14 Chapter 13: A Blade in the Mists

Wow, you all definitely had quite a bit to say about last chapter. And I don't blame you. Hopefully though, this chapter will help mitigate some of your fears and anger.

I'm also sorry about how long it took to get this chapter out. My Harry Potter chapter took much longer to get half of what I wanted. And the Mass Effect trilogy, which I've been playing for the first time, has been eating up a lot of my concentration.

Hopefully though, I'll be able to get things working and fast now. So let's get into it, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft.

Chapter 13

A Blade in the Mists

Hinata numbly sat at Naruto's table, staring down in front of her. She hadn't moved from that spot since Naruto had sat her down. When she had seen Naruto, she had surged up and hugged him, sobbing. Naruto had nervously hugged her back, letting her cry against him.

Eventually, after she had calmed down a bit, Anko had gotten them inside and Naruto had sat her down at the table, where she had blankly stared at it.

Now, Anko set a cup of green tea in front of her, while Naruto sat in front of her. The purple haired special jounin touched Hinata's shoulder. "Hinata…do you want to tell us what happened?" She asked softly.

Hinata shuddered a bit, and Anko quickly waved her hand. "You don't have to. If it's too painful, then you don't have to talk about it," she said quickly.

"N-No…I…I-I'm sorry. I should…I should tell someone," Hinata whispered softly. "It… it started yesterday, with the sparring match. I told you about it," she said to Naruto who nodded. Anko blinked.

"So wait…they did this cuz you lost a sparring match?" She asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No…I won. I…let me explain," she said. As Naruto and Anko listened, she began to speak about the events between the end of her match yesterday and today.

Flashback

Hinata was kneeling in the middle of the main conference room of the Hyuuga Compound. It was here that clan meetings were held, as well as where the clan head entertained important visitors and dignitaries that could not fit into his main office/study.

Hinata had been confined to the infirmary, where a healer had quickly seen to her injuries, before rushing off to help the other healers busy with Musha in a sealed off portion of the infirmary. Hinata had remained in the infirmary four close to five hours, until she had been escorted by two Branch Family members to her room.

When they arrived, one of them turned to her. "Hinata-sama, you are to clean yourself up and change your clothing. After which, we are to escort you to the main conference room."

Hinata had just numbly nodded and entered her room. The eight year old anxiously wondered what was going on, as she took a quick bath in her private bathroom, changed into a clean white kimono, and then finished getting ready. Afterwards, she was escorted to the conference room, where she now was kneeling.

Along the sides of the room were seated the majority of adult members of the Hyuuga Clan. Along one side were the main family members, and along the other were the Branch family members. At the front of the room was a raised dais, with five pillow seats lined along the top of it. It was here that the Hyuuga Clan Head and Elders would sit during meetings.

At that moment, the Elders and Clan Head were not present, and Hinata kept her eyes focused on the floor. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. She just wished she could disappear into the floor. She glanced up and to her left, where her mother was sitting, near the front of the room.

Hitomi Hyuuga was a quiet woman. Her whole life, she had been told her only job was to be a quiet, obedient wife. She was to be the perfect wife, quietly serving refreshments, raising the children, and basically serving her husband's needs. It was the way of the Hyuuga clan.

But now, Hitomi Hyuuga questioned those teachings, as she watched her frightened daughter sitting all alone in the middle of the room. She had been questioning them for some time now, ever since Hiashi began training Hinata.

Hitomi had seen her daughter struggling to learn the Jyuuken. Had seen Hiashi's frustration and anger at Hinata's inability to perform to his and the clan's expectations. She had quietly done what she could for Hinata, but her own Jyuuken training had been simply for self-defense, and so she wasn't as competent with it as Hiashi or most of the other teachers. So all she could do was comfort her daughter when no one else was watching.

Now, Hitomi's motherly instincts were screaming for her to go comfort Hinata. And the only thing preventing her from doing so was the knowledge that publically doing so, in front of the clan , would make things worse for them both. All she could do now was pray that she and Hinata could survive whatever was going to happen.

The door to the room opened, and in filed Hiashi and the Elders, who made their way to their seats and regally sat down. Hiashi stared at Hinata, whose head was bowed.

