chapter 8

Naruto grumbled as he looked over at the team.
"W-what happened?"
Before anyone could explain, Koga would speak.
"You did. you killed the bandits, And just about wound up killing sensei as well!" Koga shouted, Shocking Naruto.
"W-what?" he asked, eyes wide and horrified "H-hang on! Explain I dunno what's going on!"
Before Koga could go yapping again, Hinata spoke.

"Y-you had seen Ikigomi sensei was severely hurt. after that you... You stopped acting like yourself..." She said, looking up at him from her position on top of his body. "A strange chakra had overtaken your whole body. And you went berserk..."
Naruto's eyes widened When he remembered something Mizuki had said. looking around, he witnessed the results of his rampage.
Seeing the corpses of the bandits. and their leader. It...
It felt awful.

Koga was just about to berate Naruto further when their sensei spoke up.
"It's not your fault. Given that look on your face, it seems like you know what happened already."
Hinata and Koga looked at him. Questioningly.
"You say that like you know, Sensei," Koga said, almost suspiciously."Like you know why Naruto tore those guys to pieces And attacked you when you got back to your feet"

Hikaru nodded in response.
"I do, and although I'm not supposed to tell you. given you've seen it first hand, I suppose there's no harm in telling." He sighed. " Twelve years ago, A little before Hinata was born, And a little after Koga was. A great beast with nine tails attacked the village."
"The nine-tailed fox" Koga spoke up "I knew that already, The fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to kill it"
Hikaru shook his head.
"No, See, He didn't want to kill it. Doing so would only cause it to reform at a later date, So he instead needed to seal it in a vessel, The issue was there was no willing recipient." Hikaru looked over his students as they came to a harrowing realization, Except for naruto, who just looked ashamed "so, a woman on her death bed, who was close friends to the fourth had offered up the child she'd just delivered. Naruto Uzumaki... The third Hokage was forced to retake the position after the fourth's death And gave a mandate that the adults of Konoha were to never bring up the boy's status as a seal to the demon fox, and to treat him well," Hikaru continued with his explanation. catching further interest.

"Instead, They treated that hero of a young man like he was the beast that terrorized the village And told their children to stay away, Forcing him into the same loneliness and isolation that had haunted other vessels to great demon beasts," Hikaru concluded. Hinata looked at her crush, While Koga's demeanor softened.
"I see... But..." Koga hesitated before speaking. "T-that doesn't explain why he went after you Sensei!"
"It wasn't him that attacked me, Koga," Hikaru spoke. "He was in a moment of physical exhaustion, And emotional weakness... The Fox saw an opportunity to bare its fangs. And it did."
Koga took a moment to process it all.

"S-so, How did I get out of it?" Asked Naruto, Still upset about all this, And now with the knowledge that it was his own mother that got him treated like a pariah by the village.
"You can thank Hinata for that, Naruto," Hikaru said, with a sort of casual humor, to try and lighten the mood.
The girl blushed, Finally realizing her position, She yelped and jumped away blushing like mad.
"I-i-it was nothing... I-I just wanted to...!" she twiddled with her fingers.
Koga and Hikaru both chuckled at the display.

"Don't strain yourself, The mission was a success. Though, I do have a
certain elder to tell off for lying about the difficulty of the mission.' He would stand up.
"You three need to rest though, no major injuries aside from my shoulder, But you all look exhausted." He said As he helped Naruto up.

With everything settled down, Naruto and Koga were both noticeably quiet. Hikaru would hope they'd figure out their feelings on their own.
Hinata really stepped up, Which impressed the jounin greatly.

Once he got an apology out of the elder for his neglecting to mention a shinobi among the bandits, The group of four would spend a night resting and getting treated for their injuries before returning home.

-one week later; In the Hokage's office.-

The third Hokage sat across from Hikaru As he listened to the young Jounin explain the situation... That was two C-Rank missions this past week reported to have been more difficult than initially suspected.
One more and he might joke that the C stood for cursed.

Jokes aside, however. There were pressing matters to attend to.

Hiruzen blew out a plume of smoke once Hikaru had finished his report.
"So, He had not only been taken over by the fox. But you made the call to reveal why it happened... That is... Problematic."
Hikaru nodded, Not regretting his choice.
"Miss Hyuga has a deep affection for Naruto, She wouldn't have cared one way or another... Koga however is a bit of a mystery, He was silent most of the way back, Even when naruto had cheered up."

