“Y-You guys go back,” ordered Hinata.
“What? Are you crazy, Hinata?” asked Naruto, clearly not thrilled with the thought of his girlfriend heading in alone. “You can’t do jutsu! What if this is a trap.”
“I doubt this is a t-trap, Naruto.” Hinata held her ground. “They sounded like they merely wanted to talk, else they could have f-forced me to comply. We came here on our own will as diplomats.”
“T-The commander is right,” Spades spoke up, looking around the forest with worried glances. “We should go and leave this to her.”
“She’s right, Naruto. Y-You should go. I’ll be fine,” added Hinata.
Behind them, the cavern wall opened up again as if on Hinata’s command. The cave almost beckoned them and Spades quickly stepped through. She turned to Naruto, expecting him to follow a superior officer’s orders, even if she was his significant other.
“Go on,” she repeated.
Naruto grunted angrily, not wanting to obey but knowing that a probable fight in his future would be waiting for him back in Konoha if he didn’t comply. Hinata had had a long talk with him before about what being under her command meant. Even if her orders went against her self-preservation, he was to follow them to the letter. Begrudgingly, Naruto stepped through the entrance and gave Hinata one last worried look before the rock slammed shut.
Hinata jumped slightly as the familiar female voice echoed across the trees around her. “Such a fortunate potential sage. She has a suitable mate, and the binder of the Nine Tails, no less.”
“Y-You knew?”
“Of course, we could sense his foul chakra miles away. Though I must admit, it had a far less sinister feeling since I last basked in it.”
Hinata struggled to maintain her composure as the nearby Cliffside moved. The bear’s sanctuary had been in a small valley tucked away between the mountains where no one could find it unless they flew overhead. Only now did Hinata realize that the large looming shapes overhead hadn’t all been the mountains themselves.
“Oh my…”
Staring down at her, big as any summons from a ninja master, was a massive bear, it was like she had encountered in the forest days earlier. It certainly wasn’t the same creature, Hinata could tell by its presence, but it was just as intimidating with its great size. It was everything Hinata could do to not flinch as it brought it nose right up to her face. This thing could swallow her whole if it wanted to.
“You are afraid,” it spoke after sniffing her. The bear’s inhalation had almost pulled her completely forward.
“Yes,” replied Hinata. She wasn’t about to lie.
“And honest. I can see why Ursala liked you. And after you helped her cub, it’s clear why she trusts you.”
“Y-You mean that bear in the forest earlier was this Ursala?”
But the bear in front of her ignored her question and continued her inspection of Hinata, prodding her gently with its nose. “Yes, yes. You will do nicely. Clever too. Not many would think to use only part of the holy waters to purify only their hand for entrance into the sacred grove. What do you think, Yanmir?”
Another rumble filled the valley as an even larger shadow was cast over Hinata. The scarred face of a bigger bear loomed over her, making Hinata feel even smaller by comparison. This one, however, had the distinctive male voice she had heard before.
"She seems very timid."
"Only because she has to see your ugly face, you old coot," said the female bear.
The bigger bear growled. "You're older than I am, Medve."
"U-Um," Hinata interrupted. "Excuse me, but what do you mean by 'I'll do?'"
"Don't you know?" asked the female bear. "You're here to become our first sage since our awakening. Why else would you be here?"
"B-Because your sloth have been rampaging in Konoha's lands."
"Konoha?"
"The village hidden in the leaves."
Both bears chuckled slightly. "How cute. The humans have expanded their territories. And just how important is this Konoha? Have the humans finally stopped feuding with each other as clans?"
It only now just registered with Hinata just how old these bears were. They truly had been born during the time of the Sage, before the villages had even been formed or the clans disbanded. Hinata had no idea where she could even begin to answer their questions.
"It's...C-Complicated."
"Hah," said Medve. "That describes human nature perfectly. But it's all the more reason we need you."
"You...Need me?"
"It has been centuries since we have awoken," continued Yanmir. "And now that we have returned, we need an advisor and friend in this new foreign world. The role of a sage will fulfill this. You will be our first sage and learn the ways of the bear."
"Y-You mean you want me to become a bear sage?"
"Correct," replied Medve. "By finding the way into our hallowed vale and impressing all three of us elders, you have proven your worth enough to at least attempt the training."
"B-But what about the problem with your sloth? Your kin are e-encroaching on our lands and hurting people. If you don't cease this, there will be w-war."
"You see? This is why we need you as our sage. The sloth moves on its own without respect towards any human. Even if we called them back, they would eventually begin to wander again. Only a sage would be able to manage them by rights of blood and bounding."
"S-So, in order to have peace, you need a sage?"
"Correct," the female bear repeated. "And right now, you are the only human with approval from all the elders."
"For the most part," huffed Yanmir. "There are many trials for you to overcome. You may not succeed."
"A-And if I refuse?"
"Considering we are the only ones with a cure for your hand, you should at least attempt the trials or you will never return to normal again."
With all that had happened, Hinata nearly forgot that her hand was still very much a bear's paw. She flexed it slightly, knowing full-well that that might be some cures for this curse, but considering the olive branch the bears were offering her it probably wasn't worth the risk. She couldn't do jutsu until she was back to normal, and the sloth wanted to make her an ambassador of sorts. It seemed like a win-win, but something didn't feel right.
It was only with slight hesitation that Hinata said. "V-Very well. I will accept the trials and attempt to become a bear sage."
"Wonderful," said Medve. "Now, where do we begin...?"
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