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•••A little girl hummed as she sat calmly in the middle of a green field. The grass swayed in a graceful, but uncoordinated, dance as the wind playfully sifted through it. The girl's messy, long, white locks of hair flew behind her, like tendrils of soft cotton. Her dull, ruby-red eyes seemed to be settled onto the crystal lake way back in the field. She seemed to be in deep thought, despite her young age, brow tense with concentration.A sudden shaake to her shoulder brought her back. She looked to the side and saw one of the Konoha ninja with masks. She nodded in acknoledgement, causing the ninja to sigh lightly. "I guess you weren't listening. I said we have to get a move on. The village is close enough and I think you've had enough of a break. We have to get you to the interrogation." he muttered.The five-year-old sighed, even though she couldn't comprehend what the interrogation was about. In fact she didn't understand why her home village was sending her to Konoha. It wasn't like she was gonna tell them anything different! But she would obey whatever they told her to do, for now. Standing up, she dusted off her white dress, and turned towards her two 'companions'. The one who spoke to her nodded and started walking off, tugging her along by the chakra shackles around her dainty wrists. She followed and amazingly managed to keep up with the two adults, who were a bit annoyed with her innability to go faster. --- They finally managed to get to Konohagakure, the amazing gigantic walls coming into the small group's view. Inevitably, the little girl couldn't keep her composure and gaped at the enormous walls that protected the village. She was a child after all. And her loss of composure seemed to amuse the two ANBU ninja, simply because that was the first time she acted like the five-year-old she was.They walked through the gates and started walking towards the Hokage tower. The guards at the front gate were asleep in their little booth and the ANBU just didn't feel like dealing with them so they just waltzed in. "You go ahead and take her to the interrogation unit, I'll go report to the Hokage." one of the two ninja said. The other nodded and grabbed the shackles. He put a hand on the child's shoulder and made a handsign. In an instant they were in the so called 'interrogation unit'. The girl looked around. It was dimly lit. And gray. All in all, it was quiet and depressing. They were standing infront of a door, presumably of an office. The ANBU knocked and not even a second after, there was gruff 'Come in.'The ANBU opened the door and walked in, pulling the petite girl with him. The little girl walked forward with little, to no resistnace whatsoever. "Ibiki, I've brought the girl scheduled for interrogation." he said.Infront of them was a rather intimidating man. He looked up from his small pile of paperwork, towards the ANBU, then the little girl. He stood up and walked over "Took you long enough. It was scheduled for yesterday. Yukigakure is still waiting for a report." he glared at the two. Neither the ANBU nor the girl flinched. "I apologise, but we had to slow pace for her." the ANBU said, causing he little girl to look up and give him a glare for throwing all the blame on her. "Wow, a five year old can't keep up with an ANBU, what a concept..." she muttered snarkily. Ibiki raised an eyebrow and the ANBU just shrugged. The head of the torture and interrogation unit sighed and shook his head "Get her to the interrogation room. Inoichi and I will be there soon enough."The ANBU nodded and headed towards said room. He walked in and sat her down on a chair. The room was gray and dim like the rest of the place, but it had chairs and a metal table in it. He made sure her chakra schackles were still secured around her wrists and waited. Soon enough the same man as before walked in with another one. This one had long blonde hair and was in a Jounin vest. The girl assumed he was the Inoichi guy. Ibiki gave a nod to the ANBU and he walked out, leaving her with these two men. She just blankly stared at them, her dull eyes investigating them as if trying to peel their skin off and look at their souls.It almost felt like she was the one about to interrogate them. Ibiki was looking just as intensely at her. Inoichi looked between them for a moment sweatdropping. You cold almost see the spark of intensity between them. "Well then. Let's begin." Inoichi said, making the girl look away from Ibiki and at him as he sat down infront of her."Let's start with your name and age." he said. He already knew this but in order to get her to let her guard down he needed to make conversation. The girl looked at him weirdly. Wasn't he informed about this?But nontheless she leaned back and talked, "My name is Hina Akagawa, age five, born in Yukigakure. I already said what I had to say in Yukigakure, why they sent me here I do not know. It's not like I'll tell you something different." she said, almost nonchalantly.The two interogators were slightly taken aback, but they didn't show it. Ibiki was next "From the report we got, it said that the Akagawa clan was killed, you were the only survivor. Later you proceeded to claim that you were the killer. You have been sent here so we can search through your memories to confirm your claim. Inoichi here happens to be from the Yamanaka clan so he will proceed with the procedure." he said, with a hard blank face.Hina just comprehended the infromation quickly, then nodded "I killed them. I killed them because I couldn't take their torture anymore. Go ahead and look through my memories, but I will caution you. You will relive every single torturous moment in my five years of life time, I'll make sure of it. Then you may proceed and decide what to do with me. I don't know, you can execute me for all I care." she shrugged.The two interogaters looked at her "She said ALL that with a straight face. I wonder if we even have to search. She's boldly honest enough. And she seems to not care wether she lives or not." Ibiki thought. He had so much experience with liars and the actions they do, but this girl just sat there and didn't deny her claim of murder. He almost wasn't sure if she was playing a game or if she was dead serious.The two men looked at each other, Ibiki giving a nod to Inoichi to proceed. Inoichi looked back at the little girl, who was relaxed in her seat and looking him dead in the eyes. Daring him to go on. Inoichi performed a few hand seals before going in. Oh, was he in for a surprise. ~~~
Inoichi floated through the girls mind. It was something unusual to say the least. Usually a person's memories and feelings were scattered all around, but this girl seemed to have organized them. He was in something like a temple. There were racks of scrolls everywhere. He walked towards one and searched through a few of those scrolls. Soon he realised, they were jutsus. He was shocked.
There were over a hundred on this tall rack. And it seemed that the bottom were level E jutsus and the higher it went, the higher level jutsus there were. She seemed to have mastered up to level C, since that's where the green lined scrolls went. The others were red.
He opened one green and one red scroll and looked through them. The green included chakra levels needed to perform the jutsu, it included stats and level of success while the red seemed to be describing how to perform the jutsu. Inoichi hummed.
