(...)

He needed to retire

Hiruzen allowed himself a long drag from his pipe, the familiar burn of nicotine brought a brief but welcome sense of clarity and the smell of ash had become oddly soothing over the decades, offering a measure of solace as he sat silently in his office, gaze stretched out across the village in contemplation. Looking in from the outside, one might say that he appeared to be the picture perfect definition of tranquility…

Oh how he wished that were true.

In reality, his mind was a veritable maelstrom of concern, fear, anger and indecision as he endeavored to make sense of the influx of information that had come to light over the course of the last few days. Orochimaru had finally come to ground after years of hiding and was making plays that could spell disaster for the village if they did not tread carefully. He knew his former student well… well enough to know that his machinations had to extend far further than just marking the last loyal Uchiha.

That in itself was already extremely problematic. Even after a decade of study, the Sealing Corps had yet to devise a surefire measure of removing the cursed seal that did not result in the immediate death of the bearer. Killing young Sasuke was not an option anyone was willing to entertain and as such there was almost nothing they could do to hinder the snake's grip on the boy. According to Kakashi's report, the containment seal had been applied successfully which did afford them some room to breathe for now, but all vested parties involved were very acutely aware that should the young avenger give in to his inner darkness their wards would be rendered moot.

The boy would need to be monitored closely in the coming months.

Having done all that they presently could to halt Orochimaru's acquisition of a powerful bloodline, he steered his thoughts away from his ex-student and instead took a moment to consider the more immediate future. Excluding Orochimaru's meddling, this year's Chunin Exam was proceeding far better than he could have anticipated. It was no small gamble nudging a batch full of rookies to participate in an event known to be a meat grinder even for seasoned genin, but the results spoke for themselves. Several clan heirs and multiple key players had advanced into the finals, a show of strength that would not go unnoticed by allies and enemies alike.

He would not count his chickens just yet, but he had confidence this showing would reward them well.

A small shiver ran down his back, though outwardly he hardly twitched.

"Jiraiya must you always try to sneak up on me? I'm not as young as I once was." He muttered aloud, lazily averting his eyes away from the window and instead towards the darkest corner of his office, watching in silence as the imposing figure of his last and only loyal student stepped out from shadows. Despite his sizable frame, his hands were held up in mock surrender while a cheeky grin spread across his aged yet still vibrant face.

"Don't sell yourself short now, Sensei. I'm pretty sure you've still got quite a few more years kicking around in there." Jiraya barked with a laugh, casually siding up to his mentor's desk. "Besides, if you kick the bucket too soon you'll miss out on my latest bit of work and what is an artist without fans to admire his creations?" The sage reasoned, his attempt at humor earning an amused chuckle from the aged kage.

"You make a compelling point," The Third admitted carefully, his gaze quickly darted down towards his personal drawer wherein he kept his most valued personal items. Among which may have included a collection of books that were rather popular with the male population of the village, and infamous among the female portion. "Speaking of… any word on when the next installment might be coming out?" He asked, feigning a casual interest, though failing to keep hold of the slightly perverse grin that made it rather obvious he was in fact eagerly awaiting such an entry.

The toad sage crossed his arms and allowed a prideful snort to pass. "Ohohoh! Don't worry sensei you'll be getting an early copy when it's ready, but a writer must keep some secrets after all." He smirked and tapped his nose knowingly. "The wait will be well worth it, I promise you that!"

"I'll hold you to your word then." Hiruzen nodded eagerly before falling silent, the master and student pair taking a moment to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere that had once been so commonplace between them many years ago… Before everything just seemed to fall apart. However, pleasure could only waylay their business for so long, and both men knew that this wasn't just a social visit.

"I assume you've heard the news?" The Third questioned softly, his kind smile melting into a minute frown.

