[Uchiha Izusa]

Wandered the forest

---

As the sun neared its highest point in the sky that day, Izusa stood alone at one of the academy's training grounds.

It was still a bit brisk outside, but with spring nearing, he preferred to do most of his teaching here whenever possible. Some flowers had just barely begun to bloom, as if they were deliberating on the matter. "Ah, flower..."

The instructor recited a verse to himself quietly, his eyes wandering the trees. "Weary of time; who countest the steps of the sun." It'd been quite some time since he had a spare moment to write, but poetry was one of the few non-shinobi things that occupied his mind these days. The only hobby he still had. "If only I had more time." He thought.

Musings aside, at present, he was waiting on a student of his to arrive. Yesterday evening he'd sent a letter scrawled in his signature messy handwriting to the girl's address. "Hopefully it was legible..." To some small extent, at least.

Its purpose was to both exempt her from today's classes and inform her to meet him here for a lesson. Based on what he'd told her last, she could probably figure out what this was all about. And if she couldn't, he'd be able to tell her soon enough. As spring approached and Konoha's many flowers bloomed, so would its students. Into proper shinobi.

Hyūga Hinoe was a unique case, and her development had been halted through no choice of her own. Since she'd returned however, she worked hard and applied herself in classes and in private lessons. Izusa had his own misgivings about his dual roles within the village— about what he was both forced to do and what he chose.  But never once did he doubt the girl's ability or potential. On paper, she was ready to become a Konoha kunoichi. 

Today was all about gauging what exactly that meant for this particular student, informing her fully of the perils of her duties, administering a test, and then, ideally, sending her into her new role. "One way or another, we'll see." 

Until she arrived he would wait, folder and pen in hand for her to arrive before they began.

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Winter was past, and the sun shone bright and clear with few clouds to detract from its brilliance, but there was still a nip in the air. Hinoe could not have asked for a better day. For the Hyuuga, there was some symbolism in the aspects of the day presented to her. The bright sun suggested hope, even despite the cold of the day. The cold, for its part, meant that whatever future Hinoe desired, while possible, would not be taken without some discomfort. Not that she minded. An easy life was enjoyable, but her father had always said that difficulty bred character.

Hinoe had received the note sent to her. She had been able to read (most of) it, and had been mildly confused as to why she would be asked to attend another lesson, one which exempted her from the other lessons that were being taken in the Academy today. It was surely some special lesson... unless.... "It is a possibility, but not one I shall dwell on much," Hinoe said to herself, as she made her way to the designated training ground. "Hoping too soon leads to disappointment."

Having arrived at the training grounds, she saw the lone figure of Uchiha Izusa waiting for her. "Greetings, Izusa-sensei," she called out, hoping her voice did not sound too eager, though she was afraid that it did. Well, on the off chance that the Uchiha asked why she sounded excited, she could always play it off as being curious to know what this special 'lesson' was supposed to be. Of course, there was the fact that she really liked interacting with the Chuunin, but that was to be ignored. If that were possible.

Uchiha Izusa

[Uchiha Izusa]

Among the many green leaves

---

Before long, a familiar voice sounded out and brought his attention to it. "Greetings yourself, Hinoe-chan."

The instructor responded to the girl with a smile, choosing to forgo the usual small talk and instead jump right into the purpose of this meeting. "You might've already guessed, but today's graduation day." He said, then tilted his head.

"Well... possibly." Izusa added, his eyes drifting upward for a few moments in thought, then back to the student's face. Failure was a possibility here... "But you've lived up to my expectations so far, so I wouldn't worry." All kidding aside, this was a rather serious matter. So as quickly as it'd come his smile faded, and he straightened up his posture.

It was time to lay it all out for her. "First, we'll start with a series of questions." He began, opening the folder that he held in his hands and taking hold of his pen as he scanned the pages within. A dossier— complete with blank space to write down responses. "Think carefully before you answer." A warning... then a glance upwards from the page. A wrong answer here could mean the end before they even began in earnest... but there were truly only a few responses that would result in immediate failure. Something he naturally kept from students during the exam. Izusa took a moment to clear his throat, then began. "To start... why do you want to become a shinobi?" A simple question.

