Hinata eyed her surroundings; she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She knew there was a small congregation of merchants nearby, Amayo had led her to it the night before and she had waited until dawn to drop from her tree. So, all in all, she decided that the merchant settlement was her first stop. Merchants first, then allies… she had decided that, that was exactly how this was going to go. She shoved aside the brush in her way and quickly made her way to the merchant settlement. Before she had left she had made sure to wrap her eyes in gauze. She didn't want to attract any unwanted attention because of her eyes. She knew if she had used a henge, they would all know and would be wary of her. She activated Byakugan so she could see.

She carefully strolled past the entrance of the settlement and brushed off the somewhat harsh glances sent her way. They most likely couldn't figure out what her motives for being in their settlement were. She didn't converse with any of them yet, she just looked around; seeing all there was to see. There was another chakra signature across the way, but it felt benign and harmless; so she didn't bother approach it. Her footfalls were light upon the early morning dewy ground, and despite being away from the home she was used to she was about as comfortable as she could get.

An armor merchant caught sight of her and called her over. "Hey, you, little miss!" The woman called and she blinked through the gauze and turned to her. The woman observed her with worn weary eyes, which were pale as if they had cataracts. The woman was pretending to be blind, but Hinata knew better. "You are one of the few." The woman whispered and Hinata stared straight at her and the woman knew she was. "I am Hyuuga." Hinata said quietly and the woman nodded. "We are the last of the ladies from Hyuuga, my dear. It has been a very long time since I have seen another. Nearly twenty years just about…" the woman said and Hinata frowned. "What happened to our clan?" Hinata asked and the woman's tired worn face fell into a deep regretful frown.

"The jumper… Her existence was found out by another clan. They wanted the woman to marry into their clan so they too could gain that ability. The Hyuuga refused, and the opposing clan slaughtered each and every one of them in cold blood. I managed to escape that awful fate, being as I was married off outside the clan. I was not the one they sought." She said and Hinata frowned deeply. "What clan sought the jumper?" Hinata asked softly, she wanted to know what clan to look out for. The old woman furrowed her brows as she studied Hinata with calculative old eyes. Swiftly, As if she had realized why Hinata were so interested; her eyes went wide in shock. "You are-" she began and Hinata nodded silently. The woman looked both ways and made sure there was no one else listening in.

"Butsuma Senju's father; he slaughtered the Hyuuga clan and said the Hagoromo clan had done so, inciting yet another feud between the Senju and the Uchiha/ Hagoromo faction." She said and Hinata looked down with a frown on her lips. "I will restore the Hyuuga clan to its former glory." Hinata said and the woman smiled. "I know you will, that is why I called you over. I could tell you were special from a distance, but I never imagined you would be this special…" the woman said with a tap to her chin and turned around and pulled a chest from beneath a shelf. "If you wish to find allies, a great way to do so is proudly show the Hyuuga flame." She said quietly and Hinata smiled.

"I would forever proudly adorn my clan's symbol; being as from where I am from, I am the heiress of the clan." Hinata said and noticed the woman freeze for a moment. "Heiress you say?" she asked and turned to look at Hinata, pausing her rummaging through the chest. Hinata nodded and the woman looked ecstatic. "That is unheard of! Truly amazing! You must be very strong." The woman exclaimed and Hinata smiled. "I am strong for my age group… but there are still stronger people than I could ever be. My cousin is stronger, but I was chosen for the spot as Heiress because I was the elder sister, but I was also chosen because I have something better than strength." Hinata said and the old woman looked at her confused.

Hinata placed her right hand over her heart and smiled warmly. "I have a kind heart, but I will stop at nothing to protect my clan. My father believes in me because he believes I can change the Hyuuga from the cold glares and ruthless nature. He has high hopes that one day, I will make the clan stronger, but also kinder." Hinata said and the woman smiled. "The Hyuuga were cold, they were proud, and with their pride, they became even colder." The woman said and pulled a second chest from beneath the shelf.

She opened it and her pale eyes glowed happily. She lifted the chest and set it atop the table for Hinata to see. She turned it towards Hinata and opened it. Inside of the chest was a set of black armor like the armor she had seen Hashirama and Madara wearing in the pictures, there was a white sleeveless tunic styles shirt with the Hyuuga flame on the back and over the left side of the chest. There was a long sleeved fishnet shirt, black pants that looked as if there were made to conform to the shape of the wearers' legs but they were made of a sturdy material that didn't look easy to cut through. There was a katana bound to the chest as well. The cloth of the hilt was white and engraved on the bottom of the hilt was the yin-yang symbol. Hinata took the items and offered the woman the money she had.

"No my dear, you saving Hyuuga is all the payment I need." The woman said and Hinata smiled. "My name is Hinata, and thank you Lady E'lara." Hinata said and the woman seemed surprised. "How did you know my name?" she asked. "I am from a time where they Hyuuga heiress is taught the names of every important Hyuuga woman. The Hyuuga women were and still are essential to our clan." Hinata said as she bowed and walked away. "Good luck, Hinata." E'lara said and Hinata waved.

Hinata strolled through and looked through a few more stalls for the remainder of the day, but the way she felt was grinding on her nerves. She felt sand rubbing against her scalp and on the inside of her clothes. The sand was in between her toes and underneath the soles of her feet. Not to mention she was also covered in dirt, that probably warranted more stares than she needed already. Lady E'lara had been kind enough not to mention it to her, but the rest of the people were whispering about her and she knew it.

Hinata quickly made her way back to the hill she'd arrived on. She saw a small secluded lake and went that way. She began bathing in the lake, knowing she must have really looked filthy; having been fighting a war not too long ago did that she figured with a slight frown. The sand fell from her hair and Hinata sighed as the small particles sunk into the water. "Gaara may be my friend… but I hate sand… especially when he throws it around all over the place." She said as the last bit of sand was rinsed from her hair. "I will not be the failure… not anymore." Hinata decided with a firm resolve. "I will be the woman who saved a man and his family from a cruel fate." She said to herself and Madara's face flashed through her mind, a smile on his face. Hinata fisted her hands.

