(1) Watashi wa : "I" in Japanese. This is a term that is used by female almost exclusively.

Chapter Six: Yowai (弱い weak)

Hinata stared at her wet boots, tinted with the shade of black due to previous training in mud. Books lay on the floor, wrinkled and dog-eared, splayed open and obviously used.

Hinata's mouth was hot with attempts to ignite a flame. She didn't have enough chakra to ignite the growing flame inside her, despite the descriptions of young Uchiha starting when they were even four.

If there was one thing Hinata remembered about Konoha, it was the Uchihas. Rivaling with the Hyuugas not only for their dōjutsu but their loyalty to Konoha and prestige, they frequently came up in the Clan Elders' conversation.

She knew that they were taught the katon jutsu very young. She knew that most of the activation of their dōjutsu came from wars and missions, but since there was not a war as of now, few activated their bloodline limit, unlike the Hyuugas who were able to activate it from birth.

Hinata stared at her fingers, flexing and curling them quietly. Kabuto was right. She was weak. She couldn't perform a simple fire style Jutsu, her taijutsu was weak, and she didn't even know how to get out a genjutsu.

Swallowing choked tears, Hinata slipped on her boots. She couldn't give up, now? She was five, but even she knew the end of Orochimaru's plan: if she didn't prove to be useful, she would die. Not only was she a burden, she knew that he was rising slowly from the ashes, building up his power and recruiting powerful, kekkei-genkai wielders. Returning her safely to Konoha was probably not even in his mind. He would not hesitate to slit her throat right then and there.

She needed to be proven useful. If she couldn't be a savage at ninjutsus, she'd be a sensory type ninja. She had potential, right?

Hinata gritted her teeth. Even she knew this was unlikely. Chewing on her lip, Hinata wrapped her fingers around the (surprisingly) unlocked doorknob, cool by untouched fingers, and pushed it open softly. Careful not to make noise with her clapping boots, she slipped out, activated her Byakugan, and checked her surroundings.

Her heart leapt in her throat when she saw two powerful chakras. Someone was sparring in her training grounds. She recognized the first chakra instantly. Kabuto-senpai. The second one was familiar. She saw it once, but it was etched into her brain. Long, white hair fell down pale, bony shoulders. The unique skeletal structure made her want to puke. Bones protruded out his shoulders and hands, spiking to a weapon. Chakra was infused with the bone, sharpening it to make it fatal.

She felt like she was going to faint. This was the same boy who she saw. This was the boy who'd replace her. She was terrified of him.

Hinata propped a hand on her knee to steady herself. She did not want to face the boy. She didn't even want to see his chakra pulsing, to see it buzzing around his extra bones.

She was afraid of him.

"K-Kabuto-senpai," she stammered as he entered her room. He held a cool, composed look on his pale face and he cradled a wrinkled bag of clothes in his hand. He scrunched his nose in disgust, scrutinizing Hinata.

"What is it?" He inquired smoothly after clearing his face of any disdain-or rather, any emotion-and threw the bag of clean clothes on her bed. Hinata stared at her shoes, her heart thundering in her throat.

"A-ano," She mumbled behind the wet sleeve of her sweater, trying to summon the barely existent courage she had, "p-please forgive m-me Kabuto-s-senpai. D-demo... w-watashi wa (1)..."

"You saw me training with Kimimaro-kun, did you not?" he finished for her. Shocked spread about Hinata's face, her white eyes widening in shock. She nodded sheepishly, expecting a strike or a punishment, but Kabuto simply adjusted his glasses and sneered.

"Ah, ah. Kimimaro-kun is a curious thing. Orochimaru struck jackpot when he found him. Kekkei-genkai wielder, bloodthirsty and strong, and he's loyal. He's already received the Curse Mark."

Hinata's lips parted.

"You have not gotten it because you are not of use to him anymore," Kabuto explained. Hinata visibly cringed, but Kabuto ignored it. "It has a high fatality rate." Kabuto waved his hand airily. He straightened, signaling that the conversation was over, and walked out the room.

Hinata's mind was spinning. Her thoughts were occupied by the white-haired, older boy. Her kekkei genkai allowed her to see far distances, detect chakra points and view the chakra system. His kekkei genkai allowed him to use bones for taijutsu, and not only in close range fighting.

A wave of sadness washed over her. A few days ago, she was determined. Now, upon being aware of the new vessel for Orochimaru, she felt inferior. Insecure.

