Chapter 2

"Sir, our information came back from C.A.D. 3. It seems to have managed to block the chakra of 3 ninja within a 1 mile radius. However, it seems that Haru Suzuki used the bomb to kill himself and we were unable to obtain his body to gather intel. Also, it seems that the disc from the bomb was retrieved by someone before we could get there."

A man with long, blonde hair tied at the nape of his neck stiffened at the news, long fingers drumming on the windowsill behind his desk. His black, leather chair was facing the window, his reflection showing his disgust at the news. Blue, beady eyes were thin slits, the nostrils on his crooked nose flaring, small lips into the thinnest line they could be. He turned his chair and stood, the man creating a shadow over his scientist as he continued to allow the news to piss him off even more than before. C.A.D., or Chakra Absorption Device, was their current prototype in order to take control over the nation. They were currently working on a large device that could take out an entire village, but needed more feedback from the smaller counterparts to finalize it.

"Is there a tracker on the disc? We need that information, NOW!" Michi Fuji snarled out, banging his fist on his desk to emphasize his anger. "Without that information, our plans will be delayed further and we can't afford to allow this to continue!"

Kaoru Chinen, the chief scientist for Michi and for the Fuji Corporation nodded, "yes, we are tracking the disc now. Whoever has it in their possession is heading here, Mr. Fuji."

Michi gave a rather hideous grin, the deep lines on his face creating shadows that made him look even more sinister. "Good, follow them and bring it back to me once they are here. By any means necessary. They must not reach the Tsuchikage with that information."

"They are nearing the gates, now."

Michi reached over, pushing a button on his desk, and snarled into it. "A ninja is in possession of a rather important part of our C.A.D. operation. Take it from them by any means necessary! NOW!"

Sasuke, Hinata, and Yua were near the entrance to the Land of Earth, all three now walking on foot so as not to create suspicion by any passerby as they made their way to their destination. Hinata paused, causing both Sasuke and Yua to stop and turn to look at her. Hinata had her Byakugan activated, watching as a total of 10 ninja were rapidly making their way toward them. "10 ninja are on their way here, they seem to be coming from the south."

Hinata immediately flipped backwards, dodging a kunai from one of the ninja. She took the usual Hyuga stance as she watched Yua pull out her own kunai, taking on one that came from behind her. Sasuke activated his Rinnegan and Sharingan, pulling his sword out, and immediately took down two ninja that thought they could surprise him from overhead. All three began taking on the ninja, Hinata relying on blocking chakra points, feeling confident that she wasn't as rusty as she feared she could be. However, with that small amount of confidence, a kunai managed to slice into her arm, causing a hiss from her lips. She immediately slammed her palm into their chest, sending them flying back several feet and into a nearby tree. That's when she noticed a ninja standing several yard away, watching the battle. Just as she was about to run toward him, another came behind her, kicking her square in the back. She flew into the ground, then rolled to avoid the kunai aimed at her back.

Hinata felt blood drip down her arm and before she could apply pressure to it, he came at her again, but when he was mere inches from her, she saw him pause and then drop in front of her. Sasuke stood behind him, the hilt of his sword facing the man who was about to stab her before he swung it around and his eyes went from her arm to the man standing several yards away. Suddenly, something round and silver levitated out from Sasuke's pocket and flew past Hinata to the man. His hand clamped around it, but as he was wearing a black mask, they couldn't make out who he was.

Sasuke ran after him but as he neared, the man disappeared in a puff of smoke, indicating that this one was a clone. Hinata used her Byakugan to find where he was as Yua took out the last ninja, but there was no one around that wasn't within the walls of Iwagakure. Sighing, she shook her head to Sasuke, who understood immediately and turned his eyes away from her to her shoulder and then back to the entrance of Iwagakure.

"Dammit." Sasuke muttered, his eyes going back to black a short time later just as he sheathed his sword. He looked over at Hinata and Yua with an impassive face. "Hinata, once Yua is dropped off safely, I believe I may need your help with my mission."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out material and helped her tie it around her arm to stop the bleeding. Hinata felt a slight blush creep up at how close he was, but associated it with the fact she didn't know him well enough to allow him this close in her personal space. Sasuke didn't seem to notice and said in a low and less monotone voice, "we can get a better look at it once we are settled in."

He walked past her, ignoring her widened eyes, and didn't say anything further until they were before the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi. Her guards had grabbed her in the middle of the night, explaining the importance of Sasuke's mission, which Hinata was still curious what that entailed, and why he felt he would need her to take it on. Yua greeted Kurotsuchi, giving her details of her trip and was escorted to a room for the night, which Yua followed after giving Hinata a hug and thanking her for the trip and time. Hinata returned the hug, giving Yua a warm smile as she watched her depart. Hinta turned back to Sasuke, waiting for him to discuss the mission he was on, but Kurotsuchi beat him to it.