"I have." Jiraiya's own grin fell marginally although he still maintained his usual easy-going air of disinterest somehow. "That slimy bastard is finally making moves and I hear he's looking to claim a fancy pair of eyes for himself… Can't say that a part of me isn't surprised that he didn't just pluck them right from the poor kid's head. Guess he still hasn't figured out a way to get around the side-effects of implanting foreign bloodlines." The Sannin surmised.

"You've always been one for silver-linings in trying times," The Third drawled, taking another puff from his pipe. "Nonetheless, we should count our blessings where we can. Though I have my doubts that this is not just the beginning of a much larger and drawn-out plan to cripple the village further. As it stands, Konoha is perhaps at the lowest it has been militarily since its founding and I fear that if we were to slip any further…"

He did not need to finish the thought aloud. Both of them knew full well that weakness only attracted vultures and Konoha wasn't prepared to deal with that right now, something Orochimaru no doubt knew as well and would gladly take advantage of.

"That snake obtaining the Sharingan would be a small step towards an avalanche of problems." Jiraiya admitted grimly. "Not to mention how it would look on the world stage if we were to cancel the exams in the last hour. He's thought this though."

"It is in our favor that he can not afford to act hastily. The only other intact set of eyes are beyond him and Kakashi makes for no easy prey either. I have no doubt he would rather the eye be destroyed than allow it to fall into Orochimaru's grasp." The Third declared firmly and the sage nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of, how is that brat by the way?" Jiraiya asked and Hiruzen frowned sadly as he thought of the copy-ninja.

"He still mourns them regularly, not that I can blame him given his history, and his strength has waned… but he has shown signs of improvement in recent months. I believe finally taking on a team of his own has finally, albeit slowly, begun to heal some of those mental scars and reignited a spark that he no doubt thought extinguished." The elderly Kage smirked. "I would go so far as to say that with a few more years at this pace, he may be the most likely candidate to succeed me. Assuming you still do not want to take up the mantle that is." The Third let out a small laugh at the thought of the tardy jonin taking control of his forces.

Jiraiya didn't bother to dignify the silent offer with a reply, only offering a derisive snort at the idea. "I understand he's got the last Uchiha under his wing but you didn't give him their kid as well… Last time we spoke he was pretty set on training both, I can't imagine he was too happy with you?"

"You would be correct." The Third sighed tiredly as he recalled how the silver-haired jonin had all but barged into his office demanding an explanation. "It took some time to talk him down to my way of thinking, and I have no doubt he is still displeased with the outcome. However, to my knowledge he has still yet to introduce himself to the girl which only cements my decision. Whether he wished to admit it or not, his sense of duty towards young Sasuke outweighs whatever debt he feels towards Minato. If he wishes to be a part of her life he will have to seek her out on his own."

The Third's eyes hardened and he shot his old student a stern, knowing look. "But let us not beat around the bush any further. You did not bring her up by coincidence so let me ask you plainly… Are you finally going to step up into the role you promised them?" He questioned pointedly, not missing the way his student's fingers clenched subtly at his side, his face briefly overtaken with shame before settling on resignation.

"I… Yes." The old sage nodded. "I already sent a clone to speak with Kurenai earlier. I'm sure you can imagine that she wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect but she ultimately agreed to let me handle her training for the exams, and if all goes well, I will officially take her on as my apprentice." Jiraiya explained, though he knew his sensei was very much already aware of his plans.

"So she informed me…" Hiruzen confirmed, Kurenai had indeed already clued him in to the arrangement. "Allow me to speak plainly with you for a moment, Jiraiya. Whatever preconceived notions you have about the girl… I want you to dismiss them now."

The man balked. "What?"

"I know how you are, how you operate… While she may have inherited their talent and some of their traits, she is not her parents. Do not set your expectations as you remember them. I am warning you, If you lose her trust or give her reason to suspect your training is counter-intuitive she will disregard you completely. Title of Sannin be damned." The Third shot his student a hard look that spoke volumes of how serious the matter was.

Once more, the Toad Sage held up his hands in a placating manner.

