Hinata sensei

"Do you know why you've been summoned?" Danzo asked them.

"It has to do with the carrier of the Kyubi and the Uchiha. Do you want us to keep an eye on them?" The soft-spoken girl asked him.

"Yes, Hakobe," Tanuki said eagerly. Sai didn't lift his head; the pale skinned boy didn't dare make eye contact with Danzo due to his training.

"Your mission is to keep tabs on them do not do any engagement. Do not draw attention. Reconnaissance is the main priority. Do not engage unless it is absolutely necessary."

Sai didn't expect to be assigned to the Chunin exams. "Your will will be done."

The three youths left, Sai was intrigued by the exams he was interested in meeting this Naruto Uzumaki, just who he is; he exactly? Sasuke was another matter entirely. Sai was given specific orders to eliminate him should the opportunity and the need arise.

"Finally, all the pieces are coming together. We will finally get rid of that fool who currently runs our village." Tanuki said with contempt, despite emotions being discouraged, it was nearly impossible to get rid of them altogether. He looked at Tanuki's girlfriend, Hakobe. Despite relationships like theirs being discouraged, it didn't stop them. This contradiction perplexed him: why would Danzo allow such attachments?

It didn't interfere with their work, he supposed, but emotions is a concept that is foreign to Sai; he doesn't think much of it because he has a mission to do. The contradictions that he sees in front of him are irrelevant compared to the mission.

Danzo was pleased he would get his eyes in the Chunin exams. Everything was going according to plan. Now there was another matter he had to deal with entirely." Zero I have a mission for you of almost importance"the redhead woman looked at him with the fox mask he had trained her to be obedient he had done it well the years that he had worked the years that he had put her in suspended animation only when he acquired what he needed to control her it paid off she is a powerful weapon that is under his control.

"You are to keep an eye on Hinata Hyuga and eliminate her when given the first opportunity."

She bowed.

"It will be done."

She left him alone.

He looked at the table, all the pieces were in place.

He was very close; he could almost taste victory.

He had spent 40 years for this moment; patience is what will lead him to ultimate victory and he could toss the foolish will of Fire into the dustbin of history and bring Konoha to true prosperity.

Momo was at the gates of Konoha. She was given a task by Kanna to keep an eye on Sasuke. She had never been to Konoha in her life. She had been trained extensively by her mother's followers. Her long brown hair was down to her shoulders. What was expected of people in the order was to wear modest clothing, especially women. They believed women shouldn't show more skin than necessary. She didn't care about that sort of thing; she just didn't want the attention that men would give her because she looked older than she was. There was something about this village: the rot. She could feel it in the air. How can anyone stand it?

The amount of evil she felt in the air disgusted her. Looking around her, the so-called "will of fire" seemed even more disgusting. The more she saw, the more disgusted she became. When she looked at the lands surrounding the Land of Fire, she realized how many people's lives had been ruined and destroyed. How many orphans were there because of the wars that this village enabled? She would give anything to wipe this village off the face of the Earth. It disgusted her to look at the Hokage Monument; everything that was wrong with this world could be summed up by those symbols.

This village condemned Kanna; they erased her from history, even though she was essential to its existence. She was treated as the worst villain of all time, even though she sought to bring peace and what she got was betrayal by her friends. She made sure to cover herself in the shadows; she saw Sasuke and followed him.

She saw him visiting a grave, the mass grave of the Uchiha. What a joke. What would this boy do if he found out his own village killed his entire clan and his brother helped them do it? She was tempted to tell him the truth but then again she's a stranger; he wouldn't believe her. Plus, her instructions were to keep an eye on Sasuke and not take unnecessary risks. There was nothing special about Momo; she wasn't born from any clan.

She doesn't remember her origins, but it didn't matter when she was old enough to talk and walk. The only mother she ever knew was Kanna, the mother of all she loved. Children don't matter where they come from. She would do anything for her; even die for her. Her devotion was the main reason she was on this mission.

She quickly got out of the way to make sure she wouldn't get detected by Sasuke, who walked past her. He looked as if he knew someone was watching him but couldn't figure out what or who. She sighed in relief, thinking carelessly. She couldn't afford to be found yet. After Sasuke left, she noticed that there were three people coming and she knew which village they were from, so they must be the Sand Siblings.

The Chunin exams were approaching. It would be child's play to get past all of these so-called ninjas. Her skills in genjutsu would deceive their defenses and allow her to hide in plain sight among the instructors. It was so easy. Though she had to keep her distance from Hinata, who could see through her with her Byakugan, she had been taught countermeasures for even that.

Keeping her distance, she wouldn't fail her mother, as she's her most trusted child; she won't and can't fail.

Hinata was summoned again this time by the elders. Just what did they want? She was expected to meet up with her team, and a decision had to be made: either allow her team to take the Chunin exam or not. She had thought about it after her failure with Sakura months before, and how she almost killed Naruto when she was under the influence of a genjutsu during the Sapphire Mission.

What was it that they wanted to talk about, or was it about reconciling with Hanabi? In any case, she wanted to get it over with. She had no time for her clan's political games; she didn't want anything to do with it. She entered the room and saw the usual suspects: people she couldn't stand, those who harshly judged her as a child, beat her, ridiculed her, nearly destroying her self-confidence.

She knew what the conversation was going to be about and didn't want to waste her time."Do you know why we summoned you here?"

A man by the name of Santo."Yes, and my answer is going to be the same as it was before. I'm not going to marry anyone."

She said without flinching; she wasn't going to allow these people to control her life.

"You dare disrespect one of your elders?" said a woman in her seventies, with completely white hair, who was wearing the traditional kimono expected of the elders of the clan.

"This foolish dream of yours, to become the Hokage, doesn't benefit our clan in any significant way. We are here to tell you to stop this foolishness."

Another man named Yamamoto said, "It's not foolishness; it would look good on the clan if one of our own became Hokage, but you're too arrogant and stuck in your ways to see it."

Hinata said, not caring that she disrespects the elders of the clan.

"Do you have no respect for our traditions or our history, girl?" her father asked.

"What traditions? Oh, you mean the honorable tradition of a caste system that separates our family into two: one member of the clan being part of a separate class entirely." She said with contempt.

"The birdcage seal has protected our clan for generations." The same woman from earlier rebuked.

"It's a disgusting tradition that has done nothing but divide the clan. I reject it entirely. You claim to be protecting our clan, but all I see are a bunch of stuck-up good-for-nothings who have never set foot outside of Konoha. Only a few of you have done so."

Hinata said, not caring whether it angered the elders or her father.

"How dare you, girl! You dare disrespect us?" The same woman who rebuked her earlier, who was known as Kokomo.

"I'll say what I wish to say, I know you've never set foot outside of Konoha your entire life, an interesting someone so old yet you are such a ignorant fool who has never seen the benefits of combining different techniques with the gentle Fist." Hinata replied with a look of arrogance but with the confidence to back it up.

"You speak to the honorary Kokomo, who has been advisor to your father and grandfather. You dare disrespect her?" said Yamamoto, disgusted that Hinata didn't conform to their dogma.

"There are many ways I can demonstrate how much our clan has stagnated over the years. I could show you how much more effective it is to combine our chakra natures with the Gentle Fist, which I can demonstrate with complete confidence that none of you here could defeat me."

There was a loud uproar over what Hinata had just said.

"You arrogant girl," said her grandfather.

"Wipe that arrogant look off her face," said Santo, displeased that Hinata was standing up for herself in a way that even members of the branch house were watching her, even their leaders were there.

Her stepmother, whose name is Yui, looked at her with hatred she had always resented Hinata. They were almost the same age; she was 20 years old, only a few months older than Hinata. She was her fourth or fifth cousin, but it was dubious due to her having Uzumaki ancestry. It was debated if it was truly a union that was acceptable; it barely passed because she wasn't a pure-blooded Hyuga.

She was powerful, there was no doubt about it. Her chakra capacity, due to her Uzumaki blood, gave her an edge over her peers in terms of chakra. But she wouldn't take advantage of it because of her insistence on clinging to stagnant traditions.

