It was another few days of traveling, and Jiraiya leaving them to their training as he gathered more information (and also got drank quite a bit), and one town closer to a place the Sannin called Tanzaku Town. Naruto could barely lift his arms as he was stuck in the second phase of training and no amount of Hinata guiding him seemed to help. They both eventually realized that it was something he was going to have to figure out on his own, which did annoy him. But he was also more motivated than ever.
Hinata was practicing her archery when Jiraiya appeared beside her. "Hinata-chan," he greeted.
She bowed politely. "Hello, Jiraiya-sama." She was surprised to see him so early in the afternoon as he was typically gone until early in the morning, just as the sun was rising.
"I just wanted to check-in. It looks like you're getting better and better," he said, nodding to the bow in her hand. "Naruto also mentioned gauntlets?"
Hinata pulled them out of her pack. "Yes, I'm learning to use my chakra to enhance my strength, then I want to pair it with my gentle fist and use that strength to attack the chakra network," she explained.
Jiraiya raised a brow. "I see. Combining those two, won't it…make things messy?" He asked.
Hinata stared down at the weapon. He was right. Attacking the chakra network with just the gentle fist shut down whichever point was targeted, but using brute strength mixed in with the ability to do so, it could hypothetically blow a limb off. If aiming for the chest or stomach, it could easily blow a hole in someone. Hyuuga's never resorted to anything as barbaric as that, and Hinata agreed. However, she felt there were exceptions.
"Yes, that's right. If I can learn how to combine the two seamlessly," she replied.
"I didn't take you for the kind to be so ruthless." This very much shocked Jiraiya. Hinata Hyuuga was considered, among all her peers and sensei, to be the strong yet kind one. And she indeed was, but he was also learning a new side to her, one that he felt ill-equipped to deal with. He wasn't positive on how to guide her.
"There is only one person I would use such a technique on," she said. "Possibly two."
"I take it that one of them is my old teammate?" Hinata nodded. "Well, I can't say I agree with letting yourself become brutal because of them, but I'm really in no position to judge."
"You can call it brutal, Jiraiya-sama, because I mean for it to be. I don't take offense to that," she said with a soft smile that didn't match the words that came from her mouth.
"I fear this mission you were roped into by your source is changing who you are," he voiced.
Hinata didn't know how to tell him that she had been like this from the time she was a child. When she felt satisfaction at the news that the Kumo nin who attempted to kidnap her was to be executed and that she agreed with the brutality the Elders agreed on. She was afraid that admitting it would make it real. That it would make others see that she was just like her Elders whom she despised. She couldn't bring her voice to speak. To admit to such a darkness within her.
"I wasn't roped into anything," she said quietly. "I made the choice."
Though the Sannin wanted to argue, he chose to remain silent. He saw the myriad of emotions that had flashed through her eyes before she spoke and it made him think there was a lot more she kept about herself a secret from everyone's eyes, something she possibly never wanted the world to see.
"I see. Well, as it happens, Tsunade's monstrous strength comes from the same kind of technique. No promises, but perhaps she could show you how to do it," he offered instead. He didn't know much about the girl in front of him, but he knew she needed someone to watch out for her. If she continued on this path, she was looking at becoming like Kakashi while he was in the Anbu. It would break Minato's heart if that happened. Hopefully, her undercover work didn't break her in a way she couldn't be mended.
Hinata's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love to ask her! I know you said not to get my hopes up, but it's difficult not to."
Jiraiya smiled at her childlike mannerisms coming back. "I'm sure she'd at least hear you out." He gestured to her gauntlets. "Now, let me see what you have down so far."
He stood back as Hinata demonstrated how far she had gotten. He smirked when she pulled her fist out of the tree. She had gone nearly all the way through in a clean punch.
"I say you just about got it down, but you can mess around with it some more. Make your chakra messier, too, just so you know how it feels. Knowing you, your control skill has made doing that difficult, but just try it out," he explained.
Hinata thanked him and was about to turn away to get back to training, but was stopped by the Sannin.
"About what I asked you the other night, have you given it any thought?"
