Naruto: Rise of the Fallen Princess

The town of Mizukusa had changed little since Hinata last saw it. A border settlement between the Land of Fire and Takigakure, its markets bustled with early morning chatter, steam rose from its famous public baths, and the scent of grilled eel mixed with sandalwood incense lingered in the streets. It was a place of passage, not permanence. Fitting.

Hinata's spiritual clone walked calmly through the main street, cloaked in the guise of a wandering priestess. Her expression was serene, posture formal, and her steps measured with the balance of someone who no longer stumbled between identities.

Until she saw him.

Naruto Uzumaki.

Laughing, animated, rushing across the market square with a bag of skewered dumplings in one hand and a grin that hadn't changed in years.

Hinata's breath caught.

The transformation faltered.

Just for a heartbeat, the illusion cracked—her white eyes, longer hair, and more mature figure briefly visible beneath the layered robes. It was enough.

Naruto stopped mid-stride, blinking.

"...Hinata?"

She turned, startled, the illusion flickering back—but not fast enough.

"Naruto... it's good to see you."

He dropped the food. In a second, he was in front of her, arms already moving before he could think. "You're really here!"

Hinata's eyes widened, and with a pulse of will, her soul energy surged. Her form solidified just enough to meet him halfway.

Naruto wrapped her in a tight, familiar hug. "I missed you!"

Hinata was frozen, her face flushed bright red. "I-I... missed you too."

The moment lingered, quiet and gentle amid the noise of the street.

Then—

"Naruto! What did I tell you about—"

Jiraiya's voice cut through the air as he stepped out from the entrance of a bathhouse, towel around his neck, a wide grin quickly faltering when he saw who Naruto was holding.

His gaze shifted sharply to the girl's features—too mature to be a genin, too poised to be ordinary. His eyes narrowed.

Hinata stepped back, lowering her head in a small bow. "Pardon the surprise, Jiraiya-sama."

Naruto turned eagerly. "Pervy Sage! Look—it's Hinata! She's here!"

"I see that," Jiraiya said slowly.

"Come eat with us! You've gotta tell me everything you've been up to!" Naruto beamed.

Hinata smiled faintly, shaking her head. "I'm not hungry… but we can talk."

They found a shaded bench off the main street. Naruto animatedly filled the time: how he'd gone to find Tsunade, how they'd fought Orochimaru, how they tried to bring Sasuke back.

Hinata listened intently, her expression soft.

Then her voice dropped. "I saw Sasuke. Not long ago."

Naruto blinked. "What? When?"

Her fingers touched her lips for a moment—then lowered.

"My father arranged a deal with Orochimaru… to heal the damage done to my body. Because of the seal my clan once used."

She caught herself too late, visibly realizing what she had revealed. But she took a breath and pressed on.

"During that… I encountered Sasuke. I don't know where he is now. But I promise—I'll do everything I can to bring him back."

Naruto's eyes were wide with hope. "Really? You think you can reach him?"

"I have to try."

Jiraiya, silent until then, watched her carefully. His soul flared with suspicion at the mention of Orochimaru—and something about Hinata's very presence unnerved him. Her poise. Her insight. Her eyes.

But he said nothing. He let Naruto speak freely, watching instead how Hinata responded—with ease, with warmth, with frightening control.

Then Naruto, gentler now, leaned forward. "Would you… tell us about you? About what happened after you left?"

Hinata looked down, her cheeks flushed. She opened her mouth—

—and the air changed.

A pulse. A sudden wind.

Naruto and Jiraiya barely had time to react before they vanished—summoned in an instant.

Hinata stood still. The people around them didn't even seem to notice. After a moment, she stepped to where they had been.

Only the dumplings remained.

She smiled softly, picked one up, and placed it on the edge of the bench.

Then, without a word, she turned—and walked away.

The journey was not yet finished.

<<<< o >>>>

Upon the sacred summit of Mount Myōboku, the air shimmered with natural energy.

Naruto and Jiraiya stood upon stones unfamiliar to both of them, blinking in confusion. Around them, vast ancient trees and stone totems loomed beneath a sky heavy with clouds.

Before them rested an enormous white toad — Gamamaru — his massive form barely stirring, his breath deep and slow. Beside him stood two smaller figures: Fukasaku and Shima, their eyes serious.

"You have felt it, haven't you?" Fukasaku said, his voice grave. "The world's energy… slipping."

Jiraiya stepped forward instinctively, shielding Naruto slightly. "I had a feeling something was wrong. But not like this."

Gamamaru's voice rolled forth, low and ancient. "The flow of nature is being pulled... unnaturally. It is not fading. It is being taken."

Shima added, "A force we cannot yet name. Subtle and slow, but dangerous. If left unchecked, it could consume all that breathes natural energy."

"Sage creatures. Senjutsu users. Even the world's own balance," Fukasaku said.

The grove fell silent as the full weight of those words settled over them.

Naruto's mouth opened, but no words came. His brow furrowed, blue eyes darting between the massive toad and the others.

Finally, he blurted, "Uh… who are you guys? And... where are we?"

A pause.

"And... where's Hinata?"

<<<< o >>>>

The wind was softer in the Land of Fire.

After five long months on the road, the group moved at a slower pace than usual. Trees rose once again around them, familiar and tall, their scent rich with damp soil and early blossoms. Birds sang in the canopy, and the air itself seemed to hum with a quiet welcome.

Hinata Gin stood a few steps ahead of the others, at the crest of a forest path that opened into a broad clearing. In the distance, half-veiled in morning mist, stood the gates of Konohagakure.

She did not move.

In those five months, she had passed through the austere strength of Iwagakure, and the shifting sands of Sunagakure — each land marked by its tension, its secrets, and its people in quiet search for stability. She had stood before sages and soldiers, priests and politicians, and now she stood again before the place where her story first began.

The others waited silently behind her: Kenshiro calm and composed, Emi observing with a quiet understanding, Ayaka alert but respectful, Souta with arms loosely crossed, and Masaru already adjusting the collar of his diplomatic robe.

But Hinata said nothing.

The sight of the village made her feel hollow and full at once. The chakra of the Hidden Leaf pulsed beyond the walls — chaotic, vibrant, familiar.

And yet it no longer called to her.

This was where she had once felt invisible. Where she had fallen. Where she had been broken, healed, and transformed. And now, she returned not as a daughter of the Hyūga... but as something else entirely.

Her body had changed too. The bond with Mitsue had accelerated her growth, giving her a height and presence that hadn't been there before. Her silhouette was no longer that of the shy girl who once hid in the back of classrooms. There was grace now — and power. And with it, curves that drew the eye, though she carried them with the same quiet humility that had always defined her.

She took a breath, eyes closed, as if sensing every root, every current of spirit presence beneath her feet.

"I don't know what waits for me beyond those gates," she said softly.

"But I am not the same girl who left them."

With quiet dignity, she stepped forward.

And the path home resumed.