FIVE-YEAR TIME SKIP
Hinata was awoken by Mitsuki knocking on her bedroom door, startling her out of a light sleep. It had been difficult for her to fall asleep as she was excited to learn of what team she was going to be put in. She did her best not to think of the huge possibility that she was going to be put on a different team from her best friends, and focused on getting ready for school. As she aged, her confidence in herself had grown as well and she wasn't hiding behind baggy clothes anymore.
She had replaced her baggy jacket and unfitting capri pants for snug-fitting capri pants and a band of mesh armor on the unprotected part of her legs to the standard blue shinobi shoes and a lavender and cream cold shoulder jacket which had sleeves that flared out at the forearm. Underneath, she wore a long-sleeved mesh armor shirt that protected her exposed shoulders, and rather than wearing an uncomfortable bra, she settled for wrappings. Her hair had grown to her waist and she kept it down and undecorated aside from the small hair clip Shisui had given her. While more form-fitting, she still didn't show much of her body as her chest made her feel self-conscious and she preferred to hide it behind her jacket.
A year ago, Neji graduated from the academy and was often gone long before she woke up for training with his sensei and teammates. Neji had told her that her sensei was obsessed with physical training and he begrudgingly admitted that it did wonders for his shape. Hinata loved listening to the stories of his sensei's antics with one of his teammates that worshiped the ground the taijutsu expert walked on. She hoped to have a close bond with her sensei and teammates as well, whether Sasuke and Naruto were on the same team or not.
She waited by her front gate for Sasuke to arrive. Even though he didn't outwardly admit it, she could tell that Sasuke was glad her cousin wasn't around anymore. Neji and Sasuke got along a lot better now than when they were kids but they still bickered quite a bit, and sometimes it made her feel a bit envious that they had such a relationship.
"Were you waiting long?"
Hinata, who was leaning against the wall, stood up straight and shook her head. "Not at all. How did you sleep?" She asked as they began walking to the academy. Sasuke had kept his attire the same as he grew and Hinata, though not one to care about such things, was happy as she liked the way blue and white looked on him.
Sasuke shrugged. "It was hard to sleep, but I managed a few hours. You?"
"Same here." They continued in silence. Despite not having anyone interrupt their conversations or talk over them, they often spent their time in comfortable silence. Over the years, Sasuke has gotten quieter, so much so that it was almost like being next to Itachi all over again—but she would never say that aloud.
As her mind drifted to Itachi, she thought about all the yellow roses she found on her windowsill the morning of the past five birthdays she's had. Every time she got one, she always told Sasuke first as she didn't want to keep secrets between them but refrained from telling Naruto as he could accidentally let it slip to Minato. Sasuke got angry every time but she was usually able to cheer him up. Her second birthday after Itachi left was the hardest though and they ended up getting into an argument that left her near tears. They made up the next day, but she didn't want to have another fight like that with him.
Just before the academy came into view, Sasuke came to a stop causing her to do the same. "Hey, you think we'll be on the same team?" He asked.
She smiled warmly. "Yes, and we'll always be a team regardless," she said. He accepted that and they continued walking. Their relationship had become comfortable with one another, with Naruto as well. For all the time they spent together, they spent even more together with Naruto. He was their best friend and they were his.
"Hey!" Naruto called out as they approached the gate. He took up waiting for them when he began arriving early a couple of years ago. "Today's the day we're assigned teams!" He had gone from his orange and blue attire to a black and orange long-sleeved, high-collared jacket he kept cuffed up to his elbows and zipped nearly to the top and orange capri pants. Underneath his jacket was a mesh shirt that made Hinata blush the first time he took his jacket off during training as it complimented him well.
"Ugh, how can you be loud in the morning, loser?" Sasuke huffed. He wasn't really a morning person and Naruto's cheerfulness dampened his mood even more.
Hinata sighed. "Sasuke, don't be mean. Naruto's bright personality is part of who he is and I like it," she said, smiling at her blonde friend.
Naruto blushed and put an arm around her. "Aww, you're the best!" He said. Both Naruto and Sasuke had grown taller, but Sasuke was an inch taller than both of them at five feet tall. Naruto grumbled about it every now.
Sasuke smacked Naruto's arm. "Off," he said.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "How are you so possessive without even being in a relationship?" Naruto sighed. "You're gonna scare away anyone who has a crush on Hinata!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed despite the blush on his face. "Someone has a crush on her?" He asked.
"Have you seen Hinata's cute face? Anyone could have a crush on her!" He exclaimed. Hinata's face was dark red at Naruto's compliments and insinuations.
"N-Naruto…" she mumbled, toeing at the ground. "Let's just go in."
Naruto looped his arm around hers and pulled her with him. "C'mon, 'ya grumpy bastard!" He yelled at Sasuke.
"Hpmh, loser," Sasuke muttered as he followed them. Now that graduation was happening, soon the whole village would know about his and Hinata's engagement and a large part of him felt for the blonde, as Sasuke knew he held a massive crush on their friend. But the decision had been made years ago and he wasn't going to back out of a revolutionary change to spare someone's feelings, even if they were those of his best friend.
