Hi guys. This is a complimentary piece to Absence If you havn't ready my series, I don't think this'll make much sense to you
First story: True Friends Truly Believe /s/3953609/1/
Previous: Secrets are made to be found out with time /s/4606867/1/
Complimentary: Absence /s/4619209/1/
Disclaimer:I own nothing
Feeling~Understanding~Will
Hinata smiled as she saw the small village come into view. They had been traveling for three days. She looked over at her teammates. This mission was a long one. In addition, all three of them were undercover for the entire mission. Hinata had adopted light brown hair and her eyes were green, as were Kiba's. There was a jutsu so that if she activated her Byakugan, it wasn't apparent. Kiba and Shino had switched hair for the mission, Kiba's hair was darker and Shino's lighter. Shino was "blind" for the mission. They were meant to be siblings for their cover story to fit. They were investigating a mine that was mining coal for Orochimaru. Well, that was the rumor anyway. If it was true they had to find a way to shut it down, but the three of them were simply information gathering. Hinata sighed as Shino halted them for lunch. It would be a long day as they had to incorporate themselves in the camp and start working with the miners. They were stationed there until they discovered who was the beneficiary of the mine. Hinata hoped they could do it.
--------------------yesterday------------------
Anko frowned slightly at the three chunin in front of her. Tsunade had sent the team, but these three were untried in the art of being undercover. She sighed and started the mission briefing as they put on the make-up that they would wear for the rest of the month, if not longer. The makeup was tied to their chakra, so it came off either when they willed it, or they used up all their chakra. They had agreed to renew it all once a week.
"Remember, while there your names are Hiro, Ichiro, and Chi. You are siblings seeking work while your cousins are preparing a house for you. Your parents died in a landslide last month, but you hate talking about the past. Ichiro has always been blind and his dog, Maru is his companion. You are considered a little strange by your previous village and you hope this group will accept you. You don't sleep well, but a long walk in the woods after sunset clears you head. You three will maintain your natural personality, however some notes. Hiro, Maru, remember that Maru is Ichiro's companion. Chi, watch out for your nervous habits, the finger touching needs to stop for the mission. Adopt a different one for a month. Hoshi will go between me and you with messages. I expect a reply promptly when I send you Hoshi. Any questions?" The three shook their heads, make-up finished. They had heard this briefing, in much more detail, three times over the last few days.
Anko nodded and sent them on their way, under orders to send Hoshi with a layout and their schedule within the next three days.
-----------------------present day-----------------------
Hinata took a deep breath as they entered the village. She hoped it would all go well.
000
Hinata looked around timidly. Kiba and Shino had gotten the job in the mines easily enough. Once they proved that Shino would be fine blind, the mine were so dark, it would actually have been an advantage providing Shino were actually blind. Hinata sighed as she finally started forward. She had to find the kitchen. With Kiba and Shino working the mines, Akamaru standing guard during said time, she also wanted to do something. The kitchen was the best bet...if she could find it. She saw some people walking around.
"Ano....Excuse me?...Umm....Can you tell me.." Her voice was too quiet, none of them heard her. Eventually she simply wandered looking around for another woman. From what she saw, the woman stayed out of the mines, so they should be around somewhere. She dodged in and out of a crowd as she spotted one.
"Excuse me? I'm new, I was looking for the kitchen." The woman, a slender woman with a messy bun of dark hair looked at her.
"Sorry, dinner won't be for a while yet." Hinata blushed slightly and looked down, tugging on her hair slightly.
"Ano...I actually was looking to work there." The woman looked at her in surprise. She gave Hinata a once over before nodding.
"Follow me."
They weaved in and out of the crowd. Hinata dodged several elbows before an ankle caught her's.
If nothing else, this mission will teach you how to dodge Hinata mentally agreed with her Bijuu as she jogged slightly to catch up with her fast guide. The woman stopped at a large building built away from the rest of the village, which was near the mines.
"Itsuko, I have a worker for you." She had barely stuck her head in. Hinata heard some grumbling as she waited. The door opened and a giant woman came out. Itsuko looked down from her 5'11'' to Hinata's 5'4''.
"Yuki, she wouldn't last in the kitchen." She looked HInata up and down once more. "She doesn't look like she'll last anywhere." the last comment, though under Itsuko's breath, made Hinata blush in humiliation slightly, but she firmed her fists. Looking up at the woman in slightly determination.
"I can do it." Her voice was still quiet and she still trembled, but at least the woman heard her.
"You can?" Hinata thought the woman was close to laughing. She nodded.
"I will try and I will do it. Please, I need to be doing something while my brothers work in the mine." She watched as Itsuko looked her over again. She sighed.
"Very well. Come on, we're starting early today." Hinata followed quickly. She caught an apron thrown at her. After looking at it with skepticism, she put it one, wrapping it twice around her slight frame. She was just glad it didn't trail the ground lest she trip over it.
She followed Itsuko into a large kitchen. Itsuko brought her to a counter.
"Ever cooked before?" Hinata nodded. "Good, these need pealing and slicing. Wash them first. Peals go there. Slices go there." Itsuko pointed to several buckets of the biggest carrots and potatoes Hinata had ever seen. She nodded, not taking her eyes off the object of her task. Itsuko left nodding. Hinata sighed and started the task of washing them, by pulling the entire lot of them to the sink.
000
Kiba sighed as he dropped the rock into the cart. He was in a different tunnel then Shino, them wanting him in the darkest as a blind person. He turned and went in search of another rock. He was glad for the semi-mindless work. He could think. When Anko had said "untried" it had hurt, but it was also true. They were basically untried in the ways of upper class shinobi. He gritted his teeth. That wouldn't do. He had to figure out a way to improve. not only him but Hinata and Shino too. They knew that Naruto was training hard and none of them wanted to get left behind. He started going over possible training ideas as he moved rocks.
000
Hinata wiped her sleeve on her forehead as she tossed the last carrot slice into the pile. After she had gotten to the sink, she had realized that the entire kitchen used the same sink. She finally got the hang of slipping her arms into the fresh water, washing the item and slipping them back out without dropping said item, or getting stepped on. After that adventure, she had started the daunting task of peeling and slicing each potato and carrot. She had started out very slow, careful not to nick herself. By the 14th potato she was picking up speed and by the time she started the carrots, she no longer worried that she would cut herself. She was sitting on the stool a moment, trying to decide how to find Itsuko when the woman found her.
"Well, let have a see." Hinata jumped a foot as the woman came over and ran her hands through the slices. She nodded.
"Not quite even, but that will come in time." She sighed before looking at Hinata. "I'm Itsuko, welcome to my kitchen." Hinata smiled a million km wide.
"I'm Chi. Thank you."
"Good, next task." Hinata nodded and followed.
Hinata soon found that Itsuko did indeed run the kitchen. The carrots and potatoes Hinata sliced were put in the pot for the stew. The flour had to be made into bread. The meat had to be cooked, cut, watched and seasoned. The fire had to be fed and the billows blown. Hinata was put to work with the fire for a while, but she also was called to lift flour sacks, move utensils, clean dishes and various tasks that slid in between her placing another log on the fire with the woman she had met earlier, Natsume. Natsume was in charge of spices with the fire being her secondary responsibility. Hinata took over entirely as the meal got closer to being done, because she needed to add the final flavors. She also met Rinko, who with her partner Shika, managed the meat during it's initial cooking. Hinata decided she wasn't fond of them. She met Ran, who was in charge of waste. She was another big woman, but unlike Itsuko, who wore her muscled weight with ease, Ran was shy and ashamed of her size. The other girls seemed to ignore her for the most part. Itsuko, she found, was a very observant woman. She was also very strong, carrying three some times even four sacks of flour at a time. She handled the billows with three other women.
