(Well, this is Chapter 8, and you've stayed with me. I have no idea how, but you have. The Chunin exams are close, and I'm sure you're all looking forward to them. I got some constructive criticism, and most of it was about references to religious deities or religions. Since they never really specify any religion in the Universe other then Hidans, I don't want to say 'thank god' because that's got Christen overtones. Anyway, it's just a thing I think I should I do. They say 'Kami' in Japanese, if you don't like what I say, you're free to copy/paste and find and replace. Sorry... Oh yeah, keep the reviews coming, I'll keep reading, and thank you for the kind words so far.)
Chapter 8: Of Leaves and Clouds
I rose at 6:30 the next morning. I took a quick shower, packed my things into the hiking backpack I take on extended missions. After the shower, I dress, pack and triple checked my supplies before closing the backpack. Knowing that we're going on an extended mission, I don't make any lunch boxes for my teammates.
Though, they'd probably eat them if I brought them…
I leave my room, walking through the halls of the place that has been my home; I stop by my grandmother's chamber. Opening the door only a crack, I say a farewell through the barrier and then start off again. Walking through the halls, I see Neji-nii-san walking the other way. The older boy spies my backpack, glaring at me for a moment. Then, he turns his head away from me when we pass each other, and I get the distinct impression he did not want me to say a morning greeting to him…
If what grandmother told me is true, then his father is out to take over the clan, and I'm standing in the way of that…
Leaving the Hyuga home, I walk toward the Hokage's tower. Normally I'd walk toward training ground number 8, but since we're meeting the ambassador at 9 am, there's little point in my going there.
Especially considering our normal meeting time is 9 anyway, and Kurenai told us to come to the tower.
The closer I get to the tower, the more people I see in the early morning. All of them glare at me like I'm a monster, though without Shino and Naruto to return the looks, I just duck my head, looking at the ground in front of me. Walking toward the Hokage's tower, I suddenly feel very small and vulnerable, no longer having the support of my two teammates, my friends, walking next to me…
What a pathetic person I am. I'm the heir to the main house of the Hyuga clan, and yet I avoid the LOOKS of normal civilians when I should be returning them. I'm supposed to be a member of this highborn clan, like I'm better than everyone else. Grandmother Hibana seems to think that the Hyuga are the most powerful family in the village, and that Konoha couldn't survive without them.
Before I realize it, I'm at the Hokage's tower. I head toward the Hokage's office, the atmosphere here more professional then the one in the streets. I walk with my head held high to the Fourth's office. Seeing the door open, I walk inside. In the room I see Kurenai-sensei standing there, a backpack lying near her propped against a nearby wall. She stands on this side of the Fourth's desk, her arms crossed over her chest.
Immediately, I see her turn and look at me a moment, and then look back toward the Hokage.
"We'll…discuss this matter further when I get back, Lord Hokage…" She says with a tone of displeasure to her voice.
The Hokage on the other hand, appears to be all business.
"We will do just that, Kurenai." He tells her.
In all the time I've spent with Minato Namikaze, I've only rarely see him speak in such a grave, serious tone. The most recent time I can think of is when Naruto decked the Chunin guard outside his office, when Minato yelled his son's name and then demanded an explanation.
"Is something the matter?" I ask. "If you want, I can wait in the hall while you two continue talking. I didn't mean to intrude."
The Fourth waves his hand dismissively.
"No Hinata, we're done talking for now, you don't have to go wait in the hall." He tells me.
I see my sensei nod.
"Yes, our discussion can wait until after we complete our mission Hinata." Kurenai agrees with him.
I look to my teacher, and then to the ninja leader. Judging from the way the two of them are acting, I can only draw one conclusion…
Whatever they were talking about, it has something to do with me. Otherwise, there's no other reason they wouldn't just send me into the hall while they finished. Whatever is going on here, something's happening and they aren't telling me about it and it doesn't look as though Kurenai-sensei is pleased with what they were talking about…
I barely notice Naruto and Shino enter the office wearing their packs as well.
"It would appear as though all your students have gathered, Kurenai." Minato points out.
The dark haired woman nods, though I can still see the anger in her body language.
What is she so angry about? I've hardly ever seen her show so much emotion before, and now she looks like she's pissed to the point of fuming…
The Fourth Hokage clears his throat.
"You can bring in our guest…" He tells the Chunin in the hall.
A few moments later, a rather regal looking woman appears in the doorway. The woman is dressed in black clothes, with long dark hair. Her hair is cut short at her bangs, which hang above her eyes. Her eyes are blue, a contrast to her dark hair. She wears a long sleeved black shirt that appears to be made of silk. She wears a long skirt that hangs down to her feet, matching the color of her shirt. Around her waist she wears a plain black belt. From what I can see of her form, she's a well-endowed woman with a very slender form. On her back, she has strapped a small backpack that I assume is for the trip to the border.
I see her eye the four of us, and then her eyes drift to the Hokage.
"Are you giving me these KIDS as my escort?" The woman demands. "Are you looking to start a war with my country?" She demands.
"Not at all…" The Fourth Hokage explains. "This team of Genin before you is comprised of three genin from extremely prominent families." He explains to the ambassador.
The woman looks at the three of us again. I see her eyes flicker across the three of us, her eyes resting on me for a long moment.
I feel myself unconsciously swallow the saliva in my mouth. I hear the sound of the gulp resonate in my own ears louder then even the woman's yelling voice.
Does she recognize my eyes? I know that the Hyuga clan is well known to even people outside the village. If she recognizes me as a member of the Hyuga clan, the one the Cloud Village attempted to kidnap earlier…
For only a brief moment her eyes rest on me, and then I see her gaze shift to Naruto. After she takes the blonde son of the Fourth Hokage in, her eyes shift to the village leader.
"The blonde one, he's your son, is he not?" The girl asks in a clipped, almost arrogant tone.
Something about the way she speaks is familiar to me, though I can't quite place it…
"Yes, Naruto is my son." Minato confirms for her. "Futhermore, Kurenai is one of my best Jounin, and her team is more then capable."
"I see…" The ambassador responds. "I find it rather odd that you're only supplying a team of genin for my escort, considering who I am…" The woman says, not even attempting to conceal the arrogance in her voice and her posture.
It is that next moment that Kurenai-sensei chooses to speak up.
"And just WHO are you, woman?" Kurenai asks with more then a hint of disrespect in her voice.
I see the woman smirk, either she didn't catch the disrespect in Kurenai's voice, or is too full of herself to notice, I don't know which…
"My name is Nanoka Temura, but the four of you will call me Temura-sama." She informs the four of us in a bold declaration.
"Until the time that you can transfer custody of Temura-san to a group of Hidden Cloud Ninja at the border with the land of lightning, she is your responsibility." Minato explains. "Should anything happen to her while she is within the land of fire, you four will be held responsible."
I swallow the saliva in my throat. The implications of what the Fourth Hokage just said dawning on me…
I barely see Kurenai glance from the ambassador to her Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, I must again protest our assignment to this mission." Kurenai says with no regard for the woman's presence. "My Genin have more important things to do then baby sit a stuck up, serpent tongued, arrogant woman from another country."
I look from the Hokage to the ambassador, seeing a look of utter disbelief on the ambassador's face. Judging from her reaction, the woman from the land of lightning cannot believe what she just heard…
For a long moment, everyone in the room, Hokage included, is silent.
