No! That can't be true. NO!

It was lie! It had to be! Hinata felt like her legs were made of lead. She couldn't walk. Nor could she think. Her young, naïve mind couldn't comprehend the idea that she might not have her mother in the morning.

Mothers were always supposed to be there. Protecting and nurturing their young, teaching them and loving them, sometimes scolding them and watching them grow up.

Why then, did outo-sama inform her of this horrendous betrayal?! She was only eight. The little girl with the confidence problems couldn't bear the thought of being left alone in this world.

Her mother couldn't betray her like that! She couldn't. She had promised!

Hinata trudged, not paying attention to the tears streaming down her face, her pale, lavender eyes like wells of water, so unlike the rest of the unemotional orbs of the Hyuga. But then, she had always been different. The only one she was similar to lay in the bed in her parent's room.

As young as she was, even she could understand the sombre mood that had struck the entire compound as she dragged her feet. She should have been hurrying, she knew but she couldn't get herself to face her.

Chocking back on a hiccup, Hinata knocked on the sliding door lightly. Her mother was injured, but still a weak voice answered, 'Come in, darling.'

She opened the door, and almost fell to the ground in utter shock and dismay. Her beautiful mother lay on the bed, covered by a blanket but even Hinata's premature eyes could see the blood splotches.

'Come here, my love,' her mother stretched out of her hand from within the blanket to her daughter.

The girl nodded, but knowing that her mother couldn't see. For her eyes were covered by a cloth…

Hinata took her mother's hand and sat by her side, 'Mama, what… has… happened,' she sobbed.

'Shhh,' Hitomi consoled her young daughter. 'Don't cry… my love…'

'Otou-sama said…,' Hinata couldn't bring herself to say the words. The tears dropped on their joined hands.

'I know,' Hitomi gave a sad smile, bringing Hinata's hands and kissed it… 'It's time, Hinata…'

'NO! NO!' Hinata yelled, 'You can't die! I… I won't let you!'

'No one can stop death, darling…' Hitomi was quick to get that notion out of her daughter's head. They didn't have much time and she knew Hinata would need all the guidance she could get. The elders would be unforgiving towards any perceived weakness.

Hinata was going to argue but her mother cut her off, 'Hime …,'

'Always remember… Oto-san loves, Okaa-chan loves you… Be brave, Hinata. Be strong… But most of all, be kind…,' even on the edge of death's door, Hitomi couldn't bear the thought of her lively and always smiling daughter becoming the emotionless masked females that the Hyuga insisted on. 'There are… too many cruel people in this world anyway. Promise me…'

'Yes… Yes, I promise,' Hinata cried, throwing herself forward and hugging her mother's injured body.

Hitomi, as she hugged her back fiercely, wished more than anything to be able to see her daughters just one more time. She had already said her goodbye to three old Hanabi. But her youngest was too young to know what was going on.

'Goodbye, my love.'

But as fate would have it, she was spared the image of her daughter in agony. For Hitomi had already passed away.

'Mama! Mama!' Hinata shook her mother. 'No, no please. You can't leave! Wake up! Wake up! Mama I need you!'

Her yells and cries had attracted the attention of the other maids nearby who rushed into the room.

Hinata's jostling had taken the cloth off her mother's eyes, making the maids wince as one of them hurried to replace the cloth. The sight that greeted her was one she would never forget.

'NOO!' Hinata screamed, dread washing over her, turning to rage unlike anything the little girl had ever felt which in turn turned to hate. Hate for those who had committed this heinous crime against an angel like her mother.

Hitomi's eyelids were open but the pale eyes of the Hyuga weren't seen. For they were missing.

'Okaa-chan!' Hinata woke, looking towards the door leading to her parent's chambers, wishing for her mother to come and sooth her back to sleep from the nightmare.

But then the thirteen-year-old realised, it was not a nightmare. It was her memory. Her mother was not going to come for her.

'Let it end, just let it end…,' Hinata took a deep, hitching breath and fell back onto the bed, sobbing into her pillow for a good long while.

Ever since her mother had died from the injuries, she had suffered on a mission gone wrong, and came back with her eyes missing, Hinata couldn't get the image out of her head.

And although the memory didn't arise that often anymore, it still came to her when she was particularly stressed, plaguing her thoughts and sleep.

'I… I miss you,' Hinata cried, paying no attention to the tears staining her pillowcase. The maids were all used to it at this point. Even though they used to ask of her before, they had ceased to some years ago. 'I miss you so much, Okaa-chan.'

