Two people were sat opposite each other. They were both leaf ninja. One was young looking, possibly thirty, with long blonde hair, a lean figure, and very large breasts. The other was quite old with long, spiky white hair that was tied in a ponytail, a weather-beaten face, dimples that suggested he smiled a lot, tall and strongly built.

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya" Tsunade said for the fifth time. "But you are needed by Konoha. We still haven't recovered our military strength, something that will take a couple of years, and in the meantime we need strong shinobi present at all times. We need all of our resources and I'm afraid that includes you. The entire Council voted for it and I'm afraid I agreed. You cannot leave with Naruto to train him."

"You do realise that Akatsuki will come here looking for him?" Jiraiya pointed out. His voice was flat and his face impassive. He was in one of his rarely serious moods. "On the move, Akatsuki would have a hard time finding him and I could protect him, but here in Konoha you might as well roll out the red carpet. If Akatsuki comes, the Council will vote to release the boy into their custody and you know it. He won't be safe unless I leave with him."

"I understand what you're saying Jiraiya," Tsunade snapped. "I'm not an idiot-"

"Could have fooled me," Jiraiya interrupted.

"-and I'm working on a solution that will suite everyone," Tsunade continued as if Jiraiya had never spoken. Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. It was always foolish to argue with Tsunade. Everything was against him. He just had to trust in her decision. But if it wasn't satisfactory he would have no choice but to act against the will of the Council and the Hokage, and take the boy with him anyway. Tsunade read his final decision instantly. She was the only one, apart from Orochimaru perhaps, who knew him so well. But even then there had always been a wild side to Jiraiya, just as there had always been a cold and calculating side to Orochimaru, and a compassionate side to Tsunade herself. Jiraiya's unpredictability had always made him a dangerous warrior and a force to be reckoned with, like a wild animal. She couldn't allow things to escalate that far or else the situation would truly get nasty. She sighed inwardly. Why had she ever let that kid convince her to become the Hokage?

XXX

The kunoichi looked at the gates of Konoha. It had been such a long time since she had seen them. A smile flickered across her lips. Unbidden memories leapt up at her, which she pushed to one side decisively. This was no time for nostalgia. She looked at the guards by the gate. Although they were chatting idly and letting civilians pass by unhindered, she could tell that they were paying intent attention to who exactly was going in and out. They were alert and ready. They were very good, for chunin.

She walked up to them and handed one of them her documentation. He read it carefully while the other gazed at her intently. After only a few seconds, in which she was sure her documents hadn't been read in much detail, they were handed back to her and she was allowed to pass. The chunin went back to their conversation and ignored her completely; despite the fact that they knew she was a ninja and a strong one at that. They were either very good or very relaxed. Recent events taken into consideration, it was probably the former.

The Hokage was ready to receive her when she got to the mansion. The place was a beehive of activity. Ninja were running here and there, either delivering mission reports or collecting new mission specs, or as was often the case, both. The Hokage's office was littered with paperwork; most of it looking like it had been there for a while. The kunoichi smiled. It seemed like Tsunade hadn't developed a taste for paperwork since the last time they had met. The Hokage gave her assistant orders not to be disturbed until she said otherwise. Only then did the two female ninja look at each other. Both set of beautiful faces were blank.

"It's been a long time, Tsunade-sensei," the kunoichi finally said. Tsunade nodded for her to take a seat and Tsunade herself slumped gratefully into her own.

"That is has," Tsunade agreed. "I'm glad you agreed to help me."

"Hey," the kunoichi said, "I owe you one." Tsunade nodded both in agreement and thanks. "So what's this favour you want?"

Tsunade opened a drawer on her desk and took out a thin folder. She slid it across the desk toward the kunoichi. The kunoichi opened it slowly. Inside was a picture of a girl. The girl looked around twelve years when the picture was taken. She had dark blue to black hair and very distinctive large lavender eyes with no pupils. She was a Hyūga, then. She had the trademark pale skin, but unlike other Hyūga the kunoichi had seen, she didn't have the imposing, almost arrogant stare. It was quite the opposite, in fact. She looked quite meek. The kunoichi quickly read through the Hyūga's profile. Everything was there, from her personal history and mission history to physical and psychological profiles. It wasn't an encouraging profile, especially for a Hyūga.

"What's this favour?" the kunoichi asked again.

"Hyūga Hinata," Tsunade began, "is in danger. As the heir of the Hyūga Clan, a lot was expected of her. But it seems she inherited all of her mother's qualities and none of her father's because she is quite shy and timid. As a result, after years of trying to beat it out of her, her father finally abandoned her to Konoha's Academy. She did not excel. The final straw came when she lost to her cousin, Hyūga Neji, during the preliminary rounds of the Chunin Exams.

