Hey, hey!

This...was a long day for me lol. I didn't know if I was going to get to upload this chapter. I left my laptop at work. Personal problems today, but I made it a mission to travel 25 mins to the office to get my laptop because this is my stress reliever!

So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter lol.

Keep in mind last chapter. Hinata's birthday. Sasuke fears for Naruto and Hinata. Now, watch to see if his nightmares become reality.

Hinata fell on the ground and hit the wall in the dojo with the back of her head first.

She groaned a little and held her now tender crown. She quickly got back up to dodge Neji and his roundhouse kick as he followed her. She lowered herself and used her own legs to try to sideswipe Neji, but it didn't work. He avoided it.

They've been training together for about three weeks now and it had gotten to the point that they were both on the defense from one another a lot. Neji had to admit to himself that Hinata's form wasn't too terrible, but she was a little behind. Not on a bad level like being behind her sister or anything.

Neji already knew that Hinata was never behind Hanabi, she just didn't want Hanabi to appear to be behind her. Hinata's kindness was weakness to Neji. Why not show you are the dominant one? Why not show that you could hold your own against the higher ups in the clan? It made Neji angry because Hinata knew she had people in the family that relied on her to succeed. The branch family needed her and Hinata benched herself so Hanabi could get the lime light.

Hinata doing this hurt everyone. Not just herself. She needed to grow up and realize that.

While training her the last couple of weeks. Neji learned that Hinata was just more efficient at being a ninja and less efficient at being a Hyuga if that made sense. She needed to master her family techniques, and her timeline to show she could was shrinking.

Hinata grunted as she decided to be the attacker. Wanting to see how long she could go against Neji. Hinata's taijutsu skills have improved. The first time Hinata came back to train with Neji he saw that. He didn't know what happened during that mission Hinata was on, but she came back different. More aggressive. A chip on her shoulder if he might add.

However, the chip on his shoulder was greater.

Neji always ended up overpowering Hinata. Some days were easier than others, but Neji was a naturally competitive person and always ended up laying Hinata out on the mat. This time was no different.

Hinata got a hit in on him, a pretty painful knee up on his chin. It knocked him back several steps, but he could tell that was enough force to leave Hinata winded a bit. Neji took this opportunity to grab Hinata from the back of her head. A fist full of hair and whirl her around, tripping her in the process and laying her on her back.

Once she was on the ground he straddled her and showed the signs that this would be how he would have finished her. A gentle fist right to the chest. They were both breathing heavy and Hinata frowned in frustration. "The force. You should hit me with the actual force."

Neji stood up and didn't help Hinata up. He was sweating and he walked over to his water bottle and towel. "I wouldn't be able to stop myself from actually killing you. You know that." Hinata laid on the mat a little while longer before rolling over and quickly got up. She rubbed the back of her head and frowned at the bump growing.

Neji looked her over and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Your hair. It used to be short in the back and I couldn't grab it the way I did just now. Cut it. You're not skilled enough yet to have long hair." Hinata tried to grip her hair and saw that it indeed was too long. "Okay."

Neji looked at her for a moment. He noticed things. Like the fact, since Hinata's been back from her mission. She had her left hand covered with a black, mesh glove. She never took it off around him. When he activated his Byakugan he could see the nerve damage done to her hand. How it was repaired enough to function properly as a ninja, but Neji imagined it left an ugly scar.

He concluded Hinata was ashamed of it. This…made him angry at her teammates.

They were supposed to protect her. Whatever happened, Neji could tell Hinata had to protect herself or die trying. Her eyes didn't hold the innocence it once held. Hinata came back battered and broken. Then her sensei had the nerve to isolate her from her family after that mission. Neji blamed them for exposing Hinata to this cruel world before she was ready for it.

He would have never let Hinata get hurt like that. He was Hinata and Hanabi's keepers for a reason.

This was the true reason why Neji lessened his blows on her. He slowly was getting Hinata used to fighting with damage nerves in her hand. Which she has been progressing and showing improvement greatly.

