(Well, time for Chapter 3. I read the reviews that seem to come in non stop about this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It might be what some of you are expecting, but it's important nonetheless. One of you reviewed that you wanted to know about Kushina, and I originally intended to have her die in childbirth, with Minato sort of blaming Naruto for her being dead. However, I thought about it and rewrote the idea, instead creating a new one and gaining a new character to work with later on. There is distance between Naruto and his family, but there's a reason for it, and you'll see later on. Some of you asked about the Chunin exams, and will it be a Naruto/Hinata pairing in this story... Well, all I'm going to say is that down the road, Neji and Hinata will face off, when and where, I'm not going to say. As for the Naru/Hina comment, if you keep reading the story, you'll see… Oh yeah, I re-uploaded chapter 2, I only made some minor grammatical corrections to make it easier to understand. Anyway, enjoy…)

Chapter 3: Peacekeepers…

The four of us leave the village, and though we've all done it at some point or another in our 12 year old lives, today seems different, for me at least…

This time I have a purpose that is directly related to my reason for leaving the village. I'm a shinobi of the leaf on a mission to relieve another squad of Genin in a border town that's supposedly not in need of guarding. What is important is that it's a mission I'm being asked to participate in, along with my two teammates, and my squad leader.

The three of us walk the main road toward the village, none of us moving rather quickly. The weights slow me, but I force myself to keep up.

"Naruto, Shino, both of you scout ahead for 10 minutes, report if you see anything strange." Kurenai tells them.

Naruto looks to Shino, and the blonde boy opens his mouth a moment, and then closes it. The Aburame boy follows the blonde genin as they go ahead, leaving Kurenai and I alone together.

"All right Hinata…" She begins, slowing down and walking next to me. "What happened between you three, you've all been awkward for nearly a month now…"

I sigh heavily.

"The day you taught us the mud wall technique, we went to dinner together at a Barbeque restaurant." I tell her. "It was my first time in an establishment like that, and the entire time, the other patrons stared at me like they do when I walk by them in the village." I tell her. "Only this time, it made Naruto really nervous, and Shino seemed… aggravated by it as well…"

I was going to say 'angry' at it, but I don't think the boy is even capable of showing anger in front of people…

"These people, were they staring at you, or at Naruto and Shino?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know, but I think Naruto noticed it, and he took it to be that they were looking at him, and not me." I tell her.

The woman sighs heavily.

"I believe that Naruto has been living in the shadow of his father since the day he was born, Hinata." Kurenai tells me. "Have you ever noticed that whenever I talk about him, Naruto appears solemn?" She asks, and I nod. "I think that deep down, when people look at Naruto, they don't see him, they see his father, and something similar can be said for Shino." She tells me. "When the average person in the village sees him, they see the bugs inside of him, not for the person he is." She tells me.

I nod.

"Like they see me for the demon and not for me as a human being…"

Kurenai nods once, a solemn expression.

"I believe that three people who share a similar experience can bond together, and that is one of the reasons the Fourth created this team." She explains. "Both Shino and Naruto carry burdens, just like you do, but theirs aren't as easy to decipher as yours are, and they can talk about their burdens, though they choose not too." She tells me.

I nod, feeling somewhat better about the situation.

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei." I say, giving the woman sincere thanks.

She nods.

"It's nothing Hinata, but I do think you should use this chance to tell both Naruto and Shino about the Kyuubi." She tells me. "We're away from the village, and we'll be alone, so no one in the village will find out by accident."

I nod.

"I really want to tell them, but, I don't want…"

I can feel her eyes resting on me.

"You really care about one of them, don't you?" She asks. "More then just as a friend…?"

Her question cuts through the haze of my mind. Over the last three weeks, I've found myself becoming more and more anxious around Naruto, and I haven't been able to figure out why. When I see him smile, I feel like smiling, and when I saw him depressed in the restaurant, I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest.

I nod slowly.

"It's Naruto, isn't it?" She asks, and I nod.

"I don't know what it is about him, but when I'm with him, and I see him smiling happily…"

"You're in love…" Kurenai tells me matter of factly, looking ahead.

I feel my cheeks flush, and I look up at my teacher.

"But, I can't be love; I just like being with him…"

"If you had a choice, who would you tell about your secret first, Naruto or Shino?" She asks.

I blink twice, and then lower my gaze.

"I'd want to tell Naruto…" I respond.

"And why is that?" She asks. "Shino is the more logical one of the two of them. He's more likely to accept the information without getting emotional about it." She tells me.

"I don't like it when Naruto-kun and I are together. He doesn't know why people stare at both us…" I tell her. "It hurts inside…"

I barely see my teacher smile.

"Like I said, you're in love with him, and you want him to be happy." She tells me. "When people stare at you two when you're together, you want him to know why." She explains. "You think that if he knows why, he'll understand, and he won't feel like they're looking at him as much as they are you."

I nod.

"You're a good person Hinata, and I'm sure Naruto will understand once you tell him." She tells me.

I nod, though I don't feel as assuaged as my teacher's voice tries to make me.

Naruto and Shino both return 10 minutes after they're sent out, both of them filing into formation behind Kurenai.

"Did you two find anything?" She asks, and both of them shake their heads.

"I didn't see anything…" Naruto says.

"I detected nothing unusual." Shino responds.

We keep walking for nearly 4 more hours before Kurenai calls us to stop.

"All right, take a 15 minute break." She says.

We all sit down, and I feel a weight off my shoulders (literally) as I sit down on the ground and remove the pack. Kurenai opens the scroll and checks the mission parameters written on it, while Naruto, Shino, and I all take drinks from our canteens. I look around at my two teammates; both of them still have a solemn air about them…

I guess things haven't really changed much. So I ask Kurenai-sensei to talk to them about the whole situation, and hope that she won't give anything away?

No, I can't ask Kurenai to do everything for me! I want them to be my friends, how can I not talk to my friends?

"Um…" I speak up, and both heads snap toward me. "I don't know if I'm correct in saying this, but we've all been rather awkward since the night at the barbecue restaurant." I bring the subject up, forcing myself to speak. "I just want you both to know that I've always been stared at, and I've gotten used to it, so you shouldn't feel anger or annoyance toward people that look at me…"

I see Shino push his sunglasses up with his free hand.

"You should not HAVE to get accustomed to the menacing stares of others, Hinata-chan." He tells me. "No one should be forced to be the target of the animosity of others." He continues. "I believe Naruto-kun feels the same as I do, am I correct?" He asks the blonde boy.

Naruto nods, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Hinata-chan, in the restaurant, those people weren't looking at either me or Shino." He tells me. "I saw their eyes looking at you, and I wanted to get up and punch them all right in their noses for it…" He says, his voice cracking with anger.

