Naruto had left the village earlier that week. Hinata had, of course, bid him goodbye and wished him well in his training. She recalled the smile he gave her as he said thanks, and in turn wished her well. It wasn't the same as it had been before Sasuke had left. The change was subtle, but made all the difference. Hinata had never seen Naruto look so downhearted in the entire time she knew him.
The whole of their village hating him his entire life, failing the graduation exam three times, the threat of being a genin forever, these things had never managed to make Naruto give in to despair. But Sasuke might succeed where they had failed. Hinata finished writing the note she had been pondering over for the past hour. Giving it one last look over and finding it satisfactory, she folded it into thirds and placed in on the pillow of her neatly made bed.
Hinata had considered packing, but it would be too suspicious if any of her possessions were missing. She had managed to smuggle some food which she had it placed in her pouch with her kunai and shuriken. Sneaking out wouldn't be necessary, she had decided. Hinata left her room, and made her way out of the house. She passed a branch member on the way out of the house. "Up and about so early, Hinata?" she asked cheerily as she walked by.
"U-um, yes, I was hoping to get in some early morning training." Hinata answered and with a small bow their way she continued on. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, the light blue sky in contrast with the shadow still cast over the village was strangely calming to Hinata. Vendors were setting up shop as she passed. It was just another day for them, but it wasn't for her. Not with the truly stupid thing she was about to do hanging over her head. She reached the village gate, and with a deep breath, exited the village. Her journey required her to go very far to the south, but first she needed to go north. With her Byakugan now activated, Hinata picked up the pace and began to jump from tree to tree.
She was nearing her initial destination when she felt a clench in her chest. Stopping on a tree branch quite abruptly she began to cough up blood into her hand. Since the final round of chunin exams and invasion of the Sound the heart issues caused by her cousin had been acting up significantly less often, but it still presented itself from time to time. For once Hinata was grateful for it. She placed her blood covered hand against the tree, leaving a smear, and continued on. The scent of the blood would help send the people who would be searching for her in the direction she wanted them to go, and not the direction she was actually headed.
Hinata finally reached her destination, the sun was now shining bright in the sky and it made the water in the river below her sparkle. Hinata looked over the edge of the cliff as she shed off her jacket, ruminating on the action she was about to take. She placed her folded jacket gently at her feet, and as a finishing touch, took off the headband on her neck and put it on top. Nobody would realize she was gone for at least 24 hours, when she was supposed to meet up with her team for a mission. When she wouldn't arrive, they would look for her, then they would find the note she left in her room. Lead by the scent of the blood she had left on the tree and her jacket they would find this place. And they would know it was too late to save her, that she had already killed herself, or so they would think.
Hinata took a deep breath and jumped over the edge. The water was cold, but it would serve its purpose in washing away her sent. Sending chakara to the bottom of her feet, Hinata rose from the water and stood on top of it. She would make her way south on the river's surface for a few miles, then run along the bank once she began to run low on chakara. It was a long journey ahead of her, so she began running.
The sun had set and risen again by the time Hinata reached her destination. The Sound compound, slightly beyond the Valley of the End, and outside of her home country; where even if the ninja now investigating her disappearance realized that she had faked her death, couldn't breach enemy territory to retrieve her.
Activating her byakugan again, Hinata found the entrance to the compound. There were no guards, most likely because the entrance itself was so well hidden. They weren't counting on someone with her eyes trying to get in. Their mistake was her gain as she entered undetected. She snuck along the dark, stone halls, byakugan activated scanning the area around her for target. And then she saw him farther into the labyrinth of tunnels, there were a lot of other people walking around the compound and she would have to avoid all of them if she wanted to make it there without getting caught.
It was easier than it initially seemed it would be. There were so many different hallways to take, all intersecting in a random, unorganized matter making it so that Hinata was easily able to avoid the people in the compound. Most of them weren't even in the hallways anyway. She just had to pass by the rooms they were in quickly, desperately hoping that they didn't decide to leave just then. Twice she had to double back into a hallway that was counterintuitive to where she wanted to go in order to avoid someone, but within 20 minutes she had reached her destination. On the other side of the door she was now standing in front of her goal awaited her. Deactivating her byakugan, Hinata took a deep breath, and opened it.
