Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Winds Of Change ❯ Chapter Two: Cause for Panic ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: Cause for Panic

 

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Masashi Kishimoto does. I just make them do naughty things.

 

 

They had been traveling for several hours now and there was still no sign of the Hokage's niece.

“So how old is this little brat anyway?” Naruto asked.

“Naruto you shouldn't talk about Hokage-sama's family like that,” Sakura scolded.

“I wasn't really told how old she is,” Kakashi said answering Naruto's question.

“So what do we know about her?” Sasuke asked.

“Let's see,” Kakashi said pulling out the piece of paper he had been using for a bookmark. “She's five foot, hundred and ten pounds, black hair, blue streaks and blue eyes.”

“Sounds to me like she's no more that twelve at the most,” Naruto mumbled to himself and Sakura shot him a glare.

“She's probably the sweetest, most adorable little girl,” the pink haired declared.

Naruto made and few retching noises behind Sakura's back. Kakashi let out and hearty laugh at Naruto's antics. Sasuke on the other hand had to suppress the urge to laugh himself. Even though they we're now seventeen Naruto hadn't matured all that much. He was still the same hyper-active ninja that never hesitated to spar off with Sasuke.

Sasuke found the thought oddly comforting that the blonde had never changed. Many of the villagers had begun to treat Sasuke differently after his return to Konoha. Not that he cared of course. It meant that most of them left him to his solitude. He had had enough of the limelight to last him a life time.

“So how far do we have to go to find her?” Naruto asked.

“I don't know,” Kakashi answered, “The location of her house is a four day journey so she could be anywhere along the way.

 

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It only took a few minutes for Shizune to return with a young man beside her. He was tall with long black hair tied in a loose ponytail, and his eyes appeared to have no pupils.

“This is Neji Hyuuga, the nephew of the man you will be staying with,” Tsunade explained. “Neji this is my niece Hikari, I'd like for you to escort her to your Uncle's house.”

“Yes Hokage-sama,” Neji answered and motioned for Hikari to follow him.

 

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The walk to the Hyuuga house was a very quiet one; in fact not a word was said between the two until they reached the door.

“This is it,” Neji said before knocking on the door.

“Why don't you just walk in?” Hikari asked him.

“Because I don't live here, this is the main house, I live in the branch house,” he explained.

Before she could ask what the difference was an older looking man opened the door with a young woman standing beside him.

“Ah you must be Hikari,” he said, “I'm Hiashi Hyuuga; it is such an honor to have the Hokage's niece staying with us.”

“Thank-you for having me sir,” Hikari said.

“Right then, this is my daughter Hinata, I'm sure that the two of you will become fast friends. Neji thank-you for bringing her here you can leave now.”

To Hikari, it sounded very much like the elder Hyuuga had just dismissed the younger one. Now she wasn't sure how things worked with the Hyuuga clan but it didn't seem to be the proper way to treat a family member.

“Please come inside Hikari, Hinata can show you where you'll be sleeping.”

Hikari followed after the young woman. She was quiet just like her cousin. But this was a different silence than the one she had experienced from the young man. This was a more peaceful silence almost like the young woman was too timid to say anything.

“Don't mind Neji nii-san and my Father, they've never gotten along very well,” Hinata explained, answering Hikari's unspoken question.

“Why is that?” Hikari asked intrigued. “I mean you are family after all, right?”

“Yes, Neji nii-san is my cousin but I'm part of the main house while he is part of the branch house. It can make friendships very strained.”

“What's the difference between the two?” By this time they had reached the room that Hikari would be using, which was right across the hall from Hinata's room. As Hikari began to unpack Hinata began to explain the way things with the Hyuuga clan worked. By the end of the story Hikari had realized that those of the branch house had definitely gotten the raw end of the deal. Hinata seemed like an okay person, her father on the other hand seemed stuck-up. She wondered just how much those in the main house we're resented.

“So do you know how long you'll be staying with us for?” Hinata asked shyly.

“Well my Aunt said it would just be until she could arrange something better for me, however long that will take. I'm still not sure how long I will actually be here in Konoha though.”

“Your parents didn't tell you?”

“No my Mother didn't say, but its not the first time, I've gone to visit my Uncles a few times as well over the years.”

“I didn't think that Hokage-sama had any brothers, are they your father's brothers?”

