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semperdormientes"Found him." Sasuke's words were soft almost a rustle as she and Naruto paused and there he was. Their sensei and the village Hokage standing in the center of a tiny clearing surrounded on three sides by forest and the fourth by water. All three held their breath for a moment as his gaze shifted from staring ahead to almost in their exact direction. He was a little off. Just a few degrees and that put an odd feeling into Hinata's stomach.
"Let's go get him." Naruto breathed, impatient as ever to finish the exercise and rub it in Obito's face.
Hinata wasn't as sure. There was something off. Sasuke moved the tiniest bit forward signaling he'd investigate and she caught his wrist.
"I'll go." Her words were soft and that ocassional stutter she took on when under pressure or faced wiht his disbelieving stare didn't come as she let go. "You know it's the smart thing." It was a counterargument to one he never verbalized. But this was their third year as a team she could read her Uchiha teammates better than most. There were almost terrifying similarities in how SAsuke and Obito acted and fought. She cocked her head as Sasuke stalled longer, "Besides I know this training ground better than you."
It wasn't a boast, simply a statement of fact. The countless hours she'd spent training on her own in this field. She'd covered every mile of it at one point of another, committed the nuances of the terrain to her muscle memory. That was another thing she found strange as Sasuke gave her an almost imperceptable nod to go ahead in that case. She took off, her feet finding every safe footing, her Byakugan purposelly not active, her chakra kept low to help hide her approach. She avoided the likely places for traps, the easy places to set up an ambush or lay a genjutsu. It was this knowledge that brought her to the very edge of the tree line. She was about to shift take another into the clearing become a decoy, give SAsuke and Naruto an opening to catch him off guard when the thought hit her.
Surely her sensei knew of her frequent visits to this particular training ground. There wasn't much about them he didn't know. Their motivations and temperments, how their dynamics shifted constantly fluid, but never breaking. He knew her desire to protect, to grow and change. He'd know her familiarity of this training ground and still he selected it. She halted midstep her eyes catching the tell tale sign of a concealment jutsu. There was seconds to react she flung herself away back into the forest her body gaining momentum as the tag exploded and her back hit a tree with enough force to knock the air out of her. She slid to the ground, forced herself up, ran several feet then leapt into the canopy.
She activated her Byakugan then, risking the chakra flare, more than aware that Obito would catch it, that he was more than likely amused. Sasuke would feel it too, more attuned to the chakras of the team than Naruto. The explosion would tell them just how screwed they were but the flare would tell him that she was still conscious. She trusted him to know that she didn't need rescuing yet. Her gaze sweeping around her checking for anything amiss, a single explosive tag shimmered sixteen yards away to her one o'clock. Easily avoided. She focused her sight back in the direction of the tag that sent her flying. Obito was no longer standing idly in the clearing.
She held back a snort, he hadn't been standing idly to begin with. He was good a feigning a lack of alertness to his students. He'd known one of them would get caught in that trap. He'd likely known it'd be her. Fine. She watched a moment longer her expanded gaze sweeping looking for safe and stealthy entrance to the clearing. There was one, likely on purpose. It was glaringly obvious to and likely was from where Naruto and Sasuke were hiding. Her gaze shifting immediately back to them but they were gone, she tracked their chakra found them closing on that trap.
Naruto in the lead.
She bit her lip unsure of what to do. Even if she made enough noise, set off enough traps he'd probably still focus entirely on that opening. But there wasn't any time and she'd have to risk it. With any luck he'd mistake her for Naruto making all that racket and be caught off guard when the boys exploded from the opening. She took a deep breath closed her eyes, deactivated the Byakugan; here goes nothing as she threw herself at that explosive tag, tripped a wire that launched hundreds of kunai from every direction. She wove a barricade of chakra around herself unable to dodge them all without it. She made the hand seals for a shadow clone and sent it off to trigger more traps. Reactivated her Byakugan, scanning her surroundings.
Her sensei in motion. RUnning straight for her ready to attack to call an end to this exercise with quick decisive blows to all three of them most likely. She waited, held her ground her gaze focused beyond him as Sasuke and Naruto exploded from the opening catching him off guard and laughed as they cornered him between them shortly after: the Rasengan on one side and Chidori on the other. His red eyes turned toward her and nodded. She made her way out of the forest.
They'd done well.
Very good. She blushed, Naruto preened, and Sasuke made an indifferent sound as the rasengan and chidori faded from their palms.
"Let's go, I'm treating you three to lunch."
And just like that three days in Training Ground 1 came to an end. And as Naruto wrapped his arms over her shoulders, talking about how he found that opening and it was his brilliant idea to use it to their advantage she laughed and nodded. Sasuke walked along on her right and they shared a subtle nod at each other's good work. Even if he'd done most of it in the last three days.
"Teme didn't think it was a good idea," Naruto chattered on and Hinata laughed. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a glaring trap. She'd done as she was trained she covered for her team and they'd done well as a result. Not a bad end considering how they'd only been a team for two years.
"Oh and by the way we leave for a mission tomorrow. I think you three have earned it." Obito let the words slip out off-hand but they were full of promise of reality and consequences and excitement. All things that Naruto craved and Sasuke shined in. She was shined here on the training grounds, where someone would catch her if she stumbled. She knew she could depend on them to cover for her in a real crisis but she was still weaker than them. Not from lack of effort or her own intense training that occurred after the long hours with her father and cousin. She was soft and she knew it, but she smiled as Naruto crowed in delight.
"What sort of mission sensei? I bet it's a super difficult one that you can't give anyone else. Right?"
"It's probably guarding another caravan."
Sasuke's gaze cut to her as he said that. Their sensei had a habit of catering to the wants of his students. Naruto wanted a mission, they usually got one although it wasn't always one that Naruto wanted. They were challenging in their own way...
