To Hinata, it seemed chakra control came naturally to her. She had been tuning it finely from the time she began training, so perhaps it shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. Not once, that first night, did Shou need to wake her. He praised her quite a bit the next morning.
"Hyuuga-sama, you're absolutely incredible! Not once did the stream of chakra begin thinning or even waver," he said, trying to hide the emotions on his face, but his eyes screamed it all.
Hinata blushed and smiled proudly to herself. She had never once thought she would get this on the first night. "Thank you so much, Shou-san. You should get some rest. I won't be training with Shiranui-sensei for now."
He bowed deeply and disappeared out of her window.
It had been a few weeks since then. Tsunade had been both impressed and not surprised when she happily told her when going into medical training that afternoon. It made her feel happy and proud to have her mistress believe in her so much. It pushed her harder and gave her even more motivation. She was going to go up, up, and up. No matter what anyone said.
Now, she was on her way to T to visit Kimimaro. She had been putting it off. Never once had she met him. She'd gotten clearance from Minato, and he assured her that he would put the official reason as gathering information about Orochimaru and not for any social reason. She didn't want to risk her Elders, and especially Danzo, becoming disappointed in her. They needed to believe that she was all business.
"Hinata!" She stopped and turned around to see Shikamaru smiling at her with Ino and Choji at his side.
She returned his smile. "Shikamaru!" She bowed politely. "It's so great to see you all. Are you off to training?"
"Yep. We just had some barbecue with Asuma-sensei, but he went off to do whatever it is he does. Where are you going?" Ino asked.
"I'm going to interrogate a prisoner at T . Hokage-sama has given me permission," she replied with her signature smile.
After a pregnant pause, Shikamaru chuckled. "Only you could say that with a smile and not be considered crazy," he laughed. "Well, good luck! Do you want to get together later this evening? I could take some food to your greenhouse."
"That sounds perfect. I'm not sure how long I'll be. Can you pick up a cinnamon roll from the bakery for me on the way to the Hyuuga Estate?" She requested.
"Sure thing. Just be sure to have my favorite tea on hand."
Hinata laughed. "I'd never forget that."
Ino raised a brow at the interaction and looked at Choji, who only held a smirk. Interesting. "Ah, Hinata. Is it okay if we talk in private for a moment?" She asked almost shyly.
"Of course!"
Ino took her hand and walked ahead with her just enough to be out of earshot. "I was wondering if…you could teach me medical ninjutsu. Sakura is interested in learning, too, but you're a bit hard to find these days."
Hinata looked at her for a moment before slowly nodding. "I think it would be best to go through Tsunade-sama because I'm not sure I'm in a position to teach anyone. But I'd love to have you both by my side, healing others," she answered sincerely. She was the only one from the Rookie 9 to have taken up medical ninjutsu, and it made her happy that others were now interested.
Ino smiled and nodded eagerly. "We'll do that! We should finally have our sleepover since we had to reschedule it."
"Yes, let's plan it when we start training together!" Hinata replied.
After saying goodbye to them, she continued on her way to the building. She felt nervous and not ready, but she needed to get it together.
"Hinata Hyuuga to see Kimimaro of the Kagaya Clan," she said to the officer in front. She held a scroll out to him. It held Minato's written permission as well as his stamping seal. After the officer confirmed it, he opened the chakra-locked steel door behind him and allowed her to pass through the door to the next officer, who would take away her ninja tools and weapons for safekeeping.
"Welcome to the Torture and Interrogation Department, Hyuuga-sama," Ibiki Morino greeted her as soon as she stepped into the main area of the building. "Congratulations on becoming a Chuunin. If I remember correctly, you didn't once cheat on your written test, and all but one of your answers were correct. I was impressed."
She smiled at him in greeting before frowning slightly and tilting her head in confusion. "May I ask which question? I'd love for you to show me how to correctly get the answer," she replied eagerly.
Ibiki laughed and patted her shoulder. "I'll show you later. Standard rule says that you will only get one hour with him, so make use of it. He's a quiet kid, though. I'm not sure what you'll be getting out of him." He led her down a hall of different cells.
