Chapter Eight

Jōnin – Part One

Hanabi – 17
Konohamaru – 19


Hanabi's 17th birthday came and went without much fanfare. After last year, she decided she just wanted to do quiet birthdays with her team and family. It was really Boruto's day, now, and she didn't mind. To her, his birthday was far more special, anyway. So they shared a joint birthday from now on, though the boy was still too little to really register any of it. She just delighted in seeing the little boy's face light up at the sight of cake with lit candles on it. It was as good as any birthday present anyone else could get her. But it was also bittersweet, because Konohamaru's lack of presence was a reminder that he was in fact avoiding her.

She made it clear to her father that she wanted less assignments out to the feudal lord's territories. She even had the courage to tell him to stop trying to pair her up with his brother, telling him that she found him overbearing and offensive. To her great surprise, her father agreed more easily than she expected. Grand-parenthood seemed to be changing him.

A few months later, and her sister was announcing another pregnancy, to her surprise. She had to wonder how she was going to handle a little Boruto and a newborn infant but was determined to be there for her as always. She was excited to have yet another little niece or nephew. Admittedly, she was ecstatic when it was revealed it would be a girl. She was already dreaming of an adorable little girl that she could train. She had briefly come into contact with Konohamaru that day in the hospital when the girl was born, but it was short lived because she was heading home, and had no reason to stay.

Maybe it was a bit of a relief anyway, to avoid an awkward greeting and strained small talk. Being the one to brush him off felt a little like revenge that she guiltily indulged in. But when she saw the dejected look on his face once she looked back up after avoiding eye contact, it stung. It was easier to just not see him.

"Konohamaru's coming over for his 19th birthday. You should come, Hanabi."

Hanabi was broken from her thoughts by Naruto. She had been staring down at her plate, picking at her food next to Boruto at their dinner table.

"Me?" Hanabi asked dumbly as she looked up at him. Naruto flashed her a grin.

"Well, yeah! His friends should be there, right?"

The thought was unsettling. They had effectively not spoken to one another since her 16th birthday. Once she got the hint that he didn't want to see her, she stopped seeking him out. She also felt guilty because she had also stopped going to his mother's house. She didn't think Konohamaru was one for bad mouthing anyone, but couldn't help but feel like her presence was inappropriate now.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Hinata chimed in with a fussy Himawari nestled into her chest. Hanabi shot her a look, wondering if she knew the discomfort she was putting her in. "Next Sunday, when you would usually come over for dinner anyway. You could spend the night."

"I don't know…" Hanabi sighed, looking back down at her plate.

"Moegi and Udon will be there," Naruto added as if to entice her. She shrugged.

"Just think about it," her sister offered kindly, effectively ending the topic. She gave a short nod before looking back at her food.

She returned home feeling unsure. The next day, she sought out the only people she felt she could confide this sort of thing in.

"Of course you should go!" Eiji had said as if she was speaking nonsense about her insecurities. "This avoiding each other thing is so stupid. I bet if you go, everything will smooth over."

"I have to agree." Jun nodded. "I'm inclined to think he misses you, too."

"I don't miss him," Hanabi hissed, folding her arms childishly.

Jun chuckled with a nod. "Right. Well, you should go. Perhaps we can spend the day looking for a gift?"

"I already have one," Hanabi said, nonchalantly, causing the other two to raise their eyebrows at her. She shrugged. "When we went to the Frost…I got a set of glass kunai."

"Oh, yeah!" Eiji exclaimed, beaming at her. "I didn't realize that was for him."

Hanabi kept silent at this, unsure of whether she wanted to reveal their little collection. She decided she wanted to keep that to herself, hand reaching for her hip. Jun dipped his head to meet her eyes, smiling. "Well, you already have a gift. I think that seals the deal."

But he didn't want to see her, and she didn't know whether she could handle his horrified look at the realization she was there at his birthday party. But it seemed she would be forced to the party whether she wanted to or not when Naruto brought Himawari over to the compound to 'visit' her father. After visiting with Himawari, Naruto insisted she come back to the house with him so she could 'help keep an eye on the kids' while they set up Konohamaru's party.

At this point, parties just seemed like bad luck to Hanabi.

As the sun began to set, Hanabi found Himawari falling asleep in her arms and went to put her down in her room. Since Boruto was born, she had become much more at ease with infants, a far cry from her experience with Mirai almost four years ago. She rejoined her sister and Naruto, along with Boruto, when Kurenai arrived with Mirai and Moriko.

Hanabi was surprised that despite her lack of visits over the last year, Moriko greeted her just the same as she always did, with an all-too-tight hug and fretting over her height.

"Isn't she just a tall drink of water?" Moriko commented to Kurenai as Mirai settled in the middle of the living room next to Boruto.

"Looks like you took after your father, Hanabi," Kurenai offered kindly, now having to look up at the younger girl. Hanabi glanced around the room to find that she was indeed the tallest in the room besides Naruto.

"How have you been, dear?" Moriko asked as she led her to the couch, forcing her to sit with her. "You must be busy, I assume?"

"I am," Hanabi responded quickly to mask her guilt. "A lot of diplomatic travelling, plus missions. I haven't been around too much."

"Busy busy."

Hanabi attempted to relax into the conversation, until Konohamaru came through the front door, greeted enthusiastically by Naruto. The way he froze when his eyes landed on her might've been funny under friendlier circumstances. He looked so dumb, standing there with his hands locked behind his neck, eyes large and jaw slack as he looked at her. And she knew she couldn't avoid his eyes, so she didn't look away. She sucked in her teeth as she forced her hand up, giving him a little wave.

"Happy birthday, Konohamaru." Hinata's voice seemed to break him from his trance, his eyes trailing over to her.

"Oh. Thank you." Konohamaru nodded, shoulders relaxing just a tad.

Oh, how awkward this was.

Hanabi felt like the world around her was moving without her. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin, wishing she could use Boruto to remove herself from the situation, but Mirai was entertaining the boy herself. Instead, she excused herself to the kitchen under the pretense she had to check on the food.

Hinata joined her shortly afterward, inquiring about what she was checking on. A bit ashamed, Hanabi admitted, "nothing…just felt like I needed some space."

"Well, why don't you get out the plates, then?" Hinata asked with a small smile, nodding towards the cabinets. With a little sigh, Hanabi nodded and got to work setting the table.

A little while later and Moegi and Udon arrived as well, which kept Konohamaru busy to her relief.

The night progressed with them avoiding one another, and Hanabi couldn't tell whether felt good or bad. Both, she supposed. Hinata called them all the sit for dinner, and Hanabi situated herself between Boruto and Hinata, effectively shielding herself from her peers, though Konohamaru sat across from her. The conversation passed over her freely, her input fairly limited, but she did listen intently whenever Konohamaru spoke, interested to hear how he busied himself.

After the cake was served and Naruto was fairly buzzed after a few drinks, he stood up to make an announcement, causing all to look at him.

"Happy birthday, lil bro! Since you're all here," Naruto said as he winked towards Hanabi as he emphasized 'all', causing her to shrink away, "I want to announce that we're recommending all four of you for jōnin!"

