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My lips parted and I took a deep breath. I felt a small pang of pain in the front of my head but ignored it. I gathered my chakra once more and pushed it, molded and moved it around my network. It helped me get the feel of it and understand how it travels around. Once I was ready I pushed it to my head. Whenever I was in this state it was one of pure mentality. The crashing of the waterfall I was sitting under was almost nonexistent. The small amount of chakra holding me up and out of the water was constantly flowing on its own. No matter how connected I felt to myself I couldn't for the life of me I couldn't get the gate to open.

Two more deep breaths. Straightening my back I started to feel the pressure of the falls against my head, shoulders, back and neck. The aching started to catch up. I got crawled forward and got up walking to the edge of the water, releasing the chakra from my feet. I stumbled a bit. "How was the session?" I was huffing and puffing, I was a lot more tired now that the trace was broken. "Good. I wish I could last longer though."

"It's been a glorious five hours." My mouth fell open. "Really?" I looked down at my hands, they were clammy. I sat back on my butt. "Five hours and I still can't open anything." I sighed and laid back on the grass and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was shocked that it was actually five hours. Time was relative when I was in that state. It made sense why I was so exhausted. "In time." He cracked a smile and I blew a raspberry with my lips. "Five more days" I mumbled more to myself than anyone else. I was eager to know where Kakashi and Sasuke had been. I missed them both. I didn't do well on my own.

"Your training with me is almost done Lotus bud." I got up when he did and he ruffled my hair. I frowned, I didn't feel any different. His training was some of the hardest I had ever been through but was I any stronger then when I started? "How about something to eat to erase that frown!" I chuckled and nodded my head. My body ached slightly but I needed some good food. The last good meal I had was when Sakura cooked for me a few days ago, it's been ration packs and fruit. My mouth salivated at the thought. "Yes please."

I found myself drifting to the ramen stand. I missed my orange knucklehead. I really just missed my team. Sure I had Sakura but it was different being in a team dynamic. "You sure this is what you want? I looked up at him and beamed a smile. "Hmh." He shrugged his shoulders and we sat down. The younger women eyed me with warm eyes. "How are you? It had been a while since you've been around." I bowed my head, "Naruto has been training outside the village." She understood what I meant. This was the first time that I had been here without the orange wonder.

I ordered the vegetable miso ramen. What I usually got. "You have been very quiet these last few day. Are you alright?" I glanced over at the green beast. I had a lot on my mind since the incident with the purple chakra. I think part of it also had to do with the meditation. "A lot on my mind I guess." I didn't know where to start but I didn't want it to be right now. He dropped the subject when the food came and I started to dig in.

After I finished off a second bowl We got up and left the stand. "Same time tomorrow then?" I bowed my head, "Yes Sir." His hands were in his pocket and his lips pressed into a thin line for a moment. "You know as your other Sensei if you have anything you want to talk about I am here to help you on your path of life." He gave me a small wink and I couldn't help but smile. I knew he was there if I need him. He had become an important part of my life in these short weeks. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

We split ways and I decided I wanted to take a walk before I went home. The sun was finally starting its descend in the sky and I had a little bit more time to enjoy the daylight. I found a small dirt path that traced most of the training grounds. It was secluded enough that I was able to be alone with my thoughts and I usually never ran into anyone, it was a good place.

It had been over 6 months since I had left the house in the forest and everything I had ever known behind and some days I missed it. I always loved being surrounded by nature because it was all I had ever known at one point. I let my mind drift to my uncle. I hadn't visited the Hokage since the exams started to ask about him. It had become ritual. At least once a week. It was always the same, no information just yet but the Hokage was a kind man and often humored me with stories of my team and sometimes of my father. I felt a wave of guilt hit me. I had been so wrapped up in everything I couldn't believe I had forgotten to stop and ask. Just to mention his name to keep his memory alive.

He let me come and go when I please to borrowed books and say hello in my free time and I knew it had been too long since I last stopped in. It was something I knew I wanted to do very soon. Sighing I glanced around. I had started to drift off and forgotten where I was for a moment. Inhaling deeply I enjoyed the moment of serenity and dove back into my mind counting all the things I was grateful that I had in this village. It helped me to remember why I trained to hard and helped me pushed the guilt back down.

