Since the goal was met in my head, about 10 followers of the story a week before chapter 2, I'll upload this chapter sooner; a new chapter is still coming out on Monday as planned instead. If you wish to have another chapter quicker than a week, then have this story up by at least 10 additional followers. If possible, I like to see this version surpass the original in terms of likes and following before chapter 20.!
This is the start of some of the many small changes; you may notice a lot of them will be revolving around Sasuke and Mercedes, along with Naruto and Hinata's relationship. I'm not going to do what I did with the original and have them get together after the mock battle; it'll happen before. In fact, Byleth will not appear until chapter 6.
I'm not here to defend my choices for whatever characters chose whatever house because my story should be able to speak for itself. I chose certain houses deliberately because I felt like it would work better for the story that I intend to create. You read the original story, but now the general story is going to be the same, except I'm going to expand on things I didn't touch on much, and characters that should have been introduced but weren't will be introduced.
One thing people need to understand is this takes place in an alternate universe of the Naruto Canon. The characters in question are the same age as they were at the end of the war arc in the manga. As for Sasuke's character, I'll let the story speak for itself. I think his dynamic with Dimitri is far more interesting than the other two houses would be. Not to mention, with Dimitri and Sasuke both being filled with survivor's guilt, at least that's how I look at Sasuke's character. I think they would click better together than Sasuke with Edelgard and Claude. Since I cannot assume everyone who's reading this version of the story has read the original, I will say it here: I'll be using aspects of the Naruto manga/anime that I like the most and disregard what I don't, or expand upon ideas that could have been expanded upon better. I'll be taking aspects of every route of three houses and three hopes, so plot lines from various routes will be used, though that will apply more for the second half of the story, not for the first half.
Anyone who has read the original, the pairings will not change; they're going to be the same. For those who haven't read the original, I won't spoil what the pairings are. At first, if you read the original, things may not seem that much different, but more and more differences will be present starting the next chapter until towards the end of the arc, where the differences between the original and this version will be hard to not notice. Sakura bashing will not be a thing this time around; it was in the previous chapter, but that's only from the perspective of characters that do not like her.
Unlike the last time, where she was a punching bag and a butt of jokes, this time, I plan on making her into an actual character. She was the main reason that motivated me to want to start the rewrite in the first place because of how important she will be for Edelgard's storyline later down the road.
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I want to make this the most unique Naruto and Fire Emblem crossover story as possible. If you are a Hinata fan, she is a major character here. I can't say anymore because of spoilers.
chapter 2 reunions
The first day of the new school year has begun. Students from Konoha transfers (three of which will not be at the monastery for a few months due to the missing their boat) have settled and chosen their respective classes. All of Team 8 chose the Black Eagles. All of Team 10 chose the Golden Deer. The team known as Team Guy in Konoha all but one chose the Blue Lions. Team 7 did something unusual, and each of its members chose a different class. There are other Konoha students who chose different classes, but the ones that are the most well-known are what's paid attention to. At the same time, students from their respective classes meet each other for the first time.
Blue Lion's classroom
Sasuke wasn't used to wearing the uniform required of academy students. It was uncomfortable. He felt stiff; he didn't know how any of the students managed to move around and fight in these things. But all the students are required to wear them, including the transfer students. He was the first one in the classroom, surprised that he arrived first. He also heard one of the Sensei from Konoha is going to teach one of the classes.
He felt a sign of relief that Sakura wasn't here; he would have peace from the banshee. He saw his other classmates from Konoha. Sakura still wasn't here he wondered what the students of the Blue Lions were like other than Dimitri. He heard about Ingrid when he talked to Felix after he chose his class; she was trained and had a goal of being a knight. He was curious about her. He would like to spar with her the Blue Lions in general seem to be students that take their studies extremely seriously. One by one he saw students enter. He saw his fellow classmates. He saw a boy with silver hair who he assumes is named Ashe.
"I've heard much about you. Nice to meet you, Sasuke. My name is Ashe and I hope we can be friends." The boys said politely. Sasuke had nothing against him. He responded in the most polite way possible.
"I'm not really here to make friends." Sasuke said. He looked disappointed but smiled. He wondered why he was doing that. Then he saw Annette who said hello to him. He saw Felix who gave him that grin.
"So you've chosen the Boar. I wonder if you're just like him." Sasuke took that as a challenge.
"We'll have to see when I get a chance to spar with him." Sasuke remarked.
"Wow! I've heard from various people from Konoha that he has a chip on his shoulder but I didn't expect this. I don't understand why the ladies find him so attractive." A red-haired boy named Sylvain said.
"Whatever," Sasuke replied. He didn't know or care. He didn't catch his eye like Felix or Dimitri; he didn't think he would make a good sparring partner.
"Sylvain, why do you have to make everything about girls? Sheesh!" A blonde-haired girl named Ingrid he saw Naruto talking to her along with a brown haired girl named Dorothea. She looked like someone he'd be interested in sparring with. "I saw you talking to Naruto yesterday; you seemed interesting, Ingrid san." Sasuke couldn't help but notice how she carried herself; she was someone who could and would knock you down if you underestimated her. The best thing about Ingrid is the blonde-haired girl had no interest in him at all.
"Yeah, I talked to Naruto. Do you know him?"Ingrid asked Sasuke.
"Yeah, I know him. I've known him since we were at the Academy back home."Sasuke answered.
"I'm disappointed he isn't here, I think he she turned red with embarrassment."Sasuke couldn't help but notice that she developed a crush on him. Great! Naruto had just arrived, and he already had an admirer. He probably would be clueless like he is with Hinata.
" I'm glad that loser isn't here." Sasuke said, not caring how it came out. He didn't hate Naruto; it was just their dynamic.
"That's an interesting thing to call your friend"a brown-skinned man named Dedue who had silver hair.
"So I hear you're the right-hand man of Dimitri, isn't that right, Dedue-san?"Sasuke asked respectfully. "Your highness speaks very highly of you; don't abuse his trust."The way he said it was a warning; he takes his duties very seriously. Whatever he went through in the past, Sasuke is certain something happened that caused such a man to be loyal to Dimitri.
He doesn't need to look deeply into his eyes to know he would do anything for him. undying loyalty; no one in Konoha that he knows of is that loyal. He doesn't know the history of his people; maybe he will in time. Sasuke doesn't really care, though. He's not here to make friends but to get stronger.
"Mercie should be here by now; it's not like her to be late," remarked Annette. Who was this person his classmate was talking about? Sasuke felt his heart beating. No, it couldn't be her; it could be someone else with the name Mercie. He took a deep breath; he hoped nobody noticed him spacing out whenever her name was mentioned.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I forgot something this morning"Sasuke heard a voice he turned around and saw the source of it. She had long hair. She had her hair on her left side that was tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were blue and her hair was blonde. Sasuke his eyes widen seeing her her voice he knew that voice her face he recognized her anywhere even the way she dressed had not changed
She had a look of shock, and this was not unnoticed by Annette and Felix.