"What?!" Hanabi snapped, eyes blowing wide up at him.

"Really?!" Moegi asked with excitement in her voice, clasping her hands together.

"You'll meet at the Hokage tower tomorrow for the details of the mission you'll complete for your test," Hinata concluded with a wide smile.

"Together?" Hanabi breathed, looking warily at her sister and brother-in-law. Naruto nodded in an exaggerated fashion.

A mission? With Konohamaru? It had been a while…and one as important as a test of her ability to promote to jōnin…

"I know you've been thinking about it, now is as good a time as any, right?" Hinata asked in a whisper next to her.

Hanabi swallowed down her nervous energy. "Right. Yeah. Just surprised."

The rest of the night went fairly smoothly, though Hanabi did feel awkward about the fact she was having a hard time joining the conversation. The adults spoke excitedly about the prospect of the group becoming jōnin, Naruto and Moriko sharing a bit too much to drink as they hyped Konohamaru up for promotion. After a while, Boruto began whining, clearly over-exhausted by the activities, and Hanabi quickly offered to put him down for Hinata. Hinata gave her a curious look but allowed her anyway.

As she tucked the boy into his half bed and looked down at him, she wished she could just crawl into the bed next to him and fall asleep herself. Fast forward through this painfully uncomfortable night.

But alas, she dutifully returned to help Hinata clean up. At least she could use that as a way to excuse herself from the conversation.

"Is everything okay, Hanabi?" Hinata asked next to her as she passed a dish for her to dry.

Hanabi nodded immediately, pulling a towel over the plate. "Fine. Why?"

"You've been so quiet all night," she mused without looking at her. "I thought you would be excited to be promoted."

"I am!" she defended, setting the now-dry plate on top of a stack of others. "I am. I just wasn't expecting…"

"It to be with Konohamaru?" Hinata finished, flashing her a knowing look. Hanabi grimaced, turning her face away from her older sister. "You two work well together. I think you'll have great success."

"Thanks, I guess," Hanabi muttered, taking another plate.

Hanabi spent the rest of the night tagging along behind Hinata like a puppy. Kurenai was the first to leave with Mirai, followed shortly after by Moriko. Hinata excused herself to bed as well, entrusting Naruto to watch over the teenagers, and Hanabi was again, forced back into the group.

"Are you excited, Hanabi?" Moegi asked with a sympathetic smile, seemingly taking over the chore of keeping Hanabi comfortable. She felt grateful, but also pathetic at the same time.

"I am." Hanabi nodded, turning to face her. "Are you?"

"Yeah! A little nervous, but I know we'll be fine." Moegi beamed, crossing her legs. Hanabi nodded reluctantly in agreement. "It'll be nice to be out there together, again."

"Right…" Hanabi sighed, looking away. In a quieter voice, she added, "I just feel a little guilty. I know that Konohamaru doesn't want to be around me."

"What?" Moegi asked with a frown. "What makes you say that?"

"He's been avoiding me, I think."

"We're all just busy, Hanabi."

"I know…"

"Don't think about it too much." Moegi shook her head, patting her hand. "It'll be alright."

Moegi moved the conversation to a different topic easily, and Hanabi found herself talking about Boruto and Himawari. She felt a little more at ease with the subject, naturally gushing over her nephew and niece. After another hour, Moegi and Udon had excused themselves from the party, and Konohamaru moved to do the same before Naruto stopped him. "Why don't you just sleep here tonight, Kono? Hanabi's staying, too, right?"

"Uh—" Konohamaru stuttered at the front doorway, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I should really—"

"Ah, jus' stay the night!" Naruto slurred, slapping a hand on his back with a wink. "You kids can handle sleeping on a floor, right?" Before either could answer, he was already walking past them with a wave of his hand. "Night!"

Hanabi froze in the entryway to the kitchen, watching Konohamaru pull on his scarf uncomfortably. She let out a sigh, turning her back to him. "That damn Naruto…Konohamaru, don't feel like you have to stay."

"Don't want me here, huh?" The slight playfulness behind his voice was unexpected. It caused her to look over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow. "I get it."

"It's…not that," she responded unsurely.

"Then what is it?" he inquired in mock innocence.

She turned her body back to face him, the corners of her lips tugging downward. "I don't want you to be forced to spend time with me when you don't want to."

"Who said I didn't want to?"

"Your actions."

"My actions?"

"Don't play dumb." Suddenly, she felt agitated. "Ever since my 16th birthday, I haven't been able to find you. You're avoiding me this time." Silence fell over the two as Konohamaru seemed to struggle to argue. She let out an annoyed chuckle, folding her arms. "Exactly."

After a moment, he let out a sigh, shoulders falling as his eyes dropped to the ground. "I just…realized I was an idiot."

She blew a rogue strand of hair in front of her eyes away, narrowing her eyebrows. "I can't disagree, but why do you say that?"

Her bluntness drew a small chuckle from him. "The feudal lord's brother, or whatever, Richo? Rochi? I don't know. It was just clear that you…y'know…"

"Know what?" she pressed, teeth gritting.

"Hanabi." His voice weakened to a little plea, and she let out a groan of frustration.

"I haven't seen that guy in months! It's my job to entertain stupid royals," she huffed, lips pressing into a thin line.

"So you aren't…?" he asked, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers. She shook her head as she fished into her robe, pulling out a long, slender gift box. She marched up to him and shoved it into his chest before turning her nose away from him.

"Here. Happy birthday." Her voice lowered as she refolded her arms. She chewed her bottom lip briefly before looking back up at him, seeing him stare down at the box. She ran her tongue over her top teeth and quickly added, "Lord Eighth."

This got a laugh, and it felt good to hear. "Can I open it?"

"What kind of question is that?" she snapped, tapping her right foot impatiently. "Yes, open it!"

"Alright!" He chuckled, pulling the ribbon. Her heart began racing now, suddenly feeling nervous as to how he would react. Would he think it's cheesy? Repetitive? Like she had no idea what else to get him. She watched as the ribbon fell to the ground and he lifted the lid. Her eyes shot up to his face to gauge his reaction. His eyes went a little wide as he pulled the glass kunai from it case. It was a frosted blue, almost looking like ice. It was solid, dense glass all the way around, from the blade to the handle. It wasn't the most practical kunai around, but it was quite beautiful. "A set?"

She nodded gingerly, pulling the matching kunai from her hip to show him. The grin he offered could have melted her right there, relief washing over her in waves. Then he pulled the note from the box to scan it. "Frosted Glass Kunai…from the Frost. When did you guys go to the Frost?"

"A few months ago." She shrugged, swinging the kunai around her finger.

He chuckled and she shot him a look. "You've been hanging onto this for me for a few months?"

"So?" She glared at him, grabbing the handle of the kunai forcefully to stop its trajectory. "And you never gave me a chance to thank you for the one you got me." Quickly, she tugged the wind kunai from her hip, holding it in front of his face and causing him to recoil.

