Heya,

Happy Halloween, all. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while now, so I hope you enjoy it.

We're going to be taking a bit of a detour in the perspectives for a while; this chapter is entirely Hinata-centric. I hope you all enjoy getting to follow her for a bit.

One thing I want to say before we begin: This is NOT filler; this is NOT a side story.

I have a lot to say in this chapter and I'm honestly pretty proud of it overall. But I'll let you all decide for yourselves if I cooked or not.

They had been traveling for a few days now, making for a brisk pace at Kurenai's order. According to their sensei, the mission's seemed urgent enough to suggest some haste, though not quite so much as to shirk a healthy amount of rest.

"Ya know, I wish you would have said that before we booked it out of the village. I forgot half my shit- I was rushing so bad!" Kiba's grousing wasn't anything new; what was new though, was Shino's emphatic nods of agreement.

"Indeed. I was so utterly galvanized by the proposition of our first B-ranked mission, that I forwent my sunscreen in my haste."

"See!?" Kiba gestured after the boy, waving his arm wildly; the motions threw him off balance a bit, forcing him to adjust so as to resync his leaps with the rest of his team. "Even Shino agrees with me! Shino never agrees with me!"

"Yes, well I am hardly enthused by that notion…" Shino shifted uncomfortably, seeming to huddle himself even deeper into his large coat. However even his tone may have been, Hinata knew him well enough by now to tell that the boy was irritated. "However, given the still-tentative bond between myself and this new colony, any disquieting stimuli, including but not limited to excessive exposure to sunlight, may cause them to grow… Restless."

Kurenai gave the boy a glance, her worry clear in that exchange. "We will pick up a bottle of sunscreen for you in the next town over- is that okay?"

Shino stared at her for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly, now turning to regard Kiba. "Please desist in your rather childish complaints, Kiba. They are utterly immature, unwarranted, and- dare I say, ridiculous."

"Oh screw you, man!" Kiba laughed, his chuckles shared briefly by his taller teammate. The dog-boy's eyes briefly flicked to Hinata, and she forced out a fake giggle of her own to appease him.

Satisfied by her deceit, Kiba was right back on to jabbering to everyone and no one; Shino though- the Aburame boy continued to stare at her for a moment, until Hinata pointedly looked away.

Unlike her teammates, she had no such complaints. By the time she had returned to Naruto's place to pack her things and go, her boyfriend had already been waiting for her with a neatly stuffed bag.

"I packed you lunch," He'd promised with a smile, brushing her brow with his lips before sending her off. "And I left you something I've been working on. Er- it's not done yet, so make sure to use it a bunch and make notes for me!"

And that- that just felt nice. She had damn near fought off poor Akamaru, who had begged and whined for a tax of her food. Any other time, she would have easily obliged. This time though- well, the tiny dog hadn't looked at her the same, since.

Hey, it wasn't her fault that dogs couldn't eat spicy food!

Well, in a roundabout way it probably was her fault that it was spicy. But she couldn't be blamed for Akamaru's fragile canine constitution.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

…

Woah, she really was starting to sound like Naruto, huh? Even in her own head!

Thinking of him again drew her mind to the gift he had left her; honestly, Hinata still wasn't quite sure what to make of them.

A set of gloves, dark gray and nearly skin-tight, and just barely long enough to cover her palms. They fit well, like a second-skin, almost.

Hinata flushed with embarrassment at the realization that Naruto had probably measured her hands at some point, and she had never noticed.

Embedded into the tips of each finger-point were small, circular indentations, the purpose of which was not immediately clear; engraved into the palms, a dark sealing matrix of some kind that she knew she had seen him mess with before, but could not at all discern.

Along with them, she had discovered a note, jotted shortly and, frankly, explaining very little of what he had even given her.

Heya,

Sorry to spring this on you, but with you heading where you're going at a time like this, I wanted to make sure you'd be extra super duper safe while you're out, so I threw something together for you. It's a work in progress, so do me a favor and test them out, alright? When you get back, I'll make sure to finish them!

Test out a set of gloves? She appreciated the thought- they looked lovely.

They smelled like him too…

A blush bled into her cheeks; Hinata shook that thought away a moment later.

Ah, but would it have killed him to have included an instruction manual or something? For all she knew, these things fired laser beams and she'd never find out.

Frankly, knowing her boyfriend, that might very well be exactly what they did, if she could figure them out at all.

But it also raised another completely separate -though no less important- thought to her mind. Tsunade had admitted that the mission had been given to her team, at least partly, at Naruto's request. Clearly an effort to get her out of the village and away from her father before tensions with him could get any worse. Kurenai-sensei's professional tone filled her thoughts- a memory of the woman as she read to them the mission's parameters.

"It would seem that one of our border villages has recently seen occupancy under a troublesome handful of missing-nin. See, it's a pretty old mining hub; it would seem our 'friends' have been extorting the locals out of their yields." Kurenai hummed, thoughtfully. "It's not very common for ninjas of your rank to run into enemy ninja; rarer still for you to be sent directly after them."

Beyond the innate value of the resources being denied, there was also another, unstated issue. A cold war was just around the corner, and the last thing Tsunade wanted would be a destabilized border village.

Especially given the location.

Knowing Orochimaru, he'd seize any advantage to make a nuisance of himself; if not him, forces from the other major villages, looking to pounce on any sign of weakness.

"I suppose now would be a great time, actually." Kurenai suddenly spoke up out of the blue. "Let's talk, us four-"

Akamaru barked.

"Five-" She huffed. "Let's talk about the mission parameters. Have any of you noticed something odd about the mission we've been assigned?"

"You mean aside from being a B-rank?" Kiba frowned. "I mean- ain't it a bit odd to have a tracking team like us heading out so far to bust some heads?"

"I agree." Shino nodded. "Especially given our circumstances- my own colony has only just been recovered; what's more, this is a mission that was originally reserved for Team Gai, an assault team… Genin are typically regulated very strictly to missions within the parameters of their specific classifications. A mission so obviously anticipating a direct exchange of fisticuffs like the aforementioned assignment would be most appropriately suited for Team Seven, another assault team."

"Urgh- can you not just speak like a regular human being?" Kiba groaned. "This is why nobody wants to hang out with you."

Shino twitched. "Pick up a thesaurus, dickhead," He bit out, his glower piercing through even his high collar and shades. "Is that human enough for you?"

"That's correct, Shino." Kurenai hastily cut between the incoming argument, seeming mostly pleased with both of her male students' responses, if a bit perturbed by their abrupt hostilities. She looked to Hinata then, who only seemed to be half-paying attention. "There is an exception though to that rule; Shino hinted at it. Do you know what it is, Hinata?"

The Hyuga heiress frowned, forcing herself to focus on her sensei's instruction. "Er- if Genin are typically reserved to specific types of missions, a-and we are being given a task outs-side…" A breath. "Outside of our reservations, then that means Tsunade-sama doesn't want us to be Genin for much longer."

Kurenai smiled. "Spot on." Kiba and Shino both perked up quickly, at this.

"Wait, you mean we're getting promoted!?" Kiba's thrill lit up his face. Akamaru bounded up into the boy's arms, and he spun the little pup around with a laugh. "Woohoo! That's awesome!"

Kurenai smiled indulgently for a moment longer, but then she had to burst his bubble- "Yes, and no-" causing Kiba and Akamaru both to stumble, both of their faces falling fast.

"Seriously!?" He glared at the woman, who only laughed at him. Hinata stifled a real giggle of her own behind her gloved hand.

"It's true that Tsunade-sama is likely considering you all for a field promotion. Whether you all deserve it though is up to you."

"Which means this mission is a test," was Shino's observation. "Tsunade-sama wishes to confirm whether we have the necessary proficiencies to operate outside of our standard parameters.

"Bingo."

With that confirmation from the woman, Kurenai's awe a few days ago suddenly made a lot more sense.

"But why all of a sudden?" Kiba's question was a fair one. "I'm not going to complain about an opportunity to promote, but ain't it weird to try promoting an entire team like this?"

Shino suddenly looked at their third, silent teammate. "I suspect that Hinata would be the unknowing culprit to this sudden bout of fortune."

Hinata blinked rapidly. "M-me?"

