Hinata sensei

As predicted, Naruto would ask the same question he had asked in the past on numerous occasions when he complained about having to complete a D-rank mission.

"Hinata-sensei, why do we have to do these damn missions? They're so tedious and annoying. Can't we do something different, like a C-rank mission? Please?"

Naruto was trying not to be disrespectful she really appreciated that about him. She can understand why he would feel that way about the d rank missions especially a certain one that every signal person has done which was nickname that d the rank mission of hell. though as his teacher she had to explain to him the purpose.

"I know you're eager to do more advanced missions but there's a reason for this all of us are required to do a lot of d rank missions at first to build up our skills and our ability to work together. the purpose of d rank missions in general is for Shinobi to go out in the community and do things for the people of their village so they can build connections. after we do all kinds of things not just missions where we fight enemy Shinobi or go on espionage and various other missions that would take too long to list. we have to be able to be good at working with people in our own community and socializing otherwise we're not going to be able to do any of these basic things on our missions when we eventually start doing c-rank missions and above"

Hinata explained patiently that she constantly told herself it took great effort sometimes to be patient, which was one of the requirements for Naruto. Compared to the others, he was easier to work with because of his eagerness to please her.

"I don't want to do that damn mission again; it's hell."

Naruto said, shivering at the memory of the D-rank mission of Hell, which is called by most people who have done it. Everyone hates it.

Hinata can't openly admit it out loud because she wouldn't make a good example, but she hates doing it, considering the client is so insufferable to deal with.

flashback one month ago

Hinata was confident enough to send her team on missions together after getting all the basics down. She approached the Hokage's office to see what kind of missions were available for her team.

After a month of training, Hinata wondered when it would finally happen. One of her peers said condescendingly, "You are finally taking your students out on missions! I was wondering when you'd do something like this." Hinata wanted to activate her Byakugan and shove that insufferable good-for-nothing so-called instructor at the academy who couldn't let it go that she got a promotion.

She was one of her teachers at the academy. Her name was Aki Animoto. A woman with high connections, who only got her job at the academy because of her family's wealth and her being the Daimyo's niece. It angered her so much that someone so incompetent was even allowed to teach, or even be a Jonin, and a incompetent woman, especially, allowed to lead a three-man cell.

She was a woman in her late 20s. She was taller than Hinata, who was a few inches shorter. She had a slender build and an outfit that exposed her cleavage and other parts of her body, which lightly exposed her stomach. She had fair skin and her eyes were brown; her lipstick was red, and her nails were polished red. She was the kind of kunoichi she hated the most. She didn't take her duties seriously and would sleep around. Hinata wouldn't care if she did that If it didn't interfere with her duties, she wouldn't have a problem with it.

Hinata would be a hypocrite for criticizing her for things that she has done herself, but the difference between her and Aki is that she doesn't let it interfere with her duties. She even slept around with her students, especially considering their age (they were underage). It disgusted her to think of someone like this being allowed to even be a Jonin.

She is aware that the age of consent in Konoha is 16 for those who are Shinobi, and 18 for civilians. However, it did not make things better, considering the students she slept with were not even 16; some were as young as 12-13. This sickens her.

"I'm sorry if I care about my students, and not just want them to know what to do on missions and not get killed because of the incompetence of their instructors. I'm not like you." She wanted to say it out loud: God, she hates this woman so much! so Insufferable!

Her students noticed her discomfort, and Naruto tried to lighten the mood.

"So, what kind of awesome mission are we going to do today, Sensei?" Naruto said enthusiastically. She was glad to have her thoughts interrupted by Naruto; she was almost on the verge of losing it.

"We'll go to the Hokage's office and find out what's available." She ignored the glare from Aki, who looked at Naruto with intense hatred. "Demon brat!" she muttered to herself. Not was wondering what he meant by that? She pushed that thought aside; right now, her priority was getting her students started on a mission so they could go out in the community and actually use the skills they'd been taught and put them into practice.

when they got to the hokage's office he looked at them with a neutral expression not wanting to tell them about the infamous D-rank mission of hell that all of the three man cells are required to do. he gave her the dossier for the mission she shivered she hated this mission she didn't understand why they had to waste resources doing this? it was useful in a way to test their teamwork but there was a much more productive way of doing it she hated this mission every person that's ever taken this mission has grown to hate it with a passion but everyone was required to do it at some point she almost feels like the Hokage purposely has a mission like this to test someone's patience.

"That cat got away again oh I guess it's our turn this time."not to said dreading the assignment Naruto Sasuke and Sakura did not understand what she was talking about."it can't be that bad sensei"Naruto said trying to lighten up the mood though everyone else other than Naruto knew that this mission would not be pleasant.

"why do I have a feeling this mission is going to be complete hell?"asked Sakura who is dreading the mission knowing what it was from the rumors at the academy about the infamous D rank mission."come on guys it can't be that bad"Naruto said trying to keep things positive.

A few hours later

"That fucking cat!" Sakura said irritated that the cat had escaped from them for the 50th time.

"What did I do in my previous life that forced me to do such a hellish assignment, Sensei? Please tell us do we have to?" asked Naruto, who was no longer enthusiastic about the mission. She was trying to take a deep breath and resist cursing every curse word she could think of. She hated this mission and hated that damn cat.

"Everyone of us have to do this mission" she said trying to calm down.

"There it is," said Naruto, referring to the cat as an 'it' rather than a 'he.' Goddamn obvious! A signal was given for her students to await her orders; she was going to catch that damn cat. She didn't want to spend the whole day chasing after his damn thing. When she found the right opportunity, she signaled for her team without using words but with a hand motion to strike.

