Tenten looked over at her quiet traveling companion, taken aback by the sudden changes in the past weeks. The much shorter hair took her back to days of youth; days when he was still with them. Her legs brushed past the maidenhair ferns (1) adorning the sides of the narrow path, the moon hardly illuminating the way.

"Thank you Tenten-san."

"For what, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata remained quiet, contemplating and struggling with her turmoil. Tenten saw this and attempted to lighten the mood.

"Ne, It's kind of like we're on an adventure."

Hinata glanced at Tenten, shocked at the older girl's blasé attitude on the entire situation.

"I'm s-sorry for the trouble…"

"Ehh! Don't be! It's a mission, so I still get paid, and it's only till you reach your first country, and…"

Tenten trailed off, realizing that no matter what she said, it could not help the Hyuuga's mood right now. And so she settled for the true reason for her presence.

"Besides, Neji would have wanted me to make sure you were okay." She smiled tightly, the aching in her chest flaring slightly at the reminder that he was no longer here. Hinata's gaze widened at the confession, but remained quiet. The two girls continued their journey in silence.


The sun streamed in through the wide glass windows, illuminating a frustrated Hokage. Tsunade huffed as she leafed through the masses of manila folders; only a small portion of the five years' worth of reports from one Hinata Hyuuga.

'Where is that damn Kusagakure file?'

It was times like this when she missed having Shizune's constant presence. But alas, even apprentices needed to grow and explore their own path. Tsunade knew that and had increasingly pushed Shizune and Sakura into their medical responsibilities. The years since the Fourth Shinobi World War had hardened them; made them keenly aware of the importance of their roles as medic-nin, and had subsequently resulted in Tsunade's complete faith in their abilities to run the Konoha Hospital.

And so her students had grown into their own, both so involved with the running of the medical program of the village, that she did not see them as often as before. And her current successor was far from the most organized person, so he didn't help at all in that matter.

'Not to mention I hid these files from him, so…'

And so that was why the accumulated reports of Hinata's travels had been haphazardly bundled together after their initial review, and locked away within a top secret vault; protecting valuable information of Konoha's dealings with its allies and fellow Hidden Villages.

"Ahah!" Exclaimed the busty Hokage as she finally located the particular file. She quickly withdrew it from its lopsided pile, and opened it to the first page; a summary of the negotiation of a large trade agreement between Konoha and the mysterious Kusagakure.

She quickly scanned the preliminary info, noting that it had been a good three years since the meeting had taken place. The small, neat handwriting almost rang with the polite tones of her little ambassador.

Difficulties arose due to dissidence between several represented factions of the village. Certain compromises were made, listed in the recorded agreement below. Negotiations lasted for a total of three days, culminating in the aforementioned accord. A copy was sent immediately to Hokage Tsunade Senju after the resolution.

Further talks with the Head Ninja of Kusagakure hinted at possible aid in the repair of Kannabi Bridge as a show of good faith. Ambassador Hinata Hyuuga left this option open, citing the need to further consult the Hokage.

End Report Summary

Tsunade recalled the constant arrival of several seabirds those few days; each carrying intricately sealed pages and pages of reports and updates. (It had taken several hours to unravel the complicated seals and several days to clean the birds' droppings on the windows.)

How Hinata had managed to even complete the initial negotiations with this tentative ally was beyond her. At that thought, Tsunade smiled gently, a warm pride filling her at the growth and backbone shown by one of her own kunoichi. Hinata was far from the only ambassador of the Leaf, but she had been one of the best at what she did and was the most well-traveled of the Diplomacy Corps. And to accomplish what she had done under her special circumstances, well that had been, surprising to say the least.

Tsunade quickly pulled out a second folder, this one detailing a mission request from the very same Kusagakure. She glanced at the title.

Request for Aid in Construction of Kannabi Bridge- Security Detail Needed (Contingent) B-Rank

She quickly stood up and strode to the file cabinets adjacent to her desk, formed a hand sign, and gently touched the knob of the drawer, placing a small amount of chakra into the special security mechanism. It opened with a satisfying click, and she retrieved four folders in quick succession, knowing exactly what she wanted.

"Genma!"

A tall shinobi with a blue bandana, shrewd brown eyes and the constant presence of a toothpick in his mouth appeared at the door of the office.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Summon these three to me, please. It's not urgent, but give them a 24 hour time span to report. I want them here tomorrow. "

She quickly handed him a stack of three files, all belonging to the team to be sent on this new mission.

"This first one must report here immediately though." She placed a fourth manila folder at the top of his stack. He quickly nodded his understanding and turned to leave. As he departed, he saw her rub her temples in frustration, and knew that this team would make her day a bit harder and her temper a lot more explosive.

'I should have taken a sick day.' He mused regretfully, as he absently glanced at the name on the top folder; Hyuuga Hinata.


