To my faithful reviewer Djargo, well, reviews feed the muse. Thank you!! I am so very glad you liked last chapter, i loved it too.
This chapter had issues being written, so i hope all my readers enjoy the change in perspective and new addition. i have digital brownie points for good guesses on what's up after reading this chapter. Love you guys and thanks!!
Chapter 32 Every living thing had chakra, even if only a spark. The finer the focus with an active Byakugan, the more 'sparks' one could see. To the Byakugan, chakra- enabled illusions and shields lit up like fireworks. However, suppressing one's chakra could create a signature closer to the level of most animals. Large animals tended to have more chakra than small, and summon animals and familiars had higher concentrations that their normal counterparts. The smaller the chakra signature, the more likely one was to go unnoticed. It was effective in practical application. At least, until Kimi came along.
The hawk shifter's signature was strong, not as bold and uncontrolled as Naruto's, but she was a brilliant burst in Neji's activated vision. When she flowed from human to hawk within his vision, the chakra shrunk in size to suit her body, but it still blazed with the same strength as when she was human. It was distracting, but the strength of her chakra would attract even those without the Byakugan. So Neji took it upon himself to teach her a near opposite of the rotation, instead sucking her chakra deep within and condensing it. She'd caught on to expulsion easily, but suppression was notoriously difficult. Her change was not jutsu based, but it still consumed chakra. Holding one form or the other didn't burn chakra, but the change was a flare of light, balanced on either side of the change. It confused Neji at first, but he'd been told by Hiashi and Hinata that his change followed the same pattern. It explained why the change itself tired him, but he could still use jutsu fresh after assuming human form.
Currently he was walking to his quiet lake, watching Kimi flicker at the edges of his vision. She was flying high, trying with difficulty to suppress her signature down to that of a normal hawk's. Neji had to give her credit- she had learned swiftly, and was becoming able to suppress her chakra to the appropriate levels. However, she couldn't maintain that low point while flying. She claimed it was because it took near nothing to catch and refocus her attention as a hawk, and the slightest distraction broke her hold of the suppression.
It was nearly on cue. Her chakra flared to life and she was plummeting, diving toward the ground in a brilliant, painful blur. He caught a flicker on the edge of his vision, another chakra source, but he promptly shut down the Byakugan. Kimi's movement had left momentary speckles in his vision, like staring too long at a bright light, but he was moving before everything cleared. He'd come to know this area of his family's estate very well, and not seeing everything in detail didn't deter him from quickly zeroing toward the unknown chakra source. It was small, a vermin sized animal, but it had been potent like Kimi's was, bright in its small form. He was there in time to find Kimi circling above a tree, banking sharply to stay immediately above.
There was an indistinct mottled lump about halfway up, tucked into a knot in the tree. Once again he activated his Byakugan. The lump blazed, and this time when it moved he could make out the head and tail on the body. It was definitely an animal, possibly a summons or other familiar with that kind of chakra presence. It threw its head up and Neji could hear the defiant sounds that came chirping and hissing from the small body. He dropped the activated bloodline and peered up at it. He was familiar enough with the local wildlife to know this wasn't native to the area, but it was cute and looked something like a weasel. However, unlike the weasels he had seen, this one was a lumpy, slightly messy blend of white and brown. It wasn't much bigger than the length of his forearm, if he was estimating correctly, but the chakra and spirit of the creature more than made up for its looks and size. Anything that would challenge Kimi in a full threat display could be helpful. Or a threat. Neji grinned up at the creature. There was no fear induced from the little guy, not like the badger a few months back. But on that thought- “Kimi. Take him! If it's a summons I want it gone.”
Kimi snapped downward, fluidly maneuvering through the branches and striking at the ball of fury. It launched up to meet her, though, shrieking horribly as its lithe body wrapped around Kimi's hawk shape, teeth and claws doing as much damage as talons and hooked beak. But the way it had launched- it had its little teeth set into the top of the wing, gripping deep past the feathers and hindering Kimi's flight. With the additional weight and one wing barely usable, she dropped like a stone. Within a second Neji was catching them, saving them from a brutal, deadly impact with the ground, and fingers digging into the scruff of the mammal. Kimi shrieked with indignation, and Neji felt the rush of chakra as she shoved from hawk to human, one limp wing hanging from her back. The size contrast left the little animal with a mouthful it could barely handle.
“White and brown, like the snow rabbits that change their colors. And definitely not a summons.” Neji tightened his grip on the skin and fur in his fingers. “Let go, little one. Let go and I’ll tend your wounds.” Beady eyes moved to focus on him, as he moved to be clear within the creature's vision. “The cut on your ribs and the scrapes on you won't heal on their own. You're smart enough to understand, yes? Let go.” He could
feel Kimi watching him, as well as the little weasel, shock at his soft tone and sheer suspicion. But it only took a moment before the little body went limp, jaw slackening enough Kimi could pry a finger between small pointed teeth and remove the crushing grip on her feathers. Beady eyes swept back over to her and it hissed, a harsh unpleasant sound.
Neji let his own tone of sheer irritation slide from his throat, and the inhumanity in it made the weasel focus back on him. Little, round ears perked forward, and it chittered in his hand, a series of squeaking noises he was very unfamiliar with. However, they made Kimi snort, suppressing a giggle. “I have never seen an ermine during a molt; they're particularly seclusive to colder areas. Either he is someone's lost familiar, a spy, or something like us. He would have disappeared had he only been a summons.”
Neji stared down at the curious weasel- no, ermine- and debated his options. He
had promised to tend the little one's wounds, but if the thing was a spy for another ninja, an assassin itself, or... Well, he was one fiery bundle of energy. If he wasn't someone else's... “Kimi. What if he were neutral. Unclaimed?”
