《A strange new life》 Chapter 1: Early years and Academy days. Chapter 1: Early years and Academy days. Life got strange, fast. I mean, real fast. One moment, I was in front of myputer, lost in an endless haze of fandom surfing about mytest manga obsession. I blinked. I was somewhere else. Gone were the soft green walls of my room, the messy table with myputer, my plushies, my bed, and all the clothing scattered about. I was underwater, or it felt like I was underwater. My body felt strange. I couldn''t move. There was a tube going down my mouth and throat, and I could feel it shifting inside my chest whenever the world shook. I was inside some ss container, viscous green soup surrounded me. It blurred the world, but even so, I could see the room where I was. It was in, unadorned concrete walls. No windows. A single door. A table upturned, papers scattered about. I saw broken wires and eighty''s-lookingputer parts:rge, cumbersome, and utterly shattered. Among the paper, I saw rolled-up things that looked like scrolls, but it made no sense. Why would someone with ess toputers use scrolls? The world shook again, harder this time. The container I was inside buckled and tipped over. It felt awful. Something pulled inside my lungs. The back of my head stung. My arms and legs hurt. The green sludge spilled away, leaving me shivering. Whatever happened, broke something because I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. There was a tube in my mouth, but there was no more air there. Panic surged inside me. I tried to move my hands, to spit the tube out, to kick. Nothing worked. I know I should have asked how I got from my room to this ce, but right now, the only thing I could think of was the need to breathe. An eternity shed in a second. My lungs burned, my head spun. ckness crept into my vision. Why was this happening to me? I don¡¯t think I ever did anything to deserve this. Pushing Veronica in the mud didn¡¯t count; she bullied Amanda. Was it because I snogged Kimberly? It couldn¡¯t be, could it? No, not a chance. Mom just hadn¡¯t caught up with the times. The world shook once more. The walls exploded, debris peppered the rest of the room, myself included. It hurt, but the sting was nothingpared to the burning need for air. I saw movement before darkness imed me.A stylized porcin wolf mask,with red whiskers. Spiky white hair.ckshirt under a gray vest.Shoulders bare, but the same ck cloth covering most of the arms. Yeah, I¡¯ve gone mad. Why was this person wearing Kakashi-sensei¡¯s ANBU mask? Was this a cosy thingy? ckness imed me. I guess I¡¯ll never know.
I opened my eyes again. Surprising. I thought I had died. The room smelled like antiseptic, sterile, like a hospital. Bare white walls, a window that let me see the blue sky and mountains in the distance. I got up to a sitting position, the nket slid off and spilled to the ground. The world seemed bigger, out of proportion. Like I was in a world of giants. Outside the room I was in, I could hear amotion. The voices are too muffled for me to understand what they were saying. I clenched my fists, muscles protesting the movements. My hand looked small, young. Curious, I touched my face, my head. TV lied to me. I couldn''t tell if this was my face by just touching. What I could tell was that I had no hair. Urgh, what a pain. I liked my hair, and it would take forever to grow it again. The door burst open mid-inspection. I turned my eyes to the neers. A man dressed in white kimono, severe face, long ck hair, upturned thin eyebrows, white eyes. The corners of his eyes were deformed, like veinsing from the sides of his face. I knew that face. I knew the name. I even knew what was happening to his eyes. That man was Hyuga Hiashi, n head, my father. What? No! My dad died when I was eight. My name was Cami, but I was also Hinata. I was fifteen, almost sixteen. I was three years old, and always failed when training the family techniques? I couldn''t sense chakra, even with my byakugan. This was so trippy. Hyuga Hiashi byakugan stare pierced my soul. I felt naked and unclean. Others rushed inside the room. Women and men in white clothes, but not the same as Hiashi; it was a uniform of sorts. They were deferential; I could see they wanted, but dared not, to stop father. Hiashi stepped closer without a word. His hand was closed in a severe fist. We didn¡¯t break eye contact. I knew there was something wrong when he pointed a glowing white finger at me. ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s happening here, Hiashi?¡± An old man¡¯s voice broke the moment. I tore my eyes from my fat¡ªHiashi, looked at the man who, one moment ago, hadn¡¯t been in the room. Even if I wanted, I couldn¡¯t mistake him. Smaller than Hiashi, but his presence demanded attention. White pointy goatee, old-looking face, three lines from the eyes to his cheeks, two marks on his left cheek. Funny red and white hat with the fire symbol, and the white clothes were just to make sure everyone knew this grandpa was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage. ¡°Hokage-sama,¡± father bowed. ¡°What were you trying to do to Hinata?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Hiruzen,¡± Father said, voice heated. ¡°My daughter died two years ago. This thing,¡± Hiashi said, pointed at me, ¡°is not her!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your reasoning, Hiashi, but I respect the Hyuga n¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°Then why are you stopping me?¡± Father demanded. ¡°Stopping you from what?¡± ¡°To kill this abomination!¡± Father exploded. ¡°This vile thing is a stain on the Hyuga name. Will you interfere with n matters?¡± Hiashi demanded, finger still pointed at me. Something inside me died at those words. The small, frail thing that were Hinata''s memories curled in pain and sadness. My throat closed, and tears spilled from my eyes. ¡°I cannot tell you how to run your n, Hiashi.¡± The Hokage said, voice tired and sad. Hiashi turned to me again, finger glowing once more. ¡°But by your own words, Hinata is not a member of the Hyuga n.¡± Father stopped, turned around, bewildered expression on his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Hyuga n may deal with their members ording to whateverw they have,¡± Hiruzen said, walked to the side of my bed. ¡°This girl, Hinata, is a citizen of Konoha, not a member of Hyuga, by your own words. I will not let you kill a child from my vige.¡± Hiashi red at the old man Hokage before turning around and storming out of the room. ¡°You may leave as well,¡± Hokage said, addressing the spooked nurses. The old man spoke again only when the room was empty except for the two of us. ¡°How are you feeling Hinata?¡± He asked, softly. I opened my mouth, but words wouldn¡¯te. I tried pushing air out, make any sort of noise. I tried to groan, to snarl, to giggle, tough, but couldn¡¯t. I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡± He said. He looked at me for a moment, sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said. Turned around, left me alone. Iid back on the bed, mind in turmoil. How I was in Naruto? That didn¡¯t make any sense. This was not how the story was supposed to go. Fat¡ªHiashi may have been a horrible father, but he never disowned Hinata in the original story, nor did he try to kill her. What was going on here? 1.2 1.2 It had been a few days since the thing happened. Since then, I learned a few things. I couldn¡¯t speak. For some reason, no noise woulde out. I wasn¡¯t mute; I know I wasn¡¯t. My body just refused to obey whenever I tried to make any sort of sound. I was almost five years old, and from listening to all the whispered conversations, I was kidnapped when three. No one knew where I was for thest two years. That helped me put some things into perspective. The event know as Hyuga affair happened when Hinata was three years old. The Third Raikage sent his vige Head Ninja to kidnap her¡ª me. This was confusing. At times It felt like I was Hinata, other¡¯s I was still Cami. In the original story, that failed, the Head Ninja was killed, and Hizashi ¡ª my uncle ¡ª was offered to Kumogakure as restitution. Thatseems to bethe point of divergence from the original time-line.Hina¡ªI was kidnapped, and they only found me two yearster. I didn¡¯t know where I had been kept, but from what I remember, some sort ofb. Was it in Kumogakure? I learned other things as well. I slept for about a week after being rescued. During that time, the Hyuga n disowned me, and after I woke up, tried to kill me. From all the past few days gossiping, I learned the reason why. Neji had been adopted by the main family after I vanished. In the original story Hizashi wanted his son, considered agenius of the n, to be free of the cadet branch family stigma. After losing the heir, what better way to settle the dispute between brothers than adopting a talented kid into the main family? But that was history. I wasn¡¯t that Hinata, at least, not anymore.Before I left the hospital, old man Hokagecame to visit again.Skipping all the pleasantries, this was the meat of the one-sided conversation. ¡°What do you n to do now, Hinata?¡± The old man asked, looking at me. ¡°If you want to join the Academy, we¡¯ll arrange a ce for you to live and a monthly stipend for your daily necessities.¡± It always surprised me how kids in Naruto stories were treated. Child soldiers, harsh training, adult treatment while still kids. Were they different here somehow? Was it because of chakra? Or was it just cultural differences? ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a kunoichi anymore, we can ce you in an orphanage and maybe look for a family to adopt you.¡± I considered for a moment. If butterfly effect didn¡¯t spiral things too out of course, I knew what fate awaited this world. Pain¡¯s attack, Konoha¡¯s destruction, the fourth war, white Zetsu army, Infinite Tsukuyomi. Could I live in such a dangerous world and let others dictate my fate? No, I could not. I raised one finger. I couldn¡¯t speak, but I hoped this would be clear enough. ¡°You want to join the Academy?¡± The God of Shinobi asked. I nodded. ¡°Very well, it pleases me to know that.¡± He smiled; it looked genuine. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was. ¡°I¡¯ll¡ª¡± He started, but I moved my hands again. I mimicked writing, drawing the hiragana characters in the air. Hinata hadn¡¯t learned enough kanji before being kidnapped, mastering only the simpler version of thenguage. Nevertheless, I wrote. ¡°Could I ask for something?¡± I didn¡¯t know if Hiruzen was used to this type of conversation. The man didn¡¯t blink or even struggle to understand the words I wrote. ¡°And what would you ask for?¡± I looked down. A nurse had been kind enough to bring me a mirror. When I looked at myself, I saw Hinata¡¯s face reflected. Dark blue hair had started to grow again. It was still the same round, soft face except for the eyes. They were not white anymore. The girl in the mirror had ck eyes, and if I looked hard enough, one of the pupils was vertical, like a snake¡¯s. Another reason why Hiashi wanted to kill me? I looked back at the Hokage. He waited patiently.It was a gamble, butwithout any n resources,I wasn¡¯t sure I could keep up with people from this world.I wanted an advantage. I wanted a cheat. I wrote again. ¡°Fuinjutsu theory books. Language primer.¡± My reasoning was simple. The fourth Hokage was cool. And sealing techniques are op. Without a Dojutsu cheat, seals were the next best option. Old man Hokage scratched his chin. Looked me up and down. ¡°Can you cast Fuinjutsu?¡± I had no idea. I think most people can cast it, but the real question was if I had any affinity to it, which I didn¡¯t think I did. At least initially, Hinata didn¡¯t study that field. I shrugged. ¡°Very well,¡± Old man Hokage said, ¡°I¡¯ll give a scroll with basic instructions.If you can learn from it, I¡¯ll give you more.¡± I nodded, happy. That was fair and more than I expected. After that, the conversation turned to other boring matters. Hiruzen asked what I remembered. I omittedthe thingsI knew from my previous life but told him what Hinata did remember, which wasn¡¯t much. She didn¡¯t remember falling unconscious. There was no memory between her passing out and my waking up. The only thing I did remember was Wolf-san bursting inside theb. Hiruzen chuckled when I called Kakashi that. Weird. Afew dayster, I was in my own apartment. The ce was small, cramped, andnothingpared to what I knew from my two lives.Cam lived in a three-bedroom with her mother. It wasn¡¯t the biggest, but it was cozy. Hinata lived in a luxurious home, being the daughter of a n leader. The new apartment was small and bare-bones. One bedroom. One living room. The kitchen at least had the basic necessities. I really appreciate the oven. I already had ideas. Again, it was small and simple, but at least it was mine for as long as I worked for the vige. Lackof spoken words made things difficultuntil I bought a small drawing board, penand aneraser. My writing still wasn¡¯t the best,I could only use hiragana, but it was enough. With the money I received, I got new clothes, shoes, food, notebooks and other things I needed. The first days wereplicated, I was used to living with family, or as Hinata, having servants.I spent my days pouring over thenguage primer, then the fuinjutsu manual. It didn¡¯t work like I wanted it to. Learning traditional kanji wasplex and repetitive work. The style in the primer didn¡¯t help either. The fuinjutsu manual assumed you already could sense and use chakra. But I couldn¡¯t. Hinata had been too young to start training with chakra before being kidnapped, and nothing in the manual said how to sense or manipte chakra. It was frustrating. Infuriating. To clear my mind, I started another project. I didn¡¯t want to forget what I knew about the story of this world.Memory wasaficklething, andthe sooner I did this, the better.However, I didn¡¯t want to simply write down things. I was pretty sure I was still under observation, perhaps even full-time. I didn¡¯t want to write the story of this world where anyone can read it. I needed a way to keep things secret without alerting a bunch of paranoid ninjas. My solution was a simple one. I started a diary and a storybook.In my diary, I wrote what I did for the day, how I felt,thingsI wanted, and my hopes and dreamsfor the future.Not the actual thing, you know. The storybook was something else. There, little Miss Chef Cami wanted to learn all the recipes in the world and be a renowned chef. The story itself wasn¡¯t important; the recipes were. The trouble of acquiring the ingredients, thepetition with other chefs . They looked like nonsensical things, like a children''s story, but each of thoseactuallyreferenced a ninja, ce, or event. Orange was Naruto. Lemon was Sasuke. The less said about that, the better. Once I learned more, I intended to move all this to an adequately coded book. Aside from reading and writing, I also started with morning exercises.I loathed them before, but now I couldn¡¯t not doit. Notwith how many monsters were waiting in this world''s future. My days settled into a routine. Wakeup, run, have breakfast, train the katas I still remembered from the Hyuga n, have lunch, studynguage, gnash my teeth in frustration trying to feel chakra in the evenings, sleep and start it all over again the next day. Three weekster, I received a visit. A chunin told me the academy started next Monday, and I was to attend it. 1.3 1.3 I was excited for my Academy days. Not going to lie about it. The main story didn¡¯t cover the early days, but I knew there were a few important events here. Mostly rted to Iruka-sensei and Naruto. It was pretty much agreed by most of the fandom the reason Naruto didn¡¯t turn into a sociopath jerk was due to Iruka-sensei. The crowd of parents in front of the academy was intimidating. I recognized some of them. The Akimichi n were easy: all big, all chubby, spirals tattoo on the cheek. Even before graduation, Chouji hair style was funny. The Nara n was also easy to spot: Shikamaru looked a lot like his father, the same slouch, the same hairstyle. I saw others as well. The Inuzuka n, red fangs tattoo¡¯s and the cute dogs. Separated from the others, was the Uchiha n. With their ck hair and blue clothes. A small boy, apanied a older woman, an older man, his mother and father, probably, and a teenager. A portly ninja talked with Uchiha father. The teenager turned and looked straight at me as soon my eyesnded on the family. I looked away, scared. Itachi was freaking scary. Ignoring all the looks directed my way, I walked inside the Academy, joined a growing crowd of children. Some of those I also knew, mostly by hair. Ino¡¯s blonde ponytail, Sakura¡¯s pink hair, Naruto¡¯s blonde hair and orange clothes. I had dressed for the asion too. Skirts aren¡¯tmon among ninjas, but I liked them. I wanted to create my own style. If Naruto could wear orange jumpsuits, why couldn¡¯t I wear skirts? I didn¡¯t go overboard. Opentoed shinobi shoes, ck stockings, shorts with a gamut of pockets to store stuff. The skirt went to my knees. I wore a ck sleeveless shirt, with no symbols or adornment, and a open finger glove. Call me a weeb if you want. But I was already inside Naruto world. Leave me be. It drew attention. Could have been my short cropped hair, or maybe the clothes. As I said, skirts aren¡¯tmon among ninja, or maybe it was the fact I was the dead Hyuga princess. No one approached me, which was fine. The rest of the day wasn¡¯t what I expected. After all parents left their children, arge man, with brown hair and a goatee walked in front of the children, the same man who talked with the Uchiha outside. He wore the forehead protector like a bandanna. Who was that? Where was Iruka-sensei? We had to introduce ourselves, which was embarrassing, given I can¡¯t speak. When therge man, Daikoku-sensei, pointed at me, I was prepared. I wrote down my name and raised mymunication board. ¡°Hinata.¡± The man read out loud. More eyes turned to me. I forgot not every kid this age knows how to write, or even read. Oops? Thankfully, sensei didn¡¯t linger, asked the next kid over to introduce himself. It was the same ss, twenty seven students. Rookie 9 was still here. Aside from Iruka-sensei, nothing else had changed. When thinking about academy, I expected gruesome training, constant spar, intense mental exercises. What I got was children games in the morning, and letters songs and shinobi stories in the afternoon. At first nce, it looked more like a nursery than a ninja academy. It made sense, we were five. I didn¡¯t mind. I did my best to fit in, y the games, write the stories, mouth the songs. At the end of the day, after all the other kids had left, I approached sensei. Daikoku was a jolly, patient man. I waved him. ¡°What is it, Hinata-chan?¡± The man asked, knelt, tousled my hair. I froze a bit. I wasn¡¯t expecting this kind of treatment. I soldiered on. I took mymunication board, wrote what I needed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to sense chakra. Can you teach me?¡± Sensei stared at the board for a moment, scratched his goatee. Smiled. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t start teaching it untilter years, you are not behind your peers.¡± I nodded, that was fair, but still, I needed to learn. ¡°Teach me, please?¡± I wrote. Sensei nodded, sat down cross legged. ¡°Why not,¡± he said. I copied his movements, sat down. The man extended his hand, white light burning on it. I felt it, hot and inviting. I wanted to¡ª ¡°Can you feel this?¡± Sensei asked. I blinked, surprised. Nodded. Wrote on my board. ¡°Hot, cozy.¡± Sensei read my words, burst outughing, Hands holding hisrge belly. I didn¡¯t know what was funny about what I wrote. ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Sensei said. ¡°That¡¯s good, everyone feels chakra a different way. That¡¯s good.¡± Sensei tapped above his navel. Physical and spiritual energy are stored here,¡± tapped his heart, ¡°and chakra is generated here.¡± I nodded. I knew that one. The chakra pathway system, or meridians. The Hyuga n was big on that, with their gentle fist style that mostly targeted meridians to block chakra flow. Hinata, unfortunately never really learned about it. And it wasn¡¯t discussed as much in the story, but I knew the basics. The dantian stored physical and spiritual energy. The heart mixed both to produce chakra. ¡°Good.¡± Sensei said. ¡°Close your eyes, try to feel the chakra inside you. It should be easy, your reserves arerge.¡± I noted Sensei¡¯s phrasing. Was he a sensor type? I did as he asked. Closed my eyes, and tried to feel the chakra inside me. Time passed, not sure how long, but nothing. I opened my eyes, looked at sensei again. I could feel his chakra when he projected like that, but I didn¡¯t know how to feel my own. I shook my head. Wrote on my board. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± I admitted. ¡°That¡¯s alright, dear.¡± Sensei scratched his chin. ¡°We can try something else, if you want. Usually done between family¡­¡± Sensei trailed off, looked away. I shrugged. I didn¡¯t have a family. A small part of me cried inside. I nodded. ¡°Please?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Give me your hand, and close your eyes.¡± I did as instructed. Put my hand over his. Closed my eyes. It started like hot water in my hands, rushing up my arm and spreading through my whole body. If I hadn¡¯t sensed it early, and know it was Sensei¡¯s chakra, I would probably have panicked. I mped down on my fear, sensei¡¯s chakra leaving warm lines wherever it passed. It spread through my whole body, dividing into several strands, each pursuing a different path. They converged on my heart, where sensei said chakra was generated. Things changed when sensei¡¯s chakra entered that ce. Like a beast sleeping, I felt it. My own chakra awakening, stirring. Like a storm, a ravenous beast, it attacked the foreign chakra, glomping it up, slurping it like noodles. Faster than I could process, it spread through my whole body, eating sensei¡¯s chakra. Sensei yelped, broke the connection a few moments before my chakra had reached the source. I opened my eyes. Sensei panted, sweat dripping from his brows. I, on the other hand, felt alive, full of energy. A new sense spread around me. I could feel it, the bundle of warmth inside Sensei. Nearby, past the wall, I could feel others. Bigger, small. Hot, cold, breezy. So many textures and types and smells. My hand moved toward Sensei, toward the bundle of inviting energy on his belly, but the man had gotten up. ¡°Well, that was certainly interesting.¡± Sensei had a chagrined expression. Like he had done something he shouldn¡¯t have. I blinked, distracted. The chakra inside me slowed down. Returned to it¡¯s sleeping ce, but it slumbered no more. I could feel it. I willed my chakra move, and it filled the same pathways sensei chakra had filled just a few moments ago. I picked up my board. My hands moved faster than I expected. ¡°I can feel it.¡± I wrote, showed sensei. ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± The man beamed. He had already rposed himself. He looked tired. I wiped the previous words, wrote others. ¡°Thank you sensei.¡± I showed the man the board, bowed after he read it. His smile, which had been strained, softened. He tousled my non existent hair. I pouted. Heughed. I left the academy and returned home. 1.4 1.4 Using chakra was instinctual and awesome. I didn¡¯t even need to direct the energy, it moved on it¡¯s own to fill my legs, feet and eyes. I ran. Faster and longer than I ever ran before. I don¡¯t know for how long I ran. Night had already fallen, and my stomach demanded food when I finally got back home. I sprawled on the cool,forting floor, bleeding heat from all that running. Sweat poured from my whole body. I was tired, but it was a good type of tired. I sat up, went to bathroom. Got under the shower. I had confirmation the ss was the same, all twenty seven students were there, including the Rookie 9. I needed to decide what to do. If I was being honest, I didn¡¯t like the whole Uchiha n. Always thought they were a bunch of emos and drama queens. Canon Uchiha wanted to overthrown the Third, which wasn¡¯t cool, but the n hadn¡¯t been treated fairly ever since the first Hokage¡¯s death. I hated that I agreed with Danzo: Hiruzen was too passive in his old years. I didn¡¯t dare put it on paper, but right now, I needed to decide what I wanted to do. Preserve the original storyline and have better information about the future. Try to change things, and put myself in great danger without any hope of defending myself? You see, while I agreed Hiruzen was too soft in his old years, it was Danzo that made things worse. Coward greedy hypocrite thinking he was better than others, making the hard choices for the sake of Konoha. I mean, take the name of his group of assassins. Root. The megalomaniac thought he was the roots that supported Konoha. If that didn¡¯t spell what was wrong with the man, I didn¡¯t know what did. I hated Danzo, more than I hated Sasuke. Yeah, Emosuke was soooo boring. While reading the story, I often wished Sasuke would just die already. I had some ideas. The focal point of the Uchiha storyline ¡ª at least for me ¡ª was never Itachi, but Shisui. Coward Danzo was afraid of Shisui, stole the man¡¯s right eye, and manipted teenager Itachi into killing his own family. If I could somehow talk with Shisui, I might be able to convince him to go ahead with the n to put Fugaku on a genjutsu, and not trust Danzo. From what I remembered, Danzo already had a sharingan, hidden beneath his bandaged head. But, if I remembered correctly, given the events time-line, Shisui died when Sasuke was still in his first semester of the academy. Roughly two yearster, Danzo ordered Itachi to kill his n. Kakashi-sensei was another option. By this time, he and Danzo probably already had their disagreement, and he knew of a lot of things Danzo did, even the assassination attempt at the Hokage, which stupid old man Hiruzen forgave Danzo for. Could I trust him? Yes, in every version of every story I read, Kakashi was always trustworthy. The question was: how to get into contact with him. A dumb idea sparkled in my brain. Maybe not dumb. Old man Hokage said he would give me more fuinjutsu if I learned the first scroll. I could use that. Learn the scroll, then march to the Hokage tower and ask to talk with the old man. I¡¯m pretty sure he would make time to talk with me. I could ask to talk with Wolf-senpai who rescued me, say I wanted to thank my saviour. That wasn¡¯t a good n, but it was a n. I risked being noticed by Danzo, but he would never be as vulnerable as he was now, with only one stolen sharingan and without Shisui¡¯s Mangekyo. I closed the water. My fingers were already blue and puckered. I dried myself, got warm clothes. It was time to learn fuinjutsu.
My routine didn¡¯t change muchpared to the first day of academy. I woke early, ran for about one hour. Ate breakfast. Made lunch. Went to the academy, yed the games, mouthed the letters songs. Two things did change, however. I couldn¡¯t avoid learning things faster than the other kids, I was, at least in my own head, a teenager. I didn¡¯t want to draw more attention than necessary. I mped down on my chakra. Hard. After awakening my own perception, I couldn¡¯t see, but I could feel the bundle of warmth inside each of the kids, and the bonfire inside the instructors. I looked for Naruto. It was easy to find him with this new perception. The brat had a freaking sun of chakra inside his belly, but only one source of chakra. Whoever created the Kyuubi¡¯s seal was a master. I couldn¡¯t feel Kurama¡¯s chakra. I even realized the kids were using chakra instinctively to strengthen their muscles. I didn¡¯t. No instinctual chakra enhancement for me. The difference was immediate. I got slower. I couldn¡¯t keep up with the other kids while ying the ninja games. I got tired fast. It drew a bit of attention at first, since I had been able to keep up on the first day, but sensei soon gave it up as a bad job. Which worked fine for me. I didn¡¯t know if it worked like that, but If I managed to keep up with shinobi without using chakra, when I did use it, I would have the upper hand. Raise the baseline before applying the buffs, right? I¡¯ve gotten a fair share of nicknames in the first weeks. Kids, being the cruel things they were. Ochitahime(fallen princess), Oshihime(mute princess), even Kurohina I heard. It didn¡¯t really bother me. In those first weeks, I also put some of my ns to work. Well, one of my ns. I had no intention of following up with canon events and marrying Naruto, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t make his academy years easier. Truth be told, Naruto fresh out of the academy was a pain: loud, rude, annoying. But even so, I liked him. And didn¡¯t want him to suffer too much. Thus, my befriend Naruto n started. The n was simple. I was a mute. People avoided me. Naruto was a loudmouth, people avoided him. In the second day of academy, after the morning games we stopped for lunch. Kids sat in their forming cliques,ughing, cheering, having fun. Naruto sat by himself away from others, looking sad. I walked up to him, sat nearby, started to eat. Naruto looked at me wide-eye, like a deer caught in headlights. He looked so dumb. I offered him some of my food. He refused vehemently. I nodded, resumed eating. He didn¡¯t talk, which was more than fine with me. The following day, I did the same. When it was time for lunch, I looked at the furthest corner to find Naruto sitting alone, looking sad, watching the other kids. I walked to him again. Sat down. ced the second bento I made this morning in front of him. I turned to my own bento and started eating. It wasn¡¯t anything grand. Rolled eggs, rice, veggies, grilled fish. After the morning exercise, it tasted like a feast. ¡°Hi-Hinata-chan? That¡¯s for me?¡± The annoying brat asked. I sighed. ced my food down. Picked up mymunication board. Wrote on it. ¡°Eat your food.¡± Showed him the board. The kid looked at me like I had grown three other heads. I blinked. Right, children. He didn¡¯t knew how to read yet. I ced my board down again. Picked up my food. Pointed my hashi to his bento, then to his mouth. I turned around and started eating again. It didn¡¯t take long until the dumb kid started eating. I ignored the muffled sobs. That had nothing to do with me. I was just enjoying my meal, thinking about fuinjutsu. 1.5 1.5 After two weeks of struggle and no real progress with fuinjutsu, I realized my mistake. I mean, I knew it from the first attempt, I just thought I could brute force stuff. My chakra control was horrible. Which surprised me. Hyuga were know for their precise chakra control. How in the hells it was so hard? I might not have the name anymore, but I was still a Hyuga, right? I didn¡¯t knew any control training aside from the ones in the story. Leaf sticking, tree climbing, water walking. Kakashi taught those to team seven after graduation, but I couldn¡¯t wait until that time. It didn¡¯t need to be a leaf. I tore a piece of paper and stuck to my forehead, I willed my chakra to keep the paper there. I removed my hand. The paper didn¡¯t fall. I cheered. In my jubtion, cut the flow of chakra. The paper was still stuck to my forehead. I slumped. Right, paper, humidity. I went outside to find a collection of leaves for this training.
It took me two days to coax my chakra gently enough to keep the leaf stuck to my forehead. A week until I could move around and keep the damn thing in ce. After that, I changed the exercise. Trying to keep ever more heavy things stuck to me with chakra. The academy training gradually changed as well. The ¡®games¡¯ got moreplicated, other were added. Hand to eye coordination exercises, pattern recognition. Even in the form of children games, I wasn¡¯t fooled. It was training, even more harder for me who refused to use chakra. After those first few days, Naruto stuck to me like a sad puppy. Following me wherever I went. It didn¡¯tst. He couldn¡¯t read, I couldn¡¯t speak. He tried to learn how to read, but gave up after only two days. We still ate lunch together everyday, and he often spoke at me, but he was still a brat, and future prankster and attention whore. That was fine with me. I wanted to make his academy days a little better, but I didn¡¯t want to rock the boat in that particr storyline. I couldn¡¯t imagine Naruto surviving without Shadow Clones. I could have done more, of course. Try to keep the other children from being mean to him, but I was in the same boat. Other children avoided me, not the same as Naruto, but I often found myself alone in games and other activities. I did try to at least be present among the other kids. We couldn¡¯t talk, but I had tricks up my sleeve. Every so often, I purchased candies and took them to ss, divvying it up among the kids. It even earned me a new nickname: Okashihime (Sweets Princess). At some point, I stopped paying attention to the letter songs, stopped participating. I already knew the basics. I used that time to study thenguage primer the Hokage gave me. The Academy sensei¡¯s didn¡¯t mind when they saw what I was actually doing. Daikoku-Sensei even tousled my hair again. Ignored my res. By the end of the first month, I knew I was in a spot of trouble. I had been cooking for me and Naruto every academy day. I didn¡¯t mind. I already had to cook for myself. Make a bento for him as well didn¡¯t add any trouble to my routine. What it did, however, was screw with my budget. I had to buy more stuff, and now, at the end of the month, I had nothing left, and the stipend was still a few days away. I sighed. That was so dumb. I should have realized I would need more money. Should have saved more instead of paying extra for the olddy to change the clothes to my liking. Guess Naruto would have to take responsibility. And I would need Daikoku-Sensei¡¯s help. When sses ended I grabbed Naruto before he ran away. ¡°Hinata-chan? What is it?¡± The brat asked. I rolled my eyes. Ignored his question. Dragged a squirming Naruto to sensei. Released his hand, but red at him when he wanted to leave. I pointed down and stomped my feet. He got the message. No leaving. I got mymunication board. Sensei looked amused. I wrote. ¡°Sensei, I need your help to talk with Naruto. Can you read for him?¡± I showed my board to sensei. The portly man chuckled. ¡°I can do that.¡± I bowed in thanks. Easier than write. I erased the previous message, wrote another. ¡°Naruto, I¡¯ve been making bentos for you all month long, but I ran out of money. If you want me to keep doing it, you need to help me buy stuff.¡± I showed sensei the board. The man looked between me and Naruto, read the words out loud. Naruto, the dumb kid stuttered. ¡°W-what you mean, Hinata-chan?¡± I sighed, rolled my eyes. This was going to take forever. I erased the message, but sensei stopped me before I could write again. ¡°Let me see if I understand it right,¡± Daikoku-sensei said, ¡°You¡¯ve been cooking lunch for Naruto, but your allowance isn¡¯t enough for the both of you, and you want him to help you out buying ingredients.¡± I nodded. Naruto just looked confused. ¡°Let me talk with the administration. I might be able to solve it.¡± He looked at me, serious. ¡°Do you have enough until your next allowance?¡± If it was someone else, maybe their pride would raise it¡¯s ugly head and say they didn¡¯t need help, in a futile attempt to prove something equally dumb. I had no pride. I was used to it. In my Cami¡¯s life, I never had any money I didn¡¯t beg mother for. I shook my head. ¡°Right.¡± Sensei said. He looked at Naruto. ¡°You can go, Naruto-kun, and keep working hard on your letters. You¡¯ll never be able to talk with your friend if you don¡¯t.¡± Naruto nodded. Fled soon after. Sensei chuckled at the scene. In another world, another time, a small kid being alone with an adult and taking money from him would ring every sort of warning bell. I grew up listening to those advices every day. Here? I felt safe. I knew Sensei never even thought about such things. Cultural differences, maybe? Or the existence of genius children killers put a stop to any of that. Who knew? Sensei handed me a few coins. More than enough until I got my allowance. I bowed deeply. Dodged the man¡¯s hand before he tousled my hair. I mimicked Naruto; fled as fast as I could. Sensei¡¯s rumblingughter apanied me all the way until I left the Academy. 1.6 1.6 Sensei was true to his words. My next allowance came, and I got more money than expected. It still wasn¡¯t much, It barely covered the basics, but I wouldn¡¯t need to pester Naruto for money just to keep the cooking routine. Let the brat have a few more coins for his ramen, he had it hard enough already. I graduated from the Leaf Sticking exercise after a month of continuous training. Not that I was still using leaves. These days, I was copying something I remembered reading from another Naruto story. cing heavy objects under my clothes, and keeping them there the whole day. I didn¡¯t dare use coins. Money was hard toe by and no need to put my food security at risk. I started in the evening with tree walking exercise, without a tree. Another thing I, from that same story, thought made more sense. Instead of running up a tree and try to glue myself, I started just walking about. Knowing this exercise could be explosive, I did it in one of the many training grounds around the vige. I expected explosions with every step. I was disappointed. Moving chakra to my feet was hard, stupidly hard. It took me hours concentrating to manage to push chakra from my feet while standing still. Add movement and things derailed. During one of my many outings, I walked into a training field to find Naruto. The brat hadn¡¯t seem me, and I preferred if he didn¡¯t, but I was curious what he was doing. His training was all over the ce. One minute, he would punch, kick, hit the three wood poles in the training area. In another instant, he did hand seals and shouted random jutsu names. I don¡¯t think it was a real jutsu. The small, always scared part of my mind I attributed to Hinata stirred, looked at the brat. Something bubbled in my chest. Oh no. No way. I turned around, fled as fast as I could. No way I was turning this into a self fulfilling prophecy. Naruto could train as much as he wanted. I wanted nothing to do with this part of the story. I didn¡¯t even liked boys. Never had. I won¡¯t deny I fled like a coward. I¡¯ve read too many stories that dealt with fate. I didn¡¯t want to tempt it. I memorized that particr training field. If I needed to search for Naruto, I could always go there. Otherwise, avoid the ce like the gue it was. It took about three weeks to master the tree walking exercise. I felt depressed. In the story, Sakura-chan did it on her first try. Naruto and Sasuke took only days. It took me weeks. My academy days were mostly the same. Shinobi games in the morning, which I was started tog behind even the other girls in ss. The exercises were designed to stimte chakra cirction on the kids, and I still refused to use chakra. I was slower, weaker, and tired faster. But it was all for my master n. In the afternoons, the kids now had painting sses, which taught them calligraphy. I already knew it. No senseiined that I kept studying things on my own. At night, fuinjutsu now took most of my time. I still kept with chakra training exercises, adding ever more heavy stuff to my own body and keeping them glued there with chakra. At some point, I tried adding more than one object at the same time, but that was a whole new level of hard. Right now, I needed to master the technique the old man Hokage left for me, instead of ramping the chakra control difficulty. Three weeks in I already knew the scroll contents by heart. It was a simple seal designed to store a small object, like a kunai or a bunch of shuriken. I couldn¡¯t recreate the seal with chakra. The scroll didn¡¯t taught me how. Had to draw it by hand, and push chakra in the symbols. It took two more weeks before I could re-create the symbols without error. About three and a half months of hard training and I finally managed to do it. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to go with this n. Even this early, Sasuke was a jerk. But I don¡¯t think the whole n deserved death, and Konoha would benefit greatly by just removing Danzo before he got his hands on Shisui¡¯s sharingan. I still had no idea how I would convince Kakashi-Sensei to help me. I hope he would. That night, I prepared everything I needed. Made copy of the seals. Stored a pebble, a coin. Others I left empty, ready to use if the old man asked me to. I also packed my writing supplies and more ink to draw seals. I wasn¡¯t a fast drawer, It took me a few minutes to finish the thing, but it worked. Speed woulde with practice. Next day, after the morning training ¡ª I couldn¡¯t call it games anymore, those things were too tiring for me to call it a game ¡ª I left the academy, walked toward the Hokage tower. I never been there myself, but the ce wasn¡¯t a secret. I walked up to the door, stopped to steel my nerves before entering it. I couldn¡¯t see it, but a bonfire of chakra had started following me when I got closer to the entrance. Followed me inside as well. I was nervous. I looked about, checking out the ce. It was my first time here. The ce where the bundle of chakra was had no one. Stealth jutsu? Trippy. The tower lobby reminded me of those old hotels. nts decorations, a kunoichi wearing a forehead protector behind a desk. Stairs on the corners leading up. The kunoichi didn¡¯t look up when I entered. That was fine, it gave me time. I took my board, wrote on it. I hesitated for a moment before showing it to the woman. The hidden shinobi had walked just behind me to read over my shoulder. It was fine. I could do this. I got up, knocked on the desk to get the woman¡ªteenager¡¯s attention. Showed her the board. I wrote: ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Hinata. I have a deal with Old Man Hokage. I¡¯ve finished my part, can you tell him, please?¡± The kunoichi looked between me and the board. She closed her eyes. Fingers pinching the bridge of button nose beneath sses. I could see the gears turning in her head. She thought this was a prank. I took the board away, erased the text. Before she could speak, I showed her the new words. ¡°When I was at the hospital, he promised to give me more fuinjutsu if I learned the first one.¡± The kunoichi read my message, still skeptical. ¡°Did he?¡± She asked. Her voice lilted at the end, almost sound like she was singing. I nodded. Took out my bag, picked up the original fuinjutsu scroll, put on her desk. She picked it up, opened it. I took another rolled up sheet of paper, one of the seals I had drawn. I opened it, showed the woman. Her eyes widened. I ced the seal on the desk as well. Picked up my board again. ¡°I can activate it if you need proof. I have others if the old man asked for examples.¡± I showed her the board. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned.¡± The woman muttered, looking at the ceiling. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll tell the Hokage-sama you are here. Please have a seat.¡± That went surprisingly well. Operation Talk to old man Hokage is a go! 1.7 1.7 Kunoichi Secretary-chan led me up the stairs, past a number of busy looking shinobi, locked rooms, and a confusing maze of corridors. I wasn¡¯t sure I would remember the path if I had to make my way out alone. Something to keep in mind. All around, the bonfires that were all the shinobi¡¯s chakra painted a strange picture. I couldn¡¯t see through walls, that was a byakugan ability I didn¡¯t have, but I could at least know how many ninjas were around. I was led to a room deep into the tower. Inside, I felt two, wasn¡¯t bonfires anymore, but zes of chakra, with a not small number of other bonfires scattered around. Secretary-chan knocked at the door. ¡°Hokage-sama,¡± she said, ¡°Hinata is here to see you.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± Old man Hokage said from inside. Secretary-chan opened the door, I stepped inside. I froze. The Hokage office was a mix of antiquated office and paper hell. Stacks of paper littered some of the corners, shelfs full of more paper, books and scrolls covered most of the walls. Old man sad behind his desk, Hokage hat deposited on the table in front of him. The problem wasn¡¯t the Hokage. The problem was the other old man inside the room. Dead fish eye stared at me, peering inside my soul. Half of the man¡¯s face was covered with bandages, and for a moment I had to ask if the stolen sharingan hidden there could see through the fabric. An x scar on man¡¯s chin screamed who that was, even if the bandaged head and dead eye didn¡¯t. Shimura fucking Danzo. Why was my luck so rotten? ¡°Hinata, you wanted to talk with me?¡± Hokage asked, eyes glinted with curiosity. I couldn¡¯t move. I needed to move. Fucking Danzo¡¯s eye had changed. Before, he just dismissed me, now he looked interested. Move, fucking dammit, I needed to move. ¡°What¡¯s it girl?¡± The man¡¯s condescending voice demanded. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± The prick asked. There was no way he didn¡¯t knew I was a mute. Like a mechanical, rusted robot, my hands moved. I felt the sweat forming on my back. My knees were unsteady. I felt two other bundle of chakra around the room. ANBU and ROOT if I had to guess. My eyes still hadn¡¯t left the enemy when I finished writing. I raised my board. The Hokage chuckled. Danzo got up from his chair, face stormy. ¡°Leave it, Danzo, it¡¯s only a child.¡± Hypocrite Danzo fumed. He turned to the Hokage, red. ¡°Why you waste your time with this I¡¯ll never understand.¡± Danzo turned around and left, not without ring at me again. His chakra surged, like a tidal wave. It engulfed me, it promised death, it demanded obedience. It was evil, uncaring. It squeezed my heart, gouged my eyes, stabbed me a thousand times. The door banged closed behind me and my legs gave up. I fell down, trembling. Tears fell from my eyes, I hadn¡¯t noticed I started crying. I looked at the board. I don¡¯t know why I had written that. The words there were my actual feelings when I entered the room. It read: ¡°Your ugly face scared me.¡± Old man Hokage was by my side. Still chuckling. Didn¡¯t seen aware of what had just happened. ¡°The ugly man left,¡± he said with another chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± He stopped, tilted his head. ¡°Although, don¡¯t make it a habit to insult those stronger than you. It¡¯s a bad habit to have.¡± Was that tacit approval to insult those weaker than me? I nodded frantically. That had been dumb, even if it had worked. Insulting the man to make him leave in a fit of anger. One of the other bonfires of chakra left as well. I guess now it was only the Hokage and the ANBU. Hokage-sama helped me to my feet and sat me on the guest chair. Circle around, sat on his chair again. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?¡± He asked. Right, not time to woolgather. I had ns. ns I might have just doomed by antagonizing the enemy. I took my board, erased the insult, wrote on it again. Presented it to the Hokage. He read it, notmenting on me still not speaking. ¡°Have you now?¡± He asked. ¡°Show me.¡± I did just that. I took the original scroll manual from my bag and ced on his desk. I picked the two seals I had created, one with the pebble, the other with the coin. ced those on the desk as well. I picked the three other empty seals I prepared, ced them open for the old man to peruse. Hiruzen took the seals I created, inspected them. He ced a finger on one, activated it. There was a puff of smoke. A coin popped out of the paper. He took one of the nk seals. Picked the coin and ced it on the center. He touched his finger to the seal. There was another puff of smoke, and the coin was gone. He sat back, his mouth twisting into a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would hear from you this soon.¡± Hokage-sama started, eyes crinkling with amusement. ¡°I expected it would take you a few years to manage the seal.¡± I shrugged. I guess if I was a five year old kid that might have been true. Even with kids somehow maturing earlier here ¡ª something I was starting to think it was due to chakra ¡ª many of the other brats in the academy thought nothing about it aside from games and stuff. I had put effort on it. Almost four months of constant, rigorous training. ¡°Daikoku-Sensei told me he helped you sense your chakra.¡± I nodded. ¡°But he also tells me you are falling behind your ssmates in the morning games, even if you are years ahead of your peers on your letters.¡± I scowled. I knew the old man was keeping tabs on me. At least he didn¡¯t seem to know my poor physical results were intentional. I took my board again. Erased the previous message, wrote another. ¡°Hard to keep up, I get tired too fast.¡± I showed the old man the board. It was the truth, in a sense. I was getting tired faster because I wasn¡¯t using chakra. But again, master n. I wanted to hold my own without subconscious chakra enhancement, because when I did use it, I hoped the effects would be greater based on a higher baseline. Old man Hokage nodded, got up from his chair. He moved to one of the many shelfs, picked up a new set of scrolls. My eyesnded on a big, very recognizable scroll roll. Wasn¡¯t that the so called sealed scroll Naruto steals in a few years? Damn, these people were hardcore, leaving such dangerous thing on view of anyone. Now I know how Naruto managed to steal the damn thing. It was just there, unprotected, god knows for how many years. Hokage-sama sat again, ced the scrolls in front of me. ¡°Here¡¯s more details about the sealing art. It has less jutsu, and more theory, which I think it is perfect for you.¡± I nodded. I wanted to understand the topic, instead of just memorizing seals. I want to create my own seals, instead of just copying from others. I picked everything from the table and ced inside my bag. Part one of my nplete, now for the second part. I took my board again, erased the text wrote more on it. ¡°Can I see Wolf-san again? I want to thank him for saving me.¡± I showed the board to the old man. Old man Hokageughed, a bellied sound that surprised me. ¡°You read that, Wolf-san? The girl wants to see you again.¡± The invisible bundle of chakra in one corner of the room flicked. There was puff of smoke and Kakashi stood there in the corner, ANBU uniform, mask and all. Looked between me and the Hokage. Even with his mask on, I could see the man rolling his eyes. That was Kakashi-sensei all right. So cool! 1.8 1.8 I won¡¯t lie. I wanted to fan-girl a bit. I mean, can you me me? It was Kakashi-sensei. He was so cool. Annoying, but sooo cool. I wanted to ask for his autograph. There were no others in the Naruto story I thought were cooler than Kakashi. Gai-sensei came a hard second, for the sheer thick skiness and disregard for what others thought about him. But Kakashi was the real deal. The only other one I thought had a winning chance was Minato. I mean, cool and op. But Minato was dead, so Kakashi it was. I vibrated on my seat, doing my best to contain myself. Old man Hokage chuckled again. I threw caution to the wind. I mean, I had the chance, why not use it? Ignoring that tiny voice inside my head screaming at me to not do it, I threw my self at the man in a tackle-hug. Not sure what I expected. A part of me thought Kakashi would dodge or something, he didn¡¯t. I wrapped my arms around his legs. Kakashi was tall, or maybe I was short. He looked ufortable at the close proximity, and after a long moment, spurred by a still chuckling Hokage, he patted me on the head. Once. Damn, that was soo cool. The fan-girl moment ended. I returned to my senses. Released the man¡¯s legs. Bowed in apology, walked to my previous chair, sat again. I took a deep breath to dispel the rest of the fan-girl dumbness out of me. I took my board. ¡°Thank you Wolf-san, for saving me.¡± I showed him the message. Bowed deeply once he read it. ¡°You¡¯re wee?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked back. He sounded young, uncertain. A wide smile broke on my face. Right, Kakashi was barely eighteen, basically still a teenager. I erased the text, wrote more on my board. ¡°I have something for you, please ept it.¡± I dug into my bag, took out the other part of my n I had prepared. You see, the second part of my n was how to get in contact with Kakashi without alerting Danzo, or the Hokage, who would certainly alert Danzo as well. I didn¡¯t doubt the Hokage would listen to me, maybe even believe my words, what I doubt was the man would be able to do what needed to be done. Not when he let every evil missing-nin and traitor just walk away, when he could have stopped then. I wanted to bypass the old man, use Kakashi to alert Shisui to the fact Danzo had a sharingan. In the canon story, Shisui only lost his eye because Danzo surprised him and broke free of the genjutsu with his stolen sharingan. I didn¡¯t think Danzo could defeat Shisui otherwise. After meddling with that, I¡¯d let story run it¡¯s course. If the Uchiha n still died, I could at least say I had tried. I ced a wrapped sandwich and a candy in front of Wolf-san. It took some effort to make that. Fluffy bread wasn¡¯t somethingmon in the vige. I think I did a good job. The bread wasn¡¯t that fluffy, but the homemade mayo, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and chicken fillet tasted good. I mean, I ate two before stopping myself. I had made only a limited number of them. The wolf mask hide Kakashi¡¯s expression very well, but I saw bewilderment in his movement. I guess I could rte. Who gave away food and candy as thanks? Hesitantly, the man took my offering. I wanted to mute squeal in joy, but kept quiet. For the most part. You couldn¡¯t me me for buzzing in happiness. ¡°Thank you?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked. I bowed again. Dug on my bag once more. Took another sandwich, another candy. Offered them to the old man Hokage. After he took it, I showed him the board with the same message I showed Kakashi. The Hokage might not have directly acted on my rescue from theb, but he saved my life in the hospital. ¡°Oh, for me as well?¡± The man asked, picked up the sandwich. He unwrapped it, sniffed. Took a bite. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting vor,¡± said after chewing. ¡°What is this white sauce?¡± He asked, took another bite. I scurried to wipe my board. Wrote more, after checking I got everything right, I showed the Hokage the board again. ¡°It¡¯s called mayo.¡± I used katakana to write the mayo part, since it wasn¡¯t a native word. I wanted them to think it was something I came up with. ¡°Eggs, vinegar, oil and salt. Mix it very thoroughly.¡± Hiruzen took another bite of his chicken sandwich. ¡°It has a distinct vor. How did youe up with that?¡± Yikes. Hadn¡¯t expected him to ask that. I went with the excuse I nned for everything. I erased the board, wrote on it: ¡°I dreamed about it.¡± Old man just hummed, said nothing. Well, that was a good time as any to skedaddle. I bowed once more. Packed everything, moved toward the door. The old man called from behind his desk. ¡°Thank you for the meal Hinata-chan. Wolf-san will walk you to the entrance.¡± In the time I wasn¡¯t looking, Kakashi sandwich had disappeared, so had the candy. The man moved behind me. I nodded to him, he nodded back. Kakashi led me through the maze of corridors until I was out. He didn¡¯t follow me outside, but that was okay. I could find my way from here. That went great, that went really well. I had been afraid somehow the Hokage would ask more stuff, which I didn¡¯t want to answer. Or that Kakashi wouldn¡¯t show up. Freaking Danzo there threw me out of the loop for a moment, but all is well when it ends well. As they say. With a pep on my step, I ran home. I had more things to study, and a serious conversation to prepare for.
Kakashi looked at the girl running with abandon down the road. Hinata had the makings of a great kunoichi. Able to use chakra at the age of five, even more so fuinjutsu. The girl had surprised him with her seals. At the Hokage request, he had been keeping and eye on her, to make sure the Hyuga n wouldn¡¯t try anything untoward, among other things. He walked inside the Hokage office again. Removed his mask. Slouched on the chair. ¡°What do you think?¡± The old man asked. Kakashi noticed the old man had finished eating the meal, but hadn¡¯t touched the candy. He also hadn¡¯t missed the man sniffing it for poison. ¡°She seems mature at times, but still a child in others.¡± ¡°Humm,¡± Hiruzen considered. ¡°I thought the same.¡± He took some papers from the table, read it, before looking at Kakashi again. ¡°The academy teachers tell me she¡¯s falling behind in every physical activity, even if she is far ahead of any other in any mental task.¡± Kakashi considered. ¡°It¡¯s surprising she can already control her chakra to this degree. She should be stronger, not weaker.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s something rted to her circumstances?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Kakashi admitted. It had been more than a surprise to find the girl there. He was raiding one of the many abandonedboratories set up by Orochimaru. After they learned the truth about Yamato, ANBU cracked hard on any lead regarding thosebs and experiments. Like many others, Kakashi believed the girl had been taken by the Third Raikage. Two years ago, when she disappeared, the whole vige mobilized in the search of the girl. The prime suspects, the head ninja delegation had left Konoha that same day. It didn¡¯t take long to find them. All dead, just past Konoha¡¯s borders, the girl missing. Kumogakure tried to use Konoha of killing the delegation, but there was no proof. Konoha couldn¡¯t use Kumogakure, since the girl wasn¡¯t among the dead, nor there was any lead regarding the girl whereabout. To think they would find her inside one of Orochimaru¡¯sbs. Kakashi looked again at the Hokage. ¡°Did you learn what the seals on her body do?¡± Hiruzen sighed, tired. ¡°Only the one inside her throat. It¡¯s been pretty obvious.¡± ¡°The girl¡¯s voice, you mean?¡± Kakashi asked, and the old man nodded. If the reports were true, the girl had a number of strange seals hidden inside her body. Bones, heart, even behind her eyes. One of the many reasons the council and Danzo thought the girl a nt by Orochimaru. Kakashi felt tired beyond his years. He got up, bowed to the old man, and left. The rest of his day went about the same. He kept an eye on Hinata, did his patrol, maintained his vignce. Late at night, when he had returned to his home, Kakashi thought about making food, then he remembered the girl¡¯s gift. He unsealed the food and candy, a smile on his face at the whole situation. He unwrapped the stuffed bread. Noticed something strange within the wrappings. There was a small piece of paper there, hidden among the stic. It was a string of numbers. A simple substitution code. He deciphered it, read the message. ¡°Wolf, need to talk, secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone. Meet me?¡± Kakashi destroyed the paper, took a bite of the offering. It tasted good. ¡°Well, well, what are you nning, you clever girl.¡± 1.9 1.9 My n failed. Somehow. It had been about a week since my visit to the Hokage office and delivery of my secret message to Kakashi-sensei. I expected him to show up the same night, maybe the night after. But no dice. Thatplicated things a lot if I still wanted to intervene with Shisui¡¯s death. One thing for certain, I was running out of time. I had seen some very hard working people trying to map the time-line of Naruto. No easy feat, when the anime contradicted the manga, which was debunked by the so called Databooks. I had no idea yet which universe I got thrown into. Although at the end of the day, the changes were minimal, and only noticed by those who had a hard on by details. That was never me. I just liked knowing things, didn¡¯t mind the asional inconsistency. Some of those time-lines, or even other stories, made it seem like there was almost no time at all between Shisui¡¯s death and Itachi killing his whole n. A more detailed analysis made by a madman of the fandom listed the events by year, which put Shisui¡¯s death in the first semester of the first year of Emosuke¡¯s academy days. It was the fourth month already. The guy could die at any time, any moment. Now that my self imposed task was over, I changed my training routine. Wake up, run before breakfast. Prepare food for school day. Go to the academy. In the evenings, I started to practice taijutsu, and chakra control. Sticking multiple objects beneath my clothes while I did other things. Let me tell you, it was hell. But I was getting the hang of it. I also changed my no chakra policy. I was sabotaging myself. Taking inspiration from all those cultivation novels, I decided to try something else. After the hard exercise, in the moments of rest, I circted chakra in my body. I didn¡¯t know if it would help, I hoped it would strengthen my body, raise the baseline strength. But back at the pressing matter, I was considering maybe writing a letter, hide it in Sasuke¡¯s belongings. That was a horrible n, I didn¡¯t even know if Sasuke would give the letter to his parents, and I would be an immediate suspect. I shook my head. Sweat poured from my forehead, armpits, my back. I always thought those old people practicing Tai Chi with their slow movements had it easy. Now I¡¯m trying to replicate the Hyuga n katas, moving slow is hard, harder than it had any right to be. I looked around, it was dark already. The path back to my apartment wasn¡¯t long. I still couldn''t lose concentration, I had four coins ¡ª ended up going with the coins anyway ¡ª stuck beneath my clothes and I didn¡¯t want to lose money. I got home, took a shower. Too tired to eat, Iid on my bed. I pushed my chakra to circte in my body, strengthen my aching muscles. Reinforce my bones. No idea if it worked, but as they say, it was the intention that counted, And I was very intent focused. Time passed. I might have fallen asleep. I wasn¡¯t sure. But I was awake now, and something wasn¡¯t right. I didn¡¯t move. Kept my breathing slow. Tried to pretend I was still sleeping. There was a bundle of chakra inside my apartment. It burned cold, indifferent. It wasn¡¯t one I have ever felt before. I would know. They were by my bed. My heart pounded. It was a miracle the intruder didn¡¯t heard it. A finger touched my forehead. Chakra flooded my brain. The world turned hazy. I was so tired, sleepy. What was I thinking just now? Something inside me stirred. My own chakra surged. It slurped on the intruding energy, like a fat kit slurping spaghetti. Messy, icky, oh so tasty. I gasped. I punched, kicked, iled wildly. There was a muffled sound, something hit me in the head, hard, painful. It hurt even more when I hit the ground on a strange angle. My arm bent on a way it wasn¡¯t supposed to. It hurt so much, I wanted to cry. There were other noises inside my apartment. Another bundle of chakra. I heard painful grunts, steel piercing flesh. Iron smell on the air, water dripping nearby. It hurt too much. Darkness engulfed me again.
I opened my eyes again. I was somewhere else. Not my apartment. I was on a bed, nket covering me. My arm hurt, but not as much as I expected. I sat down. My whole arm was in some sort of casket. Huh. I looked around. A in bedroom. Soft beige walls. A shelf. Books. Few other decorations. It didn¡¯t look like a prison. A door on the other side opened, in walked Kakashi-sensei still wearing his ANBU¡¯s uniform. We stared at each other. He turned around, walked out of the room. Returned a momentter with a chair. ced it by my bed. Sat with his arms draped on the back of the chair like those cool guys from school. Sooo cool. I forgot the pain for a moment. Had to hold down a mute squeal of joy. ¡°You wanted to talk.¡± He stated. I looked around. Didn¡¯t see my board anywhere, nor anywhere else I could write. I shrugged. Wrote on the air. ¡°What happened?¡± Kakashi-sensei stared at me for a long moment. ¡°Someone tried to kidnap you,¡± he drawled, ¡°again.¡± Right, I could have put that one together. That was what I get for asking dumb questions. I shouldn¡¯t waste this opportunity. I wrote in the air again. ¡°Who kidnapped me the first time?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know for certain.¡± I nodded. That made sense. Even if I thought I should have asked who they thought kidnapped me. I still had another question, one that would turn my gamble to a certainty. ¡°Theb you found me in, did it belong to Orochimaru?¡± Kakashi bolted up. Growled. ¡°How do you know that name?¡± I raised my one good hand in surrender. Raised the broken one as well when that didn¡¯t work. I didn¡¯t move. Better not provoke the paranoid ninja any more. Kakashi prowled the room. Even from behind the mask I could sense his re. A minuteter, he sat down again. But his posture was tense. I seized the initiative. ¡°Is this ce safe? Private?¡± Kakashi got up again. Walked to the walls. pped a sealing paper on them. Activated some sort of barrier. He sat down. His stare was ever harder. ¡°Now it is.¡± I nodded. You see, ever since I first saw myself in the mirror, I had the sneaking suspicion the snake, pun intended, was involved with my kidnapping. I mean,e on. Who else in the Naruto world was obsessed with learning all the jutsu, human experimentation, and had a hard on for anything dojutsu out there? Did I even need to mention the freaking snake pupil in one of my eyes? But now was the hard part: Selling the lie. I wrote in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve been having dreams.¡± I looked at Kakashi for any response. I took a deep breath, this was stressful. ¡°In my dreams, I¡¯m not myself. But someone called Orochimaru.¡± 1.10 1.10 For days I struggled with ideas on how to tell a bunch of trained killers I had important knowledge and prevent them from locking me inside a room where I would never see the sun again. From a logical point of view, the best choice I could ever make was tell them everything I knew. When events started to happen just as I predicted, they would have no choice other than believe me. And I would have no other choice other than probably be killed by Danzo, or someone else that thought I knew too much. I wasn¡¯t exaggerating, even if I was being dramatic. And I was selfish. I was in Naruto gawdammit. I wanted to be a ninja, use cool jutsu, be a bad-ass kunoichi, maybe snog some of the female cast. I didn¡¯t wanted to do the right thing. I wanted to enjoy this new strange life. With that in mind, and given the situation I was in, ming everything on a possible, maybe even usible concept like gic memory ¡ª even if I¡¯m just saying they are dreams ¡ª should be doable. Stranger things happened in Naruto story all the time. I mean, people could just plug eyes from bodies and fit it in their own head without issue. Trippy. I could feel Kakashi¡¯s burning need to know more from behind the mask. If that man could shootser through his eyes, I¡¯d be dead. I took another deep breath. I wrote. ¡°Most of the dreams makes no sense, or nothing happens.¡± I started. Better introduce the dream as iffy memories, in case some of them turns out wrong. I wrote some more details. ¡°Almost all of them are just nces, or a single image, or a jumbled mess. I see papers I can¡¯t read. ces I don¡¯t know. Otherboratories.¡± I stop here, shuddering. I had made a point of not even thinking of about that small moment when I woke up, trapped inside a vat. Trauma begone. I pushed that to the back of my head. ¡°Two dreams are clear.¡± Kakashi leaned forward. That¡¯s good, at least he was interested. ¡°I¡¯m on the branches of a huge tree, there are two others with me. They are dressed in ck robes with red clouds. One, Orochimaru addressed as Zetsu. His appearance is strange. Half his visible body is ck, the other half is white. There¡¯s like a flytrap nting from beneath his robe, above his shoulders.¡± I stop, if Kakashi asked, I could try to draw itter. ¡°Zetsu asks about the mission. Orochimaru says it¡¯s done. Zetsu nods and disappears inside the tree.¡± I stopped, took another deep breath. This was more tiring than I thought it would be, and I wasn¡¯t even speaking. Really. I wrote again. ¡°The second man wears a orange mask. It¡¯s like a spiral, with the center being the right eye. There¡¯s only one eye hole. Orochimaru calls him Tobi. They talk about someone called Mizukage.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember all the details. There¡¯s one thing I remember. Orochimaru asked how Tobi managed to control the Kyuubi, Tobi just shook his head, left after that.¡± I looked at Kakashi. ¡°Even in the dream, Orochimaru wanted to know it, really bad.¡± Kakashi had started pacing again. He looked at me several times, before pacing even more. I gave the man time. I had just dumped a shitload of things on him. And I was about to make his day even worse. ¡°The second dream?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked, after what felt like an hour of pacing inside the small room. I didn¡¯t know if the first ¡®dream¡¯ was usible, but at least believed it could be. I tried my best to give some details about Zetsu, and hint the Uchiha n wasn¡¯t responsible for the kyuubi attack. This next one was pure fabrication. I would be pushing credibility. I didn¡¯t pick Kakashi-sensei just because he was cool. I did it because I knew the man didn¡¯t liked Danzo, on the ount of Danzo trying to kill him to steal Obito¡¯s sharingan. I was banking on that prejudice helping Kakashi-sensei look past all the holes in my story. ¡°In the second dream, I¡¯m somewhere underground. Ab of sorts. I¡¯m talking with¡ª¡± I stopped, hesitated. Damn, I was such a coward. Even now that man scared the fuck out of me. I shuddered. Moved my fingers again. ¡°I¡¯m discussing ns to create something for someone Orochimaru address as Danzo.¡± Kakashi went still. I couldn¡¯t me him. God save me. I soldiered on. ¡°I don¡¯t understand all the details. But Orochimaru is making something out of something else called Senju. Most of the conversation is too difficult to follow, but Orochimaru is getting, not excited, but anticipation? Orochimaru asks about a sample, says Hiruzen would object. Danzo dismiss those concerns with a wave of his hand, says the old fool can¡¯t do anything.¡± I tilt my head. The narrative I was trying to hint was Orochimaru hard on for anything dojutsu. ¡°At some point, he asks Danzo how is the eye behaving. Danzo got defensive. Aggressive. They argue. Danzo left soon after. Before the dream ends. Orochimaru chuckles, very creepy. He murmur, intense, looking to where Danzo went, more like a question. Uchiha Shisui next? The dream goes on for a bit more, but Orochimaru is reading papers I can¡¯t read.¡± Tension bled from my shoulders. I leaned back on the bed again. Took deep breaths. Man, this was hard. Silence stretched inside the room. Until I heard Kakashi walking to the door. I sat again. Looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. Sleep. You are safe here.¡± He ordered. I did as the manmanded, and settled down to sleep again.
I didn¡¯t know what I expected. It certainly wasn¡¯t another meeting with the Hokage. The man asked me how I felt, and ask nothing about what I told Kakashi-sensei the previous day. I hoped that meant Kakashi-sensei hadn¡¯t told the old man. I took the opportunity to press on my luck, to ask stuff. I still didn¡¯t have any recement for my board, I wrote in the air. ¡°Do you know who tried to kidnap me?¡± I almost added ¡®this time¡¯, but stopped myself. That sounded petty. Old man Hokage wasn¡¯t cool, but he did his best. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± the old man admitted, ¡°but I¡¯ve taken steps so it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± That was good. I wanted my best life in Naruto. I nodded, bowed at the waist. I couldn¡¯t even be angry with this attempt. Clearly the old god of shinobi had set Kakashi to keep an eye on me, to spy on me. I wrote something else I wanted. ¡°Can you teach me chakra control exercises?¡± The old man¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°What do you know?¡± I tilted my head. Why was he asking this? If he had people keeping tabs on me, probably knew what I could do. I shrugged. Nothing for it. I picked the cup by my bed. pped it onto my forehead. Held it there with chakra. Got up from the bed. Turned around. Walked to a nearby wall. Walked up on it, cup still stuck to my forehead. Walked to the ceiling. I didn¡¯t have enough control to keep my clothes and hair from moving. That was still a work in progress. Upside down, I wrote with my good hand. ¡°I¡¯m thinking now about water walking, but these are the only three I can think of.¡± Old man Hokage nodded. ¡°Talk to me when you¡¯ve mastered water walking. I¡¯ll prepare something for you then.¡± Damn, was the old man azy old man? That looked a lot like procrastinating. 1.11 1.11 Kakashi-sensei took me to my apartmentter that same day. We didn¡¯t talk much. He entered the house with me, and I did spot the dried blood near my bed. Yikes, couldn¡¯t they at least have cleaned the ce a bit? A hand falling in my shoulder brought me back to reality. Kakashi knelt by my side. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a S-rank mission.¡± His voice was serious, but I wanted tough. Really? What was he up to now? ¡°What you told me about the dream? It¡¯s a secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone. Not me, not your friends at school, not even the Hokage. If I need to talk with you about the dreams again, I¡¯ll mention the S-rank mission, understand?¡± Ooh. Not gonna lie. That did all sort of things to my fan-girl side. I knew he was just messing with me, trying to keep me quiet, but I had to hold in the mute squeal of joy. I mean, man, ninja! I nodded, fast, decisive. Maybe too fast, I got a little dizzy. Kakashi patted my hair, once. ¡ª How could he be this cool? ¡ª Got up, took paper seals from the walls. I hadn¡¯t seen him cing them. Left without saying anything else. The next days flowed by. I thought I would be involved in the aftermath, that someone would keep me updated, tell me things. No one bothered me. No one even asked me questions. During those days, my chakra behaved strangely a few times. Like when the dead ninja used a jutsu to keep me asleep. My chakra surged into my head, did something there, before retreating. I had no idea what happened. But it happened only three times. Someone tried to cast a jutsu on me? A genjutsu? At least, that was my guess. Participating in the academy training with a broken arm wasn¡¯t nice. The instructors didn¡¯t care I was hurt. I mean, they cared. They just didn¡¯t let me avoid the training because I was hurt. I got an endless amount of quotes that basically meant the same thing: a shinobi should be able to function even injured. Those jerks. Cooking food also became a hassle. Using only one hand took some time to get used to. On my own brand of training, I decided to postpone water walking on ount of a broken arm. I didn¡¯t want to drown. No sir, thank you sir. I kept the sticking exercise, raised the number of stuff glued to me. To make up for theck of the new exercise, I varied the things in size and weight. Let me tell you, it was hell. In the evenings, it was fuinjutsu time. Seal techniques were interesting. It used these building blocks. Each chunk represented a concept, and a seal master arranged those concepts in order to express an effect. Somehow, it reminded me a lot of those visual programmingnguages, the ones each function was a tile, and you just connect functions using wirelines through input output. Trippy. Which meant it was route memorization work, and boring word at that. The scrolls old man Hokage gave exined the theory, then listed dozens of basic building blocks. It gave examples of how tobine those blocks to create an effect. This wasn¡¯t really what I wanted. I wanted to understand, learn how these seals worked. This would let me create my own seals, sure, but I was limited by the existing vocabry. It felt like something missed there and I didn¡¯t know what. Days blurred in a haze of physical training, chakra training, route memorization. The stress of not knowing if my n worked only made things worse. Kakashi-sensei didn¡¯t visit again. I had no reason to see the Hokage. Not until I mastered the seal vocabry, which I wasn¡¯t nowhere close to. Days turned to weeks, and before I realized, first semester of Academy ended. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Had my n worked? There were nothing unusual, nor people behaved differently. Sasuke didn¡¯t change. Still a kid, still a stuck up kid, still a stuck up jerk kid. The anime implied Itachi had been used of killing Shisui, even got in a fight with his n about it. That would affect Sasuke, right? But no, Emosuke didn¡¯t change a bit. Arrogant, stupid emo. I put that out of my mind. I had tried. Stressing over unknown results wouldn''t help me any. Second semester rolled in. Cast on my arm finally gone. Training introduced other type of activities. Tree climbing. Tag games. Hiding games. Capture g. Shinobi rules games, the works. Some of the simpler kids loved it. Loudmouth Naruto delighted in those games, even if most of the other kids yed with him only when ordered by a sensei. It was on the second semester he started pranking people. I felt bad for him. But thezybones hadn¡¯t learned how to read yet, I couldn¡¯t talk with him. Sasuke, as expected, excelled in almost all activities. Almost all, because I still beat him in mental games. Perks of being older? I was better at maths and physics. I had an easier time understanding and solving problems. I felt really ashamed of gloating my mental prowess over a kid. Urgh, I¡¯m the worst. But really, the jerk went out of his way to prove himself better than me in everything else. At least, that was what he believed. I still kept true to myself. I didn¡¯t advertise learning fuinjutsu. I hadn¡¯t any reason to show off my chakra control. My taijutsu was a mix of Konoha¡¯s basic martial arts and whatever I could remember from the Hyuga gentle fist. It was a mess. By the end of the year, most of the ss could read. Slow, stuttering, syble by syble. That made my days less lonely. Not that I really bonded with the other kids. Even if they didn¡¯t fully behaved like fives or sixes years old, they were still toddlers in my eyes. Cute, killer in training toddlers, but toddlers nheless. It took me more time to master water walking. It just wasn¡¯t my focus. Fuinjutsu took most of my attention those days. When I finally did mastered the exercise, I paid another visit to the old man. Or at least I tried to. Kunoichi Secretary-chan didn¡¯t led me in to see the old man. She handed me another set of scrolls. ¡°Hokage-sama left these for you.¡± Was all she said. Damn creepyzy old man keeping tabs on my progress. I debated if I should retaliate. I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t that petty. I wrote on my board. ¡°Can you deliver these for the old man and Wolf-san?¡± I took the prepared cupcakes from my bag, ced on the woman¡¯s desk. Lemon vored cupcakes. Don¡¯t judge me, I was feeling bitter. She read the board, looked at the cupcakes. Her eyes glinted with curiosity. I dug inside my bag, took the ones I had separated for myself. Offered them to Secretary-chan. I had already eaten some in the morning. I could survive without my sweets in the afternoon. The teenager smiled. Took it. Smelled it. Took a nibble. Squealed in joy. Yeah. Girls and sweets. Perfectbination. I pocketed my new chakra exercises, bowed to the woman. Left the tower. The girl¡¯s reaction had been pretty funny. I might use her to taste test my other concoctions. 1.12 1.12 Second year of academy came and went. By now, I had rxed somewhat. Wolf-san came to me a few times. Initiated our secret meetings with the S-rank code phrase. Asked about dreams. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else urgent, decided keep just to those two lies. Must have looked strange. Code phrase and S-rank mission trigged my fan-girl side hard. I didn¡¯t meet with the Hokage again. Emosuke was still Emosuke. Naruto pranks increased. By now, most of the academy could read, except for Naruto. He still struggled with the words. I couldn¡¯t me the brat. He had no one to teach him. I tried, a not insignificant amount of times during our shared lunch. He couldn¡¯t or wouldn''t pay attention. I had a passable rtionship with all other kids. I was the bringer of sweets. I was the quiet girl that never bothered anyone. I had a pain in the behind Emosuke still trying to prove he was better than me in everything. In the second year, Academy training morphed. Less games, more serious training. More focus on the shinobi rules as way of life. We had taijutsu lessons. Survival games. Camping. Throwing. The teachers also taught us how to meditate, how to sense our chakra. I used those moments to circte my own chakra, soak my body in it between gruesome training. I think I was onto something. I was still one of the weakest in ss regarding anything physical: I still refused to use chakra unconsciously like the other kids, but using chakra in between training to recover and revitalize made me capable of keeping up with ss, even without chakra. Might very well have been just the results of intense training. cebo. I felt good about it. I thought it was working. That was enough for me. I still kept with my chakra control training. I had something stuck to me all the time, beneath my clothes. It was second nature by this point. I didn¡¯t even notice it anymore. I still had more active training, at least two times a week. Among the new exercises I got from the Hokage, there were these ones you needed to expel the chakra from your hand, interact with something at distance. From there, creating chakra threads. Use the threads to interact with stuff. There was even the origami folding exercise. All year long I toiled with those, improving bit by bit. When I finally mastered them, I went to see the old man again. Like before, Secretary-chan had another set of exercises for me. Alongside with those exercises, I just thought about things I couldn¡¯t do with my chakra, and trained until I could do it. My hair kept moving while I was wall-walking? Train chakra to keep hair and clothes unmoving. Add to that the normal sticking stuff exercise. Too easy? Add multiple stuff, of varying sizes. It took too much time to push chakra into the seal? Train fast expelling chakra without losing cohesion. And so on. Wherever I looked, there was something I couldn¡¯t do with chakra that needed training. My taijutsu still was a mess. I was weaker and slower. I know, my fault that. My way of fighting changed to something like reaction basedbat. Combining what I remembered of the gentle fist, Konoha¡¯s style, I created my own set of movements designed to deflect and evade. Redirect others attacks. Trim down necessary movements. That was the only way I couldpete. Where others were faster and stronger, I moved less, redirected instead of fight it. I still lost more often than not. Kids like Sasuke and other n kids who had their parents to teach them often managed to kick my behind pretty easy. But others? Naruto was the easiest to defeat. He never nned his attacks. His movements were always exaggerated. Made it easy to redirect the flow. I couldn¡¯t actually beat him on stamina. He would always get up. But our spars were often just a few minutes, not hour long slogs. Second year of academy also introduced the kunoichi sses: Make-up, flower arrangement, tea making, music, the usual girl stuff. Between the many instruments avable, I was drawn to the Koto, the thirteen string cumbersome zither instrument spoke to my soul. I couldn¡¯t carry one with me, they were too big for that, but I was already making ns. If I created a big enough seal, I could store that baby and have it with me all the time. I could see it. Imagine Shino and Kiba¡¯s face when I yed Taylor¡¯s Shake it off for them. I grinned. It was an evil grin. I couldn¡¯t help it! Of my other side projects I also saw improvements. I¡¯ve taken to using Secretary-chan as guinea pig for my cooking experiments. Whenever I could extract squeals of food happiness from the teen, I knew I had the right recipes. Not to say nothing happened this year. I heard rumors and gossips. Whenever I could, on my academy off days I went to a restaurant to eat, listen. Konoha¡¯s rtionship with the Kumogakure worsened. Some talked about war between the viges. I heard rumors things never calmed down after their head ninja was killed, with escting hostilities. I didn¡¯t know if that was normal for the Naruto world, or if the manga just glossed over those details, since they weren¡¯t important for Naruto¡¯s story. I hope butterfly-chan wouldn¡¯t be too cruel because of my actions. In second year, Academy measured us based on scores. Between all the other sses in the same year. I was bottom of the barrel for anything physical. Not deadst, but close. Middle of the pack in others, with mental disciplines being the only I exceeded. That was fine by me. Even if that angered Emosuke to no end. He was top of the ss, top of the year in everything. Except the subjects I still beat him. Take that, you jerk. Of course things like that had repercussions. The damn brat rounded me at every moment. Be it to p me in the face that he was better, or to try surpass me when he wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t care. The kid could do whatever he wanted. It was annoying, but since I couldn¡¯t speak, and refused to write, he often got angry by himself and stormed off. The gaggle of forming fan-girls however, started to give me stinky eyes. I mean, really? Aren¡¯t these girls too precocious? I didn¡¯t think it was anything romantic yet, but they must have grown listening to stories about the legendary Uchiha¡¯s heir. My guess is their parents kept pestering them about Emosuke, since Uchiha Itachi was too old to be interested in these kids. Save me from impressionable children, please. Kunoichi 101 - Tea Making To say I was nervous was an understatement. I tiptoed in the bathroom, trying my best to see more of myself in the mirror. My hair had grown out a little¡ªit looked good, I thought. My big, sparkling black eyes looked back. It was still hard to believe I was Hinata. Without the white eyes, of course. I moved a few strands of hair in place, made sure my clothing was prim and proper. Today was the first Kunoichi lesson. Up until now, surrounded by the other 26 students, it hadn''t been hard to avoid the other girls in class. There were the numbered npcs. Those six girls I relegated to One through Six in my head. I know they were real, living people, but I also knew those girls wouldn¡¯t amount to much in the grand scheme of things. They were barely even mentioned in the original story. Whenever I tried to think of them, I could only think of them as a number to fill the student count. Thus, those names. It wasn¡¯t the reality here, of course. But I had a lot more to deal with and prepare for, I couldn¡¯t spare the effort to know and learn about them. No, the problem was the duo; Best girl Ino-chan and cute tsuntsun Sakura-chan. I was just a teensy-weensy bit nervous. It was easy to stay out of their radar with Emosuke and Sunshine Brat taking all the class attention. I hopped out of the bathroom, took my communication board, belt pouch with academy supplies, mine and Naruto¡¯s bento, locked the apartment and left. My morning routine was pretty set by this point. Get up, exercise, prepare food, run to Naruto¡¯s apartment, wake up the brat, deliver the food, drag him to academy, try to learn how to be a good shinobi while the other kids were still treating this like playing and games. Naruto grumbled all the way into class, but I ignored him. Damn brat still couldn¡¯t read properly, talking with him was a pain. Not that I had the time today. Naruto went to do Naruto things. I glanced one last time over my own clothes, pushed an errant strand of hair out of my face. Heart beating a mile a minute, I walked inside the room reserved for the Kunoichi classes. The setup was cool. A large room with a polished wooden floor gleaming under the sunlight streaming in from tall, paper-paneled windows. The walls were painted a soft lavender, dotted with scrolls depicting cherry blossoms and serene landscapes. Was that an attempt to create a feminine atmosphere? Low tables arranged in rows, each with a tea set and flower vases. At the far end of the room stood a tall shelf with colorful fabrics, ribbons, and labeled jars. Some of the labels read incense, dye, and herbal sachets. In one corner, a mannequin draped in an elegant kimono stared back at me, blank face somehow judging. The entire room smelled faintly of sandalwood, and the atmosphere was quiet. Somehow, I was the first to arrive. Lucky break! I moved inside, and sat in the uppermost corner desk. That way, the only person I¡¯d need to worry about was the person sitting to my right and the teacher. Like they say, out of sight, out of mind. Soon after, the Numbered NPCs entered the room. They sat at the back desks, small groups forming with enough gossip to keep them occupied. I had my own habits to keep. I got up, took my sweets, walked by the Numbers, gave each a candy, a smile, a thumbs up or a high five. They were already used to my idiosyncrasies. I even got a few smiles in return. Best girl Ino and Tsun Sakura arrived together. Huddled, gossiping. They passed by me, Ino-chan looked up, saw me holding the candies. Sakura-chan said something, it sounded rude, but Ino took a candy, smiled, then gave me a quick hug. That freaked me so much I fled to my own desk, much to the rest of the class¡¯ amusement. Ino giggled especially loudly. Did she¡­ do that on purpose? I mean, come on. I knew I had trouble dealing with the two, but come on. That was so mean. Best Girl Ino should know I was her biggest fan. I couldn¡¯t wait until she did it again. Humm, there was something wrong with that wish. Before I could figure out what was happening, the door opened again and in strode a kunoichi. I had expected, somehow, for the woman to be dressed in a luxurious kimono, face full of makeup, hair tied on a complicated updo. The kunoichi had long, curly, black hair and wore oval glasses along with red lipstick. Her outfit was a simple pink kimono with mesh armour underneath and a pair of baggy red pants with flip-flop-like sandals worn with socks. Totally not what I was expecting.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She crossed the room, stood in front of us. Face serious, eyes sharp. ¡°Welcome to your first Kunoichi class. I¡¯m a chunin, you may call me Suzume-sensei. From me, you¡¯ll learn things the silly brats out there couldn¡¯t even dream about.¡± I cast a glance around the room. That small speech got most of the class''s attention. ¡°Look around,¡± Sensei said, gesturing to the room at large. ¡°Everything in this room is a tool in our arsenal. Everything is a weapon of deception and information gathering.¡± Sensei pointed at the mannequin with the fancy kimono. ¡°That kimono? It can conceal more weapons than normal utility pouches, it can also distract your target.¡± She pointed at the tea set. ¡°The tea ceremony isn¡¯t just about etiquette, it¡¯s about controlling the flow of the room, reading your target¡¯s body language, and maintaining composure under pressure and attention.¡± I nodded, that made sense. I liked the idea of being the center of an intricate web of intrigue and lies. That looked very cool. Suzume-sensei pointed to the flower arrangement. ¡°The flowers you¡¯ll arrange aren¡¯t just decoration. They can be a hidden message, or a hidden weapon laced with poison. Your imagination is the only thing that will limit how you use these tools.¡± There was a bit of a hubbub in class, girls gossiping and snickering. Somehow, that was enough to break all of sensei¡¯s persona. She went from someone looking confident to something else. ¡°While you learn the subtle ways of a ninja, the brats outside are throwing kunai, getting stronger, and learning how to fight.¡± Another burst of giggles. Not sure why they were laughing, that was horrible. Suzume-glared at the whole class, or tried to, she looked more like a scaredy-cat, the act was there, but no way I felt intimidated by her. ¡°Being a kunoichi is excelling in the subtle arts, and being equal, if not better than the brats. You are my students. If I catch any of you doing less than your absolute best, there will be hell to pay!¡± A few girls burst out in open giggles, others just looked away. Sensei just stood there, looking now more nervous than I felt at the start. The woman shuffled, adjusted her glasses. ¡°We¡¯ll start with the tea-making ceremony.¡± That was so strange. Was she a good or a bad kunoichi? Or maybe this was an elaborate act?
Sensei showed us the proper tea ceremony etiquette. I, and the whole gaggle of girls, didn¡¯t miss that sensei cleaned the utensils four times before actually using it, or how she immediately dipped a napkin on some sort of liquid from a small transparent bottle and used that to clean her hands, face and arms. Wild. But sensei¡¯s quirks aside. It was time. I was going to brew the best tea ever! Sakura and Ino-chan were again, glued at the hips. Giggling, talking and doing everything together. It was cute. They took their time at the cabinet, riffled through a lot of things, took a few others, returned to their desk, still giggling. The numbered gaggle of NPCs caused an even greater mess. I wanted the whole hush hour. Once it had ended, I approached the cabinet to get my own supplies. Like I guessed. It was an utter mess. Pots misplaced, labels missing, doors that weren¡¯t open now ajar. I glanced at the chaos. I couldn¡¯t find the labels I had seen when entering the room. Poked around in the upper compartment, but it was nowhere in sight. I looked at the lower parts of the cabinets. There was a lot more stuff there, most of it unlabeled as well. A particular sachet caught my attention. It did look like those tea sachets often used in the before. Another scan didn¡¯t produce the tea leaves Sensei told us to use. Hum, that got me thinking. Could I do a modern tea making style? Sensei might not approve, but I had the impression she wouldn¡¯t scold me for some reason. Yeah, I liked that idea. I fiddled with the glass container where the sachet was, had a bit of trouble getting the thing open. So many locks. But I persisted. I snagged a sachet and returned to my desk. Ready to dazzle sensei, the numbered npcs and the star duo. I got to work. Fire started, water into the pot. I waited until it boiled. From sensei¡¯s example, we shouldn¡¯t let the water boil, but again, modern way of doing stuff, always boil the water. I moved the boiling water to the teapot, took a cup and placed the sachet inside. I poured piping hot water. There was this acrid smell. The water bubbled a bit strangely. Was I missing something? Ah, yes. Can¡¯t be modern tea without sugar. I got up, ran to the cabinet, took the crystalline treat, returned to my seat. The teacup was¡­ not like I was expecting. It somehow had faint bubbles, and the acrid smell was stronger. Had I got a bad batch of tea? I shrugged, if it tasted bad, I could just make some more. I poured in the sugar. The bubbling fizzled, hissed, popped. Hum, did I mess up? I didn¡¯t have time to consider more. Sensei was by my side. Faster that I could see, she threw the teapot away. It hit the wall. Then it expanded, like those science experiments when you place the thingy inside the catalyst and it grows. One of those growths hit an open fire, then the whole thing burst with flames. There was this moment where the world seemed to freeze. Then, the whole thing exploded. It threw the whole class room to the ground. I felt the impact through my whole body. The colors, the flames, the anticipation before the impact. It was¡­ beautiful. 1.13 I was seven. Third year of Academy, when things changed. The first months of semester went about the same. The Academy curriculum changed again. Less playing, more focused training. We sparred every day. Throwing classes. Hand-seal classes. Spycraft, infiltration, survival. Shinobi rules. At a very high level, one would still take it like a game. Naruto always did. Others wised up. The gaggle of Emosuke fan-girls grew by the month. Learning hand-seals was fun. I could lose hours repeating the movements if I wasn¡¯t careful. Even more when we started moving chakra in certain patterns together with the hand seal. It was a simple exercise. Perform the hand-seal, move the chakra. Perform another hand-seal, move the chakra again. It wasn¡¯t any particular jutsu. Just getting the kids used to doing the thing. My fan-girl side buzzed with joy. I mean, fuinjutsu was cool and op, but it wasn¡¯t flashy. I wanted some fireballs. Thank you very much. It was another normal night in the last weeks of the first semester when I woke up to distant explosions. The floor shook, like a distant earthquake. I ran outside, climbed the building, reached the roof. Light-shows, fire, lightning. It was chaos. It was far away. I looked at the Hokage tower, compared the explosion''s location. I had the inkling that the battle, far as it was, waged on the Uchiha compound. The village was in uproar the next day. Rumors run rampant. Gossip. The Uchiha clan had been attacked by two people. The clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku had died. A dozen others had died. It wasn¡¯t the clan extermination. It changed! In the story, they only discovered a silent compound filled with dead bodies, later in the day. From what I heard, stuff already happened. Itachi at thirteen became Uchiha clan head. They were being relocated from their isolated compound to their original homes. Trippy. I was¡­ Happy? Yeah. Happy. Some people died. But I changed something there. Itachi hadn¡¯t killed his whole family. Emosuke wouldn¡¯t have any need to become even more emo on the path of revenge. The Uchiha clan was still alive, still allied with Konoha, which would help in the upcoming war. Emosuke skipped the rest of the semester, much to the gaggle of fan-girls consternation. I enjoyed the break. No more emo trying to beat me at everything. In the second semester of the academy, we started to learn the first of the three academy ninjutsu. Henge no Jutsu. We started with hand seals. Dog - Boar - Ram. Again and again, the sensei¡¯s demonstrated how we need to circulate the chakra for this technique. Sasuke had returned with the new semester. He had changed. Still arrogant, still a jerk, but now a sullen, depressed jerk. Really? What¡¯s up with the brat? I know his father died, but it could have been worse. Why was he assuming the same sullen persona from the story? Was it really fate? I knew he was the reincarnation of Indra, and the Curse of Hatred, but really?Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Depressed Sasuke became even more of a pain to deal with. He was obsessed with being the first, the best. Sparring with him was almost torture. He went for weak spots. Hit where it would hurt. Didn¡¯t stop until I couldn¡¯t get up anymore. The fucker. The only other he treated like that was loudmouth Naruto, who declared himself Sasuke¡¯s rival. For a time, I considered cheating. Use chakra and teach the brat a lesson. But I resisted. That was good training. I was pretty sure I would always fight an uphill battle against the monsters of this world: Orochimaru, Tobi, a whole bunch of S-rank missing-nin. It hurt my pride to admit, but getting my ass handed out by Emosuke just proved how much I still had to train. What business did I have with the gods of shinobi of this world when I couldn¡¯t deal with a depressed kid? I didn¡¯t hold back in the things I was good at. Intelligence work, deciphering things, coded messages. Strategy. I wasn¡¯t top of the class, but I did very well on those. My music practice continued apace. I managed to beg an instrument from the Academy to practice at home. I took to playing in the evenings to relax. By the end of the third year, the shape of the class took form. Sasuke was the overall first place. Naruto was the overall last place. I was in the middle of class scores. I was good at some things, passable at others. By then, I knew how to create simple fuinjutsu and how to modify existing ones. I went with the classics: ankle and arm weight bracelets. Adding weights made me even worse at the physical aspects of my training. I didn¡¯t mind. No one expected anything from me in that area anyway. Emosuke started to have a negative effect even in the ball of sunshine that was Naruto. I was getting worried. I was eight. Fourth year of the academy rolled in. To my surprise, Daikoku-sensei wasn¡¯t teaching anymore. We had two new teachers. Iruka-sensei and another fucker that deserved to die: Mizuki. Ever since I awakened my chakra, I could sense it around me. It wasn¡¯t anything advanced like the byakugan that could see people''s chakra pathway, or even see chakra through walls. No, it was just a, I couldn¡¯t explain, I just knew where the chakra was. Mostly, my perception was limited. People with a lot of chakra felt like a blaze. Most adults felt like a bonfire. Kids, most of the time a little fire. It was rare that I could add other attributes to the fire. Like that ninja who tried to kidnap me. His bonfire was cold, indifferent. Mizuki¡¯s bonfire was acrid, like vinegar. Bitter and uncomfortable. Fourth year we learned another of the three jutsu: Kawarimi no Jutsu. It used two more hand seals than Henge. Tiger - Boar - Ox - Dog - Snake. The hard part of this jutsu was finding something of comparable mass to swap places with. We also started with the leaf sticking exercise. There were no games in the Academy anymore, just ruthless, unending, focused training. More focus on strategy, leadership, logistics. Advanced maths and physics. I got to confirm some things. About a dozen of Uchiha had died in the attack, but most of the clan was still alive. Itachi was the new clan head. Shisui was still alive. One of the attackers had been freaking Danzo. The other I guessed was Obito playing his part as Tobi, pretending to be Madara. What a mess. Sasuke was still depressed, and it didn¡¯t seem it was going to change anytime soon. From the few outbursts during class, the kid was obsessed with being stronger than his brother. Had Sasuke always been the obsessive type, but hidden by the Uchiha massacre? I kept my distance. Worked on improving myself. Worked on creating new seals. Kept the ever more complex chakra exercises. Kunoichi 201 - Flower Arrangements I raised my board, eyes defiant. We were in the classroom. Suzume-sensei had just left, but the gaggle of girls was still here. The numbered NPCs stood arrayed behind Sakura-chan, all interested in our face-off. Pretty, cute, Tsuntsun Sakura wasn¡¯t going to intimidate me this time. No, I was going to hold my own. No more running off whenever she or Ino-chan even looked my way. It was time to girl up and face the truth. Not that I was going to admit I messed up. I blamed Naruto for this. The sunshine brat dumbness infected me. That¡¯s the only reason I could think of. Why else would I want to brag, of all things, to Sakura? By the pink-haired girl¡¯s side, Best Girl Ino rolled her eyes at the two of us. She tugged on Sakura¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, you told me you¡¯d help look after the store today.¡± She complained to Sakura, but was ignored. She looked at me, gave me pleading eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you, you know, just drop it?¡± I wavered, my confidence taking a critical hit. I still had trouble dealing with the star duo, and actually standing up to Sakura had been harder than anything else, but a direct request from Ino? Damn, it was super effective. ¡°Stay out of it, Ino-chan.¡± Sakura said, eyes still on me. She gave me a half glare, that somehow looked more amused than anything else. ¡°Let¡¯s see you do it then.¡± Sakura challenged me. The gaggle of numbers giggled behind her. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± I gritted my teeth, maybe swayed a bit. I wasn¡¯t angry, I kinda wanted to do a happy dance. Maybe I should thank Naruto instead of blaming him? I mean, wasn¡¯t this a wonderful opportunity? I erased the words on my board. Wrote others. ¡°Tomorrow. We let Suzume-sensei decide who wins. And the loser has to do one thing the winner says.¡± Sakura¡¯s grin was fierce. She pointed down. ¡°You¡¯re going down! And when I win, you¡¯ll have to give me a lot of cupcakes!¡± I huffed. Turned around, marched out of the classroom. The gaggle giggled even harder at my departure. The gall of Sakura-chan! I mean, she didn¡¯t need all of this for cupcakes. I was more than happy to part with my treasures. But now the bet was on. Ino caught up with me not long after. ¡°What are you going to do, Hinata-chan?¡± I gave her a thumbs up, wrote on my board. ¡°I have a plan. A secret weapon!¡± and ran ahead to start preparing stuff, leaving Best Girl Ino behind. My track record might not be the best in the kunoichi classes. I know, I know. Like, I might have exploded the tea ceremony. Broken up a few music instruments. Got even Suzume-sensei angry with my ever increasing questions about infiltration. I might have totally overdressed for that disguise mission test¡ª you can¡¯t blame me on that one, how was I supposed to know we were to dress like civilians? No, I did my best to come up with a ninja attire, with black clothing and black bandanna face covering. I even managed to get one of those small swords and the like to tie at my back. The point was, I wasn¡¯t going to mess up this one. It was just flower arrangements. How hard could it be? But to win this I had to be logical about things. I couldn¡¯t jump the gun like the previous attempts. I¡­ had to admit I had no idea about flowers and their meanings. I was sure I could create a pretty arrangement, but I don¡¯t think that would be enough. Not to convince Suzume-sensei. It had to be pretty, it had to have meaning. Better yet if it was dangerous. Maybe poisoned flowers? I ran toward my apartment, a quick dip to leave all the other unnecessary stuff there and to pick up some particular brand of cupcakes and tea, and out I went hunting for information. I knew where I was going, and what I was about to do. My destination was the Grandma''s gossip club. There was this house in the neighborhood where all the granny''s congregated everyday to gossip and reminisce about the good old days. I knew that was just a front for some elaborate information gathering setup. Those old ones knew about everything and everyone! There was no way it wasn¡¯t an information network hidden under the facade of cheerful, sometimes grumpy, old grannies. But I knew their secret, and I wasn¡¯t against abusing this opportunity for a chance to win. They were my secret weapon. I marched to the house door. Knocked, loud, firm. A toothy grandma, face wrinkled, eyes squinting, white hair tied in a bun, greeted me. Her voice was as wrinkly as her face. ¡°Hinata-chan, you¡¯re visiting again. Come in, come in.¡± The grandma waved me inside. I gave her a bow, a big smile and a quick hug. Granny laughed, it was infectious, but before she could tousle my hair, I dodged the hand and slipped past her defences and into the information gathering center. Seated around the room in comfy chairs or cushions were the rest of my targets. Chiyo-baa, a sharp-tongued old lady who was always ¡°in the know¡± and loved to drop cryptic one-liners. Tama-obasan. Sweet on the surface but had a knack for spinning exaggerated tales. Natsu-baachan. She was warm and motherly, but her sharp eyes missed nothing; it was like she could even read my thoughts. Mika-bachan. She always started her gossip with, ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it from me, but¡­¡± The one who had let me in was the most fearsome of them all. Kiyo-Obacchan. The leader of the group. She had an infectious laughter and a talent for pulling juicy details out of even the quietest of ninjas. I would know. I was a mute and could barely keep my secrets from her. I walked to the center table, placed the cupcakes and tea. These weren¡¯t my favorite: sugarless cupcakes and bitter green tea. I mean, don¡¯t judge me. I wasn¡¯t going to give a sugar overdose to these grannies. I wasn¡¯t a monster. There was this round of thanks and more hair tousling hands that had to be dodged before the information gathering agents settled down. It was time. I paid the bribe. Time to learn the secrets of flower arrangements. ¡°Obacchan, teach me about flower arrangements! I need to win a bet against Sakura-chan!¡± Natsu-baachan was the first to react. She chuckled. ¡°Sakura-chan you say? Wasn¡¯t she the little devil you said was so pretty you could hardly look at her?¡± I staggered at the surprise attack. Chiyo-baa didn¡¯t let up. ¡°What about Best Girl Ino? She isn¡¯t in the picture anymore?¡± I staggered two more steps. Damn, I forgot how insidious these grannies were. This was going to be a long battle.
It had been a brutal fight. It took all my cunning, guile and a copious amount of cupcakes to convince the gossip club. I even had to sacrifice my hair to appease tousling hands. But I persevered, and now I had the information I needed. There was¡­ a lot more to consider regarding flower arrangement that hadn¡¯t been covered in the Kunoichi classes. Was this a case of lack of time? From the brief glimpse I saw of grandma¡¯s words, flower arrangement was like a vast, deep, unfathomable ocean.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. But I had grasped a few essentials: flower type, color, balance, and presentation. I was ready to win. I took out the small slip of paper where I wrote the places to gather those flowers from. Kiyo-Obacchan was kind enough to list a few spots for me, and how I should arrange the flowers for the best effect. Armed with knowledge, a plan and a recipe, I ran. Not for long, however. The last person I was expecting to see barred my path. ¡°There you are.¡± Ino huffed, pulled the hair out of her face. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere!¡± What was she doing here? Why? I took out my board, my hands shook just a bit. I wrote my question. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be helping with the shop?¡± Ino-chan rolled her eyes. Walked closer, looked at the slip of paper I was still holding. ¡°Mom¡¯s mission was canceled.¡± Ino said like that explained everything. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you win that stupid bet. Sakura-chan went too far this time.¡± I blinked, owlish and confused. Huh, what was happening? I mean, in the years since, I was on somewhat good terms with all the girls in the class. My early fangirling had mostly subdued, and I could say that if I wasn¡¯t friends with Ino and Sakura, we were at least on good terms. I mean, I wanted to say we were friends, the silly bet was friends material right? But to have Ino take my side? Wasn¡¯t she glued at the hip with Sakura-chan? Ino plucked the treasure map from my fingers. ¡°Nice choice of flowers.¡± She tapped her chin, gave me a complicated, mischievous look. Grabbed my hand, dragged me. ¡°Come, I know where you can find these.¡± We had taken two steps when she stopped, looked at me, serious. ¡°But it will take time to gather everything. I¡¯ll prepare the tea. Can you get us something to eat?¡± I nodded. I wasn¡¯t even aware I was nodding. But then I nodded harder. Hell yes! Picnic with Ino? Yes! Please! We parted ways for a few minutes. I gathered my supplies, got a few of my best cupcakes, an empty basket for the flowers. Skipped toward training field three. That¡¯s where Ino told me to meet her. I arrived before she did, but Best Girl Ino didn¡¯t keep me waiting for long. She arrived running and panting. A small bag hung around her shoulders. ¡°Sorry!¡± She said, hands on her knees. ¡°Mom wanted me to look after the store. I had to escape again.¡± I gave her a small wave. Escape again? Ino recovered quickly. She marched up to me, took my hand, led me away. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s a lot to do and we don¡¯t have enough time.¡± The first place we visited wasn¡¯t one of the spots on my list. This was a small hidden patch of flowers a few minutes away from the training grounds. Ino knelt by the flowers, fingers tracing the petals. ¡°Pretty aren¡¯t they? Mom was the one who told me about this spot. It¡¯s been hidden here for years. She found it when she was still a genin.¡± I was crouched by her side, attention divided between Ino and the hidden blossoms. These weren¡¯t the same on my list, but they looked pretty. Small, round like petals, nice smelling, red tinged color. I nodded, extended my arm to pluck some. Ino grabbed my hand, shook her head. ¡°Not these ones.¡± She said, ¡°I know of better ones. Come.¡± She got up, still holding my hand, dragged me away again. We visited a few more hidden flower patches, each with its own story from Ino, who seemed to know everything about their meanings. I knew her family was deep into the flower business, but I hadn¡¯t known it was this serious. Did Ino have family lessons on the meaning of flowers? Was that a secret knowledge of the Yamanaka clan? I ended up not picking any of the ones she showed me. None of them were the ones on my list, and whenever I tried, Ino always dragged me to a prettier patch of flowers. Obacchan had been adamant that I couldn''t change the flowers if I wanted to win the bet. Now, we were at a large flower field. Ino had spread a piece of fabric on the ground, and we had an impromptu picnic. We had eaten, and were now laying on the ground side by side looking at the blue sky and the shape of clouds. Ino raised her hand, like trying to grasp the sky. ¡°What do you think the future will be like, Hinata-chan?¡± That was a strange question. I knew what the future would be like. War, devastation, death, and ninja killing ninja. I don¡¯t think that was what she was asking. I took my board, wrote my answer. ¡°I dunno? Maybe we¡¯ll become famous Kunoichi.¡± Ino ruminated on that for a while. Turned on her side, looking at me instead of the sky. I did the same, our faces weren¡¯t that far apart. ¡°Mom always keeps saying I shouldn¡¯t worry about it. Being a Kunoichi, I mean.¡± She huffed, annoyed. ¡°That I¡¯m too young to worry about the future. That the best thing would be to find a good husband to marry.¡± Best girl Ino rolled her eyes. I made a face. That was annoying advice. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll always have to follow the paths our families expect of us, Hinata-chan?¡± I shrugged. How was I supposed to answer that one? ¡°What do you think about Sasuke-kun?¡± I tilted my head. Was she already developing a crush on emoboy? I scribbled my answer. ¡°He¡¯s annoying. I wish he¡¯d leave me alone.¡± Ino grinned, swatted my shoulder. We gossiped about this and that, talking about anything and everything. I learned a lot about Ino, things I had never considered. It was nice? I mean, I was happy, but also sad. At some point, the silence stretched and when I focused on the blonde, she was asleep. My hand moved on its own accord, pushing the hair out of Ino¡¯s face. She mumbled something. Cute. I closed my eyes. This was nice, peaceful even.
I woke up and it was chilly, aside from the nice flower smelling bundle of warmth resting against me. I blinked. Ino-chan was nested against my arm, head resting on my shoulder, shivering from the cold early evening wind. It was almost night, sun already hidden behind the horizon. How was it this late already? I shook Ino-chan awake. She mumbled more, got up, with the back of her hand cleaned a bit of drool from her mouth. She looked around, then at the sky, back at me. Her face opened with a big smile. ¡°That was fun. Let''s do this again some other day, Hinata-chan.¡± She pushed forward and gave me a hug. Under my bewildered eyes, she got up, waved and left me there dumbfounded. It was only when she had already disappeared that I came to my senses. I hadn¡¯t picked a single damn flower!
The next day, I slumped over my desk. In front of me, a simple flower jar with a few basic flowers. It didn¡¯t look good, nor was it any elaborate arrangement. I was super conflicted about this. On the one hand, a hangout session with Ino. On the other hand, my bet with Sakura. Why, oh why? By the side, Sakura was gloating at me. Her arrangement looked beautiful. Purple and pink mixed with a few white flowers in an elaborate display. She looked smug. My shoulders slumped even more. I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable. Suzume-sensei didn¡¯t take long. She looked at the arrangements. Gave me just a nod. Sakura¡¯s on the other hand, the woman gushed with praise. ¡°Well done, Haruno-san.¡± The germaphobe sensei even smelled the flowers. The arrangement was that good. There was a moment of silence when she stopped by Ino¡¯s display. I didn¡¯t look, I couldn¡¯t, really. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be mad or happy with Ino-chan. ¡°Who has the best arrangement, sensei?¡± Number Two, who couldn¡¯t wait to see the result of the bet, prompted the start of my doom. Suzume-sensei looked around again, her eyes ended up on Sakura¡¯s arrangement. Yes, I know already, goddammit, why? Then, her eyes moved to a different one. Ino¡¯s. My eyes followed sensei¡¯s. The arrangement looked familiar, the colors, the balance, the presentation. Wasn¡¯t that what Obacchan told me to make? ¡°Yamanaka-san is the best one.¡± The whole class gasped. ¡°But she¡¯s from the Yamanaka clan. What are you all acting so surprised about?¡± Suzume-sensei said in a tired voice. Ino jumped, cheered. She gave me a devious smirk. That cheating little! ¡°I won!¡± She approached, hands on her hips. Her smile was smug. ¡°Now you have to do one thing I say.¡± I raised my hands in protest, she wasn¡¯t even part of the bet! ¡°What! No, Ino-chan. You aren¡¯t even part of the bet!¡± Sakura echoed my thoughts. Ino just shrugged. ¡°The bet was who Suzume-sensei chose as the winner. I won.¡± Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura. She turned back to me, eyes evil and menacing. ¡°You will come to my house and bring cupcakes.¡± She ordered. ¡°And stay for a sleepover.¡± She added as an afterthought. Sakura ground her teeth. ¡°No, she¡¯s coming to my place!¡± ¡°Dream on,¡± Ino challenged. ¡°You just want the cupcakes.¡± Sakura pointed a finger at Ino¡¯s nose. ¡°Like you¡¯re any different!¡± Was this heaven? Had I died and gone to paradise? My ears burned. 1.14 Second to last year the academy changed focus yet again. Where before it focused on the individual, now we had combat drills, survival training, mock missions, problem solving, diplomacy, logistic and any other number of skills necessary for a shinobi to function in society instead of being just a killing machine. I think if Iruka-sensei hadn¡¯t been here, this year would have broken Naruto. The kids always avoided him, but now they were old enough to realize something was wrong. No one said anything, but every adult looked at Naruto with distrust, often urging other kids to avoid him. I still did my best to keep him company. We often grouped for activities, on top of our shared lunch. But I always kept him at bay as well. I was his friend, I was friendly. I wasn¡¯t his emotional support. It was in this year Naruto started obsessing with Emosuke, and Sakura-chan. I watched from the sidelines, provided what little comfort I was willing, and kept with my training. I had surpassed this year a hundred kilos in each seal. It was nuts. Maybe those cultivation geeks had a point after all. It took a while to really see the improvements, but no one could deny it. I could compete with the top boys, wearing my weights and not using chakra. My taijutsu was still a mess, but I was improving. I recovered faster, I could perform for longer. It became glaring obvious, during ninjutsu practice I was way behind the clan kids. By now, all the others of rookie 9, except maybe for Sakura-chan and Naruto, were training on their clan jutsu. I was pretty sure Emosuke burned my hair on purpose, the bastard. But he wasn¡¯t the only: shadow binding, beast transformation, giant hand punch, bugs. Whenever those came into play, I had no answer. I knew only the basic three and fuinjutsu. After one particularly nasty beat-down, and another burn attempt I walked to Iruka-sensei. I took my board, the new and improved version was still in the development phase. I wrote. ¡°Sensei, where can I learn more jutsu?¡± Iruka-sensei scratched the back of his head. Squatted in front of me. ¡°Hinata-chan,¡± he started, ¡°There¡¯s two ways. You learn your clan techniques,¡± I scowled at him, ¡°or you buy those from the village.¡± I erased the words on my board, wrote more. ¡°Are they expensive?¡± ¡°Yes, but also no.¡± He said. I tilted my head. ¡°You can¡¯t buy them with ryo. After you become a shinobi, and finish missions for the village, you¡¯ll earn mission points. You can use those to exchange for new jutsu.¡± I glowered at the man. Angrily scribbled on my board. ¡°How am I supposed to fight those jerks with their clan jutsu using only the three taught here?¡± ¡°That is by design, Hinata-chan.¡± The man explained patiently, ¡°when performing missions for the village, you¡¯ll often meet ninjas more powerful, and with more techniques than you. What will you do then?¡± I stomped, glared. I turned around, fuming. What kind of bullshit logic was that? Wouldn¡¯t that make people with better jutsu complacent? I sulked for a while that day. I even went to the mission hall. It was just besides the academy after all. The shinobi there looked at me with eyes full of curiosity. I took my board, erased the previous words, wrote others. ¡°How many mission points for a technique?¡± I was still sulking. Angry. Thankfully, the man was in a good mood. Indulged me. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Shinobi-san asked. ¡°Hinata.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Shinobi-san consulted some notes, looked at me strangely. What now, do I have a special note to my file because I¡¯m not a Hyuga anymore? ¡°A D-Rank jutsu can be exchanged for ten mission points,¡± The man said. ¡°A C-Rank jutsu costs twenty-five. But to buy any C-Rank or above, you need permission from your sensei, or as a reward for service.¡± I nodded. I thought it would be something like that. I wrote another question on my board. ¡°How many mission points for a D and C Rank mission?¡± ¡°It varies,¡± the shinobi started, ¡°D-rank are usually one point, maybe more depending on how long it takes to complete and the client''s satisfaction. C-rank rewards around five points. More if they are dangerous, and the client''s satisfaction.¡± I wrote on my board again. ¡°Thank you, Shinobi-san.¡± I showed him the board. Bowed after he read. I left while the man chuckled at my antics. If I took team 7 as an example, they performed around ten D-rank missions, before earning a C-rank. That would be what, one new jutsu? I would need to slave my days completing D-rank missions just to learn basic weak jutsu. I didn¡¯t even want to know how much for an A-rank one. Shame was, I couldn¡¯t even beg the old man Hokage for some cool jutsu. I hadn¡¯t seen him for years, only meeting Secretary-chan to get new chakra control exercises, which reminded me, I need to pay another visit. The last scroll had only one exercise, and I had mastered that one already. Next day I visited the Hokage tower. Secretary-chan smiled when I walked inside. ¡°Good afternoon Hinata-chan.¡± I bowed. Dug inside my bag. Took a prototype cupcake. Presented it to the girl. She took it, ate a small bite. Sighed content. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Secretary-chan said, ¡°but it feels like it¡¯s missing something.¡± I sighed. Dangit. I was trying something new, my masterpiece, my magnum opus. But it seems I was still missing something. I dug in my bag again, handed her the scroll with the exercise. ¡°You finished it already?¡± I nodded. Waited for the next one expectantly. The woman scratched her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have another.¡± Secretary-chan admitted. ¡°Hokage-sama told me this was the last one, and you probably would take a few years to master it.¡± I blinked. What? I mean, yeah, I guess. Using multiple chakra treads to manipulate objects far away from me, while glued to the ceiling, and keeping multiple things stuck to my body, and still preventing my hair and clothes from being affected was a pain. But it was just that. The sheer amount of things to keep track of was what made the exercise complicated, not the control itself. The woman walked from behind her corner, hugged me. ¡°Congratulations Hinata-chan!¡± I¡­ didn¡¯t know what to do. Maybe what the Hokage meant was that I already have more than enough exercises and experience to create my own exercises? I could always increase the number of threads, and objects I was interacting with simultaneously, as well as the number of stuck things, and reduce the area of my body in contact with the ceiling. Yeah, that sounded suitably challenging. I realized what the Hokage meant with that one being the last exercise. It was time to come up with my own. I wrapped my arms around Secretary-chan. Buried my face in her hair. Relaxed a smidgen. Enjoyed the moment. She smelled nice. Cherry blossoms. It had been so long since someone hugged me. I planted a swift, chaste kiss on her cheeks. Fled the tower with my ears burning. To put away thoughts of missing mom¡¯s hugs and presence, I went to work on my new communication board. Version 5.1 worked nice, but the hinges I used to allow the board to rotate on the support broke too fast. I needed a new design there, as well as change the seals so the pen and eraser were included when I also vanished the board. It was embarrassing having to collect them from the ground when I stored my board. I had mastered all the fuinjutsu vocabulary available to me. These days, I spent a lot of time working on improving things. I was working right now on miniature seals. It wouldn¡¯t be long until I could store bigger stuff into smaller seals. But that also left me frustrated. I didn¡¯t want to cobble a hodgepodge of existing functions to create a cumbersome result. That¡¯s how everyone did it. I wanted to truly master it. Master the language, create my own functions. But nowhere I looked taught me how. I hadn¡¯t done anything that would warrant me receiving more stuff from the old man. He had already given me plenty. The one time I asked Secretary-chan, she told me such things are well guarded clan secrets. I started to suspect the old man hadn¡¯t given me all the information I needed to master seals. It was so frustrating. What I needed was a seal master to teach me. Kunoichi 301 - Music Lessons. PT1 ¡°Won¡¯t you reconsider?¡± I showed my board to Sakura. We sat on pink cushions with a low table between us in her room. Sakura could be cute when she wanted ¨C even if I couldn¡¯t point that out, it would be asking for trouble. On the table, a spread of pudding and cake. Ever since ¡®the fight¡¯, Sakura wasn¡¯t keen on cupcakes anymore. I had my suspicions on why, or better yet, who was the reason. It was blonde, loved my cupcakes, name started with I and ended with O. Sakura nibbled her cake, face a scowl. ¡°You invited that pig as well?¡± Bingo. I don¡¯t think the scowl was because of the cake¡¯s flavor. This one was another experiment. I was trying a coconut-like type of fruit. It wasn¡¯t my favorite, even if the flavor was similar to what I remembered. The locals loved it. The GGC¡¯s wanted nothing more than this one now. It had become their favorite. Board ready, I wrote my response. ¡°I invited the whole class, the whole class families, the sensei, the Hokage¡¯s secretary, the old man himself.¡± I took a few more invitation cards and slipped toward Sakura-chan. Flipped my board, wrote on the other side. ¡°For your mom and dad.¡± Sakura looked away, face in a pout. She didn¡¯t take the invitations. ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± It was time to use my secret weapon. This could backfire, but at this point, I was willing to risk it. I erased the previous words, wrote more. ¡°I even invited Sasuke-kun.¡± The pink-haired girl¡¯s head snapped from the board to me. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°You like Sasuke-kun as well?¡± I rolled my eyes, didn¡¯t even need to hide my distaste. Under Sakura¡¯s glare, I plucked my short hair, the one side all but shaved. ¡°I wish he¡¯d leave me alone and stop trying to burn my face.¡± ¡°Why did you invite him, then?¡± I shrugged. Wrote my answer. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I invited everyone.¡± It made sense to me. Emosuke was a pain, had a grudge against me for some inexplicable reason, and I wasn¡¯t fond of the brat, but I wasn¡¯t his enemy, nor did I have any reason to exclude him. This whole mess, you see, started a few weeks ago. Suzume got pulled on a mission, and a different kunoichi came to cover for our germaphobe sensei¡¯s absence. The temporary sensei was¡­ an interesting character once I got to know her. At first, it was just another stuffy, severe, demanding teacher. But one day, she noticed me practicing with my koto. I was jamming to my bad rendition of Miley¡¯s awesome Party in the USA. I wasn¡¯t bored, but it was good to have some fun now and again. I even rewrote the lyrics. My new version was named Party in the ANBU way. Tenma Sayuri-sensei wasn¡¯t old. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Jet black hair, steel-grey eyes. Lean and wiry, usually dressed in the typical shinobi uniform, with a dark grey high-collared duster on top of the flak jacket. ¡°What music is this? I never heard it before.¡± Her eyes bore into me. They were intense, kinda scary. Was she angry?If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I had to fight the urge to squirm under her gaze. I straightened my back, looked Sensei in the eye, then promptly looked away. My board was a good enough reason to avoid eye contact. I wrote the words. ¡°It is new?¡± Was it plagiarism if the music only existed in my memories? ¡°Play it again,¡± Sensei said. I nodded, thinking back on the original song. Adapting pop music to play with the Koto was a challenge in itself, but I was getting the hang of it. It was nowhere near as good as the original version, but again, I liked it. I plucked the last string. Head still bobbing to the rhythm in my mind. At some point, Sayuri-sensei had pulled a shakuhachi from somewhere and blew on it, trying to match the pop music. Her look was so intense that I found it cute, if still a bit scary. Sensei looked from the flute to me and the koto. ¡°Is it missing something?¡± she asked. I don¡¯t think she was talking to me. The woman looked confused. I rolled my eyes. Of course, it was missing something. I took my board. Too deep into enjoying the music I didn¡¯t consider my words when I wrote my response. ¡°No one to sing the lyrics. Someone to bang on the taiko drums and a shamisen to complement the arrangement wouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± Sensei blinked, like remembering I was there. ¡°Lyrics?¡± She rounded on me, eyes blazing. Things somehow spiraled after that. Sensei pressed me for more, and fearing for my life, I told her about my modification of Queen¡¯s Taylor song Shake It Off: Explode it Off. Even my changed silly Ninja Face, based on Goddess Gaga¡¯s Poker Face she extracted from me. Not sure when, I caught myself teaching Sensei the lyrics, and the dance moves that went with each song. What kind of manipulation jutsu was this? Had the woman put me on a genjutsu when I wasn¡¯t looking? Somehow, sensei found three other shinobi. The big guy, looking like a bodybuilder, brought a sizable set of taiko drums. Another, a housewife-looking woman, had a biwa. The third one looked like a young boy carrying a pair of Kane. Wild. We played. Sensei sang the lyrics. I even changed the way I played the koto. We propped it up on a higher stand, so I didn¡¯t need to sit down to play. I even followed a few of the dance moves I taught sensei.
