Hinata sensei

Naruto noticed another person being beaten down by a group of ninja. Being the kind person he is, Naruto couldn't just stand by and let it happen, especially if the victim couldn't fight back. Despite protests from his teammates, Naruto rushed to help and punched the attacking ninja. After subduing them, he offered a hand to the person he had helped, and recognized him as Kabuto.

"Kabuto, where's your team? How did you get separated?" Naruto asked, concerned.

"I got separated, unfortunately. Thank you for coming to my aid when you did," he said with gratitude.

"Naruto, can you not do that again? This whole day has been hell," said Kagome, who was exhausted.

"Are you two heading to the Tower now?" Kabuto asked.

"Well, yeah, we have no reason to be here," Naruto said. His teammates weren't happy that he implied that they had both scrolls.

"Come with us; I'm pretty sure you'll find your team on the way to the Tower." Thank you; it'll be really troublesome to try to get around by myself." His friends didn't argue with Naruto; they decided it was better to travel in big numbers, nor did they think anything of it. He didn't notice the suspicious look on Karin and Sasuke's faces.

Karin did not trust Kabuto; something was off about him. He appeared almost out of nowhere, as if he knew they were heading in the direction they were heading. She had been around enough people in her years and her home village to know someone was playing a part. She didn't know who Kabuto was, but he was suspicious to her. She couldn't voice her suspicions openly, not without drawing attention to herself. She looked at Sasuke and noticed he had the same feeling. He didn't have to say anything; it was almost as if they were on the same wavelength.

He was a spy whom she knew for certain was not who she knew. It was as if he knew everything they were doing. How many spies are there from the sound village? She cannot voice these concerns openly; she would make sure to keep an eye on him and ensure her companions don't make a fatal error, trusting him is a mistake. Naruto was too naive; his naive nature would get him killed one day.

This is what she had gathered from the short time she had interacted with him. He may be a long-lost cousin, but other than blood, they had nothing in common, as far as she knew. Her sensei would be displeased if he saw her as the sole survivor of her squad, the only person left. Her fear and cowardice had gotten her team killed; if only she were stronger, her team would still be alive, and she wouldn't be forced to travel with strangers for protection. How humiliating is that?

They were at the gates, and she knew she couldn't progress further because she was only one in her squad.

"Come with us," Naruto said, trying to get her to come with them.

"I'll talk to them and explain your situation." "You know I can't do that," she said, trying to reason with him. "I heard how they treat people like you in the land of grass. I won't allow you to be beaten or something that was not your fault." Naruto wouldn't let it go, even though she was a stranger, he was willing to protect her.

"You better not complain if all your teammates get disqualified for not following the rules." Karin gave in, the chances were low, but it was better than facing her sensei and being beaten to the inch of her life. She did everything she could to survive; this was no different, and if being with Naruto and his team would increase her chance of survival, then she would take it. She couldn't help but think, "Another member of my family alive, I put those thoughts aside right now; my priority is getting out of here alive, not a family reunion that can wait if I even desire that at all."

"Thank you, Naruto. I wish you luck in the exams, all of you." He said with a smile that she knew was fake. They bid their farewells. She had to warn someone; Kabuto was obviously a spy for someone she did not know. It's the least she could do to pay back the people who saved her life.

Kabuto saw Naruto and his companions enter the building. He was waiting for his team, which would arrive shortly. Orochimaru spoke behind him.

"So, what do you think, my dear Kabuto?" asked Orochimaru. He needs to get his opinion about Sasuke's curse mark.

"Other than Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha, most of the others died within the first few hours. Only those two managed to utilize the power of the curse mark. As well, they have everyone else either died or went mad." Kabuto said, thinking about the whole encounter with Sasuke and the sound ninja that were sent to test his abilities.

Orochimaru chuckled. "I am curious, though. Why give Sasuke the curse mark? There are other ways to entice him," Kabuto wondered. The curse mark was powerful, but it was a double-edged sword. It put a lot of strain on the user's body and took a toll on the user's sanity.

"It's quite simple, Kabuto. The curse mark is an incentive Sasuke desires. Power giving him a taste in time will make Sasuke come to me willingly. I won't have to kidnap him; he will willingly join us." Kabuto had no idea if that was true.

"If you wish to stop me, you will have to kill Sasuke." Kabuto was caught off guard; was he testing him?

"I'm just kidding; your team is coming, so I'll cut this short. We have to keep up appearances, after all. I'm looking forward to seeing the next stages of the exams." He left Kabuto alone; Orochimaru did not fully trust him. He knew that Kabuto is a spy for the Akatsuki, which is something he highly suspects.

Soon he knew that Danzo and Orochimaru's partnership would end. Kabuto, with every intention of being on the right side, knows which side he will choose when the time comes.

Meanwhile at the same time At a undisclosed location

The trio sent to infiltrate the exams bowed before Danzo. They were done with their mission, considering team 7 had finished the second exam and there was no further use in observing them, considering their goal was reconnaissance, not participation. Danzo looked down at his subordinates and spoke.

"Report the results of your mission," he commanded. The leader, Sai, reported everything in great detail. He explained how everything went with Sasuke Uchiha using the curse mark and a red-haired girl named Karin being a close relative of Naruto Uzumaki.

"So there's another descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Where's the girl now?" Danzo asked. "She is with Naruto and his team. That is the last we saw of her. She gave them her scroll because her team was killed," Sai explained.

"Excellent work. You have completed your mission flawlessly. Now we shall get to the final phases of our plan, a plan that I have planned for decades. They were awaiting his orders. He had indoctrinated them well. Soon he will attain what he had always inspired to be: the Hokage. This time, there'll be nothing to get in his way."

There is one thing he regrets: not being able to get Hinata Hyuga to join his organization. She has the talent and all the makings to be a great asset. He also has another asset: the masked man who has been by his side for over a decade and has served him on many missions. He never speaks unless he is given permission; he is a silent killer.