"I think you're right on the money, Shino." Kurenai came to a sudden stop, her team following suit to gather around her. "Hinata, your résumé as of late has been nothing short of extraordinary. According to multiple reports, you played a significant role in the subduing of the One Tails during the invasion. You traveled with one of the legendary Sannin, who mind you, had a lot of good to say about you; you survived a volatile encounter with two S-ranked ninja where you were a deciding factor. You seem to have made a good impression on Tsunade-sama, and managed to play a deciding role in Tanzaku as well." Her praise came a bit breathily, oozing with the pride that her mentor-figure clearly felt for her. Even her teammates seemed to be somewhat awed, with her recent accomplishments laid out like so. "Yeah, Tsunade-sama undoubtedly wants to promote you."

"Oh…" It was really all she could say. Hinata had honestly tried not to think about it much until now. The memories were far from pleasant, on her end…

But here they were, making her sound like some kind of superhero or something. "I-I don't t-t-think I- well, you see, I didn't actually do all that much!"

"Tsunade-sama thinks differently," Was all Kurenai said, with a forced neutrality.

"Okay, but if that's the case, why not just promote her instead of doing all this extra stuff?" Kiba seemed pleased enough for her, though still confused by it all. "This just seems kinda weird, doesn't it?"

"Because Tsunade-sama wishes to see whether Hinata is the rule or an outlier, as far as our team goes." Shino nodded, already certain of his deduction.

"Right again," Kurenai confirmed. "Tsunade-sama has seen Hinata's work first-hand, and has likely decided to have her promoted. However, she has not seen how Hinata performs outside of-" Kurenai frowned. "-Particular circumstances."

Hinata frowned as well, not understanding what the woman was alluding to. Surprisingly, it was Kiba who puzzled that out first.

"You mean Naruto."

Pardon? Hinata's frown only deepened.

Was Kiba making fun of her again? Or was he mocking Naruto, again? With the way that he was sneering, she really didn't doubt either.

"That's right." Kurenai nodded her head, much to Hinata's shock. Looking at the younger girl, Kurenai tried to smile for her, as if to assure her student that she was, in fact, not being mocked. "Many of your most impressive feats as of late have occurred alongside Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata. Your relationship with him is hardly a secret. What's more, it's clear that Tsunade-sama has a rather high opinion of him. It's likely that she wishes to see where you lie without his influence to guide you."

Okay… That made sense, she supposed.

Moreover, she has not seen you two-" Kurenai pointed at the two boys. "And thus has no frame of reference to gauge your own competency. This here is our opportunity to show if each and every one of you is capable and worthy of a Chunin vest."

"And what do you think, Kurenai-sensei?" Shino asked her directly. His posture seemed innocuous enough, but the implications behind his question remained heavy all the same. "Do you think we have what it takes to become Chunin?"

Kiba and Akamaru now stared at Kurenai as well. Despite herself, even Hinata couldn't help but press her sensei for her opinion with similar intensity.

Kurenai seemed to sweat just a little at the sudden demand, but recovered herself well. "Truthfully speaking-" She sighed. "I'd like to say so… But I do have my reservations." She raised her hand to stall Kiba's loud display of offense. "I think that each of you has the ability to become Chunin- and by ability, I mean strength. But to be a Chunin is not just strength or skill, but also the capacity to lead. If each of you are to cross that hurdle, you first ought to conquer some clear weaknesses in your character."

She started with the loudest of the three. "Kiba, you are far too confrontational with your own comrades."

"Oh, bullshit," Kiba groused. "Naruto managed to steal the vest and he's even worse than I am."

Honestly, Hinata was getting sick of hearing Kiba mention her boyfriend's name. It was like every time he mentioned Naruto, he had something snide to say.

Her tired glare earned a scoff from the boy. "Oh come on! I ain't saying he doesn't have skills! But how the hell are you gonna try to tell me that he's more mature than any of us are!?"

"Naruto-kun didn't steal anything-" Hinata began to hiss. Kurenai spoke up before she could say anything further.

"Enough. Kiba, Naruto beat you in your battle."

"That wasn't a win, he freaking farted-"

"You let yourself get taken off guard," Kurenai cut in, mercilessly. "And regardless of what you think of Naruto's personality, he showed Lord Third and everybody else in that stadium that he had the mettle to slow down and think rationally and proactively, then proved his potential as a leader by leading several of you in suppressing the One Tails. Now, I agree that Naruto can be a bit… Much, at times," She allowed, eyes flicking to Hinata briefly. But not even that boy's girlfriend would argue otherwise to that. "However, his ability to lead a team is not in question. His ability to check his ego and dial back on his antics when necessary is not in question. We're talking about you, and our talk right now has only highlighted to me that you have plenty more room to grow."

Kiba's face fell, and her stern demeanor softened just a bit.

He meant well- she knew that; for all the boy's faults, at his core, he truly was a good kid. Maybe a bit jealous; hell, maybe a bit petty, too. But he really did mean well.

Kurenai's voice came far gentler this time.

"Listen, Kiba. You needle people constantly. 'All in good fun,' right? But then you respond poorly to being checked. Your feelings aren't the only ones that matter, and you can't expect everybody to just write everything you say or do off as some harmless joke to hide from criticism." Now, the boy seemed a bit embarrassed. "Now I think you'll make a wonderful Chunin; you certainly have the skills to promote, and I don't at all doubt your work ethic to work on those faults of yours. However, if you truly intend to show that here, you really need to start doing a bit more introspection, dear."

Kiba winced. "Uh… Yeah. Yeah, got it..."

Right then… Convinced that she'd gotten her point across, she turned to Shino.

"Shino, you can be rather difficult to work with- especially for the uninitiated. You have a sound strategic mind, and frankly, I think Lord Third was strongly considering your promotion before the invasion occurred. Had you gotten a chance to show off a bit, I think you could have made it too." She frowned, then. "I don't doubt your intelligence; what I do doubt is your leadership."

Shino remained silent, but she had long-since learned to read his posture. The downward tug of his shoulders was a telltale sign of her student's disappointment. Nevertheless, the boy was attentive, awaiting her next bout of critique.

"You don't compromise well, and you can be quite stubborn when you feel you're in the right, which often blinds you to other possibilities. Now, a necessary quality in a leader is not just intelligence, but also flexibility- the ability to change one's approach at any given moment. In some cases, you may even need to humble yourself and defer to somebody smarter or knowledgeable when the time comes. For this mission, I'd like you to consider that, and seek opportunities to work on those faults, alright?"

Shino merely nodded. "Understood… So that should mean that Hinata is the only individual among us, who you believe to undoubtedly have the capacity for promotion."

He said it as a statement, and tilted his head in confusion when Kurenai shook her head again.

"As I said, a leader is somebody who takes charge of their team and leads them to success. You'll need to make tough decisions where other peoples' lives can depend on your ability to make the right call. In some particularly tough cases, you may even be required to sacrifice yourself or your teammates to achieve a goal bigger than yourselves…"

A heavy air settled on them all, with that.

She cleared her throat, trying to shake off bits of that still-awkward energy, clinging to them. "Now Hinata, I have a lot of good to say about your recent leaps when it comes to your general combat prowess. I even have compliments to give when it comes to how you work with your team. However-" Kurenai caught her eyes. "You still second-guess yourself too much. You often struggle to demonstrate initiative, especially when working with others, and typically fall back to letting others take the lead. That simply won't do, if you are to become a team lead of any kind."

Hinata simply bowed her head. She knew well enough that her sensei was right.

"And-" Now, Kurenai took a breath, anticipating some argument from the girl. "And while I admire your loyalty to Naruto, and I appreciate that he has done a lot to help you improve-" Kurenai stepped forward now, palming the girl's shoulders and rubbing them gently. "You rely too much on him to motivate you, and lately, you tend to get a bit too volatile when his name is involved. I worry that he's becoming a crutch, and you won't get much farther than you are until you learn to walk without him.

Hinata frowned. "I- I don't… I don't know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything." Kurenai patted her shoulders, then stepped back again. "But if you plan to ever become Chunin, you need to show that you can step up and take charge, and not wait for Naruto or myself to push you to act."

Right… Well that was embarrassing. Her eyes drifted discreetly to judge the reactions of her two teammates.

Shino seemed to take the statement at face value, nodding as emphatically as when Kurenai-sensei had judged himself. Kiba's amusement was clear as day, but at least seemed to be taking their sensei's words about him to heart; he tried to repress his humor, if only to spare her any further humiliation.