Naruto…

"While I may not wish to inflict physical harm on others for their facial expressions, I am somewhat curious as to why someone of the prestigious Hyuga family would be so scorned by the village?" Shino asks. "Your father was a hero, the man who sacrificed himself to kill the Kyuubi No Kitsune." He says. "I have seen the children of others who died that night, and none of them receive the same treatment you do…"

"I don't know why they look at me like they do…" I respond, near the verge of tears, the words 'I'm the one the Kyuubi was sealed into' trapped in my throat.

Both boys look solemn again, and I hear Kurenai clear her throat.

The three of us look up to see her standing there, her arms crossed, the scroll tucked away neatly in her pack.

"Growing up, Hinata didn't have many people she could call friends." Kurenai tells them. "Because of whom she is; people distance themselves from her out of both fear and respect. With her grandmother the leader of the clan, she didn't have time to try and build bonds between others like you two did." She continues. "I believe she would like the two of you as her friends, but she's unable to say it herself, because she's afraid that you'll think badly of her."

I can almost feel my heart stop when both Naruto and Shino look at me with a puzzled expression on their faces.

"I don't know about Shino, but I consider you my friend Hinata-chan, I have ever since the thing with that nobleman's house." Naruto tells me.

"I concur…" Shino adds.

I feel the tears fall from my eyes.

"Naruto-kun, Shino-kun…" I mutter, feeling the tears begin to fall from my eyes.

The tears however, are not tears of anger or sadness, but of happiness…

"Hinata, are you all right?" Naruto asks, forgetting the honorific.

I nod.

"Thank you, thank you both…" I manage to say, bowing my head.

20 minutes later, we start moving again. Fortunately, they both let me dry my tears and regain my composure. We start walking again, and now I feel a better atmosphere between the three of us. Gone is the uncomfortable, awkward feeling that was present before. Now, I feel relaxed around them, in the company of friends…

So called friends that don't know you've got the Kyuubi No Kitsune sealed inside you…

My mind berates me, and I shake my head to clear it. Instead, I focus on the weights on my legs and arms, seeing as the amount has begun to hardly bother me anymore, I increase the weight using my chakra. Immediately, I feel the effect as my legs and arms feel as though they weigh 20 pounds more then they should. Naruto notices, though I push myself just to keep up, that in and of itself a form of training.

If I can learn to walk at a normal speed like this, much less run and jump, I'll be much faster when I take the weights off.

The four of us continue walking for another 4 hours before Kurenai calls another halt.

"Hinata, can you find a small area we might use for a camp site?" She asks, and I nod.

I make the signs, activating my bloodline limit, the Byakugan. Through it, I see a small area 50 meters to our left off the open road, unspoiled and covered by trees, but perfect to build a camp site on…

"I've found something, follow me." I tell them.

Using my eyes, I lead them to the site. Once there, our training takes over, setting up collapsible tents, building a fire, preparing nourishment. Within an hour our camp site is finished, with ration bars set out for each of us to eat…

Naruto looks at the ration bar, and I see him scowl.

"Sensei, can't we eat something good, like maybe go catch some fish or something?" He asks.

Kurenai shakes her head.

"Remember Naruto, we're on a mission, and I can't risk one of you getting hurt out here with no medical aid nearby." She tells him. "I know these bars don't taste good, but once we arrive at our destination, I'm sure you'll be able to eat something good to eat." She tells us all.

I nod my agreement, and I chew down the ration bar, coming to a quick decision that it is the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten.

Well, I've lived in the Hyuga mansion for the entirety of my life until this point. In the mansion, grandmother would never let something this bad tasting be served as a meal.

We eat in silence, though I feel more relaxed out here, in the middle of the forest then I ever have in Konoha. We each finish eating the ration bars, and then I see Kurenai-sensei look at me.

"Hinata, can you scan the area?" She asks.

She doesn't add, 'with your Byakugan…'

I make the signs quickly, activating my bloodline limit. A moment later, I look through the kekkei genkai. Looking around, I scan the area, and I don't see anyone within my range…

"There isn't anyone within my range, other then the four of us, Kurenai-sensei." I tell our teacher.

She nods her acknowledgement, and I wonder if she's really that paranoid about everything…

I guess when you don't have the kind of abilities that I have, it gets hard to think that you're safe, no matter where you are…

"We'll rotate a watch, just in case." She says. "I'll take the first watch, Naruto; you're on the second shift, then Shino, and finally you Hinata." She says.

I nod my agreement, and I stand up. I walk toward the tent before I crawl inside.

"Since I'm on last watch, I'm going to sleep now." I tell them.

I crawl into the tent, crawling inside my sleeping bag. I lie down inside the sleeping bag, putting my head on the pillow section of the bag. I feel my eyes get heavy, and a moment later, I'm unconscious.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When I wake up, I feel a crawling sensation on the back of my neck, the hairs on my neck standing on end. I almost reach back and smash the bug, only to see the Kikai bug crawl off of my neck and down my sleeping bag. I see what has to be Shino standing outside the tent, the bug user finding a way to rouse me without waking our teacher…

Smart guy…

I get up, taking special care not to wake my teacher. I leave the tent, closing the zipper, Shino standing outside the tent.

"It is your turn to assume watch…" He tells me. "My allies have created a perimeter which they shall monitor for the remainder of our time at this location." He tells me. "Should an intruder be found, they will rouse me." He continues. "However, that is no excuse to be inattentive to your duties."

I nod, motioning for the boy to go into his tent, and continue to sleep for the few hours he has left. I see a small log that has been stood up straight, with both ends flattened appears to be a make shift stool. I sit down on it, breathing a heavy sigh with my hands interlacing.

My Byakugan activates, the veins around my eyes bulging. I use the blood limit, locating Shino's sentries during my scans, as well as looking for something the kikai might miss. The entire time I watch over the encampment, I use my Byakugan to keep a steady watch. The three hours I'm assigned to guard our camp passes slowly, though my mind doesn't stop creating thoughts to distract me with…

Both Shino and Naruto are your friends now, so why can't I tell them about the Kyuubi? If they're my real friends, then they won't care about the demon's presence inside of me, they'll see me for me, like the Fourth Hokage believes they will.

