'I don't see why she shouldn't be a jonin.' Tsunade said, stirring her coffee. 'Those exams are a facade, anyway. If I want to, I can send any jonin back to Chūunin in less than a second, and vice versa.'

Kaiya and Tsume were in the Hokage's office, both kneeling down. Shizune coughed lightly, bringing Tsunade back to the point.

'Right,' Tsunade said. 'Anyway, Kaiya has the skills to be a jonin. It's still pretty early to assign her a team, so I'll let her be and do missions as a Jonin. Now, before we make anything official, I must ask, Kaiya. Do you think you're ready to be a jonin? You've been changing ranks very quickly.'

Kaiya gulped. Of course she wanted that raise- She worked so hard just for that promotion. Now, she better keep the work up, or she would take a step back. She would fail the trust that Lady Hokage put in her by allowing her to take the jonin exam, and most importantly, she would fail herself.

'I think I'll do. If I cannot complete missions successfully according to this rank's expectations, I'll resign to Chūunin.'

Tsunade nodded. 'So be it. Then, you're officially Jonin now.'

'Good job, kid.' Tsume said, quietly.

Kaiya grinned as she lowered her head a little, in gratitude. 'Thank you, Lady Tsunade.'

'You deserve it.' Tsunade said. 'I think I'll get some B and A-rank missions on Tuesday. Can you come to take one?'

Kaiya nodded. 'Of course. Anytime.'

'Then you're free to go.' Tsunade said with a nod.

The two women bowed, before leaving the room. After the door was closed and they found themselves at a distance from the office, Tsume burst out.

'That's awesome, kid! Congratulations. You just became jonin and Lady Hokage already called you in for a mission! Just before you know it, you'll become a tokubetsu jonin just like me!'

'An elite jonin?' Kaiya laughed dryly. 'Wouldn't really get my hopes for it, to be honest. Not that I'm bad, but I don't have any special skills.'

'Are you stupid?' Tsume pushed Kaiya's head. 'You don't have special skills yet. You have good sensory skills, by that I mean smell and sight. Add your Kekkei Genkai and other thing from the Kekkei Genkai you have to the list and, when you master them, you might as well become an elite ninja.'

Kaiya sighed. 'I don't want to get mutilated, though.'

Tsume knew exactly what her niece was talking about. The risk of their Kekkei Genkai of shapeshifting into wolves risked them to remain with parts wolf, unable to transform them back into a human. That promised, of course, quite a bit of pain and suffering.

'Nobody wants to, but you won't get anything without risking, dear. If you don't want to master your Kekkei Genkai, it's fine. If you do want to master it, you have to work and dare to risk. You choose.'

It made sense. The thing was, Kaiya didn't know if she wanted to risk it. She wanted to live so much to experience life normally, not as some sort of monster. Yet... it was her family.

It was a tough decision.

'So?' Tenten asked, as they walked down the streets of Konoha with their team. 'How did the exam go?'

'I passed.' Kaiya said, simply. She didn't feel like going in detail.

'That means we have not one, but two jonin in the team now!' Guy said, happily.

'Oh yeah, Neji's a jonin, too.' Kaiya stated blankly.

'Man, I really must promote to jonin! I feel like I'm falling behind.' Tenten said, as Lee mumbled something.

'Don't stress, the Jonin exam is a pain, honestly.' Neji said. 'Isn't it?'

'It is,' Kaiya confirmed. 'People literally die there and everyone acts like it's no big deal.'

'Well, those are the requirements. Ass a Jonin, you'll sometimes see people die. It happens.' Guy cut the two off. 'Since Kaiya graduated, why don't we go for some barbecue? I know a good restaurant.'

Those really are the requirements, Kaiya thought as she looked over the B and A rank missions laying on the Hokage's desk, offered by Tsunade. They were all pretty dangerous missions of infiltrations and assassination, but at the same time, they all paid off well.

'If I may recommend one,' Shizune said, hesitantly, 'I'd recommend the assassination of Hamura Hinata.'

Tsunade nodded in agreement. 'I agree with Shizune. It's a good start. He's a missing-nin from Konoha that left a few months ago. We don't know for sure about his current capabilities, but he was a tokubetsu jonin with sensory skills, and has various information about Konoha that we would rather not divulge.'

