"Young master Sasuke!" A maid was knocking frantically at his bedroom door. "Hyuuga-san is waiting for you down in the parlor."

That's right. His mother informed him of the appointment of his bodyguard today, as he graduated university a few days ago and was expected to uphold his family's political legacy.

Her words echoed in his mind, "With power and influence come great danger, Sasuke. There are some people out there that don't exactly… agree with our decisions. They are malicious and want to hurt us."

He didn't know whether to be excited or annoyed; on one hand, it was a rite of passage to be appointed a protector, but on the other hand, it was bothersome to have a second shadow all the time. Every single hour of every single day now to the rest of his life.

He shivered. "I'll be right down."

Sasuke threw on a shirt and padded downstairs, expecting to see a stoic, beefy man twice his size waiting on the couch.

Instead, he was greeted with a petite girl and her bright, unassuming smile. Upon his entrance, she promptly stood up and bowed to him. Mikoto also stood and greeted him.

"Ah, my son! This is Hyuuga-san, your newly appointed protector," his mother gushed excitedly and nudged him towards her.

This was the formidable Hyuuga-san she was talking about about? The same Hyuuga-san that won first place in the National Aikido Competition? The supposed heir to the Hyuuga Defense Enterprise?

She was around his age and at least a foot shorter than him! How in the world was she supposed to protect him? And how would it look when he went on to meet international leaders or attend conferences with her in tow? He would be laughed out of the room.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Uchiha-san. Hyuuga Hinata," she said cordially and stuck out her hand.

He did not shake her hand. He did not even acknowledge her presence.

Blatantly ignoring the girl, he turned to the Uchiha matriarch and pulled her aside.

"She's in charge of protecting my life?" He scoffed, "It looks like I should be protecting her instead!" He did not bother being discrete in his displeasure at the news, indicated by his exasperated gestures to her.

"Uchiha Sasuke, do not be so rude!" Mikoto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "She is one of the best in the field!"

Hinata could hear everything they were saying; they were really only 10 feet away. Despite this, she politely pretended that she did not. She was used to this type of reaction. People often underestimated her ability due to her appearance and demeanor, but no matter - she used it to her advantage.

Avoiding eye contact with the bickering pair, she chose to observe the classy furniture in the room.

"The best? She looks like she could be snapped in half with little to no effort!"

She almost rolled her eyes. This man knew nothing of her abilities.

"I have personally attended her competitions and training sessions and she is undefeated! Rivaled only by her older cousin, an alleged genius."

In the middle of Hinata's wondering whether the tea set in the display cabinet was made of gold or merely dipped in gold, a slight movement in the window caught her eye and she immediately jumped into action.

Simultaneously, she caught a narrow projectile in her fist and shoved the mother-son duo to the ground with her other arm.

"What… what was that?!" Sasuke was admittedly startled when the girl suddenly pushed him and his mother to the ground.

Lilac eyes continued to stare out the window, searching, while the confused Uchihas crouched over the burgundy carpet.

Finally satisfied with her assessment, Hinata turned back to the two.

"It appears that a dart was shot through the window," she pointed to the small circular break in the glass.

"From the trajectory of it, it was likely aimed at his neck and from my reaction to it, it is poisoned."

She unfurled her fist to reveal a sleek projectile with a note attached as well as blotchy, agitated skin where the dart's tip was held.

Mikoto's expression was one of horror and she gripped the younger woman's shoulders. "Hinata! We must get you to a hospital immediately!"

The Hyuuga smiled appreciatively, "Luckily it didn't break the skin so the effects aren't as severe, but I will make sure it gets treated."

She then turned her focus back on the weapon and took on a somber attitude. "There is a more serious matter at hand; this was intended for Sasuke-san." Retrieving a handkerchief from her pocket, she carefully picked up the dart by its metal cylindrical body and placed both on the coffee table.

Hinata used the cloth to remove the piece of paper from the weapon to avoid direct contact with the poison, then unfurled the note.

Different letters cut from newsprint were pasted haphazardly to form the message, which read:

'PREPARE FOR THE UCHIHA MASSACRE'

Mikoto audibly gasped and a pang of icy fear struck Sasuke's chest.

Hinata looked excited.

Two sets of frightened, charcoal eyes turned to a pale, determined pair.

"I'm guessing that I start now."

The anxious Uchihas simply nodded in agreement.