Then again, as powerful as the Fourth Hokage may be, he is only human, and hardly omnipotent. I believe that Naruto won't have much of a problem accepting the demon's presence, but Shino hardly ever emotes anything, unless you count the thing he does with his sunglasses. Even then, he only seems to do that when he's annoyed or concerned about something. He seems genuinely concerned about the stares, but I don't know HOW he'll react. He may want to be reassigned to another team after I tell him, and once he knows, he'll spread the knowledge to the other genin, and then they'll all look at me like the adults do…

WAIT A MINUTE; THINK ABOUT WHOM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! Shino is hardly one to speak to anyone he doesn't know, much less discuss personal secrets like that. When he had dinner at the mansion, he was very quiet and courteous. He also seemed to respond to my grandmother's request quite well, and didn't raise an eyebrow when she told them both about the more…ruthlessness of my family. Maybe his family is the same way, just as cut throat as mine is…

No, he's too reserved to be from a family of people that covet power over anything else. Plus, the Hyuga hierarchy is well known, even among those who aren't involved with members of either house. However, the Aburame family doesn't draw that kind of attention that my family seems to revel in, but then again, I don't think people would give it to them even if they asked for it. Most of the villagers are disturbed by the techniques that clan uses, so the less they know, the better they feel…

Before I know it, the sun rises, and I hear the zipper to the tent Kurenai and I shared open. The woman gets out of the tent with a yawn, standing up straight, stretching her arms as she finishes her yawn.

"Good morning Hinata, I take it all is well?" She asks, and I nod, the veins around my eyes receding.

"I haven't detected anyone attempting to infiltrate our camp during my time keeping watch." I explain.

I watch as my Jounin teacher begins to stretch, going through several stretching routines to wake up her muscles and prepare her body for the day ahead.

"Naruto told me that he gave you some training weights a short while ago, are you sure you need them?" Kurenai asks, making me blink twice in surprise.

"Sensei, my grandmother has said multiple times that it is my destiny to become the leader of my clan, as I am the last member of the main house other then her." I tell my teacher. "If I am currently unfit to lead my clan, then I need to improve, and these training weights will allow me to accomplish that."

"Hinata, you already have above average skills for a Genin." She tells me. "Once you take the Chunin exams, I'm sure that you'll be promoted up a rank."

"Thank you sensei, but I'm hardly worth being selected for Chunin." I tell her. "Besides, if I were to be promoted, it would appear that the Fourth Hokage is giving me special treatment, and I do not want it."

The Jounin looks at me, and I see her give me a flat expression, as though she's tried of hearing what she's just heard.

"Listen Hinata, because I don't say things like this often." She tells me. "With your abilities, both the Byakugan, your Gentle Fist, and the skill you possess with mastering new ninjutsu, you DESERVE to be promoted to Chunin." She tells me. "I can't really speak for your decision making skills under a combat situation, but you've learned to accept the scowls of other people and simply not let it affect you." She tells me. "I'm sure, with your continued efforts toward improving that you'll be ready to take the role of leader of your clan before your grandmother passes away." She tells me.

I look down at the thought of my grandmother dying, and I think somberly on the fact that Kurenai knows so much…

She must've done her research on us the moment she found out we were assigned to her. It only makes sense that she'd learn as much about each of us as she can. Though, that makes me want to ask her about Shino and Naruto, but she'd tell me to ask them about themselves, rather then try to get the knowledge from a third party…

As if on cue, the boy's tent opens, Naruto emerging a moment after the zipper comes down. He's fully dressed, wearing his backpack and everything as a trail of bugs marches into the tent, presumably to reunite with their master after a long night of separation.

I feel a shiver run down my back at the thought, so I go to work taking down our tent, rolling up the individual sleeping bags inside. I put a bag in my pack, and one in Kurenai's pack. Then, I put both bags outside the tent and collapse it from the outside. Putting the now much smaller tent into my bag, I hoist it up onto my shoulders, ready and awake for the day ahead.

"Hinata, come here a moment…" Kurenai says, coiling her pointer finger toward her.

I do as she asks, a moment after I'm within arm's reach, her fingers run through my hair.

"You've got a bad case of bed head; I'll do what I can with what I have." She tells me.

I nod my thanks, the woman finishing her task when Shino emerges from his tent, carrying his pack…

Body filled to the brim again with bugs…

I shake my head again when Kurenai clears her throat a moment later.

"We need to get moving, let's break camp and get going." She says.

10 minutes later, we're back on the road, Kurenai walking 2 steps ahead of us, the three of us following behind in a line. For once, I don't feel any persecuting stares as I follow my teacher down the road, and I feel a sigh of relief escape my lips.

Both of my teammates look at me at this, and I quickly play it down, making hand gestures to tell them I'm fine, with nothing to worry about. I see my teacher smile at this, enjoying our now relaxed atmosphere.

We walk for nearly 5 hours before Kurenai calls a halt.

"Take a breather; I want to check the information scroll Lord Hokage gave us." She tells me.

The three of us sit down, and I feel my respect for my teacher go up a notch. The woman seems to have inhuman amounts of physical stamina, walking with a heavy hiking backpack at a ninja's pace for five hours, and she doesn't even look winded.

I guess that's one of the reasons they made her a Jounin. She's a genjutsu specialist as well, so she could be using an illusion to hide her physical exhaustion, but that would be more exhausting then actually just letting it show…

While I have no talent for casting genjutsu, even without the Byakugan I can see through most of them, and I see no signs of illusion on my teacher.

She rereads the scroll intently, as if looking for something she thought she saw but she doesn't know if it was there or not. A moment later, I see her eyes focus on something. Shortly after, she rolls the scroll up and returns it to her backpack.

"We have to walk for another 5 hours, and then we'll stop for the night." She tells the three of us. "Think you three can go that long without taking a break?"

Even though the added weight of the training weights slows me down, I still nod along with Shino and Naruto. The three of us stand up, following our teacher down the road toward our ultimate destination.

After five hours of movement, I see why Kurenai-sensei wants to stop for the night…

That reason is called the Yamada Inn, a bed and breakfast sort of place that caters to weary travelers along the trade road. Going inside, Kurenai does all the talking, getting two rooms, one for her and me with another for Naruto and Shino. The woman behind the counter, an older woman with dark hair wearing a formal pink and white kimono doesn't hesitate to mention the hot spring behind their building.

"You're our only guests right now, so the whole spring is all yours." She tells us.

I trudge up the steps toward the rooms, Naruto and Shino going to their room, Kurenai leading me toward our room. She opens the door, and I follow her inside. She closes the door behind her as my eyes take in the room we have been given. The room is simple, two small beds with a nightstand between them, a desk, and an attached bathroom, nothing more.

"Well, at least we've got facilities…" She says dryly, setting her pack down next to a bed.

"Um, sensei, why did you choose for us to stay here at this place...?" I ask. "Wouldn't it have been better if we just camped out for the night?"

She shakes her head no.

"I wanted to stay here because the scroll given to me by the Fourth Hokage says that this place has a nice hot spring, and we can use to rejuvenate our bodies." She tells me. "Besides, all three of us could use a good bath and a scrub."