"Hinata Hyuuga. You are here because you have acted in ways that are detrimental to the strength and image of this clan," Hiashi Hyuuga said. "You have conducted yourself in a manner unfitting of a member of the Main Family of this clan. And your actions have led to the permanent crippling of an aspiring member of the Main Family. Musha Hyuuga was permanently crippled because of your actions. The injury to his leg will force him to forever live with a limp, and the injury to his arm has made it useless. Furthermore, you have knowingly or unknowingly leaked secrets of our clan's abilities to outsiders of the clan!"

Hinata trembled, looking up in confusion. "W-what? No I haven't-," she started to say, only to be interrupted by Hiashi.

"SILENCE! You will not speak, is that clear!?" He demanded, forcing her to close her mouth and cringe. "Hinata Hyuuga, it is known that you have been training with people not of this clan in an alternate form of Jyuuken. Besides eye witness accounts of these actions, the proof was in your display earlier this day, when you used a style that is not defined in any of the kata of the Jyuuken! In doing so, you have given people outside of this clan insight into our fighting style and kekkei genkai! This is an act of treason against the clan!"

Hinata just trembled, head bowed again. Hiashi could barely keep the contempt from his face as he watched her. "You are the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, one of the strongest and most prominent shinobi clans of Konohagakure no Sato. Your actions reflect upon the clan more so than almost any other member. And what do people see when they look at you? A sniveling little weakling," he spat out. "You have brought shame and disgrace to the clan, and to me."

Hinata just knelt there, head bowed as tears fell from her eyes. Hiashi's face became blank, as he watched her. "The Elders and I have discussed the proper course of action. Your unbecoming behavior as a member of this clan, as well as your bastardization of our fighting style and possible leaking of clan secrets to outsiders would be enough to warrant your sealing and placement in the Branch Family. But your actions against Musha and your permanent crippling of him demand a harsher punishment then that. Hinata, you are hereby stripped of the name Hyuuga and your position as clan heiress and a member of the Hyuuga Clan. To ensure you do not disgrace this clan again by allowing our bloodline to fall into outsider hands, you will also be sealed. Due to the laws of Konoha, we cannot place the Cursed Seal upon you since you will no longer be a member of this clan and it would be viewed as an act of assault and enslavement on a citizen of Konoha. Instead, you shall bare the Outcast Seal."

Most of the Hyuuga Members stiffened, their eyes widening at that. To someone outside the clan, the Outcast Seal might seem preferable to the Cursed Seal. The Outcast Seal merely functioned to seal away a Hyuuga's Byakugan when they died, or when a person attempted to remove their eyes. It also prevented a Hyuuga from passing the Byakugan on to their children. But to the Hyuuga Clan, the symbolism of the Outcast Seal was what made it so terrifying. It was a statement for all to see, that this person was so much a failure that even the Hyuuga Clan, who jealously protected their bloodline and secrets, were willing to cast the wearer of the seal aside. The entire Clan had been taught this seal was the ultimate shame, as it was a symbol that you were so utterly worthless that you were not worth being kept by the clan, even as the most lowliest member of the Branch Family. In their entire history, it was almost never used except in the most extreme situations.

Hinata looked up at Hiashi with a shocked look on her face. Her mind was blank, as it couldn't understand what she had just heard. She just remained there, shocked, a few tears still falling.

On the sidelines, Hitomi was just a shocked as Hinata was. She trembled, as she quietly began to speak up. "H-Hiashi-sama…surely…surely that is not necessary," she said.

"Be silent woman!" Hiashi snapped at Hitomi, making her cringe. "If you had not coddled the girl, then this wouldn't have happened!" He turned to Hinata and signaled a pair of guards at the door. "Take her to the sealing chamber. The seal will be placed on her, and she'll be evicted from the clan tomorrow."

Hinata just kept staring at him in horror as the two guards picked her up and began to carry her away. Hiashi just contemptuously watched her before the door to the room closed.

Flashback Ends

Hinata just sat there, eyes lowered, as Anko and Naruto sat there in stunned silence. Anko slowly reached out. "Hinata…I…I'm so sorry," she whispered, touching Hinata's shoulder.

