A/N: Chapter 2 is here. Thank you to all of you people who reviewed glad everyone seems to like this one so far. I tried to kick things up a bit here with some action, so hopefully it's to everyone's liking. If not, then, well… sorry, I guess…

Disclaimer: The zombies ate my legal rights to Naruto…

Hinata Hyuga was a true prodigy whether she saw it or not. Having all the gifts of the Hyuga, this girl was one who had true and complete potential for greatness. Kurenai Yuhi supposed that maybe she was in fact a poor choice in teaching this girl; she was no gifted instructor, sure in terms of talents, Kurenai had her own areas of genius, but in making Hinata the shinobi she should be Kurenai could only feel she was ill-suited to the task. Yet it was fate that destined she be made the child's sensei, an inescapable fate that like everything in Kurenai's life, she seemed powerless in front of.

Naruto didn't notice her, her father was harsh with her, Neji tried his best to remain distant, her friends, while certainly supporting her, couldn't help but have their doubts as well. Kurenai knew this must be Hinata's reasoning. Even if it was, only through default that Hinata had come to see her as the one she loved most, Kurenai couldn't help but treasure that revelation. Hinata was someone she treasured as well, after all, and in a time when feelings of deep despair and heartache plagued the jounin woman knowing that there were still those who loved her reflected warmly in her heart.

Hinata's training had progressed slightly since the beginning of the week and Kurenai's first prying session of questioning. Since then Kurenai had continued with the same methods; each day she tried to be more intense and thorough as she tried to install a sense of self-assurance in the young kunoichi, something that she should have figured from the start as Hinata's sensei, was impossible. Still perhaps in Hinata's perceptions she had found a way to maybe unlock Hinata's potential.

"Hinata, I want to try something different today." Kurenai started as Hinata joined her at their usual training room on the final day before the competition.

"What's that, sensei?" Hinata asked with a sweet smile.

"I'd like to do your mental training before your physical training today." Kurenai said with a kind glance.

"O-oh… alright…" Hinata replied distantly; it was no surprise that Hinata disliked having to answer intense personal questions.

"Then let's start… Hinata, what would you say love is?" Kurenai asked with a smirk.

"L-love!?... I-I well, it's to really… to really admire someone… for their strength, their beauty, their kindness... it's to hold that person close to your heart and always protect them…" Hinata said in a usual shy tone.

"Tell me, who do you love?" Kurenai gave her next question.

"N-Naruto… a-and father, and Neji, and Hanabi, and Kiba, and Shino, and all my other important friends…" Hinata spoke in a soft manner.

"And me?" Kurenai said playing off the girl's shyness.

"Yes, you're the one most precious to me…" Hinata reaffirmed her earlier statement.

"Yes, you said that before, but why is that?" Kurenai asked intently.

"Well, y-you've never once doubted me… or told me… I wasn't good enough. You really care about me… and you are the most kind and beautiful person I've ever known." Hinata answered in heavy blush.

"Do you think the ones you love, realize your love and love you back?" Kurenai said trying to veil away the happiness of being admired and lavished with compliments.

"Of course… all my friends care deeply about me… s-so do father and Neji, even if they haven't always shown it in the past. A-and even if Naruto doesn't know the depth of what I feel for him, I know he still sees me as a trusted friend." Hinata made her statement.

"And what about me? Do I love you?" Kurenai spoke in a cool tone.

"I, well… I-I think so. You're so kind to me. You always believe in me…" Hinata concluded meekly.

"And, what if that kindness is an illusion? What if I don't love you, but rather have disliked you from the beginning? What if everything you perceive as kindness is really just the repressed scorn I feel at having someone so completely useless in my presence?" Kurenai spoke in a forceful biting tone.

"I-I… that's not true… you can't…" Hinata started, frightened.

"You don't know that, I could for all you know, despise you, only let on a kind act since I've been stuck with you in my team. Isn't one of the first things they teach you as shinobi that things aren't always as they appear?" The older woman said with a cold sigh.

"Yes… b-but i-it isn't true… y-you love me…" Hinata struggled to find any confidence.

"Hmm, well let's see about that. Hinata, I want to move on to the physical portion of your training now." Kurenai stated suddenly at the still shaking girl.

"O-okay…" Hinata muttered mutedly with a soft nod.

"For this exercise, your objective is to best me in one-on-one combat through any means necessary…" Kurenai said giving another cool smirk.

"W-what?! I can't fight you, sensei." Hinata protested.

"You are able to use any means at your disposal. I suggest you don't hold back; strike with intent to kill, if you plan on keeping up." Kurenai said informatively.

"B-but... I... well... a-alright…" Hinata acquiesced sheepishly, showing clear signs that she wasn't happy with this.

"Come, then show me what you got." Kurenai said in a taunting way as she signaled her student to start.

Hinata raced forward, closing the gap between her and her sensei. Soon the young Hyuga was unleashing a torrent of strikes, all of which seemed lacking and reserved, and none of which came close to their supposed mark. Kurenai had expected this would happen. She needed to push Hinata if she ever was going to take this seriously. Kurenai gave a sign performing a genjutsu and soon there were three copies of her. The images of Kurenai slowly began to circle around the girl rapidly unleashing bursts of kunai at disjointed and desperate intervals. Hinata quickly called on the power of her Byakugan as she began to block against the ensuing firings of blades with a quick, well-executed palm rotation technique. Kurenai was waiting for this; as soon as the girl's spin came to a stop, Kurenai made her move. She let her image clones vanish as she found her way into Hinata's blind spot. With a swift but precise kick, Kurenai sent Hinata to the floor in pain.

"Do you see Hinata? You can't hold back in battle. Even if all you do is defend, your defense isn't going to last forever. You have to be able to defeat your opponent to win." Kurenai said instructively.

