Yo yo!
Yup, I'm back with a new chapter. How long has it been? Almost a year? I'm really sorry about that, but life gets in the way of hobbies sometimes Though I love writing, I'm in a very busy and very important period of my life right now, and sometimes sacrifices have to be made.
So, I'm not making anymore promises. Updates will come and go when I get the time…Like I said when I first started writing a few years ago, I don't plan to abandon anything, but at the same time I can't promise that I'll be consistent. That being said, I am making a conscience effort to devote more time to my writing and I hope it shows in future chapters.
I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.
Anyways, I've talked for long enough so I'll let you all go about your day now!
Hinata didn't know whether to be excited or scared. The graduation exam was tomorrow and, although she was more than capable of passing, she was apprehensive about what would come next. Would she be placed in a team with her friends? Would her sensei be understanding, or would they be strict and uptight?
With all of these thoughts rolling around in her brain, she almost missed Iruka sensei calling the class to attention as people had finished filing in. Her brain took a few seconds to process the sight in front of her once she finally looked, but amusement shone in her eyes when she took in sight of the blond tied up at the front of the class.
"I'm at the end of my rope, Naruto. You failed the graduation test last time, and the time before that. Tomorrow you've got another chance, and you're messing up again!" Iruka lectured down to the boy.
Naruto indignantly turned his head away, which made the teacher even angrier. "Fine! Because you missed it, Naruto, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!"
Shouts of protest were heard all around the class, but Hinata was indifferent to it. She'd mastered the transformation jutsu a long time ago, and so it wasn't a big effort to perform it again.
She watched as Sakura went first, and transformed into Iruka sensei. Her transformation was an exact copy, which wasn't very surprising considering that she and Sakura Haruno had the best chakra control out of all of her classmates.
After Sakura went Sasuke Uchiha, who also transformed into Iruka. Hinata noticed that he was always nonchalant about exercises such as this, like they weren't an effort to him, but she supposed that maybe they really were too easy. After all, if she could master them so effortlessly, then why couldn't anyone else do it?
Hinata went after Sasuke, and like him she performed it quickly, dispelling it once she had gotten a nod of approval from her sensei. She walked to the end of the line and glanced at Naruto, who was next to perform the jutsu. Knowing that he was terrible at chakra control, Hinata wondered whether he would pass the exercise or not.
Unlike many of her classmates, Hinata actually sympathised with the blond boy on a lot of things, however she wasn't sure how to help him with his slight dilemma. Regardless, she activated her Muteki no mi and glanced at him through her Byakugan channel, as she had done many times in the past.
He was concentration way too much chakra for a jutsu as simple as the transformation jutsu, however that wasn't what made her eyes widen in surprise. Seconds after he shouted 'TRANSFORM!' a female version of himself was standing in his place…naked.
Hinata watched as Iruka's eyes rolled into the back of his head and blood fell from his nose, and she shook her head in exasperation. She had a lot of patience, and could tolerate Naruto much longer than many of her classmates, however she drew the line when things started getting perverted.
Naruto transformed back into himself and cracked up with laughter, much to the further irritation of Iruka. After yelling at Naruto again, he proceeded with what they were doing for that day, which mostly included final preparations for the graduation test tomorrow.
It went by extremely fast, and before she knew it she was walking to her and Anko sensei's meeting spot. The academy had finished slightly earlier than normal, but Hinata wasn't in any rush. Over the years she'd developed a habit of leaving the compounds early and usually staying out late. The only time she was ever at the compound now was for the training her father enforced upon her, and when she slept. At first, her father had voiced his disapproval, but with time he'd stopped caring about where Hinata was.
He never cared to begin with. She thought and felt her amulet buzz as Daichi voiced his opinions inside of her head.