"Alright alright I get it. Don't cock things up… I admit it, I've let them both down, but I intend to make things right." Jiraiya's answer was firm, and so for the moment Hiruzen would trust in his student to act accordingly. "Though, if you could tell me a little bit more about her it might help things along." He added sheepishly, causing the elderly man to roll his eyes at the request.

"Only you, Jiraiya. Unfortunately I must admit that the two of us are not close, dare I say she may even hold a fair deal of resentment towards me regarding her upbringing and my decision to keep knowledge of her burden a secret from her. What I do know comes from second-hand accounts shared with me and what few interactions we have had." The aging kage sat back in his chair and centered his thoughts on the young jinchuriki. "She is gifted to nearly the same degree as her father, and equally as independent as her mother. While reported to express a talent for leadership despite her stunted social upbringing, she lacks the natural charisma her parents possessed… Instead it is her shrewd planning and natural ability that inspires others to work harder.

"That's better than I was expecting to be honest." Jiraiya mused contemplatively. "Getting away from her skills, what about her personality?"

"She's… rather guarded, to put it bluntly." Hiruzen sighed. "Kurenai has informed me that while she has softened up to a degree, that is really only with members of her cell and a select few individuals who have her confidence. Beyond that she is cordial with strangers but prefers to keep her cards close to the chest. If you are expecting an open book I am afraid you will not find it in her.

"I guess that makes sense." Jiraiya sighed. While disappointing to hear, it wasn't all that surprising given the circumstances. Perhaps had her upbringing been different… "I'll keep that in mind, anything else I should know?"

"There is not much more than I can give you I'm afraid, if you want to know more you'll have to learn for yourself. I assume you've planned a meeting between the two of you?" Hiruzen inquired.

"Naturally, Kurenai should point her in my direction and from there I'll wow her with my charm!" Jiraiya smirked, stretching himself out in preparation. "Can't make a bad first impression after all."

"It's good to see you haven't lost your flair for dramatics." The Third shot his student a dry look and could only silently pray for the poor girl who was about to be thrust into a world of theatrics and perversion that she was almost certainly unprepared for.

He only prayed that her parents could forgive him, namely Kushina.

.

(…)

"Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice"

Kurenai smiled and sipped her tea, watching her pupil take a tentative sip of her own as the pair settled into their booth in earnest. She didn't blame her for her nervousness, this was the same café where they'd first met and it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if Natsumi held some reservations about being here. Perhaps she even thought this whole meeting was some kind of test, or maybe just a prelude to more training.

In a way she wouldn't be wrong to think that.

"Before we begin I want to congratulate you again on making it into the finals." The ruby-eyed jonin praised. "Despite the challenges, you stood tall and made it through to the end. Not many rookies can claim that achievement."

Natsumi frowned and looked down into her drink. "Thank you, Sensei. But my opponent forfeited before the match even began, I don't think I can accept praise for that." As far as she was concerned she had made it into the finals by the skin of her teeth, because fortune chose that moment to smile upon her. That wasn't a result worthy of praise in her eyes.

Kurenai frowned, mentally wincing at the lingering trace of loathing in her student's voice. To say that emotions were running high in the aftermath of Hinata's match would have been a gross understatement. None of them had taken it well, but as their sensei she felt that it fell on her to set an example and to that end she stifled her own feelings, putting on a strong face and advising them to have faith Hinata would recover without incident.

She had little faith they took her words to heart.

No… The reality was clear to her even if she wouldn't admit it aloud, but both of her charges had a newfound grudge to settle and neither were going to be persuaded otherwise. She had seen it in their eyes and knew in her soul that neither would be satisfied with anything less than vengeance. Naturally she didn't approve, but what could she do? Was she supposed to tell them to live and let live and pretend that everything was okay while their teammate fought for her life?

Was it fair of them to nurse a grudge when they each entered knowing the risk? Perhaps not… but in turn was it fair of her to try and shield Neji from their anger? He was not exempt from the consequences of his actions, none of them were.