"I will not let his smile fade, and I will not fail." She said and her chest felt light, as if all the doubt she had been holding onto had been set free. She heard something and she ducked down into the water a bit. It sounded like voices. She looked around until her eyes landed on the source. Two teens stood on the hill she had come from. Hinata quickly got out of the small lake and got dressed in the clothes the woman had given her. They fit her perfectly, but the only thing she saw as she looked at her reflection in the lake was a dark haired Tsunade in Hyuuga clothes, she noted with a slight frown but she couldn't complain. She fit in well with this time now, even if the clothing was a little less modest than what she was used to. The fishnet was heavy, much to her surprise, she had worn fishnet before but it had never been this heavy.

Hinata closed her eyes and activated Byakugan; she couldn't exactly tell who they were, but they were obviously related; judging on how similar their chakra networks were. The one on the right seemed to be the older of the two, his chakra network much more advanced than the other ones was. Her eyes went up and met with his and she furrowed her brows as her heart skipped a beat and she felt breathless. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite describe; she couldn't see his eyes clearly but they seemed to affect her just as the other ones eyes did. She scanned over them in confusion. The chakra around the older ones heart seemed to speed up its movement. Her eyes drifted to the other and his chakra did the same around his heart.

They were pretty far away, so if she left she knew she could escape before they could catch up to her. She secured the katana behind her back and jumped backwards into the darkness so they couldn't see her as she fled. The armor was quiet, much to her surprise. She had expected it to make some sort of noise, but it did nothing. Hinata found the other civilian village that Amayo had mentioned and she stopped right outside. She knew the only villages of this time were that of civilians, the ninja usually were not allowed in them.

Hinata went to the first inn she saw and she walked in silently. The man at the entrance glared at her. Hinata fell to one knee and placed her left fist to the floor, her right hand over her heart. She stared directly at the floor, not looking up at the man once. She knew he was going to make her leave if she didn't do something. "I beg residence here, sir. I have nowhere to go. I have money and I will pay however high a price you wish to set. I know you normally don't allow shinobi entrance to your inn, due to the wars they bring with them, but I am neutral. I harbor no ill will towards any clan. I bring no war; I just seek a place to reside as the last of the Hyuuga. My pride means nothing to me, all I wish is a place to sleep; then I will be gone." Hinata said and the man stared at her, shocked into silence.

"The last of the noble Hyuuga has come to my inn?" he asked and Hinata nodded, still not looking up from her place on the floor. "My lady, please stand… it has been so long since I have seen a Hyuuga. I will show you to a room, only the best of rooms will be provided for a woman from a clan as noble as yours." He said and Hinata shook her head. "No thank you, I only wish a room the same as anyone else. The best should not be offered to me. I only seek a bed to rest in." she said and handed the man a pouch full of money. "That should be more than enough to save your inn… I noticed that it was quite empty. Not very many people are travelling these days due to the Uchiha and the Senju clashing. I hope this ridiculous feud ends soon." Hinata said as she entered a small room, leaving the man to stare in shock at the amount of money she had given him.

Hinata sat on her tatami mat and removed her armor. Just before she could get comfortable and cross her legs she looked towards the door in confusion. The knock at her door had barely even registered as she stood to open the door. The inn keeper stood outside and he bowed lowly to her. "Please don't bow to me… I do not seek recognition for the things I do." Hinata said with a smile. The innkeeper nodded rapidly. "Forgive me." He said and looked at her. "You may stay here free of charge however long you wish. I could never thank you enough for helping me save my inn…" he said and he was taken by surprise by the bright smile Hinata gave him. "I only wish to help people. My main goal is to attempt to do something about the whole Uchiha Senju feud. It saddens me to see two strong clans fighting over what appears to be a huge turf war." Hinata said and the man stared at her in shock.

"You are a strange woman, lady Hyuuga, but I encourage your efforts. Please help us with their war. Ever since they have started fighting even more than usual, all the merchants and innkeepers in the civilian villages have been going out of business because of their fighting. People don't wish to live in a place filled with hatred and war." He said and bowed to her. Hinata bowed in return as he left. She set her katana beside her tatami mat and sighed as she rubbed her eyes. She had only just laid down and drifted off, but before she knew it, another knock echoed around in her room.

Her eyes cracked open to see that it was now daylight, much to her surprise. She eyed her armor, not sure if she should wear it to the door or not, she decided to do so, since the fact her existence was known here was a danger to her life. She stood away from the door, her katana in hand. "You may enter, the door is not locked." She said, her hand hovering over the hilt of her blade. The door opened slowly and revealed Butsuma Senju. "Stay back!" Hinata hissed; her voice shaky. Hashirama looked right at her, his eyes wide. He turned to his father, who was just as surprised.

Hashirama entered the room and began walking to her; her katana was at his throat before he could get within three feet. He was shoved against the wall, the katana at his throat while a kunai was held in shaky hands, directed at his father. The veins around her eyes bulged in an intimidation technique. "Stay back! That is what I said. Was that so hard to u-understand!?" she asked, her voice shaky, her eyes filled with fearful tears. Hashirama was at a loss for words. "She is younger than you, Hashirama." Butsuma said and Hinata jumped back into her own corner her katana now held within both hands. "We came not to kill you, but to ask a favor." Butsuma said and Hashirama nodded. "I will stay back this time…" Hashirama said and Hinata nodded towards his blade and his fathers as well. "Kick them over here." She said shakily.

They did as she told and she lowered her blade the smallest bit. "We came to ask alliance of the last Hyuuga." Butsuma said and Hinata sheathed her blade. "My allegiance cannot be bought. Trust must be earned, and trust from me is going to be very hard to earn, being the last of my clan because your father ruthlessly slaughtered them. All Just because they wouldn't allow the jumper to marry into your clan." Hinata hissed; her fear of the two men still getting the better of her. She knew Hashirama was the first Hokage, and she knew he had a younger brother named Tobirama, but she didn't know where he was.

Her eyes flickered around, searching for his signature. "Where is Tobirama?" she asked; her eyes searching all over trying to find a similar chakra to that of the two in front of her. She couldn't find it anywhere and that greatly unnerved her. She was also trying to keep an eye on the two in her direct line of sight, but the one that was missing was another issue all together. If she didn't find him it could be disastrous. Butsuma and Hashirama looked surprised.