Hinata bowed. "Thank you very much, Morino-san," she said when he stopped in front of the door furthest from the door.
Not too many people were held here for very long, and the most recent person was always kept in the cell furthest from the front. They were the most unpredictable.
"He's chained up when visitors are here, so you don't have to worry about him hurting you." Hinata nodded and stepped through the open door. "Just knock on the door when you're ready if the hour isn't over."
"Thank you again." Ibiki closed the door behind her and made his way back to the front. It was darker in the cell than she thought it would be, but there was more than enough light for them to see each other. As Ibiki had said, he was chained up, but there were also seals weaving around those chains, likely securing them further. Leaning in just a bit closer, she could see the powerful restraints woven into the seal. It was impressive fuinjutsu.
She took a seat on the lone stool placed right across from the bed he was chained to and smiled at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kimimaro-san," she introduced.
Kimimaro tilted his head, his eyes having never once left her since she stepped inside his cell. "I recognize your voice. Why are you here?"
"I thought it was time for me to introduce myself. You've become well acquainted with Naruto and Haku-chan." She looked down at the scattered comics and books both of her friends had brought him with a smile.
"That doesn't explain why you're here. To learn information on Orochimaru? To get me to spill where Sasuke may be, perhaps?" Then he looked at her face a bit closer, pausing momentarily. "You're beautiful. Why would he leave you?"
Sasuke's leaving when he still had people continued to confuse him. It still hadn't made any sense to him.
Hinata's face burned a bit. "It had nothing to do with me. He left for his own reasons. I'm just here to get to know you the same way my friends have. They speak highly of you."
His gaze turned hard. "I don't trust you. I will not speak to you." Then he shut his mouth and turned his head away. And that was it.
She exhaled softly and just pulled out a medical book to resume studying, taking notes on the side with a scroll propped up on her knee. She paid no attention to Kimimaro, knowing that that's somehow not what he expected of her. She never once let her eyes move to him, even when she could feel his eyes on her.
When the hour was up, Ibiki knocked at the door and opened it. "Ready?" He asked her, though his brow did go up at seeing her taking notes.
Hinata quickly packed her things up and bowed politely to Kimimaro. "I'll visit you again soon. Thank you for spending this hour with me." She left the room but heard the huff of the young man, causing her to smile just a bit.
She was making more of Itachi's medication when Mitsuki let Shikamaru into her greenhouse. Though shocked to be caught in the middle of a treasonous act, she kept her composure and thanked Mitsuki before letting Shikamaru in.
He held up a bag. "I brought food and your cinnamon roll." He took the seat Hinata offered him. Within the past few months, she added a small table for whenever she has visitors. Truthfully, Shikamaru and her sister visited the most, but it was nice to add more decoration to the empty corner by the door.
"I lost track of time. The tea will be ready shortly," she apologized as she put a kettle on a small electric burner.
"Nah, don't worry about it. What are you working on?"
"Just testing more mixtures for new medications," she replied easily. "It'll be boring to listen to, I'm afraid."
"Nothing you talk about is ever boring because you're so passionate. But I'm here to make sure you rest and eat something. Knowing you, you'd go for days without eating or drinking anything if no one stopped to remind you."
Hinata's face went red. "That's not true! I eat a lot."
He laughed and pushed a heavy takeout box toward her. "You don't have to tell me twice. Choji's still trying to beat your record at Yakiniku Q."
She giggled. "I'm especially burning a lot more calories lately while learning this new jutsu from Tsunade-sama." She opened up the box and began eating eagerly, humming happily as she did so.
Shikamaru watched her with a smile. It was nice to see her doing such normal everyday things, just as much as it was to see her doing the amazing things. Training with her a few times a week was also helping his chakra reserves, but he would still occasionally get embarrassed thinking about the first time they trained together. He would blame it on the heat, even in the dead of winter.
"What's this new jutsu?" He asked before filling his mouth with food.
She shook her head. "I'm afraid that's a secret for now," she grinned. When the water was done boiling, she poured them tea and they continued eating as the tea steeped.
