Chapter One
They didn't deflect because they were hated, everyone loved and adorned them.
They didn't deflect because they were wronged, no one dared to do that.
They didn't deflect because they were underestimated, no, everyone saw them as equals.
They left because they knew they could never share the glory that awaited their comrades, they felt as though they didn't belong here.
They felt as though their home was elsewhere.
Women Must Be Strong In Order To Survive
- Haruno Sakura
::
I'll Never Give Up, I'll Never Give In
- Hyuga Hinata
"Tsunade-sama".
"Hmnnmmn".
"Tsunade-sama?".
"Hmnmnmmm".
"Tsunade-sama!".
"Hmmmnmnmmnnn!".
"Sakura-chan, I don't think that'll work", said the black haired apprentice of Tsunade with a disapproving frown. She of all people knew her master and her ways. After downing seventeen bottles of Sake she knew Tsunade will be out for the next twelve hour. Damn the lady, how in the name of Shodai was she able to hide her supply of Sake so well?! She was so sure she had the whole room emptied out last week! Balancing Tonton, their chubby pig, onto her left hip she turned away from the waisted lady. Kami help them, she prayed with a huff of annoyance, this woman was impossible!
"I got it Shizune-san", Sakura assured her. True, Shizune-san may have been with the lady far longer than herself, but Sakura had something Shizune didn't have. She winced knowing that once her mentor got over it she was going to punish her for waking her up after sleeping through a hangover. Sakura couldn't help but smile weakly, only the lady could sleep through a hangover.
The pinkette made a shooing motion with her hand to Shizune, telling her to step back. After all, she didn't think Shizune deserved to be caught in the future punishment.
Suppressing a shudder she made her way to the epicly waisted woman. At the same time she moved the empty bottles, which littered the floor, with her feet. Sakura scowled just thinking at the cause of what made Tsunade go haywire. See, this is exactly what happens when those elder asshats deliver depressing news to the Hokage...
When she's had to deal with some more depressing news just a while ago.
She could hear her heart hammering and beads of sweat were already forming at the back of her neck- and did the temperature of the room suddenly rise? God if this went wrong Tsunade could easily smash her face into the desk...
Accidentally
"Milady!", Sakura whisper shouted into her ear after lifting the woman's sticky blonde locks away from her face.
"Hmmmm?", came the woman's groggy response.
"Naruto just came back, but you see; the Tsuchikage wants his head right now after he blew up half of Iwa. The Mizukage wants to marry him- but you see, so does the Kazekage. And now the Raikage wants to get his hands on him as well".
"WHAT?!", roared the Hokage before flipping her desk over, breaking a good number of those empty bottle.
"UZUMAKI! GET YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!", she roared once again. Standing up the lady grabbed the navy leather chair she had been sitting on previously and threw it across the room, causing it to shatter into a pile of splinters and shredded rags.
"AND YOU TO HATAKE!", she howled at the roof, remembering the Uzumaki's sensei. That-that idiot, was supposes to be responsible for him the second he entered Konoha "AND DON'T YOU DARE USE THE 'HYBRID HYENAS HAVE EATEN MY ALARM CLOCK. TRAGIC' EXCUSE ON ME!".
Sakura's eyes widened 'hybrid hyenas ate my alarm clock' excuse was her own, not sensei's! Kakash' sensei used;
'there was a beautiful mermaid stuck in a tree so I had to save her'
'I got lost on the path of life'
'I was helping an old lady cross the street'
'A black cat crossed my path, so I had to go the long way'
'My favorite author was in town, so I just had to get a signed copy of his new book'
'Iruka wanted to know how I was, and we ended up making out'
'I was eating ramen with Naruto, but he took off without paying, I didn't have any money, so I had to wash dishes to pay off the bill'
'One of my Ninken had an accident, and I couldn't find the cleaning products'
Thank God her sensei was on a two week mission and would only be coming back in four days. Sakura winced just thinking what would have happened to her sensei if he had come in this instant. Tsunade definitely would have torn him in two then excused her actions by saying something like 'I did it for the good of Konoha'.