Hinata's pale eyes lingered on the pile of books toppling each other. Slipping off her boots, Hinata made her way over to them, flipping through the pages briefly. There was always going to be shinobis stronger than her. She couldn't let that affect her. Just as how Neji niisan was already surpassing her Byakugan despite the (initial) tender age of four when she was younger, this boy was surpassing her in becoming of use.

Gripping the pages, Hinata's determination hesitantly made its way back in. She could do this.

The first time fire came out Hinata's mouth was on April fifteenth. It was a damp, rainy Sunday, and it was in the peak of dawn. Byakugan activated, sweat on her faces, and a small trickle of saliva was coming from the corner of her mouth. Her hands pressed firmly together, she managed to ignite a baby flame and coincidentally set her favorite sweater on fire. With an embarrassed, but proud, Eh?! she threw her cold cup of water from last night and watched smugly as the flames melted into the air.

She performed a katon jutsu. Even though it took her ten days to procure a flame as large as her foot, she was proud, damn it. Not only did it take a lot of chakra, which she did not inherit, but she was considered helpless and useless. She should use that on Kabuto and burn his crappy, stuffy glasses, too!

Hinata cracked her knuckles, gazing at her fingers excitedly. It could only go up from there. She'd inform Kabuto of her success and he'd hopefully train her again. Her smile widened as she thought of the possibilities of becoming stronger. Maybe she'd revisit Konoha and help kick any bad guy's ass if they tried to destroy it.

Speak of the devil, there was a knock on her door. Her smile, if possible, widened, and she whipped around to face Kabuto. He carried a small tray of toasted (if not, a bit burnt) bread, water, and marmalade. Hinata's eyes widened at the extra consumable dish.

"O-ohayo, Kabuto-senpai. M-may I a-ask what's t-the o-occasion?" She asked politely. Kabuto gritted his teeth.

"Apparently, Orochimaru-sama is feeling giddy. I suppose with something to do with the new vessel." Waving the concern away with his hand, he set the tray on a wooden stand and turned to leave, when Hinata spoke.

"A-ah! Kabuto-senpai! I-I mastered a katon Jutsu!" She beamed at him.

Kabuto paused, his hands on the door. Finally, he opened the door and walked out, not bothering to praise her.

To her surprise, Hinata did not falter. She'd work to get it bigger and hotter, to please Kabuto-senpai and, dare say, Orochimaru-sama. She'd prove herself to be a useful kunoichi - no, shinobi.

Flexing her fingers and satisfied with her goal, she held up a sopping wet sweater as a prize and proof that she accomplished something. She wasn't a hopeless case.

Every time she wore that sweater or looked at the slightly burnt sleeve, she'd remember she achieved her short-term goal.

Hinata was positive Kabuto knew of her sneaking out to the training grounds. She wasn't sure why he didn't stop her or tell Orochimaru-sama, unless he already knew. However, if they weren't stopping her, she'd continue.

Hinata's puff of fire that released from her mouth never came back. She wrote it off as Beginner's Luck, and focused on more things. She was learning how to ignite fire from her finger tips. Although it was mostly for cigarettes, it was something, and Hinata decided something was better than nothing.

After a half a week of consistently training, she ignited a flame that balanced lightly on her middle finger and thumb. Her smile spread and she beamed, trying to balance it and hold it further. However, it faded quickly. Her smile was still etched on her face. Wiping her fingers on her sweater, she forced another flame to ignite on her fingertips.

After thirty minutes, she managed to keep the flame longer and on three fingers rather than two.

Hinata, however, felt a tickle at the back of her neck. Wiping her fingers, she whipped around and saw Kabuto staring at her, his fingers on his glasses and a sinister grin on his face.

"K-Kabuto senpai!" She squeaked, her heart beating rapidly and her stomach churning. He easily frightened her. Although young, he had a scary, eerie appearance and aura surrounding him.

"Hinata," Kabuto replied curtly. "Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you."

Sudden fear stroke her body. Her legs were wobbling. Although only seeing a glimpse of him, Hinata felt fear. She knew he was dangerous, that he was sinister and powerful. She felt tears in her throat and her fingers were trembling.

"N-Nani?" She managed to whisper. Her throat was choked up. Her eyes were widened to an almost hilarious size and width.

Kabuto's gaze on her hardened.

Hinata felt paralyzed. Was this the end to her search for power? Would he take her eyes? Plant them on Kimimaro? Plant them on himself?

Swallowing thickly, she managed to walk over to the still Kabuto. He lead her inside the hide out, the coldness slapping her face. She wanted to scream. Run. She was going to come face to face with her abductor. She was going to see his face. She'd feel his disgusting, eerie chakra; to see his face, to see the evilness aura buzzing around him. She didn't want to experience that.

