Hinata sensei

"I don't know about you, but this place gives me the creeps."

Naruto cannot help but voice his thoughts aloud.

"For once, I agree with you." Said Kagome. "To think that Madara Uchiha once set foot here; it's surreal."

Sasuke couldn't help but say that even he was amazed by this place.

"I just want to be out of here." Naruto said, trying to hide his discomfort. "Soon the Chunin exams are coming. I don't know about you, but I want to be prepared."

"The Chunin exams I agree; it would definitely be helpful if I were promoted. It would make things a lot easier."

Naruto can't help but notice something beneath Kagome's exterior. Perhaps there's a lot more to her than he initially thought, but he didn't want to ask because he didn't want to intrude.

"You're starting to notice things that ordinary people wouldn't notice because they only look at what's on the surface." Said Kyuubi, impressed with Naruto's observation skills. "I don't know why I didn't notice it before?" Naruto said, kicking himself. "It's because of your experiences that you're able to have those skills. It's not something you can gain unless you have empathy and compassion for others." He answered. It made sense to Naruto before he couldn't indulge in his thoughts any further. He saw Hinata approach the group. Naruto couldn't put his finger on it, but he could tell she was distraught.

"Our mission is done, we're heading home," Hinata said without any emotion. Whatever was troubling Hinata made her want to leave the village as soon as possible. Before the party could leave, the man they escorted was looking at Naruto. "You're not like I expected, Naruto Uzumaki." Toneri said to him. "I don't know what that's supposed to mean," Naruto said to him, confused. "You'll learn in time; you should head home." He had no idea what that was about; he followed his team. They were coming back from where they had come. He couldn't help but feel like something was disturbing Hinata.

He would give anything to bring a smile to her face, for her to laugh the sadness in her eyes. The more he spends time with her, the more he notices these things.

"Are you okay, Sensei?"

Naruto asked Hinata with concern.

"We should head home," she said, not answering his question.

He felt so powerless he wanted to help her, why did he care so much? He couldn't do anything; he was just a boy, and that frustrated him the most. He wished he could grow up and become strong so he could bring a smile to her face instead of the forced, fake smile she uses to hide her pain.

Kagome couldn't stand the awkward silence; it had been four days since they started the journey home, traversing the landscape took even more time getting back than getting in. She wasn't complaining; the mission was easy, but she felt something was off. Her sensei was quiet, like she had a lot on her mind. She Made sure the coast was clear and opened the pendant that contains the image of her mother holding her as a baby alongside her father, who passed away six years ago on a mission. She misses her father; the rare instance where she shows emotion, she allows tears to fall. Her father was killed by a missing nin. The person who did it was a traitor to the village. She looked at her sword, the only thing she has left of her father. She vowed if she ever finds the man that murdered him, she would kill him.

"So you do have emotions" she was startled and saw that it was none other than Sasuke. "You will not tell anyone about this." She said with barely controlled anger. "I have no interest; I'm just curious. You are so mysterious compared to the rest of the students in our class. Next to nothing is known about you. Your last name is nothing special. I can't help but be curious." She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to have this discussion.

"Do you have a point, Uchiha, or are you trying to piss me off?" She said, dropping any pretense of respect. "I mean no disrespect; I mean things don't add up; you get dropped from the program only to be added back in because of your talent; don't you find that a little suspicious?" She didn't care if she told Sasuke she didn't care she tries to convince herself to hide the pain of loss of someone important to her that died recently. If someone had to die for her to have another chance, Her mother needed her no matter how awful the reality is that was the truth. "I really don't care," she said dismissively.

"You're not a good liar," Sasuke said, not buying what she was saying.

"Let's just say that I do have my reasons for wanting to be a ninja just like you do. What business is that of yours?" Sasuke answered immediately.

"You're right; it's none of my business anymore than what my reasoning is, but you're not going to get very far on our team if you're not at least willing to be a little honest with me and Naruto. I won't bother you for the rest of the night." Sasuke left Kagome alone with her thoughts.

The return journey was uneventful. Not much was said; Hinata bid her team farewell and went to the Hokage office, reporting the success of the mission. "I take it your mission went well?" Hiruzen asked her. "It did go well, but I do have a question if you don't mind me asking."

"If you were wondering if I knew the true purpose of the mission, yes I did know"Hinata felt furious. Why couldn't he be honest? "How many times do I have to tell people that the clan has nothing to do with me?"the man signed in disappointment."I won't ask why your relationship with your clan is like it is and I won't ask because that would be pushing boundaries I don't want to cross. You got to be careful Hinata, you're openly being disdainful towards your own clan, reminding people too much of Itachi"she flinched when she heard that name."I'm nothing like that scum,"Hinata said contemptuously.