Hiruzen nodded.
"Well, If it de-escalated things at the moment, That's fine and well enough... but who is to say they won't spread this information, And put Naruto in danger?" Asked the old man Locking his fingers together.
Hikaru would contemplate for a moment, That wasn't the kind of thing he or the village needed. Still, there was only so much he could do.
"I'll do my job as his instructor, And defend him with my life."

Hiruzen only smiled at that notion. But for as kind as he was. The third Hokage was still a realist.
"And if you aren't enough."
"I have many friends in many places who'd do the same at my request." Hikaru responded "they may not take him under their wing. But they'll at least keep him safe."
Hiruzen hummed, he knew a few of the friends Hikaru spoke of, Hatake Kakashi, Might Gai, and so forth, not to mention Iruka who was just about the closest to a father Naruto had.

Hiruzen sighed.
"Very well, I will trust your judgment for now, and furthermore I will list this as a successful B-rank mission. and pay the difference from my own pocket."
"No need," Hikaru responded. shaking his head. "The Genin had barely come into contact with Yosuke after I used the front lotus on him. Naruto was overtaken by the Kyuubi. so his defeat of Yosuke could hardly be counted toward his own merit."
Hiruzen chuckled at the man's reasoning.
"You performed magnificently against an opponent who by all accounts has a better record than you during his tenure as a Konoha Shinobi; You've not even attempted an A-rank mission yet, and you still had him on death's door by your fight's end." Hiruzen replied. "had it not been for the fatigue from fighting him and his bandits all at once, there is not one doubt in my mind you'd have been victorious."
Hikaru looked down, Sighing deeply.
"But I still didn't win, Had it not been naruto that was assigned to me. We would have all died," he admitted.

Hiruzen sighed. The boy was always so stubborn about his shortcomings.
"We rank our missions by their innate difficulty, not by the competency of which they are handled. you were successful, Hikaru Ikigomi. You were successful and you survived. That is all that matters."

Hikaru sighed... the Hokage was in a stubborn mood...
If nothing else, he could take his team out for a really nice dinner this time. and then they'd all have some money for themselves left over.
Hikaru would accept the money rather than argue further. and make his way out.

But before he left He would pipe up
"The Chuunin exams are soon, correct lord Hokage?"
"Yes, They are. I was about to host a meeting among all of the other Jounin instructors about that by week's end, Why ask?"
"Despite the things I had to say in regards to my team's performance, I do think they're ready for it."
Hiruzen's brows would rise a bit.
"Is that so? "
Hikaru nodded.
"While it's true that it was a near failure on my part, Hd we been informed from the start the full severity of the bandit leader's prowess, I could have made a better plan that utilized my students' abilities more effectively. But with a third of our supplementary forces knocked out of the fight so quickly I had to play by ear... I suppose I cracked under the pressure. "

Hiruzen chuckles at the younger man. He wasn't making excuses like some of the less reputable jounin that took on students He took the whole weight of the responsibility for their near failure.
Hiruzen would be a liar if he said he didn't appreciate the honesty.

"I see, Well, We will discuss it when the time comes."
Hiruzen smiled As Hikaru gave a silent nod, and made his way out of the building.

-In the streets of Konoha two days-

Koga walked about town, His curfew wasn't for another several hour, So he'd decided to get some fresh air, Maybe clear his head some.
His teammate was the vessel for the nine tails...
He honestly didn't mind so much, the more he thought of it, Naruto was loud and obnoxious, But an overall kind person.

What bothered him instead, Was the fact that so many people treated him like garbage when he provided a great service for the village, before he was even old enough to have that choice.

Koga sighed, Maybe he was thinking too much on this...
"Bunch of ingrates" He whispered to himself, looking around at the villagers. He would grumble about, looking for something to take his mind of things.

But, unfortunately for him, nothing could satiate his interest for long enough to get him off the subject, It was almost like a magnet to his mind.
Koga wasn't a nice kid, But he was always taught that fair is fair.
And the way this village treated his teammate wasn't fair in the slightest.

-At the Hyuga compound four days after the mission-

Hinata stood a bit taller since their mission, Though still her timid self, her behavior in sparring matches was more sure, almost even aggressive
After their mission, Hinata became determined to protect her team.
She felt that Hikaru had seen her as unreliable, and that was why he stuck her in reserve.

She would prove otherwise. She would reinvent herself... No matter what anyone said, Be it Neji, or her own father.
She had even taken to privately sparring with Hanabi to garner a better understanding of her abilities.

It was a bit shameful, having to learn from her younger sister, But she wasn't a very prideful person in the first place.
She would improve.