"How do you know of my brother?" Hashirama asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not s-stupid; I know you have a brother. I know you had another one as well, but these useless turf wars took him." Hinata whispered still searching for the other male. Her eyes softened and Hashirama stopped his advance on her. "I don't wish to see any more people die, but clan wars are long lasting. Trust me, I would know… Senju and Uchiha… this war will last forever if you don't find a way to end it." Hinata said and her eyes locked on the wall beside her. "I must take my leave, Seems as though my safety here has been compromised. Goodbye Senju." Hinata said softly as she vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Hashirama looked out the window to see a frowning Tobirama. "What?" Tobirama asked crossing his arms over his chest. Hashirama sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You scared her away." Hashirama said and Tobirama nodded. "Are you sure it wasn't your face, because you are kinda scary looking." Tobirama said offhandedly with a wave of the hand. Hashirama deadpanned at him. "That is you brother, your face is the reason people run in fear." Hashirama sighed and looked to Butsuma; he was infuriated. "That insolent woman… who does she think she is?" he growled.

Tobirama and Hashirama looked at their father in shock. "Father…" Hashirama began, but his father glared at him and walked away. Tobirama scoffed audibly when Hashirama looked back at him. "You know female shinobi are looked down upon, and if a true shinobi acknowledges a female shinobi, they should be grateful, unlike that little wench." Butsuma growled and Hashirama glared at his father's back. "Is that how you see Mito, father?" Hashirama asked and his father gave him no reply. Hashirama clenched his fists as he followed behind his father. Tobirama didn't agree with his father's opinion of women. Women could be strong too, but he didn't see what was so special about the Hyuuga woman that his father was so interested in her…

When Hashirama returned home, the first person he talked to was Mito; who had said she'd needed to leave soon after.

-:-:-:-

Mito ran through the woods towards her family's compound. She jumped and grabbed the top of the fence surrounding her family home and she swung herself over it. Her mother and her grandmother were sitting in the flower garden behind the compound. "Hey, I'm home!" she called and they smiled and waved her over. "Hello Mito, how are you today?" her grandmother asked and Mito smiled and sat on her feet with her knees on the ground.

"Hashirama met the Hyuuga girl today. He didn't go into detail because I bolted." Mito said with an embarrassed look on her face. "That's fine dear." Her grandmother said and Mito sighed in relief. "Good afternoon everyone." A familiar voice was heard and Anaya and Amayo smiled. "Mabui. Hello, how is your poor husband doing?" Anaya asked and Mabui smiled. "He's still struggling with that troublesome leg muscle issue, but it's getting better. He curses Butsuma for that stray kunai." Mabui said and Anaya nodded and pointed to a brightly colored flower across the garden.

"Make him some tea with that and he should be able to shake the pain for a while." Anaya said and Mabui bowed gratefully. "So, there was something important you needed to discuss with us?" she asked and Anaya nodded. "Amayo went out to scout the village in disguise of a child, and she stumbled across something monumental." Anaya said and Amayo grinned. "I found a girl, a special girl." Amayo said and Mabui raised a brow. "How would she be relevant to me?" Mabui asked and Mito smiled, as she handed her aunt a cup of tea.

"Mother is just excited, forgive her." Mito said and Mabui smiled. "I have uncovered the existence of the second jumper." Amayo said and the small porcelain teacup hit the ground and rolled away. "A second jumper in our time? How is that?" Mabui asked and Mito shrugged. "None of us are sure, but we think she has a different purpose than securing the future of the Uzumaki like your husband did." Anaya said and Mabui smiled, that was why they had so easily accepted him, he had saved their clan.

"Ask him if he knows a Hinata, then we will see." Amayo said and the tapping of a cane against the graveled pathway was heard. "So, I heard you needed to ask me something?" his voice called out as he rounded the corner. "You determined gaki…" Anaya laughed and he smiled. "Very." He said and Amayo smiled. "So, Hizashi, do you know a Hyuuga named Hinata? Pretty young woman about five foot four, long bluish black hair, slight stutter?" Amayo asked him and he chuckled.

"Ah, so Hinata has uncovered her gift as well. Come Mabui, we should pay the poor child a visit." He said and Mabui smiled. "Why don't you go, I will catch up next time dear." Mabui said and he nodded.

-:-:-:-

Hinata hit her knees in the middle of the woods. Her hands flew to her eyes as blood trickled from them. She grit her teeth and tried to blink away the searing white hot pain in her eyes. "Why can't I go home? Why will you not allow me to do so?" she stammered, her eyes closed in pain. Hinata wrapped her arms around herself as her eyes began to hurt a little less. She unwrapped her arms from around herself and searched for a random piece of cloth she'd had in her pocket. She wiped away the blood onto a cloth and wrapped her arms around herself even tighter than before. Her shoulders shook as the tears fell. "I want to go home…" she whimpered softly. A hand was placed on her shoulder and she jumped up to see a familiar face.

"Uncle…" she sobbed and hugged Hizashi, who frowned and embraced his niece. "Hinata… this is where you truly belong… your father knew you would find the time you belonged in and he feared for the worst. This isn't the worst place you could possibly end up you know… I know you feel it." Hizashi said and ruffled her hair. Hizashi looked much older; he now had well defined wrinkles and paler eyes. "So this is where you ended up…" Hinata said and rubbed her eyes. "I cannot meet with you as much as E'lara can, but I will do my best to find time to speak with you when it won't cause you trouble. I saw you run out here. What happened?" he asked.

"I had a run in with Butsuma." She said and he nodded. He gripped his cane tightly within his left hand and furrowed his brows. "I know you feel it, Hinata. I know you know why you can't leave this time…" he said and Hinata frowned. She thought it over for a moment and her eyes went wide. "What is today?" she asked with a furrowed brow. "October ninth, why do you ask?" he asked and her jaw slackened. "Is the merchant settlement close by?" she asked and he nodded with a frown. "I have to go! There is something I have to do! I can't let it happen!" she said and he nodded and vanished within a swirl of leaves. "Good luck Hinata. Do what you must." He said as his image faded.