That was how I got pulled into that mess. But that was a worry for tomorrow. Today, I was trying to convince Ino and Sakura to ignore their silly fight over Emosuke. I mean, what did they even see in him? Obsessed brat, always trying to burn my face off and being an overall jerk. Talking to Sakura was a bust. The girl was too deep into her obsession to come to her senses. Even mentioning Emosuke was enough to garner her suspicion. That left me trying to convince Ino again. Ino was easier to deal with, if still as stubborn as Sakura. With Ino, I just needed countless pastries and sweets, and she¡¯d hear me out. Even if I think she was just humoring me. Anyhow, I had to try. It was sad seeing the two friends drift apart for such silly reasons. Worse still, they kept getting mad at me when I visited one or the other. They behaved like I had to choose between who I wanted to be friends with. One or the other. I nipped that attitude right in the bud. The first time they tried to put me on the spot, I went on a sweets strike. A whole month without giving either of them my cupcakes while providing the rest of the class the usual treats. That helped but didn¡¯t solve the problem. How was I going to convince them? Kunoichi 301 - Music Lessons. PT2 It was the next day. I propped myself up, scowled at Emosuke looking down on me, face stormy. He looked even more angry for having taken me down. It didn¡¯t change that the brat tried to burn my face, again. This time, I dodged the ball of fire, which didn¡¯t help when he kicked my feet under me. At least today he didn¡¯t push further than that. I mean, I did kick him in the nuts last time he tried to push too far. Serves him right. Again, it didn¡¯t matter. Today I was on a mission. Most of the class already left, my target almost lost among the gaggle. A quick pat down to clear most of the dust and make my hair presentable, and off I was after the blonde. I approached, tapped her shoulder, showed her my board when she looked at me. ¡°Can we talk?¡± Her pale blue eyes narrowed. ¡°About?¡± ¡°You and Sakura-chan.¡± I wrote back. Her face soured. I pushed on. ¡°It¡¯s dumb to end your friendship because of a silly fight.¡± ¡°Dumb?¡± Ino raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you calling me dumb?¡± I shook my head, scribbled furiously. ¡°The fight is dumb. Not you.¡± Ino huffed, folded her arms. ¡°Sakura started it when she decided she was my rival.¡± My early annoyance with Emosuke spiked. I wished past me hadn¡¯t been so restrained and taught the brat a lesson. I decided to try a different track. ¡°You both seem unhappy. I remember how close you were.¡± For a moment, Ino¡¯s facade cracked. Her eyes were full of pain. But she squared her shoulder, flipped her hair. ¡°She¡¯ll have to apologize first. I¡¯m not giving up on Sasuke-kun just because she decided she now likes him too.¡± I sighed. Well, damn. I didn¡¯t want to push this. Was Fate-kun playing against me here? But I wasn¡¯t willing to just leave it be. I crossed my arms, gave her a flat look. My stare said what my words couldn¡¯t. Ino was the first to look away. She let out an exaggerated groan. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll consider it. But only because you asked.¡± I flashed Best Girl Ino my biggest smile. ¡°Thank you, Ino-chan.¡± I wrote. To sweeten the deal, I popped out a box of cupcakes. Presented my offering. Ino took them grudgingly but popped one into her mouth immediately. Same experiment with the coconut-like fruit flavor. ¡°There are good,¡± she mumbled, mouth full of frosting.
Sayuri-sensei had somehow commandeered one of the nearby parks for the music event. Under her insistence, I invited everyone I knew: Neighbors, the GGC, the class, the academy sensei. I even invited the Old Man Hokage and ¡°Wolf-san¡±. Secretary-chan, unfortunately, couldn''t leave her post. Shame. I adjusted my koto stand, watching the civilians trickling in. There were¡­ a lot more than what I invited. Had Sayuri-sensei spread the word around as well? A few shinobi lounged in nearby trees or perched on rooftops. Making sure this wasn¡¯t a trap? I couldn¡¯t blame them, this looked sus as hell even for me.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Your positioning is off,¡± Sayuri-sensei said. She pushed my koto to an unseen line to the left. Her eyes had that intense gleam again. I shivered. Was she excited or plotting to kill someone? ¡°Don¡¯t forget the choreography.¡± I held up my board. My ears burned. ¡°Are we really doing that performance?¡± Sensei looked around, at the gathering people. She smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± Damn my younger self for teaching this monster the dance moves. I wasn¡¯t keen on imitating Goddess Gaga¡¯s dance moves in front of a crowd. The big guy with the taiko drums placed his hit behind us while the kid took center stage with Sensei, the housewife with the biwa opposite me. The crowd, mostly civilian families and children, grew by the minute. I spotted a few enterprising people setting up food stalls. Among them was the owner of the Ichiraku Ramen, while his daughter sat on a picnic blanket by his side. A few other students showed up. I saw Naruto, Kiba, a few of the Numbers. Emosuke didn¡¯t show up. A few moments after the performance started, the whole of GGC arrived, dragging a cohort of laughing, running, and snotty brats behind them. Oh god, I wasn¡¯t going to live this one down, was I? When the performance started, most of the shinobi population scattered almost immediately. Many more popped in for a few minutes, gave skeptical glances, and then wandered off, shaking heads. I could practically hear the ¡°pointless nonsense¡± complaints from them. Sayuri-sensei''s voice carried through the park. She belted out my modified lyrics, and I had to admit, she made them sound better than they had any right to be. The bodybuilder-looking shinobi got into the taiko drumming, it was almost like mini explosions were going off just behind me. The housewife with the biwa turned out to have some serious skills. The boy was like a machine, clapping his pair of Kane with the rhythm. The first song was the ANBU parody, which was a crowd-pleaser. Sayuri-sensei¡¯s voice was melodic despite her stern demeanor, carrying the humor in the lyrics. The many kids in the crowd loved it. From among the crowd, I saw Kiyo-Obacchan''s calculating look toward me. I suppressed a shiver. Oh god. I was seriously screwed here. The rest of the GGC wasn¡¯t better. Muttering and talking among themselves. Midway through the second song ¡°Explode It Off¡± ¨C Sensei having dragged me from behind the safety of my koto to perform the dance moves with her ¨C I caught a glimpse of a familiar pink head. Sakura stood near the edge of the park, arms wrapped around herself. Her face was a mix of embarrassment and fascination. Not far, Ino had a similar expression, munching on another cupcake from the ones I¡¯d given her. I noticed that they were still ignoring each other. The performance ended with my version of Ninja Face, Sayuri-sensei, holding the last note on her shakuhachi. The applause was scattered but genuine. I bowed along with the others, and soon, I was off that small stage. I was somewhat giddy and flushed. That had been terrifying. My part in this mess ended there, but Sayuri-sensei and her gang weren¡¯t ready to stop. They took up more music; not pop songs like I have taught them, but clearly inspired by it. The crowd, somehow, had increased even more. It had started as a small gathering, but now it looked almost like a festival, without all the normal decorations that usually accompany these events. The civvies, kids, and grandmas, at least, seemed to be having fun. On the stage, Sayuri-sensei and her gang shone like they were living their best lives. I approached Ino and Sakura, held my board for both to see. ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± I wrote, smiling despite my nerves. Sakura hesitated. ¡°It was¡­ interesting.¡± Ino grinned. ¡°You were the best part, Hinata-chan. Was that some type of strange new martial art?¡± I rolled my eyes, but the smile hadn¡¯t left my face. I wrote. ¡°Maybe we should try something like this together?¡± They exchanged glances, and for a moment, I thought they might agree. But then Sakura¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything with her.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Ino snapped. I sighed. So much for the duo making up. I waved at them, left, plotting new ways to mend their friendship. Maybe I should try a tea party next time?
Next kunoichi class, Sayuri-sensei was gone. An old shinobi was there to teach us the ¡°proper way¡± to use the instruments. Yikes. I guess some people really didn¡¯t like music. 1.15 I had just turned twelve. It was the start of the year. It was the last day of the Academy. The past years were a blur of training. I had improved a lot. Even if no one in the academy knew the full extent of my capabilities. All that chakra circulation cultivation nonsense might not have been nonsense. I still refused to boost my body with chakra during training, or boost at all. I still used the ankle and arm bracelet seals, and I even added a necklace seal. I had no idea how much they weighed at the moment. Every time I got used to the weight, I amped the voltage, so to speak. At some point, I stopped paying attention to numbers. I had obsessed about them a bit too much. Even so ¡ª surprise surprise ¡ª I wasn¡¯t the worst in my physical classes. In terms of physical strength, I was top of class. Top of year even. I was stronger even than adults. My hodgepodge taijutsu landed me firmly in the upper middle of the pack. I had more endurance than all the kids, Naruto excluded, he had his own cheat. All without using chakra. Still wearing the weight bracelets. Damn, talk about a cheat. I lagged badly in jutsu. I knew the Academy three. I could perform them flawlessly. But I knew only the basic three. Without a clan to support me, I didn''t know where to learn more. The academy only offered the basic three. The village asked for mission points. Ninjutsu training with the clan kids was bad. More than once Iruka-sensei had to intervene, mostly because Depresuke always tried to burn my face off. I even gave up on having long hair, after the fucker burned it for the third time. Instead of long hair, I had a bob cut. I liked it, but still, long hair rulz. I wasn¡¯t top of the class with hand-seals. Some were better than me. But I was still in the top 5 of the whole year. I had unmatched chakra control. The other students were babies when compared to me, but the academy didn¡¯t measure that. There were a few basic exercises here and there to promote control, but I think the consensus was that any Genin would train that by themselves. For the last year, aside from all the habitual multitasking, I had started training one hand jutsu and using jutsu without hand seals. I mean, I had mastered the three jutsu I knew with one hand, and without seal. It wasn¡¯t even difficult. One day Iruka-sensei warned us that during a battle, an enemy might be so proficient with one particular jutsu he might use only one hand, or no seal at all. That, of course, sparked my control training mania. It was the first thing I did when I returned home. It took a few minutes to figure things out. Once I did, I could use it, seal or no seal, one or two hands. It was a bit disappointing. I struggled recently with ways to train my control, and for a moment, I had gotten excited I had found a new way to practice. Guess I shouldn¡¯t have expected much. After all, these were E-rank. Basic of the basic-est. Over the last years, I started to gravitate more toward my future team members. I wasn¡¯t the best when dealing with bugs, the smell freaked me out a bit, but Shino was cool. Kiba was a loudmouth like Naruto, but I¡¯ve been trained to endure Naruto¡¯s style of annoyance for years. Kiba was an amateur in that regard. I made sure to make friends with the others. I¡¯m not going to lie here. But I ignored all other classmates that weren¡¯t in the rookie 9. Which left my only female friends Ino and Sakura. My fan-girl moments usually got out of control with them. I mean. I loved them. Really. I even loved myself. I was Hinata. I wanted their autograph. There were some spots of fan-girling sometimes, but class got used to it quickly. I didn¡¯t suffer from bullying too much. At least not aside from the first years. I was the mute girl, the weird girl, the bringer of sweets. Anyone who bullied me didn¡¯t get sweets. Easy as that. Know thy enemy and all. Without tooting my own horn too much, I was a pretty good shinobi. Despite my lack of jutsu ¡ª something I planned to address as soon as I had mission points ¡ª I was competent at taijutsu. Due to that same quirk of chakra, I was immune to any genjutsu that tried to mess with my mind. I had ¡®mastered¡¯ fuinjutsu. No, that was a lie. I knew a few seals, I knew all the common building blocks. I could improve on what I knew: storage seals, exploding tags, but I had no way of truly creating something new.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I was stuck. Worse because each seal seemed to use a different logic altogether. Like different languages entirely. My dreams of flying god seemed even more distant. I had the time space logic there on storage seals, but no matter what I tried, it just didn¡¯t work. Same with using chakra to create seals. I was stuck to ink and cumbersome logic. It was frustrating. That and explosions. I mean, what was a girl without explosions? We trained with explosive tags in the academy. I managed to take a few home with me. After deciphering it, creating my own explosive tags was par for the course. I had a lot, really, a lot of explosive tags. Not just the basic ones. No, I improved on them. Let¡¯s just say the Konoha police weren''t happy with me. But I was training on a training ground. Those Uchiha police should have been thanking me for being alive. Not that they knew it. I was pretty sure I was stronger than your average chunin. I dare to hope I even matched, number by number, some newly promoted jounin. Of course I didn¡¯t think I had a sweeping chance against the lowest of chunins out there in a real battle. Good jutsu and real battle experience counted for a lot, after all. And I lacked both. But I got off track. Emosuke was still sullen and depressed. The gaggle of girls still thought he was hot shit. Naruto still thought he was Sasuke¡¯s rival. I passed the first two exams, today was the third one. All of the class had passed one or another, except for Naruto who failed two. I wasn¡¯t worried. Naruto was ninja Jesus after all. Things would work out in the end, somehow. I flicked my wrist, pushed a bit of chakra in the seal there. My communication board v5.7 sprang to life over my arm, pen and eraser ready. I took the pen, wrote. Turned the board around so Shino could read. ¡°You think Naruto will pass this time?¡± Cool guy Shino just shrugged. Loudmouth Kiba fell down laughing. I should have expected that. Kids will be kids. Even if they were trained to kill. Iruka-sensei walked inside the class, called out for order. ¡°To graduate, your final test is a Bushin no Jutsu. When you¡¯re called, come to the next room.¡± I waited. When my name was called, I walked to the test room. Kiba gave me a thumbs up in encouragement. Inside, I saw Iruka-sensei and Mizuki behind a desk. Forehead protectors displayed arrayed in the desk in front of them. ¡°Please demonstrate your Bushin no Jutsu.¡± Iruka-sensei called out. I nodded. Walked to the center of the room. The hand-seals were easy. Ram - Snake - Tiger. I pushed my chakra on the last seal. I didn¡¯t need to hold back anymore. Five other clones appeared around me. I took a step back. My clones stepped forward. Each performed a different routine, while I ran through some of my self made katas. When done, I dismissed the jutsu. Bowed. Mizuki had a calculating stare. Iruka-sensei smiled ear to ear. ¡°Amazing. That was amazing Hinata-chan.¡± The man waved me over. Gave me the forehead protector. I bowed. ¡°Be here Monday morning to see which team you will be assigned to and who is your jounin sensei.¡± I bowed again. Turned. Left the room. Stepped through another door to the courtyard where a group of kids that had passed waited. I took a pose. I did the V for victory. Everyone looked at me like I had grown a third head. Damn, I forgot it doesn¡¯t translate. My shoulders slumped. I gave them a thumbs up. The crowd cheered. Some patted me on the back. I took a seal from my pouch. Summoned an array of cupcakes. The kids cheered even louder. I huffed. They wanted me only for my sweets. Bunch of hyenas. The rest of the class trickled over, except for Naruto. Soon, parents also joined the crowd celebrating with their kids. I cast my gaze about. On a far tree, sad, lonely, depressed, on a tree swing, was Naruto. I walked over. Sat by his side. I knew everything was going to be fine. But it broke my heart seeing him like this. I summoned my special cupcake. Sunshine and Orange. Decorated with cat whiskers. I offered it up. Naruto took it. I hugged him while he cried. It was going to be okay. I wanted to say. I might have cried as well. I regret not doing more to help him. I didn¡¯t because I was selfish. Chapter 2: Land of Waves. Now, officially graduated, I had to work on my shinobi uniform. I mean, after the first year I gave up on trying anything too complicated. Too expensive to have the clothing store Oba-san craft it just for me since I¡¯d replace it just a few months later. I was a growing girl, and clothes get destroyed fast when you¡¯re training to be a ninja. But this time I wasn¡¯t training to be one. I was a ninja! I already had my ideal uniform in mind. Heck, I had already paid the ninja people to craft it for me. Years of saving money ¡ª and maybe selling a seal here and there ¡ª I ordered four sets of matching clothes. I would order more when these didn¡¯t fit me anymore. I was still a growing girl, after all. I still didn¡¯t break tradition of the opentoed shoes. They had their reason. Those stayed. White stocking to cover my toes, going up to mid thigh. The usual skirt ended up just shy above the stockings. A finger width of exposed skin. I mean. I was twelve already. I wasn¡¯t a kid anymore. I mean, I was still a kid, but wasn¡¯t. I was proud of myself. I wanted to feel pretty. If that annoyed anyone, they could go practice their chakra control elsewhere. Not that anyone would see anything under my skirt. We were tree-hopping ninja. I wore shorts beneath it all. The skirt was just a fashion statement. There were small hidden pockets on those shorts where I kept my new miniature seals. It took years of research, but I was finally able to create small seals that could to store large things. My Koto was there, so was my supply of exploding tags. Can¡¯t blame me for keeping the important stuff on hand. I wore what was basically a short sleeve dress shirt, collar, yoke, button stand and all. To top it off, a small red tie, and open finger gloves. My fan-girl side mute squealed in delight when I saw myself in the mirror. Damn I looked good. My hair had changed. It had always been dark, more toward blue. But now it was completely black. I couldn¡¯t see a hint of blue there. I¡¯m not sure when that happened, I never paid attention to it. It was only when Sakura-chan pointed it out for me last year I noticed the difference. The shorts, skirt, shirt were all shinobi approved, of course. Crafted with wire mesh underneath, and reinforced to provide any protection it could. It was all black. Save for the tie, which was red. I wore the forehead protector beneath my fringe, almost all hidden. It was cool. It looked good. I mean, If Naruto can wear an orange jumper, Gai a green leotard, why couldn¡¯t I abuse my earth days for some fashion statements? The rest of my preparations was packing stuff. The story never went into detail about what sort of training Kurenai-sensei put the team eight through, but I was confident the team wouldn¡¯t fail because of me. Team eight was supposed to be a tracking specialist team. I didn¡¯t have byakugan anymore, but I could still feel chakra. Even if I hadn¡¯t told that to anyone yet. Should I have spoken to Iruka-sensei about it? I shook my head. The academy covered the basics only, these things were the purview of a jounin-sensei. Dressed and prepared, I went to the academy. I got in, sat on my corner. Observed the other kids. The mood was cheerful. Kids talked, waved, laughed. It got strange when Naruto sauntered in wearing a forehead protector. I watched in nostalgia as the scene played out in front of my eyes. Kids demanded to know what he was doing here. The brat pointing at his forehead protector. He sat in the same row as Emosuke. Sakura arrived soon after, sat between the two. Naruto was head over heels for Sakura. The bimbo only had eyes for Emosuke.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even the kiss scene was the same. I couldn¡¯t help it. I cheered. I mean, couldn¡¯t make a sound, but I jumped in joy like the fan-girl I was. A trickle of worry percolated in my mind. If the world had a way of imposing the same events, was Emosuke destined to be Outcastsuke? I thought saving his clan, and preventing his brother from committing genocide would solve the problem, but Sasuke turned ever more taciturn and emo over the years. But things had changed, I could change things. My next big issue right now was preparing for the chunin exam. With the changed time-line, I wasn¡¯t sure if Orichimaru would target Emosuke in the Forest of Death; countless other Uchiha were alive after all, but I guess that was just an attack of opportunity. Evil Snake''s plan had always been to kill the Third. Old man Hokage had gone soft, Danzo was right about that, but I didn¡¯t want the old man to die. I had time. Six months to train with Kurenai-sensei, to prepare, to change the world one more time. Class had settled after the impromptu love comedy between Naruto and Sasuke. Even more after the fan-girl squad beat the crap out of Naruto. I was glad I managed to disentangle myself from that can of worms. Emosuke still tried to beat me in the areas I was better at, but years of silent treatment were enough to make even the most depressed and obsessed of kids give up. There was no satisfaction involved when confronting me. Take that, you jerk! Iruka-sensei walked inside the class room. Called for order. ¡°Starting today, all of you are real shinobi.¡± He called out. He stood straight, hands joined at his back. ¡°But you are still genin. The hard journey that lies ahead has just started.¡± He said. ¡°Now you will soon receive missions to help the village, so today we will create three man teams, and each will have a jounin-sensei.¡± Iruka-sensei looked at the class. His eyes lingered on Naruto. His face softened a bit. Lips curled into a smile. From what I remembered, Kurenai-sensei went to the Hyuga clan house to talk to Hiashi about training Hinata. Would this still happen here now that I wasn¡¯t Hyuga anymore? Iruka-sensei started calling names while I still daydreamed. If I took into account my years before I ended up here, I was about twenty two. Kurenai just became a jounin. According to the fandom, she was what, twenty six? It was a shame she was into Asuma-sensei. I wouldn¡¯t mind the teacher crush trope. I mean, she was pretty, bad-ass, and had lovely red eyes. Or I assumed she did. Hadn¡¯t met the woman yet. ¡°Team seven.¡± Iruka-sensei called. I perked up. Comedy time. I looked expectantly at the row with the trio from team seven. ¡°Uzumaki Naruto,¡± he called out, ¡°Hinata,¡± he said next. I tilted my head. Wasn¡¯t Naruto supposed to cheer and Sakura to get sad at the news? ¡°Uchiha Sasuke.¡± Iruka-sensei ended. Naruto played half of his part. Slouching on the table at the mention of his team up with Sasuke, Sakura also looked devastated. ¡°Iruka-sensei!! Why does an outstanding shinobi like me have to be on the same team as that prick over there?¡± Naruto hollered. Iruka-sensei put hands on his waist. Leaned over, face stormy. ¡°Sasuke¡¯s grades were the best of all twenty seven graduates and yours were dead last. Do you understand we have to balance teams, right?¡± Emosuke did his emo routine. ¡°Bah, just don¡¯t get in my way¡­ dead last.¡± Class exploded in noise. Naruto yelled, others laughed. Something still didn¡¯t seem right to me. Sakura looked sad. Shouldn¡¯t she be happy for teaming with her crush? Iruka-sensei called the classroom to order again. ¡°Team eight.¡± He started. ¡°Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba.¡± I blinked. Tilted my head again. Looked at the row with team seven. Sakura looked pretty freaked out. That made sense, she couldn¡¯t deal with insects. I tilted my head the other way. Wait? Sakura on team eight? I replayed the previous scene in my head. Played again Iruka-sensei¡¯s words. It finally dawned on me. I was on team seven, not eight. Shit. I was so screwed. 2.2 Like every other story in existence, team seven sensei hadn¡¯t shown up to meet in the scheduled time. Iruka-sensei had left. Naruto booby trapped the door with the eraser. Did the interaction between Sakura-chan, Naruto and Sasuke happen? My memory was hazy after years, but I think in the original story Naruto tied Sasuke, and almost kissed Sakura-chan, by pretending to be Sasuke. Given how Naruto was still holding his belly when he entered, the milk did its job. No idea if teenage drama happened as well. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being late.¡± Naruto hollered after creating the trap. Emosuke scoffed. ¡°Pft. Like a jounin would fall for such a stupid booby trap.¡± I stayed quiet. Kakashi-sensei had been on the other side of the door for a while, even if I couldn¡¯t see him when Naruto opened the door. The man had dimmed his chakra, but not enough that I couldn¡¯t feel it. A hand opened the door, the head peeking inside in a way that made sure the eraser hit. White powder splashed everywhere. Yeah, I didn¡¯t know how Naruto and Sasuke didn¡¯t see it. ¡°Hahaha. You fell for it!! You fell for it!!¡± Naruto hollered again. Kakashi-sensei scratched his chin. ¡°Hmm¡­ how can I say this,¡± the man started. ¡°My first impression is¡­¡± he looked at us again. His eyes stopped on me for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t like you guys.¡± I froze. I had to. With every fiber of my being I held back my mute squeal of joy. He was so damn cool! Five minutes later we were at the roof. Kakashi sat on the railing. We sat in front of him. ¡°Well, let¡¯s begin with introducing ourselves.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. Naruto was the first to answer. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°How about your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future and things like that?¡± Sensei asked. I didn¡¯t derail the conversation. Too busy containing my joy. I knew how this would play. And Naruto played his part to perfection. He urged Kakashi to introduce himself first, which sensei did, but said nothing other than his name. Naruto was next. ¡°Yo! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I love instant ramen and Hinata-chan bento. I love it even more when Iruka-sensei pays for my ramen, and when Hinata-chan gives me cupcakes.¡± He looked at me, grinned brighter than the sun. What was with that introduction? ¡°What I dislike is waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook, or when Hinata-chan doesn¡¯t come to the academy.¡± I blinked at Naruto. Was he stupid? We were done with the academy. Haven¡¯t he realized there was no more bento? Or did he just assume I would still cook for him? What a brat.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°And my dream,¡± he said, face fierce. ¡°Is to surpass the Hokage and then have the people of this village acknowledge my existence. Hobbies,¡± he tilted his head. ¡°Pranks I guess.¡± Emosuke''s introduction was the same, down to a T, except instead for a small detail. ¡°¡­revenge for my clan, and to kill a certain man.¡± I wanted to face-palm. Really, what bullshit was this? Who does he even want to kill now? Itachi was alive and happy. I saw him just a few days ago when Sasuke graduated. His mom and brother came to congratulate him. What the hell was he thinking now? ¡°Ok, and lastly the girl.¡± Kakashi said, looking at me. Wealp. It was my time. I pushed chakra into my seal. Popped the arm held, portable comms board. Took my pen and started writing. The boys were already used to the sight of my sealwork. I had been using this version for about a year now. Kakashi-sensei raised an eyebrow. I wanted to dance in happiness. Take that sensei. Surprise on the first day. I wrote, turned my board toward the three boys. ¡°My name is Hinata. I like cooking. My hobby is music. My dream for the future is to create the best cupcake in the world!¡± Naruto laughed. I could always count on him to react appropriately. Sasuke face-palmed. Really Emosuke? After that edgy introduction you have the gall to be annoyed with me? Kakashi-sensei just nodded. He was that cool. The rest was the same as my hazy memory remembered. Survival training. Bring all your stuff. Don¡¯t eat breakfast, chance of rauling. Two thirds chance of failure, back to the academy if you do. Naruto looked freaked out after that. Sasuke was even more emo. I went back to my apartment. I wasn¡¯t sure how I wanted to deal with this. Wrangling Naruto wouldn¡¯t be difficult. He was loud, annoying, but he wanted to be a ninja. I just needed to tell him I had a plan and Naruto would follow through. Sasuke however, might be a pain. The boy never liked me. I never liked the boy. And I think he might refuse just because. I didn¡¯t know him enough to convince him. I might have antagonized him on purpose more than a few times during academy days. My assumptions coming to bite me in the behind. All those years getting to know and be on good terms with team eight, when they put me in team seven. It was what it was. Kunais, shuriken, exploding tags, my own custom sealwork, traps, food, gear. I prepared it all. If possible I wanted to get the bells. Offer them to the boys. There was a good chance Sasuke would help if I promised him the bell.
I walked inside the training field at six in the morning. I packed everything, but my pack was light, a small bag that wouldn¡¯t restrict my movements. All my stuff was stored in seals. Seals didn¡¯t take too much space, it was just paper. Both boys had huge, cumbersome bags with them. Obeying to the letter the instructions. They brought everything. I sat by Naruto''s side, he looked stressed. I took a seal. Out popped three chicken sandwiches, from another thermos and cups. I popped my board, wrote. Naruto looked like I was crazy. ¡°Eat up.¡± ¡°But Sensei said we couldn¡¯t eat!¡± Naruto protested, but kept staring at the food. His stomach growled. I smiled, wrote some more. ¡°Dummy, a ninja needs his energy. And sensei said we should skip because we might throw up. He didn¡¯t forbid us from eating.¡± Naruto scratched his head. Shrugged. Took a sandwich, a cup of tea. ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± He yelled. Dug in. I turned my board to Sasuke. He read it. Raised one eyebrow. I took my share, started eating. He would eat if he wanted. I couldn¡¯t force him. Emosuke resisted at first. Half an hour had passed and Kakashi hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Sasuke got up, picked the sandwich, ate it with his back to us. I looked at Naruto. I grinned. Naruto looked confused, but grinned back. It was past ten when Kakashi finally arrived. ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± Naruto yelled. 2.3 ¡°If you want, you can use shuriken and kunai. You won¡¯t succeed unless you come at me intending to kill.¡± Kakashi-sensei said, closing his fist around the two bells. Naruto had a nervous laugh. ¡°You¡¯re so slow, you can¡¯t even dodge a black board eraser! We¡¯ll definitely kill you!¡± He sounded sick at the idea. Kakashi looked at Naruto. His voice was low, but carried. ¡°In the real world, those with no talent often bark the loudest.¡± He looked at me and Sasuke. ¡°Well, ignore Mr. Dead Last and start when I say¡ª¡± Naruto exploded. In one moment, he grabbed a kunai, took one step toward Kakashi-sensei. Next moment, Kakashi held Naruto by the hair, Naruto¡¯s hand and kunai pointed at the back of the boy¡¯s own head. ¡°Calm down. I haven¡¯t said to start yet.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. I squirmed a bit. Maybe even did a small dance. I certainly couldn¡¯t contain the guts pose. That was so cool! Thank god I was behind everyone, and no one saw me. That would have been embarrassing. ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯re finally prepared to come at me with the intent to kill.¡± Kakashi-sensei chuckled. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get going. Ready, begin!!¡± I moved out, same as my team. I dove toward the copse of trees, changed direction, circled around, hid myself between the branches of one of the large trees in the area. As expected, Kakashi-sensei was still in plain view, in the middle of the clearing. He and Naruto. Loudmouth Naruto hollered his challenge. Sensei took his Icha Icha book. I needed to get the fan-girl in control. I almost cheered. The scene played the same as I remembered. Naruto got played. Suffered a thousand years of pain, got trapped upside down. Sasuke took an obvious fake opening to attack. Then from behind, I felt the chakra entering my head. A genjutsu. I held my own chakra back in, letting the jutsu work on me. I needed sensei to think I was out of commission. I toppled down the tree. Kakashi-sensei caught me and gently laid me on the ground. Then he left. Chakra bonfire moving away. I gave it a few more moments, before I let my chakra break me free of the genjutsu. Kakashi had trapped my mind inside some sort of demented lab. Without hand-seal I created a clone, left it in my place. Outside the trees, I heard the sounds of battle. Sasuke trying to get the bells. I circled around as silent as I could. I got to Naruto¡¯s tree, where he was tied up, before he saw me I clamped on his mouth. Held a finger over my own to keep him silent. Thank god, Naruto nodded. I untied the rope, popped my board, wrote my instructions. ¡°Create a clone. Leave it here in your place.¡± Naruto tilted his head. Then like he just realized something, he smiled. Nodded. Popped a clone. We tied the clone up, moved around. In the distance, I heard the explosion, saw the giant ball of fire. That was the end of Sasuke¡¯s battle with Kakashi. I guided Naruto to the clearing. Had to clamp on his mouth again when he saw Sasuke trapped. I wrote while we approached. Showed Sasuke the board. ¡°I have a plan. Will you listen? I¡¯ll help you even if you don¡¯t want to.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. I didn¡¯t wait. Grabbed him, pulled him free. Didn¡¯t have any doton jutsu. I had to brute force things. It might have hurt the boy. Served him right. Before he could say anything. I wrote another message. ¡°Leave a clone, follow? I have a plan, you can have the bell.¡± It took ten agonizing seconds until Sasuke nodded. My heart beat fast, too fast. Damn Kakashi-sensei was hiding just by the trees, watching us. I guess it was too much to hope he would be fooled by clones. But the show must go on, and I needed to convince these brats to play nice. A Sasuke clone popped up in existence inside the hole. We bolted away from Kakashi-sensei. The damn ninja followed. Still hidden. I had time. I think he wanted to see what we would do. Naruto glared at Sasuke, who glared back. I wrote fast. Couldn¡¯t let them start bickering. ¡°A shinobi must see underneath the underneath. This isn¡¯t a competition, it¡¯s about teamwork.¡± I showed them the board. I raised my fingers to my lips to stop both. I flipped my board, wrote on the other side. ¡°If we attack together, we can get the bells. You guys can have it. If Kakashi-sensei fails me, I can go back to the academy, or maybe I¡¯ll try to become a medic-nin.¡± That shut up both. Sasuke looked stormy. I thought he would curse me and walk away, but he remained put. Naruto looked devastated. ¡°No, Hinata-chan, you can have my bell. I¡¯m¡­ Even if I fail, I¡¯ll still be the Hokage!¡± Naruto started whispering, and all but yelled at the end. Thank god Kakashi-sensei wanted to see this play out, otherwise Naruto would have just given the position away. Still, I played my part. I looked around, put a finger over my mouth. Dashed away to another place. I explained my plan. I took my seals, summoned my exploding kunais, shuriukens, distributed to the boys. The surprised look on Emosuke¡¯s face was priceless. I wished I had a camera. Kakashi-sensei seemed to decide it was time for the showdown. He moved to the center of the clearing. We divvied up. Like we planned. I approached openly. I had my board out. Bowed to sensei. I could see his smile beneath the mask, the crescent eye shape. I showed him my message. ¡°Hi, Kakashi-sensei. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± The man nodded after reading my message. I nodded back. Stored my board. Took a deep breath to center myself. I could feel Sasuke¡¯s and Naruto hidden, just outside his view. I ran in, pushed my legs as fast as I could. My movements were a little uncoordinated. I had never given my all during academy training. I was always afraid of hurting the kids. But Kakashi? Kakashi could handle it. The world blurred, I was inside Kakashi¡¯s guard, an open palm strike from beneath. A combination of the gentle fist and Konoha¡¯s style. Kakashi-sensei''s eyes were wide. He had, of course, blocked. But the force of my strike had thrown him up, just a centimeter. I realized I could take the bells. It wouldn¡¯t even be hard. I just needed to extend my chakra threads and pull the things out. I didn¡¯t. I had made a plan with the boys. I was going to deliver. I spun, still low. Using the movement momentum to kick. Kakashi blocked with crossed arms, but this time he was thrown up and away. In that same movement, I got my shuriken, the exploding ones, threw them at sensei. Give credit where credit is due. Kakashi matched throw by throw. Shuriken exploded midair. A dozen shadow clones, all holding kunais, jumped from behind the trees, on a blitzkrieg attack. They attacked relentlessly. Worse, their kunai were the exploding type. I had instructed Naruto to stay hidden, and use the clones as suicide squad. A barrage of kunai, shuriken, all of the exploding types thrown by me and Sasuke, crested the surrounding area, blocking any path of escape, except two places: where I was, where Sasuke was. Kakashi flickered away. He chose Sasuke¡¯s side. Before the man had even finished his jutsu, Sasuke dove from his hiding spot, grabbed the two bells. I knew Kakashi hadn¡¯t really tried. There was no way we could have taken the bells if the jounin really wanted us to fail. Even so, I cheered. I danced. I knew it, explosions are a girl¡¯s best friend! 2.4 I was still cheering and dancing when Sasuke approached. He had a funny look on his face. Naruto approached as well, a huge smile, hands behind his head. I bowed to both boys. They played their part perfectly. Sasuke threw one of the bells at me. I caught it, he kept the other. What a jerk. I thought my speech would guilt trip him into being nice. Naruto looked at the exchange. I Walked over. Handed the bell to Naruto. He looked really conflicted. Pushed my hand away. ¡°You can have it, Hinata-chan, even if I have to repeat the academy ten times, I¡¯ll still be a Hokage!¡± The brat yelled. I gotta give it to him. Naruto made it difficult to dislike him. I grabbed his cheeks. Abused them until I was satisfied. ¡°Hi-hinata-chan?¡± The brat stuttered. His ears were red. Dammit. I forgot I was still a teen. To me was like an older sister pinching a sibling¡¯s cheeks. To him, it was probably a cute gal flirting. I took my board. Better nip this on the bud. ¡°It¡¯s like pinching my idiot brother¡¯s cheek. You keep the bell, future Hokage-sama, if the worst happens. Medic-nin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s touching.¡± Kakashi-sensei said from behind us. I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to him. I hadn¡¯t noticed him approaching. ¡°Follow me.¡± He said. Turned around. Led us away from the devastated area. We were back at the starting clearing, with the three wooden pillars, the stone memorial behind it. Kakashi-sensei looked at us for a moment. ¡°Who will keep the bells?¡± He asked. Naruto tried to give me his once more. I slapped the back of his head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be a brat. Sasuke just looked away. Damn emo. Not even Kakashi could guilt trip him into being a decent human being. What had happened? Why was he behaving like that? Kakashi nodded. ¡°What have you learned about this exercise?¡± ¡°That we can beat you!¡± Naruto hollered. I face-palmed. Sasuke huffed. ¡°What else?¡± He asked. He stared at me. Wealp, I guess he wanted me to speak. I popped my board out. Thought about what to say. ¡°Explosion¡¯s are a girl¡¯s best friend!¡± I showed the board to the boys. This time Sasuke face-palmed. Naruto laughed. Kakashi-sensei stare dug into my soul. I sighed. I wrote some more. ¡°The mission takes priority. But sacrifices might be needed. We are a team, and should support one another, even if the mission result contradicts it.¡± Kakashi-sensei smiled. Eyes turned into a crescent. ¡°A ninja must see underneath the underneath.¡± He repeated what I had written. ¡°The mission is important, but caring about your comrades is more important. Those who don¡¯t care about their comrades are lower than trash.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Hum, I thought his speech back in the story was because of breaking the rules or something like that. Had I remembered it wrong? Sasuke looked uncomfortable, Naruto looked smitten. I¡¯m pretty sure if Kakashi-sensei was a girl, Naruto would have just fallen in love right here, right now. ¡°That ends the training.¡± Sensei said with a thumbs up. ¡°You all pass! Starting tomorrow team seven will begin its duties!¡± ¡°I did it, I did it! Ninja!! Ninja!! Ninja!!¡± Naruto hollered. Danced, celebrated. I smiled at his exuberance. He was loud, obnoxious, rude, but it was hard not to like the brat. I joined his celebration. We have passed after all. The boys turned to leave. I poked sensei¡¯s elbow. Showed him another message. ¡°Can we talk, in private, please?¡± Kakashi-sensei turned to the others. ¡°You go ahead boys. Meet me at the mission center tomorrow at eight. I have to work out a few details with Hinata-chan.¡± Naruto waved. Sasuke looked suspicious, but both left. Kakashi-sensei turned to me. His gaze was calm, curious. I took a deep breath. One of the reasons I never pushed too hard in the academy was because I didn¡¯t want to graduate early. Arrogance aside, I¡¯m pretty sure I could have done it. By the fourth year, I already knew the whole curriculum, even if my marks were not a perfect score. Staying in the academy gave me much needed time to train. To get stronger, to prepare without being thrust into life and death missions. But now? Now I needed Kakashi-sensei to know what I could do. He was my sensei. I wanted him to train me. Why would I hide what I could do from him? He didn¡¯t press. Waited until I formulated my thoughts. ¡°Can we spar? I¡¯ll stop holding back.¡± Kakashi-sensei looked at me. His eyes crinkled. ¡°Will you now?¡± I nodded, serious. Crouched down. Dug inside my backpack. Took a roll of my seals. Spread it open to show the miniature seal at work. Triggered a few. Took a kunai with one of my special exploding tags, handed it to sensei. The man took it. Inspected closely. ¡°Oh my. That¡¯s dangerous. Did you make it yourself?¡± I nodded. Finished unrolling the seal scroll. Kakashi-sensei eyes bugged out. I mean, I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said explosions are a girl¡¯s best friend. And I had been stuck at sealing for years. This was just one of the many storage scrolls I had. All filled to the brim with all manner of delicious explosives. And maybe cupcakes. And exploding cupcakes. Can¡¯t blame me. The idea just begged to be released into the world. ¡°Right.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. I took off my boots, removed the ankle seals, put the boots back on again. I removed the arms seals. Opened my shirt a smidgen, removed the necklace seal. Handed them over so Kakashi could inspect them. He took them. He was silent for a while. ¡°How heavy are they?¡± I shrugged. I had no idea. I had stopped keeping track. I got up, unlimbered. Didn¡¯t remember when it was last time I removed them. Years ago? I felt so light. I felt like I could fly. I stretched. My back popped pleasantly. Kakashi-sensei watched all that with interest. I placed a few shuriken in the waistband of my skirt, like all ninja stuff, it was full of hidden pockets. I strapped a few kunai to my thigh, hidden beneath my skirt. Moved away from my backpack, settled on a stance. ¡°I better take this seriously.¡± Sensei said. Pulled his forehead protector up. Red eye with three circling tomoe stared at me. I nodded at him. Sensei nodded back. I attacked. 2.5 Kakashi hadn¡¯t wanted to take a team of genin to train. He was fully prepared to fail them, even if Naruto was his sensei¡¯s son. The team spelled trouble; a jinchuriki, an revenge obsessed Uchiha, a possible plant by Orochimaru. All of them were trouble in their own way. But Hinata was still a mystery. Danzo had claimed the girl was an Orochimaru spy when they first found her. All but demanded the girl be given to him. The third had refused. The clans already knew of her rescue. Antagonizing the Hyuga even more wouldn¡¯t do. It was one thing to keep the girl alive. It was another to have her disappear into Konoha¡¯s darkness. It would have meant civil war. Imagine Kakashi''s surprise when the girl provoked the old traitor, and delivered a secret code via a food gift. He admired the girl¡¯s creativity. Even if her coded message left much to be desired. He had read the girl¡¯s diary and storybook. He was sure the little chef story was some sort of code. Kakashi just couldn¡¯t find the cipher anywhere. None of the patterns he used worked. It was still a mystery. Kakashi only learned later about the other concerns regarding the girl. The seals in her body. Those behind her eyes, in her heart, around her bones. No one knew what they did. Speculation said Orochimaru might be able to see through the girl''s eyes, or maybe even take control over her body. The other can of worms was her befriending Naruto as soon as the academy started. That raised more than a few hackles. Plant or not, her ¡®dreams¡¯ led to one of Konoha¡¯s most recent crises. Shimura fucking Danzo, bloodline thief, traitor, assassin. Even years after the man escaped, a few horrors turned up every now and then. It was Orochimaru all over again. A few good things came from that debacle, however. The Uchiha clan was appeased, their budding plan of rebellion squashed. It helped that the most verbal person about it had died just a few years later. Killed by Danzo. Who stole Fugaku¡¯s eyes. The council decided it was too risky to have the Hokage meeting with the girl. He still gave her control exercises, which it seems the girl had mastered all. Impressive for a child. Kakashi¡¯s belief was that the girl was an unwilling and unknowing plant. The dreams, fabricated memories implanted by Orochimaru to implicate Danzo and this other group Akatsuki. Another surprise when Jiraiya-sama came back with news of the group, years later than Hinata¡¯s warning. Hinata academy records were strange. She did well in mental tasks. Poor physical results in the beginning with surprising results in later years. There was a note from traitor Mizuki the girl was holding back, hiding her strength. Kakashi could see it now. How she wrangled both brats into going with her plan. How she tried to play with their emotions. He had been surprised at their group attack. The girl was strong, too strong for a small girl like she was. The exploding tags he had accounted for; they were in her academy records. The girl always smiled when exploding things. What he didn¡¯t expect was Hinata asking for spar. And the weight seals. They were not the standard issue seals, the girl had modified them. From the looks of it, they were active all the time, but the bracelet itself wasn¡¯t heavy, it was the seal effect that induced the heaviness. He wasn¡¯t aware Hinata had learned this much. The Third had given her incomplete theory. She shouldn¡¯t have the ability to modify seals. Still, it was hard to believe each bracelet induced around a thousand kilograms. How was she still moving about?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Kakashi followed Hinata, sharingan examining her posture, her stance. She wasn¡¯t a specialist in taijutsu. Her stance was sloppy, full of openings. Hinata nodded. Kakashi nodded back. An explosion propelled the girl forward. Earth, dust, stone thrown about by her acceleration. Kakashi didn¡¯t move away. He didn¡¯t need to. A small adjustment to his posture and the girl flew past him. She had no control over her movement. Overshot her mark. Crashed on the other side of the clearing. Kakashi had to hold back a nervous chuckle. Thank god Gai wasn¡¯t the girl¡¯s teacher. He had to make sure the two never met.
I crashed into the ground. I couldn¡¯t control my momentum, or movement. I was too excited to go all out that I forgot I never really went all out. I had no idea what would happen. Case in point, I missed the target. Kakashi didn''t even need to dodge my attack. Worse? I might be fast and strong, but I wasn¡¯t durable. My arms and legs hurt where I hit the ground. I groaned. Even if no sound left my throat. I unstuck myself. Got up. It was going to bruise tomorrow. I turned around. Kakashi-sensei was crouched down, sharingan hidden beneath his forehead protector. Really? I sigh. Did I do that badly? ¡°You, my cute genin, need some lessons in taijutsu.¡± I blushed. I don¡¯t even like guys, but Kakashi-sensei calling me cute was just too much. He threw the bracelets at me. I caught them up. ¡°Put them on again. We¡¯ll start with those, and ease you off them slowly.¡± I nodded. That made sense. I guess fan-girl me forgot to take it easy. I left the crater, legs still hurting a bit. I circulated my chakra to ease the pain. I wore my bracelets and necklace. I popped out my board. Sat down. Now the fan-girl dumbness had passed, I better explain things. ¡°Aside from the basic fuinjutsu I learned from the scrolls the old man gave me, I know only the three basic academy jutsu. I¡¯m stuck. I don¡¯t know where and which jutsu to learn. I can¡¯t progress with my fuinjutsu. I ran out of chakra control exercises.¡± It came all tumbling in a single sentence. I might have been a bit too frustrated with my lack of progress. Kakashi-sensei crouched in front of me. ¡°How is your control?¡± I did the basic three jutsu with one hand seals. Did them again with no seals. Then, just to make a point, I used my chakra threads to erase the message on board, write a new message, flip the board so Kakashi-sensei could read it. Kakashi-sensei nodded. ¡°Very good.¡± I sighed. Yeah, damn. I had expected to surprise Kakashi-sensei. But guess my control was just normal. I mean, I knew I was better than any other academy students in my year, but that¡¯s because they didn¡¯t train as much as I did. I just have years ahead of training on them. ¡°What type of ninja do you want to be?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked. I perked up. Since I was showing up, I did my best. I jumped. Made a heroic pose. My threads kept writing. ¡°Yondaime Hokage! I wanna be Konoha¡¯s next Black Flash!¡± Kakashi-sensei chuckled. Eye turning into a crescent again. ¡°We better get to work then!¡± He said, standing up and dusting his trousers. ¡°Let¡¯s start with Shushin no Jutsu.¡± He flickered two steps back. ¡°Did you know? Yondaime was hailed as the fastest ninja alive.¡± Ohmygawd. I can¡¯t. I jumped. I danced. I cheered. So freaking cool! 2.6 That night, head full of dreams of Konoha¡¯s Black Flash, I sought Naruto out. I was sore, it probably would bruise fiercely the next day, but I was happy. Excited. Talking about Yondaime gave me another idea. There was another cheat just waiting for me: Shadow Clones. The ultimate learning tool. I might not have Naruto¡¯s fortitude and sheer amount of chakra to create hundreds of the buggers, but to practice? To read? To train? It was perfect. I wanted it. I wanted it real bad. I knocked on the brat¡¯s door. A disheveled Naruto opened it. It was already late at night. He had a cup of ramen in one hand, his orange uniform scattered in the room behind him. The room smelled ripe, like a lazy teenager boy¡¯s apartment. ¡°Hinata-chan?¡± I stopped breathing with my nose. Didn¡¯t want to die poisoned. I took my board. Wrote my request. I didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°Naruto-kun, teach me your shadow clone jutsu.¡± Naruto scratched his head. Looked away. ¡°It¡¯s a secret technique. I¡¯m not supposed to teach anyone.¡± I nodded, it made sense. Dug inside my bag, took my priority storage seal. Wrote another message on the board. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my special cupcake series: Sunshine and Orange!¡± I popped one of the seals, held the cupcake for the brat. Naruto eyed the cupcake, the seal. Gulped down. I delivered the ultimate move. I wrote the irresistible words. ¡°All twenty of them!¡± I saw it. The moment my words corrupted such a sweet, innocent boy. Cheat get!
Kage Bushin no Jutsu was a strange experience. It was night. I had left Naruto to his spoils after the brat taught me the jutsu. I was in my apartment. I was alone, save for four others. Four other me stared back. Round face, bob cut, button nose, dark eyes, black hair. I moved closer to one of the clones, treaded my hand in her hair. Clone-one closed her eyes. Sighed. I blinked. So weird. As one. We moved. We stood in a circle. Each facing each other. We were in sync. Needed no words. We all knew the stakes. Our hands moved. Dog - Boar - Ram. A plume of smoke filled the room. When it cleared, my mind blanked. The attack too strong for me to endure. I fell down, the last dregs of my consciousness had only one thing to say. Naruto was a fucking genius. And Sexy no Jutsu was too dangerous. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
I shambled my way toward the mission center to meet my teammates. My body hurt all over from yesterday¡¯s training. I was dizzy, weak. I blamed it all on the nosebleeds. Even now, I had to stop. Plug my nose. Look up. Too dangerous. Naruto was a genius beyond comparison. It felt like going to the academy again. The same path I took almost everyday for the past seven years. The only difference was the door I used when I arrived. My team was already there. Sasuke looked more grumpy than usual. He glared at me. Naruto smiled brighter than the sun. I guess he really liked my cupcakes. Kakashi wasn¡¯t here yet, which was good. I took from my pocket the miniature seals I had prepared in the morning. Walked toward the chunin on the mission control desk. I bowed. I wrote on my board. ¡°Excuse-me, Chunin-san. May I use this desk, just for a moment?¡± Chunin-san looked at me askance. Nodded. I placed the seals on an open space. Popped out my prepared snacks. Four containers of finger sandwiches, two thermos with tea, one big and one small. The chunin eyes popped wide open. I took one of the containers, and the small thermos. I placed in front of him. I wanted to make a good first impression. ¡°Please take good care of me!¡± I wrote on the board, bowed again. The man had a bewildered expression, but took the offering. He opened the container. Sniffed the sandwich. Took one. Ate slowly. He blinked in surprise. Ate another. Took the thermos, opened it. Smelled the tea. Poured a small cup. Took a sip. Sighed in contentment. I did a mental guts pose. Good impression get! Naruto took one of the other containers. Sasuke pretended he didn¡¯t want to, but ended up taking another. The big thermos had enough tea for us three. We sat. We ate. Naruto chattered. Today, Kakashi was late by only two hours.
It had been a few days. D-rank missions were boring. Babysit some brat. Deliver letters. Pull out weed from fields. Not everyday we have a D-rank mission, but we train everyday with Kakashi. It was a whole different beast to have an experienced jounin to personally tutor you. We focused on teamwork practice. Kakashi insisted I used my explosive babies, but prevented Naruto and Sasuke from training with them all the time, just in some particular training scenarios. ¡°They don¡¯t know how to make it.¡± He stated flatly. ¡°It will only give them bad habits to use weapons they can¡¯t always have.¡± Sasuke nodded. Naruto looked devastated. I shrugged. More explosives for me. In the afternoon, I had more focused training. Not always supervised. Kakashi-sensei and I would spar. He pointed out the flaws in my own style. Left me to practice for myself. He taught me two jutsu, Shushin no Jutsu and Shikoku fuin. That last one surprised me. When I managed to use the jutsu I looked at sensei, head tilted. ¡°Mah, you see, my cute genin is still stuck to ink to create her seals.¡± The man said, eyes crinkling with laughter. My ears burned. Why couldn''t a cute girl call me cute? ¡°Now you can write them using your chakra.¡± I nodded. It was useful. I almost wanted to hug him, but better not. He was already messing with me with the cute. He did that on purpose. I nodded in thanks, and fled the training soon after. Sometimes, I dropped by the Hokage tower to visit Secretary-chan. Let her try my new concoctions. Sneak a hug whenever I had motives, and even when I didn¡¯t. Give her a peck on the cheek when I could. Don¡¯t judge me. I was lonely. I felt isolated. I wanted to cuddle someone. Hugging my own clones wasn¡¯t the same thing as a real person. I was young. Health. Fit. Teenager hormones messed with my head. That the tip of Secretary-chan¡¯s ears turned pink was just the icing on the cake. So to speak. 2.7 Knee deep into the flooded paddy field, I plucked the weed, threw it inside the basket on my back. I straightened. My back popped. Harsh sunlight baked my head. I yawned. Idyllic and peaceful. Up ahead, Naruto bickered with Sasuke. Something about a competition, who plucked more weeds. Sasuke scowled ¡ª but didn¡¯t refuse, I noticed. A smile broke on my face. Days of constant training, contact and forced cooperation had its way of changing people. Sasuke was still an arrogant jerk, but I could see why he became friends with Naruto. It was hard to keep disliking that ball of sunshine. And I started to guess that, despite his clan surviving, Sasuke was starved for meaningful attention and affection as much as Naruto was. I hadn¡¯t considered how life must have been for him under the shadow of his living legend brother. I understand why they hired shinobi in training to do farm work. The paddy rice fields were huge, and despite the boys bickering, we worked hard and fast. A day¡¯s work for us would probably take more people way more time to complete. It was a good investment. That way, farmers could focus on cultivating the rice, instead of wasting all that manpower on weeding weeds. Kakashi-sensei sat by the field border, Icha Icha book in hand. Couldn¡¯t even complain with him. This was a genin¡¯s work. I didn¡¯t think it added anything other than team camaraderie, but that was fine. At the end of day and end of work, we met with our client. I hadn¡¯t had time to prepare this morning, but I was always prepared. I wrote on my board, popped my container of cupcakes. ¡°Thank you for hiring us, Client-sama!¡± I bowed and offered the pastries. After the man took it, I erased the text and wrote some more. ¡°Please hire us again soon!¡± Kakashi-sensei like usual, just chuckled at my antics. Sasuke looked unimpressed. Naruto looked envious. Client-sama laughed. He held the container of pastries like his life depended on it. I did a guts pose. Yosha! Diplomacy points get! All four boys laughed. Not sure why. We started on the hour-long walk back to the village. I ran ahead of the trio, turned toward them, walked backwards on the road. I wrote on my board. ¡°Sensei, will you come to the mission celebration today? I have new things to share!¡± ¡°New food Hinata-chan? What is it, what is it?¡± Naruto asked. Eyes wide. I shrugged. Wrote more. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, to celebrate our tenth successful mission! Will you join us, Sensei? Please?¡± Kakashi-sensei scratched his chin. I could see the refusal in the set of his shoulders, the tenseness of his jaws hidden beneath the cloth on his face. He sighed. Nodded. I cheered. Did a victory dance. E-rank team fraternization mission was a success!
¡°What is the distance to the target?¡± Kakashi-sensei¡¯s voice sounded in the ear-piece we wore for this mission. It was an urgent request for a high profile client. We received this one directly from the old man Hokage himself. It was the first time I had seen him in years. ¡°Five meters, I¡¯m ready anytime.¡± Sasuke¡¯s serious voice sounded soon after. ¡°Me too,¡± Naruto added. I clicked my prepared code into the communicator. ¡°Ready.¡± We were hidden behind the trees around the target. Said target was hidden beneath a bush.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Go!¡± Kakashi-sensei commanded. I circled around, cutting the target path of retreat. Sasuke circled on the other side. Naruto dove toward the target. ¡°Oraaaaa!¡± He yelled. He tumbled inside the bush. The target yowled. ¡°Gotcha!¡± Naruto hollered. Tumbled out. He held the target, Tora the cat: brown fur, red ribbon on the left ear. ¡°Are you sure this is the target?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked from the comms. ¡°Yes, we are sure.¡± Sasuke answered, all serious. Naruto still fought the cat, or maybe played with the cat. I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Good!¡± Kakashi said. ¡°Lost pet Tora search mission complete!¡± We took the cat back to the village and to the mission hall. Handed over the cat to VIP. Fat lady daimyo¡¯s wife hugged the cat, smashing her face against the poor animal. She manhandled the Tora with lots of love. I pitied it. I would have fled as well, if that was me. I walked forward. Showed my board, offered my pastries. Bowed. ¡°Thank you Shijmi-sama for hiring us!¡± ¡°Oh my, so these are the famous mission sweets I heard so much about?¡± Fat lady said something strange after she took my offerings. I wrote another message. ¡°Please hire us again soon!¡± The fat lady approached. I could have dodged, she might have been a shinobi before, but right now, she was just a fat old lady. I didn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t think I was in any danger. Not with the Hokage just on the other side of the room. The woman glomped me on a hug. Smashing me against the cat she still held against her bosom. She pinched my cheeks, patted my hair. I looked at my team in desperation. Save me! I pleaded. The traitors ignored me. Kakashi-sensei had his back to me. Naruto had fallen down laughing. Emosuke turned his face, trying to hide his smirk. I suffered the torture with all the dignity I could muster. At some point, the lady released me. Thanked us profusely for saving her baby. Thanked the Hokage-sama, moved away to pay for her mission. My pastries had disappeared at some point inside her big pink bag. The team regrouped in front of the mission desk. Iruka-sensei was the one manning the desk today. To my surprise, old man Hokage sat by his side. That was my chance! I dug on my bag, popped the traditional offering to the desk worker, cupcakes and tea ¡ª had to keep good working relationships. I rooted inside the deepest parts of my bag, took one particular seal I had prepared months ago. I popped it up. A sole cupcake, with red frosting in the shape of flames. Wrote on my board, offered it to the old man. ¡°Please accept this one old man! I named this Will and Fire!¡± Behind me, Naruto gasped. He recognized it: one of my special cupcakes series. I guess he would. He was the recipient of the other one in the series. Hokage-sama took it. Chuckled. ¡°Thank you Hinata-chan.¡± He turned to the four of us. Took a paper from the desk. ¡°Now, Kakashi¡¯s Team Seven. Your next duty is,¡± he looked at us again. ¡°Hmm, babysitting an elder¡¯s grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and helping with the potato digging.¡± ¡°No! No! No! No thank you!¡± Naruto hollered. Arms crossed on a x. ¡°I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!¡± I nodded. D-rank were boring. Even Sasuke seemed to agree this time. Kakashi-sensei just sighed. Iruka-sensei exploded. He slapped both hands on the desk. Papers falling from their neat piles. ¡°You idiot! You are just a rookie. Everyone starts off with simple duties and works their way up.¡± Hokage-sama lowered his hat. Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t want to deal with Naruto when he was in brat mode. The bickering escalated. The old man got fed up and lectured us on the mission rankings and organization. At some point, Naruto had sat on the ground, in front of me. He had his back to the still lecturing old man. I sat down with him. ¡°Last night I had pork ramen. It was tasty, but I wish I had some of your cakes after.¡± I nodded. I could see that. Pastries after meals were the best. ¡°Hey, listen!¡± Hokage-sama demanded. ¡°I apologize.¡± Kakashi-sensei said, scratching the back of his head. Naruto turned around, arms crossed, still pouting. ¡°All you do is give lectures,¡± he whined. ¡°But you know what? I¡¯m not that trouble making brat you still think I am!¡± Hokage-sama stopped. A smirk crossed his face. Naruto had turned his back again, he didn¡¯t see it. ¡°Ok.¡± The old man said. ¡°If you want it that much, I¡¯ll give you a C-rank mission. It¡¯s a protection mission of a certain individual.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Naruto cheered, mood turned 180. ¡°Who? A feudal lord? A princess?¡± Hokage sighed. ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m about to introduce him.¡± He turned to Iruka-sensei. ¡°Would you bring the client over?¡± 2.8 ¡°Shut up!¡± Naruto hollered. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to do anything to become Hokage! Once I do, you¡¯ll acknowledge me!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t you brat. Even if you become Hokage.¡± Naruto walked ahead, bickering with Tazuna. They¡¯ve been at it for days. Ever since we left the village. Between the two, it was hard to decide who was the kid. Kakashi-sensei had gone over the ninja lands overview, and the five hidden villages. I knew most of it already. Sasuke listened intently. I doubt Naruto remembered anything other than five kages. To our left, among the trees, I felt it again. I skipped ahead, catching up to Naruto and Tazuna. I clapped a few times to get Naruto¡¯s attention. When he looked, I popped my board. Wrote a message. ¡°Naruto-kun, be respectful to Client-sama.¡± The clap was a coded message. Shinobi, two, west, affiliation unknown. I don¡¯t think anyone other than Kakashi understood the message. Kakashi-nodded. Tazuna laughed. ¡°You listen to the girl brat.¡± The bundles of chakra moved away, ran ahead of us. Out of my range. But not for long. The dirt path continued ahead. A conspicuous puddle of water by the side of the path. Naruto, Tazuna and Sasuke walked past the water without even looking at it. I¡¯ll admit that if I couldn¡¯t feel the chakra, I¡¯d probably not even notice as well. It had been years since I last read Naruto, and some of the finer details had become¡­ hazy. From the Land of Waves arc, I remembered the broad strokes. Gato, Zabuza, Haku. Was there any other attack? I hackled my brain, but couldn¡¯t really remember. I glanced at Kakashi-sensei. He was at the back of the group. I didn¡¯t notice him moving there. He scratched his hair. The fingers movement held his message. Observe. Find target. I tapped Naruto to get his attention. Popped my board. Wrote. ¡°What do you think this bridge will look like?¡± Naruto chattered away. My tapping held the code. Understood. I had to hold in my smile, and my squirming, and my dancing, and my jumping. This was so cool! I¡¯m so glad I learned all the shinobi coded messages. I felt like a bad-ass actress in an action flick. Difficult to hold all my excitement. It happened fast. With no sound or warning, the chakra behind us flared. I turned around. There were two shinobi by Kakashi-sensei¡¯s side. A bladed chain held sensei trapped. The chain connected to each of the shinobi strange metal claws. ¡°What?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked, surprised. ¡°One down.¡± The shinobi with the forehead protector that looked like a super sentai helmet said. They pulled the chain. Blood splattered everywhere. Pieces of Kakashi-sensei fell down in a messy carnage.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Kakashi-sensei!¡± Naruto yelled. Panicked. I remember it now. Yeah. I might have panicked as well if it wasn''t for the familiar bundle of chakra hidden nearby. The ninjas moved again. Chains flying to envelop Naruto. ¡°Two down.¡± The duo said in unison. I cursed. Naruto had frozen up. I Prepared to create a clone, but abandoned the idea when I saw Sasuke moving. I rushed in front of Tazuna, special explosive kunai in hand. Sasuke leaped, threw a kunai disrupting the chains, tying it to one of the nearby trees. His jump landed him on the ninjas¡¯ claws. He was a whirlwind of movement, feet hitting each of the ninjas¡¯ faces. I had to admit. That was cool-ish. Even if he was still emo. The enemy jerked black, but soon regained balance. Chain disconnected from their metal hands. The enemy with the super sentai protector went for Naruto. The second one, with the horn, went for Tazuna, who hid behind me. I knew Naruto would be fine, he was ninja Jesus after all. Sasuke, dear emo Sasuke had moved in front of me, open arms to intercept the Ninja attack. Damn brat thought I needed his help. I flickered forward. Sasuke¡¯s eyes were wide when I appeared in front of him. Enemy ninja¡¯s eyes bugged out. I stabbed the kunai into the enemy''s stomach, pivoted, used his momentum to throw him away. Sasuke still didn¡¯t seem to know what was happening. The enemy ninja screamed. My kunai exploded. A rain of gore and body parts fell on us. Kakashi-sensei was by my side. Second ninja unconscious under his arm. ¡°Good job.¡± He patted my head. ¡°But try to get them alive when possible.¡± The man added. I nodded. I felt a bit icky right now. My fan-girl powers had dominated that moment, and I never stopped to think exactly what I was doing. I just killed a person. Should I feel anything? I mean, I did feel icky and gross. I was covered in body bits and gore and blood. But aside from that? I felt¡­ good? Yeah, good. Not about killing the man. About that, I felt nothing. But about doing a good job, protecting the client. And the awesome explosion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t save you immediately, Naruto. You got injured. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d freeze like that.¡± Kakashi-sensei turned to Sasuke, who was still staring at me. Naruto was staring as well, his face was a mix of conflicting emotions. ¡°Nice job, Sasuke.¡± Kakashi praised Emosuke. Sasuke shook his head, like dismissing a bad idea. Looked at Naruto. Smirked. ¡°You alright there, mister I froze up?¡± Naruto finally got out of his funk. Face a scowl. Kakashi cut him before the hollering started. ¡°Naruto, save it for later. Their claws are soaked in poison. We have to remove it quickly. We must open up the wound and release the poison. Don¡¯t move much, or the poison will spread.¡± Naruto locked up again. This time a different kind of panic. Kakashi-sensei tied the surviving ninja to a tree. Called Tazuna over. ¡°This guy is a chunin from Hidden Mist. They don¡¯t give up on their mission.¡± He looked at the old drunkard. ¡°I waited to see who their real target was.¡± Kakashi-sensei said, voice serious. ¡°They weren¡¯t after us. You were the target.¡± The man stood silent. Facing Kakashi-sensei. ¡°You lied. This has become at least a B-rank mission. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons, but it causes problems when you lie about the details of the mission. We are operating now outside our duties.¡± He looked around, the splattered gore, Naruto¡¯s ever worsening face. Sweat beaded Naruto¡¯s brown. The poison perhaps? ¡°This might be too much.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. ¡°I guess we should return to the village.¡± 2.9 Naruto stabbed his own hand, cutting deep the injury already there. He had his back to us. His whole body trembled. ¡°With this kunai,¡± the brat said, turned to face us, bleeding hand held in front of his face. His eyes were resolute. He had a fierce smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll protect the old man. We¡¯re continuing the mission!¡± I was caught between my wanting to fan-girl at the awesome Naruto moment, and face-palm at the brat gall. Kakashi-sensei beat me to any reaction. ¡°Naruto, it¡¯s good you are releasing the poison, but anymore bleeding,¡± Kakashi stepped closer, crouched in front of the kid, ¡°you¡¯ll die from blood loss, seriously.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s bad! I can¡¯t die from something like this! Save me sensei!!¡± Kakashi dealt with Naruto¡¯s hand. Tazuna, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up. ¡°Sensei, I have to talk with you¡­"
Heavy mist blocked most of our vision. We were almost at our destination. Tazuna had spilled his sob story, and guilt tripped Naruto, who convinced Kakashi into following up with the mission, even if Tazuna had Gato¡¯s thugs and hired ninja after his sorry drunkard ass. ¡°We¡¯ll see the bridge soon. We¡¯re almost in Wave territory now.¡± The boat guy whispered. Introspection dominated my mind since the attack. I had never considered the whole Gato problem. Even after being placed on team seven, it had slipped my mind. I knew the mission was trouble, but never considered what I wanted to do with it. Even with my failing memory, I remember it was sad. Haku living to be a tool. Zabuza cried when his boy died. Gato mob trying to kill everyone at the end. Many of the Naruto fanfiction I read in the before, often meddled with things to save Haku and Zabuza. But, did I want to? It was implied that Zabuza killed more than a hundred kids of his year¡¯s cohort during his academy days. I didn¡¯t know if the guy was really worth saving. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s huge!¡± Naruto yelled. ¡°Hey, be quiet!¡± Boat guy chastised. ¡°Why do you think we are hiding in the mist and not using the engine?¡± I blinked, the interaction distracting me. I blinked again, thinking back on my own rationale. That was¡­ surprisingly narcissistic of me. Out of context, it sounded like some wannabe villain with delusions of godhood, deciding to save or not some minor character. That raised a question I hadn¡¯t considered yet. I doubt that on earth I¡¯d be this callous about taking a life, or deciding other¡¯s future. Was I still myself? If nothing else, that decided it. I would do my best to keep both alive. Kakashi-sensei could take the lead on that one after, if the situation called for it. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon. Looks like we avoided detection so far. I¡¯ll take the route that has vegetation. The enemy won¡¯t be able to spot us.¡± Boat guy said.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Tazuna nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± We passed through some tunnel, the vista opening to a water bound village. Wooden houses just barely water level. Strange, rooty trees grew up from the water. The boat sneaked around those, our passage hidden by the leaves. The small boat docked on a wooden platform attached to one of the houses. ¡°This is it for me. Good bye and good luck.¡± Boat guy said. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Tazuna smiled. Boat guy turned on his engine, sailed away. Made no sense to me why he would bring attention like that. Guess he had a few loose screws. ¡°Ok! Get me home safely.¡± Drunk Tazuna demanded. We walked the tight corridor. It twisted around the house, leading to a dirt path, which we followed. The mist soon cleared. Naruto¡¯s head was on a swivel. Every small sound, imagined or not, he jumped at. ¡°There!¡± Naruto yelled, threw a shuriken. Silence followed his actions. ¡°Heh, just a rat.¡± He said, posing. ¡°Naruto, please stop using shuriken. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Kakashi-sensei all but whined. Tazuna wasn¡¯t that gentle. ¡°Hey, midget! Stop acting like a moron!¡± I face-palmed, a loud smack to my own face. Sasuke and Kakashi glanced my way. My fingers taped over my forehead. The code flowed. Southwest, trees, one shinobi, strong. Naruto was ahead of the pack, already looking for the next bush. ¡°Hey, I think I see a shadow¡ª¡± He turned abruptly, threw another shuriken. A white rabbit jumped out of the bush. A swishing sound of air being cut resounded from southwest. Thank god Sasuke understood my code. I flickered ahead. Tackled Naruto to the ground. Sasuke tackled Tazuna. Kakashi crouched down. Momochi Zabuza¡¯s sword flew above us. It hit a tree, got stuck there. The man soon appeared, posing on the handle of his weapon. His back to us, looking down on us. I kinda wanted to cheer him out. Edgy af. Cool af. Naruto got up, a stupid smile on his face. I could see the dumb idea there. ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t Hidden Mist missing-nin Momochi Zabuza-kun.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. Naruto took a step forward. Kakashi¡¯s hand stopped Naruto from going toward the enemy. ¡°Everyone, get back. This one is on a whole other level.¡± Zabuza kept looking down on us. ¡°It¡¯ll be a little tough, unless I do this¡­¡± Kakashi said. Pulled his forehead protector up, red eye in full display. ¡°You are Sharingan Kakashi. Sorry but, the old man is mine.¡± Zabuza¡¯s rough voice sounded out. Naruto looked confused. Sasuke looked intense. Kakashi looked serious. ¡°Surround and Protect Tazuna-san. Do not try to interfere with the fight. That is your teamwork.¡± ¡°What the hell is that eye?¡± The brat yelled. Emosuke answered. His voice was dark. ¡°It¡¯s said some have the ability to read and defeat all types of genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu. The sharingan is one type of pupil that gives you this power.¡± Zabuza chuckled. Creepy. Edgy. I loved it. ¡°Hehe, but that¡¯s not all. What is even scarier is that you can copy your opponent''s jutsu once you see them. I kept this handbook before. It had information about you. The man who copied more than a thousand jutsu. Copy Ninja Kakashi. My orders were to kill you on sight.¡± Zabuza crouched on top of his sword handle. Finally facing us. ¡°Enough talking. I have to kill that man.¡± We moved as one and surrounded Tazuna¡¯s drunken ass. Kakashi stood in front of us, facing the enemy. ¡°But it seems I have to beat you first.¡± Zabuza said. Kicked the tree, removed his big ass sword. Flew above us. Fell on the river. He stood tall on top of the water, one hand up, other curled on a seal in front of his mouth. Water swirled around him. Mist blew outward. Chakra spilled forward. Heavy, dense, suffocating. Like someone squeezed my heart. But not worse than that one time with Shimura fucking Danzo. ¡°Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu.¡± Zabuza¡¯s voice echoed from inside the mist. 2.10 ¡°Eight choices.¡± Zabuza¡¯s creepy voice sounded inside the ever thickening mist. ¡°Liver, lungs, spine, subclavian vein, neck vein, brain, kidney, heart.¡± The moment stretched. ¡°The mist is getting thicker!!¡± Naruto yelled the obvious. ¡°Which one should I go after?¡± Zabuza crooned. It was all theatrics, but effective. The pressure from his chakra doubled up. It felt like I had a sword at my neck, and I¡¯d die any moment. Was that killing intent? Naruto and Sasuke weren¡¯t doing any better. Sweat poured from Sasuke¡¯s face. He held a kunai, but he trembled like a leaf in the wind. His eyes were wide and unfocused. ¡°Sasuke.¡± Kakashi called out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you guys even if it kills me.¡± He looked back at us. Smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t let my comrades die.¡± Damn that man! Why now of all times to trigger my fan-girl side? I kinda wanted to cheer, even if the moment wasn¡¯t appropriate. It helped calm down the boys and the client, at least for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Zabuza¡¯s guttural whisper echoed. Strange bundles of chakra spread around us, inside the cloying mist. Faster than I could perceive, one appeared between us. Zabuza had his sword over his back, ready to attack. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The man said. I reacted, but not fast enough. Kakashi flickered among us. Somehow, he managed to push all four of us away, while still sinking his kunai into Zabuza¡¯s stomach. Water spilled from the wound. From the mists behind sensei, another Zabuza materialized. ¡°Behind you, sensei!¡± Naruto yelled at the same time the first Zabuza dissolved into water. The missing-nin huge sword moved in a fast arc, cleaving Kakashi into two pieces that soon also dissolved into water. It was at that moment Kakashi appeared behind Zabuza, holding a Kunai to the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move. It¡¯s over.¡± Kakashi-sensei declared. ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s over? You don¡¯t¡ª¡± I tapped my foot urgently. Hurried coded message to sensei. Clone, enemy behind. It might not have been my best plan. Both Zabuza and Kakashi¡¯s head snapped to me. Kakashi thrust the kunai on the clone¡¯s neck, then ducked, just in time to avoid the horizontal sword attack. Zabuza¡¯s sword completed the arc, embedding itself into the ground behind him. The missing-nin used the momentum and sword handle to pivot and kick Kakashi away. Kakashi flew across the field, and splashed onto the river across the clearing. Zabuza disappeared. Body flicker or just speed? I couldn¡¯t tell. His chakra was by sensei¡¯s side. A water bubble grew from the river and trapped Kakashi inside it. I had just watched things happen because those were sensei orders. Protect the client, don¡¯t interfere with the fight. I could have helped, maybe prevented this outcome. Should I have interfered or obeyed the orders? It was now a moot point.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You tried to escape through the water. Big mistake.¡± Zabuza chuckled. ¡°Now I have you in my inescapable prison.¡± With one hand stuck inside the water bubble, the man looked at us. ¡°We can finish things later Kakashi, first I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± With a single hand, still keeping the bubble prison, the man used a jutsu. ¡°Mizu Bushin no jutsu.¡± Two clones formed from the mist and plashed water in front of us. Each a perfect copy of Zabuza, each hunched forward, arms dangling with his creepy stare fixed on us. ¡°Wearing those headbands and acting like ninjas. A real ninja is someone who survived numerous brushes with death.¡± One of the clones charged, and kicked a still stunned Naruto. ¡°You are not ninjas,¡± the clone said, stomping on the forehead protector that had fallen to the ground. ¡°Just brats.¡± The real Zabuza said from the water. I was impressed. And juuust a bit scared. Holding an active jutsu, summoning two clones with just one hand seal. That took control, a lot of it. But I didn¡¯t have time to think about that. ¡°Take Tazuna-san and run!¡± Kakashi yelled from his prison. ¡°You have no chance of beating him. As long as he keeps me here, he can¡¯t move. Just run away now!¡± While all of this happened, the second water clone had stepped inside the mists and disappeared. Naruto stood, glaring at the clone. He dashed forward, a wordless scream on his mouth. ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± Kakashi yelled, but it was too late. Zabuza kicked Naruto again, hard. The brat flew off, crashed nearby Sasuke. I noticed he had recovered his protector. A hazy memory of the manga surfaced in my mind. A cool speech, a wild plan, cooperation between the boys. I moved in front of the client. Naruto had decided for us. Wouldn¡¯t flee and leave Kakashi behind. Couldn¡¯t let the client get hurt. The byplay between Sasuke and Naruto happened, and the visible clone attacked Sasuke. A crowd of shadow clones emerged, and the battle on that front was on. But I had my own problems. ¡°How did you notice my clone, little girl?¡± The creepy voice asked from the mist. ¡°Not even your sensei had, how did you?¡± The clone kept walking around me and Tazuna. I couldn¡¯t let the ninja get behind my back. That was asking for trouble. I moved as well, kunai in hand, circling around Tazuna to avoid any attack. The chakra flared, appeared behind Tazuna. I flickered too, Kunai held in both hands. The silent attack came, it hit my kunai. Stopped. I grunted, pushed the sword back. The clone wasn¡¯t physically stronger than me. Zabuza stared me down. ¡°You can sense chakra. Who are you?¡± I pushed forward. Moved my kunai to let the sword slide on the side. I ducked low. Kicked as hard as I could. Zabuza brought the flat of the sword to defend. My feet hit the metal with a dull clang. The man used the momentum to disengage and disappear in the mists again. ¡°Who are you?¡± The clone demanded again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak? Scared?¡± I gnashed my teeth, cursed my muteness. I wanted to banter with the enemy. I wanted to taunt and say cool shit. ¡°If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll just need to make you.¡± The clone mocked. More and more attacks came my way. The more blows we traded, the more confident I got. I could follow the clone¡¯s movements better. Used my own hodgepodge style to deflect most of the sword attacks. Zabuza ramped up the attempts, but I was more than the clones match. The battle around us still raged between Naruto, Sasuke and the other clones. I needed to finish this fast. I followed the clone once it retreated into the mists again, not giving it any chance to retaliate. ¡°Naive,¡± the man whispered, and I realized my mistake when the Zabuza dissolved into mists, only to appear on the other side near Tazuna, which I had left unguarded while chasing the enemy. ¡°Suiton: Mizutama.¡± Zabuza¡¯s voice echoed. I panicked. Didn¡¯t have time for hand seals. Didn¡¯t need them. With a puff of smoke, I swapped places with Tazuna. The water projectile meant for his stomach pierced my shoulder, blood splattering on the other side. I yelled, wordlessly. A hand covering the injury. The clone formed again from the mist. Two handed sword held high. Shit. I was so fucked. 2.11 ¡°You did well, little ninja. You can die¡ª¡± Zabuza¡¯s clone cut mid taunt. Splashed into a puddle of water. The mist billowed out. Over by the river, Naruto flailed, trying to keep his head above water. Kakashi-sensei, now freed from the prison, matched the real Zabuza seal by seal. Huge water dragons formed from the water, clashed against one another. Naruto washed into the clearings pushed by the waves. Was that Kakashi-sensei¡¯s doing? I still couldn¡¯t rest. I shambled toward Tazuna, stood in front of the man. Put the pain out of my mind. Had to protect the client. He didn¡¯t even seem to notice me, so captivated by the battle. In the river, the battle raged on. Kakashi-sensei copied the enemy movement to the smallest of details. Zabuza started his speech, Kakashi finished it. Mind games, I realized. It worked too. Mid cast one jutsu, Zabuza stopped, surprised, on the last seal. Kakashi didn¡¯t. A huge whirlwind of water exploded around him. It hit the surprised Zabuza. Caught unaware, the man couldn¡¯t defend himself. The water threw him back into the clearing. The missing-nin slammed against a tree. I didn¡¯t see when sensei did it, but kunais pierced Zabuza¡¯s arms, legs. Kakashi stood on the same tree, on a branch, looking down on the enemy. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Kakashi-sensei declared. ¡°How?¡± Zabuza demanded. ¡°Can you see the future?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kakashi agreed. ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± Two thick senbon needles pierced Zabuza¡¯s neck. The man¡¯s eyes went wide. He toppled over. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± A soft, melodic voice echoed. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Up on a tree opposite Kakashi¡¯s stood another ninja. Dressed in dark green and orange robes, mask covering their face, hair tied in a bun. Kakashi dropped down, checked Zabuza¡¯s pulse. Looked at the newcomer. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The surprise attacker bowed. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time.¡± ¡°You are a Kirigakure hunter-nin.¡± Sensei stated. ¡°Impressive. You are indeed correct. It¡¯s my duty to hunt down missing-nins.¡± Naruto had his teeth gritted. Face a storm. He looked at Zabuza¡¯s body, Kakashi-sensei, and Haku. I was pretty sure it was Haku. ¡°What the hell!¡± Naruto hollered. Pointed at the masked ninja. ¡°Who are you?¡± Sensei¡¯s chakra had tanked. He barely had anything left after his fight. Even so, he stood strong. My legs wobbled a bit. I ignored the pain, wooziness, and darkness creeping on my vision. Pressed harder on the wound. Shinobi rules, couldn¡¯t show weakness in front of the enemy. Haku was strong. I didn¡¯t even try to send a coded message to Kakashi. Not after Zabuza noticed my last. Couldn¡¯t risk another fight now.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Naruto kept his hollering, still not believing a young ninja could be strong. He looked put out by Haku¡¯s apparent age. Haku flickered from the tree branch to where Zabuza''s body was. Draped Zabuza¡¯s over one shoulder. ¡°The battle is over, and I must dispose of this body.¡± Performed a one handed seal in front of the mask. ¡°Farewell.¡± Haku¡¯s voice echoed, in a puff of leaves, they disappeared. That was good. Enemies were gone. Team was safe. Kakashi pulled his forehead protector down, hiding his eye again. ¡°Now we have to¡ª¡± I clicked my kunai against my protector. The tinkling sound cut off Kakashi¡¯s speech. Enemy alive, enemy gone. Darkness had started to creep around my vision, but I had to alert Kakashi before he was taken by surprise again. Naruto gasped. ¡°Hinata-chan!¡± Tazuna yelled. The world toppled over. Last thing I remember was hitting the ground at the same time as Kakashi. The wide look of surprise on his contorted face. Hehe. He looked so uncool.
I woke up to a lady talking to Kakashi. ¡°Are you alright, sensei?¡± Kakashi¡¯s voice sounded resigned. ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t move for a week or so.¡± ¡°And what about Hinata?¡± The woman demanded. I stirred at my name. Sat up. Pain flared on my shoulder. Looked around. I was on a futon. Kakashi was on the other side of the room. Someone, I hoped the lady, had bandaged my whole chest and shoulder. My shirt was nowhere in sight. My right arm didn¡¯t move right. Pain flared when I tried to move it. ¡°Hinata-chan! You¡¯re awake!¡± Naruto was the first to notice me. He came running and for a moment I thought he would hug me. The kid stopped just before that. He looked surprised. Not just Naruto. Everyone looked like they didn¡¯t expect me to be awake. I did what a girl my age, undressed in a room full of boys would do: I pulled the blanket close, covered my bandaged chest. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The woman yelled. ¡°Out, everyone out!¡± ¡°But, but,¡± Naruto complained. Sasuke brooded. Tazuna scratched the back of his head. The room was soon empty save for a still paralyzed sensei and a bustling woman. She walked to me, sat down seiza by my side. ¡°How are you, dear?¡± She asked. I tilted my head. Wasn¡¯t sure why she was treating me like a wild puppy. I looked around, Kakashi was looking at me too. ¡°You lost a lot of blood,¡± Sensei said, probably understanding my confusion. ¡°We didn¡¯t expect you to be awake for a few days, at least.¡± I looked at the woman fussing over me. She¡­ looked like a mother? Dressed plainly in light and dark green tones, full of mother energy. I looked at my arms. My bracelets, and seals were gone. I looked around, saw them deposited atop my small backpack. I pointed to it. ¡°You want that, dear?¡± The woman asked. I nodded. She handed me over the things. I sifted through my belongings until I found my comms board. Then sifted through my bag, took my prepared seals. Placed them in front of me to the curious stares of Kakashi and Oka-san. Out popped the board, to a surprised gasp from the woman. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Hinata,¡± I wrote on my board. ¡°We¡¯re here to protect Tazuna-san and his family while he finishes the bridge. You can count on us!¡± Oka-san read my board, looked bewildered. I knew what I had forgotten. I popped my prepared mission pastries, offered them to the woman. She took it hesitantly. ¡°We¡¯ll protect you without fail!¡± I wrote. ¡°Meanwhile, please enjoy these pastries.¡± Kakashi-sensei stared for a moment, broke out chuckling, burst out in a full laughter. Oka-san sighed. Muttered under her breath. It sounded a lot like ¡°these damn crazy ninjas¡±. It couldn¡¯t have been. I wasn¡¯t crazy. I just introduced myself. Kakashi-sensei laughter went on for a while. I think he did that on purpose. That was so uncool. 2.12 Oka-san, I learned her name was Tsunami and was full of mom energy because, well, she was a mother. Her son, Inari, was even a bigger brat than Naruto. That¡¯s to say, the two hit off like brothers. They bickered all the time. Sad boy Inari trying to convince Naruto the world was bleak. Sunshine ball of positivity Naruto hollering he was a hero. It was nuts, it was funny. The gentle gaze I often caught on Tsunami¡¯s face said she agreed. Tsunami somehow decided I needed to be mommy¡¯ed over, with constant murmuring complaints that translated to ¡®children should be playing, not fighting for their life¡¯. I kinda agreed with her, but didn¡¯t really. I chose this life. I was happy with this life, even if a bit lonely. I let her fuss over me. I even enjoyed it. If it meant the client was satisfied, why should I deny her the chance to do what she wanted? I summoned another set of clothes. Threw the blanket over Kakashi-sensei¡¯s face, and let the woman help me get dressed. It was embarrassing, I¡¯ll tell you that. But after a grueling awkward session, I was dressed, with the bloodied and dusty clothes set aside for cleaning. ¡°I¡¯ll wash them for you,¡± Tsunami said. I bowed deeply in thanks. I couldn¡¯t move my right arm, my shoulder hurt a lot whenever I tried. I also felt a bit woozy, but not enough I thought I needed to be in bed.
That same night, we sat down around sensei¡¯s futon, food bowl in hand. It had been a while since I ate someone else''s food. It tasted nice. It tasted like a mother¡¯s food. Tsunami¡¯s Oka-san powers were over 9000. ¡°Can you explain your last message, Hinata-chan?¡± Kakashi sensei broke the silence. ¡°What message?¡± Naruto asked. Sasuke looked at me suspiciously. I nodded. Took a kunai. Repeated the message the same way I did before, tapping the kunai to my protector. The ringing sound spread in the room. Enemy alive, enemy gone. Kakashi nodded. Sasuke looked thoughtful. Naruto was just confused. I took my board. ¡°I can feel chakra. Always could, ever since Daikoku-sensei helped me sense chakra at the start of academy. Everyone has chakra inside them, unless they are dead.¡± I wrote, remembering the dead ninja who tried to kidnap me. Sasuke glared at me. Naruto tilted his head. Gasped in surprise. Pointed at me. Hollered. ¡°That¡¯s how you always win the hide and seek games!¡± I stuck my tongue out at him. Naruto gaped. I erased my board, wrote the rest of the message. ¡°Even after the hunter-nin killed Zabuza, he still had chakra, which shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Kakashi-sensei nodded. ¡°I should have realized that.¡± The man admitted. ¡°Hunter-nin disposes of the body immediately, they don¡¯t take it away. And a senbon is a strange choice for a killing weapon.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°What do you mean, sensei?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°Like Hinata-chan said, most likely Zabuza is alive, and that second ninja was his accomplice.¡± Naruto¡¯s face changed. He had determined eyes and a grin spread across his face. ¡°You guys needed training. You are improving fast. Especially you, Naruto. You¡¯ve improved the most.¡± ¡°But if Zabuza is alive, couldn¡¯t he attack at any moment?¡± Sasuke finally broke his silence. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Kakashi said, ¡°Inducing temporary death has consequences. Zabuza shouldn¡¯t be fit to fight for a while. We train until then.¡±
We had arrived at Tazuna¡¯s house in the afternoon; now was the crack of dawn of the following day. My shoulder still hurt, but it wasn¡¯t bad. Didn¡¯t feel that serious. Maybe the attack hadn¡¯t been as dangerous as it looked? Kakashi-sensei walked in front of us with his crutches, and we followed him out of the house, into the nearby fields and forest. By sensei¡¯s own words, we needed training. ¡°We¡¯ll start with the training.¡± Sensei said. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Naruto yelled. ¡°But before that, I want to talk about chakra.¡± Naruto tilted his head. ¡°Chakra, what¡¯s that?¡± I blinked. Even Sasuke looked surprised. Kakashi-sensei slumped. Looked about a decade older. I gave Naruto the rundown. Physical and spiritual energy combine to create chakra. The use of hand seals to force the chakra into jutsu. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Naruto scratched his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand that complicated explanation, but isn¡¯t that something you learn with your body?¡± For once, Sasuke agreed with Naruto. ¡°Naruto is right. We can already use jutsu.¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Kakashi said cheerfully. ¡°You are not using chakra properly.¡± ¡°What?!!¡± Naruto yelled. ¡°Like Hinata-chan wrote earlier, to release chakra means to bring physical and spiritual energy and mix them inside your body. Even if you are able to release a high amount of chakra, unless you control it properly, the jutsu will be weakened or might not even work at all.¡± ¡°What are we going to do, then?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°Tree climbing.¡± Sensei delivered. I wanted to face palm. I had forgotten Naruto and Sasuke were still newbies. Things I¡¯ve been doing for years, they were just starting. Yet, they were still strong enough on their own. Was that the power of the protagonist? A spike of sadness punctured my heart. I thought I was strong. But I couldn¡¯t even beat a simple water clone. ¡°We learned that in the academy!¡± Naruto whined. ¡°This isn''t normal tree climbing. You¡¯ll climb without using your hands.¡± That caught the boy''s attention. ¡°Watch well,¡± Sensei said. He did a hand seal, his small bundle of chakra stirred. The man walked over to the tree and kept walking. I nodded. That would have been cool if I didn¡¯t know about it as well. Kakashi was upside down, eye turned into a crescent. ¡°You understand now? Gather chakra in the bottom of your feet, and climb up a tree. This is something you can do once you can use chakra well.¡± Sensei threw kunais at our feet. ¡°The purpose of this exercise is to teach you control. If you can master this, you should be able to master any jutsu,¡± The man sighed, said in a lower voice, ¡°in theory.¡± He looked at us again. ¡°That also helps you build the stamina needed to control chakra properly. Get some momentum, use the kunais to mark how high you went. Your goal is to climb the highest you can.¡± ¡°This training is nothing to me!¡± Naruto hollered. ¡°I could do it before breakfast, ¡®cause I¡¯m the most improved!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop bragging, pick a tree and hurry up to climb it?¡± Sensei said. Sasuke and Naruto did just that. Concentrated for a moment, their chakra bubbling. They ran toward the tree. I watched, still dejected. I wanted some more chakra training myself. 2.13 I sat down on the grass, looking at the boys trying to climb the tree. Sasuke had a good advantage on Naruto. Naruto looked at the tree, then at me sitting on the grass. I had climbed as well when Naruto complained I wasn¡¯t training. It shut him right up, and lit a fire under his feet. Naruto walked over, crouched by my side. Whispered his question. ¡°How did you do it, Hinata-chan?¡± I considered popping the brat¡¯s bubble. Tell him it took me almost a month of daily training to get it right. I didn¡¯t. That was petty, because I was feeling petty. I took my board, wrote on it. ¡°Call Sasuke-kun over as well?¡± Naruto looked conflicted. I added a new line. ¡°We¡¯re a team, Naruto-kun.¡± He nodded, determined. ¡°Oi, Sasuke, get your ass here. Hinata-chan wants to tell us something.¡± I kinda wanted to hug Naruto? It was awesome how he could put out any perceived competition and be the better person. I didn¡¯t think I could do it. Instead of hugging him, I did the next best thing. Popped a cupcake, presented it to him. The blinding smile he gave me back was so worth it. Sasuke joined us, after Naruto hollered three more times. ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy with training?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Naruto yelled. ¡°Hinata-will teach us how she did it.¡± Sasuke scoffed. I couldn¡¯t fault him. The way Naruto said it was like I was better than Kakashi-sensei. I wrote on my board. ¡°There isn¡¯t any shortcut I can teach you guys, but I can tell you how I trained myself. It might help.¡± ¡°What, but, Hinata-chan¡­¡± Naruto looked devastated. Sasuke, finally, looked interested. I patted Naruto¡¯s head. Decided to be cheesy just for a moment. I wrote another message. ¡°There¡¯s no shortcut to power Naruto-kun. Only focused practice and improvement.¡± That, I knew, was a blatant lie. Naruto had his power cheat in the form of Kyuubi. Sasuke had his Sharingan. But what mattered was the mood and conviction. Couldn¡¯t have Naruto thinking he didn¡¯t need to work hard. I got up, pointed at my feet, concentrated chakra on them. Took a step¨Ca chunk of the ground came up when I lifted my feet. I wrote on my board. ¡°I started, instead of climbing a tree, trying to glue myself to the ground. The concepts are the same, but I didn¡¯t need to worry about climbing and falling at the same time.¡± I put the chunk of earth back on its original place. Walked to a tree, motioned the boys to follow. ¡°I also started climbing like this. Watch.¡± I coated my hand with chakra. Made it visible to drive home my point. I stuck my hand to the bark, palm open so they knew I wasn¡¯t grabbing. Pulled myself up. To this demonstration, I placed my knee on the tree for support, released my hand, and slapped it higher. I looked at the boys. Dropped down.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Again, the concept is the same, but pushing chakra out of your hands is easier, because you¡¯ve been doing it for a while when practicing jutsu and hand-seals, this serves to get you used to the amount of chakra needed to keep stuck.¡± Sasuke nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said. Then he walked away, and started running up the tree again. The fucker! I decided I wanted to be petty. I scribbled for Naruto. ¡°Naruto-kun, you can use your shadow clones to help you train.¡± ¡°How?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°Just trust me. Create a bunch of clones. Have some try climbing the trees the way Kakashi-sensei said, others try walking the way I showed, some others climbing the tree by sticking their hand on it.¡± When I was sure Naruto had read the message I erased it and wrote another, along with my secret weapon. ¡°After 30 minutes, unsummon all your clones, then do it all over again. I¡¯ll give you one of my special series if you do. Will and Fire.¡± Naruto nodded. Eyes fierce. Out popped a bunch of clones, each went about doing their own thing. I smiled a very evil smile. I couldn¡¯t wait to see Emosuke¡¯s face when Naruto beat him to the tree top. But the distraction lasted just a while. I got tired and sat down again. ¡°Good idea with the alternative ways of training.¡± Sensei said, patting me on the head. I stood quiet, wasn¡¯t in the mood for conversation. ¡°What¡¯s eating you, my cute genin?¡± Kakashi-sensei asked, sat by my side. I didn¡¯t even blush at the obvious teasing. I sighed, still felt down. At least with sensei, I didn¡¯t need to hold back. My chakra threads picked up the eraser, wiped the words on my board. Another set of threads held the pen, wrote the message. All the while, I still looked down. ¡°I want to train. I thought I was strong. I couldn¡¯t defeat a single clone.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sensei asked. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± I plucked some of the grass. My threads kept their work. ¡°I got arrogant. Felt like I could defeat the clone, then help the boys. Zabuza tricked me into leaving Tazuna alone. I had to use kawarimi no jutsu to take his place, or Zabuza would have killed him. I think I would have died had you not broken free of the prison.¡± I threw away the grass I obsessively plucked. The frustration from the last few years bubbled out. I couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. ¡°I thought I was strong. It feels like I barely improved the last few years. I don¡¯t know how else to practice my control, my taijutsu is a mess, I don¡¯t know any jutsu, I¡¯m stuck at my seals. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Tears spilled from my eyes. I grabbed my injured shoulder. Pressed hard on it. The pain felt something I deserved, even if that was a dumb sentiment. I knew I had done my best. I wasn¡¯t some kid genius S-rank ninja at the age of 7. I would climb through hard work. But nothing felt like hard work anymore. I only saw walls I couldn¡¯t climb. ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. I mute scoffed at his words. Rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest rookie I¡¯ve seen in a while. What you lack is experience, and that you can only learn with time.¡± I threw away another handful of plucked grass leaves. Yeah, thank you very much sensei. That helped a lot. Sensei didn¡¯t seem to have any other words of wisdom. I got up, bowed. Turned around and returned back to Tazuna¡¯s house. Better help Tsunami with breakfast, and the house chores. That felt like a better use of my time. Kakashi-sensei¡¯s stare followed me until the trees blocked the view. 2.14 Fully decked with all my seals and bracelets, dressed in my ninja statement outfit, I followed Tazuna out of the house. I spent the rest of the early morning helping Tsunami with all the normal house chores. The boys had eaten breakfast for three, ran out of the house to continue training. Since Kakashi-sensei was out of commission for at least a week, it fell down to me ¡ª injured me ¡ª to protect the client while he did his bridge building thing. That was more than fine with me. The shoulder injury didn¡¯t seem as bad as it first appeared, and I could fight if the situation demanded. And I needed space, and time to think. I thought after I joined a team, I would improve faster, but aside from helping me with taijutsu, and teaching me those two jutsu, Kakashi-sensei hadn¡¯t actually helped me that much. Naruto and Sasuke were improving fast, and it felt like I was being intentionally train-blocked. Yeah, sure, I had improved my teamwork, we learned a lot about politics and how the world functioned. But I had not seen any big personal improvement. Or at least that was what it felt like. Kakashi-sensei might be right that what I need was experience. It just felt like it wasn''t enough. If I couldn¡¯t defeat Zabuza¡¯s clone, how could I interfere with Orochimaru and the Third¡¯s fight? How could I make sure the old man wouldn¡¯t die? I followed Tazuna through a shanty town. He waved and talked and shook hands. The man seemed to know everyone. The people were happy and energized by his presence. Was that the same rude drunkard Tazuna we escorted from the Land of Fire? The difference was uncanny. A bunch of thugs walked onto the still unfinished bridge, pushing workers out of their way, threatening people with their improvised weapons. They beelined straight for Tazuna. The trio stopped, weapons held in both hands. My work was boring. I mean, super boring. I just had to stand around, and make sure no one messed with Tazuna. Like what those assholes were doing just now. ¡°Look here old man.¡± The biggest of the lot declared. ¡°Gato-sama¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t let him finish. That was more than enough confirmation they were sent by the enemy. I moved, ninja speed fast. I punched the man on the stomach. I might have used a bit more strength than appropriate. I didn¡¯t care, really. My fist sunk into the man¡¯s stomach. His eyes bugged out. He went flying away, crashed against the bridge railing, toppled over and fell into the river. The other two thugs stared at me scared shitless. I popped my board. Wrote a message. ¡°Better go save him or he will drown.¡± The thugs bolted. I wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to rescue their comrade. For a moment I debated just leaving it at that. The other workers'' stares made me feel uncomfortable. Tazuna approached, whispered to me. ¡°Can you make sure he doesn¡¯t die? The boy is just being used by Gato, he doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡± I nodded. That was fine. Even more so now that it was a client request. I walked to the bridge railing. Jumped out, fell on the water, feet covered in chakra so I wouldn''t get wet. My threads dug inside the river, pulled the man out. I made sure to poke him in the correct places to wake him up. The man spluttered, coughed a lot of water. I walked to the river bank, deposited the man there. Noticed the other thugs were there as well, trying to prepare a boat. They looked pretty freaked out to see me walking on water.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I threw the moaning man at them. Turned away, walked up one of the bridge pillars, then into the bridge itself. That was pretty cool, if I do say so myself. I had to contain a bit of my joyful squirming. Being a ninja was so cool.
Second day of guard duty went about the same. In the morning, I did my katas, reflected on the battle with the water clone. Thought what I could have done better. If Kakashi-sensei wouldn¡¯t help, I just needed to improve on my own. The inner fan-girl had taken over for a while, and convinced me that Kakashi-sensei, the coolest ninja in the whole story, would teach me lots. Hold my hand and gift me all the secrets of power. Now that I think about it, for the past two years I¡¯ve been basically waiting until Kurenai-sensei taught me how to become strong. That was when the trouble started, when I unconsciously decided other people were responsible to teach me stuff. No one would hold my hand and guide me to become stronger. I had to take power by the horns, and dominate it myself, so to speak. I helped Tsunami-san around the house again. She fussed over my still recovering arm. I let her. Felt good to be pampered. The boys went back to training. I followed Tazuna to the bridge. A peaceful morning of work came and went. I upped my control training. I could always increase the number of threads I was using, and how many things I controlled at the same time, while still keeping stuff glued to my skin, while still paying attention to the surroundings. Couldn¡¯t let a ninja or a normal thug attack the client after all. It felt nostalgic to push myself with this type of control exercise. Not that I ever really stopped training, even if the exercises were easy most of the time. I followed Tazuna to a restaurant. The man had some sort of agreement with the owner. A lot of the workers came to eat here. The place looked shoddy. The client sat on a bigger table, surrounded by workers. I sat a bit further away. Popped my own food out of my seals. I had just bitten into the first bite of my rolled eggs when I felt it. A bundle of chakra, a bonfire, one I often felt on trained shinobi. I didn''t sense any other shinobi yesterday or this morning. Just some thugs with a bit more chakra than the average person. I packed my lunch. Looked at Tazuna still eating with his boys. Walked outside. If this was a shinobi casing the joint, so to speak, I needed to know who they were. I followed the chakra until I stood outside what looked like a flower shop, or maybe a herb shop? Was this shinobi buying poison? Was that the next avenue of attack? I considered what to do. Going inside and confronting the shinobi was out of the question. It would put me at risk, it would alert them I had ways of detecting them. No, better observe, enter the store after to investigate. Course of action decided, I walked into an alley, dimmed my presence and settled down to wait. It didn¡¯t take long. The bundle of chakra moved closer to the wooden door, and out of the store came the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Soft delicate features, long black silky hair, simple make-up around the eyes, soft pink lips. The girl was dressed in a pink kimono with red spiral details. My ears burned a bit. She was so pretty. I was pretty sure I blushed. Then reality hit me like a truck. I was struck speechless. I was struck dumb. Was that fucking Haku? A fucking strong shinobi disguised as a pretty girl. A literal trap, and not in a fun way. And how in the seven hells was he so pretty? 2.15 I thought for a moment what to do. No, that¡¯s a lie. I didn¡¯t think. Without seals, or any puff of smoke, out popped a shadow clone. I stared myself in the eyes. I looked so dumb right now. Rosy cheeks and ears. Wild eyes. Damn Haku. Why? Oh god, why? My clone looked back at me. There was no need for communication between us. My clone henged. I was now looking at any other street urchin. We nodded to each other again, the copy saluted me, walked out of the alley, followed Haku, I returned to the restaurant. Gotta keep the client safe, after all.
Original me looked so dumb right now. I had to stifle a silent laughter. Wouldn¡¯t do to mock myself. I used henge no jutsu to fit in with the crowd, saluted. It was time to start the mission. Being a clone was strange. I had done some experimenting the prior weeks, and learned a few interesting facts. All I had in me when I made a clone got duplicated as well. Clothes, weapons, seals. They were, however, all chakra constructs. I could use a kunai if it was on my body, but I couldn''t activate any of the fuinjutsu to summon more. Any strong impact would disrupt the chakra flow and turn the thing into smoke. Clone-me was weaker, since I didn¡¯t have my arsenal of exploding weapons at hand. But that was fine, this was a stealth and recon mission. Haku¡¯s path led her, err, him ¡ª gawdammit ¡ª they across the desolated town. Their pretty robes and manicured appearance drew attention, the wrong sort of attention. Even so, no one bothered them. Which I found strange. Before I had kicked the shit out of those thugs, I had to contend with some low level of annoyance, mostly with people trying to steal things from my backpack while they thought I hadn¡¯t been looking. It took beating the crap of Gato¡¯s thugs to scare most of them off. I didn¡¯t pay attention yesterday, but the town was poor, more like a slum than town, really. Almost empty stores, high prices, broken windows. Places uncared for, trash piled around alleys, and beggars. The amount of beggars begged belief. Old, young, adults, teenagers. Everywhere I looked I saw more and more people that needed a good meal. Their skin sallow, and cheeks sunk. Clothes that were more straps than actual garments. I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time. Things would get better, I knew they would. It didn¡¯t change the fact I felt pretty crappy about just enjoying my ninja life while these people suffered. There wasn¡¯t much I could do, however. I hadn¡¯t brought enough food to feed a starving city. I didn¡¯t have money to buy stuff. Even so, where would I buy stuff? Could I steal from Gato? I tossed that idea away. Not the time, not the place, not the mission. Haku crossed most of the town, stopping to enter a shop here and there, herbs shops, flower shops. They left with bundles of old, dried flowers in their basket. I think I had a pretty good idea of the situation. Haku was scouring the town''s shops for any type of medicinal herb. Disguised it as buying flowers. Their path led them outside town. I debated following, decided I shouldn¡¯t. Felt too much like a trap. I turned back, scurried inside, dove into an alley. When I was sure no one had seen me, or were coming for me, I released the jutsu.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
I was at the bridge again, keeping an eye on Tazuna, training my chakra control when the clone¡¯s memories and impressions flooded my mind. I nodded. Clone-chan did the right thing. Following a possible enemy into an unknown location without informing the team was dumb. My primary job was to guard Tazuna, not find enemy ninjas. The rest of the day dragged on. Sending out a clone to explore gave me a few ideas. Training opportunities I hadn¡¯t considered. When I learned the technique from Naruto, my goal had always been to use it as some sort of training cheat. To let me learn things faster, train better, experiment with stuff without hurting myself. But after the first night experimentation¡­ I didn¡¯t really use the jutsu. Almost forgot I had it. Mostly because Naruto wasn¡¯t supposed to teach me, and I didn¡¯t want to get him in trouble. We returned to Tazuna¡¯s house at the end of the day''s work. I had ideas. So many ideas. Late that night, after the boys ate like pigs and passed out, I sat down to talk with sensei. ¡°I have news to report.¡± I wrote on the board, using my threads. ¡°What is it, Hinata-chan?¡± Sensei asked. ¡°An unknown ninja entered the town today,¡± I wrote, ¡°No direct contact with the client. The unknown ninja visited a number of herb and flower shops, before leaving the city again. I thought best not to follow at that point.¡± ¡°What else can you tell me about this ninja?¡± ¡°Young, a few years older than me. Pretty. Can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a boy or a girl. Don¡¯t know how strong. I think I was spotted and led outside the town on a possible trap.¡± In my mind, that old Bowie song started. You got your mother in a whirl, she¡¯s not sure if you¡¯re a boy or a girl. I almost bobbed to the music. Caught myself before doing something stupid. Although, by the way sensei looked at me, I might have moved, just a bit. Sensei nodded. ¡°Good job Hinata-chan.¡± He tried to pat my head. I ducked away. Was still bitter about the whole training thing. I nodded, bowed, went to sleep. Crack of dawn we left for training again. Naruto had a huge smile on his face, walked with hands behind his head. Sasuke looked sullen, more than usual. It didn¡¯t really make me feel better like I thought it would. Kakashi-sensei followed the boys to their training ground. I waved them away and went to do my own thing. When I was outside the view of the others, I put part one of my plan to work. I removed all my weight seals, created four shadow clones, put my seals on again. The clones all unlimbered, it was pretty funny, it looked like they were moving on fast forward. It was perfect. ¡°Now, shoo.¡± I wrote, waving my clones away. We nodded at each other, Clones-chan paired, each duo moving into a different direction. It didn¡¯t matter what they did, as long as they didn¡¯t use too much chakra. What I wanted was the experience of moving without my seals. I popped my koto out, adjusted the bridges. I couldn¡¯t use my right hand to pluck the strings, my shoulder recovered fast, too fast now that I thought about it, but I still couldn¡¯t move my arm. That¡¯s when my new training exercise came in. I had been focusing on the strength and amount of threads. Maybe best now if I trained finesse? I realized when trying to use the threads to manipulate the pen to write. Small, delicate movements with them were difficult. I didn¡¯t know if this was a valid or even useful type of exercise, but at least it was something else I could improve. That was what really mattered to me. Koto ready and bridges adjusted, I created some chakra threads, plucked a few tentative strings. Or at least I tried. I plucked one string too strong, the other too slow, even missed one string entirely. I smiled. Yes, I could train this. 2.16 The first clone¡¯s memory popped inside my head just a few minutes after training started. I blinked at the deluge of information, then laughed. That was so dumb. Clone-chan decided she wanted to sprint as fast as she could. Clone-chan couldn¡¯t dodge the unmoving tree. She crashed and the clone dispersed. Second Clone-chan came just a few moments later. She decided she wanted to fly, or as close as possible of flying she could. She climbed the tallest tree she could find, then jumped up as far as she could go. She mute laughed, mute yelled, mute hooted. She was still smiling like a loony when gravity-kun reasserted himself, and Clone-chan fell and broke her neck. About one hour later, Clone-three and four popped out at the same time. That duo decided they wanted to fight each other. Which turned into a game of tag, then tickling, then just cuddling under the morning sun. They fell asleep, dispersed. Was I so lonely my clones couldn¡¯t even train like they were supposed to? Koto playing hadn¡¯t gone well. My dreams of Rebel Rebel were squashed, although I had improved. Now instead of sounding like a kid slapping the instrument, I sounded like a kid who just started playing. Progress! I got up, looked at my instrument. Instead of storing it, I popped another clone. For the heck of it, since apparently I was so touch starved I cuddled with myself, I gave Clone-chan a hug. Might have been longer than intended. Clone-chan smiled, waved me away. She sat down to practice. I huffed, and returned to Tazuna¡¯s house. Helped Tsunami with breakfast. Popped some of my dwindling stock of pastries, much to Naruto¡¯s happiness and Tsunami¡¯s chagrin. The third day of guarding duty went about the same: boring. Haku didn¡¯t case the joint again. No other thugs attacked. I kept inventing ever more strange things to do with my threads. One thing I had not considered training with clones was mental fatigue. When afternoon arrived, it felt like I had spent days without sleep. I wasn¡¯t physically tired, I was just spent out. It got even worse when koto Clone-chan unpopped after giving me back the musical instrument. I went to sleep without dinner. I barely managed to find my bed before I collapsed. How did Naruto do it? The fourth day started with me creating two clones this time. One went and explored the island. The other sat down and practiced the koto. I needed practice doing normal things without the weight seals. Breakfast was drama time between the family. Brat Inari got pissed when Tazuna talked about the boy¡¯s father. Tsunami got upset, which triggered Tazuna to spill the family sob story. Yeah, super sad. At least it served to light a fire under Naruto¡¯s bum. The sunshine brat left to train, determined to finish climbing the tree that same day. I wished him luck. Sneaked a cupcake in his pocket when he passed me by.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Kakashi-sensei was a lot more mobile, doing small exercises around the house to regain his body constitution. Could already walk with just one clutch. Guard duty went about the same. Another band of thugs decided to try their luck with spooking the workers. I objected to that. I had also calmed down since the first day. Which meant I only poked them a bit, then threw the offending pests in the water. A long swim to the shore looked a lot like good punishment and character growing exercise. Tazuna approved. Even thanked me for going easy on them. Naruto, to my surprise and delight, managed to climb the tree on the fourth day. Sasuke was still stuck near the ending. And looked possessed. I had expected Naruto to slap that achievement on Sasuke¡¯s face, but proving again to be the better person, Naruto instead went about trying to help Sasuke to climb higher.