It was a precarious situation and one she honestly had no idea how to handle. Asuma simply advised her to let things play out and only intervene if she absolutely had to. It wasn't ideal but it was the best she could do for now.

Shelving that train of thought, she schooled her features and returned to the matter at hand. "You have just as much a right to be there as everyone else. It was still your own skill and planning that carried you through the first two sections of the exams." She countered gently. "Your opponent's surrender also gives you the element of surprise moving into the finals."

"I suppose so." Natsumi conceded half-heartedly. She had made no mention of the fact that she technically hadn't passed the second half of the exam on her own merit. "Regardless, I'm guessing you didn't call me here just for this? Will we be discussing my training?"

"Your guess would be correct, but not entirely…" Kurenai sighed and leaned back into her seat, not at all thrilled by what she was about to say next. "Without beating around the bush I am letting you know now that I will not be training you in the coming weeks-"

"W-What!? Why not-"

"-Let me finish." The ruby-eyed woman silenced her with a raised hand. "I will not be training because someone else has expressed interest in overseeing your development, someone I will begrudgingly admit is better suited than I am to give you the tools you'll need to compete in the finals."

Now that caught her off-guard.

Someone wanted to train her specifically?

"You are set to begin your training with them today, in fact, they are already expecting you down by the… bathhouses, just East of here." Kurenai said evenly, resisting the urge to scowl as she did so. "To be clear, I do not want you to think I just passed you off because I did not want to train you. Everything will make sense once you arrive."

Natsumi mulled over the information, she couldn't deny she was curious and all the secrecy was only making it worse. "What about Kiba then, will you be training him?"

"Kiba's mother has decided to take over his training, no one better to train an Inuzuka than another more experienced member of their pack." She explained. It wasn't all that surprising really, but she could not help but feel a bit put out that she had been essentially sidelined despite their success. Still her hands were tied and she knew better than to throw a fit over it, her team's success meant more to her than her pride. "Although we won't be working together for some time I hope you know that no matter the outcome of the finals, I am immensely proud of each of you."

Natsumi smiled softly at that and nodded. "Thank you, sensei… I only hope we can live up to your expectations."

"You've done a fine job already. I have faith in all of you."" The ravenette replied, finishing her before vanishing in a cloud of smoke and leaves.

Natsumi sighed and took that as her que to leave as well. "So the bathhouses… Why would we meet there?"

Just what kind of training was she in for?

…

"Just looking at her brings back memories…"

Jiraiya absentmindedly rubbed at his chin as he observed his would-be protégé as she stepped into sight. Honestly he wasn't sure how more people hadn't put two and two together… Just a passing glance was enough for him to see the familial resemblance. She had Minato's slender face, his golden hair color, and blue eyes… but she had inherited Kushina's eye shape, pouty lips, and straight hair.

"You would have had Minato wrapped around your fingers, kid." He chuckled bitterly. The minute Minato discovered they would be having a girl he had become the textbook definition of a helicopter father, much to Kushina's endless amusement and exasperation. Kushina had been convinced their daughter would inherit her red-hair while Minato had quietly hopeful that his baby girl would take more after him

It seemed like he was right in the end, even if he did not get the chance to see it for himself.

"No use crying over spilled milk." He sighed softly, pushing those thoughts to the wayside for the moment. There would be time to lament later, preferably when he had some sake in hand and maybe a few beautiful women on his arm to numb his mind.

For now he had a student to introduce himself to, and what better way was there to get to know someone than putting them through their paces?

"I've heard a lot of good things, yeah…" He smirked and flashed through a series of hand signs. "Let's see if you live up to the hype."

MOVE!

Her body moved on instinct, cartwheeling back just moments before something smashed into the earth where she'd been standing, the impact kicking up a blinding cloud of dust that swallowed her whole. From within the veil came a low, bone-rattling bellow that made the hairs on her stand on end, then a sudden flash of orange in her peripherals followed by a gut-wrenching pain abruptly blossoming between her ribs forcing the air from her lungs.