"I know you're not you got to be careful. There are those that will use you for their own ends if you're not careful and you know who I'm talking about."Hinata knew exactly what he was talking about."I know I don't want to kill my clan you have to know that but, I prefer not to talk about my issues with my own clan because that is between me and my clan that has nothing to do with my duties to the village"Hinata said respectfully regardless of their disagreements she holds Hiruzen with high esteem due to him being one of the first people to believe in her and her dream.

"Your relationship with your clan does affect what you do for your village. The Hyuga clan are part of the village, and what you do with your clan affects your duties to the village as well; you cannot separate the two. Whatever issues you have with your clan, you will have to resolve them sooner or later. Your clan will make or break your chances of being the Hokage."

She couldn't stand that she had to depend on her damn clan to enact change.

"This is the reason why I want to be Hokage: those who want to be in leadership positions that support the Hokage should be able to do so on their own merit, not their connections to their clan, nor their connections to whatever family they're born into."

She felt like she was preaching to the choir when talking to the Hokage about her goal.

"I understand that, but I'm pointing out the reality: when you're the Hokage, everyone becomes your family, including your clan. Though we aren't here to discuss this, I'm actually assigning your team on another mission."

She was given a dossier on the next mission; it was a C-rank. What she also read was that there were other people coming on the mission from other teams. Why were there two teams besides hers on a C-rank mission? Before she could ask that question, two more of her colleagues entered the room. It was two of her colleagues who had just come back from their own missions.

Kurenai and Asuma said nothing and entered the room. They then formed a Jonin in formation along with Hinata, which is expected from those of their rank when they're being briefed on a mission. The Hokage spoke in a military-like manner.

"Kurenai, Asuma, and Hinata, your teams are assigned to go help the village of Sapphire in the Northeast on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning."

Hinata tensed; she wanted to be as far away from the Land of Lightning as possible and certainly nowhere near the country and people who murdered her mother. She didn't voice her opposition; she couldn't; she had to take the mission for the sake of her team.

"Hokage-sama, surely you don't need to send us on a mission like this unless there's another reason?" asked Kurenai, who was as perplexed as Hinata.

"Truth be told, we are short on manpower, and this mission is at least a B rank. You and your students are the best qualified for this mission." It made sense to Hinata, but it still made her feel uncomfortable going on a mission this dangerous so soon. She put her thoughts about her failure in the Land of Waves down to the deepest depths of her mind.

"To answer your question, why I'm sending three teams there was a disaster that recently struck at the Sapphire village. We don't know who's behind it or what's behind it. Whether it's a national disaster or some nefarious party involved, there will be two missions here: the Genin will help the people in the Sapphire village, in whatever ways they can. While you Asuma and Kurenai will investigate the cause. The reason I'm giving you three this mission in case the perpetrators attempt to finish whatever they started or they try to do other nefarious things, you will be given the A-rank mission, while your students will be given the C-rank that is agreeable, isn't it?" asked the Hokage. Hinata couldn't argue against it.

"When do you need us to depart?" asked Asuma, who didn't look like he was any more enthused about going on this mission than she was. The Hokage answered, "No later than tomorrow; sorry if it's under a short notice, but we're understaffed." He did a dismissive gesture to signal that this was the end of their briefing. They headed out of the Hokage office.

Nothing was said until Kurenai spoke, "I heard what happened in the Land of Waves. I'm sorry."

Hinata said nothing and allowed her friend to continue. "It never gets easier. Death and failure are always possibilities in this line of work. I've lost students too. Don't let what happened in the Land of Waves destroy you. Hinata, I know you're strong." She appreciated her words, but she couldn't find any comfort in them.

"Someone with a bright future ahead of her had her life cut short because I made a bad call." Asuma interjected. "If anyone's at fault, it's those damn instructors at the academy. They should have enforced discipline. They should have taught our students to properly learn survival skills and what to do in life-and-death situations. People like Sakura would still be alive, or at least have a higher chance of surviving. It's not your fault, Hinata. That could have happened to any of us." He said kindly. She knew they were both right, but it didn't make her feel better; it made her angrier at the incompetence of the civilian council, their control over any decision, them getting in the way of getting anything meaningful done, and that damn snake, Donzo, being one of the leading charges for every bad decision made by them.

"See you tomorrow Hinata, don't get into any trouble, okay." Kurenai And Asuma bid her farewell and left Hinata alone. She couldn't go back to her apartment. She went to the one place and always brought her comfort even as a child, the place that Kushina used to take her when she babysat her as a child. She sat down and looked at the sky. She remembered counting the stars the child with her idol she told her everything about the stars, what they were represented, and she treasured those memories.

