A/N: Thank you everyone for tuning into my new story ! For a long time I had the idea of a four man team and finally I decided to just do it ! so please please please review and tell me what you think.

Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves in the land of fire. It is said they are the most powerful of all hidden villages though the cloud would quickly stand up to challenge that statement. They are ruled over by the Hokage, the man who is recognized as the strongest among them.

Once upon a time the leaf was a peaceful village. The village was built on a foundation that war would cease to exist and children would not be sent off into battle. Sometime after the village came into existence they were attacked by a new village. After they defeated this village another took its place and the cycle continued. It became clear that a life of tranquility could not be achieved.

Konoha grew sick of being hunted, and found they much preferred being the hunters.

They liked to believe they weren't as barbaric as Kumo though. They weren't emotionless monsters, killing and betraying their own. There was no fear instilled in their people. Konoha had morals and values still, and they valued its people and their shinobi's sacrifice. Every heart from Konoha that stands on a battle field knows what they fight for, it is questionable if Kumo could say the same.

While the village is not hidden as well as Kumo who is hidden with clouds or Kiri with mist they still have extensive protection from attacks. There is round the clock guards only done by those who are qualified enough in order to fight high level intruders. Though there presence is more for show. The real work is done by the barrier team. If anything is to penetrate Konoha's barrier they will know instantly, and the guards are already there to react. In addition to this there are hundreds of escape routes, running into the mountain, and underground. It is more than likely that anyone not from the leaf would get lost in the vast tunnels.

Though it is not currently war time Konoha liked to be prepared. While Kiri was currently in a deadly civil war they were still unpredictable, the threat was there. The third shinobi war has been over for a while, but Iwa can come seeking revenge anytime. Tensions have always been high with Kumo, and right now it was just a matter of who would make the first move. The incident all those years ago have not been forgotten.

Konoha had no alliances, they were the strongest and their pride would not allow them to ask for help or give it where they saw it was needed. Besides, it is likely any alliance would end in betrayal anyway.

While Konoha was against alliances they were once open to Peace treaties, though this changed after the Kumo incident. They considered themselves foolish for allowing the incident to take place in the first place. They would not make the same mistake twice. Konoha learned that peace was nothing but a fool's wish, and were prepared for the inevitable.

At the age of four Hinata Hyuga was almost kidnapped by a member of Kumo here as a representative to their peace treaty. The matter was resolved quickly. Within the hour she had been retrieved unharmed and her captor dead.

She was four at the time but she could recall the incident perfectly.

It was the middle of the night and she was sleeping peacefully. Though her eyes flashed open instantly at the sound of floor boards creaking outside her door.

Anywhere else, perhaps this wouldn't bring upon suspicion but she was Hyuga. Her family were light on their feet, experts at moving silently. She could not sense anyone's Chakra which lead her to the assumption that it was being masked. This brought more red flags to her tiny mind.

Why bother completely eliminating your presence among family?

In the Hyuga clan it is highly frowned upon to use one's Byakugan within the compound, unless training.

She activated her's anyway.

The second her Byakugan flashed to life the door to her room was silently opened.

Alarmed at the figure in black she reached for the kunai under her pillow.

She opened her mouth as wide as it would go with the intention to scream.

She never got the chance.

The intruder moved fast, hand quickly wrapping itself around her small mouth.

"No, no, we'll have none of that girl" the man's voice was muffled by his mask but she could sense the amusement in his tone.

Her eyes widened in fear, then narrowed in distrust at the Kumo headband around his forehead.

She gripped the kunai in her tiny sweaty palm and stabbed the hand holding her mouth.

Her mouth was released immediately with a small hiss from the Kumo nin.

"Damnit ! You stupid brat!"

She ignored him and released the scream she had been holding in.

Her voice was cut off immediately when she felt a sharp pain to her head.

Then she saw nothing but darkness.

Later she had awakened to the night's chill and unfamiliar chakra.

They were moving quickly, she noted. There was a faint metallic smell in the air, blood from the masked man's hand. Her captor's chakra was continuously spiking. He was panicking.

That was when she saw it, a blur.

While she could not identify the blur by face, she knew her otosama chakra anywhere, and she felt safe.

Her captor had no time to react as her father came flying at them, fast, and ended his life in a single strike. As the lifeless body fell to the ground she was pulled into his arms.

Before she drifted back off into slumber she saw the look of disgust and hatred on her father's face at the man he just killed.

Following the incident, Kumo demanded the body of the one responsible for killing their shinobi. They claimed they had no part in what took place and that the member was acting on their own, and demanded for us to pay for going back on the treaty. Konoha backed up the Hyuga clan and would not settle, refusing to cower.

They called Kumo's bluff and it worked. For whatever reason, Kumo did not retaliate and initially this raised suspicion. Konoha had been on edge for a long time after this incident, though since then have settled down.

After this her training increased tenfold.

'I will become strong like father and kind like mother'

As Hinata Hyuga thought back on the resolve she made when she was three ,the former seemed entirely in reach, while the latter next to impossible.

That resolve was made before life got more difficult. Before there was more training stacked up on her already busy schedule. Before her mother died in child birth leaving her and her father with baby Hanabi. A typical day for five year old Hinata was to go to classes and learn mathematics, writing, science and history. Then she would be taught on the responsibilities of clan leaders and the history of her clan. Then she would receive classes in etiquette and how to behave like a proper lady, this included learning musical instruments and the art of tea. After that would begin her training in the gentle fist, until literally she would pass out in exhaustion. Then repeat. Then repeat again, and again. The life of an heiress was not easy, but she would not complain.

In the Shinobi world mercy and kindness was seen as a weakness, one that would cost you and your comrades their lives and worst, the mission. Every mission she will take will be done in glory of Konoha, all so her village will be able to continue to thrive and bask in success. Her failures will not be her own. Her failures will be her comrade's failures. Her mistakes will lead in mission failure. Her failures will bring shame to her clan, and last her failures will dishonor Konoha.

Since the day she was born she was denounced to the fate of a shinobi, thus making her life not her own. Nothing she would ever achieve or do will be for herself, and at first that angered her.

Then she thought of glory. Her glory would bring honor to her team, her clan, her village. She would never celebrate success alone, and that made her feel better. The thought that there were people who pushed for and countered on her success made her feel less lonely. She knows lost, more than most her age, though if they aim to become shinobi then they too will know soon.

Hinata Hyuga was a gentle soul, yes, but she would protect her village at any cost. This village was her home, it contained her clan, and everyone held dear to her. She was more than willing to commit heinous acts for the continued survival and happiness of her precious people, in fact she was eager to.

Today at the age of ten she would join the academy. She was two years late, for good reason. The academy starts at age eight and you graduate at twelve, though if you wished to become a skillful shinobi it is crucial to start training younger. Those who were from clan's had the advantage in this department.

She began walking at age one and instantly her motor skills were honed in order to one day master the gentle fist. Her byakugan awakened when she was four which the elders found as a favorable sign. As a result of this early training she had good balance, was unnaturally flexible and had good posture. She was told that despite her not being born male she was otherwise all her father could ask for in his first born. Though she could be a bit shy at times. She was strong, so much so that the Hyuga rejoiced in the arrival of their second prodigy. The other was her cousin Neji, just a year older. With the arrival of the prodigies, their rivalry with the Uchiha reached a peak, the Hyuga had boasting rights with their two prodigies to their one.

Itachi Uchiha accomplishments was all they had in order to save face. The Uchiha argued the value of quality to quantity. They firmly believed that neither of the two Hyuga prodigies would ever amount to half of Itachi's potential. Though In secret the Uchiha put pressure on the younger son, Sasuke. Instantly there focus shifted to Sasuke when they realized the boy's potential. He was not as strong as Itachi was at his age but he was a prodigy. Thus the Hyuga and Uchiha began the battle of the prodigies.

