Konnichiwa, Konnichiwa, Planeshunter here!
I'd like to send a heartfelt thank-you to all my reviewers. When I'm struggling with a difficult part and I got a review warning, reading your kind words never fails to lift my spirits and give me that extra oomph to complete the scene.
So, some things from the reviews I'd like to talk about here:
-About bashing and redeeming characters, specially Sasuke: While I can enjoy both (assuming they're well written) it's not my style to go beyond some more or less harmless tease. I'm good and empathising, so most 'hateful' characters inspire me more pity than anything else. They have reasons for what they do, they're just wrong about it.
Sasuke… wasn't terribly nice at any point, but can you really say it's surprising a traumatised kid bearing a cursed seal that messes up your head ends up making the choices he did? And after three years (puberty is supposedly a specially vulnerable time, just saying) of being mind-raped by one of the most twisted f**ks of the series, is almost a miracle he didn't end up worse. I won't put him in a pedestal, but don't expect Hinata to kill him in his sleep either. Unless there's no other option, then she will do it without blinking. She can be scary like that when she's determined.
-About [Chakra Mode] being too OP: Well, it is overpowered, and it's supposed to be. But is also horribly limited. All the chakra Kurama absorbed during the drug incident dried up within a few seconds. He's incapable of using it again, at least for the time being, and very reticent to do so anyway. Also Hinata wouldn't be able to blatantly use it for secrecy reasons.
If you're wondering about power levels, she's technically Kage-level and specialised in hitting hard and fast while in [Chakra Mode]. She can obliterate jounin and ANBU level opponents unless they specialise in prolonging (defense, evasion, regeneration... etc) battles or their reaction to her is to stall for time, but any opponent who can fight her head-on will easily outlast the few seconds she can hold the technique.
And now, without further ado: Mystic Eyes of Reincarnation 始まります!
Chapter 7: Onwards to Wave
The full moon shines brightly in sky, eclipsing the light of the stars and illuminating the rooftops of Konoha. In the old times, harsher times, this rooftops would've been heavily guarded by the shinobi night watch. But peace bred carelessness.
That's why no one has noticed the fox-masked figure stargazing and half-assedly wondering about the last Otsutsuki. He must be very lonely, with only dolls to keep him company up there. She'd ask the little Toneri-kun in her head but, being honest, she feels more comfortable with him sleeping.
It's not being mean or anything. Sooner or later she'll use the [Tenseigan] again and she'll wake him up. Surely, eventually. It was her mind, anyway, hers and nobody else's, it wasn't so strange to feel uncomfortable about permanent visitors, right?
Nobody could reprimand her for letting him sleep as long as he wanted, right?
-"Why would we try, brat." -Kurama sounds amused, if a bit annoyed- "When you do such a good work beating yourself up?"
-"Do you think I could send Toneri-kun's memories to his current self?"
-"Maybe? I'd have no idea how that would work though, and you'll probably lose the [Tenseigan] in the process."
-"Do you think I require the [Tenseigan] to change the future?"
-"...Nah, most likely not."
No, most likely not. But she's an awful person and won't risk it. Naruto's life wasn't an easy one the first time around and is nothing short a miracle he even survived so long. Her changes could easily ruin that, so she needs to be as strong as possible to compensate.
She pointedly turns her attention back to staring down the moon when Kurama compares her reflections with 'Uchiha brooding'. Who can blame her if she's a bit restless? Tazuna the bridge-builder is spending the night in Konoha. Tomorrow they depart, all thanks to Naruto pestering the Hokage into giving them a mission that will put his life at deadly risk at least twice, with plenty other chances to get him killed along the way.
One thought led to another, from the risks on Wave to her own plans (her many, many plans) to change the future...
-"I'll give you this, Naruto would've never thought about that one you came up with yesterday. I swear is never boring traveling with you."