As her body was still racked with sobs, like it usually was when she had that dream, Hinata lay in bed until she had calmed down sufficiently. Looking at the fancy alarm clock on her side table, it was just past eight.

'Oh… oh my,' Hinata almost jumped out of bed, in her hurry to get to the washroom. If she didn't hurry, she would end up being late for training with her team. She didn't usually oversleep her alarm but this time, she had ignored it, trying to calm down.

The maids had washed her clothes and they had laid her ninja gear on the dresser and her jacket. She was a Hyuga, even if she was the worst one and thus was aware of what people thought of her dressing in her bulky jacket.

It had become obvious in the academy but no one ever said it of course. Even they knew that insulting the heiress to the Hyuga clan, albeit a weak one, was a one way to ticket to incite trouble and invite Hiashi's wrath on them.

But she was much too shy to dress in form fitting clothes. She desperately hoped to overcome it one day and be as confident as kunoichis like Sakura-san and Ino-san, who were very comfortable in their bodies or Kurenai-sensei.

Hinata was well aware of the effect all three had on boys and men and that the three even relished it to a point. Unlike them, she had no such interest. Well, except for one boy. But it seems it was her fate that he never seems to notice her, always looking to the much prettier, and confident Sakura. Not that she blamed him of course.

'Oh, you're in a hurry, Hinata-sama,' said a Nanao Hyuga, a maid from the branch family as she entered, wearing a maid's apron over the traditional Hyuga robes.

'Y…Yes, Nanao-san,' Hinata replied, sipping her miso soup in as hurriedly dignified manner as she could. It would not do to look like Kiba. She saved herself from snorting by the sudden comical image in her mind. She couldn't imagine someone like Kiba in such a strict and organised household like hers. 'Meeting the team!'

Nanao nodded, and went on to remove the sheets of the bed, throwing a kind sort of smile at the young girl as she saw the pillow damp with tear spots. A couple of years ago, she would have asked if Hinata-sama was okay, but with the embarrassment it causes the poor girl every time, she had stopped asking.

It wasn't really well known that the young heiress doesn't stutter with those she feels some comfortable with. Unfortunately, most of the Hyuga, her own clan weren't included in this list. As far as Nanao knew, Hinata was only comfortable with her team, and Hanabi-sama or maybe herself.

No matter how many times Hinata had asked Nanao not to call her sama, the friendly maid would still address her with proper deference. Hinata wasn't that naïve as to think it was just because she liked her, unlike most of her clan.

Any disrespect or perceived disrespect could be punished by activating the seal. Hinata had seen it a few times, and her heart went out the those of the branch families.

She had once or twice commented about the unnecessity of it, and was punished dearly for it. She hadn't dared since then.

But it was no wonder that some in the branch families held contempt for those in the main branch. And she may be one of them soon.

No! She shook her head. There was no use having such useless thoughts. She dreaded her future children being given the seal, and would do everything she could to prevent it. Hinata snuck a look at Nanao-san, who was busy laying down the fresh sheets on her bed.

Even though she was a chunin, she was relegated to the work of a maid within the clan when she wasn't on duty. It really was unfair. And a waste of her skills. However, it wasn't that Hinata didn't like her that kept her from being open with the maid. It was her that she couldn't read.

Unlike the elders and her father's eyes, which held only contempt for her, Hinata didn't see that in some of the branch family members. Sometimes, in Nanao-san's eyes, Hinata saw pity but that wasn't uncommon. She hated it but it was the truth. But it was the hope she sometimes saw in her maid's eyes before it was quickly covered, that confused her.

Who would hope for her? Why? And why would they lay their hopes in her?

And it was with these thoughts, that she was shocked when Nanao-san said, 'Hinata-sama. Hiashi-sama wishes for you too meet with him when you return from your training.'

Hinata's head snapped up, wondering what her father could say to her now. Her relationship with her father had started deteriorating ever since Hanabi-chan had started showing her potential in the way of Jyuken.

'Okay, Nanao-san,' Hinata replied, knowing that this was no request but the maid had changed the wording to probably soften the manner in which it was said.

She didn't envy her younger sister. Okay, maybe she did, a little. But more than that, she was worried for her. She was too young for the Hyuga council to burden her.

There was also a burgeoning hope that her father might want to see her for her training. But she better than to put much stock in such hopes. It had never turned out well for her in the past.

She didn't want to think about the last time he had summoned her like this after they had returned from the mission to Wave. She didn't want to think about his eyes when he learned of her little contribution in the mission. And that she allowed the boys to battle the rogue-nin.

