Disclaimer: I'll never own anything. Ever.
Summery: There are thousands of worlds in this universe. In this one, Hinata grew up as a Jinchuuriki, hated by most, shy and unconfident. Naruto was raised as the Uzumaki heir, arrogant and proud. When their lives cross, they'll find that some worlds aren't so different after all.
Author's Note: Aiya, it's been a while. And I left it on such a nasty cliffhanger too!
Unparalleled
Chapter Three
Groaning, Naruto leaped through the trees. Damn Kakashi-sensei for that "secret taijutsu master art"! Coming to a stop, he peered through the leaves, spotting Hinata facing Kakashi-sensei, trembling slightly, as she looked down and the ground, to the side, up at the sky, avoiding both Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes… Ha! Sasuke! Buried in the ground!
"I… I c-can do this!"
Frowning, Naruto leaned forward, watching as Hinata shifted into a fighting stance. Eh? What's that?
What style is that? I've never seen it before… Sasuke eyed his third teammate. She… seemed weak. Naruto had the credit of being the Yondaime Hokage's son, and someone he remembered from his childhood. Hinata, on the other hand…
"Oh?" Kakashi nodded, observing her appraisingly. "Confident…"
Breathing nervously, Hinata's stance weakened slightly.
"Hinata!" Naruto burst from the trees, in a sudden panic. "Run! He'll take your scroll!"
Painfully, she closed her eyes (though her Byakugan kept a close watch on Kakashi-sensei). Their words were… discouraging, to say the least.
"Funny." Their Jounin sensei sounded cold. "Sasuke-kun here said the exact same thing."
At that moment, a buzzer rang.
"Ah." Kakashi stood, suddenly pleasant. "It appears that time is up. You all fail."
Breathing heavily, Hinata looked down, trying to conceal the tears. Timidly, she moved towards Sasuke, helping him break out of the jutsu.
"A-Ano… Sasuke-san… G-Gomen-"
Growling, Sasuke shoved Hinata aside and rushed at Kakashi, determined to grab his scroll. Eyes flashing, Kakashi grabbed him, shoving him the ground, sitting on him and pinning his arm behind his back. Eyes dark, the Jounin looked up at the remaining two.
"Are you guys disrespecting what it means to be a shinobi?" At their startled looks he said, "Why do you think we're training as teams?" When no one answered, he added, "What do you think the purpose of this test was?"
"Ano… to become Genins?"
"Naruto…" Kakashi shook his head, chuckling derisively. "Baka."
"Nani?!" Naruto scowled, furious. "Kakashi-sensei-!"
"Are all your heads empty? Don't you understand the meaning of the three-man teams?"
"What about the three-person teams?!" The blond Genin said, frustrated and with clenched fists.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he spoke, three words chillingly sharp.
"It's about teamwork."
A flash shot through them, and guiltily, the three slumped, suddenly aware.
Teamwork… That's what Tou-san sometimes tells me… It's not always about one person, but about everyone combined.
Teamwork… That's… amazing. I've never really been part of a team before…
Teamwork… That's just… Maybe by working with them, I'll be stronger than if I work alone.
"It's about helping each other. If you had come at me together, you might have gotten the scrolls." Shaking his head, Kakashi stood up, releasing Sasuke. "This test was designed to see how you would work together, under extreme circumstances. However… Sasuke! You overestimated yourself and refused to see the abilities of others. Naruto! You ignored all plans and cockily challenged me yourself, thinking yourself better than the others. Hinata!" He looked at her. "You refused to act, and let your teammates do the work."
I just wanted to protect the others… But maybe it was stupid ignoring the plans…
I tried… I tried to act, and do something… But the plan was for me to not…
Damn. I know I'm different than them. And we did have a plan…
"Missions are completed with teams. It's true that advanced individual abilities are important to a ninja… but what's more valued is teamwork.
"Selfish actions that destroy teamwork bring danger to your teammates, and that can get them killed." He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Hopefully you don't need an example of that." Continuing, he said, "Sometimes you are forced to make impossible decisions before you die. The missions are all life-risking jobs." As he said this, Kakashi walked over to a large black stone, hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped.
Keeping a respectful distance from it, he began to speak, his voice calm and flat.
"All the names carved into this stone… these are all ninjas of the village that are called heroes."
Naruto's face fell. His father had taken him to see that stone before, to pay his respects as the Hokage. His dad had pointed out all the names, and bitterly spoke of how much emptier the stone had seemed when he (Naruto) had been born.
"These aren't normal heroes."
