Well, thanks for the reviews. Here's the new chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 7

TenTen stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom. She had been wide awake ever since she had surfaced from a disturbing dream of flowing blood and unknown guilt. Not that it was actually unknown; she knew perfectly well what she was guilty of. She sighed heavily and glanced at her alarm clock. 7:00. She might as well get up. Her parents would be up soon.

She swung herself out of bed and dressed in her casual clothes: a short-sleeve pink shirt and blue shorts. She stretched and yawned as she padded out of her bedroom into a small hallway. Her father's snores resounded through the house, and she smiled slightly. TenTen entered the kitchen and rummaged in the cabinets, looking for something small. Her mother would probably cook breakfast.

She grabbed a fruit bar and munched on it as she plopped down in a chair at the table. As she ate, TenTen thought about her parents. They weren't actually her birth parents; they had been killed in the Kyuubi attack. She was one of the many sudden orphans after it; however, she had been adopted unlike many. She could vaguely remember her real parents, a warm smile, a comforting word. That was all.

TenTen always knew she was adopted, and her foster parents had made no effort to hide it. And they were good to her. Fair and strict, indulging at times, but never too much so. She had learned life lessons from them, even the embarrassing ones. They were her parents; the others didn't seem to exist.

"TenTen-chan? You awake already?" asked her mother, coming out of the hallway. She was a short woman with brown hair and dark-green eyes. She wore a nightgown, just now getting out of bed, and was tying an apron around her waist as she neared the fridge. She always fawned over TenTen, but never thought TenTen was a little angel. The tomboy was far from it.

"Yeah, Kaa-san. I couldn't really sleep," replied TenTen, finishing her bar. Her mom smiled warmly and kissed her forehead.

"Maybe you should go back to bed," she suggested, "I'll keep breakfast warm until you get up again." She busied herself with cooking breakfast, taking various ingredients from the cabinets. A gigantic yawn came from the hallway, and TenTen's father, a man with dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes, lumbered into the kitchen. He fell into a chair beside TenTen, and looked sleepily at her.

"Mmmm, hello, TenTen-chan," he mumbled, putting his head on the table. She giggled; it was like this every morning when she was here. Actually, the last morning she had eaten breakfast with her family had been a while ago. She usually was out training with her team.

Her mother shook her head, still smiling. "Wake up, Misuro. Remember that order of kunai that came in late yesterday?" she reminded him. Her family ran one of the village's weapon stores, and the only forge. Her dad could craft any custom weapon for shinobi, and they lived comfortably because of it. Her dad sighed and shifted, exposing a prosthetic lower leg.

He was a former ninja, his leg taken in the Third Shinobi War. He would always brag that he could take down an entire platoon of ninja in seconds with his jutsu, but TenTen would just shake her head and laugh. Soon after the amputation, he opened the store and forge, and soon made himself known as one of the best blacksmiths in the Land of Fire. Even a few samurai from the Land of Iron ordered custom katanas from him.

"Do I have to take care of it first thing, Yuki?" he complained but getting up and opening a door to a set of stairs leading down; they lived above the store. Yuki threw him a glance that told Misuro 'yes', and he grunted before stumbling down the stairs. She looked at TenTen.

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" she asked. TenTen glanced at the clock. 7:30.

"No. I have to meet my team at nine," she replied. Her mother nodded and refocused on her cooking. Soon, a delicious aroma filled the room and apparently filtered down to the shop, as they heard a loud groan from downstairs. Yuki giggled, and TenTen smiled. A few minutes later, stomping could be heard from the stairwell and Misuro reentered the kitchen and fell back into his chair.

"There. The kunais are put up," he mumbled, his head lolling. He was silent for a minute until he started to snore loudly. TenTen nudged him with her elbow, and he started awake with a snort. "Huh? Wha? Oh, sorry, TenTen-chan." She laughed and got up to get three bowls and spoons from the cabinets. She placed one in front of Misuro, who thanked her with a snore, and placed the others where she and her mother would sit.

TenTen poked her dad in the back of the head to wake him up for the second time, and Yuki turned with a pot of soup in her hands. She dipped some into each bowl, and all sat down. This was the first time in a while they had sat down as a family at breakfast. TenTen and Misuro happily chirped, "Itadakimasu!" before plunging into the soup. Yuki ate at a more dignified pace, taking her time.

Misuro finished first and waved as he climbed down the stairs. "Gotta go run the shop. Y'know, things like that!" TenTen glanced at the clock. Her father usually opened up at about nine, but it was only a little after eight. She shrugged; maybe the shop was disorganized, like her father.

TenTen finished before her mother and gathered up her bowl and Misuro's, which he had left at the table. She put them both in the sink and washed them off. Yuki, now finished, handed her bowl to TenTen. "Thank you for doing the dishes, Ten-chan," she said.

TenTen grinned. "It's alright, but I'd get down there before Tou-san loses something important." Yuki smiled back and hurried downstairs. Orders were always being misplaced by her dad, and only she kept the business afloat by bring a hint of order into her husband's chaos. TenTen finished the dishes and quickly looked back at the clock. 8:30. Man, she was cutting it close.

She rushed out down the stairs and past her parents, Misuro scratching his head confusedly as Yuki looked for a missing order, and jumped onto the nearest rooftop as she made it out the door. She jumped over the gaps as she dashed toward the glowing Hokage Tower. The village was starting to wake up, and she could sense people look up at her as she crossed into their vision. A few minutes later, she arrived at the base of the Tower.

Neji was there, arms crossed. He glanced up as she neared but said nothing."Guy-sensei here yet?" she asked. He shook his head, and TenTen took it with a nod. She leaned against the wall, and felt the sunlight fall warmly across her. They were silent for a minute, both being too awkward to say anything, or at least she was. Neji, as always, kept his face blank. Finally, TenTen spoke, "Erm…thanks for last night, I guess. For the things you said."

"I did not say much, and you don't have to thank me."

"I know, but still…thanks. It helped."

Neji quietly nodded. Naruto arrived silently, coming into the edge of her vision. He looked concernedly at TenTen and hesitated before asking, "How are you doing, TenTen?"

TenTen paused; despite the cheerful attitude she had put on at her house, she couldn't forget the dream or the events of yesterday. The dream only seemed to reinforce the guilt she felt, and TenTen remained quiet for a time.

She still hadn't answered when Guy arrived, jumping to Naruto's side. He started to say something, but Naruto put a hand in front of him. The Jonin looked curiously at him, but the blonde shook his head. TenTen hadn't even registered Guy's presence, so deep in thought she was.

"I guess," she began, "I haven't really forgotten it, and I don't think I ever will, but it's behind me for now. I'm good for the time being." She looked up and saw Guy. "Hello, Guy-sensei." She didn't seem surprised and greeted him with a smile.