Hinata jumped when Itsuko leaned out the door with a pan and banged it hard and continuously. Natsume placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"Its okay, just telling the guys its food time. Stay put, I'll get our food. You look like you would fall over should you stand." Hinata nodded wearily as Natsume walked off, leaving her in charge of the fire and the stool she was sitting on. Hinata had rarely felt so sore. She wondered if Shino or Kiba were as bad. She was grateful to Natsume as she ate for the night.
000
In the end, Natsume helped her to her raised tent on the far edge of the village. Kiba and Shino had barely made it through the meal, though the villagers weren't entirely sure with Shino. Hinata had helped with dishes, determined to not let her weariness effect her. She ran all around the kitchen, learning where things were supposed to be stored. She was exhausted. She nodded to Natsume and crawled into bed. She had to be up an hour before sunrise the next morning. Asking Hoshi to get her out of bed at that point, she fell into sweet unconsciousness. She smiled as she felt Naruto's chakra seep through her, relaxing out her knots and sore muscles enough so they could heal for the next day. She would have to thank Tsunade for teaching him that.
000
The next morning, Hoshi tried whining, yipping softly, jumping on her, even pulling Hinata's hair, but the heiress was being stubborn. Finally, Hoshi wandered into the forest until she found the stream. Soaking herself and finding mud and further coating herself she raced back to the raised tent. Once there she stood next to Hinata's face and shook. It started to work, but not enough. Finally, Hoshi stuck her head down Hinata's collar, her cold, wet, muddy, moving head. Hinata sat up with a small shriek, completely awake. Unfortunately for the fox, the momentum of her sitting up so fast had sent Hoshi flying over the end of the bed.
Hinata slowed her breathing as she tried to get her mind working. She looked over the foot of her bed to see Hoshi standing up and shaking herself off slightly.
"Hoshi? What were you doing? And why are you covered in mud?" A few yips later had Hinata dashing out of the tent, cursing the height as she tripped on her way. Because of the river, all the tents were off the ground by a good meter. Hinata shook her head, not worrying about that now, she was late!
000
Kiba yawned as he looked over at Shino. From experience with the bug shinobi, Kiba knew that Shino was every bit as tired as Kiba was.
"I hope Chi was okay. I didn't see her last night or this morning." Shino nodded.
"I asked one of the women, those who work in the kitchen are at the kitchen before sunrise." Kiba snorted. "We should be in shape in another day or two." Kiba looked at him in question. Shino elaborated. "We take long walks at night because we can't sleep. That is our time to train." Kiba's eyes widened as he understood. He thought about grumbling about the extra workload, but knowing Shino, it would be ignored.
"I wonder if Chi will be ready?"
"I will try to find her today."
"At least she isn't moving rocks that weigh as much as a horse." Shino looked at Kiba and silently wondered how Hinata was doing. Their schedules currently conflicted with seeing each other until they got their sleep schedule under control. He just saved that for another time as he found his breakfast. He had to focus. Since he was supposed to be blind, they had put him in the darkest mine. He was using his insect friend to tell him where things were is he couldn't guess. Still it took concentration.
000
Hinata was dashing through the kitchen at top speed. Breakfast had just ended and clean up had begun. Hinata was taking clean dishes to their rightful spots. One problem, there were 3 washers, 2 dryers and one of her. If it got too crowded the entire line backed up. So here she was balancing a stack of three plates, two bowls and half a dozen forks while turning a corner at full speed, trying not to slip and not to drop the stack. One nice thing, she now knew where everything was in the kitchen.
She sighed in relief as the dishes were finally done. She was sitting for a moment when Natsume came over. She plopped next to her.
"Don't worry, Chi. Give it another day or two and you'll be used to it." Hinata nodded, finally regaining her breath. Natsume patted her knee enthusiastically. "Come on. Our next job starts in a few minutes." Hinata looked at her in exasperation. Natsume had a slightly wicked smile on her face. She smiled and shook her head.
"Bring it on?" Her quiet voice was laced with humor as she caught her new friend's mood.
She followed Natsume to the far table. Chika and Shiori were pouring water into large wooden tubs. Hinata eyed the tubs with fearful curiosity. They were just under a meter tall and half a meter in diameter. They had tight fitted lids made of the same wood as the tubs. She had a sneaky suspicion she was going to be carrying one soon.
She was half right. She groaned as she had two of them, one balanced on each side of her with a beam across her shoulders. This reminded her of Lee and Gai-sensei's training plans. She puffed as she carried them towards the mines. They men got water once in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Hinata gritted her teeth as she ordered her muscles to please cooperate. Mui was trying to help her by feeding her both slightly higher levels of chakra as the seal would allow, and encouraging thoughts. Hinata reached the entrance ahead of the others because Natsume had brought her over early. She looked over towards the foreman Natsume was talking to and asked where Shino and Kiba were working.
"Hiro is two lefts then a right. Ichiro, however, is further down in the dark. I should take you there myself." Hinata nodded her thanks, deciding to see Shino first, saying she was worried about her "blind" brother. After they had been walking a few minutes she found the tunnel to be extremely dark, even with the lamps, and the weight making her tired wasn't helping. She called for a break and turned away. Taking a deep breath, she activated her Byakugan. She had a seal on her face that would hide the effects from outside view. Turning back she nodded to the man, watching him carefully and sighing when he didn't seem to see anything out of the ordinary.
Her Kekkei Genkai help tremendously. Especially as it became too dark for regular vision. Hinata smiled when she saw Shino.
"Ichiro-san." Shino turned at her quiet voice and smiled slightly. She set the buckets down and grabbing one of the cups she had brought she scooped water up and brought it to Shino. They were off to one side to talk.
"How are you doing, Chi?"
"I'm a little tired. Natsume says another day or two and I'll be used to it. You? and Hiro?" Shino nodded.
"We will also require another day at least. We are fine." Hinata sighed quietly and nodded. She stood to go. She had to find Kiba before lunch had to be started. "Chi." She turned and waited. He brought his arm up and placed it on her shoulder. She felt and tickle of little bug feet. She looked at Shino in confusion, she did work in a kitchen currently. Shino nodded. She mentally shrugged, trusting Shino to understand his insects. "Also give this to Hiro and tell him I'll talk to him later." He handed her a small capsule. She could tell it also contained insects. She nodded and turned and left.
000
Kiba had gotten the message from Hinata. By the time she was back at the surface with empty tubs it was time to start lunch. Another hour or so of loading the fire with logs followed by dishes and she was free for an hour or so. The first afternoon drink went around in a little bit. She returned to the tent and asked Hoshi to give her an hour nap before falling into sweet dreams.
000
Her second dinner there went better then the first. Her slicing was even and fast. She started on the fire much earlier. Now that she understood how to do that, she found herself keeping an eye on the bread table in the hopes of helping further. Itsuko could focus on other things if she could keep the flour coming to the table without being told to. Itsuko smiled at the change and nodded to her.
"Chi, I guess you are now in charge of making sure this table has flour AND the fire has wood." She nodded slightly, embarrassed by the boisterous praise. She continued throughout the night in this vein. During the break for eating she wrote her first report to Anko. She would send it with Hoshi tomorrow after the fox woke her up.
000
On the third evening the three chunnin met in the woods an hour or so after sunset. they didn't have much energy, but enough to do a quick warm-up and to talk without the fear of being overheard.
"How is everything going in the kitchen?" Hinata nodded.
"I am doing good. I have made a few friends. And the mines? How is that work going?" Kiba nodded with Shino. Hinata looked down as thought.
When she worked the entire kitchen knew what was happening. They all knew what the other's job was and used it to the advantage if possible. The extra flour from the bread went to the desert. The soup and the meat traded places as need in the fire. The water from boiling the vegetables went in the rice. She had been thinking about how much they worked together and how much it accomplished.