"Well, I can't wait to see it when you've mastered it. Shouldn't take you very long anyway."
Hinata blushed. It was difficult for her to accept praise as she always felt she could be doing better, but the sincere yet nonchalant way Shikamaru did it made her feel warm. "Th—thank you."
He hid his smirk behind his teacup. Every time he made her feel shy and caused that pretty red to spread across her cheeks, he felt accomplished. He felt as though maybe she could fall in love with him instead of Sasuke. However, deep down, he felt it was already too late. He would try, though. He would try until the day she got married, but he would always be her friend first.
Hinata suddenly perked up and activated her byakugan for a few seconds before releasing it. "Did your father inform you of the proposal he submitted?" She asked curiously.
He raised a brow. "What proposal?"
"He submitted a marriage contract to my father," she explained.
He sighed heavily. "I told him not to bother with that. I'm sorry. I don't mean to put you in a difficult position."
She shook her head, smiling gently. "It's no trouble. My father has set it aside. Truth be told, Sasuke has three years to come back before our contract is voided. As of right now, you're…next in line, I suppose." Then her shoulders slumped. "It sounds so… inappropriate to say it that way. It makes me sound like nothing but property."
"That's not true. I know what you meant. How do you…feel about a marriage with me?" He asked calmly, but his heart was pounding painfully in his chest as he tried to remain stoic.
Hinata thought for a moment before smiling. "Well, I wouldn't mind it. We're already great friends, so I don't think a marriage would be any different," she replied honestly, ignoring the painful squeeze in her chest.
Shikamaru smiled wistfully before his eyes widened, and the smile dropped as he looked at her face. "Why are you…?"
Though she continued to smile, she gasped softly at the tears falling onto her lap. She quickly covered her face in shame. "I-I apologize. I don't know why…I'm not allowed to—"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me. You also don't have to apologize for showing your true emotions. We're the eldest and heirs, so I get it. It's all right." Though he felt sad, he was also happy. He felt as though he knew her deeper and better.
She wiped her tears and smiled at him with such sadness that his heart ached. "I am not upset at the possible idea of marrying you. You are one of my best friends. But the idea of…being left again hurts me deeply."
He reached across the small table and grabbed her hand. "I understand. You don't have to hide anything from me."
Sometimes, she felt, it was all too much to keep inside. But she reminded herself that she had Minato, Kakashi, and even Jiraiya. They knew just about everything, other than Itachi's illness. And she had Naruto and Shikamaru, who accepted her despite seeing the awful sides of her.
For Shikamaru, he knew one thing for sure. He would never be someone who left her side. Whether they married each other or different people, he would continue to stand by her side, no matter what. As he watched her wipe the remainder of her tears away, he promised himself he would never be a reason for her to cry anything but happy tears.
"Thank you, Shika," she sniffled, finally giving him that adorable smile he cherished. It was his turn to blush. She'd never called him that before. Ino and occasionally his father called him that, but those paled in comparison to Hinata saying it with her gentle voice, so careful as though his name itself was precious. It engulfed his body and warmed him right to his bones.
"Eat your food," he mumbled, clearing his throat to get a hold of himself.
The next morning, just before the sun rose, she entered the Hokage building to study and was genuinely surprised to see Tsunade already there. She knew the woman enjoyed sleeping in.
"Good morning, Tsunade-sama," she greeted, bowing deeply.
"Oh, hello, Hinata. I'm glad you're here." She waved Hinata closer and patted the spot on the couch next to her. "Ino and Sakura came to me yesterday evening with a very surprising request. They've asked to train with me."
Hinata lit up. "Oh, good! Ino asked me about it yesterday. I'm glad they came here."
"I'd like your opinion. See, I had time to challenge you before making a choice, and you already had a very solid understanding and skill with medical ninjutsu. I don't have that here. So I want you to tell me… are they worthy of learning from me?" Tsunade asked seriously. "You know I hate wasting my time."
