Chapter 2: Building Tensions

The setting sun illuminated the Hyuuga Clan Compound in a stunning crimson color. The Compound was a massive plot of land filled with abundant, luscious gardens and traditional stone walkways and creeks. It had a very "feudal" feel to it, despite the era of modernity obsoleting its purpose. The Hyuuga, however, prided itself in sticking to its roots. They felt as though it added to their power and prestige, and they were not about to change their beliefs and lifestyles to "conform" to the passing times.

The compound was split in two, unequal divisions. The larger, more dignified division of the compound belonged to the Main Line of the Hyuuga clan. Here the head of the clan, Hyuuga Hiashi, along with his family and their attendants, lived in relative comfort. The elders of the clan also resided in the Main compound, as their input heavily influenced Hiashi's decisions. The main compound was rich in small, traditional gardens and ponds, granting it a feel of regalia. The main sparring hall was located in the center of the household, where the Main Branch refined their Jyuuken technique. It was a large room filled with tatami mats to soften body impact on the ground. Although not too many use the sparring hall, its size was merely another boast of the Hyuuga's overwhelming prominence, especially in Konoha's economy.

Contrary to the size and grace of the Main House Compound, the Branch House Compound was petite and unrefined. The compound did not have the same maintenance of Main Line Compound, so it was in horrible condition. Of course, this is intentional. The Main House demonstrates the inferiority of the Branch House by providing them with inadequate living conditions and space. At least 7 people are packed into one room, with little space between each of them. There is minute privacy, so Branch members that do desire to become intimate with one another must ask the permission of their Main Line oppressors.

Despite all of the disheartening features of the Branch compound, one member of the Branch House is allowed an easier lifestyle. Hyuuga Neji is a prodigy worthy of the Hyuuga name. With his skills and genius, he has brought the Hyuuga clan good name and fortune among their peers. As a result, Neji is provided his own separate sleeping quarters, as to dissuade him from harboring ill will against the Main House and deciding to let his genius go to waste.

Nevertheless, Neji does harbor ill will against the Main House, especially after the events that culminated with the death of his loving father. He glares at Hinata with such hateful scorn that Hinata always shudders at his presence. Hinata did not want this at all for Neji, however. She wanted Neji's love and appreciation and she hopes that one day she can mend their tarnished relationship.

That was one of the things on Hinata's mind as she sat in seiza position on the dining table. The table was rather long (again, unnecessary flaunting of Hyuuga might), and her father sat at the very end of the seat, signifying his position as head of the clan. The other end is usually occupied by the wife of the head, but Hinata's mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her sister, Hanabi. Hinata has very fond memories of her beautiful mother, with her long, silky smooth, auburn hair and her gentle eyes. Her mother made her life in the Main House tolerable, as she was the only one who understood Hinata for what she was as a person. After her passing, her father neglected her, treating her as a degenerate failure that did not deserve the Hyuuga name. He focused more on her sister, Hanabi, whose skills as a rising kunoichi was showing promise.

Hanabi sat directly left of Hiashi, demonstrating his favoritism of Hinata's little sister. Hinata, on the other hand, had to eat dinner a small distance away from her father, at the middle of the room. She was used to such treatment as she, too, considered herself inferior in every way possible; as a kunoichi, heiress, and woman.

Dinner was a silent affair as usual. Both Hanabi and Hinata were silently picking on their food, the best their chefs had to offer, as their father watched over them. Today was a bit different however. Today, Hinata had officially become a genin of Konohagakure. Despite Hiashi's disdain for his daughter's timid nature, he could not help but be interested in his daughter's placement.

"First and foremost," Hiashi said, clearing his throat to gain the attention of Hinata and Hanabi. "I would like to…congratulate…you on your promotion to the rank of genin." There was obvious reluctance in his voice, and Hinata assumed that he was not as serious about congratulating her as he seemed to be. Nevertheless, she was a polite person to everyone, especially to her scornful father.

"T-thank you, Otou-sama." Hinata said, bowing her head in the direction of her father. All Hyuuga children are taught to never make eye contact with their parents, unless they were sparring. So Hinata never looked Hiashi in the eyes. In fact, Hiashi never spars with Hinata. Hinata barely has a clue as to what her father's eyes were like. She could only guess from feeling his glare.

