Masked Koi: Chapter 4. "Hyuuga"

When Naruto had started learning taijutsu, it was simply exercises compounded over and over. He'd practice for hours, even if it were simply a punch or block. Nishiki found it amusing that the boy didn't catch on to the fact he was learning what would be normal movements in a fight, only slowed down to a visible level. Because the boy was so young, she went extremely slowly. She didn't want to cause his body to collapse due to overexertion.

After a month had passed, Naruto had learned nearly all of the basic taijutsu. Nishiki then decided to slowly attack him, just to see what he'd do. He did something she didn't expect: he froze. Nishiki had corrected this problem within a few weeks by showing him exactly what he needed to do.

When her strike came towards him, he had two options: dodge or block. Then, she asked, what would he do next? He could either counter or step back to analyze his opponent's next move. This would be repeated with numerous variations. She reminded him that he had only milliseconds in a real fight and he couldn't be so methodical; it had to become second nature. In order for that to happen, she said, he had to practice for not months, but years. Naruto looked terrified hearing this, but she reminded him that he had eight years until he'd become a Genin and that was plenty of time to learn and practice.

Six months later, Naruto had become quite proficient in the art of taijutsu. Every day he trained with weights on his ankles and wrists, running around the bamboo forest edge twenty times, doing sit-ups a hundred times, and practiced taijutsu stances with Nishiki and the stationary bamboo.

One day, Nishiki had decided to get Naruto some bottled tea and something sweet to go along with it. She'd only been gone for ten minutes, but when she came back, Naruto was on the mossy ground, panting (nearly wheezing) alongside an equally winded boy. At first glance, Nishiki had thought it to be a girl, seeing the long hair, but upon hearing his voice, she realized it was indeed, a boy. Both of them grinned as they panted and stood up, their hands on their knees, ready to go for another bout once more.

Nishiki watched Naruto with pride. He was holding up well against the boy with lavender eyes and a formal taijutsu fighting style. Even though he was years away from veins appearing around his eyes, his form was good enough not to really need it. He was clearly at least a year or two ahead of the young Namikaze but that didn't stop Kushina's son from being able to stand his ground despite the severe lack of experience.

In the end, Naruto lost once more, but he was more determined than he had been when fighting against Nishiki. Of course, when with the woman he was determined to become the strongest ninja Konoha, no, the world had ever seen and keep his promise to his mother, but with a boy about his age he seemed to enjoy himself as he trained.

Nishiki stepped out of the shadows and smiled a little. Kushina-sensei, he's a bright future ahead of him. I wish you were here to see this.

"Naruto, is this your friend?" Nishiki asked.

"Yeah, this is Neji, Hyuuga Neji. He's five," Naruto exclaimed. For once, he seemed to act his age—a carefree boy happy to make friends and focus simply on that.

Neji peered at the woman with black eyes, a pale complexion, and silver hair.

"Naruto, who is she?" Neji asked.

"That's Nishiki-sensei. She's been teaching me since four months ago," Naruto said.

"Is that your only name?" Neji asked.

Nishiki saw ghosts of her past flash behind her eyes for a moment, pain searing across her mind for a moment. Her past had been a blood-soaked one full of lies, bargains, and mistakes that haunted her forever. Her neck hurt for a moment, as if the fangs of exchange that had sunk into her skin were still there, even though six years had passed. But the marks of all of it were still there; still lurking about in the shadows of she hoped to be eternal happiness and a peaceful future, and painless death.

But as a shinobi, especially as an ANBU, she knew that was too much to ask, even after everything she'd been through.

"Perhaps," Nishiki smiled.

Rainy season had come. The droplets, perfect circles, fell quickly. They seemed to be in a hurry to mix with the dirt and pain of shinobi that had walked on the now-saturated paths just hours ago. Their footprints had once been easy to pick out, but now it was impossible to tell if someone had ever set foot upon the muddy path.

The droplets, swollen with water and cold, fell to the ground with greater and greater intensity until the trillions of others that hit the surface of Konoha's buildings, windows, plants, people, and animals drowned the sound of just one out. Most of the animals were able to escape the roar of the droplets by finding some kind of shelter. However, some animals were not so lucky. In Konoha's alleys lay cats. Their matted fur was cleansed of the weeks of uncleanliness and dirt, the grime washing away into the mud and small streams that lined paths and into ponds and lakes. They licked with paws and wondered when the rain would stop.