When Hinata reappeared in the same swirl of leaves, she took off in a straight out run towards the merchant settlement. She did not have to worry for Izuna or Madara at the moment. It was someone closer to them that she was going after now. Hinata steeled her shaky limbs as she burst through the gates. A woman's scream made Hinata's heart race in fear. What if she were too late? She panicked when she couldn't feel that benign chakra she knew had to be the Uchiha matriarch's.

Her chakra felt like Mikoto's always had, so she knew it had to be her. She jumped over a merchant stall and landed by a group of men and women who'd stopped once they'd heard the scream. She skid around the side of them and bolted past them. There was a small group clad in red and black and she almost bumped into the one on the end of the group. They took off running a few moments after she had passed by them, she noticed with a frown.

When she rounded the next corner there was a beautiful woman being held by her hair, the group of men around her laughing at their so called victory. The woman threw the man holding her hair but the rest were on her like flies, the woman was sent skidding across the ground from one particularly strong kick. "S-stop!" Hinata managed to yell and they turned to face her. "Don't hurt her anymore, she hasn't done anything wrong." Hinata said, surprisingly without a single stutter, and the men laughed.

"She's a Kunoichi, a rather weak one, but a Kunoichi no less. She is much more valuable dead since she's also an Uchiha. But I'm guessing it is our lucky day since yet another Kunoichi had dared to show her face." The leader of the group who held the woman by her hair said with a filthy grin. "G-go… please… do not sacrifice yourself as well, young Kunoichi…" the woman managed, blood trickling from her abused lips. "No!" Hinata said sternly and the woman looked at her through her bangs.

"Why?" she asked with a sob as the man yanked her hair to silence her. "You don't have to die for me, you don't even know me…" the woman sobbed and the man kicked her to silence her once more. Hinata dropped into an offensive stance and held her hands out in front of her. "Men, she's trying to make a stand, shut her down." The leader said, no longer amused with Hinata's façade of bravery. She rushed forwards and the men around him attacked her. With a palm to the chest one man looked at her in shock, his eyes wide as the blood gurgled up his throat and he hit the ground.

Her eyes flickered around and she spun on her heel into a chakra rotation, sending the other four flying. She felt the urge to grab for Tsubaki, and in a moment of realization she grimaced, all she had strapped to her was a normal blade. She'd become accustomed to the blade's ability. She bit her lip and shot forwards at another one of the men who'd stood up and she slapped his hands away from the block they had been in and her palms slammed against his chest and he flew backwards due to a close range empty palm.

She turned on her heel and looked at the remaining three who had begun flying through hand signs. She recognized the hand signs as the familiar style of wind. She flew into similar hand signs and when they released their wind on her she inhaled and released her own. "Wind style, wind bullet." She muttered and spat a series of sharp gusts of wind at them. They hit the ground one after the other. The leader of the group became angered and shoved the woman to the ground and stomped on her, telling her to stay put because he would handle this.

Hinata furrowed her brow as he had advanced on her much faster than the others had he was faster, but she knew she could still handle him. The three from before had arrived not too long ago and she bit her lip, she didn't know who they were going to side with… the man swung his blade at her and she struck up at his elbow to try and knock the blade from his grasp but he twisted the blade to where his elbow tucked in and she missed it.

He kicked her back and she barely had time to catch her footing as the blade came down on her. Her hands shot up and grasped the blade as it came down on her, it dug deep in between her fingers and she gasped in pain. She shoved the blade back up towards him with a pained grunt. "You dare attack a woman of the Uchiha!?" she heard one of the men behind her yell. She heard footsteps soon after and the man before her told them not to interfere.

She took this distraction and kneed him in the stomach just before she sent him flying with a kick to the gut. Hinata then grimaced at her hand when she hit her knees; the blade had cut pretty far down. She gathered her internal strength and she yanked the blade out of her hand, not missing the green glow that washed over it soon after. She was confused about the green glow; she had never healed herself like that before she had picked up Tsubaki. The first time had been when she had fought Sakura at the training grounds. It had taken her this long to actually figure out what had happened there.

She had seen the woman scramble away not long before she had finally finished him off. "Are you alright, lady Aurora?" Hinata asked and turned to the woman with a soft smile.

-:-:-:-

Tajima, Madara, and Izuna made their way to the civilian village; they were supposed to pick up something for Aurora there. They saw a flash of white and black zip past them and then they heard a woman scream from the direction the blur of black and white went. They broke into a run and made a break for the woman who screamed. Izuna rounded the corner to see a group of bandits standing over his mother and before he could actually move to do anything, the last of the ones attacking the other person fell.

The leader of the group was now preoccupied with the person who had taken out his entire group. "Mother!" he yelled and Aurora scrambled to her feet and ran to her son. Madara and Tajima watched in surprise as they saw what was happening. One of the six bandits was knocked out on the ground; four of the others were dead on the ground. The last one standing was in a battle of wills with someone.

Blood dripped onto the ground when the bandit's sword came down on the one in front of him. Madara could clearly see the person's hand holding tightly onto the blade. "You dare attack a woman of the Uchiha?" Tajima growled and pulled his blade and started to make his way over to the bandit. "Don't interfere." The bandit growled at him as he forced his blade downwards. A pained grunt from the person in front of him and then the bandit went flying backwards with a swift kick to the stomach. The person fell to their knees, the blade still wedged in between their middle and index fingers. The person pulled the sword from their hand and threw it to the side as they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you ok, Lady Aurora?" a female voice asked softly as the person weakly pushed the long inky blue hair from their face and offered a gentle smile. White eyes bore into their onyx ones. "Lady Hyuuga…" Aurora whispered and made her way to the younger woman. Aurora reached over and grasped at her injured hand but she shook her head as she held up her bloody, but uninjured hand. "I can heal myself. It is no worry…" she said shyly, the watchful eyes of the Uchiha making her uneasy. Her eyes met with Madara's and Izuna's and her breath hitched as did theirs.

