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Episode Two
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"A Shinobi Endures"
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In which it is the Hyuuga's thirst for power and destiny of hatred that makes the difference and Hinata is the one who makes sacrifices.
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Deidara is stunned, weakened and most of all humiliated.
Hinata stands unscathed before his afflicted form, unflinching from the fierce glare the Iwa nukenin is sending her way. The eerie purple chakra disperses. Her eyes are back now to its frosty moonlight hue. The Hyuuga Clan executor holds her hand towards the bomber, her smile that she intended to be that of acknowledgement to the other's skills only coming off as a condescending smirk to the aggressed opponent.
He swats her hand away and springs up with an indignant huff, stomping his feet and dusting off his dark, shapeless robes.
"Fine. I will join ya freaks." He finally pronounces after several jeers and snorts from Kisame and Sasori. Respectively. His jaw clenches. He bites his lip in unconcealed derision. He shoots Hinata a look of disdain, promising murder in her sleep. She used to see that in Neji's eyes, she thought. She used to see that in all her clansmen's eye. The eyes of those seeking vengeance. "If this is the only way I can kill you. un!"
Hinata winces.
"That is a promise."
She is already making enemies.
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The sun rose early that morning, a big ball of yellow peeking up the Hokage Mountains to greet Konohagakure in springtime. But Hyuuga Hanabi had been awake long before that, seated on the tiled floor of the bath as she let the water from the showerhead patter relentlessly down her naked back. Her eyes boring a hole in the wall, half lidded in deep, unpleasant thoughts dominant as the rest of the world begin to joyously open up for the day. In the Hyuuga compound, you never hear these loud shopkeepers peddle their useless goods. Theirs is an isolated bliss, the smell of her mother's garden the first thing that wafts into one's senses. At this time of the day, they would be having a family breakfast now. Hinata-oneesama would be on her way to the gates because she has a mission to take, a duty to accomplish.
Some lives to end.
That was more than five years ago and even now, Hanabi is unsure whether that really happened. Whether they really were the happy family that she likes to pretend that they used to be at one point and is pathologically hateful to her sister about. Or whether such is just a product of a child's wishful thinking because in her sister's most unforgettable parting words, they are never much of a family. For according to her, they are always and forever will be a clan first. To honour the clan, Hanabi recalls her wizened grandfather say about practically everything. Always honour the clan.
All she remembers is how her father had been strong and how her mother had been kind and how oneesama once said that she wanted to be like them and how Hanabi wanted to be like oneesama.
I want to escape fate. I do not want to be bound by the same destiny they made for us,
A glance towards the mirror and she feels herself be consumed by the same hatred that has overwhelmed her that night. Her scarred forehead blares at her, the green swastika symbol a menacing reminder that no matter what happens, they are indeed a clan first and only. Because historically, family never stopped her ancestors from dividing the houses and making slaves of their own kinsmen. And it never stopped her sister from killing her own blood for power and branding Hanabi of the abominable caged-bird seal. You are going to be shipped off the branch house anyway, she had said, dainty, bloody fingers tracing on the aftermath of Hanabi's worst nightmare. You always are supposed to be just a slave. My inferior. And perhaps she was right.
This was her fate.
And Hinata has successfully escaped hers.
Perhaps not.
She runs her hands over the seal, feeling the oppressive power that lies beneath it and shivers at the fact that the only person in the world who have access to hurting her in the worst way possible is family.
The person she wants to kill the most.
And family would not stop her at all. Like it never stopped Hyuuga. Hinata was once her sister, true. Hinata was once the most important person to Hanabi. But the Hyuuga is a clan first before a family and she is the only hope the clan has now.
Your fate is to die by my hand.
She tries to pretend that the rivulets of fluid flowing under her eyes are just harmless, tasteless water but as she feels pain grip in her heart at the thought of families lost, deranged sisters and ruined lives, Hanabi realizes that she knows better.
She is still far too weak.
For hatred is the Hyuuga's destiny sister. And to be one, you should have that.
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Hanabi is late.