"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun....we are supposed to train while we are on this mission, right?" The two boys nodded. They both had been thinking of new training exercises. Hinata breathed a moment before she continued. "I think that we should train differently." They looked at her, waiting. "We all have many attacks that we can use, but maybe we could learn each other's attacks." Her voice got quieter and quieter, but the two were used to that. Whenever Hinata gave an opinion, that was how it was heard. Kiba looked up at her as he thought. Between the three of them, Shino usually made the decisions because he was the surest person there. Hinata was too shy and Kiba too impulsive. However, Shino wasn't doing it as a leader but rather as a textbook. He simply stated rules or facts that fit together, but Hinata was the person that had the makings of a leader. Both Kiba and Shino had seen it. She had the ability to see what people could do. She simply lacked confidence.
"I'm game, Hinata-chan. What do you have in mind?" Shino nodded as they listened. Hinata blushed as she quietly started telling of her idea. She didn't notice that as she continued, her voice grew in strength.
"I think that if we knew each other's moves, we could insert our own in between them or to enhance them. I don't think we have to be able to perform them in battle, but simple recognize each of them. We learn to counter specific moves our enemy makes in school. I think we should learn to enhance specific moves our alias make as well." Shino nodded as Kiba smiled his goofy smile.
"Sounds like a winner to me! Where do we start." Hinata looked down. She thought she knew, but it would require a bit more confidence then she thought she had left to say. Shino stepped forward.
"Lets think on it tomorrow and give our thoughts tomorrow night. For now, lets go to bed." Hinata nodded shyly, internally grateful for the suggestion. Kiba shrugged and called Akamaru over so they could return to the tent. Hinata looked at the shaggy dog in longing. Hoshi wouldn't be back for at least two weeks.
Later that night, Hinata felt a big furry head snuggle it's way under her arm. She smile as she hugged the lovable meter tall puppy.
000
"Chi, what is wrong?" Hinata looked up at Natsume. She gave her a quizzical look. "That was an old carrot you just put into the fire and you've brought at least two sacks of potatoes to the bread table instead of flour tonight. What's wrong?" Hinata looked at her with trepidation. What was she supposed to say to that.
"Nothing..." It sounded weak. It was weak. Natsume frowned. "I- well- Natsume-san, if you have an idea, how do you get up the courage to tell someone?" Natsume thought on that a minute.
"I think that depends on why you need the courage in the first place. If you need the courage, because you can't speak to them or if the idea is the reason you need more courage." Hinata thought a moment.
"Its the idea that is hard to say. I don't want to sound overbearing." Natsume smiled softly.
"First, Chi, I don't think you could ever sound overbearing without meaning to. Second, if the idea is what you really think, then you aren't overbearing, you are responsible. Once you think of it that way, it would be a shame to keep quiet. Does that make any sense?" Hinata nodded quickly as Natsume turned a frown as she reviewed her words. hinata also thought on the words. Natsume was right, it was her responsibility to mention her idea. They could discuss it and decide as a group instead of her simply deciding.
She didn't make any more silly mistakes that night.
000
Shino watched as Hinata came to their clearing. Her walk was slightly more straight then last night. Whatever her idea was, she would tell them tonight. Shino had recognized her body language last night when Kiba had asked where to start. She had an idea but not the courage. Both boys had gotten adept at reading their female member's body language in this stance some time ago for this reason.
Hinata smiled softly as she sat on a log next to Kiba. She had warmed up as she had arrived. She took a deep breath.
"I think I know how to start with our idea." The two looked at her and waited patiently. "We need to know each other better. I think we should tell each other about our lives." The last word was so quiet that both boys had to guess at its identity. Once they figured it out, they looked at each other. It made sense. All three of them used family styles. Shino knelt near the other two as Kiba nodded.
"Okay, I'll start. My full name is Inuzuka Kiba Akamaru." Shino almost rolled his eyes at the humorous start. Then settled to pay attention. "I am the third of five kids born to..."
000
Hinata yawned slightly as she got ready to pick up the water for the morning drink. Last night they had learned all about each of their childhoods, from the happiest memories to the hardest. Tonight is was they were going to start on things that had happened since they started as st the academy. Tomorrow they would talk about since they found out about Naruto. Then they would start with techniques. Hinata was a little nervous about tomorrow. Still, maybe it would feel good to get some of this things out of her head? There were some things she had never told anyone. And Mui! She had to tell them that tonight. And Naruto! He had said that telling Shino and Kiba was up to her. She sighed as she followed Natsume at a gentle pace. It was going to be a long couple of days.
000
Kiba sighed as he moved rocks. He had told a lot of things last night. He wasn't entirely sure if he was proud of some of them. Shino and Hinata had also told things they weren't proud of. Still he found himself forgiving them and finding them better people because those things had happened. Tonight they were going to talk about what had happened since Naruto left. Well, almost. Hinata said she had something that happened just before Naruto left, but it would wait until tonight because it was a long thing. Kiba shook his head. They had all kept secrets. Kiba included. It as time he admitted to something that he knew he had to give up. He had known for a while and had gradually given up on it, but talking about it, he wasn't sure if it would allow the wound to close or just add salt.
000
Hinata stopped with a sigh. She had just explained about her link with Naruto. Now she was waiting for questions. Shino looked thoughtful, which she had come to associate with him trying to choose the correct word for his next thought. Kiba was the one that jumped in with a question.
"So it doesn't matter the distance? You can talk to him anytime?" Hinata cocked her head slightly.
"Distance doesn't seem to matter. And we aren't talking per se, it is more like sharing feelings and images. I can enter his mindscape where we would talk as you and I are now, but that is dangerous, so we limit that." Kiba nodded as he took in this knowledge. Shino looked up.
"Who all knows?" Hinata looked down slightly as she thought.
"We told Neji, Ten Ten and Sakura before he left. I believe Jiraiya-sannin knows. Tsunade-sama might. Naruto-kun wanted it to be secret until he returned. Iruka-sensei also knows. Naruto-kun told him before he told me." Shino nodded. This information did explain a few things. They talked a few more minutes about the communications Hinata had had since and how Neji now also has a bond to Naruto. Hinata took a deep breath. She had to tell them about Mui. The Hawk was giving her the go ahead.
"There is one more thing." Kiba returned his full attention to the Hyuuga as Shino nodded. "At the same time as Neji formed his bond with Naruto-kun, I discovered a new piece of my family's legacy that I carry." Hinata steeled her will as she suddenly understood exactly how Naruto felt when he told them all he had Kyuubi. His bijuu may have been more infamous, but she was much closer to these two then he had been to them. "I am a Jinchuuriki. I contain Mui of water, the Gobi. I have since Hanabi's birth." She sat and waited. She wouldn't tell them anymore until they had responded to that. Shino's eyebrows were simply raised as he seemed to rearrange several things in his mind. Kiba didn't look to be taking it in at all.
"So you have a demon in you like Naruto?" Hinata shook her head. She explained the differences in their seals and the consequence of hers. She revised parts of her past from the previous parts of their discussion to include the memories associated with Mui, like her mother's death. She also explained how Neji found out and what really happened in the hospital two weeks ago. She shared with them her anger with her clan and her hurt over her father and his ways. They listened offered input and then shared in their own displeasure over her situation. She also explained what was currently happening in the counsel sessions and some of her fears regarding her sister and cousin. When they finished, Hinata felt not only better but understood. It was an amazing feeling to know that there was someone, two someones, that understood you.
Kiba sighed as he took in all this. His turn was coming up. He had supported Hinata through her confessions. He had expressed his own concern over them, but he also had something else he was thinking about. The thing he needed to talk about tonight. Shino beat him to the punch as he started talking.
