The Light That Seeps Through the Trees

Chapter 36: History Repeats Itself

"What's wrong Lord Eight?" Shikamaru asked. He could feel the tension in the room.

Sakura, Ino, Temari, Tenten, Neji, Kenzo, Sarada, Itachi, Shino, Kiba, Choji, Hanabi, and Kato all stood in the office. They waited for Konohamaru to speak.

"What's wrong?" Hanabi asked finally making her husband snap out of his current state.

With a heavy heart he looked into the eyes of them, "I regret to inform you all of the departure of Hayami and Himawari Uzumaki."

"What do you mean the departure?" Ino asked.

"Did something happen to them?" Sakura asked.

"Is Himawari okay?" Neji asked.

Konohamaru mustered the courage to look at them again, "they have decided to leave the village."

The room went utterly silent. No one moved and no one said anything.

"Why?" Ino asked her eyes filling with tears.

Konohamaru pushed the scroll towards them letting them read it.

"This can't be real" Neji said.

"It is" Itachi finally spoke up, "Lord Eight and I suspected it ever since Hayami came back to the village. I was meant to follow Hayami around and keep an eye on her. As the years went by we discarded the thought of this occurring and stopped following her."

"Is this true?" Shikamaru asked Konohamaru.

The Hokage nodded, "we suspected she had other intentions. Now we see that she did. She wants revenge and we believe Himawari is after the same thing."

Sakura slammed her hand on the table, "so? What are we going to do about it?"

"We will send a team to retrieve them."

The room erupted in noise as everyone volunteered to go.

"I can't send everyone. I have already picked out who will go and it's final."

That silenced them as they waited for him to say who, "Shikamaru, Ino, Kenzo, and Itachi. I have chosen each of these carefully. Ino you have a connection with Himawari and right now we need to get her back. Kenzo you spend a lot of time with Himawari and know her fighting style the best, if it comes down to a fight you will be of good use. Itachi you also have a connection with Hayami and have kept a close eyes on her movements these past years. Shikamaru you are able to make a plan and keep your feelings at bay. I need you all to depart immediately."

"I want to go" Neji said.

"No! The Hyuga clan is still in turmoil ever since Natsuki was kidnapped. You daughter needs you right now and so does the clan."

Neji looked at Ino, "bring her back please."

Ino nodded and took of to prepare along with the others.

"Kenzo you will lead, Ino you will be next, I will be in the center and Itachi will be in the end."

They took of in their formation. It would take atleast a day to reach them giving them a head start of a day.

Shikamaru inwardly cursed. He needed to think of a plan on how to stop them. But first he had to make sure they found them.

After a few hours Kenzo stopped abruptly making them stop, "I can feel her. They are close to here."

At the place Hayami and Himawari were at Hayami stood up.

"What is it?" Himawari asked.

Hayami smirked, "they are here."

"Should we leave?"

Hayami shook her head, "no, they need to battle us to see that we do not plan on going back."

"Hello" Hayami greeted the leaf ninjas.

"Hayami, Himawari, we have come to take you back to the leaf village" Shikamaru stated.

"I believe we made ourselves clear. We do not plan on returning." Hayami said.

Ino kept her gaze on Himawari her eyes begging her to return. Himawari met her gaze firmly, "I don't plan on going back."

"Himawari, please. I lost Sai already. I can't lose you too."

Himawari looked away sadly, "that is the reason why I have to do this." She looked back towards them her eyes filled with determination, "I will make sure to get revenge for them."

"We're bringing you back to the leaf village wether you like it or not." Kenzo finally spoke, "even if I have to break your legs I'll bring you back."

Himawari smiled, "you can try." Himawari took a fighting stance and activated her byakugan.

Kenzo activated his sharingan while Itachi used his mangekyo sharingan to put Hayami in a genjutsu.

"Hayami Sensei" Himawari tried to get her to come back to reality but Hayami was deep in the genjutsu. Himawari and Kenzo engaged in a taijutsu battle.

Shikamaru did his hand signs, "shadow paralysis." Before the shadow could reach Himawari something cold wrapped around his neck. He felt his chakra levels weaken and his shadow paralysis dissipated.

Hayami's bracelet wrapped itself around her wrist after she drained Shikamaru's chakra. Shikamaru turned back to see Ino on the floor unconscious. He looked back to where Itachi stood with Hayami in a genjutsu.

"Shadow clone" he stated before passing out.

The shadow clone disappeared and the true Hayami stood in front of Itachi.

A smirk was evident on her pretty face, "genjutsu doesn't work on me, Uchiha."

Itachi seemed stunned for a second, "I should've kept a closer eye on you."

"You know there is no stopping me. Back down."

"Never"

They both got in a fighting stance. They engaged in a taijutsu battle as well. Itachi felt his chakra slowly diminish with every contact he had with Hayami.

Unknown to him, Hayami was slowly draining his chakra with every small touch. Most people always made the wrong assumption that her bracelet was what drained their chakra. When really it was Hayami's chakra that did the work. The bracelet was a simple conductor. She could easily drain chakra by touching a person.

"Don't hate me, Uchiha." Not even could his sharingan anticipate the move. Hayami brought her lips to his forehead. He felt as all his chakra left his body.

Hayami made eye contact with Himawari. Himawari understood. Himawari managed to make Kenzo go close to Itachi and the others.

"Earth prison dome" Hayami trapped the four ninjas in the earth dome.

"Let's go, we wasted enough time time."

The two ninjas left never looking back.