"Hey, how's your herbal stuff going?" Naruto asked her.
Hinata lit up. "It's going really well! I've already made many medicinal tablets that help with insomnia, aching joints, and fevers," she explained. The process of making those medications had been very taxing on her patience and her mind, but her hard work had paid off in the last year.
"That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed. "I don't get how you have the patience to study so much and all that. I would die if I had to do all of that."
Hinata giggled. "It's a bit easier when you're interested in the subjects. Like you with training. You can train all the time, right?" Naruto nodded. "It's exactly like that."
"But you love training all the time, too!"
"Well, yes, but I don't just train my body. I have to train my mind as well," she elucidated.
"Yeah, I get what you mean," he admitted. "You're so great at everything though! Don't you ever get tired of that?"
Hinata blushed again. "I-I'm not! I just like to work hard, like you and Sasuke do."
Sasuke chose this moment to push his way between them, pulling Naruto's arm away from hers. "Could you be any more obvious?" Sasuke glared. "Don't be too chummy with an heiress in public."
"I hate your stupid noble rules and stuff. They sound so suffocating." Hinata couldn't help but agree, and she knew Sasuke did as well. They would love to act their age but that wasn't an option for them. It had never been for her and it hadn't been for Sasuke since Itachi left.
When they arrived at their class, it was just them and Shikamaru and Choji. They greeted each other silently as it was too early to be making small talk and went to their desks. The classroom had seen a few changes in the last few years. One was rather than having two people at a table, it was now three. Once this change was made, Hinata was immediately placed between her teammates at their insistence.
She had been wary at first, but after her suspension five years ago, Sasuke hadn't bothered to hide how close they all truly were. When those girls had come back from their one-week suspension, Sasuke, with no hesitation, confronted them and told them they were pathetic for making such a big deal over a boy who didn't care for their existence. His brutal words had brought them to tears and he considered the matter over. Hinata's family hadn't been so forgiving. The Hyuuga family had released a public statement—not only to humiliate the families but to also make an example out of them—stating that each of those girls' families owed the Hyuuga Clan 1,000,000 ryo.
Naturally, when the families could not pay, the Hyuuga lowered the punishment to the girls giving a formal apology to their Heiress while the parents were to face Hiashi Hyuuga and apologize for "failing to properly raise their children." Sasuke had been surprised by the brutality of the Hyuuga Clan but was ultimately more impressed with how everything was handled. The public humiliation was enough that two out of the four girls had been removed from the academy and placed in a civilian school. Ame and her closest friend had stayed and while it was no secret they despised Hinata, they left her alone. Once, when Naruto asked how she felt about how her family handled everything, she explained that while she felt bad for them, she had warned them multiple times and they had ignored her. Thus, she held no remorse for their punishments.
Now, despite everyone trying to hurt her with their glares, Hinata's school life had drastically improved. No longer was she tripped or pushed and shoved, she was just able to focus on her studies in peace.
Just then, Iruka came into the room and Hinata snapped out of her thoughts to find all her classmates had arrived at some point. "This will be your last day of coming to this academy," Iruka announced. "I will put you into your squads, we'll break for lunch, and then you'll be meeting your Jonin senseis."
The class cheered while Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto looked at each other worriedly. They had always been fairly confident that they would be on the same team, but it was mostly for show. As Iruka listed off names and team numbers, Hinata's thoughts went back to her previous train of thought.
After the situation with the girls had been cleared up, she wanted to give Shikamaru a gift for being a good friend to her during those trying times. As a gift, she embroidered his initials onto an expensive handkerchief. The women in her clan had overseen her embroidery and while she felt she had done a great job, she never wanted to embroider again. When she presented it to her lethargic friend, she was surprised to see him choke up a little. Then, he gave her a genuine smile that she treasured. Shikamaru was a great friend to her and she cherished him…much to Sasuke's dismay.
He was grateful to the Nara for being there, but that insecure part of him sulked. He knew Hinata felt nothing but friendship and gratitude for Shikamaru, but that small part of him felt as though there was more to it than that. It was irrational, he knew that, so he kept it to himself.
"Now, Team 7," Iruka said, snapping everyone who hadn't been paying attention out of their thoughts. "Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto sat up a little straighter. "Hinata Hyuuga," Naruto reached over and clutched her hand tightly under the table. "And Sasuke Uchiha." The three let out breaths of relief.
"Wait, Iruka-sensei! I thought the top students were always matched with the lowest-ranked students. Their team doesn't make any sense!" Sakura shouted.
Iruka sighed softly. "If you have a problem with the teams, you'll have to see Lord Fourth about it since he's the one who picked the teams," he explained. Sakura visibly deflated at this. "Next up is Team 8. Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura Haruno, and Shino Aburame."
Sakura groaned and let her head fall to her desk. Hinata could hear her still bickering with Ino, but she wasn't able to make out what was being said. She looked over to Sasuke when she felt a finger around her pinky. She smiled gently at his way of showing affection. In private, he would often put his hand on hers and he would hold her pinky with his index finger out in public. She found it endearing.