Hinata waited, a sickening feeling in her stomach. She could guess what kind of heroes they were. What they had sacrificed to have their name carved on that stone. She could only guess how many of those names had been carved there after her birth.
"They're heroes that were lost while serving."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Lost… what a kind term. When his family had died, they called it murder. Massacre. Genocide, almost, considering how many had been killed so quickly. Lost. If anyone was lost, it was him. He had been lost along with the rest of his family.
"L-Lost…"
"They died so the mission would succeed."
A hush fell over the three Genin. There was a tug at their hearts, as a harsh sense of reality pulled at them, realizing the true meaning of being a shinobi.
"This is a memorial. And my best friend's name is also carved here."
So many… so many damn people have been lost… That's why I want to be strong, why I want to protect everyone – protect Konoha!
So many… why… why… What causes people to kill others – why are monsters born, what kind of purpose does murder have? What good comes out of dying?
So many… And there'll always be more… Damnit. I swear… someday… If my name is to be carved on there, let it be alongside that of his.
"I'll give you one final chance."
What? Another chance? Yatta! This time we'll do it for sure!
Sensei… he really believes we can do it? I swear, this time I'll do my best.
Hn. Another chance. I'll have to give them a role then, if we're going to pass.
"This time…" Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulled out the three scrolls. He separated them, two in one hand, and one in another. In a burst of smoke, one of them disappeared.
"Nani?!" Naruto leaned forward in a panic. "That was my scroll!"
"So it was." Kakashi tucked the remaining scrolls in his pouch. "As you can see, this time there will only be two scrolls. This time, it doesn't matter what they say; as long as you have two scrolls, you can pass."
"A-Ano… sensei…"
"But since there are only two scrolls…" His eyes flashed. "Only two can pass." He shrugged suddenly. "You have forty-five minutes."
"Ready… start!"
They darted off together, into the trees. Kakashi calmly kept a blank face, and reached into his pouch, pulling out his book.
They're off to a predictable start, but I'd have to fail them as ninjas completely if they didn't do that… Forty-five minutes… Let's see if they can pass the real test this time.
--
"This time, don't be such a baka."
"Nani? Teme!"
"N-Naruto-san… S-Sasuke-san…"
"We only have forty-five minutes. We have to make a plan."
"Ne, ne – why don't we just use our old one?"
"Baka, that won't-"
"A-Ano…" Hinata said, looking away when they both turned towards her. "Using the old plan… m-might work. B-But… We have to take more precautions." Encouraged by their unspoken interest, she said, "Naruto-san seems to be… a good distraction. He can go in first and challenge Kakashi-sensei. T-Then Sasuke-san can try and retrieve the scrolls-"
"No. That's too simple." Biting her lip, Hinata looked down, when she heard Sasuke say, "We'll pretend that I'm the one aiming for the scrolls, but instead, I'll battle Kakashi-sensei along with Naruto. "
"Ne, ne – who'll get the scrolls then?"
"Hinata."
Inhaling sharply, the white-eyed girl drew back. "B-But… I don't think-"
"You'll have to. Naruto and I can keep Kakashi occupied, but you'll have to retrieve the scrolls while pretending to just be our backup."
"But… W-What if I-"
"You can do it Hinata-chan!" Grinning, Naruto shot her a thumbs up. "After all, what's most valued is teamwork!"
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, smiling weakly. "Hai."
--
Hmm… It's been a while… At least fifteen minutes had passed since they'd begun the second test. Do three Genin really think they can beat me in half an hour? Chuckling to himself, Kakashi turned another page in his book.
"YO! KAKASHI-SENSEI!" A hoard of Naruto's leaped out of the trees. "COME AND GET US!"
Baka. Those are only Bunshins, only illusions. Bored, Kakashi dodged their attacks, letting them eventually die out on their own.
"Oh, is that all?"
"Take this!" Naruto threw a shuriken at him. The Jounin avoided it, raising an eyebrow when he spotted a second one hidden in its shadow. As he moved away from it, Naruto cursed.
Alright Sasuke… Let's see what you can do…
Turning slightly, Kakashi felt a group of kunai and shuriken whistling towards his back. Ah, so he reveals himself. Deftly, Kakashi blocked them, turning around to face Sasuke. Lunging forward, the Uchiha aimed for his pouch, as Naruto leaped on his back, holding him in place.
They've gotten better at teamwork, I see.
"But it's still not good enough!" Kakashi said out loud, twisting around so that Sasuke ended up grappling with his own teammate. With a grunt, Naruto leaped off their sensei's back, and Kakashi turned, facing them.