By blood, she was Hinata's fifth cousin, but it didn't matter to Hinata; she hated the woman. She was everything that Hinata hated about her clan: vain, arrogant, though unlike the elders, she at least actually had left Konoha.

She was the same height as Hinata, her hair down to her shoulders. It was unusual for someone in the Hyuga Clan to have red hair, which mostly had to do with her Uzumaki ancestry. Though the Hyuga features took precedence over the Uzumaki ones. Her body type was slender; she wore the typical kimono of the Hyuga clan.

Another thing that stood out about her was her eyes, which had no pupils. The main difference was that it was unlike Hinata's lavender eyes; hers were red. Her eyes were the main reason why she acted the way she did toward other members of the clan. If she weren't her father's second wife, she wouldn't have been anywhere near the rank she is now. She would have been part of the branch house.

Although she hates the woman, she does pity her to some extent because the clan looks down on her and judges her based on superficial things like appearance.

She would be ignorant to believe that she wasn't skilled in the gentle fist. If things were different, she could have been the head of the clan in a different era. She was one of those prodigies who were born too late.

"Are you really going to tolerate your daughter's disrespect? This makes you look weak." Yui said to her husband in disgust, from her point of view, showing weakness.

"If you view me pointing out obvious flaws of the clan as disrespect, maybe that says more about the clan than me. Unless you're willing to prove it in our clan's sacred tradition of combat, if you're not willing to do that, I suggest you be silent." Hinata spoke, treating Yui like she didn't exist.

"How dare she!"

Hinata's father couldn't hold her back.

Yui pointed to Hinata

"Your father is too soft on you in every sense of the word; you're a failure. On your first mission as Jonin, you failed one of your students who died; a girl with a promising future is dead. If she had been my student, she would still be alive." said Yui contemptuously.

The reminder of her failure, Hinata couldn't rebuke what she said, though she couldn't show that her words affected her. Hinata refuses to show weakness.

"You know as well as I do how anything can happen on missions, using the death of one of my students won't help you like you think it will to prove your point about me.."

Hinata replied coldly.

"I'm fully aware of what can happen on a mission. Don't insult me, you arrogant child." Yui replied in anger.

"You are only a few months older than me. If I'm a child, then so are you."Hinata replied sharply.

"I'm going to wipe that arrogant look off your face right now. I challenge you to a duel, Hiraga-kai." Yui said without hesitation.

Nobody challenges anyone to a duel except they're prepared for the consequences of losing. If Hinata turns down her offer, it not only stains her honor but also legitimizes what the elders think about her.

The conditions could be anything from the loser being casted to the branch house exile or death; it heavily depended on the situation.

Very few people initiate a Hiraga-kai, unless something is at stake. Yui obviously has something at stake for her to initiate such a challenge; she wouldn't do so otherwise. Hinata knows many things about her stepmother; she is arrogant with the confidence to back it up. Yui is intelligent and skilled in the Gentle Fist, almost on par with Hinata. The elders, despite being foolish, would never admit that the head's wife is stronger than the current head of the clan. She is the only member of the clan who could give her any sort of fight. The only other person who could give her a good fight would be Neji and Hanabi.

"Are you sure you want to take this challenge? You know the consequences of losing." Hinata warned.

"Anything to knock you down a peg, arrogant girl. You've been disgracing our clan long enough, especially with your recent promotion." Yui replied back as if she felt insulted that Hinata was asking her such an obvious question.

Nothing was said as the two combatants got into the ring. It was at center, and everyone was watching. Hinata hasn't done a duel like this in many years. She was competent; she would win this woman wasn't at her level. She was sure of that.

"You assume many things, Hinata. You know nothing about me, nor do you know anything about my skills. Do you think because you have beaten me five years ago, we're at the same level?" The woman asked challengingly as they walked around the arena, waiting for one of them to make the first move.

"I know you're skilled in the gentle fist, I'd be a fool not to see that, but I also know based on my experiences, you can't defeat me. I suggest you withdraw and save yourself from further humiliation."

Hinata said, not caring how it came off.

"You look down on me, just like everyone else here, because I'm a half-blood." The woman said, barely able to keep her composure. This wasn't like a Hyuga; it was a personal vendetta she had against Hinata.

"I don't look down on your projecting."Hinata rebuked.

"Oh, yes, poor me, poor little me. You, spoiled princess, unlike you, I worked hard for everything I have. In spite of not being a full-blood Hyuga, I have earned my place. I've worked hard for everything I have, unlike you who's had everything handed to them at a silver platter. I wasn't fortunate to be born and grow up in luxury or having the ability to give such a thing up. You know nothing about me, girl, and I will continue to call you that because you are ignorant and arrogant. I know our clan's traditions; I've studied them thoroughly, and unlike you, I respect them."

The way she said it was not too convincing.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Hinata asked herself as she was about to get into her stance; she had enough with words.

She got into her own stance, unlike Hinata's, who was in a more traditional Hyuga clan stance.

No more words were spoken between the two women. The atmosphere was quiet, tense. Onlookers wondered who would make the first move and who would win? Hinata couldn't afford to be careless. This woman wasn't weak by any means. One of the few who could give her a fight and she could lose if she became careless.

Unlike Hinata, Yui didn't wait for the first one to be made; she attacked her. Hinata was barely able to dodge. She was far faster than she had been before when they sparred five years prior. Her hands went into a claw-like position, and the elders looked at her in surprise.

Hinata dodged, barely able to escape the slashes from what looked like a fighting style she had created on her own. She looked and saw part of her clothes cut; this was a different variation of the Gentle Fist. It couldn't be; this style was forbidden, but she was using it.

"So you're familiar with this style, the Lion Fist, or what ignorant onlookers would call it 'the Cruel Fist,' it's a variation of the Gentle Fist that has been lost to time. I have studied it thoroughly; like I told you, you know nothing about me."

She attacked her again this time faster. She was a lot faster than before. Hinata barely managed to dodge; she missed by centimeters.

She wasn't looking to defeat Hinata; she wanted to completely dominate her and destroy her, proving once and for all that she was the top dog among the women of the clan.

Hinata had to move faster with her own style; she was barely able to keep up.

She did a rotation around the water surrounding her, which knocked Yui back. It would have ended any other duel, but she managed to land gracefully on the ground. She had a look of determination. She changed her stance again. Her hands were in claw formation.

She went on again this time faster than before, Hinata moved smoothly and fluidly, not holding back at all. It couldn't be; she thought.

It was her own equivalent of the one-eighth trigram 64 palms, but unlike the traditional gentle fist, Hinata was familiar with them being blades everywhere. Hinata used her own variant, but a more defensive one using the rotation jitsu she learned in lightning rotation, which caused everyone to gasp.

The lightning hit Yui Hinata, who didn't give her any time to recover. She was about to hit her in the chest, but the woman faded behind her.

Hinata barely managed to block what could have been a lethal blow. She was about to strike at her opponent's neck, but she didn't mean to severely injure them.

She jumped back to her side of the ring. Hinata was breathing heavily. This woman is stronger than anyone she has faced in her missions. If this were a death match, it could go either way. She wanted to end the fight and go on with her day. Two lions appeared on her fist, shocking everyone. This was the first time she ever showed off this technique to her clan.

Yui calmly closed her eyes, and a blood-red lion appeared on her fist. This was impossible; she thought. She wasn't the Byakugan princess.

"You're so prideful that you thought you were the only Hyuga who had the ability to learn this technique. You're such an ignorant and arrogant fool." The woman enjoyed the look on Hinata's face of sheer shock.

Hinata couldn't let her shock show; she got into her stance, her blue lion face versus Yui's red. The two clashed, sending a shockwave throughout the compound. This woman's lion fist was driving Hinata back - nobody had ever given her this much trouble with her own technique.

"Not so smug now, are you little princess?"

Yui said mockingly,

Hinata didn't take the bait, unlike Hinata style with the lion fist. Her opponents attacked her with claws; she barely was able to dodge as part of the wood in the surrounding area was cut. Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. Hinata was on the defensive; she had to come up with a plan to counter but this woman wouldn't allow her to. She wasn't giving her any time to come up with a counter strategy.

