A/N: First off, I want to apologize to those who were waiting so patiently for the next chapter to the story. I've been very neglectful in this story and I've hardly been writing much at all, but I like the story so I won't abandon it like this. I'm not promising fast updates, there probably gunna be slow but I will finish his story until the bitter end! YOSH! I was trying to make it up to you guys by making a long chapter but the more info I written in the more that had to be written to explain what I had written! It's quite confusing and I hope you guys will understand it! I tried my best to write this!

NOTE!! Try to read Mei's words carefully when she begins explaining, this way it won't seem as hard to explain.
NOTE!!2 I rushed to post this. My beta has yet to beta it so yeah... sorry... it's not beta...EXCUSE GRAMMER ERRORS!!!

The Light before Dawn

5: Talking and Explaining

By Evanescences Angel
CO-written by broken-Angel-requiem-soul
Beta by Dark Throned Rose

Cover-Naruto was sitting in an empty classroom at the academy—his old classroom. He was sleeping with his face hidden in his arms with a picture of the original Rookie Nine in front of him.

-Hinata pov

I wondered what life would be like if I hadn't existed. That was something I questioned a lot as a child. My mother was gone, my father blaming only me, being a disgrace, weak and nothing more. I was nothing to the world, so I ask if my existence would count as anything to anyone. Obviously it didn't mean as much as it could have been. No one would have cared if I was gone or even disappeared to the world. I never would have imagined what my life could be. How precious it is to the world. I never would have guessed that I meant something, that everything was actually relied on my life. On me... living.

I noticed something when I died.

...that I was once... alive.

X-X

Somebody please tell me,

what am I suppose to do?

You've died and I'm here

Thinking that I hear your voice

But it's somebody else

It's always somebody else

- As you Voice Fades by Emery

X-X

…

-Normal pov - World of Shinobi

"Okay, run that by me again."

"But we already did, like, three times already!!"

"...Naruto..."

"...*gulp*... fine, fine... just don't kill me."

"Tsunade-shishou, maybe I should explain... Naruto's version is.... umm...."

"Dickless moron's version is just in the words of a retard five year old?"

"...Umm...yeah... thanks?"

"Shut up, fag!"

"Aw, the dickless moron is mad!"

"Enough!!"

The group turned back to the Fifth Hokage, and quietly settled down in fear of her infamous punches that even knock Naruto to a point of unconsciousness. The said woman groaned and placed her fingers on her temple, rubbing it. Confused didn't even began to describe how the Hokage felt at that moment, her judgment was blind sided with the words. Her common sense told her this was all just lies and nothing more. But in her heart… Tsunade looked up to the boy she thought as her younger brother… maybe even as a son. Even though he was beginning to be his normal self, his eyes were still slightly dead of emotions. She flinched inwardly as she remembered those eyes too well. Of herself when she looked in the mirror days after her brother and her lover's death. But she had seen him look like this once before… when his best friend had left.

He was in pain. Real agonizing pain even though he didn't really show it.

"I… believe you…" She muttered softly, the group was washed with a wave of relief. "But I need the full story. No more puzzles or questions answered with questions. I need to know how fate played its hand in this game we call life."

"Maa… looks like this is where I come in…" Mei said who was just listening to the conversation with amusement. She was still floating in midair, but side ways as if she was lying down in midair. "But I can't start saying anything until the rest of the Rookie Nine is here including Gai's team. So would ya hurry up already and bring them?"

"How do you know about-?" Shino glared at the transparent woman behind his shades,

"About the Rookie nine and that other team?" She finished the question for him, as a coy smile tugged her lips. "To answer, anything that Hinata would know, I know. You see, I'm part of Hinata's essences, something I don't think that you would know in this world. My soul was created from hers; she created me without realizing it. Or more like reawakened me after a nice looong nap."

"Huh?" Her words lost them as soon as they came out her mouth. This annoyed Mei.

"Oh goddamnit! How many times am I gunna say this!?" She growled pulling at her hair, "I can't hold it in anymore! Get their sorry asses over here now so I can explain before I end up going out of my mind!!"

