A/N.: This occurs after my first flashback in the fic, "Memories of the Past". I wrote the poem in the spur of the moment.

Trials of the Forgotten

Chapter 1

IN THE BEGINNING...

In the beginning, they were always together,

In the beginning, their world was peaceful,
Free from worry, woe and strife,
But they were destined to be ninjas,
To kill, destroy, and snuff someone's life.

In the beginning, they were carefree,
Seeing their life through child's eyes,
All too soon time caught up with them,
And they saw life through kekkei genkais.

In the beginning, there was hope,
In the beginning, there was joy,
In the beginning, there was laughter.
Now there is no more.

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"Hurry up, Lady Hinata! You're going to be late for your first day at the academy!" Hinata groaned. She was a spritely seven-year old, with energy to spare. But it was morning, and she didn't feel like getting up.

"Lina-san, give me one more minute." she mumbled into her pillow, holding up her index for the maid. Lina didn't buy it. In one swift movement she held a squirming Hinata in her arms. "Lina-saaan! Put me down! ...please!" Lina laughed. Even though she had the little girl dangling by her feet, Hinata was still polite as ever.

"You're just like your mother," she smiled as she set Hinata down on her feet. "She was always such a polite child." Hinata lowered her gaze and began to look into her closet for some clothes. "Wait, Lady Hinata! I have something for you!" Lina said.

Hinata paused, "What is it, Lina-san?" she asked curiously. Lina walked next to Hinata's bed and fished around in a box next to the windowsill. It was a box she had put there, one and a half years ago, when her beloved friend Hinari had passed away.

Finally she found it. "Close your eyes, Hinata-san!" she said, making sure the young girl didn't see it. "Ta-daa! You can open your eyes now!"

In Lina's hands was a big bluish grey hoodie, with a flame emblem on both sides of the jacket. "It's yours now."

"Oh, it's so lovely, Lina-san!" Hinata exclaimed, reaching up to touch it. It felt really comfortable and soft. She felt like holding it forever. "I can keep it?"

"Of course you can, Hinata dear. Now go and become a ninja!" Lina said, laughing as Hinata put a brave warrior face on and marched out of her room.

"Now," Lina said to herself, "Did I forget something?"

"Hiashi-sama," Hiroshi began, "Do you think it is wise to let the cadet branch maid, Lina, take care of your daughters?"

Hiashi paused. "Yes," he said finally. "She's taking care of Hanabi and Hinata quite nicely. And she has become part of the family."

"When should you tell them?" Hiashi knew Hiroshi was up to something, but he let it slide. "I won't tell them anything yet. No one needs to know all the secrets about the Hyuuga clan."

"OH!" Hinata slapped her hand to her forehead. "I forgot!" She raced back to her room, only to find herself facing an angry Lina. "Gomen, Lina-san." She quickly put on her black shirt over her cross-stitched tanktop.

"Lady Hinata, you need to be more prepared! What if your father were to come in?" Lina scolded. At this remark, Hinata's face darkened. "He doesn't have much time for me Lina-san. I doubt he'll come near here." Hinata muttered, not realizing the shadow behind her.

Lina's face brightened, and she bowed respectfully, making Hinata confused, until she said, "Good morning, Lord Hiashi." Hinata whirled around, wide-eyed, as her eyes took in the stern face of Hyuuga Hiashi.

"Good morning, Chi-chue." Hinata respectfully bowed, her nose almost touching the ground. Hiashi nodded slightly to his eldest daughter. "I trust everything is in order, Lina-san?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama. Lady Hinata is ready to go to the Ninja Academy." Lina said brightly. Of all the people who could put Hiashi in his place, it was Lina. She was his bodyguard in her prime, and she was a great asset to the main branch family. They used to be childhood

"Of course," Hiashi bowed, "I wouldn't expect anything less from Hinata." He gave the smallest of smiles to Hinata. The little girl was shocked. Ever since the death of her mother, her father continuously trained her, night and day, and always criticized her ruthlessly. Now, she had a chance to prove herself to him. "I will be the one to accompany her to school."

Soon the building was in plain view, along with scores and scores of children. Hinata held her father's hand very tightly, and stared around the place, anxious to see a familiar face or two. There was so many different clan leaders there. The Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame, Nara, Yamanaka and Uchiha clans were present, along with one lesser-known clan, called the Haruno clan. She knew all of these clans by heart; another useful piece of information taught to her by her father.

The Haruno clan leader, Haruno Takuto came up to him. They were associates; more likely, the Haruno clan was looking for alliances with other clans.

