Hey everybody! And happy Friday! :D I hope you all had a wonderful week, and now it's time for chapter two! There isn't too much action in this chapter, but it helps set things up for the first major plot point of the fic. At least it's only three days between this chapter and three on Monday! ;) I hope you enjoy!

All right, time for shou touts to those who I couldn't reply to in messages (which I'll elaborate on in the next paragraph). TheFirstSnowflake: Yes, her memory is quite deteriorated, which is why she didn't recognize him when he branded her. And I guess I'll just have to leave his thoughts there up to interpretation ;) Bringing Sasuke back is actually the main focus of the first part of this fic, so it's a pretty big plot point: as for anyone finding out, well...you'll just have to keep reading ;) And thank you for leaving a review! I appreciated your questions and opinions! Hopefully you'll be able to get your messaging enabled so I can reply in message form next time. I don't mind shout outs, but I think readers prefer that the author's notes are as small as possible XD

So, to enable private messaging (which some have mentioned they aren't sure how to do), all you do is go under "Account" when you first log in, and then go to settings. About two-thirds of the way down the page is the "Account Options" box, which has the "Private Messaging" option, which you can then enable! I hope that helps ^_^ And I'll also put this on my main page, too, in case anyone goes looking~

~BlackRoseDragon13

*Disclaimer* I do not own, nor claim to own, any aspect of Naruto in any way, shape, or form. This is merely a fan work, and I receive no profit.

Chapter Two

Hinata got back through the gates without any trouble, the guards not taking any notice of her pale face or shaky knees. Her mind was going over everything again and again – Itachi's threat, her new mission, and the memory that wouldn't quite focus of a boy kneeling at her bedside. Even when she found herself seated on her bed, feet on autopilot, she couldn't recall everything he'd said. Was he crying to catch me off guard? Was he even actually crying? Why didn't he just kill me while I slept? Now I'm not sure of my own memory...did he tell me to scream, or was it of my own volition? She went over the scene in her mind so many times, her head ached, and eventually she knew she had to stop. Whatever had happened back then didn't matter – what was important now was doing what Itachi said, and keeping her friends safe.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to assess what she would need to do in order to begin. This mission would be long and arduous, and take her far from home. She would need money and supplies, both of which she already had. The only part she knew would be trouble would be leaving the village for so long. And even if I were to ask permission to leave, what would I say? She still resolved to tell no one – it would only cause trouble and possibly get someone hurt. But how could she ever hope to do this on her own?

No...I can't think that way. If I want to keep my friends and village safe, I have to try. I can do this! Clenching her fists, she left her bed and began planning: mapping out supplies, possible starting points, and what she would need to research before leaving – namely Orochimaru.

By mid afternoon, she had everything she desired gathered up. Weapons, scrolls, and her personal stash of money from missions, gifts, and the occasional bit she'd taken from her savings from her clan. It was enough, she was sure, to get her through the mission as long as she was frugal. Now all that was left was getting information on the snake sannin.

Oh...and that alibi for leaving.

But before she could leave the house to begin her search, her father knocked on her open door. "Hinata?"

Stiffening at being caught, Hinata quickly schooled her face into the emotionless Hyuuga mask before asking, "Yes Father?"

Hiashi looked mildly suspicious, but said nothing as to her activities. "I am having a formal dinner with the Konoha high council tonight. I thought it polite to ask if you would like to attend with me as my heir."

Hinata hesitated. She didn't want to waste time at a dinner party when she had research to do! "I'm sorry Father, but I have to prepare for an upcoming m-mission. Perhaps next time."

Hiashi's blank face still managed to convey his haughty disappointment. He knew missions were important, but so was his standing with the council. "Very well. I will most likely be out late. If I do not see you again this evening, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Father."

Only when the patriarch's footsteps silenced did Hinata heave a relieved sigh. That was close...

She waited a few minutes before leaving the compound once more, her destination a bit unclear. I doubt there would be much usable information on Orochimaru in the library – I'd be willing to bet it's mostly classified, in the records department. But how can I reason getting to see it? It was then that Hinata saw her chance.

Sakura – a fellow chuunin and medic nin – was walking the opposite direction, and closing in fast. I bet she would have access, since Sasuke san is involved with Orochimaru...maybe...

"Hello, Sakura chan!"

The pink-haired girl paused, obviously surprised at the quiet Hyuuga girl calling out to her. "Oh! Hello Hinata chan! What's up?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers slightly, improvising as she went. "W-well, I was just wondering...you help me a lot in the hospital with my t-training, and um...I was wondering if I could...make it up to you!"

"Uh...make it up to me?"