She was out for blood; she wanted Hinata dead. She could feel the killing intent from her. She had to use this technique, even if it wasn't a technique she wanted to use openly. She would not be able to get out of this battle without severe injuries otherwise.

Lightning appeared in her fist, part of the garden was catching fire, and the two fists clashed. Another shockwave knocked everyone down. Neither one of the combatants would back down. Hinata barely pushed her opponent back. Both of them gave their all, but one thing: Hinata couldn't fight was the curse mark. It was starting to take hold of her. She couldn't let that happen not here.

The elders looked concerned, knowing the power of the gentle fist; if this battle continued, the compound could be destroyed in the process. Not only that, it could kill everyone. The power between Hinata and Yui was close.

"ENOUGH," said her grandfather with a strained voice.

"Consider yourself lucky, Hinata." Yui said with hatred and resentment. She disengaged and went to her husband's side. Everyone was shocked that Hinata and Yui were both able to use a technique that only the Byakugan princess could use; it wasn't possible, though she couldn't be? She had so many questions, but she had no time to ask them because her father broke the silence.

"I have been lenient towards you up until this point, but now that I should cast you into the Branch house. Not only are you no longer my Heir, but I have a far more suitable successor. By all rights, I should give you the birdcage seal." Her father said with a deadly calm.

It was nothing more than an empty threat, as much as they would want to her father, especially they couldn't give her the seal. "You know the laws as well as I do, Hiashi-sama, about giving the bird cage sealed to adults after the age of 16 is our clan about following the laws or is that nothing more than empty words just like our honor is empty?"

Hinata challenged this, which angered the elders by her calling out the empty honor of the clan and the assurance to their laws.

"Our laws are sacred; no outsider can interfere, not even the village." said her grandfather Hinata, Smiled.

"Article 564 clearly states that no law in any clan can supersede the laws of Konoha. Therefore, the laws in your clan do not supersede those of the village. If you try to seal me, you would violate Article 126, which forbids the sealing of an active ninja and a jonin, especially without the consent of the Hokage."

She took great pleasure in her grandfather's and the elders' complete ignorance of the laws of Konoha. Her father knew the laws well; he was required to be a Jonin. Her grandfather, as arrogant as he is, knew nothing because he had never left the village and had servants to do everything for him. The only laws that were valid in the elders' eyes were those of the clan.

Her father spoke before the elders, and her grandfather said nothing foolish that would further expose the ignorance of the clan for all to see.

"Be that as it may, you know our laws, but you know this: you are the eldest; you are obligated to follow your duty. You know those laws better than anyone; you studied them thoroughly. You also know that you must get married before you turn 20. These are also in our laws, even if you are not my heir, you cannot walk away from that."

Her father replied, reminding her of the law that a daughter of the head of the clan is required to marry.

"Again, I must remind you of the law: Article 65 forbids the clan from interfering in matters that compromise the village. A marriage would force me to resign, which would compromise the village in my role. I willingly gave up the position because I wanted to go my own way. Must I cite every article until the sun goes down? I know the laws of the clan and of this village; there is nothing you can do to force me to do what you want."Hinata said on the verge of losing her patience.

"I have studied the same laws as you, girl. If I wanted to, I could force you to step down because there are laws in this village that dictate the eldest must do her duty regardless of what her position is in the Shinobi hierarchy."

Her father argued fiercely; he was correct, but there was another option.

"I know the law's of the Hyuga Clan, but there is one that you have neglected to mention if I'm no longer part of the clan none of this applies."

Hinata said with a smug smile, knowing that she had won. She was glad that she was forced to study the long and tedious process of every law in Hyuga Clan and Konoha.

"You can't do that," said Yamamoto in disbelief.

"You're insane; you wouldn't speak of exile lightly?"

Asked Hiashi, Hinata didn't care about her father's surprised expression; it didn't matter. He wouldn't control her life. No one would. She was going to follow her dreams. No matter what. Even if it meant leaving the clan behind. That would put her down a path where she would no longer be tied to the clan. This course of action would permanently cut her off from any connections. Did it really matter though?

"It should have been you who died," Those were the words her father said, which is all she remembers from him. That's the only thing she can think of when she remembers her father. Any memory associated with him is that awful night.

She took one last look at her father, she was done.

"I will let no one get in the way of my dreams or goals. Not you, not the clan. No one."

Hinata said with a controlled anger and hatred she had held in for all those years. The abuse, both physical and emotional, at the hands of her father and the elders every time she made a mistake or failed. The gaslighting for her failures; she had no pleasant memories of this place other than those of her mother.

"There is one thing I would like to say to you, Hiashi-sama. For the longest time, I have held it in. The longest time I wanted to say this, and I'll say it now. You are no father of mine. The only thing we have in common is that we share blood; nothing more. If there's one thing I will say, it should have been you who died that night, not mother. From that night to the last day of your life, I will never acknowledge you as my father. Now, if you excuse me, I have important business to take care of. This business has taken too long."

Hinata felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. She didn't care about the angry murmurs or the shocked look on her father's face. She turned her back on him if she paid attention, she would know that a tear was present on his right side.

Neji was not shocked by her display of hatred towards the main branch and the clan as a whole. He sympathized with her; he felt the same way. He looked at all those smug elders, just seeing them stunned by Hinata's rejection. She was probably the only person in the entire clan that he had any sort of respect for. Of course, he couldn't allow anyone to know that he revealed what was happening. Hanabi, on the other hand, was not happy.

"How many times do I have to tell you, father big sis?" she was cut off sharply by her father. "She disrespected the elders publicly; you will not associate with her. You will do as you're told, child." Her father said, trying to end the discussion.

Why?" Hanabi asked in anger.

"Because you're my heir." She looked where her sister had headed.

"Is that all I am to you?" Hanabi asked her father. He couldn't say anything; the elders were shocked not only did Hinata defy them, but Hanabi was doing it as well.

"I just reconciled with my sister. I am not going to cut her out of my life because of you," she left the room, leaving a stunned Hiashi. He had no words. So he lost both of his daughters; he would smile, but he wasn't going to risk getting punished. "Everyone, leave the room now!" The normally calm and collected man yelled. Neji didn't need to be told twice; he left. The Chunin exams were going to be interesting indeed.

He was reveling in the broken relationship between Hiashi and his two daughters, he knew Hinata hated her father. He was surprised at how long it took for her to voice her hatred for Hiashi openly, but it didn't matter to Neji how she felt. His father died because of the main branch; Neji's father was far more talented than Hiashi, which angered him so much that someone undeserving was in charge of the clan when it should have been Hizashi instead of Hiashi as the current head.

He would have had his chance to pay his debts, which were owed. He might not be strong enough to fight Hinata, as she is now, but he could fight Hanabi. He looked at the girl before leaving; he was more than a match for her. A spoiled child; they're both like that. It was because of Hinata's inept abilities and her uselessness that his father is dead.

It didn't matter his father was disregarded like trash. Neji would show once and for all when the time came, just how inferior the main branch is compared to their counterparts who are more talented than them even though they live in luxury and have the best tutors. The main branch still can't compare to their counterparts in the branch they look down on.

He will prove it to everyone when he faces his cousin Hanabi and Hinata just how wrong they truly are.

He was looking forward to the exams. A clash of destiny will occur one way or another. He will prove to be correct because destiny is what controls everything.

Naruto was waiting for his teammates when Hinata told him that she had been summoned by the elders of the Hyuga clan. Naruto wondered if it had anything to do with the Chunin exams. He was excited and nervous at the same time. Finally, he would be able to prove himself. Finally, he would take the first step towards accomplishing his goal.

Naruto noticed someone behind him. He signed in embarrassment. Of course, it was Konohamaru. He turned around and saw the younger boy thinking that he had caught Naruto off guard. Naruto went right behind him and said, "You really should work on your stealth; otherwise, you'll never become Hokage." The boy turned around and looked at him, disappointed that he hadn't been able to trick him.

"I really thought I had you that time." Konohamaru said disappointingly.

"You're going to have to do a lot better. I could see you coming with my eyes closed." Naruto said, turning his back on him.