Start of the next day I kept with my routine of sending clones to train in my stead. Today was the last day I would do that. My chakra reserves hadn¡¯t recovered to full, and I didn¡¯t want to be caught by the enemy without chakra. We were getting closer to the time Kakashi-sensei deduced Zabuza could attack again. Before the boys went to do their thing, I called Naruto over. ¡°What is it, Hinata-chan?¡± The brat asked. ¡°Did my training method work?¡± I wrote. ¡°Yes! I beat Sasuke!¡± He whisper-yelled. ¡°But don¡¯t rub it in too much, he gets real angry.¡± I nodded. ¡°I have another exercise you might want to try, how about it?¡± Naruto tilted his head. ¡°Tree climbing?¡± I tilted my hand in a so-so gesture. The boy nodded. ¡°Watch well,¡± I wrote. Plucked a leaf from a nearby tree. Stuck it to my forehead. Naruto looked confused. ¡°We already learned that in the academy, Hinata-chan.¡± He whined. I nodded. Showed him the board again, with the same words. Then, still keeping the leaf on my forehead, I walked to the tree, and kept walking up. I held my skirt and hair in place with chakra, but I don¡¯t think Naruto noticed that. His eyes bugged out, looking at the leaf still on my forehead. I erased my board, wrote again. ¡°Try it?¡± Naruto nodded, stuck a leaf to his forehead. Went to climb a tree. I held back a mute giggle when he fell down on the first try. Yeah brat, think simultaneous control is easy? On the other side of the clearing, Sasuke stared daggers at me. I wanted to dismiss it. But I guess it was time to grow up, and stop playing favorites. I waved him over, he scowled, but came. Now to see how I could help a natural genius to be even more of a genius. 2.17 How do you teach someone something that can¡¯t be taught? I had no trick or tips for Sasuke. Chakra control was repetitive, exhausting work, however, Sasuke was hailed as a genius. What we did was talk. I told him about all the issues I had when I started, how it felt to move the chakra, my experiences, what type of exercises I tried and what exercises I still practiced. I even pulled up my shirt and showed him the row of coins stuck to my stomach. I never stopped that. Sasuke had a faraway look on his face. I wasn¡¯t sure if I helped at all. He bowed. Stiff and formal. ¡°Thank you, Hinata-san.¡± Left soon after to train again. What was up with that formality? I scratched my head. ¡°He probably thinks you just told him clan secret training methods.¡± Kakashi-sensei was by my side. How did he keep doing that when he could barely walk? I looked at the man, shrugged. It wasn¡¯t any secret. Just no one ever asked. ¡°You realize some of those could be considered clan secrets, right?¡± I scratched my cheek. Used my threads to write on the board. ¡°They are not though. Just an extension of the three basic exercises.¡± That small interaction set the tone for the rest of the day. Did I want to create a clan? I pushed that idea away. I was too young to think such things, and I had gods of shinobi and aliens to deal with before I could think of settling down. It was, again, another boring day of guard duty. In the evening, the mood was tense. Tsunami looked stressed. Inari, even more sullen. That night, Naruto and Sasuke didn¡¯t return from training. Kakashi-sensei didn¡¯t look worried. I didn¡¯t either. It was still dark when I got up on the sixth day. I went out alone. My shoulder had healed to a point I could move my arm with just a twinge of pain. Today was relaxation day. I took the liberty to use Tsunami¡¯s kitchen to do some light cooking. I made tea, heated a few pastries, made finger sandwiches. With everything ready, I went out to have a picnic. I walked away from the house until I found a nice open clearing among the trees. I placed a piece of cloth over the dew covered grass. Unsealed the thermos, a few cupcakes and finger sandwiches. I unsealed my koto, and sat down by the instrument. Plucked a few cords, adjusted the bridge under the strings. My right hand was a bit stiff, and a bit of pain followed my movements, but it was doable. Which music was appropriate for this moment? A Thousand Miles? Party In The U.S.A? Or maybe some classics by Queen Taylor? No, I knew exactly which song I wanted. I plucked the strings. The koto wasn¡¯t the best instrument to play pop songs, but I liked it. With the number of strings, it was easy to play the bass part, and pluck notes to simulate the singing I couldn¡¯t do. I even used my threads to knock on the koto¡¯s wood, just to pretend there was some percussion as well.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The notes of Goddess Katy Perry California Gurls resonated on the clearing. Of course I mouthed the lyrics. It was a classic. California gurls we¡¯re undeniable. Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock. West coast represent, now put your hand up. California, California, California gurls. I plucked the last string. It hadn¡¯t been perfect. I didn¡¯t remember all the lyrics, and it was more of an exercise in improvisation than a real rendition, but it felt good to play, fun. Which one next? ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a song like that,¡± the sweet voice said, just in front of me. My mind came to a halt. ¡°I liked it.¡± I looked up. Thoughts of Call Me Maybe forgotten. Haku crouched just by the side of my picnic blanket. Dressed in the same pink kimono from the second day. They held a basket with herbs inside. They looked at my setup, then at me again. I opened my mouth, closed, opened it again. Couldn¡¯t speak even if I wanted to. Closed my eyes, took a deep breath. They were pretty, but that was just mind games. Don¡¯t get tempted, it¡¯s a trap for unaware shinobis. I popped my board, Haku¡¯s perfectly manicured eyebrow went up. I wrote. ¡°Want to join me?¡± Haku looked around, nodded. Daintily, sat seiza across from me. I did the host thing, glad for the kunoichi classes telling me what to do. I got up from behind my koto, also sat seiza. Took the thermos, filled the cup, observed the customary movements. Once I had served the tea, I offered the cupcake. It wasn¡¯t the traditional offering, but it was what I had. I wrote more. ¡°Please, help yourself.¡± I waved my hand over the tea, pastries and finger sandwiches. They looked interested in my confections. Haku took the cup, sipped the tea, nibbled the pastry, eyes widening. That one was for my own consumption, might have put a tad more sugar than needed. Don¡¯t judge me, girls and sweets, I wasn¡¯t immune. Customs observed, I returned to my place behind the koto. I was in a pinch right now. Traditionally, the cumbersome zither was seen as a romantic instrument, given the soft sounds and playing style. I didn¡¯t play the traditional way. Well, nothing for it I guess. Since I was in a Katy Perry mood, I went with another: Wide Awake. That song always had me in a strange mood, which this one certainly counted for. I plucked the strings, tried to get into the groove again. I couldn¡¯t. Haku sitting across from me set my teeth on edge. It showed in the song. It was more tense than the original music already was. The song ended, and it hadn¡¯t felt good. Haku noticed that. ¡°I apologize for intruding,¡± they said, ¡°I was out looking for medicinal herbs, and heard your music. You looked like you were enjoying yourself.¡± I nodded. I had been enjoying myself. It was relaxation day, after all. I decided to just roll with it. Haku could have attacked me when I was playing. For a moment there, I had been completely off guard and distracted. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Hinata,¡± I wrote on my board. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Haku smiled. Looked down, pushed a strand of hair behind the ear. Damn they were beautiful. So unfair. ¡°I¡¯m Haku.¡± I wrote again. ¡°Do you want to listen to more music?¡± They nodded. I nodded. I scoured my memory for that lovely acoustic version from that survival horror game with Ellie. I had listened non stop to it for weeks, it wasn¡¯t because Ellie was pretty, I promise, the music was that good. I plucked the strings on my best rendition of Aha¡¯s Take On Me. Again, it was more of an improvisation business, I barely remembered the melody. But I did my best. Not sure why I decided to play a love song for Haku. Was it because of the forbidden love I assumed existed between them and Zabuza? 2.18 ¡°That headband, are you a ninja?¡± The question came out of nowhere. I guess the novelty of music ended and it was ninja business time. Time to see who learned more about the other. I didn¡¯t deny it. I had used seals already. I nodded. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to be out?¡± They asked. I wrote: ¡°I was trying to relax before the day began.¡± When Haku read, I flipped the board with the second part of the message. ¡°Aren¡¯t you working early as well?¡± ¡°The medicinal leaves are more effective if you pluck them still covered in dew.¡± They demurred. That was an interesting tidbit. It was the first time I heard that, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I was just being led on. ¡°Why are you a ninja? Is that for yourself? Or someone else?¡± That was a simple question to answer. I was a ninja because I knew things, horrible, terrible things, and didn¡¯t want to be at mercy of those stronger than me. I puffed my chest with my non-existent pride. I wrote. ¡°For myself!¡± Haku giggled. Damn they looked cute. ¡°Do you have someone who is important to you?¡± I shrugged. I had myself. ¡°What about you, do you have a special someone?¡± I sent the question back. They nodded, looked away. ¡°There¡¯s someone.¡± Haku started, ¡°I owe him my life. I want to make his plans come true. I¡¯d give my life to make his plans come true.¡± Haku was talking about Zabuza, right? They had this weird master-disciple relationship. I remember how it made me uncomfortable the first time I read the story. Haku was willing to die for Zabuza. At the time, I thought it was unrequited love: Haku was a boy, Zabuza was a man. Forbidden love and all. But this Haku in front of me didn¡¯t sound like they were enamored with Zabuza, Haku sounded like a religious fanatic. It fascinated me, just a bit. I asked another question. Intentionally misinterpreting the situation. ¡°Does he love you back?¡± I expected Haku to get angry, maybe defensive. Goes to show how little I understood them. Haku giggled. A dainty hand covering their smile. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. He¡­¡± Haku stopped, had a faraway look, ¡°¡­was the first to look at me and tell me I wasn¡¯t a monster. Tell me I was useful. The first to give me purpose. I¡¯m happy as long as I can be of any use to him.¡± And wasn¡¯t that the sadness of the shinobi world? Children thinking they were tools, to be used and discarded. Not that I could say anything about that, I hadn¡¯t escaped a spot of indoctrination myself. Not with how readily I put myself in danger to protect the client in the fight against Zabuza, not with how I just exploded the enemy and all I thought about was how I had done a good job protecting the client.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Thank you for the tea and music.¡± Haku got up, bowed. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again somewhere.¡± They said, walked away from the clearing. I plucked a few strings. You''ve got your mother in a whirl She''s not sure if you''re a boy or a girl
That meeting with Haku got me thinking. How could we avoid fighting Zabuza? Another tidbit of info filled my brain: Never get to know your enemy. I understood it now. I didn¡¯t want to fight Haku, I didn¡¯t want them to die, and I knew that was the direction events would lead to. Tension was high inside the house, with expected incoming attack any day. I approached Kakashi-sensei during breakfast. We had this talk a few days back, about how Zabuza didn¡¯t have anything against us personally, that he was just a ninja on a mission, much to Naruto¡¯s consternation. ¡°Sensei, what would it take to make Zabuza not fight us?¡± Sasuke read the words, scoffed. ¡°What, are you afraid?¡± The jerk! I ignored him, focused on Kakashi. The man considered my words. ¡°Zabuza has a reputation of never abandoning a contract once he accepts it.¡± I nodded. That was fair. ¡°It would need Gato to somehow make the contract invalid to stop Zabuza.¡± ¡°What if we kill Gato, wouldn¡¯t that make the contract invalid?¡± ¡°W-what are you asking? Hinata-chan?¡± Naruto gasped. The rest of the room went quiet. ¡°Not really,¡± Kakashi-sensei answered without skipping a beat. ¡°We don¡¯t know the terms of the contract. And besides, that is not our mission. We are here to protect Tazuna-san and his family.¡± I nodded. I could read between the lines. We¡¯re already operating out of mission bounds. We¡¯re not taking up unpaid for assassination jobs. There were also other things to consider. What if we failed the attempt? How would Gato retaliate? That same night, after another boring day of guard duty, there were surprising developments. Sasuke walked inside the house supporting Naruto. Both looked satisfied. Naruto looked utterly exhausted. ¡°We did it!¡± Naruto called out. ¡°We reached the very top!¡± Kakashi-sensei nodded. Smiled. ¡°Very good. Starting from tomorrow, you¡¯ll also help protect Tazuna-san.¡± Finally, I could share the boredom. ¡°I¡¯m also tired from all the day¡¯s hard work,¡± Tazuna said, ¡°anyway, the bridge is almost complete.¡± ¡°Father, Naruto-kun, don¡¯t overdo it, okay?¡± Tsunami engaged Oka-san mode and fussed over the workaholics. That should have been the end, but there was family drama abound. Brat Inari didn¡¯t seem happy that Naruto looked satisfied with his progress and training, and their hard work. No one had seen the boy¡¯s tears until the yelling started. ¡°Why do you guys even bother to work so hard?¡± The crying brat yelled, slammed both hands on the table. ¡°No matter how hard you train, you¡¯re still no match for Gato¡¯s men!¡± That triggered Naruto something fierce, who to my surprise didn¡¯t also start yelling. He waited until the boy had spilled his grievances out. Inari had stopped to take a breath when Naruto¡¯s voice hung out. ¡°So, it¡¯s ok for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry all day long?¡± Inari looked up, surprised. ¡°Just keep on crying forever, you little sissy!¡± Silence filled the room again. Oppressive silence. Naruto got up, left the house. Inari started crying even more, also fled. In the awkward silence, Kakashi also got up, followed Inari. I got up, bowed to our host. According to Kakashi, tomorrow was the day. I wanted to get a good night¡¯s rest. I couldn''t really deal with the crying kid, I had no words to comfort the family. I was a horrible person. At least I wasn¡¯t pretending I wasn¡¯t. 2.19 In the morning, before we set out, Kakashi-sensei called me over, away from the others. ¡°I have a mission for you.¡± He said after we were out of earshot. That didn¡¯t sparkle my fan-girl like I thought it would. I still thought Kakashi-sensei was train-blocking me. But a mission was a mission. I would do as asked. I nodded. ¡°You are the most observant in our team, and you can sense chakra, even through the mists.¡± I nodded, that was a fair assessment. ¡°Between you and the boys, you¡¯re also the fastest if you remove your weight bracelets.¡± I nodded to that as well. Sensei stared at me for a moment. ¡°Good job on using the shadow clones to get used to moving without the weights, it was an inspired idea.¡± My ears burned. Couldn¡¯t very well tell him the idea was his, could I? I was pretty sure Kakashi had been the one to suggest this training method in the original story. I also didn¡¯t fail to notice he kept tabs on me. Was it just to make sure I was safe or something else? Nor did I miss the fact he knew I had convinced Naruto to teach me the jutsu. ¡°If things happen how I think they will, Zabuza will attack us today. You''re on guard duty. Your mission is to protect Tazuna-san and your teammates, but let Sasuke and Naruto fight otherwise.¡± I nodded again. I could do that. I wanted to fight, prove I had improved, but keeping others alive was more important. The mission came first, not my personal wants. I took out my seals, stored them. Had to be prepared. Naruto still slept when the four of us left the house. How many clones did the brat use to get that exhausted? I mean, Naruto¡¯s cheat was infinite chakra and infinite stamina. I poked Sasuke, who looked at me without the usual angst. I showed him my board. ¡°What did you guys do yesterday? How did Naruto get so tired?¡± Sasuke sighed, a mix of bitterness and annoyance. ¡°He filled the whole clearing with clones. All day long practiced climbing while keeping the leaf on his forehead.¡± Oh yea, that would do it. I got taken out by five clones. Couldn¡¯t imagine the mental fatigue of hundreds of the buggers. Still, Sasuke was strangely polite today. I bowed back. No need to antagonize him. Sasuke, Kakashi and I followed Tazuna to the bridge. The more we walked, the clearer something was wrong. Where on the previous day the bridge had been bustling with workers, we didn¡¯t see anyone. I told sensei just that. ¡°Good job.¡± Sensei said, ¡°Keep your guard up.¡± Like Tazuna said, the bridge was almost complete. It was to the point I could jump from the unfinished edge and above the cliff where the Land of Fire started. Work had ground to a halt for that day. We found workers. All strum on the bridge. All of them looked dead, save for one. Tazuna was on the man in an instant. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± He asked. ¡°A monster!¡± The man gasped. We didn¡¯t need more than that warning. Mist billowed out, covering everything. It was thick, cloying and uncomfortable. We hounded around Tazuna and the surviving worker. I held my kunai, not the exploding one. Unfortunately, I couldn''t risk damaging the bridge. Sasuke held one kunai in each hand. He was buzzing. Was it fear? I didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Long time no see Kakashi.¡± Zabuza¡¯s voice echoed from within the mists. ¡°I see you¡¯re still with those brats. He¡¯s shaking again. Poor kid.¡± Zabuza¡¯s clones popped out of the mist. Surrounded us. I counted six.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Do it, Sasuke.¡± Sensei called out. Sasuke and the clones moved at the same time. Sasuke was faster. He dashed between the enemies, kunai at work. A moment later he was back at his previous place, and the clones burst out like punctured water balloons, liquid splashing around us. I held my own attack. Kakashi-sensei glance telling me to not intervene. The mist cleared some. Blocking out way out of the bridge, out walked Zabuza, followed by the same masked hunter-nin who took his body in the previous battle. ¡°The brat has grown. Looks like a rival has appeared, eh Haku?¡± Haku had been staring at me, but changed targets. They looked at Sasuke. Nodded. ¡°It has indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fight him.¡± Sasuke said. ¡°Tricking us with that stupid act. I hate bastards like that the most.¡± Couldn¡¯t Sasuke admit he just wanted to fight Haku? Why did he need to come up with such absurd excuses? ¡°Impressive,¡± Haku said, their voice melodious, ¡°even though the water clones have only 1/10 the strength of the original. Still very impressive.¡± Zabuza interjected. ¡°We¡¯ve gained the first advantage. Go!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Haku said, before exploding into a leaf whirlwind. We had seen that jutsu before. A variant of shushin no jutsu. Haku had used it when we first met. I grabbed Tazuna, Kakashi grabbed the still alive worker. We jumped back, clearing the area a moment before Sasuke and Haku engaged in their duel. I was all for it. The more time we wasted, the better. If Gato behaved the same as in the main story, he would try to kill us after the fight. At that point, Zabuza wouldn¡¯t have reason to fight us anymore. Or so I hoped. Both Sasuke and Haku moved fast. They attacked, countered and parried. None with obvious advantage over the other. Sasuke pushed with his kunai, Haku held back the attack with a senbon. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to kill you, but you won¡¯t stand down, will you?¡± Haku asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish.¡± Was Sasuke¡¯s scoffing answer. ¡°Very well.¡± Still keeping Sasuke¡¯s kunai at bay, Haku brought a hand up, with dizzying speed, he went through a gamut of one handed seals, ended up by slapping his feet against the ground. The water around both flew up, transformed into needles, surrounded Sasuke on all sides. The water crashed where Sasuke just was. The boy pumped his legs full of chakra, and escaped by jumping up. A rain of shuriken followed Haku''s retreating form. Distracted by the attack, Haku didn¡¯t see Sasuke moving behind them. Both jounin observed the duel. Not interfering. There was another exchange of blows, one which Sasuke visibly had the advantage. It ended with Sasuke kicking Haku¡¯s face, and the hunter-nin rolling midair, landing nearby Zabuza. ¡°You can¡¯t underestimate my team by calling them brats.¡± Sensei threw back the retort. Watching Sasuke¡¯s fight was the final nail I needed to understand how dumb I had been. My no chakra policy was at my academy years and training, but I was crippling myself by not using chakra to strengthen my body during battle. I really wanted to give past me a few slaps. Even present me for not noticing it sooner. Zabuza chuckled. It was drawn out and creepy. ¡°He he he he he, Haku, do you realize? At this rate, we¡¯ll be driven back¡± Like a switch had been flipped, Haku stood straight. ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Chakra built visibly around him. The temperature dropped. Sasuke, even knowing the water had been used against him one time already, hadn¡¯t left the area splashed by the water clones. Water turned to ice, and ice turned to mirror, mirrors formed a prison. ¡°Hijutsu: Makyo Hyosho.¡± Haku said before they stepped inside the ice mirror. Kakashi-sensei cursed, dashed toward Sasuke, only to be stopped by Zabuza. ¡°Your opponent is me. If you leave those two,¡± he said looking at me and Tazuna, ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡± In the ice mirror prison, things changed. Haku¡¯s movement had accelerated beyond belief. Sasuke couldn¡¯t keep up and with each pass from one mirror to the other, a new senbon puncture wound appeared on him. I was prepared to interfere when I sensed it. Naruto¡¯s blazing sun of chakra was hidden just around the bridge railing. Was he¡­ waiting for an opportunity? That was pretty smart. I could help with that. I pushed chakra into my arms. They blurred, a kunai flew toward the mirror. Haku noticed. Popped out of the ice to catch the attack. Naruto didn¡¯t let the chance go. He dashed in, punched Haku out of the mirror. Then, instead of pressing his advantage, the dumb brat took a pose. ¡°Uzumaki Naruto has finally arrived!!¡± He hollered. I wanted to punch him myself. 2.20 ¡°I¡¯m here to sa¡ª¡± Zabuza reacted faster than Haku or even Kakashi. His arm blurred, the man threw a handful of shuriken at Naruto, cutting off the brat hollering. Kakashi-sensei hadn¡¯t been in a position to stop Zabuza. Nor did I think Naruto could evade the attack. But I had been watching. Like Kakashi asked. I didn¡¯t miss the man drawing the weapons from the hidden pockets of his clothing. I did the same. My own shuriken intercepted Zabuza¡¯s mid-flight. Zabuza turned his stare at me. Naruto looked confused as always. ¡°Good job, Hinata-chan.¡± Sensei praised. I huffed, those praises wouldn''t work on me, but please praise me more! Naruto, unfortunately, instead of attacking the still stunned Haku, walked inside the mirror prison. ¡°Yo, Sasuke! I¡¯m here to rescue you.¡± I couldn¡¯t pay attention to the unfolding drama and idiocy over the ice prison. The mist thickened, blocking my vision. I couldn¡¯t even see in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve seen through your tricks, Sharingan Kakashi. You can¡¯t copy what you can¡¯t see. You can¡¯t use a genjutsu on me if I keep my eyes closed.¡± Kakashi growled. ¡°But you can¡¯t see anything either, why?¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ll never know. Farewell, Sharingan Kakashi.¡± I listened to that byplay between the two experienced Ninjas. All the while, Zabuza crept closer to me. It was deception after deception. The man was still taking me for a fool. He was trying to bait me again, because he knew I could sense chakra. A clone formed behind Tazuna, the swooshing sound of that big sword cutting air. A second bundle of chakra flickered in front of me. This one, bigger. The real Zabuza. Kakashi¡¯s chakra had also started moving. He wouldn¡¯t get here on time, or he would put himself at risk to do it. While all these thoughts passed through my mind, the world seemed to have slowed down. I learned my lesson: No holding back on chakra anymore, not on a fight. I didn''t know that flooding my head with chakra helped me think faster. Without seals or sounds, out popped a shadow clone. Clone-chan flickered. She tackled the water copy out of the way, and left a kunai plunged in its sides. I also flickered. I was behind Zabuza, who had started his swing. The man noticed. Of course he noticed. Don¡¯t know what I expected. I aborted my attack, flickered back toward Tazuna. Clone-chan moved back as well, and the two of us faced the mist, ready for any other attack. Zabuza moved deeper into the mists, Kakashi-sensei hot in pursuit. Zabuza¡¯s plan had been a good one. With no jutsu to copy, Kakashi held no advantage over the missing-nin, and Zabuza was clearly more adept at silent assassination. The stalemate broke with Naruto agonized yell. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!!¡± Dense, evil, violent, and angry chakra like I¡¯ve never felt before pushed against me. It felt like I was inside a volcano and its intent hadn¡¯t even been directed at me. Wind billowed, the mist moved. There was a sound of breaking glass. Kakashi and Zabuza moved at the same time. Several other bundles of chakra appeared out of nowhere, surrounded the missing-nin. The billowing wind from where Naruto was pushed the mist away. There was a small rolled up scroll nearby Kakashi. A bit further away, Zabuza stood trapped between several of Kakashi¡¯s ninken. Back at the ice prison, Haku stood, mask broken, eyes vacant. Naruto with his fist trembling just shy of hitting Haku. The ice mirror prison had broken. Sasuke lay in the middle of the bridge, in a pool of blood, pierced by countless senbon. Was he dead? Shit.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid.¡± Naruto muttered. The oppressive chakra dispersed like it had never been there. His eyes, which were red, returned to baby blue. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Haku asked. ¡°I murdered your friend, and you still spare me?¡± Naruto seemed to realize the issue, finished his punch. It was nowhere near strong enough to take out Haku. Both Naruto and Haku got into an argument. I looked around. Zabuza was trapped, there was no more mist. I looked at Clone-chan, nodded at her. She flickered toward Naruto¡¯s battlefield. Kakashi-sensei had ordered me to keep the boys safe, this felt like a failure. The sound of thousand chirping birds filled the air. My head snapped toward Kakashi. His right hand sparkled with lightning. Wait, wasn¡¯t that chidori? ¡°I shall say this once more, give up, your future is death.¡± Zabuza looked defiant, not willing to back down. Kakashi dashed forward. There it was, the moment I had been waiting for. The argument between Naruto and Haku escalated, they looked about to trade blows again, but Haku disappeared. Nearby Kakashi, a mirror formed out of water, from the mirror popped Haku. I moved. Pushed as much chakra as I could in my legs. The world blurred, the wind stung. Haku stepped out of the mirror at the same time I tackled them out of the way. Haku held several senbon, threw them at the rolled scroll nearby Kakashi. I moved my arm in the path of the needles, couldn¡¯t catch all of them. We crashed on the ground. I punched down, hard. Had to take Haku out of the fight. The ninken holding Zabuza disappeared in a puff of smoke, the missing-nin twisted his body. Kakashi¡¯s chidori attack, instead of piercing Zabuza¡¯s heart, cut the man¡¯s shoulder, cleaving the left arm off. I flickered again, leaving Haku on the ground. Their eyes had lost all semblance of fight. Zabuza, chad shinobi, even after losing an arm didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to attack. The man was a true ninja. With his remaining arm he swung his Guts sword. Before the weapon could build momentum, I flickered by his side, punched him. I put everything in that one attack. I felt the bones in my hand break, the pain lacing my hand and arm. It did what it was supposed to do. Zabuza never expected my attack. The man toppled over, sword clattered onto the bridge. I flicked back toward Haku soon after. Their eyes were still vacant. I could hear the murmured whispers, the pain in the voice, and see the tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Zabuza-sama, I failed you, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± Over and over again. Damn, that was sad. Meanwhile, Naruto had come to checkout on Sasuke. Clone-chan gave him a thumbs up. Sasuke was alive, even if he looked more dead than alive. Kakashi looked at me strangely. I wasn¡¯t sure why, so I also gave him a thumbs up. He just shook his head. Walked to Zabuza, tied the man up. He slapped some sort of seal on the man¡¯s injury. Was that to prevent blood loss? I needed that one for myself. I did the same with Haku. I tied them down. Haku was insensate, didn¡¯t even put up a fight. Naruto started crying, happy his boy friend was alive? Zabuza didn¡¯t stay unconscious for long. After waking up, the man glared at me from the place Kakashi kept him tied up. ¡°It¡¯s over Zabuza. There¡¯s no way you can beat me now.¡± The missing-nin looked at the scene, all the blood, his torn out arm lying nearby, Haku subdued and tied up. Before he could say anything, another voice broke the silence. ¡°I wonder how the fight is going.¡± There on the bridge, stood a short man with spiky hair and black sunglasses, dressed in black formal clothes. Huh, I knew my own ninja uniform wasn¡¯t that strange. ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly made a fine mess out of you. What a pity Zabuza.¡± The midget said. ¡°What are you doing here, and why did you bring all of them?¡± Zabuza growled. The midget laughed. ¡°This was the plan all along, I never intended to pay you, Demon.¡± Gato said the word demon like an insult. ¡°All those insults and trouble. I¡¯ll kill you all, and solve all my problems myself.¡± Zabuza glared at Gato, and his fifty-something gang thugs. Yeah, that did it. Kakashi sensei thought the same. He walked to Zabuza. ¡°Do we still have a reason to fight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kakashi-sensei nodded. Untied the missing-nin. Helped the man up. Haku stirred under me. Their eyes regained a bit of their focus. I kept them pinned and tied. I didn¡¯t think Haku was in any condition to join Zabuza. I hadn¡¯t gone through all this stress to let them die at the end. No, Haku could stay put. There were no ninjas among the crowd. ¡°We¡¯re tools, and we die as tools.¡± The missing-nin said. He picked up his sword, let it fall against his one good shoulder. With one hand seal, mist billowed out again. ¡°But even tools have their pride.¡± Chad Zabuza didn¡¯t even seem to notice his missing arm. Trippy. I always thought Zabuza hadn¡¯t fought us with real intent to kill. That moment I realized how right I was. It was a massacre. Chapter 3: Chunin Exams. I sat on the same clearing I first met Haku. Haku sat in front of me. It¡¯s been two weeks since the battle of the bridge. I talked with Naruto about his argument with Haku after the mirror prison broke. Haku had insisted Naruto killed them. The duo had talked about Haku¡¯s past, the persecution because of his bloodlimit, the tragedy of their own father trying to kill them, and how it was Zabuza that had given them a new purpose, how Haku was nothing more than a tool. A tool that had lost its purpose after being defeated, and prevented from sacrificing themselves for Zabuza. I might have strongly suggested Naruto go and have words with Zabuza about it. Naruto had a way of convincing others. Much hollering and man¡¯s tears might have been involved. I didn¡¯t regret it. Not one bit. Still, the bridge would be finished tomorrow, and we would leave soon after, return to Konoha, return home. Zabuza, contrary to my expectation, hadn¡¯t killed the whole of Gato¡¯s gang. After decapitating the midget gang boss, he killed about half of the present thugs, before scaring the rest away. I still thought the town would have been served best by killing them all, but as Kakashi-sensei said, we weren¡¯t here on a assassination mission. I poured tea for Haku, who took it silently. Then I popped my secret weapon, the last specimen of the special series: Sunshine and Orange, the cupcake. I surrendered my prized possession. Haku took it. Their eyes recovered a bit of their life. ¡°Is that¡­¡± I nodded. Gave them a smile. The one I got in return was a tired, sad one. Today was my last attempt to convince Haku, and I was willing to use meta-knowledge. I took my board, thought on my words. ¡°He doesn¡¯t see you as a tool,¡± I wrote. ¡°It might have been like that at the beginning, he might not even realize yet, but you aren¡¯t a tool for him anymore.¡± ¡°But if I¡¯m not, then what am I?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± I wrote, ¡°but you have the rest of your life to find out, maybe together with Zabuza?¡± Haku¡¯s emotionless and defeated face after I had prevented them from sacrificing themselves haunted my dreams for the past weeks. ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡± They asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him yourself? Naruto tells me he''s been asking about you since the battle of the bridge.¡± ¡°What if I¡¯m not useful to him anymore?¡± The desperation was so thick in their voice I wanted to slap them. I was also getting a bit fed up with their depression. Yeah, I was a horrible human being. ¡°Then you come and find me. I¡¯ll put you to use, even if it¡¯s to taste test my cupcakes.¡± I boldly wrote. That got me a small smile, better than the last two weeks combined.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Haku got up. I did the same. I didn¡¯t play music today, the mood didn¡¯t seem right. Haku bowed. I was tired of the formality. I stepped closer and hugged the depressed teen. They didn¡¯t hug me back, which was a shame, but baby steps, baby steps. We didn¡¯t say anything else. Haku turned around and left. No idea what Zabuza would do next. He had recovered, and was leaving today. It was a bit creepy, but I had sealed the man¡¯s arm with a fuinjutsu storage seal, gave it back to him after the battle. I don¡¯t know what I had expected. His strange stare wasn¡¯t it. I bowed, fled as fast as I could. Was he still involved with that civil mess that was Kirigakure? Time would tell. I had time to think about the battle of the bridge. My self sabotage revelation sparked many ideas I wanted to follow up. Weight Seals: That was a good training idea, and I do think there was worth in them, but not in their current form. I needed a way to disabled them without removing them. Also a way to control how much weight they induced. I had ideas already. Had sketched a few prototypes over the past days. Wouldn¡¯t have the necessary tools to craft it until I was back home. I even had a name for it: The Ultimate Variable Weight Distribution System For The Discerning Shinobi. Maybe I could sell the idea to the village? Clone training: I had gone to great lengths to acquire this cheat, and promptly didn¡¯t use it. My excuse of not wanting to alert Kakashi was as laughable as it was dumb. No more holding back. Fuinjutsu: Still stuck on that one, with no idea how to proceed. Who did I know was a seal master I could seek out to help me? The Uzumaki clan had dispersed, and even if there were still survivors, I didn¡¯t know anyone aside from Naruto. The only ones I could think of that I could potentially meet were the Third, mostly because he was railed as the man who mastered all jutsu, Jiraiya, who some also railed as a seal master, and¡­ Orochimaru. Yeah, nope, that last one was out. No sir, thank you sir. Summoned creatures: Another avenue I hadn¡¯t considered. Another thing that was super clan secret related. Maybe I could corrupt Naruto to teach me the summoning jutsu as well? If nothing else, that is the prime space-time jutsu out there. It should help me with my dreams of Konoha¡¯s Black Flash. Chakra boosting: It always came back to my own younger self decisions. Lesson learned. Use chakra boost in battles! Chakra training: For about a couple of years I had been struggling with new ways to train my control. Worse, I¡¯d been gushing to Kakashi-sensei how I wanted to follow in the fourth footsteps. And for all my fan-girl bluster, I had forgotten about Rasengan. The ultimate chakra control exercise disguised as an A-Rank jutsu. Created by the Fourth to protect his wife. It took me seeing the Chidori, which was Kakashi¡¯s attempt at Rasengan to remember. I looked at my open palm. How was it again? Rotation. My chakra surged, rotated wildly. Power. I didn¡¯t have a rubber ball, but I had been using my chakra to manipulate things for years. The fine lines of chakra glowed, I pumped chakra into them, making it as dense as possible. It looked like a forest of thin shiny tentacles sprouting from my hand. Containment. I kept my chakra spinning, I kept the density. Compressed it in as much as I could, pressing it into a ball. The chakra resisted, I pushed harder, put all my focus and will behind it. The world dissolved away, there was only the chakra in my hand. It felt almost like a popping sensation, like something gave way. I blinked, checked my hand. There was a ball of visible chakra there, the size of a small marble ball. It was nowhere near the size a Rasengan should be. It didn¡¯t feel as strong as it should have. A smile broke on my face. Finally a new way to train my control. I released the chakra. Put away my picnic stuff. Packed everything and returned to Tazuna¡¯s house. One more day before we started the week long journey home. I was excited to go back. With the mission points of this mission, I might be able to get a new C-Rank jutsu, B-Rank if I manage to wrangle Kakashi into giving me permission. I was inclined to spend those points in fuinjutsu. Maybe with more complex techniques I¡¯d be able to break the code, and finally start creating my own seals. 3.2 ¡°Will you be careful? Don¡¯t let any boys talk you into anything strange. When in doubt, talk with your sensei.¡± Tsunami told me, for the nth time. I rolled my eyes, wrote on my board. ¡°Yes, Oka-san.¡± How do you translate sarcasm into written words? I think I did a good job. ¡°Will you come to visit?¡± Tsunami asked, eyes full of tears. Where was this coming from? My interactions with her were always the quiet type. I helped her with house chores, helped her cook, even helped her repair and wash clothes, but we rarely talked. Was she seeing me as some sort of daughter or something? What a silly woman. I hugged the silliest woman. Might have cried a bit. You can¡¯t blame me, girls and emotions, you know how that is. There was some more hollering around. Something about being a hero or stuff. Naruto was a crying mess, Inari was a crying mess. Lots of town¡¯s folk had come to see us off. Bridge was named after Naruto. Fate reasserting itself. We took it easy on the way back. Light training while on the road. Idyllic. Almost like the near death experience from the last days was just a dream. Or a nightmare. I brooded a fair bit on the way back. I should have prepared more, maybe changed things more. Felt strange just letting things go where they may. Even so, the days went by almost like we were on a tourist trip. Naruto and Sasuke started to behave strangely ever since the bridge¡¯s battle. Whenever they crossed their eyes, they looked away, annoyed. Was that teenager''s love finally? I hoped not. They were annoying as they were, no need for love drama added.
We were back at Konoha. After reporting and explaining the situation, our C-rank mission had been reclassified as A-rank, but without A-rank pay, at least in ryo. If I understood the whole logic, it was because we decided to continue with the mission even after it was clear it wasn¡¯t a C-rank anymore. That was fine. We still got mission points credit, which was the important part for me. We gathered to celebrate another completed mission. No one complained when Naruto insisted we visit his favorite ramen restaurant. The food there was tasty. What little team camaraderie we had built before the mission had vanished, Sasuke glared at me and Naruto, who glared back. I wanted to put a stop to that. We had a few days off to rest from the mission, I planned otherwise. ¡°We¡¯re training tomorrow at six, training ground three.¡± I showed them my board. ¡°W-what Hinata-chan?¡± Naruto whined. ¡°Why so early?¡± Sasuke just scoffed. I looked at sensei, puppy-eyed him to help. ¡°You read her. Training tomorrow, six.¡± Kakashi-sensei agreed cheerfully. I was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t show up. The cool lazy ninja. But that settled it.
Naruto shambled into the training field with a big yawl. I had set a small breakfast spread for us. There was a bit of talking involved before we started. I don¡¯t know when the Chunin exams would start, but I knew we were not ready for it yet, at least not like we were right now. I mean, it would probably be fine? But I didn¡¯t want fine, I wanted to kick ass and take names, so to speak. For that, I needed my team in top shape. Dummy Naruto hadn¡¯t realized his shadow clones could be used for a lot more than just help in a fight. They were good for training, infiltration, recon and information gathering, and so much more. I would try to open his eyes to that. I even had prepared a surprise already.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Sasuke walked in a few minutes after Naruto. Still sullen. Both boys were already used to my antics. They sat down, grabbed the food, poured tea. ¡°The battle of the bridge could have ended badly for us.¡± I started. Like I had guessed, Naruto was the first to complain. ¡°We won, Hinata-chan, we saved the town!¡± I nodded, it was a fair assessment. ¡°We did, but Haku was stronger than we thought, and if it wasn¡¯t for whatever you did there at the end, you guys could have been killed.¡± Naruto, closed up, sulked. I knew he didn¡¯t want to talk about the nine tails. Sasuke scowled at the reminder. Was this the crux of their disagreement? ¡°I¡¯ve been holding out on you guys, which is my fault. I¡¯m strong, and I never let the team know about it.¡± ¡°What, Hinata-chan?¡± Naruto asked. Sasuke, of course, just scoffed, the prick. I looked at Sasuke. Time to rock his world? Kakashi already knew I knew the jutsu. I didn¡¯t write anything. A dozen Clones-chan appeared around us. I hadn¡¯t moved a single finger or created any seal. Naruto gaped, Sasuke just narrowed his eyes. Clone-chans proceeded to do stuff. Had to prove it wasn¡¯t just a bushin no jutsu, but a kage bushin no jutsu. Four of my clones zero¡¯ed on Naruto, and started taking turns into pinching his cheeks. I wanted to face palm. Why clones, why? Another half dozen just sat down and pretended to be sullen Emosuke. Even the glare was the same. Two others decided this was too boring, and went to play tag. I salvaged all that I could from my dignity. I wrote. ¡°I¡¯m good at jutsu, I just don¡¯t know any jutsu.¡± ¡°How?¡± Sasuke asked, still eying my clones. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, stop, stop Hinata-chan.¡± Naruto protested, but looked a lot like those toddlers pretending they don¡¯t want you to catch them. The tips of his ears were red. What a brat. ¡°I¡¯ve been training my control since I was five.¡± I wrote to Sasuke. ¡°There¡¯s no trick, I just have years of training ahead of you.¡± Naruto started giggling. Oh god, what now? But I didn¡¯t let that distract me. I trusted myself. ¡°What else?¡± Sasuke asked, finally taking me seriously. I handed him my weight seals. He took them, looked at me for guidance. ¡°Place your arm on the ground, put one of the bracelets.¡± I instructed. Sasuke did that. Then I smiled while the sullen brat tried to take his arm off the ground. It was pretty funny. ¡°Since when?¡± The boy gasped. I shrugged. ¡°Seven?¡± I showed him my board, tilted my head. I didn¡¯t really remember when I started with that. Clones-chan army decided they wanted to crowd pile Naruto. And given Naruto¡¯s laugh, he didn¡¯t mind it. I really wanted to know what my clones were thinking. I guess I would learn now. I unpopped all my clones. Had to face-palm. Really, I just wanted to fan-girl in front of the story protagonists? And since the clones knew they didn¡¯t need to deal with any of the fallout¡­ Was fan-girl-sama a masochist or something? ¡°Why now?¡± Sasuke pressed. I told him the truth. ¡°I need training fighting without the seals, you guys need training fighting someone physically stronger and faster. We need to improve our teamwork.¡± Naruto had approached, looking sad for some reason. I handed him a kunai. ¡°What do you think of it?¡± Naruto took the weapon, swished it up and down, threw it in the air, picked it up. ¡°It¡¯s a kunai?¡± He asked, confused. I nodded. Kunai-clone-chan changed shape into myself again. ¡°What? How?¡± Naruto gaped again. I really wanted to face-palm again. Hadn¡¯t he done that in the battle with Zabuza? I had to hear an exaggerated account of that battle for days. ¡°Didn¡¯t you do the same in the First battle with Zabuza?¡± I asked. Naruto had the gall to look surprised, like he had forgotten it. ¡°Naruto-kun, can you create a clone?¡± I asked. The boy nodded, and did so. ¡°My own clone led Naruto clone away.¡± We watched the two clones walk away. Hinata-clone wrote something on the ground. Naruto squirmed, looked away, then started yelling. ¡°No!¡±. Original Naruto looked at the scene with curiosity, Sasuke was still staring at us. Hinata-clone wrote something else, unpopped herself. Naruto¡¯s clone did the same. Original Naruto looked at me horrified, pointed at my face. Looked at Sasuke, looked away. ¡°No!¡± He closed his mouth. His face was tomato red. He scowled. ¡°Did you understand now, Naruto? When your clone disappears, you learn the same things it did.¡± I showed him the board. Naruto''s mouth, who he had opened, probably to deny again, closed with an audible click. Dummy hadn¡¯t realized it. That was enough for now. It was time to train, and train hard. 3.3 That same day, after the morning training, I worked on modifying the weight seals. I already had a prototype design drawn, created in idle time in the Land of Waves. Now was to build and test. My new concept was simple, even if I still had some kinks to settle. With this new version, instead of always working, I could deactivate using chakra. What I hadn¡¯t yet been able to figure out was how to make it so I could raise or lower the weight at any time. Until now, every time I wanted it to be more heavy, I had to re-create the whole thing. I wanted a ¡°one version solves all¡± solution. The on/off switch was easy, the variable output wasn¡¯t. To keep up with my new resolve I crafted a test version that let me activate and deactivate the seals on command. I also increased the weight some more. I got pretty used to the current setup and it was time to amp the training again. I would keep toiling for the improvements I wanted. I managed to beg two new jutsu from the mission control center. It turns out that the S-rank mission Kakashi gave me when I was a toddler wasn¡¯t bogus talk to keep me silent. My current mission record was ten D-rank, one A-rank, one S-rank. Wild. More than wild: I was rich! I mean, not really rich, but S-rank missions paid super well, I didn¡¯t need to worry about money for a long time. That and the mission points. Given the mission reward ratio to cost of Jutsu, it wasn¡¯t enough to get that many jutsu, but when combined with the rewards for the A-rank one. Yeah. I went to town, so to speak. But really, not. Given my mission record, I was allowed to get B-rank jutsu. I didn¡¯t even look at all the categories because I didn¡¯t want to be tempted. I went for fuinjutsu and browsed the smaller catalog. In the end, I picked up a perimeter barrier. I wanted to deconstruct that jutsu for more building blocks for my own seals. For the rest of my points, I debated between one C-rank jutsu or two D-rank jutsu. I went with the C-rank: Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu. It was time to put my ability to sense chakra to use, and hiding under the earth was such a classic move I couldn¡¯t let pass. For my own personal projects I had mastered the Rasengan. I couldn''t practice that jutsu anywhere. No way to explain to Kakashi-sensei how I knew it. Which meant sneaking off training hours when I was sure no one was watching. Now, I was working on multiple Rasengan. It was suitably difficult, which triggered my control training mania. Other than that, for physical training I decided to focus on speed. I had my goal: Black Flash. Couldn¡¯t very well be a slow flash. I did bug Kakashi-sensei to give me pointers about speed training. I expected him to bail out on me, but to my surprise, he didn¡¯t. ¡°Let¡¯s see your training plans.¡± The man said. I nodded, showed him the many small exercises focused on strengthening leg muscles, or promoting coordination. ¡°These and these you should remove.¡± He pointed to some of my routines. ¡°They won¡¯t work like you expect them to.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a few others for you. I¡¯ll give you tomorrow.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I cheered a bit. I was considering going to look for Gai-sensei to get some tips, but if Kakashi was willing to help, I wouldn¡¯t say no. I tackle-hugged the cool guy, to his immense discomfort. Gave him a prepared slice of lemon cake. Fled before he could retaliate. The feeling of being home wouldn¡¯t be complete without visiting Secretary-chan. I popped by the Hokage tower, gave the woman a hug. We couldn¡¯t talk much, since it was working hours. I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. I offered her my new confection: Mango Mousse. I fled. Not ashamed to admit. Secretary-chan let out a lewd squeal of joy that attracted a lot of attention. That day, I realized mango was her favorite fruit, and maybe I should catch her out of working hours if I planned to deliver any other mango flavored pastries. But the day wasn¡¯t over yet. I had a few more people to see and deliveries to make. I abused Konoha¡¯s highway express. Jumped roof to roof until I found my destination. I looked over myself just to make sure, before I knocked on the door. I already had my board ready. The door opened, an older woman with blonde hair and green eyes stepped out, greeted me. ¡°Hello Hinata-chan, it¡¯s been a while. How are you?¡± I nodded, wrote. ¡°Hello Haruno-san, I was out on a mission. Is Sakura-chan home?¡± ¡°Sakura is also out on a mission with her team. She won¡¯t return for a few days yet.¡± That was fair. I popped a container of pastries, placed an unused seal over the container. Offered the woman. ¡°Please accept these, and give the seal to Sakura when she¡¯s back?¡± Mebuki took the container. Smiled. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for tea, won¡¯t you come in?¡± I shook my head, still had other places to visit. ¡°Next time?¡± I wrote. Haruno-san patted my head, not sure why people liked doing that. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll tell Sakura you came by.¡± I bowed, took the Konoha highway again. My next destination wasn¡¯t a residential area, but the Yamanaka Flowers Shop. I dropped in front of the place. Took a deep breath. I loved the smells. I was sure the Yamanaka ninja''d their flowers somehow. They smelled super nice. I stepped inside, went for the counter deep inside. Like I hoped, Ino was here, working her part-time job. ¡°Hinata-chan!¡± Ino smiled, waved. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a moment.¡± She called out, turned back to her customer. I went to check the flowers. Or maybe smell them. Not long after Ino was upon me. The girl grabbed my hand, pulled me deeper into the place. ¡°Mom!¡± she yelled. ¡°Can you mind the shop for a bit? Hinata is here!¡± Ino didn¡¯t wait for her mother''s response. I was already used to the treatment. The few times I visited weren''t that different. She dragged me up stairs and across doors to a sparsely decorated living room. To no one¡¯s surprise, most of the decorations were flower themed. Ino pushed me on a couch, then fled in the other direction. I got comfortable, sat over one crossed leg. Looked a my collection of pastries. I wasn¡¯t confident enough in the mango mousse yet, despite Secretary-chan¡¯s reaction. Decided to go with the usual assortment of cupcakes. Ino returned not long after. She brought tea. Flower flavored, of course. We ate, we drank, we gossiped. I told her about my A-rank mission, she told me all about her boring D-ranks. ¡°I have a new concoction in the works.¡± I wrote, when it was time to go. ¡°But it still needs some work.¡± ¡°Really? What is it?¡± Ino asked, eyes sparkling. I gave her a cheeky grin. ¡°A surprise. I¡¯ll have it ready for the next time I see you.¡± ¡°You better!¡± Ino demanded. 3.4 In the mornings, team seven ¡ª sans sensei ¡ª always met for training. Sasuke had been holding out on us, but when it turned out he couldn¡¯t keep up with my speed, he thought his sharingan would be the answer. I was still faster than he could react even when he used his cheat dojutsu. Sucks to be him. Dare I hope I was faster than Rock Lee? I had no idea. Sasuke improved fast, and he also knew my own fighting style. It didn¡¯t take much for him to start predicting my attacks, and anticipating them even when he couldn¡¯t react to my speed. Talk about a cheat. So unfair. Years of hard work went down the drain because of bloodline advantages. But that was fine, once I broke the fuinjutsu code, not even the sharingan would be capable of contending with the Black Flash! With Naruto, training focused more on integrating his clones to everything. From spying, to recon, or simply as distraction. I hammered a lot about disguising himself as a weapon or something similar to trick an enemy. Naruto grumbled a bit, he wanted to fight head on, always. The dumb brat. I also spent some time perfecting the jutsu I knew. Shunshin no jutsu needed to be, for now, my answer for speed. When I started using those in my spar with the boys, I tried to be as unpredictable as possible. I practiced my doton jutsu without hand seals. Like all others, it took some effort until I understood the chakra circulation, but once I figured that without using the hand seals to guide the chakra, it was easy to replicate. I mastered the normal application of the barrier jutsu, and soon modified it to use weight seals: Weight would serve as a phenomenal way to disable someone without lethal means. I might have also, just for fun, you know, created an exploding version of the barrier trap. I mean, come on. Trap someone and explode them? That is ninjutsu 101, I mean, explosive ninjutsu 101. Whatever, I wanted to explode stuff. The barrier just made sure I wouldn¡¯t explode the wrong stuff. Win-win, right? Don¡¯t judge me. I also did a bit of research on how to modify the B-rank barrier jutsu to create shields on demand. The way I see it, an on demand, almost unbreakable barrier to block stuff was just too good to pass. Once I managed to create seals out of thin air ¡ª it was just a matter of when ¡ª I could pop those shields whenever I needed them. Seemed to me a good strategy. Our days off soon ended, and we started to complete missions again. The missions we got were the boring type. Help with farm work, babysit, deliver letters. We got one more C-rank mission to escort a merchant to the Land of River, and not even a bandit attacked us. Weeks and weeks of boring walk. Naruto and Sasuke drama vanished somehow when I wasn¡¯t looking. They still hadn¡¯t returned to the same level of camaraderie from the Land of Waves mission, but they were cooperating, training together, and most important of all, not bickering all the time. We walked down the streets of Konoha, Naruto with his hands behind his head. Today¡¯s mission wasn''t bad. A wild boar was terrorizing a small village. Hunting the animal had been fun, in a ¡®I never hunted wild animals before¡¯ way. Better than babysitting. Or taking care of Tora. Madam Shifmi had requested us to care for her pet Tora four times already. Always our team. I was starting to think it was because of the post mission client pastries. Her eyes gleamed every time the mission ended.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The village noises filled my ears: people talking, dogs barking, a hawk screaming overhead. I heard it all, but dismissed it. It was only when Kakashi-sensei looked up, that I did as well. The hawk flight path told the message: Jounin, assemble, tower, important, not emergency. Kakashi-sensei glanced my way. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve got to hand in my report on today¡¯s mission.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going home.¡± Sasuke said, turned around, walked away without leaving any chance for anyone to say something. Kakashi didn¡¯t comment on that, or say anything else. He flickered away. Left me alone with Naruto. ¡°Hinata-chan,¡± Naruto yelled, ¡°we can train together!¡± I considered my options. I hadn¡¯t finished my weight variant bracelets. It was taking more effort than I expected. I learned the two new jutsu, and deconstructing the barrier had been fun. I had ideas for new ways to apply my seals. My current focus was on a simple one sided barrier to use as an impromptu shield. I guess training with Naruto wouldn¡¯t be a waste. We usually did multiple clone training at my own request. I nodded. Naruto tried to blind me with his smile. Ugh. We changed directions and went toward our usual training field. At some point, a cardboard painted like a rock started to follow us, with three chakra candles inside. Naruto didn¡¯t take long to notice it too. ¡°Faked you out, rock!¡± He hollered, pointing at the cardboard. ¡°Little hint. No rock has perfect angles and perfect corners and certainly no eye holes!¡± The box was thrown away. Out from under it popped three brats, wearing the same goggles Naruto used to wear. One was a chubby kid with a running nose, glasses and sleepy eyes. The other a rosy faced girl, with hair tied up like two points of a star. At the front was Konohamaru. I was pretty sure it was Konohamaru. ¡°Leave it to the man I have acknowledged as being almost my equal! Your skills rival my own.¡± Konohamaru had his arms crossed, expression fierce. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you guys.¡± Naruto said, unimpressed. ¡°What¡¯s up with the goggles?¡± ¡°He he he, you¡¯re our idol right? We¡¯re copying the style you used to wear.¡± Konohamaru said, grinning. I watched in amusement Naruto talking with the kids. Didn¡¯t even got mad when Konohamaru asked Naruto if I was his girlfriend and Naruto didn¡¯t deny immediately. Of course he did so after I had slapped the back of his head. Don¡¯t know why the bugger didn¡¯t take the hint. No marrying Naruto in my future. No way, I refuse! ¡°But¡­ but you promised to play ninja with us!¡± Konohamaru whined. Naruto looked at me pleadingly. I shrugged, I didn¡¯t mind, really. Worse came to worse, we could always send a clone to keep the children company while we trained. I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Naruto yelled, pointing down the road. ¡°The last to arrive have to throw a hundred kunai!¡± Konohamaru and the girl I still didn¡¯t know the name fled down the road. The chubby kid with glasses and running nose shambled after. Naruto pretended to chase the kids. Konohamaru turned a corner. ¡°Yipe.¡± Cried out. I dashed forward. Naruto did too. Kankuro and Temari stood looking down on the fallen kid. ¡°That¡¯s gotta smart.¡± Kankuro said. 3.5 Kankuro lifted the kid by the collar of his shirt. ¡°That hurt, snot-face.¡± Temari rolled her eyes. ¡°Knock it off. You know why we are here.¡± ¡°Put him down, you big ape!¡± Naruto yelled. Kankuro smirked. ¡°I just wanted to play with him a bit, while waiting.¡± He pulled harder on the kid¡¯s collar. Konohamaru whimpered. Naruto leaned forward. I put a hand on his shoulder. I couldn''t see it, but I could feel it. Chakra threads around Kankuro, concentrated where Naruto would move. Naruto looked back at me, I shook my head. I popped my board. That got me a raised eyebrow from the two Sunagakure shinobi. I wrote. ¡°You two are shinobi from Sunagakure, right? Is it wise to attack a civilian kid in the middle of Konoha?¡± I didn¡¯t tell them they were threatening the Third Hokage¡¯s grandson. That was a can of worms I wanted no part of. Kankuro didn¡¯t seem willing to back down. He shook the boy again. ¡°What, afraid?¡± He taunted. He looked at Naruto and grinned. The idiot stopped paying attention to me. I disabled my seals. Flickered forward inside his personal space. With one hand, I plucked Konohamaru from his grasp, with the other, I pressed my exploding Kunai to his throat. He was taller and older than me. Fourteen or fifteen. Even so, I stared him down. I released Konohamaru who fled sniffling back to Naruto¡¯s side. Kankuro¡¯s threads moved. I could feel the chakra being pumped on them. I could also feel the utter blazing sun of chakra that rivaled even Naruto across the road, up on a tree. ¡°Stop it, Kankuro. You¡¯re a disgrace to our entire village.¡± Gaara¡¯s called out. ¡°It annoys me that you¡¯d lose control in a quarrel with children. Have you forgotten why we came here?¡± Kankuro looked away from me, toward the tree. ¡°But Gaara, they started it, this midget even attacked me.¡± ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Gaara dead-paned. His delivery was so emotionless that even I felt a smidgen of fear. I took the chance to disengage. I flicked away, appeared next to Naruto. Gaara seemed to like my display. He flickered from the tree, appeared near his two teammates. ¡°I know we are early, but we didn¡¯t come to play around.¡± Gaara said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He ordered, turned around. Kankuro and Temari followed him. They had disappeared from view when Naruto couldn¡¯t keep quiet anymore. ¡°Who are those assholes?¡± Absent-mindedly, I took my board. Midway Gaara speech, three other bundles of chakras, hidden among the tree, had stopped to observe. Were they Konoha shinobi? I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Sunagakure ninjas.¡± I wrote for Naruto. ¡°Why are they here?¡± Naruto complained again. Why are they here indeed? Was it time for the chunin exams already? I wanted more time to prepare. ¡°I¡¯m sure Kakashi-sensei will tell us if it¡¯s something important.¡± I wrote back, then snapped out of it. The kids were spooked, and Konohamaru looked about to cry. I popped cupcakes for them. Children and sweets. Couldn¡¯t go wrong with that.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Life went on, with no other information about the visiting ninja. We did more D-rank missions, training our teamwork. About a week later we met up to wait for sensei. As usual, Kakashi-sensei was late, just one and half hours today. There was the mandatory ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± from Naruto, and the usually silly excuse from Kakashi. ¡°I know it¡¯s sudden, but I¡¯ve nominated you guys for the chunin selection exams.¡± Naruto was quiet for a moment, before he scoffed. ¡°Good one sensei, almost had us.¡± Kakashi-sensei produced three cards. Handed it over to us. ¡°Here is your application.¡± This time, it was Naruto who hug-tackled the man. ¡°Kakashi-sensei I love you!¡± Kakashi disentangled himself from a grinning Naruto, looked at me and Sasuke. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s just a nomination, whether to take the exam or not, it¡¯s entirely up to each of you.¡± He looked at the three of us. ¡°If you want to participate, sign the form and turn them in tomorrow at 4pm, in the academy. Room 301.¡± Sensei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± The man flickered away. Naruto glanced at us and started giggling. I didn¡¯t even want to know what the brat was thinking now. Sasuke looked eager. Battle freak. We parted soon after for our preparation. No mission today.
The academy was bustling with Ninja. I had to stop paying too much attention to my chakra perception because it became a bit overwhelming. I had never considered that it could actually be a problem, but it was also the first time I was in a place with so many ninjas gathered. Something to consider later on. We walked past the mass of bodies, climbed the first and second floor. The markings in the wall that told the numbers had been blocked or covered. Part of the deception I guessed. The genjutsu tried to invade my mind as soon as we stepped inside the second floor. It didn¡¯t work. It never worked. There was a crowd of people in front of room 201, or 301 if someone hadn¡¯t been able to shrug off the genjutsu. A boy with a bowl cut, green leotard and huge eyebrows made a scene out of himself confronting the two guys guarding the wrong door. I wanted to cheer a bit. Rock Lee was cool. The two disguised ninjas went on about sparing us, because we would all die yada yada. Sasuke, for all his combat potential, proved he was just an attention seeking boy. I think secretly he liked all those fan-girls chasing after him all the time. Instead of just walking past the obvious trap, he stopped. I wanted to slap him. ¡°You better drop this genjutsu. I¡¯m going to the third floor.¡± There was a small hubbub of conversation at his declaration. I mean, really, and I thought Naruto was an attention whore. ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed.¡± One of the distraction ninjas said. ¡°Heh, you had no chance of ever fooling us.¡± He smirked. ¡°Even more with Hinata here.¡± He pointed at me. People looked at me at the obvious call out. Dafuq was his problem now? I rolled my eyes. My ears burned a bit. Was I an attention whore as well? Bummer. The sign above the room distorted, the genjutsu dispelled. ¡°Not bad.¡± One of the distraction said. ¡°But seeing through isn¡¯t¡ª¡± midway through the speech he dashed forward, sweeping a kick aimed at Sasuke¡¯s head. ¡°¡ªenough!¡± The past months of training hadn¡¯t been in vain. Sasuke reacted fast, aimed a counter kick. To my surprise, Naruto also reacted. He kicked low, on a sweeping attack. The distraction noticed. He was dressed as a genin, but I was sure it was at least a chunin behind the facade. He retreated, scowled. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that.¡± He said, before skedaddling. Without Sakura-chan around, I guess Rock Lee had no motive to intervene. There was a bit of drama between Neji and Sasuke. The Hyuga heir had finally stopped staring at me. For a while I had forgotten it: Sasuke was considered a prodigy, even by Uchiha standards, even if Itachi had been a precocious little ninja. It was hard to not notice when every time we were near other clan ninja, everyone wanted a piece of the boy. They huffed at each other, Neji glared at me again for some reason, then we parted ways. 3.6 Without Sakura-chan in team seven, Rock Lee didn¡¯t follow us to challenge Sasuke. I guess the impetus behind that decision was probably teenage hormones. Which was a shame, I wanted to see the second coolest ninja, Konoha¡¯s Sublime Green Beast of Prey: Maito Gai. Soon, I hoped. We kept pace, climbed to the next floor. Kakashi-sensei stood before door 301. Naruto squinted, scratched his head. ¡°Why are you here, sensei?¡± Cool guy Kakashi, leaning against the wall, gave us a small wave. ¡°From the start, only a three man squad can participate on the exam.¡± Naruto tilted his head. ¡°But sensei, you said we could decide for ourselves, were you lying?¡± Sensei smiled. Eye turned into a crescent. ¡°If I had told the truth, and one of you didn¡¯t feel ready to participate, the others might have pressured that person into participating. That wouldn¡¯t do. Half attempts at this exam will only get you killed. But you guys came on your own will and I¡¯m very proud of you guys. You are a team that I¡¯m proud of. Now, go on.¡± The boys smirked. My ears burned. With head held high, chest puffed up ¡ª to no visible difference ¡ª I crossed the fated door. Glares, all manner of glares and scowls greeted us on the other side. The room was packed full of people. Most were from Konoha, almost all of them a lot older than us. I caught movement from the corner of my eye: a dash of yellow hair coming our direction. I ducked around Naruto, waiting for the perfect moment. ¡°You¡¯re late Sa¡ª¡± I didn¡¯t let Ino finish. She had her arms open ready to hug Emosuke. The boy didn¡¯t need any more attention, and I wanted that hug for myself. I tackled the blonde instead of letting her finish, cutting off her remark. ¡°¡ª oof.¡± Ino grunted, hugged me back. Her eyes glinted, face opened with a smile. ¡°Did you bring it?¡± She asked, as if hugging me had been her intention all along. I nodded, serious. Ino threw herself into the hug fully. ¡°Yes!¡± I held onto the hug for a while longer, noticed the intricate scent of flowers from the blonde girl. Released her waist. She looked at me expectantly. I dug into one of the hidden pockets in my skirt waistband. Took a miniature seal. Offered it. Ino took the seal with trembling hands. Stored it in a pocket. Threw her arms around my neck on another hug. Ino¡¯s reaction reminded me of food addicts. Had I hooked the girl on sweets addiction and was now her fixer? No, that was silly. I pushed that idea away. All the while, the whole room watched, and the mood got even heavier. Shikamaru and Choji arrived soon after. ¡°How troublesome,¡± Shikamaru complained. Choji nodded, but didn¡¯t stop eating his chips. Ino still had her arms draped around my neck, when team eight arrived. Shino, with his high collar and black glasses looked inscrutable as always. Kiba looked wild and arrogant, but it was the puppy on top of his head that stole the limelight. Akamaru was so cute! Sakura looked confident, smiled. Her eyes passed over all of us, lingered a moment on Sasuke, but focused on Ino. I guess Sakura just needed time and distance to get over Emosuke.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Your forehead is still wide and you¡¯re ugly as usual.¡± Ino teased. ¡°Go to hell, Ino-pig!¡± Sakura called back. Ino just stuck her tongue at Sakura. ¡°You guys are taking this exam too?¡± Shikamaru asked the obvious question once the rookie nine had gathered. There was a bit of banter. Kiba provoked Sasuke, Naruto called out the whole of Team Eight. All the other eight kids were loud as kids wont to do. I was tempted to summon finger food to celebrate the reunion, but I didn''t want to give away that information to the enemy. Maybe I could invite them all for a get-together later? ¡°Hey, you guys.¡± A soft voice called from behind us. ¡°You should all be a little quieter.¡± I twisted a bit, peered over Ino¡¯s arm at the newcomer. Tall, with glasses and gray hair, he wore his protector on his forehead and a dark blue vest over a white shirt. The usual half-shin trouser and blue opentoed ninja shoes. Another fucker that needed to die. Real fast. Real hard. I glared at Kabuto. ¡°You guys must be the nine rookies, acting like this is a field trip.¡± Ino, who still had her arms draped around my shoulders, shot back. ¡°Who are you? Acting all haughty!¡± He returned my glare and Ino question with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Kabuto, anyway take a look around you.¡± I didn¡¯t. I had never stopped paying attention to the room chockfull of people glaring at us, but it seems, the others had. Ino looked around, removed her arms. Sakura also looked tense now. Some of the boys looked intimidated, others serious. I wanted to strangulate Kabuto even more now. I had been enjoying the prolonged contact with another human being. ¡°Everyone is already on edge because of the exam.¡± Kabuto engaged the rest of the rookies in conversation. Pulled out his ninja cards. Everyone gathered around him to check out the details. Kabuto talked about the villages participating. ¡°Everyone here is at the top of their village, everyone is strong. Some even literal monsters.¡± This fucker needed to die. Fast. Decisively, and permanently. But how? He might be pretending to be a genin still, but Kabuto was strong. Jounin like strong. At this point in time, how many body modifications had he already performed? Could he even be killed? Kabuto glanced at me, flashed a smile. I looked away. Gotta be careful. Naruto started trembling. Sasuke noticed. Looked worried. Naruto took a pose, pointed his fingers at the room at large. ¡°My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I won''t lose to any of you bastards!¡± He hollered. Put hands behind his head. ¡°Ah, that felt great!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s what with him?¡± Ino grabbed my arm, demanding. I just flashed her a smile. Might have passed a new seal with more pastries. Sasuke smirked. We were in a room full of ninja, people who should know how to control their reactions. The glares, the tense jaws, clenched fists and cursing, told otherwise. I could grab at the tension in the air. Otogakure ninjas moved. The trio dashed forward, attacked their disguised pal, Kabuto. Was this planned as well? It made no sense why the ninjas would go for Kabuto when the rookies were an easier target. Was that planned to make us sympathize with the traitor? Kabuto dodged, but suffered the consequences of the sound attack, barfing all over the place. Naruto rilled up, ready to cause another commotion to defend Kabuto. Smoke exploded at the far end on the other side from where we were. ¡°Quiet down, you worthless bastards!¡± The voice bellowed. Out of the smoke popped the scary Intelligence Department Squad, or at least I thought they were. A ninja stood in front of the group. He was dressed in a black duster, his protector worn like a bandanna. He smiled. It did nothing to warm his scarred face. ¡°Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I¡¯m Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the first test of the Chunin exam.¡± Ibiki''s voice, a low growl that echoed through the room, silenced the chatter instantly. His eyes, cold and piercing, scanned the crowd, lingering on each face as if daring anyone to challenge him. It was pretty interesting seeing the man work. The glare, the stare, the scars. Yep, I wouldn¡¯t want to be alone with that guy. He listed the rules, threatened to disqualify anyone who didn¡¯t obey. ¡°Turn in your written application, take one of these seating assignment cards.¡± Ibiki showed a small card with a number. ¡°Report directly to the seat indicated. When Everyone is seated, we¡¯ll pass out the written part of the exam.¡± Naruto grabbed his hair. Soul leaving his body. ¡°A written test?¡± He yelled. 3.7 I want to say I kicked ass and took names in this first exam, but that would be a lie. The seating arrangement made no sense to me. Some tables had only one person, others had three side by side. The exam rules didn¡¯t trigger any alarm bells in my mind. I was pretty sure it was the exact same as the original story, even if I didn¡¯t remember the rules word by word. Chunin proctors sat one per roll by the walls. There were a lot of proctors here. I would have been intimidated if I hadn¡¯t known what this was all about. I hoped all our training and talk would help Naruto realize the nature of the test. ¡°You have one hour,¡± Ibiki growled, ¡°starting now!¡± I turned to my test, read the questions. Question ten would only be revealed fifteen minutes before the test ended. Yep, damn fate. I turned back to the first question: Decode the following cipher and summarize its meaning. No way Naruto could answer this one. Although, the code looked fun. I tilted my head. I remember seeing a similar code while studying that myself. That made me remember I never re-coded my story book. I shook my head, not time to get distracted. I ran the cipher in my head, tested possibilities, wrote down the answer. All around me chakra flared, crowding my perception even with me trying to ignore it. People had started to cheat in earnest. I turned to the second question. It was an integrated problem based on predictions of uncertain conditions and dynamic energy analysis application. I nodded. No way Naruto could answer this one as well, I wasn¡¯t even sure if Sasuke could. I ran the scenario in my head, trying to visualize the problem. Wrote a few possible equations, crossed them, tested others. A shinobi ahead of me stood up, both hands on the table. ¡°The one thing I¡¯m wondering is how many top ranking teams they intend to pass?¡± From the front, Ibiki laughed. ¡°Haha. Knowing that wouldn¡¯t help would it? Unless you¡¯re planning on failing the exam.¡± The shinobi sat down. ¡°Sorry.¡± The movement of chakra intensified. Some people were subtle, others cheated blatantly. A chakra infused bug landed on my desk, near the question I just finished answering. Way to go Shino! I left the bug alone. Focused on going through the test questions. A kunai flew from one of the proctors, pierced a test paper just behind Naruto. The test taker barked out. ¡°What was this about?¡± Cool guy proctor, with the fabric crossing his face and square goatee mocked. ¡°You¡¯re out. That was your fifth strike.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ibiki had no mercy. ¡°His two buddies, both get out of the classroom. Right now!¡± There were some protests, people got dragged. I kept my head down. By the corner of my eyes, I saw sneaky Naruto use the commotion to replace someone else''s eraser with one of his clones. The proctor took notice of it, wrote something down. I guess Naruto wasn¡¯t subtle enough, but I¡¯m guessing he at least learned something. The test went on, and more and more teams got thrown out. I had just finished answering the seventh question. After the second one, the questions got even more complicated, with multiple scenarios and possibilities to consider. I had been focused, forgot to pay attention to the room.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Get ready for the tenth question!¡± Ibiki barked out. I jumped a bit. Blinked in confusion. Had it been 45 minutes already? I looked at my test again. Midway answering question eight, which was an analysis and discussion about relative political repercussions of the third shinobi war. ¡°And before we get to the question itself, I¡¯m adding a new rule. This rule is absolute.¡± Ibiki glared at the room. ¡°First you must choose whether to accept or reject the tenth question.¡± ¡°Choose?¡± Temari asked from her seat across the room. ¡°What happens if someone doesn¡¯t accept the question?¡± ¡°If you reject the question and don¡¯t even try, you¡¯ll lose all your points and fail. Both you and your teammates.¡± ¡°What?¡± a random genin barked. ¡°Why would someone reject the question then?¡± Ibiki spoke softly, but his voice carried. ¡°Because of the other rule. If you try to answer and get it wrong, you¡¯ll never be permitted to apply for chunin exams, ever again.¡± The classroom half full of shinobi exploded in complaints, alright. Loudmouth Kiba yelled louder than everyone else. Ibiki just glared the boy down. It was nuts. Tension in the room skyrocketed. I wanted to applaud the guy. All the pose and theater and subtle threats. How he manipulated a room full of already nervous people into considering the consequence as something that could actually happen. In a way, it was a lot like Kakashi-sensei¡¯s bell test, just with direr consequences. I think if Sasuke had not been affected by the mood, he¡¯d notice the similarities. I put my pen down. For all intents and purposes the test was done. Ibiki pressed. One genin gave up. Like floodgates open, more and more people opted out of the test. Until Naruto happened. The brat raised his hand, slapped it on the table hard. Hollered. ¡°Never underestimate me!! I won''t quit and I won¡¯t run! I¡¯ll accept your stupid question. Even if I risk being a genin forever, I¡¯ll still become the Hokage, even if by pure stubbornness, I don¡¯t care!¡± He stepped on the table, pointed at Ibiki''s scarred face. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Yeah, I could see why Hinata liked the brat. I even felt a bit moved by his hollering. Still not marrying him. No sir, thank you sir. Ibiki growled again. ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time, this is a decision that could affect the rest of your life, quit now while you still have the chance.¡± The scary jounin tried, but the mood in the room had shifted. The remaining shinobi looked confident, inspired. ¡°I never go back on my word!¡± Naruto declared. Ibiki smirked. ¡°Good call. Everyone who is still here, you¡¯ve just passed the first exam!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ino asked. ¡°There¡¯s no tenth question, beyond the whole accept or reject thing.¡± Ibiki said with a nice smile. Others reacted. Temari got angry. ¡°Why waste our time like this?¡± Ibiki went on to explain the whole point of the exam. Naruto sat down, arms crossed. Nodded like he understood everything. The brat. He looked back, I gave him a big smile, a thumbs up. He tried to blind me again. Midway through a question, Ibiki removed his protector. The man''s head was a scarred mess of cuts, burns, claw marks, slashes, and punctures¡ªa horrifying sight that killed the mood. Despite this, the jounin smiled as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Still smiling like he was the nicest guy around, Ibiki answered questions, explained the purpose of the exam, which was to cull out people who couldn¡¯t gather information, or didn¡¯t have enough resolve. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Naruto hollered. ¡°Bring it on!¡± He cheered. Something, or someone crashed through the window. The blur moved midair. Kunai shot out from the new arrival, sticking to the ceiling and floor. A banner opened behind the woman. The banner coincidentally hid Ibiki, revealing a woman who wore a single wire mesh clothing piece, a dark orange skirt, and a brown duster. She had purple hair, wore shin protectors. Oh man, that¡¯s Anko right? ¡°None of you are in any position to celebrate.¡± The purple haired woman slapped the fabric behind her. It had words written on it: Newly arrived second chief command officer, which was a bit unneeded, because Anko introduced herself soon after. ¡°I¡¯m the second chief examination officer, Mitarashi Anko! Time¡¯s a-wastin¡¯ people, let¡¯s go! Follow me!¡± 3.8 No one moved. Anko''s face darkened. Ibiki poked his head from behind the cloth. ¡°Can¡¯t you sense the mood in here?¡± ¡°Seventy eight?¡± Anko turned to the scary jounin commander. ¡°You obviously went easy on them.¡± Ibiki shrugged. ¡°We have,¡± he paused, just for a moment, ¡°exceptional applicants this year.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Anko dismissed, ¡°I¡¯ll cut that number by half before the next test is done. Come on people, follow me. I¡¯ll explain things at our next location.¡± We followed Anko out of the building, around the less frequented parts of the village, until we stood out of a fenced area. Huge rooty and contorted trees filled the field in front of us. The atmosphere was heavy on the other side of the fence, not helped by Anko¡¯s introduction of the place. ¡°This is the arena for the second exam: training ground 44, also known as Forest of Death.¡± Anko did the song and dance of scaring people. I thought I would fangirl over her. Anko had been one of my favorites, even if she didn¡¯t have much screen time in the original show. But not here, not now. She creeped me out. It might have been because she smiled while she cut Naruto¡¯s face with a thrown kunai, only to appear behind the brat, grab his head and lick the blood. It made all my innards churn. Worse still when what I really hoped wouldn¡¯t happen, happened. The tall, pale lady with long black hair and longer tongue provoking Anko. That was Orochimaru, wasn¡¯t it? I looked away. Started trembling. Wasn¡¯t even sure why I was scared. Anko continued with her piece. Handed out consent forms. Did that mean we were adults already? I guess so. Explained the two scrolls, each team had a random one, Heaven and Earth, we needed the second of the pair. Five days to reach the tower at the center. Forty four entrances. If any of your team dies, you¡¯re out. You need all three members of the team alive and with two scrolls to enter the tower. Do not open the scrolls until you are at the tower. Under no circumstances could you leave the forest before the five days ran out. There would be no jounin interference, with no exceptions. Not once did she say we couldn''t maim or kill the opponents. The kid gloves were off, it seemed. ¡°That¡¯s all the explanation you¡¯ll get. When you¡¯ve got your scroll, a proctor will take you to the gate you¡¯ll start from. Everyone will start at the same time.¡± Anko looked serious. ¡°And one final piece of advice. Stay alive!¡± Teams were called inside a cabin with red curtains. Soon we were called out. The proctor handed me a heaven scroll. I handed it over to Naruto. ¡°Keep it hidden Naruto-kun, don¡¯t ever tell anyone you have it. They¡¯ll expect Sasuke-kun to be the one holding it, you¡¯re our secret weapon.¡± It was a bit cheesy, but it did the job. Naruto smiled wide, before schooling his expression. We left the cabin to wait until all teams had their scroll. I hoped the proctor wouldn¡¯t complain about the pebble-clone-chan I left inside the place to scout the remaining teams. We¡¯re ninja after all, we needed information. A proctor led us toward gate 12. I checked my seals. Kakashi hadn¡¯t told us to pack, so I had my essential stuff bag. Which was basically everything. It was just paper. Naruto and Sasuke had only a small bag with their tools. We had to survive five days. I knew the test would be dangerous. I didn¡¯t want to fight Orochimaru. It could always be a coincidence, right? That tall lady was a genuine contender, bent on killing us and taking our scrolls, not some S-rank murder hobo disguised bent on killing us for the funz of it. ¡°Are you okay, Hinata-chan?¡± Naruto came over, crowded around me. My own logic didn¡¯t make things easier. I nodded, shook my head. I opened my bag, took one of my storage scroll rolls, much to the proctor amusement. Out popped my special exploding kunais. I handed each of the boys a few. I wrote. ¡°Take care with those, they are extra.¡± Just because, popped a few cupcakes, offered some to the proctor. No need to break my good impression policy just because I was scared.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I might have stress eaten one or ten cupcakes myself. Don¡¯t judge me. The proctor checked his watch. Turned around. Opened the locked gate. Waved us in. I had expected more fanfare. We crossed, the man closed the gate with a final clang. I raised my hand, popped my board. Unpopped pebble-clone-chan. Details flooded my mind. I organized my findings. ¡°Gate 15, 18, 9, 6. Those are the closest teams with Earth scroll, which one should we target?¡± ¡°How do you know, Hinata-chan?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°Left a clone disguised as a pebble in the cabin.¡± I wrote back. Sasuke nodded, Naruto smiled. ¡°By distribution, shouldn¡¯t we have more teams near us with Earth Scrolls?¡± Sasuke asked. I nodded, wrote again. ¡°Didn¡¯t catch all the teams.¡± ¡°Nine,¡± Naruto pointed out. I nodded. We dashed inside the place, angled our movements toward that direction. We¡¯d have to cross the path of three other gates, but that was fine. I stopped gimping my perception. Now it was a weapon I needed to wield, not something hindering me. We hopped branch by branch. A scream sounded in the distance. We stopped, looked in that direction. ¡°Did you guys hear someone scream?¡± Naruto asked, looking toward where the sound came from. ¡°This place is creepy.¡± He added. Mid Naruto speech, three bundles of chakra entered my perception, then, like they knew where we were, circled around us. I tapped my foot, like I was impatient. Enemy, north, east, west, trees. To my immense surprise, it was Naruto who answered. He scratched his head, fingers spelling the code. Understood, received. Out loud he said something else. ¡°Urgh, I gotta take a leak.¡± He walked toward a bush, which placed him on the path of the east enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡± Sasuke growled, then turned around and walked west. That settled, I took a knee, pretending to check something on my bag. Things kicked off when the bush Naruto walked behind exploded. I¡¯d recognize those explosions anywhere, it was my extra spicy seal. I used the c-rank doton jutsu to hide under earth, left a normal clone in my place as a decoy. Sasuke also moved, he threw another exploding kunai toward a particular branch, forced the hidden enemy to flee, gave chase. The enemy in the north fell for my trap. With my clone being left behind and looking scared, the shinobi from Amegakure with the strange breathing mask and cloth covering both eyes attacked. I activated the perimeter barrier once he got close, then the exploding tags I hid there. It wasn¡¯t one of my best, just a normal explosion, but the explosion in the confined space did its job. I left my hiding place, went to my enemy. The shinobi was burned and battered, but still alive. I tied him down. He wasn¡¯t in any condition to fight, but that wasn¡¯t my problem. I patted him down for the scroll, found none. There were a few yelling from Naruto''s side, a few explosions ¡ª not from my seals ¡ª from Sasuke''s side, and soon after both boys returned. Naruto was a bit banged up, dragging another unconscious ninja and a large metal crossbow. He had a cut on his arm and hand. Sasuke looked fresh and unhurt. He dragged the third shinobi. The only way I could differentiate these guys was by the number of eyes on display. I remember this team. Wasn¡¯t they some sort of genjutsu user or something? My guess is that we looked weak enough to not warrant any serious attack from a perceived ambush. We turned things up pretty easily. I looked at Naruto and Sasuke. Gave them a thumbs up. Once the enemies were gathered, I searched them for the scroll. They had earth. Lucky! I stored it on one of my miniature seals. Hid it in my skirt waistband pocket. Then we ran, deeper inside the forest. I couldn''t believe how easy that had been. Would we break the exam record? Unfortunately, I thought too soon. Cursed myself, cursed our team. The huge blaze of chakra, dwarfed only by Naruto¡¯s own, entered my perception. I didn¡¯t stop. I had a feeling I knew who that was. My body agreed with me. With trembling hands I took my special kunai, ten of them. Clinked one against my forehead. Enemy, strong, run. I calculated the distance, the speed and what I thought the explosion range would be. A dark part of my mind remembered question two. Heh, I could calculate. I threw all of them in an area around and behind us, ran faster. ¡°What, Hinat¡ª¡± Naruto didn¡¯t finish. We had left the trap area, but we were still too close. The blaze of chakra entered the trap area, the kunais exploded. Couldn''t waste that opportunity. It felt like I detonated a nuke, the explosion impact and devastation way bigger than I thought it would have been. It would have been beautiful if I wasn¡¯t so scared. 3.9 The funny thing about explosions, they don¡¯t really care who triggered them. My precious babies exploded and almost took us out. The blast was stronger than I could have dreamed of. Naruto hadn¡¯t braced himself. He flew away from us, fell somewhere I couldn¡¯t see. I crashed against a tree, felt my shoulder crack. I didn¡¯t see what happened to Sasuke, but his chakra presence was nearby, I hoped he was alright. And in the end, it was all for nothing. The shinobi chasing us hid under the earth. Moved underneath, crossed over past where we fell, blocking our path forward. I got up, moved toward Sasuke. When I got there, he was already up, standing straight, kunai in hand, facing the tall long tongued lady from the start of the exam. Shit, shit, shit. What should I do? My legs refused to move when I set my eyes on the enemy. Tall Lady looked at me. ¡°What gave me away?¡± The raspy voice asked. My trembling got worse. Move, dammit, move. I took a kunai. Held it in front of me with a white death grip. The lady didn¡¯t seem bothered by my lack of answers. She took a scroll. Another earth one. ¡°I suppose you¡¯d like to get my Earth scroll, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± She opened her mouth, tongue came out, snaked around the scroll. Gulped it down like it was candy. My trembling got out of control. I wanted to run. Sasuke looked at me, worry written on his face. He moved closer, stood by my side. I could have kissed him right now. A chaste one, on the cheek, but a kiss nonetheless. ¡°Now, shall we see who will steal from who?¡± The Tall Lady glared at us. ¡°We¡¯ll fight to the death.¡± Chakra full of killing intent washed over me. I don¡¯t know what Sasuke felt, how it affected him. For me? I remembered. Memories flashed too fast in my mind. Strapped to a table, the sterile walls, pain, yelling. The same scratchy voice. ¡°We can¡¯t have you yelling like that,¡± the voice said, a finger burned my throat, ¡°there, that will keep you quiet.¡± There was more, a lot more. My thorax cut open, my bones dug out, my guts hung in the open. All the while, the pale man chuckled or scribed something away. Not even when he took out my eyes it ended. It just turned worse. The killing intent infused chakra abated. I was on the ground. Water leaked from everywhere. My pores, my eyes, my mouth, between my legs. My mouth was open in a horrifying scream that created no sound. What was that? A genjutsu? I thought those couldn''t affect me. Was it a memory? It didn¡¯t feel like one, It didn¡¯t feel like I was Hinata strapped to that table. I felt like my old self, I was Camilla. By my side, Sasuke had spilled his lunch. He looked at me. Still trembling. Called out. ¡°Hinata?¡± I couldn¡¯t take my eyes from the lady, man, snake. Whatever. Tall Lady ninja smirked. Threw kunai at me. I saw them, calculated their path: Neck and heart. I couldn¡¯t move. My body refused to obey. The world blurred and we were elsewhere. Sasuke had somehow dragged me out of the clearing, hiding behind the trunk of one of the biggest trees. He held both of my trembling hands with one of his. The boy looked at me, eyes full of worry. Looked out from the corner of the trunk, searching for the enemy. Silly boy wasn¡¯t paying attention to the snake sneaking up on him from above. I bit my own tongue. Pain flared, iron filled my mouth, but whatever shit Orochimaru did to me lessened. I wrenched my hands from Sasuke¡¯s. Grabbed a kunai, a normal exploding one, threw it. The weapon hit the branch above us, detonated. The explosion pushed the snake away. Sasuke finally noticed the enemy. Whirled, attacked. Threw shuriken, jumped to another branch. The snake chased him. While in midair, Sasuke unloaded a rain of kunai and shuriken. It hit the open mouth of the snake. The creature fell, flopped down, still half coiled around a branch. But there was no relief. The body of the serpent bulged and distorted, burst open and out came the disguised shinobi, covered in gore and bile. ¡°You make this so much fun. Keep running prey.¡± The sibilant voice hissed. Then, like a snake, it crawled up the branch, toward the still panting Sasuke. Kunai and shuriken hit the branch, cutting off the half-snake path. Naruto ¡ª covered in blood and guts ¡ª stood above us. ¡°Naruto is here for the rescue!¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sasuke called out. ¡°Be careful Naruto, they are way above our league.¡± ¡°Good job escaping the snake, Naruto-kun.¡± Disguised Orochimaru complimented. There was a bit more back and forth. Orochimaru didn¡¯t seem hurried to continue his attacks. Naruto lost his patience first, attacked. Orochimaru pulled his sleeve up, smeared blood on the summoning seal tattooed to his arm. Summoned a giant snake. The snake moved fast, tail-slapping Naruto away. Sasuke attacked. His eyes red, tomoe spinning. I forced myself up. My knees trembled, but I had to fight. Couldn¡¯t just give up. Sasuke was also slapped away, and my hands moved. I threw a kunai, blocking the snake follow up attack. Naruto was back in the fight, eyes red and raging, evil chakra gushing out of him. Somehow, evil Kyuubi chakra actually helped. It terrorized me in a different way; pushed away all remaining influence from whatever Orochimaru did. Naruto punched the snake down. It felt like the punch of god. The snake retaliation was interrupted by Sasuke¡¯s flame jutsu. I threw even more explosive weapons at the giant snake. Hope sparked in my chest. We¡¯re driving the snake off. Like always, I cursed fate by daring to have hope. The snake recoiled, then lashed out, faster than before. A wave of dread and killing intent blasted me, froze me in place. The snake open maw promised horrible death. Then Naruto was there, somehow he stopped the snake, diverted the attack and the creature snout hit the branch. Naruto held it there like he held the weight of the whole world. The brat¡¯s eyes burned red, evil chakra visible around him. He grinned, a bloodied, nasty thing. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Hinata-chan.¡± I was speechless for more than one reason. Naruto decided to play cool and flirt mid fight? The gall of that brat! Orochimaru, who had been content to watch, moved. His tongue extended, wrapped around Naruto, took him to the air. I attacked, I flickered behind Orochimaru, stabbed with my kunai. Or I tried to. The man had turned his head 180, with a movement too fast for me to see, slapped me away. ¡°Get off me!¡± Naruto yelled. Sasuke moved, not to help Naruto, but to catch my fall. He grabbed my hand, we landed on a lower branch. What was wrong with me? When did I turn from a ninja to damsel in distress? Orochimaru¡¯s turned back to Naruto. The tip of his tongue raised up Naruto¡¯s shirt, revealing the seal on the boy¡¯s stomach. Orochimaru¡¯s fingers burned with purple chakra. He hit the seal. Like pressing an off button on one of those jolly chimp toys, Naruto flopped off, unconscious. Orochimaru tossed Naruto away. Sasuke threw a kunai, pinned Naruto to the tree by his jacket. The snake man turned to Sasuke then to me. His next words chilled me to the bone. ¡°How curious, I¡¯m sure you were dead.¡± I didn¡¯t think he was talking about this fight. Pressed beyond what was reasonable, we fought. Sasuke feinted, attacked, dodged. I kept moving, kept flickering, threw kunai, shuriken, placed explosive trap barriers. My lack of jutsu rearing its ugly head. Sasuke used my own attacks, capitalized on any chance. Used a wire trick with the sharingan and shuriken to trap Orochimaru. Spewed flames all over the enemy face. For a normal enemy, it would have been more than enough. I dare say even some weaker jounin wouldn''t come unscathed from that. Not that Orochimaru wasn¡¯t hit. The fire melted away half of the skin the man wore, revealing even paler flesh beneath. I had expected to see the snake pupils. I didn¡¯t. Instead the eye was white on white. Hyuga byakugan eyes. Was that my fucking eye? ¡°I¡¯m Orochimaru,¡± the man introduced himself to Sasuke. Took the earth scroll from inside his mouth. ¡°If you¡¯d ever like to become strong, pass this exam and come find me.¡± Orochimaru burned the Earth scroll. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a taste of true power.¡± Sasuke held his ground, another kunai in hand. ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± The snake sannin neck elongated, faster than the eye could move, bit down on Sasuke¡¯s neck. Sasuke screamed. For a moment, the selfish part of me dared believe it was over. The man had done what he wanted. Marked Sasuke with this seal. Now please just leave. He didn¡¯t. He turned to me. His white eye glowed, filling all my vision. My body burned. I fell down like a puppet with its strings cut. What just happened. Orochimaru walked closer. Picked me up by the hair. Like I was a piece of rare furniture, inspected me. Looked at my arms, pried open my eyes. Stuck a finger inside my throat. All the while, the white eye stared at me. He took my pouch, checked my seals. ¡°They haven¡¯t taught you.¡± Orochimaru said. ¡°Dangling bits in front of your face and never giving you real power. I can teach you.¡± Orochimaru grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. ¡°No matter how much you beg, Konoha won¡¯t help you, they can¡¯t. Not even the third can remove those seals.¡± What seals? I had no idea what he was talking about. Was this a recruitment pitch? In the background, Sasuke had stopped screaming after a hoarse grunt. Orochimaru chuckled. ¡°Think about it, I can teach you things they never even dreamed about.¡± He looked away, to the far horizon, beyond the trees. The man pushed a glowing finger onto my forehead. Agony invaded my mind. I felt dirty, violated, unclean, my bones burned, my blood boiled. The man took his finger away. ¡°My offer is the same. Come and find me when you get tired of them denying you. But first, you have to prove you¡¯re worth it.¡± Orochimaru released me. I crumpled on the branch. The man turned, left without looking back. 3.10 Pain like I had never felt before burned me from the inside. It was agony on a whole new level. It felt like every cell of my body was on fire, that they had a will of their own, and that the will was to destroy me, inflict as much pain as possible. It went on I don¡¯t know for how long, until it stopped. Night had fallen in the Forest of Death. I still couldn¡¯t move. Whatever Orochimaru did removed my ability to control my own body. I was pretty sure it was related to the seals he mentioned, but I didn¡¯t have the time to analyze that now. The agony would return, I could already feel the onset of pain starting again. I couldn¡¯t move, and the solution seemed so obvious I wanted to slap myself. For years, I¡¯ve used chakra threads, manipulating things close and far. I never gave much thought to which branch of techniques used threads: puppet techniques. I even saw Kankuro manipulating threads near him, trying to trip Naruto. I pushed my threads out, wrapped them around my arms, legs, waist, head. Like a shambling corpse, my body rose up from where I had fallen. With that same shambling movement, I collected the boys. Naruto wasn¡¯t hurt, Kyuubi regeneration already healed the injuries. Sasuke burned hot with fever. I crawled down the tree, dragged the boys away from the site of the battle, not too far, time was running out. I found a nook in the base of one great tree. Placed Naruto and Sasuke there. I laid traps around the place. Barriers, explosives, tripwire. All manner of things I could think of. I would have done more. But I didn¡¯t have the time. I barely managed to return to our hidden place when pain took me, and the world went hazy again. Obviously, Orochimaru had done something to me. A diagram populated my mind. It described a fuinjutsu work, one meant to be inscribed on one person¡¯s bones. Foreign knowledge, implanted directly in my brain. From that, I learned what seals Orochimaru had talked about. That diagram described the seals in my bones. It was used to restrain, to reinforce, to control, and so much more. The man¡¯s parting words finally made sense. Orochimaru had given me a blueprint of a door. Gave me the key I needed to open it. But the door had no lock to fit the key. He also put a timer on my bones that would kill me if I didn¡¯t open the lock. I just had to break the fuinjutsu code and craft a lock for the door. Something I had been trying for years without success. I couldn¡¯t say how much time passed. Between the pain, agony and desperation, I was barely coherent enough to notice my surroundings. There were some moments of lucidity between all the pain. I remember checking on Sasuke and Naruto, adding more traps. I remember something triggered one of my traps, the explosion deafening me for a moment. Mostly, I was focused on breaking the code. Time and time again I tried. But it was just re-hashing previous attempts, trying to fit squares to circles. My mind got ever more entangled with trying to find which wire to pluck between an infinite number of them. I think, for a time, I might have gone feral. Or maybe my mind retreated and the body took over. I couldn¡¯t say. I had impressions of things, of events, but no real memory of anything. It was an unending nightmare. I was trapped inside a genjutsu. I could find no other explanation for it.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Three things stood out from that period. I woke up with hands around my neck. My vision was hazy. There was a girl sitting on top of me squeezing the life out of me, not in a good way. Long hair, manic eyes, army camouflage-ish pants. A distorted musical sound on her forehead protector. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the other Otogakure-nin hold an insensate Sasuke up by the throat. I don¡¯t know what happened after. Something inside of me broke. I yelled. For the first time ever there was sound. Hoarse, guttural and not at all like human. It felt like the whole forest answered my call. I still couldn¡¯t move, but I lashed out, pierced, perforated, ripped the enemies to bits. I only stopped when I felt warm blood dripping on my face. I gathered my allies, huddled again inside my hiding nook. The world returned to pain. That moment taught me something I should have realized years ago. There was another seal in my throat. One that I cracked by sheer willpower alone. I had always taken fuinjutsu as route memorization and building blocks. My assumption was that I was just missing the blocks I needed to make my own seals work. The part I missed all this time ¡ª and I knew it had been intentional like Orochimaru said ¡ª was the will component. Different seals looked like different languages and logic because they were. Each seal master created their own function through sheer willpower. That revelation spurred me into another hazy period of trying to break the lock. I remember others arrived. A green blob tried to approach. I lashed out. The green blob was fast, but I was the forest. It tried to flee, I didn¡¯t let it, or I tried not to. I managed one stab before more blobs joined. A pink blob, a white blob. I lashed harder. Things exploded. The three blobs retreated. I was so close now. I cobbled together a cumbersome thing of a lock. Big, ugly, inefficient when compared to the pristine door. I tried the key. It fit, but still the lock wouldn¡¯t turn. But I knew the problem now. It wouldn¡¯t be long until I finished it. But again, the world wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. Another blob, yellow and purple, approached. It was slow, nonthreatening, almost like it was afraid. The frustration of being interrupted so close to freeing myself showed up. I yelled, or better say I howled. It didn¡¯t sound like a person. The yellow and purple retreated. I heard a sound. The wind turned, bringing new smells, a particular mix of flowers. Wait. I knew that scent. My head turned into the blob¡¯s direction, my hands pushed out, questing for the source of the fragrance. The blob approached. It had a fuzzy shape of a person. Someone I knew. Fingers treaded around my extended hands. The world held still for a moment. I plugged the last building block of the lock, fit in the key, opened the door. The haziness vanished. The dream became clear. Ino knelt in front of me. Held my hand. The place around didn¡¯t look like anything I remembered. Roots, branches and all manner of wood created something that looked like a demented madman¡¯s dream. Body parts dangled from the suspended wood: a head here, three arms there, a foot on the other side of the clearing. But the nightmare was over. I solved the lock. I was free. A smile broke on my face. Ino shuddered, but didn¡¯t let go. But then again, this was a genjutsu induced nightmare. Ino could be excused. A devilish idea came to mind. I was all for it. When else would I have the chance to snog my favorite female cast if not in a dream? ¡°You were always my favorite in the entire show, Ino-chan,¡± I croaked out, blood falling out of my mouth with my words. ¡°So pretty. You¡¯re just too good for Sai.¡± I pushed forward, hugged a freaked out Ino. Her spooked face looked cute. ¡°I¡¯m going to wake up from this nightmare now. I¡¯m glad I saw you at the end.¡± I pushed up, pecked her lips. I chickened out and went for a peck instead of a full snog. Left a bloody smear there. Nightmare Ino could deal, I was sure. I rested my head on her shoulder and let go. Darkness took me. It was time to wake up. 3.11.i Like usual, Shikamaru had a plan for this exam. Like usual, it involved the least amount of effort, which somehow meant going after team seven, and taking their scroll. Team seven were the easiest opponents in this forest, according to Shikamaru¡¯s analysis. Ino didn¡¯t mind messing with Naruto, he was annoying, weak and not really anything to worry about. Sasuke would be harder to deal with, and the idea of making him fail left a bad taste in her mouth. He had been her crush for as long as she remembered, even if the scales fell from her eyes recently. Time and distance, like her mother always said. No, the problem was Hinata. For all of Shikamaru¡¯s brain, he dismissed the girl as someone easy to deal with. Had counter arguments for everything: Hinata was physically strong, but her taijutsu was laughable. She had no way of escaping his shadow-bind. Choji could thump her out cold if necessary. Her seals could be ignored, she hadn¡¯t used them for anything else than storing sweets. She didn¡¯t know any dangerous jutsu. The excuses went on and on. He didn¡¯t know all the things Hinata talked of her missions, and the little tidbits Ino learned over the years. Ino had never managed to put Hinata into a genjutsu, not even her family jutsu ¡ª Ino would never admit to using it on her classmates ¡ª worked on the girl. Hinata never outright admitted to it, but Ino could read behind the words. She killed on her mission, and aside from an A-Rank jounin, none other shinobi they faced had been a danger to her. No, Shikamaru was focused on Sasuke. In his plan, if they took Sasuke out, they¡¯d win. Naruto was just plain bad, didn¡¯t really factor in. Choji never questioned Shikamaru¡¯s decisions. Ino tried to hint ¡ª without telling them the things both girls talked about ¡ª that Hinata was stronger than she let on. Neither of the boys took Ino seriously. Ino didn¡¯t push too hard. She had no proof, just a gut feeling. The team set out. Moving slowly to avoid other attackers. Like right now, when they hid behind a bush to avoid Neji. Team Gai was off limits. No way Ino wanted to fight those monsters. ¡°Come out of hiding, unless you¡¯re cowards.¡± Ino scowled. How did Neji noticed them so fast? She looked at Shikamaru, who sighed and nodded. It was time for plan B. They stepped out of the bush. ¡°Wow, can I have your autograph?¡± Shikamaru asked in the poorest imitation of someone amazed. Ino untied her hair, swished it seductively, gave Neji doe eyes. ¡°What an honor Lord Hyuga Neji, I can¡¯t tell how long I¡¯ve dreamt of meeting you.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you three.¡± Neji turned away from them, talked with his back toward team ten. ¡°Get lost. I¡¯ll be a laughing stock if I take the scroll from you weaklings.¡± Neji walked away. The whole team sighed in relief after the Hyuga heir disappeared among the trees. The plan worked, sort of. Team ten kept their path, sneaked, hid. Until the explosions. Out in the distance, the world shook. A plume of smoke and fire billowed into the air. ¡°What was that?¡± Ino asked. It was in the same direction they¡¯ve been moving. Shikamaru scowled, Choji just pumped his mouth full of chips. Where the boy kept getting those was a mystery even to his team. ¡°Be careful,¡± Shikamaru warned, but they didn¡¯t change paths. Hours dragged, the team stopped for the night, hiding among the trees. It was a tense, disturbing night. Every small sound jolted the team awake. The morning sunlight just crested through the canopy when yet more explosions, closer, shook the world a second time. Team ten looked at each other. Retreat? Find another target. Shikamaru opened his mouth. Ino shook her head. It wasn¡¯t even about the scroll anymore. Ino was worried about team seven. The slow silent march continued. Team ten passed through a devastated patch of forest, the first explosion site, followed by the obvious site of a battle. More explosion marks, broken branches, huge craters on the ground, ginormous dead serpents. It didn¡¯t look like anything any of the other rookies could do.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. They met Neji for a second time, along with the rest of team Gai. Rock Lee had a bloody gash on his arm, and scratches all over his body. He helped an injured Neji walk. The Hyuga heir¡¯s leg pierced by something. Tenten looked spooked out of her mind, but unharmed. Both teams looked at each other. Tenten was the one who spoke. ¡°It¡¯s no use, don¡¯t go. You¡¯ll die.¡± That sparked a furious debate after team Gai left. Shikamaru scowled, looking at where team Gai came from. ¡°This is too troublesome.¡± He complained. ¡°If even they can¡¯t, we need to find a new target.¡± Choji pumped even more chips into his mouth, nodding all the while. Somehow, Ino knew she needed to continue. Not because of a silly crush. What filled her mind was her own dumb fight with Sakura over the Uchiha heir and how that cost her a friend. What if Hinata was in danger there? Would she turn back now and lose yet another friend? This time permanently? ¡°You wait here,¡± Ino said. She walked forward. ¡°Ino, wait!¡± Shikamaru called out, followed, even if from a distance. Ino pushed into what was a nightmare. Roots, branches and all other manner of wood waved and warbled and coiled and lashed out. It was like the forest was alive, and it was a feral animal. She saw bodies, at least two, by the number of dismemberments stuck to vines and roots. In the middle of that hell, cradling an unconscious Naruto and Sasuke, was Hinata. Ino never understood all that happened with the girl. When Ino asked her dad, he refused to explain what happened. One thing was certain: Hinata had been taken when she was just three. She was found years later, and ever since then not uttered a single sound, and unlike all other Hyuga, her eyes were black. The girl in the middle of that nightmare moved strangely, like her body wasn¡¯t her own. Hinata¡¯s black eyes were dilated and she didn¡¯t blink. Ino didn¡¯t know if Hinata was even up there. ¡°Hinata?¡± Ino called out, but there was no response. She stepped closer. The whole forest moved. Every manner of wood and branch and root pointing at Ino. Hinata screamed, raw, intense, unsettling. Hinata could talk? Ino stepped back. Raised her hands in surrender. The wood didn¡¯t stop moving, but it retreated a little. Ino looked back at her team, Shikamaru waved her to come back, but didn¡¯t dare make a sound. Ino ignored him, called out again, louder. ¡°Hinata?¡± Hinata¡¯s head snapped toward Ino. A clumsy hand raised, like trying to grab something. Ino knew this was a terrible idea, but she stepped closer. The wood followed her every step, but didn¡¯t attack. She knelt in front of Hinata, took the girl¡¯s extended hand. Life and lucidity returned to Hinata¡¯s eyes. She smiled. It was a bloody, feral thing. Hinata looked around for a moment, before her eyes settled on Ino again. ¡°You were always my favorite in the entire show, Ino-chan.¡± The girl rasped. Her voice hoarse and scratchy, but not unpleasant. Blood fell from Hinata¡¯s mouth, she didn¡¯t seem to notice it. ¡°So pretty. You¡¯re just too good for Sai.¡± Hinata moved forward, threw her arms around Ino¡¯s neck in a hug. The whole situation scared the crap out of Ino. After a brief moment, Hinata moved back, with her arms still around Ino¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m going to wake up from this nightmare now. I¡¯m glad I saw you at the end.¡± Her voice was eerily cheerful, with a hint of mischief. Hinata leaned forward, kissed Ino¡¯s lips with her own bloody ones. She sighed, placed her head on Ino¡¯s shoulder. Closed her eyes. Fell unconscious. The forest stopped moving, like it had just lost its life. Ino had no idea what to do now. Hinata still held strong to the hug. A finger to the girl¡¯s neck confirmed she was still alive. ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± Shikamaru complained, pointedly not commenting on the bloody smear on Ino¡¯s lips. Ino ¡ª with Choji¡¯s help ¡ª managed to pry open Hinata¡¯s arms. How was the girl this strong? While Ino held the unconscious Hinata, Shikamaru and Choji scoured the battlefield: three confirmed dead, the Otogakure team. Among the body parts they found an earth scroll. On team seven, Naruto held a heaven scroll, same as team ten. ¡°What should we do with this?¡± Choji asked, holding the earth scroll. They put Naruto¡¯s scroll back in his pocket. Shikamaru shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s our payment for helping them, now let''s get out of here, this place creeps me out.¡± Choji took Naruto. Shikamaru carried Sasuke. Ino was left with Hinata. No one said anything while they moved deeper into the forest. They had two scrolls already, and didn¡¯t even need to fight for it. ¡°At least, your plan worked.¡± Ino said, attempting to lighten the mood. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. ¡°Troublesome.¡± Choji guffawed. Ino took one last look at the hellscape behind them: the branches, roots, body parts, blood, and viscera. A shudder ran through her. She looked over her shoulder, at Hinata¡¯s innocent face resting like she had nothing to do with the carnage back there. She remembered the words: ¡®favorite in the entire show¡¯. What was Hinata talking about? And that kiss. Ino was just so confused. 3.12 I woke up to the sounds of battle, with several blazes of chakra around me. I didn¡¯t even have time to curse my bad luck, or even process what happened in the past how many hours or days. I sprang up, tossing away the cloth covering me. I was inside some sort of improvised tent. My hands went to my pouches. They weren¡¯t at my waist. I steeled myself, ran out. Outside was chaos. Ino-Shika-Cho stood together guarding the entrance to the improvised shelter. On the other side of the clearing, a group of shinobi from Amegakure fought Sasuke. Or better yet, were being toyed with by Sasuke. Emosuke''s face and arm was almost all covered by the cursed seal mark. Sasuke¡¯s chakra had grown exponentially. He moved faster, his attacks sharper and crueler. That was bad. I couldn¡¯t let Sasuke use the cursed seal for long. I burst from behind team ten, much to their surprise. Had my nightmare included Ino at the end because she was nearby? I tossed that question out of my mind. Not the time. I didn¡¯t have kunai, Sasuke was too close for my exploding shuriken. My weight seals were already disabled. I flickered forward. Faster than anyone could react I punched, kicked and broke bones. In the blink of an eye, only me and Sasuke were left standing. I faced him, didn¡¯t lower my guard. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Sasuke growled. His eyes reminded me of Orochimaru. ¡°They were trying to attack you and Naruto.¡± Sasuke¡¯s sharingan kept track of every single of my movements. The cursed seal covered most of his face already and I could see it already creeping toward his right hand. I didn¡¯t take my eyes off him. I slapped my foot to the ground. One of our coded messages. Enemy disabled, stop, safe. Sasuke¡¯s eyes flickered to my feet. He growled. ¡°No.¡± The boy attacked, not me, I noticed. He was fast, faster than anything he could have done before. I flooded my body with chakra again. Time seemed to slow down. Sasuke was fast, but so was I. Sasuke tried to push past me, I grabbed his arm. Emosuke hadn¡¯t expected it. I turned around, threw him down, twisted his arm, my knee pushing against the center of his back. Sasuke struggled. I was running out of options other than to hurt him. ¡°Stop.¡± I croaked out. My throat stung, felt like something tearing. I tasted iron. The sound surprised me. Surprised Sasuke. The Uchiha heir stopped struggling. After a moment of silence he asked. ¡°Hinata?¡± I got up, released him. Looked around, bewildered. The cursed seal receded, and Sasuke¡¯s eyes turned back to normal. He held his left arm. Looked more lost than I. ¡°What happened to me?¡± I scratched my head. I could ask the same. Where are we? It looked nothing like the maze of roots and tall trees we fought Orochimaru in. I cast my gaze about. Ino-Shika-Cho still regarded us with guarded eyes. I waved at them. Naruto was asleep just behind team ten. I popped my board. Took a step toward them, Choji and Shikamaru retreated. I stopped. Wrote. ¡°Hi guys. Where are we? What happened?¡± Ino¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t remember?¡± I thought about the last things I remembered. Orochimaru attacked, we got defeated, he put me on a genjutsu. I shook my head. ¡°We fought someone strong. He defeated us, put me inside a genjutsu. That¡¯s the last I remember.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The trio looked at each other. Ino nodded. Stepped forward, smiled. It looked just a bit forced. ¡°We found you guys passed out,¡± She looked at her team again, ¡°We decided to help you out and carried you with us.¡± She pointed at the moaning shinobi behind us. ¡°We stopped to rest when they attacked. Sasuke woke up first, he didn¡¯t say anything before attacking those guy. You woke up soon after and ended the fight.¡± That made sense. And now we owed them a big one. Could I pay with the efforts of my labor? I turned around, walked to the Amegakure team. Searched the unconscious shinobi. They had a heaven scroll. I considered for a moment, better start repaying that debt now. I held the scroll up, showed it to team ten. ¡°Do you guys need it?¡± It was Shikamaru who answered. ¡°We got a pair already.¡± I nodded. Walked over to Sasuke, handed him the scroll. Wrote just for his eyes. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± He looked away, brooding. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Want to talk about it later?¡± I wrote. The boy hesitated, shook his head. Sasuke walked away, brooding even more. He did need someone to talk to, just didn¡¯t want to admit it. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was the best person to deal with this. For now, I just watched him walk away. That left me to deal with Naruto. I approached team ten. I could see they were afraid of me for some reason. I knew how to solve that. I took one of my emergency seals from the skirt waistband. Popped out a full spread of pastries. This one was the ¡®I¡¯m sorry and please enjoy¡¯ series. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Muttered. ¡°Troublesome.¡± Choji cheered. Rushed over to sample some. Ino gave me a smile, one that wasn¡¯t tinged with fear. I gave her a thumbs up. Ino approached. ¡°Which scroll do you need?¡± ¡°We already have a pair.¡± I wrote for her, much to the girl¡¯s surprise. I stopped in front of Naruto. He wasn¡¯t unconscious anymore, just sleeping. The mumbling and drool confirmed it. I did remember this part in the original show, Choji hit Naruto¡¯s head to wake him up. I wasn¡¯t going to be mean to the sunshine brat just because he was annoying. I knelt by his side. Shook his shoulder until he woke up. Naruto¡¯s eyes glued to me for a second. He looked around, fast, panicky. He jumped up, hollered. ¡°Everybody get down! No telling where she is!¡± Naruto threw himself to the ground again, after just getting up. I sighed. Naruto was still Naruto. ¡°Battle is over Naruto-kun, you were awesome.¡± That calmed him down and cheered him up at the same time. He had that dumb, bright smile on his face. ¡°You still have the scroll?¡± I wrote. Naruto searched his pockets. Took out the heaven scroll. I nodded. Took it from him. Now we just needed to reach the tower at the center. I turned to Ino, she looked back questioningly. I shook my head. ¡°You know which direction the tower is?¡± I wrote back.