"And, finally, Team 10," Iruka said. Hinata focused back on her teacher as she had missed the people in Team 9. "Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi." This last team surprised no one as their families had always been grouped together to make the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho Formation. Hinata happened to make eye contact with Shikamaru and they shared a smile. He put his other arm on the desk and Hinata could see her gift wrapped around his upper right arm, opposite of the forehead protector he wore pinned to the left arm of his jacket.
"We'll be using some time to get situated with your teams," their sensei announced. Newly named Team 7—formally Team MinaKushi—looked at one another with grins on their faces.
"I'm so glad we're officially on a team together!" Hinata exclaimed. "Did you know Hokage-sama was going to do this?" She asked Naruto.
He shook his head. "Nope! I'm just as surprised as you are."
Sasuke hummed. "I'm sure he did this because of how long we've been training together."
Hinata nodded. "Yes, I believe so. We should all go out and celebrate once we meet our new sensei."
"Yeah! I wonder who it'll be," Naruto thought aloud.
"It better be someone really great," Sasuke stated. "I can't afford to be trained by a sub-par teacher if I want to beat Itachi."
Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other briefly before she put her hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "We'll have a great teacher, I'm sure. And we're always training otherwise," she assured him.
"Hinata's right. We've just gotta keep workin' hard, you know!" Naruto added. "Have you guys decided on how you're gonna wear your forehead protectors?" They had agreed to start wearing them once they met their new sensei as a symbol of the beginning of their shinobi lives.
"Well, it's called a forehead protector, so that's where mine will be," Sasuke answered.
"Same here. I'll be getting rid of my goggles," Naruto sighed happily but with a hint of regret as he adjusted the aforementioned gear on his head.
"I'll be wearing it around my neck," Hinata said. "With my bangs, it's just easier." Because she was the Heiress of her Clan, she wasn't walking around with a brand on her forehead which made her a target. Her bangs hid her forehead from sight.
"That's a good spot," Sasuke replied. "I can't wait to get started on training today."
"Our usual training or with our new sensei?"
"Either one," he replied.
Hinata tilted her head in thought. "I doubt today will be anything more than introductions." Her teammates agreed.
"Now that we're Team 7, we'll have to change out our armbands," Naruto said, gesturing to his left arm. Hinata and Sasuke looked at their own armbands which held the characters for Minato and Kushina's names and nodded.
"We'll go soon and request three made with the number seven on it. Does that sound good?" Sasuke asked. "Or should we get our new sensei's name on it?"
Naruto shrugged. "I think the number would be better, but that's just me."
Hinata agreed. "I think it should be the number until we get to know our sensei better and maybe they can wear one too!" She seemed excited at the idea.
"Yeah, we'll do that!" Naruto exclaimed.
Suddenly, Sakura and Ino were in front of their desks. "Sasuke-kun, since it'll be our last day together, would you like to have lunch with me—I mean, us?" Sakura asked with a shy smile and blush on her face.
Naruto and Hinata tended to move back a bit when this happened as a scuffle between the two girls would often occur when Sasuke declined. Hinata couldn't help but feel a little bad for them as they clearly adored Sasuke, despite not knowing much about him. She often wondered why they liked him so much, but always figured it was because he was very smart and strong. It was an admiration. That and Sasuke had really grown into a handsome teen.
"I'm already having lunch with Hinata and Naruto," Sasuke replied. "But, uh, thanks anyway."
"We can just have lunch with all of you," Ino insisted. She turned toward Naruto and Hinata. "You guys don't mind, right?"
Hinata smiled politely. "I don't mind so long as they agree because I cannot speak for them."
"Um, we're all just gonna be talking about our training," Naruto said. He still thought Sakura was very pretty and his heart fluttered around her every now and then, but he wasn't completely gone on her like before. His eyes went to Hinata's profile.
"That's okay!" Sakura added. "We'd love to hear about your training."
Sasuke raised a brow. "What kind of training do you two do?"
"I train with my father when he's available and then all the training here at the academy," Ino answered proudly.
"I train here and I occasionally use the training grounds to practice with my weapons," Sakura replied shyly. "What about you guys?"
Sasuke sighed at their weak training schedules. "We usually train until we drop, and then we go home and train some more."
"That's seriously all you guys do?" Ino asked incredulously.
"We're shinobi. Our lives are always nothing but training to get stronger. Why else would you become one?" He inquired. It was rhetorical, but he wanted to make them feel inferior enough to leave them alone without being openly rude. After all, he was always representing his Clan.
"O-oh, yeah," Sakura mumbled dejectedly. These three do nothing but train and their skills have been proven a bunch of times in class sparring! "You're all really strong."
"Thank you very much, Sakura-san. Our teachers have guided us well," Hinata said. She knew what Sasuke was trying to do and she didn't approve. "How are you both liking your teams? They are all very strong and kind."
Ino groaned. "I know I was meant to be on a team with them, but I wanted to be on a team with Sasuke-kun."
"Same here," Sakura sighed.
Sasuke's eye twitched. "I'm…flattered, but I've been working with these two for seven years now. I would've definitely challenged the Hokage had I been put with anyone else." He leaned forward to look at Naruto. "No offense."
Naruto shrugged. "Eh, I would've gone with you."