"I'll get you one day." The boy said. Naruto didn't really take him seriously; he was just a kid. It would be years before he could mount a challenge on him.

"Well, I'll show you how much my Sexy Jutsu has improved." Naruto panicked.

"No, please don't use that jutsu." Naruto said, trying to get him to stop.

"Oh, you think because of your sensei that you're too good for this jutsu now? You don't want Hinata-sensei to know you're a pervert?" Naruto turned red because he was so on-point.

"It's nothing like that. I mean, I" Konohamaru and his friends were laughing.

"Who does he think he's fooling?" Udon, one of Konohamaru's friends, said, almost falling to the ground laughing.

"It's quite obvious even to me that Naruto has a crush on his sensei." Moegi said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I mean, how do you know? I mean, it's not like I" The girl interrupted him.

"It's written all over your face, anyone can see it. If they pay attention, the three of them laughed. Naruto was glad she wasn't there now. What was taking his teammates so long?

"She certainly got you there," remarked Kagome. Because of the funds she received from Hinata, she got a new pair of clothing. She had shoes that were more fitting for a Shinobi than her shoes were before he lived with Hinata. She had a green skirt and on her upper body she wore a sleeveless vest as an undershirt and a purple leather outfit that was more suited for a Kunoichi. Her sword was placed on her lower back; she wore black gloves that exposed her fingers. She was definitely showing herself to be different from her peers.

She wore her headband differently; she wore it on her forehead with pride, unlike before when she was reluctant to wear it. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Wow! You didn't tell me you had a beautiful teammate. What's her name?" Konohamaru asked.

"Sorry, but I'm too old for you. Talk to me in ten years." It was her way of letting him down gently.

"I don't know if he should be here any minute. The question I want to ask is, where's our sensei?" Kagome asked with her arms crossed.

I don't know; I'm getting bored being cramped up here."

Naruto complained being stuck in Konoha for almost a month was driving him crazy. It was so boring there that almost nothing to do. At least with Sasuke around he'd have someone to spar with.

Naruto then noticed two people he didn't recognize. He saw their headbands. Who were they, and why were they in Konoha?

"What do you think you're doing in our village?" asked Konohamaru

The first among them was a boy that was older than Naruto. He wore a Bunraku puppeteer's costume; a black, baggy, full body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. He also wears a black hood which covered his head completely, and had cat-like ears and his forehead protector on his forehead. This was not someone that Naruto would normally see and the forehead protector it was foreign but he recognized the symbol from one of his lessons with Hinata.

The person to his right was a girl who appeared to be around 16. Her outfit consisted of a single light purple-coloured, off-the-shoulders garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition to incorporating fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and her left thigh, she also wore her black forehead protector around her neck.

"What are Sunagakure ninja doing in our village?" Kagome asked, getting ready to fight.

"Oh, how cute! It's so adorable. This little girl thinks she can threaten us." remarked the older girl.

"These Konoha ninja are so soft. Do you think we should teach them a lesson, Temari?" said the older boy in a cocky tone.

"Kankuro, I don't think these kids are worth our time" she said arrogantly.

"Oh, you think you're tough because you're older than us? Is that it?"

Kagome charged at her, but Tamari backhanded her with ease. She didn't hit the ground like she expected; Kagome got back up and had a smirk.

"What are you smirking about, girl?" asked Tamari.

Naruto noticed immediately that there was an exploding tag. The girl noticed it too, and was shocked.

"So, you're not as stupid or weak as I thought. What's your name, girl?" asked Temari.

"Kagome Takahashi," the girl replied.

"I hope I get to face you in the Chunin exams. It would be a disappointment if you didn't show up."

Naruto didn't like being ignored by the older boy named Kankuro, who looked at him like he was a pest.

"What are you looking at, idiot?" He said irritated to Naruto about his presence.

"I'm going to be Hokage of this village one day." Him and Tamari laughed as if it was the most ridiculous joke they'd ever heard.

"You're not going to be Hokage? Don't be ridiculous." Kankuro laughed at Naruto trying to show them that he would be Hokage.

Before he could make a move, he was stopped by a force of sand. Naruto didn't know why or who it was; he looked and saw a red-haired boy who was on a tree upside down, looking at him.

"This boy is far stronger than he appears. I can see it in his eyes", he said with a cold, calculated voice. Naruto felt intense power from him. What was it that he was seeing and feeling? He got down from the tree and looked like he was teleporting. He stared at Naruto and spoke softly.

"What's your name?" he asked him.

"Naruto Uzumaki" he looked like he was absorbing what he had said.

"I am Gaara of the Sand. I hope we get to face each other; you have a great power hidden inside you. I know you do, and I would love to see it."

Naruto recoiled; he didn't know why, but he felt bloodlust. Should a person like this be allowed in their village? They passed by them as if it were nothing.

Konohamaru was relieved; the tension was over. Kagome looked conflicted; it was hard for Naruto to tell.

"Did you feel that?" she asked him.

"I never felt such bloodlust from anyone. Is it really safe to allow him in our village?"

Naruto didn't know, nor questioned these things, but he couldn't help but wonder if the Chunin exams were really an event that all the villages participated in. Why did he feel like there was something ominous in the air?

"That Gaara, he's like you, to think we would encounter another Jinchūriki so soon after the Sapphire Mission, unlike Killer Bee. This Gaara is someone with suppressed bloodlust. Be careful with that one at some point we will likely have to fight him. Thankfully, your Sensei was smart enough to teach you all those training methods, but even then, show caution around him. He's not someone we should be trifling with."

Kyuubi cautioned that Naruto knew exactly what he was talking about; he felt it, so he had a question he wanted to ask.

"Do you think I could talk to him like I did with B?"Naruto wondered if he could resolve a potential conflict between them without it escalating into violence.

"I don't know if I would chance it. I doubt this Gaara is the kind of person who would be interested. Something about him makes me feel uneasy. The way he carries himself, the soft-spoken tone in his voice, hides a dark rage that is deep inside of him. Be cautious; that's the only thing I can tell you. Starting a fight with an opponent you're not ready to deal with is foolishness."

Kyubi answered in a way that Naruto expected, but he was hoping for a different kind of answer.

"I hope Hinata-chan allows us to enter the exams; it'd be disappointing if we were forced to stay here." Naruto said to his fox companion. Kyubi looked like he was in deep thought, which was unusual for him.

"I don't know, but I believe she will. Though she will likely want to test you all first, but I cannot help but feel like there's something sinister in the air. Kit, be careful! Something about these exams seems sinister; be on your guard."

Kyubi warned.

What was it about the air that made Kyubi feel uneasy? He wanted to ask, but he knew he wouldn't get any answers from Naruto. He had to follow Kyubi's advice. There was one thing, however, on his mind: where was Hinata?

She should be meeting up with her team, but she was so angry just being around her father, who had said, "It should have been you." No matter how many years have passed, those words still hurt more than any beating she ever received. The festering hatred she felt towards her father and his clan as a whole; she didn't mean to blow up like that or lose her composure.

She couldn't face her team, not like this, even though she was in the training grounds, it was difficult for her to concentrate, difficult to calm down. All around her were craters on the ground, holes in the trees. Nothing could calm her down. It was extremely difficult; then she heard a voice behind her. It was her sister who looked upset. How could she possibly face her sister?

"I don't want you to see me like this, Hanabi." She didn't want to say any hurtful words and destroy their relationship after reconciling.

"I understand, but they have another thing coming if they think I'm going to cut you off form my life after we reconciled. Fuck those people! I'll leave the clan if I have to choose between them and you."

Hinata was shocked. "You didn't have to do that."

Hinata said to her younger sister.

"I don't give a damn about those old fucks who don't give a two shits about us. They just see us as extensions of themselves. We have no say in our dreams or what we want for our futures. Fuck them, and I'm certainly not going to give up my sister for them." Hanabi said angrily.

She's willing to leave the clan for her if it ever came down to her choosing.

They can't do anything to her or Hinata as long as they don't leave the village. They're still officially part of the clan; the laws in Konoha are very clear when it comes to disputes within the clan.