It turned out, we weren¡¯t that far. Ino-Shika-Cho had dragged our unconscious behind close, but they didn¡¯t enter the tower because of us. I owed them a big one. We didn¡¯t delay. After tying up the enemy shinobi, we rushed the last stretch. The big metal door was closed when we arrived. Naruto pushed it open, the six of us entered. There was no one inside. On the wall opposite to us, a poem painted by the old man Third. ¡°The scrolls.¡± Shikamaru said after reading the poem. ¡°How troublesome.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Naruto asked, scratching his head. ¡°We need to open the scrolls.¡± Sasuke said, to the rest¡¯s agreement. After an exchange of nods I took both scrolls. Handed it over to Sasuke and Naruto. On the other side, Shikamaru and Ino held theirs. At the same time, we opened it. It contained a seal. Smoke puffed out of the two seals. Naruto and Sasuke threw it away. Out of the smoke popped Iruka-sensei. On the other side, pretty, glorious, awesome Yuhi Kurenai popped out to greet Ino''s team. Damn, even now lazy man Kakashi let me down. Even if his indifference was cool. ¡°Hey kids, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Iruka-sensei greeted us. ¡°You three look like you¡¯ve been through the wringer.¡± On the other side, I heard Kurenai¡¯s cheerful voice. ¡°You made it!¡± 3.13 ¡°Congratulations! You¡¯ve all passed the second exam.¡± Iruka-sensei said after checking an old fashioned clock. ¡°This calls for celebration, I wish I could take you out for ramen at Ichiraku¡ª¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Naruto hollered, tackled his favorite teacher. I smiled at the scene. Iruka-sensei went on and on about the Third¡¯s message on the wall. Heaven mind, earth body, train your weakness. It was all super interesting, and I made a mental note to research the meaning of that later. I just couldn¡¯t right now. I had just woken up a few hours back, but I was tired. With the confirmation the exam was over, adrenaline left me. I hadn¡¯t realized how tense I was. But there was one more thing I needed to do. While Iruka chattered about this and that, I collected the discarded Heaven and Earth scrolls. It was prime material for my dreams of flying god and Konoha¡¯s Black Flash. With the insights Orochimaru forced on me, I was sure it was only a matter of time until I deciphered the space-time logic. Team seven passed the second exam, but the five days hadn¡¯t ended yet. According to Anko¡¯s rules, no one could leave before five days ended. It took us two days to arrive at the tower, which meant we had to wait three days until the test was over. Iruka-sensei led us inside. I glanced at Ino and waved her goodbye. Ino smiled, waved back. I sighed in relief. For a moment there, I thought it hadn¡¯t been a nightmare and I kissed Ino. The place we headed to was some sort of open area. There was no real accommodation, not ones we could use. We¡¯ve passed the exam, but we were still being tested. There was no food, water, or anything provided for us. We were confined with only the supplies we carried with us. It wasn¡¯t really a problem for our team. I had my seals with me, it would last more than three days, but I was curious how the other teams would deal with this situation. A few teams were already inside the arena. The Suna trio. A team from Ame. A team from Taki. Iruka-sensei waved us goodbye, left after a few more words of wisdom. With nothing else to do, I moved to one of the walls, sat down with my back to it. Better keep an eye on our enemies. Naruto and Sasuke followed. Sasuke winced, hand went to his neck. Yeah, better talk about that soon. ¡°Hey guys,¡± I said, talking out loud. I spoke when trying to snap Sasuke out of his cursed seal induced psychopathic episode, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work again. It did, but that same tearing sensation came once more. This time stronger. The taste of blood in my mouth felt stronger as well. My voice was raspy. More of a croak than a real voice. My throat hurt, like it wasn¡¯t supposed to make that sound.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Naruto gasped. ¡°Hinata-chan. Your voice!¡± I smiled at the brat. Nodded. ¡°Hi Naruto-kun.¡± I had an urge to cough I couldn''t suppress. Covered my mouth with my hands. Coughed. The hands came out flecked with blood. Yeah, damn. Back to the board. Sunshine brat cheered. Hug tackled me. I even saw a few tears in his eyes. I rolled my eyes. Patted his head. Dumb emotional children. I might have stealthily wiped a few tears away as well. Still hugging a crying Naruto, I looked at Sasuke. Took out my board. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Sasuke looked away, but nodded. ¡°Hurts when you use chakra?¡± I pressed. Sasuke didn¡¯t answer, but I saw him tensing up. ¡°Be careful, please?¡± Guess I couldn¡¯t call him Emosuke anymore, not when I was seconds away from crying. Didn¡¯t even know why I wanted to cry. I blamed Naruto. After the hug, Naruto got up, left to bug team ten. I saw my opportunity and even with my gut saying I shouldn¡¯t, I went for it. I waved Sasuke to follow me, led him away from the others. We stopped near the big statue in the open area. I sat down, popped out my board. Considered how to broach the topic. ¡°How are you, really?¡± Sasuke¡¯s stare was more broody and intense than usual. His jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists. ¡°I would have killed them, if you didn¡¯t stop me.¡± He muttered. ¡°I still want to kill them.¡± He looked away, breaking eye contact. I never considered how Sasuke felt about the whole thing. I still didn¡¯t know why he was so obsessed with revenge, even if the boy had mellowed a lot after joining team seven. He was still broody and trying to act cool and distant, but he often bantered with Naruto, and did seem to like the sunshine brat. My lack of response was some sort of trigger. Sasuke looked at me again. Scowled. ¡°Why do you care?¡± His voice rose slightly. ¡°I see how you look at me. You think I¡¯m pathetic. You¡¯ve done it from the first time you saw me when we were five.¡± I blinked. Sasuke¡¯s words slapping me in the face. Was that how I looked at him? I never liked Sasuke, if I was being honest. The reason I didn¡¯t was because I never liked his whole theme and style in the original story. The broody obsessed emo character that caused trouble for everyone, but because of plot armor, turned out to be the cool guy and most loved in the whole story. Yeah, I hated that. And I had been treating Sasuke with the same distaste. Sasuke pressed. His eyes were harsher. ¡°Why? You¡¯re just a clanless girl. Why can you be better than me? Why?¡± His eyes turned red, tomoe spinning. Black creepy tattoo crawled out from his neck, covering the lower part of his face. I panicked. Didn¡¯t know what to do. I needed to snap him out of that mood. I hugged Sasuke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I croaked out. Ignored the taste of blood. For a long while, Sasuke didn¡¯t react. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I felt how tense he was, and his trembling. He exhaled and like a scared kid, put his hands around my waist. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I kept Sasuke at bay, because I didn¡¯t want to deal with the whole emotional baggage he had. The only thing I could think of was that dealing with Sasuke just became more complicated. And we didn¡¯t even got to talk about the issue at hand, the cursed seal. I was a horrible person. 3.14 Three days of waiting looked like a lot, but it really wasn¡¯t. We took shifts resting. I wasn¡¯t sure if the exam had really ended, or it was just another layer of deception. Nor did I want to be defenseless near all the other arriving teams. In the end, I never talked with Sasuke about the cursed seal. After that embarrassing moment I hugged him, every time I tried to talk with him, it just felt like a mistake. His words kept replaying back on my head. I felt like a horrible person, even more so than usual. Was I friends with Naruto because he was the jinchuriki? Did I have a crush on Ino and Sakura because they were part of the original show? Was I fond of Kakashi-sensei because he was the coolest of Konoha¡¯s ninja? Everytime those thoughts haunted me, I pushed them away. I would obsess over that later, now wasn¡¯t the time. I couldn''t tell Sasuke about the seal directly. He was emo, not stupid. If I started to talk about the seal like I knew what it was, he would notice things didn¡¯t match up. I had no way of explaining how I knew things. And, honestly, I didn¡¯t want to delve into the emotional part of the attack in the forest. I didn¡¯t want to think about Orochimaru, nor talk about Sasuke¡¯s reactions, or remember waking up inside an experiment vat. He and I weren¡¯t friends like I was with Naruto. Was I really friends with Naruto? I pushed the thought away. My considerations about Sasuke aside, it didn¡¯t mean we didn¡¯t socialize with the other teams during those three days. Ino¡¯s team was in a spot of trouble. They brought no food. I was more than happy to repay the favor. I also wanted to talk with Ino. Alone. It didn¡¯t take much to accomplish that. Shikamaru and Choji avoided me like I was out to kill them, even if they still ate my pastries. I led Ino a fair distance away from the others. I sat down, took my bag out. Pulled my reserve seals. Ino looked expectantly at me. I popped a few of my best reserves: lemon pudding, mango mousse, cookies, cupcakes. Much to Ino¡¯s delight. I let the girl have her due. ¡°Ino, tell me what happened?¡± I wrote. Ino looked up, mouth full of mousse. I giggled. It was adorable. I caught the small tensing of her shoulders. The giggle died. Ino stopped mid bite. ¡°Are you sure?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I nodded. Ino looked away, put the mousse down. ¡°We met team Gai. Tenten warned us about the danger.¡± What was she talking about? What danger? Ino placed both hands on her laps, still not looking at me. ¡°I found you protecting an unconscious Sasuke and Naruto. The¨C¡± a shudder interrupted her tale, but she soldiered on quickly. ¡°The forest itself was alive, but I think you recognized me.¡± She looked into my eyes, her face wan. ¡°There were body parts scattered all around, the Otogakure team. When I took your hand, you regained your senses, and fell unconscious. We carried your team away from the clearing.¡± It turns out, it wasn¡¯t a nightmare. Ino said nothing about the kiss, for which I was glad. Fan-girl-delirious-chan making decisions that were, to quote Shikamaru, troublesome. But that was the least of my problems. From what Ino told me, the forest reacted with me. I killed three Otogakure shinobi, tore them to shreds, decorated the clearing with their dismembered remains. Ino didn¡¯t know what that meant, or how the wood moved and reacted, but I knew. I should have suspected it. Fucking Orochimaru¡¯s experiment. What else aside from his hard on for dojutsu was the man famous for? All the human experimentation and grafting Senju cells into everything he could put his hands on. He really wanted wood release that much. I don¡¯t know why I never considered that. Why did I think the creep would only steal my eyes? Of course he did more. And now I had no idea what else he had done. Was it only the Senju cells? What about my eyes? Where did they come from? And that snake pupil? The clues were all there all along, I just missed them. It didn¡¯t happen when I was younger, which might be why I ignored it, but my shoulder and hand healed fast in the Land of Waves mission. Even my cracked shoulder from the fight with Orochimaru didn¡¯t hurt anymore, I forgot about it. Wood manipulation and self-healing. Shit shit shit. What else had the snake done to me? Worse, wasn¡¯t I a prime candidate for possession? I even had my own bones carved with seals that let Orochimaru disable me whenever he wanted. Fuck fuck fuck. What do I do, what do I do? A hand touched my shoulder. I jerked back. Panic flickered a few meters away. Ino looked at me with wide eyes. Her hand extended in front of her. I looked away. I needed to be alone. I bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you Yamanaka Ino. I owe you.¡± I wrote. I fled after that. Panic settled in. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Not that I had the chance to go into full panic mode. I was so out of it that I didn¡¯t notice it until arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. Ino¡¯s gentle voice sounded just by my ear. ¡°It¡¯s over, you¡¯re safe.¡± A whole other type of panic crawled inside my mind. I don¡¯t know if I preferred the existential panic or the gay-panic. Shit, I was so screwed. 3.15 In my post exam fatigue and general ¡®this speech from Iruka-sensei is boring¡¯, I missed the opportunity to report the forest¡¯s events to Iruka-sensei. Worse, there were no proctors inside the waiting area; I wasn¡¯t sure if I could leave to search for one. In the end, I decided I would report to Kakashi-sensei first opportunity I got. I didn¡¯t want to leave the tower and risk failing the team. Konoha¡¯s jounin must already know Orochimaru was here by now, and if they weren¡¯t doing anything yet, a first hand account of the confrontation with the man wouldn¡¯t change much. The second part, the one about my thoughts and human experimentation and traitors, that one could wait. At least I hope it could. Team Gai arrived just a day later. Tenten refused to look at me. Neji glared from afar. Rock Lee actually came over, talked to me, even if it didn¡¯t make any sense. Rock Lee pointed at my face. ¡°My springtime of youth will prevail. I¡¯ll defeat you!¡± After saying that, he bowed and left without giving me the chance to say anything. What a cool weirdo. There was a bit more comedy when team eight arrived. Rock Lee looked a the newcomers, eyes going wide when he noticed them. He did a guts pose. Tenten facepalmed, sighed exasperated. ¡°Here we go again.¡± Konoha¡¯s green beast walked to the newly arrived team eight. Stopped by the girl with pink hair and red sort-of-qipao. ¡°Hi, my name is Rock Lee, you are Sakura¡­¡± He trailed off for a bit. Sakura looked pretty spooked off. ¡°Would you go out with me? I¡¯ll protect you with my life!¡± The boy winked, and gave Sakura a dazzling smile. I could see from here the sparkling teeth. I did a small victory dance. Rock Lee was so cool! ¡°No¡­ way¡­ you¡¯re lame.¡± Sakura-chan answered. But was that a light blush on her cheeks? Way to go Konoha¡¯s beautiful green wild beast! On the last day of waiting, Kabuto¡¯s team joined the gathering. He looked at us, before looking away. Was that a flicker of annoyance on his face? I would have gone after the fucker in the forest if I had any confidence in killing him. He did try to ingratiate with our team soon after arriving, but his was the last passing team, and soon after they arrived, more people entered the arena, ending any attempt at socializing. Ninjas flooded into the open area. All the team leaders, proctors and even the old man Hokage. We stood in lines with our teams. All waiting for the old man¡¯s wisdom. And wisdom he dispensed. Talked about the shinobi alliance, the purpose of the chunin exams, and the mini war between allied nations concept. On and on the old man went. The logistics of it all didn¡¯t seem to make sense, that was what I always considered about the original story. The original show made it seem that promoting chunin happened only during the exams, and each exam promoted just a few ninja at time. The exam happened only two times a year. The numbers just didn¡¯t match. There was no way the hidden villages could keep the necessary number of ninjas by promoting less than ten shinobi per year. It was all bogus talk the old man wanted to push down our throat. The chunin exam was, at least what I really thought it was, a publicity stunt: ¡®Here are our youngest and more talented ninja. Let us put them to the grinder to give them a chance to grow and show how our village is strong.¡¯ I didn¡¯t really remember all the political ramifications, and the story never went into detail about what happened to all other genin promoted out of the academy not put in a four man cell with a jounin. In the end, we were just prized horses to put on a show for an audience. While I was lost in my own thoughts, a new shinobi interrupted the Third. He looked tired, heavy bags under his eyes, sickly looking skin. Introduced himself as Hayate. ¡°As Lord Hokage mentioned,¡± Hayate said, ¡°a number of honored guests will observe the battles of the third exam. We must make it intense, tight and fast moving. Anyway, we have to cut down the numbers. Anyone who doesn¡¯t feel like fighting now, walk away. Because the preliminaries start now.¡± Like usual, for the eighth time, Kabuto gave up. He used one lame excuse or another. I don¡¯t know how, with this many jounin and even the Hokage here, no one realized how fishy that was. Kabuto was the only one to give up. It still left a large number of participants.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hayate didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°Fights are as individuals, not teams, I forgot to mention. Feel free to leave without implicating your team.¡± There was some commotion, some manipulative parting words from Kabuto, but I doubted it had the desired effect, we hadn¡¯t had any contact with the man since the written test. Sasuke¡¯s hand pressed against his neck. I looked at him, and the boy looked away, nodded. I remembered the cringe in our conversation, but gave him a thumbs up anyway. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin.¡± Hayate called out after a minute of no one else leaving. ¡°We have twenty participants, that¡¯s ten bouts. The winners will move on to the third exam.¡± He pointed at an electronic board up in the wall. ¡°The first battle is between Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi.¡± ¡°Uchiha Sasuke, Akado Yoroi, you¡¯ve been selected to compete in the first bout, any objection?¡± Neither participant opposed. The rest of the genin moved up to the stands while Sasuke and Yoroi, the other traitor from Kabuto¡¯s team, took the stage. The man looked in his twenties. Protector worn like a bandanna, cloth covering the mouth and black eyeglasses. Yeah, not suspicious at all. Kakashi-sensei approached Sasuke, they had a whispered conversation and Sasuke looked gloomy. Was that about the cursed seal? The battle was a strange one. Sasuke wasn¡¯t in top shape. The battle started with the enemy throwing shuriken and delved into what looked more like a street brawl than ninja fight. No jutsu, no flashy movements, just punches, kicks, grapples and dodges. Traitor Yoroi did something mid-fight however, because the struggling Sasuke struggled even more. Mid grapple, Yoroi¡¯s hand latched to Sasuke¡¯s head. Then I saw it. Sasuke¡¯s chakra dwindled, Yoroi¡¯s chakra increased. It reminded me a lot of when my own chakra ate genjutsu. Fuck, I had chakra absorption was well? I really wanted to run away and hide forever now. Sasuke broke the grapple, kicked Yoroi away. It didn¡¯t last much longer than that. Yoroi dashed in, hand primed for more chakra absorption. But now that Sasuke knew what the enemy was about, he proved to be the stronger and faster ninja. Sasuke¡¯s taijutsu was top notch, even if it wasn¡¯t as strong as Rock Lee, and if Sasuke hadn¡¯t copied the Beautiful Wild Green Beast movements. He attacked relentlessly. Yoroi had no chance and no other tool than his chakra absorption trick. The battle ended with Sasuke knocking the traitor ninja out. Naruto of course had to give his two scents. ¡°Hey Sasuke, you won but in such an uncool way.¡± Sasuke actually smirked. ¡°Shut up, you clown.¡± I was glad both boys were on good terms again. Kakashi-sensei had flickered to the arena, and after a brief talk, led Sasuke away. I guess now that he had won, Kakashi could finally deal with the cursed seal. I don¡¯t know why Anko added such a dumb rule to the exam. The next battle was Shino against one of the Amegakure shinobi. The battle wasn¡¯t even interesting. The Ame ninja hadn¡¯t seen the bugs, and fainted after having his chakra sucked out of him. Yeah, Shino was one of those I really wouldn¡¯t want to fight against. No sir, thank you sir. Unless explosions were involved. Third match was Kankuro against yet another traitor from team Kabuto. The traitor was one of those who could modify their body. Soon after the battle started, he dashed in, wrapped himself around Kankuro. Shame for him though, it wasn¡¯t Kankuro he wrapped himself around, but the doll. Kankuro had hidden himself as the big wrapped thing ¡®Kankuro¡¯ carried all around on his back. The proctor called the match soon after. Kakashi returned soon after. ¡°Sasuke is sleeping in the medical bay, you don¡¯t need to worry about him anymore.¡± I noticed he seemed even more distant now, or distracted. Was that because of Orochimaru? I guess I was about to make his day even worse then. I leaned against the railing, pretending I was looking into the arena. My fingers tapped a soundless message. Report, intel, enemy, strong, important. Fan-girl me squirmed a bit, even after all this time, secret communication and coded messages triggered her super hard. I had to hold in the smile, the grin, the happy dance. Kakashi-sensei patted my head, like I was an excitable little kid. The movement of his hand was another message. Understood. Fourth match was Ino versus Sakura. I won¡¯t lie here. I was hoping Ino won. The battle was a mess. Almost like a cat-fight. None of the girls used any jutsu; they just ducked it out like street thugs. At some point, Ino tried her mind control jutsu. She managed to even start the surrender, but loudmouth Kiba and Naruto yelling at Sakura to not surrender somehow helped the pink haired kunoichi to break the technique. It ended with both girls punching themselves unconscious. Much to my displeasure. But the fight hadn¡¯t been angry, for lack of better words. I saw Sakura smiling, even Ino too. Would they become friends again? I sure hope so. Emosuke didn¡¯t deserve any of them. Fifth bout was Tenten versus Temari. It was almost a massacre. Temari shut down Tenten hard. Temari ended the fight without suffering a single wound. Scary. Sixth fight was Shikamaru versus another Ame shinobi. It wasn¡¯t exciting. Without knowing about the shadow jutsu, the kunoichi walked right into his trap and Shikamaru ended the fight by forcing the woman to bang her own head against the walls. It was cool-ish, but not exciting to watch. Seventh fight was Loudmouth Kiba versus Loudmouth Naruto. 3.16 Naruto and Kiba¡¯s fight wasn¡¯t bad. Kiba was a good fighter, and it was clear he had trained a lot. Unfortunately for him, so had Naruto. Kiba did get Naruto at times with beast mode, transformation, and twin clones with Akamaru. But he never stood a chance. Naruto wouldn¡¯t stay down, and was better at combination attacks than Kiba. Naruto was also better at transformation, managing to fool Kiba even with the other¡¯s enhanced sense of smell. I did notice Naruto having trouble with his usual techniques, which was probably because of his messed up seal, but even so it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him. In the end, Naruto had more stamina, had trained harder, and was used to fighting stronger and faster opponents. He used one of his many clone combinations to finish the battle. I cheered. He was becoming cool-ish. Still a brat though. Other shinobi present seemed to appreciate the effort. When Naruto came over, I even gave him a hug. ¡°Good job Naruto-kun. You really improved.¡± Kakashi-sensei praised, much to Naruto¡¯s delight. The electronic panel lit up again. Out popped two names: Hinata versus Hyuga Neji. Eighth match was fate all over again. Fate or manipulation. I was sure some of the Hyuga higher up pulled strings to have Neji fight me. And I was sure the Hokage allowed it. Not that I cared or minded, even if I sounded petulant about it. I high-fived Naruto, nodded to all other shinobi in my path, walked down to the arena where Neji already waited for me. I bowed to the proctor. Debated if he should receive my good impression package. After the fight, I decided. From across the arena, Neji glared at me. I waved at him. He scowled. What was his problem? ¡°It¡¯s not personal.¡± Neji said, although his glare said otherwise. It reminded me, just a bit, of how Orochimaru looked at us in the forest. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Hayate asked. I nodded. Took my stance. Neji did the same. He activated his byakugan, took the gentle fist stance: left palm open and in front of the body, right palm open and pointed down. Left feet in the same line as the left palm, body slightly to the side. His right leg was bandaged up, spots of blood on the fabric. Neji favored that side as well. It was a shame, I wanted to fight him at his best. Didn¡¯t want anyone saying I won because he was injured. I took a few kunai. Some with exploding tags, others without, and one very special kunai. One I was sure Neji¡¯s byakugan would see. I didn¡¯t know if he would understand what it meant. A small part of me ¨C the almost forgotten part that was the original Hinata ¨C was really afraid of fighting Neji. The gentle fist was dangerous and deadly. How do you fight someone who excels in taijutsu and will absolutely destroy you if you get close? The answer was simple, at least for me. Speed, speed and more speed. I was serious when I said I wanted to kick butts and take names. It was past time I started on the whole Black Flash thing. I didn¡¯t want to just defeat Neji. I wanted to make sure he understood he never stood a chance, hence the special kunai. It was a gamble for sure, but one that wasn¡¯t that risky, while the payoff could be immense. ¡°Start!¡± Hayato called out.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Unlike every overconfident person out there, Neji didn¡¯t dash in to attack at the start of the battle, even more with his injured leg. That wasn¡¯t how he did things. His gentle fist excelled at reacting to attacks, more than being the aggressor himself. Or at least this was how I thought he fought. ¡°You don¡¯t have that fuinjutsu seal to protect you here,¡± Neji called out, white eyes staring into my soul, ¡°you have no chance.¡± Fuinjutsu? That was what he thought it was? Good for me. It was time to start and to end this. I threw my kunais. As expected, Neji reacted to the special one, more than the exploding ones. He didn¡¯t let it near him, he threw a shuriken and deflected the kunai far away from him. The weapon hit a wall and got stuck there. The remaining thrown weapons he dodged or avoided, the explosions not even bothering the strongest genin. With Dreams of Black Flash in my mind, I pumped my body full of chakra. I had already disabled all my seals before even moving down to the arena. I moved. What does the ability to see all around him matter if Neji couldn¡¯t react in time? What did it matter that he could see meridians, block my chakra, if he couldn¡¯t match me in speed? I was at his side. Neji¡¯s eyes were wide. He had started to turn when I hit him. And I hit him hard. Felt the bones in my hand creak. Even through the attack, Neji¡¯s hand lashed out, his chakra burning on his fingers, ready to disable my channels. Damn scary good reflexes. I flickered behind him. Roundhouse-kicked Neji away. He didn¡¯t react in time. I flickered above Neji, drop kicked him onto the ground. The boy hit the arena¡¯s floor, bounced up, coughed blood. I flickered to his side, kicked Neji higher. I flickered above him, smashed Neji onto the ground again. On and on I went until someone grabbed me. I had my leg up, about to stomp Neji¡¯s head into the floor. Hayate had his fingers pointed at my forehead. Kakashi held my leg. Gai had his arm around my neck. Even Kurenai was there, holding my arm. ¡°It¡¯s over, you won.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. ¡°Any more and you¡¯ll kill him.¡± His stare was calm, not judgmental. I guess they really were bound to protect the precious Hyuga offspring. Politics. Bah. I nodded. Kakashi released me, so did the others. I took my foot away. Bowed. Croaked out. ¡°Thank you for stopping me sensei.¡± My throat hurt, and I felt blood pooling in my mouth. Speaking was still a no go. I got a few raised eyebrows for that. A group of medic-nin hurried inside the arena. They checked Neji, rushed him away. Time for the finale. Clone-chan, who had just plummeted Neji half to death, unpopped herself. I, who had disguised myself as the special kunai, still stuck to the wall, released the transformation. That caused a commotion alright. You see, I knew the byakugan could see chakra, but could it identify a shadow clone? From what I knew, no dojutsu out there could tell a shadow clone from the real thing. What about if I pretended to be a kunai? Could Neji tell the difference? I did transform before arriving at the arena. I was sure Neji would figure it out if I tried the transformation in front of him. But if I did outside his view? It would be just a kunai full of chakra. One he singled out at the start of the battle, deflected, and made sure it was out of the way. The original idea to do this wasn¡¯t really mine, but something I read so long ago. It got stuck in my mind for some reason. I walked to the jounins that stopped me. Their stare was a bit intimidating. Time to salvage things. I popped my good impression kit to everyone. ¡°Thank you for preventing me from committing a mistake.¡± I wrote. I bowed again. Kakashi-sensei chuckled. Kurenai took my pastries with a smile. Hayate didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another. Gai looked at me like I had grown a third head. I turned around and fled. I hadn¡¯t expected clone-chan to lose her cool like that during the fight. I wanted to defeat Neji, not kill him, maybe. I knew my clones tended to behave like they didn¡¯t need to care for the consequences, but even so. Dangerous. I might need to think more carefully next time I decide to use a clone like that. I jogged toward Naruto enduring the stares. I ignored it all. I stopped in front of a smiling sunshine brat. Took a pose. Did a V for victory. ¡°Easy!¡± I hoarsely yelled, to more blood inside my mouth. It made people look at me even funnier, but I was past caring about that. I didn¡¯t even mind the hug Naruto gave me. 3.16 - POVs ¡°Yosha!¡± Rock Lee pumped his fist again. Excitement bubbled inside him after watching Sasuke¡¯s fight. There were no two ways about it. He was the strongest genin in Konoha, even without ninjutsu or genjutsu. He would win this preliminaries, prove to Sakura-chan how strong he was, and ask her out again. The exuberance of youth would prevail! Rock Lee looked around. Nearby, Gai-sensei and Kakashi-san watched the fights, commenting here and there. Rock Lee¡¯s eyes found Hinata. The girl leaned against the railing, a massive smile on her face, bobbing like a kid. Even more after Kakashi-san patted her head. A trickle of fear bubbled in his gut, but Rock Lee squashed it. He hoped to fight her in the preliminaries; Neji said it was a talisman seal she used, but Lee wasn¡¯t so sure.
Kurenai carried an unconscious Sakura back to the stands. A gentle smile on her face. She was proud of the girl. She had grown splendidly. Kurenai was sure Sakura could have won the match had she decided to use the new jutsu she learned over the last few months, but she also knew it was a matter of pride and friendship. Not just once, they talked about her crush on the Uchiha boy, which Sakura seemed to be growing out of, and her fight with Ino over that same crush, even if the girl was too proud to admit it. Sakura''s not being able to reach the finals was something she had expected. Kurenai entered her team because they needed the experience. Maybe sooner than predicted if international tensions kept escalating. Kurenai was satisfied with the current results. Kiba was the only one from her squad still left to fight. He had a good chance of reaching the finals with Shino.
Gai shook his head, already ready to interfere with Tenten¡¯s match. It was a shame the pairing was so unfortunate. Any other, and Tenten probably would have a better chance, but the Suna girl countered Tenten at every step. He carried his pupil to the hospital and returned to the arena after settling her there. Just in time to see Naruto defeat Kiba. He glanced at his rival. Naruto had trouble with chakra control, which was evident to anyone who knew how to look, but the jinchuriki host trained hard. Had his rival stopped being trendy and decided to train his squad properly? His thoughts were interrupted by Neji jumping down to the arena.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gai glanced back at the higher stands where the Hokage observed the fights. He disagreed with this ploy. Neji was mum about the situation, but the Hyuga clan said something about Hinata that sparked a fury Gai never saw in his pupil before. Gai tried to appease Neji but couldn¡¯t discuss the girl¡¯s situation by the orders from the council. His hands were tied more than one way. Gai decided that if Neji went too far, he would intervene. To hell with any political backlash. If the Hyuga disagreed, they could complain to his face.
Neji glared at the impostor, the monster, the usurper. The thing that took Hinata¡¯s place. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered his unc¡ªfather recounting the events and the implications. But it ended here. Neji couldn¡¯t do it in the forest; that formation prevented it, but here? There was no one to stop him. The Hokage wouldn¡¯t interfere, not again. And Neji would prove, once and for all, that he was the heir. The thing on the other side of the arena waved. Neji scowled. Said whatever to distract it. ¡°Start!¡± The proctor called out. Neji didn¡¯t rush in to attack. If the thing had one of those talismans to defend it in the forest, it might also have another here. Better make it come to him instead. ¡°You don¡¯t have that fuinjutsu seal to protect you here,¡± Neji taunted, focused on the thing¡¯s every movement, ¡°you have no chance.¡± The impostor started with thrown weapons. One of those could be a problem. Neji had no idea what type of attack that was, but the amount of chakra inside that kunai was borderline madness. He deflected it away. It was safer that way. The rest was just child¡¯s play. It showed how untrained the girl was. Then, the monster disappeared. Neji¡¯s eyes widened. The thing appeared by his side, a punch already approaching his head. Neji didn¡¯t have time to dodge; he lashed out, aiming for a trade to hit the thing¡¯s meridians. He could take one blow. He would win in the end, like always. Stars exploded in his head. White dominated all his vision. Neji couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t move, couldn''t think. He gasped, pulling in a much-needed breath, and tried to move. A soft voice and a gentle hand held him down. ¡°It¡¯s over. You are in the hospital, and you¡¯re safe.¡± Neji heard Gai-sensei¡¯s voice, but still, it made no sense. What happened? His body hurt; he couldn¡¯t open his eyes, move his arms, or move his legs.
Gaara, from the place where he fell after the attack, looked at the boy dressed in green across from him in the arena. Mother screamed in his head. She wanted blood. Gaara obliged. He wanted to kill them all. His fist closed in, and even through his jutsu, he felt the bones break and shatter. The agonized screaming joined with the joyful screams in his head. Yes, he would feed everyone¡¯s blood to mother. Soon. 3.17 The fight after mine was Gaara of the Desert versus Rock Lee. I was very conflicted about this one. It was one of those moments in the original story that stayed with me for a long time. I never forgot this fight, it was still clear in my mind even after all those years. I wanted to kick Gai sensei in the nuts for giving a impressionable boy a suicide jutsu, but would I have done anything different? I couldn''t say. Probably not. With bated breath, I watched a hardworking boy fight against a monster. The fight went about the same as I remembered. After an initial probing, Rock Lee removed the weighted ankle bands, dropped them from atop the statue. The whole tower shook. Wind billowed. I cheered, couldn¡¯t help it. I based my weight seals on Rock Lee¡¯s after all. That was followed by Rock Lee¡¯s taijutsu onslaught, the Lotus, the Gates. And the realization that even with that, it wasn¡¯t enough. Rock Lee¡¯s arm and leg got crushed by sand. Gai-sensei finally interfered with the fight to save his pupil. It was touching, the fight had been awesome. I was sure I would also copy a few of Rock Lee''s attacks just because they were that cool. Not long after, the whole arena went silent at the medic-nin declaration regarding Rock Lee¡¯s health. I didn¡¯t react like the others to the notice that he might not ever be able to fight again. I knew Tsunade could heal him. And I made a promise that if fate disagreed on that one point, I¡¯d hunt down Tsunade myself. Couldn''t let the third coolest shinobi in Konoha down. I did feel bad for copying Rock Lee, basing my own improvement on traits that defined Rock Lee in the original story, but just a bit. Rock Lee was cool. Last match was Choji versus the last Ame shinobi. The match didn¡¯t last long. Choji turned into a big ball, and ran all over the place. Amen-nin had no counter to that. It didn¡¯t take long until Choji managed to crash against a wall with said shinobi between him and the wall. After being declared the winner, Choji was the one most surprised for actually winning his fight. After all the cheering and celebration, eight of us stood in front of the old man again. Hayate took the stage once more. ¡°Congratulations to those of you who won and are qualified to participate in the third phase of the exam. Although one of you isn¡¯t here.¡± Hayate nodded, then turned to the Third Hokage. ¡°Lord Hokage, they are all yours.¡± Like always, Hiruzen took the chance to wax philosophy and politics at a bunch of children that had no maturity to understand half of the concepts he went on about. He couldn¡¯t even make his speech interesting, his droning cadence the worst offender to all the impatient around. The details, however, were the same. One month break to give the important people time to arrive. During this time we could train, prepare, gather information and do all those important ninja stuff. We finished by drawing lots for the tournament phase of the competition. I firmly believe the results were a set up. With how people from the same team were arranged to fight each other, be it in the first, or second round. I would fight the first match of the tournament. My opponent was Naruto. Sasuke would fight Gaara, Kankuro against Shino. Temari was an off seed and would fight the winner of Shikamaru versus Choji. There were more questions asked, and explanations given. But nothing that stood out to me. In the end, we were show horses, and the Hokage urged us to put on a good show. I got it, old man. Formalities done, I grouped up with Naruto. He seemed a little sad to have to fight me in the first battle. I gave him a one arm hug. Since when did I become so touchy-feely? ¡°Win or lose doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I croaked, despite the pain and tearing in my throat. I was starting to like this new voice. If I managed to lower the pitch just a bit, it would be sexy-husky instead of creepy-croaky. ¡°We give our best, fight until we are satisfied.¡± That cheered him up right away. ¡°You bet!¡± Naruto hollered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna give it my all!¡± Naruto went to annoy someone else after his declaration. Probably Kiba, or Sakura. I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Hinata-chan.¡± Sensei flickered by my side, watching with me Naruto running off. ¡°Shall we go?¡± I nodded. I followed sensei inside the tower, away from the commotion. We passed doors, climbed stairs, turned corridors. Not sure exactly where we were going, but at some point, Kakashi-sensei just opened one of the many doors. There was no marking or anything. I didn¡¯t see what criteria he used to choose this one in particular.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The room we entered was a simple looking waiting room thing. There were cabinets near the walls, a few shelves, two sofas facing each other and a low table in the middle. The room had no windows. Kakashi closed the door, slapped a seal on the walls. Gestured me to sit down. Commanded after I did. ¡°Genin 12612, Hinata. After action report.¡± I squirmed, couldn¡¯t really help it. The man was doing it on purpose, there was no other explanation. Giddy-fangirl-chan took over. I let her, it was a lost cause. I saluted. My threads wrote in my stead. ¡°During the second phase of the chunin examination, team seven encountered an abnormal situation.¡± I tried my best to stay serious and not behave as excited as I felt. ¡°We were chased by a strong shinobi, hidden under the guise of a Kusagakure shinobi.¡± I described Orochimaru¡¯s disguised appearance. ¡°I tried to take out the enemy by using explosions, which was unsuccessful, and proved to be the wrong choice. The blast was stronger than anticipated, it affected us more than the enemy and separated our group.¡± Kakashi-sensei nodded. The man even had a notepad to take notes. Definitively on purpose. ¡°Enemy never fought us seriously. Summoned giant snakes to toy with us. Once we started getting a real edge against a giant snake, the enemy acted. Disable Naruto by applying an unknown seal to Naruto¡¯s stomach.¡± Kakashi sensei blinked. The reaction was so small that if I wasn¡¯t paying attention I would have missed it. Nice, he didn¡¯t know everything. ¡°Sasuke managed to burn the enemy''s face. It was a mask of some sorts. After that, the man introduced himself as Orochimaru. Made a recruitment pitch to Sasuke, applied a seal to Sasuke by biting his neck. Took away my ability to move with a look.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Under the disguise, the one eye revealed was white on white. Byakugan white.¡± I saw Kakashi freeze, just for a moment. Huh, he also didn¡¯t know that. ¡°Orochimaru tried to recruit me as well. Told me the village was keeping me in the dark. That the Third couldn¡¯t help with the seals, only he could. After that, Orochimaru put me in some sort of genjutsu to ¡®prove I¡¯m worthy¡¯, his own words.¡± Had I forgotten anything? No, the other bits Kakashi could infer by himself, I was pretty sure. Now the part that freaked me out. ¡°I was insensate for an unknown period of time. I have only vague impressions of fighting a battle while under pain, agony, and a timer to solve the fuinjutsu before it killed me. When I came back, we had been relocated by team ten. Sasuke was acting strange and fighting an Amegakure team by himself. He was stronger than before the fight by a huge margin. Tattoo marks covered most of his left arm and face.¡± I stopped. Did I really want to write this next part? I knew Orochimaru was a lying fucker, and no way I had any intention to deflect to Otogakure to be his pet experiment and possible body replacement. In the end, it was a moot concern. I don¡¯t think the events would be secret for long, not with team ten and team Gai reports. ¡°Is that all?¡± Sensei asked. I shook my head. ¡°The genjutsu led me to discover seals inside my body. I cracked the one on my throat that prevented me from speaking. I managed to suspend the one in my bones that is trying to kill me. Ino recounted the story of how team ten found us. According to her, the forest itself reacted like it was a part of me. I also noticed I heal fast. I injured my shoulder during the fight with Orochimaru. I didn¡¯t even remember the injury when I woke up.¡± Kakashi took fake notes, nodded for me to continue. ¡°During the exam, a Konoha¡¯s shinobi by the name of Kabuto has tried to ingratiate himself to our team at every possible opportunity.¡± I would have never thought about this if I didn¡¯t know Kabuto was a traitor. ¡°Said shinobi claimed to have participated in the exam seven times. He had a comprehensive collection of information from all participant ninjas, Konoha¡¯s or otherwise. During an altercation at the first exam with the Otogakure team, Kabuto behaved like he received a glancing blow from the Oto-nin, but he has more chakra than most jounin, Kakashi-sensei included. I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to learn more about it.¡± Kakashi had an intent look on his face. Time to finish this. ¡°Sunagakure shinobi Gaara of the Desert has amounts of chakra comparable to Naruto.¡± I didn¡¯t think Gaara being the host of the one tail was a secret, or maybe it was. I¡¯d drop that one on Kakashi and let him deal with the fallout. Kakashi-sensei nodded. ¡°Thank you for your report.¡± I knew it was a mistake, but couldn¡¯t help it. I blurted out. ¡°Is it true?¡± A trickle of blood fell from my lips. I really needed to stop speaking. Sensei put away his notebook, the one he¡¯d been pretending to write his report on just to feed fan-girl-chan. He understood the question, even without context. ¡°As you surmised, there are a number of seals inside your body: Bones, eyes, heart, throat.¡± What? Heart? Eyes? Shit, shit, shit. My attention snapped back to sensei. ¡°Some among the council argued it was too risky to leave you alone, that you are an Orochimaru sleeper agent.¡± Ah, well, that explained things, didn¡¯t it? ¡°Your dreams about being Orochimaru didn¡¯t help either.¡± Oof, shoot myself on the foot there. ¡°The Third believes you are just an innocent girl caught in an unfortunate incident. He¡¯s the reason no one ever bothered you.¡± That just did it, didn¡¯t it? For all my annoyance with the old man, I never doubted he was a nice old grandpa. Too soft to be Konoha¡¯s leader, but the best grandpa out there. Now I had to prevent his death. No two ways about it. I wrote to sensei, using my own hands. ¡°And what do you think?¡± Kakashi fixed his eyes on me, answered immediately. His eyes turned into a crescent. ¡°I know you love Konoha and would never do anything against it.¡± The smile faded from his face. ¡°But that option might be forcefully taken away from you.¡± Bless the man, he didn¡¯t put me down. I might have tackle-hugged him and opened the floodgates. You can¡¯t blame me. It felt good to know Kakashi didn¡¯t think I was evil. 3.18 Kakashi-sensei let me have my emotional breakdown without comment. I just broke a lot of shinobi rules, but who cared? I didn''t, really. Not long after, we left the room. Kakashi-sensei waved me goodbye, flickered away. He probably had to report stuff, and I had lots on my mind. With the second phase of the chunin exam done, it was time to prepare for crushcrushcrush. Don¡¯t judge me, celeb crush Hayley haunted me enough already. I was in a bit of a pinch. Kakashi would help Sasuke, I was sure of that, even if I wasn¡¯t sure to what extent, now that most of Sasuke¡¯s family was still alive. Naruto would end up with Jiraiya. Who could I ask to train me? One particular shinobi came to mind. It would help with my dreams of Black Flash. I guess it costs nothing to ask. I meandered my way through the tower in search of my target. I had an idea where I would find the man. His three students had been beaten pretty badly, and given the man''s exuberance, I was sure he would be with them. I didn¡¯t actually know where the infirmary was in the tower, but a small bit of questioning later ¨C because I also had a teammate there ¨C landed me with directions to follow, only they weren¡¯t here in the tower, but taken back to Konoha¡¯s hospital. That made sense, not sure why I thought they would still be here. Leaving the forest was a strange affair. There was a transport system set up that let people come and go, only it wasn¡¯t used for the contestants. It didn¡¯t take long until I was back in Konoha proper. Since I was going to visit people at the hospital, I needed to prepare stuff. Fresh fruits and flowers and all that jazz. At the hospital reception desk, I confirmed the rooms my targets were in. First I went to visit Sasuke. I knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± I didn¡¯t recognize the voice, or the two chakra bundles aside from Sasuke¡¯s inside. I steeled myself, walked inside. Sasuke was out cold, but didn¡¯t seem to be in any danger. I guess whatever Kakashi-sensei did to contain the cursed seal took a lot out of Sasuke. Sat by his bed, was a beautiful fair-skinned woman with long, straight black hair and bangs hanging on either side of her face to roughly frame her cheeks and black eyes. She wore a simple dark purple blouse with a red-plum skirt, and looked nothing more than a mother and housewife, but I wasn¡¯t fooled. By the bed¡¯s side was another person. I won¡¯t lie here. My heart raced and I had to suppress my trembling. He was a tall man of fair complexion. Had black eyes, under which were long, pronounced tear-troughs. Jet-black hair pulled back in a low ponytail and center-parted bangs that extended to his chin, framed his face. He wore the traditional Uchiha attire. Dark Blue with the symbol on the back. Itachi nodded at me. Black eyes following my every movement. How much did he know? Was he still part of ANBU? After his father died, Itachi became the clan leader, but that was the last I heard about him. I bowed to both. Popped out my board. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Hinata, Sasuke¡¯s teammate.¡± The reaction wasn¡¯t what I expected. The woman chuckled, Itachi just shook his head, smiling. ¡°Hello Hinata-san, I¡¯m Uchiha Itachi, and this is my mother Mikoto.¡± Mikoto nodded, still smiling. I handed her the fruit basket. Mikoto took it with grace. ¡°Thank you Hinata-chan for the fruits, and thank you for looking after Sasuke. He speaks often about you.¡± I tilted my head, not sure what was happening. They were talking like they knew me. Itachi actually rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face. ¡°Itachi-nii, Itachi-nii,¡± he said, in a clear imitation of a child¡¯s voice. ¡°Hinata scored higher than me on tactics again! Can you help me read the war scrolls?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Mikoto chuckled but also added her piece. ¡°Okaachan!¡± she said, and while her voice was still her own, it was clear she was paraphrasing a kid, given her inflection and way of speaking. ¡°Can we study the village story again? I need to score higher than Hinata in this next exam!¡± I blushed. I felt my neck, face and ears burn. Oh god, why? Woodenly, I wrote on my board. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± Mikoto nodded, looked back at the sleeping Sasuke. ¡°He can be a handful, and I¡¯m not surprised he doesn¡¯t show it, but I think he likes you.¡± The world ground to a halt. No, she didn¡¯t say that. No way. I just couldn¡¯t deal with this right now. I bowed again. It was the hardest thing I''ve ever done. Wrote some parting words, fled as soon as I could, to chuckles from both shinobi inside the room. What the hell. What was that? I refused to believe it. No way. I paced, lost in my head. After a while, I managed to push that out of my mind. No, those two were just messing with me. Delete, delete, delete all those memories. Better that way. There was nothing much to do after I calmed down and managed to somewhat sort my thoughts. I wasn¡¯t here to be dragged in drama over the playboy. No, I refused. I went to Rock Lee¡¯s room after. Which was near Neji¡¯s room. Yeah, that would be embarrassing. I knocked. Waited for a moment until the gentle ¡®come in¡¯ sounded from inside, the voice was one I didn¡¯t recognize. I opened the door, stepped in. Tenten had recovered enough to be walking about. Bandaged and a bit banged up, but already better. Rock Lee was out cold. Gai sensei was there as well, like I thought he would. Tenten glared at me, then looked away. I bowed. ¡°Hello,¡± I wrote. ¡°What do you want?¡± Tenten demanded. Glare at full force. I didn¡¯t have any reason to lie. Even if I didn¡¯t tell the whole truth. I handed the flowers I bought to Tenten, she was tense, but took it. I placed one of the fresh fruit baskets by the bed. Finally I handed the last one to Gai. The look he gave me told me it had been a good idea not to visit Neji. ¡°I wanted to see how Rock Lee was.¡± I admitted. ¡°What is it to you?¡± Tenten demanded. ¡°You don¡¯t even know him!¡± I stopped. That was fair. I knew of Rock Lee, not the boy himself. I gushed about him being third coolest, but I never actually talked to him. I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I wrote soon after. I turned and left under Tenten¡¯s glare. I still hadn¡¯t done what I came here to do. I sat down in the corridor and settled in to wait. I didn¡¯t mind giving them time if needed. It didn¡¯t take long. Gai sensei left the room a few minutes after. I got up, the man motioned me to follow. He led me up a flight of stairs to an open terrace or roof. It was a pretty view of the village, with a premium vista of the Hokage mountain. By one of the corners, I saw two familiar shapes. It was some sort of water tank. But try as I might, I couldn¡¯t recall why they seemed familiar. Gai was the first to break the silence. ¡°You were looking for me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. I knew exuberance was the name of the game. I didn¡¯t hold back. I raised my hand. Raised my board as high as my arms would let me. ¡°Gai-sensei, please help me train for the third phase of the chunin exam!¡± Gai stare was cold, unmoved. ¡°You humiliate my student, beat him to an inch of death, and now you want me to train you?¡± I didn¡¯t hold back nor did I back down. I also wasn¡¯t against throwing some truths around. With more time to think, Neji was up to no good when trying to fight me. I remembered his glare. In my mind, it somehow overlapped with Orochimaru¡¯s. I suppressed a shudder. ¡°Yes sensei!¡± I wrote. ¡°He would have done worse to me had I not been stronger! I had to make sure he understood I was not to be messed with!¡± Gai stared at me for a long while. I expected him to pose and yell and be the boisterous self I knew from the story. The man in front of me didn¡¯t look like that. ¡°Why not Kakashi?¡± ¡°Kakashi will have his hands full with Sasuke and Naruto, and what I want and need is speed and taijutsu. There¡¯s no one better to train with than you in that regard.¡± For a moment, I considered if it had been wise to seek out the man. I was acutely aware now that I didn¡¯t know him. I was just going by half remembered stories from my past life. Acting like I knew everything. ¡°No.¡± Gai-sensei said finally. His tone left no room to argue. It was again, another slap to the face. Once more, I took my knowledge from the show and other stories as gospel. In my mind, Gai was supposed to be boisterous: to pose, to yell his youth mantra, gladly take me under his wing. Almost all the things I remember from the second coolest ninja was that he always wanted to make people train more, train harder. I bowed. Wrote after. ¡°Thank you for hearing me out sensei!¡± I turned, left the Gai to his contemplations. I didn¡¯t look back. My dreams of Black Flash took a hit, but it meant I¡¯d just need to do it myself. I had one month to train and prepare before the invasion. I didn¡¯t think it was enough, but I would try my best. It was time to change the world once again. Chapter 4: Konoha Crushcrushcrush I didn¡¯t wait until the next day to start my training and preparations. I hadn¡¯t missed the between-the-lines talk about the council of elders being against me. I was pretty sure Danzo had wanted me for his house of horrors and that I was alive and safe and unmolested because the Third had gone soft. It also explained an old question I had - who tried to kidnap me for the second time? And who else other than the damn traitor Shimura fucking Danzo? First thing I did was, surprise surprise, create a training schedule. Mornings were divided into two exercise periods: Physical and taijutsu. Afternoon another two different training focuses: Control and jutsu. Evening reserved for fuinjutsu research: I had to break the time-space code, I couldn''t see any other way of interfering with that roof fight without it. Not to mention the seals inside my body. Done with that, I slapped myself because I was being dumb, I forgot about the clone cheat. The schedule stayed, but instead of dividing days into periods, each clone would take one task to perform. I expanded on my training program, adding more sessions and more comprehensive exercises to shore up other points I gimped because I thought I would have only a few hours per day. When I finished, I wanted to cry just a bit. I just condemned myself to grueling physical boot camp training hell while my clones worked on the fun stuff. But such was life. I started immediately. My weight seals needed to be finished. I couldn¡¯t create a new one every time I needed to up the intensity. It would take too much of my already limited time, and limit my training. I had an idea about what I missed with the whole design. With the new revelation of the will component, it wasn¡¯t even difficult, even if it took hours, and three failed attempts. The new seals¡­ didn¡¯t look great. The increased complexity demanded more space. I didn¡¯t have time to refine the logic behind how it should work, because of that, I had to increase the surface area. It wasn¡¯t bad, It just looked like leather bracers and a collar, moreso with all the squiggly lines that looked like decoration and stuff. I guess the time had finally arrived. I was twelve, I already lived alone, I already dressed in all black: Goth phase was upon me. I wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied with the result, but redesigning to improve the presentation was pushed to after I wasn¡¯t crushed for time. I put the collar and bracelets on, adjusted the weights, then went to sleep. Tomorrow I might add black lipstick and mascara as well, just to cement the goth looks.
The first days of a new training routine were always the worst. Morning started with running around. Normally running wasn¡¯t difficult, but I had raised the weight of the seals. I could barely drag myself. Every step was torture, even keeping my body upright took effort. I saw old grandmas moving faster than me. But I could move, even if I had to pump my body full of chakra from time to time to keep up with the whole routine. Finished with the morning warm up, it was physical exercise for explosive strength, speed and reflexes. I didn¡¯t want to bulk up, even if I didn¡¯t think I would. No ninja ever did unless they wanted it. Was there some sort of subconscious low-key chakra body manipulation to all of this? An interesting thing to consider. Not now, but later.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The day dragged on. Done with muscle conditioning, I sat to meditate on my taijutsu. Not those cultivation nerd time kind of meditations, even if I used the down period to circulate my chakra. What I really did was compare all of the fights I saw during the second phase of the exam, including Rock Lee¡¯s fight, and place myself in their shoes. How would I react? Would my reaction work? Could I win with my style alone? What did I need to change? Then, after that, it was acclimatization to the new standards I decided. I even did some shadowboxing. I wasn¡¯t sure if it really worked, but who was I to doubt the wisdom of generations? Afternoon was technical skills. I went back to the basics. I don¡¯t know where I heard it, but there was a saying that if you want to master something, go back to the basics or something like that. Or a building can¡¯t stand on a bad foundation. I don¡¯t know. Anyway, I went back to the basics of Konoha¡¯s martial style and Hyuga gentle fist. If I perfected and mastered the basics, everything else would also get better, right? Evenings I did more muscle conditioning and endurance training, with a spot at the end of the day for relaxation. Which meant a hot bath and chakra circulation. The hot water soothing my whole aching body felt divine, even more with the chakra. I can see how someone could get addicted to this kind of routine. The only bad part was when I unpopped my clones at the end of the night. The combined exertion and information dump from the clones was enough to take me out the first night. I learned from that mistake. After that first night, I waited until I was already in bed and ready to sleep to unpop the clones. Win-win? My new routine didn¡¯t leave much time for myself. No visiting Secretary-chan, no gossiping with Sakura, no eating sweets with pretty Ino. I could endure it, it was only one month. But as the old adage said, plans and enemies. Even if it wasn¡¯t an enemy that derailed my plans, but Kakashi-sensei. It was the third day of my new routine. I just finished my taijutsu meditation and shambled up, feet and arms dragging with the weight of the seals. I had taken my stance when I noticed the approaching chakra. One was familiar. After so many months, I could point out Kakashi-sensei¡¯s chakra among a crowd if necessary. The other one was unfamiliar. It even had a unique texture. Like the smell or taste of wood, no idea why. I turned around, let my arms fall. Too heavy to keep them up if I wasn¡¯t using them. Sweat coated my whole body, and I was haggard, tired and grumpy. Kakashi-sensei walked into the training field with another ninja I had never seen before. Just a few centimeters shorter than sensei, but the man was leaner. He wore a helmet-like forehead protector that covered his cheeks, and the under-suit went up to the middle of his chin. The man¡¯s irises were huge and totally black. I couldn¡¯t even see where the iris ended and the pupil started. ¡°My, you¡¯re training hard.¡± Kakashi gave me one of his eye crescent smiles. ¡°And adopted a new fashion sense.¡± I just grunted. It was just the third day of training, but I was tired beyond compare. I didn¡¯t have the energy to be annoyed or fangirl over stuff. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy helping Sasuke train.¡± Kakashi started. I just looked on. ¡°So I made sure to find an excellent teacher for you.¡± Kakashi gestured to the shinobi by his side. ¡°This is Yamato.¡± Yamato gave me a small wave. Oh, I recognized the man now. One of Orochimaru¡¯s surviving experiments. I should have recognized those eyes. I grunted again. Nodded. ¡°Hello,¡± managed to croak out. The three of us exchanged stares. I had no idea what to do. This was awkward. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Kakashi-sensei promptly deflected, fled the social interaction. Still cool. I just didn¡¯t have the energy to fan-girl over it. I looked at Yamato who didn¡¯t seem to know what to do as well. I shrugged. Wouldn¡¯t stop my training just because of a slight deviation to the plans. I bowed, and wrote with much difficulty. ¡°Hello Yamato-sensei, Jutsu-chan will be here in a moment, please wait just a bit.¡± Things explained, I turned back, assumed my stance, went back to my training. Crushcrushcrush was less than a month away, and time and training waited for no one. 4.2.y Yamato had just arrived from his three week mission outside the village, when his old friend Kakashi ambushed him. The village had assigned him another mission already. He followed Kakashi to their usual haunt, nodding at the waitress on their way in. Like usual, Kakashi requested a private room, but it wasn¡¯t needed. The bar was empty at this time of the day. Kakashi handed over a stack of papers. ¡°Here.¡± Yamato took the mission information first. Still sealed. He opened it and read the report in full. His hands didn¡¯t tremble, Yamato was too trained for that, but his grip crumpled the borders of the parchment. Another survivor of Orochimaru¡¯s experiments, another one with mokuton. Of course he had heard of Hinata¡¯s kidnapping years before, what Shinobi hadn¡¯t when the Hyuga threatened civil war when it happened? He also heard about the subsequent finding of the girl. Which was quickly suppressed by the communications department. Yamato only learned now about the full details: Orochimaru kidnapped the heir of the Hyuga, experimented on the girl, stole her eyes, left a number of unknown seals behind. Hiashi tried to kill the girl and the Lord Third intervened. The mission report didn¡¯t explain why Hiashi tried to kill his own daughter. It was a lot to take in. An S-rank mission issued by Lord Hokage and the council of Elders, dated from a week ago. Yamato glanced at the other stacks of paper piled on the table, it was a series of reports about the girl. Orochimaru made contact with Hinata, the Uchiha heir and the jinchuriki. He read the girl¡¯s own report about the encounter. Read the report from team Gai and team ten. Read the ANBU battle site investigation report. The details matched. There were no glaring inconsistencies in the tale. Even the sensor specialists used to listen to the chakra reverberation in the area didn¡¯t find anything different from what was reported. He picked the next parchment, it was a previously sealed report. Hinata was the informant that leaked the information that led to Danzo¡¯s arrest order. She claimed she dreamt about being Orochimaru. In after action reports and intel added to the whole case after the raid there was one small note added by Aobe: information extracted from Danzo¡¯s lair contradicted the current theory. There was no sign of any friction between Danzo and Orochimaru. Danzo even cooperated with Orochimaru on human experiments. It had been dismissed as not important. If Orochimaru wanted to betray Danzo, he wouldn¡¯t alert the paranoid old bastard before the back-stab. The next papers gave Yamato pause. It was a series of older reports from when the girl was found, about the seals in her body. In the period of time she was unconscious after being found, a number of tests and check ups were performed at the Lord Hokage¡¯s request. The medical staff at the time reported that without knowing the procedure used by Orochimaru, the only recourse they had to remove the seals was to cut the girl open again, which she was estimated to have a 30% chance of survival. Danzo insisted they needed to know what Orochimaru had done. Lord Third refused to risk the girl¡¯s life further. The rest of the report was speculation of what the seals did based on information gathered by the notes left behind in the laboratory. It didn¡¯t paint a good picture, and also explained why the council wanted the girl under surveillance. Yamato felt a pang of sympathy for Hinata. Yamato put the intelligence reports down and picked up the academy reports and Kakashi¡¯s reports as her jounin commander. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her academy days other than the strange physical results, and the note from one of her teachers that the girl was hiding her strength. Kakashi¡¯s notes were a whole other scenario. Kakashi classified the girl¡¯s pure body strength between high chunin and low jounin, with a note that she was stronger, faster, and had no control over her body when going all out. The girl was diligent, trained harder than anyone he knew, aside from maybe Maito Gai. Her mental scores were superb, even if the girl had obvious mental blockers and a lack of creativity. She still thought like a civilian, instead of a shinobi. She was good at hand-seals, her taijutsu was medium to low, there was no information about genjutsu. The girl never used it or was never taught them. The last note gave Yamato pause. Kakashi classified the girl¡¯s chakra control as better than his own. He couldn¡¯t do half the things the girl did with casual ease. Kakashi speculated that the girl¡¯s control matched Tsunade of the Sannin. And how Kakashi purposefully led the girl to believe her control was just ¡°acceptable¡±. There were others. Psychoanalysis report after the A-rank mission. Hinata showed no hesitation to kill. Didn¡¯t display any obvious tell she enjoyed the killing. The indoctrination at the academy seemed to have borne outstanding results: mission first, not afraid of risking herself to protect the client, frustrated she couldn¡¯t do more, drive to improve, no cruel behavior or lashing out in anger even in the academy years and a moderate amount of isolation and bullying. Prone to emotional manipulation of those around her and use of sweets and pastries to help with that manipulation. The analysis went on and on. None of it bad, even if strange for a girl her age.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A smile forced itself on Yamato¡¯s face at the last line of Kakashi¡¯s report: Dreams of becoming Konoha¡¯s Black Flash, after the Yondaime Hokage. The report ended with a evaluation score for the girl at academy graduation:
Shinobi Ninjutsu Taijutsu Genjutsu Intelligence Strength Speed Stamina Hand seals Total
012612 1.5 1.5 1 3 3.5 4 3 2.5 20
Those were high numbers for a newly promoted genin. The evaluation of course didn¡¯t reflect the whole truth, Yamato knew of shinobi with lower scores that could wipe the floor with others ranked much stronger than them. Kakashi''s evaluation of the girl¡¯s strength now made more sense. Yamato accepted the mission, of course he did. Even if he didn¡¯t have a personal investment in meeting the girl, given their similar circumstances, it had been a direct mission from the Hokage. Yamato would have only refused if it was something he thought he couldn¡¯t do well. The mission was twofold: The council wanted the girl under strict surveillance. Any suspicious behavior was to be reported immediately. If the girl showed any signs of turning against Konoha, she was to be apprehended, killed if that wasn¡¯t possible. Yamato could see Danzo¡¯s remaining influence on the elders. Even gone, that man caused problems. The second part was the one issued by the Hokage himself: Yamato was to teach Hinata mokuton. If time allowed, teach her how to seal the jinchuriki chakra, and any other jutsu Yamato deemed necessary. It was clear the man didn¡¯t think the girl an enemy agent, and wanted to foster her growth, the council of elders be damned. ¡°Where is the girl now?¡± Yamato asked after reading all the reports. ¡°Finished already?¡± Kakashi asked. Yamato nodded. ¡°She requested Gai to help her train for the third phase of the exam.¡± That was surprising, why Gai of all people? Why not Kakashi? ¡°Not you?¡± Kakashi sighed. There was a bit of melancholy in his gesture. ¡°Hinata is too smart for her own good. She correctly deduced that I would be busy with Sasuke.¡± ¡°Is she with Gai then?¡± ¡°No, Gai refused.¡± Kakashi scratched his cheeks, sighed, this time in relief? ¡°He knew about your mission, and I don¡¯t think he was happy with the girl.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t check the news about the exam?¡± Kakashi asked and Yamato just shook his head. ¡°Hyuga higher ups might have set Neji to kill or cripple her. He sought her out in the Forest of Death, Hinata drove them off using mokuton.¡± Yamato nodded, he remembered that part of the report, there was nothing regarding Neji¡¯s motives however. ¡°Like every other arrogant bastard, Hiashi pressed the Hokage to set up Neji to fight her in the second phase preliminaries.¡± Nothing out of the ordinary until now. Clan politics was just that, clan politics. It was Lord Hokage¡¯s duty to mediate those. ¡°It was a disaster.¡± Kakashi started. ¡°Hinata never gave Neji a chance to fight back. Her speed combined with the ability to use jutsu without hand seals were advantages enough. Even with his Byakugan Neji couldn''t keep up. She would have killed him had we not interfered. To make matters even worse, Hinata never actually fought Neji. She had transformed herself into a Kunai, and her shadow clone did all the battling for her. Gai wasn¡¯t happy with the girl after that. The injury was one thing, the blatant humiliation another.¡± Nothing in her psychoanalysis hinted at this sort of behavior. Yamato tilted his head. ¡°Why did she do that?¡± Kakashi shrugged. ¡°All I have are guesses.¡± Yamato just waved on the ¡®guess away¡¯ gesture. ¡°Orichimaru put the girl under some sort of pain inducing genjutsu, after he spooked all of them with killing intent alone. Neji displayed killing intent before his battle with Hinata. I don¡¯t know what the clan told him, but Neji clearly sees her as an enemy. Hinata admitted to Gai she had to, quoting her words, make sure Neji understood she was not to be messed with.¡± ¡°Shall we meet her then?¡± Yamato asked. Kakashi nodded and led them away, toward one of the many training grounds. They found Hinata practicing the basics of taijutsu. She was a mess. Looked like someone put to the grinder and without sleep for weeks. Dressed in black, large strange bracelets on her legs, arms and neck. Black lipstick and paint around her eyes. Was this something young people did nowadays? After Kakashi¡¯s lame introduction and subsequent retreat came the written message that made no sense. ¡°Hello Yamato-sensei, Jutsu-chan will be here in a moment, please wait just a bit.¡± After Yamato read it, Hinata turned around and went back to training. Yamato wanted to ask questions, but decided it was best to just wait. And sure enough another Hinata walked into the training field. Still dressed in black, but without the black paint and lipstick and no collar or bracelets. The new Hinata looked at Yamato and the other one training. Jogged toward the training girl. Crouched. They had a brief, silent conversation. ¡°Hi, Yamato-sensei.¡± The new one spoke. Was this one a clone or the real girl? ¡°Hinata-chan, the original, is busy with physical training. I¡¯m Jutsu-chan, shadow clone. Please take care of me!¡± The girl¡¯s voice was raspy, like those voices of people with throat injury. Yamato just nodded. Somehow he felt old. Really old. 4.3 Hinata-chan was just so silly. Why name the clones? But it mattered not. I, Jutsu-chan, had the best training schedule of all the four of us. I got to train my control, I got to use cool jutsu. No extreme physical training for me. One could argue that Seal-chan also had it good. I mean, the idea of finally breaking the space-time code left me giddy, but that was Seal-chan¡¯s work. Mine was to play ninja, use jutsu, push my control. All the awesome things about being a shinobi, right? It didn¡¯t take me long to master the Rasengan after that first attempt at the Land of Waves. I used the jutsu as chakra control exercises, mostly because I had no idea how to explain to Kakashi-sensei how I knew about this one particular jutsu. Which was why I didn¡¯t plan to use it in front of anyone. At least, not until Naruto also learned it. After that, I could say I bribed the brat to teach me, like usual. I held the ball of concentrated chakra on the palm of my open hand. One Rasengan wasn¡¯t difficult anymore. I looked at my other hand, tried to create a second Rasengan there. It didn¡¯t work that well. The first one wobbled and looked about to explode, the chakra holding my hair in place dispersed, the threads playing the koto broke, even the chakra holding me stuck at the ceiling wobbled and almost gave out. I cut off the attempt at the second Rasengan. Perhaps I should take it easy? Two Rasengans while sitting on the ceiling, playing my koto with threads, holding my hair and clothes in place was a bit of a struggle. Giddy happiness bubbled inside my gut. If it was hard, it meant I had room to improve! Besides my control, I trained using jutsu. For now, I was focused on Shushin no jutsu. I couldn¡¯t properly space-time yet, flickering around would have to do meanwhile. It massively increases the speed of movement in short bursts, and while I could already use the jutsu without seals, I could improve the efficiency and activation speed. That was my sole focus for the month. The first few days felt like vacation time. I trained control, played a lot of music, zoom-zoomed around with shushin. I even went to restaurants and other places to practice being invisible. Clamp on my chakra, dim my presence, gather information, all the fun stuff. Of course Hinata-chan had to go and make a mess of things. Communication with the shadow clones was interesting; not exactly telepathy, but I did get the impression Hinata-chan needed to see me, with some measure of urgency. I appreciated she didn¡¯t just unpop me and pop another me for this. I didn¡¯t want the ickiness Hinata-chan was cursed to endure for the rest of the day. I left the caf¨¦ I was stealthing at. Flickered to a nearby rooftop. Pumped chakra on my feet and let loose. Training field three wasn¡¯t far. It took me just a few minutes to arrive. Hinata-chan, the ever diligent girl, was training. There was another shinobi there, one I hadn¡¯t seen before. Hinata-chan didn¡¯t seem worried or even guarded against him. That was interesting. I approached the training girl. ¡°Original-chan, what is it?¡± I husked. Been also practicing lowering my pitch. I wanted that husky-sexy, and I was a clone, injuries didn¡¯t matter to me. ¡°New sensei, Yamato,¡± Hinata-chan croaked out, ¡°Kakashi-sensei brought him over.¡± I nodded. That was enough info. I knew about Yamato. Should have recognized those eyes and head protector. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± I husked again, to an amused grunt from Hinata-chan. Man, she looked so ruffled out, focused. That combined with her goth looks made her super charming. I wanted to give her a hug, but then there was all that sweat and grit. An involuntary shudder put an end to that idea. Yeah, no. Sorry, Hinata-chan. I turned to Yamato. Walked closer. ¡°Hi, Yamato-sensei. Hinata-chan, the original, is busy with physical training. I¡¯m Jutsu-chan, shadow clone. Please take care of me!¡± I didn¡¯t use the husky voice on him. That was for future me to seduce pretty girls with, or when I got older. It just wouldn¡¯t work while I was a kid. Yamato took it in stride. He just rolled with it like it was just another Tuesday. Earned a few brownie points from me. ¡°Kakashi-san asked me to help you prepare for the third phase of the exams.¡± Yamato started, ¡°I planned a training retreat,¡± he looked at Hinata-chan training behind us, ¡°is this something you do often?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I shook my head. ¡°No, I just had too many things to train and not enough time. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll keep this up after the chunin exam.¡± I admitted freely. I still planned maybe popping out clones to do research or other time consuming tasks, but no ninja training bootcamp hell again. ¡°Right,¡± Yamato said. ¡°The things I can teach you are often best trained while away from the village.¡± The man made a seal, out from the ground popped a root. Coiled around itself. It had a surprising amount of chakra imbued. ¡°Did Kakashi-sensei tell you about the Forest of Death?¡± ¡°He did indeed.¡± That was fine. I mean, I decided to leave wood release for after the exam, mostly because I had no idea where to start and didn¡¯t want to spread myself too thin, at least not more than I already was. I nodded. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Yamato nodded, turned around, and led me to the village entrance. We stepped outside, into the forest. Was this a commune with nature thing? Was Yamato hip in disguise?
Seal-chan. That¡¯s what Hinata-chan named me. Such a silly name. It didn¡¯t seem to fit the importance of myself. My goal, my purpose, my raison d''¨ºtre was to make our dreams come true. I was the one who would break time and space. I was the one who would take us to new heights! I mean, probably not me me, you know, being a clone and all, but another future version of me. It was all the same in the end. Despite my dramatic words, I knew I lucked out between the four of us. With the new insights I gained because of Orochimaru, I had a good starting point. I took out a storage seal. Opened both earth and heaven scrolls from the Forest of Death. I might not be using cool jutsu all the time or training my control, or playing ninja, but I was more than giddy to finally give my dreams the time and effort they deserved. ¡­ I¡¯m Seal-chan, the tenth. Not the original one, and certainly not the last one. Things have gotten interesting in the past few days. The building stress of physical strain, and mental fatigue was something I hadn¡¯t considered. Concentrating became harder with each day I kept my hell training routine. But that¡¯s not here nor there. I was on a hunt: My prey? A silly sunshine boy. His last known whereabouts were the hot-springs. It was time to corrupt Naruto again. I needed another example of space-time jutsu to confirm my findings, and what a better example than frog summoning? I found him by one of the springs, repetitively using the same jutsu, calling tadpole after tadpole. Nearby, the unmistakable shape of Jiraiya peeked into a crack in the wall. I was tempted to join Jiraiya, check out the girls on the other side, my cheeks burned at the thought, but now wasn¡¯t the time. Space-Time first. I zeroed in on Naruto. Crouched by his side. Before he could summon another tadpole, I presented my bribe: The second cupcake in the special series. Will and Fire. I pushed the cupcake to his hand. ¡°Naruto-kun, teach me your summoning jutsu?¡± Naruto looked really conflicted this time. ¡°Hinata-chan, you need to sign a contract I don¡ª¡± I cut the silly boy off, placed a storage seal in his hand together with the cupcakes. Showed him my board. ¡°No, silly. I don¡¯t want to summon the frogs, I just want you to teach me the hand-seals and how to mold my chakra.¡± Naruto scratched his head. Still looking confused. He repeated the words from Jiraiya, demonstrated the hand seals. I nodded. Gave him a high-five. Debated joining Jiraiya again. Shook my head, not the time. Went back to my research lab, aka, apartment. ¡­ One thing became clear to me after studying the examples from space-time jutsu. Unless someone gave me the exact same jutsu the fourth used, with instructions and all, it would be easier to just create a new jutsu that did what I needed than learn space-time like the fourth. To that effect, I listed what exactly I wanted the jutsu to do: 1 - Create a seal that serves as a beacon. Ideally the beacon should also give a general idea of where it is. Other shinobi should not be able to tap into that beacon. For this one, I had an idea. Tie the beacon to the user¡¯s chakra signature. Considering all I knew, it was unique to each person. 2 - Put safety measures on the beacon, to prevent teleporting into walls or places I couldn¡¯t fit. 3 - The signal shouldn¡¯t be intrusive. Can¡¯t have a constant ping in my head all the time from the beacons. 4 - The actual summoning jutsu should be fast and easy to perform. Can¡¯t be called Black Flash if it takes more than an instant to teleport. 5 - Range, in the worst case scenario it should be tied to chakra cost. With more distant places costing more chakra. 6 - Chakra cost should be manageable. The jutsu is supposed to be spammable. Can¡¯t get tired after using it just a couple of times. 7 - The jutsu should not disorient the user. Makes no sense to teleport and arrive spilling my guts. I guess it was time to change the world and conquer my dreams. I, Seal-chan the Tenth, would lay the foundations to our future awesomeness. 4.4 It was three and a half weeks into my training regimen. Today was the last day of bootcamp hell mode. Even my other clones looked dead on their feet. Jutsu-chan nodded, flickered away toward the village entrance. She¡¯d meet with Yamato there like they¡¯d done for the past weeks. Seal-chan dragged herself to the table with all the diagrams and notes and theories and prototypes, all but collapsing on the chair, head lolling. I was so close, yet so far away. I had the whole logic ready, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how to tie the beacon to my chakra signature, which in turn made it impossible to hone in on that same beacon. The prototype version of the jutsu was the simplest version it could be: there were no safety measures, no awareness of the beacon¡¯s destination, no padding to avoid mishaps, it would take a monstrous amount of chakra, activation time was too long to be usable in battle. If I managed to finish the jutsu, refinement would come with more ¨C possibly years of ¨C research. But for now, I just needed to be able to teleport inside the sound four barrier. I glanced at the hunched form of my clone reading the notes on her desk. Even if the task seemed impossible, it was Seal-chan''s work. I shook my head. Pushed those complicated thoughts away. I had simpler concerns to worry about. I looked at my third clone: Research-chan sat on the bed cross legged, meditating, like all other versions had done since day one. It had been a faint hope, and while there was progress, it too would take years more to disentangle that. I shambled out of the apartment. Activated my weight seals. My clones didn¡¯t need to suffer the added physical strain the whole day. My vision was a bit hazy, things started to blur together a few days ago. I was so tired. But I couldn''t stop. I added just a little more to the weight seals. If I had the energy to complain, it meant I wasn¡¯t training hard enough. From jogging to physical exertion, to explosive muscle conditioning, to taijutsu training. I tried to focus on my tasks. My eyes kept drooping, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. If I did, all clones would unpop and it would be a waste of my day. ¡­ I hit the training dummy for I don¡¯t know how many times. Even in the haziness of exhaustion, I saw the flaw in my form. It wasn¡¯t even due to how tired I was. Whenever I performed this particular attack, my left hand went down, leaving a glaring opening. I learned that the hard way. The same day Yamato-sensei came to recruit Jutsu-chan to his hip nature retreat, Kiba wandered in the training field looking for a place to train. I decided that a spar would help my training. Kiba returned the next day, and from there, the info leaked out. Sometimes Kiba came alone, other times he dragged more shinobi to spar. Ino and Sakura took to visiting, although they didn¡¯t join the training. The sparring with other shinobi let me identify and fix flaws in my hodgepodge style, except this one that kept returning, no matter how much I tried. I hadn¡¯t found yet what was causing the problem. It wasn¡¯t a matter of my arm moving down. Something in my stance pulled my arm down on and if I didn¡¯t find the root cause, that flaw would stay there. Was it time to give up and ask for help? I¡¯m sure Kakashi-sensei could help me understand what I was doing wrong. I lifted my arm again. A selfish and dumb part of me didn¡¯t want to ask for help. I prepared to perform the attack again. Information flooded my head. It was the same deluge of information when a clone dispersed. Jutsu just unpopped herself. It was a rollercoaster of memories and impressions and sensations, dwarfed by elation. That disrupted my control and the rest of my clones also unpopped. Even more stuff jammed itself in my head. Moments before the world turned to black, I smiled. Jutsu-chan did it.
I am Jutsu-chan, and let me tell you, Mokuton was busted. Super busted. On our first day of training, Yamato-sensei went over things he could do. Need a chair? I got you. Need a stock? Worry not. Your house burned? Hold my ramen. Lost your key? My finger is my key! It took me a while to ¡®connect with my nature spirit¡¯ or whatever, but once I did, learning the jutsu was easy. It needed a lot of control, which I had, it needed chakra, which I also had, even if I was just a quarter of my reserves. My control meant better efficacy, which should let me use more jutsu even with a smaller chakra pool. The result didn¡¯t match what I felt it should be. Something interfered whenever I tried to use wood chakra. It was like a barrier I needed to push past. It left me with no other choice but to pump even more chakra to use a mokuton jutsu. The end result was ¨C despite my superior control and bigger reserves ¨C I used way more chakra than Yamato for everything. I explained the situation to Yamato, but he was also at a loss as to why. I suspected it was, somehow, connected to the snake. Not knowing what those seals did was starting to piss me off really bad.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. And Nature transformation was freaky. I mean, transforming my arm into wood? Yikes. Creepy. Better than transforming into snakes tho. I pitied Anko. That wasn¡¯t important. Tiredness making my thoughts roam all over the place. I tried to focus on the present again. Today was the last day of training. I was tired, exhausted, and needed to rest before the exam. It wouldn¡¯t do to burn myself out before the battle even started. I did what I could, even if I neglected my shushin no jutsu. I mastered a fair amount of new techniques. I even inherited Yamato¡¯s house building hobby. I mean, of course I would beg that one after I saw the man just pop a full house outta the ground. Wood clones, restraining techniques, chakra sealing techniques. I learned it all. Even if I couldn¡¯t use them freely. It cost too much chakra. Another thing that became apparent pretty soon. My affinity to Mokuton was stronger than Yamato¡¯s. Which was paradoxical as to why my end result was worse than his. I had some thoughts on this. Perhaps because by the time Orochimaru made me, his process had improved? And since my problem was converting the chakra, maybe the seal in my heart somehow was interfering with the process? But again, distracted, tired. My mind kept wandering when I should focus on the task at hand. This last jutsu was a bit iffy. A tracking jutsu. Yeah, I see what the old man was about. Restraining jutsu, chakra sealing jutsu, and now tracking jutsu. Was the old man preparing me to babysit Naruto? Did the old codger want me to marry the brat as well? Fucking fate. ¡°Hinata-san?¡± Yamato called. By the pitch of his voice, not for the first time. I focused on him. He held a seed in his hand. Right, jutsu, training, focus. I performed the seals: Tiger - Dog - Snake. Out of the earth popped another Hinata, this one a wood clone. Then, like the man explained, I twisted the clone, compressed and applied meaning. Wood Hinata, the short lived, shrunk and transformed into a seed. I held the thing, and even through the haze of exhaustion I felt it, in the back of my head. I knew where it was, how distant and more. Yamato went on a lengthy explanation of what it did and didn¡¯t. ¡°¡­and only the user can detect the transmissions. Not even other mokuton users can sense it.¡± I blinked, trying to parse the information. Damn brain fog. Then his words registered. Wait. Wait? Would it work? From the dregs of my mind I pulled all theory and prototype work for the teleport beacon. Seal-chan had been stuck forever in how to tie the beacon to us, and prevent others from noticing it. I think my hands started trembling more than they already were. My voice shook a bit. The pain didn¡¯t even bother me. ¡°How long does it last?¡± Yamato¡¯s gaze was strange. ¡°For as long as you keep it.¡± It wasn¡¯t perfect, I realized. It wasn¡¯t a permanent tracker, it was, after all, created from a wood clone, and even if it was solid wood, it still had the same limitations of a clone. But it was a solution for my problem, even if it was a temporary one. I got up, couldn¡¯t stay still, needed to think some more and staying still caused brain fog. In my head, I reviewed Seal-Chan¡¯s Black Flash jutsu prototype. I knew it well enough that I didn''t even need the papers anymore. I remade a few connections, adjusted the chakra path, integrated the inbuilt transmission from the seed. ¡°Hinata-san?¡± I was lost in my mind. Yeah, it would work. I moved a few of the blocks around, taking into account the changes because of the wood chakra. That left one last issue: how to inscribe the transmission seal? I could make the seed larger, or a different shape. Then another realization hit me like Truck-kun. It was so obvious I wanted to slap myself. I already had a jutsu to use chakra to inscribe a seal instead of using ink. I dispelled the seed. Summoned another clone. Transformed it into a wood kunai. Don¡¯t blame me, tired and Yondaime. Pushed my chakra, inscribed the modified beacon on the kunai. I held it there, I could feel the beacon. I looked at Yamato. Yamato stared at me. I laughed. Might have danced. I certainly cheered. ¡°Yamato-sensei, you¡¯re the fucking best!¡± I called out, threw myself at the man in a hug. A hug I quickly released. I had more important things to do. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± The man asked, looking at my wood kunai and black lines of chakra from my imprinted seal. I grinned. Threw the kunai away. It landed a few meters to the side, stuck to the ground. The beacon beckoned to me. R¨¢, look at me, making puns. I grinned wider, did the hand seal: Seal of Confrontation. I pushed the last of my chakra, honed on the Kunai. Stopped just before activating the jutsu. Didn¡¯t want Yamato to know it just yet. But one more push, and I¡¯d teleport. I felt it in my guts. It worked, it fucking worked! The jutsu was not combat ready. Probably wouldn¡¯t be for months or years. But it was enough to break the barrier. ¡°I gotta go!¡± I yelled, Hinata-chan needed to know this. I Jutsu-chan was the bestest, smartest clone! I did ¡ª without trying ¡ª what Seal-chan spent weeks struggling with. She was going to be so mad! Under the confused gaze from Yamato, I unpopped myself. 4.5 I opened my eyes. I was in a room of sorts. Light green walls, sterile smell, white curtains blocking the windows, a small cupboard by the side of the bed, a jar with flowers, a basket full of fruits on the cupboard, a chair by the bed, an Ino sitting on the chair. A smiling Ino sitting on the chair. ¡°Oh,¡± I said, a bit dumbly. How did I get here? ¡°Hi?¡± Pain laced my throat and I held back in the urge to cough. ¡°You¡¯re awake! Just in time too.¡± Ino cheered. She wasn¡¯t in her shinobi gear, but casual clothes. She wore an orange shirt and black shorts, hair tied in a high ponytail. Cute. My brain was still a bit mushy. I looked around, thankfully some caring soul put my comms board by the bed. I picked it up, wrote. ¡°Time for?¡± ¡°The third exam!¡± Ino said. ¡°It¡¯s in the afternoon, you¡¯ve been asleep for days. The village is bustling with visitors. Even Naruto left already! He was here just a few hours ago. Training exhaustion as well.¡± Ino gave me a look that I couldn¡¯t really understand. ¡°Did you have to overdo it?¡± Oh. Oooh, oh! Damn, it was today already? My plan was to stop a few days before the exam to rest, relax and prepare. Shit. Did I have time to prepare? I looked at the windows. The curtains blocked the view from outside. Couldn¡¯t tell what time it was. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still morning.¡± Relief flooded my body. I still had time. I needed to plant the beacons, prepare my survival kit, weapons and explosives. Stuff was about to hit the fan. It would be dangerous, but I was determined to do the best I could. I got up, looked at the light blue comfy shirt, white pajama trousers I wore. Urgh, where was my gear? Under Ino¡¯s curious gaze, I pulled the cupboard drawers and doors open. Neatly folded there was my black ninja outfit. Cleaned and ironed. Nice. I pulled off my shirt. Ino squeaked. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside until you finish getting ready.¡± Ducked out of the room. Closed the door. I tilted my head in confusion. Shrugged. I wouldn¡¯t have minded her staying, we¡¯re both girls after all. Promptly, I took off the rest of the hospital wear and wore my usual black stuff. Stopped when it came down to the weight seals. Did I need them today? Unfortunately, I did. I still had trouble going all out, and the induced weight sensation helped more than caused troubles at this juncture. I guess goth era isn¡¯t ending anytime soon. Once done, I looked myself over. Nothing out of place. I nodded, walked out of the room. Ino, like she promised, was there waiting for me. She looked me over as well, there was this mischievous smirk on her face. Her cheeks rosy. ¡°No black lipstick and make-up today?¡± I rolled my eyes. Wrote on my board. ¡°Don¡¯t have them here. I¡¯ll prepare properly before the exam.¡± That got me chuckles, and an eye roll. Nice! ¡°I want to see the arena,¡± I wrote. ¡°Come with me?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I invited Ino. Was my lonely self rearing its ugly head again? All that it takes is one of my favorite female casts being nice to me? Ino nodded, smiling. ¡°Sure.¡± My stomach flipped, and the butterflies rebelled. Before we left the hospital, the nurses fussed around me for my obvious over-exertion and training. They cast stern glances my way, clearly not happy with me. Or maybe worried for me. I wasn¡¯t sure. It took a different kind of person to work at a hospital, to care for others like that. It was an alien sentiment I couldn¡¯t understand. I signed the release papers, happy that in the village¡¯s eyes, I was an adult already. No need to hunt someone to check me out. Meanwhile, Ino chattered, gossiped. I listened. Her voice was pleasant. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Gods, I¡¯m so easy. The blonde pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°No one had seen Sasuke since the preliminaries on the second exam.¡± Urgh, why did she start with him? Was I jelly of Emosuke? ¡° There are lots and lots of people arriving at the village to see the event.¡± That was normal, showhorses. Meh. ¡°Sakura visited Rock Lee several times, even left flowers for him.¡± Really? Way to go Konoha¡¯s Green Beautiful Beast! ¡°Shikamaru is more grumpy than usual, keeps complaining about why he has to fight one extra battle.¡± That was so Shikamaru. I had to hold back a giggle. ¡°Choji is stress eating more than usual. If he keeps eating like that, he won¡¯t ever get a girlfriend!¡± Poor Choji, not even his teammates understand him. ¡°Naruto was seen loitering about the women¡¯s bath and resorts all month long.¡± I was surprised with Ino¡¯s gossip, I mean, information. From the hospital, we jumped into Konoha¡¯s shinobi exclusive lanes, aka roofs, and set out toward the event arena. The place was big. It reminded me of stadiums before I came here. ¡°We go in?¡± Ino asked, looking at the entrance. I shook my head. We¡¯re ninjas. Wrote: ¡°No, I have a better idea.¡± I walked to one of the straight pillars that led up, and just kept walking until I reached the top. Looked back, Ino followed my example. Once we reached the top, I turned right, and moved toward the viewer stands. My goal was the middle structure. I was certain the battle would happen there, on that rooftop. I ran over the circular wall, jumped over the middle structure, climbed the two layered roof and sat down at the top. Ino did the same. I could see the question on her face. I couldn¡¯t tell her why I was here, so I did the next best thing. I searched through my depleted stores of seals, scrolled through empty seal after seal, panicked a bit when I couldn¡¯t find any. Ino smirked at my antics. Finally, I found one. I unpopped the pastries, spread them nearby. Looked at Ino, grinned in relief. Ino rolled her eyes, sat down. Took a muffin. Ate a bit. Sighed. She looked happy, peaceful. Her eyes focused on the open view of the village, the greenery and exotic architecture, even if I think she didn¡¯t find it exotic, but familiar. We ate in silent comfort. I had a lot on my mind. I was worried that even with all my effort, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. I had a plan. It wasn¡¯t a good plan, and I would have to deal with the consequences after, but I wanted to save the old man. I might need to come clean with some details I wanted to keep secret after I saved him, but I was almost sure he was on my corner and would help me. I hoped. I knew I was a bit silly and impressionable, but I don¡¯t think I was dumb. I knew some in the village didn¡¯t like me. It¡¯s been in their eyes all along. Not to the same point as Naruto. I wanted to believe Kakashi-sensei and the Third Hokage were my allies. Even if I wasn¡¯t happy with the old man for not giving me proper instructions and Kakashi for, potentially, train-blocking me. I understood it well enough. I wasn¡¯t happy, but I understood. I could be a spy. I might be a spy and not even know it. The bustling view of the village drew my attention again. The many strange houses, the people milling about, kids running, laughing and being brats. Despite everything, I liked this place. It felt like home. Imperfect, unfair, and not the utopia I dreamed it would be, but home nonetheless. I did what I could to prepare for the events to come, to change the world again, but now that the time was here, it felt wholly inadequate. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked from the village to the blonde girl. Her eyes scanned the horizon, taking in all of the village. My eyes refused to leave her face. ¡°Beautiful,¡± I whispered. My ears burned a bit. I blamed teenage hormones. Definitively teenage hormones. Still looking over the village, Ino asked. ¡°Will you win?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± I wrote to her the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can beat Naruto.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ino looked at the board, jerked back, looked at me, surprised. ¡°What? You beat the crap out of Neji!¡± I shrugged. Wrote more. ¡°Naruto is strong. He always gets up. I don¡¯t have any way of stopping him without hurting him.¡± That was a white lie. Yamato taught me how. I just wasn¡¯t willing to reveal that in front of a crowd, nor burn all my chakra in a fight that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Ino¡¯s shoulder sagged, a frown on her face. ¡°Shame.¡± The moment didn¡¯t last long. We finished eating. People started to arrive, trickling inside the arena. I got up, Ino did the same. I cleaned any mess from our impromptu picnic and left the roofs. First part of the preparations was over. Only a few hours until crushcrushcrush. 4.6 I stood inside the arena by Naruto¡¯s side. The rest of the competing genin spread in the same line. The Sunagakure trio was to my right: I was shoulder to shoulder with Temari. Konoha''s other genin were on the opposite side to Naruto. We all faced forward. The three viewing areas in front of us were packed. Ninjas and normal people alike, gathered to see children fight and hurt each other, and maybe some cool jutsu. In the central structure, on the second floor, sat the old man Hokage and the Kazekage. Each with their shinobi escort. From my place down in the arena, I glared at the disguised Orochimaru. Or who I thought was Orochimaru. By my side, Naruto kept looking left and right. Tiptoeing. Often looking at the arena¡¯s entrance. Cool guy proctor, toothpick in his mouth, chastised Naruto. ¡°Stop fidgeting, stand still and face forward, toward the guests. All of you are the stars of these finals.¡± I scanned the rows of people here to watch the show-horses exhibition, in a particular section of the central structure, where a group of black haired, white eyed people sat. I saw a young girl by Hiashi¡¯s side. She looked around seven years old. Face set in a serious mask. Black hair framing her young face. Was that Hanabi? A spark of something bloomed in my chest, almost like longing, dampened by Hanabi¡¯s glare that I could feel even from here. What were those Hyuga telling their children about me to cause such a reaction? Old man Hokage stood, it was speech time. I turned off my brain. I took deep breaths, thought happy thoughts. On the stand, Sakura, Ino and Kiba sat near each other. Cloaked ninjas spread among the spectators, animal masks hidden beneath the hood. If things went the same as before, Kabuto was disguised as one of the ANBU. I tried to push my perception, feel the chakra around. If I found Kabuto, I could report him, or maybe try taking him out in the confusion. Blinding pain greeted my attempts. There were too many shinobi inside the arena for me to use the chakra perception. ¡°Please sit back and enjoy!¡± Old man Hokage called out at the end of his speech. Returned to his seat. Proctor-san turned to us after the old man sat down. ¡°Listen up, all of you. This is the last exam. The landscape may be different, but as in the second exam preliminaries, there¡¯s no rules. You fight until one of you dies or admits defeat.¡± He looked at each of us. ¡°Unless I determine that a clear winner has already been decided, in which case I¡¯ll stop the match before anyone is killed, understood?¡± No one said anything. At least they didn¡¯t want to blatantly kill us young shinobi. ¡°All right¡ª¡± Naruto looked around again, raised his hand. Interrupted Proctor-san. ¡°Sasuke isn¡¯t here yet. What happens if he doesn¡¯t arrive until his match starts?¡± ¡°He loses by forfeit.¡± Proctor-san declared. He waited for a moment. No other question came his way. ¡°First match Uzumaki Naruto versus Hinata. You two stay down here, the rest of you proceed to the waiting room outside the arena.¡± I walked a few meters away. Turned and faced Naruto. I came prepared. Embraced the goth. My stockings were black to match the rest of my statement outfit. Even my nails didn¡¯t escape the goth treatment. I took my stance. Naruto had given me a pretty strange look when I arrived earlier, probably because of all that black. Oh well, my fashion sense was worlds apart from his. Heh. Naruto closed a fist, pointed in front of him, towards me. His eyes were determined, full of anticipation. ¡°Win or lose.¡± The brat called out. Something twisted inside me. I got a bit emotional there. Damn cool Naruto moment. Shame I couldn¡¯t join him. Couldn¡¯t give my all. I was no bottomless well of chakra and stamina like Naruto, and my goal wasn¡¯t the chunin exam, but what came after. But still, I could play ball. I raised my fist as well. ¡°Win or lose.¡± I husked out. ¡°Now then, match one, begin!¡± Naruto¡¯s hand moved faster than I expected. I pushed forward, pumping my legs full of chakra. The ground exploded with my acceleration. My fist sunk into Naruto¡¯s gut at the same time a dozen shadow clones popped all around me. Original Naruto grunted, flew away, coughed up a bit of blood. The clones, all holding exploding kunai, jumped at me. A suicide attack, the same he did against Kakashi.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Damn brat using my own tactics against me. I loved it! I dove inside the earth with Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu, left a bushin clone behind to trick Naruto. The arena shook with the force of the explosion. I popped out of the earth to find Naruto on me again. I was too used to finding the opponent by chakra when under earth, which I couldn¡¯t do at the moment, and Naruto knew I was prone to diving inside the earth to avoid things I couldn¡¯t block. The punch hit me on the face. Stinging pain on my lips. The last month of training wasn¡¯t for nothing. I turned with the impact, feet lashing on a kick that smashed against Naruto¡¯s head. Much to his surprise. The impact jolted my leg, and Naruto turned to smoke. Shit, was he already using human wave attacks? I rolled in the air, fell back, flickered away. I couldn¡¯t stay still, not against the clone wave Naruto. I regretted suggesting that. I scanned the area. I was surrounded. And I had no idea which one was the real Naruto. In that case. Another group of clones rushed toward me. I jumped. The ground exploded with how much force I pushed on my legs. I soared, hands going inside my tools pouch. When I reached the apex of my jump, I threw my kunais, dozens of them, dozens of exploding ones. I saw it on all of Naruto''s face the moment he realized he was screwed. The brat panicked. That day, it rained explosions. It was beautiful. I laughed. Flecks of blood escaping my mouth. Was that from the punch or from laughing? Explosions, fire, dirt, and debris flew up from my masterwork. The blast hit me while in the air. Unbalanced me. I fell down, almost splattered on the still dusting arena floor. In one single moment I had terraformed the place. Awesome. There was silence for a moment, even the spectators having not expected this degree of violence. I scanned my surroundings again. No sign of Naruto or his clones anywhere. Had I exploded the brat? No way, right? A fist broke the earth under me. Naruto, coated in red glowing evil chakra, punched me like he had something against me. Like I just tried to explode him to bits. Sunshine brat had no doton jutsu, and just brute forced his way from under the earth. He had this degree of control over Kurama¡¯s chakra already? What a cheat. Caught off guard, I couldn¡¯t move with the impact this time. I saw stars, my feet left the ground. Damned Naruto took no pity on me, clones popped all around. Three of them were by my side. Kicked me higher. Ugh, no way. I braced for the pain. Four clones punched me down. Another Naruto was ready to plaster me when I swapped positions with one of Naruto¡¯s own clones. I flickered away. Hid behind one fallen tree. Shit, that was too close. My back hurt, I had trouble breathing. It hurt. Damn cool protag MC cheat. I wasn¡¯t jelly of Naruto. No way. I wanted no part of whatever powerup Naruto got at the cost of hosting the ninetails. Even if it was still bullshit. Not even one tail mode yet and he was already almost physically stronger than me. Instead of fighting with himself like he did with Kakashi-sensei, he unpopped the clones. A red eyed Naruto turned, scanned the arena for my presence. Something burned inside my chest. I wanted to go all out, to give the brat a fight he wouldn¡¯t forget, to carve my name, for the briefest of moments in the mind of those watching. I sighed. Squashed that feeling, threw it away. I left my hiding spot behind one of the fallen trees. Naruto¡¯s eyes zeroed on me instantly. I walked toward him, he walked towards me. I could have tried to hide, but well, time to give the audience a show, right? ¡°Win or lose.¡± I murmured. ¡°Win or lose.¡± Red-eyed Naruto grinned. I pumped my body full of chakra. Flickered to his side. I punched his head. Unfortunately, unlike Neji who didn¡¯t react in time, Naruto was ready for me. His hand lashed out, grabbed onto my shirt. Damn brat held me there, punched me in the face. Again, and again. For each one punch Naruto threw, I hit him three or four times, but it was a losing battle. I didn¡¯t have Naruto¡¯s stamina. Each punch took a lot out of me. After the tenth hit, when I felt my ribs crack, my face swollen, and the pain in my stomach intensify, I decided it was enough. Instead of hitting Naruto, I caught his fist. Naruto¡¯s face was bruised and swelling. I was sure my own wasn¡¯t better. Possibilities crawled inside my head: Turn my arm into wood, wrap wood around the brat, seal away the Kyuubi chakra. Summon wood clones, trap Naruto inside a barrier, trap Naruto inside an explosive barrier. Or explosions, always explosions. It was, in the end, just a pipe dream. I knew only the theory about chakra sealing. Yamato explained and demonstrated it to me. I knew the hand seals. He never explicitly said it could be used to seal the jinchuriki, but what else would it be? Nature transformation wasn¡¯t my forte, it creeped me out too much to use at a moment¡¯s notice. Explosive barrier would work, but I didn¡¯t want to kill, or cripple the brat. ¡°I surrender.¡± I gritted out, much to his confusion, and my own frustration. ¡°What?¡± Naruto asked. Released my shirt. His eyes that burned red turned baby blue. Proctor guy appeared by our side. ¡°Winner is Uzumaki Naruto,¡± he declared. 4.7 Naruto wasn¡¯t happy with me or with how the fight ended. Not one bit, if the glare he sent my way meant anything. I expected him to holler, to yell and cause a mess. He just glared. Silently. He was still silent when we left the arena and entered the corridor leading to the waiting area. I didn¡¯t want to leave yet another thing to fester. I still felt guilty over the whole Sasuke situation, and it was just easier to talk with Naruto, for some reason. I wrote on my board, presented it to the brat. ¡°Naruto-kun, something is wrong, haven¡¯t you noticed it?¡± Naruto¡¯s glare worsened. He crossed his arms. ¡°Noticed what?¡± Well, good thing I wasn¡¯t really lying. ¡°In the crowd up there, the amount of ANBU shinobi in disguise.¡± ¡°An-what? What are you talking about?¡± Naruto asked, sounded interested. I forgot Naruto didn¡¯t really know much about how the village operated, even after yelling that he was gonna be the Hokage left and right. I erased the previous message, wrote another. ¡°Black ops shinobi, the Hokage secret police. They aren¡¯t supposed to be out and about. I think Orochimaru is going to attack again.¡± Naruto looked left and right, like Orochimaru would attack right now. ¡°That freaky snake lady?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I got closer, showed him the next message. ¡°I don¡¯t have the same stamina as you do Naruto-kun. I can¡¯t get up like you always do.¡± I praised the brat, just a bit. No, I wasn¡¯t feeling guilty about not fighting him properly. ¡°If we went all out, and Orochimaru attacked again¡­¡± I left the outcome unwritten. Naruto furrowed his brow. ¡°What should we do? Tell Kakashi-sensei? Where is Kakashi-sensei?¡± I dismissed his idea. ¡°Sensei is probably helping Sasuke train. We can only wait and see. Be alert, but don¡¯t let others realize you know, we don¡¯t want to scare the people watching and let the attackers know we know.¡± Naruto squinted his eyes, nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go, or we¡¯ll miss the next fight.¡± I turned around, ran up towards the waiting area. I hoped this would be enough to patch things up. If not, I would think of another way to appease the sunshine brat. Perhaps more cupcakes? I was already working on the third cupcake of the special series, this next one dedicated to Kakashi-sensei. I crossed paths with the next two fighters, waved at them. I guess they delayed Sasuke¡¯s fight, fate or politics. Shikamaru looked bored and tired, Choji was still stress eating. They waved back. I kept running up. There was some hollering behind, something along the lines of ¡°fight hard, but not too hard¡±. Was that Naruto¡¯s attempt at subtlety? I shook my head, but a smile still crept onto my face. Up another flight of stairs, across some corridors and doors until I arrived at the stands. I found part of the rookie 9 sitting on the left viewing area. Sakura, Ino, Kiba. Beast boy was the first to notice me. ¡°Hey, Hinata, here!¡± he waved, ¡°there¡¯s two free spots here.¡± I waved back. Meandered across the other spectators. Some waved at me, probably recognizing me from the fight. I waved back. It was nice to be famous, at least for the fifteen minutes it would last. When I got to the seating arrangement, the free space wasn¡¯t near Ino, or Sakura, which was a shame. Kiba pointed at my bruised face. Burst out laughing. ¡°You got beat up by Naruto!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Ino slapped Kiba¡¯s arm. Defended me. ¡°You lost as well!¡± Sakura didn¡¯t say anything, but she smiled. I dunno how people could say she was ugly. Maybe in the original story the big forehead could be a thing. Here? She looked like any other pretty girl. Even more with her long pink hair. I sat down by Kiba, looked at him for permission. I got the eye roll from the boy. Did a small guts pose, petted Akamaru. Silly shinobi dog was so cute! Naruto arrived soon after, sat by my side. There was a bit more teasing, but it soon ended. Down in the arena the proctor went about introducing the competitors. I noticed, from the start Shikamaru positioned himself closest to the growing shadow cast by the walls. Clever boy. The match started without much fanfare. Choji didn¡¯t attack immediately, fled to the brighter side, away from the shadows. Being teammates, it was not a surprise Choji knew what Shikamaru planned for the fight. I had no idea how this fight would go. It was a horrible match-up. On one side, Shikamaru had his cheat-like shadow bind and brains, but lacked stopping power. If Choji got close, he could bind the chubby boy, but I have no idea how he would end the fight, since I doubt that making Choji hit his head against the wall would work. On the other end, I wasn¡¯t sure about the exact details of Akimichi jutsu. I remember they got big, and Choji already demonstrated the wrecking ball version of that. Did he even have any way to attack from afar? Choji started the fight by throwing kunai and shuriken, the standard ninja attack. Shikamaru avoided it with ease. It went on for a few minutes, with neither side doing much of anything, until the crowd got restless. ¡°Fight!¡± A hoarse voice sounded from my right. ¡°What are you waiting for, fight?¡± It was a robust, sweating man. He held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. That spurred others, and soon, there was a bigger clamor demanding the genin in the arena to fight. Choji wasn¡¯t immune to crowd peer pressure. The boy looked more nervous with each yell from the crowd. His hands flashed on multiple seals, and big ball Choji appeared again. That, at least, got the crowd happy again. It wasn¡¯t a great move. Human cannonball Choji sped toward Shikamaru, throwing dirt and dust into the air. The moment he got close enough, Shikamaru¡¯s shadow connected to the fast moving ball. In a display of their group team-jutsu, Shikamaru directed the ball away from him, and into a wall. Choji crashed, the walls shook, dust billowed. When the commotion died, big ball Choji was still stuck to the wall. Soon after he released his jutsu, but wasn¡¯t in any condition to continue the fight. Proctor guy called out Shikamaru as the winner. There were a few claps here and there. Shikamaru scowled, massaged his shoulder, prepared to leave. He didn¡¯t even get the chance to climb up to rest. After Choji was escorted out of the arena, proctor guy called the next competitor. Temari. She got down on her flashy giant fan. This one got the crowd happy and yelling. She didn¡¯t even wait until proctor guy called the fight. She waved her giant fan, blew wind everywhere. Having already seen the shadow jutsu in action, she, too, kept from the shadowed area, which didn¡¯t save her. It went the same classic way: Shikamaru tricked the girl to flee from the flying kunai parachute, only to catch her by using the hole Naruto dug in his fight with me. Then, much to everyone¡¯s surprise except those who really knew him, Shikamaru surrendered, after having succeeded in his plot to catch the girl. That got some cussing from everyone around. Naruto and Kiba hollered their displeasure. Sakura looked thoughtful. Ino scowled. At least Ino¡¯s scowling face was cute, but I might be biased. ¡°Why did he give up? Is he stupid or something?!¡± Naruto kept hollering. ¡°That really makes me mad! I¡¯m gonna go give him a lecture.¡± Then the sunshine brat jumped into the arena. Pointed at Shikamaru. ¡°Stupidhead!¡± Hollered again. The comedy down in the arena didn¡¯t keep the crowd entertained forever. Everyone wanted a piece of the Uchiha genius, the top of the year rookie. It hadn¡¯t been five minutes when the crowd got restless again. ¡°What¡¯s up with the next fight? Where¡¯s Uchiha?¡± The crowd wasn¡¯t disappointed for long. A whirlwind of leaves filled the center of the arena. Three shinobi stood there: Kakashi-sensei with his hands in his pockets and a cool man¡¯s pose. An older, cooler Uchiha, dressed in the clan¡¯s traditional dark blue with his hand on Emosuke¡¯s shoulder. Did Itachi help Sasuke train as well? And the most wanted boy Sasuke, who looked cocky, confident, dressed in a strange black singlet, left arm covered in bandages and dark bracelets. By my side, Sakura looked smitten, Ino blushed. That moment, I realized Sasuke had a very punchable face. I hoped Gaara did the punching for me. 4.8 Proctor-san looked at Emosuke; there was a small smirk on his face. ¡°Your name?¡± Emosuke¡¯s eyes glinted, sharp. ¡°Uchiha Sasuke.¡± Completely unaware of the mood, Naruto butted in. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re real late huh? I was wondering if you got cold feet about fighting me.¡± To my immense surprise, Sasuke grinned. ¡°Heh, chill out you big dork, I gotta beat someone else first.¡± Sasuke¡¯s eyes were glued to the waiting area, to Gaara, most likely. He looked back at Naruto. ¡°From that attitude, you won against Hinata?¡± Naruto¡¯s face soured, before he grinned even wider. ¡°And now I get to beat the crap outta you!¡± While sunshine brat teased emosuke, Kakashi scratched the back of his head, looked at Shikamaru, Naruto and finally the proctor. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Sasuke lost by forfeit?¡± He asked. There was a bit more back and forth between sensei and the proctor. The gist of the talk was about the same. Politics postponed the match. No one wanted the Uchiha heir to lose without fighting. Itachi, who had been silent the whole time, touched Sasuke¡¯s forehead, then flickered away. Kakashi said a few more words, also left. Proctor-san called Gaara out. ¡°Gaara, come down.¡± At that point, Naruto and Shikamaru left the arena. The anticipation among the crowd and other shinobi was palpable. I knew I was missing something here. In the original story, Sasuke was famous for being the ¡®last¡¯ Uchiha, but that wasn¡¯t the case anymore, most of his clan was still alive. What was the reason for all this hullabaloo over his fight? Clan politics? Propaganda? I regretted not trying to learn more about the affairs of the village, something I probably should rectify as soon as possible. Gaara arrived, faced off against Sasuke. Psycho boy Gaara looked possessed. Kakashi-sensei arrived at the stands, waved at us. ¡°Yo, guys. And you too Lee, Gai.¡± He addressed the two other shinobi that had stopped to watch the match. Lee was still dressed in a hospital gown and walking with crutches. ¡°Hinata-chan, I¡¯m sorry I missed your match.¡± I nodded at the apology. Before sensei mentioned it, I wasn¡¯t even thinking about that, but now that he apologized, I did feel a bit miffed that he wasn¡¯t here to see my beautiful explosions, even if I never expected him to be here in the first place. Conversation sparked between the two jounin, but I didn¡¯t pay attention. Anticipation started to build ever since Gaara got down into the arena. ¡°Begin!¡± Proctor-san called out. Instead of duking it out like a good shinobi should do, Gaara talked with himself. It looked creepy if one didn¡¯t know his conversation was with the one tail. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t worry, this time I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be tasty.¡± Sand billowed from the container on Gaara¡¯s back, floated around him. Sasuke didn¡¯t seem keen on waiting. ¡°Here I come,¡± he announced, throwing shuriken at Gaara. The sand reacted, moved in front of Gaara, blocked the projectiles, transformed into a clone. Sasuke dashed closer, traded blows with the clone, dispersed it with a powerful punch, moved closer, ready to attack again. The sand reacted, erected a wall between Sasuke and Gaara, which seemed to be the opportunity Sasuke was waiting for. His speed rose, and while the sand blocked Gaara¡¯s vision, Sasuke¡¯s speed burst took him behind the sand nin. The sand wasn¡¯t fast enough to prevent the punch to Gaara¡¯s face. The sand armor cracked and flaked, but didn¡¯t break. Sasuke smirked. Stood straight, right hand in front of him, palm up. The famous come hither taunt. ¡°Come!¡± Gaara¡¯s cracked sand armor slowly mended itself. Gaara didn¡¯t say anything, didn¡¯t answer Sasuke''s provocation, which seemed to piss off the Uchiha. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to come to me, I¡¯ll come to you!¡± Sasuke¡¯s speed rose again. Before Gaara could react, Sasuke was at the sand-nin¡¯s back. Sasuke was fast, but I noticed, still not as fast as me when going all out. But it was enough. The sand couldn¡¯t keep up. Sasuke proceeded to methodically dismantle Gaara¡¯s protection. This wasn¡¯t something Sasuke could keep for long. Just a few minutes into the fight he was already panting, and Gaara still had his sand armor. It made sense. Rock Lee was faster and stronger than Sasuke. If taijutsu were enough to defeat Gaara, he would have done it. Instead of attacking, Gaara did a hand seal, the sand forming into a circular barrier that surrounded him from all sides.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It was at this point that Naruto and Shikamaru arrived at the stands, panting and hollering. ¡°Sensei, please stop the match, that guy isn¡¯t normal!¡± In the arena, Sasuke tried to attack again, but this time, his attack wasn¡¯t enough to break the barrier. Spikes grew from the sand, cutting small nicks into Sasuke¡¯s cheek, legs and stomach. Sasuke¡¯s fist hit the sand blockage, his fist bled from the impact. That didn¡¯t seem to phase the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked, cleaned the blood from his face. Tried a few more attacks, using his boosted speed to avoid the spike retaliation. But nothing came close to even damaging the protection. The hullabaloo behind us with Naruto hollering, Kakashi and Gai talking, didn¡¯t stop. Something about training, and the reason they were late. Sasuke dashed away, jumped and stopped midway the arena¡¯s walls. In a flash, he did the hand seals and lightning burst from his bandaged hand. The sound of a thousand birds shushing the whole arena. Gai said something, sounded surprised. I had my whole focus on the viewer area around me, trying to see everything without looking at anything in particular. Down in the arena, Sasuke, now boosted by the Chidori, was fast, faster than even I could move. He closed the gap in the blink of his red eyes, lightning coated hand piercing the sand shield. Gaara cried out from inside the sand sphere. ¡°Arggg, waaaah. Blood¡­ I¡¯m bleeeding!¡± Sasuke grunted, tried to pull his hand still stuck inside the sphere out. He pulled and pulled, then blasted it with lightning when he couldn¡¯t remove it from the sand. With much effort, he pulled his hand free. And out with it came something else, it looked like some sand tentacle bug monster. Bug monster tentacle thingy retreated inside the sand cocoon. The sphere dissolved to reveal a bleeding Gaara. At the same time, chakra built all around, and feathers fell from the sky. I felt the chakra sneaking inside my head, trying to put me to sleep. As always, It didn¡¯t work. My own chakra slurped the invading genjutsu, leaving me feeling like I wanted to eat something. From the second level stands, where the two Hokage were, a smoke bomb exploded. I got up, flooded my body with chakra, disabled my seals. Giant serpents, with strange red colored fabric around their neck appeared in the distance. Even from here, I could see the giant monsters outside the village. They dove toward the walls, broke through it and spilled inside, destroying everything in their path. Anyone still awake in the stands was attacked by disguised Sunagakure and Otogakure shinobi, who until now pretended to watch the battle. I flickered toward the stand railing. Couldn¡¯t afford to miss the opportunity to disrupt the Sound Four¡¯s barrier. Movement caught my attention. Kankuro and Temari jumped inside the arena. When I wasn¡¯t looking, the Sand team jounin moved closer to Gaara, faced the proctor. With a few words from the jounin, they took the injured Gaara, leaped over the arena¡¯s walls, fled the place. Sasuke looked confused for a moment, until proctor talked with him. The Uchiha heir nodded, followed the Suna shinobi. A blur of movement sped toward me. A wash of cold cruel intent pressed against me, but it was nothing compared to Orochimaru¡¯s or even Danzo¡¯s. I turned to face the enemy, barely had time to grab a kunai, before the shinobi was on me. Everything then was a haze of movement. I parried, dodged, counter attacked. The enemy wasn¡¯t as fast as me, but they were more experienced. It felt like I was fighting three people at the same time. I ducked under a rock projectile aimed at my head, then flickered away from the sand clone behind me. I flickered forward, trying to end the fight with a sudden attack, but the shinobi expected that move, blocked my attack, retaliated with another of his. On the stands, Kakashi flickered in front of Sakura, killed two attacking ninjas. Gai straight up punched a guy through the wall. Burst of flames, wind-blades, stone lances, shuriken. Ninja killed ninja while normal people slept under Kabuto¡¯s genjutsu. Up on the roof of the middle viewer stand, a purple barrier appeared. It covered most of the structure. Shit, now was the time and I couldn¡¯t let this fucker derail all my plans. The ninja attacking me was relentless. I threw a normal explosive tag at him, out popped three shadow clones. Clone one and clone two picked up the attack, giving me some breathing room. I cast my mind to the beacon I left there earlier in the day while I flir¡ª had a picnic with Ino. A lone wood clone turned beacon. A chance to change the world again. The third clone extended her hands. I gave Suicide Clone-chan the bomb. You see, I had no intention of getting close to Orochimaru who could disable me with a look, or any of the previous Hokage, who were by all intents and purposes literal gods of shinobi. I wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think I could actually influence that fight. I was liable to make things worse for the Third if I went there, because I¡¯m sure the old man would try to protect me at the cost of his own safety. No, my plan was just to explode one of the sound four. Without one of them, the barrier integrity would be compromised and the ANBU could do their job and join the fight, protect the Third. I would need to explain later how I knew to leave a teleport beacon there, but that was a concern for the future. I concentrated on my newly developed jutsu, pushed my mind toward the beacon. I connected to it, It was still there. I looked at Suicide Clone-chan, saluted her sacrifice. Before Suicide-chan could teleport, an explosion at the roofs shook me and the whole arena. In the central viewing stands, the purple barrier bulged and contorted, breaking like glass before fading from view. Every manner of roots, tree branches, explosions, water and more cascaded from the roof. Hit the still sleeping people on the stands. The beacon faded from my mind before clone-chan could use it. I stood frozen, watching things spiral out of control. What just happened? 4.9 The screams of the dying crowd hit me first, then a thrown kunai, and the explosion from an exploding tag. Like a moron, me and my clones stopped to watch the rooftop in the middle of an active battlefield, of course the enemy took the opportunity to attack. The kunai punctured my arm, the tag took out my clones, fire and shrapnels pierced my skin, sent pain into my body. I fell back, hit a wall. White filled my vision. Pain dominated my mind. Even through the haze of pain, I saw things on top of the central viewing area had become even more frantic. Detonations and the impact of S-rank jutsu used by S-rank shinobi shook the whole arena again and again. Tore chunks out of the surrounding. I got up, pulled the kunai from my arm, prayed to any god out there that it wasn''t poisoned. Drank an antidote, just to be sure. I looked around for my enemy. My clones had dispersed, and the shinobi who attacked me was dead already. Near the dead enemy, another Konoha¡¯s shinobi fighting two Oto-nins. Right, gotta get my shit together. I looked at the stands again. I couldn¡¯t see Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru or Shino. Did Kakashi send them after Sasuke like he did in canon? This was uncharted territory for me. Things changed, even if I had not personally intervened. Why? Fate-kun had been insistent on keeping things as close to canon as possible. I didn¡¯t know if this was a better outcome. I would reflect on that later, right now I had to do what a shinobi had to do. A quick glance showed that most of the shinobi ignored the civilians, often fighting around the sleeping people while Konoha¡¯s shinobi tried to force the enemies away. Kakashi-sensei and Gai were nowhere around, same as most of the ANBU. None of the Konoha¡¯s shinobi fighting near me were people I knew, which decided things: I was armed and dressed in my custom shinobi gear, most people saw me fight in the first match. I was a target. Staying near the civilians would only cause more trouble for them. I turned from the stands, flickered down toward the arena. The battle still waged there. I pumped my body full of chakra, flickered behind an enemy. Stabbed their back with my special exploding kunai, or that is what I tried. By this point, I guessed all the weak shinobi had either died or retreated already. The Suna shinobi whirled, deflected my attack. His hands blurred, and the earth beneath me shook. An earth spike lanced up toward me. With a burst of speed that would leave Emosuke jelly, something I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do before hell month training, I dodged, moved behind the Suna-nin. I threw a kunai as a distraction. While the shinobi blocked my attack, four paper seals flew from my hands, lodged around the poor bastard. I flickered back, watched the barrier sprang into existence. The four tags that created the barrier exploded. The enclosed detonation exploded the enemy into little chunks. It was gory, but oh so beautiful. From the corner of my eye, I saw another Otogakure shinobi running toward the other side of the arena, almost as if fleeing. They passed nearby me. I reacted on instinct, threw an exploding kunai. The kunoichi moved fast, changing direction abruptly, evading the explosion. She was a pink haired, slender woman, wearing a black shirt under a tan tunic with short sleeves. The tunic had a modified yin-yang symbol on the hem, it was all white with no black part. She wore black arm-warmers, black skin-tight shorts, traditional black shinobi sandals with calf-length leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around her waist. Something in my brain squealed at that image. I¡¯m certain she was someone from the story, but I couldn¡¯t put a name to the person. The woman narrowed her eyes, jaw tightened. I flickered forward, ready to also explode the woman. It didn¡¯t happen. The kunoichi fled with a burst of chakra and speed that surprised me. I chased. Pink-chan evaded my throw kunai, shuriken wasn¡¯t enough to stop her, every burst of speed from my side was matched with another by hers. Her chakra kept getting higher and higher.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Pink-chan carried a tube-like thing, which turned out to be a flute. Even while fleeing and evading me, the kunoichi had the time to play her flute. The resulting melody was a tune that carried a discordant, chilling vibrato that creeped me out. Even more when chakra tendrils crawled inside my head. Fortunately, aside from Orochimaru, it didn¡¯t seem any other person could put me in a genjutsu. My own chakra surged, slurped the invading technique. I still needed to understand why this happened, and actively learn how to defend against genjutsu. But right now, the woman looked away, maybe sure I was trapped under her jutsu. Sucks to be her. I flickered forward, punched her in the guts. Or I thought I had. Somehow, the woman reacted even faster than before. Not only that, black lightning like tattoo marks covered most of her body. Her chakra surged, about double of what she already had. Wasn¡¯t this the cursed seal? Shit! Pink-chan punched me away. Hard and painful. I flew back, crashed against the floor. That¡¯s what I get for always underestimating the enemy. I got up, looked around. Things had calmed down somewhat. I heard no other sounds from the rooftops, only the devastation of the battle, the broken building, the path of destruction. A lot of bodies, invading ninjas or not, lay strum around the arena and the stands. A new voice I didn¡¯t know called out. ¡°Tayuya, we¡¯re leaving.¡± On the other side of the arena, across from proctor-san, Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei stood a trio of shinobi. The jounin commander from Gaara team, a shinobi dressed like Konoha¡¯s ANBU and another, dressed in the same way as Pink-chan, or Tayuya. The man had light blue hair, and another head stuck at his back? Trippy. ¡°Fuck off.¡± Tayuya spat back. A softer voice answered. One I had heard before. It was the shinobi dressed as ANBU. ¡°The mission is a failure. Orochimaru is dead. We¡¯re retreating.¡± Orochimaru¡¯s dead? How? I mean, yes! He¡¯s dead! But how? I looked toward the rooftop. ¡°All you ended up doing was watching, Kabuto.¡± Kakashi accused. ¡°So you knew.¡± Kabuto said. He took his mask and hood, revealed his face. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± The Suna jounin asked. ¡°We leave.¡± Kabuto declared. ¡°Running away from me again?¡± Kakashi taunted. ¡°For now, yes.¡± Kabuto admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to show you my jutsu so you can copy them. Even if it seems you haven¡¯t fully mastered that eye.¡± There was a tense moment of silence. It broke when Tayuya cursed, before joining back with the other three. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± ¡°Well then.¡± Kabuto said. Smoke exploded from their location and when it cleared, none of the four were in sight anymore. Before I could think things through, I flickered up toward the Hokage battle. With Kabuto gone, the genjutsu he used to keep people asleep dispersed, and now the civilians started to panic, yell and cry. The rooftop was a maze of roots and branches. A few ANBU shinobi were around. Standing over Orochimaru¡¯s dead body were a few shinobi of note: The third Hokage, dressed for battle in his black ninja gear. A tall, muscular monkey, dressed in shinobi gear, with long flowing white hair, the Third summon¡¯s: Enma the monkey king. A dark haired man dressed in white kimono. Like he had eyes in the back of his head, he turned at my approach, looked at me with his white eyes. The Hyuga guy looked a lot like Hiashi, but the lack of open hostility in his eyes told me it was uncle Hizashi instead. Hizashi gave me an almost invisible nod. What? Wasn''t he mad I almost killed Neji? His action attracted the attention of other shinobi. A couple of ANBU nearby turned and looked at me as well. One particular ANBU had a mask with a red inverted triangle in the forehead, with lines from the border of the mask to the eyes. Red wave patterns on the side. It resembled a bird beak, like a hawk. The mask wasn¡¯t the problem. What scared the crap out of me was the red eyes that watched from behind it. Like a four point shuriken. It was just a brief glance, but one that shook me to the core. Wasn¡¯t that Shisui? More and more shinobi arrived. The third didn¡¯t seem to be in a good shape. But I also didn¡¯t see any sword wounds on his back. The ANBU I was pretty sure was Shisui leaned closer to the Third, whispered something. The old man nodded, turned to face me. There, on his torso, a strange spiral seal, which reminded me a lot of Naruto¡¯s own jinchuriki seal. The mark of the Shinigami. My face fell. In the end, none of my meddling changed the outcome. The old man died. Even if he was still alive. 4.10 Old man Hokage smiled, waved. Turned back to talk with all the assembled shinobi. I didn¡¯t stay there. I couldn¡¯t stay there. There was nothing for me to do or see. Not with all those people up there. The noise from the viewer stands had grown a lot in the moments I was woolgathering up here. With one last regretful look at the God of Shinobi, and a glance at Orochimaru¡¯s dead body, I left. From the roofs I flickered to the stands. My first priority was to make sure Ino¡ª I mean¡ª the people I knew were safe. A brief look around still revealed none of my teammates. I moved closer to the blonde, popped out my board, wrote. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Ino was still disoriented. She looked around, eyes wide and slack jawed. ¡°Hinata? What happened?¡± ¡°The village got attacked, Sunagakure and Otogakure.¡± ¡°Shit! I slept through it all?¡± I nodded, patted her head. She didn¡¯t even react to my gesture. I guess the situation was that bad. ¡°Mom!¡± Ino jumped up, started to run, stopped a few paces later. Turned to me. Eyes went even wider. ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re bleeding!¡± I waved her off, the injury wasn¡¯t as bad as it looked. ¡°Go check your family. And stay safe.¡± I wrote. Ino looked at the direction she was headed to, then back to me. ¡°Come with me?¡± I looked around. There was a lot I could do to help here. I needed to find Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. I should, by all means, stay here to help. I turned to Ino, nodded. She gave me a small, tight smile. She ran toward her house. I followed, feeling just a bit guilty.