Naruto was trembling angrily. "How…how could they…how could they do that to you?!" He shouted angrily, his chakra flaring. "THOSE JERKS! THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO YOU!"

He was about to run to the door, when he was stopped by Anko. "Let go of me!" he shouted, struggling. "Those jerks can't do this to her! I'll make them pay for this!"

"Naruto, calm down! NARUTO!" Anko shouted, getting Naruto to look at her, before she pointed to Hinata. Hinata had her face lowered, and a few tears were falling from her eyes. "Right now, your friend needs you. Alright?"

Naruto calmed down a bit, and immediately went to Hinata. He gently took her arm and pulled her up and into a hug. Hinata immediately sank against him, sobbing even more as she wrapped her arms around Naruto. He held her close, his eyes closed as he held her.

Anko sighed softly, as she turned away. With a single hand sign, a clone of her appeared in a puff of smoke. "Go get Raphael, Yugito, and Hokage-sama," she told the clone, who nodded and quickly leapt out Naruto's window. Anko turned back towards Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto just kept hugging Hinata close to him, doing his best to comfort her. With her in his arms, seeing her sobbing and upset, his anger faded. Now all he could feel was guilt and sadness. He held her close, leaning a bit closer. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly to her.

Hinata just kept sobbing in his arms, letting all her emotions out. Everything she had repressed to this point was now being let out and she couldn't stop herself, even if she wanted to.

Eventually, Naruto felt her cries ending. He looked down at her, only to find that she was asleep. He looked up at Anko for help, since she was still hugging him tightly.

Anko just sighed as she helped peel Hinata off him, and gently carried her to his bed, where she laid her out. "Let the poor girl rest," she said quietly. "With what she's been through, she deserves it."

Naruto sat down at his table, letting out a sigh. "How could they do that to her? Her own family?"

Anko sat down opposite him. "That's the Hyuuga for you. They've always valued image and power above all else. This is just proof of that," she said.

At that moment, someone knocked at the door. Anko went and opened the door, letting in Yugito and Raphael. "Anko, what's going on?" Raphael asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Sarutobi asked, appearing behind Raphael and Yugito. Anko merely let the three of them in, before closing the door.

"We have a situation, involving Hinata," Anko said quietly, before reciting the basics of what Hinata told them to the three of them.

Yugito was clenching a fist, while Raphael turned away, angrily growling "Hijos de puta, que se pudran en el infierno" (1).

Sarutobi meanwhile looked down, before looking at Anko. "Where is Hinata now?" He asked.

Anko indicated Naruto's bedroom. "Sleeping, for the moment," she said. "Her bags are over by the door there. Hokage-sama…she's got nowhere to go."

Sarutobi nodded. "I understand. I would normally set her up with an apartment and a stipend like Naruto here, but given what she's been through…she'll need someone to help her get over what's happened to her."

Naruto looked up. "She could stay with me," he said. "I want to help my friend."

Sarutobi shook his head. "No Naruto. You offer is a good one, and it warms my heart to know you're so willing to help her. But it might be better to let an adult help her."

Raphael looked at Anko. "Anko…why did you call me and Yugito here for this?" She asked, a bit suspicious.

Anko looked at Raphael, before looking in the direction of the bedroom. "I…know what this girl has been through," she said. "She's just been cast aside by the people she trusted and cared about. She was betrayed by those who were supposed to be there for her. I was the same way after HE betrayed me," she said. Both Raphael and Sarutobi knew she was mentoring her former sensei, Orochimaru. "She's going to feel like she needs a purpose again. And…I think we can provide it."

Raphael crossed his arms. "You want to offer her a place in the Assassins? Anko…we can't just take in any person off the street. They have to be able to dedicate themselves to a life that involves killing other people. Not everyone can so easily accept that."

"I know Raphael, but you don't understand what is going through her mind. Right now, she probably feels like the most utterly worthless piece of trash in the entire world. The girl would prostitute herself if she felt it would give her purpose again. I know, I was there. And think about how her potential skills can translate over to that of an Assassin. The Byakugan can let her easily track targets, even at a distance. What little of the Jyuuken she knows, she can use to stealthily kill an enemy with practically no visible mark," she said, trying to convince Raphael. "At the very least, we can offer her a chance to see if she's interested, just like you did for each of us. And if she's not, then fine."

