Sunlight streamed into the hospital room currently occupied by Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata. Both teenagers were asleep, having been drained of their chakra during their ordeal the night before. Hinata was the first to awaken when sunlight began to dance around her face. Looking over at the boy laying asleep to her right, she couldn't help but smile. 'He looks peaceful when he's asleep' she thought.
Peaceful might have described Naruto at the moment, but it certainly didn't pertain to the Godaime Hokage. Tsunade was in a meeting with Hyuuga Hiashi, Hinata's father. She wasn't happy with the answers she was receiving from the head of the Hyuuga clan. Jiraiya stood to her left, eyes closed and the beginnings of a frown crossing his face.
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, you do not have the authority to interfere in clan matters." Hiashi stated with his usual authoritative voice.
"Failing to notify me that you had sealed a demon inside of your own daughter, who is an active ninja doesn't sound like a 'clan matter' to me!" The Godaime retorted, starting to sound annoyed.
Hiashi could hear the truth in what the Hokage was saying, but he couldn't care less right now, as always he was worried about the safety of the clan above all else. Last night he had shown worry when he stormed into the office of the Hokage, but it was fear that the Hyuuga would loose a very powerful weapon, not fear of loosing is daughter.
"Fine, then she will be removed from the list of active ninja from now on. She is too weak to be of any real use to her team anyways." He coldly stated.
At this both sannin were overcome with anger. As the head of the Hyuuga clan was about to exit, Tsunade snapped out of her present haze and simply said:
"So what she said was true."
Hiashi slowly turned around and looked at the blonde Hokage. White eyes met brown as the two stared at each other.
"Hinata said that you only saw her as the vessel for the nibi, not as your own daughter, and that you were constantly calling her weak. Now I can see that she was telling a very painful truth." The Godaime finished.
"Hn, she is weak. After seeing that boy's fight against my nephew in the chunnin exam, it proved exactly how weak she is. He was able to call on the Kyuubi's chakra to help him. Hinata has never show any kind abilities or been able to access the chakra of the nibi." Hiashi spat.
Before either Hiashi or Tsunade could move, Jiraiya had grabbed the clan leader's robes and lifted him into the air.
"That is what this is about? She can't use the nibi's chakra, and so you call her worthless and weak!" Jiraiya spat at Hiashi. "You don't know anything! Do you? You think that just because she has some demon sealed inside of her, that she should be able to use its chakra. You obviously don't know anything about seals then. I'm willing to bet that your precious council of elders did the sealing for you, assuring you that she would be as strong as Naruto! They lied to you, Hiashi. They fucking lied to you, and you bought it hook, line and sinker! Tsunade described the seal for me. It doesn't allow for chakra to pass through. Your council was trying to save her from all influences of the demon, and so it completely sealed off the nibi's chakra. That's why she can't use it. When she did use it last night to save both her and Naruto's life, it almost killed her!" Jiraiya was yelling at this point, hoping that maybe Hiashi would listen for once in his life.
At the same time that Hyuuga Hiashi was receiving the verbal thrashing that he deserved; Haruno Sakura entered the hospital, ready to start her shift. Being the apprentice to the greatest medic-nin in history, now currently the Godaime Hokage, Sakura had to assist at the hospital a few days a week.
Looking at the first file in front of her, she saw a name she hadn't seen for three years. She quickly ran towards the room where the blonde boy was sitting up talking with Hinata. Bursting into the room, Sakura looked at her former teammate.
"N-Naruto?" She asked, not believing that the teenager lying in a bed before her was once the shortest and loudest ninja she knew.
"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed happily.
"Ohayo, Sakura." Said Hinata.
"Oh, Hinata, I didn't know you were in here too." Sakura said. "Why are you guys here anyway. I mean, Naruto was probably out practicing and hurt himself, but why are you wouldn't do something stupid like that, so what's up?"
"Oh, not much, I got back last night and well, one thing lead to another, and it ended up with us crashing into each other. Pretty stupid huh?" Lied Naruto, hoping it would work. He didn't want to explain how he killed two S-Class missing ninja in the span of about two minutes.
