A Testament of Things that Never Will Chapter 11, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

Hinata shakily set herself into the Juken starting position. The dark wood beneath her naked feet was cold and she could feel the soft grain rub against her as she slid her foot across it. Across from her was her little sister, Hinabi. The small girl had on the traditional Hyuga training cloths and her Byakugan was clearly activated as indicated by the engorged veins around her eyes. Hinabi was in a perfect Juken stance and confidence radiated off of her.

It had been a month since Hinata had returned from the mission to Wave and in that time she had managed to avoid having to take part in a spar with her little sister. Her team was constantly busy with D-rank missions and training which Yuri sometimes showed up for. She had only seen her father a few times since returning and when she was on her way to practice her taijutsu in one of her clan's most unused dojos her father had finally crossed her path.

The spar had been going on for some time, as usual Hinabi liked to draw out the fight so that she could taunt Hinata and say that she had only been toying with her. Hinata's father, Hiashi, watched the fight with complete indifference and Hinata couldn't count in his interference if things went too far, as they often did. Hinata knew that her father didn't like her and that he wanted Hinabi to be the clan heir and her heart clenched with guilt and sorrow that she couldn't be who her father wanted her to be.

"You don't need to change who you are, Hinata-san, and I would never ask you to do that."

Hinata heard Yuri's voice echo in her mind and the words he said in her first meeting with him struck a chord. Yuri, a man who had stood against multiple enemies, told her that she didn't have to change who she was. Her father wanted her to act like someone she wasn't but Yuri told her that she was exceptional for her age.

She glanced quickly at Hiashi and then back to her sister. Yuri had also told her that she should never go easy on her sister and here she was falling into the same rhythm of things. Attacking, defending, and when she saw an opening she would ignore it or attack slow enough that Hinabi would block it.

"All you're doing is helping her die."

Yuri had told Hinata that she should never go easy on her sister because it would only hurt her in the end. She would overestimate her abilities and develop and ego that would only get in the way of combat. A perfect example of this was that her sister would gloat and mock Hinata and, from what Hinata had heard, she also did the same at the Academy. But, even with this knowledge, she couldn't bring herself to hurt her little sister.

Hinabi attacked and Hinata went on the defensive. Her mind had been so focused on her thoughts that her body moved without thought and she blocked her sister effortlessly. She took control of herself just as she pressed an attack and Hinabi had enough time to retreat slightly. Doubt passed through her sister's eyes for a fleeting moment and Hinata mentally cursed. She hoped she hadn't given away that she was holding back but when her sister adjusted her position slightly the air of confidence returned and Hinata knew that the girl suspected nothing. However, now that she looked at it, perhaps it wasn't confidence at all.

She remembered watching Naruto stand against that swordsman for the first time and the blonde had radiated confidence and determination. That confidence that Naruto had shown on the battlefield was so much different from what her sister was showing now that it was amazing that she hadn't noticed it until now. The curve of her sister's lips, the dismissive look in her eyes, and the comfortable, almost lazy, body language showed that she thought she was too good to be wasting her time fighting Hinata. Naruto had shown none of that. His attention had been fully on his opponent and his body was loose and ready for battle. The difference between the two was astounding.

Arrogant, that was what her sister was. Not confident, as to call her that would tarnish the respect of others and the situation that came with the word, confident. She was sure in her abilities but she didn't respect her opponents and, presumably, thought very little of them.

Hinata looked back in her memories and found, to her horror, that Hinabi had developed this perversion of confidence slowly. It had been nurtured and created, shaped and formed carefully by a demented sculpture. The arrogance that Hinabi had would get her killed one day and it all traced back to the sculpture that had helped make her. It all traced back to Hinata. If her sister died in combat it would be due to her arrogance that only formed because Hinata couldn't find the ability to hurt her little sister.

Hinabi attacked again and Hinata was taken by surprise as she was so affected by her revelation. A well placed Juken strike hit Hinata's left thigh and her muscle cramped painfully. Her leg buckled and she saw, with sorrow, that her sister had a look of disgust on her face. Disgust for Hinata and her weakness. Hinata often saw this look when the spars with her sister ended and it looked like Hinabi thought this battle was over.

Hinata leaned onto her right leg as her body fell and did something that Hinabi never saw coming. The Juken didn't contain any aerial attacks so when Hinata launched herself up above Hinabi's head the younger Hyuga didn't react quick enough to block the barrage of attacks that Hinata unleashed on her. Hinata landed behind Hinbai and placed two palm strikes against Hinabi's shoulders and the girls arms dropped, paralyzed and useless.