"Sorry!" He laughed, taking a step back. She watched his hand as it reached down for the satchel on his hip and peeked over. As he opened it, she noted the wind and obsidian kunai poking out from it. He smiled down at her as he stepped a little closer, letting her see better. "Looks like we're building a collection."

She didn't respond but did offer a return smile, clutching the glass kunai in one hand and the wind kunai in the other.

"I appreciate it." He carefully tucked the glass kunai away, then lidded the gift box, her tucking the two kunai away as well. She crossed her arms behind her back and bounced on the balls of her feet as he turned back to her, tilting his head down at her. "Remember when you asked what my mom's putting in my ramen?"

"Huh?" She tipped her head, furrowing her eyebrows before nodding.

"What're those Hyūga servants putting in your milk?"

An unexpected laugh escaped her lips, pulling her hand to cover her mouth. He was still taller than her, but she had to admit the world was looking smaller and smaller from her perspective. She wondered if they seemed like giants to her little niece and nephew.

Finally, she relaxed and went to the middle of the living room to sit down on the floor. She patted the spot next to her for him to sit. Following her lead, he sat across from her, resting an elbow on his crossed leg and his chin on his palm, observing her. "Y'know, my mom won't stop asking about you."

"Oh?" she questioned, that little pang of guilt hitting her heart again.

"She won't get off my back about it." He chuckled, staring directly at her in a way that made her feel like she needed to fix her hair. Mocking his mother's voice, he waved his hands, "'Where's Hanabi? Why is she never around? Did you scare her away? Go apologize to her for whatever you did.'" He laughed again, and she couldn't help but giggle as well at the imitation. "She likes you for some reason."

"Maybe because I'm charming?" Hanabi teased, resting her hands on the floor behind her. "My endearing demeanor? My knack for great conversation? My award-winning smile? My—"

"Your humbleness," Konohamaru interrupted her with a smirk and she shrugged.

"That, too." They both laughed and she was surprised at how easy it was to become comfortable again.

They spent the last remnants of the night catching up. She was surprised to learn he had been helping out with the chūnin exams, and it had been one reason he was gone for so long. He and Moegi had ended up out in the Land of Lightning to help proctor an exam a few weeks ago. She wondered why she hadn't heard of it, but brushed off the thought. She was finally able to give him the full details of the feudal lord's brother, describing her plight to escape the boy. It was funny to see the look of relief on his face. He had truly been worried she was seeing someone. They speculated on the mission they would be assigned tomorrow, and then it was Hanabi who concluded that one in the morning was a good time to get to sleep.

After she brought out the spare blankets and pillows, he insisted she take the couch to sleep. She insisted she was fine, but conceded when he pushed her down into the couch and threw a blanket over her. As she curled up on the couch, she watched him get comfortable on the floor, flashing her a quick smile before telling her goodnight.


The next morning, she was awoken by Hinata and found Konohamaru had already taken off. She joined her sister and niece and nephew for breakfast (Naruto still passed out in bed) before taking off for home to prepare for her visit to the Hokage. She was hardly surprised to find servants in her room, packing satchels for her which she begrudgingly accepted the help of. After readying herself, she stopped at her father's study.

"Soon, Hanabi, you will be a jōnin of the Leaf, just as I am. I am confident you will come back to promotion."

The compliment was almost too much for her to handle coming from her father, but she was slowly getting used to the new, gentler version of her father that came with the grandchildren. "Did elder sister ask for me?"

"Yes." Her father nodded. "But I think it is time for you to move on. The work you'll do as a jōnin will be important to the village."

"Is Naruto having an effect on you, father?" she asked playfully, hoping it wouldn't strike a chord in him. To this, he managed a little smile and she couldn't help but beam at him.

"You better be going. Don't keep the others waiting."

"Right. Thank you, father." She stood up and bowed, then bolted out of the compound. She wished she had enough time to go tell her team, but figured she'd have time afterward. When she arrived in Shizune's office outside of the office of the Hokage, she was met with Moegi and Udon already having arrived.

"Hey!" Udon called with a wave and she stopped in front of them, beaming.

"Konohamaru's late." Moegi sighed, looking up at the clock.

"Am not," his voice called from behind them, and with that, the four entered to find Kakashi leaning over his desk looking tired. "Hey Lord Hokage!"

"Ah, good." Kakashi pushed away the paperwork in front of him before pulling a drawer open. "You four have been recommended for promotion, as I'm sure you're aware." The four nodded as he pulled out a scroll, uncurling it. "This is a jōnin-level mission, an A-Rank. The successful completion of it will move you to the next step."

"Pretty much a given," Konohamaru said nonchalantly, waving a hand. "Whatever you got, we'll be able to do it."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the boy before looking back down at the scroll. "The mission is to deliver this package," he continued as he set a package on the desk in front of them, "to the Keys, next to the Land of Earth and Land of Wind."

"A delivery?" Moegi asked with drawn-together eyebrows.

"Isn't that more a B-Rank, or even C-Rank mission, Lord Hokage?" Udon added.

"First of all, it's time-sensitive," Kakashi responded, lowering his eyes at the group. "Travelling to the Mountains normally takes 20 days on the normal route through the Grass and Land of Earth, as to avoid the Rock where there is currently conflict with the Joumae Village. However, this must arrive in half that time, 10 days."

"So we'll have to go through the Rock," Udon concluded, "and possibly face rogue shinobi that don't adhere to the alliance."

"Exactly," Kakashi confirmed, glancing between the four. "So you can see why this simple delivery has been made an A-Rank. You do not have to accept the mission, but should you, it will prove your ability to move onto jōnin." Quickly, all four nodded and in unison accepted the mission. "Great. Now, due to the time-sensitive nature of this mission, I am requesting you leave as a team immediately."

"Right now?" Hanabi asked, cursing the nervousness behind her tone.

"Will that be a problem?" Kakashi asked with a perked eyebrow, causing Hanabi to shake her head.

"No! Of course not." She swallowed, glancing to her right at what would be her team for the mission. All three looked resolute and she did her best to mimic their confidence.

"Good to hear. Assuming you're all already armed and ready to go, you'll be leaving right now." Hanabi sucked in a sharp breath. That must be why the servants packed her to the gills for what she thought would just be a briefing. "Konohamaru will be the team leader for this mission."

"Konohamaru? Lord Sixth—" Moegi began to protest, only to have Kakashi hold a hand up to her.

"You should get going. 10 days from today, this package should be delivered to the address listed here." Konohamaru stepped forward to take the offered scroll, scanning it briefly as Moegi sighed and took the package. "Your travel back should be through the Land of Earth to avoid conflict, so I'll be seeing you four in 30 days." He eyed the four before adding, "assuming all goes well."

"It will." Konohamaru nodded, turning to the other three. Hanabi looked up at him with her lips pressed together in a thin line, not letting her wavering confidence betray her.

So she wouldn't get to say goodbye to her sister, or Boruto, or Himawari. She wouldn't get the chance to tell her team about her recommendation. She did her best not to let it show that bothered her, instead forcing herself to feel grateful for the opportunity.

30 days.


