Alexander Jay: For old readers of this story, you may have noticed that at the beginning of the month (April) I updated the first five chapters. This is because those chapters were all written at least 6 years ago. Not only was the quality poor compared to what I can write now, but I didn't have a good plot outline back then and so there was no foreshadowing what was to come. Plus some of the events just didn't make sense to me anymore. Long story short, there are some small changes which will be important later in the story. I hope you like it, and I apologize if I deleted a part of the story you liked.
I don't own Naruto. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter Eleven
It was a somber mood that dominated their little camp the next morning. Itachi had stayed awake through the night, letting them sleep off the adrenaline rush of life-and-death combat. All three had slept fitfully, none more so than Naruto. The Jinchuriki had woken up three times in the night, every time looking around wildly as he snatched a kunai from his belt, only relaxing when he laid eyes on Hinata, sleeping nearby. Then he would carefully put away the knife, making sure it was easy to draw, and sink back into uneasy slumber, twitching repeatedly.
All three were awake for good before the sun rose, huddling around the campfire. The hideout, dug into the hill and with the entrance covered up, was lit only by the flickering firelight, casting wild shadows on the walls and distorting the childrens' features. They ate in silence, munching down ration bars without a single noise of complaint. Naruto kept one hand on Hinata's, clutching his girlfriend constantly, but she hardly looked at him in response. Itachi broke the silence shortly before dawn.
"We can't neglect our mission here. Naruto, Sasuke, run a patrol. Take your time."
The boys nodded, Naruto giving Hinata a worried look, which she avoided. Sasuke, meanwhile, snatched up his bow and slung his quiver over one shoulder, tying it on securely. Naruto got up to join him, letting Hinata's hand slide out of his. They ducked outside, opening the cover on the hideout just long enough to let in a glimpse of the slowly lightening sky before it fell back into place, leaving Itachi alone with Hinata.
"You've been quiet," he began.
Hinata didn't respond.
"Yesterday was trying for you, I understand," he said. "Being taken hostage like that would shock anyone."
"I wasn't- it's not that, sensei," she said, not looking up from the fire.
"Hinata, anyone can be caught off guard, even with the Byakugan." He was met with silence. "Is it that they were only civilians, and we killed them?" After all, he reasoned, she had killed shinobi before and hardly batted an eye.
"No, sensei. I'm not bothered by that," she said stiffly.
There was another silence while he pondered what may be bothering her. "If you're upset that Sasuke stole your kill-" he began, managing to keep a straight face while saying it.
"I should have killed him!" Hinata exploded, finally glaring up at him, veins bulging as her Byakugan activated automatically. Itachi shut up quickly, giving her a questioning look. "I was right there, I could have damaged the nerves in his arm so he couldn't cut me, I could have stopped his heart, I could have made his lungs quit working!" she was getting worked up now, breathing fast and heavy as she ranted. "I've been training since I was five years old to become a master of Jyuken, I had half a dozen options in front of me! But I felt bad for them!" she spat the words as if they tasted foul. "So I kept hesitating, because I didn't want to kill him. I heard about how terrible their life was, and I didn't want to make it worse, so I was useless." she said the last word like it was some kind of sin.
"Hinata, not wanting to kill someone is human," Itachi interrupted her smoothly as she paused to draw breath. "It doesn't mean you were weak because you hoped to spare a life."
"I forced Sasuke to kill him in cold blood," Hinata said. "And now Naruto is worked up over almost losing me."
"You don't want to upset Naruto?" he asked, leaning forward to stare her right in the eye. "Quit being a shinobi."
She sat back stunned, but quickly opening her mouth for a retort.
"You think Sasuke wasn't damaged already? Try to remember that I killed our parents." He sat back, watching her intently. "You aren't responsible for how your teammates reacted. But you are responsible for your actions. You're unhappy that you were caught? Become more attentive. You're unhappy you couldn't kill him? Become better, so next time you can incapacitate your captor at your leisure, without a single permanent injury." He got to his feet. "You made mistakes, and you know it. That's part of being a shinobi. No one will think less of you, unless you make the same mistakes again one day." He walked to the entry, pausing to look back at her. "You should be grateful to your teammates, at least, for saving you."
Slipping outside, he headed away, to another shelter not far away. The two surviving bandits from yesterday's attack had been tied up there, chained by their wrists to the walls. They were both awake, and judging by the chafing on their wrists and their wary distance from the walls, they'd spent some time trying to get free. Of course, the ring their chains were threaded through had seals carved into it, in order to shock them if they tried pulling it out of the wall.
