A/N - This chapter has been redone. I realized that I was using the wrond Japanese word for thank you. I also changed the fight scene between Kyiara and Hinata and Neji so it makes more sense.

I do not own Naruto.

Kyiara was silent for a moment, eyes searching the new arrivals for a certain precious person. Finally she asked, "Where is my brother?" Tsunade and Genma glanced at each other uneasily.

"Which brother?" Naruto demanded. "Sasuke or Itachi?"

Kyiara glared at him. "I'm not a Uchiha, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm a Yakushi. Yakushi Kyiara."

Everyone was silent; the genin who had just arrived looked at her quizzically. All except one. "You're the traitor's little sister?" Neji spat, hand straying to his kunai sheath.

Kyiara paled. "Traitor?" She looked at Genma. "What does he mean, sensei?"

"Kabuto helped Orochimaru in his attack against Konoha a few months ago and is still with him, as is Uchiha Sasuke. He was spying for Orochimaru for the better part of five years." He replied quietly. "I'm sorry, Kyiara."

"So that's why Orochimaru said that if I was discovered by one of his tools everything would fall apart." Kyiara said softly. She lay back on her pillow, eyes closed. When she opened them, they were black again, and filled with sorrow. And anger.

"Kyiara, what did Orochimaru do to you during those years?" Tsunade asked. "You mentioned something about him conducting experiments on you."

Kyiara turned her head away to look unblinkingly out the window, away from the onlookers. Her eyes were filled with something that has no name as she remembered what had been done to her. "He took keikai genkai from some of the clans in Konoha and Sound and forced them into my body. I don't know how he got them. That is why I have Sharingan, along with Byakugan, Shadow Manipulation and Metal Contortion from Konoha, Wind Riding and using my voice and small instruments to create illusions from the Sound Village. I can also use what I call Sharugan, which combines Sharingan and Byakugan."

Silence followed this statement. Then Tsunade deftly formed three hand seals and whispered, "Kai." The leather manacles released Kyiara. She didn't move. Tsunade turned around. "All right. Everyone below the rank of chuunin out. Right now."

Grumbling, the genin obeyed. After the door closed, Tsunade motioned to Genma. He came and stood next to her; together they swiftly preformed a bunch of hand seals before a burst of chakra attached itself to the door and spread to cover the whole wall. They turned around and did the same thing to the closed window.

"Do you remember where Orochimaru's lair is located?" Tsunade asked as she seated herself opposite of Shikamaru. Genma sat down on the bed, his hand resting comfortingly on Kyiara's arm.

Kyiara shrugged. "I don't really know where it is located. When I was taken out by the Sounds nins for my execution, it was dark out and there was no moon. But I do know my way around the inside very well. Why?"

"Because when we get some more information on where Orochimaru is I'm sending a mission group to try and retrieve Sasuke. At the same time we will try to defeat Orochimaru."

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"NARUTO!" Sakura hissed. "Get away from the door, you baka!"

"But Sakura-chan, aren't you curious about what they're talking about?" Naruto asked, grinning mischievously back at her.

"I wonder how Orochimaru managed to get all those different keikai genkai and put them into her." Tenten commented.

"I especially want to know how he got his hands on someone with Byakugan." Neji muttered to no one in particular. He glared at Hinata when he said this, thinking of his father and what he had been forced to do.

"Hey Sakura-chan! I think I can hear something!" Naruto leaned closer to the door.

"BAKA!" everyone but Hinata shouted at him.

"Nane?" Naruto asked.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered, blushing. "There's chakra all over th-the door to prevent eavesdroppers. You c-can't have h-heard anything."

Before Naruto could answer Hinata, the door was yanked open and Naruto tumbled into the room with a startled yelp.

"It was a good thing you thought to put up those barriers, Hokage-sama." Genma commented as he stood over Naruto. Shikamaru nudged the genin with his foot. "Get up, Naruto. You've caused enough trouble already."

Naruto started to argue, but Tsunade cut him off. "That's enough, Naruto. You don't need to argue with everyone over every little thing." She looked at the genin outside. Hinata was fidgeting like she wanted to say something. Tsunade eyed softly. "What is it, Hinata-san?"