Raphael rubbed his forehead a bit. "…Hokage-sama?" He asked quietly, glancing at Sarutobi. "What do you think?"

The aged Hokage quietly contemplated what he had heard, before looking at Raphael. "The choice is ultimately yours, Raphael-san. It's your organization. But I do think Anko has a much better understanding of what Hinata is going through. What she says has some truth to it."

Raphael let out a sigh. "Fine then. We'll offer her the chance to join us. But only after she's had time to settle down for a bit."

Anko grinned happily at that, only to blink as Sarutobi spoke up. "And since you do know what she's going through Anko, I feel you would be the best person to take her in and help her through this traumatic experience," Sarutobi said with a small grin.

Anko's eyes went wide. "W-What, me? Are you kidding?! I can't take care of a kid! I'm barely able to take care of myself," she said, waving her arms in distress.

"But Anko nee-chan, she needs you," Naruto said. "And besides, you're always taking care of me, aren't you? And Hinata will be even easier cuz she's quieter and gentler then me, right?"

Anko groaned. "Do I really have a choice?" She asked.

Sarutobi smiled. "No, not really. Anko Mitarashi, I'm officially making you Hinata's guardian. You can come by when Hinata wakes up to fill out the necessary paperwork. I will be giving you a small stipend to help you buy what things are necessary to help Hinata settle in, until such time as she graduates from the Academy and becomes a genin of Konoha."

Anko sighed. "Fine fine," she said, glancing at the door. "…I guess I could always mold her into a mini-me," she said with a bit of a grin.

"Cuz that's what Konoha needs, another Anko Mitarashi running around," Yugito said, rolling her eyes. Raphael chuckled a bit as Anko pouted a bit.

Naruto meanwhile looked at his bedroom door, worried about what kind of state his friend would be in when she woke up. 'Hinata, don't worry. You helped me, and I help you. I promise.' he mentally vowed.

A village in Yu no Kuni (2)

A small figure was huddled in an alley, shivering a bit at the cold as they were in ragged clothes. They trembled as they heard a noise nearby, scuttling away while clutching an object in their hands. Brown eyes looked up to try and find the noise, only to find a cat pawing at some garbage, searching through it.

The figure relaxed slightly, leaning back. They turned to look down the other end of the alley, only for their eyes to widen as they saw a figure standing there. The person was in shadows, staring at the figure. The small child jumped up and backed away, revealing they were a ten year old girl. "S-Stay away from me!" She shouted in fear.

The figure merely smirked, approaching the young girl. She trembled in fear, falling on her butt and trying to back away. The figure pulled out a kunai, raising it threateningly, as the girl screamed, covering her head and her dirty, matted red hair.

The figure grinned as they raised their kunai and threw it at the girl, only for streams of chakra to surge out of the girls back and form into a barrier in front of her. Before the man could react, a stream shot out and pierced through the man's heart, only for him to poof into smoke.

The girl trembled, looking up, as the chakra dispersed, only to hear clapping behind her. She turned, seeing a tall man with pale, almost white skin, long black hair, and golden, snake like eyes. He was wearing a grayish-white short sleeved tunic with the ying-yang emblem on it, as well as black pants and a black long sleeved shirt under the tunic, with a purple rope belt tied around his waist. "That was most impressive, little one," the man said in a hissing like voice.

The girl trembled. "S-Stay away from me!" She cried, trying to get up, only to stop as the man moved to cut off her escape route.

"Do not fear me girl. I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I want to help you," the man said. "You have much potential, you know that?"

The girl trembled, staring at him. "W-what do you mean?"

"What you just did. It's quite a useful ability. Physically manipulating chakra to such an extent is such a rare gift," the man said with a smile. "I am Orochimaru, and I'm looking for people like you. People with talent. Tell me…do you enjoy living here like this? Alone in some alley, cold and hungry?"

The girl trembled and shook her head, clutching the object in her hands. The man smiled as he offered her a hand.