"Enough!" Hiashi's stern voice cut into the air.

Hinata immediately stood straight and gave a bow to Hinabi, as was respectful. Her thigh continued to cramp painfully but Hinata gritted her teeth and turned to her father. Hinabi choked back a pain filled sob and, instead, let out a scream as her body dropped to the ground.

Hinata stayed standing as several Hyuga came into the dojo, shocked looks on their faces, and took the youngest Hyuga to the medical ward of the compound. Hinata looked to her father as the others left the room. His face was blank and Hinata looked down, away from his stern eyes.

"When talking to someone, never look away from their eyes."

Hinata clenched her fist and forced her head back up. She matched her father's gaze and then made her fist unclenched and her body relax. A look flashed over Hiashi's face that Hinata had never seen before but it was gone so quickly that she thought she might have imagined it.

The two stared at each other for some time before Hiashi asked, "What was that attack you performed?"

Hinata swallowed and said, "It is from Yugana Suteppu. I combined it with the Juken to increase the Juken's versatility and flexibility."

"Who taught you this taijutsu?" he asked but Hinata had the feeling that it was more of a demand.

"Yuri Karasu," she answered. Her heart pounded with fear but she did everything she could to not let it show in her face or body language. Her thigh ached and all she really wanted was to stretch it out to get the pain to dull.

Hinata's father didn't move or say anything that would indicate that he had heard her. He seemed to study her for a second before asked something that took Hinata by surprise. "How is your thigh?"

"It's fine. Hurts but the cramping should go away soon," she stuttered.

The man nodded and said, "Go clean up and get something to eat. No more practice for the day."

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

Yuri looked around the clearing at all the clones that battled each other. Naruto had discovered the next step in his taijutsu style and Yuri took it upon himself to train the boy in how to use it properly. To hone it to something greater.

The Jonin looked to his opponent. Naruto, the real one, was in poor shape. Blood leaked from dozens of cuts, bruises covered him, his right eyes was swollen closed, his bottom lip was fat, his nose was bent at an odd angle, and several of his ribs were cracked or broken. When Naruto had asked Yuri to help him with his taijutsu he had told Naruto that the training would be brutal, that there would be no mercy. A fire had lit in the boy's eyes and even now, after a month of taking part in the full-contact sparring several days a week, it hadn't diminished.

Naruto reached up and, with a snapping sound, set his nose back into place. He then returned to the Zenchi no Kobushi starting stance. After a second he nodded his head to signal that he was ready.

Yuri shot toward the boy and the battle for supremacy started. Naruto used everything he had to keep up with the Jonin as Yuri always kept his speed just a notch above Naruto, forcing the boy to work harder. He didn't pull any punches and when he saw an opening he would attack it relentlessly. A missed block gifted Naruto with a solid punch to his jaw and a kick to his gut. The blonde slid across the dirt and grass but before Yuri could continue the attack he sensed someone enter the clearing.

The black-haired Jonin turned slightly and saw someone he had expected to see far earlier. Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata's father. The man had a blank look but Yuri, having known the Hiashi from his timeline, could see the anger hidden beneath. To describe Hiashi like a stalking tiger wouldn't be a far off comparison as the man was an expert in gaining the advantage and waiting for the perfect moment of attack in both physical and verbal battle.

The man came over, his steps were slow and sure. Yuri turned fully toward the Hyuga and waited for him to get closer. When he neared, Yuri raised a hand, blocking an attack from Naruto, and backhanded the blonde. "Naruto," he said without taking his eyes off of Hiashi, "you may take a break."

Naruto grunted in reply and slowly limped to a side of the clearing where he had left some supplies.

"Did you need something, Hyuga-san?" Yuri asked.

Hiashi frowned slightly. "You're speaking to a Clan Head, I would appreciate it if you demonstrated the proper respect."

Yuri smirked. "I'll keep that in mind. At the moment, I'm busy training Naruto-san so I hope you don't find it disrespectful if I'm blunt. What do you want?"

For a moment it looked like the Hyuga was going to argue about showing respect but seemed to dismiss it as he stated, "You're the one who taught Hinata a new taijutsu in Wave."

"I did."

"Why?"