The flash was what he called him, if only people knew the irony of calling him by that name. Then there was a woman on his left; he called her Red, another irony of sorts. He had them under his rival's nose. Thanks to Orochimaru's experiments, he managed to work a miracle.

"I apologize, Danzo. I wasn't able to complete my mission and kill Hinata Hyuga," Red said to him, ashamed of her failure.

"It matters not that Hinata's death can wait; we have a bigger prize next month: the finals of the Chunin exam will be held, the perfect opportunity to make our move. All his loyal subordinates, all the pieces are coming into place; there is only one loose end that has to be dealt with, all in due time. His patience for all these years will finally pay off; no longer will he deal with being in his rival's shadow, no longer will he tolerate weakness that has plagued the village for far too long.

"If I may make a suggestion?" He looked at one of his subordinates. He wasn't pleased by him speaking without permission.

"I did not give you permission to speak." His icy tone silenced his subordinate for being foolish to speak without permission.

"I'm sorry," the man in the bird mask said apologetically. "May I speak now?" He wondered what kind of advice his subordinate would offer if it was useful. He would overlook this clumsy act once.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I have observed his feelings for Hinata Hyuga; they are strong. I think we can use his feelings for her to make him one of us." Danzo smiled; he always wanted to use Naruto as a weapon, but to use his feelings for Hinata, he had suspected from his spies since the boy was taken under her wing that he was in love with her; it was obvious; he had seen those kinds of people before—fools that would do anything for love. Those fools were the easiest to manipulate and use.

Feelings of love were a weakness, but he could also be used as a weapon if he could successfully capture Hinata or severely injure her and promise her safety in exchange of joining the Root. He would have a powerful weapon of mass destruction on his side, making Konoha almost unstoppable, and Naruto could be a one-man army in the right hands.

"Change of orders: Red, you are to capture Hinata next time you encounter her. Do not kill her, but injure her enough where her life will hang in the balance." She acknowledged his order, saying, "Good. You are all dismissed. The final stages of our plan begin now."

The future of konoha would start soon; he only has to deal with the will of fire for one more month and he could toss it to the dustbins of History where it belongs.

Naruto and his companions entered the room, as the instructor had told them. They opened the scrolls simultaneously, and poof, Iruka appeared. He seemed pleased to see them, though he turned his gaze towards Karin and looked at them questioningly. "I know she's not supposed to be here technically, but I can't just leave her at the mercy of her sensei," Naruto explained, recounting everything that had happened. He looked at her with understanding. "I understand, Naruto, but she'll have to leave the room. these are words for the three of you alone."

With permission, she headed to the other side when the door was shut. Naruto waited for what his Sensei at the academy was going to say. "You should read what's above you before I tell you anymore." Naruto and his team looked at what was up there; it read.

"If qualities of heaven are your desire choir wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher if earthly qualities are what you lack train your body to the fields and prepare to attack when both heaven and Earth are open together at the path of peril will revert to the righteous path forever This is the secret way that guides us on from this place today." Sasuke read out loud.

What did it mean, and why are you here? Naruto wanted to ask. "The spell was designed so that we Chunin could grant the applicants at the end of the second exam. It was good luck that I got to be your messenger. I'm glad it was me that greeted you." Naruto wanted to ask more questions but he decided to hold out for now. "Congratulations, you've all passed the second exam. In some ways, this was the most difficult. Most of the candidates don't make it. You're here earlier than most. I wish we could celebrate, but considering the circumstances, unfortunately, that's impossible." Naruto hugged his sensei and mentor from the academy.

"Okay, Naruto, let me finish. There's still more that I need to say. You haven't slowed down, have you, Naruto?" Iruka asked him. "I do have a question, Iruka-sensei. What would you have done if we peeked at the scrolls before the exam was over? I'm just curious," Naruto was curious as well.

"Sasuke, you are as observant as ever," Iruka opened the scroll and started to explain. "As you seem to have, an important component of this exam was that you demonstrate the ability to remain within a mission's stated parameters. You were specifically instructed not to open the scrolls until you got here. If he had tried to read them too soon, our orders were specifically that anyone standing around an open scroll would be knocked out until after the second exam was over. Naruto couldn't help but be grateful that they managed to finish the exam sooner.

There Were a lot of people he knew wouldn't have the self control his team had but they were lucky had it not been for Karin they wouldn't be able to be here at the time that they were.

"Iruka sensei, what can you tell us about the wall scroll? It looks like moths have been added, and we couldn't even figure out what it means. I mean, I think I get the gist of it." Kagome asked, unsure if she understood completely.

"Part of why I'm here is to make sure you understand the message of the scroll, so read it again instead of the directive set down by the third Hokage for all potential Chunin." Naruto spoke. "Directive?" he asked, confused.

"That's right," Iruka replied. "In the text, 'heaven' refers to the human mind, and 'Earth' refers to the human body. If qualities of 'heaven' are your desire, choose wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher. In other words, if your area is weak in academic knowledge, you've got to study hard and learn the principles that will help you on missions. And if you're serious about being Hokage, Naruto, you will study more and take studying far more seriously." That made sense to Naruto; was similar to the lessons that Hinata had taught him for all these months. He felt like he understood these basic principles and had understood them before the exam started.

"If earthly qualities are what you lack, you train your body in the fields and prepare it to attack. Luckily, none of you have these issues; your Sensei has trained you well." He said, praisingly. "Once you have access to both, no mission, no matter how dangerous, will be a wrong path for you. You'll be walking a safe path even amidst the midst of perilous missions. That's it. I'm proud of you, especially you, Naruto?" Naruto blushed at his praise.