He assumed that green meant that they were mastered and red that she knew how they worked in theory, but hasn't been able to do them yet.
He set the scrolls down and walked towards another rack. These seemed to be her emotions, since they all had kanji with their names. There were eight scrolls.
Joy
trust
fear
surprise
sadness
disgust
anger
anticipation
They were all locked inside a tight cage however, neatly put next to eachother. They were all in corresponding colours aswell. Joy - yellow, trust - light green, fear - dark green, surprise - cyan, sadness - blue, disgust - purple, anger - red, anticipation - orange.
Inoichi stared at them for a bit before walking away. he didn't need her emotions as of now. And they seemed to be impossible to get to either way. "Talk about emotionally unavailable... " Inoichi thought with a shake of his head.
And then his eyes finally landed on the shelves with memories. They were organised as well.
Childhood, adolescent, adult-hood. For now only the childhood rack had some scrolls. They started from the moment of birth. Each one had a name, but some were blank.
Curious Inoichi picked up one and opened it. What he saw shocked him.
---
Hina shook in her small corner as the banging on the door continued. "Hina, my little angel, come out~ It's time for our daily rituals, dear." her mother said sweetly.
Hina was in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. Her arms and legs wrapped in bandages, that was already soaked with old blood.
It wasn't the first time her parents were this persistent and Hina learned quickly that she had to run during these times. Inoichi could feel the terror, it felt like his chest would burst from the anxiety.
"NO! Please, go away!!" The little girl screamed. It was silent for a bit, before the door fell down from the heavy kick it received.
The three-year-old screamed in terror as she was picked up. She started clawing at her parents to let her go "STOP! PLEASE!!" she thrashed and screamed, but to no avail as she was pulled to "The fun room", as her parents liked to call it.
That night her parents proceeded to cut small pieces of her flesh, to use as a sacrifice for her clan's make-belief God.
The whole night the small girl would scream in agony until she eventually just passed out from the built up pain.
---
Inoichi closed the scroll, slightly shaken up. He did not want to look at the other blank scrolls. He just had to find the scroll with the clan death so he can confirm it was her.
But in all honesty he wouldn't be surprised if she snapped. He didn't want to know what other tortures her clan had put her through. The report from Yukigakure stated that the Akagawa clan openly expressed their love for sacrificial witchcraft and made animal sacrifices pretty often. Though it hadn't been reported that they used humans as well.
He frowned lightly and continued to search the memories carefully. He soon came to the conclusion that the clan death was in one of the 'Blank' scrolls. They also seemed to not be in a chronical order.
"Go ahead and look through my memories, but I will caution you. You will relive every single torturous moment in my five years of life time, I'll make sure of it."
Inoichi stood there. She's done this on purpose, she wasn't just bluffing like a kid to sound tough. He frowned lightly. This was gonna be a doozie.
~~~ Inoichi finally came back to. He's been in Hina's head for about 15 minutes and Ibiki was beginning to become impatient and slightly concerned. It usually took Inoichi less then 5 minutes to sift through someone's head. He looked towards Inoichi when he finally came to. A grim look had graced his features the moment he came back."So? Was it her?" Ibiki questioned. Inoichi looked towards him. "I need to speak with Lord Sarutobi. Urgently. " he said in a serious manner. Ibiki stared at him then nodded curtly. --- "Inoichi? You wanted to talk?" The old man behind the desk said. The blonde younger man nodded. "It's about Hina Akagawa from Yuki. I think she should be transferred under the care of Konohagakure."It was silent. The Hokage blew some smoke from his pipe. He stared at Inoichi, inspecting the seriousness of his features. "What did you see in her memories?" He finally spoke, just as serious. Inoichi's expression got grimmer. "She's the killer just as she claimed. But her clan..." he started, pausing slightly. The Hokage listened, progressively becoming more shocked with what Inoichi was telling him and what was presumably in her memories."They've broken her both physically and mentally. Now she's just a shell. But while I was in her mind, I saw something that even ANBU don't possess. Her mentality is organised. It's like a temple. Her emotions are litterally locked off, which in my opinion suggests that she might become a splendid ninja, maybe even interrogator. She's five years old and has already mastered up to C rank jutsus. She would make a great fill in for Konoha." He said. It was silent as the older man processed what the younger had suggested. He then chuckled. "How do you suggest I get Yukigakure to allow her to stay? I lie?" He questioned. Inoichi shrugged. "In the report we can say that her memories were manipulated by the true culprit and that we suggest that she stays in Konoha, because returning might be more mentally damaging for her." he finished.The older man stared. He was joking about lying! Was Inoichi really that sure in that girl? Was she really that special?? "...are you that sure about her?" He questioned after a bit.Inoichi stood and started contemplating. The little girl was truly broken. Even if she did kill her whole clan, she seemed to be a kind soul. If she stayed here, she would find people that would become close to her and tie her down. Sure it might take time, it would be understandible if she had problems with letting people close to her after her parents, but it would happen eventually. And since she was the killer, there wouldn't be a reason for her to go search for revenge. She was full proof. He nodded slightly "Yes. I'm sure..." he said. The Hokage atares at him, searching his expression yet again, just to be sure.He then nodded as well "Very well. I'll do what I can." He said. Inoichi bowed. Oh was life going to be interesting with this new decision. •••
