Family and Missions

Author's note: Told you it was a weird split. If I'd kept the rest of Kuma's leg warmer stuff last chapter would've been extra long and, yeah, no.

Anyway, a few more original characters: Takenaka Sako and mother Takenaka: Kuma's family. There's also a random jonin who's in charge of Hanabi and her team.

Rated M for sexy scenes between characters (mostly males), swearing, and some blood and guts.

I don't own the characters but I am taking liberties with them and their universe.

WARNING: Possible triggers lay ahead for those who may have suffered abuse at the hands of a parent.

Neji tried not to laugh as Kuma gaped at the selection of weights and leg warmers in the small shop. The ramen had been wonderful as Tenten had stayed with them and continued her explanation. Teuchi had given him some paper and a pen so he could take notes. Neji had never been so grateful. Kuma had not clued in this was for her but Neji intended to keep it this way until the girl had better chakra control.

"I'm so not getting orange leg warmers," Kuma said.

Neji wanted to hug her in thanks but kept it to a friendly pat on her shoulder. The shop keeper did not come from behind the counter but Neji did not mind. They walked the store for a few moments and Kuma found a pair of leg warmers she liked in black. It took a moment to find an adjustable weight belt small enough to fit around her tiny ankle and still be large enough to take out if she grew a bit. Neji carried the box of 200lbs weights to the counter and the keeper grinned.

"A lot of people have employed the leg-weight training since those chunin exams six years ago," the man said.

Neji smirked. When Lee had dropped his leg-weights fighting Gaara the building had shook with the blast. No one had believed Lee had been carting around 300lbs on each leg until he dropped them from the height he had. Kuma did not need that much weight, at least not straight away.

Neji paid for her and carried the box back to the training field. Kuma settled on the ground while Neji opened the box of weights. The little blocks of metal easily slipped into their proper holders and Neji put ten pounds into each wrap. Kuma strapped them on, tugged on her leg warmers and stood.

She kicked and frowned. The kick had come slower but she simply spun and kicked again. Neji smirked as she started kicking across the field, gaining speed as she went. By Monday she would be back at her regular speed.

"I will have to carry these back home for you," Neji said.

Kuma frowned but nodded. They spared a bit more before Neji called it a day at 4:30. Kuma shuffled along beside him once they started walking, head down and biting her lip. Neji said nothing as she led the way to her home.

Neji knew there were three main housing districts in Konoha: the rich, the middle, and the poor. Naruto had lived in one of the worst areas before he started making decent money from missions. Shikamaru lived in a good area of town, not the ritzy section but not the bad area of town.

Neji said nothing as they strode towards one of the worst sections of town. The buildings were in need of repair, sometimes there would be no hot water, the rooms were small, there would be outbreaks of vermin and bugs, but the rent was cheap. When a person had to choose between having a roof over their head or food they normally moved to this area of town so they did not starve.

Some of the street lamps did not have covers and there were shutters hanging by threads on some homes. A few children played with a depleted ball. Neji followed Kuma up to a home with crooked front steps, a door in need of new paint, and a piece of plywood over one front window.

The small bit of lawn in front of the place was home to dried, overlong grass. There were no flowers in the flower holders hanging off the windows. The other window was cracked and the glass dirty. Lights were on but they did not look bright enough to chase away all the shadows. The blinds that did hang in the one window looked dirty, stained, and ripped.

"So, um, I can drag them in the house," Kuma said.

"I think not," Neji told her.

Kuma frowned but went to the front door with him. She had to jiggle her key to get it to open the door and Neji stepped in after her. The front hall was dim, the floor boards cracked and coming up in some places.

Neji followed Kuma down the hallway and saw a kitchen to the left. The tiles were stained yellow, cupboards were hanging by a corner, the fridge did not sound healthy, and the stove was dirty. The kitchen table was home to scars, chips, and four miss-matched chairs in need of repair. There was a bucket under the sink to catch water dripping from the pipes.

To the right was a sitting room with a beat up couch, a reclining chair in deep red with patches, a scarred coffee table and a television so old Neji figured it belonged in a museum. Sitting on the couch was an older woman with graying auburn hair and bright violet eyes. Her eyes were wide and she hid her hands under what looked like an uncomfortable, stained blanket.

A girl, no older than seven, with auburn hair and green eyes gaped at Neji. She was slender, petite as was Kuma's mother. All three women shared the same full, heart-shaped lips, long nose, and small forehead.