Hinata had known that there was no use lying to him in order to hide her failure, even if she was brave enough to do so. He probably had already read the mission reports, being on the Shinobi Council as he was.

But she would worry about the nature of this meeting when she returned. There was no use in stressing herself out now before her team training and likely a mission or two.

With that, she packed her lunch and hurried out of the house before she could be summoned by her father, in case the Hyuga head changed his mind.

It didn't take long for her to reach training ground eight where her team met. Hinata tried to not pay much attention to the fact that it was right opposite training ground seven where Naruto-kun's team meets. Or she would probably not be able to pay attention to anything.

Even if Kakashi-sensei was a celebrated and accomplished Jounin with much experience, Hinata didn't envy team 7. For even if Kurenai-sensei wasn't a ninjutsu specialist or focused on taijutsu, at least she was on time.

Not that the newly minted Jounin wasn't strong in taijutsu. Hinata hadn't managed to beat her in even one of the spars they've had since the formation of their team.

'Good morning Hinata,' Kurenai greeted her genin, who very unlike her, was almost late and had shown up even after Kiba.

'Hai, g…good morning, sensei,' Hinata replied meekly.

Kurenai immediately picked up on her genin's discomfort. She usually didn't stutter with her. Something must have happened in the morning. Shino probably picked up on it too, given the slight raise of his head. Kiba as usual was oblivious and excited to get started.

Knowing she would do no good by bringing attention to whatever it was in front of her teammates, she resolved to ask Hinata about it later.

'Are we training already or what?' Kiba whined impatiently, with Akamaru giving a bark as if he agreed too.

'Patience, Kiba,' Kurenai reminded the brash Inuzuka again yet again. She wondered why she had been given a brash Inuzuka who, like his clan focuses on nintaijutsu. Sarutobi was well aware that she had little patience for men who don't tend to think.

But then again, given the alternate was Uzumaki, she would rather take Kiba. Yes, she had heard about his surprising ability to create shadow clones, but given what he was, it wasn't that surprising that he would have the chakra capacity to do so.

'First of all, I need you all three to warm up. Run around the ground for five laps, then we'll get started.'

'Hai,' the genin replied and quickly got to it, with Hinata meekly shuffling and putting her things away before taking off after her teammates.

Kurenai sighed. She knew she was a newly minted Jounin and that it would take some time for her to get her genin to shed their bad habits, but so far, they hadn't changed much since the last day of the academy.

She remembered the day like it was yesterday when she had visited the academy the week before the exam, to observe the genin she had been given the files on.

That could change depending on the exam scores and the number of genin who pass but better safe than sorry was her motto.

And so, she had cloaked herself in a double layered genjutsu and observed Iruka's class. Unlike what the current rookies thought, there were more genin than just one graduating class. After all, it would be highly impractical to pass only nine ninja a year.

Not only would they not have enough to patrol their borders, but they would be at a very high disadvantage if the Leaf were to be suddenly at war with the likes of Kumo or Iwa.

As such, most of the students who do not pass the genin exam and the subsequent test by their respective jounin instructors, were either sent back to the academy or sent to ninja boot camp.

She didn't know who headed that, but she had heard that he was one sadistic maniac and had a talent for converting the bootcamp ninja into chunin within a maximum of two years.

Being a jounin however, Kurenai had access to higher security clearance and was well aware that Konoha currently had forty thousand ninja on its active roster, with almost twenty thousand in the village.

While this number was certainly more than Kiri and Suna – not to mention those hidden villages not in the Great Five – they weren't as much as Kumo or Iwa boasted. The two larger hidden villages naturally had more ninja. But Kurenai was of the opinion that Konoha had better quality of shinobi.

After all, they had won the last war. Kumo and Iwa had surrendered, with heavy penalties.

Nearing their fifth round, Hinata was somewhat winded, Shino looked like he could go another round or so before needing a break. Kiba, the energetic alpha he was, seemed to be in high spirits.

Sighing, she was reminded of their recent painful encounter with the rogue-nin on their recent mission. Her team should never have been sent. What was Sarutobi thinking? She had been furious when she realised who their enemy was.

However, it also reminded her that she couldn't coddle her genin any longer. They needed to get stronger.

'Okay, warm up's over,' she called out.

Hinata needed to catch her breath for almost two minutes as she cooled down. She saw the serious look in her sensei's face and instantly knew that if Kiba tried his whining today or crack a joke, he would regret it.

