The Uchiha-Hyuuga's

Chapter One

-O-

The heavy storm clouds suspended over Konohagakure began rumbling loudly, bringing about haste for shelter to the villagers wondering the streets as they went about their daily business. For nineteen-year-old Shin Uchiha, the eldest son of Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha, the oncoming storm brought a sense of peace. Rain was a sign of spring, his favorite season. It also meant people preferred to be indoors, and if people remained indoors, there would be less work for the chief of the Military Police force and his employees. It was something Shin observed early on after assuming this role: the people of Konoha were more well-behaved when they were avoiding the rain. Unfortunately, that was not always the case for a few bad apples, but the Uchiha heir didn't let the thought of dumb teenagers or the occasional sketchy individual ruin his afternoon.

Hearing a thunderous crack emerge from the sky, his green eyes glanced up before taking hold of his uniformed hood and pulling it over his head as the downpour began. Keeping a steady pace, he watched as the villagers around him scurried into shops for shelter and smirked as a young brunette muttered something unintelligible and entered the café he was headed towards. It always amused him to watch people scramble in the rain while he remained calm. Only his father shared his interest in rain, a feature his mother insisted was one of many he had inherited from the infamous Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura Uchiha often liked to wonder aloud how many qualities her children had either inherited from her or her husband.

For Shin, he often heard her gush about the bright green eyes she had luckily passed on to both him and his kid sister Suzuki; meanwhile his younger twin brothers, Sano and Shigure, were "all Uchiha" as she liked to put it. However, when it came to their genes, his father had only ever stated that he was grateful his sons had never inherited the bright pastel pink hair his wife possessed. This usually elicited an eye roll from his mother, followed by a long speech of how she and Sasuke had the most gorgeous children in the village and pink hair would've made them ten times more attractive. That statement normally caused the Uchiha patriarch to fight off a smirk with a "Hn," and shake his head at his wife, who grinned and insisted she was right.

The light bantering between his parents had always put a smile on the Uchiha children growing up. It was a sign of the love that existed between a quiet man and an effervescent woman. To Shin in particular, it proved to be a reminder of who his parents were now in contrast to who they were prior to The Fourth Shinobi World War. While the generation following the events didn't know the full details of The War, Shin and the fellow children of the heroes and survivors were told that shinobi throughout the world had joined forces, creating what was now known as the Shinobi Union in order to establish and preserve peace throughout the nations.

Though he still didn't know much of The War as an adult, he knew that prior to it his parents were completely different people. It wasn't until a few years ago that his father had sit him down and explained to him that when he was his age he had been considered an international criminal. The revelation had shocked him, especially knowing how loyal his father was to their village and to the current Hokage, who had also been his former teammate as a genin. He remembered the pain behind his father's eyes as he revealed the story behind 'The Uchiha Massacre,' in which Itachi Uchiha had executed every single member of the clan aside from him. When Shin had asked what this had to do with his father being previously known as an international criminal, his father once again experienced a flood of emotions beneath his stoic exterior. Regret, pain, resentment; they all flashed across the patriarchs face at once as he told his son of his dark past.

It was almost simple, Shin thought, as his father explained the details of his desire for vengeance that led him to abandoning Konoha and his teammates. How were they, his mother and his godfather, able to forgive his father after everything he had done? Shin couldn't comprehend it, until his mother was able to explain. She tried to clear his confusion by explaining that, as genin, the three of them had formed a bond; Naruto and Sasuke especially. He recalled his mother's softened expression when she explained that 'where bonds existed between friends, they were not so easily broken.'

After wrapping his head around the events of his parents past: who they were and what they had been through, he eventually came to the realization that it no longer mattered to him. They were married, in love, and had a family together. Despite how quiet and reserved a man his father was, he was a good one as he always put Shin and his siblings first. Things being as they were now, he didn't care about history; regarding his parents or Konoha. The village, and nation as a whole, was on an upswing with the Shinobi Union working continually and successfully. His father was serving as one of the representatives as the Hokage's second chair, and his mother was head of Konoha's hospital. He was happy, his parents were happy, and his siblings were happy. In his opinion, all was well in his world and nothing would disturb that.