From there to the problem with ROOT. Apparently, their spies are tailed in turn, in case they get funny ideas. So Danzo at best has a report of a shiny humanoid crushing his spy with lightning speed before disappearing again. And at worse believes she can use [Chakra Mode] at will.
-"Hey, at least he left the team alone." -He pauses- "And we're not pulling that trick again, by the way."
From there they go into family and the pressure she's feeling now that she behaves like a proper Heiress.
-"Out of the frying pan and into the flames, was it? Who would've thought they'd actually hammer you harder when you show promise?"
From there, to Kekkei Genkai and eye techniques, that didn't take long to change her focus back into Toneri-kun.
-"And that's the fifth time, your mind is officially looping" -This time Kurama sounds definitively annoyed- "I've had enough. Go to bed or tomorrow you'll be too knackered to be useful."
Morning indeed arrived all too soon… but for once Kurama was the one regretting it.
-"Brat?"
-"Yes, Kurama-san?"
-"Wouldn't you happen to know something" -His tone is slow and sober, the slighted grumpiness of someone who woke up last and isn't used to it- "About that abominating noise from right now?"
Hinata ignores him and keeps humming [Snow White - Whistle While You Work]. She is indeed knackered this morning, and she's sure her eyes have bags worthy of the Shukaku jinchuuriki. But as she hovers around the kitchen, a blinding smile in her lips and a spark in her eyes, she couldn't care less. Yesterday's worries banished as soon as she woke up (before dawn, this time) and realized this was both her and Naruto-kun's first time outside the Village.
-"Onee-sama?" -Hanabi's voice calls from the doorframe, a bit accusatory- "What are you doing in the kitchen? I've looked for you everywhere."
-"Oh, Hanabi! I didn't go to the dojo today, sorry." -She sends a specially bright smile her way- "I suddenly decided to make lunchboxes for everyone."
-"Is it for that Naruto-kun?"
Hanabi, who had approached, runs back with a delighted scream as she puts down the spoon to chase with tickles.
-"Why, you impertinent little…!" -She stops before leaving the kitchen, she needs to mind the fries, smiling slyly- "But maybe..."
-"What kind of noble cooks herself, anyway?"
-"What kind of lady doesn't know how to cook, anyway?" -Hinata shots back, a bit amused at Hanabi's sulky tone. She's cute when she gets jealous, but this is also a rare chance to bond so she won't tease further- "Why don't you lend me a hand?"
It took a bit of coaxing, but the perspective of making her own lunches for herself and Neji finally warmed her up to the Idea. And what a good idea it had been! It was a nice change of pace, to giggle and chat and make lunch boxes together instead of beating each other up. Before they knew, time had flown and seven boxes were tidily stacked in two piles.
-"Are you sure Father will accept one, Onee-sama?"
-"He doesn't look the type, right?" -Opening Hanabi to the idea Father was an actual person under his role of Clan Head was proving challenging, mainly because said person's lack of cooperation- "But if he sees Neji-nii-sama and you eating from the boxes and he doesn't get one, he'll sulk the whole day. Just make sure nobody's watching when you offer it, he has an image to uphold!"
Hinata may or may not have accompanied that last sentence with a stern impersonation of Father. There was no witnesses, and she would forever deny it. Hanabi's burst of laughter was surely unrelated.
-"Onee-sama, why are you making boxes for everyone? Wouldn't you want to cook only for that boy?"
So honest and refreshingly simple-minded, it was cute.
-"Everyone would sulk if I suddenly come with lunch for Naruto-kun alone, and he might be teased. But while eating I'll make him mention how he usually has only milk and ramen and suggest I cook for him everyday. He won't be able to refuse!"
-"Onee-sama, that's shrewd!" -Then she suddenly turns serious - "Will you be alright?"
-"Worried about me?" -Is her little sister suspicious? Has she allowed her worries to show? No, that's impossible. Surely Hanabi just noticed her enthusiasm and realized there was something special going on- "Don't be, gennin can't do anything worse than a C-rank. Petty bandits at worst. And our sensei is very strong! We'll be fine and I'll bring you a present from Wave."