"It is indeed impressive that someone of your caliber actually passed the exams. I wonder if the Academy is growing soft on their students…" Hiashi was genuine in his statement. He honestly had no idea how they allowed such a non-aggressive, timid, young girl like Hinata graduate. Sure, her taijutsu was above everyone else's in the Academy, but that was only because she was a Hyuuga. Hyuuga, even the Branch members, are required to perfect their Jyuuken techniques.

Hinata did not respond to that comment. Although she lacked self-confidence, she was certain that she was more than adequate for graduating. She was the top kunoichi graduating from her class, after all, even if she hates to admit it.

"Um…Otou-sama…" Hinata said, stuttering. "I-I still haven't g-graduated yet…" It was unfortunate but she had to undergo one more survival test before she can actually become a genin.

"Is that so?" Hiashi replied, uninterested. "Well then, you better not dawdle over this one. Make sure you complete whatever assignment is necessary for your graduation. You are a member of the Main House, so you will do well not to disappoint us."

Hinata bowed to your father's expectations. She was still heiress of the Main Line, even if she did not have the resolve necessary to be a leader.

"Tell me about your Team." Hiashi asked slightly curious.

"Um…I-I am a part of T-team 7, led by jounin H-Hatake Kakashi…" She replied hesitantly.

'Kakashi of the Sharingan, eh?' Hiashi thought pleasantly. He has heard all about the exploits of the legendary Hatake Kakashi. Rumored to have copied over a thousand jutsu, Kakashi has earned himself a reputation as one of the most deadly shinobi in Konoha. For such a man of his power to be Hinata's sensei, he could not help but be proud of his daughter, even in the face of her underwhelming qualities.

"…m-my teammates are U-Uchiha Sasuke-san…and Uzumaki N-N-Naruto-kun…" she smiled widely and blushed at the mention of Naruto's name. She still could not believe that she was in Naruto's team. She was extraordinarily happy at the thought of being next to her idol. Her smile and blush did not go unnoticed. Hanabi placed her left hand under her chin out of curiosity for what made her blush so deeply.

Hiashi, on the other hand, dropped his chopsticks, alerting both Hinata and Hanabi. 'Uchiha Sasuke AND Uzumaki Naruto?' He did not approve of this pairing. Uchiha Sasuke is the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, who has long been rivals for prestige against the Hyuuga. Their doujutsu has been compared against each other, and both fought over which clan had the more superior sight. Although the clan was long gone following the massacre, the spark of rivalry has not died down. Hiashi bares no ill will against Sasuke, but his blood boils over the name "Uchiha."

Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand…

"Hinata," Hiashi suddenly said.

"Y-yes Otou-sama…" Hinata replied.

"Do not ever associate yourself with the Uzumaki." Hiashi said with finality.

Hinata was shocked. Why should she not be with Naruto? "W-why not?!" Hinata asked, bewildered. She turned and faced her father, looking deeply into his eyes. Hiashi raised an eyebrow, to which Hinata quietly slid back to position and looked down at her half-eaten plate.

"Do not question my decisions." Hiashi said. "You know better, as the heiress-apparent of the clan." He could not counteract the formation of these teams, made by the Hokage himself, but he would not grant Hinata the privilege of correlating with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. He was a menace, not just because of what he carried, but also because of his habits and lifestyle. He would not defile his daughter to such a…scandalous individual.

Hinata was depressed right now. Her father obviously did not approve of Naruto. She could not understand why nobody liked Naruto. To her, he was an amazing person. Vibrant and energetic, resolute and modest (when humility calls for it), Naruto seemed like a worthy person, the ideal friend. Why was she the only one that actually liked Naruto? Was she the only one who saw Naruto for what he was, instead of conforming to the general stereotype?

"Otou-sama, I-I do not wish to eat anymore…" Hinata said, deeply disturbed by her father's opinions of Naruto.

"Where are you going?" Hiashi asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

"I'm g-going to my room. I-I'm retiring for the e-evening." Hinata sadly said. She walked away from the dinner table, her plate still half eaten. A maid came quickly to grab the meal and throw away the scraps. 'Is my daughter growing up?' Hiashi said, still confused. He had assumed that his daughter would hate Naruto, but instead she had taken offense to his judgment. She even dared to look him in the eyes. Hinata would never do that by herself. This was indeed an interesting turn of events for the evening.