With one final kick to the open air Hinata finished her morning training, done going through her kata, the basic movements to her gentle fist.

Quickly she went through several hand signs and mouthed "Summoning: Senshi" while she was at the stage in her training where she no longer needed to mouth the words, it was a habit.

Besides her appeared a black miniature form of the prideful wolf she knew as Senshi.

Senshi was a wolf, the last of his kind.

"Child, I thought I asked of you to stop making my appearance so…..miniature" he said the word with distaste.

She giggled into her hand. When she summons him it's mostly for company, or to practice fighting together. When it's for company she likes his miniature form, he just looked so cute, like a pup!

His true form was huge. The first time she had summoned him, when she was eight, she had stared up in amazement at the beautiful, majestic, specimen in front of her that was nearly five times her height!

"Ah gomen Senshi, I'm still learning to control your form" she smiled a big wide smile and they both knew she was lying.

The wolf sighed, the only thing that kept him from complaining was the look of bliss on her face.

Together they walked to her room, Hinata needing to change clothes. On the way she told him about the importance of today and what it meant for their futures.

The typical age when the main house are given their summoning contract was eight. She was supposed to contract with the wolverine, though things clearly did not go as planned that day.

As she walked into the academy she ended her reminiscing. Her ears picked up laughter and rapidly talking voices.

She evaluated her surroundings. It was like being in a shark tank, alone. Except not surrounded by sharks but children. She firmly refused her father and elders wish that she have an escort and as uncomfortable as she was she didn't regret that decision.

She eyed all the groups of children happily conversing with envy.

She was Hyuga so all she knew was family. She wanted to make friends.

Hyuga's weren't the best at socializing. They were uptight and overly polite. There 'I'm better than you attitude' made it so they had difficulty dealing with people who weren't in their clan, so they weren't good at the whole treating people how you wanted to be treated thing.

The Hyuga preferred the quiet, and so did Hinata. So enjoyed peace and she hoped that whatever friends she made could enjoy it with her.

Her left side picked up on sudden movement and she twirled around to meet the instructor her and her father had a meeting with.

Iruka sensei was a chunin and not much stuck out about him other than the large slash like scar placed on the bridge of his nose, its length from one eye to the other.

"Ah Hinata, I'm glad you made it on time" He smiled at her.

Her manners kicked in immediately. She gave a slight bow in return, and said "Hai, sensei"

He smiled again and began making their way toward the classroom.

As they were walking she regarded the empty hallways, everyone must be in the classroom already. She silently cursed her situation, she would now make a scene.

"This is the classroom Hinata, after your evaluation it was decided you be put with the third years, most are your age or older."

The academy was four years long and while that seemed a little short it was a rigorous program. It was highly competitive and drop outs and fails were frequent. One could not enter the academy without recommendation, clan ties or showing promise.

When it was known she would enter the academy she had hoped it would be as a fourth year, she wanted to graduate a year early. She could be with her cousin Neji and while highly unlikely she could have been placed on the same team as him. She wanted to begin her career as quickly as possible but her father and the elders had other thoughts. As emotionless as everyone made her clan out to be, they took care of their own. They were not the Uchiha clan who pushed their prodigy into a life of death at the age of six. They had done the same to Neji.

If they evaluated her as not ready, then she was not.

Keep your head held high, posture straight, and make eye contact, she chanted to herself. You are Hyuga, you will behave as such. You will show no fear.

When the door opened she began to breathe quicker. Oh and no thumb fiddling absolutely no thumb fiddling she quickly added.

Once the classroom was open she was revealed to the many children who were not paying attention. It appeared they had entered from the back. All of the children's backs were turned toward them. She listened to all the bickering, laughter and …crying? Yes a girl was crying in a corner. Iruka sensei made his way to the front of the classroom, glancing back and giving her a sheepish smile.

The children still did not notice her presence and this made her question their ninja abilities. In two years they would be graduating after all. Two boys who had been wrestling on the floor rolled into her path and she side stepped them, quickly moving to catch up to sensei.

When he reached the front of the podium he did nothing but stand there and wait for the children to be quiet on their own.

Hinata observed the large classroom, with about fifty students in it. She had done her research before she came. The ones from prominent clan families, she knew. She had either met them or have been spoken to about them.

There was a boy with a high collared shirt and black shades. She could not see much of his profile but she noted his skin was pale. This combined with his spiky black hair and the few Kikaichu she seen around the room led her to his identity.

Shino Aburame, heir to the Aburame clan. If the Hokage chooses to make a scouting team of her graduating class it is likely they would be placed together.

His shades did not give away what he was looking at but she was certain it was her. A tingling on her arm made her look down to see a lone Kikaichu crawling on her skin. She looked up again steering her gaze at Shino. It would seem that he's one of the more competent children in her class. She would not underestimate him.

On the right side of the classroom a blond girl was yelling at a pink haired girl beside her, who was frankly ignoring her. She eyed the girl's vibrant pink hair with interest before her eyes settled on the blonde. It was Ino Yamanaka, heiress to the Yamanaka clan. They would be the only two heiresses in this class. The elders regarded her as a suitable companion for her to have. She felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of making friends.

She was very loud though, she concluded. Then she winced as the pink haired girl had enough of Ino's bantering and started yelling back, their faces red with anger. She vaguely wondered what they were so worked up about before her attention drifted.

She eyed a rather large boy happily munching away on chips. She allowed one single brow to raise in reaction to the gross display of him shoving them down his throat, crumbs flying everywhere. The swirls on his cheeks….he was without a doubt Chouji Akimichi. She looked away before she lost her breakfast. For an heir he had poor manners.

The classroom didn't appear to quiet down the least bit at the presence of their sensei. The man beside her appeared to be quietly seething at the impression she was getting. She was wondering if he had the student's respect and he could sense her questioning his authority.

Eventually a white airplane flying toward sensei's path was the last straw. As it passed his face he reached out quickly grabbing it. His face was flushed with anger as he ripped it to shreds. Then he shouted.

The sound of his angry voice made Hinata let out a surprised little "eep".

"SHUT UP DAMNIT"

The classroom was quiet instantly, all eyes on him, then to her. She tried her best to ignore the hushed whisperings and sets of eyes on her. She compared their gazes to that of the elders. She found comfort in being able to say the elders were much scarier.

Iruka sensei smiled at his handiwork.

"Now class, welcome to your third year of the academy. As you can see we combined last year's two classes into one because we lost a lot of kids. There are roughly fifty of you in here. After this year those numbers will be cut into roughly half. Half of you will either leave due to personal circumstances or fail." He took a moment to let that sink in.

"You have a new classmate, treat her fairly" he nodded at Hinata and she took her Que.

She took a step forward and straightened her back. Her father told her first impressions were important. She held her head up in pride and said in a clear voice,

"I am Hinata Hyuga, I look forward to getting to know all of you"

She looked to Iruka sensei for further instruction. He motioned for her to find a seat and she spotted one toward the back.

As she walked up the stairs she made eye contact with Sasuke Uchiha. Her eyes widened in surprise after seeing his obsidian eyes in so long. He looked away first with disinterest.

She hadn't seen him in years, except passing glances around the village. The last time they had been in such close proximity was a meeting between the clans when they were seven. The meetings were long and boring but she endured them. She had Neji there with her suffering as well. Neij's father died when he was one and his mother passed on foul play on what should have been a simple mission. As a result Neji was taken under her father's wing. At the time he was eight. The elders didn't put up a fuss since he's been branded since Hinata was three. After that meeting her busy schedule kept her from attending, so her father started bringing only Neji.

