A/N: This is a new one-shot by me. I hope it did fine because I was
recovering from my review when I started to write this, I had been in
hiatus writing and it's kinda new to me again. Also, I am asking for
your help to please PRAY for the souls of the people who died due to
typhoon Haiyan. It did a huge mess on my countrymen and the province
and your prayers could help them in going through this tragedy. Thank
you!
The Living Zombie
"What the hell?" The former avenger's left brow twitched at the young
genin's act of throwing a stone straight on his duck butt hairstyle.
"Take that you living zombie!" Hanabi spat as she ran towards Sasuke
and kicked his shin.
The former Avenger grunted in pain at the young Hyuuga's unexpected
attack on him, Hinata couldn't help her mirth to her sister's and the
Uchiha's encounter.
"Oy you brat! I haven't done anything to you for me to deserve those attacks!"
"That's for staying too close with my Nee-chan, you ugly zombie!"
Hanabi threw another stone at the non-offending Uchiha that hit him on
the forehead Hinata stifled a giggle while she watched her sister's
team run away from the man standing next to her.
"What the hell did I do to your sister, huh?" Sasuke glared at the older Hyuuga.
"She's just overprotective just like Neji-nii." Hinata smiled sadly at
the thought of her deceased cousin. Silence was filled between the two
twenty-year-old jounins.
"Why does your sister insists on calling me a zombie? It's not like I
had risen from the dead, Kakashi does but not me." Sasuke scowled at
the thought of being called a zombie.
Hinata broke into a smile as she turned her gaze to the handsome Uchiha.
"She must have thought of that because you always had that poker
face." She tried to copy the man's emotionless expression.
"Since you are the assigned jounin on their team she always complains
on how strict you were on them and that you never smile nor
acknowledge the group when they accomplish a mission."
Sasuke kept silent while he looked at Hinata's wistful smile and the
thoughtful expression she had. The two raven head continued to walk in
silence until they halted in front of the Hyuuga compound.
"I guess this is your stop. I'm going now." The Uchiha raised his hand
in farewell as he trudged his way back to where they came from.
Hinata was stunned for a moment when she realized that Sasuke had
walked her home and not just today but also yesterday and the other
day and the past week after teaching their respective teams from the
academy and also last month when they came back from the mission where
they had been paired.
As Hyuuga Hinata was brushing her long dark locks she could not help
but ponder on the thing that had happened since the war had ended.
Neji's death had taken a toll not only on her but to every shinobi who
knew the young man, especially the Hyuuga clan. But as time passed by
and healed their woe on their lost comrades, Hinata had also slowly
moved on from Naruto rejection when he finally told her his answer.
'Sorry, Hina-chan but I cannot return your feelings because I deeply
love Sakura-chan but you will always be a good friend to me.'
But fate was good and on the Hyuuga heiress' side because after that
incident the vengeful Uchiha came and decided to stay in Konoha and
serve his punishment for his previous actions. For months Sasuke had
been under the surveillance of the Anbu team and had to serve the
community in helping to rebuild the destroyed infrastructures of the
village, a few weeks passed and Hinata was made as his watcher for
several days and nights.
When it was finally proven that the Uchiha is sincere with his actions
and that he will no longer seek for vengeance and destroy the village
he had been released from his duties and was once again a free citizen
of Konoha which also regained his genin status. Upon turning nineteen
the next year, Sasuke applied for chuunin which he passed, months
after he had been promoted as jounin and was given a team of
youngsters which included Hinata's younger sister.
For a long time, since he had been freed and allowed some low-ranking
missions, Hinata had been paired with Sasuke for a long time. At first
it was a bit intimidating between the two until they finally get used
to each other's presence and became comfortable with one another. Time
slowly passed and the Uchiha opened up to the Hyuuga heiress little by
little and Hinata was more than glad when she had the chance to know
more about Sasuke.
She was not a fan girl but she felt obsessed on knowing him
inside-out. Little did she know that the Sharingan wielder felt the
same, that he needed to know more of her, that he needed to protect
during their missions since she attracts too much attention from
filthy men who does not deserve her recognition it also came to a
point where he walks her home when they are together, either they came
from a mission or after they had their duties in the academy with
their assigned team of genin.
It was a cool spring evening when Sasuke stood once again before
Hinata in front of the Hyuuga gates he had walked her home after their
mission from Suna. Sasuke turned to face her when he felt another
familiar chakra behind the closed gates.
"Hinata." He called which caused the Hyuuga heiress to blush deeper.
"You want to know why I am harsh on them during their training, right?
I do it for their own good so that when time comes and the unexpected
happens when I am not with them they will be able to fight, they will
know what to do and be able to survive anything that comes their way.
If only I can express and tell them how happy I am when they did a
good job on their first accomplished mission and how I am proud that
they passed their chuunin exam. But you know that I'm not a talkative
and expressive person, right? I hope you tell her that."
Within seconds after his speech, Sasuke left with a silent 'See you
soon.' while Hinata stood there confused until Hanabi came out and
that's when the Hyuuga heiress understood the Uchiha.
"So, he did care for us?" a sullen look was evident on the younger
Hyuuga's eyes upon hearing her sensei talk.
"And he's not a zombie?" Hinata smiled when Hanabi nodded her head
while she wrapped her arms on her older sister's waist feeling guilty
for judging the Uchiha.
Three days had passed since the last time Hinata had seen Sasuke she
had no idea where the man went until Hanabi and her teammates came to
her and told her that their sensei, Uchiha Sasuke, had been sent on an
infiltration mission with the Anbu Ops in the country of Lightning.
