5

She leapt onto the next branch, swiveling her head both left and right, trying to make her eyes see everything around her. They were here, somewhere in these woods, waiting to ambush her as soon as she let her guard down. Her muscles were heavy, tight and straining, and quivering from fatigue. Her breaths came out ragged and shallow, trying not to give away her position but not able to help her gulps for air. Her hair clung dirty and wet from sweat and forest grime, plastered to her head and face, constantly falling into her eyes. With an impatient shake, she flicked her long bangs away and continued onward, dropping from the treetops to the leaf-strewn ground, the soft earth and decaying plants muffling every sound she made. She had almost no chakra left to spare either, so she took careful, slow steps so as not to give herself away to her pursuers. So far, all was as it should be. Quiet.

Ahead of her she saw the rope trap, looped in the thick grass and waiting for her, like a fat brown sleeping snake. She snickered and went around it, and instantly caught the second and third trip wires on either side of it, one made of dark wire and the other consisting of very thin, very fine, clear wire. She gave a humorless smile at the trick and avoided all three, having to go around several trees to do so. No matter—she reoriented herself and stepped out of the trees again. Her foot punched through a layer of dead leaves into nothingness (A hole!) and she tottered unsteadily at its edge, flailing her arms for balance, her slender body writhing and struggling with the gravity trying to wrap its grip around her. She won the battle and fell backwards, landing hard on her bottom with a grunted curse. Something beneath her shifted.

"Shit," she uttered aloud, turning her head to look back over her shoulder. A volley of black, glittering kunai and shurinkan whistled through the air toward her. She vaulted to her feet, dove over the hole and rolled upright on the other side, glancing back. The weapon's trajectory curved and arced with her and she saw the faintest glints through the air abve her: they're on wire tracks! She ran for it, flowing seamlessly into a cartwheel that threaded her body through a narrow opening between two trees, effectively stopping most of them. A few others whizzed toward her and from the cartwheel she did a handspring and sent herself flying through the air, tucking her body and rolling tightly, the blades skimming just beneath her and shearing off the very ends of her filthy hair. She landed on her feet and sighed, falling to her hands and knees, panting desperately. "No more…" she whispered wearily.But no one answered her. After a few moments of rest she rose shakily, her brain spinning as her blood rushed down to the rest of her body. Although she made a show of swaying unsteadily, her eyes had already picked out her two opponents flanking her on either side, concealed by the tree branches. Or were they revealing their locations intentionally, so her defenses would lower from her confidence? She shook her head—I'll never know unless I attack! I've been running all this time!—and started forward again, slipping her hands into her pockets. She had come in here with no weapons, but that didn't mean she hadn't picked up anything along the way.

The one on the right made their move first. They quickened their pace to cut off her path and she yanked both hands out of her pockets, brandishing their very own kunai and shurinkan. She threw them ahead of her, cutting off the first figure's run. The second, thinking all of her attention was on the other, tossed something toward her. With the last three weapons in her hand, she spun around and flung them to meet the object halfway. When they connected the thing exploded, knocking her forcefully to the ground. She tasted dirt and blood in her mouth. She couldn't see either of them around. Desperately she struggled to rise, her brain spinning and her ears ringing, warmth running from her lips. I'm missing a tooth, she realized vaguely as she staggered forward. The first figure cut off her path, glaring down at her. She returned the look, too tired, to worn to care what happened next. That's it…game over… The world faded to black.

"Sorry, Daddy…" Uchiha Hana mumbled and fainted. Her father caught her before she hit the ground, lifting her tenderly into his slightly nicked and bleeding arms. From his left, Haruno Sakura came out of the underbrush, shaking her head.

"I didn't think she'd deflect a bomb with a kunai," the pink-haired woman spoke to her friend, a trace of wonder threaded in her voice. "Reckless, but it caught the both of us off guard." She pointed to the cuts peppering his bare arms. He shook his head.

"Actually, I got caught with some of those kunai she threw at me," he explained as he turned toward the house. Sakura fell into step beside him as they navigated toward the Uchiha's back porch.

"She's very resourceful, and quick to act too," she commented.

"Mm," Sasuke nodded.

"The training's going well, don't you think?"

"Mm-hm," he nodded again.

"Sasuke…?"

"Hm?"