Hinata pushed her fingers together nervously. "I-um, I was w-wondering if-could I sit w-with Kyiara-san for a while?"

"Oh?" Tsunade was surprised by the request. "Not that I'm saying no, but why?"

A faint blush tinted Hinata's cheeks. "Kyiara-san and I-we were friends at t-the Academy before she-vanished."

Tsunade nodded her permission. "Very well, Hinata-san. But let her rest; she still needs to heal."

"H-hai! Arigato, Tsunade-sama!" Hinata smiled.

Tsunade responded with a smile of her own. Seeing you smile has made my day even brighter, Hinata, she thought before leaving with Genma.

Neji scowled coldly at his cousin as she went to sit with who he thought of as the traitor's little sister. Kiba and Akamaru noticed, and growled softly at him, daring him to try and hurt their shy teammate.

Neji ignored the threat and followed the other genin and Shikamaru out. Tsunade and Genma had already left, taking the other hallway.

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Kyiara awoke slowly and painfully. She hung from her wrists from the ceiling against a stone wall. It was pitch black, wherever she was. Grimacing, she got her feet underneath her. Wincing, she looked up, feeling the prickly feeling of liquid dripping down her bare arms; her wrists were bleeding. Gathering what little chakra she had left, Kyiara healed the wounds. Then she recognized her surroundings. She was back in the stone room Orochimaru had kept her in for most of the time since he had kidnapped her and killed her two teammates and Kami knows who else. What had happened? Oh yes, now she remembered. Orochimaru had tried out another one of his little experiments on her. He had managed to get his hands on someone with Byakugan and had decided to add that to his 'weapon', as he still called her despite her oaths to never serve him.

Then a sound came to her ears; it took all her self control to stay calm. She could hear slow, deliberate footsteps walking toward her outside, and tugged fruitlessly at the chains that held her fast to the stone wall. The door opened, allowing a faint stream of light from the hallway to pierce her dark prison. Kyiara squinted against the unaccustomed glow before it was blocked by a body; Orochimaru. Unconsciously she activated the Sharingan.

"Stay away from me, snake bastard!" she spat at him.

Orochimaru only chuckled gratingly. "Such a fiery spirit even after all these years." He smiled mockingly at her. "I see you do like my gifts to you despite what you said a little while ago."

Kyiara glared at him. "Go to hell."

"Ah, but I cannot die, Kyiara-san. But you will, eventually." He eyed Kyiara with a little more interest than she liked.

"What?" she demanded.

He took a few steps until he was in front of her. He traced the remnant scar on her throat with an icy finger, testament to one of her many suicide attempts. But her own keikai genkai was healing, and her body refused to allow her to die at her own hands. She shrank back from his touch. A sneer twitched on his lips as he slowly brought his fingers tracing downward, coming to rest just below the amethyst crystal that hung over her heart. Orochimaru couldn't remove it or cut the chain it hung on. No one but a true Konoha ninja could.

He cocked his head. "I want to know why you won't become one of my ninjas. Look at the power I have already given you! Just imagine what even better powers you could have if you willingly served me!"

Kyiara gave him a hateful look as she tried to jerk away from his touch. "Never, snake bastard. I would never in my life serve someone as low-down as you."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly in anger. Suddenly he shoved his hand flat against her chest and sent a raw blast of his chakra through her body. This activated the curse seal. Pain consumed her body as Orochimaru shoved her body even harder against the wall with a chakra fireball in his hand.

Even though she had been 'given' the curse seal against her will just like (unknown to her) he had done to Sasuke, she was completely against wanting any power, especially from a man like Orochimaru, he could activate it and torture her. But if she activated it of her own accord during a battle it would up her power and stamina greatly. Only after she deactivated it after the fight would the pain come.

Kyiara screamed in pain as black lines shaped like an ivy vine moved from her neck, across her face and neck and down her arms and the rest of her body. Orochimaru just smiled.

