The response was honestly a little shocking to me haha. I didn't realize so many people liked Shisui/Hinata and/or were willing to take a chance on them. It was super amazing and I am so grateful to you all!

My schedule is changing so I cannot make any promises about updates right now. Once I get in the habit of things, I'll let you all know.

Thanks to these people for reviewing: dumdeedum, neonobara, muzicaldove, Athena, three Guests, Tristan, Ken, Cora, busi sibeko1, and akaiichigo.

oOo

Shisui understands now, why Neji appears so brittle. Why the other man holds himself so stiff, so still.

Drawing on his many years of controlling even the slightest sign of emotion, Shisui wraps himself in a layer of apathy. He does not care if anyone sees him be emotional. However, he needs to be able to listen without losing his composure. He cannot risk missing an important piece of information.

He too, sets his balled fists on his thighs and waits.

Neji lets out a deep breath and settles into the story. He does not look at Shisui.

"She was sent to the Land of Lightning to infiltrate the Lightning Daiymo's court. She… she knows how to operate in those settings."

Of course, as a previous clan heir, she would receive training on courtly manners. It makes sense.

Neji continues. "She was tasked to see if there were any rumors of Lightning attacking the Land of Fire. It was going well. She was able to send us letters periodically."

Shisui thinks of his own letters sitting in a secured drawer at home. The ones he received from her stopped long before that. But she had warned him that she needed to cease sending them.

Of course, worry still ate at him. However, he tried to have faith in her abilities. Hinata was an excellent nin. This assignment was perfect for her.

"Six months ago, we got word that the family she stayed with as cover was publicly executed for being spies. They were loyal to Konoha. It is unknown if the Lighting Lord knew their affiliations."

Shisui locks his emotions deep inside himself. He cannot listen to this otherwise.

"The last letter she sent me said that she was coming home. And the last communication she sent to the Hokage stated that while her cover had not been blown, it was only a matter of time. She was supposed to head straight to the village."

Neji stands suddenly and begins to pace. Shisui does not follow the other man with his eyes. He stays focused on the cup on the table.

"When she was a couple weeks late, Lady Tsunade let me go look. But only to the border of Lightning. Her teammates were able to get into Lighting itself. Due to our hostilities with the country, however, we were not allowed to go the capital city. It was too dangerous," Neji scoffs.

Shisui's voice sounds disembodied from himself, like someone else is speaking. Only the vibrations of the words through his throat keep him grounded. "You did not get word of her execution?"

Neji stops. Shisui watches the other man's feet and feels his chakra. Neji's chakra practically writhes in anger.

"She's not dead," Neji spits. "I can't… I would know."

"I believe you."

After a pause, Neji continues walking. "Hinata is smart. And wily. She would refuse to die if only to spare our feelings. It would make her feel sad to think we would mourn her."

The right corner of Shisui's lips rise slightly at that. That rings true to him.

"She has to be in the capital still. We did not find any sign of her on the road." Neji pauses again. "Hinata told me that you were one of the best trackers she ever worked with."

That does shock Shisui out of his numbness. He meets Neji's eyes.

"That mission she took with you and the Nara. She had nothing but nice things to say about the two of you. But she was impressed with your skill." Neji sucks in a deep, unsteady breath. "I know this is a big ask. But-"

"I'll do it," Shisui cuts in. "I appreciate your faith in me."

Neji nods. "I'll get you the letters she sent Hanabi and I. Lady Tsunade already told me you can have access to her correspondence with the Tower."

"I do have a question," Shisui murmurs. "How did you keep this from the village? And why?"

That part confuses the hell out of Shisui. In a nin village, secrets do not exist. Everyone knows everyone else's business. It seems impossible to him to think the Hyuga kept this knowledge secret for six months.

Neji lowers himself back down onto his pillow. His fingers drum a frantic beat on the table. "The elders demanded we keep this a secret for as long as possible. We're in the middle of merging the two branches together. It's a delicate situation. We cannot afford to show any weakness at this point in time."

Shisui's eyes narrow slightly. The explanation seems off.

"If this information gets to the Fire Lord, it can possibly make its way to the Lightning Lord. There is a chance, if she is being held hostage, that Lightning does not know she is a Hyuga. Which could be a good thing. But if they hear that we have an unsealed Hyuga missing…"

Shisui sighs as his eyes shut. There it is. If Hinata is still alive, she could either be in hiding or they could be holding her hostage. As a woman and dojutsu user, there are many things that can be happening to her.

He opens his eyes and sets his sharp gaze on Neji. "I'll do it. I have to get permission from my uncle, because he is the only one who can allow me personal leave from the Police Force. But I'll go."

Even if Fugaku says no, Shisui will leave anyway. He locks down his emotions, but these revelations test his control. If he did not leave his cage right now, he would begin to go wild. Feral.

He wants to kill anyone who would dare hurt Hinata.

Neji's fingers still. His shoulders draw back, and he sits up straighter. "Our payment should cover any missed wages."

Shisui does not care about his salary. He would do it for free. But it would be enough leverage to convince Fugaku to let him leave.

Both men stand and again bow to each other.

"I'll visit the administration building to get my official assignment and pick up the mission packet," Shisui says curtly. "I expect to leave tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

Neji nods once. His jaw twitches with how hard he holds it clenched. He reaches into a pocket of his long robes and produces a stack of carefully folded letters wrapped in twine.

"Safe travels," Neji says.

"I'll keep you updated."

Neji's voice roughens with suppressed emotion. "Thank you."

oOo

Coming up: Shisui plans and remembers how he first met Hinata.