When she thinks about those times, her second mother used to sing to her, play with her, and tell her stories. She loved her very much. Kushina was like a second mother; she misses her even to this day. When she was a child, she was a constant source of strength and reassurance.

She feels like a disappointment, and how she had fallen. She's completely short; she couldn't bear the thought of what Kushina would think of her, and how much of a disappointment she is.

She feels like she can do more for Naruto, who deserves better. She wants to do more for him, but she's scared of getting too close. That vision of Naruto becoming a monster for her.

"It's because I love you; I'll do everything and anything for you, even killing my own humanity - that's how precious you are to me."

In the vision, she was afraid of it becoming real. She feared that if he loved her too much, he would turn into a monster.

"Naruto is a boy, and I'm a 19-year-old woman. I won't fall in love with him he is a child." She said to herself, trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

Sasuke made sure to pay a visit to his parents' graves, he didn't visit as often as he used to; he felt compelled to after the mission to the Land of the Moon. The place that he was at was a memorial for the Uchiha clan; he felt his clan deserved more than a memorial; they deserved to be avenged for the deaths that were caused by a traitor. He didn't even want to mention his name. He associated his brother's name with everything that he had lost trust in people, family - nobody can possibly understand what it's like to look up to someone and love them greatly, only for them to betray you.

So many of the people that he remembered seeing every day prior to the massacre, he could still see them in his mind; he couldn't bear the thought of forgetting about them. So many people died, and for what; so his brother could test his capacity? He lit an incense at the memorial and did a prayer; once proud, the clan had been reduced to only one member left: Sasuke, as far as he was concerned, didn't see his brother as part of the clan he had forsaken that right when he killed everyone.

He wanted not only to restore the clan but also to avenge them so that their souls could finally rest. He remembers the night vividly, when he came home from school and heard screaming. He saw the dead bodies of men, women, and children—even infants were not spared. Blood was everywhere; he remembers the gore, the severed limbs, and the headless torso. He threw up and was worse of all, he saw his parents' dead bodies. His father had decapitated his mother in a pool of her own blood.

He can never forget the images, no matter how much the images give him nightmares, to forget about what happened would be dishonorable to the victims. He reads every single name of every person who died; he recites their names every night before going to sleep in order not to forget. Some might call it an obsession, but he doesn't care. The main thing he lives for is to avenge his clan and restore its honor by killing the traitor who dishonored the clan's name. Only he can do it; only he can kill Itachi.

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I wasn't strong enough, but I promise I will avenge you and everyone who died. I will bring justice. I will bring back honor to our clan. I miss you. I wish you were here."

Sasuke said in rare instances where he cried. He never did it unless he was alone. He renewed his vows every time he visited the memorial, however many missions he was assigned, no matter what training regimen was given to him, and from whomever he learned, he would take everything they gave him and destroy the murderer and butcher who he will not name.

Naruto couldn't sleep. He went to his usual spot when he had trouble sleeping. When he arrived, he noticed it was occupied. He saw Hinata, who was looking at the moon. She wasn't wearing her jacket. Before he could move or say anything, Hinata turned around and noticed he was there. "I'm sorry, sensei. I didn't know you would be here." Naruto apologized. "This place doesn't belong to anyone. I just come here when I need to be alone and can't sleep." She confessed. "I come here when I can't sleep too, and when I'm upset. I didn't think someone else would have gone here." Naruto admitted. "I've been here many times. This place has always brought me peace. I never told anyone that there were only two other people who knew about this place."

"I hope I'm not being intrusive, but do you know of anyone else who knows about this place?" Naruto asked her.

"She was my role model, and I guess you could say she was like a second mother to me. I miss her to this very day; there isn't one day I don't miss her. I miss her cooking; you remind me of her in a way."

Naruto didn't know what to think of that. "She must have been a really good person if you look up to her so much."

Naruto couldn't help but point out, "You would have loved her; and she would have loved you." He couldn't help but notice a tear in her eye.

"I wish I had known my parents, I really wish"Naruto didn't know why he felt comfortable telling Hinata this, but she was one of the first people other than Iruka not to treat him as a monster. Continuing, "I wouldn't know the first thing about what it's like to be loved by a mother or even a father. The closest thing I have is Iruka, who would be more like an older brother and old man who would probably be a grandfather. The people who work at Ichiraku are the closest thing I would have to a father and a sister, but I really don't know what it's like."Hinata looked at him in understanding.

