Kakashi lay in his bed, reading his book while casually letting out some soft chuckles at some funny passages he read. A sudden knock in his window made him immediately snap his book shut and look at the glass with tired eyes. "Who is it?" The Jounin stood up. The moment he saw Hayabusa knocking furiously on the window with his beak, he became concerned.

He opened the window, and Hayabusa flew inside, resting over the table. "Hayabusa? Something wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"Do you happen to know where Hanako is?" he demanded furiously. "She should've come back hours ago, but there's no trace of her."

"You're a falcon, didn't you look for her?" The Jounin raised an eyebrow. "You know, with your majestic predator eyes?"

"Would I have come to you if I hadn't?!" the bird snapped, flapping his wings furiously, causing a wind barrage to almost knock Kakashi off.

"Okay, you're angry, I get it. No more jokes." Kakashi lifted up his hands in defeat. "Calm down, before you make a mess."

"Tch...You Konoha Jounin are stressful, always taking everything so calmly..." commented the bird, looking at Kakashi with faint disgust.

"If you don't think with a cold mind, you are more likely to make mistakes." Kakashi sat down on his bed, his eyes never leaving Hayabusa's. "So, Hanako didn't come back, and you already checked the village. And she's not here," the Jounin sighed tiredly. "The problem is: outside the village she could be practically anywhere. It will be impossible to find her, she'll come back eventually."

The falcon tapped the table with one of his claws. "Not if I connect my sight to hers, then we get to know where she is and what she's doing." Kakashi looked at him with keen interest. "There are traces of Hanako's Sharingan powers been used on me somewhere deep inside my mind. If you use your Sharingan to reactivate those traces, I can see what she's seeing. It's a jutsu she placed on me in case she got captured and taken hostage, but only staring into someone else's Sharingan will activate it," explained Hayabusa.

"I see, let's give it a try then," Kakashi lifted up his headband to reveal his red Sharingan. The tomoes around its pupil started to spin around when he stared into Hayabusa's bird eyes.

* * *

"I think it was this way..." Hanako walked silently, the fire around her body had gathered into a single big sphere that guided the way, illuminating everything in its path. Zetsu tailed closely behind her, his black half wasn't with him, but the Uchiha knew that Kuro had to be close. The girl stopped in front of a dead end. Her Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyou and her lips tilted up into a smirk when she could make out the Uchiha stone at the other side. She walked through the illusory wall into the Uchiha's secret meeting room, Zetsu behind her.

"This is..." Zetsu looked around the numerous Uchiha symbols marked on every wall. Hanako concentrated her chakra and fire lit up on both torches beside the stone.

"It's been five years since I was last here," said the Uchiha, focusing her Mangekyou over the unreadable Kanji. "Funny how it hasn't changed even though no one is taking care of it."

"It's because no one comes down here," Zetsu muttered. "Hanako-neechan you should lower your chakra, they mind find us and--"

"You worry too much," Hanako looked sideways at the humanoid figure. "These grounds are off the village's territory, meaning the barrier isn't that focused in this point. When the Clan was still here, it was different since the ANBU observed us at all times, and they focused specifically on us. Now that the Uchiha is gone, they don't have a reason to watch out for this area anymore." Hanako turned to look at the back, a figure was there standing under the shadows coverage. Zetsu narrowed his eyes at the new presence. "Making it the perfect hiding place."

The figure laughed, slowly walking out of the shadows. "Only the Uchiha have entrance to this place, but as long as Hanako-kun opens the door for me, I'm fine." Orochimaru smirked at the Uchiha, looking at the Akatsuki with a devious glance.

"What do you think you're doing Nee-chan?!" Shiro looked at the brunette but she had gone back to reading the stone.

"So, this is the original Naka's stone?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes. I gave you the transcript, but I still cannot read what's after that." Hanako looked at the Sannin. "Here no one will find you, you're practically safe until the second stage ends. After that, I want you gone." The Uchiha narrowed her eyes at him. "Are we even now?"