Thankfully, Ino¡¯s family was safe. The brunt of the attack was far enough from her house that no one there was in danger, even if many nearby places were damaged. Even late at night, people walked about in a state of shock, like they couldn¡¯t believe it really happened. After making sure Ino¡¯s family and employees were safe, I didn¡¯t stay there. For a moment I considered if I should search for Naruto and Sasuke, but dismissed the idea. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to find the place where a giant toad and a sand monster fought, but I was hours too late to be involved in that. I left to help in the village however I could. Most of the damage happened near the walls, where the giant snakes broke through. Houses and stores and lots of dead civilians. It didn¡¯t help that, to fight the giant snakes, someone summoned giant toads. Their battle wrecked even more damage to the surrounding area. Most of what I could do was grunt work. Carry debris, help people to dig personal things or mementos from the rubble. Rescue trapped pets and toys from under the destruction. It was late at night. I was exhausted. I jumped down from Konoha¡¯s highway, entered my apartment. My shoulder slumped. Now that I was alone and with nothing to occupy my mind, the results of the day caught up with me. In the end, all that effort was for naught. Thwarted by my own meddling. I never even considered Shisui could intervene in the fight. I could even guess what happened. A shudder took over my body. I didn¡¯t like looking at the mangekyo sharingan. For all the story lauded Shisui as one super duper good guy, enough fanfic jaded me to what could be accomplished when everyone¡¯s mind was at your beck and call. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were at the hospital. By the looks of it, they fought Gaara. Beat back the one tail. Sakura was hurt badly, Naruto was mostly chakra exhausted, and Sasuke looked sick.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The news soon spread around the village. The third Hokage died due to injuries in the attack. The news reflected on the people¡¯s faces. Kids crying, old men in despair. Even the consummate gossip grandmas whispered without fervor. I sat against the wall, pulled and grabbed my own head. I hated this feeling. Like I could have done more. Changed things for the better. As it stood, I made things worse. Konoha as a whole might have endured the attack better, and we stopped Orochimaru. But the village lost a lot of reputation since a lot of visitors died in the attack. I didn¡¯t know how many, but a lot of civilians and dignitaries were caught in the attack when the barrier broke. I had no idea how that would affect things in the long term. In the original story, most of the spectators never got hurt, and Konoha could pretend nothing bad happened, while abusing their remaining jounin and stronger shinobi to complete the missions and show a strong face, even if that was far from the truth. But now? I don¡¯t know how things would play out. There was one good point about this whole situation. Orochimaru was dead. But the man was a snake. I could only hope his soul got sealed away by the Third. Shame Kabuto had escaped. I¡¯d prefer if Kabuto died instead. I took my diary, the one with the timeline encoded in the form of a silly story. The events on the Land of waves, followed by the exams and crushcrushcrush. The next one on my list, if things were still the same, was the search for Tsunade and Sasuke leaving to join Orochimaru. With Orochimaru dead, would Sasuke still do it? After that was a long list of filler missions from the TV version of the story, the so hated filler episodes. Would they also happen here? What about the many movies? After that was the timeskip. I didn¡¯t consider it before. There was no fade to black and plot returning three years later when Naruto arrived back at Konoha. What would happen to me? To Sasuke? To Sakura? A slithering sound caught my attention. I tensed, looked about. I felt no chakra that wasn¡¯t there a moment before. The noise came again, this time louder. From beneath the door, a brown snake sneaked inside the apartment. I froze up, trying my best to remain unseen. Fucking no. Was that Orochimaru? Was this some possession shit? Did that many shinobi really let the murderhobo disguise as a snake and flee? The snake¡¯s tongue flickered, it turned toward me. Slithered closer. I jumped out, away from it. Took a kunai, threw at the snake. Against all odds, I hit the thing. But instead of piercing the snake¡¯s scales, the clang was like metal hitting metal. The kunai flew away, the snake remained unhurt. To my utter bafflement, the snake didn¡¯t attack. Instead, it changed shape. The scaled form transformed into the deadly metal blade of Orochimaru¡¯s sword. Oh, shit. The sword could do that. There was that time, when Orochimaru stabbed Sai, it did that. But why was the sword here? I stared at the sword, that, like any sword, didn¡¯t stare back. It just stayed there, on the ground, threatening me without doing anything. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Was that thing safe? Would it still follow me if I left the apartment? Could I even leave the apartment? Seconds turned to minutes. The sword didn¡¯t transform back into a snake. I didn¡¯t have the courage to approach it. The sheer tension of it all faded, somewhat. It was hard to keep tense when the sword wasn¡¯t doing anything and exhaustion weighed on my mind. To leave the apartment, I had two choices. Go past the sword, out the front door. Go past the sword toward the bedroom and out of the window. None of those choices were great. I didn¡¯t feel any chakra or anything that said Orochimaru was hidden inside that sword. I didn¡¯t even know if that was possible. I don¡¯t think the man ever possessed any inanimate object in canon. But the sword clearly wasn¡¯t inanimate. Or was it? I took a step closer, then another when nothing changed. I flickered past the thing, threw the door open, burst outside. I took the highway, ran further away. My mind raced. What could I do here, who could I seek out? The Hokage tower? I didn¡¯t want to go there, not after failing to save the old man. Kakashi-sensei? Where would I find him? Yamato? I also didn¡¯t have any way of contacting the jounin. My steps led me to the hospital again. I passed by Sasuke¡¯s room, a brief glance inside and I saw his mother sitting by the sleeping boy¡¯s bed. I didn¡¯t go in. Sasuke never talked about family, never invited us to visit. Didn¡¯t seem right to butt in right now. I kept going down the corridor, entered Naruto¡¯s room. I hadn¡¯t brought any flowers, or fresh fruits. The room was empty save for the sleeping brat. I pulled a chair from near the bed, sat down. The stress of the whole day came crashing down. The third was dead. I failed. It started with a scowl, then my throat closed up. I tried to imagine good things, happy things. None came to mind. To disguise the tears, I leaned forward, laid my face on my arms, used the bed as support. I don¡¯t remember when I fell asleep. 4.11 I snapped awake and ready to battle. My hands went to my waist pouch, looking for my kunai. The chair tumbled behind me, crashed with a loud bang. On the bed in front of me, Naruto stirred, rolled to the side, mumbled something I couldn¡¯t understand, drooled on the mattress, kept sleeping. I took deep breaths through the nose, exhaled slowly. I had the worst nightmare ever. Even if I couldn¡¯t recall it now. Something about snakes and swords and stuff. I shuddered at the thought. I took more deep breaths. It felt like Orochimaru was hidden in the shadows, waiting for me to lower my guard. ¡°Hinata-chan.¡± Kakashi-sensei¡¯s voice sounded from behind me. I was glad I didn¡¯t normally talk, or I would have yelled high and embarrassing. Even so, I still jumped, and turned toward the voice. Lazy Kakashi looked even more tired than usual. His jounin uniform still had marks of battle, and his eyes were even more dead than normal. He looked at the fallen chair, the bed and the sleeping Naruto. ¡°Trouble sleeping?¡± I shook my head. Wiped away a bit of drool with the back of my hand. Cleaned the crust from my eyes. Cool guy Kakashi waited until I composed myself. What a chad. When I was done, I popped my board. ¡°Something at my apartment last night. Didn¡¯t know where else to go.¡± Bless the man, his first question wasn¡¯t about what happened. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I felt all fuzzy and warm at the question, even if a nagging voice in the back of my mind whispered this was manipulation 101. I looked at my wounds, noticed most had already scabbed over and now looked weeks old. I shook my head. Wrote more. ¡°A snake, which transformed into a sword. It scared me. I left the apartment and came here.¡± Kakashi-sensei nodded, looked me over. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out. Wait until I come back.¡± I nodded. Wasn¡¯t planning on going anywhere near anything belonging to Orochimaru. No sir, thank you sir. Kakashi left after that. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do now. Naruto was still asleep, and I didn¡¯t want to wake him. I stepped outside, looked about. Sasuke¡¯s door was closed. Didn¡¯t seem worth checking it again. The embarrassing comments from his mother last time still caused my cheeks to burn when I remembered it. I meandered about, asked a passing nurse where I could find Sakura-chan¡¯s room. My steps took me there. I stood in front of the door, hesitated just for a moment, knocked. An older female voice answered. ¡°Come in.¡± I opened the door a smidgen, peeked inside. Sakura¡¯s mom sat by the side of the bed. Sakura was still sleeping or unconscious, didn¡¯t know which. The woman smiled at me, waved me inside. I sat down by the bed. Looked at Haruno Mebuki. ¡°She¡¯s going to be okay.¡± The woman said, sounded like she was trying to convince herself. ¡°She¡¯s sedated, but not in any danger.¡± Mebuki looked away, said in a tired voice. ¡°Not anymore.¡± I placed a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder. Gave her a nod when she looked at me. She smiled. We didn¡¯t talk after that, just sat in silence, watching over the sleeping Sakura.
Kakashi didn¡¯t return until a few hours later. He found me in the hospital cafeteria grabbing something to eat. He sat at the same table as me. ¡°There was nothing at your house when I got there.¡± I nodded, that made sense. If the sword, snake ¨C whatever ¨C could move, I didn¡¯t think it would stay there for no reason. I shoveled food down my gullet while my threads wrote the question. ¡°What do we do?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Did it attack you?¡± Sensei asked. I shook my head. He nodded. ¡°Keep your vigilance, get away from it if you see it again. Find me, or any other jounin, report it again.¡± Kakashi didn¡¯t tell me the sword belonged to Orochimaru. Was he afraid that me knowing that would change how I felt about it? I didn¡¯t know. The sword coming to me was troublesome, even more so if people started thinking ¨C even more ¨C that I had some sort of relationship with Orochimaru. Thank god the fucker was dead. I just needed to make sure he stayed dead. In the afternoon of the second day, I was called to make my report. Even with the village mourning and adjusting after the attack, ninjas still did ninja things. I walked inside the tower, greeted Secretary-chan. Her shoulders were tense, black lines under her red tinged eyes. Did someone close to her die in the attack? We never really talked about her family, or anything personal aside from my concoctions and food experiments. I thought of the young woman as a friend, my first real connection in this world, but I knew nothing about her. Secretary-chan''s voice sounded tired. ¡°Hinata-chan.¡± I walked up to her desk, then around it. Opened my arms, inviting her for a hug. There was a moment of hesitation, then I saw her composure break. She fell into my arms, held me tight. Face pressed against my neck, not enough to muffle the pained sobs. We¡¯re breaking several of the shinobi¡¯s rules, but I really didn¡¯t care at this point. I wasn¡¯t an emotionless machine, never have been. I didn¡¯t mind corrupting Secretary-chan. Without words, the only thing I could do was hold the woman while she sobbed her woes away. Someone else entered the tower. A shinobi I didn¡¯t know. He stopped, disapproving eyes on us. He opened his mouth. I glared at him, the kind of I¡¯ll-kill-you-if-you-say-something glare. The man took the hint, closed his mouth, shook his head, walked away. Gently, I stroke Secretary-chan¡¯s back. My horrible human-being side couldn¡¯t help but notice that even looking distraught, tired, and crying, the woman still smelled nice. Jasmin and something fruity. The pragmatic side noted that she¡¯d made a horrible infiltration kunoichi with such a distinct scent. The moment with Secretary-chan didn¡¯t last long. It couldn¡¯t, really. I was here to make a report. But it gave me ideas. Maybe I could invite her to hang out? Something other than our brief encounters at the tower. I¡¯ve been thinking of trying new concoctions. My new creation was an attempt at cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e. I even learned a d-rank fire release jutsu to burn the cream just before serving it: the presentation was as important as the taste, after all. I wanted Ino to be the first one to taste it, but well, it was for a good cause. I gave the older girl a peck on the cheeks. She gave me a small smile back. ¡°Go on up,¡± she said after wiping away the tears. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for you.¡± I looked at the stairs leading up, then at Secretary-chan again. I gave her another hug, then left my two last seals for the woman. One with a thermos and tea, another with sweets. I hoped it would make her day just a bit better. Then I fled up the stairs. It was strange to see the tower in such disarray. In all the times I came here before, there was always this sense of calm urgency. Like every ninja had an important task they needed to attend to. Now, most just looked tired, and beaten up. A lot of the ninjas still wore battle scarred vests. It seems none of them had slept after the attack. I knocked at the indicated door, entered when called. A chunin looked up from behind a mountain of papers. ¡°Name?¡± I popped my board, wrote: ¡°Hinata.¡± Chunin-san took a notebook from his mountain of paper, flipped a few pages. Looked back at me, then at the notebook again. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± He said, but continued without giving me a chance to say anything in response. ¡°Just wait there a moment, someone will come to take your report.¡± I nodded at that. Looked about. There was nowhere to sit. I leaned against the wall. I don¡¯t think this guy deserved my good impression¡¯s pastries kit, he didn¡¯t leave a good impression. Not that I had one to give, even if I wanted. My supplies were utterly depleted. Minutes passed with the only sound being the man¡¯s writing. About ten minutes later, the door opened. In entered a shinobi I knew. Long ash blond hair, with a spiky top ending in a ponytail. A sharp jaw, light green eyes, same as Ino¡¯s. Protector wore over his forehead. Standard flak jacket over a black outfit, with a long black overcoat on top of it all. I bowed to the man. He nodded back. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Ino¡¯s dad said to the chunin, who nodded in response. ¡°Follow me, Hinata-chan.¡± Inoichi said to me, then instead of leading me up or to another room, we took the stairs down. And down we went until I was certain we were underground. Shit. 4.12 Down stairs, corridors with sturdy bare stone walls, and dungeon-like passages I followed Inoichi. Was this where they kept captured enemy ninjas? I didn¡¯t know. Probably not. I don¡¯t think they would keep dangerous enemies so close to the administrative center of the village. Why was I here? We crossed paths with a few other shinobi, all dressed in the same oppressive black attire Ibiki wore during the first phase of the chunin exam. It was all very sus. I think I was in a spot of trouble. We stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. Inoichi pushed it open, looked at me. I shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like I could refuse. I stepped inside. Soft white walls, two opposite couches and a small center table. Warm light above illuminated the room. No windows or any other door. Chakra bundles across the wall to the right side of the door. An observation room? I didn¡¯t follow protocol. I sat down before being invited to. Inoichi followed me inside, closed the door after him. Sat down on the other couch. ¡°Thank you for looking after Ino during the attack.¡± Inoichi gave me a sort of half seated bow. ¡°I¡¯m glad she has such good friends.¡± That wasn¡¯t what I had been expecting. For a moment, I thought the man would put me in shackles, throw me into a dank, dark little room, accuse me of some conspiracy or another. Exile me. Did they exile shinobi? I didn¡¯t think so. I popped my board out. Wrote my question. ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± I guess being direct wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°No, it¡¯s¡ª¡± A knock at the door interrupted the man. ¡°Just a moment,¡± he said. Got up, went to the door. On the other side, a kunoichi with dark hair held a bunch of papers. She offered them up. Inoichi took them. ¡°Thank you.¡± He said. The woman bowed, left. The door closed again. Inoichi returned to the couch, sat down. Placed the papers on the table. ¡°Tell me about yesterday¡¯s events?¡± This wasn¡¯t how normally I made my reports, but I guessed the situation was strange enough with the attack and the Hokage¡¯s death. I recounted the things I remembered. Seeing the ANBU shinobi among the crowd, suspecting something could happen during the matches, not going all out against Naruto to save my chakra and stamina. I told him what I remembered about the ninjas I fought. The conversation between Kabuto, Kakashi and the shinobi from sand, which I still didn¡¯t know the name of. I described my fight with Tayuya, her jutsus, speed, actions. I told him about going up the roof, seeing Orochimaru¡¯s body. Leaving and helping Ino reach her house. The other parts after that I left out, at least until the part about the sword. I recounted the events, about Kakashi¡¯s suggestion and lastly my arrival here. Mid all my talking, chakra tendrils tried to crawl inside my head. My own chakra slurped them all, and left me hungry, stomach rumbling. Inoichi twitched the first time it happened, but not the second, third, or tenth. ¡°On your report about the events of the Forest of Death,¡± Inoichi said after I finished writing, ¡°You mentioned Orochimaru put you under a genjutsu,¡± he took a few of the papers from the pile in the table, read it. From the other side, I caught glimpses of the words. They were written in a code I couldn¡¯t read. Damn, I wanted to know what they said, and break the code. I mean, deciphering things was cool. ¡°Yet Hatake Kakashi mentioned in his analysis of your team your resilience regarding genjutsu. Can you elaborate on that?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. They wanted to know why the attempts to get into my head didn''t work? I remember feeling something similar soon after I told Kakashi-sensei about the ¡®dreams¡¯ when I was younger. Was that Inoichi? It happened a few more times over the years, but until now, with the man trying to read my mind to my face, I never connected the dots. Did I want to tell them why it didn¡¯t work on me? Not really. It wasn¡¯t anything I had active control over. If I talked about it, I might find someone to help me understand, but given my track record with people teaching me stuff, it was bound to be more trouble than it was worth. I shrugged. Wrote my answer. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t work on me. I can always tell when someone tries to put me in a genjutsu.¡± Except Orochimaru. Inoichi nodded, looked at his papers again. ¡°Tell me about the events in the Chunin exam.¡± I recounted what I remembered. Meeting Kankuro, Temari and Gaara a week before the exams started. I wrote about Kabuto and my suspicions at the time. About Orochimaru attacking us, team ten¡¯s help, Sasuke¡¯s strange behavior and the fight after I woke up. Inoichi kept asking questions about older and older events. The tendrils never stopped trying to get into my head. Each time with a different approach or intensity. ¡°Tell me about your training methods. Kakashi¡¯s analysis puts you as the strongest genin of your year, even if Sasuke scored higher on academy ranking.¡± That was new to me. Did sensei really think that? Warm fuzzy feelings spread in my chest. I took my board, was about to write, but stopped. Instead of describing all my training methods, I wrote something Kakashi told me a few months ago. ¡°Clan secrets.¡± I showed the man my board. He gave me an unimpressed look. Yeah, I did agree with him. What clan? But as Kakashi-sensei said, those were my ¡®secret¡¯ training methods. I didn¡¯t have to share it if I didn¡¯t want to. And I didn¡¯t want to explain how I came up with that methodology. Couldn¡¯t say I copied from fanfics I liked, could I? Inoichi didn¡¯t push. ¡°Tell me about the dreams you told ¡®Wolf-san¡¯ when you were five.¡± That was a big jump. I guess he wasn¡¯t interested in my years in the academy. I tilted my head. Inoichi didn¡¯t talk about the S-rank mission first. That was my code with Kakashi-sensei. Those were his instructions to me. Never talk about it to anyone, but if someone wanted to talk, they¡¯d mention the S-rank mission first. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± I wrote. The page flip stopped mid gesture. Ino¡¯s father looked up from his papers to me. ¡°I work for the intelligence division. I have access to all the reports. There¡¯s no need to keep that information secret.¡± To make my point, I erased my message, wrote the same thing again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Even if he was from the intelligence division, he didn¡¯t know the code. I wasn¡¯t about to ignore the mission Kakashi-sensei gave me when I was five. Inoichi placed the papers down, rifled through the others, picked a different one. ¡°I¡¯ve been having dreams.¡± He read out loud. ¡°In my dreams, I¡¯m not myself. But someone called Orochimaru.¡± He placed the paper down, took another. ¡°This is a report made by Wolf-San of the ANBU.¡± Inoichi looked at me. ¡°Signs of stress, higher heart rate, frequent deep breaths, constant fidgeting, avoids eye contact.¡± He looked at me. ¡°You know what those point out to?¡± I knew. I learned about it at the academy. Kunoichi lessons talked a lot about reading body language. A ninja needed to know when they were being lied to. Those were the most common things to look out for. But why now? It¡¯s been seven years already. Was it because the Third was dead? Couldn¡¯t they even wait until his corpse cooled down? You think I lied. I was about to write, but realized the trick. The man wanted me to admit to knowing about the dreams by going at it from another angle. I shrugged, there was nothing I could say here, even if my reaction gave a lot away. Like he had read my mind, but probably just interpreted my body reactions, the man spoke again. ¡°I know you lied then, and that you are lying now. It isn¡¯t smart to lie.¡± He put the papers down. Looked at me. His voice was emotionless, cold. ¡°Tell me about your dreams.¡± 4.13 We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity but wasn''t more than just a few seconds. I wrote on my board again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± No secret code, no talking. Inoichi pushed back into his couch, looked between me and the papers. ¡°Must we make this unpleasant?¡± What kind of Danzo bullshit was this? I would have expected this sort of behavior had the man still roamed Konoha¡¯s darkness, but he was gone. For years. Why now? I kept my eyes fixed on the man, all the academy training coming back. Don¡¯t show fear, don¡¯t show vulnerability. You must be strong at all times or the enemy will use any opportunity you give to dig deeper. The need to think of Ino¡¯s father as an enemy hackled me, but these were the circumstances. Being tortured, if that was what the man implied, would suck. Real bad. I don¡¯t think I had a strong will and pretty much would break fast. But disobeying the mission was also out of the question. The only thing I could think of was to escape. I don¡¯t think Konoha¡¯s ninja knew about my prototype flying thunder god jutsu yet, or the beacon I left at the apartment. Should I be happy I never got to use the new jutsu to save the Third? I liked Konoha. The place wasn¡¯t perfect, or fair, but it was home. If they tried to torture information out of me, I¡¯d escape, look for Kakashi-sensei. He would clear things up, I hope. If not, well, I didn¡¯t know what to do. Evil Hinata route? Where would I even go? Do an Itachi routine and join Akatsuki as a spy? Hunt Danzo? I erased the words on my board, wrote the same thing for the fourth time. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Inoichi leaned back. Stared at me for very long seconds. Then he gave me a small curt nod. The harshness on his face softened, he smiled a small smile. ¡°That will be all then, Hinata-chan.¡± His tone was casual, not like the seriousness of the previous conversation. ¡°Come by the shop tomorrow before the ceremony,¡± he said while organizing the papers, ¡°Ino said she wanted to go with friends.¡± I wiped my board. My movements were a bit wild. My words came all sharp and without the care I usually took to write them. ¡°What was this all about?¡± The damn man actually chuckled. So bewildered I was I didn¡¯t even dodge when he leaned over the table and ruffled my hair. ¡°You¡¯ll learn soon enough,¡± he said, winked. ¡°Now, let me escort you to the entrance, we wouldn¡¯t want you to get lost down here, would we?¡± I was still bewildered and confused when Inoichi ushered me out of the Tower. Secretary-chan gave me a bemused smile, which I reciprocated out of instinct. Then I was out, alone and with no idea of what to do or what just happened. I shrugged. Pushed all that away. I was fine, if confused. It was time to go home. If I was to visit Ino¡¯s house tomorrow, I needed to prepare gifts. And ever since the chunin exams started, my store of pastries and sweets had dwindled dangerously low, as in, I had none left. I couldn¡¯t let that continue. It was time to binge cook and replace my essential supplies. The rest of the day I spent wondering about what that interrogation had been about, cooking stuff, and thinking what new cupcake from the special series I should work on next. I was thinking of one inspired by the coolest ninja ever, Kakashi-sensei. And I did not make any plans to escape in case they tried to imprison me. Not at all. This was home. Some people might not like me, but that didn¡¯t mean I was in danger, right? Right?The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The following day, I dressed in a ceremonial outfit. All black. Didn¡¯t even remove the collars, black mascara or lipstick. It fit right in with the new clothes. It was the Third¡¯s funeral. I had a good reason to play the goth stereotype. I packed my gifts and offerings. Left the apartment. Fortunately, the snake sword didn¡¯t show up again. That was a load off my shoulders, even if something else nagged at the back of my mind: Do you prefer to be in the room with a snake you can see or with one you can¡¯t? Konoha¡¯s highway was full of black dressed ninjas today. Most moving toward the Tower. I dropped in front of the Yamanaka flower shop, noticed the unusual frenzy of activity. Everyone wanted flowers today. I stepped inside, a busy worker recognized me, waved me toward the inner rooms without me saying anything. I bowed in thanks, stepped deep into the Yamanaka sanctuary. Ino wore the same ceremonial outfit, hair tied on a severe chignon. Her face was serious, drawn in. Even the small smile she gave wasn¡¯t enough to push away the air of sadness. I approached, fan-girl-chan plus loneliness demanded I offered best girl Ino a hug. The teen rolled her eyes, an exasperated smile on her face. She hugged me back. Fierce, tight, too short lasting. Still holding my shoulders, Ino spoke. ¡°How are you?¡± There wasn¡¯t much I could say here. Should I tell her Inoichi scared the crap out of me yesterday? It didn¡¯t feel like something I should talk about. Tell her about the freaky sword? Nope, not a chance. Confess I was a transmigrated selfish person? Not a chance 2x. Tell her she was the best girl and I wanted to snog her in real life and not in my imagination? Where did that one come from? I shook my head. Ino nodded, released my shoulders, led me deeper inside. I waved at Ino¡¯s mom. Half glared at Inoichi, who just chuckled. I offered them some of the sweets and cupcakes I worked on the previous afternoon, much to Ino¡¯s delight. Things after that moved fast. I followed the family to the ceremony. We stood in line on top of the tower, just below the Hokage monument. Rain poured down on us. Ninja stood straight, serious faces under the rain, paying respect to our deceased leader. No one said anything, no one showed any emotion. Except for Konohamaru, who balled his eyes out. Naruto was also here, banged up and bandaged, wearing the protector around his neck. Sasuke stood with the rest of the Uchiha. He had a few bandages I could see, and still looked sick. I saw Itachi, Sasuke¡¯s mother, an older shinobi with short hair. Shisui? I wasn¡¯t sure, his eyes weren¡¯t red this time. Nearby I saw the Hyuga clan, all glaring my way. The clan head and his twin. Hiashi and Hizashi. Neji and Hanabi. Another assortment of black haired, white eyed people. I really wanted to know what kind of things were spread about me to cause this amount of hate. The ceremony was a strange thing. We stood there, silent and alert. Paying respects. There was no speech or any show of overt affection, just a few minutes of silence. Some ninjas deposited flowers over the memorial, others left small tokens. A picture, a kunai, a talisman, a tag seal. I left the Will and Fire Special Series Cupcake. It was Naruto who broke the silence. ¡°Why do people risk their life for the sake of others?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to do it. People just do things like that because of the bonds forged, because they have things they have to protect.¡± Iruka-sensei¡¯s voice sounded out in response. There was a lot condensed in his response. The bonds of friendship formed during life and death missions. Bonds of family, bonds of love, bonds of loyalty. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m starting to get that now.¡± Naruto muttered. ¡°But it¡¯s too painful to die, too.¡± To my utter surprise, Sasuke was the one who interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll understand eventually.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Naruto protested. ¡°Gimme some credit, I understand!¡± The ceremony didn¡¯t last long after that. Ninjas dispersed, went about rebuilding their lives and village. I was about to follow Ino when Kakashi-sensei waved me over. I stopped, looked at the waiting blonde, looked at sensei. Popped my board. ¡°Sensei wants to talk with me, I¡¯ll see you later?¡± Ino nodded, waved goodbye, left with her family. Inoichi gave me a nod. Ino¡¯s mom waved. I turned toward sensei, who stood with Yamato and another shinobi that looked like an older version of Shikamaru. Nara Shikaku? What was this about? Chapter 5: Search for… I didn¡¯t have time to write anything when I approached the jounin commander. Nara Shikaku addressed me and the other two gathered shinobis as soon as I got closer. ¡°You¡¯re here, please follow me.¡± Shikaku turned around, moved off the terrace and inside the tower. With a quick glance and nod towards me, Kakashi followed. Yamato did the same. With no choice, and my curiosity picked, I followed the jounin commander as well. We went down, thankfully not underground, but into an absolute mess of a room a few floors away from the top floor. There was a huge map hung on the wall, scrolls and papers littered everywhere. The room was large, with desks scattered around, serious faced ninja reading, writing or in one¡¯s case looking inside a small aquarium? Wild. We crossed the place, going to a door on the other side. It opened to a smaller office, still filled to the brim with paper, scrolls and a few personal details: two picture frames on the desk, a dark haired woman and a young Shikamaru. Even with all the chaos, the room had a feeling of organization to it. It was chaotic, but controlled. Shikaku went behind the desk, sat down, his gaze briefly going to the pictures before he picked up a sheet of parchment. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± I noticed Kakashi and Yamato didn¡¯t sit. I didn¡¯t either. I popped my board. ¡°Thank you sir, but I¡¯ll stand.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure about the formality of things, but I was sure there was no harm in calling the jounin commander sir. The man nodded, still reading the paper. ¡°It¡¯s abrupt, but we¡¯re sending you on a mission.¡± Shikaku said without preamble. I tilted my head, not sure where this was going. ¡°We found critical intel that can lead us to one of Orochimaru¡¯s labs, and given your past record with him and your abilities,¡± Shikaku looked from the paper to Yamato, ¡°the jounin leading this mission requested your assistance.¡± Yamato nodded when I looked at him. Kakashi-sensei put his hand on my shoulder, gave it a comforting squeeze. ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous mission, and given the recent developments, we lack the manpower to send a full search party.¡± Shikaku took another paper, read from it as well. ¡°We are sending a jounin,¡± he nodded to Yamato again, ¡°And three chunin to investigate this lead. Your objective is to acquire as much information on Orochimaru¡¯s as possible, as well disable or capture any high importance target you may find. Any questions?¡± It was dumb, and I already knew what was happening here, but an inner squealing fangirl-sama demanded I ask the question. It all made so much sense now. I wrote. ¡°I¡¯m not a chunin?¡± Shikaku nodded, like he had expected it. ¡°In the absence of an appointed Hokage, the jounin commander may give a field promotion when necessary.¡± He put the paper down. ¡°Your performance on the chunin exam was exemplary, and you passed Inoichi¡¯s test about keeping village secrets.¡± I knew it! That whole situation smelled so bad it could only be a test! Damn I was glad I didn¡¯t cave because Inoichi scared the crap out of me. I gave a mental fist pump, all the while my inner Fan-Girl danced and jumped and laughed. ¡°Your detailed reports of the situation, and crucial information gathering, the decision to save strength in the match to be at peak shape for a possible attack was noted. You have the recommendations of three jounin, and the Hokage¡¯s endorsement.¡± The man stopped, looked away. Returned his gaze to me. ¡°Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s last request before he passed away.¡± I blinked, blinked a few more times, sand got in my eyes, somehow. All the euphoria of the promotion died. My throat felt heavy and full. I was glad that no one expected me to speak. I felt even worse about not managing to save the old man. I nodded. Thought a bit, wrote another question. ¡°Who are the other two chunin?¡± ¡°Hayase and Sai.¡± I tilted my head. The first name meant nothing to me. I had no idea who Hayase was, but the second one on the other hand. Wasn¡¯t it a bit too early for Sai to appear? I remember he was only introduced on shippuden. He was three years early. I cut that line of thought. This wasn¡¯t a tv show. I gave Shikaku another nod.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The jounin commander continued his debrief. ¡°You¡¯ll leave tomorrow at dawn. You have the rest of the day to make your preparations. This is a secret A-rank mission, and you¡¯re not allowed to share this information with any of your friends or teammates. The mission is expected to take up to three months, so prepare accordingly.¡± I opened my mouth, closed it shut again. Damn, I needed to talk with Sasuke, and Ino, and Secretary-chan, and Naruto. With all the confusion, and rush for the exams, I never had the time to talk with Sasuke about the attack on the forest. But orders where orders. I would entrust Naruto to deliver stuff for my friends for me. I wrote on my board. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Shikaku said, picking up another paper. ¡°Congratulations on your promotion, and I apologize for the lack of ceremony. The situation didn¡¯t allow for it.¡± I gave a slight bow to the jounin commander. After that, we left the office, crossed the busy intelligence hall? Gallery? Floor? I had no idea what to call it. Climbed down the stairs. For once, Secretary-chan wasn¡¯t in the reception. It was another ninja who I had never seen before. I waved to the man, he nodded back. Outside, Yamato was the first to speak. ¡°I still have things I need to prepare. Meet me here tomorrow at dawn, Hinata-san.¡± The man nodded to me. He shared a glance with Kakashi, flickered away. I turned to sensei, thinking how I could ask the question in my mind. Decided being direct was the best choice. I popped my board again, erased the previous words, wrote more. ¡°Sensei, now tell me what is really going on.¡± I showed Kakashi the message. Cool lazy ninja chuckled, gave me one of his crescent eye smiles. ¡°I told them you wouldn¡¯t be fooled.¡± Kakashi looked about. ¡°Follow me, let¡¯s get something to eat and talk somewhere private.¡± I followed sensei into Konoha¡¯s highway. We crossed the administrative district into the commercial area. Dropped down in front of an out of the way alley. Kakashi knocked at one door that had no markings or any indications what was inside. A young woman opened it. She was elegant, but still serious. ¡°Please, come in sir.¡± She said, nodded. I held back my question. What was this place? Was Kakashi-sensei taking me somewhere illegal? We entered a darkened bar-esque room. It wasn¡¯t a bar, more like a private diner? I don¡¯t know. I have never seen a place like this. There were several booths, most separated by walls with curtains at the front to prevent others from looking in. ¡°We¡¯ll take one of the back rooms.¡± Kakashi-sensei said. The woman nodded, led us inside, past the booths and to a room at the back of the place. We entered what looked a lot like a private dining area. Weird. ¡°Should I take your orders now, or come back later?¡± The woman bowed. Kakashi-sensei looked at me. I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know the place. ¡°Bring us two servings of the house special.¡± With one last bow, the woman left, leaving me alone with Kakashi. He sat down, gestured for me to follow. I did as requested. Kakashi, like me, didn¡¯t seem to like beating around the bush. ¡°Some of the Elders in the council want you interrogated for any information regarding Orochimaru. And with Lord Third dead, there¡¯s no one to stop them.¡± That made some sense. I knew the council of elders didn¡¯t like me. I blamed Danzo for that. Even after all these years. I wrote. ¡°Is the mission busy work to keep me away?¡± Kakashi-sensei shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a real, time-sensitive mission. But it also serves to take you away from the village until a new Hokage can be appointed.¡± ¡°Will the new Hokage look favorably on my situation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our hope.¡± Kakashi admitted eying the food. His tone didn¡¯t give me a lot of confidence, but I knew the next Hokage would be Tsunade, and she was also cool, and pretty, and possessing a very distinct pair of characters. ¡°Who is being considered for the position?¡± I asked back. Before Kakashi could answer, we were interrupted. The woman returned with food, another attendant, a young man dressed in formal ceremony clothing brought the drinks. The food was something like a hot pot. I saw a few ingredients I recognized there: Hard boiled eggs, dipped into an inviting brown broth. Daikon radish, konjac and an assortment of small balls that, going by the smell, were most likely some type of fish cake. There were, of course, more ingredients. Small pieces of potato, thin sliced cabbage and even noodles. It wasn¡¯t a ramen, at least not in the sense I was used to, but it smelled so good. The servers bowed after delivering the food, and Kakashi finally answered my question. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, my cute chunin.¡± Sensei said, patted my head. I did blush a bit this time. Thank god the lighting was dim and my rosy cheeks wouldn¡¯t show. It was nice being called a chunin, even if I think the promotion was fishy. ¡°Do I need to wear that awful flak jacket now that I¡¯m a chunin?¡± I asked sensei to disguise my embarrassment. 5.2 Thankfully, the flak jacket wasn¡¯t mandatory. Konoha wasn¡¯t as strict as other villages with its dress code. Shinobis could usually dress in their clan clothes or anything that took their fancy in their day to day lives, or even during missions. At least outside official events. I knew some shinobis used the jacket even outside normal ¡°working hours¡±. Take Kakashi-sensei for example: Never seen him wear casual attire. I¡¯m guessing if there was any war out there, everyone would be required to wear the full shinobi regalia. The jacket, pants, shoes, belt pouches. The important thing was: My ninja statement outfit was safe! No need to add the jacket that would clash so much with my carefully prepared looks. We ate the food, which was delicious, and there was this awkward moment where Sensei tried to small talk, I guess my embarrassment showed, because he soon gave up on the attempt. Soon after, I fled the hidden restaurant? Bar? Well, I ran away from the hidden place. I didn¡¯t have much time left and had so many things I needed to prepare. My first priority was to seal a good number of cupcakes, sweets and pastries. They were my secret weapons. I wasn¡¯t leaving home without them. Problem was, I didn¡¯t have enough time to bake everything I needed in a single afternoon. I¡¯m ashamed to admit, but I resorted to the lazy¡¯s man way out. I purchased a lot of other ¨C inferior quality ¨C sweets, and stored them in my usual first impression packages and other routine seals. I kept the ones I baked by myself for the important moments. After that, my supply of explosives, the special ones. Anything Orochimaru related deserved my good explosives. Not all of it of course, I didn¡¯t think I would need hundreds, just a few dozen of the buggers was enough. Explosives set, I made sure my koto was in good shape, sealed and stored. Important stuff dealt with, it was finally time to check my other tools, clothes and normal everyday necessities. My preparations took a good part of the afternoon. I hadn¡¯t finished everything, when the sun approached the horizon. Before it got dark, I went hunting for Naruto. No idea where the goofball was, but the Ichiruka Ramen was a good starting bet. To no one¡¯s surprise, that¡¯s where I found the brat. I got in, bowed to the owner. Gestured that I wanted one bowl of ramen. I sat down by Naruto¡¯s side. He had his face hidden by a ramen bowl. The small food stall didn¡¯t have many customers at this time, but the ambient smell was amazing. The booth had this comfy atmosphere that made you want to sit down and grab a bite. My stomach agreed. It growled like an enraged beast. The shop owner¡¯s daughter heard it, she grinned. My ears burned. I popped my good impression kit v1.3, offered it to her. Her small grin turned into a full blown smile. Totally worth it. Not long after, I also had my face hidden behind the bowl. Noisily slurping down tasty noodles. Naruto finished eating, placed the bowl down. Still without looking my way, patted his belly. ¡°Hiyaaa. That¡¯s what I needed.¡± The brat burped. Muttered. ¡°Missing only Hinata-chan¡¯s cupcake.¡± Surreptitiously, I sneaked one cupcake toward Naruto. ¡°Old ma¡ª¡± Naruto started, but saw the cupcake. ¡°Lucky!¡± The brat yelled. Took the sweet, glomped it down. I facepalmed. Naruto wasn¡¯t stupid, but he could be so dumb at times. What if that was poisoned? That gave me a wicked idea. Laxative cupcakes. That would teach him to check his food before eating. But that was for the future.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. While Naruto devoured his cupcake, I finished slurping my ramen. I placed my bowl on the counter-top, then same as Naruto, patted my belly. That was awesome. I felt a burp coming, but I wasn¡¯t as crass as Naruto. Or better yet, the seal wouldn¡¯t let me be as crass as Naruto. I burped. It made no sound. I popped my board, something the owner and his daughter were already accustomed to. ¡°Naruto, I need a favor from you.¡± I slid the board toward Naruto, who still hadn¡¯t noticed me. ¡°Wha¡ª Hinata-chan!¡± Naruto yelled again. Looking at the board, then at me, and at the cupcake crumbs scattered all around him. ¡°When did you get here?¡± I shook my head, pointed at the board. Naruto tilted his head. ¡°What do you need?¡± I erased my previous message. ¡°I¡¯ve been requested for a mission outside the village. I need you to do two things for me.¡± I showed him the board. When Naruto nodded, I erased the text, wrote more. ¡°First, I need you to be gentle with Sasuke. Remember that time after Wave? When he was all pissy and brooding?¡± Naruto nodded sagely after reading. ¡°He might behave strangely as well. Just be there and be his friend.¡± Naruto scratched his head, shrugged. I got the impression it meant: ¡°I¡¯m already his friend.¡± ¡°Second, I need you to deliver letters, for err, a lot of people.¡± Naruto tilted his head to the other side. I took the prepared envelopes. I penned a message to each person, along with the seals. Naruto took the envelopes, looked at the names. Found his not long after shuffling through. ¡°What is this Hinata-chan?¡± I shook my head again. Wrote more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just open it when you get home. I¡¯ve put a few cupcake seals for you there. Can you deliver the rest for me?¡± Naruto squinted at one particular envelope. This one was pink, fancy and bigger than the others. ¡°Shijmi? Who is that?¡± I giggled. Of course Naruto wouldn¡¯t remember her. ¡°Tora¡¯s owner.¡± A few weeks after our team was not available for missions, Madam Shijmi sent me a letter, proposing a deal: She offered a lot of money for regular sweets deliveries. Her letter had enough seals to cover at least the three months the mission was supposed to last. I wanted to make sure I wouldn¡¯t break our agreement by staying away for too long. ¡°Ahhh, the fat lady!¡± Naruto hollered. I rolled my eyes. What a brat. Naruto looked at the pile of correspondence, scratched the side of his head. ¡°But Hinata-chan, if we¡¯re going on a mission, how will I deliver it?¡± I sighed. ¡°No, Naruto-kun. It¡¯s not a team seven mission. I¡¯ve been requested by another jounin.¡± It took a moment for Naruto to understand what I wrote, but when he did, his face fell. ¡°But!¡± He looked devastated. I almost expected him to burst into tears. I patted his shoulder. Tried to explain the reality of things. ¡°Many shinobi died protecting the village. We have a shortage of people, we might not be able to work as a full team for a while.¡± I even threw him a bone. ¡°You might also be leaving on a mission soon.¡± Having done my part with Naruto, I returned home. I needed to talk with Sasuke, but somehow, it always wasn¡¯t the right time. First was the lack of privacy in the second phase, then Kakashi stealing Sasuke away for training. That and the attack and all the chaos that followed. Now, the dust hadn¡¯t even settled yet and I had to leave the village because some old codger wanted me dead or worse. Things weren¡¯t that bad. Sasuke had mellowed out over the months after joining the team. He didn¡¯t even try to burn my hair anymore during spars. He and Naruto also became good friends. Without Itachi to put Sasuke into a genjutsu and flame his obsession, and with Orochimaru gone, I was confident Sasuke wouldn¡¯t defect. Where would he go? His family was here. If he wanted to get stronger, he just needed to talk with Itachi and Shisui. The feeling that I was missing something nagged at the back of my mind. I stopped, cast my mind inwards, trying to remember what I had forgotten. A few minutes later I sighed. This was annoying. I felt like those dense anime protagonists that knew they needed to do something before too late, but always kept pushing it away until disaster struck. Should I seek Sasuke out? The memory of the boy''s outburst came back to my mind. I shook my head. No, there was no hurry. Sasuke was safe. Distance and time would help him. And help me. 5.3 One might think I had trouble sleeping the night before an important mission. And well, they would be right. I couldn¡¯t sleep that night. I turned and tossed in bed for a few hours before I gave up on sleeping and went to bake more pastries. The lack of my ultimate weapons, or the new mission wasn¡¯t what kept me awake. It was everything else. I¡¯ve been so focused and worried about Konoha¡¯s Crush that I never stopped to think about what would come next. No, not what would come next, but what would I do next. There were a lot of things to consider. Going after Orochimaru¡¯s lab was a stroke of luck, at least for me. I had some things I needed to confirm before I could plan my next steps. Had Kabuto already learned the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu? My assumption was that he only learned that from Orochimaru after Konoha¡¯s Cruch, since before that, Kabuto wasn''t following the snake all around. Another assumption was that Orochimaru taught Kabuto that jutsu because he couldn¡¯t use his arms, after they were sealed by the shinigami. My primary goal then, I decided after taking another batch of cupcakes from the oven, was to learn what Kabuto knew and kill him if possible. Scour anything Orochimaru related for any clues about the seals in my body and the Impure Resurrection Jutsu. Talking about the snake, at least one of Orochimaru¡¯s eyes ¨C the one I saw after Sasuke burned the disguise in half of the snake¡¯s face in the Forest of Death ¨C was a byakugan. It stood to reason that it was my eye, since I never heard anything else about any other Hyuga going missing or dying. Given how much of a diva the whole clan was, they wouldn¡¯t not make a fuss about such a thing happening. What happened to that? With Hizashi standing over Orochimaru¡¯s dead body like a lioness reclaiming her stolen cub, I was sure that trying to get anywhere closer wouldn¡¯t end well. Or maybe I was just projecting and people would just let me waltz in and pluck eyes from a dead body. A shudder ran through me and I almost let a batch of sweets fall. If nature transformation already made me feel icky, the thought of plucking eyes out of bodies and plopping them on my own head made me nauseous. How would that even work? It wasn¡¯t like I was attached to byakugan or anything. Sure, I think it looked cool. White eyes rulz, it was also useful. All around vision? Sign me in. But I never had those eyes. Yes, intellectually I knew they belonged to Hinata, and that I was Hinata. But I never had them, so to speak. I never even thought about it most of the time. Even so, I was curious to know what happened. Was the Hyuga clan now in possession of a pair of twice orphaned eyes? Would someone tell me anything if I asked? I pushed those thoughts aside. I looked at the baked treasures on every surface of my small kitchen. I looked through the window and noticed the sky brightening. Right, no time to woolgather. I sealed my secret weapons, took a shower, put on a clean outfit, got all my prepared things, left to start my mission. I met Yamato in front of the Tower at dawn. Despite not being late, I was the last to arrive. Yamato was out of his shinobi uniform, head protector and any other trait that could identify him as a ninja. By his side, a taller boy, with spiky black hair, wearing a grayish blue sweater and jeans. He carried a bag on his back and no other discernible ninja gear. The other ninja, cadaver pale Sai, wore the same style of clothing I remembered from the show: Black sort-of-jacket that left his midriff exposed, black pants, black open toed shoes. The only difference being the lack of a forehead protector. He also had a bag at his back. I wasn¡¯t good at judging people¡¯s age by their face, but Hayase looked closer to nineteen, while Sai looked about a few years older than me. Anger, or maybe jealousy bubbled inside my gut. I glared at the pale boy. He was another one I never liked from the original show. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. I didn¡¯t know him. I needed to stop judging people like the characters portrayed on the show. And things have changed. Danzo was gone. There was no need to think that Sai was the same emotionless person from the original story. ¡°Is that the last member of this mission?¡± An emotionless voice broke my introspection. I looked up, Sai stared at Yamato. ¡°She looks weak. Is she even a chunin? And what are those clothes, wasn¡¯t this an important mission?¡± This fucker! Here I was, trying to convince myself to be nice and there he was putting me down. What¡¯s wrong with him?Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The other shinobi, Hayase, raised both hands, smiled. ¡°Now, stop it, Sai. We talked about this, you shouldn¡¯t say whatever comes to mind.¡± Sai nodded, but didn¡¯t look away. Still looked at me with those emotionless eyes. Then he smiled, a small one, a fake one, one that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Creepy. Hayase turned to me. ¡°You¡¯re Hinata, right?¡± I nodded, still annoyed at Sai. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± the older chunin beamed. ¡°I remember you from the first phase, you did get all seven questions right.¡± I blinked. What was he on about? ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Hayase scratched his head. I shook mine. ¡°I was a plant during the exam so people could copy the correct answers from me. I was also the one who created the questions.¡± Really? I don¡¯t remember seeing him at all, but then again, I was distracted with the test, and didn¡¯t pay any attention to the other shinobi in the room. I popped my board out, to a raised eyebrow from Hayase and more stares from Sai. ¡°Those questions were interesting. The cipher one was my favorite.¡± I wrote. Showed him the board. Hayase took my idiosyncrasies in stride. ¡°It was, wasn¡¯t it? I took a liking to encryption after my stay in the intelligence department. You have no idea how many other ways to encrypt data they have. On that one question, I used the Hashirama principle¡­¡± Hayase kept on geeking about the questions he created and all the theoretical knowledge involved. I felt fan-girl-chan wake up. This was right up her alley. Was he talking about something chunin related? I never heard about the workings of higher ranked ninja in the village. And with my promotion being out of ordinary, I had no idea what was the normal course of action here. I erased my board, started to write again when Yamato interrupted us. The man had been silent, watching our banter, but guess it was mission time now. ¡°We¡¯ll have time to discuss other details later. Is everyone ready?¡± I looked at my temporary team members, noted again the attire they wore. Took off my forehead protector, my shinobi tool pouches, and stuffed it inside my bag. I was still in goth mode, but again, my normal clothes didn¡¯t really look like a ninja uniform. After one last check, to make sure nothing in me screamed ¡®ninja¡¯, I nodded. Sai and Hayase also nodded. Yamato clapped. ¡°Great. Our mission is a dangerous one, but it is an opportunity we cannot let pass.¡± Yamato taichou looked at Sai. ¡°Sai, you¡¯ll be responsible for scouting. Hayase, you¡¯ll be in charge of intelligence and analysis. Hinata, I want you to keep an eye for anything that might escape Sai¡¯s perception or try to approach us in disguise. After we leave the village, we¡¯re not ninjas, just traveling companions.¡± Sai looked at the group again, then at Yamato. ¡°And what is our mission?¡± Yamato nodded, like he expected the question. ¡°We receive information about one of Orochimaru¡¯s hideouts. Our mission is to find the place, infiltrate, and gather all data we can about Orochimaru¡¯s plans, experiments and anything else related to him.¡± I saw a flicker of something on Sai¡¯s face. Hayase took a step back. ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it dangerous? Why are they sending a bunch of chunin and a genin on this mission?¡± He looked at me by the end of the question. Yamato nodded again. The man didn¡¯t seem bothered by Hayase questioning the mission. ¡°Hinata was promoted to chunin by the jounin commander. Due to the attack, the village cannot spare any other shinobi for this mission.¡± Hayase tilted his head, looked deep in thought for a moment. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stay here and help the village then?¡± Yamato shook his head. ¡°The potential intel we might gather is too important. With Orochimaru¡¯s death, we cannot let that information fall on the wrong hands. It could spell disaster if any of the other villages manages to get the info before us.¡± ¡°Are the other villages moving?¡± I looked at Sai, who just asked that question. What was he talking about? Yamato sighed. ¡°The situation with Kumogakure is still tense. There have been some skirmishes in the Land of Hot Waters, and given our current situation, it¡¯s expected they will attack again. Maybe even start another war.¡± Kumogakure? What were they talking about? I remember hearing during my academy days about increased hostilities, but that was it, just rumors and hearsay. Nothing I heard made it seem the situation was that complicated, or urgent, or even tense, and it was years ago. Hayase grabbed his hair. ¡°Shit.¡± I looked at my board. There was so much I wanted to ask right now. From the looks of things, genin were pretty much excluded from any important information regarding the village inner workings. I had no idea the situation was this bad. It also felt like everything was my fault. I remember some of the rumors, the bad relationship with Kumogakure started because of the so-called Hyuga affair. Turned worse because the whole Kumo delegation was killed, and the Raikage blamed Konoha for it. And now, I failed to save the third, leaving the village in even worse waters. I saved the whole Uchiha clan, removed the poison that Danzo was, but still things turned sour. In a way, Konoha should be on better standing, but given Yamato¡¯s face and disposition, it looked like the man believed war was inevitable and just around the corner. I agreed wholeheartedly with Hayase. Shit. 5.4 Snake Hideout Search mission, or the Honey Badger trip, as I was calling it, took us away from Konoha. The Land of Rice Fields wasn¡¯t as far away as the Land of Waves, if we only counted the direct distance from Konoha to the border. The expectation was to reach the border in less than a week, because we¡¯d be traveling like normal people. I wasn¡¯t sure on the whys of that decision. Instead of guessing and stumbling, I decided it was best just to ask the question to the intelligence officer in our team, aka Hayase. I took out my board, wrote my question. ¡°Hayase, why are we taking the long path instead of rushing to the place? I thought this was a time-sensitive mission.¡± Hayase¡¯s eyes gleaned, like he just found someone to nerd something he was passionate about. ¡°Ah, I understand your confusion, you just got promoted.¡± He shook his head, but soon kept talking. ¡°It is impossible to root all spies from other villages from Konoha. Based on the circumstances, I¡¯m guessing this is some smokescreen. Others will pay even more attention to any shinobi leaving current events. Even if our destination is suspect, given we are going to where we suspect Orochimaru settled down, our team isn¡¯t rushing, which is the same as saying it is not a priority mission.¡± I blinked at that convoluted logic. But wouldn¡¯t people see through that bluff? Maybe reading my mind, Hayase continued. ¡°I¡¯m certain a few other teams were dispatched before us, and more will be dispatched after, some to urgent missions, others not in a hurry at all.¡± Spiky hair bobbing with the movement of his head, the chunin turned to me. ¡°If you were a spy and saw several teams leaving the village, some with some seemingly urgent mission, others not worried for time at all, who would you spend more resources to track?¡± I had no answer. The way Hayase explained, felt too simplistic. A bluff that would be easy to see through, but maybe that was just the tip of the iceberg. From his reaction, I was pretty sure he dumbed down his explanation. I didn¡¯t get the sense of contempt or even the feeling he was looking down on me, just that he believed I didn¡¯t have enough information to understand the whole concept, thus the dumbing down of the explanation. Besides that, our traveling plans were simple. Our group assumed the guise of a traveling family, plus a friend. Given the age difference, my disguise was Yamato¡¯s daughter, which somewhat made me a bit sour at the whole situation: Yamato didn¡¯t have any dad energy. Hayase was my cousin. Sai, a friend of Hayase, who joined us for a bit of travel. The trip¡¯s destination was to visit Hayase¡¯s parents in the daimyo court city, which¡¯s name I didn''t know about, nor where it was. That suited me just fine. If anyone asked, I could just say dad forced me to travel, and I didn¡¯t care where we were going. Perfect spoiled girl behavior. There was one last check up before we left. Yamato approached me looking over my things. ¡°Hinata-san, you need to pack a normal traveling bag. Your disguise will be suspicious if you¡¯re not carrying anything on an extended trip.¡± I didn¡¯t refuse. The man was right. I hadn¡¯t considered that. A cumbersome bag would be annoying, but I can deal with it. I got used to packing light. The weight didn¡¯t bother me, it was how big and hard it was to handle the whole thing that was the problem. The first day of travel ended without any surprises by the time the sun settled behind the horizon. Sai was in charge of cooking, while Hayase and I gathered wood for the fire, which we deposited near Sai¡¯s cooking pot. While we waited, I tried to recall everything I remembered from the show about the political landscape of the shinobi world, but it had been years. The finer details were lost on me. I remembered only the broad strokes. Five great shinobi villages, and a huge number of small hidden villages. Villages were always in a state of cold war with each other, aside from Suna, which had a non-aggression pact with Konoha, a pact they broke by allying with Oto and attacking during the chunin exam. If I remember right, they¡¯d blame everything on Orochimaru and surrender without a fight, which would somehow strengthen the relationship between both villages. More so when Gaara became the new Kazekage. At least that was the script in the original story. No idea how the One Tail situation was resolved. I should have interrogated Naruto about that.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The other great villages resented Konoha, and for good reason: Konoha had a lot of missing S-Rank ninjas roaming about and causing trouble. Before being ousted, Danzo worked from the shadows to cause trouble to other villages and keep Konoha¡¯s status as the strongest. I knew some of the small villages often allied themselves with the great villages for protection, but I wasn¡¯t aware of any political alliance regarding them, or which village they were allied with. I took my spare board from the bag. Since we were pretending to be normal traveling companions, I couldn¡¯t just pop out my usual board. No fuinjutsu for me. It was a bit of trouble to pick up the pen and eraser all the time, but it was how it was. After writing my question, I showed the board to Yamato. ¡°Yamato, what is the current political situation between the villages?¡± Yamato read the question, but didn¡¯t answer it himself. He looked at the other older chunin in our team. ¡°Hayase?¡± Hayase¡¯s eyes shone. He took a deep breath, a smile on his face, and promptly disgorged the information. ¡°The current political situation remains tense. There¡¯s movements from Kumo, as well as Iwa. There¡¯s speculation that those two might ally against us.¡± I nodded, simple enough to understand. ¡°We had a non aggression pact with Suna, which they broke in the recent attack. That leaves only Kiri as a neutral party. Kiri is currently busy with their own civil problems. They shouldn¡¯t interfere for the time being.¡± Hayase looked about, to make sure his audience was paying attention. ¡°In the worst case scenario, we might see a three village alliance against us in the near future. Realistically speaking, our intelligence agents don¡¯t believe Sand will join any conflict. They suffered heavy losses, and lost their leader. With the Kazekage gone, they have no known shinobi that could assume the position for the time being.¡± If things still went the same as the original story, Gaara would become the new Kazekage. The boy was already freakishly strong, add the one tail to the mix and you had a literal S-Rank shinobi there. That brought another thought to mind. I never asked Naruto what happened in his fight with Gaara. The group that went after Gaara returned banged up and hurt, but still alive. Did it happen the same as canon? And by that logic, was Naruto a S-Rank shinobi as well? I imagined the brat¡¯s entry in the bingo book: Loudmouth, dumb, naive, likes ramen, annoying as hell, a pacifist at heart. Is also the nine tails host. I snickered at my own silly ideas. By my side Hayase glanced at me. I schooled my face, stopped giggling. The chunin continued with his political lesson. ¡°¡ª it¡¯s expected that if Iwagakure attacks, they will do so by invading the Land of Grass. They currently have an alliance with the Land of Waterfall. Grass has a good trading relationship with us. Because of that, it becomes the best avenue of attack to reach Konoha, damaging our relationship with the smaller villages at the same time. If we can¡¯t protect our allies our credibility will be like sand on the wind.¡± I cast my mind again to my own knowledge. Between Wind and Fire, there was the Land of Rivers, Akatsuki¡¯s hideout. Grass, sat between Fire and Earth, could become a battlefield with Iwakagure, Land of Whirlpools was already being invaded by Land of Bears, as a front for Kumogakure. Things didn¡¯t look good when put in that light. ¡°¡ª which makes this mission even more important.¡± I put my own ideas away, and looked again at Hayase. ¡°If Kumo or Iwa learn about the hideout and manage to get there before us, they might learn a lot about Konoha. You need to remember that Orochimaru was a student of Lord Third. The potential information he has on the village is too valuable to leave out for others to find.¡± By our side, Yamato finally joined the conversation. ¡°The mission is important, but be careful. We don¡¯t know what awaits us there. Other villages shouldn¡¯t know about this operation, we are not expecting any interference from them, but keep your wits sharp.¡± I wanted to facepalm. Had Yamato never heard about fate flags? Why was the man tempting fate like that? The discussion didn¡¯t continue for long. Sai finished his cooking, served bowls of hot food to us. I looked at the thing he handed me. It was a hot bowl of something, that¡¯s for sure. It smelled alright, but there was no care at all for the presentation: the vegetables were cut in a haphazardly manner, the pieces of meat looked burnt. Not sure how a soup could have burnt meat. The broth was hazy and viscous, not at all like a nice thick soup broth. Was this thing even safe to eat? I wasn¡¯t brave enough to try. I looked at my companions. Sai gulped down his food, and his face betrayed nothing. I didn¡¯t know if he enjoyed it or not. Yamato ate a mouthful, stopped for a moment after, methodically eating the rest. Hayase, however, took one bite, and his face turned wan. He placed the bowl down. Ran away from the campsite. From not that far, I heard his raul-ing noises. I looked at my bowl. Placed it down, untouched. I took my board. ¡°Sai is forbidden from cooking from now on.¡± I wrote. Yamato nodded, sighed, his shoulders sagged. Was that relief? 5.5 Due to the nature of our mission, there would be no training for the foreseeable future. I was very conflicted about that. Pre Crushcrushcrush was an intense month of improving both myself and my techniques. The days of walking, talking, and not improving felt off, like I was wasting my time. I still felt guilty of my failure to save the old man, and the lack of concrete improvements only made that worse. Or maybe I was a masochist and enjoyed physical and mental suffering. The jury was still out on that one. Not that we had that much time. On the first days of walking Yamato set a hard pace. A whole day of walking wasn¡¯t hard for a trained shinobi, but walking, pretending to be someone else, while constantly paying attention to your surroundings wasn¡¯t easy. Come night, I was exhausted. Not to the same point as the hell month training, but still drained. Then we had to set up camp, cook food, and prepare things for the next day. Once the team gathered, Yamato started what I called an infodump meeting. ¡°Hayase, can you update the whole team on Konoha¡¯s current political scenario?¡± Hayase lit up with interest. Gave a sharp nod and started talking. It was interesting, but also boring. It was hard to keep attention after a day of travel and mental concentration. My bed roll called my name. Whispered tempting promises. Hayase''s droning voice made it even harder to pay attention. Days of travel went by. I think after the second day Yamato noticed my restlessness. Our strategy meetings after the second day turned into impromptu lessons about intelligence gathering, infiltration and politics. We talked about ways to use our techniques, discussed scenarios and possible outcomes. Fan-girl-chan had the time of her life. Even if boring Sai still annoyed me with his lack of enthusiasm and direct responses. There was no clear indicator we left the Land of Fire, but after close to a week of travel, when we arrived at a small village, the difference was impossible to miss. The architecture, the style of buildings, the colors, not to mention the rolling plains of rice fields. Not that it really changed anything we saw: The place looked like a horror movie ghost town. Decrepit wooden houses, broken doors, burnt walls. If this was a western village, I would even expect a dust devil rolling around. The wind coming from the village carried the stench of carrion and rot. Yamato raised his hand. We stopped. He moved his fingers, gave us orders. Sai, Hinata, scout. I gave it a mental ¡®hell yeah¡¯. Time to put all my sneaky shinobi skills to the test! Giddy excitement threatened to make me act stupid. But I was sure I kept the excitement out of my face. And body. The swaying was just me getting ready to go all out. Yamato¡¯s knowing look was just a figment of my imagination. By this point, this kind of thing should have already become routine and not trigger fan-girl-chan, but much to my continued happiness, it still did. I held my happy dancing, but the smile still snaked into my face. I crouched down, performed hand seals, placed both hands on the ground. I didn¡¯t really need to, but doing so looked cool. I used two jutsu. Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu and Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Sai took his paintbrush, I don''t know where from, drew some sort of bird, let it fly soon after. Sai was still uncool, but his jutsu was awesome. Something I never considered popped in my mind: Was I betraying team seven by getting my ninja fix with another team? No, that was stupid, and silly. I pushed that thought out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Clone-chan didn¡¯t take long to unpop herself. I braced against the rush of memories and impressions. Reported once I parsed through the information. Raised a hand, fingers signing the code: No chakra presence nearby. Sai¡¯s report came soon after. ¡°No one inside the village¡± Yamato nodded, gesturing to us to get into formation. He took point moving toward the village, while Hayase covered our backs. Sai and I flanked the two, keeping an eye out for any threat. The village was worse than I thought at first. The cloying smell of decay and rot didn¡¯t prepare us for the scene we found. Bodies, old and young, men and women, torn to shreds. There were signs of fighting: a corpse held a pitchfork, another had a wood spear. It didn¡¯t seem like the work of a shinobi. Not with the state the bodies were left in. Looked like an animal attack. Our brief inspection revealed what we already knew. No survivors. Not even the children were spared. The tracks and other details we found made no sense. Whatever the attacker was, it seems to be a heavy humanoid, given the indentations left by its passing. There were different weapon marks on the corpses and buildings but also claw marks and looked like teeth marks. We left the village untouched. A part of me wanted to stop and give those people a decent burial, but that wasn¡¯t our mission, and we didn¡¯t have time. A few minutes away from the destroyed village, Yamato finally broke his silence. ¡°We avoid any other small community and go straight to the nearest trading town.¡± Our team nodded. I understood his reasoning. If there was something out there killing isolated places, we would have better luck going straight to a bigger city. We increased our pace, and raised our vigilance. The surrounding woods took a different tone. Where it once was idyllic and a bit boring, now the rolling plains of rice felt oppressive, ominous. I thought back on the things I¡¯d seen. None of the wound marks on the corpses looked like injuries from any shinobi weapon I was familiar with. It was what I thought a rampaging beast¡¯s attack might look like. A rampaging beast that also had access to strange weapons, claws and teeth. The more I thought about it, the more it looked like something really big and strong just pulled people apart, or split them with a heavy blade. Like a kid pulling off the wings and legs of an insect. That night, we didn¡¯t sleep, nor did we light a fire. Hayase was the first to question that decision. ¡°Why? Normal travelers don¡¯t camp in the dark.¡± Yamato looked around. ¡°Too risky.¡± Hayase opened his mouth again, maybe to argue. Yamato just stared at the chunin, huge black eyes framed by darkness. Inner me wanted to fangirl at finally seeing the man¡¯s ultimate weapon to control Naruto, but I couldn¡¯t. Hayase soon looked away, shivered like it was cold. Didn¡¯t complain again. That killed any other further complaint. Given the circumstances, Yamato didn¡¯t even mind when I popped a few cupcakes after an awful cold dinner. I kept vigil the entire night. Cast my senses as far as I could, trying to feel any chakra presence nearby. I don¡¯t know if it was my imagination, but it felt like something was watching me from the dark. I had no basis for why I thought that. There was no noise, no chakra presence, not even the sound of night animals. But the nagging sensation of being watched persisted the whole night. Aside from that, the only thing out of normal was a distant roar of some unknown animal. It was so low and distant I wasn¡¯t even sure it wasn¡¯t my imagination. It also seems I wasn¡¯t the only one keeping an eye on the surroundings. It wasn¡¯t Sai¡¯s watch schedule, but he still sent a few chakra birds flying out. That earned him a few points. I guess he was also worried about being attacked at night. The next day, we pressed hard on our journey, while still trying to keep a normal travelers¡¯ appearance. I was feeling a bit tired, but again, it was nothing compared to the hell month. I could endure a few more days without sleep, even more when I circulated my chakra. Something I started doing more and more in that month of training. It left me feeling energized and ready. It was the start of the afternoon when Sai reported. ¡°There¡¯s a town, just ahead.¡± Yamato nodded. ¡°Good job, Sai.¡± He turned to the rest of us. ¡°Remember, we are travelers, don¡¯t draw unnecessary attention. Hinata, you are with me. Hayase and Sai, you two stick together. Don¡¯t wander alone, be discreet when trying to find out more about our goal.¡± Tasks decided and orders given, we crossed the remaining distance until we found a walled town, with locked and barred gates. Peeking from above the wall, a rough voice hailed us. ¡°Who goes there? State your business!¡± 5.6 ¡°Who goes there? State your business!¡± Yamato took a step forward, hands raised, palms open and towards the voice at the walls. ¡°We¡¯re travelers on the way to the capital. We seek home and hearth for the night.¡± I assumed right at that time my disguised persona of a distracted daughter dragged on a trip she didn¡¯t want to go. I looked out, towards the rice fields. Crossed my arms, huffed in annoyance. Kept sneaking glares at ¡®dad¡¯ for dragging me on this trip. But inside I was so giddy about visiting other places in Naruto¡¯s world that I had to hold in my smile. I kept an ear out for the important bits of the conversation, but I tuned out most of it. There were too many other interesting things to pay attention to. The walls, the people, the accents, the smells. In my mind, my lack of attention was justified. I was gathering information, learning about the place. I wasn¡¯t behaving like a country bumpkin traveling to interesting places for the first time. Nope, not at all. I was just paying extra attention to my information gathering mission. Yamato went back and forth answering questions from the guy at the wall¡¯s and introducing our group. He patted my head, when introducing me. My hand moved without my consent, swatting the appendage away, much to the man at the wall''s amusement. ¡°What news do you bring?¡± The same rough voice asked. He wasn¡¯t outright hostile. Yamato stopped, considering. Hayase answered in his stead. He took a step closer. ¡°We had to camp in the wilds for the past two nights!¡± His voice had a bit of a whine to it. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was fake. ¡°Last village we passed was attacked by some beast or something, no one survived.¡± Hushed whispers and muttered swearing broke out from the other side of the wall. While only one person asked questions so far, the amount of voices suggested there was a crowd on the other side. I focused on my chakra sense, but no one other than us had any bundle of chakra. Civilians? The wooden gates creaked open while I pondered that question. On the other side, a group of disheveled people armed with hoes, sickles, a shovel and an assortment of wooden sticks that didn¡¯t look like weapons. There was one individual holding a rusty katana. If the lack of chakra to my senses wasn¡¯t confirmation enough, a single glance at the crowd cleared any remaining doubt. A hairy man, holding a sickle called us out. It was the same gruff voice. ¡°Come in, quickly.¡± We entered the town. The gate closed behind us. Hands gripped farming tools-turned-weapons harder. Another farmer approached us, the one holding the sole real weapon among the lot, the rusted katana. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said to Yamato. ¡°The town mayor will want to speak with you.¡± Yamato looked at us. Blinked the secret shinobi message. Play along. I followed ¡®dad¡¯ through the town. We passed by several skittish looking people. Some looked at us with wide eyes, others glared. A burly man even tried to step in our way, fists closed, teeth gritted. The katana wielding farmer took two quick steps toward the man. They stared at each other for a few moments before the burly man retreated with a scowl. We were led deeper into town. It wasn¡¯t big, at least not to what my modern sensibilities would say big, but the main street had a number of stores and other places for markets and street vendors. I knew now why this was considered a trading town. I saw a lot of places that looked like medieval Japanese versions of hotels, as well as white powdered, kimono-wearing ladies and a few men, trying to entice people to enter.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Our escort took us to one of the biggest buildings in the town¡¯s center. We entered a foyer, and Yamato was ushered toward one big double door passage. I tried to follow, but a hand barred my path. The gruff farmer looked at me, then to Yamato. ¡°This is not a conversation for children, especially girls.¡± I played my part. Crossed my arms. That was some medieval discrimination bullshit at its finest. And like any entitled teenager, I made my displeasure known by glaring, pouting and then looking away. Yamato ¡ª the no-dad-energy ¡ª captain turned to us. ¡°Hayase, you keep Hinata company. You can go see the sights, but don¡¯t go too far. Sai, you can come with me or join your friend.¡± Sai joined Yamato. Feeling left out, and babysat by Hayase, I left the house to explore the city. The bigger boy scratched his head, looking unsure himself. He turned to me. ¡°Should we explore the market?¡± I nodded. That was fine with me. I¡¯m sure Yamato would report anything important later if needed. Right now, we could start our own investigation and information gathering operation. The Honey Badger was on the hunt for the snake¡¯s lair. "¡­" That was so bad. Delete, delete, delete. I needed better ways to think about the mission. But the situation was an unexpected opportunity. In the past month of hell training, Research-chan spent all day, every day, trying to map and understand the seals in my body. It was a time bomb I needed to solve sooner rather than later. The problem was, aside from that one blueprint for the bone seals the creep shoved into my head, I had no other information. That whole month of carefully probing every part of my body with chakra wielded interesting results. I learned that it was the seal on my bones that was responsible for my enhanced physical strength. The whole circulating chakra thingy? Hogwash I don¡¯t even want to remember I came up with. Assumptions over assumptions based on faulty anime logic. I still circulated chakra because it felt therapeutic, and made me feel better, but now I knew that as long as the seal was on my bones, I¡¯d grow stronger with time. This wasn¡¯t an effect that I would lose if I removed the seal, on the contrary, it had permanently made my body stronger. It was my own protagonist¡¯s cheat. The longer I live, the stronger I¡¯d become. This whole thing reinforced my bones, muscles, and overall made me healthier and more resistant. At the cost of being a time bomb Orochimaru could pop anytime he wanted. Case in point, the seal was still trying to kill me. Damned snake never gave me a lock to disable the seal, just suppress it. I guess his real reason was to force me to seek him out when it turned out I couldn¡¯t stop the timed bomb. But now the snake was dead, and I my hope was to find anything useful in its lair. ¡­ I really needed to stop the badger references. I was the future Black Flash dammit, not the future Black Badger. Case was, I wanted to find Oro¡¯s base. Maybe if I was lucky, some part of his research survived and I could start disabling the bad part of the seals. However, I wanted to keep the good parts. The thought of getting stronger with the passage of time was something that made me giddy with anticipation. I don¡¯t know what the limit of that was, but stronger was stronger. Imagine if I could rival Tsunade on brute strength in a few years? I still needed to learn about the other seals: The heart, the eyes. I had a few theories. My educated guess was that the seal on my heart was the one responsible for eating all the foreign chakra entering my body. Maybe it was a defense mechanism Orochimaru added to prevent others from meddling with the seals? Only the effect now was to make me resistant to external influences. It didn¡¯t work on Orochimaru because, being his own work, it recognized the chakra signature and offered no protection at all. That was also what made me bad at mokuton. Maybe the seal was incomplete, or parts of it aren¡¯t working as intended, which in turn forced me to use way more chakra than needed. It was a far fetched theory, but I had no other ideas. I shook my head. Pushing the distractions away. I''ve been following Hayase almost on instinct. The older chunin talked to a few of the locals. Even attracted a bit of attention from some older folk. I scanned around, found a group of kids huddled together looking at us, then discussing furiously among themselves. I didn¡¯t think I would learn anything new by following Hayase like a pup. I pulled at his shirt, gestured to the group of kids when he looked my way. Well, I guess it was time to meet the local kids. 5.7 Years of partial isolation and unusual communication methods left me at a loss on how to approach the local kids. Did they know how to read? Should I just approach, write on my board and demand they tell me all the rumors around? The things adults thought kids wouldn¡¯t know or understand? I looked between the kids and the boring conversation Hayase was a part of. Considered if I should really approach the locals. Why was I hesitating? When did I become this timid? I steeled my resolve. Tapped Hayase¡¯s arm. Pointed at the kids when he looked. Got a nod from the chunin. I got this. It was just a bunch of kids. I was a strong, independent kunoichi. I knew how to interact with people, I knew how to charm people. I knew how to extract information from people. It was a class subject in the third year of the academy. My grades were almost top of the class on that one. I can do this. No backwater peasant would scare me into timidness. ¡­ I approached the group of huddled kids. It drew some attention, but it wasn¡¯t until I was right by their side that they became aware of my presence. I flipped the board I had been carrying under my arm, and under the curious gaze of the small crowd, I wrote. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Hinata. Is there anything fun to do around here?¡± The gathered kids were what you would expect from a small town. The boys had an assortment of gray, browns and earthen tones: loose-fitting coats and pants, simple sandals made of straw. One of the five boys also wore those socks with separated toes, tabi. Another one barefooted. The barefooted one was also the biggest of the lot, with worse looking clothes, a crooked nose, and a nasty smile. The leering grin she shot my way earned him the name of Jerkface. Among the small crowd of boys, there were two girls. One was as thin as a bean pole, tall and long faced. Sun tanned skin, pockmarked with acne and smeared with a few spots of dirt. The second girl looked younger than me, maybe nine or ten, dressed in fancy looking and colored clothes. She wore the full regalia: a light pink kimono, the skirt-like hakama, the wide sash over the kimono, the toed socks and wooden sandals. It wasn¡¯t a surprise when the gathered kids turned to the smaller, better dressed girl and stared at her. The younger girl looked around, wide eyes, almost as if looking for an escape route. She stammered her way through reading what I wrote. Poor girl. That had been normal enough. A bit of back and forth later, and off we went to another area, towards the place the kids usually gathered. It was a few streets away from the main trading area, in the more run down and old looking parts of the town. None of the other adults paid us any attention. I guess that no one cared what the brats were up to, as long as no one left the town¡¯s protective walls. Our destination was something like an abandoned hut, maybe a shed, I wasn¡¯t sure. Medieval Japanese architecture wasn¡¯t my forte. For all its stylized charm, Konoha looked more like a modern city when compared to these rural villages. I was eager to dive into all the gossip and rumors and other info kids were wont to know. My surprise then, when two ¡®factions¡¯ among the gathered crowd, started bickering to see who would ¡®get¡¯ the ¡®new girl¡¯.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Worse yet, the small kid, which everyone called Linlin got thrown into the mess, by virtue of being the only one among the brats that could read. Her scared demeanor and wide frantic eyes wasn¡¯t what pissed me off, however. The big barefooted jerk, that I refused to learn the name of, by virtue of being the tallest ¡ª and probably oldest of the lot ¡ª kept trying to declare me ¡®his new girl¡¯. Dirty arm trying to snake around my waist, ignoring all the times I pushed it off me, or walked away from him. Worse yet, he kept staring at my face, breathing noxious fumes at me. I don¡¯t know where the idea came from when I decided to talk with the locals. In my mind, I¡¯d approach the kids, insta-join their clique, be told all the secrets and rumors regarding the boring adults and town news. Well, that wasn¡¯t what happened. Although it started simple enough. I closed my eyes. Took deep breaths. Regretted immediately. A shudder started from my toes up to my neck, stomach roiling in disgust. Don¡¯t even know why I was even nervous before coming here to meet them. Dumb brats will be dumb brats. Jerkface tried to put his arm around my waist again and I had enough of this bullshit. I stepped around him, kicked his legs. Kicked him on the sides while he fell. Might have put a bit more force than necessary. Jerkface cried out, curling into a fetal position, hands holding his side where I kicked him. The arguing stopped immediately. I looked at the wide eyed and open mouthed brats, already regretting my lack of restraint. The kid was annoying, but I could have just left, no need to hurt the brat. I was supposed to act like a normal kid, dammit. Linlin, however, looked at me with stars in her eyes. Interesting. Nothing for it. I walked forward, grabbed poor Linlin¡¯s hand, and gently pulled her away from the stunned kids, back toward the town¡¯s center. Pulling her away from the group might be even worse for her, but I wasn¡¯t willing to leave the girl behind. What if Jerkface decided to take revenge or something silly like that? And her reaction was strange. Not everyone got excited when a potential ninja did ninja things. Linlin didn¡¯t resist. It¡¯d be pretty embarrassing if she did. She was more than eager to follow. Her hand gripped mine and didn¡¯t want to let go. Even after I tried to release it a few times. We had just gone past the earshot of the other kinds when the supposedly timid girl opened the floodgates. ¡°You¡¯re like Sasame-chan, right? She is like you as well. So fast! I couldn¡¯t even see you move, how did you do it? So cool.¡± I glanced at Linlin. If before I thought I saw stars in her eyes, now it was whole galaxies. Sasame, that name sounded familiar, even if I couldn¡¯t place it. The kid didn¡¯t seem to notice my confusion. ¡°She¡¯s like, super strong as well, and not afraid to boss that big bully around.¡± Her face fell, and her voice lost a bit of fervor. ¡°He¡¯s been so annoying ever since they left.¡± My kunoichi-y senses tingled. I knelt in front of Linlin, tugged at her hands gently, coaching her to release me. When I was free, I took my board, wrote on it. ¡°Where did they go?¡± I didn¡¯t know yet who ¡®they¡¯ were, but I was about to find out. ¡°Sasame-chan wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡± The girl pouted. Kicked at the ground. Looked away. ¡°Clan secrets.¡± Instead of taking Linlin back into the market proper, I took a turn toward one small park-like area I¡¯d seen when moving with the other brats. There was this charming wooden bench made from a fallen tree, and a few other rustic looking tables. I sat, and Linlin did the same. I considered what to do. After thinking about it for a bit, I wrote on my board. ¡°You promise to keep this a secret?¡± The girl nodded. Head bobbing up and down so fast I could barely keep with her movements. It was kinda cute. I took one of my mini seals from the pouch on my skirt waistband. Under the kid¡¯s curious gaze, I placed it on the table and my finger on the center of the seal. There was a puff of smoke, a gasp from the kid, and out popped an assortment of cupcakes, sweets, and pastries. As well as a thermos with tea. The surprised squeal from Linlin when she saw the sweets brought a smile to my face. I took my board again, wrote for the girl. ¡°Eat, and tell me everything about Sasame-chan.¡± Halloween Special If I could make a sound, I¡¯m pretty sure someone would say I was cackling like an evil witch. I couldn¡¯t help it. My masterpiece sat there, just in front of me. It was perfect. Beautiful. I threw my head back, silent-cackled again. Clawed fingers up. The classic crazy villain pose. It took a while until I regained my bearings. I wiped an errant tear away. Damn, that was embarrassing. Laughing until you cry. I closed my eyes. Deep breaths helped me take control of myself. When I calmed down, I looked over the perfection on my kitchen table. Small rectangular forms. Chocolate, wine red, sun yellow and sky blue. Colored caramel sprinkled with powdered sugar. An urge to laugh almost overcame me again, but I held back. With trembling hands, I took one candy. Took a sniff. Debated if I should risk a bite. Shook my head. Not worth it. I gathered my magnum opus, taking care to not jostle the candy too much. With careful and deliberate movements, everything went into the container I had prepared. With one final longing glance, I sealed it. I placed it on the stack, with the rest of the explosive candies. On the left, was the other normal candy I prepared for tomorrow¡¯s academy exercise. A sigh of contentment escaped me. The inspiration hit me after I finished baking the candy for the event. I already had exploding cupcakes, but what about exploding candy? The idea was perfect! Of course, I wasn¡¯t crazy. This one, different from the cupcakes, wasn¡¯t a real explosive. It was just explosive. I mean, if everything worked like I planned, it would expand and burst out, splashing sugary syrup everywhere. Not to mention the extra effects. I really wanted to test those. A loud knock at the door interrupted my musings. ¡°Hinata-chan!¡± The sunshine brat called out. Why was he here? Did something happen? Why was he banging on my door in the middle of the night? ¡°Hinata-chan, we¡¯ll be late for the training mission.¡± I blinked a few times. Looked at the clock on the wall. Seven and half in the morning. Looked to the window and toward the sky. Overcast, dark clouds, but definitely morning. Shit, I was going to be late. How did time pass so fast? The banging on my door sounded again. ¡°Hinata-chan? Are you still sleeping?¡± Without waiting, I turned around, ran. I was at the door before Naruto could rattle it again. Pulled it open. The brat had his hand raised, ready to cause even more fuss. He looked at his hand, the door, then at me. His cheeks turned pink, he looked away. I looked down. Last night, inspiration struck when I was preparing to sleep. I was still in my pajamas. I rolled my eyes. Brats will be brats. Without waiting for anything, I grabbed Naruto, pulled him inside the apartment. Before he could say anything, out popped my board. ¡°Naruto-kun, I overslept. There''s a stack of seals on my kitchen table. Can you gather them for me?¡± I showed him the board. Naruto tilted his head. Nodded. He turned, but before he left I grabbed his arm. He looked at me again. I went to write again on the board. ¡°The stack on the left. Leave the ones in the center there.¡± Naruto read it again, scratched his head. Shrugged, nodded. After that, I bolted for my bedroom. Had to take a shower and get out of my pajamas. Today was a special day.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror: Soft round face, fair skin, big black eyes, snake pupil in one of my eyes. Hair was done in a half bob cut, with the left side shaved. Shaved by virtue of necessity. Emosuke had, once again, tried to burn off my face for no reason. The gall of the brat. What was he? Depressed or something? The face on the mirror reflected my annoyance with Emosuke. Or annoyance with all else. I mean, how could I compete with the clan kids at this rate? The three basic academy jutsu? That was just unfair. Stupid village rules and clan favoritism. But enough moping about, today I had grand things planned. It was the last day of the tenth month. That meant Halloween! Not that anyone in Konoha even knew what Halloween was. There were a few civilian festivals in the village, mostly centered around one holiday or another. There were even a few spirit themed festivals, with the lanterns and all. But that wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I wanted ¡ª no, I needed ¡ª a good trick-or-treat Halloween day.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Unfortunately, there was no way I could organize a trick-or-treat day. The context just wasn¡¯t there. Young shinobi in training disguising as spiritual creatures and knocking on other people¡¯s doors asking for candies? Yeah, not happening. Which was why, after badgering Iruka-sensei for a long while, I managed to wear down the man and convinced him to accept one of my plans. This whole situation, of course, was disguised as an academy exercise. Which was why I went on a cooking spree yesterday. I baked a lot of candies. Iruka-sensei agreed to hide the candies and set us to find them. It wasn¡¯t trick-or-treat, but candy treasure hunt on Halloween would suffice. ¡°Hinata-chan, we¡¯re gonna be late!¡± Naruto yelled again. ¡°I can¡¯t be late today. Today is the day I defeat Sasuke!¡± I rolled my eyes again. Sunshine brat and Emosuke rivalry was annoying as always. But Naruto was right. With one last look at the mirror, I left my bedroom. Naruto was already at the door, waiting. He handed me the stack of seals. I gave him a smile. Ushered him out. Closed the door. Academy waited for no one.
Damn Iruka-sensei. That man was evil. Ragged breaths escaped me. I was sprawled on one of the training forests, sweat dripping from my forehead. I guess his idea of treasure hunting was to set other shinobi to hunt us while we tried to find the package. This was supposed to be fun treasure-hunting. Not to flee for my life and find treasure. But it was fun, nonetheless. Between Henge, Kawarimi and Bushin no jutsu, I think I did well. Behind me, the kunoichi in charge of catching me was also breathing heavily. Even if she wasn''t as exhausted as I was. Our eyes met. I gave her a big smile. She smiled back. If I just looked at this from another angle, wasn¡¯t this just a game of tag mixed with capture the flag? ¡°Good job.¡± The kunoichi said after a moment. ¡°You gave me a good workout.¡± I did a small victory dance. The kunoichi chuckled. That wasn¡¯t to say I managed to complete the exercise. The girl was relentless. I couldn¡¯t shake her off, and nothing I did was enough to get past her and toward the goal. Time ran out before I managed to get past her. Which was fine. We returned to the entrance of the training forest. The rest of the class was already there. It seems I was the last to return. Kunoichi-chan gave me a wave. She looked at Iruka-sensei and Mizuki. They exchanged nods. She left. From near sensei, Emosuke sneered. From his self satisfied smile, I¡¯m guessing he was the first to complete the training. Naruto was there as well, hand behind his head, hollering something or another. I guess he also managed to reach the goal. The other students seemed fine. None of them looked as ragged as I felt. Iruka-sensei cleared his throat. ¡°Good job. Everyone did very well on today¡¯s exercise¡ª ¡± Mizuki cut Iruka-sensei mid speech, eyes toward me. ¡°Even those who didn¡¯t manage to complete their goal.¡± Iruka-sensei coughed. ¡°Yes, even those who didn¡¯t manage to get to the goal. But everyone put in the effort. Congratulations.¡± Some of the kids cheered. Iruka-sensei held up the container of colorful candies I had made. My eyes widened. I recognized it. It was the wrong ones ¡ª the experimental ones. I reached for my board, scribbled as fast as I could. Kiba shouldered past me, reaching for his prize. ¡°Second place isn''t so bad,¡± he grinned, picked up a bright blue candy. Next to him, Shino accepted a yellow one, while Sasuke examined a wine-red piece with his usual brooding persona. I looked at Naruto, who was rubbing his neck. Our eyes met. He looked at my board, the message I scribbled there. Realization dawned on his face. His mouth formed a perfect ''O''. But it was too late. The first explosion came from Kiba. The blue candy expanded in his mouth like a balloon before bursting with a soft pop. A cloud of sugar powder erupted, coating his hair in a spectacular array of bright colors. The edible glitter sparkling with a rainbow shine under the sparse sunlight. Akamaru barked, licked Kiba¡¯s face. Barked again, tail wagging fast. ¡°What the¡ª¡± Shino started, but never finished. His sun yellow candy burst next, and suddenly the air was filled with the excited buzzing of his kikaichu. Oh no, insects and sugar. But the best¡ªor worst¡ªwas Sasuke. He had just taken a tentative bite of the wine-red candy when it exploded in a shower of crystalline sugar. The Uchiha heir stood there, frozen. Powder settled on his face and hair. Then a stray beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, and Sasuke sparkled. The class fan girl¡¯s squeals of delight could probably be heard in Suna. But that wasn¡¯t the end. The rest of the candies on Iruka-sensei¡¯s hand exploded. Syrup and powdered sugar, and all those other things mixed into my experimental candies covered the rest of the class. Mizuki bellowed, face red with fury. "What is th¡ª" He stopped mid-sentence, having accidentally inhaled some of the airborne candy powder. His next words came out in squeaky high pitch: "What is this?" The entire class fell silent. Even Sasuke stopped trying to wipe off the sparkles. "When I find out who''s responsible, they''ll clean the Academy for a week!" Mizuki continued, looking mortified, his voice even higher. I erased the warning I had written on my board, started to write an explanation. Wasn¡¯t sure if Mizuki would accept this was just a misunderstanding, but Naruto jumped forward, hands behind his head and wearing his biggest grin. "Got you all good, dattebayo!" he declared. "This is my best prank ever!" There was another moment of silence. The whole class yelled. ¡°NARUTO!!!¡± He ran. The class ran after him.
Later that night, I went to visit the brat. Even made sure to buy his favorite ramen. I looked at Naruto. He slurped his food. Gave me me a thumbs up, ¡°Your pranks are way better than mine, Hinata-chan!¡± I rolled my eyes, but couldn¡¯t hide my grin. Next time, better make sure Naruto wasn¡¯t anywhere near my experiments... or maybe not. Sasuke did look much better with a bit of sparkle. 5.8 Between mouthfuls of cupcakes, pudding, and sweets induced squealing, Linlin spilled all her secrets. Which didn''t amounted to much more than what her questions had already revealed. This Sasame was an older girl ¡ª or perhaps my age, given the way Linlin tended to exaggerate everything related to this girl. She was this awesome ninja, capable of beating anyone ¡ª or maybe just bullying the normal annoying kids. She could fly between trees and hide in plain sight ¡ª pretty normal for a trained shinobi. Sasame-chan belonged to this family of legendary ninjas ¡ª maybe just a small town shinobi clan? In the end, what I learned was that Sasame was a two meters tall girl, unrealistically super strong, with a penchant to bully normal kids when they were being annoying, and that all of her family ¡ª a hidden shinobi family ¡ª were legendary people that lived somewhere close but obviously hidden. All in all, the only thing I was certain of was that this Sasame was a girl, and she had orange hair. Even so, the kid was cute. I mean, it was pretty funny how much she went gaga for the sweets, like she never ate any before. Not even her forehead escaped. Not sure how she managed to splash pudding there. It was like the kid was on fire. She ran, she yelled, she even puppy eyed me into playing tag. ¡°Please? No one plays with me anymore, ever since Sasame-chan left months ago.¡± From running and yelling to on verge of tears in seconds. I was sure the kid was yanking my chains, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to deny it. So I played. Tag, hide and seek, ken-ken-pa, Nawatobi ¡ª No idea where she got the rope from. I might have gotten too much into playing. The sun started to dip behind the mountains in the distance, Linlin began yawning. I felt a bit ashamed of enjoying it that much. Crazy good ninja I was. This was just an act. I was just doing my part. I might not have learned much, but I learned some things. There was a shinobi family in this town. A lot of them disappeared months ago, the remaining fled or might be hiding from Orochimaru, or perhaps working with Orochimaru. I¡¯d report that to Yamato. I patted the kid¡¯s head, she leaned into my hand. Still not sure why people liked doing that to me. She yawned again. I took my board again. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, should I take you home?¡± I poked the girl after I finished writing. Linlin eyed me with sleepy eyes, nodded. Her movements were slow, like she was almost asleep already, which surprised me. She yawned once more, then raised her arms to me. The sacred gesture of kids everywhere begging to be carried. I rolled my eyes, stowed my board, extended my arms to the girl. Linlin moved closer, draped her arms around my neck. Gently, I coached the girl until I was carrying her piggyback style. It was a bit awkward because, even though she was young, she wasn¡¯t small. Carrying her took some adjusting, more because I didn¡¯t want people to see how easy it was to carry her. Under sleepy instructions, and a few gentle shakes to keep Linlin awake, we arrived at her house. Not one bit surprised to learn she lived in the same place as the town¡¯s headman. If my history lessons didn¡¯t fail me, the correct term was shoya, or nanushi depending on the region, but I was going to call it what it was: the mayor¡¯s house. Was Linlin the man¡¯s daughter? That would explain the nice clothes and why she knew how to read. I stepped forward, the guards at the door already moving toward me. At the same time, the gates opened and out stepped Yamato, Sai and a portly man, followed by a gamut of servants. We looked at one another for a moment, when the portly man laughed, and patted his belly. ¡°Oh my, it seems someone took care of finding my runaway daughter.¡± There was this moment of quiet, where I think the man expected me to say something. I looked at Yamato, held back an eye roll, shrugged. What did he expect me to do here? Drop the kid to take my board?Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Apologizes, sir.¡± Yamato finally intervened. ¡°My daughter hasn¡¯t been able to speak since her mother passed away.¡± I nodded. Looked at the portly man, then at the sleeping girl. The mayor took it in stride, looked behind him, yelled for someone. ¡°Come and get Linlin.¡± Out of the gates power walked a young woman, dressed in simple but clean clothes. She approached, gave me a small bow. Took Linlin from my hands with a small fond smile on her face. Gave me a nod before disappearing inside the house with the sleeping kid. I walked to Yamato¡¯s side, pretending I wasn¡¯t paying attention to everything around while the ¡°adults¡± talked. And talk they did. I got only the last dregs of their conversation, but the fatso kept asking about the destroyed village we saw on our way here. It still took a few minutes until Yamato managed to ditch the man. Together we left to meet Hayase, with one of the mayor''s servants accompanying us. We arrived at the agreed place to find the chunin was already there. Yamato looked at us after we were reunited. ¡°The mayor was kind enough to provide us a place to sleep and someone to lead us there.¡± He indicated the man that had been following us all the while. ¡°The day was long and we best rest for tomorrow¡¯s journey.¡± Hayase nodded, Sai shrugged. I think I missed something there. That was out of character even for Yamato. ¡®Dad¡¯ turned to the man in question. After a brief exchange of words, the servant led us away. The place the man guided us to stay for the night wasn¡¯t far from the town center, or the mayor¡¯s house. It wasn¡¯t exactly a dilapidated house, but it was clear the place hadn¡¯t been maintained for a while. The door stood ajar, the front lawn was infested with weed and vines and other types of vegetation you didn¡¯t see on a cared for house. He didn¡¯t follow us inside. The servant bowed and left after delivering us. The inside of the house wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be. Even if the outside wasn¡¯t in good condition or cleaned in a while. The interior was clean-ish, with just a fine layer of dust sprinkled over the furniture and floor. While the boys looked around, I went searching for lamps to light and fend off the night¡¯s darkness. The house wasn¡¯t bad, all things considered. I wasn¡¯t sure what Yamato said to the portly man to warrant such treatment or accommodations. I was pretty sure no random travelers were escorted to a house where they can rest for the night. Had Yamato paid for any of this? Did he come to some sort of agreement with the mayor? In the end, it was kind of funny, because I was sure that if it wasn¡¯t because of our disguises, Yamato could conjure a better, and cleaner, house for us to rest for the night. The things we ninja did to keep on our disguises. Shaking my head at the useless thoughts, I got to work. After a cursory examination of the place, I plotted how to do it in my mind, then moved back to the entrance. The rest of the team was still there, looking around, and talking in low voices. Bunch of lazybones. I took my board, wrote things. ¡°Hayase, you go back into the market, see if you can find any merchant still there. Buy fresh vegetables and meat, if you can.¡± Hayase scratched his head, looked at Yamato, but when the jounin didn¡¯t say anything he shrugged. ¡°Anything in particular?¡± I thought about it for a bit. ¡°No mystery meat?¡± Hayase scratched his head again, nodded, left the house. I looked at my next victim: even after days, I couldn¡¯t put away my dislike for Sai Everytime I looked at the boy, annoyance bubbled in my chest. I wasn¡¯t sure what his deal was, but he didn¡¯t seem to like me either. It was in the way his dead eyes kept following me. Or the veiled contempt in his voice. Or it was just my imagination because I didn¡¯t like him. My bias toward the fictional character I disliked. Mulling over things, I wrote on my board. ¡°Sai, can you check the bedrooms and clear some of the dust?¡± Sai didn¡¯t agree, or disagreed. His emotionless eyes stared just for a fraction too long, smiled without feelings never reaching his eyes. He turned round, moved inside the house. The last one was Yamato. I didn¡¯t want to order him around, but since he hadn¡¯t said anything, I kept with my original plan. ¡°Yamato, can you clean the living room? Meanwhile, I¡¯ll clean the kitchen and get started on dinner.¡± The jounin smiled, nodded, then started on his task. I turned around and went to do my part as well. Had to clean things off before Hayase returned. I wasn¡¯t sure yet what to cook for dinner, that would depend on what Hayase managed to find, but I¡¯m sure it would be better than anything we could come up with on the road. My stomach rumbled. I thought back on the day. Linlin kept mentioning this Sasame-chan, and given everything, it seems she and her family left the town a few months back. Had they really left? Maybe there was an answer there that I wasn¡¯t seeing. 5.9 Hayase managed to find eggs, a chicken, potatoes, cabbage, and rice. I won¡¯t say dinner was the best affair out there, but it was decent. The team sat in the living room around the table with the food spread over it. Egg fried rice, chicken with potato, stir fried cabbage. I still wish I had packed more than salt. While we devoured dinner, we talked and talked. On the surface, we¡¯re discussing the day of travel, the food, how our day was in the city, all that boring travel talk. Meanwhile, we also talked using Konoha¡¯s standard coded language to convey actual information. Between bites of rice and chicken, Yamato ordered through a coded hand movement. ¡°Hayase, report.¡± Hayase, eating a mouthful of rice, replied ¡°Trade all but ended with nearby towns and villages. People are too scared to leave the walls. Rumors of a man-eating monster outside the walls started a few days ago. There¡¯s something most people are too afraid to talk about with a stranger. They might have been threatened by someone. I was followed to the market and back, but didn¡¯t see anyone that wanted to attack.¡± He looked bored on the outside, but the signs were all there. The way his mouth kept curving up in almost a smile, the movement of his fingers, just a bit faster than necessary for the message he wanted to convey, the gleam in his eyes, his posture, just slightly forward in anticipation. Our eyes met, I held back the smile. Another one that understood how coded messages were cool! I gave him a thumbs up, barely containing my anticipation at my turn to report. My turn was next. ¡°Hinata, report.¡± Coded Yamato. ¡°There was a shinobi clan in the town. I don¡¯t know what the clan¡¯s name is, but they left, or moved out a few months ago. I couldn¡¯t find where their base of operations was, but according to what I managed to find, while the clan had a base of operations inside the town, a shop or bar, most of the clan lived somewhere outside the town.¡± Yamato nodded, ate another bite, turned to Sai. ¡°Report.¡± ¡°The mayor has someone watching the house, and as Hayase said, followed him to the market and back. They don¡¯t look like trained shinobi.¡± When Sai didn¡¯t code anything else, Yamato moved on with his own report. ¡°The mayor seems to be up to something, but I don¡¯t think it is anything related to our own mission. The attacks started a few days back, like you already reported, and while he didn¡¯t say specifically, he complained about people that were supposed to protect the town leaving for no reason. Overall, the man seems more interested in the state of things outside, and his own fortune.¡± Still eating, he turned to Hayase, coded the next question. ¡°What are your thoughts on the situation, Hayase?¡± Hayase sucked on a chicken thigh bone. ¡°There¡¯s not enough information for an accurate assessment. Normal people are used to feeling threatened, which can be explained if Orochimaru took over the Land of Rice Fields. The shinobi clan leaving might be related to that: They either fled because of Orochimaru, or tried to put up a fight and were wiped out. This monster might be something out of Orochimaru¡¯s lab. The timing is too coincidental to what we expected from his operations. The remaining troops from Konoha¡¯s attack might have fled here, released the monster as a distraction, maybe for any other number of reasons, or the creature broke out of whatever prison it was in when no one came back to check on it.¡± While out loud Sai talked about the Mayor¡¯s house and city in general, he coded a different message. ¡°What if we go looking for this hidden shinobi family? They might know about Orochimaru¡¯s lab¡¯s whereabouts, and have vital information we can use.¡± Yamato considered. Out loud, he spoke about the food they ate at the mayor¡¯s house and how quaint the town was. Meanwhile, his code spoke of something else. ¡°We cannot risk it at this moment. We don¡¯t know this shinobi clan¡¯s disposition, and if possible, I still want to maintain secrecy over our presence here. Going after this monster is a gamble, but one that might not alert others to our presence.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. All around the table, we nodded at Taichou¡¯s decision. I shuffled, uncomfortable. Remembered how I lost my cool, almost beat up that bully, and let Linlin see the storage seals. Even if that led to learning useful information, it was a huge mistake that a competent kunoichi shouldn¡¯t make. Yamato nodded, eating the last of his dinner. ¡°Good work everyone. We¡¯ll go after this monster attacking the nearby villages tomorrow. If Hayase¡¯s conjecture is right, following its trail might lead us to the hideout. I¡¯ll take the first watch, followed by Sai, Hayase and Hinata.¡± He stopped, placed his chopsticks down. Spoke out-loud. ¡°Thank you for the meal, Hinata-chan. It was delicious.¡± Hayase didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. ¡°Thank you for the meal, Hinata-chan!¡± I scratched my cheek. Pretended my face wasn¡¯t burning in a whole different type of embarrassment.