A claw slammed down. Victory. It was silent, though, inaudible through the roar of the water that fell from the condensed gaseous-state of water that floated above their heads. A mouse had been killed as a small meal. Its blood ran down into the mud, mixing with the grime of the cats, the footprints of shinobi, and their sorrow. Its flesh, still warm, was swallowed by the orange cat who had caught the mouse and sunk its claws into the brown fur and pink flesh of the mouse. It had been so swift that the mouse had little breath to even screech to its brethren to flee from the ravenous and annoyed feline that stared at the grey clouds and listened in the cacophony of each droplet hitting anything for the squeak of a mouse.

The droplets were merciless in their targets. They would hit anything they desired to hit and would always come down and splatter into smaller droplets, spraying anyone or thing. The droplets also succeeded in making anything look dreary and further drag the sorrowful shinobi population into depression. However, the only useful purposes they held was increasing the reservoirs, cleaning buildings and washing away various excrement from the pathways of Konoha and hiding the tears of shinobi who refused to shiver.

The droplets signaled that their colder and more dangerous counterpart was to come soon. That counterpart was snow and ice and hail.

It normally came in that order.

Even in the rain, the two boys would train, honing their skills. They used the muddy and uneven terrain to their advantage: to get more skilled at fighting, no matter the conditions. Nishiki had taught Naruto how to access and flare his chakra to keep warm, not wanting him to be frozen to death but not wanting him to be weighed down by heavy coats.

When night came, the two would go their separate ways.

Tonight was such a night. The rain had stopped somewhat to be a light drizzle. It reminded the citizens of Konoha that the rain was still there, still waiting, lurking above their heads to catch unprepared shinobi and citizens off guard. Perhaps the rain wished to drown the shinobi. But it was futile.

Naruto tiptoed across the main room towards the hallway to his room. He wanted nothing but to sleep; today had been tiring. His stomach cried out in protest, only for its loud cry to fall upon deaf ears.

In another room inside the Hokage's luxurious home full of priceless jutsu and void of anything one's heart yearned for were the Hokage and his sister. Minato held the bridge of his nose with two fingers and closed his eyes, his mind struggling to get around what his sister had said.

"So…you're saying that the father of this baby is a complete stranger?" Minato opened one cobalt blue eye to look at the younger Namikaze. Something snapped in the man. "What the hell were you thinking?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Mikiko was taken aback. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled not to cry. She choked back a few sobs and looked away, as if she were the victim, as if Minato's outburst wasn't justified.

"I…" Mikiko started. Her voice broke into another sob.

"Oh, I'd like very much to hear this. If you'd like to remain here, you're going to explain to me exactly how you came into contact with this mysterious person. If you don't, and by all means you have the right not to, you are free to pack up all your belongings and leave this house," Minato said.

"You…you wouldn't!" Mikiko cried.

"Is there anything stopping me? I'm the leader of a Hidden Village; nothing stops me from doing much of anything," Minato said, his blue eyes seeing red through a haze of pure anger.

Mikiko felt tears run down her cheeks, weighed down with makeup. Her shoulders shook with sobs and she balled her hands up in fists. Her head lowered and the tears fell on her hands. She looked back up into Minato's eyes, begging for him to simply leave her alone, but he wasn't going to stand for that. His eyes were cold and icy and her heart hurt even more seeing her brother being so cruel.

"I lied. I knew him, just a little," Mikiko started. Minato raised a brow, somehow not surprised. "I was at a bar and I made a bet with a group of handsome men. If I couldn't drink ten bottles of sake within five minutes, then I'd have to well, do as they wished…" Mikiko gestured vaguely, her face heating up. "I lost. I ended up vomiting on the floor and passing out. I remember being carried home by a man with silver hair and green eyes. I remember thinking how kind he was to carry me home and how handsome he was and before I knew it, I was home and in the haze of so much alcohol, he was lying next to me, both of us devoid of our clothes."

"What was his name?" Minato asked, pale and disbelieving.

"I think it was…Hatake Seiseki," Mikiko said. Then she nodded, and nodded again.

Minato sharply inhaled and pulled out a Bingo Book. He flipped through it and stopped suddenly and held up a page. "Was this him?"

Mikiko peered at the photo and frowned, searching through her memory. She nodded slowly. Minato cursed and got up. He ran a hand through his blonde locks and paced a bit, slipping the book back into his pocket.

"What's wrong with that?" Mikiko asked.

Minato rubbed his face with a hand before answering. He knitted his brows and cursed again. "He's a nuke-nin. He was the son of the White Fang, brother to possibly the world's best taijutsu shinobi, Hatake Koi, and brother to Konoha's Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. After Koi died in the War, he deserted Konoha without a trace. If he's back in Konoha, he might either lay low and leave quietly or stay to attack. If he decides to attack, he might destroy whole sections of Konoha or he might be after a specific target. I just hope he's not after you," Minato said.

Mikiko began to fear for her life and for her unborn child's life, but Minato soothed her, his blue eyes distant as he wondered just why Seiseki had come back.

