Naruto AU: The Untold Story

Chapter 28: Building Strength

After the mission to retrieve the Elemental Staff was complete, Team Guy was able to take an entire week off. The break was much needed for the team, and it gave Lee's and Hisako's hands time to heal. Neji and Hisako were walking through the village quietly, neither had said anything since they left the Hyuga Estate with the intent of getting out of the Estate to take a stroll through the village.

Hisako was the first to break the silence with a sigh, her hands clasped behind her back as she lifted her gaze up toward the sky, "you know, I have to admit, I'm kinda jealous of the Hyuga Clan's ability to protect themselves with the use of that rotation ability you guys have," she mused.

"It's an ability that only the Head Family is supposed to know," Neji reminded Hisako.

Hisako turned her attention to him and gave him a giant smile, "Exactly. And you learned it just by observation alone. You're pretty amazing. The concept of the jutsu is you expel chakra from every point in your body to create a barrier and then you rotate to give it extra strength so you can repel attacks, correct?"

Neji nodded his head, "that's the idea anyways,"

"I just, I know there's no way I could do that exactly, but anybody can expel chakra from their chakra points. That's how we can walk up trees with only our feet. So theoretically, I wonder if I could create something similar, to give myself at least a little bit of protection,"

Neji's gaze turned surprised and he blinked a few times, trying to formulate a response in his head before speaking, "Theoretically yes, it could be done. But, a jutsu like that would be highly advanced. I don't know if the most skilled Jonin could do something like that. The level of chakra control needed is incredible,"

"Yeah, I know, but, I still wanna look into it," Hisako replied with a shrug, "it's just a thought,"

"If you do figure out something like that, you'll be the first," Neji muttered under his breath.

Hisako let out a small laugh and nodded her head, "I know, that's one of the reasons why I want to do it,"

A few feet ahead of them, she spotted Sasuke buying something from a shop and she waved at him. He looked up and noticed her waving, and he waved back, grabbing the bag from the shop owner. Hisako noticed the bandages that covered his body from head to toe, and she couldn't help but squint in question. He looked like he had been badly hurt.

"What happened to Sasuke?" Hisako mused as they walked over to her cousin, "Sasuke! You're covered in bandages," Hisako exclaimed, placing her own bandaged hands on her hips, "What happened to you?"

"My previous mission didn't go as planned," Sasuke explained, his voice nonchalant as his gaze went anywhere but on Hisako, "it was rather annoying. The person who hired us lied so he could pay less for the mission. Kakashi decided that we could continue on in the mission, and we succeeded, but, it was rather difficult."

"I can tell! Are you going to be okay?" Hisako asked, concern in her voice.

Even though her relationship with Sasuke was strained, and rather difficult to deal with right now, she couldn't help but feel worried for the only family member she had left in this world. Despite how he treated her in the past, she still loved him and cherished him. She wanted to be there to support him in any way she could. She just didn't have it in her heart to be angry at him.

Neji felt totally different as he stood beside Hisako, not making eye contact with her cousin, but his muscles were tensed almost like he was ready for Sasuke to jump at Hisako. Neji seemed to have lost all trust in Sasuke with how he's treated her in the past.

"I'll be fine, I was released from the hospital today," Sasuke reassured Hisako.

"Okay, good, I'm glad to hear that," Hisako replied, but she frowned.