.
Or for pain.
Or for death.
Boogsh!
••• hi, this your irresponsible author speaking~ i'm back with a new story which may or may not be completed. i hope you like it. if not, go away 3
QUESTION CORNER: Who do you think is the blond boy?
a) Obviously, our whiskered blond hero, Naruto. Duh.
b) Meh, probably an irrelevant civilian kid.
c) A genin or academy student perhaps?
d) A reincarnated person 'cause why not?
••• please drop your answers on the comment section. reviews are also highly appreciated. i wanna know what you guys think *-*