'Now, you have all had a week's break after coming back from Wave and then a week of normal D rank missions,' Kurenai-sensei began, and Hinata listened with rapt attention. She was aware that she hadn't performed well in their first ever C-rank mission and was eager to improve. 'I want your opinions on your own performances.'

'I would have kicked the ice freak's ass if Naruto-dobe hadn't gone bursting in like the idiot he is,' Kiba growled, punching his fist, though he did wilt a bit seeing Kurenai's glare.

'That is not true,' Shino however shook his head, 'You ask why. That is because your attacks weren't having an effect on his ice blocks from the outside, Kiba.'

However, the Inuzuka took the criticism the wrong way and immediately flamed up, 'Are you saying I'm weaker than the dobe?!' The dobe had, for some inexplicable reason, been able to break one of the mirrors.

Shino shook his head, clearly his teammate was unwilling to see their own faults, 'I did not. However, since Naruto-san's attacks worked and ours didn't lends some credence to that assumption.'

'Why you little…!' Kiba was indignant. It was bad enough that the dobe had somehow shown him up on their first ever C-rank mission but now even his team were siding with the dead-last, conveniently forgetting that Hinata hadn't said anything.

'Ano… I think…' Hinata tried to defuse the tension but Kurenai had enough of the bickering.

'Enough!'

All three genin quietened immediately, looking at their sensei who looked quite disappointed in them.

And disappointed she was, as evident by her tone. 'It is clear to me now that ever since our joint training session Team 10, you have become overconfident in your training.'

Hinata's eyes widened as she vigorously shook her head. While it was true that she had been marginally better than Ino-san that day, she was far from overconfident in her own abilities. But she also knew it was wise not to interrupt their sensei now.

Kiba however, hadn't realised that. 'What? Of course, not…' but wilted at the harsh look on the normally cheerful Jounin's face.

Kurenai stood, and paced, well aware that she was making her team uncomfortable but they needed to learn the lesson. They needed to come to the conclusion themselves. Her merely telling them their flaws would do little to no good. In Kiba's case, it could also backfire.

'Shino,' she said, and immediately noted the boy sat up straighter. Although nothing else in his posture changed. 'Again, I want you to reflect on your own performance.'

Shino stayed quiet for a few seconds before offering, 'I have realised that my ninjutsu is not versatile enough to combat wide range attacks, such as Haku's ice blasts. I was also chakra exhausted quickly.'

Kurenai nodded. While he had missed out a crucial point, knowing Shino it was probably because he didn't think it was logical rather than to hide his flaw. She would be talking about it though, if one of the others didn't bring it up.

'Kiba?' she prompted him.

This time, the Inuzuka wisely kept any problems to himself and didn't grumble like last time. He did however, surprise her by thinking before speaking this time.

'I wasn't fast enough,' he said with a disgruntled look. It was an oversimplification based on misguided pride. But that was understandable since the Inuzukas prided themselves on the fastest taijutsu style in Konoha. And she agreed, for the most part.

As expected, Hinata was the most aware of her flaws. Whether she would know how to go about correcting it, was a different matter entirely.

'Ano… my… taijutsu wasn't strong enough,' Hinata pushed her fingers together like was her habit when she was nervous. 'My Byakugan wasn't fast enough to keep track of him.'

'And… I was scared,' Hinata's finished quietly.

This likely caused her more shame, Kurenai guessed. She knew Hinata had become used to the constant belittling of her abilities that she had faced as a child. By her father, and the elders.

What she wouldn't do to be able to beat the arrogance out of those white-eyed emotionless bastards. Here she was trying to build up this girl's confidence, and every day Hinata went back home and they were back to square one.

But that was a problem for later. Maybe she needed a specialist's opinion.

Kurenai responded, 'Good,' thinking that maybe that might cheer up the girl somewhat. It was clear she was very hung up on her performance last mission.

'To be fair,' Kurenai added, 'You three have barely been genin more than two months. It is unfair for anyone to expect you to fight perfectly well against Chunin and above. The fact that all three of you survived without any debilitating injuries is a testament to your hard work.'

She needed to make sure they didn't think that she didn't appreciate the effort they were putting in. True to her words, all three children brightened up. Well, it was hard to tell with Shino.

'But it was also obvious that we have been neglecting an essential part of the training,' Kurenai partly blamed herself for it. 'That of endurance, stamina and strength. Let me perfectly clear, for we need to improve not only for missions but for another reason as well… which I will tell you later.'

