Zabuza walked out of the medical wing, rubbing his neck. Shizune walked out, her hands clasped gently in front of her. "Well…I think I got everything out of the wound. I still don't think you should be moving quite yet." Zabuza quickly jerked his head to the side, causing a loud, snapping noise to be heard. Shizune yelped, staring with wide, horrified eyes. The mist ninja moaned quietly as he rolled his arm around.
"That's better," Zabuza replied. "Thank you Shizune-san."
"I-it's fine, but if it messed up later don't come crying to me!" Zabuza chuckled before he turned and walked away. Shizune shook her head as she watched the man walk, "I swear…why he even bothers coming to me if he's just going to pop everything back into place is beyond me."
Zabuza groaned, rubbing the burning cut on his shoulder. "Zabuza-san," a voice called out. The masked shinobi turned his head, seeing Itachi approaching him. "How's your injury?"
"It's doin fine kid. I don't know why I still don't expect the worse from you." Itachi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.
"Still, I apologize for our last sparring session…" Zabuza patted Itachi on the back as they walked. Suddenly, Haku and Ranmaru came darting down the hallway in front of Zabuza and Itachi, laughing to each other as an angry Ino came chasing after them, makeup smeared all over her face. Itachi and Zabuza watched the children running away before looking at each other. Itachi chuckled while Zabuza simply shook his head and continued onward. "I thought with Naruto and Kiba gone that there would be less pranks and a bit more peace and quiet around here."
"Well, after lady Tsunade fixed that Ranmaru's crippled body and he could run around, he was more than eager to…well, run."
"A lot of running…" Itachi looked down a hallway, seeing a figure out of the corner of his eye. The young Uchiha stopped, rubbing the back of his neck, clearing his throat audibly. Zabuza stopped and turned around, quizzically staring at Itachi. "Um…well I've got a uh…thing…to take care of." Zabuza narrowed his eyes skeptically. Itachi cleared his throat again, giving a quick, bat of the eye, glance to the side. Zabuza looked in the direction Itachi glanced in before looking back at the young Uchiha, a sly smile under his mask.
"Oh, I get it." Zabuza winked before turning his back to Itachi. "Heaven forbid you spend some time with me. I guess I'll just go find some woodland creatures to kill in my spare time." Zabuza looked back over his shoulder and Itachi was, very expectantly, already gone. The swordsmen chuckled, shaking his head as he continued down the hall.
Hana walked casually down the halls of the hideout, before she yelped with shock as someone grabbed her waist. She looked to her right, seeing Itachi resting his head on her shoulder. Hana blushed, unable to fight the grin that formed on her face as Itachi kissed her on the cheek.
"Hey there."
"Hey yourself Uchiha," Hana replied, removing Itachi's arms from around her waist. "What's gotten into you?"
"What, I can't show affection anymore," Itachi questioned, taking a step back as Hana spun around.
"You never have before. Why now?"
"Because we don't have to worry about upsetting your brother for another week."
"Yeah," Hana murmured as she crossed her arms. Itachi studied the girl's face for a long moment.
"Uh oh…you're thinking. That thinking face never means anything good for me." Hana smirked, her eyes meeting with Itachi's.
"I think we should tell my brother about our relationship." Itachi's shoulders slumped as he groaned in protest. "Oh come on, he already hates you for the 'rumor' that we're going out. After this month and a half together…I'm pretty sure every knows it's not a rumor." Itachi sighed running a hand through his hair before scratching the top of his head. "He's going to find out anyway. At least this way we won't have to hide all the time. Besides, I like this Itachi."
"Wait, there's another Itachi?"
"Yeah," Hana exclaimed, placing a hand on her hip while poking Itachi's chest with a forceful finger. "The Itachi who never interacts with me unless we're alone and hardly ever shows any true form of affection unless my brother is gone for a month!" Hana leaned back, her frown turning into a warm smile. "I like this sweet Itachi who isn't afraid to piss off a crazy serial killer to spend time with me."
Itachi rubbed the back of his next, chuckling nervously. "Zabuza-san isn't that bad. He's just a misunderstood individual…with a really big sword that likes to kill." Hana raised a questioning brow, doing her best to fighting the smirk on her face. Itachi looked at Hana, a wide smile crossing his face before laughing lightheartedly.
In Konoha, Neji and Naruto were sparring furiously on the training grounds with Yahiko watching intently. "Faster! Strike harder!"