-Normal pov -World of Shinigami

The first thing that Hinata noticed about the strange group of friends was that they were tense. The air around them screamed anger and anguish, things that she could but could not relate to. She was told to wait by the front entrance before they were set to go. Now as she thought about that she pouted a little, feeling like she was being treated as a child, which she wasn't. 'But maybe I'm being a burden…' She thought to herself, as she looked towards the ground.

The night was warm compared to the rainy night before. The wind blew against her long silky locks of indigo hair, as it swirl around her like a veil. She used her hands to brush it out of her eyes, 'I can't lose this opportunity though! I need to try to get back to the world of the living in my world. Going to this 'Soul Society' is the best option I have. If I stay long enough, those Hollows would eventually corner me again and again until I wouldn't have the strength to fight back anymore.'

Sighing, she looked to the sky and her mood worsened. She didn't like this world much, the lights so bright from the town that she could not see the stars in the nighttime sky. Hinata was so use of seeing them so it surprised her that she was unable to see her little lights of hope. A star's light was like hope, as millions of them flew and embedded themselves in the sky, you could never stop the stars from shining. But it looked like the town outshone the stars itself.

"Excuse me."

Hinata jumped a mile, being snap out of her thoughts. Her instincts immediately reacted, shouting at her to grab her kunai and defend. But as she sharply turned around, she was surprise to see the girl with orange hair behind her. She relaxed quickly, placing her hand on her chest in order to calm her wild heart beat,

"I-I'm sorry, you s-scared me." Hinata laughed breathlessly, feeling a little ashamed that she nearly attacked someone who was willing to help her. The girl before her smiled, and waved away her apology. For the first time, Hinata got a clear view of the girl in front of her. She had waist length orange hair with two flower hair pins on either side of her bangs, a clear complexion, and storm gray eyes. She wore just a modest long pink skirt and a gray turtle neck, but what caught her attention was that her right arm was in a cast, bandages on her face and around her head as well. This girl got hurt by someone before yet she continued to smile,

"I'm the one who should apologize." She said, smiling carefree but with noticeable strain. "You must be bored out here all by yourself. Care if I join you?"

This caused Hinata to smile, "Not at all! B-but we haven't p-properly introduced ourselves, have w-we?"

"Oh yeah! My name is Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you." Orihime said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, "There's no need to introduce yourself since you already did. But I know you must feel confuse about this world."

"H-How-?"

"Your face silly!" Laughing, she stretched out Hinata's cheek with her good arm, "You look so gloomy! You should smile even if you're feeling like this."

"I guess your r-right." Hinata's fondness of the girl increase, she acted just like- "Sakura."

"Ne?" Orihime looked confused, pulling her hand away.

"O-Oh, it's just that you act j-just like my friend Sakura-chan! She always s-scolded me when I was b-being to gloomy, and now that I-I think about it, I miss that." A look of sadness and happiness flash her eyes when she remembered her pink-haired friend. Orihime nodded understanding,

"It's nice to meet a soul that remembers there past, it nearly breaks my heart every time I see a soul who doesn't know how they died or who they once loved." Shaking her head to get rid of the subject, she brought up a new one. "Has anyone explained to you about the war that's going on right now?"

"War!?" Hinata's mouth dropped open in shock, "How! W-When?"

Orihime nodded gravely, "It started a while back but now the attack has been more aggressive and now all of our friends are in high danger. But we're safe for the time being, the Soul Society are sending reinforcements, Shinigami, and we're waiting for the final battle that will happen in winter. That's why things around here have been to much more cold and tense."

"Is that how you g-got injured." It wasn't a question but a statement, Hinata eyebrows met in empathy as she reached out to touch Orihime's arm, "Can you or anyone h-heal it?"

"Actually I can. See I have powers, that of Shun Shun Rikka. It's kinda complicated but my powers can heal mostly all wounds and defend me, and I have one attack for offense. But I don't like to fight so usually I'm in the background as the healer. One of the best healers in the Soul Society commented me on my level of healing which was that of a Lieutenant's!" Even though Orihime explained the best she could have, Hinata was at a serious lost.

