A Maelstrom

by Aingularity

Naruto lost something more than just his parents during the Kyuubi Attack; his naivety. But in return, he received the sweetest little sister in the world. He was weak, but he will do everything to become strong. Strong enough to protect his sister. It doesn't matter who he has to face, they will all eventually fall under the maelstrom.

9. Chapter 9

Morning came faster than Hinata expected. When her eyes opened, she was greeted by the blinding, heat-filled rays of the sun. They struck her face at just the right position, peeking from the tiny slips in her windows. If that wasn't enough, the clan rooster crowed out its alarm for the rest of the compound. She could feel the small shifts in the floor, the footsteps of her fellow clansmen rising and performing their morning duties. The sounds of doors sliding opening against the wooden boards gave Hinata enough time for her to figure out that it was time to get up.

However, just like all kids, all she wants to do is tuck inside her blanket and wait for the egg yolk in the sky to pass. But as the heiress of her clan, her duties must come first then her comfort. With a dazed mind, she rose from her bed and ignored how the cotton-filled mattress, the warm blanket, and the feather-light pillows invited her to come back to them. Oblivious to the tumbleweed of a hair she sported, she stumbled into her personal restroom to relieve herself and prepare for the day.

A typical morning for the Hyuga heiress is quite exhausting. Before she could head over to her shinobi business, she must place her duties as the future clan first and follow this routine every single day created by the Hyuga Elders. They said that they've been using this formula for decades and it provided them with the honor and reputation they hold in this village today. However, Hinata is afraid to question how strolling across the entire compound and watching the branch members perform their duties would help her become a better heiress.

But she kept these thoughts to herself. It's not wise to speak against the rules of the Hyuga Elders and while they may not hold the power to take her status away from her, they can still influence Hiashi Hyuga into considering the option. If she wants to achieve her dream of uniting the two houses, she must become the clan head but first, she has to prove to the main house that she's worthy of being the heiress and so far, it's not doing so good.

It's obvious to her that she's not the typical Hyuga, who holds their bloodline so high that some might actually believe it came from the eyes of Kami. Hinata's meek, timid, and as shy as a newborn squirrel, most of which she inherited from her late mother. Unlike her sister, she's not eager to use her Gentle Fist techniques against a person unless she needs to. But during her spars against her sister, she couldn't bring herself to hurt her, despite Hanabi disagreeing with the sentiment. The lack of sympathy in her sister's eyes was what hurt more than her palm strikes and finger thrusts.

After finally accomplishing her heiress duties came Hinata's favorite part of the day; shinobi training. It's strange that she feels more at home with her sensei and teammates rather than at her real home. She quickly donned the trench coat gifted by her second-favorite sensei, and put on the rest of her shinobi garments. She passed through the halls of the compound, oblivious to the looks of wonder from the Hyuga branch members, who usually see Hinata with a pained frown or a timid smile. So it's certainly a surprise to see a full-blown smile on the heiress' face, one that hasn't been seen since the death of the clan head's wife.

The lavender-haired girl nearly leaped across the main hall in her hurry. Their sensei instilled the value of punctuality, telling them that every second counts in training and missions. While Naruto-sensei is usually a pretty laid-back person, all forms of amusement are shed when it comes to his shinobi duties and she doesn't want to be the target of his wrath or worse… his pranks.

But just as she was about to leave, someone slipped into her frame of vision making her freeze entirely. An expression of stoicism was her first greeting upon facing the looming form of her father. Dressed in the traditional white and brown robes of a Hyuga, Hiashi Hyuga is the epitome of noble. With featureless eyes that lacked even more expression than most, he walked along the wooden floor with grace, hands slipped inside his sleeves to hide his calloused hands, as he appraised the young Hyuga, who just so happens to be his daughter.

Hinata immediately straightened under his gaze, all excitement evaporating from her body and is replaced by a sense of trepidation. Her father never seeks her out, unless it's her time for a spar or for meals. Whenever he initiates a meeting, it's usually bad so her reason for tensing is pretty justified.

"Hinata, where are you going?" came his stony voice, one that's fit for a Hyuga clan head.

Said girl gulped. "U- um, I'm heading… out for t- training." she stuttered out.

Hiashi hummed. "I see. You've grown stronger under the tutelage of Naruto Namikaze. I can see that your chakra levels have spiked exponentially. I assume he is an effective teacher." He mused, earning a wide-eyed look from the lavender-haired girl.

For a moment, Hinata thought she heard her father praising her, before dismissing it as a remark to further compliment her sensei. It's highly unlikely that he did, considering all the insults and curses she received from him, the elders, as well as her sister during the course of her life. "Y- yes. Naruto-sensei t- teaches us well," she replied with a strained smile.

If Hiashi could pick up Hinata's uneasiness, he either ignored it or didn't notice it. "I see. Then train well and bring pride to the Hyuga clan." he declared with a thin smile. "Also, do not forget that this Saturday, I wish to witness the fruits of your labor. Let us see if Namikaze truly lives up to the stories I heard about him."

With a shaky nod, the Hyuga heiress timidly bowed and walked away with her head still lowered. Thoughts about the spar swam in her head, anxiety once again building up in her stomach. She was so distracted that she failed to see the person standing right across the gate of the compound, watching her with a pair of apathetic, pale eyes.

"Hinata-sama." Neji Hyuga nodded in acknowledgment.

The heiress could only cringe at the cold tone from her cousin. Yet, another person she wishes to avoid. While he may not show it, Hinata could see through his stoic exterior, and unlike her father, she can practically feel his sneer of disgust from just the flare of his chakra. Neji hates her but for the life of her, she can't figure out what she did to garner such scorn. If she did know, then maybe she could've apologized a long time ago.

"H- hello, Neji-niisan." Hinata replied with a shy smile, one that vanished when her cousin remained blank. "U- um, is there s- something you need from me?"

"Hiashi-sama has instructed me to escort you to your training grounds. As a branch-house member, it is my duty to protect the main house." Neji proclaimed, though his face twisted into a scowl at that last part. Those words were always a constant reminder of his status.

Hinata waved her hands around. "N- no! Y- you don't have to, Nej-niisan. I can go by myself," she said, earning a noncommittal eyebrow from the older Hyuga.

Whether it's out of surprise at how much less the timid heiress stuttered, or at how she confidently refused his obligation, the onyx-haired boy accepted it without question. After all, he wouldn't want to be late for his sensei's training, lest he wants to be ordered to run across the entire plane of Konoha

"If that is what you desire, then I will object no longer. Have a good day, Hinata-sama." Neji bowed one last time, before walking away.

Once he disappeared, Hinata's shoulders slumped and a sigh of relief breezed out of her mouth. She could still feel his eyes analyzing her every movement, disassembling every piece of her body as if he were anticipating a fight. Nine years of being subjected to Neji's cold indifference and scowls should've numbed her to the looks, yet she couldn't help but cringe every single time.

Her cousin's past was a tragic one. His father was sent to his death after the Hyuga Affair and to add insult to injury, he was branded in the same year with the Hyuga's cursed seal. It was his suffering that pushed Hinata into doing her absolute best to abolish the barrier between the main house and the branch house so that people like Neji won't have to face such discrimination.

But it seems that she has accidentally caused him trouble because the next time she saw him after the night she was kidnapped, she was blasted with the full force of his Byakugan-enhanced glare. Hinata's father had witnessed this and the lavender-haired girl had to watch in horror as her cousin flailed across the dirt in agony, screaming and crying while the cursed seal on his forehead glowed ominously.

Ever since then, she was always treated with cold stares and silent glares. It made living in the compound really hard for her, especially when she had to eat with him during dinner, along with her father and sister, who treated her the same way.

A sigh left her mouth as she placed those thoughts in the back of her mind. With a look of determination, she began to make her way to her team's training grounds. Right now, her training is what's more important because if she wants to prove to her family that she's worthy of her title, then she'll have to work for it.

Quietly ignoring the few stares headed her way, Hinata traveled down the dirt road, passing by the Aburame compound before finally arriving in the familiar tree-filled area of Training Grounds 7. Usually, she's the earliest one there and Naruto would always be there to greet her first with a wide smile. But oddly enough, this time was different. Instead of a tall, blond man standing in the middle of the field, she was jumped by a familiar, trauma-inducing smile and a pair of lavender orbs glimmering with sadistic glee.

"What's happening, Hyuga-chan!" the Snake Mistress greeted as she popped out from the clearing.

Hinata squeaked when she was lifted off the ground all too suddenly, Her trench coat flapped along with the wind, joining Anko's flying across the air. Steam billowed from her face, blood rushing to her features as she palmed her temples in embarrassment. Despite her inner humiliation, the Special Jonin continued to parade her student with a psychotic laugh.

"Anko-san, c- can you please put m- me down?" Hinata managed to say through all the spinning.

Fortunately, Anko seemed to be a bit more reasonable at this time of the day and placed her down rather roughly. "How's my little me?" the purple-haired woman asked, looking down at the Genin she just plopped down onto the grass like a hot potato.