Hinata took a moment to think. Ino had been extremely disheartened when she led a mission, and the Yamanaka hadn't known what to do with herself when their group had faced off against multiple strong enemies. Hinata had been spread thin trying to administer first aid to her comrades while also making sure to protect Ino where she could. It had hit the young girl hard. As for Sakura, she became more and more interested in medical ninjutsu the more Lee spent in the hospital. She had stayed for as many of his treatments as she was allowed and always asked questions to the nurses, Tsunade, and even Hinata.
Finally, she nodded. "Yes, I believe so. And, truthfully, it doesn't hurt to have more people who at least know the basics. They will work hard, Tsunade-sama."
Her mistress noted the look in her eyes and nodded. "All right, then. That settles it. They'll begin their training tomorrow. And you'll also be there to guide them. Because you'll be benched for a while, I don't want you to get rusty."
"Yes, I understand."
"Now, what are you doing here so early?"
"I wanted to get some studying in before I meet with Minato-sensei. I also have a meeting with my father, training with Shikamaru, shopping with my sister, and training with Neji at the end of the night."
Tsunade suddenly began laughing. "You're such a busy girl!" Then she put her hand on Hinata's shoulder and patted it. "How are you feeling? About…you-know-who."
"Ah, well, he'll be back very soon," she replied, smiling easily.
"The man I loved, back then… Well, let's just say that I have experience with heartbreak. You're not alone here, Hinata."
Hinata looked down at her hands, fiddling with them. "Yes, I know. I have wonderful friends and teachers by my side." She looked down at her armband and suddenly realized they never got one for Kakashi. She needed to fix that right away. "I hope you'll forgive me if I'm overstepping, but did you…ever fall in love again?"
Tsunade looked away and focused on the ceiling above them as she thought. "I'm not entirely sure." When Hinata could only stare at her in confusion, she chuckled. "For a long time, I was afraid to love again. But, as you know, I'm an older woman, and it gets lonely. I think the man who wants me to love him deserves someone who isn't as afraid and wishy-washy as I am."
Suddenly, the white-haired Toad Sage popped into her head, and she nodded in understanding. "I understand. I think that man has loved you for a long time, hasn't he?" She asked.
"Much too long. Idiot never had a serious relationship," Tsunade sighed.
"I believe if he's loved you for so long, despite you not returning any feelings, then I don't think he would mind you being a bit indecisive. I'm young and inexperienced with love, but I like to think that he would be happy you're not completely dismissing the idea anymore!"
Tsunade raised a brow. "I'll keep that in mind. I saw that things were better with you and Naruto before he left. How did it go?"
Hinata blushed before clearing her throat. "We're still best friends. He knows how I feel about Sasuke. Honestly, he's much too good for me. He's so understanding; I feel as though I don't deserve his kindness."
"Maybe things will change in the future," the woman hummed. "If Sasuke doesn't get his head out of his ass, that is. Will you promise me something, Hinata?"
The Hyuuga looked up at her with curious eyes. "What is it?"
"Promise me that you'll give up on Sasuke if he doesn't return when Orochimaru is ready to switch bodies. Clinging on, despite the situation looking grim, can only do more harm than good. Especially to those around you," Tsunade explained. "I'm not telling you this as your teacher, but from woman to woman."
Hinata had thought of this exact scenario so often since Sasuke left, but hearing it aloud made it seem more real and frightening. But she knew her mistress was right. "I promise, Tsunade-sama. I made…that decision a while ago," she admitted quietly. If he left the village without another word after bringing Itachi home, she wanted to positively say she would let him go, but she feared she wasn't strong enough. She feared she loved him too much to walk away when it began hurting too much.
Tsunade squeezed her shoulder apologetically. "I'm glad. So, tell me how you've been storing your chakra." Hinata lit up and immediately jumped into explaining what she had been doing. She felt elated at the proud and impressed look in Tsunade's eyes. "Well, if this works out, you'll be set to do surgeries and even fight on missions. You haven't been feeling fatigued at all?"
"Hm, I did the first day or so, but it went away soon after. I don't feel as…strong, I suppose? But I don't think it's very noticeable."
Tsunade laughed. "It will be once you start physically fighting again. We'll try it out next week and see how you can make it work while training. Sound good?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" She replied with a deep bow.