"Um…" Hinata ignored her own confusion, and asking a better question, "If you're healing powers are g-good, then why not h-heal yourself?"

"Oh…" Orihime's eyes immediately downcast, "My friend Chad is currently healing, even though he trying to move around he's still in pain. He nearly died that day we were in that fight and if Kurosaki-kun hadn't come-" Her breath got caught in her throat, "Well… we wouldn't be here right now."

"Inoue-san…"

"Inoue or just Orihime if you like." She smiled trying to gain her normal attitude even though she remembered something painful. Deciding not to push any farther Hinata allow the subject to change again,

"Then call me Hinata, r-rather call me anything other t-than my last name." Both girls smiled as they knew this friendship would grow in time. They began to talk again more about the system of the world Hinata was in, the door to shop opened. Hinata looked slightly surprised seeing Rukia, Renji and Ichigo come out all in there black robes followed closely by a black cat.

"Kurosaki-kun! Yoruichi-san! Kuchiki-san, Abarai-san!" Orihime said smiling at her companions, and friends walking towards them. Hinata followed in caution, trying to bend in with the background. "What took you so long?"

"The gaki." Answered Renji with a bored look,

"That twerp can argue about anything!" Ichigo groaned rubbing the back of his head with his hand. Rukia threw both of them an annoyed look,

"He wouldn't have if you two left the subject about his height alone!" She scolded them but she knew it was a lost cause as she rolled her eyes. But she did her eyes caught Hinata's, causing her to immediately flusher in embarrassment. Rukia raised an eyebrow,

"Hey, you soul." This annoyed Hinata slightly, but Rukia continued being the blunt person that she was. "Are you blind by any chance?"

"My name's H-Hinata," She tried to say is forcefully but with her meek voice it was a little pitiful, "And I'm not blind, everyone born in my family has white eyes like this."

"I see." Rukia mused. Hinata felt her eye twitched as Rukia dismissed the whole thing by turning her attention to Orihime, "Time to go, we need to leave and be back as soon as possible to get back our post. Inoue, can you withdraw your power from Chad? You know that your power can only reach him from a certain distance, and it won't be possible since Soul Society is in another dimension. Don't worry with Hanataro-kun here so he'll take care of his wounds till we get back. "

"Alright." The said girl nodded, as her hairpins began to glow faintly and in a flash, two flower petal shape light came from the shop and rejoined her hairpins. The kunoichi looked at the display in slight awe remembering Orihime's power, 'Was that it? Amazing…'

"You child, are very lucky to get personally escort by some of the best Shinigami in the Soul Society." The voice startled Hinata as it was only loud enough for her to hear, Yoruichi jumped onto her shoulder still in her cat form, but her nearly-glowing yellow eyes lock onto Hinata's lavender ones. Yet a sly grin remained on her face, "This will be interesting though, Kisuke was right about you."

"What-?"

"We're wasting time, let's go!" Renji barked, swinging his sword over his shoulder, looking quite menacing for those who didn't know him. Rukia nodded in agreement as Ichigo followed behind slightly annoyed, again Hinata was taken back by the length of his sword and vaguely wondered if any could use it other than Ichigo. Her musing was interrupted when she saw Renji take his own sword of its sheath,

"Everybody ready?" His question was mainly at Hinata, who nodded fiercely in return. Her eyes held that same determination that Renji gave respect for and without another thought Renji stabbed the air itself. Within a second, the place where he had stabbed made a bright shining line of light within the space. Then turning it side ways like a key, the light spread and took the form of traditional Japanese siding doors. Hinata looked in amazement for the seventh time that day. Renji put away his sword as the door opened and out came a few black butterflies. Ichigo scowled more at them as they brushed against his face, he didn't seem really fond of them. Orihime giggled at them while Rukia and Renji were already stepping into the portal.

Surprisingly, the butterflies were all nearly around Hinata as she held back a giggle as one landed on her nose. Brushing it away, she grinned.

