I wrote this in 2006 and it was uploaded here for years before I removed it in 2014 to my LiveJournal exclusively (because the rating will go NC-17). I had several people ask me about it though, so I decided to move this story (and the others I removed) back here and will finish them one by one. Please note I will have to remove the NC-17 parts for this site but they will be noted and you will be able to find them via my profile.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Naruto is copyright Masashi Kishimoto.
Spoiler Alert: Please note while this fanfic will deter from the manga timeline, it will have spoilers from the manga AND anime. So if you not current on the manga/anime you have been warned. Also, this will deviate pretty hard from cannon.
Het/Slash Warning: My Stories always have the possibility of Het or Slash pairings no matter what the main pairing is. If you can't handle that then walk away.
Black and White Eyes: Chapter One - White Eyes
A noise caught in her throat as he advanced on her in the dark, tiny room they had kept her in for the last several days. She looked around frantically but she knew there was no escape.
"At least try and stay quiet. Your whimpering will only succeed in making things worse for yourself, you know," he said in kind tones and a deceptive smile that contradicted his words as he raised one long finger to push his glasses back on top of his nose. "Showing your weakness in front of Lord Orochimaru will only guarantee that he brands you as useless, and I promise you, if he deems you useless, well, what a waste that would be, hm?"
The look in his eyes scared the hell out of her almost as much as his obsession with his master. This man was evil and one didn't need the Byakugan to see that.
She was ashamed to admit to herself that she had flinched at his words. Weakness. Useless. How many times had she heard that from her very own father? Even her beloved cousin and sister hadn't believed in her when she was a child when she needed it most and she knew deep down it still stung to think of it. Even though they hadn't treated her that way in years.
According to her own mind, she, Hyuuga Hinata, was considered a great burden. The mistake that no amount of training could correct. The heir to the strongest clan in Konoha, a position, and power she neither wanted nor coveted. If only she had been born second, maybe she would have had some small fraction of peace from the constant pressure of being the family heir. And if she must be branded with the curse seal of the branch family to achieve it, she didn't think she would mind.
So much was expected of her and she had been a severe disappointment to the elders during her near-daily meetings with the council. Her father tried to protect her from their harsh words, but to her, his disdain for their treatment of her almost made it worse. Not only was she not strong enough physically according to their standards, but mentally she was easily shaken and it took a lot out of her to regain control over her feelings, to hide them in her outward appearance.
It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate her father trying to stick up for her, it was his way of showing he loved her and she appreciated that, but she felt as if she would never grow as long as he kept protecting her from the elders, but she was of course to afraid to tell him that.
And then there was the possibility that maybe it wasn't fear at all, but that she actually felt loved when he protected her and she took advantage of it. Unable to speak her mind because she wanted so desperately to know the feeling of being special to someone, the feeling of love. That was a weakness in her eyes, though if any of her friends were to think this way, she would think that was perfectly rational and acceptable for them to cling to a feeling of love. For Hyuuga Hinata to behave that way? It was weak.
She was weak.
He laughed at her as he watched a barrage of emotions flash across her, altogether too open, face. She was definitely not going to last a week with her resolve, he knew, and especially after she found out what her purpose would be. Maybe Lord Orochimaru would give her to him as a new research subject if their plan failed. After all, the secrets of the Hyuuga Byakugan had long been coveted by people reaching for power. Orochimaru himself had experimented with it in his early years when he was still a Konoha Shinobi, so surely he would still be interested in it's uses.
One thing he knew for sure was that he was getting tired of being her babysitter. He had done nothing for the last four days but keep watch over her. First making sure she didn't run off during their trek to Sound, and then after they had arrived he had placed her in her room and had to watch to make sure she ate properly and didn't harm herself, as some prisoner Shinobi would be required to do. So he fed her and checked on her day and night. It wouldn't do for her to be weak when they were summoned to the main chamber, after all, he would be the one to take the blame if she wasn't physically fit for Lord Orochimaru's plans.
Despite all his efforts, the little fool didn't touch food nor water the first two days and only relented when he threatened to take her to his labs for a "tour". Suddenly a burning sensation made itself present on the inside of his left wrist where Orochimaru's summoning seal was inked into his skin. Finally, he thought.