"Are you being insubordinate Kurenai?" Minato asks, a calm even edge to his voice.
The red-eyed woman shakes her head.
"I am merely being truthful, Lord Hokage." Kurenai responds. "My team and I truly do have better, more productive things we could be doing with the next three days then having to listen to that woman speak down to us the entire way to the border with the land of lightning!" Kurenai explains, pointing to Nanoka when she says 'that woman.'
"How dare you…!" Nanoka begins her tone one of extreme offense. "I am a diplomat from the land of lightning, one of the most powerful nations in the world. What I say can determine whether or not a war begins, and you speak to ME in such a manner?"
I see Kurenai-sensei shift her gaze from the Hokage to the ambassador. I see my teacher glaring daggers toward the ambassador, her anger and hatred apparent in her eyes.
"How dare YOU!" Kurenai begins, turning to face the woman fully. "You come here acting as though your village is noble and proud, when in reality you and your people are nothing but traitorous snakes!" She declares to the ambassador.
Needless to say, Nanoka looks taken aback.
"You have no idea who I am…" She begins angrily, but Kurenai cuts her off.
"I don't care who you are!" Kurenai boldly declares. "After knowing you for 2 minutes, I know enough about you that you're absolutely worthless!" She continues. "You're cut from the same cloth as all the other worthless, ignorant people that are from that country." She vents. "It was your people that were willing to kidnap an INFANT child, why? All so you and your people could learn the secret of the Byakugan, so you could neutralize the Hyuga clan and their abilities, and destroy OUR village!"
"What are you talking about?" Nanoka demands, her tone clearly clueless.
I see my teacher's hand extend, pointing right to me between my two teammates.
"THAT GIRL...!" Kurenai screams in bloodlust at the woman. I see Nanoka unconsciously shift a half step back. "She is the daughter of the Hyuga clan, heir to their main house, and was an infant the last time one of you people was in our village." Kurenai explains to her. "Your ambassador snuck out from his accommodations and broke into the Hyuga mansion, taking her from her crib. It was only because of her own family that your operative didn't succeed. So, as far as I'm concerned, you can go rot in the deepest, darkest depths of the underworld." Kurenai finishes, much of the anger vented from her during the speech.
I see the ambassador's gaze shift toward me. Once her eyes lock on me, I see both Naruto and Shino shift. Both boys move, putting themselves between the ambassador and me without a single word. I see Shino's hands have left his pockets, and Naruto's arms are out in a spread eagle sort of pose, like a movie hero protecting the damsel from harm…
Shino, Naruto…
I don't know what to say with both boys standing there, between the ambassador and me. While I bear no fear of the older, dark haired woman from the land of lightning, I do fear what her people might be capable of should they spot us before we reach the border with her country.
"You think I would go so far to come here for peace talks, and then arrange for my escort team to be Genin, just to get another crack at that girl?" Nanoka demands, her eyes returning to our teacher. "If I had a choice, I would be escorted by a team of ANBU operatives, not 3 children and a self righteous woman!" Nanoka shoots back.
Kurenai opens her mouth to argue, but the Fourth Hokage clears his throat, rather loudly in fact.
Both the attention of the two women, as well as the three Genin in the room shifts toward the ninja leader. He still sits behind his desk, though an air of annoyance has formed around him.
"Ladies, as you both know, I am a busy man, and this arguing between you two will get you nowhere." He says.
At this, both Kurenai-sensei and Nanoka seem to agree.
"I wholeheartedly agree, Lord Hokage." Kurenai responds first. "So, assign this woman four of your ANBU, and my squad and I can do something productive for the village."
The Fourth shakes his head.
"You know I cannot spare any ANBU Kurenai, as much as you may desire them Nanoka." Minato says, speaking to both women. "Were your country willing to pay for this escort, the matter would be entirely different. However, I cannot afford to send my ANBU out on a mission that pays nothing when there are paying customers willing to pay for their services."
"It is hardly fair that you would charge my country for use of shinobi!" Nanoka responds, and judging from the Fourth's sigh, I can tell he's heard what she just said before. "We are allies; it should be your highest priority to protect people that represent your allies!"
The Fourth sighs again.
"If you are so dead set on having another group escort you, I can call Squad 7 to perform this mission." He tells the ambassador.
Wait, that's Kiba-kun's squad…
"However, unlike the four people you see before you, the last time Squad 7 went on a c rank mission, the three of them were nearly killed, and barely escaped with their lives." He tells the woman, not telling her about the complications that arose on that mission. "However, this squad of Genin performed a C rank mission without a problem. I daresay the team of Genin before you are the most skilled of those that I can offer, and the best to protect you until you can be returned to your own people."
At this, I see my teacher smirk, looking at the ambassador with confidence in her eyes.
The ambassador looks at the four of us in turn, and then back to the Hokage.
"I will have to report this to the Raikage when I return to the Village Hidden in the Clouds." Nanoka explains.
The Fourth Hokage nods.
"And when you do return without a scratch, you can explain how a team of three 12 year old children defended you like a mother hawk watching over its babies." He retorts. "You can also enjoy explaining to your superiors the time you spent wasted in my office, arguing with me over my decision."
At least both of them seem to accept the assignment now…
&
Somehow, the four of us along with the ambassador manage to make our way through the tower and into the streets of Konoha. Fortunately, Kurenai-sensei appears all business now, her anger at the ambassador either long gone, or extremely well restrained.
She stops, turning to face the woman who walks behind Naruto, Shino and me. Nanoka stops in her tracks, looking at our instructor.
"What are you waiting for?" The ambassador asks in impatience. "I have to return to my country immediately."
Kurenai nods.
"I am well aware of that, Nanoka…" She begins, not using an honorific and using her first name. "However, until we can return you to your people, you are under our protection. That means you'll at least need to absorb two pieces of information." Kurenai explains.
I look to see the woman smirk self-assuredly at our teacher.
"And what would those pieces of information be?" She asks.
"First, you'll be walking in the middle of a diamond formation, with me ahead of you, Naruto on your left, Shino on your right, with Hinata behind you." Kurenai explains.
She's putting me behind the ambassador? She must be worried that the ambassador will try something…
"All right, what's the second piece of information?" The woman asks, still showing her impatience.
I see my teacher glare daggers at the Lightning ambassador.
"If you attempt anything sinister, or go against my orders in a life and death situation, I WILL NOT hesitate to kill you, do I make myself clear?"
The woman nods.
"I understand…" She begins. "I'll also have you know that threatening me can be considered an act of war."
I see my teacher's eyes gain a malice that I've never seen in them before.
"And I don't give a shit…" She responds, a hiss to her voice. "If you're dead, then I can tell the ninja waiting for you whatever I want, as long as I make it look realistic, I could lead you into the forest and tear you apart. Then, I could blame it on highwaymen…"
I see the ambassador's eyes go wide at my teacher's statement.
Is it just now setting in that we aren't the only ones in a precarious situation you black hearted bitch?
The thought comes to me so naturally, so without provocation that I blink twice in surprise.
Did I really just think that?
"Let's get going then, the sooner we get to the border, the quicker we can hand you off." Kurenai suggests.
The ambassador nods.
"For once, we agree on something." Nanoka retorts.
