The Path A Ninja Walks...

Chapter Two

~Full Return~

"So...You remember the plan, Saseme?"

"...Yes, I do."

"Then...we'll see you soon."

xxx

A Bushy-browed male zipped through the village in a green jumpsuit at lightning speed. He slid into one of the training fields, where his long haired team mate Neji Hyuga happened to be practicing alone.

"Neji! You will not believe what I have just heard!"

"Yes? What is it, Lee?" he shifted his pale eyes toward the bug-eyed other, stricken by his ally's shock.

"Well, you see...it is Saseme." said Lee,"Apparently she has returned from her training with our allied nation."

"Wait...What did you say!?" Neji Hyuga blinked,"...Saseme is back?"

XXXXX

"Saseme Uchiha will be joining our class today."

The sensei spoke these words as he brought in a younger child. Younger than the rest of the class by atleast one year, which caught the young Neji Hyuga's attention.

Saseme Uchiha?

Lady Hinata's friend?

I remember Saseme being quite cute when she was younger...much like Lady Hinata when she was in her youth...

When Saseme was younger, from what I could remember, she was always smiling. Always laughing...but then suddenly that changed.

Come to think of it...doesn't she have a twin brother in the other class? Why is she joining ours?

His pale eyes widened in focus on the child, much different then from how he knew her before.

Her eyes have become distant...

She no longer smiles...

Her light...it's just... gone...

Saseme?

What happened to you?

"Did you hear? The whole Uchiha Clan was slaughtered..."

"Apparently only she and her twin brother in the other class survived."

These were the whispers that went around the school and seemed to be the weight on Saseme that caused her drastic change...

xxxx

In time, she began to open up again.

She made fast friends with Lee.

They sparred often, yet still, she never smiled...

But I left well enough alone.

Neji blinked back the memories and shifted his gaze back to his team mate Lee.

"You're certain of this, Lee?"

"Absolutely!" Lee said with a sallute,"Though to be most certain, I am on my way to see it for myself!"

He took off like a bullet again. Neji tried to ignore it, but curiosity had found its way even into him.

Could it actually be true?

he thought to himself.

Has Saseme really returned?

He let out a huff of a sigh and stood.

"Hey Neji..." a brunette female spoke his name from the post she was sitting on top of, having doing some target practice herself. "What's so important about Saseme?" she asked, "Who is she?"

"You don't remember her, TenTen?" he asked curiously with a slight turn of his while his arms remained folded, "She was in our class for a time...then apparently she was transferred to one of our allied Nations to train there..." he pondered a while in silence before his shoulders loosened, "I suppose the only way to be certain that she truly is back again... would be to go see for myself."

"Hey wait- Neji! What about our mission!?" TenTen called his name and huffed as he took off soon after Lee did...

Saseme treaded through the Hidden Leaf Village, the home she had spent a great deal of her life away from... In the distance she could hear the quick-footed pitter-patter of someone she once knew. She darted around quickly, with a fierce look in her dark eyes greeting a high-powered kick with full-force block.

"I do not believe it!" the assailent grinned,"It is really you! Saseme-chan!"

"Lee-kun?" she blinked and quickly pulled her arm back,"Lee is that you?"

"It is!" he beamed and held his fist steady before forcing it forward to meet hers.

"You cut your hair!" Saseme stated softly, having taken notice of her old friend's bowl-cut. A change in style from how she left him.

Four years ago, he wore his hair long and braided...

"I did." he chuckled,"Do you like it?"

"No. I liked it better long."

"Ouch Saseme-chan...still has blunt as ever, I see..."

"So, it is true." another male voice chimed in from behind them and Lee turned and stepped aside for his team mate Neji,"You have returned, your training was fruitful, I presume?"

"And? What is it to you? Neji Puke-a?" her stare became ice met back by his own while he twitched at that annoying name she gave him back at the academy before she had left-

"Not much really...Sashimi."

Their glares grew more intense, each annoyed by the other's presence leaving poor Rock Lee in the middle once again.

"That is enough out of both of you!" Lee huffed,"Any scraps you have with each other can be settled in a display of bursting youth in a fiery bout at the training field!"

"Fine by me." Saseme gave a low growl.

"Hmph...I haven't the time." Neji said curtly, which brought a twinge of irritation to Saseme's brow,"Lee we must hurry back to TenTen so that we may meet with Guy Sensei for our next mission."

"Oh, that is right." Lee blinked,"With Saseme's return I have nearly forgotten."

"Guy Sensei?" Saseme blinked.

"That is right!" Lee beamed, "That is the name of our Sensei! For our training as Genin!"

"Shame you left before we graduated..." Neji stated, " Had you stayed, you may have been paired up with us and we could have settled our little situation later on." he shrugged, "Saseme...did you not complete training of your own when you transferred?"

"No, I did..." she said softly, "But I still need to pick up my headband...since I wasn't here with the rest of the class..." she blinked, "I'm supposed to be on my way to meet my own team members after that...for the same reason..." she muttered.

"I see." Lee chuckled," Good luck then! We will have to catch up soon!" he grinned.

Watching this boy's easy going nature in the situation braught a certain serenity to Saseme's own restless heart and she gave a slight chuckle.

"Indeed we will." She smiled warmly and turned on her heel, with the wind pushing the leaves through her hair while she walked,"Until we meet again."

"Hmph...indeed." Neji scoffed, watching her back as she walked towards the Hokage's Mansion. "Something seems...iff about her." Neji said softly, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Really? I did not notice much." said Lee, "But she has been training with other ninja in an allied nation for a while...She has probably changed a lot in these 4 years away from the Village."

"Hmm...perhaps you are right." said Neji, shaking off the uneasy feeling he was getting from the exchange. She had changed so much...he wondered if any part of her that he once knew still remained anymore...

"Well no matter...it is not our problem anyway." he stated, "Let's go Lee, TenTen is waiting for us..." and took off ahead of his team mate, so as to hide a slight smile of...relief perhaps? Relief that she had returned safely home once again after being gone a long time..."Good luck to you...Sashimi."

To Be Continued