"Hinata, do you need to see a medic?" She asked, smiling when Hinata shook her head. "Okay then. Sasuke, I received word about the discussion you had with the Kazekage. We can confirm that the organization is residing within our walls, but we have not been able to pinpoint exactly where they are located or what business they are hiding behind. I assume that you had a run-in with them?"

"The ninja that attacked us definitely were from the organization. They wore black masks with nothing else ,so we don't have much to go on. I ended up in a battle with a Haru Suzuki. He used a bomb that seemed to incinerate him that was attached to what I assume is the chakra absorption device that they are working on. A restraining technique was tied into the device, and my chakra was instantly depleted enough that I was unable to use any chakra and nearly fell to my death. Hinata here was able to grab my hand before that happened. Her chakra, along with Yua, seemed to have also depleted the moment they got near me, which means that whatever they use to absorb chakra stays in the air. Our chakra was depleted for 5 minutes before it steadily came back and I was able to go into the hole that was created to investigate. I found a disc that seemed to have been planted into the ground. One of the ninjas during the assault stayed behind and was able to get it with levitation using a clone."

"So, it would seem that the devices have tracking on them, which is curious. Did you notice this when taking a look?" Kurotsuchi asked, her eyes fully focused on Sasuke.

"No, so it was inside the disc, which means each one will be traceable to the organization. Based on how important that disc was, it means that valuable information could potentially be used to help them further develop whatever they are working on. Next time I come across one, I'll use my Rinnegan. Do the kage have a preference of which one would like to investigate this?"

"I believe it would be best if we deliver this to the Hokage. I do not feel safe containing this as this organization is within my own walls and as you have a solid friendship with the Hokage, I feel you and Naruto would be the best ones to handle this." Kurotsuchi stated, heaving a sigh. "The first device was used right within these walls. I'm fearful that we have a mole that is helping them to know where we are looking and when. I would appreciate it if you both keep this conversation entirely within here so that no one gets wind that you two are helping on this mission."

Sasuke nodded, along with Hinata, who was taking all of this information in as quickly as her tired mind could. She recalled the instant that she got within a mile of Sasuke that her chakra seemed to deplete almost instantly. Enough to keep her alive, but not enough to allow her to use her Byakugan, which was second nature and seemed to take no chakra. Whatever device was being used was definitely something that was a concern to the entire nation. This meant that the organization would easily be able to take them down. Knowing it caused the same reaction to Sasuke meant that whatever this was could easily cripple Naruto. Hinata fidgeted in her spot, feeling instantly nervous and wishing she had taken more time to train than she had.

"Hinata, I'll need your help. Your Byakugan would be an asset to help me see where they could be while we are here. We need to get a head start before they create a new device that could be much worse. Are you up for helping me?"

Sasuke's voice blocked further thoughts and it took her a moment to register what he said before nodding, wondering how useful she will be as she learned the hard way she is truly rusty on her training. Sasuke's eyes turned back from her to Kurotsuchi and they continued to discuss their next moves while Hinata felt her arm continue to throb more. She grabbed it slightly and didn't realize that someone came up behind her, urging her to come along to the hospital to be checked out. She looked behind her to see both Kurotsuchi and Sasuke watching her, Hinata finally seeing what Sasuke looked like with concern on his face. Whether for her arm or how weak she was, she wasn't certain.

Sasuke dropped his sword and cloak on the bed of a suite he'd be sharing with Hinata when she finally made her way back. Sighing, he ran his only hand through his hair, frustrated that he managed to let that disc escape and had not been more vigilant than he was. A moment later and the phone next to his bed for the next few days began to ring. Raising a brow, he picked it up and answered curtly, curious who would be calling this late.

"Hey Teme, I figured this would be a good time to call." Naruto stated in his ear, "I heard you made it to Iwagakure. Of course we won't discuss fine details, but I wanted to know if you saw Hinata on your way."

"Yeah, she's currently with me." Sasuke stated flatly, trying to contain himself from butting into business that didn't belong to him. "Do you want me to escort her back?"

"N-no. That's fine. I actually need you both to stay there for a while. I'll send further instructions when I can." Naruto laughed, though it seemed forced and that caused Sasuke to raise his brow yet again.