Genma Shiranui was not an easily surprised person. But when the Hyuuga eldest had shown up an hour before dawn at the entrance of the Hokage's office, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the situation. The small girl was certainly in a hurry, her high voice requesting entrance in hushed tones. Her cream colored kimono with the Hyuuga symbol was rumpled and stained, and her movements were somewhat awkward and stiff. She held one hand to her right eye, gingerly covering the temple area, strands of hair poking through her fingers.

"P-please, I need to speak with Tsunade-sama."

"State your purpose Hyuuga-san."

"It's for m-medical purposes." She replied earnestly, pleadingly gazing at the ninja with the blue banadana.

He thoughtfully chewed on the toothpick in his mouth. Why she didn't simply report to the hospital was beyond him. Genma considered the circumstances and concluded that the delicacy of optical injuries in a Hyuuga was trusted to no one but the most elite of medical professionals, and so he nodded his assent, and allowed her to enter.

His gaze followed her quick movements as she navigated the hall to finally tentatively knock on the Hokage's office, her long hair trailed behind her.

'Tsunade's probably napping right now.' He thought. He was therefore unsurprised when a delayed and groggy response echoed from behind the door, asking the little Hyuuga to enter.

The door closed, and he heard no more of the exchange.


Hinata gently knocked on the Hokage door, repeating the same actions she had done countless times before. It had been a while since she had answered a traditional Hokage's summons from the village. It was oddly nostalgic.

The summons had come at an impromptu time, interrupting a small lunch that Team 8 had planned at the Dango shop. Shino had silently nodded his understanding, while Kiba loudly complained of Tsunade's bad timing. Hinata had smiled at their familiar antics, and with a tense hesitation promised that she would cook them a meal to make up for it. Their reactions were worth the effort, and she hoped that this was a right step in regaining their estranged friendship.

Then again, she would need to do a lot of that in the next few days. A pang of guilt shot through her as she remembered her confrontation with Naruto. She would apologize, today. His accusations were justified, but still…'You haven't changed.'

It had echoed in her head for days, refusing to leave her alone and for the first time, she felt angry at him. She had worked so hard, who was he to judge. Her fists unknowingly clenched, and her face turned red in frustration.

'I won't run away anymore, I'll do it today.'

Her attention was recalled when a gruff 'Come in' was heard. She entered the brightly lit room, wondering as to why she was called in the first place.

"Good afternoon, Tsunade-sama." She chirped, buoyed by the happiness from her earlier Team 8 luncheon.

Tsunade sedately smiled, acknowledging the girl's greeting and laced her fingers together, showing she was ready for business. Hinata herself stood straight, her hands clasped in front, waiting for orders.

"Let's get straight to the point then. You're report on the Capital was exceptionally thorough and I have recently met with the Daimyo to discuss the concerns you addressed several weeks back. You have no need to further worry on the status of them."

Hinata sighed in relief, glad that her abrupt departure had not resulted in an incomplete diplomatic assignment. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"However, you're personal monthly health report is incomplete."

At this Hinata looked up ashamed, and her once prevalent blush graced her face. "E-Um..that is to say that-"

"I understand that because this particular assignment was so time consuming, you may have forgotten. However, those monthly checkups were part of our deal." Tsunade sternly said, her mouth turning down in a concerned frown.

"I apologize Tsunade-sama." Hinata ducked her head slightly.

"It's for your own good Hinata-chan." The Hokage gently amended, knowing that it was partly her own fault for summoning the girl so abruptly from her assignment.

Hinata looked up, warmed by the concern shining in her leader's gaze. "Thank you again Tsunade-sama. I'm so grateful…for everything."

Tsunade continued to smile gently, and then quickly turned serious. "But because you skipped last month's health report, I summoned you here so that I could personally examine you."

Hinata sighed; all hopes of returning to Kiba and Shino for lunch dashed.


A sleepy Tsunade was not a happy one. To be woken up from her deep nap on the oddly comfortable office chair was not something she enjoyed. Her annoyance was such, that she felt some latent form of sympathy for whoever was about to enter. Just a twinge.

Her peeved attitude deflated a bit after catching sight of her pitiful visitor. An oddly disheveled Hyuuga Hinata stood in front of her, a cream colored kimono adorning her small frame and a trembling hand covering her right eye.

"Hinata-chan? What happened?" She asked concerned.

Hinata stared with one eye wide open, unknowing of what to do next. It took several moments for her to respond. "M-my eye is…"

She dropped her right hand exposing the surrounding area. Her lilac iris seemed somewhat darker; the waist length hair that had once framed her face was choppy and dry, almost as if it had been burned off. Most shocking was the large patch of red blossoming across the pale skin of her temple.

Tsunade immediately stood up, rapidly approaching the frozen girl and quickly performed the Mystical Palm technique, her hand glowed green and she began scanning the injured area.

Hinata sighed as she felt the gentle relief that the jutsu provided.

"Hinata, what happened?" Tsunade asked more firmly this time.