The five of us begin walking toward the gate that will lead to the border with the land of lightning. Leaving the village is easy, the guard recognizing our faces and formation.
Once out of the village, we stay on the main trail, walking toward the border with the land of lightning. The entire time we walk in comfortable silence, though I notice that several bugs fly out from Shino's jacket, taking to the air…
He has flying bugs now? Since when did he have access to them? From the time I've known him, he's always had bugs that were stuck on the ground and unable to fly…
I look toward Naruto, and I see the boy walking with both hands behind his head, whistling some song that I've never heard before. I don't know what it is about him, but looking at him and seeing him so relaxed, I feel better about this mission.
Are Shino and Kurenai-sensei really right? Am I really in love with the son of the Fourth Hokage? Even if they are, there's no way I can approach him about something like that. I mean, being who he is, I'm sure he'll have suitors from other families vying for him to marry their daughter when he gets older. Me, I'm the daughter of the Hyuga main house, and if my uncle has his way, I won't live to become a teenager, much less even begin to think about a boyfriend…
But, that still doesn't help me in my problem. If anything, my uncle's plans on my life should only encourage me, shouldn't they? If I'm going to die shortly after my grandmother, then shouldn't I be doing everything I can to communicate my feelings toward him? Even though I have no intention of allowing my uncle to kill me, he is much stronger then I am, and once he has the resources of the clan, there won't be much I can do. By the same token, there's nothing I can do to prevent him from taking temporary leadership of the clan. Even if I were to learn every secret of the Gentle Fist and our family, the council wouldn't recognize my claim until I've reached adulthood. No matter how hard I train or how quickly I learn, I can't lay claim to the family until I'm at least 18, that's six years from now…
What am I supposed to do for six long years? I know my grandmother will be dead by my thirteenth birthday. If she survives any longer then that, it will be a miracle in and of itself. Once she's dead, I won't be able to stay at the Hyuga mansion anymore. Doing so would be a death sentence. The moment I fall asleep, Hizashi or maybe his son Neji will sneak into my room and snuff me out in my sleep.
No, I can't remain in the Hyuga mansion, but what other choices do I have? The Aburame clan has extended a welcome to me, but I doubt they'd want to house me for six long years, no matter how good my friendship with Shino might be. Kurenai has a home, but from what I can gather, it's just her living there. While I would like to stay with my teacher, she doesn't have the capability to defend me 24/7 like an entire clan like the Aburame do.
Then, there's Naruto. He's the son of the Fourth Hokage and lives in a home large enough to accommodate me. Plus, the Hokage has command of the ANBU, who constantly keep watch over his entire house. If any of them were to take me in, I think it would be the logical choice that Naruto's family did it. The only problem is, if Minato dies or steps down from being Hokage, then all the advantages disappear. Besides, if I were to even ask him about it, it would mean telling him all about the evils of my family. If he knew what kind of despicable family I come from, he may take pity on me but he'd never LOVE me. He would think I'm some tainted thing to be pitied, not loved. If he ever looked at me like that, like he had to help me, to take pity on me, I'd…
Looking at Naruto's back, I feel tears begin to form at the edges of my eyes. My mind shows me images of the boy looking at me like I'm some dirty poor orphan. I can see his eyes full of pity…
I shake my head, trying to clear the image from my thoughts.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! I can't think like that. Minato knows what's going on with my family. I know that he would offer to take me in, but…
It isn't until I notice Nanoka stop walking and I follow suit. I look around to see that the sky has grown dark, with the night sky hanging overhead.
"We'll stop and make camp here." I hear my teacher's voice.
The five of us begin setting up our respective tents. Fortunately I can go into autopilot, letting my training show by setting up the collapsible tent. Within 20 minutes, the five of us have our tents set up. Every now and then, during my own tent setting up I see Nanoka efficiently set up her tent, finishing nearly the same time Naruto, Shino and I finish. Kurenai, having had more practice, is done in nearly ¾ the time it takes the ambassador and my two teammates.
"Hinata, would you check the area?" Kurenai asks.
I nod, making the necessary hand signs. The veins around my eyes bulge a moment later. I scan the area through my Byakugan, looking for anything that might be another person within my range. Looking through the kekkei genkai I don't see anything.
"The area is clear, Kurenai-sensei." I tell my teacher.
I see her look to Shino, and without a word the Aburame boy nods. A moment later I see a stream of bugs fly out from within his jacket. I see his bugs take to the air.
"My allies shall create a perimeter around our encampment." Shino explains. "Should an intruder present themselves, my allies shall alert me."
As many times as I've heard the boy say that his allies will alert him to a breach, I've never bothered to ask HOW that happens. Thinking about it for a moment, I come to a decision that I don't want to know…
We start a fire, making camp and 'cooking' dinner. We eat in most of silence, making very minor talk amongst ourselves. With Nanoka around, I don't want to talk about anything that has to do with any of us. In spite of her apparent aloofness, I don't trust the woman.
After nearly 3 hours after we make camp, the ambassador speaks up.
"Well, I'm going to sleep." Nanoka says, informing us all of her plans. "The four of you can set up a watch if you want, I don't care."
The ambassador goes into her tent, zipping the tent closed behind her. The four of us look at each other. I see my teacher shrug her shoulders.
"Hinata, you'll take the first shift, and then Shino, then Naruto, and I'll take the last watch." She says, making up the watch rotation. "We'll take 3 hour watch rotations, so we'll all have plenty of time to sleep."
The three of us agree without a word between us. Naruto, Shino and Kurenai all enter their tents at nearly the same time. I make hand signs, activating my Byakugan and gaining the insight of the kekkei genkai. I look through the bloodline limit, trying to find any intruder to our campsite. I spend the entire 3 hours sitting at our campsite, using my Byakugan to scan the area. The entire time I sit there, I can't see anything. The boredom unfortunately leaves me plenty of time to think about my situation…
I still don't know what I should do. When my grandmother dies, I won't have a home anymore. I'll be an orphan, and if uncle Hizashi doesn't have me killed, I might be able to survive long enough to become a teenager. But, if I'm an orphan, then there's no way that Naruto will ever be allowed to even think about going on a date with me. If that happened, I don't think I'd want to keep on living…
I barely notice the zipper on Shino's tent opening, the Aburame boy exiting the tent and approaching me like a silent wraith.
"Your shift has ended, and my allies have reported no intrusions." He explains to me. "I will take over keeping watch."
"Thank you Shino."
I stand up, the veins around my eyes receding.
"Naruto is concerned about you…" He informs me.
I glance back toward the Aburame boy.
"What is he concerned about?" I ask, without even thinking about it.
"He is concerned for you, and does not know how to approach you about his concerns." Shino explains.
"What…?" I ask.
"He has seen the recent turmoil in your emotions, and does not know what could cause it." He informs me.
"The turmoil in my emotions…?" I ask.
The Aburame nods.
"Yes, on our trip here, your emotions were an obvious turbulence." He explains. "Because he does not know what is going in your life, or with your family, he does not understand." The Aburame boy finishes.
"So, what do you think I should do, Shino?" I ask.
"It is obvious to me that he bears a certain caring for you." He explains. "I believe your best course of action would be to approach him about the recent happenings in your life, and ask him if he would listen to you talk about them." Shino suggests. "I doubt he would turn you down, and it would give him insight into you as a person."