"It's been a long time, Sasuke-kun," Mercedes said with her angelic smile. He remembered how it brightened his day when he first saw her. When he was moody, her presence changed everything. She was the first girl he had a crush on, and now, sitting in the same classroom, in the same spot, he had no idea what to say. He wanted to kick himself for not expressing how he felt.
"It's been a long time, Mercie," Sasuke said, barely able to get the words out.
"Do you two know each other?" asked Annette, surprised that Sasuke and Mercedes were familiar with each other. She had lived in Konoha for a year, and during that time, Mercedes was one of the few people he could talk to without pretending to be somebody else. It had been so long; the necklace he still wore, which she made for him, was his greatest treasure. His biggest regret was never being able to make the earrings he had promised her.
It had been five years. Sasuke thought that she was beautiful then, and she was beautiful now. She was the one person who could bring a smile to his face, but he suddenly realized that he and Mercedes were silent. He had to say something.
"Later, do you think it's possible that—never mind, it's stupid," Sasuke said, turning red.
"I would love to," Mercedes replied, but the two fell silent again. Before they could say anything more, their professor arrived.
"Okay, we have a lot to do today. Go to your assigned seats. We will first start the lesson about the start of the War of Liberation," Manuela said. Sasuke nervously sat next to Mercedes and Annette. The three said nothing as they patiently listened to their professor. He barely paid attention to the lesson; the one thing on his mind was the woman who had changed his life five years ago. He felt like nothing had changed and was overwhelmed, feeling like a boy again.
Dimitri noticed immediately that there was something between Sasuke and Mercedes; they had known each other before they were friends. The two were extremely nervous. He couldn't help but be reminded of Naruto and Hinata from what he had heard about them, but between the two, he probably thought Sasuke and Mercedes would likely need more help. But then again, he would give them time—they had just met again after five years. He would have to ask them both later, separately; he couldn't help but feel amusement.
He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a smile on Mercedes's face—a smile he had never seen on anyone but the raven-haired man. He decided to focus on the lecture for now.
Golden deer classroom
Naruto is just in time, and the person who was also here was Claude. He had a devious smile.
"To think that the two pranksters are on the same class, can you imagine the terrors that we can unleash together?" he said with a grin.
"So I can only imagine Claude. I'm disappointed Ingrid and Dorothea isn't here or Hinata, but that's okay; it's not like we can't be friends outside of class." Claude had a question for the look on his face.
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you what are your feelings for Hinata anyway?" Claude asked curiously.
"I think she's cute and beautiful. I don't think I'm worthy of being in her presence she's everything I'm not."Naruto said he was shocked at how easily he shared that information. Part of him regretted it because Claude might blackmail him with it in the future.
He didn't know why he felt comfortable sharing this information.
"Careful gossip can easily spread," Claude joked. They didn't notice the blue-haired girl who entered the room alongside her friend with pink hair and pigtails. Did they hear everything Naruto just said? His face was burning red. He couldn't believe it.
"Wow, that's a little forward if you ask me. Not that I have a problem with that." The pink-haired girl said nothing; he saw her speak to Hinata for some reason. She reminded him of her in some ways.
"She doesn't speak much, so be careful not to make her uncomfortable,"Hilda warned.
"Oh I wouldn't dream of it, I wouldn't want to make one of Hinata's friends uncomfortable"Hilda looked at him with interest.
"So you know Marianne's new friend?"she asked him, expecting an answer. "Well we have been classmates since childhood can't really say any more than that."the truth is Naruto has always been nervous about approaching her because of her father and her clan.
Nobody knows this at back home, but his crush on Sakura was never real; in fact, the person he had a crush on the whole time was Hinata Hyuga. But he never had the courage to approach her.
"I hope I don't inconvenience you, Mr Naruto" Marianne said, trying to keep quiet. She was definitely soft-spoken a lot like Hinata in that way. She reminds Naruto of Hinata from five years ago and knows that she could use a friend. Before he says anything, another person comes by someone he recognizes.
" So you're Naruto, I'm glad you chose our house" Raphael said with happiness. He talked to Raphael after he chose the golden deer he seemed to be a good fellow, someone he wouldn't mind hanging out with.
"I'm glad you did too. I'm really looking forward to that training and just seeing who could beat each other in an eating contest." He heard another person walk between them.
"So, Naruto, it looks like I have a rival for who could eat the most." His friend Choji said, looking at Raphael.
"I'm most looking forward to testing our muscles against each other." Raphael said excitedly to have someone big like him who can possibly give him a challenge.
"I feel like we have two of them, what a drag," remarked Shikamaru.
"Well at least in our house our leader is handsome. I wonder if he's interested in a woman like me?" said Ino.
"I really like how you dress yourself. Can you tell me when you have the chance how you do it? I like your fashion" remarked Hilda when she looked at the way Ino made her uniform and her hair.
"Finally another girl that appreciates fashion. I think I'm going to really like you, Hilda Chan" Ino said excitedly.
The girls were talking like they're in their own world. Naruto wanted to sigh. At least she isn't Sakura.
"I'm not going to lie, having other people to compete with is going to be really hard but also exciting." He saw a dark-orange-haired girl with short hair. Naruto could tell she had muscle on her arms.
"I'm not going to lie, I'm not really impressed with Most of you, Konoha transfer student's, that are in our class, but I'll have to see you in action, especially you, Naruto Uzumaki."Naruto knew she would be a tough opponent if he didn't take her seriously.
"My name is Leonie Pinelli; don't forget it if you don't take me seriously, I will make you regret it." She had a lot of fire in her, and Naruto didn't know what to think; he kind of liked her spirit.
"Well at least this one doesn't have a stick up his ass like the emo in the Blue Lions," said a white-haired girl whom Naruto figured was named Lysithea.
"Are you talking about Sasuke?" Naruto asked her. "Who do you think I'm talking about? Of course I'm talking about Sasuke. I don't understand what's up with everyone about Sasuke," she said, annoyed over something that seemed to her to be obvious.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, I guess," Naruto said. The girl looked like she was annoyed.
"Did I say something wrong?" Naruto asked her. "Yeah, you saying stupid things," the girl sat on her seat. Why did she act like that was beyond him.
"Don't take it personally, she'll warm up to you eventually, just as long as you don't treat her like a child." Claude warned. "Noted." He knew there were two more that he had yet to meet in the Golden Deer.
"So we're stuck with this ruffian. If only we got someone like Sasuke. Now he's someone worth knowing or Hinata. Must we get the Dead last person from Konoha?" Lorenz said condescendingly.
"You know I've only heard you say one thing, and I already don't like you." Naruto said to him bluntly.