"Hello, I am Hyuuga Neji, Kuma's sensei. These are part of her training and she could not carry them home by herself. My apologies for intruding uninvited and without notice," Neji said.

He bowed slightly and the two nodded. The little girl made sure her mother's blanket was over her hands before coming to stand in front of Neji. She bowed lower then smiled at him, the same kind of crooked grin Kuma had. Kuma kept looking towards the floor with sagged shoulders.

"It's nice to meet you Neji-sama. Would you like some tea?" the little girl, Sako, yes, that was her name, asked.

"It's okay, Sako, Neji-sensei can't stay long," Kuma said before Neji could speak.

Neji wanted to say he could stick around for a bit but decided not to. It seemed Kuma was embarrassed enough. Neji offered the younger version (minus the eye color) of Kuma a smile.

"Thank you anyway. Well, I will drop these off in Kuma's room and take my leave. It was a pleasure meeting you," Neji said.

Sako and the mother nodded. Neji followed Kuma further down the hallway. The bathroom was on the left, like the kitchen. In here was another bucket under the sink where water collected. The tub was small and it looked like even the showerhead leaked. The floor had not been washed properly in some time and even the toilet looked dingy.

To the right were two closed doors, one likely leading into a storage closet and the other to the mother's bedroom. The final door was straight ahead at the end of the hallway and Kuma had to put her weight into the screen to get it to move. Neji stared around the room and tried to keep the frown off his face.

The room was twelve by twelve but there were two single sized beds with faded sheets to his left and right. A single nightstand stood beside both beds home to lamps with no shades, alarm clocks, and crooked drawers. The nightstand had folded paper under the leg to keep it steady. There was one dresser under the window home to more broken drawers, cracks, chips, and scratches. A top the dresser were hair supplies and some bits of jewellery. The window had curtains that had been white with yellow flowers at some point but the white had stained yellow in places and the flowers faded.

The floor was wood but some pieces were missing. The area rug had been white at some point but had gone dingy over time. It was also a thick shag rug that looked like it was matted in some places. Akamaru had better fur after a day than the rug. Kuma gestured to the bed on the left and Neji sat the weights down at the foot of it.

"Kuma," Neji said.

"You don't have to say anything," Kuma told him.

Neji sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Kuma would not meet his eyes and looked like she either wanted to break something (there was nothing she could break in the room) or she wanted to cry. Neji bent to her level and pulled her in for a hug.

"You know you can tell me anything, correct?" Neji said in her ear.

He felt wetness on his neck and rubbed Kuma's back. She clung to him like a life-line, hands tangled in his hair and clutching the leather of his vest so hard he could feel the pain of it on his back. Neji did not care. She cried quietly, likely used to doing so because she shared a room with her sister and wanted to be strong for her younger sibling.

"I mean it, Kuma. I will not judge you and will do whatever I can to help you. All you have to do is tell me," Neji said.

She sniffled. She also stiffened and made to pull away but Neji held her still and hushed her.

"It is not out of pity I say this if that is what you are thinking. You are my student and I've grown attached to you this past month," Neji said.

Kuma started crying again, her sobs becoming a bit louder but not loud enough to carry down the hallway. Neji held her close and closed his eyes. Gods how he wished he could take her, her sister, and her mother out of this pit and into a better home. It would show extreme favoritism though and Kuma would not want him to do such a thing.

It took several moments for Kuma to get a hold of her tears. She drew back and Neji let her. He said nothing while she rubbed her eyes and used her hands to wipe away the tear streaks on her cheeks. She sniffled again and gave him a little smile.

Neji returned the gesture and stood to his full height. He placed a hand on her shoulder and was about to speak but the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Neji scowled, eyes narrowing, and turned his head.

Coming towards Kuma's open door was a large man, over six feet in height with broad shoulders, a hanging stomach, thick arms, massive legs, and thinning auburn hair. The man's nose was red and Neji could smell the sake from five feet away. The white shirt the man wore was stained, the dark pants dusty with frayed hems. His feet were bare, slapping against the floor as he came to stand in the threshold of Kuma's door.

Neji felt Kuma stiffen under his hand but did not turn fully. The advantage to wearing his hitai-ate on his leg was no one could see it until he turned around to face them. Neji kept his back to the man, glaring over his right shoulder. The man scowled, green eyes narrowing.

"Who the Hell are you?" the man asked.

"Hyuuga Neji, Kuma's sensei," Neji replied and turned.