The shy girl nodded. "Yes! I thought...perhaps I could...help you with research about Sasuke san! I'm s-sure I could be of use!"

Sakura blinked a few times, still digesting the conversation. "Um...sure! I mean...I haven't really done any bookwork on it lately – maybe I missed something."

Feeling that she had succeeded with phase one, Hinata smiled. "Perhaps. Maybe there's something about Orochimaru we h-haven't found yet."

Something sparked in the other girl's eyes – determination. "You know what? You're right! I'll get Tsunade sama's permission, and we'll go to the records department and see what we can dig up!" Sakura smiled at the shy girl. "Thanks Hinata chan. It's good to have someone understand wanting to get Sasuke kun back."

Hinata closed her eyes with a smile. "You're welcome, Sakura chan."

"Are you busy? Or should we start now?"

"Now is fine – I d-don't have anything planned."

"All right!"

Tsunade, used to her pupil scouring the records for anything related to the missing Uchiha, granted permission without a hitch. She was a bit curious as to why Hinata was tagging along, but she had seen the two work together on occasion at the hospital, so she didn't question it. It's good for Sakura to have someone helping her and giving her hope while Naruto is gone.

Passing two guards, Sakura led Hinata through a large doorway into a dark, musty room. Upon them stepping over the threshold, several torches lit as a jutsu was activated, revealing what looked to be an endless room with row upon row of scrolls, books, and loose papers. Every so often, a large table with several chairs could be used to go over anything a reader desired.

"Have you ever been in here before, Hinata chan?" Sakura asked, seeing the other female pausing in the doorway, eyes wide.

"Oh! Um...n-no. Shino kun usually handles getting any documents we need for missions..."

"It's not as intimidating as it looks. There's an entire department that works here and keeps things up-to-date and organized, so it's pretty easy to find what you're looking for. Here, look at this." Sakura stepped next to the nearest bookcase, resting her hand against one shelf. "See this?"

Hinata stepped forward, squinting at the wooden shelf. On it, she could see tiny characters. "What are those for?"

"The entire library is lined with summoning seals. If you know what you're looking for, there are two methods to getting what you want. The first is the most obvious: direct summon anything with the subject you want. The other is a bit more complicated. If, for example, you're looking for something broad and don't want to summon dozens of documents at once, you can do this." Sakura closed her eyes in concentration, then murmured, "Kai!"

All around them, random bits of text on the shelves lit up blue with chakra. Hinata gaped. "So that..."

"Lights up anything that's relevant to your search! So you can browse the shelves without having to look over everything – just the stuff you want! Isn't that great?"

Hinata nodded, thoroughly impressed, trying to imagine how much work must have gone into the seals.

"So! I've already chosen anything connected to Orochimaru. I haven't gone through all of it, but there is some I have. You can go ahead and pick whatever you want, and I'll start at the other end where I haven't been before. If you find something you think might work, let me know!"

The shy girl agreed, and the pair parted ways. Sakura made her way to the back of the room, while Hinata began looking over promising titles near the door.

For hours they searched, Sakura occasionally bringing something to Hinata's attention to keep her in the loop as to what was already known, or was new to both girls. Hinata, on the other hand, read up anything she could about the Snake nin, his new village in Oto no Kuni, and possible locations of hideouts.

By the time the clocks in the room read eleven pm, the girls had compiled a list of information they deemed usable for making connections. Hinata concerned herself mostly with the many speculated – and few confirmed – past, present, or future hideouts. She felt bad, not really contributing anything new, but knew she had to get information for her own search first. She wanted to leave within the week, and use as much of her time as she could getting what she wanted.

Finally, Sakura approached the table, stretching her arms up to the high ceiling. "Whew...I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted...and hungry! I think we better call it a day."

"Okay." Hinata shut her current book, packing it back to its designated place. "Did we find anything new?"

"A few things." Sakura didn't look as though she had found enough to be happy about, however, and only managed a weak smile. "But everything new will help. Thanks Hinata chan."

"If I have time t-tomorrow, can I come back on my own? Or would I have to ask Tsunade sama again?"

Sakura waved her hand. "No, she said you can come back whenever you want. I have a long shift tomorrow at the hospital, so I won't be able to help. But if you have any time, that would be great!"

They parted outside, Sakura heading home while Hinata decided to take the scenic route and think. She hadn't learned much about the Snake man, but at least she had a better idea of where to start looking. All of his discovered hideouts were indeed in Oto no Kuni, so that would be her starting point. But from there, she'd have to make new discoveries on her own to move forward.