Sakura flinched physically every time her mentor threw an item around the room. The woman had now officially entered 'Rage Mode'. Honestly, Sakura felt this close to bursting into tears. She had an inkling idea in which she would die in the next hour.
"SAKURA!", oh god she was actually gonna die at an early age of fourteen. The fourteen year old choked on a sob.
"SHIZUNE!", For the first time Sakura had actually envied the black haired woman who was currently out of the room. The second said woman heard those words of Sakura's leave the girl's mouth, Shizune had made a sound which sounded like a dying gazelle before sprinting the hell out of there. So that was the girls plan? she mildly wondered as the majority part of her wondering whether she should start making her way to the KIA stone to inscribe the girl's name on it or maybe stand outside of the Hokage's building, right under the woman's window, so she could catch Sakura's corpse as it flew outside of the window.
"M-M'Lady!", squeaked out Sakura from where she was hiding- the Hokage's desk which had been hurled across the room courtesy of Tsunade's actions-.
Tsunade had finally settled down, even if it was only a bit. She wasn't throwing furniture around the office at least. But the aura which rolled off her spoke of her 'I AM ROYALLY PISSED' mood. Sakura could hear the woman's laboured deep breathes as the lady tried to get herself under control. Peeking from her hiding place Sakura saw the murderous look in her mentor's eyes and gulped loudly.
She was officially dead.
Tsunade cracked the bones on her fingers and moved around her leg and arm joints to sooth the stiffness from them. Looking down at herself with a frown, Tsunade noted that she wasn't wearing her usual green gambling over coat. She mildly wondered if she'd gambled it off last night. Her memory was atrocious.
She was actually going to die.
"Sakura, get out of there", she snapped at the youngest apprentice she had. What was the gaki doing there to begin with? She of all people knew not to be in the same room as herself when she was asleep. She was a mother bear who'd just awakened during hibernation for crying out loud. She was unapproachable. Unless she was here because...
The girl knew that look in her shishou's eyes. She was going to die a virgin. A small voice at the back of her head whimpered.
"Sa-ku-ra" taunted her master, stretching out the syllables in her name "explain", she thundered.
"Well see...", she knew she only had about thirty seconds before her soul joined Hayate.
"Theytoldmetowakeyouupcausethey neededyoutosignthislawthingybut youwereaspleepandIknewyou wouldn'tbewakingupanytimesoonso..", she said it all in one breath and was panting at the end.
The elder woman's eyes glinted dangerously as she took a step forward towards her legacy "you're tellin' me you were the one to wake me up", it wasn't a question, but more of an accusation than anything.
Sakura was afraid that if she opened her mouth she'd end up biting her own tongue or choking over her answer so she just nodded her head weakly.
Tsunade gave her a smile. "Wonderful!", she chirped before grabbing her student by her shoulder "now then, how do you feel about training. Like right now?".
It wasn't a question. It was an order.
"Um...".
Girl you didn't even say bye to Hinata! screamed a voice at the back of her head.
::
The Hyuga were a proud clan. All people knew that. The Hokage did and even the Uchiha. They didn't believe in what was called 'beating around the bush', if you wanted something, you straight out said it. Though they were firm and strict people they were also the most honest and straightforward people in all of Konoha. Which was the exact reason why there has never been a Hyuga who had taken over an elder's seat. Ever. They tended to voice out their opinions and go against the elders or council if they saw wrong in their decision. In a way, they were a special kind of 'honest revolutionaries'. Everyone shared those traits in the ancient clan. Even Hinata.
"Up", ordered a stern voice.
"H-hai", came Hinata's weak reply as she struggled to straighten her strained muscles. Her body was aching all over and the familiar feeling of passing out had begun to eat away at her.