The Jonin had a small smile on his face when he turned to address the team as a whole. "Okay, Team 9, we have a report to turn in, and all team members have to be present. Sorry to drag you out of bed, but let the Power of Youth fill you up!" He shouted the last part enthusiastically. His Genin shook their heads, but this is why they liked him.

Guy marched them up the Tower, and they entered the Mission Report. The Hokage was there as always, but Iruka was not, Naruto guessing that he was teaching today. Guy bowed then saluted as they approached the table, and the rest bowed respectfully. "Here to turn in the mission report?" asked the old Hokage.

"Indeed we are," replied Guy, grinning blindingly. His Genin deadpanned. 'Does he have extra-caffeine coffee in the morning or something?' thought TenTen, the blonde next to her thinking similarly. Neji settled with a derisive snort. The Jonin handed the Hokage a two-page report, and he was silent as his wrinkled eyes scanned it. At one point, they flicked toward TenTen and then back at the report.

"All seems to be in order," stated the old man as he flipped back to the beginning. He placed it on a stack of other papers and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers. "Interesting to say the least, the report was."

Guy bowed. "That will be all, Hokage-sama." The other nodded. The Jonin turned back to his team. "Alright, you have three days leave. Make use of it and let the Power of-," The Genin were long gone before he finished. Behind the enthusiastic man, the Hokage smiled amusedly. Guy had a tendency to have that effect on people.

TenTen

TenTen wandered through the streets of the Leaf, not having a definite location in mind. She just needed to think. 'That man…he was burnt, badly…the tags did that,' she thought, hands in pockets and head down. As she had said to Naruto yesterday, she loved explosions, the sound, the light, the exhilarating feeling of being near one.

But now…she had seen the effects of them. The burns everywhere on the man's body, the pain in his eye along with the glint of madness, the desperation in his final act. TenTen shivered; she couldn't linger on it, but it kept resurfacing every time she pushed it down. Every moment was crystal clear, imprinted eerily in her mind.

Every time it surfaced she was forced to relive the final second of the kill in a sort of waking dream; it was terrifying and she hoped she was still sane. Someone bumped into her, but she was too deep in thought to really care. Vaguely she could hear children laughing and adults chatting happily. The atmosphere started to grind on her nerves. An especially loud laugh broke the dam of anger in her.

'Why should they be happy? Don't they know anything? Are they that ignorant to the real world?' she demanded silently, teeth and fists clenching and unclenching. 'They're…These…argh!' In anger, she lashed out to punch a stall, bringing down its roof. People around turned and gasped at her, and they formed a ring around her as the stall owner neared her, TenTen staring defiantly at him. 'Let him do his worst so I can repay the favor ten times!'

He was a big man, well over six feet in height and probably weighing nearly three hundred pounds. A man that would intimidate others into seeing his point of view, and by his swagger, he knew full well. He stepped in front of TenTen and looked down at her condescendingly. "You the one who broke my stall?" he asked voice nasty.

TenTen glared up at him but didn't answer. He repeated himself, "Girlie, you the one who broke my stall?" When she remained silent, his piggy eyes narrowed. "Answer me, dammit!" She continued to defiantly glare at him, and he raised a hand as if to slap her. "Say something!"

She still glared at him, but grinned nastily as she answered, "Screw off." She felt a massive blow catch her on the side of her face, and her feet left the ground as she tumbled to the side. The people parted around her but didn't help her. She slowly rose to face the man, a red mark vibrant on her left cheek.

He sneered. "Not so cocky now, aren't you?" TenTen snarled at him. She wanted to kill him…let his blood flow freely…she standing over him…a psychotic grin on her face…burns on his body…wait…. She suddenly clutched her stomach and vomited at the sequence of images. The man grinned. "Oh, did I hit you too hard?"

He walked over to the helpless TenTen and raised his hand as if to strike her again, but he felt a sudden force stop him. He looked over to see a man with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes filled with cold anger. A forbidding feeling washed over the large man; he feared for his life.

TenTen, who had fallen to her knees, slowly looked up. Her eyes meet a prosthetic leg, and they widened. It was her father, holding back the arm of the stall owner. She was silent until she murmured, "I'm sorry, Tou-san."

"Damn right," said the stall owner, thinking she had been talking to him. Misuro, however, corrected him.

"She wasn't talking to you. She was talking to me, her father and the one you will learn to fear." The bigger man grinned stupidly, dousing his fear; he thought he had the advantage. He was about six inches taller than Misuro and had about eighty pounds on him, but Misuro was trained as a shinobi.

"I don't think so, buddy." The man swung at him, but it was caught easily by Misuro.

He turned his head to look at TenTen. "TenTen-chan, watch and see how your old man in his element." The bigger one growled and lashed out with his other fist, but it whiffed as Misuro ducked. He responded with two quick jabs to the gut of the man and a thrusting kick with his good leg into his chest. Even though Misuro no longer trained, the big man went tumbling backward. The forge had kept him strong.

The man rose with a drunken stumble and roared as he charged Misuro. Misuro kicked upwards as he neared, catching him under the jaw and sending him into the air where he quickly received a multitude of punches. The final one, a shattering right hook to the jaw, sent to him backward and into a wall.

TenTen was stunned. Her father had bragged of course but to actually see him in action…it was amazing. He let out a breath and rolled his shoulders. Misuro glanced at her, expression unreadable. "C'mon, TenTen-chan, we gotta talk when we get home." 'Uh-oh.'

When they arrived at the front of the shop ,Misuro opened the door and stood to side as TenTen entered with head down. Her mother Yuki was there behind the counter, a questioning look on her face. She looked at Misuro, who motioned for her to follow them as the two of them climbed the stairs. Once in the kitchen, TenTen sat and crossed her arms stubbornly.

Her dad silently regarded her until her mother came into the room. "The store's closed for a bit. What happened? People were saying something about a fight…" Misuro nodded but didn't speak, his eyes still on TenTen. After an eternal moment, he sat across from her and leaned forward.

"What was your reason?" he asked simply. TenTen swung her head toward him but didn't meet his eye. She didn't answer. He leaned back and folded his hands on his stomach. "You know who here has the most patience. You've tried this trick before." After a minute, "Tell us, TenTen-chan. We can help."

She suddenly screamed angrily, "What do you care!? You don't know what happened to me! That bastard deserved it regardless!" Her mother had a hurt look, and her father was still studying her coolly. She clenched her mouth shut and turned her head away, shamefully. She had never talked that way to her parents before.

"T-Tenten-chan, could you tell us what happened? Maybe we could-," began her mother concernedly, but TenTen interrupted her.