"Chunin are the unit Commander class responsible for leading their teams; they can only do so by a combination of intelligence and strength. I can't emphasize enough learn it live. Believe it from the bottom of your heart if you keep true to what I'm telling you you should have no problem passing the next exam. That's it, that's the entire message."

After he was done, Naruto thought about everything he had done in his training up to this point. He still had a long way to go. "Be careful, Naruto," he advised. "The next exam is the most dangerous of them all. Don't get carried away."

"I stopped being a kid the moment I got my headband, and I stopped being your student, so don't worry about me. This headband that you gave me is proof of my maturity, and I got it from you and Hinata sensei. I'm not a kid anymore." Iruka smiled proudly. "Good luck, all of you," he turned his back on his former instructor from the academy, opened the door, and saw Karin being beaten by a man.

Earlier with Karin

Karin went through the doors to let Naruto and his team have alone time with Chunin who would explain the point of the exam. Her Jonin instructor did not look happy to see her; in fact, he was fuming with rage.

"You dare show yourself here? You failure!" he slapped her hard across the face.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, but he slapped her again, this time knocking her to the ground.

"You disgrace our village; you are a pathetic wretch. The Uzumaki clan is supposed to be powerful shinobi, but all I see is a pathetic girl. Your teammates were more talented than you, yet you live, and you let your rivals escort you here. You are a disgrace." She was terrified of him since he had always unleashed his wrath on her when she ever failed. Her teammates were usually around to protect her from the worst of it, but this time they weren't here.

"Our village has no use for worthless scum." He punched her in the stomach; he didn't stop. She spat saliva out of her mouth. She had a difficult time breathing and he wouldn't stop. She heard shouting from Naruto.

"What the hell are you doing?" The man looked at him contemptuously.

"Stay out of this, brat. I'm disciplining my student." "Naruto wouldn't move.

"You make me sick," she just lost her teammates and you're beating her, not even comforting her, not even saying anything to try to comfort her. You're doing this?" Naruto pointed at the bruise on her face.

"This is none of your business," he said dangerously. He was about to turn his wrath on Naruto next.

"I suggest you stop or your head's going to fall to the floor." The woman with long blue hair and lavender eyes had a cold voice. Karin saw the woman hi a Kanai at the man's throat; she looked like she would be the one to carry out her threat. She never made threats lately, she recognized the woman's features from her descriptions. The lioness of Konoha.

"First the blonde haired brat and now the lioness" he looked at her staring down.

"Do not ever return to our village girl you are not part of Kusagakure any longer."he ripped the headband from her forehead and stormed off she looked at the woman and then looked at Naruto she was thankful for both of them her beating could have gotten a lot worse she might have ended up dead.

"Hinata sensei unexpected to see you so soon"Naruto said smiling.

"I've heard you completed the exam early. I'm proud of you all of you." Hinata said with a warm smile. She put her hand on Naruto's shoulder. She noticed something about the woman and then at Naruto their chakra. There was a thread connecting them together, but she only saw it for a second. Hinata looked at her.

"You're Karin Uzumaki?" Hinata asked her.

"Yes, I have met an Uzumaki before, other than your student Naruto," Karin asked curiously.

"One of my mentors was an Uzumaki, but let's not have this discussion here; let's go someplace else." She suggested she escorted Karin and Naruto's team to a room where any candidate who got there early was able to rest.

"Sasuke, I need you to come with me," Hinata said to him, leaving no room for argument. She noticed something on her neck; she has a curse mark too. She felt it, took Sasuke out of the room, and left him alone with Naruto and Kagome.

She had no idea what to say to either of them, especially her newly discovered cousin.

"I have no idea what to talk about," Naruto admitted out loud.

"I have no idea either, in the span of a day I found out I have a long-lost cousin, I got exiled from my village. I'm basically homeless, yeah, it's overwhelming." She wasn't sure if she was ready to open up yet; she had just met Naruto today, even if he is technically family by blood, he is still a stranger to her.

"We should get some sleep we've had a long day"Kagome suggested. She wasn't going to argue that Karin laid down on her bed and closed her eyes but unable to fall asleep due to the memories being fresh in her mind about her teammates being murdered and she was powerless to save them.

Hinata took Sasuke to a room. Kakashi stood before them.

"I'll handle this, Hinata," Kakashi said to her. Sasuke looked at them both, confused.

"That thing you have on your neck needs to be sealed as soon as possible," Hinata said to Sasuke, as if she knew from experience.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked her. He wanted to know why he felt stronger than before.

"The curse mark you have gives you great power, but at a great cost. The toll it takes on your mind and body isn't worth it, Sasuke. You don't need it; you're better off without it. Unfortunately, we can't remove it. The best thing we can do is seal it and train you later to have better self-control." Sasuke looked at Hinata's neck, and there was a question that had been bothering him since she had first taught him and the rest of his team.

"You have one, don't you?" Sasuke asked. Hinata tensed; he was right. His guest was correct, wasn't she? No wonder she went out of her way to cover her neck on her right side.

"The curse mark is an abomination, Sasuke. This power on my neck is not my own. I have to constantly be on guard, even with the seals. It could control me, this power, just like it can control you. This power—the cost of it is not worth it. I would give anything not to have this damn thing on my neck. Not only do I have to depend on seals to keep its power at bay, but I have to train my mind to ensure that I don't lose myself to control. It is a lot more difficult with this on." Sasuke took everything his Sensei was saying to heart, but he still couldn't help but think, would it really be such a bad thing as long as Itachi is dead? What did it matter where the power came from?

"I know what you're thinking, Sasuke. I could see it in your eyes. It's not worth it. Do you want to kill Itachi using this power?" Hinata pointed at his curse mark with her index finger on her right hand. "That bastard should be killed by your own strength, not by this." Sasuke did not expect to hear such venom and hatred for his brother from Hinata of all people.