"I really don't want to go back to the compound right now. You don't mind if I stay at your place, do you?" asked Hanabi.

"Of course not. You're always welcome. We're family." Hinata smiled warmly.

"You should meet with your students; they're waiting for you and I need to meet with my team; I'll see you later, Hinata."Hanabi left Hinata to go to her team.

She had to completely calm herself before she met up with her team. The last thing she wanted was them seeing her angry and weak. Though explaining the state of the training grounds would be difficult, she could come up with a plausible explanation for doing intense training and testing a technique she just learned: yeah, that would do. The last thing she wanted was talking about her clan with anyone.

"Your clan doesn't deserve you. Your kind and pure heart is what makes you special, Hinata." Itachi said as she clenched her fists tightly when she remembered that memory of them at this very place. Why does every place have to remind her of Itachi?

She took a deep breath. No, she would not think about Itachi. He was nothing more than a criminal. If she ever found him one day, he would be dead at her feet. She pushed all thoughts of Itachi aside and focused on the present: her students and fulfilling her promise to Kushina. That's all that mattered at the moment; nothing else.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel like someone was following him. He looked over his shoulder, and there was nothing behind him. His teammates were waiting for him. There was nothing he hated more than having Naruto and Kagome give him crap about being late. Him being stuck in Konoha for almost a month had driven him crazy; not doing anything drove him crazy. The training was nice; Hinata was definitely helping him make progress, but he felt like he hadn't made progress fast enough.

He heard footsteps again. Turning around, he saw a girl with brown hair who looked to be about 16 years old.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked her.

"I'm just a traveler," the girl answered. He didn't believe it. He couldn't recognize this girl anywhere in Konoha. He couldn't see her face; her voice was soft.

"You're not anyone I know?" Sasuke replied. The girl was right behind him before he could do anything; he heard a whisper.

"I am not your enemy"he could hear it in her tone that she was sincere

." Who are you?" Sasuke asked her.

"I'm no one" the girl replied indifferently.

Sasuke wanted to get to the bottom of it but he didn't sense any hostility from her no hostile intent.

"I don't know how you could stand it in this village,"the girl said with contempt

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"Don't you feel the taint in the air? Don't you feel the rot? So much evil in one place, I don't know how you can stomach it." The girl said contemptuously of the atmosphere of was confused. What was she talking about?

"You will know in time; if I tell you now, you won't believe me." He still didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Are you a friend or an enemy?" Sasuke asked her.

"Perhaps both or neither, but know that I know the truth of the rot in this village. If you desire to know the truth, you will find it in time when your Sharingan has fully awakened. Go to the shrine; only someone with Sharingan or Byakugan fully awakened will learn the truth: the true history of this village, written in the language that your brother has all but extinguished. Only you know the Uchiha language." Sasuke was cut off guard to how she knew?

Before he could ask any more questions, she vanished whatever kind of skills she had. It was far more advanced than any Genin's skill set; she must be at least a Jonin at very least, he had to be on his guard but she did not mean him any harm; just who is she and who does she work for?

He couldn't ponder his questions for long. Naruto and Kagome approached him, obviously tired of waiting.

"Sasuke, where have you been this whole time?" Kagome asked, worried. If he told them about the mysterious girl from earlier, they wouldn't believe him. He decided to keep that part to himself instead; he would tell half of the truth as a way to avoid suspicion.

"I was visiting my clan's memorial." It was half true because that's what he did prior. "There's a strange people who came from Sunagakure not too long ago you missed it." Naruto said disappointed that Sasuke wasn't there.

"So it's finally here, the end of this boring and tedious almost-month-long doing nothing but training. Finally something interesting!" Sasuke said relieved. This was his chance to test the results of his training he knew about Chunin exams.

"I can't wait to prove to everyone that I'm not just a class clown anymore. I can't wait to wipe those smug looks off the faces of those people when they see me beating them all." Naruto said excitedly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He would be lying if he wasn't intrigued by Naruto's growth. He had to train much harder since Hinata gave him their one-on-one lessons. If he wasn't careful, Naruto would surpass him faster than he anticipated considering he was catching up to him.

"Where is our Sensei?" asked Kagome.

"I don't know where Hinata sensei is; it's not like her to be late. Something must be going on." Naruto said concerned.

"There's a question I'd like to ask: Am I the only one who finds it odd that Naruto lives with his sensei?" Kagome pointed out.

"Are we doing this again?" Naruto said, his face turning red in embarrassment.

." I'm sorry; it's just I find it funny. I mean come on, Naruto! Can you just admit that you have a crush on our sensei? It's been pretty obvious from day one."Sasuke thought even a blind bat would be able to spot it.

"Let's just go to the training grounds to pass the time. It's not like she can't find us with her Byakugan."Naruto said, covering up his embarrassment. He rolled his eyes and figured why not train to pass the time. It's not like they haven't done that for almost a month now God he is tired of this he has to test results of his training against someone anyone to know if he is any closer of achieving his goal.

Hinata was alone at the training grounds where her team trains so much had happened today, telling her father how she felt. Something she should have done years ago. Her father's hurtful words after her mother's death still hurt her more than any physical beating ever could. That night also was tainted with memories of him she will not think about him.

Every memory with Itachi was tainted; she questioned if everything they did together was it all a lie after all these years later, it was still difficult to move on. She would have been easier just to pretend that she never had feelings for him but love didn't work that way unfortunately. After what happened with Itachi, she made a vow she would never fall in love again. There was no room for love; her dream is all that mattered.

Well, no, that's not true. Naruto mattered to her because of the promise she made to a woman who was like a second mother; he matters to her team; and he matters to her. Ever since Naruto entered her life, things have been out of control. It's much easier for her to keep control over her emotions when he isn't around. What is it about him that affects her so much?

She couldn't help but think about the events that happened yesterday when Naruto made her laugh by defacing the entire Hyuga compound and exposing secrets of members of the civilian council.

She had never laughed as hard as she did when Itachi was able to do that. Not even he was able to make her smile like Naruto did, not even she thought about him.

Her students were anxious they were eager to do something she couldn't blame them for; being crammed in the village for almost a month would drive anyone mad. The Chunin exams were approaching. She had to make a decision and she had to make it today. Today was the day all the sensei's would gather at Hokage's office and give her recommendation that they would do one final test for her team to determine if they were truly ready.

She heard footsteps behind her and knew without any words being said that her students had arrived. She turned around and saw the look on their faces: Naruto especially looked determined, she wanted to see if they had what it took.

"I know you're all eager to do something after being crammed into the village for almost a month. As you know, the Chunin exams are going to start relatively soon. Today is the day where I will be going to the Hokage's office where I will give my recommendation but first I have to determine if you are ready."

Naruto's eyes lit up; Sasuke's did too. It was difficult to read, but he was eager and Kagome her eyes were like Naruto's. She wanted to know for herself if all the training she had done to her students over the past few months had paid off. Naruto especially she had helped him with her one-on-one lessons along with Sasuke. Kagome wasn't on their team for long, but she still had to test her anyway to see if she was ready.

"I won't lie to you, the exams are dangerous. You could potentially get severely injured or killed. I'm not going to send you to such an exam unless I'm sure that you're ready. However, even if I deem that you're ready, the final decision to go through with the exams will be yours and yours alone. I will not force you to do something you don't feel you're ready for."

Hinata said her students nodded along.

She took the bells out. There were only two.

"Go all out and attack me as if you're going to kill me. Use whatever means necessary to get the bells."

As if on cue, the team. Naruto threw a smoke bomb to blind Hinata. She activated her Byakugan only to be surprised by shadow clones of Kagome and Sasuke who had a difficult time finding out which ones were real and which ones weren't due to them relentlessly assaulting her; she could defeat them all with ease but the whole purpose was not for them to win but to take the bells.

Sasuke threw shuriken's at her, She knew who the real Sasuke was, as she deflected them with ease. that wasn't all he did she saw a fireball come at her from her left and right side she deflected his jitsu with her rotation. but that did not stop Sasuke he threw another barrage of shuriken before she can deflect Naruto with his shadow clones through a barrage of Kanai.

she said nothing as she blocked projectiles left and right they were serious if she weren't as skilled as she was she wouldn't be able to keep up with them.

