Surprise, surprise. I'm updating rather soon. Well, I was motivated. Although I'm not sure if that's going to last or not. Still, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Hinata wondered how she didn't think of that earlier. The very man who'd started that Jutsu was Madara Uchiha.
It was a known fact he wanted to completed that.
So where was he?
Was he still alive, or did he fall to his own Genjutsu?
She needed answers, she knew that. But as the days passed in her vain attempts at any Genjutsu dispelling jutsu's, she knew deep down there was a problem. She was no match.
Madara Uchiha was on Equal level as Hashirama Senju.
If the Kage's couldn't hold on against him alone. What was she supposed to do?
Assuming Madara was even awake and not caught in his own Genjutsu, how could she do anything? Try to reason with him?
No, she couldn't do that and she knew it. She might just be caught in the Tsukuyomi again.
Which truly meant either she found a way to dispel the Genjutsu herself, or she forced Madara.
The realization hit hard. The fact that she knew she wasn't a match for someone that strong. The fact that she was the only one who could actually do anything. It was just...
She moved. She didn't know where and she didn't care. But she could not think about that. No.
''If the world were to come to an end tomorrow. Who would you like to spend your last day with?''
For some reason, that question from Iruka-sensei stuck in her mind. Then again, it wasn't fully true. She knew why.
She was at the academy grounds, after all. And her mind couldn't stop but relay her current situation into that.
The entire thing was oddly fitting. The world could have ended and in her eyes, it did. Even though it was still running with all but humans.
Her lips opened and closed, hesitant to say it aloud, even with no one around.
''I have... no one...''
And that was the hard truth of her situation. She was all alone.
There was no one else, and she couldn't do anything. She was just that weak...
At some point, she must have moved. For she somehow ended up on top of the Hokage's monuments. Sitting on top of the First as she looked up at the Night Sky.
''What am I supposed to do?''
It's all she said as she stared and stared. Her eyes never left the night sky.
The answer seemed simple enough. Grow stronger. But how was she supposed to do that when the Kage's couldn't do that as a team?
She had no more teachers. She had no one else. She'd be doing this all alone.
Would she even hold on long enough with this solitude?
Would she have enough time to even rescue them?
Could she even reach something close to that power?
Hinata left those thoughts to linger in her mind, and she knew that she had no answer. What would anyone in her position do? What would...
''What would have Naruto done?''
The silence of the night was her answer. And yet, it almost felt like she did get an answer.
Because she realized it.
He wouldn't have given up without a fight. If he wasn't strong enough? He'd just train up to get stronger. He'd find a way... just like he did when he left the village before Pain's attack.
He hadn't given up. And instead tried to fix up that mistake.
And what was she doing? On the bridge of giving up to her fear.
She couldn't help herself, she laughed. She laughed at how stupid it sounded, and in realization that she could do something, still.
She would not allow herself to give up. No.
''I swear, I will do whatever it takes to free everyone. No matter how long it takes.''
Motivated, she skipped sleep that night,
Hinata would, to a mix of shame and embarrassment, fall asleep on the Hokage's desk. Having laid each and every scroll's with whatever she found useful there.
Why was she taking the desk and in the compound?
Mostly for convenience sake. It was the closest place with the free space. Considering all of it was stored there and it was nighttime when she had that burst of motivation.
She would transport the scrolls she found useful, but for now, she just profited.
Well, after getting breakfast. She was rather hungry.
But once that was done, she went on to work.
From all the Jutsu's Konoha had, the one that actually caught her attention was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Not even because of its power, unless you were Naruto, but just because... well, she wouldn't actually be alone.
Talking to herself likely was better than no one.
She laid the scroll in the pile to take. And went on back to reading the rest.
The other vastly noteworthy forbidden Jutsu was, Edo Tensei. But by all means, what the scroll said made it useless. Not only would she need a sacrifice, which she would never do, but she doubted anyone was truly considered dead inside the cocoon.
Speaking of which, what had happened to the dead Hokage's that were brought back? Were they sealed away?
That likely was it. Or else, they likely would have headed over here. Another reason why it might not be worth it.
So, she laid it in the pile to put back before she left.
It took hours upon hours, but she was eventually done. By that point, it was already evening.
The pile wasn't big, all things considered. Not compared to the ones which she'd put in the pile to return. Which, she'd already done by now.
All she needed to do was head to the compound, and she would be able to work.
It did take two come and go, but she had it all transported. And with the comfort of her own room, Hinata went on to learn the Jutsu's.
Shadow Clone Jutsu was both easy, and hard to use.
On one hand, the hand seals and manifesting the clones were easy. On the other hand, the Chakra cost likely was why it was considered forbidden by most.
Hinata, by some sheer luck, was able to summon 2 Shadow Clones. It took her an entire week to regulate the chakra properly enough where it was a possibility.
But it was absolutely worth it for her. At least she wouldn't be alone anymore. Even if it was talking to herself.
She let her clones do daily chores, just to see how long they could last as of the moment. They vanished out of existence in less than an hour.
Hinata learned everything she could, but she focused on her Chakra reserves so that they could grow.
It's February, nearly March when she realizes new year has already passed, that there was no Rinne Festival to hold. Or that she completely forgot about her birthday, which was on December 27th.
She's 17 now...
She kept on training and training, her clone limit now growing to 4. But there was a problem.
Keeping the village running and working. She still needed the electricity and everything, so she sent her clones to actually keep the generators running (after researching how it works to begin with) while she kept on training. Practicing and practicing her taijutsu.
However, it just wasn't enough, much to her frustration. She needed time, she knows. And she technically did have time.
And yet, she didn't want to make them wait. They were all stuck in there...
But she knew rushing in wouldn't be enough. She had quite literally done that, to save Naruto...
Naruto who had gone to train in Mount Myoboku...
...filled with toats, if what she'd heard was right...
Her eyes widened in realization.
Everyone who'd seen it or been told beforehand knew that Naruto was gone to train. And they all saw exactly what he was able to do after it.
That... That might be her next step!
Maybe it wouldn't be enough. But surely, she'd be closer to her goal.
Hinata couldn't help but smile with complete and utter joy.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi seemed to only affect humans. Animals weren't affected at all. It meant that the toads from Mount Myoboku? Likely were all still very much awake!
Still, Hinata didn't allow herself to fully hope. She didn't think she could handle it if they were to be crushed. But being an optimist didn't stop her. It just meant she needed to be sure. So, she searched and searched.
Mount Myoboku was her destination.
In all her joy, and the sheer loneliness, Hinata Hyuga never even considered that she was being observed.
Someone would be a fitting term, but only through the eyes. The body on the other hand, couldn't be considered human.
No. It was something.
It was lifeless. Life never even existed in it to begin with, it only acted as a doll. It wasn't alive. And yet, she was being observed by someone.
I tried to make the chapter longer considering we are already approaching one of the aspects of this AU I wanted to explore. Well, the first one is Mount Myoboku.
Honestly, I was always interested to see how Hinata would handle the sage's training. Or how it would look like on someone with a Dojutsu, for that matter. Madara just... didn't have it on his own face.
What's the second one, you may ask? You'll have to wait until I explore it. Which honestly might not take to long.
Still, I hope I was blatant enough at the end, with who, or what in this case, is watching Hinata.