From Darkness to Light (The Little Senju Series Book Two): A Naruto Fanfiction

Izumi's Old Friend

Hanako's POV

I had joined team Guy on this mission based on the fact that my specialty was genjutsu. Since one of the known members of the akatsuki was a genjutsu user it had seemed like a good idea to send another genjutsu user on the support team that had been sent and due to various other genjutsu users being out of the village I was chosen instead. I had recently been promoted to chunin, but that by no means meant that I thought that I was ready for such a risky mission.

Pakun, who Kakashi had summoned, had led us straight to an enormous boulder with a seal attached to its top, "Gaara's inside these rocks." The small dog informed from his perch atop Lee's shoulder.

Upon hearing this Neji immediately clapped his hands into a hand sign activating his byakugan, "What do you see?" I inquired peering over the brown-haired boy's shoulder.

"What?" the boy gasped out in surprise his eyes growing in size, "What is that?!?"

"Neji... What's happening inside the cave?" Lee asked taken a bit aback by the seeming fear in his ordinarily stoic teammate's voice.

Without giving a response Captain Guy leapt to his feet sending his fist straight into the rocky outcropping in front of us. The rock was left without even a single chip a series of waves careened from the place where guy had hit it, "A barrier..." he muttered.

Izumi's POV

We had been going none stop for quite awhile and Naruto still hadn't spoken a single word to me. He was still probably upset about what happened before and probably even more so after what Kakashi Sensei told him. Hell... I thought giving a light sigh as I grabbed for the pendant around my neck, I wouldn't be surprised if he never talked to me again... Naruto sped ahead of the rest of us letting his emotions and some of the nine-tail's energy take control, "Naruto, wait up!" I called running ahead as well leaving my concerns behind as I approached him.

Naruto's POV

I stiffened for a moment as Izumi came up along side me. She was now silent as though bracing for the worst to happen. How scared was she? Even in the beginning she had never been this quiet or terrified for that matter, but Kakashi Sensei was right, below the surface the old Izumi was fighting to be seen through all the pain and confusion.

"Izumi, I don't hate you." I spoke suddenly and seriously causing her to flinch slightly and look at me cautiously, but not quite making it to my eyes, "I'm sorry for my outburst before. I just felt so hurt when you left me out before and it felt like I was losing my best friend. The truth is that I probably trust you more than anyone else."

She seemed happy, but unsatisfied with my response, "I wish I deserved to hear that from you..." Izumi hummed softly as she brushed a hand behind her ear out of habit as her hair was far too short for such, "If you were to hate me it would be completely justified."

"Don't say that!" I insisted giving her a sharp, warning look, "Izumi, you're probably the bravest person I know. I know that if something is so hard for you to do that it would be nearly impossible for anyone else. But, Izumi?" she looked at me questioningly through hooded eyes, "Please, trust me enough to tell me anything. I might not always understand right away, but I will come around.

Hanako's POV

"What should we do?" Lee asked his Sensei as he turned to the man with a quizzical expression.

"First, we have to break the seal!"

"And, how to we do that?" Tenten questioned looking somewhat frustrated.

Before Guy could respond a voice came from behind our team, "That's a six-seal barrier." We all turned our heads curtly to see a group of ninjas appear behind us most of which being fellow ninja of the hidden leaf village.

I froze eyes growing wide and my mouth dropping ever so slightly as I laid my eyes on the group of people behind us. My ears stopped listening as Captain Guy and Lee spoke only paying attention to the blue-haired girl that although had changed in appearance slightly was still ever so clearly Izumi. My heart burst with joy as I couldn't stop the urge to burst toward her.

"Izumi!" I cried out wrapping my arms around her as tightly as I could feeling the heat of her body under my fingertips. She was frozen in surprise I must imagine. She was stiff seeming almost afraid to touch me like she was afraid that I was going to catch something just from the simple contact, "Oh, I've missed you..." I mumbled quietly resting my chin on her shoulder, "I think I might still miss your hair though..." I snickered lightly pulling away, "Izumi...?"

"Sorry, I was just so shocked to see you... Hanako." Izumi muttered smiling weakly and even that looked obviously forced, "I think I might miss my hair too..." She brushed a hand through her now short locks laughing dryly, "I wish we could've met in the village as opposed to this sour situation."

I stared at her somberly, questioningly as the others made their greetings after all this time. Something was very not right here. Even though I hadn't known Izumi for all that long before she left the village, I knew without a doubt in my mind that this was hardly the same person.

"Right!" Captain Guy broke me from my thoughts as he turned to face the silver-haired man, "Let's go for it, Kakashi!"

"Alright!"

A little shorter this time (a little?), but I mean we should really be happy that I managed to update two weeks in a row and on the same day no less. I'll take it as a win. Thanks to everyone who has voted on The Little Senju and this book and has added The little Senju to their reading list it really does help. Especially in the sense of keeping me motivated to continuing writing and working. Hopefully I'll actually be able to keep this up this I've just started working in a position that involves a set schedule, which I'm not used to as of yet. I was self-employed (and really still am) and able to work whenever it met my needs, but unfortunately that isn't bringing in much money at the moment. This position will probably only last the month, but there's a high possibility that  I'll want to keep working past that point and thus will have to find another job. I want to keep this up and keep updating a least once a week, but as usual no promises. Until next time!

-- Amy