One meant to gauge the student's priorities. Was it out of obligation, a personal desire for power, loyalty to clan or village, or something else entirely? "Next... the life expectancy of a ninja is frighteningly short, with you and I being closer to the upper end of that range. Keeping this in mind, do you still wish to continue?" It wasn't meant to scare, but to inform. Being from the Hyūga clan, and considering her unique circumstances, he had no doubt that she was already well aware of this fact... but it was always a point he liked to reiterate. There was no shame in walking a different path. "I wish many of my former students had." Maybe the unfortunate ones would still be alive, now.

After giving her some time to think, he continued. "Lastly... what does the word 'shinobi' mean to you?" Over the years, he'd received the gamut of answers. 'Hero', 'spy', and 'protector' among many, many others. This one was purely incidental... but it'd still offer him valuable insight into the girl's own views. "Take your time." Izusa said.

Readying himself to jot down her responses as they came. This first part of the examination, while essential, was still considered the 'easy' portion of it all. Would she rise to the occasion? Or wash out here? "Come on, Hinoe-chan."

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

After returning the greeting, Izusa went straight to the point, informing Hinoe that today was to be her graduation. "Yes! Yes!! Finally!!!" the Hyuuga screamed in her mind. Outwardly, though, her face remained unruffled. "So it is," she simply said, although even then, she could not help the slight smile that tugged at her lips. Izusa, however, indirectly brought up the chance that she could fail the exam, though he stated his confidence in her not flunking it. Hinoe would have made a witty response, but she noted the smile quickly fade from the Chuunin's expression.

Time to get serious.

Hinoe was silent, as Izusa reeled out the questions. The first question was a simple, yet profound one: why she desired to be a ninja. "For me, there are two major reasons," she replied. "Firstly, I feel it is the best way I can serve Konohagakure." This was said in all honesty. She had had the Will of Fire instilled in her from a very young age by her father, after all. "Perhaps in a less volatile world, I may have sought a different occupation. But I have been blessed with the Byakugan, and a healthy body, so it's the most logical choice for me. But secondly, and maybe more importantly, I want power...." There was a pause. "Very few Hyuuga who aren't shinobi have a voice in the clan. I want to be able to have a voice, and get rid of the unequal systems entrenched in my clan."

The next question was one that probed her determination to see her intentions through. "Death is a common denominator for all living things," the Hyuuga answered. "Even though, as you said, a ninja lives a much shorter life than the average person, statistically, our service is to protect the next generation, who will take over from us and keep our will alive. An interesting form of immortality, if you ask me. So yes, I still wish to continue."

The third question was one of identity. "Endurance is the way of the ninja," Hinoe recalled, quoting a text her father had read to her often. The next words were hers, though. "A shinobi is one who endures, whose life has been forged, by training and by trial, into a blade, one which can be used to defend precious things, or cut them away. Every shinobi is a blade. But every blade is individual, in its purpose and function."

Uchiha Izusa

[Uchiha Izusa]

There; a wild flower

---

In time with her responses, the instructor's pen scratched against the page within the folder.

Stopping occasionally so that he could glance up at Hinoe, his stern expression mostly unchanging. "Proclaimed loyalty to the village." He thought, nodding slowly as he wrote. "If you were to seek a different occupation, what would it be?" Izusa interjected. Not an official question— just one borne of his own curiosity. "Power..." He began.

Ready to proffer some advice, only to be stopped by the girl's own words. This time, he smirked slightly in approval. "...if not sought simply for power's sake, can be a good thing." Izusa returned his eyes to the paper. "Possesses keen foresight." That the girl seemed to have a good head on her shoulders was a good thing. In the coming years, she would need that kind of foresight. All of Konohagakure would. "Change isn't so easy." Izusa commented, curious to see what her further thoughts on the matter were. Regardless of if she offered them, he would continue to write.

"Interesting." The Uchiha muttered at her response to the second question. "So we die in service of the next generation... and they continue the cycle? Again and again until... ?" Of course he had his own thoughts on the matter, on the function shinobi served in the larger world and how pointlessly cruel it seemed. But this was not that.

Any goading he was doing was purely part of the exam, meant to test her convictions. "Determined to serve." He wrote, then kept right on listening. Hinoe's final answer gave him pause, and he tapped the pen against the page as he pondered. "To be shinobi is to endure..." The words echoed in his head. "A shinobi is a blade." He'd said the same not long ago, when a student turned the question around on him. Izusa glanced up at the girl, hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Well said." Quickly, he scrawled down the rest of her reply, then looked over the words on the page.