Waking up to someone shaking your shoulder was never pleasant. I wasn¡¯t one to sleep until noon, but years of living alone and making my own routine and keeping my own hours made me grumpy in the dark hours before dawn. In front of me, Hayase yawned, waved his hand, then crawled inside his sleeping bag. The four of us had set up our sleeping bags in the living room. Hayase and Sai wanted to sleep in the bedrooms, but I argued that it was a risk factor when we didn¡¯t need to risk being separated. Now, I know, I did send Sai to clean those bedrooms, but I never claimed I wasn¡¯t petty, and that my dislike for the show version of Sai wasn¡¯t influencing my decision making. Thankfully, no one called me on that. The decision to not split apart was always a good one. I yawned again. Cleaned crust from my eyes, wiped away a bit of drool with the back of my hand. Still on sleep mode, I got to my morning ablutions. It always surprised me the mix of modern commodities and charming medieval customs the world of Naruto had. I finish cleaning my mouth, spit out the mint flavored mixture, put away my toothbrush. All this while, I keep my senses honed on the outside. Ready for the day. I step through the room with my sleeping teammates. A quick look and I move on. Nothing here to see, aside from Yamato sleeping like he was in a coffin, with his back on top of the sleeping bag, instead of sleeping inside it. He even kept his hands clasped over his chest. I think he does that on purpose. Creepy. Checking the other rooms in the house didn¡¯t reveal anything, which was expected. I would have sensed chakra if there was someone hiding there. It was good practice to not get complacent, just because I could sense chakra. Done with the inside of the house, I did a tour of the outside. The town was as quiet as a graveyard. In the darkest hour of the day, just before dawn, it had a sinister look, and I all but expected the town destroying monster to jump on me. Nothing of the sort happened. The place was quiet, only the cold wind breaking the silence. My steps almost faltered midway my patrol route. There it was again, that feeling of being observed. I focused on the sounds of the night, or the lack thereof. The only thing I could hear was the wind and rustling of leaves. Night animals, insects and the many noises you usually hear were not there anymore. I didn¡¯t remember when they had stopped. For all my focus, I hadn¡¯t been paying attention to sounds disappearing. Like the other times this happened, nothing jumped at me. There was no sound, no presence, no chakra, nothing. I wasn¡¯t going to report it again. I reported the first three times. The rest of the team went on full alert, and we spent hours scouring the surroundings trying to find what was the cause. Cadaver pale Sai dismissed me as being paranoid and over reacting, Hayase was on the fence about the whole thing. Yamato took me seriously and didn¡¯t dismiss my concerns. But each time I raised the alarm, it disrupted the whole team, and at this point, I was starting to believe annoying Sai might be right on some level. Maybe I was just paranoid. The sensation of being watched disappeared when the sun showed up on the horizon and the voices and buzz from the waking town heralded a new day. I wasn¡¯t sure if going monster hunting was a good thing, but I was itching to do some cool ninja stuff. I mean, infiltration mission was cool and all, but it had been a while since I trained or even used my jutsu. A smile crept on my face. My fingers twitched in anticipation. You can¡¯t blame a girl for feeling anxious because she¡¯s been separated from her explosions for too long. 5.10 Before we left town, we visited the mayor again. I think it was a courtesy visit rather than an obligation on our part. Maybe Yamato didn¡¯t want to burn bridges if we somehow needed to come back here. I didn¡¯t mind either way. While waiting for the ¡®grown ups¡¯ to talk the important talk, I took the opportunity to meet Linlin again. Pat her head, leave more pastries for the girl. These ones I popped out of their seal before we even left the house we slept in. No need to give even more people more information about us. It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise that after the girl learned I was leaving, she clammed up. Her face flashed with a lot of expressions too quickly to parse. She looked down, and her shoulders began to shake. I didn¡¯t hear a single sound from her. What was I expecting? From everything I saw, she didn¡¯t fit with the other kids, and her only friend, this Sasame-chan, left without even saying goodbye months ago. I knelt in front of the silent sobbing girl. Wrapped my arms around her. She grabbed my clothes, sobbed harder. We stayed like that until the same woman from yesterday came looking for me. ¡°Your father is waiting for you.¡± I patted Linlin¡¯s head. Took my board, thought about what to write. I didn¡¯t want to lie, but I didn¡¯t want to make any promises I couldn¡¯t keep either. After I wrote my message, I guided the girl¡¯s face to read from the board. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to visit if I can. If I find Sasame-chan, I¡¯ll tell her to visit too.¡± Linlin looked at me with those big, sad, tear filled eyes. She nodded, lips quivering. Urgh, I always thought I was bad with children, but this was too much. Lilin looked like a sad puppy. I closed my eyes. Exhaled, my whole body releasing tension I didn¡¯t even know was there. I patted the puppy¡¯s head. I didn¡¯t dare to look. That girl was way too adept at puppy eyeing others. I couldn¡¯t risk it. After that, I took my leave. No reason to keep this awkward moment longer than it needed to be. It left me thinking about a similar situation that happened in the Land of Waves, where Tsunami also went all emotional on me when I was leaving. No, I didn¡¯t get emotional. Not then, not now. I just got a bit of dust in my eyes. That¡¯s all. I met with the rest of the team outside. We were ready to leave. Yamato said a few last words to the mayor and off we went into the sunset. No, of course not. It wasn¡¯t even noon yet. Officially, our destination was Daimyo city, same as yesterday, this being just one more stop in our journey to visit family. But again, that was just our disguise. What we wanted was to search the surrounding areas for any clue about this monster in the hopes it would lead us to Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. We kept on the road for a few hours. Sai¡¯s ink birds flying overhead to make sure no one followed us. When we were distant enough from the town, we left the road and ventured into the surrounding wilderness. The area around the trading town was surrounded by farming communities and rice fields. Our goal was one of the nearby forests. Hayase pointed out during the strategy meeting the previous day that any hideout wouldn¡¯t be in the open or in a rice field. There were also the details from the monster attack: all the information happened near this one particular patch of forest. It was still a huge area to search, but it was a lead nonetheless. I sealed away my backpack. Took out my ninja tools. I cast a Henge no Jutsu to change how I look. My ninja outfit was just too distinct to keep wearing when I didn¡¯t want to be recognized. Which was a bummer. A thought I might mull over later. A small, rebel voice in the back of my head yelled that I should dress like a proper ninja. I ignored it¡ªfor now. That voice didn¡¯t know what it was talking about. I don¡¯t think this kind of disguise would fool a competent shinobi, but every little detail helped. The others did the same.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. With preparations finished, we ran, dashed, hopped between tree branches. Hayase did a midair flip, flying for a moment upside down. Instantly, it reminded me of that iconic image of Naruto doing the same in the tv show. I had no idea what sort of tactical advantage that provided, if any, but it looked cool as heck. I wanted to do it too. Laugh, and cheer, and yell. Being a ninja was awesome. I didn¡¯t though. This was a serious mission. The fun didn¡¯t last long. With the speed we traveled, it didn¡¯t take us long to arrive at our destination. It was one of the areas Hayase pointed from the rumors and hints gathered in the town. Yamato looked at the tall, foreboding trees. Scanned the horizon, then looked at us. ¡°Hayase, you and Hinata explore the west side. Sai and I will explore the east.¡± When we didn¡¯t ask any questions, he continued. ¡°Be careful. We don¡¯t know what is happening here, what we want is information and the location of Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. If you encounter this creature that is scaring the nearby villages, retreat and regroup.¡± I saluted. Hayase nodded. Yamato wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°Sai, send one of your ink birds with them. We¡¯ll use that as a way to communicate between teams if needed.¡± A few moments later, a black inky bird flew above me and Hayase. The older chunin looked my way. After a brief nod, he ran into the forest and I followed. It might have been because of my biased expectations, but this place looked weird. Huge towering trees with canopy that blocked most of the sunlight. The forest had this foreboding atmosphere that made me think of horror movies. Worse yet was the silence: no skittering sound of bugs, chirping of birds or neigh of animals. Even the rustling wind sounded muted to my own ears. That didn¡¯t stop us. Deeper into the creepy forest we went in search of a monster, maybe a hideout of a worse monster, or even a missing orange-haired kunoichi. I concentrated on sensing any chakra around me. One of the things I¡¯ve neglected over the years of being a shinobi was this chakra sensing ability. I mean, there was always something more urgent to train for the immediate crisis at hand. More so when chakra sensing started to ¡ª around a lot of strong shinobi gathered in one place ¡ª be a distraction instead of something I could use. Now, I tried to push my senses as far as I could, cursing my earlier self for neglecting this ability. Even if I had no idea how to train it. No academy class covered it. I never tried to broach the subject with Kakashi-sensei. I knew sensor ninjas existed, at least I knew they existed in the original show, but it wasn¡¯t something I had easy access to. Maybe when I was back at Konoha, I could bug Kakashi-Sensei to teach more about chakra sensing. With thoughts of new training methods in mind, I jumped from the branch I was perched on, landing by Hayase¡¯s side. His brow was furrowed, fingers touching a particular spot on the ground. I took out my board, wrote my question. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Hayase looked up, then shook his head. ¡°Not sure. See here?¡± He pointed at a patch of soil near the base of the tree. I saw dirt, dry branches, decaying leaves, shrubs and all those things you see in forests. ¡°It looks like someone hid something here, but it was removed some time ago.¡± No matter how much I looked, I had no idea how Hayase reached that conclusion. Shinobi academy taught basic tracking, mostly in the form of games, but nothing that let me see whatever this clue was. Hayase shook his head, got up. ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, it was some time ago, weeks, maybe months. Let¡¯s keep looking.¡± I didn¡¯t want to look that incompetent, I nodded my agreement and off we went again searching for a needle in a haystack. Minutes turned into hours. Hayase pointed out more of those spots he was certain were used in the past, but even with those spots, we couldn¡¯t pinpoint what they were used for, or even if it had any link to Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. It was a good lead that there was something to find here, but not where to find said something. I did find other clues. Not that it took any super ninja tracking skills on my part. Not when the clue was a motherfucking uprooted tree, used like a baseball bat to bat other trees away. At least that was what it looked like to me. We were still looking around for any other information when the ink bird nearby us screeched, soon followed by Sai¡¯s voice. ¡°We¡¯re under attack. Please follow the bird.¡± We didn¡¯t have time to send a message back. The bird took off flying southeast, Hayase hot on its heels. I grabbed an exploding kunai, dashed after Hayase. I didn¡¯t really care if anything happened to annoying Sai. He could take a beating, it would serve him right. But Yamato was Kakashi-Sensei¡¯s friend and my part time teacher. Couldn¡¯t leave him hanging for no good reason. 5.11 Tree hopping was, at least for me, one of those quintessential ninja staples. I mean, who doesn¡¯t remember those moments of Naruto jumping from tree to tree, and the image of those same trees blurring past? Or that impression of movement, in which most ninjas didn¡¯t really hop from one tree to the next, but threw themselves, like a toss from a slingshot, with turning in the air and landing with an impact and all. I didn¡¯t have it in me to do that, even if envy burned inside me at seeing Hayase do just so. He threw himself from one branch to another, flipping upside down before landing on the next branch. My thoughts didn¡¯t stay in ninja hopping for long. In the distance, roars of an unknown creature, and the sounds of battle, took all of my attention. The sounds weren¡¯t anything I could place. It didn¡¯t sound human, not any animal I knew. The place of battle wasn¡¯t even hard to find. Not with huge branches popping out into the sky. Yamato was going all out. Which didn¡¯t bode well. Yamato was a strong jounin. He had the experience, the techniques, and his kekkei genkai. From what I knew of the man, he preferred small scale attacks. His mokuton lent well to restraining enemies, and if he was forced to bring out the big guns, then whatever he was fighting wasn¡¯t anything easy to deal with. Hayase sped up, a muttered curse under his breath. ¡°Shit.¡± I understood his sentiment. I didn¡¯t know what enemies we were facing, but I could at least plan. For some reason, Yamato didn¡¯t want me using Mokuton. The first day of our mission, he called me out away from the others. ¡°Hinata-san,¡± the man started in his serious voice, big black eyes staring at me. ¡°Unless it¡¯s an emergency, please avoid using your Mokuton jutsu.¡± I tilted my head, unsure of why. ¡°It drains too much of your chakra.¡± Yamato had explained. That was a few days ago. It smelled of hogwash for me, but I wasn¡¯t about to disobey. I could see the advantage of keeping my abilities secret. I don¡¯t think it was widespread knowledge yet, even in Konoha, that I had the same ability as the first Hokage, even if it left me gimped in the chakra department. Mid-jump, I picked up several kunai. Tied explosive tags around them. With a few others, I wrapped with my Kekkai H¨­jin tags, the non explosive version. Our mission was to gather information, I would try to capture instead of kill ¡ª another howl cut the afternoon air, a distant explosion sent a plume of smoke up to the sky ¡ª even if I didn¡¯t think whatever was roaring like that was human enough to be interrogated. We arrived at a scene of chaos straight out of a demented nightmare. Fighting against Yamato and Sai¡¯s ink animals was something that might once have been a human. It had legs, arms, heads. I counted three legs, seven arms and five heads. The amalgamation of what once was a human was tall. Two of me on top of each other might not be as tall as the thing. Two normal sized arms protrude from the front. It held a huge fuma shuriken. Another arm, protruding from the shoulder, was almost as long as the creature was tall. It was bulging, muscular and held a sword that wouldn¡¯t be out of place in the hands of some berserker anime characters. Another hand had claws like fingers. Other hands held kunai, shuriken and wires.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The creature had one head in what might have once been its chest. The face looked like an enraged man in his early forties. Black hair, prominent tear troughs. Somehow, that head still had a red bandanna around its forehead. The head on the right shoulder was of a young woman with long black hair. The woman¡¯s face resembled those evil spirit faces. The mouth, too large for the face, the eyes all white. The hair moved like it was alive, clumps forming into what looked like spears and spikes, lashing at everything nearby. The back of the creature bulged, in a way that made me think of an even worse Hunchback of Notre-dame. There were heads at the creature¡¯s back, screaming as if in pain. Two were female: one had short green hair, while the other a mane of orange. A pang of something uncomfortable hit me in the chest. Linlin¡¯s crying face intruded in my thoughts. The last head was of a male in his twenties, with purple hair. The creature''s stomach had a huge mouth, with serrated teeth. Yamato-One was crouched, hands on the ground, face serious. Yamato-Two dashed in and out in a frantic battle with the enemy. A third Yamato was near Sai, wrapped by blue strands of hair coming from the enemy. Wood and roots and branches tried to tie down the enemy to no avail. Sai sat down, leaned against a tree. Hands on his stomach, blood pooling out of a wound. The other hand on a scroll laid on the ground. Around the battlefield, a group of ink tigers harassed and distracted the monstrosity. In the moments I stood there gawking at the scene, the living black hair pierced through Yamato3. In a puff of smoke, Yamato-Three transformed into wood. A mokuton clone. But the clone¡¯s defeat left Sai vulnerable to enemy attack. The ink tigers leapt in the hair¡¯s path, protecting Sai, but the situation wasn¡¯t sustainable. The many combat scenarios Yamato had us discussing in our strategy meeting at nights came to my mind. None of them covered this exact situation, but I knew what was expected of me. In team seven, my usual role was one of support and control. Sasuke and Naruto were good at engaging the enemy head on, and improvising mid fight and abusing opportunities to turn any fight in our favor. My role there was to distract, create opportunities, reinforce them when needed. In this mission, my role was similar. Create distractions and opportunities, set up traps, precision strikes whenever possible. With a single glance at Hayase, who gave a brief nod, I prepared to engage. My hands flashed with a Tiger seal. I pushed my chakra in the necessary pathways. By my side, in a puff of smoke, out popped two shadow clones. Without waiting, I dug into my pouch, share some of my tools. Clone-chan 1, newly dubbed Distraction-chan, took the smoke bombs and explosives. Clone-chan 2, aka Seal-chan, took my prepared barrier kunais, among other supplies, gave me a grave nod. I took out some of my special explosive seals. Giddy excitement bubbling in my gut. It was finally time to explode things! Err, no, it was time to save our teammates and do cool ninja stuff. I glanced at Distraction and Seal-chan. Both had this silly, goofy grin on their faces. Feet boobing, body coiled, like they were trying not to move. I shook my head. My clones could be so silly. They didn¡¯t have my amazing self control. With one last nod the clones flicked and operation Explode stuff¡­ err Rescue Annoying Sai officially started. 5.12 The battle didn¡¯t wait for deliberations on my part. The preparations, even if it took little to no time, was time the enemy used. Without Yamato-Three to provide protection, Sai was left vulnerable to the creature¡¯s living hair. Yamato-One tried to compensate, creating even more roots and branches, but the chimera¡¯s huge Guts sword swung like a kid¡¯s toy was more than enough to cut off the attempt. Yamato-Two was still busy keeping the other arms busy. I understood it very well, if that thing started to toss shurikens and kunais on top of everything Sai was done for. Distraction-Chan took to her task with gusto. She leapt into action, explosive kunais soon followed by smoke bombs. It still wasn¡¯t any of my special supply¡ªSai and Yamato were too close for that¡ª but the explosion impact, followed by choking clouds of smoke, served to distract and obscure the creature¡¯s view. Meanwhile Seal-chan flitted around the battlefield, placing barrier kunais around the enemy. The enemy response was a howl. Many overlapping voices screaming in what sounded like pure agony. It reverberated through the air, made my skin crawl. From inside the cloud of smoke, I heard something cutting through the air, then wood breaking and splintering. Hayase moved, hands flashing with seals. Globules of water shot towards and into the smoke. I knew that jutsu. It was the same Zabuza used after tricking me to leave that drunkard bridge-builder from the Waves defenseless. A shudder of phantom pain spiked on my shoulder. Damn that man, how was the missing-nin and Haku doing? Had they managed to reach an agreement? I shook my head. Had my part to play. I didn¡¯t think getting close and personal with the enemy was the way to go. I wasn¡¯t afraid of getting injured, but I also wasn¡¯t the best in close quarters combat. I¡¯d leave that for Yamato. No, my goal was to provide distractions and bail the team out if needed. My hands flashed into seals: Tiger, dog, snake. My chakra, already divided between three, myself and the clones, tanked. Manipulating the wood clone jutsu to create the transmission seed wasn¡¯t easy. The way Yamato taught me was to create a clone, then morph the clone into a seed. I did similar, but instead of allowing the clone to form, I twisted it into a wooden kunai, used Shikoku F¨±in to imprint the beacon into the formed hardwood. A kunai wasn¡¯t a mandatory shape for my Kuro Raikou no Jutsu (Early access, alpha version v0.1). I could very well have used a shuriken, a katana, a frisbee or anything else, but if I was going to style myself after the Yondaime and his overpowered jutsu, I would god damn well use a kunai. Fangirl-sama demanded it, sue me. I didn¡¯t throw it, however. Yamato¡¯s orders were still clear in my mind. Mokuton was a last resort measure, and the situation didn¡¯t call for it yet. Even if I really wanted to use my jutsu. I mean, I needed to start my own legend at some point, right? Right? Another roar took me back to the now. I stashed the wooden kunai; a secret weapon should remain secret, even if I really wanted to use it and be awesome. More explosions followed. Smoke already dispersing. Most of Sai¡¯s ink summons were gone, the boy was paler, not sure how that was even possible. Hayase kept harassing the enemy with water bullets, but hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to extract the injured Sai. I threw exploding kunais. Had to explo¨C I mean, help with the battle. The battle was a blur of chaos, frantic attacks and defense. It was hard for me to keep track of everything that was happening, which cost me a bit of initiative. I shook my head, now wasn¡¯t the time to reflect on that. If I couldn¡¯t keep track of everything at the same time, I just needed to focus on what I could do. I dashed in towards the enemy. I held a single kunai. It was a calculated risk, but one I was willing to take.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Meanwhile, the enemy wasn¡¯t idle. Roots and branches snared the creature to the ground, preventing it from moving. The huge sword moved faster than the eye could see, each time it did, it cut the roots ensnaring itself, even if more kept growing to trap it back. Meanwhile, the living hair changed focus. It left Sai alone, changing targets to Yamato-Two. At the same time, the hands in the chest threw the fuma shuriken at Distraction-Chan. Other hands threw kunais and shurikens at everyone around. I moved out of the way, my clone ducked down, Hayase conjured a water shield; Sai¡¯s ink animals jumped in the path of the incoming projectiles. Yamato-One raised a small wooden barricade to block the thrown weapons. That barrier seemed to be the opening the monster was waiting for. It threw, not a kunai or shuriken, but the Guts sword the oversized arm was weaving around like it was a children''s toy. Yamato-One, now hidden behind the wall, had his vision blocked and didn¡¯t dodge. A scream tore out of my mouth. ¡°Look out!¡± I tasted blood, felt the pain. It happened too fast. The sword pierced the barrier like it wasn¡¯t even there. Impaling the hidden Yamato behind it. At the same time, Seal-chan unpopped herself. A deluge of information, and where she¡¯d placed the barrier flooded my mind, the communication between her and Yamato-Two. Distraction-Chan moved in, close and personal, holding a single kunai. I knew what came next. Distraction-chan¡¯s eyes were wide and manic, the smile unhinged. I flickered in front of Sai, hands flashing, forcing my still in progress and unnamed jutsu into play. A clear, force-like barrier sprang to life. The world shook, turned white, thunderous noise hit me. More information flooded my mind. The explosion impact hit the barrier and the barrier broke like it was glass. It hit me too, threw me like a rag doll. I didn¡¯t resist, I moved with the impact, twisting in the air, and positioning myself above the injured Sai. The ringing in my ears told me I would suffer for a while. A quick glance showed me that Sai, still alive, was now unconscious. A disheveled Hayase popped nearby. He said something. I shook my head, pointed to my ears. He nodded, walked closer, knelt, took Sai in his arms and fled. I turned my attention back to the still ongoing battle. Yamato, two of them now, double tagged the enemy, herding it toward the area Seal-chan prepared. Blood poured from the enemy¡¯s many injuries. Patches of skin were burned and cracked. One of the heads, the one with green hair had stopped screaming, it was now a listless dead face. Some of the creature¡¯s arms were missing. Even hurt like that, the monster hadn¡¯t stopped. Yamato¡¯s hand, clone or not I couldn¡¯t say, flashed into seals and a huge closed fist sprang out of the ground. Without the sword in hand, the chimera couldn¡¯t cut the wood and prevent the attack. Like a practiced boxer delivering a left hook, it hit the enemy, throwing it back¡ª and into the trap Seal-chan prepared. A shade of a smile came unbidden to my face. I don¡¯t know if my heart was beating faster because of the anticipation or the battle. The result was a bit anticlimactic, in a way. When the enemy crossed the perimeter, the barrier came to life. The explosion tags set in each of the corners were of my special supply. There was a muted thump and thunder, one I could feel on my bones. The barrier held, which I guess would make it worse for whatever would be trapped inside. When I was sure the explosion payload had ended and the barrier wasn¡¯t going to break, I moved closer, another kunai in hand. Yamato and his clone also approached. It took a while for the dust to clear inside the trap. When it did, there were only unmoving, partially charred corpses. Five of them. One, I noticed, looked like a young girl, maybe my age, or a bit older. The bits of hair that had survived the explosion was orange. Linlin¡¯s smiling, sparkling eyes, gushing about her amazing older ninja sister came to mind. ¡°Shit.¡± I cursed. I didn¡¯t even mind the pain and blood in my mouth. It felt deserved. 5.13 Yamato and I stood side by side, watching the results of the trap. My eyes were still glued to the corpse of the orange haired girl. A theory had started to brew in my head ever since I saw her, about the rumors and words spoken by the town¡¯s people regarding the elusive shinobi family living nearby, and their sudden disappearance. Linlin¡¯s sad frown talking about how her cool older ninja sister disappeared a few months back without warning. Information gathered by Hayase indicated that most of this shinobi family had gone missing. There was also another thing nagging at me. This whole trip felt strangely familiar to me. Like an old memory that wanted to come to life. Like something important I was forgetting. The silence stretched for what felt like minutes, but wasn¡¯t more than a few moments. ¡°Good job, Hinata-san. You did well. Kakashi would be proud.¡± I blinked, tore my eyes away from the corpses, stared at the jounin. My mind was still reeling from everything, not able to make sense of his words. More on reflex than conscious thought, I gave him a thumbs up. Yamato¡¯s hand flashed into the seals. Out of the earth, another Yamato popped out. Both original and clone¡¯s big black eyes bore into me, until the original looked away, toward where Hayase had fled, then back at me. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Sai. See what you can learn from our enemies meanwhile. I¡¯ll leave a clone here to protect you.¡± The clone nodded, flickering away after a few moments. I looked at the Yamato, where the clone had been, at the corpses, back at Yamato again. My mind still insisted on not working like it should, and the sick feeling in my gut wasn¡¯t going away. After a while, I nodded. Yamato opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, then shook his head, looked away, back at me. ¡°If anything happens, blast something nearby. I¡¯ll hear and come as fast as I can. I don¡¯t think we need to worry about being stealthy anymore.¡± After one last long look, Yamato left. Those words at any other time would have made me super giddy. No, I¡¯m lying, they still made me giddy. Being praised by a canon famous jounin was like a dream come true, but the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach dulled the moment. My eyes somehow returned to the orange haired, burned body. Why was that? These weren¡¯t the first people I killed. I killed that chunin in the land of waves, I killed more genin in the forest of death, I killed people during Konoha¡¯s Crush. That wasn¡¯t to say I enjoyed killing. On the contrary, I didn¡¯t feel anything at all. At Waves, I was giddy but not about the killing, it was because defeating that enemy meant protecting my teammates and the client and completing the mission. In the forest of death, the sound-nins I killed never even crossed my mind, I wasn¡¯t of sound mind at that time. The invading ninjas that attacked during the exam were the enemy, and it was my duty to protect the village, the civilians and myself. I never felt any pleasure or satisfaction in the act of killing itself, nor did I ever felt guilty. So, why now? I shook my head. I had my orders, I could dwell on the whys of things later. My hands flashed with seals, out popped a shadow clone. This one, I named Investigation-Chan. It could have been my impression, but my clone looked ragged. Her eyes looked troubled, mouth in a strange frown. She gave me a curt nod, turned away and toward the place we had to investigate. I took a deep breath, shook my head, followed Investigation-Chan. Inspecting dead bodies for clues wasn¡¯t what I would consider good shinobi fun, it was kinda creepy, if I was honest with myself. There were a few things I noticed. First, and strangely enough, most of the corpses were still wearing clothes. I should have guessed as much, given the center head had still been wearing a bandanna when we found the creature. The other part was their skin; now in death, apart from the charred and burned parts, they were fair and normal human looking, not like the red tinged and rough skin from before, when the chimera was still alive. At the time, it somehow made me think of the second stage of the cursed seal transformation. That was a possibility, right? I couldn¡¯t discard that option. Perhaps Orochimaru captured people to experiment with his cursed seal, and now that the host of the seal was dead, the effect that kept them merged ended, and the bodies separated. I made a mental note of that possibility. I wouldn¡¯t be able to clearly state the effects of the cursed seal to Yamato¡ª I wasn¡¯t supposed to know any of it¡ª but pointing out the obvious without saying ¡®cursed seal¡¯ would also work.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Maybe that was something I could confirm, the seal, I mean. With morbid curiosity, I searched the dead bodies for a seal-like tattoo. A few minutes later, I gave up. Unless I undressed the dead people to search beneath their almost destroyed clothing, there was no mark that I could identify as a cursed seal. There was a lot I could put up with in the name of being a good shinobi. Undressing dead bodies was a bit too much though. Another strand of thought distracted me from my musings. Had these people also been enhanced with seals inside their body? For a brief moment, I imagined myself strapping bodies to a bloodied table, cutting them open to inspect their bones and heart. I¡­ might need help. What were these strange thoughts? I shook the gruesome idea away. I wanted to know about the seals, but again, defiling bodies wasn¡¯t the solution. I wanted to be free of Orochimaru¡¯s traps, not become him. From the bigger guy with the bandanna, I retrieved some parchments hidden in the pockets of his clothing. It was, unfortunately, written in a cipher I didn¡¯t know. I stored that away for later, and kept on my gruesome work. Investigation-Chan was by my side, also looking at the dead shinobi family. The investigation was enough to confirm these people were part of the missing shinobi family we heard about in the trading town. We found enough to be certain of that: Clan symbols, small notes and other personal things all pointed to that conclusion. My clone looked from the corpses to me, walked closer. I looked at her, still distracted with my thoughts and what I needed to report. Investigation-Chan stopped in front of me, close, invading my personal space. Was it an invasion of personal space if the other person was still me? She put her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I froze for a moment, then relaxed. My arms found their way around Investigation-Chan, pulled her closer. It was nice. She smelled of moist earth and explosions. I didn¡¯t even remember how long it was since someone hugged me like that. We stayed there for a while, more than appropriate, until Investigation-Chan pulled away. She pressed her own forehead to mine, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Memories, information and impressions flooded my mind. I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts. There was something I needed to confirm. My hand found its way toward my storage pouches, and to a particular seal. I took out my timeline diary. The one I wrote when I was five, just after arriving in this world. It seemed so long ago. Most of my memories of the original show were fuzzy and distant. I still remembered the important parts, but the smaller details were not so easy to remember anymore, and for some reason, it had been a while since I last consulted my notes. In a puff of smoke, my old story book popped out of the seal. I opened it, read the pages. The story book was a childish account of Little Chef Camilla¡¯s adventures to learn all the recipes in the world. In my storybook, the first main dish was Camilla¡¯s first foray into the cooking arts, trying to combine Orange, Lemon and Strawberry into a delicious pie with the help of a spirit mentor, a chibi wolf-like spirit, that was a complete tsuntsun. For this main dish, Camilla had to travel to distant islands, only to be waylaid by brigands and a bridge defending troll. Don¡¯t judge me too much, please. Orange represented Naruto, Lemon was Sasuke, Strawberry Sakura, while the mentor spirit was Kakashi-sensei. The thing is that, at the time, I was confident that just a few mentions of the elements of the plot of the original story would be enough to make me remember everything. Yet, years later, the things I wrote barely made sense to me. Oh, I still knew the broad strokes. Land of Waves, Exams, Crushcrushcrush, Search for Tsunade, Sasuke Recovery mission, Timeskip, Kazekage Rescue Mission and more. I flipped a few pages ahead. Stopped on a particular story, marked as a side dish. Camilla¡¯s search for all recipes took her to a rice farm, where a perverted frog helped her find the evil snake that had lured her prized Lemon away. To make the travel acceptable, she took Orange and Strawberry, in the hopes of finding Lemon and guilt tripping him into returning to the fruit basket. It was hogwash, of course. Side dish was my way of saying this wasn¡¯t story canon, but part of the dreaded TV show filler episodes. In this one, Jiraiya, the perverted frog, took Naruto and Sakura to the land of rice in the search of Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. The problem was that I was a bit of a snob Naruto fan. To me, the comics were the true canon, with the TV show being a so-so adaptation, while the fillers were trash that shouldn¡¯t be watched, or even exist¡ª even if I did watch that one about unmasking Kakasi-sensei. Don¡¯t blame me, it was fun. But back to the topic. I remember now, I never really watched that series of episodes, but I¡¯ve seen the images, and read the synopses. The Fuma clan, Orochimaru¡¯s hideout, a monster created and left behind, a confrontation with Kabuto. Was Kabuto still hiding here? The story book went again into the seal. I hid it with my other things. I needed to consider the original story and how my meddling had changed things. I had been putting it off for far too long. What were my plans to deal with Akatsuki? Deal with Danzo? How was I going to change the world again? But now wasn¡¯t the time. I hated raising flags, but I would do it as soon as I was back at home. I looked around, Yamato¡¯s clone was nowhere to be seen. I turned away and toward where my teammates had moved to. There was a report to make, and a hideout to find, a Kabuto to hunt down. With a bit of luck, the coded notes would have that information. 5.14 It didn¡¯t take long to find the rest of my team. Sai was still out cold, sides cleaned and bandaged. Next to him, Yamato and Hayase talked. They looked alert, but not worried. My arrival didn¡¯t go unnoticed. The jounin waved me over. ¡°Welcome back Hinata-san, how did the investigation go?¡± Out of the armband popped my communication¡¯s board. I don¡¯t really think I had to keep it hidden anymore. I wrote down part of my report. ¡°Victims confirmed to be the missing shinobi family from the town.¡± I took out the clan symbols and notes and personal items that confirmed that idea. ¡°My current theory is this family decided to fight against Orochimaru, and in turn, were experimented on.¡± Hayase¡¯s eyes were glued to the items I presented, but then he looked at me. ¡°How did you arrive at that result?¡± I tilted my head. For someone so smart, Hayase did ask silly questions. I shrugged, wrote on my board. ¡°They were turned into monsters. I don¡¯t think anyone would have signed up for that.¡± Hayase nodded. ¡°That is a fair assumption.¡± ¡°Anything else of interest?¡± Yamato brought us back to topic. From inside the pouch, I took the parchment with the coded message. ¡°I found this, I couldn¡¯t decipher it, however.¡± The chunin¡¯s eyes sparkled. He leaned forward, eyes intense. ¡°Can I see it?¡± Good thing he asked. Hayase was the reason I brought those papers. I remember him geeking about ciphers and codes. Papers exchanged hands. Eyes sparkled with even more interest. Hayase soon took out a notebook and pen and started scribbling and mumbling, lost to the world. The impetus to join was there. I wanted nothing more to help, learn more about this kind of stuff. It was right up Fangirl-sama¡¯s alley. I shook my head, there was more stuff to do. I turned around, left Hayase lost to the world. My steps took me back to the corpses. Yamato had followed me, thankfully in silence. When we arrived at the location, I wasn¡¯t sure how to do this. Options flashed into my mind. Use barriers, explosions, or even doton jutsu to open up a hole in the ground. I shook my head. Somehow, I didn¡¯t want to. Didn¡¯t feel like the right thing to do. I thought about the many tools I had stored in my seals. My hands searched for one in particular. Out popped a spade and I got up to dig. Yamato watched for a moment, before creating a spade out of mokuton. In silence, we dug. It didn¡¯t take long. No more than an hour later we were finished. We were stronger than normal people, and we had more stamina. I jumped out of the burial hole we dug. After that, it was moving the corpses inside. Conventional methods would have demanded me to take these corpses back to Konoha if possible. They were unknown shinobis, there were lots of secrets one could learn from how the enemy trained and how their body developed. Thankfully, Yamato didn¡¯t give the order to store the bodies in seals for transportation. He didn¡¯t even question me when I decided to bury them. I think that somehow, he understood how I felt. Body after body went into the hole, and soft earth created an eternal roof over them. What was up with me and being all emotional and poetic? Finishing all that, I knelt by the grave. My hands flashed with seals. My chakra tanked, but I didn¡¯t mind. Out of the earth popped a stone tablet. I took a kunai, carved words. Got up, bowed. There wasn¡¯t much I could do other than that. I wasn¡¯t about to swear revenge for a group of people I didn¡¯t know. More than that, Orochimaru was already dead. I wasn¡¯t discounting that the man had a way to come back to life, not when most of the evil people in this world did, one way or another. No, my motives were more selfish than that. I think now, when I have to face Linlin again, I would be able to tell her that I at least paid my respects to her amazing shinobi sister. Even if I was the reason said sister was now dead.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I took a deep breath. I pushed those self-destroying thoughts away. It wasn''t my fault. I wasn¡¯t the one to turn them into monsters. A hand patted my head. My mood was so morose I didn¡¯t even duck out of the way. I might have leaned into the touch, just a bit. ¡°You did well, Hinata-san. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Warmth bubbled inside my chest. I blinked away some invisible dust that got into my eyes. I don¡¯t know why his words affected me like that. A part of my mind, the cynical one, pointed out that this was nothing more than manipulation 101. They knew what made me tick, and weren¡¯t shy about pushing my buttons. I threw that thought away. The world moved based on manipulations, intentional or otherwise. There would be a time, maybe in the near future, where I would need to decide if this kind of thing should continue. But now was not the time. We stood there in silence for a few more minutes. Out popped my board. I hesitated, but wrote down my question. ¡°Do you think we could have saved them?¡± Yamato looked from the board to the grave. The silence lasted for a while more, but then he sighed. ¡°Maybe. If we knew beforehand, if we had managed to capture them, if we could have taken them back to the village. But that is a moot point now. The only thing we can do is try to do better in the future.¡± I nodded. That was a fair answer. One that I knew before asking the question. I guess I just wanted to hear someone else tell me that it was okay. We met up with Hayase soon after. The chunin was still lost in his own mind, trying to decipher the note. That was fine. That skill set was one of the reasons he was on his mission. We moved somewhat away from the battle site, until we found a small clearing surrounded by huge trees. Yamato threw a group of prepared tags in a square, then summoned a house for us using Mokuton: Shich¨±ka no Jutsu. I knew the tags created a barrier that made it hard, if not impossible, for someone else to find the house. Now that the need for secrecy was over, it was nice to get back to the Yamato¡¯s camping standard. I knew the house. Back at the hell-month training, Yamato had created a house just like this one, where we often camped to talk about strategy, discuss theory or just rest. It felt almost as familiar as my own apartment, even if it was a brand new house. Yamato usually created the same layout, for some reason. I nodded at Yamato in thanks, ignored Hayase who was still lost in his own obsession and hadn¡¯t even seen the house spring out of the ground. We ventured inside, Yamato carrying Sai to one of the bed rooms. I went straight toward the kitchen. I wanted a decent meal. No more cold dinners and eating dry travel rations.
I cooked, we ate, Sai still slept, Hayase was still not with us. I took this time to work on my still unnamed barrier jutsu. I had managed to use it before that explosion, even if the barrier didn¡¯t hold up like I wanted. But it was progress. I think that after that trial run, I could at least name it. What would be a good name for a jutsu like that? My musings on possible names were interrupted by a shout from Hayase. ¡°I got it!¡± The chunin yelled, a fist closed, pointed at the sky. ¡°I broke the code!¡± That got our attention. Yamato soon returned from the bedroom where he¡¯d been keeping vigil over the still unconscious Sai. I moved closer as well, keen on learning if those notes had any useful information. Yamato¡¯s stoic voice congratulated the chunin. ¡°That is amazing work. Did you learn anything useful?¡± Hayase beamed. Shook the original note. ¡°Better than that, the note was a secret communication of the Fuma clan. They were using a mix of the Hashirama principle with two other sets of encryption to hide the message. It took me a while to break it. You see, I don¡¯t think I would have managed if not by¡ª¡± Yamato coughed, interrupting the tirade. Hayase scratched his head, looked embarrassed. ¡°Right, sorry. The note is a secret communication of the Fuma clan detailing a plan to attack Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. It has information about where the place is.¡± ¡°Good job Hayase. I doubt anyone else would¡¯ve managed it in such a small time frame.¡± Yamato praised the chunin again. I nodded, gave him a small punch in the shoulder, then a thumbs up and a smile when he looked my way. Hayase looked happier than I ever saw him. I even forgot my gloomy mood as well. It felt good, knowing that finally we had a conclusive clue. From there, I took out the area map we got from the town, and using the clues provided, Hayase was able to pinpoint the area the hideout was located in. It still wasn¡¯t the definitive location, but better than we had before. ¡°You guys did well. Make sure to rest and prepare for tomorrow, we don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll find there.¡± I nodded. Gave the map one last look. With luck, tomorrow we¡¯d find the place. With even more luck I would find information to help me up with my seals. Or if fate smiled on us, we¡¯d find Kabuto. I won¡¯t lie here. I was hoping for the last one. Somehow, I wanted to blame, maybe punch someone, and Kabuto was the perfect target. 5.15 I followed hot on Yamato¡¯s heels. It was a few days after the chimera battle and the two of us moved through the trees in search of the damnable hideout. Hayase stayed behind at camp, keeping Sai¡¯s company. Due to his injury, Sai wasn¡¯t in any condition to join, which left us with a few options: retreat, wait or press on. Option one wasn¡¯t really an option. No way I wanted to have that black mark on my perfect completion record. I wasn¡¯t about to abandon the mission just because someone got hurt, and it wasn¡¯t because of my dislike for Sai. I wasn¡¯t going to lie and say I liked the boy. At this point, I could just shrug and accept that. I don¡¯t think I was ever going to be friends with him, but I respected him as a shinobi. His condition wasn¡¯t critical, he wasn¡¯t in any risk of dying. What he needed was time to recover. Abandoning the mission because of a non critical injury was out of the question. It was nice of Yamato to bring up the option, however, even if no one, Sai included, considered that a choice. The second option was to wait. Like I said, Sai needed only time to recover. Thankfully, the injury wasn¡¯t laced with poison, nor had it hit any vital organs. Given a couple of weeks, maybe less, Sai would be in top condition again, ready to face even more dangerous enemies for the glory of Konoha! Third option was to split the team. If anyone out there ever played TRPG to any length of time, they would know that option was also known as the party killer prelude. Splitting the party was tantamount to summoning death flags. Several of them, all at once. A mix of second and third option was the agreed upon path forward. Hayase would stay behind at the hidden camp to protect Sai and hold down the fort. Yamato and I, on the other hand, would scout for the hideout location. The clues we got from the deceased members of the Fuma clan was enough to point us in the right direction, even if we still didn¡¯t have a precise location. It was a huge area to search, but at least we didn¡¯t need to scour the whole forest anymore. Up ahead, Yamato jumped on a tall tree branch, but instead of jumping ahead, he stopped. Raised one hand, palm open. I jumped closer, stopped by his side. Ahead of us, in the distance, inside a clearing by the base of the giant trees, a stair led down inside the earth. The walls were constructed of a purple tinted stone. The roof tiles above were created of a deeper shade of the same hue. At the bottom, a doorless threshold. Above it, two crimson snakes coiled, painted on either side of a grated vent. Fitting for a snake. Yamato was silent, but his hands conveyed the new orders. ¡°Careful, scout, investigate.¡± We had discussed what to do when we found the place. Yamato wasn¡¯t keen on taking any unnecessary risks, not while half of the team was still at the camp, but we couldn¡¯t also just leave without gathering any information, which was the reason the two of us were here. He had wood clones, I could use shadow ones. We were the ultimate¡ªdanger free¡ª scouting duo. With a silent nod, my hands flashed with seals. Out popped a shadow clone. By my side, growing out of the tree, a Yamato clone appeared. My clone, Scout-chan, saluted, flickered away to do scout things. Yamato-clone nodded, merged with the tree and disappeared. I took out a few seals, slapped them around us. These weren¡¯t mine, but supplies provided by the village. They muted our presence, helped us hide.
There wasn¡¯t much to do while Scout-chan did her job. While we waited, Yamato was on guard duty. I sat cross legged, a number of parchments scribbled with my prototype jutsu, pondering about clone techniques, and how to use them efficiently. One of the biggest differences between shadow and wood clones were how durable wood clones were. Mokuton clones didn¡¯t disappear after taking a hard impact, and the clone shared the chakra pool of the original, instead of splitting chakra like shadow clones. Wood clones, however, were not as independent. They were akin to an extension of the shinobi, which made them tricky to use in battle. One needed good multitasking abilities or the clone wouldn¡¯t perform up to standard.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Shadow clones on the other hand, were completely independent. They didn¡¯t depend on the shinobi for directions or orders. They worked like a functional copy of the ninja who summoned them. Which I think, was one of the reasons some people didn¡¯t use the jutsu. I remember reading somewhere that Orochimaru used shadow clones only once, then never again after his own clone tried to kill him. Had that really happened or was it just my imagination playing tricks on me? Wood clones also had an intrinsic connection to their creator, a function which Yamato exploited to create the transmission seed¡¯s tracking method. It was that particular characteristic that I incorporated on my alpha version of thunder god jutsu. In the time-frame I had before the exam, I wasn¡¯t able to tie the beacon to me and make the jutsu usable. The innate transmission from the wood clone solved that problem, and created another. Right now, any beacon I created was a temporary one. What I was trying, while Scout-chan labored to find any traps, was to identify and isolate the aspect of the wood clone that provided this innate connection. When I managed that, I¡¯d be able to create a permanent beacon. That would move my jutsu from alpha to beta version, with future changes being quality of life improvements. A silent chuckle escaped me. It was at times like this I wished I still had a Byakugan. Observing the chakra flow and how it behaved while someone used the jutsu could potentially help isolate the parts I needed. I stopped, tilted my head, looked up from the parchments toward the direction I thought Konoha would be. Could I do it? I wasn¡¯t that attached to the idea of a Byakugan, but I also couldn¡¯t deny how useful it would be. No one else told me what happened to Orochimaru¡¯s eyes after he was defeated. Out popped my board. I considered the question. I guessed it cost nothing to ask. I wrote, waved to get Yamato¡¯s attention. Showed him the words after his attention was on me. ¡°Yamato-taicho, do you know what happened to Orochimaru¡¯s eyes?¡± Yamato¡¯s gaze bore into my soul, or maybe that was just the effect those huge eyes had. It was hard to know what the man was thinking when he stared unblinking at me like that. The silence stretched, and for a while, I thought he wouldn¡¯t answer. Then he looked away, sighed. ¡°After his defeat, the Hyuga clan reclaimed the one Byakugan eye from Orochimaru¡¯s corpse.¡± I erased the words, wrote some more. ¡°One eye? Not two?¡± Yamato nodded. ¡°Only his left eye was a Byakugan.¡± Another stray thought intruded on my head. They wouldn¡¯t have, would they? It was so far-fetched that it might even be true. I erased the words on my board, considered this ridiculous idea, wrote another question. ¡°Is the true reason we are searching for Orochimaru¡¯s hideout an attempt to find and recover the second eye?¡± I could see it. The divas from the Hyuga clan threatening something dumb in case the second eye wasn¡¯t returned. I mean, they threatened civil war when I was kidnapped, and I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯t happy with the Old-man after he stopped Hiashi from killing me. Huh, weird. Yamato sighed again, shoulders slumping. ¡°Yes, but also no.¡± For some reason, Yamato went quiet after that. Was he really going to drop that bomb and then say nothing else? I moved to erase my question and write another, when a raised hand from the jounin stopped me. ¡°You have to understand the political situation in the village is a powder-keg waiting to blow. The council wanted Lord Jiraiya to take the position of fifth Hokage, him being one of the three illustrious sannin and disciple of the third. Jiraiya refused.¡± I nodded. That made sense. It was why, in the original story, Jiraiya took Naruto on a trip to find Tsunade, to convince the woman to return, and to keep Naruto safe from the Akatsuki. Yamato didn¡¯t stop his explanation. ¡°In the wake of that, the Hyuga clan started to pressure the council to appoint Hyuga Hizashi as the new Hokage. One of their main claims was the village''s inability to protect Konoha¡¯s clan bloodlines. Danzo stole sharingan eyes, Orochimaru experiments with the first Hokage cells and your kidnapping among other attempts from outside agents.¡± Wasn¡¯t that a bit of a master plan from the Hyuga clan? I mean, I knew about the family seal on the branch family. Wasn¡¯t that just placing a puppet Hokage for the main family? I wasn¡¯t sure why they didn¡¯t push for Hiashi instead. That one didn¡¯t make sense to me. More importantly, wasn¡¯t I screwed if one of them became Hokage? ¡°The problem is, while the Hyuga are powerful as a clan, none of their members are at the same level of strength as Lord Third, or Jiraiya, and a strong leader is needed to prevent the other villages from declaring an all out war against Konoha. Killing Orochimaru helped, losing Lord Third didn¡¯t.¡± I nodded, digesting that information. ¡°The chances are slim, but if we manage to recover the last eye, that could be used to dismiss the Hyuga main claim to the position.¡± Huh, in the end, I thought myself smart for realizing the mission was more than they told me, but I was also way off the mark. The full scope of the mission made sense, but a nasty feeling brewed in my gut. What about me? Was I supposed to just hand over my eye, if we ever found it? Why was I even getting angry over this? Wasn¡¯t I just thinking I didn¡¯t care for that damn eye? 5.16 That revelation distracted me enough that I couldn¡¯t concentrate on deciphering the wood clone details for the rest of our vigil. I knew there was more happening behind the scenes. If the Hyuga was making a play for the Hokage position, I was sure the other shinobi families wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity pass. Another clan came to mind that could also use this opportunity: the Uchihas¡¯. I didn¡¯t know much about them even after many years. They controlled the police force. They were ridiculously strong. Emotions ran hot on that clan. They already wanted to try a coup before. I wasn¡¯t sure what the clan political situation was at the moment. Danzo, I think, was the one in the original story oppressing the clan to the point of rebellion. Itachi¡¯s father was the one more vocal about fighting back. Itachi was a pacifist at heart, and Shisui was willing to use a genjutsu on his own clan to prevent civil war. Itachi was now the Uchiha¡¯s clan leader. Shisui was a member of the ANBU. That particular branch of secret ninjas was the last one I would expect to cause trouble to the village. They operated directly under the Hokage. A deluge of information flooding my mind put a stop to any political consideration. I pushed thoughts about the shinobi family, Hokage¡¯s succession and stolen eyes out of my mind. Scout-chan finished her job and unpopped herself. There was a lot to parse through, but also, not that much actionable intel. Scout-chan found many things to report: hidden traps, places where paper seals were placed, battle scars and trails. From the looks of it, this hideout used a similar technique to Yamato¡¯s house jutsu, only that those seals had faded and not been replaced in a while. Perhaps there was no one still keeping the hideout operating? I organized the information, saluted in Scout-chan''s last known direction. She would be missed. Then I turned and went looking for Yamato. I found him talking to his clone. Yamato-clone¡¯s report was similar to Scout-chan. None of them entered the hideout, and there was no evidence that anyone, apart from a big heavy humanoid creature with claws and a big sword, went in or out recently. When the clone was done, I wrote my report. Yamato was patient enough to wait until I wrote everything my clone found out. When I was finished, the man was scratching his chin. ¡°All the information points to that no one is currently inside the place, aside from the creature we defeated a few days ago. It might be worth moving our camp here, that way Hayase can keep an eye at the entrance while Sai is still recovering from his injuries.¡± I gave Yamato a thumbs up. Easier than writing down a response. With one last look toward the hideout entrance, we left. Things moved fast after that. When we returned, Yamato explained the plan. Hayase took charge of carrying Sai. The house went puff, and we hurried toward the new camp location. All in all, it took hours to relocate, reorganize and prepare the new camp. Night had already fallen when we finished setting things up again. This close to the enemy¡¯s place, I wasn¡¯t about to relax security. Even if the house was hidden under Yamato¡¯s seals, a bit more protection wouldn¡¯t go amiss. My hands flashed again, out popped two clones. Sentry-chan the First and Second saluted, then moved out to keep watch. I popped out my apron and went to make sure my domain was in order, and to prepare food. After today¡¯s revelation I wanted to eat something special. I had a feeling tomorrow wouldn¡¯t be a good day. Better make sure to keep spirits up before delving into a madman¡¯s house.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Yamato and I had already explored part of the hideout complex. Much to my disappointment, the places explored were devoid of life, even if not of danger. It was all a bit sus. The complex had no power, and signs of being abandoned in haste. I think I knew the reason for that. It was big, had several arms and heads and was deadly. What had the people from Oto done after fleeing from Konoha? Where was the sound four. Wasn¡¯t Kimimaro supposed to be here in this hideout? At least, that was the impression I got when querying my brain for memories. At this point, I wasn¡¯t certain anymore, but the main beats of the story were still somewhat clear to me. In the Sasuke recovery mission, egged on by Kabuto, Kimimaro left his treatment to help bring Emosuke to Orochimaru. This place didn¡¯t match my expectations. We had managed to find what seemed to be a vault of sorts. One still locked and trapped. If Kabuto had returned here after fleeing Konoha, he hadn¡¯t managed to access that place as well. Trying to open the vault was going to take a lot of time. Which was why I convinced Yamato-taicho to let me explore on my own. I could use my clones to help with the traps and stay safe, we¡¯ve done it a few days already while exploring. And I was never alone on my own anyway. Crouched down in the dark tunnel, I studied the walls, floor and ceiling. This was one of the passages where the chimera hadn¡¯t gone through. When we first entered the place, it became obvious that most of the traps were sprung on what I¡¯ve been calling the prison path. If we followed the obvious destruction, we had a relatively clear path from the entrance to the cells. I reckon that¡¯s where they¡¯d been keeping the creature until it broke free. The cells were¡­ not a good place. Small, rough stone cubicles, with a single opening barred by thick metal doors. A small slit on the metal door let me see the interior. It reminded me of those solitary confinement cells in the before. The whole prison stank of decay and shit. A single peek inside the cells was enough for me. I¡¯d leave identifying the bodies to the others. I was, after all, a young impressionable kunoichi. I wasn¡¯t averse to playing the child card to avoid that particular duty. The cells all fed into this one corridor that led to an underground arena. The arena¡¯s floor was full of crusted and dried blood. The sequence of events in my mind was like this: After days without anyone to keep maintenance in place, the chimera escaped. It tore a path toward the exit, springing most of the traps in its way. Once outside, the creature attacked nearby settlements, but often returned to the hideout for one reason or another. I think the passage I was casing at the moment led to the labs. I had already found what seemed to be a dormitory, a common area, and storage. There were a few more passages to explore. Yamato was on the other side of the complex, trying to break past one particular nasty trap. He was sure it was a vault of sorts. If we were lucky, most of the information we wanted was stored there. The dark corridor I was in now didn¡¯t seem trapped. No strange markings on the walls, no fissures on the ground, no wires or strange devices. I summoned Decoy-chan, the Eleventh. She glared at me, gave me the finger, but did her duty. She strode toward the door, and when nothing happened, pulled it open. Somehow, I was expecting an explosion, maybe poison, or something more insidious. Decoy-chan peeked inside and froze. Without looking back, she unpopped herself. I was right. This tunnel led into the labs. The room was large, partially hidden in darkness. In the middle of the room, an operation table, with a corpse on top of it. On the walls, rolls of vat tubes, filled with green goop. Human shaped silhouettes barely visible inside said goop. I closed my eyes. Tried to stop my trembling hands. I knew there was a chance to find more experiments. I had avoided thinking about it until now. I had hoped there would be no mad-lab here. 5.17 In my seven years of living my best ninja life, I tried my damnedest to never think about that first day and what it really meant. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a case of ¡°trauma begone!¡±, it was a severe case of ¡°trauma be repressed!¡±. This attitude had already bitten me in the behind once: I could barely function in the brief fight against Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. There, I was subjected to the role of kunoichi in distress, and Emosuke had to save me, much to my chagrin. Now, here I was, trying my hardest to enter the lab. Only, my body wouldn¡¯t obey me. There was this quake that hit me every time I tried to take a step forward, and this unseen marathon I ran that took my breath away, leaving me gasping, not to mention the invisible booze I drank. That was the only explanation of why the world spun around me. I closed my eyes. Tried to recenter myself. Took one, or maybe ten deep breaths. Opened my eyes, took a step toward the door. I whimpered, but pushed forward. The part of me that was the original Hinata stirred, wailed in my mind, distressed. Weird, why now? She¡¯d been quiet for years. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I think I did my best here. Quakes, marathons and booze didn¡¯t stop me. I crossed the door, looked inside the room. The light I carried illuminated part of the lab, and the many vat tubes lining the walls. Near the door, there was one of those antiquated computers, like those eighties¡¯ looking DOS based machines: big and bulky and utterly useless. I approached the table, peeked at the corpse. It was a young woman, face covered in seal inscribed fabric, black hair spilling from behind the cloth. Given her proportions, she looked around my age, maybe a couple of years older. All of her body was inscribed, the lines moving from the skin to the table and beyond. Some of those symbols were familiar. I didn¡¯t know what they meant, but I recognized Orochimaru¡¯s sealwork. I had, after all, a prime example etched on my own bones. My gaze inevitably found its way to the rolls of vat tubes. They continued down the room, further into the darkness where the light wasn¡¯t enough to illuminate them. It was macabre, like those silly drawings of monkeys turning humans representing evolution. The vat nearest the door contained an embryo. The further deeper into the room, the more developed the person inside. From embryo to an unformed baby, to a small toddler, to a young girl and more. It was surreal seeing the same girl in various stages of growth. The same round, soft face, black hair, button nose. It was evident the girl inside the vat was dead. There was no power in the whole complex. There was no movement from the person inside the tube. The green goop wasn¡¯t all that clear anymore, patches of red and brown mixed with the green. I refocused on my task, or I tried. It was really hard to think. The small, quiet voice I always thought of as the original Hinata was neither small nor quiet anymore. I could barely hear my own thoughts amid all her screaming. Turning, I took a step toward the computer. If I could make that thing work, I might get information regarding the experiments. I moved, but there was something wrong with the world. It tilted and hit me on the face with the ground. I blinked, surprised. My throat really hurt. I closed my eyes. My head buzzed. The screaming hadn¡¯t stopped.
Yamato pushed his chakra yet again to form another wood clone. The vault was proving harder than anticipated to open. The main door was rigged with so many traps that he didn¡¯t dare try bypassing it. If destruction was their main goal, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to force the door open, but the situation was too delicate for the brute force approach. Which left him no other choice than to burn his chakra and clones trying to find a weak point around the vault.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was slow, draining work. All in all, things were going well. Apart from Sai¡¯s injury, there was no other surprise. Right now, Hayase and Sai were outside, keeping vigil over the hideout entrance, while he and Hinata explored the place with the help of clones. Yamato had to give it to the girl. Using clones for recon and infiltration was a textbook example of clone usage. Using them as disposable trap detection tools was something else. Which worried him now that he had more time to think about the situation. Wood clones were like automaton puppets. They could function at low levels without input, or controlled directly making them a copy all but indistinguishable from the original. Shadow clones on the other hand, were independent copies. From how Hinata talked about it, there was no communication between them, but she received the clone''s memories and impressions after it dispersed. That Hinata was willing to send a copy of herself to die in traps, and didn¡¯t show any sign of being uncomfortable with the pain and trauma of dying was deeply disturbing. There was no mention of any destructive behavior on her dossier, aside from the almost masochistic levels of training. Most took that as a good sign: more training meant stronger shinobis. But was that indication that something was wrong with the girl? Yamato had tried to remedy that excess on this mission. Forbade all excessive training, gave the stealthy nature of their mission as an excuse. It hadn''t worked like he expected. Not a day after, Hinata showed signs of stress. He turned things around, relying on Kakashi¡¯s advice to keep the girl centered. Strategy meetings and formal, structured shinobi communication. The result was better than he had hoped for. By all accounts, she didn¡¯t show any symptoms of being affected by her past. Which didn¡¯t make sense. Even Yamato, some two decades later, wasn''t unmoved exploring those secret labs when he was with ROOT, then ANBU. Yamato maneuvered the clone closer, going for the same fault-line in the rock he found early. With luck, he could use that to bypass the traps. A noise in the back of his head stopped him. He heard someone panting. Yamato riffled through the s¨­shinki he left with his team. Hayase was talking with Sai about some code or another. That boy really liked his ciphers. Sai sat quietly, pretending to listen. Yamato shook his head. Another of Danzo¡¯s victims. A good thing they managed to find the boy before he was taken by ROOT. No, the noise that caught his attention was from Hinata. Which was why it was so strange. The girl was like a wraith. She rarely spoke; her clones being the ones that often talked most. Most of the time, even things like breathing or panting were muted by the seal inside her throat. Yamato concentrated on the transmission seed, feeling for the situation on her side of the hideout. Hinata was walking down a corridor. She seemed out of breath, but not in danger or being attacked. He pushed the connection to the back of his mind again. Yamato took no pride in spying on Hinata, but orders were orders, even if the real reason he did it was to make sure the girl was safe, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have let her explore alone. He knew the girl was strong, but he wasn¡¯t about to let her face Orochimaru¡¯s traps without support. She was under his care, no matter what the council thought about her. His clone, who had stayed unmoving while Yamato checked things, started to move again. He concentrated on the earth around the clone. Doton: Iwagakure no Jutsu wasn¡¯t his favorite jutsu, even if it was extremely useful. Finger pointed toward the faultline, he urged the clone¡¯s finger to transform into wood, questing for an opening. There was a whimper, then a low wail, which soon turned into hoarse screaming in the back of his mind. Yamato bolted up, concern spiking. The attempt to enter the vault was discarded. His hands flashed with seals: Ram, Dog, Rat, Bird. The tunneling technique wasn¡¯t meant to be used on walls, but all of the hideout¡¯s walls were carved from stone. He opened a straight tunnel toward where Hinata was. The noise coming from her hadn¡¯t stopped, if anything, she screamed even louder. A quick peek through the link didn¡¯t show what was the problem. She was in a huge room, there was no one attacking her. It took four more jutsu to finish the path. By now, Yamato didn¡¯t need his transmission seed to hear the girl. He burst inside the room, kunai in hand, ready to fight for his life and protect his charge. Yet, there were no enemies. The room was large, a laboratory. Hinata was on the ground, holding her head, screaming. There was an operation table in the middle of the room, with a surprisingly familiar corpse on top of it. Yamato¡¯s eyes scanned the room, looking for enemies, then he saw the vat tubes. And the girl inside it. And Hinata¡¯s dead face, from toddler to adult. 5.18 I stared at the wooden ceiling of Yamato¡¯s mobile home base. I was on my bed, tucked in comfy warm blankets. That had been a nice touch from the stoic jounin. My evaluation of him had to change a bit. I once thought he had no dad energy, but now I knew the truth: he just had hidden dad energy. Time had been hard to keep up with. I wasn¡¯t about to lie and say I didn¡¯t remember anything. There was no timely loss of sanity this time for me. No passing out and dealing with dreams, no merciful oblivion of unconsciousness. I was all too aware that some part of my mind couldn¡¯t deal with what we found in the lab. That same part refused to let me forget. My throat was a stinging, agonising mess, that not even my enhanced regeneration had been able to keep up with. Not when I screamed for hours, until I couldn¡¯t anymore. After that, I just hadn¡¯t the will to move. Yamato carried me out of the Hideout, tucked me in bed. I didn¡¯t resist, even if the screaming hadn¡¯t stopped. I did, however, hear Yamato¡¯s explanation of the situation to Sai and Hayase. He was kind enough to fudge the truth. I wasn¡¯t having a mental breakdown, no, in his version of events I had fallen prey to an insidious trap when trying to enter the labs. For that reason, that wing the hideout was off-limits for now. Too dangerous to explore alone. My guess was that Yamato wanted to keep the others away from learning about the clones. It was a good plan. That was a disaster waiting to happen. Was that Orochimaru¡¯s plans here? An army of cloned Hyuga? Somehow, that didn¡¯t seem to fit my idea of the murder-hobo. He was evil, not burdened by morals or sentimentality, he didn¡¯t mind killing, nor did he mind bringing back the dead. He didn¡¯t mind using people, then discarding them. But an army of clones? Maybe I was jumping the gun here. How long had it been since I was placed on this bed? I considered getting up, but just wasn¡¯t feeling up to it. My eyes were dry, and stung every time I tried to blink. My stomach roiled. It felt like I was about to spill it at any time. There was a cup and wooden jug of water by the bed, a bowl of some soup I couldn¡¯t identify. I really wanted a sip of water, but the cup was too far away. The effort to get up and take it didn¡¯t seem worth the hassle of getting out of the bed. While I contemplated what I should do, the door to my bedroom opened. Yamato walked in, holding a bowl. He walked to my bed, removed the old bowl, placed the new one there. Steam billowed out from the container, the smell of veggies and cooked meat reached me. My stomach protested. I looked away. ¡°Hinata-san?¡± Yamato called out. I didn¡¯t answer. If I tried to talk, I¡¯d start screaming again. Probably. And I was too tired to talk, really. I just wanted to sleep. Not that I was feeling sleepy. Yamato stayed for a moment longer, tried to talk a few more times, but in the end, he left me alone. Which I was glad for. This state of events couldn¡¯t keep going. I knew that. I was on a mission, and I didn¡¯t want to mess things up so much we had to abandon our orders and return. More than that, I needed to go back inside that lab. Whatever else were Orochimaru¡¯s plans for the place, I couldn¡¯t let go of the opportunity to learn more about the man¡¯s seals. I still had one active seal trying to kill me. It hadn¡¯t caused me any problem yet, but I wasn¡¯t about to leave a primed bomb inside my body.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Which brought me back to what I had to do. But first, I somehow had to deal with my other self. In all these years, there was this part of me that reacted to things and I often thought about that part as the original Hinata. I had no idea if that was true, or if it was just a representation of all the things I was suppressing. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter right now. That other side of me was in a constant state of panic, which took all my will power to appease. Seeing other cloned me¡¯s in that lab freaked the shit out of me. Worse were the questions it raised. Was I the original Hinata? Was I just another clone? I didn¡¯t think I was a clone of the original. I had memories from even before being kidnapped. There was this gap, between being taken at age of three, and waking up at age of five. But I knew those memories weren¡¯t gone, just suppressed. Part of those came again to the front of my mind after Orochimaru¡¯s attack in the Forest of Death. Back then, I thought it was a genjutsu, but what if it wasn¡¯t? What if being subjected to Orochimaru¡¯s killing intent was the trigger that unsuppressed and brought those memories back? What if that first day when Kakashi-sensei rescued me wasn¡¯t when I first woke up in this world? All of those questions were important, but not urgent. Right now, I had to find peace with myself. I tried to go about it in the most simple way I could. Did I care if I was a clone? Honestly, I didn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t change anything for me. I was still myself. If one really thought about it, wasn¡¯t the act of conception just an organic way of creating a copy of two other people, mixing their genes? Framed like that, being a vat grown clone wasn¡¯t something that bothered me. Everyone was just a copy of two other people. Being a copy of Hinata also wasn¡¯t bad. She was, after all, my second favorite female character in the show. I loved her. She only lost to best girl Ino. Did I care about the clones in the lab? Yes, I did. But mostly, I was sad and angry, frustrated? Not about them being created, but at the loss of life, and the despair of it all. It seemed that, when the complex lost power, the clones drowned inside their container, never even given the chance to live. That, above all else, filled me with so much angst I wanted to kill someone. Someone called Orochimaru. Maybe someone called Kabuto, or Danzo. Those fuckers. Given this new development, was I going to give up on my ninja life? I remember the Third asking me this when I was five. At the time, I had the option to put all that away and just be a civilian. I don¡¯t think it would have worked, not with all that I knew now. Danzo wouldn¡¯t have left me alone. The Hyuga clan probably wouldn¡¯t either. But more than that, I couldn¡¯t see myself living a normal life anymore. No, I wasn¡¯t ready to hang my kunai and become a normal girl. I still wanted to do more awesome ninja stuff. How was I going to solve this problem, then? I ignored all the world shattering, mind-boggling and trauma inducing revelations and questions. Put away my anger, and resignation, and sadness at the loss of life. I ¨Cvery reluctantly¨C shelved my burning need to be a good shinobi and obey my orders. In the end, what did I want right now? Unburdened by all those thoughts, the answer was simple, and sad. I just wanted someone to hold me. With difficulty, I climbed to a sitting position. While I was there, I stretched toward the small table by the bed, took the cup and sipped the water. It hurt going down, but that was fine. I placed the cup down again, settled once more on the bed. It was ironic that my solution in the end involved clones, when this whole mess also started with clones. My hands flashed, my chakra churned. In front of me, there was another me. Round face, black eyes, black circle under her eyes, face pale and wan. This time, I didn¡¯t change her name. No cute, endearing nicknames today. Today, we faced the truth. ¡°Hinata-chan,¡± I whispered. My other self nodded. Tears welled in her eyes. I scuttled closer, pulled her on a tight hug. She placed her arms around me, trembled at the contact, or maybe I shuddered, I wasn¡¯t sure anymore. We didn¡¯t talk, there was no need to. We went from sitting down to laying on the bed, still clinging to each other. I wasn¡¯t sure how to convince myself everything was alright, even if I knew it wasn¡¯t. At some point, I started to shower her face with small kisses. Her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose, chin. It wasn¡¯t the passion-filled kind. I just couldn¡¯t think of any other way of saying what I needed to say. There was this old adage, actions speak louder than words. I just wanted me to understand that I still loved myself. At some point, not sure when, we fell asleep. I had a nice dream. 5.19 I woke up the next day not refreshed, but feeling better, ready to get out of the bed and start a new day. The trauma hadn¡¯t gone away, but it was contained, after a fashion. A memory of the laboratory surfaced, and I had to close my eyes, force the shaking to stop. I wasn¡¯t going to have another mental breakdown. Not here, at least. I was sure I¡¯d be able to complete the mission. Delving deeper into the nature of what happened to me, and what it really meant could wait until I was back at home safe, sound, and hopefully happy. Maybe I should try counseling? Did Konoha even have the concept of therapy? A thought flashed in my mind, I imagined how a therapy session would be like in Konoha: A comfortable room, and a comfortable chaise lounge. On a similar comfortable chair opposite the chaise sat Yamanaka Inoichi, with a book in hand titled: The secrets of the mind. With his grave voice he would say. ¡°Now, relax and open your mind. This won''t hurt a bit.¡± I shook the silly thought away. My chest burned with thirst, my stomach growled in hunger. More than that, I needed to find the loo. It was a matter of life and death. That need spurned me out of the warm blankets and into a new day. The water jug had been replaced at some point, and the bowl of food swapped to bread, cheese and a few dried fruits. I remember those. We purchased them back in the town to complement our own supplies. Before the day really started, I pushed my chakra, out popped another me. She had bed hair, lines on her face from the blanket, eyes still crusty, clothes in disarray from staying in bed for days without removing her ninja gear. But her eyes, while sad, weren¡¯t despairing. Her mouth curved with a small smile. I hopped closer, gave her a big hug, then kissed her forehead. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but don¡¯t blame me too much. I just decided I was done lying to myself and ignoring my own loneliness. With my particular set of skills, I could actually give myself a hug, so why not? Other me gave me a cheeky grin, like she knew what I was thinking, then another hug before unpopping herself. I ran toward the restroom and worked on my business, relieved myself before things got even more awkward. Done with my morning ablutions, I swapped for a cleaner outfit, adjusted the weight seals, made sure I was presentable. It was time to face the music. Yamato¡¯s default house was a two story building with the bedrooms on the upper floor, living room, small rooms that I thought of as offices and the kitchen. Given how dark and cold the house was, the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet. I climbed down the stairs, and found Sai sitting cross legged on a cushion. His eyes were closed, hand in front of his stomach, with each finger meeting the opposite hand counterpart. Cadaver pale Sai opened his eyes, maybe alerted by the sound of my footsteps. The light was dim, but I could see him glance my way. He gave me a nod, I waved back. Then he closed his eyes again. Behind his facade of calm politeness, I saw something else: indifference, contempt, annoyance. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had the impression Sai didn¡¯t like me. But it was the first time the feeling was this strong. What was that about? Hold on, was Sai jelly of Yamato taking care of me? I wouldn¡¯t be that, would it? Imagine it, Sai wanted some of Daddy Yamato¡¯s care. I held in a chuckle at that inappropriate thought. I had no idea about Sai¡¯s situation, and had made no attempt to understand him. It wasn¡¯t fair of me to make fun of him, even in the privacy of my own mind. I was trying to be a better, more honest person. Kitchen work kept me occupied for the next few minutes. An early breakfast might help with the hard day to come. I decided to splurge. Took out of my seals, a few prepared supplies. Before leaving Konoha, I knew I wouldn¡¯t have much time to bake stuff. The purchased pastries were good enough for my pre-defined good impression kits, but I wanted something better, and I had a few hours to burn before morning.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I rolled up my metaphorical sleeves, and got to work. Breakfast wasn¡¯t going to cook itself.
Later, after I was done with baking the cake, I larded the hot slice with butter. I don¡¯t think doing so was common even in the before, but it was one of my comfort foods. On another plate, I put another slice of cake, a small pot with butter, and a knife. Together with that, was the thermos with tea. I carried all that to the living room where Sai was still keeping vigil. Not long after I started to prepare breakfast, Sai sent out a few more of his ink birds. At first, I was a bit confused about what he was doing. I could sense his chakra moving, then bits of chakra moving away from the camp. It took a second to link those small bundles of chakra with his ink constructs. I walked near Sai, placed breakfast in front of him. He opened his eyes again. Looked at the food, then to me. Gave me another nod and got to eating. I sat on another cushion and ate my butter heavy slice of cake. We didn¡¯t talk. For one, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk. This was just my first step to trying to mend a relationship that hadn¡¯t been there at all. Again, we might not ever be friends, that was what my gut kept telling me, but I wanted at least a cordial working relationship. The aroma of fresh baked cake roused the rest of the team. First Yamato. He walked down the stairs, prim and proper. Nodded at both of us, and went to the kitchen to get his own slice of cake. Hayase showed up a few moments later. Bed hair and bed face, barefooted and scratching his stomach. He let out a big yawn, said something I decided meant good morning, and also disappeared inside the kitchen to get his food. We ate in silence. After we finished the meal, Yamato was the first to break the silence. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better today, Hinata-san.¡± I got up and bowed in thanks to the jounin. He¡¯d done a lot for me. ¡°If things go as planned, I¡¯ll break into the vaults today. I can tackle the laboratories tomorrow, while you help Hayase catalog the vault''s contents. We¡¯ll also need your help to store the contents in storage seals for ease of transportation.¡± Sai glanced from Yamato to me, while Hayase nodded. I popped out my board, considered my words. I was aware Yamato fudged the truth a little and was giving me an out to avoid the labs. I didn¡¯t want to avoid the place. I wrote my response. ¡°Thanks, Taicho. I¡¯d really like a chance to make up for the lab. I¡¯d appreciate it even more if you came with me.¡± Yamato read the words, his big eyes stared into my soul. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded. ¡°Help me with the vault then. Once we finish there, we can move toward the lab and work there together.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Hayase, who still looked ready to sleep more, asked. ¡°Whatever that trap was, I don¡¯t think I ever heard something screaming like that.¡± He glanced my way, gave me a chagrined shrug before looking at Yamato again. The jounin sipped his tea. ¡°It might be, but we still have to investigate the lab. It was my mistake splitting up from Hinata-san, and sending her to investigate the rest of the complex while I dealt with the vault. A mistake I won¡¯t make again.¡± I looked down. I didn¡¯t like this. Yamato was taking the blame for something he hadn¡¯t done. It felt nice knowing he was ready to take the fall if it meant keeping others from asking about my mental breakdown, but I also felt indignant that he was coddling me that much. I might be only twelve, but I was proud of being a ninja. With those conflicting feelings bubbling inside my chest, I followed Yamato into the snake¡¯s lair again. I won¡¯t say I was over all the things that had happened. I was still confused with my own feelings and reactions, but this felt too important to ignore. And, somehow, Yamato wasn¡¯t trying to keep me away from learning. For some reason, I was expecting that if we ever found anything important related to Orochimaru¡¯s experiments, Yamato would try to keep me as far away from it as possible. It didn¡¯t look like that to me. The man just looked worried for me. Weird. Was he actually on my corner, and not a spy for the village? I mean, there were all these confusing signals from him. If his goal wasn¡¯t to keep me under surveillance, why did he always hide some of his transmission seeds on my stuff? This wasn¡¯t a new thing, he¡¯d been doing it since hell month when he started to train me. I never really minded the privacy invasion because I didn¡¯t have anything I actually wanted to hide from him, and guessed the man was just following orders. And he was probably aware I could feel the chakra in the seeds. Yes, I couldn¡¯t tap into that connection and transmission to learn what he was seeing, but Kakashi-sensei knew I could sense chakra. The seed still had chakra inside it, even if it was a tiny bit. So many mixed signals messing with my head. 5.20 Crouched down in the dark tunnel, I studied the walls, floor and ceiling. There was a hole in the wall that created a direct path from the vaults to the labs. That was an interesting way to use a jutsu. Would Yamato teach me that one if I asked him? I guess I just found what to do on the trip back to Konoha. Thinking about that, I might as well try to leech that water bullet jutsu from Hayase as well. In the original story, Hinata¡¯s Nature Type was fire and lightning. I¡¯m guessing my affinity to earth came from the implanted Senju cells. Wood release was, after all, a mix of earth and water. If that theory holds true, I could potentially excel in four out of five types of elements. Missing only wind to join the exalted group of very rare ninjas capable of using all five basic elements. The entrance to the lab had been sealed by a barrier created out of wood. Yamato¡¯s attempt to keep the place out of reach? Said jounin stood by my side, observing me carefully. He didn¡¯t press me, for which I was thankful. We¡¯d managed to break into the vault a few hours ago. Thankfully, the insides weren¡¯t trapped. There were a lot of things there. Books, scrolls, papers, curios, organic samples sealed inside glass containers. It was a lot. From a quick glance, most of that was in some sort of code. We left Hayase to catalog the contents while we tackled the lab, as Yamato had suggested at breakfast. Sai was still outside, keeping vigil at the hideout entrance. True to his word, Yamato was being a lot more careful this time. He left a wood clone with Sai, another with Hayase. I tried to leave a shadow clone as well. I wanted, after all, to do my part. But Yamato told me not to. I could guess his reasons. If I had another breakdown, the clones might disperse and cause confusion. All these considerations were just me trying to procrastinate. I was serious about facing this head on, but wanting was one thing, going forward with it, another. I got up, took a deep breath. Nodded to Yamato, who nodded back. His hands flashed with seals, and the wood sealing the lab retreated, leaving the door unbarred. I closed my fists. Took another deep breath. Repeated in my mind one, maybe ten times, that it was going to be alright. I wasn¡¯t in any danger. Whatever truth I found inside could only help. There was no lower point to fall anymore. I was already aware and living the worst case scenario: I could be a living clone with a ticking bomb inside her body, mistrusted by her own village, with her staunchest ally in this whole thing dead, because she failed to save him. The only way things would get worse was if there was some possession shit waiting for me inside that lab. I didn¡¯t think that was probable. Eyes open, head held high, I entered the damn laboratory. It hadn¡¯t changed from the last time I was here. The corpse was still on the table. There was a medical trolley by the operating table I hadn¡¯t seen the first time. The green goop inside the vats was ever more polluted with brown and flecks of red. The computer was still bulky and out of power. Yamato didn¡¯t enter. He stayed at the door, surveyed the place with a quick glance. ¡°I made sure there¡¯s no traps, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± I looked back at the jounin. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside. Please call me if you need my help.¡± I gave the man a serious nod. He left after that. Yamato hadn¡¯t given me any orders regarding the lab. My guess was that he was leaving it up to me to decide what to do, or maybe it was another test of loyalty. At this point, I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to tell. I did have an idea of how to deal with the lab. It had been on my mind all day long. A bit of anxiety and dread building at the idea of what I was about to do. From the entrance, I moved to the vats. I needed to confirm if any of the clones were still alive. I should have done it the first time I was here, but I hadn¡¯t been in the right frame of mind to think about it. I walked down the rolls of tubes, inspecting the copies of me inside them.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Now that I was paying more attention, I noticed something strange. While those girls inside the vat were undeniably copies of myself, they weren¡¯t perfect ones. There were subtle changes to each of them. One had a smaller nose. Another, a bigger mouth. There was one with a different bone structure, her face more elongated than what seemed normal. It wasn¡¯t just the face. Some of the clones had different body structure, skin color, one had longer legs, while another thicker arms. I even saw one, looking about a year old, with male genitalia. There was another, one of the oldest, that I couldn¡¯t even say it was me any longer. It was still my own face, if square-ish, but the body shape was all wrong. Her body resembled one of an adult, but she had no breasts, nor any genitalia I could see. Her shoulders were winder, hands larger, but her waist was still thin and curvy. The sense of wrongness was so strong I had to look away. My stomach churned, and the world swayed a little. I doubled over, hands on my knees, taking deep breaths. I refused to have another breakdown. None of the clones were alive. With a noiseless groan, I pushed myself up, and turned back toward the computer near the entrance. There was, I noticed now, a filing cabinet that had been hidden by the bulky machine, as well as a chair and a desk with writing implements on top of it. Walking to the table, my attention was on this new discovery. The papers didn¡¯t seem disturbed. It was like Orochimaru left it there, expecting to be back a few hours later to keep experimenting. The notes were all in that strange code of his, but even a cursory glance told me they were important. On one of the parchments, there was a sketch of a skeleton, and a number of seals carved on the bones. The drawings there were a lot more complex than the ones I was familiar with. Was this an improved version? I scanned all the available information. There were more drawings, but nothing that made sense to me. I¡¯d need to understand Orochimaru¡¯s personal code to read his notes. I gathered all the papers into a neat pile, and turned to the filing cabinet. The first drawer was filled to the brim with even more notes, drawings and sketches. Was all of this related to this one particular experiment? I would find out, one way or another. I gathered all available dossiers, notes, and parchments into a pile. There wasn¡¯t time right now to try deciphering them. That would take a lot of time and effort. From my own seals, I unsealed a bigger piece of parchment. Placed it on the ground, my hand at the center. Before I pushed my chakra, an idea struck me. I blamed Hayase and his endearing dorkness of all things code related. The idea was simple. What if I could create a cipher of my own, but for my storage seals? That sparkled another thought. How would I go about it? A subdued smile found its way to my face. Now that I think about it, Seal-chan and her many iterations had already figured that, back in hell month. Sure, at the time, I failed in tying the beacon to my chakra signature in particular, but I did learn how to infuse it with my own jutsu. So, I just needed¡­ I took another piece of parchment, a small one this time. I modified the seal, created more building blocks from my own vocabulary. These were simple, they¡¯d take the chakra of the person activating the seals, and change the end result. That way, only a person with that same chakra signature would be able to release the seal contents. I pushed my chakra, and inscribed the new seal. Took one of the pencils from the table, placed it on top of the experimental version and activated it. With a puff of smoke, the pencil disappeared, the sealing complete. Somewhat giddy at how easy it had been, I tapped the seal with my finger, willed the seal undone. Out popped a pencil. Slightly worn, marks of abuse, a cracked end. It was the same. That changed things. This new version of my seals did need more chakra, but I thought it was a worthy trade. Not everything would need this security measure, but the contents of this laboratory? It wasn¡¯t even worth considering not using the new yet to be named jutsu. I turned back to the bigger parchment, keeping the shape of the new seal in my mind, Shikoku Fuin did the rest. Guided by my will, the chakra spread through the parchment, creating in seconds a seal that would have taken me minutes to inscribe with ink. I owed Kakashi-sensei a hug. I never really thanked the man for this jutsu. It saved so much time. That done, I scoured the lab for any other note, paper or drawing I could find. I placed everything on top of my prepared storage seal, pushed in my chakra, and sealed everything away. Now I just needed to think of a way of keeping this information to myself without those geezers in the village taking it off from me. Problems for the future. The next part was a lot less interesting. I walked to the table, pulled the inscribed fabric off the corpse¡¯s face. She was almost an exact copy of my own, maybe one or two years older. Out of curiosity, I opened her eyes. Lifeless black eyes stared back at me. Gently sliding my hand over her face, I closed her eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered to the dead version of me. My hands hovered over the trolley. With one last deep breath, I took a scalpel. Gruesome as it might be, I wasn¡¯t about to pass on the chance to see with my own eyes if she also had other seals in her body. It could be a clue to understand what the ones in my heart and eyes did. A clue to disabling the ticking time bomb the seals on my bones were. This decision made me feel like I was following in Orochimaru''s footsteps. I wasn¡¯t happy about that. 5.21 Absentminded, I cleaned my hands against the apron. Lines of red decorating the white fabric. My forehead was damp with sweat. I worked very hard for the past hours, but I was almost done. With firm steps, I walked to the last tube. Holding a kunai, I struck the container. Glass broke and green goop poured out. My hands shot inside the broken container and supported the corpse before it fell down as well. I unplugged the many sensors tied to her body. Those things were small, wicked needles-like thingies that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Soon after, I pulled the tube out of her mouth. It came away flecked with blood and more. I was past trying to keep my hands clean. That ship sailed with the autopsy. Thus the apron. I took the corpse in my arms, walked back to the middle of the room. With deliberate care, I placed her together with the others. From embryo to adult, I left none behind. Around the bodies, six kunais were placed in a rough circle, inside a formation of four other kunais. Each of those kunais had a tag on them. No, I wasn¡¯t about to explode my clones. I liked explosions, but it had its time and place. Those six tags were a modified version meant to produce fire. The outer ones, a simple barrier setup to contain the blaze. The second barrier also prevented the fire from burning all oxygen underground and giving me CO poisoning. That led me into a rabbit-hole trying to understand how to make jutsu fire still burn in an enclosed space. Despite all those implications, the answer was simple: Burn chakra, instead of oxygen. Modifying the seal hadn¡¯t taken long when I decided what I wanted to do. I wasn¡¯t about to take the corpses back to the village. No chance in hell I would deliver this many versions of myself to those codgers. I guess that after the emo phase, I finally hit the teenage angst phase. Rebelling against authority. How normal of me. With one last look at the bodies, I stepped out of the prepared area, activating the seals.
The blaze burned for hours. In the end, all that was left were ashes. My work wasn¡¯t done, however. While the pyre burned, I went about dismantling and storing the beast of an old computer. The thing was too unwieldy to store in one single seal. I tried my best to not break anything, but I might have forced some cables out of their place with a little more fervor than delicate bulky machinery should be dealt with. I guess I¡¯d trust the Intelligence nerdy ninjas to fix the thing. Imagine that, Shinobi IT Geeks. When I was done, my eyes felt heavy, and I was tired. I think it was already the next day when I was finally finished with everything I wanted to do. The lab looked like a hurricane swept past it. Broken glass everywhere, green goop making the floor slippery, a huge patch of burned stuff in the middle. A few cables and wires stuck out where the computer once was. The operation table tossed aside. I placed the last explosive tag by the door. This time, it was the best of my best supplies. I hadn¡¯t skimped on it either. By the time I was done, there would be no more lab, and hopefully no trace of the travesty perpetuated inside. All that would be left were my memories, trauma, and stuff I stored on my seals. I didn¡¯t see Yamato when I walked outside the lab. Had he left me alone? I took the path leading toward the entrance, but before I could have walked more than a few meters, Yamato phased through the walls. Damn, that was another jutsu I really wanted. At this point, I was considering if I should really lean into the daughter''s disguise. I mean, dad Yamato would have to teach me his jutsu, not just the mokuton stuff, right? I didn¡¯t stop. Yamato matched my pace and together we walked to the hideout entrance. Before we left I stopped. There was this angry part of me that didn¡¯t want to obey my orders and follow the mission, but if anything, now wasn¡¯t the time to rock the boat. From what I remembered, Tsunade would be a good Hokage. I was more than willing to give her the benefit of a doubt before taking more drastic actions. Not that I had any idea what those drastic actions would be. I hadn''t thought that far ahead yet.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I would argue my case with her. I didn¡¯t want the information and knowledge I found in the lab being disseminated. It just felt wrong. Facing the jounin, I produced the many scrolls with all the stuff I deemed I could take away. Held it in both hands with a death grip. All rolled neatly into a pile of seals. The contents of the labs I had sealed away with the improved version of my storage seal. It might be naive of me, but if the village took it away, I could at least use the fact that without me they couldn¡¯t access the contents as leverage. Leverage for what, I wasn¡¯t sure yet. Out popped my comms board. My threads wrote my message. ¡°I burned all of the corpses.¡± A lie I hoped Yamato would forgive me for. I kept one. ¡°A few of them had white eyes, but most didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t take any.¡± That at least, wasn¡¯t a lie. I had no idea what changes Orochimaru made to those clones, more than that, they were dead for how long? Were those eyes even still alive? I wasn¡¯t about to try plucking an eye from a weeks old corpse and plug it into my head. That sparked a different thought: what about the eye from Orochimaru? What kind of setup were they using to keep it alive? Do dojutsu eyes even need to be kept alive? Had I made a massive mistake by burning everything? It had been a spurn of the moment decision, one I didn''t regret, but now I was left wondering. I shook my head, wrote more words. ¡°Gathered all the documents I could find. Dismantled the computer and stored it away.¡± Yamato didn¡¯t say anything. I pushed the rolled scrolls toward him. ¡°Here.¡± My threads wrote. Yamato nodded, extended his hands, but didn¡¯t take the scrolls. He pushed it back to me. ¡°Keep them. Once we¡¯re back at Konoha, I might be able to delay things for a couple of days. Do you think that would be enough to make a copy you could use?¡± When I walked out of that lab, I was ready for some push back, maybe pressure from Yamato for the information, an order to give away everything I found. My hands tightened around the parchments. It crinkled under my grip. I hadn¡¯t expected him to try to fudge things again in my favor. I couldn¡¯t look the man in the eyes, but I nodded. Maybe I blinked away some dust in my eyes. His hand found my head and ruffled my hair. I grumbled, slapped away the offending appendage. He chuckled. Why people liked doing that I would never understand. ¡°Hayase still isn¡¯t done with cataloging the vault, but he learned some important things.¡± Yamato looked towards the outside, took a step in that direction, I followed. ¡°The sun is almost up, we can talk about it over breakfast, what do you think?¡± Nodding, I erased my board. There was one more piece of information I needed to pass on. Threads worked their way into writing the words. ¡°I jury rigged the whole lab with my best explosives. A few dozen of them.¡± Yamato read my message, stumbled. Blinked. ¡°Those explosives you used in the battle?¡± I gave the man a serious look, shook my head. His shoulders sagged with relief. I erased the words on my board, wrote others. ¡°Those were my good ones. I meant what I said. Only my best.¡± His hand pinched the bridge of his nose. His voice sounded strained. Body tense. ¡°When are they going to go off?¡± I shrugged. Who did he think I was? ¡°On command.¡± Yamato¡¯s shoulder sagged again. ¡°Hinata-san, we¡¯ll need to talk about acceptable levels of destructive force sometime soon.¡± I shrugged again. There wasn¡¯t much to talk about. Explosion made things go boom. The bigger the boom, the better. Outside the house, patrolling the perimeter, we found a tired looking Hayase. When he noticed us leaving the hideout, he walked closer, then came to a screeching halt when he saw me. He pointed at me, then looked from Yamato to me a few times. ¡°Why are you wearing a bloody apron?¡± The chunin demanded. I looked at myself. Hands covered in dried blood, apron splashed with red and bloody handprints. I scratched my head. Oops?
We sat around a small table in the dining area of the camp. On the table, crumbles of cupcakes and an empty tea thermos. I was still tired, and a bit sleepy, but the sugar fix gave me a few motes of energy back into my body. Hayase was still giving me strange glances from time to time. Even after I removed the apron, took a bath, donned a new outfit, and made sure the blood under my nails was gone, it still didn¡¯t seem enough for him. Might be because I played that off as an everyday occasion, answering as if walking out of a madman hideout covered in blood was the most normal thing in the world. Huh, who would have thought that was where he drew the line. Yamato took a last sip of his tea, placed it down and looked at me. ¡°Hinata-san, report.¡± He ordered. 5.22 I had, again, made attempts to smooth things over with Sai. I prepared breakfast ¡ªpancakes, yay¡ª and even unpopped a few of my cupcakes. Once the food had been served, I tried to strike a conversation. It went something like this: ¡°Hello Sai-kun, are you feeling better? Any trouble with the injuries?¡± I know those weren¡¯t the best ice breaking conversation starters, but I was a bit lost on what else to talk about with the guy. I thought his jutsu was cool, and was curious if his hobby was painting, but it would have been strange to ask that directly, when he was just coming out of a battle injury. Sai looked at me. Nodded. ¡°I am well.¡± He answered in a tone that made clear the conversation wasn¡¯t going anywhere. I wasn¡¯t going to push. Maybe I¡¯d try a few more times, just to make sure I didn¡¯t catch him on a bad day. Yamato didn¡¯t let the silence linger for long. We had already finished eating when he ordered. ¡°Report.¡± That command always made fangirl-chan happy. Today wasn¡¯t any different. She was still giddy, but a more subdued kind of happy. I understood her. I¡¯d give her a hug if I could. I saluted, then took out my board. Words flowed. There was a lot to report. ¡°I finished the lab investigation. Disposed of all organic matter that wasn¡¯t fit to be stored or transported. Gathered all available information. Disassembled the computer and stored it as well.¡± I gave the boys time to read my report while I wrote on the other side of the board. When I was finished, I flipped it, showing the second part of the report. ¡°I placed explosives at the lab and am ready to trigger them at any point to make sure anything that I missed won¡¯t fall on the wrong hands.¡± Well, guess what, my report wasn¡¯t that long. Yamato gave time for the other chunin to read before he addressed me again. ¡°Good job Hinata-san. You¡¯ll have to coordinate with Hayase today to pack and store the vault contents. I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, but you¡¯re the only one in our team capable of creating those storage seals.¡± I gave the man a nod. I didn¡¯t mind using jutsu. It was cool, and awesome, and fun. ¡°Sai, report.¡± Yamato ordered again. The pale boy nodded. ¡°My scouts are keeping the area under surveillance. Nothing new to report.¡± I¡¯m guessing he wasn¡¯t direct and curt with only me. Good to know. Yamato didn¡¯t seem to mind the curt report. ¡°Thank you Sai, and good job.¡± Lastly, he turned to Hayase, who had leaned forward, feet bouncing. ¡°Hayase, report.¡± Yamato ordered again. ¡°Yes, taicho!¡± Hayase said, engaged nerd mode, and disgorged the exposition. ¡°Most of the information is protected by a code that is unlike anything we¡¯ve seen before. It doesn¡¯t resemble anything the intelligence department is aware of. At this point, my conjecture is that we¡¯re dealing with Orochimaru¡¯s personal encryption. I haven¡¯t tried to break it yet, but even at a quick glance, that won¡¯t be easy, unless we find the cipher.¡± Three heads nodded. That wouldn¡¯t be easy. Even in the before with the use of supercomputers, breaking encryption was difficult.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯ve cataloged and listed most of the stuff in the vault. Weapons, jutsu, a lot of ledgers, money, and correspondences. Again, most of that is protected by code, but not all.¡± Hayase stopped here, looked each of us in the eye before continuing. Was he enjoying being dramatic? ¡°I did find, however, that Orochimaru had at least two other hideouts, maybe even up to four.¡± I ransacked my brain trying to remember. Knowing that stuff should be right up my alley, but me and fangirl-chan stared in frustrated disbelief when my brain decided to play dead and turn in no memory whatsoever regarding this topic. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sai, who usually didn¡¯t participate much in these talks, asked. Hayase nodded, serious. ¡°Yes. One of the notes that wasn¡¯t protected by code suggests there¡¯s a hideout near Kusagakure, but there were no clues to the precise location. The second hideout is a place named Southern hideout.¡± Hayase pulled a rolled scroll next to his seat. I got up, cleaned the table before he made a mess. The chunin gave me a nod, then a smile, before remembering he was still freaked out with me and looking away. Silly boy. Yamato coughed, which was enough to dispel the awkwardness. Hayase laid the map open. It was a good version of the known lands. His fingers tapped a group of islands in the Land of Waves. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I know where the Southern Hideout is.¡± He tapped the islands again. ¡°These islands. If you look here,¡± the chunin took a few more papers, handed them out to us, ¡°There¡¯s mention of prisoner transportations to this facility, and this one,¡± he handed Yamato another parchment, ¡°even indicates where are the secret passages Orochimaru uses to reach the hideout in island.¡± There was a moment of silence while we digested that information. Hayase¡¯s look of glee told me he was enjoying this. ¡°Amazing work Hayase.¡± Yamato praised. The chunin preened. ¡°How long until you¡¯re finished with cataloging the vault''s contents?¡± Hayase had started nodding even before Yamato finished his question. ¡°I should be done with it today. The part I think will take the longest is storing everything in seals.¡± He cast me a glance, one that had pity written all over. I shook my head. Silly boy, he didn¡¯t know that was the easiest, and most enjoyable part of the work. Seals were cool. I took my board, wrote my words. ¡°If everything is already organized and prepared, it shouldn¡¯t take me long. Watch.¡± I let the boys read the words then dug into my pouch for a small parchment. I placed it on the table, and put my finger on top of it. With an effort of will, my chakra spread over the paper, drawing squiggly black lines. After that, I took the empty thermos, placed it on the seal, activated it. Under three pairs of eyes, I stored my trusty thermos with my other stuff. Under three pairs of eyes, I gave them a V for victory. Under three pairs of confused eyes, my shoulders slumped. Damn, when would they start learning the cool modern symbols? ¡°That''s impressive Hinata-san.¡± Yamato said when the silence stretched for too long. I just hung my head, defeated. If only they understood. Did I need to become Hokage to start some cool new trends? I shook my head. Forget it. That was sunshine¡¯s brat dream. I wanted no part of it. ¡°That¡¯s decided then.¡± Unaware of my despair, Yamato continued. ¡°Tomorrow we leave for the Land of Waves.¡± I perked up. Not Konoha? ¡°Not Konoha?¡± Hayase mirrored my question. ¡°No, this is too important to afford the delay.¡± Yamato traced a line in the map. ¡°We¡¯ll cut through the Land of Hot Waters. Speed is our priority now. If that facility was used to hold prisoners we need to find it as soon as possible.¡± We nodded, but Yamato wasn¡¯t done with his orders. ¡°Sai, I¡¯ll trouble you to contact the village with your ink constructs. You¡¯ll relay the basics of the information and request reinforcements.¡± There were more technical details after that. New protocols to follow. Land of Waves was, after all, home to Kiri. Transgressing into another hidden village¡¯s domain was asking for trouble. I wasn¡¯t sure how Yamato planned to smooth things over, if he even planned to. My guess was that our best bet was to just not get found out. But even with all that important information being bandied about, something else was on my mind. Land of Waves means Naruto¡¯s Bridge. That made me think of Tsunami. There was this strange fluttering feeling in my belly. Silly as it might be, I wouldn¡¯t mind being mommied over again by her. Her mom''s energy was top notch, and now that I decided to stop deceiving myself, I did enjoy being fussed over by her. It made me think of my own mom in the before. I missed her. 5.23 Packing up everything left me empty of chakra and exhausted. Hayase chatted all day long about this or that code, often trying for minutes to understand some new piece of information or another. I could understand his enthusiasm, but I just wasn¡¯t feeling the same. Mental breakdowns and gruesome autopsies weren¡¯t conducive to a happy mood. Even so, I nodded at the appropriate times, displaying the appropriate level of tired, but genuine interest. I liked that stuff, after all. I think Hayase got so into his own geekness he forgot to be weirded out by me. That night, chakra depleted and tired, Yamato excused me from the watch rotation. I wasn¡¯t going to complain. If ordered, I would have tried, but I don¡¯t think I was in any condition to stay awake and concentrate all night. Warm blankets embraced me. My eyes drooped. Before I fell asleep, I pushed my chakra one last time. Another Hinata-chan joined me under the blankets. It felt nice to cuddle with her. Sleep found me soon after.
The feeling of being watched woke me up. The side of the bed was empty, my other self dispersed when I fell asleep. I cast my senses out, trying to feel anything that could point out why this kept happening. Two bundles of chakra, one was the familiar earthy flavored one that I knew was Yamato. Something about that was nagging at my mind, chakra flavor? Another, this one smaller, slept in the adjacent room. By the size, I knew it was Hayase. Which left the one at the living room as Sai. All around, other smaller bundles of chakras were moving around the camp. Sai¡¯s ink constructs. Somehow, my sensing range seemed to have expanded, or Sai was keeping his constructs closer. While I was still looking for the source of the disturbance, Sai¡¯s chakra churned. He held the new small bundle for a while, and soon after it left the house. It flew out of my perception range. I guess Sai was doing a staggered recon area. For a moment I thought my range had gone up. I brushed those thoughts away, sleepiness making me think strange things. I kept searching for what had woken me up, but when I caught myself dozing for the third time, I called it a bad job, tucked back into covers, and fell asleep once more. When I catch the peeping bastard, I¡¯d teach them a lesson.
We departed the next morning before dawn. Yamato unsummoned his awesome portable house. I adjusted my travel bag. Somehow, it fell to me to carry all the stuff we gathered. It was just paper seals, but outside their storage, they were bulky. I think Yamato was bullying me, or maybe obfuscating the fact he left me with the laboratory data. I wasn¡¯t sure. Yamato turned to our team, specifically the pale boy. ¡°Sai, please report our new plans to Konoha. We¡¯ll use the same details we discussed yesterday.¡± Sai nodded, pulled out a seal scroll, pencil and ink. With a flourish, he created an ink bird. The construct flew up and landed on his shoulders. Next, Sai took a more mundane piece of parchment, and held it to the bird. The ink thing swallowed the paper, fluttered its wings, took off flying. I followed the construct until it left the range of my chakra perception. ¡°Stay focused, we will travel fast.¡± Yamato advised, then started running. We stopped a few miles later. I judged that was far enough. Yamato gave me a considering look, Hayase looked nervous, Sai was just indifferent. That was fine, it was my moment. My hands flashed, out popped a clone. She was alert and ready. Eyes sparkling and face open in a full-wicked smile. Body swaying in anticipation. I understood her, I wanted to smile myself. But I didn¡¯t. I had better self control than my clones. I adjusted my footing. Found something to hold on to quiet questing hands. My clone, the awesomest Bomber-chan, gave me a nod, a salute. With a quick hop my way and a devious smirk, she took me into a hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. The gall of that gal! Three pairs of startled eyes stared at me. My ears burned. Damn it. The clones were getting out of control. With another cheeky grin, Bomber-chan saluted the three flabbergasted boys, then flickered away. I endured their curious gazes until I knew it was time. They might have asked more than a few questions. I didn¡¯t bother with answers. Pretended I hadn¡¯t heard it. I raised my hand, fingers splayed, then lowered one by one. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I hoped they understood. The explosion was a muted thump that shook the world. It was glorious. Even prepared as I was, I windmilled to keep my balance. There was no plume of smoke or blast of fire. The hideout was too deep underground for that, but I did see a huge swath of trees toppling in the distance. Nice! Another good memory. I needed more of those. Yamato had crouched, both hands on the ground for support. Sai, fast on the uptake, had copied the jounin. Hayase was still trying to ask silly questions. Served him right, now he was picking himself up from the ground. With one last salute to Bomber-chan, the ever short lived, I turned around and led the way away. They wouldn¡¯t ask questions if we kept running, right? This time, we weren¡¯t worried about not being seen. Our pace was fast and demanding. We kept out of traveled paths, preferring to tree hop in a direct line toward our destination. Yamato set a grueling pace even for shinobis. We didn¡¯t even stop for lunch. The devil! Boy was I glad I didn¡¯t arrive in Middle Earth. With my size, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d be a hobbit and that just wouldn¡¯t do. Imagine having to run all day long without second and third breakfast, without lunch even. Madness. We stopped when night fell. Yamato found us another hidden place among a copse of trees and summoned up another portable house. He didn¡¯t look tired. He barely looked winded. The cheating bastard. I shambled inside. An entire day of running was a different sort of torture. I might have gone a bit overboard with the weight seals too. It felt good to push myself. It wasn¡¯t as bad as hell month though. Hayase looked worse than me. He all but collapsed on the first cushion he could get his hands on. Sai, surprisingly, didn''t look all that bad. His cheeks had a bit of color. An entire day of running was all that it took to put some color back on his skin. I guess I couldn¡¯t judge by appearances. I was expecting Sai to be the one half dead, with Hayase doing better at the prolonged exercise. Teaches me to make assumptions. My shambling took me to the kitchen. Yamato peeked inside before I could start cooking.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Something light Hinata-san. It won¡¯t end well if you cook anything heavy after an entire day of physical exertion.¡± I nodded. That was a shame. I was in a mood for something more complex. In the end, I made a light veggie stew. It wasn¡¯t the best, but it was tasty. I served the food, got my bowl and sat by Sai¡¯s side. The boy cast a glance at me that I couldn¡¯t really understand. What was going on inside his head? I sipped my soup, popped my board. Tried again to mend a bridge I don¡¯t even know how I burned. ¡°Bit of a silly question, but is painting your hobby?¡± I gave the pale boy a cheeky grin. I mean, I knew the question was silly. I was trying to appeal to his sense of humor here. Sai looked from his food to me, to the board, to the food again. I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He answered again in a tone that screamed: stop bothering me. I sighed. Well, this was getting sillier by the moment. I couldn''t force someone to be my friend. I wasn¡¯t about to do a Naruto and annoy the shit outta of the guy until he became my best friend. I wasn¡¯t that patient, or desperate. I tried, that was more than enough for me. If he didn¡¯t want to connect, it was his loss, not mine. Now I could badmouth him in peace in the quiet of my mind. Yamato had observed the whole exchange. Hayase too. Awkward. I wonder what they were thinking. I unpopped my board, picked up my food, got up and went to sit with Hayase. It was time to geek over encrypted messages and learn more about them. I would need that knowledge soon enough if I was going to decipher Orochimaru¡¯s notes. And I guess geeking out with the older chunin would help him forget to be weirded out by all that lab business.
The grueling travel pace continued until we had crossed the Land of Hot waters and arrived near the port city we would use to reach the Land of Waves. There, we had to assume our disguises again. There wasn¡¯t much to say about that leg of the trip. We purchased more supplies, purchased passage, contacted Konoha¡¯s spies for another report and updated info. I was glad to unload on those poor spies the loot from Orochimaru¡¯s hideout. Carrying that many dangerous, and potentially valuable, seals was nerve wracking. I kept the ones from the lab though, for a few reasons. Yamato agreed that giving those away before I had a chance to make a copy for myself could set me back for a while. The intelligence department wasn¡¯t in the business of giving away forbidden and valuable information. Orochimaru¡¯s experimentation data was highly valuable. I also hadn¡¯t told Yamato about the changed seals. I didn¡¯t want others to know about them just yet. As it was expected, Konoha wasn¡¯t prepared to send a full contingent of reinforcements. The situation was a cauldron waiting to boil over back at home. The jounin commander, however, promised at least one more team to support us. It just would take some time for them to arrive. A couple of days at earliest. That tidbit of information didn¡¯t change our plans. Yamato was right, we couldn¡¯t delay the mission to wait for reinforcements. We left the port city the day after we arrived. It wasn¡¯t a long journey, from Hot Waters to the Land of Waves. A full day''s worth with the boat we managed to get passage on. For this next part, I cut back on the weight training. It was enemy territory now, and I wanted to be in top shape for the hideout. It might take one or two days to get the soreness out of my muscles, but based on the information we had, it would take a few days to arrive at the southern hideout. We didn¡¯t discuss the mission, nor did we use jutsu. We were inside enemy territory now, and any lack of focus could spell disaster. Inside our quarters, we had another coded conversation. Yamato reinforced the need for secrecy now. It was best to stay under the radar than cause a political incident for the village at this critical stage. A day of travel later, seasick and nauseated, we arrived at Mists territory. A distant part of my mind cursed Yamato¡¯s decision to play the civilian again. Why couldn¡¯t we just run over the water until we arrived here? Another part of me was sad that our path didn¡¯t take us close to The Great Naruto¡¯s Bridge. Maybe on the way back, I hoped. Another not so distant part wondered if Fate-kun would conspire against me and put Haku on my path again. That would be funny, wouldn¡¯t it? Disguised as traveling companions, we left the port city. There was no running today. Our objective was to reach the coast, near where the island was, and scout from there, while we waited for the reinforcements. We could have reached there in a few hours at a ninja go brrr speed, but again, we wanted to stay unnoticed. There was no way to say if the people in the hideout had spies nearby, nor did we want to alert Kiri about our presence. Problem was, the world didn¡¯t want us unnoticed. When we were a few hours away from the city, I noticed the first bundle of chakra. Further than I normally would. Did my perception range really increase? I thought it was dumb sleepy brain thoughts. Did confronting my inner demons give me a power up? I scoffed at that last thought. Noticing the chakra wasn¡¯t all that uncommon, sometimes, a blip of chakra passed near my perception. It happened often enough on Konoha or on the road that a single blip wasn¡¯t really worrying. But then there was a second, and a third, and a fourth and more. Worse, they were all around us. At the distance they were, they had stopped just shy of what once was my previous sensory range. How? Why? What gave us away? I looked up, Sai¡¯s bird was a small black dot in the sky, barely visible. How had these shinobi escaped Sai¡¯s notice? Urgency building inside me, I skipped forward closer to Yamato while still keeping up with my excited daughter persona. Tapped his shoulder, hands flashing with my code. A part of me really hoped these were our promised reinforcements. Waring. Shinobi. Strong. Surrounded. Quantity unknown. I was expecting Yamato to try to play it cool, try to investigate. It didn¡¯t happen. The man¡¯s hand flashed with seals. Out popped two wood clones, he barked orders and all hell broke loose. The enemy attacked. Each I could see was dressed in a dark uniform, with no visible markings. A featureless white mask with no opening for the mouth or nose. Kunais, exploding tags, smoke bombs, enemies flickering and trying to stab us in the back. More and more chakra blazes appeared around us. From the intensity, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else than chunins and jounins. My hands trembled. I gripped a kunai in return. The first few moments of the ambush was utter chaos. It also managed to separate our team. Out popped a shadow clone, just in time to intercept a shinobi trying to stab me. I whirled, parried another attack. I flickered to avoid a thrown shuriken, only to be hit by a chunk of earth protruding from the ground. I threw my explosive, in the ensuing boom, I took two other explosive tags, threw them and flickered again. Yamato wasn¡¯t far away, but there were so many shinobi between me and him that I couldn¡¯t approach. I tried. I kept fighting, and injuries kept pilling. I failed to dodge a punch. A shuriken found its way into my leg. A group attack from three other ninjas left me with a kunai stuck to my sides and having to flicker wildly to escape. Not even pumping my body full of chakra was enough. No matter what I tried, the enemy was prepared. My speed, which I considered my best asset, was matched and surpassed. It was like they knew everything that I could do. At some point, I found myself back to back with Sai, panting and trying to catch my breath. The nausea from the seasickness hadn¡¯t left me entirely. My legs still hurt from all that running. Sai stumbled into me when I was being attacked by two other shinobis, with my clone too far away to help fend them off. His ink counstructs swarmed the attacking enemies, forcing them to retreat. Now, I guarded his back and he guarded mine. Sai looked ragged and hurt, but still in better shape than me. His ink constructs were all over the place: birds, tigers, giants and more. Great distractions, keeping the enemy busy. Giving us a chance to breathe. By this point, I was about to throw caution to the wind. Using mokuton would leave me chakra drained, but what other choice did I have? I was cursing myself for not having prepared a beacon for my prototype thunder god jutsu. I had no idea where Hayase was, or what happened to Yamato. At some point, they just weren¡¯t in the range of my perception anymore. Before I pulled the big guns and burned myself with mokuton, I whispered a question to Sai. In the original story, the chunin was someone Danzo considered a prodigy. He was also more prepared, fit and powerful in battle than Hayase, who was years older. Even here, he managed to push away enemies I was having trouble dealing with. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± The pain on my throat was nothing compared to my worry about the others. There was a moment of silence, then I felt a prickle of pain on my neck. My body froze, my breath hitched. I couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t keep my balance. I fell down. Sai¡¯s indifferent face made its way into my field of vision. Looked down on me. ¡°Yes.¡± He answered, voice emotionless. ¡°It¡¯s working perfectly.¡± His foot found my face and darkness claimed me. Chapter 6: Ginger, Honey and a Dash of Purple. Two days after the Sunagakure and Otogakure attack. Scattered piles of reports, slips of encrypted communication piled on a ceramic bowl, rolls of opened archived scrolls for reference, drawings, analysis, speculations, facts. Nara Shikaku¡¯s mind churned with cause and effect, choices and possibilities. He considered what he knew and the Third Hokage¡¯s last request. A knock at the door disturbed his concentration. The person outside didn¡¯t wait to be invited in. Inoichi¡¯s face looked even more drawn in and hard. His long-time friend pulled a chair and sat in front of Shikaku¡¯s desk, back pressing against the chair¡¯s rest, face turned to the ceiling, eyes closed. ¡°You owe me a big one.¡± Inoichi said without opening his eyes. Shikaku pulled back on his chair, hands resting on the desk. He waited. He knew his friend. There would be more said. Inoichi looked down. His face was even more haggard. ¡°Ino will never forgive me if she learns of this. She¡¯s taken with Hinata.¡± Shikaku shook his head, eyes finding the picture of his wife and son on the desk. He knew all too well how women could make life a living hell. He tore his gaze away from the images. It wasn¡¯t time to reminisce. ¡°What did you find?¡± Inoichi shrugged. ¡°Nothing we didn¡¯t already know.¡± The jounin looked around. Shikaku noticed those details. His fingers moved, one of their signals from their time on the same team. ¡®Safe, private, speak freely.¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s hiding something. I can¡¯t enter her mind. I don¡¯t believe she has any harmful intentions toward Konoha. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s a willing spy, if she¡¯s a spy at all.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve read the reports, same as you did. They didn¡¯t let us make any attempts to earn her trust, why is the council now mad that she''s keeping her secrets?¡± ¡°Your opinion then?¡± It was just a formality. Shikaku already knew his friend¡¯s answer. ¡°I¡¯m endorsing her promotion to Chunin. It¡¯s the least I can do after interrogating her like that.¡± Shikaku took a piece of paper, handed it over. ¡°You¡¯re sending her away then?¡± The jounin commander looked at the pile of papers and reports again. ¡°That¡¯s the best option we have.¡±
One day after Hinata left for her mission. ¡°Those were not your orders.¡± Mitokado Homura''s calm voice wasn¡¯t enough to hide the man¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°You were told to apprehend the girl, not promote her.¡± Shikaku glanced from Homura to his counterpart, Koharu. As he often did these days, he wondered if they indeed held Konoha¡¯s best interests in mind, or about their fixation with Hinata. Those two, along with Danzo, have pushed for more drastic measures since day one. Shikaku shrugged. ¡°I followed my orders.¡± Koharu shifted on her seat, permanent squinting eyes and frowny face not making it easy to read the woman¡¯s mood. ¡°Those were not¡ª¡± It seemed it was now time for Koharu to push her rhetoric. Shikaku was tired of this. There was so much to do. He had to appease the Hyuga, send delegations to Sunagakure and Kirigakure to sound for an alliance, send a formal diplomatic mission to Iwagakure and Kumogakure. There might still be a chance to avoid war altogether. Some of the new information provided by Lord Jiraiya was a concern not only to Konoha. And yet, those two kept taking his time with pointless questions.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°The Third Hokage¡¯s orders.¡± He interrupted. The councilmen looked at each other, a thousand words with a glance. He considered saying more. Maybe appeal to their sense and explain the looming crisis. Or maybe remind them they couldn¡¯t order him around like they seem to think they could. In the end, he didn¡¯t have the time or patience. Shikaku¡¯s goal was to hold the fort until a new Hokage was appointed. After that, he could dump this pile into their lap and return to his real work. He got up and left the meeting room without being dismissed, his mind already preoccupied with the more pressing issues. However, a nagging thought kept returning to his mind: both councilmen were acting, in many ways, the same way when Danzo was still a council member. Had the man left at all?