Naruto cried out angrily, throwing a punch which barely missed Neji. The young Hyuga placed his feet on the ground then threw his legs up in an arc. Naruto jerked his head back, jumping a few feet away as he slid across the ground. Neji moved forward and struck at the blonde who ducked between Neji's arms. Naruto thrusted his fists forward, striking Neji in the chest. The brunette grunted as he spun backwards before coming to a stop.
"Alright, that's enough for today," Yahiko stated. The two Genin sighed heavily as they lowered their arms to their sides. "Good work guys. You've definitely improved during these past couple of weeks."
"Yeah, but look at the competition," Naruto murmured as he rubbed his neck with a towel. "We've got an Uchiha, and a Jinchuriki…which is kinda ironic seeing as how I'm a Jinchuriki and we got ourselves a Hyuga here."
"Hilarious," Neji replied with a droll tone.
"Yeah…seeing as how the competition was stacked against me anyway I'm kinda glad I threw my match against Sasuke," Kiba muttered from the ground.
"Please," Naruto shouted, looking at the sky gazing Inuzuka. "You didn't throw anything! He just beat the crap out of you fair and square!"
"Well you're lucky Neji'll knock him out of the first round before he gets a chance to fight you."
"Yeah, but instead I'll either have to fight a Jinchuriki, or Sakura's teammate whose jutsu works whether or not he hits you. Seriously, he just has to swing his arm and then BAM game over!"
"Yeah, that's what you're worried about," Kiba muttered smugly. "You're totally not worried about fighting one of Sakura's friends and possibly beating the crap out of him."
"You make it sound like Dosu might win." Kiba shrugged, looking over to Neji. "Hey, I hope he does. He's a pretty cool guy." The spiky haired rogues all snapped their heads towards Neji. "What? The team invited me to lunch one day."
"Wh-why did Sakura-chan invite you to lunch and not me," Naruto questioned.
"It was your day to train with Yahiko sensei," Neji replied casually. "They wanted to congratulate me for beating Hinata in the preliminaries. They're actually really funny. Sakura is too. She's really flirty. I mean she just wouldn't stop hitting on me. And I couldn't get her to stop either. She just kept going and going and-,"
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto lunged at Neji. The rogue Hyuga laughed as he ducked and rolled Naruto over his shoulders onto the ground. The blonde landed hard on his back, glaring up at Neji.
"I was joking," Neji stated with a smile on his face. "She's fun, but her friends are a hell of a lot funner."
"So…she didn't flirt with you…?"
"Nope. Not even once. Except when she told me about how she's so happy I beat Hinata."
"How did you beat her exactly," Kiba asked. "You punched her, but her heart failed as if you used the Gentle Fist. Unless it became an actual fist and not an open palm then-,"
"I just got lucky I guess," Neji replied swiftly. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's been the better half of a month. I'm sure a blind kid beating the Hyuga Clan's heiress is old news by now."
Hinata cried out with rage as she spun around and tore through a log with a forceful chop. The top of the training log hit the ground with a heavy thud. The Hyuga heiress panted heavily, sweat pouring down her face.
"Excellent strike Miss Hinata," a small voice spoke. Hinata huffed then turned around, facing a small little girl with long brown hair, wide eyes, and a curse marking on her forehead. The little girl held out a towel, which her older sister snatched angrily from her hands. "What's troubling you sister?"
"The fact I lost against some blind kid!"
"The Chunin Exams are held twice every year. I'm sure you'll have another opportunity to be promoted to the rank of Chunin next time."
"But I was robbed! That kid used the Gentle Fist against me! I saw it!" Hanabi blinked with confusion, mentally wondering what her sister was thinking. "He's a Hyuga clansman in disguise! I know it!"
"My lady…the only person who has escaped the Hyuga Clan would be our cousin: Neji Hyuga, but he ran away after the death of his father. He was officially reported that he was killed on sight."
"That's what we say to make sure word didn't get out that a Hyuga member managed to get away. Officially we don't know if Neji died or not. But I know for a FACT that that blind kid, Hizashi, is Neji!" Hanabi lowered her eyes to the ground before looking back up at her sister. Hinata scowled, dropping the towel back in Hanabi's hands.
"Um…Miss Hinata…" The Hyuga heiress looked down at her sister with an annoyed look. "Might I have the rest of the day off please…?" Hinata sighed, a small smile coming across her face.
"Oh why not. You've been working so hard for the past few months. I suppose you've earned a day off."