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hina sat in front of the elder man, that Inoichi had mentioned was the Hokage. She childishly sat with her legs crisscrossed on the chair in front of his desk, but the way she held herself screamed maturity. It was silent, as the elder and the child inspected each other. Trying to figure each other out. Not that the Hokage could figure her out. The walls she had built protected her from him. But the girl was having trouble with figuring him out as well.Why did he want to speak with her? Is Inoichi responsible? Most likely, but why? Those were the questions that drifted through the girl's mind, with no answers however.She finally decided to break the silence, "I assume my claim was confirmed? Why am I still alive?" The girl questioned, sincerely confused. That caught the older man behind the desk, slightly off guard. The way she said it, made it seem like the most innocent question ever, but it wasn't.The Hokage soon chuckled. "Because, it was recommended to me that I keep you in Konohagakure." He said. Hina let out a choked sound of surprise. She stared at the older man, with wide eyes and gaping mouth.How?? Why?! She was a killer!! Is this Hokage out of his mind?! How could he let a killer in his village, forget the fact that she was a child and that she would most likely not kill anyone in the village... actually scratch that, she might if they are too annoying for her liking. Still he was crazy, she would know!The Hokage couldn't help it, he laughed at her. "Why such a face? Is it that much of a surprise?? " the old man said in between laughs. Hina just nodded bluntly, still gaping. She could almost feel the fly entering her mouth!She composed herself after a bit, more or less, and gave a look to the Hokage to explain a bit better. The older man caught on and explained what he and Inoichi had come up with all the girl could manage to say was, "Why?" Which quieted the Hokage down.The Hokage stared at her. Before chuckling and shaking his head, "I don't know. Maybe I'm sympathetic, or maybe I'm just bored. But Inoichi recommended you and your skills, so I guess that's good for you." He said with a soft smile. Sympathetic? she thought. She knew the meaning but she had never experienced it, nor had she seen someone else experience it. Soon she connected sympathy with pity. She sighed, of course he pitied her. She made Inoichi look through all her 'blank' memories, so he most likely mentioned it to this presumably powerful man in front of her."Pity, huh?" She whispered, not expecting him to hear her. But the older man did and frowned, shaking his head. "There is a difference between pity and sympathy, Hina. Pity is something selfish. You just pity a person but you do nothing. It is just a recognition. Sympathy is more of establishing a link between two or more people emotionally. To say that there is pity and willingness to help, is sympathy. I want to and already have established a bond of trust between me and my village and if you agree to be a part of it, that will help both you and me." He finished with a small smile.Hina stared at him. She looked down. "Even if I do decide to stay and my village believes your report, what makes you trust me so much?" She questioned blankly. The Hokage sighed "I was going to get to that." He started."I've been informed that you've mastered up to C rank jutsu. But just for security reasons you won't be assigned to a class in the academy. I'll have someone keep track of your studying and when the time for graduating comes, you'll graduate with one of the established classes, become genin and be assigned to a team. For now it would be best if you keep a low status, until we're sure you're stable enough." He said, smiling rather apologetically at the end of his sentence.Hina nodded in understanding, after all, she would do the same. "So what's your answer?" The Hokage questioned.Hina stared for a bit before nodding. "Okay I agree. But are you sure that Yukigakure will agree to this?" She questioned. The Hokage chuckled "One of the things that Yukigakure has done, is abandon their ninja. For all they know you are an emotionally broken girl, that might have breakdowns during missions. So, they'll most likely allow you to stay here. To them, you are useless." He said, a bitter smile gracing his face.As he finished, Hina couldn't help the grimace on her face. It was true, her village had a history filled with traitors and abandonment. She sighed. It wasn't like she had any ties there either, so it wasn't much of a loss in her case.She nodded, confirming that she agrees to the whole scenerio. The Hokage smiled and took out a paper, a contract to be precise. He pushed it over to her, "This is a contract which states an agreement that you are allowed to have all your rights and things, be transferred to Konoha. You also state your loyalty to the village as a small precautionery step. The moment the Yukikage signs this, he has given his permission and the contract will come back to the village with the help of a special jutsu." He said. Hina reached over and started reading it. Yes, she could read, it was sort of a must for her, since she was her clan's Hime (Princess). She read very carefully in fact, searching for something that could possibly eff her over. She couldn't find anything. The Hokage was extremely honest with her. She couldn't detect anything!She took a pen and wrote down the kanji for her name and clan. Passing it back over to the older man. She looked towards him, a small smirk gracing her lips. "So who is gonna be my babysitter till I graduate?" She questioned jokingly.The Hokage chuckled lightly "One of my elite ninja. I've summoned him before you came, so he should be here right abou--" the Hokage couldn't even finish his sentence when the was a sudden poof of smoke. "You called, lord Hokage?" Someone said.Hina coughed lightly, using her hand to fan some of the smoke away and protect what was left of her lungs.*"Yes, I did, Asuma." The Hokage smiled lightly. When the smoke finally cleared, Hina looked back over the headrest of the chair she was sitting in.The person who the Hokage referred to as Asuma, was a tall man, with brown eyes, olive skin, short black spiky hair, and a beard. His clothing consisted of the standard Konoha ninja uniform with the sleeves rolled up half way, flak jacket, regular shinobi sandals and forehead protector. He also wore a sash that had the kanji for "Fire" (火) marked on it around his waist, a pair of black bangles, and bandages wrapped around the arms of his sleeves. Hina stared at him, which he noticed and looked back at her. She smirked lightly, oh was she gonna have fun with him. She turned back around and sat on her chair normally again. Asuma had noticed the mischievous smirk on her face and raised an eyebrow, before turning his attention back to the Hokage."So this young lady here, is Hina Akagawa from Yukigakure. And I want you to be her personal teacher until graduation. She has special issues which I will inform you of later. For now, take her to this address, help her shop and get to know each other a bit while you're at it." The Hokage said all at once, leaving Asuma slightly awe stricken.Hina laughed and shook her head just the slightest "Way to drop it on him..." she said to the Hokage, making him chuckle.She stood up and walked in front of Asuma, arms crossed "Nice meeting you. While you're training with me, expect hell." She smirked at him, outstretching her hand for him to shake. Asuma stared at her for a second, before smirking back and taking her hand. "Right back at ya'." he said.Oh, these were gonna be fun seven years of training. •••
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
