Two days had seemed like a good idea at the time, but when it all came down to it, it hadn't been long enough. Kakashi hadn't been able to find much, and the two Genin hadn't found anything. Since the two kids were too busy trying to follow on a small lead on the third day, they forgot to go to training. It was alright though, since Kakashi never showed up either. He was trying to figure out a lead as well, but he was a little luckier.
So, four days later, the trio was back to their training. Hinata and Naruto didn't even realize it had been three days missing instead of two, but Kakashi thought maybe they had shown up and been bored the whole day.
"Yo. Uh, sorry about yesterday…"
"What about it?" Hinata questioned, a tad confused.
"I didn't show up."
"Oh. Well, I guess we didn't either."
Naruto let out a small giggle.
"I guess it's alright then."
"Mm. So, can we warm up with a quick spar, only Taijutsu?"
"Sure. Ready? Set…GO!"
--
The days went on, but they didn't find any information on the ink splatters on Hinata's body. If they did find anything, leads were quickly lost or destroyed. It was odd, because it seemed someone was one step ahead of them, keeping them from seeing what the seal was. Hinata didn't mind, but she wanted to find a way to get rid of it, or at the very least make sure it wouldn't hurt her again.
Naruto kept pestering Kakashi for information on his own seal. Hinata helped, but she had a feeling it was something bad. Kakashi never spoke a word of it. He told him that it was confidential and he would be killed for telling him anything more. Naruto was very shy, but with his sensei he became an irksome child.
In spite of all the trouble they gave the older ninja, he continued to teach them as much as he could. He could tell that they would surpass him quickly, even though were young. Great potential was growing in these children, not just because they had more resources now, but because they wanted to do their best and become top notch ninjas.
--
Hinata clenched and unclenched her fists, grinning slyly. Her sensei had no idea what was coming next. She put on a burst of energy and slammed into him, almost laughing with exhilaration when she connected. He kicked up with his knee to get her off, but she flipped backwards and rushed forward again. He kicked out, spinning in a circle. She ducked and ran under his defenses, hitting him in the lower back as hard as she could. He fell forward, wincing, but landed on his hands. He pushed himself up with the momentum and dodged another punch.
Before he could get his wits about him, Naruto finally entered the fray, using a small number of shadow clones, the only ones he could use, to rush his teacher. Kakashi sighed and managed to dispel three of them before they got sneaky. They would slip through his defense on the sides or behind him, learning as they got hit. Hinata joined in after a quick breather, making it hard to focus on the clones. It was after he got knocked around by the two kids that he ended it by swirling around in a circle, effectively using the rest of his energy.
All three landed somewhere different. Kakashi was panting, still standing, in the middle of the battlefield. He looked exhausted. Hinata, also gasping for breath, was off to his right, struggling to stand. She was on her feet, but her hands were supporting her thin frame. Naruto was the only one to be perfectly fine. He had been a little tired for a few seconds, but he stood up quite easily and smiled at Kakashi.
"I concede" the ninja paled before saying.
"Yay!" Naruto grinned softly at Hinata, who was grinning and rejoicing.
"We finally won…" the blond murmured.
"Yeah yeah" he muttered. "Now help me over to the wooden posts. I have something to talk to you two about."
"Sure." Naruto blinked and rushed over to help his teacher up.
Hinata, entirely proud of herself, refused the help. She hobbled over with the others, grin intact.
"Okay, so what did you want to tell us…?" both Genin started at him.
"I found something."
Immediately both younger ninjas sat up straighter. Hinata didn't even notice the bruises on her spine as she snapped into attention. The listened closely, not needing to be told what he was going to explain about.
"It was purely by accident, but I still found something," he continued, "and the person or people hiding things didn't have time to hide it. I think we're ahead now."
"I see" Hinata murmured, waiting for him to go on. She didn't want to rush him, but any news at all was a blessing.
"I learned some of the things on your seal, around the outside. The outer ring, if you will. It's made up entirely of elemental signatures. But they aren't normal seals, oh no. For one, they're in a different language. It's odd symbols and pictures that make up the oddest elements. The lesser known ones, the less common ones."
"Like what?" Naruto whispered, enthralled.
"Well, the main ones are fire, wind, earth, and water. Split from that are ice, steel, shadow, light, and sound."
