Bringing Them Together
It had been almost two months since Uchiha Sasuke had been in Konoha. Between all the life-threatening missions, tracking down S-rank criminals with Gaara, Sasuke had been all too busy to return to his hometown to check on his friends. When he finally did return, there were a lot of surprises in store for him, and the one that made him discover something about himself.
Gaara and Sasuke tramped down the road headed for Konoha wearily. It had only been two days ago when they were battling demons that were strangely, coming out the Forest of Death. Blood-thirsty and all, as Gaara would describe it.
"So, getting engaged to Tenten, are you?" Sasuke asked, amused. Gaara obviously thought this subject wasn't worth talking to the cold arrogant bastard about, so he didn't answer. (Smart….)
"Hey, I'm not the guy who's like, 22, and still not married." He muttered. It was true, most everyone that Sasuke had known in his childhood and Chuunin days had gotten married, but he was still clueless about it.
Sasuke saw an approaching figure, and he and Gaara pulled out their kunai, ready for battle. They were too suspicious to notice that the chakra surrounding the person's body was pure and a little on the weak side.
Hyuuga Hinata sighed as she jogged up the hill. She was depressed, and miserable that Naruto-kun had married Sakura-chan. Of course she was happy for the couple, but she was still a little sad about her childhood crush marrying Sakura.
"Everybody's married or engaged…." Hinata whispered to herself, and it was true. Almost everybody was married or going to get married that she knew, even Temari, Gaara's sister, who had decided on focusing to become a skilled shinobi, but was married to Neji.
When she finally reached the top of the long climb, Gaara and Sasuke jumped out and attacked. Hinata wasn't armed, nor had any idea on what to do, so she started screaming.
"Uh…. I don't think she's going to kill us." Gaara studied the hysterical girl. Not only was she acting panic-stricken, but she also wasn't the type of person to try and attack anybody, body language and chakra told Gaara that.
"Dope. She's a Hyuuga; I think Neji's cousin, Hinata, right?' Sasuke nodded at her. Hinata had grown over the years, along with her maturity. She had the same hairstyle and face, but instead of wearing layers of clothes like she used to, her outfit usually consisted of the normal Sensei attire, or maybe just a pair of khakis and a t-shirt. Her headband was strung across her neck, but other than that, she was still the same old Hinata.
"Gaara-san, Sasuke-san." Hinata bowed politely, after she stopped screaming. "I was told to escort you to Naruto, I mean Hokage-sama." She still hadn't gotten used to Naruto being a hokage.
As they walked, Gaara began talking about Konoha and his engages wife. "So, how's Tenten, Hinata?"
Hinata smiled and started talking. "Tenten-chan's baby's supposed to arrive in a few weeks, and she's ecstatic that you're going to be here. Of course, she's having mood swings and the baby is kicking a lot, but other than that, she's fine." Gaara sighed with relief.
Sasuke smirked and asked about everybody else.
"Let's see. Ino-chan and Shikamaru-san are currently on their honeymoon, they married a week or two ago, Hokage-sama and Sakura-chan are at a meeting concerning the Chuunin exams, and you two are going to help out. Rock Lee left Konoha, and came back with some girl named Kyra. I think they're married, but I'm not sure." Hinata shrugged and asked, "Anything else?"
Gaara asked rudely, "But you aren't married?" Hinata blushed and shook her head.
"No. Relationships aren't something I want to concentrate on, and besides, my job is very important. I know, I'm pathetic, Ino's told it to me before, but I guess dating and getting married doesn't appeal to me." She spoke softly, as if embarrassed.
Gaara laughed, "Sounds like you and Sasuke would make the perfect couple." Sasuke glared at Gaara and hit him on the head, like Sakura would've done to Naruto.
"Hokage-sama wanted both of you guys to send the night at Konoha, and then, in the morning, I'll lead you to the Chuunin exams. It's going to be farther away, because they're hosting it in the Fire Village. Yes, and Lee-san, Neji-san, and his wife, Temari-chan."
At this, Gaara burst out. "My sister married that son of a-" Sasuke put his hand over the fuming guy, and stabbed him in his last wound for no reason. Oh, there was a reason. He just likes to see people in pain.
"Hinata, do you know why we're going to the meeting?" He asked smirking at Gaara's pain. Hinata turned around and gasped at the open wound with blood pouring out.
"Gaara-san, are you all right? Do you need me to bandage that wound?" Hinata pulled out a bottle of, what appeared to be, sticky and peculiar-smelling cream. She rushed over to him and pulled up his sleeve. Quickly, she pulled Sasuke over and ripped his shirt, and bandaged the bleeding wound up. (Sasuke's offended, majorly)
Sasuke and Gaara stared as she took the lead again. "I'm sorry Sasuke-san, just that, being part time medical Nin, I kind of got into the habit of helping anybody in pain. And your shirt was the only bandaging material. Since, well, you're the only person here not in uniform." Hinata told him politely.
Sasuke was wearing a pair of black, airy shorts, a dark blue shirt with the hokage's symbol on the front, and his own little target thing on the back of the shirt. Of course it wasn't uniform; it was like what he wore when he was a teen.
Gaara had on a dark pair of jeans, the shirt and belt containing weapons, and the headband that symbolized that he was one of Naruto's personal assistants, well, in war at least. Sasuke and Gaara usually fought along side Naruto in major battles, but recently, Naruto had to deal with more and more problems concerning Chuunin exams. Apparently, there was a spy working under an unknown force, and had been using sabotaging everybody's chances on getting through the exams.
"Cross that Sasuke, you two are nothing alike, except for the marrying problem. She's like your opposite in every way, you're inconsiderate and selfish, she's kind and polite……" Gaara chuckled cruelly as they walked in silence.