"Then come with me my child. I'll give you a place to stay. You'll have clothes, food, and a warm place to sleep. And what's more…I'll give you power, to do anything you want. To achieve any goal or dream you have. And all you have to do is help me. What do you say?"

The girl trembled a bit, looking at his hand. "Y-You'll really do that for me?" She whispered.

"Yes, little one. I will. Tell me, what is your name?" He asked.

The girl bit her lip, before shakily taking his hand. "T-Tayuya. My name is Tayuya Uzumaki," she said, clutching his hand. "And I'll come with you."

Orochimaru, the rogue snake sannin of Konoha, smiled at his newest recruit. "Good," he said, as he began to lead her away. "Together, we'll both achieve our dreams."

Konoha, the next day

Hinata quietly finished unpacking the contents of one of her two bags, placing the items on the bed in her new room.

Yesterday, when she had finally woken up, Naruto and Anko had gone with her to see the Hokage, where she learned that Anko was going to be her guardian now. She had quietly accepted this, and signed her name when requested, her movements very robotic as she operated more in a trance than anything else. Afterwards, Anko had brought her home, and showed her the guest room, which was now her bedroom.

Afterwards, Anko and Naruto had dragged her out. Anko had said she wanted to 'celebrate' having a roommate. But Hinata knew it was really just them trying to cheer her up. She appreciated their efforts, but truth be told, she just didn't feel like anything could make her feel better.

She stopped unpacking for a moment, and gently touched something at her chest, before slowly pulling out a necklace with a locket. She slowly opened it, revealing a picture of her mother inside. She slowly sat down on the bed, staring at it and remembering how she got it.

Flashback

Hinata just blankly stared at the gates of the Hyuuga Compound, which were sealed shut. She had been standing there for close to ten minutes now, with nothing but the clothes on her back. On her forehead, the Outcast seal stood out, shaped like the Hyuuga Emblem with the Cursed Seal surrounding it. Her whole head throbbed in pain from the sealing, aching from its activation.

She finally tuned, not knowing what to do or where to go. She slowly started to walk away, her eyes on the ground, watching her feet move in front of the other.

A voice suddenly stopped her, and she looked up, blinking, realizing she was some distance from the Hyuuga Compound. She didn't know she had travelled so far, as she was in a section of the village filled with housing apartments. She saw a figure in the alley who stepped out of the shadows for a moment. "Hinata, please come here," Hitomi Hyuuga said softly, beckoning to her.

Hinata blinked at her. "M-Mom?" she asked, approaching her. "What are you doing here?"

Hitomi reached out gently, touching Hinata's cheek, before pulling her into a hug. Hinata blinked at that in surprise as Hitomi was crying softly.

"Oh my baby…I-I'm sorry Hinata. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," she whispered as she kept hugging Hinata.

Hinata trembled a bit as she hugged her mom back. The two remained like that for several minutes, before Hitomi let her daughter go, wiping tears from her eyes. She turned, grabbing a pair of packs, and setting them next to Hinata. "Here. I managed to get several of your personal items from your room," she said. "I also managed to get a couple scrolls on basic Jyuuken. It should be enough to help your training," she said softly.

Hinata stared at the packs, then at her mom. "B-But you could get into trouble for this," she whispered. "T-They could seal you for giving these things to me."

Hitomi looked at her daughter, smiling sadly. "I failed to protect you in the clan, my little sunshine. If I can help you now, it's worth any price," she said, before reaching into the sleeves of her kimono and pulling out a locket. "I-I hope you'll accept this as well."

Hinata took it, opening the locket and seeing the picture of her mother inside. She looked up, before hugging her mother again. "M-Mommy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she started sobbing, as she hugged her mom.

Hitomi just kept hugging her back. "Shhhh, don't apologize sweetie. Don't apologize," she said, as she held her daughter close. "Just go, and live a happy life Hinata. You're free. Free from the clan and the rules and the pressure. Free to do anything you want," she said.

Hinata just kept crying and hugging Hitomi, who held her close, until Hinata eventually calmed down. Hitomi gently pulled her away, and grabbed a roll of bandages from one of the packs, gently unrolling them and wrapping them around her forehead. When she finished, she gently wiped Hinata's tears away. "Do you have a place to go?" She asked her.

