In the prevIoUS Chapter: For the well-being of our clan Hinata has to be executed.

"Orochimaru..."

There was no response. The man was absorbed in his own thoughts as Hinata followed him closely. He knew the lay out well gracefully squeezing through area's and opening up doors that lead through corridors. The hide out appeared to be completely ransacked of anything potentially useful. What caught her attention more was the assortment of 'secret' rooms around them. There was no doorway but a small spot of chakra where a seal to reveal its entrances were. The actual size was colossal.

"Orochimaru...!" She spoke a little louder.

Over the sound of his own thoughts her voice fell on deaf ears. At any moment a team will come to recover Hinata or completely dispose of her. No doubt Naruto and Sakura will go against us when they find out about Umeko. Perhaps Sasuke will be of use. With Hinata here if we combine our strength and overwhelm him we can subdue him long enough to convince him to work with us for a time. However, we must separate him from Naruto again. Then again we need to keep Hinata's family at bay or take care of them so they won't interfere. So close...so close I am once again into attaining the sharingan! I have to plan this out carefully so I can ensure victory against-

"Orochi!"

Orochimaru flinched slightly turning around to see Hinata's face painted with concern. Even with her eye's concealed her brows furrowed in confusion. "Speak to me! Stop hiding your motives!"

He smiled warmly at her, his gaze softening. "Hinata...?"

"I know we aren't looking for supplies and so do Naruto and Sakura. Whatever it is that we are going to do we need to do so quickly because they are following behind us." The determination in her voice left little doubt in Orochimaru's mind that she truly was prepared for anything.

With a smirk gracing his lips he grabbed Hinata's hand. "Very well." Quickly they ran through corridor after corridor. "There is something here that I need."

"You need?" Hinata panted back. His steps were far wider than hers as she was practically being dragged along by him.

"I had severed my ties with not too long ago in fear that it would be trapped along with me. In an attempt to escape my prison I had it teleported here in hopes I could do the same with myself, though if it was successful I couldn't say." Orochimaru chuckled lightly at the memory of his time in despair when Itachi had "killed" him and sealed his soul.

He was leading them towards a room not even she could see past with her byakugan. Only the tell-tale chakra signal was an indicator. A shudder came across Hinata as she felt a wave of cold air as they approached. She squeezed his hand as her stomach began to churn. Whatever was behind these doors would change nothing.

Orochimaru smiled softly and detangled his hand from hers. He formed the necessary hand seals, revealing the entrance and stepping inside with Hinata closely behind.

Sakura looked at the ground as she tried to find any sign of tracks. "Hmmmm."

Naruto looked about the rooms opening them to either be greeted with empty laboratories or rooms that were already in disarray from being ransacked. "It doesn't look like we will be finding anything useful." He turned over an empty can of food, what it had been was unknown. "Man I miss the Ichiraku Ramen." He sighed.

"This is odd." Sakura muttered. "Where could they have gone?"

Naruto walked up beside Sakura. He saw as her hand slightly trembled. His gaze softened as he thought back on the Hyuuga. Her confession...he should have said something to her. Sakura had always been his object of affection even if it wasn't returned. Among all the girls, he recalled how bright her pink hair would stand out among all the girls, how easily it could grab his attention. It never occurred to him to look around at the others, if he did he probably would have seen Hinata staring at him with those gentle eyes. Then there was Orochimaru...

Naruto clenched his fists, determined to help Sakura with whatever she had in mind. "You don't think he would want Hinata's Byakugan...do you?"

Sakura thought carefully. "I honestly don't know. The possibility isn't exactly unfounded. Whatever he has in mind I know Hinata is in danger." She looked up to Naruto her eyes determined. "Naruto do you think you can sense where they are?"

"Heh. Sure thing." He focused his chakra. Okay Kurama I need your help. A friend may be lost again. He felt the surge of chakra as his own kekkei genkai ability began to augment combined with the jinchuriki's chakra. "What?!" Naruto began to scan feverishly confused. Come on Kurama give me more!

The nine-tails stirred within him as he gave in more. He scanned around as well with no detection other than the two above them. Im sorry Naruto but you are already scanning beyond the perimeter of this entire village. You're friends must have either vanished or are concealing their chakra. However, for them to do something as powerful as this where not even can sense this is unordinary. We need to be careful.

The color flooded out of Naruto's face as his arms slowly dropped to the side. I understand, thank you Kurama. He looked directly into Sakura's eyes. "I think you are right."

Inside the room everything appeared normal. There were desks and bookshelves caked with dust. This room had not been in use for quite some time. Hinata looked at the selection of books. Scrolls written in ancient dialects. The writing looked more like symbols than anything. Still she proceeded to follow Orochimaru making sure not to lose him among the aisles.

