During the following days, Team Seven settled in a comfortable and interesting routine. In the morning, while they were waiting for their sensei to arrive, the three children had breakfast on the still damp grass, then sparred in various configurations and analysed each other's performances. Naruto's comments were always a bit complicated to understand; because he lacked the necessary vocabulary to describe precisely what he meant, but decoding his approximations was also part of the exercise.
When their sensei arrived, they all went to the Tower to receive their first mission of the day. For the time being, Kakashi kept them on D-ranked missions, which Naruto had a peculiar talent to complicate. Despite that, and despite the ridiculously bad luck that seemed to stick to them like glue, they had never failed a mission that had been assigned to them. After lunch, Kakashi took them to the training ground number three. Often, Ensui was waiting for them there.
He and Kakashi seemed to have found a common interest in training the three kids. It wasn't rare, after training, to see them both headed to a bar to discuss the following day's program. Despite how rigorous training could be for the three Genin, none of them complained. It would be incredibly foolish and ungrateful to do so: two Jōnin knew more than one, and thus had more to teach them.
In the evenings, after dinner, Ensui met Hitomi in her bedroom and worked with her on her fūinjutsu and chemistry. Thanks to him, she managed to create her flash bomb seal and quickly filed a patent in the Nara Clan armoury and gave them authorisation to recreate and sell the seal in exchange for a commission. That way, even her most distant cousins would have access to her creation. For people who turned shadows into a weapon, light was a precious resource.
Sometimes, Hitomi managed to steal a few hours away from her duties and spent them with Hinata, be it to watch her train with her team or to take her somewhere in the village. Sasuke and Naruto frequently collaborated to make those outings happen, by taking her work from her and insisting she went to see her girlfriend, all under Kakashi's and sometimes Ensui's amused eyes. Hitomi only protested for show: it was sweet and liberating at the same time to have feelings, and she intended on savouring what she could of her relationship with Hinata.
After a week of that regime, they were assigned their first C-ranked mission. Hitomi had to admit her surprise: Naruto hadn't tried to push the Hokage to assign them a more 'ninja-like' mission. In fact, Hiruzen wasn't even there. Trying to hide her puzzlement, the girl glanced at two shinobi who could only be Shiranui Genma – forehead protector worn as a bandana over chestnut shoulder-long hair, a senbon between his lips – and Yamashiro Aoba – spiky black hair, sunglasses, always frowning – sitting behind a desk. They were the only high-ranking officers present outside of Kakashi.
"Team Seven," Genma greeted with a grin. "We were expecting you."
He pulled out a document and handed it to Aoba, who quickly read it before grabbing a green scroll. Green meant C-rank and a shiver ran down Hitomi's spine. Could it be the Land of Waves already?
"Yūko-sensei, from the Academy, is sick today and needs to be replaced. Your mission isn't to teach, only to supervise her students in second year. Here is the mission order."
To Hitomi's great astonishment, Aoba didn't hand the scroll to Kakashi but to her. She raised her eyebrows, her hand half-extended towards the order hesitating to cross the last few centimetres.
"The request comes from Iruka-sensei," Aoba explained, "and he specified he wanted you to lead the mission, Yūhi-san. According to him, you have experience watching over children, especially Academy students."
The young girl couldn't help but blush up to the ears, her long, thin fingers finally reaching the scroll and taking it. Once she got it, she stared at it, unable to hide her amazement, then realised her teammates were waiting for her. Her posture slowly stiffened, a perfect picture of dignity and self-assurance – such a pretty façade. Honour and fright mixed inside her, almost intense enough to make her choke and collapse under pressure. Was she good enough, the best possible leader for this mission? She had to be. She refused to fail.
"I accept the mission," she firmly said. "Team Seven will go to the Academy as quickly as possible." She bowed and left the room, her teammates docilely stepping aside before following her, Kakashi walking behind his students. It didn't stop Hitomi from hearing the two Tokubetsu Jōnin laugh gently. Before they closed the door, Genma mumbled something like "I can't wait to tell Kurenai about it."