The Sannin stood up and stretched. "Well, that's enough resting. I'm heading out now, give the Hokage my regards when you see him," she said as she left with a wave.
Hinata immediately got up and headed for the furthest shelf in the room. She'd left off in this area and wanted to resume her mission of reading every book available to her in this library. She could possibly find a more permanent solution to Itachi's illness.
"Hinata-chan!" Hinata quickly turned around and saw Sakura and Ino standing there with nervous expressions. "We're here for our training."
Hinata tilted her head. Tsunade told her they would begin tomorrow, and yet here they were. She inwardly sighed. Her mistress really enjoyed throwing her off. "I was told you were starting tomorrow," she replied, gesturing for them to take a seat.
They both looked startled but took a seat on the couch Hinata and her sensei had been conversing on. "She told us today, bright and early. We're surprised to see you here already, though!" Ino replied.
"Tsunade-sama enjoys keeping me on my toes. Unfortunately, I do have prior engagements, so I'm afraid I won't be able to stay longer than two hours, if that. I hope you don't mind," she said, bowing apologetically.
"That's okay! We want to learn whatever we can," Sakura assured her.
Hinata stood in front of them with a happy smile. "I'm very proud of you two for being here. We could always use more medic nins. Now, I'll begin by explaining the three rules you must obey as a medic."
They two took out notebooks and pencils, waiting for her to talk.
"First, you must never stop treatment on an individual until they are stable or they're dead. Next, you must never stand on the front lines. Lastly, when faced with death, you must be the last remaining person in your platoon. You both must follow these rules as medic ninja training under Tsunade-sama. Your life is precious, especially because your job is to treat your peers."
She noted with pride how seriously they were taking notes. "Is Tsunade-sama the only medic ninja allowed to fight?"
Hinata nodded. "That's right. That is due to her abundance of strength and years of experience. I'd like to ask you both a question." They perked up at this. "What do you hope to accomplish as a medic?"
"We hope to save our comrades!" They exclaimed in unison.
The Hyuuga's eyes went serious. "You will not save everyone. You must learn this and accept it. You cannot save everyone, and that is okay."
Their eyes went sad, but they nodded. "A medic-nin is still important, and we want to be of use," Sakura said.
"Good. Let's continue. Now, I'm going to explain how it works and then give you a demonstration."
After leaving Sakura and Ino with books and scrolls to study, Hinata made her way to the Uzumaki household. Naruto had been gone for a few months at this point, and she had received quite a few letters from him already, though she was sad that she often could not write back because they had moved out of the area too soon. When she was able to get a letter to him, his next letter typically started with a plethora of random capitalized characters and exclamation points to express his happiness. It made her laugh and feel loved to have a friend who was so excited to hear from her.
Haku also kept in contact with her. They'd spent a lot of time together when he was here. He was helping her make medication (although it took a while, she was eventually able to get him to accept payment), and he never once asked her questions about what she needed the Jofuku flower for. He was, however, delighted to explain how difficult it was to get it. He explained that the flower releases a pollen-like substance that takes on the form of someone you know to protect it. Most likely, an enemy or someone you were thinking of at the time of picking it.
"Fighting Zabuza was amazing! I've gotten a bit rusty during my travels, though," he laughed sheepishly. "Apparently, this flower is difficult to obtain because of that, so it's highly sought after. Who do you think would appear for you?"
Hinata had thought about that question often since, but she had not yet thought of an answer. Danzo and Orochimaru are her enemies, but what if she were thinking of someone else? Haku showed her on the map where to get it, but she found herself afraid to go. Would she be strong enough?
She shook the thought away. She needed to focus on gaining political experience and becoming more desirable to Danzo.
Kushina greeted her at the door with a bright smile. "Hi!" She said, pulling her into a tight hug. "We've missed you, honey. How have your missions been? Minato's been really putting you through it lately, hasn't he?"
"I've been asking Sensei for the workload to gather up more field experience," she assured the older woman with a tight hug back.
"Well, as long as he isn't bullying you. He's upstairs in the room," she said, pointing back at the stairs. "I'm working on lunch if you'd like to stay."