"Did you know Itachi?" Sasuke asked her.

Yeah this wasn't relevant but he had to know the very mention of Itachi the hatred in the venom that she felt it was different from his own.

"He's a traitor, nothing more," Sasuke said. "That's all you need to know about how I feel about him." That wasn't the answer Sasuke wanted to hear; there had to be more, much more. Her reaction, just hearing his name, was as if she was spitting out poison. What did he talk about? What did he do to his sensei to have such revulsion when he has never brought it up? He didn't get a chance to think about it for long when he heard Kakashi speak."

"Remove your shirt, Sasuke," Kakashi ordered. He did as he was told, because she placed her hand on his shoulder and started chanting. Sasuke felt a sudden pain. He lost consciousness. His last thought was, "What was my sensei's history with Itachi, and why was she reluctant to talk about it? Did she know him? If so, what was their history?

She went to her student's side. He was breathing far better than he had before, which was a good sign. The curse mark he had was nothing like hers. She heard cackling in the air, turned around, and saw Orochimaru standing there, daring her and Kakashi to attack him. She instinctively got into her stance, but he didn't feel threatened in the slightest. He was just standing there with his arms crossed, as if he was having a casual conversation with her and Kakashi.

." So you put the seal on Sasuke at least it's going to hold for a bit because unlike you, my dear Hinata. He doesn't have the second seal." orochimaru said.

"You bastard!" Hinata said, unlike the last time, she was ready. She was fully rested, even if she wasn't fully recovered yet, she was far better prepared with Kakashi by her side.

"Oh, Hinata, have you already forgotten?" He did a hand sign, and it caused Hinata to fall to her knees, using her hands to support herself to prevent her from falling to the ground. She coughed; the pain was exactly like the birdcage seal she saw it happen firsthand of what the effects were like it was more painful than she could possibly imagine. Orochimaru laughed at her powerlessness.

"So brilliant, you are my dear Hinata. Such a waste of talent, yes. This curse mark you have on your neck is a lot like the birdcage seal. Though unlike that seal, which exists specifically to control the branch members, this seal is useful as a contingency. After all, you've rejected my offer, and you are powerless to do anything to me as long as you have that seal on your neck." To demonstrate his point, he pressed harder with the seal, as if his hands were on her throat.

She coughed; she couldn't stop. Her muscles were spasming uncontrollably. She felt like a hand was squeezing her lungs. Her face was turning blue. She was struggling to stay conscious. She couldn't breathe.

"Isn't it ironic? No matter how strong you become, Hinata, you will never be able to kill me, even if you are stronger than me because this seal on your neck prevents that." She felt him squeeze even harder, as if she was being choked with his hands.

"Bastard," said Kakashi, who was preparing his lightning blade, but Kakashi was unable to move due to the fear he felt being near Orochimaru. It unsettled him seeing his mentor with a fearful look, which didn't suit him. It felt wrong, but that's what Orochimaru did to anyone near him.

"Oh, Kakashi, if Hinata can't defeat me, neither can you, after all, she's stronger than you," he said, she was unable to breathe. She felt like she was going to suffocate.

"What are your intentions, Orochimaru?" Kakashi demanded. "Oh, I won't spoil the fun," he replied, looking at Hinata. She still couldn't breathe .

"I'll let you have Sasuke for now, Hinata. He'll come to me just like you will. You can deny all you want, but the hatred you hold for Itachi is undeniable," he said, squeezing even tighter. As if to reinforce his power over her, he squeezed even tighter. She tried to break free, but it was in vain. An invisible force seemed to be choking her.

"Such a great experiment that curse mark was now you know how powerless you truly are, my dear Hinata. You will never be able to kill me as long as that curse mark is on your neck." He released her, and she breathed heavily, trying to take deep breaths. It was a struggle; she was wheezing, and she came really to suffocating to death. He brought her to the brink.

"Such a fragile creature, humans are, aren't we, Hinata?" She forced herself up, not bothering to get into a stance, as there was no point; she was at his mercy.

"Remember my words back at the forest, Hinata. Try to stop the exams, and I will kill Naruto in front of you. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of your students' training; don't disappoint me." Before Kakashi can strike, Orochimaru vanished as if he wasn't there at all. He wasn't trembling that she had felt the entire time, even before he used the seal, it wouldn't stop. Her fear of Orochimaru had not gone away even after all these years; it was worse. He could kill her at any point.

She had no freedom at all; none, this curse mark was nothing but a curse. What good was the power it gave her when she was at the mercy of Orochimaru? No matter how strong she became, it would not matter when he could end her life with virtually no effort because of the damn mark on her neck she cursed the Hyuga clan for inventing such a seal.

"You should get rest, Hinata, you still have not fully recovered." What good did it do? What she thought she was weak, no amount of training would overcome this.

None of them understood that she didn't understand until that moment she would always be at Orochimaru's mercy. He only allowed her the illusion of freedom. He could kill her without a second thought, without even looking at her, that's how powerless she is.

"I'll get Sasuke in his room and then I'll get some rest," she said to herself, more than Kakashi she picked up her student and left the room. When she went to Naruto's room, he was asleep alone with Kagome and the redhead girl they met in the force of death. They all looked exhausted. She placed Sasuke on his bed.

Naruto, she looked at him, the light that brought hope to the world, the person who made her laugh and smile for the first time since Itachi tore her heart out and shattered it to pieces. This boy she saw visions in the Luna village of him becoming a monster. She doesn't want to think about the possibility of him becoming a monster. Naruto couldn't be anything like that; those visions had to be a lie, but she couldn't deny there was truth to them now. When Orochimaru repeated the same words to her, "Who would she choose between the two: Naruto or Sasuke?"

Naruto brought out a side of her she thought she had buried completely after Itachi murdered everyone in his clan, especially when she found out the truth about what really happened to Shisui, including the fact that Itachi killed him in cold blood.