"How are you, Hiashi-sama?" Takuto asked warmly. Hinata could see, however, that his eyes never had any warmth to them. They were ice-cold and ruthless, with a burning anger dancing in them. "Everything's in order. My eldest daughter, Hinata, is entering the academy." Hiashi and Hinata continued on their way.

Takuto continued on relentlessly, despite the fact that Hinata's father was giving him the cold shoulder. "My second-eldest, Sakura, will be attending the Academy too! What a-!"

Unfortunately for Takuto, Inuzuka Tsume, leader of the Inuzuka clan had chosen to talk to Hiashi, leaving him in mid-sentence. Hinata looked back, and saw that the man was really angry, as were the rest of his clan who were standing behind him. She quickly looked back, as Tsume made a bark-like laugh.

"You're such a cold person, Hiashi! Lighten up once in a while!" she said jovially, thumping Hiashi on the back. Hiashi's legs almost gave way. Her dog, Kuromaru, barked laughingly and came up to sniff Hinata, who made a squeak of protest. Suddenly, a little boy peeked out from behind Kuromaru and said, "Boo!"

"EEK!" The two adults looked down at Hinata, who blushed a deep shade of red. Hiashi looked stern and disapproving, while Tsume looked merely amused. Hinata saw a boy with brown hair and two small red triangles on his cheeks peering back at her. Tsume guffawed happily. "The young pup ya got there's such a cutie! How are ya, Hina?" Tsume said, lowering herself to Hinata's level. Hinata stared curiously at the bigger red triangles on Tsume's face. Hiashi's stern cold voice spoke up, "Tsume, my daughter's not a pup!"

"I guess I oughta stick to human language, not Inuzuka talk!" Tsume said, unfazed. She straightened herself up and gave another big pat on the shoulder to Hiashi, who buckled under the strain. "Well, till next time, Hiashi boy!" Kuromaru, Tsume and the little boy walked away, the boy looking back at her curiously the whole time.

"Troublesome," muttered someone behind them, "Did she give you a bruise, Hiashi?" The two Hyuugas turned around. It was Shikaku, the leader of the Nara clan, and as always, he looked bored. From the tip of his mouth there was a cigarette butt.

Hiashi appeared strained. "She gave me no such thing, Shikaku-san!" Shikaku grinned at him out of the cloud of smoke. Hinata started coughing. "Whatever, Hyuuga. You're very troublesome today." On that note, he went back to his clan, who looked bored and disinterested. Hinata looked at the group, and saw a boy her age sleeping on the ground. She giggled, but stopped when she saw her father's expression.

"We better greet the Uchiha clan, Hinata." Hiashi snapped. They walked to the corner of the playground, where the Uchiha clan were sitting.

"Hiashi." It was Fugaku, the prominent and proud leader of the Uchiha clan.

"Fugaku." Hiashi greeted. The two men eyed each other warily. Beside Fugaku was Mikoto, his wife. As soon as she saw Hinata, she started to hug her very tightly. Hinata really liked Mikoto.

Mikoto-chan had one hidden talent that Hiashi would never learn to appreciate: a good heart.

Hinata's first lesson at school was over in a flash. It turned out to be an easy lesson; they learned spar stances the whole day. It was easy thanks to Hinata's daily training routine. She didn't catch her sensei's name though, and didn't feel like asking him. They were now doing their next lesson.

"The three elements of a jutsu..."

Her classmates were really different, in her eyes anyways. There was two troublemakers in her class, the boy who scared her, named Kiba and a blonde-haired boy with whisker markings on his face named Naruto. Usually Naruto would be the one to start the troublemaking, but Kiba soon joined in. Beside her at her table was the Nara boy she had seen earlier. His name was Shikamaru, and she had to continuously wake him up in class. When she did that, he'd always mutter, "Troublesome," and go back to sleep. Hinata thought he was funny, despite the fact he never paid any attention in class.

"... - the force of will, - ..."

Then there was the girls. It was scary for Hinata really, because she never really interacted with any other girls other than Mikoto-san and Lina-san. They were in their own little cliques and groups, which was odd for Hinata because in her eyes, they were the same anyways. Hinata didn't belong to any group, she just hung around. No one approached her, not because of her shyness but because they thought she was a spoiled pampered brat who thought that she was better than the common ninja.

"... - element needs more - ..."

She immediately liked her teacher. He was an easy-going man with a brown ponytail and a scar across his nose. He never expected a lot from them, which earned him a place in Hinata's good books. She didn't like when people would expect a lot, just because of who you were or what family you came from. The teacher had so far treated them all with respect and equality. For that, Hinata was thankful.