"…I have."
"What did you decide?"
"If I went deep undercover, it would progress our plans against him and I have a way to do it, but it would be extremely dangerous and I won't even be able to guarantee giving you the information once I had it," she stated. "Danzo has no access to the byakugan."
At this, Jiraiya's eyes visibly widened. "That's not only dangerous, it's downright reckless."
"I know. But it was the only thing that came to mind. I don't believe I could get in any closer otherwise. What I had seen with my doujutsu that one time was merely luck. Other than checking out his chakra network and any new modifications, I would be of no use."
After hearing her explanation, the older man took a moment to think. "Let's say we allow this to happen. You become part of his organization, what is the first thing they would do?"
"They would ensure that I never spilled any secrets."
"That's right. From there, you wouldn't be able to share anything you learned and you joined it for nothing," he continued. His gaze met hers. "Now, what if you didn't need to share any information?"
Hinata was confused for a moment before her eyes lit up in realization. "If I just used my position to take it down from the inside?"
"That's right."
"How would I go about that? All of his people are extremely loyal." Then she thought of something else. "We have to assume he also has a fail-safe for that."
"Yes, I believe you're right. Back then, he used to have a probationary period for the members he recruited, but I don't know if that's still his thing. That was before Lord Third officially ended it."
"Did he ever have anyone who didn't go through with it?"
"Just one. You're familiar with him. Kakashi," Jiraiya answered. "I've thought about talking to him about it, but Minato is afraid that it will tip him off. Lord Hokage is placing your safety above everything else."
Hinata looked down at her shoes, not missing the tone the man was using. It was obvious to her that he wanted her to put more risk into it. As it was, with the restrictions she placed, her sensei likely couldn't do much. She sighed heavily.
"I understand," she said quietly. She put her gauntlets away and picked her bow up again. "I'd like to get back to training."
Jiraiya stared at her for a moment longer, watching her shoot one chakra-filled arrow, before taking his leave. He knew she got the message and decided it was best to leave her alone to think about it more. He didn't want to go against Minato's wishes, but with his former student bedridden and vulnerable, he didn't have a choice. At the same time, he didn't want to push Hinata too hard and cause her to trust him less.
He just hoped she would put aside any worries and do what needed to be done.
For the village.
Later that evening, when Hinata was lying down for rest, Jiraiya burst into the room with an unconscious Naruto thrown over his shoulder. He dumped the boy on the bed, and Hinata sat up worriedly.
"Is he okay?" She asked, moving to his side and checking over his body. When she saw he was fine, just exhausted, she sighed in relief.
"He's doing fine. He passed the second phase and will be moving on to the third and final phase once we get into Tanzaku Town. Last I gathered, that is where Tsunade had planned on going," he explained. Then, he yawned loudly. "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. Get plenty of sleep!"
Hinata bowed her head as he left the room, and then returned her attention to her best friend. She smiled at him and removed his jacket and shoes before tucking him in.
"Please, Naruto," she whispered, "Always stay one of my best friends."
Lastly, she removed his headband. She placed it on the bedside table that separated their beds and finally laid back down. She knew that her secret would get out at some point, and she wouldn't be able to hold it against Naruto if he decided he wanted nothing to do with her, but she wished that he would stay by her side…even if Sasuke left.
How selfish, she thought to herself.
She woke up when it was completely dark to the sound of Naruto panting and softly grunting with pain. She activated her byakugan and saw the tears in his eyes as his body shook. She could tell his arms were bringing him much pain and it hurt to not be able to heal them, or even ease the pain. If it was going to hinder his progress, she wouldn't heal him, but hearing the whimpers, she wanted nothing more than to help.
She shut off her doujutsu and turned away, shutting her eyes tightly to ignore the guilt she felt.
"Hinata." Her eyes shot open and saw Naruto standing over her with a tired smile and damp hair. "It's time to get ready. We'll be leaving town in a few minutes. Shower is all yours."
Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes, nodding and mumbling a thank you, so sleepy that she didn't even bat an eye at the fact that he didn't have a shirt on. She gathered a change of clothes and went into the restroom to get ready.