Yui was expected to be a representative for the Hyuga Clan in the Preliminary rounds despite Hinata being present her presence was requested specifically by the elders they wanted her to witness first hand the progress of their ideal heir Hanabi She cared notfor the outcome who won whether was Neji or Hanabi They weren't her student therefore it did not concern her her students have already pasted the exams. She had looked at this very place that she was walking in It had been 6 years since she's been in this very building where she had proven herself when the fools and the clan looked down on her because of her uzumaki hair they did not believe she was a Hyuga she proved them wrong when she defeated the prodigy of that yeara girl that she no longer remembers her name due to her notcaring to remember the name of One of the main branch members looking down on her.

It didn't matter to her though That was a different time She heard footsteps and looked and it was none other than Hinata the woman that she Couldn't stand the side of despite being close in age She was her step daughte just like Hanabi she despised both of them and her husband as well.

"What business do you have here?" Hinata asked her.

"It's not really your concern," Yui replied.

"It concerns me because this is for people who have passed the exam, and for the sensei's to watch their students to support them. You don't have students, so what is your reason for being here?" Hinata pressed.

"Since you're not willing to represent our clan, I have to do it, and you're steadfast. Unlike you, spoiled girl, I actually do my duties." Yui said with barely controlled anger at the younger woman's presence.

"Do what you wish; it doesn't concern me," Hinata said dismissively.

She wanted so badly to slap that woman. Her arrogance was evident as she walked past, ignoring her existence. She surprised her in their duel by revealing she had her own Lion Fist. It didn't matter that she had Uzumaki ancestry; she wouldn't let herself lose control. It would only prove her detractors right about her and her place in the clan.

Hanabi was the first of her team to wake up. She needed to stretch when she got out of her room and into the hallway. She saw her sister who looked like she was in deep thought. She didn't know what to say to her. The experience she had when she saw Gaara brutally murdering his victims was horrifying. It was the scariest experience she'd ever encountered in her life. She thought she was never going to get out of there alive.

She was about to head back to leave her sister alone until Hinata noticed her.

"Can't sleep,?" asked Hinata, who looked like she couldn't sleep either. Maybe having a conversation with her sister would be a good way for her to get her mind off of what had happened, or at least talk about it with someone with experience.

"Were the Chunin exams as frightening for you as they were for me?" Hanabi asked her sister, who had a hesitant look on her face.

"I don't want to talk about it," Hinata said. Strainly.

" why?" hanabi asked.

"You wouldn't understand, and I don't want to be reminded of him," Hinata said, not wanting to elaborate.

"Then can I ask you something else? Have you ever felt so afraid that you couldn't move?" Hanabi asked her sister, hoping that she could at least answer that.

" Yes, the man I faced was so terrifying that my body couldn't even move. It wouldn't listen to my commands. If it weren't for my comrades who were with me at the time, I would have been killed. Fear happens to all of us, Hanabi. It's how we deal with that fear that makes us who we are." Hinata answered, as if she was thinking from her own experience of an early mission she went on.

"Does it ever get easier?" she asked. Hinata shook her head.

"It doesn't. Fear is natural for us. We have to learn how to face our fear and to control it, and not let it control us. We're not machines. Fear is a natural feeling. Anyone who's afraid but faces their enemy to protect themselves and their comrades is someone with courage and value. Those who let their fear control them are cowards, and are not the kind of people anyone should ever want to be. They're not the kind of people anyone should ever associate with. Cowards are the worst kind of individuals to ever deal with." Quinata said, pulling from her own experience of being a Shinobi since she was 12 years old. It was hard for her to believe that her sister could be afraid, but someone who has been a ninja for as long as her sister has learns to conquer their fear and control it. The same thing would apply to someone like Kakashi or the Hokage.

"Feeling like I'm not meeting the standards of what it means to be a Hyuga, being scared like I was, that's not our way," Hanabi said, trying to rationalize her fear, the primal feeling she had inside her when she saw the red-haired boy, Gaara.

"I don't think the standards of our clan are very high if I have to be truthful with you. Anyone who is so arrogant that they believe they're never afraid is lying to themselves. Most of these useless elders who set standards for everyone else but refuse to follow their own standards. The Hyuga philosophy is nonsense. Most real shinobi in our clan, the ones who are actually able to break out of our clan's stagnation, are ignored because we don't meet the expectations. You should stop caring what the clan thinks and focus on what works for you and for your team. That should be your focus, not to please useless fools," her sister finished. It was hard to think of any flaws in Hinata's words because Hanabi's experience has proven that her sister is right. As a shinobi, she has to break out of traditions that do nothing but hold the clan back.

"You made me consider much, big sister. I mean, I just don't know. I'd be like going against everything that I have ever known," Hanabi said, scared of the prospect of breaking away from her clan's traditions, even though she knows in her heart that her sister is right.

"I'm not saying everything in our clan has to be disregarded. There are some things in our traditions that are honorable, that I would love to keep, but the traditions of strength and weakness are what hold us back. There are talented individuals in our clan who have other skills that could make them great shinobi, but are deemed weak and useless because of our clan's ridiculous traditions of sticking strictly to the traditional style of the gentle fist. There's much about our style that could be a sight to behold, but adding anything to our style is considered blasphemy, so those kind of geniuses are dismissed. There's a good reason why most of the talented hugas come from the branch house; it's because they have to come up with alternative ways of fighting, as they don't have access to the same training that you and I have. It's a shame, but that's just how our clan is; it will never change." Hinata said. Hanabi thought it was bullshit. Why can't her sister do the thing that she believes would make the clan stronger? Why can't she teach those who are denied the same kind of training she and Hinata had? It doesn't make sense.

"If that's the case, sister, why can't you just be a teacher? Surely you could help change the clan that way, instead of doing what you're doing now. I don't get it?" Hanabi asked, perplexed.