And much to her and her teammates' surprise, the eyesore that they have for a sensei just shrugged about it in good humour, muttering something about vengeance being painful but it could not be helped because he started it. The yellow-orange man smiles so bright and so happily that it makes Hanabi contemplate on what it takes to make this jonin-who-does-not-look-like-it snap.
Nobody knew what made the innocent, well-mannered, soft-spoken Hinata snap.
She huffs, grunts and snorts in one breath as she takes the seat beside the of-course-what-else, flustered Udon who inches away slightly when she came near. He always does that and Hanabi has long since learned not to mind. Udon is shy with everyone.
Konohamaru is glaring at her. That is another thing that is normal and she had already practiced to ignore. With eyes that told him that she actually cannot care less, she asks. "What?"
"I should have been glad that you are not that perfect kore!" he responds ferociously, crossing both arms over his chest. He sticks his nose in the air, eyes lidded in playful remonstrance. The ridiculous scarf completed the even more ludicrous image. He does not look like the honourable grandson at all. "But I am more frustrated by the fact that we cannot just start without you."
Before Hanabi could make a hot retort, Naruto makes a sound of approval. "In other words, Konohamaru is telling you that it dragged us down –ttebayo." He extends the last syllable, eyebrows raised. He risks a glance at his watch, eyebrows cocked in a questioning manner amidst Hanabi's own version of a glare. "A lot could have been done already in thirteen minutes, you know."
"Why the rush?" she asks, her tone exasperated. She had only been fifteen minutes late. But of course, she knows the answer. They were ninjas now. Hinata had always been the early bird...
Too early.
Hanabi sighs tiredly. She looks up at Uzumaki Naruto. "We are not on a mission yet, aren't we?"
"Well, it sure is our first day dattebayo." The blonde jonin just waves the query away as if it is nothing, grin lopsided and his eyes twinkling. And before she hears his words, Hanabi realizes that this French fries-headed dumbass they have for a sensei is up to something. "And this is the moment of truth where we are going to know whether you guys have what it takes to be shinobi or you're better off at academy duty."
"What?" the three of them chorused, wide eyed and disbelieving.
"Thirty-three percent."
"Huh?"
Naruto shrugs, looking rather unwilling to keep up the scary act that suited Iruka-sensei more. "I am saying the same thing as what my sensei did from years ago. Thirty three percent is the passing rate of every academy class and as you well know, there had been only twenty-seven of you guys. Lucky people..."
He leans closer. "But only nine of you would be let's say... luckier. Take your pick because I really wonder. Do the Math Udon. I am not very good at it I'm afraid."
"Um... nine? Sensei."
"Right. And how many teams?"
"Three."
"Correct and we have a way of flushing those who should not be shinobi out. Survival training." Naruto intones dramatically as that annoying happy grin on his face is replaced by a mischievous smirk that for the first time made Hanabi think that he indeed is a jonin. "Only three teams would officially be a squad. I am sure you know what I mean."
Father used to smirk like that, she thinks. And so is the rest of the older Hyuugas. Hinata's had been much more pronounced that night. Power, she concludes, frowning. Power is what this guy has and he knows it.
Instinctively she activated her Byakugan.
Incredulous, she looks up once again at her sensei, finally seeing him in a new light.
The sun is still behind him like yesterday but despite the glaring brightness that made her squint in irritation, she could tell that the man's smirk only widened in her audible gasp.
"Betcha, you've never seen something like this before?" is his self-effacing gloat as he posed for an unusual hand seal.
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"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
What must have been a hundred other Narutos appear before Team Seven, a sea of orange and yellow and black that moved in a series of stances that Hanabi never had associated with the academy-instructed Bunshin— that particular clone only being good for the silliest of magical tricks for it cannot do much more than stand beside you. These Bunshins stand grinning at them in numerous, different poses that Hanabi never knew could be so assorted. Or be so impressive.
The one up front (she is no longer, much to her embarrassment sure whether that is the real one) opens his arms as he encompasses the whole multitude of his duplicates. The other ones grin in pride. "This is the jutsu that made me known as the man who can be everywhere at once. Kage Bunshins are more than an illusion. They are solid clones and the only way to dispel them is to fight them."
