Demon Talking

Human Thinking

Dream

Hinata rose from her bed with a small groan and looked outside, darkness greeted her from every direction and she stiffened at what might happen when she would see her father.

"Relax, Hiashi will not bother you but you will stay out of sight for a while. Unless until you can explain how you got those wounds." Kuu muttered, sending her a half-hearted glare before sighing.

The dark haired girl gently placed her hand over a cut from one of the glass shards and winced, she didn't notice Kuu walking up to her to pick what remained of the shards out of her body. Hinata grunted as the Wolf yanked the glass out without much care and closed her eyes in an effort to ignore the pain.

"You killed the villagers by using my body, didn't you?" Hinata asked softly, not really wanting to hear the truth.

Kuu smiled that wicked grin of hers but it seemed to lose some of its danger as she looked at the girl in front of her. "You were just going to let those idiots beat you to a pulp, I couldn't let you die."

Hinata just smiled and shook her head. "To get what you want, you helped me because you had to not because you wanted to."

"Of course."

The girl shook her head again but tipped her head to the side when she felt that Kuu had stopped yanking the glass out of her body. She saw the Wolf was staring out the window, searching the darkness for something when a dark blur whirled past them and further into the night.

"Little warrior, I want you to follow him, don't argue with me just do it. Or would you like me to rip your tongue out."

Hinata stared in the direction when the blur was heading and gave a small whine. She didn't want to move right now but the look on Kuu's face gave her no other choice. Hanging her head, Hinata set out with Kuu close behind.

Naruto sat amid the forest panting heavily with the Scroll of Sealing lying close to him; he was only able to learn one jutsu before tiring himself out. The blonde haired boy lowered his head and grunted before rising to his feet preparing to go at it again. Yet after a failed attempt at trying another jutsu he found that he couldn't focus.

His thoughts kept going back to earlier today where Hinata killed those villagers. He couldn't believe that was Hinata; it wasn't Hinata just someone using a jutsu to look like her. The boy nodded and tried to get back to work but a rustle in the trees made him look up to see Iruka standing over him.

Naruto stared at his teacher for a moment then broke into a bout of uncomfortable laughter, knowing what was coming. The older man also started to laugh but in his case at was because he found Naruto and was now busted. When the laughter stopped Iruka noticed the haggard look on Naruto and mused that the boy must have been training hard. His thoughts were stopped when Naruto started to say that he now was a graduate trying to say that anyone who learns a jutsu from this scroll graduates. Iruka listened to the boy go on and on but when he said that Mizuki told where to get the scroll and the location of this place the sensei shut Naruto down.

Confused the boy quieted immediately and wondered why Iruka looked so distant when a cold laugh brought them both back to earth.

"I see you've found our little hideaway." Mizuki sneered, his attention moving away from them to the scroll Naruto held close to him.

Iruka looked towards Naruto then Mizuki and back again before placing his body in front of the boy, protecting him. He glared at the other man perched in the tree and without any hesitation lunged forward, managing to take the silver haired bastard down.

As both men tumbled to the ground Naruto stood confused and on edge, wondering what the hell wad going on. Yet as he was racking his brain Mizuki shouted something that made the boy look up in confusion.

"Naruto, do you want to know why the villagers always treated you like crap, why they always hated you?"

"Mizuki," Iruka growled, trying to punch the other man and force him to keep quiet. "Don't tell him, shut up!"

The silver haired man smirked and gave Naruto a heated glare, reveling in this moment. "It is because you are the Nine-tailed Fox, the monster that nearly destroyed our home 12 years ago!"

Upon hearing those words the blonde felt the life drain from him, now he understood why the villagers would say nasty thing to him. Now he understood why they wouldn't acknowledge him and run when he came near. He was a monster.

"Naruto-kun is not the Nin-tailed Fox, he's his own person."

Naruto looked around to see Hinata leaning against a tree with small amounts of blood all over her body. The girl was looking at Mizuki with a hate-filled glare that the boy has never seen on the Hyuuga and this made Naruto uneasy.

'Is that really Hinata? What should I do, how should react?' Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and it was then he felt something sharp pierce his stomach.