Her team did everything she instructed them to do. It was everything right. She had everything planned out, observing every situation, even using her Byakugan to cover every exit.

Her team was on the verge of completing this tedious assignment, but the cat escaped. Hinata was so angry and frustrated that she kicked the dirt, cursing loudly.

"God-fucking-damn piece of shit"Hinata cursed loudly, her students looking at her in shock.

Did our sensei just curse? Shocked, Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, she did?" Sakura said, baffled that their sensei would even curse at all.

she realized her students had heard her, and then she blushed in embarrassment at such an amateur mistake. She took a deep breath.

"I have a different plan that will trap this thing and then we'll give this cat back to its owner and hopefully next time we could do something else other than this tedious mission." She stopped herself before she went on a rant about how much she hated this mission and how much she couldn't stand the client who nobody liked her; she never paid attention to her cat, whose cat was out of control."

The team would eventually finish the task, though it would be near midnight and they would all be exhausted. Hinata would sleep dreamlessly, and then the dreadful thing happened: they'd have to do the same mission for almost a month straight, pushing Hinata's patience to its limit.

Hinata doesn't want to do that mission again; she shivers at the thought of doing that infamous D-rank mission, but she knows she has to set a good example to Naruto. She took a deep breath and told herself not to do that infamous mission again, speaking to Naruto as normally as possible.

"That's not up to me, Naruto. Only Hokage-sama could decide that." She said to him patiently. She gave him a chance to absorb what she said. "Then can we ask old man to give us one then?" Naruto asked Hinata. "Naruto, you will refer to him as Hokage-sama, calling anything else is disrespectful." Hinata gently reprimanded him. "I don't mean any disrespect, Hinata-sensei. I have nothing but respect for him." Naruto said apologetically. She sighed; she knew he meant well and he didn't mean disrespect for him. "I know you don't, but when you're in my presence, you will call him by his proper honorifics." Hinata was gentle on how she handled Naruto. She knew he was more receptive to kindness than he was towards people criticizing him all the time.

"I'm sorry I feel like such a screw-up," Naruto said ashamed.

"Naruto, I know you're trying; it's difficult. I know everyone else, and I wouldn't let them get away with doing what you do. But you've never had parents, so you've been on your own your whole life. I just want what's best for you." Someone might consider what she's doing as spoiling Naruto or playing favorites, but she wasn't raised that way. Her upbringing was harsh, and she can empathize considering her upbringing wasn't pleasant . She knows that being kind is the best way to deal with how Naruto has been acting, not by being harsh and humiliating in a scolding manner.

Sakura was the second person to show up, even though she had misgivings. The girl is trying to get better.

"Hinata-sensei, I have a question. Well…"

Hinata patiently waited for Sakura to finish her question.

"I was wondering if I could get the same kind of training you give to Naruto. I want to be stronger so I won't become a burden to everyone."Sakura said determined.

"I cannot teach you the same way I can teach Naruto; it wouldn't work for you like it would for him." Hinata was testing Sakura's resolve; she wanted to see how determined she was to get stronger.

"I still want to be stronger; there has to be something," Sakura insisted.

She likes this answer, so she wants to become stronger for her own sake. That's good; she actually was worried that she would only drag the team takes her duties more seriously, she saw a positive change in Sakura; she even cut her hair to showcase her dedication and also revealed her deepest secret.

flashback one month ago

The day before they would start going on missions, they were going through their training routine. Sakura looked like she was in deep thought. She was wondering why she was earlier than even Naruto. This was unusual.

"Sensei, when you said I prioritized too much on my appearance and not enough on being a ninja, I thought long and hard about it. It's hard for me to change, but it has to be done if I'm ever to become stronger."

She cut her hair without a second thought.

Hinata was shocked at her sudden action. Her hair scattered in the breeze, and she couldn't help but admire it. She was displaying her dedication by giving up one of her most prominent weaknesses.

Hinata would smile if she could.

"Sakura, I'm proud that you've taken this big step, but know that we're all weapons, including our looks. We can use them to our advantage. There's a difference between caring about your appearance as a way to maintain a weapon, and caring about your appearance because you care about superficial things. When you know the difference, Sakura, you could have your looks and be a great ninja. There's no reason you can't have both. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't tell you this."

Sakura blushed at this.

"Actually, Sensei, I have a confession." This surprised Hinata; what did she have to confess? "Sasuke is not who I am infatuated with; that was just a cover." This shocked her to say the least. "Truth be told, Sensei, I've been scared to reveal this because if anyone knew, I'd be rejected." Hinata had a feeling where this was going. "I'm not attracted to boys; I'm attracted to girls." Hinata had no idea how to respond to this. She had made assumptions without even knowing anything.

"I never "she had no words."it's okay sensei everyone assumes that Sasuke is the one but he's not he's never been the person I mean if there's one person I would want she's out of reach I don't think she'll ever look at me as anything more than a friend."Sakura said with sadness. Hinata had no idea what it was like to be a lesbian she couldn't imagine the difficulty especially in an environment where the civilian council reinforces being in the closet.

They mostly kept quiet about themselves and never revealed their sexuality due to being ostracized for it."What you just said will stay between us; you don't have to tell anyone until you're ready."Hinata said to reassure the girl."Thank you, Sensei! I feel safe now. I'm glad you're my Sensei."The girl said with a warm smile. If Hinata could do that, she would smile back.