"I don't need help! Just leave me alone! You-you-you…," her voice cracked, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Yuki tried to put a consoling hand on her shoulder, but TenTen jerked away. "Don't touch me!"

Misuro remained silent, but spoke when she quieted. "I know what you did, or at least I can guess."

"Don't even try, Tou-san! You could never-,"

"If you say understand, you are seriously wrong," stated her dad, "I understand you completely. In fact, this is a repeat of an event of years past." He leaned forward, "You're acting the same way I did when I first killed."

TenTen started to retort, but the full meaning of his words hit her. "Wha?"

Misuro smiled empathetically. "Have you forgotten your dad's bragging? About how I could take out several guys at a time?"

"Yeah, but-,"

"You never believed me? Heh, can't say I blame you. My dad did the same. And I never believed him either." A faraway look came into his eyes. "Until I killed." He was silent for a few moments, as if he was considering his next move. Suddenly, he rose and opened the door to the shop. "Follow me, TenTen-chan. I've got something to show you."

TenTen hesitated before following. Her father went down the stairs and turned into the shop. It was a simple outfit, the weapons either in table displays or hanging on the wall. A door near the back led to the forge, where TenTen was never allowed. Misuro, however, had a different idea today. He opened the door and stood beside it, waiting.

She entered nervously, glancing at her dad who nodded encouragingly. TenTen turned around to get a full look at the forge. It was like something she had imagined, an anvil near a bucket of water and the fire. A table was located in a far corner. On it was various finished orders and papers. However, there was another table adjacent of it that drew her attention.

On it were several metal objects arranged neatly along the wall. One was a wolf, another an ornate lightning bolt with a sword running through it, and the one that really drew her attention was a life-size metallic bow about four feet in length. She furrowed her brows. What was this? Her parents had certainly never told her.

"This…is my remembrance table, I guess you could say," said Misuro from behind her, closing the door. He came to the table's edge and waved her over. She only became more confused as more objects came into view. There was maybe about twenty of them, but all were seemingly random designs.

TenTen looked up at her father, frowning. "What? Remembrance table? What do you mean?" She pointed toward the table, and Misuro sighed, much like he did before he began a long, usually dull explanation. He, however, walked over and picked up one of the objects, a small cloud with frozen iron rain pouring down.

Misuro studied it for a while before turning to look at TenTen. "This…is where I remember the ones I've killed. All of these were made by me before and after I was…unfit for duty." He shook his prosthetic leg. "It's a way to deal with the emotion, at least for me."

TenTen was silent, processing the information. "That's," she said, "kinda disturbing, you know. A shrine to dead people whose deaths were caused by you? Man, I knew something was wrong with you." She meant the last part as a joke, but Misuro's calloused hand tightened around the cloud.

"Nothing is wrong with me, TenTen-chan. I'm sure of it. And be grateful you ever saw this. Only one other person has: your mom. She's…well, she knows that it's my way of coping. I'm so glad she accepted this." His eyes regained the faraway look. "I didn't even tell her until after the marriage. I was so afraid she would reject it."

TenTen stood uncomfortably during this reminiscence. Her dad always played the tough guy of the family, being the only guy, and never talked about emotions. This was a side of him she had never even glimpsed. "OK, but what's this got to do with me?" she asked.

Misuro studied the cloud again before answering, "My father, who you've never met, first showed me this. He did it himself, and when I first killed, he did the same thing I'm doing with you. I admit that I said some of the things you're saying now, but eventually I followed in his footsteps and picked this up."

He picked up the bow. "Each of these has a story behind them. This bow…I was fighting a Jonin from the Sand, and she wielded a bow very well. She got me a few times even. The fight went on forever it seemed, though I came out the winner." He rubbed his shoulder, as if remembering his wounds.

There was wrinkle in his story, however. "Jonin? You only got the Chunin promotion. How in the world could you take down a Jonin?" questioned TenTen.

Misuro grinned sheepishly. "I was a Chunin, but my rank in the Bingo Book was mid-B. I was respected back in the day, I tell ya."

She shook her head. "Good God. Are you still in the Bingo Books?"

"No. They took me out when I…well you can guess."

She nodded, understanding. She turned to the table. Making something to remember a death that you caused…it seemed grotesque to her. TenTen sighed. She hated to let her dad down, but unfortunately this called for it. "Tou-san, I-I don't know about this. I mean, you use this to run the shop and I'd get in your way. I also, well, I kinda think this whole thing is crazy." She kicked the ground nervously.

Misuro nodded. "I can understand. I said the same thing to my dad. But, for me, take this." He turned to the table and reached behind it. He pulled out a block of wood and a small carving knife. He handed it to her. "Try to think of something that makes the person unique. And then let your hands do the rest." He walked out of the room, leaving TenTen there staring uncomprehendingly at the block of wood in her hands.

'What am I supposed to do with this? I've never even tried to carve!' She went out the door and up the stairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, making lunch. Yuki smiled as TenTen neared, but TenTen ignored her as she entered her room. She fell down on her bed, placing the knife and wood next to her. 'Try to think of something unique…this is really nuts. How am I going to make a fiery cutthroat's death unique?'

She lay there for a few minutes, thinking. There really wasn't anything to remember about the man she'd killed…just thinking about fully gave her chills. As she sat there for a while more, a detail she had missed at first floated to the top of her mind.

The bandit fell choking on his own blood. TenTen clutched the now-bloody kunai in her hands, panting. Something metallic sparkled in the corner of her eye, but she ignored it, too disgusted by the sight in front of her.

'That sparkle…what was it?' TenTen concentrated, trying to replay the memory without becoming sick. A faint image rewarded her effort: a small silver bird in flight. It was a necklace that the bandit had worn, somehow untouched by the chaos around him. Her hands picked up the wood and knife without her knowing and started to carve.

She sat on her bed for hours, not hearing her mom's calls for lunch and then Misuro quietly reassuring her. TenTen kept the image of the bird in flight in her mind, hands carving slowly and automatically.

It was night outside her window when Yuki opened the door. "TenTen-chan, it's dinnertime." She started, nearly cutting herself. "Sorry," apologized Yuki. She nearly closed the door, but opened it again. "Beautiful carving by the way." TenTen glanced down. It was a rough outline of the bird, the details such as the eyes and feathers not added yet.

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, and tell Tou-san thanks as well." Her mother smiled warmly as she nodded and closed the door. TenTen put down the carving and opened the door, turning to look at it as she exited. 'This is wonderful and freeing…but I feel as if something is missing.'