"So what ones compose my outer seal?" Hinata questioned.
"Light, sound, and shadow. The least known ones, really. I knew about clans of people with ice, though they all killed each other in a village war, and the steel users are rare and spread out. Konaha itself houses the shadow manipulators, but no one knows anymore about light or sound. All three are rare anyways."
"Interesting" Hinata shrugged. "So what can we do with it?"
"Well, I found some books on the language that they use for the seal."
"And stole them, right?"
"You could say that. I did leave some cash for them, because stealing isn't good if it's in your own village."
The kids nodded and he went on.
"I learned something else." He slipped the sheet of paper from a pocket that had the seal design on it. "See this?" he traced his finger along on of the sides.
"Yeah. Hey, it looks different. But…it's a circle. Shouldn't it be the same?"
"That's what I thought, too. But the other three sides must equal this one. It has more markings, and a circle must balance out or it won't work."
"How strange…" Hinata commented, gazing at the drawing intently.
"Do you know anything else?" Naruto asked.
"I'm afraid that's all I found. But I'm working on it still. I have several leads and I sent a few people that owe me favors to help find more."
"Thank you" Hinata spoke suddenly.
"For what?" Kakashi seemed taken aback.
"Helping me so much."
"You're my student. It's my duty" he looked to the side, embarrassed.
"Thank you anyways" she murmured, absently rubbing her stomach near the center of where the seal would be.
It was silent for a few moments, and the Naruto spoke up quietly.
"I think we're all hungry. I'll treat to ramen."
--
To go to the ramen shop Naruto loved, Hinata had to disguise herself under a Genjutsu. She was really tired but figured she could hold a simple one for a little while. She made herself look the same as usual in public, with the twin ponytail blond hair, hanging straight down to her hips. Her eyes were a little more difficult, but she managed to get them the same color as Naruto's. On either cheek were three slashes going horizontal, identical to her brothers.
"Ah, my best customers! And you brought a friend..?" the owner greeted them cheerfully, talking to them while stirring in some vegetables to some of the ramen.
"He's my sensei!" Naruto brought his façade up as well.
"Ah, the sensei you've told me so much about. What is your name, good sir?" Kakashi was a little surprised at the kindness of this man. Not many villagers like the blond.
"Hatake Kakashi" he murmured.
"Ah, so mysterious."
Naruto smiled and ordered a few large bowls. Hinata added three onto his five, and Kakashi ordered one to start. Kakashi watched curiously as the blond sucked down his ramen. It disappeared so quickly that it made him realize something. He needs a lot of food, or else all the energy goes to burning it off. His metabolism is the fastest I've ever seen. Guess I know why he's so thin… Heh, I know hundreds of females that would kill for that.
Hinata had just finished her third bowl when she felt her illusion begin to fade. Her chakra was almost exhausted and she needed to go somewhere private so no one would find her. She made a quick signal to her team and then lowered her head so it was in the shadows.
"Thank for the awesome ramen!" she said loudly, slapping a few notes on the table. She knew Naruto was going to pay, but it was both of their money…
Hinata rushed away, dropping the Genjutsu when the strain was too much. She kept her head down and ran into an alley, sticking to the shadows and running quickly.
Kakashi didn't question, but he was curious to as why she needed to keep the illusion up. Sure, she was technically a missing person, but it had been ten or so years. Was she still that concerned? He glanced over to Naruto, who was also setting money down. He left just as quickly, but a little more quietly. He waited a moment, and then followed the boy.
--
Naruto followed Hinata and Kakashi followed Naruto. Hinata, obviously, made it back to their home first. Naruto waited only a minute before going in, tapping out a soft knock before going inside. Hinata was sitting calmly on the couch, reading a book. Neither one seemed to notice when Kakashi entered through a loose board under the guest room bed, and he listened and observed from there.
"You alright?"
"Perfectly; why wouldn't I be?" Hinata gazed up at Naruto quizzically.
The blond shrugged. "You seemed a little off when you left." He spoke softly.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." Hinata blinked and looked up for a moment, smiling lightly.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, do we have more training today, or are you going to spy on our half-day off the whole time?"
Kakashi, startled, couldn't answer right away. He actually thought he had been perfectly silent and not been spotted.