Naruto sat at the edge of his bed and thought about the words he faintly heard her whisper yesterday. She sounded terrified, like losing him as a friend was a genuine fear of hers…like she had done something to make that a possibility. But nothing came to mind. She was always mindful of anything she said or did so as not to offend any of her loved ones.
Her words, however, made him uneasy.
When she came out a few minutes later drying her wet hair and fully dressed, he thought of asking her about it but refrained. She told him when she thought he was asleep for a reason, and he wanted to respect that.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, sitting on her bed right across from him. The room was so small that their knees were nearly touching. He focused on that instead of her face.
"Better after a super hot shower," he said, yawning again. "My arms are killing me!" He finally looked up at her eyes and saw the guilt swirling in them.
"I wish I could help," she replied. She reached over and put a hand on his upper arm, gently squeezing. When Naruto winced, she loosened her grip and kneaded his arm, massaging it. "Hopefully this does something."
Naruto's face was slowly getting more and more red as she touched him. He could see how Sasuke was frustrated and confused about how she felt about him. She did things so innocently and didn't see the implication, that it made it more of a turn-on somehow. He cleared his throat and reluctantly stood up, her hand returning to her side.
"We don't have the time, unfortunately. We need to hurry up and bring back that woman. Dad, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke need help," he said.
At the sound of her love's name, she visibly flinched and nodded. "You're right. If Itachi-san put them under a genjutsu, they must be suffering." She didn't want to think about what Itachi could've put Sasuke in.
Naruto raised a brow at this. "Why do you still put respect on his name?" He asked. After seeing what their old friend had become, how could she still see him in any good light?
Hinata paused for a minute. "Sasuke is still going to bring him back. He still loves him. I can't disrespect him," she said easily.
"I guess he is gonna be your brother-in-law, so it makes sense. I don't know if I ever want to talk to him again," he huffed. "But I'll accept that we're gonna get him."
She smiled in response. "Yes. We'll be right there to help him." She squeezed any excess water out of her hair and into the towel one last time before dropping it on the bed and packing up her things. "Next stop is Tanzaku Town, right?"
Naruto hummed. "That's what Ero-Sennin said. I can't wait to get there. I need to keep practicing. The third phase is really hard."
"You'll get it. I doubt there's anyone more determined than you."
He blushed, chuckling. "Thanks. I can't believe my dad created something like this and didn't even show me or mention it!"
"I'm sure he had his reasons. He doesn't use it, and perhaps he didn't think you were ready for it until now. And since he's injured, he had to entrust the job to Jiraiya-sama," she explained. She knew how much Minato meant to him, and how much he wanted to be guided by the man. They trained under him as long as they could, but Lord Fourth couldn't show favoritism by continuing when he took the hat. It hurt but they understood.
"I can't wait to master it and show him how far I've come!" Naruto immediately became his cheerful self again, and Hinata could always count on it. It comforted her and gave her hope that everything was okay, nothing was changed.
When they left their room, Jiraiya had been waiting for them outside.
"Finally. I sure hope no funny business was going on, or I'll have to get you both separate rooms," he said nonchalantly, but there was a hint of amusement. He burst out into laughter when both genin's—soon to be chuunin—faces went bright red.
"You freakin' pervert!" Naruto yelled. He turned to Hinata. "Don't listen to him. He knows you're very much spoken for, and is just being his stupid self."
Hinata cleared her throat to gain her bearings though her face was slowly turning into a darker red. "I—I know he means no harm, it's okay!" She said, waving her hands dismissively. "Let's get going. I'm sure Tsunade-sama won't be staying in the same place for too long."
Though still chuckling, Jiraiya waved them along as he began walking out of the inn. He couldn't help teasing his student about his crush and obvious desires for the girl traveling with them. It was also nice seeing Hinata acting more her age. Her nonchalance about possibly dismembering a couple of people had rattled him more than he'd like to admit. Her innocence was being taken away more and more, especially the longer she worked with Itachi.