Since then, a plot has slowly been in the making among two of the lesser Houses of the Main family and certain Houses of the Branch family. This plot has been to convince every Hyūga that the Clan would be better off without Hinata as the heir. Already her father has set her aside and is training the younger sister, Hyūga Hanabi, to be the heir, but at the moment this hasn't been announced as fact.

These same factions that are plotting toward Hyūga Hinata's downfall feel that the house that has been ruling the Hyūga Clan for decades needs to step aside and the governing politics need to be changed. Removing Hyūga Hinata would mean there are only two remaining members of the current ruling House. Hyūga Hanabi will become an active ninja, and therefore eliminating her will be relatively easy once she starts going on more dangerous missions. Hyūga Hinata is already an acknowledged failure and so her death during a mission will come as no surprise.

Another stage of this plot has been to push the Clan Leader to place the Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu; the Hyuga Main Family's Cursed Seal Technique, also known as the Caged Bird Seal, on Hyūga Hinata and acknowledge her inability to be the Clan heir and an appropriate Leader. The Hyūga Clan has a rigid code, and one of them is that all members who aren't from the Main family are to be branded with the Seal. A second part to this is that only one child born in the Main family can be chosen to be the potential Clan heir and any other following children are to be branded with the Seal. In the case of Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Hanabi, this should have been done when Hyūga Hanabi turned the age of three. But by that time Hyūga Hinata was eight years old and her father had realised that she had none of the Hyūga's genius or strength. And so he postponed branding his second daughter until he had made a decision to which child he would brand. Now, five years later, its clear Hyūga Hanabi is more talented and if pushing the Clan Leader to brand Hyūga Hinata doesn't work, they will simply eliminate her on a mission. That will only leave Hyūga Hiashi, the current Clan Leader, as the only member of the ruling House. A lone man against the entire might of the Hyūga – even though he is the Clan leader and very powerful – will die. Simple.

I have gathered this information using my ANBU and several informants within the Hyūga, but the majority has come from the Clan Leader, Hyūga Hiashi, himself. He fears that the Hyūga are descending down a dangerous path. He came to me and between us we have realised that the only way to save the ruling House and stop the Hyūga from descending down this road is to preserve a member of the ruling house; namely Hyūga Hinata. Hyūga Hiashi has asked and I have agreed that Hyūga Hinata needs to be taken away for a few years until things settle down. With Konoha still recovering from the recent invasion by Sunagakure and Otogakure, political in-fighting is the last thing we have time to deal with. However, the invasion was to our advantage as every capable ninja has been drafted to work. The Hyūga have little time to plot when they can barely keep awake.

Hyūga Hinata needs to be taken to safety, but more than that she needs to be taken somewhere where her power can develop without hindrance. I have watched her. She is not untalented, just afraid. After a few years she will hopefully be strong enough to stand against any plot against her. The Clan Leader will announce Hyūga Hanabi in a few days as the official heir. Hyūga Hinata needs to be gone by then."

The kunoichi digested all of this in silence. Her heart felt heavy just thinking about all this mess involving Clans. Poor girl. She let out a slow breath and looked down at Hyūga Hinata's profile. "So you want me to take care of her?"

"After a fashion," Tsunade said. She took out a piece of folded paper from a drawer. The kunoichi received it and opened it. Inside was a picture of an old looking woman and a few statistics. "This is Hyūga Hinata," Tsunade said. The kunoichi looked up, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "This is Hinata's grandmother, her mother's mother. Decades ago she fled the Hyūga because she didn't like the fact that the Hyūga had lost their freedom and joined Konoha. Joining Konoha was making the Hyūga more paranoid and cruel. She fled fast and far so that she wouldn't be found and executed by the Hyūga. She managed to do it. I found her a few years ago, before I became the Hokage, when I was still travelling with Shizune. She owes me her life and I'm pretty sure she would want to help Hinata once she hears the entire story. I want you to take Hinata to her grandmother. As well as being crankier and quicker to angry than I am, she is one hell of a shinobi. Hinata could learn a lot from her grandmother."

The kunoichi frowned. "So all you want me to do is to transport this girl safely to …" the kunoichi checked the paper for the current location of the Hyūga grandmother and continued, "The mountains and stay around for a few years? Sounds boring and time-consuming." Tsunade sighed.

"Basically, yeah, but that's only one part of the job." The kunoichi's interest was stoked. "I want you to escort two genin to the western mountains. One of them is Hyūga Hinata, for the reasons I have just outlined. The other is also a kid whose life is in danger, but from a more sinister group." Tsunade got out a second folder and slid it to the kunoichi. The kunoichi opened it and she froze. Was this some kind of joke? Why was Tsunade giving her a profile on a legendary ninja who had died long ago? But then she focused on the image and saw a few discrepancies. This wasn't that ninja, then. But who could it be? She looked back up at Tsunade. The young looking woman was now truly slumped in her chair, her eyes showing her true age.