Around two weeks after the start of Hinata¡¯s mission. Not for the first time, Shikaku tried to decipher the mystery that Hinata was. How had she known about Danzo¡¯s actions and plans? Even Danzo had been taken by surprise by that knowledge. The old traitor reacted fast when an ANBU squad was assembled to interrogate him, but not fast enough to get rid of all the evidence. The details of ROOT activity, human experimentation, forbidden seals to ensure compliance, plans to deal with the Uchiha clan. Worse yet, the confirmation that he had a stolen Sharingan beneath that bandaged face. One that no one could trace the source of. None of the clan¡¯s records had information about a missing eye. By all accounts, every dead Uchiha was accounted for. In the end, how had Hinata known? He read the transcription of her reports. Seven years ago, Hinata already knew about Akatsuki, even pointed them out by name and described some of their members, as well Orochimaru¡¯s involvement with that group. She also implied they were behind the Kyuubi attack eleven years ago. Shikaku could understand the many frustrated egos regarding this situation. Hinata¡¯s secrets could be invaluable. And instead of fostering her trust, the council made sure she was alienated. Shikaku put the paper down, looked back at the picture of his loving, fierce wife. Was this their plan all along? Drive Hinata away from the village? A knock interrupted his thoughts. Shikaku shelved that analysis to pick it up again later. He hid the secret reports, all the confidential information, disabled the privacy seal. Once he was ready, he called out. ¡°Come in.¡± The visitor was one of the Intelligence department chunin in charge of external communication. The boy had a rolled up parchment in his hand. ¡°A report from Yamato, sir.¡± Shikaku waved the boy closer, took the still sealed parchment. ¡°Thank you.¡± He dismissed, mind already full with the implications. Once the chunin left, he broke the seal and read the report. It was surprisingly light on details. They found a hideout, cleared the place, found a lead to a second place in Kirigakure where Orochimaru kept prisoners. Something about the report bothered Shikaku. He got up from his desk, moved to the door. Poked his head out. The intelligence room was still the same, frantic organized chaos it ever was. ¡°I need to speak with Hatake Kakashi, send a bird, please?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response. Shikaku got back to his table and started to consider options. Who could he send? If he wanted to change things and start fostering Hinata¡¯s loyalty, a familiar face would be preferable. Kakashi, perhaps? He discarded that idea. Kakashi¡¯s expertise was needed elsewhere. Naruto was away with Lord Jiraiya, searching for Tsunade. Sasuke wasn¡¯t in any condition to travel, the young Uchiha¡¯s heir suffering from some unknown malediction. That left only one option. Inoichi would have his head for this. Before he got up, he felt the presence in his room. He looked up. Kakashi was inside his office, leaning by the door. Never one to abide by protocol, that one. He met with the detached eyes of the white haired jounin. ¡°Thank you for coming. I need your expertise.¡± He got up, walked closer and handed Kakashi the report from Yamato. Kakashi read the report, then reread it. ¡°ANBU code. There isn¡¯t much aside from that he couldn¡¯t put that information on the report. Too dangerous for long distance communication.¡± Shikaku sighed. That didn¡¯t make things easy. More plans started to form. Could he still send Ino¡¯s team? ¡°I heard of your disagreement with the council,¡± Kakashi¡¯s voice interrupted Shikaku¡¯s thoughts. The jounin commander looked back at Team Seven¡¯s leader, all too aware of Kakashi¡¯s opinion regarding Hinata. ¡°I fear that¡¯s a mistake we¡¯ll all pay for.¡± He didn¡¯t say more. There was no need. Kakashi nodded. Turned and left without saying anything else. Shikaku made up his mind. Poked his head out of the door again. ¡°Please send a bird for Sarutobi Azuma. There¡¯s a new urgent mission for his team.¡± Maybe he could still salvage this situation. 6.2.i ¡°Pack up, we¡¯re leaving for a mission.¡± Ino looked up from her food to Asuma-sensei. The trio had started eating while they waited for their teacher. The man looked haggard and tired. He hadn¡¯t even sat down yet and was already dropping bombs. Team Ten was at their usual barbeque place, Yakiniku Q. Choji was stuffing his face like usual, Shikamaru looked even more annoyed than normal. ¡°Troublesome.¡± Choji despaired. ¡°What? No! We just started lunch!¡± Ino put the chopsticks down, cleaned her mouth with a napkin. She was as annoyed, if not more so, than the rest of the team, but there was no need to be immature about it. ¡°What is the mission?¡± Asuma-sensei looked at the table, the food, and the empty chair that was his usual place. He sighed, sat down. ¡°Another team has requested reinforcements for an infiltration, asset acquisition and possible extraction mission.¡± Shikamaru scowled. ¡°Why the hell are they sending us?¡± Asuma-sensei sighed again, lit a cigarette. ¡°Short staffed.¡± Shikamaru¡¯s scowl didn¡¯t go away. Ino knew him well enough to know that they would only waste time if she didn¡¯t change the talk to something more productive. ¡°What are the mission details? What do we need to prepare?¡± Asuma-sensei nipped the cigarette at the table. He hadn¡¯t taken a single puff. He looked at the food, took a piece of meat, chewed, spoke after he swallowed. ¡°The details are confidential and are not to be discussed outside our team. Not to friends, family, or any other shinobi that might ask, do you understand?¡± Ino nodded. Shikamaru shrugged. Choji stuffed his face even more. Asuma-sensei placed both hands on the table. ¡°About two weeks ago, a team left looking for the hideout of the enemy that attacked Konoha. They¡ª¡± ¡°A single four-man cell?¡± Shikamaru interrupted. Ino glared at the chunin, but he wasn¡¯t paying attention to her; his face was grave. Asuma-sensei¡¯s answer was a single nod. ¡°A full complement of jounin?¡± Sensei shook his head. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°The team succeeded. They found the hideout, and there, they found information about where captured enemies are kept. The jounin in command sent a notice requesting reinforcements, and his team went ahead to scout and prepare a plan of attack in this new location.¡± ¡°What will we be up against?¡± Ino asked. Asuma-sensei shrugged. ¡°No idea. The first place they found was teeming with traps but abandoned. There was some experiment gone wrong rampaging nearby, which they put down. There was no information on whether this new place was still in use or what defenses there were.¡± ¡°Who is the other team? What are their capabilities? What do we need to prepare?¡± Shikamaru shot in quick succession. ¡°A jounin and three chunin. The jounin¡¯s name is Yamato, age twenty-four. Graduated from the academy at six, and was promoted to chunin that same year. He has the same ability as the first Hokage to control wood.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Choji dropped his food. Shikamaru cursed. Ino didn¡¯t know what to think. Chunin at six? What sort of bullshit was that? ¡°Hayase, age eighteen. Member of the intelligence department. From the mission briefing I received, his main role is support. Data analysis and strategy.¡± ¡°Sai, age fourteen. Combat ninjutsu specialist. Can summon an array of ink constructs, which he uses for communication, recon, and combat.¡± Asuma-sensei stopped, looked at the rest of the team, then fixed his eyes on Ino. Her stomach churned. She didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes. ¡°Hinata, age twelve. Logistics specialist.¡± Choji choked on his food. It was Ino¡¯s time to scowl. From what she understood, the mission was almost like a suicide one; why the hell was Hinata involved? Was that because of her storage seals? Ino knew they were good; she saw them often enough to know it wasn¡¯t the normal fare. And chunin, since when? Was this what her father was hiding from her? Ino knew him well enough to know something had happened and he was keeping it a secret. Choji removed the food from his mouth only to stick his foot. ¡°Hinata? Why? She lost to Naruto. What¡¯s she doing on such a mission? And since when is she a chunin?¡± Shikamaru face-palmed. Ino just shook her head. Asuma-sensei¡¯s face, however, was grave. ¡°Hinata, age twelve. Logistic specialist.¡± The man repeated, eyes not leaving Choji. ¡°Former member of the Hyuga clan, proficient at combat, can use shadow clones, can use jutsu without hand seals, is effectively immune to genjutsu. Like Yamato, she can use mokuton. She fought and killed three chunin during the attack. She killed the full Otogakure team during the Forest of Death preliminary exam, fought and survived a battle against an S-Rank missing-nin, fought and survived against an A-Rank missing-nin on her first mission outside the village. Created a new type of explosive tag with at least five times the yield of normal ones. Created a new type of storage seal that can store four times more while using three times less space.¡± The silence stretched. No one said anything. Asuma-sensei pressed. ¡°Yes, that Hinata.¡± He sighed. ¡°Look, Choji, I know you¡¯re trying, but yes, that silly-looking, happy-go-lucky girl who likes to give candy to everyone is the most dangerous person on that team beside the jounin. You can¡¯t judge a ninja just from their appearance. Hinata has done an excellent job of building a harmless persona. Don¡¯t be tricked like many others.¡± Ino disagreed with Asuma¡¯s assessment. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that Hinata was putting on an act. That was just how she was. Ino¡¯s lips curled into a smile. It was fitting, she guessed. Cute on the outside, deadly when provoked. Like an adorable kitten. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Choji complained. ¡°You got tricked by her too!¡± Asuma got up and lit another cigarette. ¡°Finish eating, pack up everything you think might help. We''ll meet at the mission hall in one hour.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for their response and flickered away. ¡°What? No!¡± Choji cried out. ¡°What about dessert?¡± ¡°How troublesome,¡± Shikamaru complained again. Ino pushed the food away. Her appetite was gone. ¡°See you guys in a bit.¡± She turned around, left for her house. One hour wasn¡¯t enough time to prepare. She took to the roofs, or as Hinata liked to say, Konoha¡¯s Shinobi exclusive lanes. Ino rolled her eyes and smiled. Strange. When did remembering Hinata¡¯s silliness become nostalgic? She dropped at the store entrance and rushed inside. Her mother was at the counter; there were no clients in the store. ¡°Mom, I got a mission. It''s confidential. I''m leaving in one hour.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for an answer. She rushed up to her room and started packing. Kunai, explosives, wire, parchment, makeup, skincare, haircare, bandages¡ªshe made sure the essentials were secured. Her eyes found the letter Naruto had delivered a few weeks back. She took it, read the neatly written letters, pulled the parchment closer, smelled it¡ªcherry blossoms. Another smile came to Ino¡¯s face. Hinata wasn¡¯t one to use perfume herself, but it was a nice touch to send a perfumed parchment. She folded the letter again, then, after a moment of deliberation, stored it in her pouch as well. Lastly, she packed the few remaining seals she received from Hinata. Those were supposed to last for months. Hinata knew she might be away for a long time. Ino was ashamed to admit she might have¡­ over indulged. Maybe just a bit. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She said to no one in particular. ¡°Just need to help her finish the mission and return. Then I can get more.¡± 6.3.i Hidden in the tree¡¯s canopy, squirrel-Ino nibbled the nut, looked at the lone shinobi in the clearing. The shinobi wore the standard Kirigakure pinstriped outfit with a green haori and white trimmings over it. She had a brown sash with a fringed trail wrapped twice around the waist. She wore light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as the kimono. The hair gathered in a white bun holder while two locks fell loose, framing a beautiful face. A dainty hand pulled the hair out of the girl¡¯s face. The nail polish on her fingernails matched her toenails¡ªsoft blue-green. The shinobi wore a black forehead protector with the Kirigakure''s symbol. This whole mission had become a mess of untold proportions. Konoha¡¯s spies, who should have greeted them at the port city, prepared Team Ten disguise and transportation, were AWOL. That forced Team Ten to water-run the whole night to reach the main island. The main island wasn¡¯t any better. Kirigakure shinobi squads fighting each other and attacking without provocation, aggressive locals, corrupt officials¡ªit was one problem after another. What should have taken four days had turned into a week-long slog of hiding, evading, or fleeing enemies. Now, they arrived at the meeting point, only to find a lone Kiri shinobi waiting for them. It had to be a trap, but it was so out there that Ino wasn¡¯t sure, not anymore. The shinobi description also sparked something in her mind. Maybe something Hinata said? Ino wasn¡¯t sure. Squirrel-Ino took one last nibble of the treat, then she released the jutsu, already regretting not having finished eating the acorn. Now back where her body rested and her team was gathered, she organized her thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s a single Kirigakure shinobi waiting there in the open. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a trap.¡± Asuma-sensei scratched his chin, gave them new orders. ¡°I¡¯ll meet with them. Get ready to back me up if things go south.¡± Team Ten moved into formation, with Ino ready to use her family jutsu again, Shikamaru to take over the enemy¡¯s shadow, and Choji to smash, if needed. Ino didn¡¯t like this situation. Political considerations aside, why was a Kirigakure shinobi waiting where Hinata¡¯s team was supposed to be? A gnawing pit of worry ravaged her stomach. She felt sick. Her hands itched. Asuma-sensei walked inside the clearing. The target noticed him. Waved. The jounin stopped a few paces away. Words were exchanged. ¡°Can you hear what they¡¯re saying?¡± Ino found herself asking Shikamaru. The genin shook his head. Ino bit her lip, eyes scanning the surroundings for an ambush. Down in the clearing, Asuma turned toward them, signaled to approach. Ino moved from her position until she was by Asuma¡¯s side. ¡°This is my team.¡± Sensei said, gesturing to each in turn. ¡°Shikamaru, Ino and Choji.¡± The shinobi, a pretty teenage girl a few years older than Ino, looked at each of them in turn. Bowed. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Haku.¡± That name was familiar. Shikamaru tsked, looked away. Choji looked smitten. Ino tilted her head. The memory was almost there. Then she remembered; a conversation Hinata mostly glossed over. As usual, the mute girl was more interested in talking about the sweets and the people who got to eat them. ¡°That Haku?¡± The words escaped her mouth. It wouldn¡¯t be that same person, would it? That Haku wasn¡¯t a Kirigakure shinobi, but allied with a missing-nin named Zabuza. No, wait, what was it that Hinata said? That Haku pretended to be a Kirigakure shinobi, but they had become somewhat friends by the end.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Asuma turned her way, one eyebrow up. ¡°Do we know each other?¡± Haku¡¯s melodious voice asked. Ino blinked, shuffled under their scrutiny. She got distracted. ¡°Ah, no. A friend told me about someone she met once with that name.¡± How was she supposed to pass on the information to Asuma-sensei without causing a commotion? Ino regretted not dedicating more time to learn and train her family jutsu. If she¡¯d only learned that one that let her send mental messages to her teammates. ¡°Haku is a representative of Kirigakure,¡± Asuma said, his voice neutral. ¡°We¡¯re invited to meet with one of their leaders regarding an incident from a few days ago.¡± Choji, who had finally stopped looking at Haku¡¯s face, asked. ¡°Which incident?¡± ¡°A group of unknown shinobi caused a commotion nearby.¡± Another voice answered. Ino turned to look. This time it was a tall, muscular man with grayish skin and short spiky black hair. He wore bandages like a mask, covering the lower part of his face, and the forehead protector sideways. He wore a black shirt and trousers under a gray flak jacket. A huge sword on his back. Ino noticed, the man was missing an arm. Asuma was instantly on guard, he moved between his team and the newcomer, trench knife in hand. Tension skyrocketed at the newcomer¡¯s arrival. ¡°You¡¯re Momochi Zabuza!¡± Ino blurted out. For the second time, all eyes were on her. The man, she remembered his nickname now, Demon of the Mist, chuckled. It was creepy. ¡°Even little girls know of me now? I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a missing-nin, what are you doing here?¡± Ino blurted. Zabuza looked at them, posture relaxed, like facing a whole team from Konoha wasn¡¯t an issue. ¡°That¡¯s a topic we can discuss in another place. You¡¯ll come with us. There¡¯s someone that wants to meet you.¡± Asuma¡¯s face was serious. ¡°And what if we don¡¯t?¡± The missing-nin shrugged, unimpressed. His sole hand went to the sword pommel, and he gripped it. ¡°Then someone will die.¡± Before things could escalate further, Haku sighed. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡± She cursed. ¡°Are you still holding a grudge?¡± Zabuza released the sword and chuckled again. Still creepy. ¡°An unknown enemy force attacked a group of shinobi from Konohagakure. Two of yours escaped the ambush. One of them is injured and not in condition to travel. We found them, took them in.¡± Ino¡¯s heart rate spiked. Was that Hinata¡¯s team? And only two? What happened to the other two? ¡°Are you keeping them hostages?¡± It was Haku who answered. She shook her head. ¡°No, but also yes.¡± Asuma-sensei gripped his trench knives tighter, Shikamaru cursed under his breath. Choji complained. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°The fourth Mizukage learned about this incident, and has taken an interest in our guests.¡± Ino remembered her lessons. Karatachi Yagura was considered a bloody, despotic leader, and the reason why Kirigakure was also known as Bloody Mist. ¡°What does he want with them?¡± ¡°What do you think, little girl?¡± Zabuza mocked. ¡°What does a bloody tyrant do with spies from an enemy village?¡± ¡°What Zabuza is trying to say,¡± Haku interrupted again before things could escalate, ¡°Is that unless we do something about it, the two Konohagakure shinobi are in deep trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about a coup.¡± Shikamaru, who had been silent until now, spoke. ¡°And you¡¯re using Konoha shinobi as leverage to force our hand.¡± Zabuza looked at Shikamaru. ¡°Look at that. At least one of these brats can think.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a brat,¡± Ino muttered, but no one paid her any attention. ¡°We¡¯ll follow you.¡± Asuma-sensei said finally, ¡°But if there is any sign of treachery, we¡¯ll end you.¡± Zabuza laughed. He turned to Asuma-sensei. ¡°Sarutobi Asuma. You were in my bingo book. But you¡¯re no Sharingan Kakashi. I may have lost an arm, but you¡¯re still no match for me.¡± His gaze turned to the rest of the team; it was intense and full of madness. Sweat beaded on Ino¡¯s brow, she could barely breathe. A wave of dread washed over her. She wanted to scream, and she wanted to flee. Her legs felt weak, she felt like spilling her guts. ¡°And these brats are useless. A bit of killing intent and they¡¯re already quaking like little ducks.¡± Before Ino could do anything, Hinata¡¯s face flashed in her mind. She remembered that one time she asked the mute girl about the person who attacked her in the forest. The one now Ino knew was an S-Class shinobi. She remembered Hinata¡¯s faraway look and shudder. She also remembered that Hinata fought and survived. ¡°Stop it, or I¡¯ll put you down,¡± Asuma growled. Ino bit down on the insides of her cheek. Coppery taste filled her mouth, but the need to flee lessened. ¡°Who¡ª ¡± she started, coughed. ¡°Who are you keeping hostage?¡± Zabuza gave her a considering look. The wave of dread lessened and then disappeared entirely. ¡°The Mokuton Shinobi and the injured guy he was lugging around.¡± The world fell from under Ino¡¯s feet at his words. 6.4.i The evil turtle roared in the distance, soon followed by yet more explosions. Ino wiped the blood off her mouth with her one good hand. She tried moving the other, winced at the pain. She¡¯d been too late to release the jutsu, suffered some of the damage as well. Out in the distance, the chaos of battle was dying down. The gigantic three-tailed spiky turtle was finally defeated, with limbs bound in wood, and the parts not tied down covered in boiling lava. It was a mess. How did a simple meeting with that woman, Terumi Mei, turn into such a disaster? She looked around, tears falling from her eyes. The field was in ruins, littered with craters and bodies and blood. ¡°You¡¯re alright?¡± Choji¡¯s hoarse voice found Ino¡¯s ears. She heard sniffling, then a muffled sob. ¡°I thought¡­ I thought.¡± Ino looked up from where her body had been propped against a rock. Choji¡¯s chakra still burned in soft blue light, covering his fists, sprouting from his back, like butterfly wings. The chubby boy was no more. He looked gaunt, like someone who lived a lifetime of starvation. ¡°Thank¡ª¡± He started, but his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he toppled forward. ¡°Choji!¡± Ino cried out, tried to get up, then cried out again. One of her legs was broken, bent in the wrong direction. She looked around. There was no one near her that she trusted to help. She couldn¡¯t find Shikamaru or Asuma-sensei. Gritting her teeth, Ino crawled closer to the unconscious boy. Time was of the essence here. She crawled to his side and, once there, dug into his pockets and pouches until she found the antidote. She pried open Choji¡¯s mouth and put the small pill inside. With luck, it would be enough to cancel the effects of his clan¡¯s secret medicine. Ino tried to stand, but her arm gave away, and she fell on top of Choji. She didn¡¯t try to get up again. It hurt too much, and she was too tired. The last thing she thought was: At least now Choji can say a beauty fell all over him.
Ino gripped her crutches with white-knuckled fingers. Choji was still unconscious, but not in danger anymore. Shikamaru had suffered injuries, but his injuries were the least serious of the team. Asuma-sensei¡¯s injuries were serious, but the man behaved like they were nothing at all. With the three of them was the other Konoha shinobi, the mokuton user called Yamato. The man looked even more haggard than Choji had been. Dark circle under his already large dark eyes. His uniform was in need of serious repair, and the blotches of dried blood glared against the green color of the flak jacket. Ino wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. By all accounts, she should be in bed, resting. But she had to hear it. ¡°We were attacked by a large force of shinobi, at least a dozen.¡± Yamato said, shoulders slump. ¡°Somehow, the enemy knew our team¡¯s capabilities, and how to disable my tracking method. Soon after the battle started, I lost track of Sai and Hinata.¡± ¡°Is she¡ª¡± Ino choked. Eyes turned toward her, but she couldn¡¯t finish the question.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Yamato shook his head. ¡°Unlikely.¡± He looked around, like searching for an invisible person. ¡°Haku told me disturbing news that might be tied to this. For years now, bloodlimit shinobi have gone missing. They suspect the same group is responsible for the ambush.¡± Ino worked her jaw, trying to speak through a full throat. ¡°And you think they took her because of her ability to manipulate wood?¡± Yamato cast a brief glance at Asuma-sensei. Ino didn¡¯t miss the silent communication between both jounin. ¡°It could be,¡± he said finally. Ino pressed. ¡°Can¡¯t you locate her? You said you had a way to track your team.¡± Asuma looked at her. Shook his head. ¡°Ino, enough.¡± ¡°My tracking method only lasts for a certain period of time,¡± Yamato admitted, looking away. ¡°With the ease Hinata-san seal¡¯s provided, we kept everything stored. All her personal items were lost in the ambush.¡± With trembling hands, Ino took the envelope from her pouch, then the perfumed letter from inside it. Under intense eyes, she took the seals with the stored cupcakes. ¡°Could we track her with this? She gave me this before leaving for her mission.¡±
Ino stood at the cubicle entrance, hands gripping the forehead protector and black shirt that were part of Hinata¡¯s outfit. She noticed the patches of dried blood scattered on the ground and walls. Her eyes fixed on the bloody chains hung from the ceiling. Was this where they kept her? Was this where they tortured her? Ino¡¯s chest hurt. She had trouble breathing. With the letter and seals and a lot of effort, a hunter team from Kirigakure managed to track down this hidden prison. Only the place was already empty. There were signs of battle outside and inside. Blood, explosion and discarded items that hadn¡¯t been taken away. Among those, they found the remains of Hinata¡¯s clothing. Remains that Ino now clung to her chest. They knew that, somehow, Hinata had managed to escape the cell. Yamato confirmed the dead shinobis outside had the hallmark of Hinata¡¯s explosions all around. There was also another trail that led away, one that ended up near a cave a few hours out. There were a lot more trails, other shinobi in pursuit. But from there, the trails just disappeared. It was like Hinata vanished out of thin air. What did her captors do to prevent her from being tracked? There were no signs of struggle at the end of the trail. How had they taken Hinata again, and where had they taken her after? Asuma-sensei approached, placed a hand on Ino¡¯s shoulder. The touch should have been comforting, but it wasn¡¯t. Ino held in a shudder. ¡°Come, Ino. We have to leave. We¡¯re returning to Konoha.¡± Ino didn¡¯t look away from the bloody chains. Her voice was flat. ¡°Are they giving up on her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Asuma-sensei said after a brief pause. ¡°But the trail has gone cold. Without any new clues, there¡¯s nothing we can do here. Returning to Konoha and reporting the situation is our best bet.¡± Excuses after excuses. They were giving up. Ino knew it in her gut. She nodded, turned, and left.
The mission to Kirigakure was reclassified as S-Rank. Her first S-Rank mission, and Ino couldn¡¯t muster the will to care about it. Her dad tried to talk about it, but Ino ignored the attempt. She hadn¡¯t forgiven him for what he¡¯d done to Hinata. Her mother hinted she was there if Ino needed anything, but it felt hollow. In the days following her return to Konoha, Ino talked less and less with her friends, spending more and more time training. Sometimes, she¡¯d meet with Naruto, who had also returned from a month-long trip. He cried when he heard the news. Ino cried telling him the news. A few times, she met with Sasuke, who was still sick, but getting better. More often, she met with Sakura, but her friend was distracted. Ino knew the signs: Boy trouble, and it wasn¡¯t Sasuke. A new Hokage was appointed, Ino didn¡¯t participate in the ceremony. Shikamaru was promoted to chunin, Ino wasn¡¯t in the mood to celebrate with her team. It was silly, but all Ino could think about was getting stronger. If she were stronger, she could look for her friend on her own. If she were stronger, Choji wouldn¡¯t have to eat his clan¡¯s secret medicine to protect her. If she were stronger, Hinata wouldn¡¯t need to leave Ino behind. She punched the wooden dummy again. Her fist was bloodied. The tears hadn¡¯t stopped falling. Ino knew it was irrational. She didn¡¯t care. 6.5 I remember a time in the before when all I wanted was to sleep. Dad had passed away not long before. Mom didn¡¯t have the mental bandwidth to worry about all the trouble that followed, her job, the press attention, and the death threats. It was, now that I think about it, closer to how I felt after finding the clones. No, wait. That example got away from me. Point is, for a time, I just couldn¡¯t care about caring for myself. It took Kimby¡¯s literal bitch slapping me into action to leave that funk. Huh, dear chubby Kimberly. I hope that bitch Veronica didn¡¯t mess with my bae too much. Argh, no, that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to think as well. The real point is, at that time, I felt like I had no control over myself. I knew what I had to do, I just couldn¡¯t. After our first kiss, Kimby had asked me about that time, and no amount of words was enough to explain how I felt. I think she never had the frame of reference to understand. But for the last time, the real point of this strange monologue was, I knew I had to do something. And I couldn¡¯t. But this time, it wasn¡¯t some sort of mental fugue keeping me down. It was just physical abuse. In the brief moments my consciousness surfaced from that haze, things just turned worse. I learned pretty quickly that moving was a bad idea, circulating chakra was an even worse idea. Trying to look around only earned me punishment. I remembered bits and pieces. The ambush, getting separated from the team. Meeting up with Sai, his betrayal. Why? As far as I could piece together, things took a strange turn. I was a bonafide kunoichi in distress now. Captured and kept under constant physical strain. That one took me a while to puzzle out why. A conversation helped me understand. It was one of brief moments when I surfaced, half lucid, and still confused. I tried to lash out, move and get away. The hit to the head left me reeling and seeing stars. The comment after was illuminating. ¡°Again?¡± A voice I didn¡¯t recognize asked. ¡°Third time today,¡± another voice answered. I groaned, which was a mistake. Something else hit me. ¡°She¡¯s tenacious.¡± A third voice said. ¡°She can regenerate, use jutsu without hand seals, can use shadow clones, and will murder everyone here if she ever wakes up.¡± An emotionless voice said. It felt familiar, but I couldn¡¯t place a face to the voice. At the time I remember thinking that I wouldn¡¯t murder everyone. I wasn¡¯t a murder hobo, after all. That bit of information got stuck in my head. Each time I woke up, that conversation kept returning. I think I know why this is happening. Whoever was keeping me prisoner was well aware of what I could do. How do you keep captive a shinobi that doesn¡¯t need hand seals, can clone herself and is a regenerator? They went with the brute force approach, I guess. Keep that shinobi on the brink of death. After understanding that, I tried to fake being hurt. Not that I really need to fake it out. I was hurt. But I was trying to get a few needed moments to center myself, and assess the situation. It didn¡¯t help. Those bastards seemed to be on a schedule. Punishment would come on a timely basis, even if I tried to play the fake card. There was more conversation I heard, that helped with more context. ¡°¡­ not sure when we can move¡­¡± a voice said. ¡°¡­Kirigakure ninjas up in arms¡­¡± ¡°¡­routes guarded, civil war preventing¡­¡± ¡°¡­a giant wall of trees blocking the way¡­¡± ¡°¡­reinforcements sniffing around¡­¡± It was strange that even when not in any condition to do anything, my mind still roamed. Those tidbits helped me come up with a few assumptions. I¡¯m guessing the kidnap attempt ended up going up in flames when Yamato summoned wood to help him escape. That would put the whole of Kiri on alert, not to mention the reinforcements from Konoha. I wasn¡¯t sure about the civil war one, but maybe it was something related to their Kage being a puppet? In the end, my guess was that the kidnappers had no choice but to go underground and wait until the fires died down. That at least gave me some hope that Yamato was still alive. But what about Hayase?You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Again, I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, all of it was a blur. Most of my mental faculties were busy contending with the pain. There were a few acute points that worried me. First and foremost, my head. Even trying to think was agony. It felt like they cracked my skull and scrambled my brain. I didn¡¯t even know brains could hurt, but I swear it did. Then my arms and hands. I think they were broken. The position I was in, I think somehow I was hanging from my hands. Two other problems were the injuries from the battle. My sides where that shinobi managed to stab me with a kunai was pure fiery agony. The smallest of breaths was like lava spreading from there. The other was the puncture on my thighs. Had these savages removed the embedded shuriken? It didn¡¯t feel like they did, not with how much pain radiated from there. My eyes were swollen and closed shut. All in all, I was thoroughly fucked. In a real bad way. But I had a plan. I just needed more time. Even with all their preparations, one thing they couldn¡¯t prevent was me sensing the chakra around. I had a good impression of this hidey-hole layout. It was easy when the whole complex was surrounded by a layer of chakra that felt dangerous. This same layer also prevented me from sensing anything outside the complex. That let me know how many people I had to contend with. I also had a fairly good idea how strong they were. There were two I would consider jounin levels of chakra, five that I was thinking of as chunin. There were more chakra signatures around, but those were low ones, genin, probably, and given how they didn¡¯t move, I was inclined to think they were also prisoners. My plans didn¡¯t involve saving any of them. Yes, that was brutal, and by all accounts of morality, I should help these people. I felt bad that I was following in Orochimaru¡¯s footsteps here and choosing to not burden myself with the traps of morality, at least for this instance. I wanted to live, I was going to live. Peeking on shinobies through chakra perception let me learn a few of their patterns. Every few hours, a three man cell¡ª jounin and two chunin¡ª left. They never stayed away for long. Sometimes one hour, sometimes less. Sometimes, they took some of the imprisoned genin with them; other times, they brought more. I had my suspicions about things but, back to my plan. Maybe because my lack of visible resistance lulled the enemies into going easy. Maybe they mistook how much my regeneration was capable of. The more time passed, the more alert and aware of my surroundings I was. That gave me an urgent feeling that I had to get the hell outta of here. The sooner, the better. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Careful probing told me a few things: I don¡¯t think I was naked¡ª thank god¡ª but I wasn¡¯t wearing my shinobi gear. My weight seals weren¡¯t on me anymore, my bag of supplies was awol. My hands were tied to the walls, maybe ceiling. The feelings from there left me thinking about Iron chains, maybe. No explosions, no kunai, no shinobi gear. Impaired vision, hurt, thirsty and hungry. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t the worst-case scenario. If I could release the shackles from my arms and legs, I could puppeteer my body with threads. I was also planning on using them to get a good feel for my surroundings. Made me think of a spider spreading her silk. Timing was going to be of the essence here. I was on a clock. The three-man squad had already left, taking two genin with them. They would be back soon. I already had my chakra primed and ready, a single thought away from creating a beacon nearby. Now I just needed my jailer to piss off for a moment. Perhaps Fate-kun heard my pleas. The jailer left the cell, and the replacement was still a few rooms away. I pushed my chakra. It burned, most of my reserves tanked. The beacon blossomed in my mind. For the first time ever, I activated my jutsu. There was this brief moment of confusion. I was hanging by my hands, then I flopped on the ground on top of the wood kunai. My chakra exploded around with countless threads. I couldn¡¯t see, but I didn¡¯t need to see. I wasn¡¯t confident I could move on my own. Threads wrapped around my limbs. Jerky hand swatted the hardwood kunai, my beacon. I heard voices from the other side of the door, my escape hadn¡¯t been unnoticed. Wood kunai in hand, I flickered forward, appearing behind the chunin that had just left the cell. He might have been too surprised to react. My hand grabbed his neck. The other pushed the kunai below his chin, up to his brain. The man flailed, I let the body topple. There was this moment of silence, before the place turned to chaos. The replacement was now rushing my way. The jounin and one other chunin were fast approaching as well. The trapped genin started screaming. Some cursed, others yelled for me to help them. With my threads, I forced my swollen eyes open. I was doing my best to ignore the horrendous amount of pain I was in. If I stopped to think about that, I might just pass out, which wouldn¡¯t do. With hazy vision, I noticed the place looked like a dank, dark cellar. There were several small cubicles barred by metal. Inside, children and teenagers yelling and screaming for help. A flash of red behind one of the cubicle doors caught my attention, but I had other things to do before anything else. I had a few precious moments to assess the situation; a quick scan didn¡¯t reveal anything I could use as a weapon. I doubled over and snatched the tool belt from the dead chunin. Smoke bombs, shuriken, kunai, wire. Useful, but nothing vital. I was out of time. The replacement chunin was about to enter the cellar. The door burst open, I threw the hardwood kunai. The kunoichi, a girl this time, walked in, and I pushed my flying thunder god prototype again. She tried to dodge the kunai, unaware that the real threat was me. I teleported in the air near the beacon. I snatched the weapon before it collided with the walls. With my other hand, I stabbed the kunoichi with the kunai I stole from the dead guy. Or I tried. My hand was empty. The kunai hadn¡¯t teleported with me. The stab turned into a punch, which gave me time to move my other hand and stab with the beacon. I felt around with the threads. Yes, my clothes were left behind. Huh, look at that. That emotionless voice person was right. I was absolutely going to murder the fuck out of everyone. In my birthday suit. Murder-exhibitionist-hobo me, I guess. 6.6 The murdering turned out to be easy, in a certain definition of easy. After killing the kunoichi, I threw the smoke bomb through the door. Right now, I was navigating with my chakra sense and threads¡ªthread-vision? Thread-sense? Blocking the enemy vision gave an advantage for this next confrontation. On the other side of the door, it seemed like a bigger underground storage sort of room. It was a large square shaped room, with a lot of wooden boxes and sacks inside. Now that I could sense the room, I noticed there were two more doors. From the mental layout I constructed, I don¡¯t think I ever saw anyone using the one at the side of this warehouse. The important passage was the one on the opposite side from where I was, from where the jounin levels of chakra just entered through. That was the path that led out of the complex. By my count, there were still two more shinobi in the complex. Kill the jounin, kill the chunin waiting two rooms down, don¡¯t die, escape. Easy. I waited inside the smoke for my moment. I considered if I should use more clones, but my chakra levels were too low to divide it even more among clones. This one would have to be close and personal. The jounin took their sweet time approaching. The wait would have been nerve wracking if I couldn¡¯t sense their position through the smoke. I won¡¯t lie here. I wasn¡¯t about to try anything fancy. I had no idea what the enemy was capable of, and my Kuro Raikou no Jutsu had already scored me two easy kills. Why change a winning strategy? I threw more smoke bombs, this time away from the jounin. The bombs hit the wall, exploded. At the same time, I threw the stolen shuriken, stolen kunai and my hardwood beacon. In my empty hand, I created a rasengan. The shinobi swirled toward the explosion, then again to deflect the thrown weapons. Again, like magic, super op, no one expected me to appear from the flying wood kunai. At the same time I did, I brought down my rasengan. I hit the jounin, another man with no visible village markings, on the chest. Pushed all the chakra I could manage on my jutsu. The enemy reacted fast. Even under my attack, his hands flashed, he spewed fire all over me. The op combo worked better than I hoped. The ball of chakra expanded on my hand, flew forwards, carrying the jounin away. The man hit the opposite wall, the rasengan expanded, things got shredded. It was gruesome. I was suspicious before, but I was certain now. These guys weren¡¯t the same ones that ambushed us. It was not just the different way of dressing. They were just too weak when compared to the ones that ambushed us. The impact of the jutsu dispersed most of the fire and smoke. The remaining enemy had just entered the room to see the end of that fight. I stood at the center of the room, my back to them, still smoking; at the other side of the room, a dying jounin. Perhaps, the enemy decided the better part of valor was to wait for reinforcements. They turned around and bolted. Blew away the passage behind them, trapping me inside. I would have gone after the fleeing ninja, and tried to contest that retreat. I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. Like I said, easy, for a definition of easy. I stood at the center of the room, burned, hurt and with another kunai stuck to my chest. Fucker jounin didn¡¯t even have the decency to die and leave me alone. Had to burn and stab me. Blood poured out of the injury. I didn¡¯t pull the kunai, no idea if the man had hit anything important. It was already bleeding like a fountain. No need to make it worse.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. That complicated things, a lot. The collapsed passage was the only path I knew that led outside. We were, by my accounts, a few dozen meters underground. I could try to doton the shit out of here, but the faint chakra lines lining the complex gave me the feeling it did a lot more than just hide the place. I walked closer to the jounin. The man was still alive, barely. Had to remedy that. A quick stab finished him off. The amount of injuries I suffered didn¡¯t matter when I wasn¡¯t moving my body the normal way. Puppeteering my own limbs made it that I just needed to endure the pain, to fight. But the lightheaded feeling told me the loss of blood was more dire than I thought. The jounin had more supplies than the others. I stole more kunais, an exploding tag, bandages and other bits and ends. A keyring with several keys inside his pouch gave me an idea I could try. Release the prisoners, let them help themselves escape. Look at that, I was going to play the hero. I shambled my way back to the cells, pressing the bandages around the kunai in my chest. Found myself trying to fit a key in the lock. Even with the puppeteering, my hand shook. It wasn¡¯t easy. The yelling was deafening. A hand sneaked from inside the prison, grabbed my wrist, steadying my hand. It looked young. Right, I remember, these were children. I forced my head up, and was greeted by despairing eyes and a mane of red hair. Not only red hair, but red eyes as well. Her hair was on the short and spiky on the right side, while somewhat longer and straight on the left. She wore some sort of worn out shinobi uniform, but I couldn¡¯t see any village markings. One side of her face was marred by scars that resembled claw marks. It was a surprise how she didn¡¯t lose an eye, given the scar placement. I think she was saying something, but I couldn¡¯t understand. I tried to fit the key a few more times, shoved it into the girl¡¯s hand when I realized I was about to check out. Damn. All this effort to drown at the finishing line. Darkness claimed me for the second time. I hoped I would wake up again. I wasn¡¯t confident.
Against all odds, I woke up again. I couldn¡¯t make sense of things, but there was this voice, insistent, annoying, demanding. It was a girl''s voice. I just wanted to sleep. ¡°You have to bite.¡± The voice pleaded again. ¡°You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t.¡± Something was pressed against my mouth. I groaned, trying to push it away. The pain in my hands stopped me. I might have whimpered, which only caused more pain. Cruel hands pried my mouth open, and something soft prevented me from closing my mouth. ¡°Bite,¡± the voice asked again, ¡°bite!¡± She yelled when I tried to push away. That was really annoying. Fuck it, have it your way. I chomped down. Hard. The girl shrieked. I tasted something warm and coppery. But more than that, another type of warmth spread through my body. It was like a refreshing breeze, and sweet candies. Or maybe vanilla ice cream. I wasn¡¯t sure. I wanted more. I bit again, tried to drink, but the thing on my mouth wasn¡¯t the nice feeling. It just left me feeling grossed out. The voice¡¯s owner cried out again. My hands moved, holding up the arm to my mouth. Huh, I could move now. The pain, I also noticed, was all but gone. The puncture on my chest and side smarted but was the weeks old kind of smarted. The injury on my thigh stopped demanding my attention. ¡°Stop.¡± The annoying voice sobbed. I didn¡¯t listen. I kept biting. ¡°Stop!¡± The girl shrieked. Something slapped my face when I didn¡¯t. That, I think, broke the spell. I opened my eyes to find myself holding the red-haired girl¡¯s arms. There were several bite marks on her arm. Bleeding bite marks. My mouth tasted strange. There were a few other kids around. They were looking at me like I was a monster. I turned my attention back to the girl whose arm I was still holding. She glared at me, eyes full of tears, cheeks rosy. She pulled her arm free. I let it go. I looked around. The cells were open; no other enemy was in sight. I was lying flat on the ground, head on the red hair¡¯s lap. Someone, thankfully, had laid a shirt over me. I wasn¡¯t flashing everybody here. Meanwhile, a mental checklist appeared in my mind.
  • Red hair? Check.
  • Red eyes? Check.
  • Glasses? No, but due to circumstances, a maybe.
  • Scars? No. What was this one about?
  • Heals people by letting them bite her arm? Double check.
Three in favor, one against, one undecided. I guess I could make this assumption. ¡°Karin?¡± 6.7 Karin¡¯s eyes were a mix of startled, scared and curious. She pushed me back. My head flopped out of her lap onto the ground. ¡°What? How do you know my name?¡± Oh, right. I wasn¡¯t supposed to let people know I knew this stuff. Goes to say I wasn¡¯t fully recovered yet if I messed up this bad with my most guarded secret. Hadn''t something similar happened with Ino-chan as well? No, not the time. It was thinking-very-fast-no-jutsu time. I had no idea how to answer Karin. Change-subject-no-jutsu, made a surprise appearance to save the day. ¡°How long was I out?¡± I rasped out, felt the familiar stinging on my throat. The healing healed the injury, but it hadn¡¯t fixed the root cause. Talking was still a chore, and it still hurt. I didn¡¯t wait for a response. I got up, and under a half dozen pairs of wide eyes, I got dressed in the rags that had been covering me until now. I mean. What else could I do? I wasn¡¯t going to show how shy I was about this whole stuff. No, my face wasn¡¯t burning. My ears weren¡¯t red. That just didn¡¯t happen. I was a badass strong kunoichi who just kicked a lot of ass, in her birthday suit, then just decided to traipse back into the cells. Nothing out of ordinary here. Move along, citizens. Dressed and not flashing anyone, I looked at my injuries. The stab in my chest looked like a months old injury, same with the side and leg. Most of the small injuries were gone, the burning had faded, leaving a barely visible scar on the worst parts. No wonder Orochimaru kept her around. I wanted to keep her around myself. Out of the corner of my eyes, I tried to check the others. Aside from Karin, there was one more girl and four boys. The girl looked like a very thin fifteen year old, dressed in dirty rags. There were some sort of markings on her face that looked like a clan mark, but I couldn¡¯t place them. The boys were a mix of young and older. There was this one kid that looked like ten, while the oldest around seventeen. All of them looked rough, dressed in hand-me-down type of clothing. They also looked roughed up, but I was guessing that was courtesy of our captors. Between the boys, two of them also had some sort of markings that made me think of shinobi families or clans. That sparked a memory. Wasn¡¯t this a thing in Kiri? Wasn¡¯t that Haku¡¯s whole situation as well before they met up with Zabuza? The persecution and discrimination against bloodlimit shinobi families due to the constant wars and violence and how those shinobi were used as tools of war. Was this whole bunch all kekkei genkai shinobi? Like a reflex, I tried to pop out my comms board, only to glance at my bare arm in a bit of confusion. Ah, yes, taken, prison, bad. My brain really wasn¡¯t working properly. I had to talk with these people if we were to have a chance to leave this place alive. A small sigh escaped me. I had only one choice left if I didn¡¯t want to keep hurting myself. My hands flashed with seals. Out popped another me. The kids all around took another step back. I saw a few looking for ways to escape. Even Karin looked startled now. Why? I mean, yes, here I was using clone jutsu, but that wasn¡¯t bad, right? I nodded to my clone. Communication-chan had only one job: talk with this gaggle of people and make them ready while I prepared for our escape. Communication-chan squealed, threw herself at Karin in a bear hug. ¡°Oh my gosh, Karin-chan! I love you! Even if you have the worst taste ever in boys. Emosuke, really? Why?¡± I face-palmed. Right, out of control clones, lower inhibition head injury. What else was I expecting?You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
It took a while to calm down Communication-chan and placate Karin. While my clone tied the bandage around the bite marks on the girl¡¯s arm, it ended up falling to me to explain things. ¡°Chunin exam.¡± That was the excuse I blurted out. I knew from Karin¡¯s story she had participated in the same exam as me, even if I hadn¡¯t seen her there. I hoped that was still true. ¡°Konohagakure¡¯s Chunin exam?¡± She asked, her hand going toward her face in an unconscious gesture, fingers tracing the scar. I nodded. The scar wasn¡¯t as bad as I first thought, or maybe Karin¡¯s healing abilities worked on that as well? The mark looked fading, like it had been years since the injury, and not months. My guess was that those marks were a gift from Forest of Death Bear-kun, since Sasuke wasn¡¯t there to save her from it in this timeline. Karin didn¡¯t seem willing to let me off the hook. ¡°Emosuke, who¡¯s that?¡± Communication-chan, the traitor, giggled. I shot her a glare to make sure she kept her trap shut. ¡°Is this really the time? We have to escape.¡± I played the deflection card again. I might have over played the throat injury card as well, letting a trickle of blood escape my mouth along with a bit of coughing. Take the hint Karin, I¡¯m hurt here, can¡¯t keep talking. That might have done it. Karin looked startled, offered me her arm again. Communication-chan decided to do her job. Finally, thank god. She pushed the offered arm down. ¡°It¡¯s not something you can help with,¡± she husked out. I had to shake my head at that. Why was Comm-chan using our Seduce Best Girl voice with Karin? Karin looked from me to the clone, and I took the chance to leave them while explanations were given. I left the cells and scoured the underground rooms for anything we could use. There wasn¡¯t much. There wasn¡¯t much time I could spare. None of my stuff was here. Back at where I faced the other shinobi, I salvaged all the weapons I could, picked up the used kunais, shuriken wires and all that. Ran back to the cells and shared it with the other prisoners. It wasn¡¯t much. Four kunais, a dozen shuriken, two spools of wire, two exploding tags. That would have to be enough. While I was scavenging, Comm-chan managed to get others on board with the escape plan. Among the other prisoners, only Karin had shinobi training. The others were mum about it, but by the looks of it, yes, they were descendants of bloodlimit clans. I think only the tall girl actually knew how to use her bloodlimit. A misty hazy cloud that could be used to block vision, and other types of perception. Could be useful, but that also somehow interfered with my chakra sensing, which was less than ideal. The escape plan was simple. I was going to blow up the blocked passage, and we would storm out of the complex before their reinforcements arrived. Time was of the essence here. There were lots of questions being thrown around, none I had the patience to answer. I mean, how would I know where that kid¡¯s pet was? While the others bickered, I went on with my preparations. First, I created another beacon. I pushed my chakra, and a hardwood kunai formed on my hand. One of the downsides of using a modified mokuton clone for this was showing up in a ugly way. When I passed out for a few minutes, the kunai dispersed, just like a clone would do. If Karin hadn¡¯t healed me and let me suckle on her arm for a chakra top up, I¡¯d be screwed right now. No, who am I kidding? If it wasn¡¯t for her, I¡¯d be dead right now. I owed her big time. Now, while Comm-chan wrangled the kids into some semblance of order, I was about to start stuff. We spent enough time already. For this part, I was almost chakra depleted again, even after being topped up by Karin. Why? You ask? Well, the reason was simple. I had to reinforce the walls and pillars with mokuton for what was about to come. I couldn¡¯t sense anyone in the complex above. The remaining chunin was nowhere near my perception range when I woke up. With one last glance, I got a nod from my clone. It was time. I approached the blocked passage, found a place where I could inscribe my seal. Only the best explosions for our escape. I pushed my chakra, black lines drawing the shape of freedom. Then I ran back to cover. Yes, I know, blowing stuff underground was a bad idea, which is why I made sure to reinforce the whole thing with hardwood. Now I just had to deal with I don''t know how many more enemies outside, without using chakra. If everything went to shit, I could always sacrifice Comm-chan like a chakra refuel package. I hope she didn¡¯t catch me thinking that. That would be so much trouble. Blow stuff up, kill anyone trying to stop us. Escape. Should be easy, right? 6.8 The blast reverberated underground, deafening. The whole room shook, the ceiling cracked, pieces of stone fell around us, dust blocked our vision, but we weren¡¯t smashed by a fuckton of rock, so I reckon my reinforcements worked. I was starting to have this feeling about explosions, the way they made my bones tremble, how the impact flowed through my body. This one was seven out of ten, ten being an evil laboratory pile of explosions after effect. The payload wasn¡¯t the highest, but I think being underground was enough to amplify the reverberations. Nice! Me and Comm-chan were probably the only ones enjoying it, however. The other kids were scattered around, hands blocking ears, groaning, disoriented. Ugh, some people didn¡¯t know the good things in life. I pulled Karin-chan up, then the other kids. Comm-chan helped, and soon after, we ran through the exploded passage. On the other side of the once barred passage, were stairs leading up. It opened up into a bigger complex, with lots of doors and other areas to explore. We didn¡¯t. From the layout I had memorized, I guided the sorry lot toward the door. There was no enemy yet in my sensory range, which I was conflicted about. I had given Karin-chan a kunai, an explosive tag and, call me selfish, my Kuro Raiku beacon . Impressed upon her the importance of not losing the damn thing. I think I managed to convey how important it was. She held the hardwood kunai in a white death grip. The lot behind us was a disorganized mess. The tall girl held a kunai, the oldest boy held another. The younger had shuriken, while the one in between had the wires. I had the remaining kunai, while Comm-chan had the last of the explosive tags, shuriken and smoke bombs. The above complex still had locked doors we had to bypass, but they were just reinforced wood, nothing that normal explosion wouldn¡¯t solve. For a moment, I considered if I should try to find my supplies, the things I took from the laboratory. Having my own seals and weapons would help, having my own reinforced shinobi uniform would help more. I discarded the idea. But I vowed to return. I needed the data from the hideout. We climbed yet another set of stairs, and blew yet more doors, until we burst out into an open area under a canopy of trees. The sky was foreboding and angry, full of dark clouds. Evening or dawn, I wasn¡¯t sure which. Looking back the place we just left was just an unremarkable patch of grass, with no indication whatsoever that something hidden lay beneath. Not even my chakra sense could pick up the fluctuations on the walls I could feel when inside. Outside, there were no enemies. No ambush, no mob of shinobi waiting for us. The group stopped. For a moment, no one moved. Then the other prisoners fled as fast as they could, each running into a different direction, and leaving me behind, alone. Karin-chan¡¯s hand found my arm. She grabbed it in an ever worse death grip. ¡°No! Don¡¯t run!¡± She yelled, which only spurred the brats even faster. I looked at her, she was looking wildly. ¡°It¡¯s a trap,¡± she whispered. ¡°They¡¯re waiting around us.¡± I looked around, I paid attention to my chakra senses again, and felt nothing. I knew Karin-chan was a sensor type, but was her sensing ability that better than mine? Most of the escapees weren¡¯t stopping. If anything, they ran even faster after Karin¡¯s warning. In a way, I could understand them. This looked like a prime opportunity to flee. Would I stay with the crazy girl that likes exploding things. I gritted my teeth. Fucking unfair. Comm-chan picked up on my mood, understood my decision. Asked the question that needed to be asked. ¡°Where to? Which way has the least and most enemies?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Karin-chan looked around, pointed. I grabbed her trembling hand, gently pried the beacon from her fingers. Tossed the hardwood kunai to Comm-chan. For once, my clone was on the same wavelength as me. She hopped closer, gave Karin-chan a hug, then saluted me and flickered away, toward the direction Karin pointed had most enemies. Maybe that would help. ¡°W-what is she doing?¡± ¡°Can you hide your chakra signature?¡± I rasped out. I did what I just asked from Karin. I wasn¡¯t the best when concealing my own chakra, but it was impossible to always feel the chakra without learning a thing or two. I just never thought I¡¯d need this ability. I should have trained it. Karin-chan gave me a shaky nod, then faded from my perception. It was strange. Seeing her there, but not sensing her. I shook my head, waited. Counted to twenty. When I heard the first explosion, and yells, I grabbed Karin on a princess carry, pumped my body full of chakra and ran as fast as I could. All around, towards where Comm-chan went, I sensed enemies moving. I ran, but Karin-chan was on the driver¡¯s wheel. Behind us, even from a distance, the sound of battle and explosions. They were from my best supply. Was Comm-chan creating them on demand? I approved. I had fantasized about doing just that. Thunder Flying God plus on demand explosions. That was a match made in heaven, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°From there,¡± Karin whispered, pointing her finger. I swerved away, moved in another direction. ¡°There,¡± she said, and pointed again. That repeated for a few more times. It was clear however, the enemy wasn¡¯t after us specifically. Most were moving toward the battle. Comm-chan hadn¡¯t dispersed yet. I sent her a prayer and a request. May she kill them all. Was I evil for thinking that?
Comm-chan knew her brain wasn¡¯t working right, more so than being a clone already screwed things up. Being a clone was a strange experience. Things just didn¡¯t seem to be that important or serious, no matter how much the original Hinata thought they might be. Original-chan could be a little more open with her thoughts and her feelings as well. Suppressing things made it hard being a clone. All those repressed impulses were just like candy boxes waiting to be unwrapped. It made her want to do strange things. Comm-chan gave Karin a hug and her biggest smile, and debated if she should snog the startled redhead. Decided against. Kissing Karin just to mess with the original was a tad too much, and she would feel bad. Comm-chan wanted to snog Ino, not Karin. Karin was cool, but she wasn¡¯t Best Girl Ino. She saluted Hinata, then flickered away. Thoughts about the future pushed away from her head. Comm-chan was just a clone, there was no need to worry about the many hard decisions to come. No, she had a different purpose and goal. It was finally time. Original-chan finally decided it was time to stop holding back. She could see it in Original¡¯s eyes. A new name was needed. A fitting name. Assassination-chan, the newly appointed, regretted she wasn¡¯t dressed up for her part. A ratty shirt and nothing underneath. She wasn¡¯t going to lie. It was embarrassing as hell, but that was life. Couldn¡¯t choose the cards dealt. Her first victim entered her sensing range. It was a medium blaze, a bit over chunin. She knew ranking people over their chakra reserves wasn¡¯t the best metric, given she knew a sunshine brat that had more chakra than anyone else, but was also almost like an inoffensive puppy. Killing him would be so easy. Teleport, hug him, stab his eye while he is distracted. ¡­ Why was she thinking on how to kill the brat? Was she that far gone? She cast away those thoughts, the first victim was here. Hidden behind a tree trunk. She picked up a pebble, tossed it to one side of the soon to be dead enemy, the beacon to the other. As soon the pebble hit and the enemy bolted, she teleported, knee already in position to strike the fleeing enemy. He tumbled, she grabbed his head, filled her arms with chakra, snapped his neck. Assassination-chan let go of the body, watched it flop to the ground. She nodded at a well done job. Being physically strong had its perks. Then she tsked, bent down and grabbed the corpse. She slapped her hand at the corpse¡¯s back. Inscribed the explosion seal, special vintage. Propped the corpse against the tree, with the seal hidden. Jumped on another nearby tree, and threw nearby one of the normal explosive tags. Assassination-chan was dedicated to the job, but chasing after prey was boring. Better set up the bait and make prey come to her. The clone stopped. Thought back on that statement. Nodded. That was a suitable edgy and dark line for an assassin. She snickered, dimmed her chakra presence. It was time to get to work. 6.9 It was evening and getting darker fast. For a while now, Karin had been quiet. There were no enemies around us, and we were so far away from the prison that the sound of battle didn¡¯t reach us anymore. Somehow, Comm-chan was still alive and exploding things. I could feel the beacon moving with her, and if I paid enough attention, caught glimpses of the action on the other side. I know I prayed for her to kill as many as she could, but did she need to transform every enemy she could put her mittens on in a bomb carrier? Wasn¡¯t that a tad too much? Even if the body count wasn¡¯t as big as I thought it would have been, exploding enemies was somehow, way worse than just killing them. Was Comm-chan trying some sort of mind game or something against the enemies? Cold darkness fell. With the clouds blocking the sky, there was no light to help me see. No star light, no moon light. Just pure darkness. I pushed out with my threads to sense the surroundings. I had to move slower to avoid tripping, but the important thing was to keep moving. As soon the threads spread out, Karin-chan gasped. ¡°How¡¯re you doing that?¡± She looked this way and that. Finger touching some of the threads. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± That was nice to hear. I think my control, and thus threads, was my most developed skill. I spent literal years training this stuff. Felt good to be appreciated. Karin didn¡¯t seem to be waiting for a response. She kept trying to grab the threads, and at some point, it became almost like a game. It was a good bit of distraction that kept me moving late into the night. I kept fleeing but even so, I had my limits. I was tired, cold, hurting, hungry and thirsty. I wanted water so bad. So much for a place called Land of Waves. There was no river or water nearby. No lakes or ponds. I wasn¡¯t even sure if we still were in the Land of Waves. But now it wasn¡¯t just being tired anymore. Moving around wasn¡¯t enough to keep warm, not when I had barely anything to wear. The cold wind cut deeper than any kunai. From running, to jogging to walking to shambling. At some point, my clone, the drama queen Assassination-chan met her end. I was proud of her, and maybe a bit scared. Was I that dangerous when I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything else? She led the enemy in circles, abusing the teleport to strike from places they wouldn¡¯t expect, planting explosions whenever she could. She¡­ made a mess. But now with her memories, I understood why. She wanted to attract attention. Maybe that would also help the others escape. Maybe that would prompt Kiri to investigate. We could only hope. The beacon was still there with one of the enemies. He didn¡¯t seem to know what my kunai was for. He had bagged it, and now was lugging it around. I kept part of my attention on the guy, hoping to find any clue to what was happening. The nameless shinobi had put it among other items that looked like contraband or loot. He left soon after, but there were people nearby. And people talked, and stuff was discussed. Two of the masked shinobi were talking around the contraband. Most of it was in some sort of code or shorthand I couldn¡¯t understand, but there was one word that stood out above all else. ROOT. I could even hear the capitalization in the words. I should have guessed. I¡¯m kinda mad I didn¡¯t. In the show, Sai was emotionless and disconnected from his emotions due to ROOT training. Now, here he was, seven years free from Danzo, supposedly not part of ROOT and yet still emotionless and disconnected. Why hadn¡¯t I seen it? Was I that blind? I stumbled, almost dropped Karin, who had fallen asleep while I carried her. She yelped, windmilled, grabbed my hair, pulled it. I couldn¡¯t keep going this way. Now that the adrenaline had faded, and the cold snuck in, the past how many days of abuse was catching up. Karin might have healed my injuries, but that didn¡¯t erase the mental strain. I changed focus from moving away to find somewhere to hide. In total darkness, I carried Karin through a small cave opening. Jagged rocks and twisting paths made it look like a nice place to hide. However, it turned out to be a dead end. The passage wasn¡¯t long, and it tapered off in a small crack in the stone that wasn¡¯t big enough for Karin or me to fit through. I considered staying here, but I didn¡¯t like being trapped with only one way of escape. I turned around and walked away from the cave. My hazy meandering led me to the base of a massive tree. From what I could gather with my threads, it might take at least five of me, hand in hand, to wrap around the tree¡¯s base. My chakra threads retracted, and I tried to think through this. Going inside a cave was a big no-no. Hiding on the canopy of a tree? That might be better. It was open space and I could flee in any direction if needed. On the other hand, it would be way colder than the cave. With how cold the air cut me, I wasn¡¯t sure that staying out was feasible. Somehow, I couldn¡¯t decide what to do. It was like my brain OS had blue-screened.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Hey, are you asleep?¡± I blinked; Karin¡¯s hand was on my cheeks. I hadn¡¯t seen her moving. ¡°The chakra lines disappeared, and you¡¯ve been quiet for a while now.¡± I pushed my threads again. Noticed that my beacon had disappeared. Had I fallen asleep standing? ¡°Hold on tight.¡± I whispered, and before Karin could say anything, I coated my feet with chakra and climbed the tree. A few branches up, I found a nice place to sit down, then plopped myself with my back to the trunk. As for the cold, Karin would have to take responsibility and help me deal with that. I adjusted the redhead so she was on my lap, back pressing against my front. Karin let out a startled yelp. Don¡¯t blame me, I had the most innocent of thoughts. It was just cold and I was butt naked, with only a flimsy shirt. Karin could deal with a bit of awkwardness. There was a moment of silence, until she started speaking again. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I wasn¡¯t keen on speaking, it was time to try something else. I formed words with the threads. ¡°Hinata.¡± Karin could sense them. Would she be able to read it? ¡°Hinata?¡± Karin read back to me. I slumped forward, head pressing against her back. I nodded. ¡°Same as the dead Hyuga girl?¡± I stiffened. What was she talking about? I scrambled to write more words. ¡°What dead girl?¡± Karin wiggled on my lap, adjusted her seating, and pressed us closer. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I thought everyone in Konoha did. Mom told me about it. Even in Kusagakure, it was a huge scandal.¡± She stopped, picked up my arms, and put them around her waist. Her arms were all lined with gooseflesh. ¡°Someone stole the Hyuga Princess right under their noses. The poor girl was also named Hinata.¡± I felt numb. I wrote. ¡°Yeah, like that Hinata.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me Hinata-chan.¡± Again, I nodded. I don¡¯t know why hearing that from someone else startled me this much. I wasn¡¯t dead, dammit. The silence stretched again. The night was quiet, and the cold wind rustling the leaves was almost therapeutic. I closed my eyes.
¡°Hinata-chan.¡± Karin¡¯s whispered call startled me awake again. How much time had passed? ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡± I didn¡¯t need to ask who or how. They¡¯re ninjas, and I didn¡¯t do anything to hide my tracks. I forced myself up and adjusted Karin so she was on my back instead of a princess carry. Her hand grabbed my shoulder and squeezed before I could move. ¡°They¡¯re around us. Five of them.¡± I still couldn¡¯t sense them. I needed more information. ¡°How strong?¡± I wrote. Karin looked at the invisible words. I could only tell because I had threads on her to keep up with her movements. ¡°Stronger than you. Their chakra feels¡­ different. Too controlled, dark, bitter.¡± What could I do here? I wasn¡¯t in any condition to fight. Assassination-chan had burned through most of her chakra. When she dispersed, I barely got anything back. I hadn¡¯t recovered enough to put up a serious fight. Could I use the beacon? I cast my mind again, then shook my head. It vanished when I fell asleep, and even if it hadn¡¯t, what about Karin? If I used the beacon, I¡¯d leave her behind. ¡°What do we do?¡± The redhead asked. Her voice was a whispered whimper. A crazy idea hit me. It was so crazy that it might just work. ¡°I¡­ have a crazy idea, I can¡¯t promise it will work.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± I tilted my head, then wrote more when I realized she couldn''t see it. ¡°There¡¯s a chance it won¡¯t work at all. There¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll be separated, or it will work only for me. I don¡¯t know.¡± Karin patted my shoulder, released my neck and dropped down. She grabbed the kunai I gave her at the start of this mess. ¡°Do it,¡± she whispered. That was kinda cool. And foolhardy. She didn¡¯t even know what I wanted to do. Still cool. I moved closer, hugged Karin. She let out a strangled yelp. ¡°H-hinata-san?¡± Huh, why the formality? I shook my head. Wrote with my threads. ¡°Hug me as tight as you can. Don¡¯t let go.¡± She did just that, arms sneaking around me and pulling me closer. I popped out more of my threads, made them tangible, but instead of spreading them around, I wove them around us, like an invisible cocoon, then used it to press us even closer. The surprised gasp from Karin sounded wrong, even to my ears. Not the time, brain. It was life or death here. By now, I could already feel the jounins approaching. They finally entered my sensing range. Karin was right, there was something wrong with them. Their chakra was too still, too controlled, and an absolute fuckton. I brought my hand to my mouth, bit my thumb until it drew blood, then I willed the Kuchiyose no Jutsu I learned from Naruto from what felt so long ago. My already low chakra got sucked up by the activation, and when it ran out, my threads started to disperse. I couldn¡¯t let them. I pushed and pulled from reserves I didn¡¯t know I had; it drained something else I couldn¡¯t put into words, but my threads remained. The world spun, and it was like I was being pulled in all directions at once. It wasn¡¯t painful, just disorienting. It ended as soon as it started, and we fell into a warm, dark area. Soft, warm earth beneath us, a strong musk scent, and pale crystal-looking lights in the sky. No, not the sky, the ceiling. The faint light illuminated the cavernous walls and the small ¡ª was it a hill? ¡ª nearby. Karin was still with me, breathing loudly. I didn¡¯t have time to be glad my gamble paid off. My threads cocoon unraveled. I didn¡¯t get up. My whole body burned. Worse yet, a familiar onset of agony spiked. It took me back to that time in the Forest of Death, with Orochimaru burning heretical knowledge into my mind. My body ached, my bones burned. Karin looked up, gawked at the ceiling and wall. She grabbed me by the shirt, shook me like her life depended on it. ¡°What the fuck did you¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t finish. The redhead froze, woodenly looking around. It was like she¡¯d seen a ghost. Try as I might, I couldn¡¯t answer. I knew this feeling all too well. The seals on my bones were trying to kill me, and I had no chakra left to suppress it. An agonized scream escaped my mouth. Karin yelped, let go, and I fell back on the ground, hands trying to dig into my skin, reach my burning bones. The nearby hillock shifted, shattering the quiet of the place. From all around, I heard hustling, grunting, chattering, and growling. From behind the moving mound, a car-sized black-furred triangular face with beady eyes approached and stared at us. 6.10.k Karin knew that participating in the chunin exam in Konohagakure was a terrible idea. The team she was forced onto was wholly unprepared, and the higher-ups in Kusagakure somehow believed that because she could heal her teammates, they were qualified to compete against the geniuses of the bigger villages. Case in point: she was the only survivor of her team after they entered that damnable forest. Karin should have, by all accounts, died as well. She remembered the bear and trying to fight it. She remembered the claws that should have taken her eye. She remembered the pain and the teeth. Then she woke up in the hospital with a scar to remind her that it hadn¡¯t been a dream. Karin considered if she should just flee. The life of a missing-nin looked more appealing than the forced servitude her own life was. She looked down on her arms and the many bite marks from abusing her healing ability. The jounins in her village knew she risked her own life every time they overused her lifeforce. Karin¡¯s mother was proof of that. Kusagakure¡¯s ninjas didn¡¯t care. Every time a battle broke out, she was dragged to the battlefield. The same day she woke up in that hospital, Zosui took her away from Konohagakure and back to her village. Her life of enslavement continued, day after day, week after week, until, once again, she was taken to the battlefield to heal injured ninjas. Or that was what should have happened. Days away from Kusagakure and preparing for the confrontation, Zosui commandeered the village¡¯s elders¡¯ house for the night for him and his squad. Karin got the cellar treatment. Locked in the damp underground with no hope of escaping. That same night, Karin sensed a large group of shinobi approaching. She found a dank and dark place and hid. For two days, she waited alone in the dark. The skirmish lasted all night and all day. In the chaos, no one came to find her in the dark cellar. Karin escaped into daylight again once she couldn¡¯t feel anyone outside anymore. The village had been razed, and her minder was nowhere in sight. Hopeful for the first time in her short life, Karin ran, but not for long. Not two days passed, and she was accosted by two shinobi who recognized her cursed lineage. Karin tried to put up a fight, but they were stronger. She blacked out after a well-placed kick to the head. The next time she woke up, she was somewhere underground, surrounded by shinobi. Strong shinobi with bitter and rotten chakra. The whole situation was more than disheartening. Karin was ready to give up. Why keep struggling when, at every turn, things become even worse? Fate, however, didn¡¯t seem keen on letting her go. Her captors brought a new prisoner whose chakra was nothing like Karin had ever felt. It was clear, fresh, bubbly, with a hint of darkness. She couldn¡¯t see who it was, but she heard the results. The constant physical abuse and beatings. She expected that one to die within hours. It didn¡¯t happen. Trapped in her cell, Karin couldn¡¯t sense the outside. There was some sort of barrier blocking her perception. But she still could feel the chakra of everyone present. There was something happening. Most of the shinobi with that strange and bitter chakra left, leaving only a token force behind. The chakra of the ones who stayed behind was all spiky and swirly.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Karin knew in her gut something was about to happen. Then it did. Days later, the prisoner that was kept under lock, key and beatings, broke free. It was a young girl. Naked. Wreaking havoc and destruction. The five minutes that followed were the hardest in Karin¡¯s life. She tried to understand what was happening by the movement of their chakra, but she couldn¡¯t make sense of it. The escaped prisoner moved erratically. Worse, her chakra was like tight clothing in the shape of a person. What kind of jutsu was that? Somehow, the girl managed to kill three of their captors while the last one fled. Karin had expected the girl to flee, but then she returned to the cells. Naked, eyes hazy, holding bandages to an injured chest. Even with that, the amount of blood she left in her wake was scary. Karin had no idea how the girl was still standing. The escaped ninja had a bundle of key rings, and maybe it was fate, so she stopped by Karin¡¯s cell. The girl tried to open the metal cage, but her hands shook too much while she looked barely coherent. Karin¡¯s own trembling hands snaked from inside the cage and grabbed the girl¡¯s arm to steady her hand. She didn¡¯t want to try taking the keys. She had no idea how the other would react. ¡°Let me help you.¡± She whispered. Her voice was a weaving mess. The shinobi heard her. She looked up, pale-faced, and Karin was left staring at unfocused black eyes, even if one looked more like a snake¡¯s eyes than a human¡¯s. ¡°I can help you.¡± Karin pleaded again. Unfocused eyes looked down; the girl tried to fit the key a few more times before shoving the whole thing into Karin¡¯s hand. Not a second later, the injured shinobi toppled over. Karin stared for a few uncomprehending seconds before the yells of the other prisoners woke her from her surprise. She tried the keys and managed to open her cell on the second try. She pushed the door open, and as much as she wanted to help the dying girl, she needed to do something else first. She ran toward the nearest cell¡ªit was the older teen''s. ¡°Here!¡± Karin yelled, thrusting the bundle of keys at the boy. The decision to save the dying shinobi wasn¡¯t wholly altruistic. If injured and unarmed this ninja managed to kill most of the jailers, saving her life would also improve Karin''s chances of surviving this whole fiasco. Now, she just needed to wake up a half-dead shinobi and make that person bite her arm.
From the moment she decided to heal Hinata, Karin never would have imagined she¡¯d now be in some godforsaken cave, staring down a mountain-sized honey badger, while Hinata screamed herself hoarse. Karin was petrified. All at once she wanted to help Hinata, run and hide, scream hysterically, but she ended up doing nothing. That massive, triangular face and beady eyes kept her rooted in place. Worse, that wasn¡¯t the only one. All around, the cave had come to life. She heard grunting, rustling, growling, and chattering. Another hoarse groan from Hinata broke the standoff. Karin flinched. Looked at the contorting girl at her feet. She didn¡¯t dare to move more than that, however. A rumbling, deep voice cut through her panic. ¡°Tend to your companion, unworthy one.¡± The voice from the massive badger resounded in her whole body. ¡°We can decide what to do with you once the heretical summoner isn¡¯t about to die.¡± Karin stared at the massive animal before her, still frozen stiff. ¡°Or you can let her die.¡± The voice rumbled, amused. All around, the tittering and chattering grew. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since our little cubs ate an unworthy one.¡± Karin whirled and dropped to her knees. She pulled her sleeves up on the arm that wasn¡¯t bandaged. Not enough time had passed since she last let Hinata drain her life force, which would probably mean another set of scars. These, at least, were her choice. The big one behind needn¡¯t threaten her into helping Hinata. She wasn¡¯t about to let Hinata die. 6.11 Keeping the seals in my bones suppressed had never taken much conscious effort. The key Orochimaru provided drew from my chakra to suppress the ongoing kill effect. I should have asked this question before, but what would happen if I ran out of chakra? Well, as it turned out, the damn thing was trying to eat me alive in an excruciating way. A detached part of my mind watched the seal at work in fascination. I wasn¡¯t a fan of the Snake Sannin, nor did I approve of his methods, even more so when those methods were directed at me, but I couldn¡¯t deny that his work was exceptional. Beautiful even. It was a level of mastery I could only dream of. My seals looked like a patchwork of cobbled-together dirt. No, that was just my depressed side getting out of control. There wasn¡¯t a good way to compare my seals with the Snake¡¯s. They were different paradigms. Oro¡¯s seal was like a well-oiled machine designed to use every iota of fuel available, while mine somehow had a better conversion rate. My seals had trouble converting the chakra into energy, but the small amounts it did, somehow had better output. All of that was to say that now ¨C out of chakra ¨C the seal was converting my life force into fuel to kill me. It was devious, brilliant, awesome, even. And it hurt like hell. I was aware of movement around me. I heard voices¡ªone deep and rumbling, Karin¡¯s gentle and insistent, others squeaky and chattering. ¡°Bite, Hinata-chan,¡± Karin whispered, ¡°but gently this time.¡± Even with the whole dying situation, that one threw me off kilter. Not hours ago, I had chomped down on her arms to the point we had to bandage the entire forearm to hide away the gruesome teeth marks. And now, here she was, offering me the other one. That inflicted me with a severe case of feelings. Not the good kind. I was tired of being the damsel. Teeth found flesh, and sweetness poured again in my mouth. I didn¡¯t chomp this time. I wasn¡¯t that far gone. The groan-slash-moan from Karin told me she wasn¡¯t doing well either. The chakra top-off gave me enough to avoid the draining of my life force. It didn¡¯t, however, stop the seal. For that, I had to work on the key again. But I had already done it once. I could do it again. I hope I was right. It would be a very gruesome death otherwise. The work to re-suppress the seal was challenging and time-consuming. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and still in pain, but I couldn¡¯t stop until the seal was back under control. I heard yet more voices around. Then, warm hands carried me somewhere else, plopping me on what felt like warm, scratchy blankets. The underground cave wasn¡¯t as cold as the forest in the Land of Waves, but the warmth helped. With painstaking care, I spent hours rebuilding the key. Once it was done, I fitted it into the lock. Immediately, I knew there was something different. It took just a second to understand what. This was part of the Snake¡¯s plans all along. The key couldn¡¯t be used over and over again. Now that I knew more about his style and work, I realized the first key was modifying the original seal. Every time it was used, the efficiency decreased. Not enough to be fatal, but enough that I was now on a timer.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. His plans all along. If I couldn¡¯t be better than him, I¡¯d be forced to seek him out. I wasn¡¯t going to lie; I was kinda amazed at how devious he was. The fucker. My options weren¡¯t great. Maybe Tsunade could help? I just needed to convince the future Hokage-sama to poke me on my insides. ¡­ Huh, that didn¡¯t sound very nice. When I opened my eyes, the cave¡¯s darkness greeted me. All around me were sounds of moving, grunting, and the ever-present musky smell. I was on a mound of furs, Karin sleeping by my side, grabbing me like a cushion. I looked around. We were inside what looked like a small nook in the stone wall. Beyond, I saw shapes moving in the darkness around us. Big, small. Every one of them was a bundle of chakra. There was, besides the fur pile, a bowl with water, another with fruits. That was nice of whoever did that. I disentangled myself from Karin, rolled on the furs until I was by the bowl side, grabbed it, and drank as much as I could. It tasted a bit earthy and stale. And it was the best thing I had ever drunk. Sweet nectar down my throat and munching on tasty fruit cleared my head to think of more pressing matters. Where was I? With all the events post space-time jutsu, I hadn¡¯t paid attention to my surroundings. How long had it been already? What happened to the mission? Given the amount of chakra around, I was pretty sure that, somehow, my gamble worked. If I could convince my destined animal shinobi companions to sign a contract with me, maybe they could send me back to the land of waves. Even if I was days too late to help, I could at least try to learn what happened with the rest of the team. No, that wasn¡¯t the real reason. That was just the lie I told myself to make me feel better. What I was worried about was the revelations I learned from the laboratory. Was I a clone? I still thought I wasn¡¯t, but on the not-zero chance I was, where was the original Hinata? Could she be, for example, being held, for years, in some dank, dark prison Orochimaru used to keep his captives? Like the one in the Land of Waves? My moving around attracted attention. A small shape approached from the darkness. It was also a tiny bundle of chakra. I placed the bowl down, sat up, and waited. It didn¡¯t take long for the interloper¡ª or was I the interloper?¡ª to approach. Small ¡ª maybe a bit bigger than a Miniature Pinscher¡ª, stocky, triangular head with beady eyes and small ears. Dark fur covered most of its face, with white hair from above its eyes to the end of its short tail. It had wicked claws on the front paws. It also wore what looked like a shinobi¡¯s uniform, with dark-colored fabric covering parts of its body and a utility belt around its torso. A honey badger. A mini ninja honey badger. It stopped, got on its hind legs, and stared at me. Still stunned, I could only stare back. Why badgers, of all things? I wasn¡¯t going to lie. It looked cute as heck. I wanted to pick it up, cuddle, maybe pet it. The badger raised its paw; its wicked claw pointed at my face¡ªno, not at my face, at my eye¡ªthe one with the snake pupil. My hand moved, tracing the skin just beneath said eye. The badger tilted its head, tittered. It was so cute. Then it spoke, a soft, squeaky female voice. ¡°Imma gonna gouge out that eye and eat it up.¡± The tittering rose into laughter. ¡°Just wait till pops says you¡¯re food.¡± I take back what I said. She wasn¡¯t cute. She was freaking adorable! Like a creepy-cute-little-murder-ninja. I wanted to cuddle her. I might even have tried. 6.12 I lay on the fur pile, nursing a bitten finger and trying to sleep. Karin, the grabber, had ensnared me the moment I settled by her side. She wasn¡¯t only a grabber, though. In the ten minutes I was here staring at the darkness and trying to sleep, she pulled my hair, kicked my legs, scratched my arms. Was she having a bad dream? A careful, probing look left me with more questions than answers. Her face was calm and peaceful, as if she dreamed of something pleasant. This was contrary to the reality I was experiencing, but I decided to endure it instead of shaking the redhead awake. It had nothing to do with her holding me and the human contact. Nu-uh. I just didn¡¯t want to wake her up. That was all. I closed my eyes, thinking of blondes, cupcakes, and dates. I wanted to see Ino. It felt like I had just blinked when everything changed. The light from the ceiling crystals was brighter, the chattering and rustling all around louder. My mini-ninja-killer abused finger was no longer smarting from the bite, and Karin was still making me her pillow. For the second time, I disentangled myself from her. I got up, looking around. The previous night, tired from the ordeal and lack of sleep, I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind to realize we could be in real trouble. I cleared the crust from my eyes, unlimbered my sore limbs. It was time to get the ball rolling. I pushed my chakra, created a beacon for my Kuro Raikou no Jutsu. There was a tinge of painful heat inside my body following that. I held back in a groan. Fucking fucker Orochimaru. Karin was still asleep even after all that moving about. Was this a side effect of me draining her life force twice in a single day? I shook her awake. I pressed the wood kunai to Karin, and while she got ready, with one last stretch, I left the furs. I looked around, trying to see what was different from before I fell asleep. The guards I noticed before falling asleep weren¡¯t here anymore, but many more were going around outside the alcove. Badgers, a lot of ninja badgers. Tiny cubs running, grunting, and playing. This small group was trying to throw shuriken, which was too big to hold. Another older group was play-fighting. Or at least, I hoped they were play-fighting. It looked brutal enough, but there was no blood, so I was keen on thinking they were only playing. ¡°Good morning, Karin-chan.¡± I wrote with my threads. Karin pulled the bed hair out of her face. Fur lines marks on her skin. She looked worse than I¡¯d seen her ever. ¡°Errrhhr¡± she groaned. I took that as a yes. The small nook we slept in led to a larger tunnel or area. The crystals in the ceiling provided some illumination, but it was like faint moonlight. Enough to move by. With no idea where exactly to go, I picked the direction with the most chakra bundles. Karin shambled behind me. The central passage, large and tall, had several other small alcoves and tunnels branching from it. Across from where we slept there was an area that looked like a nursery, given the number of cubs and mini-badgers there. I¡¯m guessing the she-devil that bit my finger escaped from there. The place wasn¡¯t unprotected. Pony-sized badgers kept the place secure. I was sure they were using some sort of ninja jutsu or something. The only reason I knew they were there was because of their chakra. It took a while of staring at the spot one was at to see it, and I was sure it let me. The one that broke his stealth was kind enough to point me in the correct direction. What I meant by pointing was grunting, growling, and bare fangs whenever we tried to move anywhere other than a particular direction. I was guessing they weren¡¯t happy with us for some reason.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Another room down along the path had what looked like a classroom. The badgers there were older, or at least larger than the cubs, and the teacher, a scarred-looking, grey-furred badger, pointing to a mural with several sets of images. In the darkness, they were more complicated to make sense of. The first one depicted what looked like a burrow and a group of badgers. The second was the badgers and a group of humans. In the third, there was some sort of agreement or trade. The mural showed the badgers receiving jars, fabrics, and other items. The next mural I could see showed the badgers fighting alongside the humans. Badgers receiving jars and fabrics seemed strange. Were those payments for their help? A trade agreement for their loyalty? The jars looked similar to honey pots I¡¯d seen in Konoha markets while shopping for ingredients for my pastries. On the other side of the room, an epic battle unfolded across the mural: badgers, clawed and fierce, clashed with giant bees the size of wolves. The bees swarmed over the badgers, their stingers dripping with what I imagined was venom. One badger stood atop a fallen bee, triumphant, but others around him lay lifeless. There were more murals, but I¡¯d need to enter the room to see them. Most badgers seemed to talk in a grunting language I couldn''t understand. At least, that was the impression I got. There was a lot of chattering and grunting whenever I approached. Some sounded suspiciously similar to laughter. Following the path led to an even larger chamber, where we had arrived at. The badger I mistook for a hillock was there, giant beady eyes focused on us. Karin whimpered. Grabbed my arm. I looked back. She looked even paler now. Had the big lug of a hillock badger done something to her while I wasn¡¯t paying attention? I patted her head. Still not sure why people liked doing it, but it might have a good reason. Karin looked somewhat calmer. But still didn¡¯t release me. I turned back to the giant badger. This was going to take a toll. My comms board was AWOL; summoning a clone might cause trouble. Oh well, it was time to bleed for my ideals. I squared my shoulders, raised my head. The circumstances of our arrival might have been strange, but I was here to show the badgers that making a contract with me would benefit them, too. Not sure how it would benefit them, but I was going to do my best to convince the big one. ¡°The summoner survived,¡± the badger¡¯s voice rumbled. His eyes flicked down toward its massive paw. There was a small bundle of chakra there. ¡°You can¡¯t eat her eye, cub.¡± A familiar female squeaky voice squeaked in response, ¡°Imma no cub no more pops. I earned my name.¡± The little devil turned to me and growled. It was adorable. ¡°And why not? She¡¯s tainted and brought an unworthy one!¡± I didn¡¯t like where that conversation was going. A chuckle that sounded more like an earthquake preceded the answer. ¡°Right, Kumoko.¡± That was a strange choice of name. If I understood it right, didn¡¯t that mean Spider Child? Why would a mini murder badger be named that, of all things? The big face turned toward me. It was marred with many scars. Most were hidden beneath the coarse black and white fur but still visible if I paid enough attention. Somehow, the atmosphere changed after the chuckle, like a switch turned on. ¡°You arrived uninvited and dying,¡± the big one said. ¡°I gave you shelter. I shared my food and water. You partook in my hospitality. No harm befell on you,¡± the big one stopped, glanced down at Kumoko, ¡°that wasn¡¯t of your own making.¡± Was he implying the little-she-devil was right in biting me? I mean, I did try to pet her, but still. ¡°Customs were observed.¡± There was a pregnant pause. Was I supposed to say something? ¡°I¡¯m the patriarch of this clan, and you may call me Tsuchigaru. Why have you come here, Hebigan Kuchiyose-te?¡± My mind raced at the question. I knew why I was here. It had been a gamble, and I needed to escape. I hadn¡¯t known where I would appear, but as long as it wasn''t snakes, I was happy with making a contract with any other shinobi animal clan. But there was something strange in his way of addressing me. Names, I was coming to realize, meant a lot to these badgers. The big one meant Earth Growler, which was fitting, all things considered. If I took it at face value, the way he addressed me meant Snake-Eye summoner. I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but I could convince them to sign a contract with me as long as they weren''t hostile. I thought back on what benefits I could provide. I had my modified storage seals, my explosives. I could help them get things from the human population and bring it back here. It might be expensive, but I wasn¡¯t that poor anymore. I nodded. I could work with that. I opened my mouth. I didn¡¯t manage to speak. ¡°You reek of the snake clan. Why shouldn¡¯t I let my daughter eat your eye and entrails for trespassing into my lands?¡± 6.13 Tension thick enough to cut with a kunai pressed on me. Tsuchigaru¡¯s massive eyes bore down on us. Karin¡¯s grip on my arm reached the death-grip settings. I fought the urge to shrink back. That¡¯s not how I expected things to go after the somewhat peaceful start, but I noticed a few things. For one, that the big one hadn¡¯t killed us yet. For another, what was this about the snake¡¯s stench? The only thing I could think of regarding the snake was my eye and Orochimaru. Orochimaru also meant Ryuchi Cave and his summons. That gave me an idea to try. I wasn¡¯t a friend of the snakes; I very much had a blood feud with Orochimaru. I could use that, but I wasn¡¯t willing to give that information for free. I remembered the murals, and the pictographs of badgers and humans trading. Maybe they liked to barter? Why else would they have a history lesson over that? I could do bartering. It was even in my favor since I had nothing else besides information to offer. The best case scenario was to enlist their help with a contract, gather supplies, and have them send me back from wherever their lands were. In a worst-case scenario, I¡¯d settle up to leaving here alive, with information on how to return to Konoha. I puffed my non-existent chest, raised my head. Confidence, that was now my middle name. ¡°I am no snake friend. I fought and killed them before.¡± I mean, not me, me. It was Naruto and Sasuke who killed those giant snakes in the Forest of Death, but I helped, right? I even had a hand in their training. I hope they didn¡¯t mind me taking credit. ¡°I have a blood feud against their summoner; I orchestrated his fall.¡± Even if I didn¡¯t believe that was the last I had seen of Orochimaru and that it wasn¡¯t me who killed him, but the Hokage and Shisui. I was the one that moved the pieces years before. That also counted as my kill, right? Right? Alliances declared, boast stated, I started my sales pitch. ¡°You¡¯ll sign a summoner contract with me,¡± I rasped, held in the urge to cough. I wasn¡¯t good at negotiations, but I knew you should always shoot up for the biggest you can and negotiate to a more realistic outcome. ¡°You¡¯ll send us back, give us supplies and equipment. In return, I¡¯ll provide you with news regarding the snake-clan.¡± A rumble from above followed my declaration. ¡°You want to barter?¡± The voice asked, amused. Tsuchigaru¡¯s eyes glinted in the semi-darkness of the cave. Kumoko¡¯s tiny chakra bundle moved. She dashed from the big paws side until she was at Tsuchigaru¡¯s face. ¡°Pops! Lemme handle this!¡± Her small, fur-covered frame shook. She looked a bit silly, glaring up at her giant father. ¡°And why should I let you, cub? You¡¯ve already meddled enough when I ordered our guests to be left alone.¡± ¡°Cause I earned my name!¡± The answer came in a high-pitched, squeaky growl. ¡°I can handle this stuff now!¡± Kumoko¡¯s puffed tail pointed straight up. She turned to me. ¡°Let me barter with the snake girl. If she¡¯s lying, I can always eat her eye after.¡± Why was Kumoko so obsessed with my eye? Another quake-chuckle rumbled through the room. ¡°Have it your way then, Kumoko.¡± Kumoko preened, tail still straight up. ¡°Snake girl,¡± she squeaky-growled my way. Was she trying to be intimidating? ¡°Here are my terms for you: The snake girl will surrender all her secrets, give me her eye, and the Iron Skin clan will let her leave this place alive!¡± I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I wanted to feel insulted that I was relegated to deal with his kid, but wasn¡¯t that to my advantage? Hoodwinking¡ªI mean, convincing Kumoko might be much easier than her father.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°No!¡± Kumoko¡¯s tail lashed out. The she-devil paced in front of me. I had, at some point, sat down. Karin had also sat by my side and now rested her head on my lap. Gentle breathing indicated she was fast asleep. I couldn¡¯t blame her, the negotiation had gone on for the better part of an hour, and Karin hadn¡¯t recovered from me sucking her dry of life force the previous day. I was worried. Karin displayed an uncomfortable level of trust and familiarity with me for someone she barely met a few hours ago. Was this one of those cases of abuse victims imprinting on their saviors or some bullshit like that? I was holding a bloodied piece of Karin¡¯s shirt. The redhead was kind enough to offer me a scrap of fabric to clean the blood from my mouth before she fell asleep. My throat was a stinging mess, and I was ready to be done with this. Maybe this was Kumoko¡¯s strategy. Drag this out as much as possible until I give up and agree to her inane demands. Kumoko looked at her giant dad again. She¡¯d done that whenever declaring her terms. Was she looking for the approval of the patriarch? She looked back at me, eyes narrowing. ¡°The clan will give the snake-girl supplies, help her find her way back to human lands, sign a summoning contract with her.¡± She said with another frustrated lash of her short tail. ¡°She¡¯ll give us the information about the snake clan and their summoner, pay in high-quality honey for each summon, help us acquire supplies from human lands, and give me her eye.¡± We had come to somewhat agreeable terms. A summoning contract with the Iron Hide badger clan, each summon paid in honey, the amount depending on the badger summoned and the task performed. Honey wasn¡¯t that cheap in Konoha, but I had contacts. If I didn¡¯t abuse the summons, I wouldn¡¯t have problems with the payment. I also didn¡¯t mind summoning them from time to time and providing them with storage seals so they could move stuff from Konoha back to their land. Shinobi equipment for Karin and me. I was tired of walking around half-naked. It wasn¡¯t the worst here, because none of the badgers seemed to care about my state of undress, but I often caught Karin¡¯s averted gaze whenever I moved. Yeah, nope. I was too young to be flashing redheads. A way back to Konoha. Unfortunately, the badger clan couldn¡¯t reverse-summon me back to the Land of Waves. About a decade ago, they had cut ties with most of the shinobis in the great countries. There was no agent in the human lands to perform the summons, so we settled up for the Iron Hide clan providing a guide to help us on the long trip back. The problem was that Kumoko was obsessed with my eye, and I wasn¡¯t sure why. She never budged on that one demand. Trying to negotiate around it was a waste of time. Trying to learn why was also a waste of time. I wasn¡¯t keen on going blind because the cub wanted my eye. That left me trying to compromise. ¡°I agree with most of that,¡± I started, and Kumoko¡¯s head perked up. ¡°I even agree with your demand for my eye,¡± the she-devil took a step toward me, and I rushed to add through the pain in my throat, ¡°with conditions.¡± Kumoko stopped, tail puffed, and lashed out again. ¡°What conditions?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the eye if and when I recover my own to replace it.¡± I rasped out. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could ever recover my eye from the Hyuga or where the other eye was, but on the chance I did, I wasn¡¯t against letting Kumoko have the snake eye. I¡¯d even cheer her on if she wanted to snack on the thing. I just wasn¡¯t about to set myself on fire to make her feel warm, so to speak. Kumoko growled and clawed the ground. I saw the refusal coming, but a rumble from the silent patriarch ended her building comeback. Kumoko shook for a moment, pawed the ground again, and lashed her tail even more. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She finally asked. I shrugged. ¡°Someone stole my eyes; put this one in its place. I want to get my own back.¡± Kumoko stared for a long while, then she nodded. ¡°Agreed.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. That had been way more difficult and tiring than I had anticipated. ¡°Good job, cub,¡± Tsuchigaru praised and ignored the growly ¡°not a cub¡± from Kumoko. He turned to me. ¡°Thank you for letting my daughter have her first barter, the opportunities are rare these days.¡± I nodded at the patriarch. Mostly, I was glad this was over. ¡°Kumoko will take you to our storage to gather equipment and lead you to the hive; I¡¯ll have the contract ready once you return.¡± What was he talking about? Return from what hive? ¡°Return?¡± Tsuchigaru¡¯s eyes bore on me again. ¡°Of course,¡± the clan leader said, ¡°no respectable badger clan will sign a contract without a gift of royal jelly. Kumoko will guide you to the Bee¡¯s hive.¡± My shoulder slumped. Of course, why had I thought it would be this easy? I could even hear the capitalization of the word bee from the patriarch. These were going to be some giant killer bees, weren¡¯t they? 6.14 It was the day after the negotiations. Kumoko led the way through a series of tunnels, some big, others small, twists and turns and passages that sometimes looked all the same. Even after another day of rest, Karin wasn¡¯t in better condition. The redhead lagged behind, and I often had to stop and wait until she caught up. At one point, I offered to carry her, but she just shook her head and pushed me to keep moving. Had I sucked out that much of her life force? I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind at the time ¡ª dying and all ¡ª and I don¡¯t really remember how much I took from her. The path Kumoko led us through would take us near the so-called hive. We¡¯ve been walking for the better part of the day in the twisting labyrinthine tunnels. Karin and I visited the badger¡¯s ¡°storage¡± to get the gear I bargained for. There wasn¡¯t much we could use there; most of the contents were designed for badgers. Even so, we managed to find things we could use. I found a green kimono that fit me more or less. The lack of underthings, I solved by cosplaying a mummy. Lack of shoes? Bandages. Lack of gloves? Bandages. Lack of a bra? Bandages. No belt? Well, you get it. On the other hand, the redhead still had some of her gear from when she got captured. Her captors hadn¡¯t bothered to take all of her stuff, only weapons and tools. After raiding the storage, Karin now wore a dark brown kimono over a fishnet bodysuit. She still had the open-toed shinobi footwear. All in all, she looked good. At least, that is what I thought, anyway. Kumoko stopped near a small tunnel leading upwards. ¡°We¡¯re here, snake girl.¡± I looked at the mini-badger; the tunnel upward. Kumoko didn¡¯t seem keen on going up. I wrote words and Karin read them out loud for me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming with us?¡± ¡°Nuh-uh, can¡¯t help ya.¡± The she-devil said, entire body shaking in denial. She was already used to mine and Karin¡¯s antics. ¡°You gotta get the royal jelly yourself; otherwise, what would be the point?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up there?¡± Karin read my next question. ¡°Forest,¡± Kumoko¡¯s head looked back toward the tunnel we just came from. ¡°Pops said there¡¯s a path nearby, find and follow it, shoulda take you to the hive.¡± That smelled fishy. I was pretty sure something was wrong with this whole situation, I just couldn¡¯t say what. I looked at Karin, who just shrugged. I started toward the tunnel. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, snake girl,¡± Kumoko called out after us, tail lashing. ¡°I won¡¯t wait forever.¡± Delaying the royal jelly gathering mission for a whole day wasn¡¯t just to let Karin recover. I wanted to prepare. Both badgers ¡ª giant dad and mini she-devil¡ª were mum about the bee¡¯s hive. Both ignored subtle questions and direct inquiries. That left me trying to prepare for things I wasn¡¯t aware of. Fortunately, raiding the badger¡¯s storage didn¡¯t result only in new clothing fashion. We managed to find a few kunai and shuriken that were similar to what I was used to. But the jackpot was finding sealing paper. That gave me a good idea to try. Bee¡¯s were weak to smoke, right? I didn¡¯t need to fight any assumed giant killer bees to steal their jelly. I could, you know, just put the whole hive to sleep and sneak in to steal the jelly. That was how the previous day ended. I returned to our designed alcove with a shambling Karin in tow. She slept, and I prepared seals. Tight stone walls of the tunnel Kumoko led us to pressed closer around us. The tunnel was dark, and the passage grew steeper the more we climbed. I wasn¡¯t one to be claustrophobic, but it felt uncomfortable. Until now, I hadn¡¯t considered we were underground this whole while. The soft crystal lights managed to trick me somehow. This passage had no crystals to provide illumination, forcing Karin and me to navigate through the darkness. I used my threads to help me navigate, kept a bandaged hand on the rough wall to steady myself, and held one of Karin¡¯s. Karin followed behind, breaths shallow. Even without being able to see her, I kept looking back. Karin was never a front-liner combatant in the show, more of a supporting cast. I was worried about her. When we emerged from the tunnels, the sunlight blinded me. I stood still at the passage entrance, eyes closed, breathing the fresh scent of earth and greenery. Slowly, the spots in my vision disappeared, and a strange forest stretched out before us; a wild and untamed expanse of towering trees and thick undergrowth. The canopy above let in scattered rays of sunlight. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. It was quiet¡ªalmost too quiet. There were no bird calls or sounds of other animals. Only the faint hum of insects broke the silence. Karin walked from behind me soon after. She stopped by my side, also surveying the forest. ¡°Creepy,¡±she muttered. I agreed with her. There was something really wrong here. This place was strange. At first, it looked like a typical forest, but the more I looked, the worse I felt. It was the bark¡¯s color, the leaves¡¯ shape, the scent in the air, the shrubs and vines. They were all so familiar yet different in a way that set my teeth on edge. What was this place? Where had my summoning gamble taken us? I knew there were many contracted ninja animals in Naruto¡¯s world; take Pink-chan, I mean, Tayuya, for example. She could summon some giant creatures, or Pain and the Animal path. But I had never heard of badgers. More than that, I couldn¡¯t dismiss the feeling I was missing something important. ¡°What complicated thing are you thinking about?¡± I turned, faced Karin. How did she know? My threads wrote my question. ¡°Can you read my mind?¡± Karin waved, rolled her eyes. ¡°I wish.¡± There was a bit more enthusiasm in her posture. ¡°I can see your chakra. It got all swirly and spiky.¡± Was that supposed to mean anything? What was she going on about? ¡°Now it¡¯s all chaotic. That one is easy, confusion.¡± Karin stopped, scratched her cheek. ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I shook my head. She sighed, trying to push the hair out of her face. Looked away. ¡°I can somewhat tell how someone is feeling based on how their chakra moves. It¡¯s usually not that precise but,¡± she looked at me. No, it was like she was looking inside me. ¡°But yours is so clear and responsive and bubbly. It¡¯s really easy to tell what you¡¯re feeling.¡± I scowled. That was bullshit, and not fucking fair. ¡°Now it¡¯s alternating between spiky and shivering. That¡¯s usually frustration and insecurity.¡± I glared at her. ¡°It¡¯s all dense now. Resentment?¡± I glared even harder. Karin looked from my navel to my face. Blushed, looked away. ¡°Err, anyway, where are we going?¡± Before anything else, I wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake. I held my hand out, a hardwood kunai formed on my palm, the beacon seal already inscribed. I ignored the spike of pain from bone seals. The pain hadn¡¯t faded away after getting it back in control, it was this constant buzz that most of the times I could put out of my mind. By my side, Karin gasped, gripped my arm tightly. I ignored her. My chakra dipped lower, but that was fine. I held the kunai to Karin. ¡°Keep that, don¡¯t lose it. If things go bad, I¡¯ll try to lead the enemy away. As long as you have that, I can find you anywhere.¡± It felt strange misleading Karin like that. I was hoping she would take my words as the kunai being a tracking device, which wasn¡¯t wrong. The original function was that, but I could also spy on her, and teleport to her if needed. That way, if the worst happened, I¡¯d be able to react in time, use her as bait, or even lead any enemy away then go back to Karin after she gave them the slip. Was I being this paranoid because of Sai? Karin gave me a considering look. She was reading my chakra again, wasn¡¯t she? Damn it. She took the kunai, gave me a nod. She turned, looked in the distance, like she was looking through the trees. ¡°I can sense chakra, a lot of it, it feels different, somehow.¡± ¡°Different how?¡± I wrote. Karin looked back at me, shrugged. ¡°Remind me of the badgers?¡± ¡°Are they close?¡± Karin shook her head, looked in the distance again. ¡°About half an hour out, if we walk slowly.¡± How¡­ large was her sensing distance? I thought mine was good, about a hundred meters all around me. What did it mean for her range if this chakra presence was that far away? So fucking unfair. The more I learned about her chakra sense, the more mine looked like a discounted, cheap version no one else wanted. I shook those thoughts away. It wasn¡¯t time to be petty, or jelly. I could do that later, once we were safe back at Konoha. I looked around. Trying to find said trail Kumoko told us about. After a moment, I summoned two clones to help me. While my clones got their bearings, I walked a bit further away from the entrance, then took my water-skin to take a sip. That much walking left me thirsty. ¡°Hello, Ojou-chan. You¡¯re so pretty!¡± One of my clones husked out. I coughed, spat the water I had just drank. ¡°Eh?¡± Karin gasped. I looked around. My clones were around Karin. One was slightly hunched over, one hand on her hips, another grabbing Karin¡¯s waist, with a lecherous grin on her face. The second clone had a hand on her chin, a calculating look on her face, like checking merchandise. Karin was trapped between the two, with the clones invading her personal space. ¡°How about ya come with us?¡± Clone two said, hand going to Karin¡¯s mane of red hair and gently tugging free a lock. Clone two looked at me, sent me a quick devilish grin before she turned to Karin. ¡°We¡¯ll take good care of ya.¡± She husked again. ¡°Eeh?¡± Karin looked spooked. She glanced from my clones at me and then back at the clones. I face-palmed. Why were the clones behaving like that? I wasn¡¯t that bad, right? ¡­Right? ¡­ That decided it; no more clones. I might as well take a page from Shikamaru¡¯s book and name them Troublesome-chan, The First and Second. Resigned to my fate, I crouched, kept looking, drank more water. I hoped that by the end of this, my clones didn¡¯t traumatize Karin¡­ ¡­Too much. 6.15 The trail Kumoko mentioned wasn¡¯t obvious. A quick search gave me no clue about where it was. Not that it was a concern at this point, not with Karin¡¯s absurd sensing range. For some reason, Karin took refuge behind me from my clones. Trouble-chan, First and Second, tried to harass the redhead again, but my stern glare was enough to dissuade them. Under Karin¡¯s scared eyes, I had a brief signal conversation with my clones. It went something like this: Me: Kunai, seal, placement, around, smoke. T1: Explosion? Me: Negative, smoke, objective, explosion bad. T2: Indignation, protest, revise plan, explosion good. Me: Mission objective, critical, capture, asset acquisition, destruction bad. T1: Foul play, unfair. T2: Unhappy, protest. Once prepared, we set off toward the chakra Karin could sense in the distance. The forest floor was a carpet of moss and fallen leaves, broken by massive roots. Strange fungi growing in clusters, some glowing with soft phosphorescent light, others looking decidedly alien and potentially poisonous. I found the trail a couple of minutes away from the tunnel entrance. It was tiny markers on tree bark. It was subtle enough that if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d have missed it. The trail led to a narrow, winding path cutting through the dense foliage. The forest changed the closer we got to our destination. Trees grew sparser, and a low humming became audible. Not the tiny buzz of normal bees but a deeper sound that vibrated through the air. We slowed our pace, made sure to walk in silence. I peeked from behind a huge tree, then I saw it. The hive was enormous. Easily the size of a three-story building, it was a massive structure of waxy, honeycomb-like material clinging to the side of a massive tree. Giant bee sentinels, each the size of a large dog and bigger, crawled across its surface. Their bodies were jet black with sharp yellow markings, mandibles that looked like curved daggers. That mural I saw back at the badger¡¯s lair came to mind. I remembered the dead badgers around the sole surviving one. Karin sucked in a breath beside me. ¡°This is insane,¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the bees. ¡°We¡¯re not going in there, right?¡± I didn¡¯t need to write anything for her to know what I thought. She probably could read it from my chakra. This was bad. Very bad. Sneaking past one giant bee might¡¯ve been possible. Sneaking past dozens? And then stealing royal jelly from that hive? I swallowed, fingers tightening around the kunai. Exchanged another glance with my clones. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°We have a plan, right?¡± Karin whispered, her eyes flickering to me. I didn¡¯t respond right away. My gaze locked on the hive and the countless bees crawling all over it. The buzzing was deafening at this distance, the sound filling the air like a living thing. I reached into my pouch and pulled out another one of the seals I¡¯d prepared. I was hoping the smoke would work. I gestured to her to keep quiet, then took her hand and led her away from the hive. Once we were a safe distance, I wrote what I mulled on the way over. ¡°Do you remember how to reach the tunnel¡¯s entrance?¡± Karin looked at the words, then back at me. She nodded. ¡°Go back and wait for me there.¡± ¡°No,¡± she pulled her hand away from mine. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, I can help.¡± Was I being patronizing by trying to send her away? It wasn¡¯t even that I thought she couldn¡¯t fight. I knew Karin was strong, even if she wasn¡¯t a combat specialist like other shinobi. No, I wanted her to return to the tunnel¡¯s entrance because if she went back, it would keep her safe, given she wasn¡¯t in the best condition, and that would also give me a last-resort escape route. But to explain that, I would have to come clean about the beacon. At least about teleport function. I didn¡¯t need to tell her about the spying function. Well, I couldn¡¯t let one betrayal color all my future interactions. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± I wrote with my threads. I gestured to one of my clones, signed a message when she looked my way. Trouble-chan the Second gave me a nod. I turned back to Karin, wrote more words. ¡°The wood kunai I gave you is my escape route if things go south.¡± Karin read the words, tilted her head. She opened her mouth, but Trouble-chan teleported before she could ask her question. I barely caught the movement from my clone, and I was waiting for it. Trouble-chan did a one-hand confrontation seal, probably to look cool since I knew we could teleport without making those, and arrived with arms already open and hugging the redhead. ¡°Eep.¡± Karin squeaked, then pushed my clone away. Soon after, she hid behind me again, glaring at the clone. Trouble-chan, the Second, pouted. Stuck her tongue at Karin. Then, she jogged back to where she was and picked up the seals and kunai that had fallen on the forest floor when she teleported. I rolled my eyes at her antics. Why were my clones so insistent in teasing Karin like that? I mean, I knew why. They were teasing me, and Karin was just a bonus, but even so. That was a bit unfair. I had my clone teleport because I didn¡¯t want another flashing incident. The clone¡¯s clothes were chakra constructs. She was in no danger of leaving her clothes behind. If I tried that, on the other hand¡­ Well, let¡¯s just not. ¡°See?¡± I wrote when Karin looked back at me. ¡°If you¡¯re somewhere safe, I can always use your position to escape if I need to run.¡± I tilted my head, added more regarding my reason. ¡°And I know you¡¯re not in top condition because I drained you from your life force.¡± Karin glanced at her bandaged arms, then looked away. In all the confusion and events after our escape, I never took the chance to thank her for saving my life twice. I walked closer, and taking a page from my clone¡¯s books, I gave Karin a hug. ¡°Eeep!¡± She squeaked again. Huh, yeah, that was pretty funny. I guess I know now why my clones do it. But I shook my head; not the time to get distracted. ¡°Thank you for saving my life twice,¡± I croaked out. I didn¡¯t feel like writing a ¡®thank you¡¯ was the best option. ¡°I owe you.¡± After a moment, her arms found their way around me, nestling her head around my neck. She mumbled something I couldn¡¯t understand, but I decided it meant ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± or something similar. It didn¡¯t last. She pushed me away, looked back toward the trail that led to the tunnel. She looked back at me after a moment. ¡°Be careful, okay?¡± Karin said. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t trust them.¡± She added. I nodded again. ¡°They said I would be food if you died.¡± I scowled, nodded a third time, wrote my answer. ¡°I will be careful.¡± Karin turned and started her way back, away from the hive of giant killer bees. I turned to my clones. It was time to get the ball rolling. With luck, the smoke plan would work. 6.16 Plant the smoke bombs, put the killer bees to sleep, sneak in, steal the jelly. That was not how I imagined my shinobi companion contract would go. This plan was conditional on the smoking working on the killer bees as it did for normal-sized ones. I wasn¡¯t a bee expert. The most I knew was from idle chatter when buying honey for my pastries. And even so, I often didn¡¯t pay much attention to the beekeeper¡¯s chattering. The knowledge amounted to vague recollections about pheromones and instinctive feeding responses. I placed the last kunai, cast one more look at the hive in the distance. I wasn¡¯t sure how I would get to the jelly without causing too much damage. With the setup done, I sneaked away. Trouble-chan, First and Second, had already placed their kunais in the formation and unpopped themselves. That was easier than trying to move back and alerting the bees. I thought back on the plan one last time: Trigger the smoke, wait a few minutes until the bees are¡ª hopefully¡ª calm and pacified, sneak to the hive, cut a way in, steal the jelly. Once I was far enough away, I activated the barrier, then the smoke bombs. The humming cut immediately when the barrier formed, and soon after, the area was covered in white smoke. I took a prepared seal from my temporary gear. Out popped a large machete and a clay jar. I counted the minutes. Placed a piece of fabric around my mouth to help filter the smoke out. Once enough time had passed, I dispersed the barrier and sneaked inside again to steal from royalty. The smoke-filled area created an eerie atmosphere. I approached the hive, paying close attention to any new buzzing. I walked to the base of the tree and looked up at the massive structure: complex hexagonal chambers and giant bees walking slowly over them. The movements were sluggish and unfocused. So far, so good. I coated my feet with chakra and climbed the tree until I reached the hive. Now I had to find the thing. I pressed my hand against the waxy surface, tested how strong it was. The material was warm, and yielded under my hand. That was good, the knife would work. Finding the right spot took longer than expected. Again, I wasn¡¯t a bee expert, but this hive looked nothing like what I remembered: everything was scaled up and somewhat different. I moved with care, going past drunk guard bees the size of dogs. Their mandibles even now looked capable of cutting limbs off. Finally, I found what I was looking for: this one section felt and looked different, warmer. I hoisted the clay jar to one hand, took the knife with another. With careful movements, I made an incision. I repeated the same movements until I had a square-ish opening. I pulled the wax open and peered through. Light filtered in to reveal a large hexagonal tube like structure with a huge milky-white grub happily grubbing in a jelly like substance. Past the grub, one large compound eye stared back at me. An eye filled with intelligence that should have been impossible for an insect. That was the Queen, wasn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t see her move, but I heard her buzzing: the air vibrated with that bone-shaking frequency I¡¯d heard before, only ten times worse. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Oh shit! That¡¯s the only thing I had time to think about before the drunk bees started to buzz. Louder and angrier, somehow. The bees began to stir, movements becoming more and more coordinated. I let go of the knife; I had no time to care for it. I plunged my now free hand into the opening, fingers scraping the waxy walls, scooped a handful of the thick, gelatinous substance. The grub, startled, wiggled at my intrusion. The Queen buzzed harder. The buzzing outside grew more frantic. I scooped two other handfuls when the first bee took to the air. Massive wings blew away what was left of the smoke. The stopper went into the clay jar opening. With no time for finesse or to gather the knife I discarded earlier, I flickered from the hive to the forest floor, pushed my legs full of chakra, and legged away. A swarm of bees was now flying toward me, buzzing turned into a roar. Into the fading smoke, two other clones materialized. I slapped my full jelly-coated hand on the jars each was carrying, and both clones ran in opposite directions. My jar was dropped into a paper seal and sealed in one fluid motion. My hands flashed with seals, my trusty Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu came to the rescue, and the ground beneath my feet softened. I sank into it like it was water. The ground closed above me just in time to stop a wicked sharp sting a few centimeters from my face. Through my chakra perception, I could somewhat sense what was happening above. The guard bees split into groups, each pursuing what they thought was their target. Decoy-chan, the Twelfth and Thirtieth, leading the angry insects on a wild chase through the forest. I moved through the earth, careful to maintain enough distance that the vibrations from my passage wouldn¡¯t be noticeable from above. The queen¡¯s buzzing was still audible even through several feet of soil. Were they some contract shinobi insects? It wouldn¡¯t be, would it? Imagine now if this created a blood feud with the Aburame clan. I would be pissed. Soon after, one of my clones dispersed, sending me a rush of memories. Three guards had cornered her, tried to fight them, scare them off, but the damn insects were frenzied. They kept attacking. Not even our still unnamed mobile barrier was enough to stop their mandibles. It cut through the chakra construct like it was nothing. Twelfth wasn¡¯t willing to kill and got killed instead. Was their mandible able to bypass chakra? That was good to know, but it was not information I wanted to test personally. The second clone was still going, long out of my perception range. Through the innate sense I shared with every clone, I knew she was getting further and further away, but not exactly where. I kept moving through the earth, jar of stolen royal jelly now a damming weight. I was beginning to think these damn badgers hoodwinked me with this whole thing. The mission was accomplished, even if it hadn''t gone according to plan. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only about fifteen minutes, my second clone unpopped herself. Her memories showed she¡¯d managed to lose her pursuers in a dense part of the forest; she created more clones and divided her pursuers. Clever girl. Was it hubris praising her? I waited a bit longer, moving through the earth, before surfacing in a small clearing far from the hive. The first thing I noticed was the silence. There was no angry buzzing, no wing beats, just the normal sounds of the forest. Well, as normal as anything was in this strange place. My chakra perception found nothing immediate. The queen¡¯s buzzing was a distant vibration now, more felt than heard. I took a moment to catch my breath, checking my reserves. The clones and earth technique had taken a chunk out of my chakra¡ª clones creating clones somehow took even more chakra¡ª but I still had enough to fight if needed. I closed my eyes and peered into the spying beacon I left with Karin. She was pacing by the tunnel entrance. That was good. I was afraid the bees would find her even at that distance. Now, I just had to return to the Badger¡¯s tunnels without getting caught by angry giant bees or anything else here. Simple, right? 6.17 ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± That was how Karin greeted me when I got back to her. I tilted my head, trying to play the innocent card. I¡¯d made my way back, slow and steady, dipping inside the earth at any nearby buzz. I might have been planning to hug or tickle her, because, you know, my clones might have corrupted me and her reactions were funny. Karin narrowed her eyes, gaze dipping toward my navel. Yeah, bullshit chakra-mind-reading detector. So unfair. Time to change topics. I wrote words. ¡°I got the jelly.¡± My proud announcement met me with a suspicious nod. Then her face softened, and she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. We can finally leave this place, right? I don¡¯t like them.¡± I could understand her reluctance. We only interacted with two of the clan¡¯s badgers, the patriarch and the she-devil. One didn¡¯t seem to mind if we just bugged off and got offed somehow, while the other wanted to gouge my eye out. And the other clan members were often indifferent, if not hostile. I knew I was missing something here. Was it the eye? That was supposed to be my only connection to Orochimaru and the snakes. But what had Tsuchigaru said? That I reeked like a snake. Was there more to that comment? Had Orochimaru added his DNA as well when experimenting on me? I shook my head at the idea. If I went down that path, I might as well imagine even more ridiculous scenarios. He might as well have used my body as a gene bowl, mixing Senju, his own, Uchiha, and Hyuga to create a super host. ¡°Hinata-chan?¡± Karin¡¯s voice sounded like she was far away. No, this was ridiculous, even for him. I was letting my imagination and paranoia get the better of me. ¡­ He wouldn¡¯t have done it, would he? I paced. No, that was too much even for him. Was he trying to create a super body mixing the two strongest dojutsu bloodlines with mokuton¡¯s versatility? Then what? He added his DNA to prevent the body from rejecting his soul? ¡°Hinata-chan? Your chakra got all chaotic.¡± That¡­ might explain the seals. I knew the bone¡¯s seal did more than control me. It reinforced my body and made it stronger and more resilient. There were many more effects I still didn¡¯t understand, but given the complexity, it did a lot more than just be a death trap and make me stronger. The seal in my heart, somehow I knew, was linked to my chakra. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. When my mokuton abilities awakened for the first time in the Forest of Death, I controlled a vast swath of the forest. It responded to my subconscious mind and didn¡¯t leave me chakra drained like using mokuton now did. I still had no idea what the seal even looked like. I was afraid of poking my own heart. The only other heart seal I ever heard about in Naruto¡¯s story was that one Madara used to keep Obito and Rin from killing themselves. I was afraid the one in my heart was similar, but maybe I was looking at this all wrong. ¡°Hinata? You¡¯re scaring me.¡± What if the seals weren¡¯t a separate thing, but part of a set? Bones to make the vessel stronger, heart to control chakra flow. That would leave the eyes and another question I always ignored. One of my eyes, I knew, came from the snake himself. Or that¡¯s what I assumed. But there was one big difference. The eye was slitted like a snake¡¯s, but black. Orochimaru¡¯s eyes were yellow. Why was my snake pupil-eye black? Where had my other eye come from? My chakra surged. I directed it toward my eyes and heart. Maybe some light poking around would tell me something useful? Fingers pinched my cheeks. Stinging pain made me focus on the world around me. Karin was a few centimeters away, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. Hands on my face, fingers pinching my cheeks. ¡°Stop.¡± She managed after trying to speak a few times. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking and doing, stop.¡± I blinked, confused. What? ¡°Stop,¡± Karin said again, still pinching my cheeks. I nodded. Not sure what she wanted me to stop. ¡°Your chakra,¡± she said, looking down toward my navel. ¡°It was changing, getting all dark and angry.¡± ¡°Changing how?¡± I asked, not bothering with threads this time. Karin looked from my navel to my face, then down again. ¡°It¡¯s usually clear and bubbly¡ª¡± ¡°This is a mating ritual, innit?¡± Kumoko¡¯s voice cut Karin¡¯s explanation. ¡°Pops said you humans have weird ways of showing you wanna mate. Is that it? You¡¯re scared of bees, so now you¡¯re mating?¡± Karin squeaked, let go of my cheeks like it burned her, pushed me away. I noticed a bit of a blush and had to roll my eyes. How innocent was she? Nothing like I remembered from the original story. Kumoko had the worst of timings. It felt like Karin was about to tell me something important, but there was no way I would bring the topic up again near the she-devil. As Karin said earlier, I didn¡¯t trust them either, at least not until both sides signed that contract, and maybe not even then. I pushed my threads; no time to waste. I wanted to leave this place and return to Konoha, return home. ¡°No mating here. Yet.¡± I wrote. I will admit that the yet was just to tease Karin. ¡°I got the jelly.¡± Karin looked at the words, then at me, then at the words again. She stuck her tongue at me, then read the second part of the message. ¡°We got the jelly.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Kumoko said, moving closer. ¡°Where¡¯s it? Lemme see it.¡± She demanded. The glint in her eyes promised terrible things if I took the jelly out. I wasn¡¯t about to let this she-devil ruin things and mess up my contract offerings. I shook my head. Wrote words. Karin read them out loud. ¡°No,¡± Karin said, also shaking her head. ¡°It is stored and hidden. We¡¯ll take it out once we¡¯re back at the nest.¡± ¡°Take it out, or I¡¯m gonna show you why my name is Kumoko.¡± The she-devil squeaky growled. It was adorable. But I didn¡¯t give in, wrote more words. Mouthpiece Karin read them for me. Karin looked between me and Kumoko before reading my words. ¡°The jelly is an offering for your clan. Are you willing to derail your first barter because you¡¯re greedy?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Kumoko said, tail lashing. ¡°When pops tells you the jelly isn¡¯t good enough ¡®cause you didn¡¯t let me check, it¡¯s your loss.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll risk it.¡± Karin said, eyes narrowed. ¡°Lead the way.¡± 6.18 As it turned out, the Jelly was good enough. When we got back, the patriarch was ready for us. Kumoko led us toward a bigger cave than the one we arrived in. There, we were met by what looked like the whole Badger clan. Shapes in the dim light, big and small, cubs growling, playing, and chasing. Behind Tsuchigaru, lost in the darkness, an even bigger shape loomed. Kumoko¡¯s tail waved in what I thought was excitement or maybe anticipation. I hadn¡¯t yet had that much contact with her to learn all her tail-tells. The only one I was confident about was the frustrated lashing. She did that a lot, by which I mean all the time. Such a young badger already behaving like a grumpy old grandma. I imagined Kumoko and Chiyo-baa meeting. I had to hold in a giggle. ¡°You¡¯ve returned,¡± the giant said, rumbling voice ending my silly musings. ¡°Unscathed.¡± An open scroll lay in front of him, splayed on the ground. Even from a distance, I could see names written on it. I knew what to do; a seed of bubbly happiness blossomed inside my gut. I had to hold in Fangirl-sama. My own summoning contract! Oh man, could it get even more ninja than that? I walked closer, took out the seal, popped out the jelly jar. Presented my offering. ¡°I¡¯ve returned with the jelly.¡± I rasped out. ¡°So you have,¡± Tsuchigaru said. The cave descended into expectant silence. ¡°It¡¯s hereby declared a contract with Hebigan Kuchiyose-te.¡± The patriarch said. The cave exploded in growling and chattering and even roars. ¡°The summoner will provide the Iron Hide clan information about the snakes, pay in honey for our services, and facilitate acquiring products from the human lands, as well as any other prices negotiated between her and named members of the clan.¡± Tsuchigaru stopped, looked at the loud room, then at Kumoko. ¡°As negotiated by my youngest cub,¡± ¡ª I heard an annoyed ¡®not a cub¡¯ ¡ª ¡°Who earned the name Kumoko, the Iron Hide clan will provide our services for payment in honey, supply the summoner with equipment and provide a guide to lead her back to human lands.¡± There was a moment of pause. By my side, Kumoko was all but buzzing with anticipation, the annoyance at being called a cub all but forgotten. The room had become quiet again like every badger held its breath. The bubbly happiness in my stomach morphed into something different. I had a sinking feeling that something was very wrong here. I just wasn¡¯t sure what. Tsuchigaru¡¯s face approached me until his giant beady eyes covered my field of vision. ¡°Do you agree?¡± He asked. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I looked around at the now quiet spectators, a wide-eyed Karin gripping my wood kunai, and at Kumoko and her eager tail lashing. I couldn¡¯t find a reason why I was feeling apprehensive now. The moment stretched, and the silence got heavier. ¡°Yes.¡± I said. ¡°So be it,¡± the patriarch rumbled. ¡°Sign the contract.¡± He ordered. I walked to the unfurled scroll, picked the dagger on top of it, pricked my finger, wrote my name in blood. Immediately, I felt something, like strands of webs shooting in all directions, connecting me to every badger in this chamber and beyond. It lasted for but a moment before it faded again. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Said an even deeper voice from the darkness and the far corners of the room. The cave erupted in noise once more. Kumoko started what I could only describe as a happy dance. Was this contract that important? Or was it that she had been the one that negotiated it? The patriarch¡¯s rumble cut through the noise. ¡°Kumoko, you¡¯ll guide the summoner back to human lands.¡± The she-devil stopped, looked at her father. Her beady eyes were wide. ¡°And serve her for a year. Without payment.¡± He said. ¡°What? No! Pops, why? I tricked her! Why are you punishing me?¡± Kumoko cried out, tail lashing out, frantic. ¡°Because you tricked her.¡± Tsuchigaru¡¯s voice was calm but unrelenting. Tricked? What? How? I thought back on the terms of the contract. I couldn¡¯t think how I had been tricked. Kumoko cried out again. ¡°But the stories! You said¨C¡± ¡°Those who wished us ill,¡± Tsuchigaru said, voice still calm. ¡°Did the summoner do anything to wish us ill?¡± Kumoko glared at me, then at Karin. ¡°But she brought an unworthy one!¡± ¡°Yes. She was not called, yet she came.¡± Said the patriarch. His tone was final, and even though Kumoko kept grumbling, she didn¡¯t argue back. Tsuchigaru¡¯s stare turned back to me. Bore down for a few moments before it shifted to Karin. ¡°Take her away.¡± ¡°No!¡± Karin shouted. From the room¡¯s darkness, four badgers, big as horses, wearing armor, fishnet, weapons, ready to fight, stepped out. They moved toward us. ¡°Why?¡± Karin yelled, looking in every direction. ¡°We got the jelly.¡± I stared at the big, then the tiny badger, still too stunned to react. I knew now what the trick Kumoko played on me was: the contract never included Karin. My mind raced, analyzing this situation, trying to understand what I could do. There had to be a way. Tsuchigaru had punished Kumoko for tricking me but hadn¡¯t overridden our negotiated terms. He had, in his way, repaid the trickery by forcing Kumoko to answer my summons for a whole year without pay. I was still dubious about the value of one year of servitude compared to whatever they planned to do to Karin. I was sure he wouldn¡¯t shy away from drastic measures, but I don¡¯t think we were there yet. What had he said? ¡°Wished us ill.¡± I hadn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t even know about the clan before coming here. On the contrary, I was giddy and more than willing to help my fated ninja companions for explosion¡¯s sake! Wasn¡¯t there a clue in the way they addressed Karin? Unworthy one. Why was she unworthy? Was this about not having any affinity with the Badgers as a summoner? I mean, summoning animals in Naruto¡¯s world was all but fate. Would she be unworthy because I dragged her here instead of her arriving guided by her own efforts or fate? The warriors were closer, and I was running out of time. Karin was now by my side, still holding my hardwood kunai in white-gripped fingers. Her face was a determined scowl. I wasn¡¯t about to let them take Karin. I owed her two lives, and I was the one who dragged her here. I would do my damnedest best to make sure she left here alive and kicking, even if fighting was out of the question. That left me with only one alternative I could think of. ¡°Name your terms.¡± I said. Tsuchigaru raised his massive paw. Wicked sharp claws in the air. The warriors stopped. ¡°You brought someone who shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Tsuchigaru rumbled, eyes flicking to Karin. ¡°In times past, intruders paid for their release, fought, or died.¡± The silence lingered. ¡°Which one will it be?¡± I looked at Karin, who now death-gripped my arm. Fighting and dying was out of the question. ¡°I¡¯ll pay.¡± 6.19 To my utter horror, part of the contract ceremony involved eating a dollop of jelly. I didn¡¯t mind bottled honey, which was already cleaned and ready to be savored, but eating from the grub¡¯s private tub was a tad too much. To make matters worse, it involved a procession of badgers taking small licks of the thing. My only consolation was that I was third in line. The first was a small and old-looking one. They came out of the darkness, tasted the jelly, then left in silence again. Who was this one? The big one hidden in the darkness? The one that declared the contract sealed? But that one was even bigger than the patriarch. It wouldn''t be, would it? My answer came next when Tsuchigaru morphed from his giant size to a shape just a few centimeters larger than Kumoko. That was good enough for me. Old one equals ginormous one; do not mess with. Tsuchigaru took a lick, retreated, then it was my turn. By the convenience of having fingers, I didn¡¯t need to lick the jelly, just stick my finger in the milky white substance and bring it to my mouth. I approached the jar, looked at the contents. Milky white, with a consistency that made me think of less than appetizing stuff. I looked at the room. Badgers watched me with intense eyes. Karin still looked spooked. Kumoko glared at me like I stepped on her tail. Yes, I was procrastinating. I didn¡¯t want to eat from the grub¡¯s butt water and third-hand licking. That was gross, okay? The stares didn¡¯t let me delay for long. Kumoko was by my side, now growling at my delay. I took the plunge. A finger went in, out, then in again. It tasted¡­ good. It was slightly sweet and tangy, with hints of bitterness. Mixing it with lemon and a bit of milk might make it a good snack. ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± Kumoko demanded I leave the jelly pot. I obliged. She bounced up to the jar, took a lick, moaned in what could only be described as a food orgasm. Did it have a different taste for them? It was good, but nowhere was a flavor intense enough to cause a reaction like this. ¡°Please, forgive my youngest,¡± Tsuchigaru said, even small, his voice rumbled. ¡°It¡¯s her first time enjoying the jelly, and she hasn¡¯t yet learned to control her impulses.¡± I nodded; yeah, maybe it tasted different for them. After Kumoko, there was a procession, with each badger taking a tiny lick and going back into the darkness. I noticed, however, that none of the other cubs partook in the ritual. Was this something for named badgers only? And why didn¡¯t the badgers storm the hive and take the jelly if they liked it this much? Did it have another significance? Another thing I also noticed was that once each badger took a lick, they left the room. It didn¡¯t take long until the only ones remaining were the patriarch, the four guards, Kumoko, Karin, and me. He turned to Kumoko. ¡°Leave, cub; I have matters to discuss with the summoner.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Why, pops?¡± ¡°By asking that question, you prove me right,¡± Tsuchigaru said in a tone that wasn¡¯t the first time he said those same words. He approached his youngest, bobbed her in the head. ¡°If you want to be treated as an adult, you must behave like one.¡± ¡°Am an adult,¡± Kumoko grumbled. ¡°Got my name.¡± For some reason, the she-devil glared at me again before she walked away, tail lashing. That was frustration, alright. If only she used other tail-tells so I could learn them too. The patriarch turned to Karin next. ¡°Please return to your sleeping alcove.¡± Karin¡¯s face had hints of a denial. I gave her a nod. She left, escorted by the four horse-sized guards. Was it now time when the big¡¯un told me how screwed I was? ¡°To understand the price, you must know the reason.¡± The patriarch said. His reduced frame didn¡¯t diminish the weight of his presence. ¡°These are not our original lands. Before the cave of the White Snake came to be known as it is now, we badgers thrived near its lands. We had no true enemies. We were strong, respected, and feared, and because of that, we grew complacent.¡± Tsuchigaru walked deeper inside the cave, I followed. I had no idea where this was going. ¡°The snakes, they were patient. They crept into our lands, whispering promises to those who would listen, growing in numbers, in strength. Everything changed when the White Snake rose to power, that wretched thing.¡± The patriarch¡¯s eyes burned with old, seething rage. ¡°They invaded our burrows, ate our cubs, forced us out into the wilderness, into exile. We adapted, as we always do, but the scars remained.¡± Was this why they were so suspicious of me? He said I reeked of snakes. ¡°A few decades ago, a summoner called upon us. A man seeking power, a contract sealed in battle. He summoned my mate.¡± His voice sounded almost like a keening. ¡°She was powerful. She was wise. And she was taken from me. The summoner was reckless, sending her into a battle she could not win.¡± I felt the shift in his voice from sorrow to hatred. ¡°She fought the serpents and was betrayed by her summoner.¡± Oh fuck. I could even guess where this was going. Hadn¡¯t I declared myself an enemy of the snakes? ¡°It was a slow death. A cruel one. And we¡­ we lost more than just a warrior that day.¡± After a moment, he composed himself. ¡°That was when we distanced ourselves from the humans. Their ambition was a poison, one we could no longer afford to drink.¡± Silence settled between us. The air grew heavy. ¡°And yet, here you stand,¡± he said, eyes locked onto mine. ¡°You, who reek of snakes, but declare to be their enemy.¡± It was good the patriarch didn¡¯t expect me to say anything; I had no idea what to say. ¡°That is your price.¡± I scowled. That wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°You want me to kill the White Snake?¡± I didn¡¯t even try to hide the disbelief in my voice. Tsuchigaru burst into laughter. ¡°You couldn¡¯t, not even in a hundred years, cub.¡± He was still laughing when he said the next part. ¡°No, you¡¯ll help me kill my mate''s killer, the snake known as Manda.¡± I scowled even more. Manda, the murderous serpent, Orochimaru¡¯s pet, the leader of the snakes in Ryuchi cave. How was I supposed to kill that damn thing? I was no Deidara to detonate a nuke in the snake¡¯s face. ¡­ Could I detonate a nuke? ¡°You¡¯ll have five years.¡± His eyes bore into me. ¡°Five years to grow, to train, become strong enough to fight by my side to kill Manda.¡± ¡°And if I fail?¡± I asked. My voice sounded weaker than I wanted. The patriarch did not blink. ¡°Then the contract is broken, and we will never answer your call again.¡± Oh, that was bad, but not too bad. I thought he would threaten to eat me or worse. I exhaled, my mind racing. Five years was a fucking long time; I didn¡¯t even know what state the world would be in when the time ended. If I hadn¡¯t meddled with Fate-kun¡¯s design, the snake would be dead in less than that. It was insane. Could I do it? What choice did I have? Tsuchigaru didn¡¯t say anything regarding Karin, but I was sure there¡¯d be consequences if I refused this deal. ¡°I accept,¡± I said. My imagination ran rampant with ideas of even bigger explosions. A legendary explosion to kill a legendary monster? The patriarch nodded. ¡°Then it is done.¡± He took another step toward the darkness. Somehow, I don¡¯t think I was supposed to follow him. 6.20 Kumoko led me and I led Karin through dark tunnels. When the Iron Hide clan promised a guide to lead us back to human lands, I had expected overland forest travel, pretty sights, interesting vistas, and exotic places. What I got was days of walking through dark tunnels. This whole situation forced me to rely on my thread-sense (name still in progress) to navigate the twisting underground corridors ¨C and after Karin¡¯s third fall ¨C to make sure the redhead didn¡¯t kiss the ground anymore. Which was the reason why we walked hand-in-hand. In the past days, I had more hand-holding than I ever thought I would get in my whole life. It was a shame it wasn¡¯t with Best Girl Ino. Karin was pretty and nice, but she wasn¡¯t Ino. I also don¡¯t think Karin played for my side of the team. It was fun to tease her, but it was just that, teasing. There was no chemistry there, no spark. Maybe I wasn¡¯t her type? What was even her type? Dark and brooding? Navigating dark tunnels with my thread-sense was an unexpected boon, in a way. I could now ¡®see¡¯ more clearly than before. I had also become somewhat proficient in using my threads to puppeteer people. By that, I meant wrapping my threads around Karin¡¯s body to ensure she didn¡¯t lose her footing on the uneven, dark tunnel floor. This had become a habit after the third day of travel. I suspected Karin sometimes fell asleep while I piloted her body around. Huh, that was weird to think. Most days, we walked in silence, ate rooty food prepared by the badgers, drank from underground lakes. Our guide, who had never been a badger in a good mood, was now worse. When she wasn¡¯t complaining, she just ignored whatever Karin said. She set up a pace that would have been grueling if I wasn¡¯t used to worse. Karin was the only one suffering, but she often just let me pilot her around. Not sure yet how that worked for her. And talking about the redhead, she wasn¡¯t in the best of moods. I had negotiated a new contract with the patriarch to ensure she could leave the nest. But by the terms of that same contract, I couldn¡¯t disclose information to anyone who wasn¡¯t a part of it. Karin and Kumoko weren¡¯t privy to what I agreed to pay, nor could I tell them. That made Karin more introspective and Kumoko angrier. Kumoko was easy to figure out why. She wanted to be treated as an adult, not realizing her actions just pushed her into the silly cub category. That raised another question. How old was Kumoko? The conversation with the patriarch left me feeling like he hadn¡¯t taken another mate after she died, betrayed by her summoner, and that was a few decades ago, and Kumoko is his youngest¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s decades old? Maybe there was something here I was missing. As for Karin, I suspect that she was imagining worse and worse prices than I promised. Sure, the price was heavy, but after some consideration, I don¡¯t think I minded it at all. I was even going out on a limb here and saying I would have done it for free. And even though I wasn¡¯t a betting ninja, I was willing to bet a few cupcakes that had been the big¡¯un intentions. That went a long way to somewhat un-souring my whole experience with that contract business. Even though it still left a bad taste in my mouth. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to rely on the badgers at all anymore, or even if I wanted a contract with them. I was happy I¡¯d managed to leave their nest mostly intact and trauma free, having only promised some menial chores in payment, my eye and to fight a killer legendary snake. No biggie. None at all. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The impression I got was that they ¨C pardon the language ¨C didn¡¯t give a shit if I decided to just do the bare minimum and drag my feet, as long as I left them alone as well. That left me with much to ponder regarding this. Fangirl-sama wanted to build a relationship, build trust, and a connection with the badgers. She didn¡¯t mind that we''d have to work our asses off to pull it off. That side of me was thrilled at the prospect. Wasn¡¯t meeting grumpy and traumatized allies and then winning them over a recipe for super loyal allies? Not that I didn''t want them to insta like me and be my promised shinobi companion and best buddies! Was that asking for too much? Couldn¡¯t they, you know, just ignore that they¡¯d been burned before by snakes and humans and ignore that I was a mix of both? And if they¡¯d really wanted to screw me over, why give me the chance to buy Karin¡¯s freedom and why would he demand I help him kill Manda? Yes, that Manda. The big evil snake Orochimaru made use of. The big evil snake that demanded human sacrifice every time it was summoned. Like I said, I was more than willing to do it. It even had a reasonable time frame. Five whole years. I was still mid-ruminations when our meandering path led us across a bend and then to light. It was blinding, warm, and the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Sun! Oh, how have I missed thee! With eyes closed and a hand in front of my face to help block the so missed light, we stepped out of the underground and into an open plain field for the first time in weeks. By my side, Karin whimpered. I guess didn¡¯t close her eyes in time. ¡°Send me back.¡± I hadn¡¯t even had the chance to gather my bearings when Kumoko¡¯s squeaky growly interrupted my eye-squinting attempt to see my surroundings. I looked at the grumpy she-devil, her tail lashing in frustration. She still hadn¡¯t gotten over being punished, even if I don¡¯t think the punishment was bad. I wasn¡¯t going to abuse the clan¡¯s patriarch cub, and if she wasn¡¯t that bratty, I might even summon her to enjoy the sights in human land. That was a nice thought. Maybe I could do it? Give it a few days, then summon her to ''taste-test'' some of my oh-so-missed concoctions. I bet she¡¯d like that. I mean, she was still a kid, right? I could make a honey-themed cupcake for her. Yes, I think that was a nice idea. I could make it my goal to un-sour the young¡¯un. ¡°We¡¯re at human lands,¡± Kumoko said, tail lashing again. ¡°Send me back.¡± I looked around. I wasn¡¯t sure where we were, and I needed more information. I wrote words. Like a trained puppet, Karin read them for me. ¡°Which way to Konoha?¡± ¡°Follow the sunset,¡± Kumoko said. ¡°Send me back.¡± Right, better not antagonize the grumpy-devil anymore. I crouched, placed my hand on the ground, pushed my chakra until black lines drew the reverse summoning circle on the ground. Kumoko didn¡¯t wait for me. She stepped into the center and glared at me. ¡°And don¡¯t summon me.¡± She said before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Yes, that kid needed lots of honey. So grumpy. I looked around, cast my eyes toward the sun, which was already dipping toward the horizon. I looked at the peaceful field, the clear blue sky. Sniffed the air, felt a pang of nostalgia when I smelled flowers. Karin was looking down, even more dejected than the last few days. ¡°Where will you go?¡± I wrote. It took her a while to answer. She looked at my words, at me, the ground, back at the tunnel. She shrugged, bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Well, that decided it, didn''t it? I still had two lives to repay her. ¡°Come with me to Konoha.¡± ¡°Would they even accept me?¡± Karin asked, not looking me in the eyes. ¡°Have you ever seen Konoha¡¯s shinobi uniform?¡± I asked. Karin looked up, tilted her head. ¡°Green flak jacket?¡± I nodded. ¡°The red spiral in the arm and back. Don¡¯t they remind you of anything?¡± Karin scowled. Yeah, I could sympathize. Konoha might walk around with their allegiance branded on their uniform, but the village did nothing to prevent the Uzumaki from being wiped out. But I had a strong suspicion Karin would do fine in Konoha. Even more if we managed to sell our sob story to Tsunade. It was just old story knowledge, but I had this feeling Tsunade was cool, and wouldn¡¯t leave a kunoichi in distress, a member of the Uzumaki clan, hanging. ¡°I¡¯m probably declared a missing-nin. What if they imprison me?¡± I considered that. I don¡¯t think it would get to that point. Worst it could happen was them exiling her, and if that happened, I think I could call in some favors. I mean, the Daimyo¡¯s wife was my cupcake customer, if worse came to happen, it wouldn''t be hard to arrange somewhere for Karin to stay in the capital. She didn¡¯t need to live in Konoha. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± I wrote with all the confidence I could muster. I really hoped it wouldn¡¯t. ¡°And if it does, I¡¯ll bail you out, I promise.¡± Karin bit her lip, nodded. I turned around, walked toward the direction Kumoko pointed us to. There was so much I had to do back at Konoha. 6.21 It was closer to nightfall when I saw Konoha¡¯s walls and gate. Our approach hadn¡¯t been unnoticed. Hidden chakra bundles following our passage for the past quarter hour. With her cheat-like sensing ability, Karin sensed them way before I ever did. That was fine. At least they weren¡¯t attacking. I had no markings identifying me as a Konoha shinobi, and Karin was unknown. We were two strangers approaching a place we shouldn¡¯t. A group of shinobi waited for us at the gate. The pleasant feeling of returning home took a dunk when I saw them: ANBU. A whole squad. Then, I relaxed somewhat. I knew the squad leader. It was Yamato''s chakra. That same woody texture, with hints of earth. The one with the mask, it was Tenzo, right? I should think of him like that, even in my mind. No need to risk slipping and letting people know who he was behind the ANBU disguise. I walked until I was a few meters away from the squad. Stopped. Tenzo walked away from the group, stopped a few paces from me. We looked at each other. For a moment, I thought he would ¡ª god forbid ¡ª hug me or do something even more embarrassing. Regretfully, he didn¡¯t. Tenzo gave me a curt nod. Spoke. The mask muffled his voice. ¡°Chunin 012612, Hinata.¡± He said. I reciprocated with a curt nod. We stared some more. ¡°Welcome back.¡± My posture softened, muscles relaxed. I smiled. Nodded again, a bit faster this time. Might have blinked away the sand grains that entered my eyes. Or maybe even cleared the rain from my face. I mean, it was raining, right? The sky was dark and cloudy and angry. Sunlight? What was that? No, it was rainy as shit here. Tenzo gave me time to compose myself, but not that much time. His voice was gentle, but firm. ¡°The Hokage is waiting for you and your friend. We should go.¡± I cast a glance at Karin. Her face was a mix of embarrassed and expectant, maybe a bit afraid. I gave her a smile, offered my hand. I was home, and Tsunade wouldn¡¯t let me down. Redhead secured, I gave Tenzo a thumbs up, flicked my fingers with a message. Understood. Tenzo led and we followed. We crossed the gates, took the shinobi highways. Escorted by an ANBU squad, I didn¡¯t have time, or opportunity, to check my usual haunts. I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted to do first. Visit Ino? Maybe Naruto? Was he still here, or had he already left to train with Jiraiya? If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Our path took us closer to the GGC¡¯s headquarters. Kiyo-Obaachan was at the window gathering information on the locals, as usual. I waved at her startled face. Look at that, I managed to surprise the spy network leader! We dropped in front of the tower, and with a fast beating heart I walked inside. My disappointment was immeasurable when, behind the desk, wasn¡¯t Secretary-chan, but a different shinobi. This one had the hallmark of an Uchiha. How did I know? Well, he wore the traditional Uchiha attire. I gave the boy a nod. He nodded back. Where was Secretary-chan? Did something happen to her? The sound of folders and papers falling broke my stare with the Uchiha guy sitting on Secretary-chan¡¯s seat. I looked at the source of the noise. At the foot of the stairs, a hand on her mouth, eyes already full of tears, wearing a black kimono, was the prettiest secretary of them all. ¡°Hinata-chan.¡± She whispered. I don¡¯t know who moved first. I didn¡¯t even remember I was being escorted by a whole ANBU squad. Secretary-chan didn¡¯t seem to care either. We hugged. We cried. Babbling words might have been exchanged. ¡°How? Where were you? No one told me anything. That blond boy told me you were¡­¡± With my head against her shoulder, I nodded, shook my head, nodded again. I might have no idea what I was doing. Maybe I just wanted physical contact. One of the other ANBU, a woman by the sounds of it, cleared her throat. I scowled. I got on the tip of my toes and kissed Secretary-chan''s cheeks. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later, okay?¡± I husked out. She gave me a startled look, her face still full of tears. Then she nodded. She kissed my forehead, let me go. The only sour point was the new guy at the desk giving me a judgemental look. I think he was jelly. I flipped him the bird. There were gasps all around. I was past caring what people thought about me. I returned to my escorts. Secretary-chan had released me from her hug but hadn¡¯t released my hand. The ANBU looked uncomfortable at the PDA, but no one objected. With one more in our entourage, we ascended the tower. The intelligence department floor was like usual, frantic ninjas doing ninja things. I took a quick peek inside. It was like someone had turned the dial up to eleven. With a glance, I couldn¡¯t see Hayase anywhere. Was he okay? I wanted to break protocol here and ask Yamato ¡ª Tenzo about what happened after we got separated. We climbed to the Hokage¡¯s office floor. Tenzo led us to the office¡¯s door, knocked. An unseen signal passed, the door opened without any movement from the blaze of chakra on the other side. I stepped inside, Karin followed behind. Tenzo and Secretary-chan didn¡¯t. He gave me a last nod; I waved one last goodbye at my favorite secretary before the door closed, leaving us alone with the new Hokage. It was the same office I remember visiting when younger. The hardwood desk, the tall chair, the Hokage hat on the table. The shelves and many scrolls and books. My early disappointment with not being able to enjoy my full reunion with Secretary-chan was forgotten. The chair wasn¡¯t turned toward us, but I knew Tsunade was on the other side. That blaze of chakra couldn¡¯t be anyone other than her. It was absurd with how much it was. Was I feeling her seal? It was supposed to have years of chakra stored, right? Anticipation built until the Hokage¡¯s chair turned, and the person sitting there faced us. Karin let out a strangled gasp. I held on to a scowl. Behind the table sat on the fancy chair, a dark-haired, red-eyed guy stared at us. No, I knew who it was. Red pupils like a four-pointed shuriken. Big, expressive eyes. The new Hokage wasn¡¯t Tsunade, but fucking Shunshin no Shisui. 6.22.n – Sunshine brat in: Where is this granny-ttebayo? Part 1 ¡°Go on a mission.¡± Naruto held Gama-chan, shook his deflated wallet, hoping a coin had gotten stuck inside and survived the Ero-sennin. None did. ¡°It will be fun.¡± The Ero-sennin walked up ahead, without a care in the world. Not a thought spared to Naruto''s murdered wallet. Naruto stomped the ground. Yelled. ¡°Where the hell is this granny?¡± ¡°Ehh, I heard from that nice lady back in town that Tsunade is in the next city over.¡± Naruto eyed the perverted frog guy with distrust. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time the Ero-sennin had said that. ¡°Wasn¡¯t you going to teach me a jutsu stronger than Chidori?¡± If Naruto¡¯s voice had a bit of whining, he couldn¡¯t be blamed for that. That had been the whole reason he agreed to travel with the old sannin in the first place. ¡°Alright,¡± Jiraiya said. Naruto squinted his eyes. ¡°Really?¡± The frog sannin nodded. ¡°Then hurry up and teach me something!¡± Jiraiya smiled. ¡°Now, don¡¯t be impatient. It would be pointless to just train without collecting intelligence on Tsunade at the same time.¡± Naruto narrowed his eyes again. Wasn¡¯t this the same line the Ero-sennin used in the past three towns as an excuse to spend all night drinking?