He intentionally blocked Kuma from the man's view with his body and stood to his full height. Neji tensed then relaxed his left thigh muscle so the little light in the room would reflect off the metal of his hitai-ate. The man's eyes flicked to the symbol and his eyes widened.

"I was dropping off something for her training and was about to leave. I assume you are her father?" Neji questioned.

The man nodded. Neji kept his arms at his sides. He knew showing any form of aggression like crossing his arms over his chest would anger the man. Neji would not lose his status or be given a suspension for attacking a civilian. Even if Kuma's father attacked first it would be no excuse.

"You're the one making her get up at three every morning," Kuma's father said.

"I am. Your daughter is a Shinobi of Konoha and has to be trained as such. My method of training includes long days with early mornings and I make no apology for that as it has had great success in the past," Neji said.

Kuma's father scowled but nodded. He licked thin lips and scratched at his bulging stomach. His eyes scanned over Neji's form but Neji did not flinch. He did raise his chin a quarter of an inch and glared at Kuma's father. Kuma's father snarled but did not dare raise a hand.

"I'll walk you out," he said.

Neji inclined his head in agreement. He gave a nod to Kuma who nodded back with furrowed eyebrows. Neji hated to walk away from his genin but had no choice. Neji inclined his head to Sako and Kuma's mother but they weren't looking at him.

They made it to the front door and Kuma's father opened it. Neji stepped by him but before the man could think Neji grabbed him by the collar of his dirty shirt and pushed him against the wall, activating Byakugan as he went. The man gaped in fear as Neji came within a few inches of his face.

"You hurt one hair on her, Sako, or their mother's head and I will end you. Understood?" Neji questioned in a deadly whisper.

He smelled the urine before hearing it hit the floor. Kuma's father gulped but nodded. Neji let him go and stepped back, glad not to have gotten any of the man's urine on him.

"Trust me, I will know," Neji said.

The man nodded again, fear never leaving his eyes. Neji could almost smell it (not including the urine) and he was not an Inuzuka. Neji nodded, deactivated his Byakugan and strode out the door.

"Have a nice evening and tell Kuma I will meet her in the training fields at half after nine hundred hours tomorrow," Neji said.

Again Kuma's father nodded. Neji stepped onto the street without looking back. He walked a few blocks away before ducking into an alleyway and activating Byakugan. Neji watched as Kuma's father did as he was told. Kuma nodded and breathed a sigh of relief when the man left her room. Neji tracked her father to the kitchen where he grabbed bills out of a jar before leaving. Neji hated to do it but he followed the man to a depleted bar. Neji scowled before jumping rooftops to head home.

He had known Kuma had it bad but had not assumed it would be this horrible. Something had happened to her mother to prevent the woman from working which was why Sako stayed home. Kuma likely became a shinobi so she would be able to get some money from missions. The father worked but likely drank his earnings every night. Neji sighed. Something would give in that household soon. Neji hoped he would be able to pull Kuma, her sister, and her mother out safely.

Kuma had not been her vibrate self the next day of training. Neji did not ask her why but even despite whatever feelings Kuma had about Neji coming to her home she trained hard. Neji treated her to more ramen and she ate like a normal person instead of like Naruto had when he was younger. Teuchi noticed Kuma's pace, unlike her, and frowned but said nothing.

Neji let her go at four and she had nodded in thanks. He reminded her about their first mission the next day (today) and that she was still expected to come for their normal time. She had given him a small smile but nothing more.

Kuma's unenthusiastic behavior was why Neji had picked at his dinner that night and not slept well. He had woken up early, fiddled with breakfast but made it out to the training field by a few minutes before four. Neji settled in front of the middle post, leaning back against it and closing his eyes. He focused on his breathing and easily sunk into a meditative state.

Neji sensed someone coming but knew it was Kuma. Kuma, Tora, and Akino's chakra had become common to him. Neji said nothing as Kuma approached. He did sense her standing in front of him for a few moments before she flipped onto her hands and starting doing handstand push ups.

Neji kept meditating, listening as Kuma continued her workout. She moved onto squats once completing a hundred handstand push ups. After her hundred squats she began kicking at the right post. He sensed Tora's chakra at quarter to five and she began practicing her aim using the left post. Akino arrived two minutes before five and Neji let out a final exhale before opening his eyes.

All three looked at him as Neji got to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair to fix it and offered the three a smile. Tora returned it happily, Akino yawned at him, and Kuma shuffled on her feet with a little grin on her face.