"Hey now, there's no need for you 2 to fight." said Claude. Naruto turned his back on him. He didn't want to even see his face; he wanted to punch him.
"I never got a chance to introduce myself until now but it's nice to meet you Naruto", a shy green-haired boy named Ignatz who wore glasses.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Naruto. What's your name?" Naruto asked. "Ignatz," the boy answered.
"I take it you're friends with Raphael and Ingrid?" he asked.
"I met them yesterday. Do you know Raphael and Ingrid?" Naruto was curious; it could give him a chance to learn more about his classmates.
"I've known Raphael since childhood and Ingrid, well, we haven't known each other long. We just met." The boy answered, except for one person in the Golden Deer. Naruto felt like he could get along with them. Before he could elaborate further, he saw his professor and nearly dropped out of all the people.
"Yo" said Kakashi, out of all the sensei's, it had to be Kakashi; great, Naruto thought.
"I take it you are our professor?" asked Claude. "Yes; as part of the transfer program, at least one of the Jonin from Konoha will be here; as for what that rank represents, I'll explain later; all you need to know is we're one of the highest-ranked Shinobi. I'm very harsh, but I'm going to be lenient with you kids." Kakashi said casually; none of the students had any idea what he had in store for them; he almost felt sorry for them.
"Now, as a tradition in Konoha, I would like all of you to introduce yourselves and if you want to tell the class your dreams and aspirations."
Naruto knew this would be a long day; he would listen to everyone's dreams and aspirations, but Claude was very guarded. Marianne barely said anything, and hearing Lorenz talk about his made Naruto want to puke. He couldn't wait to get the tedious introductions over with.
Black Eagles classroom
Being in the presence of her old friend was surreal for Hinata. She still wondered what happened to her hair. Why was her hair white instead of brown? Perhaps she would find out in time. Right now, she had to be acquainted with her classmates; her teammates from team 8 who joined her out of loyalty.
She was relieved when she found out Naruto joined the Golden Deer. Though she wasn't pleased that she had to be in the same class as Sakura, she would tolerate her presence as long as she didn't run her mouth. Her childhood friend introduced her to a black-haired man who looked like a vampire. She didn't know why she could feel it, but she knew.
"So you are friends with Lady Edelgard and you're a disinherited heir of the Hyuga clan, correct?" He asked her coldly. It felt like an interrogation; she felt uncomfortable. Her friend picked up on this.
"Please stop, Hubert. You're making her uncomfortable." She said to reassure Hinata. She didn't know how he learned such information; only those in the clan knew about it.
"It's okay Hina-chan, it's just between us unless you want to tell others. I understand how much it must feel." She said compassionately.
"Personally, I would rather not talk about it. Edel-chan," Hinata said to her in her native language.
"Don't worry; the rest of the Black Eagles aren't like that. Oh, speaking of the devil."
She saw other members of her class. One of them was a short-haired purple-haired girl who looked like she didn't want to be there. She saw a bright blue-haired boy who looked excited for some reason. The way his demeanor reminded her of Naruto. There was an orange-haired boy with short hair and the way he carried himself made him look like he took his duties as a noble seriously. She saw a woman who looked like she was in her late teens. She had long brown hair and a hat on her head.
She saw a green-haired boy who looked bored and then lastly, she saw a girl who looked like the youngest in the class. She looked foreign compared to the other students except for her teammates on Team 8. Her hair was braided, and she had an unusual style. She couldn't help but admire the girl, even though she didn't know what she sounded like in terms of her speech. The way she carried herself was nothing like Hinata.
"Wow, she's both beautiful and cute. How did you get her to join our house, Edie?"The brown-haired girl said She has green eyes, She had noticed something. She looked familiar, but she couldn't be sure. She recalled having a poster of a diva named Dorothea Arnault; she loved her music. It was hard to believe that Hinata was in the same class as her. Hinata thought it was too good to be true.
To Hinata, she was even more beautiful in person than she was in any illustration she had seen; she is a huge fan of hers and to think that she's in the presence of this Chestnut haired goddess!
"I recognize talent when I see it, and Hinata is an old friend."
Edelgard answered. "I must say, though they weren't kidding, Hyuga's whether they're male or female are hot."Dorothea said playfully.Hinata wasn't used to getting this kind of look from a person of the same gender; she her cheeks were turning pink.
"There's no need to be shy. My name is Dorothea. I hope we can be friends. Hinaa."She was called a nickname. Why wasn't she surprised?
"Oh, you're so cute when you blush. Do you know that? I'm tempted to ask you out myself."She continued to hit on her, and she should never tell anyone back home that she is attracted to both boys and girls, but she has never been attracted to any girl except one whom she had a crush on years ago, the redhead Monica, but she was completely different from Dorothea. No, she couldn't be interested in someone like her; she was just playing around, especially the former Diva.
"Dorothea hasn't even talked to our newest classmate for more than a few minutes, but she's already flirting with her. Why am I not shocked? Whatever it is, I'm going to get some sleep."
The green-haired boy named Linhardt showed no interest; she had no idea what to think of him.
"Well, I hope she's good in a fight. I've heard some great things about her clan. We should spar sometime." said Caspar, the light-blue-haired boy. "We've barely met our new classmate and you already want to fiht her." said the girl named Petra who clearly was struggling with the language.
"I'm sorry. That didn't come out how I wanted it to." The girl was struggling. Hinata could relate; it was difficult to speak the language. The fact that she could speak it as well as she did without it sounding accented with all because of her harsh training that she would get severely beaten if she got one word wrong.
"Don't worry about it, Petra-san." The girl was happy that Hinata was understanding of her struggle to speak the language.
"I would really like to spar with you though whenever given the chance" Petra said in Hinata's language; she couldn't believe it. It didn't sound exactly how it did in Konoha, but the language in Brigad, which was basically the same it, had a slightly different accent.
"I would like that," Hinata smiled. She felt comfortable so far, even if Dorothea made her feel the same kind of feeling she feels when she's around Naruto.
"Well, you are definitely living up to what it means to be a noble, even if it is from a foreign land, Lady Hinata. I would love to get to know you." Ferdinand bowed to her respectfully in a gentle manner.
"She doesn't seem to be scary like those other two" Bernadetta said nervously. She reminded her so much of herself when she was 12; she didn't know what kind of hell she went through as a child, but she felt some kinship with her. "Bernadetta San, if it makes you comfortable, if it makes you feel better, I'm nervous around people too." Hinata said, trying to make her feel comfortable around her.
"Really? You know how it feels?" the girl asked hopefully. "Only too well. In time, I hope we can be friends Bernadetta San." Hinata smiled.
"I don't know why, but I like her. She isn't scary." She admitted out loud. Everyone knew something Hinata didn't; perhaps she'll learn in time.