"I- I'm doing well." the heiress replied after getting her vision to stop spinning. "U- uh, Anko-san. A- are you here for something?"

A finger was suddenly shoved right at her face. "Hey! What did I tell you about calling me Anko-san?"

"T- to not call you that until we're e- equals?"

"Yes! I am your superior, your leader, your master, and your torturer. Until you have learned everything from me, you will address me as Anko-sama. Got it?"

Body straightening into a wooden pole, Hinata nodded furiously at her sensei. She thought that spending an entire week with the so-called Snake Mistress of Konoha would get her used to the purple-haired woman's antics. But just as Naruto warned, one does not meet Anko Mitarashi without losing their sanity. It would explain why her blond sensei tolerates or even encourages her behavior.

However, Hinata won't deny that she finds being under her tutelage a strange yet fruitful experience. During the entire week of training with the Special Jonin, she was practically broken down and built into a different person, or in Anko-sama's words, 'the foundation of a bitch that can take on the world. Not only has her shinobi skills been refined to a needle-fine degree and her jutsu arsenal stacked with a few more useful techniques, but her sensei also managed to break her out of her shell, somewhat.

Combined with Anko's strong, loud personality and the intensity of the training, the tiny wisp of confidence seeped through the cracks of her shell when a certain purple-haired kunoichi went a bit too far. To this day, that memory is engraved into her head as a personal milestone. She remembered doing pushups while her 130-lbs sensei is sitting on her back, spitting out words of 'encouragement'. It didn't take long for Hinata's frustration to break out but what she didn't expect is to insult her sensei's entire family line and vow to rip off her reproductive organs.

The heiress couldn't believe she had done such a ludicrous act that was so out of character for her, Anko was rendered speechless—speechless! Someone could literally take a shit on her bed and she wouldn't even blink an eye, although it is recommended to not try that lest they want a kunai embedded into their throat.

Even though that week was one of her most painful experiences, she would gladly do it again if it means improving her skills and more importantly, her character. While her self-confidence needs a bit more work, it's safe to assume that her panic attacks are less likely to occur—now that she knows how to avoid crowds and escape situations such as last time. And it's all thanks to her second-favorite sensei.

"Oh, by the way. You're training with me today. Naru-chan has some business to attend to." came Anko's remark, causing the young heiress to freeze still.

Almost robotically, Hinata's head craned to the right,, and found herself facing a wicked grin curling up the purple-haired woman's face. Terror ran through her body, screaming at her to abandon her position and flee the scene but it was too late. Before she knew it, she was lifted off the ground and carried off like a sack of potatoes by the same sadistic woman who she was trying to get away from. All she could do is whimper to herself as she surrendered herself to her painful fate.

---

The villagers—Naruto isn't sure what to feel about them. His experience with them isn't that fond, to say the least. What he gained from interacting with them is the idea that most villagers are naive sheep. A bunch of ignorant civilians who are as easy to manipulate as their children. Add a bit of fear and coax them into this false sense of safety, then you can pull the strings of every key figure in the civilian council.

Despite living in an age where people have abilities to manipulate the very earth and conjure illusions that can control reality, these civilians are practically clueless to the world they live in. Everything they know about chakra and shinobi barely scratches the surface of what is known. While it's not exactly their fault they live like that, it certainly irritates Naruto that they act as if they know more than a shinobi.

A perfect example of this is Anko's experience with the village. All her life, she's been ostracized because she bore the mark of her traitorous sensei. Even with the truth revealed, many ignore it and instead allow their fear to control their judgment. Yet if they take those lenses off, they would see how much that curse mark makes Anko suffer every single day. Every glare and sneer she receives pales in comparison to the blinding pain whenever the seal acts up, tempting her to accept its dark power.

That's why Naruto could only watch his surroundings in paranoia. He could sense the stares piercing through the protective bubble he created around her. He could sense their emotions reeking off their faces; confusion, shock, joy. All of these could switch up if they knew the truth and this fear forced him to take the precaution to make sure that it will never be released to the public… until now.

"Nii-chan, walk faster! You're dragging the momentum!" Mito complained, but the excitement overrode any negative feelings.

She's been like this ever since they left the compound. Her body is practically vibrating in zeal. The redhead even wore her favorite scarlet sundress that matched the color of her hair.

Naruto painted a smile across his face. "Ah, sorry about that. Go on." He said, shaking off the gazes from the villagers, and from what he could see, she was doing the same.

Whispers have long since been emerging from the crowd, talking about the mysterious redhead walking alongside the Namikaze clan head, and none of them had the decency to even make it subtle. Some are even pointing directly at them. Naruto suppressed the urge to pick up his girls and rush back into the compound where it was safe. The only things stopping him are the beaming smiles on their faces and their ignorance of the uncomfortableness, or at least… one of them is.

"Naruto-sama, permission to fuck up their eyeballs?"

The blond sighed. "Unfortunately, no. I don't want to cause any trouble today." Naruto replied, almost disappointedly. As much as it tempted him to allow Tayuya to go ham with her flute, it's not exactly legal to do so and he would very much like to stay free. "Besides, I doubt Mito cares about them. She's in her own world."

The two watched as Mito sprinted across the street, peering through the market stalls and windows with a childlike wonder. It honestly made Naruto a bit guilty for preventing her from experiencing this for years, but he quickly shook that thought away. Today is Mito's day and he won't allow anything to ruin it, especially not the villagers.

"Hey, Mito. Wanna go shopping for clothes?" He asked, earning a squeal of delight from the young redhead.

Before he knew it, he was being dragged along the streets by the hand in search of a good clothing store, with Tayuya reluctantly tagging along. It didn't take long for them to find a fairly large, niche shop, owned by a loving elderly couple. Thankfully, it seems that the store is a bit hidden, considering it was far from the village square, that only a handful of civilians are shopping and most of them are from the red light district.

"Alright, Mito. You know your budget so go crazy." Naruto smiled when Mito practically vanished in a burst of smoke and dirt. He turned to the other redhead. "Can you make sure she doesn't get lost?"

Tayuya nodded, but there was an air of exasperation surrounding her figure. She tried covering it up with a polite smile, but Naruto easily saw through it. It seems that the flute player dislikes clothes shopping just as every other man, not that he could blame her. With the money he has, he could buy every single piece of fabric in this store. But Naruto was always a man of simplicity, with a bit of flair so he always sticks to the same line of clothes every time.

Then why did he suggest it? Well, one reason is to get away from all the attention they're receiving. The other is to finally get Mito some clothes that she likes. Most of the garments she wore either came from their mother's wardrobe or Tayuya bought them for her and unfortunately, Mito isn't exactly the type to wear a battle kimono in the house.

"Oi, Naruto."

Said blond turned around and was surprised to find Asuma standing near the entrance, a cigarette in one hand and the other shoved in his pocket. Behind him are a trio of kids that he immediately recognized as his Genin students and a simple glance told him that they were the famous Ino-Shika-Cho's kids. He's not that familiar with them but being a clan head forces him to attend their first birthday so he easily recognized them.

All three are practically mirror images of their parents. Shikamaru came in with the same lazy stance and dull look his father has whenever he's being called for a meeting with the Hokage. Choji stood idly by, munching on a pack of salted potato chips, the same one Choza had created for the Akimichi Convenience Store. Ino shifted her gaze from dress to dress with a wild gleam in her eye, reminding Naruto of the way Inoichi would express himself whenever he talks about his garden and flower shop.

"Shika, look! I told you they sell these kinds of dresses here!" The platinum blonde exclaimed, caressing the electric-purple, A-line dress and gushing about its solid design.

The Nara boy simply groaned in response. "Quiet down, troublesome woman." He said, earning a glare from the Yamanaka heiress. "You're disturbing the other customers."

"There are no other customers, dumbass! That's why I picked this store in the first place!"

Choji hummed as he stuffed a handful of potato chips into his mouth. "I don't know, Ino. I can see a couple of people here. Maybe we should stay quiet." he said, ever the peacemaker between the two. It's rare for him to see the two not bickering about the simplest things.

"Fine!" Ino groaned out before her eyes trailed towards the handsome stud standing in the corner of the store. Almost immediately, the fangirl part of her screamed in delight and hearts popped out of her eyes. "Oh, my! Who's that delicious-looking man?"

Asuma nearly retched. "That… is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. He's the clan head so show him some respect." he replied with a stern warning.

While Ino nodded like an airhead and continued admiring the blond, Shikamaru's eyes sharpened at that information. His intellect wasted no time in connecting the dots and he turned to his sensei with a mildly interested gaze.

"That's the Fourth Hokage's son, isn't he?" It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Asuma smiled proudly at his student. "Let's go greet him." Receiving a nod, he led the trio towards the man, and the blond in question regarded them with a grin.