Kaiya looked at the scroll with the request for a moment.

Name: Hamura Hinata
Gender: male
Age: 35
Status: Still alive, missing-nin
Wanted: Preferably Dead
Skills: Exceptional sensory skills (sight, smell, chakra detection), excels in ninjustu and genjutsu.
Weaknesses: Unknown
Appearance: Pale yellow hair, blue eyes, aprox 1,65 m in height.
Whereabouts: Last seen in the Nochi*, 100 kilometres to the south-west of Konohagakure.

Reward: 10,000 Ryo

'I'll take it.'

Kaiya felt her heart throbbing as she jumped from one tree to another through the forest. As a Chuunin, she's been sent on one or two individual missions before, but this time, though, it felt different. Her hands felt cold and a little sticky, as her ears were more receptive than most Walkie Talkies available. To be fair with herself, the idea of an assassination send goosebumps along with shivers through her entire body. Although she tried to think it through professionally, it was hard. She was sent to kill another human being who didn't do anything wrong in her eyes. It was all a pesky risk that Konoha wanted to get rid of.

The very few individual missions she's been on as a Chūunin were never this risky. None of them made Kaiya feel so isolated from people like this one. She checked if her tachi was still there, on her back. Tachi, present.

Her arm passed by her forehead for a moment, her sleeve absorbing the sweat resting there. If she remembered correctly, she'd find the man somewhere around... here. The entrance to a small village appeared in front of her, making her stop. She didn't leave the Land of Fire yet, so the people were probably affiliated with Konoha. To be fair, the people in the small village didn't mind much what happened in Konoha, as long as it didn't affect them or their businesses.

People there were near exclusively merchants, farmers, tailors or weapon makers. Only a few of them chose to become shinobi, and the ones who did want to become so, the only option was to move to Konoha. It was quite a turn-off, as people loved their families and hometown. With that, the idea to visit your family only maybe, once a year or so wasn't always nice. Well, for most, anyway. There was always someone willing to do this sacrifice.

Act normal, Kaiya told herself, mentally. Don't take action unless necessary.

She jumped from the branch she was sitting on back on the ground, on the path leading to the entrance. Her best chance of finding Hinata was of asking around. She took a deep breath and looked in the reflection of a muddy puddle nearby. Her face was clean, and her hair was fine. She squinted for a moment at her reflection. She needed to cut her hair again. Her hair started to reach a little under her shoulders and, well, she didn't find it practical. She scooped a hair tie out of one of her pockets and tied her hair in a quick bun. She checked for her clothes and headband to look alright, before stepping into the small village.

'Do you think she'll be alright?' Shizune asked quietly as she arranged some papers in Tsunade's office.

'Who?' Tsunade asked absently, while signing some papers.

'Kaiya. It's her first mission as a jonin and well... an A-class assassination, Tsunade-sama. I have second thoughts in recommending it.'

Tsunade sighed as she put down the pen she was holding.

'Shizune, look. The girl wanted to be jonin. We can't pamper her just because she's special in any way- she isn't. Kaiya's an ordinary seventeen-year-old who happens to be Kakashi's kid. No big deal.'

'But still, Tsunade-sama, an assassination?'

'The best sailors aren't made from calm seas,' Tsunade said, 'That's what they say. Or something like that. My point is, if she wants to be a jonin, then treat her like a jonin.'

Shizune nodded. 'Yes, Tsunade-sama.'

Without them knowing, a third party heard everything they said. Kakashi sighed. Recently, he grew into the habit of eavesdropping various conversations that weren't meant for his ears to hear. Still, a bad habit takes nearly a month to get rid of, and he didn't have that time.

A jonin already, huh? She might get something from me; the skills to advance quickly through ranks. For all he hoped, Kaiya wouldn't get in the ANBU anytime soon. Not with Danzo around. The man created enough trouble to him in his time there- god knows what he might do to Kaiya. As for her current rank, he might want to congratulate her when she returned...

As Kaiya walked through the village, she looked for a place that looked acceptable to ask about the so-said criminal. Well, no place was fitting for such a thing in any kind of reality, but people liked to talk. If you knew where to search, it was like you had a bingo book in your hands. The people who had the most information were probably merchants.

She walked to a booth that sold clothes, where she was greeted by an old-ish looking woman.