It felt like someone had just clocked her in the stomach with a steel pipe

Her body lurched violently, spittle flying from her lips as she was sent careening back like a discarded ragdoll. Jagged bits of gravel bit angrily into her back as she bounced off the ground and rolled across the field in a dazed heap. Righting herself, albeit just barely, she used the momentum to climb back onto her feet and winced at the poignant throbbing coming from her side. No doubt that was going to be a nasty bruise in a few minutes… Hell, that attack might have even cracked a rib.

Another low rumble hit her ears, followed by the sharp whistle of something very heavy falling through the air…

Again?!

With a hiss she managed to pull off a quick substitution this time, swapping with a nearby log in time to watch it explode in a shower of broken splinters and sawdust. Mercifully, this gave her an opening to breathe, and more importantly, a real chance to see what in Kami's name was trying to crush her into paste.

Unfortunately, what she saw only left her with more questions than answers…

"Hmph, you really have fallen off… struggling with an overgrown frog?" The fox's amused laughter boomed loudly through the halls of her mind, disbelief leaving her far too stunned to even mount a clever retort. The damn thing was taller than she was by at least a head and a half and easily twice as wide… Its hide was the most unsightly shade of neon orange she'd ever seen and was tinged with rich blue tribal markings that covered its powerful legs and forearms. It also happened to be wearing a set of what looked like prayer beads around its neck, with each bead about the size of her whole fist and a pair of fitted metal arm guards. "Pitiful as you are, I didn't believe you were this weak… I'm ashamed to share a body with you."

"No one asked you for your input!" She snapped mentally, immediately tensing as the overgrown frog's golden yellow eyes found hers, its warty brow narrowing as it laboriously shifted to stare her down. "Go back to sleep and keep quiet!"

"And miss this?" She could practically feel its malic tinged grin. "Not on your life."

Whatever her reply, it was promptly waylaid by the beast before her suddenly springing forward is a wild charge, its powerful legs propelling its speeds that would put even seasoned genin to shame. Taking a charge like that head just wasn't an option, not if she wanted to avoid a trip to the hospital at least, and so in response she opted to push chakra into her own legs and used the extra strength to leap high into the air.

It wasn't ideal, she was extremely vulnerable in this position, but her natural flexibility allowed her to pivot her body enough to get a clear shot at the creature's now exposed flank.

Flashing through a short string of seals, the familiar swell of heat coursing through her lungs empowered by her mounting annoyance. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Without mercy, she let loose a blanket wave of voracious hellfire down towards her target, fully intent on turning the giant amphibian into charged frog legs. Unwilling to take any chances it might escape, she pushed even more chakra into her attack, turning an already impressive torrent into a raging inferno.

Checkmate!

Of course victory would not come so easily.

In a display of acrobatics that seemed impossible given its size, the beast managed to use its own momentum to flip itself round, staring into incoming firestorm head on without so much a care in the world. Unseen by her, its webbed hands came together in a slightly bastardized half-seal before its cheeks swelled to ridiculous proportions and its pursed lips parted to unleash an equally powerful deluge of pressurized water that slammed headlong into the scorching tongues of fire. The clashing elements ultimately culminated in an explosion of sweltering steam, blinding them both.

"H-How!?"

Her mind raced at a mile a minute trying to process what she'd gathered thus far. It didn't take a genius to see that what she was dealing with wasn't normal, even as far as shinobi were concerned, but this was getting out of hand! Animals shouldn't be able to use elemental jutsu, they just weren't capable of performing the signs necessary to shape them… Yet clearly that rule didn't apply here. The only exception she could think of would be-

That revelation would be put on indefinite hiatus as the ground beneath her feet abruptly ruptured, a familiar orange arm bursting through the rocky earth and grabbing hold of her leg. The ground trembled violently in a second explosion of dust and debris as it fully breached the surface, dragging her off her feet along with it. For a long moment it simply held her aloft, blankly staring at her as she tried in vain to kick herself free.