A bolt of lightning cracked through the dark sky, causing Shin to flinch back slightly as the sound echoed through his ears. Casting another glance above, he saw the rain turning into a raging storm and decided to pick up the pace towards the café. The heavens rumbled again as he entered, and just as another bolt of lightning struck. Removing his uniformed cloak, he shook off the remaining rain droplets and hung it on the rack closest to the entrance and scanned the shop. Save for the usual customers he often saw, it was mostly empty. What caught his eye was the brunette he spotted who had gotten soaked just a few minutes prior. He felt a twinge of guilt, but the feeling was immediately replaced with surprise as he recognized the girls face.

Kaoru Hyuuga was the eldest and only daughter of Neji and Tenten Hyuuga, the heiress to the clan he knew rivaled his own. The Hyuuga Clan had been around since Konoha's establishment, much like the Uchiha Clan (only they weren't executed by one of their own). However, since they were larger in size, they were technically considered one of the oldest and most powerful clans in the village. The information didn't bother him now, seeing that his mother and Kaoru's mother were longtime best friends. For that reason, he had seen and got to know Kaoru and her younger brother, Kenji, on numerous playdates growing up.

Despite their wives' friendship, it was well known throughout the village (and the nation Shin suspected) that Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga despised each other. No one, including their wives, truly understood why, but most seemed to chalk it up to their pride. They were both alpha males, patriarchs of their own clans, and possessed their own birthrights: their kekkei genkai's. While Shin awakened his Sharingan at twelve years old, the same as his father, Kaoru would never be capable of developing her Byakugan due to her type one diabetes. Shin remembered his parents discussing it, claiming that the combination of Byakugan and Kaoru's ailment would put too much strain on her eyesight and possibly cause her to go blind.

Smug as he was as in his youth, Shin recalled how superior he felt to the heiress and her clan when he shared the news with his friends and fellow classmates. However, his arrogant attitude didn't last when his mother had scolded him for spreading the information. She had pointed out that Kaoru was no different than him, that no one with a hindrance such as hers made her any less worthy as a human being. Shortly after, the entire village learned that the Clan Elders had delegitimized Kaoru as the Hyuuga clan's heiress. She would no longer be considered an official heiress, and any responsibilities she held as the eldest had passed onto her younger brother. The news had devastated the girl, and he had a faint memory of witnessing a young crying Kaoru at the pier. He swore he had never felt so guilty in his entire life, and because of that he decided he wouldn't let his own pride stand in the way of how he viewed others. If ever given the chance, he would inform Kaoru just how gifted a person she was despite her condition. In that regard, he would not be his father; he wouldn't let his father's petty rivalry with the Hyuuga's cause his own.

Then, he began to see her in a new light. Although they had both grown out of playdates, Shin saw her on occasion throughout the village. His memories of a young Kaoru painted a lighthearted and headstrong girl, but as she grew older she became enigmatic. After her official title of Hyuuga heiress had been stripped from her, she matured beyond her years. Though he never had the opportunity to talk to her at length, he could see the renewed spark in her eyes. Knowing she didn't allow her condition, or her own clan, demean her, warmed Shin in a way he was never able to recognize. She was a new person to him, a person he admired and respected.

However, as he saw her now, the culpability returned as he took in her drenched state. She sat on a cushion near the café's fireplace, rubbing her arms to warm up. Hesitating at first, Shin stepped forward before grabbing his cloak off the hook and shook it a little more for good measure. He approached as Kaoru covered her mouth with a sneeze, shoulders slumping forward slightly and providing the perfect opportunity to drape the cloak over them.

"Bless you," he said casually as he came into her line of sight.

The weight of the coat surprised her, causing her to jump in her seat as she heard his voice and turned her dark eyes in his direction. At a loss for words, she looked at the material now enveloping her small frame and recognized it as the police's uniform. Upon that realization, she looked to Shin again with a smirk.