Kagome with her sword casted a water jitsu

"water style water dragon thrust"

Kagome water formed around her sword and launched like a beam of water, knocking Hinata hard against the tree. Before she could do anything, Kagome created two water clones before she could get her bearings and cast a misty jutsu so thick that without the Byakugan, she wouldn't be able to see.

She activated her Byakugan in order to try and find her students, especially Naruto, because of what happened last time. She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

She couldn't find where Naruto was until she saw him in the air doing hand signs. "Wind style: Wind blade jitsu" formed on his hand, and she was about to be struck by it. Hinata barely managed to dodge.

Team 7 was working in tandem without saying a word. This was an improvement over before she wondered how they were going to take the bells this time. Naruto signaled for Sasuke and Kagome for their next move; they dispersed.

They're trying to catch her off guard. She was waiting for them to make any kind of move. She had taught her students well: not to strike and patiently at an opponent that was stronger than them. They knew this tactic wouldn't last forever, since this was a simulation of a real battle.

The first one to come out was Sasuke, who had a confident look on his face. He took wires out of his pouch, unlike the last time he tried this trick on her; he didn't aim directly at her but around her and then the last part of the string was directly at her right hand. Hinata wasn't able to move it. She wondered what the point of this was.

Naruto out of nowhere went straight at her to her right side with his windblade jitsu. She would not be able to dodge this unless she went all out with her left hand, hitting Naruto straight in the chest. She wondered where Kagome was; why was she nowhere to be found? Sasuke casted a jitsu which engulfed all the wires in flame.

She had to act quickly, or she would get heavily injured by this technique. She jumped out of the way and landed safely away from her students, who didn't have a look of panic on their faces for what seemed like a complete failure. Kagome was at the center with a smile of triumph on her face.

She noticed that the bells were not there; they had been taken by Kagome. Who smiled triumphantly, Hinata was proud of all her students, especially Naruto. She'd seen them grow so much, and she was particularly proud of him for managing to get Sasuke and Kagome to work together without verbal communication.

"I'm proud of all of you. You have passed with flying colors, your teamwork has gotten better than before, and you don't have to communicate verbally. You have outdone yourselves. Naruto, you were careful about your surroundings and didn't use techniques that would endanger your teammates; you made sure to communicate what you were doing before doing it."

Naruto put both his hands behind his head and turned away blushing at her praise.

"You, Sasuke, used one of your clan's techniques in an unconventional manner as a way to distract me rather than attack me. You have come a long way in the past three months by putting aside your differences with your teammates to focus on a larger goal. I am proud of you, Sasuke, for coming such a long way since that first day I met you. For the way I have treated you, I am sorry deeply."

Hinata said when she thought about the way she treated him because of his relation to Itachi.

Then she looked at Kagome, the girl she had only been teaching for a month. She had misgivings at first because of her reputation and her failure with Sakura but she couldn't help but admit that she was wrong about her first impression of this girl.

"Kagome, you are a talented young woman. You have proven yourself time and time again. The way you worked with your teammates, how you use stealth in order to get the bells, you have shown qualities that are important if you ever want to be a member of the Abu Black ops. You have the talent for it; I can see it in your skills, and it's such a young age. You have such potential that I think it would be a waste if it was never brought out. I was wrong to judge you."

Hinata said what she honestly felt in her heart. She knew the next part would be where she would make her decision.

There was silence as to what she was about to say next could change everything. As much as she would like to give them another year to prepare, she couldn't do that. Not after all the hard work they believe they can do it and it would be wrong to hold them back." But you failed; it's your fault Sakura is dead."

She heard herself say that she pushed the thought deep into the back of her mind. She couldn't show any sign of second thoughts that she may be having.

She didn't want them to rush and make such a big decision. The exam won't begin until the next day anyway. This would be their last day before they would do nothing but focus on the Chunin exams for the next month if they pass the second exam, which would be training and preparing for the finals. Overall, there wouldn't be much free time for them if they decide that they wanted to take the exam.

"I don't know about you but I'm ready for the exam." Kagome said eagerly.

"There's no way I'm not taking the exam" Naruto agreed.

"I'm not waiting a year. I'm taking the exam." Sasuke said excited about the prospect of taking the exams.

"Since you've already made up your minds, I'm giving you the whole day off. Relax for the day because after this, you will not have any free time for the next month."

She looked at Kagome.

"Kagome, make sure to spend whatever time you have with your mother; you won't be seeing her for the next month."

She looked worried by how Hinata said it.

"My mother—the money that you gave us has been helping us for the past month, but I don't know." Hinata looked at her with understanding.

She hated this system of Shinobi being provided for. There was so much wrong with it that the old guard gladly guards with their rotten hearts. That would change when she becomes Hokage. Children should not have to worry about their parents not being able to provide for themselves, especially if they're civilians or retired Shinobi. The system had to change; the status quo couldn't stay as is.

"I will have Hokage Sama make sure your mother is provided for with the proper funds."Hinata said to reassure her."thank you Sensei I don't like asking this of you it's just"she is such a good girl what did she ever do to deserve someone like her on her team?

"I'll see you tomorrow" Hinata said to her students, then she looked at Naruto knowing that she would see him later tonight considering they live together. She headed to the Hokage office, her decision even though she didn't want to do it; she was going to allow her students to take the exams.

She would prefer to give them another year, but she knows they're ready and she wasn't going to allow her fear of failure get in the way of her decision. She believes in her students; she believes in Naruto, and for that reason alone, that was enough for her to feel confident in her decision.

Hiashi was in his own quarters. He sighed deeply. He placed his hand on his face, and the words Hinata said to him earlier played over and over again: "You should have died instead of mother." Those words cut deep into his soul; he never thought he'd ever hear them from his own daughter. The hatred she feels for him is so strong that even in his own quarters, he shed a tear where nobody can see. Seeing his oldest daughter, who reminds him so much of his wife, he looked at a picture taken when they were both 19 years old. It was a happy memory. At the time, he was 19, as was his wife.

There was nothing special about her according to the elders of the clan but she was everything to him. Whatever he needed counsel, he went to her; whatever he needed comfort after a long hard day, he went to her. He had loved that woman so much he felt a part of him died with her. The only thing he has left to remind him that she existed at all is this picture that he was looking at. Hinata is a mere image of what she looked like when she was the same age.

She was good friends with Minato. He remembers at one point him being jealous of him. He looked at another photo of Minato at his wedding with his wife by his side. He had not said her name in 10 years. It was a painful reminder that she was not with him anymore. Also he felt he lost the right to mention her name after the awful words he said to his own daughter after she lost her mother. Hanabi wants nothing to do with him either this is his punishment for his failure to protect her and being powerless to stop his brother from dying.

This was also punishment for his carelessness when he lost his wife instead of comforting his child. He said the most horrific things that a father could ever say to their child. He regretted it immediately, but he couldn't take it back. When he tried to apologize, Hinata wouldn't talk to him. No matter how hard he tried to get the words out, he couldn't. After that night, Hinata had not called him "father" again. After all, what right did he have to be called as such after saying such horrible things?

Hinata's mother would be disappointed he felt so shameful of his actions that night that he had never mentioned her name again. Hanabi, the daughter that was preferred by the clan, doesn't know what he had said to Hinata that night; if she ever finds out, when she finds out, she will cut him off completely. Their relationship may not be as strained as Hinata's but it will happen if she ever finds out.

Then his thoughts turned to Yui, his second wife. She insisted on producing another heir: a son. Yui is in her early twenties and wants an heir; the woman is barely older than his eldest daughter. She wants an heir because by clan law if the current head of the clan is a son, he would supersede everyone, including the eldest daughter, for right of succession. He doesn't want another child. It isn't from his wife, whom he loves, but from his current one, who has no love for him or he for her.

"I am sorry I'm such a failure. I failed you in every way, both of our daughters hate me and want nothing to do with me. I couldn't fulfill your promise. I am completely lost without you. I don't even feel worthy of calling you by your name. Please forgive me" he said weekly.