"Stand up and pull yourself together. Lord Orochimaru has finally summoned us." He reached down and pulled her up from where she cowered but her arm. Her skin was icy cold like everything else in the dungeon, including himself. "Don't you think you should be thankful for the opportunity to see such a prestigious figure as our Lord? He's one of the great Sannin, you know. Now you will have met all three, aren't you excited? Make sure you show your gratitude properly." He laughed and dragged her along the dark rocky corridor by her arms as she tried to dig her heels into the slippery surface.
He smiled as he took in her appearance. Her feet were filthy and bare, her white nightgown dirty and torn. It was all she could do to keep the one side from falling off her shoulder when he had dragged her out of the cell, he noted, and the last effort at modesty amused him. Her face was ashen and her hair limp and bloodied from their fight days before. He wondered how much fear she held for Orochimaru, the very man who killed the Third Hokage of her beloved village.
His answer came sooner than expected when he lost his grip and her dead weight fell hard to the floor. He sighed with annoyance while looking down upon her and wondered how she possibly could have achieved her Chunin status. She was frail, weak and she had no spine to speak off. She was far too kind to be any sort of use as a Kunoichi and, to top it off, now he had to carry the mousy thing the rest of the way to the main chamber. She will be dead in a week, he thought to himself. No matter, he could study her Kekkei Genkai whether she was alive or dead since she didn't bear the Hyuuga Curse Seal.
"You better hope for your sake this little plan of ours works or you will be all mine and fainting will be the least of your worries," he grinned down at her and let the back of his hand linger over her eyebrow. There was a definite misconception of peace in her features as he stared at her. She looked like she had fallen asleep in her own room at home. Safe and comfortable, no trace of fear from the fact she was about to be used by the most wanted missing-nin in Fire Country's history. Yakushi Kabuto sighed once more as he reached down to take her in his arms. He lifted her and started making his way to his Lord, after all, Orochimaru expected punctuality.
2 days earlier...
Hinata found herself standing in front of Lady Hokage, her assistant Shizune and her apprentice Haruno Sakura. She had been summoned just moments before and she was waiting in the corner of the Hokage's office while the Fifth was finishing up some work as Shizune badgered her.
Hinata noticed Sakura kept looking up at her nervously with an almost apologetic smile on her face. She thought this odd as almost anytime she was summoned she also had waited while the Hokage bickered with her assistant trying to get out of whatever paperwork awaited her. She couldn't understand what could be bothering her friend.
"Hyuuga Hinata! I have a mission for you." The Hokage smirked at her with amusement when Hinata almost jumped out of her skin at being addressed so unexpectedly. She could see the mischievous smile on Tsunade's face and didn't think she liked where this was going. "It will be gathering information only, and It's a D-rank so it should be no problem for your abilities. The mission is purely surveillance and no confrontation." Tsunade paused and seemed to be hesitating for some reason.
Hinata waited patiently, her eyes trying to find something to focus on during the awkward silence until the Hokage finally blurted out the details. "You are to spy on the man named in this scroll and see if he is indeed…cheating on his wife." Hinata wasted to die then and there, no wonder they were so hesitant.
Lady Tsunade cleared her throat. "You will go to the brothel he is rumored to frequent and keep a lookout until you catch him in the act. Well not the "act", as it were, but you get the idea. If he enters the brothel at all he's as good as guilty," she finished while handing the Hinata the scroll. Hinata first visibly reddened at the contents of her mission and then wanted to find the nearest hole when she found out she would be staking out a brothel.
She stood wide-eyed as Shizune seemed to shift in discomfort and Sakura tried to not laugh. Ahhh. So this was why Sakura was acting so strange she thought. Were they serious? Such a mission was ridiculous for any Shinobi, especially at Chunin level and they all knew it. "I'm sorry Hinata," the Hokage laughed as she went on "But I didn't have any Genin teams to spare on this and even if I did, using a team of four ninjas on such a mission would be a waste and stretch our already bare forces."
Hinata nodded understanding the Hokage's meaning. Missions were pouring in and she didn't have enough resources. With the normal daily missions coming in, and Konaha's own reconnaissance missions on finding information on Sound and the Akatsuki they were spread thin. Plus the economy was still suffering from the fact the Chunin exams had been removed to Suna for the last several years until next year when it would return to Konoha. This meant they were losing out on money from tourism. Besides with her Byakugan, she would be able to finish the mission quickly in one night, clearing the table for more important and higher paying jobs.