"I didn't know you fancy a bit of shopping, Asuma. Is there a girl I didn't hear about?" Naruto teased, earning a scowl from the chain smoker.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Naruto. Besides, I should be the one asking you that. Shouldn't Tayuya be the one shopping?"

Said girl then stepped out from between the shelves with a deadpan. "Eat shit, Cancer Risk." was all she stated before her slumped form stumbled next to Naruto's side. Asuma chuckled lightly, already used to the girl's vulgar language and creative nicknames.

"So, what're you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"Well, one of my Genins wanted to go on a shopping spree for her free day and dragged us along with her," Asuma replied with a grimace. The reason he gave them the day off in the first place was so he could laze around, but it seems he underestimated the blonde's drive.

Ino sent a loose punch at her sensei's arm. "Hey, you didn't have anything to do either. All you and Shikamaru do is play shogi and sleep. We barely get anything done!" She cried out. "If this continues, Sakura might surpass me!"

Naruto arched an eyebrow. "What's this? You know my student? I'm guessing you're a friend of hers?"

A frown made its way to her face. "Kinda? I don't know. Wait, you're Forehead's sensei?" When the blond nodded, she cursed her rival in love as she silently screamed in envy. 'Why, Kami? Sakura gets a hot hunk while I get stuck with a lazy ass, a glutton, and a smoker! How cruel is this world?!'

While Ino stirred herself in despair, Shikamaru allowed his curiosity to take over. Sharp eyes traced across the frame of Naruto in an almost analytical manner, something the blond didn't fail to miss. One might find it rude to be stared at, especially if their gaze were deciphering him as if he was this an elaborate code but the blond honestly found it amusing.

"Want to ask me something?" Naruto's voice broke the Nara out of his thoughts.

He shook his head. "No, too troublesome," Shikamaru replied with a yawn, drawing amusement from the two Jonins. Whether it's the truth or an excuse, no one will ever know. The Nara Clan is famous for their intellect and strategic minds, so much so that they were revered and feared during the course of the Second Shinobi War. Fortunately, their lazy mindset countered this, and most of their time was spent either tending their deer or sleeping.

"He's probably wondering why we don't know you, despite being a Jonin and a clan head." came Choji's helpful response as he blissfully inhaled the rest of his potato chips.

If there's one person who could understand and read the pineapple-haired boy, it's his childhood friend. Shikamaru sent a lazy glare at his rotund friend, but he eventually let out a sigh when he couldn't deny the words of the Akamichi boy.

Naruto suppressed a smile. "Let's just say that I'm often busy," he replied. It wasn't a surprise that he received such a question. After all, hiding the son of the Yondaime is quite a feat. He just didn't expect it to come from a bunch of twelve-year-olds, especially a Nara. But to be fair, Shikaku is just as curious when faced with a proper dilemma and it would make sense for his son to be the same.

However, before Shikamaru could start questioning the vague answer, Mito finally emerged from the shelves wearing a brand new, lilac yukata and a bright smile on her face, which slowly faded upon realizing that now all eyes are now on her. For a moment, icy cold panic crawled up her body and froze her in place.

That is until a squeal from a certain blonde broke the awkward atmosphere.

Ino rushed towards the redhead and took her by the hands, eyes roaming down her figure with a gleam. "Oh Kami! This looks beautiful on you! Where did you find it?" As she rambled on and Mito struggled to keep up with the rapid shots of questions and compliments, Asuma broke out of his shock and whipped his head around towards Naruto.

"You let Mito out?" came the chain-smoker's incredulous inquiry.

A frown settled on the blond's face as he nodded. "Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"No, of course not. I just… never would've thought you would do it, or at least… by yourself. I always thought Kurenai or Kakashi would be the one who would convince you to do this."

Naruto's frown only deepened, but he didn't say anything else. He knew that his decision to isolate Mito wasn't a popular one. Kurenai expressed that a long time ago and it was only a few years ago did she accept it. But to think that Kakashi would also disagree baffled the young clan head. He thought his surrogate older brother would want to protect Mito at all costs but it seems he misjudged him.

"Alright, Mito. Let's get out of here." Naruto called out, earning a silent sigh of relief from the young redhead.

Twelve years without contact with kids her age and the first person she meets was a fashion enthusiast, one who can't seem to stop talking. So all she did was smile awkwardly and nod occasionally whenever the blonde would speak. It certainly drained her social energy almost immediately but thankfully, her nii-chan came to the rescue.

"Coming, Naruto-nii!" she said before bowing her head toward Ino with the most apologetic look she can pull off. "I'm sorry. But I'm going to have to leave now. It was nice conversing with you." And with that, she scurried away and practically dragged her brother and Tayuya out of the store.

Asuma's team kept their eyes on the Namikazes until they disappeared out the glass doors, with most of them frowning in confusion.

"I didn't know that the Namikaze clan head has a sister." Shikamaru mentioned, staring up at the chainsmoker.

The former Guardian Ninja's response was to breathe out a flare of smoke. "Well, her case is a bit special. Besides, we have no business snooping into other clans' matters. Let's go." He replied smoothly.

The other two accepted the answer, but the pineapple-haired boy narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It's obvious that his sensei is hiding something and from the looks of it, it seems to be quite serious. However, any form of curiosity almost immediately died out once Shikamaru took in his sensei's words. Looking too deep into things will only result in a bunch more headache-inducing scenarios.

"How troublesome." the Nara could only sigh.

---

"Give up, mutt. You're not strong enough to defeat me."

Sasuke's words only drove to fan the flames of Kiba Inuzuka's temper. With both his arms and legs struggling to keep himself upright, the chocolate-haired boy gritted his teeth in anger while ignoring the cuts along his body. His best friend, Akamaru, bared its fangs at the smirking Uchiha and tried to make itself bigger to intimidate him, but to no success.

"Shut up, you bastard." Kiba spat out, wiping the dirt from his face as he managed to slide back to his battle position. With a flick of his shoulders, the hood that had been blown back by Sasuke's attack flipped back onto his head. His fingers flexed into a grabbing gesture, almost similar to how wolves would bare their claws, and with a bark to his partner, the two once again launched an attack.

The smirk remained on Sasuke's face as he dodged the punches and claws heading his way. Each attack barely grazed the ebony-haired boy's skin and it only grew to anger Kiba. With a loud roar, he struck a tiger strike onto the Uchiha's stomach, and much to his satisfaction, he felt it connect. But the moment was short-lived when he felt fingers curl around his wrist before an impact in the shape of a foot slammed against his chest.

His sternum creaked against the force, knocking the air out of his lungs and causing his body to tumble backward. A gasp left his lips once he landed on his back. It felt like a bull ran him over and it pained him to admit that this battle was slowly draining his confidence. He's the heir of his clan, damn it! If he can't even beat the Uchiha without his kekkei genkai, then he could only dread the day when he finally activates it.

The audience watching could only cringe at the one-sided battle. Team 8, along with their sensei looked on with worry at their teammate. It hurt Kurenai to see her student being beaten to the ground, but her resolve as their sensei pushed on. Kiba had been a bit arrogant lately and this spar should bring his ego back down a few levels. At least to the point of actually accepting her lessons. When she asked Kakashi for a joint training session, she honestly didn't expect a spar between his only student and hers. While helpful, it certainly sent a blow to her pride seeing the closet pervert's student completely demolish hers.

Upon seeing his human being taken out, Akamura's fur stood on its end and his razor-sharp teeth hissed out in preparation. Canine muscles contorted and sprung upon the leap the ninken took as it bared its claws, ready to tear the human that hurt his best friend. But it was for naught.

When Kiba opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of his partner receiving a downward kick into the dirt. A whimper and a cough of blood escaped the poor ninken as a large bruise began to form along his belly. The spirit of unconsciousness took the dog almost immediately, leaving its form twitching in the middle of a crater.

"A- Akamaru!" Kiba cried out in horror, before his slitted eyes locked onto Sasuke's triumphant expression with a cold glare. "You sick fucker, I'll kill you!"

But before the boy could go into a rage, someone appeared in between the two Genins' spar. "Alright, that's enough. I declare the victor of this spar to Sasuke Uchiha." Kakashi announced, before turning to Kurenai's frowning face. "Do you agree?"

"Yes." the genjutsu mistress reluctantly said. She then proceeded to walk towards the fallen Kiba, who was clutching Akamaru's unconscious body. "You did great, Kiba. Don't let this spar discourage you. Learn from this battle and train harder in the future."

The Inuzuka boy continued to send a venomous glare at Sasuke, but eventually relented and allowed his sensei to escort him out of the sparring grounds, all the while carrying his friend in his arms. He joined his other teammates, Shino and Yakumo, to the side.

"You did acceptable, Kiba." the bug user complimented. "Realistically, you had no chance of defeating the Uchiha, but you managed to exceed the expected time of survival."

When Kiba's expression contorted into one of confusion, Yakumo rolled her eyes and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He means that you did a great job," she said with a rare but very real smile.

