AN: This based as a sequel to a story I was previously writing. I'll put up a summary of that story so you get the just of this if you have not gotten into the shippuden series yet, there aren't TOO manny things reavealed from it, but there are some heavy confessions about things occasionally.
Summary: Hitomi never went to the academy, she was taken away to train with her sensei Miko. Just before the academy opened Hitomi spent time with the Uchiha clan before she left with Miko. There, she grew close to the two brothers, but especially to Sasuke. After leaving the clan, Luna runs away from the academy and Hitomi convinces Miko to let her come with. Luna eventually runs away to become more powerful and find out what happened to her family(Which was taken from her) and Hitomi doesn't stop her. On a visit to the sand village, Hitomi meets up with the recently disowned Akane and she ends up coming along with her and Miko. In a small outside village they meet Yui, who ends up coming along too. On their way back to the village someone or something steals away Miko. The girls pass the academy to become a team of three with their new sensei, Diasuke. Hitomi runs into Naruto, and ends up walking around the town with him where she sees the Uchiha she had previously thought was dead along with the others. Hitomi is horrified to see that the once happy Sasuke had changed so drastically. Team 12(Hitomi's team) and team 7 work together in training some days because of Diasuke recovering from a mission he was injured on. Soon enough Luna returns to Konoha while allying with the Akatsuki and is changed enough by Hitomi to come back to the village. Yui is called away by her finally settled parents and team 12 is left one short. Luna is chosen to replace Yui and stay with Hitomi. The Chunin exams come up and in the first round Team 12 is called away to say goodbye to their dying sensei. Because they can no longer complete the Chunin exams, they keep busy with C and D rank missions. After getting a new sensei they are taken away on many missions far away from the village, not leaving much time to talk to new friends and bringing the team to rely on each other more than ever. Hitomi tried to avoid using her specialty ninjutsu whenever she could, but the few times she did use them she found out about Naruto's father and the REAL reason Itachi had killed off the clan, among other things. She also tried to keep her other personality, which only showed in the most desperate of situations, in check. Hitomi eventually can stay in town for enough time to find out about Sasuke's planning to leave. She met him at the doors to the gate and gave a heartfelt goodbye confessing that up until now she had known she loved him, and others care about him aswell. She wouldn't stop Sasuke from leaving, believing he should make his own decisions and formally turned down any part in bringing him back. The missions started coming closer in turn leaving even less time in the village. Soon Hitomi catches word that Naruto is leaving to train with Jiraya and fails at catching him to say a goodbye. The years pass by and team 12 hasn't quite gone their separate ways, yet. They are still a team on black ops missions when necessary but Luna spends most her time there while Akane helps with the academy occasionally, but focuses more on B and C missions. Hitomi spends most her time helping with paperwork and lessons at the academy. It gave her plenty of time to think.
Enjoy the sequel to my off the internets fanfic; "The Story of Konoha's Untold Team"!(BAMBAMBAM!) "Thinking of Ways"! *applause*
Hitomi sat at the desk and pushed her hair back trying to focus. She had been doing paperwork all day and now it was afternoon. She pushed some papers aside and rested her head in her arms, thinking. She remembered with vivid accuracy what happened, that night.
"Sasuke, I'm not going to stop you if this is really what you want. But I just want you to know that you will be giving up everything you have. All the people who care about you will be heartbroken; I'll be heartbroken."
"Hitomi, I know there were times when I almost thought ' maybe I could feel what we had again'. This is all I've lived for, this is, my life's mission."
"Oh Sasuke," Tears started to well in her eyes, but she held them back, knowing it wouldn't change his mind at all. "Sasuke, I love you. There are others that love you too. Not that pitiful love you've assumed everyone had, but deep bleeding love that no matter what happens will always be there." Sasuke seemed taken aback by this. "Sasuke, those people are your team, it's Naruto, Sakura, Me, Luna, Akane no matter how opposite it feels, Kakashi- Sasuke you have friends! What does He have? You have people that care about you-"
"He has the satisfaction of taking my family!"
"Sasuke it was his family too, damnit! It was my family."
"It obviously didn't please him enough, because he killed it off, and why leave me? Answer me that; is it because he wanted to die? Is it because he wanted me to despise him? No, it's because he wanted me to suffer."
"You have a new family, you have people that love and care about you isn't that what a family is?" Seeing no change in Sasuke's expression Hitomi turns to leave. "Sasuke, make your own decision. But make the right one. Good night." Hitomi walked away, leaving Sasuke, but she could hear his footsteps retracting away. She walked back home and Luna was waiting for her.
"Why! Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you bring his sorry ass back here so we could talk some sense into him; Damnit WHY!"