"The second genin I want you to personally take care of and train intensively is the boy the Fourth Hokage used to seal the Kyuubi no Yoko in; Uzumaki Naruto."

XXX

Naruto looked at the picture of Team Kakashi for the hundredth time that day. He had failed everyone. Chouji and Neji were still in the ICU – Intensive Care Unit. Kiba was recovering but Akamaru was still unconscious. Only Shikamaru wasn't hurt badly. Naruto had recovered with only two nights spent in the hospital, thanks to the Kyuubi. Naruto growled at that thought. The Kyuubi. Even with its power he hadn't been strong enough to retrieve Sasuke. What good was it then? Jiraiya had tried to console him yesterday by saying that Naruto hadn't even mastered a thousandth of the Kyuubi's power. But how could he master it? Who would teach him? Jiraiya had already told him that they couldn't travel together anymore. The Perverted Hermit was needed in Konoha. What could Naruto do? He had to get stronger!

"Are you going to leave me, too, Naruto?" Naruto started as the remembered voice reverberated through his skull. Sakura. It was their conversation when he had woken up in the hospital. It had been painful for both of them.

XXX

Naruto watched as Tsunade walked out of the room. Sakura stood by the door. She didn't look up at him. Tears were streaming down her face. Her green eyes were glazed over in pain.

"Sakura-chan," he began but she cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto," she said. "You did your best. You nearly got killed doing it. I couldn't ask for more. Sasuke was just stronger than you." Naruto's heart twinged at that remark. Sasuke was stronger than him? Sakura saw it like that, it seemed.

"What's this about going away?" Sakura asked. "Are you going to leave me, too, Naruto?"

"I have to go, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, trying to reason with her. "The Perverted Hermit knows his jutsu. He's going to make me strong! I can bring back Sasuke!"

"Are you going to leave me, too, Naruto?" Sakura asked again. Naruto had the bad feeling that she hadn't heard him. Had she finally cracked under the emotional upheaval?

"I have to, Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. "I made a promise to you. I don't go back on my word. That's my Nindo!"

"I don't care!" Sakura shouted. She walked toward the door.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted at her. He could barely move. He had just woken up in the hospital. "Please!"

"No, Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she opened the door. "First Sasuke, and now you! Go ahead! Leave me! I don't care about you, your promise or your stupid Nindo! Just leave! I wish I'd never met you! Monster!" Sakura ran out of the room and closed the door behind her with a bang before running down the corridor. Naruto heard her footsteps getting fainter and fainter…

XXX

Naruto sighed. He hadn't seen Sakura since then. He had tried to find her but she was nowhere to be seen. He had gone to her house, once, but Sakura's mother had screamed at him to leave so loud that it had actually scared him. He had to live with the fact that Sakura didn't like him anymore. That had triggered a sense of depression that Naruto hadn't felt in a while. She didn't acknowledge him anymore.

Naruto stood up and stretched. He was supposed to be leaving in a few hours. Tsunade had told him last night that she had found someone else to train him. Suddenly the prospect didn't seem as alluring as it had before. He realised he had formed few but very strong bonds in Konoha. Did he really want to leave that behind? Was Sasuke worth it? As he thought this, the image of two red eyes, with three tomoe in each pupil, flashed through his mind. But as the image grew he knew he wasn't thinking of Sasuke. It was Itachi. Itachi was a member of Akatsuki. Naruto remembered what Itachi had done to Sasuke when they had met what seemed so long ago, when Perverted Hermit and he were looking for old lady Tsunade. Was it that eye technique that Itachi used responsible for Sasuke's defection? The thought was more comfortable than any other option. But Naruto had looked into Sasuke's burning red eyes. Sasuke was, quite simply, mad. The fire of vengeance inside his heart had extinguished everything else. Naruto knew that with the Curse Seal in effect, Sasuke was more aggressive, so it was possible that the look in Sasuke's eyes had just been magnified. But Naruto remembered Sasuke's face when they had fought on top of the hospital. It was an accumulation of things, he guessed. Sasuke had reached breaking point the moment he had met Itachi again.