Messy, as his handwriting typically was... but the responses were thoughtful. "Hm..." A hum, followed by a swift closing of the folder. "You haven't failed yet, Hinoe-chan." The instructor moved to set the folder and his pen aside, well out of the way, then gestured for her to follow him to the center of the training ground. The first part was over.

Now... the harder portion would begin. "For this next portion, we're going to fight." 'Fight', not 'spar'. Izusa's smile was long gone as he spaced his feet apart and lowered his center of gravity. "There are no rules— ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu... anything goes." He said, his dark eyes narrowing on the student. "But..." A trailed word as his arms rose.

"...you need to come at me with the intent to kill." Usually, this was a lesson better left to a jōnin sensei once they'd grown accustomed to being genin. Hinoe was older than his other students though, and technically 'behind'.

So he needed to make sure she was prepared. "If you don't... you wash out. Here and now." A pause, then... "Begin."

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

If she were to seek a different occupation? Hinoe had thought about such a thing a few times, especially when she had laid in her hospital bed those long weeks, wondering if she would ever be able to wear the village's hitai-ate. "A doctor," she answered, "or a teacher." Those were occupations in which she saw herself still contributing directly to the next generation. They had, at the time, seemed to be her best opportunities, but then the flower of hope had bloomed, and she had returned to the path she had long since desired to take.

The Uchiha mentioned that change was difficult. "It's a poor excuse to not do something simply because it required effort," Hinoe replied. It seemed Izusa saw the world as some sort of cycle. Each generation worked, and left it to the next to continue. He wasn't wrong, though. But to what end, he was asking. "Until the end of time, or there is peace. Is there a better way?" The question was not rhetoric, but Hinoe would be surprised if Izusa had an answer that was both workable and quite different from the present system of things.

Eventually, Izusa closed his folder, declaring that Hinoe hadn't yet failed. "Forgive me for disappointing you, Izusa-sensei," the Hyuuga retorted, although her tone of voice reflected the humorous intent. As he led her to the center of the training ground, Hinoe took note of Izusa's use of words. 'Fight'. She raised an eyebrow quizzically, until she heard the clause, 'with intent to kill'. Then she balked visibly, although she was quick to recover herself. According to Izusa, she would fail otherwise. Hinoe opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and bit her lower lip. It was clear she was displeased, but all she said was, "very well, Izusa-sensei, here I come."

Two simple Jyuuken strikes followed; one aimed for his heart, and the other for his head.

Uchiha Izusa

[Uchiha Izusa]

Singing a sad song

---

Hinoe's responses proved adequate, and upon hearing that she might've been a doctor or a teacher, the Uchiha glanced up from the page. "You still can, you know." Medical-nin were always needed, as were academy instructors.

Knowing what he did of the girl, those roles seemed more likely to fit her than something like ANBU or, gods forbid, the Foundation. In general they were more 'peaceful' routes to take... all in service of the same system, but perhaps less horrid on the sliding scale of morality all ninja seemed to operate on. "One day, maybe." First she had to pass.

And it wouldn't be until she became chūnin that she'd be able to teach properly... but he could see it. Hinoe quipped back about her intent to implement change, which earned a slight smirk from Izusa. She was absolutely right.

He had his own gripes with the way things were, but his recruitment into Root ensured any lingering idealism was drilled out of his head. "It's good to know others still believe, though." He thought, pausing his writing as she posed a question of her own about the possibility of there being 'a better way'. "Is there?" Izusa asked, raising his eyebrow.

Further personal commentary on these matters would be best saved for a non-professional setting... as it was rather counterproductive to ding the very institution he was tasked with helping continue. Izusa had many opinions...

But like most of his feelings, he kept them to himself. "Disappointment? Never." The instructor replied, one corner of his mouth perking up for just a moment before his face grew stern. The time for talking had passed, now, it was onto battle. Something that Hinoe took to rather well, despite her slight hesitancy. "Understandable, but..." He thought.

Eyes narrowing as she approached swiftly. "...she needs to learn." The first strike was aimed at his heart, to which he used his left forearm to deflect her hand out and away. The second went for his head— a strike that he swiftly caught with his right hand, gripping her wrist. "Good." He said. "But not good enough." Izsua lifted a leg, then kicked.