"Thank you very much Miss Hinata," Hanabi replied with a bow.
"Just be home before dark. Father is caught up in meetings all day, and he's going to want a good meal cooked for him."
"Of course Miss Hinata…" Hanabi stopped to bow to her sister again before walking off. Hinata huffed as her little sister walked away. The heiress walked the opposite direction towards the Hyuga Compound.
Dosu and Sakura walked onto the training grounds, staring up in a tree. Zaku was standing on a tree branch, upside down with his eyes closed. Dosu looked at Sakura, who immediately shrugged with confusion. Dosu knelt down and picked up a rock before throwing it at his teammate. Zaku pulled his body up to his feet as the rock flew by. Sakura and Dosu's eyes widened with shock as Zaku's eyes were still closed before he peeked one open.
"What's up," Zaku greeted.
"What the hell are you doing," Sakura questioned.
"And how the hell did you dodge that rock," Dosu asked.
"I'm training my mind." Zaku pulled his upper body forward, grabbing the tree branch. His legs fell from the branch and dangled loosely for a moment before Zaku dropped to the ground. "I heard that it's a good way to sharpen your mind and trust your senses."
"Who the hell told you that load of crap," Sakura asked.
"Your uncle." Sakura blinked with shock while Dosu looked over at her, snickering quietly. "At first I thought he was just saying it to get me out of his house, but it really works!"
"Why isn't he suggesting this crap for me? I'm the one who's taking on the village's smartest lazy guy!"
"You've been with Rin-chan learning medical ninjutsu," Zaku said with a shrug. "And Anko sensei was teaching Dosu the best survival techniques when the odds are stacked against you. And let's face it: the odds are REALLY stacked against you."
"Thanks man," Dosu sniped sarcastically.
"The way I see it I got easy compared to you guys. But I gotta make it look good for the judges so that I can forfeit if things get too dicey against Gaara."
"You don't think I could beat him? It takes just one swing of this arm and I'll have him on the ground."
"And then he'll throw up the sand and crush you into paste," Zaku replied.
"Besides, you already used that technique. Gaara might just put sand in his ears, and if he has that sand armor then you can't fluctuate the sound waves through his body." Dosu's arms fell lower, his knuckles almost hitting the ground.
"Shit…"
"Way to spend these past few weeks man," Zaku jokingly boasted.
"SAKURA-CHAN!"
Sakura groaned as she slouched down as low as Dosu, "Oh lord…" Rock Lee flipped over Sakura and Dosu, landing in front of Zaku on one knee with his hand extended towards the pink haired kunoichi.
"Sakura-chan, please go on a date with me!"
"Lee, this is my break between training with Uncle, and then I have to go meet Miss Rin over at the hospital immediately after that."
"Hey, Bushy Brows," Dosu spoke. "Can you do me a HUGE favor?"
"For Sakura-chan's teammate I will do anything!"
'Poor boy,' Dosu thought quickly. "You managed to get past Gaara's defenses with that crazy speed you had, even before you opened the chakra gates. Do you think you could help me get that fast in a week?"
"I am afraid I cannot Dosu," Lee replied quietly. "My body has not yet completely healed from overexertion." Dosu groaned, his head falling downward while Zaku chuckled.
"I bet you could probably forfeit now and you won't have to fight him," the spiky haired shinobi joked.
"Dosu, if you truly wish to learn how to obtain the same level of speed that I have before the Chunin Exams, I have a suggestion." Dosu's head snapped up, gazing Lee curiously. "I could request that Guy sensei teach you that technique. He was the one who originally taught it to me, and I am sure that he would not mind teaching you."
"If it helps me survive my match I'll do just about anything."
"Excellent! I will ask him immediately…if Sakura-chan promises to go on one date with me." The kunoichi groaned then slouched down further than her masked teammate. Dosu looked at his teammate pleadingly. Sakura looked at Dosu, then up at the hopeful looking Lee.
"One date," Sakura muttered.
"YES," Dosu exclaimed.
"YAHOO!" Lee sprung into the air, flipping around backwards. "I WILL GO TELL GUY SENSEI AT ONCE!" With that said, the boy in green shot past the three Genin.
"I thought he said his body wasn't completely healed yet," Zaku stated. The boy turned to Sakura with a smirk on his face. "I think Rock Lee just played you both." Dosu's single eye was wide with shock, staring at the tiny dot that was now Lee before shifting over to Sakura. The kunoichi was practically seething with rage as she slowly turned her head to Dosu.