"Luna, I didn't stop you. I let you make your own decision, and look at you now. You're a ninja of Konoha anyhow, and you're better off than you would have been otherwise." Hitomi moved past Luna into her room. She felt a hollow space in her heart. She had only felt this feeling two other times. When Miko was taken and when the Uchihas were murdered. She felt loss, grief; she felt guilty that she could do nothing.
Hitomi's memory was cut short by Akane rushing into the small office she sat in. She was breathing rather heavily and a huge smile was spread across her face.
"Hitomi, he's back! Naruto Uzumaki is returning to Konoha. The people at the front gate just told me so, when I came back from my mission! Naruto's in Konoha!" Akane rushes over to Hitomi and stands her up. Hitomi almost believes her but pulls away.
"I'm not falling for this practical joke again!"
"Practical- NO! He's really come back this time!" Akane's dark red hair was covering part of her face, she looked serious but Hitomi knew her well enough to not be fooled.
"Right. Well I've still got work to do." Hitomi sits back down in her chair and starts back to work but not for long.
"Hey Hitomi; what are you doing, I thought you'd be one of the first out there to greet Uzumaki back." Luna wanders into the room looking confused. Luna didn't normally get involved with Akane's jokes, but there were some rare occasions.
"Uh-huh, Naruto's back. I'll believe you when I see him for myself." Hitomi was trying to look busy with her work, but she was still thinking about if they were truthful or not.
"Well, you won't have to wait long. I told him where you were today a while ago and I saw him walking here from lady Tsunade's office just now. He should be up here in, five, four," As Luna counted down Hitomi tried to look as if she could care less, but she desperately awaited the conclusion. "Two, one." Nothing happened, no one walked through the doors.
"Ha! I knew you two were trying to fool me" Hitomi stood up, pushing her glasses up her face again she smirked in victory." I knew he wasn't ba-" just then she heard footsteps coming down the hall, she stopped dead in the middle of her words ready to eat them. Soon enough a taller, older Naruto strode just inside the doorway. He looked around a little and Hitomi took in everything about him. He was taller, that was for sure, he had new clothes, orange and black this time instead of his original orange and blue. He had a new headband, which was still tied around his forehead. He smiled a little when his eyes finally rested on Hitomi.
"Hey, Hito-" He didn't even get to finish the name, because in a flash Hitomi had jumped over the desk and attacked him with a hug.
"Naruto you're back! You look so different; how are you; what's with the new clothes; did your hair grow longer-" Hitomi started going through a VERY long list of things and Naruto's head was reeling with how to answer them.
"Hitomi, calm down! He just got back and you're on him like a leech!" Akane trys to pull Hitomi off Naruto but she just holds tighter.
"I'm so happy you're back! There's so much we have to catch up on, we have to do something so we can talk about the past two years! Oh god I haven't seen you in so long!"
"I, missed you too…? Your hair is down…?" Confused, Naruto tries to keep up.
"Yeah, I didn't get to put it up this morning. Wait a second!" Hitomi snaps out of, whatever it was she was in, and into something else. Quickly enough so it can't be stopped she backs Naruto against the wall. There's a distinct whistle and Hitomi looks back with a glare for Luna.
"I'll say you missed him; broad daylight and you already want him-"
"Luna! That's not it." Hitomi turns back and straightens the VERY confused Naruto so he stands straight against the wall. She measures herself against him and he's at least four centimeters taller than her. "Damn! You're taller than me!"
"Yes…?" Naruto isn't sure what she's talking about.
"We used to be the same height! It isn't fair, now you're taller!" Hitomi slumps against the wall and pouts a little while everyone else exchanges looks of confusion.
"Okay…? Hitomi the other thing I came up here for, was Lady Tsunade has asked that the three of us meet in her office. Now." Luna makes the message sound urgent and Hitomi nods in understanding.
"I have some things I have to give her anyway." Hitomi grabs a stack of papers from the desk and turns back to Naruto taking a very deep breath. "I guess we'll have to catch up another time."
"I don't think there's anything going on tonight. We could get some ramen, I've missed Ichiraku, a lot."
"It sounds like a plan!" Hitomi gives a huge smile.
"It sounds like a date." Luna crosses her arms and looks out the window as Akane trys to control her laughter. Hitomi makes and audible hiss under her breath at Luna, and storms out of the room.
"Why on earth are there footprints on these papers?" Tsunade looks over the stack of papers Hitomi had given her. Hitomi gave an apologetic look. "It doesn't matter, that's not why I've called you here. I need the three of you to go on a black ops mission. We've heard that another village has made some threats, and we need information. Naturally, we assumed your unit would be perfect, Hitomi."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. We won't disappoint you." Hitomi bows slightly and Akane and Luna do the same. Hitomi was the team captain of their three man unit in ANBU, for her leadership abilities. The three of them hadn't been ANBU for long, but in the time they had, they gathered plenty of information to stop attacks before they happened. Mostly thanks to Luna's help with stealth, Akane's ability to paralyze if the need arose, and Hitomi's jutsu that let her probe their thoughts and memories at will. She had found some, interesting, things out with that power.