"Do you…" she faltered, "um, do you want her to activate her eyes at this age? I mean, yours didn't come out until we were almost thirteen…"

"It's not a matter of 'if I want it to happen' or not," he answered her but kept his gaze ahead of him. "There's something fundamentally different abut Hana and Haku's abilities, and they're growing into their potentials so fast that it's a little frightening. But what scares me the most is…what if their eyes aren't exactly the same?"

"But their eyes aren't the same, remember?" she looked confused.

"I mean," he reiterated, "what if their eyes are different from Hinata's or my own? What if mixing the Sharingan and the Byakugan results in some totally new bloodline limit that I have no idea how to handle or control? Without training and discipline, they might just take those new eyes and…"

"Nothing like that would ever happen," Sakura shook her head firmly, surprising her teammate. "Hana and Haku are two gifted and wonderful children, brought up by strong and loving parents. They'd have no reason to use their eyes against anyone, no matter what strange new power arises."

"I've been at that point, Sakura," Sasuke admitted, finally shifting his glance to her profile. "And I tried to use my eyes for some pretty bad stuff."

She frowned, trying to shove the images of the past that were trying to crowd her mind away. "You grew up in completely different circumstances, Sasuke. No offense," she added quickly. He shook his head to indicate there was none taken. "I just feel…" she continued, "that Hana and Haku are like…two halves of one shinobi. The perfect balance for one another; Hana brings out Haku's determination, and he brings out his sister's caution. They balance each other, haven't you noticed that?"

The raven-haired shinobi nodded his head, recalling all the things he had seen his children do. One particular image stood out: the fight in the square just a few days ago, where Haku was protecting Hana as she rushed their attackers. Perfect defense and perfect offense. They moved seamlessly, without communication, and they made it seem natural and effortless. He had never before seen something so… No, wait. He had. With Naruto.

They cleared the last of the trees that sprinkled their backyard and met the second training group. Haku was on his hands and knees, panting harshly as blood and sweat mixed and mingled on his pale skin and trickled down along his arms, legs, face and neck. Sasuke could see the beginnings of the chakra veins popping from the boy's temples. Hyuuga Neji stood over his charge, looking stern with his arms crossed firmly over his chest and his Byakugan fully activated. Hinata stood nearby, her face a mixture of concern and hurt that only a mother could make when knowing it was best to let her child suffer in order to learn something. When she saw Sasuke and Sakura return with an unconscious Hana, she broke the training circle and came for her daughter.

"Is she alright, Sasuke?" she reached for the girl. He gave her willingly, nodding his head softly at his wife.

"She's passed out from exhaustion. I'm going to call it a day for her," he said. At his parent's voices, Haku raised his head to cast a sidelong glance at his sleeping sister. A foot flew out and caught him on the side of the head, making his arms fly out from under him and with his support gone, crash to the ground. He looked dazed. A trickle of blood came from his right temple.

"If you have time to worry about her, you have time to focus on your training," Neji scowled. "There will be no distractions! I've seen no improvement in these past two weeks and it is fairly disappointing." Haku got his hands under himself and slowly tried to push himself to his feet. Hinata looked guiltily at Sasuke, as if she had delivered the kick to him herself.

"That's not true," she whispered. "Neji's been commenting on how much he's improved since we started. He's very impressed."

"Hinata, you have to be more firm with him," Sasuke said and she looked hurt. "I know you don't want to put him in any danger, but you have to. It's the only way he's going to learn."

"But he's only six years old," she wailed painfully, but kept her voice low and pleading. "They haven't even been in the academy for a full year! Their birthday isn't until December! Don't you think we're pushing them too hard?"

"I feel the same way, Hinata," Sakura spoke up, looking uncomfortable forcing herself into the conversation. "But Sasuke just wants them to learn to handle their natural and extraordinary talents. Haven't you wondered why Hana and Haku are so skilled for being so young?"

"Well, yes, but…" she cast a glance back over her shoulder as the sounds of fighting resumed. Haku was taking the brunt end of a full-on assault by his uncle, guarding punches, kicks, and pokes from seemingly all directions. Hinata's eyes watered slightly.