"Please don't kill me…" Sakura quickly grabbed Dosu by the collar and lifted him off the ground, glaring daggers at him.
"You just remember I did this for you. I don't know how, but damn it you're going to make this up to me!"
"Well first we need to make sure I don't die before I can start repaying you."
"HA-HA!" The kids jumped once something dropped from the sky and smashed into the ground, forming a massive crater in front of them. The dust cleared, revealing Might Guy grinning at Dosu. "My boy, Lee tells me you're seeking the flames of youth!"
"Actually I'm seeking super speed to get past Gaara's sand defense."
"To do so, you must first embrace the FLAMES OF YOUTH!" Dosu looked up at Guy's cheesy grin, not even directed at him no less.
"Fine…I'll embrace the flames of youth…"
"THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!" Guy threw his fists into the air and screamed as fire erupted around his body.
"Dosu…if you train with Guy, does that mean you'll be wearing those tight jumpsuits?"
"Not in this lifetime."
"Come Dosu, if you're to learn from me we have to start training IMMEDIATELY!" Guy grabbed Dosu's arm then shot off into the horizon, with the latter screaming for his life. Sakura and Zaku looked at each other before shaking their heads and looking back to Dosu.
"Lunch," Zaku asked.
"Is that all we ever do anymore? Just meet up and eat?"
"Answer the damn question." Sakura rolled her eyes then motioned for Zaku to lead the way.
Danzo sighed as he placed the last of the documents on his desk to the side. There was a knock on the door before the person let themselves in. Orochimaru was sneering as usual upon entering. "How are the preparations in the Land of Waves?"
"Very good," Orochimaru replied. "Sasori is planning on arriving to Konoha in four days, and Hanzo will be here a day before that."
"Onoki?"
"Being the stubborn old fool he is and not showing up. Apparently there's a rambunctious rogue that is a top priority for him. After all, there are no shinobi from his village that is in the third stage correct?" Danzo hummed lowly before nodding. "Besides, there's someone even more important showing up to the third stage…" Danzo's single eye moved its way up, staring straight through Orochimaru. The sinister Sannin sneered, "Apparently that Tobi fellow is from the Land of Water. Yagura is showing up to watch him in the third stage. I'm sure you could find the time to talk alliances could you not?" For the first time since Orochimaru could remember, Danzo smiled.
"Excellent Orochimaru, excellent." The Hokage stood up suddenly then walked to the window, staring over his vast, powerful village. "If we can ally ourselves with the Land of Water…you realize what this could mean? Four of the five major nations would be united."
"Yes, but I'm sure the last one wouldn't join us, even against such odds." Orochimaru smiled, knowing how the old man would play this out.
"If they refuse me, then I will bring my armies and the armies of my allies down upon them! Our numbers will fill their entire nation! The citizens of the Land of Lightning will be butchered in their homes, bodies piled up in the streets, being burned into ash! We will sweep across the Land of Lightning, killing and slaughtering all. And if the Raikage must die, then I will murder him in front of his shinobi, his people, and his soldiers. I will break their backs, their spirits, I will make sure that the people of the Land of Lightning get a taste of hell before they join me or face utter oblivion! Such is the Wrath of Fire!"
"I must say, I've always appreciated that you're not afraid to take such bold actions. What would the Daimyos say?"
"If this allegiance with Yagura goes through then I won't need the Daimyos. I'll slaughter them all." Orochimaru's brow popped up with curiosity.
"That's most definitely a bold move…the Daimyos represent the country as a whole. If you kill them…you'd be bringing all of the countries under the rule of the individual Kages…"
"Exactly," Danzo whispered. "Together our shinobi are loyal to us, thus the common people will not revolt so long as we keep them oppressed. The world will be united; it will be at peace for centuries! When peace finally does come to this world…everything will be as it should." Danzo turned, a smile still worn on his face. "Ensure that nothing goes wrong during these Exams, and that lord Yagura is treated like a deity." Orochimaru chuckled and bowed his head before exiting.
Neji and Naruto lied on the grassy on top of a hill, staring up at the sky. "Oh man, that one looks like granny Tsunade!"
"I hate this! I can't see clouds with this damn thing on!"
"Seriously, your all seeing kekkei genkai can't see clouds?"