"Good, you'll head out tonight." Tsunade looks back down to the papers on her desk. Hitomi just stands, shocked for a moment.
"Bu-but,"
"Is there a problem, Hitomi?" Tsunade looks up, a serious expression on her face.
"No, we'll be ready to carry out the mission." Hitomi bowed and turned to leave, a weight heavy on her shoulders.
"How are you going to break the news you're canceling the date." Akane hurries after her and looks at her with concerned green eyes. Luna followed close behind.
"I don't know. I can't tell him about the black ops missions. He wouldn't be ready." Hitomi feels guilty that she has to keep this from Naruto, even if it is just for a short time. He had always been open with her, and there was so much she knew that he couldn't.
"I don't see why you can't just tell him. It'd be the truth." Luna sneers at the thought of Hitomi's confusion.
"Because, he can't think I'm better than him. It would crush him, I didn't even go to the academy or to the Chunin exams the first time, but I'm a black ops officer. What does that say? It would kill him, he'd seem fine on the outside, but he'd know he was inferior and that's what I need to protect him from. He wants to be Hokage and that won't happen if he doesn't feel important."
"He can't be Hokage until Tsunade drops sickly drunk or drops dead from her well concealed age." Luna cracks a joke about Tsunade's age. Something they were all sure was a HUGE lie.
"Heh, yeah. But still, the kid isn't even a Chunin, but everyone else is or higher. That alone already makes him feel less important. I just can't bring myself to drive him lower like that." Hitomi's expression read as one of deep thought. You can't, but I can. Don't worry Hitomi, it's for the best. Luna thought to herself.
Later that night, just before the unit was to be ready to head out, Luna made an expedition to a certain persons home. She paitently, and silently, waited for Naruto to walk into his room, then she would tell him. Just to be sure he believed her, she had worn her ANBU clothing. She sat on his bed and adjusted her vest. Her legs were covered in the uniform black capris and she had added a dark blue, almost black wrap from about the middle of her shin to her ankle where it met up with her sandaled feet. Under the vest was sleeveless, and her arm protectors covered the lower part of her arms. Her mask sat in her lap and her hair was short enough it didn't need pulled back. She sat there, contemplating whether she should just up and say it, or give a short explaination. She didn't have much time more to think, because soon enough Naruto walked in wearing only his pants and carrying a shirt.
"LUNA! What are you doing in my house!"
"First," Luna covers her eyes, creeped out buy what she had just seen. How could Hitomi want THAT? "Put a damn shirt on!" Naruto quickly does as he's told and Luna uncovers her eyes and blows out a sigh. "Second, your window was open."
"No, it wasn't."
"Well it is now. And the only reason I'm here is because I have to explain why Hitomi can't go put with you tonight."
"Wait, why are you dressed as an ANBU officer!" Naruto looks Luna over and is utterly shocked. Luna rolls her eyes and sighs.
"That's kind of why I'm here. Sit down," Naruto hesitates, but eventually sits down as Luna stands up.
"So that's the reason. I can't believe she wouldn't just tell me. I would've understood." Naruto looks confused at Luna who was nearly emotionless.
"She didn't want to hurt your feelings, something about you being Hokage won't be possible if you don't feel important; some crap like that."
"This isn't like Hitomi, why won't she just be open?"
"Look, we have to go soon, but you might be able to catch her on the way out. I have to go, Hitomi might start questioning where I've been." Luna stands up and climbs out the window. Naruto sits in thought for a while longer.
The unit was about ready to leave and Hitomi had just pulled her mask over her face. Luna and Akane rush out together in front of her. She's about ready to run after them when she felt someone's stare on her. She turned around and saw Naruto standing behind her.
"Good luck, Hitomi." The three simple words nearly brought Hitomi to tears. But she just secretly smiles and nods to him. "You better hurry."
Yay! ^w^ I hope you liked and that my summary of the previous story was understandable. If not you can always message me or review a question(I will not be angry, and am open to questions)
PAN:I was re-reading the summary and the very begining of this while listening to songs. The song that came on during that was called "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy. I felt kinda sad during that, because it made me think about the sadness that the story already has and how many goodbyes and "almosts" there have been. I encourage you to look it up, but I won't force you. (I kept listening to it the rest of the time I was writing) The song also made me think about how I'm planning to end this,(Yes I plan those so early) but I won't reveal any spoilers. R&R, thx a bunch!(I know this was rather pointless, that's why it was marked Pointless Authors Note)
~Kitsune