"But, what if he thinks that because my family is so corrupt and power hungry that I must be the same way?" I ask.
The Aburame shakes his head.
"Naruto would not think of you in the same manner as he would the members of your family who value power and money over all else."
I bow to the boy.
"Thank you, Shino." I thank the boy.
"Think nothing of it…" He says.
I go into my tent, closing the door behind me. I lie down on my sleeping bag, closing my eyes, taking deep breaths before I drift off into sleep.
&
The next morning, I awake to my alarm. I get up and get dressed, ready to go for the coming day. I get dressed and leave my tent, taking my packed backpack out of the tent. I pack up my tent and place it inside my pack, looking around to see the others are doing so as well. Within 15 minutes of my rousing, the 5 of us are ready to go.
Without a word, the five of us assume the formation Kurenai described to us earlier and continue our trek toward the border. We walk in silence, though every so often I activate my Byakugan, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Someone managing to sneak up on the five of us under my gaze is nearly impossible. Even if someone were able, they'd be too strong for me to be able to do anything to stop them anyway…
Besides, no one knows who this Temura person is. If highwaymen stop us, Naruto, Shino and I can take care of them. It isn't until tomorrow that I'll be worried. The closer we get to the border, the more likely Cloud shinobi are going to cross it to check on their ambassador. If they see me, they're likely to try and kidnap me. If that happens, then Kurenai and the others will try and rescue me, and even they succeed, it'll be likely to start a war. War means more death and chaos…
I shake my head to clear it. I know that thinking such thoughts aren't going to help me or the mission. Because I'm so focused on the mission, and locating outside threats, I don't take a look at Naruto or anyone else in our traveling party until nearly 2 hours after we start out.
With my Byakugan, and years of training from my grandmother, I've learned to see the chakra network and the tenketsu along it. While my skill is nowhere near my Grandmother's level, I am more then capable of seeing through nearly any illusion and judging a person's condition from their chakra flow and bodily damage.
Looking at Shino, Kurenai-sensei and Temura with my Byakugan, I see the three of them are fine, with no injuries or problems. However, Naruto is another story all together.
Looking at him through the Byakugan, I can see the enlarged coils of his chakra network, and they look… empty. Usually his chakra network is brimming with blue light. However, now his coils are extremely depleted, as though he's been constantly using a jutsu for a long time, and only stopped when he could barely walk…
Don't tell me he's been training? We're on a mission, and Kurenai-sensei told us that we weren't supposed to do anything that might be strenuous until we return to the village…
I see a rock in Naruto's path, the boy completely oblivious to it. I see him kick the rock with his foot, barely missing his exposed toes and falling forward. In a moment I'm next to him, my right arm across his chest, and his right arm over my shoulders. I steady him, holding his weight along with his pack and training weights up, preventing him from falling.
He looks to me, and I can see the fatigue in his eyes.
"Hinata…?" He asks, sounding like the lights are on in his mind, but no one's home…
"Naruto…" I mutter.
I don't hear footsteps, and I turn to see the others all stopped. Kurenai looks at the both of us with a scowl on her face.
"I believe Naruto has been training, Kurenai-sensei." I speak up. "His chakra is extremely low, he shouldn't be walking."
I see the woman sigh while approaching the two of us.
"Naruto, what did I tell you?" Kurenai asks.
The blonde boy nods, though I can tell that he's severely exhausted.
"How do you feel Naruto?" Kurenai asks, kneeling down to look at the boy at eye level. "Do you feel sick, is it hard to breathe?"
He shakes his head.
"Just, really sleepy." He manages to say with a grin.
She looks at me, a very serious expression on her face.
"Have you managed to examine him?" She asks.
"Yes…" I respond. "He has no injuries, other then a lack of chakra, he is perfectly fine. His heart rate and breathing are all normal, and his body temperature isn't elevated."
I see my teacher smile.
"You can tell all that, just from looking at him?" She asks.
I nod.
"Yes, Kurenai-sensei…" I explain to her.
She looks back to her weak student.
"Naruto, from what I can see, and what Hinata has told me, you need to sleep." She explains.
The blonde boy shakes his head no.
"I'm fine…" He responds, his voice showing otherwise. "I can walk…"
I barely see my teacher make a single hand sign. Then, she places her hand over Naruto's forehead. At first, his eyelids look like they're getting heavy, and then his eyes close, his body going limp. I look back to my teacher, seeing her sigh lightly.
"That should help for a while." She mutters.
She turns back to Shino and the Cloud ambassador.
"Naruto has exhausted most of his chakra, so I've placed him into a sleep state that will allow him to recover." She explains to the two of them, though I imagine it's only meant for the ambassador. "I assume there is no way I could convince you into stopping here for the day, Nanoka?"
The ambassador shakes her head.
"I must return to my country, it isn't my fault your stupid student didn't listen to your instructions." She responds.
Hearing her insult Naruto, I feel my eyes lock on her, my face set into a deadly grim expression. Glaring at the woman, I see her flinch back, either from me, or from the look I know she's garnered from Kurenai-sensei, I don't know…
A long moment goes in silence, though the Aburame behind the ambassador remains level and calm. Kurenai-sensei speaks after that long moment.
"One of us will have to carry Naruto's pack, and someone else will have to carry him." She explains.
"I shall take the additional load of his pack…" Shino speaks up, and I see the ambassador jump.
She probably forgot he was there. I wonder if the boy gets a small twinge of pleasure deep down at surprising people like that…
I can't help but smile slyly at the ambassador's reaction, though a moment after my smile is gone, lest the ambassador see it.
"I'll carry him then…" Kurenai speaks.
Shino walks around Nanoka without a word, taking Naruto's backpack and strapping it to his front. Fortunately, the packs are made for such an emergency, and it's possible for 1 person to wear 2 packs. Kurenai goes to one knee, assuming a piggyback stance, ready for me to help Naruto up onto her back.
"Um… I don't think you should carry him, sensei." I speak up, seeing my teacher look over her shoulder at me. "If we come under attack, it'd be best if you weren't encumbered. My Byakugan will work with or without the additional weight, whereas your hands will be tied holding up Naruto."
The woman looks at me for a long heartbeat, and then nods.
"I suppose…" She begins. "However, he's wearing weights like you are, I want you to either remove your weights or at the very least decrease your weight to almost nothing while you carry him."
I nod my acquiescence.
I decrease the weight in my restraints to their absolute minimum. I take my backpack off, putting it on the front of my body before I kneel down. Kurenai helps lay Naruto on my back, and I take him into a piggyback position. Before long, the boy is comfortably resting on my back.
"We should get going…" Kurenai suggests.
The five of us return to our trek to the border, Nanoka appearing to be very angry at the interruption.
"Do you even care about escorting me back to the border with the land of lightning?" Nanoka demands.
"My team is more important to me then this mission." Kurenai tells her. "This mission is being gratis, that means you AREN'T paying us." She explains to the ambassador. "I will not push my team beyond their abilities and possibly lose their life on a mission that isn't doing anything to help our village."
"This is mission is to return an ambassador to her home, if you fail to do so then your country will be held responsible…" She begins, but Kurenai cuts her off.
"And war will be declared, I KNOW!" Kurenai responds.
The two of them continue to bicker between themselves. However, Shino, I, and obviously Naruto all remain quiet. Both Kurenai and Nanoka continue to bicker for what feels like half an hour, but I don't know exactly how long they argue. What I do notice is a small black cloud of insects that hover over our group.