Naruto

The young blonde stretched as he walked away from the Hokage Tower, early morning sun still bright. He really had nothing planned today except to relax until evening when he trained. Maybe he could study fuinjutsu or something. He was on the concept of the displacement of items using storage seals. Basically, the items could be sealed and unsealed at a set range indicated by the seal. He thought of places to study, an idea making him smile slightly.

Naruto sat on top the Academy wall that bordered the practice area, scroll opened on his lap and brush and ink out beside him. He had chosen it because whenever he had a break, he could watch the spars or listen to the yells of Iruka, still very loud even through the walls of the Academy. So far, every class that had used the area had no one he recognized, and Naruto sat quietly as he slowly drew the design for a seal.

A loud whoop lifted his head, and he saw Iruka along with his original class come out. The whoop had come from Kiba unsurprisingly as he saw Naruto sitting on the wall. Iruka waved as he too saw the blonde, who waved back. Hinata blushed slightly, and Sasuke glowered, simmering over the fact Naruto became a Genin faster than he.

Naruto smiled as he lowered his head back over his scroll as he heard Iruka reorder the class. He began to name combat partners, "Shino versus Kiba! Shikamaru versus Choji!"

"Troublesome."

Iruka continued, ignoring Shikamaru. "Sasuke versus Toru!" A nervous-looking civilian student jumped and lamented about his luck, and Sasuke smirked in his direction. "Ino versus Rumi!" One of several fangirls fawning over Sasuke momentarily took her eyes off of Mr. Perfect and blinked confusedly before returning to fawning.

"Hinata versus Sakura!" Naruto's head jerked up at that. Hinata looked uneasy about the fight, and Sakura pumped her fist, being sure that she'd win this fight by forfeit. Naruto leaned back and set the scroll aside. This would be interesting.

Iruka cleared his throat and finished the list. After, "The fights will be in that order. First: Shino and Kiba!" The young Aburame stepped silently into the ring, contrasting to the excited Kiba and Akamaru entering in shouting loudly. Kiba grinned at Shino, whose expression was unreadable behind the glasses and high collar. "Begin!"

"Yahoo! Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba rushed toward Shino, who kept still, waiting calmly. Kiba threw a left hook at the other's face which Shino stepped aside to dodge. Kiba responded with a kick toward his head that Shino couldn't block.

The Aburame smiled slightly. Hundreds, if not thousands, of insects burst from his sleeves and swarmed in front of the kick. Shino motioned as if he was pulling, and the insects tightened around Kiba's leg and threw him out of the ring. He landed with a oof and laid there for a few seconds, the air knocked out of him.

"The victor is Shino Aburame," said Iruka. The stoic boy nodded and walked to the back of the group, the class parting around him. Akamaru barked as Kiba sat up and stood, brushing himself off. The Inuzuka looked again toward Naruto, an idea forming in his head.

"Hey Naruto! Wanna join us?" he shouted, eliciting a glare from Iruka and a laugh from the blonde.

"Inuzuka! Naruto doesn't have time to spar with Academy students. He's a Genin!" Kiba withered under Iruka's gaze, but was saved by Naruto.

"It's alright, Iruka-sensei. It's my day off, and though this looks like fun, I'll pass." Kiba looked visibly deflated but regained his enthusiasm as soon as he lost it. He bounced over to the class and stood at the front of them. Iruka nodded and scribbled something on a clipboard.

"Next fight: Shikamaru versus Choji." The two friends stepped into the ring, Choji nervously and Shikamaru lazily. The Nara yawned as his friend became increasingly uneasy.

"I-I don't want to fight my friend, sensei," stammered Choji, looking up at him.

"I don't want to either. It's all so troublesome," said Shikamaru, staring up at the clouds. Iruka sighed. This always happened between these two, Choji being too soft and Shikamaru too lazy. He didn't know why he bothered.

"Alright. Tie in this fight. Next: Sasuke and Toru!" The nervous boy readied himself shakily. Sasuke sneered as he settled into his stance, the Fist-Intercepting Technique. Naruto had always hated it as it used the opponent's momentum to the user's advantage. As a boy that fully committed to punches, it devastated him. That's why he was cautious around the Uchiha.

Naruto doubted Toru had deduced any of this and wished him good luck. Even though Sasuke was a jerk, he was damn good at taijutsu. "Begin!" Toru stood still with wobbly knees before running wildly at Sasuke and swinging. Sasuke leaned backwards as it touched the air in front of him and slammed his foot into the boy's gut. Toru coughed as he clutched his stomach.

Sasuke again slammed his foot into his gut, causing Toru to drop to his knees. Sasuke grabbed his hair and jerked his head up. Sasuke drew his hand back and shattered the boy's face. Toru let out a low moan as his nose gushed with blood, but he was not out. Sasuke, with a psychotic smile on his face, drew back for another punch, but meet resistance. He looked up, expecting Iruka, but his eyes narrowed as they met cerulean ones.

"Let go of him, Uchiha. You've won already," ordered Naruto calmly, his hand clasping Sasuke's upper arm. The Uchiha tried to shake him off, but Naruto's grip was iron. "Let him go, and I let you go." Sasuke released Toru, who fell over and crawled away, some of his friends helping him up. Naruto let go and Sasuke wiped at the spot purposely.

"Now you've touched me. Great, I don't need your lowly hands all over me, dobe," sneered Sasuke superiorly. Naruto's face didn't change, but ill intent poured from him. He had never liked Sasuke's superior attitude; Neji was easier to deal with.

"One more word, Uchiha, and you will be the one on your knees begging for mercy," growled Naruto lowly.

"You wouldn't even touch me, dobe. I'm Uchiha, the finest in the Leaf."

Iruka stepped in before Naruto could rip Sasuke's throat out. "The victor is Toru Migame." At the glare from the Uchiha, "Sasuke Uchiha used excessive force and-,"

"Go ahead and award him the victory, Iruka-sensei, but remind him of the consequences of not following orders and insubordination." Iruka gave Naruto a strange look, and Sasuke was ready to spit something venomous at the blonde, but his mouth was clamped over by Iruka. "He would've won in the real world, but with set parameters, he failed utterly. Have mercy to even the merciless, or be prudent and kill them." The blonde shrugged. "Either way."

He climbed back to the spot, the rest of the class watching in awe. They hadn't even sensed him move and hadn't expected this level of wisdom from the former class clown. Iruka smiled inwardly; the blonde would make a great Hokage if he ever took the title. The Chunin released Sasuke who glared at him as he made his way back into the crowd.

"Ino and Rumi. Please step into the ring." The Yamanaka giggled, and Rumi sighed at being torn away from her Precious. Both entered into the ring, Ino looking confident and Rumi not really caring and staring at Sasuke. Naruto rolled his eyes. Fangirls would never get anywhere in the ninja world. "Begin!"