"How is a weakling like you ever supposed to lead a powerful clan", he spoke. Hyuga's never shouted or raised their voices, such actions were equivalent to barking out like a dog in their opinion. Such preposterous behavior.
With a cry, Hinata charged at him, her right palm facing her father, up close to her face and left palm down by her hip. She was solely fueling herself by will power.
Hiashi took one look at her charging figure before shaking his head in disapproval. Once his daughter was within striking distance of his cane, which he used whenever training, he began pointing out her flaws.
Raising up the cane he flicked her sticking palm, the one which was held up close to her head, so it was higher and used the cane to flick her elbow so it straightened out from reflex. He side stepped her so she wouldn't come crashing at him. "Your striking palm must be held higher, your wrist right beside the chin. You must give yourself enough time to get into the Gentle Fist Stance, analyze everything before charging; your stance, posture, palms. The crook of your elbows must be bent in, raised arm, but once you attack your arm is to stretch out fully in length"
Hinata had anticipated him side stepping. She turned her right foot to the left changing the flow of her momentum. Now she'd be able to crash an attack on her father instead of stumbling onto the floor.
She wasn't the only one who anticipated. Hiashi knew she'd change her way of movement so he put down his cane on the floor and took a step back. Hinata's left foot struck the cane, her movements too fast, she tripped and fell face first.
"You need to think two steps ahead, not one. If your enemy is three steps ahead of you, then you're four steps ahead of them. If your enemy if four steps ahead of you, then you're five steps ahead of them. With your atrocious planning you could get the entire clan killed on the battlefield", he wasn't shouting at her, she knew it, and neither was he hating on her. He just wasn't sugar coating the harsh truth. And she wasn't mad or angry at him. She was happy he still trained with her, it showed that he took her seriously, he fought her as an equal.
"Of...course", she said in her quiet tone. She had stood up but her body was now hunched as she greedily gulped in air, her lungs burning after falling down unto her chest.
"You are dismissed for the day. Work on your planning, I cannot have the Hyuga rely on someone with your current strength. Strength is important, but we only acquire strength enough to protect the clan, you will do well to remember so Hinata", he told her, his eyes boring into her's.
She nodded her head and forced her body to stop shaking, her blocked chakra points from earlier on spars were beginning to take a toll on her body. "Of course father".
Indeed, she understood the hidden meaning.
"Work on your planning, I cannot have the Hyuga rely on someone with your current strength.-"
Train to become stronger. The Hyuga need a smart and reliable leader. Train, what you have now is nothing compared to your vast potential. You can become stronger than your current state.
"Strength is important,-"
You'll need strength to attack and defend, to save and lead. People only listen to those who show power and promise. The strong shall always conquer the weak, no matter what.
"But we only acquire strength enough to protect the clan,-"
With strength comes both responsibility and consequences. Unfortunately people forget that. In light of that, the Hyuga have made it law to acquire strength enough to protect the clan. No less and no more. Power breeds hatred and so war is born.
"You will do well to remember so Hinata".
I see your path of destiny shall have problems in term of power and strength. Remember all what I have told you and keep it close to your heart.
"I understand father".
::
"I give up", announced Ino proudly over the table "I. Give. Up", Shikamaru saw the smile of triumph on her face. He rubbed his temples. That troublesome woman had just gone insane.
"I really do", she continued rambling with a sharp nod of her head "I mean HOW IN THE GOOD WORLD IS SAKURA ABLE TO HANDLE BOYS ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE YOU GUYS?!", she screamed at the heavens above before dishing out more accusations.
"Choji, you're hogging all the food, leave some for Sakura!", Choji looked up from the pile of meat on his plate which was being shoved into his mouth nearly every second.
"Lee, NO, we do not participate in eating contest at the table. And I could not care less if you used to do that with your Naruto-kun", Lee's face of burning youth, burned even brighter at the mention of his second rival. He would now have yet another eating contest with his dear friend Choji-san, in honour of his currently- traveling-rival.