Hanabi eyes her with suspicion before remembering she's a big girl now and thus too grown up for the head pats she's receiving and twisting away. Then she grows silent.
-" … you a …" -she starts, too soft to be heard. She quickly notices though, coughs and tries again with a bright red face- "I made you a good luck charm."
The following incident can only be truly understood by those privileged few with adorable little sisters and involved an unhealthy amount of glomping, cuddling, cheek brushing, protest-ignoring and head patting. Everything very much unbecoming of a lady.
Minutes later Hinata was sighted leaving the complex in a hurry, wearing an ear-to-ear smile. She was just off to face one of the most wanted missing-nin of Mist and his gang of merry friends, including, but not limited, to an homicidal boy with ego issues and a supposedly lost Kekkei Genkai. Petty bandits at worst, indeed.
When you're a princess from the future doing a sortie you've only heard about secondhand, there's a lot of things to notice. And not just Naruto's usual exaggeration about Sasuke being a broody annoyance. It wasn't that much of an exaggeration either. There's some truth on it, at least.
No, what one notices are the small details she was never told about, be it the narrator didn't consider them important or didn't notice at all. Like how Tazuna has been ostentatiously and profusely 'drinking' from the same bottle the whole morning, and yet it was still more than half-full. But who can blame him? When you lie about your contract to a bunch of people who kill for a living, it's a real stupid idea to get drunk and spill the beans.
What she's noticed too is their unorthodox formation. The genin surrounding the VIP was standard practice, but the jounin sensei is usually in the front. For the untrained eye, having the strongest member behind allowed him a perfect view of the entire formation and the chance to intervene quickly. That wasn't untrue, but that reasoning had less weight than it seemed.
With the best member walking behind, there was a high chance of traps being sprung by the VIP or the inexperienced genin. Since a single person couldn't cover all the fronts, traps were usually the main concern, as they could be deadly and released no killing intent.
No jounin-sensei was stupid enough to miss that (Maito Guy was far more competent that he looked, thank you) It said a lot about the jounin-sensei's confidence, deserving or not, to walk behind his group. 'I can see all your tricks ahead enough' was the message he was sending.
It also allowed some interesting interactions with this particular lineup. When they reached the infamous and very much discussed puddle in a sunny day, Hinata nonchalantly activated her [Byakugan], and slipped into hand sign language behind her back.
-"[Hidden enemies], [Instructions]?"
-"[Wait and see]" -With her 360º vision, she was the only one who could inconspicuously see Kakashi-sensei's answer. And his amused expression too- "[You][Protect the VIP]."
-"Why is he assigning you the same role as the wallflower, brat?"
-"I guess he wants me out of the way to see how the others will react to a surprise attack."
It was a strategically sound choice, anyway. Sasuke would probably take point and Naruto-kun would most definitively rush ahead with loud enthusiasm, so someone had to guard Tazuna. To her surprise, when the Demon Brothers jump from the puddle and rip Kakashi to shreds Naruto-kun…
-"Look! He cried like a baby."
-"He said he had held them back until Sasuke stole the spotlight!"
-"Seems to me like he lied, can you blame him? There's some suspicious smell, I think he wet his pants a bit."
-"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
-"Eh… Slipped my mind? Didn't want to spoil the surprise? Definitively one of the two…"
-"Will he be alright?"
-"Yeah, only his pride wounded" -Right then, one of the brothers claw at him, drawing blood- "Oh, and that one."
Hinata's sight goes red. Next thing she knows, the Devil Brothers are tied up in their own chain, looking a bit out of it. Everyone else's eyes are bulging in fear.
-"Ehm… Hinata…-sama?" -Kakashi tries, cringing a bit when she turns to him- "Will they be alright? I kind of wanted to interrogate them."