Sakura looked over the two. There weren't any signs that either one was injured, just tired. But something didn't add up, why would two people be in a hospital if they just ran into each other? 'Oh well' she decided. 'If they don't want to tell me, than I won't ask.'
"So what have you been doing Naruto? It's been a long time, since you've been back huh?" Sakura inquired.
"Only the most intense training you could imagine." He said, rather angrily. "That Ero-sennin knows all these jutsu's and then after I convince him to teach me one, he'll show it to me and then disappear. It sucks!" He stated, in an authoritative manner. "But what about you, are you still training with Tsunade-obaa-chan?" He asked.
As she was about to answer, a new figure entered the room. His Konoha forehead protector was pulled over his left eye, and his grey hair stood up at many different angles.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Exclaimed Naruto "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, not too much, I heard that you had returned and that you ended up here. I thought I'd check up on you." The lazy Jounin said.
"We're both fine." Naruto said. "Yeah, we just kinda ran into each other last night."
"Oh, Ok." Replied Kakashi. "Oh, before I forget, the Hokage wants to speak to the two of you when you are released." Kakashi motioned towards Naruto and Hinata. "Have a good day." He said, as he turned and exited the room.
'I wonder what Tsunade-obaa-chan wants us for' thought Naruto. He noticed that Sakura had gone to check on Hinata.
"Well, you're both in pristine condition, so when ever you two are ready, you can leave." She stated. "I've got to go check on my other patients, but we should get together later, you could tell us about your time."
"Yeah, ok." Naruto replied, flashing one of his trademark smiles. "Why don't you get all the other teams together, so I can see how everyone is doing." He suggested.
"Ok, I'll see you both later then, right?" Sakura asked
"Of course." Said Naruto.
With a small nod, Sakura left to continue wither her job.
About 20 minutes later, Naruto and Hinata exited the hospital and headed towards the Hokage's office. When they arrived, they were told by Shizune that Tsunade was meeting with Hiashi and that they could sit down and wait for a few minutes.
"Umm Naruto-kun, have you ever told anyone about the Kyuubi?" Asked Hinata rather sheepishly but without stuttering.
"No" replied the blonde. "You were the first person."
The only thing Hinata was able to say was a quiet "Oh."
After a few minutes, Tsunade's voice could be heard yelling for Shizune. After a few minutes of discussing whatever Tsunade needed, Shizune motioned for the two to enter.
Tsunade was seated behind her desk as usual, but was leaning on her elbows, trying to massage her temples. She motioned for the pair to be seated and continued rubbing her temples for a few minutes, while both teenagers sat quietly.
"Ok, first thing first" Tsunade said "Naruto, ANBU retrieved the body of Hoshigake Kisame early this morning. They didn't find any trace of Uchiha Itachi; however, they did note a large crater that fits the description of a suicide blast that you both described. I'm not extremely worried right now that Itachi, if he managed to survive, poses any kind of threat. However, if he is indeed dead than we might have a problem on our hands. If Sasuke finds out that you killed his brother, this might cause Orochimaru to seize Sasuke's body very soon. If word doesn't reach him, we still only have a month to find and stop Uchiha Sasuke before his body becomes the new container for Orochimaru."
"So you're saying that he might already be preparing to take Sasuke's body!" Exclaimed Naruto.
"Yes" replied Tsunade. "I think that Sasuke is still searching for his brother, so I want you to go and find Sasuke before Orochimaru can take his body"
"U-um H-h-hokage-sama, what does th-this have t-to do w-wi-with m-me?" questioned Hinata.
"Hinata, I want to ask you something that will require some thought on your part." The Godaime said. "If you want, I can alter your seal so that you will have access to the Nibi's chakra, like Naruto can use the Kyuubi's. Of course this is voluntary, if you don't want to, than that is perfectly fine."
"C-can't I-I already d-do that?" Asked the girl.