I nod, though I feel embarrassed about asking the question.

"So, are you going to use the hot spring?" Kurenai asks, sitting on the edge of one of the beds.

I nod.

"I had planned on it, though if you want, I'll wait…"

She cuts me off.

"Go ahead, I'll take a shower before I get in, that way you'll get some time to yourself." She tells me. "Though, I suggest you leave the training weights here, you don't want to damage the clothing basket you'll be given."

I nod again, setting my backpack down next to the unclaimed bed. I roll my jacket sleeves up, withdrawing the chakra from the weights, and I feel a major difference before I remove the restraints. Afterward, I feel like my arms are barely there. When I remove the leg restraints, I feel as though I could float. I force myself to be careful as I go downstairs and to the spring, shucking off my uniform and wrapping a towel around my body.

The spring itself steams as I get in, setting the towel on the edge of the water near my body, I sink up to my shoulders into the hot water. I feel the water relax my muscles, and I let out a long sigh.

"This is nice…" I mutter to no one other then myself.

While there is hot springs in Konoha, I choose not to use them since perverted men often try and peek at the girl's side of the bath. Also, they can become rather crowded when I have time off, so it's less of a hassle if I just don't use them. Besides all of that, with the way the villagers treat me, one of them might try and drown me while I'm using the spring, and that would fly like a lead balloon…

Sitting in the spring, I enjoy the brief moment of complete relaxation, forgetting about my worries as a member of the Hyuga main branch, as a Shinobi of the leaf, as the Jinchuriki…

Staying at the Inn that night, we eat a nice, delicious dinner made by the owner. The entire night, the owner never once glares at me like I'm a monster. The entire time, she treats me with perfect kindness…

This perfect stranger treats me better then most people do, how insane is that?

That night, I get fitful sleep at best, my thoughts continually focusing on how the woman smiles at me during dinner, treating me like a person, like how Naruto and Shino do…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kurenai-sensei wakes me up early the next morning, and I get dressed, training weights and all. I reapply the chakra into the weights on my arms in legs, increasing the weight by 5 pounds on each limb. The 20 extra pounds adds up when I put the backpack on, following my teacher out into the hallway. I see both Naruto and Shino standing there, Naruto having reversed his jacket and pants to the green color, rather then the bright orange he normally wears.

"Good thinking Naruto." Kurenai comments on the change. "I was going to ask you to reverse your clothes this morning, and you've saved me the trouble."

The blonde boy scratches his head in embarrassment.

"Well, Shino suggested I do it, since we'll be traveling in a forest, it'll make us harder to spot if I don't stand out like a sore thumb." He admits.

Kurenai smiles at her other male student, and I see him push his sunglasses up to the bridge of his nose again.

More and more he uses that as his seemingly only expression of emotion. I wonder, is he like me and he's new to accepting compliments?
"We should resume our journey." Shino says. "It would be a violation of our orders and mission parameters if we are late arriving at our destination." He suggests.

Kurenai nods, starting down the hallway. The Jounin leads us down the hall and out of the bed and breakfast, the owner smiling and asking us all to come back soon. Our teacher turns left at the entrance to the inn, heading toward the border town where another Genin squad awaits our relief.

We walk in comfortable silence, leaving me alone to my thoughts once more. More and more, I find myself troubled by the direction my thoughts inevitably seem to turn whenever I think about my new friends…

Friends, didn't Kurenai say that there shouldn't be any secrets between TEAMMATES, and you consider these people your friend? If you really believed them to be your friend, you'd tell them about the Kyuubi, rather then hide it like you REALLY ARE the Kitsune. As much as you don't want to admit it, you're too scared that they'll both leave you if you tell them, in spite of what your teacher has told you countless times…

I close my eyes a moment, banishing the little voice from my mind.

I wonder; are you trying to ruin my life you damn fox, whispering in my ears, telling me to doubt myself?

No little voice answers me as the four of us continue down the road. We walk for hours, every now and then Naruto will try to start a conversation, and though all of us can tell the boy feels somewhat uneasy about the silence between us. Finally, after what feels like hours, Kurenai calls a halt, straining her ears, I see her head flinch up.

"There's a river nearby, we'll use it to refill our canteens." She explains, the three of us nodding our understanding.

She takes a sharp right turn, the three of us following her presumably toward the river. The farther we walk, the clearer the sound of running water becomes to my ears. Before long, the four of us stand over a blue river running through the forest, trees on both sides of the water.

"You three should know what to do…" Kurenai says, the three of us going to work.

At the academy, they teach you about survival during extended missions. They teach you about how to properly dress and clean animals, effective traps for catching food, as well as how to properly clean and sanitize both your canteen and river water for drinking. The four of us clean out our canteens, refilling them from the river, dropping a small sanitation tablet into the canteen, the chemicals cleaning the water of harmful bacteria and germs.

Within 10 minutes, the four of us resume our journey. We return to the road and continue onward. I feel my body begin to adjust to the weights with the extended walking, so I increase the weight by a pound, adding a sliver of chakra to the special weights. I don't know how Naruto is doing with his training, but I don't want to adjust to the weight and then plateau, I need to push my body as far as it can go.

2 hours later, Kurenai calls a halt, the three of us stopping in our tracks.

"Hinata…" She begins, and I nod behind her.

My fingers interlace, a moment later, my Byakugan activates. Looking around, I see 4 armed men hiding in the bushes around us, though judging from the amount of chakra in their bodies, they aren't shinobi…

"There are 4 of them sensei, 3, 5, 7, and 9 o'clock." I tell our teacher.

Through the Byakugan, I see the four men start in surprise, only to leap out, jumping into the air to pounce on the four of us.

Without a word, the four of us engage the bandits. At first, the armed men dressed in long mantles and wearing masks believe to have the advantage, but soon the tide of the combat turns.

Due to the extra weight of the pack, I reduce the chakra within the training weights, lightening my load, and allowing me to move in close to the swordsman who was stupid enough to challenge me. With no knowledge of what I'm capable of, the man merely allows me to get in close, my hands dancing on his chest in a quick succession of blows that strike his chakra network, the last hit a palm thrust to his gut with enough physical force to knock him backward…

The bandit coughs, blood shooting from his mouth onto the ground, glaring at me from above the mask…

"What did you do…?" He mutters as his knees give, falling forward.