"Er- understood," She finally parroted Shino with a bowed head, and though Kurenai seemed concerned by her reaction, she ultimately let the Hyuga girl off the hook.

"Alright then. Break's over. We'll stop in the next town over for Shino's sunscreen, but I want to be in and out; let's try to reach Katabami by evening.

They were making good time; it was only that very same evening when Kurenai finally announced to them that they had more or less reached their destination.

"Katabami isn't much farther off from this place." She let out a sigh of relief, throwing her arms up and wringing her hands as she stretched. "But we can stop around here for the night."

Shino frowned. "Would it not be more prudent to take advantage of the low light? It would be easier, slipping into the locale under the cover of darkness."

Kurenai smiled, but shook her head. "I see where you're coming from, but you're missing a key detail, dear." She began to slowly walk on ahead, her team following behind her. "Our targets in question are also ninja. Even low level ninja are trained to understand basic protocol; if they're even remotely smart, they'll have a dedicated watch, trained to handle traditional ninja tactics. We can't afford to let ourselves get predictable."

Shino's frown only deepened. "So we should do the opposite of what they expect… But does that not still expose us to the risks of being caught easily during the day?

Now, it was Kiba who scoffed. "Come on, man. Have you forgotten that we can transform?" He thumped Shino's shoulder, grinning at him. "We can slip in as civvies; that ain't an option if we come in so late that it's unbelievable!"

Shino gave Kiba an odd look. "That is oddly clever of you, Kiba."

"Thanks- wait."

Kurenai only laughed. "That is well-reasoned, Kiba… But it comes with some issues of its own. The transformation jutsu is a good trick for fooling the ignorant. But even common ronin should still have the wherewithal to check. Infiltration won't be as simple as just wearing a cheap disguise."

Now, Kiba grimaced. "Right… Transformations are pretty easy to see through once you know what to look for, huh?" He shook his head. "Damn…"

Hinata nodded along, silently.

What she wouldn't give, to be able to transform like Naruto did. For just a moment, she tried to remember the sensation of transforming alongside him, like he'd done for her while they were eluding the Akatsuki.

But it was cold water in her fingers.

Frustrating.

Hinata had never considered before that her arsenal was actually surprisingly limited. The only technique she had to her name other than her clan's or academy-learned techniques was the rasengan. Even the limited barrier tech she had learned thus far wasn't particularly developed, outside of enabling the rasengan further.

Everything she had was rather one-dimensional… Not for the first time, she regretted never putting enough passion into learning genjutsu from Kurenai-sensei.

Was she just a bad student? Naruto had started studying with her not long ago, and he seemed to be making sizable strides; maybe it wasn't too late to begin learning a thing or two from her, wherever that field was concerned.

Would Naruto teach her to transform like him, if she asked?

Probably…

But was it right to ask that of him? Maybe she could offer to teach him some Hyuga techniques in return- give her father even more reasons to skin her alive and hang her out to cook.

Naruto had phenomenal balance; he could probably learn the rotation super easily, if she tried to teach him…

"Hinata?"

Her attention returned to Kurenai, who gave her a bemused smile. Hinata tried to mirror the woman, her own shy grin wobbling a bit under the sudden pressure.

"Er- I'm fine…"

"How about we eat first, then we can revisit this, hm?" Kurenai pointed ahead, and now they were able to see where she was trying to lead them.

It was a quaint old place, two squashed stories stacked just beyond the clearing; atop the building, surrounded by a worn railing, was a rather large water tower.

"The hell is this?" Kiba accelerated his steps, eyeing the place with some wonder. "Wait- is this a whole shop, just out in the middle of bumfuck-nowhere?"

"Language," Kurenai chided, lightly. She pointed ahead, and they looked at the large windmill just short of the place. "It's a rest-stop; a lot of travelers tend to hit this place on the way to and from the Katabami Gold Mines. Leaf in particular has a bit of an arrangement with the owner, Sanshō."

"A-an arrangement, Kurenai-sensei?"

"Mhm… You see, Team Gai actually has a history with this place."

Or so Gai had told her. Unfortunately, with now two of his students thoroughly out of commission -one of which being the fault of her own student-, it was up to them to represent Konoha again on Team Gai's behalf.

They followed after her as she entered, parting the sliding door and letting her students enter first.

It was a rather homely place, seeming less like a store or restaurant they'd ever seen and more like a cheap inn. Several plush mats were positioned carefully around a thick, wooden table that seemed to clash just a bit with the rest of the decor; centered atop the table was a lit candle, its fragrant, flowery scent filling the building with its comforting odor.

The light chime of a bell sounded as Kurenai entered as well, letting the door clack shut.

"Take a seat."

They did so, leaving Kurenai to stride up to a tall front-desk and ring a bell twice.

"Anybody home?"

A stiff clatter from above, then a rather squat old woman bustled down the steps.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry! I wasn't expecting visitors so late! Sorry!" She repeated again, clasping her hands and bowing as she reached the bottom.

She looked terribly haggard. Even without her byakugan's perceptive powers, Hinata could see the way her body seemed to sag onto her bones. The dark gray circles under her eyes especially spelled the makings of some tragic story.

"It's not a problem." Kurenai's warm smile tried but failed to cool the old woman's frazzled nerves. "Sorry to bother you so late; do you think we could stay here for the night?"

"Of course! Not a bother, not a bother!" The old lady hobbled past Kurenai, snagging a gray apron from a hinge on the wall and fixing it around her waist. "Can I get you dears a meal?" Her eyes only briefly flicked to the forehead protector on the Jonin's head. She said nothing else though, stepping into a back-room beyond the counter, where they could already hear her beginning to fumble about with some tools. "Is curry fine? I made a fresh batch just this afternoon!"

Kurenai joined her team at the table, removing her footwear as she did so. "You're in luck. I hear the curry of this place really is something else."

"I am not a fan of spicy food," Shino uttered, staring at the increasingly agitated sounds beyond the veil with some concern.

"What, is she strangling a cat, back there?" Kiba flinched as yet another shriek sounded. "I don't know if I wanna eat whatever she's cooking…"

"Cowards." Kurenai flippantly accused them. "See? Hinata agrees with me." All eyes flicked toward Hinata, whose unimpressed stare froze on the spot.

"Er- I like spicy food…"

Jiraiya had actually sent her a bottle of Kumo pepper sauce before she had to leave. It was a rather kind gesture, that he had thought of her at all. Even more so, that he had remembered her fondness for the stuff, just off a conversation she hadn't even had with him.

She hoped Naruto and Tayuya didn't end up finishing it before she got back home. Knowing them, they'd probably be taking shots of it right out of the bottle-cap.

"Then you may enjoy mine along with yours, if you are so inclined," Shino said with a sigh. "I will simply stick it out with a ration or two."

"Yeah, uh-" Kiba flinched again as a heavy clang ripped through the air, like metal banging on metal. "I'm good, too…"

A moment later, and the old lady was out, balancing four plates of blackened, pungent curry before each of them.

"Please enjoy," She smiled, this wobbly thing that fought to stay up against the tension in her face; even still, that, and the few gaps in her teeth couldn't quite dull the kindness in her smile. "And please let me know if you'd like seconds or even thirds. I'm Sanshō, by the way.

"I'd like seconds, please," Hinata immediately announced with a smile.

Kiba snickered. "Ya know, you could at least finish your food before you-" He froze, glancing back at Hinata and beginning to sweat at the three empty plates the girl had stacked on top of one another. "What the hell?"

Even Kurenai seemed a bit horrified by the new development. "Er- you really liked it that much, huh?"

The only one who seemed unphased- pleased, even, was Sanshō, herself. Almost at once, she seemed to be revitalized just a bit by Hinata's appetite.

"Oh, wonderful! I'll get you another plate, right away!" She bustled off with a chuckle, leaving the rest of Team Eight to glare incredulously at Hinata.

Feeling the heat of their stares, Hinata shrunk in on herself a bit. "Er- w-well, y-you said you didn't want to eat yours, so I-" her eyes flicked between Kiba and Shino, then back to her plates. "Finished them for you?"

"Yeah, uh… That's not the problem. Did you even freaking chew!?" Kiba looked back at Shino, who only continued to stare at Hinata, dumbly. "How is that even physically possible?"