The snake man chuckled, looking back at Zetsu. "If you refer to our deal, yes, they're safe. I have no interest in them right now." Hanako sighed lightly, knowing that now her little brothers were safe. "But I cannot say the same about Sasuke-kun."

Zetsu looked at the Uchiha girl, only to find her looking back at him. Hanako's eyes then drifted back to the reptile looking man. "Do as you please, he's Itachi's problem not mine." Her heart clenched while saying those words, but she had to make the Akatsuki believe she didn't care anymore for Itachi or any other Uchiha. She knew that Zetsu would report back to the leader everything that happened.

Orochimaru was Akatsuki's enemy; if there could be a possibility to make the Akatsuki give her the mission to watch over Orochimaru, she could become a double spy. She had to show Zetsu she could break Orochimaru's walls, she might figure out both Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. After all, gathering intel was her specialty, and that intel could help Konoha--

Hanako clenched her fists. 'Think about it, is Konoha worthy enough of your protection?' The Uchiha looked back at the stone. 'I wouldn't fight for the village that killed my entire family, if I were you. I don't think the Uchiha wanted the fate they got, I don't think they deserved it either...'

"You are too silent, Hanako-kun, is something bothering you?" Orochimaru asked.

"You were just babbling, back at the forest," she said. The Uchiha looked back at him. "You don't know what it's like to have your people being murdered by the upper clansmen's orders. So, how would you know you wouldn't fight to protect your home village?"

Orochimaru looked at her seriously. "Are you fighting for Konoha?" The Uchiha was taken aback. Was she? Her eyes focused on the stone in front of her. No, she wasn't. She was simply gathering useful information she could use later. That stone contained information from even the time of Rikudou Sennin, if only she could access that information...

"I just want the truth," she muttered silently. "But every time I feel close to find it, I find myself in another dead end." She turned her back to the present. Zetsu had been watching her silently. "The problem isn't the village itself, it's the people who run it. Konoha was founded by both Uchiha and Senju, but everything they talk about is how the First Hokage was the one who brought all clans together." Hanako chuckled darkly. "Hey, if the Uchiha hadn't join the Senju, there would be no village. It isn't just the Senju's glory, it's the Uchiha's as well." Zetsu looked at the Uchiha's hair, it had started to become black. It changed color starting from the root all the way down to the tips.

"Hanako-neechan," he muttered softly.

"I will protect the Uchiha's glory, until the day I die...and that includes this...village...Konohagakure..." her voice became a soft murmur, until she finally remained quiet. Then, she just turned around towards the secret entrance that would take her back to the underground tunnels. Orochimaru watched her seriously, Amane had suddenly taken over her body and forced her to leave. Was she planning to leave him trapped there?

Zetsu was gone right after the Uchiha left, so he had no way out. The Sannin chuckled. He knew that Amane would sometimes take over the brunette's body, but it never lasted long. Hanako still had to overpower Amane so her Essence wouldn't be manipulated by her ancestor's. "Still haven't managed it, huh?"

* * *

Hanako found herself trapped in a white room. She gritted her teeth, standing up in less than a second. "Oh, come on! Not again!" she yelled at nothing in particular. It was like the time after the mission she had gone with Kakashi to eradicate a bunch of rogues. She was alone in a white room with absolutely no way out. "AMANE!"

"You did it again," Amane said from behind the brunette. Hanako gasped and turned around. The woman was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Did what?" The girl asked, truly not knowing what she had done.

"You tried using Essence on the Naka stone, didn't you?" Amane accused, Hanako was taken aback.

"I didn't--!"

"You thought of it!" Amane hissed in a low voice, her eyes had the Sharingan blazing in red colors. Hanako took a few steps back. She had never seen Amane use the Sharingan before, meaning this time she was furious. Was it really that bad? "YES IT IS!" It was like Amane could read her thoughts. She didn't say anything and yet Amane knew what her mind circled around. "You don't understand, do you?" she inquired. "I already told you, you are stepping on dangerous grounds Hanako!"