Yuri waved a hand toward a path that exited the clearing and started walking. The Hyuga followed and stayed a little ways from his side. Hiashi didn't step in front of Yuri but also didn't allow himself to walk behind as it would be shameful for a man of his position to follow in the steps of a clanless Jonin. "I'll counter your question with one of my own," the Jonin replied. "Why wouldn't I do my all to make a promising Genin stronger?"

"Promising," Hiashi spat.

"I assume that you wasting your time in finding me means that Hinata beat her little sister in a spar," he returned.

The Hyuga frowned. "For a moment she showed great skill with the Juken. It was a coincidence, a fluke. Before and after she was showing mediocre skill and then she used a strange combination of the Juken and the taijutsu that you taught her. I will admit that she won the spar because of the use of that taijutsu but she would never win a spar with Hinabi in only the Juken."

When Hiashi mentioned the new taijutsu that Yuri had taught her his voice held a small amount of disgust. This wasn't surprising as the Hyuga had been using the Juken for decades. Unchanged, the Juken was considered the perfect taijutsu when combined with the Byakugan. With this knowledge, it was easy to see that to change the Juken in any way would be met with resistance and distaste.

"You don't believe that," Yuri countered. "You're smarter than that and you suspect Hinata has been holding back for sometime now. To show considerable skill in a taijutsu doesn't just appear and then disappear in an instant. The obvious answer is that she was holding back and for a single moment she loosened control of herself."

Hiashi scoffed. "Even if she does have some skill in the Juken, she still only won the spar due to the use of that new taijutsu. Again, if it was a spar with only the Juken, she would lose."

"In what battle would Hinata be stuck with only using the Juken?" Yuri asked. "A shinobi uses all the tools and skills that they have available to them. To limit those skills with rules would only handicap the shinobi and make any victory over them superficial at best. Besides, she would still win and I'm not entirely sure why you are so abrasive to this new taijutsu Hinata has incorporated into the Juken as it seems to have made her stronger."

"The Juken is perfect the way it is," the Hyuga replied. "It compliments the Byakugan and can disable or kill an opponent with little strength needed. Because of this, a Hyuga can stay in combat for far longer than other shinobi and it can be utilized at a younger age allowing for mastery at an equally younger age than other taijutsu."

The sound of a flowing river rolled through the forest and the singing of the birds made the path a beautiful walk. "I agree with you," he said. "The Juken is a very powerful taijutsu but it is not as perfect as you think."

Hiashi gave him a questioning look. This didn't surprise Yuri as he had always known the man to be curious of other's thoughts. He may not have shown it outwardly but the Hyuga Clan Head was vastly different from the Hyuga elders that he was often grouped with. He liked it when people disagreed with him because he liked to know how others were looking at a situation just in case he had missed something. However, he only rarely showed that side of him as he had an image to keep and it had taken Yuri several years of knowing the man in his timeline before he had his first discussion with him. He had learned much from Hiashi about listening to others and it seemed that this Hiashi was similar to the one that Yuri had come to respect so much.

"The first weakness of becoming dependent on the Juken is clear," the Jonin continued. "It is a taijutsu, so, by definition, it is a close combat style. This means that if you are fighting an opponent that is proficient in ranged attacks and can keep away from you then it doesn't matter how good with the Juken you are. They would simply whittle away at you or exhaust you as you try to catch them."

Hiashi nodded slowly, a frown evident on his face. "Many of the clans of Konoha specialize in a form of close combat. The Hyuga are not unique in this."

"And they each have the same weakness," Yuri said. "This is the issue with shinobi specializing in a specific area of combat. If and when they fight against someone who can exploit their weakness then they will die. But, I have gone onto a tangent. The second weakness is that it doesn't exploit the natural talents of each person that uses the technique. To fall into the habit of teaching every shinobi the same combat style while ignoring their uniqueness is the epitome of foolishness. Hinata is extremely flexible and agile and the Juken is too constraining in its movements. I took advantage of her natural skills and taught her a taijutsu that mixed well with her. It was up to her to combine the two taijutsu and, I must say, the results are impressive."

"However," the Clan Head countered, "you have, again, told me a weakness that every clan suffers from. If every clan has similar weaknesses then that means, if a shinobi can come to understand these weaknesses, they can exploit them while also being aware of their own."

"What is the point of knowing your own weakness and not attempting to strengthen it? This also applies to taijutsus as well. If you know a weakness of a taijutsu, shouldn't you attempt to at least minimize the weakness so that it is harder to exploit? The Juken has been around for decades and hasn't changed once. I cannot be the first person to notice the weaknesses of the Juken but it would seem that I am the first person to attempt to make it something greater."

