Chapter 1: The Woman of the Village Hidden in Shadow and Light

She looked over the carnage now. The sound and sand ninjas had just left and Sasuke had run off to find the man that had put this curse upon him. Naruto had already left the village to start his training, so that left the others to rebuild the town of Konoha. It was a sad end to the chuunin exams but that couldn't much be helped.

But right now the Hyuga main branch had a visitor, a weird woman that none had ever heard of. She was in a pair of black loose pants, a fishnet shirt under a black tank top. Her long raven hair was up in a ponytail and her gloved hands were in her pockets. She had seen the fight between the cousins and saw that it was best to take the young Hinata Hyuga as her student to further the young girl's training. There was much she could teach the young girl, even if she was barely sixteen years of age herself. Hinata was thirteen now as it was. She wanted to take the girl away from her family for a good three years to train in solitude and seclusion. She could see the potential the girl possessed and had to admit that she reminded her of herself, at least a little. She herself had been called weak many times and it was time to prove Neji Hyuga that he was wrong. The weak could become strong as well.

In truth, she was seen as a prodigy where she came from, becoming a chuunin at the young age of ten. It wasn't long after that that she had advanced higher and soon was confronted about taking over as leader for her village of ninjas but she had downright refused, telling them that there was still much she could learn and would go and travel for three years. That was a few days ago. But now she was confronting Hinata's father. He didn't seem to be trusting her at the moment though.

"Master Hyuga, I only wish to train her for three years, that is all. When she comes back she will be stronger, a ninja fit to take over the Hyuga clan." She looked into his oddly white eyes to see he was not even close to giving in, but then again he didn't even recognize the emblem on her head band, which made him weary of her.

"How can I trust you if I don't even know where you are from?" He asked, his anger very much apparent on his face.

"The village I am from is very secretive, very few know of my village. You see I am from the village hidden in shadow and light." It must have been so because on her head band, which she wore wrapped around her thigh, bore a crescent moon that had blended with a sun. "They wanted me as their leader but I had to decline. I still have much to learn myself but I am the elite of the elite in my village. I am the last of my clan as it is." She bowed slightly, trying to show some respect for him, from one clan leader to another. "Gomen nasai, for being rude as to not introducing myself in the first place. I am Kagome Higurashi of the village hidden in shadow and light."

Hinata had been standing outside of the door listening to what they had been discussing, and it seemed their topic was her. It was apparent that the woman wanted to train her but her father seemed reluctant to do so. But she couldn't blame him, this woman was a stranger to the village as it was, and they were even unsure of how she got through the gates as it was. But then she remembered the chuunin exams. Many were welcome without question.

"I can assure you that when she returns she will be stronger, strong enough even to become Hokage if you had wished it." She stood straight again. "She will become stronger in her shinobi skills and will be able to prove just how powerful the main branch is, is that not what you want?" She looked him in the eye. Her strength was apparent by the crackling of her chakra around her. It held the color of gold and dark blue. "I can teach her techniques that have never been seen before, by any ninja including my own village. Such techniques that use such little chakra but have devastating effects. Such techniques would be useful in battle."

"You seem powerful, but how can I trust you with my own child? This is no laughing matter."

"I know it isn't, master Hyuga. I am serious. She nearly dies days ago and you do not worry about that?" She wore a scowl now. "Your own daughter and you don't seem to care at all about her, banishing her from the Hyuga grounds to live with her sensei. Why should you care now?" He seemed extremely angry at this but could not remark otherwise. "At least with me she will become stronger. If she wishes to return here, I will let her. It should be her choice as it is."

"I want to go," a shy voice broke in to the conversation. They turned to see Hinata holding onto the door, as if trying to still remain invisible. "I want to get stronger." Kagome smiled at this, sapphire eyes dancing with amusement.

"That is what you want then, Hinata?" Kagome asked and the girl nodded. "Get your things ready, we leave at sunset." Hinata ran off to do as told.

"You can't take her," he said.

"Oh? She made her decision. It is too late now. She wants this, so how can I deny her?" She smirked back at him. "She has so much potential for greatness. It is such a shame that this village cannot see it. That will change though." And she strolled on out of the Hyuga manor, where Hinata stood waiting for her, with a single small bag. "Are you ready?"

"Can I say bye to my friends first?" Kagome nodded and walked out of the Hyuga district and into the main road where she spotted Kiba and Shino with Akumaru.

"Uh, Hinata, who's the woman?" Kiba asked gruffly.

"I actually just met her myself. I'm leaving Kiba, Shino. I just wanted to say bye before I left." She started the nervous twitch with her fingers.