"Wow, I didn't expect our new classmate to be so popular, but then again, it's not every day we get a princess from a prestigious clan." said Hubert with a sinister chuckle; she didn't know why she felt uncomfortable, but she did. She felt like he was looking into her soul.
"Seriously, Hubert, you could stop being so scary all the time! You're making Hinaa uncomfortable; sheesh." Dorothea said angrily. Edelgard nodded.
"They may be a handful, but they're good people. I think you'll like it here, Hina-chan."
Her friend said to her Hinata smiled she felt comfortable and at home for the first time she wasn't being judged everyone was welcoming except for Hubert. Her teammates even were intermingling; perhaps being here wasn't that bad she was looking forward to making friends in the monastery. Before her thoughts could be indulged any further she was solely focused on the professor . He didn't look like anything impressive, he looked old and decrepit" all right class we have our lessons for the day since you've all been introduced we will start with the founding of the church"Hinata was bored she already knew this history it was required before getting transferred but she knew it was part of the program so she did like all the other students did and listened.
She couldn't keep her eyes off of Dorothea, even though she had feelings for Naruto. She couldn't get the chestnut-haired girl out of her mind, and she had perverted thoughts about having a threesome with both of them.
At the cafeteria
"Could you believe the way Sasuke was reacting when Mercedes appeared? It was almost as if his entire jaw dropped to the ground, said Annette laughing with Felix. Dimitri couldn't help but notice that too; she left an impression on Sasuke Uchiha. Mercedes has her own share of admirers, but she never left such an impact on them like she did on Sasuke Uchiha. He acted out of character, unlike how he was described.
"I can also recall the way she acted towards him. Ingrid added in disbelief that Mercedes of all people would develop a crush, especially on a younger man who was at least five to six years her junior.
"We shouldn't be gossiping about our classmate," said Dimitri. "What do you mean, what happened with Sasuke?" asked Naruto, who was sitting at their table along with Claude. "Nothing really," said Dimitri, knowing that Claude would spread this gossip like wildfire.
"It wouldn't hurt, would it, Dimitri?" asked Ingrid. "Well, if you must know, please don't tell anyone Sasuke spaced out when he saw one of our classmates, Mercedes; his cheeks were turning red, and…"
Naruto was laughing, his ass off you laughed so hard that he had almost fallen off the chair. He was sitting on the chair, and he was crying because he was laughing so hard. Dmitri didn't understand why this was so funny, but he decided to wait for Naruto to calm down before he spoke.
"Oh my, Sasuke, he had a crush on Mercedes-san the day he first met her 6 years ago," Naruto said, laughing at what Dimitri observed from his expression—a memory that he remembers well.
"Wait, they met each other before?" asked Annette, surprised.
"It's a long story. The short version: she stayed in Konoha for a year, and when we weren't on missions, Sasuke and Mercedes usually spent time together, teaching each other their respective languages and religions," Naruto answered.
"Wait, you're telling me Sasuke is that boy Mercie talked about?"asked Annette, shocked.
"Well, yeah, she was the one person Sasuke never frowned on or sneered at. He always gave her all the time he could when she was present in Konoha. He taught her everything he knew about our language. But that's not the only thing she did in Konoha—she met Hinata as well," Naruto answered.
"Mercedes met Hinata 6 years ago as well?" More and more, Dimitri was learning in a short time. Mercedes had not talked about those years.
He thought better of it to ask; it was personal, and perhaps it was better if he didn't ask her.
"I'm curious who are you eyeing over there?"asked Felix out of curiosity Dimitri was wondering as well.
"Oh, it's nothing,"Naruto said, turning red. Ingrid did not even notice Naruto looking in the direction where Hinata was.
"Lunch is too short, Naruto. I would really like to talk to you sometime about whatever. I know I've heard you have the lowest grades in Konoha but I believe there's a lot more to you than what is officially on some paper."
He really did mean it; he couldn't put his finger on it, but Naruto was someone that would do something that would change the world one day.
"I appreciate that, Dimitri. Many people back at home don't believe I will ever amount to anything. That I'm just a failure." Dimitri interrupted.
"You wouldn't be here if that's all you are. You deserve to be here; you worked hard to be here, so don't let anyone else say otherwise."Dimitri said, knowing from what he had heard from people who knew Naruto, he was someone who was hard-working and would not give up his greatest attribute. Even though he had heard about Naruto inspiring people, if this is the kind of power that Naruto has, then that is more valuable than any grades on a piece of paper.
Naruto looked at Hinata before he spoke.
"There was a girl who once told me that I'm a proud failure, that I don't give up once I fail, that I get up and try again. Those words to this very day are what keeps me going. I don't know what I would do without her encouragement."
The way he was talking about the girl he loves her greatly. Dimitri took a look at Naruto's eyes, which were directed towards Hinata. He understood without Naruto saying anything else that Hinata is an important person to him.
"I would really like to meet this person," said Ingrid. "She's across the table from us. Naruto pointed out where Hinata was.
"Well, I'll probably talk to her when I get the chance. She sounds like an inspiring person, Naruto. If she inspires someone like you."Dimitri rolled his eyes. She obviously has a crush on Naruto, and neither one of them is aware of it.
"You know, Naruto, you could just date both of them. You know?"Claude joked, causing Dimitri to almost spit the food he was eating.
"What are you talking about? Of all the things."Ingrid was blushing deeply, and so was Naruto.
"Damn it, Claude! I was eating, and I almost spat out my food!"Dimitri thought it was absurd, but he knew in some cultures, having more than one partner was normal.
"I mean, come on! It wouldn't be so bad. If it works and all parties involved have no issues with that, then they"
Claude was elbowed in the stomach by Ingrid because she didn't want to hear any more. Her face was red as a tomato; it was so red that some would think she wasn't feeling well.
He would keep an eye on the situation with Naruto and Hinata, but wouldn't get involved. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in his friends' love lives.
The food she was eating wasn't what she was normally used to eating, but she was grateful they had cinnamon rolls. She was waiting to eat them for dessert. There's nothing she loves more than a fresh and tasty cinnamon roll. Marianne sat across from her, happy to see someone she could talk to.
"How's your day so far, Marianne San?" Hinata asked, hoping to start a conversation.
"It was nothing of interest," Marianne said, not really wanting to elaborate.
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, Marianne-san," Hinata said.
"Thank you. I just don't think I'm an interesting person to talk to," Marianne said. She preferred not to talk much; Hinata could relate to that. She was like that once before Naruto encouraged her during her fight against Neji in the Chunin Exams.
She saw two other girls sitting on the table, one of them she recognized Mercedes and the other being a pink-haired girl with pigtails she knew was Hilda.
"Hina, is that you?" said Mercedes, happy and surprised to see her.
"Mercie Chan?" Hinata replied, as happy as she was to see her.
"Do you two know each other?" asked Hilda, who was sitting next to Marianne.
