Note: Rookie 9 are in their 16 years of age.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto characters
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Summary: To both Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi, home is a vague memory. But a certain Hyuuga heiress is about to make them remember. KakashiHinataItachi and Gradual KakaHina
Lifeblood and driving force are semantically related. In some cases, you can replace term "Lifeblood" with "Driving force", these terms are similar.
Driving force [noun] - The act of applying force to propel something.
-Thesaurus Plus (2016)
Prologue: Solidarity
A sigh, humid and long, escaped Hyuuga Hinata's lips as she collapsed onto the grass. Grains of sand clung to her lower lip, and she swiped them away, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. The late afternoon breeze rustled the leaves, a gentle counterpoint to the pounding of her own heart.
"Come on, Hinata! You've got this!" The sharp bark of a giant white dog echoed from the edge of the clearing, followed by the encouraging shout of a boy with tattoos etched across his face. Hinata's resolve hardened in her white eyes, and she rose unsteadily to her feet. Planting her feet wide, she clenched her fists. Her opponent, a tall boy, arched a skeptical eyebrow.
"That's it! Now strike, Hinata!"
"Jyuuken!"
With a burst of speed, Hinata charged. Each strike against her stoic opponent felt solid yet futile—swift, relentless, but lacking the bite she needed. The boy evaded with natural finesse, each motion was measured, revealing a man accustomed to letting moments unfold. Years of teamwork revealed themselves—they read each other like scrolls, strengths and weaknesses exposed.
But Hinata wouldn't falter. Defeat gnawed at her, even as he dodged effortlessly.
"Sever your doubts, Hinata. There's no conviction in your strikes," the boy said, barely winded by the onslaught.
Alarm flared in her chest. I will prove you wrong, Shino-kun.
Her pace quickened. Every parry, every block, was analyzed through the Byakugan. Her fists sought his chest, but he deflected them with sharp, precise strikes of his own. Hinata's strategy had to change. Taijutsu alone wouldn't win this. Her gaze meandering across the training ground, seeking an edge, a weapon...
Underneath the underneath.
A gleam caught her eye—a puddle, half-hidden by shadows. Her relentless attacks had forced him back, closer and closer to the water.
She waited.
Their distance closed, and her focus shifted from his cool eyes to the water itself. Shino remained absorbed in the dance of their hands, unaware of the trap she'd laid. With a flick of her wrist, the water stirred, droplets rising to hang suspended in the air. They shimmered, then hardened into razor-sharp needles, launching themselves at Shino.
"Got you, Hinata!" The tattooed boy leaped in excitement, the massive dog at his side yipping in tandem.
Spikes of water pierced Shino's pressure points, paralyzing him. Surprise froze his features, the certainty of defeat dawning in his eyes. He waited, helpless, for the final blow.
She lowered into her stance, fingers weaving the seal. "Jyuukenhou, Hakke Rokujyuu Yonshou."
But before the first strike landed, Shino's form dissolved, vanishing into a flock of black clouds..
"Kage Bunshin?" Hinata spun, bewildered. The training ground was empty. The only sound was the rustle of leaves in the fading breeze, a chilling lament. She nearly laughed—she'd been tricked. There was a discordant note in the air now. Something had shifted.
Her Byakugan swept the surrounding forest. No sign of Shino. Not within a hundred feet, not even a glint of chakra.
It hit her then—Shino and Kiba were never here at all.
Deep within the tangled heart of the forest, a man dressed in black slumped in defeat. Crickets chirped a mocking chorus, and every now and then, the echoing bark of a massive dog rent the damp air. Blood soaked his shirt, and mud streaked his long black hair. With a desperate groan, he wiped his mouth, spitting out a crimson stain.
"You're running out of time," Aburame Shino said, his voice as calm as the still air. "Tell us who sent you, and why you stalked Hinata."
"Like hell!" The man surged forward, but Shino's fist caught him between nose and lip, a sickening crunch echoing through the trees. He howled, clutching his face, blood seeping between his fingers.
"Maybe my dog would like those answers instead," Kiba said. His grin was wolfish as he patted Akamaru's massive head. "Been feeding him extra raw meat lately… he's got a taste for it."
The man's eyes widened in terror as he stared at the oversized canine. Then, a shimmer of understanding—of who these boys were—crossed his face. Despair replaced defiance.
