A Thousand Years

The Exception

Naruto and Hinata both whipped towards the door when they heard it click open.

"Sensei! Are the Akatsuki gone?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Indeed, and you are free to go as well." Nina stated with an expression that wasn't as happy as it should have been.

Releived, he and Hinata let out a breath that they didn't know they were holding and hopped off their chairs.

"Oh, wait!" Naruto said suddenly. "Sensei, Hinata said she lost her dad and cousin when everyone was rushing for shelter. Do you think you could help her find them? I'm not very good at looking for people..." He scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.

Nina glanced at the younger girl who looked away nervously.

"Of course." She said, opening the door and stepping out of the house, the two following behind her.

They began heading for the area around where the festival had been taking place. By now, it was three in the morning, just a few minutes after the Akatsuki's escape, and some people were already coming out of hiding. The anbu had just made the announcement that the intruders had been taken care of and that it was safe to go home, people were searching for their friends and families that they had lost sight of among all the panic.

"Hinata-san, might I ask you where you last saw your father?" Nina inquired, scanning the crowds from afar.

"U-um, I-I think it was a-around the Kintai shrine..." The girl said, hands fidgeting nervously.

Nina nodded and motioned for them to follow her, she jumped up onto a high roof and started in the direction on the shrine.

Once the large, decorated shrine came into sight, they glanced at any surrounding buildings that may have acted as shelter.

"Hinata-sama!" A voice called from below. They looked down to see a boy around the same age as Naruto and Hinata. He leapt up onto the same ceiling where they stood.

"Your father is looking for you! We must-"

"Hinata." Another voice joined them, this one was deeper and held a very displeased tone.

"Outou-sama!" Hinata squeaked.

The man frowned deeply as he glared at the girl.

"Did we not speak about leaving my sight without permission?" He shot her a warning glare, as if daring her to talk back to him.

Hinata's eyes were glued to the roof tiles beneath her feet as she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I-I-I..."

"If I may interrupt, Hyuuga-san, your daughter was looking for you the moment the anbu announced that the threat was taken care of. You must understand she was only trying to protect herself, as I'm sure you would too." Nina stated.

Hinata's eyes widened as the man's cold stare turned to the white haired woman. He glanced over her for a moment before speaking.

"With all due respect, I would ask you to stay out of family business." He stated with about as much respect as a wealthy merchant would have for a beggar.

"With all due respect, Hyuuga-san, I would ask you to rethink what kind of mindset you hold if you believe obeying your demands is more important than your daughter's safety."

Both Naruto and the other boy tensed and stepped back as if expecting a fight to break out. Hinata could barely move through her trembling.

"But then again, that's none of my business." She stated with a cold smile.