With that, Hinata picked up her pace until soon she was deep into the forest surrounding Konoha. Checking the time, she realised that the purple haired lady she was so fond of wouldn't be there for at least another half an hour, and decided to train with Daichi for a while. She constantly had her Byakugan channel activated when her dragon was out in the open, as the risk of exposure was high.
As well as that channel, she'd manage to unlock a channel that allowed her to see extremely far distances and close up things at almost a cellular level, and she'd been getting better at using her genjutsu channel. The first one she didn't have a proper name for, but usually she just called it her Scoping channel.
She'd also had a few experiences with channels that she couldn't use all of the time. For some reason, they only unlocked when they felt like it, but she'd been assured by both Daichi and Sake that this was normal while she was still so young.
The first time she'd experienced this was when she was walking and had seen a figure standing before a memorial stone. She hadn't noticed at first, but the figure was hovering a few centimetres off the ground, and Hinata had later been informed by her trust dragon that she had encountered a ghost.
This had happened a few times over the years, but she still couldn't control that channel on will, and when she thought about it she wasn't sure if she really wanted to.
Hinata put those thoughts out of her head for a while and focused on the dragon that was standing in front of her. Feeling the familiar sensation down near her shoulder blades, she removed her short sleeve hoodie and paced it on the ground, choosing to just train with her long sleeve shirt so that her hoodie didn't get ruined.
A rush of joy went through her as her wings finally emerged. It had been a while since she'd been out in the open with them during the day, and while there was always an undercurrent of caution in her actions, Hinata couldn't stop the large smile that took over her face as she jumped into the air.
She wasn't flying for long when her eyes picked up the sight of another chakra source heading towards her, but she didn't seize what she was doing, knowing that it was Anko.
"Hey squirt!" The boisterous woman greeted once she had gotten closer. Hinata gave an enthusiastic greeting back before withdrawing her wings and throwing her hoodie back on.
"What are we doing today, Anko sensei?" Hinata asked, although she was almost certain she knew what was going to happen.
Anko let out a big sigh but then a grin stretched over her face and smiled with glee. "We need to talk about what's going to happen now that you're graduating from the academy."
Hinata nodded her head, knowing that this talk was bound to happen eventually. It had been seven years since she'd started training with Anko, and now she was about to take the graduation exam and be put into a genin team with a new sensei.
"Hina-chan, there's no doubt about it; you will graduate tomorrow." Anko began, and Hinata nodded her head to show that she was paying full attention. "Once you're placed into a genin team, with a jonin appointed as your sensei, this new team consumes a lot of your time."
Hinata nodded again, but this time she frowned slightly even though she already knew what Anko was going to say before she had even said it.
"I'm gonna cut straight to the chase here, Hina-chan. With your medical studies, as well as training with your team, we won't be able to see each other as much." Anko looked saddened by this and Hinata decided to speak up while her sensei wasn't talking.
"Anko-sensei, I am extremely thankful for all that you have done for me over these years." With that, she gestured towards her now extremely weighed legs and the trees that they'd been training in for years now. "However, my graduation won't mean you're not my sensei anymore. It'll just mean that the time we do spend together will be even more precious."
Anko grinned at this and jumped up with new found glee. "Don't forget, squirt, who your first sensei was." She said whilst flamboyantly gesturing towards herself.
With that, they commenced their training session with new found vigour. By the end of it, both of them were drenched in sweat, however Hinata wouldn't have it any other way.
Anko had informed her that she would be taking up more missions now that a lot of Hinata's time would be consumed with her new team, but she'd promised to meet with Hinata as much as she could. She'd even gone as far as saying they would meet in the middle of the night if they had to, as she remembered that Hinata didn't need as much sleep as everyone else.
Finally parting with words of encouragement for tomorrow, Anko promised to see Hinata again the day before she got appointed to her new team, and reminded her to see Rahishi-sensei about how she would continue her medical studies without it getting in the way of her soon to be ninja duties.