'Hello!' The woman said, cheerfully. 'Are you interested in anything? I just got some nice dresses, and... and some really nice scarfs here, too...'

'I'm not looking for anything in particular. I'm more curious.' Kaiya said calmly, as she analysed the clothes displayed on the wooden booth quietly for a few moments, before turning her voice quieter. 'Have you heard of Hamura Hinata?'

The woman smirked pleased as she spotted Kaiya's headband. 'You guys are finally getting rid of that bastard?'

'Hm?' Kaiya's head rose up, making eye contact with the woman. 'Oh, um, we would like Hinata-san back, that's all. We won't get rid of him.'

One thing she learned in her time as a Chūunin was that people outside her team weren't trustable. If she ever found herself in situations where she had to give information, the more inaccurate information, the better. The old woman bent over the booth.

'You'll find Hinata on the other side of the village, on the farmlands, in an abandoned, black old house, close to some woods. Be careful with him, shinobi-san. People died while trying to bring his head. All because of his intelligent use of genjutsu. Be careful with his genjutsu.'

Kaiya nodded. It was always good people would be cooperant without insisting on much information in return.

'I've been warned about his genjutsu skills. Thank you for the information, miss.'

'Good luck.'

The woman puffed pleased as Kaiya walked away, stopping by a few other booths. Finally, a decent shinobi.

In less than an hour, Kaiya was certain of the following: a) Hinata was to be found in the farmlands in an abandoned house. b) People wanted him gone. And c) He was dangerous enough that many people lost their life by him.

Kaiya walked down the exit road as the sun moved it's the position just above the town, the usual for mid-noon. As she finally exited the village, she was welcomed by a golden sea of wheat, with a tree every here and there. It wasn't visible at first sight, but if you looked closely, a small, wooden cottage was laying in the middle of the grains. The cottage was black and had a quite uncared, abandoned look. It wasn't too far away, maybe two kilometres away, and Kaiya's nose was filled by a rotting, stinging smell that was hard to describe. It smelled like... well, it smelled like dry blood and strong blue cheese mixed together. It wasn't a nice smell, in any case.

Kaiya took a deep breath in an attempt to regain composure, before walking down slowly towards the old house. As she walked, a sudden agitated squeaking below her stopped her. A small, grey mouse was running in a circle just between her boots, squeaking without a break. Kaiya frowned. It might be a mouse with rabies of some sort., she thought as she shook her head, focusing her attention back to the house. She had a mission to complete, and she wanted to be home by tomorrow.

She put her hands in her pockets as she started walking again. In just a matter of minutes, Kaiya found herself in front of the abandoned house. She walked up the two stairs and, before she would proceed further on the balcony and into the house, she took a Kunai from her pocket, knelt a little and pressed it against the thin air before her lower-legs. No strings. She picked a rather large pebble from the stairs and threw it on the balcony. It was heavy enough to do some thumps that could be mistaken for footsteps by the unaware and traps.

No traps. There were no traps. It meant that a bigger something would wait for her inside. Well, not necessarily a something, but rather... someone.

Kaiya pursed her lips as she pulled her hand up her sleeve, before touching the doorknob. She pushed the doorknob in an attempt to open it, to discover that the door is unlocked. She pulled the door open, and as she did, she jumped off the balcony. When she landed, Kaiya noticed a handful of kunai thrust into the wooden floor. Nice one!, Kaiya thought, congratulating herself mentally.

She got on her feet and walked to the kunais. All good merch and new. Another few kunais to her collection she guessed, as she collected them into her weapon bag. She entered the building carefully, analysing every inch. She entered a room with no lights -in fact, the entire house seemed to lack electricity, thus no lights- that seemed to hold the job of a rather spacious hallway. On the other side of the room was a staircase that led to the first floor. To the right, en-face from the stairs stood a 1/3 open door, that let a ray of sunlight enter the dark hallway. Kaiya approached the door carefully and laid one of her hands on it. Her hands pulled the wooden door into opening, only for it to prove its oldness by letting out a long, loud creak.

Kaiya jerked her head around, as a cackling echoed through the house. Instinctively, her hand reached for a kunai, without pulling it out. She felt her muscles tensing while her heartbeat fastened as she waited for an attack to land.