"First off we are going to do some basic training. Akino, do your speed drills, Tora, keep on aim, Kuma, chakra control. You all have an hour. After that we will spar, break at 11:30 then take some time for lunch. Then we will go to the mission room to see what they have," Neji said.

Tora nodded happily. Akino sighed but fell into his speed drills. Kuma ran to the outer edges of the training field and Neji followed.

She picked the same tree she had been using for a month and Neji looked up it with a smile. The tree itself was a hundred feet tall. Kuma had started barely able to climb up ten feet but had gotten up to thirty feet on Friday. Kuma took a huge breath, concentrated then took off towards the tree.

She began to run up it, kunai in one hand and Neji watched. She got to thirty feet and one step past Friday's mark before she began to fall. Even so she was able to make a slash in the bark before tucking and rolling so she did not hurt herself. Neji gave her a smile and she grinned. She kept going and Neji watched.

She could not make it far past her new mark but Neji did not mind. The first branch of the tree was thirty-five feet overhead. As soon as Kuma could reach this height, Neji would see if she could hang upside down. The hours passed and soon everyone sparred in their normal groups. Kuma employed the moves Neji had taught her and he grinned.

"For the last half hour I want you to practice spinning on your hands," Neji told her at eleven.

Kuma nodded and flipped onto her hands before sinking into a spin. Neji turned to watch as Akino and Tora sparred. In the month (and few days now) the two had begun to spar with each other both had improved. Akino had sped up by about thirty percent and struck out more. Tora's stances were more relaxed and she had flow to her movements.

Neji also noticed Tora's stamina improved and she could take a hit. Akino started to pay attention to his surroundings. His footwork had gotten even better and he had more confidence in his strikes. Neji could not help but grin.

His students were improving greatly and they seemed to like him. Today they would complete their first successful mission. Neji waited till exactly 11:30 before calling for lunch. All three settled with him in front of the posts.

As typical, Akino's bento box was plentiful and fancy. Tora's was full of maki rolls. Kuma had white rice topped with some string beans and not enough of it for the work out she had this morning. Neji had white rice, fried egg, two small pieces of salted salmon, snow-peas, broccoli flowerets, herring soba, and some cherry tomatoes.

Neji ate quietly as his students devoured their lunches. Kuma finished before them all then began picking at the grass around her feet. Akino yawned heavily then threw her his bag of cheese, crackers, and fruits he normally had for break. She caught it expertly and raised her eyebrows at him.

"I don't want it and we probably won't have a break after the mission. Might as well not have it go to waste," Akino said.

Neji kept his smile back and saw Kuma looked to him. He shrugged. Kuma ate the bag of healthy food with a flourish. Perhaps Akino was smarter than anyone had given him credit for. Tora gave Kuma her bag of snacks as well and Kuma thanked her. Tora waved her off as if it was not a problem.

Once they had finished eating, they relaxed. Kuma began twitching a few minutes after twelve hundred hours so Neji told his students to pack up and follow him. The walk to the Hokage Tower did not take them as long as Neji expected. They stood in the mission room a little after thirteen hundred hours.

Shiranui Genma sat at the desk with Namiashi Raidou. On the right wall of the large, airy room was a board full of missing shinobi and shinobi in the Bingo book. On the left was a wall full of D-Rank missions. Neji strode to this wall with his team but spotted Genma look up. The man smiled and his senbon needled pointed upwards.

"Hey Neji, how's sensei life treating you?" Genma asked.

Neji glanced over to him to see Raidou had looked up and to see what was going on. Raidou grinned.

"I like it," Neji said.

Genma rolled his eyes. Raidou smirked.

"It is a nice change and really, I should have done it sooner," Neji continued.

Genma smirked then started studying Neji's students. Kuma openly stared at him. Tora was biting her lip with a little flush on her cheeks. Akino had his typical bored expression and slouch going on.

Neji went back to the board. Neji knew Kuma would not do well with a weeding mission but did see a mission which would work for his team. It seemed a dog had gotten away from its owner and needed to be found. Neji took the mission off the board. He noticed all three of his students looked up at him.

Neji strode over to Genma whose eyes did not leave Neji's navel ring until Neji stood in front of the table. Genma's eyes dropped to the mission Neji placed down then met Neji's. A smile came to his face.

"At least it's not that stupid cat," Genma said.

Neji chuckled as he was given the thin file. It was odd to have a file with a piece of paper for details and a single image. Neji was used to getting files with multiple images, reams of paper, and other information needed to take on a powerful shinobi. It hit him he would not be on this mission and Neji wanted to laugh.