"Do you accept this mission?" The Hokage asked as she looked up into the blushing face Hinata tried so hard to control.
"Yes, Tsunade-Sama, I accept. When do I leave?"
"You are free to go in the morning and arrive tomorrow afternoon. There is no point in leaving now as it's late afternoon already and you would just arrive after the man returned home from his…nightly activities." Hinata looked at her hands as her index fingers poked one another in her nervous habit. She quickly shoved them behind her back but not before the Hokage smiled at the gesture.
"Yes, Tsunade-Sama," she bowed and left the room to take her leave and Sakura followed.
"Hinata?" She stopped in the hall and looked at her friend. "Naruto and I will be going to dinner at the tea house around the corner in about an hour. Would you like to join us?" Sakura said with a hopeful expression on her face. Hinata felt terrible she put Sakura at such unease and concern for her and gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you Sakura-chan, but I'm expected home for dinner and I must let my father know I will be leaving tomorrow before he leaves. He and the council will be leaving tonight for Suna for the Chunin exams since Hanabi's team is participating this year. Perhaps when I return?" She added.
Sakura beamed and surprised Hinata with a hug, one she gladly returned. "Promise? We never see you anymore. I know you're busy since you are undergoing training to take over the clan, but, you know we all miss seeing you around. Let's try to get together sometime soon, ok?"
Hinata nodded. "I promise we will. Goodbye Sakura-chan." Hinata waved as she walked down the hallway leading out of the tower. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty at her refusal to spend time with Sakura and Naruto. She was happy for them, truly, but it was still awkward to spend time with them together, especially when it was just the three of them. Sakura tried her best to include her and she knew her friend did it out of love and worry for her, she just didn't know how to handle herself in such situations.
It had been five years since Naruto and Sakura had started dating after their return from Suna. Nobody knew how it happened exactly, but when they returned from the retrieval mission of the Kazekage they were a couple and anybody could tell they were completely smitten with each other.
Hinata had been shocked at first but after a few months, she had become truly happy for her dear friends. Sakura had even taken the care to bring her aside and explain through tears how she couldn't help her feelings for her teammate and while she would always love and care for her first love, the Uchiha, she couldn't help falling for Naruto. Sakura couldn't express how sorry they were that they had to hurt her in order for them to find happiness.
It was obvious to Hinata that her friend would never be truly happy until she received her blessing, so Hinata did the only thing she could do in that situation. She told Sakura that while she was disappointed, she would always love them and cheer for them. She wanted them to be happy but they would need to give her a bit of time.
There was no way Hinata could stay angry at her friends. Naruto had been shunned and unhappy his whole childhood and Sakura had never been the same after not only losing the Uchiha but then soon after Naruto left to train with Jiraiya and she was left alone, the only one of their friends to no longer have a team. How could she begrudge the happiness her friends had found together? Soon shock and hurt turned into acceptance and acceptance turned into genuine happiness for the couple.
Hinata came out of her thoughts as she reached the gates of the Hyuuga Estate. She entered and said hello to the guards. Ko, her own personal guard sometimes was on duty so she made sure to smile at him on her way inside even though she was in a hurry. She needed to quickly make it to her room before she ran into Hanabi. She knew her little sister would make an embarrassing ordeal out of her ridiculous mission.
"Neeeeee-san! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you. I wanted to know if… is that a mission scroll?" Hanabi bounced into the front room grabbing for said scroll just as Hinata dodged her.
Hinata instantly regretted her actions as now Hanabi would be three times as curious to see what she was obviously trying to protect. "Hmm, don't want to let me see, eh?" Hanabi teased.
"Hanabi-chan, you know missions are confidential."
"Not at D-Rank level dear sister and that would be a D-Rank mission scroll you hold in your hands. Well, if you won't tell me then maybe you will tell Neji-Nii. OHHHH, NEJI-CHAN!" Hanabi shouted, mischief apparent in her eyes.
"We both know he's off training his Genin team, Hanabi," Hinata countered, hoping against hope that she was right.