"It can see people, objects, the entire area around me, chakra systems, through solid objects, but it just beams right through clouds! Don't ask me why, it just does!"
"Well…" Naruto sat up, looking around curiously. "You could probably take it off. I mean nobody is around here for miles right Neji?"
"Oh shit!" Neji sat up, staring directly ahead. In confusion, Naruto followed his partner's gaze.
"Oh shit," Naruto snapped. A young girl with long brown hair, a curse mark on her forehead, and the Byakugan walked out of the woods. Hanabi's seemingly hollow eyes focused in on Neji. "Um…are we in trouble…?"
"I think so," Neji whispered. "That's Hinata's little sister…" There was a moment of silence between the three.
"Should we kill her?" Neji quickly smacked Naruto's arm at the thought of such an action.
"No Naruto! You idiot!"
"Neji and Naruto," Hanabi repeated with a soft voice. Said Genin jumped with shock, looking at the little girl before them. "If I'm not mistaken…you two would be Neji Hyuga, and Naruto Uzumaki…"
"Okay, now we kill her," Neji whispered. "On my mark…"
"I'm not here to cause trouble," Hanabi quickly said, raising her hands up defensively. "Please…I want to know how you two escaped." Neji and Naruto looked at each other with confusion and then back at the little girl. "Please, there's no one here. And you two offer me my only chance for freedom." Hanabi ran her hand up her face, holding her hair away from her forehead, showing her curse mark. Neji's face changed from panic to silent rage. "Neji Hyuga, you were a member of the branch family, like me, and yet the main house members couldn't stop you or find you from your curse mark. Obviously you found some way to overcome the curse mark."
"W-wait, we can't just kidnap the daughter of the Hyuga Clan's leader," Naruto sputtered. "Can we…? I mean if we did so then we'd definitely have the village on our asses."
"I know," Neji sighed. "But I know what it's like to be a member of the branch family." Neji pulled his headband up, allowing himself to see Hanabi with his own eyes. His youngest cousin had a blank expression, but one look in her eyes and Neji saw a little girl who was broken down into nothing better than a slave. Neji shook his head, sighing heavily. "I don't know. This is something we definitely need to run by Yahiko at least."
"Please, I'll do anything."
"Listen um…"
"Hanabi."
"Hanabi," Naruto continued. "Neji and I are…a part of a group working to…make the world a better place. But people like your father or the Hokage would only see us as criminals."
"I have secrets about the Hyuga Clan." Neji's eyes hardened a bit at the statement. "I'll do whatever it takes. I hate this life. You have no idea what it's like being treated like garbage by your own family." Hanabi clenched her tiny fists as hard as she could. "My father doesn't even notice me, and I'm nothing but a servant, a slave, to my sister!" Hanabi closed her eyes, fighting the tears that started to build up. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be looked down on by your own father? The man who created me could care less whether I lived or died. Don't I at least deserve some love from him? Some form of compassion? And to my sister I'm just her pet. The only way I was able to come here was by asking her for a day off. The last time I had a day off from serving my father or sister was nearly half a year ago! I'm not one of them, I'm not even a person. I'm just a thing to them!" Hanabi lowered her head, tears running down her cheeks and hitting the ground at her feet. Neji and Naruto's expressions showed that Hanabi's speech obviously moved them. "I don't even feel like a person. I don't even have an identity. I would give anything…to be treated like a normal person by anyone. Even if I have to betray my clan, even if I have to betray my village…if it means I'll get away from this life I'll do it. Please…"
Naruto and Neji looked at each other, their eyes meeting. Hanabi watched with worry. The boys' eyes lowered to the ground before Naruto looked over at Hanabi.
"Listen…our sensei, Yahiko, he's really high up in the group we're in, and he's a real hard ass. I don't think he'd agree to this, even after that speech…" Hanabi's heart dropped like a sack of bricks. Tears ran down her cheeks as she lowered her head in sorrow.
"I understand…" Neji and Naruto's eyes met again, this time a glimmer of deviousness could be seen.
"But," Neji quickly spoke. Hanabi's eyes moved up slowly to the two boys who were now grinning to each other.
Sakura opened the door and walked into her house, "Uncle, I'm home." The kunoichi looked around the empty room before taking a step forward.
"HOLD IT!" Sakura yelped then caught herself from falling over. Again, the bubble gum haired girl looked around, but saw no one. Finally, Sakura looked up, seeing her uncle standing on the ceiling. "Wipe your feet first."