"Family is more than blood to Naruto. There are people who can have even stronger family connections with those who are not blood relatives. The friends I have are the closest thing I have to family. I'm closer to them than I am with even my own family from my experience. Naruto, you don't need to have someone that's related to you to think of them as a mother or a father or a sister."

"I'm jealous of everyone who had parents and siblings. It would have been nice rather than growing up alone"Naruto rarely shows vulnerability to anyone, but for some reason Hinata is the one he feels comfortable enough to show his true self. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I was being insensitive. I didn't mean to."Naruto shakes his head, not wanting her to think she did anything wrong.

"It's not your fault, Sensei."

Hinata didn't let him elaborate.

"Naruto, I should know better. You've grown up in pretty bad conditions, living in the worst kind of place in Konoha. I've seen your apartment; you deserve better than being shunned by the village. And it makes me so angry."

Naruto didn't know what to think. Could he trust her with his secret? Iruka accepts him, but he doesn't treat Naruto with unconditional respect and compassion like Hinata does.

"Whatever you tell her or don't tell her is up to you, but sooner or later she'll find out." The fox advised. Naruto knew he was taking a huge risk. He didn't know if he could trust the rest of his team, but Hinata, he had to believe that she wouldn't be judgmental. "Hinata-sensei, there's something I want to tell you. Can you please not tell anyone if I tell you?" Naruto asked her.

"Of course, Naruto. I'm your teacher. I'm all ears; you don't have to hide anything from me. I won't judge you." Hinata said kindly to him. Naruto took a deep breath. "Are you familiar with what happened with the Kyūbi 13 years ago?" Naruto asked her. Hinata remembered that night like it was yesterday. She was at the compound, holding her newborn sister, when she saw the attack that claimed many lives, including the woman she looked up to and the man she respected. She remembered when she placed her hand on Kushina's stomach when she was pregnant with Naruto and felt a kick.

Her second mother figure joked that she would end up being his babysitter and probably have in a different life. "We were told the Kyūbi was destroyed because the Fourth Hokage and his wife had both perished. What did it have to do with him?" Hinata asked him. She saw a look of fear in his eyes. She knew without him saying anything, she could guess why he didn't have any friends. His treatment was harsh. "I'm so sorry" Hinata said, hugging Naruto. She knew this was not what she was supposed to do, but the pain of being hated for something that wasn't his fault made her cry.

"Why are you crying, Hinata-sensei?" Naruto asked, confused. "Because 13 years of being treated as a monster and you didn't do anything wrong. What kind of people would treat a child like that? You didn't deserve to go through what you went through; if anything, you're a damn hero. You could have given in to your hatred and become the very monster they saw you as. What you didn't tell me is that you're a hero. You have protected this village for 13 years. Do you have any idea what that means, Naruto? You have a strength of character and a determination to never give up. Those who judge you for something that isn't your fault don't deserve you. This village doesn't deserve you." Hinata said sincerely.

"Thank you, this is a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. You are kind Hinata-sensei. I don't care what anyone says; your kindness and gentle nature are your strengths, not your weaknesses. Anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish. I don't deserve to have someone as good as you as my sensei or a friend."

They were silent. Hinata knew it was running late. "Let me take you home now. It's getting late, and we have a mission the next day."

She picked him up as if she were picking up a child and quickly took him home. She normally wouldn't be able to do it because of his weight; he was sound asleep by the time she got to his apartment. She laid him on his bed. When she was about to leave, she felt him hanging onto her hand.

She didn't want to wake him up, so she gently removed her hand from his. She looked at his sleeping face and reminded herself that the vision she had in the village wasn't real.

The anger that she had she had over the revelations that she had learned. she will confront the Hokage first thing Tomorrow why she was not given the information that she was entitled to when she was promoted.

she would not fail Kushina Naruto would have better living accommodations even if she has to provide him with ever herself she will never let him live in an awful apartment if she has the power to make his life better.

She laid down in her bed, setting her alarm early in the morning. There, she would confront the Hokage about his negligence.

Kagome got the money from the mission and headed straight home. She opened the door and was greeted by her mother, a woman in her early fifties with black hair with gray on the side and brown eyes. Wearing a gray dress with an apron on, she could smell food, which she was obviously cooking. She was happy that she got home just in time to experience her mother's cooking.

She moved from her spot and hugged her."I'm glad you've come home safely,"her mother said worryingly."I'm okay Mom, I brought some money so we should be good for at least the next month or so"she handed over all the money her mother reluctantly took."When you were dropped from the program I was relieved because I didn't want you to go on those missions but, Then I heard you were put back on and put on a team. I'm worried I can't help but be worried."her mother worried a lot she was never cut out to be a ninja; she was dropped from the program during the second great ninja war due to her not being suited for combat.