Hinata trembled but nodded. "I-I'll go to Naruto-kun's home. M-Maybe he can help me," she said.

Hitomi smiled, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Then go sweetie. And prove to the clan, the village, and the world that you're a strong, capable kunoichi," she said. "And know that I'll always be with you, no matter what."

Hinata nodded, and hugged her mom one more time, before grabbing her packs. She gave Hitomi one last look, before heading off towards where Naruto's apartment was.

Flashback Ends

Hinata slowly closed the locket, tears coming to her eyes again, only for her to wipe them away as she heard a knock on the door. "C-Come in," she said, looking at the door.

Anko entered, smiling at Hinata. "How you doing?" She asked, leaning against the door frame.

Hinata just nodded to her. "I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said quietly, as she went back to unpacking.

The purple haired special jounin sighed as she entered the room. "You know…I understand what you're going through," she said, sitting down on Hinata's bed and patting the area next to her. Hinata slowly sat down next to her, as Anko smiled sadly at her. "When I was a genin, my sensei was everything to me. I never really knew my mother or father, but I'm told my mother was a kunoichi who died during childbirth due to complications. And my father was a civilian who…well he never got over my mom's death. He died a few years afterwards. When my sensei…he was like a father to me, and I loved him for it," she said.

Hinata was looking at the floor, as Anko continued. "My sensei betrayed me and Konoha. He left me for dead in a secret lab somewhere in Sea Country. A man who I trusted and cared for me betrayed me. I know it's not exactly the same as what you went through, but…I know what you're feeling Hinata. And I'm here for you," she said, as she looked at Hinata.

Hinata looked at her feet for a few moments, before looking up at Anko. "…thank you, Anko-san," she said.

"Awww, don't be so formal. We're roommates now. Call me Anko, Anko-chan, or even Anko nee-chan. That blonde gaki calls me that," she said with a smile. "Now, how about some dango, huh? I could go for some dango."

Hinata bit her lip, looking at her. "D-Do…do you have any cinnamon rolls?" She asked shyly. "I…had some once. They were really good."

Anko smiled at her. "Sure. Dango and cinnamon rolls!" She said as she got up. "And maybe we could go get you some more exciting clothes. No offense to you but the Hyuuga always dress so boringly. Let's live it up, eh?" she asked with a grin.

Hinata blinked at him. "A-are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course. You're my roommate and I'm going to look out for you. Plus, it'll be fun," she said with a giggle.

Hinata just blinked again as Anko began to drag her away. But as she did, she felt a small bit of hope enter her heart. Maybe her future wasn't as bleak as it looked.

One Week Later

Raphael sighed, as he continued to read over the reports in his office within the Assassin's hideout. One of his more recent contacts in one of the port towns on the east coast of the Hi no Kuni had delivered the schedule of planned shipments from Gato Industries to Mizu no Kuni for the next month. He knew that if he wanted to track down whoever these weapon shipments was going to, he needed to get to Mizu no Kuni before the last shipment arrived.

Sighing, he set aside the report and stood up, stretching his back to work out a couple kinks in it, before stepping out and into the training area.

There, Yugito and Naruto were both sitting and talking, as they waited for Anko to arrive. As he approached, they both stood up when they saw him coming. "Mentor," they both said jokingly, bowing to him.

Raphael just rolled his eyes, before speaking. "Yugito, I'm going to be heading to Mizu no Kuni soon, and I want you to come with me. I think this will be an excellent time for your final assessment, in becoming a full ranked Assassin."

Yugito's eyes widened before she nodded. "I understand Raphael-san. But what about Hokage-sama? He'll surely want to know I'm gone."

"Already taken care of. He's not thrilled I'm taking you with me, but he understands that it'd be dangerous no matter where I take you. He feels this is at least safer since Kiri is so disorganized currently," Raphael said. "Make sure to pack enough for a few months, since we'll be gone for quite some time."

Yugito nodded, while Naruto looked up at him. "What about me Raphael-sensei?" He asked.

"You, Naruto, are going to keep training. Anko will help you, and you may need to help her out, depending on what happens after today," he said.

