A/N: Aaaand, Chapter 2! Yay, nine pages of editing! That's right…enjoy my hard labor…

Disclaimer: I have chapters 1-225 of the manga, 93 episodes, and 5 plushies. I'd call that some serious Naruto ownage.

Chapter 2: …Who Overcame Time…

Hinata struggled with all her strength against her captor's grasp despite not being able to see or hear Kiba and Shino anymore. In fact, Hinata couldn't see much anything around her except for a whole lot of color and bright light. This changed when she was spun around to be face to face with her demon kidnapper. Hinata started screaming all over again.

It was a woman…of sorts. More like a giant centipede with a woman's upper torso for a head, but definitely ugly like a centipede. It didn't help Hinata's first impression of her when a long slimy tongue shot of the demon's mouth and licked her.

"Give it to me…!" it hissed at her.

Hinata continued to scream in response.

"You have it…give it to me…the jewel…" Desperately, Hinata lashed out at her but to no avail.

"Byakugan!" she shouted, as she focused her chakra into her eyes and her palms. "Ha!" She struck the arms holding her, and watched as the centipede woman screamed in agony as her arms were rather messily detached from her body. Hinata's eyes widened. She'd only meant to make the woman let go, not tear her arms off---she hadn't even know the jyuuken style was capable of that! Hence calling it, "gentle"?

She stared at her hands as the demon floated from view and the colors and lights disappeared, soon finding herself sitting at the bottom of the well. "Please tell me I was just dreaming," Hinata whispered fearfully to herself. She looked up and squeaked when saw the severed arms of the centipede woman laying next to her. "I'm not dreaming…!" she whimpered tearfully.

There was a square of light above her which she assumed was the mouth of the well. "Kiba! Shino! Akamaru! Are you there?" she called hopefully. Perhaps they had gone for help… The well was too deep for her to jump out of, but she spotted some vines leading upwards, so she grabbed on and proceeded to climb out the hard way.

After a few minutes of labor, she reached the top and jumped out, dusting off her clothing after landing on her feet in the soft grass. Wait a second…GRASS? Hinata looked around incredulously, completely taken by the change of scenery. She was in a small, grassy clearing surrounded by dense forest on all sides. Hinata bit her lip nervously. This was obviously not her family's estate, but how had the well transported her somewhere else? Perhaps this was all just an elaborate illusion, a genjutsu or something?

Scanning for anything familiar, Hinata spotted an ancient tree towering over the rest of the foliage of the forest. If she hadn't been so stressed at the moment, Hinata would have laughed with happiness. It was the Goshinboku tree, just yesterday her father had been preaching about how old it was, so perhaps… What if her location hadn't changed, but the time had? Hinata shook her head to free herself of such thoughts. How ridiculous, who'd ever heard of putting a time jutsu on a well? Speaking of the well…

Hinata decided to put as much distance as possible between herself and the well, just in case the centipede lady decided to follow her out. Unsure of where else to go, she wandered in the direction of the Goshinboku, admiring the scenery on the way there. It was so calm here, and under different circumstances she was sure she would have love it here.

Finally, she came to the clearing where the Goshinboku was, and just when she thought nothing would surprise her after today's events, here she was standing in awe again. There, half-covered by huge vines, was a boy. If she hadn't realized that there was a huge kunai rammed through his heart, she would have thought he was asleep. He looked so…peaceful… She was pretty sure most people didn't look that good when they died, what with his wild blonde hair blowing in the wind and all…

Judging by the roots and vines covering him, he had probably been there for a long time, but for some reason he didn't look as if he had aged or decayed a day over fourteen. Moving closer, she hesitantly placed a hand on his cheek to check whether or not he was an illusion. Her hand met soft skin, almost to her disappointment. She'd been sure someone must've cast a genjutsu on his face to keep it looking so youthful, but her hands told her he was real. She pinched his cheek a bit, and growing braver, she stuck her fingers in the ends of his mouth and gave a good yank.

"Umm…excuse me," she asked timidly, while stretching his face in numerous positions, "but are you dead or alive?" She sighed when she received no response, but she'd expected as much. She was about to turn away when…

"You there! Freeze!" And freeze she did, as an arrow was planted a few inches from her head into the tree. "Who goes there? And what business do you have in the Kyuubi's forest?"