~7 years later~ It was time. Hina was twelve and right now, performing the needed jutsu for her to become a genin in front of her sensei-for-7-years, Asuma. She was instructed to make at least 5 clones of herself, she made 10. The reason she wasn't taking the exam with the rest of the genin, was because she had to meet one more time with Inoichi, the man that had made it possible for her to stay in Konohagakure, so he could report that she was infact, mentally stable.Yukigakure had, just as the Hokage predicted, agreed to transferring Hina to Konohagakure. She was pretty neutral to the news at first, but soon she realized how great that actually was! She had also opened up a bit, to people she felt like she could trust. Soon the people that knew her, discovered her childish, keen to pranks attitude. The time with her was amusing to say the least.She grinned up at him and put her hands on her hips, the clones mimicking her actions. Asuma nodded with a small smile and crossed his arms, "Now you have to prove your mental stability and be approved to be a genin. You better go now or the decision won't be made in time for you to be put into a team tomorrow." He smiled lightly.Hina grinned poofing her clones away. She was about to jump away, but stopped and looked at him again. She walked towards Asuma and hugged him, "Thank you for everything! There won't be a better sensei than you, ever. Even if I am put on another Jounin's team, you'll always be the best." She muttered into his flak jacket. He smiled and put a hand on her head gently. She pulled back and smiled at him again. "You're welcome kid. You're probably one of the best students I've had. You're welcome to come and ask me anything you like, even train if you want. You'll probably be put onto another team since the Hokage wouldn't want me to be choosing favorites straight away." He laughed.She laughed as well and pulled back completely. "Well that's a bummer. But I'll most definitely be seeing you and your future team around." She grinned and mock saluted, before jumping away, heading towards the ANBU Interrogation unit. --- Hina sat in the interrogation room. It's been awhile since she's been there and not much had changed. It was still dark and slightly depressing. She enjoyed it though, in fact her apartment was similarly dark. Though she had a childish attitude most of the time, she was still pretty closed off on the inside. And she knew that well.Finally the door opened and in walked Inoichi. Hina smiled at him and gave a small wave. Inoichi smiled back and greeted her."So right now I'm just gonna perform the same jutsu as before. I hope you've unlocked some of your emotions since we've last met. Also, I see you've added new patterns." He said, sitting in front of her.She smiled lightly "I might or might have not. And thank you, they took twice as long as my normal ones." Her smile lifted up to a small grin.You're probably wondering about what patterns they're talking about. Well since her clan had some pretty weird customs, to say the least. Even though she hated what her clan had done to her, she felt the need to participate in some of the traditions.Basically, every girl that enters preteen age has to begin stitching graceful patterns into their own skin. Stitched skin was considered beauty in her clan. There's history to that belief but it's way too grim, even for Hina, though she enjoys it. The procedure, even though painful, is a stress reliever for Hina. And she's gotten used to the pain anyways.In all honesty though, a lot of people she was self-harming because she needed some reminder of her parents. She thought so too. Well it seems she still hasn't recovered from her parents. Some beliefs are still imprinted on her and she knew it all too well. Back to the present though. Hina watched as Inoichi performed the same signs as many times before. And finally he entered. ~~~
Inoichi opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a temple again and the place was definitely fresher and lighter from his first entrance.
Before there was lots of dust and now it was cleaner, but a bit more disorganized in the same time. There were multiple scrolls on the floor, opened. Some were jutsus others just simple memories. He guessed that she's been meditating recently. Most people organize their thoughts when they meditate, but not Hina. She actually makes messes, that eventually organize by themselves.
He found something new though. A basket next to the memory rack. The scrolls in there were slightly worn and dusty. He guessed that those are the memories that will be thrown at some point to make room for new memories.
He turned and looked in the direction of her emotions. Some were out and others were still locked in the little cage. Anger, sadness and anticipation were out and neatly put in front of the cage on small stands. Joy, trust, fear, surprise and disgust, however, were still off limits.
Inoichi sighed. She was making some kind of progress, but has unlocked negative emotions and no positive. If he recalled right, anticipation and anger made up aggression and in all honesty, Hina was pretty avid with agression, confirmed by Asuma himself.
She doesn't show her agression normally, she puts a happy-go-lucky facade. Then when she fights, her anger and anticipation to hurt somebody seep through. That's both a good and a bad thing by itself.
And then there was sadness. Inoichi and also Asuma have talked together and have confirmed, that Hina tends to go in and out of depression. And during those times she's quiet and stoic about nearly everything. Nearly everything, because it's almost impossible to guess when she might become aggressive during those times.
She's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder...
He can't really say that she's completely stable and that could affect the decision if she will be a ninja. And if she is allowed become one, it would affect in which team she would be.
He sighed. Now he had to report to the Hokage. Well at least she was trying and working on her emotions.
~~~ He came back to and looked at Hina. She was awake as usual. They found out that she could withstand Inoichi's jutsu for a small period of time where she will be conscious. But she has a limit where she will literally pass out. The longest she's been able to stay is 20 minutes.It seemed that she was nearly passed out, but holding herself up. Inoichi smiled lightly and stood up. "Well you're free. I'll go report to the Hokage and he will most likely summon you later today." He said, starting to walk off. "I won't be accepted will I? Because of the disorder..." she muttered before he walked out. Inoichi stopped and looked at her. He thought about what he had to say.He was caught off guard when she suddenly smiled and stood up though. "It's okay though. I was prepared for that to happen. I mean even I think it would be safer. You've seen how aggressive I can get so... it's ok." She walked past him out the door. "Bye!" She waved with her back facing him as she walked. --- Hina was silently eating ramen at Ichiraku's ramen shop. A blonde boy was eating next to her. She didn't really give much mind to him however.She was slightly down after the evaluation,knowing that she probably won't be accepted and won't become an official ninja. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be stable enough to be normal. "Ugh, I'm slipping into my emo depression again. Now I'm totally stuck in the retrozone, ugh..." ran the thought through her head.