"Get some sleep; you will have a big day ahead of you tomorrow, and you want to have all the energy for the next exam." Hinata said, avoiding Hanabi's question. No, she will get an answer when the time presents itself. But her sister was right; as much as she hated to admit it, she would have a difficult time keeping her eyes open.

"Thank you, sis; I will take what you said into consideration." Hanabi said as she left her sister alone. She went to her bed, lay down on her back, and before she fell asleep, she thought about the kind of future their clan could have if they gave everyone the equal opportunity to learn, rather than have it be a privilege for only a select few. Those thoughts occupied her mind as she fell to a dreamless sleep.

Hinata thinking about the futures that she saw when she went to the Luna Village the multiple futures ones where she became a monster ones when she opened herself up againIt didn't make sense she was still trying to decipherwhat she had saw and it didn't make sense now anymore than it didWhen she saw it it had been almost a month since she visited the luna Village and she was as confused now as she was then. She looked and felt foolish that she did not notice Hiruzen next to was nothing said for moments until he spoke..

"You have come a long way, Hinata, in the past few months. I made the right call making you the sensei of team 7." She said nothing; the conversation with her sister wouldn't leave her mind, regarding her teaching the clan. No, she had to concentrate on the man in front of her. She couldn't space out; she put that thought aside for the moment and focused on the old man.

"I know you're still angry with me, but you've got to understand I was doing what I had to to protect Naruto. Would you do any less?" the old man asked her. "He has changed you, Hinata. It was subtle at first; you're not cold like you were before; you have smiled for the first time in 5 years. He's had a positive impact on you and the people he's surrounded himself with," she noticed.

"I have failed completely. I was entrusted by his parents to look after him and I failed at that, Hinata. Someday you'll be wearing these robes that I'm wearing and you'll be making the difficult decisions I make daily. Could you do it?" he asked her, rhetorically.

She thought about the difficult decisions she should force herself to make. Could she do it? She had been put into many situations since becoming a Shinobi, where she was forced to make difficult choices—choices that led to the deaths of comrades, choices that caused her to choose which lives to save and which lives to take. It was one choice after another, and she knew that being the Hokage was far more difficult than any choice she had made up to this point. The choice was between the lesser evil, a choice she would have to make as the Hokage, which she was forced to do time and time again. Could she do it? She believes she could. She had to; someone had to change the system, someone had to make a more equitable society. It wasn't going to happen without difficult choices being made. That was something she understood when she was a little girl, when her hero inspired her.

"Being the Hokage is something I've dreamed of since I was a little girl, since Kushina San was denied. She's the reason why I want to make her proud and Minato San." Hinata said.

"There had been many who dreamed about being the Hokage, but very few were willing to make the choices required. I'm not going to say I've made the right choices every time. In times of peace, it's much easier to be a saint. It's much easier to make choices that benefit everyone in the best possible way. But one component that is important in being the Hokage is how well you'll be able to lead if there ever was a war. In wartime, I believe, is what determines someone's leadership ability. If they're incapable of making the ultimate sacrifice for the village, for your friends, if you're not willing to do that, I don't think you're Hokage material—at least that's what I believe. That's what my predecessor taught me." Hiruzen stopped and looks up at the ceiling as if he was thinking about the day that he was made Hokage.

" If you don't mind me asking, Hokage-sama, how did you become the Hokage?" she asked him, generally wanting to know. She heard the stories, but she wanted to hear it from the man himself.

"While we were in battle, my comrades, along with my commander, were surrounded. There was no way for all of us to get out alive. None of us had a chance to be a good decoy to buy enough time for our division to escape with our lives. A difficult choice was forced on us." Hiruzen paused. Hinata wondered why he was doing that.

"I didn't know this at the time, and neither did Donzo." He clenched his teeth whenever he mentioned his name, as if it were poison. She knew, along with anyone who worked with Hiruzen, that Hiruzen and Donzo despised each other. But part of her was curious: Were they friends ever in their youth? Because when he became Hokage, he couldn't have been any older than 21.

"He asked which one of us was willing to sacrifice our lives to save our comrades. I volunteered without hesitation because I believed it was our duty to protect our friends. And when I made my decision, Tobirama named me Hokage on the spot. I was shocked; I did not expect to be given that position. I expected to die; I was fully ready to die, but it was never meant to be. He was testing me and Donzo to see which one of us had a stronger resolve to protect our village. When I made my choice to sacrifice my life, he saw me as worthy." Hiruzen had a heavy look on his face revealing such a personal story about his fallen friend and mentor she couldn't imagine herself in that situation it was inconceivable.

"It's hard to imagine being suddenly promoted to Hokage in battle. I don't know if I would be able to accept such an honor so suddenly. It's." Hinata had no words. It was difficult to even put into words. She imagined herself in that situation. It was difficult for her to imagine accepting such an honor. But protecting her friends, that was something she could do.

"The reason many do not become Hokage is not because they don't qualify for the job; it's because most do not desire it. It's not for the faint of heart," Hiruzen looked in the direction where Naruto was.

"Naruto has the makings of a future Hokage; he has a ways to go, of course. He's a boy, but he already has one of the most important traits of what it is to be Hokage. You want to know what that is?" Hiruzen asked Hinata. She didn't know how this was relevant, but she decided to ask. Because she didn't want to be rude and she herself was curious. "The willingness to risk his life for the village and for his friends on the sapphire mission. He had rested his whole body to protect strangers. Another thing that is essential to be Hokage is the responsibility of protecting the weak and the innocent. Naruto has those traits." He stopped, letting Hinata absorb what he said.

"Though because of his rashness and his youth, he likes humility, which is important in my eyes for being hokage. We don't govern with our fists; we govern with compassion and love for our people, and we'll do anything to protect them. I believe in time he will learn these things." He looked at her as if he was about to say the next comment towards her.