"Byakugan!" My lips parted and jumped back at the sudden sounds. It pierced through the silence from a moment ago. I knew that chakra and that voice. Had I been so wrapped up in my own head that I didn't notice it earlier? I walked out from the small path behind the tree line of the main grounds to see him there. Staring in my direction before I even made myself known. I wasn't dumb I knew he could. He looked at me for a moment longer before getting up from his fight position. There was something about him that I didn't like. Not that I didn't like him, I didn't know him but his eyes. They could see more than mine and I wondered what he could see in me. "Shouldn't you be off with Gai-sensei?" I pressed my lips into a thin line and took another step forward. "I'm finished for today." I think he made a hmph noise but I wasn't sure. Regardless his small grin was smug and unappreciated.

"You should control that chakra of yours it's all over the place. I could feel it without my byakugan." I muscles tensed and I instantly pulled everything in. It was harder than usual. I tried to pull it tightly and wounded but I couldn't. I winced a bit. "Been doing some chakra training I see." He still looked at me with those all-knowing eyes. I had to stop myself from twitching as they looked me over. The veins in his eyes receded and plain pupiless orbs looked at me for a second longer before turning up to the sky. "Until next time Lad-"

"Let's spar." The words came up like vomit. Honestly it was the first thing that came to mind. Anything to keep him from calling me lady. I hated it. "I don't think that would be for the best." I let my eyes flash red and cocked a smile. I read enough about our two clans to know there was tension. "Oh come on. It will be fun." I taunted a bit. I wasn't sure where this mood was coming from. I had not spared with anyone since TenTen and even before that it had been a while. Maybe I was just eager to show that I had made some progress.

I could see him mulling the idea over in his head so I pushed it a bit further, "Don't be scared now Neji Hyuga." He cocked a bow, it was quick but I could see almost everything with my eyes. Not as much as he could though. The veins seeped back out across his face along with a cold shiver down my spine as he crouched down and took a step back. I followed suit. It was clear how different our fighting styles were going to be just based off our stance.

It was like no one I had ever fought before. His movement was so lucid. He flowed seamlessly with every hit and block. We were like this for a while just attempting to land a hit. I was blocking more than he was but I was easily keeping up. Maybe I had gotten a bit fast. Every hit, keep up, keep moving Suiren. After a few minutes of this intensity I saw an opening in the right collar bone and took it. Instead of blocking the Hyuga let me in close before grabbing my hand and jabbed me with two fingers in the arm. I hopped back a few feet to put some distance. I gritted my teeth. I felt the sudden loss of chakra flow. Had he made contact little lower my arm would've been useless.

"You're quicker." I bit the inside of cheek at his comment. Breathing in I pushed my chakra around my body and focus on the one point where he had hit trying my best to work with what was done. I rolled my arm in the socket to test it out. "I need you to go faster." I mumbled cracking my neck. I wanted to push myself to my limits. He scoffed and rolled his eyes softly. "You're quicker but not quick enough." I let a growl settle into the pit of my bell and put my hands together appearing before him.

We started again. "I can see all your chakra and its point. This is pointless." I blocked out his talking. I knew what I was dealing with I had to redefine my strategy. I had to block differently. He kicked it up slightly and I had to start flickering to dodge some of his hits. His eyes widen slightly but only for a moment. "Faster!" I spoke and his eyes, they became hard again. "Gentle Fist Style Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!"

My lips parted at the sudden thickness of chakra. I took a deep breath in and tried to slow everything down as much as I could and it helped, the mere seconds was all I really needed. "Eight Trigrams 2 Palms." I was able to slap away the two hits but they were harder and faster than before. Chakra spilling from, each hit. It pushed me back slightly and he quickly closed the gap between us. "4 Palms." I could fill him making some points of contact. I tried to flicker slight to keep him from getting my exact chakra points. "8 Palms."

"16 palms. "

"32 palms." I sent burst of chakra to my arms and feet. I needed to be fast. I could do this.

"64 Palms!" I expelled a bust of chakra as he land more blows then I would have liked. I flickered around him but he turned to me, complete 360 line of sight. I stopped blocking and my hands came together in an attempt to form signs. Relaying only on my flickering to dodge his hits.