"You worry too much, Mom," Kagome said, embarrassed.

"I worry because you're my daughter. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't worry?" Her mother asked her.

"I'm home now; I'll be going on another mission tomorrow." She said, feeling sad that she has to leave right when she just got home.

"Oh, so soon," her mother said, disappointed that she was leaving so soon, then quickly changed her demeanor to a smile.

"Come sit down. Dinner is almost ready, and I won't have my daughter go to sleep hungry. I'll make sure to make you something before you leave tomorrow." She sat down, and when her mother was done cooking, she gave her dinner. Most would consider what she was eating not much, but to her, she appreciated everything she had.

She had no least favorite food due to times being hard and forced to eat what they had. It's how things always were for her; it was at the small moments that she felt the most at peace. Most children of ninja don't appreciate their parents, especially those whose civilian parents are not ninja. She couldn't understand why ninja who have civilian parents don't have a relationship with their families; family is the most precious thing to her. "Did you at least make any friends on your new team?" her mother asked. "I'm not in it to make friends; my only goal is to provide for us." She answered harsher than she intended. "I'm sorry, mother. I didn't mean it." Her mother gently silenced her, knowing she didn't mean it. "I understand you remind me of my Sister. She was a lot like you when she was your age." Kagome rarely hears about her aunt who has been dead for 13 years. "What was she like?" Kagome asked her mother.

"She was a kind and gentle soul. She cared greatly for others, her friends and her family. There wasn't a single soul that didn't love her. When she died it hurt all of us. She was my younger sister yet there were times where she felt like she was the older sister. The way her mother talked about her aunt was sorrowful; she barely talked about her due to how much she missed her.

"I wish I had known her, what little you've told me, she sounds like an amazing person." The woman smiled sadly. "She would have loved you, Kagome. You're a lot like her; even though you hide it, you are kind and gentle like she was. I really wish you would open up and make friends. Please don't sacrifice your youth for me. You deserve to enjoy it."

They ate in silence, and she bid her mother good night before going to sleep, preparing for tomorrow's mission.

Hiruzen was sorting out paperwork approving and denying requests and was doing preparations for the upcoming Chunin exams. He was looking at other things as well such as complaints and requests before he could do anything else he heard a knock on the door and he knew who it was without even looking at him. "What are you doing here Donzo? I know you're not here to have a casual chat or to say hello"he said trying to hide his hostility."my contacts I've heard you're sending the Uchiha and that thing on another mission along with that inexperienced woman that got one of her students killed"he knew he was referring to Hinata without him saying her name. "Anyone could have made that mistake on that mission Hinata is no exception to this"he said defending her.

"Oh, yes, she's Hokage material! A woman and Hyuga who can't even complete one mission without losing one of her students, whose idea was it to make her Jonin?" Danzo said challengingly.

"Last time I checked, I'm the Hokage. I make the decisions. I make the rules that she went through the same process as everyone else to get promoted to Jonin. If anything, her record has proven time and time again that she is responsible and is far more qualified than most of your candidates." Hiruzen said rebuking his obvious prejudice.

"A Hyuga like her should never have been promoted. The stuck-up, arrogant members of that clan don't deserve anything. It has nothing to do with her being a woman; it's all about her ability. She'll be far more useful if she does what her clan tells her: get married and produce an heir. That's what her purpose is, not a foolish dream of being Hokage."

Danzo knows how to push his buttons. "Are you here to waste my time, Danzo, or do you have a point to this?" He was getting sick and tired of dealing with this conversation; he had a lot of work to do today, and having to deal with one of his political rivals wasn't how he wanted to spend his day.

"We have a chance to have a foothold in the Sapphire village, but instead, you're sending our valuable assets on a charity mission."

Danzo said this with disgust. "So your answer than is to annex a sovereign country? when they've been independent for centuries, just like the Luna village? you hardliners have been pushing to annex territories and make them part of the Land of Fire. I want no part in that, not even Lord's Second was an imperialist warhawk like you."

Hiruzen was enraged; he didn't want to deal with him anymore. He wished she could simply liquidate Danzo along with the civilian Council and the Council Elders.

Before they could argue any further, he heard a bang on the door, and when it opened, he saw Hinata, who looked extremely angry. Then, he looked at Donzo, who was smirking as if he knew Hinata was coming.