"Le-leave her alone, Kiba," Kurenai finally cut in, sensing Hinata's growing discomfort. "It's fine…"

Sanshō returned with another plate, this one much larger than the last. "Here's a little extra for you this time, dear." She chuckled a bit as she laid the thing down for the young Hyuga.

"T-thank you," Hinata muttered, shyly.

"Oh, it's nothing, truly!" Sanshō chuckled again. "Really, that's the most I've laughed in some time; I needed that…"

A frown wormed its way across Hinata's face. "Erm- n-not to pry, but is everything- well, ok?"

Sanshō tried to wave the girl off. "Oh, it's just my foolish boy…" She tried to reassure her with a grin, but it was brittle. She looked away from them; Hinata followed that glance, finding purchase in an old, framed photo mounted on the wall, above. It was distinctly Sanshō, joined by a young man; both of them smiled wide, holding in joined hands a rather sloppy-looking plate of curry. Her eyes seemed a bit moist as she spoke. "It used to be just us, here… But he's gone and run off to join up with those devils in Katabami." She shook her head, mournfully. "It's just not the same here anymore, without him.

"Devils, huh?" Kurenai seemed intrigued. "Not trouble-makers; not vagrants, but honest-to-god devils?" Her intrigue became concern. "We're actually headed to Katabami in the morning; if there's anything you could tell us, I'd really appreciate it."

Sanshō frowned, fresh worry pervading her features at Kurenai's admission. "Don't," She told the woman, a bit forcefully. Kurenai blinked, slowly.

"Don't?"

"Don't. That place is a lost cause." Sanshō shook her head, wringing her hands between one another and staring at the ceiling. "I'm close enough to the village that I've heard things… I dare not investigate, though." She shuddered. "The people who have taken over- they call themselves the Kurosuki gang. They have been terrorizing the people, forcing them to slave in those mines until they collapse! The ones that resist get chained up and sent away; they never return."

"Sent where?" Kurenai asked, with alarm.

"I'm not sure. Someone comes to collect them, every so often- a young man, I think. I've never got a good look, and- and I don't plan to…" She shook her head. "But my son, Karashi, he-" Sanshō pursed her lips, her thin fingers digging tightly into the cloth of her apron. "I don't know what possessed that foolish boy to go seeking them out, but he never came home… I don't know if he joined those devils or if they've simply killed him. Either way, my son is dead." She sniffled, her face twisting into the very visage of pain. "The things I've heard about them- gods, I can only imagine how those people must feel!"

Kurenai only nodded, solemnly. "I'm sorry to trouble you; any more information you can give us would be greatly appreciated.

Sanshō simply shook her head again. "I've already told you as best I can… Don't go there. It won't end well for you." Then she turned on her heel and left, leaving Team Eight to stew in her words, somberly.

"Well uh… That ain't foreboding as shit, yeah?" Kiba chuckled, humorlessly. He reached out to elbow Hinata, who simply didn't have the energy to humor him this time around- not after what they'd heard. She ignored him, instead picking at her food with far less enthusiasm than before. Her thoughtful frown only deepened as she caught the attention of Kiba, who shamelessly stared at her.

"Please stop staring at me.

Kiba only grinned- this nervous, fake thing that didn't help her mood at all. "I'm kind of afraid to," he snickered, teasingly. "I'll look away for half a second and you'll abracadabra that whole plate into another realm."

"Not now, Kiba," Hinata insisted, a sliver of annoyance finally breaking through her demeanor.

"I just want to know the logistics of it more than anything. Do you just dump it in all at once like a garbage disposal?"

She twitched.

"Or is it like a giant proboscis that you just suck it all down with?"

"Kiba," Kurenai warned, gently.

He babbled on, heedless of his sensei's attempt at interjecting. He elbowed Hinata again, his smile dipping a bit as she shied away from his touch. "Or- hey does it all just teleport directly into your stomach?"

Hinata's polite demeanor slipped, the makings of a glower developing in her gaze. "Stop."

"Is that some kind of Hyuga technique?"

"Kiba!"

This time, he jumped, tearing his gaze away to address Kurenai's clear rebuke. "R-right! Needling… S-sorry." He repeated his apology to Hinata, who had already stopped looking at him, once again fiddling with her food now with far less gusto than before. His sheepish grin tugged at its corners, a sullen mood filling in its place as he read his teammate's frustration. "I was just trying to brighten the mood, 'cuz it was real quiet and you looked kinda- er, yeah… Sorry…"

She said nothing, mentally forcing herself to collect herself.

He hadn't really done anything; it wasn't fair to hold a grudge over some dumb jokes- not when she knew that, had anyone else made them, she'd have laughed them off. Hanabi had made similar jokes; she'd found them hilarious. She knew especially that if Naruto had said the exact same thing, she'd have even encouraged it; they'd laugh together…

But truth be told, Kiba just wasn't that funny to her lately. His jokes didn't feel as kind; they felt meaner, like he was always mocking her these days, and she really wasn't sure if he really was just being a jerk, or if she was simply being critical of him because she was angry with him.

…

Honestly, was she allowed to be angry at him? Maybe she was the problem. Maybe she was just being petty.

Was this the birth of 'Petty Hinata'?

She spotted Kurenai's bothered eyes, alternating between each of her students. They caught each other for just a moment, Kurenai offering a sympathetic smile for Hinata who tried to reciprocate.

But she really just didn't have it in her right now. Not even to pretend, for her mentor's sake.

After a moment, Kurenai seemed to give up on that effort with a sigh. "Alright… Let's talk strategies," She breathed, taking a bite of her own curry. She blinked twice, forcing down the urge to curse as its spice seared into her sinuses. "Missions like these tend to be a bit quick. Ronin, like our target, often travel in small, organized groups. The average case might be some low-leveled ninja, maybe a few cheap mercs or bandits."

Kiba hummed in thought. "So just a bunch of bums with weapons, huh? So what- we just storm on in and punch them in the throat, then?"

Kurenai frowned. "Not unless you'd like to gamble on a painful death. I said the average case; we don't know enough yet to judge whether that is the reality or not. We don't know the full scope of their numbers; we don't know the abilities of our targets. For all we know, they could be headed by somebody even stronger than I am."

Hinata blinked, then frowned as well, a thought occurring to her.

Considering the fact that these people were apparently dealing with some outside source, that possibility wasn't even terribly low.

Had Tsunade-sama known all of this? Naruto had told her that Jiraiya was investigating in Rice Country…

In hindsight now, it seemed awfully convenient that Tsunade had gone and sent their team- a tracking team here, even considering the possibility of field promotions. And to have sent them so far from the village, just a few miles from the border of their enemy while the village was still in recovery…

It had to have been dumb luck, because why else would she send a jonin sensei and her genin, in place of an elite team to reinforce their borders against Sound? Did she really trust that Kurenai alone could protect them from the enemy, if things escalated beyond what mere Chunin hopefuls could handle? She knew that her sensei was strong- prodigious, even.

But were they really that short staffed, at the moment?

What was she missing?

"If that were the case, should the mission not be ranked accordingly to represent that?" Shino's incredulous question jarred her from her thoughts.

Hinata shook her head. "I im-imagine that… That missions would be ranked b-based off the information that we have."

"Exactly right, Hinata." Kurenai choked down another bite of her food. "But that's also one of the advantages that comes with us being the ones to have pulled this mission. "We are uniquely equipped to gather more information without exposing ourselves too terribly."

And then it clicked. More than anything, they were here to confirm something.

Kurenai took another bite. "Sometimes, missions are re-ranked after they have already been taken on, as new information comes in. A key obstacle might disappear, making an objective more feasible. A wealthy target might hire a capable guard detail. Never go into a mission simply expecting it to be exactly as described. Mission parameters change all the time- often for the worse."

"Understood." Shino bobbed his head in agreement. "If this mission is to determine our capacity for promotion, I would take it then to mean that you want us to come up with our plan of infiltration, no?"

She nodded with a smile. "Astute as ever, dear. I am here to provide emergency backup in the event of a worst-case- but yes, I want to see how you fare without me directly aiding you… Do you think you can handle that?"

Shino, Kiba, and Hinata all looked at each other, nodding as one. "I think we can handle it," Shino uttered, confidently.

"Then let's hear it. What would you do to infiltrate an enemy stronghold with unspecified defenses?"

Well for starters, they needed information.

Kurenai had split off from them after morning, staying only long enough to hear their initial thoughts before she left them to their own devices.