"Hinata," Sasuke spoke gently to her. She turned her attention back to him, wiping her eyes awkwardly as she shifted Hana's weight in her arms. "I know you don't want to hurt them. I don't either. I hate laying a hand on either of them. But," he put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly, "if you can't teach Haku, who will? You're the only one besides Hana who can really understand him. You know how gentle and frail he is. You know his limitations, you know his weak spots, you know exactly how to push him and how far and how hard. Don't you see? You're the only one who can really teach him how to grow into his power. He's almost exactly like you."

"Mm…" she lowered her gaze to the girl in her arms. There was a thick and heavy silence around them, penetrated only by the sound of skin slapping against skin and occasional effort-filled grunts from the fight behind them. Hinata opened her mouth but Haku screamed and she whirled around to see what had happened. Haku had been slammed against a nearby tree, spittle sprayed from his mouth as he choked on the scream that had come out. Neji held a kunai in one hand, looking down at it as if he were debating something. Then, he flung it point blank at Haku's body.

Sasuke blinked, trying to piece together what had just suddenly happened. Hana lay once again in his arms and Hinata was gone; she was in front of Haku, between him and his uncle. The black kunai protruded from her forearm, blood already seeping out and staining the sleeve of her training outfit.

"M-Mommy!" Haku screeched.

"Hinata!" Neji looked shocked and a little confused. Then angry. "What are you doing?"

"Not like this," she shook her head, lifting her eyes defiantly to her cousin's. "We'll train him, but not like this. This is the method used to train someone already adept in physical combat, not a beginner. You should know the difference, Neji!"

"This is the fastest way to train him in—" Neji protested.

"He doesn't need to learn everything in one day!" she yelled back, standing up straight and yanking the kunai from her arm. Its blood-covered tip dripped red onto the green grass, standing out vividly in the dying daylight. She threw it aside and turned to her child, smiling down at him lovingly. "Are you alright, honey? Do you need help to stand up?"

"Your…your arm!" he whimpered, fat, hot tears sprang into his eyes. "Mommy, your arm is bleeding!"

"It doesn't hurt too much," she shook her head, smiling at him. "I'm okay. Here," she extended her uninjured hand, "let me help you up." Snot and tears dripping from his round red face, Haku took his mother's offered hand and pulled himself to his feet. Hinata smiled at him and then turned her face to Neji, her look stern but forgiving. "Neji, we'll continue this on Friday, okay? I'll make up a new training routine that's more suited to Haku's strengths."

"It's his weaknesses that we need to fix, not his strengths," Neji reminded her, looking away from her direct stare.

"Yes, I know," she nodded. "But if we target all his weaknesses at once, he'll be defeated instantly. And you can't train anyone if they don't have the confidence needed to learn." She walked past him, toward the house, one arm around Haku's shaking shoulders. Her head turned to look at the other two standing by the porch.

"Sasuke, take Hana to the bathroom. I'll clean her up and get her into bed while you feed Haku some dinner, okay? Since his nerves are a little shaken, serve him the chicken soup that's in the refrigerator. And Sakura? I can't quite perform healing jitsus on myself yet, so could you do me a favor and patch me up?"

"Ah…sure," Sakura blinked and came forward. "I should do it, you know, before you give Hana her bath…"

"That's fine, then. Neji, come inside and eat something. We're done for today," she said and led Haku inside. The three of them stood outside for another minute or so, taking in what had just happened. Sasuke was the first to move—he carried his daughter inside the house to do as his wife said. Sakura followed after him, but Neji's slightly shaky voice stopped her.

"I just…wanted to help," he said.

"You are helping," Sakura smiled at him. "You're a great uncle to those kids, Neji. But you just forgot that Haku's more like his mother, and regular training methods won't work well with him. That's all."

"Is that really all?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I think it is," she nodded back. "You got so caught up in helping, that your help just did some harm rather than good. But you can make up for it on Friday, right?"

"…Right." he agreed after a moment.

"I'm going to fix up Hinata's arm. You should come in too, for some dinner."

"I'll be there shortly."

"Okay, Neji." She started inside again, but stopped and turned back once more. "If it helps you any, I'm worried about the kids too. And so is Sasuke."

"Hn," Neji wrinkled his nose. "Of couse Sasuke would be worried. They're his kids. I'd be afraid if he didn't worry about them."

"You're right," Sakura smiled at him and left him on the back porch. After a moment, he sighed and ran his long fingers through his dark hair, then stepped up and into the house.