The Hidden Village Orochimaru had founded would be a good place to start, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to go there by herself. That might be a place where I should disguise who I am...if not the entire time I'm gone. Sasuke had obviously left Konoha for a reason – she had a feeling he wouldn't exactly be overjoyed at seeing one of its shinobi. But would the mark Itachi placed on her still show up if she used a henge? And Sasuke would probably be able to see right through it, and that would only make him more suspicious. Still so many unknowns...and still no excuse to leave the village...

By the time she arrived home, the compound was dark and quiet. Itachi's ease at infiltrating her home had Hinata nervous, and she warily activated her Byakugan as she made her way to her bedroom. The adjoining bathroom saw her change into her nightgown, and brush her teeth and hair before crashing onto her bed in exhaustion. It wasn't every day she spent hours staring at dusty, musty documents with the girl her crush was in love with, researching information on a man she hated to even think about, all because of a threat by a man who not only haunted her past, but was now antagonizing her present and near foreseeable future. Groaning lightly, she threw an arm over her closed eyes. And I should do more reading tomorrow...

Again the fuzzy memory of Itachi in her room entered her mind's eye. Eight years had certainly done a number on it, as she still couldn't recall the entire scene with certainty. Something about it was driving her crazy, but it was just out of her reach. But after several minutes of failed puzzling, she gave up and got under the covers, sleep draping over her as she let the thought fade from her mind.

.oOo.

The next four days were filled with research. Hinata spent hours in the records building, digging through anything she could find on Orochimaru, with Sakura helping whenever she had time. It was when she finally considered herself ready that she heard someone rush in. Glancing up, she saw Kiba, out of breath and grinning at her.

"Kiba kun! Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly. But I think someone's back in the village that you might be dyin' to see!"

The girl's mind went blank for a moment. First, her thoughts – no doubt influenced by all her recent reading – imagined Orochimaru. Then she considered Sasuke. But finally, it clicked. "Naruto kun!"

"Bingo! Come on, let's go find him!" Without warning, the dog nin grabbed the little female by the wrist and tugged her out of the room. Hinata almost panicked as she remembered the Uchiha crest, but let the hysteria fade as she remembered Itachi's promise of its invisibility.

"B-but Kiba kun! I don't know what I'll s-say!"

"You don't have to say anything! Just give him a hug or somethin' – isn't that what girls do when they see someone they've been missin'?"

Immediately the thought of hugging Naruto made Hinata woozy. "H-hug...Naruto kun?"

Kiba ignored her murmured question, continuing to pull her down the street, the heiress barely conscious enough to keep running lest she be dragged behind the overzealous boy. Finally, they came to the main road of the village. There, Naruto was standing with Sakura and Jiraiya. Once Hinata came to a stop and regained her sense of balance, she gazed at Sakura with a tinge of jealousy. I'm always a second too late...

"Oi! Naruto!" Kiba waved frantically, moving closer to the blonde ninja. "Over here!"

Turning, Naruto grinned wide when he saw his friend. "Hey, Kiba! Long time no see, dattebayo!"

Hinata watched as her canine-loving teammate exchanged easy hellos with the blonde boy, preferring to, for the moment, keep her distance. He's grown a lot...I think he's taller than Sakura chan now. And I'm sure he's gotten much stronger...

"Neh, Hinata chan!" Finally, Naruto directed his attention to the Hyuuga heiress. "It's been a while!"

Still shy, Hinata slowly moved forward. "Yes it has, N-Naruto kun..."

Suddenly, without warning, the blonde launched forward and embraced Hinata tightly. Shocked, the girl could do nothing but reflexively put her arms around the Kyuubi container, face gradually working its way from pale to crimson. Oh...oh my...

"It's so good to see you!" Releasing the girl, Naruto smiled at her brightly. "Almost three years...huh? Hinata chan? Do you feel okay? You're getting all red, dattebayo..."

Hinata's vision blurred, and slowly, she sank to the ground, unconscious.

Kiba sighed deeply. "There she goes again."

.oOo.

Luckily, it didn't take long for the girl to regain her composure, her eyes slowly fluttering open to see a pair of worried emerald ones staring at her. "Hinata chan? Are you all right?"

Blinking a few times, Hinata realized she was sitting upright on a bench, surrounded by Sakura, Naruto, and Kiba. Other random passersby were giving her odd looks, and the girl sighed, knowing she had fainted...again.

"I-I'm sorry, Sakura chan...I guess I just -"

"Neh, Hinata chan! Are you okay, dattebayo?" Naruto pushed Sakura aside, who was barely caught by Kiba. Putting his nose only a breath away from Hinata's, Naruto gave her a worried gaze. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you or anything! Are you feeling better?"

Somehow, the Hyuuga girl kept a hold of herself as she stared into endless blue eyes. "Yes, Naruto kun, I'm all right. I guess I just got a bit d-dizzy, that's all." Giving him a small smile, she added, "It w-wasn't your fault."