The fight was short and very painful for Rumi. Ino charged her and punched sloppily at her head. It could've easily been dodged by a three year-old, but the recipient didn't even look Ino's way, her eyes locked on Sasuke. What it got her was a bloody nose and a split lip. Naruto felt like banging his head against the wall. 'How the hell is she going to make it as a ninja!?'

"The victor is Ino Yamanaka." Ino giggled vacuously and skipped over to Sasuke.

"You see that, Sasuke-kun? I'm a good kunoichi!" she chirped. The Uchiha ignored her though, blood boiling over his own fight. Rumi, who had her hands over her face, rushed into the Academy, most likely to the nurse. Naruto shook his head exasperatedly. So much wasted potential.

"The next fight," announced Iruka, "is Sakura versus Hinata!" Naruto scooted closer to the edge. This was the fight he wanted to see. The pinkette marched into the arena, smiling brightly at her chances. Hinata, nerves etched into her cute face, edged into it. "Begin!"

"You might as well give up, weirdo! The power of love beats all!" taunted Sakura. Hinata poked her index fingers together, head bowed. "Hah! That's right! Be weak! Be the loser you always are! You can never win!" She began to shake, memories of similar words coming from the mouths of her own family bubbling up. "Why are you shivering? Are you scared? Go ahead, forfeit, you loser!" Hinata started to raise a hand to forfeit, but a yell broke into her thoughts.

"Hinata! Don't you dare give up!" She lifted her head to stare at Naruto, who was standing. "Don't you even think about it! Don't listen to her and fight! If you won't do it for you, do it for me! Just don't give up!" He teetered on the edge for a second, before crashing face first into the ground. A murmur of laughter went through the class; even though this Naruto was smarter, he was still the same.

Sakura tched and rolled her eyes as she returned her attention to Hinata. What she saw stopped her short. Hinata's lavender eyes were filled with fiery courage, and she had settled into the Gentle Fist stance, all of her weight balanced on her front foot. Naruto grinned as he lifted his head. "Give her hell, Hinata!"

"Bring it, weirdo!" shouted Sakura, dashing forward. Hinata shifted her weight and stepped lightly to the side while landing a palm strike on Sakura's chest. The pinkette gasped, and Hinata moved directly in front of her and struck her several times on the chest, causing her to tumble close to the edge of the ring.

Sakura slowly rose up, breathing heavily. 'Where the hell did that strength come from?' Most fights involving Hinata usually had her only tapping her opponent or not even hitting them. But dear God, this hurt! Sakura was sure she would have bruises tomorrow. "You're gonna pay for that!" yelled Sakura, her Inner Self agreeing.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Sakura closed in. Her eyes flew open, veins popping out around them, and Hinata realized what she had done. She had activated her Byakugan without handsigns, a feat she could never even get close to. Her vision sharp, she drove a strike into the back of Sakura's neck as she passed. One thought rang clearly in her mind, 'For Naruto-kun, I will be strong!'

The pinkette fell with a strangled sound, and Hinata took a step back, fearing a counterattack. She needn't to fear though, as Sakura's muscles had locked up, Hinata's blow hitting a nerve. Iruka's eyebrows shot up; Hinata had never won a fight before and certainly had never hit anyone like she had now. "The winner is…Hinata Hyuuga." A loud whoop, actually two of them, resounded in the practice area. Naruto and Kiba both had huge grins plastered onto their faces, and Naruto ran over and enveloped the heiress in a crushing hug.

"Yay! You won, Hinata!" shouted Naruto, Hinata barely able to breath. He looked down and realized he was hugging way too tightly, and let her go. "Sorry. Got a little excited." Hinata's face was beet-red and lowered. Naruto allowed himself a small grin. She slowly lifted her head to look at him in the eye, and the blonde's grin widened. Hinata had a confident gleam in her eyes, and she smiled slightly, the blush still on her face.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," thanked Hinata. Naruto nodded his head, still grinning. Conspiratorially, he leaned in, close to her ear.

"No kiss for the prince?" he asked teasingly, feeling Hinata's blush as well as his own. She stuttered for an answer, and Naruto backed away and laughed lightly. "Just kidding! Just kidding." He grinned wickedly. "Though I wouldn't mind." Hinata stuttered some more, and Naruto winked as he walked back to his spot. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide how to respond, and she settled for silence. She went and stood in the middle of the class, her classmates regarding with a new respect.

Kiba was slightly jealous of Naruto. 'Why does Hinata like him? He's got nothing! I'm from a major clan, and he doesn't have any family!' OK, maybe he was little bit more than slightly jealous. 'Stupid dobe. Bet I could beat him in fight.' How wrong he was.

The rest of the fights passed in a rush for the blonde, who didn't look up from his scroll after Hinata's fight. The students returned to their classes, Sasuke still irritated. The sun crept its way west, casting shadows across the blonde. 'The matrix and radius are interrelated…storage is determined by…good God, this is confusing at times, but I like it.' Naruto picked up the brush, dipped it into the ink, and painstakingly drew onto a blank area of the scroll, tongue poking out.

After a ten minutes, he smiled relieved as he held up the seal to the light. It certainly looked fine, now time to-

"BOO!"

"WHAT THE FU-!" Naruto jumped a mile into the air, almost quite literally. When his feet again touched the ground, he turned irately to a laughing Touza down below him. "You little…I oughta strangle you!"

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-san!" breathed Touza between laughs, "But you jumped so high!"

"Well so would you if someone scared you like that!"

Touza blew a raspberry at him. "No one ever scares me. Not even you, Naruto-san." The blonde shook his head and gathered his things. It was unfortunately true. Touza, in addition to being damn near invisible, couldn't be snuck up on. "A feeling I get," he'd say.

"I really need to get revenge on you," he said, jumping down after sealing them in a regular storage seal, not risking the new one. "But I don't know what to do, which is a first to me." He glanced at the sun and realized he maybe had two hours of sun left. "Sheesh, better go. Seeya, Touza!" The boy blinked as Naruto took off before following him.

"Wait up!"

Naruto caught a punch from a clone and delivered a kick to its side. Another clone kicked at his knees, to which Naruto responded by throwing the clone he'd caught on top of it. Another jumped onto his back, and he gripped its arm and threw it over his shoulder. All dispelled, and he straightened, breathing slowing. Touza was beneath a tree, as always, watching attentively. His face was a picture of awe.

Naruto turned and grinned at the boy. "Like the show?" Touza nodded. "Thought so. I'm kinda surprised myself. That was the twentieth clone, a new record for me." He cricked his neck. "Bet I can do more." He produced a group of thirty, trying to push himself to the limit taijutsu-wise. "This should do." He settled into the Iron Fist. "Bring it. Three at a time."