It was the first time they had been strictly left to fend for themselves on a mission, and though each of them knew that she would likely step in if the worst would pass, they each also understood that such a thing would weigh against them, when it came time to report their performance.

So they had formed a rough plan, with further agreements to refine it further as more information came their way.

That was what she had taught them after all:

"Always plan ahead, but be flexible enough to adapt when needed."

"I can use my byakugan to gauge the entrances…" Hinata had offered. Their agreement saw her posted underneath the cover of some foliage, and she had been sure to double and even triple check its integrity before she had begun.

Hinata ignored the prickling itch of her skin as insects crawled along her flesh, focusing the perceptive powers of her eyes to peer past her sightline. Adjusting with minimalism, she breathed her words into the microphone, affixed to her earpiece.

"I have six. Two at the gates, one on each side. Two more hidden in the tree-line, about fifteen meters." She peered further, following the last two that she could see. "And two on a water run, east of the gates."

Shino's voice came in after a moment. "How far?"

A rough mental calculation, like Iruka-sensei had first taught them, then Kurenai-sensei had drilled time and again through their heads. "Three-hundred and fifty meters, g-give or take."

Shino's voice came in again, this time a bit challenging. "You're sure?"

And she knew what he was really saying.

Stand up for yourself.

"I'm sure," Hinata repeated, firmly. She could practically envision his reserved smile as he took over the line once more.

"I'll take care of it."

She nearly nodded and let it lie, but a thought had begun to form in her head. Still, she nearly ignored it, certain that Shino could handle it. But then-

You second-guess yourself too often.

A breath. "No. Kiba and Akamaru will do it."

Kiba cut into the line, seeming perplexed. "Us? But Shino's closer."

"Thank you, Kiba," Hinata responded, maybe a bit terser than she meant to.

A long moment, then Kiba took the line again, his bemusement reading loud and clear in his tone. "Er- sure. I'm en-route."

"Shino, be ready to intercept the ones above on my cue."

"Understood."

Her eyes tracked Kiba and Akamaru's movements as they moved to intercept the pair who seemed to be nearing the end of their task, filling large wooden jugs with heaps of water. Their attack was as perfect as she could have asked, Kiba taking the first man down with a clubbed fist to the back of his head; his partner whipped around, already reaching for a utility pouch at his thigh, but Akamaru crashed into his chest in a whorl of fur, flesh, and chakra, the second target flopping to the ground bonelessly.

She watched as Kiba reached for his mic again. "Targets down."

Shino cut in. "Down for now, or down for good?"

"Down for now. Er- Akamaru- urk-" Kiba frowned a bit as he stared into the collapsed chest of the second target. "Actually, Akamaru's guy ain't getting up, I don't think."

Ah, right… Their mission had said to eliminate their targets.

Hinata shook her head, trying to force her focus back in place. "The- the other… Gag him; tie him up, and hide him for now. We'll double back for him later."

"I thought we were just gonna take 'em and go?"

They could stop here- grab the captive and double back to their camp. Shino knew a thing or two about interrogation, so there was a possibility that he could get the guy to talk.

But if those guys didn't return with the water, it'd raise high alert, making it harder to infiltrate later.

What would Naruto do?

Just as quickly as that thought came, she tried to wave it away. The whole point of this was to show that she didn't need him to think for her; that she could stand with him as an equal; not just that, but to prove that her team could rely on her for leadership… Shino especially seemed to be trying to defer to her. Even Kiba, for all of his arguing, had let her have the platform...

So what did she want to do?

"Change of plans," was all she said.

"Er- a-alright. Target secure. I'm on my way back, then-"

"Transform into them; take their water to the gate," Hinata interrupted, quickly.

"Transform- weren't you paying attention last night to Kurenai-sensei? That shit doesn't work on guys like this-"

"I heard. Please do it," Hinata bit back with a sigh.

She couldn't fully blame him for being incredulous. She was thinking on the fly at the moment.

"I'll use my byakugan to gauge the entrances… Our best bet might just be to capture one of them and force their cooperation.

That was what they had discussed. With the limited information that they had, it had seemed like a fine enough jumping-off point, flimsy of a plan as it was. But now that she was seeing them, from the placement to their organization, a real plan was beginning to piece itself together in her head.

Maybe she had some ego after all, because she was sure she could get them in there.

Kiba begrudgingly did as she bid, he and Akamaru each transforming to assume the visages of the two men they had taken down. Then they each slung one of the two water jugs into their arms and began walking back on the dirt road.

It was true that their transformation would not survive under any serious scrutiny. While the transformation jutsu made for a hell of an initial diversion, virtually every ninja learned young how to spot the inconsistencies in a transformation; many were taught to try dispelling them on sight, just in case.

"They're gonna dive in my ass, man." Kiba grumbled, shouldering the jug in his arms with some attitude. "If I get killed doing this, it's your fault, you know that-"

"Enough, Kiba," Shino interrupted their dog-like teammate, his tolerance for his attitude already running dry. "Hinata has a plan."

"R-right... My bad."

As they were passing under Shino's position, Hinata spoke up again. "Shino, could you have a few of your kikai-"

"Hitch a ride. Understood."

Leave it to him to already see where she was going, huh?

Sure enough, her eyes could follow his bonded insects as they descended from his location, attaching themselves to Kiba and Akamaru's clothing, and even to the grooves that lined the wooden jugs, themselves.

"I need a hole in the jug. A big one."

Immediately, Shino's bugs came together, burrowing steadily into the water supply. Now beginning to see her vision, Kiba slapped his palm over the growing hole, now hastening his approach as the waiting guards finally entered his view.

"O-oi!" Kiba hissed, jostling his jug with clear haste in his posture. "This one's breaking apart! Someone get me a new one!"

"Huh?" One of the two guards, a bare-chested man with shaggy brown hair, stepped forward. "Idiot, you went and brought a fucked-up barrel!?" He stomped forward with a half-panicked sneer. "You trying to die?"

Kiba started, at the volatile response, but caught himself. "J-just help me out here, man!"

The guard scoffed at his insistence, rubbing his forehead with a groan. "You're such a screw-up, you know that, Kousei?" Then he called back to the remaining guard, a rather tall woman with a thick scar on her chin and a frayed pixie-cut. "Get this idiot a new barrel before all this shit goes to waste!"

She hesitated for only a moment, looking over the whole scene. Then she glanced back, something unknowable filling her posture for a split second. Finally, she simply shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, 'fore the boss finds out and holds a funeral for all of you dumbfucks… Sit tight, boys."

She turned and left, leaving the shaggy-haired guard to help Kiba with the jug.

"Set it down- I might have some tape or something I can use to plug it up." The guy kneeled down, rummaging through an apron-flap at his waist. "You guys really chose today of all days for this shit, huh? You know the boss wants shit perfect for today or he's gonna flip! Let's see here…"

"Take them down," Hinata ordered, and Kiba responded immediately, cramming the jug into the now bug-eyed man's chest and slamming his shin into the side of his skull. He dropped immediately, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Nearly in sync, two other bodies dropped from above, courtesy of Shino's bugs. They flopped down wetly into the foliage, their bodies consumed by its cover.

"Okay, we gotta clean this shit up, fast," Kiba whispered into the mic with some haste.

"I've got it." Shino dropped down immediately, fingers already twisting together to cast the- "Transformation Jutsu." His form shifted to match the man who Kiba had just knocked unconscious. "Open the barrel."

The water was dumped into the bushes, and the body was stuffed inside without fanfare, just in time for the woman to return with another oversized, empty water jug, this one seeming in pristine condition.

"You assholes owe me one for not ratting you out to Raiga." She groused, stopping at Shino's position and setting it down. "Alright let's make the switch and get inside. You guys gotta get inside and in formation, 'fore before the funerals start- urk!" She jolted with a slight yelp as her head was thrown back, blood spewing generously from her nose. She stumbled twice, then fell right into Shino's arms, a smoking divot between her eyes belying unconsciousness.

"How lucky that she brought us another barrel," Shino said with a grin.

Hinata joined her disguised teammates, already moving to take the form of the woman she'd shot, the faint smoke from the reduced rasengan she'd fired still clinging to her signing fingers.

"Transformation Jutsu." Now, wearing her visage as well, the woman's scar stretched with Hinata's grin. "People forget protocol when an emergency hits, and they can't check for a transformation if there's nobody to check."