Hanabi was desperately worried for her older sister, however. "Otou-sama, I have finished eating my meal. I wish to turn in for the evening as well." Hanabi said.

"…Very well then," Hiashi said. "I wish you a good evening." Hanabi bowed to her father and took off in the direction of Hinata's room.

Hiashi was all alone in the dining room now. He sighed a bit after reflecting on his loneliness. 'I miss my daughters.' He thought in earnest. He was hard on Hinata, but he still loved her. His apathetic demeanor was a front placed to deceive the elders, who wished to strip her of her rights as the Main House heiress. He looked outside the window, as the dark cloak of twilight was overtaking the crimson glow of the sunset. 'I wonder what you would think of our daughter's development, Tsuki…'


The cool evening breeze blew past over the training grounds of Team 7. A lone figure was practicing his punches on training logs. He did not wear protective gloves, so his knuckles were bloody and piece of skin were sticking out. Still, this did not deter the young, orange-clothed boy, who gradually nullified the pain. He continued punching the log until the ground was illuminated by the moonlight. He was not panting from exhaustion, even though he remained in the area for well over 5 hours. The boy had an earnest desire to grow stronger, after his humiliating defeat against Sasuke.

Naruto remembered how fast his defeat came crashing onto him. He put all of his power into the haymaker, trying to knock the lights out of Sasuke. But he was easily intercepted by a single throw. One throw ended the match. One. Naruto gritted his teeth at the thought of such a humiliating defeat. Sasuke did not even attempt to fight seriously.

He wondered about how far behind he was to Sasuke. He always thought of Sasuke as a rival, even though Sasuke thought of him as nothing more than a nuisance. He was sure that Sasuke would not even stand a chance against him, since he always thought of him as a stuck-up, arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate, know-it-all pretty boy. But Sasuke was skilled, and he easily dwarfed Naruto by comparison. Naruto bet that Sasuke was not even trying when he threw him to the ground. All of these thoughts frustrated Naruto even more, and he started punching the log harder and harder.

The pain from the consecutive punches was building up, and Naruto finally took a break to ease it. He looked at his knuckles, only to find that his wounds were starting to close rapidly. Naruto was confused at this sight. In a few minutes, his knuckles were already at peak condition. Naruto decided to start punching the logs hard again. He ignored the pain he felt when he punched a stump of wood or a sharp indentation, and continued to punch the wood until his blood dyed it a dark red. He then checked the condition of his knuckles, only to find that the wounds were healing quickly yet again.

Naruto was honestly shocked at his discovery. Apparently, his healing rate was inhumanly fast. 'It must be the Kyuubi…' Naruto thought after some reflection. The Academy taught him that most humans recover from minor wounds in a couple of days, but he was recovering from them in a couple of minutes. He did not know what to do with this new discovery of his; sure it's great that he could recover quickly from a punch, but how was he supposed to knock someone out by recovering faster? A low grumbling sound came from Naruto's stomach, and Naruto decided that now was the best time for him to have some dinner before heading to bed.

Naruto headed over to Ichiraku's Ramen. He kept his head low to avoid the glares and stares of many of the villagers. 'Its cuz of this stupid fox' Naruto thought. Mizuki, his former sensei, revealed to him the reason why people hated him so much; he was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Jinchuuriki, also known as human sacrifices, were people with astonishing amounts of power granted to them by their captive bijuu. People resented bijuu, however, due to their incredible powers and demonic form. People always hate what they perceive to be different, and Naruto is no exception.

People blame Naruto for the events that transpired 12 years ago, on October 10th. The Kyuubi no Kitsune suddenly attacked Konohagakure, killings hundreds of civilians and ninja as well as an untold quantities of property. Only the Yondaime Hokage was able to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside an infant child. Yet the economy suffered immensely. Hundreds of children were suddenly orphaned. Homelessness rose to the highest point in the village's history. Inflation was staggering, preventing people from purchasing necessities and forcing them to live of the land.