This proved to make Neji frustrated with the whole Hinata staying with her sensei. She thinks her family didn't care about her? The fact Neji and her father said nothing about her damaged hand should speak for itself. They could have made a big deal over this. Her flawed skin. Her failure in her mission. Yet, they said nothing.

"You focus too much on body strength and not enough on technique. Before you focused more on technique not enough on body strength. Why? Did your last mission make you set your sights on switching?"

Hinata was telling him to hit her harder for a reason. Obviously the practice blows wasn't enough for her. She wanted to feel what she felt out there so she could adapt.

Hinata didn't look at Neji. Her eyes were set on the dent she left on the wall from her head. "Yes. I lacked physical strength to deliver the final blows. I had to resort to other means to kill my targets. I do not want to do that if the situation occurs again. I want my techniques to result in being deadly and not just damaging."

Neji figured this is what happened. Her teammates were useless. Literally extra baggage. Her sensei. While notorious, dangerous and top tier. He could only benefit himself. That or other Sharingan users, which would only be the Uchiha.

Hinata shouldn't be with them. Hinata should be home. "No. Turn your sights on advancing your taijutsu attacks. Work on short and long rang now. Not just gentle fist. Sometimes that is not meant to end someone's life. You have to master it all. Your father has been introducing rotation and other taijutsu techniques to you. Those are the ones you should focus heavily on to compensate for your lack of physical strength."

Hinata frowned at this. She understood, but she still put a lot of pressure on herself. "Father killed that man with gentle fist." Her kidnapper. He one shot the man and he died. Why couldn't her hands do the same.

Neji paused and looked at the frost look on Hinata's face. "Your father is a monster. That's why. If you want to reach that level, then you'll have to be just as evil as him. So don't talk stupid like that. It's not in you."

Hinata nodded her head at this. She'd drop that conversation before they started to speak about the past and upset themselves. She's been training with her father in rotation. Along with a list of other jutsu's. Along with practicing with team seven.

Hinata rolled her neck and ignored the cracking sound. She was burning herself out.

Neji had no sympathy for this. He's done it with his team longer than Hinata, she'll find her balance. She needed to suck it up. "If you weren't recovering from your habit and playing catch up from all those years you were so entitled, than you wouldn't be stressed like this."

Hinata in a rare moment of utter frustration, she let Neji hit a nerve. She sent him a heated look and frowned. "Yes. I know." Neji saw the attitude and looked amused. "Did I struck a nerve?" Hinata cracked her neck again and turned to face Neji. She bowed politely to end the training session, took her belongings and left.

Leaving behind a satisfied Neji. If he could get under Hinata's skin it was going to be a good day.

Hinata was breathing hard under the tree. She just completed training with team seven and honestly she thought it was never going to end. The amount of energy Naruto and Sasuke had was never ending.

It was cold outside. Winter weather and taking sharp breaths of cold air made Hinata's head hurt and she felt like she was going to throw up.

Hinata decided after training she would 'walk it out' and ended up walking to a nearby tree from their training post and stood under it. She placed her hands on her hips as she leaned over and squeezed her eyes shut. Trying to take a breather. She had finished training with Neji and immediately showed up to training with her teammates.

Typically she didn't train the same days, however Neji had a mission tomorrow on the day they were supposed to train so he told her to move her dates around. Instead of speaking up, Hinata just endured.

Hinata laid on the ground under the tree and immediately regretted her decision of enduring.

This was a lot. If this was a few months ago, if her body hurt this bad she would drink. Maybe a whole bottle at once and the pain would go away in moments. Her headache would vanish within seconds. She would feel so relaxed and at ease. She missed those days.

She thought about those days often since training again with her family.

Hinata opened her eyes sharply as the thought of drinking started to crowd her mind. She was getting a craving.

When she opened her eyes she saw Kakashi standing over her. He had his head tilted and his hands were in his pockets. "One of those days?" Hinata didn't even try to cover it. She nodded her head as her body refused to let her sit up. She was hurting. Kakashi nodded his head. He figured as much. "You're not even six months sober. Trust me. You're not out of the woods yet for celebration and no more cravings."