Naruto nodded, understanding what Raphael meant by that last part. The three of them looked up as the door to the hideout opened and Anko slipped in, guiding a blindfolded Hinata. "Don't worry Hinata, we're here," Anko said to the nervous girl she was leading into the warehouse.

Hinata trembled a bit. "A-Anko-san, where are we?"

"Where we are is currently a secret, Princess," Anko said. "But it may not always be a secret. Depends on how things go," Anko said.

Hinata just timidly followed her as Anko led her to the meeting hall in the back of the warehouse. Raphael, Naruto, and Yugito followed them, until they arrived in the hall. As Raphael moved to the dais and turned to face the hall, Anko slowly removed the blindfold from Hinata. The young girl blinked, trying to clearing her eyes, before looking around in confusion. "W-what's going on?"

"Sorry about the secrecy Hinata-san, but we value our privacy," Raphael said. "As for why you were brought here, it's to make you an offer."

Hinata looked at him, her lavender eyes betraying her nervousness. "A-An offer?"

"Yes. You've been training alongside us for two years now. We've been watching you, measuring your abilities and skills," he said, indicating Anko and Yugito. "And more recently, we've come to the conclusion that you could be a valuable member of our group. We wish to offer you a chance to join us."

Hinata looked at the people gathered around her, her eyes landing on Naruto who was smiling encouragingly at her. She looked back at Raphael. "J-Join you? W-why do you want me?" She asked.

Anko answered this time. "We want you because we believe your Byakugan and your abilities could be a great asset. But more importantly…we're your friends, and we think that both you, and ourselves, can benefit from you joining us Hinata. We want to help you anyway we can, and we feel that giving you this chance to join us will help you deal with recent events."

Hinata looked at them. "B-But what do you do? W-Why all the secrecy?"

Raphael took a deep breath. "I can't go into every detail at this time Hinata. But basically…we're Assassins. We're training to kill people as stealthily and as quietly as possible. Now there's a lot more to it than that, but we can't tell you anymore unless you decide to join us. What I can say though is we're not doing it for money or for war, like the shinobi villages are doing so. We have a purpose, that some will call noble, and some will call barbaric."

Hinata trembled in fear, her eyes widening. "K-Kill people?!" She finally stuttered out.

At this point Naruto moved forward. "Hinata, they're already training us to kill people at the Academy," he said, as he touched her shoulder. "Being a shinobi means a life of fighting and killing and death, all for your village. Our group here...we're going to kill people, but we're doing it for different reasons."

Hinata stared at him, before shakily nodding. "O-Okay…I-I guess you're right. B-But what reason are you killing people for then?"

Raphael shook his head. "Hinata, I can't go into details at this point. Not unless you decide to join us. However, I will say this. If you do decide to join us, you're free to leave at any point that you think you can't do what we're doing anymore. If you join us, you're free to leave, so long as you swear that you won't betray us."

Hinata looked at him, as he continued. "We don't want you to decide now. You should think about our offer. This is a big decision Hinata, because if you join us, you'll be dedicating your life to our ideals and our ways. You'll be accepting a life that involves dealing death. But whether or not you decide to join us, know that we'll always be here for you, no matter what."

The young ex Hyuuga looked down, before nodding softly. "I-I understand. A-and thank you, for this offer," she whispered.

Raphael gave a single nod. "If you do decide to join us, tell Anko, and she'll begin your training. Yugito and I are going to be out of the village for some time now. And we please ask you don't talk to anyone but Naruto, Anko, or Hokage-sama about what has happened today."

She looked up in surprise. "H-Hokage-sama knows about your group?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes he does. We've reached an agreement with him that allows us to operate in secret here in the village. He'll probably be happy to give you his own opinion on our offer, if he's not too busy," Raphael said. "For now though, you should go and think about it."

Hinata just nodded a bit, as Anko came up and blinded folded her again, before leading her away. As they disappeared, Naruto looked at Raphael and Yugito. "Do you think she'll join?" He asked.

"I don't know Naruto," Yugito said. "We haven't given her much to go on. Just be sure to be there for her if she has questions."