Strike after strike, blow for blow, Hinata traded blows with her younger sister.
Under the watch of a branch family servant, to make sure neither party went too far the pair would fight for the better part of an hour, blocking each other's chakra paths until finally...

"I-i forfeit" Hanabi gasped, as she collapsed onto her bottom from exhaustion. "S-sister, You've become much stronger," She said with a smile, Hanabi was always reserved, and though she was merciless in their matches together, the love and admiration for her sister were very much driving forces in her own advancement in the gentle fist.
If not for her martial ability then for her compassion in fighting.

Now her sister's determination was another point to admire, It seemed.
Hinata would smile at her sister's kind words.
"T-thank you" she took some deep breaths of her own, As it was a difficult match"I still need to improve, But I think we can rest for now..."
Hanabi nodded in agreement. as she watched Hinata stretch a bit.
"Sister?"
"Yes Hanabi?" asked the older girl with her usual sweet voice. the stammer she had around others gone.
"Where is it that you go after we practice?"
That Got Hinata turning a bit red
"O-oh! Uhm, I like to spend time with one of my teammates, He's a very hard worker A-and..." She said stuttering, confusing Hanabi

Her sister only ever acted like this around Neji and their father...
Was this teammate of hers like them?
if they made their sister nervous, could they be trusted at all to be on the same team?
Hanabi couldn't do anything about their family. But she could protect her big sister from outsiders.

"I will go too," Hanabi said with the same strictness as her father.
Hinata looked at her sister as if she didn't hear her properly.
"W-what was that Hanabi?" Asked Hinata, surprised at her sister.
"I wish to come too, Elder sister." Hanabi reaffirmed.
"Why?" Asked Hinata Giving her younger sibling a small pout.
Hanabi would ponder the question for a bit, thinking of a response that wouldn't set her sibling off.

Offering protection from an outsider would hardly be an acceptable answer...
"Father doesn't take me out often, I would like to have a look around the village."
Hinata paused for a moment at her answer... She wanted to spend some time alone with naruto... Try and get used to him without fainting since they'd be spending time together as squadmates, Her usual meet-ups with him have been helping certainly... Not to mention they almost felt like dates!

But here her sheltered younger sister was asked to get some time away from the large, but often lonely feeling halls of their home.
How could she deny that?
Hinata would sigh and smile. kneeling to her sister's height.
"Alright, But father mustn't know." Said the elder sibling. "Please keep it a secret."
Hanabi nodded.

And with that, The pair started on their way, The branch family member who'd watched over them just sighed at the pair of girls as they left.
She wasn't fond of the head family, very few branch family members were...
But Hinata with her gentle and kind nature, And Hanabi with her protectiveness overall family members, and not just the head family.
She'd be lying if she said it didn't win her over.

Really the only branch member that held a great deal of resentment toward the sisters personally was Neji,
The old woman, Hanako, Supposed she couldn't blame the boy, He had more raw talent than either girl, And it was to be wasted because of the station he was born to...

Still, She hoped one day he'd get along with the girls without forgetting what he was fighting for.

-Naruto's house, Thirty minutes later-

Hinata and Hanabi had arrived at Naruto's home. but just as they reached the door, they noticed a note.
'Hey Hinata, I know we usually hang out after you train with your family and all, But Konohamaru came over with his friends wanting to play ninja.
I decided to teach them some of the cool techniques I've picked up instead. Drop by if you still wanna hang out!"

Hinata smiled at the note, So naruto was good with ki-
Wait.
Konohamaru?
The Third Hokage's grandson?
How did he know the Third Hokage's grandson?!

Hanabi looked at the bewildered elder sister.
"Hinata, Is something the matter?"
Hinata, startled by the sudden noise gave a loud yelp.
"N-no, I'm fine! Uhm, My squadmate is at our training grounds." She said Smiling "H-he apparently has some friends around your age that he's spending time with"

She could only hope the boy didn't teach the Hokage's grandson the sexy transformation technique, Even the kind old man the village called their leader would have his limits...
She did not want the boy she was fond of executed for impropriety.

Hanabi only nodded in response to her sister's words, Following along right behind her.

-Training ground fourteen-

Hinata and Hanabi would arrive at the sight of her sensei sitting on a large rock, overlooking Naruto and a trio of children, mostly just messing around.
More specifically, Naruto was using his gale palm to send the kids flying into a pile of leaves.
Hanabi tilted her head curiously at the sight, As Hinata giggled.