Hinata groaned as she forced herself up. She rubbed her sore head and wanted to do nothing more than curl up at home in a ball and sleep for days, but she couldn't. She had training with her father in the morning. "I…have training with my father in the morning."

Kakashi refrained from shaking his head. She sounded so miserable, but this is what she wanted.

He was looking at her and could see her eyes were lower than usual. Not her mellow, typical look either. She looked drained. Like how she used to look like when first on their team. Those nights she had training with her family and would come back to team seven the next morning looking drained and defeated.

This time Hinata didn't hide the bruises and scars. She was sober so she couldn't fake like everything was fine. Hinata right now was showing what a broken family looked like.

Hinata felt another hand rub the back of her head and saw that Naruto had snuck up on her. Well he probably didn't sneak up, but she was too out of it to notice him. Hinata usually shrunk away from affection, but she actually leaned into Naruto's touch. Her mouth opened slightly from the soothing, slight painful feeling. Naruto felt the bump on the back of her head and frowned. "What the fuck? This thing is huge. You probably have a concussion."

Kakashi clicked his tongue against his teeth. He strongly disliked her family so bad. "Well. Good news is we're done for the day anyways. You shouldn't have toughed it out if you were injured though. It makes the day worse and the cravings stronger."

Hinata stood up sluggishly. She stretched her body and heard the multiple cracks. This was a rough day and she wanted to do nothing more than escape, but she couldn't do that. She had to face reality.

She had to face the fact she was behind. She had to face the fact she was struggling. Hinata had to see her failures and hardship for the first time sober in years and she was HURTING.

Her eyes were hooded and Hinata reached up to touch the back of her head. Annoyed with the length now. A few days ago Naruto and Sasuke were playing with her extra hair length and she contemplated growing it out. She should have known she didn't deserve the right to have grown her hair out. She was still weak.

"I h-have to cut my hair. I…am not allowed to grow my hair out yet." Sasuke and Naruto frowned at this. She BARELY grew it out. Her family had a problem with her hair growing an inch? They NOTICED that little of growth. Sasuke turned from Hinata so she wouldn't see how angry he was. He wasn't angry with her. Just her family. How controlling and fucking mental they were.

Hinata didn't say anything else to anyone. Not Kakashi. Not Sasuke and not even Naruto. She just slowly walked back to Kakashi's apartment. She walked and knew her team was near her. Following her like a child because she lost the privileges of being independent. Because they knew she was filled with flaws.

Her biggest flaw was eating up her mind frame today. It made her feel weak. Sick. She was in pain all over her body simply because she was craving so BAD.

Hinata stumbled into Kakashi's apartment. She stayed within the shadows of traveling here because it would simply be too embarrassing for anyone to see her in such a weak state. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi did her justice by flanking her on all sides even in the shadows. So even if someone looked in the dark, they would see the boys instead of seeing her.

Hinata was sure they did that really to stop her from booking it and running away to who knows where.

She silently walked into the bathroom and shut the door quietly. The door locked and Hinata heard a knock on it. "Door stays unlocked Hinata."

She squeezed her eyes tight in anger, but listened to her sensei and unlocked the door.

Kakashi let out a breath he was holding the whole walk back. Honestly he thought she was going to book it and he was going to have to chase her throughout the village. However, Hinata was still much too respectful to put anyone she cared about through the ringer like that. "Is it okay if we wait for her?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto and scratched the back of his head in thought. "This won't be the Hinata you know. She's not the damaged Hinata from the mission. She's not the abused Hinata from her family. This is Hinata going through an intense craving. How she was manipulating her sister's situation on her birthday to try to get her fix. She'll be on a heightened level of that now, because she's in pain and wants the pain to go away."

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and back at the bathroom door. Listening as the shower turned on. "I'm guessing when we're not around her, a lot of her flaws come out."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Like I said. She has her days. I just know her tricks by now. Thought I'd let you two in on it." Sasuke watched as Kakashi walked towards the front door. Naruto looked at Kakashi curiously. "Where are you going?"

Kakashi smiled as he waved at the two. Signaling that he was leaving. "I have a meeting with the Hokage in an hour. I figured you all will be fine together."