As she walked through the village at a steady pace, she passed the ramen stand that she had been to many times with both the Hokage, Anko and even with Rahish-sensei a few times. Inside she heard voices that she recognised, but she didn't both to activate her Muteki no mi as she could recognise the voice of one loud blond boy from a mile away.
Iruka seemed to have noticed Hinata about to pass them, as he stuck his head out of the stand and called to her. "Hey, Hinata!" He waved and gestured for her to come closer, to which she did. Once she was nearer, and had greeted them both, he invited her to sit down with them to eat a bowl of ramen. Hinata thought for a moment, but then decided that she was starving and most likely wouldn't get any food when she arrived at her compound anyways.
As she sat in the empty seat next to Naruto, she smiled at the ramen man whom she had come to grow familiar with over the years.
"One bowl of miso ramen, please." She said to him, and then turned her head to the conversation going on between her sensei and Naruto. They'd obviously been there a while as Naruto had already finished his first bowl and had demanded to get another one.
"Say, Hinata," He said once he'd received his second bowl, and Hinata her first, "are you worried about the test tomorrow?"
Iruka turned his head towards the bluenette as well, curious as to what one of his best students would say.
Hinata thought for a moment before she replied. "I'm not worried about the exam itself," she told them, and then decided to elaborate after taking a bite of her ramen, "I think I'm more worried about what comes after. We're placed into teams and we have to put all of our trust into our teammates. I'm not sure how I feel about that." She admitted and Iruka nodded his head in agreement.
"It is definitely different to the academy, but genin teams build the foundations for friendships that last a lifetime." He gazed at the two children before him for a moment before he continued speaking. "Putting your trust in someone is not easily, especially if it's a completely new concept, but I promise you that that rewards are unbelievable."
Hinata and Naruto looked at each other, before looking back up at their teacher. "Yeah, sensei! I will become strong enough to protect my teammates, believe it!" Naruto shouted and Hinata smiled at him.
There's more to that boy than everyone thinks. Daichi commented in Hinata's head and the young girl couldn't help but agree. She definitely knew that there was more than meets the eye with Naruto. He was more than just a dumb blond, or the container of the nine tailed fox, and Hinata had faith that he would shine one day, just like he proclaimed he would do.
After finishing her bowl of ramen, Hinata decided that it was late and she should be heading back to rest before the exam tomorrow. Iruka told her than he was going to wait with Naruto for a while longer, and the boy had begged for one more bowl.
Hinata couldn't help but giggle slightly at Naruto's antic, and she turned to face him and she was preparing to leave the stall. "Good luck for tomorrow, Naruto." She said with a smile. Naruto couldn't see it, but behind her glasses her eyes had formed little crescents.
He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed slightly while trying to think of what to say. "Gee, thanks Hinata! Good luck to you too, even though I doubt you'll need it because you're the best anyways!"
Hinata thanked Naruto, and then turned and thanked Iruka-sensei for the meal he had insisted he paid for. She bid them both a one final goodnight and thanked the stall owner before making her exit.
As she walked towards her compound, Daichi was chattering away and she happily replied to him with her own excited thoughts.
Things will start to get interesting now. The dragon commented, and Hinata couldn't help but agree.
What do you think? Was it worth the wait? I was writing this for three hours none stop last night and I'm still not sure whether I'm happy with it. Did I do the time skip too soon? Did you enjoy the slight Naruto/Hinata interaction? Tell me your thoughts.
I'm thinking that Hinata is definitely going to be on team 7 with Naruto and Sasuke, what do you think? I'm excited to write more interactions between her and the boys, and I'm also looking forward to her meeting Gaara.
I think that Naruto is going to be a brother figure to her, but I'm not sure whether I should put some SasuHina in there. Whatever I choose, I'm definitely not getting myself into a love triangle/square/pentagon situation as I don't really like reading them and I most certainly do not want to write one.
Once again, what are your thoughts on the topic? Let me know by maybe dropping a review
See ya later mi alligators!