"Thanks, chief," she replied, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

For a fraction of a second, Shin felt his heart skip a beat as her eyes met his, the familiar and unrecognizable warmth in his chest returning. Now that he was standing inches away from her, he got a good look at her for the first time in years. The last memory he had of her was a few years prior, when Sakura had invited Tenten out for a girl's day with their daughters. He caught a quick glimpse of her when she was fourteen, lanky, and awkward; her hair always pulled back in some sort of braid. Now, at nearly seventeen, she was stunning. While she always resembled her mother more than her father, with coffee brown eyes and long wavy chocolate locks, her features now stood out to him. She had a faint sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks, and a pale blush complimenting her complexion. Her lips were a subtle tinge of pink and full to the point where he found his gaze falling to them and imagining how they might feel against his…

Clearing his throat to dismiss the warmth growing in his chest, and hopefully shaking off any awkwardness his silence brought on, he sat at a respectful distance beside her. "No problem," he said. "I saw you get drenched out there. Bad timing, huh?"

"Tell me about it," she said, exasperated, before nodding gratefully at him. "You didn't have to give me your cloak, though. I'll warm up eventually."

"Yeah, but you'll warm up a lot faster with it," he insisted.

"I guess you're right." She relented, returning her gaze back to the fire as another small shiver shook her.

Examining her features again, his dumb heart skipping another beat with increasing heat, he fidgeted for a minute as he tried to think of what to say next. "Didn't think it would rain today?" he asked, feeling like an idiot for introducing such a boring topic of conversation.

She smiled, amused. "Actually, I forgot my umbrella in my other bag," she said, gesturing to the one on the floor.

Glancing at it, he smirked. "That's what you girls get for having so many damn bags," he joked.

"Oh well excuse me. At least we girls have good taste in variety. Just how many suits do you owe exactly?" she asked, her tone matching his own.

He nearly grinned. "Just one. It's just what I need for a special occasion."

"Exactly. How boring!"

He laughed. "Hey, at least we have it easier than you girls."

"Touché, but still. Boring," she giggled.

This time, he allowed the grin to spread across his features. "You still laugh the same, you know," he said.

"The same as...?" She asked, raising a brow in confusion.

"As when you were younger. It hasn't changed," he smiled.

She wrinkled her nose in amusement. "How do you remember my younger laugh?"

He shrugged. "I just do."

"Well you still have the same smile," she countered, shivering.

"It's kind of hard to get a smile wrong."

She nudged his arm. "You know what I mean. All you Uchiha's have a trademark on smiles or something."

"Oh do we?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," she said, shuddering rather forcefully.

Furrowing his brow in his concern, all amusement washed away. "You okay?" he asked.

She only nodded with another tremor and sighed deeply. "I'm fine. Once I'm cold, I stay cold for a while. Major character flaw if you ask me," she tried to joke, but Shin noticed how she subtly turned to her bag.

Casting his own eyes toward it, he noticed (what he assumed to be) her phone illuminating with a reminder that read: 'Check blood sugar.' Before thinking to ask, Shin reached past her to grab it and settled it on his lap as he returned his attention to her.

"You need this, don't you?"

She could only nod again as another tremble wracked her body, digging her nails into the cloak. Acting quickly, Shin searched the bag until he found a blood glucose monitor. Getting a test strip ready, Kaoru watched as he set it up appropriately before gently taking her hand and pricking her index finger. After a few seconds, the monitor blinked and showed a number which he asked was high or low. Once she indicated it was low, without words, Shin reached into the bag again until he found the right medication and syringe. After checking with her, he carefully pulled back the cloak and exposed her upper arm before injecting her with the insulin. She cringed despite the familiar sting and leant all her weight on her opposite arm, sighing shakily as she closed her eyes. Her eyes snapped open a moment later when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and glanced up at Shin, who was avoiding her gaze. Deciding she was too weak at the moment to shake him off, she closed her eyes again and allowed herself to rest against his side until the insulin took effect.

"Feel better?" He asked once her trembling had ceased.

