Team Harmony

SFT48: Cynical

It was another few days of traveling, and Jiraiya leaving them to their training as he gathered more information (and also got drank quite a bit), and one town closer to a place the Sannin called Tanzaku Town. Naruto could barely lift his arms as he was stuck in the second phase of training and no amount of Hinata guiding him seemed to help. They both eventually realized that it was something he was going to have to figure out on his own, which did annoy him. But he was also more motivated than ever.

Hinata was practicing her archery when Jiraiya appeared beside her. "Hinata-chan," he greeted.

She bowed politely. "Hello, Jiraiya-sama." She was surprised to see him so early in the afternoon as he was typically gone until early in the morning, just as the sun was rising.

"I just wanted to check-in. It looks like you're getting better and better," he said, nodding to the bow in her hand. "Naruto also mentioned gauntlets?"

Hinata pulled them out of her pack. "Yes, I'm learning to use my chakra to enhance my strength, then I want to pair it with my gentle fist and use that strength to attack the chakra network," she explained.

Jiraiya raised a brow. "I see. Combining those two, won't it...make things messy?" He asked.

Hinata stared down at the weapon. He was right. Attacking the chakra network with just the gentle fist shut down whichever point was targeted, but using brute strength mixed in with the ability to do so, it could hypothetically blow a limb off. If aiming for the chest or stomach, it could easily blow a hole in someone. Hyuuga's never resorted to anything as barbaric as that, and Hinata agreed. However, she felt there were exceptions.

"Yes, that's right. If I can learn how to combine the two seamlessly," she replied.

"I didn't take you for the kind to be so ruthless." This very much shocked Jiraiya. Hinata Hyuuga was considered, among all her peers and sensei, to be the strong yet kind one. And she indeed was, but he was also learning a new side to her, one that he felt ill-equipped to deal with. He wasn't positive on how to guide her.

"There is only one person I would use such a technique on," she said. "Possibly two."

"I take it that one of them is my old teammate?" Hinata nodded. "Well, I can't say I agree with letting yourself become brutal because of them, but I'm really in no position to judge."

"You can call it brutal, Jiraiya-sama, because I mean for it to be. I don't take offense to that," she said with a soft smile that didn't match the words that came from her mouth.

"I fear this mission you were roped into by your source is changing who you are," he voiced.

Hinata didn't know how to tell him that she had been like this from the time she was a child. When she felt satisfaction at the news that the Kumo nin who attempted to kidnap her was to be executed and that she agreed with the brutality the Elders agreed on. She was afraid that admitting it would make it real. That it would make others see that she was just like her Elders whom she despised. She couldn't bring her voice to speak. To admit to such a darkness within her.

"I wasn't roped into anything," she said quietly. "I made the choice."

Though the Sannin wanted to argue, he chose to remain silent. He saw the myriad of emotions that had flashed through her eyes before she spoke and it made him think there was a lot more she kept about herself a secret from everyone's eyes, something she possibly never wanted the world to see.

"I see. Well, as it happens, Tsunade's monstrous strength comes from the same kind of technique. No promises, but perhaps she could show you how to do it," he offered instead. He didn't know much about the girl in front of him, but he knew she needed someone to watch out for her. If she continued on this path, she was looking at becoming like Kakashi while he was in the Anbu. It would break Minato's heart if that happened. Hopefully, her undercover work didn't break her in a way she couldn't be mended.