While the four of us walk in silence, I see the bugs that hang overhead descend with a low, barely audible thrum. I see the insects fly into his jacket. A moment later a new similar swarm emerges from within the Aburame's jacket, their low thrum constant as they fly ten feet above us, and then hover their like a cloud of locusts hanging over us. With the insects hanging over us, I can only assume that the bugs are keeping their senses peeled, most likely searching for a source of chakra to move close to us. Thinking about the Aburame and his handy 'allies,' I can only wonder how the clan can be so ostracized from the people of the village. In a mission, be into enemy territory, escorting a VIP anywhere, or just setting up a camp, the Aburame kikai have been incredibly useful…
I guess that's just another example of the injustice of the place in which I live…
It's been several minutes since Kurenai and Nanoka finished their dispute. I look to Shino and I see the kikai ninja wearing an expression of absolute calm. With Naruto now resting on my back, our diamond shaped formation is gone. I move to get closer to the Aburame boy. I see him glance toward me behind his sunglasses.
"Is there something I can help you with, Hinata?" The boy asks.
I nod.
"I just noticed that your bugs can fly now…" I begin. "I've never seen it before, could they always do it?"
The Aburame shakes his head no.
"It was during our time as peacekeepers in the border town that I noticed a severe deficiency in our team."
"A deficiency…?" I ask.
The boy nods.
"Yes, I saw both you and Naruto were wearing training weights, going above and beyond normal training measures. Because of the increase in strength, I went to my father with a simple request. I asked him if there was anything that could be done to increase my power and my father responded with an additional colony of kikai." He explains to me.
"I've never heard of any Aburame having a flying colony before…" I respond.
He nods, pushing his sunglasses back to the bridge of his nose.
"The colony which now inhabits my body is a newly created breed." He explains. "I am the youngest of our clan to host this strain, and I've found that they are most useful."
"It's a newly created breed?" I ask.
He nods again.
"Yes, for several years the development of flying kikai has been a challenge to my clan." He explains to me. "However, in recent years we've been experimenting with new strains." He continues. "A major problem was communication, both between the host and the ground based strain of kikai all Aburame have." He pauses. "However, with this latest strain, that problem has been rectified."
I raise an eyebrow at this.
"What could cause the change?" I ask. "Aren't the ground based and aerial based kikai different strains of insect?" I ask.
"You are versed in the knowledge of insects, Hinata?" Shino asks, showing a rare moment of surprise.
"I know a little…" I respond, still carrying Naruto on my back. "I don't think I'd be able to follow if you went into great detail, but I learned that different types of insects can't communicate because they don't share a common communication method."
He nods once.
"That is true, Hinata…" He begins. "The major problem, as I stated earlier, is that the flying kikai and the ground based strain are unable to communicate." He continues. "However, the strain I now carry is a hybrid, the result of a forced mating between the two species."
"Does that work with insects?" I ask. "In other animals, hybrids rarely survive, and those that do are unable to give birth."
"That's correct." He agrees. "However, this colony is part of a strain that successfully kept their wings, and gained the obedience of the ground based kikai." He continues. "Several queens were born. The one I carry was one of four that had yet to form an alliance with a host." He informs me. "However, at my father's behest, the additional queen and her small colony were transferred into me, and I have been promoting exceptional growth. In the few weeks that the colony has been with me, I have nurtured them and turned them into a powerful tool for myself and our team."
"I see…" I respond.
"Because of the hybrid nature of the flying strain I carry they are able to communicate with both the ground based kikai as well as myself." He explains. "That communication is essential, and one of the key points to this flying strain."
"I understand Shino…" I begin. "I just want you to know that I'm not as disturbed as the other people of the village are by your clan's techniques."
"Those that are…disturbed…as you put it, by my family's techniques lack the very principal which my family adheres to." He begins. "Even though they may outnumber the members of my clan, those that have directly worked with my clan usually find themselves with a different perspective on the entire clan."
I nod.
"I am the Jinchuriki, a demon host for a tailed beast created by the Fourth's sealing technique." I tell him, keeping my voice down.
The last thing I want is for that Nanoka woman to hear that…
"Because of that fact, many aspects of my life have not been what others would call 'normal.'" I explain to him.
"That is nice to hear, Hinata." He explains to me. "I am glad that people, however few are willing to change and learn from bigotry, rather then consume themselves with it."
What the boy says is deeply laced in meaning, showing me just how 'deep' he is.
I knew he was a good person, but I never thought he'd think like that…
The lot of us continues walking, and I move away from my teammate. I can tell that the boy has a different opinion of me now, and judging from the change in his body language, that it's a happier change.
Walking with Naruto on my back, I hear the boy begin to murmur in his sleep. I hear him mutter something that I can't understand, feeling his head move against my back. I feel him nuzzle against my neck. I feel my face turn bright red at his action.
"Hinata…" I hear him mutter.
My face turns even brighter red at his mention of my name. I hear him continue to mutter in his sleep, though I hear him mutter the names of both his parents, though neither name is directly after each other…
Is he dreaming about something? If he's dreaming about me, then what does that mean?
I see Nanoka glance back at me, her eyes focusing on me for a moment. Then I see her head spin around, glaring toward Kurenai's back.
"Woman, your so called student is blushing like a school girl!" Nanoka begins with hostility apparent in her voice.
I see my teacher glance back toward the ambassador, an annoyed expression in her eyes.
"I would remind you that Hinata is still a 12 year old girl, and 12 year old girls are prone to doing things like blushing." Kurenai shoots back to the woman.
"Do you honestly believe that a girl who still blushes over boys is suitable to be an ambassador's bodyguard?" Nanoka demands.
The two of them continue arguing to each other, and I wonder just how powerful the sleep inducing technique Kurenai-sensei used.
&
Several hours later, after Kurenai-sensei and Nanoka finish arguing, we stop for the night. Naruto has since woken up, and now the five of us work to make a campsite, each of us setting up our own tents. The tent set up goes without a problem, though once we're done, Kurenai-sensei clears her throat.
"We have rations, but I do believe some fresh meat would do us all good…" Kurenai begins. "I need a volunteer to go hunting for tonight's dinner…"
Naruto looks up from his tent, a grin spreading across his face.
"I'll do the hunting!" Naruto volunteers for our teacher.
If I can go out alone with him, then I can…
"I'll go along too!" I volunteer. "With my Byakugan, it won't take nearly as long."
I see my teacher nod.
"All right, Naruto, Hinata, the two of you will go out hunting." Kurenai explains.
Both Naruto and I leave the campsite. We both take to the trees, and I use my Byakugan to scan the area around us. There are several animals around us. I use my kekkei genkai to search in on the largest animal I can find, while Naruto creates several shadow clones.
"Naruto, approximately ½-kilometer to our southeast is a wolf that has just killed an antelope." I explain to him. "If we hurry, we can kill both the wolf and use both animals."
He nods.
The two of us, along with his shadow clones take off toward the wolf and the antelope. The 5 shadow clones do the dirty work, killing the wolf without any real trouble. Naruto dispels the clones shortly afterward. Naruto picks up the antelope, and I pick up the wolf. The two of us take to the trees again.
After we start back toward the campsite, Naruto speaks up.