'But why me?' Naruto has been asking that question since the end of last week. Why was it that he was chosen to be the jinchuuriki instead of some other infant? Was it that he was born in the wrong place at the wrong time? He found his undying admiration for his hero to be smeared after discovering the truth behind that day.

'Well, apparently the Kyuubi lets me heal faster…' Naruto thought trying to find the upside to his dilemma. No matter how hard he thought, though, there was nothing else positive he could find with the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The fox was the reason why he was ridiculed and scorned for 12 years. People threw rocks at him, cursed his name, and did whatever they could to hurt Naruto in any way possible. He had no friends to play with, and no one he could trust. People laughed at him for his incompetence, and people mocked him for his ideals. Sometimes he even wondered why he wanted to become Hokage.

Naruto knew why he wanted to become Hokage, nonetheless. He wanted to win the recognition of the people that had scoff at him. He wanted to prove to them that he was worth something, and that no amount of hurtful comments and actions could ever bring him down. Well, with his new discovery, no amount of hurtful actions could actually bring him down, since he could recover fast.

Before he can become Hokage, he needed to win the respect of other people. He already had the approval of Iruka, who graduated him after his defeat of Mizuki a week ago. Now he was a genin (almost apparently) in a team. Hinata seemed like a very nice person, so he could probably entice her to believe in him. Sasuke would be a very difficult person to invite. He would probably have to beat Sasuke to a bloody pulp before Sasuke could provide his support. Then there is Kakashi.

He had no idea what the survival training was going to be about tomorrow. If he failed, he would never get the approval of Kakashi. He would have to start all over again in the Academy. People would mock him more this time, as a genin who repeated. Naruto was not about to become a laughingstock. He will earn Kakashi's approval, whether by force or not.

After some time walking and thinking, he finally arrived at Ichiraku's. He took a seat at his favorite stool and waited for Teuchi or Ayame, the proprietors of Ichiraku's Ramen, to serve him.

"Ah Naruto-san, would you like the usual?" Teuchi asked, after serving a customer sitting next to Naruto. Subsequently the customer noticed Naruto's presence and he moved a couple of stools away from him. Naruto ignored the man, and Teuchi frowned at the gesture of disrespect.

"Ya already know it, old man!" Naruto said. He enjoyed Ichiraku's. Teuchi was a very open-minded old man that willingly accepted Naruto and his patronage. Teuchi never glanced at him with the same contempt as the other villagers, which delighted Naruto tremendously. It was nice to have a place you could be at where people did not hate you.

"Well, how could I NOT know my best customer?" Teuchi joked.

Shortly afterwards, Teuchi brought out an extra-large bowl of miso pork ramen, Naruto's favorite. The hateful customer looked at Naruto wide-eyed because of the size of his ramen. It was a gigantic serving.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto shouted clapping his hands together. He snapped apart the wooden chopsticks and began devouring his ramen. The speed in which he devoured the ramen was staggering, like a blue whale eating tons worth of shrimp. In 2 minutes, he had already finished the massive bowl and was ordering seconds.

"Settle down Naruto-san!" Teuchi said chuckling. This scene always occurred at his Ramen shack. Naruto usually ate around 7 to 9 bowls before he was satisfied. "The faster you eat, the more it'll hurt when you get full!"

"Old man, ya know I always do this." Naruto corrected. "'sides, I recover pretty fast." Naruto hinted on his abnormal healing rate, but Teuchi was confused at the statement. What Naruto did not know at the time, however, was that the Kyuubi's healing factor did not apply to his metabolism.

"One beef ramen please," said a man that had just arrived.

"Coming right up," Teuchi said.

Naruto recognized the voice immediately. "Iruka-sensei?"

"Oh, Naruto! How are you doing?" said Iruka. "You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this…"

"Hehe, I know…" Naruto replied.

"So, how do you like your new team?" asked Iruka. His beef ramen had finished, so Teuchi placed it right in front of him. He snapped his chopsticks apart and said "Itadakimasu" before eating.

"Sucks!" Naruto answered honestly. "Sasuke is a bastard and I hate him, Hinata seems like a nice girl, but she keeps on fainting, and Kakashi-sensei said he hates us!"

