Hinata sensei

A the Raikage of Kumogakure was enraged by the report that he was reading Konoha was sending their own Shinobi on their border the village of Sapphire which by rights belongs to the land of lightning the anger of Konoha infringing on their territory their hypocrisy regarding the third Hokage respecting Sapphire sovereignty would amuse him if he wasn't in a situation where the elders were demanding that he shows strength and not weakness. Ever since that debacle with the Hyuga clan 9 years earlier things were tense for the village. The Byakugan was something that was sought by his family for generations even before the five nations existed.

The best opportunity to acquire the Byakugan had long since passed; the girl they tried to kidnap was now a woman. Now he had another problem on his hands: not only did they sent their own Shinobi but they sent their own jinchūriki. Konoha is willing to use their own weapon in order to lay claim to what rightfully belongs to the land of lightning; he couldn't let this stand. Darui his right hand man, walked into his office with his own team that he gathered including Killer Bee.

The first of the men was Darui is a fairly tall, dark-skinned man in his early twenties with a slightly bulbous nose, black eyes that usually look bored, and shaggy, white hair which covers his left eye. He wears a high-collared, sleeveless uniform with loose fitting pants, bandages on his wrists and the one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket of a Kumogakure shinobi. He had a broad, foldable, cleaver-like sword, strapped to his back. Normally he doesn't have it on him unless he goes outside the village which he is doing on this mission that he's ordering him on.

The second was his adopted brother, Killer Bee, who he mainly calls "B" for short. He wears oval-shaped sunglasses and a white forehead protector. He also has his village's standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, and a long, red rope belt tied around his waist, the standard Kumo hand and shin guards, shinobi sandals, and a white scarf around his neck. The trim on his flak jacket is white; he also carries six swords on his back. He thought it was overkill and unnecessary, but he wasn't going to voice his honest thoughts aloud to his adopted brother.

He couldn't take any chances even if the jinchūriki is a child whether he wants to admit it or not they are weapons he doesn't like to look at his brother that way but that's how it is in this world.

"Raikage-sama, what is it that you need us for?" asked Darui, who seemed not too interested in what he was assigning them to do. "You know why I summoned you here; those Konoha ninja think they can take what's rightfully ours and claim it as their own. I won't let this stand." He was on the verge of breaking the desk, his fist was leaning against it. "Maybe what the report says is true; maybe they're there to help. Would that be so bad?" asked Killer Bee.

"Konoha Shinobi cannot be trusted, they've been looking for an excuse to retaliate against us ever since the Hyuga incident. I want you to do what is necessary to make them leave" A dismissed everyone except Darui and killer Bee. "You are not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, do you two understand?"he looked specifically at killer bee his brother who had a really bad habit of not doing what he told him to.

"The individuals with Konoha are an Uchiha, not Itachi, the criminal with the Akatsuki but his little brother named Sasuke."

He didn't tell anyone how he got his information; he had informants in Konoha; that's how he kept tabs on what was happening in the village."

The second important person is Hinata Hyuga, who was recently promoted to Jonin."

Darui looked surprised; it wasn't common for women in Konoha to be promoted to Jonin in his village. He didn't care who was the most qualified; he felt it was foolish for Konoha to have such stupid traditions regarding women. Women, in his experience, can be just as capable of being deadly warriors deadlier even as men in some situations.

"What I've heard, Hinata is quite a beauty and rogue ninja fear when they hear her name; they call her the Lioness." said Darui; she was the last person he wanted to fight against; she wasn't a weak opponent; probably the strongest out of any of the ninja in their group; and she was only 19.

Who is the most important, and why do you need me, brother?" asked Killer B. He didn't want to send his brother out, not against a child, but he couldn't take any chances, especially if the child was capable of using his tailed beast. "The last person is Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Minato and Kushina." They both looked shocked; the Fourth Hokage's son, along with possibly the strongest woman Konoha has ever had, other than Tsunade. The Bloody Habanero was more feared in some villages than even the Yellow Flash. If their son is anything like them, he is a dangerous enemy that should be eliminated before he could become a danger.

"Why is the boy named Uzumaki, and not after his father?" His right-hand man asked him. "I don't know; it's probably a tradition among the Uzumaki clan, or maybe the simpler reason is that they did it to protect the boy because of the number of enemies his father made in his lifetime. It hasn't stopped me from obtaining information through my contacts; however, they've been less frequent lately because how many of them have been unwilling to feed us any more information due to how frequently they've been killed." Both men absorbed everything he said; he was glad he didn't have to repeat it.

"You will take your team and drive those Shinobi out of the Sapphire village by any means necessary."

It wasn't a request; it was a command, and they knew it. They left his office. It'd be so much easier if he could go out and take care of it himself. But those days are over. The days when he could go on the battlefield as the leader of an entire nation required more than brute strength. He believes in his Shinobi. He believes they will succeed somehow. He would not allow those Konoha upstarts to claim territory that rightly belongs to the Land of Lightning.

Darui walked alongside his peers, each leading a team of Genin. One of them was a man named C.

C is a man in his early twenties with dark eyes and short, blond hair which he wears parted in the front. He wears the standard attire of the Kumo-nin: a sleeveless, black shirt with a one-strap-over-one-shoulder white flak jacket, black forehead protector, characteristic black, elbow-length arm-guards, and the red and white Kumogakure shin-guards along with a pair of sandals

"So we're being sent to deal with some brats from Konoha and their Jonin. The nerve of these Konoha dogs!" C said contemptuously. C hated Konoha and its Shinobi with a passion. Darui didn't have any strong feelings one way or the other about them; he figured they're just like his people, following orders. "Those damn Konoha Shinobi have some nerve!" said Karui, angry that they were even near their borders.