The first day of travel was energetic. All four were pushing themselves to go faster to make up for any time they might lose later. They had made a good amount of distance when it became completely dark, just a sliver of light illuminating the trees around them from a crescent moon. They set up their little campground and chatted excitedly around a campfire as they ate, impressed with their progress already. When it was time to turn in, Hanabi volunteered for the first watch.

"Since there's four of us, we can work in two-person shifts." Konohamaru surprised her. "So we can sleep for longer durations of time. I'll stay up with Hanabi."

"Oh you will, huh?" Moegi teased, and Hanabi didn't miss the pink that spread on his cheekbones. Moegi giggled as she got up from the log she was sitting on, gesturing towards the tent. "C'mon, Udon. Let's leave them alone."

"What's that—" Hanabi began to question, but the two were already zipping the tent up behind them. She turned to Konohamaru and narrowed her eyes at him. "What's that about?"

"Oh, you know," Konohamaru said, vaguely, standing up as well. "Let's go up there to keep watch."

He disappeared from sight as he leaped up towards a tree branch above their campsite. She quickly set down her bowl and chopsticks before joining next to him. Relaxing, she started conversation as she sat. "Think we'll get there before the 10-day deadline?"

"It might be close," Konohamaru admitted, sitting back on his bottom and stretching his legs in front of him. "Depends on how bad the battling in the Rock is right now."

"I've barely heard anything about it," Hanabi confessed, fiddling with the obi around her waist.

"There's not much information about it." She tilted her head at this. "But it's important we don't accidentally attack anyone from the Keys since they're a part of the alliance. If we're attacked, we have to do our best to avoid Keys shinobi. Most likely, if we are attacked, it'll be from the Rock."

"Wow." Hanabi bit her lips together. "Seems like you know a lot about it."

"I guess." He shrugged, resting on his hands behind his back. "I try to keep up with everything going on."

"Guess that's why you're team leader, huh?" she questioned honestly. She had to admit, she was surprised in how well-versed he was in the matter. Perhaps if she visited the Land of Earth more often, she would be privy to the conflict as well, but there weren't many diplomatic missions there.

"Or maybe I'm just a natural-born leader?" he teased, glancing at her with a grin.

She giggled. "Your humbleness."

"Oh, right." He laughed, looking down at the tent below them. "Guess we're both a little too cocky for our own good, huh?"

"Speak for yourself," she snapped playfully, sitting back and bringing her knees to her chest. "If we become jōnin, are you going to wear the flak jacket?"

"When," he corrected with a smirk. He shrugged, then responded, "I think so." Konohamaru nodded, glancing down at his outfit. He had never officially donned the chūnin jacket, instead sticking with his green jacket and blue scarf.

"But you're gonna keep the scarf, right?" Hanabi asked genuinely, causing him to look back at her.

He looked up thoughtfully for a moment before responding, "think I should?"

"I think it's a pretty classic look on you," she said, scooting a little closer to him. He watched as she picked up the loose end of it and began wrapping it around his neck twice more, then secured it into a tie behind his head. "Just tighten it up a bit and you look quite mature."

After a moment of quiet between them, as he reached behind his head to brush his fingers against the knot, he responded, "me? Mature?" She put her hand over her mouth to conceal a little laugh and he couldn't help but grin back, bumping his elbow into hers. "Don't laugh! Then you don't mean it."

"I said look mature. Doesn't mean you are mature," she teased and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Will you wear it?" he continued, tilting his head at her. She looked up as if in thought, tapping her chin with her fingers. "I'd miss the classic Hanabi look in robes."

"Yeah?" she asked, perking an eyebrow as her eyes fell back to his. His grin softened to a more genuine smile and he nodded. "I guess I'll have to think about it."

She watched as he scooted behind her, raising her eyebrows curiously as he situated his back against hers, leaning. "Might as well relax, right?" He offered, and she rested against his as well. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall asleep."

"You mean I won't let you fall asleep," she responded playfully as the backs of their heads came together to rest. She let out a little sigh of contentment, willing herself not to shiver at the closeness of it all.


Five days later, Hanabi was beginning to feel the effects of mild exhaustion. As they got closer and closer to the Rock, they depended on her byakugan to be active fairly often. She prided herself on her training with her dōjutsu, always working to lengthen the time she could keep it active, but she was nearing her limits, which made her a bit nervous as they got closer and closer to possible danger. They would be looking to her to keep an eye out for threats as their tracker, so she was trying to relax her eyes as often as possible.

She felt ashamed when Konohamaru took note at one point. She tried to insist she was fine.

"I think your eyes need a longer break before we cross into Rock territory," he said as they got close enough to the Rain that they were starting to see the big, dark clouds overhead.

"I'm fine, really, Konohamaru."

She was relieved when he didn't push the subject further, instead remaining quiet. They managed to reach the border between the Grass and the Rain before the sun had completely set, which is when Konohamaru stopped the group for camp.

"Tonight, I'll take watch by myself," he started as he pulled off his pack and dropped it to the ground. Hanabi shot her eyes up at him, frowning. "We're gonna let Hanabi sleep through the night so her eyes can rest enough before we cross into the Rock."

"That's not—"

"I'm the team leader." He turned to her, and she wasn't sure she had ever seen his expression so…serious. "We need your eyes, and if they're too tired to scan the area, we're at a disadvantage."

"I can rest them while on watch."

"But you won't," he retorted, which she recoiled at. "I'm not changing my mind. You're sleeping through the night." He turned to Moegi and Udon who both nodded in agreement. "After we eat, I want you to go to sleep and I'll take the first watch, then you two can take second watch. We'll be up as soon as the sun rises and get to the other side of the Rain before the day is over, where we can stay at the inn at the border and properly rest. Then we'll have exactly three days to get across the Rock and to our location."

Admittedly, she was taken aback by his authoritative attitude. She wasn't sure she had ever truly seen Konohamaru in a leadership role but was surprised to find it suited him. Perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised that the grandson of the Third so easily assumed the role. Realizing it wasn't up for debate, she gave a tired sigh and dropped her bag as well, falling to the ground to sit.

"No pouting," Moegi teased as she joined next to her side. "I know it's hard to admit, but Konohamaru's right."

"No one likes to admit that," Udon added jokingly as he and Konohamaru started pitching the tent.

"A little respect for the team leader would be nice, y'know!" he chastised, albeit with a grin.

If asked, she would have to confess that she was getting unpleasant flashbacks to their first c-rank to the Grass, which ironically was where they were. When she took a shuriken to the leg and everyone was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up. Now they were concerned that her eyes wouldn't be in adequate shape to help protect them. She cursed herself for her weakness, she should have been training her eyes more before this. It was never enough.

As each day passed, the conversation as they ate became quieter and more muted, more dictated by strategizing than anything else before drifting into silence. They were all getting a little tired. As they finished up and Hanabi took care to clean up the campsite (since she would be the 'lucky one' sleeping in), Konohamaru got comfortable a short distance from the tent. She looked at him with something like longing before being nudged by Udon, who gestured at the tent.

If she was going to be forced to rest, she might as well take full advantage and be at her best.

