I still didn't finish as much as I'd like this week, but I decided to update at least once before the weekend. I'm in a wedding in two weeks, you see so between that, school and my job my time gets eaten fairly quick.

Just a side note, based on the events of last chapter: I like the ninja of Konoha. I really do, don't be deceived by the fact that I'm writing about Otagakure. Really I couldn't see them leaving Hinata where she was for any other reason than believing she was already dead. That doesn't mean that they don't care about her in this story. As to what she thinks of them…well, you know what I'm going to tell you…

Coercion

Arc I: Swaying the Branch

Does the walker choose the path or does the path choose the walker?

Darkness

Hinata walked around in a fog. Kabuto somehow knew she would be out of it, so he had her in less important jobs such as stocking medical supplies. She was rolling up bandages and contemplating what Sasuke had told her. How…how could they do this to her? Her father was a prominent man in the village. He must have known she wasn't dead. Why didn't he cause such a big deal like he did about the last Hyuuga disaster?

Kuronai-sensei…she had believed in Hinata when she didn't believe in herself. Why would she just accept that she'd be dead? Why didn't she see anything odd about that picture? Kiba and Shino, especially Kiba…why didn't he say anything? He saw Kabuto, didn't he think that she might have been captured?

Didn't anyone think? Didn't they care?

"Hinata? Hinata?" Kabuto called. She looked up from the bandages and turned to him.

"I need some of those, Orochimaru-sama needs his bandages changed," he explained. She nodded and handed them to him. Kabuto smiled at her as he went to leave.

"Cheer up, Hinata, no one likes a gloomy face like that," he said. Hinata watched the closed door for a long time after he left. She couldn't stop crying. They weren't coming for her. They were never going to come for her. She couldn't leave. The Four Sounds may have been dead, but Kabuto made sure that she was always watched by someone just a hair stronger than she was. She couldn't handle this, she wanted to…she just wanted to…go home.

Forget

The sight of the bodies of the Four Sounds and Kimimaro made Hinata's stomach turn. Just a few days ago, she was giving them check ups. Kabuto insisted that she help him examine the bodies before he examined them himself. Hinata wore a mask to lessen the strength of the smell. Kabuto revealed the first body.

"State the name of the deceased," he said. Hinata's body shook violently, and he sighed albeit impatiently. "There's a bucket in the corner if you feel sick."

She ran over and vomited the contents of her breakfast into the pail. She wiped her mouth and took her place beside Kabuto, pale and trembling.

"State the name of the deceased," he repeated.

"Jirobo," Hinata answered. Her throat felt dry and scratchy.

"Name the cause of death," Kabuto said. Hinata squinted and activated her byakugan and scanned his body for all signs of trauma. She winced and bit her lip.

"Blunt force trauma to the head. There are chakra burns all over his face. This indicates that a powerful foe used chakra to boost his strength and speed and forced a blast of chakra in Jirobo's face."

"Exactly. The perpetrator was: Akamichi Chouji."

She widened her eyes. Chouji? He had this much power? He defeated Jirobo? Kabuto had already moved on, she moved to where he was.

"Name," he said, revealing the next body.

"Kidomaru," she replied.

"Cause of death?"

She gazed at his body and closed her eyes and gripped her stomach, "Ah…his organs are badly damaged. Chakra entered his body through one of his threads. Burned him from the inside out."

"Good. The perpetrator: Hyuuga Neji. You should know him," he said. "Next body."

He removed the sheet off Sakon and Ukon. She had no time to recover from the shock. Neji went after Sasuke?

"Name of the deceased," Kabuto asked.

"Sakon and Ukon," she said, her voice sounding distant. Neji went after Sasuke, but not her?

"Cause of death?" he asked. She didn't answer at first. After over coming the shock that her cousin was involved in the rescue, she was taken aback by the coat Sakon was wearing. It was Kiba's.

"Cause of death?"

Hinata blinked rapidly, snapping out of her daze and scanned over his body, "Blood loss from multiple spear wounds and poison."