Gravity seemed to become stronger as it painfully pulled her muscles to the ground. Kaiya grabbed one of her shoulders with the opposite hand in pain, trying to resist the urge to kneel down. Kaiya raised her head, only to see shadows slithering funny on the walls, then on the ground and eventually around her, whispering mostly intelligible things.

'The boy...' A small voice whispered. 'He died because of you...'

'What boy?' Kaiya grunted.

'The small boy... He died because of you.'

'What boy?!' Kaiya asked, demandingly.

'Hmm... Jun, is it? I'm pretty sure it was him.'

Kaiya felt her blood cooling off. This was, perchance, genjutsu, but what kind? Whoever the caster was an absolute stranger. How would he know Jun... or this?

'This... This is none of your business. Show yourself!'

Kaiya's head lightened, among with the rest of her body. As her brain went into a sleeping state and her body felt like it was flying, her eyesight went darker and darker and darker to the point where Kaiya simply gave up on seeing anymore. She closed her eyes and remained still. She never experienced genjutsu before. Not to this extent, anyway.

Suddenly, her body hit the ground violently, pushing all the air out of Kaiya's lungs, making her gasp for air. When she calmed down, she realised how her left side hurt terribly, pain coming with every pulse and breath she took in. Dammit! I broke a rib. As she still layed on the ground, she looked around. Familiar trees stood tall above her as familiar smells filled her nose.

It was then she realised- she was at home. No, not Konoha. The Kobayashi clan's base camp entrance. Kaiya stood up in a sitting position as she tried to bring herself to her senses by rubbing her head. When the world didn't feel so light anymore, Kaiya attempted to stand up on her feet, only to lose balance immediately, sending her back laying on the ground. Even in genjutsu, she was still weakened by its side effects. Maybe that was the whole point.

No. It was just part of the plan. After what seemed to be a few minutes that passed, Kaiya decided to give getting up another try. This time, everything felt like normal. Well, more or less; it was genjutsu- she could tell that for sure. Kaiya analysed the basecamp until something caught her attention.

A much younger Kaiya, at the age of eight, was tugged by a seven-year-old Jun. The boy had many features similar to his sister's- short hair of the same shade of dark brown, a sharp chinned face, brown eyes, and a frail body as a whole.

'Kaiya-nee, you promised!' Jun said, not giving up.

'I know, but I have to train with Taka now!' Kaiya exclaimed, before sighing. She knelt down so she could be the same height as Jun and grabbed her brother by her arms. 'Look, we can tomorrow. I'm serious.'

The 17-year old Kaiya felt something Building in her neck, holding her just moments from tears. It was a memory that she remembered very clearly. Probably the clearest memory she has from her childhood. But from all memories... why that memory?

Jun sighed as he pulled away, obviously displeased. 'Fine, then. Taka here, Taka there, but never me.'

Both Kaiyas tensed while biting their lower lip as they watched Jun head onto the forest.

'Be careful!' Kid Kaiya yelled after her brother, hoping he'd forgive her.

It was the last time Kaiya ever saw Jun alive. The seventeen-year-old girl hurried in following Jun's footsteps in the forest without hesitation, hoping for some answers. As she caught up to him as he hurried through the forest, she tried to put a hand on Jun's shoulder, only for her hand to go right through him. The boy didn't flinch once. For anyone could tell, he didn't notice nor feel anyone behind him.

'Don't bother much,' a calm voice next to Kaiya said, nearly making the seventeen-year-old jump. Kaiya moved her head to the left, only to see a middle-aged man with pale blonde hair and blue eyes who was just a little smaller than her in height. Exactly the description of Hinata. 'You can't change this boy's fate. This is just a memory, after all. Just the past.'

'Just... the past.' Kaiya repeated, in a mumble.

'Exactly. The past is the past. As much as it hurts, you can't change it. Honestly. The past isn't worth all the pain.'

Kaiya frowned, as they stopped along with Jun, who spotted a deer. 'Why are you telling me all this?'

Hinata sighed. 'Even if we're enemies, I'm not evil, you know? I'm human. A human with some regrets who chose another path, and who happened to own a fair amount of knowledge of what happens behind the scene.'

Kaiya stood in silence as Kouta prepared his bow and arrow.

'I apologise for what will come, Hinata-san.' She said quietly, 'I also chose my path.'