"What could you know about that?!" Hanako snapped back, looking at Amane with her same red eyes. Amane seemed to be ready to say something but she held back and closed her mouth.

"What could you know?" The woman looked away, clicking he tongue. "If you go there, you might not come back."

"Huh?" Hanako raised an eyebrow.

"I'm telling you," Amane looked at her with soft eyes. "Don't use Essence on that stone. Please, don't."

Hanako's eyes widened. Amane was being sincere, there was not a single trace of mockery in her voice. She truly meant what she had just said. Hanako had only thought that Essence would be the fastest way to getting the information she wanted, but apparently there was more to it than just knowing what happened. She would have to trust Amane. "Fine, I won't." Hanako sighed, making Amane smile for the first time they had ever talked to each other. A real smile. "But you have to tell me why."

"I will, when you're ready to know." After that she disappeared and Hanako clenched her fists.

"Bitch..."

* * *

"A cave?" Kakashi asked in disbelief after covering his Sharingan eye. "That's all you saw?"

"All I saw was darkness, fire torches, a stone with strange hieroglyphics I couldn't even read, and two strange shadows just standing there. So, my first thought was a cave or a weird hideout." Hayabusa flapped his wings before folding them back into his body.

Kakashi covered his face with his hands, then ran them through his hair, pulling back his silver mess. "Then we have no idea where she is..."

"And wherever she is, she's not alone." Hayabusa lowered his head, feeling as if he had just failed himself. "I just hope she is okay."

There was a knock on the door. Kakashi sighed and stood from his bed, "Who would dare to come at this time?" When he opened the door, his eye widened. Hanako was standing there, with her Sharingan activated, staring into nothingness. Her hair was partially black, slowly receding into her normal brunette.

"Hanako!" Hayabusa was the first one to react, going immediately to stand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? Where were you? Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" The bird continued to nag at her of how wrong her actions were, and that she shouldn't just disappear like that; but Hanako's eyes were lost and she wasn't even paying attention. When the black hair finally disappeared from her scalp, she collapsed. Kakashi acted fast and caught her in his arms. Hayabusa jumped into the male's shoulder, poking Hanako with his beak. She didn't respond.

"Let her sleep," Kakashi said, taking Hanako into his bed. "I'll ask her about it in the morning."

"I'll stay here," the falcon demanded. "I need to know too."

* * *

Hyori walked in the direction of the Uchiha girl's apartment. This time, she would definitely face the brunette with all she had. She was ready, steady...

"Are you seriously going to try again?" The Senju jumped upon hearing a voice behind her back. She was walking in the middle of the road, so it was to be expected there would be someone behind her.

When she turned around, she was surprised to see Kazuki and Takeshi looking back at her with a curved eyebrow. "You two are more alike than you think..." she commented with a bead of sweat forming the side of her head. She then shook her head and looked at them accusingly. "If you're going this way it means you were too!" She pointed her index finger at the boys. Then her eyes narrowed. "Or you were following me."

"Neither," Kazuki smirked. "That's what you want."

"I do not!" Hyori flushed and looked away. Takeshi smiled mischievously looking at the black haired boy. He had never seen Kazuki acting that way towards any girl.

"I see what you did there..." he chuckled, making Kazuki snap his look at him. "Never thought she was the one."

Kazuki widened his eyes, his cheeks red like tomatoes. "Huh?"

"Come on, I saw how you looked at her." Takeshi winked. Hyori's jaw dropped. "Go for it."

"It's not like that!" Kazuki snapped. "You got it all wrong!"

"Do I?" Takeshi asked with a smirk. "Dude, you two are always together. You ditched me at a restaurant to walk her around!"

"I ditched you?!" Kazuki burst out laughing. "You left before me! You ditched me for the Uchiha!"

"I had to know if it was her!" Takeshi growled. "When I came back, you were gone!"