"That would be arguable."

"Truly?" Yuri questioned. "The Juken is restricted to ground-based combat, it is completely predictable for any shinobi who knows where their tenketsu and pressure points are, and it has no movements that are used solely for the purpose of outmaneuvering your opponent. By incorporating the Yugana Suteppu into the Juken, Hinata has fixed two of three blaring weaknesses that the Juken has. She can bring her combat into the air with comfort and ease and she can outmaneuver her opponent with confidence and skill. To say that isn't an improvement is foolish."

Hiashi didn't say anything and his blank face didn't change. The two shinobi followed the path they walked through the forest and along a river. Yuri could see fish swimming in the chilly water and flat stones littered the bottom.

"If," the Hyuga finally said after some time, "Hinata is as skilled with the Juken as she showed for that short moment, why would she hide it?"

"That is something I cannot answer, Hyuga-san," Yuri replied. "My advice, ask her."

The man nodded slowly. "I do not fully agree with you, Karasu-san," he said, "but I can see where you're coming from. I will think about what you have said and I would like to continue this conversation at a later time, if you wouldn't mind."

"I wouldn't mind at all, Hyuga-san."

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

The main road of Konoha was lined with shops and stalls each with a salesperson desperately trying to sell their wares. Naruto glanced at a few as he passed, his normal walk slowed due to the pain he felt over the majority of his body. Yuri hadn't lied when he said that the taijutsu training would be tough and Naruto was happy that they only did the training a few days a week leaving the rest of the days open for training in other areas.

Naruto's days were pretty predictable for the last month. In the morning, Kakashi would train Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. There they worked on chakra control, increasing their chakra capacity, killing intent tolerance and ambush training, stealth training, and other things but what Naruto found the most exciting was that they started working on elemental manipulation.

After the morning training, Squad Seven would perform a D-rank mission and then take part in evening training. Every so often Yuri would come and take one of the Genin for one-on-one training while Kakashi would train the remaining two Genin. The training, regardless of which Jonin they were with, was hard as Yuri would work on specific things that the Genin wanted to work on and Kakashi would work on the things that the two Jonin thought needed improvement. The result was that Naruto would be Yuri's punching bag and would be worked to the bone by Kakashi.

The blonde let out a sigh and rubbed a bruise that was slowly fading on his arm. A flash of pink caught his attention and when he looked he saw Sakura, his pink-haired teammate, walking out of a store.

"Sakura," he called and waved.

The pinkette rubbernecked around until she saw him and she smiled. She walked to him and asked, "How was training with Yuri-sensei?"

"Brutal but I'll live," he responded. He looked over and saw a small eatery with a few seats open. "You wanna get some udon with me, my treat?"

Sakura nodded and the two sat and ordered.

"I heard you talking to Kakashi-sensei about getting some medical training," Naruto said as the chief started working on their orders, "how did that come about?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, "I was looking at our team dynamics and becoming a medic-nin was the obvious choice. Well, that and Yuri-sensei recommended it. Both you and Sasuke are powerhouses when it comes to ninjutsu and taijutsu and Sasuke seems to have a knack for genjutsu so the only position that really needs to get covered is the medic-nin one. I just figured that, if you both kind of suck at your chakra control compared to me, I would be the best choice."

Naruto nodded. "I see what you mean. It would be a great help for someone on our team to have that knowledge. I mean, look at the Wave mission. It would have been a great asset to have someone training in medicine. Hinata-san was a great help but if we had had someone with actual training then it wouldn't have been nearly as tense as it was."

"That's what I was thinking," the pinkette said. "It isn't the most glamorous position but it is one I can fill."

"Not the most glamorous?" Naruto questioned. "Sakura, if you were to become a medic-nin it would not only be a great aid for our team but you would become the most important person on the team. Sasuke and I can do only one thing, kill, but you would be able to save lives where we couldn't. If that isn't glamorous or amazing, then I don't know what is."

Sakura tapped a finger against the wood bar. Her eyes were focused on nothing in particular as she thought about what Naruto had said. He let her think and after a minute she said, "You know, I never thought of it that way."

A laugh on the other side of Naruto signaled that someone had been listening to their conversation and Naruto turned to address the person. He found a kunoichi with her mouth covered by a delicate hand. She was short for her age and her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Everything about her was small and it gave her a very cute quality that made Naruto's irritation at the person lessen. Her amber eyes were looking toward him and it told him that she had been listening to Sakura and him.