She would head forward with Hanabi at her side.
"N-Naruto. I'm here." She caught the blonde boy's attention
"Ah! Hinata! Good to see ya!" he shouted with a smile, The three children turned to where naruto looked.
Hinata would Jog up to Naruto smile and blush on her face.
"I-I see you're having fun. I wouldn't want to interrupt."
Naruto chuckled, A bit Shaking his head.
"No worries Hinata! The more the Merrier! Even Ikigomi-sensei's joined in!"
Hinata smiled with a small timid giggle.

Hanabi peered on with curiosity. her sister seemed... Happy, Happier than the younger Hyuga ever saw her, but if that was the case, why did the thought of him make her sister so nervous.

"Hey! Big bro! Is this your girlfriend?" Asked Konohamaru loudly. Almost completely out of the blue.
Both Hinata and Naruto got red in the face, the former far more than the latter, as they sputtered to respond.
"I-I-I-I" Hinata sputtered out like a broken record. while Naruto looked like he was recovering from being kicked in the nads.

Hikaru snickered at the sight as he jumped down.
"Kono-dono, that's not a very appropriate thing to ask your tutor for the day."
Konohamaru rose a brow at Hikaru's words.
"What? I'm just sayin' she's way out of his league." Spoke the mouthy young boy, As his friends snickered.

Hanabi looked at the boy who spoke up to the adult. And immediately she took a firm dislike toward him, He seemed like an uncouth loudmouth.
But his words did interest her...
Given the nervousness... He could be right, the blonde boy could be her sister's boyfriend. No wonder she didn't want their father to know! he would never approve of Hinata ending up with an outsider!

"Konohamaru's totally right!" Giggled the girl covering her mouth "She looks like the princess from a fairy tale, while big bro Naruto's more like the ogre with a scary iron club!" the girl would then notice Hanabi, and approach. Offering a hand. "My name's Moegi! What's yours?" she asked with a grin
Hanabi looked at the hand offered, And took it hesitantly.
"Hanabi." Responded the younger Hyuga
As she shook hands with the other girl, Konohamaru finally noticed the other girl. He grinned and offered a hand as well "Hey I'm-!" Quickly he felt a sense of disappointment, As he noticed the girl turn her nose up at him
Making it worse, His other friend Udon actually got a handshake where he didn't!

Eventually, Naruto and Hinata recovered from the punch in the gut that was Konohamaru's question.
"S-so! uh! Yeah, that's the gale palm technique!" He said. Getting the childrens' attention.
"Big bro, you didn't answer my question," Konohamaru said. Hoping to get a similar reaction to before.
Hanabi would quickly speak up.
"They don't owe you an answer." She said sharply, not wanting to see her sister embarrassed.

Both Naruto and Hinata thanked her silently.

"So uh... This is your sister right Hinata?"
"Y-yes, she is..." Hinata squeaked out as she fiddled about with her thumbs.
"I kinda like her! she at least knows how to get Konohamaru to shut his trap!" Naruto laughed, To the detriment of his little friend. "Aaanyway!" he continued before Konohamaru could speak up "You guys wanna grab some Ichiraku?"
"Yes! That sounds wonderful..." Hinata replied happily. Eager to get the younger kids off the awkward subject.

"Ah! Big bro's treatin' us to ramen!" Konohamaru shouted gleefully. Moegi and Udon both cheered along.
Hinata hummed.
"I-i don't mind paying for my own..." she said "I wouldn't want to be too much of a b-bother"
Naruto chuckled in response to her words.
"Hey! with that big payout we got for that B-rank mission it's no problem at all! I'll have enough to feed us all for five days if I wanted! Believe it!

Konohamaru gasped at hearing that.
"Big bro! You already completed a B-rank mission!? Didn't you graduate just a month ago? You must be some kinda super ninja!"
"Ah! it's nothin' Ikigomi-sensei covered most of the hard stuff! But I was the one to land the finishin' blow!"
"Wooooow! Tell me all about it!"
Naruto chuckled, figuring he could just fib about how it was all handled.

Hinata smiled, though unsure of how Naruto would explain things...
Never the less. she gave Hikaru a wave goodbye, as the group of six left.

Hikaru sighed, contemplating how dense both Naruto and Hinata were...
He doubted if Naruto even knew how he felt about Hinata, but the signs were there. And so easy to spot that academy children could make a strong educated guess toward it.

The two were soul mates.

'those two... They're so dumb.' He thought with a fond smile... He'd tell them about the Chunin exams later. For now, they should be enjoying themselves.

