"I can't believe you guys made me carry the damn thing!" whine's Kiba who is accompanied by the bark of Akamaru.
Team 8 have just left the hokage's office from returning the 'Right of Passage' otherwise known as the Tora mission.
They had no trouble keeping track of the cat, as she could see it with her Byakugan, Shinto's bugs were sticking to the animal and Kiba's enhanced senses.
Tora never stood a chance.
The scratches on Kiba's face prove otherwise.
"Hinata thought it would be amusing, why? Because your clan is-"
"Yeah, yeah…" Kiba waves off the Bug boys incoming lecture, wincing as a scratch pulls.
"..Wait! Hinata!" He spins to the innocent looking she-devil.
She just gives him an innocent look, before trying something…
Touching her fingers together she stammers out. "W-well, I figured you would have the most experience carrying a…companion…" seeing the unimpressed looks from Kiba and a disgruntled Akamaru.
"I have a cat allergy?" She finishes lamely.
"Are you asking, or tellin'?" The mirthful voice of Kurenai-Sensei breaks in.
"Uh, telling?" She asked.
"Gah! I don't care, just if we ever get that mission again you're carrying that ugly beast." The scratches scattering Kiba's face ruin the intimidating aura he was trying to elude.
"What if I buy you-"
"-Nope! not goin' nowhere near that razor blade made of flesh."
"-Sensei? What are we working on today, why? Because you seem to be leading us to a training field?"
Shino's inquiry makes both of them realize they've been leading to their training field, a wide open field with a lining of woodlands, followed by boulders decorating along a pond. Three stumps well worn from years of use stand tall in the center.
"Today, since we finished our mission sooner than I expected I thought it would be a good opportunity to both reward you three and educate you while we still are together" Kurenai starts.
"What do you know about genjutsu?" In lieu of lecturing more.
"Uh..it affects the mind?" Kiba offers, plopping onto the ground with Akamaru somehow managing to stay on.
"Yes, but I'd like more on that" Kurenai offers patiently knowing genjutsu isn't popular.
"Genjutsu is a branch of shinobi arts that aren't particularly practiced, why? Because it takes a lot of mental imagination and control while being able to keep mobile, those factors make it hard for a regular shinobi to excel at the art" Shino offers analytical as usual, his stance agitated as his kikaichu telling him something is off.
"Also not wrong, but not exactly what I'm wanting" Kurenai loves that they are trying.
Turning to the Hyuga Heiress, who in this life doesn't have the close connection with their sensei as the alternative timeline had.
"Hinata?" Wondering what the Hyuga will say.
"Genjutsu is tricky. It can do a lot of things, make someone blind, have someone think they're being restricted, make them see something that's not there, or vice versa?" Hinata asks at the end.
Hinata can admit that besides expelling she has no desire for Genjutsu she doesn't have the drive, and with her vast reserves it's made it more difficult for her to do fine control like that, while her Kekkei genkai allows her to intimately understand the functions of chakra, seriously the show and manga downgrade the scale of what the byakugan can-
"Excellent, you all have a general grasp on genjutsu, but you're still missing the most vital part. There is no limit to what you can do." The passionate statement along with the feeling of something trickling into her coils makes her tense, knowing how advanced Kurenai is, while she isn't of Itachi's caliber she is one of the best.
"When one uses Genjutsu they can bend the world to what they want" as she says that the landscape changes.
The open field they're standing or sitting in Kiba's case, started to disappear as the very ground seems to dematerialize with it fading into a deep black abyss leaving only small slabs that each of them are perched on remaining.
Kiba groans as Akamaru kicks him in the nose from the genjutsu startling the poor pup, inadvertently expelling the genjutsu for Kiba leaving him staring in confusion and pain as he watches his two teammates tense and start balancing.
"Akamaru?" Reaching he grabs Akamaru as pup whimpers and shivers, not wanting to fall.
Hinata instinctively activated her byakugan as she felt the trickle of the genjutsu stabilizing in her chakra network.
Shino's kikaichu makes it extremely different to trick him as his hive lets him know that it's just an illusion, and immediately dispels the genjutsu.