"Dobe." Sasuke stated, hanging up the phone. He truly hated using phones, but assumed Naruto wanted whoever to know that his wife was there with Sasuke, which amused him. If anyone was overhearing, that meant that they would be concerned that they had been narrowed down, which wasn't a bad idea. Sasuke decided to wait a day before sending his hawk with a letter, giving him time to ask Hinata if she had anything to add. He wasn't sure what all she had come across and he needed to ask her.

What felt like an hour later, he heard the main door to their suite open and close quietly, and tiny steps taken toward the living area. Sasuke walked out of his room and followed her. She didn't seem to notice him and had her arm bandaged a bit better than they both had managed together. He assumed it wasn't a truly deep cut and would heal in no time, but was amused that she still had not realized he was behind her.

"Took you long enough."

He watched Hinata gasp and turn abruptly, nearly falling over onto the couch, which she used to hold herself up. He raised a brow and watched color reach her cheeks and turn them an interesting shade of red. Sasuke then watched as her index fingers poked at each other, something that triggered a memory of her doing that more obviously when they were much younger. She wasn't someone he cared to consider important enough to interact with or think about, but found it interesting that he remembered that. Suddenly a need to tease her hit him and he decided to indulge himself.

"Old habits die hard?" A smirk on his lips as he watched her arms immediately go behind her back, the red on her face deepening and managed to spread more.

"I wa-wasn't expecting you to sneak up on me. I th-thought you were asleep, Uchiha-san." Hinata said, not meeting his eyes.

"Sasuke." He stated flatly, watching as she looked up at him and the realization of what he was referencing hit her.

"Oh… um… Sasuke-san." Hinata stated, earning her a click of his tongue.

"Close enough." He said, his face now impassive. "You should get some rest. We will need to get accustomed to where we are so we can better determine where the organization is. I already checked our room for bugs and found none, so I can safely tell you that I am sure your husband will be joining us soon."

He watched her eyes widen, her mouth opened slightly before looking down and a frown forming on her face as she took in what he said. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask if there was an issue, but immediately stopped himself and closed his mouth, telling himself for what he was sure would not be the last time that it wasn't his business. He turned on his heel and walked back to his room, closing the door before heaving a sigh. He heard her footsteps and then heard her own door close before he made his way to his bed and laid on it. Staring at the ceiling for the longest time, he mentally prepared himself for what needed to be done in the next few days. Her Byakugan would come in handy, but her fighting was horribly rusty. Had she been keeping up with that, she wouldn't have been stabbed in the arm. Frowning, he added training her to the list of things he needed to do and heaved another sigh before closing his eyes.

Hinata finished dressing after a much needed shower, minding her fresh bandage before taking a brush to her hair. She kept thinking about Sasuke stating that Naruto would be making his way here eventually and felt her heart speed up slightly, an uneasy feeling making its way to the pit of her stomach. What would she say to him after basically running away from him and their problems? Setting the brush down, she bit her bottom lip and looked into the mirror. Hinata realized how pale she looked, her dark hair a stark contrast before turning away and huffing. She knew she didn't have the time to worry about little things when they had a mission early in the morning.

She walked back into her room, checking that her door was closed, refusing to think about the person who was just a room over and how she truly didn't know him. Crawling into bed, it took her what felt like ages to fall asleep, her mind reeling over the events of the last several days. She soon pictures Naruto's smiling face before he was Hokage, bouncing a small Himawari around in his arms as Boruto told him about something exciting on a show he enjoyed watching. Hinata found herself smiling at the memory before an annoying noise seemed to come from nearby. She looked around and saw a bird tapping its beak on the window. She tried to shoo it and it wouldn't listen, which seemed to annoy her even more.

"Hinata!" An annoyed voice seemed to come from the bird, which surprised her.

Pain radiated through her body and she opened her eyes to see that she was on the floor in a strange room. Her entire body oddly rolled up into a strange blanket and the cream walls and stark white furniture definitely not her own. Blinking, she untangled herself from the blanket as the events of last night came back to her and she instinctively reached up to lightly grasp her arm, feeling the bandage under her palm and gave a small frown.

"Hinata, we need to get going." Came the truly annoyed voice, now lower and seemingly unpleased with her lack of response. Sasuke.

"I-I'm awake, Sasuke-san!" Hinata called out, flinching at her own stuttering.