(If you know where that reference is from I applaud you)
She slurped her ramen calmly until she heard the commotion next to her. She looked to the side and saw that the blonde boy was just in his underwear, apparently searching for some kind of coupon. "I swear I put it in my pocket!! Maybe it's in my other pants..." he muttered."You still have to pay, Naruto." The owner of the ramen shop, Ichiraku, said. The boy screeched slightly, "Ehhh?! But I don't have that much money!!" He cried out, Hina could almost see the comical tears running down his cheeks.Hina giggled and shook her head, "I'll pay his meal, in fact give him one more bowl since he made me laugh." She smiled lightly and continued eating.Both Ichiraku and the boy, Naruto, stared in shock. Ichiraku smiled and started preparing another bowl of ramen for Naruto "Coming right up!" By now Naruto had dressed himself and sat next to Hina, looking at her. He didn't say anything just stared at her in slight confusion. Why was this girl so kind?Hina took down her hood and looked at him, a small smile gracing her lips. Naruto's eyes widened and he blushed. She smiled at him! No one his age ever does that. And she's pretty, even with those weird red tattoos on her face and arms. Wait, those weren't tattoos... it was string?"So what's gotten you so down?" Hina said, pulling the blonde back to the present. "W-What?" He stuttered.Hina smiled softly, "You're sad about something. You're not as great at acting as you think you are." she chuckled lightly.Naruto sighed and looked down sadly. "I... I just failed my genin exam... and how can I be a Hokage if I couldn't even pass the first exam?!" He frowned, still looking down. Hina looked at him, then back down and smiled bitterly."Well what do ya know? Your situation is somewhat similar to mine... " she muttered. Naruto looked at her then back down."Don't worry though! I'm sure you'll become the Hokage one way or another! I believe in you, Naruto! Don't give up on your dream!" She gave him a smile, dimples at the corners of her mouth showing. She truly meant what she said. Not just because he lightened her mood, but also because she felt this thing about him. Something powerful and keen lurking behind those striking blue eyes. Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. How was this girl this nice to him? No one else was and he didn't even know why! He suddenly busted into a grin. "Thank you! I will become Hokage one day! Believe it!!" He shouted, fire entering his gaze once more.Hina smiled back before standing up. She set the money both for both their meals and started walking out, "By the way, I'm Hina. It was nice meeting you Naruto! See ya around!" She said, waving. As she walked down the street a jounin suddenly appeared in front of her. She stopped and looked at him. "Hina Akagawa. You're summoned by the Hokage." He said simply.Hina nodded and he poofed away. Hina sighed and started heading towards the Hokage tower. She was ready for the rejection. --- Hina stood in front of the Hokage. She was waiting for the letdown. Her stomach was tied in an uncomfortable knot. The Hokage noticed that she was slightly tense, despite her trying to cover it up. He smiled lightly. "I don't know why you're so tense, it's not like we're kicking you out. " he said jokingly.Hina laughed in slight nervousness. "Well considering I'm about to hear if I am gonna be allowed to be a ninja or not, I think my stiffness is justified." She smiled slightly.The Hokage laughed lightly, "I guess so. Well I guess I have to tell you the decision. " he said with a small smile.Hina couldn't decipher his expression. Was it a sad or happy smile? Usually she could read people pretty easily, but the Hokage. It was impossible for her."Well I'm sad to announce..." he started. Hina's face fell and her eyes teared up. The elder man noticed and stood up hurrying over to her. "I'm sad to announce that you'll be stuck with a team of genin for awhile." He smiled as he wiped a tear that had already fallen down her cheek.Hina stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, before a grin busted onto her face and she burst into tears of joy.She hugged the Hokage lightly, gripping his long waist coat. "You, old man! Pranking is teenager's job, you made me cry!" She said into his clothes. The Hokage laughed lightly and put a hand on top of her white haired head, petting it lightly."Maybe so, but an old man can have his fun once in awhile, can't he?" He said with a smile. Hina laughed and pulled back, sniffing.The older man finally took out the thing he's been holding behind his back for so long. A Leaf head protecter. Hina stared at it and then grinned again, taking it gingerly from his hand. She held it and smiled down at it in appreciation. "Well, tomorrow you have to be in the academy around 10 am. They will be assigning you to teams of four. Three genin and a leader Jounin." The Hokage said, walking back and sitting at his desk once again.Hina wiped her eyes and sniffled one last time before straightening up. She bowed lightly. "Thank you so much, Lord Hokage. Your kindness is much appreciated." She said, with a small smile.She stood back up and looked at him. The Hokage smiled at her, "You're dismissed." He said. Hina nodded and started heading out. But before she did;"Oh, and Hina. Don't cause too much trouble." The old man said. Hina had opened the door and was halfway out, but she turned her head and have the Hokage a small smirk, "No promises, gramps." She said, then walked out.The Hokage chuckled lightly. "Well tomorrow's bound to be interesting. Her team is in for a rocky journey. " he said, crossing his arms slightly, he leaned back in his chair.Well the whole village would be in for a rocky journey with Hina around. •••
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
•••Hina opened her eyes. She didn't sleep again. Not that it mattered much, she's gotten used to it. Even though she killed her parents with her bare hands and made sure they were dead, her brain keeps on haunting her with memories of her past, every damn time her eyes close. She sighed and got up from her bed. During the night she always only rests her eyes. Then she has to drink a ton of coffee to stay awake throughout the day. She's learned to deal with the bitter taste, even though she hates it with every ounce of her being.Honestly even if she put sugar in it, it still tastes like crap! Before she could get too heated over the thought of coffee, Hina went ahead and showered, and was now dressing up. She tied a black bandana on her head, making a small knot bow in the top. This was the bandana she got from Asuma, after he cut her hair, she had issues tying it up so he gave her the cloth to hold it back. She didn't go out without it, ever. Thus it was so worn and well-loved. Then there was her amethyst necklace. She has it ever since birth. Her clan believed that if she wore her birthstone during their rituals, she wouldn't die from bloodloss or go into cardiac arrest. And it would also provide her with good health throughout the year.Hina shivered lightly. She really has to stop living in the past. Hina sighed and shook her head a bit, "Stop it. You killed them. You checked for a pulse and there was none, stop freaking out... and stop talking to yourself, you loser!" She frowned at herself in the mirror.A smile soon spread on her face when she looked down at the table of her vanity mirror. That's where she left her Leaf head protecter. She took it and tied it around her neck, almost like a choker. She glanced in the mirror and started prepping her stitches. She had areas around her body where she made sure each morning that the stitches were secure by pulling on small knots that tightened the ties.She finished and glanced at the clock. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed her weapon's pouch, jumping out of her window. She was gonna be late as hell and ain't nobody got time for breakfast now. She didn't want to possibly be late. ---
~Hokage tower~
All the Jounins that would be having a team were gathered in a room around the Hokage, staring at the old man's crystal ball and observing all the Genin. Particularly a ravenette boy. His name was Sasuke Uchiha. The last of the Uchiha clan and a really good student. Everyone was interested in him, most of them having met or heard of his brother. He was just a bit too monotone, but no one blamed him. Witnessing the death of your clan would make anyone abnormal. Almost everyone was fawning over him though.Then two girls burst in through the door of the classroom. The pink haired was named Sakura and the blonde - Ino. They started arguing, then noticed Sasuke, started arguing over him, soon joined by the rest of the girls in the class.Soon enough, a blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit got on Sasuke's desk and glared daggers at him. Since he was so close to him, when someone pushed him the two boys locking lips in a painful looking smash of faces. Soon all the girls started beating him up. That blonde boy was named Naruto.Soon enough the teacher, Iruka, walked in and settled the class down. He talked for a bit, but was interrupted by the door sliding open. That seemed to catch everyone's attention, even the Jounins who were, by now, losing interest in the Genin.In walked a white haired girl, she panted lightly and looked up, "Excuse me, I hope I'm not too late. Kinda slept in, he he..." she laughter, nervously scratching the back of her neck.The Hokage chuckled lightly, while Asuma's eye twitched. "Now that I think about it, I don't think it was a good idea to accept her..." he muttered. The Hokage laughed lightly, "Have more faith in her, Asuma!" He said, while the other Jounin stared between the two confused. Who was this girl?Asuma and the Hokage noticed their confusion and both smirked, "Pay attention everyone! This girl right here might put up a show. And remember her name, Hina Akagawa." The Hokage said, while looking back into the crystal ball.