Naruto proves it to them when one of the clones smashes the speaker with his fist, the force great enough to make Udon close his eyes in sheer instinct. The Naruto that the three of them thought as the original explodes in a puff of white smoke, much like it did when he vanished yesterday from this exact, same training ground.
Could they have been talking to a clone yesterday?
The man who can be everywhere at once.
It is the attacker who takes over. "What is today's exercise is for me to scatter all my clones all around the village. I will do my best to hide and you will do your best to find the real me and you will only find that out once you attack me with the intent to kill. Just to give you a heads up though, the reality is that any of my bunshins cannot be taken by just a single punch. Dispel my clones and you will narrow the search. By the end of the day, I am looking forward to being tied around this memorial stone."
"What if we just figure out who the original one is?" Udon comments, pushing his glasses up.
One Naruto shakes his head. "That would not be easy dattebayo."
Hanabi smirks, activating her Byakugan.
If possible, all Narutos smirk. One pointed to himself as Hanabi sat gaping, too surprised to even mutter a curse to the man now openly mocking her. He clearly knows about the Byakugan. "You are still too young Hanabi. Your Byakugan might not be mature enough to see through the difference between our chakra network. It's all the same, eh? You see, the only real way to get me is to—"
"Come at you with the intent to kill!" And so Konohamaru charges towards the nearest Naruto, only for the jonin to kick him effortlessly away, his hands still in his pockets. The boy stumbles back with a yelp, skidding sidewards buttfirst. Konohamaru doubles over and groans.
"Told ya!" Another Naruto hollers, rolling his blue eyes. This one faces Udon and Hanabi, looking smug. "You two should know by now. I could not be taken out with such tricks. First lesson in Naruto-sensei 101: My bunshin knows what I know. And I will know what it will. My taijutsu is unconventional but it is usable. And all of us can use ninjutsu too. Genjutsu is of no effect but that is immaterial. In other words, I am a jonin. Lesson two: let me finish speaking."
The three of them keeps mum this time, now taking this seriously. Uzumaki Naruto is indeed a jonin
"If by sunset you still have not found the real me, you know what will happen. Eliminate as much bunshins as you can. I guess I should not add anything. Work your strategy according to your strengths. Hanabi, use your Byakugan. Udon, use the map of Konoha that you have in your holster and Konohamaru well, let's be more creative in our traps shall we? "
The three of them are on their feet now, more than ready to go. Udon stands fidgeting but in his mind, he already knows what to do. Teamwork, he thinks. The answer is teamwork. Sensei already gave them a clue on what to do. Utilize all of what they are good at and no time, Uzumaki Naruto would be at their mercy.
They are a team. Or at least, they are supposed to be.
He looks sullenly at his two teammates, also the two most stubborn individuals in the face of the shinobi world. Konohamaru would probably prefer to barge through without thinking. Hanabi's actions would be a tad more calculated but she might just prefer to be alone. I just hope I can convince them.
"And one last thing..." All Narutos chorus. The sound rumbles all around the clearing, disturbing the peace of the tweeting birds and startling the three genins. Each of the uncountable bunshins made a familiar handsign they know well from the academy and... "Henge no jutsu!"
And in front of them is the entire population of Konoha.
Hanabi realizes with a start that this hide and seek game is going to be infinitely more challenging than she originally thought.
"Remember..." the jounin sensei says sagely. "You have to run fast to stay at the same place."
She decides that if anything, this "mission" is more like Blind Man's Buff and Hyuugas hate to be blindfolded.
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The point of this game is simple, traditional shinobi exercise. And they have three answers to present during the recap. First is teamwork. Sooner or later, those three would definitely realize that there is the beauty of using each other's forte on hunting him down. Udon would be most helpful in this regard, being the one more accepting that he could not do everything through solitaire. Civilian children have always been shrewder than most clan heirs in that respect. They appreciate the value of cooperation first before realizing the crucial role of sheer skill and as his sensei is fond of saying, no man is an island.
Gaara and him had been a great team and that had been quite a household tale throughout the shinobi world. By now, even the most conceited of academy students are aware that there is a reason for them being split up among genin squads. Or for that matter, being shinobi with a specific skill set.