Hinata slowly turned around with her hands above her head to find herself completely surrounded. "I-I…umm…" she stuttered, much too preoccupied with sweating at the sight of their many weapons to bother making up a believable excuse. Not that she was any good at lying anyway…

"Look at his strange clothes," said one of them, pointing at her. Hinata sweat-dropped. Her clothes were not strange…and what did he mean by "his"? Just when she had convinced herself she wasn't butt-ugly too…

"W-wait! You are mistaken!" she tried to explain anxiously. They could think her clothes were weird, but she certainly wasn't going to let them get her gender wrong! "I'm not a man, I'm a---!"

"Didja hear that! He said he wasn't human!" yelled the same man from earlier.

"What? Wait, no---!" Hinata's protests fell on deaf ears.

"That must mean he's a demon!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's kill him!"

"WAIT JUST ONE SECOND!" A man with a long scar running over his nose stepped forward towards Hinata and the tree. He apparently held a position of respect, judging by how quickly he had silenced the group of men. He looked her up and down, pausing when he saw her eyes. Hinata didn't really blame him---her eyes usually had that effect on people the first time around.

Finally breaking eye-contact, he turned back to the men. "You dimwits. That's not a demon---hell, that's not even a boy. Don't let the short hair and clothes confuse you, that's just an innocent little girl." He snorted in disbelief of his own men's stupidity. "Ah, well, you guys know the rules. We'll bring her back to the village---careful not to injure her. Especially not this girl, Kakashi-sama will definitely have an interest in her."

The men obediently complied, putting down their weapons and preparing to head back home. The man with the large scar turned back to her. "C'mon down from there, girl. You shouldn't touch him." He gestured at the boy and held a hand out to help her down. She didn't need his hand, but she accepted his help anyway.

"Umm…th-thank you for saving me." Hinata bowed low and formally, hoping to avoid offending him for touching the boy.

His serious expression disappeared under a bright smile in her direction. "That's all right, little lady. My name's Iruka. And you?" He asked kindly, as they began to walk on what she assumed to be a path to the village.

"H-Hinata," she said shyly.

"Hinata, huh? A pretty name for a pretty girl." She blushed deeply, but suddenly a horrible thought struck her. He said they were going to the village where he had been sure a man named Kakashi would have an interest in her… Hinata grew even redder as she realized what kind of implications that might hold for her.

Iruka saw her steadily reddening face, and blushed a bit himself when he realized just what she had probably been thinking. "We're not bringing you to a brothel," he quickly reassured her. "Kakashi-sama likes the women, but strictly the women his own age."

Hinata let out the breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. At least one thing hadn't turned out to be a complete disaster today…

"So, Hinata-san, might I ask where you're from? Your clothes are clearly not from this region," he asked, looking at her jacket and pants curiously. Looking around, Hinata realized everybody else around her, including Iruka, was wearing casual kimonos, the type worn in the old days by peasants that worked in the fields, and most of them were even barefoot. Suddenly, the idea of traveling back in time didn't seem so unreasonable…

"I'm from Konohagakure village," she responded simply.

Iruka looked suspicious. "Konohagakure, you're sure?"

"Yes, I was there at home just a couple of minutes ago…but then I got attacked, fell down a well, and…well…now everything looks different…" Hinata blushed again. "You must think I'm insane…even I'm having a hard time believing that story, it sounds so incredible…"

"Well, these are incredible times, Hinata-san; Incredible things are bound to happen sooner or later."

As Hinata, Iruka, and the men entered the village, there was already a small crowd gathering to see the oddly-clothed stranger. Hinata assumed one of the men must have run ahead of them to tip off the villagers of their arrival.

"Make room everybody," called Iruka, clearing away some of the people to prevent Hinata from being smothered. "Where's Kakashi-sama?"

"He said he'd meet you by his hut!" replied one of the crowd.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, sir!"

Guiding Hinata towards the center of the village, he beckoned for her to take a seat under the shade of a small cherry blossom tree while he walked into the small hut closest to them. Hinata flinched as she heard the sound of Iruka cursing loudly coming from inside the hut.

"DAMN YOU, KAKASHI!" he roared, face red, as he stormed out of the hut. "He isn't in there," he barked at his men. "Split up and search for him!"

And hour later, Hinata fidgeted nervously as Iruka continued pacing and muttering under his breath. There was still no sign of "Kakashi-sama" and Hinata was starting to get a bit restless.