A straight aimed at her hip, in hopes of pushing her back away from him, releasing his grip if it was successful in creating distance. "Show me what you can do, Hyūga Hinoe." His voice was cold now, stern. "Prove to me that you're worthy to wear our village's hitai-ate." As he stood ready for her next attack, color began to fill his eyes. Crimson.

Bleeding into the dark of his irises, activating his Sharingan. She would fight or fail. There were no other outcomes.

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Hinoe's first attack was deflected outwards by her opponent, who proceeded to catch her other hand, when she aimed for his head. She tried to pull away in vain; Izusa was physically stronger than she was. Hinoe would have to figure out another way to have him let her go... or not.

The kick made her gasp in pain, as Izusa released her, placing some distance between the two as she slid away from him due to the force of his kick. Still, Hinoe managed to retain her footing and not fall over. She stared at the Uchiha, as he asked her to prove herself worthy to wear the hitai-ate. She did not want to do this. It was one thing to spar with an opponent, but it was an entirely different thing to really fight, with the intent to seriously harm, or even worse, kill. And what made it even worse was the fact that Izusa was supposed to be a fellow villager.

"Sensei--" she started, her voice pleading, but stopped herself. She had been in multiple fights before, but nothing like this. Not with the intent to kill. Why did he have to make it this hard? Why not just give her a written exam, and the chance to show that she had learned the basic ninja techniques? Why not let her be like everyone else? Almost immediately, she knew the answer: she was not like everyone else.

She would have to manage her emotions. Stoke the unwillingness to fight him into full-blown displeasure. Focus on the displeasure, not the reason for it, until it became anger. And use that anger as a fuel. She charged again, her pleading expression gone. In its place was a pissed off frown. As she got within range, she swung her body low to the ground, kicking high as she did, in the hopes of nailing Izusa's head with a spinning roundhouse kick. But even as her upper body went low, she grabbed a handful of dirt. Next, whether he dodged or caught her leg, she would attempt to throw the dirt in the Chuunin's face, followed by a palm strike aimed at his chest.

Uchiha Izusa

[Uchiha Izusa]

I slept in the Earth

---

Color flooded into his vision, all within his sight becoming vivid as details were made clearer and chakra turned visible. His red eyes could see the tension in Hinoe's body language, how she funneled energy into her strikes...

...and the imploring nature of her expression mixed with pain. "I'm sorry, Hinoe-chan." He thought to himself, his own face remaining unmoving. "I hope you'll thank me later." It wasn't so much that he doubted the girl's understanding of the job, but that her suspicions were right. She was different from the others... so he had to adjust.

Be harsher to help make up for lost time, do what he could in this final lesson to make crystal clear the expectations that were required of shinobi. The Hyūga began teaching these things young— of that he had no doubt. But learning of them firsthand was an entirely different matter. Hinoe frowned, and his own gaze narrowed. "That's it."

Frustration, anger... powerful tools when channeled correctly. "Use that." Soon, the girl charged at him again and he readied himself. "It isn't about what we want..." He thought, throwing up his arm to block as she dropped low and kicked high, her shin crashing into his arm. Keen eyes watched her grasp at dirt below. "It's about what we must do."

Seeing the dirty tactic coming, he closed his eyes, allowing the rough earth to batter his face. "Better..." He muttered, reopening stinging eyelids to see her aim a strike at his chest. "Fight dirty, do whatever it takes to win." In a flash, both arms would descend, in an attempt to catch the strike cold. One hand on her wrist, the other above her elbow, a slight application of pressure following to cause discomfort. "Never hesitate." Izusa said, meeting her gaze...

The strike halting just centimeters away from his heart if it was stopped. "Your foes won't." He would release her arm rather harshly, then leap backwards, swiping a lone shuriken from his hip pouch before he landed. "Now..." Izusa began, readying himself to throw it. "Demonstrate your Bunshin, Henge, and Kawarimi." The star between his first two fingers glinted, primed to throw as soon as she performed the first two. "One final assault, hold nothing back."

As they were surrounded by person-sized dummies, Hinoe would have no shortage of objects to substitute with. This was it, the determining factor come at last. Show her mastery over the academy techniques, then use them to attack.

Izusa's glare held, holding position as he waited for Hinoe. "In the silent night..." He thought. "I murmur'd my fears."