"Let's go."

-Normal pov -World of Shinobi

"This is going to be so troublesome…"

Those were the first words that came out of Shikamaru mouth when he step foot in the Hokage's Chamber. There he saw nearly everyone gather together, crowding the big room. He noted that Neji stood in the corner with Gai, who looked unusually calm, and Kakashi, who was without his book, at his sides, as if to restrain him more than protect him. Shikamaru grew very wary at that fact and decided the safest place when be on the other side room, away from them.

He did not know why he was call along with all the other Rookie Nine's, or what was left of it, and Gai's team. All he knew was that one second he was playing shoji with Chouji and the next minute order, rather forced, here. Sighing, he rubbed his head, knowing trouble would come and it would come with vengeance. Grumbling under his breath, he was surprised to see Naruto and the others on his team back from there mission. Shikamaru eyebrows met in confusion, he had heard they were late coming from their mission. Itachi wasn't reported dead yet nor was Sasuke here thus he thought the mission was a failure. But the fact that Hinata wasn't there with them, and the fact Naruto and Sakura were covered in blood made him worried.

Interrupting everyone's thoughts, Tsunade finally spoke breaking the silence. "I know you're all wondering why you were called here today, but I'm afraid we had no choice in the matter. I need to inform you all about-"

"Lady Hinata is dead."

The voice belonged to none other than Hyuuga Neji. A collection of gasps were heard all around the room, but Tenten and Lee didn't only looking towards there teammate in sadness, being informed earlier by him. Naruto cringed while Sakura squeezed his shoulder supportively. Kurenai was the first to recover, turning angrily to the Hyuuga.

"What the hell?! How is she dead!? I mean, she couldn't have died from a mission like that! You're lying -!"

Being only about five months with child, the usually composed Kurenai snapped at the Hyuuga. Yamato placed a hand on her shoulder as she growled dangerously at him, before looking towards the ground, her fist clenched. "I don't believe you. I won't believe you. Hinata didn't die just from a pitiful mission like this."

"She didn't die because she was weak, Kurenai." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. She prayed there would be sake later. "From the information that was gathered, Hyuuga Hinata died trying to protect one of her fellow comrades during a fight with the Akatsuki."

"She went up against Akatsuki?!" Ino cried out, shocked at the boldness of her friend's action. Silently, others agreed while Naruto looked away with a grimace, knowing what was too come next.

"There's no way she would have survive then…" Kakashi said, pointing out the obvious.

However, Sakura shook her head. "Hinata didn't go up against them… she didn't even fight them… Instead, she saw-" Her voice cracked a little, startling the room of shinobi's. "She saw o-one of us about to be killed from a strike from Tobi. She jumped in the way of him before the blow could be dealt. It was a sword wound and it cut clean through her left lung, sliced two major arteries and scraped her heart." Sakura suddenly sounded very tired, as she recalled the wounds she could not heal. "Hinata didn't die immediately, only until she gave us her final words of parting."

"She died to protect who exactly?" The question came to Kurenai's lips before she could stop it.

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Kiba snarled, while his eyes narrowed slightly.

A silence filled the room as Naruto then felt every eye in the room find and lock on him. He managed to shrug it off by looking directly at Tsunade, who actually began to look her age in weariness. His blue eyes darken again in sadness as Naruto gave a sigh.

"But this isn't why we called you guys here." He said, his tone becoming very devoid of emotion. "After Hinata died… Mei appeared and took Hinata's body with her. Somewhere."

"What!" Neji growled, nearly lunging at the boy at the new information, but Gai and Kakashi kept him check. "Who the hell is this 'Mei'?!"

"That would be me." A voice cut him off, and again out of nowhere, Mei's transparent figure appeared on the left side of Tsunade. She faced them with her lips in a cruel kind of smile. "I'm sooo sorry to make all of you sooo sad, but I don't have time to listen to you guys mope around like little babies. And, as much as I like seeing a fight, I'm afraid we'll have to save it for later." All the ninjas that didn't know of her presence freaked out; most took defensive stance with kunais out.