"C if we're going to do anything about them we need to have a cool head" Samui, his older sister said scoldingly. She was the oldest of the group; a woman in her mid-20s, tall, fair-skinned with a curvaceous figure who generally wore a stoic, aloof expression on her face. She had blue eyes and straight, shoulder-length blonde hair cut in an asymmetrical bob style. She wore a very low-cut outfit that displayed her sizable cleavage, with mesh armor underneath, a short skirt, and red hand guards. Her boots were high, and she wore a modified Kumogakure flak jacket that covered her stomach only, similar to a girdle.

Karui is what most would call a hot-headed she is a dark-skinned kunoichi with long spiky red hair and amber eyes. She is flat-chested. She wears a long, short-sleeved dress with frilly edges, complete with a Kumogakure flak jacket, two simple yellow earrings, fishnet stockings, thigh-high boots with white soles, and a forehead protector which she wears like a bandana. She also carries a long sword on her back.

"We should seriously be cautious those konoha Ninja should not be underestimated," said Omoi cautiously. Unlike Karui he does not let things get to him easily.

Omoi is a young, dark-skinned Kumo-nin with short, spiky, white hair and dark eyes accentuated with eyelashes curving upwards from the corners. He wears a dark outfit consisting of an overlong shirt with a hood, with red bandage hand guards, Kumogakure shin guards, and a black forehead protector along with a Kumogakure flak jacket. He is always seen with a thoughtful expression, as though always in deep contemplation and sucking on a lollipop. He also carries a long sword on his back.

"Fuck that Konaha dog! Most of them are just a bunch of brats." Karui said, brushing off Omoi's words of caution. "This is the reason why you will never get a boyfriend." Omoi said, pushing her buttons. "What are you just saying?" She got in his face and grabbed him by the collar. "I said you will never get a boyfriend. Not only are you hot-tempered, but I don't think any guy would be interested in someone with your personality, especially since you're flat-chested." He felt her punch him in the jaw.

'You shouldn't be fighting amongst yourselves; we're friends, right?' said Killer Bee, and they both stopped turning away. "Yeah, Killer Bee is right; save your anger for the enemy." Darui added. It was Genin vs Genin. He thought it was a pain; he didn't really want to do it, but he had his orders. "As you all know, there are ninjas coming to our borders in the Land of Sapphire. We are to intercept them." Moments later, he paused and looked at the Genin before continuing. "Me, C, and Samui have a different mission; we will be intercepting the Jonin. You will do whatever is necessary to complete your mission; Killer Bee will lead you. All of them looked excited killer Bee was popular with the Genin.

"I can't believe I'll be fighting alongside B senpai" said a dark-skinned girl with short black hair, her eyes were blue. She was taller than the other girls for her age. She was around 15, some questioned why she wasn't promoted yet. Some say she's overdue for a promotion due to her skills.

"Emiko gave it a rest". She said, "I don't feel that way about him; you idiot! I think he's so cool, and I would love for him to acknowledge my swordsmanship skills." She had six swords on her back, and she was inspired by her mentor, Killer Bee. How did she manage to build six swords? No one knows, but her swordsmanship is unmatched by a girl of her age. She was stronger than many of the adults. He was still wondering why she still hadn't been promoted.

"Okay, that's enough B. You know what to do with your team. Let's head out, and whatever you do, don't engage with the Konoha Jonin under any circumstances. Now let's head out."

They are in the rocky region near the border of the land of fire and the land of lightning. The group had been traveling for days with little rest. Everyone looked exhausted, so she ordered them to rest for the night.

She had a lot to think about. There was a lot on her plate: being a leader of her own team and entrusting Naruto with hers. There was a lot at stake. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around and saw Kurenai. "You should get some sleep, Hinata." Her friend advised. "It's hard to go to sleep when I close my eyes. I hear her scream, her dying scream, and her head tumbling from her body. She blames me for her death. I can't sleep; it's so difficult to sleep since" Hinata couldn't elaborate anymore. Ever since her death, she's been having nightmares and some versions have her entire team dying in the Land of Waves, except her. Some versions also have her having dreams of all of her teammates dying, including those who will be under her command. She has barely slept.

"What happened was not your fault Hinata any one of us could have made that mistake"Hinata knew she meant well but she couldn't be convinced it wasn't her fault."you understand as well as I do every mistake we make even more responsibility is placed on us because we're women. Men that make the same mistake would not get this scrutiny. Every mistake I make is treated more harshly but, that's not the reason why I don't feel comfort by anything you say. It was my first mission and I failed her. What if I get my other students killed? What if I get some of yours killed or you or"before Hinata can finish what she was saying Kurenai interjected.

"I know exactly what you're going through Hinata. I've been through the same thing you will get through this. I know you can because you are stronger than you know your students can feel it that you're under distress. You can't appear weak in front of them. I know it's a difficult thing for you to hear Hinata. There will be other mistakes you will make in the future, other choices that will not make you friends with certain people. Difficult choices and impossible choices is what it is to be the Hokage everyday that we're on missions we have to make choices that are nearly impossible to make."

Kurenai told her the truth, even though it was a difficult truth for her to accept. It's not "her not being friends with certain people" that haunts her; it's her failure. She remembers something a friend told her, and she remembers a conversation she once had with a former friend of hers.

5 years ago one day before the Uchiha clan massacre

Hinata was training while she was waiting for a friend, someone important to her who she never told anyone about her relationship with Itachi Uchiha. They were really close in the academy. She was Itachi's first friend. The 14-year-old Hinata who had grown her hair out, she tied it into a ponytail. Every training regimen that she was using was taught to her by Itachi and his best friend Shisui. It was not encouraged for Uchiha's and Hyuga's to train together or be friends.

She was tired. She lay down, then she sent a presence and looked; it was none other than Itachi Uchiha. "Itachi-kun, I didn't think you would make it." The raven-haired boy smiled warmly at her. "I can never break my promise to you, Hinata. You're one of the few people that I can never lie to; he always looks sad every time he says that.

"It's sad I can't help but feel sad, you're a good person, you deserve more friends, you deserve someone better than me" She looked down at the ground, ashamed. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "I failed my team; they died because of me." She recalls the last mission she went on, where she was the leader and all of her teammates died. She hasn't been able to sleep since. "I've lost teammates too, Hinata. You can't let it destroy you. You wish to be the Hokage someday, the choices will only get even more difficult."