"I've already sent a message to the nearest village in Grass Country," he informed them, handing over two canteens full of water and half a dozen ration bars. "It should only be a day or two before they show up to escort you back to prison."
One of the men took a swig of water, then spit it out at Itachi. "Go to hell," he snarled.
The former ANBU calmly wiped his face off. "I'll be back tomorrow," he said. "If you escape and flee into Fire Country, you'll be marked as fugitives and my fellow Leaf Ninjas will be authorized to kill you on sight."
He left before they could say anything, activating the soundproofing seals built into the shelter. Unlike the one his team was using, which had been designed to offer some creature comforts, this one was a cube of bricks and steel built into the hillside, heavily covered in seals for both protection and concealment. Even if they got free of their restraints, they wouldn't get out, and no one would get in without a Jonin-level Leaf Ninja's authorization.
Itachi returned to his team. He didn't want the rest of this trip to become a miserable experience for them.
#
The second week of their patrol passed quickly. The prisoners were taken away the next day, and no one brought them up again. Sasuke started getting better with his bow and arrow, allowing everyone but Naruto to enjoy fresh rabbit regularly - the Jinchuriki still being punished for not sharing the ramen bowl. Hinata relaxed after a few days, behaving more warmly with her team. Naruto's sleep became normal again, although he still looked for Hinata first thing when he woke up in the morning.
When two weeks had passed, he had the team spread out, using the stealth skills he'd taught them to hide in the tall grass. A simple chakra trick caused the grass around them to bend back into position overhead, making it appear undisturbed. Hidden like this, they kept one eye on the border and one towards Fire Country, searching for their relief team.
"There," Itachi murmured, using the ventriloquism aspect of Naruto's Voice Transformation to make himself audible to the team without being overheard. "Trying for some stealth of their own, but they're moving too fast to keep the grass in place. Hinata, Sasuke, circle around to end up behind them. Don't rush, I'll keep them talking if I have to."
It didn't take long. Itachi emerged from the grass just ahead of the rippling stalks. "Mutsuki-san, so good to see you."
A faint sigh reached their ears as a man stood up, facing Itachi with a resigned expression. "Itachi-san. It's been a while."
The Jonin had short, sand-brown hair worn scruffily, and round glasses under his headband. His shirt went up his neck and included a chin guard. Over it he wore a flak jacket, and his arms and legs had wrappings wound around them. He couldn't have been more than thirty.
"Your students are doing well?" Itachi asked, nodding as three older Genin stood up behind their sensei. Every one wore glasses, though one had sunglasses that obscured his eyes, and he and one other student wore a cloth to conceal most of their faces.
"Well enough," Mutsuki said. "How about yours? Fresh out of the Academy, you're probably still catching them up on essential skills, right?"
"Oh, they're doing better than you'd think," Itachi said, smiling at Mutsuki. His eyes flicked to something behind the new team.
Mutsuki sighed again before turning around. His students also looked around, the one without a face-cover looking amused as he saw Sasuke and Hinata behind them. "Come on, Itachi, share some of the talent with the rest of us," Mutsuki complained. "This year's gonna be my team's seventh try at the Chunin Exams, and I'd bet money on your kids coming up even with them."
"Now sensei," the silver-haired boy said, still smiling benignly at the younger shinobi. "We should congratulate them, don't you think?"
His Genin teammates just grunted, their expressions still concealed. One of them, with dark glasses, folded his arms and turned away from the younger Genin.
"I suppose it is good to thank them for watching over the border," Mutsuki said, taking out a scroll and handing it to Itachi. "We'll relieve you."
Itachi opened the scroll, checking the seal on it as being authentic. Once done, he signaled behind himself, and Naruto stood up from where he'd been hiding. "Thank you for the relief. You'll find a shelter there, dug into the hill. Enjoy the scenery."
They headed out, the silver-haired Genin waving goodbye cheerfully. Naruto waved goodbye before they were out of sight.
"Nii-san," Sasuke said. "Does every team try to one-up each other during border patrol?"
Itachi chuckled. "Nearly all of them. It's different during wartime of course, so some older teams will not bother with the game. But most of the time, it's the most interesting thing to happen during border patrol."
"Most of the time," Hinata muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.
#
The trip home was an uneventful two days. They arrived after noon and went home after turning in a report to the Hokage and picking up their checks. Nagato and Konan, with their preternatural awareness of everything happening in the village, had a delicious home-cooked meal waiting for Naruto, including a huge bowl of ramen. Sasuke and Itachi ate out to celebrate.