The pink shade on her cheeks turned to bright red but she didn't falter. She truly felt honoured by Iruka's choice to request her to lead the mission, and at the same time, she was intimidated by the importance of the event. It was her first mission as unit chief, and her whole career probably depended on its success. It was hard to mess up a C-ranked mission: if it happened, she would probably never be given a unit to lead again.
The team arrived at the Academy very quickly – the main building was linked to the Tower so it was easy to defend in case of emergency, and all the vulnerable students and civilians could evacuate together, protected by paperwork ninjas. Hitomi took the time to correct her stance, to emanate quiet self-assurance, which she was very far from feeling at that moment. She entered the classroom first and heard the students calm down as soon as she stepped in, just like her own group had when she had been a student herself.
"Hello everyone!" she started. "Yūko-sensei is sick today and won't be able to attend. We're here to replace her. We won't be teaching, but we've recently started our own careers as shinobi after graduating, so if you have questions, we can try to answer them. The ones who aren't interested, feel free to do something else, but stay quiet." She let a solid second pass so the students would process the information, as she had seen Iruka do so many times. "My name is Yūhi Hitomi. To my right is Uzumaki Naruto and, to my left, Uchiha Sasuke. The man hiding behind his book over there is Hatake Kakashi, our sensei and commanding officer."
The students politely greeted them, then a young Akimichi raised her hand. "What is it like, being part of a ninja team?" she asked with a slight blush.
"It's awesome, believe it!" Naruto beamed.
"It can be surprising," Sasuke nuanced with a smirk.
"It's like working with an extension of your family," Hitomi concluded. "Well, Sasuke and Naruto are my adopted brothers, but working as a team has brought us a lot closer. During training, it's easier to progress when you're driven by the idea that you'll be able to protect your teammates. And when training becomes hard, because you're hungry or tired, because you feel like you're not getting better despite all your efforts, the others are here to pick you up, to stand by your side, to make sure you don't stay behind. For me, that's what it feels like."
The silence that settled on the classroom after she was done answering the question only emphasised the sweetness and affection that had played in her voice. She exchanged a look with her brothers as they subtly adjusted their stances so their body heat would brush against hers. She smiled, a tender, discreet expression, refusing to feel shame for showing emotion to all those kids. They were always told that ninjas had to make themselves numb, to be impassive in all circumstances, to turn their heart cold. She disagreed.
In her opinion, a shinobi was never stronger than when he was animated by an emotion, no matter which one. Be it anger, revenge, protectiveness, loyalty, bravery or love, emotions were a driving force, a secret and infinite source of energy that made her stand back up again and again, even when Kakashi-sensei was afraid he was pushing her too far in training. More than once, Ensui had put a hand on the teacher's arm and stopped him from trying to stop the exercise she was doing. The Nara knew Hitomi better than anyone and knew the concept of limits was only a challenge in her eyes.
"Did you fight foreign shinobi already?" The question came from a boy who looked civilian-born, sitting at the back of the room. The whole class looked interested in the answer and looks from Sasuke and Naruto enjoined her to handle that one as well.
"No, we didn't have a mission leading us outside the village yet. I have already fought against Sunajin shinobi, but it was in friendly spars."
"How are the Sunajin ninjas?"
"I think they are a bit like us. They want to protect their village, their family, their secrets, and are ready, just like us, to offer their life for it. We didn't go to war with them because of real differences in the past, but because of conflicts, and you'll have to learn how and why before you get your forehead protectors."
The questions went on and on for the better part of an hour. When she wasn't busy answering, Hitomi watched her teammates attentively: Naruto beamed each time he spoke and, if Sasuke didn't show such obnoxious joy when it was his turn, he was clearly liking this exchange with the students. The girl was always surprised and moved when she saw the last Uchiha interacting with children: it happened from time to time since they were living next to Shikaku's house, in the heart of the clan's lands. Each time, he had been perfectly at ease, considerate, delicate, a discreet smile adorning his lips.
"Can you show us a ninjutsu technique?" The question came from a young girl sitting on the front row.