Still in a haze from her sudden blood sugar drop, she nodded and pulled back from his embrace in embarrassment. However, the movement caused her head to spin and she braced herself on the seat as black spots clouded her vision. Frowning, Shin took her shoulders again to steady her and waited until her breathing regulated before moving a hand to her back.

"You're not okay. Let me take you home," he insisted.

"N-No," she gulped. "I'm fine…it was just a…a hypoglycemic episode. I'm okay now, really," she said, trying to convince him.

He didn't buy it. "If you had one of those, then you should be home resting. Please, let me help you back."

She tried to feign nonchalance. "You take your job too seriously, chief," she said weakly before reluctantly allowing him to help her to her feet.

Glancing out the window, Shin glowered at the persistent rain but only draped the cape's hood over her head and slung the bag over his shoulder. Checking to make sure she could walk, he led her to the café doors before opening them.

"You're going to get soaked," she said, guilt laced in her voice.

"I don't mind," he assured with a smirk as he led her out.

After a few minutes of silence between them, she bit her lip as the guilt remained. Despite the cloak shielding her face from his, she could hear his muttered curses as the rain soaked him to the bone. Normally on her off days (the days her body decided to give her crappy blood sugar levels) she forced herself to remain indoors, but this time she felt a deep urgency to overcome it for once. Ever since she was old enough to understand her condition, she harbored a deep resentment for it. At first she tried rebelling against it, denying anything was wrong with her, but shortly after making herself sick from improperly caring for her health she had no choice but to face reality. She was diabetic, but she was not dead. She refused to let it get the best of her, and allowed herself to at least get out and enjoy her days outside of her house. She refused to be labelled as a sickly girl.

Today had been one of those days where she had awoken with low levels, but even so she forced herself to at least go to her favorite café and enjoy a cup of coffee while she read by the fireplace. Unfortunately, she did not foresee the rain or the current situation she was in; with Shin Uchiha escorting her back home after a hypoglycemic episode. If she had, she would have rather hid under her covers and stave off the humiliation.

Taking a minute to find her voice amidst the pattering rain, she cleared her throat as Shin pulled her in a little closer, thunder crackling loudly above them. "Thank you for this," she said over the volley. "I'm really sorry, too."

Although she couldn't see his face, she heard the smile in his tone. "Don't be sorry," he said simply.

She decided not to press any further as they approached the Hyuuga compound, and the feelings of guilt were soon replaced with dread as she realized how her father would react to Shin returning her home. She couldn't decide if he would be more worried about her current state or the fact an Uchiha had lent her his coat and nearly carried her home. Either way, she wasn't exactly in the mood to put up with Neji Hyuuga's wrath; too humiliated to face it. So she instead stopped walking and forced Shin to face her.

"I can make it home from here, you really shouldn't be here," she said.

He blinked, "Why not?"

She fidgeted, trying to find the right words. Before she had a chance to explain, he caught on. "I think your dad will forgive me for returning his sick daughter home." He snickered.

She frowned, "I'm not sick."

"Uh, I beg to differ. I had to give you a shot back at the café."

"That doesn't mean I'm sick," she snapped.

Shin blinked again, taken aback. "Hey I'm just trying to help you, Kaoru."

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for your help. I told you I was fine, and I am," she said, removing the cloak and instantly getting soaked.

Too astonished to speak, he took the cloak as she held it out for him. She kept her hand held out, silently asking for her bag slung over his shoulder, and he frowned before removing it. "What's your problem?" he asked dejectedly.

"I don't have a problem," she retorted. "I can just make it from here on my own."

"You didn't have to take off the cloak and get wet," he replied, draping it over his arm. It was pointless using it for shelter now.

She stared at the drenched item on his arm, chewing on her lip as he watched the swarm of thoughts pass through her eyes. After a minute of nothing but the pounding rain resounding between them, her dark eyes met his. Though he could detect the apology in them, her words betrayed it.

"I should get home." She said before turning and walking away.

And that was it.

He stood there, watching her go until she disappeared from his line of sight, and had never felt more lost.

-O-