AN: Chapter 14 arrives! This month has been no less busy than the last. I have my actual work schedule now and it is certainly interesting, but I get 4 days off so… no real complaints I guess. My job is very physical though. And my fingers in particular are often sore. Here's to hoping this doesn't lead to carpal tunnel or something…

In other news, Happy New Year's and a merry belated Christmas.

Now then, let us get on with the show. Enjoy.

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Tensions

Ruby knelt at her father's grave, her eyes shadowed by her tilted head and her bangs. She didn't care that her knees were wet from the rain; nor did she pay any heed to the biting chill of the air. She couldn't focus on any one thought, but at the same time she had so many questions running through her head. How had she hurt Salem? Why did Salem know her mother? And most importantly, how was she going to find Yang and Weiss? Could she even accomplish that?

Ruby desperately wanted answers, but she couldn't even bring herself to think on her worries long enough to work through them. Every subject pained her to no end. Thinking of one simply led her thoughts to the others in a never ending cycle. She accomplished nothing and it had been like this for nearly a week now. She hadn't said much of anything in days and despite her friends trying to cheer her up, they hadn't seen much success.

It was hard for them to see the ever bright Ruby in such clear distress and sorrow, but they didn't quite know what to do. Nora told the others to just leave her be. Ruby needed time to herself so she could process everything that'd happened to her as of late. That kind of advice coming from her had been the last thing most of them expected, but she'd expressed it with such a serious face and mellow tone that no one questioned her words.

Blake was the one most vehemently against the idea, but ultimately she'd kept such thoughts to herself. She wasn't in any condition to try and give Ruby the help she needed and honestly she felt Qrow was the only one in any sort of position to properly comfort Ruby right now. She was glad Ruby had him and if she could be honest with herself, Blake desperately wished she could run into the arms of her parents right now.

Just slightly behind Ruby stood her uncle Qrow. He had a firm grip on an umbrella, using it to shield Ruby from the pouring rain. He wasn't under it himself. Qrow was sharing an umbrella with his sister, Raven. He had been sure she felt her connection with Taiyang severed, but he was still rather surprised to see her appear before them just as they'd planned on finding a way back to Vale.

Qrow took a deep breath as he remembered what she was like when she showed up, eyes blazing with fury and maiden power, tear-stained cheeks, and her blade brandished and ready to strike down Tai's killer. He'd attempted to calm her down, but it was ultimately a foolish endeavor. Nothing could have calmed Raven in that moment… And this was all before Qrow told her who murdered Tai and what happened to Yang.

Qrow had always known his sister to be vicious and stubborn, which is why it physically pained him to watch how quickly all the fight left her eyes when she found out Salem took Tai from her. He'd known Raven all his life, but never before had he seen or heard her weep so openly and loudly as she did at that moment.

Qrow tightened his grip on the umbrella as he glanced up to the cloudy, grey sky. He desperately wished Taiyang was still alive. His niece and his sister were in pain.

I don't know how to help…

A week is not as much time as people think. It seems insufferably long at certain moments, but on most occasions a person finds themselves wondering where all their time had gone. That's how Hinata felt right now. Initially, her heartache made her feel as though her days would be never-ending, yet she always ended them lying awake in bed, wondering why everything seemed like such a blur.

In the end, she and all the other shinobi were just too busy for her days to pass at a crawl. Her waking moments were spent searching for deceased comrades and giving them proper burials alongside her fellow survivors. What was once the world's largest battlefield was now its largest grave. It made her sick just thinking about all the people who had to die but as long as her mind was focused on her tasks, Hinata didn't have to think about Naruto.

He tried to talk to her the first two days but Hinata avoided him easily enough with her Byakugan and help from Shino and Kiba. Neither of them questioned why she was avoiding him and that was okay with her. Hinata was thankful they were respecting her privacy. She didn't want to tell them why she was so miserable. Kiba would likely try and confront Naruto if she did. Day three passed without any sort of worry as far as running into him was concerned. She heard from Sakura that he was busy with the Biju.