"Who -no- WHAT the hell are you?" Kurenai snapped again, her mood swings returning. The others were just at a state of slight shock as they mentally began to think of a way to fight a transparent figure.

However Tsunade brought them back to reality. "Calm yourselves! This woman, no matter her appearance, is our temporary ally and is the only way we have contact with Hyuuga Hinata."

Naruto flinched again at the name as though he was nearly struck with a whip. The name brought back memories and guilt.

"How is this woman the only contact we have with Hinata-sama?! She's dead, isn't she?!" Neji demanded, and Tenten, who was glaring at the apparition, got added to the list of people holding him back when Mei smirked at the Hyuuga genius. And Lee was alternating looks between the emotion-ridden Neji and the strange entity in their midst.

"Strange Neji-nii-san, you're acting so different today." Mei mused, ignoring his question completely. Neji nearly roared when she said that, only held back as Gai and Kakashi bound his arms.

"You wrench! Don't you dare call me that!" He yelled at her uncharacteristically. 'Only Hinata-sama can!' He finished in his mind, more sorrowful than angry as he slowly became limp in grief. Mei giggled.

"Mei, this isn't a joke!" Naruto snap at her, "You're playing with people's feelings here! Just tell us what happened to her already?"

She faked a pout but answered, "Hinata isn't dead… completely."

"What-?"

"Completely?! I saw her die in my arms! How is she not dead!?" Sakura yelled at Mei,

"This is a load of bull!" Kiba cursed, "I knew we should've killed you when we had the chance to!"

A vein on Mei's forehead began to throb as she tried to continue her explanation only to keep getting bombarded with questions. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I haven't finished explaining yet!"

"Even if you aren't done, there's no way that she could still be alive. No can come back after death." Shikamaru said with a grumble.

Her patience was thinning out now, "Look oh-mighty-genius, yes, you can. If you have the right requirements."

"Liar!" Ino said with a glare. The others agree as they all continue the on-slaughter of questions towards the woman. Mei began shaking in anger and looked like she was going blow any second.

"Where is she?! Is she okay?! Can we talk to her now?!" Naruto ignored his teammate's arguments of Hinata's death. What matter to him now was her safety. She was still alive that gave him such relief—it was as if thousands of pounds of weight lifted off his shoulders. "Mei, tell us already!!"

"Shut up and let me finish!!" Mei snapped, punching Naruto in the face causing him to fall to the floor in shock. He looked in surprise thinking that she could not hurt him in such a form. She growled slightly and her own Hyuuga white eyes flashed in anger. "I can't even get the chance to explain! Man, how could Hinata fall in love with a guy like you?! You have the patience of a toad!"

Naruto immediately went silent and his head dropped down as he held his bruised cheek half-heartedly. His pink-haired teammate hesitated in helping him, but decided against it. He had to get over this on his own. Hinata gave her life to him because she loved him. And now he was left with the responsibility of never noticing her feelings.

"Enough of this! I've brought them here, now tell us why." Tsuande demanded as Mei gave a dismissive wave to the kunoichi, already calm down again.

Sai, who remain unbearably quiet throughout the whole ordeal, looked at the woman with sudden interest, "Mei-san, I've been meaning to ask you this…but what exactly are you? You certainly are not human. Not just in physical structure."

"Always blunt as ever. Sai-san, you really need lessons in being polite especially to women, this'll save you from punches from Sakura-chama!" Mei pointed out, but ignored his insult and answered his question. "You may all being wondering why I know you, am I right?"

Some nodded reluctantly, and the transparent woman smirked. "See? But to answer, you are correct Sai-san. I'm not in the slightest human. In fact my existence is nothing at all but a figment of flickering power. My personality was made for me before I was created, as well my purpose. I am only to do what I came to do and that is all I was made to be. I am a weapon, a zanpankuto to be precise."