Naruto lifted up his backpack and turned to look in the mirror. For the next three years he would literally have all his worldly possessions on him. His apartment was being given to someone else seeing as accommodation was still scarce in Konoha, what with most of the destruction caused by the invasion was still being repaired. He'd had to sell everything he owned, which wasn't much to begin with. Even his orange jumpsuit had to go so he could have more money on the road. Now all he had to for clothes was a standard Konoha black uniform – a long sleeved t-shirt, black trousers that went down to mid-shin, bandages that tied the ends of his trousers to his shins so they didn't flap and make noise, black zori (sandals), a shuriken pouch on his left thigh, a kunai pouch on his right thigh, a weapons pouch that went all along the back of his belt instead of just resting on his right bum cheek – but instead of a vest (since he wasn't a chunin or jonin), Naruto wore instead a long-sleeved jacket that had scroll pockets attached. All in all, he cut a rather poor figure. All of the items he had bought, which were second hand, hadn't been in ninja fashion for years. Maybe if he'd looked little more imposing, it would have been fine, but as it was he looked like a kid dressed up like a ninja.

He sighed. He might as well get a move on, then.

XXX

Hinata was shaking. This had come as the final blow. She had started to recover, but this had pushed her down, hard. Her father was sending her away because she was too weak to play the Game the Hyūga were good at; politics. If she had been a talented heir like her father desired, she might have stayed, but as it was she was just too much of a liability.

Events had moved fast once she had come back from her mission. She'd been injured so she'd gone straight to the hospital for medical attention. A poison was making its way slowly through her bloodstream and it needed to be expunged. The process had been by no means soft, and for someone of Hinata's sensitivity it had been much worse. When her father and the Hokage came to visit her she had already been trembling from exhaustion and pain. She saw the flicker of disappointment in her father's eyes but wasn't surprised when he said nothing. He had already started focusing on Neji and Hanabi more, but still, for a Hyūga to be in such a condition … it was unthinkable. Besides, the Hokage was present. He couldn't afford to say anything in case Hokage-sama disagreed. Hyūga matters stayed with the Hyūga. She tried not to make it like she noticed but already her trembling had increased.

Quickly and efficiently, the Hokage had outlined the problem and the suggested solution. Hinata knew Tsunade-sama had tried to be affectionate, but her father's silence was all that grabbed her attention. Why was he just standing there, saying nothing? Surely he had something to say about this? He couldn't just let his daughter go. But Hiashi had kept silent, his gaze locked on Hinata.

"Well?" the Hokage had finally asked. Hinata could do nothing but nod. What else could she do? The Hokage left then with Hiashi to get what Hinata would need and get her ready. It was a bonus that Hinata was in the hospital. Her things could be brought and she could leave, well away from the Hyūga Compound. Her father had stopped momentarily by the door. He turned to look at her. She peeked up at him from behind her hair. After a second he turned round and left. She slowly realised this was the last time she would see him for a long while, if ever, and he hadn't even said anything. She broke down into tears then and there.

She became conscious of her surroundings once more a few hours later when her stuff was all in a bag in front of her. A change of clothes was beside her so that she wouldn't have to wear her bloodstained ones. She hadn't even seen these arrive. She looked up and there was a woman standing in front of her. The woman wore an umanori (divided skirt) and underneath it she wore normal ninja trousers. She had on a short sleeved t-shirt, a fishnet shirt made of fine metal mesh and a black jonin vest. On top of it all she wore a brown trench coat. Her hitai-ate, her forehead protector, didn't have any village symbol. Rather, it was personalized. The kanji on it read "Hiarashi", or "Fire Tempest". The kunoichi's steel, the imposing feeling of her gaze, reminded Hinata a lot of her second examiner in the Chunin Exams, Mitarashi Anko. But this woman seemed far more capable and deadly. It was a frightening feeling.

But then the woman's gaze seemed to mellow as she took in Hinata. Her gaze became soft. The woman came to Hinata and started talking softly. Hinata couldn't find the energy to respond, but it seemed response was not necessary. Hinata was slowly helped out of her clothes, into a shower in the next room, and then into her fresh and simple clothes. Hinata found her affection for this woman soaring. If she was going to go away with this woman, she decided she didn't mind at all.

XXX

"Hey, kid, wait up!"

Naruto looked around and saw the perverted hermit running in a lopping run toward him. He couldn't help but smile. The Perverted Hermit was a good man, he suddenly decided. It was a shame he couldn't go with him.

"What is it, Ero-Sennin?" he asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Jiraiya shouted as his face went red. "It scares away the girls, Naruto. You should have learnt that by now. What kind of teacher are people going to think I am if I don't teach a young man the fundamentals?"

"A perverted one," Naruto replied.

"You are hopeless, kid," Jiraiya mourned.

"What did you want anyway?" Naruto asked as if suddenly remembering. "I'm on my way to meet this new teacher I'm supposed to train with. Tsunade-baa-chan said this person is good."

