I do not own Naruto

Age: 12

His eyes fluttered shut as he gingerly stepped across the surface of the water, he was in his element. He could feel the calm surface of the water beneath his bare toes, the gentlest of ripples reverberating back to him from the edge of the small lake. He sat in the center atop its surface and sighed deeply, he had come across this place by pure accident. He had been running from the Uchiha and had slipped in here to escape them. He could no longer feel their presence once he had entered, but he knew they were still out there. He had seen them through the invisible barrier sealing the cave. How they were unable to see him was beyond him, but he was grateful for whatever had protected him that day.

He cracked his eyes open and looked around him, this place was a hidden paradise. He was surrounded by darkness dwelling flowers and a multitude of mushrooms. Fireflies lit up the room, the reflection of their glow scattered about the surface of the water. Glowing mushrooms covered the walls and gave of a soft serene light. A small smile crossed his lips as he looked down to the water, the glow of his red eyes shining back at him. He had never shown anyone this place, because this was his paradise and his alone. He looked down and offered a hand to the small otter that had swam up to him. It sniffed his hand and dove back down to the depths below only to resurface and begin doing flips. It was showing off for him once more, he couldn't help the smile that widened over his lips as the small creature chattered happily at him.

A small white object on the edge of the lake caught his gaze and he turned to see the white and blue slug watching him silently. "Lady Katsuyu." he greeted softly but she only returned his greeting with the bobbing of her eyestalks, signifying she had heard him and was greeting him silently. He closed his eyes once more and focused on his chakra. He had been training her by himself, the small slug watching over him every time he came. He rested his hands on his knees and breathed out softly as he focused on his breathing. He had been having trouble lately with his sensory abilities, more often than not he found himself in sensory overload and he couldn't afford to continue to let that happen.

His older brother was counting on him.

His breathing slowed and he began to focus on the chakra of all the living things around him. The largest chakra source in the large cave was that of Katsuyu. He focused on tuning down the frequency at which her chakra resonated to him. "Ok... I'm ready." He said and he breathed softly once more. Preparing for the presence of her chakra to rapidly increase. His senses burned as her presence increased, but he kept focusing to try and force the effect it had on him to dull. 'Tell me when you are unable to stand it anymore, I don't want to hurt you.' She had said to him in his mind and he nodded to her. It continued to press down on him and he just kept focusing on dulling it, after about five minutes of her slowly but steadily forcing her pressure on him he tapped out.

He was panting heavily and was on his hands and knees of the water, sweat dripping over his forehead as he struggled. He fisted his hands against the surface of the water as tears trailed over his cheeks, the only sound echoing around in the cave was the gritting of his teeth. He glanced up at Katsuyu, who was making her way across the water's surface toward him. 'Forgive me.' She said softly as she crawled up his hand to place herself on his shoulder. 'I did not intend to harm you.' She said and he felt the warmth of her chakra coat him and his breathing calmed.

'You are getting better every time we try. Do not down yourself too much.' She said and he frowned as he sat back atop the water. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I know... it's just... I want to get better faster than this." He sighed and she huffed slightly. 'Impatient young one. Being impatient will get you nowhere but hurt.' She said and he rolled his eyes, only to receive a zap from her chakra, making him jump slightly. 'Don't be rude either.' She grumbled and he offered a small apologetic smile. He sighed and laid flat against the water's surface, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness it gave. His eyes slipped shut and he just started feeling about with his chakra, using it to caress every small creature's presence gently.

His eyes snapped open as he felt someone coming. He rolled to his feet and whipped a kunai from the pouch on his hip, his red eyes narrowing on the entrance of the cave as the person rushed ever closer. He slunk back towards the darker area of the cavern, wondering slightly if they could even make it through the barrier. His gaze drifted to the small slug on his shoulder and she made no effort to move, no panic showing in her presence. She wasn't worried, so he supposed he shouldn't be either; however, something felt different about this person. He watched as a girl about his age ran right through the barrier, her inky blue-black hair clinging to her wet form.

