Depth. This is a collaborative writing project with a friend of mine, and we decided to try something different. It's our first try, so please be nice! This is an original story, and any coincidences are entirely ... coincidental.

Activating her Byakugan silently, she quietly scanned the area for danger before giving an affirming nod to her silent companion travelling behind her. He had been so silent she had almost thought she was alone. "Sa-Sasuke-san, it is safe to set up camp now." She cringed slightly at her stuttering.

"Hn.. We'll set up camp near the stream ahead."

"H-hai." They landed lightly at their designated place. She watched as he investigated the area, his dark ebony eyes never missing a thing. Every team leader had their own methods, and own quirks, so she stood out of the way, uncertain. After all, this was her first mission with him.

"Get some rest, then we'll go over the mission route."

"Hai." The silence that followed would definitely be unbearable to Naruto, she thought smilingly, probably rivalled only by Lee-san and Gai-sensei. However, she found herself enjoying the peace and stillness that enveloped them. Glancing over at her companion, she found him deep in concentration, staring at the mission requirements Tsunade-sama had given them earlier. His brow was slightly furrowed, his blue-black hair brushing across his face. "U-um...Is there a p-problem with the mission?"

There was a long silence following Hinata's question, before Sasuke spoke, "It appears that we would have to travel very near to Sound territory. We should reroute, since Sound is in a state of unrest and close to attacking Konoha anytime."

The implications were clear. If they were spotted, the Sound-nin would definitely engage them in battle, effectively delaying the duo to 'deliver a scroll discreetly'. The pair decided to take a detour to avoid Sound. It was more time-consuming, but definitely safer.

"A-ano, Sasuke-san, you should rest now. I-I'll take the first shift," Hinata mumbled.

Sasuke replied with his signature 'Hn', before propping himself against the buttress roots of a tree. Suddenly, he stiffened. Hinata noticed the change, and asked in a slightly panicked voice, "Sa-Sasuke-san! Are there enemy-nins n-nearby?

Sasuke shook his head. "It's just me," he said brusquely, "Nothing's wrong."

Hinata let out a relieved sigh and nodded, feeling lucky that she was on a mission with one of Konoha's strongest jounin. However, what she did not know was that Sasuke failed to report the slight throbbing of his curse mark that intensified as they got closer to Sound, to her.

The next morning, Hinata found herself pleasantly surprised to be awoken gently by Sasuke. It was an entire world of difference travelling with him. Travelling with Naruto was a disaster to her sleep. She would normally be rudely awoken up by that loud, cheery voice of his. When travelling with her own team, Kiba usually let Akamaru wake her up by licking her face. However, that stopped being cute when Akamaru developed a liking for sardines, something Kiba was delighted to indulge him in. Sasuke, on the other hand, gently shook her shoulders, softly murmuring her name. She found herself wondering exactly how ecstatic Sakura would be each time Sasuke woke her up. A smile played on her lips. Sasuke was intimidating, but he was really nice actually.

Not a single sound was exchanged as they continued travelling, taking the planned detour around Sound. This time, however, Sasuke was leading. She found herself slightly mesmerised by the grace and elegance at which he moved, leaping from branch to branch fluidly. She noted that his hand occasionally travelled to his left shoulder to worry his collar.

Suddenly, she felt her senses tingling. Something...something was wrong. She jerked head up sharply to look towards Sasuke, waiting for instructions. A kunai was in his hand, his eyes darting about, as he leaned into a defensive crouch, his back facing her.

Fear seeped into Hinata. How many enemy-nin were there? Could she even take them down with her pathetic skills? Or would her name be carved into the memorial stone, one of the many ninja who died during a mission? She broke out of her reverie, and her pale eyes focused on Sasuke. He was tense, alert, cool-headed and brave. He was strong, and knew how to utilise his bloodline limit to a great extent. He was the epitome of what the Hyuuga heiress wanted to be. Hinata mentally smacked herself. Here she was, in the middle of a potential battle, and suffering from a bout of low self-esteem. She had trained hard, with blood, sweat and tears as a testimony to her growing strength. She had come a long way from the weak, helpless girl she once was. With renewed determination, she slipped into a defensive stance with practiced ease.

"Byakugan!"

Scanning the area worriedly, she settled into her Gentle Fist, style, ready to provide backup and assistance for Sasuke. Suddenly, a whole barrage of kunai and shuriken flew towards them, and Sasuke surprised her greatly by remaining rooted, allowing her to carry out her Gentle Fist, deflecting every single weapon. To her disbelief, he gave her an approving nod, a further confirmation of his belief in her, and her skills. Suddenly, with a whirl of leaves, Sasuke appeared in front of her, deflecting a kunai that was aiming directly for her heart, and the other hand performing a Chidori, killing the enemy-nin instantly. Mentally slapping herself for her lapse in attention, she gave a silent nod of thanks, continuing to protect herself while keeping an eye out for him.

That omen of danger still lingered, hanging heavily in their surroundings, accentuated by the abnormal stillness of the forest. Hinata quickly glanced around, looking for any slightest indication of enemy chakra, but to her bewilderment, there was not a single trace of chakra anywhere.

'If it's not around us...then could it be..?' Hinata remembered Kakashi's signature move.

"Below!" Hinata shouted.

Both leapt off the branch as they felt the slightest tremble of the tree. Sure enough, the moment they leapt off, the branch beneath them exploded, with splinters littering the forest floor. Suddenly, a strong sense of foreboding overwhelmed them. In a flash of yellow and purple, Orochimaru materialised in front of them. Eyes widening in horror, Hinata gave a start when a gasp of pain behind her alerted her to the fact that Sasuke was down. She whipped around, almost uncaring of the fact that Orochimaru was standing there, right in front of her. "Sasuke-san!" she shrieked, terror rising in her heart. Both of his hands clasped his left shoulder, gripping so hard she was sure it would leave a nasty bruise. She took him by the shoulders, shaking him gently. His eyes were shut tight in pain, his breathing coming in fast, ragged gasps, and his face draining of colour.

"Little wonder you were reluctant to leave Konoha," Orochimaru sneered maliciously. "Well, Sasuke, listen up, you will be coming to me for power, whether you like it or not, when I start killing your friends one by one." The killing intent he gave off caused Hinata to freeze. "You'll be sorry you didn't come to me two years ago. Take this as your first warning." With that, his fingers formed very complex seals, and Hinata found a haze slowly enveloping her eyes, sealing them into darkness. Distraught and speechless with fear, she fell against Sasuke's trembling form, not realising that Orochimary had disappeared.

"....nata...Hinata....wake up!"

"Sa-Sasuke-san..?" Hinata murmured, unable to clear the fogs of sleep clouding her mind.

"Are you alright? Did the snake-bastard hurt you?" A tinge of uncontrolled rage crept into his voice.

"N-no, I-I'm fine...Oh, I-I'm so sorry! I-I was out for s-so long, it's already n-night time." Hinata could feel the distinctly familiar sensation of guilt and frustration inundating her.

Sasuke stiffened beside the petite Hyuuga. Something was definitely not right. Even though she claimed Orochimaru had not harmed her, it was clear that he had. Sasuke drew a bold conclusion.

Hinata tilted her head to the left slightly, attempting to adjust her eyes. The forest could be really dark sometimes, but it should not be so dark that she could not even trace the silhouette of her companion. The memory of Orochimaru performing complex seals hit her. Slowly, the pieces fell into place and clicked.

"Hinata, you are..." he started bluntly.

"Sa-Sasuke-san! Am I.." Hinata almost did not dare imagine it, much less give volume to it.

"Blind..."

:)