Naruto watched Kakashi leave and rolled his eyes. "Lazy ass." Naruto locked the front door and made sure the balcony door was locked as well. He double checked all the windows to ensure the locks were in place. "Is she done showering?" He asked this as he looked at Sasuke, who shook his head. "No. She's stalling."

Sasuke knocked on the bathroom door and slowly opened it. The bathroom was filled with steam and Hinata was behind the bathtub curtains. Sitting on the floor. Naruto poked his head in the bathroom and looked at Hinata's silhouette.

He could feel her chakra just oozing out of her and the negativity and anger was consuming her body. It reminded him a little of her back in Mist. Except talking nice to Hinata wouldn't get through to her this time. "Hinata. You can either come out on your own or I'll drag you out."

It was silent for a moment before her tiny voice spoke up to Naruto's threat. "I need time. I'm in too much pain."

Naruto frowned at her weak rebuttal. "No you're not. You're having a rough day and it's all in your head…Hinata get UP. You can't let your dark thoughts win." She did not get up and she was calling Naruto's bluff. Sasuke tried to calm Naruto for a moment, but Naruto growled and pushed passed him into the shower. He grabbed a towel and snatched the shower curtains open.

He turned the water off. It was burning hot. Naruto focused just on Hinata's face as he wrapped the towel around her frame and lifted her up. Hinata silently protested by just becoming dead weight. Not being helpful at all and making it hard for Naruto to carry her. Thankfully she was so light.

Sasuke opened the bedroom door and Naruto huffed as he tossed Hinata's dead weight on the bed. Sasuke placed Hinata's clothing on the bed beside her and crossed his arms. "Get dressed."

He let out a frustrated sigh when Hinata continued her silent protest and just curled into her towel. "If you tell me you're in too much pain…I'll be less respectful to your privacy than Naruto. I hate when you and Naruto lie. I hate when you do this to yourself Hinata."

He hates when she shuts them out.

Hinata sat up slowly. She didn't look at the two and started to pick up her clothes. Naruto and Sasuke turned away from Hinata to let her get dressed. "Do you need anything Hinata?" Naruto asked this as he took note at how slow Hinata was getting dressed. She didn't reply back and didn't even say anything when she was finished getting dressed.

Hinata just curled in a ball on the bed. Sasuke was the first to look at her and frowned at her lack of communication. Naruto turned around and let out a frustrated sigh. He's never seen Hinata so…grumpy. Naruto was the first to lay on the bed with Hinata. He was tired himself. They all trained together and a moment to digest the day would be nice.

There was a gap between Naruto and Hinata and Sasuke sat in the middle of the bed. He didn't lie down like Naruto and Hinata. Instead he opted to caress his hands under their shirts over their backs. At first the two braced at the feeling. All three of them very foreign to the affection. "You gave Naruto that healing ointment for his birthday Hinata. I liked it."

Sasuke reached over to his bag he carried here and pulled out the healing balm. Naruto twisted his head and gave Sasuke an annoyed look. "I've been looking for that for days teme! What the hell?!" Sasuke didn't react to the escalated voice and took some balm out the container and into his hands. He evenly applied it and went back to rubbing Naruto and Hinata's backs.

"Shut up dobe. You make it seem as if nothing hurts you so you barely used it. Hinata never made me one so I took yours."

After hearing this Hinata turned her head towards Sasuke. Not all the way around, but now he could see the side of her face. She didn't know he liked her healing balm. He never said anything. She would have gladly made him some! Now she felt bad. Awful. Even in the mental state she was in. "I'm sorry."

Naruto side-eyed Hinata. He was starting to notice the best way to break Hinata from her cravings was to be firm with her. She responded to his firmness more than Sasuke's because Sasuke was just naturally a jerk sometimes so Hinata didn't take it serious. Naruto wanted to get this right and store it for later. Him stern and Sasuke gentle and open. Sprinkle a little of guilt trip in case she really is stuck.