Sakura narrowed her eyes questioningly, "Are you doing the same thing Zaku was doing?"
"Standing upside down to sharpen my mind and trust my senses?" Sakura nodded. "No, I'm cleaning." Higure bent over and started dusting the ceiling. "You would not BELIEVE how much dust gets up here!"
"Why are you deciding to clean now," Sakura asked as she took off her shoes at the door.
"This is my house, and I like a clean house confound it." Sakura hummed as she threw her shuriken pouch on the couch. "Dinner is in the kitchen."
"I went out to eat with Zaku."
"No Dosu?" Sakura covered her mouth and giggled a bit. "Uh oh…what happened?"
"Well, Dosu apparently hasn't been working on any new abilities during these past few weeks right?" Higure placed his hands on the ceiling, flowing his chakra from his feet to his hands.
"Right," the light haired brunette replied as his feet dangled for a moment while he clung to the ceiling by the palms of his hands.
"Well," Sakura continued as her uncle landed on the floor, "Now Dosu decides he wants to train with Might Guy to learn how to be super fast like Lee."
"Oh that's not hard. You just need to know how to open the Eight Gates." Sakura tilted her head curiously.
"Do you know how to do that?"
"Well, not like Guy does. It takes at least four or five gates to be opened to become that rage-ful red."
"How many can you open?"
"Well most Jonin and ANBU are required to be able to open at least four of the Gates. So…about four."
"So you could've taught Dosu?"
"Doesn't mean I want to." Sakura scowled at her uncle, realizing that they somehow made their way to the kitchen. "But opening the Inner Gates isn't that hard. It's just ridiculous that Lee can open so many of them as a Genin."
"Well when do they start teaching shinobi how to do that?"
"Usually around Chunin level." Higure pulled out a jug of orange juice. "Danzo wanted to make it a requirement that Genin in Konoha should know how to open at least two of the Inner Gates before going to the Chunin Exams. That was a stupid idea…"
Sakura narrowed her eyes for a moment, thinking hard to herself. "So…you could teach me how to be super fast like Lee?" Higure stopped pouring juice in his cup before snapping his head towards Sakura. "What? I'm facing Shikamaru Nara! You know, that kid with the genius IQ! I have to fight him! I gotta have some type of edge on him. Chakra control and medical ninjutsu won't cut it!"
"Study your opponent then! I'm not teaching my niece some move that'll kill herself!"
"Oh come on! You'd teach it to me if I were a boy!"
"Oh lord," Higure exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "You have never seen me commit one act of sexual discrimination. So where's your proof that I'd teach you a dangerous and harmful jutsu if you were a boy?"
"I don't know! I need an edge damn it! Shikamaru is a genius! He can figure me out like nothing!"
"Oh it's not that hard. You're not stupid are you? You had the second highest grades in your graduating class."
"Yeah, after Shikamaru!"
Higure rolled his eyes again before facing his niece. "Alright, it's easy: study your opponent. Shikamaru's most powerful weapon is his brain. He only has one jutsu, that's a weakness. What does that jutsu revolve around?"
"Using shadows," Sakura answered simply.
Higure looked at his niece for a moment before turning away, "And that's all you're getting from me."
"Oh what the hell!"
"You have to help yourself with this one. I can't fight all your battles for you." Sakura threw her head back and groaned loudly before walking away. Higure chuckled, shaking his head before taking a drink of juice.
Yahiko was in the team's hotel room, reading one of Jiraiya's adventure novels. The door suddenly opened. Yahiko turned his head to the entrance, seeing Naruto walk in, followed by Neji and then a third little girl he didn't recognize. The orange haired man blinked with confusion before he noticed the familiar curse seal on her forehead.
"Um…guys…" Yahiko tried to think of something to say, but only one thing came to mind. "What the hell are you doing?"
"She found us out," Neji snapped.
"She what now?" Neji reached up and pulled up his headband, showing his eyes. Yahiko's heart nearly jumped into his throat as he stood up suddenly, "What the hell are you-,"
"She knows who we are," Naruto stated. "Neji and I were working on his fighting without using the Byakugan, so he was fighting blind again and not using the Gentle Fist."
"Well, we started taunting each other," Neji continued, "Using each other's real names and whatnot."
"And then Neji has to activate his Byakugan and used his rotation against me because he was about to lose." Neji narrowed his eyes at his teammate. "Then he noticed Hanabi hiding in the bushes."