They were working on a timer though- maybe a few hours at most before somebody noticed that something was wrong. Hell, if they were really unlucky, it'd be minutes at best.

Shino had left some of his insects behind, transformed to assume the shape of the people they had downed. However, his Bug Clones were far from perfect, more useful as a momentary distraction than any sort of long-term espionage tool. It'd buy them some time, but any truly thorough check would out their infiltration; after that, it would be only a matter of time before they were found out.

Which meant they needed to track down the leader before that point and figure out what was even going on.

The village wasn't very large- a far cry from, say, Konoha, which spanned miles and held a far greater population. Hinata could manage a rough headcount, give or take, just by pushing her byakugan a bit. She confirmed for her team that- "The population c-can't be much more than about a hundred or so."

And yet, small and tightly packed as the village should have been, its streets felt surprisingly bare. There were no bustling crowds, selling wares or services. She could not see any children upon the scene. The majority all seemed holed up in their homes; the village outside was nearly barren in comparison- almost picturesque in its stagnation.

"The locals must be despondent," Shino observed, his usual stoicism in play. He gestured with his head to one of the few folks who actually seemed to be out, an older man who was methodically taking the business end of a broom to the dirt road. Grayish mounds of dirt and dust scattered with every swing, lifting around the man, who hardly seemed to notice. His limp, off-black hair hung a bit over his face, an unruly salt and pepper beard shifting as he seemed to mutter to himself. "Perhaps a conversation may help to elucidate the current circumstances for us."

"Heh, good luck getting them to talk to us while we look like these pricks," Kiba batted back, lowly. He snorted under his breath. "We might have to bully them a little, if we want some answers."

"Are you volunteering?"

Shino's query saw Kiba groan. "Why do I always gotta be the bad guy?" Nevertheless, he was already walking forward to the dazed-looking man. His shoulders were squared, a sneering visage plastered onto his stolen face as he barreled toward the man with a growl. "Oi, asshole. I need a word."

Hinata followed loosely after her teammate, the support mimicked in turn by Shino and Akamaru. Her nose scrunched with distaste as the smell of incense blindsided her, stinging her eyes so much that she moved to rub at them. Underneath that stench was something else- some putrid odor, like day-old meat. Through squinted eyelids, she tried to keep track of Kiba's conversation with the man, who continued to sweep as if he had not heard the disguised boy's opening demand.

Kiba seemed even worse off as the smell hit him. "Oi," He repeated, this time a bit aggressively. He stuck his foot out, pinning the broom beneath his foot. "I'm talking to you, man."

Finally, with his movements halted, the man glanced up, his eyes staring into the boy with some open fear.

"Yes?"

"The funeral." The older man flinched at those two words, a blue-veined strain filling his grip on the broom; his hands shook, jaw clenched with such tightness that Hinata could make out the print of his teeth through the pull of his cheek.

"Please," He whimpered, bloodshot eyes now flicking between them all. "Please…"

Something cold dwelled within that man's speech. One word, a plea, so visceral that Kiba's grip slackened, the boy's concern bleeding through even the facade of cruelty he was trying to present.

The man seized the moment, wrenching his broom out from underneath the boy's foot and forcing him to stumble. His pleading lips twisted into a snarl, desperate and animalistic as he swung the broomstick with all of his might, the first strike cracking against Kiba's hastily raised guard.

"O-oi!" Kiba hissed, more surprised than pained as the improvised weapon snapped on his forearm.

"You're not taking me!" He howled, spittle flying and coating his quivering jaw with his cry. The stick was pulled back again, this time meaning to jam its jagged path through the dog boy's neck, but Kiba had already righted himself, bracing his footing and slapping the broken broomstick away; it clattered to the ground with volume that made them all jump.

"The fuck's wrong with you, asshole!?" Kiba was already advancing forward, a real sneer now pervading his features, but it slipped away in an instant as that man dove to the ground, both arms snapping up to cover his head.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forgive me!" He blubbered, his shrunken pupils quivering with something deeply broken. His tears spilled over and soaked into the ground that he'd crammed his face into, the man shuddering so heavily into that mass of dirt and mud that even more loose dust scattered with his fall.

"Uh…" Kiba stepped back from the man, seemed more perturbed now than even while being attacked. "You good, man? I ain't gonna do anything… to… you?" His attempt at reassurance died as another sound hit his ears. "Y'all hear that?"

Akamaru tilted his head, listening for whatever his partner had sensed, then began to glance around.

Then Hinata heard it too.

It was faint at first- a slight fluttering from above; She looked up, confusion rising as blackened feathers began to flutter down from the skies.

A crow. It descended, by its lonesome, just across from Hinata's position; its flight deposited it atop the rickety bones of an old convenience-store sign. Their eyes met, unblinking; slowly, it tilted its head. Then it let out a sharp 'caw'.

Hinata startled as that sound was mirrored from above; another crow descended, landing atop the very same sign.

Then another.

And another.

Crows- too many to count, began to descend en-masse, each landing in wait atop signs and shingles- anything above and around where they stood. Their cries wove themselves together, devolving then propagating into this continuous climb of cacophony, calling after her until her inner ears itched and her skull began to pound in sync with their roar.

The carrion birds glared down at the scene, jerking their heads this way and that- some unknown expectancy rife in their demeanor.

They were merely following the script, the likes of which the intruders were unfamiliar.

"What is this?"

Was what she wanted to ask, but her voice jammed in her throat. She glanced around again through tearing eyes, the foul stench of incense and its charge penetrating her lungs and rotting in her sinuses.

"I suspect that our company will not be of use in discerning the location of our interest," Shino half-shouted over their cries, stepping forth to palm Kiba's shoulder and jostle him out of his daze. "We will simply have to find our own way."

The crows' calls reached their peak. Then abruptly, they ceased. The leading crow stared down at her for this long, belligerent moment. Then without another sound, it took to the air again; just a moment later, the rest followed in sync, whatever interest they had held, seemingly betrayed.

Hinata's stomach leapt as she traced their path with her eyes; she pointed after the departing scavengers so that her team could see, trying twice before she could finally rediscover her voice. "They're all headed in that direction."

She glanced back down at the quivering man, their eyes meeting briefly as he chanced a glance up at them. A watery yelp was her reward; he ducked his head down again, stammering out yet another plea.

She shook her head. "Let's go."

She stepped around him and began to follow after the birds.

"Er- I never thought I'd be the voice of reason, here. But maybe we oughta regroup with Kurenai-sensei first," Kiba tried to propose, his own twitching head swiveling between his other comrades.

"Kurenai-sensei wants to see how we fare on our own… Running back to her at the first sign of discomfort would only prove to her that we are unworthy as Chunin," Shino was quick to disagree, his disdain for that idea rife even in his typical monotone. "We shall gather whatever information we can, then retreat to contemplate it accordingly."

Kiba slowed down enough to look directly to Hinata, some silent demand in his eyes for her to voice some agreement in Kiba's own favor, but she pointedly ignored him, hastening her walk instead.

She didn't like this any more than he did, but Shino was right.

"Fine," Kiba hissed. "So what's the plan then?" He spoke, once again falling in step with the rest. "Unless you just wanna dive in swinging?"

She only shook her head. Kurenai-sensei had said that doing something like that would get them killed; she was remiss to test their mentor's advice- not when this place was already giving her the creeps.

Shino spoke up, falling in line with them. "I believe it would be within our best interests to remain cautious, moving forward… There is a lot of critical information that we currently lack- namely the details of this 'funeral' with any level of specificity. Thus, we should endeavor to fill those gaps in our knowledge before making any hasty decisions."

Kiba looked to have a harsh word on his tongue for their overly verbose comrade, but thought better of it.

Clearly, he was trying to take Kurenai-sensei's criticisms to heart.

"Right… So figure out what's going on- then what?"

"Then we take them down," Shino told him, bluntly. "As we are contracted to do."

Akamaru let out a whine, lagging a bit behind the trio; Kiba could only grimace, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, bud. This place fucking reeks." He slapped his palms against his cheeks and shook his head, a long, shuddering breath centering the boy. "Alright, alright. I'm game. Let's crack these fuckers' skulls open and go home already…"

They followed after the crows with increasing speed, and during that time, Hinata tried to consider what they knew.

That woman whose visage she had copied- she had mentioned a funeral. When Kiba had mentioned it to one of the locals, he had grown volatile.