The deer perked its head out and it seemed to notice Jun. It took advantage of the moment when Jun cursed under his breath to sprint away in the bushes. The boy put his arrow away in his arrow sack and hurried after the deer. He didn't manage to take two steps forward.

'Attack!' A booming voice demanded, about fifty metres away. As he demanded, a man in his mid-20's or early 30's in a Konoha outfit and a headband resting over his dark brown hair.

'Hai, Fugaku-sama!' His two subordinates said, obediently.

Kaiya took a deep breath in. There was someone else in Konoha that bore a close smell like the man. Her brain refused to make any more connections.

Jun stood no chance. Not against the elite jonins. With just a few sharp (literally) just from the distance, Jun was dead, bleeding heavily from his throat. Seeing him dead, Fugaku called his subordinates to leave. Kaiya felt her eyes pulsing while her body quivered. Why won't my body move..?

'J... Jun...' She murmured, her voice croaky. 'Jun.'

She forced her muscles to cope with each other, eventually stumbling on her feet before hurrying to the boy, kneeling next to him. Her heart began beating like crazy as the air in her lungs didn't feel like enough, her lungs demanding for more as much and as fast as possible. The first resort she could find was to rip apart from her blouse and put it on Jun's wounds on his throat, only for it to be fully soaked in blood within moments.

'Please don't die, please don't die, please don't die...' Kaiya kept chanting over and over.

'It's useless, I told you.' Hinata sighed as he appeared next to her. 'Your brother is long since dead. About... ten- no, almost eleven years to be exact.'

'Shut up!' Kaiya yelled, before her voice trailing off. Her eyes were stinging as tears fell down without ceasing. 'Jun is... Jun is...'

Kaiya covered her mouth with ones of her hands, at loss through the sobs. Her brother. Dead. Right before her eyes. By Konoha's hands. No, by Fugaku's hands, whoever the man was. When she was to return from this mission- the mission.

'Let me out, goddammit!'

Hinata puffed, obviously displeased. 'So be it.'

Kaiya's eyes went wide open as she gasped for air. She wasn't in the forest anymore, but back in the abandoned house. Her body was weakened considerably and it was then that Kaiya noticed that she wasn't where she thought she'd be. She wasn't by the kitchen door, but in a room upstairs, threads all around her body, stopping her from moving away. Got stuck in your own trick, eh, Kaiya?, she thought, ironically. The room wasn't lit by the sun anymore, but by a much dimmer, whiter light, which meant... it wasn't day anymore.

'They don't call me a master of genjustu for nothing.' Hinata sighed as he spun a kunai on his index finger while walking around Kaiya, before sitting himself on a dusty armchair facing Kaiya. 'Here's the deal. I don't have anything against you. You probably don't have anything against me, either. You just got send by those people to get rid of me and my potential. But I might have an idea that'll be beneficial for both of us.'

Kaiya bit her lip. He seemed like he had a way with words that made everything he said sounds reasonable.

'What is it?' Kaiya asked.

She didn't want to give in to the enemy, but she did want to hear what he had to say. It wasn't like she got anything better to do at that moment unless she came with a plan. Hinata hummed a pleased laugh.

'Well, let's see, Kaiya-san...' He said, thoughtfully, 'Here's what I think: I have my skills with replications, so I could make a replication of my head, which you can bring to Tsunade-sama. If you do that, I'll make sure nobody will hear of my name ever again. What do ya think?'

'Fine. I'll do that. Only if you free me first, otherwise I won't cooperate.'

Hinata chuckled. 'You really want something in return, don't you? I guess I should've expected that. I'm alright with it.'

Hinata got on his feet, spun the kunai one more time on his index, before cutting all the strings that held Kaiya down. Whatever happened now, she had to be careful now with her every step. As the man began walking down the hallway followed closely by Kaiya, he prepared carefully his next words.

'Say, Kaiya, you said you'd help me. For the replication justu, I'll need Angel's Trumpet, amongst other ingredients. It can be found around this house. Would you be kind enough to gather a handful?'

'I never agreed on doing the job for you.'

'Hm?' Hinata chuckled. 'Alright then. Although I would've preferred it fresh, I still have some in a box somewhere here...'