He wondered how long it would be before she completely lost the thing that made her Hinata Hyuuga.
They made it to Tanzaku Town when the sun had finally set. They were all tired and hungry and decided to stop at the first place that had food.
"This is a tavern," Naruto pointed out. "Can me and Hinata even go in, like, legally?"
Jiraiya sighed. "It's not like you'll be drinking any alcohol. C'mon, kid, I'm starving," he grumbled, pushing Naruto through the Noren curtains with Hinata following behind them.
"You don't have to push," Naruto whined, pushing back against Jiraiya's hands, but nearly falling when the older man suddenly stopped. "You good?" He asked, looking up at him to see that he was looking toward the back of the building. There were few people in the tavern and only a couple in the direction he was looking. Some blonde woman and another woman with short, dark hair.
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya called out. "Finally! I've been looking everywhere for you." Hinata peeked around Jiraiya to look at the woman known as the Great Medic to Ever Live
"Jiraiya?! What the hell are you doing here?" It was clear she was drunk from her slurred speech.
Naruto leaned over to Hinata. "Does she look fifty to you?" He asked.
Hinata shook her head. "Not at all."
All three approached the booth she was sitting in and Jiraiya wasted no time in sitting across from the woman. Naruto climbed in after him, sitting in the middle, and Hinata took a seat at the end. They all remained quiet, awkwardly, aside from ordering their food and drinks.
"I can't believe you're actually here," Tsunade huffed, downing another shot of alcohol. "I spend a lot of my time constantly traveling so I never have to see anyone I know aside from my apprentice here. This is Shizune, by the way."
The mentioned woman bowed her head so fast and low that she nearly hit it on the table. "It's an honor to meet you, Jiraiya-sama!"
Jiraiya laughed like a lovestruck idiot at the title and how eager Shizune was. "Aw, thank you! Likewise."
Tsunade sighed heavily. "It's like a reunion around here," she said, voice somber. Jiraiya poured her another drink, the last of the bottle.
"I take it Orochimaru has already approached you." There wasn't any doubt about it. Hinata stiffened in her seat, gripping the fabric of her jacket tightly. Naruto noticed and, without drawing attention, put his hand over hers and held it firmly. She relaxed and put her thumb around his as she exhaled quietly. "So, then what happened?" Jiraiya asked.
Hinata didn't miss the shared look between the woman and her apprentice, though Tsunade's was more of a warning. Just then, their food was brought to them and they all began eating. "He was just saying hi, apparently. That's about it." Hinata's grip on the fabric returned at the blatant lie she was telling them. She wanted nothing more than to call her out, but she remained silent. Tsunade proceeded to pull a deck of cards out of her shirt and shuffled it.
Naruto tilted his head, wondering where the hell she was keeping that, but decided not to say anything. The moment between the Princess and the Perv was too tense to break up. He focused his attention on calming Hinata, but that didn't stop him from leaning over.
"There's a pocket in there?" He asked her. Hinata shrugged, not knowing how to answer. They watched as Tsunade placed the deck on the table and gestured to it.
"Why are you looking for me?" She asked.
Jiraiya reached for it and shuffled it as well. "Well, I'm not one to tiptoe around, so I'll just come out and say it. Konoha has voted you as the next Hokage, in a way." Both Tsunade and Shizune froze, noticeably shocked. The Slug Princess recovers and grabs the deck before passing it out between the two.
"I see. Orochimaru was the one who killed him, wasn't he?"
Naruto slammed his chopsticks down on the table. "The Fourth isn't dead," he said firmly.
Tsunade's gaze slid over to him for the first time since they arrived. "Who's this child with you? Babysitting in your spare time?"
Naruto glared harshly but was stopped from saying anything by Jiraiya. "This is Naruto Uzumaki." Hearing this, the medic Sannin paused. "So, then, what's your answer?"
After a brief thought, she spoke. "If the Fourth Hokage isn't dead, then why am I needed?"
"That's on a need-to-know basis. If you accept, I can tell you," he replied.
