Chap.2: Unknown Assassin, the unfeeling killer.

"We don't have any more time to waste here lets just go. Kakashi sensei has another extra training session for us today." Sasuke said. Extra training sessions were very common these days with so few missions.

"Okay, I guess we have nothing better to do." Naruto said sobbing. "See you later Hinata."

One thought kept getting louder and louder Hinata's head. "Just say it. Just say it. JUST SAY IT!" "Naruto I love you!" She blurted out.

"What did you say?" Naruto said.

"I-I said I love you Naruto. You don't have to say anything now but I just had to tell how I fell." With that she left.

"Naruto! Why didn't you say anything?" Sakura asked. But for once in his life Naruto couldn't think of anything to say.

An hour later Kakashi was putting team seven through their paces. As the sun began to set Kakashi noticed that Naruto seemed distracted. "Is something wrong Naruto? You don't seem like yourself."

"Well you see that um…" Naruto had a hard time finding the words.

"Hinata Hyuuga told Naruto that she is in love with him. I do find it hard to believe that someone like her would fall for him but I guess as grand mother said. 'There is somebody for everybody'." Sakura said.

"Oh, well that explains things. You care for her so much you can't get her out of your head." Kakashi said with a smile beneath his mask.

"Well… no not exactly." Naruto said.

"Then it's that you don't share her feelings and you're trying to think of a way to tell her without hurting her."

"No, that's not it either."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm not sure how I feel. She's the first girl who ever said that she loves me and I don't know if I love her or not. I look at things she did for me in the past that now make sense, things that almost no one else ever did for me and I do think of her as a friend but until now the possibility that she could be something more than that never occurred to me. I want to return her feelings to her but I'm not sure if I do have thosekinds of feelings for her. I just don't know what to do."

Kakashi gave a sigh. "Naruto, I can't tell you what todo. This is something you need to figure out yourself. But it seems to me that Hinata has beenspecial to you for years and it was only until day that you realized it. Just remember that what ever you decide this is a human being we're talking about and in the end this will probably affect her for the rest of her life."

"We're wasting our breath and our time this nonsense!" Sasuke said. "While we're pining over whether or not we love someone those stupid robots are doing our jobs. They don't have to worry about love or hate, or revenge; they just do a job completely and perfectly with no feelings at all!"

"Sasuke…" Sakura said.

"That's why we are losing our way of life, that's why they could do what I couldn't, because they weren't held back by hate or any kind of feelings. They just killed him and went on to their next assignment without a single thought." Sasuke was crying now.

"Sasuke, those robots may be faster and stronger than us, and the fact that they can do things can't may make them look like they are better than us but they're not. We have some things that machines don't have, we have creativity, ingenuity, and most of all we have heart. That just doesn't make us better ninja but also better people. Humans can improve themselves and that is why I think the ninja will still be here for many generations to come." Then Kakashi thought. "It is times like these that make me feel more like a father than a teacher to them."

It was then that a man with brown hair in a ponytail, a long brown coat, and sunglasses approached them. "Can we help you?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The man said flatly.

"Yes, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. So you want my autograph or something?" Naruto said. Then the man pulled out a gun, Naruto dodged the shot just in time. Sasuke threw a kunai at the shooter but with a flick of his arm it was deflected. He punched Sasuke and then took aim at Naruto again. Sakura tossed some shuriken that hit the legs of the man but it was like he didn't feel it. At that Kakashi revealed his Sharingan, but even though he could predict his opponents' moves he was moving to fast to for him to do anything about it.

"That you want to shoot me then shoot!" Naruto said as he performed his shadow clone jutsu. The assassin seemed to be able to tell which one was the original and just blocked the clones and attacked Naruto. "What's with this guy? No matter what we do he's ready for it. He doesn't seem to feel pain and while were all tired he doesn't seem to breaking a sweat." Naruto said panting. Then he thought. "Hinata, I'm sorry I couldn't give you an answer. Kakashi sensei was right; you are very special to me."

Kakashi had different thoughts. "Nothing we do fazes him. Wait THAT jutsu could work, but in their current state Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke won't live long enough for itto let me beat him, but I can it use for us to escape. I just need to do one thing first." He rushed the assassin and was thrown toward the others, but not before he took the sunglasses of the man. "All of you get behind me and close your eyes." They did as he said. Kakashi did a few hand signs. "LIGHTNING STYLE! THUNDER FLASH JUTSU!" two small orbs of electricity appeared in his hands, when he put them together a bright flash of light spread out.

The man covered his brown eyes as team seven fled. "I don't get it, sure Naruto is annoying but I don't think anyone would hire an assassin just to kill him." Sakura said.

"There must be a reason, we must tell Hokage Tsunade. I'm sure she'll be able to help." Kakashi said.

Back at the battle ground static cleared from the HUD.

TARGET LOST

NEW COURSE OF ACTION:

ELIMINATE HINTA HYUUGA

As the robot turned and walked away his brown eyes flashed red. A little later at the Hyuuga manor Hinata was walking down the halls humming an upbeat tune. "Well something very good must have happened if your making this much noise." It was her father Hiashi, her cousin Neji was there as well.

"I feel wonderful. Today I finally told him I love him. I feel more live each time I say it." Hinata feelings were overflowing. Telling Naruto how she felt had broke her shell.

"Well, I must say I never thought I would see this day, so who is he?" Hiashi said.

"I want the whole world to know that I love Naruto Uzumaki!" Hinata said. When Hiashi heard that his face soured.

"No! No, I forbid it! No daughter of mine will shame this family by courting the village outcast!" He said.

"What! But father I love him! No matter how badly the people treat he still tries to earn their respect, he is so confident, everything I wanted to be! He inspirers me!" Hinata said this was the first time she ever talked back to her father.

"He is a fool and miscreant! Despite his boasting he has no future and if you associate with him neither will you! I don't want you to see him again! It's what's best for you and the family honor."

"Family honor? What kind of family forces its own members into servitude? What kind of family puts its image over happiness? There are days I wish I wasn't born into this clan. I don't care what you say or do but nothing will change the way I feel toward Naruto." With that she ran into her room. She didn't feel like crying, that would make her look weak; instead she took out some paper and began to write. When she finished writing down the name she said it. "Naruto Uzumaki." Then she wrote this. "Mr. Uzumaki." Then a more slowly she wrote another name. "Mrs. Uzumaki." Finally the lastname she said over and over. It was to her a very beautiful name. "Hinata Uzumaki." Then there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Neji."

"Come in?" She knew that Neji hated her but his voice sounded softer some how.

"You know, just when I thought I had you figured you turn everything inside out. I never thought that someone in the main family would ever speak against the enslavement of the branch family. Here I'm thinking that you were this quite little girl who just went along with her fathers wishes but you go and speak up for yourself and what's more threaten to bring down the family honor just by having feelings for Naruto. Your relationship will drop the reputation like a rock." Neji said with a smile. It was the first time Hinata remembered seeing him do that.

"He hasn't said that he loves me. I want him to say what he really feels about me. Even if he doesn't love me back I know I'm a better person for sharing how I feel." Suddenly they both heard screaming from out in the hall. When they got to the living room they saw several members of their family were either hurt and running or dead. The one responsible was the brown pony tailed man with glowing red eyes.

Next Time:

Young Man: "I don't care if you're stronger or faster than me. I won't let you harm Hinata or Naruto! Mom, Dad, and everyone back home are counting me.

Mysterious Warrior: Tora the Protector!

Tora: "Come on tin man. Bring it!"