Sasuke was panting as he kneeled on the cold, stone floor, he had been training for what seemed like hours, though he could not be sure because there was no way for him to tell the time. That was the worst thing about staying in Orochimaru's underground fortress, time was lost to him without access to a clock or windows. Sasuke may have been here for days, he may have been here for weeks, but he couldn't know for sure. What he did know, though was that he was getting stronger. Without stupid missions or the mundanities of life in Kohona to get in the way, Sasuke was able to focus completely on his training.
"That's enough for now," Orochimaru told him as Sasuke picked himself up off the ground, "Go rest and have some lunch and we'll meet here-" Orochimaru stopped mid-sentence. Sasuke was confused as to why for a moment until he noticed that Orochimaru was looking at the door where a girl about his age had just entered. There was an air of familiarity about her, but he couldn't place from where he knew her. "Who are you?" Orochimaru asked, a tone of amusement about his voice.
"M-my name is Hyuga Hinata," the girl announced as she walked towards them, her stride significantly more confident than her voice. Hyuga? So she must be from Kohona then, he must have occasionally seen her around which is why she seemed familiar now.
"And what are you doing here, Hinata-chan?" Orochimaru asked in a condescending tone. "Are you here to try and take Sasuke back?"
"N-no," She said, and with a sudden improvement in poise and clenched fists she stated "I'm here to join the Sound. You offered Sasuke strength and I want that too." Sasuke could see a fire of determination in her eyes, and it seemed quite unfitting for her. That thought caused him to remember how he knew her, she was in his class at the academy! And she was also one of the nine of his class to become genin. Sasuke had known her for years! But she was so shy that she had never left an impression on him.
Orochimaru gave her a sinister, toothy smile "Oh? And why should I train you? What are you worth to me, girl?"
It was Hinata's turn to smile, "I've read up on you, Orochimaru-sama. You killed and experimented on a lot of my clansmen. But you didn't find out anything about the Byakugan, did you?" Orochimaru's smile faltered for a split second, "That's because they were members of the Branch house. And as w-with every member of the branch house they were all marked with the caged bird seal, which seals away the Byakugan's secrets upon death. I-I, however-" Hinata lifted up her bangs to show her unmarked forehead, "-am a member of the main house, and do not bear the curse seal. I offer you not only my eyes, but m-myself as a willing test subject to explore the Byakugan's potential with."
Orochimaru walked over to Hinata and leaned in close to Hinata's face. Orochimaru reached his hand out towards her face and she flinched. Sasuke realized he was examining her eyes, which were now full of fear, as he stretched her eye socket for a better look at them.
"So tell me Hinata-chan, why?" Orochimaru asked as he pulled away from her face, apparently satisfied.
"H-huh?" Hinata looked perplexed, "I-I don't understand what you mean."
"I mean," Orochimaru hissed as he grasped her wrist, a malicious look in his eyes, "Why are you seeking power from me. What are you hoping to gain from it?"
"I-I don't want to talk about it!" Hinata pleaded as she tried to pull away from him. But in one swift turn, Orochimaru put Hinata in an armbar and forced her to her knees. Hand still on her wrist, he put his foot on the elbow of Hinata's forcefully straightened arm. Sasuke knew it wouldn't take a lot of pressure for him to break it.
"That's not good enough. Tell me!" Hinata let out a yelp and Sasuke knew Orochimaru had just fractured her arm, if he continued, the joint would be broken altogether. Sasuke almost felt sorry for her, it must hurt.
"It's because my family thinks I'm a failure, okay!?" Hinata cried, facing the ground, "Because I'm supposed to be the Hyuga heir but my fathers given the title to my seven year old sister instead! Because my cousin who is a branch member and is supposed to serve me humiliated and nearly killed me in the chunin exams! I want them to make them regret it!" with that final scream, Orochimaru let her arm free and Hinata picked herself up, cradling her injured arm.
"Well then," Orochimaru smirked, "I guess I will train you then. But first you'll have to survive this." He made the same hand seal he did back in the forest of death, and his neck stretching out, he planted his teeth in Hinata's neck. As he pulled back, Hinata let out a scream; clutching her neck with her uninjured arm she fell to her knees. Sasuke knew the pain she was in, he felt like he was reliving that moment over again as he watched her writhe on the ground. Her screaming suddenly stopped and Sasuke saw blood drip to the floor off her chin. Hinata had bit through her lip to stop her cries.
"Come, Sasuke, you must be starving." Orochimaru called from the door, ushering him out. "I'll have Kabuto take her to the infirmary before we start up practice again." And so Sasuke left the room, Hinata's echoed whimpers sending a shiver down his spine.