Sanshō had called them devils, and said that her son had gone to meet with these people and never come back…

The people were being made to work the mines for these peoples' profit; those that resisted were sent away.

Then there was that name:

"Raiga," She muttered, sparking the attention of her teammates.

The name didn't ring any bells for her, and Kiba and Shino both didn't seem to have much else to offer either.

Shino sighed. "Perhaps our most effective method then would be to simply observe this funeral. It may offer us some clarity regarding the circumstances at hand." Another sigh. "If my hunch is correct, I suspect that these birds will be taking us exactly where we seek."

"Fuck, this guy is heavy," Kiba complained as they continued on, following loosely after Hinata as she led the way. Her vision flicked to him for just a moment; he was sweating, a thick trickle spilling over his brow and into one of his eyes, which he'd clenched shut with a grimace. She could see the sputtering of his chakra, indicative of physical exertion that seemed only further betrayed by the flush of red creeping up from his neck, up to his jaw and cheeks.

"Would you like me to carry it?" She offered, because really, she was feeling a bit bad. She knew she'd been a bit terse with him the last couple of days- heck, even before their mission had been embarked, the two had been bickering on-and-off, often over nothing. "I can carry it for a bit."

"I've got it," Kiba grumbled, seeming annoyed at the suggestion. "I ain't weak, ya know."

She nearly let it go, just at that. But then again, she was supposed to be asserting herself, wasn't she?

With a sigh, Hinata reached over, plucking the thing out of his arms and slinging it over her shoulder. "I- I… I didn't say you were weak. I still want to help."

Frankly, it didn't feel heavy at all. But she doubted he wanted to hear that.

Kiba sucked his teeth, glaring at her a bit for forcing the issue. "I was fine, man. You don't gotta flex on me like that." She ignored him, and pointedly at that, finally causing the boy to sigh. When he spoke next, there was this hesitance that caught her off-guard. "Oi, are we- uh… Are we good?"

That made her slow, a bit. Hinata adjusted the jug to her other shoulder to regard him with what she hoped was a neutral face. A lie was already forming on her tongue.

"Sure, why wouldn't we be?"

But there was something almost tormented in her teammate's expression as he looked at her that told her he wouldn't accept something like that. He'd see right through a farce like that, and that would only hurt him.

And as miffed as she may have been with Kiba, she knew in her heart that that was the last thing she wanted, for him.

Looking past him, she saw that Shino-too seemed concerned. His disguised eyes caught her own, a single eyebrow rising with a silent question. Then, sensing her discomfort, he spoke up.

"Perhaps this isn't the best time for a discussion like this," He tried, neutrally.

"A-ah, right…" Kiba muttered, seeming somber, now. "Right, right… My bad."

"We'll…" She took a breath demanding a steady tongue as she spoke, once again forcing her gaze forward, even if her byakugan could still see him all the same. "We can talk about it after the mission."

Because even though Naruto had asked her to drop it- insisted that it was just a bird and that he had gotten over it; even if it shouldn't have been any of her business, and she was maybe blowing the whole thing out of proportion, Hinata was beginning to understand that she and Kiba just couldn't be friends like they'd used to be- not until she heard his side, at least.

But that simply had to wait, for now.

Up ahead, the birds had begun to land, all descending to perch atop the cliffside and leading downward. Creeping to its lip, they could see well over a dozen bodies working below, each dressed particularly in dark gray cloaks. Some of them seemed to be standing around, sifting through piles of items; some were digging roughly carved, rectangular dents into the ground.

"Graves," She breathed, in realization. By itself, that wouldn't have been alarming. Except- "Why are there so many of them?"

Nearly a dozen crudely built gravesites, all haphazardly gouged into the earth's flesh. Each seemed to be marked already with headstones; her byakugan could make out various names that she did not recognize, all scarred into the stone fixtures.

But where were the corpses?

Suddenly, a sharp whistle. All of the gray-clad bodies froze, each aborting their acts and standing perfectly straight; they turned and assembled in lines to honor some figure, also clad in gray, except spangled with ornate golds and gems across his shoulders and chest. His back was slightly hunched, but he moved well enough as he strode to eventually settle in the center of the masses.

Even from their distance, his voice was loud and clear, broadcasted in a fashion that Hinata recognized as being akin to the announcer of the Chunin exams.

"Brothers, sisters…" He began, a smooth, cultured lilt to his tongue that compelled his masses each to stand that little bit straighter. "We stand here today, humbled beneath the moon's rays, to remember fondly, our dearly departed."

But the graves were empty- what was this supposed to be, really?

"It is with grief in my heart that I mourn every soul that we have lost…" His voice shook a bit, some perverse mimicry of grief rife in his tone. "Our lost unknowns- those who might have beheld the world alongside us, if only given the chance." He shook his head, making some exaggerated show of wiping his face. To Hinata's surprise, real tears seemed to come away, on his decorated hand. "But alas, only the lord knows his curious whims. Thus, I do only what I can, and I ask that you do the same." His voice rose a bit. "Mourn with me, my fellows! Honor the dead, so that their memory may live on with us! And let us hold our heads high as we do, so that they might know that though their souls have slipped away from this mortal coil, we nonetheless carry their will on our shoulders! Mourn with me! Then, rejoice with me! Let us find solidarity in their memory, and then begin tomorrow anew with unburdened hearts!"

His entourage began to cheer, many even clapping their hands as he raised his arms, his bangled wrists and ringed fingers inclining their chant. Both hands curled fully around his hood, tossing the thing back to reveal his tan-kissed skin. His stormy gray irises wobbled with tears that spilled over freely, staining his makeupped face. The man's bundled hair fell loose without his hood to hold it, his locks embracing the first droplets of rain as the skies began to gray.

Then, his grip ducked beneath his cloak, resurfacing now with two peculiar items- a pair of shortswords, each adorned with thinning, thorn-like spines which intermittently dotted their twin-lengths. The blades hummed, then began to crackle in his hands. Thin currents began to spark away from the two tools, growing in intensity until they ascended into a full-on lightshow!

Thick arcs of lightning splashed away from the man, forcing his subordinates to duck or cover their heads in equal parts shock and awe; the arcs spanned outward, rising in their voltage and tearing up debris.

Then the clouds began to darken rapidly, and where the skies had once sputtered, now they poured; rain descended in a continuous curtain, soaking the earth and slowly beginning to fill the crudely carved graves.

"Let's have us a funeral!" He howled to the heavens, his cheer mirrored by his onlookers, who began to move once again, some digging with increased ferocity. Another band rushed toward a cave entrance, hurrying inside for a moment before exiting just as quickly.

"I suspect we are not witnessing a true ceremony, but rather, an act of cruelty," Shino hissed, first nudging Kiba, who nudged Hinata in turn. They both looked to where he was pointing.

Oh.

Several people, each screaming and struggling within their binds as they were led out of the cave. A man, rail-thin and covered superfluously in scrapes and bruises; his face especially was marred by vicious, blackening wounds, one of his eyes bulging under some trauma that had nearly knocked it out of his eye-socket. He didn't even seem able to stand, instead hauled by his shaking biceps and dragged along on two broken legs by a brute on either side.

Behind him, several others:

A younger man, standing on his own power, yet the horrific twist of his arm at the elbow told his story. Deep, fresh brands festered across his chest, visible under the gratuitous tears in the rags that preserved him.

An elderly woman, struggling as well as her old bones would allow her to reach a pair of boys, both no older than Team Eight, themselves. That woman had a split lip, a few flecks of blood crusting across the thinning hair on her bruising scalp. She screamed herself raw as the two youths were yanked away from her in manacles.

The boys- Hinata's fingers curled around her mouth to beat back her scream as she observed their state.

One of them was clearly worse off than the other. His body was this bloated, lopsided mess of wounds and mangled flesh, their toxic kiss favoring his left side; deep, orange splotches soaked up to the surface of his purpling flesh in bits, pus cracking through the skin in part to dribble down his naked torso. He wobbled forward in a hollow daze, stumbling about on two twisted, purple knobs with backwards-facing protrusions that she realized with horror might have once been his toes. His face was somehow the worst of it, not wounded half as terribly as the damage to his body had shown, and yet, one of his eyes had rolled until only the bloodshot whites of it could be seen from their distance; the right had swollen nearly shut. Spittle dribbled over his swollen lips, bubbling at the cusp and spilling over onto his potbellied gut and ragged pants.