"Oh, Iruka. What are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone?" Iruka and Hinata looked up to see a tall, silver-haired man swaggering towards them casually, the small crowd parting to clear a path for him. The pulsing little vein in Iruka's forehead swelled.

"I WAS WAITING FOR YOU, YOU HALF-WIT!" Iruka bellowed.

Hinata's eyes widened. This was Kakashi-sama? He didn't look all that strong or important, but Hinata guessed that might've been because of his very laid-back demeanor. He wasn't wearing anything special either---the only part of his outfit that set him apart from the other villagers was the skin-tight mask over the bottom half of his face, an extension of skin-tight shirt worn under his loose-fitting kimono. That and the fact that he wore an eye patch over his left eye.

"Really? Well, why were you waiting here?" Kakashi asked innocently, seemingly impassive to Iruka's shouts.

Iruka blustered incoherently for a few seconds, too furious to create a complete a sentence. "Y-you…you---!" He stomped his foot. "You told one of the villagers you'd meet me here at your hut!"

Kakashi laughed good-naturedly despite the murderous look on Iruka's face. "Oh, that. Really, Iruka, don't you know by now that 'I'll meet you by my hut' is code for 'I'm going to go take a nap down by the river'?"

Iruka had to be held back by a few of his men before he attempted to strangle Kakashi, muttering "I'll kill him, I'll kill him---I swear!" under his breath all the while.

"Please, Iruka-sama, not in front of the child," pleaded one of the men holding him back, nodding his head towards Hinata, who was looking thoroughly traumatized from her seat under the tree.

"Oh…right," he mumbled sheepishly, remembering why he had been waiting for Kakashi in the first place. "Sorry you had to see that," he apologized to her.

"Th-that's alright…" Judging by the unsurprised faces of the people in the crowd, Hinata had the feeling that this sort of thing happened very often between Iruka and Kakashi.

Kakashi seemed to have just noticed her, and as Iruka had said, it was clear that she really did interest him. "Stop staring and c'mon," snapped Iruka, shooing him into his hut and gesturing for her to follow.

There was a sigh of disappointment from the crowd---they were quite obviously upset about not being able to watch Kakashi and Iruka's antics anymore---but soon they began to disperse and go about their usual daily routine.

Hinata was not surprised to see that the hut was scarce in furniture---only a large chest, a few pots of rice and clean water, and a shallow hole in the middle of the elevated wooden floor, which she assumed was where they made a fire to cook with---but she was awed at the sheer number of weaponry which covered the walls and hung from the ceiling. Swords, kunai, axes, and some she couldn't even identify; the hut definitely didn't exactly strike her as a child-friendly, and one thing was for sure, as she eyed Kakashi warily with newfound respect and just a little fear. This man was not only competent, but a fellow and potentially dangerous ninja.

"So, Iruka, gonna tell me who our lovely young visitor is?" said Kakashi, eyeing her curiously.

Iruka smiled at Kakashi's obvious interest. "Kakashi, this is Hinata-san. Hinata-san, this slacker is Hatake Kakashi."

"Iruka, you're so mean to me…" Kakashi sighed jokingly.

"It is my honor, Hatake-sama." Hinata bowed low and respectfully, making sure her forehead touched the ground in front of her.

"Hey, Iruka, how come you don't show respect for me like that?" Iruka's eye twitched.

"Because you don't deserve it, lazy," Iruka grunted.

"Umm…" Hinata started shyly.

The men stopped glaring at each other to give her their full attention. "Yes?"

"I-I was just wondering…just what is your job here in the village, Hatake-sama?" she asked innocently, trying hard not to stare at the weapons so as not to reveal the true nature of her question. Kakashi smiled kindly.

"Please, Hinata-chan, there's no need to be so formal. I'm just the village leader---the hokage if you will."

"The hokage!" Hinata gasped. Kakashi and Iruka sweat-dropped as Hinata began bowing rapidly, a loud thump resounding through the room every time her forehead hit the floor.

"Hinata-san! Please stop! Don't go giving yourself a concussion!" Kakashi darted forward and grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her continuous bowing. "Iruka, get her some water, quickly!" he ordered, seeing her dazed expression.

"N-no…that's okay…I'm just fine, sir!" She slurred stubbornly, trying to sit up to prove there was no need to worry.

"Don't be ridiculous," Iruka scolded, handing her a cup of water. "Just take it easy. It's not all that important for you to be so formal to Kakashi."