"B-but. I don't want to hurt you." Hinata said as she got to her feet.

"Does someone ever really want to hurt someone else? As a ninja, you have a position where causing pain to others is inevitable. That can't stop you from fighting. To stand up for what's right, you sometimes have to endure causing others pain." Kurenai answered in a somewhat consoling tone.

"I-I understand that… It's just that… this is just practice… I don't want to cause you any pain, sensei. I don't see why I should have to hurt you." Hinata gave in a soft tone.

"You have to hurt me, because if you don't I will hurt you." Kurenai replied with a cruel smile as she suddenly threw a shuriken at rapid speed toward her student.

Hinata deflected the blade effortlessly with a short burst of chakra from her hand. Kurenai knew this girl still wasn't satisfied, that Hinata would sooner endure the pain herself then hurt someone she cared about, but hopefully she could at least prove her worth in battle here. Kurenai gave a fierce strike in the young girl's direction. Kurenai wasn't particularly skilled at taijutsu, but it would be one of the easier ways to elicit action from Hinata.

Hinata caught the fist in her palm and proceeded to connect a blow with her other palm to Kurenai's shoulder. The jounin, was surprised as she found her way out of the younger girl's grip, Hinata really was willing to hit her, this was far beyond what she was expecting of this exercise. Hinata now proceeded to go on the offensive; striking near incessantly, the Byakugan user's palms radiated with chakra as she lashed at her target relentlessly. Some of the strikes were so swift and accurate that Kurenai had great difficulty avoiding them. The older kunoichi wondered if she had made a serious mistake engaging this girl directly in taijutsu. She couldn't win this fight with just physical strength, as when not holding back Hinata Hyuga far exceeded her in that particular category.

Soon, Hinata's attacks became so fierce, consistent, and quick, that they proved impossible to avoid as the young girl proceeded to corner her sensei against a wall. Taking several hits, Kurenai felt hard pains in her body, though she noticed that Hinata was being extremely careful to not hit her anywhere vital. Kurenai couldn't take any more of this or she would likely feint from the pain inside her, determined to end this, Kurenai gave a ninja sign just as Hinata was about to unleash what certainly would be the last blow Kurenai could take. Hinata watched as Kurenai seemed to vanish into a wind leaving nothing behind. Familiar with this trick, Hinata examined her field carefully, and quickly caught sight of her sensei in the corner of the enclosed area with the Byakugan. Kurenai gave another hand sign and soon, Hinata felt as a deformed hand tugged sharply at her leg. Hinata, struggled to free herself from the illusion, but in the process lost sight of her target. Turning to face the opposite end of the room, Hinata was surprised to find something else grab hold of her. Kurenai seemed to come out of the wall, grabbing Hinata by the collar of her jacket and pulling her in closely into a deep hold. With her other hand she held a kunai to the girl. Hinata gave a whimper and then fell to her knees, acquiescing that she had lost the fight.

"I-I'm sorry… I should have done better." Hinata started up somberly.

"It's alright, Hinata. I never expected you to honestly beat me... If you could do that, you'd already be a Jounin." Kurenai said with a loving smile though her body still ached in the inside.

"I'm glad then... I didn't want to hurt you any more..." Hinata said showing her own smile.

"You did excellent by the way... You showed perfect skill and focus. I'd say you're in perfect form to fight tomorrow." Kurenai said proudly but with forced breaths.

"Then I'll be sure to do my best." Hinata chimed back in a cheerful tone at hearing her sensei's praise.

"I am a little curious as to what made you decide to go for it and fight me for real. I honestly saw this fight going a lot differently then it did..." The girl's sensei spoke in a cool tone.

"O-oh... w-well... I really didn't want to hurt you, b-but... b-but if I didn't try, I knew that then I would really disappoint you sensei..." Hinata managed to say through a shy front.

"That's sweet. I suppose there really is no changing that you get your strength from the ones you love. You may face disappointment with that approach, but in the end it might just make you stronger than anyone." Kurenai said conclusively, in many ways admitting her entire training strategy had been flawed.

"I won't let myself disappoint those who have faith in me, that's why for them, and especially for you Kurenai-sensei, I will do my best to make everyone proud... to make you proud tomorrow." Hinata now gave a full smile that reflected the depth of her heart.

"I'm glad..." Kurenai said with a simple nod.

Kurenai Yuhi didn't know what to do next, she could feel the tears well up once more in her, though she fought them off. Her aching muscles were crying for her to go get some rest, yet this girl was so inspiring and amazing that she just wanted to stay in her presence a few moments longer. In her face she could forget the painful memories of the past. In those clear, beautiful white eyes she could see only the joy, the warmth she had experienced over the years. Kurenai had always loved Hinata. Now with this subdued feeling in her body and mind, and these pure words of devotion, admiration, and love ringing still in her heart, Kurenai was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. It was then that she realized the nature of her love for Hinata might be beginning to change.

A/N: Chapter two. More talk, some brief action, then some blossoming romantics: this chap was mostly just a progression chapter, necessary but far from special. Still it should hopefully satiate you for a while till I get chapter three out. An interesting thing about this fic for me, is that I chose it to be Kurenai-centric. I wanted to portray this one from the more mature characters perspective, since I felt I could get more depth that way. If I did it Hinata perspective, I think I would have harder getting the relationship past the idol admiration stage. I also wasn't completely happy with the relationship component of my Sakura X Tsunade fic (similar pairing structure), and since that one was more centered on Sakura, the student's, feelings, I figured I 'd see how it turns out when focused on the mentor's feelings. So far I'm happy, though I think this fic will only get better. Hopefully you guy's liked it. Keep reading and I'll make sure to keep writing more and more.