Hinata was angry, she saw two people, Donzo and Hiruzen. "Do you need something Hinata?" Asked Hiruzen, surprised to see her back so soon. "Yes I want to know why you never told me about what happened the night the Kyubi attacked our village. Why didn't you tell me that Kyubi was sealed inside Naruto? I had a right to know considering I'm a Jonin and he's my student,"Hinata said, trying her hardest not to lose control of her anger.

"We don't got time for this nonsense,"said Donzo, not happy that Hinata interrupted their talk."I'll make it quick,"she said, not showing Donzo any ounce of respect."This is not the time Hinata"she couldn't stand the way he was treating the situation with Naruto. "When is it time? Kushina San trusted you to take care of Naruto. Minato San wanted you to make sure he was treated as a hero and what did you do to honor their dying request? Nothing sure you may have helped pay Naruto's rent, but you have done the bare minimum. What about his well-being?"The lack of a response from him made her even angrier.

"We can talk about this at a later time, but we have more important things to discuss than the treatment of the Kyūbi." said Donzo with contempt.

"His name is Naruto. You son of a bitch! He's not some thing or some tool to be used. His name is Naruto, as his teacher and as his friend. And to honor Kushina-san, I'm going to make sure Naruto will never again experience what he has gone through for the past 13 years. That's what I'm here to tell you, and you can't stop me. I will do what you have failed to do." The old man had no way of defending himself.

"Are you just going to let this woman disrespect you? It's no wonder the elders look at you as weak and spineless."

Donzo said, enjoying what Hinata did in front of him. "Damn you, Donzo! You'll use anything to further your own ends. Get out of this office. The answer is no. I will not go by your recommendation. Not now, not ever." He looked at Hinata and smirked before leaving the office.

"I wish you wouldn't have done that now; you helped Danzo and he'll use what you did in order to justify positioning himself as the next Hokage. How can you be so impulsive and foolish, Hinata? You are better than this."

The way he was saying that rubbed Hinata the wrong way.

Oh, so we should just throw Naruto under the bus all for politics? I thought everyone was supposed to be family in this village.

Hinata said accusingly.

How dare you! Do you have any idea how hard it is to be the Hokage? The hard decisions that is required? You know you've been on missions where you had to make hard choices.

She wasn't going to allow him to weasel his way out of this one.

"You dishonor his parents; they've told you to take care of him to make sure he was okay when he grew up, but look what happened: the village treated him as a demon incarnate. We are lucky he didn't give in to his anger and rage and used the power of Kyubi to destroy us all. Naruto is a real hero, and his treatment dishonors Minato and Kushina's memory. Since I'm a Jonin, I will use whatever funds necessary to ensure Naruto no longer lives in that shit-hole of an apartment that he's been forced to live in for all these years. I'm taking responsibility. I will take my leave unless you have anything you would like to say before I go. I'm going to leave."

Hinata turned her back on the Hokage and headed straight to the gates.

Hiruzen put a pipe in his mouth, the stress of dealing with the affairs of the village and Hinata confronting him about his negligence; she wasn't wrong; he does wish she wouldn't have confronted him when Danzo was present. There was so much to deal with: sightings of Orochimaru, Danzo, and the civilian council wishing to keep Naruto confined like an animal in a cage. It took a lot not to leap across the room and strangle Danzo. He hated the man; he hated him for many years. The amount of support he was getting was disturbing to him; the dissatisfaction he was taking full advantage of it.

"You know that was going to happen sooner or later, Sensei, you should have told her sooner" said Jiraiya. He rarely sees his days and wonders what the reason is for being in Konoha. "Did you hear everything?" he asked his former student. "Pretty much. I'm not going to judge you for what you have done. I'm not here for that. I'm here for something that cannot be put off. Can we go somewhere where no one will be able to hear us?" asked Jiraiya.

"It must be something serious for you to be here without sending a message through a scroll"

Jiraiya had a grave look on his face. "There are spies everywhere. I cannot tell you this information without leaking to one of his loyal followers." Hiruzen knew exactly what he was referring to. "We shall discuss it at one of my secret homes with one of my toads. We can get there instantly by reverse summoning. It isn't too far."

He had a bad feeling. He didn't know why, but something about Donzo the way he smiled gave him a very bad feeling.

Sasuke made sure to get everything for the mission. He double-checked his pouch; it had everything he needed. All of his tools were there.

On his way to the gate, he ran into Naruto. "What's up, Sasuke?" Naruto shouted.

"Damn it, idiot! Can you not be so loud?" Sasuke said.

"Oh, sorry," Naruto apologized.

"Do you have any idea what this mission is about?" asked Naruto.

"I have no idea. I was told by our sensei that we have to be at the gates of Konoha first thing in the morning," Sasuke answered.

