She wasn't an elite jonin for nothing. Likewise she was a jonin sensei and had to make sure her students always felt sure of their futures. So there was no way in hell she was going to openly display her shock at what her students had told her earlier today. Of course there was no conceivable way for her to not be shocked, Hinata was the result of an experiment and has Mokuton! The only thing that could surprise her more is if Kushina-sensei somehow came back from the dead. Though honestly if the woman found out how the village treats her daughter she wouldn't be surprised if she did so just to kick the village's collective ass.
So Hinata managed to successfully manifest the Mokuton in an attempt to save Naruko from receiving a curse mark. Well if nothing else it was a good thing for the group. The fact of the matter is there was no way this couldn't benefit them. Well it might paint a target on their back when it comes to ninja from other villages. But the team had the Hyuuga heiress, the last Uchiha, and the whole mess of things that could describe Naruko. This iteration of Team 7 would likely be the most infamous since the time of the Sannin. So given that they're already targets, one of them having Mokuton will be a far greater boon then bane.
"You know Kurenai, you really have grown quite beautiful in the past few years."
"Jiraiya, I will castrate you. You old toad."
The man shrugs. "Nothing I haven't been threatened with before." He had lost count of how many times Tsunade alone had threatened him. "So you wanted to talk about my training with the little Hyuuga?"
"Yeah, I'll get straight to the point. Orochimaru had a hand in her birth, she has wood in her veins." The mans eyes widen. The two of the were alone in her apartment, but the walls have eyes and ears, so she figured it's better to speak in code. Even if it's not very subtle.
"I see. And I assume you want me to help her learn to use it?" He hadn't really any experience with Mokuton, though he had helped train that Tenzo kid for a few months, but beyond that he had done nothing. Of course he doubts Kurenai is even aware of Tenzo's existence, as he is one of the villages greatest secrets.
Kurenai nods, "You should know just how potent it is. There is perhaps no greater tool."
"You're right about that. It's one of the strongest kekkei genkai, if she can master it then she'll be a shinobi unlike any before her." The Byakugan and Mokuton being used together sounded incredible. The girl would be unstoppable if she could master it.
"You know you seem to be taking this much better than I did." Though her genin thought she had taken the information with no trouble. It wasn't true, but there was no way she could show that.
"You forget Orochimaru is my teammate, there have only ever been four other people who knew him as well I do and three of them are dead." Sarutobi-sensei had never known Orochimaru as well as he thought, otherwise he would have known that giving the man the order to research jutsu for the good of Konoha, without ordering him to use ethics, would end in disaster. Jiraiya had known better, he knew his teammate and how he functioned. But he was acting on the Hokage's orders and he was Jiraiya's best friend, of course he wasn't going to stop him. Of course most of Konoha had come to think they now bitterly hated each other. That couldn't be further from the truth, all of the Sannin still met up for drinks once a year, because they didn't have much other family left. Sure it might have been a little treacherous, but it wasn't much more than tacitly allowing Danzo to have a second Anbu (even if they weren't called as such) under his command. "It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that he would pull something like this."
"Right, well do you think you could manage to train her in it?"
"I can pull something together." He already had a basis, he could make it work. "Does she already know the basics of earth and water manipulation?"
"She does, all of my genin have completed the first stage of elemental manipulation for their natures. And have all started on the second stage."
"Well alright then, if nothing else she should have some control over it by the end of the month." He could work with that, he had managed more from less with Tenzo, and Hinata was supposedly real talented. "You know I'm surprised you're getting outside help for training them."
"I won't let my pride get in the way of my genin's growth."
"An admirable trait, I'll pick Hinata up at the training ground tomorrow. Unless she seeks you out on your own time she's my problem for the next month. Be sure to train Naruko well." Kurenai nods.
"I would do no less."
***
"You know Naru-chan I'm surprised you did such a good job picking out your new clothes."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, normally you have no sense of style." Hinata didn't just buy Naru-chan clothes because she enjoys it, though she does immensely, but rather because the other girl was almost hopeless when it comes to style. Looking over her redheaded girlfriend she can't help but nod in approval. She was still in a dress, though this once was a deep red that went nicely with her hair. She was wearing a navy blue Obi that had her new forehead protector on it. Underneath the dress she was wearing what Hinata would like guess to be a black leotard, though she could only see the bit that stuck out at the chest. Along with that she had mesh armor covering her arms. Unlike the previous mesh it was black to blend in with the leotard, but was still visible against her pail skin.