He looked down to see that Mizuki had stabbed him with a cold grin on his face. The older man harshly yanked the kunai out and watched as Naruto staggered backwards and collapsed in an agonized heap.

Iruka shouted his name but Naruto didn't react, only trying to calm his breathing yet it hitched in his throat when he saw Hinata stand in front of him, her arms spread wide. And though he couldn't see it her eyes gained a cold edge to it and when she spoke the calm, timid voice was replaced by a voice carved from ice itself.

"Naruto…if you dare to touch him again I will kill you!"

Naruto blinked at the girl protecting him and trembled, what was happening to her? "Hinata…?"

Hinata turned back and Naruto flinched, her eyes were suddenly softer yet her voice held regret when she spoke to him. "Please Naruto-kun, look at what I'm about to do and please don't hate what you see."

The blonde was about to ask to ask what she meant when the girl lunged at Mizuki and tackled him to the ground and raised a kunai to his neck while the man struggled underneath her. Plunging the kunai into his leg, Hinata proceeded in tearing out the flesh causing the scent of blood to saturate the air. Bringing the knife like weapon back above her head the girl aimed for Mizuki's chest yet a last second jerk made the kunai stab into his shoulder thus saving the man from being killed that day. While Hinata tried to get the weapon form out of the man's shoulder, Mizuki thinking quickly, called out to Naruto who jumped at his voice and gave the man a vacant stare. Hinata used this time to get the kunai free and slashed the traitor across the stomach, making his breath hitch.

"Naruto… give me the scroll and come…with me. Let us take revenge in the village for how they treat you. We can show them how much of a…"Beast" you are."

"Naruto, don't listen to Mizuki. He's only trying to get the scroll from you. Protect it with everything you are." Iruka yelled trying to move but a wound that Mizuki gave him during their tussle forced him down to one knee.

Hearing the desperation in Iruka's voice the boy leapt up and ran away from the fighting, taking the scroll with him. Hinata looked up and watched Naruto's diminishing form before Mizuki punched her hard in the face and sent her tumbling on the ground while the kunai was thrown into the surrounding bushes. The blue-black haired girl whined softly as all of the earlier fierceness drained from her, and now Hinata seemed to deflate as Mizuki towered over her.

"Heh, not much of a fighter now are we?" the man growled, placing his foot down on her neck.

Gasping for breath and clawing at the man's leg, Hinata saw darkness beginning to creep into her vision when suddenly she heard Mizuki scream in terror and pain all the while feeling his foot leaving her neck. Rising on her elbows she saw Kuu clinging to the man's face, biting the shit out of him. When Mizuki was finally able to pull the Wolf off, his nose has been bitten to the bone as well as having several gashes on his face.

Kuu turned on her and growled which made Hinata notice the large cut on the canine's leg. The girl didn't have time to inquire about the wound as Kuu then rounded on her with a bite to the hand.

"Damn girl! What the hell is wrong with you, losing fight like that just because the boy left?"

Hinata just cured into a ball as Kuu continued to bite and scratch at her, her beloved coat soon covered in blood stains. The Wolf then forced the girl to her feet and biting at her heels sent Hinata hurling towards Mizuki. The silver haired man fought back but the pain of his wounds slowed him down allowing Hinata to once again pin him down. Taking another kunai and successfully stabbing the man in his right shoulder, Hinata was thrown off when Mizuki kicked her in the stomach, winding her.

Iruka was finally able to get to his feet and without a sound placed Mizuki in a headlock quickly cutting off his air and forcing the man to his knees.

"Naruto is a lot of things, the prankster, a trouble maker, and sometimes he makes me want to rip my hair out but the one thing he is not is a Beast! If you dare to hurt my students again, I will kill you!"

Naruto looked up from behind the tree and slightly turned his head, hearing Iruka's words they made feel like he wasn't alone. They made him feel like he could go on in the village and not be afraid, he knew now that Iruka would fight for him and that the man truly cared for him. Hugging the scroll closer to his body the boy breathed a sigh of relief yet in turned into a gasp of shock upon hearing Iruka's pain-filled scream.