While the spar had certainly shot his pride down by quite a notch, he found the words of his comrades reassuring. "Hmph, he better watches out next time because me and 'Maru are going to bury him six feet into the ground if he ever steps on my grounds again!" He proudly stated, prompting a small yip from the now waking ninken.

"Actually, Kiba. It is highly unlikely that you would—"

"Shut up, Shino!"

Kurenai couldn't help the proud smile that made its way to her face. When she was first offered the position of sensei, despite being a Jonin for only a year, she always thought that it would bring trouble. Sure, she's been training Yakumo to be her successor for a while now but that's only because her situation was detrimental to the village's needs. It was only when she got her team that she felt almost like a mother, tending to her children and making their first steps into the future. It made her wonder what made her doubt the Hokage's decision in the first place.

"Thinking about Asuma?"

Red, almost matching her ruby eyes, painted her cheeks at the sudden comment by the grinning Kakashi. Her glare came almost immediately, but it felt weak under her embarrassment. "Y- you…! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Kurenai spluttered. "You spend too much time with Naruto!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Not really. If we did, I would be able to finally convince him to read his godfather's work," he replied.

This time, her glare overpowered her previous embarrassment and brought forth a tidal-sized pressure toward the grey-haired Jonin. "Don't you dare corrupt Naruto with your shameless smut. I don't know how he grew up without a single perverted bone in his body with you as his guardian, but I thank Kami for whatever divine intervention prevented that. I will not let another good man fall into the clutches of perverts like you!" she spat.

'Oh, Kurenai. He's not as innocent as you think.' The scarecrow's smile grew even wider but he wisely kept his mouth shut. While he loves teasing his friends, he knows their limits and Kurenai's is especially short. He doesn't want to find out if his Sharingan is capable of negating every genjutsu she has in her arsenal. After all, she didn't receive her moniker on a whim, and the current state of the Jonin instructor who tested her can attest to that.

Kakashi raised his hands to calm the red-eyed mistress down. But just as he was about to make up a whole spiel about not attempting to influence his surrogate brother, his lone eye spotted a strange sight walking down the street. "Well, isn't that a strange sight?" he quipped, but the shock was evident in his voice.

Kurenai followed his gaze and her anger faded almost instantly. "Is that… Mito?"

Sure enough, the same red missile that keeps bouncing along the compound whenever she visits, is walking down the street with the biggest smile in the world. Even more shocking, Naruto is the one accompanying her, along with Tayuya. For the first time ever, the entire Namikaze Clan is present in public.

"Kurenai-obasan!"

The cry of excitement broke Kurenai out of her shock and instinctively, her arms opened just in time for the redheaded missile to slam her with a hug. "H- hello, Mito!" she smiled nonetheless, returning the hug. "What are you doing here?"

Mito bounced out of her arms. "Nii-chan's taking us to Ichiraku's! I heard that eating there is even better than their take-out!" Her cheeks were glowing red in enthusiasm, the twinkle of hunger in her eyes practically orated that she was about to drain her brother's wallet to the dirt.

While not exactly the answer she was expecting, the sheer happiness being exuded spread to the red-eyed mistress as she allowed her ruby lips to curve into a smile, one that matched the young Namikaze's energy. "Is that so?" she mused, her eyes training on the awkward form of Naruto trying to pass off this situation as normal.

"Hey there, Mito-chan. Enjoying the village, are we?" Kakashi greeted with his typical invisible smile, earning a rapid nod from Mito. He turned to the other redhead in the family. "How's it going, Tayuya-chan?"

As usual, all he received was a disinterested but pointed look from the flute user. "Fine, until I saw you, Pink Eye." Tayuya replied. "Sup, Bandage Bitch."

Kurenai's eye twitched but otherwise said nothing. No matter how much she tried, not even her worst genjutsu would be able to make that girl speak respectfully. At least, to anyone who isn't Naruto. Kami knows that the redhead practically worships the ground the man walked on and thankfully, not in the literal way.

After nodding to the demon summoner, she directed her attention to Naruto, who seemed to be expecting questioning stares from both of his friends. A silent message was conveyed through his cerulean eyes and the two Jonins nodded in response.

"Mito, I just have to speak with Kurenai and Kakashi about something. Stay here and… mingle with the other kids. Tayuya, accompany her." Naruto softly said, though there was an underline of an order in his voice. Both girls nodded, with one of them understanding a bit more about the situation, and responded with an additional submissive bow.

The two followed Naruto as they disappeared in a Shunshin, just reappearing under a tree nearby but far enough to prevent any eavesdropping. After safely securing their position, the blond let out a tired sigh.

"Look, there's not much to it. Mito… she's twelve years old now and at that age, she'll be a lot more curious; more adventurous. Kami knows I was. Soon, her curiosity will lead her out of the compound and if she inherited my mom's stubbornness, there's a chance that she'll leave the house, with or without my permission." Naruto said. "I'd rather be the one to show her the world rather than for her to do it alone."

Both Kurenai and Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. They never thought that Naruto would be the one to convince himself to give the little girl some freedom. Both are familiar with the famous Uzumaki stubbornness and it would take no less than an army to carve through that wall. Add their indomitable desire to protect their family until it's the last thing they do, nothing would budge their will once they decided on something. But it seems only they, themselves can penetrate their stubborn walls.

"What about… the threats that you mentioned?" Kurenai questioned, after recovering a bit. "You said that Akatsuki might be after her. Is that no longer a problem?"

"I just realized that it doesn't matter whether she's locked up in the compound and running freely in the village, it doesn't make her any less safe if these guys are truly after Jinchuriki," Naruto replied.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at that but remained silent about the topic, something the blonde is grateful for. "You do know there will be questions, right? Many may have forgotten but the appearance of a young girl who resembles the Namikaze clan head will spread like wildfire. I bet that the civilians are already speculating who she is." The silver-haired Jonin mentioned.

Naruto scoffed. "Let them talk. Their opinions don't matter as long as it stays in their head and leaves Mito alone."

The civilians aren't exactly Naruto's favorite. While he may not hate every single person, it's the mob mentality they share that drives him mad. All it takes is one rumor until the majority of the civilian population will learn about it and choose which side to choose from. Most of the time, they choose the wrong one and someone will bear the consequences.

"Well, I for one am glad you finally came around. I thought I would have to use the Shinigami no Shinden on you for convincing but it seems you beat me to it." Kurenai chuckled, but the pale face of the eldest Namikaze showed that he doesn't share the same amusement. "Well, have fun, and make sure you show her around the best parts of the village!"

The red-eyed mistress waved as she joined back with her team, leaving the two pseudo brothers with their thoughts.

"You haven't shared everything, Naruto. While I believe that you did want to give Mito some freedom, you won't do this without something in mind." When Naruto remained silent, he continued. "Didn't you say that one of the reasons why you hid Mito is because of Danzo? You were worried that he would spread the information of the Kyubi's sealing to the village. What changed?"

"If Danzo wanted that information to get out, there's nothing stopping him from doing so, even if Mito isn't present to the public eye. If his goal was to turn the village against her, he would've done it years ago. But he hasn't." A mask of frustration took over Naruto's face. "Dad always warned me about that old warhawk, even as a kid. He has something up his sleeve and the only way to counter his plans is to act now."

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed. The longer Naruto spoke, the longer his inner turmoil stirred. This plan that he was talking about… it was baffling and crazy, even by the blonde's standards. The way he spoke about this plan—he's been planning this for quite some time now. The silver-haired man didn't know whether he should praise his surrogate brother for coming up with such a mind-boggling yet genius plan or berate him for resorting to an idiotic idea.

In the end, Kakashi could only reply with, "You're too selfless, Naruto. So much that it will end up hurting a lot of people. I know that it's useless to argue with you once you make up your mind, but make sure that you know what you're doing."

A mirthless laugh was his response. "Selfless? I'm being selfish this entire time." Naruto raised his gaze up into the sky, his cerulean eyes appeared dim under the bright, azure sky. Almost blank, yet filled with so much emotion. "Ero-Sennin told me that if I continue going down this path, Mito will end up hating me. But if that's what's going to keep her alive, then I'll embrace it with open arms."

At that moment, Kakashi saw someone else in Naruto's stead. Dark, abyssal eyes stared back at him, a reflection to his gunmetal body armor and onyx robe. The sword in his hand trembled as if the hundreds of souls it conquered screamed to escape their unfortunate fate. Despite his dark visage, almost hidden by the white crow mask on the side of his face, a smile was plastered across his face; a joyless one, but one that spoke volumes about the words he spoke that day. The words that continue to ring in his head, almost every day.

"Kakashi, if something goes wrong, please promise that you'll protect Mito," Naruto said, but the silver-haired man heard two voices speaking, each with different words but nonetheless having the same message.

So Kakashi gave him the same reply he gave that young man in his ANBU team.

---

Mito isn't usually quick to anger, something that she apparently inherited from her father. Out of the two of them, Naruto is usually the irritable one and she's the one trying to calm him down. However, for the first time in a long time, she wanted to scream in frustration.

