The group had split up, Hinata had gone back to meet with the Hyuuga clan about the mission. And of course in regards to her now missing hand. Kurenai had gone to get some rest and then see if Yugao would be willing to help her with her Kenjutsu. Sasuke and Naruko had shared a look and made their way to the Uchiha clan compound.
The two soon found themselves sitting across from one another in Sasuke's living room. After several moments of silence Naruko speaks up. "I owe you an explanation. What do you want me to start with?"
"Why do the villagers hate you?"
"You know how the demon attacked the village on the night of my birth?" He actually didn't know it was her birthday, but he knew about the attack.
"Do they think you're the demon because of your birthday?" They would have to be supremely stupid to think so.
"No, they think I'm the demon because the Yondaime defeated it by sealing it inside me."
"Oh." Well that made more sense. "Are you the demon?"
"I don't think so, I always thought I was a little to squishy to be a fearsome demon." She says while poking at her cheek to prove her point. Sasuke rolls his eyes.
"Are you an Uchiha?"
Naruko gives him an odd look. "I don't know, I have no idea who my father is, but I do know my mother is an Uzumaki. Why do you ask? Wait, did my eyes change on the bridge"
He nods. "They were entirely red with rings and tomoe spread along the rings."
"I don't know if that's a Sharingan or not, I know the Juubi, the name of the demon, has those eyes though." Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about learning that the demon who destroyed the village had something like a Sharingan.
"Is Kaguya real?"
"Yes the Juubi is a part of her, she's like the conscious, I guess." So the being that destroyed the village had a Byakugan and a Sharingan? That is odd. There was a legend in his family that the two descended from the same person but he had never put much stock in it. It also meant this Uzume woman was real.
"I see, thank you for telling me all this."
"No worries, you're like my second closest friend, and you're the closest if I don't count Hina-chan, cause she's my girlfriend." She meant it, she had a small circle of friends as it stood anyways, she was only tangentially friends with Shikamaru and Choji. And while she was fond of Shino he could never stand to be around her.
A warm feeling spreads through Sasuke at that. It was one thing to consider the two girls his friends but it's another to know the feelings mutual.
"Sasuke you're blushing, Hina-chan's gonna be mad." Naruko still remembered being told that people blush cause it means they like her, she missed the embarrassment point, and Hina-chan would be mad that he liked her.
"It's not because I love you Naruko."
"Oh, then why are you blushing."
He sighs as the blush disappears, "It's called being bashful or shy. Sometimes people blush when they are embarrassed."
"Oh, why are you embarrassed?"
"I'm gonna let you figure that out for yourself." She probably never would, the redhead was just to naive and lacked common sense.
***
Hinata was having a much less pleasant conversation as she sat between her father and mother. Together they were sitting across from the clan elders.
One of the elders spoke. "Hiashi-sama I must insist we seal her and place her in the branch family. She's no longer fit to be the heiress."
A different elder spoke, "I disagree. I think we should just find her a suitably strong husband. She is still talented and her children will be too. So we should simply try and have her produce heirs that will instead inherit the clan." Several of the other elders seemed to support this idea.
After several minutes of the elders discussing this Hiashi speaks. "Hinata, do you intend to continue active duty?"
"Yes, Otou-sama." The elders quiet at that.
"Then I will make you a deal. The chunin exams are in a few months. If you win it all and are promoted, then you will not be forced to marry early, nor will you be forced into the branch house. If you win the exams I will not allow suitors to approach you until you're sixteen." The elders didn't seem to like this idea, but it was a decree from the clan head, they couldn't directly oppose it. But the girl would fail, especially since there is no guarantee her sensei would even put her in the exams.
"I accept, thank you Otou-sama." She knew her father had just bought her time. If she could win the chunin exams then she would have a few more years with Naruko, years that she could use to frame the elders. So she would just have to be better than she was with both hands. She'd have to train harder than ever before. She couldn't afford any less.
"Hiashi-sama you cannot be serious, what if the girl is kidnapped while she's like this?"
"You forget her talent. She will prove her strength, just as she always has. And did you forget the demon," He had to bite back a wince, he never once thought of Naruko as the beast, but the elders were more responsive when he acted like he hated her, "It still wants to protect Hinata no matter what, if she is kidnapped I have no doubts it will save her and bring her back."
Hinata was inclined to agree, Naru-chan would realize quickly if Hinata went missing. And she'd likely follow her kidnappers to the ends of the earth to find them. The perks of having a wide range sensor as a girlfriend.
***
Team 7 met once more three days later, Kurenai had a few noticeable bruises but she had never seemed more pleased to her genin. The woman had been training with Anko and Yugao almost religiously for the past three days. Looking at her genin, particularly Hinata, she can see they've been much the same. Well it's not so obvious on Naruko because the redhead has an almost insane healing factor, but the point stands (Sasuke has likely been healing her too).
"We're not going to be taking any missions for the next month, thanks to the leave Hokage-sama gave us. Don't think for even a second that doesn't mean we won't be working. This next month is going to be hell for all three of you." And herself, because she wouldn't just be training the kids. She was going to reach S-rank and nothing would stop her.
And so the group trained. Naruko had spent a lot of her free time helping Hinata with using her kicks properly. Sasuke had spent a lot of free time researching Medical Jutsu. Of course none of this includes what they worked on with Kurenai. By the end of the month Hinata and Sasuke had become as fast as Naruko was at graduation. The redhead had only gotten faster. Kurenai estimated the girl to be reaching mid-high chunin level speeds.
All three of them had been taught Kurenai's personal favorite Genjutsu Magen: Jubaku Satsu (Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death). She wasn't going to let up on teaching them Genjutsu. It had been real hard to teach Hinata. The white eyed girl had picked up on the principals fairly easily, but with only one hand she had to figure out how to use it one handed. If the girl didn't have as excellent control of her chakra as she does then it wouldn't even be possible for her. The girl could learn, but it would always be harder for her to use Jutsu now.
Naruko had started to notice Hina-chan acting odd over the course of the month. The white eyed girl seemed to have gotten clingier, like she's running out of time to live. Something had been bothering her and the girl wasn't talking to Naruko about it. She had also been much fiercer in her spars. Of course for the most part Naruko had gained the advantage. It was weird and almost felt wrong to the redhead that she was winning the majority of their spars. She hadn't realized just how much comfort she drew from Hina-chan being strong enough to win most of the time. It was like she was a pillar that Naruko always leaned on, and now that pillar is crumbling.
It all confused Naruko so much. Hina-chan refused to leave her alone, the girl was physically closer than ever, and yet she was the farther emotionally than Naruko could ever remember. It kind of hurt. It's like the girl she loves is slowly disappearing, or leaving her. Naruko didn't really know what to do and it made her feel like someone was squeezing her heart.
Hinata didn't know why she didn't tell Naru-chan the truth of what's going on. She supposed she just didn't want to worry her girlfriend. Because she knew Naru-chan would be worrying out of her mind if she knew about Hinata's deal with her father. She'd understand, the redhead always had.
Kurenai and Sasuke had noticed the distance between the two but had no idea what was causing it. They could at least tell the trouble it was causing Naruko, the very same trouble Hinata seemed oblivious too. For now they intend to let the other two work it out themselves. Kurenai had resolved to step in if it seems to interfere with their ability to do missions. Or if Hinata somehow makes Naruko cry