Now here she was, four days later and standing before the Hokage. She'd felt a little uncomfortable being with Tsunade all alone. The Hokage's office felt far more empty without her team by her side. Hinata had originally been curious why none of them had been called alongside her. When Tsunade spoke, for once, Hinata's anxiety had been spot on. She couldn't believe the order Tsunade had given her. Am I being punished for something? Does she just want to gloat? Hinata wondered.

"W-why would she want me?" Hinata inquired.

"I couldn't tell you but the report from Kakashi states that she specifically requested you," Tsunade responded. Hinata looked to the floor. She didn't want Tsunade to see her face right now.

"I don't understand. I d-don't even speak her language," Hinata responded. She was looking for any sort of out. Not that it mattered. A mission was a mission after all.

"Yes… I'm aware, however… Between your Byakugan and Sasuke's genjutsu, it shouldn't take you too long to learn." Tsunade's response brought with it a silence that spoke of finality. Hinata sighed and Tsunade continued. "Look… I understand why you wouldn't want to do this, but unintentional as it has been, we've inconvenienced our guests merely by them being here. There's no telling if we'll maintain relations with them after we get them back home, so I need to act as a good host in the hopes of better future politics. You were requested specifically, Hinata. I need you to do this."

Hinata sighed once more. "As you wish, Hokage-sama." She turned and walked back toward the door, trying her best not to take quick steps as she wanted to. Just as her fingers brushed the handle, Tsunade called out to her again.

"Hinata… For what it's worth, I am sorry…"

Hinata left without responding.

Yang liked Konoha; it reminded her of Patch. The air was the freshest she'd ever experienced and the forests were lush. It left her feeling nostalgic and she wanted to just wander off into the trees more than anything. Yang was certainly a city girl. She loved it, truly, but there was always just something about nature that helped to calm her.

Yang supposed that one's upbringing always stayed with them in some way. And she was so thankful for it right now. She desperately needed to de-stress. Yang was pushing the anguish of her father's death to the side purely by focusing on the fact she was stranded in another dimension with a missing hand. And to top it all off her undoubtedly grieving sister was a dimension away and her only family left were Qrow and Raven—and Yang didn't count Raven.

Yang sighed as she set her chin into her palm, looking out the window to the bustling streets below. The villagers of Konoha were busy going about their day. She assumed the civilians were just trying to get errands done and the shinobi were undoubtedly preparing for the newest threat on the horizon. And here she was, stuck at a dining table in a secured hotel room with her fellow dimension hoppers, minus Winter. She was busy with Kakashi.

It was a comfortable room. Large enough to accommodate them all and the beds were like clouds. Yang wondered why there was such a large room and had voiced as much when she woke up this morning. Weiss, hair frazzled from sleep and voice scratchy, told her that it was likely for accommodating important, high-profile guests with families. It was essentially about politics.

The only thing that threw Yang off about the room was how far behind they were in terms of technology. It didn't make sense to her. As far as Yang was aware, conflict typically led to technological advancement. She doubted it was more peaceful here than it was on Remnant. So what was stopping them from moving forward?

She shook the thoughts away and let her mind wander to other things. Yang wanted to be training right now, but there was little she could do. Apart from the stress, she just wasn't motivated without her hand. She felt weak now. How could she fight like this? Yang sighed again and wished Naruto was here. He was probably the only thing that could relieve her stress right now aside from a good walk in the forest—which she couldn't do as they were on lockdown. Hokage's orders apparently.

She didn't even know where he was. Yang assumed Naruto was training with Sasuke, but she really couldn't be sure. She didn't know enough about his responsibilities here to truly guess.

"Are… you alright?" Cinder asked, pulling the chair across from Yang out and taking a seat. Yang's eyes cut over to her.

"My dad was just murdered by your old boss. She took my hand, killed my stepmother years ago, and tried to kill my sister too. What do you think?" Yang all but spat. Yang watched as Cinder glanced away, but then the woman's eyes seemed to sharpen as she looked to her again.

"I am sorry for your loss. I can… somewhat understand." Cinder's response made Yang's nostrils flare. Her eyes flashed red for a moment before she took a calming breath.

"How could you possibly…?"