"Hey Hinata, can I ask you something?" He asks, and I nod.
"Yes, go ahead Naruto." I tell him, holding the wolf by its hind legs.
"Do you honestly think that I'm a good person?" He asks. "I mean, I wasn't able to protect you during the peacekeeping mission, and I haven't been able to fully master the Rasengan." He explains.
I nod my head.
"You're a good person Naruto…" I begin. "You're capable of fighting with the shadow clone jutsu, and you've gotten stronger since the peacekeeping mission." I tell him. "I'm sure you've increased the weight you're wearing, and you're smarter now then you were back then."
He nods.
"I guess, though I don't understand how anyone can think of me as a good person…" He responds, his head looking ahead.
The way he talks, does he know that I've got feelings for him?
We quickly get back to the campsite, finding Kurenai-sensei and Nanoka arguing with each other again…
Is this all they ever do?
The two of them argue for a short while. Shino does something useful, helping Naruto and me to clean and dress the meat. We begin cooking the brought back meat in a makeshift rotisserie. 20 minutes after the meat begins cooking over the rotisserie, both Kurenai-sensei and Nanoka stop arguing. I see their nostrils flare at the smell of the slowly cooking meat, and their stomachs growl barely audible over the crackling fire. Shino, Naruto and I sit around the fire.
"I have thought to place my kikai in sentry positions around our camp." Shino says, the three of us ignoring the argument between Kurenai and Nanoka.
"You know, those bugs of yours are going to be really handy when we take the Chunin exam, I really can't wait to take the test!" Naruto informs the both of us.
"The test won't be easy. It's supposed to be hard to keep unworthy genin from passing." I remind the both of them. "Even though the test is in Konoha, that won't make it any easier."
Naruto nods, though I see the boy grin.
"Not that it'll really matter that much…" He begins. "The three of us have been improving each and every day." He continues. "We'll pass with flying colors."
"The test has always been difficult…" Shino begins. "As both of you are well aware, other genin teams more confident then the two of us have tried, and failed to pass the exam."
"We haven't taken the test yet, and we shouldn't think negatively." I respond. "If we think that we aren't going to pass the test, then we won't, regardless of how good we are."
"I am not attempting to prevent our squad from entering or passing the exams." He explains. "It is illogical to think that we will pass the test, when the pass rate for genin who take the test for the first time is astronomically low."
With Shino's blunt, realistic response to our taking the Chunin exams, the three of us go silent. The three of us sit around the fire, and I can tell that both Naruto and Shino have a sort of solemn mood about them. I can tell that both boys have mixed feelings toward the upcoming Chunin exam. While I'm looking forward to it, I'm also dreading the thought of risking my life just to increase my rank…
Both Nanoka and Kurenai stop arguing, though I can tell that it's more because Kurenai no longer wishes to argue, rather then the ambassador. I can feel my teacher looking at the three of us, her argument with the ambassador suddenly put on the back burner. She approaches where Naruto, Shino, and I sit. At first she stands over us, though she quickly sits down near us, leaving the ambassador standing alone, her mouth open in disbelief.
"Something's wrong with you three…" Kurenai begins, her eyes darting between Naruto, Shino and me. "All the sudden, you three look like your favorite pet just died."
My eyes dart to the ambassador, a foreigner and someone that has no business hearing about my personal business, or the personal business of my teammates…
"I really can't say what's troubling me, sensei…" I'm the first to respond.
Both Shino and Naruto glance toward me, and then to each other. Without a word both boys look at each other, and then to Kurenai-sensei.
"It's really hard to described what's been bothering us, sensei." Naruto informs her, Shino remains quiet.
The woman looks between us, and I see her eye us. In her eyes I can sense suspicion, as though she suspects that our REAL reason for not discussing our problem is because of the ambassador's presence. Looking at our teacher, I know that she's more then easily capable of putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
I look to the ambassador, and I can tell that she isn't as stupid as I thought her to be. The woman wears an expression of obvious displeasure.
"Your so called students aren't talking about their problems because they don't want me listening in." Nanoka says with obvious dejection in her voice.
Kurenai looks over her left shoulder toward the woman from the land of lightning.
"I hate to remind you, but you are a foreigner, in a strange land." Kurenai retorts.
"I never asked to be assigned to a team of Genin." Nanoka responds with agitation in her voice.
"What business is it of yours to know what's troubling my students?" Kurenai asks.
"I was curious…" Nanoka retorts, crossing her arms over her chest.
The two animals continue to cook, the smell wafting into the air. Nanoka sits down near us, and after a short amount of time Kurenai raises the deer and wolf meat from the rotisserie.
"All right, I'll divide up the meat, so just relax, all of you."
The woman cuts into the animal meat, using a clean kunai while Naruto Shino and I all get plates from within our packs. Taking the travel utensils from my pack, Kurenai places a small amount of cooked meat on my plate. She does the same with Shino and Naruto, slicing off a larger piece for the ambassador. The woman grins when she receives her piece of the meat Naruto and I caught. The woman makes a 'yum' sound from her throat.
I'd really like to slug that bitch right in her throat…
&
The next morning the five of us are on our way toward the border. During the entire time the five of us walk toward the border, I notice that Naruto isn't acting the same as he usually does. He seems abnormally subdued, like he's thinking about something…
Should I ask him what's troubling him? No, if I ask him about this, he'll probably just tell me that nothing's wrong and blow me off.
I shake my head and instead decide to put my efforts into something more productive. I make hand signs, activating my Byakugan. I look through the kekkei genkai and I examine the area around us and ahead of us…
The closer we get to the border, the more and more I keep thinking that we're going to get ambushed. If that happens, then the four of us will have to be on our guard as quickly as possible. If this is supposed to be some sort of ambush, it's highly unlikely that the ambassador was able to send any sort of message while we were out here. Also, I believe that she didn't know that I was going to be one of the people escorting her to the border until we actually met her. So, if there is some sort of ambush, she won't be involved. Because of that, the attack will have to come from outside, since she didn't request to have me as part of her escort. If she had done that, I wouldn't have agreed to go on this mission…
That said; there's nothing stopping them from sending shinobi ILLEGALLY over the border to do reconnaissance and if they spot me, they'll probably attack. I can't imagine that the Cloud Village won't see this as a chance to try and kidnap me. The only difference between back then and right now is; I can fight back…
The thought of being able to return hostility to the invading Cloud ninja causes a strange sensation in me. Some part of me feels a strange happy sort of feeling at the thought of striking an attacking cloud ninja, showing the enemy shinobi that I'm not a defenseless little baby anymore. Another part of me feels a chill at that pleasure, wondering just what is wrong with me to feel pleasure at the thought of killing someone…
Is it the Kyuubi, is it affecting my thoughts and influencing me? Is the Fourth's seal weakening? If so, will the fox obliterate my body and escape, only to cause havoc and death once more? Or, will the fox and I merge into some sort of demonic entity? Will the Kyuubi's mind and my mind merge somehow, with me REALLY becoming a demon?
I shake my head, my Byakugan still activated. I can only imagine what my shaking my head with the kekkei genkai activated looks like, though I notice neither of my teammates or my teacher looking at me when I shake my head, so I just forget about it. The ambassador keeps her head forward, her thoughts obviously focused on the return trip.