"B-but, how can you talk to him on such an equal level when he has so much more authority than you or I?" Hinata stuttered anxiously.

Kakashi looked up at Iruka, raising an eyebrow. "That's a good question, Iruka…" Iruka's eye twitched again.

"Now's not the time, Kakashi…"

"Fine, fine… How about you call me something less formal than Hatake-sama, Hinata-san? Perhaps that would help you feel more comfortable around me?" Kakashi suggested.

"O-okay…" Hinata agreed shyly. Her father had always stressed the importance of being very respectful to those in positions of power, and as weird as it sounded, it was almost exciting to try and be on familiar terms with a man of Kakashi's importance, and to some-what disobey her father's teachings.

"Right then, give it a try."

"Umm…Hatake-san?"

Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "Still too formal."

"K-Kakashi…" she struggled to say, almost afraid to be anything less than formal, "…sama?"

"Good, good, just leave it at that," Kakashi announced, patting her on the head. "So, Hinata was it? Let's get down to business, ok? Iruka probably brought you to me for a reason," he looked towards Iruka, gesturing for him to start explaining.

"We found her in Kyuubi's forest earlier today when my men mistook her for a demon and tried to attack her," Iruka recited obediently. "Luckily, I intervened in time to stop them."

"I see," said Kakashi. "So just what were you doing in Kyuubi's forest, young lady?"

"J-just wandering around, really, until I umm…" She blushed uncertainly. "Until I saw the boy who was uh…pinned to the tree..."

"So you've met Naruto, have you?" Hinata looked up confusedly.

"The kyuubi---the boy, Naruto," Kakashi explained. "No matter. He's not waking up anytime soon anyway, so there's no need for you to know much about him. He was sealed there by my older brother Neji, and no one can break Neji's jutsus." Kakashi smiled. "Well, half-brother, really---we had different fathers. As strange as it sounds, he looked a lot like you when he was your age. Now that I think about it, he was kind of feminine looking… Anyway, he had the same eyes as you and everything."

Hinata looked up in surprise. Kakashi's brother had had the Hyuuga's Byakugan like she did? So that was why Iruka looked so startled when he saw her, and that was how he knew Kakashi would be immediately interested by her. "Really? Where is your brother now, Kakashi-sama?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Six feet under, by the shrine." Seeing Hinata's blank stare, he elaborated on his previous statement. "He's dead."

Hinata gasped and began bowing again, apologizing profusely for bringing up such a tender subject.

"Please, don't worry about it. He's been dead for twenty years now, so believe me when I say I've had more than enough time to grieve."

When Hinata continued bowing, Iruka finally intervened, placing a strong hand on top of her head to stop her before she could hurt herself.

"Hinata-san, how about you just tell Kakashi where you're from, alright?" suggested Iruka, with a worried look. The girl was going to give herself a concussion before the day was out if she kept that up…

"Oh…uhh…alright…" Hinata shook her head quickly to rid herself of her slight dizziness and continued. "I come from a village called Konohakagure," she stated simply.

Kakashi's visible eye widened. "Konohakagure? But, that's the name of our village," he exclaimed, "and your clothes obviously do not match the style of our clothes!"

"But that can't be!" Hinata insisted. "The Konohakagure I come from is much bigger and prosperous than this little village! And my clothes are common in my hometown! Look!" Hinata pointed at the leaf-imprinted metal plate on the fore-head protector tied around her neck. "This is the symbol of my village!" Hinata bit her lip anxiously, growing very much distressed about her situation. "I-I wear this headband as proof that I am a proud ninja of my village!" She did her best to look as proud as she should have felt while Kakashi looked contemplative, and Iruka seemed just as stumped as ever.

"Hinata, what year is it in your village?" asked Kakashi, interrupting her troubled thoughts. Iruka caught the look in his eye and nodded slowly, beginning to understand just what Kakashi was thinking.

"I-It has been 550 years since our first Hokage founded our village." Hinata answered. "Why?"

"I think we've found our answer," said Iruka calmly. "Hinata-san, I believe you mentioned a well earlier to me?"

Hinata nodded in affirmation. "Yes, that's how I got here in the first place. I was standing near the mouth of an old, sealed well on my family's estate, when a monster from inside it attacked me and dragged me down it. I broke free though, and suddenly found myself at the bottom of the well just on the edge of the forest you found me in."

"The bone-eater's well?" Iruka pressed.