"Your cousin's team has that mission and frankly, I'm surprised they're not back yet. They left at oh-eight hundred," Genma said.

That was unusual, especially since Hanabi-sama's Byakugan was almost as strong as Neji's. Then again, Hanabi-sama could not see in color so looking for a single cat that looked like any other cat in all black and whites would be difficult. Hanabi-sama was likely leading her team on a wild goose chase.

Neji accepted the radio transmitters and saw Kuma's eyes go wide and a grin come to her face at the sight of them. She had possibly though the mission would be a bit tougher. Neji hated to disappoint the girl but thanked Genma before walking outside of the mission room with his team. He walked into a smaller room to de-brief.

"All right, Tonto the dog has gone missing," Neji said.

"We're looking for a dog?" Akino asked.

Neji looked at all three who were pouting.

"Again, you three are genin. These are the kinds of missions you will be getting until I think you're capable of a C-rank. Now, this is what Tonto looks like," Neji said.

He showed them the picture. The three studied it for a few moments and Tora took it for safe-keeping.

"You are to find him and bring him back to the mission room where his owner will be called for pick up," Neji said.

"You're not helping?" Tora questioned.

Neji shook his head in the negative and they gaped. Neji smirked.

"The owner, Genko, is giving a 5000 ryo reward for the safe return of Tonto. You will each get 1667 ryo once Tonto is returned safely," Neji said.

He saw Kuma's eyes light up. This one mission might enable her to feed her family decently for a week. Neji let out a breath and tried not to think about it.

"Tora, you will be in charge. I will be observing but not helping," Neji said.

The three nodded. Neji handed them a collar and a leash. He explained and helped them put on the radio transmitters then walked with them outside. Tora said they would check the parks first and the three took off. Neji kept back three hundred yards with Byakugan activated. The trio made it to the parks quickly and began searching through play sets, trees, and sandboxes for Tonto.

Neji watched as his students moved to another playing area with no luck. They went towards the Inuzuka compound and Neji grinned. Two hours after getting the mission they had found Tonto.

The dog was medium sized and said to be friendly. Tora gulped at the dog but Akino rolled his eyes and stepped forward, offering his hand and calling Tonto's name. Tonto happily trotted over to Akino who easily collared and leashed the dog. Neji jumped the few rooftops between him and his students before landing behind them easily.

"Good work," Neji said.

The three beamed. Neji walked with them back to the Mission Room with Tonto trotting happily beside. They entered at 3:45PM and Neji raised his eyebrows when he spotted Hanabi-sama with the Inuzuka and the Aburame. All three were scratched up, hair messy, outfits ripped and torn. Hanabi-sama held the cat between her hands at arm's length. She looked exhausted.

"Oh my poor Nora!"

This was coming from a heavily made up woman in a bright purple dress. The woman grabbed the flailing cat and began hugging it to her chest. She thanked the three exhausted genin profusely, going so far as to pet Hanabi-sama on the head (Hanabi-sama glared) before walking off.

"Tonto!"

Genko was an average man of middle age. Tonto got out of Akino's grip to jump on his owner who laughed as the dog started licking his face. Neji caught Hanabi-sama look towards him and kept down his smirk. Hanabi-sama's jonin-in-charge gaped.

"Thank you all so much! I don't know how he got out but I'll definitely be keeping a better eye on him," Genko said.

"You're welcome," Kuma said.

"Our pleasure," Tora added.

Akino said nothing as Genko replaced the standard Konoha issue collar and leash, handed it back to Genma then replaced it with his own before leading Tonto out. Neji saw Hanabi-sama and her team were getting their payment so waited with his students behind them, trying not to laugh. Hanabi-sama and her team stepped aside and Neji strode towards Genma with his students.

"There you go guys, 1667 ryo a piece, good job," Genma said.

Kuma's jaw dropped as she was handed her ryo. Akino tucked his into a pocket without bothering to look at it as did Tora. Kuma thanked Genma with a bow and a shout. He grinned at her.

"Neji-niisan?"

Neji turned to see Hanabi-sama had not left with her team as Neji had expected. In fact, her jonin-in-charge stood by the mission board with her teammates. All three looked at her then to Neji. Neji felt Raidou, Genma and his students staring at them as well.

"Yes Hanabi-sama?" Neji returned.

"Will you be able to train with me tonight?" Hanabi-sama asked.