Hinata nodded in agreement. "Hokage-sama would've had a room full of disgruntled pupils," Hinata giggled at the thought of her sensei trying to calm her hot-headed teammates down.
Naruto tsked. "You know he hates it when you call him that, Hinata!"
Sasuke smirked. "You don't want a repeat of last time, do you?" Ino and Sakura stood there feeling like outsiders.
Hinata laughed sheepishly. "I know, I know, but I can't help it. I have to acknowledge his rank!"
"Dad doesn't care about that!" Naruto argued, a huge grin on his face.
Hinata puffed her cheek out a bit in a small pout. "I can't help it. It took a while not to do it in front of him, so I think I'm doing fine."
"Not if we tell him," Sasuke threatened. It was weird for Sakura and Ino to see Sasuke casually joking around. After what happened with his older brother, he became much colder to all but a select few—a category that neither fit into.
Hinata looked betrayed. "You wouldn't."
"Do you really want to try us?"
She sighed. "No. Okay, fine. I'll do my best!"
Naruto put an arm around her. "You always do." Sasuke rolled his eyes but did nothing as he didn't want to make a scene in front of other people.
Ino and Sakura cooed. "Aw, you two are so close!" Sakura said. "It's so cute!"
Sasuke reached over and put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "We're all close. That's what a team is."
"Sakura, can you come back here?!" Kiba sighed. "Shino and I already know each other, but we know nothing about you!"
Shino nodded. "And you do not know us."
Hinata smiled apologetically. "I'm very sorry, but I think we should have lunch with our own teams. They don't know you very well and that's what today is all about." Quickly, she added, "Maybe, soon, all of our teams can get together." The two girls knew she was right, but they were reluctant to leave as they wouldn't see Sasuke for a while.
Sasuke, although forced, said, "We'll all meet up sometime next week." At this, they eagerly agreed with big smiles as they returned to their seats.
"That was surprisingly nice of you," Hinata praised.
Sasuke shrugged. "As long as they left us alone." Now that no one was solely focused on him, he moved Naruto's arm off Hinata.
Naruto huffed but moved back. "It's not my fault you're unaffectionate. That doesn't mean me and Hinata gotta suffer, too." Now he was pouting.
Hinata giggled. "Sasuke shows his affection differently, but he and I both need to be aware of how we conduct ourselves in public," she explained.
"Yeah, yeah. Clan stuff and all that," he sighed.
Hinata looked at him sternly. "And most people now refer to you as Naruto-sama, so you must be careful as well."
At the look in her eyes, Naruto straightened up. "I know. You're right."
Sasuke smirked at this. Shisui had been right on the mark when he teased them about their submissiveness toward her. He hated it at the time, but now he'd rather have that teasing than a dead cousin and a traitor brother. Sasuke's eyes went to the hairclip in Hinata's long hair. It was a purple hair clip that had been given to her by his late cousin and, later, she added a small fake dandelion to it. Hinata said it represented their team, but Sasuke knew part of it might've also been for his brother. He never asked because he didn't want the answer.
It was bad enough that their friendship became a bit strained around her birthday due to the rose his older brother would deliver to her in the dead of the night while she was sleeping. She had admitted that she once stayed up all night to catch him and possibly talk to him but she'd never seen him. That was the year they'd gotten into a horrible fight, when she admitted to wanting to talk to him, and because he nearly made her cry, he vowed to never react that way ever again. He couldn't blame her for wanting the same answers he did, and he didn't have a right to lash out at someone who was gentle and always by his side.
Sasuke looked over at his best friends and smiled. They were a team. They were always going to be a team.
Once lunch had come and gone, and every other team had been picked up by their sensei, Team 7 was beginning to get impatient. Mostly Naruto and Sasuke while Hinata made different suggestions for filling the time to keep their minds occupied.
Naruto groaned. "Like, I'm not being unrealistic, right? Our teacher should be here?"
"Yes, Naruto, now focus!" Sasuke hissed.
"We'll keep working on our fuinjutsu for another ten minutes before we push the desks aside to work on taijutsu," Hinata said, glancing at the clock. "Is that okay?"
"That works fine for me," Sasuke replied. Naruto hummed in agreement. After a few moments of working in silence, Naruto groaned in annoyance.
"That's it! If he's gonna be late, then we're gonna make it worthwhile," he declared as he stood up.
Sasuke raised a brow. "What are you going to do?"
Naruto grabbed an eraser and a chair and moved to the door. "I'm just gonna…test his reflexes," he said as he put the eraser between the door and the frame.
Hinata quickly got to her feet. "Naruto, you shouldn't do that!" She moved to take it down when Naruto moved away from the door but Sasuke stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"No, we should test this thing," Sasuke agreed. "It's a good way to test our sensei. If they can't dodge a simple eraser, then we don't want them training us."
Hinata was about to argue when the door slid open and all three shot into their fighting stances. They were all caught off guard by the fact that Hinata hadn't mentioned anyone coming. By her shock, they realized she hadn't heard them at all. When she registered who she was looking at, Hinata lowered her defenses but then gasped when the eraser fell onto his head and then landed on the floor.