Through my Byakugan, I see his heart still beating, but severely damaged. I turn and look to see his other comrades in similar situations. The one Shino faces rolls on the ground, scratching at his back while the kikai bugs leach his chakra from him, draining him of strength. A moment after I look, the man's rolling slows, and then comes to a stop as his arms stop moving, his eyes closing after he passes out. The man Naruto faced off with has 5 shadow clones on top of him, beating him like a gang mauling their victim. Kurenai's opponent lies on the ground, a nasty looking stab wound to his neck…

"Well, this was boring…" Naruto says, standing over his opponent while his shadow clones beat on him.

Shino nods his agreement, a stream of bugs crawling back to him and up his right leg. I deactivate my bloodline limit while the four of us look at each other.

"We should tie these men up, they're more then likely highwaymen, robbing travelers of their possessions and selling them for the highest price.

Criminals…

Leaving her victim on the road, Kurenai uses some rope from her pack to bind the three criminals with their backs to each other. It doesn't take long for one of them to begin to stir; the one Shino's bugs had a feast on…

"What the…?" He mutters, our teacher kneeling down in front of him.

"You're thieves, correct?" Our teacher asks, probing for information.

The man glares at her, and then spits in her face in contempt.

"I'll tell you nothing you she-bitch…" He says in defiance. "I'll kill you for taking Masaki's life…"

I see my teacher smile a sadistic smile.

"I have ways of making you talk you know…" She begins. "I am a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf village, and I'm fully trained in a multitude of torture methods designed to break the human spirit…" She says with a grin.

In the short time I've been under her charge, I've never once seen my teacher smile as sadistically as she smiles when she explains a very painful sounding method of torturing a male prisoner by using a chakra thread and feeding down their urethra, enlarging the thread inside their member and causing severe pain and internal damage…

The man looks horrified when Kurenai goes into detail about another torture method involving a man's private area, involving a small pin and several small pricks of it…

Then, seeing the man's face twist and contort, I realize what she's really doing…

She's getting inside his mind without even touching him, it's brilliant. She's using the methods of torture, and the detailed descriptions along with his own imagination to break him; he'll be talking soon…

"All right, what do you want to know?" The man finally gasps, giving in to our teacher's will.

I see a faint smile appear on her lips.

"You intended to just rob us, did you not?" She asks, and the man nods.

"Yes, we couldn't mug any of the people in town because of the annoying shinobi from the leaf village, that pupil-less one kept finding us and the green ones took pleasure in beating us all senseless." He explains.

Pupil-less one…? From what he's just said, I'd imagine the team we're going to relieve is…

I feel a ball of dread form in my stomach at the realization.

"Well, if that's all you want, then you should know that you had a run of bad luck…" Kurenai tells him. "We're the team of shinobi going to relieve that group, and we've got another one of the pupil-less ones with us." She tells him.

I see his eyes go wide as she reaches for his face. A moment later his neck snaps, his body going limp. The three of us watch our teacher as she proceeds to snap the remaining two necks, killing the last two living highwaymen…

She looks back at us, and I see a grim expression on her face.

"These men were no longer useful, and would only cause more harm to others if they were allowed to roam free." She explains.

"Wouldn't it have been better to lock them in a prison cell, rather then kill them?" Naruto asks.

She sighs heavily.

"Naruto, we're on a mission, and there aren't any prisons nearby that we could throw them in." She tells us. "Death is sometimes unavoidable, the three of you did good taking these men alive, and I've spared you three their deaths on your conscience." She tells us. She puts the bodies on the side of the road, attaching a small sign made of paper to one of them explaining who the corpses are, and asking the next traveler to bury them.

The four of us continue on our trip, leaving the four corpses behind. Personally, I have a very different opinion of my teacher, now that I've seen her kill without hesitation…

She didn't enjoy it, that's saying something, isn't it?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

We make camp several hours later after nightfall. We all take to our assigned duties from our teacher with little more then one word responses and short concise answers to her questions. She decides to send me out to gather firewood, and I use my Byakugan to quickly accomplish the task. Returning to the campsite, I see both Naruto and Shino hard at work, Naruto setting up tents while Shino creates a fire pit.

I set the wood down without a word, the Aburame boy nodding his thanks. I look around, trying to find something to do; only I don't see Kurenai-sensei anywhere in camp…

"Where is sensei?" I ask aloud, Shino looking up from his task.

"Our teacher proclaimed she was going to a nearby river to cleanse her body." Shino says.

A nearby river…

A few quick hand signs later, I know where my teacher is, the veins around my eyes receding a moment later.

"I'll go check on her; it's dangerous for even a Jounin to be alone at night, especially taking a bath."

Shino goes back to his task, Naruto never stopping what he's doing. Both boys give an acknowledging grunt. I start off toward my teacher, walking into the trees. Before long, I find her sitting in a river, up to her neck in water, her body stretched out in the air, chakra attaching her to that particular spot.

I approach as quietly as I can, though my sensei still manages to detect my presence.

"Hinata, is something the matter?" She asks with the back of her head toward me.

"No, I was just concerned for you, sensei." I tell her, standing there, happy that she can't see me.

"I'm in no danger; I'm more then capable of handling myself." She tells me.

I nod, though I know she can't see the motion.

"It's just, you killed those men earlier, and now you choose to take a bath…" I begin. "I am not stupid sensei, though I have never done it, grandmother has told me that when you take someone's life, it weighs heavily on your mind…"

The woman lets out a heavy sigh.

"Pray Hinata; that you never have to kill anyone, even in the line of duty…" She tells me. "You'll sleep a lot better in life…"

I nod, approaching the bank of the stream, and I sit down next to her on the bank, sitting with my legs near my body, my head resting against my knees.

"The Kyuubi killed a lot of people when it attacked, creating a lot of resentment and hatred over the lives lost…" I begin. "In the eyes of those who lived through the disaster, I see that mourning, that anger and I believe in a small way it's helped me to understand the weight death carries…"

"But, you had nothing to do with the Kyuubi attacking our village, only the bad luck to be born on the day it decided to tear into Konoha."

I nod, feeling depressed over the event that happened 12 years ago, but yet impacts me life each and every day…

"I'll be in here a while Hinata, you should take this time, and let both Shino and Naruto know about your secret, it would make talking about it easier, and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better about it once you tell them." She suggests, and I nod, feeling myself blush.

"I came here to help cheer you up sensei, and you end up trying to help me…" I explain, only to see my teacher smile.

"You three are all my precious students; I can't help it if I want you to be happy." She tells me.

I nod, getting up and turning back toward our camp.

"Be careful sensei, we're out in the woods, and a long way from help." I tell her, only to see her wave her hand dismissively.

I start back toward out camp site, my mind churning on how to best tell my two teammates the secret that I've been carrying since the day I was born…

When I arrive at the camp site, I see both Shino and Naruto still working diligently. I approach Naruto, only to hear Shino speak up.