Heaving a big sigh of relief, Naruto gave a lopsided grin. "Ah, that's good to hear! You had me worried there for a sec!"

He didn't have a chance to say much else before a fist crashed into the top of his skull. Gasping, Hinata leaned back as Sakura drilled her teammate into the ground.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU NEARLY PUSHED ME OUT INTO THE ROAD!"

Cringing in pain, Naruto whined, "But Sakura chan, I was worried about -"

"Can it you block head!"

"Oi, oi," Jiraiya muttered, giving the pink-haired girl a look that was both exasperated...and perhaps a little afraid. "I'd like it if you kept my student in one piece. I didn't spend three years training him to have him killed by a fellow Konoha shinobi."

The old man's words managed to douse Sakura's flames of anger a bit, and she merely pouted. "Ugh, whatever."

"Anyway, I need to take him to see Tsunade – I promised we'd stop by as soon as we returned. I suppose you could join us if you want, Sakura."

Naruto gave his teammate a worried glance, apparently unsure if he wanted the girl to accompany them.

"Yeah, sure. I need to talk to her anyway about some research Hinata chan and I have been doing. You want to come along, Hinata chan?" Sakura gave the girl a questioning look.

"Ah, well...I have some things I need to t-take care of with my father today...otherwise I would. I'm sorry."

"Eh, that's okay. I'll let you know what she says. Later Hinata chan!"

Together, Hinata and Kiba watched the others walk off. Glancing at his teammate skeptically, Kiba asked, "So...what's going on with your dad?"

Hinata gave the boy a sheepish look. "Um...well...technically nothing. I just d-didn't feel like going, that's all."

"Ah, okay. Well, I told Shino I'd train with him today. Feel like joinin' us?"

"I would, but there's some things I need to do..."

"Oi, you're not brushin' me off too, are you?"

Waving her hands frantically, Hinata replied, "Oh, n-no! I really do have things to do! Next time, Kiba kun – I promise."

"All right then. Later, Hinata chan!"

"Bye, Kiba kun." The girl watched as her companion took off, vaguely wondering where Akamaru was. Oh well. I guess they aren't together all the time... After a moment, she allowed her thoughts to turn to Naruto. He seemed so worried...and even pushed Sakura chan out of the way! Now, Hinata was a kind and gentle person who wished no ill will on anyone, but the sight of her crush tossing Sakura aside did make her smile...just a little. Maybe he does notice me...at least a little bit...

But after daydreaming for a few minutes on the bench, Hinata realized she needed to get home. She had decided that her research had pretty much come to an end. Now she just had to finalize her plans and figure out the first few steps she would take. After that, she'd have to map out her journey on the road. She walked briskly back to the compound, not seeing anyone else of consequence.

Once in her room, the Hyuuga began finalizing everything. Packing her bag, she put away her money, several changes of clothes, weaponry, scrolls, and notes from her research. Once that was through, she brought out one last scroll in which she began planning.

First, she would head north to Oto no Kuni, where she would begin her search for Otogakure. According to her research, there really was no "village" - just a collection of hideouts and a front to rally shinobi for the Snake sannin to experiment on. The thought made Hinata shiver. From there, she would begin scouring the land for the most recent hideout. Once she found it, she would find a way to confront Sasuke and show him her Uchiha crest, explaining her situation with Itachi. From there, it was Sasuke's choice whether to believe her or not and follow her back to face his brother.

Again her self-doubt began to surface. Naruto, Sakura, and others had been looking for Sasuke for years with nothing to show for it. They had no luck finding the place Orochimaru was hiding, so why would her search prove any different? Could she really accomplish what they had been trying to do for years with just a few days' motivation behind her?

But...I have to remember why I'm doing this...to protect everyone from Itachi san...and...to make Naruto kun happy.

Making up her mind, Hinata packed the final scroll – which she would add to as her knowledge expanded – and set her bag by her door. Tomorrow she would find a way to leave Konoha without having to fight her way out. She couldn't explain the truth – there was no way anyone would let her go if she did. I'll just have to think of something vague and a bit...different to convince Tsunade sama to let me go...

She spent the rest of the day going over plans, doing some meditation to calm her mind, and thinking of excuses to go after the missing Uchiha. By the time she crawled into bed, her mind was full of everything but an alibi. Praying to the gods that she could think of one in the morning, she let sleep take her.

All right, that's it for chapter two! Let me know what you thought in a review pretty please, and maybe even point out any errors you found – I can always use more help with that XD If you haven't, you can add this story to your Story Alert to get updates with each post! I'll see you all on Monday!

~BlackRoseDragon13