"Hanabi, as in Hanabi Hyuga? As in the daughter of the leader of the Hyuga Clan?"
"That's right," Hanabi replied with a nod. "I'm sure lord Danzo would like to know why a Hyuga rogue and his village's only Jinchuriki are here and in disguise." Yahiko gapped with shock before snapping his head to his two students.
"You guys are idiots! You've ruined the whole operation!"
"She made us a deal," Neji snapped, glaring angrily at Yahiko. "I say we hear it out." Yahiko groaned before focusing back on Hanabi.
"I won't tell anyone who you all are if you take me with you away from this village." Yahiko blinked rapidly with confusion. "Whatever you did when Neji ran away, the curse mark doesn't affect him anymore. I want you to do the same for me. And in return, I don't rat you out to the Hokage." Yahiko opened his mouth to scream, but was cut off, "And I have secrets on the Hyuga Clan and a few on Konoha, which I cannot reveal as long as I have this curse seal on my head." Yahiko remained gapping, unable to think of anything to say. "What do you say?" Yahiko looked up at Neji and Naruto, both of whom nodded behind Hanabi's back.
"I don't have a choice do I," Yahiko asked, looking back at Hanabi.
"Nope," was the young girl's simple reply. "And I promise whatever organization you're apart of, I'll carry my own weight." Yahiko took a deep breath before sighing heavily.
"I know I'm going to get shit about this later from Konan…but deal. But if you're going to come with us, then you find one of these two during the third stage, otherwise you're getting left behind." Neji and Naruto glanced at each other before looking back at their sensei.
"Don't you mean after the third stage," Neji asked.
"No…we're planning something special for the third stage. We'll discuss it later. But if Hanabi wants to escape with us, then find either Neji or Naruto after their matches in the third stage immediately."
"I shall," Hanabi replied with a small bow. "Thank you very much Yahiko-sama. I must go back home now. Your secret is safe with me." Yahiko nodded with a frown.
"Escort young Hanabi to the door," Yahiko ordered. Naruto and Neji nodded then followed Hanabi out of the door.
As soon as they were out of the front door, Hanabi spun around and threw her arms around Neji and Naruto. The two boys paused for a second before smiling softly. Naruto placed a hand on the girl's shoulder while Neji patted her head.
"I can't thank you both enough…" Hanabi released the boys then ran out into the streets to get home quickly. Despite her back being turned to them, Naruto gave a small wave regardless of whether she saw it or not.
"That was a really good plan," Naruto said, glancing over at Neji.
"I know," the young Hyuga replied with a cocky smirk. "Of course Yahiko sensei played his part splendidly." Naruto snickered quietly before following Neji back up to the room.
Yahiko was looking out the window, watching Hanabi run off with a smile on his face. He had also witnessed Hanabi hugging the two boys. The spiky haired man turned around, shaking his head before he grabbed his book and started reading again. "Idiots," Yahiko murmured with a grin widening on his face.
The last week passed in no time. The streets were filled with citizens and shinobi from Konoha, Amegakure, Suna, and even Kiri. People flooded around the stadium, waiting to get in and take their seats. The only contestants there so far were Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Gaara, and Tobi. Naruto looked around, wondering about Sakura and her teammates.
In the stands, Hinata sat by her father's side while Hanabi sat by her sister's side. "Which one is it," Hiashi asked.
"The blind one," Hinata replied. The Hyuga leader activated his Byakugan, scanning the boy's entire body. "I saw it when he beat me. His palm was open like he was using the Gentle Fist, and then he closed his hand into a fist. Why would he do that unless he wanted to hide the fact that he was a Hyuga in disguise?" Hiashi hummed quietly, seemingly deep in thought. "Father…?"
"Hanabi," Hiashi suddenly spoke. The youngest sister jumped with fright, looking over at her father quickly. "You seem nervous. What's wrong?"
"I-I'm just anxious to see Hinata's opponent in action I suppose…" The head of the Hyuga hummed curiously, keeping his eyes on Neji.
Yahiko milled towards the back of the stadium, looking around in the crowd curiously. A man wearing a black cloak wearing a hood over his head approached Yahiko. The orange haired man noticed the hooded figure immediately.
"How many are here?"
"We currently have thirty five spread around the stadium. Also, Danzo has ANBU in disguise all around the stadium, and he even as some posing as civilians. Nagato managed to pinpoint the highest concentration of ANBU in the stadium." The hooded man pointed to the seats across from where the Kage would watch the matches.