"That is a shadow clone, and not the real Naruto." He tells me. "The real Naruto left to patrol the surroundings, saying he needed to 'work off some energy.'" Shino tells me.

I nod, accepting the boy's information.

I make several hand signs, activating my Byakugan. Not for the first time, I'm glad I possess the powerful dojutsu my clan is so famed for, and I'm glad that I've managed to increase the radius of vision to 100 meters during my short 12 years in this world…

I see Naruto, roughly 30 meters west of where I stand, moving in a circular pattern around our camp site. It's a logical patrol pattern, and I quickly take off, leaving Shino and the clone alone together again.

I'll tell Naruto first, and then I'll use what I learn from that to explain it to Shino…

I quickly find the blonde genin, calling out to him and stopping him in his tracks.

"Hinata, what's wrong, is something the matter with Kurenai-sensei?" He asks, landing on a sturdy branch.

I shake my head no, landing next to him, my Byakugan fading.

"I want to talk to you about something…" I mutter, pressing my pointer fingers together again. "Can we talk on the ground?" I ask, the blonde boy nodding.

Both of us hop off the tree and make our way down to ground level. I stand apart from him, and he slides his hands into his hip pockets.

"So, what'd you want to talk about, Hinata?" He asks with a hint of curiosity to his voice.

How can I bring this up without sounding like an idiot? I can't just say 'I've got the Kyuubi sealed inside me, wanna see the seal on my stomach?'

Then, an idea strikes me.

"Naruto, do you remember the history lesson on the Kyuubi No Kitsune?" I ask, the blonde boy nodding.

"Yeah, it was a demon that attacked our village; it killed a lot of people, like a living catastrophe." He says. "Dad talks about it all the time, and about how your father stepped up to protect the village when the demon wounded him."

I nod to him.

"Does your father ever tell you what happened to it?" I ask.

"Yeah…" He begins, his voice showing his puzzled state. "He said that it was killed by your father, using a technique that dad developed."

"Well, that's almost true…" I tell him, and I see his eyes questioning my statement. "The fox was killed, or rather; it was sealed into the body of a newborn baby." I explain to him.

"Sealed into a newborn?" He asks, and I nod.

"The demon couldn't be outright killed, but it could be sealed, so my father used a powerful sealing jutsu to contain the beast, and save the village." I explain.

"Well, who did he seal it into?" He asks. "The demon attacked 12 years ago, so it would have to be someone our age. Did they kill the child the demon was sealed in?" He asks, and I shake my head no.

"They didn't kill the baby; they allowed it to live, your father hoping one day that the people of the village would see the child as a hero for containing the demon." I explain.

"Well, that still doesn't explain who the demon was sealed into." He tells me. "I mean, something like that would have to be really strong, to contain a monster that powerful…"

I swallow the saliva in my throat, ready to drop the big clue that should allow the boy to put the pieces together.

"My birthday is December 27th…" I tell him, looking down at the ground, feeling dread rise up from my stomach.

I can hear the gears beginning to turn in his head in his tone of voice.

"You were born on that day, and the demon was sealed into a newborn…" He begins.

"The Kitsune possessed a powerful red chakra…" I mutter.

"You don't mean…" He begins, and I nod, apprehension filling me when I open my mouth to admit my secret to him.

"I am the baby that the Kyuubi was sealed inside." I finally admit. "The redness of my eyes doesn't come from my mother, but the demon's presence inside me. I'm so sorry I lied to you Naruto-kun!" I blurt out, bowing to him in apology, preparing for the screaming to begin…

There's a long moment of silence between us. I look up to see a multitude of emotions playing across my teammate's face, recognition, understanding, but no anger, no hatred or fear…

"I'll understand if you want me off this squad…" I tell him while I get to my feet. The boy has not said a syllable since I explained my secret to him. "Kurenai-sensei said that there shouldn't be secrets among teammates or friends, and I consider you my friend Naruto-kun…" I say.

The boy looks down toward the ground a moment, and then looks up at me, his eyes clear and filled with questioning.

"Why would I want you off of our squad Hinata?" He asks, not using an honorific. "Did you just absorb the Kyuubi before we left, and up until that point, you didn't have it?" He asks, and I shake my head.

"No, from the moment I was born, for as long as I can remember, I've had the Kyuubi sealed inside of me…"

"Are you going to let it out, to try and hurt Shino or me, or Kurenai-sensei?" He asks, and I look back at him, turning pale as I shake my head no.

"No, I wouldn't ever do such a thing…" I deny, and then I see something I don't expect, I see the blonde boy smile.

"Then I don't see any reason to have you taken off my team." He tells me matter of factly. "If anything, now that I know this I understand why the villages stare at you…"

I feel the dread rise.

"If you understand, then, please don't look at me like they do, Naruto, I couldn't…" I mutter, my voice breaking near the end.

The boy gains a look of surprise on his face, tears beginning to fall down my cheeks.

I couldn't take it if you looked at me like they do. I just couldn't take it…

For that moment, I contemplate cutting my throat the moment I return to the village, until the boy speaks.

"I said I understood, I didn't say I AGREE with them Hinata." He tells me, and I feel his right hand touch my shoulder reassuringly.

I look up to see the boy smiling a genuine smile.

"Dad always said that your father was a hero, and you're a hero to our village as well, and now I understand why." He tells me, giving me the smile. "You keep the Kyuubi locked up inside of you, keeping all of us safe." He tells me. "How can I look at you like you're a monster, when you protect me and everyone else in the village every day of your life?"

I feel the tears come, and I sob, losing what control I had on my emotions.

"Naruto…" I mutter, burying my head in his chest.

I don't know what makes me come so close to him, but I feel his arms wrap around me, holding me gently.

"You've been through so much Hinata; it isn't fair how the people have treated you." He tells me. "But, it's all right; you can let it all out…" He says.

I cry 12 years worth of tears into my teammate's shirt, letting out all the sadness and rejection that has welled up inside of me. I don't know how long I stand there, crying and sobbing into the boy's chest, but he holds me the entire time, never once loosening his grip, or complaining about my getting his shirt wet…

I sniffle, feeling most of the tears have gone, and I pull away slightly, his arms opening to allow me to move. I look my teammate in his eyes, seeing a slight smile there.

"I'm sorry…" I mutter, looking down at the wet mark on the green fabric. "I got your jacket wet…" I sniffle again, wiping my cheeks.

He waves his hand dismissively.

"It'll dry…" He tells me. "I'm more worried about you, are you sure you're done?" He asks; his voice filled with compassion.

I nod, sniffling again, wiping my eyes one more time.

"Yes and thank you…" I say to him looking down, feeling my cheeks flush. "I don't know what came over me."

He shrugs.