"I-I don't know what the well is called…"

"It most likely was, that's the only dried-up well around here that fits that description."

"Hinata," Kakashi interjected, "I have always suspected there was something strange about the bone-eater's well, but never anything quite like this. If what you're saying is true, then you, Hinata, have been transported---by means of the well---back in time."

He ran his hand through his hair impulsively, as if he himself was having a hard time absorbing this information. Hinata was beyond words now… How had her simple life been turned upside down in such a short time?

"525 years in the past, to be exact," Kakashi continued. "It has been only twenty-five years since our first hokage founded this village---Neji was this village's first hokage." He sighed. "Well, that's one mystery solved. Now to answer mystery number two…"

Now Hinata was really confused. What did he mean by mystery number two? There was more?

"Hinata-chan, what is your family name?" Kakashi asked eagerly.

"H-Hyuuga. My full name is Hyuuga Hinata."

"I knew it!" cried Kakashi excitedly, holding up a hand for Iruka to high-five enthusiastically. "I'm good!"

Hinata squirmed uncomfortably, feeling very much left-out. "Umm…I'm afraid I don't understand…" she said glumly over the animated shouts from Kakashi and Iruka.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan!" reassured Kakashi happily, patting her on the back cheerfully. "Can I call you that? Good!" Hinata sweat-dropped. She hadn't actually had the chance to say yes or no… "It's nothing bad! We just reaffirmed our suspicions that you are connected to my brother Neji somehow---in this case, you're actually related!"

"Huh?" She stared at him blankly.

"Well you see, judging by the fact that you two probably would have looked more like siblings than he and I ever did, and the fact that you share the same surname, it is more than likely that you are a descendent of Neji's," Kakashi explained. "The only thing is, I don't exactly remember my brother getting attached to very many people, much less women, and he never wandered into the brothels as far I know… So if anything, you're probably a direct descendent of the brother of Neji---me!" Kakashi laughed delightedly. "Isn't that funny? I bet you never dreamed you'd be able to meet your ancestor!"

"B-But, why don't I have your surname?" Hinata asked hesitantly, not wishing to upset him.

"Hmm…that's a good question. Guess I better change my family name now, huh?" He laughed again, completely unfazed. "Iruka, tell the villagers that starting tomorrow I'm Hyuuga Kakashi!"

"I doubt most of the villagers knew your surname was Hatake in the first place, Kakashi," replied Iruka jokingly. "Everyone here just knows you as Kakashi-sama anyway."

"You drive a good argument, Iruka! Which makes it all the more easy for you to change my surname!" He turned back to Hinata. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan, however long you're with us, I'll be sure to take good care of you! We'll find a way to send you home soon, but for now, we celebrate!" He wiped away a tear of mirth. "I just found out I'm a father…well, great-great-great-great-you get the point-grandfather, but if it ends with father, it's good enough for me!"

Hinata sweat-dropped. What strange people… how had her strict family been founded by such a care-free leader? Hinata shrugged the thought away---hey, she wasn't arguing. She rather liked Kakashi-sama, she decided, and Iruka-san. She would be happy here…for now…

A/N: Done! Next chapter will be out by next week! Till then, take the time to review (please!) and have fun reading some questions and answers about the fic below. They're probably all on your minds (considering you asked them)…

1.) Why Kakashi as Kaede?

(scratches head) Eh, heh…actually the only original reason was because both of them wore some sort of eye-patch over their left eye. However, after I assigned Neji as Kikyo, I remembered something Kakashi had said during the Chuunin exam---that the sharingan ability had probably originated from the lower-branches of the Hyuuga clan. So with Kakashi and Neji as half-brothers, Kakashi would carry in him the potential for the Byakugan (from his mother) and the Sharingan (which is his alone at the moment--but we don't know that yet in the story).

2.) How often will you update?

Whenever I can?

3.) Wouldn't Kiba make a better Kouga?

(ponders) OMG, I actually hadn't even thought about Kouga yet…hmm, I guess he would have made a good one though. What I was actually going for with Kiba was for him to be a "Hojo"-type role… But close enough, eh? Don't worry, Kiba may be left behind but he'll still play his part (coughNEXTCHAPTERcough).

4.) If Neji is Kikyo and Naruto is Inuyasha, then were those two lovers at some point?

Ummm no. All will be explained in due time.

And that's all for now, guys. Don't forget to review! Lots of humor in the next chapter, so look forward to it!