"Oh, I see." Iruka said, staring into his ramen. He still couldn't believe that Kakashi was to be Naruto's sensei. Kakashi was one of the most skilled shinobi in Konoha, and for him to be teaching Naruto would surely boon his blossoming skills.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, confused at the awkward silence between them.

"What? Oh, sorry." Iruka responded, scratching the back of his head. "I was just thinking about your new sensei."

"What!" Naruto shouted, excited about new information.

"Well, I heard he's copied over a thousand jutsu." Iruka said.

Naruto slumped in his seat, disappointed by the new information of his sensei. With over a thousand techniques to choose from, how is Naruto ever going to compete against him? He just graduated the Academy, and he barely knows only 1 technique.

"Hey Naruto, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do fine." Iruka said in a reassuring tone.

"Ya think so?" Naruto asked.

"I know so. You just gotta trust in your teammates." Iruka said. He gave a very subtle hint towards the event he would be participating in tomorrow, hoping that Naruto would catch on. But, knowing Naruto, he's probably missed it by several kilometers.

"Trust in my teammates…" Naruto said in a contemplative manner. Trust…that was something new to him. The only person he ever trusted was the Sandaime Hokage and the Ichiraku family. Iruka just recently entered his circle of trust. Now he had to include two more people. But could he really trust them? What if they turned out to be like everyone else, and hated him for what he carried? Naruto shivered at the thought of forming new trusting relationships.

Iruka had finished his ramen. Naruto had begun work on his 5th bowl of ramen. They chatted a bit about the Academy, Iruka's future as a teacher, and what to expect as a genin. Naruto suddenly remembered his discovery.

"Hey Iruka-sensei, check out my new discovery!" Naruto shouted gleefully.

"What is it?" Iruka asked intrigued.

Naruto pulled out a kunai from his back pouch. He turned away from the serving table, since he did not want to dirty it. He then proceeded to slice his palm, to the shock of Iruka, Teuchi, and the customer (who, for unknown reasons decided to stick around to see what was really up with the demon kid).

"Naruto, what are you doing!" Iruka shrieked. He was seriously worried about the state of his former student.

"It's okay Iruka-sensei." Naruto said assuredly panting heavily from the wound he just inflicted. He showed Iruka and Teuchi his palm, which shocked both of the men. The wound was closing swiftly, leaving only a faint smoke trail from the speed of the recovery.

"By the name of the gods," Teuchi said, wide-eyed. Iruka was just as shocked as he was. He knew that the Kyuubi no Kitsune was inside Naruto, but he never expected it to grant such amazingly useful abilities to Naruto.

"That…that's amazing Naruto…" Iruka said, still baffled after minutes of contemplation. "…but don't do it again in public. People who self-injure are typically considered problematic. Do you want people to think you're crazy?"

Naruto shook his head forcefully. He already had enough with people hating him, he did not want people to think he was psychotic on top of that.

Unexpectedly, the customer just stood from his seat and looked at Naruto. "Excuse me, Uzumaki-san?" He asked to get the attention of Naruto and the others. "That was an amazing display of your powers. I can't tell you how awed I am at your healing prowess. At first I just despised you with every fiber of my being, but after seeing this, I can't help but feel impressed by your abilities. I daresay you even have what it takes to become an incredible shinobi. I don't think apologizing a thousand times would be enough to rectify my years of hatred for you, so I wish to start now and hope that you can forgive me. My name is Luis, and I hope you remember me when you make it to the top."

The man bowed profusely in apology to Naruto. He then walked off into the darkness, leaving no traces behind. After several minutes of just staring dumbfounded at the direction of the man's disappearance, Naruto was the one to break the silence.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" He asked, totally confused.

"I have no idea, Naruto-san." Teuchi responded. "You know, I thought he was kind of a jerk for just moving away from you, but now I see that he's sort of sorry for his treatment of you."

"I know right?" Naruto asked in agreement. "He kinda was a jerk, ya know what I mean?"

"Think of the bright side, Naruto." Iruka said. "At least you have one more person to acknowledge your worth."

After thinking about it for a second, Naruto grinned widely. Iruka was right. Someone else did acknowledge him. If all it took was to cut yourself in public, then recover faster than dropping a pencil, he would do this all the time. But he still did not want people to think of him as crazy, so he will refrain from self-injury for the time being. For now, the amount of people that recognized him now increased to three: Sandaime Hokage, Iruka, and some weirdo named Luis.