The Hyuuga clan was renowned as one of Konoha's strongest and most influential clans. The shinobi from both houses often landed a B-Rank or A-Rank in the Bingo Book. However, they had a dark side that even the Uchiha looked down upon. This was the Caged Bird seal, a seal that the Main house used on a whim to show that they were still in power and could still kill with just a glance.

Hizashi couldn't help but blame himself for his son's current state, having received the seal just a year ago. He too bore the seal, but it hurt him much, much more to see his son train and train only to never have his efforts rewarded with something he was so close to having. If Neji had been born to a father who had been born first, that is, if Hizashi had been born first, he could've been rewarded with his future the moment he was born. Hizashi could see that the pure byakugan did not lay within Hinata, but within in his own son, a son who would never be able to achieve his true potential.

He also saw that Hinata was hesitant and too soft. The girl, he thought, would never be a fit leader because when something consisting of so many evils and no easy right answer, no easy way out, she'd break and be unable to make the decision that would benefit the most people and keep lives saved.

Hizashi, deep down, pitied his son's daughter, a girl who was often called a failure. Even by her own father she was criticized harshly and pushed past her limits to be a better ninja. Her Juuken form was too slow and full of punches that should be thrown with more force, more power. It was as if she were afraid to harm her opponent, often Neji. Neji had no reservations to knock down the girl, seeing that not holding back was an aspect of training. Hiashi never stopped him because he knew that the boy would never go far enough to actually kill the girl. Neji was, after all, her protector. At least, that's what he was told.

Hizashi was pulled out of his thoughts as Neji came home, exhausted. Hizashi smiled and motioned for his son to sit with him and talk. Hizashi had been so busy with clan matters and his brother that he'd been unable to talk much with his only child. But it seems that I haven't been the only one busy.

"You seem rather tired," Hizashi noted.

Neji nodded. "Yes, I've been training with a friend."

"And who is this friend?" Hizashi asked, surprised his son had a sparring partner this young, and someone to keep up with Neji's talent.

"Namikaze Naruto, the Hokage's son. Naruto had been taught recently by a woman who calls herself Nishiki," Neji replied, smiling a little, remembering how interesting and fun the training had been with Naruto. He considered Naruto to be a friend and by the looks of it, it seemed that they were the only people they knew around their age. Perhaps, they'd become best friends. Neji certainly hoped so.

"Nishiki?" Hizashi asked. "That doesn't sound like a real name. Was that the only name she gave?"

"Apparently. I'd tried to ask if that was the only name she had and she simply smiled. However, she's only shown a taijutsu aspect of her skills and she could probably even beat Hiashi-sama in a fight. Despite knowing nothing but her name, I believe she may be one of the village's elite," Neji said.

"I'll ask Shikaku or Inoichi about her sometime. I don't want you with a person whom might be dangerous or I don't know her. If you're going to train tomorrow with Naruto-kun and this woman, I want to come along. I've been unspeakably busy and I couldn't even watch your training sessions with Hinata-sama. Now that you're honing your skills somewhere with someone as influential as the Hokage's son, I'd really like to watch. You're my only child, after all," Hizashi said. Is this what Hiashi was talking about? I'm a helicopter parent? This woman might be an ANBU and I still worry…isn't worrying a woman's job? Such a helicopter parent…

Neji looked down at his hands, flat on his lap as he sat respectfully with his legs folded under his body and smiled, trying to cover the slight blush on his face. He nodded a little. Hizashi reached over and patted Neji's head, avoiding the bandages that sealed Neji's fate as a Hyuuga.

But, couldn't he be someone even more powerful without the clan holding him back? If he's already a friend of the Hokage's son this could prove to be a chance to make sure his efforts as the holder of the true byakugan are realized. Hiashi wouldn't agree to taking off the seal so the next best thing for him is to sever his bonds with the clan. He'd be disowned, but he'd be able to have a chance at being one of the best shinobi the Hyuuga could ever be related to.

"Tou-san, I'm hungry," Neji said. Hizashi blinked, brought out of his thoughts.

"Oh, right. I'll get something made for you in a moment. Practice your calligraphy now," Hizashi said, getting up to tell one of the cooks to make dinner for the two of them.

The next day, Neji led his father to the bamboo forest. Naruto was already there, practicing with a bamboo. Within a few minutes, it was reduced to splinters. Hizashi was impressed somewhat, hearing from Neji that Minato had been so busy that he was unable to train his young son. His only son. Hizashi could relate, somewhat so he didn't blame the man, considering his job was much more stressful and important.

"Naruto, this is my father," Neji ran up to the boy. Naruto looked up and bowed politely.