Kimi offered him a momentary glare, before it smoothed out to pinched pain. Her wing hurt, dammit. “He may be a familiar with no family, no place. It is uncommon, but sometimes it happens.” She pointed at the way the brown was sweeping across the back from the head, with tufts of white loose on the tail end of its back. The flow had been disturbed by the raking of Kimi's claws and beak. “He's coming into summer coat. In winter they're white, and summer this cinnamon brown. This means he was in colder country until very recently.”
“I know what the colors mean, Kimi.” Neji snapped. Hell, it was only barely April; depending on how fast the little creatures changed color, it might just be adjusting from Konoha winter. But he wasn't going to argue with Kimi over it. He looked over the ermine one more time, noting how the body was starting to dangle limply from his hand. “Let's get it patched up, then we can figure out if we should kill it.” The all- clear hadn't been issued for the Hyuga, so the threat status was still high.
For some reason he didn't want to kill the little creature.
A quick dressing of gauze and a walk home later found the newcomer squeaking cheerfully at his cousin. She'd done some healing jutsu that sealed the wounds, although she cautioned that his body would still be tender. The ermine had squeaked and nodded and sat attentively through the whole process. “The damn thing is too smart,” Kimi grumbled.
“Maybe. I wonder if it will answer some questions.” Neji sat at the low table where Hinata had treated the weasel. It turned, gave him a brief, obvious up-and-down look, then hissed when Kimi approached. “Hey. Be nice.” The ermine returned to nuzzling Hinata's hand, dismissing Neji and Kimi.
“He's kinda cute,” Hinata giggled. The smile melted a little at the look in her cousin's face. “Neji nii- san?”
“I want to ask him some questions.” He placed three cards on the table- 'yes' 'no' and '?'. “I know you are smart enough, little weasel, if I can keep the questions simple. The question is if you can read.” There was something oddly human in the way it tilted its head and
glared before stomping a paw on the 'yes' card. “Did I catch you before you hit the ground earlier?” Another 'yes'. “Are you an ermine?” The '?' card this time. Neji frowned. “Do you know you are a type of weasel?” This time both a nod and the 'yes' card. “Are you male?” Another 'yes'. “Do you belong to anyone?” This time the ermine put a paw on the 'no', but paused, then pushed the '?' card forward. Neji pushed it back into a line with the others. The ermine opened its mouth like it would bite but it stayed pulled back. “Do you trust me?” The ermine studied him, head cocked to the side and ears forward. Then it slowly poked its nose at the '?' card again. “I know you don't like Kimi, but do you like her?” He pointed across the table at Hinata, and the ermine turned to look at her before nodding vigorously. “Do you intend to hurt any of us?” That odd glaring look came back, and Neji broke the question up. “Would you hurt her?” Again gesturing at Hinata, which earned a fierce side-to-side 'no' gesture in return. “Hurt me?” The response was slower, but the little guy poked the '?' forward with his nose and he tapped a paw on the 'no'. “And Kimi?” A thumb behind his shoulder at the hawk sent the ermine into a hissing, fur-bristling fit. Neji chuckled. “I think he'd return the scrapes, Kimi.”
“I want to know if he's going to try slitting our throats while we sleep. Or running off to a master and causing us more trouble.”
“Then we'll put him in a cage for the night, take him to Tsunade in the morning. It's not like she could do much different, even sentient animals have a different brain than ours. The Yamanacha clan would take one going-through in his mind and it'd die from the trauma. Something I'd rather not put a potential ally through.”
“Ally?”
Both girls' voices rang through the room. Neji simply nodded. “He doesn't frighten me. A thrill of pride, watching him take you, Kimi, but no fear. No tingles, not even the ones like I get from you. I can't explain why, but... he doesn't feel wrong. We'll keep him under surveillance, put a leash on him if we have to. Sweep him for tracers, tags, seals. And if he betrays us, I'm sure you will enjoy ripping him to shreds, Kimi.”
“Tsume- sama may be able to provide a suitable escape-proof cage for him. Akamaru was quite a handful as a puppy.” Hinata's offering made Neji smile. He knew his cousin was still trying to understand his quirks, but between himself and Naruto, and years with Kiba, she understood the depth instinct could rule. Of course, Neji still thought Kiba was a bit of a hormone driven mutt, just like his nin-dog, but they
could get the job done. And he had met Kiba's mother once. The woman was as feral as any in her clan, but she ruled firmly and was a force to be reckoned with, in her own right. “Would you ask her for me, Hinata?”
Hinata nodded with a small smile. When she had completely left the room Neji snapped up the little ermine between his fingers, letting it dangle as he held its nape. “I shall give you one warning, little one. If you have any ill intention toward us, or Konoha, you might as well flee now, or turn yourself in for possible mercy. And if threatening to feed you to Kimi isn't threat enough, I know a fox that would just
love a tiny morsel like you to play with.” The last was said with just enough venom, the words coldly passionate in his intent. The ermine bared his teeth, ears back, for just a moment, then let itself fall limp in Neji's fingers.
When Neji finally relaxed for bed a couple hours later, the little ermine tucked into an 'escape proof' cage that sat in the corner of his room, h eturned pale eyes on the bundle of fur curled into a pile of blanket scraps. A shadow of a smile split his face. "I just hope I'm not wrong about you, little one."
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A/N: So, i know near no one reads my LJ copy (http://kyuubi-paw.livejournal.com/tag/naruto ) of this fic. But here's the new chapter anyway. updates slacking for an undetermined time, I have a busy summer. Ciao.