After he paid his respects to his late wife, he left his private quarters. He couldn't appear weak in front of his peers, especially his father who would have no tolerance for such weakness. He would have to go through the same routine with his father explaining him why he doesn't want to have more children; his father pressured him. He didn't know how long he could do it because once he has a son, his daughter's futures will be threatened. The least he can do for his daughters is protect them in the only way he can.

If he has to, he will protect his daughters by any means necessary, even if he has to risk being cast down from his position as the head of the clan. His children are all he has left of his first love and only love; he will not allow any harm to come to them, even if he has to go against the clan itself.

There is no other way he could honor his wife than to protect their children by any means necessary.

Jiraiya was visiting a grave. It was difficult going here after all these 13 years. He feels like he's a different man when he thinks about those times. Hikari's body was never found, though she was presumed dead on a mission she went on 13 years ago.

"I'm sorry I don't visit you very often. I wish I knew I've said it many times. I was such an idiot" Jiraiya said out loud.

He didn't dare visit her sister or her niece. He felt ashamed he had such a great woman and he threw her away because of his unwillingness to commit. He had many regrets in his life. Hikari was the biggest. There was another person by him: it was her sister.

"Paying your respects to my sister, I see."she said with a voice full of ice.

"I'm sorry Naomi."he knew it would never be good enough no matter how many years pass.

"You broke my sister's heart. You have some nerve," he knew he didn't deserve to be here; what else could he do? He couldn't leave Konoha.

"I know I'm reminded of it every day the idiot that I was and the awful mistake that I made." He didn't want to argue with her, not in front of Hikari's grave.

Hikari was 10 years younger than her sister. If she were still alive, she would be 42. She was 10 years younger than Jiraiya as well. He puts the memories to the side; he couldn't indulge himself in the past, not when there are other things that he had to focus on.

"I don't want to fight with you, Naomi. I'll leave out of respect."Jiraiya was about to leave but she stopped him with a firm hand.

"No, my sister would want you here as much as I don't want you here, but I have to respect her wishes: she loved you no matter how much I wish it wasn't otherwise." He did exactly what she told him and stayed. There was a silence between them.

"My daughter is friends with Naruto, your godson." Naomi told him she has a kid of her own this shocked him considering no he pushed that thought aside anything could have happened in the past 13 years.

"That's good; Naruto could use friends." He felt like a screwup perhaps he should have stayed in the village more to be the father Naruto needed another regret another reminder of his lifelong list of failures..

"Hinata is his Sensei, as you probably already know." He knew that much at least; she's taking care of him from what his Sensei told him. Naruto's living with her—not something that's encouraged but at least he knows Naruto is being taken care of now and Hinata did promise his parents to take care of him. He would have to pay Hinata a visit when he had the chance.

"Anything else I should know?" Jiraiya asked her. "No," Jiraiya was about to turn his back; he had work to do—he had to do it but before he could do anything Naomi said one last thing.

"If you think you can run away from your mistakes, think again. You may say you're going on a secret mission, but you're using that as an excuse to run away from failure. Sooner or later, Jiraiya, you will have to take responsibility for every failure and running away or making excuses isn't going to change anything" she knew he couldn't respond because she was absolutely right;. He walked away with no more words exchanged between them. Little did they know they were being watched.

She knew she shouldn't be doing this, it endangered her mission but she had to make sure that Naomi and Jiraiya did not catch on. It had been 13 years since she had started her mission deep undercover; everything she had done was even disregarding her own identity; it was a mission with no endpoint, no end date; she was the lone infiltrator in Root.

She wore a mask that resembled that of a frog; her hair was tied back in a long brown braid. Her attire was standard for an Anbu, and too much was at stake to allow Donzo to suspect anything. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya, Naomi, and Kagome," the woman said softly as she headed to the destination where the next meeting would take place.

Hinata was with her peers in the Hokage's office. It was time for the decision that would change their lives. She saw her peers looking at her with contempt. She knew what they were thinking: someone so young shouldn't be a Jonin. She wouldn't allow the naysayers to sway her because, after all, she worked hard; she wasn't here because of any other reason.

"You've all gathered here to give your recommendations whether your students are ready or not to take the exams. I have looked at all of your records, mission success rates, even your students. All of you check out though it's ultimately your decision whether or not you feel your students are ready." The Hokage said.

Hinata was confident that her students were ready even if she doesn't want to send them to the exams.

The first among them was Kurenai. "My students are ready to take the exams," she said. "I've tested them in any way I possibly could to see if they can handle the difficulties that lie ahead of them. With complete confidence, I could say they are ready." Hinata wasn't surprised her friend was very good at preparing her students; she saw their performance during the mission, especially Hanabi's, especially. Though she was worried about her sister, if she had it her way, she wouldn't take the exam at all. But she couldn't do that because she wasn't on her team.

The second of her peers, Asuma, who encouraged her and one of the people who recommended her to the rank of Jonin, said: "Team 10 is more than capable of taking the exam; in fact, I'd argue they're overqualified. I have full confidence that they will do well in the exam. I recommend my team take it."

Asuma said with confidence that he had full faith in his students. He wasn't just boasting; he never did such a thing when he said it, meaning it.

The next recommended his students with someone she knew well that she worked with from time to time who trained her how to better utilize her Taijutsu skills of Taijutsu outside of gentle fist so she wouldn't depend on her clans technique as much and even taught her a few aspects of the inner gates. He stood out amongst his peers with his attire was nearly all green his headband was an area that is not usually common. He has short black hair and is very energetic.

"My team is more than ready. I've trained them for a year. I kind of feel bad for your teams, though. Due to their lack of experience, mine have an advantage"he said with a friendly smile to everyone including Hinata.

There were others who gave their recommendations. Hinata was the last of them; everyone in the room was looking at her.

"None of these kids should be taking the exams for at least two or three years," she heard Iruka, Naruto's sensei in the academy, say.

"It cannot be undone; we've all recommended our students." Kurenai said irritated with Iruka who had no experience training a three-man cell talking about things he knew nothing about.

"I know them better than anyone; I've taught them for years. They're not ready." Hinata wanted to lash out, but she calmed herself. It wouldn't do her any good if she lashed out just to reinforce what her name says about her ability to lead a team.

"She got one of my students killed on their first real combat mission. Does she really have the best judgment?" He pointed at Hinata accusingly. Everyone seems to agree with him, except for Kurenai,Guy and Asuma.

"Anybody could have made that mistake, Zabaza was no joke." Kakashi said, coming to her defense. She didn't realize he was in the room.

"She should have had the judgment to pull back when the mission was too difficult for her students." Iruka countered.

Hinata wanted to lash out in anger; she couldn't abandon those people despite the deep shame she feels today of part of her wishing she had because of Sakura's death being her fault Iruka wasn't wrong but she couldn't have the appearance of admitting that he was right she had to stand her ground and defend her actions.

"And leave the people of the Land of Waves at the mercy of scum like Goto? You weren't there, you don't know what the conditions were in the Land of Waves. There was poverty and destitution. Had I left the land, it would still be ruled by Goto and those in the Land of Ways would have cursed our land for the rest of their lives, possibly ruining any possible relations we could have had in the future. I don't regret my decision to help those people; don't talk about things you know nothing about. You weren't there." Hinata countered coldly.

"Sakura died a needless death because of your poor judgment—how do I know this is any different?" he countered.

She wasn't going to allow anyone to question her competence, especially in front of her peers and the Hokage.

"Naruto, I know him better than any of them. He is not ready to go to the exams until he's at least 15 years old. Sasuke isn't as willing to work with others and Kagome was dropped from the program for a reason yet she was allowed back on because of your blender at the Land of Waves?" He looked at her accusingly. No, she would not allow him to question her judgment especially when he doesn't have experience training a three-man cell.

Hinata had to keep herself under control and not snap. This was the challenge of being under such pressure from her peers, who already did not respect her because of her lack of experience and age. She spoke in a calm and uncompromising tone.

