Thanks for those that reviewed! Sorry for the wait, but if someone needs to remind me about updating this story, otherwise the chapters will come very slowly.

Tenebrous Perspective:

Truth of the matter:

x-x

Drown out the confusing noise

Shake free from the gazes that have grown apathetic

Continue from here, onto the next stage (1)

x-x

"Weak."

--

"Pathetic."

--

"A shame to the Hyuuga Clan."

--

"How can she be our heiress? Our future leader?"

"Yeah, that half-blood weakling,"

--

"Hyuuga Hinata, you are hereby disowned from the Hyuuga Clan until further notice. Pack your things and prepare to leave."

--

"You can take her." Hyuuga Hiashi said indifferently, "She is of no use to me."

"The life of a shinobi is hard and at best short. Do you think she'll survive?"

"It does not matter if she lives or dies. The Hyuuga Clan simply doesn't need someone who can't defeat her sister, five years her junior. She is under your care now. Stand, Hanabi."

--

"Become… catalyst… to ignite… Hinata."

Slowly Hinata awoke from her dream; words of her past plagued her. The last one, however, confused her; it wasn't a voice she recognized but she felt strangely comfort by it. It was her voice, a familiar sound from a forgotten dream.

She sighed; it was time to get up.

It has been almost two weeks she had been disowned from the Hyuuga Clan, and she remembered how she screamed the first morning after when she woke up and realized it wasn't her room. Looking around the room she noted the obvious difference. The room had a feeling the last one lacked, the feeling of humbleness, peace, love.

"I hope we don't another D-rank mission, right Akamaru?" Kiba asked his dog, as it gave an affirmative arf.

"Kiba, we are still novices in the shinobi world. It is highly unlikely that the Hokage will give us a C-rank mission or higher," the stoic bug user of the squad said, trying to end his teammate's complaints.

"S-Shino-kun is r-right, K-Kiba-kun." Hinata stated when Kiba snorted at the bug user comment.

"Oh, c'mon Hinata, don't tell me you wouldn't mind getting a B-rank mission if it was with a certain blondie," he stated in a matter-of-fact voice, and watched as said girl's face blushed.

"How about we get there and see?" Kurenai said, saving the only other female of Team 8 from further embarrassment. "The Hokage said it was a mission he saved for us." They continued on, and Kurenai became slightly exasperated when she heard Kiba's comment that the mission better not be about finding the Daimyo's wife's cat... again and how the Hokage gave them that mission (if that was considered a mission) twice a week.

"Ah. Team 8, welcome. Come in," The Hokage greeted when his assistant told him about their arrival.

"Now," he started when they came in, "You all are probably wondering about the mission I am sending you on." he paused and watched the expressions on the four of his subordinates- particularly the Hyuuga- before continuing. "Unfortunately we can't get into details, since the other team is not here."

"Other team...?"

The rest of the sentence was drowned out by a loud of 'Naruto you baka!'. The door opened, with Sakura having Naruto in a head-lock and Naruto's face turning a light blue color. She only stopped when she noticed they were the center of attention from twelve pair of eyes.

"Um... Hi." Sakura said as she let go of her team mate before facing her teacher, "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, I though you said we had a mission."

"We do," Kakashi stated calmly, "It just so happens that the mission is with Team 8." he smiled at his students' confused faces.

"Well now that everyone is here, why don't we go into the details about the mission?" the Hokage inquired, and after several nods of the head carried on. "As you know now this mission is conjoined between Team 7 and Team 8. The purpose of this mission is like an exchange program, to strengthen ties with our allies-"

"BORING!!" Naruto and Kiba yelled in unison, and Naruto got hit on the head by Sakura ("Ow Sakura-chan...") as she apologized to the Hokage and Kurenai sent Kiba a fierce glare ("G-Gomen, S-Sensei").

"Naruto, you want to become Hokage right?" the Hokage asked and watched as Naruto nodded his head eagerly. "Well to be a Hokage you must be able to fight and think, otherwise you would be rash and jump into a fight without thinking about the village's safety. A Hokage is the foundation of the village, the ground for the tree to rise upon. Now tell me Naruto, what would happen should the dirt be taken away?"

"Uh... The tree... would... fall?"

"Exactly. The dirt provides the roots with food, which in turn feeds the tree. The Hokage is the dirt, the roots are the shinobi, and the tree is the villagers. It is up to the dirt and roots to make sure the tree lives for as long as it can. Do you get it?"

Naruto, not wanting to look dumb, nodded his head.

"Now back to the mission. It is about having faith in our allies. You will be there for a month -- two months tops. And while you are there our ally will send two genin teams here as well."

"What village are we going to, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked, quite interested with going outside of Konoha

"You'll be going to The Land of Lighting, Kumogakure." A few seconds later a thump was heard and everyone turned to see Hinata on the floor. "You are all dismissed, and have two days to get packed."

The Hokage watched as Hinata was taken out by her sensei and waited until both teams came into view in window of his office before calling his assistant into the room to summon Hyuuga Hiashi...

'This will not go well.' He thought to himself, taking a big puff of his pipe.

A bird flew over a book store and house, and within two minutes, two Jounin appeared behind a puff of smoke.

"Kurneai, Kakashi." the Hokage greeted.

"Hokage-sama." they said in unison.

"Kurenai, I believe you do not want Hinata to go on this mission."

"Hai. Even if I do not know the reason, I know something happened between Hinata and Kumogakure."

"I'm sorry but that cannot happen." The Hokage said sullenly and raised his hand to stop Kurneai's from talking. Exhaling the smoke in his mouth he continued, the smoke making a veil around his head. "I already talked to Hyuuga Hiashi and he has agreed to let her go."

"But she was disowned!"

"As you said she was disowned, not exiled. If she was exiled, you'd your say, however, that is not the case. She is to report to the Hyuuga Clan before you go on with the mission. Understood?"

"Hai." came the dejected reply

"Hokage-sama, is there anything else?" Kakashi asked

"Yes. Kumogakure has recently gotten a new Raikage and it was his idea to exchange genins. So while it is a C ranked mission I want you two to use this opportunity to see whether the Raikage is truthful."

"Do you believe him to be untrustworthy?"

"I do not know. Our ties with Kumogakure are loose are best..."

"To see whether or not we should continue being allies? Do you think that's why the Raikage is doing this?" Kurenai asked and once they saw the third's head nod and wave his hand, they bowed and two puffs of smoke took over their spots.

Author notes:

Again, sorry for the late update. SCHOOL HAS STARTED! Booo!! Anyway if the characters are OOC, its because I'm not use to writing them.

(1) "Tobira no Mukou e", second ending song of Full Metal Alchemist.

Review please!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but plot!

Beta by: WiltingDaises94