Hanabi laughed. "I was only kidding, Nee-san, I wouldn't tell him. You're right, Neji-chan is gone anyway and he…"
"Don't. Call. Me. Neji-Chan, Hanabi," Neji said as he swept silently into the room. "Why were you screaming for me and what is this about not telling me something?"
Neither girl answered and both looked at their feet. "
Hinata-sama?" Neji asked and frowned, his usual facial expression. Hinata wondered if she wished hard enough if that hole she thought about earlier wouldn't open up and swallow her whole and save her from the embarrassment she knew was coming. Not only was Hanabi cornering her but now Neji, and just when she thought it couldn't get any worse she saw Rock Lee and TenTen come in behind her cousin. She would never live this down.
"No-Nothing Neji Nii-san. I just have a simple D-Rank mission and Hanabi-chan was being nosy," she said, giving her sister a pointed look. "It's not anything to worry about. Hello Lee-san, TenTen-chan how have you two bee —"
"Then why are you so adamant not to let us see? Why don't you let me see the scroll Hinata-Sama," Neji interrupted.
At this point, even Hanabi was regretting her actions that lead to bringing Neji's attention to her poor sister. Neji never yelled, ever, but when he asked you to do something you did it. She tried to give an apologetic smile to Hinata as she watched her sister hand him the scroll, but Hinata was too busy trying to not make eye contact with their cousin.
Neji opened the scroll and peered inside. All four Shinobi watched as first a curious eyebrow rose on his flawless face followed but them furrowing in disgust. Finally, amusement lit his eyes as he rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Hinata.
"Well, I can't say I ever thought you would visit such a place, Hinata-sama."
Hinata's face turned five shades of red.
"Hanabi, don't you have some packing left to do before you leave tonight?" Neji asked.
"Whaaaa? That's it? What was in the scroll? Neji-chaaaan!" Hanabi whined as he pushed her off towards her bedchambers to finish packing.
Neji smirked as he looked down at his young cousin. "Don't call me chan, Hanabi, and it's none of your business. Besides you're too much of a brat to know what the joke would be anyway."
Hinata gasped when he placed an emphasis on brat and watched in horror as Hanabi's face contorted in anger. If there was one thing Hanabi didn't like, it was to be called a child or be made to feel inferior. If Hinata was correct, Hanabi was about one five-second countdown from throwing a major fit and the last thing she wanted was her father striding in, wanting to know what all the shouting was about. Not to mention Rock Lee was within hearing distance, and he would spread the news of her newest "mission" all over Konoha. The boy wasn't malicious, but he was the biggest gossip in Konoha besides Ino. He obviously wouldn't understand the embarrassment she would feel if he let the whole village know.
"BRAT! BRAT? Whatever Neji-CHAN. I'm not so much of brat that I don't understand what you and your little girlfriend over there do on the training grounds when you think no one else is watching," Hanabi spat and smirked triumphantly at her cousin's shocked face, or as shocked as the stoic man could look anyway.
"NEJI! YOU AND TENTEN ARE DATING? THE POWER OF YOUTH CONQUERS EVEN YOU MY COOL RIVAL…"
"Lee shut-up!" TenTen smacked him across the head. "Neji do something before he alerts the whole house or worse all of Konoha!"
Hinata's hand flew to cover her mouth to stifle her giggles and watched the chaos unfold around her friends. She instantly regretted her laughter when Neji looked over at her and smirked as if to say: If I'm going down, you're going down with me.
"You might want to run along and pack for your mission too, Hinata-sama. You will have to leave quite early if you're to make it to east Fire Country before the brothel opens." Neji smirked, Hanabi gaped, and TenTen stared wide-eyed instantly slapping her hand over Lee's mouth, though it looked like even he was too shocked to say anything.
"BROTHEL?! What is this you say, Neji?" All five pairs of eyes swung around and paled to see Hyuuga Hiashi stomping into the room with a thunderous look on his face. "You may be almost Twenty-four, Neji, but I don't believe this is the kind of topic I want you to be discussing in front of my daughters. You might also have a bit more consideration for your female teammate and girlfriend, oh don't look so shocked, everyone in Konoha knows what you two do when you think they're not looking."