"His paranoia knows no bounds," Yahiko murmured. "Why there?"
"Jiraiya-sama thinks it's because it would be the clearest shot for someone to try an assassinate Danzo or one of his allies, including the Fourth Mizukage." Yahiko's eyes hardened.
"So…Yagura is here?" Yahiko looked the man in the face, "Itachi, where is everyone positioned?"
"Jiraiya himself is stationed over with the highest concentration of ANBU. Over there with him are Zabuza Momochi and six others." Yahiko's eyes widened slightly with shock. "We recruited him while you were gone. And we've quelled him enough so he won't leap across the stadium to try and kill Yagura again. I will be stationed over here with a few others, across from us, Konan, Nagato and ten others are stationed. We also have shinobi in the stadium to give us an escape route that you planned out."
"Excellent…"
"This is a risky plan. Our advantage over Danzo was that we were hidden more or less. If we do this…"
"We'll reveal to everyone that we're serious, and show the whole world in front of their leaders that we're going to bring a new age of peace." Itachi sighed before placing his hand on Yahiko's shoulder.
"I hope you know what you're doing…" Yahiko nodded to Itachi who walked down towards the seats.
On the ground, the contestants heard someone running up behind them. Naruto turned, seeing his opponent, Zaku Abumi, running up to the line with Sakura following behind him. Zaku's shinobi attire seemed to have changed since the preliminaries, as did Sakura's. Zaku's only real change in clothing was his V-neck shirt with short, baggy sleeves, and a black turtle neck undershirt, and he no longer wore the faceguard. Sakura wore a shoulder-less red shirt with long baggy sleeves that covered her hands, like Dosu's. She had white circles around the trim of the sleeves and up just where the shirt cut off at the shoulders. She wore shorts that didn't hug her thighs like before, but were far from baggy like Zaku's pants.
"Sorry we're late," Sakura called out, stopping next to Zaku, in front of Naruto. "Did we miss anything?"
"No," Naruto replied with a faint blush coming across his cheeks. "You uh…you look nice Sakura-chan." Sakura blushed, glancing down at her attire quickly.
"Well uh…thank you Ryu." Naruto grinned bashfully as he started to rub the back of his neck.
"Yo, where's our knuckle-dragging teammate," Zaku asked, looking around. "I thought with his training with Guy he'd be here super early."
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Naruto, Zaku, and Sakura looked up, seeing a pair of figures falling towards them.
"CRAP," Zaku shouted. The three Genin dove out of the way as Dosu landed smoothly on the ground while Guy came down with a smashing result. "What the crap dude!"
Dosu looked up, his bandages completely gone. Now he wore a black mask to cover his mouth and a Konoha headband. Both of his eyes were shown, and his brown, shaggy hair hung loosely over his headband. His usually baggy shirt was now synched tightly around his waist by a belt, his left sleeve was completely torn away, revealing his entire arm which had a forearm guard, like Zaku's, and a sweatband of sorts just above his bicep.
"Sorry, guys, Guy sensei said we should make a dramatic entrance with the FLAMES OF YOUTH!" Zaku and Sakura's jaws dropped and their faces twisted with shock at their comrade's statement.
"Dosu! Have you finally embraced the flames of youth," Guy asked gleefully.
"No, that was a joke," Dosu stated bluntly. Guy's shoulders slouched with disappointment. "Sorry big guy."
"I'll get you sooner or later," Guy boomed, recovering from his disappointment quickly with a grin. "The flames of youth are just waiting to explode within you!"
"Yeah, that's great. Listen, thanks for training me and everything, but you've gotta go in the stands now."
"Right, I'll be watching your match closely to see if the flames of youth explode within you or not!" With that, Guy crouched down and rocketed towards the stands.
"That old guy has way too much energy," Dosu said, shaking his head. The hunched over Genin froze as he felt a hand on top of his head. Dosu's eyes moved up before he turned his head, seeing Zaku rubbing his hair. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hey, I didn't know you had hair. I always thought you were bald, or maybe your scalp was gone and your brain was showing or something." Dosu sighed before looking over at Sakura.
"Hey, I had to deal with him all week. And you're still in my debt, got it?"
"Yes ma'am…"
"Listen up contestants," Hayate spoke. The Genin turned their attention toward the proctor who let out a few weak coughs. "The third stage is about ready to begin. Let me go over the rules for you kids…"