Uchiha Fugaku usually only brought Itachi but on that one occasion he brought Sasuke and then continued to, until the massacre.

Not including those meetings the last time they'd seen each other was when they were five. Back when they would spar.

She sat down at a window seat mind swirling in memories.

Hinata recalled all the matches she had when she was younger with Sasuke. Sasuke always lost to Neji, and with that they stopped the matches between them. Her five year old mind could not comprehend this though, she herself had just as many losses as victories against the Uchiha but she was capable of beating Neji every now and then in spars, so why couldn't Sasuke.

She realized that she pitied the Uchiha who would forever be in the shadow of his older brother. After Sasuke suffered a devastating loss at her hands she watched as her father thanked Uchiha Fugaku for the spar and made on his way, her following without hesitation. She had been sore and out of breath but the pat on her head from her otosama made her exhaustion disappear instantly. That was all the praise she would receive, but it was all she needed.

The head of the Uchiha did not wait for them to leave before he began to belittle the boy. That was when she realized all along those losses had nothing to do with her ability to fight, but pity.

When she would lose to the Uchiha she would kneel with her head bowed in shame in the presence of her father and the elders. She would listen to everything she did wrong, and she would take it seriously. How her stance was sloppy, how her aim wasn't precise enough, or how she hesitated and this cost her the match.

Every defeat she faced against the Uchiha gained her more midnight sessions with father and new bruises. She was only five but training was the only life she knew. With these thoughts in mind she tried to push thoughts of pity out her mind. Not only was it a weakness an enemy could exploit but she was doing her sparring partner a disservice to not give her all. The little Hyuga yearned for her father's approval just as much as her opponent, and she chose to be selfish. She wished to bask in her father's acceptance. He was everything she aimed to be, the strong respected leader of the Hyuga clan. His nods of approval and head pats kept her going. Every time she received them she made sure it would not be the last.

Hiashi Hyuga was not an affectionate man. He was the perfect individual to represent Hyuga, proud and emotionless. What little affection he had went to his wife and their daughter. When her mother passed giving birth to her sister Hanabi his affection disappeared completely.

Hiashi believed showering his daughters with words of encouragement was meaningless. Luckily for him his methods didn't backfire. Hinata was patient, observant and understanding. She was truly her mother's child. Even though Hanabi was rash and impatient she resembled Hiashi more.

Hinata admitted words of encouragement would be nice, but they were not needed. Her father was a busy man and he would not waste his time on grooming her if he didn't have confidence in her abilities. She understood that very well.

After years of trying to beat her compassion out of her he stopped. He sat her down to explain that she could keep the emotion but not in combat. A good leader had some compassion, but also knew when to be cold and calculated. The battlefield was no place for it.

As his child she would not disappoint him nor waste his time.

Immediately following this she never lost to the Uchiha again and with little explanation the Uchiha eventually put an end to their sparring matches.

With that the two prodigies of Hyuga both put an end to the little prodigy of the Uchiha.

Neji was a suitable sparring partner for her. He was close in age and despite their close relationship they held professionalism expected of them. They pushed one another to their breaking points. Hinata tested Neij's patience with slow thought out battles and he in turn toughened her up with painful attacks.

Neji was larger than her and as result stronger. Where he used brute strength she used wit in order to compete with him. If he were to hit her it would do twice as much damage as her hits to him. She was careful, and planned ahead, no move on her part was wasted. Neji was overwhelmingly fierce and never let up. When sparring with him it's best to draw out the fight and let him make a mistake. He was faster and stronger but she had superior reflexes and flexibility that allowed her to dodge attacks at the last minute in weird angles. This allowed her to retaliate and deliver unexpected blows.

Where Neji was firm, she was graceful, their moves flowed naturally.

Two talented Hyuga engaged in combat is a rare sight to outsiders. There fluid motions and attacks appeared so in sync one could mistake it for a dance. Unfortunately for many, spars within the Hyuga clan were not open to outsiders. Neji and Hinata spars were even more private. Only the instructors and occasionally her father and elders watched in on them. Hinata takes pride in her gentle fist, her clan's technique truly befitted her.

She tried her best to focus on Iruka sensei. He was in charge of core education like mathematics, science, reading, writing, etc. Though he also talked about the basics of things they would later go into depth with sensei's who had their specialties. Right now he was talking about common poisons and antidotes. She was already familiar with these teachings. If she was as ahead as she suspected it would be wise for her to bring a book from now on.

She sighed and decided to people watch.

One boy she found of interest who repeatedly interrupted Iruka sensei had bright yellow hair. He reminded Hinata of the sun.

She preferred the moon.

The boy was much too bright in his orange jumpsuit, just a tad obnoxious and goofy. Though Hinata admitted she found his antics to be entertaining.

Up next was a boy sleeping without a care to the world. He was Shikamaru Nara, his black spiky hair gave it away. What a lazy clan she thought humorously.

After a few hours of observing people the lecture ended.

"Okay class what you're going to do now is taijutsu training. Can someone please refresh the class on the proper definition of taijutsu?"

Hands went up and the girl with the pink hair was among them. She eagerly waved her hand around until finally sensei called on her.

"Go ahead Sakura"

She stood up from her seat, flashing a pearly white smile before she began her definition.

"Taijutsu is hand to hand combat sensei. It refers to any techniques involving the martial arts or the optimization of natural human abilities. It's executed with physical and mental energies relying on a mixture of stamina, strength, flexibility, speed, and reflexes. Though it is not necessary you use all. Some people rely heavily on one more than the other and may leave out some entirely." she recited.

"Very go-"he was cut off as the girl kept going.

"There are many styles and poses one can choose to use. Taijutsu typically requires no chakra or hand seals to perform but there are instances where chakra is used to enhance techniques. An example can be seen with the gentle fist." At this point she turned to Hinata, narrowing her eyes at her.

It was as if the girl was challenging her.

Hinata narrowed her eyes back, two could play this game. She would accept her challenge. It would seem this girl, Sakura, was someone she should consider of interest.

"Okay class dismissed, I'll see you guys after you're done."

Everyone made their way up out of their seats. We have a five minute break before we have to report to the training fields to receive lessons from Genga sensei.

Hinata stayed back as everyone filed out the classroom.

"Iruka sensei?" she questioned.

The man was standing at his desk, shuffling some papers into a neat pile.

He looked up at her and smiled. He smiled a lot she noticed.

"Ah yes Hinata?"

"Those windows, are they enforced?" She eyed the windows next to where she was sitting.

He set his papers down to look at her properly. "Yes they are actually"

"I see, thank you" She left him to catch up to the others, never noticing his confused face.

This told her that if she were to ever need to leave the classroom by window then she would need to use a large amount of chakra or explosives in order to break them.

Her teachings taught her that no matter where you go to have multiple escape routes in mind. While she liked the window seat, it was not safe. She was vulnerable to flying glass in a case of an explosion.

She would need to switch to the middle. That way she was equally close to all three exit points. If things ever went south she'd have equal opportunity to escape from the most secure route, whichever it may be.

Sasuke had been sitting in a middle seat as well as the Aburame. It would seem as though they noticed.

When she reached the training ground she examined it. There was no elemental condition's she would be able to take advantage of or that could be used against her. It was just a plain field. Though in the distance she did see a track.

Genga sensei was a man of very small stature with countless scars running across his arms and face to attest to his many years dedicated to the life of a shinobi.

And those were just the scars we could see.

He only taught third and fourth years at the academy. His shinobi career ended decades ago, due to old age. Not many shinobi actually get to retire from active duty because of that. Some Kunoichi end their careers to start families. Most are killed in action, others honorably discharged due to career ending injuries.

