I woke up the next day and looked at the clock. 5.30 AM, perfect. I got up and after stretching and doing some pushups I went to the bathroom and washed myself, afterwards I went back and changed. The Hyuga provided us with pajamas and so I didn't have to sleep in my everyday clothes, I was really grateful for that.

I walked down the hall and I spotted Shino walking not far ahead.

"Shino." I called and he turned.

"Good morning." he greeted and I did the same, from that point we walked side by side and we saw Hinata, after greeting her she showed us where we would be eating breakfast. Upon arriving to the dinner room I was surprised to see Hiashi there.

"Hyuga-sama, good morning!" me and Shino greeted him, but he only nodded to us. We all settled down to eat and I was surprised when Hanabi walked in. What was a seven-year-old child doing at almost six o'clock in the morning?

Hiashi attempted small talk and he asked about how we slept, after that he asked Hanabi if she had done her homework. I didn't really talk, my mind was busy with all kind of scenarios. The other day we ran all around the village, so that meant there were few clues left, maybe one or two and that meant after that we'd know where the scroll would be.

"Do you think you will succeed?" Hiashi asked us, Hinata didn't answer and Shino turned at me.

"I think that would be best answered by our squad leader." the boy told me.

"What?" I blurted out. "I'm no-"

"Yesterday you proved you can command and lead a squad." Did I? Did I really? "Every team has a jonin leader and a team leader, a secondary commander after the jonin leader. In our case you proved that should be your role." well, that was a surprise.

"Shino is right." I heard Hinata's timid voice and I looked at her big lavender eyes, she smiled slightly. Huh.

"Troublesome." I sighed. "Anyway, the answer is yes, Hyuga-sama." I glanced at Hiashi. "I believe we will succeed." I said it loudly and clearly, the man nodded watching me intensely. "After all, I have Bug-boy and Princess in my team." I smirked, looking down. Both Shino and Hinata turned to me.

"And what does that make you?" Shino asked and I eyed him with amusement.

"I don't know, father and Shikamaru usually call me Troublesome-girl." I shrugged and resumed eating under the watchful eyes of Hyuga Hiashi.

"Bug-boy, Princess and Troublesome-girl?" Hanabi scrunched her face in confusion, I looked at her. Once, long ago, I hated that she had to be better than Hinata. I hated that she was chosen over her sister and that just made life worse for Hinata. But I couldn't show that resentment, so I played another act.

"We sound like some cheesy characters from a sappy novel, huh?" I asked her with a smirk, she nodded and chuckled. Well, that was cute.

We ate and after we finished we said our goodbyes and thanked for letting us sleep there, and we were off. We kept running, found two more clues and then we got it, we had to go back to the Academy. Gosh! She hid the scroll there all that time?! We advanced rapidly and we jumped from rooftop to rooftop, then we dropped and we ran to the Academy. There we saw Kurenai lean against the wall, next to the entrance.

"I thought you gave up." she told us and stepped closer. "The scroll is close, good luck finding it." she disappeared.

What? Why didn't she try to fight us? But then I turned around to see both Hinata and Shino on the floor, they were unconscious. What? When? How? Damn it! I reached for my tanto and took a ready position. I looked warily around, trying to decipher what had happened. But then when I turned a dozen shuriken were thrown at me. I tried to move, only to find my legs not working and when I glanced down I saw tree roots around them, rooting me to the spot. I looked up in horror, I was going to die.

"Kai!" I heard and then I saw Hinata in front of me, her hands in a familiar hand sign.

"What?" I breathed out, I turned my head to see Shino's bugs trying to attack Kurenai-sensei.

"You and Shino were caught in a genjutsu, his insects intercepted it and he escaped, but I had to release you." she told me and I nodded dazedly. All that was a genjutsu? Geez. I was sure I was going to die!

"Thanks, Hinata." I smiled, my relief pouring in my voice, and she smiled back, then I turned to see Shino retreating.

"She's far more skilled than I thought, my insects have to stop her genjutsu every moment." he told me and I acknowledged it, it was time for me to be a leader then.

"Alright team." I braced myself and stood tall eyeing Kurenai-sensei, who stopped and watched us with interest. I smirked at her and popped my knuckles. "Let's show her what we can do."

"Right." they answered.

"Shino back!" he began running. "Hinata front!" we began running.

Shino let his bugs – or well, insects, since apparently that was how he called them and apparently it wasn't something insignificant for him – attack from behind, Kurenai-sensei turned to defend herself.

"Hinata!" I called.

"Byakugan!" she stopped and Kurenai-sensei threw a kunai aimed at her, but I ran in front of her and brought out my tanto, raising it up, and the kunai slashed with it, emitting a spark of electricity and then falling to the ground. "It's in our old classroom." she voiced and I nodded.

"Shino!" I shouted and Shino let more bugs do their stuff. I began running and Hinata followed, then I saw my opportunity, Kurenai-sensei was occupied with the bugs, so that was my time to shine.

"Kage Mane no Jutsu." I said quietly and let my shadow extend, then I connected it to Kurenai-sensei, she glanced at me with a surprised look. "Gotcha." I smirked. "Hinata go!" I ordered and she began running inside. "Shino, go with her!" he nodded and set off, entering the building and disappearing from my sight.

Kurenai-sensei was trying to get free, I could feel it, but I was holding her tightly, she didn't falter though, she kept trying to get free, and it was getting harder and harder to hold her. I knew I could resist around five minutes holding Kakashi while he was struggling, that meant I could hold Kurenai-sensei ten or fifteen minutes, maybe even more. I smirked, I knew I won.

Then she poofed away. I felt my hands being yanked back, my feet being swept from under me and the world spinning as I fell hard on my stomach. I tried to turn, but as I rolled to my back, I found myself under Kurenai-sensei's gaze, looking down at me with menacing red eyes, her right hand holding a kunai at my throat, the steel feeling cold against my skin.

"Nice try." she told me.


Kai = release

Kage Mane no Jutsu = Shadow Imitation Technique

I still don't own Naruto.

ILikeFoxes828: Yeah, I know, it's a bad habit of mine, but I'm working on it. I also realized that back when I was writing this story I didn't really pay attention to repetitive words, while, those parts that I'm rewriting now (the following arc) are better in that regard. Either way thank you!