'Shino, your ninjutsu needs to be varied yes, but you also need to work more on your taijutsu more than your clan abilities which I think you are sufficiently well-versed in. Like Haku did, any ninja Chunin level or above can figure out your weakness by the first two moves you make and know that you're a long range fighter and work to counter it, like Haku did.'

Shino nodded, although a tad stiffly for her liking. Perhaps he thought it sounded like an insult to his clan who almost all of them focus on their bugs.

'Kiba,' and the kid with the dog perked up. 'You and Akamaru need better teamwork and coordination. But that will come with time. Having said that, you need to be an independent ninja as well and not depend on Akamaru so much. What Haku did was the classic divide and conquer approach, where he took out Akamaru and then fought you. You also let your emotions cloud your judgement when he attacked Akamaru. I know he's your partner but you need a handle on your emotions in missions and especially during battle.'

Akamaru whined a little, in protest, she imagined but Kiba wisely didn't share what the pup had said, but only nodded in response, his earlier excitement subdued a little. She imagined it would brighten up for what they were going to do next.

'Hinata,' Kurenai sighed, knowing the girl was still quite fragile. 'Yes, your taijutsu was weak.'

Hinata wilted and seem to shrink within herself. So Kurenai was quick to console her with the up side. 'But it was expected when fighting against a Jounin level ninja. No one expected you to defeat him.'

That did little to help the timid girl, and so she added. 'Let's not forget that you weren't the only genin he defeated. But your main problem in your battle were your nerves. They caused you to second guess yourself multiple times and caused your attacks to falter.'

Hinata nodded, having realised the same herself. She had faltered in her attacks multiple times and Haku had capitalised on it, even though he didn't injure her. Probably because of Naruto, her mind added. Once again, the blonde ninja had come to her rescue, albeit unknowingly.

'All in all,' Kurenai prepared to end her case, seeing that the genin and her were on the same page now. 'If Team 7 hadn't been present and if Haku had been a more ruthless shinobi, I would doubt the outcome of the fight would be the same.'

It was said quiet leniently, but they all knew the meaning. They would be dead if Haku had wanted them dead. The fact he only injured them and used senbon was a part not a little confusing to them. Perhaps because he had turned out to be Naruto's friend.

How was Kakashi's student this stupid was something Kurenai could not understand. He had talked to and given information to a passer by and who had turned out to be an enemy ninja. It was a serious error in judgement that Kakashi was willing to let slide.

Before her students could get bogged down in reflection again, and they seem to be swaying dangerously close to a topic that was an S-ranked secret in their village in their hushed whispers, Kurenai decided to turn the tables.

'Okay, enough reflection. Stand up,' she ordered and her genin obeyed immediately. 'From now onwards, we will focus more on stamina, and taijutsu until we have all improved a decent amount and then we'll add in other things. Now, you all have your own specific katas.

Shino, you use the style your father taught you. Shino and Hinata, you spar. One of you will purely attack, and the other will defend. Then swap. Kiba, you're with me.'

'Alright. Time to get some blood pumping,' Kiba jumped in the air. Clearly, thinking and reflecting was not his forte.

As expected, Hinata was shakier today than she had been on previous sessions. She wasn't able to block or defend Shino's attacks that she would have had no problem with before. As such, Kurenai felt it necessary to pair Hinata up with herself and go throw the same cycle.

With careful encouragement, of her defence and attacks, Hinata improved slightly, mainly as her nerves had settled. The main problem with Kurenai was that she was not aware of Jyuken's katas and couldn't instruct her properly in the art. She needed someone who was.

And unfortunately, that wasn't possible unless she went to Hiashi and asked him. There must be some other way!

Even more disturbing was the fact that she clearly sees bruised wrists and shins, red on the verge of turning purple. Hinata kicks and Kurenai easily dodges, slowing down her speed to imitate a sort of real spar for genin. Hinata barely blocks a punch and lashes out with an open palm to her stomach.

A little impressed with the viciousness of the assault, Kurenai pretended to be caught off guard and decided to let it by and see how far she would be willing to take it. However, she was again disappointed when expectedly Hinata, at the last minute, subtly changed the trajectory of her palm, and only grazed her abdomen.

She was too kind. It was a good thing in life. But in battle, it was a disaster and was likely to get herself killed. It wasn't that she didn't have the skills, which she definitely did.

Kurenai immediately backed off, and instead of dodging right like Hinata clearly expected her to and went in for another palm strike, Kurenai lashed out with a round house kick. It struck true, confirming Kurenai's earlier suspicions about Hinata and the way of Jyuken.

From what she had gathered over the years, having worked with several Hyugas – she refused to think about Matatai – Jyuken was a complicated, strict set of katas, a set of a very defined movements.