"Well, you see" he finally attempted. "Uh, see you." He slipped down into his little passageway, covering the hole and making a clone to go and slink away, hoping that she'd think he left.
Naruto stared at her for a little longer before shrugging and going to his bedroom for a nap. He liked to sleep a lot because he had dreams that fueled many of their seal and move ideas. Hinata made sure to stay quiet and pretend to read until he was in REM sleep before putting her book down gently.
She covered her face with both hands, silent for another moment. Then her sobs started, and she cried her heart out. She was alone for a few minutes, until Kakashi decided to find out what was wrong. It probably wasn't his business, but he felt like their father. He wanted to be, or something close to them. He loved them.
"Hinata…" He thought she would be startled and push him away, protesting about how she was fine. Instead, she cried harder and pulled him close, squeezing him like a rag doll.
He let her cry out her pain, and he tried his best to comfort her by rubbing her back gently and murmuring comforting words to her. Sometimes she would flinch; sometimes she would stop crying for a few seconds to hit him. Her punches, even though strong, didn't hurt him. She wasn't trying to beat out her anger, but keep him closer. He didn't like to admit this to, well anyone, but he knew what girls thought most of the time. He actually understood them. He didn't have much experience lover-wise, but he was friends with a lot of loud females.
Anko was one of those women, and whenever she had to break down, she came to him. He hadn't know what to do that first time, and just sat there, pretending to be calm, listening to her and rubbing her back. It soothed her so much that she always went to him if there was a problem. Somehow, other females started seeing him as a stuffed animal, someone to hug and pour their hearts out to. He didn't mind, but he didn't know half the people that came to him. Well, he didn't before. He knew the life's story of many females. But… he never told anyone about who broke down crying or when, or why.
He didn't want his reputation to become seen as a big softie, because then enemy ninjas wouldn't take him seriously. And he enjoyed seeing the look on their face when they realized who was about to kill them, or knock them out, or beat their asses so badly that they gave up something that Konoha wanted. Kakashi was good at his job, and he didn't want that to be ruined. He was proud of himself.
So, sitting here with Hinata, he did the same thing to help her. He stayed quiet and let her work it all out, even if it meant becoming a punching bag. He could always change his clothes later, if she got them too wet with tears. Besides, he didn't want his student to become depressed or hurt herself. She had potential to become an extraordinary Hokage, and if it meant making sure she was okay, then so be it. Because he believed that she could change the Leaf Village for the better.
--
When her tears finally stopped flowing, she sat back against the couch, curling up into a ball. She sniffed a few times, and he produced a few tissues for her. She smiled weakly at him and accepted the offering, wiping her eyes and tossing them into a trash can across the room. Kakashi nodded at the excellent aim and then turned to her again. He waited for her to talk, since he knew she would want to explain eventually. He was patient.
"I'm sorry" she murmured, hugging her knees to her chest.
"You didn't do anything wrong" he said softly.
"It's what I didn't do. Or know, rather." She sighed.
"Oh? What didn't you do then, Hina-chan? Become Hokage on your first day of ninja training?" He joked lightly.
Hinata grinned, and he leaned back against the arm on his side of the couch. His legs were stretched out, but somehow keeping out of her bubble of space. Then her smile faded.
"It's not that simple" she covered her face with her hands, almost ready to start over again.
"Explain to me, then. Please. I'm willing to listen."
Hinata lifted her head slowly. Her eyes peeked up at him.
"Seriously?" her voice sounded almost back to normal.
"Seriously." He confirmed.
"Oh…" she shrugged. "Thank you, Kakashi."
He nodded kindly and motioned for her to begin, when she was ready, of course.
"So uhm…" she poked her fingers together, sounding as shy as Naruto. "It's not that I'm not strong enough to protect everyone in the village yet, it's that…that I can't even protect one person!" she finally burst out.
He was startled. "Why, what do you mean?"
She took a deep breath. "I can't even protect one person I love. Naruto is still scorned and looked down upon. I don't even know why." Kakashi looked slightly guilty, but he let her continue. "You seem to think you don't need protecting, but you won't accept the fact that you have friends! You don't want to let go of the past and make new ties. Sasuke's entire family died and I couldn't do anything to help him. He's gone depressed and I can only be his shadow, following him and trying to send hints that he's not alone. He never gets them."