“No. Mother and Aunt Tsunade don't have any brothers. They aren't really my Uncles, but I've known them my whole life so that they're almost like family to me,” Hikari explained. “So you're a ninja right?” she asked to change the subject.

“Yeah that's right, I graduated from the ninja academy when I was twelve. I'm a chuunin now. What about you? What's your rank?”

“Me? I'm not really a ninja. I mean my Uncles taught me how to fight and use jutsus but I never went to an academy or anything like that.”

“How come, I just assumed that because you studied under your uncles that you're interested in becoming a ninja.”

“Well you see there really wasn't anywhere for me to attend. The closest village to ours didn't even have a ninja academy. My Mother's not a big fan of fighting either. All I had to do was ask though and she would've caved in for me, I just never did.”

“So are you going to look into it while you're here?”

“Yeah I've already asked Aunt Tsunade about it. However I would like to see the training grounds you have here. Could you show them so me?”

“Of course follow me.”

 

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Four days later and Hikari seemed to me fitting in well. She had spent the last few days at the training grounds. Most of the time she trained by herself but occasionally she spared with Hinata. She was never able to beat Hinata though. She had met the rest of Hinata's team as well. Two young men by the names of Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. Kiba was loud, foulmouthed and always had a large dog named Akamaru with him. Shone was just creepy it was as simple at that, he was always wearing a dark pair of sunglasses no matter where he was.

At the moment she was at the training grounds by herself, Hinata was supposed to be joining her later in the day.

 

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“This is a disaster. How could we miss her? Tsunade-sama will have our heads for this. We may as well just go back and tell her that we lost her. Maybe she'll at least make our deaths quick and painless,” Sakura said in a panic.

 

They had been on the road for four days now. They had reached their destination yesterday and had been told that Hikari had left home five days ago. They should have at least passed her on the way but they hadn't seen a soul. They were on their way back to Konoha now. Kakashi was in a hurry for once. He was at least hoping that that had just missed her somewhere along the line and that they could catch her before she reached the village. The last thing he wanted was to face and angry Hokage. He was pushing the team to their limits now. They needed to go as fast as possible. That way even if they didn't find her there would be a better chance of finding her with a search party. This was the reason he never wanted to have kinds. They were just too much trouble.

 

“I hate kids,” Naruto yelled, “Why did Tsunade-baba make us do this stupid mission in the first place. It her niece she should have come to get her herself. Stupid hag.”

 

“Shut-up Naruto! What we have to now is get home as soon as possible and hope that Hokage-sama doesn't kill us,” Sakura said. `Stupid Naruto! This is probably his fault anyway. If he hadn't been complaining the whole way here they would have been able to concentrate on their surroundings better.' Inner Sakura yelled.

 

It had been like this since yesterday, Kakashi had noticed. Naruto had been complaining more than usual. Sakura was worrying over Tsunade-sama's reaction. Even Sasuke was quieter. Things were not going well. At the rate they were traveling they should reach Konoha by midday, and at that point they would have to face the music.

 

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Hinata was on her way to the training grounds to get Hikari. A summons had been sent for Hikari to go to the Hokage tower. When Hinata reached the training grounds Hikari had just finished turning a tree into a pile of wood chips using a combination of her shuriken, kunai, and ninjutsu. She was now standing high up on a branch in the next tree.

 

“Hi Hikari!” Hinata called.

 

“Hey Hinata, are you ready for today?” Hikari replied.

 

“No sorry. Actually Tsunade-sama sent a message for you. You're supposed to report to her right away,” Hinata answered.

 

Hikari sighed and flipped off the tree. “Well I mustn't make her wait right?” Hikari joked.

 

“So I'll probably see you at dinner then right?” Hikari asked quietly.

 

“Yeah, see you later!” Hikari called as she headed for the Hokage tower.

 

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After four days Hikari seemed to be adapting well to Konoha. To Tsunade, Hinata and Hikari seemed to have become friends quickly. However she still had nowhere for her to stay other than the Hyuuga house. She also had been unable to find anyone to take Hikari on as a private student. Right now she was just waiting for Hikari to come to see her.

 

“Aunt Tsunade, you wanted to see me?” Hikari said as she poked her head in the door.

 

Oh how she hated it when Hikari called her Aunt Tsunade, it made her feel so old. “Yes come right in,” Tsunade said and motioned for her to take a seat in the high backed chair across from her. “So how do you liking the village?”