"What the fuck," Kiba gasped, staggering back and clutching his face as well. His cheeks puffed up, a vein swelling to bulging within his neck. He lost his balance, staggering down to his knees and hurling into the muddy earth.

"What the fuck? What the- hrrk!" He hammered at his heaving chest as another wave of sickness came over him. His transformation dropped in his distress, and Akamaru followed suit; the tiny dog began to whine again, trying to lick at his companion's tear streaked face.

"Is this some kind of ritual?" Shino whispered, a forced calm trying to steady his friends, but not even he could maintain the facade of calm that he seemed to intent on retaining. His own transformation failed as well as he reached out instinctively, rubbing soothing circles into Kiba's back, and looking toward the similarly untransformed Hinata. "Perhaps we should retreat, after all; I am not confident that we can engage the enemy in our current condition." Then he paused, taking in his female teammate's expression.

Her eyes had gone wide, her pupilless, moon-like orbs swelling to take in everything below. She seemed paralyzed, as if seeing it all in slow-motion.

"Hinata? Hinata, we need to-"

She couldn't hear him.

Her fingers dug into rubble, prying apart dirt and brick alike to reach the body that lay buried beneath it. Beside her, Tayuya had taken to the victim's legs, scraping away the debris with equal haste.

"Hurry the fuck up, shortstack. This motherfucker can't breathe!" She hissed, groaning with effort as she shoveled another stack of ruin away.

Her fingers ached. Muck clung underneath her bleeding fingernails as she swept another pile aside, scraping the lion's share away from what she now knew to be the gasping nostrils of a child.

"I-I've got you. You're going to be okay! Just try and breathe! Try and breathe, okay?"

"Mhm," The little boy moaned.

She punched into the mass of clay, wrapping her fingers around his shoulders and extracting him from it all. "I've got you," She whispered again, clutching the boy to her chest with a breath of relief. "I've got you."

"It hurts," He whined, his sputtering breaths spitting mud onto her bare neck.

"It's going to be okay. My friend is a doctor, she can help-" Hinata was mid-way through standing with the boy, when she froze.

He was lighter than he should have been.

"Oh, fuck," Tayuya let out a shuddering breath of her own. She stared down at her side of the mess as Hinata pulled away further with the rest of him. "Another one, huh?"

"... It's going to be okay," Hinata clutched him to her, even tighter. She swooped down to haul what remained of him into a full bridal carry, tucking his spasming body into herself.

"I'm cold," He whined.

"It's going to be okay. I'm with you, okay?"

"Okay," He whimpered. His shuddering began to calm; the boy simply let her hold him in her red-touched hands. "Okay… Thank you."

"Hinata," Shino stressed, now reaching out and jostling her. Hinata's gaze snapped to him and his next words sat petrified on his lips. Her byakugan had activated anew, their veins swelling around her face and tinging a visceral scarlet. He could make out the bloodshot lines surrounding the stress of her dojutsu faux pupils as their light searched him. Her fists clenched, nails biting painfully even through the protective fabric of her gloves.

There was this moment, a long, agonizing instance where his teammate simply stared at him, something wild in her gaze goring through his shades to lock eyes with him, and yet, he couldn't be sure that she was even seeing him in that moment. Then her face twitched; she whipped around to view the scene anew, and Shino found his voice again just in time.

"Hinata, we need to leave," he insisted, clutching her shoulder with some insistence as she lurched forward slightly. "Please."

"I'm not leaving them," She snapped, her face twisting with something foreign. "I refuse."

"Hinata-"

"Take Kiba and go," She snapped, crouching down and clutching the lip of the cliffside until its structure began to crumble away under her touch. She shook Shino off, eyes only for the man at the center of it all.

All at once, everything she had said to Naruto that day-

"Sometimes I think-" She began unsteadily, hunting for the words as quickly as she spit them out. "Sometimes I think I hate being a ninja… That feeling when chakra points pop on contact; t-the way organs kind of 'slosh' apart when I hit them just right; erm- the sound of my heart in my ears…"

Remembered the disgust as she had spoken, felt it like a brand in her stomach; she choked on that revulsion.

"I guess I don't really hate fighting so much as how they have to end…"

"Yeah, I guess I kinda hate being a ninja too."

She had been so relieved to hear that- to know that he felt the same. That he understood her, rather than being disgusted with her cowardice.

"Then I guess… Change the way it's done?"

"Let's make a pact then, yeah?"

She'd sworn to him with her whole heart that she'd support him- that she'd try to be the change she wanted to see in the world.

But suddenly, she felt like the world's biggest liar.

And in that moment, she couldn't care less. She didn't care that she had lied to Naruto; she didn't care that she had tried to kill Neji; she didn't care that her team was there, or that Kiba was throwing up or that Shino was trying to pull her away. She didn't give a single flying fuck about a Chunin promotion.

Because that pig was down there throwing his arms up like some messiah, decked out in gold and more while his people prepared to bury innocents for his own twisted spectacle.

"I. Want. His. Head!"

Shino realized at that moment what he was seeing on her face. Never, in all of their time together had he ever seen hatred mar the girl's face. And he knew from that look alone that she wasn't going anywhere.

That's the chapter. I suspect you all won't have to wait very long for the next one, so look forward to that.

I'm really looking forward to writing all of this, so even if you can't fully see where I'm going just yet, please be patient with me. I promise that I'm cooking up something great for y'all.

Well, trying to, at least.

But before I leave you all for now, here's something a little lighter to ease the mood:

Omake: Shots

She kept telling him that he needed to relax, a little. Naruto had been running around the village like a madman, between getting that crazy snake woman under control and dealing with his belligerent sissy boyfriend, he looked damn ready to pop a gasket.

"Why's it so hard for you to just take a day off?" She rolled her eyes, throwing her legs into his lap and groaning. "Ain't you supposed to be younger than me? I bet if I go digging through your hair I'mma find a few grays- I bet you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you wanted Orochimaru's tramp stamp off your neck, yesterday?" Naruto rolled his eyes, the deep, blackening bags underneath stretching disconcertingly as he shifted his gaze to glare at her. "Which is it, cupcake? Do you want freedom? Or do you want me to be fun?"

Tayuya frowned, because she knew he really was asking for an answer.

"Er- look... I appreciate how hard you're working to help me..."

Naruto's glare softened in the face of that kind of earnestness.

"I just think it'd be cool if we could- uh... Hang out, is all." Her face bled scarlet; she ducked her head down, hoping the red of her hair would mask her embarrassment, to no avail. "You don't gotta play it cool all the time, ya know... I think you're plenty cool, already?"

God, was she telling him, or asking him?

Now he was gonna think she was some kind of soft-hearted little pussy bitc-

"You wanna do shots of pepper sauce?" Naruto asked her, completely out of the blue.

Wait what? She blinked thrice, tilting her head a bit. "Hold on, what?"

He shoved her legs off and jumped to his feet, stepping over piles upon piles of notes. "You said you wanted to hang out; fine, let's hang out." Naruto grinned at her, and she could swear that it was the first time since she'd moved in with him, that he really seemed all there.

He began to dig through the fridge, extracting and lightly shaking a bottle that she'd seen him pull, once or twice.

"Wait, ain't that the shit I saw you and princess drinking out of fancy wine glasses?"

"Well, it's supposed to go in food," Naruto allowed, a sheepish grin on his lips. "But sometimes it's nice to just cut out the middle man- melt your insides and shit them out the next morning, ya know?"

"No!?" Tayuya jumped up as well, horror wrapping its veil over her shoulders. "No, I don't know!?"

Naruto popped the cap off, slinging two of Tsunade's shot glasses from the top cabinet. "Well you're going to learn today." He topped them both off with the stuff, flicking one of the glasses her way; she caught it entirely by reflex between her shaking fingers, looking between the glass and the boy with increasing fervor.

A sniff. "Motherfucker what did you just hand me?" Another sniff. "It smells like the devil pissed his own blood into a glass!"

"You're going to be pissing blood when I'm done with you. Bottom's up!" He cheered, tipping the whole thing back in one go.

Not so much as a flinch from him. He was already pouring himself another shot while she still stared petrified at her own glass.

"Come on, it's a family tradition." Now, he smiled, and though she didn't trust it for a second, the thought of family warmed her in a way that had her gullible ass lifting the glass without a second thought.

"Bottom's up," She squeaked.