The girl I'm waiting for her answer, she wanted her own one-on-one lessons like she gave Naruto. She chose her words carefully because she didn't want him to take it the wrong way. She spoke in a soft manner.

"I can give you private lessons, but I can't do it in the same way I'm teaching Naruto. It won't work as well on you." Sakura didn't look pleased with her answer."Why is that?" Hinata knew this would have to be explained eventually."Naruto unlike you has huge chakra reserves. The training method I've been teaching him would only work for him because of the amount of chakra he has. Naruto was listening intently."

Sakura look disappointed but Hinata would not let her mind wander."you do have skills that neither Sasuke nor Naruto have though it hasn't been properly trained yet your chakra control it is better than all of your teammates put together. in fact your chakra control is better than mine was at your age."Sakura looked amazed by learning of having skills that neither one of her teammates have.

"You mean I have skills that they don't have, but what good is that? I would like to do what Naruto can do or Sasuke or your sensei. There has to be something."

Hinata smiled; Sakura really wanted to get stronger.

"Tell you what, when there's a chance, I'll teach you something only you can do, but know this: it's an advanced skill that requires precise chakra control. If you can prove to me that you have the skills to use it, I'll teach you the technique."

Sakura was excited to finally be able to learn something. That neither Sasuke or Naruto can do.

Sasuke joined the others with an indifferent expression.

Did you hear that, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata rolled her eyes. She knew it was only an act her infatuation with Sasuke; it was still irritating nonetheless, even though it was only an act. At least she was serious about being a ninja, unlike before, which was progress.

"Since everyone is here, we're going to the Hokage office for our next mission." the entire team groaned. "I don't want to do that D-rank mission of 'hell' again. Please, anything but that." Naruto complained. "I agree; I don't want to chase that damn cat again, and I can't believe I agree with Naruto for once." Sakura chimed in. Sasuke didn't have to say anything for Hinata to know he was tired of the missions too; she sighed. "I'll see what I can do." Hinata replied. She doesn't normally do this, but she doesn't want to do that D-rank mission either. Though she won't voice that out loud because she wants to make a positive example for her students to follow.

later

Team 7 went to the Hokage Tower where the The Hokage sat. He looked like he was done doing paperwork when he smiled at Naruto. "Naruto my boy, how are you doing? How's your sensei treating you?" he asked him with that old man affection. Hinata thought he was a good man but not someone that should be Hokage. She didn't think he was capable of making the hard decisions that were needed. "Hinata-sensei is great, she's awesome. I learned so much under her. I don't think I could have asked for a better sensei." Naruto was praising her in a way she never heard others praise her. It shouldn't really matter to Hinata but it felt good to be appreciated.

"I was wondering ol' I mean Hokage Sama, do you think you can give us a C-rank mission? These D-rank missions are so tedious and boring" the way he was looking at Naruto was as if he was considering something. He went under his desk. "There is a mission I was considering giving to somebody else, but since you're here first, here it is." He gave Hinata the mission profile. They're going to escort a man by the name of Tazuna to the Land of Waves. It didn't seem like something out of the ordinary, and she didn't think it was too advanced for her students.

"This will definitely be their first time outside the village. Be careful out there!" he said, looking at her. "We'll be fine; we'll be back before you know it. Believe it."

Naruto said, "Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, you are dismissed. I'll be speaking to your sensei alone for a bit."

Naruto and the rest of his team had left, leaving both his sensei and the Hokage alone.

"It seems like you made quite an impression on Naruto."

Hiruzen said, smiling at Hinata, who didn't know what he meant; she was oblivious to the fact that Naruto has a crush on her. A massive one, he praised her like he'd never praised any of his other teachers. "I don't know why I make such a good impression on him. What I hear from his other teachers is that he's never been this respectful towards them, like he is towards me." If only she knew why Naruto, being treated kindly by others, is a rarity. Hinata is one of the few people who have treated him as a person and not a monster. He feels terrible for not giving Naruto a better living accommodations, but the civilian council wouldn't give him anything that would make his life less harsh.

He was even barred from informing Hinata about Naruto being the carrier of Kyubi. Despite her being entitled to the information because of her rank.

"It's because of your kindness, Hinata. Whether you think of it as a weakness or a strength, it certainly has had an impact on Naruto. I've never seen him improve so much in such a short amount of time. I made the right choice in making you Sensei of team 7. I know you have mixed feelings about them and Sasuke's lack of respect. He'll turn around, and you are the role model Sakura needs.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Hinata said, bowing respectfully before leaving. He asked her one last question. "What's your opinion on Naruto Uzumaki?" This was the last question he wanted to ask. She froze at that question. She took a moment before giving her answer. "I think he's a good boy who deserves far better than what he's been given. I don't know why he's treated the way he is by the village, but it's wrong. Naruto is a hard worker; many can learn from his example." Hiruzen was pleased with her answer, but something else surprised him: the way she was answering the questions. She looked like she was hiding something; he decided to let it slide. Perhaps it was nothing.

"Well, I won't keep you here. Give me your report when you get back." She bid him farewell and left. He couldn't help but think aloud. "Minato. Like father, like son. History is repeating itself. It seems." He smiled. He remembered Minato and Kushina and how they met. There were differences, of course. Was it possible that Naruto and Hinata would repeat history? Only time would tell.