"You…" the three said together with accusing stares. "You were watching me bathe…" She said and managed a weak glare. Izuna managed a smirk. "Yes… and it was enjoyable as well." He said and her face flushed red as she stood on shaky legs. "P-pervert." She stammered as his mother glared at him. Tajima and Madara bowed to her. Hinata blushed in embarrassment. She began fiddling with her fingers; a habit she thought she had rid herself of.

"I am Tajima Uchiha. This is my son, Madara Uchiha. And that one… is Izuna Uchiha, her son... I cannot thank you enough for saving my wife." He said as Izuna bowed as well. Aurora smiled comfortingly at her. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga… It was no trouble to me I just wanted to help… And you are welcome…" Hinata said shyly, her eyes not once leaving the two brothers. "Please don't be modest… we are extremely grateful. My mother is a very important part of our clan. If you hadn't shown up, who knows what would have happened…" Madara said, his voice silky smooth as he bowed. Hinata looked as if she were having trouble speaking; her face had gone really red and she had begun to bite her lip.

This was not what she had thought Madara would be like in the slightest, the scrolls had been wrong about Izuna… so… they could have been wrong about Madara. She watched him carefully with pursed lips. She would have to keep an eye on him when he was near her. Her heart thumped heavily and chills of fear ran down her spine. Her eyes flickered from one direction to another and she stood back up. The veins around her eyes just barely enlarging before Madara spoke.

"Are you alright, Lady Hinata?" Madara asked as he came closer to her and that was right as she held out her hands and sent the barrage of kunai flying backwards. Somewhat surprised at her swift movements, Madara and Izuna dropped into defensive stances; albeit slower than she had. "You… how dare you interfere with my plans, useless woman!" Butsuma yelled and lunged for Hinata. She caught his fist and sent it to the side before she jumped backwards and drew her blade. She rushed at him as he drew his own blade.

The blades clashed and she was forced backwards by Butsuma's brute strength alone. "Butsuma, why don't you take your issues up with the ones whose family member your men attacked." Tajima sneered and aimed a kick at Butsuma, who ducked and dodged the swipe of Hinata's blade. A series of thuds on the ground signaled more Senju's arrival. Hinata was off to the side on her own, while the Senju was in an area of their own; same for the Uchiha.

Hinata didn't join either side, seeing as this would only make things worse, but she also knew that she had just allied herself with the Uchiha, even if she hadn't vocalized it. It was a triangle of terror in the center of the merchant settlement. Hinata bit her lip and looked at all the scared men, women, and children. "I-if you wish to fight me, we will fight away from the s-settlement." Hinata said and Butsuma glared at her. "You will go nowhere." He snapped and she took a few steps backwards, then she spun on her heel and jolted forwards.

She was going to lead them away, she knew they would follow, seeing as the Uchiha patriarch and matriarch landed right beside her as she ran. "Disperse." Tajima said, sensing the chakra signature in front of them. The group nodded and each went a different way than Hinata, who continued to go the same way. Another chill went down her spine as roots burst from the ground and rushed at her. She jumped atop the roots and ran along them.

She saw the person at the end and her eyes held her sadness, she was going to have to fight the first Hokage anyways. She jumped from root to root until she had reached him. She jumped into a flip over him, only to twist around and watch him turn to face her with the same saddened, yet surprised eyes she's had. "Forgive me, I can't disobey." She heard him say as he watched her fly over his head. She repressed the small gentle smile as she landed and began running once more.

She saw four chakra signatures advancing from each side and when they came into sight she motioned for them to keep to the sides and the nodded as she flipped backwards over a series of water dragons. She landed in a crouched position then slowly stood. Hashirama and Tobirama slowed their jog as their father landed before them. Tajima, Madara and Izuna appeared from the woods in between Hinata and the Senju. Butsuma sent his tree roots out at both the Uchiha and Hinata.

Hinata's eyes went wide as the brothers and their father flew into the fire style hand signs. Butsuma grinned wickedly as the flames left the mouths of the Uchiha. Hinata had seen the papers infused within the roots and she flew through hand signs to try and put out the flames as she ran around in front of the Uchiha. She managed a wall of water behind her to protect the Uchiha, but before she could wrap the orb of water around her, the roots exploded and she was sent flying.

She saw the oncoming ground and her eyes shut in preparation of the pain to come. She had almost hit the ground when someone had caught her, then had hit the ground and rolled over her to protect her from the impact. Hinata's eyes cracked open, her breath hitched, and her face flushed red when she realized she was flush against Madara. "G-gomen…" she stammered and he chuckled and lifted her off of him. They both got to their feet and made their way back over to the Uchiha group.

Izuna and Tajima had raised brows and slight smirks. The Senju brothers didn't appear to want to fight at the moment, and Butsuma had this ridiculous smirk. "Come, we have learned enough." Butsuma said and Hinata's eyes went wide. "He used you all to learn about me." she said with a frown and Madara laughed. He was close, and another blush crossed Hinata's cheeks. "Ah G-gomen!" she stammered once more and hid her face in her hands.

Madara reached and gently grabbed her hands away from her face. "There is nothing to apologize for, you did what you thought was right." He said and offered her a small but sincere smile. He was way too close and her face flushed darker. Why… why of all times did she have to have this awful shyness. "G-gomen…" she said before her limbs went limp. Izuna blinked then laughed at Madara. "You made her faint!" he laughed loudly and Madara glared at him.

"Well at least my own father does not refer to me as 'that one' and claim that I am not his son, but her son. He called me by my name, and stated that I was his son, proudly." Madara muttered as he picked Hinata up. Izuna quit laughing and looked at his father in shock. "Tajima…" Aurora seethed, glaring at her husband as she walked out from where she had been hiding. "And where were you?" Tajima asked and she scowled at him. "I've already had a run in with the Senju today, and I look like a horse trampled me. I'm not going to fight them again just to get smashed up worse." She snapped and Madara cocked in head in a 'meh' type fashion.

"Alright, you have a point… besides… All I was saying is that he takes after you. He is your son…" Tajima chuckled. Aurora sighed and looked over at Madara who was holding Hinata gently and as little as possible. "What should we do with her?" Madara asked, he was really uncomfortable holding her, but Izuna was NOT going to hold her. "We take her home with us; offer her residence with us when she wakes up." Aurora said and Tajima nodded.