That wasn't to say it wasn't brutal and highly effective. In fact, it was the most devastating taijutsu style in Konoha and probably the elemental nations. Which also explains why the Hyugas guard their secrets so jealously.

But Hinata's style and personality didn't suit it very well. What she needed was a style from which she could seamlessly flow from one movement into another. Where she didn't have to halt her momentum and change track so suddenly.

Taijutsu was very much like a dance, Kurenai liked to think so. Where one has to adjust their movements in response to the opponents.

However, Jyuken wasn't like that. Which conflicted with Hinata's lack of ability to stop her attack in a moment's notice and change it up with another move.

'Aaarghh,' Hinata went down instantly, a few feet away but hesitantly got up again, swaying on her feet before she lowered her centre of gravity in the Jyuken style and waited.

Smiling, Kurenai nodded. Hinata wasn't hopeless. No, she was improving. Whereas two months ago, she wouldn't even have gotten up after a defeat, this time she did, albeit hesitantly.

Whereas two months, she wouldn't have known to change tactics and now she did. Her instincts were well tuned and she could change strikes subtly. Yes, Hinata had a lot of potential.

If only she believed in herself. Looking to her watch, three hours had already gone by and Kakashi was about to arrive at his spot.

Signalling to the three genin, she called them to her, 'Good. I trust this session has shown you the importance of getting out of comfort zone in training.' All three nodded expectedly. They hadn't just sparred. Kurenai had put them through the paces with endurance training. 'I'm glad. Now, for the next part of today's exercise.'

She was met with curious looks. Clearly her team was expecting them to go on a mission like they usually do, albeit it was later than normal.

'Espionage.'

Quite predictably, her words were met with shocked looks.

AN: First of all, thank you to all those who have reviewed, favourited and followed.

Now to address the latest review this story has gotten. By Forensi and i quote:

'For all those who plan to read this story.

This author right here, the one who considers Hinata to be a great character, literally made Hinata cheat on Naruto with Kiba and Sasuke in his other fanfic and STILL made bullshit excuses for her and planned to pair her with Naruto because his sick mind likes to torment Naruto by getting him to stay with the spinless bitch that cucked him.

And hope you don't delete this RinneganSage, that would be a pretty pathetic move on your part.'

So, yes I like Hinata as a character. You say she is a spineless bitch. I don't know if you have ever met children who have been neglected and/or abused (Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto) but they don't turn out to be perfectly, well functioning members of society without some therapy, counselling or at the very least a support system. Hinata had none of that.

She was very young when her mother died, and ever since then she had been subjected to frequent humiliation and made sure she knew how pathetic and weak she was, by her father of all people. Not to mention the hate that her cousin projected onto her for the practices of the clan. All in all, she was a child under 10 who had been subjected to this treatment and when we met her, she was twelve or thirteen. That is a lot of time for all those insecurities to set in and solidify.

Secondly, yes in my previous story Naruto - Shadow, I had Hinata cheat on Naruto with Kiba but I had a very good reason for that. The Hyuga were predictably not happy with their relationship and sought to form a union that befitted the clan and gets rid of their heiress in one go. Hiashi used Kiba ad his jealousy. Towards the end of the story, I had planned for it to be revealed that Naruto's leaving of Konoha and the vote to seal his chakra was all staged, for fooling the normal ninja and civilians.

In short, there would be a war with Kiri with Naruto as Commander in Chief of the Kiri armies, and Konoha would win the war. Kiri would face severe sanctions etc.

In the end, when Naruto would have died in a conflict with Konoha, and it would have been revealed that all the valuable intel they had gained for the last few years that had allowed them to stay ahead of their enemies, was all the result of Naruto, who was working for the ANBU and his leaving Konoha was all staged so he could infiltrate the ranks of Kiri ninja.

As for Hinata, it was my plan for her to grow as a ninja and know what being in love means. That its not just saying you love someone but also facing the challenges that come with it, and stick with them. It would have turned out, with both Hinata - who had become a very accomplished kunoichi and medic - and Naruto's deaths, that the Hyuga clan had conspired with the Kurama clan to cast a very skillfully crafted genjutsu which was meant to convince the naive thirteen year old girl that the Kyuubi in Naruto was fooling her into having feelings for Naruto. She would have eventually broken through it as her byakugan grew stronger but by then it would have been too late.

But I had time for none of that because well, I had exams and third year research project.

So in short, Forensi, if you don't like it, don't fucking read it!

Peace.