Itachi was speaking from experience. Itachi continued, "Hinata: Both of us want to be the Hokage; it's not the kind of job for everyone. Hard choices will have to be made, and you will inevitably lose friends and make enemies. It's not the kind of job everyone wants." Hinata: He was right, but she still couldn't help but feel like it was her fault.

"Maybe if I wasn't so weak, I'd just change who I am. I'm too soft-hearted. I keep being told this, I keep telling them I'm not fit to be a Shinobi; they should even bother with my dream. I have to change, I have to prove them wrong. I have to"

Itachi placed his hand on her shoulder. "What makes you who you are? Hinata is your greatest strength: your gentle and kind nature. That is what this village needs. You will be a better Hokage than I will ever be. You're the kindest person I've ever known." Itachi turned his back on her as he looked in the direction of the Uchiha clan compound.

"Don't ever change who you are. Kindness and gentleness are strengths, not weaknesses."

He looked at Hinata as if he wanted to tell her something, but couldn't.

"Don't give up on your dreams, no matter what."

She could help but see a sadness in his eyes.

"Hinata, can I ask you an honest question?" asked Itachi.

"Of course, Itachi Kun asked"It took a bit of time before Itachi gathered his thoughts and asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Can you imagine loving someone and knowing that you have to do something painful in order to protect them, and the choice wasn't a choice at all?"Hinata didn't understand what he was getting at.

"Can you imagine having two choices in front of you: one condemns you and your soul, while the other condemns another soul. No matter what choice you make, it's wrong, but there's a worse one. Do you think condemning your soul to protect someone you love is wrong?"Itachi asked her; it was scaring her what he was saying and what he was implying.

"I don't know what I would do to protect those I love, to protect you, Itachi-kun." She couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"You're joining Root, you shouldn't; you will only destroy your soul." Itachi said to her.

"I do it because someone has to drench their soul in blood, better me than you." Hinata said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you, Itachi-kun. I would kill for you. I would become a weapon for you. That's why I plan to join Root. I could become stronger." She said with conviction.

"I love you too, Hinata. Please reconsider."Itachi bagged.

"I don't go back on my word it's my ninja way."said Hinata she couldn't tell what Itachi was thinking.

"Then I have no choice."Itachi said to himself.

"what do you mean Itachi Kun?"ask Hinata concerned.

"You said you'd do anything to protect the ones you love, right? I'll do the same. I'll protect you and Sasuke by any means necessary. No matter what happens, even if you hate me with all your heart, I will always love you, Hinata. Always." He said this with a sad smile. Hinata didn't understand what he meant by that.

He walked away, and this would be the last time she saw Itachi as someone she loved. The next time she saw him, he would be her enemy.

Hinata didn't know why she thought about Itachi; she hadn't thought about him in 5 years. The hate and betrayal she felt in her heart when he betrayed everyone and killed his clan. She didn't want to think about the confrontation she had with him the night of the massacre.

"Are you alright, Hinata? You were spacing out just now." asked Kurenai. "I'm fine. What you told me reminds me of something a former friend once told me." The woman understood exactly what she meant. It was no secret that she and Itachi were extremely close. She brushed those thoughts aside. Whatever feelings she may have had for him were gone. She had to focus on the present. "I'll keep watch. Go get some sleep. You're not going to do me or Asuma any good if you aren't fully rested." She didn't want to argue with her friend. She left and laid down. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next day

Naruto was walking beside his team. He felt extremely nervous about being the team leader of team 7 Sasuke he could deal with but Kagome was another issue altogether. They barely could stand being in each other's presence but, he knew if he had any chance of ever becoming Hokage someday he'd have to learn to work with others even with people he doesn't like. Most of the people that he was around he barely recognized any of them. He kept his distance though one of them he couldn't help but notice a resemblance between her and his sensei. Hanabi Hyuga.

He disregarded the thought when they entered the village of sapphire, they weren't kidding; the name was literal. He had to almost cover his eyes due to the brightness of the sun shining on the village. This village should be rich considering the minerals, but why aren't the lightning village or the land of fire claiming this village? They could literally be wealthy. "It's called the Sapphire village mostly because in the ancient past all the infrastructure was built with literal Sapphire in order to mine for Sapphire, you would have to destroy what is considered a holy site, and neither the land of fire nor the land of lightning are dumb enough to start a war over minerals that can't be an abstracted." said Kyubi, annoyed that he had to explain what seemed obvious to him.

What Naruto saw was a statue that looked like Hinata. She looked exactly like her, except for the difference of having a tiara and a crown on her head. He saw villagers swarming around his sensei. Hinata looked confused. "Oh my God! Our goddess has returned! The prophecy foretold of the return of Kanna Hyuga, who will liberate us all from the tyranny of the Lightning Village!"

Naruto was confused. There was an elderly man who seemed to be in a trance.

"Hear me, our goddess has returned. Repent for your sins; otherwise, she will destroy you for all your sins you have committed. Repent now! Repent now!"

Naruto thought this old man was crazy.

"Our goddess has returned. Please, I will offer you anything here. You could come to my home."

A woman who looked like she was around the age of 20 said, "What is going on? Why are they treating Hinata-sensei like she's some sort of goddess?"

Naruto asked Kyubi, "You'll find out soon enough."

Naruto was irritated that he wasn't given an answer.

"You damn worshipers go away, this woman's obviously not Kanna" said a bald man on his 70s. His skin was brown and he looked like a man in his 70s. "Forgive me the resemblance to you and Kanna is almost impossible to ignore. You look like her twin. What is your name, young lady?" the man asked politely. "I'm Hinata Hyuga. I was sent here along with everyone else here to help with relief efforts." Hinata answered in a detached manner.

"I'm sure you can discuss the details of your mission with me. What about your students?"