Madara crouched and set her down. Her put her arms over his shoulders and carried her on his back. Izuna bounced along beside his brother, staring at the dark haired woman. "She is a small framed woman… she shouldn't be too heavy." Aurora said and Madara grunted at her and gave her an annoyed look. "The fact she is wearing those heavy fishnet and armor makes quite the difference." Tajima noted and Aurora glared at her husband.

"And how exactly did you notice she was wearing fishnet?" she asked and he blinked. "I was not staring at the child! Such accusations are meant for Izuna, not me. I would not disrespect a child in such a way, no matter what she looks like or odd she is." Tajima stated calmly and Izuna chuckled. "I told you she had-" he began but his mother glared at him and he raised his hands in defeat. "Madara…" his mother whined and his eyes shot forward from where he had been eyeing the woman on his back. Izuna laughed loudly. "You got caught staring!" he chuckled and Madara glared at him.

"I am curious… if their clan was near death, how could a Hyuuga our age be alive?" Madara asked as they travelled past the entrance of the civilian village, which Butsuma had been trying to chase them into. "Excuse me…" A man's voice rang out. Izuna looked and saw it was the innkeeper from before. "Is lady Hyuuga alright?" he asked.

"Yes… she just fainted is all, she over exerted herself protecting my mother and defending herself from the Senju as well." Madara said and the man nodded. "That woman is a proud one. A kind hearted soul who is going to save us all." He said and handed Izuna a duffle filled with anything the people of the civilian village could gather as offering. "She saved my inn. Paid for it from her own pocket, please, give her this. It is all we civilians could hope to give." He said and Izuna looked from the duffle bag to the woman on Madara's back.

"Of course, thank you." Aurora said and he bowed as he moved out of their way to allow them to leave. They arrived at the Uchiha compound and Madara put Hinata in a guest room, her bag on the floor beside her. Aurora took her armor off so she could sleep better. Aurora then left the room and blew out the candles that lit the room. "Thank you, jumper." She whispered as she left.

Hinata rolled over in her sleep, uncomfortable with her new surroundings. She sat up and sighed, she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep well in these new surroundings. She looked around, seeing in the dark was no trouble for her. She saw the duffle bag and smiled lightly. The villagers were kind to her even if she had only helped one; they all wanted to help her. "My parents wish to know if you would stay with us. They offer you residence in the Uchiha compound." Madara's voice came from behind the door. She could tell Izuna was there as well, his impatient jitters making him known.

"If I am not too much trouble, I might have to think about it… I don't wish to be a burden." Hinata said and could hear Izuna jump up and down and Madara sigh. "You are not a burden; you protected my mother, a woman you didn't even know." Madara said and Hinata bit her lip. "I don't think I should. I'm sorry… I... I have family out there somewhere as well… I have to be sure they are ok… then I may think of asking residence here." She said softly. It wasn't exactly a lie… she needed to find Hizashi and E'lara. Izuna's excited atmosphere became sullen. "As you wish, I will inform my parents. Thank you again, lady Hyuuga." Madara said as he stood from his place on the floor.

"Thank you, Madara… Izuna… You made me figure out why I belong here." Hinata whispered when they had gone. She stayed the rest of the night, but was gone before daybreak. She left a note stating her reasoning and thanking them for allowing her residence, even if she had declined.

-:-:-:-

Madara stretched and made his way to where they had left Hinata the night before. He pushed the door open lightly after he rapped his knuckles on the door but received no answer. He frowned when he saw that she wasn't there. He shrugged and made his way back to his mother who had asked him to fetch Hinata for breakfast. "She's gone, mother." He said with a scratch of his head and his mother looked up at him with a frown. "Ah… well… I guess we had too high of hopes then huh?" she asked with a sigh and Izuna frowned.

"She said something about having family out there somewhere she needed to find." Izuna said and his mother smiled. "Well, I don't doubt it. I saw him the other day. She must be looking for the one residing with the Uzumaki." Aurora said and Madara furrowed his brows. "Ok… so this just keeps getting more and more ridiculous. How is the Hyuuga wiped out if they are randomly appearing all over the place?" he asked and his mother frowned. "Well… maybe they were in hiding all this time… who knows." His mother said softly and he shrugged, while trying to run a hand through his tangled hair.

"You should really brush that thing on your head before it eats you…" Izuna said to Madara and his mother whacked Izuna with a spoon. "Don't treat your brother that way, Izuna. You both just woke up. Deal with it." she snapped and Izuna frowned. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ok then." He grumbled and picked at his food with his eating utensils. Madara smirked at his brother as he sat down beside where his father would usually sit. "So where is dad at?" Madara asked and Aurora sighed.

"He is trying to sort out a patrol for tonight. Who knows, maybe we will encounter Hinata-chan again." Aurora said with a smile and the brothers looked at her with raised brows. "What? She's a lovely young woman with a kind heart. I would love to try and keep her around as long as possible." she countered and the brothers laughed at their mother. "You just want her in the family. Tough luck, she saved you and all; but it will take a lot more than a show off to get me to like her." Madara said and cleared his plate.

"That much I figured, but I really would like to keep her around… there are way too many guys in this clan. Not enough ladies to talk to." Aurora snapped and threw her wooden stirring spoon at Madara, who caught it between two fingers without even having to look back at his mother. "Can't hit me like that anymore mother, you will have to try harder. We were joking by the way, you only sold yourself out." He chuckled as he left the house to train.

He hadn't been out in the training field for ten minutes when he felt reverberations rumble through the ground. His brows furrowed when he saw something fly up over the tree tops. He narrowed his eyes to try and see the object better and his eyes went wide when he saw what it was. He turned to rush off towards the commotion but stopped and looked back towards his home where he could still see his mother and brother eating their breakfast obliviously.

Then he nodded and turned back towards the woods and took off running, but it wasn't long before two others joined his side. "Father, little brother." He greeted and they grunted in response. "It's Hinata." Madara said and his father nodded, while Izuna had a determined look on his face.

