Not in possession of Naruto, as always. In case you can't tell... this particular piece is set in a couple different times... a year or so before as well as right before the beginning of Revealing Moments. The time about when.. well.. you'll see. Have fun children.

In the Mirror (part I)

"Hinata-sama. Your father requires your presence now." The maid turned to go, before turning back and whispering "Ganbatte, Hina-chan."

Hinata smiled and rose, dusting imaginary dust from the sleeves of her kimono. "Arigato, Maiko-san." She exhaled slowly, and made her way to the vaulted council room.

"You're finally ready to be acknowledged as the next in line, Hyuuga Hinata. It has been decided."

"On your twentieth birthday, you will replace your father as Head of the Hyuuga House. Until then, you will continue your duties as a Konoha shinobi."

"However afterward, you will be required to withdraw your services. You can not lead the Hyuuga, and still serve the nameless of Konoha."

"I understand, and I will accept this."

"You will give up your work at the hospital?"

"Hai, Neji-niisan. I am Hyuuga Hinata before I am a ninja." Neither could say the truth in front of the council. That in truth, Hyuuga Hinata would rather be at the hospital than leading the clan or on a mission that would endanger anyone. That in truth, Hyuuga Hinata was sacrificing "Hina-chan" and "Hinata-san", titles that meant more to her than "Hinata-sama" because she had earned them through being herself. Not because of her circumstances of birth.

Hinata sat as the ceremony flowed endlessly around her. Twenty is four years away… perhaps things will change. Naruto, you promised you'd change the Hyuuga. But you can't do it alone. You must become Hokage first. Maybe by then… maybe the bars will have bent a little.

She knew what had brought on the Council's decision. She had fought against the Sound, when they attacked again two months. Godaime herself had praised Hyuuga Hinata as one of the ninja that had helped prevent the death of a single Konoha shinobi. Orochimaru had been growing too cocky, and had thought to wage another war with Konoha, without a distraction like the Chuunin Exam. It was a stupid move, especially as he did not have the benefit of Uchiha Sasuke's body. She wondered, as did most of the other shinobi, where he had been during that attack. She wondered, as did most of the other shinobi, if Uchiha Sasuke was the reason behind Uzumaki Naruto's silence. Had the two fought again? Had Naruto defeated Sasuke? Had he killed him? So many questions, so many possible answers.

"So I was just the second choice to my brother? Because Uchiha Itachi was too strong for you, you chose to pursue me? That is weakness. You tempted with me with the promise of power and strength. I will see that strength. I will see the strength of one who seeks to own an Uchiha." He stood back to gauge the reaction his words had on the people around him. "I will see it, and I will judge. You could not wait days for my body when I was away doing your dirty work. And you could not wait mere hours the first time. You say your powers are as good as immortality, but you still rely on the strength of your vessel. Well, your time is approaching again. I will see the true strength of you and those who follow you. Or you will not have this body, or the strength I sought to cultivate so many years. You are in pain because you need to renew the blood in you. Can you fight through that pain? As I have so many times, can you fight and win despite the agony? Are you really strong enough to claim an Uchiha?"

The Hidden Village of the Sound had attacked Konoha then. Sasuke had watched, flitting from battle to battle, never being seen. Only once had he been caught…

"Here to fight, Sasuke-teme?"

"No. Here to see what there is worth fighting for. I'm not going to fight, unless you're stupid enough to try and attack me, dobe."

Naruto had stood close enough to reach out and touch him, but he hadn't. He simply followed Sasuke, every now and then throwing kunai at those who sought to hide themselves in the trees. As the two circled, they saw fewer and fewer battles, and more and more cleanups. The fights had moved further into the city, closer to the center, to engage the stronger independent ninja of Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto watched medic teams running around, saving lives.

They followed the fighting further into the city. They watched jounin like Yuuhi Kurenai fighting, a formidable force against her attackers, they saw chuunin like Aburame Shino taking down ninja without blinking, they saw teams of friends like the InoShikaChou trio (both generations) clear sections of Konoha of would be murderers. They saw Haruno Sakura tending to wounded Konoha ninja in the street, while a genin cel guarded her back. They left the city, Orochimaru's attack had failed, there was no point to observing any more fighting. They headed into the woods.

"Did you get your answer, Sasuke-teme? Or do I need to spell it out for you? All those people we saw are worth fighting, and worth fighting for… Hinata-chan!" That last was whispered in surprise as a white shadow flitted beneath them, intent on her goal. She could not sense them, they were neutral bodies at this moment, for all intentions they were trees, all emotion repressed, simply watching. They watched her swoop down on a fallen cell. They left her tending their wounds, ignoring the red slowly staining the small of her own back.

They moved further into the woods, saw unconscious, wounded and dead Sound ninja. They passed bloody corpses felled by steel and skill, unblooded bodies touched by minds stronger than theirs, saw those touched by Clan hands, Yamanaka… Nara… Akimichi… Hyuuga… or untouched by hands… Aburame… Inuzuka…

"Still weak…" Sasuke muttered.

"Wrong, teme. Eventually you'll smarten up. Till then… just remember… that your Orochimaru got his ass handed to him by a woman, Godaime Hokage, and Konohagakure no Sato. Tsunade-baachan and the shinobi you turned your back on before beat the Snake Sannin and his entire village. You suure you're on the right side?" His was the annoyingly loud genin Sasuke remembered again. "Oh well… we'll probably meet up again. Next time I see you… loser buys lunch."

Weak… stupid… pointless… Blood was everywhere, everywhere but on him. All those silly little guards Orochimaru had posted to guard him while he recovered were useless. He'd gone through half the building before they ever noticed. All he had to do was show his face, and they'd leapt on him… for all intents and purposes baring their necks to him. In the end it hadn't taken much. Kabuto had been distracted… Orochimaru had been in pain… and Sasuke was bored. Only one man left Orochimaru's lair… well one and a half, part of another man did not walk out of the Land of Sound. And all through the silent but bloody episode… he felt nothing from his seal.

The leaves around him rustled… ominously almost.

"Shunshin no Jutsu!"

"Oi! Obaachan!"

"Naruto, you do realize that it's so late it's not even night anymore?"

"Sasuke still owes me lunch."

"What!" Tsunade finally looked up from where her head was propped up on the desk. She saw Naruto half supporting a rather bruised Uchiha Sasuke, who was clutching an object in white cloth. He pulled himself away from the blonde and strode over to her, depositing the object on the desk.

"Oh… so you're back." One quick flick of the wrist, and she was staring at (what she was fairly sure) was Orochimaru's head.

"Hey, not bad, Sasuke-teme… But you know, what with being beat back by Tsunade-obaachan less than a month before…"

"Naruto shut up. He did what I couldn't do. He killed Orochimaru. Now get him to the Hospital, and you stay away until I give you permission. You will tell no one of Sasuke's return. And when I mean that no one finds out, I mean no one I haven't told myself and no one who found out because you were screaming at the top of your lungs in a HOSPITAL. Now move." She turned back to the ghastly object on her desk. "Oh and by the way Uchiha… welcome back."