~Classroom~
Hina stood straight up and looked at Iruka. He looked her over and then at some of the papers in his hands, searching for something confirming that he was supposed to have a new student and then he noticed a new name."Oh, you must be Hina Akagawa, am I right?" He said, looking over to her. Hina nodded and looked around. Everyone seemed to be looming at her in with interest. "Sorry, for the bother. Yes, I'm Hina." she said, biting her lip to keep her mouth from spreading into a sheepish smile. Everyone luckily seemed to lose interest soon enough and looked back at Iruka. She took the time to examine the whole class, trying to see if there was anyone familiar. Her eyes came upon a girl with platinum blonde hair, pulled back into a high ponytail. She wore a purple crop top and skirt, the skin of her stomach and thighs wrapped in bandages. Her eyes were a striking icy blue. Hina recognized her as Inouchi's daughter. He'd once shown her a family picture with his wife and daughter and the latter was in this class. She'd have to make sure to try and befriend her later. Then her gaze was caught by another striking blonde with an orange jumpsuit, who was looking back at her with wide eyes. She grinned and started walking towards the him. Her movement seemed to catch everyone's attention. She stopped in front of the desk."Told ya, I'd see you around, Na-ru-to." She said, cutting his name up to sections. Naruto stared at her shocked. She remembered him?! He stayed silent then busted out into a grin."Hey, Hina-chan!" He shouted.Hina smiled and poked his forhead, before glancing back at Iruka, "Can I sit with him?" She asked, giving a small smile. Iruka sighed and relented, motioning for her to sit and so she did. "So as I was saying. As of today you're all ninjas. You faced many difficult hardships to get here, but that's nothing, what comes next is far more difficult. Now you're only Genin - first level ninjas. You'll all be grouped into three man squads and each squad will be led by a Jounin - an elite ninja." Iruka finished. Hina yawned and leaned back in her seat, while Ino and Sakura started passive aggressively bickering."Well someone's gotta be in Sasuke's group. I wonder who." Ino said, with a small smirk. "I don't know." Sakura answered. Hina looked to the side, "Who's Sasuke?" She questioned.The two girls looked at her like she had grown a second head. Said ravenette also glanced at her. Sakura and Ino glanced at him than back at Hina again.Hina looked at him for a second before snorting a bit, placing a pale hand over her lips. So this was Sasuke? These two, admittedly pretty, girls were fighting over him?"What's so funny?!" Ino exclaimed, glaring at the white headed girl. Hina shook her head a bit and waved her hand in dismissal. "Nothing. It's just that, boys like him, where I come from and in my clan, aren't considered worth glancing at a second time, let alone fight over." She laughed softly, trying not to go into a full blown laugh. Sakura and Ino gaped at her, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. Naruto gaped with the girls, but a pleased grin spread on his face. There was a cough and they all looked back to Iruka,who was giving a pointed stare "Sakura, Ino. You can get to know Hina, after we're done..." He said. Hina coughed lightly and leaned back in her seat as the two other girls apologized quietly and sat back as well. Iruka nodded, "We want the teams to have a balance between strengths and abilities so that's how we set them up." He started again. "So now I will announce the squads." He finished.He announced around six squads and Hina was quickly losing whatever attention she had retained in the beginning. "Squad 7. Naruto Uzumaki..." both Hina and Naruto perked up. "Sakura Haruno..." Naruto stood up and cheered, while Sakura hung her head. "I'm doomed..." she muttered, causing Hina to frown slightly."...Sasuke Uchiha..." Iruka continues. Now Sakura cheered, while Naruto hung his head low, repeating the same line Sakura did. "And since this year there is an odd number of graduating students in this squad, the Homage has decided that there will be a fourth Genin." Iruka said.Two of the three already mentioned Genin perked slightly. A fourth member? Sakura frowned lightly. It better not be a girl! She'll try to take MY Sasuke!! She thought."The fourth member is Hina Akagawa." Iruka finished. Hina smiled lightly, cheering jokingly. Naruto grinned, Sakura sighed in relief and Sasuke... he just said 'Hn'."The next team will be 8..." Hina just blocked out the rest. She was in a team with a hyperactive boy, a fangirl and an Emo seems like... this team is bound to be interesting.She tuned back in when Naruto spoke, "Iruka-sensei! Why does a ninja like me have to be with a slug like Sasuke?!" He shouted. Hina had to hear this.Iruka looked up from his papers "Hmm, Sasuke had the best scores of the graduating students. And you, Naruto, had the worst." He said. Everyone laughed. Hina just pouted lightly. "To create a balance in the team we put the best student, with the worst." He finished.Naruto growled, "Just don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke said. Naruto growled "What did you say?!" He shouted. "Hard hearing?" Sasuke retorted. "Knock it off, Naruto! Sit down!" Sakura said.Hina's face fell into a monotone expression and she looked at Sasuke, leaning her head on her hand. "Is it time for that duck ass on your head to lay an egg, because your insults certainly sound strained. 'Loser'? Says the one with the whole Emo get up. We know you're searching for attention. So what? Your clan died, big fucking deal, get over it." She said clamly, looking at the stitches on her wrist.Everyone gaped at her. Even Iruka! Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her, face slowly turning red.Hina gave him a side glance, "I recommend you keep whatever you have to say to yourself,because I honestly couldn't care less." She uttered, tilting her head lightly. When he didn't speak, she shook her head and stood up."I'm tired of this bull. I'm gonna go and have lunch. I assume we meet our teachers later today in this classroom. Have a nice day!" She waved without looking at everyone and just exited the classroom. She walked down the hall and exhaled lightly "Well I let my temper slip. Great first impression Hina, 10/10, keep up the good work..." she muttered. •••
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
~Hokage office~