Nearly an hour after I activate my Byakugan I see something on the edge of my vision. At first, I can only see the source of chakra moving through the trees. I notice Shino's eyebrows perk up when I notice the chakra sources. I hear the gentle thrum of the insects' overhead change, though the change is so minute and small that if you weren't listening carefully, senses sharpened out of fear of an oncoming attack you wouldn't notice. I see the chakra sources approach, though the closer the sources of chakra get, the more detailed the image gets.
At first I think to raise an alarm immediately, but it isn't until I get a clear image of the three sources of chakra and what they look like that I speak up.
"Kurenai-sensei, there are three enemies moving in, 1 from 10, 3 and 5 o clock!" I yell out, telling not only my teacher, but to my teammates of the incoming enemy.
Almost immediately after my alert, the three ninja appear from the trees around us. The three shinobi are dressed in black, wearing balaclavas that conceal everything but their eyes. They wear black uniforms, with metal plates on the balaclavas that identify them to be shinobi of the cloud village. The three of them converge on me, and I can tell that they're after me, and not the ambassador or Naruto or Shino.
I shift, targeting the nearest ninja and throwing three kunai toward him in a well-practiced motion. The enemy ninja swats the knives away with one of his own, growling under his breath. I see my teacher jump the ninja approaching from 1 o clock from behind. The man either obscenely stupid or unlucky, one or the other…
4 of her shuriken impact the man's back, one of the throwing stars stabbing into his spine. A moment later, a single kunai knife flies from her hand, stabbing into his head. The knife exits out the front of his face, landing point first in the ground. The ninja falls, deader then dead. I see Naruto and Shino pair off, with 5 of Naruto's shadow clones appearing from out of nowhere. The five clones charge the ninja, forcing the ninja on my left to stop and fight. While the five clones plus the original work to distract the enemy, I see black bugs crawl up the man's legs. It's all too late when he realizes that his body has become a feeding ground for Shino's kikai, his arms going to his back to try and swat them away. The man's arms stop defending himself 3 identical fists land in 3 separate parts of his body, 2 fists from Naruto's shadow clones and 1 fist from the original. The most notable blow is a hard right uppercut to his jaw. The man falls to the ground with a heavy thud, Shino's kikai still crawling on him, draining away what's left of his chakra.
The final ninja gets close to me, reaching out to grab me by the collar. His hand reaches the collar of my jacket, his hand going through the jacket collar, the illusionary clone shattering into a puff of smoke. The man raises his eyes in surprise. I emerge from the nearby bushes, a running start allowing me to move inside his defenses. I strike him using a powerful Gentle Fist blow, the aim of my attack to do as much damage to his heart and other vital organs and drop the man with as little effort as possible. He grunts in pain from my attack, my left hand moving in for a follow up blow. I send 4 Gentle Fist blows to his chakra network, annihilating most of the chakra within the central coil in his chest. I kick him away from me after the 4th blow, wanting to put as much damage between him and me as possible.
The cloud shinobi looks at me, glaring at me with anger and hatred in his eyes. If not for the surprise, I doubt my attacks would've gone nearly as well…
I hear what sounds like a sickly cough, combined with a red stain appearing on the balaclava on his face. I see the ninja's knees shift, the man coughing and wheezing while he falls forward. He lies there, clutching at his chest while he hacks and wheezes. I see Kurenai approach me from behind, stopping next to me and looking at me before she looks toward my victim.
"Can he talk?" She asks, and I nod.
"I did no damage to his vocal chords, though I doubt he'll want to speak with you." I explain.
I see the woman grin.
"I'll be the one to decide whether or not he wants to talk…" She mutters, walking forward.
I watch the Jounin begin her interrogation, trying to draw information out of both of the enemy shinobi. I watch her prod the shinobi for information, trying to draw what she wants out of the shinobi. Finally, after watching her for 10 minutes, the cloud ninja spits at her.
"You won't get anything from me, leaf bitch!" He retorts.
A kunai stabs through his neck a moment later. I see Kurenai-sensei's hand resting on the hilt of the knife. I see her look down at the dead ninja, a moment later turning toward the ninja still covered in kikai. I see her approach the shinobi, another of her kunai piercing the ninja's head. Once both of the shinobi lie dead, Kurenai turns toward the ambassador.
"Admit that you had some part in this, or I'll kill you where you stand…" Kurenai demands from the ambassador.
The shocked, fearful expression that appears on Nanoka's face is an expression I've never seen her make before, ever…
"You think I've got something to do with this?" Nanoka demands. "How could I possibly know anything about this?"
Kurenai looks to me, and I see her eyes are cold and hard.
"Hinata, is she lying?" My teacher asks.
Looking at the woman, I analyze her using the Byakugan, shaking my head a moment later.
"Her heart rate, respiration and movements are completely unaffected." I explain to my teacher. "If she is lying, she's been well trained at it."
"I'm telling the truth!" Nanoka insists.
Kurenai nods.
"I doubt you'd have the ability to conceal anything from the Byakugan…" Kurenai begins, her gaze shifting to the dead shinobi, the other ninja no longer covered in kikai. "I'd assume that these men were supposed to be your escorts, the ninja that were to meet us at the border."
I nod my agreement, and through the Byakugan, I notice Naruto and Shino agree to my teacher's statement as well.
"That is a logical assumption." Shino agrees.
I see my teacher look toward the ambassador.
"As you know, we're leaf Shinobi, and as such we can't leave the land of fire without permission." Kurenai explains to the ambassador. "Because of that, once we arrive at the border with the land of lightning, we'll have to part ways."
I see the ambassador sigh heavily.
"You're right, what just happened definitely puts me at a disadvantage…" She begins.
"If I were to return to Konoha and report this to Lord Hokage, the village council would almost demand that we take proper revenge." Kurenai details to the woman. "That would start a war, if not put the status of the Hidden Cloud village within the alliance treaty in jeopardy."
The ambassador nods at this, the arrogance that seemed to float around her having left her.
"These incidents could easily cause a war, and the Hidden Cloud would be responsible for the entirety of it." She begins.
"As such, my team and I can escort you to the border with the land of lightning, but once we reach the border, you're on your own." Kurenai offers.
The woman nods.
"Thank you, and though I'd rather have an escort all the way back to the cloud village itself, I realize that it isn't possible. You four were never given permission to break the boundary, and your continued involvement beyond the border can only start a war, either by the land of lightning or land of fire."
"That; and I will not take any of my Genin into the land of lightning." Kurenai tells the woman matter of factly. "The actions of these ninja prove that the people of the cloud still desire Hinata and the secret of the Byakugan."
The ambassador looks at me for a moment, and then she nods her head.
"If the three of you will escort me to the border, then at the very least, please do." Nanoka requests of us.
Kurenai nods her head.
"Hinata, use your Byakugan, and scan the area constantly, Naruto, make some shadow clones and have them patrol around us. Shino, I'd like you to use your kikai to watch over us as well."
The three of us nod our agreement.
With the three of us on high alert, we start for the border with the land of lightning…
I didn't hesitate, I fought back and I showed them that I'm not just a helpless little girl…
&
We make our way to the border with the land of lightning over the next three hours. Once we arrive at the border, the ambassador says farewell to the four of us, leaving us to cross the border into the land of lightning.
