Few know what truly happened that day.

"Fox. What do you know about ruling?"

And that number dwindled as time marched on, and claiming all it came across.

"A fair amount. Why? What would it matter to you last scion of the Senju?"

But even those that knew what happened knew not the full story.

"There are those who would strike out at my village. Not just from without, but from within. They seek to destroy us… and have killed the closest thing to a son I'll ever have. I want them to burn. I want them all to burn. For that I will pay any price."

They knew basic facts for that was all they needed to know.

"Really? How interesting. Will you pay with your whole being? Your body? your life? Your title? Your soul?"

If they knew the whole truth they may not have accepted it as well as they did.

"Yes. If it is the price I must pay then I will pay it. I will pay it as many times as I must."

As it were, only two knew, and ever will know, the truth.

"Very well Tsunade Senju. Your enemies past, present, and future, both within and without, I will see that they will burn for their betrayals. The world shall be cleansed of them and more. In return I will take you as payment. This vessel is quickly weakening, but so is the seal. I will have your body, and consume your soul. I will be you. And you will know no peace in heaven. Only oblivion. You will never being able to see those you care about in the next life"

Only two remember the past as it was before the Cleansing.

"I accept. With all my failures I doubt I could face any of them anyway. Take it all Fox. Take it and with it exact my vengeance against those who would harm my godson Naruto Uzumaki."

These two were at the very heart of the event that history would remember as The Binding.

"Very well the deal is struck. go into oblivion in peace Tsunade, last scion of the Senju, with the knowledge that your vengeance will be exacted."

The first was Kurama, the mighty kyuubi, who wore the face and form of Tsunade Senju.

"Now what shall I do about you young vixen? You also seek vengeance am I right?"

The second was Hinata Hyuuga, general of the kitsune armies.

"I can not offer you my body for your use like the Hokage has, great kyuubi. However if it will help me achieve my own vengeance I will serve you to the best of my abilities. My skills and life are yours until the day those that have and would betray the man I loved are no more."

Together they would bring forth a peace everyone wanted, at a price few were willing to pay.

"Very well I accept your fealty. However while your skills are great, as you are you will be of little use. Let's change that shall we?"

Hinata Hyuuga looked upon the village that at one time she called home. But that was a long time ago. In an age that had long ended. Now the village that was once Konoha was now the halls of fire's heroes. One of 5 sister halls. Each of the major Ninja villages became a sort of mausoleum where the fallen heroes of each nation would be put to rest. Through an ancient jutsu bodies were preserved so that they may be viewed by others. If no body was found or available then a picture took the place of the body. With the body or picture was a plaque filled with their deeds and life story. All the greats from selfless genin taken before their prime to honorable Hokages that were well past it were kept at those halls. In those halls were many people she personally knew. People who had either fallen in battle, or lost the fight with time itself. With in the hall, hidden from most visitors eyes, in a spot only Hinata and her lady knew was a picture and plaque for Tsunade Senju whose sacrifice made all this possible. Also with in it was the body of Naruto Uzumaki. A budding hero that was cut down during the Great Betrayal.

She sighed to herself as she looked upon the entrance of the hall. She had visited many times in her long life after it had been built. She visited all the halls infact. She knew very few of the people buried in the other halls but she still made friends of several of her allies during the Cleansing. Friends whose memories she wanted to keep alive for as long as she lived. She also visited the polar opposite of the halls. The pyres of betrayal. The place where those who committed the ultimate sin of betraying their own believes for the darkest of reasons burned for all eternity in the village that was once known as Oto. Though these days she looked upon that place with pity instead of the burning hatred she once felt.

She sighed to herself and moved to sit on a nearby bench. A part of her was horrified at her lack of stamina and how achy she felt. However it was a small part of her. A part that was still a general. A warrior that struck down her foes with precision and speed matched by no other. However she was retired and the majority was quite happy to finally start feeling her age. She recently celebrated her 150th birthday. Well beyond the age any ninja or warrior or even civilian would hope to achieve. Yet she looked like she was barely going into her 60's. To say she was aging well would be an understatement. As many young suitors would quickly tell her.