Hinata, meanwhile, sought out her cousin once she returned home. She wasn't surprised to find him training in the branch family's compound. "Neji-nii-san," she greeted him once he'd finished his kata. It was a little different from normal, she noticed, the strikes reaching deeper without sacrificing the speed. It had been customized for him, she assumed, seeing the extra half step that accounted for the change. It would leave him slightly off-balance, but if he was in a position to land those stronger blows, there would be no chance to take advantage of the opening. A confident, powerful move.
She'd come to the right person.
"Hinata-san," he greeted her, smiling. "I heard you had a border patrol mission."
"We just returned," she said.
"How was it?" he asked. "Was Naruto driven mad by the boredom?" he teased.
"Actually, we were attacked by bandits," she said.
Neji blinked, taken aback by the news.
"Four of them were killed, and the last two captured. There were no injuries to our side. But -" she hesitated, feeling ashamed to admit it.
"What happened?" Neji asked kindly, taking a step forward.
"I was captured." she said. "I let my guard down, and I couldn't bring myself to kill him. Sasuke saved me."
"We owe him a debt," Neji said solemnly. Then he looked at her more shrewdly. "But why does that have you coming here?"
She met his gaze squarely, lavender eyes meeting white. "I need to get stronger. Father has trained me in the traditional Jyuken, Konan-san and Nagato-san have trained me in ninjutsu and genjutsu, and Itachi-sensei has trained me in stealth techniques and tactical thinking."
Neji arched an eyebrow. "Compared to that, what could you want from me?"
She chuckled. "I know the traditional forms of Jyuken. Your sensei is a taijutsu master, and I can see that you've been altering the Jyuken to fit yourself."
A smile crept across Neji's face. "So, the heir to the main family is coming to the branch family for help in breaking tradition?"
She returned the smile. "I'm coming to my cousin for help in becoming stronger."
Neji's smile grew a little wider. "You're not suited for my personal Jyuken," he warned her.
"But can you help me create my own?" she asked.
He nodded confidently. "If I don't know enough, I'll ask the rest of my team. It'll happen."
"Thank you, Neji-nii-san."
"Any time, Hinata-san."
#
"Today marks a momentous occasion," Itachi began solemnly. "For those of Konoha may finally bear witness to what we have been wishing to see for years."
"Senseeeeii," Naruto moaned from where he was tied up.
"Indeed, we are gathered here today to observe the defeat of Naruto Uzumaki's pranks! For the first time in our recorded history, he was halted before it even began!"
"I was just trying to surprise my girlfriend!" Naruto exclaimed.
"By sneaking into the Hyuga compound at seven in the morning?" Sasuke asked dryly.
"I was bringing her breakfast!"
"The esteemed Hizashi Hyuga captured the intruder, engaging him valiantly," Itachi continued his story. "The surviving eyewitnesses claim it to be an extraordinary battle!"
Kurenai giggled, quickly putting a hand over her mouth. Next to her, Kiba was laughing so hard he was doubled over, clutching his stomach and ignoring the dirty looks from Sakura. Shino looked as unperturbed as ever.
"Though Uzumaki attempted his usual bag of underhanded tactics, these were helpless before his mighty foe. Great Hizashi saw through it all and conquered the villain."
"I was trying to do something nice!" Naruto exploded.
"It was sweet," Hinata said, smiling at her boyfriend.
"Sadly, there was some collateral damage," Itachi said. "But the Hyuga's loss will be memorialized with pride!"
Naruto rolled his eyes as he recalled the training dojo that had been shredded by Hizashi's Jyuken.
"And our most generous god has already compensated the clan, and would like to express his gratitude for sparing him the frustration of apprehending the vagrant for the umpteenth time."
Nagato, standing near the front of the crowd, nodded graciously.
"There is even more gratitude from Hiashi Hyuga, who has thanked his brother for ensuring that he does not become a grandfather so soon."
"WHAT!?" Naruto and Hinata both shrieked, faces going bright red as they looked back and forth from each other to Hiashi, who was giving them both a rather stern look. It was made more intimidating by the fact that everyone else was either laughing openly or barely holding it in. "We're not- we weren't- no!" Naruto yelled.
"Not yet," Sasuke drawled, smirking at his friend.
"And lastly, the Konoha ANBU Corps would like to admit their awe for the great Hizashi Hyuga, and apply to study under the master, in hopes that they might achieve some small victory against our wayward Jinchuriki in the future."