"Yes, me and Hina go way back," Mercedes replied.
It had been five years since she had last seen her friend, the one she turned to for comfort and someone to talk to about whatever issues she was having. She missed her a great deal when she left the village. Though Hinata wasn't the only one; Sasuke missed her as well.
"Oh, I've been rude! Hinata, my name is Hilda, and you already met my best friend, Marianne," Hilda said. Marianne looked uncomfortable with the number of people present.
"I'm sorry, as much as I would love to be with you, Marianne is feeling uncomfortable right now," said Hilda. Before Hilda could say anything else, Marianne spoke softly.
"You don't need to leave for me, Hilda," Marianne said quietly.
"It's all right," said Mercedes understandingly. Marianne left, and Hinata saw a look of longing on her face—longing for someone. Whoever it was, she had no idea. Hilda was about to leave but thought better of it she decided to stay a bit longer.
"I'm sorry I'm not used to getting this much attention myself. I'm a little nervous." Hinata confessed.
"I understand Hina I wish all these men would just stop."Mercedes said trying to resist not getting angry at the swarm of men that admire her she was popular even in konoha when she stayed there for a year a lot of men glazed at her like a piece of meat she could relate only too well.
"Well it's not everyday a beautiful Foreigner comes I'm amazed how many guys in this place when I ask you though I think they're all a bunch of stupid swine not worth paying attention to."said Hilda.
"You look like you can get anyone to do what you wish, Hilda San," Hinata commented observingly. She knew the kind of person Hilda was; she could get anyone to do what she wanted without even trying.
"Sure I can, though I will admit it's a lot of work. There are some people who are more resistant to my charms than others," Hilda said, probably smiling.
"I don't know if that's something to be proud of, Hilda," said Mercedes.
"Oh, you could certainly get people to do what they want, Mercedes," Hilda remarked.
"I doubt she would do that," Hinata said, knowing the kind of person Mercedes was. In the five years since they had departed, she didn't think that aspect of her character would change.
"You, Hinata, I know for sure would be able to do it better than me if you put your mind to it," Hilda said, knowing Hinata wouldn't do it.
"I've heard something interesting; apparently, there are rumors of someone having a huge crush on you, though I've only just heard about them," Hilda said, causing Mercedes to blush. Hinata suspected it had to do with Sasuke, though from what she knew about their friendship, it was nothing more than that. But then again, a lot could have changed in five years.
Mercedes looked at Hilda and turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, stuttering. Hinata knew Mercedes never did that; something must have changed, though it was none of her business as far as she was concerned what Mercedes and Sasuke did.
"It's been so long that if it isn't too much trouble, Mercie-chan, I'd like us to catch up. It's been so long," Hinata said.
"I would like that," Mercedes replied.
Such a shame lunch is almost over." Mercedes said, disappointed.
"I know what you mean. I'd really love to savor this cinnamon roll. I don't think I can eat this whole thing with how much time there is left." She really did want to savor it, but she forgot because she was so caught up in the conversation she was having with Hilda and Mercedes.
"Why not split it?" Mercedes suggested. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of splitting it she felt foolish.
"Sure, if you want some." Mercedes smiled. "Oh Hinata, you haven't changed and I'm happy about that." She handed half of the remaining cinnamon roll to Mercedes, who ate it. She loved that sweet more than anything. But she didn't want it to go to waste.
"Oh, I can make cinnamon rolls as good as this, if not better." Mercedes said.
"I love everything that you make; it's been so long since I had your cooking." Despite her earlier nervousness, Hinata was happy to be there—better than she would have been at home.
"Don't sell yourself short, Hina; you're a great cook as well! I'm looking forward to having your cooking again," Mercedes said, smiling. She was happy to be away from her clan and had reunited with multiple friends that she had not seen in many years.
"Be patient with Marianne, it's going to take time she's not used to being around other people,"Hilda said knowing what she was thinking.
Then she saw Ino approach the group."oh you met my friend Hinata Chan"Ino said to Hilda."you weren't kidding she's cute."Hilda gave that lustrous smile."it's such a shame that lunch is already over it'd be nice if we all hung out maybe if we got Annette to join us one day it would be amazing."smiled Hilda she saw the orange haired girl she was laughing and smiling with Felix Sasuke she couldn't help it pick up even if he didn't show it enjoyed their company along with her childhood friend Dimitri.
The bell rang and the girls got up from the table and headed to their respective classes. despite the setback with Marianne Hinata is more at peace now than she had ever been back at home this was like an extended vacation.
The best thing of all was that she was reunited with her best friend, and she couldn't ask for anything more—well, maybe except Naruto, but she wasn't holding her breath on that.
Sasuke was in the dueling ring. It had been a weak since he was enrolled. There was very little time for him to do anything but train. That was his focus anyway, but today he was distracted. Dimitri noticed this when they were sparring. Sasuke was not able to beat Dimitri the first time they sparred. He beat him soundly. It wasn't even a fight. He was the only person in his class that was able to give him a fight.
"You're distracted," Dimitri said.
Sasuke drank water from the water bottle he had on him before speaking again
"It's nothing, Dimitri. This new environment is all new to me. It's not like anything back home." Sasuke said, which caused Dimitri to look at him with interest.
"You're not used to fighting people close to your level, are you?" Dimitri asked Sasuke, handing him a snack. Sasuke caught the apple, taking a bite. "I was going to say what I said earlier," he continued.
"Most of my peers can't even keep up with me. It's a nice change of pace. Honestly, it keeps me on my toes. If I'm constantly fighting against opponents who barely keep up with me, how am I supposed to improve?"
Sasuke asked him curiously.
"I can see what you mean. If you're constantly fighting opponents that are not at your level, then eventually, you're going to get complacent and overconfident. If you fight opponents that are around your level or stronger, you constantly have to train to get better." Dimitri said, giving his own opinion.
"So, who is your regular sparring partner back home?" Dimitri asked Sasuke.
"Naruto was the one person who pushed me to my limits. If I have to be honest, you push me harder than Naruto could even if our fighting styles are completely different."
Sasuke said with respect to Dimitri's abilities.
"Do you really mean that?" Dimitri asked.
"I don't just tell people what they want to hear. I tell them what I actually believe and what I honestly think."Sasuke replied.
"I am curious though Sasuke why you chose this class when you could have chosen the Black Eagles?"Dimitri asked him something that was on his mind ever since he joined his class.
"The answers are quite simple. It's because I just felt like the other house leaders had ulterior motives and weren't completely honest. How can I trust someone who isn't willing to be forthcoming with me? Not to mention, they did not try to reach out as a human being to me. It seemed like they wanted me for something. That's why I chose you." Sasuke answered.
"There's got to be more to it than that." Dimitri insisted pushing the issue.
"There is, but I'd rather not discuss it at the moment." Sasuke said, ending the conversation.