Yet even now she felt it. The power that lay just under her skin. The strength in her very soul. She felt it calling to her. Wishing to be used again like it had all those years ago. To restore her youth and power. However she ignored the urgings with practiced eased. It wasn't that she hated the power her lady had given her. Wasn't that she disliked the side it brought out or the changes it brought. However she had lived a long long life. The vengeance she sought had been wrought. Her enemies were long dead, or burning with all of friends and family following to the former. She head led and trained many promising young warriors. She cried as some of them feel in combat, and congratulated them as they rose in rank. Her life was a fulfilling one, and she was looking forward to seeing end so that she could see all those that passed on before her again.

The only regret she had was that she never got to truly love Naruto. Oh she had confessed to him. Alright so it was in the middle of a battle, and there wasn't really time for pleasantries or talks about love and possible feelings for one another. She still did it though. Was able to lay out all her feelings before him. Only she never got to hear his reply. After that battle… in the chaos that followed…

"I see you are still letting time win the war against you." a familiar dripping with amusement said, dragging her out of her dark musings. She opened her eyes and spotted the body of Tsunade which hadn't aged a day in all these years. "I give you the ability to go beyond mere human limitations and you decide to have them anyway?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Why yes I do Kurama. After all despite your efforts I still am only human." By now this was an old worn argument that served a their usual greeting to each other. There was none of the formality that had hung between in the early years of Hinata's service. None of the undercurrent of hostility. It made no sense to her to hold the fox responsponsible for what happened. She hadn't been a cause for the Great Betrayal. Though her actions during the Cleansing had been harsh, but so had been Hinata's. Now they were just two old ladies that saw each other when the ruler of the known world had time to spare and could find her old general. Something she never failed to do.

"Yet you could be so much more if you let yourself." the kitsune said with a shake of her head. With a sigh she sat down next to the retired warrior and fanned out her nine tails so that she didn't accidentally sit on them. Those tails, and the pair of ears on the top of her head were the only indications that something was very different with the aging woman. It had been explained away by stories of Tsunade using her great willpower and skill to capture the power of the kyuubi as it escaped the dying body of her godson. It changed her body and gave her unimaginable power. However that was merely a cover-up. The truth was much deeper than that. Tsunade Senju was no more. It was why her picture and plaque was unknown to all others.

The same thing could, and had happened to her. Whenever she tapped into her own power. But she hadn't done that in so very long. "What brings you here? Its not the anniversary of The Binding last I checked." Hinata asked. Kurama always made it a habit of visiting the Halls of fire's heroes on the anniversary of the day she had been freed, to pay respects to the woman that had made it all possible. She had no love for the Senju family, but even she could respect a woman willing to sacrifice everything like Tsunade did.

"No thats not for another couple of months. No, you are what brought me here." was Kurama's reply.

"Oh? and what do you need of these old bones my lady?" Hinata asked with a smirk which got an exasperated look from Kurama as she knew it would.

"Oh none of that. You are not old, you just want to be. And I have come with an offer. I have discovered a way to make your greatest wish a possibility."

That took all the joking out of the conversation as Hinata got serious. "How?"

"I found a way to send you back into time, so that you can try and fix everything. It actually isn't as hard as I thought it would be. If you succeed then you get the ending you always wanted. No Cleansing, no Pyres, no Halls. You could change lives for the better. Though changes can be good, and bad.."

Hinata swallowed. That… that was some offer. "Whats the catch?"

"Two things. The first is that you stop holding back the power I gave you. You will embrace the kitsune nature I gave you. Granted you can still and SHOULD hide it while fixing the events, but you will still be what I wanted you to be." That got Hinata to frown. It wasn't that big of a thing. Especially if she COULD get her happy ending. She heard that Containers had extended life spans, and Uzumaki's already lived for a long time. She nodded.