He furrowed his brows it hadn't been raining when he had come into the cave. He tightened his grip on his kunai and was going to make a move to attack, but her fear filled lavender eyes caught his gaze. She wasn't here for him. He slipped his eyes shut and placed two fingers to the ground, his chakra rippling outward trying to get a feel for what the girl could have been running from, he felt ten of them outside their chakra systems reasonable developed. No wonder the girl was running... even he would have trouble with them. As if she had only just now noticed him, she gasped and pressed her back against the wall her hands clasped over her chest.

"P-please... Don't hurt me..." She whispered and his eyes softened as he realized he had still been brandishing the blade at her from the shadows. He slipped it back into his pouch and stood up completely, rather than the crouched predatory stance he had been holding. "Why are they after you?" He asked and she shook her head, tears falling from her glowing eyes. "I... I don't know..." she whispered and he frowned, his arms crossed over his chest now. "Katsuyu, how did she get in here?" he asked and the small slug made her way down his arm and over to the girl. 'Same as you, I suppose.' She said and the girl watched him and the slug carefully. 'Only those pure of heart, with good intent can come into my home.' Katsuyu said and the girl placed her hand on the ground and the slug crawled up onto the hand.

'Step into the water, young one... Let it wash away your woes.' Katsuyu said and the girl looked hesitantly from him to the slug on her hand. He looked her over once more, taking in her odd appearance. Those glowing pale lavender eyes flicked from him then back to the slug once more, but then she carried herself forward. Her short blue-black tresses framed her face in a short bob that got shorter in the back. Blood was spattered about her form and he couldn't help but wonder if all of it was hers. Red marks adorned all visible skin and he frowned, whoever had been chasing her had hurt her. The limp in her steps stated that she was injured more than she was letting on.

"If you need to remove your coat I will turn away." He offered politely, but a deep blush coated her cheeks. This confused him honestly, he didn't think he had said anything inappropriate, had he? He turned away and faced his back to the water, closing his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to get comfortable, but the newcomer's chakra was drawing him in. Begging him to explore it, it was different from any chakra he had ever felt before. He felt his chakra crawl across the water towards hers, the itch to mingle with hers was irresistible. The moment his sensory chakra touched hers, it was as if he was looking directly at the sun.

He yelped and retracted his chakra somewhat. He turned to glance at her and she was standing in the water fully clothed, her glowing eyes filled with panic as she clutched her chest once more. He offered her an apologetic look as he turned to face her. He did however notice that the more she stayed in the water, the faster her injuries healed. He felt a presence pressing down on him and a chill rolled down his spine. "Sorry, Katsuyu-sama..." he muttered softly and the presence vanished. The girl watched him carefully as he stood, seemingly worried that he was going to come after her. His eyes softened at this and he looked away from her.

'Am I truly that scary to her?' he thought to himself sadly. His eyes flicked back up and he watched her carefully, she was also watching him now, it seemed. As if she had been caught staring, she spun away from him and hid her face in her hands. He blinked in confusion, but the small twitch of his lips showed his slight amusement at the girl's antics. He made his way over to her slowly, he didn't want to startle her once more. His eyes scanned over her crouched position and he briefly wondered why she was this way. 'Perhaps she's just nervous?' he thought to himself with a nod. Yeah, that was it.

He crouched in front of her and held out a hand to her. She looked at his hand and grabbed it softly, he couldn't help the small smile that crossed his lips as he helped her up. "Hi." He greeted and she looked to her twiddling fingers with a small blush. "H-hi..." she returned and he just watched her. "I'm Tobirama." He said and extended a hand to her once more. She looked at his extended hand and grabbed it lightly. "Hinata." She said and he cocked his head to the side. 'Sunny place huh?' he thought and nodded.

"W-what was that chakra?" she asked softly and it was his turn to blush lightly. "Oh... I uh... I'm a sensor... I can um... sense the chakra of others." He said and she watched him in awe. "S-so... you were trying t-trying to gauge mine?" she asked and he nodded. "W-why?" she asked, her eyes dropping to her fingers once more. "It feels different... I just wanted to see why..." he said and she blinked up at him owlishly, the cute look made him nervous. "W-would you want to be my friend?" she asked and he pursed his lips, he wasn't sure if he should. With the way clans were warring right now he would eventually probably have to kill her. His eyes softened slightly... or his brothers would.