Whipping around the tree Naruto saw that Mizuki had Iruka and Hinata pinned down with the large shireken he carried at their throats. Hinata was able to turn her head and see Kuu sitting not too far from them and called out for help.

"This is your fight, little warrior I'm not going to help you. Fight for your life."

Hinata struggled against Mizuki but all of her fight was gone until she felt Mizuki's shireken suddenly leave her throat. She then saw Naruto standing over her with a deep scowl on his face; he turned his head towards her and nodded.

"If you ever touch my sensei or Hinata again, I will tear you apart."

Mizuki just sneered at the boy and readied his battle stance as did Naruto before the two leapt at each other. Metal clashed against metal as both ninja tried to aim for the other's vitals. When Naruto landed he turned too slow and Mizuki was able to stab at the boy's unprotected back causing him to fall over. Hinata screamed at him to get up but only succeeded in drawing Mizuki's attention to them.

As the man closed the gap between them Iruka stood protectively in front of the girl though Hinata could see Iruka's legs trembling, he wouldn't be able to stand much longer.

Hinata was about o try and run away when she stopped herself, shaking her head. "I'm always to avoid things and when it's done I shut down. People who are always stronger than me they try to protect but I'm just a burden. But I don't want to be…"

"Then stand and fight! I do not allow weakness, girl. Stand up!" Kuu growled standing beside her while watching Naruto and Mizuki fight.

Picking herself up, Hinata stared at Naruto's weakening form and moved in front of Iruka. "This time I'll do more than get in a few hits and fade away. I will fight!"

Charging forward the girl slammed her body as hard as she could into Mizuki, giving the blond a chance to breath. Both ninja tumbled to the ground but Hinata was quicker in rising to her feet. With a flick of her wrist she slashed at Mizuki who tried to parry the blow but failed. Both glared hatefully at each other and ran forward once more yet Mizuki stopped short and ripped open Hinata's leg, causing her o fall. As she lay on bended knee, the traitor saw his chance to attack but at the last moment Hinata dove out of the way.

Taking to the trees Hinata went on to led Mizuki through the thickest bunches of leaves which ended up blinding the man and her to an extent. She was however able to throw a kunai and pierce his hand and watched as Mizuki crumpled to the ground. There Hinata threw a few more to pin the man down who didn't move and was likely stunned from his fall.

Seeing as how he couldn't move Hinata walked close to Mizuki and nudged him with her foot and was letting down her guard when he leapt up and grabbed her. Letting out a gasp Hinata managed to work a hand free and punch Mizuki in the face which did little to break free of the man's grasp.

Mizuki shifted to bring his hand up close to Hinata's eyes and just as he was about to strike Naruto slammed into them, forcing them apart. As Hinata skidded on her side away from Mizuki she looked up to see Naruto walking over to her, holding out his hand. Taking it and hauling herself Hinata opened her mouth to speak Naruto stopped her and gave her a small smile.

"This time I'm gonna protect you. I own you one anyway."

With this the boy turned to Mizuki and snarled before performing a cross sign with his hands. Iruka tipped his head to the side and wondered what the blonde was up to when the forest was then covered with Naruto clones.

The sensei stood amazed then smiled, Naruto had just performed a high level jutsu and he, Iruka was immensely proud of his student. Turning his head every which way Mizuki tried in vain to look for an escape and with the taunts of countless echoing in his ears he soon screamed his frustration. With a smug smirk the small army charged and before long a very battered and bruised Mizuki lay on the forest floor unconscious.

Iruka gave the traitor a swift kick to the chest and snorted but turned to Naruto and Hinata with a smile. Then nodding to himself, he beckoned Naruto over and told him to close his eyes. After a few minutes the older man told Naruto to open his eyes and once he did the blonde saw Iruka smiling at him and holding his goggles.

"Congratulations Naruto, you graduate!"

Naruto stood silent for a moment while Iruka gained a worried expression before he was thrown back by the boy's hugging tackle. As both laughed merrily Hinata hung back and out of the corner of her eye saw Kuu stalking towards her. The girl winced and waited for the Wolf's barbed tongue to flash but instead she got something different, something unexpected.

"You still needed help but you fought on your own. You're starting to get it. Maybe there's hope fpr you, little warrior."