Hinata sat with her arms grabbing her legs as she gazed at the stars from her bed. The candle (they do happen to have electricity, but Hinata did not want to be rude and turn on her lights) in her room flickered dimly, lighting the room in a graceful fashion. Hinata stopped staring at the stars and moved towards the candle. She could find some comfort in the little flame. Just then, the door to her room opened slowly. Hinata activated her Byakugan, the kekkei genkai of her clan, and readied her Jyuuken stance to intercept the intruder.

Hinata had an unfortunate incident as a child. A Kumogakure head shinobi, posing as a member of the "diplomatic" corps, was sent to Konoha with the intent of acquiring the infamous Byakugan. Hyuuga Hinata was kidnapped by this Kumo ninja. Before he could exit Konoha, however, he was struck down and killed by Hiashi. Ever since then, Hinata has intensive security forces protecting her every breath. Traps are set all over the hallway leading to her sleeping quarters, and she is guarded 24/7 by elite Branch House shinobi.

However, the person entering her room was not a malicious kidnapper or assassin. It was her younger sister Hanabi. She had a very worried look on her face, which troubled Hinata. She deactivated her Byakugan and eased her arms.

"Onee-sama," Hanabi asked in an anxious tone. "Whatever is the matter with you? You didn't seem to be in good spirits at dinner this evening."

"O-oh, Hanabi-chan…" Hinata said looking down at the candle light that burned ever so dimly. "I-I supposed there was n-no reason for me to go a-against Otou-sama like that…" Hinata hated how everyone seemed to look down on Naruto except for her. It was not fair to him.

"Is this about that boy, Uzumaki Naruto-san?" Hanabi said, shifting her head a little to the left out of curiosity.

"N-No…I mean y-yes! I-I-I mean…maybe…" Hinata flustered. Her face was a burning red, and she was embarrassed beyond anything she had ever felt before in her life. Her little sister was probing questions about the boy she admired.

"Why did you go against Otou-sama like that? Is it because…" Hanabi blushed slightly to the idea she was about to ask "…you like him?"

Hinata was feeling dizzy. Being asked if she liked Naruto was too much for her to handle. Yet, she managed to keep her consciousness intact to answer Hanabi's question.

"I…I…I…I…I don't know…" Hinata answered honestly. She thought about his traits again, from what she observed while watching him. He was very happy, despite all the hatred that seems to radiate around him. He was resolute in his goal of becoming Hokage, and worked hard at it every single day. He was unwavering in his conviction, believing every word he has every said about himself. Even more so than everything she just mentioned, he was kind beyond belief. When he defended her against the Uchiha she…

Hanabi had a mischievous grin on her face. "My Onee-sama has a crush on Naruto-kun!" She said with certainty. Hinata took far too long responding, which meant she was thinking about his characteristics. If a girl did not like a boy, she would not be spending so long thinking about what made him a good person.

"N-N-N-N-No I-I-I don't!" Hinata said, flustered. She turned back to her candle. Maybe she did have a thing for Naruto. Now that she thinks about it, she always did found him cute. She blushed very brightly from that thought.

"I was right!" Hanabi said jumping gleefully at her correct assumption. "Hinata has a crush on Naruto-oniisan!"

"Hanabi…" Hinata whimpered. There was no use fighting Hanabi over this. When she was right, she would celebrate happily until she tired out. But Hanabi did help Hinata recollect her feelings for Naruto. Naruto was a good person, and she respected him immensely for that. But she thought of Naruto as something more than an inspiration. Sure she wanted to be like him: strong in character, resolute in mind. But she also wanted more from him. Maybe she was asking for too much, but maybe her time in Team 7 will allow her to build on the emotions she's been bottling inside for so long.

"Onee-sama, how long have you been watching Naruto-oniisan?" Hanabi asked. She immediately switched her honorifics from casual to familial. She did not even know the guy, but if Hinata respected him so much, she would think of him as her older brother.

"E-ever since I joined the A-academy three years a-ago." Hinata said. He always seemed so far out of her reach, especially since he was a senior and she was a freshman. But then he failed twice, and ended up being in Hinata's class. She did not know if it was good fortune or dumb luck that allowed Naruto to stay in her life longer, but she was not about to complain about the circumstances.

