Hinata had seen and heard everything.
In his fervent search for Sasuke, his wayward friend, Naruto failed to notice he had a companion, and she quickly fell behind.
She had been afraid for Naruto, but beneath the apprehension and anxiety, a growing resolve to protect him, no matter the obstacle, came into existence so she pressed forward.
Still some distance behind Naruto, she watched as Itachi made himself known and began speaking with Naruto while subtly snaring him in an illusion. Her pale eyes made the distance irrelevant and allowed her to pierce through the powerful illusion.
Hinata was perplexed and perturbed. Itachi was an enigma; a great mystery. She had read their lips to understand the conversation and had seen him give Naruto a special crow. What she observed and what she had heard were clashing in a battle of brutal and epic proportions. So, with newfound courage and a hint of curiosity, she veered off course and darted straight for Itachi after he dispersed in a murder of crows, his signature technique.
He must have known she was following, of course he knew, for he stood expectantly facing her direction long before she drew near enough to be seen.
She leapt from the last available tree, the branch swaying from the force, and landed in the clearing. Her breathing heavy, she cautiously approached.
Standing across from her was Uchiha Itachi, the infamous missing nin who slew his entire clan. All save for one, his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke.
His presence was powerful, and merely being so near to him was causing a great pressure on her. Shaking slightly, Hinata steeled herself and took in Itachi's appearance.
While Itachi himself was not the mission, he was the primary objective of their target, thus information on his whereabouts, known abilities, and physical appearance were provided. He fit his entry in the bingo book, the black book that contains any and all information on black-listed ninja, to a T.
Jet-black hair pulled back in a low ponytail, concealed by his high collared cloak with red clouds, his face framed with centre-parted bangs extending nearly to his chin, and crimson eyes speckled with flecks of maroon, containing three magatama. Abnormally long tear troughs gave the distinct impression of the beak of a Karasu Tengu, a yokai or demon with an appearance resembling a crow, adding to his foreboding presence.
Through his parted cloak she could see what appeared to be very light, strong chain mail, and a simple necklace with three connected circles. Despite his aloof demeanor, she knew not to underestimate him; his apparent unguarded stance belied his immense skill in hand to hand combat and the ninja arts.
Her keen eyes taking in every minute detail in a fraction of a second, she immediately noticed something was off. Despite the presence, the power coming off him in waves, Itachi looked..dozens of words came to mind, but one ultimately stuck, practically shouting at her. Frail. Itachi looked frail, sick.
This caused a pang in her heart and she briefly thought, "What was that feeling...he's the enemy, why am I feeling this way?"
"Just my compassionate nature." She decided.
Looking him straight in the eyes, her breath catching at their beauty, she began to question him, his motives.
"What did you do to Naruto?" She asked with trepidation.