"You have a lot of the traits that would make a Hokage who would be worthy. But there's one trait you lack that holds you back." Hinata wanted to protest. "There's no way! She has a lot to learn, but what is the component she's lacking?

"I'm sorry Hokage sama But what am I lacking?" Hinata asked hoping for an answer.

"I'm afraid you will have to figure that one out on your own. That is not something I can teach you. You have to learn yourself. You will know when you do find out what you lack. I have faith in you." Hiruzen said, not elaborating, as this conversation was at an end. She knew it was because of what he was about to say next would end the conversation.

"A new era is coming, Hinata. There will be another who will replace me as the Hokage. I should have stepped down years ago. I would have loved to spend my final years in peace, just looking at the hilltops of Konoha and advising the next generation. But circumstances, as you well know, prevented that from happening. She thought about it: What would the world look like today if Minato hadn't died the day Naruto was born?"

"It's time Hinata to enter the next phase of the exams, which are about to begin." They walked down the stairs, even years later, when she looked around her, she couldn't help but admire the architecture. The statue at the back of the room symbolized the coming of age of a warrior. She saw all of the contestants lined up at the center of the room; Naruto was looking at her, smiling warmly. Because the redhead girl wasn't allowed to progress, she couldn't join in. She was on the balcony, looking down at Naruto, who had a cousin. It was almost too good to be true.

She did not indulge in her thoughts as Hiruzen started to speak about the purpose of this phase of the second exam.

Hanabi stood next to her teammates and looked around to see who made it. She was relieved that Naruto's team made it. Her sister must be really happy about that. She noticed others as well, including the sound trio she heard nothing but bad news about. Rumors were that they killed an entire squad without remorse, without caring about the people they killed. It was probably just rumors, but she wasn't going to rule it out, considering the amount of psychopaths likely in the exam. She looked at the red-haired boy called Gaara; she still shivers in fear when she thinks about what she saw—the gruesome deaths of the victims and the her team's potential gruesome fate had it not been for his siblings' intervention.

She was tired, not physically but mentally. Then she looked at her cousin Neji; he was someone she was going to have to fight, no matter what. There was no avoiding it, and her father, if she even dared forfeit the fight, would treat her harshly. The clan was getting impatient when it came to failures, after Hinata rejected them again. She hated her stepmother, and there was a good chance she would have a son. Once that happened, Hinata and her futures were up in the air.

Males were prioritized over females in the clan, even if the eldest was a girl. She shut down her thoughts because right now she had to focus and learn what the next phase of the exams.

The Hokage began to speak. "For those of you who recently came out of the academy, I give you my praise. You're the first in many years to do as well as you have in the exams. Usually, a year or two is given before any candidate enters the exam. Your exceptional, all of you." He smiled kindly before continuing.

"I would like as much as the rest of you to rest and move on with the third and final part of the exam, but because of how many of you are left remaining, it is necessary to have an elimination round. Before the 3rd exam could commence, I will have to make one thing perfectly clear: it pertains to the underlying purpose of the exam." Hanabi was confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"What do you mean by 'what is the purpose of this'?" Hanabi wanted to know what he was getting at.

"Why do you suppose an examination of this nature is being jointly oriented by all of the nations in our mutual alliance to promote friendship among allied nations and raise the level of standards in the art of Shinobi? Hanabi had a very good idea where he was getting at. She has studied the history of the third great ninja Ward and the war that preceded it and the war States era."

"If you have studied our recent history, then you would know about a mutual and beneficial agreement between a group of geographically connected lenses whose previous existence was one of constant strife, with each eyeing the other openly and in secret for power and control of resources, they were perpetually depleted almost to exhaustion in the struggle until a better way was devised, the way of the exam that you see before you."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I thought the point was to select Chunin," Naruto said, annoyed by the exposition. Hokage continued, "Make no mistake, when the exam is done, it will have a side effect of weeding out the applicants that are unfit. Not anyone should or can be a Chunin. By performing in front of an audience of thousands, including Lords from various nations, you will show your skills and your valor, and we can determine based on how well you perform in mind and body if you are worthy of wearing the vest. It's possible for all of you to be promoted to Chunin, but make no mistake, it's also possible for none of you to be promoted. Any test you have been through up to this point will look easy by comparison. A Chunin is an individual who will lead squads on missions and teach others of your peers. There are many responsibilities, and the third exam will be the final test to see if you are ready for those responsibilities. Let me reiterate one last time." Hanabi gulped; she was prepared for this; she had trained all her life for this; she would not lose; she would not dishonor her family and clan. She would honor her mother, who was a brave Shinobi.

"What you risk in the final exam is not only your future, your dreams but the dignity and prestige of your home as well." A man appeared in front of them. He had short brown hair, dark-coloured eyes and dark markings under his eyes. Even though he was a young man, he had pronounced lines under his eyes as well as an unexplained chronic condition. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi outfit complete with a forehead protector that he wore as a bandanna, flak jacket and regular shinobi sandals.

"My name is Hayate," Uhhh, before we start the exam, I must ask all of you to do something for me. Um, you see, there are some primaries to the exam proper, and whatever you proceed to the main exam is how you perform in this portion. Everyone was surprised: "Another exam?" She wasn't surprised; there were too many people for the third and final exam. There wouldn't be enough time; they had to wait in order to have only the best. Hanabi understood this.

"Preliminary rounds? What?" Shikamaru asked, completely shocked. "Hayate-sensei, I don't understand. What do you mean by 'preliminary rounds'? Why can't all the applicants proceed to the third exam?" asked Kagome. It was a good question, Hanabi thought, though she knew the obvious answer.

