An Isolated Cage And A Song Bird's Key - Prologue

Summary: It all started with those words, "The main obstacle in your way to being a good kunoichi is the way you interact with others. We're getting a new student in from Suna today and I want you to show him around. His name is Gaara."

So first you should know this isn't a complete AU as it will follow canon for a bit (technically, kind of... i said kind of!), but then it's going to diverge (cause the canon is waaay too long). Anyway, enjoy!

Hinata hurried down the hall, feet hitting the wood beneath her in a series of quick taps. The only sound that could be heard throughout the hall at this time in the morning. Everyone else was likely still at home getting ready for the day, but she had come in early to work on her taijutsu. Even with her lineage she struggled with it. It was the main reason her father had taken to giving her younger sister private lessons instead of herself like he used to.

Which left her to train by herself when she could find the time - it was getting easier, really. What with her father focusing on Hanabi as the heiress of the clan, and teaching her what that meant, the duties that came with such a title... everything she didn't need to know anymore.

She pushed at the door at the end of the hall, sun light filtering through the crack that grew wider, blinding her before a shadow appeared to block the sun. "Ah, s-sorry Suzume sensei."

The chunin stood in the doorway, the knob of the door pressing into her hip the only thing keeping it open as Hinata's arms had dropped back to her sides at realizing she had almost hit one of her teachers with a door. "No worries, Hinata." The woman assured her, glancing down at a planter she carried before brushing strands of dark curls behind an ear. "Actually it's good that I ran into you. Would you mind accompanying me to my classroom?"

"Um..." After getting up early and everything else she really wanted to go out and start with her extra training, but her sensei had to have a reason for asking her to the classroom and it would be rude of her to refuse. It's not like she was stopped regularly like this and from the tone of Suzume's voice she wasn't in any trouble. "Sure."

Hinata stepped back, allowing her sensei to enter the building and followed a few steps behind her wondering how long this would take. It was still an hour before school started so no matter what it was she should have plenty of time for her own practice. Still, she hadn't expected anyone else to be here so early.

"Hinata?"

"Y-yes." She looked up quickly at the sound of her name being called.

Suzume was standing in her classroom, keeping the door open with the heel of her foot as she gazed at Hinata, lips pinched together in thought. "Come help me with this planter while I discuss something with you."

Huh? Discuss something? What could she possibly have to discuss with her? Unless... Was she in trouble? She fought back the urge to cringe at the thought and instead gave a nod of her head that she hoped didn't look as dejected as she felt.

After a few taps of her shoes on the floor she was in the room, the door sliding closed behind her and she made her way to the front of the room where Suzume was standing now, checking the soil with her fingertips. "I know you're a bit shy, but you really should give an actual response rather than just shaking or nodding your head."

Hinata didn't say anything as she leaned back against one of the desks. She recognized that tone. It was the same one her father used just before he started lecturing her, which he still did plenty of - as long as it didn't get in the way of Hanabi's training that is.

There was a sigh from Suzume and her shoulders tensed, drawing themselves up as if to shield her from what was about to come. "First of all, I want you to know that I'm not picking on you because of your stutter. I get being nervous and you have improved... a bit anyways since I've known you. Do you remember your first day in my class, Hinata?" She gave a nod of her head, afraid that she wouldn't be able to say anything if she attempted to speak right now beyond a few vowel sounds. "'Yes,'" Suzume confirmed, but after waiting a second for Hinata to utter the word she continued. "I asked you why you wanted to become a ninja. Do you remember what you said?"

She did. "I w-want to be b-better. To-to prove that even if I'm n-not good enough to be the heir of the c-clan that I can still be a good n-ninja."

"Right." Suzume opened a bag of seeds, sprinkling a few into the soil. "To be a good kunoichi. Now I have looked at your scores in all your classes before, and though you're not the best in any particular class you're not below average either. The main obstacle in your way to being a good kunoichi is the way you interact with others. Even with those in the village who you're familiar with you still stutter and are quiet a lot of the time. In a mission where if you were infiltrating an enemy village that behavior would not be looked upon very well. It would be interpreted as being nervous, no matter the actual reason and you would be under suspicion because of that. Do you see what I'm getting at?" Suzume finally looked up from the planter, having smoothed the soil over the seeds and fed it with water.

Hinata gave another nod of her head, then after a second forced herself to answer verbally, "Yes." Somehow she managed to keep the stutter out of her voice this time.

The woman's lips quirked up into a smile. "Better. To assure you keep that up I'm giving you a special task."

"Spe-cial t-task?" She couldn't stop herself from wondering what it could be, but she assumed it would have to do with interacting with others.

"Mhm." Suzume placed the planter at the front right corner of the desk. "We're getting a new student in from Suna today. So I need you to show him around and if need be teach him any culture differences so the transition runs smoothly for him. His name is Gaara, and I expect you to learn from this experience. This will only help you, and besides, it never hurts to have a friend in another village."