Hinata, not fully understanding what Ino meant, tilted her head slightly and nodded.
"!!"
Ino eyes wide. She dropped the banquet of flowers and instead grabbed Hinata's wrist, pulling her toward a nearby bench by the roadside.
"Why her? No, that's not fair! We're good friends too!" Ino protested, puffing her cheeks in frustration. "Hinata, we can't play favorites. I want Sasuke too!"
No matter what Hinata said, Ino refused to let her go.
Hinata could only sigh helplessly. There's only one Sasuke, she thought. I already promised Sakura I'd help her. How could I possibly matchmake Ino as well? That's completely impossible.
"Well, how about this?" Ino said suddenly, her eyes lighting up with mischief. "You could let me meet Sasuke first—and then…" She leaned closer, whispering, "Anyway, Sakura isn't in the village right now. If you don't tell and I don't tell, she'll never know!"
Hinata blinked in surprise. "Sakura isn't in the village? Did she… go on a mission?"
"Mm-hmm!" Ino nodded, crossing her arms with a sigh. "She said something about protecting a prince on Crescent Moon Island. Sounds like a pain! Apparently, all the ninjas who took the mission before her quit halfway because they couldn't handle the bratty prince or the ridiculous trouble along the way. You can imagine how spoiled that guy must be!"
Hinata frowned slightly. "Then the only ones reliable enough would be Kakashi-sensei, Rock Lee, and Naruto, right?"
Ino nodded again, though her expression twisted wryly. "Yeah, but you know how those two are—Lee and Naruto? Their brains don't exactly work like normal people." She tapped her temple meaningfully.
Hinata didn't respond, though she couldn't help but agree inwardly. There were times when both Naruto and Lee seemed completely clueless—yet when it came to battle, their instincts and courage suddenly shone like no other.
"Sakura even told you what mission she was assigned?" Hinata asked after a pause.
As a ninja, confidentiality was a basic principle. It wasn't just about respecting the mission, but also about protecting the client and preventing information leaks that could invite danger.
Ino waved dismissively. "Oh, Sakura tells me everything. We don't have secrets between us! Besides, this mission's been taken by a bunch of people before—so it's not really confidential anymore. The rules are pretty loose for something like that."
Hinata gave a polite smile, though she said nothing more. After listening patiently to Ino's rambling for quite some time, she finally found an opening to excuse herself.
It wasn't that she didn't want to help Ino, or that Ino's promises of rewards weren't tempting. But everything had its order—and she'd already made a promise to Sakura.
Ignoring Ino's indignant shouts echoing behind her, Hinata darted off, her figure vanishing down the village road as she began her next mission.
Ino sighed, placing a hand on her cheek. "Not bad, Sakura. You didn't misjudge her. Hinata might actually make your dream come true."
…
Unaware of any of this, Hinata maintained her usual top speed once she was beyond the village gates.
This mission concerned Orochimaru—a reconnaissance task to locate any of his known hideouts or gather clues about his movements.
The goal wasn't to confront or capture him—merely to confirm his whereabouts or the existence of one of his research bases. Even so, that alone qualified as an A-rank mission.
Konoha had never stopped hunting Orochimaru. After he killed the Third Hokage, he became the village's greatest enemy. His experiments, forbidden techniques, and data were invaluable—and dangerously alluring.
Drawing from her past experience in the Land of the Sea, Hinata recalled one pattern about Orochimaru's hideouts: they were always surrounded by ominous rumors—disappearances, ghost sightings, or unnatural silence.
It wasn't a matter of wandering aimlessly. As long as she focused her search around such cursed locations, finding one of Orochimaru's bases wasn't impossible.
Still… it was a bit lonely traveling alone. No teammates. No one to talk to.
To pass the time, Hinata read her sealing technique manual while walking, her Byakugan active at all times. With it, she could spot ambushes, traps, or hidden enemies from afar—there was little that could take her by surprise.
However, the Byakugan was distinctive. Anyone could recognize those pale eyes instantly. To avoid drawing attention, Hinata purchased a pair of tinted sunglasses in a small roadside market and pulled her hood over her head. The disguise made her look more like a quiet traveler than a shinobi.
Along the way, she quietly helped those in need.
When she saw starving orphans, she gave them food.