"You're a sword!?" Tenten yelled out of turn,

"Yep, Hun." She smiled at the weapon mistress, "And you're my type of person, a person who respects all types of weapon be big or small. But my existence is different from the zanpankuto that may exist in this world. Hell, I'm even different from the zanpankutos where I come from!"

She chuckled before continuing. "For my lifestyle, Swords are born from part of there wielders essences. Hinata is my wielder and I am her weapon, this makes me connected with her in both in mind, soul and heart. I'm part of her as she is part of me. And this is how I know all of you, I was made to have every bit of memory she has. However what separates me from being just an original sword is that I'm not whole. I'm only half of Hinata's zanpankuto and the other half of her sword is currently waiting on standby for further orders."

"My head hurts…" Chouji groaned trying to keep up, others were struggling as well. The farfetched information was too much to take in at one time and she was certainly not helping.

"Trust me, its gunna keep on hurting because I'm not in the even at the start," Mei giggled gleefully seeing his pain, before teasing them. "This is fun~! I know something you don't know~!"

Neji snorted, "Even if you are part of Hinata-sama's essence, you act nothing like her."

"Very true, nii-san!" Mei drawled out and Neji glared, "I was made to have the personality of a rude woman who wasn't at all faze by comments. It's sooo much better than being a meek and submissive Hina-chan! Now are you going to listen to me now, ne?"

Shino glowered at the woman, "I still do not trust you woman, so don't you dare think for a second that-."

"That what?" Mei said arrogantly, challenging the buy-user. He could only glare at the woman behind his sunglasses. "That's right! Nothing, buddy. So don't you dare think of threatening me! If I had it my way, I would have been left you losers and be on my merry little way in helping out Hinata-chan!"

"What do you mean, 'help her'?" Sakura caught her words, "She's dead. Isn't she?" She was beginning to question her own herself.

"Feh. If I ever get the chance to explain," The ghostly woman said shaking her head, "Look, I'm only gunna say this once so you better listen up. Hinata-chan is still alive. She is not in this world at the moment. She isn't even in the universe either. See, Hinata-chan's destiny is much bigger than any of you would give her credit for. What she chooses, what she lives for, or whether she survives or not is all up to her. There are two universes that are caught up with all this fate-shit. That is to say, the World of Shinigami and this world, the World of Shinobi."

"Whoa there! You just lost me!" Shikamaru said in exasperation and the others were actually doing worse in keeping up. He rubbed his head keeping up with the nonsense coming from her mouth. "Not only is she still alive—Hinata is another universe?!"

"That's what I said, didn't I?" Mei replied bored, as she rudely picked her ear.

His eyebrow twitched, "How is that possible then?"

"You are very narrow-minded, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes, "There are millions of other universes out there, and we're just one of them. So many to be name and unnamed. Life isn't the same in each world as each varies in the limits and boundaries they have. Usually no universes were to connect, but somehow Hinata became the expectation. She is like a thread tying this world and that other world together by the fact of who she is."

"Look, I don't care what the hell you're saying, but Hinata-sama's still alive, yes?" Neji intervene the woman, she threw him an annoyed look, "That means there must be a way we can bring her back, right-?"

"Buzz." Mei said, "You're wrong. You all are normal humans, not capable of traveling dimensions so you have no possible way to bring Hinata back here. In other words for you extra slow people out there, you can't bring her back."

"Then what's the point of telling us this!?" Naruto said, glaring at Mei,

She frowned, "Just because I said you can't, doesn't mean she can't. If all goes by plan, then she'll return home safe and sound and good as new."

"How?"

"How?" She repeated, with mock curiosity. "Well easy-weesy! All she got to do is make the right choices in the end."

"Ano… but why were we all called here then?" Chouji said, speaking up. "I mean, what are we suppose to do?"

"You all share a tie with Hinata, whether it's close or distance. Either way, you all are considered her friend, her fellow namaka so Hinata would do absolutely anything to help you guys. That makes you all tied to her fate. You all were suppose to meet her, graduate with her, and become friend with her not by chance because there is no such thing as coincidence, there is only the inevitable. Only Hitsuzen." (All xxxHolic and CLAMP fans, you may now begin screaming.)