She scoffed. "Well, me being the Hokage is impossible. So, no. Only an idiot would willingly take such a title. Constantly sacrificing themselves for the village," she snapped, "All past Hokage's died for nothing. The village is still as much in danger as it always has been."
"Shut your mouth," Naruto growled. "Just say you're a coward without beating around the bush like that. You'll be saving all of us some time."
"Being Hokage is a fool's bet," Tsunade laughed, ignoring Naruto's anger.
"My father is still alive. Don't talk about him as if he's dead!" Naruto shouted, barely keeping himself from lunging at her.
"The way I hear it, he's heading there anyway." Hinata barely held in her gasp, instead choosing to get out of the booth without Naruto having to say a word. Naruto climbed out of his seat and she wasn't going to stop him this time.
"Let's go, grandma. We're fighting."
"You think you can take me on? You little brat." She smirked.
Naruto turned his back to her as he began walking out. "I'll see you out there… unless you also cower in the face of opponents."
Jiraiya turned to Hinata when Naruto disappeared out the door. "You're not stopping him?"
Hinata looked at him with steady eyes. "No." She bowed politely and followed after Naruto.
Tsunade turned to her apprentice. "Shizune, move."
"Tsunade-sama, you're not really going to fight him, are you?"
"I'm not gonna kill him, don't worry." The young woman reluctantly got up and didn't stop her mistress.
Outside, Hinata had her hand on Naruto's shoulder but didn't say a word.
"If I die, promise me you'll take down Orochimaru and find a cure for my dad," he said quietly and seriously.
"You're not going to die."
"She's a Sannin, just like Ero-Sennin."
"Yes, but she wouldn't kill you. It would cause a lot of trouble," she explained. "Not only are you a Jinchuuriki, you're Hokage-sama's child."
"Oh. I guess you're right," he admitted with a sigh.
Tsunade walked out of the tavern and stood opposite of him. "Because of our strength difference, I'll just be using this single finger," she said, holding her left index finger up.
From the side, Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Show off." Shizune, however, seemed much more upset and worried about Naruto.
"So, come on, then," Tsunade said with a smirk.
Hinata moved off to the side as Naruto flung weapons at the woman, not at all shocked when she easily dodged them with a simple head tilt. Hinata took the opportunity to activate her doujutsu to see her chakra network closely.
Naruto flickered back and forth as he threw more weapons. As he moved closer, he littered the ground with explosive seals, surprising Tsunade and causing her to backflip away just before they went off. Naruto then shot through the flames with a kunai, going for an aggressive attack. Despite just recovering, she was able to grab the kunai by its ring with her index and disarm him before flipping it around and going for him. He flipped back before it could connect. She moved fast, however, and was directly in front of him when he recovered.
"Shit," Naruto cursed, knowing it was over. She held her finger to his forehead and flicked him. It was so strong that he flew back and barely caught himself. "A goddamn flick?!"
Hinata had seen the chakra she put into her finger just as she made contact. She didn't charge it up or anything similar, only burst it through at the moment of contact. She had been on the right track during her training. She was releasing her chakra just before making contact; she would have to try it this way in the future.
"Before you pass out, kid, and nevermind that he's your father, why Hokage?" She asked.
"Because I'm not just aimlessly wandering like you," he replied. "Being Hokage is my dream!" The look in his eyes was unwavering and it clearly shook her, causing her to look away.
Naruto took the chance to use the Rasengan, no matter how wobbly it was. Though he had to hold it stable with both hands, it would still do some damage if it make contact. He ran for Tsunade, catching her off guard with the jutsu he was using.
Just before it could connect with her, she slammed her finger into the ground, creating a deep crack that was two feet wide and thirty feet long. Naruto grunted as he lost his footing, stumbled, and accidentally drove the Rasengan into the ground. He flew back from the strength of it and Hinata caught him before he slammed into the ground.
"Jiraiya, this kid is nowhere near strong enough to learn that jutsu! Are you the one filling his head with lies, making him think he can actually become Hokage?"
At this, Naruto ripped himself from Hinata's hold and stood up. "If it means so much to you, then fine. Give me three days to master the Rasengan! Then you'll see I'm plenty strong enough."