"So…when can I meet him?"


If you want to kill me…Curse me! Hate me!

Sasuke was trapped in another world, much like the world he was used too. He knew it was not real, though; the horizon was dyed a deep red color, and people he knew and saw were dark black. Yet, no matter what he did, he could not get out of this world. He tried stabbing himself, but that did not work. Every wound he inflicted immediately recovered. But he could feel the pain that was building from each stab. So this was not a genjutsu, he concluded. This had to be a dream. But why couldn't he wake out of it?

Suddenly, he was forced onto a cross, were his legs and arms were bound. He was gagged, unable to cry for help, and forced to watch his brother kill everyone he knew and loved over and over again. He watched his brother behead some of his closest friends. Pierce them through their hearts. He watched as his brother slash their bodies in half, blood gushing out like a fountain. He viewed in terror as dismembered limbs came jumping out of sliced victims.

He could hear the mutilated screams of his brother's victims. He watched as they screamed for their lives, only to have a sword stabbed through their trachea. He saw his brother slit the throats of his cousins and grandparents. He saw him stomping the lives out of infants, until their skull was smashed into mush.

The smell was revolting. Leaked urine and feces from deceased Uchiha radiated the area, given off a horrendous stench. The blood had started to flow from the bodies like a river, entering the Konoha's sewage system. The concrete floor of the Uchiha clan compound was blood red, and bodies littered the floors like cows in a slaughterhouse. There was children, boys, girls, men, women, even the elderly all stacked on each other. There were some with missing arms and legs others with missing or half-missing heads.

He was finally brought to a house he was all too familiar with; his house. His mother and father were in the living room, his mother holding onto his father for comfort. His father dashed at his brother, kunai at hand attempting to end this massacre. He pierced Sasuke's brother in the heart, but he dissolved into a flock of crows. Sasuke's brother remerged behind his father proceeded to slice him into pieces. The first slash split his head in two, followed by repeating diagonal slashes that dismembered his torso. By the time he was done, Sasuke's father was just bits and pieces of his former self, soaking in the blood of what once was his body.

Sasuke's mother screamed horrifically. She fell backwards and started to crawl away from the slow walking brother. When she hit the corner of a wall, she knew that her time was up. Looking up, tears in her eyes, she met the stoic eyes of her would-be killer. Sasuke's brother remained emotionless as he lifted his sword high into the air, and sent it crashing down into her skull. There was a harsh snapping sound, one of cold steel breaking through dense bone, and Sasuke's mother fell flat on her face, lifeless. If that was not enough, Sasuke's brother decided to kick the sword further in. He kicked, and kicked, and kicked until the sword penetrated her right shoulder. Determining that his mother's lifeless body was of no more fun, Sasuke's brother smashed his foot at his mother's temple, cracking her head open like a coconut. All of her brain matter oozed out of the cracked portions of her head, and her eyes popped right out of her socket.

Sasuke was crying horribly. He didn't want to die. Not like the way he saw his brother kill everyone. His brother dislodged the sword from his mother's shoulder, and walked menacingly towards Sasuke. Sasuke did not even budge. He knew that his life was forfeit. His brother stopped right in front of the terrified boy. He leaned towards his ear and quietly said: "It would be worthless…to kill someone like you…My foolish brother…"

"If you want to kill me…Curse me! Hate me!" Sasuke's brother laughed maniacally as he slowly thrust his sword through Sasuke's heart-

Sasuke awoke in a cold sweat. He placed his hands over his heart, to make sure that the wound was not too deep. Fortunately, he was intact. He was not killed by his brother. He paused for a moment and realized that his face was soaked in his tears.

'When will I ever rid myself of this nightmare?' Sasuke asked, wiping the tears from his face. Sasuke has been dreaming the same nightmare every single day since he was inflicted with Tsukuyomi by his older brother. He tried to sleep, but he would always wake up drenched from perspiration. Counseling did very little to ease his mind from the psychological damage caused by Tsukuyomi. He tried staying awake during nights, but his fatigue would always kick in, leading to another sweat drenched night of sanity-eating nightmares. The only thing he found comforting was a late night workout after waking up from his nightmares.