I was able to make two water clones with what little chakra I had left that he hadn't blocked. The three of me pulled out kunai and surrounded Neji. My breathing ragged and forced, I had less chakra then I thought. He looked at me and for a moment I didn't feel vulnerable to his stare. I dropped my kunai and my clones burst and splashed on the floor. "I tap out. No more chakra." I was ready to fall on my butt but the Hyuga quickly slide and arm around me and held me steady. "Well I could have told you that Lady Suiren."

I let a dry chuckle past my lips. "And here I had the next 20 moves planed out." I shook my head. I had gotten fast. Much faster but if there was one thing I knew it was that Neji Hyuga was faster.

Sitting up in bed I rubbed my eyes till they were sore. My head pounded but that always happened after a meditation session with Gai. What I hated was the soreness of my muscles and the small bruised spots on my arms from where Neji struck my chakra points the night before. The ninja was that of few words and he had something about him, something sad in the depths of his eyes. He was strong, and very fast but that didn't mean given other circumstances that I couldn't beat him.

Once I finally found the strength to pull myself out of bed I did my daily routine of getting ready and even through in some yoga. Today I would be physically training and I would be stupid to go in there as sore as I was.

Putting on my purple top, black shorts and black weighted leg warmers, I braided my hair into one long rope and went to the kitchen to eat some fruit. The peaches were fresh and juicy. The little things that made me happy. After a second bite there was a knock on my door. My eyebrow cocked. It was rare for me to get a visitor. Especially this early in the morning.

I hide my surprise at the two ninja before me with animal masks, Anbu. I took another bite and waited to hear what they had to say. "The Hokage request your presence." The bear like porcelain face looked down at me as he spoke. He was much taller than the one in the, what I was guess was a badger or something. I nodded my head in understanding but they didn't leave. I took another bite.

"Now." The shorter one said and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Sure." I mumbled, darting back inside to get my back pack and follow them to the tower. Not that I didn't know how to get there. I wondered what this was all about. I don't think I had ever really talked to an Anbu before. I remember seeing them ever once and a while but they were pretty much in the background. Bear opened the door for me and I stepped in. I was relieved when they didn't' follow.

Despite the annoyance from Anbu I couldn't help but crack a smile at the old man in front of me. He always had so much paper work on his desk and I wonder why Naruto would ever want to be Hokage someday. "It's good to see your Suiren." I bowed down. "Likewise Hokage-sama. Please forgive me for being scare lately; I've had so much going on." He smiled warming before taking a inhale of his pipe. "This came for you." I walked forward and he handed me a scroll.

"It is from your sensei. You are not to share the location on that scroll to anyone and once you open it and read what's inside it will burn to ash." I nodded my head eyeing it curiously. I wondered why all the secrecy. "How is your training going?" I tucked paper in my back pack, "Great. I mean it's hard and kicking my butt but it's going really well."

I saw his eyes travel to my arms. "Still picking spars with people I see." I snorted and rolled my eyes when I realized he was talking about the small marks. "Yea I guess I just don't know when to quit." He laughed. I was glad to be here. I always had a good day when I stopped by to say hello to him. He always put me in a good mood, just the aura around him.

"I also wanted to release this to you." He pulled a package from under his desk and placed in in front of himself. I eyed it with interest. "This was what was found at your old house. Knick knacks and the like. I figured you would want to have them." Air caught in my throat. My eyes instantly watered. "Yes. I would like that very much." I stepped forward and grabbed the box. Holding it close to my body. "I have not stopped looking Suiren." I glanced at him and knew he was talking about my uncle. I mouthed a thank you.

Part of me wanted to rip the damn thing open and the other part of me was scared to look inside. This was all that was left of my old life. Something I tried not to think about too often because it bought me sorrow. "I hope you are growing to like it here." I looked back up at the old man. I was growing to like it here. All my comrades, my team mates, my Senseis showed me how wonderful it was to be part of the village. I cracked a smile, "I hope that in getting stronger I can one day give back to you and this village that has given me so much."

I wondered if maybe one day I could be an Anbu and carry out the direct orders from the Hokage. To protect those inside these walls, my home.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto!

FYI: Sorry for the long wait!

I just got back from vacation :)