"Wise words coming from someone so youthful!" Gai grinned at her, and she barely suppressed the shudder of looking at his eyebrows. "I believe you ma'am! I want to help as much as I can bring back Hinata-san!"

"I agree!" Lee joined in, just as enthusiastic as his mentor, "Hinata-san would gladly help if we were in any danger! She is someone worth having a friend and ally!"

Tenten nodded with a smile, "Me too. I want to help get Hinata back as much as possible."

"We all want to get Hinata back," Naruto got off the floor and stepped forward as everyone else agreed with a mutter around the room, "So what do with have to do to get our friend back?"

She gave a cheesy grin that only the normal Naruto could compete with, "Well, thanks everybody. I kinda appreciate all the support. Makes me feel like we could actually do this if we all help her. You really can't bring her back, but there is a way you can help her. What I'm about to say is due to circumstantial evidence that me and… the other half of Hinata's zanpankuto made. And judging by that, there is going to be a war soon. And it's going to be a big one. I'm talking about universes being involved."

"What?!" Tsunade snapped, her Hokage instincts kicking in, "We can't afford a war right now! We are already on the verge with Akatsuki coming after- I mean, coming to attack Konoha!"

"I know that, remember, I know everything that Hinata would know. I'm saying this only because someone is trying to take control of one universe then moving on to another on. Which in this case, is this universe."

"And that means we're involved whether we like it or not." Sai said to the woman, his glaze completely indifferent.

"I see…" The Hokage sighed and sank in her chair, her head bowed in pre-exhaustion. "Not only on the verge of one war, but two? Great, just great."

"I know what you're thinking. But the war that you are facing with is nothing compare to the one involving Hinata. However, the war you are facing with will determine whether this world will be destroyed or saved. I have no involvement with that, so I suggest you all be prepared for it. But, Hinata's whole being is tied to this war, the Universal war; because she is the reason it's going to happen. I cannot give you the information. Why? Because it is not the time to. Either way, when the war comes, you must fight in it to get her back to this world. So, I need to the remains of the original Rookie Nine and Gai's team to train in the art of using a zanpankuto."

"We gotta learn how to fight with a sword?" Kiba blinked at her,

"Yep, it's the only way you guys can actually stand a chance with these guys. In this war, the majority of fighters use a zanpankuto. So if you don't have one, you can't attack or defend." Mei explained.

"So only they can help? No one else but the Rookie Nine and Gai's Team?" Kurenai said. When Mei nodded, her hand shot to her mouth in fear. "But-but! Can't you send someone else?"

"Look lady, only those whose fate has intertwined with Hinata's can do with. I'm going to teach you all how to fight to prepare for this up coming war. Do any of you would like to decline?" Mei called out in the room.

"Um, but many of us don't have any experiences with a sword." Sakura said as Naruto nodded beside her.

"No prob!" Mei grinned, "Cuz I'm going to teach you all to use a zanpankuto!!"

A/N:Was that unexpected or what? XDD I hope you guys will look forward to the Naruto gang learning there own zanpankuto! Its gunna be fun to write! But this chapter was quite boring wasn't it? It was all filled with info and nothing really interesting! But don't worry; next chapter will make up for it with action and a fight! Hinata is gunna get quite surprised when coming to the Soul Society! I've actually been waiting to write this chapter! But I'm not gunna spoil it~ Hehehe. As always I want to give a special shout out to my Co writer- BrokenAngel-chan and beta Rosie-chan, who supported me even though they didn't have to! You guys will rock always. :3

I just had to, HAD TO, write that Hitsuzen part. I'm stuck on CLAMP and it's been bugging the crap out of me. It came out to me thinking of also making this a slight Xover with xxxHolic and TRC! But don't get your hopes up.

Now please, I beg you, review. They keep the story alive and the less reviews I get--the less motivation I get to write it! Please readers, review! Review if you want the next chapter~!

NEXT CHAPTER! Chapter 6: Battle? Yoruichi vs. Hinata!