[Open] It was a rare day off...

[hyuugachild]

...and Hanabi didn't see them often. She considered herself, at this point, little more than a drone of the Hyuuga estate, fated to take on the much respected, prestigious role of heiress, and subsequently fated to losing much of her childhood to training, studies, and other assorted etiquette lessons and fine arts like calligraphy, weaving, ikebana and tea ceremony. All to ensure she grew to be a splendid young lady.

She certainly didn't feel splendid. She felt exhausted.

But it was a lovely day in the midst of winter, and for once, Hanabi was in the midst of Konoha, breathing in cold hair and watching mist form in front of her mouth. Hoheto, her Branch companion of the day, stood some distance behind her and followed her slowly, as if to appear as though he weren't directly watching her.

She felt self-conscious, being fourteen and still needing a keeper to tag along everywhere, but Hanabi learned quickly that this was life, and a privilege to have so many people dedicated to keeping her in the best of physical health.

Still, thinking dark thoughts wasn't going to improve the day, so Hanabi wanted to make the best of it. She walked slowly up to a shop selling yams and bought one, savoring the taste (though it wasn't as good as the ones spiced by Hyuuga hands).

It was cold, but it was a beautiful day. A day of freedom.

If you ignored the bodyguard tailing you.

Hanabi had tried an inordinate amount of times to ditch them, and failed every time; they were jounin, and she was decidedly not. Still, with every new year of training, she dreamed of escape.

Escape, the thought spread a fuzz over her brain that felt like drinking warm hot chocolate.

With the sight of the Byakugan, she eyed Hoheto's location.

She could make it.
She could.
She would.

With a small signal, a bunshin and a kawarimi no jutsu later, she was running giddily toward the forest. At the longest limits of her vision, she could see Hoheto was not following, and shortly, he'd be out of range.

"Well, it seems like you're having fun," an eerily familiar voice said...just before something hit Hanabi couldn't see hit her squarely in the gut and made the world black.

* * * * * * *

The first thing she noticed was that she was cold. Then, slowly, as sensation returned to her body, she realized her mouth was dry, like she hadn't had a drink in days, and her head and stomach hurt terribly. Shifting alone gave her gut-wrenching cramps. When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by white.

Snow.

Snow? In Konoha?

No. Not Konoha. Definitely not.

Instantly, Hanabi assumed the worst. She must've been abducted. Kidnapped to blackmail her father. The snow was probably genjutsu...it would be silly to leave precious cargo lying about to freeze to death.

She shakily lifted her hand to make the seal of the ram. "...kai..." Hanabi whispered, hoping the genjutsu could be released simply.

Too hopeful, she chided, staring up at the snow that didn't fade, and the chill that was starting to make her clothing wet.

Hanabi was sure that she was in over her head. For a day of freedom, this was the punishment.

No. Move. Get up. Find out what's going on.

Get up, Hanabi ordered her body. Get. Up.

Comments

[smallstepstopower]

"I am attempting to not make the fool mistakes I clearly did the first time, obviously. There has to be a better method."

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi took in a deep breath and released it. "Do you really think there is?"

[smallstepstopower]

"Yes." His answer was rather point blank, and he shrugged. "There are always rumors, and I'm sure at least one is true."

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi put on water for tea and sat next to Orochimaru, straightening your back. "What did you want from me in return for training?"

[smallstepstopower]

He peered at her for a long moment. "I haven't yet decided. Would any answer I gave change your presence here?"

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi looked into his eyes. Snake-like. She wondered if it was a family trait. "I don't know."

[smallstepstopower]

"Then when I have an answer for you, we'll have to see, won't we?" It was a murmur, and he tilted his head.

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi sucked in a breath, and nodded. "Do you have some kind of jutsu around this place?"

[smallstepstopower]

"You mean a concealment? I do, but I didn't set it up. It was a masterwork I'm still studying that was here when I found this place."

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi seemed surprised. "You mean...you didn't do this?"

[smallstepstopower]

"I would be proud to claim it... but no. This was here before I was."

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi had spent some time staring at it in her Byakugan vision, but it was so elaborate that she hadn't been able to properly analyze it yet. "Who do you think did it?"

[smallstepstopower]

"I don't know. It might have been several previous residents even. I know I have a few things I want to add once I understand the matrix."

[hyuugachild]

"Can you explain to me how it all works? I'm kind of good at things like that...putting pieces together."

[smallstepstopower]

"I could, but it would take several weeks to do so." He waved a hand. "Longer than to figure it out myself."

[hyuugachild]

"You could explain as you go. I learn quickly." She did, at least.

[smallstepstopower]

"You'd need a basic knowledge of seals. Do you have it?"

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi instantly perked up. "Yes! My clan uses them, so I was taught to do some basic ones, including the very complicated one we use most often. I think I should be alright."

[smallstepstopower]

He looked at her for a moment, then collected a paper and scrawled something out over it. "Then what is this?"

He made sure it was something 'upper basic'. If she knew it, he might bother.

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi stared it for a moment before explaining what the number of markers meant, particularly when they surrounded the symbol in the middle. It seemed that Hyuuga certainly had a penchant for seal knowledge.

[smallstepstopower]

He peered at her for a moment. "...Very well. We'll work on the matrix then."

[hyuugachild]

Like Hanabi had said, Hiashi was one of the foremost minds on seal techniques, as were the Hyuuga heads before him. Hanabi had gained a good amount of that knowledge, though in her mind seals were supplemental and she had every intention of being an active, self-supporting shinobi.

Still, knowledge was knowledge and she was greedy to gobble it all up.

Perhaps this matrix was something that tied into the reason they were all in this strange genjutsu time-warped land. Though, the more Hanabi thought about it, the more a time-space jutsu made sense, instead of a genjutsu.

Hm.

"I've never seen a configuration this complicated, and Father had me look at--" she eyed Orochimaru for a moment, then turned away. "Well, some higher level work." Namely, after Anko's tenfuuin had been dissected and studied as much as possible, Hiashi had let Hanabi see a little of the research gained.

[smallstepstopower]

"Much as Hyuuga pride themselves... they have other duties and thus devote themselves to one branch of seals." It was a murmur, and he looked sideways at her before shaking his head. "This is above the level of that, though it's by no means unlearnable. Have you ever created your own seal Hanabi?"

[hyuugachild]

Hanabi aimed a petulant look at the cave wall. "Father insists I learn Juuken. I know more of seal theory than actual creation."

[smallstepstopower]

He looked sideways at her, then hummed, getting to his feet. "Come."