"Excuse me, Kunoichi-san," he said, "but I would appreciate it if you didn't listen to my friend and my's conversation."

"I apologize," she replied, her lips were curved into a smile that just looked right on her face. "It isn't often that I hear a Genin talk about becoming a medic-nin so I got interested. Most Genin are obsessed with becoming proficient with Ninjutsu or Taijutsu and never think about one of the most important positions on a team, the medic-nin. However, the thing that really surprised me was your assessment of the position."

"I only said what I think," Naruto said. "After seeing the need for a medic-nin myself it only makes sense that we need one on our team and if Sakura wishes to become one then I will support her with all I am. Honestly, I find it strange that the basics aren't taught to Academy students or a system set up to train a single Genin from each team in medical techniques."

The kunoichi took on a more serious expression, and said, "One of the Sannin, Tsunade Senju, had proposed such a system during the Second Shinobi World War. It was a success during the war but is only actually done on teams composed of Chunin or higher since medic-nin were rare individuals at that time."

"I can understand that," Naruto replied, "but if a Genin squad had a shinobi or kunoichi that was trained to become a medic-nin and even had novice level skills then the squad would have a higher chance to succeed in their Chunin Exam. Not only that but if the training was started at a younger age, wouldn't it also produce more skilled medic-nin in the higher ranks as the Genin get promoted?"

Keiko smirked and said, "You have a point."

Sakura leaned around Naruto and asked, "Why are you so interested in my decision to become a medic-nin?"

"I thought that was perfectly obvious," the brunette said, "I'm a medic-nin myself. My name is Keiko Hashimoto."

Naruto and Sakura introduced themselves and Naruto remembered something that he had been meaning to ask the pinkette. "Sakura, has Kakashi talked to his friend about training you in that taijutsu he mentioned?"

"No," Sakura said. "We have been going over the little bit that I have learned from Yuri-sensei but I still haven't learned the entire style."

"What style are you learning?" the voice of the kunoichi from before asked.

Sakura leaned around Naruto again and answered, "Yuri-sensei called it Tsuyoi Hachisu. He only knew a few of the katas but not the entire thing."

Keiko looked genuinely surprised when Sakura said the name of the taijutsu and replied, "That style, among others, was created and is used almost solely by medic-nin. Yuri-san must have spent quite a bit of time with a medic-nin to have picked up on some of the katas."

"Wait, so that means you know it?" Sakura asked.

The brunette nodded. "Of course I do."

"Would you be willing to teach me it?"

Keiko got a conflicted look and said, "Look, I would like to help you out but I'm busy at the hospital and with my other kunoichi duties. I don't have time to take on an apprentice."

"You said it yourself that it was interesting that a Genin wanted to become a medic-nin, " Naruto commented. "And from the way you talked about the system that Tsunade-san wanted put into effect you would like to see some Genin trained in the ways of the medic-nin as well. So, why would you put off a willing pupil when you so clearly support the idea?"

The kunoichi studied Naruto for a moment and said, "You're a manipulative little brat, aren't you?"

He smirked and said, "I am a shinobi."

Keiko looked to Sakura and said, "Look, I'll talk to your Jonin-sensei and see if he is alright with me training you a few hours on Monday and Thursday. Those are the only days that I have time and if I feel that you aren't putting all your effort into the training then I will stop it immediately and you can find another sensei. I'm only doing this because I'm interested, got it?"

Sakura's eyes steeled and she said, "Hai." The pinkette gave the medic-nin information regarding the location of where the team met and what time to be there. Keiko then left after paying for her food.

Naruto smiled when their orders were placed in front of them and said to Sakura, "I wonder what the chances of that was."

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

Hinata danced across the dojo floor as she battled wave upon wave of imaginary opponents. She twisted and turned, jumped and dived, and pushed her stamina to the limit. Yuri had told her in her training after the man had recovered from his near death battle that the style she was creating would take a great deal of stamina to perform and she understood what he had meant then. Her breath came in quick bursts and her chest heaved to bring in the air her body demanded. As it was, she could only maintain a continued battle in the style she was creating for about five minutes before she was forced to fall back on the Juken solely.

She stood into a more relaxed position after she defeated her final opponent and jumped when she heard someone take a step behind her. She whirled around and dropped into her starting position on instinct alone. Yuri often held a single clone back to attack her when she thought the spar was over to drill into her head that she had to always be prepared for surprise attacks.