Kazuki raised both his hands, looking offended. "You were gone for more than ten minutes! I thought you wouldn't come back!"

"Ten minutes?!" Takeshi gritted his teeth. "You left after ten minutes?! You impatient son of a bitch!"

Hyori rolled her eyes and turned to leave. "SENJU!" She sighed tiredly when both boys called her. "Who's the ditcher?" Hyori looked at them from over shoulder.

"Both of you are, now stop fighting before I kill both of you..." she muttered dangerously. The boys flinched, nodding in fear. "Kazuki, you haven't forgotten our mission, have you?"

The boy became serious all of a sudden, and gave her a brief nod. "Of course not."

"Mission?" Takeshi looked confused at them. "Is that why you have been hanging around?"

"Yes," Kazuki was the one to reply. "It's our personal S-rank mission."

"We have to discover Hanako's secret. She's being acting weird lately, and she's hiding a lot from us." The Senju looked at the ground.

"We see her like once a month," Kazuki sighed, "she's probably avoiding us now that she doesn't have any missions."

"Have you figured out something yet?" Takeshi asked. The look in his face held pure worry. "She was broken after she found out about Kaito-sensei, and I haven't seen her since. Do you think she's all right?"

Hyori looked at him with wide eyes. "She knows about Kaito-sensei?!" The Senju looked around for a moment before turning back to the boys. "How did she take it?"

Takeshi shrugged. "She just disappeared."

Hyori took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She's probably looking for the one who did it."

"Knowing her, she probably already did." Kazuki shook his head. "More importantly, I think Hanako had a reason to come back, we have to know what that is."

"Let's talk to Kakashi-san, maybe he knows something," Hyori suggested.

"He won't tell us anything," Kazuki frowned. "Let's face it Hyori, we're on our own."

"No, you're not!" Takeshi interrupted them. "I want in."

* * *

Kakashi watched the girl in his bed sleeping peacefully. He was sitting on a chair right next to the bed, Hayabusa was sleeping over his closet. The sun was slowly rising over the mountains that surrounded the village. The Jounin sighed loudly, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Hanako was staring at him with her eyes narrowed. "Oh, so you woke up..."

"What am I doing here?" Hanako asked in a serious tone.

"You came on your own," muttered Kakashi. Then, he raised an eyebrow. "Or more like, Amane brought you last night."

Hanako gasped in surprise. "She did?"

"Yes," Kakashi stood up from his place. "Anyway, where were you yesterday? Hayabusa was crazy looking for you." He kept his voice low.

"Why are you muttering?" Hanako looked at him in confusion. "It's not like were gossiping or something..."

"I'm trying not to wake him up." Kakashi pointed to the closet behind him. On top of it, there was a falcon deep asleep. Hanako's eyes widened. "He used all of his energy. He flew over the whole village a couple times trying to find you, and then he made me use my Sharingan on him to see what you were seeing, but we even had no idea where you were."

Hanako looked down at the bed. "I was at the sanctuary, just visiting."

"The Uchiha sanctuary?" Kakashi asked in confusion. "Why?"

Hanako shrugged, sitting up on the bed. "I felt nostalgic."

Kakashi sighed. He had been inside the sanctuary a few times himself, and the description Hayabusa had given to him didn't match the inside of the shrine. The problem was that Hanako didn't seem to be lying, but there was definitely something she was not telling him. "I see..." The silver haired Jounin decided to leave it there, he wouldn't get any kind of information out of the brunette at the moment, she was too stubborn.

Before Kakashi had realized what was happening, Hanako was already on her feet and walking towards the door. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"There's something I have to do."

* * *

The Third Hokage got to the tower in the Forest of Death in no time. Once inside, he marched peacefully toward the supervision room where he would eventually find Anko observing the contestants. He opened the door and just as he expected, the purple haired proctor was sitting in front of a desk with a bunch of screens on top. She was carefully observing the Genin. Two ANBU were inside too, Nerumi and another one who had refused to take off his mask earlier.