Though retirement does not guarantee you a peaceful life. In war time if there is an overwhelming need for shinobi they can be called back into service despite these things. Old age, families and, handicaps would not deter you from being called upon. If you could fight, you would, and you will gladly jump at the chance to be useful to your village.

The third Hokage himself retired before his successor was killed. He had been called back in order to take the seat as the strongest in the village before a new worthy successor revealed itself.

From what she recalled this man's taijutsu was infamous. It's known that he was the teacher of Konoha's green beast, a master in taijutsu. While his genjutsu and ninjutsu weren't bad it was his taijutsu that made him a legend. Genga the small giant is what they called him on the battle field, and she was to learn from such a terrifying man.

She uses a different style of fighting but she was sure she would still be able to take pointers from this man to improve.

The children listened intently for what he would say. The sun focused in a particular spot making his bald head shine. It was really hot today.

The old man was sitting cross legged, mediating. He opened his eyes and observed the sea of children before him and without another sparring glance said, "go run", nodding his head in the direction of the track.

Everyone stared confused, herself included.

"go run until I say stop" he didn't raise his voice but it was clear he would not repeat himself.

Everyone turned in the direction of the track. They all began voicing their complaints and slowly trudged toward it.

Once she reached the gravel track she stretched a bit preparing for a long run.

"Hey girl"

She turned to face what could only be Kiba Inuzuka. She watched in amusement as a white pup popped its head out of the boy's hood to make its presence known. How cute!

"Hai?" she gave him her undivided attention.

"Don't think that you'll be able to come in two years late and show us all up" he sneered and the pup, that now rested on his head barked in agreement.

She sighed, guess she wouldn't be making friends with him anytime soon. A shame since she found his dog to be adorable. She turned away from him with the intent to start her laps before she gave a bad impression to sensei.

"Hey!" he shouted after her

She ran zoning everything out.

They have been running two hours straight from her rough estimation. More than half of the students have dropped out and chosen to hide away in the shade.

Looking around she noticed some of the ones still around. The pink haired girl was still running, as well as Sasuke. Then there was Kiba and his dog racing with the hyper yellow haired boy.

"THIS IS SO STPUID" Ino Yamanaka walked off the track in a huff, she was now out as well.

Hinata was at a cross road. She could sympathize with the Yamanaka, she was anxious to be taught already too. She could see the value in running, yes, it increased stamina, something she had large amounts of already but there was always room for improvement. It strengthened muscles and increased speed. Increased speed… she could admit she wasn't the fastest person, with that in mind she kept running.

After a little while longer Genga sensei finally stopped them.

Everyone crowded around to hear his words.

"I only teach those who show promise, anyone else isn't worth my time" his sharp green eyes pierced the group, the corners crinkling to give away his age.

"If you gave up get out of my sight." His voice was cold, full of disgust.

No one dared to protest. Even the loud Yamanaka left without a peep.

"You two" he pointed to Shino and the orange jumpsuit boy. "Get on the track and race to the finish line. The one who wins stands off from the group"

The boy who she learned name was Naruto, won the race easily. Shino was not very swift on his feet.

Naruto, she thought, the name sounded strangely familiar.

Naruto eagerly gave a high five to one of the boys and she examined the peculiar whisker marks on his face she missed before.

Then it hit her.

Her father had mentioned that the boy who held the nine tailed fox was in her class. Without a doubt this must be him.

Naruto Uzumaki

In other hidden villages the carrier of a demon were feared and exiled.

This was not the case in Konoha. There sacrifice was seen and acknowledged by everyone. They held carriers of the beast in high regard, thanking them for their service, though it was not by choice.

Ten years ago the village was attacked by the nine tailed fox. The beast left nothing but destruction and death. It took Konoha a long time to get over the disaster. They had lost their beloved fourth Hokage, though not before he sealed the beast into a new born child. That child and the Hokage's sacrifice saved us all. Many loved ones were lost that day. Though she never got the chance to meet him, her heart ached out at the thought of the loss of her late Uncle. He gave his life in attempt to stop the beast.

She instantly respected the boy for his burden. Inside of him, he held what was rumored to be the most powerful tailed beast. Though she could not help but notice that while he smiled and laughed it seemed, off.

She did not have time to dwell on those thoughts for it was her turn to race. She stood at the start line. She didn't bother sizing up her opponent.

When she won she headed to the winner's circle.

Eventually there were only a few of them left. Sakura and she were the only girls. Then it was Naruto, Kiba, Sasuke and three other boys she didn't know by name.

Sasuke came back as the winner racing one of those boys who had short brown hair.

Then came back another boy with long blond hair from the two she did not know.

Following them Kiba raced Naruto and won.

It was time for her to race Sakura.

Standing at the line she expected some words from the girl, but none were said. Sparring her a quick glance she appeared to be concentrating.

When the whistle blew they took off.

She would admit that Sakura was fast, but she was faster.

She won.

There were only four of them now. Hinata wondered what the purpose behind this exercise was.

Sasuke came back from beating the blond boy by a large margin. He wasn't even breathing with difficulty.

She was to race Kiba.

He glanced at her side ways and said "let's go Hyuga princess" in a mocking tone.

She did her best to ignore his jab, taking her stance on the starting line and trying to focus. She decided she didn't like him very much.

To her disappointment she lost, he was faster, barely, but faster.

She panted lightly, eyes in a glare at the Inuzuka. She wanted to wipe the high and mighty look off his face.

The only thing that made her feel a bit better was that after that Sasuke beat him, easily. Thus knocking the smug look off his face.

All this lesson did was prove what she already knew. That she needed to work on her speed.

"In this world there are only losers and winners. Choose which you want to be." She whipped around quickly at the words coming from sensei's mouth.

"You, what is your name?" he looked pointedly at Sasuke for an answer.

"Sasuke Uchiha" he was slightly out of breath but his voice was mellow.

"Over there by the field we will have a one on one match in five minutes, everyone here is welcome to watch and observe"

A one on one fight with sensei…. What an honor. She seethed with jealousy.

She sat down with the rest of her classmates to watch.

In the middle Genga sensei and Sasuke stood a decent ways apart from each other, ready.

Then they bowed and the fight began.

"Decent stance, though lift your elbows a bit more" Genga sensei nodded in approval when Sasuke repositioned his stance.

It would appear that Genga sensei's taijutsu was molded around speed and strength though he clearly toned his abilities down for this match.

Genga sensei was attacking while Sasuke was on the defensive. The old man was just a tad bit taller than him. If one glanced the pair over quickly they might be mistaken as classmates sparring.

Sasuke did his best to defend and attack where he saw openings.

Then the boy dodged what would have been a ruthless punch to his face. Sensei's over extended fist gave him the opportunity he was looking for and he went in to attack.

Then suddenly sensei grabbed the hand that attempted to counter him. He pulled the boy closer and repeatedly hit his face until finally he kicked him, the force sending him flying.

He did not land gracefully.

Sensei turned to us.

"A valuable tactic to use in taijutsu is to make your opponent believe there is an opening when there is none. Often one is most vulnerable when they are attacking, this sets you up to get in a blow or even finish off the fight."

He turned his attention back to the boy who was now back on his feet in a shaky stance.

"You leave yourself too open" he tsked and in the next moment he was slamming his knee into Sasuke's open stomach to further emphasize his point.

He jumped away from the boy, giving him a moment to get himself together.

Sasuke's mouth opened in a silent scream, then he closed it wiping the trail of blood that began forming in the corner.

This went on for a while. Sensei would let Sasuke attack and defend then point out to him his mistakes or to us valuable tactics.