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

Izusa seemed to approve of Hinoe's attempt to throw sand in his eyes, encouraging her to do whatever it took to win. But while there was nothing wrong with that statement, as far as being a shinobi was concerned, something about the extension of those words into the daily facets of her life concerned Hinoe. If one had to do anything it took to win, where was the line drawn? Would it be fine to abandon one's colleagues just to see a mission to the end? To allow bystanders to die in order to apprehend a target? Worse yet, to kill an innocent in order to achieve a desired outcome? Was there even a line?

In any case, this was not the time or place for deep philosophical thought. The Uchiha stopped her attack, warning against the disadvantage of hesitation. Hinoe squirmed, an unconscious grunt of pain escaping her lips, as she felt the discomfort from the pressure applied to her limb. Fortunately, Izusa let go, albeit not very gently, and ordered her to demonstrate the three basic Academy techniques. She complied, and three puffs of smoke burst out, as the intangible copies of the Hyuuga darted here and there. Ultimately useless, as Hinoe suspected that Izusa's eyes would likely be able to tell the false copies from the true. What followed was the Henge, as Hinoe transformed into a replica of the Uchiha testing her.

Even as she performed the Henge, Hinoe was prepping for the last technique. And not a moment too soon, as Izusa let fly the shuriken in his hand. The projectile hit the Hyuuga girl in the neck, just before she exploded into a large plume of smoke. When it cleared, a training dummy lay where Hinoe had been, the shuriken lodged firmly in it.

And no follow up attack came. Seemed like Hinoe had not taken to heart the latest warning he had given. If he turned, he would see her glaring at him, but not moving, some distance out of arms' reach. "What do you mean by 'whatever it takes to win'?" she asked, her tone of voice more accusatory than inquisitive. "Where do one's morals and values come in? What are you willing to sacrifice to win? That path would make one a mindless tool that gauges things only based on the merit of their utility. It is a path I refuse to walk."

Uchiha Izusa

[Uchiha Izusa]

To seek for new joy

---

A flurry of movement, plumes of smoke, clones, transformation, a thrown shuriken, and a substitution.

Everything that they'd been working on together being put to the test in one final gauntlet. Hinoe performed admirably, demonstrating her grasp over the requisite academy techniques and proving able to use them in battle.

But... when the time came for the final strike, she refused. Izusa's crimson eyes finding the student glaring back at him in disapproval. "I meant exactly that." The instructor said, his voice even, his own stare intense. He listened to her protests intently, but his expression did not change. "Morals, values..." he thought. "Interesting." To him, it was.

Izusa pondered, then relaxed his guard and stood up straight. "You said it yourself— a shinobi is a blade." A keen summation of their purpose— just maybe not in the way she thought. On one hand, she was entirely right in her criticism. It was one that he used to share, and maybe deep down, he still did. But... "A blade for others to wield." He took a moment to consider his words. "Our duty is to the village. To live, and die, to further its aims. To sacrifice everything if need be. To win." Bodies to man the walls, components for the great mechanism that was the Shinobi System, fodder to be offered up if needed. "Idealism is nice... but it's worthless if you're cold in the ground." he said,

Red eyes narrowing. tension filling the air, the tomoe in his eyes slowly spinning as he stared at the girl. "You'd do well to keep that in mind as you walk this path." It was merely a suggestion, but one forged from experience, and one that he wished he could've given to his old comrade Satoji. If he had, maybe the boy would still be alive, today.  "In light of your refusal to strike..." his words trailed... and then, the color in his eyes faded to black. "...the exam is over."

Slowly, his expression seemed to relax. "I want you to do whatever it takes so that you can live on," Izusa continued, the beginnings of his usual smirk beginning to take hold. "To pass those ideals onto the next generation. In hopes that one day... we might find peace." One day. It was something he believed with all of his heart when he was younger, but these days, he had grown far too cynical on the inside. "But maybe..." he thought to himself as he stared at Hinoe.

Mind turning to the other younger shinobi of Konoha, unblemished by the Foundation's stains. "...with ninja like her, Ataru, Shun, and Miroru, just maybe it's possible." It seemed like a pipedream, but someone had to hope for it for this all to be worth something. Those better than the elders of his clan, better than his father, better than him.