After they were done resting, they got into the dueling again and started a sparring match.
They had an audience. They were watching. It was mostly from their class. Sasuke was being cautious in this dual. He held his wooden sword with his left hand as if he was wielding a real sword.
He held it up. They always did this. One of them waited for the other to make the first move. Sasuke attacked first, and Dimitri blocked his blows with his defensive stance, which he had learned from his many instructors back in his homeland.
Though he was still superior to Sasuke in terms of skill, Sasuke was not someone Dimitri could ever let his guard down against. Their sparring matches were close in terms of strength and skill, and if he let his guard down even for a second, he would instantly win.
Sasuke struck to his left, and Dimitri deflected his blow with his own. As in all their prior sparring sessions, Dimitri was able to defeat Sasuke. However, this time was different. Sasuke was on the defensive, waiting for Dimitri to make a move that would leave him open.
Dimitri enjoyed these sparring sessions. They brought out everything that Dimitri enjoyed about sparring and training with others. Sasuke struck Dimitri at the side. Dimitri before Sasuke could retreat to his side of the rain hit Sasuke on the right.
The spectacle would be something that people back home wouldn't be able to appreciate. The fangirls of Sasuke were having a difficult time believing that he was struggling against anyone but Dimitri didn't pay attention to them.
Sasuke, though not as good as he used to be, was an opponent that pushed him. Sasuke went even faster, and Dimitri had to block everything, even though Sasuke was a faster opponent. Dimitri still won all their sparring matches, thanks to his experience.
Sparring matches didn't normally last more than a minute, but this one was going on for three minutes. Dimitri was stretched and sweaty. Sasuke was pushing him to his limits, despite always winning. This time, Dimitri was having a difficult time. Sasuke had gotten stronger in the short amount of time he has been enrolled in the Blue Lions. He would have to train harder so that he wouldn't fall behind.
But Sasuke made one critical error. He was about to strike Dimitri, but Dimitri took advantage of his opening and struck hard on his side, causing Sasuke to drop the wooden blade that was provided to him. This shocked the fan girls, who had never seen Sasuke lose before.
Dimitri offered Sasuke his hand, and Sasuke took it, doing what was tradition in his homeland, and shook his hand as a matter of respect, winner or loser, it was always proper to show respect to your opponent.
"Good match, you almost got me there." Dimitri said.
"Yeah, I still have a long way to go." Sasuke said, disappointed in his lack of progress. He wanted to ask him what it was, but decided against it. There were personal things in his past that Sasuke didn't want to talk about.
He had a strong feeling it had to do with that individual nobody in the Blue Lions mentions due to him being a monster. He didn't even want to mention his name because of how much revulsion it brought him over someone who reveled in violence and used the training provided to him to kill rather than protect.
When he thought about it, he was disappointed that Hinata wasn't in the Blue Lions but Sasuke was someone else entirely. He only heard about the Uchiha clan massacre when he visited Konoha with Edelgard but he had never met Sasuke in person when he was in the Hyuga clan compound that summer.
One thing he noticed before Hinata went to Edelgard: the darkness in her eyes. She was hiding something. What had happened in the past 7 years? He had only heard rumors, but no concrete details about what had transpired after he and his stepsister Edelgard left.
He would likely learn in time. For now, he put that aside.
He saw Mercedes pass by, who was with Annette, causing Sasuke to flinch.
"Are you all right, Sasuke?" Dimitri asked.
"It's nothing," Sasuke lied. Dimitri knew he wasn't honest ever since Sasuke and Mercedes met whatever it came to her he always acted differently.
"Sasuke, you could be honest with me every time she has shown up. You are silent and cannot say anything. Would it really hurt just to talk to her?"Dimitri wondered why Sasuke had cold feet when it came to Mercedes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."Sasuke turned, hiding his blushing face. From what he knew about Sasuke's reputation, he never liked anyone back home, but Mercedes was the only one he didn't mind. When he first saw her, it wasn't unnoticed by him or most of the Blue Lions. Sasuke and Mercedes had a history but for Sasuke's case any feelings of friendship was something a lot more.
"Sasuke, you clearly know Mercedes the way you two interacted on the first day. Why haven't you talked to her yet?" Dimitri asked.
"You wouldn't understand," Sasuke replied.
He heard the bell ring, thankful for his thoughts being interrupted for the moment. Sasuke and Mercedes—he was going to help them talk. They're friends after all; there's no reason they should put off speaking to each other. He would have to get help from Felix and Annette. By the end of the week, he was going to make them talk.
Hinata couldn't help but admire the architecture at the monastery, which she was walking in. It was over a thousand years old, yet it didn't look like it had really aged. She wondered what kind of materials it was made of. Edelgard noticed her admiration for the architecture.
"I never thought I'd ever set foot here out of all the people to walk in these halls. I never thought it would ever be me."
Hinata said, loud enough for her friend to hear.
"You deserve to be here, Hina-chan. Don't think otherwise. Those who worked really hard were chosen to come here. I could tell you this much: you are far more deserving to be here than most people here who got here because of their connections, not because of their own hard work or merit."
Edelgard said in disgust. Of all the undeserving people allowed to come to the monastery and those who were more deserving were turned away.
"Yes, but I can't help but feel that there are others more deserving who are denied the chance to be here." Hinata said, thinking about the various other talented ninja back home who worked harder than she did.
"I can't disagree with that. I think everyone should be given a chance to succeed on their own merit and not have anything get in their way. Back home, I think things are even worse in Konoha than they are here. At least things have a chance to change. Well, things have mostly remained the same for well over a century, if not more." Hinata continued.
"You don't give yourself enough credit. I see you train every day. Hell, I can barely even keep up with you in any of our sparring sessions. You're strong; you just don't know it yet." Edelgard said reassuringly.
"I don't think I can ever be as strong as you. You're everything I'm not. Edel Chan. You're strong and beautiful. Things that I."
"I don't agree at all. This isn't the Hyuga clan compound or Konoha. Look around you."Edelgard pointed to a group of nobles that Hinata observed.
The arrogant men and women who could barely do anything when asked to perform basic spells or basic fighting techniques were knocked down. Dorothea, despite being from a commoner background, was easily able to defeat them.
Then she saw Petra, who didn't even have a crest to speak of, fight and win against a spoon-fed noble who never did any real work in their useless life.
Then she saw Ashe sparring with a group of noblemen, knocking them down like they were nothing.
She saw other examples of talented individuals, two of which were in her own class, one of which was her idol, that she didn't have the courage to approach at all due to her feeling insignificant compared to her.
"You see, they all got here on their own merit. Yes, they may have had some help because it's hard to get here without financial backing. But in this institution, you actually have to work hard, otherwise, you'll get left behind. Though you are correct that there are many Talented individuals that don't have the resources to get in here. That is something I would like to see changed. Were those who would come here would have an equal amount of chance to learn and succeed and fail based on their own merit instead of having it be decided by outside factors."