Nearly a hundred masked ninjas approached the podium, turned as one to face Hizashi, and fell to one knee, bowing their heads reverently. Hiashi was slowly letting an amused smirk spread across his face, while Hizashi's whole body shook as he fought not to laugh.
"Now let us celebrate this most unexpected victory!"
Itachi clapped his hands loudly. Following the signal, thousands of origami butterflies rose up, unfolding and reforming into a giant banner hanging under the faces of the Hokages, announcing: HIZASHI DAY BEGINS NOW!
More butterflies exploded into colorful confetti, raining down on a crowd of hundreds of partiers as they cheered for Hizashi. The Hokage approached him ceremoniously, hanging a gold medal around his neck.
Naruto hung loosely in his ropes. Hinata was too embarrassed to even speak just yet. Itachi managed to step off the stage before losing it, breaking out in peals of laughter and leaning against the Hokage for support.
#
"This is the worst day of my life," Naruto bemoaned. He was sitting between Sasuke and Sakura; Hinata had claimed she had to do damage control and hadn't come back. They were pretty sure the bigger problem was not being able to look at Naruto without turning as red as a tomato.
Sasuke calmly took a notebook out of his pocket, flipping through it. "You've got eleven counts of manipulating the school to humiliate teachers, nine counts of harassing ANBU and escaping capture, nine counts of tricking shinobi into humiliating themselves through the use of misdirection and psychological fake outs, five counts of tormenting specific shinobi with your Transformation and Voice Transformation techniques, two counts of sabotaging training exercises, countless instances of going where you shouldn't, with no regard for village security or secrecy seals, and -" he paused, taking out a pen to write a new entry. "One count of failing to seduce a clan heiress."
"I wasn't trying to seduce her!" Naruto snapped at his best friend. "She's already my girlfriend!"
"Trust me, you'll still have to seduce your girlfriend," Neji said as he sat down at their table. "Just, try to wait a few more years, would you? I'm not ready to be Uncle Neji."
"That's not what I was trying to do!"
"Try telling them that," Sasuke said, nodding at the large crowd.
Naruto moaned, letting his head fall onto the table with a thud. Sakura rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.
"I don't think you've met my teammates, have you?" Neji asked conversationally. "This is Rock Lee and Tenten. Lee, Tenten, you know of Naruto Uzumaki."
"If we didn't before, we sure do now," Tenten quipped, sharing a grin with Sasuke.
"Yosh! While your intent was rather questionable, I must applaud your willingness to do battle with such a renowned shinobi as Hizashi-san!" Lee exclaimed, clapping Naruto on the shoulder loudly. Naruto winced from the blow.
"It was not a battle," Naruto moaned. "I showed up, he attacked, I ran, and he just wouldn't stop coming after me!"
"Good for him," Sasuke said. "Dedicated guardian."
"No escape for criminals," Tenten said.
"Even the cute ones," Sakura said before slapping a hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed.
"Justice for all, no matter the cost!" Neji said, raising a cup to toast his father. The other four all clacked their plastic cups against his.
"I hate you all," Naruto moaned. "Where did Hinata go?"
"Slow down, tiger, you're not gonna get alone time with her anytime soon," Tenten said.
"Why do you hate me?" he moaned.
#
The impromptu celebration was well received by everyone, and more than a few people were already marking their calendars for next year's Hizashi Day. Naruto vowed to take a suicide mission on that day.
#
"Now that we're not preoccupied with parties, we can get down to training," Itachi said.
Naruto and Hinata glared at him. Sasuke just smirked.
"All three of you have skills in the basic shinobi arts: ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. You also can use weapons in concert with your taijutsu, with varying degrees of success, and have made progress in stealth techniques, and are studying tactics and battle strategy. On top of that, your teamwork and cooperation in combat is commendable."
"So what are we learning now?" Sasuke asked.
"Now, we will begin specializing. You see, every shinobi has certain techniques or arts which they focus in. Kurenai-san is a genjutsu master, while Asuma-san is skilled with taijutsu, especially using his weapons. Hinata's cousin, Neji, is the student of an even greater taijutsu master. And Kakashi-san, who you met in our joint training exercise, specializes in ninjutsu of every type, and the use of his transplanted Sharingan. The value of such specialization is that we can become masters in our field, capable of conquering many foes and obstacles with it."
"What about you, sensei?" Hinata asked.
"Stealth and swordsmanship," Itachi answered promptly. "Though I am also quite adept with projectile weapons, genjutsu and fire-type ninjutsu. The elites must have good skills across the board, and great skills in their field of expertise."