In the space of a second, Hitomi foresaw what would happen if Sasuke used his Fire Release ninjutsu, or if Naruto drowned the classroom in clones. She stepped forward before her brothers could even react. "Sure, no problem! I'll do it. Watch closely." She sliced her thumb open with her sword then formed the hand seals for the summoning jutsu before slamming her injured hand to the ground. When the puff of smoke coming with the technique dissipated, only Kurokumo stood there, looking a bit surprised that he had been called without his companions.
"Oh, hi, Lady Summoner!" he chirped. "Do you need me?"
"I just wanted to introduce you to those future shinobi. Children, this is Kurokumo, one of the giant cats I signed a summoning contract with. They help me in battle and with some missions, where their skills can be useful. However, before being warriors obeying my orders, they are my friends, my comrades, as all Konohajin shinobi are. There are a lot of summoning contracts in the world, and several among you will probably sign one of them one day. If it's the case, remember that the creatures you summon also have an identity, a personality, and that you can't treat them like mere weapons."
Without waiting for her to stop talking, Kurokumo had jumped on the first row of desks and, despite his large paws, managed to wander through the students' things without disturbing a single object. He obviously liked being, for once, the centre of attention. Amongst the summons, he was always a bit occulted by Hoshihi's commanding presence and Haīro's easy-going demeanour. Hitomi had chosen well in summoning him.
They finished their mission without any problem. Hitomi secretly admitted her relief when she guided her team back to the Tower to get their payment. It wasn't a lot as far as C-ranked missions went, since neither fights nor excursions outside the village occured. Still, it was a comfortable income.
The day was still far from over, so the three children and their sensei naturally went to their training ground. Ensui was waiting for them, sitting in the shadow of a large tree. His hands, perfectly still, were forming the Rat Hand Seal, and his eyes were closed, his whole face frozen in an expression of quiet focus. Around him, the shadow was quietly rippling, slowly leaving the ground to take the shape of a deer. Still under the Jōnin's rigorous control, the animal took a few steps around the tree before melting back in two dimensions against the ground. Ensui opened his eyes, the hint of a smile on his lips.
"New technique, shishou?" Hitomi greeted as she sat just next to him.
"Yeah. I'm trying to create a technique that could be used with rather small reserves but a very good chakra control."
"For Shikamaru?"
"His birthday is in two months and I think Shikaku will have my head on a spike if I gift another shōgi board to his boy."
After a few minutes of chatting, Hitomi walked back to her teammates and training could start. Ensui and Kakashi had decided it was time for the team to create strategies adapted to their strengths and weaknesses. Since Hitomi's summons were an asset in the same way as the kids' techniques or kenjutsu, the ninja cats were always part of these particular sessions. Their summoner had also decided to work them through different ways of communicating non-verbally.
Hoshihi was in the middle of a sudden growing spurt and, if it didn't stop soon, Hitomi would be able to ride him like she had seen several Inuzuka shinobi with their ninja dogs. It would be an interesting asset for their teamwork, a possibility to anticipate just like any other that would present themselves to the Genin as they evolved, with each new progress and spark of maturity they would acquire.
When the sun started to dive behind the horizon, Kakashi granted them a well-deserved rest. All three Genin were exhausted and dirty, but the beaming smiles on their faces betrayed the solace they found in training with their sensei. Hitomi's expression softened with a touch of tenderness when she noticed Hinata waiting for her next to the entrance of the training ground. Without hesitation, the Yūhi heiress went to her girlfriend, hugged her and dropped a soft kiss on her lips, her fingers brushing through the long violet strands of her hair.
"Would you like to go out tonight?" she asked on impulse. "Dinner, on me." After all, who had decided that she had to spend all the money she was getting from missions on gear and fūinjutsu supplies? She had been dying to take Hinata out to a nice restaurant for two weeks. She wanted a real date, in the civilian part of the village where they would most likely not be spotted by the Hyūga clan. Hinata deserved the efforts. She deserved everything Hitomi could give her. Was it love? She wasn't sure, and that told her a lot.
