Chapter 1
A rustle of leaves were heard through the vibrant green trees of Konoha; blurs of color racing past the corner of peripheral vision. Team Eight's morning training had commenced with the rising of the sun, and with their ritual game of "tag."
Hinata, now a young woman of seventeen years of experience, skillfully moved from tree to tree keeping an eye out for Shino.
When Kurenai – sensei had suggested the child's game as an exercise to hone stealth and agility, the thirteen year olds of Team Eight at the time gawked with disbelief and disregarded her seriously, but the game had been ritual every morning, even five years later.
Jumping from her current position to another branch the kunoichi pressed her slim figure quickly against the side of a tree trunk, and caught her breath for a moment, her white eyes still scanning the area for a glimpse of her spectacle-clad teammate.
Hinata could have easily activated Byakugan and found him in an instant, just as Shino could have put tracer bugs on Hinata and Kiba, but certainly… where was the challenge in that?
Hinata had learned to grow an appreciation for the adrenaline of pushing her body to the limits. Her ebony locks fell to her waist and whipped out to the rhythm of the wind that rustled the leaves and cast speckled shadows across her pale skin.
"ARGGHHHH" the disgruntled cry of Kiba could be heard about half a mile northeast of Hinata's position, breaking what was left of the peaceful contemplation of a morning in Konoha.
Kiba got tagged. Hinata chuckled to herself.
Without moving from her position she addressed her stoic teammate that had just materialized behind her.
"Shino… no need to aggravate Kiba this early…" the hyuuga heiress chided as she tried to stifle a yawn.
"Mm. He needs to learn to keep a cooler head… this is training after all." The male jounin of the team had grown to a towering height when having turned eighteen, Hinata could feel his presence behind her and always failed to suppress a shiver whenever he was near. A flicker of a grin crossed his lips, having taunted Kiba so early in the game. It seemed no matter how much Team Eight grew, some things would never change.
"Better watch out, he'll probably be after you." Shino's voice was a hushed whisper against Hinata's ear as he brushed past her easily accelerating his speed. An easy feat for a jounin such as himself, he never ceased to rub Kiba's chuunin status in his face.
Hinata sighted and headed north, continuing her progress leaping from branch to branch, her hair like a tail that whipped out behind her. A flicker of grey caught her attention to the left and she instinctively halted and pressed her frame against a trunk. A familiar large dog pounced on Hinata and she fell from her perch and landed with a cushioned thud on a patch of green fallen leaves.
Laughing uncontrollably as the familiar large white canine continued to lick her face, Hinata managed to sputter out her response between fits of giggles.
"Kiba!...no… fair… you … cheated…" Hinata feigned a pout and looked deeply into the pupils of the large dog.
In a puff of smoke the large furry paws that rested to the side of her head transformed into human hands.
Hinata smiled and looked up into the familiar face of her teammate Kiba, a rustle of leaves to her right revealed the dog he had impersonated, Akamaru.
The wild – eyed brunette smirked and looked down on his prey, who only smiled gently.
"Aww… How did you know it was me?" Kiba continued grinning deviously, his body heaving from exhaustion and adrenaline.
"Easy…" a stoic voice above regarded his two teammates on the floor.
"Akamaru smells better."
"Ey!" Kiba snapped fiercely at the bespectacled jounin whose glasses glimmered back Kiba's scowling reflection.
Hinata couldn't help chuckling at her teammates. Kiba's attention was turned back to the girls whose hips he was still straddling. Kiba licked her playfully on the cheek.
"Kiba! Gross!" Hinata pushed the brunette away from her but still smiled, Kiba's doggy actions reflected his doggy nature.
Hinata and her teammates had grown much closer over the 5 years they had been together, they became the family she never had, and she cherished them more than anything in the world.
Her Team. The two comrades that helped her train and finally gain some recognition with her chuunin status.
A rustle to the left produced their sensei Kurenai, with a glint of noticeable excitement in her eye. Shino quickly averted his attention to her arrival.
"New Mission?" he inquired with the two simple words.
The teacher nodded and eyed each of her pupils tauntingly, as if she had a rather pleasurable treat.
"Not another escort mission?" Kiba snarled with disgust, the Godaime had been rather systematic on dishing out the escort missions towards team eight.
Kurenai, her ruby smile growing wider, shook her head.
"Undercover." Kurenai blurted pleased with the slightly incredulous looks from her pupils.
"What are the details?" Hinata's interest flickered through her inquiry and for a moment Kurenai's mood of optimism since she arrived faltered as she looked towards the hyuuga kunoichi. Hinata noticed and furrowed her brows in confusion.
Before Hinata could further inquire into Kurenai's action, her sensei had already burst into the briefing of the mission.
"A village not far from here is having a festival, however, the people of the village are concerned, recently young women from the village have been reported missing and then found a day later dead. The festival is a big event that will surely lure the enemy to attack…"
The team seemed to follow her explanation without any unexpected reactions, but curiosity lingered in the air.
"Our mission, is to find the enemy and stop them before another victim is made."
Kurenai cast a glance towards Hinata, who gazed back curiously and now a little anxious. It was clear now that their sensei had something that she was stalling to keep from talking about.
"Hinata." Kurenai addressed, now with a much more authoritative tone.
"Your performance shall prove integral in the success of the mission, as you will be playing the bait."
Hinata felt the eyes of her team on her. Recovering from the surprise of the news she quickly gave her instructor a look of determination along with a firm nod.
"Understood."
Needless to say her two male companions were uneasy over offering their female team mate as bait to some sick murderer.
Kiba opened his mouth wide to protest.
"What kind of mission is that? You can't just—" his eyes flickered to Hinata in protective concern.
"I can do it." Hinata interjected, almost fiercely, which even caused the stoic Shino to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"I mean… a mission is a mission, right?" Hinata urged, trying to avoid Kiba's piercing gaze. His concern for her made her feel like a burden to her team.
No. She wasn't the timid and fragile genin she was before. She had come too long of a way, and had finally summoned just a little bit of respect for herself. She couldn't risk disappointing them. She would not burden her comrades with her inexperience.
"It's settled." Shino retorted after seeing his teammate's determination.
Kurenai, after glancing over her pupils one last time, nodded and left the three of them to themselves.
"Thank You. Shino." Hinata mumbled, a soft smile of contentment spreading on her lips.
Shino merely nodded stoically.
Forcing a smile on her face, " Alright then ! I'll try my best! I'm counting on you two to protect me." Her bubbly response temporarily shocked her team and then the mood towards the mission was changed.
Any former opposition to the terms of the mission was blasted away by Hinata's consent, her statement surged a positive confidence into the atmosphere and her team mates faced her with an accepting smile. She lived for that smile, and she would do anything for her partners.
As the three members of team 8 walked out of the meeting place in the woods, Shino turned to Hinata silently.
"Are you truly that confident in your abilities for this mission?"
"No, not really." The young woman admitted offhandedly, both men gazed at her.
She stopped in her tracks, and pushed a smile back upon her lips.
"But, I'm confident in both of yours."
And with that note, her partners smiled and left their uncertainties to the wind.
-Continued in Chapter 2-