"When you're good enough you can even fool the famed tracking clans" suddenly her figure disappears and they spin to where the voice came from to see Kurenai walking down the entrance with a bag of food in one hand, revealing that it had been a genjutsu speaking to them the whole time.
'Wow' Kiba can't help but admire despite not seeing the genjutsu to fool Hinata is a feat that his innocent mind thinks could neve happen, after all his prank fails.
"Now who wants dango?"
———-
Hinata can't believe she's doing this.
Naruto had just left for the C-rank mission, she can admit she got distracted by team bonding, she just loves learning especially with the advantage she has with being able to literally see how chakra works.
The excitement in Naruto's eyes as he mentioned heading towards the wave made her remember the kind feminine boy, who only wanted to be accepted and she doesn't want to stand idle anymore.
Not when she has this power, while she's still learning herself and what being Hamura's champion, she still has a decent grasp.
Not that she thinks she's able to take on a jonin one on one, but she feels if she has to she could pull a trump card, but she doesn't want to have to rely on a crutch she doesn't even know how to use, just knows is there.
She needs to start doing things regardless of if it makes her blind.
She has so much to do, but she has to reign in herself and only take on the goals she knows she can currently accomplish, and as much as she is knowledgeable, she knows a more wise outlook on things would help.
Which leads her to Shikamaru's place.
Knocking gently on the door she waits patiently shifting her gifts she brought to soften her unexpected visit. When the door opens she is greeted by the curious but kind eyes of who could only be Shika's mom.
"gomenasai," she starts blushing under the kind motherly eyes.
"I hope I'm not interrupting, but uh, is Shika-k-Shikamaru available."
'Gah, I sound like my old self'
"Oh, You must be Hinata-chan, or is it Hime?" The kind woman teases.
'I didn't know Shika calls me Hime as well' shaking her head she gives a disarming grin while holding out her gifts.
"I, uh, brought some gifts in apology for not giving a warning" she stutters out as the kind woman lets her in.
"Oh, aren't you just precious?" Shikamaru's mother sets the gifts on the table, waiting until after the guest leaves out of politeness.
"I'm Yoshino, you can call me mama or just yoshino, whatever you're comfortable with, anyone who can motivate my Shika is good in my book"
"SHIKAMARU!" Hinata jumps at the sudden change in demeanor of the kind woman, Yoshino.
"What!"
"Get over here and greet your friend! I know you know she is here" The kind woman snaps at her lazy son.
"Can't she just come into the room, dad, and I are playing a game." She giggles at the lazy reply.
"It's no problem yo-mama-chan" she decides giggling at the inside joke, Naruto has rubbed off on her.
"I know how hard it is to get him to do simple things. I'd rather not waste our energy on the dunderheads that are men" thanking Snape for the amazing insult.
The laugh that escapes the woman makes a warmth invade her heart, and a bittersweet feeling enters her as she reminisces on what it would be like to still have her mother.
"Go, If you can stay I have food being prepared while the two boys play some shogi."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly impo-"
"You don't want to argue with her, hime" the voice of Shika makes her turn to see him standing lazy against the door frame.
"Shika!" She can't help it it's been a while since she has seen him since Graduating and missions, she nuzzles into his neck flushing as his arms wound around her, his chuckle as he steadies them is comforting.
"What brought this on?" Her favorite genius ask as he pulls back.
"Oh, sorry it's, just been a while and seeing you made me realize how much everything is just…"
"Ah, so you've finally decided to start doing something"
That makes her jolt, she looks up into the intense eyes of Shikamaru, marveling at the calculating gleam that is always present.
She doesn't know how others think he's a bad shinobi, shouldn't they know never to underestimate a Nara?
"Yes, I was wondering if I could speak to your-"
"Dad! Do you mind if I team up against you?" The sudden shout of Shikamaru again startles her,
what with these mellow speakers and suddenly yelling?
"Sure, s'not gonna make a difference" the deep reply makes something twinned in her spine dissipate, she can trust them.
"Alright but I won't be of any help I suck at strategy type games" She is more like Naruto and thinks on the spot.
Her impulses will be the end of her.
"S'okay, I just need your eyes" he states with a smirk, as they make their way into the living room.
Upon seeing the clan head she starts to bow formally but the man waves her off.