Later that night, wearing a black summer dress decorated with pale pink orchids, Hitomi went to pick Hinata up at the entrance of the Hyūga lands, under the pretence of only going to meet their other friends to watch a movie. When they were deep enough in the civilian part of the village, she took her girlfriend's hand and led her to an Akimichi restaurant. She had gotten a reservation through Shikaku, even though people had to wait for weeks to get to eat there.
They ended up in a park close to the Akimichi land after dinner. The sky was marvellously clear, and Hinata seemed fascinated by the stars. Sitting on a bench, the two teenagers were huddled together, Hitomi's head on her girlfriend's shoulder. She breathed in her discreet perfume and shivered as the Hyūga girl's fingertips danced on the sensitive skin of her neck. She wished she could stop time and make this moment last forever.
After around an hour, spent kissing, cuddling, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, the two girls left their little bubble behind so they could go home. As she was standing up from the bench, Hitomi tensed and froze, but, when she looked in the direction that had attracted her attention and extended her meridians towards that point, she couldn't see or feel anything. She was probably just on edge because she knew they were doing something Hinata's father wouldn't approve of. She stayed, for a few seconds, attentive and immobile. When nothing happened, she took her girlfriend' hand and led her out of the park.
They took their time on the way home, but soon enough they were too close to the Hyūga lands to act as close as they wanted. Hitomi walked Hinata to the entrance, where a guard stood watch. She said goodbye to her girlfriend, very conscious of the scornful look the Chūnin on duty was giving her. Despite this lacklustre conclusion, the mere memory of the evening put her in a state of deep satisfaction. Once she was home, she fell asleep with a smile on her lips, the ghost of Hinata's perfume leading her to the realm of dreams.
"Hitomi, get down!"
Her mother's call made the teenage girl snap out of sleep. More by reflex than anything, she jumped out of her bed, ran down the corridor and the stairs under Naruto and Sasuke's dumbfounded stares. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Hinata in Kurenai's arms but worry quickly surged over the puzzlement: her girlfriend was crying, her frail shoulders shaking with sobs she was trying to muffle without much success.
"What- What's happening? Hinata?"
"M-my father…"
Without even asking for permission, Hitomi took Hinata from her mother's arms so she could hold her instead, cradling her against her torso. "Explain," she encouraged softly.
"He… A member of the Bunke saw us last night… He told Father and he p-promised that if we didn't stop seeing each other immediately, he w-would seal my Byakugan."
A freezing anger invaded Hitomi's chest. Killing intent slowly bloomed on her skin, thickening the air, but it wasn't all that was happening within her body. Under her skin, an ominous tension was building up, so intense she had to push it down to be able to think clearly. Bitter tears came to her eyes and she took her decision then, in a heartbeat. She offered herself the luxury of an embrace, breathing in Hinata's scent, her hands brushing against her neck, her shoulders, her back. Her eyes met Kurenai's. Mother and daughter had probably reached the same conclusion. "You're not ready to defy him, Hinata, are you?" she asked in a soft, sad tone.
"B-but I… I…"
"I know, Hinata. But I can't… I can't put you at such a risk or put myself between you and your family. I can't force you to choose."
They were both crying, lilac eyes lost in a sea of dark red. Hitomi ached and a thousand times damned Hiashi for what he was forcing her to do. He had won, of course. The threat he had used could only make her react one way, and he knew it.
"I don't want…"
"Me neither, Hinata. But we don't have a choice, you know it as well as I do. Perhaps… Perhaps in a few years, when we're stronger, we could… But trying to plan it out in advance is not worth it. It's over. He has won."
"I'm so, so sorry, Hitomi…"
"It's not your fault. You're a victim of all his schemes, not guilty of planning them with him. And, well, it won't stop us from being friends, right? I'll always be there for you, you know it."
With those words, Hitomi's heart closed itself to the feelings that had started blooming and growing inside up until that point. Only the anger stayed, cold, patient, unyielding. One day, Hiashi would suffer the consequences of his actions. She was just a Genin, insignificant, dispensable, but one day… Yes, one day she would make him pay for the pain he inflicted upon his own daughter.