"Kerooo…" It croaked, and she got the distinct impression she was being mocked before she felt the muscles in arms tense as it raised her overhead.

That was her only warning to brace herself before her back hit the earth for the second time today. At once all the air the thought she owned was violently knocked free from her lungs and dark stars filled her eyes…

She loosely felt her body being lifted aloft, a small part of her rattled consciousness recognizing the sensation of weightlessness.

Then the pain returned with a vengeance.

SLAM!

Once.

SLAM!

Twice.

SLAM!

Three times…

Tresses of dirty golden hair fell in front of her face and almost humorously she realized the pins keeping her hair up must have come undone at some point… Actually she hadn't even noticed how close to the water's edge they were now. So much so that she managed to catch the faintest glimpse of her reflection in the crystal clear surface.

She looked so… broken.

She never thought herself to be overly vain about her appearance, certainly not on the level of some of her peers at least… but now with her hair come undone and caked in dirt, her clothes muddied and torn, and her face beaten and bruised… She hardly recognized herself. It was like staring at a stranger, someone who she should recognize but couldn't….

It was as if she was seeing herself for the first time…

and she absolutely hated what she saw.

Something snapped inside her right then and there.

Enough.

Enough pity. Enough failure. Enough loss!

Like a switch being flipped, something clicked into place. Something tired, restless, and angry within her that surged up like wildfire… She smiled in spite of the pain coursing through, a lopsided grin that was equal parts determined as it was arguably utterly unhinged. Hardly lucid as she was, there were brief pockets of clarity between the ringing in her ears… moments of respite for which to plan, to act! With what was left of her strength, she slogged through the seals for one last technique, one last all or nothing gambit.

The smell of burning ozone flooded the air.

"Kerooo?!" Her captor croaked loudly in alarm, the angry hum of crackling sparks was enough to earn the first shred of real emotion it bothered to show throughout their entire fight.

Fear

Miniscule as it was, she reveled in it all the same. Even as lightning surged hungrily through its bracers and electricity coursed rampantly through their veins… her smile refused to die. Instead, the pain grounded her, sharpened her! Brought her back from an edge she'd been only a few precarious steps away from tumbling off, and for the first time in what seemed like weeks…

She felt like she knew who she was again

Laughter bubbled through to the surface, a painful yet liberating peal of sheer delight brighter than the shower of sparks that consumed them.

She hardly felt herself hit the floor, smoke wafting off her signed clothes and the burnt edges of her hair. It was a miracle she was still conscious, but sheer stubbornness held back the darkness that threatened to consume her. Perhaps that stubbornness was what separated them…

After all, she was the one left standing as it were.

Her only regret was that the damn thing was still breathing.

Its thick orange hide was now covered in a fine layer of soot, and the smell of burnt frog was about as appetizing as it sounded. It was all but dead to the world really, its beady gold eyes cloudy and unfocused while its labored breathing rattled through petrified lips. Seeing it like this… brought her a measure of catharsis she couldn't fully explain. In hindsight she knew this victory was pyric at best, sloppy didn't even begin to describe it.

So why did she still feel so damn good?

The sound of clapping ripped her away from that particular train of thought. In no condition to fight right now, she had to settle for rolling onto her back, just able to see the oddly dressed figure sitting in the branches above them. And what a sight he was…

He was tall… taller than anyone she had met up to this point, with long shaggy white hair tied into a thick ponytail that dangled freely down somewhere around his lower back. As if he didn't stand out enough as it was, his face was marked by two distinct red lines that ran down from the bottom of his eyes down to his chin. He didn't wear a traditional forehead protector either, instead his was adorned by a pair of small horns and the kanji for oil was engraved into the metal.

She had never seen anyone quite like him.

"Not the cleanest finish I've ever seen, and you had me a bit worried there at the end-" The strange old man grinned and leapt down from his perch, landing in front of her without making so much as a sound. "-But you've got guts pulling something like that. I think I might even enjoy training you."

