Book One: The Era of Change

Chapter Fifteen: The Sand Siblings

*Neesan is used by Konohamaru in this sense not to refer to this actual sister, but to refer to someone who's older than him by a little. So neesan literally means elder sister, but it encompasses people out of your blood family as well and can be extended to mean young girl/lady etc.

Third pov

Kaoru decided to let her genin take a few days rest before heading back to the village. The Takumi people were more than welcoming of these shinobi who had returned their family to them and it was relatively easy to get around.

But all the genin were tired in mind and body so when they had gotten back to the village around nine days after the mission, Kaoru had strictly ordered all four to rest.

She had gone in to hand in the mission report herself.

While they were technically ninja already, Kaoru knew that they weren't truly a shinobi until they had first-hand delivered the death of another. It hurt her in every way to know that they were suffering because of themselves, but also fully understood the need for them to accept reality themselves.

With a sigh, she wandered back to her own apartment, her heart as heavy as the big bag of coins she had just collected.

"Hey," A voice beside her suddenly said.

"Kakashi," Kaoru acknowledged.

"How was your team's mission?" he asked.

"They're recovering," Kaoru winced.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Did they get injured?"

Kaoru shook her head, "The scars of their first kill is going to stay with them for a long time. I remember the first person I killed. It was out of desperation for survival. It must have been harder to do it under acting orders,"

Kakashi's shoulder sagged, "Look...I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"It was about our mission to the Land of the Waves. We were lied to by the client, he had ninja after him. At first we thought it was just some normal B-rank. But then we met Zabuza Momochi."

"A-rank? That's crazy for a group of genin!"

"He had an assistant. He could use the same mirrors as you," Kakashi said.

Kaoru froze. The Hyoton bloodline was found in, and only in the Yuki clan. Impossible...there were so little of them left. Kaoru just prayed it wasn't someone she'd met before-

"They called him Haku."

Leiko's pov

As soon as I had arrived back at the Hyuga Compound, I headed immediately to Neji's room.

I slid open the door without knocking to see him reading a book on his bed.

Looking up he greeted, "Welcome back. How was the mission?"

"Spar with me," I demanded.

Neji looked up curiously, but put the book down without questioning.

He put on his sandals and walked out to the courtyard. Taking the gentle fist stance he said, "No weapons. Just bare hands."

I nodded, Byakugan switching on, and dashing forward before her had even had the chance to say start.

And call me a masochist, but it felt good to be on the receiving end of attacks again.

Neji landed several hits, me hitting him not even half as much. I was so distracted...