¡°Focus, focus.¡± Naruto repeated the mantra, imagining the chakra moving toward the drawing in his palm. He wasn¡¯t alone; there were a few others him trying the same. He hadn¡¯t forgotten Hinata¡¯s advice. Her face popped on his head; a smile appeared on Naruto¡¯s face. Would Hinata try to learn this jutsu from him as well? ¡°Focus, focus.¡± One of the nearby clones said. Naruto focused harder, thoughts of the semi-mute girl and her cupcakes reluctantly pushed aside. The chakra moved like a whirlwind, gathering on the palm of his hand at the leaf¡¯s symbol he had drawn there. ¡°Now!¡± With one last push, the chakra moved, and the rubber ball exploded. It created a small crater on the ground. Naruto flew away at the impact, fell a dozen meters away. ¡°I did it!¡± He muttered, looking at his burned palm. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve mastered the second stage,¡± Ero-sennin said. When had the old lecher arrived? ¡°¡­Of course I did. Let¡¯s do the third stage now.¡± Naruto said, then he closed his eyes. Just for a bit. He was exhausted. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°¡­¡± Naruto looked at the balloon the Ero-sennin had tossed his way, not believing his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just a normal balloon?¡± ¡°First stage was rotation,¡± Ero-sennin said, raising one finger. ¡°Second was power.¡± He took another empty balloon from his pocket, filled it, then held it in his hand. ¡°And this is the third step.¡± Naruto looked at the balloon. It was just a regular balloon. Nothing was happening. ¡°You¡¯re messing with me? Nothing is happening!¡± Jiraiya laughed. ¡°It might seem like that to you, but let me show you.¡± He raised his other hand, and a tight coiled ball of swirling chakra appeared there. ¡°Like a mini cyclone. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Ero-sennin asked. Naruto looked at the unmoving balloon. His voice wavered. ¡°¡­The one in your right hand, is the same thing happening there?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ero-sennin said. ¡°You have to take everything you learned and contain it.¡±
¡°Not interested,¡± The young-looking Obaa-san said. They had finally found the old lady, but she looked like a young woman. Had the Ero-sennin mistaken this pretty young lady for the granny they¡¯ve been looking for? It was a sort of open bar or restaurant, where half walls separated the tables between the customers. Together with the young Obaa-san, there was another woman and a piglet. A spread of skewers and drinks on the table between them. ¡°The title of Hokage is a joke. Only an idiot would want it.¡± Naruto acted before his brain could process things. He was on top of the table, trying to punch her drunk face off, but a hand held him by the scruff of his neck. ¡°Lemme go!¡± ¡°Calm down, Naruto, this is a bar.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let her just stand there and insult the Old Man or the Fourth Hokage!¡± Naruto clenched his fists. Glared. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are an old lady or not; I¡¯m gonna hit you!¡± Tsunade got up, leaned in, her face closer to Naruto. ¡°Outside, brat.¡± She taunted.
Naruto tried to disentangle himself from the crater on the ground. He had tried to hit her with a Rasengan. It hadn¡¯t worked the way he wanted. He shivered. That young lady created this huge crater with a single finger. She was scarier than Ino and Sakura when angry! ¡°You taught him that?¡± Tsunade said, looking at the Ero-sennin. Jiraiya nodded. ¡°Why?¡± Tsunade asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d master that jutsu. Isn¡¯t it cruel teaching him a jutsu he has no hope of mastering?¡± The young Obaa-san looked at Naruto. ¡°That¡¯s how dreamy-eyed brats get duped into the whole ¡°I¡¯ll be the Hokage¡± farce.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Naruto yelled. ¡°It¡¯s not a farce!¡± There was a moment of silence. ¡°Three days, and I¡¯ll have that jutsu mastered.¡± Tsunade smirked. ¡°You¡¯re all bark, brat. But a man doesn¡¯t break his words.¡± Naruto glared back. ¡°I never go back on my word. That¡¯s my shinobi way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week then,¡± Tsunade said. ¡°A week?¡± ¡°If you master the jutsu, I¡¯ll give you this necklace,¡± Oba-san said, showing the pretty green necklace tied to her neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t, this is mine.¡± She threw Gama-chan up, caught it. The pleasant jingling of coins was a stab in Naruto¡¯s heart. When had the granny taken his wallet?
It was the fourth day since the bet, and Naruto wasn¡¯t sure if he could do it. It didn''t seem enough even with Hinata-chan¡¯s secret training method. He couldn¡¯t compress the chakra enough until it stayed inside the balloon. Was there a secret to this no one told him? Was that why the Obaa-san waged the bad luck necklace? Naruto thought back on the thing. It looked silly, a green piece of stone, but he thought Hinata-chan might like it as a gift. He felt his face burning, remembering his first and best friend. He had never forgotten that first academy day when she sat with him and offered him food, while all the other kids did their best to avoid him. ¡°Yosha!¡± Naruto yelled. He wouldn¡¯t go back on his word. He would win this stupid bet, win the silly necklace and gift it to Hinata. Maybe she¡¯d pinch his cheeks again? A silly smile crept on his face. That one time Hinata¡¯s clones crowd-piled him just after they returned from Wave came to mind. It¡¯s a shame she never did it again. ¡°Are you Naruto?¡± The voice was young, a boy. Naruto turned and looked at the newcomer. It was a teen dressed in a strange black cloak with red clouds on it. He had white hair and two red dots on the forehead near the eyes. But what caught Naruto¡¯s attention was the eyes. One was a vivid green, the other pure white. ¡°Who are you?¡± Naruto asked. ¡°I¡¯m Kimimaro,¡± the boy said. There was a moment of silence before he raised a hand to his shoulder, parting his cloak to reveal bare skin beneath. He pulled a sword-like bone from inside his body. ¡°You¡¯ll come with me.¡± 6.23.n – Sunshine brat in: Where is this granny-ttebayo? Part 2 Naruto flooded the clearing with clones and swarmed the enemy. Kimimaro spun faster than Naruto expected. Bones protruded from the joints of his elbows and knees, from his chest and back. Attacks were deflected, dodged, or simply ignored. More often than not, Kimimaro moved in a way that made Naruto¡¯s clones impale themselves in the bones. Naruto moved around until he was at the enemy¡¯s back. He threw shuriken when an opportunity arose. Without turning, Kimimaro deflected the thrown weapons. How? Did that guy have eyes in the back of his head or something? ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± Kimimaro said. He killed a dozen of the clones in a sweeping, fast strike. More swarmed, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The guy was faster than Hinata-chan even when she went all out, better at taijutsu than Bushy Brows and Sasuke combined. The clones couldn¡¯t touch him, and in the rare moments they did, they ended up impaling themselves in the bones. In the distance, a quake hit the whole city. Naruto¡¯s attention tore away from the bone-guy and toward the commotion: Giant waves crashed through the houses, sweeping the place in destruction. Pain exploded on Naruto¡¯s side. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take your eyes off the enemy,¡± Kimimaro said. Naruto looked at the white-haired boy who didn¡¯t look that older than some other chunin in the village. Kimimaro held the bone sword, the pointy end piercing Naruto¡¯s side. Rage bubbled inside Naruto¡¯s gut. In the back of his mind, he heard the damned fox chuckling. Chakra spilled forward. Naruto pushed the sword away. The puncture wound regenerated in but a moment. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Naruto asked, teeth gritted. ¡°Telling you is a waste of time,¡± Kimimaro said. Naruto¡¯s hand flashed with a seal. He flooded the jutsu with the Kyuubi¡¯s chakra. He covered the whole clearing with even more clones. ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat you up!¡± Naruto hollered. His clones swarmed the enemy again, trying for the same strategy that worked against Gaara while he was half-transformed into the one tail. Meanwhile, Naruto concentrated on his hand, trying to form a complete Rasengan. Naruto just realized that¡­ he had no other jutsu to help him in this situation. Hinata-chan had her explosions and doton jutsu, as well as her body flicker and barriers. Sasuke had his family fire and Chidori; he could copy the enemy''s movements with his Sharingan and use shinobi tools better than anyone Naruto had seen. Naruto, on the other hand, had no other jutsu other than shadow clones. ¡°Naruto! We got your message.¡± A woman¡¯s voice called out. He followed the voice. It wasn¡¯t just one woman. It was the young-looking Obaa-san and her companion. The one who called out was Shizune, the pretty black-haired one. The words registered in Naruto¡¯s mind. What message? Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Shizune was fast. She pointed her arm toward Kimimaro and did something Naruto couldn¡¯t see. Kimimaro reacted even faster than before. His bone sword spun, and Naruto heard clinking sounds¡ªlike metal hitting metal. Then Kimimaro pointed his hand toward Shizune. No, not his hands, his fingers. With a wet popping sound, a small white something flew from his fingertips. Shizune threw herself out of the way. The projectiles hit the earth behind her, creating a small hole. Out in the distance, the other battle still raged on. The sounds and impacts doing a good job of telling Naruto he had no business whatsoever with whoever was causing that much ruckus. Tsunade, who had been mostly quiet, dashed in, waving between Naruto¡¯s clones. She punched down. The ground broke into a vast crater. Most of the copies got caught up in the ensuing devastation and dispersed. ¡°You punk, you¡¯re too young to be this cocky,¡± She said. ¡°You are Tsunade,¡± Kimimaro said from where he had fled. ¡°Orochimaru told me how to deal with you.¡± Orochimaru? Who was that? Naruto had heard that name before. ¡°You¡¯re working with that snake?¡± Shizune demanded. Tsunade moved in again, ready to attack once more. This time, Kimimaro didn¡¯t evade; he punctured his hands with a bone and splashed blood all over Tsunade. The young Obaa-san stopped, staring at her bloody hands. She started to shiver like she was lost in her mind. Kimimaro advanced on the now frozen young-old lady. ¡°Tsunade!¡± Shizune yelled, but she was too far away to help. Naruto wasn¡¯t, or his clones weren¡¯t. In that one moment of clarity, he knew what he had to do. His problem was that he couldn¡¯t control his chakra. One of him wasn¡¯t enough to contain it. But hadn¡¯t Hinata-chan taught him better? His copies were more than just copies. Clones rushed Kimimaro, getting in his way and preventing him from approaching the obaa-chan. Meanwhile, Naruto built the power and rotation while a second clone contained it. Once it was done, a third clone grabbed Naruto¡¯s other hand, spun, and threw the original at Kimimaro, who was still fending off clone waves. Kimimaro spun toward Naruto. His arm morphed into a large bone structure-like shield. The Rasengan hit the bone, bone cracked, but that gave Kimimaro time to move and throw Naruto away from him. Naruto fell, hand first. His complete Rasengan hit the ground, created another huge crater. ¡°Time¡¯s up, Kimimaro.¡± Another voice said. Naruto cast a glance. It was a guy that looked a lot like a shark. He even had gills and a tail, like a shark. The guy was also banged up pretty badly. Blood poured out of his mouth; pieces of flesh were missing from his arms and chest. ¡°The Frog Sannin will be here any second.¡± ¡°Annoying,¡± Kimimaro said. Dark lines spread from his neck until it covered most of his face and shoulder. He placed his hands on the ground, and a forest of bones sprouted around Naruto. The bones looked wicked sharp and dangerous. Naruto heard an agonized yell. Shizune or Obaa-chan, he couldn¡¯t tell. Kimimaro walked from between the bones. ¡°You¡¯re coming with¡ª¡± Between one moment and another, Ero-sennin was in front of Naruto. He looked different, with two tiny frogs on his shoulders. ¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± He said. Kimimaro looked around, then, as if he had heard someone say something, nodded and retreated back inside the bones. Jiraiya turned toward Naruto. The man didn''t look like he had just fought a battle that wreaked the whole city. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long, Naruto.¡± Naruto looked in stunned silence for a while, then he yelled. ¡°The obaa-chan!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Jiraiya whirled, dashed inside the forest of deadly bones.
As it turned out, the forest of bones wasn¡¯t something that affected only the area where Naruto was. Half of the already destroyed city had been caught in the attack. Many had died. Shizune and Tsunade hadn¡¯t come out unscathed as well. Somehow, the Obaa-san had managed to stay alive even with a bone piercing her stomach and out her back. Right now, she was healing Shizune. The woman looked dead on her feet, and now, old; really old, like an old wrinkly hag. Jiraiya approached, carrying Tonton, Shizune¡¯s pink pet pig. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Tsunade,¡± He said, placed the dead piglet by the Obaa-chan side. ¡°Shizune is going to live,¡± Tsunade said, her wrinkling voice sounding weak. She got up with difficulty and walked to the dead piglet. With gentle movements, she picked it up and hugged it. ¡°Take her back to Konoha,¡± Obaa-chan said. She turned away and started walking. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jiraiya asked. ¡°Don¡¯t try to find me again,¡± Tsunade answered without looking back. Naruto looked at the scene, feeling conflicted. He didn¡¯t have a good impression of the old lady, but this felt bad on a whole new level. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to demand the necklace, even if he had won the bet. 6.24.d Danzo traversed the corridors of his headquarters. The disruption of his activities in the Land of Waves was unfortunate, but any recruit from there probably wouldn¡¯t be ready in time. He would need to reinforce and ensure the other fronts of his operations weren¡¯t exposed now that more scrutiny was directed his way. He crossed a door and, from the railing, looked at the training soldiers. Some still needed work, but they¡¯d fall in line sooner or later. Danzo had been in the business of making the perfect soldiers for years. By now, his process was the closest someone could come to perfection. A shinobi covered in a dark cloak and deformed animal mask flickered behind Danzo. His operative knelt with one knee on the ground. ¡°Hinata¡¯s location was found. She arrived in Konoha.¡± Danzo didn¡¯t take his eyes off the new batch of recruits. Among those, he was particularly interested in the mist generator. The suppressive abilities of her bloodlimit had interesting applications if others could replicate it. ¡°Your orders?¡± His operator asked. ¡°What about the information from the Laboratory?¡± ¡°Our team is still unable to break the seal.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Danzo asked. ¡°Uncertain. The seals are linked to a chakra signature we can¡¯t replicate.¡± ¡°What is the status of the Iwagakure cell?¡± Danzo asked. The operator¡¯s answer was immediate. ¡°We are ready. The decoy squad has been assembled and outfitted. We¡¯re waiting only for your orders.¡± ¡°And Kumogakure?¡± ¡°Preparations are slower than expected. One of your cells was wiped out by the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, and effort had to be redirected to cover the fallout.¡± ¡°They suspect our involvement?¡± Danzo asked. ¡°No, the cell in question was posing as a Konoha infiltration team; it cannot be traced back to us.¡± Danzo nodded. He¡¯d have to move other resources to shore up the front on that side. Losing that cell also served to add even more pressure on Konohagakure. ¡°Your orders for the girl?¡± The operator asked. Capturing the clone had its benefits, but now that she had returned to Konoha, Danzo had other means of keeping her from escaping. He made a mental note to send new orders to his agent in Konoha. ¡°Leave her be for now.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Danzo turned from the conditioning arena, walked deeper into the complex. The operator followed. Among his recruits were some that were worth cultivating the bloodlimit. Settling down his agents as Konoha¡¯s citizens would be a good solution. New blood to fertilize the soil the tree grew upon. ¡°As you command.¡± Danzo had to admit he underestimated the girl¡¯s capabilities. Nowhere in the information he possessed were there details about her learning a version of Thunder Flying God or creating explosions without seal paper. The countermeasures designed to contain her were wholly inadequate. But now that she returned to Konoha, her fate was set. It was only a matter of time now. ¡°What about the Nine-tails jinchuriki?¡± Danzo asked. ¡°A squad from Akatsuki is moving to intercept him.¡± That would need his intervention, but he didn¡¯t say anything for now. Danzo couldn¡¯t allow the nine-tails to fall in someone else¡¯s hand, not after all the preparation he¡¯d done to control it. However, those orders would need to wait until the interloper had left. ¡°Initiate the next phase of the operation,¡± Danzo ordered. ¡°As you command,¡± the operator said, then disappeared. Danzo walked alone, but not for long. ¡°You failed,¡± the newcomer said. Danzo looked at the intruder. Dressed in their particular black robes, flytrap protruding from beneath, the black and white face. The same as the clone had described when she was five years old. How? ¡°She¡¯s where I want her to be.¡± He said. ¡°You failed,¡± the voice repeated, tone mocking. Danzo didn¡¯t answer. There would come a time when he¡¯d rid the world of the abomination. That little band of criminals had their use, but they were fast approaching the end of their usefulness. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before I have her,¡± Danzo said. ¡°How did a mere child thwart your plans?¡± The creature taunted. Danzo didn¡¯t deign to answer that. His weren¡¯t the only plans thwarted. ¡°Your master must be so proud,¡± Danzo said, putting as much scorn he could in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll have her in due time.¡± ¡°And here I thought you were Konoha¡¯s greatest spymaster¡­ tricked by a child?¡± The interloper said before it disappeared inside the earth again. Danzo had long pondered how the girl had learned of his plans regarding Shisui. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible, but it happened. While the pretense that he was obsessed with the clone was helpful in distracting his ¡°allies,¡± his concerns were other. But now, years later, he needed to thank her for her intervention. It left him free to achieve his true goal. Danzo had failed to acquire Kotoamatsukami before, but soon, it would be his. Shisui and the Uchiha clan had their fates sealed when the boy accepted the Hokage position. The optimal result would have been that wastrel of a woman taking the position herself, but this was a minor setback at most. Danzo had years to prepare the field for his victory. Leaked information, spread rumors that built paranoia and mistrust. Shisui¡¯s allies would never feel safe, not when the new Hokage had their mind at his beck and call. It didn¡¯t matter that Shisui wasn¡¯t one to abuse his eyes. If he did, it would only validate the rumors Danzo¡¯s agents spread: The new Hokage couldn¡¯t be trusted. If Shisui tried to fight back without evidence, it would look like attacking the respected council of elders without reason. If he didn¡¯t, Danzo¡¯s influence would only grow until he was ready to make his move. Best of all, if Shisui gave up on the position, Danzo could move in, muster the village¡¯s support, and deal with the Uchiha once and for all. For now, all that remained was to stoke the flames of war, to let Konoha burn just enough to realize they needed him. Danzo wouldn¡¯t deny that Shisui and the Uchiha clan were formidable, but there wasn''t much they could do surrounded on all sides by years of his influence and blackmail. When war finally erupted, and the Hokage failed to protect Konoha, Danzo would return to claim what was always his. And if everything else failed? Sometimes, you must burn the old and rotten to grow a new, stronger forest. As long as Danzo was alive, Konoha¡¯s roots would grow stronger, even if he had to start from the beginning again. And once he was there, his real goals could truly begin. A world of peace and prosperity united under a single goal. United under his guidance. 6.24.a ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Orochimaru is dead.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The Three-Tails was killed.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°That will delay some of our plans.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We still need time. Pain must recover.¡± ¡°Orochimaru¡¯s task?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Partially successful.¡± ¡°Make preparations. We start when the Three-Tails reforms.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°...¡± 6.24.?? ¡°Kukukuku.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 7: Ninja politics and politicking. Where was Tsunade? How had Shisui become the Hokage? And why? Had he¡­ used his Sharingan to manipulate his way into the position? At some point, I had stepped in front of Karin. I didn¡¯t even remember when. Was I trying to shield her from him? Shisui blinked, and his eyes weren¡¯t red anymore, but the usual Uchiha¡¯s black. ¡°Hello, Hinata.¡± He said. His voice was quiet but had a presence I couldn¡¯t place. ¡°I apologize for the greeting. I had to make sure you were still you.¡± I tilted my head. Had he¡­ used his Sharingan on me? It wouldn¡¯t have been, would it? I would have sensed if he had, maybe even resisted the attempt. But if I hadn¡¯t resisted, why hadn¡¯t he brainwashed me to make me forget the sharingan? I scowled. That was so fucked up. That went a long way in showing my current state of mind if the first thing I thought about the new Hokage was that he had used his dojutsu to manipulate people or if he had done the same to me. ¡°Here,¡± Shisui said, pushing a board, a set of pencils, and an eraser toward me. Those weren¡¯t mine. Mine was lost in the Land of Waves, and I had no idea where they were. I tried to step forward, but Karin still gripped my hand. She hadn¡¯t moved or glanced away. Her face was paler than Sai''s cadaver pale. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t finish; she broke eye contact and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m Uchiha Shisui,¡± the new Hokage nodded. ¡°Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure. I¡¯ve also been called Shunshin no Shisui.¡± Karin flinched at the title, a low whimper escaping her lips. ¡°And you? What¡¯s your name?¡± The redhead looked like she wanted nothing more than to run away. What had she heard about him to be this scared? I gave her hand a comforting squeeze. The Hokage wasn¡¯t Tsunade like I was hoping for, but I was willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to Shisui even if that trust had already taken a hit with that sharingan¡¯s greeting. ¡°Uzumaki Karin.¡± She said. Shisui tilted his head. ¡°From Kusagakure? You participated in the last chunin exam.¡± Karin nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a messenger to commu¡ª ¡± I knew where that was going. Karin had retreated into herself, shoulder slumping, face empty. ¡°No,¡± I said, cutting him off. The new Hokage stopped. Looked between me and Karin. ¡°Explain?¡± I walked to the desk, took the offered board. Wrote my words. ¡°They were abusing her for her ability. She was never a willing shinobi from Kusagakure.¡± Shisui nodded, waved, pointing to the chairs. ¡°Please, sit,¡± Shisui said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand while we talk.¡± I pulled Karin closer. She was still lifeless, like she¡¯d already given up and was just waiting for the axe to fall. I hadn¡¯t known her situation was so bad that the briefest mention of sending her back left her this way. ¡°Karin¡¯s situation is delicate,¡± Shisui said. ¡°Kusagakure is an ally of Konoha, and keeping her could cause problems.¡± Karin¡¯s head dropped even lower, and she grabbed her other arm with her free hand. ¡°But I won¡¯t send you back if you don¡¯t want to go.¡± The Hokage said. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The redhead perked up, eyes wide. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the details later.¡± He smiled at Karin, turned to me. ¡°Hinata, I know you must have questions, but please let me start by saying this. I¡¯m proud of you for escaping and returning. Not many shinobi would have been able to do the same as you did.¡± Shisui¡¯s face was serious, but not unkind. ¡°Unfortunately, some of your teammates weren¡¯t that fortunate.¡± What? Hayase hadn¡¯t returned? ¡°Yamato and Hayase managed to escape. Hayase suffered serious injury and might never be fit for field duty again.¡± Shisui said. I scowled. I would kill Sai very dead and very slow when I got my hands on him. ¡°Sai, unfortunately, we never learned of his whereabouts. Wasn¡¯t he taken to the same place as you?¡± They¡­ didn¡¯t know? My scowl worsened. Teeth gritted. Karin was looking at me, startled. Her hand, already in mine, squeezed again. Shisui noticed my mood. He looked between us then said. ¡°Please tell me what happened. I read the reports from Team Ten, Yamato, and the delegation from Kirigakure. But your recounts of events would shed light on the mystery.¡± I tried to calm my thoughts and organize what I wanted to say. Shisui¡¯s request hadn¡¯t triggered Fangirl-sama for some reason. Was it the way he asked it? Or because I was just too tired and angry? I could ponder on that later. I didn¡¯t want to recount all the details about my time in the lab and my mental breakdown. I don¡¯t think those were the critical bits they needed to know. ¡°We found the lab, I gathered the research notes, burned the bodies.¡± I wrote. I never told Karin what had happened before I met her; somehow, she had never asked. Was she trying to keep her distance because we were from different villages? I glanced at her. The redhead seemed more relaxed. Still looking spooked, but not as afraid as she had been at the start. I wrote more. ¡°On our way to Orochimaru¡¯s prison, Sai betrayed us.¡± Shisui read my message, looked at me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked. I nodded. ¡°The kidnappers, I have reason to believe, are from an organization called ROOT.¡± I wrote next. ¡°Why is that?¡± Shisui didn¡¯t seem surprised at my revelation. Did they know something I didn¡¯t? Or maybe he had reasonable control over his body. I erased the text, wrote more. ¡°I heard one of them using that word.¡± He nodded. ¡°And how did you escape the chains?¡± Huh, so they learned about that. Had they found the prison? I wasn¡¯t sure if Assassination-chan¡¯s attempt to cause a ruckus would attract our reinforcements attention. ¡°New jutsu.¡± I wrote. I wasn¡¯t against telling Shisui about my imitation of Thunder God. It might even earn me a few pointers if he felt generous. I just wasn¡¯t in the mood now. I would write a complete report later, submit it. He also knew because he didn¡¯t press me for more details. I wrote more words. ¡°Karin saved my life more than once.¡± There was a hint of a smile on Karin¡¯s face. ¡°She saved mine as well, several times over.¡± I shrugged. I hadn¡¯t, really. But I wasn¡¯t going to keep a score. It was a bit hypocritical when I was using that as a reason why I wanted to help her. ¡°After we escaped the prison, we were surrounded. I had reason to believe I wouldn¡¯t fare well in an open confrontation. I used Kuchiyose no Jutsu to reverse summon me and Karin to the lands of the Iron Hide Badger clan.¡± Shisui nodded. ¡°Made a contract with them, and finally got back home.¡± Shisui looked from my board to me. ¡°The badgers have an¡­ interesting reputation.¡± I half scowled, half grinned. Yeah, tell me about it. ¡°I appreciate your recounting of events. I would also like the extended version, but that can be later. I know you must be tired, but there are important things we must discuss.¡± He turned to Karin. ¡°As for you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a place for you to stay while we find a solution for your situation.¡± ¡°I want to stay with Hinata,¡± Karin said. Her voice was strong, contrasting to her withdrawn demeanor. Shisui looked at me, and I shrugged. ¡°Hinata¡¯s apartment is small. We can settle you in a comfortable place if you prefer.¡± I caught the quick glance Karin sent my way and the tiny upturn of her lips. I had a bad feeling about this. ¡°She must take responsibility!¡± Karin said. I blinked. Take responsibility for what? Shisui seemed as confused as I felt. ¡°Responsibility¡­ for?¡± He asked. Karin leaned toward my way, resting her head on my shoulder. Her hand had never left mine, and she now sneaked her other arm around my waist. I could see the red creeping her neck. ¡°She ravaged me again and again. Even when I begged for mercy, she was relentless! She left marks on my body, paraded naked around me, and made me sleep with her.¡± With her head still on my shoulder, she cast an innocent glance my way. A picture of a maiden in love: ¡°How can I stay alone? After all she¡¯s done to me, she can¡¯t abandon me now.¡± The silence inside the room was absolute. I could even hear the hawk flying outside. Shisui cleared his throat. The man looked like a fish out of water. It took a moment longer until my brain rebooted. I what now? 7.2 ¡°I¡­ see.¡± That was all the new Hokage said. I scowled. Pushed Karin away or tried to. She had a death grip on my waist and hand. Those were some ludicrous claims. I did bite her arm and kept biting even when she asked me to stop that one time when I first met her. Yes, that left marks on her arm, both arms. I also, yes, paraded naked in front of her. I had no clothes then; what was I supposed to do? Kill all the prisoners because they¡¯d seen me naked? Execute them for the crime of having eyes? And we did sleep together. At first, because it was cold, then because the badgers only provided a single fur pile, and then while traveling to stave off the chill in the night. My scowl deepened. Karin hadn¡¯t lied. But did she need to phrase it that way? The weeks of peaceful cohabitation and talk had lulled me with a false sense of normalcy. I had assumed that Karin¡¯s most prominent traits from the original story were learned behaviors resulting from her exposure to Orochimaru, but wasn¡¯t she saying some outrageous things here? I didn¡¯t believe for a second she was interested in me in a romantic way. Like I said before, there was no spark, so why this? She¡¯d done something similar in the original show, pretending to be mentally ill to keep something that let her escape later. Was this a setup for some other plan or something? No, that was silly. I don¡¯t think it was anything complicated. Maybe she was just afraid and didn¡¯t want to be alone. I could understand that. Shisui cleared his throat. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case.¡± I erased the words on my board. Scribbled others. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡± I defended myself, but even as I wrote it, I knew it would read bad. Shisui shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t need to explain yourself.¡± That only made things worse. I¡­ wanted to punch him. Karin must have noticed. She snickered, still resting her head on my shoulder, looking every bit like a smug, satisfied fox. Was this payback for all those times I teased her? It wouldn¡¯t be, would it? Any response on my part was cut short when the door to the Hokage¡¯s office opened without the visitors being announced. I had sensed the chakra bundle approaching, but I didn¡¯t think their destination was the Hokage¡¯s office. I looked back. Two old people walked inside. An old lady with squinting eyes and an old dude with a pointy goatee and glasses. Under the newcomer¡¯s judgemental stare, Karin finally let go of me. She sat straight, with her hands resting on her lap. All prim and proper. There was this moment of silence or a standoff between Shisui and the two old geezers. Shisui was the first to talk. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Homura, Koharu.¡± He didn¡¯t get up from his chair; he just dipped his head in greetings. ¡°Our meeting isn¡¯t for a few hours yet.¡± The guy cast a glance at me before addressing Shisui again. ¡°Circumstances changed,¡± the old man said. The old lady was the one who spoke next. ¡°We¡¯ve explained why,¡± her squinting gaze flickered to me before returning to Shisui. ¡°Other shinobi agree with us.¡± Were they talking about me? Are these two old codgers part of the council? I never understood what the council had against me. Up until now, I always thought it was remnants of Danzo¡¯s influence that pushed people to mistrust me. No one outright treated me badly, nor was I discriminated against like Naruto. It was more subtle than that. A few stares, some pitying, others suspicious. The lack of resources, training, and instruction. It was never something I could point my finger at and blame one thing or another. For example, most other shinobi have their clans and families as a support network, and from them, they learn jutsu, techniques, and other clan-related knowledge. I hadn¡¯t, much like Naruto, I was on my own since I came here. That shaped how I saw and did things. I knew I had a bad habit of trying to do everything alone. But that was how I learned. Aside from basic instructions at the academy, I had no one else to ask things from. Even the Third skimped on the knowledge about seals. I never got the chance to ask him why before I failed to save him and let him die. If Kakashi-sensei wasn¡¯t lying and the old man really was on my side, why hold back knowledge from me? Why not ¡ª selfish as it was to wish ¡ª give me a hand and some nice jutsu? ¡°I¡¯ve read your reasoning,¡± said Shisui. His eyes hadn¡¯t left the two old people. If those two were part of the council, it would pay for me to learn more about them, wouldn¡¯t it? I focused my chakra perception on the two. More often than not, while inside Konoha, I pushed my perception to the background of my mind. Too many people with chakra walking about. It was easy to get distracted or even overwhelmed. Ever since entering Konoha again, I had done the same, even without noticing. The two¡­ weren¡¯t that different from other people. Their reserves were on the average size. Lower than an active jonin, bigger than a newly promoted chunin. I knew that wasn¡¯t an indication of their combat capabilities, but I had the impression that if push came to shove, I¡¯d win. If it came down to pure brawling and reaction time, I was confident I could take them. I¡¯d need to hit them hard before they could pull whatever bullshit jutsu they learned over their long life, but I was somewhat confident of my chances. It was strange that, now that I was focusing more on their chakra, I did notice other things. Like a flavor or texture. The old woman¡¯s chakra was stale, like old, but not in a bad way, while the guy was acrid, like a bad smell. Was my perception being influenced by my dislike? Had my perception gotten more refined as well? Their conversation hadn¡¯t ended. The two, somehow, never said it openly, but I had the impression they wanted me locked and isolated. A new bundle of chakra popped into my perception. Then another. I forgot about the two geezers and Shisui. I got up, the chair scrapped back with a loud screech, cutting off the conversation. For the second time that day, the door busted open again. In rushed a ginormous blaze of chakra contained in a small-sized pack wrapped in orange jumpers. ¡°Hinata-chan!¡± Sunshine brat hollered, face already full of tears. ¡°Hi,¡± I said back, eyes misting again. Naruto grabbed me and hugged me like he was afraid I would disappear again. A few moments later, the second bundle of chakra entered the room, cool, calm, and placid. Kakashi-sensei leaned against the door and gave me one of his eye-crescent smiles. I might have started to cry even harder. I wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe it was just Naruto crying, not me. 7.3 Conversation was made impossible by much hollering and tears. Naruto wasn¡¯t even aware that there were other people inside the room. Shisui had a forlorn look on his face like he¡¯d seen this scene many times. Was he reminiscing about the number of times he saw the brat causing a ruckus while shadowing the third? The nice welcome home moment ended with the old codger with glasses clearing his throat. ¡°Uzumaki Naruto,¡± the man said. From his mouth, it sounded like the name was a bad thing. Karin¡¯s head snapped toward the old man, then to Naruto. Sunshine brat let go of me, cleared some snot with the back of his hand, turned. ¡°That¡¯s my name,¡± he said. Then he turned to me, tilted his head. ¡°Hinata-chan, who are these old people?¡± I shrugged, croaked. ¡°No idea who these old people are.¡± From the corner of my eye, I caught Kakashi-sensei stiffening, then turning around, shoulders shaking. Was he¡­ laughing? Why? I mean, no one told me who these people are. I had suspicions, but nothing other than that. ¡°Naruto-kun, these are Councilman Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.¡± Shisui introduced. I looked at the two again. Were they the ones responsible for making my life not the best ninja life it could have been? At least I knew their faces and names. Now I just need a black cover book and to write down their names on it. Naruto scratched his head. ¡°Council something, gotcha.¡± Then he turned back to me. ¡°Hinata-chan, you won¡¯t believe it! I learned this super powerful jutsu¡ªthe Fourth made it, and the Ero-sennin taught¡ª¡± Homura cleared his throat again. Naruto stopped his recounting, looked at the old man with glasses. ¡°Is your throat hurt? I think I have a few candies if you want.¡± Homura¡¯s face twitched. ¡°We¡¯re busy with important things,¡± he said. ¡°Ahh, okay.¡± Naruto nodded like that made perfect sense. He grabbed my hand and started dragging me toward the door. ¡°Come Hinata-chan, let¡¯s leave these old folks to their business.¡± ¡°Our business is with her,¡± Koharu said, stopping Naruto again. Naruto blinked, glancing around the room, at the new Hokage, at Kakashi-sensei, who was definitely laughing now, at the two grumpy council members, and at Karin, who still looked surprised and hadn¡¯t stopped looking at Naruto. ¡°Hinata-chan, do these old people also want your cupcakes?¡± I shrugged. I don¡¯t think my cupcakes were their problem with me. Even so, I had to answer Naruto. I erased the words from my board, wrote others. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I dunno, Naruto-kun.¡± Once he read the message, I erased it and wrote another. ¡°Did you deliver the letters?¡± ¡°I did!¡± Naruto said, nodding. ¡°The fat lady kept asking when you¡¯d be back.¡± Naruto stopped, face troubled. He pointed a finger at my nose. ¡°Hinata-chan, you shouldn¡¯t let people capture you, you made Ino cry.¡± ¡­What? I think Naruto saw my confusion. ¡°Ino-chan¡¯s team went to help with your secret mission,¡± he said. ¡°She cried a lot when she got back.¡± His expression darkened. I heard a bit of waver in his voice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make her cry, Hinata-chan.¡± His eyes were misting again. Was he talking about Ino or himself? ¡°Listen¡ª¡± Homura started, voice impatient. Koharu stopped him by touching his shoulder. She shook her head. ¡°Leave the young ones to their reunion.¡± Both councilmen exchanged looks, the kind that carried entire conversations without a single word, the way people who had worked together for decades often did. Homura turned to Shisui. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this discussion later.¡± Without waiting for a response, or even acknowledging anyone else in the room, they left. As soon as the door closed and I felt their chakra moving down the stairs, I pulled Naruto into another hug. ¡°Thank you, Naruto-kun,¡± I whispered. ¡°Ehh, for what?¡± Naruto scratched the side of his head. His ears were pink. ¡°You¡¯re an Uzumaki?¡± Karin¡¯s voice cut in the moment. I let go of Naruto, and he turned toward the voice, answered like it was a reflex. ¡°That¡¯s my name,¡± His eyes widened as if he¡¯d seen her for the first time. I caught a slight blush on the brat¡¯s cheeks. Teenagers, who would have thunk? He turned to me, ¡°Hinata-chan, who is she?¡± I rolled my eyes, wrote. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her?¡± The brat read the message, then turned back to Karin, a little bashful now. ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Uzumaki Karin,¡± the redhead said. Naruto tilted his head. His eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re my sister!?¡± I face-palmed. Kakashi-sensei was the one who answered this time. ¡°No, Naruto-kun, it means she¡¯s from the Uzumaki clan.¡± Naruto looked from Karin to Kakashi and then to me. ¡°What Uzumaki clan?¡± ¡°Kakashi,¡± Shisui cut through any response to Naruto¡¯s question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Naruto and Karin outside and explain the situation to him while I finish talking with Hinata?¡± Kakashi nodded. ¡°Come, Naruto-kun, you¡¯ll have time to tell Hinata about your mission later.¡± He turned to Karin and gave her one of his signature eye-crescent smiles. Cool Kakashi-sensei was such a chad material that I caught a dusting of pink on Karin¡¯s cheeks before she looked away and nodded shyly. It was my time to have a forlorn look on my face now while I watched the trio leave the office. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be happy or sad. Wait. Why would I be sad? ¡°Please, sit Hinata-san,¡± Shisui said, taking me out of my musings. I gave the door one last troubled look. Turned and sat. Shisui didn¡¯t seem keen on wasting time. ¡°I think you noticed there are issues we must deal with.¡± I nodded. Was he going to demand I spill all my secrets now? Or maybe ask me to swear an oath or something? ¡°The council has gathered enough influence with the shinobi families that I cannot just dismiss them out of hand.¡± I blinked. What was he talking about? ¡°Nominally, I¡¯m the village leader, but they have considerable pull with other shinobi that I more often than not have to maneuver around them.¡± That was strange. Should a Hokage admit to weakness in front of a chunin? A possible traitor chunin? Wasn¡¯t this how people saw me? ¡°Ever since Lord Hiruzen passed away, they have been pushing for drastic measures regarding you.¡± Shisui stopped, looked back at the picture of the old man hung on the back wall. ¡°Shikaku did what he could and sent you on a mission that kept you out of reach. It seemed the best choice at the time.¡± The Hokage got up from his chair and bowed. ¡°I apologize that this caused you such hardships.¡± I was dreaming, wasn¡¯t I? There was no way people would start being honest with me. Was this a trick? Numbly, I just nodded. I didn¡¯t know what else to say or do. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the full details later, but right now, we need to prepare for two things.¡± That sounded ominous as heck. ¡°The Hyuga clan and the Council.¡± Wait, what? The Hyuga, why? 7.4 ¡°¡­information about the laboratory leaked¡­¡± Night had fallen and I was back in my apartment helping Karin settle. My abode was tiny: A single bedroom, a living room, a kitchen. Karin didn¡¯t seem to mind that we''d have to sleep in the same bed. I didn¡¯t either, even if I was getting conflicted about this. Some blessed soul kept my apartment clean. We didn¡¯t have to worry about dust bunnies or drowning in dust while trying to clear it. On the other side of the bedroom, Karin looked pensive. She looked over my almost identical outfits and everyday clothes. She¡¯d have to wear my stuff until we bought more for her later. That would be for tomorrow. It had taken a while to appease Naruto once we left the tower. The brat didn¡¯t seem willing to leave, and he only did after I promised I wouldn¡¯t go on any other mission without telling him first. I might have pinched his cheeks until he fessed up about that crying business. It left me feeling all warm and guilty and happy and sad. Best Girl Ino went to my rescue? And she even cried? I didn¡¯t know how I felt about that, but that decided what I had to do. Ino¡¯s been haunting my thoughts with increasing frequency. He¡¯d also told me about his new awesome jutsu¡ª Rasengan¡ª that the perv sannin taught him. He let slip a few more details. His mission hadn¡¯t been a peaceful one. It took forever to find the granny, and in the end, she didn¡¯t even want to come back, not to mention the two freaks that attacked them. The shark dude and bone guy. Naruto promised to tell me the story in detail later. I even made him pink swear it. Shark guy could only be Kisame, but what about this bone dude? Was he talking about Kimimaro? While Karin debated what to wear, I got into the showers and took a relaxing bath. It took a while to clean all the spots of dirt from the weeks of travel underground. No one had pointed it out, but I was sure the reason the councilman fled without pushing things further was the lovely smell coming from me and Karin. ¡°¡­probably due to council meddling¡­¡± Cleaned, refreshed, and finally ready. I picked up a set of everyday clothes. Shorts, a pink shirt, and ordinary everyday shoes. I wasn¡¯t really in the mood for ninja stuff right now. I really wanted to go out and meet Ino, but it was already late. Begrudgingly, I postponed the meeting to the next morning. That would give me the whole day to talk with her. It was better that way, right? Karin was already aware of my plans. She didn¡¯t seem to mind staying alone while I dealt with essential matters outside. It was a shame I didn¡¯t have any of my prepared supplies. My stock was nil before the mission, and I don¡¯t think I can replenish it, at least not before dealing with the fallout. After Karin finished bathing, we settled down, and I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow. Karin¡¯s grabiness not even registering. I woke up the next day with sunlight streaking inside my bedroom. I got up, disentangled myself from Karin, took another bath. Hot water, how had I missed thee! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. When I left the apartment about one hour later, Karin was in the bath again. I guess that like me, she was compensating for the whole month without cleaning. I wrote her a note to ensure she knew I was out. It was time. I had delayed enough. I wasn¡¯t going to delay anymore. I took the shinobi highways and sped toward my destination. It had been just over a month, but the village looked different. I could still see marks of the invasion, the new patch of wall still in construction, and buildings that looked new compared to others nearby. My path led me again near the GGC, but this time, I swerved away. I didn¡¯t want to meet them yet. There was only so much I could deal with, and while I liked the grannies, I had more important things to do. My already exhausted emotional battery wouldn¡¯t be enough if I had to appease them. Without fanfare, I dropped from the highway in front of my target. I scanned my surroundings, read the familiar sign: Yamanaka Flower Shop. I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, stepped inside.
I stepped outside with a mix of relief and disappointment on my face. None of the Yamanaka were present. Ino¡¯s mom was busy somewhere else, Inoichi wasn¡¯t home, Ino was training. I had a new destination now. My old haunt, training field three. Was there any reason why Ino chose that particular place to train? The path there wasn¡¯t long. I knew my way around this part, and even with some of my preferred roofs missing or destroyed, finding a new path to the training field didn¡¯t take long. I looked over my clothing, pushed a rebel strand of hair out of my face, and ensured my shirt wasn¡¯t dirty or worse. With yet another deep breath, I walked inside the field. Ino had her back toward the entrance. She wore her usual shinobi gear, a purple ensemble with bandages covering parts of her legs and midriff. Her hair was tied in a haphazard ponytail. From her movements, she was punching the wooden dummy. Each punch sounded like she meant business. What had the poor dummy done to her? An idea crossed my mind. I wanted to hug Ino a lot. Only one of me didn¡¯t seem enough. My hands moved without my consent. Seals flashed, and out popped another me. We exchanged glances. Hug-chan gave me a nod, her grin almost feral. We approached. Stopped a few meters away from the training blonde. Hug-chan cleared her throat. Ino ignored us. My clone cleared her throat again, louder this time. I winced in perceived sympathy. That probably hurt a lot. ¡°Go away,¡± Ino said without looking back. I exchanged glances with my clone. She shrugged, shook her head. Okay, fine, it was my turn. I cleared my throat. ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Ino hissed without looking back. That¡­ wasn¡¯t like Ino at all. My clone looked worried like I felt. I cleared my throat again. ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Ino growled. She swirled, took one step toward us, teeth bared. She had bags under her eyes, wore no makeup, her hands were wrapped in bloodied bandages. She looked disheveled, for lack of a better word. Then the blonde stopped. Her eyes were wide. A hand flew to her mouth. ¡°Hinata-chan,¡± Ino whispered, looking at me and my clone. It seemed such a dumb idea now. Why hadn¡¯t I just called out her name? Why did I have to create a clone? Dumb idea or not, I think my clone and I felt the same. We moved at the same time. No, not moved, we flickered forward and appeared by the blonde¡¯s side. We sandwiched her in the tightest hug we could manage without breaking her ribs. In the back of my mind, Shisui¡¯s words still echoed. ¡°¡­they¡¯re claiming you¡¯re not Hinata, but a clone¡­¡± Ino flopped on my arms, her face a mess of tears, snot, and babbling words. She fought between hugging and touching and making sure I was real. She was the prettiest ugly crier I had ever seen. ¡°Hinata-chan,¡± she said, mid-crying. Was I a clone? Maybe. There was always the possibility. Did it bother me? Yes, it did. But right now, hugging best girl Ino and hearing her sobbing in our arms, it didn¡¯t seem that important anymore. What council hearing? What Hyuga problem? None of that seemed urgent. It was Best Girl Ino time now. I could deal with everything else later. 7.5 I exchanged glances with my clone. Hug-chan scowled. I signed a message. She scowled even more. We were still in training field three. At this point, I don¡¯t think Hug-chan needed to be here. She could go out and do something else, like visiting the grocer to buy ingredients for a baking session. Hug-chan shook her head. Her fingers flashed a very uncouth message. I blinked, surprised. Was she¡­ jealous? It wouldn¡¯t be, would it? I don¡¯t know what I had expected when I came to look for Ino. Maybe we¡¯d have a happy reunion, she¡¯d tell me all the gossip I missed. Maybe she¡¯d punch me for getting captured. That one felt like a real possibility. According to Naruto, Ino was hella pissed with me. You know what I hadn¡¯t expected? For Ino to cry until she fell asleep. What had she been doing? So here we were. My clone and I were sitting side by side, holding a sleeping Ino. I wanted my clone to bug off¡ª I mean, go buy ingredients. Hug-chan didn¡¯t want to leave, and I couldn¡¯t just disperse her. Ino was leaning on her too. If I did, Ino would wake up. Difficult scenario. I glared at Hug-chan, jerking my head toward the exit. Go away already. Hug-chan flipped me the finger. Our silent argument didn¡¯t last for long. I felt it before I saw it. Chakra presences that made no sense at all. It was like a huge bonfire, filled with countless small ones. I was still trying to puzzle the situation when the newcomers entered the training field. Two shinobi from Konoha. One, I knew; the other, I could guess who it was. The first one wore dark round sunglasses and a sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar, dark, bushy, brown hair. My friend, Shino, even though it had been a while since I last talked with him. We drifted apart after I was assigned to team seven, instead of team eight. The other one was like an older version of Shino. The man had dark glasses with a single tassel hanging down from one side, even spikier black hair and a mustache, and he wore a collared outfit and carried a gourd on his back. Part of the chakra I felt from him also was inside that gourd. Was that Shino¡¯s dad? The chakra I was sensing now made sense. Back in the academy, Shino¡¯s chakra felt like anyone else. After expanding my range, was I also getting better definition? It made me super icky, knowing that swarming chakra inside him was just that, a swarm of insects. I held in a shudder. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Both looked at the scene: me, my clone, and the sleeping Ino. They didn¡¯t approach but didn¡¯t leave either. Hug-chan looked my way, leered. I ground my teeth. Fine. Have it your way. Carefully, I disentangled from Ino and got up. I wasn¡¯t about to let these two wake Best Girl Ino up. With a temporary comms board and writing supplies in hand, I cast one last longing look at Ino, glared at Hug-chan, then went to meet the duo. We didn¡¯t speak. I waved both to follow me and guided them until we were far from the training field. If things somehow turned sour, I didn¡¯t want any of them near Ino. Once we were far enough, I wrote words. ¡°Hello, Shino; how have you been?¡± ¡°Hello, Hinata-san,¡± Shino said, looked at the other shinobi. ¡°This is Aburame Shibi, my father and head of the Aburame clan.¡± I waved at the jonin. He gave me a curt nod. I had no idea what was going on. Wrote more words. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± It might have come more brusque than I liked, but these two were intruding on my Ino time. It just wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°You stink,¡± Shino said. I scowled, sniffed beneath my arms, sniffed again when I felt no smell. Shibi coughed, looked at Shino, and then at me. ¡°Hello, Hinata-san. Please don¡¯t mind my son. What he meant to say is that you¡¯ve been marked by pheromones.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s stinking up the whole village,¡± Shino added. It was the damned bees, wasn¡¯t it? I fucking knew it would be trouble. Why, oh, why. Those damned badgers. Was this a new blood feud now? Danzo, council, Hyuga, and now the Aburame clan? ¡°Which one was it?¡± Shino asked. I tilted my head. Wrote words. ¡°Which one what?¡± ¡°Which insect marked you?¡± ¡°Fucking killer bees that would put grown-up Akamaru to shame,¡± I said out loud instead of writing. Shibi¡¯s hand reached into his jacket, pulled out a small spray bottle, tossed it my way. ¡°This will help eliminate the scent.¡± Shino looked like he wanted to say something, but a faint buzz from his father, one I felt inside my bones, held him back. The clan head turned to me. ¡°I''d like to invite you to the Aburame compound. There are things we''d like to discuss with you.¡± I looked at the spray bottle and the two insect shinobi. Under both gazes, I sprayed myself with the thing. It didn¡¯t smell like anything at all, but I caught Shino''s small twitch and the agitated movements from the small swarm of chakra inside his body. ¡°I just returned to the village,¡± I wrote to both of them. ¡°I don¡¯t know how things are, but maybe next week?¡± Shibi nodded, gave me a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll send Shino to guide you to our compound. Would dinner be alright?¡± A bit speechless at the turn this took, I nodded at the duo. ¡°Use the spray again in two hours,¡± Shino said, before bowing and leaving. His dad gave me a curt bow and left as well. That was weird as heck. What did they want? Maybe they wanted to meet the bees? I¡¯m guessing that meeting a hive of killer bees is like Xmas arriving early for an insect-based clan? I looked for a while longer in the duo¡¯s direction, then shrugged. I would deal with this later. It was just another thing to pile on. The council hearing in two weeks, the Hyuga problem looming in the horizon, and now dinner at the Aburame in a week. It was good that they left. I pushed it all out of my mind. It was time to get back to my Ino time, and no one would get in my way again. I turned and moved back to the training field. With each step closer, my mood sank. I dashed forward, not caring about making noise anymore. I arrived at the training field like a clap of thunder. It was empty. Where once was a sleeping beauty and a traitorous clone, now there was only a scribbled message in the dirt. Grocer. BGIWS, BTYFS. I scowled. Torn between wanting to strangle Hug-chan or maybe hug her. I could decide that later. Now I had to go and bake sweets. Ino wanted them, after all. 7.6.h Hug-chan watched the Original leave the training field with the visitors. Ino stirred and mumbled, hands gripping the clone¡¯s clothing and pulling closer. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m dreaming.¡± The clone looked at the blonde¡¯s face. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she didn¡¯t look at all there. Ino looked worse than Hinata had ever seen before. It wasn¡¯t just the bags under her eyes; her clothes were unkempt, the bandages on her hands flecked with blood, and most alarming of all, she wore no makeup. In the years since Ino learned about it in the Kunoichi classes, this was the first time she¡¯d seen the girl without. Ino nuzzled her face against the clone¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I want to go home.¡± That was easy enough. The clone didn¡¯t mind taking the sleeping girl home. It was a good idea even. Put her in bed where she could rest properly. It was a shame the original wasn¡¯t here right now, but that was life. ¡°I want cupcakes.¡± Another line that sent her heart racing. Best girl Ino wanted sweets. That decided things even more. Hug-chan got up, taking care not to jostle the drowsy girl too much. The clone adjusted Ino so the blonde¡¯s front rested against her back, and Ino¡¯s arms were draped over the shoulders. Ino¡¯s head nestled near Hug-chan¡¯s neck. Her hours of carrying Karin around gave her the know-how needed to keep Ino comfortable and stable. Before she left, she scribbled an abridged note for the original. Grocer. BGIWS. BTYFS. That should be more than enough. Once Original-chan had the sweets, dropping by the Yamanaka flower shop would be easy. The clone took one last look at the training field, made sure she wasn¡¯t leaving anything behind, then left. She didn¡¯t run, or take to the highways; no intense movement or jumping. Hug-chan Express would do her best to deliver a comfortable travel experience to her sleeping passenger. Bump and jolt free. The walk gave Hug-chan time to think about things. Maybe it was the perspective of being a clone, but her thoughts weren¡¯t on the growing list of the original¡¯s problems. No, what concerned the clone was feelings. Feelings or obsession? It was difficult to tell them apart. She¡¯d been so obsessed with the characters in the show, and so consumed with wishing to meet them that, now that she did, she wasn¡¯t sure if her feelings were real or some form of idol worship. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. God knows she already did that a lot in the form of fangirling. There was this happy feeling building in her gut, knowing that Ino cared enough to be in this state because Hinata went missing. Was it selfish to feel happy at her friends¡¯ suffering? The original never considered a relationship at all. For all her bluster and obsession, romance had never seriously crossed her mind. Too young, she¡¯d mostly dismiss. There are horrors in the future, can¡¯t worry about feeling right now. Every time a hint of that came up, justifications popped left and right. When not caring about the many horrors of the future, the clone really wanted to cuddle and snog and go on dates. She even suspected Ino might not be totally against it. Maybe not in a romantic sense yet, but Hug-chan could dream. The concept of same-sex relationships might not even exist here, with clans pushing for their children to find a good match and continue the clan¡¯s bloodline. It might even be frowned upon or outlawed. Hinata never even heard about gay couples in all her years around. Hug-chan¡¯s steps led her to the flower shop. She pulled the door open, then stepped inside. One of the workers was on the counter. He looked startled when Hug-chan stepped inside carrying a sleeping Ino, but a quick gesture ensured he didn¡¯t cause a fuss. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d been here, so Hug-chan walked inside, past the storefront, and into the Yamanaka residence. The house was quiet and still. The clone adjusted her steps and walked toward Ino¡¯s bedroom. Once there, she laid the blonde on the bed, removed her shoes, unwrapped the bandages from her hands. Hoping Ino would forgive the intrusion, she searched the blonde¡¯s room for cleaning supplies and a first aid kit. Back at the bed, she cleaned and re-wrapped the hands. She noticed a shift in Ino¡¯s breathing. Maybe it was the stinging cleaning agent or the strong alcohol scent. Ino¡¯s eyes were open and looking at the clone¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re really back.¡± Ino whispered. Hug-chan smiled. Nodded. She finished tying up the bandages, put the first aid kit away. Under Ino¡¯s intense stare, she made sure the blonde was tucked in and comfortable, even bringing over the sheets. Tucked in and comfortable, Ino spoke again. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Hug-chan shook her head. She was a clone; there was nowhere she needed to be. Taking care of Ino was more important than worrying about all the other problems. Ino¡¯s hand sneaked from beneath the sheets and pulled Hug-chan into the bed, too. Ino hugged the clone, hiding her face against the clone¡¯s chest. ¡°Promise you won¡¯t disappear again.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Hug-chan husked out. She wrapped her arms around Ino. It didn¡¯t take long until the blonde was asleep again. Now, alone with her thoughts, the clone had even more time to think. Could she promise it? At that moment, the clone knew even the original wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make that promise. That also highlighted another issue that bothered every created clone, which the original was keen on ignoring. If the original ever wanted a real relationship, she had to be honest. About her past, about the knowledge, about her plans. Hug-chan wasn¡¯t about to spill the beans, even if she thought that would be the best course of action, but she imprinted enough reaction on her mind just to make sure the Original knew that she had to address this sooner rather than later. To truly be friends with Ino, and hopefully something more, Original-chan needed to be honest. It wasn¡¯t fair to the other girl to keep to herself all the secrets that could cause many problems in the future. 7.7 I took one of the bags from the shelf and compared it with the one in my basket. The shop lady said good things about this flour, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to abandon my tried and true supplier. I put one small bag in with the other things. I guess experimenting wouldn¡¯t hurt. What else did I need? I went over the list in my mind. Baking powder? I rummaged through the items I had already collected, found it. Sugar, then? I looked inside the basket again: Granulated, brown, powdered, and honey. No, I had what I needed already. What about flavorings? Vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, dried fruits, nuts, and even chocolate. I found everything already. That was enough. I would need to order more, but that would be later. Doing grocery shopping and worrying about ingredients wasn¡¯t how I imagined the rest of my day. Not that I had anything planned before meeting Ino. I didn¡¯t know how she would react. After meeting her, I got a new mission. S-Tier Mission: Cuddle with Best Girl Ino until she woke up. That mission went into the drain when the Aburame clan decided to pay a visit¡ªand died an even worse death when Hug-chan took Ino back to the Yamanaka residence. No, I wasn¡¯t jelly of my clone. No, I wasn¡¯t bitter either. ¡­ And yes, I knew I would experience everything when she unpopped. But I mean, I wanted to cuddle with Ino-chan, too. I wanted it so bad. I couldn¡¯t even blame my clone. I''d have done the same had she gone to meet the Aburames instead. I planned to do the same if she had gone to meet the Aburames. I guess I have only myself to blame here. But now that I no longer had the Ino excuse, thoughts kept coming. The first problem: A lack of Tsunade. The slug princess was my hope of getting the seal under control. In the past weeks, the amount I managed to suppress kept worsening. The more I used my chakra, the faster the suppression deteriorated. I had been confident that if she couldn¡¯t help me, she¡¯d be at least able to point me in the right direction. Now, I needed to decide whether I wanted to trust Shisui or not. Along the same lines, my promise now reared its head. My meddling thwarted Rock Lee¡¯s chance of recovery. I wasn¡¯t going to leave him without help. Maybe I could convince Shisui to send me after Tsunade? I still needed to extract what happened from Naruto, but without Orochimaru to push Tsunade with the promise of bringing her loved ones back, she wanted nothing with Konoha. But before I could leave the village, two problems needed to be addressed. The council: Shisui¡¯s intervention was enough to push them back for now. The two codgers of the council had somehow managed to entrench themselves in every pie available. Merchants, trading partners, noble families, and even a few allied minor villages. They controlled or influenced most of the village¡¯s non-military infrastructure by this point. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. That was enough to put a lot of pressure on the Hokage position. I suspected they had been preparing for years, waiting until the third was out of the picture. I also suspected they might be just figureheads for a third party, someone who loved to dwell in darkness and shady deals. That man spent decades building spy networks, implanting sleeper agents, and pushing things from behind the scenes. Not even the other great villages escaped his meddling. Why would his ¡°exile¡± from Konoha change anything? It just meant he didn¡¯t need to worry about appearances anymore. Danzo had a hard-on hatred for the Uchiha. Would he leave the clan¡¯s political power intact? I doubt it. Shisui had military power, and I¡¯m sure he could just genjutsu his way into winning. And while the Uchiha clan was powerful, they might face years of entrenched schemes and bureaucratic manipulations. On the other hand, Shisui had a penchant for diplomacy and vying for peace. Did this play a part in why he was selected as the Hokage? Someone who wouldn¡¯t jump to violence when presented with years of carefully curated obstructions? I also needed to gather my allies to resist their influence. Shisui did hint that the Uchiha clan might be willing to help, but that would be best discussed with the clan¡¯s head, Itachi. I wanted to get rid of those old codgers. Why couldn¡¯t they just leave me alone? No, that was a bad turn of phrase. I don¡¯t think killing them would help my case. This would be a battle won with words. It was a damn shame I had no words. The question was, what allies did I have? I was a social outcast. Then there was the Hyuga. The clan head, my father, was also marshaling allies, the council included, to take me out of the picture. Hiashi was convinced I wasn¡¯t his daughter but an impostor taking her place. ¡­ That hurt, even if he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. I wasn¡¯t just Hinata anymore, but I still was Hinata. I had her feelings and memories tempered by memories of another world and life. Ah, yes, butter. I knew I was forgetting something. I walked past an oba-san and her little boy; a few more steps further, I picked the butter. I think I was set. Now, to pay and return home. Having my stuff stolen was also a big blow to my plans. All the research documents I gathered hadn¡¯t been found at the prison. My only hope now was that the new chakra-locking measures I added to my seals held. I didn¡¯t want to deal with an army of Hinata clones in a few years. ¡°Miss?¡± The cashier¡¯s voice interrupted my musings. I looked at the man, nodded, and placed the basket in front of him. He calculated the price. I paid, then left. I coated my feet in chakra and walked up the walls until I was at the highway; it was time to go home and bake. Maybe Jiraiya could help? The sannin didn¡¯t strike me as someone dependable, but Naruto seemed fond of the old man. From what I remembered, Jiraiya wasn¡¯t willing to get involved in political matters, but if not with the council, maybe with the seals? Head full of thoughts and possibilities, I arrived at my apartment. There were more people there besides Karin. Maybe I should have expected that. Today was a day to put my social tolerance to the test. I opened the door and stepped inside. ¡°Hinata-chan!¡± A mop of pink hair glomped on me as soon as I entered. I held my arms out so my grocer didn¡¯t hit Sakura-chan. From between her hugs, I cast a glance at the second visitor. The bags fell from my trembling fingers. In my living room, sitting on my couch, no one other than Konoha¡¯s Beautiful Green Wild Beast, The Handsome Devil of the Hidden Leaf: Rock Lee in the flesh. ¡°Watch out!¡± Rock Lee cried out. Sakura let go of me and tried to pick up my bags. It slipped through her fingers, fell, and caused a huge mess. More details filtered in. Rock Lee wore his iconic green leotard, orange leg warmers, and red forehead protector as a belt. His hands were covered in bandages, and crutches were propped against the couch. Karin was also in the room. After almost a month of forced proximity with the redhead, it was easy to pick on her habits. She kept sneaking glances¡ª when she thought no one was looking ¡ª at Rock Lee¡¯s stomach, no, not stomach, his navel. She was totally checking out his chakra, wasn¡¯t she? I could see it. I could even make a good guess about what was happening. Karin wasn¡¯t someone to be attracted by appearance but by chakra. How would Rock Lee¡¯s chakra feel to her? A smile crept into my face. I was totally in favor. Karin and Rock Lee¡¯s ship? Heck yeah! The Beautiful Green Beast Got game! Then I caught a second glance¡ªthis time toward Sakura. Oh my. Karin was on fire! 7.8 From the kitchen counter, where I worked preparing the baking dough, I heard Karin recounting the events from when we met to the two visitors. To hear Karin tell it, I fought and overpowered an army of ninjas. I mean, her tale wasn¡¯t wrong. I did fight a fair number of enemies, but most of the fight was done by Assassination-chan to distract the opposition and let us flee. Even so, my clone mostly did hit-and-run tactics, which resulted in much chasing around and much less killing. Assassination-chan, despite her dramatic name, hadn¡¯t killed more than four, and those were mostly the weaker ones. Once jonins joined the fray, she was relegated to more fleeing than fighting. Still, the audience seemed captivated. Rock Lee¡¯s eyes shone with enthusiasm at the recounting, while Sakura looked parts scared, parts relieved, parts interested. But while I kneaded the dough, there was one question that kept nagging me. Why was Rock Lee here? Not that I was against him being here. No, I was giddy in a way I hadn¡¯t been since academy graduation and my assignment with Kakashi-sensei. Rock Lee, in my living room. The barely suppressed snicker from Sakura was enough to tell me I wasn¡¯t able to suppress all the excitement, or dancing. I mean. I might have fangirled¨C just a little ¨C once the surprise had its time to settle in. It was Rock Lee, gawdamnit. He was cool. Can you blame me? That even led to a whole conversation in which Sakura-chan gleefully spilled some of my less-than-savvy early-years incidents. Ugh, it was embarrassing yet nice. Sakura, I could guess why she was here. Naruto, or maybe someone else, might have told her the news that I was back. I was pretty good friends with the tsuntsun, and it was normal she¡¯d want to visit after I went missing. That still didn¡¯t explain Rock Lee. And from the way the two talked to each other, this didn¡¯t look like a new development. Hadn¡¯t Ino, not so long ago, told me Sakura had left flowers for Rock Lee and visited him a few times? Was there more to this? Had Sakura finally let go of her Emosuke obsession? Again, at the risk of allowing Fangirl-sama to take over too much, Rock Lee was cool. I¡¯d even go for him if I had any interest in boys. Yeah, he might look silly and maybe could do with a better haircut and maybe trimming his eyebrows, but those were just details that¡ª Gah, stop. Deep breaths, control the Fangirl, don¡¯t let her control you. I divided the dough in small bits and placed them on the cupcake molds. Once I had distributed all the dough, I put the molds in the oven. It was a waiting game now. In the living room, Karin was now going over how I ¡®saved¡¯ her from the badgers. She conveniently left out I was the reason she was in danger with the badgers in the first place. I cleaned my hands in the apron, took a jar of juice, some cups, returned to the living room. I had visitors, and I was going to do my best to be a good host. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°These are so good.¡± Karin moaned after taking yet another bite of her cupcake. Pressed for time and opportunity, I went with simple flavors. I did have to hide a batch of the cupcakes, however. By the rate they just disappeared between the three teens, if I hadn¡¯t, Ino¡¯s sweets would have been devoured before I could leave the house. At some point, I had taken an older version of my comms board from my room and strapped it to my arm. That got me an interested glance from Karin when the board popped out of the seal. It reminded me that even though we shared a lot of time together, fuinjutsu was never discussed. The weeks walk underground had given me plenty of time to think and design changes to my seals. Something I¡¯d have to start working on soonish. I gave her a nod and a smile, she gave me another in return. I wrote my question. ¡°How are you faring, Rock Lee?¡± I cast a glance at the crutches. The mood soured a little. Sakura¡¯s smile dropped. Rock Lee¡¯s smile was slightly brittle, but he still sounded cheerful when answering. ¡°This is nothing!¡± He boasted. ¡°This small injury won¡¯t get in my way of becoming a splendid ninja!¡± Two things I noticed, or maybe three. Rock Lee didn¡¯t seem to be even a little bit doubtful about that declaration despite what should have been horrible news from the doctors. Sakura looked at Rock Lee with a gaze full of something I couldn''t place. Karin did blush a bit, looking at both Sakura and Rock Lee. I wished the redhead all the best of luck. She was in for a rough journey. ¡°But Hinata-san,¡± Rock Lee said after a brief silence. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I never understood. Why did you almost kill Neji? Isn¡¯t he also a Hyuga?¡± Karin looked at Rock Lee and then at me, trying to understand what the boy had said. Then her eyes widened, and a hand covered her mouth. I gave her a slight shake of the head. Wrote words with my threads in a way I knew only Karin would be able to read. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, promise.¡± To Rock Lee, I did have to consider things before writing my answer. Why did my clone almost kill Neji? Maybe I could blame it on my clones being a bit wild and somewhat out of control, but that wasn¡¯t the real reason. The question here was, do I want to tell them the truth? Whatever I said here might go back to the Hyuga. I asked a question before answering. ¡°Ino-chan told me Hyuga Neji sought me out in the forest. Why?¡± Lee read my words, tilted his head. Scrunched his bushy brows. ¡°He never told us.¡± I erased my words, wrote others. Decided I wasn¡¯t going to lie. ¡°He looked at me like he wanted to kill me. I had to disabuse him of that notion.¡± ¡°He wouldn''t!¡± Rock Lee said, agitated. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of the clan leader.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± I wrote back. Rock Lee opened his mouth, maybe to argue, but I cut him off. ¡°My name is Hinata, I don¡¯t have a surname.¡± I rasped out. Left the implications of that for them to decide. The room sunk into silence. Karin looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time. Sakura had tears in her eyes for some reason. Lee looked troubled. I got up from the couch, went back to the kitchen to check the second batch of pastries. Maybe to flee from the awkward mood as well. Not that I managed to flee for long. A knock at my apartment¡¯s door forced me out of the kitchen into the awkwardness of the living room. On the other side was a bundle of chakra that had changed in the almost two months I was away, but it was still inherently recognizable. I opened the door. There on the other side was Sasuke, wearing the traditional Uchiha attire, looking at me. There was this moment of silence, like he didn¡¯t know what to say or why he was even here. I blame the awkward mood from the talk earlier making me overly emotional. Or maybe it was just teenage hormones messing with my head. I crossed the distance and hugged Sasuke, something I never thought I would do again. I was glad he hadn¡¯t fled or something silly like that. Man, I was a horrible mess if seeing Emosuke made me this happy. April’s fool 7.9 – Commissioned chibi images. I pulled away from the hug with Sakuke, looking at him like it was the first time I was seeing him: still dark and brooding, but I couldn''t deny his boyish charm.Those good looks that belonged on a boy''s band. I could even imagine it. Sasuke playing the guitar, giving that cold look to the horde of fan girls. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. I felt a blush creep on my cheeks. Oh, that was bad. Was this the new normal now? No more Best Girl Ino? It was time for Best Boy Sakuke?
7.9 – The real one ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡± I scowled, looked at Karin like she¡¯d grown a second head. How did all the awkwardness in the living room give her the impression I had anything going on with Sasuke? Was it the hug? It was the hug, wasn¡¯t it? We were in the kitchen preparing more refreshments and pastries. No, I was here fleeing from the embarrassing. Karin had followed me to ask horror inducing questions. The redhead walked to my side, bumped shoulders with me. ¡°That Hyuga girl?¡± She whispered. I looked at her, confused. What was she talking about? Then, memory hit me. That day in the forest, soon after we escaped. Hadn¡¯t she asked something similar? I nodded, then shrugged. Threads wrote my message. ¡°It was a long time ago.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± My hands stopped, shoulders slumped. I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, at least not now. ¡°Later?¡± Karin looked at the words I wrote, nodded. She gave me a sort of one-arm hug that I leaned into. Couldn¡¯t this day just end? I needed time to breathe, to recharge, to untangle my thoughts before I drowned in all these interactions. I wasn¡¯t myself right now, and people kept pushing me into social situations I had no defense against. I took a deep breath. I was a badass strong kunoichi. I could survive some emotional torture. I just needed to endure a while longer before I could flee, go meet Best Girl Ino. Maybe I¡¯d have some peace and quiet there. Maybe snuggling a cute blondie. Ugh, I hated feeling this vulnerable and needy. I felt like a stranger inside my own mind. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Karin whispered. I nodded, wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. It was time to face the worst kind of battle. The living room was a mix of moody silence and cringe tension. On one side sat Dark and Brooding, casting signature brooding looks at Konoha¡¯s Green Beautiful Beast. On another, the Handsome Devil alternated between looking at Sasuke, Sakura, and the kitchen where I had fled. Maybe worse was Sakura, who sat between the two. She didn¡¯t know what to do with herself and her hands, like she¡¯d been caught snogging her best friend¡¯s boyfriend behind the shed. It made no sense at all. With one glance, I knew that if I didn¡¯t do anything, everyone would suffer the cringe until a bomb exploded and put us all out of our misery. I placed the new round of pastries and juice on the table, then pulled chairs for me and Karin. I popped my board, wrote words. ¡°How have you been Sasuke-kun?¡± That was a safe enough question to start things. Emosuke looked at my board and the room as if the other¡¯s presence was an issue. Ugh, what was his deal now? Why was he always so hard to deal with? Maybe something showed on my face, or maybe he finally noticed the unusually long silence since I asked my question. ¡°Training with Itachi,¡± Sasuke said, then added. ¡°Doing boring D-rank missions inside the village since Kakashi, you, and Naruto were busy.¡± Huh, well, that was a normal answer? Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°What happened?¡± Sasuke asked before I could do anything else. ¡°The only thing I¡¯ve been told is that you went missing in action.¡± I was guessing this wouldn¡¯t be the first or last time I would repeat this story, so I wrote words. ¡°Well, it all started when I was promoted to chunin.¡± I showed the board. ¡°You¡¯re a chunin?¡± ¡°You were promoted?¡± ¡°You never told me that!¡± Sakura, Lee, and Karin all spoke at the same time. Yeah, this was going to take a while.
After the recounting started, things went much smoother than expected. Even Karin, who had participated in most of the journey, seemed interested in reading my side of events. I did skip a few things. I told them about the chimera we fought but skipped the clones. I also told them about the research data being stolen, but I didn¡¯t elaborate on my plan to steal it myself before it was stolen. ¡°Flying Thunder God? The Yondaime jutsu?¡± Rock Lee gasped. After much peer pressure and against my best judgment, I created the wood beacon. ¡°Black Thunder!¡± I protested, but no one paid attention. The kunai passed from hand to hand like it was a shiny new toy or something. ¡°Can you do it?¡± He asked, eyes shining in anticipation. I hated that I couldn''t do what he asked. I shook my head. A bit of red touching my ears. ¡°Why?¡± It was Sasuke this time. ¡°It¡¯s not complete,¡± I wrote, then wrote more. ¡°When I use it, it just takes me, not my earthly possessions.¡± There was a moment of silence before Karin gasped. ¡°That¡¯s why you were naked?¡± I scowled. Really, Karin? She was doing this on purpose, wasn¡¯t she? ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The redhead did look a bit sheepish, bombarded by questions. ¡°Well, when Hinata-chan escaped from her cell, she wasn¡¯t wearing anything at all. She killed a bunch of shinobi and then just walked back inside the cells like it was the most normal thing in the world. I just thought she liked to fight naked or something.¡± I facepalmed. Sakura looked horrified. Rock Lee¡¯s eyes shone. He looked inspired for some reason. Worst of all was Sasuke¡¯s barely there blush. Oh, please, spare me. Things went on like that for a while longer, with Karin always trying to inject some levity into the situation, even though most of the time, it was at the cost of saying something I had done that, in hindsight, was embarrassing as hell. I did notice that yes, it was on purpose. Was she trying to distract me? I mean, it was working. Being embarrassed was way better than emotionally traumatized. I guess I could let her off the hook just this once.
My pastries were almost depleted, and the living room was a mess. Sakura and Rock Lee had already left, and Karin somehow had made herself scarce inside my three-room apartment. How she managed that was a mystery. That left me with Emosuke, who had wanted to say something for a while but couldn¡¯t seem to find the words. ¡°What is it, Sasuke-kun?¡± I asked gently. It was selfish of me, but I wanted him gone. I enjoyed seeing him, and the afternoon of talking was nice, good even, but I still had an Ino to appease and sweets to deliver. Between Sasuke and Ino, there was no need to even guess. ¡°Mom wanted me to invite you for dinner,¡± he said, finally. I tilted my head. As far as I know, this was the first time Sasuke invited someone to visit his house. Was this why he¡¯d been acting so strange? I could even guess why the Uchiha were inviting me for dinner. Shisui had said Itachi wanted to talk regarding all that political fallout. I wasn¡¯t sure why a noble shinobi family like the Uchiha would wish to support an outcast like me. And I was curious about how things were going for the Uchiha with all the changes from how canon things were supposed to go. I nodded, wrote words. ¡°Should we invite Naruto and Kakashi-sensei as well? Make it a team seven thing?¡± Sasuke looked at the words, then shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I think Mom wants to talk with you after dinner.¡± Not Itachi? He was, what, fifteen? He might be acting as clan head, but maybe Mikoto was pulling the strings. That was a real possibility. I didn¡¯t know Mikoto¡¯s character. My sole interaction with her was that one meeting at the hospital. ¡°Three days from now?¡± Sasuke nodded. There was this brief moment of silence when I thought he might say or do something else, but he got up. ¡°Meet here at sunset?¡± He asked. I nodded, wrote more. ¡°I¡¯ll invite Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei.¡± Sasuke nodded again. I walked him to the door, waved him goodbye. Somehow, Karin reappeared between me walking him to the door and waving him off. From where, I had no idea. I took one look at her, the gleam in her eyes, the barely contained smirk. ¡°Nope!¡± I said. Ran out of the apartment, closed the door behind me. I had sweets to deliver. Karin could hold in whatever that was for a little while longer. 7.10 I landed in front of the flower shop. Before going in, I made sure I was presentable. Rebellious strands of hair went behind the ear, shirt smoothed over, cupcake crumbles dusted off. Ready, I pushed the door open and walked in. The Receptionist-san blinked, like he was surprised to see me here. I gave him a nod, then hurried inside before he could say anything. Walking into someone¡¯s home uninvited wasn¡¯t exactly polite, but I was already here ¡ª kind of. Circumstances made fuzzy with clones and all. The place was quiet. I crossed the living room, looked at the picture frames on the wall and photos of a young Ino and her family. I walked up the stairs and, without knocking, pulled the door open. Hug-chan was in bed, hugging a sleeping Ino. There was this tiny spark of jealousy that I quickly squashed. It was dumb and not the time. My clone tried to disentangle herself, but sleeping Ino wasn¡¯t keen on letting go. My clone signed a message. I followed her suggestion, lay on the other side of Ino, and hugged her. It didn¡¯t take long until Ino turned around, releasing my clone and holding me instead. Hug-chan took the chance to make her escape, not before hugging Ino one last time. Once she was up and about, she signed a few more messages and unpopped herself without fanfare. I was inundated with a whole afternoon of thoughts, ruminations, memories, and sensations. It was¡­ a lot. I scowled at the ideas from her. Telling people secrets was how things stopped being secrets. But she wasn¡¯t wrong. Obsession or not, I liked Ino, and I did want to get closer to her. It wasn¡¯t fair to involve her further and keep her in the dark. The real question now was: did I want to involve Ino? Honestly, no. Not because I didn¡¯t trust her, but because I didn¡¯t want to endanger her. That was such a patronizing sentiment that I even wanted to slap myself. It was how I felt, however. Could I push all this on Ino? Was it even fair? I¡¯ve been doing my best to enjoy my life, but my time was running out. This most recent brush with death only highlighted that this wasn¡¯t a world where things always worked out in the end. A chakra bundle entered the house. It made a beeline to Ino¡¯s room. I watched the door open. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Yamanaka matriarch ¡ª whose name I still didn¡¯t know ¡ª stood in the doorway, watching us. She looked regal and collected. Now, I know. How could I not know Ino¡¯s mom''s name? Well, Ino never introduced her mother and never called her anything other than mom. I wasn¡¯t around for any family reunion, so there''s no way I might have overheard Inoichi. I wasn¡¯t going to ask the mind ninja his wife¡¯s name or even Ino her mom¡¯s name. That was just weird. A label slotted into my mind. Yamanaka Mother. That was good enough until I learned the woman¡¯s moniker. Our eyes met. She gave me a nod. Pulled the door close. Was that approval? Or maybe she just didn¡¯t want to wake up Ino? At times like this, I did envy Karin¡¯s ability to know how others were feeling based on their chakra. That was such a nice thing to have, privacy be damned. It would make social encounters manageable for me, especially with all the social hardships to come. Shisui said I should gather allies. Maybe the Yamanaka clan? I didn¡¯t have that much contact with Ino¡¯s parents, but I think they didn¡¯t dislike me. At least, I hoped they didn¡¯t. Who else could I call upon? ¡°¡­¡± Kakashi-sensei? He was famous, and I also think he might be somewhat fond of me. Or maybe I was projecting. Yamato, maybe? I had the inkling that I should have done more to build connections instead of training to be a good shinobi because, unless I reached Madara levels of absurdness, I might lose the battle to politics. Or I could flee. There was always that possibility. Just harder now that they also knew about my new jutsu. Ino stirred, rubbed her face against mine. It was almost like a cat. I even imagined the purring. ¡°Hinata-chan?¡± she mumbled. I threaded my fingers through her hair. It felt nice. ¡°Hello, beautiful,¡± I husked out. I blamed the clone for putting all those ideas in my head. Ino stared at me from ten centimeters away. Her crystalline blue orbs were intense. ¡°What happened?¡± For the third time that day, I told the story. But this time, I didn¡¯t censor the details. I spoke in low, hoarse whispers, trying to lower the hurt in my throat, but also unwilling to get up from the bed to write down my explanation. It might have been a spur of the moment, but I didn¡¯t keep anything from Ino. I told her about the labs, about the clones, about my breakdown. Ino¡¯s face changed when I recounted the betrayal. She cried, then I cried when I told her about the prison and escaping. Like me, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of the badgers, even if Kumoko was still cute, in an ¡®I¡¯ll kill you¡¯ kinda way. When the recounting was done, maybe an hour later, we were still in bed, still hugging. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said after a moment of silence. I shook my head. There wasn¡¯t anything she needed to apologize for. ¡°None of that,¡± I whispered back. Swallowed the blood. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°I know, but,¡± she said. I stopped her again. ¡°I¡¯m back, but I¡¯m still in trouble,¡± I admitted. ¡°What do you mean?¡± More words spilled forth. I told Ino about all the discrimination over the years, and the council wanting me gone or worse. I told her about the Hyuga and the issues with the clan head and the matter of the eye. I told her about Shisui¡¯s suggestion, to gather allies, but I had none. Aside from my past life secrets, I told her everything. My worries about how Sasuke was behaving. About me not being myself, about other me¡¯s trapped in some dungeon being experimented on. I might have become a bit incoherent midway. I wasn¡¯t sure. It all spilled out even when I wanted to keep it all in.