Maybe it was the exhaustion slowing her down… Maybe she was just over everything right now, she wasn't sure which, but none of this was making any sense at the moment.

"W-Who… Who are you?"

His grin only grew and she suddenly felt as if she'd just made a terrible mistake for some reason.

"Oh ho! I'm glad you asked… You see, I am the man who has no enemies in the North, South, East, and West…" He swung his mane of hair around like a whip and behind him, a large furled up scroll, one she was fairly certain hadn't been there just a moment ago, flew up into the air. "Not even in the heavens. I am one of the Sannin…" A large burst of smoke abruptly blinded her, shielding Jiraiya from view.

"Wait, did he say Sannin?"

The smoke parted and despite herself she felt her brow twitch in irritation at the appearance of yet another fucking frog.

"White-haired frog tamer, even a crying baby would stare in awe… I am the great-

…

-Jiraiya, if you can believe it.

There was no reply, not that she expected one…

"I'll have you know, making me worry like this is very unprofessional." She joked weakly, unable to tear her eyes away from the heiress's slumbering face. She looked so pale… so lifeless, it hurt to see her like this. "You would be lucky if I so much as look at you when this is all said and done."

That was a lie, if anything she likely wouldn't let Hinata out of her sight for weeks.

It frustrated her to no end, this helplessness. There was nothing she could do, Hinata was stable, for now, but the damage to her heart was far more extensive than first suspected and it went beyond her ability to treat. Truthfully it was fortunate her actions had not worsened things, now all she could do is twiddle her thumbs and pray.

"I thought I was going to kill him, you know?" The words threaded between her lips before she even realized she'd spoken them aloud. "I've never wanted to hurt anyone so badly before…"

Even the villagers, as ignorant and stupid as they were at times, had never pushed her so far. Neji Hyuga was special in that regard… because even now she wasn't sure she could face him rationally. That she wouldn't give in to the part of her that wanted nothing more than to run him through with a knife and twist it until he bled out at her feet. It went against her principles at nearly every level and yet…

She honestly didn't care

Yes, Hinata would likely be incredibly cross with her as would the Hyuga clan as a whole. And yes, her reputation would absolutely worsen which would only make things harder in the long term.

But did she give a damn?

Not in the slightest.

That's what frightened her most of all. That she was so willing to risk so much over this, that these people whose faces once held no meaning to her now commanded such powerful sway over her emotions and thinking. True, Hinata was… special to her in ways she still struggled to understand, almost like a younger sibling in some regards but not quite so. However, she knew she'd take up arms for any of them.

Kiba, Hinata, Kurenai, even Akamaru, as ludicrous as it was!

She was well and truly ensnared by them, and she didn't even notice until now.

"I'm so stupid."

"You're too hard on yourself."

She jumped at the sound of another voice in her ear, eyes narrowing and kunai flying into her palm as she spun to face the doorway… only to relax at the sight of a friendly face, hand's help up in surrender.

"Yakushi-senpai, you startled me." She nearly hissed, stowing her weapon as the older genin chuckled nervously. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

Kabuto shuffled awkwardly, scratching the back of his with an apologetic expression. "Forgive me, I tried knocking but you must have been deep in thought so I supposed you didn't hear me."

Had she really been that far gone?

"F-Forgive me then, I've had a lot on my mind recently." She apologized softly, making space as he approached. "Can I ask what brings you here?"

"I can tell, I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down before?" He noted curiously, and something in her squirmed at him calling attention to her… less than presentable state at the moment.

Perhaps she should have freshened up before coming here.

"As to why I'm here, I saw your name on the visitor logs." He explained simply, taking a seat beside her. "I was actually here to see my own teammates as well. Though I am not close with Hinata-san, I can sympathize with your circumstances and… Well I guess I wanted to make sure you were okay."

That's right, his teammates had suffered fairly severe inquiries as well hadn't they? It only made sense that he would at least visit.

