People of the Land

Chapter 9 - Runaway Spirits

A small figure raced through the ancient treetops of Konoha's protecting forest, silent trails of tears streaming down her face. She couldn't do it anymore, acting as though everything was alright and she was happy. These last few days were the best she'd had in her entire life. She didn't want it to end. This was especially kicked into her after the 'spar' she had with her little sister yesterday. It was now early morning the next day, the day the Yaunkur were to leave.

The girl-with-moons-for-eyes sped up as she reached the boundary of the nomadic tribe's camp. Through her tears she managed to locate the largest tent in the crowd of them and rushed to it, distantly hearing voices calling out to her. But she ignored them. All she needed was to find him, and then everything would be alright.

She fled into the narrow gap that served as the tent's door, and ran straight to the spot where she knew her friend was sleeping, falling onto his sprawled out form, and wept on his chest. Almost instantly she felt the boy begin to sit up, and she heard a sleepy, "...Hina?"

Then the Yaunkur boy noticed the state his friend was in and immediately grew concerned. More awake this time he asked, "Are you alright, Hina?" This simply made the girl cry harder as she shook her head, remembering the events of the previous afternoon.

She was not alright. Not at all.

There was a lot of scrambling around as the two Yaunkur leaders entered the children's tent and finally managed to help their ward calm his visitor down and ask her why she was there.

"I-It's just that a-after some things that h-happened yesterday I r-realized that I don't b-belong with the o-other H-Hyuuga." Hinata said quietly with her head bowed. Nato's concerned glance fell on his friend. Even though they had gotten her to stop crying, it looked like she could burst into tears at any moment. It made Nato wonder... just what could have happened yesterday to put her in this state?

"A-And well..." Hinata continued, "I just c-couldn't stand t-the thought of c-continuing on w-with the life I a-am currently living w-with the Hyuuga c-clan, especially without y-you, N-Nato!" At this the young girl raised to head to look at her dear friend straight in the eye, and Nato could clearly see her determination and sincerity. Kahina and Dimos could see it too. Kahina knew now that they had to find out just what had happened, even though she didn't want to upset the young girl again.

So she softly asked, " Coru Hinata, could you tell us what happened between you and your clan? If you don't want to then you don't have to, but it would be easier for us to help you if you did."

The girl shook for a moment, and then took a deep breath and began to recall the events that led up to this moment. "It h-happened right after I came b-back to the Hyuuga mansion yesterday evening. The elders a-and my father had m-me battle my l-little sister for the title of Hyuuga H-Heiress. I didn't want to fight her, b-but I had to. In the fight, I h-hesitated to strike my sister in a c-crucial moment and l-lost. The e-elders and my father s-saw me as weak, and m-my sister became the h-heiress." Then, if possible, her voice grew even softer. "But that is n-not what I am upset a-about. It was the fact t-that my sister-" her voice cracked a bit "-looked at m-me with those s-same hard, cold eyes a-as the other Hyuugas d-did. She has n-never done that b-before." She looked up at Kahina, Dimos, and Nato. "That's w-why I can't be with them a-any longer. I am n-not needed nor w-wanted there. And t-that is also why I want to a-ask," her eyes looked at them pleadingly, "may I t-travel with a-all of you, and b-become one of t-the Y-Yaunkur?"

There was a period of shocked silence in the tent, until it was broken by two simple words from the Yaunkur's seer.

"Of course."

"Hasmae!" The strong arms of the Sun King gently wrapped around his Moon Lady, a brilliant smile stretching across his face. "It has been far too long."