"Unfortunately, I have a meeting with my father after," she said apologetically. "Can I take a rain check?"
Kushina ruffled her hair. "You're always welcome here."
Hinata bowed deeply. "Thank you, sensei. I'll go up now." She quickly went up the stairs. "Minato-sensei, I'm here!"
Since their bedroom door was now always open, she saw Minato's head peek out with a smile. "Hinata-chan!" He greeted as he stood and held his arms open for a hug. "Thank you for coming to meet me so early."
After hugging him, she stepped back and took a seat on the bed. "It's no problem at all! I was waking up early to get some studying done, and I began teaching Sakura-chan and Ino-chan the basics of medical ninjutsu."
"Wow, you're already teaching? That's most impressive." The Hokage then pulled out a scroll and opened it up. "So I've got your mission statistics here. You have officially done thirty D-rank missions, ten C-rank missions, and technically three A-rank missions if we add up the Land of Waves, the fight against Gaara, and the fight against Kabuto and Orochimaru. You're constantly improving your leadership skills and critical thinking. You've always been talented, but it's different when lives are in your hands. I've talked to every person you've been on a mission with since your promotion, and they've had nothing but great things to say about you," he explained proudly.
Hinata covered her face, and she slowly and quietly exhaled a breath of relief. "I'm so glad. I do my best to appear confident because I don't want the people I'm leading to feel uneasy, but I'm often worried about how I'm doing and coming across. Hearing this comes as a great relief." She bowed deeply.
"You should have more confidence, Hinata. You're a terrific shinobi. You work hard," he assured her. "At this rate, if all things go well, I will eventually recommend you for Jonin before you know it. Be proud, okay?"
This shocked Hinata, knowing that she could be a Jonin in the near future. "You really think so, sensei?"
Minato hummed, smiling widely. "I believe so. You're off to a great start. In a year, do you think you'll be ready to begin attending council meetings?" He asked.
"I'm hoping before then, but I need a lot of time to seem desirable to Danzo. I'm going to be shadowing my father for two weeks while I'm off the mission roster and studying a lot as well," she explained. "Because I believe Danzo sent someone to check on me at the library, I'll return there and see if I run into him again."
Minato inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "I still really don't like this, nor am I comfortable with it, but I agree. That's a good plan for now. We will discuss more in-depth before you begin attending council meetings and slowly pull back as you get more in contact with Danzo," he suggested. "If we remain too close, he might suspect something. It'll be good for you to pull back a bit and see what he thinks about it. He might want to use our connection for his gain."
"I agree. And when that happens?" She inquired.
Minato smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "We should mess with him a little bit."
Hinata laughed, covering her mouth. "That's what I was thinking. Fake intel would be nice, but we wouldn't be able to get away with it for long, and hopefully, he'll just assume that you don't trust me as you used to."
"We'll have fun with it as much as we can. What's important is that he wants your skills and you get in his inner circle."
Noting the sad and uncomfortable look in his eyes, Hinata smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll be okay, sensei. I have a plan, and I'll also work more of it out with Kakashi-sensei. I don't know what he'll do to test my loyalty, and I'm…sorry in advance if it is distasteful."
His gaze turned regretful. "I'm sorry that you will be in any unfortunate situations without backup." After a brief moment of hesitation, he spoke again. "You can still back out, Hinata. You don't have to do this."
She shook her head. "I'm doing this. I can only hope I'll be worthy of forgiveness to any of those I may wrong in the future, and I will accept any punishment when it's all exposed."
"Have you received any more information from your source?" He eventually asked. He didn't want to think about her having to kill people to gain Danzo's loyalty, and the less he knew of her actions, the better. To remain in his people's hearts and keep their trust, he needed to have total deniability of her actions once she became part of Danzo's group.
"They did confirm the timeline Jiraiya-sama gave us. However, they also shared that they had already acquired a tailed beast from a nation willingly," he explained.
This shocked Minato. "Willingly?"
She nodded. "War profiteering." Minato hummed, his eyes closing in disappointment. "They informed me that they're doing their best to keep the Akatsuki away from Konoha on tailed beast-related missions."