"Not as good as me," Jiraiya scoffed as he thought about the kunoichi Tsunade had assigned. But he had to admit that the kunoichi was an excellent ninja. He knew that she would do her best to teach Naruto and that Naruto in turn could learn a lot about being an excellent ninja. But it wasn't enough. Akatsuki was after Naruto, and so Naruto needed to be more than excellent. He needed to be the best. And that was why he had snuck off on a Council meeting to bid the kid farewell and give him a gift.

"Then why don't you teach me? Eh?" Naruto demanded with his arms folded across his chest, his face petulant. Jiraiya sighed. Classic Naruto. He was gonna miss the kid.

"I already told you why, idiot. I have to help protect Konoha and take a load of missions … jeez, it's gonna be so much hard work. I will barely have enough time for a decent drinking competition with Gamabunta!" Jiraiya suddenly mourned his loss. Damnable Tsunade and her demands.

"Anyway, kid," Jiraiya continued, "since I can't train you, I've gone for the next best thing. Now before you start asking stupid questions and moaning, sign your name here just like you did with the Toad Contract." Jiraiya gave Naruto a small scroll and Naruto bit his thumb, wrote his name and gave his fingerprints. "The seals are Tiger, Ram, Hare, Serpent and Dragon." Jiraiya's voice suddenly went serious and his gaze sharpened. Naruto suddenly gulped. "Those seals summon a giant scroll, like the one I have now, and this scroll contains knowledge. I will not tell you what knowledge or anything else, but I want you to summon this scroll as soon as you get to your safety area. I want you to study this scroll and learn everything you can in the next three years. If you do that, then you have a chance of fighting an Akatsuki like you said you would back when we were looking for Tsunade. You cannot afford to be weaker than your enemy, Naruto. If you are, not only will you die, but your friends and your village might die as well. Is that understood?"

Naruto gulped. This was serious business. He summoned all of his courage and nodded. He knew Jiraiya was speaking only for his benefit. Jiraiya suddenly smiled.

"Good," he said. "If you manage to do at least half of that scroll I might teach you a jutsu even more powerful than the Rasengan." That clinched the deal.

"Yay! A new jutsu! When I come back I'm going to be so cool!" Jiraiya laughed and turned to go away.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "If you are even on Kakashi's level by the time you get back, I'm going to teach you two extra jutsu." Jiraiya knew there was no way that could happen, but giving the kid some motivation always seemed to work. He went back to the meeting he had absconded before ANBU were sent to find him. Tsunade was certainly not above sending her private agents to drag him, one of the great Sannin, back.

XXX

Naruto was shocked when he got to the meeting place. First of all there was the ninja he was supposed to be travelling with. No one had told him it was a kunoichi. He didn't have any problems with females (after seeing Tsunade in action he never would) but he had just got the impression that it was a male. And the second shock was that Hinata was with the kunoichi. Just what the hell was going on?

"Just what the hell is going on?" he asked, walking up to them.

"Are you Naruto?" the kunoichi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, and who the hell are you? And why is Hinata here? I thought it was only going to be us two."

"Jeez kid, quiet down," the kunoichi said. The kid was way too loud. "Hinata is here because I have to take her somewhere. After that it will be only just us."

"Oh…" Naruto didn't understand what was going on but if things were in order then he wasn't bothered. "Hey, Hinata!" he shouted at her, even though she was mere feet away from him.

If I can stand him for three years, I'm buying myself a medal, the kunoichi thought.

XXX

The first day went by fine. Naruto was still buzzing with energy. Every new mission always brought on this thrill. He tried to make conversation with the kunoichi but she only gave one word responses or none at all. After a few hours he turned to Hinata. She was the same. She barely said anything. Naruto managed to amuse himself for a few hours, but by the time it was night he was completely restless. All this quiet didn't do him much good. He liked being boisterous. All his boundless energy had no outlet and it was driving him mad.

"All right, what the hell is going on!?" he finally shouted at the kunoichi. He grabbed his head. "I can't take it! Who are you!? Why is Hinata here exactly? And when will we start to train! I have to get stronger! – argh!" Naruto choked as he was suddenly pushed to the ground. His right arm was twisted above and behind him. It was the kunoichi. How the hell had she moved so fast? He hadn't seen anything!

"I already told you to calm down and keep quiet," the kunoichi said. She sounded irritated. "You are a sorry excuse for a shinobi. Shinobi are supposed to be adaptable, intelligent and most of all quiet. You lack all of these qualities. How can I train you to be a shinobi when you lack even the fundamentals?" Naruto grunted in pain.

"Well teach me then!" he shouted. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Teach me? We're wasting time! I have to get stronger soon or else-"

"I know all about Akatsuki," the kunoichi said, her voice still irritated. "But I'm not going to rush your training so you can go home with a few flashy tricks. You need to be at your best. There is nothing better than the fundamentals. That is something that takes patience. You can't be taught patience. You have to learn it on your own. Until then, I can't teach you anything. Get used to it." The kunoichi let him go and kept on walking. Hinata took a long look at him. She was torn. What should she do? But after a second she followed the kunoichi. Naruto could take care of himself. His pride would heal.