When bandits attacked a small village, she intervened and drove them away.
When she came across a herbalist who had fallen down a cliff and was trapped, she rescued him.
Why did she go out of her way to do all this? Was it just out of kindness—or boredom?
Of course not. Every act of goodwill was also an opportunity to listen.
Locals always talked. If there were tales of disappearances, monsters, or haunted places nearby—someone would mention it. And that was exactly what Hinata needed to hear.
When it rained, Hinata would shelter in caves—sometimes carving one herself with chakra if necessary.
At night, she would drive away all wild animals and clear a hundred-meter radius before setting traps and insect-repelling seals, then bury herself shallowly in the earth for protection.
Traveling alone meant no one to keep watch, so this was the most secure method.
Under the scorching sun, she held up a small parasol and sipped water as she moved.
Water was vital—especially since she was carrying a load exceeding three thousand kilograms. Her sweat loss was tremendous; constant hydration was essential.
Before she realized it, over forty days had passed.
…
Now standing atop a hillside, Hinata adjusted her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes.
Her Byakugan pulsed faintly beneath the dark lenses.
She reached behind her coat and retrieved three scrolls. With a flick of her wrist, three puppets materialized—each clad in battle-modified kimonos, their faces covered by iron masks. They looked eerily similar to Hinata—about eighty percent identical.
She extended her hand, activating her wireless puppet control technique. Invisible chakra waves rippled outward from her body like concentric circles on water.
A moment later, the puppets came to life.
With three simultaneous bursts of motion, they leapt forward and slammed into a nearby cliffside. The explosion shattered a concealed stone gate that had been cleverly camouflaged as part of the mountain.
A gust of dust and debris swept across the ridge.
Hidden mechanisms snapped open. Traps triggered. Poisonous gas hissed. Kunai shot from the walls.
None of it mattered.
The puppets, immune to pain and breathing, pressed onward—destroying every trap and sweeping through the entrance like ghostly soldiers.
Inside the base, chaos erupted.
"Who's there?! You dare invade Lord Orochimaru's domain?!" a voice roared from the depths.
Hinata's lips curved faintly beneath her hood.
At her signal, one of the puppets rushed toward the sound, its movements blindingly fast.
The fight began with an earth-shattering crash.
…
With a body honed to the hardness of steel, Hinata's Gentle Fist technique became devastatingly powerful. Through her puppets, she unleashed wild, relentless strikes that tore through her enemies like a barrage of machine-gun fire.
Her movements were precise and merciless; every blow landed with mechanical precision. In moments, the enemy's roars turned into pitiful screams.
Hinata's fighting style was simple yet terrifyingly effective—seize control of the rhythm, draw her opponent into her domain of close combat, and end the battle with her experience and raw strength.
You're good at ninjutsu? No problem. Hinata's wireless puppet control could interfere with her enemy's hand seals, breaking their concentration before the jutsu could even form.
You rely on genjutsu? Useless. Her puppets had no life or chakra flow to manipulate. They couldn't be trapped in illusions. Even if the enemy cast the most intricate spell, it would only affect the air itself.
Having crossed paths with the likes of Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha, as well as her genjutsu master Kurenai, Hinata deeply understood the treacherous nature of illusions. She had learned to approach them with caution and discipline.
As for dispelling illusions, that was something she was still studying. Whenever she had time, she would read through the notes Kurenai had given her—techniques and subtle cues for detecting and unraveling genjutsu.
…
"Is this all?" Hinata murmured as she picked up several scrolls from a cabinet. She didn't open them without permission, instead pausing thoughtfully as she assessed their contents through the paper with her Byakugan.
Just then, a figure lurking above leaped down, launching a surprise attack.
Hinata didn't even flinch.
One of her puppets intercepted the assailant midair, kicking him squarely in the ribs. The man crashed into the shelves, shattering dozens of glass containers as he screamed in agony.
"...Sneak attacks don't work on me," Hinata said coldly, without turning her head.
She gathered up the scrolls, notes, and documents she needed, leaving behind nothing but wreckage and chaos.
Those who resisted her fiercely were slain on the spot—cleanly, efficiently. The rest she spared, though not out of mercy.
She needed messengers. Someone had to deliver her letter to Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata never forgot her promise to Sakura.