"I heard we're working with other teams. I hope they're not difficult to work with," Naruto said, not really looking forward to dealing with a certain someone.

When they were almost at the gate they met up with Kagome who was wearing a different set of attire. She had a gray tunic and she had her hair tied to a ponytail. Sasuke knew she was doing that to wear clothing that Drew less attention. She walked ahead of the group Sasuke didn't think too much of it. When they're at the gates their Sensei was there along with six others around their age. He recognized all of them from the boy that wore a gray jacket and had red markings on his cheek. He knew him as Kiba from the Inuzuka clan that had strong relationships with their dogs. They weren't pets for them but family friends companions.

The second was Shino who wore a gray jacket and hit his eyes with sunglasses he was of the Aburame clan which utilizes insects as Ninja tools Sasuke knew they weren't the kind of clan you would want to mess with and you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any of their jitsus. They're one of the strongest clans in Konoha; they frequently get promoted in high positions because of their skills.

The last of their group was a girl, she was cold. She's the next in line to be the head of the Hyuga clan. She had long brown hair and the features of what is expected of the clan. In terms of grades, she was on the top 5. Her name was Hanabi; the younger sister of team 7's sensei. He looked at Hinata, who kept her distance. He was wondering why there was so much hostility? She wasn't even looking at her own sister. He couldn't help but notice that the girl was hurt that her sister was giving her the cold shoulder.

The other team he knew them quite well by reputation there family have been put on the same team for generations in the latest of them is their children.

The first among them was Shikimaru who was far more intelligent than he let on his grades weren't on the top 10 but Sasuke wasn't fooled he wasn't the kind of opponent you would want to underestimate and Sasuke knows he uses that to his advantage. Shikimaru was proof that grades don't mean anything substantial in the real world. The Nara clan has a jitsu that could freeze someone in place, usually members of their clan were usually the leaders of a respective team.

The second Choji he is from a clan where its members are mistakenly considered fat when they really are they have Pacific abilities that allow them to shed their weight in order to temporarily gain immense power but Sasuke had yet to see it the Akimichi clan were not very forthcoming about their secrets anymore than other clans He didn't know much personally about Choji except not to call him fat or bring attention to his weight.

The last of the trio was a blonde haired girl who had her hair tied to a ponytail who had green eyes he knew she was one of his fangirls or at least he thinks she is he doesn't know he doesn't pay attention the only thing he does know is her name and the clan that she's from. Ino Yamanaka was not someone to take lightly Sasuke heard of the mind transferred jitsu and wouldn't be surprised if she possessed it due do it being a signature technique from her clan their clan possessed other abilities and they were mostly used to support rather than to fight.

All the teams that were here specialized in something team 7 were mostly consisting of ninjutsu users. Team eight were more sensory types who were more useful during reconnaissance missions while team 10 are the most balance of the three the way they could do multiple types of missions at once at least that's what Sasuke gathered but what were they all doing here why were this many people here on a C-rank mission?

Kagome felt like she was being stared at by everyone she was used to; she was used to being disliked by her peers. What she saw though from Ino was outrage at her very presence. "Must be nice having Sakura's death pave the way for you to have a chance to be in the program once again". She knew this was being used to bait her. "I really don't care if you hate me or not. I have my own reasons for wanting to be a ninja. Unlike the person I replaced, I actually take my duties as a ninja seriously". This really angered Ino, but Kagome didn't care.

"You bitch, how can you be so insensitive? She was our friend!" She asked, outraged by the way she was acting. Truth be told, it was eating at her inside, but she couldn't show it to anyone. Nobody could possibly know.

"It's nothing personal. I have my own reasons for being a ninja. There's nothing noble or honorable about this life. You better get that through your thick skull if you don't want to end up like her." She was about to slap her when Hinata, who had gotten between them, said scoldingly, "You disgrace your sensei by acting in this manner."

Before she could do anything, Hinata looked straight at Kagome's eyes as if she were looking straight into her soul.

"Don't get all smug and arrogant Kagome. I was directing that comment at you."

She couldn't believe it. She was about to be assaulted, and she was taking that Ino side?"I didn't do anything wrong. I was simply pointing out." Hinata cut her off. "I will not have you make light of my student's death. She had a family; she had dreams of her own. I will not have you dishonor me or her by making light of it. You should be ashamed of yourself." Ino turned her back on her and went back to her team. Kagome was fuming with anger. "You will learn to work with your team and you will respect me. Or I will personally have you dropped from the program. Do I make myself clear, Kagome Takahashi?" She couldn't say anything. She couldn't afford to be dropped from the program. Her mother needed her.