Thirty minutes later, the blonde punched the last clone in the gut and kicked it away. He was panting, sweat pouring off of him. His jacket had come off during the bouts, but he didn't care. He was hot anyway. Touza had remained silent throughout the fights, and Naruto looked at him. Usually the boy had energy to spare after the Academy and cheered him on, but now his small face was considerate. "Whatcha thinking, Touza?"

"Nothin'."

"Aw, c'mon. I just showed you some premium ninja moves. That's gotta be worth something."

"It's nothin', Naruto-san."

"Nothing my foot. Can you tell me? Or is it too sensitive?"

"Sensitive?" asked Touza, head cocked to the side.

"Erm, you don't want to talk about it because it makes you sad or something."

The boy shook his head quickly. "It's not that at all! It just…uh…well, could you teach me?"

"You've already asked me that question, Touza," reminded Naruto, raising an eyebrow.

"Not like every day, but you know, every once in a while. Like today, you don't really have anything to do, so…maybe?"

"Why do you want me to teach you so bad? You said you have a bad teacher, but is that it?" Naruto crossed his arms, wanting a straight answer. Touza seemed to hesitate.

"Well, uh…erm, well, I'm kinda the Dead Last right now, and I'd like to be taught, but no one will do it. I might not become a ninja." The boy slumped, the prospect of not accomplishing his dream taking all the energy out of him. He didn't want to be a civilian and lead some boring life; no he wanted an action-packed life of a ninja! Touza felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at Naruto.

"Aw, cheer up. No need for that," said Naruto, patting his head, "I'll try my best to teach you, but you know sometimes I just can't, but-," He didn't finish as Touza tackled him with a hug.

"Thank you, Naruto-san!"

The blonde grinned. "Whenever I teach you, you'll have to call me 'Naruto-sensei'." Touza blinked up at him, and then grinned.

"Hai, Naruto-sensei!"

Naruto nodded. "Alright, we've got forty-five minutes of light left, so let's get to it!"

The blonde sat in bed, the light still on in his room. He had the new seal in one hand and a kunai in another. "Alright, time to try this out!" He concentrated chakra to the seal and the kunai, turning his face away in case the seal malfunctioned. He heard a soft pop and the weight of the kunai disappeared, and he looked back to see the kunai was gone and the seal still perfectly fine. He concentrated again, and another pop was heard, the weight returning to his hand. Naruto let out a breath. Thank God that had worked.

He set the kunai and seal on his nightstand and lay back on the bed, putting his hands under his head. He grinned as he remembered the Academy fights. Hopefully, Hinata would keep that spark. His mind turned to Touza and his training. The boy was a hard worker, and he had gotten down a basic Academy stance down by the end. Naruto had assigned him to work on punches, keeping them short and quick. Touza tended to throw powerful but inaccurate right hooks. Now with the new seal working, the day had been wonderful. 'This was all fun and stuff, but why do I feel something's missing?'

Neji

Neji headed straight for the Hyuuga complex to train after he was done at the Hokage Tower. He made his way calmly, mind wandering but senses sharp. He had been slightly worried about TenTen after yesterday; he had seen how things like that could affect people. There were enough at the complex. He even knew a few.

Not that he didn't have his own past to deal with. Losing his father had hardened him, for better or worse was anyone's opinion. His mother was still alive, but she had never been the same after his father's funeral, however petty it was. He had forever hated the Main Family from that day, and had never told anyone outside the clan about his father's fate. No one knew, and it would stay that way.

He turned a corner and looked up. The high wall of the complex was in view. He nodded to himself and continued until the gate. A Branch Family member stepped in front of him. "We have to check your chakra as a precaution. We've recently had a would-be invader." Neji nodded, wondering who it was. 'To be that reckless, it must've been some Academy student or Naruto, but Naruto is too cautious for that level of stupidity I would think.'

"You may pass, Neji-san," said the guard, stepping to the side. Neji nodded absently and made his way over to the Branch Family residence. He needed to check on his mother, who had been plagued with headaches for the past week. The doctor had said it was migraines, run of the mill for someone mourning for eight years, but Neji had a suspicion it went deeper than that. Call it an uneasy feeling he was feeling.

He took off his shoes and slid the door to his house back softly. His mother was not far from the door, and she covered her eyes as the light hit her. "Neji-kun, please close the door."

"Of course, Kaa-san." He closed the door and kneeled beside her. "Are you feeling any better today?"

She smiled weakly. "A little, but not much. You need not worry about your mother, though." She coughed, a new symptom to Neji, and whispered, "She's strong."

Neji's eyes softened. His mother was the only person he genuinely cared for. "You may be strong, Kaa-san, but sometimes even the great Hiashi-sama needs help." He whispered the last part, fearing he would be heard. His mother chuckled, however, and he smiled. "Do you need anything?"

"Just rest, Neji-kun. Just rest. You go train with Hyoto-san, now. The genius shouldn't worry so much." Neji hesitated, but then patted his mother's hand. He rose and slid open the door before closing it quickly. He slipped on his shoes and headed toward the central part of the Branch Family residence.

Hyoto, his mentor, was waiting, standing rigidly next to the well that stood as the center of the residence. He nodded stiffly toward Neji, who returned it. "The usual place, Neji-san." Neji blinked as an answer and turned into an alley, being sure to activate his Byakugan for stalkers. Hyoto was the man that taught him the Main Family techniques. If either were found out about, the verdict would be execution. The odd thing about Hyoto, though, was that he too was a part of the Branch Family.

After weaving through several allies and sensing no one following, he felt a fluctuation in the air around him, and the space around him suddenly became clouded to his eyes. He deactivated his dojutsu and scanned. Hyoto stood in the middle of a practice area, silently waiting for Neji to take stance in front of him. Neji showed a small smile as he did so. "What are we to practice today, sensei?"

Hyoto answered in a monotone, "You are to practice the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms. I believe you are ready for it, since you mastered its stepping stone in such a short period." He shifted into the Gentle Fist stance. "However, let me observe your skills." Hyoto pushed off his front foot and struck at Neji's chest.

Neji parried it with his own strike and retaliated with a jab at Hyoto's chest, who blocked and returned the favor. For five straight minutes they battled like this, each blow parried or deflected, no one gaining the upper hand. Neji narrowed his eyes as another strike of his was blocked. Mentally weighing his chances, he waited until Hyoto had fully committed to a strike. Neji sidestepped and directed a blow directly toward his sensei's chest.

Fiery pain shot up his arm, and Neji flinched, the blow going awry. For the first time in the fight, he looked at his arms. They were dotted with red whelps, and he concentrated chakra into them and felt the pain shoot through him again. "From the beginning, it looks like," said Neji, wincing as he felt another painful pang. Hyoto nodded, straightening.