She heard him shuffle away from her door and leave a silence to permeate her own room. Getting up, she quickly dressed in what she now considered her shinobi attire. It reminded her of what she wore around the time that she and Naruto began black shorts and purple top that had no sleeves really brought her back to that time. She fingered the material at the hem of the top, feeling the material and remembering the moment that Naruto confessed his feelings. She could almost hear the sounds of nature and see the lightning bugs around her. She came back to her senses, shaking her head in an attempt to get back to reality. Naruto never being home had really taken those fond memories and it always came back to how he was there one moment and now he wasn't at all. She blinked back the tears that formed, refusing to cry in front of his best friend and opened the door, closing it behind her and seeing Sasuke clip his cloak around his neck, the black material seemed to billow behind him from the movement.

Did he always look that intimidating? She realized he had, even when they were children. He always gave off such an unwelcoming feeling, which she realized wasn't as strong as it had once been. Age and a family had softened him, Hinata pondered, then thought back to how he was less there than Naruto was. Sakura always looked so sad, but listened intently to Hinata's complaints of Naruto being away and how Boruto truly resented his father for it. She realized how poor her decision to vent to her friend was when Sasuke was around much, much less. She felt for both Sakura and Sarada, but decided not to dwell on it. Sakura had seemed a bit happier in the last month, but Hinata had associated it with having opened up a new ward at the hospital. She did wonder as Sakura still seemed down even when nearing the time that it opened. Shaking her head, she looked up and met Sasuke's dark eye. In the light that streamed in from the window to her right and his left, it caught it just right. They were not a solid black, but a deep, charcoal gray. She could see the flecks of what could be seen as silver in them, yet she knew that they could instantly change to a blood red, and looked away instantly.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, turning his back to her to open the door without waiting for an answer.

"Yes…" she replied, walking behind him and closing the door behind the two. His cloak definitely billowed behind him this time, shrouding him in the darkness she had associated him with. His black hair reached a little past where the cloak began, however nothing else was visible to her from behind him and she instantly felt nervous at how much attention she was paying him. She knew it was new for her and she would feel better once she got to know him, but it made her feel awkward. Hinata attempted to consider it when she joined Team 8, getting to know both Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka. Shino had been as distant as Sasuke, so she decided to treat him as she would with Shino.

They both walked down the stairs, Hinata deciding to take the spot to his right, and watched as the crowd of villagers went on about their business just a few feet ahead. Both shinobi's feet touched the ground and she followed Sasuke to the right into an alley before he turned. "I need you to use your Byakugan and tell me if anything seems out of place."

Hinata nodded and turned it on, feeling the veins of chakra fill up around her eyes and her vision changed in an instant. Scanning the area around her, not seeing anything nearby and further expanded her vision and spotted something in a building several blocks away. Two men were talking and they seemed hurried and rushed. One was taller than the other by about a foot. He seemed very slender and with a crooked nose. Hinata instantly got a bad vibe from him and kept her eyesight on him. He turned and seemed to be using a phone, but what struck her as odd was that he was covering his mouth with his hand.

"In a building to our northeast, 3 blocks from here, I see someone who feels very off to me. However, there isn't anything I can pinpoint that would require us to take action." Hinata pointed out, deactivated her Byakugan and looked up at Sasuke.

"Let's go check it out anyways and see if we can get a sense of anything nearby." He stated and flitted off, Hinata quickly following him and realizing just how fast he truly was.

It was a large building shaped into a dome that looked to be one for technology. "Fuji Corporation. Not one I've heard of before."

"That's because we recently were up and running, dear boy!"

Both turned to their right to see the man Hinata noticed in her Byakugan. She kept a small smile, but felt herself stiffening slightly at Sasuke's side. She wasn't sure if he noticed, but didn't want to look at him and give this man the impression they suspected anything from him. He had a smile that made her feel uneasy and he definitely was someone who enjoyed money and flaunting it.

"I'm Michi Fuji, the owner of Fuji Corporation. And may I ask who you two are?" He smiled, but that smile didn't reach his eyes. He was staring at Hinata and she had a large desire to hide behind Sasuke, feeling highly uncomfortable to have this man's full attention. He finally reached out a hand to either of them to take.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha and this is Hinata Uzumaki." Sasuke replied, not moving his hand in the slightest, which Michi seemed to notice as his smile faltered and he dropped his hand immediately.

"The Hokage's wife and his partner. I would not have ever expected such high status to appear at my front door. It is a pleasure to meet you both." He sneered, reaching toward Hinata's hand and being blocked instantly by Sasuke's. "Ah, you must be here on bodyguard duty. My apologies Mr. Uchiha. Would you like to come in and have a personal tour of our facility?"

"No, we have meetings to attend before we leave." Sasuke stated flatly, his arm still slightly blocking Michi from trying anything further. Hinata looked up at him and noticed that his eyes were slightly narrowed and his usually full lips were in a rather thin line. She turned back to Michi who seemed to have taken notice of this and gave a small smile, but this smile felt evil to Hinata.

