Yeah I've been busy. I'm dealing with club matters (I'm treasurer of the College Anime club) and school in general. Not to mention I'm trying to find some form of employment. That's easier said than done.

But here I am.. working on the next chapter.

Naruto: Chronicles of a seer

Chapter 5: Konoha: in her eyes.

In her eyes, the hidden village of the leaf was much bigger than that of the sound…

They didn't take her through the streets. Tenten and Lee took her and Gai to the hospital to tend to their respective problems while Neji went back to Tsunade to report. Looking down on the place, she realized how much more peaceful it seemed. There were people bustling in the streets. Several of them weren't ninjas. There were small shops and places all over. It seemed quiet. It was almost deceiving for a ninja Village.

It made her think of her first home. She couldn't describe it in any other way besides the fact that it was warm. It was much warmer than the sound village. The Sound village was damp, underground, silent, cold, and it had Sasuke in it. To be out in the sun with the stone faces of the hokages watching over them would be quite nice. These villagers were blessed with more than that knew.

The hospital was white, it reminded her so much of checkups with Kabuto. However Kabuto's medical facility was also dark. This place was as warm as the rest of the town. But for her, it wasn't quite as warm. The moment they placed her in her room, five ANBU came in.

"Ikue Saiyuri, we are here to question you about Orochimaru's plans," A female with long grayish-purple hair said to her.

"I will answer your questions. However, it will be after I recover. Then you will have my full and undivided cooperation," She replied quietly.

They were reluctant to follow that request. Then the Gondaime walked in. She told them something to the effect of "That's fine… let her rest." Neji and Tenten came in behind her. Neither of them had any expression of emotion on their face. However they were curious as to how Tsunade would speak to the Seer.

Tsunade herself had felt quite surprised when Neji came in to say that the Seer not only surrendered without a fight, but came willingly. There was still a lot to be suspicious about. After all, Saiyuri was raised by Orochimaru. A girl like that was dangerous in some ways. She always knew when one was lying, but others wouldn't be so sure.

"Neji informed me that you came with them willingly." She began.

"Yes that is true," the Seer replied, "I felt that if I came here perhaps I could leave the influence of Orochimaru."

"I have just one question for you. Why?" Tsunade looked at her seriously.

"That is a little difficult to explain. To shorten it in the best way possible: I am tired of being a caged canary that sings whenever Orochimaru tells it to."

Something about that statement hit Neji's nerves. That's why she wanted to leave! That's why she reached out to him first! It was so strange, but now he felt like he could see Saiyuri as someone that was more than just some creepy black-haired Konoichi that could look into the depths of his soul, but more like a person who just wanted to be able to be free.

Tsunade didn't reply to that remark, so Saiyuri spoke again, "Your apprentice is coming up with some medicine."

"Yes," The hokage answered, "It should help your immune system fight off your illness. I'm also adding in some Vitamin Suppliments as well."

"That sounds fine…Now may I rest?"

Tsunade nodded and walked out. The seer could sense that the ANBU were still outside her door. Neji and Tenten walked over to her bed.

"Gai's getting treated by the other medics. The wound itself isn't fatal, it's just deep." Tenten sat down to the side of the bed.

"Sasuke's Blade is very sharp. He pours chakra into the blade along with the Chidori to make it even sharper. To block with a normal weapon is unwise."

"And what about you?" The other Konoichi asked.

"Travelling did nothing to help but I'm fairing better." Saiyuri paused, then started into a coughing fit.

The three of them turned around to the sound of the door. A pink head came in with a few medicine bottles.

"So… So that is Saiyuri?"

Saiyuri looked over at her, "Haruno Sakura. Sasuke mentioned you once."

Sakura paused. She said nothing at first, simply placing the bottles on the table beside her. Then she looked over at her.

"How… how is Sasuke?"

"A jerk…" Saiyuri replied, "If anything he's gotten even worse than he was two years ago."

Sakura glared at her for a second. Then, with a sigh, she looked down, her face gloomy, "Sasuke wasn't always like that you know."

"I won't argue with you. I wasn't always as cold as I am. Being with Orochimaru does that to you."

The Pink-haired girl suddenly grabbed the black-haired one's arm. Saiyuri was rather calm in this situation, even though Tenten and Neji were taken by surprise.

"Where's Sasuke?! What happened to him?!"

Saiyuri paused before she spoke, She wasn't good with breaking things to people gently. However, before she could speak, she was cut off by the Hyuuga.

"Sasuke intercepted us. He gave Gai a deep cut up his left arm. I fought him off with Saiyuri's help."

She looked up with her eyes wide in fear. The seer decided it was time to take matters back into her hands.

"Sasuke's heart and mind is placed solely on revenge. He doesn't regard anyone with great amounts of respect, not even Orochimaru or me." She calmly pulled the Medic-nin's hand off her, "Sasuke's not coming back to you any time soon. So stop moping!"

