Most Beautiful Sight

“Don’t worry about me…” Hinata smiled watching her sister pack moderately.
“But… I could like… die out there.”
“You won’t…” Hinata smiled tightly. Ayumi smiled.
“I’ll make sure Liz comes back safe and sound… I’m sure Lan will just be annoyed being stuck with me.”
“Don’t say such things!” Hinata merely frowned at her “sibling”
“Its true… but… I’ll make you proud!” Ayumi kissed her sister’s cheek and hoisted the tiny backpack on her back. In the blink of an eye she was gone, leaving her adopted sister be.
“Took you long enough!” Lan complained leaning against the tree.
“Sorry…” She blushed a bit rubbing the back of her head.
“Ignore him…” Liz smiled
“If she’s going to be kikankage, she’d best get used to criticism.” Lan smirked.
“Of course… still paying you no mind is a plus, good practice for later.” Ayumi smiled at him and turned as her grandfather approached leaving a slightly puzzled Lan behind her shoulder.
“Let us depart.” The older man smiled and led the group to the village known as the Hidden Leaf.
“I wonder if there will be any cute boys in this village.” Liz smiled
“We’re not here to check out the opponents romantically.” Lan snapped.
“Wonder if I’ll meet my dream boy there.” Ayumi sighed almost dreamily.
“Would be great if you did…” They giggled before her Grandfather spoke up.
“This is no laughing matter!” He boomed and the girls paused and Lan took on a smirk, as if he’d just been proven to be the more mature fellow between the three.”
“Honestly we are lucky that we do not have days of travel to complete, more so a few hours of journeying. We should reach the hidden leaf village by noon, in time to check in and set preparations for the Chuunin exams.” Ayumi took this moment to rapidly braid the lengthy white hair she had as the old man continued babbling on about not embarrassing him and bringing pride back to the village.
“Right!” The trio nodded in approval to the leader before them. They reached the exit to the village to find all its inhabitants there to cheer them on and wish them luck. For a brief moment they felt like the heroes of the village. Once a decent way out of sight the old man leapt and took to the trees.
“Here goes!” Liz said before following the old man leaving Ayumi last to glance back at the village, tuck her braid inside of her sweater and follow.
*~*~*~~
“I’m so happy!!!!!” Lee bubbled excitedly refraining from throwing an arm around one Hyuuga Neji. Their team was back together again.
“No one told you to wait so long.”
“It just wouldn’t be right…” The shorter haired male paused. “But I really can’t stay now! I’m to find Gai Sensei for further training.”
“Whatever…” Neji sighed inwardly as he made his way to Ichiraku to meet Naruto, Hanabi, and Konohamaru was sure to be nearby as well. Perhaps the kid thought by protecting Hanabi with his very life he was making up for the loss of her older sister, that changed the quiet young lady all but entirely.
“Neji!!!” Naruto called to the male making him stare, he’d expected him to be feeding his face at this moment in time.
“There we found him, Naruto-neesan. Can we eat?” Hanabi complained before looking at the forehead protector of shinobi of the mist. Yes, it was time they’d begin to show up for the examination.
“Neji… We saw them.” Naruto reported drawing the white eyed males eye to him in almost slow motion. “They were walking to the village gates.”
“I see.” Neji looked at the two youth in their presence then focused his attention on Hanabi. “They wouldn’t bring her.”
“Still…” Naruto’s impatience was finally breaking the air of “cool” that he’d developed, brought on by Neji’s influence no doubt, over the years and stamped his foot against the undeserving ground.
“We still don’t know if they are ally or enemy!” He insisted. “We could have a situation like the first time you competed.” Neji’s voice darkened to the remember the attack the Sand had plotted against Konoha resulting the in loss of their 3rd Hokage.
“Neji–neesama…what's going on?” Hanabi looked up at her older cousin.
“Still!” Naruto’s foot came crushing down on the ground once more.
“We have to be rational…” Neji’s eyebrows furrowed inward and her proceeded to glare at the blonde before his vision shifted to four figures making their way through town.
The old man from that day, a boy with short black hair that spiked up wearing a tan shirt and black pants. The air around that one reminded him of a very cocky Dog-Nin… no worst than that. Following the boy was a female with pin straight hair that stopped just above her shoulder blades, with clear green eyes that aimed in their general direction and stayed fixated on the group before a slow smile crept across her face. That one slowed in her steps and leaned back to whisper to the female that followed behind her. The second female had her coffee and milk colored flesh that seemed to shock the hair of white that lay in messy waves about her face while the rest hastily pulled back.
The female with the bolder attributes blinked as her friend pulled away from her ear and looked at her friend before turning her eye to the group of four then sighed looking straight ahead once more before double taking at the group locking eyes with one, Hyuuga Neji. And he stared back at her gazing into pupilless eyes of amber before she frowned then tore her own gaze away finding she was now dragging behind and sped up only to vanish shortly after in the crowd, but not without a couple more glances over her shoulder.
“Neji-Neesan!” Hanabi called him.
“Naruto…”
“I saw…” The blonde quieted the stoic air returning once more.
“HEY!!!!!” Konohamaru sick of listening to the two be mysterious and punched Naruto square in the face a bit on the nervous side to touch the dark haired male.
“I don’t feel like Ramen.” Neji stated then gave an actual smile to Hanabi. “How do you feel about BBQ for lunch.”
“Neji-neesan…” She watched the normally stiff lines in his face soften to a smile. The only other time she had seen him smile was when he had to tell her that only she and he remained of the Hyuuga clan. “Okay…”
“Wha-Wha-Wha-WHAT?!? I WANTED RAMEN!!!!”
“Ichiraku isn’t a comfortable place to talk…” Neji placed a hand on Hanabi’s head then began leading the way. If things went horribly wrong this exam… he needed Hanabi to know… Her sister possibly lived on, at least she wouldn’t be so lonely…
*~*~*~
“What a busy village…” Lan commented strolling behind the old man as they began strolling down the streets of Konoha.
“It’s a much bigger village than our own. But look carefully as this village will be much smaller as we grow.”
“Yes! Sensei!” They all answered promptly strolling peacefully through the village nodding to a few villagers here and there and neglected the stares of others weary of their presence.
“So many seem so suspicious…” Ayumi spoke up.
“Its only natural… being a prosperous village brings many enemies.” Lan muttered. “Besides, these Chuunin exams supposedly take place of wars between the numerous villages with shinobi.”
“Oh.” Ayumi quieted being put in her place.
“You should’ve known that!” Ayumi found herself wishing to die under the stare her grandfather was giving her with his one eye over his shoulder.
“Of course…” The group fell silent once more.
“Hotties at ten O’clock. And they’re staring too.” Liz whispered giving a satisfied chuckle at having spotted them first and watched her friend for the reaction. Ayumi turned to look in the direction given and found a group of four. Three males and one female; three dark haired and one who stood out among them, much like she would in her group, with hair of blonde.
“I can’t afford to get fussed at one more time Liz… and they’re honestly not that hot plus I’m sure the girl is one of those guys’ “comrade”…” She glanced over once more then a third time and found herself locking eyes with one of the “not that hot” guys. She held his gaze while part of her mind reasoned maybe during downtime she better get to know him before her mind clicked… his eyes… “Like… Hinata…” She felt her heart tighten in a panic that this boy could be like that…
“Ayumi!” The harsh tone of her grandfather knocked her out of her stupor and she rushed to catch up with the trio with a giggling girl and two males muttering incompetence.
“That boy…………”