Sasuke was about to tell Hinata to shut up, but he watched her flinch and hiss the higher he got up her back. He didn't have to tell Hinata to pull her sweater up so they could see because she was so uncomfortable she did it herself. "It's tender."

Naruto looked over at the big bluish black bruise and looked over to Hinata's face. "It's tender? It's fucked up. Who did that?"

Sasuke applied more balm and went over the bruise. It was nasty. Definitely a very rough and unfiltered training session between Neji and Hinata. "Why do you let him do this to you? This makes no sense."

Sasuke could feel Hinata melt into his touch. He tilted his head at this. When he was hurt as a kid and Itachi was around. His older brother would cater to him. Hinata would cater to her little sister, but who catered to Hinata when she was hurt? Surely not Neji or her father.

"I…I am tiny. Neji can easily overpower me after a while. Most people can. I asked Neji to be more aggressive. So I can better myself in the future. He was still holding back though. I can tell."

Naruto and Sasuke both gave Hinata a bland look. This wasn't a good enough excuse for them. "So, I work with my father for chakra distribution, control and introducing new family jutsu's. Some days Neji, my father and I all train at once. It can be a lot."

Naruto flinched at this. It just sounded like a giant pounding session on Hinata. No wonder she was slipping and craving more. She was being pushed more, but this is something that was going to happen sooner or later. Hinata couldn't be in a controlled environment forever.

Sasuke seemed to like massaging Naruto and Hinata because he never stopped. He just kept rubbing and sliding his hands along their bare skin. It was therapeutic for him in a way. They were in private. It was quiet and they could all be themselves. Naruto wasn't a blubbering blonde idiot. Hinata wasn't an annoying mute wallflower and he wasn't distant and constantly annoyed with his surroundings.

Privately, Sasuke was a toucher. Publicly, Naruto was a toucher. Altogether, Hinata never did have the desire of being a toucher or touching others. She was still opening to them.

Hinata looked at Naruto as he looked like he was dozing off to sleep. "A-Are the t-t-two of your individual training going well?" Naruto's eyes opened back up from the question and looked at Hinata.

He chuckled at her because she caught him dozing off. Also, Naruto was learning Hinata could switch her mood at a drop of a dime. She just went from a dark depression to a gentle state. Naruto was learning this was the process of addiction. Hinata's cravings would hit her. She'd crash and struggle not to lash out. She then turned manipulative instead.

Then just like that. After she was able to get ahold of herself. She went back to being the Hinata Naruto cared about. It happened more since she's been back and interacting with her family, but on her off days. Hinata did great.

Since finding out about Hinata's addiction Naruto has been fixated into figuring Hinata out. Her ticks. When to press her and when to back off. Naruto wanted to be there for Hinata. Like she was always there for him.

"Nah. I suck." Hinata scrunched her brows up and frowned at Naruto when he answered her. "You d-d-do not…suck." Naruto laughed at this and rolled over on his back and looked at the ceiling.

Sasuke shifted his hands so he was now giving Naruto a stomach rub. Naruto closed his eyes in thought and at the relaxing feeling. "Yeah I do. I'm on a team with two dōjutsu users. Kakashi knows a lot to help you guys. Especially Sasuke. Considering they both have that Sharingan thing. You have your family to help you, which I'm not sure is a good thing or not, but you have people that know how to help you. I get bounced around from instructor to instructor to help me do all sort of wild shit that honestly I don't feel like is getting me anywhere."

Naruto opened his eyes in frustration as he looked at the ceiling. "Sometimes I feel like Konoha isn't a good place for me to excel in."

Sasuke stopped touching Naruto and withdrew his hand. He actually looked shocked by something Naruto said. Sasuke just never pegged Naruto as being this type of person. Thinking this type of way. "You feel alone because of a dōjutsu?"

Naruto laughed at this and gave Sasuke a chilled look. "I don't feel alone. I am alone. Not because of that either. I'm alone because I don't know what I am. I'm an Uzumaki. Who were they? What the hell were their techniques. Were both my parents Uzumaki's? If not then what is my other clan? I could work with something if I knew where to start. I ask around and everyone is mute. The Hokage is even useless in helping me."