Edelgard continued
"Do not believe for a second that you do not deserve to be here. You more than deserve to be here, and I think your teammates from Team 8 would agree." Edelgard finished.
Shino and Kiba approached her as Edelgard finished.
"Man, I can't wait to grab some food. I wonder what we're going to eat today." said Kiba.
"It doesn't matter as long as it's not rotten and it's edible." Shino said, not caring one way or the other.
Hinata heard her stomach growling.
"We'll have to continue this another time. Just take what I said into consideration." Edelgard said as she left Hinata with her teammates.
"Our house leader is an interesting person. Do you two know each other?" Kiba asked curiously.
"She's an old friend," Hinata answered.
"You've known this Edelgard even before you met us. How come you never told us about her?"
"I'd rather not talk about it"Hinata said, not wanting to be reminded of what happened the day after her childhood friends left.
She doesn't want to be reminded of how the war almost started with her attempted kidnapping and the many people who died to rescue her.
"It's your fault that your mother is dead," her father said. She clenched her fist whenever she thought about him. Her mother hadn't been dead for even a minute before he chastised her.
She brushed aside that thought. Her main focus should be on lunch for the time being, and getting stronger.
She was free from her father at least for now, but she couldn't get what Edelgard said out of her mind: a world where people can succeed or fail on their own merit, not based on things beyond a person's control.
Naruto had a lot of secrets, which made him so intriguing compared to Sasuke and Hinata, though they had their own secrets to keep. He was able to tell by the way he kept his distance from others. Though he hides it, he has a great pain in his eyes as if he has a deep loneliness that he has not been able to overcome.
Claude could relate to a degree due to his own experience with his upbringing having multiple half siblings and him being the black sheep among them. In his own homeland, he didn't feel like he was welcomed nor did he feel anything more than an outsider in the alliance. It wasn't until recently that people found out about his existence when his grandfather legitimized him as the Heir of house Riegan.
He was sent by his parents to live with the people of Fódlan and learn about them and their culture and their customs and religions.
He was guarded around everyone due to his inability to fully open up and trust, as he didn't feel he belonged anywhere. What was the point of all this? He wanted to ask out loud, but he couldn't voice his thoughts, as he didn't know who to fully trust.
Naruto noticed he was in deep thought and decided to speak.
"You know I never thought in a million years I've ever been in a place like this. I mean, me of all people. I'm the class clown where I'm from. To think that I'm allowed to walk in these halls is overwhelming, to be honest."Naruto said in a tone that made him feel like he was out of place.
Claude can relate to this due to his upbringing, but he couldn't say it out loud; he had to keep his composure.
"I can understand where you're getting at. This place feels overwhelming in a way. It's nothing like this world. It feels like something straight out of a fantasy story. Have you ever wondered about the origin of a place like this? How was this place built? How old is it truly? What secrets are there underneath? There's so much history that's not accessible to the average person. How much of our history is true and how much of it is not distorted by propaganda in order to glorify a nation state or an institution like this?"
Claude said Naruto didn't expect to be asked this question, as far as Claude could gather, Naruto had never been forced to think like this before.
"I never thought about that before actually. History always bored me. It was like, "Yeah, that happened, but that's in the past." Naruto replied.
"yes but as the old saying goes those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it there's a benefit to learning about our history there's so much of it that is buried. Like how do we know that the side that truly won in any of these wars? How do we know that they were truly in the right? What about the vanquished victims? What was their reasoning for fighting? No, I'm not saying that every war the vanquished are always innocent victims or that the victors aren't sometimes justified in their actions. I'm just looking at history from an objective and dialectical perspective.
Claude said, hoping he didn't overwhelm Naruto with his analysis of world history, which always fascinated him.
"I'm not saying you have to hate your country or anything, it's just learning about our history is important to our identity. I feel like to truly understand the present, we have to understand the past, otherwise, we are doomed to repeat the failures of our predecessors."Claude said to reassure Naruto.
"Wow, there's a lot more to you, Claude. How come you don't show the other side of yourself to anyone else?" Naruto asked, wondering why Claude was showing only one side to Naruto and not to anyone else.
"It's not that simple. Everyone sees what they like to see and not what's truly underneath. The harsh reality is that people don't really want to know what a person is truly like inside because it would force them to look deep into themselves." Claude answered.
"You're right. I could say that from experience. Everyone sees me as the class clown, but they don't see what's underneath. Well, there's one person who does." Naruto said hesitantly.
Claude knew who he was referring to Hinata Hyuga without him saying anything. What was about her that drove Naruto to her. He wanted to know what it was. But he wasn't fooled. There was another person who saw deeper into Naruto's character. He wasn't going to bring that up to him.
He noticed Ingrid and Dorothea approaching Naruto. He decided he would give Naruto space. He would continue this conversation with him later at a different time.
"Naruto, are we still doing what you said we were going to do?" Ingrid asked him, barely able to hide her red on her cheeks. Naruto is so oblivious to Ingrid's obvious crush.
"Of course, Ingrid Chan. I haven't forgotten. I was just so caught up in the conversation I was having with Claude that I lost track of time." Naruto said feeling stupid.
"Luckily we haven't forgotten Naru." Dorothea said.
"Oh you're making me blush, Dorothea Chan."Naruto joked.Naruto looked at Claude, who nodded, and Naruto left.
Was Naruto going to have a harem? Claude thought. Three girls into the same guy this was interesting indeed.
Then he thought about what Naruto said. He knew without Naruto speaking that Naruto had something inside of him. Whether Naruto was aware of it or not was another question entirely.
Claude was determined to find out whatever it took.
Mercedes was eating quietly at the cafeteria. It was everyone's day off, there was nothing particularly special about these days in particular, but she always enjoyed these small moments in peace. The one thing that she couldn't get out of her mind was Sasuke her friend that she had met 6 years ago. She couldn't explain to anyone why she had a difficult time concentrating whenever he was around but she did. She didn't have the courage to approach him. She felt she was too old to have a crush. She's 22 years old, and not to mention Sasuke is 17, over a 5-year age gap. It would be awkward. Not to mention she met him when he was 12 years old.
She saw Sasuke pass by with Dimitri and Felix, which wasn't unnoticed by Annette and Hinata.
"Wow, every time he passes by, you space out? Are you okay, Mercie?" asked Annette, worried.
"I'm fine", Mercedes said, trying to save face.
"Meeting all these new people here is overwhelming. I have to be honest. I appreciate both of you for making me feel welcomed."
"It's not a problem, Hina. Though I'm a little disappointed you didn't join our class last week. I think you would have loved it there."Annette said with her usual outgoing attitude, which would make even the most hardened people not be able to resist.