The one thing he did notice in Hinata's eyes and the tone of her voice wasn't as cold as it was before. Ever since that night, when Itachi Uchiha murdered his clan and broke Hinata's heart into a thousand pieces, she had been cold and distant from everyone. Naruto Uzumaki was the source of that change. It was subtle; she wasn't as cold as she used to be and was kinder than she was prior to her assignment on team 7, but she still had a ways to go. She hadn't cried or laughed or smiled yet.

He couldn't help but see Minato and Kushina when he saw Naruto and Hinata, even though it's different from them than his parents. He recalled how cold and distant Minato was before Kushina made him laugh and smile for the first time when she pulled a prank that angered the entire civilian council; it was a sight that Hiruzen remembered fondly. He hoped Naruto could be that person who makes Hinata smile again and laugh again, the poor woman he would support anyone who would make her smile again, even if it pissed off the whole village.

He had a lot of paperwork that he had to take care of, and it wouldn't take care of itself, so

he got to work.

"I can't wait to get started on this mission. It's such an exciting thing, something new at last."

Naruto said excitedly, finally something different. Sasuke couldn't help but sympathize with Naruto because he was getting tired of those missions too. Even if he wouldn't admit it as much as he disliked his sensei, he respected her skills; it still made it difficult for him to be around her. His dislike of the Hyuga's was something he didn't know how to overcome. Hinata may not be like the rest of them but it was difficult for him to see her any differently considering she still gives off the Hyuga arrogance. Naruto's infatuation with her though was getting on his nerves and he just wanted him to be quiet about Hinata this Hinata that. As much as he disagreed with Sakura calling Naruto the teacher's pet, it was accurate for the most part.

They were waiting for their client, who seemed like a difficult one to work with. Sasuke didn't know if even he would have the patience to deal with such people. A man appeared, looking like he was in his late 50s or early 60s. He looked like he could be the client they had to escort. He was hoping he wouldn't be too difficult.

"I have a bunch of kids escorting me. I was hoping for experienced ninja." The man said, annoyed, Sasuke couldn't help but twitch, though he kept his cool, there's nothing to be gained by losing his self-control over something so small. "I take it you're Tazuna?" Hinata asked in a businesslike manner. "Yes, and not only do I have kids, but a girl as well. Are you sure you're even qualified to lead this mission?" Sasuke saw the face of Hinata change. "I assure you, Tazuna-san, I am more than capable." Hinata said in a voice cold as ice. The eyes Sasuke found her personality to be very hard to read. She acts kind one minute and cold the next. Which personality is the real Hinata? Sasuke didn't know, and it made him feel uncomfortable having a sensei with a hard-to-read personality.

He felt uneasy around her, as she had not smiled once since the start of his time on Team 7. Nor had he seen anyone else laugh; any smiles he did see were forced, which seemed fake. Something about this made him feel uneasy.

Her personality, which is real or fake? He can't help but notice that she's acting a part and isn't being who she truly is. The rumors say she's cold and detached; she keeps herself at arm's length from her team, whom she's supposed to be teaching. He sees how the other sensei's interact with their students compared to his sensei, who are far more relaxed and engaging with them during lessons.

Hinata doesn't connect with any of them on a human level outside of training, almost as if she's trying to maintain a distance. That part didn't bother Sasuke; what bothered him was that he felt like he wasn't dealing with a real teacher who had an authentic personality. It was almost as if the person he saw in front of him was fake, and he couldn't find an answer for it. Was she cold? Was she kind? It was hard to say because she was so good at her job that she was excellent at teaching everyone on his team, but she didn't go beyond that.

There's no comradity like it with other teams. Everything seems artificial outside of training. He didn't like it at all, even if he doesn't particularly like the Hyuga. He'd rather deal with someone who doesn't bury their true selves inside a shell.

The one question that bothered him, he wanted to ask her, but he felt like Sensei would never answer: "What did Itachi do to her? And what was their relationship?" He wanted to know this; he wanted to know if the rumors he'd heard over the years were true. He wanted to know one way or the other if they were true, and he would find out when the appropriate time came.

For now, though the main thing on his mind was the mission, he could find answers later. Right now, the mission is what's important.

Naruto wanted to smack the man for disrespecting Hinata like that. What amazed Naruto more was how she kept her cool. Though it made Naruto really confused on how cold she was acting ever since he had started being taught by her, she's acting cold one minute and kind the next. From what Naruto can gather, her cold exterior is a mask and her true self is the one that teaches him, which is kind but different from the Hinata in front of her team. Ninjas always use deception even against their own students and only show their true selves when there's a bond between them. Naruto wasn't any closer to understanding Hinata now than he was the day he first met her; he knew next to nothing about her other than her name and her hobbies.

"Whatever as long as you're capable and can get me to my destination in one piece, it matters not so long as you kids don't screw it up. You'll get paid." Tazuna dismissed Naruto, who wanted to smack him but kept himself in check. There was nothing to be gained; he had to learn patience, one of the things his sensei had taught him. They went to the front gates of Konoha and checked one last time for all their belongings before leaving.

Naruto couldn't believe it when the man had the nerve to show such disrespect to his sensei. He wanted to smack him, but he knew that wouldn't help with their mission. So, he tried to keep as much distance from him as possible. At least as much as the mission allowed, he noticed Hinata was looking around as if she were looking for enemies (which wasn't likely). It was an escort mission; it wasn't like they'd encounter assassins or any other dangerous enemies on a C-rank mission.