Naruto looked at the palm of his hands and frowned at how sore they were. Sometimes he felt like he was training and getting nowhere. "All I hear is keep trying. If you want to be Hokage you have to keep trying and I am so SICK of hearing that, but yet no one can answer not ONE of my questions."

That feeling was stirring inside of Naruto again. That feeling of anger. Of rage. Each day that goes by he felt like he fed more and more into the rage. "That anger that I said I'd work on. It's getting harder to work on because I feel like I'm being dragged along. I keep getting so angry and now it's like…voices pop in my head. A really dark, crazed voice. Like honestly. I'm not okay sometimes."

Sasuke went to touch Naruto again, but Naruto in a hair of a second grabbed Sasuke's hand and kept giving him that void stare. "Sometimes I wonder if you really should be scared of me. If I'll snap again like on the mission."

"N-Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked over at Hinata and he could see the concern on her face. "Yeah?"

Hinata sat up and looked at Naruto. She looked nervous, but she pushed herself to speak up. "M-May I?" Naruto looked at her confused for a moment, before he picked up that Hinata meant her Byakugan. "Yes. What do you need me to do?"

Veins started to appear around Hinata's eyes as she focused on Naruto. "Just be yourself."

Sasuke took his hand back and watched Hinata before he looked over at Naruto, who looked nervous. Like he was scared he was going to get a horrible medical diagnosis. Sasuke reached over and took Naruto's hand. Holding his hand supportively instead. Naruto looked at Sasuke and smiled when he saw Sasuke give him a small genuine smile.

Hinata slowly moved around the bed as she concentrated on Naruto. So, this was the first time that she ever studied one of their chakra networks. Both Naruto and Sasuke took in how serious Hinata looked. How her veins grew or shrunk, depending on what she was looking at in Naruto's body. She literally had x-ray vision and could see EVERYTHING, but she was so professional and serious in her skill that she focused only on the issue.

She crawled over to his side of the bed and straddled his waist. In any situation this would leave both Naruto and Hinata a blushing, blubbering mess. However, the two were focused and in a very mature mindset right now.

Well honestly. Hinata was focused. Naruto spared a glance at Sasuke utterly flabbergasted that Hinata was freely doing this and not passing out. Sasuke noticed how Naruto's breathing picked up and how Hinata unzipped Naruto's jacket and freely touched Naruto like she was a doctor examining her patient. Meanwhile Naruto was trying not to get a teenage boner.

Sasuke was a little jealous in this moment.

Hinata's hands lifted Naruto's shirt up and touched his bare stomach. "Here. The focal point is here." Her brows furrowed together and Hinata was absolutely confused. "I-I-I…I d-don't understand. W-Why is there a s-seal here?"

Naruto's eyes widened and Sasuke looked at Hinata in total awe. Her eyes could just dissect you. He was new with his Sharingan and felt as if he could see chakra as well the more advanced he got, but not to this degree. This was another level.

He could see why in the beginning Hinata solely relied on her eyes and focused on perfecting that craft. It made Sasuke curious if Hinata were to master all Hyuga techniques what kind of beast she would be.

Hinata watched Naruto's system. The red chakra at this moment dominated Naruto's blue. While Naruto had a mass amount of blue chakra, it just wasn't as powerful and malicious as the red. "Y-You're blue chakra. It…is a lot. M-More than Sasuke and myself. More than anyone I've seen in my f-f-family as well. Even more than s-sensei and our last enemies. You struggle a lot because of your mass chakra. It's very hard for you to b-balance it correctly."

Naruto looked at Hinata in complete shock. She's told him more than he's ever heard from any instructor or adult he's spoken to. Begged to. Naruto looked at Sasuke again and the two shared a look. This was insane.

After this Sasuke wanted a turn. Same position and everything.

Naruto looked back at Hinata. He was trying his best to keep his hands to himself while she studied him. "The red? What about that?"

Hinata looked up at Naruto and shook her head. "I-I would have to study on this…b-but there is a seal to keep the r-red chakra r-r-restricted. Yet, with you being actively training as a ninja and going on missions. The red chakra is starting to dominate your massive chakra. Which…is concerning Naruto. You're red chakra is…different. It's feeding off your emotions. It's…inhumane."