-"Oh my, don't be silly! I only closed their Tenketsu points" -She cheerfully turns to Naruto, inspecting the wound in his hand with a critical eye before pulling out some bandages and getting to work- "They'll wake up soon, just won't be able to use chakra in a long while."
-"I also wanted to pick at Naruto a bit for being a chicken…"
That was said in a low, complaining voice, Hinata catches it anyway. Maybe Kakashi won't be getting a boxed lunch today after all.
After the brothers' interrogation and Tazuna's confession, they decided to keep up with the mission. Since they weren't that far away from Konoha yet, a signal was sent for a patrol to take the Devil Brothers into custody and they sat to have lunch.
Everybody seemed happily surprised for the boxed lunches. Everybody but Kakashi, who could only make puppy eyes while a box clearly labeled 'Sensei' was offered to Tazuna instead.
-"Here Tazuna-san. You should have something to eat too."
Tazuna eyes the 'sensei' label before sending a questioning look.
-"Well, it was a terrible oversight for my part, to forget your box back home"- She does a good show at looking embarrassed- "But surely a responsible jounin like Kakashi-sensei would put the needs of the team before his, and wouldn't do something as childish as throwing a tantrum over a lunch box or have a laugh at the expense of his genin."
Finally realizing he was overheard Kakashi has the decency of shuffling guiltily. He still makes puppy eyes while eating his ration bars and sounds a bit grumpy when they finally stand to leave.
-"Alright team, break is over. I want to be in Wave this century, so chop-chop!"
Then he jumps forward without waiting for them. As Hinata makes to follow Naruto-kun's call stops her.
-"Uhm… Hinata-chan?"
-"Yes, Naruto-kun?"
Grabbing his hands behind his back, Naruto's eyes are on his feet and he shuffles uncomfortably before continuing.
-"Is just… well, you saved my ass back there" -He shuffles again- "Thanks, that must've been really uncool."
Hinata's expression brightens.
-"We're teammates, Naruto-kun." -She answers with her best cheering smile- "Isn't natural to help each other? I'm sure you'll get me out of trouble next time around."
Those words seem to make Naruto think.
-"Then…" -He finally says, raising a fist in front of him- "That's what I'll do! I'll protect my team and I won't be scared of anyone anymore... I won't go back on my word... that is my ninja way!"
-"Naruto…-kun…" -She's having trouble breathing, that with her heart swelling to the size of a watermelon, and her voice comes out weak and shaky -"That's... the coolest thing I've ever heard..."
Seeing her blushing, Naruto suddenly grows conscious and runs away after the team.
-"I liked his declaration more the first time around. It was totally badass."
-"I don't care, now I'm keeping this timeline no matter what."
Minutes later, the famed Demon Brothers of Mist break their bonds and flee back to base. They have no idea why that white-eyed devil passed them a knife before leaving, but Zabuza-san needs to know. Someone in Konoha has business with their group.
That and to never mess with the orange ninja where she can see it...
And with this we finish for today! I don't think Naruto was really poisoned, that was a really ineffective way of getting poison out of the system. So either Kakashi's was just messing with him or Kurama's power made him immune. This time around Hinata got to the wound first and decided there was no danger, so that was it.
Since he didn't go through all that 'I'll stab myself to save the mission', Naruto's determination wasn't so strong this time and his declaration had a lot of boast. He was half-expecting to be laughed at like always. But then Hinata took it all seriously and he has to do the same to not let her down! Things remain the same... more or less.
The way I presented the Demon Brothers' escape is a personal defeat. Ideally I wanted to just tag it at the end of another scene, since it was only a couple of paragraphs, but the chance never came. Hopefully you won't see me writing many four-line-long scenes, they're not terribly elegant.
This chapter took longer than usual to write. In my defense I was writing an important and long scene for later on, so having it already done is bound to save time at some point. Also, wanted to mention that I'm slowing down lately, I'll have to either take it a bit easier with the update rate or give up on having a buffer.
I think that's all… See you guys next time!