"It is not an easy choice," Raphael said, "especially for one her age. Most Assassin recruits I knew were adults or in their late teens. Quite honestly Naruto, I sometimes question if you're too young for this."

Naruto looked at Raphael, his eyes determined. "No way Raphael-sensei! If the village can train us to be Shinobi while we're kids, then you can train me and Hinata to be Assassins."

Raphael smiled a bit faintly at Naruto. "You've got a strong spirit Naruto. Don't ever lose it," he said, as he gave Naruto a one arm hug. "Now c'mon. Let's get some more training in before me and Yugito leave," he said.

Naruto nodded eagerly as he rushed towards the training area, with Yugito and Raphael trailing behind him.

Two weeks later

The port city of Buru Jinkoukou (3) was one of the largest port cities in the western part of Mizu no Kuni, and a major trading hub for the various islands dotting the eastern part of the Elemental Nations. It was once the prize jewel of Mizu no Kuni, but the civil war between the shinobi of Kirigakure no Sato and the Bloodline Rebels had tarnished this once shining jewel.

Still, the port continued a bustling trade, as there were still civilians throughout the land that needed clothes, food, and other things.

At one particular dock, two passengers were disembarking from a hybrid transport/passenger ship that had just arrived from a port in the north eastern part of Hi no Kuni. The man in front was dressed in merchant clothes, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Behind him walked a woman dressed in merchant's clothes as well. She had long brown hair that hung to shoulders with bangs covering her forehead, and blue eyes. Each of them was carrying travelling cases.

At the foot of the ramp a civilian official greeted them. "Halt. Please state your name and business," he said, holding a clipboard and a pen.

The man smiled. "Certainly. My name is Zuhan Akindo, and this is my associate Kimyou (Curious). We are traders, here to purchase Kiri plate ware and cutlery to sell in Kaze no Kuni."

The dock manager nodded as he jotted the information down. "Very well then. You may proceed," he said, stepping aside.

Zuhan nodded as he stepped forward, with Kimyou following. The pair soon reached an inn near the docks, where they purchased a pair of single rooms.

They both dropped off their belongings, before meeting in Zuhan's room. Once the door was closed and secured, 'Zuhan' removed his hair, revealing shaggier brown hair. "Well that was the easy part," Raphael said, removing his contact lenses. "I'll never get use to sticking these things into my eyes."

Yugito pulled off her own wig, shaking out her blonde hair. "It's a great way to sneak past shinobi though," she said. "So what do we do now?"

Raphael looked out the window of the room. "We get the lay of the city. We have three days till the ship with the new cache of weapons arrives, and the better we know this port, the better we can track the weapons when they arrive. Once we find where the weapons are going, we'll study the target, and you'll devise the best time, place, and way to take him out."

Yugito nodded as she pulled out a scroll hidden in her merchant's clothes, and used it to unseal her weapons, equipment, and her dark purple Assassin Recruit outfit. Raphael did the same, laying everything out to check it over.

Not too far from said inn was a tavern bustling with activity. Sailors and dock hands not busy gathered there in droves to kick back and relax with alcohol, gambling, and women of leisure. The main tavern floor was a mass of noise, smoke, and bodies.

In one corner, several figures were gathered around one central figure, who was busy drinking from the mug one of them had supplied with him. He set the mug down and wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve before speaking. "So we're in agreement then?" He asked his companions, who all nodded. "Alright then. When that next shipment of weapons arrive, we take it, and earn ourselves a pretty penny in the process," he said with a grin. "To an easy day's pay lads!" he said, raising his mug, as the others joined in as well.

Well…I'm honestly just not sure about this chapter. I'm not sure how else to write it, but it feels…off to me. I'm honestly not sure I handled the parts with Hinata right.

*Sighs* Guess we'll let time and you readers tell, won't we? I do hope you at least enjoyed it, and are looking forward to what comes next.

1. If I've translated this right, it means Sons of bitches, may they rot in hell.

2. Hot Springs Country

3. Literal translation is Blue Artificial Harbor.

Thanks again go to my awesome beta's bill Alain and Kyuubi123. Thanks for taking time out of your lives to help me guys.

Till next time my awesome readers!