"Presently, both Jiraiya and I conclude that you can't. The wings that you were able to summon to protect you and Naruto, were due to a crack in the seal that almost killed you. I can alter the seal so that you can use it's chakra at your disposal." Replied Tsunade
"W-w-will there be a-any s-side affects?" Hinata stuttered
"I don't know, you'd have to ask Naruto, he's our resident expert on this sort of thing." Said the Hokage.
"Well, for me I sometimes have to visit the Kyuubi and talk with it, and every once in a while I'll end up having nightmares about things that it's done, but that's about it. I suppose you might end up with some markings like my whiskers, but I can't be sure." He said.
'If I do this' Hinata thought 'then I'll be strong, just like Naruto, but I might end up with a demon in my head. Oh, this is really tough.' Hinata thought for a while before she spoke.
"I want to do this." She said.
"Are you sure?" Asked Tsunade "because once it's done, reforming the seal you have now will be impossible."
"I'm sure." She said with no hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"All right, Naruto, I heard from Jiraiya that you spent a lot of time working on seals during your training. Is that true?" Asked Tsunade.
"Yeah, I spent a good bit of time learning everything I could about the different types of seals." Replied Naruto. He was worried that Hinata didn't know what she was getting herself into.
"Okay, then will you help Jiraiya and I convert Hinata's seal?" Asked Tsunade.
"Of course!" He stated.
Tsunade lead Hinata and Naruto to a large room with many different designs drawn on the floor. She positioned Hinata in the center of the design and lead Naruto towards the edges where they met with Jiraiya.
"Okay, Naruto, what we're about to do is transform the seal on Hinata's back so that she can access the Nibi's chakra. What we need is for you to pump a lot of chakra into the seal, while Tsunade re-draws the seal." Said the frog Hermit. Naruto simply nodded his head as he started towards one of the activation points of the design.
Tsunade had Hinata remove her jacket and was busy re-drawing the seal with her own blood. When she was done, she simply nodded towards Naruto who began to channel chakra through the station into the design on the ground. As he watched, the chakra began to snake towards Hinata. When it got to her, Jiraiya and Tsunade began to make hand seals so fast that Naruto would have problems keeping up, if he were paying attention. The only thing he was worried about was Hinata. 'What if I do something wrong, and I end up releasing the demon?' He thought. 'No, I won't mess up, I'm doing this right and besides, the two actually doing the sealing are two of the Sannin. Things will be fine.'
Both Jiraiya and Tsunade finished their seals at the same moment. As Tsunade placed her hand on Hinata's back, Hinata felt the old seal begin to tear apart. It wasn't breaking, just tearing. She felt the chakra of the Nibi no Aosagi flow into her own chakra coils. She had never felt such power before. Suddenly she felt an intense burning on her back as the new seal began to set. As it finished, the pain became unbearable as Hinata passed out. The last thing she saw was Naruto running towards her as she fell face forward towards the cold stone ground.
As Hinata began to fall, Naruto saw her and instinctively ran to grab her. He was able to get to the girl just before she hit the ground. He turned her over to check for a pulse, breathing a large sigh of relief when he found one.
"It's ok, Naruto, she just passed out. Give her a few minutes and she'll be fine." Said Tsunade. "Let's go put her in my office so I can check the new seal."
Hinata found herself in the middle of a field standing on a hill. Looking down, she saw a pond that didn't look familiar to her at all. She cautiously headed towards it taking careful note of her surroundings. As she approached the edge, she realized that the 'pond' was actually a very large lake, with a waterfall at the far end. Suddenly, the thick fog that was rolling around the area, began to dissipate. As Hinata looked through one of the clearings she noticed a shape moving in the water. Once it reached one of the clear patches, Hinata could instantly make it out to be a swan, which began to head towards her.
Hinata watched the swan as it slowly swam towards her.
"A-a-are you the Nibi no Aosagi?" Asked the girl.
"Yes." replied the swan without opening its beak.
"H-how can you t-t-talk without opening your b-beak?" queried Hinata.
"I can do many things that you humans cannot do." Replied the swan. "I'm guessing that you want to know where you are, am I correct?"
Hinata just nodded her head yes.