Then finally sensei ended the fight with a crackling kick to the boy's stomach. By the sound she suspected he had cracked one of Sasuke's ribs.

"You did well" was what he said to a still shakily standing Sasuke, holding his stomach, refusing to accept defeat. The next second he was behind Sasuke chopping the back of his neck.

The Uchiha fell in a heap and did not get up.

Genga Sensei turned to us and said "Lesson over".

She tried her best to examine Genga sensei's method of teaching.

Those who stopped running were sent back to the classrooms, denied a lesson. Everyone who continued to run on the track got to listen in to his criticism and watch the match. Though the winner of the races won a one on one match with him. There is no better way to learn than actual execution.

She understood his lesson immediately. You received what you worked for. Her effort only allowed her a seat to watch.

Hyuga are competitive. She wanted to make friends, but not at the expense of her education. She did not wish to lose.

Next time it would be her in the one on one fight with sensei.

That Friday when it was time for taijutsu lessons with Genga sensei Hinata ran the track mind entirely focused. What came next was not a competition of speed but dodging. They would run the track and Genga sensei would throw blunted kunai at them until one remained.

It came down to her and Sasuke and she won.

When it was clear she was the last one standing Genga sensei asked her for her name and she responded "Hinata Hyuga sensei".

Hinata was rewarded with her one on one match with Genga sensei in which frankly she was beaten into a bloody pulp, and she couldn't have been happier.

In her bloody bruised state she had still been able to offer her sensei a wobbly bow as thanks for the spar.

Later that day she would return home and meet her father in the dojo. Her father would complain about the state of her appearance and how it was unsightly for a Hyuga. Though he relented when he asked where the nature of her injuries came from and she would excitedly describe her fight with sensei. He supposed it was fine for her to train with this sensei of her's as long as her injuries didn't hinder her from training in the gentle fist properly.

Hinata has been at the academy for a few weeks now and she's come to learn some things.

As of right now Sasuke Uchiha was the leading rookie among their class, closely following him was Shino Aburame. Though not for long if she had anything to do with it.

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka were rivals, vying for the spot as top Kunoichi. Sakura herself was a civilian. The fact that she had reached this far was impressive, the girl was currently in the lead, always had been from what she's heard and had no intentions on giving away that spot anytime soon. She was in the running for rookie of the year but she would be a more serious contender if she improved her taijutsu and ninjutsu.

When it came to standard test scores Sakura was in the lead followed by Sasuke then Shino. The Haruno was like a book, putting to memory everything she seen and read. She was very intelligent, so much that Hinata was excited to see how she'd compare. Though if the lazy Nara gave any ounce of effort at all he would easily crush them all in that department.

Taijutsu was ruled over by Sasuke, Kiba, and strangely Naruto. Though if you could motivate Chouji he was decent. Sasuke was a natural, like her, training in this department since he could walk. Kiba by himself was a decent opponent but coupled with Akamaru they were formidable.

Naruto Uzumaki had potential. His stamina and chakra reserves were plentiful, but he lacked control and technique. His taijutsu was sloppy and unrefined, but also unpredictable.

He hit hard.

Hinata thought back to the spar she had with the boy. She won but it made her think of what the boy could be capable of. While she could not predict his moves she could easily dodge them.

She had dodged a very obvious kick beginning to wonder if this was all the boy had in him. Then he threw a punch at her that came out of nowhere. She had moved to dodge but it still grazed her shoulder. Immediately following this she flipped him onto his back, angling a kunai at his throat, thus ending the match.

The punch reminded her of her niisan, she could only imagine the full effects of it.

She had been careless.

Kunai and shuriken aim was led by Sasuke, Ino, and a boy named Kairi. Sasuke was a perfectionist, kunai or shuriken always hitting its mark. Even on his off days he manages to hit majority of bull's eye.

Ninjutsu was led by Sasuke, Shino and surprisingly Shikamaru. Shikamaru could hide his genius ways by sleeping during tests but he could not refuse to participate in ninjutsu class.

Lastly was Genjutsu once again lead by Sasuke, Sakura, and then Shino. Nobody particularly stood out in this field though Sakura did express interest. Though when Sasuke finally unlocks his sharingan it'll become his area of expertise.

In two weeks they would begin the tests for the new results on who leads each group. It was time to make her mark.

Today the girls and boys were separated. The girls had received seduction classes and the boys acting classes. Subtleness is a necessary trait for a shinobi to know.

Seduction classes left Hinata with what seemed to be a permanent blush on her cheeks. As an heiress it wasn't very likely that she'd ever receive such a mission though she couldn't help but think what if. She could be raped or under circumstances that leave her with no other choice than to use her womanly assets to get out.

She hoped that if it came down to it she'd be strong enough to give up that part of herself. Though if it saved her life or potentially her comrades or the mission, she thinks she would.

She's fully aware that when she becomes of marrying age her clan will debate over suitors, picking the one that seemed to pose the most benefit for the clan. When that time comes she will be expected to be untouched. Her heart saddened at the thought of never being able to marry for love, but duty.

She sighed to herself, it was time for taijutsu matches.

Everyone was in a frenzy over today's first match. She herself would not be battling today, much to her disappointment.

It would be Sasuke vs Kiba.

Kiba easily fitted in with all the boys, he was easy to get along with and the first to get chosen to play games. He had the support and backing of all the guys in the class. They wanted him to crush Sasuke.

While Sasuke's cold and distant personality made him unfavorable to the boys he was a hit with the girls. They cheered him on while confessing their undying love. Some didn't take their future careers as shinobi seriously letting drama and boys get in the way. How foolish.

"KICK HIS BUTT SASUKE"

and it would seem Ino Yamanaka was among them as a fangirl.

To the distance away from everything about to go down was Sakura Haruno sitting on a bench.

She couldn't stop thinking that this was a good opportunity and with heat in her cheeks and a racing heart she made her way over to her.

Sakura looked up from her book at her approaching footsteps.

Hinata had decided to make her way over to her but didn't plan anything beyond that.

The result was them awkwardly staring at each other.

Finally, Sakura had enough and asked "well, did you need something?"

"Are you going to watch the match?" was the only thing that crossed her mind to say.

"No, the result is clear. Besides, what is it to you?" the pink haired girl raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

It was true, Sasuke would win the match, easily in fact.

"Who are you rooting for, Sasuke?" She questioned, tilting her head.

"Hah no. I'm not one of his little fangirls, I don't have time to waste on boys."

Hinata found herself vigorously nodding in agreement.

"Besides…" The Haruno continued "If it were possible I'd want them both to lose".

Then she slammed her book shut and got up, heading in the direction of the classroom.

"W-wait" She called after her, thumbs fiddling with each other.

Sakura waited patiently.

"I was wondering if maybe we could be friends." She had cut to the chase and squeaked out the word 'friends'.

She shut her eyes scared of the girl's reaction.

Out of all the girls in the academy she found herself most drawn to Sakura. While her clan thought it'd be beneficial for her to be friends with Ino, she didn't really want to. Ino had potential but her fangirling held her back from unlocking it. Besides that she was always involved in drama and talking badly about other females she called her friends. Hinata didn't have much experience in that department but she was sure that was something you shouldn't do. Sakura was smart and quite capable. Her career as a shinobi came first and that was something she could relate to. She could actually see a rival in Sakura, pushing and bettering each other.

Sakura Haruno stared at her for a while before finally she turned around.

"I don't have time to waste on friendships either" and with that she was on her way.

Hinata opened her eyes watching the girl's long pink hair swish as she moved.

Rejection hurt.

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The cherry blossom tree's petals were almost completely gone. They all lay on the ground, wilting and blowing away with the wind. Fall was upon them.