Then something caught her eye. A beautiful lilac crest held the binding to a scroll. The insignia...she had never seen it. However, soon she felt excited. A single finger traced the ridges of the design. It was a tree half in bloom and half wilted but hanging from its branches regardless of the side were eyes. As she withdrew her hand she was startled to feel a resistance, it was as if the scroll was resonating with her. Telling her to grab a hold of its page.

"Here it is." Orochimaru quickly turned right into one of the aisles. Hinata peered from behind him as she waited for him outside the aisle. He picked up what he was looking for and held it above his head.

"Wait...a sword?!" Hinata had expected he had some legendary technique or scroll containing a jutsu but a sword? In a place like this?

"This isn't any sword Hinata. It's name is Kusanagi." Orochimaru patted the hilt affectionately. He presented the sword in clear view, swinging to weigh it in his hand once again. She looked utterly amused at the choice for keeping it hidden. It has been merely teleported in an aisle out in the open, not even hidden on the bookshelves.

"You teleported it to one of your archives? Not a weapon's room? Or something a little more appropriate? What if someone found it?"

Orochimaru gave her a devishly mischievous smirk. "It's like you said. A weapon room would be the first place people would look for it. So I picked the next appropriate location. This archive. Knowledge is stronger than any weapon in the world. Come on." Orochimaru's mouth opened wide and a snake emerged in turn also opening its own. He face the sword point first before engulfing it completely.

"Just the sword? Noooothing else?" Hinata eyed at all the ancient scrolls surrounding them, she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious what kind of jutsu some of these held. Her eyes feel again to the one that had the lilac crest. That one was the one in particular she wanted.

Orochimaru saw her eyeing an aisle. He then remembered what it was that was there. He looked back at her curiously when it hit him. "Hinata wait here." He looked at an opposing aisle and quickly scanned a scroll before he found one with a white insignia he looked to see the pattern before he went back to her.

She looked at him curiously as he unravelled the scrolled and presented to her with its contents.

"Can you read what's on this scroll?" He asked a smile on his face.

Hinata looked confused. The scroll had a ink drawing of what looked like a demon. It had 8 serpent like heads that was sitting on a cloud. She looked to the writing but it was foreign to her. She shook her head. "Im afraid Im not versed in that ancient of dialects."

Orochimaru nodded and rolled the scroll back up. "Very well then." He walked up to the shelf where the lilac one rested and picked it up looking at the insignia. A single chuckle escaping his lips. He unravelled the scroll and looked at it with his own eyes. "How about this one?" He held it open for her to see. A single gasp escaped her lips and he had the answer he needed.

Hinata could see, no. She could read it. Her eyes looked to the image of a figure standing tall, their palms engulfed in flames. There was the head of a creature formed on both with antlers...or were they horns? But it was the words that captivated her most. Head Branch Naha Technique. She looked curiouslyat the image. They looked different than the Twin Lion Barrage ever seen. These were horned and one had its mouth open while the other was closed. How old was this document?

"I...I understand the power of this technique. Head Branch Naha Technique...Naha? Who is that?" Hinata looked to Orochimaru for an answer.

"Hmmm. Im afraid I don't know." He shrugged.

"You don't know?" Hinata asked surprised. He usually held an answer to everything.

"I told you I am not even close to finishing my research. This goal will very well take me numerous life times to achieve. However, you say you can read this..." Orochimaru presented the scroll to Hinata. He held one of her hands and guided her fingers around the shape of the scroll. "It's not everyday I get to present some one with something about themselves. If you wish to grow stronger, this scroll may help you get there."

Hinata looked down at the scroll. She wanted to read it right then and there but she knew better than that. She opened her bag. It was rather cramped inside. She pulled out the stuff animal she had been working on this entire time. The toy rabbit that would have made any child happy to play with. She looked down at all the stitches, running her fingers gently. I can always make another. She told herself.

She set it down on the shelf where the scroll had been, pushing some to the side. She then placed the scroll inside her own bag. As she followed Orochimaru to leave she looked behind one last time at the rabbit. I wonder how long will it be until we come back here. She stepped outside the hidden room.

"We better come up with an excuse as to where we went." Orochimaru mused rather gleefully.

"I don't think we need one." Hinata smiled she grabbed a hold of Orochimaru's arms.

His eyes darted to her quickly. "And Naruto and Sakura?"

"They went back up-" Hinata stopped as she looked directly above them.

Orochimaru stopped and looked at her. "Hinata?"

She had not noticed within the walls that there had been new arrivals since then. "We have guests." Her eyes glared daggers as she recognized one of the figures. "Father is here." The venom in her voice coated the words thickly.

New chapter up! Stay Awesome! :3