She felt uneased upon hearing the information, she felt her heart
clench in pain and worry. For three months Hinata had been gloomy and
uneasy, she looked like she hadn't had any sleep while she awaits for
the return of the shinobi sent for the infiltration in the Lightning.
A day after the Uchiha's twenty-first's birthday had passed, Hanabi
came rushing to her sister's room and violently shook the sulking
heiress in her bed.
"Nee-chan! One of the guard gates said that he spotted a group shinobi
heading back to Konoha."
Hinata was immediately out of the Hyuuga compund in a jiffy. She stood
there in the gates waiting for a certain raven-haired Uchiha and when
her eyes finally landed on a bloody and beaten Sasuke, tears rolled
down her cheeks as she held him tight.
"B-bastard. Why didn't you tell me you were going on a mission?!"
The Uchiha stared at the sobbing heiress who embraced him tightly
whilst he wnced in pain because of some broken ribs and a fractured
arm.
"I'm home, okay? Please stop crying and let go of me. I cannot breathe
and my arm is in great pain."
Hinata abruptly let go of him and healed the minor injuries she could
before they proceeded their way to the hospital.
"Tsunade-sama said that you have two broken ribs and a fractured right arm."
"Hn."
"Will you let me take care of you?"
"If you are decided to take care of me then why don't you live with me?"
It was an indirect proposal but Sasuke was delirious with the pain
killers they induced on him and he didn't know that Hinata would take
his words seriously. The next day, when they sent him home while
Hinata was on a day off, a knock was heard on his apartment door and
was surprised to see the Hyuuga heiress standing before him with a box
and few bags with her.
"What are you doing here?"
She flushed and looked anywhere but his face. "A-ano... I-I came to
move my things..."
He raised an eyebrow at her and the things she had with her.
"You t-told me to m-move i-in with y-y-you if I w-wanted to take
c-c-care of you..." Hinata was turning a deeper shade of red by the
minute she stood before the curious gaze of the Uchiha.
Sasuke suddenly remembered the events during his delirious state. He
stood for a moment before he moved to the side and gestured his head
for the woman to come in.
"I'm sorry I cannot help you with the bags."
"I-It's alright..."
"I'm afraid that there's no room for guests here."
"I-I'll take the c-couch then."
"No. You can sleep next to me."
Hinata almost fainted at the thought of sleeping next to the Uchiha
but stopped herself on doing so and held a small smile on her lips.
Three weeks later, Sasuke went marching to the Hyuuga compound with a
blushing Hinata following behind him. The Uchiha sat before Hiashi and
asked for the latter's eldest daughter's hand in marriage.
"Why do you think will I let you marry my daughter?"
"Because she's with my child. Our child." It was a lie and Hiashi knew
that but the old man could not help his mirth when a loud thud came
from his daughter who fainted from the Uchiha's answer.
"Then I expect that I will see my grandchild nine months from now."
The old Hyuuga clan head sneered at the smirking Uchiha.
"Gladly."
It was a year after Hiashi's encounter with Sasuke that the old man
finally saw his first grandson.
"I thought I'd see this little one nine months since the first and
last time we met?"
Oh, how Hiashi loved to see the grimace plastered on his son-in-law's
face. The Hyuuga clan head just loved to tease and annoy the hell out
of Uchiha Sasuke.
"I'm glad that you took care of my daughter well." Sasuke looked away
when he heard the old man's compliment. "I hope you do the same with
my grandson and I hope you give all the love and affection I had not
shown with my daughters." Hiashi said the last sentence in a whisper.
"I'll give my best to be a good father to him." the Uchiha mumbled as
he glanced at the little boy sleeping on his wife's arm.
Hiashi turned to him and gave Sasuke a wrinkled smile. "I'm proud of
you, you know that?"
The Uchiha's eyes widened in mild surprise, it was the first time he
made in father (though Hiashi's only his father-in-law) proud. He felt
a wave of emotion within him but ended up with a shy smile at the old
man.
"Thank you."
"I never thought zombies could have children." Hanabi blurted once she
was in her sister and brother-in-law's new residence at the renovated
Uchiha compound.
"If you don't have any business here then you may leave." Sasuke's
brow twitched in irritation at Hanabi's presence.
"And he really has a cute baby, right, Kou-chan?" The younger Hyuuga
ignored her brother-in-law as she cooed to the three-month old infant.
"Hanabi, please stop insulting my husband..." Hinata pleaded to her
sister when she felt Sasuke's chakra wave flactuate.
"Whatever." Hanabi turned her attention at the annoyed Uchiha. "But
you know what, sensei, you're really handsome and most of the girls I
know in the academy would like to go out with you on a date." She
winked at the really annoyed Sasuke.
"Get out." The Uchiha male and Hanabi were both surprised by Hinata's
sudden outburst with a cold and stern voice. "No one hits on my
husband when his wife is in his presence, nor when I am not around."
Hanabi left the Uchiha residence with a wicked grin plastered on her
lips. 'Now, I know what to do to annoy them both and I must tell
father about this one.' and the younger Hyuuga galloped her way to
their clan's compound.
That's it! what can you say about this one? any reviews? _
Oh, by the way, to those who reads my other in-progress story (which
is currently on hiatus) I'm currently rewriting it. I hope you can be
patient while I am in the process of rewriting it because it really
takes a lot for me before I can write again since I am taking up the
last courses of my last year of studying then there comes the research
which really burdens me and my group (we haven't started doing the
experiment yet since there are no reagents available for the
experimental study) and also I have a review going on for my pre-board
examination. Please bear with me (if there are any who follows and
reads the story) and ENJOY the upcoming Christmas! :D