It was October now and Hinata has been at the academy for two months. She found that being from a prestigious clan hindered her ability to make friends.

She was painfully aware of how everyone in the class viewed her, and it was not favorably.

Except a select few, the civilians in her class were too scared to get near her, afraid of angering her which they thought would lead to the wrath of her clan.

Anyone from prestigious clans regarded her as a rival, hence making her a threat. No one wants to fraternize with the enemy.

The boys hated that she could beat them easily.

The girls for what she could not fathom why, hated her. Though they would at least wait till she left the room before they talked about her.

They cringed while they talked about her creepy white eyes.

Though if they looked a little closer they could see they actually resembled lavender more.

With sass in their voices they regarded her stuck up attitude.

They did not consider the possibility that she was a little shy.

Then they would complain about how everything in her life was handed to her on a silver platter.

They did not know about her countless, sleepless nights in which she worked for everything she had.

Hinata dried her hands on her handkerchief and left the bathroom.

It was lunchtime and she usually ate her bento in the classroom.

As she prepared to walk back into the class she stopped at the sound of voices.

"She just thinks she's so much better than us, like who does she think she is."

"and her eyes are like a ghost ! So gross!"

"Haha their even worse when she has the Byakugan on…ew"

Then they all laughed together.

She felt her stomach drop.

Hinata was a patient person. She understood why these girls were making fun of her. It was because they could not accept their own incompetence. She had allowed herself to be the scape goat for too long.

If her father seen how she was letting them disrespect her he'd be ashamed.

With that in mind she opened the door, walking in.

All the boys in the classroom were gone, probably off to play sports or train. She planned on finishing her lunch quickly so she could train as well.

There was seven of them huddled together, Ino the ring leader of the group. There magazines and lunches remained untouched. As she suspected, they stopped talking the moment she walked in.

She marched up the stairs and instead of taking a seat steered her path towards the group of girls. They looked up at her arrival.

"Yes Hinata?" Ino spoke with fake innocence.

Hinata didn't allow herself to be pulled in by the fake kindness in her tone.

"I pity you." She spoke up suddenly. Then she looked into the face of each girl so they knew the statement was addressed to them all.

"Excuse me?!" Ino shrieked. Her eyes narrowed into slits, daring the Hyuga to repeat herself. She was cocky because she had the backing of her group of friends. Though Hinata looked to each of them noticing there silence.

"I pity all of you. Your skills are mediocre at best, and you all have little hope of graduating." she repeated directing her sentence toward all the girls except Ino. They were silent with no retort, they didn't dare make eye contact.

"You, Yamanaka-san" She spit out the honorific in sarcasm. "You will probably graduate but it is questionable whether you'll ever become a competent ninja. You will likely get yourself or your teammates killed." She shrugged, as if thinking it over and said "Or both"

The girl seethed silently in her seat. Till finally she jumped up leaving the room, her band of followers at her heels. Hinata, who was surprisingly pleased with herself sighed in relief and made her way over to her seat to enjoy her lunch.

Sticking up for herself was actually much easier than she thought it'd be and she wondered why she hadn't done such a thing sooner.

She sat down, carefully unwrapping the white cloth from her bento. Folding it neatly in half then once again she placed it next to her lunch. Then she snapped her chopsticks in half before shockingly dropping them. Right there in front of her was Sakura Haruno who appeared to be reading the whole time.

Did she have tunnel vison so bad that she failed to notice her?

Oh no, what if she thinks I'm a horrible person now? She thought with despair, quickly losing her apatite.

She put her lunch away, and decided to go train for the rest of the hour lunch period.

When it was almost time for class to start she made her way back with a skip in her step. While yes, training was brutal she enjoyed it! It calmed her nerves and emptied her mind to everything going on around her. It was almost therapeutic.

For the second time that day she found herself stopping short of the door because of voices.

"She's such a stuck up little bitch I tell you! Like how dare she talk to me like that?"

Hinata listened closely and she heard sounds of agreement.

"How about you all just shut up, I can't study with your gossiping" an irritated voice called out.

"Oh please Sakura, why don't you join us, after all it's clear she's going to beat you for top Kunoichi" Ino Yamanaka called out in a matter of fact voice.

"Unlike you all I'm not going to complain about someone being stronger than me. I won't just stand around and let myself be surpassed. You're all pathetic."

Following those words there was some shuffling and angry shouts. Hinata unconsciously found herself leaning closer to hear better. Though her eyes squinted in frustration, she couldn't understand what was being said.

Then the door opened swiftly, revealing Sakura.

Hinata's shocked eyes met her sharp teal gaze. She didn't sense her coming…?

"Oh I-I" she stuttered out, caught by surprise. She opted to look at the floor as she tried to get her words out.

The Haruno walked away not giving her a chance to speak.

Then suddenly she was hit with a startling thought.

Did Sakura Haruno stick up for her?

"Thank you" she called out after the girl, bowing. Her long dark hair flowed out like a curtain trying to reach the floor.

Sakura turned around intent on telling her off. Then she faltered at the sight of the Hyuga's warm smile as she came up from the bow.

"I- It wasn't for you, their just annoying." She sputtered out and Hinata could have sworn there was some color on her cheeks but before she could say for sure she was gone, going in the direction of the bathroom.

Hinata's smile widened and her insides tingled with warmth.

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"and that strategy can allow you to get in a surprise attack dealing damages to the enemy and retreating away with no harm to you and your team. Any questions?" Iruka-Sensei finished up with the lesson.

Hinata Hyuga eyed a Kikaichu moving about the classroom no doubt belonging to the Aburame, at the moment it being way more interesting than the lecture she already knew. Her book of basic Ninjutsu lay forgotten, finished an hour ago.

Shino was a loner in the class. She couldn't necessarily tell if this was by choice or not. The girls found his bugs to be creepy, but she certainly didn't mind, nor did the boys. She wondered vaguely if she should attempt to be friends with him. It was clear that he saw her as a rival though, so would her efforts be in vain?

"but sensei isn't that a cowardly attack?" Kiba Inuzuka spoke up. She looked up to the back of the classroom to the Inuzuka who hadn't even bothered to raise his hand.

"Cowardly you say?" Iruka-sensei gripped his chin and closed his eyes as if pondering what to say.

"The word cowardly is in the eyes of the beholder. You yourself may consider attacking such a way as cowardly but…." He opened his eyes, "…. a raise of hands on who doesn't?"

Hinata raised her hand without hesitation, glancing around the classroom to see who else agrees. She saw Sasuke's and Sakura's hands go up as well as Shino and several others. She wondered briefly what Shikamaru thought. Her eyes wandered over to his sleeping form and she thought of course he'd be sleep.

"Sensei were ninja though! Aren't we suppose to act honorably?!" Naruto spoke up, confusion in his voice and written all over his face. Several people nodded to show they agreed.

"Act honorably… tell me what exactly about a shinobi makes them honorable" he questioned.

Hinata listened closely to all the various answers being shouted out.

"We risk our lives!"

"We protect the citizens"

"We do missions that make money for the village"

"We go to war?"

"Listen everyone…." Iruka sensei hushed everyone, his face deadly serious. "We are shinobi, fighting for the protection of our village and its continued survival, which alone makes us honorable. As leaf shinobi once we take a step out of this village we don't know if we'll ever see it again. We could even be attacked now, in the comfort of our home"

"But aren't we suppose to fight our enemies on fair grounds coming out on top" a boy called out from the back of the classroom.

What a ridiculous notion Hinata thought, when is a fight ever on fair grounds?

Iruka seemed to ignore the comment and agreements that came with it, and continued his speech.

