—Four Uneventful Missions Later—
Entering the Hokage's office, Yamato thought about his students' performance.
Hinata had shown that she could remain calm during difficult situations. Her strength was also considerably good.
Toru was similar, proving to be extremely good at thinking on his feet. His agility and reaction time were worthy of an experienced Genin.
The problem was Ino. She was far too proud and cruel. She questioned every word Toru said, her strength wasn't very good, and her agility was average. The only thing that stood out was the ninjutsu she used.
'I should pay more attention to Ino. If this continues, she'll end up failing as a kunoichi.'
Sitting behind his desk, Hokage-sama took a puff from his pipe. Smoke drifted toward the ceiling.
"Your performance has been very good during these last four missions, Team 11. That's why I've decided to increase the difficulty of your missions," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, also known as the Third Hokage.
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama. I assure you we won't disappoint you," Yamato replied with a bow.
Although the truth was that Yamato didn't have much confidence in his students' ability to handle the increased difficulty.
"As for your next mission," Hiruzen said. "C-rank: escort the leader of the Hyuga Clan on his journey to the Land of Rivers. Make sure you complete this mission with caution. Hyuga-san is already waiting for you at the entrance to our village."
Upon hearing the mission they had been assigned, Hinata looked down.
'My father...?'
With a nervous expression on her face, Hinata raised her gaze.
"Then we'll leave right away," Yamato concluded.
He bowed alongside his students, and they left the office.
"Hey, Hinata. The leader of the Hyuga Clan is your father, right?" Ino asked. She knew very little about her teammates' history...
"Yes. He is," Hinata replied.
Meanwhile, Toru thought about what would happen during the mission. He already knew the leader of the Hyuga Clan and his two daughters.
'Hyuga Hiashi...'
Toru had seen him that night...
"So, sensei, can we start taking on more difficult missions whenever we want?" Ino asked.
Yamato thought about it for a second.
"I don't think so. We'll still be completing D-rank missions. On the other hand, I think this mission is simply a test from Hokage-sama to measure your abilities. I expect you to put in your best effort and gain some good experience from this."
—Outskirts of Konohagakure—
With a serious expression on his face, Hiashi looked toward the horizon, waiting for the people who would escort him. Beside him stood a girl who looked very much like Hinata. Her name was Hanabi. Black hair, the white eyes of the Hyuga Clan.
'I wonder when they'll arrive,' Hanabi thought.
She still didn't understand why her father wanted to take her with him, but she was a little excited, since this would be the first time she had ever left Konohagakure.
"They're taking their time," Hiashi said.
He had been waiting for thirty minutes. It bothered him somewhat, but he remained patient nonetheless.
After a while, four people appeared in the distance. Hiashi was slightly surprised because he already knew two of them.
"Sorry for the delay, Hiashi-san. Hokage-sama gave us the mission at the last minute," Yamato said with a bow.
Hiashi sighed and said:
"It's fine. We're not in a hurry."
"Hello, Toru-nii. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Hanabi said, smiling at Toru.
"Yeah... What are you doing here?"
"My father brought me with him."
"Oh. I see."
It had been a long time since they had last seen each other. During Hinata's many escapes, Hanabi would often spy on her, and just like with Hinata, Toru discovered her. Although he didn't interact with her much.
After seeing Toru and Hanabi acting so friendly with each other, Ino frowned.
'They already knew each other? Not that I care. I just have to focus on completing this mission. Then I can brag about it to Sasuke. He'll fall in love with me, and we'll live happily ever after.'
"In any case, we should get going," Hiashi said, glancing sideways at Hinata.
Hinata shrugged when she noticed her father's gaze.
'I don't know if I can handle this mission,' she thought.
Hanabi approached Hinata.
"Onee-san...?"
But Hinata jumped in surprise because she had been distracted.
"Hanabi...?"
"Do your best!" she whispered encouragingly.
It worked.
'Thank you...'
Although Hinata tried to say it directly, she couldn't. It wasn't necessary, however, because Hanabi knew her older sister well, so she smiled at Hinata before returning to Toru.
"Hey, nii-san, do you still draw those weird things in your notebook?"
"I don't do it as often anymore..." Toru replied flatly, as expressionless as ever.
"Really? I thought you liked doing that a lot."
As the mission began, everyone moved along the dirt road.
Toru shrugged.
"Well, I don't have much money to build the things I used to draw anymore. My inheritance is restricted to the basics I can access."
"Hm... Your life is complicated."
Toru looked at the ground.
'When your entire clan gets slaughtered, of course it is. Although, well, I think I've managed to move past it in the end.'
He didn't mean that his resentment toward the one who had raised the sword had disappeared, but unlike Sasuke, Toru didn't desire revenge. He was better off like this, the way he was at that moment.
Although the pain and regret sometimes came back to haunt him, like when he spent four years locked inside his home before deciding to enter the Shinobi Academy, consumed by his delusions of revenge, he had realized that he would only destroy himself if he continued down that path.
Meanwhile, as the walk grew quieter, Ino grumbled:
'We just started, and I already want to go back. I don't know how many days it'll take us to reach the Land of Rivers.'
Ino let her arms fall, disappointed.
'Well, if Hinata's father is the leader of the Hyuga Clan, that means he must be really strong. So why doesn't he just go alone?'
She stretched her arms a little as she walked.
'Whatever. When this mission is over, I'll make a lot of money and use it to impress Sasuke. I hope I get to see him when I return to Konoha...'
—One Hour Later—
'Father hasn't looked at me once since the mission started.'
Thinking that, Hinata looked down sadly.
Hiashi had always been strict with her; it was what turned Hinata into an extremely shy person. Although some of that had faded after she became friends with Toru that day.
'I wonder if I'll ever become as strong as him.'
She looked at Toru, but instead found Hanabi talking animatedly to him while the Asahi boy kept his sleepy expression, staring at the road.
'Hanabi...'
Her younger sister had always been better than her in many ways: strength, agility, intelligence... That was, in part, another thing that shaped Hinata's personality.
"And then my father told me I shouldn't give names to my kunai," Hanabi said, trying to get Toru to talk. He seemed reluctant to do so.
Hinata shook her head.
'I should stop overthinking things. I need to focus on the mission. If I can escort my father and Hanabi back to Konoha, my father will be able to see that I've changed.'
"Nii-san, when will you visit our house again?" Hanabi asked.
That simple question made Hiashi look at Toru over his shoulder, as if he had just learned something very bad.
Toru, on the other hand, stopped to think. It had been a long time since he had visited the Hyuga household. In fact, he had never actually entered their home.
"I'm not sure," he finally replied.
"Then how about this? When this trip is over, you can come to my house, and I'll make you whatever dish you want."
That proposal didn't sound bad at all. Free food.
"I'll think about it."
At Toru's response, Hanabi smiled. She knew he would come. After all, if you offered food to a boy, there was a very good chance he'd show up.
"I can't wait," Hanabi said.