"How do we choose what to focus on?" Naruto asked.
"In some cases, you have already shown inclinations to one particular field or another. Naruto, your Origami Style will undoubtedly be a major part of your fighting style, even though you also have some wind ninjutsu under your belt. Hinata, your Jyuken clearly forms the core of your style, and Nagato-san has also taught you water-type ninjutsu. Sasuke, your taijutsu and fire-type ninjutsu are both commendable."
"I was actually thinking of working more with weapons," Sasuke said, tapping the bow slung over his shoulder.
"If that's your goal, go right ahead. I'm not here to decide for you what you'll do, just to guide you."
"I like the Origami Style," Naruto said. "But we saw on the mission to Kumo that if the opponent is strong enough, they'll tear right through my creations. It happened in Kusa too, even with just a civilian."
"Surely your aunt could teach you some methods to overcome that weakness?"
"Yeah, but I just don't fight like she does. I like to jump right into a fight, not sit back and set up traps," he said. "I kind of wanted to learn more wind jutsus, and maybe some more taijutsu."
"I know some more wind ninjutsu, and I'm sure that your uncle will have some input."
"Are there any water techniques you know of that combine well with taijutsu?" Hinata asked.
Itachi thought for a minute before shaking his head. "None jump to mind. I'll ask around."
"I think I'd like to keep my style as it is," she said. "The Jyuken is such a big part of me, I can't imagine focusing on something different, but it would be nice to have a couple options that my enemies wouldn't expect."
"You know, although you're a water type, you can learn to use techniques of another type," Itachi suggested. "Since water is weak to earth, lightning may be a good choice."
"I'll think about it. I really want to focus on my Jyuken right now though."
"If you insist, I'll make more time in training plans for you to work with your clan," Itachi said.
"Thank you, sensei."
"I'll have to come up with some new training schedules," Itachi said. "So until that's ready, there's another issue to address." He reached into the pouch on his belt, drawing out three papers. "The Chunin Exams are approaching."
"Chunin Exams?" Naruto perked up. "We've watched those every time the finals are in Konoha!"
"This year, the exams are also being held here. Because of that, more Konoha teams are allowed to enter than would be considered for traveling to another country. Including the rookie teams."
"Awesome!" Naruto snatched one of the permission sheets and searched his pockets for a pen. Itachi silently produced one, handing it over while giving the other two sheets to Hinata and Sasuke. They took the pen once Naruto was done with it, signing happily.
"Before you turn those in, be aware that many shinobi die in these exams," Itachi said. "The typical mortality rate is just under ten percent of the participants, almost exclusively during the second part of the exams, though deaths are not unheard of in the finals. Actually, some countries think better of their shinobi for killing in full view of an audience."
"Well, we're not gonna die," Naruto said, beaming at his sensei.
"Of course not," Sasuke agreed.
Hinata just nodded grimly.
"Well, I look forward to seeing the results." he smiled fondly at his students. "I expect I'll be proud of you."
They all grinned at each other happily. He was glad to see that childish expression of joy. It could have been his imagination, but he thought he'd seen their expressions becoming a little harder since the border patrol. Thinking of that reminded him of something else.
"Because of the exams, many foreign shinobi will be visiting. Be welcoming to them, but make sure no one tries any kind of sabotage or espionage while we're busy with the exams. Understood?"
"You bet!"
"Of course, nii-san."
"Yes, sensei."
"Now, let's go get a mission for today."
They made their way to the Tower of Fire, all three Genin chatting about the exams and what they expected. Itachi let himself smile at their enthusiasm. He'd received a battlefield promotion, and had never experienced the joy of competing against his contemporaries.
Just as they were entering the courtyard, a flash of blond in one window caught his eye. Looking more closely, he smiled, stepping back into the shadow smoothly, so even his students didn't notice he'd left them. Slipping around the building, he sprang up to the wall, running up it to the roof and then coming back down the other side, ensuring no one would have seen him through the window he'd looked through. Pausing to listen to the occupants, he waited for his moment to slip in through the open window, landing in one of the rooms reserved for guests of the village.
"Yugito-san," he greeted her.
The Jinchuriki looked over her shoulder, smiling at him. "Itachi-san. I hoped I'd see you here."
A/N: The whole "Hizashi Day" thing came completely out of nowhere, even for me. It's not seriously relevant, although it may be referenced later. I was stuck and I just started typing randomly and that was what came out. Surprised me too.