"I just wish you would've told me sooner…" He says. "While we were still in the village, instead of all the way out here, I could do something about the people glaring at you that way…"

My eyes go wide in recognition.

"You don't have to do anything…" I quickly tell him. "Your father already decreed that no one can talk about the fate of the Kyuubi other then me, so no one else our age knows why their parents scorn me so, but they pick up on it, and they do so as well." I tell him. "You can't make people change Naruto, not even the Hokage can make people realize their ignorance…"

I see the boy scowl, looking away from me.

"Well, then I'm going to become a Hokage that CAN!" He tells me. "It isn't right, and it isn't fair that people look at you like you're some kind of monster, when you're protecting them from a creature they're helpless against!" He tells me. "When I become Hokage, you'll be recognized as the hero you are Hinata, not as the monster they think you are…"

I feel more tears at the boy's words, but the bushes rustle behind me. I spin around at the noise, the Byakugan appearing in my eyes without a single hand sign…

The bushes part, revealing Kurenai-sensei as she walks into the small area Naruto and I are talking in.

"I figured you'd be here…" She says.

The Byakugan fades from my eyes, Naruto looking puzzled at our teacher.

"How'd you find us sensei?" Naruto asks. "We're out here in the middle of nowhere?"

I see our teacher grin.

"Shino planted a scent producing female kikai bug on both of you." She tells us both. "He's had all of us bug tagged just in case of an emergency." She explains.

I immediately feel the urge to run to the river and strip my clothes off, jumping in to try and get the small bug off of my body…

"Though, he told me that the bug is hiding somewhere on each of your bodies, and living off a miniscule amount of your chakra, just enough for them to survive, so I doubt either of you will notice." She says.

I feel my face go pale at the thought of a kikai bug crawling into my pants and hiding there…

"He also said to tell me that the bug is living in your hair, and not to scrub too hard, or you might kill it." She finishes.

I feel relief wash over me that the insect is only living on my head, and not anywhere else on my body…

"But sensei, what'll happen when we take a shower, won't the bug die?" Naruto asks.

"I'd think Shino will recall his allies once we arrive at our destination, and only tag you whenever we separate." She explains.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Though, I didn't come out here to tell you about your unknown guests, I came to check to see how Hinata's confession was going, though I'd say it went rather well, looking at the two of you…" She says with a grin.

I look down to avoid her gaze, and I hear Naruto speak.

"She didn't come out and tell me right away, she kinda led me to guess, and then confirmed it." Naruto explains.

I look up to see our Jounin teacher smile, nodding at him.

"Well, if that's the case, then both of you know about Hinata's secret." She says matter of factly.

I feel my face go pale again.

"Sensei, you told Shino?" I ask.

She shakes her head no.

"Your quiet little teammate happens to have very powerful observational and deductive skills beyond his age." Kurenai tells us. "When I returned from the bath, he asked me some questions about you Hinata, asking me to confirm your birthday and the color of the Kyuubi, and then he gave me an extremely detailed explanation telling me that he believes that you are the child the Kyuubi was sealed into." She explains. "Since I hadn't told him anything, and he drew this conclusion on his own, I just confirmed it for him…" She explains. "I didn't break the Hokage's law, since I didn't speak about you being the Kyuubi; I only commented that his deductions were very accurate."

"What did he think about my not telling him?" I ask.

As if on cue, I hear a rustle in the bushes, and I look to see Shino emerge from the greenery.

"I would like to inquire why you did not reveal this fact the first day we met, and to express my sincerest sympathy for the negative treatment the villagers have given you up to this point." He says his hands in his pockets.

I look down, avoiding my teammate's gaze.

"I thought that if I told you about this, you'd think I was a demon or something, like the other villagers…' I explain, and I see him push his sunglasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"I find that to be a most offensive thought…" He tells me matter of factly.

I open my mouth to ask why, but the boy continues to speak.

"The fact that the Kyuubi No Kitsune is within you in no way makes you the demon, just as the kikai bugs within me does not make me a kikai." He tells me. "Rather, I sympathize with your situation, being in a similar one myself." He finishes.

I lower my head, bowing deeply to the boy.

"My sincerest apologizes…" I say to him, meaning every word. "I did not know that you received a similar treatment from the other villagers, nor did I know you felt the way you do about this matter." I explain.

I see the boy shift his weight to his left foot.

"It is forgiven…" He says. "In light of this information, I find myself reevaluating my perception of both you and the village in which we all live…" He says. "Though, such things will have to wait until we return to the village." He comments. "For now, we should set up camp and establish a watch rotation."

I nod, feeling relief fall over me like a waterfall rushing over a cliff.

Thank Kami that they both accepted my being the Jinchuriki, and they both still want to be around me…

Heading back to camp, I wonder for a moment if what just happened is what having real friends means, and I quickly agree with myself, knowing that it is…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That night, we set up a watch rotation, with me going first. Fortunately, nothing happens and I go to sleep at the end of my shift, for the first night in a long time I sleep peacefully.

The next morning I awake to see Naruto awake from his last shift in the rotation, the three of us rousing at the same time. We all eat a ration bar and then break camp. Today is our last day of travel, and we should be at the border town by noon today to relieve the genin team stationed there…

If I'm right, then Neji-nii-san is one of the Genin waiting for us, and I'm sure he'll be angry that we took all three days to make it…

We travel in silence, though the silence is much more comfortable, and I feel more secure now that Kurenai-sensei isn't the only one among the team to know my secret. The fact that both of them sympathized with me only made me feel worse about hiding it for so long, though over dinner last night, I managed to explain my reasons, and they accepted them as well. Shino wasn't too thrilled that I believed he might do something as illogical as 'reject someone simply because of an event beyond their control,' though the boy didn't appear too annoyed for very long. After that, Kurenai explained the private talks she's had with the Fourth Hokage since taking us on as a team, keeping the man informed of our relationship, both as shinobi and as people, since the Fourth selected both of them because he felt they would accept me for me, and not turn on me like the other villagers. I could see the relief on her face as she talked, and I know that the next private discussion she has with the Hokage will be a positive one.

Finally, we arrive at the border town 2 hours after we wake up, with roughly an hour and a half until we are to relieve the genin team currently stationed here.

"Hinata, can you locate the other team?" Kurenai asks, and I nod.

I use my Byakugan, finding the other team quite quickly, sitting in a small building without any real furniture, only four simple beds and a bathroom connected to it.