"From the beginning, I was hitting the tenketsu on your arms, negating your chakra and frankly making your hits ticklish at best. I could've easily killed you." Hyoto smirked. "It was your adrenaline that kept the pain at bay. That last one, however, had too much chakra packed into it. The result was immediate, was it not?" Neji nodded. "Yes, but I do see that you have progressed. You were my match in the style, but not in intelligence."

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "Meaning, sensei?"

"Meaning you need to take everything in consideration. A quick weighing of your odds will not do. You do have the potential to be the best user of Gentle Fist in many generations, but if you do not possess intellect, you will go nowhere." Hyoto shifted into the Gentle Fist. "Come. I will teach you the Sixty-Four Palms by using it myself."

After hours of practice and Neji's tenketsu being closed and reopened painfully, Hyoto called the practice to a close. "Remember, we must be present at Hinata-sama's bout." Neji's hackles rose slightly at the heiress's name. 'A true failure of the Main Family. The lowest of people, and she thinks she can get away with not fighting. The fool. She deserves to be branded into the Branch Family.' Neji couldn't have a lower level of respect for Hinata; he had more respect for Naruto, though he had shown that he was deserving of it.

Neji nodded stoically, not trusting himself to speak. Hyoto went over and lifted something from the ground. The cloud around Neji's dojutsu vision cleared instantly, and he wondered what Hyoto was using to cloak them. He focused in on the object in Hyoto's hand, and frowned when he saw what it was. "Hyoto-sensei, is that... a seal of some kind?" Hyoto snapped his head toward Neji as he pocketed the slip of paper. Neji had seen an amazingly complex seal matrix imprinted onto it, but only knew it was a seal due to Naruto's and TenTen's interest in the art.

Hyoto answered slowly. "Indeed it is. How did you know?"

"My teammates have an interest in fuinjutsu. I know what a seal looks like, and I have never seen one like that. Are you a fuinjutsu expert?"

Hyoto patted the pocket holding the seal thoughtfully. "No," he answered, "This seal was made by a friend long ago. He was my teammate and wanted to help me learn the arts of Gentle Fist. He did indeed, among other things."

Hyoto's answer sparked another question. "Who taught you the Main Family techniques, sensei?" asked Neji.

Hyoto turned his head away. "Let us go. We will be late for the bout." Neji narrowed his eyes and was about to demand a clear answer until Hyoto shunshinned away. Neji worked his jaw for a moment, irked, but shook his head and walked toward the Main Family estates. He neared the dojo, and he paused to take a deep breath to calm himself. He slid back the door and glanced around as he closed it and kneeled in the floor.

Most of the Branch and Main Family were present, except for those who were sick or old. Most surprisingly, his mother was there also. Her face was pale and sweaty, but she had an odd look on her face, as if she was expecting something. Neji made his way over to her side unobtrusively and kneeled beside her. "Kaa-san, you shouldn't be here. You are still-," started Neji worriedly, but his mother cut him off.

"I'm fine, Neji-kun," she said in a faint but fierce voice, "I need to see this. Something's-," She coughed several times, drawing questioning looks to which Neji answered with a glare, "Something's going to happen, I'm sure of it." Neji furrowed his brow in a puzzled manner.

"What?"

"Hinata-sama…will win this fight," she explained before lapsing into a coughing fit. Neji gave his mother a startled look. Most of the Branch Family had agreed that Hinata would eventually become one of them due to her unwillingness to fight and soft personality. There were a few that rejected the idea, but never had his mother been one of them. She didn't particularly care for Family politics.

"We…we will see, Kaa-san," replied Neji in a half-hearted attempt to support her. She heard his tone, though, and looked up at him.

"Yes, we will indeed, Neji-kun." Her tone made him pause in his own judgment. 'How did this idea enter her mind?' He thought for a second that maybe the headaches had caused hallucinations, but she had never done this before. Surely she couldn't be going insane.

The door slamming to the side caused him to start, and they both turned to see Hinata's opponent, a Main Family member named Haname, strut in. She was three years Neji's elder and had the signature brown hair, which was done up in a bun, and white eyes of the Hyuuga. She had a smug smirk on her face as she looked around the dojo. She marched into the designated area and turned to look at the audience.

"Is the heiress not here? Is she too cowardly to show her face?" said Haname arrogantly. Her answer was silence. She chuckled condescendingly. "Well, I win by forfeit. The failure should just-,"

"I am here, Haname-san," came a soft but firm voice from the entrance. All turned their heads to look at the speaker's silhouette against the sun. The speaker walked in calmly, revealing itself to be Hinata. Haname smiled nastily as Hinata took position in front of her.

"Looks like the heiress finally came. Took you long enough. But even if you do try to fight me, the result will be the same as if you had surrendered. I am the one of the best users of Gentle Fist in my generation!" That in itself was not a boast; Haname was truly one of the best known about fighters, but Neji could take her down with a single move if needed.

Neji expected Hinata to flinch at Haname's words, but surprisingly, she kept her face blank as she settled into the Gentle Fist. Her eyes held a steely look and a spark of courage as she glared uncharacteristically at her opponent. The other, however, smirked at her courage. "Aw, looks like the baby finally got a backbone. Now she just needs it to be beat out of her!"

Hiashi, the patriarch of the clan and Hinata's father, stepped between them, stemming Haname's words. "Are both fighters ready?" he asked, taking note of Hinata's newfound confidence and Haname's arrogance. They both nodded. "Begin!"

"Look, princess, just forfeit and-," She never finished her words as Hinata slammed a palm onto her right breastbone. "Wha-" Hinata silenced her with both palms on either side of her chest. Haname coughed blood as she stumbled backward, and attempted to recover herself. Hinata wouldn't allow it as she feinted at her head. Haname was fooled by it and readied herself for the false move, and she felt a sudden pain in her gut.

Haname fell her knees, arms around her stomach and blood dripping from one side of her mouth. She looked up at Hinata, who had backed up a few feet in the event of a surprise. "How? H-how? How did you-," she coughed red, "beat me?"

Hinata looked at her evenly with a hint of pity in her eyes. "I-I used your overconfidence against you, Haname-san. It is your greatest weakness."

"Are you calling me weak?!"demanded Haname, trying to stand but falling on her side.

"No, just arrogant," replied Hinata. Haname tried to rise again, but again she fell. Hinata walked over and offered her hand. She slapped it away.

"I do not need help from a failure!"