"So you're Naruto, huh? I've heard quite a bit about you. I hear you're pretty good at taijutsu, despite not having trained for very long," Hizashi smiled at the boy, who looked away sheepishly.

"Not at all…" Naruto muttered.

"Where is this woman you two supposedly are overseen by?" Hizashi asked, his smile fading to a frown.

"She normally doesn't come until later but yesterday as she walked me home she said she'd be here even before me. What time is it?" Naruto asked.

"Eight," Hizashi replied.

"Well, she's two hours late. It's not like her to be this late. Do you think something happened to her?" Naruto asked, his greyish eyes growing wide with fear and worry. Hizashi put on a fake smile and patted the boy's head, trying to calm him down. It worked, just as it did with Neji, but the boy still looked concerned.

The two boys decided to simply train together. Neji explained that Hizashi had taught him a new Juuken stance. Hizashi noticed that Naruto's taijutsu form was a lot more fluid compared to the Juuken form. Naruto, being a novice, left a few more openings than Hizashi expected but overall the boy was pretty good. Neji had the upper hand most of the time. He was occasionally hit by Naruto with a surprise punch or kick but Hizashi knew that if Neji unlocked his byakugan Neji would wipe the floor with Naruto. The difference between the two was that Naruto was a fast learner but his muscle memory took a long time to develop while Neji simply had to practice for a week or so to get it down. Naruto took around two or three weeks to memorize and apply the new stance as needed, but when he did; he was able to fight as if it were second nature. That's what Nishiki had wanted.

Two more hours passed.

"Nishiki-sensei?"

Hizashi swore his heart stopped. He whirled around to see a masked figure suppressing what seemed to be a yawn. The figure was leaning nonchalantly on a bamboo, as if they had nothing better to do. Hizashi began to gather chakra to his hands, suspicious of the figure and ready to attack. The figure noticed and did nothing to soothe his anger, but they did stiffen a bit.

"Who are you?" Hizashi demanded.

"To most, I am Nishiki, one of Hokage-sama's personal guards. I take it you are this boy's father?" the figure, a woman's voice, asked. But both Jounin knew that was common knowledge. It was rhetorical.

Hizashi knew he had no right to be suspicious now. He wanted to be; he wanted to know who was behind the mask, just who might take away the only thing he loved away from him. He didn't like not knowing, he didn't like not being able to protect his son from the dangers that lurked in his own village.

"Why're you so late?" Naruto asked.

Nishiki smiled tightly behind her mask. "It's nothing to worry about. Go on, show me that I haven't wasted my time on you."

"Hai, Nishiki-sensei!" Naruto faux-saluted and began to train with his friend.

In the market district of Konoha, it was packed. Huge masses of people somehow managed to fit and move rather quickly within the area, about a sixth of Konoha's area. There were all kinds of people there, from woodworkers to herbalists to potters to assassins to scantily dressed women. Of course, the eye-catching women were far less common, but they existed nonetheless.

In the hospital of Konoha, you often hear the beep of monitors and nurses' heels clicking on the marble floor with a steady beat until it faded away to be the roaring sound of silence. Most remembered only the pain that had caused them to receive a bill for painkillers and such at home later (and the white sheets, white floors, and white hallways).

It was surprising to hear a nurse's heels in the marketplace's streets. Perhaps it was the other way around; it was surprising that her heels couldn't be heard. Her white outfit was eye-catching simply because of the color. She ran as quickly as she could towards a huge building bearing the symbol for fire. When her heels hit the wooden floors, they clicked faster than the clicking second hand on a clock. Her hand caught the doorknob after an insane amount of clicking upon the stairs and she locked eyes with the village's most respected person.

"Yes?" Minato asked, looking up from his paperwork. A pen lay poised in his hand, ready to sign something.

"Mikiko-san's water has broken! She's in the hospital now. I advise you to wait for her there," the nurse said.

Once she relayed the message, she dropped to her knees and panted. She hadn't taken a gasp of air since rushing out of the hospital and going to the Hokage tower. Minato nodded and left in a flash.

The nurse's mouth dropped open. "Hokage-sama! Take me with you!"

She sighed and pulled herself up. Now I've got to get all the way back…

Two hours passed in the waiting room. The second hand was twice as slow as the heels that had brought him the message his sister was about to become a mother. Once the baby was weighted, charted, measured, cleaned, wrapped, and placed in the mother's arms, Minato was allowed to see her. The baby had blonde hair and cried out, wailing.

"Is it a boy?" Minato asked, cringing a bit.

Mikiko shook her head. "It's a girl. I'm going to name her Kayo."

Minato smiled.

He smiled for the baby girl who cried and cried and would be soothed by nothing.