Kakashi's mind tried to process this information. No one had ever told him that he was stuck in the past.
"The ramen stand that we like to go to, like today? The owner is struggling to make ends meet, much like us. Because Naruto and I eat there, no one else does. Maybe Iruka once in awhile, but really we can't support them without having more money ourselves. Not to mention the countless orphanages and homeless people! I can't do anything!"
Shocked, Kakashi stared at her. Her she was, barely thirteen, and already worried about things adults never even began to look at till they were in their late forties or fifties. Most didn't even worry about these things, living their lives in the most normal ways. But her, she was thinking more about these people that she didn't even know, or knew very well, and putting them above herself.
I knew you'd make a great Hokage.
"Hinata." He was gently shaking her shoulders now, trying to get her to stop ranting. It was helpful most times, but that 5% that wasn't a good idea…
"Hina-chan."
"WHAT!"
Kakashi leaned forward and tugged his mask down, pressing his lips to hers. Her eyes opened wide and she froze, not knowing what to do next. He didn't linger long and pulled back, letting her see his face for a few moments before returning the fabric up over his nose.
"What the hell…?" she murmured, touching her lips with her fingers lightly.
"You needed to be quiet and it was the only way I could do it without hurting you." He reasoned.
She stared at him, blushing, and then narrowed her eyes.
"Pervert!" She covered her chest by crossing her arms in an 'X', pulling her legs even tighter to her body.
"While I'd like to say I'm not" he started, "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't."
He had somehow managed to get on top of her, spreading her body out under his. His mask was down and his forehead protector pushed up, one eye closed. She was panting hard for some reason, probably from the struggle of staying curled up. He smirked down at her, letting his gaze wander down to her chest. It was unbound by now, and she showed through her shirt.
"H-hey…"
And then he was sitting back up, pulling her against his chest. His face was once again covered, one eye and a tiny patch of skin visible.
"Hinata… Everyday, I'm consumed by lust. Not just for you, but for everyone. I'm not impartial to gender, but females…" he licked his lips slowly under his mask. "Females are made for men."
"Hey!" she protested, a little louder than before.
"Females are meant to be held gently by a man" he spoke softly, nuzzling her neck. "Females should be treated with respect and dignity, as they are our equals. Men think that our gender is better, more dominant, but in fact we are just about equal."
"H-how so?"
"Think about it. Men are stronger, usually, but females can withstand so much more pain."
"Why?"
"Think about it, Hina-chan. What can you do that I can't?"
"…Have a…. baby?"
"That's right. Your body is built to be able to bear and borne a child, or however many, and males cannot. If we even could hold a baby, the pain alone would kill us before even starting the birth. And girls, women, put up with a lot."
"We do" she agreed, leaning back against his chest. She wasn't afraid of what he was doing now. He had just been making a point.
"You have to go through a monthly cycle, put up with boys, train twice or three times harder to achieve the same level that us guys get by slacking off, and live through nasty gossip and grape vine rumors."
"It's true…" she said sadly.
It was silent for a few minutes, with them sitting in the same position the entire time. Then Kakashi seemed to realize where she was and hurriedly set her in her own seat, scooting a little bit away from her.
"Sorry" he murmured. "But…just remember – you'll be strong enough soon, and you'll save all those you want to and more."
And then he was gone, leaving Hinata a little confused, and just a tad disappointed.
--
Naruto hadn't heard any of the conversation they had the day before, so when they went to training at six in the morning he was happy. He didn't know that Hinata hid anything from him, but instead thought that everything was fine. It was, for the most part, but Hinata knew that she would still hold on to that regret. It would stay with her forever.
Kakashi hoped to make this training as non-awkward as possible, so he decided to teach them something new. They might not use the skill, but it might help a little sometime in the future. He swirled in a circle of leaves onto the training ground, holding two lengths of wood. They were smooth, thin, and cut down to about half his height. He presented the wood to his Genin and waited for them to say something.
"Hm. A bow. Are we learning how to use them?" was all the excitement he got.
"Uh, yes."
--
Naruto caught on more quickly than Hinata. He used clones, of course, but he had better aim. She could judge distances better, but her general aim with the arrows were off. She guessed it was because her stance was wrong or she was holding it incorrectly.
"Hey, can I have some help?" Hinata asked, trying to figure out what she was doing differently than Naruto.