When Naruto spies the three running around the rooftops in search of any false citizen to pummel— Hanabi's Byakugan activated, Udon not sneezing for the first time and Konohamaru's ears perked up— he knows that they have answered the first question.
Good for them.
Well, he thinks spying the three of them arguing already, if they can keep at that.
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"And you think yourself high and mighty..." Konohamaru rants breathlessly, arms crossed as he stands glaring towards his female teammate. Hanabi who is crouched on the rooftop looking over Konoha, tilts her head to his direction and warily raises her eyebrow. The boy with the scarf scoffs. "So what do we do now, eh? Just look around here and think you can find him out of all the people in the village?"
"I know the color of his chakra." She retorts hotly, white eyes twitching. But her sentinel watch does not waver. Hanabi's face continue to be scrunched in the strain of using her doujutsu. Konohamaru thinks it made her look creepier than usual. "And for your information, he is everywhere."
And true enough, Uzumaki Naruto is. The warm glow of his unique, orange chakra signature emanates distinctly like a beacon from all directions, doing all various things that a normal villager would. Hanabi would not delude herself that in this case, she is one step ahead of the jonin. The man obviously knows a lot about the Byakugan and through this, he should know that a henge is useless before her visual prowess. From this sound reasoning, Hanabi is no longer so certain whether the fact that she can easily locate him (or his clones anyway) is an advantage.
It seems like Uzumaki Naruto (or his clones) is just waiting to be found.
"So we know whose ass to kick then!" Konohamaru is still babbling, angry eyes focused on her. "Why in the world are we just sitting around here, kore!"
"Ano... Kono—"
"Because we cannot just attack a man who to everyone else, looks like a civilian, baka." Hanabi sees no reason to have to explain herself to this dimwit but because they are a team, as the snot-faced meganekko suggested and Naruto-san had implied— it would not do much good if one guy continues to be an impetuous dumbass. "I think he is testing our discretion. Though I could not really see why unless we are reconnaissance squad."
For that matter, Naruto did not really mention what kind of squad they are.
"Or he could be testing the supposition that we might end up overthinking?" Udon suggests. Hanabi looks up at him, impressed. The boy, however mistakes the wide-eyed look as that of remonstrance. "I mean, sensei might be expecting that we would hold our horses to figure out first on how to go with finding the real him and we end up wasting our time until sundown."
"Could be." The Hyuga coolly nods. "That man strikes me as smarter than he looks."
There is silence in the group as both of the shrewder members contemplated on what is best done before it is rudely interrupted by Konohamaru's ever growing petulance.
"Gah! I'm done with these. You two smartass do the thinking. I'll eliminate some of these bunshins in the meantime. Watch me with your creepy eyes, kore. I'll crush that guy who thinks he can just shove us back to the academy after three years of us sitting on a desk!"
"Hey you idiot, wait!"
"Konohamaru!"
But he is gone.
Hanabi sighs, puts more chakra on her Byakugan and decides that it is best to watch what will unfold first. In a way, this makes Konohamaru the distraction. She just hopes that her theory would be of merit: that at the very least, there would be a discrepancy in the real one's chakra network when a bunshin is confronted.
Your Byakugan might not be strong enough yet...
But then, no Byakugan is ever weak.
Beside her, she can hear Udon mutter. "So much for teamwork."
"True." She agrees. She finds Konohamaru running towards that ramen stand at top speed, his determination palpable. There are three Narutos there, disguised as common townsfolk and Hanabi realizes that so-called omago-san at the very least, went for a good start. "That is why I hate his guts."
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Creativity, Naruto concludes as he watches Konohamaru sprint towards the ramen stand screaming bloody murder. The second answer to being a ninja. Creating surprises is akin to creating miracles, a skill that won many a war. The last war had been a case of teamwork between Konoha and Suna and the surprise of two jinchuriki teaming up. But that has not happened without secrecy. What is creativity without some subtlety?
He knows that Hanabi's Byakugan is watching them, waiting for Konohamaru to strike and for Naruto to make a mistake.
