Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

Sunrise, Sunflower - 4

Itachi needed to think.

He had ordered Hinata to take a day off and rest. It gave him time to delve fully into the mystery of her nightmares. That had been the original intention in his experiments with Hinata, but he'd gotten...distracted.

But now curiosity was only a sidenote to the urgency of stopping Hinata's nightmares, of stopping his own insides from curdling from the unpalatable combination of worry and sympathetic agony.

Team 7 was more than happy (to the point of being suspiciously eager) to help. So he sent Sakura to dig through all medical files the hospital had on Hyuuga personnel. He sent Naruto with a jug of sake to cajole Tsunade into giving him and his clones early access to all other scrolls regarding Hyuuga personnel. And he sent Sasuke off to seduce said Hyuuga personnel for whatever information the other two couldn't uncover. Or piss them off enough that they let something slip.

Team 7's skills lay overwhelmingly in the area of combat, but they also made phenomenal research analysts when appropriately motivated. Itachi estimated it was three parts because they were nosy matchmakers and one part because he had yet to mention anything about the "diary" incident. (Though it ultimately resolved itself in a favorable manner, Itachi intended to make them sweat over it for a long time.)

And so while all his students were occupied, Itachi sat under the tree where he'd found Hinata and carefully picked through all he knew about her. He was as still as a statue, every spare bit of consciousness directed to the puzzle that had become far more than a mere puzzle.

Unfortunately, Hinata wasn't the only distraction.

Though irritated by the interruption, Itachi wasn't all that surprised to feel Neji's chakra approach.

"Tell me one reason why I shouldn't close all your tenketsu. You were supposed to help her." The Hyuuga stepped out of the shadows, pale eyes narrow.

"Because you couldn't," Itachi replied coolly as he unfolded his legs and stood. Despite his even temperament, Neji was still his subordinate when on missions. "I think you will be wise to remember your manners."

"Why? Because I'm a Branch member of the Hyuuga while you are the heir of the Uchiha?"

"I fail to see the relevance to how a soldier should address his commander," Itachi said. He gave Neji a canny look. "Unless you seek to determine my opinion of the Caged-Bird Seal given that you share such a trait with Hinata."

Neji had the grace to look embarrassed.

"I applaud your concern," Itachi said more kindly. "But she is my apprentice, so my business remains with her."

Neji didn't answer for a long moment - was pride always such a difficult thing for the Hyuuga? Itachi tensed, the chakra in his eyes prickling. He will make the fight a quick one.

Then, Neji sighed.

"Hinata told you nothing about the Caged-Bird Seal, has she?"

"No, she hasn't."

Neji crossed his arms and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. "I did not tell you that the Cage-Bird Seal hinders the ability of the Byakugan," he said flatly. "I did not tell you that you should pay attention to the age of when a Branch member was sealed. I did not tell you that their Cage-Bird Seals look different...less deeply intertwined with the chakra veins...under the Byakugan from those of the other Branch members who received theirs at a younger age."

Itachi studied Neji, who scowled at him.

The young man before him now was a far departure from the malcontent boy whose rage oozed from him like disease. It had taken Sakura's bloody form and then Naruto's bloody fist to cure him. But it wasn't until after Itachi had spied the Hyuuga clan head slip from the boy's hospital room with tears in his eyes that the final strains of Neji's anger had dissipated.

For all of Naruto's powers, dispelling the ghost of a dead father was not one of them. Itachi wondered what Hiashi had told Neji.

But Neji had already given him a valuable clue, so he nodded and sat back down. "Then tell me, Hyuuga, why are you just standing here?" he asked. "You are helping no one with your strange silence."

The Hyuuga huffed, though a faint smile could been seen on his face. "Just an angry cousin looking for a fight."

AN: Most of this chapter was brought to you courtesy of a smartphone with crappy connection and a very bumpy train ride. See how much I love you guys?

Also, my phone did not recognize names and suggested all sorts of interesting things (I use Swype, so I only swipe out the approximate position of the letters). Some of which are oddly fitting. I also tried a few other names not mentioned in this chapter out of pure curiosity:

Orochimaru = petticoat

Hokage = village

Itachi = kazoo

Sakura = takeouts

Naruto = makeup, countertop

Hinata = toccata

Sasuke = sake

Kakashi = hairdo

Ayame = asians

Hanabi = Gandhi

Jiraiya = upstairs, hirsute

Ibiki = piccolo

Neji = jerk, hero, Benji