"Hokage-sama!" Anko jumped a little when she caught a glimpse of the old man standing at the door. The two ANBU immediately kneeled on the ground, facing him straight.

"Sorry for coming in without permission." Hiruzen smiled softly, walking towards the Jounin.

"No, it's okay," Anko turned back to the monitors. "It's 10 a.m. and 19 hours through of the first day. Two teams have already finished the test--"

"Two?" The Hokage commented in surprise. "Who?"

"Three Genin from Suna," Anko checked her file, looking for the names in the list. "Sabaku no Gaara, Temari and Kankurou." She turned the page over. "And the other Genin team is from Konoha: Team 10 under Kurenai's tutoring. Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata." Anko straightened herself and put the file back on the desk. She looked at the Hokage, expecting his reply but he was only staring at the monitors.

"I see..." Hiruzen sighed and turned to look back at the Jounin. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it here, Anko." He smiled, but the Jounin frowned in confusion. "But I'm glad everything is going as planned."

"But," Anko interjected. "You were here, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage was taken aback. "No," he frowned. "I was meeting Danzou, but since we finished too late I decided to come by today." Anko looked back at the ANBU who were probably as confused as she was. If the Hokage hadn't been there, then who had they talked to?

There was an infiltrator in the village, someone had managed its way through the barrier and was now roaming freely inside Konoha. And this infiltrator had left with Hanako... Anko covered her face with her hands. Uchiha Hanako... she didn't want to believe it but the girl had been troublesome ever since she was a kid. 'What has the kid done again?'

"Is there something you're not telling me, Anko?" The Hokage asked. Anko looked at the man sideways.

"Orochimaru is in the village," Nerumi blurted out. The Jounin growled silently, that ANBU had always had a big mouth. "He attacked a Genin team in the Forest of Death." The Third remained expressionless as he analyzed the ANBU's words.

He then turned to look at Anko, "Is that true?"

"Yeah..." she muttered lowly. "Orochimaru put a Curse Mark in Uchiha Sasuke," she notified the Hokage. Hiruzen took a deep breath and started to pace around the room.

"You said I was here yesterday, but I wasn't." The man looked at the three present. "Was there someone else here?"

"All the Jounin tutors were here," Nerumi replied again. "'You' told us to watch out for Orochimaru but inform you immediately if we had any intel on his whereabouts, not attack him straight ahead. The Chuunin Exams are supposed to continue as normal, while we figure out a plan to deal with him."

Hiruzen had his eyes closed while he listened to Nerumi speaking. When the ANBU was finished, the Third opened his eyes again and looked at the present. "We are going to stick to that plan, if it was one of Orochimaru's subordinates who used a transformation jutsu to pretend to be me, then it is probably what Orochimaru wants us to do."

"Hokage-sama..." Nerumi tried to interject but Hiruzen stopped him.

"Orochimaru is too much of a dangerous man to take him lightly. If we go against him, he will try to destroy the village. There are not only Konoha Genin participating in the Chuunin Exams but Genin from other villages as well. Those Genin are under Konoha's responsibility while they're here, so we ought to protect them as if they were our own." The Hokage stopped pacing and looked at Anko. "We are going to stop Orochimaru, but for that we need to have a plan. I'm going to notify the elders immediately."

"Hokage-sama," Anko felt her throat dry out when he called for the leader of the village. "We should double the security on the barrier, someone must have let Orochimaru inside."

"Someone let him in?" Hiruzen repeated.

"I think I know who did," Nerumi was quick to reply. Everyone turned to look at him with different facial expressions. The Hokage seemed to be calm as he paid attention to the ANBU. Anko, in contrariwise, had a horrified look on her face. "Uchiha Hanako."

