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Chapter Nine: A new Drive
"I'm so proud of you Naruto." Minato said as he tightly held onto his son.
"Ummm...What?" Naruto asked with a confused look on his face.
As Minato placed both his hands on top of Naruto's shoulders, he began to explain his sudden change in attitude.
"You both passed the first test." Minato said with a smile.
"Say what!" Naruto shouted as he looked to Hinata, who gave him an equally confused look on his face.
"Kakashi, Kurenai you can release the jutsu now." Minato said.
Suddenly the group of Mysterious Shinobi vanished in a cloud of smoke as well as the group of Anbu agents.
"Kurenai sensei, Kakashi sensei!" Hinata said.
From one cloud of smoke came Kurenai, and from another came Kakashi Hatake Naruto's former instructor and leader of his old unit team Seven.
Kakashi was a few inches shorter then his former sensei Minato, and wore a traditional Leaf Jonin outfit. A dark blue jump suite, with a green vest, he also wore a mask that covered his left eye and also wore his head band tilting to the left side of his face as well.
"Well,well,well.." The Jonin said as he brushed the dust off of himself.
"I knew you both became more exceptional Ninjas, but I had no idea that through your team work and training with Master Jiraiya would bring you two this far...I'm quite pleased." Kakashi said while giving a smile through his mask.
"Wait,wait,wait. Can someone please tell us what the heck is going on here." Naruto asked while frantically waving his hands.
"I'm confused too." Hinata said.
"I'd be happy to explain to you." Kakashi said as he walked up towards Naruto and Hinata.
"You see in the Ninja world, those who break the rules are considered scum. But those who abandon their comrades are even worse than scum." Kakashi said while grabbing both Naruto's and Hinata's attention.
"You see all of this was a test to prove your loyalty not towards your village, but to your fellow Shinobi."
"What do you mean Kakashi sensei?" Hinata asked.
"You see Minato sensei gave you two strict orders to not cause any trouble after that indecent with those two students of Guy sensei's. And even though you two knew the consciences of disobeying the Hokage, you still sought out a way to try and save Hanabi."
Kakashi then placed both his hands on Naruto's and Hinata's shoulders.
"I speak for every one when I say I am very proud of you two."
The two young Shinobi felt a rush of happiness and pride running through them after hearing Kakashi's words.
"So then this whole time, the Hyuga compound wasn't on fire?" Naruto asked.
"And Hanabi was never in any kind of real danger?" Hinata added.
"Nope." Kurenai said as she walked up to the group.
"With some help from Kakashi, we were able to create a massive Genjutsu barrier around the village and made everyone think that there was an emergency."
"But won't the villagers be mad once they find out that you two pulled a fast one just for our test?" Naruto asked.
"Ah, you see the Genjutsu is set to only last until sunrise. After that only a chosen few will remember the events from last night, while everyone else will believe it to have been just dream." Kurenai said as she pointed to the horizon towards the slowly rising sun.
"Wait a chosen few dose that mean..." Naruto began to say.
"That's right Naruto." Minato said.
"Only you, Hinata, Kakashi, Kurenai, and myself will be the only ones who will remember the events that unfold tonight."
"But that means..." Hanabi said.
"I'm sorry Hanabi, but you will forget the events of this night." Minato said.
"It's not fair!" Hanabi shouted.
"I finally get to see my big sister after so long, and I'm just gonna forget that it ever happened." Hanabi said as streams of tears ran down the sides of her face.
Hinata held tightly onto her sister, while Minato slowly pulled everyone else to the side.
"C'mon every one let's give them a minute."
As the others slowly walked away Naruto turned his attention back to the Hyuga sisters.
"Hinata."
Mean while as Hanabi drenched her older sister's jacket with her tears, Hinata struggled to fight back the tears that were desperately trying to escape.
"Can I tell you something big sister?" Hanabi asked.
"Of course Hanabi." Hinata replied.
"I don't want to be the future head of the clan. Father and the elders have been putting so much pressure on me. He even says that if I can't keep up then I am not better then my weaker older sister." Hanabi said as she tighten her grip around Hinata's sleeves.
"I hated him so much for calling you weak big sister. I even heard rumors that if I can't fulfill my duties as future heiress. He and the elders will give the title of clan leader to cousin Neji."