"Is that all you have to say after we haven't spoken in a month?"
"Ah my mistake, you're as gorgeous as ever, and I've missed you." The redhead smiles at that. They had decided to not meet until the day before the exams, because they both wanted to fully throw themselves into training. Though Naruko nearly broke that multiple times to go see her girlfriend, but they had agreed and she wasn't going to break her word, at least not in regards to Hina-chan. The two girls were sitting on a stool in front of Ichiraku Ramen, they had figured it would be a good place to catch up and get a meal.
"So are you ready to face Neji tomorrow?"
"He won't be a problem." She had no doubt in her mind that she would crush him, and hopefully drill some hope into him. Weird how she plans on doing both. "You know I definitely liked it better when you had long hair, but I gotta say the black tips actually look pretty nice. It gives you an edgy look."
"Isn't being edgy a bad thing? Like that's how Sasuke used to be."
"First of all, Sasuke is still edgy. Secondly looking edgy and being edgy aren't the same thing, you're to inherently naive to ever be edgy, but you can pull the look off."
"You know most people would consider it an insult to be called naive."
"Yeah, but everyone who knows you knows how naive you are. You're innocent, it's part of your appeal." Though she certainly planned on taking that innocence.
"Am I really innocent if I've killed other genin in cold blood?"
"Naru-chan you didn't even know what a threesome was until Anko mentioned having one with Kurenai-sensei and Hana-san."
"What can I say, I hadn't really thought about having sex with multiple people before that point. It's not like I haven't thought about sex before." She may or may not have experimented at getting off to the thought of her girlfriend, but she was a soon to be teenager with needs.
"Yes but you only know the bare minimum and what's been explained to you as it comes. And that makes you innocent. Also if you need an example of your naivete just think about how you let Fuu be your friend, despite the fact that her friend melted my hand. It's not a bad thing, but it's still a facet of who you are."
"Okay I kind of see your point."
"You should know by now I'm always right."
"Hina-chan, that can't be true."
"And why's that?"
"Well for one there was the time you ignored me by accident for a while." That was still relatively recent and kind of hurts sometimes. But Naruko was nothing if not forgiving when it comes to her girlfriend.
"Okay, I see your point."
"So yeah, you're not always right. Just most of the time."
"So then if I say you should be kissing me right now, would I be right?"
A polite cough interrupts them and they turn to Teuchi. "Don't kiss my second daughter right in front of me."
"Okay, but what if I groped her instead?"
"If you were a boy I'd castrate you for that comment. Naruko-chan, you're forbidden from seeing her anymore!"
"But Oji-san I'm just entering into my rebellious faze. So I'm gonna ignore that." Not that she thought he was serious. Well he might have been, it was hard to tell with him some times.
"Ayame! She's growing up again!"
"Tou-chan I'm right here. You don't have to shout."
"None of my daughters respect me." Naruko couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it.
"If it makes you feel better I'm not half as bad as Fuu." He had met the green haired girl once and nearly had a heart attack when he saw her grope the little redhead (they had gone to Ichiraku with her the night they got back from the exams). She was banned from the shop.
"That's not saying much." There weren't many people like Fuu so being better when it comes to Naruko wasn't hard.
"Fair point."
The two girls finish their meals and pay. While the Ichiraku family would never actually charge them for a meal, not after how they met Naruko all those years ago, the two girls still payed them. It was only right and it helped keep the family afloat. As it turns out a free meal is less so when it helps put the people they care for out of business.
"Are you two gonna come watch the exams tomorrow?"
"We'll be in the arena but we're gonna be vendors, we have a stall set up." The chunin exams would be a great time for business, of course they would be working.
"Alright, well See you later then Ojisan! Bye Ayame-neechan!" The two girls quietly exit the stall. Naruko gives her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips and then says, "I'll see you tomorrow Hina-chan, you're up first so you better get some rest."
"I will Naru-chan. And don't think you can get away with forgoing rest either."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna need all the energy I can get if I'm gonna win." Hinata had convinced the redhead to give it her all, even if it means trying to beat her in the finals. She wanted to win but she, and likely the elders, wouldn't accept such a fake victory. Of course Hinata was fully confident she'd win. Her girlfriend was powerful, but Hinata had always shown to be stronger.
"Alright then. Night Naru-chan. I love you."
"I love you too." The two shared a quick hug and a chaste kiss then went their separate ways.