Tsunade laughed. "Careful what you say, kid, or I may just hold you to it."
"By all means, do it, Granny. That's my nindo. I never go back on my word."
"Let's turn this into a bet, then. I'll give you a week to master this jutsu. If you do it, I'll admit I'm wrong and you've got what it takes to be Hokage. I'll even throw in this necklace," she said, pointing at the blue crystal around her neck that held a small stone on each side of it.
Shizune gasped. "Tsunade-sama, you don't actually mean that! Not your grandfather's necklace." The Sannin paid no mind to her words.
Naruto looked at it for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, whatever." He could give it to Hinata as a gift of something.
Tsunade scoffed at his nonchalance. "And if I win, you have to give me everything in your stupid wallet and you also have to give up your absurd dream." She held up his full Gama-chan with a smug grin.
"Tsunade-sama!" Her apprentice exclaimed.
"He doesn't stand a chance," she assured her.
Suddenly, Naruto swayed on his feet and Hinata caught him once again as he passed out. She laid him down and put a glowing hand on his head. She eased his concussion and the bruises on his body. Secretly, she also eased the pain in his arms…just a bit.
"You there. Hyuuga," Tsunade called to her, acknowledging her for the first time since they found her. "You were allowed to be a medic, despite being a Hyuuga?"
Hinata never took her eyes off of her teammate. "I wasn't going to let anyone stop me."
"Who taught you?"
"Kushina Uzumaki."
"Ah, yes. She was a worthy student. Why are you here? I hardly doubt this mission is worth three people."
I wanted…to meet you. I want to learn from you," Hinata admitted honestly.
Tsunade thought for a moment. "Why?"
"I know medical ninjutsu isn't a cure-all. I know I will eventually lose people, but I'd still like to offer my support on the battlefield. To heal and protect my comrades as best as I can."
Swiftly, Tsunade pulled out a thin needle, the metal glinting from the light of the moon, and shot it toward Naruto. Hinata attempted to grab it but it was too quick and landed in Naruto's chest. Quickly, she yanked it out and looked at it closer before turning hard eyes to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasped.
Tsunade ignored her. "If you want to learn from me, find the antidote to that poison. If you can't, he'll die and I'll know you don't have what it takes to be a medic, and so will you."
Hinata nodded curtly as the Sannin smirked and turned to walk away.
"Tsunade-sama," Hinata called out, causing her to stop. "You say being the Hokage is a fool's bet. Lucky for us you're the Legendary Sucker." The blonde woman glanced back at her before leaving without another word. Jiraiya walked up next to her with a chuckle.
"You've got guts, Hinata-chan," he laughed.
"I've got to heal him. He needs to win that bet," she sighed. "I've only studied a little on poisons, but it'll have to be enough."
"I didn't know she'd poison him. She's really turned cynical."
"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sama. We'll bring her back to the village. Do you think she was telling the truth about Orochimaru? Because I don't."
"I agree with you. I'll handle that, you just take care of him," he said, assuring her.
"You can leave him to me," she said calmly, confident in her ability to cure him.
"I trust you." The Sannin picked Naruto up carefully. "Let's get him somewhere safe." Hinata stood and dusted her knees off before following after him.
Back at the inn, they found a couple of rooms and Jiraiya placed Naruto down on one of the beds before promptly leaving. Hinata wasted no time in pulling out her scrolls and unsealing her medical equipment and supplies. She took an empty vial and used her medical ninjutsu to extract the poison left in his bloodstream and placed it inside the tube. She remained calm as Naruto groaned in pain, drenched in sweat. She activated her byakugan to double-check his body before shutting it off and turning to her medical books. She didn't want to overuse her eyes with Orochimaru lurking around.
Hinata only had a couple of books, which consisted of basic poisons and their antidotes, and with her limited supplies, she feared that she wouldn't have time to properly heal him. Tsunade truly played dirty. She took a deep, slow breath to calm down. She needed to think rationally.