"You're always worrying about me, senpai." She chuckled, letting her guard drop somewhat. "I'm not a little girl anymore you know?"

Even if she certainly felt like it at times.

He took her words in stride, smiling even as she rebuked him. "I know, but you'll always be my adorable little kohai and so I'm always going to worry about you. Even if you don't need it."

She ignored the faint heat rushing to her cheeks, something that had become more and more commonplace in his presence, and settled for an exasperated huff. Still, It felt… nice, knowing someone outside of her team cared so much about her wellbeing. "Thank you, and I suppose I have come to rely on you more than expected. I hope I haven't caused you too much trouble?"

He waved her concerns off with that same easy-going smile he was known for. "My door is always open to you, you know that."

"Hinata Hyuga…" Kabuto mused on the young girl laid out beside them, and the clear influence she had on the young jinchuriki. He'd read her chart already, the results were grim indeed… There was a small percent chance that the heiress would make a full recovery, and that was if she recovered at all, but even if she did there was no guarantee she'd ever be fit for duty again. She'd have to settle for a quiet life as a civilian. Perhaps more fitting all things considered, but it would be a mark of shame in the eyes of her clan.

A main caste member crippled by the branch house? That would not go unpunished.

"Though she may very well beat them to it."

It was obvious to him since the second stage of the exams that the Nine-Tails vessel was rapidly approaching a crossroad… Choices would have to be made eventually, choices that would have irreversible consequences. His master had a vested interest in the girl now, one that he admittedly encouraged and shared. However, the future was not set in stone and as things were now, it was very possible that she might not be receptive to abandoning the village. If only to preserve the new found bonds she had forged.

But even the strongest of bonds could be made to break, under the right circumstances. Misunderstandings, disagreements, betrayal, apathy, and of course…

Death.

He smiled softly to himself, absentmindedly nodding along as she launched into another tale.

It was certainly an avenue worth considering if nothing else.

.

AN. Chapter Complete!

Its been a long time since I've written this much for one chapter, but I really wanted to move this part along so we cut out a lot of unneeded fluff in my opinion.

Starting off, yes I skipped the last few fights of the preliminaries. I did this because only Gaara, Lee, Temari, Natsumi, Choji, and Dosu still had fights left. While I will allude to these matches, I have no plans to cover them in full since you can pretty much guess how they turned out, but if you wanted to know who Natsumi would have fought it was Dosu, which given what happened makes sense he forfeited his match.

Another thing I want to address, and it's primarily because I got this feedback from a few people in my PMs, is how I've been treating Natsumi in the last few chapters. Mainly that I've kind of been kicking her while she is already down, which I agree with! However, that is intentional as I feel this treatment is necessary for her to grow as a character and in strength. I don't want her to feel weak but I don't want her to be untouchable, I want her to fail and rise back up just like the character she is based on. To that end, emotional turmoil has been a central theme in recent chapters. While I won't say there will be no more of that, I am going to scale back a bit and allow a bit of levity to come back into the writing.

Which brings us to Jiraiya's introduction. It was a bit more direct than I would have liked, but I enjoyed a different take to their initial meeting and how it fit into the struggles Natsumi was facing at the time. A crisis of identity that at present has her acting and thinking in ways that are generally out of character, as a lot of people tend to do when faced with stress and I wanted to capture that here. Natsumi is a lot more aggressive, rash, vulgar, and generally just prone to violence than she normally is. I have fun plans for both of them and it falls in line with my plans to bring a bit of light back into the fic.

Lastly, I want to touch on Hinata's fate. You all were very open about your feelings and I really did enjoy reading all your reactions and thoughts. Her ultimate fate won't become clear until later so don't make any assumptions just yet, but by all means keep feeding me your thoughts!

That's all from me! Don't expect all future chapters to be this long, I just don't have the time to do this regularly but I will try to condense where I can, the quality of the story is most important to me and that means it takes a while! I hope to see you soon but no promises! Please leave your thoughts and as always feel free to PM with questions!