It took her a moment to notice who it was that startled her and when her tired mind finally figured it out she shot into a deep bow. "I'm sorry, Otou-sama, for my posturing against you. I should have been more aware of my surroundings." She glanced up to she if her father was angry but it was hard to tell with his typical blank face.

To Hinata's surprise, Hiashi waved a hand in a dismissive manner and said, "There is no need to ask for forgiveness. I should know better than to surprise any shinobi when they are training."

Hinata rose at his motioning and she worked at controlling her breathing. She looking into the man's eyes and tried to relax as much as possible.

"You said it was Yuri Karasu who taught you that new taijutsu," he stated.

Hinata nodded.

The man started to walked toward one of the walls of the dojo and, when he got to it, he slide one of the panels open. Cool night air flowed into the dojo and it tickled Hinata slightly as it softly touched her sweat covered skin.

Without turning around, Hiashi waved for Hinata to follow him and he stepped out of the dojo. Hinata followed and when she exited she found her father waiting next to a small pond that was within the Hyuga compound. A stone bench sat in the middle of a flower garden next to the pond and a cobblestone path led to it.

She walked to the start of the path and continued on it as Hiashi motioned her on. The night air was moist and the moon was blocked from heavy clouds. Rain would come soon. Hinata followed the path and when she got to the bench she waited for instruction. She had never been with her father in this kind of setting and she had no idea what was going on.

Hiashi sat on the bench and said, "Sit with me."

She did and when it became apparent that her father wasn't going to say anything she busied herself with looking around the garden. A beautiful array of flowers covered the area around them and a large weeping willow shadowed them, making the area even darker. The pond sparkled with the small amount of light that managed to sneak past the clouds and a fine mist rose from it. Trees littered the area around the pond and with everything considered the view made for an ethereal scene. Beautiful, delicate, and slightly eerie.

The silence between the two was only broken by the occasional fish jumping from the pond and animal rustling in the forest. When Hiashi spoke it sounded louder than it really was. "Why have you been hiding how proficient you are with the Juken?"

Hinata shot her father a look and her heart clenched. A deep nervousness came over her and she said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Otou-sama."

"Don't lie to me," Hiashi said calmly. "During that spar earlier today you demonstrated great ability that can't be blamed on coincidence or luck. Anyways, my suspicions of you being better than you have shown me has been all but confirmed from the display that you just put on in the dojo."

"You were watching?" she questioned.

"You are only a Genin," he answered. "You only noticed me because I wanted you to. I saw enough to answer some of the questions that I had."

"Oh," Hinata said, slightly embarrassed that she was not only watched but also didn't know that she was being watched.

Hiashi studied the view that the bench gave of the pond and said, "So, I'll asked you again. Why have you hidden your abilities with the Juken?"

Hinata slumped at being caught and said, "Hinabi is my little sister. How could I possibly hurt her?" She paused and her father didn't say anything as she gathered her thoughts. "When the time came that we started to spar together," she continued, "I still couldn't bring myself to hurt her and I started throwing the matches. Eventually it became a normal thing for me. Being beaten by my little sister and looked down upon by the other Hyuga. I'm not sure when it started but I suppose I began to agree with everything that was happening. I was weaker than my sister and undeserving to be the heir of the clan."

"Why wouldn't you just come to me and explain what was going on?" Hiashi asked.

"I tried," she said. "But, every time I thought I had built up the courage to talk to you about it I chickened out."

Hiashi lifted a hand but seemed to hesitate and put it back down. "What changed?" he asked.

"During my mission to Wave, I went under one-on-one training with Yuri Karasu." She looked to the pond and said, "Kurenai-sensei is a good sensei but Yuri-sensei...he taught me that it was okay to be myself. He focused on only me and it made me feel like I was actually wanted in this world for the first time in what felt like forever.

"He helped me understand that my inability to hurt Hinabi was actually hurting her more and that I was only setting her up to die. It took some time but his words finally reached me and I can't hold back any more because I now understand that by not fighting Hinabi with everything I have is doing her an injustice. I was allowing her to become arrogant in her skills and it was getting to the point that she thought she was better than everyone. It hurt to fight Hinabi, but it would hurt more if she died in battle."

"You held back because you didn't want to hurt her," Hiashi muttered, a frown slowly spread over his lips. "How did I not notice such a thing."

"Otou-sama?" Hinata questioned.

Hiashi looked at Hinata and whispered aloud but she got the impression that it was more to himself than to her, "What have I done?"

