I'd never thought to be grateful for comparatively weak senses of smell and taste. Soon after I returned from my visit to Aoba, I headed to my room and straight away began to study snakes. Since Orochimaru's invasion a few years ago I've had a vague dislike of them, but through the safety of my books, I find them interesting enough. They're deaf, which I hadn't known.

I focused on their sense of smell and taste, are intertwined. The first day was spent trying to enhance those senses, as I had with my other jutsu. I must have looked so silly flicking my tongue in and out. It was at dinner that it came to me, that to bolster a very physical sense, I would need Yang Release. I took my time with the rest of my meal, savoring each bite.

Despite the revelation, success didn't come instantly the next day, not even quickly. For hour, I worked at getting the right proportions to my Yang Release. Then, I worked at hand seals, which did come quickly- the Snake hand seal. The refinement makes a difference, but a small one- and it may have just been my imagination, even then. I got frustrated with my slow progress and put in a heavy dose of power, finally getting some results.

The brief spike was overwhelming and nauseating; I doubled over and almost retched. It was then I realized I couldn't go either-or, I needed a balance of refinement and power. With that in mind, my progress picked up. It's gotten to an intense but manageable level, and I'm training with my baby sister Hanabi in her room.

"Come in, sister." I lower the blindfold over my eyes, and enter the room. Closing the door behind me, I prepare myself, and form the Snake hand seal.

"Flickering Tongue Jutsu!" Ow! Hanabi left the jar of wasabi powder right by the door, this time. I kneel down to get it, and push up the blindfold. "Farther away next time, please." Hanabi nods, and takes the jar.

"Sister, do you know who's following you?"

I sigh. "No, not yet."

"Maybe it's someone like the shrine maiden, who knows they can't be detected in the usual ways..."

"That's almost the only thing left," I say quietly. Wait- "Hanabi, did you read my journal again?"

"Yes- but it's because I want to help! I thought that maybe I'd find something in there to work on and do for you."

Have you been training with the Chakra Sensing Technique? Unless your chakra nature is water, that's all I can teach you. And besides, there are some very personal things in my journal, too."

Hanabi ignores that last bit. "What about this new one you're training? Will you teach it to me?

"I might as well..." My sister is a quick learner, and I am a little envious that she just gets the jutsu handed to her fully formed, instead of having to work it out, as I did. The expression on her face the first time she performs it correctly makes up for that, though.

As lunch comes, I'm more than ready to take a break. I mostly drink water to clear my palette, and have some ramen with a very light broth.

Despite working out another sensory jutus, I'm not feeling very accomplished. I still have a large hill ahead of me to climb if I want to find out once and for all just who exactly is watching me. So, it's time to pay him another visit. I quickly make my way over, and knock on the door. "Oh, hi again, Hinata. Come on in."

I try not to blush and fail, and we move to sit on hte edge of his bed. "Naruto, the other day I was at a shrine in the forest outside of Konoha, and met the shrine maiden. We talked for a moment about sensory jutsu, and she mentioned becoming one with nature. Would you say Sage Mode is like that?" Naruto looks up to the ceiling in thought, and I want to melt into his arms and breathe him in and be wrapped up in him.

"Well, yes... and no. I mean, when you're training or meditating to gather natural energy, it kinda is. but when you've gathered it and balanced it inside you, it isn't. Like, when you gathering the natural energy you're a field of grass or something, but when you've gathered it and have it balanced, it's more like you're a force of nature instead of a landscape, ya know?"

"I see. Um, I was wondering, can you sense the space around you with the natural energy before you take it in?"

"I dunno." I almost fall on my face, but Naruto continues. "But I guess you probably could. You can when you've got it drawn in and balanced, ya know? So I guess it's possible."

"Ah. The shrine maiden mentioned that something like it was possible, she said that the trees and grass greet each other. It really got me interested in learning about it." Naruto gives me a curious look, and I think he understands what I'm getting at.

He chuckles, the laugh fading into a grin. "You really want to learn Sage Mode, Hinata?"

"Yes..." My cheeks heat up, and I look down at my lap. "I'm sure there have been others that have asked you about it..."

"No, actually- not even Konohamaru. But ya know, that's kinda a nice way of thinking about it- like that shrine maiden said- the 'trees and grass greeting each other'. I guess I could teach you a little bit about sensing the natural energy, but if you want to get serious about it you'd have to train at Mount Myoboku."

I think about this for a second, how long it would take to become a sage, like Naruto. Perhaps, the first step of sensing the natural energy would be enough for what I need. "...Well, maybe I'll visit Mount Myoboku sometime later. I, I really would like to train with you, though..."

"Alright." Naruto grins again and I swoon, but then his stomach rumbles...