Chapter 16, I'm Sorry

Mirai decided not to go back home, but to uncle Shikamaru instead. She didn't want to get a restless sleep tonight and had to know what she did wrong, so she wouldn't do it again.

She got there and knocked on the door. A couple of seconds later she heard "Go and open the door NOW! You lazy bum." in a female voice before footsteps got closer to the door. Eventually the door opened and she saw Shikamaru standing there, looking tired as always.

"Mirai? What are you doing here this late?" he looked confused. "People reacted strange and I want to know why. Can I come in?" Before Shikamaru could answer she walked right in "Oh hi Temari, and Shikadai" She smiled at the small boy and woman in the kitchen.

"Okay sure, just walk right in. You know I thought I raised you better than this.." Mirai looked back at him and smiled "You didn't. Now can we go somewhere private?" Shikamaru nodded and pointed to the stairs.

When they got in one of the upstairs bedrooms, she started telling him about what happened. Everything from her team of commoners and up to the comment she made which got such a strange reaction. The moment she said it, Shikamaru made an audible sigh.

"Well it's because you don't really know what their world is like." Mirai squinted her eyes at him and he continued to explain just some of the problems commoners faced. If they made the wrong enemies, they became outcasts in the village. Not able to shop anywhere and not able to get work anywhere.

Most people get jobs by being related to the clan in charge after all and if you for example become enemies with a certain Yamanaka as a commoner, you completely block three paths in the future. You can't work in intelligence, analytics or on the barriers.

"I didn't know the Yamanaka had such power in the village" Mirai now looked down on the ground afraid Hikaru now couldn't choose his own future. "So you're telling me they do this to everyone without a last name to back them up?" Shikamaru nodded.

"I'm sure you understand their dreams a bit more clearly now." Shikamaru placed a hand on her shoulder. "Apologise to them the next time you see them and make sure you get to know their personal lives better. It seems like you've finally found some good friends. Trust me when I say you want to hold on to those" Mirai hugged him in thanks. She then said her goodbyes to the household and went back home.

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The next day she looked all around town for Hikaru but couldn't find him. Eventually she stumbled upon Tsukune. In the middle of the street she performed a deep bow "I'm sorry for being inconsiderate! I just didn't know the circumstances!"

Tsukune looked confused "It's okay, really. I don't expect you to know all that. Actually, I'm glad you don't just treat us like any old commoner but think of us like you would any of the others." Mirai looked up at him only to be met with a smile. She was relieved.

"Now, you're looking for Hikaru right?" his eyebrows were now wiggling up and down as if trying to wiggle off his face. "He's at the Uzumaki household getting his chakra nodes checked out. You'll probably be able to catch him there"

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Hinata had sent a message to him about coming to her for a check up on his chakra. He didn't know why really, as he hadn't had much struggle with it since he exploded away the clots. Still, he liked Hinata so Hikaru made sure to show up when she asked him to.

"Welcome Hikaru-kun, just come right in!" He hadn't even stepped up to the door yet but now he entered. "Thank you Hinata-san". When he came inside he could see a small boy feeding what appeared to be his younger sister in the kitchen but Hinata quickly showed him upstairs to the office room.

"Now I must ask, why did you want to check up on me?" Hinata closed the door and looked back at him seriously. "I saw you threatening that Yamanaka boy last night." This surprised him. He usually took her as the accepting kind but now he felt like he was in for a yelling so he prepared by shutting his eyes and bending his head down.

"I can't believe you managed to release chakra from almost 200 different chakra points at once!" Hikaru was confused but looked up again to see an excited Hinata. "You're not mad..?" Hinata put a hand on his shoulder "Of course not. You didn't even do anything to him after all, but he would have deserved it."

Now Hikaru could relax. He wasn't in trouble but 'wait, what was the reason she called me in here again? Chakra points?' "What do you mean I released chakra from that many points?"

"I saw it through my byakugan. The people around you probably only saw it as some kind of murderous intent but that was you, unintentionally, doing something most juunin could not." Hikaru could feel a pride rising "So if I could control it, I could turn it into something cool?"

"Yes of course! I've already checked you up by the way. All chakra points are healthy and wide open. Some a bit too open, you might want to learn a bit of control there. I can't teach you my techniques due to rules but I'm sure you'll be able to do something great with that in the future anyway!"

Hikaru had learned something amazing about himself today. He left the Uzumaki household completely stuck in thoughts until he heard Mirai talk to him.

"Huh? Oh hi Mirai. What are you doing here?" Mirai instantly got annoyed "You weren't listening?!" she sighed and explained that she was sorry and now knew a bit more "I'd like to get to know YOUR Konoha better in the future if you'd let me." Hikaru smiled at her "Of course! I'd love to see yours as well when you're ready to show."

And so it was all fine again. No one was upset, all of Team 2 was invited for dinner tomorrow afternoon at Mirai's house and Hikaru could resume his training. Tomorrow they start doing D-rank missions again.