In Orochimaru's den…

'Kabuto, has something happened?' Orochimaru had placed his eyes on Kabuto that had just stopped in his task.

'I'm afraid that Sasuke is gone,' Kabuto whispered.

'And how do you know that?'

'Sasuke was well into the procedure of being a container. I placed a reassurance needle into his spine that would react with any emotions or thoughts that were negative towards you. He usually nothing for you but now I get a strong feeling from it. I'm afraid his body might've been taken over.' Orochimaru's eyes will now thin slits.

'I guess that I'll have to find another container,' Orochimaru sighed as he felt it was a great loss.

In the training grounds…

'Hey… Hinata, I'd like to help you with your training,' Naruto stepped towards her and looked at her directly. 'Hinata's eyes widened and she felt a huge blush.

'Uh… y...yes Naruto.' Naruto gave her a wide smile and took her to a wide plain of grass.

'First let's see how you're going.' Hinata was already weak at the knees, but remembering that she had come here to train and not just be alone with Naruto made her strong. She stood up and readied herself for attack and showed strong self confidence. Naruto gulped as he saw her face. Her eyes were just like Sakura's, he sensed that tears were coming to his eyes but he couldn't stop. He bent down and covered his eyes

'Sakura, you're gone.' He repeated this over and over again. Hinata walked over towards him and heard his words. She was very disappointed as she thought that Naruto would be over Sakura and like her.

When Hinata and Naruto had finished training, Naruto went into his bedroom and Hinata when to visit Kiba.

'Kiba, you said that I could talk to you,'

'Yes, what do you want?' he said then he averted his gaze from Akamaru and saw Hinata's eyes were leaking. He hated to see Hinata in pain so he took her a tight embrace and he sat in a couch. She shakily explained to him what had happened. He nodded and agreed at intervals. When she had finished the story he told her

'I hope I've been some help to you.' She nodded as she realized she wasn't crying anymore and that Kiba was the one that could help with her misery. She walked out as she realized it was time for lunch. Kiba followed her.

Then as they walked along the unlit hallway then saw a faint outline of a figure. When it turned its head its glasses caught light and there were two bright circles of light.

'You're finally here, fancy a battle?' Kabuto was standing in front of Hinata. Kiba looked at Kabuto.

'Don't touch Hinata or else.' Kiba black mailed Kabuto but Kabuto didn't even blink.

'Threatening me are we?' Kabuto raised a hand to attack.

Kiba knew it was the start of a battle so he too readied himself.

He fed Akamaru a food pill then started to attack using Jinjū Konbi Henge: Sōtōrō, he lunged forward to attack. Kabuto, being the Jounin-level he was, easily dodged them and threw a poison bomb at the spinning tornado. Kiba stopped and fell as his limbs were paralyzing due to the effects of the poison.

'Good job Kabuto,' Orochimaru stepped out from the shadows. Hinata had her Byakagun ready and was in her gentle fist position. She desperately tried to attack Orochimaru but he dodged each move as quick as lightning. As her energy started to fade, she stopped for breath. Orochimaru stood there contemplating.

'She has the Byakagun, even better then the Sharingan. I see my future in her,' He smirked and gave her the seal of the underworld then swiftly left.

Hinata's energy was drained and was developing a high fever, very much like Sasuke had. She rested as Orochimaru started to take over her body. Kiba was now awaking and Akamaru recounted the events to him. After Akamaru had finished, Kiba went over to Hinata's body and sensed that a different type of Charka was coming out of her Tenketsu. He lifted her onto Akamaru's back and went over to the most powerful ninja there was, currently in the sand.

'Jiriya, Hinata received the cursed seal, could you help her?' Jiriya looked at Kiba's desperate eyes and smiled.

'I, the famous Jiriya, could always do something like that. He placed Hinata on the sandy ground and performed a few seals; a calligraphy brush appeared in his hand. He then began to write very complicated symbols then wove in and out of each other like strands of silk, knitted together. He muttered a few words then they all disappeared in a flash and the seal began to disappear but there was still a small star left.