"Sure." He said and she smiled at him brightly. He scratched his head and sat down, unsure of why she was so excited. Did she not understand what was going on in the world right now? This girl confused him to no end and he couldn't help but wonder about her. She sat delicately on her feet in front of him and folded her hands in her lap. Well, she was elegant to say the least. They had sat there, just talking about everything and more often than not, she mentioned a village and he furrowed his brows because he had never heard of a village being created.

He had learned that they were the same age, that she liked cinnamon rolls, disliked bean paste which was understandable, and that her family thought she was weak. His eyes softened at this he could feel her chakra and he knew she wasn't weak, he knew she could be better. Her eyes went wide when he made his offer. "You could train with me, if you want..." he said and she nodded rapidly. "Meet me here then, we can spar with one another and get better together." He offered with a small smile and she beamed up at him. "T-thank you!" she chirped and he nodded. She looked to the entrance of the cave and sighed as she saw the sun beginning to set.

"I have to f-find my way home... but it's getting dark..." she whispered and he nodded to her. "Then I will walk you home." He said and she blushed and shook her head at him rapidly. "N-no you don't have to!" she stammered as the blush darkened on her cheeks. He only chuckled softly and patted her on the head. "Come on, let's get you home." He said and offered her a hand. She took it, albeit hesitantly and they made their way out of the cave, however when they passed through the protective barrier...

His hand was empty and she was gone. He panicked and ran back in, and so did she. They tested this theory a few more times as they would cross partially through the barrier at the same time and his side would only have him, and she would be the only one on hers. This made him think some and he seemed to realize she was from somewhere else. It was the only explanation for it honestly. "I guess I can't walk you home... I'm sorry..." he said and she frowned at him, stammering out a small 'It's ok.'

"Be safe, ok?" he called out after her and she nodded as she left. "You too." Echoed behind her as her image faded from sight. He looked back to the little slug who slowly grew into a massive slug. "Why can't we see each other outside of here?" he asked and she looked down at him. 'She's from a different time. You both can always meet in here but there's no way for you to leave with her and she can't leave with you. My land transcends time and space which is a blessing and a curse. I get to see all the paths time takes and yet I can't do anything to stop it.' she said and he crossed his arms over his chest as he thought about it. he had known there was something like that about this place, but he hadn't been sure.

"Well, I will return." He said and made his way out of the cavern. He made his way home and his father was sitting there on the front steps waiting for him. His eyes slipped shut as he knew what was to come. "I was out training." He said simply and his father stood and grabbed him by the chest of his shirt lifting him off the ground. His father was a cruel man and he didn't see eye to eye with him at all. He grimaced as his father slammed him back onto the ground, the wind knocked right out of his lungs. "Don't you get smart with me, boy." He snarled and he just looked up at his father, which earned him a kick.

He would allow his father to finish his rampage and he would not incite him further. He had gone through this enough to usually judge when his father had lost interest in him. When the hits finally stopped, he waited for his father to leave before he picked himself up and limped to his room. His older brother watched as he did so, a sadness in his eyes that made Tobirama himself sad. Their father was an irrational and angry man, having been raised by yet another angry father. He and his brothers were going to end that cycle. They did not want the children of the future to suffer the way they had.

He returned day after day to the cave, and day after day she was there too. They trained together with taijutsu, which turned out to be a strong suit for her. He had to admit she was actually really good, so much for everyone calling her weak. He supposed they were just idiots. He had told her that at well, which had ended up making her blush and deny it in every way possible. He missed the days of idle chatter and being carefree. Today he was running. He knew his older brother was close to catching up to him, but he knew he had to make it.

He glanced up to the bicolor haired boy on his back and he pushed forward, the tears burning at his eyes as he rushed forward. He could hear Hashirama yelling at him from behind, but he wasn't going to slow down. He had to make it Katsuyu. He saw the opening of the cave ahead of him and he rushed inside, praying that Itama was still on his shoulders as he dunked himself into the water. The weight on his back signified he was and he breathed a sigh of relief as he turned his younger brother back to face him. Katsuyu made her way over to him and crawled atop the younger man's form.

"Y-you... should let me go... Tobirama..." Itama rasped softly as the water coated his legs. "There's no use washing me..." Itama whispered as his eyes slipped shut. Tobirama patted him on the cheeks and began crying as his brother went limp. He hugged his brother tightly to him as he cried. A warm glow covered his brother and he jerked back to see Katsuyu healing his younger brother. 'He will be alright... you got him here in time.' Her voice echoed in his mind and he slumped against the edge of the lake, tears still trailing over his cheeks. A gentle hand touched his shoulder but as soon as it had touched him, it was pulled away and he heard her gasp.