"A failure, may I remind you, that defeated you, Haname-san," said Hiashi, stepping in. With Haname cowed, he turned toward Hinata with an appraising look in his eyes. "Hinata…you have not shown much inclination to learn Gentle Fist, and admittedly I thought about having you branded." A wretched look passed over Hinata's face. "However, this fight shows me that you have true potential. If you apply yourself and do not waver, I will pick up my teachings with you."

Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, exploded, "What! She's a failure, nothing more! Even with this fight, she'll be weak in a day! I deserve the lessons, not her!"

Hiashi glared at her. "You will not argue with me, Hanabi. You will do as your father says." Hanabi tched and crossed her arms but said nothing more. He returned his attention to Hinata, who had a hopeful look on her face. "What do you say to my offer, Hinata?"

She stood silent for a worrying minute. Hiashi thought she would decline for a second. He truly loved both daughters, even though they were opposite personalities. The thought of branding his oldest was a painful prospect, but the elders would do it regardless of his arguments; the best he could do was delay. This, however, would negate all their arguments of a weak heiress and permanently instate Hinata as heiress.

Hiashi was surprised when she hugged him tightly, not caring about the crowd. Tears were running down her cheeks as she pressed her face into his kimono. "Tou-san," she began shakily, "of course I'll be your student."

Neji sat in his room on his bed, looking at the wall. 'So, Hinata-sama has grown stronger and braver, but in my eyes she is still a failure. She is destined to stay on the path she is on.' He shook his head. 'That Haname was indeed overconfident. At her fullest, Hinata could never win. I would like to test my abilities against her, but…' He looked at his hand and flexed it. 'That would result in my death, in most cases.' With another shake of his head, he stood and went into the main room where his mother was laying.

She turned over at the sound of his footsteps. "Hello, Neji-kun. Could you fetch me a glass of water?" He nodded and went into the kitchen. He returned with the glass of water and sat beside her. His mother sat up laboriously and took the glass. She stared into it for a moment before sipping. "Today was different, you could say," she said, smiling warmly.

Neji was hesitant to answer. "Yes, and you were right, Kaa-san. Hinata-sama did indeed win."

"Yes. She will become a strong clan leader."

"Yes, Kaa-san, but there is the possibility that she could revert to her original self. If that happens-,"

"It will not, Neji-kun."

"But it is destiny-,"

"Some people can defy destiny, and Hinata will be one of those people. Just watch and believe in her."

"But no one can," argued Neji stubbornly, refraining from bringing up his father. The iron, inescapable chains of destiny had led to his death.

"It was said no one could defeat the Kyuubi, yet someone did," replied his mother softly.

"That is different."

"How so?" Neji started to answer, but stopped short, not having an adequate answer. They both sat there in quiet. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Kinami, can I come in?" said a familiar voice. 'Hiashi-sama.'

"Neji-kun, could you open the door?" Neji obeyed and slid back the door, admitting Hiashi into the room. Kinami bowed her head. "Hello, Hiashi-sama. I would bow but unfortunately I cannot."

"It is fine, Kinami. However, I would like to speak to you privately," said Hiashi, glancing at Neji, who felt his blood run cold. 'Have they found out?'

"Of course, Hiashi-sama." Kinami looked at Neji, who bowed and backed out of the room. He paused, considering eavesdropping, but then Hiashi had the Byakugan.

Hiashi watched Neji walk into his room through his dojutsu. He deactivated it as he looked at Kinami. "Why haven't you told him?"

"Told him what, Hiashi-sama? That I am sick? He knows that already."

"You know what I mean, and I also know about his training with Hyoto."

Kinami bristled. "Do not hurt him, Hiashi-sama. Please."

"I intend not to. I want him to carry his father's legacy, but as for the other issue, you need to tell him or he will find out painfully. Spare him the pain in the future."

Kinami looked down. She had been hoping to avoid this, but as Hiashi had said, it wouldn't be for long. "Hiashi-sama, please answer me truthfully: how could you tell your only child that he will be alone in a matter of months?"

Neji lay in his bed, listening to the faint, unintelligible conversation. After ten minutes, he heard the door open and close and his mother's soft voice calling. He padded into the run as quickly as he could. "What did he have to say, Kaa-san?"

She smiled. "Nothing much. He just wanted to check on me. His wife was one of my dearest friends, as you know. We chatted a bit about today, but nothing important to you I would think."

"So he didn't mention the training?"

She shook her head and pulled him into a hug. "No, you're safe, my son. Never worry." Neji smiled softly as he put his head on his mother's shoulder. She was a small woman, especially now because of her sickness.

"I always worry, Kaa-san, especially about you. I want nothing to happen to you," he said quietly. She smiled and held him at arm's length.

"Don't worry. Even if I'm not there, I'll be by your side," she said warmly. Neji felt an inordinate pang of dread shoot through him at her words. He smiled, however, as they embraced again. 'Today has been different, but I feel as if something is amiss.'

The early morning sun shone down upon TenTen as she carefully carved the details of the bird. Wood bits surrounded her, a few being picked up by the wind and carried away. She was at the Training Ground where Team 9 had first met for their final exam. She had the idea to come here spontaneously, but now she felt truly relaxed as she carved.

"So you had the same idea, TenTen?" asked a voice. She looked up to see Naruto walking toward her. He sat down beside her and studied the carving. "What's that?"

"A carving, genius."

"Obviously, but what for?"

"For me," she answered vaguely, never looking up.

"What?"

"It…helps me."

"Oh." The two sat there for another minute before Naruto suddenly leapt up, scaring TenTen and making her prick her finger.

"Naruto, you idiot! You made me cut myself!"

"Someone's coming," said Naruto, ignoring her. TenTen frowned as she sucked on the cut.

"Come out, whoever you are!" shouted Naruto at a patch of trees.

"Naruto, scale down the craziness a bit. Those trees aren't going to answer you."

"No, they won't, but I will," replied Neji, coming out of the forest. "I can judge we all had similar ideas?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Looks like we did, teme. Another way we're alike." He grinned. "Each day, there are new things to add to that list."

"Do not look forward to the list growing, Uzumaki-san," said Neji. He glanced at a tree opposite of them. "Guy-sensei, I can sense you in the tree and could see you with the Byakugan. You can reveal yourself." A loud shout came from the tree as Guy jumped out and landed in front of them. He flashed them his signature grin and gave them a thumbs-up.

"Are you ready to cut the vacation short?" he asked in a positive but blunt manner. All three exchanged glances, and nodded.

"Hai, Guy-sensei!"

Alriiiiiiight, 10,000 words. Sheesh, didn't expect this. Anyway, if you're wondering why I didn't go in detail about Hizashi, it's because I'm writing like the reader hasn't encountered any Naruto characters plus I want to save that for later. Now, what do you think of Neji in this? I tried my best, hopefully it's alright. Toodles.