"Kyiara!" someone was shaking her. "Kyiara-san, wake up!"

Kyiara shoved all her body weight against the person before jumping back in the opposite direction, her Sharingan activated. Breathing heavily, she looked for the person who had been touching her. Feeling something on her cheek, she swiped the back of her hand over it and was startled to find that it was damp. Hinata was slowly picking herself up off the floor, keeping her frightened eyes on Kyiara.

When she saw it was only a female Konoha genin, Kyiara immediately went over to her. "I'm sorry, miss. Did I hurt you?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-no, Kyiara-san."

Kyiara eyed her thoughtfully, head cocked to one side. "You look so familiar…what is your name?"

"H-Hyuuga Hinata."

Kyiara's eyes lit up, smiling for the first time since she had been captured by Orochimaru. Hinata smiled in return. The Sharingan deactivated itself. "Hinata-san! You've grown so much! How are you?"

Hinata's face fell. "Not so good."

Kyiara squatted down so she could look into Hinata's blank eyes, her own black ones worried. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hinata hesitated briefly. "H-hai. But not here."

Kyiara nodded, understanding. She went to the small cupboard and found a plain black long sleeved shirt and black pants with the typical Konoha blue sandals. With the clothes was her scarred Konoha forehead protector. Swiftly she changed, tying the hitai-ate onto her forehead, her silver bangs brushed to the sides and the rest of her hair hanging loosely down her back, hiding most of the band. Then she and Hinata left through the window to avoid detection, they hoped.

Walking through the back alleys to avoid being seen and questioned, Kyiara and Hinata headed for a nearly abandoned apartment complex on the north side of Konoha. It had often been their hideout when they were both in the Academy.

Halfway there, Kyiara and Hinata both sensed that they were being followed. Both girls activated their Byakugan simultaneously and slowed their pace. Hinata almost immediately recognized the angry, hate-filled chakra. "It-it's Neji-niisan!"

Kyiara growled softly. "He doesn't like the fact that you're with me."

Hinata looked down at the ground. "He doesn't like me at all. None of the Hyuugas do. Neither do most of the people here."

Kyiara took Hinata's hand in her own. "What makes you think that?"

Hinata swallowed hard before answering, "My clan thinks I'm too weak to be the heir; so does most or all of the Branch Family. Neji-he's hated me since he father died. But I didn't think he hated me enough to try to kill me, but he did; in Chuunin Exams."

That statement brought Kyiara up short; their shadow also stopped. "He tried to kill you?" she demanded, keeping her voice low.

Hinata nodded. Pure rage boiled inside of Kyiara, but those thoughts would have to wait. Their shadow was approaching them, and fast. Kyiara then changed her eye power to Sharingan and whirled around to face Neji, who was charging at them, his own Byakugan activated. Kyiara quickly told Hinata her plan.

Neji was aiming a chakra-glowing palmheel strike at her heart, but with the Sharingan she saw his movements coming at her in slow motion and was able to easily avoid them. Neji blinked in surprise when she not only avoided his attack but come within a hairs' breath of his chest with a chakra palmheel of her own. He jumped back to put some space between them so he could think. He tried to take another step back, but found that he was frozen in place. He looked at Kyiara; her hands were locked in a hand seal, and her shadow was connected to his own. Then he sensed Hinata behind him but could do nothing; he couldn't break the hold Kyiara had on him. Hinata struck him with just enough chakra to disable his ability to move with a soft strike to his back. Kyiara released the Shadow jutsu as Neji collapsed on the ground.

"You little-" he growled, trying to force himself to he knees.

Kyiara, radiating anger, squatted down in front of him. He glared at her. "Who was the one who attacked us? Who allowed himself to be spotted by someone who is called weak? You tell me, Neji."

Kyiara got to her feet and motioned to Hinata. "Let's go, Hinata-san."

As Hinata passed Neji, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Neji-niisan."