This was a test, and Tsunade wouldn't give her something too difficult. She had to take the chance that it was a common poison with a basic antidote. Tsunade had turned cynical, but she was not heartless.
Hinata quickly read through a list of ingredients for an antidote and crosschecked it with the supplies she brought with her. There were a couple of things she needed to search for, but she didn't need to go very far for them. It was then that she sensed someone coming near their room. She activated her doujutsu and saw the woman Tsunade had introduced as Shizune. Swiftly, she moved to the door and opened it before the woman could knock, shocking her.
"May I help you?" Hinata asked, not unkindly.
"Oh. Your byakugan," Shizune said with a breath of relief.
"I sensed someone approaching. I don't like to rely on my doujutsu too often," she explained.
"You're a sensory type?"
"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?" Hinata asked again. "I don't mean to be impolite, but I'm very busy with Naruto."
Shizune essentially forced herself into the room. "Please, I must speak to you." When Hinata stepped aside, the older woman saw all the scrolls and ingredients on the desk in the far corner of the room that Hinata had been working on. She recognized all the ingredients. "How do you know she gave him a common poison?"
"Deduction," Hinata replied promptly.
"I see. I'm here to…warn you about the necklace and to tell you more about Tsunade-sama."
Hinata returned to her work. "I hope you don't mind, but I don't have time to stop. I will still be listening," she assured her. "I need to make sure Naruto is healed in time to prove Tsunade-sama wrong." She didn't care too much about whatever warning Shizune was here to give her. "She insulted his father and his position."
Shizune stepped forward in anger. "You don't know what she's been through! She has her reasons!" she defended.
"Yes, but the same can be said to Tsunade-sama about Naruto. She does not get to say whatever she wants without consequences." Normally, Hinata was a lot better at holding her tongue. When it came to her loved ones, however, that politeness went out the door.
At this, Shizune deflated and cast her eyes downward. "I—I know. I'm very sorry for her behavior and my outburst. But you have to understand that she wasn't always like this…"
Hinata stayed quiet, continuing her research and grinding the ingredients down into a powder one by one.
"She used to love the village and she was so dedicated to it…But, tell me, what would you do if you lost your sibling and couldn't save the man you loved?"
Hinata paused, turning her head to look back at her as images of Hanabi and Sasuke flashed in her mind. "Is that what happened to her?" She asked.
"That's right. Which bring me to the necklace. It only acknowledges Tsunade-sama. Anyone else who wears it will die!"
"What? Then why would she bet it?"
"I don't know, truly. But you have to make sure Naruto doesn't win, for his own safety!"
"Tell me why you believe it will kill him," Hinata said instead. She listened as Shizune explained Tsunade's past, losing her brother and the man she loved one day after gifting them the very necklace she had just bet. They both had the same dream as Naruto and also always kept their word. When she was done, Shizune looked at her hopefully.
"So will you please talk him out of it?"
Eventually, Hinata shook her head. "No."
"But—!"
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Naruto will always keep his word. It's our nindou, Shizune-san. Naruto will win this bet, and I will cure him in time to do it," she expressed.
"He could die!"
"He could die any day. We all could. That is the life of a shinobi. Wearing a necklace will not change his fate. Tsunade-sama's brother and lover…their dreams did not die with them. They were passed down to like-minded people. Naruto is one of them, and I will help him get there. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but blaming their deaths on a necklace is only belittling the cause they died for." She understood that Tsunade was traumatized and coping however she could, but Hinata could not support being unnecessarily harsh to people who did not deserve it.
Shizune gasped and then glared at Hinata when she recovered. "How dare you!" She yelled, taking a step forward.
Hinata stood her ground. "No. How dare Tsunade-sama mock Naruto's dreams and his father. And how dare you enable that," she said sternly.
This caused Shizune to step back, eyes filled with shame. "I know…It's unforgivable, but I hope you'll come to understand one day."
"I can understand the things she's been through. I can easily see myself in her shoes, losing my sister and the person I love, but we're different people and would make different choices," she said. "Thank you for coming all this way to warn me." She bowed her head politely.