He said, pointing to Naruto and his group, "They'll be helping your village with anything that's within their power. We have a different mission which we will discuss with you in private."

Naruto didn't like being left out of the loop, but there was nothing he could do about it. Hinata and her colleagues left Naruto and his group to themselves.

"So, what are your orders, leader?" asked Kagome. "Do whatever you can for the villagers; help them in any way you can. Sasuke, go with Kagome and help her. I'll be going to assist other villagers in any way I can using my Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Naruto did a hand sign and created 20 Shadow clones, dispersing throughout the village.

"What a convenient jutsu that is," said a brown-haired girl sarcastically. "With my shadow clones, it makes things a lot easier to scout around the village. I'll know everything that needs to be done before we know it." As if on cue, the clones dispersed, and Naruto learned everything about the village—what needs to be done. "Team 8, you'll be needed on the east side of the village." Then he looked at team 10. "You'll be needed on the south side of the village." Then he looked at himself. "Sasuke is with Kagome, which is at the north part of the village."

He created Shadow clones to help in the West. Everyone did as Naruto told them and headed out to do what they had been sent here to do.

Kagome thought this village was strange, everything was made of sapphire. How did a land like this exist? All the buildings were made of literal sapphire, even the statue of a woman that looked like her sensei. What was this place? She asked around for any information and how she could help. She was not given anything. Sasuke wasn't having much luck either. She walked to a nearby building which looked like it was abandoned. She went inside. It was dark; she couldn't see. She felt someone grab her and she screamed when she turned around. She saw it was Sasuke and it did it.

"You asshole you could have warned me," she said, punching him.

"It's not my fault you're scaredy-cat." Sasuke said teasingly. "Fuck you!" she replied back.

"Wow, touchy today, aren't we?" Sasuke said mockingly.

"Has anyone told you you're an ass?" Sasuke ignored her comment and replied.

"It's your own fault for not being prepared. Have you forgotten basic lessons in the Academy not to go inside a dark place unless you have something to light it up?" Sasuke asked, assuming she didn't know.

"Don't insult my intelligence; it's not my fault I'm too poor to have everything that's required." She then realized she had revealed too much.

"Oh"Sasuke realized he had made a mistake"I don't want your pity"Sasuke was taken aback."I didn't mean any offense"she wanted to punch him, that arrogant prick."Whatever, give me one of your torches and make yourself useful"she ordered; he handed one of his torches; she lit it and went inside the building. Sasuke wasn't too far behind her.

The building she was inside looked like it had been abandoned for years. She wondered why.

Sasuke ordered her to stop moving the torch.

She saw what looked like a story of the rise and fall of civilization.

"This must be the ancient homeland of the Hyuga Clan. But something strange I see: the Byakugan and the Sharingan. That can't be right."

Sasuke said this out loud in disbelief.

"Why does it matter?" she asked, but he ignored her. She couldn't help but be fascinated even though she didn't care about the history. She was told that a picture could speak a thousand words, but these ruins she was looking at were over a thousand years old.

"You two should get out of here; this is a sacred sight." She almost dropped the torch when she saw a woman who looked like she was around the age of 40. "We're not doing anything to desecrate it; I was just investigating." She was cut off.

"This sacred site is not to be trespassed by order of our goddess Kanna; especially by an ordinary human like you. Only her descendants are allowed here; you don't have that privilege." She was getting into a fighting stance; there was no way she would attack a bunch of kids, right?

"I'm an Uchiha; don't I have a right to know about the origin of my own clan?"

Sasuke asked the woman.

"Only a descendant of Kanna is allowed to walk in these grounds." She was determined to kick them both out.

Sasuke was pissed off that this was a holy site for his clan, the origin of the Uchiha clan. He never thought he would find it in this village and he was being denied what should be his by right. "How can I prove that I'm a descendant?" asked Sasuke. "You don't have any proof that you are a descendant and there is no proof that you carry her blood; you are a descendant of Madara, the traitor who stabbed our goddess in the back after she offered him friendship and love. Get out of this holy sight before I make you a 'Dark One.'" Sasuke was tempted to get into a fighting stance, but he couldn't afford to get into any unnecessary fights.

"Fine"

Sasuke and Kagome left together.

Sasuke took one last look at the woman, and for what he saw, he knew she was ready to kill both of them to make them get out.

When they both got out, when they were completely out of earshot, Sasuke spoke out loud.

"This has to be the first place of the Uchiha clan; there's no mistake. It's no wonder Konoha wants a claim to this land." He spoke out loud. Kagome chimed in.

"This would also be the birthplace of the Hyuga clan too; don't forget that." She reminded him. He didn't need to be reminded; everything he was told seemed like a lie. "There's no way the Hyuga clan doesn't know this." Sasuke said. He was angry just how much about his clan was lost thanks to his brothers betrayal?

"Your clan probably knew as well, but we can't ask any living Uchiha other than that butcher whether it's true or not." He twitched at the very mention of his brother, but he appreciated Kagome not mentioning his name. "Can that explain why our sensei was treated like a goddess? Who is this Kanna Hyuga?" Sasuke wanted to know as well. Just who is this mysterious woman, and what is the history between this village and Kanna Hyuga?

Perhaps his mother and father knew about this village and its history, but he can't ask them now because they're dead. If he ever has a chance, he would get answers, even if he would have to force them out of Itachi about the origin of the sapphire village and how it relates to the Uchiha and Hyuga clan.

The mysterious woman, who resembles his sensei Kanna, just whom was she? Why has he never heard of her before? More knowledge is lost. His father likely knew about her, and the only other people that would know are the elders of the Hyuga clan. And they're not going to give him any information about her anytime soon.

Hinata, Kurenai, and Asuma walked until the edge of the village. What Hinata saw shocked her as she looked around. She saw what looked like a landslide hit the Sapphire village. How many people had been killed? She got closer to the site and she inspected it when the man was with them. He waited patiently as she investigated it; she activated her Byakugan. She saw traces of a jutsu being used. Someone had purposely caused this landslide, but why? "About a week ago a landslide devastated our village and killed hundreds of our people. I'm hoping that you three can find out the cause?" The old man said to the group. Hinata got up and looked at the old man and asked him a question. "Do you know where someone might have used a technique to cause a landslide?" She asked him, wanting to know more information and hoping because of her eyes to know if the man was lying or not.