"You are in your subconscious, which I can now access. I cannot control you, the seal is too strong for me to attempt that, but I can make your subconscious fit my needs. I simply brought you to the lake that I used to inhabit. I am originally from Hidden Cloud, and I am afraid that I am the reason you were abducted when you were three. You see, I was the cloud's pride. I agreed to protect the village as long as they hadn't done anything to warrant it, and since I can change my appearance, I can gather information of that sort rather easily. So you see, it wasn't because the Cloud wanted the Byakugan, but because you were my vessel. I would like to apologize to you for that, you see, I am not a violent Youki, like the Kyuubi, or Shukaku. I am more interested in healing, and I believe that I may have jump started your interest in this particular field."
Hinata simply stood there thinking about what she had just learned.
"Ano, if you've been sealed inside me than how come we couldn't do this before? If my father hadn't told me of you than I never would have known." The shy girl asked without a stutter.
"It was the seal that your clan used to seal me inside of you. It stopped me from giving you any chakra, or be able to help you in any other way. Only now that the seal has been re-shaped can I talk with you." Replied the demon. "Although you haven't been able to notice me, I've been able to sense how you have grown up. I would like to train you to use my chakra and my abilities to help your friends."
"How c-could you tell, if you'd been sealed away?" Asked Hinata.
"The same way that I could tell if the Cloud shinobi deserved to be defended or not. It is another one of my gifts that I will train you with. You will be able to read people through body gestures and motions, much like your cousin. Although with my help, you will surpass him." Said the swan. "All of my training can be learned in your subconscious while you sleep, needing only to be practiced while you are awake."
"I will accept your offer. I will protect my friends, and I will not go back on my word. That is my nindo!" Exclaimed the usually shy Hinata.
"Very well then, I will train you beginning tonight." Replied the swan as she began to slowly fade into the fog.
Hinata awoke lying on a couch in the Hokage's office. Tsunade noticed that the girl had awakened walked over to help her sit up.
"The sealing was a success." She said. "If you want you can see the new seal. There is a mirror over there." She motioned towards the end of a tall cabinet.
Hinata strode towards the mirror and looked at the new seal. Instead of thick black loops and intricate designs running the length of her back and down to her elbows on her arms, there was simply a swirl pattern around her right shoulder blade that ended in a black diamond. The diamond pattern was repeated on the left shoulder blade, but the swirl was unique to the right.
Hinata was happy with the new seal. She could now wear normal clothes without having to worry if people saw the old seal. She thanked the Hokage for her help in the procedure and went to retrieve her coat.
"Please wait a moment Hinata." Said the blonde Hokage. She opened the door and allowed Naruto and Jiraiya to re-enter the room. Taking seats again they wondered what the Hokage was thinking.
"Ok, Naruto, as you know I've appointed you to find and return Uchiha Sasuke to the village before he can become Orochimaru's new vessel. You will leave tomorrow morning in hopes of drawing him out. If he is searching for Itachi still, than he should find you. I want you to take a full team with you. Jiraiya will be the leader, but he will not be fighting unless Orochimaru, or Kabuto appear in an attempt to claim Sasuke. I also want Hinata to accompany you. Now that she has conferred with the Nibi, her healing skills will be invaluable. The third member can be any chunnin or gennin you wish. Since you are the only the member of the 'Rookie 9' to not attain the rank of chunnin yet, you should try to meet up with them so you can see how everyone has changed over the three years that you were gone and make the final selection for your team." Tsunade gave the group sitting in front of her the mission briefing and dismissed them.
As they were leaving Hokage tower, they ran into Sakura who was just leaving the hospital. Naruto and Hinata departed from Jiraiya to go collect the other members of the Rookie 9.
As the sun was going down on Konohagakure that night, a lone figure sped towards the town. His normally black eyes turned crimson and three comma-like marks began to spin around his iris. He paused a moment to check his surroundings. Finding no trace of his prey, the boy continued through the trees. "Where are you brother?" He would say in a voice that sounded a lot like a predator playing with its prey before the kill. Uchiha Sasuke had returned to Konoha.