"Hyūga Hinoe." Izusa said, calling her to attention to stand before him. "In the first part of the exam, you professed loyalty to the village, stated your intent to be a voice for change within your clan, acknowledged the risks of this career, and shared with me what you believe it means to be a shinobi. We will see if these claims prove true." As he spoke, his tone sounded very businesslike. Like he was reading back a transcript rather than using his own words. "During our spar, you showed the willingness to fight with nothing held back, using any and every tool you had at your disposal to seek victory. Although you did hesitate at the end... so I must take that into account." Even if it went against her personal values, even despite any affection she might've held towards him, she mostly did what was necessary. And that was the important part. "Finally..." Izusa kept on. "You demonstrated your mastery over the jutsu we teach here at the academy, showing your grasp over them to be at the level of a genin." He looked to her.

Eyes narrowing once more as his observations drew to a close. "With this in mind, from this day on..." A hand reached into the inner pocket of his haori, taking hold of something to withdraw. The glint of the sun above them catching on metal. "You are no longer a student of this academy, but a genin of Konohagakure no Sato." Finally...

Izusa allowed his smile to return. "Try it on." he said, offering her the hitai-ate with a nod. "Customize it how you like, wear it how you like... just make sure to wear it proudly." Naturally, it was hers to alter, like his own that remained fixed to a long, flowing white band. The instructor placed his hands back within his sleeves, watching for her reaction with his smirk still holding. "Oh..." A word as he remembered something, a hand emerging from his sleeve to rub nervously at his chin. "Sorry if that seemed like a fake-out at first." he said with a laugh. "Bad habit."

A by-product of his saving his thoughts until the end, he guessed. "Anyhow— don't let me keep you." Izusa stated, stepping aside as if to dismiss her. "Go celebrate! Share the good news." If there was ever an occasion to, it was certainly now. "I'm proud of you, Hinoe-chan." he said, and it was true. As false as his demeanor often was...

...when it came to his students, some of the old Izusa always seemed to emerge. "And don't forget about your sensei!" He would call after her, turning his gaze to the trees nearby to spot a lone, budding orchid. The instructor laughed.

Some small, sincere chuckle that was long-repressed. "In the morning I went," he muttered. "As rosy as morn..."

---

[Hyuuga Hinoe]

For a moment, the two stared at each other: Sharingan locked with Byakugan. Izusa was certainly good-looking by her evaluation, but his intense stare made her uneasy. Still, this was almost a sort of battle of wills; she would not let herself break in front of him. Eventually, he relaxed and stood straight, but his expression was still severe. "I swear, if he were any closer, I'd have put my fingers in his eyes!" Hinoe screamed in her mind, though outwardly she maintained an image of stern decorum. "There's an itch on my nose! Why is there an itch on my nose?!" She was practically crying by now in her mind, but her face remained focused.

The Uchiha quoted her words back at her, before informing her that her morals and values would be useless if she were dead. "No fair! Don't use my words against me, you alluring snake!" she raved inside, although her expression faltered slightly, for his words, she had to admit, were right, even as Izusa advised her to remember them. "But that's not what I--"

And the exam was over. "Wait! The exam can't be over!!" Hinoe thought frantically, some of the worry showing through on her face. "He was definitely displeased with my showing! Ah, this is how I shall spend another year in the Academy. Perennially an Academy student. 'The Forever Academy Student' is not what I want on my grave marker; don't do this to me!!!" She was so flustered she had completely zoned out and wasn't even listening to what Izusa was saying. She had worked hard for this... but if it meant she would have to remain in the Academy in order to defend her ideals, then--

The flash of light glinting on metal caught her eye, and Hinoe's gaze focused on the brand-new hitai-ate being held out towards her. The Hyuuga's eyes widened into saucers, and for a moment she just stood there staring at the Uchiha until he apologized for his act. Then she darted forward, impulsively grabbing Izusa in a hug. "Izusa-sensei! You're the best!! Thank you so much!!!" There was a pause, as her brain and her body reconnected. "I am presently embracing a man... a very well-put-together man, at that. This embarrassment can only be purged by death. Shinigami-sama, you may claim your sacrifice now." Almost as if the Uchiha was made of hot metal, Hinoe sprang back with a mumbled apology, her face burning. Then she grabbed the hitai-ate and fled for her life. Still, she stopped, when she heard him ask not to forget about him, and then continued running again.

But yes, it was very unlikely that she would forget....

Uchiha Izusa