"Kakashi-sensei! I'm so sorry about that," she said, bowing deeply.
Naruto laughed. "I can't believe you didn't catch that!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, clearly disgruntled at their jonin's lack of skill. "Are you sure you're even a Jonin?"
Kakashi picked up the eraser and put it back by the board before facing them again. "Let's see… I hate all of you," he said bluntly. The three instantly slumped, Hinata more so than the others. Kakashi looked back at the supplies on the desk. "You three were already training?"
Naruto sighed dramatically after recovering. "Well, we had to do something since our teacher was late!" He complained.
"Ah, right. There was a tree full of cats that I had to rescue…while the tree was on fire," Kakashi said lamely, not caring about the fact that it was an obvious lie.
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. This guy better be as good as Hinata told us, despite the eraser thing.
"I'm not even gonna reply to that. So! What are we gonna do? Are we going on any missions?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Hm… Meet me on the roof," their sensei said before vanishing in a poof of smoke.
They quickly gathered their supplies before glancing at each other with glints in their eyes. They spoke no words as they body flickered their way toward the roof, trying to beat one another. Training and facing against each other was the most fun they had, the smiles on their faces were a testament to that.
"Not bad," Kakashi said as they made it. "Is everything a competition between you three?"
Hinata shook her head. "Not everything."
"Where are your forehead protectors?" All three exclaimed as they remembered and pulled them out. Sasuke and Naruto's went over their foreheads while Hinata's went around her neck.
"We decided not to put them on until we met you," Sasuke answered, speaking to Kakashi for the first time since they were seven.
"I see." He stared at them seriously for a moment as he regarded them. "Normally, I'd do introductions but I have a pretty good feel for all of you." Hinata, even though Kakashi's earlier declaration of hate had saddened her, she knew how the older man operated. He was the same when he first began training her that week five years ago. "But before you all get excited, I should tell you that you're not quite genin yet."
"What?!" Naruto shouted as Sasuke and Hinata sat straighter. "Why not?!"
"First, you three will have to pass a test that I will administer. See, out of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine of you will actually become genin while the rest will be sent back to the academy," he explained. "In other words, it's a survival test where I will be the one to decide whether you pass or fail."
"What exactly do you mean by survival?" Hinata asked. "Will we be facing each other or you?"
"You'll have to find that out. Tomorrow, you'll meet me at the third training ground at five in the morning. Bring your ninja gear," he said. "I also recommend skipping breakfast unless you want to throw it up." They all paled at this. "You're dismissed." Then, he was gone in the blink of an eye.
Naruto groaned into his hands. "Why didn't you tell us Kakashi-sensei was this brutal?"
Hinata smiled apologetically. "Well, he gets good results," she replied. "He really is nice once you get to know him."
Sasuke leaned back on his hands. "I don't care as long as he's strong. Now, about this survival test…"
"Yes, I know. This will probably be the hardest thing we've done as a team up until now," she acknowledged.
"Tell us everything about his fighting style."
Hinata thought for a moment. "Actually, he never actively made a move against me. He was always on the defensive; there's nothing I can tell you," she admitted.
"So, we know nothing about him. Okay," Sasuke said. "We'll be going into this blind."
"We'll just have to stick together, you know!"
"Yes!" Hinata agreed.
Sasuke got to his feet and stretched. "We should get started on some training now," he offered.
Naruto's stomach grumbled loudly and he blushed with some embarrassment. "Uh, can we get some food first? Lunch was so long ago!" He complained.
Sasuke looked up at the sky. "I guess Kakashi-sensei showed up later than I thought," he sighed.
Hinata stood up and dusted herself off. "Let's go to my home for a late lunch and to discuss our strategy for tomorrow."
Naruto jumped up. "Yes! I love Atsuko-san's cooking!"
The three walked toward the Hyuuga Compound making light conversation about the academy and their classmates. Hinata walked in between her two best friends as she always did, but the bickering between the two boys didn't at all lessen and she was always caught in the middle.
Mitsuki greeted the trio when they arrived and led them to the tearoom before leaving to retrieve lunch at Hinata's request.
"So," Sasuke said as they sat around the table. "Is there anything at all you can tell us that you think could be of use?" He asked her.
Hinata fiddled with her hands as she thought. "He's extremely strong," she began. "The only time I caught him off guard was on our first training session, and that was because I flickered behind him. He wasn't expecting me to know that or to fight without my doujutsu."
"Hey, speaking of your doujutsu, can we see it now?" Naruto asked. "And Sasuke's, too!"
Hinata shook her head. "I cannot activate my eyes in the compound unless I'm training with my father as we have to respect the privacy of our clan members," she explained.
Sasuke shrugged. "I guess I can show you guys. It would be good for all of us to know what each other's capable of. We're an official team now and should be able to trust one another completely."
Hinata shifted on her knees as she remembered that she had seen the Uchiha doujutsu once before. She had never told either of her friends and wondered if she should speak up about it or not. She decided to wait until after Sasuke had shown them. Naruto and Hinata watched closely as Sasuke closed his eyes and then opened them to show his once black eyes turn to a blood red with a black ring that held one comma-shaped fleck in his right eye while his left one held two around his pupils.