"The boss… he'll kill me if I talk," he rasped, a tremor in his voice.
"Boss? So this was organized?" Kiba whistled, the sound sharp and playful.
The man flinched, an involuntary betrayal. His body shook violently, and after a choked breath, he closed his eyes. When they reopened, a strange peace settled over him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out an exploding tag.
Before they could react, he crammed the tag into his mouth. A blinding flash, the crack of bone, then a gruesome rain. Shino and Kiba shielded their eyes as chunks of flesh splattered against bark. When they could see again, the man was sprawled lifeless on the forest floor, eyes wide and sightless.
"Damn! No leads now!" Kiba groaned, while Akamaru licked his paw, a streak of red marring his white fur.
"You feed him raw meat?" Shino asked, the question matter-of-fact.
"Nah, bluff. Didn't think the guy would off himself though."
"He wasn't scared of Akamaru."
"Whoever sent him… they're serious. Should we tell the Hokage?"
"No. We don't want to worry Hinata."
"Good point. He's gone. Next one they send, we'll take down together. Now, how the hell do we clean this mess up?"
"I have an idea."
Shino raised a fist, and a black cloud of kikai beetles poured from his sleeve, forming a buzzing replica of his form.
"Leave no trace of him within Konoha's borders," Shino ordered.
The swarm descended on the mangled corpse, devouring it piece by piece. Kiba whistled, then hopped onto Akamaru's back, fleeing the scene with a smirk. Shino disappeared in a series of silent leaps, reappearing yards away again and again until he vanished as if he'd never been.
When he arrived at the training ground, Shino saw that Kiba was already talking to Hinata, scratching his head for no apparent reason. Hinata complained they both liked leaving her alone and having fun without her knowledge. Shino wished she could join the fun, but he did not want her to have nightmares. He leveled his fist in the air—a large butterfly with dichromatic wings emerged out of nowhere and tenderly settled on his forefinger.
When Shino neared Hinata, he saw she was about to complain. But her facial expression drastically changed as she spotted the butterfly he had brought on his index finger.
"We went to catch this," Shino informed, slowly sitting beside Hinata. She marveled at the sight of the butterfly and had completely forgotten about her previous protests.
Kiba could not help but smile. And even though his team leader tried to hide it, Kiba knew that behind his high collar, the Aburame heir was also smiling.
Hatake Kakashi had watched them for a long while, a silent guardian against the encroaching dusk. His single visible eye traced their movements, sharp even in the fading light.
It had started with a flicker of black, a discordant shadow against the stately walls of the Hyuuga compound. Kakashi, on his way to Ichiraku's, had paused, the scent of simmering broth forgotten.
There was an ill-intent in that darkness, a predatory stillness that spoke of secrets and surveillance. The sly figure had thought himself hidden, but Kakashi saw the obsessive focus on the heiress, the doubt lurking beneath his unskillful disguise.
He'd followed, a ghost in the trees. Days blurred as he shadowed the man, curiosity turning to a grim certainty. Yet, it seemed Kurenai's boys were a step ahead, their fierce protectiveness a quiet counterpoint to their easy banter.
And Hyuuga Hinata.
Her image gleamed in Kakashi's mind—delicate determination transforming into a warrior's grace. The girl he'd seen nearly broken during the Chuunin exams, the one overshadowed by whispers of weakness—was gone. Replaced by a kunoichi with the quiet strength of dawn and the unwavering loyalty of her teammates.
They guarded her with casual vigilance, their silent exchange shielding her from the truth lurking beyond the training field. He watched them until twilight painted the sky in hues of blood and fire, watched them walk her to the threshold of her home.
A gentle click of the door echoed the finality of their separation—her path led inwards to family, theirs outwards into the gathering night.
Something in Kakashi's chest ached, an echo of laughter and hearthfire long lost. The breeze whispered of ghosts as he leaned against the rough bark of a tree, Icha Icha forgotten.
Memories unfurled: the bright flash of the Yondaime's smile, the warmth of Obito's impulsive grin, Rin's gentle touch, the solid weight of a kunai in his young hand, his father's low chuckle.
All of it faded into a hollowness within him, the sharp realization that a house was not a home, and that belonging was a more elusive shelter than any roof could provide.
To be continued…..