"I'll make one thing clear, Iruka. I make the calls, not you. They're my students; last time I checked, they're not yours. I've been around them longer than three months—the amount of time you trained them. Majority of the time you spent with them was in the classroom; you didn't go around training them one-on-one. You didn't go around teaching them how to properly defend themselves because most people who run the academy are incompetent and cannot teach. You being an exception. I appreciate you caring about Naruto; I really do. But I'm the one that has been training him to properly learn the basics to properly defend himself and improve his chakra control." She looked at her peers looking at her accusingly and continued.

"I made sure to properly test all of my students so that I can in good conscience recommend them to take the exams. It's my call, not yours." She didn't use her authoritative voice very often to her peers of lower rank but when it came to situations like this where her competence was being questioned in front of her peers, she was the youngest and couldn't allow anyone to make her look like she is incapable of making the right call.

"Do you have anything else to add?" she asked him coldly. He said nothing. Kakashi looked at her proudly, knowing that she stood her ground despite what had happened today with her clan. She was proud of herself for managing to keep calm in this situation, an important trait that would become important when she ever becomes Hokage.

"I, Hinata Hyuga, recommend team 7 to take the exams; they are more than ready."

Everyone was speechless. The inexperienced woman who had been promoted only a few months ago was recommending her students to take the exams. She felt like she was sweating. It was completely nerve-wracking, but she couldn't show how nervous she was if she wanted to ever gain their respect.

"Very well, tomorrow's exams begin. You are all dismissed." The Hokage said.

They dispersed before Hinata left, Kakashi walked beside her as they were walking outside. "You did well on how you handled that situation." Kakashi said to her.

"I feel nervous inside, I'm still not completely confident that I made the right choice. Did I sensei?" she asked Kakashi. She was wondering what he was thinking; it was hard to tell with that mask on his face.

"I believe you made the right call. All sensei's are not sure if they made the right choice and are concerned about their students it's natural. The choices you will have to make when you become Hokage will be far more difficult. It will make the one you made today look easy, and there's times where there is no right answer or right choice, there's a bad choice and a worse one."

She was starting to understand things have gotten far more complicated since she'd been promoted. Choices that she didn't have to consider before or make, she had to think of all the variables.

"The one thing you can do for them is have faith in them and believe that they can succeed. Have confidence that you trained them well; you cannot show in any way that you regret your choice. They will know this, especially Naruto."

Yes, Naruto. She has the strongest bond with him even though she wasn't intended to do so. She sat down on the bench and looked up at the sky. It would be night soon.

"Do you think she would approve of what I'm doing with her own son?"Hinata asked Kakashi,

"Keeping a promise to look after Naruto was something she wanted because you were the one person she trusted. You are always responsible even when you were a child. She was confident that you would be a good friend to Naruto and be the kind of person he needs."

She understood that but she wasn't even able to do anything for Naruto until recently because she wasn't allowed to.

"I think she would be proud of you, same thing with Minato-sensei on how far you have come." If there's one consistent thing with Kakashi was that smile, she could see it even with the mask on." I have to head back tomorrow; the exams begin and I need to get rested." She bidded Kakashi farewell and left.

Yui was furious she was so close to prove once and for all that despite not being a full-blooded Hyuga, she was superior to Hinata in every way yet the damn elders stopped her. She looked at her hair in the mirror and hated it; the damn Usamaki blood in her veins. Despite proving herself time and again as a Hyuga, it was never good enough. The very idea of having to marry someone who is old enough to be her father disgusted her; it was not a marriage she would have wanted. It was forced.

Despite all of that, despite studying in depth about everything about the Hyuga clan, she's still wasn't considered one of them. She was meditating alone in her garden; no one dared to disturb her because they disliked her, but they had to respect her because of tradition.

She heard footsteps and then looked, noticing a girl with brown hair.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Yui asked the girl.

"I can ask you the same question why are you in this place if you hate it so much?" the girl asked rhetorically.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't call the guards." the woman said with a deadly calm.

"They wouldn't be able to get to you in time," the girl responded calmly as she got very close up to her face. The girl had brown hair and blue eyes; it was difficult to make out what her face looked like from what she could tell, which seemed to indicate that she was around 16 or older, though it was hard to tell due to the robes covering her body from head to toe.

"You say you're stronger than me?" Yui said with a deadly calm.

"I've observed you and Hinata; my mother desires to know what is happening to her former clan that casted her out." the girl said, ignoring her question.

"There's no way you're implying that Kanna exists. She's a myth." She said to convince herself more than the girl in front of her, who laughed at such childishness.

"Yes, of course you would think that, but you're not exactly one of them are you? You have their features of a Hyuga with an Uzumaki. The only reason you were allowed to marry anyone from this clan was because they want the chakra reserves your children will have; they don't see you as a person; they just see you as a potential breeding stock." The girl said matter-of-factly.

"You lie," she said, her voice deadly. She got up to her full height and pushed the girl back into her stance.

"How amusing! You actually think you could defeat me? I've been trained by the most powerful Hyuga that has ever existed. You're nothing more than a child, just like Hinata. Such foolishness." The girl said as she got into her own stance.

She wasted no time with words and charged at her. The girl dodged with ease, which frustrated Yui; she was far faster, there being no way she could dodge all of her attacks. At the first opportunity, the girl knocked her down.

She got up again and regained her footing. She activated her lion fist, but the girl looked at her indifferently, with no fear in her eyes.

"Blood red lion, fist a mark of your mixed bloodline." the girl said tauntingly.

"Shut up," she yelled as she attacked her wildly. She dodged like it was nothing; she was toying with her.

Then she knocked her down again and pinned her down with her right knee, speaking in a threatening tone.

"I'm here for one reason and one reason alone: you, child. I'm here to look after Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha. I only came here to see if you were worth my mother's time; you're confused, child. I understand an outcast who is forced to live in the very clan that she hates. A child who is neither a Hyuga nor an Usamaki has the features of both but belongs to neither. I am from no clan; I am no one yet. Look how easily I defeated you."

The girl said as she was scolding a child, this angered her more than anything else. She fought to get the girl off of her, but it wouldn't work.

"I fight for a higher cause, don't you see it? Yui, the evil in air is rotten. The rot? I know you do why do you think you meditate here and not anywhere else this village is rotten to its core and this clan is everything wrong with this village. Mother can give you a place to belong where you don't have to be someone you're not. You are not a Hyuga; you never will be."

She moved her knee off her back, trying to get up in order to fight again. But the girl left.

"Should you become disillusioned, you will seek us out. Kanna will welcome you because she welcomes all children of the abandoned."

The girl said in a sympathetic tone, feeling nothing more in the air.

No she couldn't take anything this girl said at face value. She will find a place in the clan; they will accept her as soon as she has a son. Her place in the clan won't be questioned. But she couldn't help but think in the back of her mind about the girls words.

She will one day prove to the world that she is superior to Hinata Hyuga, the spoiled princess of her clan. She looks forward to proving to everyone just how much a fraud Hinata is. She was looking forward to that day and she will be there when she is cast down. She will take what's hers by right, which Hinata denies. Unlike Hinata, she won't deny what's hers.

She followed Hinata like a predator following prey. It was so easy she could end the lives of Kakashi and Hinata without them ever knowing she was there, but she was told to hold back. Her mission was to keep an eye on them. She made sure not to get too close. She entered her apartment carefully with binoculars zoomed in, seeing a brown-haired girl who looked like the woman's sister, then saw a blonde-haired boy who was happy when Hinata put food on the table. They were laughing about something, but something about the boy was familiar to her.

"I love you, sensei"a blonde-haired man said. It was the first time she'd heard someone tell her that they loved her; she'd never loved anyone; she'd never had a son but something about him made him feel familiar to her; why did he look like someone she once knew? She'd never questioned anything before until she first laid eyes on Naruto: "You'll look after him, won't you, Hina Chan?"said a voice that sounded like her own. "Of course I will I'll look after Naruto and protect him from the bad people,"she heard a five-year-old girl say excitedly.

These memories: what were they? Who was she before she became part of Root? She never asked questions before, and it was concerning her. No, these were just delusions that she dismissed. Her mission was to keep an eye on Hinata and eliminate her should the need arise. The others would keep an eye on Naruto and his team; Danzo gave her purpose, and that was enough.