"There's only one place I can think of, but that would mean entering the land of lightning and that could cause us problems." The man cautioned. She knew it could potentially cause a problem, but she couldn't get to the bottom of it. She couldn't investigate. "We will have to investigate the place; it could have happened in that direction." Hinata pointed East, where the landslide came from. "That could be dangerous, Hinata." Asuma advised against an action of going to the east in the land of lightning. She knew he was giving her good advice, but there was no other way of investigating what truly happened. "We have to investigate it. We can't do it right now because the sun hasn't set yet. We are better off doing it at night when we have the cover of darkness." He looked at her teammates who didn't like the idea that she was suggesting one bit.

"If we're not careful, we can trigger a war. That's the last thing we need." Kurenai said, concerned.

"I don't like it either, but Hinata is right. We have to find out what happened, and we aren't going to find out unless we go to the scene of the crime." Asuma said, defending Hinata's decision. "Nothing I say will sway you. Come to my home tonight. There's much we need to discuss before nightfall." They followed the old man to the edge of the village, where his home resided. He opened the door to allow them to come in. It wasn't a big place; it was only big enough for a few people.

Everyone sat cross-legged. The man poured tea that he had brewed in all of their cups. Hinata made sure it wasn't poisoned. Before she took a sip, the man started speaking. "I'm pretty sure you have questions about what happened earlier. I will answer them the best I can." She really did want to know why they looked at her like she was a goddess and who was Kanna Hyuga? "I still can't get over how much you look like her, but you're not her. Your voice is different and your mannerisms are different, and you don't wear a tiara on your forehead." A member of her clan hasn't worn a tiara for centuries; why was that significant?

" Kanna Hyuga the queen of the Hyuga clan is the most powerful woman that has ever lived. No member of your clan even comes close to her power; there was only two people that can compare to her: Hashirama and Madara. The kind of power that she possessed was that of a god I was almost terrified when I first saw you because of the resemblance there is no mistake about it you are her descendant"Hinata didn't know how to react to that there was no way there is no historical records of Kanna ever having children her looking like her has to be a coincidence.

"no evidence of her having children I look like her it's nothing more than a coincidence because she never had any children, according to historical records of the Hyuga clan."

The old man laughed as if what she said was ridiculous.

"You actually believe that? I was alive at the time of Madara, Hashirama, and Kannabi when I was a little boy. I remember the look on her face when she obliterated all of her enemies and the people of my village looked up to her like she was the reincarnation of a goddess. There were statues built in her honor; the ones you saw when you entered this village. When I was alive, she was a woman who ruled this village for two centuries, and her appearance didn't change; she was far older than anyone who lived in the village. It was almost as if she was an immortal goddess, nobody knew her true age; she had not appeared for over seventy years, and nobody knows why when you came, they assumed you were her."

The man was shaken, looking at Hinata, she resembled someone who was a terror.

"There's no way she could have lived for over two centuries without aging. It's just not possible. I don't care how powerful she was. But there's no power within our clan that stops us from aging."

"She didn't age a day, she looked the same as she did when my great-grandfather was a boy. I can only trust what my eyes saw. Girl, the Byakugan Queen lived centuries. She looked around the same age as you do now. Surely your clan has records of her being alive for centuries. There hasn't been a queen of your clan since Kanna. has there?" The old man asked.

She had no time for this nonsense, she spoke calmly but sharply.

"My clan doesn't have a Byakugan Queen; it's a myth just like the Byakugan princess." The man looked at her; she couldn't read his expression. "You are wrong, girl. You may reject who you are, but you are the Byakugan princess." She didn't want to debate this; this was not her mission. "I'm not going to debate this. I'm not here to debate what I am, I'm on a mission and I'm going to complete it. Now, tell me, is there anything you would like to add that would assist us on our mission?" The man looked like he had nothing more to say. She finished drinking the tea, and her team got up to bid him farewell, but not before he said one last thing.

"When you have a chance, you should visit the holy site that tells about the history of your clan. Since you are her descendant by right, you have a right to enter. Don't throw away such an opportunity to learn about your heritage!"

She didn't care about her heritage; the only thing she cared about was the mission. She didn't acknowledge what he said and walked away. She's going to meet with her team along with all the others and inform them about their mission.

Hanabi looked at her sister. It was so difficult to be so close to her, but she felt so far. Hinata didn't even acknowledge her existence; she looked at everyone but her before she spoke. "Our mission has gotten more complicated. Me and your sensei's are going to investigate in the East outside the village where the landslide came from. We are entering the territory of the Land of Lightning. If you don't hear from us by tomorrow, you are to return to Konoha. Do you understand me?"

Hinata said looking at everyone in the group but then when she looked at her, she felt like Hinata was looking straight into her soul.

"We understand," said Naruto with hesitation. "Whatever you do, don't engage with the enemy unless you absolutely have to. Don't take unnecessary risks. This is an order from your senseis. Don't argue with me." "Do not engage the enemy unless you absolutely have to." This disgusted Hanabi. These did not sound like the words of a Hyuga; they sounded more like those of a coward. "So we're just going to run away like cowards? Whatever happened to your pride as a Hyuga?" Hinata looked at her coldly and spoke in the same manner that she looked.

"We're on a mission and dying for pride is for fools. Your so-called pride is meaningless. When you're dead, you will follow orders or I will make sure to report to the Hokage how your pride endangered your team. Do I make myself clear, Hanabi?"

This was the only thing that she had to say to her after all these years; she couldn't do what her father asked and stay calm and emotionless.

"Is that all you have to say to me after all these years?" Hanabi shouted at her sister.

"You can't say anything, can you? Because you know I'm right, I will never follow your orders; you're not my sensei."