"I too, have been keeping a secret from the two of you." Hinata and KIba gave him their attention as eh looked down and to the right, a position they associated with his unease. "Several monthes ago, I started a new idea with my insects. I choose 20 insects that I thought could do it and I began to introduce them to human communication to some extent. I have been introducing them to your personal body language." He stopped as they processed this a moment before he recognized them waiting for more of an explanation. "I want them to not only be able to assist me, but to assist you as well. They and their offspring are growing accustomed to small phrases in our tongue. I want to be able to leave them with you so you can have help anywhere similar to Hoshi and Akamaru." Shino waited at this point.
"So your bugs would sit on us, maybe drain a small amount of chakra and help us out without you?" Shino glanced at Kiba and nodded.
"To an extent. They have learned our three names, 'me', 'help', 'wait', 'warn', and 'go get'. The reason they have been onyou recently was to get used to your body language when you are happy, upset or tired. I was hoping that the chakra drain would be so minimal that you wouldn't notice." He looked at Hinata who was looking at her finger, where one of the insects was sitting.
"Mui mentions the slight drain but it was fine. They know that we are not used to not squishing them right?" Shino nodded. he should have known that his teammates would accept this idea.
"They were warned, both of where not to go in case of getting squished and in case of causing you irritation." HInata nodded. Kba looked at him.
"Still, you might want to have a keyword, like squish or something so they can vacate our body if needed, like when my aunt catches me in a hug. There is very little of my body not getting the hug." Shino nodded at the suggestion. He looked to Hinata inquisitively. She smiled slightly.
"You might want to add 'attack' to that for distraction. They could easily distract an enemy." Shino would have to think on that one. He would have to explain that idea very carefully. He nodded as they asked a few more question about his bugs in general. Finally they fell silent. Hinata rose.
"If we have nothing more, we can start our techniques tomorrow." Shino rose as well, but Kiba stayed were he was.
"Wait." They looked at him. He was looking at the ground. Shino hadn't actually started to move away yet. He had been wondering if Kiba would speak on this. "I have something to talk about." Hinata returned to her seat. Kiba looked at Shino, whom he knew had guessed this, and took a deep breath.
"Hinata-chan. I see you as a sister right now." Hinata nodded, pleased and blushing slightly. Kiba looked down. "Until a few months ago, however, I did not." Hinata looked away. Kiba jumped into his next statement. "Until that point, I was in love with you."
000
Hinata scrubbed the pot happily. They had moved jobs around for dishes today because a person was injured. So here she as scrubbing the biggest pot in the world. She was okay with that. She needed the time to review all the information she had gotten last night. Shino's bugs were interesting companions. She found them adapting to her routine fast, when she was about to make a mistake due to lack of concentration a bug could run across her skin. It was an effective means of waking up, once she learned to curb the instinct to jump. She also thought about Kiba. He had talked with so much uncertainty last night. More then she had ever seen in him before, even when they were talking about their childhood.
----------------------Flashback------------------
"Until that point, I was in love with you." Kiba watched as her eyes widened, understanding that he wasn't referring to familial love. He sighed heavily, leaning against Akamaru for support. "I told you that when we first got paired with each other I thought you were just a weak minded girl. During our sparing I decided something differently. You gained my respect, but I also saw how much you struggled and pushed. I then I met your family briefly. Your strength to survive that and still be a decent person, still want to try to be a good shinobi was incredible in my mind. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have my family's support, much less their disapproval. I started to really watch you. The way you looked when you were trying so hard was so...I don't know...nice. And you little habits were so cute...and...well..I just figured it out one day that I was falling for you. Then I figured out you had fallen for Him. I was furious. He didn't see you, just like your family. In the end though, you had fallen for him and he wasn't denying you, simply clueless. That idiot was always clueless. I just watched. You were so happy as he started talking to you more and more." Kiba looked up at her. She was blood red, but she was paying attention. She had missed the signs with Kiba as Naruto had missed them with her. She could see that Shino had known. Kiba took a steadying breath before he continued.
"When I found out he held Kyuubi, I was terrified. Not that he would attack me, but for you. You loved someone that most people considered a monster, including my mother for a while. I couldn't decide how I felt about that. That you told me what your grandmother said. 'Children are told what to do and believe because they lack the ability to think of it themselves'. While it helped me accept Naruto, it also showed me that your expression when you were trying that I had fallen for. The determination I admired in you. The little habits you used. The part that I fell in love with was that you were in love." Hinata looked at him in question. Kiba was looking at her steadily. This was the important part to him, the part she had to understand.
"When you looked like that, when you did things you weren't sure you could, you were thinking or Naruto, weren't you? He was your inspiration. And your love. When I saw you I saw the beauty and wonder of complete love. I accepted that and Naruto as your love when I realized that several months ago. I want you to always hold those looks. That is how I came to feel for you as my sister." Hinata sat quietly as she assimilated this. She looked at Kiba who was forcing himself to watch her until she made her decision. She knew what to do. She leaned forward and drew him into a hug.
At first he froze. Then he slowly scooped her smaller frame into his lap and held her.
"Thank you, Kiba-kun." He closed his eyes at that statement. He finally felt as though his was close to Hinata. He had tried to get closer to her, first as a friend and then more like a brother, but it hadn't worked well. In this moment, he was close to her. They felt a hand on their shoulder. Looking up, Shino was kneeling on Kiba's left. He was looking at both of them. Hinata smiled softly and Kiba held a wolf-grin.
Now they were family.
------------------End Flashback------------------
Hinata sighed happily as she finished the large pot and hefted it to its position for dinner. Tonight they were going to learn the basics of Kiba's family styles. Tomorrow, review plus the basics of the Juuken. The following night more review and then some Aburame styles. They would continue in this fashion until they knew each other's moves inside and out.
000
The days passed. the trio grew in strength from their respective jobs. Their teamwork grew in leaps and bounds as the nights progressed. They went from learning each others' moves to practicing reacting as the person started that move. They discussed strategy for the moves and created their own team style. Akamaru, Mui, Hoshi, when present, and Shino's insects took all these sessions in good humor and did what they could to help. Kiba and Shino each learned more about Mui and about Hinata's water dance. Hinata and Kiba gained a greater understanding of the life and anatomy of insects. Shino and Hinata learned to interpret barks and yips to a certain extent and grew closer to the canine member of their group.
In the mines, Shino's sensitivity to his insects grew exponentially as did his appreciation for his other senses. Kiba, likewise, was learning much about using senses besides his eyes, though he always used his nose, his ears had needed some work. He was also learning about geology in leaps and bounds. Where the rock came from, why, how they were made and where to find them. Both boys were excelling in their time in the mine.
Hinata was likewise excelling in the kitchen. She continued to tend the fire and provide flour, but on any given day she kept an extra eye on someone else and learned what they were doing in the kitchen and why. Soon she was helping Itsuko keep things on track. If someone was lagging behind Hinata would gently suggest another person, who was speeding ahead could help. Itsuko would make it a loud order a second later, with her voice ringing throughout the kitchen. Hinata wished that she had that voice inside her somewhere.
In this manner two and a half weeks passed.
000
Hinata was just wandering over towards the kitchen to pick up the second watering break for the guys when the gray sky that had been plaguing them for a few days, broke wide open and dumped its water on the village.
It started as a small drizzle that she paid little attention to. When she got to the kitchen she found the staff crowding around Itsuko. Natsume called her over.
"What's going on?" Natsume looked at her in contained panic.
"The rain. The river is already high at the banks. It might flood." Hinata looked at Itsuko in slight panic now. If the river flooded it would pour over the sides and into the village. The water would head for the lowest ground...the mine! Hinata backed up as they discussed if the trenches currently in place would be enough. Hinata jumped when the door slammed open and a mud covered boy ran in.
"The river-mud-" he was panting too hard, he couldn't get the words out. Natsume and Ran helped him to sit and calm down. "The river-the mud at the opening to the mine-too slippery-" Hinata thought back. The mins shaft was at a 20-30 degree angle downward. The dirt was packed, but add water and it would become slippery mud. She looked to Itsuko as the woman grabbed the person nearest to her and raced outside. They all followed.