"None of that now" Shikaku says the scars on his face stretching as he gives a soft smile, she knows how much it takes a Nara to express so she cherishes the gentle look, knowing he can sense her nerves.
"And I wouldn't mind seeing how the byakugan would help with a game of Shogi, might give Shika here a chance" the teasing voice makes Shikamaru groan.
"Dad!" He says as he slumps onto the pillow in front of the shogi table.
Hinata sits next to him at his insistence, she turns to Shikamaru's father knowing the conversation is going to be difficult, but as the jonin commander he would have the most impact should he go to the hokage with the information she is about to share.
Does she know how stupid it is to just spill her secret to everyone well those she trust, but she just is tired of being the only one to do anything, she is tired of the weight of 'what ifs' hitting her every second, and she know these two will have some answers for her.
"Nara-sama-"
"-Just Shikaku, girly" the lazy voice interrupts.
"Shikaku-san, I don't if Shikamaru has mentioned to you about my unique situation-"
"-l wouldn't betray your trust like that"
"-no he hasn't spoken anything to me" the two reply at the same time.
She gives the younger Nara a soft look at the loyal display, she knows he doesn't like his integrity being questioned.
"Shika-kun, I wouldn't have minded, I'm going to talk to him now, so even if you had I wouldn't be mad"
"Shikaku-san-"
"-Stop with the san"
"-I know this may be a lot to take in but, I know of a future." Emphasizing the word 'a'.
"And I'm not sure how to go about it, there's just so much horror, so much to stop, I, I just don't know what to do, should I tell the hokage? Will he be able to do anything, what if I mess up everything and just make everything worse, why was I chosen to do thi-"
"Breathe" the stern voice of Shikaku makes her realize she's started to hyperventilate.
Taking a deep breath she flushes under the concerned gazes of such intelligent men.
She straightens herself, "…sorry"
"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for, if what you're saying is true, and I believe you, 'side's if Shikamaru is supporting you then something must be going on" leaning back from his position of cradling her face he continues.
"Now, I want you to take a second to gather your thoughts, while we play a game" with which he resets the board.
She activates her doujutsu while marveling at the by play between the two.
She feels more like a tool, not that she's offended knowing she wouldn't do anything but hinder her partner.
Taping Shikamaru's thigh with two taps she lets him know his father is shifting towards a certain piece, she doesn't know the name, but knows Shikamaru will catch on.
"I'm not sure how to start." She begins.
"How about the beginning" is the simple reply.
"So, I should start with the fact that I'm a reincarnation slash merge with a person from another universe, with the knowledge of everything that would happen if I don't or didn't interfere?" She did not just spill out so blatantly did she?
"…Yeah, that".
"What she means is, she is a byproduct of two souls being merged, one being from the universe in which she was formerly, not that this matters, a male, who had what was essentially a historical novel of everything that has and will happen in our universe, and the other being the original 'host' of the body who was too young and reseeded into the depth of her personality" Shikamaru reiterates more eloquently.
"Ah, so do you have a preference?" Is all that Shikaku asks.
"Preference?" She asked, confused before she understood.
Pronouns aren't really a thing here as the ability to henge into the opposite sex and having to sometimes for missions tends to make everyone more lenient on pronouns that it's just natrual to just say the gender they see, or go by they if they aren't binary.
if there's one thing she loves about this place is the easy acceptance of gender identity.
As long as you can do a mission you can pretty much do whatever you want, within reason.
"Oh! I honestly don't care, she is fine, thank you Shikaku-sama!" She states earnestly the struggles from her old home leaving an impact.
"Just Shikaku…Alright, so what is this future you see?"
Notes:
Idk how to portray geniuses I'm sorry.
So I'm lazy and don't want to reiterate things that fandom already knows sorry if you like hearing those type of convos.
Should Hinata do any with the wave mission?
Like save Haku, and zabuza? I like both of their characters but I need a valid reason for keeping them alive, I could argue having their strength would be beneficial.
I can still have her interfere as they have a civilian travel time and it has to take at least three weeks to build the bridge with the meager conditions and that's still too soon in my opinion.
I wish I could make this a poly fic but I don't want to cheapen it by just doing it because I want to.
So this is just platonic fluff until I get enough okays for a poly relationship
0-~
Was suppose to be a wink