"Kiba quit scratching! It's disturbing! You to Akamaru!", Kiba didn't bother looking up, damn that itch was killin' him, what was that?!
"Shikamaru help me out here!", the raging blonde look to the left where her teammate was sitting only to see him lying beside her on the mat. Fast asleep. Clenching her teeth together she wondered if it would be considered a crime to kill him? No? Maybe? She sighed knowing that she couldn't do it since Temari would be disappointed upon receiving news of her dead Nara escort.
"Tenten restrain Lee, Neji don't you dare 'Hn' me with your bloody pride! Help. Out", Tenten smiled sheepishly in an attempt to apologize to the Yamanaka before pulling out a fan outta God-knows-where and bashing the weapon atop Lee's head. Next she turned to Neji to lecture him of looking more social and that, no, the look on his face did not make him seem stoic, it made him look constipated.
"Shino is that your bug?!", a horrified blonde pointed at said bug which was currently chewing on a piece of raw meat. Shino was quietly eating away at his Yakinikuya.
"Hey guys, sorry I was la'e!".
Everyone's head turned to look up at the window where a feminine body jumped into the room from.
"W-what happened to you?", whispered Ino as she took in her frenemy's ruffled form, "you look like crap, Dekorīn". Yes because looking like crap was considered a crime in Ino's world.
"Raging Mother Bear", she said, using their code name for you-know-who.
Those three words were enough to make Ino flinched so violently she knocked over a glass of water, right onto Shikamaru, who awoke almost immediately as the water soaked into him, startled.
"What did you do to her?", scolded Ino lightly, God Sakura looked awful. Her usually pink tame tresses were at matted and muddy. Her red qipao was shredded in many places and so was the visible parts of her green spandex, not to mention how both clothing items were caked in mud. Cuts and bruises decorated her arms, legs, face and neck like the streets were decorated with lamps for the Rinne festival. A weird smell came off her which made Ino wrinkle her sensitive nose.
"I might've woken her up while she was having her 'hangover sleep' ".
Ino looked like she might just bang her head off the table. Actually that's exactly what she did. Repeatedly.
"You were meant to be the smart one. You! I mean between a disturbed porn lover a reveng-y moron and a helpless idiotic deadlast you were meant to be the smart one!", she yelled out "you know what?! Now, I give up!", she declared rather proudly before standing up and walking over to the corner of the room, her body shaking all the while from...whatever emotion she was filled with, Ino laid on the ground hugging herself. This was too much for her, dammit.
Sakura blinked at what just happened. Turning to face Shikamaru she asked him.
"Troublesome...we went on a mission to Yugakure no Sato and we had to look after a Lord's son".
Sakura shuddered and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, actually everyone in the room shuddered aside from Neji who's left eye twitched and Shino who's pinky twitched "I feel you Ino-buta!", she shouted at her friend who was still huddled in a corner, now muttering to herself.
Kiba wrinkled his nose and scratched it angrily "what did she do to ya?", he whined "you stink!".
Sakura twitched, he did not just insult her.
"You really wanna know?", she didn't bother making her voice sound all sweet, if she was angry, she roared.
"You smell like you rolled in crap", he accused by pointing at her with his forefinger and with the other hand he shielded his nose.
"Oh I'll tell- no wait I'll show you Inuzuka", she leaped over the table to where he was and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Painfully.
"After I angered her highness", there was so must sarcasm directed to that last word "she shunshined me to the training grounds where she trained with me- abused me- before using my body to mop the training grounds with. No, literally", she assured the struggling Inuzuka "let me show you exactly how she did it".
Slamming Kiba onto the ground she began rubbing the ground with his body furiously.
The waiter had come in with new food orders in time to see Sakura's outrageous actions. Neji had to go up to him and explain how it was nothing serious, and no, the pink haired lady was not going to kill the Inuzuka heir,and yes they did order a sixth helping of Yakiniku.