XXX

It took them two weeks travelling to get to the mountains. The north east was riddled with them and the kunoichi realised it would take even experienced shinobi a while to find anyone in them. She looked back. Hinata was only a few paces behind her. The girl looked just as miserable as she had when she left Konoha. The kunoichi hoped that the girl would get over her shock, and fast, otherwise she would be an easy target.

The kunoichi's eyes travelled a hundred metres further back. The boy, Naruto, was following slowly. Her heart constricted for a second. As if sensing her discomfort the boy's eyes met hers, but only for a second before they went back into the sky. She had known, of course, the moment she had seen his silly picture on his ninja profile. How could she not? But the question that plagued her mind was how it had turned out like this at all. How had this boy been brought up in Konoha? Who was his father? There was only one place she could go to get the answers, but she sure as hell wasn't in a hurry to go there. The boy was completely ignorant, which was of course a good thing. It would explain why he had remained undiscovered. But still, with the surname Uzumaki how could his identity be a mystery to Konoha? She had been tempted to divulge what she knew to the old lady Tsunade but she had held her tongue at the last moment. She didn't know why, but something told her she should.

She regretted her actions on the first day of travel. She had been rough on the boy, but Tsunade had made it clear that the boy needed to grow up, and fast. She hadn't seen the boy for three days after that, but she knew he was somewhere behind, following. The girl, Hyūga Hinata, had grown increasingly worried to the point of irritation. But Naruto had shown up on the fourth day, early in the morning. He had kowtowed to her and apologized, and then did the same thing to Hinata. He sounded truly sincere, which worried her for a few seconds. From what she understood the boy was completely clueless most of the time. This was out of character for him. Could someone have replaced him? But after a few assessments she had concluded he was the real Naruto. But what had changed him so? He seemed … quiet. There was no other way to sum it up. He seemed almost at peace with himself. She decided not to question it. Whatever the source of the change, the boy was ready to begin his instruction. First of all, she had to drop off Hinata.

XXX

Hyūga Hinata was old, very old. She was five foot nothing and looked like she weighed no more than a feather. Her eyes were shut most of the time and yet she was very active and mobile. It was as if she had no need for eyes. While the kunoichi had gone into Hinata's cottage to talk with her in private, Naruto and Hinata were left outside. Naruto stayed quiet. This scared Hinata. This was not the Naruto she knew. What had happened to him?

"What … what's wrong, Naruto-kun?" she finally managed to pluck up the courage. But when he blinked and turned to look at her she blushed and looked down. Naruto frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked. The sound of his voice was like a hammer in her mind. She shivered and sunk lower in her chair. Why did she have to talk? She firmly kept her mouth shut and did not look up. Naruto's confusion grew. Was she afraid of him? What the hell was going on?

"What's wrong, Hinata-chan?" he asked more gently. Hinata did not budge. Her face had gone crimson. Why did she have to speak!? Now Naruto probably thought she was even weirder. However that's not how Naruto interpreted her silence. Realization dawned on Naruto; there was something bothering Hinata. It would have taken any other person less time to figure it out, but Naruto was forever stuck in Naruto-world and was rarely astute.

"Tell me about your self, Hinata-chan," Naruto suddenly asked. He realised he barely knew anything about her. Hinata looked up in shock. Naruto was looking up at the sky. His eyes were glazed over with a look she couldn't identify.

"You … you want to know … about me?" Hinata asked hesitantly. Naruto nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Tell me about you and your family. Please." The last word came out with a note of pleading Hinata couldn't ignore. She took a deep breath and started talking.

XXX

Hyūga Hinata knelt across the table from the kunoichi. She had her eyes closed and a cup of green tea steamed in her hands.

"I understand your situation," Hinata-obaa-san said, "But I'm afraid there is little I can do to help." The kunoichi started. This isn't what she was expecting. Hadn't Tsunade-sama said that this transition would go smoothly?

"I don't understand," the kunoichi said. Hinata-obaa-san took a sip of her steaming green tea before explaining.

"It's true I am a talented shinobi, or at least I was. It's true that I could train this girl to become an excellent Hyūga and deal with all their inner politics. It's true that I can teach her to become an excellent shinobi. But all that is impossible for two reasons; the first one is that I am old. I tire easily these days. My body isn't what it used to be. There is no way I can effectively teach her; the second reason is that I'm dying. I don't have much time left in me. At least a year, maybe more. I don't think it would benefit the girl's fragile psyche if I died on her. She might turn more of a recluse and any training I would do with her would be for nothing. I'm sorry, but you have to take her with you."