"You wanted to speak with me, Lord Hokage?" The Jounin asked.The Hokage looked at him and nodded. "Yes, Kakashi. About a member of your team." He said, setting down the paperwork he had been working on and entwining his fingers in front of his face. The gray haired man raised an eyebrow. "If it's about Naruto, I already know that I have to keep the Kyuubi in check." Kakashi said.The Hokage shook his head slightly, "No, it's not about Naruto." He said. Kakshi stared at him and waited for him to continue. The Hokage sighed. "It's about Hina. She's had and still has some issues, caused by her not so nice childhood..." he said, taking out documents and reports and setting them on the desk.At the front was a picture of Hina. But this was different. She looked, almost lifeless in it. Her hair was longer than it was now. And she was obviously younger. Across the information written on the paper there was a stamp with the kanji for 'Top Secret' ( 秘 ). Kakashi stared at it, before slowly picking it up. He looked up at the Hokage questioningly. The older man nodded lightly. He was going to find out sooner or later, might as well now.Kakashi opened it and started reading through it. His eyes gradually became wider, well the visible one. He looked up at the Hokage, but didn't say anything. He continued reading soon enough, flipping through the multitudes of pages with psychological evaluations. The Hokage shook his head lightly, "This is unknown to a lot of people. Even Root isn't fully informed. She's a very sweet girl, even though she has trouble managing her emothins." He said. Kakashi hesitated before continuing to read.He finished and looked up, but didn't speak. "Look, Kakashi. If you don't want her I'll transfer her to another team, but you have to keep quiet about this." The Hokage said calmly.Kakashi thought for a second, then shook his head. "No, I'll take her. I have the least right to judge someone for their past and who they've killed. But why did you show me this in the first place?" He asked, tossing the files back onto the desk.The Hokage sighed. "Because you have to be aware of her past. Inoichi diagnosed her with Bipolar disorder. I need you to keep an eye on her, she can get extremely aggressive. Asuma was her teacher for seven years, if you want you can go talk with him about what you should expect. I just need you to be careful with what you do or say around her and make sure she doesn't hurt anybody too badly. This morning in the classroom was enough of a fiasco as it was, she's probably going to be stressed because of it and possibly jumpy." He said. Kakashi nodded but stared for a bit, "Then why did you allow her to be a ninja? She's obviously not stable enough to handle it. I can already tell she will be making rash decisions." He stated. The Hokage stared at him for a bit before sighing."Because that's the only way to get her stable. And she won't be rash. She might have slight anger management issues, but she knows how to use her head. If she didn't, the whole village would've blown up a long time ago. Believe it or not, during life or death situations, she is probably even more coldhearted and level headed than ANBU. On multiple occasions Ibiki has asked her to interrogate people..." the Hokage started.Kakashi raished both of his thin eyebrows. "And how'd that turn out?" He asked. The Hokage looked up, expression turning slightly morbid. "None of them lasted more than 10 minutes. She is an excellent 4 in Genjutsu and took up a special technique from her clan, lord knows how that will turn out when she's older. I will not speak of it for now. Just don't underestimate her because of her lack of skill in Taijutsu. She spends a lot of time and observing people, her analytical skills are extraordinary." his eyes were hidden under his hat.Kakashi stayed silent after that. He stared at the files, more precisely, Hina's picture. This was bound to be a rocky journey. ---
~Academy classroom~
"He's late..." Naruto said irritably. Hina sighed and shrugged as she continued eating her apple. She wasn't really all the bothered by their sensei being late, that just means she has extra time to be lazy and eat.Naruto continued looking out the door for anyone who could possibly be their teacher. "Naruto, just sit down!" Sakura scolded. "I don't wanna. How come our teacher is the only one late? I'm ready to roll, believe it! The other teams already met their new teachers and probably went on some adventure or something and Iruka sensei left too!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura sighed. "We know, okay? Hey! What are you doing?" Sakura exclaimed. Hina looked up and saw Naruto trying to stick an eraser between the door and wall. She sighed and shook her head, "Just let him be. Besides the teacher deserves it. He's making us wait too long." Hina said between chews. She wasn't as energetic as before. The tension between the Uchiha and her was still present but neither addressed or acknowledged the other.Despite what she said though, Sakura continued to scold the knuckle headed blonde. "Our teacher is a Jounin - an elite ninja. Do you think he'd fall for that?" Sasuke asked and Sakura, of course, agreed with him.Hina chuckled, "You'd be surprised..." she said with a small smirk. Right after she said that, someone slid the door open and poked their head in. The eraser fell and landed on their head. It was a Jounin with weird, gravity defying gray hair. As the eraser fell to the ground, Naruto started laughing and Hina put a hand over her lips, snickering. "He fell for it!" Naruto shouted almost falling over in laughter."I'm sorry sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! I would never do something like that!" Sakura exclaimed.Hina scoffed "Way to kiss ass..." she muttered under her breath.The Jounin walked over and picked the eraser, staring at it "Hmm, how can I put this? My first impression of this group... you're a bunch of idiots." He said calmly. An irk mark appeared on Hina's forehead as she clenched her shaking fists, "Who're you calling idiots, eraser head...?" She growled slightly. --- Everyone moved to the roof top. The four Genin sat on some steps and the Jounin stood in front of them, leaning on the railing. Hina still had steam coming out of her ears and was silently contemplating on pushing him over that damned railing."Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves? One at a time." The Jounin said. Sakura looked confused. "Introduce ourselves? Well, what are we supposed to say?" She asked.Hina looked at her, wondering if she should make a sarcastic remark. But she decided against it. She already put herself in a bad light, she didnt need her teammates to hate her even more. Kakashi sighed. "Things you like, things you hate. Dreams for the future, hobbies. Things like that." He finished, crossing his arms. "Well why don't you start? So we know how it's supposed to work." Naruto suggested. "Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I dislike - I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future - never even thought about it. And as for my hobbies - I have lots of them.", the Jounin said calmly."Yea, well this was totally useless. All he really told us was his name..." Sakura muttered, annoyed and Naruto agreed with her. All Hina needed to know was his name though. She could easily figure him out by just observing him, if she really wanted to. But it was usually pretty boring."Okay, your turn. You on the right. You first." Kakashi said looking towards Naruto. "Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like the instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka sensei buys me at Ichiraku's noodle shop. But I hate the 4 minutes you have to wait when you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different types of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is to become the greatest Hokage!"Hina smiled slightly. Even though he might seem like an idiot just by that description, she knew that there were more layers to him. That aren't obvious at first glance and she couldn't wait to figure them out. "Okay next.." Kakashi said."I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like uh... I mean the person I like is..." Sakura giggled as she looked at Sasuke. "Uhh my hobby is..uh" she giggled again. "My dream for the future is..." she squealed loudly, making Hina cringe. "And what do you hate...?" Kakashi questioned. "Naruto!" Sakura said. Naruto got depressed while Hina pouted, she patted his back, "She doesn't really mean it, don't worry, Naruto... Sakura, that was bitchy." She said, glaring over Naruto's blonde hair. Kakashi sweatdropped slightly. "Well she's certainly positive..." he thought. Kakashi jumped lightly when the whitehead looked at him, with a look that said 'I know what you're thinking at any given moment, so you better be careful or your house just might burn down.'Hina sighed softly and started talking without being addressed. "My name is Hina Akagawa. The things I like are not really important at the moment, as well as the things I dislike. I think it would be interesting for both you and me if you find that out on your own. I have lots of hobbies, most of them circling around art, training and.... Sewing." She scratched her head sheepishly. "And as for my dream for the future... well I still think it's too early for a twelve-year-old kid to decide that." She shrugged, before leaning back.Everyone fell silent. Kakashi looked at her and nodded, before looking over to Sasuke. "And the last one?" He said."My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I'll make it a reality. I will restore my clan and kill a certain someone." Sasuke said. Everyone fell silent once again. Naruto was silently freaking out, while Sakura was swooning. Hina snickered."Needless to say that he will forever be our little ray of sunshine..." she said, trying to sound serious, but failing with a snort. She just couldn't resist, the situation was just screaming for her sass!Sasuke was really close to attempting murder against Hina and she knew it. She looked over at him with a mocking smirk.Before the two can jump at each other, Kakashi spoke up, "Good, you're each unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." He said, crossing his arms. Naruto perked at that. "Ehh?! What kind of mission are we going to have?!" He asked with a grin on his face. Hina couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm, he was just so bright."It's a task that the five of us will do together." Kakashi said. Hina snickered "Well you don't say! We weren't put into teams just to do crap together!" Hina said sarcastically, but she wasn't sure if she was heard over Naruto's loud excited shouts. Kakashi just glanced at Hina, before looking at the Genin as a whole. "A survival exercise." he said, sounding serious and causing Hina to raise an eyebrow."Huh, survival exercise?" Naruto questioned. Sakura frowned "I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, no more practice. We already did this stuff at the academy, that's how we got here!" she said, crossing her arms. Hina thought for a second. Asuma talked about this Kakashi guy once, unless her memory is as bad as her sleeping habits. He said that Kakashi did these. And none of his previous students passed. He didn't want to tell her what the exercise was all about though, that would be too easy. "This is not like your previous training." Kakashi said. "So what kind of training is it then?" Hina asked, just to raise an eyebrow right after as Kakashi started chuckling. Creepy much?? she thought. Hina nodded slightly as Sakura asked him what was funny. Like seriously he was being more creepy than her... and that's never a good thing!"Well if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it." Kakashi said as he waved his hand, as if to shoo something away. Hina raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Of the 28 graduates, only 9 will be actually accepted as Genin. The rest will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it, pass-fail test. And the chances that you'll fail are at least 66%." he finished. Hina wistled in amazement, "That's harsh..." she said, causing everyone to sweatdrop. Kakashi looked at the rest and smirked at their expressions, "See didn't I tell you, you wouldn't like it!" he said. Naruto fell out of his initial shock an glared "That's crazy! We worked so hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?!" he shouted. Hina sighed as she leaned back, "Probably to select which students could become Genin or not. And in all honesty it's better if the people who aren't cut out for it, be burned down. The Jounin who are esentially selected to be their teachers could be out on solo missions and gaining profit for the village. If you think about it, that tactic is strategically correct in the current situation." she said thoughtfully. She stopped and looked at her teammates, who were staring at her in blatant shock.The white head shrugged, "Didn't they teach you strategy and tacticts, as well as village management in the academy? It's also common sense." she said. Kakashi just nodded "That's how it is. I decide wether you pass or fail. Be at the designated spot at 5 am and bring your ninja gear." he said, as he finally stood up straight from his prop against the railing.Hina wasn't worried at all. She looked at her teammates in interest and started analizing them. Naruto had a look of detemination as well as Sakura, while Sasuke was as monotone as a rock. She sighed and shook her head, pointing her attention back at Kakashi, wanting to be dismissed already. "That's it, you're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you might want to skip breakfast, you'll puke." The Jounin finished off.Hina scoffed. She would take her chances and eat! She already doesn't sleep so she ain't skipping no breakfast! She ain't skipping her sweet dango deliciousness for hell. OOOOOH HELLL TO THE NAAAWW- •••