Just like that, this is done, and we can return to the village. Even if it means going back to the branch family and their corrupt desires, at least I don't have to worry about people trying to kidnap me. No, instead I have to worry about people trying to kill me. I don't know what's worse…
We turn around, beginning the three-day journey to return. The four of us travel for the rest of the day and well into the night, wanting to put as much distance between the four of us and the border. Even though we're still within a day's travel of the border, Kurenai calls for the four of us to break and make camp…
20 minutes later, I sit near the fire in the middle of our camp. I packed food from the village, but I didn't want Nanoka to get her hands on any of it.
This food is for us, for my friends and me…
I cook the food like grandmother taught me, as I've done many times before in the past. When I serve the food to my friends, all of them give me their approvals, telling me that my cooking has yet to fail to impress any of them. After dinner, the four of us set up a watch rotation, with me being the last one among the rotation…
"Get some sleep Hinata; you've got 6 hours until you're on watch." Kurenai tells me.
I get up, saying good night to my friends, going into my tent and lying down to go to sleep…
&
I dream a dream that is slowly becoming familiar. I find myself before the cell, looking into the face of the Kyuubi No Kitsune…
"What do you want now?" I ask, annoyance showing through my tone. "You've been bothering me a lot lately, and I'm getting sick of it!"
I hear the fox growl deeply, the growl echoing through the entire bunker…
"You dare speak to me that way?" The fox demands.
"Drop the attitude!" I glare back at it, becoming more and more annoyed. "You can't harm me, no matter how hard you try."
I can feel the demon's breath blow by me when the fox exhales in annoyance.
"Just how strong is your hatred?" The demon asks. "You had several opportunities to kill that woman, and make her suffer at your hands…"
"Nanoka didn't do anything to earn my wrath, and she wasn't responsible for the attack."
"Maybe she wasn't responsible, but the people she represents are responsible for what happened to you when you were a baby, when you were unable to even defend yourself." It tells me.
I shake my head.
"Naruto wouldn't think like that…" I tell it.
"Why do you care what that worthless boy thinks?"
"I want to be worthy of Naruto's love and affection, and he wouldn't approve of my killing Nanoka."
&
I feel something tug at my jacket. My eyes pop open, and I see Naruto kneeling over me inside the tent. I look outside to see another silhouette outside the tent.
"Are you a shadow clone?" I barely whisper.
The Naruto inside the tent nods. A moment later the shadow clone makes a hand sign and dispels itself, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
I get up, throwing off my sleeping bag. I roll the bag up, putting it back into my pack, getting a head start on my morning pack up. Once that's done, I leave the tent and see Naruto standing there, looking at me with a strange, sort of serious expression on his face.
For a moment, I stand there completely silent, with Naruto acting the exact same way.
What's going on, when I went to sleep, he was his normal, happy self…
"Hinata, do you like me as more then just a friend?" He asks out of the blue.
I feel my face flush, my eyes going wide at his question…
How does he know?
It only takes a moment for the 'gears to turn' and I realize EXACTLY how Naruto has suddenly become aware of my feelings…
Kurenai or Shino must've told him last night. They took advantage of the fact that I went to sleep early because I had the last watch, and Kurenai intentionally set up the watch rotation like this, so Naruto would have an opportunity to confront me about it alone…
That sneaky little…
"Hinata…" I hear Naruto's voice, pulling me from my thoughts.
I look to see him standing there, a worried expression replacing the serious one. I take several deep breaths to calm myself. Standing there under his scrutiny, I feel my heart begin to beat extremely fast, a sort of heady feeling coming to me.
He's looking at me, and he wants to know if you like him. Grow a backbone and just tell him. It's obvious he's already gotten a clue, just fill in the blanks and SAY IT…
I swallow the saliva in my mouth, letting out a long breath a moment later.
"Yes, Naruto, I've liked you for some time now, since we were assigned to the same team I've enjoyed spending time with you more then I have either Shino or Kurenai." I begin. "You're strong, kind, and you're a good person that never looked at me like I'm a demon…"
"Shino never looked at you like that, and I'd say he's strong and kind too." He comments.
Is he trying to say I should ask Shino out? Well, he already knows the big secret; you may as well level with him…
"I couldn't think of Shino as anything more then a friend, Naruto." I tell him, explaining my feelings to him. "I think that he'll make a girl very happy, but I'm not her."
"Oh…" He begins, sounding introspective. "Well, why do you like me?"
In for one Ryo, in for a million Ryo…
"You give your all so energetically and fully into anything you try. You never stop trying and you keep going, no matter what." I explain to him.
At first, the boy looks at those he doesn't know what to say. Then, I see him look down, a somber mood falling over him.
"For a long time, I thought I liked Sakura…" He begins, and I feel my heart begin to sink.
"I understand Naruto…" I begin. "You still have feelings for her, and you don't see me that way…" I ramble. "Just forget that you ever heard you like me, and…" I continue, but Naruto cuts me off.
"Can you just let me get this out?" He asks with a pleading tone to his voice.
I nod, and the boy takes a deep breath.
"When I was a kid, I was really afraid of this 'fox girl' that the villagers whispered about. They said she was a demon that lived among them, and even looked human. They also whispered that she killed people for no reason, and would kill everyone in the village unless they did something…"
"Um…" I begin, feeling worse and worse the more he talks.
I see the boy nod, realizing that I don't like where his train of thought is going.
"What I mean is, I've seen the kind of crap people can fabricate about someone, and I can see that crap for what it is." He explains.
He's going to tell me he doesn't like me, that he doesn't see me that way, I know it…
For a moment, Naruto is silent. During that single moment, I feel time slow to a crawl, my entire being on edge…
"That said; I really enjoy the time we spend together Hinata…" He begins, and I feel my feelings instantly change. "When I was around Sakura, it was weird. I wanted to be around her, but I felt like I couldn't be me around her or she'd hit me. Do you know what I mean?" He asks.
I nod.
"Well, it's different when I'm around you Hinata…" He begins anew, smiling happily at me. "I'd like to spend more time with you."
I feel my heart begin to soar.
"That said; I don't think it's a good idea if we start 'dating.'" He begins. "We're both still only 12 years old, and I don't know if I'm ready for a meaningful relationship with a girl." He explains to me. "That, and the Chunin exams are so close, I don't think it'd be wise if we want to pass the test to be thinking about having a relationship beyond friendship with each other." He informs me. "Do you understand, Hinata?"
I nod, extremely happy that the object of my love knows how I feel about him, and isn't going to reject me.
"I'm just really happy that you aren't going to reject me…" I tell him.
"I couldn't just reject you Hinata, I know how bad it feels to be on the receiving end of that, and I couldn't do that to you…"
For that at least, I should thank that pink haired ogre. Maybe if I meet her in the Chunin exams, I won't completely annihilate her chakra network and put her in the hospital…
"I just want to ask that you don't forget about me, and you know that my feelings for you won't change…"
The boy grins.
"I won't forget you Hinata." He tells me. "I promise."
He gives me a thumb up, and I feel myself smile.
Thank Kami…
"Good night Hinata…" He begins, walking toward his tent.
"Good night, Naruto…" I say to him.
He goes into his tent, and I assume guard duty. I activate my Byakugan and sit down, ready to keep a dutiful watch for the rest of the night…
He knows how I feel, and he isn't going to just reject me. Even if it's a lie, at least for now, I don't feel so bad…