"...superb chakra control than others, can anybody answer? Hinata?"

Hinata looked up. She hadn't realized she had been spacing out. "Yes, sensei?" she whispered.

"Which element needs more superb chakra control than others?"

"I-I" She looked around valiantly. Everyone was looking at her. For the first time in her life, she felt like she wanted to sink into the chair and disappear. "I don't know."

"Well," the teacher turned away, disappointed but determined to get an answer out of the class. Hinata felt slightly irritated.

"Anyone else?"

"Wind-based jutsus." It was a spiky dark-haired kid who answered. "Very good, Sasuke," the teacher said, smiling at the boy. Almost all of the girls sighed dreamily at once. It was an eerie sight.

Sasuke? Hinata racked her brains trying to remember. Sasuke...Sasuke Uchiha! That was it.

Now how did she know him?

The boy named Sasuke smirked after the teacher had left to go to the blackboard, as if what he did earlier was the most ridiculous thing he had ever done.

"Why does everyone like him?" a whiny voice grumbled. Hinata started, and turned around.

Naruto was in a dark mood, looking at Sasuke with hatred in his eyes. "Why does everyone think he's so special?"

"I-I-I..." Hinata twitched her fingers around, but Naruto didn't seem to hear her. Most likely he had been thinking aloud, instead of asking Hinata. He continued to stare at the duck-haired boy, his eyes carrying a hint of venom in them.

"I hear ya, Naruto old boy," crowed the guy next to him, Kiba. "There's nothing much in the world for us dweebs," he said with melancholy.

Hinata couldn't believe her ears! "D-d-dweebs?" she said, leaning over to look at Kiba.

The boy stared at her, "Hey I know you! You're the Hina girlie, am I right or am I right?" he said with excitement. Naruto, who was beside Hinata, didn't pay any attention to the boy next to him, only on what he apparently said a few minutes ago.

"There is a place for us dweebs, Kiba!" he grunted. Hinata looked at the roundish blond face. It was definitely not a good day for Naruto.

So she was a dweeb here, wasn't she? It wouldn't sit well with Hiashi, that was certain. But then again, she could make friends with Kiba, Naruto and Shikamaru and no one would care. It was about time that she made friends anyways, and not because Linna-san wanted her to have some. She needed something to hold onto in the world.

"The Hiraishin was a-..."

Hinata smiled, looking at the two boys who were now engaged in a violent thumb war. Ninja school could be interesting.

"...-that aided the Fourth Hokage. Naruto, could you please tell us the life story of Yondaime?"

Kiba and Naruto looked up from the thumb war, Kiba's thumb momentarily flattening Naruto's. "OW! Kiba!" Naruto cried out. Several of the girl sniggered, as if they thought Naruto was an idiot.

"Could you please tell us the life story of the Fourth Hokage?" The teacher asked patiently. He was used to these kinds of students.

"O-okay, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said sheepishly, retracting his hurt thumb from Kiba's. Hinata looked at her teacher. So that was his name. Iruka-sensei. "The Fourth Hokage, well he went to this ninja school..."

"Do go on." Sasuke spoke, making everyone look at him with something akin to adoration in the girls eyes, and disgust in Kiba and Hinata's eyes. Shikamaru's eyes were closed, and therefore, he could not discern what was happening.

"...he was extremely smart you know, and his sensei was Lord Jiraiya. He became...Hokage, and then he...-um-... he died." Naruto finished lamely. Sasuke smirked again, and rolled his eyes. Hinata glared at the dark-haired kid. Why did he act so pompous? What was so special about him anyways?

"But," Naruto said, his voice getting stronger, "I'm gonna be stronger than ALL the Hokages. BELIEVE IT!" he cried out, punching the air.

The whole class erupted in laughter.

"YOU?"

"Gaki!"

"Sasuke has better chances!"

"What an idiot."

"You have no chance!"

"Dweeb."

"Q-U-E-E-R!"

Apparently the teacher had known he was going to say that last statement, because underneath his smiling facade, his teeth were clenched. "Thank you, Naruto." he gritted out. He promptly turned to the blackboard.

Hinata stared at the back of the teacher's head, eyes boring a hole through him. What had caused her class to openly criticise Naruto? And what was more weird was that the sensei didn't even chastise them about the name-calling! They didn't do that to her when she didn't know the answer.

This was something she had to find out about.

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Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any Naruto characters, places or ideas.

Do not use this plot without my permission.