"Neji." Hinata said to herself.
"Everyone's been talking about how he's such a prodigy and everything. But I know that if you had won that last duel. Then father wouldn't have kicked you out of the clan, and mother wouldn't be sad all the time."
Hinata could no long hold back the tears any long, and immediately felt streams of hot tears running down the sides of her face.
"Mother."
"Big sister." Hanabi said as Hinata looked into her eyes.
"Promise me that you'll beat him in the Chunnin Exams and come back to the clan."
Hinata gently gently wiped away Hanabi's tears.
"Hanabi...I don't know if I would be a match for him." Hinata said.
"You seen how much stronger he is compared to me."
"But you've went through intense training these past two years, or so I have been told."
"Yes I have, but so has Neji, for all I know he maybe twice as stronger now then he was back then."
"But you just have to, you just have to...For mama."
Suddenly Hanabi reached for her neck, and pulled off a necklace with the Hyuga clan emblem on it.
"Here big sister I want you to have this."
"But Hanabi this necklace is only for the future heiress to wear."
"That's gonna be you once you defeat Neji, please...Take it...It'll show me that you promise to beat him in the Chunnin Exams." Hanabi said.
Hinata struggled to take the necklace, but gently placed her hand on top of Hanabi's
"I promise...To do my best." Hinata said as she slowly took the necklace from Hinata.
The two sisters then held onto each other one more time as Hanabi saw the morning sun slowly rising from the eastern mountains.
"It's almost sun rise." Hanabi said.
"I know." Hinata replied.
"Big sister..."
"Yes?"
"I know I don't say this enough but...I love you."
Hinata felt a small smile growing on her face after hearing her sister's last words.
"I love you too Hanabi."
Just as the morning sun rose from the mountains, and the sun's rays gently touched Hanabi's face. The young heiress slowly fell into unconsciousness.
"Hanabi!" Hinata shouted.
"It's okay Hinata, it's just the effects of the jutsu kicking in." Kurenai said as she and the others rushed in.
"Here I'll take her back to the compound." Kakashi said as he slowly took Hanabi's unconscious body off of Hinata's hands.
"You two had a long night, why don't you go home and get some rest." Minato said as he gently patted Hinata's shoulder.
As all the adults left, Naruto stood by the woman he fell in love with. She suddenly gave into all the emotions she was holding back and collapsed into Naruto's open arms.
"It's okay Hinata, you don't have to be strong for me." Naruto said as he used the palm of his hand and gently stroke the back of Hinata's head.
"Oh Naruto, how could you be in love with a weakling like me?" Hinata asked.
"Hey you're not weak,if anything you were never weak even back when we were kids."
"But look at me...Sobbing like child."
"Hey Hinata don't you remember what the Pervy Sage once told us?" Naruto asked.
"Everyone cries, not because they're weak. But because they have been strong for too long."
"Re...Really?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah." Naruto replied.
"Everyone reaches their limits once in awhile and it's okay to just let it all go. But if you let those emotions get the better of you then you will never be able to move on in life, and that's one of the things I admire about you the most Hinata."
"Wha...What do you mean?" The young Kunochi asked.
"What I mean is, even though when the whole world feels like it's against you. You have this drive to keep going even when things look their bleakest, you still find the strength to keep moving forward."
Hinata looked at the necklace Hanabi had given her, and tightly clenched onto it as she found the strength to stand on her own two feet.
"The strength to keep moving forward." Hinata said as she slowly placed the necklace around her neck.
As she and Naruto faced the sun, the warmth of the rising sun filled the young Kunochi's drive as a small smile took over her face.
"I want to do it Naruto." Hinata said while grabbing Naruto's attention.
"Do what Hinata?" Naruto asked.
"I want to go all the way with you in the Chunnin Exams, and to prove to everyone who said I was weak that they were wrong." The young Hyuga said as she tightly held onto the necklace.
Naruto was surprised to see this sudden determination growing inside her.
"Heh...Well then." Naruto said as he walked up to Hinata's side.
"Let's give it everything we've got in the Exams, and come out on top." Naruto said as he held onto Hinata's waist while she wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck.
"It's a promise." Hinata said just before she and Naruto shared a deep and passionate kiss.