At first, the prospect of making some new friends excited her. That is until she was presented with the few selections she had to choose from; a flirtatious canine-like boy with his only redeeming quality being his cute dog sitting on the top of his head, a mysterious coat-wearing boy who suspiciously smells like beetles and roaches, and a pale girl who could freeze tundras with her gaze alone.

Yup, not that great.

Especially when the dog boy seems to think of himself as a Casanova and won't stop trying to woo her into his supposedly loving arms. Mito isn't a stranger to romance. After all, twelve years isolated in a compound with one of the biggest libraries in the village will eventually lead her to read a couple of romance novels. She knows what the canine-like boy is trying to do and she's not interested.

However, her lack of social interaction prevents her from refusing to accept the boy's offer to lunch. All she could do is smile awkwardly and cringe internally whenever she hears him calling her 'his beautiful bell pepper'. Tayuya's cackling isn't helping either nor are her wiggling eyebrows and vulgar hand gestures. She never wanted to strangle a person this much before and she doesn't know whether this person was Tayuya or the dog boy.

Fortunately, someone finally did step up to interrupt this.

"How 'bout it, babes? Interested in a little bit of— hey! Sasuke, what the hell are you doing!" Kiba cried out when he was shoved out of the way.

When Mito turned, she was greeted by a pair of onyx eyes and a prideful scowl. He appears to be just as tall as her, maybe an inch shorter but enough to lock his gaze with hers. She noticed that his fists were clenched. The redhead didn't know what she did to make an enemy of a random kid she just met but if it comes to a fight, then she won't back down. Her pride as an Uzumaki won't allow her that.

Unbeknownst to her, her thoughts aren't that far off. Sasuke had been soaking his victory over the Inuzuka idiot, but it still felt unsatisfying. It's obvious that the gap between their power is significant and if he keeps on fighting weaklings, then he won't be able to grow. That is until he noticed a blond and two redheads enter the training grounds. The two girls were unfamiliar to him but the man was what caught his attention.

Ever since that first meeting, Sasuke has been researching through the Jonin roster, and much to his surprise, the reason why he feels so familiar is that the man is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the son of the Fourth Hokage and a frequent visitor of the Uchiha compound, before it was a ghost town. The memory of his words towards the man made the boy cringe at his lack of respect and he could only hope he wasn't bitter from their meeting. However, from what Sasuke remembers, the blond was always an easy-going guy. He would always see him hanging out with his brother and his official partner in ANBU.

Anyone who can hold their weight alongside his brother is powerful. Plus, as the son of the Fourth Hokage, it would be strange if the man isn't as strong as he thinks he is. Obviously, Sasuke can't just walk up to the blond and demand him to teach him, unlike those boot-licking tutors assigned to him. The man's a clan head, an important political figure in Konoha's council and even he isn't arrogant enough to think that he's just as significant.

His attention then switched to the two redheads. The taller and older one; he had seen her a few times walking down the streets of the village, usually carrying a bag of groceries while wearing that ridiculous outfit. Sasuke assumed that she was just a maid employed to take care of the smaller redhead, who is far more interesting.

He noted that she held some resemblance with the Namikaze clan head. It wasn't until he heard the girl call the blonde her brother that his suspicions were confirmed. If she truly is the younger sister of the Namikaze clan head, then it's safe to assume that she's strong. Not to mention, Sasuke hasn't seen her in the academy so she probably didn't have to suffer through the boring curriculum and immediately received the best training from her brother.

Yes, this is the perfect opportunity to test his strength. A battle with the daughter of the Fourth Hokage will certainly push him to the limits. So, with the confidence of a Kage, Sasuke strolled up to the girl without even acknowledging the weaklings surrounding her and held out his offer.

"Fight me."

Mito blinked, not expecting that boy to outright state his intentions. She was expecting—hoping—a witty one-liner or at least a smug proclamation, just like from those adventure books she read or those Princess Gale movies. However, she won't let that deter her from knocking this pompous boy out of his pedestal. If he wants a fight, then he's getting a fight and it won't be a fair one.

Just as she was about to send a crown jewel special, a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. Much to her surprise, a stoic Tayuya appeared beside her in almost the blink of an eye. The slit of her battle skirt was purposefully opened to reveal a silver-padded baton, a secondary weapon to her flute and a handy tool when it comes to silencing annoying pests.

"I'm afraid Lady Namikaze cannot accept your challenge. Please refrain from issuing any duels without her consent." came her cold response.

Mito had been pushed behind the elder redhead, so Tayuya wasn't able to see the shock written across her face. Throughout her entire life, she has never seen the flute user defend her, use polite speech while talking about her, and refer to her as a Lady, all at the same time. She was even standing all proper and stiff, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowing slightly in a submissive manner. She has only seen her act like this in front of her brother and even that wasn't to this extent. This day is truly a surprise for many people.

While Mito is having a crisis, Tayuya continues to stare down at the Uchiha, knowing how much these red-eyed freaks hate being belittled. The scowl on the little pale brat almost made her want to cackle, but she kept her composure as the official guardian of the Namikaze clan heiress. Although, her image may have been ruined a bit when she spent most of the time laughing her ass off at the Inuzuka brat's pathetic flirting.

"This doesn't involve you, low class. I'm talking to her." Sasuke retorted.

This time, a snort escaped Tayuya. "Punk-ass bitch." she murmured to herself before speaking regally once again. "I apologize, but anything concerning the heiress will involve me, as per the orders of Naruto-sama."

A frustrated look seeped through Sasuke's arrogant mask. Challenging the clan head's orders won't exactly help his case. He should've let this go and try again another time, but being told off by a servant rubbed him the wrong way and his pride won't allow an inferior class to respond to him like that.

"Listen, move out of the way, or else I'll do it myself." Sasuke was quick to notice that the servant wasn't at all intimidated by his scowl, causing him to squash his irritation. But then, an idea came to fruition and he switched targets. "Or are you scared that your heiress will disgrace your clan after losing to a superior one?"

Most people have an ego. Clan heirs especially have a bigger one due to the responsibility of an entire bloodline on their backs. So, if you manage to even tickle it the wrong way, that can lure anyone into a friend fight; a tactic that Sasuke used plenty of times on the wannabe-mutt.

It seemed to work the same on the Namikaze heiress, judging by the scowl on her face. However, before he could be satisfied with his triumph, a loud bray-like laugh shattered that illusion. Sasuke glared at the chuckling servant, hiding his shock at the improper act that showed up all of a sudden. Her stiff form was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a lax posture that erased any form of the submissive manner in her appearance.

"Y'know, if the circumstances were different, I would've let that one go. Anything that pisses the brat off is a good one in my books." Tayuya's snickers slowly died and a dangerous gleam entered her eyes. A strange whistle-like tune left her mouth, reverberating across the fields. "However, you just insulted Naruto-sama's clan and I won't allow that to just fly by, especially from a whiny bitch like you."

Sasuke's moment of triumph darkened. "Shut up." he spat.

But this only earned him a mocking laugh. "Is that the best comeback the famous Uchiha can do?" Tayuya's smile curved to the point that it went past her cheeks. Sasuke could only widen his eyes in horror, a disturbing feeling running through his body but the girl continued unabated. "I thought witnessing the massacre would give you tougher skin, but you seem to be just as soft as a regular human."

The redhead's features started to melt, distorting the expression on her face but the sadistic smile remained intact. The edges of her face grew sharp; her face continued to move like sludge, dripping fluids that seemed to be her olive skin. Wooden stakes erupted from her temples, staining the Uchiha boy with inky-black blood. They continued to grow, spiraling across the air and creating branches that spread out like a spider web.

Sasuke's body refused to tremble, but his face couldn't hide the terror. He tried to move his legs—to run or to attack, it didn't matter. He needed to do something!

Her hand crept up, revealing a wrinkly appendage with warts and wooden splinters sprouting out of her skin. Nails as long as hair began to continuously stream out of her fingers, creating a skin-crawling sound that resembles a knife scraping against a rough rock. Each second, the hand came closer by an inch. Each second felt like a lifetime of pain and agony just waiting to happen.

A soundless voice began to screech across his surroundings, but the monster paid it no mind.

Sasuke's throat threatened to strangle itself. His chest tightened against his heart, almost trying to stop it from beating. All he could hear is the blood pumping through his veins, that rhythmic beat slowing down in a snail's pace. A freezing wind kissed the pores of his skin, contracting his body even further into a cocoon-like state. The sweat dripping down his face evaporated almost instantly, leaving a hiss that caused his entire body to cringe.

This… this demon was going to kill him!

"Tayuya! Let Sasuke go, now!"

In just a blink of an eye, the world brightened once again. He hadn't even noticed the darkness that surrounded him until the blinding rays of the sun hit him. Air finally left his body now that the weight left his chest. Blood rushed back to his skin, giving the little color it had drained out his appearance.