They looked shocked. "Where are you going?"

"To train."

"You could do that any day," Kiba commented. "I don't see why you need to leave."

"She will be under my training for the next three years. The type of training she will be going through will be hard and she will need to remain focused. Staying here she will be distracted. That is the last thing she needs." They looked to her now and became confused when they saw her headband. They had no clue as to what it meant. "Come now, Hinata, I am sure there are more people you wish to say bye to."

"I'm coming." And they walked off, leaving Akumaru whimpering.

Soon they came across Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino. They looked at her new sensei and seemed confused by the bag on her shoulder.

"Umm, I just stopped by to say bye. I will be leaving Konoha to train for three years."

"The shy Hinata is leaving Konoha?" Ino commented.

"I am." She started the weird twitching thing again.

"But wouldn't you go hungry?" That was Chouji that time.

"I won't. There is many things to live off of in the forest."

"Well, good luck." That was Shikamaru. He never did say much as it was, so those words only served to encourage her.

"Come now, Hinata, there is half an hour until sunset. If we are to leave on time we should hurry with what it is you are doing."

"Umm, right. Bye." She bowed and walked off.

Soon she came across Sakura alone. Now that Naruto and Sasuke left, she had no teammates, but she could always go on missions with Shino and Kiba if she wanted to.

"Oh, Hinata," Sakura greeted, kind of depressed since her teammates had left.

"I only came by to say bye."

"You're leaving too? But what about Shino and Kiba? You can't go."

"I'm going to go train, but they need a third and you need a team. You can join them, just until I get back."

"When's that going to be?"

"In three years," she whispered. "Anyways, I got to go. Bye." And she was gone.

They came to the Hokage's office. They knocked on the door and entered only when directed to do so. Tsunade looked surprised to see Hinata in her office, and with a complete stranger at that. Hinata seemed almost nervous.

"Umm, Tsunade-sama, I'll be leaving soon. I just thought I'd tell you before I left."

"I see. Who is this woman beside you?" She looked the black clad woman over and noticed the head band. She didn't recognize it.

"I am Kagome Higurashi of the village hidden in shadow and light. I am the future leader of my village. I will be training Hinata for three years."

"I'm not familiar with your village," Tsunade replied.

"No one here is familiar with my village. So few could even reach it. The barrier to my village allows no one through, but those of the village. It would be surprising if one could reach the village, but you wouldn't be able to find it if you didn't know what to look for." But there was one that had found the village. He claimed to be looking for her, but how he knew of her was a complete mystery to her.

"Good luck then, Hinata. We shall see how strong you become." Hinata and the woman bowed before leaving.

They were walking towards the gate when Hinata stopped. Before them stood Tenten, Rock Lee, and her cousin, Neji Hyuga. She became nervous but the hand placed upon her shoulder somehow calmed her. She would need to tell them bye. She would not be afraid of her cousin, even if he was currently stronger than her.

"Umm, I guess this is goodbye," she whispered as the sky started to turn red and orange from the setting sun. "I have to be going now." She walked past them, just slightly behind Kagome.

"Remember, Hinata, the weak will always remain weak," Neji commented as his cousin slowly vanished from sight with the strange woman he knew nothing about.

"Don't listen to him. Everyone has a weakness, including him, even if he does try to hide it." Hinata nodded at her back. "You will learn much from me, this I promise. You will be able to do much that no other can do and from what you learn from me, you'll form your own, unique attacks. It is just a matter of time before he sees that it is not you that is weak."

"Where will we be training?" Hinata asked.

"A place that is completely unpredictable. I like to call it kichigaiyama. It has driven a few people mad from being lost on such a mountain. No one will be able to interfere in your training." She was serious now. "That will be your first test, to make it to kichigaiyama. Few have ever made it. Hopefully you will." And with that she vanished, leaving Hinata alone.

'My first test under her. She must have faith in me.' A thought came to her mind. 'I must pass so I can become stronger. I want to see Naruto and show him how much stronger I've become.' So she leapt up into the trees and started to run along the branches. She was sure if she followed the faint traces of her sensei's chakra she'd make it just fine.

Author's Corner:

Yes, another Naruto/Inuyasha story brought to you by Zanza the Warrior of Shadows. I hope you enjoyed this story as well as all the other stories I have posted on this day. Of course I will like to get feed back on whether or not I should continue with this story. I know it is something different but give it a chance. I promise you won't be disappointed! Thanks to all those that have taken time to read all the stories I have posted. I will try to update all of the stories soon, unless I get writer's block, which is likely to happen with how many stories I have going on at one time, lest the one complete story that is posted.