Her hands were trembling uncontrollably. She didn't like the feeling.

Stop shaking. She commanded, but she could not. Kabuto lead her into an unfamiliar hallway. It was darker than the hallway she resided in.

"Orochimaru is currently working on one of his experiments," Kabuto nonchalantly informed her, readjusting his glasses. "He will be willing to talk to you."

Hinata didn't want to see him surgically remove a limb or implant some serum into a victim, but her lips were glued shut. Her pulse racing, she followed Kabuto into a dimly lit room.

Hinata wanted to release a blood curdling scream.

The walls were lined with nude, dead bodies. A figure with silky, dark hair that cascaded down his back was looming over a body splayed over a metal table, presumably dead. A kunai was going through the body, almost stitching it in a frequent pattern.

In, out, in, out. In, out, in, in, out, out.

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto greeted formally, "I have brought you the Hyuuga girl."

The man set his kunai and turned around. Hinata's breathing became irregular. She felt like she could have a heart attack right then and there.

His skin was pale as her eyes. Purple markings surrounded his shrewd, yellow eyes. He physically resembleda (somewhat) attractive snake. A smile was on his face and he peered at her.

"Arigato, Kabuto-kun. You may go now," He replied. Hinata did not want to be alone with this man, the man who easily kidnapped her two years ago, the man who kept her in hell, in isolation, the man who trained her tobe a perfect vessel then giving up on her.

Orochimaru slipped of his goggles.

"Now, now, Hinata-chan," Orochimaru chided, as if this was a game and meeting your abductor, the one who stole you from your family was not scary at all.

"Don't be too frightened. In fact, I deliver good news. I have decided not to kill you." Orochimaru's voice was cool and raspy, coated with age and sadistic tinge.

"You have a fire in you. You prove to be determined. You attempt to not be a burden, no?"

Hinata felt mesmerized and dazed, and her head moved up, down, up, down though she did not want to nor did she tell herself to nod.

"You can be useful, Hinata-chan. Shikashi, you need to become stronger." Hinata stared at him, taking in those words.

Orochimaru turned away from her, signaling the end of the conversation. Hinata then uttered the words she never thought she'd say: "H-hai, Orochimaru-sama."

Stronger, stronger. Hinata's hand seals were improving. They were getting quicker and smoother.

Stronger... Stronger... Her fire jutsus were expanding considerably; though they paled in comparison to the Uchihas', they were triumphant in comparison to a five year old.

Stronger! Stronger... Training with Kabuto resumed. Orochimaru would seldom come, but when he did, Hinata felt both a need to prove to him that she could improve, and a wave of anxiety. Her ocean of anxiety trampled her need to show off and she'd fail miserably and the training session ended with her badly injured and Kabuto snidely telling both Orochimaru and her where she needed to improve. Her taijutsu was sloppily getting better. She needed to learn to take offensive rather than defensive. She was better at blocking punches and kicks than actually, well, punching and kicking.

Stronger! Stronger! Hinata wanted to be stronger. She needed power. She felt a surge of loyalty and pride when she slipped under her bed. She was getting stronger through Orochimaru. Without him, she'd be weak. Albeit happy, but weak. Hinata wasn't sure what she wanted: happiness or power. She needed power like she needed water, food, and oxygen. The urge to get stronger circulated through her veins, clouding her five year old head, coiling around her as she trained, growing louder when she made a mistake. Happiness was at the back of her mind. She craved it at random times, like when she was bathing or blowing off her finger tips that were balancing flames. Rare, but it was there.

Stronger. She was going to get stronger.

"Hinata," Kabuto said as he entered her room, carrying her tray of dinner. Hinata bowed her head and greeted her senior.

"Orochimaru has decided. You will receive the Curse Mark soon."

The volume of strength quieted down. Hinata stared at Kabuto, her mouth opened and her eyes widened in fear.

"E-eh?"

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Author's Note: I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter. Initially, I was not going to include Orochimaru. However, I decided after two years, Hinata should be able to meet him for the very first time. I suck at writing Orochimaru, sorry. I was going to take him out, but again, Hinata needs to meet him. Also, if this is short, I apologize. To add, I'll have trouble writing the next chapter in which she gets the Curse Mark. She's only five, so I don't know how to write out her survival. Heck, Sasuke was thirteen and it still took him a day to recover from the Curse Mark, and he still was hurting. Anyways, thanks for reading!