:-:-:-:

Hinata frowned as she slid out the window of the Uchiha compound. She didn't want to be caught still there or else she would have to explain as to why she was leaving in person. She slid the window shut silently and her senses spiked when she felt his chakra. She crouched down and hid her chakra signature. She held her breath as the door creaked open and she heard him walk around inside. She heard the door creak shut once more and she stood with a relieved sigh.

She looked around to make sure no one had seen her and she bolted across the clearing and into the edge of the woods. She stopped and turned to look at the Uchiha compound one more time before she turned on her heel and turned to walk away, but an 'eep' of surprise wormed it's way out when she had spun around right into a smirking Tajima. "Little Hyuuga, you almost made it out." He said with a wink and she smiled lightly. "Well, I have to commend your skills, you did hide right in front of Madara's face and even he did not see you slip away." He said with a smile that reached his eyes and made them crinkle.

"Get along then, Miss Hyuuga, I do believe you have a personal agenda to get to, do you not?" he asked and she smiled and nodded, taking off running into the depths of the woods. She had been running for only ten minutes when she got the feeling that she wasn't alone, once more. She felt the wind become cooler and she only had enough time to turn and catch her breath before the root sprang up out of the ground and sent her flying up through the top of the nearest tree.

She barely had time to turn herself the right way before a water dragon shot up at her. It collided with her and sent her back down towards the ground. She was staring straight at the ground, unable to stop herself from hitting it at the pace she was going, she braced her arms around herself and pursed her lips as she focused her chakra to form her own dragon. Her dragon sprouted out from the side of the one she had been trapped in and she hit the ground and rolled away at a significantly less force than she would have.

She propped herself up on her elbow and shoved her hair out of her face to see Butsuma and his sons standing before her. She frowned and shoved herself to her feet. "Hyuuga." Butsuma said, disgust dripping from his voice like venom. "Senju." She said and they shuffled around to make sure she had little to no chance of escaping. She eyed each of them as she brushed her hair back over her shoulders and out of her face. "So you've allied with the Uchiha now? I thought you were neutral…" Butsuma said and Hinata's gaze flickered from Butsuma, to his eldest son, then to his youngest son.

"You're a cornered cat, little Hyuuga, puff up your fur and bare your fangs all you like. Your little hissing fit is going to get you nowhere. So… listen here…" Butsuma said and his sons looked at him in slight wonder, they obviously had no idea what their father was going to do. "Place the blade on the ground and get on your knees. Place your hands behind your head and close those eyes of yours." He said and Hinata's brow furrowed. Her movements showed the slightest flicker of determination and a shinobi appeared behind her and placed his kunai to her neck.

The twitch of aggravation in her cheek went unnoticed by the smug Butsuma, but his sons watched her intently. They wanted absolutely nothing to do with his father's plans but their father wasn't a man to double cross. They knew this first hand and they knew their father wasn't going to go easy on the young woman. Hashirama watched her face intently, the slightest twitches of her facial muscles screamed her intent of not wanting to give in. Her eyes narrowed, then they widened and a brilliantly defiant open mouthed smile crossed her lips as a slightly amused laugh escaped her.

"Must you always find yourself in such a bind, Hyuuga?" Tajima's voice rang out from the shadows and three sets of blaring red eyes were seen from the shadows. Hinata's head jerked backwards and knocked the man who held the blade to her neck, senseless. She spun to her feet and sent both her palms into his abdomen and his breath hitched as he was sent flying backwards into a tree. "I-I never said I needed your help." She huffed when Madara gave her a cocky smirk.

"Well if you could stay out of trouble for a single day I wouldn't always have to rescue you." He said but was hit by a tree root before he could make any other comments towards her. Hinata's head jerked to the side just in time to see Tobirama aiming a punch for her. "Forgive me." he whispered softly and she frowned. She grasped his fist but he twisted around and grabbed her legs out from under her. She yelped in surprise and swung her foot down on his lower back near the base of his spine. He dropped her and she rolled to her feet. "Dammit Tobirama, can't you do anything right?" Butsuma snapped and threw a kunai at Hinata as she'd turned to run.

It sliced across her thigh as she spun to avoid it. Hinata knew when the odds were not in favor of her, because this was one of those times. She looked around and sighed, she couldn't leave the Uchiha though… Madara was fighting Hashirama and Tobirama was currently in some sort of glaring match with Izuna. Butsuma had taken off and run after Tajima who was attempting to separate them. Hinata glanced at the group of brothers before she ran after Tajima. The wind chilled around her and she found Butsuma and Tajima with their blades locked. Tajima was on the ground with Butsuma pressing his blade down on his blade hard and Tajima seemed to be unable to keep it up for much longer.

Hinata ran at Butsuma and rammed him in the side with her shoulder, when he hit the ground she pointed her blade at him but he turned into a wooden clone. She turned just in time to see the image of Tajima fall away and Butsuma run at her. His fist connected with her stomach and blood forced its way through her lips. She gasped in pain, but turned and fought diligently against him, even though she was in pain. "I figured that you would protect the father as well, being as why I used his image to lure you away from those brothers." Butsuma scoffed and deflected a particularly clumsy strike from Hinata.

Hinata fell into her Jyuuken stance and sped towards him she managed a few hits but out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of metal then a searing pain in her abdomen. She looked down and with shaky fingers she pulled up her shirt. The blade's tip was pressing against the underside of her skin, the silver visible beneath the surface of her pale skin. Her mouth gaped a few times, her mind swimming with pain and disgust at the way the blade looked from her view of it. She reached around behind her and her fingers brushed the hilt of the blade he had thrown, but she couldn't pull it out.

Her lips were trembling as tears filled her eyes. She was in a panic as her shaky fingers tried to remove the blade again, but failed. She looked at Butsuma and she released a strangled cry. "I… I d-don't want to d-die…" she sobbed, the faces of her friends flashing in her mind. She placed her hand on the tip that was pressed against the inside of her skin, and a flash of green coated her features and she looked at Butsuma and fisted her hands to her chest as the blade was pushed from her back. It hit the ground soundlessly and she felt a numbing sensation overcome her. Her eyes flickered up at him as a sudden feeling overtook her and she followed it by instinct. She sped forwards as he stood to his full height and she sent her fist into his face. When the glow vanished, she dropped her hands, looked at Butsuma who was forcing himself off the ground, and she took off running the opposite direction with a fearful look on her face. The feeling that had taken over was gone and she feared for her life if he caught up to her.