Sakura could have almost glared at her, "How can you say that?! How can you say anything?! Sasuke doesn't mean anything to you! You just think of him as some pile of Flesh that Orochimaru will eventually use!"

Saiyuri shook her head, "I can say what I say because I know that man's heart. I've trained him for two years now. I'm a seer and a person's heart is like an open book to me. That's all I can offer you. Perhaps it's not what you wanted to hear, but that's the truth and nothing more or less. You can either sulk or you can continue on whatever your doing as a Medical-nin and be of some use. Perhaps you'll show Sasuke that his beliefs are wrong."

"Saiyuri…" Neji held her back, "It isn't a good idea for you to be so harsh in your situation."

Sakura was obviously upset. However, she didn't let herself snap. She simply walked away, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do anything for Sasuke just yet.

The Seer turned towards the Branch Hyuuga, "Just so you know, I am not a very sweet and sensitive person. I never have been. So don't try and reprimand me for such."

That was all that occurred for that day. Tenten and Neji went to visit Gai. He was doing just fine. He kept insisting that he wanted to train with Lee some more. Lee didn't leave his side. Neji walked with Tenten back to her house (It was on the way back to the estate) Then returned to his.

Hiashi had already heard that his nephew had come back. Neji answered all of his questions. He seemed mildly interested in the Seer and how she wasn't very interested in Konoha. Hinata listened just as intently. She offered her words of wisdom. Hanabi remarked that Hinata may just be in charge of her tomorrow when she went to do her volunteer work at the Hospital (Hinata occasionally did such things).

Home for Neji was always the same as it had always been. At the end of the day he was laying back on his pad. Thinking of what his other missions would be, and wondering if he would have to take part in the woman's interrogation.

Saiyuri wasn't exactly the most likable character. She was very blunt, serious, and quite closed. She wasn't too kind in her words. She wasn't too mean either. She told people what she felt they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. On the other hand, there was something to be intrigued with by her. All of the others agreed with this too. She was, to put it in no other way, eerie. One couldn't stare into her eyes for a long time. They looked like they were looking everywhere inside you.

Saiyuri, if she wasn't dressed so much like a ninja, wasn't one that seemed built for the job either. She was short, about five inches shorter than tenten. She was light as a feather and very frail. On the other hand, there were many frail ninjas. They could all be taught with long distance and Genjutsu.

All of these things were on his mind as he slept. But his dreams weren't so nice. He was suddenly taken to a dark place. It was damp and cold. Figures were coming into view. One he saw was that of Sasuke, the other two were Kabuto and Orochimaru.

"My My Sasuke-Kun," the snake ninja began, "It seems that that Hyuuga Prodigy is also improving like you are. There isn't any other explaination for how he could have caught you off your guard."

"I don't need your patronization!" Sasuke glared at him as he was receiving his treatment, "He was lucky! I underestimated him and He ended up surprising me!"

"This turn of events is quite unfortunate," the sanin didn't sound too disappointed, but at the same time there was venom dripping in his voice, "They're probably in the leaf village by now. She will probably be very well guarded."

"There are still chances that we may be able to get her back," The silver-haired medic-nin spoke up.

"Is that so?" Orochimaru looked at him.

"Saiyuri isn't a fool," Kabuto continued, "she knows how to manipulate people to get things her way. All she would have to do is pretend to go a long peacefully and she will start to open up opportunities for rescue. Most likely she is being as cooperative as possible in order to gain their trust."

"I see… I will send a few sound ninja to observe Konoha's borders then," The pale ninja turned around to leave, "Akatsuki will possibly also get involved with this as well. They may try to capture her from Konoha. We will have to retrieve her quickly. I won't let her leave my sight again for awhile."

These visions soon began to blur. Suddenly he felt himself standing in the same dreamscape as he had before. Saiyuri was there as well, sitting on a bench looking at him.

"Why did you show me this?" Neji looked at her confused.

"I showed this to both you and the rest of your teammates to give you a warning to what is to come. I'm not some common commodity. Orochimaru isn't going to simply let me go."

He paused a minute, not sure what he wanted to say next. But his curiousity got the best of him, "Why did you want to leave exactly?"

"When you are a frail ninja and a valuable ninja, you are often put in one place and forced to stay there for long amounts of time. Orochimaru values me to the point where he refuses to let me do anything remotely risky."

"I see, you were tired of being constantly watched. That's why you left."

"Yes…But I'm afraid I won't gain me freedom so easily. There's still a lot that I will have to overcome before I can go."

The Konoichi paused, her arms crossed and her eyes looked away. It seems that she had a hard time saying what she was about to say.

"I need your help Hyuuga…"

End of Chapter- 5