The older woman sighed and turned to leave. "About the poison, it is a basic kind. You were right. That's all I will tell you." Then she left, and Hinata closed the door behind her before locking it.
She glanced at Naruto passed out on the bed and immediately went back to work. Poisons had never been her strong suit, and she had her work cut out for her.
When Naruto awoke, his head felt groggy and was pounding so hard that he felt as though he was going to puke at any moment. Just as he heaved, a hand slapped over his mouth. He followed it up to see Hinata at the other end with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was also quite oily and messy, her ponytail fixed low starting from the back of her neck, as though it had been pulled at quite a few times. Her skin looked pale and clammy as opposed to the natural glow it always had.
"Try not to vomit," she said tiredly. "I just administered another dose of the antidote." He nodded and she pulled her hand away.
He swallowed thickly, trying to get rid of the nausea. "What…What happened?"
"Tsunade-sama poisoned you."
"What?! Why the hell would she do that?"
Hinata looked down guiltily. "I mentioned to her that I wanted to learn from her. She did it as a test," she admitted. Then she bowed her head parallel to the ground, shocking Naruto and making him flustered. "I'm so very sorry!"
Naruto took a moment before sighing. "You don't need to apologize. It was that crazy, old bat. Anyway, you did it, right?"
She nodded. "It took two days."
His eyes widened. "Wait! I only have five more days left?! Crap, I gotta get training! I'm still stuck on the third phase."
"Please try not to overdo it. I'll visit you when it's time for your next dose." She helped him stand, but swayed on her feet, causing Naruto to steady her instead.
"How long have—? Have you been awake this whole time?"
"I…couldn't let you die just because I was tired," she replied easily. "I can't lose you, too." Then her eyes rolled back and Naruto held her close before she fell. He was left to wonder what she meant, and if it had anything to do with those words she whispered to him the other night.
He picked her up and set her down on the bed behind her before turning to look at the desk, shocked at how cluttered it was. In just two days, Hinata had cured him of a poison she had to identify, judging from the notes he could see from that distance. He looked back at her sleeping form and gently ran his fingers along her bangs and down her cheek.
"Thank you, Hinata. I…" love you.
He stared at her for a moment longer before turning away somber eyes. He was able to act normally around her, but he still had hidden feelings and desires. Even now, he wished to lean down and mash their lips together in a desperate kiss, and that was why he had to leave. He still loved her so dearly, but he couldn't.
Naruto grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to wash up before he left to continue his training. Hinata had worked herself until she dropped for him. He needed to win this bet.
On his way out of town to continue his training, he ran into Jiraiya who was pleased to see him.
"He lives! And it only took two days. How's Hinata-chan?" He asked.
"She's resting. She stayed up the whole time. Did you at least check on her?" Naruto asked.
"I wasn't going to get in her way. And I was doing my own thing, kid. We'll take her out for a big meal when she's rested up," Jiraiya assured him. Naruto rolled his eyes and waved him off. "Off to train?"
"Yup. I only have five more days. I gotta show that bag of bones what I'm truly capable of."
The Sannin snickered at the name, but then immediately steeled it when he thought of incurring her wrath should she find out he laughed about it. "All right. Good luck." He didn't have high hopes of him mastering a jutsu that took his father four years to perfect and himself just as long, but he wasn't going to stop him.
He was, however, going to find Tsunade at some point and try to stop her. It was clear to him that Orochimaru offered her something that terrified her apprentice and he can only imagine what it was. Knowing Orochimaru, it was something twisted. But that wasn't was bothered him, it was the fact that Tsunade was actually considering it.
He wasn't sure if he knew her anymore.
Hi! We hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I wonder if you can all tell how angry Hinata is through the second half of this chapter. I have been hinting at this darker side of Hinata since the early Prologue days, so hopefully no one is thrown off by it! I hope you'll forgive any typos. I had to upload from my iPad since it was my night to go up to bed with my kiddo. I'm very excited to share the rest of this story with y'all! I think part two will have a long prologue as this one did in order to set up more as well as diving into Hinata's training and her plans for Danzo.
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 03/23/24