His eyes shook, in search of the demon but all he saw was the unperturbed expression on the servant he had just been talking to. No wooden horns, no melting face, no strands of nails protruding out of her fingers. There was no sign of the terrifying creature he had just witnessed.

It's just… her.

Somehow, that only put him more on the edge.

"Tayuya, using genjutsu on Konoha kin is prohibited, especially your kinds of genjutsu." Kurenai, who Sasuke just noticed had her hands on his back in a calming fashion, scolded the redhead.

"I'm just doing my job as her guardian. The brat wanted to fight the tomato, I said no and the brat started throwing a hissy fit, insulting the clan so I decided to defend our honor." Tayuya replied nonchalantly as if she didn't give the kid some PTSD.

Kurenai could only sigh in disappointment. This was one of the reasons why she was hesitant to teach the older redhead. The girl has no self-control. In terms of skill, she was a genius in the art of illusions and a prodigy in creating her own style of genjutsu. Tayuya could trap anyone of her choice in an illusion within hearing range—a powerful ability that she likes to abuse too often whenever she reaches a certain point. Even a simple whistle, while not as strong, can encase an ignorant Chunin in a cage filled with their worst nightmares.

In short, she was a wild card that somehow ended up in Naruto's family, which is Kami's way of showing mercy. Who knows what horrors she could unleash without her loyalty to the blond?

"Just… control yourself. Don't take everything as a threat to Naruto." Kurenai said, knowing the real reason behind her actions. There's not much to figure out.

Tayuya snorted, which is her own way of reluctantly agreeing, and walked back to her previous position. The rest of the Genins, including Mito, stared at the exchange in confusion. All they saw was Sasuke freezing up like a statue, his face contorting into multiple expressions, for about a few seconds until their sensei broke him out of his stupor.

However, Yakumo narrowed her eyes at the retreating form of the flute user. She had immediately known that a genjutsu had been used and instinctively went to break it, only to realize that it wasn't targeting her, but the arrogant Uchiha. She can't say the boy didn't deserve it. Even without considering his prideful streak of rude remarks, challenging a random girl into a fight is probably one of his more stupid moments.

Mito wasn't sure what happened, but she knew Tayuya had something to do with it. Everything she witnessed had already been explained but she felt like she missed something big.

In the end, she shrugged it off. If it stopped the dog boy from inviting her to dinner and the ebony-haired boy from challenging her into a fight, then she'll remain ignorant. She isn't allowing such a minor conflict to ruin her first day in the village. She can't wait to experience the ramen from Ichiraku's fresh out of the kitchen and maybe order one of every meal to broaden her tastes a bit.

As if the stars are aligning with her wishes, her brother finally came back along with Kakashi.

"Hey, Mito. Did you have fun mingling with your… acquaintances?" Naruto asked, earning a strained smile from the girl.

A nervous laugh left her lips. "Uh, sure," she replied. She didn't want to regale her brother with every strange situation she happen to be in that short time frame.

Naruto nodded and turned to Kakashi. "Well, we're heading for Ichiraku's. You got something to do today?"

"I actually plan on taking Sasuke on another C-rank. Nothing too big. Just an escort mission but I'll be able to show him a few notable spots in Hi no Kuni." the scarecrow mused with a light chuckle.

That finally snapped Sasuke out of his shaken state and faced his mentor with an arched eyebrow. "Really?" he asked, hiding his excitement beneath that monotonous façade. "Well, it's about time. I was wondering when you would stop making me train with these childish chakra exercises and get me a real mission."

"Big words coming from a child." Tayuya chimed in with a snort.

Sasuke went to open his mouth, but immediately shut it once he realized it came from the older redhead. That experience still hasn't left his mind and he isn't hoping to find himself in another one of her illusions, if what he picked out of their conversation was right. He hadn't felt that much terror since the night of the Uchiha massacre, but he kept that to himself.

An Uchiha mustn't feel fear after all.

"Good luck with that then. I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Naruto turned to his family. "Let's go. Wouldn't want the noodles to go cold."

But as they were about to leave, two voices made themselves known.

"I guess that's a raincheck on that dinner, babe?"

"Don't think you avoided me this time. We will be having that fight!"

The blond robotically craned his head towards his sister, ignoring the snickers coming from Tayuya. Red had rushed through her cheeks, almost threatening to explode in embarrassment. She dared not to look at her brother's expression. There's no doubt that it would only prove to add fuel to her humiliation.

"My sister already has boys chasing her and it's not even her first day in the village."

"Nii-chan!"

"Bahaha! Good one, Naruto-sama!"

---

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat. Her head snapped up abruptly, her legs shooting up in shock. A cold gust of air rushed across her body as if she just sat in a bathtub full of ice. Instinctively, her hands clutched her blanket and pulled it over her heaving chest. Each breath felt like a brand new supply of oxygen after being strangled.

A quick look at the ruined sheets of her bed showed her perspiration throughout the night. The golden afternoon light peered through the slits of her blinds, warming her breathless body to the best of its ability. Despite the sheen of sweat glinting against her skin, she felt cold for some reason.

Cold as the blade that was hovering over her neck just two days ago.

Even after reassuring her sensei that she was fine, it was obvious that her first real experience as a shinobi wasn't the best one. Witnessing death and having a near-death experience all in the same hour is quite taxing to a young maiden's heart, and not in a good way. Even after two days, she could still feel the sword threatening to slit her throat; the blood of the man splattered across her face. She would've allowed herself to cry once more if she hadn't already used up all her tears.

Is the shinobi life truly her future or did she make a mistake?

Sai, despite being an asshole, performed the best out of the three of them. He was calm, calculating, and overall skillful in terms of shinobi practices. There was no dithering when he killed those guards yet she hesitated to even cast a genjutsu. The embarrassment she felt when she latched onto him, crying her eyes out on his chest. He must feel disgusted at her for her weakness, as usual.

Sakura remembered thinking Hinata was weak—how she judged her based on her shy personality. But that all changed when the meek girl absolutely destroyed her in the Taijutsu spars. There were no boasting or smug grins, just a quiet apology before scurrying away. She showed those same skills during their mission when she dismantled her opponent to the point of paralyzation. She was the perfect example of what a kunoichi should be and Sakura couldn't help but feel envious.

Compared to them, what use is she on the team? Naruto-sensei told her that she has potential, but she feels that it isn't enough. What was the point of even entering the academy? To gain the attention of a certain Uchiha? What would he think of her if he saw her in this pathetic state? Maybe she shouldn't have…

"Sakura, are you up?" A knock on the door followed these words.

The concerned voice of her mother broke the pinkette from her self-deprecating thoughts. She immediately scrambled to fix the mess she made. However, Mebuki entered before Sakura could even fold her blankets and the elder Haruno was greeted by the sight of her sweaty daughter, panting while her body spread across her bed with the moist sheets tangled along her legs.

For a moment, the two stared at each other before Mebuki turned away with an uncomfortable look on her face. "Sakura, I know you're at that age already but please control yourself."

A hot blush blossomed across Sakura's cheeks. "Wh- what! Eww! Mom, what the heck! Just, no!' the pinkette's face twisted in disgust.

Mebuki sighed in relief. She can accept her daughter being a curious, hormonal girl but she would rather not see any of that. "Oh, I see. Then, what's with… this?" she gestured towards the mess and Sakura's frazzled state.

The younger Haruno silently contemplated lying, but her emotions are running high right now and she would rather spill her thoughts to her mother rather than someone else. "I… I had a nightmare." she admitted, her voice barely heard.

But Mebuki caught it and her eyes softened. It was obvious what the nightmare was about. Shutting the door behind her, she sat next to her daughter and envelope the shivering teen with a hug only a mother can give. Sakura found her tear ducts rejuvenated, but held herself back and returned the hug. There were no words shared, no lectures nor complaints. Just the comfort of a mother and daughter.

When they broke the hug, Sakura averted her eyes in shame. "You must think I'm stupid. I should've just listened to you. You kept warning me but I never listened. I'm sorry." she murmured as buried her face into her folded legs.

She now understood why her mother is so adamant on her dropping out of the shinobi program. People like her aren't meant for such an important task. But because of her stupidity, she ignored all the signs and pushed through. She studied every single book and lecture she received to impress her crush, only for it to go down the drain. She didn't deserve someone like Sasuke…

Mebuki sighed. "Do you know where our family came from, Sakura?" she asked, receiving a frown from her daughter. "We actually migrated to Konoha back during the Third Shinobi War from Tsume no Kuni when Iwa still controlled it. Your father and I escaped the country, along with our parents. But we were eventually caught by Iwa shinobi. We were then forced to watch as they did unspeakable things to our parents, one that haunts us till this day."

Horror filled the young pinkette's face. She never knew that her family had to face such terrible tragedies. "B- but you were able to escape, right?' she asked.