When the women got to the mine, they understood. The men were trying to climb out of the mine but they would only get so far before slipping back down, sometimes all the way inside the mine. Hinata didn't see Kiba or Shino yet. She raced to her tent and grabbed the rope from the side. She saw several other women doing the same thing as the children that had not been pushed away to safety started tying them off. It was working to some extent but the men weren't making much progress. If the river flooded, they were completely trapped. Hinata's mind raced as she thought hard. What could they do. She looked at the men as they left the carts of rocks in their place to try to climb out and help each other.
The rocks.
She turned to Natsume.
"Where do the rocks go once they are out to the mine?" Natsume looked at her a moment before pointing to the indent halfway up the currently muddy hill. Hinata thanked her and started for it. She heard Natsume call as she slipped and slid down the slope. She reached the pile and grabbed and fairly un-round rock and picked it up. Huffing, she placed in on the slippery slope at a good angle. It stuck out sharply but stayed put. Smiling she picked up another other and did the same thing just beyond the fist, using the first as a grip. The rocks were too heavy for the water to move easily. She turned back to see Natsme skid to her, almost passing her. The two of them continued to place rocks as the men below caught on and used the rock in the carts. Pretty soon the slope was covers in rocks. Hinata and Natsume climbed back out, along with the three other women who had come down to help, and caught up to Itsuko.
Itsuko had called them out because they needed to get down to the river. The river was starting to really flood. This small amount of mud was from the rain directly. The river would just take out the entire village if they couldn't keep it low. There were two trenches in the way but it was rising fast. Hinata looked over the way. She turned to Natsume.
"The trenches aren't going to be enough?!?" They were shouting to be heard over the thunder that was starting. Natsume shook her head.
"They are as deep as we can make them." Hinata frowned.
"If only we could make the sides taller." Natsume seemed to freeze. She looked at Hinata then at Itsuko.
"Itsuko! I have an idea! Come on!" She took off for the kitchen, with five women on her heels. Itsuko caught up to her as she entered the kitchen and Hinata did the same just in time to hear her idea.
"The dirt from the trenches is in piles between them. We could use that to build walls." Itsuko frowned as they walked into the store room.
"But the mud would simply wash away." Natsume smiled as she held up the used potato and flour sacks that had yet to be refilled. They had nearly a fifty of them since the entire village went to market once a month.
"Not if we add some rocks and put it in this." Itsuko eyes her a moment before grabbing more bags and stuffing them in Hinata's arms.
"You know the plan, GO!" Hinata spun and dashed out of the kitchen towards the river, followed by Natsume, who also had her arms full of bags. They reached the side of the river and explained the idea to the women and children there. The men were dealing with the mine entirely. They got to work. Filling the bags with mud, rocks and then placing them in a stack between them and the river. Hinata ran quickly between groups with bags as the wall went up all along the river outside the first trench. They had quite a bit of distance to cover for an idea sprung during the crisis.
Hinata was relieved to see Shino and Kiba briefly during one of her runs. She didn't think they saw her, but knowing they were okay was enough. She was helping Itsuko get some children to safety, their part of the river done when Hinata heard a roar above the storm. Itsuko must have heard it too for she suddenly picked up two of the children and tossed them to the far side of the far trench. Hinata did likewise. They had three children left when Hinata saw the most terrifying natural scene there ever was, the river had been flooding up stream, but there must have been some kind of dam that burst because that wall of water was at least five feet over the water's current depth. Hinata picked up the last child and got to the wall just as the water hit. She saw two children go flying but turned just in time to grab Itsuko's wrist as she was brushed off her feet by the water and various branches in the water.
Hinata gritted her teeth as she called on all of her new strength to pull the woman three times her size out of the water. She couldn't do much with the water, it was too chaotic. She was pushing Itsuko over the wall they had just made when she realized that the child she had been helping was helping her. Itsuko coughed up water as she looked at Hinata in gratitude. Another heave and both women fell over the wall to the other, slightly less drenched side. A high scream shattered Hinata's thoughts as she spotted the child who had been helping them. She saw his ankle as he was pulled under the water. Wrenching herself to her feet, she didn't really think much, as she dove over the wall and into the water, sending out her chakra to the water that she was in to find the child.
She hadn't been able to help with the water earlier because by the time she had integrated her chakra the water it was a good ten meters down stream. Now that she was traveling with the stream, the water would stay near her.
She swam towards the child's dim chakra, changing the currents to help her and push the child upwards towards air. She wrapped her arms around him and started fighting the current for the side of the river. She could barely see or hear anything but the river. Mui was trying to help her sort through all the noise, but even the Bijuu was having a hard time. Hinata heard a faint voice over the water.
"CHI!!" She swam hard, praying the child was alright, because she couldn't tell in the current. She saw a group of people on the shore. She pushed out her senses and found a spot with a boulder or something she could stand one. With strength Chi shouldn't have had she lifted the child out of the water and tossed him towards shore only two meters away. She didn't know if the child landed because the force of the throw unbalanced her and she toppled under water. She heard her name again as she broke for air, calling up reserves that she knew were already empty. That is until she felt them fill with foreign chakra. She felt slightly giddy as Naruto poured his chakra into her through their bond.
She activated her byakugan and dove low. The current would be slower near the bottom fo the water as she thought. The water would hit the waterfall in another few moments. That was something she didn't think she could survive without revealing her shinobi abilities. As it was, there were going to be weird looks. She shoved off the bottom towards the shore. She tried to stay above water as she searched for the shore. She could hear the falls now and the water was picking up speed. She was just pulled under again when a strong hand grasped her wrist. She returned the grasp and was pulled to air. She felt someone reach down and grab her arm under the armpit. she looked up at the terrified eyes of her teammates and helped them pull her into the tree branch upon which they were perching.
Kiba crushed her against him as he finally got her out of the river. Shino was kneeling to his side, panting harshly, running his hand through Hinata's wet hair and down her back just to reassure himself that she was breathing. When they had spotted her topple over the wall with Itsuko they had been so relieved. Then their hearts had leaped to their throats as she turned and dove into the water. Neither had ever been so scared in their lives. They, plus four others, followed her downstream as she caught up to the child and brought him closer to shore. The four had remained with the child as they had continued after Hinata, who had fallen back underwater with the force of her toss.
They felt panic for a few moments when she didn't surface. When they spotted her they quickly climbed the tree, to hell with their undercover identities. Kiba just held her close as he felt her heartbeat slow some. Shino finally spoke.
"We should return." Kiba and Hinata nodded. Kiba followed Shino's leap out of the tree with Hinata in his arms. Hinata looked up at him.
"The child, is he okay?" Kiba looked down at her.
"He's a little waterlogged and groggy, but I think he'll be fine." He pulled her close. "Next time you decide to scare us like that, please at least give us some heads up." Hinata smiled slightly.
"I didn't plan to this time." Their talk was interrupted when Natsume ran down the path.
"CHI!" She dashed over and swept the younger woman in a hug. Hinata hoped Shino's insects were okay. In fact, she wondered if they had survived her dip. She returned her attention to Natsume.
"I'm fine. How is the boy? Itsuko?" Natsume straightened immediately.
"Itsuko, right! Come on! Hurry!" Hinata sprang out of Kiba's grip to dash after the woman, followed by Kiba and Shino. Natsume spoke as she ran.
"Itsuko, sprained a wrist, don't worry not the one you grabbed, and her ankle. The boy is fine. Listen dinner has to start soon. Itsuko wanted to talk to you before that happened. We have to hurry!" Hinata nodded as they dashed through the soaked village. She waved to Kiba and Shino as they were snagged by some men for work.
She entered the med tent where Itsuko was. The village doctor came over while Hinata and Itsuko spoke. The doctor pronounced Hinata fine, simply wet and exhausted. Hinata found that she wouldn't get rest yet.