After the incident with Neji, the girls decided going to the abandoned building was not a good idea at the moment. Instead they went to the top of the Hokage monument. Sitting side by side, Hinata told Kyiara what had happened since the day Orochimaru had taken her. By the time Hinata finished speaking, Kyiara was irate at the way her friend had been treated in her absence, but she couldn't allow Hinata to see her fury; she also knew she needed to control her desire to use her new powers to bring pain to those who had hurt one of her few remaining precious people. It would not only get them both into a lot of trouble, but it would also make the grip the curse seal had on her body stronger. However, if anyone attacked Hinata or herself, she would use it willingly. Orochimaru would hate that, as would the curse seal. Orochimaru hated love and compassion. He hated the way she steadfastly swore to protect her village and those inside it, especially her precious people, who were now very few. She shook her head. Now was not the time for those thoughts. "So you're a genin? Who are your teammates? Who's your sensei?"

Hinata rested her head on Kyiara's shoulder. "I'm teamed up with Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba. Our sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai."

Kyiara smiled. "They're good people to be teamed with, I'll bet."

To her surprise, Hinata sighed. "Yes, they are. But I feel like I'm always weak for them when I need to be strong. I just feel so…useless to them."

Kyiara nodded understandingly. "I know how you feel. When I was your age, well actually younger, since I graduated when I was ten, I was concentrating on learning techniques with my keikai genkai, not my taijutsu." She smiled, remembering. "Genma-sensei told me that I wouldn't be able to fight a blade of grass, let alone one of my teammates or an enemy nin. But my teammates were always there for me, and they helped me to become stronger. Are you saying that your teammates haven't done the same?"

"They have. Many times, actually."

"And?" Kyiara prodded. "Have you improved?"

Hinata could feel her chest tightening, but she fought the feeling down. She didn't want to cry. "Yes. But father doesn't see that in me. All he sees is my weakness and failure as his older daughter and as the heir."

Kyiara put her arm around Hinata. "The strongest person in the world is weak if he doesn't first start out weak but believing that he can become stronger. You must first believe in yourself, believe that you can achieve your dream of making your father proud of you and acknowledge you. I know some people already believe in you. Your teammates, your sensei, Tsunade-sama, and myself. I will help you become the very best that you can be."

Hinata turned her face upward to look at Kyiara, her eyes shining. "Arigato, Kyiara-san!"

Still looking at her, Hinata gently traced the jagged scar on Kyiara's neck with a gentle finger. Then she stopped, eyes widening. "K-Kyiara-san! You have a curse seal!" She pulled herself out of Kyiara's arms. "Why do you have one?"

Kyiara looked away so Hinata wouldn't see the hurt in her eyes. "Orochimaru marked me on the day he captured me and killed my two teammates right in front of me. I never wanted this and I hate it. Hinata-san, I would never go to someone, anyone like that for power. That is not who I am. I rely on my friends and my own power and will to finish something, not void promises made by someone like Orochimaru. I would never try to hurt you or anyone here, unless they are trying to hurt one of my precious people." She turned to look at Hinata. "We were friends before all of this happened. You should know who I am inside."

Hinata shook her head. "I-I don't know what to think." she looked up at the sky. "It-it's getting late. I have to go." She turned and ran, ignoring Kyiara calling her name.

When she was out of sight, Kyiara cursed herself, Orochimaru, the mark, and Orochimaru again. She looked out over the village. So peaceful. So quiet.

She sighed. Her biggest fear, of being all alone had not been cured during her time with Orochimaru. It had only had it worse. That was why Kabuto had promised her he would never leave her alone, and he would never try to hurt her. To prove it, he nearly killed himself creating two Blood Crystals. She touched the amethyst crystal that hung round her neck. The Blood Crystal was made out of Kabuto and her birthstone, just as the scroll had required.

With a start, she realized that if she went with the mission group who went after Orochimaru, there was a good chance she would end up fighting her brother. "Kabuto won't believe me if I tell him who I am. Not unless I activate the crystals." Kyiara murmured to herself. But that was a risk she was willing to take if she could save her brother. With a sigh, Kyiara headed for the old apartment complex where she hoped to find a room in decent enough shape to sleep in.

What she didn't know was that someone still lived in that apartment building.