"Salem took my mother and father from me too." Cinder responded. Yang blinked.

"Then how could you possibly work for her!?" Yang couldn't understand it. She could never fathom doing something like that herself. Salem was unforgivable.

"It is… complicated. She did not kill them directly. Her Grimm did it and it sparked my thirst for power. So that no one could take anything from me ever again. If I'm the strongest, then who would possibly stand against me? Power was everything. By the time I met her and discovered she controlled the Grimm, I was already a different person… and besides, I could not kill her. I could follow her or die. I made my choice." Cinder replied.

Truthfully, what Cinder had just told Yang was just as much fiction as it was truth. Combining the lives of Amber and Cinder Fall into something she could express was a challenge. Amber hated the Grimm with a passion because of their role in her parents' deaths. She would never work for Salem. Cinder's parents had been vile and taught her through their actions that caring for herself and forsaking others was all that mattered. They led completely different lives but being within Cinder's body meant that the part of her that was Amber had to be accountable for Cinder's life decisions.

"It hurts," Yang spoke after a moment.

"I know. Is there anything I can do to help?" It was the only real olive branch Cinder could offer Yang.

"I… I'm not sure. I just… I have so much on my plate right now. Could you… maybe keep Winter off mine and Naruto's case for a few days? I'm going to be stressed enough without dealing with her too." Yang heard Cinder hum before the woman leaned back into her chair, crossing her long legs elegantly. Her eyes followed them as Cider made the movement and Yang only tore her gaze away when Cinder next spoke.

"Very well."

"Thank you," Yang smiled.

Sakura groaned as she sank into her chair, massaging her temples as she started up at the ceiling of the office she shared with Tsunade and Shizune. It was littered with scrolls and books, or it was. She'd cleaned up a bit after she came in. A bit of organization would benefit her right now.

Sakura had a lot of research to do. Trying to create a new hand for Yang was hard. No harder than she'd expected, but that didn't make the work any less tedious. Sakura knew her plan was feasible but the necessary work was rough and Tsunade had been so busy since their return to Konoha that she hadn't had a chance to run anything by her yet.

Her master was a fount of medical knowledge and Sakura would appreciate any information she could provide her. Did she think she could achieve this without help? Yes, she could. But that would take her even more time. Time they didn't have.

But what could she do? Tsunade would be busy for at least another day before she could delegate some of her responsibilities to others. Sakura didn't want to go too much further in her plans without her teacher's input so instead, she would explore another avenue. Yang did not have chakra. Sakura knew this aura could react favorably to chakra but since it wasn't quite the same energy, she wanted to be sure her plan would actually benefit the woman. For that, she needed to examine aura more in-depth than she already had.

This is precisely why she was so happy when she heard a knock on her door. Her appointment for the day was finally here.

"Come in," Sakura called. The door opened to reveal Kakashi, but Sakura was far more interested in the woman behind him: Winter. The woman had volunteered to be examined so that the younger women from her dimension would not have to. Sakura assumed Winter must have some authority where she came from. The way she carried herself and cared for those around her said as much. "have her lie down Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura watched as Kakashi turned to her and spoke in that odd language of theirs, gesturing toward the bed near the window. He had successfully copied what Sasuke had learned through the use of genjutsu. Even without the sharingan, Kakashi was quick on the uptake. He had a genius mind and Sakura was extremely thankful for it right now. Naruto and Sasuke were occupied; waiting on them would have been a huge delay.

Sakura knew it probably would have just been easier overall if she learned the language herself, but she wasn't quite comfortable with Sasuke using his eyes on her again. Not yet, anyway. Besides, she wasn't sure she would have picked up the language as quickly as Kakashi had. He was truly something special.

Winter nodded and went to lie down. Kakashi stepped up to Sakura at the same time. "She wants to know if there's anything else she needs to do."

"Can you tell her to remove any articles of clothing ok her upper body? Oh. Cover your eyes with your headband and turn around, please. Despite all the porn you read I don't think you'd try to peek at her but you can't leave and I'm sure she'd be more comfortable if you were overt in not looking at her," Sakura replied.

