Chapter 3: Branch Family: Lesser of the Two.
I went to view the young Hyuga boys training when Hinata told me that I better not. She said that we should drop the tea off and then just go somewhere else. I took the tray from her hands and walked over to put the tray on the step. Then after I set it down I leaned on the pole and watched as they continued to practice. Then her father stopped and looked at me. I felt a little nervous at first, then I calmed myself and stared back. We looked at each other until her father motioned Neji to take a break.
"You would be?" He was very serious and to the point. I wasn't scared and I was hoping that he would let me practice with him.
"My name is Rose Wolf. I'm your daughter's teammate." I bowed slightly and waited for him to say something.
"So that's your name." Neji was smiling at me and took a sip of his tea.
"Neji, You know her as well?" Hiashi was looking at Neji with his blank eyes. I think he doesn't like being kept in the dark.
"Yes. She and I fought once for training. She can use Gentle Fist." Neji looked back and forth between Hiashi and me.
"I see." He looked at me again with eyes of daggers. Now I knew what she meant when Hinata said to clear out. "Would you like to train with me then?"
"Yes sir. I would." I walked into the open where he was. Then took my position as he charged at me using Gentle Fist. "Hyuga Defense: Dragon Formation!" I swiftly moved my feet in complicated movements and ended up behind him and hit him with Gentle Fist. Though I made sure to not do any fatal damage.
"Now I see. That's enough." He walked away and drank some tea. I wasn't even tired yet.
"Ok." I wanted to go at it more. I walked to Hinata and asked her to train with me. So she did and we went at it for awhile. Which made her father really impressed on how much she had grown. That's good. She was saying how her father thought she was a waste of time. I think now he knew she had grown and Neji thought so too.
"Neji do you want to fight with me?" I wanted to have a bout with him because I wanted to teach him something I learned from a secret library.
"Ok." He walked over to me and we began. I went first by using some odd ball attacks and he dodged. Barely. Then he attacked to. "Byakugan!"
"Wolf Eye" I yelled and we went through sets of chakra pulsed attacks. My Insects were starting to get antsy to eat the chakra that was lingering in the air. I said no and I kept throwing blows. Then I jumped back and jumped into the air at him. "8 Trigrams: Aerial Assault 100 palms!" Hiashi's eyes widened and he intercepted me.
"Where did you learn that!" Hiashi was angry.
"I got it from a scroll. Why do you ask?" It was hard trying to stay calm ,but I was just staring him in his eyes.
"What is it father?" Hinata was looking at him with a confused expression.
"That technique was lost from us since the 1st of the great wars. You learning it and not even being a Hyuuga is unorthodox." Hiashi calmed down and faced the house. "Would like to stay for dinner?" It was getting late and I was hungry.
"I would like that." I bowed and followed him to the house. Neji went to go and eat somewhere else. I wonder why. We sat down at a long table with every Hyuuga at the table. Except for the Branch Family of coarse. "Why are all these people here?"
"Father said something about letting people listen how to do that technique so they can use it again." Hinata answered me then went back to watching her father. Then I looked over to a house where the Branch family was.
"Come Rose sit over here." He was pointing to a seat next to Hinata's sister Hanabi Hyuga. I sat down and smiled at her. She smiled back and then went back to paying attention to her father. I couldn't help ,but feel out of place. I took a bit of the food. It was so rich with flavor. I thought I was going to throw up.
"Sir where is Neji?" I looked over to Hiashi who was looking at a man who was acting foolishly.
"He is with the other Brach family members. Why do you ask?" Hiashi was looking at me with a interested eye.
"If that is where he is then I must ask if I could eat with the Branch family members as well." I wanted to be with people that were more like me.
"Why do you want to go eat with the filth?" The man who was acting foolishly said.
"I'd rather be with people that are more like me." Hiashi looked like he understood what I meant and he nodded and let me go.
"Maybe you at least join us for tea?" Hiashi wanted to ask me about that technique ,but I had no choice but to accept. So I walked across to the house where the Branch family where eating.
"Who might you be?" It was a Elder with a curse mark on his forehead. They all had the same mark on there foreheads.
"I came to eat with you. If I may." I wonder if he would reject me.
"Why? So that you may infuriate us with the presence of a person with better life?" He was paranoid. Better life, me?
"I ensure you that my life is no better than yours." I said confidently. I was sure that I was the most miserable person here.
"Prove that you are as miserable as you say." He watched to see what I would do. I simply took of my headband and the bandage to reveal the Obedience mark. He frowned, nodded, then turned to face the confused eyes. "Do not envy this girl. If anything pity her for having such a life."
"I do not want pity. Pity makes you weak. Endurance makes you strong." I looked at him with my wolf eye. Hope they don't ask what it is. I walked over to a group of adults with their mouths smiling and inviting. I looked over to Neji for a quick minute to see him confused. I took a bite of the food. It was better than that rich food. I'm not really one for high quality food. I was interrupted by some wondering children who wanted to play with me tough there parents told them to stay put since I was eating.
"Rose. Is that right. I wonder what the heck your doing here?" It was a man who seemed drunk. I wonder if he was.
"I'm eating what does it look like?" I wanted to slap him in the face ,but I will not be the one to start a fight.
"Well stop eating and get out!" He threw a punch and I dodged and flung him over my shoulder causing him to fly right into the wall.
"Want to try again?" I was taunting him ,but I left anyway not wanting to start a real fight. I told Hiashi that I had to leave and he bowed and let me leave. I went to the bridge where Shino found me. I sat on the railing and watched the water. I couldn't believe how happy I was to be alive. I remember the last time I was happy was when I was six years old. Once you think about it that was a long time ago. I think I could be happy.
"Rose!" Neji was running toward me. What does he want at this time of hour? I watched as he took a breath and stood up straight. I got off the railing and looked at him. "I have a question for you. What do does that symbol mean on your forehead?" I looked at him and smiled.
"It means I am nothing. Your mark means a caged bird right. Well mine is like that and having a cat inside toying with you." I was trying put it in short terms. He understood what I meant and he looked at the water. I wonder what he was looking at. When I looked at the water I saw a road. A road that would soon lead to something bigger.
"Why did you come to eat with us?" He was probably wondering why I would give up sitting at that table.
"I didn't stay there because I felt I was out of place. I kind of felt guilty that me being the lesser of the two I was sitting at the royals table." Neji looked at me weird.
"You mean you didn't want to be there because you thought we should be sitting at the table instead of you?" I nodded because that was exactly what I meant. I looked at the water and waited for a response like are u crazy or something like that. "I see. I appreciate that."
"No problem." I looked up at the clouds that were illuminated by the setting sun. I wanted to take a picture and keep it forever. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. I looked at Neji who was also staring at the clouds too.
"If you ask me. Your not giving yourself enough credit." I had confused look on my face. What does he mean by enough credit?
"What do you mean by that?" I had to ask.
"I think out of the two of us. I think you are the better one." I think he was trying to be nice. I know what he meant because I was thinking that he was better of us that made me the better one.
"I think we would fight about it along time about who is the better half." He looked at me and smiled.
"You would probably would win anyway." I started to laugh and he laughed with me. I left to home. Great now I have to go home to Kikimaru.