Sasuke looked at Hinata confused. He looked over at Naruto and then back at Hinata. "Like he's a monster or something?"

"Something like that."

Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke turned to the doorway to see Kakashi looking at them. His hands still nestled in his pockets, but he did not look pleased at all.

Hinata immediately retracted her Byakugan and looked terrified. She hopped off of Naruto and stood up with her hands behind her back. "I-I-I…I got p-permission. I-I didn't do it without Naruto-kun's permission. I was just trying to help sensei!" Kakashi gave Hinata a dull look. "You shouldn't have done it at all Hinata. With or without his permission."

Sasuke and Naruto looked over at Kakashi confused. This was enough. What was the point of keeping secrets of all of this. "Why?" Both boys said this and looked absolutely annoyed.

Kakashi let out a sigh and took his hands out of his pockets. These teenagers man. If they weren't kissing, they were getting into something. "Get out the bed and come to the living room." The three did as Kakashi instructed and saw that Kakashi had brought ramen while he was out and had it all waiting for them. "Eat."

Naruto helped Hinata sit down, since her back was so tender and the three silently started to pick at their food. Kakashi sat on the opposite side of the couch and slunk in a little. This conversation was going to get him in a world of trouble, but it was pretty much out the bag anyways.

"You know the story. The nine tailed fox. Came in the village. Destroyed it and killed innocent people. Well, they could not kill the tailed beast. Duh right? It was a demon. So the demon fox typically has a jailer. That Jinchūriki was you, Naruto. When you were a newborn. You see, typically the Uzumaki clan were the jailers for the nine tailed fox. Your…your mother was the last jailer of it, and now you are."

Naruto was glad he didn't start eating. They were all glad they waited. Hinata looked at Naruto and slowly took his ramen from him and placed it on the table. Sasuke looked over at Naruto and could see he looked like he was about to burst. "Naruto."

Naruto shook his head. His eyes watered and he felt like his heart was going to explode. This was a lot. Kakashi placed his hands on his knees and one hand pointed to Naruto's stomach. "You have a seal on your stomach Naruto. That is the seal that jails the demon. I want you to remember you are not a demon. You are just the jailer."

Naruto clung to his chest. It hurt. It hurt a lot. He started taking deep breaths and looked at the table to avoid looking at Kakashi and bursting out into tears. "I'm…I'm not a DEMON?! Do you know that's all I've been called my whole LIFE. Are you kidding me right now?!"

Kakashi sat up and rested his elbows on his knees. "I know….I know a lot about you Naruto."

"I don't want to be here." Naruto stood up from the chair and looked at Hinata and then Sasuke. "I'm really sorry. I just…have to leave." Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand quickly. Ignoring how Naruto tried to sharply snatch it back. "Sasuke!"

"Wait. If you leave. You'll REALLY want to leave." Sasuke was hinting to what Naruto had said earlier. Naruto would go back to his apartment and really let the dark thoughts flood his head. He'd run away or something. That fox would get ahold of Naruto and consume him from the inside.

Hinata and Sasuke couldn't lose Naruto to that thing. They wouldn't.

Hinata reached over and gently placed her hand in Naruto's. She softly pulled him back to the seat and squeezed his hand to let him know it was going to be okay. They were going to be there for him.

Naruto sat back down. He looked off into the void and slowly shook his head. This couldn't be happening. "I don't understand. You knew all along? Why didn't you just tell me?"

Kakashi had no hesitation now. It was basically an open forum at this point. Naruto knew almost all of the hardest details. "The Hokage made it a law. It would not be discussed. You'd be punished if you brought it up, especially around you. This was for your protection Naruto."

Naruto smiled and continued to look into a blank space, "How? Protect me how? People still treated me like crap. Still called me names and some people even hit me. I had one man take pity on me and actually feed me hot meals the whole time I grew up. I truly care for that man and his family, but he couldn't be a guardian for me and really protect me. So, what protection? I've NEVER been protected."