Naruto gasped in awe. "That looks so awesome!" He exclaimed. "What does it do?"
Sasuke smirked. "It allows me to copy any jutsu after seeing it once—so long as any hand signs aren't hidden—as well as seeing a difference in chakras. It also makes me resistant to genjutsu as these eyes' specialty are that of genjutsu. There's a lot more to it, but that's what I'll tell you for now."
Sasuke looked at Hinata and noticed her fidgeting uncomfortably. He instinctively deactivated it thinking that it possibly frightened her. "I'm sorry if it scared you," he said. It irked him a little bit as Hinata used to be feared or made fun of for her "scary" eyes, and she knew what it felt like to be judged on that alone.
She shook her head. "A-Actually, I've seen it before," she confessed, avoiding eye contact as she stared at a single spot on the table in front of them.
Sasuke raised a brow. "How could you have possibly—...Itachi," he realized, spitting the name out with hatred. "Why did he show it to you?"
Hinata looked up at him briefly before returning her gaze to the table. "It was a couple of years before he left. He informed me that he had a memory of my mother's funeral that he received from Mikoto-san. He asked if I wanted to see it as he was aware of how badly I wished to see her before her cremation," she explained.
Sasuke clenched a fist, his knuckles going white. "Did you let him do it?" He asked, his voice calm and almost warning. She shook her head. "Good."
Naruto hated the tension in the air that appeared any time the older Uchiha was brought up and decided to change the subject. "So what does your doujutsu do, Hinata?"
Hinata smiled warmly at him. "My eyes allow me to see the chakra system and points in a person's body as well as up to half a mile away. I hope to increase the distance with more training but I have to steadily pace myself. I can see into buildings, through walls, and underground," she said. "My eyes are the reason my clan is trained in the Gentle Fist style as we can see the chakra points in order to attack them using our own chakra."
"Wow, that's really cool! But, wait, how come you can still use your chakra against us even though it's not activated?" He inquired.
"Oh, that's because I have memorized the location of all the chakra points in the body."
"How many are there?"
"Three hundred and sixty-one."
"You really have all those memorized?!" He all but shouted. "That's so awesome!"
Hinata blushed, bowing her head. "Thank you so much!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the flattery, but he agreed with Naruto. Her doujutsu was definitely useful and he found himself curious as to what hers would look like. Would her eyes change color as his did?
"Yeah, it sounds really useful," Sasuke said, grinning. He smiled wider when she blushed prettily at his compliment as well.
"Thank you both," she said.
There was a knock at the door before Mitsuki walked in with a full tray. "Hinata-sama, I have brought your favorites. Atsuko-san even prepared ramen for Naruto-sama," she said.
Naruto cheered. "All right! Tell Atsuko-san that she's amazing for me, please!"
Mitsuki set the tray on the table and bowed to all three. "Yes, I will do that. Please, let me know if there is anything else you need."
"Thank you, Mitsuki-san," Hinata said. Mitsuki smiled at her and then left, sliding the door closed behind her.
Hinata passed Naruto his bowl of ramen and Sasuke his plate of tomato curry and rice before setting her own plate of omurice down in front of her. Left on the tray was an assortment of sweets the boys normally let her choose from first before picking their own—mostly Naruto, but Sasuke put a dirty plate in front of him to make it seem like he ate some in case Mitsuki offered him more. Then, he'd give it to Hinata.
"So," Naruto said, mouth full of noodles. "What are we gonna do about Kakashi-sensei?" He asked.
Sasuke chewed his food and swallowed before answering. "It's safe to assume he's going to be late tomorrow, right?" His teammates nodded. "Okay, so I think it'll be good to set up traps around the training grounds."
Hinata hummed. "Yes, I think that would be best. But I will warn you both: Kakashi-sensei somehow just…knows. He's very clever and intuitive. Don't think these traps are going to do him any damage," she said. "But they can certainly buy us time to do one big move."
Sasuke tilted his head. "Do you have anything in mind?"
Hinata grinned. "Yes, I believe I do."
Naruto and Sasuke smirked as they listened to the plan. Instantly, they agreed and the three talked it over the rest of lunch.
Hanabi Hyuuga stood before the Hyuuga Elders with a hard look in her eyes, one that was likened to her father. She had just completed her training when she was summoned, no doubt without her father's knowledge.
"Hanabi," Hideyoshi said. "Have you given any thought to our last meeting?"
The young girl felt nervous but refrained from showing any indication of it. Where her sister was as sensitive as their mother—though did exceptionally well in holding back, Hanabi was just like her father and excelled at using the Hyuuga stoic expression. "I am loyal to my family," she stated.
Hideyoshi grunted. "We are your family."
"Family who wishes for me to usurp my sister?" She asked.
"Usurp is such an ugly word, my dear. We just think you would be better at overseeing our clan," Haruka replied. "This will be an excellent choice should you decide to pursue it. You will be given power your sister has proven she is incapable of wielding properly. Not only that but she is currently lacking in her training. Your cousin, Neji, has surpassed her in learning Main House techniques. It's disgraceful. We see your training and can see that you are closely matched with Hinata when she was your age and you have done this without the use of extremely powerful teachers to guide you. You are a natural talent, my dear."