"Not a problem. That invitation is always open." Michi turned to Hinata, eyeing her up and down before turning on his heel and walking back into the building, the automatic doors closing behind him.

Hinata let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding as Sasuke put his arm back to his side. She noticed his eyes were on the building and based on his reaction, she knew that he saw what she had. Something wasn't right and she wondered if this could be what they were looking for, but then paused. This felt too easy and believed that perhaps this was a ruse to get them off track. The minute the man knew who they were, his entire demeanor shifted and it caused her to shift slightly in place.

"We need to talk to Naruto." Sasuke stated before turning on his heel and walking away. Hinata paused, feeling a mix of emotions before following Sasuke back to their hotel room. When they got there, he turned and face the most empty part of their suite and she instantly saw the familiar portal that she had only seen during the battle with the Otsutsuki clan during the chunin exams. "You need to come along with me as I don't want to leave you alone when you are so rusty."

Hinata frowned, but nodded, following him into the portal and finding herself beyond the gates of Konoha. She looked up to see the Hokage Tower and beyond that the face of her husband. That feeling in her gut tightened as she followed him through the crowded streets of Konoha towards the Hokage Tower. The closer they got, the worse that feeling became until she found herself in front of the door that led to her own husband. She took a breath as Sasuke reached his hand up and knocked before hearing Shikamaru Nara allowing them entry.

Both of them walked in and she noticed Naruto look up, back down to his computer, and then back up again. His eyes went from Sasuke to Hinata and they widened. He immediately stood, but made no move to come around to this side of the desk. Hinata stood a few feet behind Sasuke, which she realized Sasuke noticed as he was looking at her over his shoulder before he turned to Naruto and tossed a scroll at him, which Naruto caught perfectly.

"I believe we found the organization, but it's hard to prove that it's them. Hinata noticed with her Byakugan and we immediately met the owner. He was pushing for us to go on a tour and then attempted to grab Hinata's hand. I did block him, but felt that he could have been attempting to put a tracker on her. At this time, I don't believe he suspects we know anything, but knowing we are in town will definitely lead them toward us, which I am planning for."

"Good work to both of you. Sasuke, do you feel that you can continue this mission on your own?" Naruto asked, his eyes no longer looking toward Hinata, which brought on a new sense of dread.

"No, I ask that Hinata continue this mission with me. I plan to train her as we wait for an opening. Her Byakugan would be an asset." Sasuke responded, looking back over his shoulder just as Naruto looked back at her.

"We have several Byakugan users, Sasuke…" Naruto began before Sasuke raised a hand to stop him.

"I'm aware, but we both know that her Byakugan is the best in her clan and I would need that to be able to fulfill this mission successfully. My Rinnegan was unable to see what she did." Sasuke sternly replied, as if to challenge Naruto further.

Hinata gasped so lowly she hoped no one heard and took a step forward, her face that of someone with confidence and she instantly agreed with Sasuke. "Naruto, I would like to take this mission on with Sasuke."

Naruto opened his mouth to respond and then shut it instantly. He looked pained as he looked at her and she looked away from him, going back to fingering the hem of her shirt as she felt the anxiety kick in. She needed this time and helping with a big mission felt like something she'd be proud of. Looking back at Naruto, he was looking down at his desk before he looked up at Sasuke with an impassive face that definitely was one that she had seen often. He went from Naruto to the Hokage and it was something she recognized when he'd answer the phone while at home. She knew that he was about to take feeling out of his decision and make a decision for the betterment of the village and not for their own personal relationship.

"I'll meet you both in a week. I'd like for us to have a clear shot at them before they come our way." Naruto said, his eyes boring into Sasuke's.

Sasuke turned on his heel, facing the door, before he said plainly. "We will see you in a week."

His left eye opened slightly and a portal opened up, which he then waited for her to go through. She looked back at her husband, his face now that of her husband. He looked exhausted and worried, his eyes fully focused on her. Hinata stood straight, giving him a nod and walking through without a word, feeling Sasuke walk behind her back into their suite and felt the portal close behind her before she took a breath. Second time today she held her breath and didn't realize it. She brought her right fist up to her chest, feeling pained and guilty all over again. Leaving her kids behind, leaving her husband behind, and running away from her own problems. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder from behind her, causing her to gasp and turn to see Sasuke with a new look. Full of concern as he looked into her face.

"I will train you, but first, I think you need to tell me why you are taking on missions as the Hokage's wife."