Everyone was shocked: the normally calm and collected Hanabi was shouting at Hinata. Nobody knew they were sisters. Hinata walked slowly and slapped her hard across the face. "This isn't the Hyuga compound, girl. Nor is it the academy. This is the real world. These are life-and-death situations. You disgrace your sensei by acting the way you do."

Another lecture Hanabi continued.

"You act all high and mighty, you act like you're better than everyone else from our clan but you're no different from them, you're exactly like them. How dare you! You've barely spoken to me in 9 years. Everyone didn't want to get between the two of them. 'We're on a mission. Whatever grievances you have with me, we will handle it after the mission is over.' Hinata turned her back on her. No, she wasn't going to allow it.

"No, we'll discuss this now; you'll just ignore me again, just like you always do." She looked at her. "If I indulge in this, will you do as I tell you?" Hinata asked her coldly. "Yes," Hanabi answered. "Leave us now; all of you. This is between me and Hanabi." Everyone dispersed.

It was a few minutes before Hanabi spoke, "I shouldn't have to wait for a mission to speak to each other, sister." Hanabi said in a softer tone. "We have nothing to discuss; your father made it clear how he feels about me. You are his ideal daughter. What else do we have to discuss? Other than blood, we have nothing in common." That hurt Hanabi, hearing that. "All I want is my sister back. All I want is for us to be a family again. Is that so wrong?" She felt tears fall through her eyes. She didn't care if she appeared weak; she wanted her sister back. She missed being close to her. ever since she had left the compound 8 years ago and barely spoken.

"You want your sister back? The week and meek girl that your father hated? He always praised you and always said that's my daughter. Do you want me to go back to that sister? I Will never be that girl again, I will never be in your Shadow. I will never again be compared to you,"Hinata said with venom."do you hate me that much Hinata?"Hanabi asked her honestly.

"What has happened to your sister? When I look at you, you're the very thing that you hate. You remind me too much like father and elders of the clan. You're hateful and vindictive; do you hate me, sister? Can you at least be honest with me?" She asked Hinata.

"We have a mission; this is not the time or place for family matters." Hinata said coldly.

When is it the time, sister? Every time I try to talk to you, every time I try to get you to speak to me, you brush me off like I'm some sort of annoying pest. She didn't care about the mission; all she wanted was her sister to talk to her again.

"We are ninja, and personal feelings or grievances don't come before the mission." Hinata said, ignoring her question.

"You're just like him, you're just like your father, you care about nothing but duty, you care about nothing but the mission. How are you any different from him? How are you any different from those stuck-up good-for-nothing elders who are cold and detached just like them?" Hanabi said angrily.

Hinata had no response, so she turned her back on them.

"Focus on the mission; that's all that matters." She said in a detached tone. She walked away from her."

She wanted her sister again, the family when she looks at her sister now she's a stranger. Someone that is no different from her father, the cold and vindictive man Hanabi has grown to hate.

Naruto couldn't help but notice tension between Hanabi and Hinata when Hinata returned she looked upset."speak to her Naruto it's important what's going on between the two sisters she needs an outside perspective since you never grew up with siblings your perspective would be needed " Kyubi advised."should I really get involved in their business?"Naruto asked him." whether you do with my advice is completely up to you kit but I would advise you do not ignore this to do so would be a serious mistake" Kyubi had a point although how can he approach her without being angry with him?

He noticed Hinata was alone; he had to choose his words carefully. "Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked her.

"No", she answered sharply. "Why not? Isn't she your sister?" Naruto said on the verge of losing his patience.

"You wouldn't understand," she said dismissively. "Then make me understand, Hinata-sensei. I don't have siblings; I never have. I just can't fathom how someone can treat their own sibling in the way you treated your sister. Haven't you considered how she feels?"

"What do you know, Naruto?" Hinata said, raising her voice but immediately regretting it. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you never grew up with a family that was insensitive of me."

Hinata said apologetically.

"I want to understand Hinata sensei. I really do, I don't pretend to understand what goes on with your clan, but would it really hurt to simply talk to your sister and not as a Shinobi but as family?" Naruto asked her.

"It should have been you who died," her father told her right after her mother's death. Hinata cried at the memory it hurt more than any physical beating she ever received. It hurt more than anything she had ever heard. She ran away when she heard her father say that she never even bothered turning back.

"You don't know what it's like to have someone who's supposed to be your father wish you would have died. Those words hurt more than any physical hit he could have ever given me that would have been preferable than hearing that"

She couldn't anymore it the day her mother died and the aftermath was the most painful day of her life.

"I'm sorry for reminding you of such painful memories. I just don't think it's fair to blame Hanabi for that."

Naruto is right, and it was painful to admit it. Hanabi was right; she was becoming the very thing she hated. She was once told by Itachi that her greatest strength was her kind and gentle nature. She hated that part of herself and did everything in her power after the Uchiha clan tragedy to destroy every aspect of that part of herself. She couldn't do it because she was inconsistent; the only person she acted like her true self was Itachi and Naruto. She had almost forgotten what she wanted to do besides being the Hokage. She wanted to be like her mother, but she really had fallen that far that she became a lot like her father. Has she come that vindictive?

"You are weak and pathetic. You are a fool to trust me. You were a fool to love me. I can end your life if I wanted to, but you're not worth killing. You are weak and pathetic. You were never suited to be a ninja. You were never suited to be Hokage. You were never suited to be a member of the Root. You are a weak spoiled brat."

Itachi said to her 5 years ago.

Had she really changed that much since that night? She almost doesn't recognize the kind of person she has become. What was she? She had forgotten what she had truly desired outside of her dream of being the Hokage. She doesn't remember spending five years with a deep-seated hatred for Itachi, her inability to trust people, and an even longer hatred for her father.

"You are just like me. One day, you will see the truth. Hinata. On how weak and pathetic your clan truly is. Until you figure out that truth, I will spare your pathetic life. Live like the coward you are."Itachi said to her as he beat her to the inch of her life.