With battle cries (actually, only the yellow-haired loud one was yelling), the two leaped at him. Out of the corner of his eye, the Jounin could see Hinata crouched at the edge of the trees, her eyes intent on the battle. Preoccupied with dodging the crazy antics of Naruto and the fire jutsus of Sasuke, he took his eyes off her. Smiling, Hinata transformed herself inconspicuously, until she resembled one of the Naruto Bunshins. In a flash, she joined the fight, knowing Kakashi-sensei wouldn't pay her much – or any at all – attention, thinking she was merely an illusion.
And with any luck, I can use that to grab a scroll.
It was mindless fighting; with all three of the Genins combined, they were able to stay even with Kakashi – who, admittedly, was holding back most of his power. As the battle proceeded, Hinata attempted to use her Byakugan and seal off his tenketsus.
Time is running out… Despite everything, Kakashi-sensei still hasn't given us any opportunity to retrieve the scrolls… But… at least it's easier to battle him with his hands partly out of commission.
Quickly, Sasuke performed another Katon jutsu; he had been using it excessively to renew the battle and let the others recover, but he was beginning to run low on chakra.
This is bad. There's barely any time left, and Hinata still hasn't gotten the scrolls. Damn. I can't fail here. I'll have to try for the scrolls myself…
Grinning manically, Naruto attacked Kakashi again, catching him in the aftermath of the fireball.
Yatta! I don't know what Hinata did, but sensei's attacks are weaker now! It'll be easy to get a scroll now…
Breathing heavily, Hinata aimed a kunai at him as he was preoccupied with Naruto. She was still disguised as the yellow-haired Genin, therefore… They gave me a role, an opportunity to be better. Impulsively, she released the Henge and charged swiftly at Kakashi-sensei, catching everyone by surprise.
I can do this!
"Byakugan!"
In a flurry of movement, she began attacking the Jounin, utilizing her countless nights of training. She wasn't very good, and her attacks weren't very accurate, but it was the best she had. Honed reflexes kicked in and she pushed him back, using the element of surprise.
Impressive,Kakashi thought, moving into defensive positions. In a real battle he could have stopped her easily, but here it was… interesting, to see what she was capable of. Still, it wasn't as if she was going to get a scroll –
The buzzer rang. Swiftly, the silver-haired Jounin grabbed Hinata, twisting her arm around her back, holding her in place. Smiling, he said, "Well, looks like you all-"
"Yatta!"
In shock, Kakashi looked at Sasuke, disbelieving. There, in his hands…
Gasping, Hinata stared at her two teammates, a shy but proud smile spreading across her face.
Laughing, Naruto pointed at their sensei mockingly. "We did it, we did it! We pass! We passed!"
Chuckling to himself, Kakashi released Hinata, the girl stumbling over to her teammate's side.
"So you actually retrieved a scroll."
Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke turned the scroll over a few times. Ninjutsu… So this is Hinata's matching scroll. I admit, if it wasn't for her attack at the end, I wouldn't have been able to get the scroll.
"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei. We got a scroll, right? We pass, right?" Naruto laughed boisterously, hands on his hips.
Kakashi smiled and laughed too. "Wrong."
"Eh?"
"You only retrieved one scroll; therefore only one person can pass."
In dismay, Naruto's face dropped. He pouted, glaring at his father's former student.
Sasuke snorted faintly. He knew that. He knew, and he planned on fighting for this scroll, for this chance.
Hinata glanced down, her eyes distant. She wanted to pass so badly, but… Did she deserve to?
"So, you'll have to figure out amongst yourselves who gets that scroll." Kakashi's eyes flashed. "After all… you can only pass if you have two scrolls."
Two scrolls.
Inhaling sharply, Hinata looked up suddenly. Two scrolls. But…
Don't, the discouraging, hopeless part of her brain whispered. What have they done for you?
But…
It was your attack that distracted him. It was you that allowed Sasuke to get the scroll. Fight for it. Fight for it.
But…
Outside of her brain, she could hear Naruto arguing loudly with Kakashi-sensei, threatening to kick his butt if he didn't let them pass, and Sasuke fiddling with the scroll. She could tell he was itching to just take the scrolls and tell Kakashi-sensei to pass him, and only him.
But…
If you want to be "worthy", then you have to be a ninja and fight back, don't you? Ne, Demon Freak?
But… If I want to be worthy, then I have to consider myself so first. How can I be proud of myself if…?