The idea was preposterous. Naruto had thought he would continue walking in the forest, not noticing two puddles of water. There were two men who ran quickly, but Naruto didn't notice them until it was almost too late; he froze, unable to move. "Damn it! Move!" Naruto muttered to himself. He couldn't move; he was scared. These men weren't actually there; it couldn't be true. The first man among them was about to strike. Sasuke got between them, and Sasuke Looked at him with that smug look on his face that he had grown to hate.

He didn't even feel the scratch on his right hand when the second man went straight for his client, but he didn't get far.

Hinata made short work of him; she hit him at the chest with a technique he didn't recognize. He flew into a tree, which shattered his spine and killed him instantly.

Even though it only happened in a minute, Naruto felt as if it had lasted an eternity. He was scared of all the things that could go wrong.

His hands were shaking, and so were his knees. He never pictured a situation where he would ever be scared in his life. He never felt so terrified, and then he saw Sasuke, who had a smug look on his face.

"What's wrong, scaredy-cat?" Sasuke said mockingly. Naruto wanted to hit Sasuke. Not only did he look pathetic, but he was also weak; even Sakura didn't freeze, and worst of all, he made himself look like a weak and scared fool in front of her.

"Let me take a look at that Naruto." Hinata went towards him and examined the wound.

He looked into his sensei's eyes she looked worried.

"This has poison. It won't leave your system until the poison is removed."

Naruto felt so pathetic and weak that everyone looked at him with pity. Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata were the worst. If there was one person he couldn't make himself look weak in front of, it was Hinata.

He couldn't look weak in front of her. He took out a Kunai and jabbed it in his right hand, shocking Hinata and everyone. The pain was unbearable, but it was better than the humiliation he had suffered earlier. Blood dripped out of his hand. He vowed he would never again be a coward or a fool. He would never freeze again. He would never look like a fool in front of Sasuke or his sensei. "I will not ever again be a coward or a fool. I vow I will never again be afraid to act. I will never look like a fool in front of Sasuke or my sensei." The surprised everyone with his rash action. He knew it wasn't rational, but he didn't want to be pitied, especially by Hinata.

What he wanted more than anything was her respect. He wanted to repay her for the kindness she had shown him over the past two months. He wouldn't dishonor her by acting like a pathetic child in the midst of battle.

Hinata was shocked by his sudden action, but got over it quickly.

"That was reckless of you, Naruto! We're lucky we have an anesthetic; if that gets infected, you can have a high fever. Don't do that again!" Hinata said gently. She was worried about him; it was evident in her eyes, even though the tone of her voice was saying something else.

He felt so pathetic and weak that she went out of her way to teach him extra lessons in order to help him learn how to defend himself. He felt like a failure.

He wanted her to acknowledge him as a man, but how could he, when he was a pathetic child? He froze on their first mission, on a bunch of likely low-level scum who were probably the lowest of the low—Ninja at best.

The pain in his right hand hurt a lot, but it wasn't as bad as the looks his teammates and Sensei gave him.

One day he wanted to be the one to protect her; another vow he made to himself in that very moment.

After she was done tending to Naruto's injury on his right hand, she went to the surviving ninja who tried to kill Tazuna. She activated her Byakugan as a intimidation tactic. She wasn't going to mess around. "Who sent you and why did you come here?" Hinata asked him with no emotion. The ninja spat in her face. "I wouldn't tell you even if I could do your worst." He didn't take her seriously; it was a big mistake. "You listen here. Do you know what they call me? I'm the lioness you don't want to fuck with me. If you don't tell me what you know, I will make this experience painful. Do you understand? I'm being lenient here. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I will make this experience painful and I know many ways to make you talk. We can do this the easy way or the hard way; it's your choice." The man showed no fear. She hated using methods that were taught by Kakashi and the Abu Black ops but she had no choice. She looked at her team.

"What I'm about to do is unpleasant, and I don't want you to see what I'm about to do." Hinata ordered her team they did as they were told when they were far enough away so that they wouldn't witness what she was going to do, but close enough in case any other outside threats came; she could come to their aid quickly. When they were out of earshot, she took a tool from her ninja pouch—a tool of torture, which was only given to Jonin. It was only advised to use it under extreme circumstances because the amount of physical and psychological pain it caused to its victims was immense.

She didn't want to use this device due to the dangers of it and what it can do to her victims' minds, but she was going to get what she needed one way or another and she would rather have it willingly than by force. She asked the ninja one last time. "Do you know what I hold in my hand?" The ninja said nothing. "This tool is not something anyone wants to be on the receiving end of; it was invented by my clan and we used it for generations to abstract information from our enemies since the founding of Konoha. It has been distributed only to those of Jonin rank and there are certain hand signs that only they know; since I'm a member of the Hyuga clan, I can use this jitsu and this tool to its full effect. Do you want to know what kind of hell I will inflict on you if you don't cooperate? If you still insist on this pointless resistance, know that I will break you until I get everything I need to know. This is not a gentle process. You will wish you were dead. You have one last chance to cooperate before I use this on you." She said in a cold tone.

Again, the prisoner gave her the silent treatment. Fine! He wanted to play games, so let him suffer the consequences.

"Very well," Hinata said coldly. She removed the tiny scroll and opened it, then summoned a device with many needles. She put the device on her hand, which looked like a gauntlet but seemed more like a glove. The man tried to save face with a neutral expression.

"The kind of things I can do to you, you pathetic wretch, if you don't tell me what I want to know, I can inflict horrors you can't comprehend. Save yourself pain and talk!" Hinata demanded. He was giving her the silent treatment; she inserted the first needle into his lower neck, causing him to spasm.

"Who sent you?" she asked again.