'I have sealed the seal but it may reactivate depending on your expenditure of charka and willpower to keep it in.' Jiriya informed her

'The seal I have used also has taken up a portion of your charka, so don't force it out,'

The next day…

'Hinata, do you want to fight us?' Kiba asked with Gaara standing besides him. Kiba thought that Hinata was growing stronger and she would be better off with two fighting her then one. Then one of Hinata's purple locks fell to reveal the seal that appeared just below her jaw bone. Kiba flinched at the ghastly looking object but he still stood still and waited for an answer. Hinata smiled, as she didn't realize Kiba was scared of the seal, and her eyes seemed to glow with happiness.

The trio walked towards the training grounds and readied themselves. Hinata bent into her gentle fist style, Kiba fed Akamaru a food pill and Gaara's sand was pouring out in torrents from his gourd. Kiba was first to attack, using Gatsuuga. Hinata was expecting him to use it so she stood and deflected it with Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō. He was thrown back. Hinata ran over to him as she was scared that she had run him.

'Are you okay Kiba?' She kneeled beside him.

'Hey, hey it's okay we're in a battle and you're suppose to hurt me,' Kiba sat up and signalled her to go back to her starting place, Gaara used his sand to carry her. Gaara, then, used his sand which began to encircle her and attack her whilst it swirled in a vortex. After one particularly hard attack her arm was broken and the seal unconciously began to activate. She was able to cut through the sand and face Gaara directly. Kiba, who was watching Hinata walk closer to Kiba, gulped. Hinata had become a monster.

Every time she talked or moved seemed slow motion as he observed he carefully.

'Kiba! Where were you just now?' Hinata joked.

Kiba was nervously standing in front of her. He wanted to run far, far away from her. She had marks of impurity all over her. They were menacing swirls. Kiba's voice faltered

'Uh..uh nothing,' He took a step backwards. Hinata noticed his uneasiness and felt very downcast.

'Oh…. I understand,' she slowly whispered and walked away. She now realised that this seal was furthering them apart.

At night…

'Hinata, you seem sad, why?' Gaara was standing infront of her, eyes full of sympathy. Hinata was confused as she thought that her face was fine, until she realised that her face was shiny with tear trails.

'It's nothing,' she replied.

She began to walk forward again but was stopped.

'I… I need to know,' Gaara wasn't sure why he would say such thing, as his favourite phrase was 'Love oneself' and even his name meant "I only love myself. I'm a demon". Hinata looked into his eyes and realised that it was hard for him to care about someone and he was trying, just for her. She decided that he could probably fill the emptiness left by Naruto and now Kiba.

'I need someone, I am suffering with this seal,' she whispered. Gaara immediately related her seal to his demon

'She's and unwilling host of the seal, and I'm an unwilling host of the demon,' he thought.

'I understand,' he told her.

After Hinata had told him all her feelings, she wiped her eyes. 'What do I do? How can I go to face father again? How can I try to reconciliate with Neji? ... It's all because of this seal.' She was in distraught. Gaara's face was contorted as he thought things over.

'You don't want to stay in Kiba's cabin. Am I right?' Hinata shook her head, thinking how could she ever face him after he gave her that look.

'You can stay in my house,' Hinata's head jerked up, she knew Gaara lived somewhere but she never considered how it would look like. Gaara sensed her surprise and he pointed to a stone-made structure.

'I'm sure Temari and Kankaru will make room for you,' he told her.

Hinata packed all her items, which consisted of her everyday needs, into her back-pack and headed off to the building which Gaara had pointed to. Gaara welcomed her with a wave and she was shown her room. It had a bed and a few other random pieces of furniture.

'This isn't much, but it will do,' Temari gestured her to enter. Kankaru opened his door.

'You had better thank Gaara,' Kankaru patted Gaara on the shoulder 'he went our of his way to get you a room, he's now sharing a room with me. Right Gaara?' Gaara ignored Kankaru's comment and told Hinata to do wo too but Hinata's eyes were leaking once more.

'Thankyou for this,' She went over to Gaara for a hug, which to her surprise, was returned.

'I care for you very much,' Gaara whispered into her ear.