They went downstairs and, after a few minutes of search, Hinata found the box he looked for. It was filled almost exclusively with the flower Angel's Trumpet, among a few other flowers. In that time, Kaiya never let go of a kunai in her pocket. As the man began preparing the jutsu, Kaiya squinted her eyes in recognition. She knew the jutsu- Asura-san showed her the jutsu once and told her about it. It was a relatively easy thing to make, but it needed a lot of patience and plants. To put it simply, it was all about finding the necessary plants and patience for it. If you found it, it would almost be a child's play.

Even so, one needed practice and a bit of talent to make an exceptional work. As it turned out, Hinata didn't exaggerate when talking of his skills- a quite detailed version of his head was made in just half an hour. To be fair with herself, Kaiya wasn't eager to touch the head, even if it was fake. It had a surreal vibe that made sure anyone would keep a distance. Well, anyone except its creator- Hinata didn't mind one bit picking up the head, rolling it around in his hands, and checking all the seemingly disgusting details.

'I think it should do.' Hinata said, eventually. 'This head should last for about a year before starting to decompose. I'm pretty sure they'll forget about me at that time.'

Kaiya bit her lip as she considered for a moment. 'You know what, screw this.'

She got the kunai she was holding out of her pocket and attempted to land a few attacks, only for them all to be dodged at ease by Hinata. He grabbed her wrists, and it was enough for him to apply some chakra pressure for Kaiya to feel excruciating pain spreading all around her wrists. Did he break her wrists...?

'Almost,' Hinata smiled, as if reading her thought, 'but not broken. I used a bit of my chakra to pump into your own chakra flow and to affect it. It generally messes up the muscles where the prey is attacked for a while.'

Kaiya cursed under her breath as Hinata let his grip loose off her wrists. She felt the pain pulsing along with the blood that passed, only for her every move to make it worse by ten, maybe even a hundred, times. Hinata chuckled under his breath when he saw the girl frown.

'I'm sorry, Kaiya-san, but I lost my faith in Konoha a long time ago.'

Before she knew it, Kaiya was, again, stuck in a trap too familiar to her. Threads spread all around, rolling around her torso, neck and limbs, making sure that she wouldn't escape any way easily. Suddenly, the sharp end of a kunai pressed against Kaiya's neck. Kaiya tried to get her hands close to her weapon bag, but to no use.

'Perhaps... Perhaps we could've cooperated. But as it turns out, those people brainwashed you onto their side. A pity, honestly, but you were vulnerable and weak when you found them. Their small act of tolerance seemed to impress you enough to think they're worth it.'

Kaiya made another attempt at escaping by forcing the threads but to no use. Just when Hinata relaxed his kunai, he pressed it again, regaining composure. He still didn't know her exact strength and chances against him, but if he played his cards right, she didn't stand a chance.

'You don't even know me! How dare you speak- eh...'

Hinata cracked a smile before breaking down in laughter, making Kaiya stop.

'Kaiya, why do you think that I was classed as a A-rank missing nin? The information I have, sure, it's all there, but was just a good excuse. What they actually fear is not information leaking, but my genjutsu. It so happens that I have a good convincing skill by using one's worst memory. How should I know one's worst memory if I don't know their other memories, eh?'

Kaiya's eyes widened in realisation. 'That means...'

'I've seen everything of you. All your memories, your thoughts, everything. A shame you must die like this, just like your filthy little brother...' He paused. 'At the mercy of others.'

'Don't talk of Jun like that!' Kaiya barked.

'One would say this is the right way to die as a shinobi, serving your country, but I think... Your grandfather would have a say in this.'

'My grandfather?' Kaiya frowned, taken aback by confusion. 'I never met him, sir. I wouldn't know.'

'Of course you didn't. He died long before you would come into existence. Have you ever heard of the White Fang of Konoha?'

Kaiya needed a moment before realisation. The White Fang was her father's father. She heard his mention a few times (The first time she actually cared about it was on the mission of rescuing the Kazekage, though) but she never really took a particular interest in learning about him.

'I... I think I heard of him, but I don't know much of him.'

'Well, I do, and we have time. Besides, I'm not really eager to kill you, so why not? The White Fang is a misunderstood hero, and I guess it's our responsibility as shinobi, comrades and well, family, to understand him.'

And so, Hinata took his time and told Kaiya everything about the genius called Sakumo Hatake. Everything starting from his childhood, his success and appreciation, his family, and well, his fall.