 

“I like it okay. I like the training grounds, I want to start training properly as soon as possible,” Hikari remarked.

 

“Yes about that───,” Just then there was a knock on the door.

 

Tsunade sighed, “Come in!” she called.

 

Kakashi entered the room looking nervous with the rest of his team trailing behind him.

 

By the look on Tsunade's face it looked as if she had just been reminded of something very important.

 

“I'm very sorry Hokage-sama, but you see, with the mission, well, it didn't go very well, we were sort of, unable to find her,” Kakashi stumbled out.

 

“She probably got herself lost out there, stupid little brat,” Naruto said.

 

Tsunade had laughter in her eyes. That was all it took for Hikari to figure out what was going on. These people had been sent out to find her. Hikari was unable to hold it in, she burst out laughing.

 

“What's so funny?” Naruto demanded.

 

“Who's the little brat?” Hikari asked tuning her chair around.

 

It seemed to click right away for everyone but Naruto.

 

“Who the hell are you?” he asked.

 

“I'm Hikari and you are?” she surveyed the dumb blonde and the rest of the group.

 

The loud mouthed blonde was tall and well built however he was wearing an atrocious orange and black outfit. Next to him was a pink haired woman with a wide forehead. On the end was a young man that looked oddly familiar. He had black hair with pale skin he was wearing white shorts and a dark blue t-shirt. Behind them stood and older man with silver hair. One eye was covered along with his lower face.

 

“You're Hikari?” Naruto asked.

 

“Yeah, but you still haven't answered my question.”

 

“Naruto Uzumaki, I'll be taking over for your aunt in a few years,” he proclaimed.

 

“Right whatever. What about the rest of you?”

 

“That young lady there is Sakura Haruno, the young man beside her in Sasuke Uchiha, and that man behind them is Kakashi Hatake,” Tsunade answered. “Now Kakashi would you be interested in teaching Hikari here a bit. She wants to become a ninja but I'm afraid she's too old for the academy. What do you say?”

 

“I guess I can do that for you Hokage-sama,” Kakashi answered reluctantly. “When do you want to start Hikari?”

 

“Tomorrow's fine, unless of course you want to rest up a bit first,” Hikari said.

 

“Now that sounds like a challenge. Tomorrow it is. Eight o'clock at the training grounds be there and don't be late.”

 

With that said Tsunade dismissed Kakashi and his team before turning back to Hikari. Hikari looked back at her Aunt.

 

“So how much longer am I going to be staying with the Hyuugas?” she asked.

 

“I'm sorry Hikari; I don't have anything for you yet. I promise I will soon though okay?”

 

“Right, can I go back to my training now?”

 

“Sure go ahead.”

 

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On the way aback to the training grounds Hikari stopped and the Ichiraku Ramen stand for lunch. As she was waiting for her order someone came and sat down beside her.

 

“Hey,” he said after ordering.

 

Hikari turned it was the young man named Naruto. “Hey yourself.”

 

“So how long have you been here for?” he asked.

 

“Four days now. Why?”

 

“Shit, you've been here since we left hen?”

 

“I guess so.”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Seventeen, you?”

 

“Same, man I thought you were younger than that,” Naruto said looking shocked.

 

“So I gathered. Most people think that.”

 

“So where are you staying?” he asked as there meals arrived.

 

“With the Hyuugas.”

 

“I see. You don't talk much do you?”

 

“I do when I have something to say,” she explained.

 

Naruto didn't seem the take the hint that she didn't want to talk to him. All through the meal he tried to make small talk with her. He asked about her life back home, what her parents were like, what kinds of music, books and movies she was interested in. Mostly trifle things like that. Hikari kept her answers short and to the point. She also completely avoided answering any questions pertaining to her Father.

 

After she finished eating she paid her bill and got up to leave.

 

“So where are you headed now?” Naruto asked her.

 

“The training grounds, why?

 

“Just wondering, well I guess I'll see you tomorrow then,” he said and waved to Hikari.

 

“What makes you so sure about that?” she asked, Hikari hated when people assumed too much.

 

“I'm sure because Kakashi-sensei asked us to join you tomorrow,” Naruto answered with a smile and took off.

 

Hikari sighed and continued on her way. It looked like tomorrow was going to be a long day if she had to put up with Naruto all day.