She collided right with Tajima and he helped her regain her footing. "Aye, you alright there?" he asked and she was breathing fast. Her eyes were unfocused and her lower lip trembled. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gripped her tightly, telling her she would be alright. "Hey… Madara is going to escort you home alright? Stay there until you feel comfortable, alright? I can make arrangements to keep you safe if you would like as well…" he said and she nodded. Her ruffled her hair and urged her on towards where they had left the Uchiha brothers.

"Hey, what happened to you, where'd you go?" Izuna asked and Hinata sniffled. "I thought Tajima-sama was in trouble, but it was a trap by Butsuma to get me away from you all…" she said softly as she rubbed the skin right above her hip bone, where the tip of the blade had almost gone through. The sharp feeling wouldn't leave her, it… it felt sickening. "Hinata… are you alright?" Madara asked and she shook her head slowly, her eyes relinquishing their hold on the tears.

"N-no… I'm not alright… h-he… he almost killed me…" she stammered through her tears. "I a-almost died…" she sobbed into the palms of her hands as she hunched over in agony. "I almost died…" she wailed as she hit her knees and threw up. The sickening feeling didn't leave her bones; this was the most weakness she had shown since she had arrived in this time, but she didn't care. Because… here she was, on her hands and knees, distraught and sick to her stomach over the fact her life had nearly been lost, she wished she could go home… that was all she wanted...

Shaky fingers gripped at the ground before her as her tears fell freely. "Hinata…" Madara called and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you come and live with us, we can make sure nothing like this can happen to you ever again…" he said and she hid her face in her hands and sobbed again. She calmed down after a few minutes and rubbed her eyes, but her sniffles didn't halt. "I'm always useless… I can't even protect myself… how am I supposed to protect others when I can't even protect m-myself…" she sobbed and Madara blinked.

"But you can protect others… you protected my mother just fine. You held your own perfectly fine against the Senju then, what is so different about it now?" Madara asked and she looked up at him. "I'm not strong…" she whispered and he frowned. "Of course you are… trust me, you're the most skilled Kunoichi I have ever met, besides my mother and Akane Senju of course." He chuckled but her mood didn't brighten. "Then why must everyone always protect me? Why am I always the one being taken care of?" she asked and he frowned.

"That's' not true… You're putting yourself down, you really need to stop that." Madara bit out and Hinata looked up at him in surprise. "All of us here have had close encounters with death more times than we can count. You get critically hurt once and begin whining like a child. Get up and get over yourself!" Madara snapped and Hinata's eyes went even wider. She pushed herself to her feet slowly and she turned to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist. She tried her best to pull it from his grasp but he wouldn't relinquish his hold.

"Madara." Tajima called and Madara didn't remove his hand, nor stop frowning at the struggling girl. "Let her go Madara…" Izuna said and Madara snorted and released her wrist. "Hinata." He called and she jumped slightly as if scared of him. She looked up at him through her bangs, like a child who'd been scolded. "look at me…" he said and she just barely tilted her head to look at him. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to be so inconsiderate… this must be a first for you. Being that close to death…" he said and she looked up at him.

"N-not at all… this is not the first…" she said and he gave her an incredulous look that soon turned into a twitch of the eye a pinch to the bridge of his nose. "How about this then… How about you do me a favor…" he said and she blinked and wiped her eyes. "Try and stay out of trouble, keep safe, alright? You'll give us all a heart attack if you don't, troublesome girl." He sighed and Hinata giggled softly at first but it soon became soft laughter that made the Uchiha smile as well. "Don't be s-such a meanie then." She said as she slowed her laughter. "Now, shall we get you home?" he asked and she nodded. "Thank you…" she said softly and he sighed running a hand through his hair.

"So… Hinata… why do you not want to stay with us? We can help keep you safe… it seems my mother has taken quite the shine to you…" Madara said suddenly and Hinata jumped in surprise. "Well you um… you see… I um… have other things I need to attend to…" she whispered and he raised a brow at her. "Are you sure?" he asked with a smirk and she nodded rapidly. "I have to find my uncle…" she said quickly, but her voice was determined, although that was most definitely not what she was really thinking about.

He sighed and ruffled his hair. "Alright then, I guess that's good enough reason to avoid me." he sighed and she blinked up at him. "Avoid you? I'm not avoiding you…" she said softly and he cracked an eye open with a smirk. "I have noticed." He said and she huffed. She looked away from him and he chuckled. "I'm joking… but still, be careful alright?" he said and she nodded as he opened the door to her current home. She swiftly picked a flower from the vase and tucked it into his hair before he could walk away.

He looked at her oddly but she smiled and murmured a thanks. He shrugged and walked off. Hinata sighed and leaned against her doorway as she watched him leave. "How come this has to happen to me?" she whispered as she watched him leave. She thunked her head against her doorframe and sighed. He turned and smirked at her before he turned the corner and she huffed and slid to the floor. He was the reason she couldn't stay with the Uchiha… he was her biggest distraction…

:-:-:-:

An unamused look crossed Madara's face as she walked in the front door to his home. He yanked the small flower out of his hair and stared at it disdainfully. Hinata had tucked it into his hair before he left, as a sign of gratitude or something. He made a move to toss the small lavender colored flower on the ground, but his mother cleared her throat. "I hope you don't plan on being rude…" she said and she snatched the small flower and turned to put it in a jar with water.

"She was being polite, don't be rude… again." His mother warned and a chill ran down his back, there was a serious talking about to ensue. He slowly turned to look over at his mother and she had the angriest look he had ever seen on her face. "Now… you are going to formally apologize, my version of it, not a half assed sorry." She snapped and he grimaced. "Don't even walk away from me, you are going to sit down and listen." His mother growled and he sighed, but followed her orders.

"Yes ma'am…" he said and heard his father and Izuna laugh from down the hallway. Tonight was not going to be fun…