"That's a relief," he sighed softly. "With Naruto out there with Jiraya-sensei, it's difficult to rest easy, but I trust my teacher and he's the only one fit to guide Naruto."
"Sensei, do you think peace is truly possible to accomplish?" Hinata asked. "If we manage to take down Danzo, Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki, will peace be within our reach?"
Minato leaned back, thinking carefully. He felt peace would never come true in a world filled with shinobi without everyone coming together. All nations needed to come together to make it possible. All nations needed to work hard to maintain it. Hinata watched him curiously. She didn't have high hopes for a positive answer, but she wanted to be as optimistic as Naruto.
"If all nations worked together, I believe it's possible. However, we rarely come together. I believe that, when the time comes, people can come together when it really matters," he eventually answered with a gentle smile.
Hinata felt grateful to have a sensei as passionate as Minato. No matter what he had seen during the war, he could still see the best in humanity. She hoped to one day have the ability to follow his lead.
"Thank you for being my sensei," she said, knowing that was the only thing she could say. Then she stood up. "It's nearly time for the Hyuuga meeting. I should be going." Her heart was pounding as she was about to begin her journey. Soon, she would be in Danzo's sights, and she would have to prove her loyalty to him. She was terrified of what he would make her do. But she would do it.
"Of course. Thanks for stopping by." He stood up and squeezed her shoulder.
She bowed politely and headed toward the door before suddenly remembering. "Ah, sensei. I told Mikoto-sama that the person Sasuke was escorting requested a long extension on his mission. I hope I didn't overstep. She was asking questions," she explained apologetically.
He smiled warmly. "That's perfectly fine. I'll update his mission roster so it's added to his paper trail. Thank you for letting me know."
When she was given permission, she entered her father's office. "I apologize for arriving late, Father. I had a meeting with Hokage-sama and I was teaching medical ninjutsu to two of my fellow kunoichi," she explained, head bowed deeply in respect.
"Do not worry, my daughter. You are not late. It is good that you have gotten to the point of teaching medical ninjutsu to others. It is most impressive; I am sure the Elders will be pleased," he replied. They both knew that last point was a lie, but they probably wouldn't grumble about it ever since she completed her grandfather's request for eyedrops in record time.
"Thank you. What will the meeting be about?" She asked.
"We will be talking about financial reports, investments—new and old, and the Hyuuga New Year's Event," he replied. "It will all be financially related."
Despite the cold weather and gray skies, it didn't feel like it was time for the New Year. It felt wrong to know that she would be separated from her team. It felt different and strange, something she didn't particularly like. But she wouldn't let that show, especially to her Elders. She was going to tackle everything they threw at her. To seem desirable, she would do what she needed to. She only hoped she could keep her father in the dark for as long as possible.
Hiashi despised Danzo, even more so after he tried to talk him out of the union. She felt her heart jump at the fact that she would be buddying up to the man who actively hated the Uchiha. She never once thought about what would possibly happen when Fugaku saw her talking to Danzo. She suddenly felt the need to talk to Minato again. He would know exactly what to do. The Uchiha Patriarch couldn't know anything about her plans, or it could possibly tip Danzo off. She couldn't risk it, and she especially couldn't blow Itachi's cover to his family.
"Are you prepared?" Hiashi asked as he stood.
"Yes, Father. I will not let you down." She stood and followed her father out of his office and toward the meeting room.
Hiii! I am SO sorry about updating so late! I didn't even realize what day it was until last night, and it was too late for me to come downstairs and edit and upload the chapter ;A; I hope this chapter was good enough to make up for it though! Hinata is starting to set the pieces on her side of the board, in preparation. Our girl is officially leading teams on missions, teaching others medical ninjutsu, and will soon establish herself in the political side of Konoha. How do you think it'll go? Please comment and let us know what you think!
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 04/25/25 (I promise!)
p.s. I'll be busy packing up, cleaning, moving, and driving from May 5th-6th to maybe the 12th or so. There probably won't be an update that week, as I'll have my laptop put away