She let her go and went to talk to her peers. Kagome couldn't help but feel awful; she was chastised in front of everyone. She felt so angry because Hinata was right, and Kagome, as much as she denies it, she does feel some form of guilt because if Sakura hadn't been killed, someone dear to her wouldn't have a chance to be a ninja. It would make matters worse. She couldn't dispute any of it. She hated this shinobi system. She hated that she even had to be a shinobi in the first place. Her dream she can't possibly even dream about anything or even pursue it because her mother needs her. She walked in formation with her team and Hinata briefed everyone about the mission.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but harbor a deep hatred in her heart for Hinata. If it hadn't been for Hinata, Sakura would still be alive. Her earlier reaction to Ino was her way of coping with Sakura's death. It was difficult for her to believe that her friend was gone. She buried this deep inside to the depths of her mind. Her focus was on completing the mission and returning home safely so her mother could be provided for.

"Before we head out for our mission, first, I'll give you a briefing." Hinata said to all the Genin present. She was given the okay by Kurenai and Asuma to continue. "We are all assigned to a mission to help the people of the Sapphire village. There, you will be on a separate mission. You will be helping the people of the village in any way that you can. We will be going on another mission to investigate the cause of the disaster. You are not to engage with anyone if they appear at any circumstances. Hide and do not draw unnecessary attention to yourselves." Everyone looked at Hinata and nodded.

"Since you will be on your own at some point in the mission, we will have to assign a leader to each team."

Hinata read the names of those who will lead. "For team 7, the leader will be Naruto Uzumaki."

Kagome didn't look pleased with Sasuke; it was difficult to read what his thoughts were. People would think she was making a mistake by not making Sasuke the leader, but because Naruto is able to think on his feet and plan to get the bells, he is the most qualified in her eyes, and she isn't going to back down if there are any objections. He is her student.

Next was Kurenai. "For my team, I choose Shino. Your calm and your ability to assess situations make you in my eyes the most qualified to lead." No one on the team objected; they all respected her. If only she could say the same about her team, only Naruto truly has her respect. She was almost the sensei of team 8, but she was placed on team 7 due to Kakashi turning down being a teacher to other students. He told her he prefers one-on-one over in groups. She was grateful she wasn't the teacher of team 8, having to deal with her sister was something she didn't want to deal with. She was not really on speaking terms with anyone from her clan. The way her sister was looking at her, Hinata couldn't do it. They were close once, and before their mother's death.

Asuma she knew immediately who he would choose it was obvious Shikamaru would be the one he would choose."Shikimaru you know the drill there's no need for me to say it"The lazy boy signed.

"I have a question: Hinata-sensei, who's the leader of your team?" asked Sasuke curiously, she couldn't answer the question and she felt stupid for not even thinking about that, but she didn't have time to indulge in her thoughts before. Asuma quickly interrupted. "Me and Kurenai have decided that Hinata will be our leader when it's time for our mission to start."

Asuma's interjection caught Hinata off guard; she couldn't show her surprise on her face because she had to appear strong in front of everyone.

Hinata changed her demeanor to a commanding one: "All right, everyone, move out!"

Hinata and all of her traveling companions started their journey to the Sapphire village.

Danzo was satisfied with how things turned out, riling up his rival and having Hinata show up at the most convenient time spying on Naruto had paid off. Everyone in the building heard Hinata's accusations. He learned in his life that in order to have true victory you have to be patient and take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. Hinata's protectiveness of Naruto and her care for him was useful. Making sure she didn't learn that Naruto had the Kyubi sealed inside of him also worked for his plans, everyone among her peers knowing about the Kyuubi but Hinata was useful to his plans the past 13 years Gambit had finally paid off.

He was staring down at one of his elite Abu. It was a woman her body was covered from head to toe. She wore black and wore a mask that resembled a demon Fox how ironic he thought to himself."do you know your mission?"Donzo asked, " The mask woman."make sure to do whatever is necessary to make sure Konoha benefits from relations with the Sapphire village and eliminate anyone that gets in the way of that mission."he nodded in approval."there is one other thing that I ordered you to do no matter what Naruto must survive and if Hinata must be eliminated make sure the enemy cannot recover the Byakugan."the woman got up and spoke emotionlessly."your will will be done"she left his hideout Donzo didn't care one way or the other if the mission failed as long as the land of lightning doesn't benefit.

He looks at the calendar and smiles evily "your days are numbered and this weakness that has plagued Konoha for too long will be destroyed soon our village will be reborn"he was anticipating the day where Hiruzen and his foolish ideology dies it would be soon very soon