"I can't go and help in the kitchen today." Hinata nodded in understanding.
"Natsume will take your place?" Natsume was generally considered the second in command in the kitchen. Itsuko shook her head though.
"Natsume is an incredible cook. That is why she is second in command, but she cannot organize people to save her life. You need to organize them." Hinata nearly jumped off her stool.
"Me?!?!?" Itsuko nodded.
"You know every job that is done in the kitchen. You know when they are done and why. I've seen you watch everything. You can do it." Hinata started to shake her head when Natsume spoke up.
"She's right, Chi. Please, we can't do it otherwise. I'll man the fire like I used to, we can do it." Hinata looked between them. She sighed knowing that they weren't gong to take a no. Nodding with resignation she rose.
"Alright, I'll do it." Itsuko smiled as Natsume clapped. Hinata sighed and then turned. "We'd better get started. It might take longer tonight."
000
Hinata took a deep breath and whacked the frying pan Itsuko used to call the women in for dinner preparation. She tried to shout, but it only came out as a dreaded whisper.
"Women for dinner stations." Natsume giggled slightly next to her. The rain was still coming down pretty hard. There was no way anyone but Natsume heard her. She took a deep breath and steeling her will she banged the pan.
"WOMEN FOR DINNER STATIONS!" Her shout wasn't on the loud end really but it was sharp. It would carry. Soon she had the women gathered.
They worked hard. The carrots and potatoes were cut by Ran and the fire fed by Natsume. The jobs were doing good, the only problem was the bellows. They had to be pushed down with feet. Itsuko was one of four women who usually did this. Hinata, however, was a third her size. There was no way she could do that. She looked around the kitchen frowning. She spotted Ran taking out another bag of waste.
Hinata traded places with Ran for the evening. Ran's size allowed her to work the bellows with ease. Hinata gathers the waste as she kept an eye on the rest of the kitchen. At first the others were skeptical of letting Ran help on the bellows, but eventually Hinata's authoritative voice won them over. She smiled as the meal came together.
000
Hinata sighed in relief as the last dish was placed in the cubboard by Shika. The dinner had gone pretty well, only a little late. The men were extra hungry, but there was enough to go around. Hinata stood up abruptly when Itsuko entered on crutches.
"You should be resting, Itsuko-san." Hinata's voice, rough from use during dinner, was quiet again. Itsuko smiled.
"I hear dinner got out on time." Hinata nodded. She could already feel her eyes start to droop. Naruto's chakra was sustaining her, but even that was starting to wane as her body made its demands for rest known. Naruto was freaking out in her mind that she was trying to kill herself by walking around again. Itsuko nodded.
"Thank you Chi. I'm glad you were here to help." Hinata froze as she was sitting down. She knew of very few times when someone was glad for her presense, and even fewer of when someone had said so.
"Itsuko-san..." Itsuko smiled. She had guessed the girl's shyness came from her environment as opposed to her personality. She turned to the door.
"Come on in you two. Your sister is right there." Immediately Shino and Kiba entered the kitchen. "See she's fine. Now get her to bed, this instant. She can snuggle with that fox of hers" Both boys rather ignored the woman in favor of checking over Hinata. Kiba leaned down and scooped her up while Shino looked on. Shino finally turned his attention to Itsuko.
"Fox?" Itsuko smiled broadly.
"We noticed some time ago that Chi had a little fox visiting her. We thought it was so cute so we left it alone." Hinata mumbled as she fell into that place between sleep and wake, leaning against Kiba.
"You know, those mines are making you really muscley. I think the girls at home are going to like the change." Kiba showed his wolf's grin at those words as Shino raised his eyebrow. They had better get her out of here before she said their names.
"Good night ladies. And thank you for the rescue earlier." Shino bowed to them and followed his teammates.
Kiba laid Hinata on her bed gently and sat on the edge watching her sleep. Hoshi, who had arrived just before the storm had hit, immediately curled around her. Hinata smiled as she gathered the fox into her arms. Kiba placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We almost lost her today." Shino silently agreed, both to the statement and the guilt and fear behind it. "We aren't strong enough! I'm not strong enough!" Shino placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder.
"They former is the more correct one now. We are a team. We must now think complete as a team. If someone isn't strong enough, then so are we all." Kiba looked up into the eyes of a man that as a boy he thought he would never be close to. When they had been paired up Kiba saw Hinta as too weak and Shino as too solitary. He grew to know Hinata, but Shino remained a mystery to him for some time. True he had come to recognize body language form the boy, but it wasn't until this mission that not only did he realize that he had a true friend in Shino, but that they were both becoming men in the process.
000
Hinata awoke one morning to loud sounds. It was the middle of the fourth week of the mission. She quickly dressed and poked her head out of the tent door. There were four carriages sitting outside. She saw several men unloading them into several tents. Visitors? Hinata stepped down, frowning when she noticed, not only the guards the strangers had brought, but the fact that many of the men that would be working the mine in a few short hours, were up and unloading instead of resting. She ducked under a load and saw Natsume standing off to one side discussing something with Itsuko angrily. Hinata hurried over to them.
"What's going on?" Her voice was quiet this time by choice rather then by shyness. Living and working with these women had helped her come out of her shell to a large extent. While they tolerated her shyness and didn't look down on her because of it, she was put into the position where her shyness could not get the job done on purpose and they had opened her up.
"He is here." The distaste on Natsume's face was enormous. Itsuko looked similarly disgusted.
"Who?" Natsume nodded towards her husband, unofficial head of the male population in the village. Itsuko tended to lead the female half.
"That is Rokuro. He is the person that comes for the coal every two months." Hinata nodded, inside jumping. She had found the middle man for this mission.
"And what does he do with it?" Natsume's eyes narrowed. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, her name was called, as well as Itsuko's. Both women went over, with Hinata trailing just close enough to listen.
"Wake the other women, please. We should have breakfast early today." Itsuko looked at Natsume's husband.
"They should be here in twenty minutes anyway. That isn't a long time. Beside the men won't be awake yet. Well, those that weren't a wakened by this hullaballoo."
"Watch your tongue woman. Now wake your kitchen servants so we can eat breakfast. It was a long trip!" The man, Rokuro, had a condescending tone to his voice that grated with Hinata. It reminded her of some of her clan's counsel members around the branch family. Itsuko wasn't one to be silence so quickly either.
"If your men would like an apple or a carrot to tide you over, we will provide, however, the main meal will take an hour cook regardless of when we start so-" She was cut off with a slap.
"You should teach these women some manners!" Rokuro stalked away with his voice trailing he behind him for his warriors to wake all the women of the village. Natsume's husband gripped Itsuko's shoulder in concern as the woman took deep breaths. The slap had stung. She looked at Hinata a few meters away.
"Chi, what is your opinion?" Hinata looked thoughtful a moment.
"A self-centered bastard. But for now, a powerful one. Lets inconvenience ourselves while we think. It does no good to do anything on an empty stomach when it could be full." Her words calmed Itsuko and Natsume nodded. Itsuko had been looking for a way to give in gracefully, Hinata had provided.
000
Hinata soon found out that the reason they worked so hard was that they had a quota to reach every two months. They had made it with a little to spare thank to Shino and Kiba's extra hands. She also found out that the money for everything here came from this man's boss and that, when she tallied it up, was less then half what the quota was worth. Further listen told her that others in the village could do the math, but didn't know what to do about it.
Rokuro had brought one soldier for every two men in the village. He held authority about him in an arrogant cloak which sent people scurrying. As the day passed and he inspected the load, it was announced that the quota had been increased and they were under by week's worth. Upon this announcement, a new schedule started. the men now rose when the women did, worked while the women cooked, ate their meals in half the time and worked for another hour after dinner. Hinata was growing furious at the pace. She overheard one of the other women talking.