"Yes. Kankuro of the Sand saved Kiba using his puppets. He trapped Sakon and Ukon in the rib cage of one of them and then stabbed him trough with its poison tipped arms."

They walked over to the next body, but Hinata's head was still reeling from the last two bodies. Neji and Kiba went after Sasuke? Why didn't they go after her? Why did they forget her? Why didn't they believe she was alive?

"Name of the deceased?" Kabuto said removing the sheet off the next body.

"Tayuya," she answered in a soft voice.

"Cause of death?"

"Blood loss from a stab wound."

"Excellent. She was killed by a summoning jutsu," he said. "Last body."

Hinata held her heart. Of all the ones who were sealed by Orochimaru, she had a small fondness for Kimimaro, she couldn't explain it. Maybe it was his determination to serve Orochimaru no matter what. She saw a lot of Naruto in him. She felt bad for Kimimaro, that he threw away his life for someone that didn't even care.

"Name of the deceased."

Hinata swallowed hard, "Kimimaro."

"Cause of death?"

Hinata found this to be a little tricky. She stared at Kimimaro's body for a good while. Finally she found trace amounts of chakra that had embedded sand grains in his body.

"He was attacked by Gaara of the Sand," she said. "That's certain death to anyone."

"Very good. You're pretty good at this. Maybe you should start helping me with the bodies from now on," he said as they moved to leave. Hinata bit her lip and held hr stomach.

"Be more enthusiastic. You've got a knack for examining cadavers," he said. She looked back at the five of them and her eyes filled with tears. She wiped her eyes.

'Rest in peace, all of you,' she thought closing the door. She was surprised when Kabuto put an arm around her shoulders.

"Hinata, remember, when you're a shinobi, you must kill all your emotions. You will forget them," he said. She looked up at him and nodded. She would forget them all. Kimimaro, Kiba, Neji…she would forget. She would repress her memories of them. She didn't need them at all. Just like they didn't need her.

Flame

Kabuto had to spend a lot of time tending to Orochimaru. He was still adjusting to his new body and needed constant care. Hinata on the other hand spent a great deal of time studying. She learned in her short time in the Sound Village what her greatest strengths were. Jyuuken had taught her excellent chakra control. However, now she was more aware of how it could affect her body and the bodies of others. Knowing the human body far better than she ever had, it was not so hard to master the Sixty-Four Points technique her clan was known for. She had practiced on a dummy, but couldn't wait to have a human test subject. Hinata was slightly horrified when that thought crossed her mind; she sounded more and more like Kabuto every day.

Hinata's moods went from sadness to feeling numb, to sheer anger. She just had to punch someone. Punching inanimate objects no longer quelled her frustrations. Sasuke left Konoha of his own accord, yet still a team was sent after him. Why not her? Why didn't they send anyone after her? She didn't want to leave, she didn't want to be taken and no one cared to try and get her back? Who cared right? She was dead after all…

In her secret training spot she lit several candles. She preferred to train in the dark, but that day was an exception. It was mostly an observation day. She was below the compound on the very deepest level. She activated her byakugan and scanned every inch of the place. Sasuke was impatiently waiting for Orochimaru's recovery. Kabuto was treating Orochimaru. She couldn't stand Orochimaru. She owed him nothing. He didn't want her there and didn't think she'd ever amount to anything. She owed her progress to Kabuto, and she wouldn't let him down. She'd learn everything he threw at her.

If she did that, if Kabuto could rely on her abilities, then Orochimaru would have no choice but to do the same. He would hate having to do so. Hinata smiled as she increased her byakugan's range to observe farther. She would be the thing he couldn't stand the most, but he could never get rid of her because he needed her.

Kabuto may be his right hand now, but soon Hinata knew that she would be his left.

End Arc I

At last the first arc has ended. The next chapter will bring the beginning of the next arc.

I've been busy so if I didn't reply to your review, thank you very much! I really do appreciate all reviews. Don't be afraid to voice concerns, I don't get better if you don't say anything.

Next Arc: Bending the Branch