Neji stilled while he received a blistering set down from his uncle in front of not only his cousins and teammates but his girlfriend as well. If he hadn't trained his mask of stoic indifference so well his blush of embarrassment would have rivaled Hinata's.
"O-Otou-san please don't scold Neji-niisan. He was only discussing the contents of my mission." To save herself the embarrassment of explaining she handed her father the scroll.
Hiashi opened the scroll and read, an expression of disgust slowly appearing on his face. He quickly wrapped the scroll back up and handed it to his daughter while looking down at her in complete discomfort.
Hinata waited for him to say something…anything, but in the end he settled for what Hyuuga men said best.
"Hn," said the Hyuuga head and with that Hiashi walked off and left the five stunned Shinobi staring in his wake. Luckily even Lee had the good sense to keep his mouth shut at a time like this.
Later that night Hinata lay her bed thinking about the next day, wondering what the best route would be to reach her destination quickly. She couldn't sleep at all since she was excited and nervous about her first solo mission. An added bonus was that she would be getting away from the prying eyes of the council and that suited her just fine. She was also excited and nervous on Hanabi's behalf. Her sister might be a prodigy like Neji, and despite the added experience she gained from having to have her Chunin exam put off to serve the village after Pain destroyed it she was also still young and only eighteen. Hinata worried about her fighting other dangerous Shinobi during the exams.
What if she had to fight someone like Sabaku no Gaara? Hinata visibly shuddered as she remembered how the Kazekage had made it rain blood in the Forest of Death during her first Chunin exam. He had mellowed in recent years and she always visited with his sister Temari when she came to town, but that didn't make him any less deadly... or scary.
Hinata ripped her covers aside and climbed out of bed, knowing the only thing that could calm her enough to get some rest for the next day would be a walk. A walk through her garden always did wonders for her nerves. As she leaped from her bedroom window and stepped out into the dark path a smile crept onto her face. She took much pride in the plants she had nursed back to life after they had laid to waste many years before. The garden had fallen into disarray after her mother died and the servants didn't dare to keep it up when Hiashi forbid anyone to step into the area after she passed.
It was one of the only things Hinata had ever asked of her father and she was, of course, scared when she went to him and told him how much it would mean for her to have the garden of her memories revived. He had relented and quite easily Hinata had thought. When she took over she knew she had her work cut out for her. If she wasn't on a mission, training or in a council meeting you could always find her there tending to her plants. It had been her favorite place to come when she needed to find peace and it was the first place she had run too when she had heard about Naruto and Sakura's new relationship.
At this thought, Hinata sadly smiled at the memory and continued down the garden path. She had run into her garden tears trickling down her face as soon as she had heard the news. She had been crying for hours when she felt his chakra signature as he entered. He didn't say anything and he didn't have to. His presence was enough to lift her spirits and she wiped the tears from her eyes. She finally gained enough motivation to get up and begin to water her plants while Neji looked on. She appreciated his silence as he watched her just letting her feel his calming chakra so she would know she wasn't alone.
She sighed and reached down to touch the petal of a flower as she strolled down the walkway. Starting to finally feel content and a little sleepy she noticed a chill in the air and regretted not throwing a robe over her thin nightgown before she ventured out into the night air. She really did need to go to bed and rest as tomorrow would be a long run.
But she excused her night errand with the fact she could at least sleep in a bit longer as she had already bid her Father, Hanabi and the majority of the council goodbye before they traveled to Suna. She knew Neji would stay the night at TenTens with her Father gone. It was just her and a few servants left in the main house and she found it peaceful. It was a rare treat for there not to be people in such a large house so she was enjoying the calm.
Just as she was contemplating heading back to her room she heard a slow distant, rhythmic beating. Almost mirroring her own heartbeat as if it was trying to hide within hers. Hinata's eyes grew wide for a fraction of a second before she stiffened. She realized she was certainly not alone and if she was close enough to hear their heartbeat, they were too close.
She reached out with her senses to locate the other chakra and her face immediately went into a frown as she realized she couldn't sense anyone at all. This meant only one thing to any Shinobi. Chakra Suppression. She was alone, unarmed and very much in the presence of another ninja who didn't want their presence to be known.
Reviews and comments welcome…