How far has she fallen? Then she thinks of the one person she wants to protect above all. At least she can fulfill a promise she made to Kushina. That's all that matters. Nothing else matters, not even her dreams.

"Make sure that everyone follows your orders, Naruto. I entrust everyone's safety to you."

She walked past him, ashamed of herself. She couldn't resolve anything about her sister. Not now! There was too much at stake. The mission had to come first.

Hanabi was alone; she didn't want to be in anyone's presence. She heard footsteps and saw it was none other than Kagome, who was considered the "bitch" of team 7. "Why are you here?" Hanabi asked, demandingly. "She has no idea what she's throwing away, and it pisses me off." The girl said to her sympathetically. "I didn't think you would be on my side." Hanabi said, surprised. "Just because she's my Sensei doesn't mean I'm going to lick her boots. I can't stand people that don't appreciate what they have." The brown-eyed girl, sympathizing with her, wasn't something she would expect.

"Family is what is most important to me. I cannot stand people who don't appreciate the family they have. I don't pretend to know what happened between you and your sister, but it makes me angry to see her treat you the way she did. You didn't deserve that." She said empathetically. "You know you're not as much of a bitch as you act. These eyes don't fool anyone; you're not as much of a bitch as you come across." The girl blushed at the compliment. "Please don't tell anyone; it would ruin my reputation." They both laughed.

"Thank you, Kagome-san. I hear what you said means a lot to me more than you know. Everyone thinks I'm just cold, just like the rest of my clan, but I'm not like that. I just want to make my father proud and I want my sister back. I have all this pressure just to succeed. My father doesn't think I'm capable of it." She didn't know why she was being so open with Kagome of all people. The girl listened. "I'm just doing what I can. I know that someone is on your side, regardless of how this turns out with you and your sister." It felt good for Hanabi to know someone was at least supporting her.

"We should get back to our teams. We don't want our team leaders getting upset because we were late, right?"

Kagome got up but not before Hanabi spoke the last word.

"If it's not too much to ask, I wouldn't mind. I mean, it's stupid, and I'm even asking her."

Kagome looked at her curiously.

"What is it?"

She had to say it now or never.

"You mind if we can do this again when there's no one else around?"

She wanted to say something else but she didn't have the courage to; she was discouraged for being friends with people who are considered of lower class status, but she didn't care—someone like her understands her more than anyone from her clan. It'd be nice to be able to talk to someone who isn't part of a clan for once.

"Sure, I'd love that," Kagome answered without saying anything more; they went their separate ways. She went back to her team; Shino looked at her curiously, wondering why it took her so long.

"We should stay focused on the mission, Hanabi. Whatever your feelings towards your sister, resolve it after the mission." Shino said matter-of-factly. "I know that I don't need a lecture," despite how she came off. She didn't hate her teammate; she just didn't want to hear another lecture. "Come on, man. You gotta understand how important family is." Kiba defended her. "Regardless if it interferes with our mission or endangers us all, our focus should always be on the mission first. Everything else is secondary."

"I know what we have to do for our damn mission. Do you think I don't know that stop treating me like I'm a child," Hanabi said angrily. "I'm only pointing this out because it could endanger our mission. Do not forget that every action we take could endanger everyone around us, including our teammates." She wanted to punch him; she already knew this. "Can you please just lay it off?" said Kiba, annoyed. "It's okay, Kiba. Let's just focus on the mission that's assigned to us." Hanabi said, wanting to drop it. They looked at each other and they both agreed.

Hanabi wasn't going to give up; she was going to try again and this time she would get her sister to listen to her and not dismiss her concerns. She didn't know if she'd ever have another chance like this again, and she couldn't waste it in the village. Her clan wouldn't let her talk to her outside the village; she was outside their jurisdiction, so they couldn't tell her what to do. She was going to make her talk, even if she had to force the issue. Resolved to do what she set out to do, she followed her teammates and, for now, focused on the mission. She put whatever issues she had with her sister on the back burner.

She couldn't get what her sister or Naruto said out of her mind. She wanted to prove them both wrong. She felt disappointed in herself, she felt like she failed somehow that she lost Naruto's respect. Her anger over her father's words and her resentment towards his favoritism towards Hanabi. Kurenai knew Hinata was troubled. "Are you all right?" Kurenai asked. "Am I a bad person, Kurenai?" Hinata asked the older woman thought for a second before she voiced her thoughts.

"No, I don't think you're a bad person,"her friend answered."I don't know how to talk to her for almost a decade. I wanted to avoid anything that has anything to do with my clan, especially my father,"she reluctantly said. "She talks about you a lot, Hinata. She's proud of you, proud that you have come so far but is sad that you're not really part of her life or her family."She did not know that Hanabi cared that much."Do I really deserve that admiration considering how I've been acting?"hearing that she was just like the people of her clan, the way she was acting the cold demeanor, the way she presented herself she wanted to be the ideal Shinobi.

"Hearing somebody tell you you are the very thing that you hate is not an easy thing to hear. I know from experience"

Asuma said, thinking of his father and their rocky relationship.

"I don't know how to even talk to her" Asuma cut straight to the point, knowing that Hinata would be hearing what she didn't want to hear.

"The first thing you could do when this mission is over is simply talking to her. You're lucky to have family Hinata. There's a lot of orphans in this village, Naruto being one of them"

hearing Naruto's name made her feel even worse.

"I feel like I've lost Naruto's respect by the way I acted. Both of her friends looked at her like she said something funny. I highly doubt that you're the first person to treat Naruto with any respect other than Iruka. You're the first person to treat Naruto as a human being. I doubt a few mess-ups will have him not respect you or even admire you. Kurenai said to reassure her.

"Well, it's no secret that the boy has a crush on you after all."

Asuma said, smiling as if it were common knowledge.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hinata said dismissively.

Before they could elaborate, they got to their destination. Hinata knew they had to cut the chatter; she signaled for them to stop.