The kunoichi took a deep breath and tried to calm down. This was going downhill. How was she supposed to train Naruto like this?

"Tell me about the boy," Hinata-obaa-san suddenly asked. The kunoichi looked up. There was something in the way the old woman asked so innocently that made her suspicious.

"What do you want to know?" the kunoichi asked.

"Is he that kid?" Hinata-obaa-san asked. "The kid the Yondaime Hokage used to seal the Kyuubi no Yoko in?" The kunoichi suddenly tensed. That was classified information. Even within Konoha very few people actually knew the Kyuubi was sealed within Naruto. Since the Sandaime had forbidden talk of it, the selection of those with the knowledge was limited to the shinobi who had survived the attack and a few select civilians. But still, actions spoke louder than words and a few more people had guessed. How did this woman know? Especially since she hadn't been in Konoha in decades?

"Don't try anything stupid," Hinata-obaa-san calmly stated. "I might be old and dying, but I still outclass you. If you want to know something you only need to ask, girl." The kunoichi visibly calmed down. She took deep breaths before asking the old woman how she knew.

"I sensed his chakra," Hinata-obaa-san said in reply. "I also looked at chakra coils just to confirm my suspicions. I realised the boy is a Jinchuriki. However, the seal placed on him was more masterful than I had expected from Konoha ninja. There are very few people I have heard of in Konoha capable of placing that seal, the Dansetsu no Sannin among them. But I also heard about the Fourth Hokage's prowess. In Earth Country the Fourth's skill with Fúin jutsu, Sealing techniques, is renowned, especially his Hiraishin no jutsu, his Flying Thunder God technique. Lastly, the only Tailed Beast that's come near Konoha in a long time is the Kyuubi. I might be getting old, but I still have common sense, girl."

The kunoichi let out a breath. She didn't like being called girl. "Yes, he is the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko," she admitted.

"The girl seems close to him," Hinata-obaa-san commented, completely moving on from the topic of Naruto. The kunoichi sighed inwardly. This old hag was tough to fathom. Other people would have dwelt on Naruto being Jinchuriki a while longer. Maybe it was the wisdom of the elderly. Nothing surprised or shocked them much anymore.

"I noticed that, too," the kunoichi commented. "It seems that Naruto's loud personality is something of an inspiration to her." Hinata-obaa-san was quite. The kunoichi even entertained the thought that the old woman had died right there. Hinata seemed completely lost in thought. Suddenly her eyes riveted back to the kunoichi.

"I will train Hinata for as long as I can on one condition."

"Which is?"

"That you and the boy also stay here until I die. I don't have long left, but I would like to do right by my granddaughter. I was always called a radical in the Hyūga because I disagreed with some of their politics. Hinata has the same potential as I did to question what she doesn't agree with. That boy has already developed his own opinions. I can tell just by looking at his face that he is very disagreeable. But I think this will be good for my granddaughter. The boy will help her mature out of her cocoon. Once she has come out, so will her true talent also emerge. Once that happens, she won't need a living tutor to excel. Before you disagree, let me point out that if I refuse, your training of the boy will become much more hindered and you won't accomplish your goal, and second of all I can help the boy to control his chakra, and maybe even the Kyuubi's. I can do that much better than you ever could. So what do you say?"

"What choice do I have?" the kunoichi grumbled. The mountains were secluded so they wouldn't be discovered for a while, but she needed to get the boy back to her safe house and fast. She didn't mean it but she found herself wishing for the old crone would die soon.

XXX

Naruto's face was stone hard as Hinata finished telling him about how her father had acted just before they left Konoha.

"I used to think you were a dark haired weirdo," Naruto commented in his honest way, "but I now realise I was wrong." Hinata looked at him shyly, wondering where he was going with this. "You are a strong person to be able to deal with your family. I never had family so I wouldn't know how family is supposed to act – Sasuke pointed this out to me when we fought – but I think that the Hyūga are out of order. How can you call them family when they treat you like that?"

"You can't choose your family," Hinata said, and she was surprised at her own sad tone.

"But still, that's just not right!" Naruto thundered. Hinata made soft sound at Naruto's outburst.

"Tell … I mean … would you mind … telling me about … yourself?" Hinata asked, trying to divert Naruto's anger. Naruto blinked and looked at her. His face sobered. There wasn't much about him to tell, apart from one thing. But he could never tell anyone, could he? He gulped and looked up at the clouds. No time like the present to find out if it was a wise thing to tell people about his secret. He told her.