"Sure" Kakashi wandered over to help her. "What's up?"
"I can't seem to get close to the target…"
"What's your target?" he questioned.
"That tree branch, right there." She pointed to a thick branch not that far up in a tree. A perfect target.
"Alright. Show me, then."
Hinata knocked another arrow on the string and wound three fingers around it, pulling back to her face. Her feet were spread a little less than a foot apart, and she had her weight centered in her stomach. She held the string close to her body, pointer finger actually at the corner of her mouth. Her left eye was closed, and the right was staring down the center of the arrow, aiming it at her target. The string was gently resting against her nose, and she finally let go.
"Huh."
The arrow had gone way off from her mark, but he wasn't watching where it went. He was trying to figure out how she was doing it wrong. Her form was perfect, keeping her weight evenly between both feet. Her body had froze when she let go, only movements her hands. Her right one, that held the string, was pulled back smoothly. The left wrist was pointing down, bow swinging loosely in her hand.
"So, what's wrong?" she finally asked, releasing her breath.
"I don't know… You held your form, your anchor point was perfect, and you centered your weight. You weren't tilting the bow, so…" Kakashi was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Ah, I know," he said after another moment, "let me see the weapon."
Hinata silently handed the bow over and he tested it, moving it up and down in his hands. He nodded and then grinned, even though she couldn't see it.
"It's too light."
"Huh?"
"It's not heavy enough. The actual weight and the poundage."
"…Oh."
"I'll get you a different one, hold on…"
--
Naruto was sitting in a tree, reading a scroll. It was on elemental manipulation, and he was curious. It said that Wind was the most destructive, but it didn't offer an explanation why. He finally rolled it up and ran down the tree trunk to discuss it with his sensei.
"Kakashi-sensei, sensei!" he called, pulling the older ninja away from Hinata.
"Hai?"
"I have a question" he said shyly.
"Shoot." Kakashi ducked as Hinata did just that, giggling as the new bow made her aim nice and true. It landed at his feet, and then it promptly blew up.
Naruto was far away enough to not be affected by the tiny bomb, but Kakashi had to shushin away to stay safe. He came back after a few seconds, staring at Hinata intently.
"What the hell was that???"
"Arrow bomb!"
--
So Hinata loved explosives. So what? Just because she was a girl didn't mean they weren't any less fun. If anything, more fun! Guys didn't expect them, and it was priceless to see the looks on their faces when they went off. Boom! She laughed.
--
"What do you need, Naruto?" Kakashi asked pleasantly.
"Well, this scroll," he took it out, "says that wind is the most destructive element. But I've learned about tons of things that could be more dangerous that air manipulation. Can you tell me why they think it is?"
"Alright. Well, let's see. Since Wind is the control of air, basically pressurized air; how does that work? You build up the pressure inside of something, like say a bomb," Kakashi glanced over to Hinata, "and the more force pressing against it the bigger or more powerful it is. Wind is the same, because it is just a giant bomb that you don't need much to build it and it can be as large scale as you can make it."
"Using chakra, right?"
"Correct. So wind is very dangerous, but to the user as well. Since the longer you hold it, the more force it will exert, you need to get it perfectly right or something will go wrong and backfire."
"Right; like it says here on one of these Jutsus that if preformed wrong then it'll blow your arm right off."
"See? It's very good to be able to use it, but it must be taught and learned correctly. And nothing shoddy."
"Yeah, or you'll die" Naruto spoke seriously.
"Potentially. Look, what else have you read about? I want to hear what you know about the other elements…"
"Okay. I'll start with fire."
"Sure."
"Fire is deadly as well, because with the combination of heat, a fuel source, and oxygen, it is unstoppable. Intense burns are-"
"Wait wait wait. It's not unstoppable."
"It's not?"
"Tell me how it can be stopped."
"Uh…"
"Take away the oxygen. Cut off from that, does it have a chance?"
"I suppose not."
"What if you have the oxygen and heat source but no fuel?"
"It'll… burn until there isn't any fuel left…?"
"Right. And what about no heat?"
"No heat, no fire."
"Good. So it is stoppable, but most people panic and forget because they think it's hopeless. Their brains stop working with them and go against them. Remember that though, since the calmer you are near fire the better."
"Got it.
"Right then, go on."