"The second is that if you fail, and I certainly hope you do if I'm honest, then your skills and life aren't the only things you will pledge to me. You will belong to me completely." Now THAT was a bit harder to swallow. Neither woman had taken any lovers. The biggest reason had been because they would easily outlive anyone they chose. But if they had each other…

"How would you know I was to keep that part of the bargain? You will never have been freed."

"You bear my mark on your soul already. You know this. You are my herald and servant. I will recognize this even then, even if I won't know why." She smiled sadly. "Hinata we both know fate meant for the two of you to be together, but others stole him from you. I will give you a chance to take him back. However if you fail I will take what is mine. Who knows my interest in you might even increase your chances as it will likely bring the idiots attention to you more. And you are well beyond the faint at the sight him phase."

"This is still a heavy choice you have placed on me. I will have knowledge I shouldn't. Any choice I make could have disastrous consequences. I could be executed or abducted."

"And yet…"

"And yet I accept your offer. I pledged my life to you. If you are willing to give me the chance to be happy, to have what I have always desperately wanted, I am willing to put it all at stake."

The other woman nodded solemnly. "Very well. then commit to the first price." Kurama said strength in her voice. This was an order.

Hinata nodded and gave into the call for the first time in decades. She felt new power fill her limbs. Her skin smoothing out. Aches stopped existing and she took in a deep breath. She looked down at herself and smiled. Her body looked to be in its late 20's to early 30's. Maybe not the peak of her conditioning but still very lithe and flexible. It felt good to be young again, and the power high wasn't a bad touch either. Now there was no holding back and waiting for age to catch up. But hey if things went well, she would never need to worry about it again.

She smiled at her lady. "Now what?"

She felt strong fingers wrap around her chin as Kurama started to lean in close. "Now, now I send you off." With that their lips met. It was both chaste and passionate. Without any real move from either of them it became heated.

No wait, it really WAS getting heated. Her lips felt like they were being burned and yet those same fingers held her tight. The heat spread through her body. Her body felt like it was on fire. And she knew what it was. The flames of Kurama. The very flames that purified the lands all those years ago. They ate at her body. It was painful and yet… and yet welcoming. There was no malice in the action.

She watched as Kurama pulled away from her slowly, lips lingering for a second longer. "Take care my general. Either return the world to what it should have been, or return to my side and let us cleanse the world anew." the words were but a soft whisper in her ears. Then her world faded as she was devoured by the flames.

It was a peaceful night in the Hyuuga compound. The guards watched the walls and halls. Those not watching over the safety of the others slept peacefully. It was your typical night. A lovely night. For young Hinata Hyuuga it would be her last and first.

It started with an uncomfortable heat in her chest. It was not yet enough to rouse her from sleep but it made her uneasy. Caused her to fidget as her dreams became hazy and feverish. Then her body started to sweat as the heat intensified. She started to see images. Her life flashing before her in her dreams, and yet they couldn't be her life. No it couldn't be because she never faced Neji in a fight outside of the compound. She didn't own a forehead protector yet either. She never fought in war. Never confessed to Naruto. What was this? Visions? Why was it so hot?

She never got to ask her questions or get answers. Suddenly the heat became a raging bonfire. She awoke with a gasp, but then the light faded from her eyes as her very soul was burned to ash. In its place another appeared. One that was both the same yet different.

She sat up in bed as light once again returned to her eyes. She looked down upon herself as her eyes adjusted to the low amounts of light. She felt her body try to adjust to her. Started going through memories that weren't quite hers. Getting a sense of when she was, as well as a sense of what was happening. She was not really happy with the situation. But she would make it work. She had to. This was her second chance. She wasn't going to blow it.

Fingertips subconsciously touched lips as memories of her departure made themselves known. The kiss lingering despite this body never knowing the touch of another. It hadn't been bad, but Kurama was not the person she wanted. Was not who she wanted to kiss and spend the rest of eternity with. She knew what her former lady wanted. However she could not give it to her. Nort when she finally had the chance to get what she wanted with all her heart.

No. She would not settle. She would not change her course. She knew what she had to do, and she would do it.