"Last time he upped the quota too. He is simply going to up the quota every time he visits" Which had made Hinata's blood boil even more. Rokuro took his meals in his own tent, attended by three women chosen every night. Whoever tended to him couldn't eat until afterwards. Hinata had found that near unbearable. His eyes had followed her around the tent. At one point he even reached out to brush her lower back. Natsume must have told Itsuko, because she hadn't worked that chore since.
Hinata found out her information on the fourth day for Rokuro's visit. The women were talking after dishes that evening.
"We have to do something."
"But what?'"
"I don't know, but this is killing some of the men."
"I know that, my boys are barely men and they are working the same hours."
"He acts to high and mighty. Just because he's backed by that bastard."
"Shhh. Orochimaru-sama is said to have spies everywhere."
"I don't care. Hell I don't care about this mine or even this land, I want my own life back. With my kids and husband."
"Why not leave?" They all looked at Hinata.
"Because if we left in a group we would be hunted down and none of us are willing to leave people behind." Hinata looked at their faces as she thought. She might have an idea.
"You could always get him to leave." They looked at her.
Little one. I think I know a way to help them.
You do? Without revealing that we are shinobi?
Yes. Take an extra apple tonight. We will have a long hike ahead of us.
gotchya
"How could we get him to leave?" Hinata smiled
"We are the cooks. There's a saying that my father once told me about my mother. 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'." When she left that night with three apples, the women had scary looks on their faces.
000
She left two apples for Shino and Kiba as an apology for leaving without talking to them, but if she waited much longer, she would be too tired. She followed Mui's direction as she climbed the mountain they were currently digging out of. Mui seemed to sense a direction rather then know a path, because Hinata had to work her way around several natural barrier a few time before she found a small hut.
She walked up to it hesitantly. She took a deep breath and knocked. Mui said their goal was inside the hut. A few minutes later the door opened and a man stepped outside. He looked to be in his mid-30s. Hinata nearly squeaked before she regained her confidence.
"Hello, I'm Chi." She gave him a short bow. The stranger eyed her before giving her a nod. Everything about him screamed neutral. Mui swore up and down that he wasn't a threat, but the whole neutral feeling was putting Hinata off.
"I had a strange favor to ask of you." He looked at her. He held out a hand for hers. Cautiously she gave it to him, but tugged it away quickly when he swiped it with a kunai. She glared at him as he sniffed the blood.
"Why did you do that?" He let the amount of her blood on his hand fall onto a plate and then turned to her.
"What can I do for a Hyuuga in the middle of nowhere?" Hinata froze. Instantly she backed up and dropped into a more defensive posture. He didn't react. Gradually she decided to talk.
"There is a village at the base of this mountain. It has good people in it. They are being forced to help a despicable man."
"Why is this man despicable?" Hinata nearly growled, but calmed herself. This man may not be involved in the shinobi villages.
"In this case, Orochimaru is despicable simply because he is forcing these people into a sort of slave labor. His lackey is there now." The man seemed to consider.
"They want to be free of him? They are willing to work for it?" Hinata nodded slowly. The man looked down at the blood he had stolen from her. his palm glowed as he did some sort of jutsu over it. Glancing back up at her sharply, his eyes suddenly glistened in the darkness with assessment.
"If they will remove those 'lackeys' then I will keep them from re-entering provided one of them comes up here to ask it of me himself. Tell them not to worry about waking me, I rarely sleep." Hinata considered him a moment before nodding in agreement. It was more then fair.
"I will propose it." Hinata did not go however, she had one more question. "What is it you need my blood for?"
The man smiled softly, far more reassuring then his earlier behavior.
"Knowledge." She looked athim in question. "Knowledge is my love. Your blood can tell me of your family and lifestyle. With a simply jutsu I can feel the parts of your blood from your separate parents." Hinata just looked at him stunned. He shrugged. "Now get to bed before you fall off the mountain instead of climb down it." Hinata bowed and turned before she turned back.
"Arigato Gozaimasu!" She handed him the apple she had brought. He chuckled.
"Do Itashimashita." She bowed again and left.
000
Hinata returned to the tent to find Shino and Kiba sitting on the floor talking.
"You too should be asleep." Her quiet voice startled them. Even Shino jumped, showing how tired he was. They glanced at each other, but Hinata caught the sight of the bandage before they could say anything.
"What happened?" Shino looked at Kiba, who was cradling his own arm.
"Some of those stupid guards came to see if we were working fast enough." Hinata looked at Kiba, who had snarled.
"And?" At her prodding question Shino looked down at Kiba.
"They decided to move some rocks, paying no attention to the instruction of the workers. The rocks they moved were supporting parts of the ceiling." Hinata sucked in her breath.
"Is everyone alright?" Kiba nodded.
"I'm the only one stupid enough to get injured" Shino looked at Kiba in question.
"Do you think your action was stupid?" Kiba shook is head emphatically.
"No, not moving afterwards was what was stupid." He was muttering to himself by the end of that statement. Hinata could see embarrassment rise in his face. She was about to pursue the questioning when the door opened. Natsume entered with some water and cloth, followed by her husband.
"Hiro, how is your arm?" Kiba nodded, not really looking at anyone. Hinata turned to the new comers. She could tell that both boys were embarrassed by what had happened. She'd have better luck asking these two.
"What happened today? They were fine at dinner." They had nodded to each other in passing. Natsume's husband looked at her, before looking at Kiba.
"When a guard decided to see how hard it was to work the mine, he neglected to learn which rocks to move and simply picked one up. It caused a small amount of rocks to come loose, including one over Ichiro's head. Hiro pushed his brother out of the way just in time." Kiba snorted.
"But I was too stupid to move myself." Hinata ignored him a moment.
"How bad was he hurt?"
"It is a deep scrape. He should leave off it a few days." Hinata nodded. She saw Natsume and her husband turn to leave, now that they knew Kiba was alright. Hinata called after Natsume and husband.
"May I have a moment of your time?" They nodded. Hinata took a deep breath. She had two stories to tell now and they both had to be right the first time.
"I received a message from my cousin. Our house will be finished soon. We are to leave the day after tomorrow for our new home." Natsume looked heartbroken.
"Are you certain?" Hinata nodded softly. The head man nodded.
"There is one other thing." She hesitated. This part would be dangerous. "There is a man, up the mountain. He says he can help you with these bastards." The couple looked at her in shook.
"How?" Hinata looked down.
"He says he can keep them from returning." Natsume burst out at this.
"But they are thinking of keeping themselves posted here!" Hinata bit her lip slightly.
"He said he would only help, if we got them out of the village without his help." She waited as they thought on this. Natsume nodded to her husband finally.
"Alright. When should I meet him." Hinata sighed slightly in relief.
"I can take you there before work tomorrow." He nodded and spun to leave. Natsume looked at Hinata a moment.
"You could stay, you know." Hinata shook her head.
"It is time to go home for us. Thank you for your hospitality." She bowed slightly and then turned to go to bed. She would have a long day tomorrow.
000
The meeting went as planned. The man said he would be ready to create the barrier in four days. That gave the village four days to put the women's plans into motion. They were going to antagonize the bejeezes out of these guards.
It started with some harmless things. Their food was made extra spicy, then extra bland. They found bones in their stew. Their food was cold by the time they got to it. Little things. That was all the women could do on short notice.
The next day, the guards found their clothes and tent covered in bugs. The women had sprayed sugar water on them. The kids stole little things like a shaving blade here and button there, a sock or shoe here, a belt there. All the pranks were untraceable to human hands for the most part. And though Rokuro chalked it up to bad luck, the guards were getting antsy.
Hinata played little part in these for her and Shino and Kiba were trying to un-integrate themselves from the group as much as they could before they left. They had most of their things packed in such a way that they would just grab and go once the decision was made.
