Easily recalling Naruto''s determination to protect his team against the Demon of Hidden Mist, Sakura wondered why it mattered more to Hinata-chan. Deciding then and there to trainter, she asks a question she wasn''t sure was appropriate earlier in the day. "Are we going to celebrate Naruto making it into the third test?" Sakura simply can''t imagine Sasuke attending that gathering.


    "Of course," Kakashi answers. "We''re a team. We celebrate our aplishments and our defeats together." Sakura isn''t confident that''s going to go as well as her sensei seems to imagine when she hears him add, "speaking of our team, as a precautionary measure, I want Team 7 to stay together."


    Drawing her brows close in curiosity, Sakura asks, "precaution against what?"


    "Not a what," Kakashi corrects but doesn''t borate.


    "…Orochimaru," Sakura easily guesses. As the only threat in her team''s lives, the legendary missing-nin is the only answer that makes sense. Recalling Sasuke''s fiendish transformation, she remarks, "I saw where those dark marks on Sasuke originated from. It''s the same location Orochimaru bit him."


    "I''ll let you know when I decide where we''ll be staying," Kakashi continues, subtly informing her that''s all he''ll say about that at the moment.


    Curious about a certain point, Sakura asks, "is Hakuing as well? I can''t imagine Naruto agreed to leave without him; and I guess, even Karin-chan."


    "Naruto-kun is staying at Iruka''s," Kakashi asserts.


    "I don''t understand," Sakura slowly states.


    Her sensei casually answers, "he''ll be fine on his own," instantly reaffirming her disparaging thoughts.


    "…But I won''t," she glumly voices.


    "It''s just a precaution, Sakura-chan," he tries to cate.


    To Sakura, the thought of staying with Sasuke didn''t seem as appealing as it would''ve been two or three months ago. He nearly killed Naruto and even if they''re trained in the art of assassination, to casually do so against his a teammate… the raven-haired avenger has grown to be a source of confusing turmoil.


    ''But Sasuke always said as much,'' her efficient mind always reminds her, making her wonder, yet again, how long she''s been blind to this side of Sasuke.


    She then asks Kakashi, "can''t I stay here?"


    "It''s not advisable," he says with a head tilt. "Until we''re certain there is no threat, strength in numbers would be for the best which is why I''d feel morefortable if you remain with active shinobi. If she consents, you''re wee to stay with Kurenai-sensei."


    ''Hinata-chan stays there,'' Sakura thinks. Not liking either option, Sakura asks, "can I ask someone else?"


    HINATA


    "I see," her father states eying both his daughter and nephew. "Regardless of who the victor is between you, you will both represent the Hyūga n with strength and distinction." Turning to Neji, hemands, "leave us."


    When they are alone, her father frankly tells her, "six months ago, I could never have predicted you would secure a ce in the finals of the Chūnin exams. Even now, I can''t be certain if you earned it through your own efforts or thepetition this year has grownx. In either case, I will be in attendance and with my own eyes, bear witness what your true worth to this n is.


    It would be in your interest to do all you can to please me, fore your future will be decided upon the oue of your match."


    Hinata barely heard anything her father said, only half paying attention.


    Everything that happened in that room of the prelims was still freshly reying in her mind; from Naruto''s reaction to Kabuto-san, to Naruto''s fight with Sasuke, the grievous injury she always tries not to recall, Ino-chan''s screaming of Naruto''s name, Naruto''s red chakra, her unexpected anger throughout her fight with Sakura, her entire team reaching the final test, and the favor Naruto asked of her.


    "I said, dismissed," Hiashi nearly growls.


    Returning her full attention to the dire present, Hinata blushes with embarrassment as she stands and bows, but before she leaves, she recalls with vivid rity the favor Naruto had asked her.


    After being dismissed by Hokage-sama, to be called by Naruto made her heart hammer into her ribcage as he runs over to her.


    She nearly passed out as he leaned in to whisper, "do you know how to release chakra out of all your tenketsu''s? I need some help with that sort of chakra control training."