"A-Ano…"
"Hai, Hinata-chan? Are you going to argue for your right to the scroll?"
Inhaling deeply, the Hyuuga looked at Kakashi-sensei, and then at her two teammates, the yellow-haired one staring at her with open curiosity, the raven-haired one with implicit interest.
"K-Kakashi-sensei… A-Ano… You said that we need two scrolls to pass… right?"
"Hai – and there's only one extra scroll."
Biting her lip, the white-eyed girl screwed up her courage and reached into her pouch, pulling out her scroll. Clutching it tightly, she shut her eyes and tossed it to Naruto, who caught it in surprise.
"H-Hinata… What are you doing?"
Attempting a smile, she said, "Kakashi-sensei… you only said that we need two scrolls to pass… They each have two now and…"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You're sacrificing yourself for them?"
"W-Well… t-there's four scrolls combined… s-so-"
He shrugged. "Ah… Well then-"
"WAIT!"
"Oh? Are you planning on giving your scrolls to Hinata-chan, Naruto?"
The Genin scowled in response. "No – but, but why can't Hinata-chan pass too?"
"Dobe. She gave her scroll to you."
"Demo, demo… It was because of Hinata that Sasuke-teme over here got the scroll! Why should she have to fail? Why not Sasuke-teme, if anyone? He didn't do anything!"
"Baka – I got the scroll."
"Ah … You see, that's because you pushed me aside; otherwise I would have gotten both scrolls for sure!" Nodding, Naruto laughed loudly, almost obnoxiously. Blinking, Hinata stared at them. Why was he defending her? Why didn't he just take the scroll and pass? Why was he trying to help her?
"A-Ano… Naruto-san… Y-You should just pass…" Kakashi eyed her; it was a selfless act, that was for sure, but what had prompted it? Why was she doing this?
Naruto frowned at her.
Sasuke made a noise before tossing one of his scrolls at Hinata. Startled, she fumbled with it unsurely, her lips pressed together in shock. Sasuke smirked in reply.
"Who wants to be on a team with only the dobe?"
"Yeah, yeah! Who wants-" Naruto cut off abruptly and turned to Sasuke angrily. "Teme! Who said-"
"Well, Kakashi-sensei… Who are you going to pass?"
The Jounin looked at the three, his eyes lighting on each of them.
"It's either all of us or none of us!" Naruto said suddenly, throwing his extra scroll to the ground. "Sensei, you said it!"
"We're a three-man team, right?"
"Yeah! The three of us are ONE!"
"Hai," Hinata said, her hands clutching her single scroll.
"Three are one… eh?" Kakashi slowly walked forward, his hands sealing as dark clouds began to roll in, lightning splitting the sky. "Shinobi Tactic Know-How Number Three… Genjutsu… Which is the scroll Naruto has. In fact…" He pointed at Sasuke. "Taijutsu." His finger moved to Hinata, "Ninjutsu," before coming to rest on Naruto. "Genjutsu." Kakashi spread his arms. "All these are essential parts of being a ninja. Three as one, you said?" The Jounin chuckled as thunder cracked loudly above.
"However, you only have three scrolls combined, when I told you that you needed six. As a consequence…" He leaned down, eyes narrowed and intent on them.
"You pass!"
Slowly, the dark clouds faded away, revealing the same blue sky they had seen earlier.
Except now, the sun seems so much brighter. Hinata smiled, her head tilted back towards the sky. She understood now, the real test that Kakashi had put them through. And she was grateful, to herself, to Kakashi-sensei… and to her teammates.
"You guys are the first. The others up until now were idiots who did whatever I said." Straightening, Kakashi said, "A ninja must read underneath the underneath. While it's true that you should fight for what you believe in, you don't always follow the rules. In the ninja world, those who do not follow the rules are called trash… But, you know…those that don't take care of their friends are worse than trash!"
Naruto grinned eagerly, tossing his scroll up in the air.
"We passed!"
Sasuke shook his head, a half-smile on his face. Somehow, it all led back to Hinata, the reason they had passed. They might actually be interesting…
Hinata laughed; this was a first. The first time she had been on a team, the first time she had helped others, the first time others had helped her.
Raising an eyebrow, Kakashi surveyed his team. Team Seven. Two powerful bloodlines and a legendary Bijuu. Not to mention the most unpredictable, hyperactive kid he had ever seen.
This ought to be fun…
Xue: Yeah, yeah. I'm the worst updater in the world. But I felt like I should do this now, because finals are coming up. Yay. Thanks for reading!