"Thirteen years ago, the demon Kyuubi no Yoko attacked Konoha. It was so powerful that not even all of Konoha could stop it. But there was one man who had a plan. The Fourth Hokage was strong enough to stop the demon. He couldn't kill it – I don't really know why – but he could stop it. To do that, he had to seal the demon away. But not just everyone would volunteer for something like that, so he sacrificed his life and sealed the Kyuubi in the body of a new born baby. There weren't many babies then that fit the bill so he took one from an orphanage. He took me. The great demon Kyuubi no Yoko is sealed inside me." Naruto instinctively grasped at his navel. He had never really told anyone this. He didn't like to think he was going to lose a friend over it. Just how much could the Kyuubi affect his life? Naruto had to face his demons – no pun intended – and so he faced Hinata.

Her face said it all. Naruto felt his heart constrict. He had been about to tell her what had made him change his attitude on the way here. He knew both the kunoichi and Hinata were wondering what had made him transform. His mind shied away from the memory. He focused on Hinata's white face. She was afraid of him. He really couldn't blame her, could he? After all, he held a demon that could break free and kill everyone around him. No one was safe around him. That's why he had left to train, so that he wouldn't be a burden to others and so he could protect his friends. Naruto looked at Hinata's face and knew that he could never tell people about the Kyuubi. He would be treated with fear and suspicion. Something about Hinata's response, or rather lack response, hit him really hard. He turned away from her. His voice was toneless.

"We should go check on those two," he said as he got up. "We're wasting time." He started walking toward the cottage.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered, but either he did not hear her or he chose to ignore her because he kept on walking. Hinata's face was still white. Her emotions were in turmoil. She couldn't even begin to sort them out. When she had been telling Naruto about herself, she had finally started to feel as if a bond was growing between them. She had craved that bond in Konoha but could never muster the courage to seek it out. Now out here it seemed as if she had begun to get it. Now this. She got up with a resigned sigh and followed Naruto. At least she wouldn't have to deal with her obvious betrayal of his trust since he would be leaving her behind to go train with the kunoichi.

Well, at least he would be in good hands with the kunoichi known as Kazama Hiarashi. Her depression went unnoticed for a few seconds as her naturally bright and inquisitive mind thought about the family name Kazama. It sounded familiar. It was a clan name, of that she was sure. And then suddenly it clicked in her head. Wasn't the Kazama Clan a famous and powerful clan that had been a resident of the former Whirlpool Country? Hadn't there been some sort of cataclysm that had wiped them all out a few decades previously, along with Whirlpool Country? No, she finally decided, she must be mixed up with the names. Here was someone called Kazama, so she must have read the Clan name wrong or something. When her musings finished she suddenly felt ashamed of herself. Naruto was walking ahead of her, his head down, looking world-weary and pathetic at the same time. This new, or rather old, second hand uniform, did not suit him. She missed his loud orange jumpsuit. And his smile, his sparkling blue eyes and his laugh… Hinata shivered. She was thinking all of this to distract her mind, she knew that. She couldn't bear to think of the secret that Naruto had shared with her. Naruto … housed … a demon… The thought wouldn't penetrate her mind. She could not comprehend it. But that was beside the point. Naruto had trusted her and she had let him down. He had opened his heart to her and told her a secret he had kept locked up and she had turned away from him. Where he had expected support he had found none. But all Hinata could think about was the great big monster inside Naruto, the monster that had nearly destroyed Konoha thirteen years previously… NO! Naruto was not a monster! He kept it there, locked safely, not giving into it like that Suna shinobi, Gaara, had. That thought made her feel slightly better. Yes, Naruto was just a simple jailer. Who his prisoner was did not reflect on his person.

"Naruto!" she squeaked out. He did not hear her. He kept on walking as if lost in a world of his own. "Naruto!" she shouted a little louder. Still he did not hear her. She took deep breaths and calmed down. She dashed forward and caught up to him. "Naruto!" she said. He stopped and turned round to face her, his face blank. His eyes searched her face.

"Um…" Hinata said her face suddenly red. What was she thinking!? Naruto kept looking at her, patient as stone. Hinata took steadying breaths, not caring whether or not Naruto saw it. She finally calmed down enough to speak. "Um … I just wanted … to say that … that … you are very … very brave … bearing the Kyuubi … and keeping us safe…" She looked away, her face red again. She was unable to continue speaking. Naruto said nothing for a few seconds, and then a smile slowly started forming on his lips. He grinned. The next thing Hinata knew Naruto had taken her hand in his. He smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," he said, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. "Thank you. You are a good friend."

Hinata's face went crimson and she felt her vision blacken, but despite this she managed to stay conscious. Her heart was beating at a thousand miles a minute. She managed to smile hesitantly back at him. For both genin the journey had just gotten a whole load better.