Looking at the group, I recognize Team Gai, a group of genin one year older then Naruto, Shino and I. I know they are led by Maito Gai, the leaf village's foremost taijutsu expert, as well as an eccentric without compare, save for one of his students, a 13 year old miniature version of him named Rock Lee. Looking at the mini-Gai, I see that his chakra coils are smaller then an average person and I realize that he must have a horrible time with anything other then taijutsu. I also recognize the daughter of the weapons-smith Ten-Ten. She is the only girl of the group, and specializes in thrown weapons, though I've never seen her fight. Finally, I see Neji Hyuga, son of Hizashi Hyuga, my father's twin brother and leader of the branch family. Neji sits with his back against a wall, looking bored and acting like his teammates aren't worth his time. Gai stands leaning against a wall, tapping his foot against the wall, waiting impatiently for our arrival. Lee standing next to him, mimicking his teacher's actions, Ten-Ten sits on one of the beds, shaking her head slowly at both Lee and Gai's actions. In a corner I see four large backpacks nearly identical to ours…

"I've found them…" I tell my teacher. "They all appear to be waiting, some more patiently then others."

I see Kurenai understand the second part of my statement. Our teacher motions for us to continue into the town.

"Well, we shouldn't keep Konoha's Fiercest Beast of Battle waiting, should we?" She asks a joking tone to her voice.

Both Naruto and I stifle a laugh, Shino merely stands there, looking unemotional as usual.

"It would be bad decorum to do so…" He comments, missing the joke.

Needless to say, Maito Gai's reputation in the village for being impatient is well known, even to those who never met him, but somehow that reputation escapes the Aburame clan…

We move through the town and to the building that Team Gai now occupies. Kurenai opens the door and walks inside with a confident strike, Naruto behind her, then Shino and finally me. All four of the shinobi inside spin their heads to look, and I see Ten-Ten let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, Kurenai-san, I take you're our relief?" He asks.

Our teacher nods.

She slips off her backpack, and then ruffles through it. A moment later she produces the scroll with the seal of the Hokage on it, and tosses it to the large man in green. He catches it in mid air, opening it and reading the contents of the scroll carefully, then rolling it up again.

"Yosh, it seems our relief has arrived!" He finally yells out, giving a thumb up, and flashing his teeth.

I think I see spots for a moment after he closes his mouth.

"I'm sorry we're almost late." Kurenai says. "We ran into some trouble on the way here, highwaymen tried to rob us." She explains. "They appeared to have had a run in with you Gai, because when I interrogated one of them, they described Neji and you and Lee fairly accurately." She tells them.

I see Gai's expression shift at this.

"Oh, you ran into them did you?" He asks. "We had some run-ins with them as well, and I had hoped that the Flames of Lee's Youth would shine down on them and show them a better path, which is why I forbid us from killing them." He explains.

The 'Flames of Lee's Youth,' what in the world is that supposed to be?

I glance to Naruto, who seems just as lost as I am, though Shino appears emotionless…

"If the flames of my youth are not strong enough now, Gai-sensei, I swear that I will stoke them and make them even brighter the next time!" Lee yells out, and I don't know if he's happy or sad, or why he's yelling…

"Lee…!" Gai yells.

"Gai-sensei…!" Lee returns.

"Lee…!" Gai responds.

"Gai-sensei…"

I feel a headache coming on…

Before another chorus can be heard, Kurenai clears her throat, rather loudly…

"I'm afraid you won't get another chance to try and change their ways Gai." Kurenai tells him. "I killed one of them during the initial attack, though my students subdued the other three. I saw no point after an interrogation in leaving them alive, so I killed them." She tells the man.

I see him make a 'hmm..' noise, and I wonder if it means the eccentric man in green is thinking, or he's just hungry, and verbally expressing it. Either option would make sense to me at this point…

"I see…" Gai finally responds in words. "It is a shame that such men are incapable of changing their ways once exposed to the Power of Youth…" Gai finally comments.

I see Neji sigh, standing up and walking past me to the four bags.

"I'll be outside…" He says simply, picking up his bag and leaving through the only door.

Guess he had enough of this 'Power of Youth' stuff, though I can hardly blame him. If I were in his place, I'd probably want a medic to perform a field lobotomy on me so I didn't care as much, or I'd give up being a Shinobi, just to get away from the insanity that is Maito Gai…

I see Gai suddenly get serious, his eyes resting on the door for a long few moments.

"I can never seem to get through to that one…" He comments to no one. "For all his observational abilities, he cannot see the light of the Flames of Youth, locking himself away as he does…" Gai observes in a rare moment of intelligence.

Maybe he always has that kind of intelligence, but the stress of being a Jounin has him acting like that all the time as a means to cope with the harsh reality. If that's the case, then why Kurenai-sensei isn't more like him, I don't know…

"Gai, your methods can't get through to everyone, and…inspire students to be like Lee all the time." She says. "Especially with a member of the Hyuga family, it's almost impossible to get them to lose that arrogance the family seems to bolster."

I see the other Jounin eye me, and I suddenly feel very nervous under his gaze.

"What about you, Kurenai, you have a Hyuga on your squad, and I don't sense the same arrogance possessed by my Neji…" He points out.

Kurenai's gaze thins toward him, and I see her eyebrows shift down.

"Hinata is special Gai; you know that as well as I do…" She responds, her voice neutral, though only a step away from possessing a confrontational tone.

The man nods, though I know he would never give away my secret…

Ten-Ten sighs, getting up and moving behind her teacher and his prized student.

"All right both of you, they're our relief, so let them relieve us, and let's go home!" She insists.

She begins to push the two of them out of the room, literally pushing both of the green clad shinobi toward the door. Fortunately, the two of them manage to grab their packs before they leave, with Ten-Ten grabbing her own. The kunoichi waves good bye before she closes the door, leaving the four of us alone.

I see Kurenai-sensei rub her head like she's getting a headache…

"If they ever needed proof that the stress of missions can impact a ninja's sanity; that man would be the only evidence they'd ever need." Kurenai says.

"Um, sensei, shouldn't we get settled in?" I ask, and our teacher nods.

"First things first, everyone give me your collapsible tents." Kurenai says.

The three of us do as we're told, handing her the tents she asks for. She takes the tents, using one of their lesser known abilities to our advantage. The tents are made for military use, allowing multiple tent walls to be connected together to form a larger tent. Kurenai uses this function to create a large wall between two of the beds, creating a large wall that will give us privacy from the two boys…

"Now Hinata and I will be able to get some privacy while we sleep at least…" Kurenai mutters, attaching the tent walls to both the ceiling and the floor with the spokes.

"Um, sensei, aren't we here to watch this town, not set up privacy walls?" Naruto asks, and our teacher nods.

"I know that Naruto, I just don't like the idea of you two thinking you might get a look at Hinata or I while we sleep." She says.

The blonde boy doesn't argue the point, knowing full well he can't win the argument…