    A beet-red blushing Hinata had never wanted to learn a thing so much in her life and it crushed her heart to have to tell him, "I-I''m so-sorry, Na-Naruto-kun," and shakes her head when she couldn''t finish her sentence, hoping he understood she was letting him down and praying he didn''t hate her for it.


    To her immense joy, he simply smiled and shrugged, saying, "that''s okay. I''ll figure something-"


    "But I''ll learn it for- for- for-" A red-faced Hinata swallows her overbearing stress to edge out her nervousness so she can finish, "for you."


    His sensei had called him then, but he happily extended his fist for a bump. Hinata struggled to meet his skin, but did so through tremendous grit and effort, and thanked Kami Kurenai-sensei showed up and kept her from fainting with aforting palm on her shoulder. Naruto said goodbye to them both before rushing to meet his sensei and Hinata knew she wanted to be better for him.


    Naruto had asked for her help and she''s never felt so much motivation to improve. So it''s with great ease that Hinata returns to her seated position and bows to her stoic and curious father as she ardently speaks, "Otou-sama, as you''ve always noticed, Ick training. I humbly request to be instructed in the ways of the Eight Trigram Palms Kaiten."


    "No. You''re not strong enough," her father simply states, and Hinata easily hears, ''not strong enough to defeat your younger sister, not strong enough to defeat your cousin from the branch family, not strong enough to be the heir of this n.''


    With thoughts of what this means for Naruto, for how proud she wants to make him and her sensei, Hinata maintains with love-guided determination, "if I am not strong enough, then I must be strong enough. I must, Otou-sama, and there is room for nothing else."


    She only heard her father hum deeply which all but told her she''ll be able to help Naruto.


    TEMARI


    Laying in bed, repeatedly counting the wood beam and t paneled ceiling, Temari concentrates on nothing but her breathing and her counting. It''s a coping mechanism that was taught to her for dealing with stressful thoughts or being in agitating situations.


    She''s nearly certain there are a total of seven hundred and thirty-four hairline fractures on the ceiling when a knock on the doorpletely disrupted her tranquil train of thought.


    Suddenly she remembers where she is, why she''s there, and what she''ll likely be ordered to do. When they wouldn''t stop knocking, she yells to the ceiling, "what?" She doesn''t turn to him as she hears him enter without permission, to which she deres, "Kankurō, I don''t want to talk."


    "Baki should be back soon," her brother quickly rys.


    Eyes still on the ceiling, she can almost hear the hope in his voice, as if the world were ck and white and good triumphed over evil. But he doesn''t know or doesn''t want to see how gray the world is because solutions to problems are rarely neat, moral, or fair.


    ''That''s not how a country stays in power,'' her mind hears her father repeat. ''By any means necessary.'' Temari recalls her father''s lessons before and after her mother died. ''Power is shaped by concepts and ideas for the express purpose of solving problems, whether selfish or selfless, and it is man that give meaning to ideas and concepts,'' he would coldly tell them, post her mother''s death.


    Having thought of all relevant variables, Temari knows her orders before Baki even left to message a request of authorization from her father, and glumly asks her younger brother, "what''s it matter? I already know the answer."


    "You don''t know that," Kankurō retorts, but he can''t question her intelligence. "Tou-sama will tell Gaara no. He could get Gaara to change his mind and kill that brat another way."


    "No. Otou-sama wouldn''t even if he wanted to," Temari assures her little brother, having already thought of that possibility. "You don''t remember how much destruction is involved trying to change Gaara''s mind because it hasn''t happened for a long time. He may be older now but if Gaara wants something, Otou-sama and the council have learned to just give it to him.


    They''re lucky he only ever asked to be left alone."


    Hesitant grumbles from his throat tell her he wants to argue, to fight, to resist, like in those stories he liked to read when he was younger, but, as always, her sweet little brother is caught up ying the protector.


    It''s why his optimism can feel like thorns wrapped around her heart when Kankurō states, "I know you understand why they had to keep us apart a lot, but that doesn''t mean Tou-sama doesn''t regret it. He wants us all to be a family and he''ll stop it because he knows this is going too far."..