At this the jonin-in-charge scowled. Kuma pouted. Genma and Raidou frowned but said nothing. Hanabi-sama's teammates didn't look impressed either and Neji hated the position his younger cousin had put him into.

"You are not training with your team?" Neji questioned.

Hanabi-sama frowned. She did not look at her teammates though.

"I need help with the Gentle Fist techniques," Hanabi-sama replied.

Neji blinked once. Normally Hiashi-sama trained Hanabi-sama and Hiashi-sama was not going to be out of the compound as far as Neji knew. Neji wondered if Hanabi-sama was doing this because she needed help or because she wanted to annoy her jonin-in-charge. Still, damn her and asking in a public place in front of her teammates and Neji's students.

"We're training together once we find a mission for tomorrow morning," Hanabi-sama's jonin-in-charge said.

Hanabi-sama scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. Neji offered her a shrug before walking out with his students. It seemed Hanabi-sama was not getting along with her teammates or jonin-in-charge but the last thing Hyuuga (especially Main House members) did was complain. Neji knew Hanabi-sama did not need that much help with her Gentle Fist technique.

He left the Hokage tower with his students and they came to a stop in front of the stairs but out of the way. Neji saw Kuma was still staring at the ryo in her hands as if it would run away on her. Akino watched Neji but Tora gave Kuma a confused look.

"That is it for today," Neji said.

This brought Kuma's eyes to his and she blinked. She finally tucked the ryo away in the pocket of her short shorts but kept a hand on the pocket. Tora looked away from Kuma and waited with wide eyes. Akino let out a breath.

"Good job today, all of you. We will meet at the same time tomorrow and same regime as today. If we do not find a mission suitable to what I believe you can handle then we will return to the training field," Neji said.

"Why don't we look for one now?" Kuma asked.

Neji smiled at her, knowing she wanted (needed) the money.

"There were twenty teams in your class and we have to give them a chance to get a mission as well. Besides, I would like to stagger missions and full days of training so you three don't start slacking," Neji replied.

Kuma nodded but did not look happy about it. He sent them all off with good-evening wishes and they returned the sentiment. Neji waited until Kuma was out of his normal sight range before activating Byakugan. Hanabi-sama was coming down with her team so he took to the rooftops so she would not follow him.

Neji hid behind a well placed chimney as Hanabi-sama's jonin-in-charge began talking to the team much like Neji had a few moments before. The difference was this jonin-in-charge berated all three, especially the Inuzuka who had been elected to be the team leader. Neji scowled and almost lost Kuma so intent he was on Hanabi-sama.

Neji let out a breath. One problem at a time. Neji followed behind Kuma by four hundred meters, watching as the girl ran home. Again she had to jiggle her key in the lock to get into the home. Her father wasn't home but Kuma did kick off her shoes before running to her mother and sister.

Kuma held out the ryo and Neji saw her mother gasp in awe as Kuma explained completing her first mission. Sako yelled in happiness and hugged her older sister as Kuma talked about going on more missions and getting more money. Her mother moved her hands and Neji gaped, glad he was hiding on a roof.

The woman's hands had been burned from mid-forearm down and healed horribly. Scars decorated the discoloured flesh and her fingers were little more than skin on bones. Her hands were stuck in a half-fist and Neji knew the woman could not fully close or even open her hands. He knew now why the woman could no longer work.

Kuma asked her mother where they could hide the money from her father. Her mother said to put it under a loose floorboard and Kuma nodded. She and her sister ran towards their room and Neji watched as Kuma crawled under her bed and tugged up a floorboard.

There was a box there with a diary, a few trinkets, and a bit of coins. Kuma stashed the ryo in the box before tucking it back into the floor board. Her sister hugged her again. They went back to their mother. Neji felt his eyes tear up as the mother explained they had to be careful with the extra money. If they spent too much the father would get suspicious and might hurt one of them to get his questions answered.

Neji let out a long breath and deactivated his Byakugan. He teleported to the Hyuuga Compound and strode inside. The fact Kuma had been excited about an amount of ryo Neji barely cared about was not lost on him. Hell, Neji hadn't had to spend any of his money over the years. He could buy a home in the upper middle class section of town and furnish it with the money he had saved.

Neji strode into his room and tugged off his shoes. He sat on his bed for several seconds, thinking. He could not speed his students through the ranked missions because Kuma needed the money. It would get them injured or worse. All Neji could do was wait until Kuma finally came to him for help. It would be a long wait.

Comments and reviews are welcome, next chapter coming soon.