Hanabi silently sighed. "My sister will be a more than adequate leader of the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clans alongside Sasuke Uchiha. She is extremely talented and will only continue to flourish."
Hideyoshi hid his disappointment. "I see. Should your mind change at any time in the future, we will be waiting for you. You're dismissed."
Hanabi bowed, turned, and left the room with barely contained anger. She wanted nothing more than to run to Hinata and tell her everything but her sister was currently meeting her sensei for the first time. She knew, more than anything, that this would do nothing but distract her sister from her training and missions and she could not do that to her. This would be something to keep away from her, for now.
"Hanabi-sama, Hinata-sama is now home and has invited you to join her and her team for tea in the room," Mitsuki said Hanabi approached her bedroom.
Hanabi grinned. "Are her teammates who we expected?"
Mitsuki smiled. "Yes. Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki."
"I see. Then I think I'll let them have their time today. Please inform her that I will see her later at dinner." Mitsuki bowed and left. Hanabi went into her room to study more on her doujutsu
"Fugaku-san," Hiashi said. "I appreciate you coming here despite your busy schedule. Things are going well in the Police Force?"
Fugaku took a seat across from him and nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama's changes have really inspired the Uchiha Clan. It seems the villagers are accepting of our clan now," he replied.
"I have noticed changes within the villagers regarding your clan as well as mine. It's most refreshing."
"I agree." Fugaku cleared his throat. "Sasuke and Hinata have graduated from the academy, but they still need to pass their survival test. I have no doubt that they will all pass with flying colors, so I believe it would be best to begin preparations for the announcement. What do you think?"
"Yes, I believe that would be best. Our two clans should host a public event using the main strip of the village," Hiashi replied. "We request permission from the Hokage to hold it a week from today."
"And once we have gone through all the pleasantries, the announcement will be made," Fugaku added. "I think that would do splendidly. We'll pay for the food stands to be open during that evening as well as donate a sizeable amount to the village."
"I will write up the request this evening and have it sent to your residence for your seal," Hiashi said. "Will this do for you?"
"Yes, that will work. I will await your letter."
"What color, other than black, will the children be wearing?"
Fugaku searched his mind before nodding to himself. "I believe black and blue will go elegantly with them with a splash of lavender as well."
"That will compliment them well. I will have our seamstresses begin immediately. I look forward to our event, Fugaku-san." Hiashi could barely contain his delight at being a week away from the most crucial announcement of their clans. It was a big step in the right direction and a step closer to their goals.
"As do we. Unfortunately, I cannot stay long as I have to meet with one of my squads to discuss an ongoing investigation," the Uchiha Clan Head said, a defeated look in his eyes.
Hiashi seemed to hesitate for a moment before humming. "The search for Itachi is not going well?" He asked.
Fugaku sighed. "More and more Uchiha members have not returned and only a few bodies have not been retrieved. I'm afraid my eldest is lost to us," Fugaku stated. "Itachi had always been a very good son and loyal to his beliefs, but I'm afraid his loyalty to his family and village does not even hold a candle to his beliefs."
"I cannot understand what your situation is like, Fugaku-san, and I am very sorry about all that has happened. Should you ever need it, I can send a few clan members with your squad and maybe more ground can be covered that way," Hiashi suggested. "There are some Byakugan users who can see up to a mile away. I'm sure that can be useful."
Fugaku bowed his head politely. "I appreciate your offer and will keep it in mind."
Hiashi returned the gesture. "Please give Mikoto-san my regards. I hope she is well."
"Yes, I will do that. Thank you, Hiashi-san." Hiashi watched as his friend got up and left. The situation with his son was turning dangerous. A boy once so loyal has now been killing off his own clan members, and Hiashi wondered if he could have hurt Hinata had he stayed in the village any longer. He poured himself a cup of tea and sighed before taking a drink. In hindsight, he was glad Itachi left before he could hurt Sasuke or Hinata permanently.
Sasuke and Naruto said goodbye to Hinata at her front gate before going opposite ways. Because he was going to be home earlier, he had more time to help his mother out with things she didn't have the energy to do anymore. She was functioning now, but she was still plenty lost and upset with her oldest currently on the run and taking out more and more of their clansmen. Mikoto was adamant that Itachi was still a good boy and that he would not do such things lightly, but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to believe it wholeheartedly anymore. He pitied his mother above all else, as she deserved better and he wished she could let go and move on, but there was not a mother around who could move on from their own son.
"Mother, I'm home!" Sasuke called out as he took off his shoes in favor of his house slippers. He made his way to the kitchen where his mother stood washing dishes as she stared out of the window above the sink.
"Oh, hello, Sasuke. Welcome home," she greeted, a small smile on her face that never reached her eyes anymore. Judging from the dullness of her eyes, Sasuke knew she had been working on that same dish for a while.
"I'll finish up the dishes, mother, don't worry. Take a seat," he said, pulling a chair out from the table for her. She dried her hands and sat as Sasuke took her place at the kitchen sink.