He whipped around to see Hinata, but also his other brother with a blade to her neck. "Let her go!" he snarled and Hashirama stared at him in confusion. He gently released Hinata, but he said nothing. "She won't hurt you." Tobirama said and he gently pulled his younger brother from the water and laid him on the bank, careful not to knock Katsuyu off of him. 'You must keep this place secret. You knew this Tobirama.' Her voice echoed in all of their minds and Tobirama looked down, ashamed. 'I know you were scared. Just... limit who knows of this place. While the barrier keeps those out who wish ill will, it won't protect you once you leave.' She said and Tobirama and Hinata nodded.

Tobirama watched as Hinata picked herself off the floor and crawled over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck from behind. Tobirama reached up and gripped her arms gently. "Are you ok, T-Tobirama-kun?" she asked softly and he shook his head silently. He could feel his brother watching him now. "S-sorry... My name is H-Hinata..." she whispered as she stood offering a small bow to Hashirama. His brother just kept looking around in confusion.

"What is this place?" he asked as he looked around. "Katsuyu falls. When lady Katsuyu leaves here it takes her to Shikkotsu forest." Tobirama said and his brother nodded. It seems he understood why it needed to be protected at al costs. Itama's soft snores echoed around them and he sighed in relief. He looked over at Hinata who was staring at his brother with a deep blush on her face as Hashirama spoke to her happily. He couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy that came off of him as his brother interacted with the girl and he said something that made her laugh. She was his friend, and yet as always, his older brother was going to swoop in and awe everyone with his idiocy.

His eyes softened and he thought about when he had told his father about Madara and Hashirama's meetings. He knew his brother had every right to tell their father about his meetings with her. As if sensing this, Hashirama turned to him and frowned. "I'm not going to tell father. We just have to make sure we get Itama out of here before he wakes up so he doesn't." Hashirama said and Tobirama looked down at his younger brother. He pulled him up onto his back and stood, nodding to his brother. He looked at Hinata and she offered him a small smile while waving him off.

:-:-:-:

Katsuyu watched after the group as they grew. Tobirama and Hinata especially, the way they interacted together made her wonder if things could be different. Time was a series of pathways that were never the exact same but they always change along the way. If she had closed off the pathway to Hinata's side, like she had originally planned Hinata would have married the host of the nine tails and eventually Toneri and his brethren would attack. The nine tails would eventually make his end in that path as well.

She had looked through and saw that no matter what she did, her small editing of time... it never turned out amicably. Tobirama was supposed to die at the hands of Kinkaku and his brother, Hashirama's death was foreseen as well. Hinata lived in most timelines, but this timeline... this one was different. She couldn't see how this one would play out, this one she was revealing itself to her as it went. She was deeply interested in this. It was as if there was a block along the way and she couldn't see past the fourth shinobi war. She knew they won, they always won. Except the one where they didn't, and that was the only one that the hokage had not been returned, as Orochimaru had been killed by Sasuke.

She had signaled for Tobirama to bring his younger brother here, when she had spiked her chakra; she knew he could feel it. Her gaze drifted down into the water and she saw the progression of Hinata through this timeline, she liked this one. Strength and beauty... just like Tsunade and her other apprentice she would take. Perhaps... perhaps this one could finally go down a path of peace. Her sight let her and she allowed herself to see only the little tags of chakra she placed on everyone she had plans for. She supposed she should stop trying to intervene in the timelines but she felt as if she had to. The goddess Benzaiten had created her, herself so it was only fitting that she should act the part of Benzaiten's will embodied, and tug on those little strings of fate.

Benzaiten always did love a good love story... and so did Katsuyu.

How this one would end, however, was as good a guess as any... she could see four little splits at the end of the path, meaning it could go one of four ways. It all depended on four people it seemed. She could feel Tobirama's chakra in one, Hinata's in the one closest to his; their paths so close they almost touch. She could tell the other two were of Naruto and Sasuke.

Oh how she was excited to see this path play out.