But oh, he is much better than that.
A man dressed as an Uchiha Policeman grabs the boy by the chokehold, raising him a few inches up in the air. Naruto makes sure that the man has the sternest eyes possible, something that could make any grown, fully-fledged ninja quiver. Much less a genin who has not seen the bad things in life yet. Konohamaru struggles futilely, his arms flailing and that big mouth of his muttering curses. The policeman stays stern and strong, as Naruto has always seen them do.
It is no coincidence of course that he looks like Uchiha Sasuke.
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If it is in Hanabi to curse, she would have. Apparently, her plan on using Konohamaru to exploit the nature of Naruto's everywhere-man-technique backfired and there he is, suspended on midair with another bunshin disguised as one of those Policemen. Naruto probably got wind of her intentions too easily and now he cannot afford for even the most rambunctious and useless of them to confront a bunshin. If anything, it is like he is sending her a message.
"Ano... You might as well let me in on your plan, Hanabi-san." Udon voices out what might be on Naruto's mind right now. No man is an island. That damn guy already hinted as much. "Or aren't we going to help Konohamaru?"
The Hyuga exhales, closing her eyes for a moment. "As we speak, the idiot you have for a friend is being held by Uchiha Sasuke."
"Really!" Udon exclaims, looking a little panicked. Sasuke is the current heir of Konoha's law-enforcement department and he has heard of horror stories from peers. Spending a night in the Uchiha Interrogation Tower is not one of the ways to pass this test as a team and Uchiha Sasuke, by all accounts is a scary man. But Udon wants to be like him anyway.
"Or at least..." Hanabi continues, now grinning. She seems to the rather apprehensive Udon like she has a plan. "Someone who tries to look like Uchiha Sasuke."
His eyes widen in understanding.
Udon smiles and he realizes that somehow, someway with Konohamaru being denser than the ocean and Hanabi-san being as secretive and enigmatic as ever, they can actually pass this.
Creativity, he thinks is when you make surprises.
Or better yet, do a counterattack.
"That's weird because we seldom ever see Uchiha Sasuke-san around the townsquare." He mentions to her and from the smirk on her face, his chest puffs up a few inches. Hanabi is on the same train of thought. He does his best not to blush. "I'm sure his fangirls would be glad to know where he is now."
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"SASUKE-KUN!"
Fifty girls just found out that when pressed too hard and smothered with their unconditional love, their amazing, ever-so-cool Sasuke-kun can vanish in a puff of smoke.
Piled up over each other, they all sigh dreamily.
Konohamaru bears all the weight and he does not really appreciate that.
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"There!" Hanabi signals. She focuses her range at her peak— a kilometre-radius. The Sasuke henge implodes in a burst of familiar white smoke and from a fifty metres ahead of the commotion (and a stampede Konohamaru unfortunately is a necessary collateral casualty), there is a slight, very slight spike in an orange blob of chakra.
"There he is!" she repeats excitedly. She is about to spring and give chase when the orange humanoid blob she has already marked in her mind's eye goes into a recognizable handsign and Hanabi almost screams in frustration as she imagines the infuriating guy mutter:
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
And once again a hundred more Narutos resurface.
They are back to square one.
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"He told us he would not add more!" Konohamaru, black and blue with bruises, states the obvious with much lack of temper than when Hanabi puff that out in annoyance and Udon informed their injured teammate of the latest development with much disappointment. Shrugging the hand that is offering to bandage him up, Konohamaru runs a series of colourful vulgarities. The less said about it, the better. "I really would kill that bastard."
"I guess sensei is telling us to never take things for granted." Udon, the most sensible of the three of them voices. He pushes the roll of bandage towards Konohamaru's face again who after some protest, just decided that he is better off the other boy's insistent care. Udon continues. "Just because we established he would not add anything to the mix means that he would not. Sensei is showing us what it is like in the battlefield. Never let an enemy tell you what to do."
"Tch..."
Konohamaru smirks, noticing Hanabi's indignant huff. "So genius right here, took that bastard's words for real eh?" He takes the girl's icy glare in stride. "Even I know better than that."