The intent was that there should be more, but I sort of have no idea where to go or what to write next so basically it's done with an incredibly ooc Obito.
"Let's go get him." Naruto breathed, impatient as ever to finish the exercise and rub it in Obito's face.
Hinata wasn't as sure. There was something off. Sasuke moved the tiniest bit forward signaling he'd investigate and she caught his wrist.
"I'll go." Her words were soft and that ocassional stutter she took on when under pressure or faced wiht his disbelieving stare didn't come as she let go. "You know it's the smart thing." It was a counterargument to one he never verbalized. But this was their third year as a team she could read her Uchiha teammates better than most. There were almost terrifying similarities in how SAsuke and Obito acted and fought. She cocked her head as Sasuke stalled longer, "Besides I know this training ground better than you."
It wasn't a boast, simply a statement of fact. The countless hours she'd spent training on her own in this field. She'd covered every mile of it at one point of another, committed the nuances of the terrain to her muscle memory. That was another thing she found strange as Sasuke gave her an almost imperceptable nod to go ahead in that case. She took off, her feet finding every safe footing, her Byakugan purposelly not active, her chakra kept low to help hide her approach. She avoided the likely places for traps, the easy places to set up an ambush or lay a genjutsu. It was this knowledge that brought her to the very edge of the tree line. She was about to shift take another into the clearing become a decoy, give SAsuke and Naruto an opening to catch him off guard when the thought hit her.
Surely her sensei knew of her frequent visits to this particular training ground. There wasn't much about them he didn't know. Their motivations and temperments, how their dynamics shifted constantly fluid, but never breaking. He knew her desire to protect, to grow and change. He'd know her familiarity of this training ground and still he selected it. She halted midstep her eyes catching the tell tale sign of a concealment jutsu. There was seconds to react she flung herself away back into the forest her body gaining momentum as the tag exploded and her back hit a tree with enough force to knock the air out of her. She slid to the ground, forced herself up, ran several feet then leapt into the canopy.
She activated her Byakugan then, risking the chakra flare, more than aware that Obito would catch it, that he was more than likely amused. Sasuke would feel it too, more attuned to the chakras of the team than Naruto. The explosion would tell them just how screwed they were but the flare would tell him that she was still conscious. She trusted him to know that she didn't need rescuing yet. Her gaze sweeping around her checking for anything amiss, a single explosive tag shimmered sixteen yards away to her one o'clock. Easily avoided. She focused her sight back in the direction of the tag that sent her flying. Obito was no longer standing idly in the clearing.
She held back a snort, he hadn't been standing idly to begin with. He was good a feigning a lack of alertness to his students. He'd known one of them would get caught in that trap. He'd likely known it'd be her. Fine. She watched a moment longer her expanded gaze sweeping looking for safe and stealthy entrance to the clearing. There was one, likely on purpose. It was glaringly obvious to and likely was from where Naruto and Sasuke were hiding. Her gaze shifting immediately back to them but they were gone, she tracked their chakra found them closing on that trap.
Naruto in the lead.
She bit her lip unsure of what to do. Even if she made enough noise, set off enough traps he'd probably still focus entirely on that opening. But there wasn't any time and she'd have to risk it. With any luck he'd mistake her for Naruto making all that racket and be caught off guard when the boys exploded from the opening. She took a deep breath closed her eyes, deactivated the Byakugan; here goes nothing as she threw herself at that explosive tag, tripped a wire that launched hundreds of kunai from every direction. She wove a barricade of chakra around herself unable to dodge them all without it. She made the hand seals for a shadow clone and sent it off to trigger more traps. Reactivated her Byakugan, scanning her surroundings.
Her sensei in motion. RUnning straight for her ready to attack to call an end to this exercise with quick decisive blows to all three of them most likely. She waited, held her ground her gaze focused beyond him as Sasuke and Naruto exploded from the opening catching him off guard and laughed as they cornered him between them shortly after: the Rasengan on one side and Chidori on the other. His red eyes turned toward her and nodded. She made her way out of the forest.
They'd done well.
Very good. She blushed, Naruto preened, and Sasuke made an indifferent sound as the rasengan and chidori faded from their palms.
"Let's go, I'm treating you three to lunch."
And just like that three days in Training Ground 1 came to an end. And as Naruto wrapped his arms over her shoulders, talking about how he found that opening and it was his brilliant idea to use it to their advantage she laughed and nodded. Sasuke walked along on her right and they shared a subtle nod at each other's good work. Even if he'd done most of it in the last three days.
"Teme didn't think it was a good idea," Naruto chattered on and Hinata laughed. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a glaring trap. She'd done as she was trained she covered for her team and they'd done well as a result. Not a bad end considering how they'd only been a team for two years.
"Oh and by the way we leave for a mission tomorrow. I think you three have earned it." Obito let the words slip out off-hand but they were full of promise of reality and consequences and excitement. All things that Naruto craved and Sasuke shined in. She was shined here on the training grounds, where someone would catch her if she stumbled. She knew she could depend on them to cover for her in a real crisis but she was still weaker than them. Not from lack of effort or her own intense training that occurred after the long hours with her father and cousin. She was soft and she knew it, but she smiled as Naruto crowed in delight.
"What sort of mission sensei? I bet it's a super difficult one that you can't give anyone else. Right?"
"It's probably guarding another caravan."
Sasuke's gaze cut to her as he said that. Their sensei had a habit of catering to the wants of his students. Naruto wanted a mission, they usually got one although it wasn't always one that Naruto wanted. They were challenging in their own way...
The intent was that there should be more, but I sort of have no idea where to go or what to write next so basically it's done with an incredibly ooc Obito.