Kakashi nodded and did as she said as he spoke to Winter. Sakura watched her cheeks warm as the woman followed her instructions. When Winter was done Sakura allowed her hands to hover over her body as she let her chakra flow. Hopefully, the secrets of aura would no longer be so secret to her after this.

It was late. Hours had already passed since she'd been in Tsunade's office, but Hinata couldn't avoid this any longer. She would have liked to get the undoubtedly horrible experience ahead of her over with earlier in the day but that wasn't an option. She needed to have Sasuke cast his genjutsu and if she still didn't have a proper grasp of the language after that then she'd still need him or Naruto there to translate.

Hinata let a shaky breath pass her lips as she knocked. She hoped the genjutsu was enough. She did not want Naruto around as she spoke to his… no. Hinata did not want him around at all. And Sasuke simply made her uncomfortable for obvious reasons.

The door opened and Hinata came face to face with Naruto's girlfriend. Hinata's heart clenched. Yang smiled and let her in. She glanced around as she stepped past the threshold, all eyes were on her. Except for one person's. Sai was the only person from the EN in the room. The rest of the inhabitants gazed at her in a mixture of interest and apprehension.

"Um… you are the only one on security detail, Sai?" Hinata asked. Yang shut the door.

"Naruto and duck-butt are still out. I have Anbu stationed outside and duck-butt will be here soon," Sai replied.

"I'm here now," Sasuke grunted, seemingly just appearing within the room near the open window. No one had noticed him and though his expression seemed bland, Hinata had known him from a young age, however. Three or so years away from the village doesn't really change that. She could tell he seemed annoyed with Sai. Likely about the duck-butt thing.

Sai smiled, nodded, and went to observe the street.

"Sasuke… It's been a long time," Hinata greeted. She received a hum in reply and a nod as he looked around the room.

"Where's Winter, Sai?" Sasuke asked.

"Kakashi took her to Sakura this morning. For observation."

"I see… Alright. Are you prepared, Hinata?"

"Uh… y-yes," she replied, activating her byakugan. Truthfully, Hinata did not want to be under the gaze of his sharingan, but there was little she could do about it. Besides… Naruto trusted him to not hurt them. Regardless of how things had turned out with him, she still trusted his judgment.

When Hinata next blinked, all of Sasuke's study from Remnant played out to her. It was distressing how his genjutsu was able to bypass her byakugan's natural defenses so easily, but that feeling quickly faded under the sheer quantity of information being dumped into her mid. It was nauseating. She couldn't possibly remember all of this right now.

Hinata persevered as seconds passed like hours and then suddenly it was all over.

"Well?" Sasuke asked. Hinata thought he sounded a little weird, but she responded nonetheless.

"I… got enough…" her tongue felt weird in her own mouth and that's when she realized she was speaking a language foreign to her. And understanding it.

"Good enough. I'm leaving now. Naruto is still waiting for me so we can complete our training for the day." Sasuke replied. Hinata blinked. He was gone.

"I hate how he does that," Emerald grumbled. Hinata could only agree.

"Hello, Hinata. I'm happy you and I can finally talk." Hinata noted that she actually sounded genuine in her getting. The Hyuga princess turned to her and opened her mouth briefly before shutting it. She took a second before she tried again.

"H-hello. I am Hyuga Hinata, Princess—no... that's not the right word... um... I'm the heiress of the Hyuga clan. I will be acting as a… delegate of Konohagakure for the d-duration of your stay here. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Y-Yang Xiaolong, Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and you and your sister Winter as well, Weiss Schnee." Hinata replied, offering the gathered women a bow.

"Well, we're happy to have you. Before we all chat though, do you think I could have a private word with you?" Yang inquired. Hinata agreed with a smile but on the inside, she was frowning. She knew this was a bad idea.

That's the chapter. Works been kicking my butt and I've been reading more lately. I may end up fiddling with the way I type my chapters from now on, but who knows. Again, a merry belated Christmas to all of you reading and a happy new year's. I hope to continue to hear from you all as we move into 2022. See you next month!

If there are any questions you all have, feel free to leave a review. If you want some sort of more in-depth discussion, then go ahead join the discord. Peace out.

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