They are taking a short break on one of the roofs that overlooks the entirety of Konohagakure, Hanabi herself having suggested it to take a rest. Her Byakugan has been stretched to its limits and as much as she does not want to show it, an hour more of overusage and she would faint from chakra exhaustion. The two agreed because as much Konohamaru hates to acknowledge it, Hanabi had been doing most of the work although they are not really progressing that much.
Progress...
You have to run fast in order to stay in the same place.
The ninja world is an eternally progressing world. They have to keep up in order to survive. But in order to pass this test, they have to excel. There is a difference. There is a reason why Uzumaki Naruto proclaimed that they would be the best team ever. That his team would be the best team ever. It is because he would never pass them if they do not strive for that exactly. Being the best.
He gasps at the realization.
"I get it." Konohamaru mutters sombrely, much to the slight surprise of both of his teammates. His smile is serious now and he does not look smug like he did when he did not sound so enlightened. He launches himself up, ready to go once more. "We just have to run faster."
Easier said than done of course.
But against a jonin who could be all over the place all at one time, they have nothing better to do.
Team Naruto, Konohamaru concludes, should never give up.
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It is almost sundown. Five minutes away to be exact and his team has not found him yet.
In total he has already made seven hundred more bunshins to cope with what he has lost and to save his position but so far none of them has come close into giving him a fight he actually is sort of looking forward to. But then again, his evasion is necessary and that is the point of this exercise. He must never be found.
He could never be found.
But that does not stop his team from trying.
The sun sets. Night bites. From a distance, he could see the three now walking sullenly towards the designated meeting place. But the three of them are still together. Standing before the memorial stone, Naruto smiles.
His team passed.
...
Team Eight had been a tracking team, a bunch of misfits put together to make a highly functional squad who at their young age apprehended nukenins at a daily basis. Kiba had been their muscleman, the first guy to plunge headfirst to catch the mark off guard. Hinata was the support, the attack to back Kiba up in the rather frequent instance that they dodge the Gatsuga. Meanwhile Shino stays in the sidelines, unseen and deadly. In the Sandaime Hokage's words, Team Eight had not been the strongest team but they were the most efficient.
Squad Two of the Akatsuki on the other hand, while decidedly below that of the Leader-sama's own partnership with Konan-san, had already made itself known in its notoriety and their ability to actually do the job. Kisame is their front man, the nin who first gets introduced to a faceoff to inspire intimidation. Hinata acts more like a support again but that is always how she prefers it. No sense on getting attention to oneself. Sasori stands away from all the action, hidden inside Hiruko but more menacing and lethal than Shino's tiniest insects had been.
Now with Deidara a full-fledged member of the Akatsuki though, they are finally split up in accordance to what their most important missions require. While teams had been monumental to their success, it is better to divide manpower now according to what it is needed. Hinata, as expected was partnered with Kisame. Sasori, on the other hand had been none too happy with being paired up with another temperamental guy who calls himself an artist.
Nine members. Nine tailed-beasts. Hinata stares at the card that she drew from the deck that Leader-sama made them choose from, noting that fate really has its way of complicating things.
It seems like she would have to meet Hanabi sooner than expected
Things are happening a little too fast.
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I really thank you guys for reading the first chapter. And yes, after two weeks I finally updated because I know I have to. Guilty pleasure fics are stress-relieving. I hope I can read more made by more talented writers (if you do have anything to recommend, please include it in your reviews *shameless)
And to answer some questions, yes: this fic is supposed to be using the supposition that Hinata has Hamura's chakra and that the Byakugan could be upgraded to the Tenseigan. However, I would stray away from canon with regards to some matters so you might not likely see Toneri or his giant moon monster soon (if one even considers them canon though).
I like NaruHina. And they are actually my first anime ship. But some fans did ruin the shipping feels to me which is why I was gone for so long. I believe that the couple itself has potential if Kishimoto just wrote them the way it should be written. Not that I have any complaints. It's canon.
For questions, suggestions, feedbacks, please review. I want to see what you guys think.
Next chapter: Team Naruto. In which C-rank missions happened a little too quick.