The next morning, she woke up before Konohamaru and was surprised to find his nose nearly touching hers. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried not to make too much noise, so as to not disturb his slumber. She glanced out the corner of her eye to find the sun wasn't quite peeking through yet. Without a sound, she activated her byakugan and found the chakra networks of Moegi and Udon in the distance, and fortunately, no others. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she rested her eyes back on him.

In a silly way, she was pleased he had kept his scarf wrapped up the way she had fixed it earlier in the trip. She wondered if he would keep it that way after they returned. She also couldn't help but wonder what he would look like in the jōnin flak. If she was honest, she thought it would look quite good on him. She smiled when she saw his nose scrunch up as a stray piece of his hair brushed against it. As softly as she could muster, she reached out and pushed the rogue strand up into his headband.

She gasped when she felt his fingers snatch her wrist, locking it into place. With a thick swallow, she watched as one eye popped open, glaring at her with bleary eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Jeeze," she breathed as she tugged her wrist from his grasp, gently rubbing at it with her other hand. "You had a hair tickling your nose, thought I'd help." He blinked thrice before a lazy smile fell over his features.

"Well don't let me stop you." He reached up to rub at his crusty eye, jaw opening wide with a yawn. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, pulling her hands back into her chest. He finally blinked both eyes open before letting his arms fall in front of him. "How are your eyes?"

Without realizing it, she scrunched up her nose, missing his eyes dipping to the action with a little smile. Silently, the veins around her eyes came to life and she found the full range of her sight reinstated, and she let out a little sigh of relief. "All better."

"See?" he boasted, reaching out to pat the side of her head patronizingly. She batted at his hands as the veins relaxed, turning away from him. "Team leader knows best."

"I wonder if you'll ever let that go," she whispered with a huff, arms stiff at her sides.

He grinned at her bratty behavior. "Not likely. I think I'll hold on to it long enough to lord it over you with Boruto."

"How dare you!" she gasped, but it was light-hearted, and they both broke into a little fit of laughter.

"Better go check on Moegi and Udon," he thought, lifting up on his palms to sit upright. She nodded in agreement and followed suit, both exiting the tent.

Moegi and Udon were already sitting at the campfire eating breakfast with their portions still in the pan. With thanks, they sat down to eat and discuss their strategy for crossing the rain within 16 hours. It would be tough, Hanabi wasn't very fond of rain. But aside from that, it was a constant downpour and quite cold. They would trek through with ponchos, taking periodic breaks wherever they found shelter to warm up before taking off again. Konohamaru noted they would rely heavily on Hanabi's byakugan, as the constant, heavy rain made it hard for even the best sensory types to sense through.

It was a little nerve-wracking, but she knew that was probably one of the reasons she was selected to go on this mission. She was determined to come back with the other three singing her praises and proving her worth as a kunoichi. She wasn't necessarily worried about herself, either, as her eyes were fully recovered. It was more a worry for her comrades and how they might handle battle should it arise. She hadn't really missioned with them much since they became chūnin, so she wasn't totally sure how they were in combat.

Shortly after they awoke, they had eaten and packed up, ready to set out for the ominous dark clouds that awaited them.


Hanabi couldn't remember the last time she had been so relieved to check in to an inn. Her diplomatic travels often had them staying in hotels every night, but such was a luxury for shinobi. Six straight days of non-stop running with only short intervals of sleep on the hard earth was no joke, and Hanabi would never make light of it again. Not to mention one full day of it being through pouring rain. The ponchos did help, but not by much. As soon as she and Moegi opened the door to their room, Hanabi immediately fell back into the plush of the bed, feeling like she could fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"You wanna hit the spa real quick before bed?" Moegi asked as she dumped her bag on the bed, then tugging at the ties around her satchels to loosen them.

Hanabi looked up in thought before nodding. "Why not?"

The two girls gathered their things before heading down the hall, finding Udon and Konohamaru about to enter the male side.

"Same idea." Moegi snickered quietly, giving a wave before sliding the door to the female side open, unaware that Hanabi had frozen behind her.

They were shirtless. Had she ever seen Konohamaru shirtless? She wasn't sure. But it wasn't an unwelcome sight. She found she couldn't move her eyes from his chest, tracing the defining lines from his collarbone down to his waist. Her bottom lip was tucked into her teeth and she was white-knuckling the towel clutched to her chest. He was in nothing except a towel around his hips, and the sight was sinful if Hanabi was honest. No headband, no scarf, no jacket. Just a full-grown, fully defined Konohamaru basically naked in front of her.

"Earth to Hanabi…"

With a start, her eyes darted to Moegi who was looking at her with mockingly raised eyebrows, arms folded. Then she looked back at Konohamaru, who was giving her a knowing look, and she didn't miss the wink.

Oh no. You're the pervert!

"Sorry!" she managed to squeak out, tearing her eyes from the older boy and ducking behind the entrance of the female side.

Avoiding Moegi's stare, she hurried towards an empty tub and slipped in. She set the towel next to her and ducked as far in as she could to cover her cheeks as best as she could. Casually, Moegi joined her across the way, sliding in with a smirk that Hanabi barely caught as she dared a glance. "Something on your mind, Hanabi?"

"No."

"Really?"

"No."

"So there is?"

"I mean yes."

"So…there is?"

"NO!" Hanabi thundered unintentionally, gulping audibly as she glared at the other girl. They both looked up when they heard chuckling from the other side and she let out an irritated groan. "Just trying to relax, okay?"

"Sure," Moegi relented with a quirk of the corner of her lips, relaxing backward into the water.

To her relief, Moegi dropped it and the girls were able to relax (one more than the other) for the next hour. Despite the embarrassing event, Hanabi was thankful for the spa. The hot water and bath salts soothed her aching muscles, and she was able to relax with her head back on a towel, eyes shut, and resting.

Afterward, Hanabi and Moegi went to the tiny kitchen to pick up a few pork-filled bao, Hanabi's treat, then retreated to bed to get their rest in before their most important stretch of travel. Through the Rock.


"Sorry!"

Konohamaru almost felt paralyzed himself by the interaction. Hanabi was staring at him and it took everything he had not to ogle her back, his own mother's voice quietly gnawing at the back of his mind to be respectful. Moegi and Udon let out chuckles as each retreated into their respective gendered spa rooms, and Konohamaru had to shake off the paralysis. Finally, he followed Udon in and joined him in one of the tubs.

"She was checking me out, right?" Konohamaru asked loftily as he rested the back of his head in his palms. Udon placed his glasses behind him as he snickered.

"Are you asking me so you can brag?" Udon questioned, sinking into the water. Konohamaru threw him a cocky grin before closing his eyes.

"NO!"

"I think Moegi's teasing her." Udon chuckled and Konohamaru joined him in the laugh.

Konohamaru hummed in contentment as he let the hot water soak his bones. They were making great time, they had three entire days to breach through the Rock. They would probably be ahead of schedule. And he was getting to be around Hanabi again. And he caught her checking him out. It was shaping up to be a pretty great mission, especially for an A-Rank that he was the leader of. He was ecstatic to get back and report in to Kakashi, he wouldn't even mind the paperwork for this one. Not to mention telling Naruto all about it.