-the streets of Konoha.-

The lunch naruto treated them to was... To say the least, Awkward.
Naruto tried and failed to make small talk with Hinata, Hinata just stammered and looked elsewhere.

although Hanabi disliked Konohamaru she had to admit he was quite astute in his observations. The two were almost certainly dating.
But, soon enough, as evening reared its ugly head. it was time for them to head home. Naruto offered to walk Hinata and Hanabi over. While Konohamaru and his friends decided to tag along with Naruto.

Unfortunately for the group. There was an unusually large crowd bustling about. Leading everyone to get separated, pulled, and pushed by the waves of people going every which direction.

Thankfully, Naruto and Hinata quickly found each other, Then Udon and Moegi.
But Hanabi and Konohamaru were nowhere to be seen.

Hanabi was alone. in the streets of Konoha, For the first time...
She was unsure of what to do, What confidence she had with Hinata had been lost the instant her vision of her sister was cut.
Now she was just wondering alone, As the sky grew darker and darker.

The Hyuga clan may have been well-known, but they were reclusive. Not many had even known what they looked like. So when a bunch of older academy children had caught sight of a lone girl, They saw immediately, an easy target.

"Hey, You!" said one of the older boys. "What're you doing here with those weird eyes of yours?" He asked with a snicker.
Hanabi hummed, turning to him. The breeze flowing through the air made her shiver.
"I am trying to find my elder sister." Was all she said, pretending not to hear the insult on her Byakugan.
"Yeah? well, freaks aren't welcome in this part of town."
Hanabi glared at them.
"I am no freak." She said coldly prepared to fight since these boys seemed so intent on entering one.

Seeing the younger girl take a stance. They glared.
"Pheh, Stuck up ain't ya? we're just joking. " He said.
"It's not funny," Hanabi responded.
The boys glared at her. Before chuckling.
"Listen, You're pretty cute, even with those freak eyes, so we'll let you go with that Uppity behavior, If you give us each a kiss~" The ten-year-old grinned cheekily.
Hanabi just huffed And started walking away, Leaving the boys stunned for a moment.

They began to snarl and seeth and chased after her. Though with her Byakugan, she had turned Ready to defend herself. but before she got the chance, She and the young boys heard a voice call out.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Hanabi looked in the direction of the voice, Only to see the Hokage's annoying grandson.
The boys turned to face him as he ran closer. throwing a wooden Kunai knife which smacked the leader in the side causing him to wince.

"Huh?" The older boy turned to face the younger boy. "Who the hell're you?" He asked, somehow not recognizing the Hokage's grandson
Hanabi was half prepared to hear the boy brag about his status and scare off the boys with the consequences of beating him down.

That's why she was floored when he made his reply.
"What does it matter who I am? I'm gonna kick your pervy asses!" Konohamaru shouted with determination. Making the boys chuckle.
Konohamaru snarled at their laughter and gave a glare that looked way cooler in his head than it really did before he made some hand signs for what he'd learned today.
"Wind Release: Gale palm!" Konohamaru shouted before clasping his hands together as he put as much chakra as he could into the attack making the three boys fly several feet away and smack the ground with a painful thud.

It was enough to scare the boys off. But Konohamaru used up almost all of his chakra and needed to take a seat to catch his breath.
Hanabi considered the whole exchange ridiculous but admitted to herself what the boy did was brave,
She approached him and took a seat. Not saying a word...
Konohamaru looked at her, puzzled for a moment before grinning.
"I dunno what I did to make ya upset with me. I hope this makes up for it, Heh!"
Hanabi didn't know what it was about that face he made...
But, It made her feel like she was on fire.
"I-i-it's fine... You were just a little loud for my t-taste. I'm sorry if I came off 'uppity' " She said, not looking him in the eyes, And hiding her face in her long hair.

it was then that Naruto and Hinata found them. Naruto snickered as he saw the way Hanabi act around his Protege, he would nudge Hinata who blushed in response.
"I think your sis has a thing for Konohamaru!"
Hinata, Immediately realizing the symptoms of a raging crush could only offer her sister a sympathetic smile.
"I think so too."

Moegi sighed looking a bit cranky. While Udon looked at her, confused.
"Uhhh, Moegi? You alright?"
"Hmph! " she crossed her arms and looked away from Konohamaru and Hanabi

With the children found, And everything settled Naruto would walk Hinata and Hanabi home, then Konohamaru and his friends.

((A/N: sorry for the filler, I just like the idea of Konohamaru and Hanabi having a similar relationship to that of their respective siblings. sibling figure in Konohamaru's case))