Chapter Twenty Three

After submitting blood and mouth swabs, the bluenettes chatted along the way.

"Things between you and Kakashi sped up a bit since I last saw you." Chōjūrō teased and Hinata smiled with roses in her cheeks.

"As have things for you and Mei-Sama, perhaps?" He nodded meekly and Hinata laughed happily.

They soon arrived at the large door of the castle-like home. Nina opened the door for them and brought them into the games room where everyone was playing snooker, cards, 'Go' or chess. Suigetsu, Jūgo and Yamato were playing snooker against Joleen, Kiba and Akamaru – Joleen was wiping the floor with them, potting nearly all the right coloured into their respective holes in the right order with a single shot. Yamato slightly cheated by making his cue grow bigger and making the ball go down into the hall without even needing to tap it.

"That's cheating!" Joleen yelled, punching her adoptive brother on the arm whilst Suigetsu and Jūgo patted Yamato on the back.

"I'm so proud." Jūgo joked and the four laughed. Kiba looked at Akamaru as they exchanged toothy grins and it was the Kiba realised his friend smelt different. He sniffed the air.

"Akamaru… did you use my aftershave?"

"Wo-of." Acknowledged Akamaru, and squeezed his eyes closed as he wagged his tail. "Woof, woof, wo-of!"

"No way!" Kiba said, the smile now widening into a huge grin. "That's great!"

Kiba then turned his attention to the pretty girl surrounded by ex-criminals and an ANBU member. She was stunning. She still wore the standard uniform but he felt proud when he saw her wear the gold necklace he had bought her when they were just about to leave Konoha. He had arranged for when they got back a special charm to be made to put on it, a golden rose made with ruby and diamonds… as well as a matching bracelet with a wolf charm on it. Going up to her, he smiled. He didn't want to stop her having fun with her… family… for want of a better word.

"I'm impressed you two decided to stay." Said Kiba to the ginger and white haired men in front of him. They both grinned at him and the incredibly tall Jūgo answered for them.

"I may not be from here but I can't let this big drip wander around alone. He's a sucker for red heads!" Suigetsu snarled at him and Jūgo and the others laughed, Joleen slightly ruffled Suigetsu's hair before he slapped her hand away.

"Sorry Sui," Joleen offered, almost sincere except for the crescent moon-like grin. "It was irresistible."

"At least I have a preference, Jūgo." He said looking up at the abnormally tall friend of his. Jūgo frowned down at him.

"What the hell does that mean?" He said, almost threateningly.

"I've never seen you taken an interest in anyone accept for that Kaguya Clan guy."

"Kimimaro was the closest person to me when I thought no-one could ever help me. He was my first friend. So whatever the hell you are implying, get your facts right and mind you own damn business."

"It was the Kaguya Clan who attacked here though, right? Why did you ever start hanging out with an ex-Kiri guy like me? I never got that." It was true, Suigetsu knew about the last ever member of the legendary Kaguya Clan who attacked Kirigakure and the Clan was almost wiped out.

"Kimimaro was never the type of person to go out looking for fight… he taught me a lot about how to control myself. I owed him a lot, Suigetsu and where a person comes from is not important. Their character and way of doing things does. Your way is quite similar to my way and you've helped me out when it counted."

Suigetsu nodded. "Damn, I hate it when you're profound. You make a point… but just because you've red hair two don't think you're lucks in."

"WHAT!" Jūgo boomed and picking Suigetsu's sword from his shoulder, held it in the air as the shorter white-haired shinobi screamed at him, jumping in the air to try and get it. After a minute, Jūgo gave him back the sword and the two laughed about it.

Noticing the bluenettes were with them, Ao put down his cards and getting up from his chair, bowed down quickly to Hinata. Chōjūrō simply couldn't believe that Ao was apologising and immediately stepped n front of her in case he was an imposter or still under control.

"Chōjūrō, it really is Ao. Please." Mei said and Chōjūrō relaxed slightly and slowly moved to Hinata's side.

"I hope one day you'll forgive me, Hinata-Sama." Hinata looked at Ao for a moment before sitting in an empty chair next to him.

"Ao-Sama, can you tell us what really happened to my aunt and Chōjūrō?" Hinata asked.

"Okay." He said, ushering everyone around to the large circular card table. He seemed peaceful and quietly content, very different to her past meetings. Akamaru and Pakkun looked at each other and left the room. Joleen looked at the dogs leaving before Kiba whispered. "They've gone to meet some Kiri ninken." She smiled at the thought of a doggy double date before looking at Ao.

"I still remember the first time I saw Hanabi – she collecting apples from a nearby tree around the stream near a medicinal herbalist. She was very beautiful – blue, almost black hair and pale skin. Her eyes were covered with large rimmed sunglasses and wore a long, big white dress. You didn't even notice the bump she must have had around her abdomen because of the style of the clothes she wore.

A man was helping her pick up some apples that had accidentally fallen from her arms and onto the ground. He was shorter than she was, had long light-coloured hair which was flowing from a simple cloth covering his head with a Kiri forehead protector. The material of his head cover was tied at both sides so as the ends of the material protruded upwards. His neck was bandaged and he wore a loose, pin-striped long-sleeved shirt with a dark obi around his waist, his black pants became looser near the ends of his legs… it was obvious who this was. It was *Ameyuri Ringo. Expert in the usage of the Silent Killing Jitsu, one of the original 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist' and one of the most powerful shinobi produced within Kirigakure.