Maybe he and Hanabi would go together to tell Naruto and Hinata how successful they were. What a nice thought.

He had failed to tell her about the talk his mom gave him the morning before their mission was assigned. Apparently, Hiashi had come to her to secure a promise that Konohamaru would look out for Hanabi. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that, it would only be bad for her morale. But it was fun to think about that icy old man having such a big heart for his daughter that he'd go to his overbearing mother to ensure her son would keep her safe. It was part of the reason he kept a keen eye on her byakugan.

As a non-Hyūga, it was a bit difficult to see the signs of exhaustion, especially since Hyūga tended to loathe showing weakness. That was fair, he admitted, no one really liked to show weakness. But Hyūga took it a little farther, he thought, pushing themselves to the brink just to make a point about their 'skills' or whatever. So when she was periodically deactivating and reactivating her byakugan, seemingly struggling to get it to reactivate at times, he knew it had to be pretty bad. Hanabi was definitely not one to willingly show struggle.

He got to make his first decision as a team leader that was protested by someone. But it was an easy decision for him. No reason to force her to join him on watch when he could do it just fine himself. It was worth it to see her relaxed face that morning after he had seemingly frightened her. Internally, he cursed himself for squandering the chance to let her touch him. He hadn't even realized, just woke with a start with someone's finger tucked under his headband. Realizing it was her after catching her wrist, he wanted to grab the hand back.

But alas, this was their jōnin-test mission and he couldn't let himself get distracted by his desires. He wondered if she ever felt the same, conflicted as he was.

Seeing her with that obnoxious brother of the feudal lord stirred jealousy within him, an emotion he wasn't sure he had experienced too often. He spent most of his time training and missioning or hanging out with Udon and Moegi or his mother. He didn't really look at girls too often, content with the time he had with Hanabi. Maybe it was foolish, but he couldn't really envision himself enamored with anyone else. No, not maybe it was foolish, it was foolish. She was the heiress of the Leaf's most prestigious clan, he didn't have a chance, third Hokage's grandson or not.

She was destined to be married to a powerful politician, or maybe the head of another prestigious clan, or perhaps within her clan, to another powerful Hyūga. He shuddered at the thought but didn't see what he could do about it. Despite the fact he knew she looked at him the same way he looked at her, it couldn't happen. Seeing her being sandwiched with a dignitary solidified that belief and made him distant. He regretted the hurt he could detect in her eyes but felt it was the right course of action so neither of them had to endure the inevitable pain the future was to hold.

No, he did not expect Hanabi to be at the little dinner Naruto threw for his 19th birthday party but was relieved when the night ended on a happy note. Well, relieved and also worried. Sure, he wanted nothing more than to have her in his life again and vice versa, to be at ease with one another once more. But the whole purpose of his avoiding her was to avoid the future hurt that was destined to fall upon them. Perhaps she was his weakness, making him do silly things and say even sillier things.

The way she spoke so bluntly, the way she snapped at him, the way she turned red when he flirted with her. It did something to him that no one else had successfully done. Maybe it was that they were both looked at with great expectations, that sense of responsibility weighing on both of them. Being able to find solace in one another, assured that they weren't the odd people out if they had each other. Conversation flowed naturally with her when they weren't reduced to their teenage hormones guiding their feelings.

Perhaps he could be okay with just being friends. Good friends, right? It didn't have to go past that for them to enjoy each other's company. It was selfish of him to think if he was going to have her, he had to have all of her. It was beyond his control, his emotions. But his actions, he could control. Even when she made it damn hard when she ogled him like that.


Refreshed, the team met in the dining area to briefly go over their game plan. Stick to the shadows and avoid any chakra signatures Hanabi could detect, whether they seemed friendly or not. And move fast, that part was important. Thankfully, all four of them were pretty light on their feet, and Hanabi was more than skilled in being sneaky. That was what most of her missions were all about, anyway. She couldn't help but feel smug that it was likely the reason why Kakashi chose this mission for them, with a tracking shinobi being recommended.

The day started out calm and quiet. All four were dead silent, only the light whistling of their leaps coursing through the dry air of the Rock. It wasn't the most pleasant chunk of land; it lived up to its name. It was rocky terrain, with not much vegetation to be seen. It made it a little tougher to stay concealed, so they opted to remove their headbands, Moegi and Udon throwing more casual clothes over their chūnin flak jackets to attempt to not totally give away their position.

Based on the map they had looked over, it would take them maybe two days assuming nothing went sideways. But things always went sideways, and they had a buffer of an entire day since the package was to be delivered close to the border between the Keys and the Rock. So if something did go wrong, they'd have an entire day to recuperate. Hanabi, despite the bundle of nerves tugging at her gut, felt confident.

They worked in teams as the day progressed, two further up the trail, and two hanging back. Hanabi was always upfront with her byakugan as to ensure she'd be able to warn of trouble ahead if needed, and Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru took turns joining her ahead. It was a good strategy, and they were able to break for a passing moment when they passed a particularly large rock structure, good enough to shield them from the view of most angles. They only stopped for a few minutes to chug water and gnaw on their rations before they were off again.

Getting so close was filling Hanabi with excitement. They were perhaps half of the way there when the sun fully disappeared, leaving them in darkness. Konohamaru recalled the rest of the team to regroup. "Alright, as we go forward, keep an eye out for a good place to stop for the night. We'll be up before the sun rises and keep going."

"Why don't we just keep going now?" Moegi asked forcefully, to which Konohamaru shook his head. "Why not?! We're all still energetic after that long rest back in the Rain, I think we're all ready to just make the stretch. Right?" She turned to Udon and Hanabi, who both nodded after a moment. Hanabi couldn't help but agree, the prospect of arriving early was too good, and getting a little one up on Konohamaru didn't hurt, either.

"Hanabi's eyes have to rest," Konohamaru pointed out and it made her teeth clench together.

Confidently, she stepped forward. "Moegi's right, we're all rested and ready. No point in stopping."

"Your eyes going without a break for 24 hours seems dangerous." Konohamaru frowned, folding his arms as he looked down at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Stop underestimating me! I'm just as capable as the rest of you!" she snapped, pointing an accusing finger up at him. "We're wasting time when we could be there by the time the sun goes down tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Moegi cheered with a fist pump.

Konohamaru glanced with weary eyes at Udon's glasses-covered ones. "Well, do you agree, Udon?"

"I mean, I feel good," Udon added finally, pulling in an arm to stretch. "It's really Hanabi who we're depending on, so if she feels fine, I don't see why not."

With a sigh, Konohamaru shook his head, turning his back to the team. "Well, even as team leader, I guess I can't argue against 3 to 1." Hanabi found herself beaming as they tugged out a win. "And it would be a good way to avoid enemies in the cover of darkness…" a little sigh, "fine."

"Alright! Let's go!" Moegi clapped, already ready to launch before Konohamaru recalled her.

"Stay back with me, Moegi. I wanna talk to you. Udon, go with Hanabi." He nodded from Udon to Hanabi, and all three perked an eyebrow at the order.