"Yes, eventually. We were saved by a Konoha shinobi." A smile graced the elder Haruno, before it faded into a frown. "At first, I despised his existence. The way he killed his enemies reminded me so much of those Iwa shinobi. My naive self couldn't differentiate the two and in my eyes, all shinobi were heartless killers. But then I slowly got to know him and I realized that he wasn't who I thought he was. He was still human and had his reasons for joining the shinobi corps. He wanted a reality where his son will always be safe, where he would grow up without the threat of war looming over his head."

Mebuki then faced her daughter, her lips pressed into a thin line and a frown carved onto her face. "Why did you want to become a shinobi, Sakura? I didn't want you to become a shinobi, only because your motivation is frankly pathetic." When her daughter winced at the harshness, the elder Haruno's features softened and enveloped the young pinkette in a hug once again. "I'm not telling you to quit. But I want you to find a reason, a goal. Something that will be the light guiding you through the dark path of the shinobi." The elder Haruno pecked Sakura's forehead. "And don't worry about your strength, honey. You're still just a genin, a civilian-born at that. Be proud of who you are."

While the young pinkette still had her doubts, she understood what her mother was saying. "Thanks, mom." a warm smile finally graced her face, one that was greatly appreciated by her mother.

"Oh, by the way. There's a young man actually asking for you. I was actually going to wake up for that." Mebuki said. "I think he said his name was Takumi Kubo."

"Takumi-sensei? What's he doing here?" Sakura questioned.

Mebuki shrugged. "He mentioned something about your training but other than that, he said that it was between you and him." Then she tilted her head in confusion. "I thought the clan head of the Namikaze Clan is your sensei?"

"Oh, Takumi-sensei is actually acting as my tutor in iryojutsu and genjutsu, since Naruto-sensei doesn't specialize in them," Sakura replied as she went to her closet to get ready for the day. Training in pajamas isn't exactly ideal.

"You seem to have been interested in iryojutsu for a while now. With all the medical books you've been borrowing from the library, I would've thought you would be taking the Medic's Exam?" Mebuki mused, earning an embarrassed squawk from behind the closet.

Sakura's emerald eyes peeked out of the doors. "I find it… cool. That's all." she replied nonchalantly… or at least, she tried to.

The elder Haruno seemed amused by it. "I see. Well, good luck with your training!" she bidded, as she stood back up to leave. She still has to prepare lunch for her darling husband to eat when he returns home. The loveable oaf is such a grump after work and a good meal will always bring that man's spirits up. If that didn't work, then maybe she would resort to some… physical suggestions.

With that, Mebuki left the room with a mischievous smile.

---

Sai, for the first time in his career, doesn't know what to do.

It's not like his mission is over, but it's just that he has no objectives to complete at this current hour. His last order from his master was to 'continue gaining the trust of your team'. However, the free day that their sensei gave them caught him by surprise. Naruto had personally come by his designated apartment to inform him about the cancellation of their training.

When he asked what he should train in, as the rest of his teammates had apparently been dragged off by their own personal tutors, he wasn't prepared to receive such a ludicrous response.

"It's a free day. Do whatever you want. Do your hobbies, laze around, pick up a girl. Anything! You've been training so much, I would've mistaken you for a machine. Relax a bit and take a break."

That's the reason why he's currently aimlessly walking around the streets of Konoha, with no goal whatsoever. He has never been given a rest day before. This is actually the first time he's heard of it. Usually, the only breaks he got back in the ROOT base were the given hours of sleep in their rooms. Maybe a few minutes for meal time but other than that, his entire career was dedicated to training.

The orders he received were so vague. Laze around? The concept is familiar to the pale boy but from his understanding, the act is usually reserved only for the Nara. Pick up girls? Plenty of factors seem to be missing in order to complete it such as the assigned location where he would place them and the amount of girls he would pick up. He doesn't concern himself with the purpose, just as long as he can complete it but with the missing information, he would have to do more research.

Hobbies? What are… hobbies?

As this question plagued the young ROOT agent, he found himself stumbling right into Konoha Park, where people of all ages and status visit to gain a moment of peace and satisfaction from a day of hardships. Of course, this escapes Sai's understanding as he merely sees the place as a gathering for tired civilians and hyperactive children.

Wooden benches were stationed all around the park, perfect for people who prefer sitting on a clean seat rather than the soft, plane of grass covering the entire area. Pigeons flew above the green fields, occasionally descending to the ground to pick a worm out of the dirt. Right in the middle of the park stood the largest tree in Konoha, Hashirama, where most kids spend their time—swinging on the low branches and crawling across the makeshift tunnels of wooden roots. Its crown is like flames consuming the perennial plants, allowing the sunlight to seep through the orange leaves, illuminating the ground

The tree was named after its creator, the First Hokage after the man grew it out of the ground with his famed Mokuton. Its purpose was to signify Konoha, with its powerful trunk representing the strength of its people and its burning crown being an image of the Will of Fire. Just another important monument gifted by the creators of the Hidden Leaf Village.

According to the book, Sai read, this is where most people would do their hobbies. Despite the abundance of people, the park felt peaceful somehow. Conversations were exchanged through soft words. The wind swept the children's laughter, joining the cooing noises of the pigeons settling on the tree's branches.

Sai, with his orders in mind, strode past the rest of the park guests and headed for the best spot, according to the travel guide he picked out in the library. After maneuvering across the children running around and strolling up the belly of the tree, he finally settled down right on one of the lower branches of Hashirama, leaning against its wooden trunk and basking in its fiery glow. Summoning chakra into the storage seals imprinted onto his wrists, a fairly-large scroll appeared in a puff of smoke. Twisting the cap on the scroll, he pulled out the brush and the ink bottle stored inside the compartment and unraveled the papyrus to do what he believes to be his hobby.

Drawing.

While there isn't anything in his life he would call a hobby, art has been the closest thing he could think of. In ROOT, drawing had become his form of training due to his special ability. He could remember draining hundreds of ink bottles, breaking more than fifty brushes, and having a medic-nin healing his hand every several hours. But despite that, Sai found it… enjoyable.

The word sounded foreign in his mind but that's the closest description he could conjure up to describe his feelings whenever he picks up a brush. He couldn't understand why, but mindlessly drawing gives him a sense of calm he has never experienced before. It doesn't matter what he creates. He just allows his hand to move and the feeling comes back. Just like right now.

The world around him fell silent. Only the sound of his brush sliding against the papyrus sheet, followed by the soft drippings of ink, could be heard. Each numbing stroke felt like a second longer in this peaceful state. His eyes appear to be staring at his work, yet they seem blank—almost as if his consciousness is living in another reality. Though he could see his drawing coming to life; the waves of the sea rippled across the paper, spilling over the shores of a hazy plain. Spirals of black winds took over the skies. The raging ebony sun glared with intensity, reminding him of the Suna weather. Creatures of the dark emerged from the ashen grass, bathing in the stygian rays and the swirling mouth of the abyss.

It was just another normal painting, but it was the experience that brought Sai a calmness that can never be replicated by the cool weather of Kumo or the warm pools of Yugakure.

Sadly, everything must come to an end.

White suddenly appeared on the scroll, the ink slipping away. Sai's eyes followed the trajectory and found himself staring at the beady eyes of a lone pigeon sitting on a low branch. The two locked blank gazes for a few seconds before an inky maw emerged from the papyrus sheet and lunged its snout at the unfortunate bird, closing it with a snap.

"Hehe, that's not the way to treat a pigeon, Sai."

Said boy flicked his gaze to the unknown figure, dressed in a familiar set of black and grey gear, that suddenly appeared right alongside him, balancing on a separate branch. In his grasp, curled into its feathers, lay the bird he had tried to eliminate. The figure then opened his hand and allowed the pigeon to fly away, with the memory of a terrifying black creature that almost killed it, imprinted in its brain.

"Shin, what are you doing here?" Sai asked monotonously, earning a mischievous chuckle from the figure.

Lifting the white mask he's donning, the ROOT agent flashed the mirthless boy his pearly-white teeth. "Is there anything wrong with checking on my little brother?" Shin replied, amused.

Sai didn't share the same enthusiasm. "Did Danzo-sama issue an order for me?" he asked, ignoring the older boy's teasing remarks.

"Nope, I just wanted to see you. Plus, it's my shift for this park. Aren't you glad to see me?" All Shin received was a blank stare from the pale boy, but he quickly disregarded it and focused on the scroll on his lap. "Hey, you're drawing! Took my advice, didn't ya?"

For a moment, Sai hesitated. Shin has always been a strange occurrence in his life. Ever since he could remember, the older ROOT has always been with him. He was the total opposite of what the organization stands for and yet, he can't help but find his presence a necessity, at least to him. In front of their master, Shin remained as blank as an empty canvas but once the doors were shut and it was only the two of them, the lapis-haired boy would spring into a ball of emotions and 'have fun' with him. He's… strange but not unkind.

"Yes…" Sai finally replied, a hint of exasperation seeping through his voice.