The then Mizukage had made orders for us to observe for any signs of the swordsman either rebelling against the country or wishing to leave. The penalty if caught for the Swordsmen was execution. Though she did not seem to wear a Konoha forehead protector, she certainly was not from this land. Her features looked more like those for women from the Land of Fire and her physique was of a konoichi, not a civilian.

I watched them as the two sat on the grass after putting the apples into a basket. Hanabi took an apple and they talked, looking at the stream beside them. It was clear that both had broken laws of being Shinobi and waiting for the konoichi to leave, my comrades and I tried to capture the Swordsman but to no avail." Ao smiled.

"He really was an amazing shinobi. It took us months before we found him and what seemed endless battles to engage him. Though the last time we met, we also found the lady again. Her eyes made us all gasp – they were beautiful, large and purely white – a Hyuuga of Konoha. She and him fought us hard but she seemed somewhat weaker than she had looked all those months ago, and as a member of the squad was about to stab Ameyuri in the back, she ran to him and took the blow. She fell to the floor hard and grabbed at her chest where she'd been stabbed. A baby cried and instantly she jumped up and to the back of tree house.

"Chōjūrō."

Ameyuri was distracted and I took the opportunity to attack him. I killed him quickly. He died painlessly but his face … he was worried. Hanabi was cooing the softly and picked up from a wicker basket an infant, no more than 2 or 3 months old with tufts of baby blue hair on its head. She had him wrapped up in a blue blanket with rain symbols upon it. It seemed she was going to raise her child here – perhaps even attempt a way to join us. But it was too late. She slowly sat on the floor, silently trying to soothe the crying baby knowing that Ameyuri had just been killed by me.

She was bleeding badly and her eyes kept flickering. Her eyes looked upon with me hatred and shaking with anger, she made a request.

"Please… save my son!" She was exhausted and near death. But her face showed strength of will, the love to keep her child safe as long as she was able. "His name is Chōjūrō. He is a quiet child but affectionate. He may not have my eyes but he has water and fire within him. Please, protect him and let him be here."

Ao started to produce tears from the impact of reliving the memory and looking at Chōjūrō, he nearly broke down. Chōjūrō looked angry and mistrustful, as did Hinata. "I told her I couldn't. That no-one would take in her child and left. And so I believed had the rest of the squad… but one remained. Our leader, Tsurugi."

"I only learnt what had happened through Hanabi's eye that day a year ago. He had helped her to hold her baby easier and tried to use his medicinal skills to keep her out of pain and alive longer. He explained what would happen."

A mother's memory.

"You are in grave danger having come here," He sighed sadly. "The trackers are too easy to attack before I give the order. I told them to detain Ameyuri as quickly as possible to await trial in Kirigakure. They were reckless. I am sorry." He helped Hanabi get some water from a nearby half-filled cup near the end of the room and helped put it to her lips. "They will ask me to bring you to Kirigakure and extract your eyes. I am not sure if they would accept Chōjūrō as he currently is … but I want to help you and your family. I'll see to it that the child is taken to the village and taken good care of by a good family. He will not be in any danger of being ostracised – they need never know and when the time comes, I'll tell him about his brave father and mother."

"Thank you." She burst into tears, knowing she was going to die and leave Chōjūrō, that Ameyuri was dead, that she'd be letting outsiders take the Byakugan - betraying her family and was unsure if he'd do as she said. She took a few moments breathe deeply and murmured to the baby. "Chōjūrō, I have failed you and your daddy… I'm so sorry."

"I have an idea. Of how you can see your son again. I will seal some of your chakra into your eyes and so when it is taken, you can then find a way to see your child."

"…" Looking at her son, she nodded.

"Very well then." Tsurugi said…

"The procedure went slightly wrong as my leader could only retain her chakra securely into the left eye." Ao continued after relaying the memory. "He took her body down to us by the tree and told us to never mention what we had seen on pain of death and so we took Hanabi's body to the gates of Kirigakure, where I cremated her body before decapitating her head for the Mizukage. The right eye was filled and completely beyond any form of medical repair. Later that day, Tsurugi informed me I was to wield the eye and so the transplant was made. Though I am not certain, I believe he had arranged for a civilian family he knew well to care for the baby and advised them thatwhen the boy was of age, to send him to the academy in case he may seek him."

Chōjūrō left the table and room quickly before Mei could run after him.

Hinata smiled evilly for a second. "And that is why you've had so many problems and arranged to stop the chakra from the Byakugan from entering your body." She laughed slightly at the knowledge how much agony it must have caused him and how much she would have punished him from keeping any part of her away from her son. "You shouldn't have underestimated a mother's love." Hinata then left and to go to her cousin.

The room went deadly quiet and Ao was whimpering quietly at the table. Everyone decided to leave the room quietly to leave him alone with his thoughts and memories of what had happened.

* Ameyuri means 'Apple' in Japanese and as we know from before, Chōjūrō means 'Pear'.