With a shrug, Udon stepped next to Hanabi. "Ready?"


The excitement in her chest grew with every passing minute, every rock they passed, every hop off her heel. They had been going non-stop for the last five hours and Hanabi was surprised to find she didn't feel as exhausted as she probably should. Was she pushing her eyes too far? Yes, absolutely. But it was just for one day, and they could rest easy when they got to their location.

Unfortunately, as predicted, things always went sideways.

"Moegi and Konohamaru's chakra networks stopped." Hanabi skidded to a halt, Udon stopping next to her.

"They stopped? Just now?"

"Let's go check on them."

Her instinct was right, and she felt everything in her snap tight at the sight of Konohamaru with his kunai raised, ready to strike, but with Moegi being held at knifepoint. They were surrounded by about ten, give or take, people, all with weapons drawn and ready to attack. It was unclear whether they were shinobi themselves, no headbands in sight.

"What are you guys, bandits? You're making a mistake," Konohamaru spat as Hanabi and Udon landed next to him, weapons also drawn. He looked down at Hanabi with raised eyebrows, expression quickly turning to one of frustration. "Damnit, Hanabi, go!"

"What?! No!" she retorted with an angry frown. Why would she leave now?

"Ah, perfect," one of the men next to the man holding Moegi called, "the Hyūga!" Hanabi snapped her eyes at the man, her chest tightening. "Pass her over and I'll give you this one."

"What the hell?" Udon stepped forward but stopped as the knife pressed into Moegi's neck, drawing a droplet of blood and a tiny hiss of pain from her.

"That's not happening." Konohamaru scoffed through gritted teeth. "We'll let you guys go back to whatever hole you came out of if you let her go immediately."

"I don't trust Leaf shinobi." One of them commented with a sarcastic smile. They knew?

"How—" Hanabi stopped herself from asking the question out loud, eyes fixated on the knife on her friend's neck. She scanned her brain as she attempted to decide what to do. All of her skills were short to mid-range, not ideal for a hostage situation. She found herself hoping Konohamaru had a strategy.

"Keep your hands out front!" Another shouted at Udon who had snaked his hands behind his back. Quickly, he pulled them back up when the knife was shoved a little further. "C'mon, let's not have to kill all of you just to get the girl, eh? Give her up, we'll let this one go."

Hanabi sighed in frustration. This type of thing would always haunt her—people looking to pluck her eyes to use or sell. Sometimes she nearly wished she had the caged bird seal, then no one would want her. That was a cruel, selfish thought, she knew, but at least shit like this wouldn't happen.

In a flash, Konohamaru next to her disappeared and reappeared behind the duo, catching the man's knife-wielding hand in his own, then shoving a kunai into his side. It all happened so fast, Hanabi barely had time to react. Moegi fell to the ground with force, and soon it turned into an all-out battle. She immediately began focusing her chakra as she heard one of them call out an instruction to capture her and let it wash over her.

She dropped into position and whispered as she weaved the signs of the dog. She looked towards Udon who was whispering the same jutsu, and within a moment, the battle was encompassed in a thick mist. Byakugan activated, she was able to still see her opponents and used that to her advantage. Wiggling her fingers, she summoned chakra needles that her sister had taught her how to create, then began sinking them into every enemy body she could see. As three converged on her while taking the chakra needles, she backflipped away.

"Konohamaru!" She almost froze when she heard Moegi's voice cry out, but quickly recovered. She had to deal with what was in front of her first and foremost. One particularly stubborn enemy was still making for her, so she went back to her gentle fist technique, more comfortable with closer quarters anyway. As the body enclosed on her, she immediately launched her clan's Vacuum Palm technique.

This time, she didn't stop, like she had when she battled Konohamaru in the chūnin exams. She hit, and hit, and hit until eventually, every chakra point was sealed, and the chakra network dimmed to darkness. Taking a split second to inhale labored breaths, her instinct took over as she bolted towards where she recognized Konohamaru's chakra network. Just as the one he was battling took a blow to the jaw from Konohamaru's kunai-wielding hand, she shoved in front of him and began methodically closing his chakra points, too.

"Hanabi!" he yelled, but she barely heard it, all her focus on this chakra network, and making sure it would never light up again. She repeated the process on as many enemies as possible, anyone who crossed her path was destined for it. Until the mist settled, and they were revealed in the light of the peeking sunrise.

"Hanabi!" he called for her again, grabbing her by the shoulder when she had finally stopped. "They're—they're dead! We're okay!" Her breathing shuddered as she turned to look at him, noting his other hand clutching his side, drenched with blood.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed. He flinched as he stepped back just as she stepped forward, holding his other hand out to stop her.

"I'm fine." His voice sounded like barely a breath as Moegi and Udon bolted back to them, Moegi immediately fishing into her pack for medical supplies.

"Lay down, now!" Hanabi commanded, only for him to shake his head.

"We have to get away from this place, then I'll worry about it. Let's go." Hanabi frowned because he was right. It wouldn't be smart to stay here with bodies surrounding them, but she couldn't stop the worry in the back of her mind. He was gushing way too much blood. With a sigh, she nodded. Before definitively moving on, she stopped at the sight around her.

They were encircled by dead people. The sight was gruesome…and she had caused it. Something in her stomach turned over, and she suddenly felt queasy. The bodies were bloody and bruised, pools of blood gathering under each of them as they bled out of holes she had created on their bodies. One of them gave a painful groan, and Hanabi almost vomited when she watched Moegi stomp her foot into his stomach, causing blood to spurt from his mouth and suddenly, he went quiet. She recognized it as the one who had been holding her captive and couldn't blame her.

Still, it was a horrific sight, watching the light leave someone's eyes so abruptly.

Urgently, the four took off at a much slower pace due to Konohamaru's injury, Moegi joining her up front to scout ahead. "Those sick fucks!" she began ranting angrily. "What the hell did they want from you?!" Moegi looked at Hanabi with fire behind her eyes. Hanabi sighed as she looked up at the other girl before tapping the side of her face towards her eyes. Moegi's face fell further. "Your eyes? Like they want to take them out of your head?!" Hanabi swallowed at the description, nodding as she looked forward. "That's sick! That's deranged! How could someone—"

"That looks like a good structure to stop under," Hanabi interrupted with an outstretched hand. She led the group to it and Moegi got to work spreading out her medical supply.

Udon and Hanabi both eased Konohamaru to the ground, his face clearly etched with repressed pain. A small hiss escaped him as his side touched the ground, making Hanabi's stomach flip. She had to know how bad it was. In one motion, she was tearing his jacket open and lifting his shirt. Neither of them had ever imagined being in such an intimate position, Hanabi regretted it had to be this way.

Her heart felt like it was beating right against her ribcage when the gruesome sight was revealed—a large gash several centimeters long and wide. "Oh thank gods," Moegi commented quietly, to which they all gave her a questioning look. "It didn't hit any vital organs," she explained as she began dumping water from her canteen over the wound. "Don't be a baby," she snapped when he gave another hiss of pain.