He looked around his room. It was the same room he's lived in since he was a child. Sasuke did not want the memories of his childhood to die with his clan, so he requested to reside in the Uchiha Clan Compound as his permanent home. Of course, as the new heir for the Clan, his wishes had to be fulfilled, according to ancient mandates set forth by the initial agreement between Senju and Uchiha many years ago. Sasuke got what he desired, but that did not ease the pain he felt in his heart.

He went outside, travelled through the vacant streets, and bypassed the many empty stands. It was late in the night, but even if it was midday, these streets would still be empty, and stands still would be void of human activity.

He reached the primary Uchiha training grounds. He practiced his katas on the training log in the center of the area. That was the only thing he ever did during these late nights. He would practice until the break of dawn, and continue practicing until it was time to go to the Academy. But he was no longer an Academy student; he was a genin, a shinobi of Konoha. Finally, his quest for vengeance can begin in earnest.

'Itachi…I will come after you…All these people that died…Everything you did that night 4 years ago…I will make you pay for it. You WILL die by my hands, make no mistake about it.' Sasuke thought as he punched the stump with all his might.

Unbeknownst to the young Uchiha, the moonlight was reflected off a dark orange mask. The mask covered the entirety of the voyeur's face, except for a small opening on his right eye. The three tomoe rapidly cycled inside the man's red iris before he disappeared in a distortion of space-time.


Hey Y'all!

Hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter of Finding Conviction! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, as I got to describe characters and their thoughts and feelings. I enjoyed creating the setting of the Hyuuga Clan Compound, and discussing Naruto's thoughts of the Kyuubi. For clarification, Naruto does not know (yet) that the source of his inhuman chakra reserves is his connection to the Kyuubi (as well as his Uzumaki lineage but to a lesser scale), so he thinks that the Kyuubi healing is the only good thing from his accursed fate as a jinchuuriki. What will Naruto think of the Kyuubi as his life goes on? Let's see and find out.

I'm going to be blunt. In this fanfiction, Sasuke suffers from PTSD. Why wouldn't he? He was attacked by fucking Tsukuyomi. If you don't have PTSD, you must have the psychological resilience of a Spetsnaz. Those guys are hard wired to receive any type of pain, be it physical or mental, and walk out of it virtually unfazed. But Sasuke is not Spetsnaz. He's a 12 year old boy with no friends, no family, and no one to actually comfort him. He also got attacked by Tsukuyomi at around 7 or 8. How could he NOT have PTSD?

His battle against PTSD will be a highlighting factor in his development as a character. He wants to rid himself of the nightmares, and the only way he could think of is by killing his brother. But will the relationships he form as a member of Team 7 assist in his attempt to move on from that night 5 years ago?

Hinata is slowly realizing her own feelings for Naruto. I made it so that she doesn't actually "love" Naruto from the getgo, as many NaruHina fanfics do. She sees him as her inspiration, and she tries to emulate his lifestyle so that she, too, could be strong. Of course, Hinata is not going to immediately love Naruto, no. Love takes time, and time is what we do have in this fanfiction.

Who is this mysterious orange-masked man with a sole hole on the right side of his mask? Fuck it most of you do know who he is, but I still won't spoil it for you guys.

This chapter was supposed to be a little longer, but I decided to end the chapter with the end of the day. Next chapter will be filled with action, as Team 7 face off against the legendary Hatake Kakashi in what would be the most trying fight of their lives (at this point in the story, though).

I enjoyed the Week 1 stats. Though not as impressive as True Paths to Power, I still find happiness in knowing that people desire to read my story. 5 Followers, 3 Reviews, 2 Favorites, and 94 views. Thank you all so much for reading this story!

As usual, if you are interested in editing my stories, please PM me. I will give you a scene to edit, and if I like what you do, then I will allow you to be my editor.

No questions this week *sobs on sleeve*

Once again, thank you all very much for your interest in my story. See y'all again next Wednesday. Stay tune later today for another epic Naruto fanfic. I promise you WILL like it.

-Blackrazgriz 5/1/2013 11:07AM EST


NOTE: Editted 7/18/2013 2:04PM EST