"Fuck you!" the mercenary replied. Inserted a second needle; he spasmed uncontrollably. He couldn't breathe due to the torture device limiting the oxygen flow. The man barely could breathe; his face hurt from being blue.

"I don't like repeating myself: Who sent you?" she asked as she inserted another needle in his neck. His body spasmed uncontrollably, losing all motor function. His body was moving on its own. The torture device inflicted untold horrors on the human psyche.

She had no qualms about torturing the scum she didn't think he deserved anything less than she's not a cruel person, but she wasn't above extending the torture as long as it served the mission's goals. "You can make this easy on yourself if you simply talk." She said, not caring that his body was moving uncontrollably; his legs moved on their own. She could control him like a puppet with this torture device that was invented by her clan, which can make the torture device even more potent if she wanted to. If she were a sadist, it was used as a last resort due to how it could potentially destroy the victim's mind.

She cared nothing for this scum, how many people did he murder, how many women did he possibly rape? How many other untold horrors has he inflicted on others? She insured another needle and he screamed in pain, increasing the potency of the tool that she had at her disposal.

he was putting up quite a fight as pathetic as it was he would talk they always do this device nobody can resist it for long.

"Tell me what I want to know. Things will get much worse if you don't talk."

She was on the verge of losing her patience, considering the severity of the situation and how long her students had been left defenceless.

"Fuck you, bitch!" he said, his voice slurred."

She was losing her patience; she didn't want to leave her team alone and defenceless against a potential assassin who could easily overpower them. She was at her wit's end.

She didn't even bother being gentle anymore. She inserted all the needles in his neck, he screamed in pain uncontrollably. Tears fell down his eyes. He looked like a broken, scared child.

She screamed in his face, not caring anymore about subtlety.

"WHO SENT YOU? TELL ME!"Hinata shouted having enough of his futile resistance.

"Please! I'll tell you everything I know. Just stop using that! Please!" man sobbed broken from the intense torture that she put him through.

Who sent you, and don't lie to me; I won't be fooled by your eyes or any lie you tell me. I'll detect it, and I'll use that device on you again. Do I make myself clear? You pathetic worm?" She said menacingly and would follow through with her threat. She doesn't make empty threats.

"I won't lie to you, please don't use that thing again." The man said, scared that she would follow through with her threat.

"who sent you"?"Hinata asked him.

"A man by the name of Goto hired us to take out Tazuna in order to stop him from" before anything else could be revealed, two needles suddenly pierced his neck, killing him instantly.

She activated her Byakugan and saw nothing. She looked to where her team was, they weren't in danger. Whoever killed him wanted him to be silenced. Someone else knew why those assassins were here and she needed to have a talk with Tazuna.

She was furious that the old man was hiding secrets from her. A secret that nearly got Naruto killed. Was the Hokage aware of this? She was going to find out one way or another. All of it, and she wasn't satisfied with his answer. She would abort the mission.

Hates it when people lie to her and aren't upfront and honest. He better have a good reason, she thought.

Naruto wondered what was happening he was feeling embarrassed. He behaved like a coward in front of everyone, especially Hinata. "It seems you don't want to be seen as a fool in front of your future mate, do you?"

Naruto looked around, unsure of who had spoken.

That same voice sounded inhuman, unlike what Naruto had imagined.

"What are you?"

Naruto asked the mysterious voice.

"You certainly must have heard of me; what the humans call Kyubi. Though I doubt you're smart enough to figure out my real name; not that I would tell you."

It was the Kyubi the nine-tailed fox spirit the thing that ruined his life, made it Naruto angry.

"You damn fox, you ruined my life."

Naruto said angrily.

"I could care less if anyone; you should be angry at it's that damn Madara Uchiha."

Before he could ask any more questions, Hinata appeared and she had a serious look on her face as she approached Tazuna. She didn't look happy. "There's something you haven't told us: why were those assassins after you? I think you know more than you're letting on."

Hinata was difficult to read, but the tone in her voice was icy cold. "I was hoping we could do it at our destination, but there's no sense in hiding it in the Land of Waves. We don't have enough money to afford anything higher than a C-rank mission; even the request costs us almost everything we have. I'm sorry for deceiving you, but there was no other way."

The man lied. No wonder he was disappointed when he saw Team 7. It made sense. Naruto summarized that he was hoping for more experienced ninja, not a bunch of rookies. Naruto looked at Hinata and couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"By all rights we should abort this mission right now, at least that's what any Shinobi who goes by the book would do. But I don't go by the book all the time, and for this situation, I would like to hear more. But first, we should get to our destination, and then I'll decide one way or the other: should this mission continue?"

It was hard to really tell if she was truly a kind person or was she a cold, calculated person. Why is Hinata so inconsistent?

"Thank you, Hinata-san," Tazuna said sincerely. They wasted no more time and continued with their journey.

A few hours later

Naruto couldn't help but feel something was off. He could smell it he couldn't explain it. "It's because of me that you're able to have a heightened sense of smell, boy!" Kyūbi said in annoyance. He ignored him and closed his eyes with a heightened sense of smell. He also had a heightened sense of hearing. This is the benefit of having the fox sealed inside of him. It was frustrating. Naruto has abilities that he's been taking for granted up until now that has helped him survive up until this point. He didn't realize how much it was aiding him at the moment. He heard a sword being thrown. "Everyone get down now!" Naruto shouted. He forced Sasuke and Sakura to get down along with their client, Hinata, who ducked in order to avoid the sword. Almost as if she also knew the man, Naruto looked. He had an imposing figure. His skin was lighter in complexion compared to what he was used to seeing.