"I just got stabbed, Moegi. Can I catch a tiny break?" Despite the injury, his voice strained to sound spirited. Hanabi felt absolutely terrible at that moment as she watched Moegi work to patch up the wound. If she hadn't…

"I'm sorry, Konohamaru," Hanabi whispered as she rested on her knees next to his other side. He glanced up at her and shook his little slightly, giving no response as they set their eyes back on Moegi's work. After a moment, Hanabi asked, "can I use some of my clan's healing jutsu on you?"

"Hyūga have healing jutsu?" Udon questioned as he stood over the trio.

Hanabi nodded in response, and Konohamaru gave a weak smile. "I'll take all the healing I can get." Hanabi reactivated her byakugan and traced the patterns of his chakra network briefly before hovering her hands over the spot near his wound, close to his heart.

She focused chakra into her palms and imparted some of it into the chakra point. It was different from typical medical jutsu, specifically targeted for chakra reserves.

"Guess I'm pretty lucky, getting healed from both sides," he said wistfully, and Hanabi had to smile. It wasn't every day an injured ninja was receiving treatment from two sources, one for physical injury and one for chakra energy. "It feels like I'm getting a boost of chakra."

"Then it's working," she responded quietly, focusing her attention on the point until she deemed it to look in better shape. As she pulled her hands away and deactivated her byakugan, Moegi was finishing her stitching before moving on to typical healing jutsu. "We should have stopped for the night…then you two wouldn't have gotten hurt."

She darted her eye over the little cut in Moegi's neck, still untended as she focused her energy on Konohamaru. Moegi frowned without looking up. "Could've happened during the day, too. Can't be helped. We're going to be fine."

"She's right," Konohamaru chimed in, resting his head back on the ground as the healing energy soothed the wound. "We will be fine."

Hanabi sighed longingly as she watched the chakra slowly seal up the wound. She had really believed they were going to make it without any hiccups. It was a foolish thought, because yes, things would always go sideways.


Once they crossed the border of the Rock and the Keys, they were breathing sighs of relief. All knew not to get too comfortable, of course, because things could always go wrong anyway, especially being so close to the Rock, but still. It was nice to know they were just about done. They had to take a little time to recuperate, but were back on the road shortly, albeit at a slightly slower pace to accommodate Konohamaru's recovery. Hanabi had offered to carry him, half-jokingly, but he swiftly declined.

And soon, they arrived at the location they were given. A great, large temple came into view, where they were to deliver the package. Cautiously, Konohamaru led them in with a gentle push on the door. They found a woman kneeling in the front by herself, no other chakra networks apparent in the building. She didn't turn even as their steps filled the room, so Konohamaru cleared his throat. "Excuse me, ma'am? We're here to deliver a package."

They watched as the woman slowly rose to her feet before turning, and Hanabi felt a pang of nausea at the sight of an eyeless, elderly lady. Her sockets were empty, leaving them looking that sickly pink. Despite it, she had a smile on her face. "You're early."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Moegi piped up, folding her arms and ignoring the strange sight. The woman nodded briefly before starting to walk toward the group.

"Oh, no need to come to us!" Konohamaru said quickly, launching forward to stop her. "Uh—here—"

"I'm not a weak woman," she snapped, though it sounded playful. Hanabi couldn't help but stare at the woman. She noted the simple cloth headband over her forehead. "And there's no need for you to stare, Lady Hanabi."

"Huh?" Hanabi blinked, taken off guard. "I apologize…but, who are you?"

"Just a humble servant of the gods," she responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say. "Shizuka Hyūga."

"Hyūga?" Udon repeated on behalf of Hanabi, who went wide-eyed.

Oh gods…her eyes…

"The package?" she inquired without answering Udon, now facing Konohamaru. All were seemingly stunned to silence, but he proceeded forward, fishing out the package he had been protecting. When he set it in her hands, all except Hanabi were looking over eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of what this important delivery was. Hanabi was still processing the Hyūga reveal.

The woman matched the features of her clan, she realized. Long, cascading dark hair, pale features, possibly even more pale than normal from perhaps being inside often. The headband undoubtedly covering a curse mark. All that was absent were the eyes. Her eyes had at one point either been destroyed or taken. She had never seen a member of her clan without their eyes.

"Herbs?" Moegi commented with a frown, snapping Hanabi back to the topic of the package. "Medicine, or something?"

Still not bothering to respond, the woman pulled a scroll from inside her robe. "Upon return, give this to your Hokage as proof of successful completion. I thank you."

"Wait." Hanabi stepped forward. She didn't care if she was on a mission, she had to know. "You said Hyūga. You're from my clan?"

"Was."

"I…" Konohamaru started, looking wearily at the other two, "I think we should probably leave them alone…"

Without a word, the three exited the temple, leaving just Hanabi staring down her fellow clanswoman. She swallowed hard before continuing, "what…what happened to you?"

"Oh, I don't think I should tell you." The woman had a playful smile on her lips, and despite the lack of eyes, wrinkles next to the sockets formed.

Hanabi shook her head, stepping forward. "Where are your eyes? Why are you all the way out here?" She let out a frustrated sigh when the woman turned away from her, making her way back to the alter she was kneeling at. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Lady Hanabi," the woman started, as she rested on her knees, "I regret that I cannot see you once more. See the woman you've grown into. Tell me, is your sister well?"

"You—you know us?"

"What a silly question from the heiress."

She felt like she was being mocked, and she didn't like it. "Can you stop playing games and just answer me?"

"But I am no longer part of the Hyūga clan. You cannot control me," the woman responded, still not turning to face her. Hanabi twitched at the next comment, "well. I suppose there is one way you could."

"I would never use that," Hanabi spat, folding her arms. "Never."

"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully before relenting, "my eyes were stolen during a mission. The main family didn't take too kindly to the idea that the byakugan had been stolen. You can probably guess the rest."

"But…but if you have the curse mark…shouldn't they have…"

"The curse mark is a more…recent addition."

Hanabi's stomach dropped. Someone from the main family. "Exile?"

"For shaming the Hyūga name."

Clenching her fists, she asked through gritted teeth, "how can they?"

"Do not be upset, Lady Hanabi." Her tone seemed genuine. "It is simply my destiny."

An image of her older cousin flashed in her mind.

Destiny, destiny, destiny.

"That's bullshit!"

She grimaced as the woman chuckled light-heartedly. "Perhaps. Please don't fret over me. I am happy with my station in life now, Lady Hanabi."

"How can you still refer to me by that title?" Hanabi asked disbelievingly, "after what my family did to you?"

"You should be going." Again, the woman ignored questions she didn't seem to deem worthy of answering. "Again, I thank you for the delivery."

"Come back with us." She started walking towards the woman but was stopped when she finally stood up again. "Come back to the Leaf. I'll fight for your return in front of the council."

"That's not necessary." The woman held up her hand as she turned to face her. "It might be hard to believe, Lady Hanabi, but I'm actually happier here."

"You…you are?" Hanabi asked, taking a step back as if she had been shoved lightly. "Because you can't be controlled…"

Once again, the woman hummed as if content. "Safe travels, Lady Hanabi."