Shin is happy to see this, which means his plan for his little brother to gain emotions is working. Well, maybe it's not all him. His new team could be a factor, though he didn't want to admit that. All things aside, he's glad the boy continued to draw as a hobby and why wouldn't he? He is, after all, the one who pushed him into drawing for his own pleasure instead of training—an achievement he would take to the grave.

A harsh cough suddenly erupted from his throat. Shin felt his body doubling over involuntarily. Hands flew to his mouth to stop the raspy sputters, all ending in vain as the air continued to leave his body in violent bursts. His back hit the bark behind him, stopping his legs from buckling over.

Sai's eyes grew wide, an unfamiliar emotion stirring in his stomach. "Are you okay?" he found himself asking before he could even think about it.

'Speak of the devil…' Shin thought to himself. "I'm fine. Just under the weather for the past few days."

Sai had a nagging feeling at the back of his head, whispering that something is clearly wrong, but the boy ended up disregarding it and giving the older ROOT agent a hesitant nod. "If you have the flu, I can recommend something that will help you. One of my classmates had the same and told me about it. It's quite expensive, however, it's apparently a fast-acting agent—" When the pale boy turned, he was greeted by an empty branch and a swirl of leaves.

Arching an eyebrow at Shin's sudden disappearance, all he could do was shrug it off. It's possible that his shift may have ended and needed to leave immediately. After all, Danzo had explicitly taught them the value of urgency and punctuality. It's one of the first lessons they were given when they first started their training at the age of four and Sai could still feel the burning sensation on his thighs to this day.

"Who were you talking to?"

The only physical reaction he gave at the sudden appearance of his sun-haired sensei was a slight jolt from his seat. With hindsight, Sai felt like he should've sensed the man due to his abnormally large chakra, and yet, he could bypass his awareness as if he had none at all. Naruto Namikaze is truly an anomaly that has enough secrets to fill up the Konoha Bank.

Just as practiced, Sai flashed his sensei a smile. "The birds, Naruto-sensei. They seem to be… distracting me," he replied swiftly.

Naruto's expression remained blank before a smirk took over his lips. "At least I'm not the only one who hates these dumb birds." he mused. "However, I didn't come here to discuss our shared hatred for pigeons. Team 7 has been called by the Hokage. We are to report to the Hokage Tower in five minutes. I already sent my clones to fetch your teammates."

Sai's eyebrows rose. "Has there been an emergency, sensei?"

The blond's face twisted into a frown. "Not sure. But I have a bad feeling about this."

---

Hiruzen eyed the team before him. He had never really thought about it but it truly is a strange set of characters. The Hyuga heiress appeared to be nervous, but she tried her best to remain professional in front of him. The ROOT agent stood motionless and blank, earning a frown from the wizened man but he trusted his surrogate grandson to handle his presence. The pink-haired civilian-born has her arms wrapped around herself with a troubled look in her eyes, masked by the stern expression on her face.

And lastly, the most obscure out of them all, Naruto Namikaze stood with a relaxed posture with a hand buried into his pocket, but his body remained tense. It seems that his Jonin status still hasn't shed the blond's ANBU habits, as seen by the continuous calculating look on his face.

"Team 7, reporting for duty." the blond greeted stoically, causing Hiruzen to sigh.

While he dislikes taking Naruto out of his family day, especially since it's his sister's first day in the village, the message he received requires a bit more urgency. "Thank you for your prompt appearance. I'll get straight to the point." A stony look replaced the old man's features. "As of three hours ago, Kakashi Hatake and his apprentice, Sasuke Uchiha, were sent on a C-rank mission to Nami no Kuni. Unfortunately, the intel we received lacked specific information. It seems that Nami has been under the rule of the Gato Company. In addition to that, the two also encountered the Demon Brothers, B-rank missing-nins from Kirigakure."

As he spoke, the Hokage slid a scroll with a few splatters of blood on the cover. The Genins could only imagine the contents while Naruto nodded in understanding. "So, it's likely that there are more shinobi that were hired by the company," he said, receiving a nod. "However, why are you sending a green Genin team to a national crisis? Wouldn't a Chunin squad be more reliable?"

"Because I have another job tailored for you." This earned a sharp look from the blond. "You are to use this mission to form an official alliance with Nami. The nation has been a significant market for trading for the last few years and a good relationship with them will be a boon for us."

"That's great and all, but that still doesn't answer my question. Why bring my genin team?" Naruto questioned.

Hiruzen folded his hands. "To be honest, you don't. You are enough to complete both parts of the mission but I would like to consider your opinion." The Hokage then leaned forward and stared into the Genins' eyes, causing more than one of them to feel uncomfortable. "I'll be frank. As of today, your team produced the best results out of every other team this year. While I wouldn't want to discredit the others, Naruto has shown me that you three have incredible potential. The only thing you lack is experience, which can be solved with this mission."

"A B-rank mission is still too much for a fresh-out-of-the-academy Genins. They just finished a rather tiring C-rank just two days ago and this would only be a hindrance to them." Naruto replied, but he curiously looked toward his team. "Unless you three have anything to say?"

Normally, Naruto would refuse to bring them to a mission like this. However, he was also reminded of himself back when he was a Chunin and how he would always insist on taking higher missions to challenge himself. Unfortunately, he was always refused and coddled by the older shinobi. While his reason may be selfish, he would like to at least give the opportunity to his team.

The three exchanged looks and after quite a while, Hinata spoke up nervously for the team. "Umm, we would like, if it's okay with you, to assist you, Naruto-sensei. We may not contribute much, but it's only right that we help our sensei."

At this, Naruto allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. "Fine. It looks like you took my lesson from the Genin test to heart. Now, go on. We leave in 30 minutes. I still have something to discuss with the Hokage."

With a quick nod, the three left the office to prepare their gear. Meanwhile, Naruto's features fell into a blank state. A snap of his fingers sent a ripple across the office and all four ANBU hidden in the corners of the room swiftly left with a single blur as their trace. The doors glowed slightly, confirming the security seals' activation. The heavy command of the ANBU Captain remained in Naruto's aura and they knew that he wouldn't dare to try and harm the Hokage.

"Now, what's your real reason for… this?" he questioned, earning a smirk from the wizened man. "I'm not the only person qualified for this. Asuma, Kurenai—hell, Guy is just as qualified. You know I'm not the best in diplomacy and my team is certainly not ready for a B-rank. You wouldn't offer this to the other genin teams so why?"

Hiruzen raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, I wouldn't. But that's because I saw something in your team that Tobirama-sensei saw when I had my genin team." A proud smile grew on his face. "Your team has the potential to be just as great as the Densetsu no Sannin. Not just because of them as individuals, but because you are leading them. My sensei sent my team to their first B-rank after just a month of graduation."

"I remember Ero-sennin telling me that story. He said that he almost lost his leg that day, Tsunade was nearly traumatized, and Orochimaru grew an unhealthy obsession with swords." Naruto arched an eyebrow at the old man.

"Yes, but that experience led Jiraiya to the Toads and eventually learned his senjutsu. Tsunade was inspired to take iryojutsu, the art of healing instead of following her grandfather's steps. Orochimaru…" Hiruzen faltered a bit and his voice grew softer, more somber. "He searched long and wide for the perfect sword and he eventually found it, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi." His eyes then locked with Naruto's. "This experience is what would spark a fire in your team. I can feel it in my bones."

"Pretty old bones, if you ask me."

Ignoring the jibe, Hiruzen continued. "You may think that this is just the ramblings of an old man and I understand. I thought of that too when my Tobirama-sensei mentioned the same thing. But he only said that greatness cannot be foreseen until it has finally revealed itself. But on that day, he saw it burning as bright as the sun. I see it in your team… and in you, Naruto."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You're grooming me into replacing you, aren't you?" he accused. He only received a hearty laugh.

"Oh, no. As much as I want you to relieve me of this cursed paperwork, you're still too young for that. However, it doesn't mean that the idea is still off the table."

"I told you. Being the Hokage isn't… for me. I just don't see myself leading this village or officiating an entire military force." Naruto replied with a sigh. "Plus, I don't want to end up an old man sitting behind a desk, signing paperwork all day."

Hiruzen's eye twitched. "If only I could burn all this garbage off this desk," he grumbled to himself as the pile has, once again, grown larger in size. "Now get out of here, you brat. Before I'll kick you out myself."

The immature blond only snickered in response and leapt out of the window, avoiding all the curses he received about disrespectful blonds and the use of doors. As he hopped from roof to roof, he thought about what the Hokage said. Was his team really that special that sending them on a B-rank mission is encouraged? While he doubts that, he expects the mission to be smooth sailing. With two Jonins on the case, two of the most powerful in fact, there's not much that can stand in their way. After all, what can happen in a simple B-rank mission

---

I apologize for the very late update. Uni is such a bitch. If there's been a drop in my writing, I'm sorry about that. I've been studying for the past few weeks and this is the only time that I could finally breathe. Thanks to the break, I can finally finish this chapter so enjoy! or don't, idk.