"Fire is destructive, though, and can burn through wood at a very fast rate."
"Okay. Is that it?"
"Not really, but the rest sounds stupid when I explain it. Water next; water is the most soothing element, because the most skilled medics can implement it in their healing, using it to sooth and treat wounds, cleaning and disinfecting them with just a flick of their wrist. It can also be used to drown someone, or cut a hole in them if careful. Water can also be used to conceal poisons."
"You know a lot about water" Kakashi pointed out.
"Hinata wants it. She would love to have a healing and fighting element."
"Oh"
"Let's see…I know a little bit about earth. It is a great defensive element, as barriers and shields can be used to save the user. Houses, or little shelters, can be used when camping or trying to stay hidden. It can be used for battle, but mainly it's for defenses."
"Let me interject here… You have good points, but so much more can be done with it."
"Like what?" Naruto tilted his head curiously.
"Well, for one, if you can manage it, you could use air to suffocate someone. Cut off their supply. You can move around more freely with wind, and if you have enough chakra you could effectively fly. With earth you can move through the ground, or mud, and make more solid clones. More chakra is needed, but they last longer. Try to think like that."
"So… if I worked hard enough, I could do all of those things?"
"Effectively, yes. You would have trouble with one element until you learn to control your elemental chakra first."
"Am I not able to use every element?"
"Well, you have a specific element. Or not, or more than one. And once you use that specific type of chakra to fuel a wind Jutsu, you need to forget how to use it to do, say, a fire Jutsu. But, you really can't 'forget' how to use it, since if you did you would have to relearn it all over again, which you can't do in the middle of a battle."
"So…I have to force the knowledge away until I use it?"
"Right. So if I use this…" Kakashi summoned up an earth clone quickly. "Then I have to forget, momentarily, how to use earth chakra. Then I can do this…" He ran through some more seals and pulled down his mask, blowing fire out too quickly to allow any sight.
"Wow…. So I can learn that, too?"
"Yes, but you'll have to figure it out on your own. I cannot teach how you can do something like that."
--
Hinata sighed and set the weapon down. She enjoyed shooting the bow, but she guessed it would be too tricky to use in battle. Her style of fighting was mostly Taijutsu, with some random trickery thrown in. Mostly defense, close range. It was good to know how it worked, though, because if there was a war, she could pick off people from a distance. If there was large scale fighting, and a bow-person died, she could use their bow if she didn't have any other option.
On the topic of wars…
"Kakashi-kun?" Hinata called, not noticing how into their talk the boys were.
"Ah, yes?"
"What else can you teach us? About basic weaponry, I mean."
"Oh, ah, lots of things. But I do know one person that could teach you more…"
"Can we meet them?" Hinata looked excited.
"Ah, maybe. I'll have to cash in a favor…"
"Please?" she pouted.
"Hina-chan…" he sighed. "Fine. I'll go talk to him now, and you guys can spar. Don't kill each other while I'm gone."
"Hai, sensei!" They saluted him before he disappeared and got to sparring.
--
"Please, don't make this harder then it needs to be…" Kakashi had a hand on his forehead, shaking his head back and forth slowly.
"Do not be silly! I'll let you take my student for as long as you need my hip rival!"
"That's what I'm afraid of…" Kakashi mumbled, nodding at his self proclaimed rival and then at the student he wished to borrow for some group training.
"Ah, let's go" he whispered down to the Genin, a little too weirded out to stay here any longer.
"Thank you" the weapon master whispered back, following him quickly.
--
"We're back!" Kakashi called before the Genin beside him noticed what Hinata looked like. He saw the flash of darker hair to bright blond before his two Genin stopped fighting.
"Wow, on time for once!" Naruto joked loudly.
"I can't believe it!" Hinata spoke up, facing the two ninjas standing opposite from them with large blue eyes.
"Team seven, meet Tenten. She's going to be teaching you to use weapons."
Hey, uh. Sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time....
I tried to make this chapter longer, (5.5k words) but I know that I should have more by now. I'm trying, I really am.
I would like to send a shoutout to ANYONE who has read this far and who has reviewed and anyone who has added this story to an alert/favorites.
It makes me so happy.
I'll try to update more and sooner, but I can't make any promises. I hope you do like this chapter, and I really hope there will be at least one review.
Thank you!