"We have to keep our guard up," Asuma advised. He took his weapons from his pouch in order to get into a fighting position, expecting a fight. She activated her Byakugan; she knew there were three chakra signatures nearby. She didn't want to fight, but she was willing to do so in order to find out what happened regarding the national disaster.

Emiko walked alongside her peers. They were close to the Sapphire village where B's group was. She was eager to see action. Her other teammates looked bored out of their minds; Emiko paid them no attention. "I can't believe the first time we're going to see some real action is finding a bunch of fresh academy students, what a waste of my skills" Karui said boredly. "What's the problem? This gives us a chance to fight alongside Killer Bee. This doesn't seem so bad to me," Omoi said, not really caring about fighting a bunch of Konoha ninjas who are essentially fresh from the academy.

"Beating a bunch of fresh meat from the academy is not my idea of a fun time," said one of the other Genin, a boy who was around the age of 14. "Well I heard Sasuke Uchiha should be a challenge" said a girl who was around the age of 16. "It matters not whether or not it gives me praise from B-senpai; that's all that matters to me." Said Emiko excitedly.

"You will praise anything that B does even if his rap is horrible. You never change Emiko"

a red-haired boy said annoyed. "Shut up what the hell do you know? His rap is amazing, you're just not cultured enough to appreciate it"

she said as she hit him on the head. "Now you pissed me off" the boy got up about to fight Emiko until B got between them "our enemy is Konoha not each other"

B said firmly. He turned away in annoyance. "When will we fight these damn ninja? I'm losing my patience."

Karui got up and paced around.

"All good things come to those who wait," Omoi said as he was eating his dinner.

"We will teach those Konoha ninjas not to come here again, oh." B said as he wrote that lyric down, but wasn't satisfied with how it came out. The Konoha genin have no idea what awaits them. Emiko smiled; she would be able to show off her skills soon. Who would be a worthy swordman to fight against her was another question entirely. Who was worthy? She hoped there was someone at least in the Konoha genin who could put up a fight. She couldn't wait for the sun to set. That's when their team would strike.

Darui knelt on one knee and pointed with his index finger in the direction where the disaster had occurred. Whoever caused the disaster used an "earth style" jutsu. What kind of earth-style ninja did this? It was almost as if whoever did this did it to frame the Land of Lightning, making it look like it was their fault in order to make it seem like they were the aggressors. He didn't like this one bit. It was much worse than what was reported.

"Whoever the damn bastard was, they covered their tracks well" C said disgusted that someone did something so dishonorable and destructive to civilians. That's what most of the people in the Land of Sapphire are like; they're not warriors. "There is no definitive proof, but Konoha must have been involved somehow. There's no way the Land of Earth would do this, even though they have many Earth-elemental ninjas." Samui couldn't help but point out that there was no way to dismiss the possibility.

"So what do we do, Darui? What are your orders?" C asked him anxiously, knowing he'd be encountering a Jonin, but something told him not to jump to conclusions about the true enemy showing themselves. "I say we hide in the shadows for now and wait for the enemy to reveal themselves." C didn't like the idea at all; he wanted to confront the Konoha Jonin head-on, but he couldn't go against his orders.

"I trust your judgment; there's a good reason why the Raikage entrusted you with this mission." Samui said to him calmly.

"It's a pain in the ass that we'll do a wait-and-see approach and only act if the enemy makes their move." Darui said reluctantly. He didn't want to do this plan, but he didn't want to have unnecessary hostilities between his nation and the Land of Fire. Something told him in his gut there was something more going on, and he wasn't going to make any hasty moves. His caution had helped him in the past, and it would help him now. "We'll disappear into the shadows and wait for the right moment to strike." His team nodded, and they had in the nearby rocks. The sun would be down soon, so the sun wouldn't shine on their skin. One way or another, he knew he would get to the bottom of what happened.

Naruto was on top of the highest building in order to see if any approaching enemies Sasuke and Kagome were helping him search around them. Naruto had a shadow clone cover the south side while he and Sasuke went east and west. Naruto covered the north himself. He couldn't help but feel like his Byakugan would come in handy in this situation, even though he didn't know why. "You can trust your enhanced senses for that; you're not wrong. There are enemies approaching. Be on your guard!" Kyubi advised.

He heard a girl jump, and she landed next to him. It was Hinata's younger sister Hanabi; her Byakugan was activated. She looked at all the signs that Naruto had assigned to his team. He noticed immediately what she saw on the west side. "There are enemies approaching," Hanabi said calmly. "Thank you for informing everyone to get ready for battle." The girl couldn't help but make a comment.

"You're not my team leader, but I'll relay the message to everyone." She vanished Sasuke and Kagome approached him." Looks like we're going to fight an enemy at last. I was getting bored doing these tedious watches." Kagome couldn't help but comment. "Whatever, hopefully it won't be too boring." Sasuke added.

"One of the enemies you will want to avoid you're not ready to fight another person who has a tailed beast inside of them."

Kyubi said, leaving no room for argument, and didn't know what he was talking about.

"I will do what I can to protect my teammates. I won't let anyone die. Believe it."

Naruto's team went into formation and they were ready for battle.

The masked woman looked at the site where the disaster had happened. Her mission was specifically to ensure that the land of lightning did not benefit, and that the current Hokage would not either. It didn't matter if the team sent succeeded; it was more important that Danzo's rival looked bad with his bad judgment. She saw the three ninja hiding, and they were so easy to dispatch. However, that was not her mission; her mission was to finish what the previous agent had started. She would wait until nightfall to complete the jutsu that would completely annihilate the Sapphire village and all of its residents in order to guarantee the mission ended in failure.

When she saw Hinata approach, she took out a scroll Dunzo had given her. It would cast a powerful genjutsu that would bring out past traumas onto the surface and amplify them. The woman's hatred for the people of the Land of Lightning would be brought to the surface and amplified. This was an extremely powerful technique; it would keep both parties busy long enough for Root's plans to succeed, regardless of the outcome. Danzo would have his victory.