"Using such tactics does not make you cowardly. Not using such a tactic when that would warrant the best results makes you stupid. Would you all seriously face an enemy head on putting the lives of you and your comrades in danger? Then to be defeated by such enemies and them to potentially later attack your home? Have I taught you nothing?" He was slightly out of breath from his speech, his tone deadly.

"And if you allow yourself to give up such an opportunity leave this classroom now because I don't want someone so foolish fighting to protect my home."

The man's face softened "Once we choose to put on our headbands…" he pointed a thumb at the one resting on his forehead and Hinata slowly traced the leaf symbol with her eyes. "…..Do you think enemy shinobi care that they have you outnumbered, odds seven to one? That they'll give you a handicap because you're a genin and themselves a jounin? As Shinobi we expect the unexpected and this includes a surprise attack. It's in our nature to look for weaknesses to exploit. We are shinobi and EVERYTHING is fair game. Why you may ask? Because we are fighting to protect this village and all the lives in it. You should not care how you go about doing it."

Everyone in the classroom was quiet.

"You guys have ninjutsu training with Funeno sensei in fifteen minutes. I'll leave you to think things over. I just hope you guys understand what being a shinobi means before it's too late."

With that he left us to mull over his words.

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"The first two years of your education required you guys to understand chakra and how to manipulate it. Last year you guys learned the bunshin no jutsu and uh most of you have the hang of it." He laughed awkwardly and the students joined in. Hinata couldn't help but wonder briefly if there was an inside joke she wasn't in on.

In that very minute several boys burst into laughter and one of them patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"It's okay man…. one day you'll get the hang of it!" he said in between giggles.

Naruto forced a laugh out "Yep I definitely will, BELIEVE IT." He shouted out to everyone watching and finished with a cheesy bright smile.

Hinata couldn't help herself form cringing at the horrible display of acting he just put on. It was pretty obvious by his body language that he was uncomfortable being the joke.

Sensei smiled at the boy nodding approvingly at his "never give up attitude". Funeno sensei was probably somewhere around his late thirties. From the gossip Hinata had been able to gather he was a Chunin and that was unfortunately all he would ever amount to. It was found that he was great with kids while standing in for another sensei years ago. He was very mellow and patient and so the kids loved him. He focused on teaching them ninjutsu. He wore a bandana head protector and had a small brown goatee. She found that he had an odd habit of biting his nails.

"Yes, you will get it eventually. In addition to that you guys have been taught the Henge no jutsu, and while some of you guys are more flawless than others for the most part you have it down. Good job. Then there was the Kawrarimi no jutsu, I was very pleased with everyone's progress on that one."

Majority of the students beamed at sensei's praise. Before leaving the academy it is typically expected of them to know these E rank jutsu's and the beneficial D rank ones. If you couldn't you had to either get a pass from higher up or learn a similar jutsu.

"Well today I'm going to be teaching you all…." Sensei intentionally paused for suspense, "….tree climbing!" he exclaimed excited followed by laughter that stopped suddenly when he realized no one joined in his excitement.

Majority of the students whispered to each other in confusion not understanding sensei's excitement.

The man furrowed his brows and pouted. "You guys don't want to learn how to climb trees with no hands…only chakra?! Don't you know that traveling by trees is the fastest way? You'll be doing a lot of it once you graduate…." He trailed off trying to garner some excitement.

His efforts were not in vain.

"Climbing trees with only chakra ? How sensei ?!"

"Haha I thought he meant climbing trees with hands"

"Me too"

"Well then how do we do it?"

"So cool!"

The group bustled with conversation all excited to learn how to do the exercise.

The man laughed, happy once more and eager to teach the children how.

"You see, tree climbing is a training method used to help with chakra control. It's very useful seeing as how you'll be using it your whole ninja careers." He nodded matter of factly.

"Now, I will demonstrate for you all"

All of the children's eyes widened in amazement and there were echoes of "woahhs" as sensei proceeded to leisurely climb up a tree, without the use of his hands.

Then because that was not enough, he then hung upside down from a branch, appearing very pleased with himself.

After slowly walking back down he made his way back over to the children.

"Now you have to understand. If you use too much chakra the tree will reject you, too little and you will fall off. It is all about finding the perfect balance. Now go !" he eyed the children with content as they all ran off to the nearest tree, eager to attempt the tree exercise.

Then he looked on in surprise at the small group that remained.

In front of him except for Sakura were all children from clans. He understood immediately.

"You guys already know it huh? It's to be expected I suppose…..Well how about the water walking exercise?"

Except for Sasuke and herself everyone shook their heads.

With a quick 'I'll be right back' and wink sensei made his way over to a small pond with the rest following. Ino, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Sakura were whisked away to go learn the exercise.

She eyed the last Uchiha besides her. Other than spars they had no contact what so ever and out of them he wouldn't even spare her a glance. Even now he looked off into the distance, appearing bored with the whole world.

Once sensei returned she hoped he could teach her something interesting.

"Do you guys know your chakra affinities?"

When he received identical head shakes he sighed in relief.

"Welp everyone you see has a chakra affinity to one of the five basic elements. You can determine your affinity with this special slip of paper" Here he carefully removed a couple pieces of paper, taking care to not touch them.

"Most people end up mastering their affinity, though really experience jounin and ninja often master two, which is way more difficult."

"Okay you'll want to release just a bit of chakra into the paper to learn your affinity. If it waters, your water. If it ignites into flames, fire. Crumpling is lightning, turning to dirt is earth and last but not least splitting in half is wind. Pretty simple right?" He reached out the papers to them, and they took one each.

Hinata's turned damp, and she smiled pleased with her affinity. Water she thought fondly.

Sasuke's on the other hand ignited into flames and whisked away into the air. He nodded, the result seemingly expected.

Fire and water, polar opposites.

"Water, it is calming and cool. Very peaceful. They are known to go with the flow essentially."

Then he turned to Sasuke "Fire, it is a passionate, hypnotic, and destructive affinity. Though it is often misunderstood. They always go with their gut."

"One's affinity is the one people are most inclined to learn, because it's easier to master compared to the other four. Some say it fits the user's personality. While it is rare some people are lucky enough to have a second affinity, it coming almost as naturally as you're first."

He handed them each a second, darker piece of paper.

"The same rules applies like it did for the first…most likely the paper will do nothing, signaling you have no second affinity, this is just to be sure." He explained.

Once again the two children poured a little bit of chakra into the piece of paper.

Lavender eyes met onyx as both papers crinkled simultaneously.

Sensei whistled in appreciation. "Wow! You both have a second affinity, and the same one at that !"

He went on to explain the affinity not noticing that neither child was listening.

They were locked in a death stare with one another, before finally, Hinata looked away in embarrassment.

"Sorry guys my affinity is Earth so I can't really help either of you. I don't know any water or fire techniques myself but I can get you a hold of some scrolls and teach you the basics. The next few weeks that will be what you guys learn while everyone else learns those two exercises."

"Though to start off…. Hinata" Sensei took his foot digging a small hole into the ground and poured some water from his canteen into it. Then he placed the canteen back onto the strap on his waist.

"Try to make a ripple in the water" she nodded, bending to her knees intent on completing her exercise.

"Sasuke…you can focus on making this flame bigger while controlling it" The man pulled out a match, lighting it and handing it to the much smaller boy.

After a few moments Hinata looked up to the sound of Sensei's excited voice.

"Wow Sasuke, good job, I'm surprised you got it on your first try!" the man smiled approvingly at the boy as the tiny flame exploded into a bigger one, clearly being controlled properly. The match itself lay on the ground, not needed as he bounced the fire from one hand to another.