* * *

Hanako was standing in front of the seventh tatami inside of the Naka Shrine. She inhaled deeply a couple of times before she joined her hands into the tiger hand seal. The tatami rose up slowly, Hanako approached the opening and jumped inside, the rock closed back in her back. Once down, Hanako focused her chakra and lit up all the torches along the rock stairs. She walked down carefully until she reached the secret meeting room of the Uchiha. Orochimaru was sitting down in a dark corner with his eyes closed.

"Hanako-kun?" he opened one of his eyes to look at the brunette. "You came back," he chuckled softly. "I was starting to wonder if you were really going to leave me here."

Hanako threw at him an apple and a bottle of water. "Here." Orochimaru caught both things swiftly. He looked at the apple keenly, searching for something abnormal. When he found nothing, he took a bite.

"That's all you're going to give me?" he asked.

Hanako raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not supposed to take care of you," she said simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You won't starve to death, if I give you only water you will survive perfectly for five days. I was kind enough to give you an apple, but don't expect me to always do that."

Orochimaru laughed. "Of course not." He remained in his place as he ate the apple.

"Who let you in?" Hanako blurted out. Orochimaru stopped eating and looked at the Uchiha with derisive eyes.

"A person we're both pretty fond of," the snake man chuckled. He took another bite of the apple after he swallowed what he had in his mouth. "He used to be your teacher in your Genin days."

Hanako shook her head. "That's not possible. Kaito-sensei is dead."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru raised both his eyebrows. He opened the bottle of water and took a sip.

"Stop lying to me," Hanako gritted her teeth. "Who let you through the barrier?!"

Orochimaru sneered. "I'm telling you the truth. If you don't want to believe it, that's fine."

Hanako frowned. "You damned snake..." she hissed. "I could be charged for treason by keeping you here; if they blame me for letting you in, you have no idea what I'm going to do to you."

The man laughed again. "Now, that's an interesting thing to say," he muttered. "You speak as if you could actually do something to me."

Hanako raised both her eyebrows. "Want me to try it now?"

"No," the man shook his head. "I'm going to take your word on that; but Hanako-kun, you're the least trusted Shinobi in the village. Even the Hokage is doubtful of you, so I bet they already suspect you're a traitor."

Hanako lowered her head and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. "If they do, then I feel sorry for them."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed in surprise. "Why is that?"

"I'm already considered a traitor, I try to care for this village but if they don't give me a reason, then I'll be gone." Hanako sighed, turning her back to him. "Just this once, I'll play along for the village's sake. You better keep you guard up or I might kill you in your sleep."

Orochimaru observed the Jounin leave the room, and he chuckled. "So you finally want to enter the fun... all right, let the games begin."

* * *

Kakashi was reading his book all over again. He had no idea how many times he had read that book already, but he had almost memorized every single word in it. He let out a sigh and snap the book shut. "And she wrapped her arms around him, feeling the passion bubble up deep into her insides. He knew he was the only one who could make her feel that way." Kakashi recited the book with his eyes closed. The falcon that had been accompanying him had decided to go back to his home, in some faraway mountain, so he was completely alone.

When Hayabusa had woken up, Hanako was already long gone. He was angry at Kakashi for not asking anything out of her, but Kakashi didn't think it was possible to get information out of the Uchiha. He would have to follow her, maybe he just had to keep an eye on her at all times.

Kakashi turned to lie on his side. It didn't matter to him that Hanako was keeping secrets, but it hurt to him that she was hiding stuff from him. He thought he understood her, but in reality he didn't have the slightest idea who was Hanako. Maybe what he had felt for her was mere attraction, but he still couldn't help wanting to know what was going on with Hanako.

There was a knock on Kakashi's door, he immediately sat up. Last time it had been Hanako who had come to his apartment. He hurried to it and opened it. "Hana--" he stopped and closed his mouth. It wasn't Hanako.

Three Chuunin about Hanako's age where standing there instead. Two boys, one girl. "Kakashi-san, we hope you can answer a few questions for us." Hyori smiled with her eyes closed.