"I've been told that by Dimitri as well, but I feel like I am where I belong."Hinata replied, not really wanting to elaborate further. Mercedes was able to pick up that there were other reasons, and it had nothing to do with having anything against Dimitri. She knew that much; they knew each other from before, along with Edelgard.
"Do you know Dimitri?" Mercedes asked.
"Yes, I met him 7 years ago. Though he wasn't the prince we all know now, he was a shy and nervous kid back then. It's hard to believe that he's the opposite now," said Hinata. The one thing that surprised her is that when she met Hinata, she never told her that she had met Dimitri when they were friends.
"I must say, this is really good. How did you make this?" Annette asked, referring to the rice rolls she shared with her.
"It took quite a bit of time to prepare it, unfortunately, I had to pay an extraordinary fee in order to import the ingredients. It's not available in the monastery because it doesn't come from this land." Hinata answered.
"This is really good. I don't think I could cook it as well as you can." Mercedes admitted.
"You're a good cook, Mercie Chan. I can't cook cinnamon rolls as well as you."Hinata complimented.
"Hey Hinata the honorific that you call Mercie, what is it exactly?"Annette asked
She knows Annette wants to know what the honorifics meant, but she didn't know how to ask the question. She assumed Hinata was calling her by an affectionate nickname, San but she didn't know if it was appropriate for a lord.
Though she didn't want to ask about it right now, there were other things she wanted to ask her.
"One thing I want to know is what this thing with the Hokage is. I asked Annette; she knows some things about it, but it is surface level. Considering her time at Konoha, she was a civilian under the protection of the village, so her knowledge is limited.
"The Hokage is basically the leader of our nation, though that is what our leader is called in Konoha. The others go by different names at the beginning with kage at the end. It doesn't change the meeting; it's just a different name. And other parts of where I am from. Though how the line of succession is determined is different. I'm not as knowledgeable about countries outside of the Land of Fire."
Hinata admitted.
"Yes, but how is a Hokage chosen? It's not the same as a king or an emperor; surely there must be something done."
"A Hokage is chosen based on multiple factors, which would take too long to explain, but to make it short, one factor is how well the individual can lead in a time of crisis. Also, it has to do with their rank, how high their rank is when they're chosen, they don't have to be the highest Shinobi rank to be a Hokage, but it does increase their chances."
Hinata explained.
"What are the ranks?" Mercedes asked, curious.
"the ranks in konoha are as follows. Genin are the lowest ranks in the Shinobi world. There are usually individuals fresh from the academy. Those who stay Genin and don't go beyond our usually those who don't possess the skills to advance further or they will only choose to stay that rank. There's been plenty of individuals who are more than qualified to be promoted to joinin but choose not to do so. Not as much as expected from them as from the other ranks.
Annette and Mercedes were equally eager to know more.
"The most common rank and most stay there is Chunin. Those who obtain this rank are expected to lead their own squads and to be highly skilled in intelligence, combat, and various other skills that would take too long to explain. The most essential skill is to be able to think on your feet and to be able to lead your team. It's not necessary to possess both of these skills but at least one of them. Most Chunin usually do tasks such as being instructors at the academy or on the hospital staff of a hospital, amongst other things that I cannot discuss due to it being classified or not having enough knowledge."
Hinata waited for a few moments for Mercedes and Annette to absorb what she said before continuing.
"The highest rank other than Hokage is Jonin. Any one of this rank is expected to do everything that a Chunin is expected to do and more. Those who are promoted to this rank are exceptionally skilled in all forms of combat. Those who are Jonin are expected to lead their own teams in three-man cells and are expected to do the most difficult missions imaginable, other than those of the Abu Black Ops. They are the most elite Shinobi around."
Hinata explained like she was teaching a bunch of students I didn't know about anything about her village, which was true, though she probably went beyond the mission parameters by revealing all this information.
"What rank are you?" Annette asked Hinata.
That's what Mercedes wanted to know. She couldn't see Hinata being anything higher than a Chunin, based on what she had seen when Hinata sparred with the students at the academy.
"Chunin", Hinata answered.
"All this is so fascinating, but how does someone become Hokage?" Mercedes asked, returning the question that Annette had earlier.
"You have to be recommended by multiple members of the council and you have to have support from the damiyo once they give their approval and the council is an agreement you'll be promoted to the rank of Hokage though this doesn't happen often. there's only been four Hokage's so far in our village."Hinata said which shocked Mercedes. She expected there to be at least five or six, but only four?
"Wow, it sounds complicated." Annette said, trying to wrap her mind around the complexities of Konoha and how the politics worked.
"I'm glad I'm here. It feels like a vacation if I'm honest." Hinata admitted.
Mercedes thinks quickly and changes the subject. Hinata dislikes talking about her clan, something she would have to tell Annette in private whenever she gets the chance.
"How are your studies going?" Mercedes asked Hinata, whose eyes lit up because it was something other than her homeland being talked about.
"They're going great. Things are hard, though, because the language that's spoken here isn't my first language, neither is the material I'm required to read. I feel great here." Hinata said with a smile.
"I tried reading a book, but your language is so difficult that I can barely read it, even though Sasuke helped me decipher some of it."Annette said.
The mention of Sasuke's name caused her to tense.
"So I take it Sasuke-san is feeling right at home in the Blue Lions?" Hinata curiously asked.
"Yeah, but one thing I couldn't get out of my mind is how he reacted when"As if the goddess answered her prayers, the bell rang before Annette could finish.
"Thank Goodness" Mercedes said quietly to herself not wanting Annette to blurt out what had happened when she met Sasuke for the first time in 5 years. It didn't look like it at the time, but she was barely able to speak herself. She was awestruck by Sasuke when she first saw him. He wasn't a boy anymore he was a man and that was difficult for her to come to terms with.
She was barely able to get the words out of her mouth. What she saw in his eyes was a sad soul longing for someone. That had not changed since she had last seen him. She put that thought aside. It was ridiculous.
Then she noticed Hinata looking at Marianne. They were kindred spirits, and she thought they would make good friends. She would like to help them become friends.
She prayed to the goddess that she might help both of them, so that the girl might finally have a friend outside of Hilda.
With Marianne
After she was done eating, she looked up at the sky and lifted her right index finger. When she was around animals, she felt the most peaceful. Animals can't do anything wrong unless they are threatened. She doesn't do this to hate people; she just feels uncomfortable around them and thinks she would curse someone with her mere presence.
The one person that was constantly on her mind at this time of the day was her friend that she had met three years ago, Byleth. She wondered where he was; even though he was a mercenary, he was the only person that understood her other than her parents. She met him before they died when they needed her out of public sight for her own protection.
She missed him greatly and wished she could see him again. She hasn't told anyone about him; Hilda doesn't even know.
"Byl, I wish I could see you again," Marianne said, looking up at the sky, wondering if he was thinking about her at this moment.