Once Sakura was satisfied with Kiba's condition she got up from him and leaped back into her spot, but she was still majorly angry.
Shikamaru noticed how she had many bruises and cuts which still hadn't healed. Wasn't she a medic? He decided to ask.
"Can't", she replied "M'Lady blocked all of my chakra points, and that reminds me", she turned to Hinata and pointed an accusing finger at her, Hinata didn't flinch, she was used to her outbursts, the girl didn't even look fazed. Neji meanwhile was contemplating where or not should he jump in and grab Hinata before a certain crazed girl threw a dish at his cousin "since when has M'Lady become friends with a Hyuga?! She blocked a whole bunch of my chakra points! I'm pretty sure she even got all my central one! It feels like cramps on my period Hinata!", she moaned to the girl while clutching her abdomen.
None of the boys seemed fazed as she said the word period. Shino and Kiba were long past the blushing stage after they found out just how annoying Hinata could be when she was on her PMS. Lee's mega watt smile flattered only by a microscopic centimeter as he remembered Tenten on her ' un-youthful day'. Neji twitched as he remembered all three; Tenten, Hanabi and Hinata. Shikamaru and Choji both flinched as they remembered Ino throwing a bloody pad at their face once when Shikamaru bought Taiyaki instead of Tokoroten.
All boys' heads snapped towards Hinata's place. All pleading eyes. The Hyuuga smiled at their expression before standing up and going over to Sakura's side.
"I'll unblock your chakra points if you want", she suggested quietly, her Byakugan activating at the same time.
"See, that's why I love you!", exclaimed Sakura.
Everyone rolled their eyes aside for the stoic ones, that girl was bipolar.
::
He knew he was going to regret his decision, he could feel it. He wasn't even sure if this was right or wrong, and this frustrated him greatly. Not knowing the outcomes of his decisions that is. But it was for the good of the clan. Yet a part of him was whispering how he would feel guilty for the rest of his life. He tried, in vain, to silence that part of him. This was in no way easy for him. His pale eyes snapped shut in frustration. He reminded himself how this was for the good of the clan. He could not- would not play favorites. But that decision...
He shook his head and reminded himself sternly;
His decisions were all set in the carved path of his future. He could not alter destiny.
So be it.
He entered the conference room and thought subconsciously.
Why did this still feel so wrong?
A/N, just to clear some things up;
Hey guy! This is my first time posting up anything here so please review, pointers for my writing and grammar are welcome since English is my third language.
Their age; when they start the academy they're all six, there are six years in the academy, so when they graduate they are twelve. So since Sakura says that's she's fourteen here, do the math; yes it's been two years since she graduated and two years since Naruto's left the village.
No Hiashi did not act OOC, he was his strict self, but he's not gonna be an asshole in this fic...
Or will he? "ψ(｀∇')ψ
Everyone is wearing the outfits they wore in pre shippuden.
The only character who's slightly OOC was Sakura at the BBQ with Konoha 12, I apologize for that.
Any questions on characters or whatever it is, please don't hesitate in asking.
I'll be updating this book every Saturday! So please remind me if I forget!
::
shunshined; that 'poof' technique Kakashi uses, teleportation or something.
qipao; Sakura's red dress in the first part of Naruto, pre Shippuden.
Dekorīn; Forehead girl
shishou; master, it's what Sakura calls Tsunade.
Ninken; ninja hounds or dogs. e.i; Kakashi's dog summons.
Taiyaki; literally "baked sea bream," is a Japanese fish-shaped cake.
Tokoroten; is prepared with jelly extracted from seaweeds such as tengusa (Gelidiaceae) and ogonori (Gracilaria) by boiling.
Yakinikuya; literally 'grilled meat' in Japanese.
Yugakure no Sato; literally meaning "Village Hidden in Hot Water"
Ino-buta; Ino-pig