The last day of the fourth week of the mission, Hinata nodded to her teammates and they knew it was time. The pranks had hit new levels and the guards were worthless. The village was going to run them out tomorrow. The shinobi had to get out before that happened.
Natsume had been quiet the last few days. Ever since that talk with Hinata. Everyone now knew they were going to leave soon and that hey refused a big send off. In fact, they didn't want a send off at all. They told the villagers that they didn't want the bastards attention, but that their cousin needed their help at the house. In truth, since some of the bastards guard were shinobi they were worried about getting caught if they were followed. Natsume had figured out they were going to just disappear.
She was right.
000
Hinata shouldered her pack and crept out of the back of the tent without sound. Kiba was in front of her and Shino was bringing up the rear, letting his bug erase every trace of their presence.
"No goodbyes at all?" They spun on the voice. Natsume was standing at the corner of the tent. Hinata sighed inwardly. "You really are just going to vanish from our lives to a place we don't know?" Kiba and Shino shared a look over Hinata's bowed head.
"Natsume-san, gomen" She barely heard the small whisper. Hinata apology was not what she wanted, she wanted a reason. Hinata shook her head. Kiba spoke quietly.
"We must go now."
"Why!" Her voice was harsh whispers now. "Why do you have to go? We are friends! You can trust us!" Hinata's gaze stopped her. this wasn't the gaze of a meek farm girl, or event he kitchen helper she had been working with. This was the gaze of an adult who made a hard choice. Natsume looked at them, really looked at them, their attire, their stance, their movement.
"You...you're shinobi?" Her voice sounded weak to her. In a flash she knew, she understood. The strange strength, the knowledge, the mix of care without the sibling disputes, they weren't siblings at all. They were a team. She looked down.
"I...understand." Hinata looked at her in fear. If she reacted badly to this...well...they couldn't be found out. But Natsume continued. "You are on a mission. You have completed it. Now you must leave." Hinata took a step towards the young wife.
"Natsume-san..."
"Did I ever meet the real Chi?" Hinata's breath hitched. In a way this young woman had been like a mother to her for a month.
"You have helped in ways I could never calculate." Natsume's eye filled with tears.
"I was a good source of information for your mission?" Hinata shook her head gently.
"You were a source of advise and a good friend. I have grown having met you. But now I must return. My newfound strength demands it. I have a duty to follow Natsume-san. We all do." Natsume looked at Kiba and Shino. She nodded. She reached forward and pulled Hinata into a hug.
"I'm glad you came on this mission, Chiisai." Hinata smiled softly. She had wondered if that was the reason for her name. Chiisai meant small but the kanji for it was pronounced Chii.
"Me too." Hinata let her go. Speeding back to the others she heard Shino ask Natsume the important question.
"What are you going to tell the others?" Natsume smiled through her tears.
"That I went out to talk to Chi and you guys were already gone." Shino nodded and the three of them silently entered the trees. Natsume huged herself as she heard Chi's voice one last time.
"Good bye Natsume." Natsume felt tears fall again.
"Good bye, my dear friend."
000
The three chunnin watched from the cliff as the village threw the bastards out and the shield came up. Hinata sighed softly. They had already given Anko their status report and were heading home after a quick lunch. Hinata smiled as she saw Natsume and her husband embrace. It was at times like this that she really liked having her Kekkei Genkai. She looked at her teammates. They all smiled. Without a word they jumped into the trees and took off for home.
000
Hinata smiled as she walked through the gate of Konoha. Shino grinned as Kiba and Hoshi chased each other around Kiba's jacket, which he was still wearing. Hoshi had been waiting for them with Anko. Hinata just sat on Akamaru and waited so they could hurry to the Hokage tower and make their final report before going home. They had been gone too long with their only contact they had was messages and Hinata had Naruto, who had kept her informed on Neji.
A lot had happened. She had made a new friend. She had told Kiba ad Shino about Mui and her bond. They had incorporated her abilities into their group's training.
She smiled as pulled her hoodie closer. They were still in disguise. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were green. Kiba's hair was darker and Shino's lighter. Shino was still blind and Kiba had green eyes. They had been siblings for their cover. All of their hair was longer, way longer. They all wore cloaks in an attempt to stave off the rain they had been traveling through for the last day or so.
They sprinted to the Hokage's tower and entered the window only to be confronted by Kakashi's kunai. Kiba let out a yelp as he backed away mid-air. Hinata leaped over him, recognizing the sound as one of surprise and warning, and grabbed Kakashi's wrist as Shino block the attacks by the additional guards. Kiba helped him as Akamaru pounced on one, successfully knocking him out and Hoshi scurried around Kakashi, making him lose his grip on his kunai and allowing Hinata to back him into a corner. Needless to say, the three completely immobilized the two guards and jounin with ease before Tsunade got everyone's attention and calmed them down. She sent Kakashi off, already having his report, on a mission to tell Neji to meet his cousin at the hot springs in two hours. Kakashi, though confused, did so. Tsunade sighed and asked for their report.
000
Hinata giggled as they walked into the onsen. They had waved to her cousin and father and much to her amusement, they had looked completely confused. She was glad the disguise had worked. She nodded to her teammates as they walked into a family bathing area. They had learned within the first week that getting all the make-up off by oneself was impossible. They had grown not only comfortable, but accustomed to helping each other. It was a closeness Hinata had never thought she would have again after her mother's death.
"Back to normal life." Kiba smiled at the thought.
"Life will never be normal here. Especially now." Shino nodded as he let Hinata rinse her hair out, turning it a dark mud color before giving back to Shino to scrub again. She was working on Kiba's back while she waited.
"We are too close for things to ever be what they were." Hinata frowned slightly as something occurred to her.
"Do you want them to be?" Her quiet voice was barely heard over the rush of the water. Shino's hand froze in hair and Kiba stopped washing his leg. He spun to her as Shino came around to her front.
"No." Both boys were firm on this answer. Kiba looked at Shino as the Aburame continued.
"I too have gained more then I ever could have imagined in my team. I will not give that up easily." Kiba grinned and placed a hand on Shino's shoulder.
"Yeah, it was a trial the entire way, but this understanding, this friendship, its ours. Its something nothing can ever take away from us." Hinata smiled and they all drew into a quick hug.
"Thank you." The smiled as they went back to their previous tasks talking about their plans now that they were home.
000
Hinata smiled as Neji and Hiashi took in her appearance. She had grown physically while she was gone a well. She rather liked her appearance. She let them take it an as she waved to Kiba and Shino. She knew it would be an interesting life, but it was not longer bleak or scary because now she could share it with them. She was glad that on this long road of life they had found each other. Together, they had...
Spirit and Passion
Reason and Intellect
Determination and Direction
A/N this focuses entirely on Hinata and Kiba and Shino because they all did a lot of growing here. thanks to Naybi for the request
The title is Johannes Nikolaus Tetens's 3 powers of mind
Chi means blood however when Chiisai is written it is the kanji Chii (小) and then a sai is added to the end making it look like 小さい. I thought it was a cute play on languages
Ichiro-first son
Hiro-short for Hiroshi-either tolerant or prosperous. I chose the latter
Natsume-it is related to summer
Itsuko is related to tree or forest i think it also means "5 things"
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"-misquoted from William Congreve's "The Mourning Bride" Original-"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."
The end "quotes" were patched together. just wikipedia the number three. oh is that cool
About the bath scene, a few things. I am American, born and raised. However, I have been living in Japan for a few months now and they view nudity a little differently sometimes. it isn't always sexual. The bath scene was NOT sexual, sensual maybe, but not sexual. It is portraying how close and comfortable the three of them are. If I get too many complaints I'll re-phrase it somehow, but I really would rather not.
Next in series: Found Family /s/4636480/1/
Naruto meets a blast from Jiraiya's past and his as well. Who is this person and what connection does she have with the previous generation. Hinata takes a leap forward in her role as a kunoichi