The girl debated with her answer, tugging at the Hyuuga crest embroidered upon the cream colored robes. And for the first time, Tsunade recognized the significance of her attire; these were the clan leader's color and crest. Her eyes widened in awe, wondering at the drastic turn of events.

"You've reclaimed your title?"

Hinata quietly nodded, a surprisingly fierce look of pride crossed her face before dissolving into a wince.

"I-I won it back. Things should be okay for now…" She trailed off vaguely, and still dazed.

"When?"

"Two hours ago, Tsunade-sama. I quickly put on the robes they gave me, and snuck out." Hinata winced once more as the gentle chakra probed a particularly sensitive spot, somewhere bind her right eyeball.

"They didn't question your injury?"

"It w-wasn't this b-bad to start with. I tried to heal it a bit myself, but…"

Tsunade stopped the jutsu, her face falling in despair. She quickly regained her composure and stepped at least seven feet away from the girl. Hinata understood to stay where she was.

"Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

"Umm…T-two..uh wait…three." Hinata attempted to squint, giving up as soon as she even moved the tiniest muscle in her eye. Tsunade continued to test the sight in both eyes, each question resulting in more dismal results.

"Hinata…" She was unsure where to start with the diagnosis.

"Just tell me Tsunade-sama." The unusually calm girl stated; her face blank of expression.

"I-It seems like a combination of a blunt force injury and internal damage caused by chakra insertion. Your optical neurons on the right side have suffered severe damage and it seems that the chakra reached far enough to affect the neurons of your left eye as well."

"I-Is it permanent?" She gestured lightly towards her eyes, indicating the blurriness.

Tsunade struggled to maintain a clinical demeanor; physicians were not to appear hesitant or over emotional, it could negatively affect their patients.

"It's difficult to say at this stage, Hinata. Neurons are some of the few cells that do not regenerate. However some or most of the blurriness may be due to inflammation of the affected area and minor burst blood vessels. Your retina has remained intact and the discoloration is simply bruising."

Hinata paled, shaking at the thought of all that losing her sight would entail. Everything she was as a shinobi was centered around her eyes. She had worked so hard, so much just to train her eyes to see what others couldn't. She had pushed herself and so much rided upon her ability to see; not just her career but her position as heiress and what she wanted to accomplish within her family. But now…

Tsunade was at a loss. Right now, she could not give a full diagnosis until the surrounding damage was healed. It was a delicate process, being so near the brain and other major blood vessels. It would take hours. Hours that she was damn well going to work to fix this mess. She placed a firm hand on the smaller kunoichi's shoulder, firmly squeezing it.

"I promise you, Hinata-chan, will figure this out. And you have Na-"

"No!"

Tsunade was shocked by the vehement interruption. She continued to hold the shaking girl's shoulder, hoping to offer some sort of comfort.

Hinata, for her part, couldn't see her dear Hokage, and whether it was due to the now falling tears or her vision leaving her, she didn't know.


It was early evening by the time Hinata had returned to her room. After the vigorous check up by Tsunade-sama, she had gone to train for approximately three hours, then to buy some groceries, realizing that she had mostly been eating at restaurants the past few days and that her funds were running a bit low, due to the incident with the farmers. But she didn't regret it one bit.

Besides she would hopefully receive payment for the assignment in the capital.

She quickly stored the perishable food into the small refrigerator brought up at her request, removing three of her fresh raspberries(2) from the container. She began snacking on them to bait her hunger, hoping to have a proper meal after.

After finishing her snack, she collapsed onto her bed. Weary and nervous, she was not looking forward to the rest of her night. 'I have to go find him.'

As if on cue, a knock resounded on her door. Thinking it might be Kiba or Shino, she swiftly rushed to open it and was surprised as she saw a flash of blond hair and hard blue eyes. Her eyes widened exponentially.

"Naruto-san?"


A/N: Hehe don't expect an easy reconciliation…

Maiden fern- discretion

Raspberry- remorse

Hopefully this chapter explained a bit more on what happened. It's very long and mostly exposition, but it was needed to explain a few things. Number one being the idea that Hinata had no contact with the Hokage at all in the last few years was wrong. It would not make sense for an ambassador to have no contact with their home country. Also it is not necessary for an ambassador to constantly return home, as evidenced by the way modern day ambassadors stay within the country they work with long term.

Number 2, Tenten is one of the few that knew what happened, and three there's a reason that Hinata was unable to contact anyone and in a way, it may have been cowardly and selfish from one perspective, but at the time, Hinata did what she thought was right.

Also, I hope to show more of Hinata's travels or at least the repercussions, friendships and effects of what she accomplished on her mission. There were hints on this chapter of what she could do…something to do with the letters she sent…

Again, thank you for everyone who reviewed last chapter and I promise I'll try and update quickly, seeing as I'm done with finals.

Final note: (Sorry it's very long this time) Kannabi bridge is the same bridge destroyed by Team Minato during the Third Shinobu War…