Finally Naruto looked up at Kakashi, "What happened to my family?"

Kakashi continued to hold eye contact with Naruto, just like he did with Hinata. "You're parents died. Protecting you that night during the attack. I don't know what happened to the Uzumaki clan. That is me being 100% honest. They all scattered after some time. A lot of them were captured to be used because of their large chakra reserve. You're safer here in the village Naruto."

His clan was haunted down and used like wild animals. People always called him a monster or an animal. Treated him like he was beneath them.

Naruto let everything sink in. Still, something wasn't making sense. "You say you know a lot about me. How? Does everyone know the Uzumaki clan was dependent on to be jailers?"

Finally Kakashi lowered his head and looked at his lap. He let out a sigh before looking back at Naruto. "Like I said. I know a lot about you Naruto. The Uzumaki clan was chosen for this duty because of the mass chakra you all hold. Your mother's clan specialized in sealing. They were almost built for such a large responsibility. You see there are other tailed beast. Typically the other jailers from around the nations, their bodies can't handle the stress and chakra that comes from a tailed beast and they succumbed to the demons. They get destroyed from inside out. That doesn't typically happen to the Uzumaki clan."

Sasuke frowned listening to Kakashi. It sounded like Naruto's clan was held hostage and used for their mass chakra. If the clan all scattered and disbanded, it was because they weren't happy here anymore. "What about his father? Was Naruto's father an Uzumaki?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. He was a Namikaze. You know, like the fourth Hokage, because your father was the fourth Hokage. Your father was Namikaze Minato. My sensei, when I was on team seven."

Kakashi's students stared at him utterly stupefied. "Oh my heavens." That was all Hinata said. All she could say as she was too stunned to say anything else.

Naruto looked at Kakashi for a moment in shock before he just burst out laughing. "I'm a Jinchūriki for the nine tailed fox. That attacked the village and murdered people. My father, who was the Hokage, and my mother, risked their lives to save me. They risked their lives to SAVE the village and the best everyone could do to honor them was to throw me in an orphanage and shun me?"

This was fucking horrible.

"How am I supposed to feel about that?" Naruto looked at Kakashi with an amused face. This was total horseshit. This was bull shit to the fucking MAX. He hated everything right now. He hated this village right now. The only thing stopping him from getting up right now and leaving are the two people sitting beside him on the couch.

Kakashi again didn't let Naruto's behavior get the best of him. "Angry. It's okay to be angry. You've found out some very disturbing things. All I can say is, I'm sorry."

Naruto was shaking with anger. What the hell was he supposed to say back to Kakashi? What was he supposed to do now? How was this supposed to encourage Naruto to want to succeed in Konoha. These people knew his background and STILL shunned him. NOTHING he does would EVER satisfy the people in this village!

"Can we just like. Go for a walk? Get some fresh air? Since we know this 'big' secret now. Are we like restricted from living life, like you do Hinata? Or do you finally trust that we can leave out with her? I…I just need some time if that's fine."

Kakashi took the jabs. At this point he was acting parents for three parentless teenagers. In Hinata's situation you might as well call her parentless. "Hinata's not spending the night in your apartment, but she can go out for a walk with you two. I'll allow it, but she is to be back by 9:30 and no later. Understood?"

Naruto gave a sharp nod before standing up and heading to the front door. Hinata and Sasuke following right after him. The three left out the apartment and walked the streets for about five minutes in total silence. Naruto stopped walking finally and Hinata and Sasuke stopped to look at him. Waiting for him to speak up.

"Let's run away."

End of chapter!

So Neji and Hinata are bonding again. Kakashi is trying to separate Hinata from her family's hold over her and Neji is trying to pull her back. They both have good intentions for her, but Neji thinks he's right and Kakashi thinks he's right. (Which Kakashi is right)

Now for Naruto...yes I made Naruto slightly anti-Konoha. He doesn't HATE the village, he's just upset at feeling left out over and over again. So, now team seven knows about the nine tails and Naruto. All before the Chunin exams. Let's see what else has been changed around.

See you Wednesday!