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

The liquid poured from the clay jar and fell onto the worn stone mosaic decorating the ground around the Memorial Stone. The sake flowed into the grooves in between the stones and seeped slowly into the ground.

Yuri had woken from his sleep in a cold sweat and with a pounding heart. His head ached just as much as his heart. The nightmare was something he had suffered many times in the past and he knew that it would plague him in the future. The images of dead friends ran through his mind, their corpses as they were when he found them. Bleeding and broken.

He knelt and mumbled soft prayers for his comrades. The ones he had seen die that now lived in this timeline. He pressed his head against the black stone memorial and asked for forgiveness from his dead friends for daring to think that he could move on. He hadn't had that nightmare for so long that he had secretly hoped that it would never rise its head again.

When he finished, a small level of comfort coming from paying his respects, he rose and turned to leave. He was stopped, however, as Hiruzen Sarutobi stood across from him. The old man nodded to Yuri as he passed and laid a bundle of flowers at the foot of the memorial.

"My wife's name is on this stone," the old Sarutobi said, his voice rough with emotion.

Yuri stayed quiet as the man knelt. Hiruzen had clearly stayed quiet when he had been praying so he too would pay back that kindness. When the old man was done, he rose and turned to Yuri, his eyes shone bright in the fires that lite the area around the memorial.

"Would you walk with me, Yuri?" Hiruzen asked.

Yuri nodded and the two men started down the path that led back into town. The path was dirt for the most part as only shinobi visited the memorial and found no need for a stone paved road. It was deep into the night but even then there were still sections of Konoha that were bright with light and the sounds of people could be heard coming from them.

"You seem troubled, Yuri," Hiruzen commented as he walked.

Yuri frowned and nodded his head slowly.

The old Sarutobi waved his hand toward a small area that overlooked Konoha and the two turned toward it. Large stones littered the area and the two shinobi found one to sit on that overlook the village.

Yuri studied the village but as he did he also got the feeling that Hiruzen was waiting patiently for the Jonin to tell him what it was that caused him to go to the memorial stone so late at night. He sighed and asked, "Do you have any idea what it feels like to wake up every day and seen people's smiling faces while at the same time seeing their corpse in your head?"

Hiruzen gained a grim look on his face and pulled his pipe from his robes. He packed it, lite the dried leaf, and inhaled deeply. He let out the smoke in a stream.

"I can hear their death cries at the same time they are laughing or talking," Yuri continued. "I buried them, yet here they torment me. I can see their dead eyes staring at me, cursing me for my one sin. Surviving."

"The hardest thing a shinobi can get over is that fact that they survived where others didn't," Hiruzen said. "After the First Shinobi World War, I too went through survivor's guilt." He let out a humorless chuckle and finished, "Even after getting over that guilt after the first war I still found it my master after the second and the third."

Yuri glanced at the man and asked, "How had you managed to get passed it?"

"You don't," the old man answered, "not really. There will always be a pain in your heart and the gnawing question of why it was you that survived where others didn't. The thing is, you have to come to realize that your friends do not curse you for living, for surviving. They cry with sympathy for you for living, for having to suffer where they have rest. Your friends do not hate you for living, Naruto. That is what you must come to understand."

Yuri nodded slowly. The ache of his heart weakened slightly and he took a deep breath.

"It might also help if you heard those words from someone that you had suffered the loss of," Hiruzen commented.

Yuri shot a look to the old Sarutobi and asked, "You can't mean for me to tell someone who I am?"

"Why not? I imagine Kakashi would be the perfect individual for you to tell as each of you are struggling with survivor's guilt. Kakashi had found a friend in you, something he has not found for some time, and he was clearly a good friend of yours in your timeline."

The black-haired Jonin looked down and thought about what Hiruzen was saying. "It is an option," he finally said.

"Then do it," Hiruzen said. "You and Squad Seven can go investigate some bandit activity near the Kumo border and when you are doing that you and Kakashi can speak."

Yuri rubbed his chin and muttered, "The Genin could use a change in their everyday lives and a chance to stretch their legs would be good for them."

"Then the mission is yours. I'll let Squad Seven know tomorrow."

The two men didn't speak after that and only enjoyed each others company. Yuri thought about the upcoming mission and found that he was looking forward to speaking with Kakashi. It would be good to finally not have to hide who he was as he felt like he was constantly stepping on eggshells when speaking to the man.

-A Testament of Things that Never Will-

Be silent.

That was the rule she lived by.

