Disclaimer: I don't own the characters described in the chapter below, with the exception of Kiminu Ayame and Hyuuga Kisume. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 14

Hidden in Plain Sight

Hiashi looked his messenger over with the cold, unnerving stare that never seemed to shift away from the man's soul. With a shiver, the messenger stuttered an apology.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Lord Hiashi. I was ordered to give you the news immediately." The only response to this excuse was a slight nod. The clan head was deep in thought. If Hinata's injuries had been discovered, there was a chance that he would be found out. Still, what could anyone do about things in the past? Besides, he was the lord of his clan, and no one else. Within the walls of this compound, he was all-powerful, and had the right to to whatever he wished to. A slow smirk curved his thin lips and Hiashi chuckled to himself. The messenger twitched at the sound, but didn't move from his position on the floor, kneeling before his clan's leader.

"Thank you for your assistance. You are dismissed." There was no identifiable emotion in Hiashi's voice. The messenger bowed and stood, turning away gratefully. There had been a time when Hiashi had been a great leader and a father-figure to many of the Hyuuga warriors. But it seemed those days were over. Reaching the door, the man glanced over his shoulder at his stoic leader, wondering why he had smiled at the news of his daughter's near-fatal injuries.

Twilight was closing in on the dry forest. A single figure, robed in dark grey, stood in the shadow of an enormous oak tree, staring up at the spreading branches. His face was in shadow, a wide-brimmed straw hat tied to his head. Tiny bells hung from the hem of the stranger's cloak, tinkling as the wind rose up around him.

"My lord." A female voice, coming from behind in the most respectful tone anyone could manage. He turned slightly, but didn't speak, the bells tinkling in acknowledgment of her presence. She took a breath and continued. "Konohagakure has sent a team north. There are three of them." A faint rustling broke the silence and then a soft thump. A young man landed beside the woman, kneeling and breathing loud and harsh.

"No, there are six." He flashed a smile at the woman, who only scowled at him. Figures the little punk would have to out-do her. At everything. The young man went on eagerly. "There appear to be two separate teams. They're headed north, to the border." Again, no reply from the robes figure. He nodded slightly and the bells tinkled again. It seemed to be some sort of dismissal, for the two ninja bowed their heads in unison.

"Yes Master." There was only a faint stir of air as they vanished, already bickering with one another over who had brought the most useful information. The bell-wearing man was silent as peace settled around him again. The wind brought a sigh from the leaves overhead and the bells on his cloak tinkled softly in reply.

"Not long now," he murmured, rough voice deep and masculine. "Not long."

Ayame watched the blonde as he scanned the trees again. They had left the path almost a full day ago, but nothing would convince Naruto that they were safely away from people. It was just as well, being closer than ever to enemy territory, but still.

There's more than just fear of the immediate in him. After their conversation earlier that day, exploring the differences in training techniques, Naruto had become silent and thoughtful. The redhead thought that maybe it was her fault, but he hadn't seemed disappointed by their talk. In fact, she was under the impression that he'd enjoyed it. Now, Ayame watched his back as he walked ahead, his blonde hair swaying from side to side as he scanned the trees. She had heard so many stories about Uzumaki Naruto and his adventures... it was hard to imagine that the person she was associating with now was the same guy. The shadows were deepening still as light and motion caught Ayame's eye.

"Not yet, pretty ones," Shino murmured through his tall collar. The lightning bugs bobbed about his head for a moment longer, then drifted away again. When Naruto finally called them to a halt, the sun was just touching the horizon. His teammates set their backpacks down and glanced at one another. Shino was silent as always, selecting a wide-branching conifer tree. He scaled it in the fading light as Naruto watched carefully. When the bug-nin was settled, Naruto nodded to Ayame. She too was silent as she chose the smaller tree neighboring Shino's. At last, Naruto clambered quietly into his own tree. Three pairs of eyes met and glimmered in the darkness. Three clones poofed into existence, moving about the clearing and setting up camp. If any more security than that was needed, then they would know soon enough.

Several kilometers away, Kisume scanned the trees, her Byakugan-enhanced eyes shining like liquid silver in the quickly fading light.

"Clear," she murmured. Sakura sighed and shook her head. After leaving the desert behind and splitting off from the others, the medic had come to the conclusion that tension like this was the equivalent of putting her nerves on low heat to simmer. Everything made her edgy. Having nothing to be edgy about made it worse. Shikamaru nodded to his companions in the gathering gloom.

"We'll stop here for tonight." His smooth, lazy voice was lowered to a hush as the hot breeze whispered through the branches above their heads. "We'll leave before dawn. Sleep well, girls." He faded into the growing darkness, his eyes darting this way and that cautiously. No one would feel at ease in their sleeping bags tonight.

Shikamaru wasn't the only one watching as the two girls found a deep hollow under the roots of a forest giant. A woman crouched in the branches of a towering pine tree, concentrating on keeping her breathing slow and even. The boy looked like he had Nara blood in him, and that girl was definitely a Hyuuga. They would be dangerous. Orders were to obtain the potentially useful and dispose of the dangerous.

No acting, no matter the opportunity. Just observe for now. The woman shivered, her silvery hair falling into her eyes again. Don't worry, Brother. I won't let you down.