He was shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt to which he attached his Kubikiribōchō. Wearing baggy pants with a striped pattern typical of Kirigakure and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers. Looking down at everyone, he spoke in a tone Naruto could feel killing intent in. "Those useless mercenaries couldn't do the job and I have to be the one to clean up their mess. And look what we have here: three kids playing ninja and a the lioness of Konoha interesting." The way he was speaking about Hinata was condescending.

"You surely have heard of me, Zabuza Momochi. Surely you know better than to underestimate me," Hinata said with confidence. "I was hoping to fight Kakashi but I guess Konoha is low on manpower and decides to allow you, who looks no older than 17 or 18, to lead a team of rookies, which is a disappointment." Hinata activated her Byakugan. "Underestimating me will be the last mistake you'll ever make. I am called the lioness for a reason." She took a quick glance at Naruto and his team and spoke in a commanding tone: "Everyone guard Tazuna and whatever you do, stay out of the battle. This foe is far beyond any of you."

Naruto did exactly as she commanded.

Naruto guarded his front, Sasuke guarded his left, and Sakura guarded his right.

Hinata has heard of Zabuza, one of the seven swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Although he is not an opponent Hinata can take lightly, they were the same level in terms of rank. One thing he had over her was experience. She has to be careful and not become a victim of his water prison technique. A jutsu like this would be a problem if she were caught in such a situation. She wouldn't be able to get out without resorting to a jutsu that would do both her and Zabuza harm. She would rather not resort to her Lightning Style: Lightning Palm unless it's a last-ditch effort.

"I'm surprised they allow the Byakugan princess on a mission like this, shouldn't you be in your castle, ordering your servants around?" he said mockingly. "If you think this is going to anger me, you're mistaken. I've heard all these insults before. If you don't take me seriously, you will be dead before you hit the ground." Hinata didn't want to exchange any more words; she thought it was a waste of time. He grabbed his sword and went straight past her. She knew who he was aiming for. With lightning speed, she didn't let him get far.

"You are a lot faster than what is said in that bingo book, it seems like it's outdated"Hinata deliberately did not show off a lot of her skills. It was a huge benefit in situations like the one she's in. It worked to her advantage. He tried to hit her with his sword, Hinata blocked it with her fist. If any other style other than the gentle fist her hands along with our entire body would have been cleaved into two. Her entire body was a weapon. The gentle fist was the ultimate Taijitsu style of close-range combat but it had other applications as well. It was able to also mix it with Ninjutsu though it's not encouraged by users of the gentle fist.

A foolish limitation that held back what could be the style of close range combat.

"Lightning-style, lightning- palm!" A bolt of lightning pierced through his sword. Zabaza backed away, had it been any other combatant, the encounter would have been done and over with, due to it cutting her opponent into many pieces. "Seems like we have a genius here; Kakashi has trained you well. I underestimated you." He said with a form of respect.

Hinata didn't care to hear his flattery; he was an enemy the longer this fight went on the more likely he would Target the weak link she couldn't afford to get trapped in his prison jitsu. It doesn't matter how much stronger she may be compared to her opponent, if she's trapped in that jitsu it's over he noticed she was thinking the same thing she was thinking. "How do you know you're not fighting a shadow clone?"he asked rhetorically that it's impossible her Byakugan would have spotted it. But that moment of doubt was all he needed. A clone appeared from behind and before she could do anything to respond he trapped her in a water prison. "Damn it,"Hinata said. Her moment of hesitation put her in this position she couldn't blame anyone but herself she couldn't allow herself to be captured like this. She still has a way out. "Forget about me, take Tazuna and get the hell out of here, that is an order"all she has to do is buy her time and Hope this would work. If they flee he would have no choice but to undo the jitsu due to how much chakra it would be taking up. "You're certainly no Kakashi, he would have never got caught in that trap like this, you're soft"he said condescendingly. She was so angry she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face but she had to keep control and have faith that her team would follow her orders and survive long enough for her to save them.

Hearing her order them to abandon her was a No-No on Naruto's part. In his eyes those who abandon their friends are scum. "You do know you are no match for that man, you're weak you should do what your future mate says"Kyūbi said to him Naruto was getting really irritated by him calling Hinata his mate. "I can't leave even if I wanted to. Even a shadow clone of that monster is stronger than all of us put together we can free her. He would not expect us to plot her rescue; he'd expect us to flee" Kyūbi chuckled. Naruto wanted to know why. "You're not stupid as you act boy what is your plan?"that was a good question. He had to come up with a plan on the spot he looked at Sasuke. He would be important to his plan. "Okay I got a plan to help our sensei. Are you open for it?"Sasuke looked at Naruto as if he understood what Naruto had in mind. "Sakura will stay with Tazuna and Naruto will handle this,"Sasuke said. If there is one good thing about being a Genin no one would suspect one of his rank to come up with such a plan.

Hinata wondered why her team wasn't following her orders. What were they doing? Naruto, with hundreds of shadow clones, recklessly charged at Zabuza. She wondered why he wasn't running away. It looked like he was trying to hold Zabuza down, but that was pointless since it was just a water clone. He knocked back all the clones, and then threw a shuriken.