'Everyone, including his closest friends, disowned him. All, but one person- his son. He was probably too young to understand, anyway. In time, his mind deteriorated as it got eaten away by depression and he eventually committed suicide. Well, seppukku* if you want to be exact. His son was the one to find him.'

Kaiya breathed in sharply. Hinata's hands began trembling, as his eyes widened with a maddening look in them.

'Sir...?' Kaiya asked, hesitantly. If she were to die, so be it, but something in the man was clearly off.

'I was his friend!' He yelled, making Kaiya instinctively try to back away. 'I was his friend and I let him die!'

Something in Kaiya's mind clicked and made a connection.

'Hinata-san... Were you on that mission with Sakumo-san?'

'I damn well was!' Hinata said, his voice now shaky, just like his body. 'He... He spared me and asked for nothing in return, and I... Just kill me already. I deserve it.'

Kaiya bit her lip as the man knelt down, tears starting to flow off his cheeks. His comrade was dead, he didn't dare face his comrade's son with that blood on his hands, this kid could be the right person. Judgement finally arrived.

'I... I couldn't stand the village anymore. It's places and people sickened me, the sight of children pressed the guilt upon me, I left for redemption, and I think finally found my judgement. I need to die by the blood I spilt.'

Kaiya looked down at the man and sighed lightly. 'So be it.'

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to appear in front of him seconds later, free of any threads.

'Kage Bunshin...?' Hinata murmured, surprised.

'Still a bit creaky, but yes, a Kage Bunshin.' Kaiya said as she got her tachi out.

Hinata lowered his head. 'Please.'

'I'm sorry, Hinata-san.'

'No, I'm sorry.'

The first rays of dawn started to appear when Kaiya walked down the road from the abandoned house with a small, black bag in her hand. Long after his death, Hinata's words continued to ring in Kaiya's head, and would never cease to do so for as long as Kaiya would live.

That night, in that mission, a decision was made. Jun didn't die in vain. Neither did her grandfather. She would honour them by continuing to live and become the best she can become.

It was a late evening when Kaiya finally returned to her small apartment. As soon as she entered, she was greeted by the familiar spirit.

'Hi.' Kaiya greeted as she sat on a chair at the kitchen table. 'So you won't believe what happened. This is some A-rank mission, but you're dead. Most ghosts don't care enough to come back to life because of some mission, probably.'

The spirit shifted calmly to somewhere in front of her, at the other side of the table.

'Ok, so I was sent to assassinate some dude, right? His name's Hinata Hamura. No problem, I'll do it. That's what I thought, but wait!'

Hearing the name, Kaiya felt the tensity in the air.

'Oh, you know him? Let me tell ya the story, hold up. So he left the village a few months ago, and the village wanted him dead. I found where he was hiding, and, well... stuff happened, but I'll get to the important part. So, my grandfather's the White Fang -you might have heard of him- and as it turns out, this dude was his teammate on some mission where he saved them. The mission caused a lot of trouble and the White Fang committed suicide.'

As she talked, the spirit stopped shifting and the air felt tense. Kaiya didn't mind, though. Ghosts are like that.

'Now here's the twist: He didn't leave Konoha to betray it, oh no, no, no. Not at all. The guilt of letting his comrade die caught up to him and Konoha sickened him. He said something how kids would send guilt trips. I guess they made him think of the White Fang's son.'

A crack appeared in the air's tension.

'He left Konoha to well, seek for forgiveness and to atone his guilt. Forgiveness never came, and his guilt remained the same. He got to the point where the only right judgement for him was death. But his comrade was dead, he couldn't face his comrade's son... I guess I was just the answer to his prayers of death.'

The tension remained for just a few more moments, before eventually cracking down. It disappeared as soon as it appeared, along with the spirit.

*seppukku: A suicide that requires some sort of ritual in which the person who will commit suicide will slit their stomach open with a sword.

A/N

Hello everyone! Avery here. This is the longest chapter I wrote, with 5.9K of words. Tbh I really had fun writing this and I personally found it interesting to dive in a bit more in Sakumo's story, since we got a bare minimum of information. To be honest, I feel like there's so much more to discover about his story that Kishimoto didn't look into, so I decided to look into it myself with some headcanons.

See you all in the next chapter!

-Avery