"There aren't normally this many applicants left, not to mention there will be lords and guests from other nations watching. There wouldn't be enough time. It would take weeks, and there isn't that kind of time. So, in order to cut down on time, we only allow the best to proceed. You see, the third exam is basically a tournament. For those of you who want to back out, this is your last chance because the preliminary rounds begin now." Hayate finished. The room was silent. She started to see a few people leave, not surprising, probably traumatized by their experiences. This would cause the rounds to go faster with fewer people, which was good for her; she wanted to get this over with.

Kabuto knew this was the signal to leave; he was far too strong, and the mission was too important. He looked at Sasuke with the curse mark on his neck, then he looked where the Jonin was. He saw Hinata who was rubbing her right fingers on where her curse mark was. He had always wanted to face her in a battle; she was interesting, he had to admit.

"You're pulling out, Kabuto? Why?" Naruto asked naively. The fool didn't know that he was his enemy; he would feel pity for Naruto under different circumstances if he wasn't such a worthless wretch who wasn't good at anything without his precious teacher and demon fox inside of him.

"Unfortunately, I'm not up for it; the beating I received yesterday, I'm not completely recovered from it. There would be no point," the boy said, looking disappointed. He should be lucky, he thought; if he fought Naruto, he wouldn't have a chance to get to the finals.

"I'm going to fight Sasuke I know this you will lose your chance with him Kabuto."he didn't particularly care one way or the other this small fry that are Orochimaru recruited would be grounded to dust. With or without the curse mark Sasuke was more than a match for him he almost felt sorry for him. Said nothing and left the next phase of Orochimaru's plan would be enacted the wild card Red, perhaps Orochimaru's strongest experiment yet. She's a useful, strong powerful and easy to manipulate. She was proof that science could do things some would say is unnatural.

Then there was Donzo's mindless killing machine named Flash, another experiment by science that brought someone back from death. If only Naruto knew the people under Donzo and Orochimaru's control, this would affect his outlook on his own home. He pities him in a way, because of what happened to his own mother. Unlike Naruto, he actually understands a parent's love, though it didn't matter. What mattered was the mission, and he was going to complete it by any means. What happened in the exams meant nothing to him; his priority was the mission, and that was enough.

Momo was with the Jonin, in the form of one of the unnoticeable Shinobi, on the balcony as far away from Hinata as possible. She could easily spot her with her Byakugan if she knew where to look. She took out an orb and turned it on. Kanna appeared in front of her.

"They're all here, mother. You can see everything."said Momo.

"Good, my child, you have done well." Kanna praised.

"Put the golden orb that I have entrusted you in your eye so I can see everything that you see. I want to see you, any potential I don't want to miss one moment." Kanna said to her as a command, though she would have done it anyway because she is the mother of all.

She took the golden orb and put it in her eye. Her mother was able to see everything; she saw the exams, the battles of destiny, and the fate of the entire world would change forever in this room. She knew this; her mother knew this. All the important players were here.

Hayate started the selection. The screen went random until Sasuke's name appeared, along with some Shinobi she doesn't care to remember. She has a feeling that when this match is over, he will be dead. She would see all of them so her mother can know her enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and who she could recruit in the future to their cause, the cause of liberating mankind from their own foolishness.

Kanna was in a forest east of the border of the land of Fire. She sat cross-legged on the floor, in a spot where there was barely any light shining through the tree tops. She chose this specific location because no one would ever pay attention deep into the forest, to a woman who has no eyes on the surface. That's what it looked like, but it was anything but true. Her eyes were sealed; they weren't gone from her eye sockets. She wasn't able to open her eyes.

There are other forms of sight, an ability that has long since been forgotten by those of her clan. The higher stage of the Byakugan, its user can see even with their eyes closed. Even with her power sealed, she can still see the environment around her, though her full powers are unable to be used due to the seals in her eyes.

She looked and saw the children around her, so young, no matter how many years had passed, being still had not changed the foolish and idealistic vision of Hashirama, who was still sending children to their deaths, and disgusted her. How little had changed in the past 70 years, with these so-called Chunin exams? How many of these children would die before the exams are over, and how many of them have already died? It made her sick, considering the hollow words of keeping children from dying, given events like this.

One person who caught her eye more than any of them was not even the children but the redhead Hyuga that Momo told her about her long red hair was down to her back her features were mixed of the Hyuga clan and Uzumaki unlike the lavender eyes that most members of the clan have the woman's eyes were red. her posture was what to be expected from the Hyuga. when she looked at the woman's face she couldn't believe what she was seeing she looked just like her first born daughter exactly from the small cheeks her soft lips and her nose was slim. it was difficult for her to believe this woman was a near perfect replica of the daughter that she had lost but how was that possible? her interest in Hinata her descendant was secondary to the woman she was seeing.

Momo would notice her composure changing she had to maintain it at all cost she had to be strong for all of her followers she would see this woman personally. she would guide her to the light away from the doctrine of the Hyuga and embrace her true heritage as the long lost princess of Uzushiogakure the line of Menko was not extinguished by the five nations.

Now she was motivated more than ever. She was going to free this child, who had no idea of her true heritage. She would restore the nation of Uzushiogakure, home of the Uzumaki, its rightful queen with the blood of a Hyuga. She would be the first of a new era for the ancient kingdom that was destroyed 78 years ago, a few years before her imprisonment.

Another one of her descendants, the descendant of her firstborn, she would save her from the clan. Nothing in Konoha would stop her, even if she had to burn the village to the ground. Nothing would get in her way, but for now, the outcome of the exams was the priority. She had plenty of time; she would get there in time for the final exam. By then, she would meet Yui and free her mind from the indoctrination of her clan.

Through Momo's eyes, she would see everything and the battles of destiny, cousin against cousin. Naruto, the boy her descendant is tutoring, Sasuke Uchiha, among others, their destinies were tied together. The exams of destiny have begun.