Summoner Nin

Page 28: Maturing

Part Three: Team Kage

Chapter Eleven

Everything started to change once they turned ten. Rumours began to spread about the youngest Uchiha liking long hair. It didn't surprise Hinata one bit. Mikoto had had long hair. But it was surprising to see how many girls began to grow their hair after word got out, and it was rather distraught for their class when Sakura and Ino decided to be best friends no more. It was like an overnight phenomenon. One day they were all sunshine and rainbows, and the next they were sitting at opposite ends of the classrooms giving each other looks. Months later the insults of "Ino-pig" and "Forehead girl" became the norm among the countless fangirl cries.

The boys and girls also began to notice the differences between them at ten, not only in dress and behaviour, but also in smell. It was distressing at times to not have Kiba sitting across from her during lunch, and when Hinata asked Shino about the Inuzuka's absence, he would reply, "They have decided to skip class." It was understood that "they" were Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji and Naruto. What they did during their escapades outside of the classroom while class was in session was beyond Hinata, but the next morning they would always walk into the Academy with shared secretive looks and inside jokes.

Hinata always felt left out from their excursions, but Shino explained that it was the only time Kiba could be "one of the guys." Contrary to Shino's intention of trying to comfort Hinata, it only made her sadder to not be "one of the guys," so to speak. She adapted to the change in their group dynamics with relative ease (or so she had convinced herself) when Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji would sometimes bring back gifts from their excursions – a lollipop, a plushie, a cookie – anything to cheer her up and to apologize for missing out on the lunch she had made for them the previous day.

At least Shino stayed at her side, she had thought morosely.

The only upside to the occasional disappearances of her friends was that they became good friends with a certain blond that made her heart pound THUMP, THUMP and her face go red like a volcano. She even got to talk to him at times.

"H-Hi, N-Naruto," was all she would usually get out before she fainted.

It was getting to be quite tedious, actually.

It wasn't only her peers who were changing, but also Hinata herself. She had not noticed herself, but Zerocertainly noticed. It was in the way her uniform began to chafe against her breasts, and when she mentioned it offhandedly on a mission, One and Three had shifted awkwardly, and then Two and Four proceeded to explain to her what bras were and how the girls were going to let the men finish the mission and go bra shopping instead.

It had been embarrassing, especially when Two – err – Anko (for they had decided to change out of their uniforms to shop in a civilian town far away from Konoha) picked up a pair of lacy red panties and began to instruct Hinata on sex. "Check his bank account before spreading those legs, missy!" Which prompted Four – err – Tsume to give a very long and very loud lecture to Anko about "corrupting the innocent!"

Hinata still had no idea what sex was. Perhaps she should ask the Hokage?

Things started to spiral out of control when Team Kage had made camp one evening after acquiring the Bat Summon. The nocturnal rodent had been insistent on drinking their blood, in particular the Summoner-nin's "sweet, singing blood, yummy!" They had been left with cuts and bruises, and their uniforms had grown stiff from the dried blood. Needless to say, their first aid kits were used up within the hour, and when Zero went to take care of nature's business…