"Hai, I have been used to controlling fire since I was young" Sasuke responded dryly, with a subtle nod.

Sensei nodded, the explanation making sense. Most Uchiha were known to have had the fire affinity anyway. Heck it used to be a coming of age rite in the clan for them to be able to execute the fire ball jutsu young.

Sasuke was extremely talented for his age. Though Hinata was no slouch herself. Looking right now at the two he figured that one of them would no doubt be the rookie of the year when they graduated.

Itachi Uchiha was genius beyond belief. While it was brief and the man is now a renowned traitor, he felt a strange sense of pride being able to say he was such a man's sensei, even if he there wasn't much he actually taught the boy. Sasuke and Itachi were no doubt related. In terms of personality, looks and skills.

Hinata's eyes narrowed and she focused harder on trying to move the water. No wonder the Uchiha was still leading the ninjutsu group over her!

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Hinata was running late.

After class she went off to find Funeno-sensei to get the scrolls. When she found him he had forgotten to retrieve the scrolls for them. This lead for her to awkwardly stand in his office with Sasuke while he went off to find them.

Hinata felt herself flush at the memory as she ran home, and she attempted to cool herself down with her hand.

She had been standing there, unbeknownst to her at the time, fiddling her thumbs and sneaking glances at the Uchiha. He was perfectly composed, giving away nothing by appearance alone. That was something her father tasked her with improving on. Her body language and facial expressions, they gave away everything on her mind.

She attempted to stand straighter, then she moved to put her hands in her pockets like the Uchiha is doing before she realized, she didn't have any. Instead, she opted for putting them straight by her sides, rigid. She took another peak at Sasuke's face and wondered briefly how she could mimic it.

Unfortunately for her the glances had not gone unnoticed by Sasuke.

"Stop that" he had spat in annoyance.

She decided to feign ignorance. "Stop what?" Her eyes doe like, wide and full of fake innocence. She had been caught and as a result her thumbs fiddled together in front of her. Then she noticed this and forcefully removed them.

"Looking at me, it's getting on my nerves." He clicked his tongue.

Her eyebrows furrowed together before she gave in. "Gomen" she apologized, looking at the floor with interest.

Silence overcame them and she prayed that sensei would hurry.

"I won't lose to you" he spoke up suddenly.

She knew what he was talking about immediately.

"I can't lose to you….so I won't" she responded. She made eye contact and continued it until the boy looked away so he could understand the seriousness in her statement. He smoothed a hand through his hair and shoved it back into the pockets of his blue shorts, nodding.

He expected nothing less from his rival. They were each other's biggest threat to one another in the academy. They both had to win for their own reasons. He understood the pressure she was facing from her clan, once, he had faced the same pressure. Though he would show her no mercy, and for this she was thankful.

"Sasuke I-" she was cut off suddenly as Funeno sensei slammed open the door announcing his arrival.

"I got them!" he exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. Then he looked back and forth between both children, sensing the tension in the air.

Sasuke moved quickly toward sensei as if he was trying to get away from the girl.

"Thank you sensei, if that is all I will be on my way" and with that Sasuke Uchiha had rushed out of the room grabbing two scrolls from sensei's right hand as the man just stared dumbfounded as he left.

"Thank you sensei" Hinata bowed quickly, taking the scrolls from his other hand on her way out the door. She was in a hurry to catch up to Sasuke.

As she raced down the halls she couldn't help but wonder if the Uchiha was avoiding her. It couldn't be that he knew what she was about to say, could it? Never the less as she caught a brief glance of an Uchiha fan embroiled onto the back of a black shirt. No doubt that was Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" she called out once she caught sight of the boy. He turned around his foot tapping the ground quickly, kicking up dust. Was he in a rush to get somewhere?

"What?" he asked impatiently. He had almost got out of the academy gates.

"I was going to ask you…if we could be friends?" she got straight to the point. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she was hopeful.

His expression was carefully blank, before finally he responded.

"No"

He left it at that and made on his way.

She sighed wishing in that very moment that she could shrink into herself and disappear completely. How humiliating. She bended down to her knees with her arms wrapped protectively around her head. As if that could stop the blow that had already been struck. First Sakura and now Sasuke, why was making friends so difficult?

She slowly uncovered her arms from her face, standing to her full height. She looked up into the sky and panic slowly overcame her. The sky was painted in dark red and orange hues.

She was late for training with father.

That leaves her to her current situation.

Running.

No. Sprinting.

She was moving quickly. She chose to avoid the crowds by jumping by rooftops. When she got home she would have to quickly change into sparring clothes and rush to the dojo.

A loud crackling sound in the distance, gathered her interest. Though she kept running. After the third time she heard it, she stopped, turning in the direction of the noise.

Curiosity killed the cat, she reminded herself.

Though the loud splintering sound reached her ears again and she jumped off the red rooftop, in the direction of the woods in which she heard the noise.

She arrived to an area full of destroyed trees….everywhere. A flash of yellow hair and she activated her byakugan. It was Naruto Uzumaki. She'd notice that chakra system anywhere.

The wild life had all fled from the area. Everywhere she looked, there were pieces of bark and branches and fallen trees. Some unfortunate ones were still standing with large gaping holes in their bark. Had he caused this?

She watched as the boy attempted to climb up another tree and it literally exploded as he made contact and he went flying, landing roughly. Meanwhile she covered her face from the many splinters that could potentially hit her.

"You're using too much chakra" she spoke up deciding to make her presence known.

The bright boy whipped his head around and jumped up.

"AH I know you! You're in my class…the Hyuga!" he responded cheerily making his way over to her stepping on various branches and trees along the way.

"Hai. I am Hinata Hyuga" she confirmed, making her first name known.

"Naruto Uzumaki, future hokage at your service" he flashed her a brilliant smile and threw his hands behind his head.

That is an admirable goal she thought to herself.

"Um…yes... Well you are using way too much chakra that is why the trees are rejecting you" she decided to point out again. So this whole time since classes were let out he's been practicing the tree climbing exercise? It was nice to know that he took his training seriously.

"Too much chakra? Really? Thanks!" Then the boy preceded to make his way over to another tree and Hinata motioned to leave him to his training.

And then a tree exploded again.

She turned, finding the situation a little amusing. "That was still way too much chakra. You have a lot of it so you probably don't have the best chakra control" she summarized. Then she placed a hand over her mouth in surprise, hoping she hadn't offended him.

The boy was sulking, clearly getting frustrated at his lack of progress.

"How about I tell you when to stop gathering chakra?" she offered her help, preparing for another rejection.

"Really you'd do that? Thanks Hinata!" he accepted her help happily.

She blushed at the welcoming. Maybe she should ask this boy to be her friend? Then she stopped herself before she pushed her luck.

Then she made her way over, eager to help the Uzumaki learn the tree exercise.

Hours later she found herself kneeled, hands sprawled out and face down in her father's study. To put it lightly her father was not pleased with her lack of punctuality. Despite the time he decided that today's lesson would be continued.

She waited for him to leave the room, before she followed, preparing for an especially harsh lesson.

Hinata later awakened to find herself laid out on the floor still in training garb. So she had passed out?

Her father left her here as punishment it seems.

She took a moment to focus on the cold surface of the dojo, liking the coolness to her hot skin. Then she let out a whimper of pain, trying to ignore the throbbing in her left ankle. Her arms were still pretty limp, she would unlock the tenketsu that were sealed once she gathered some strength. Her father had certainly done a number on her.

She couldn't help her mind from wandering. In another life she wondered, if she had been born with little talent, would her life had been simpler?

That day Hinata would miss academy classes.

Three children in particular would wonder about the whereabouts of the Hyuga heiress.