"Did you meet your sensei today?" She asked. Sasuke smiled to himself. She began remembering more things about him now and it made him happy.
"Yes. It's Kakashi Hatake. He trained Hinata for a week a few years ago."
"Is she one of your teammates?"
He nodded. "Yes, and so is Naruto. Minato-sensei probably put us together because of how long we've been working together," he explained. "I'm grateful. I wouldn't have wanted to work with anyone else."
Mikoto chuckled. "They mean so much to you, Sasuke. I'm happy to see that. You three are going to be excellent shinobi."
He smiled at her. "We're going to make the history books. We promised each other," he said. "But first we have to pass this survival test that Kakashi-sensei is going to give us tomorrow morning."
"Hatake-san is a very strong person. I think you three can learn a lot from him. You will pass his test, no doubt."
"Thank you, mother." Sasuke finished up the dishes rather quickly before moving to clean up the table and stove. The past few years his mother has had less energy than before and Sasuke found himself doing things she would normally do. With his father gone a lot working with the Hokage and being the Clan Head and his mother suffering from depression, it was up to Sasuke to make sure everything stayed tidy. The maids they had before were no longer working for them once his mother was diagnosed; Fugaku did not want the news to get out into the village.
It was upsetting at first as it was just a constant reminder that his mother wasn't the same person he grew up with because of Itachi, but it became easier to deal with. He loved his mother and knew she was just sick and needed any help he could offer. Once he became strong enough, he would drag Itachi back so that his elder brother could beg for his mother's forgiveness. Sasuke was not sure what his father would do, though. He hardly saw him unless it involved Clan business that Sasuke was going to have to deal with in the future.
His parent's marriage did not seem the way it used to as well. While they at least had conversations in the past, they barely interacted now. If they did, it was not while he was around. He just felt grateful his father was gone a lot and he did not have to be around the suffocating air they produced when around one another. He was positive his mother would gladly leave, but that kind of thing was frowned upon in society, and even more so when it involved the head family of a noble clan. He often envied civilian families.
"Get some rest. I will take care of everything else," he told her, setting a cup of tea down in front of her when it was ready. She smiled apologetically and nodded. Sasuke took the basket of dirty laundry and went to the backyard where the washboard and mangle resided before squatting down and getting to work. He worked late into the afternoon on duties he felt he had no time for, even though he found them useful to know.
Naruto dashed into his front door and kicked his shoes off. "Naruto, is that you?" His mother called out. Naruto's grin widened at the sound of her voice and he quickly put his shoes up before rushing to the family room.
"Mama!" He called out. "We met our teacher today and it turned out to be one of Hinata's old teachers, Kakashi Hatake!"
Kushina wrapped her son up in her arms and squeezed. "That's great! He's a great shinobi. You'll learn a lot from him. Are Sasuke and Hinata on your team?"
Naruto nodded excitedly. "Yeah! It's gonna be awesome! We have this survival test tomorrow though," he said with a small frown.
Kushina's eyes flashed with recognition. "Ah, right, the test. You three will do wonderfully," she assured him. She was familiar with their survival test, especially since Kakashi seems to follow in her husband's steps. "To celebrate being on a team with your best friends, is there anything special you want to eat for dinner?"
Naruto didn't even have to think. "Let's go to Ichiraku!"
Kushina chuckled. "Okay, we'll do that."
"Is dad gonna be home for dinner?" He asked, a smile plastered to his face that didn't reach his eyes. He knew the answer, but he still wanted to ask in case it was going to be a rare day. Kushina smiled apologetically and he understood. "That's okay! Dad's busy protecting the village. I'm proud of him!"
Kushina ruffled her son's hair and smiled proudly at him. "You're a good son, Naruto. I'm proud of you. I know this isn't easy, but you've done well in helping me out these past few years even when you were exhausted from training. Your dad is very proud, too," she said.
Naruto smiled genuinely, but it was small. He missed his father dearly and he often went days without seeing him, but he was grateful that Minato left small notes with his mother to put in his lunch boxes. He just wanted more than the notes; he wanted his father.
Kushina sensed his feelings and kissed his forehead. "How about we order some ramen to go and take it to your dad?" She suggested. Naruto's face lit up and he eagerly agreed. It had been three days since he saw his father in person. Despite trying to stay up to await his return, he often woke up in his bed when he last remembered being on the stairs, and even though he let himself believe his father was the one who carried him he knew it was his mother deep down.
Naruto did his best to not think about how much he missed Minato or how much he wished he was around because it was up to him to help his mother as she was feeling just like him. He was the man of the house while his father was away for extended times, and it was his duty to be a solid rock for his mother. He missed his father, but he understood his father missed them just as much. Naruto shook himself out of it as he sat for a short meditating session before dinner; he needed to focus on their plan for tomorrow morning.
They were passing that test, no matter what.
We hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! We're hoping you really enjoy the changes we've made to the canon story while also trying to sort of follow the timeline. Thank y'all for the reviews and favorites and follows. Normally, I would upload this at night, but I decided to do it earlier since I'm feeling a bit under the weather and will probably go to sleep early. Let us know what you thought of this chapter!
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 06/24/23