Sasuke caught it. She knew what their plan was. It wouldn't work. He could jump over it and dodge it, and then the clone would just kill everyone, and that would be the end of it. Sasuke threw it, and as Hinata predicted, he jumped. "You think I would fall for such an obvious trick, brats?" he said mockingly, but his mood changed as soon as he saw the shuriken turn into Naruto, who threw a Kunai he wouldn't be able to dodge without undoing the jitsu (which he had no choice in doing). So he undid the jitsu and dodged the weapon, but Naruto didn't intend to hit him; he wanted to make him move.

"Good thinking, but stay out of this fight. This is high-level ninja business." Hinata commanded, getting back into her fighting stance and activating her Byakugan. "That will be your one and only chance to kill me. That will be your last mistake you will ever make." Hinata said coldly. "1.8 trigram 64 palms" She got into her stance; her opponent didn't even know what hit him. She was so fast with her strikes; he tried to parry and block, but to no avail. Every single chakra point was cut off. She could use the Lightning Style variant, but he wasn't the kind of opponent that warranted such use, so she didn't use it.

She was about to do the final blow, and when she was about to land it, he was struck by two needles at his neck. She looked up and saw a mysterious ninja with a mask associated with the Mist. Hinata was wary because Konoha and Kirigakure are not at the most friendly terms; they're neither friends nor foes, but Hinata was on guard. The mysterious figure spoke, "I must thank Hinata Hyuga of the Hyuga clan. Much is known about you in my village. What you've done has made things a lot easier for me. I've been tracking down Zabuza for a long time. Thank you, Lioness of Konoha. My village will forever be in your debt." The mysterious boy did a hand sign and vanished.

It was suspicious why Zabuza's body wasn't destroyed on the spot? She never served in the Abu, but what she knows from Kakashi was it was standard procedure, no matter what village, especially in the Mist. She knew the procedures for disposing of missing-nin. They destroy all evidence of anything their bodies contain on the spot and retrieve any other information they have that wasn't done. The boy wasn't a real Abu Member. This mission became even more complicated.

"We should be heading out, we shouldn't be lingering here" Hinata said to her team. Things were even more complicated. She thought that by all rights, she should abandon this mission. She should have done so already. This is way beyond a C rank mission. She knew she couldn't do it, but it felt wrong. There must be a good reason why Tazuna didn't completely tell the truth from the start. If he did, the mission wouldn't have been taken. Could this be the reason why Lord Third gave her team the mission in the first place?

Nothing would be said for hours; they got on a boat and when they successfully got to their destination, there was a bridge half-finished. She had read about it in the mission report as well. This was far beyond the parameters of the mission. When they stopped at the shore, everyone got off, and Tazuna looked Hinata in the eye, almost knowing that they would have to talk about what happened with Zabaza.

"I know this is beyond your mission parameters, I wasn't completely honest with you, but I know you won't abandon a mission before it's finished. Regardless if it's beyond a C-rank mission, you'll still complete it because if you didn't, it would eat at your conscience when you came back, and you'd be responsible for what happened to me. And you'd have an entire nation of people hating Konoha for the rest of their lives."

He was correct on all accounts. Hinata hated to admit that. "We do the mission as we agreed, but no more surprises. Tell me everything you know." Hinata said in a softer tone.

She walked around as he explained the condition of the town that they were in and how it was common throughout the Land of Waves. What she saw was poverty, starvation; this town was almost dead; the people had no hope in their eyes. She couldn't help but feel angry at the injustice here: a ninja who goes by the book would have abandoned the mission as soon as they found out that it was beyond the parameters but Hinata wasn't that kind of person. No matter how much she wants to, she can't: it's not who she is as a person. She can't abandon people in need. It's against everything she is. Her mother instilled those values into her, and her idol, her childhood hero Kushina, was the same way.

She noticed Naruto was disturbed by what he was seeing."once the bridge is built once we are free and independent from Goto the people's light in their eyes will return the Land of Waves will be prosperous the future of this country is in your hands if the bridge is been built completely we will forever be in your debt" Tazuna said to Hinata and her team this was not why she wanted to be a Ninja she wanted to become one in order to change what she see as Injustice in society but the more places she sees outside of Konoha the more she realizes things are far more complicated and The world isn't black and white.

She couldn't help but feel that what happened with that mysterious mist Abu was suspicious. She looked at her students. If they were going to continue with this mission, they would have to be prepared. The stakes weren't just high for the Land of Waves but also for her students; one misstep could lead to their deaths. She wouldn't allow that to happen, not on her watch.

Zabuza was lying on the ground. Haku removed the needles from his neck. The battle with Hinata Hyuga he couldn't help but replay it over and over again. The woman was as strong as the rumors said. She was even stronger than Kakashi of the Sharingan. The "lioness" of Konoha." That woman was strong. Zabaza san, I've never seen a woman so strong." Women don't tend to impress him, but Hinata was one of the rare exceptions. She was definitely strong; of it wasn't for Haku's timely intervention he would have been killed. The gentle Fist was no joke.

"You studied her during our fight. Is there anything you could tell me that would help when I face her again?" He needed information to find a counter for the Byakugan and a way to get around the gentle fist he couldn't feel anything because his chakra points were cut off; he wouldn't be able to do anything for a few days."There are things I have observed about the Byakugan. There are blind spots." Haku pointed out. Zabaza was intrigued; he wanted to know more.

"Tell me everything you observed in the battle, because the next time we face off, I will be ready I will use every means necessary to kill the lioness of Konoha."

The boy he had trained was a weapon.

"We should leave and go to someplace safe for you to rest."

Haku suggested.

"Next time we will finish the job."

He said to Haku as Haku carried him to their hideout. Zabaza closed his eyes and everything went into darkness.