The cave was warm from the large fire the bandits had started but she knew better than to try to get close to it. She couldn't remember just how long she had been a captive of these monsters, long enough for her to not remember anything different she guessed. Her name was Surebu or slave as the name meant and she figured that it suited her well. All she was to these people was a slave. She studied the worst of them.

There was Goro, a middle-aged man whose fighting abilities were nearly nonexistent but another body never hurt to have around. He had a bald head, said it made him run faster, and always had a mug of ale in his hand. The first night he had joined the other bandits he had dragged her off into the forest and... ... ... that wasn't the first time that had happened to her, wasn't the last, and if tonight didn't start looking any better than it would happen again.

The bandits had attacked a small tavern a day or two ago and had gotten hold of a large supply of mead, meat, and women. She felt disgusted with herself that she felt relief come over her when she saw the captured women because she knew that she might be safe that night. Karma must have read her thoughts because Goro had ravaged her more savagely that night than ever before.

The women hadn't lasted long as after the men was done with them then Hikisaku would take them deep into the cave. The only thing that returned from the women were the screams of pain that echoed through the cave system. Hikisaku, a woman in her higher-twenties, had short cut green hair with one strand left uncut that went down to her waist. She was taller for a woman and had a strange liking of blood. Surebu shivered at the thought of what the woman had done to both men and women in the past and thanked Kami that the woman didn't have a preference for children.

A loud drunken laugh brought her attention back to the fire. The leader of the group, Sargent he called himself, had a tankard of mead in one hand and the other was placed firmly on the breast of one of the other female bandits in the group. He was getting more of the mead on the ground than in his mouth but with how much he had drunk already she wasn't surprised at that. Sargent was a monster of a man, standing at more than seven feet, and he boasted that his mother was a giant. That story would often change to him raping a giant or killing a giant by clubbing it to death with his member. None of the stories were true but the other bandits would laugh and act like they believed him for fear of his rage.

Despite how big the bandit group was, only Sargent and Hikisaku were the only ones that had any skill in combat. Sargent was a missing-nin from Kumo, a Jonin when he left the ranks, and Hikisaku was from Iwa and once held the rank of Chunin. The rest of the group was made up of regular bandits and those who only made it to the rank of Genin before leaving their villages.

Surebu watched the festivities for a few more moments before she noticed that a rather large chunk of meat had landed close to her. She couldn't recall the last time she had eaten and her mouth watered at the thought of the tender meat. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her and when she was sure no one was she slowly inched toward the hunk of food. She knew she shouldn't. She knew that if she was caught she would be hurt and likely given to the newer members of the group, but her body demanded food and seemed to move against her better judgement.

She snatched it up and sat back in her place to study her prize. It was a hunk of meat that fit in the palm of her small hand and was covered in dirt. She looked around again and then downed it as fast as she could. It tasted amazing and the dirt did very little to hurt the overall deliciousness. Meat was something that she didn't get often and she savored the moment as much as she dared.

"How was the meat, Surebu?"

She froze and bile rose in the back of her throat. The voice was deep and she knew exactly who it belonged to. But how did he see her? His back was to her and she had eaten it so fast.

"I asked you a question."

She flinched and looked up into the eyes of Sargent. He towered over her and everything had become quiet. She looked back down and nodded stiffly.

He smiled broadly and his already hideous face became more so with the lack of several teeth and the ones left were yellow or brown. He rubbed his patchy beard and laughed loudly. The others joined in slowly and soon everyone was laughing. He walked over to one of the kegs and poured a tankard of mead. He walked back over, staggering all the way, and asked, "Did you want something to drink with that meat?"

Surebu shook her head in response and kept her eyes down on the ground.

"You'll take my meat but not my drink will you?" He crouched down and said, "All this time I have taken care of you, Surebu. I'm the one that keeps you warm at night, keeps you safe from the wilds. Whose meat was that, whose meat did you eat?"

She pointed at him slowly. She trembled violently and her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest.

"That's right," Sargeant said in finality. "I kill people who steal from me but I really don't want to hurt you, Surebu. This action has given me little choice though." He stood up and looked at the two newest members of the group. He said, "You two, I've seen both of you looking at Surebu with those filthy eyes of yours. As punishment for what she has done both of you will have her tonight."

The men in question smiled and one licked his lips. Surebu just sat there staring at nothing. She had known that this would happen if she got caught but fear still gripped her heart and tore at her very soul.

She didn't cry out when they came for her. When they dragged her to another part of the cavern.