I received the most brilliant flame review stating that I know absolutely nothing of how the characters actually work. The mere notion that Hinata would bow in saying hello to Sasuke is just ridiculous. Because y'know, in formal settings in japan no one bows. Especially to equally as respected nobles.

This literature connoisseur said they couldn't read past that part because, well, who knows. Hinata wouldn't bow, not in her/his fanfiction. Because this fanfiction is their's obviously.

Ah, but my estranged lover leaves another review a mere 5 minutes late (Of course you kept reading sweetheart) saying that Hinata's girlfriends would never call her "Hinata-chan". But I probably wouldn't care because I'm not looking to improve my writing.

What a ballsy /guest/ flame review.

I got a good chuckle out of it because this person seemed genuinely offended by my rant.

Honey, I'm deeply sorry that you think Masashi Kishimototomodachi is a good writer at this point and that the ending of Naruto was good. I don't know what english class you're taking, but I highly recommend reading actual literature. I'm assuming you think Naruto is good because of how my rant impacted you so.

I'm sure you're a beautiful person, well you will be one day. Maybe when mum thinks you can handle something like Hamlet.

As for everyone else~~~~ Thank you, thank you for the support. Thank you for being sane and normal people. I don't write this for praise, I'm writing this to give back to a community I so deeply love. The Sasuhina fandom.

Enjoy the good shit.


Hinata arranged all the medical equipment that she'd brought back into the cases that they belonged in. Her eyes were tired from maintaining a genjutsu for a long period of time. The lavender-eyed woman's fingers felt oddly dull and worn out as well. The surgery was advanced and she had done it perfectly. Pride swelled in her bosom and as she gazed up from her busy hands, she couldn't help but admire her handiwork. Sasuke sat across from her, helping her arrange the hospital's equipment back into the luggage. He worked fast and efficiently, and by the strength of his chakra, she could sense that he was in a particularly satisfied mood.

"...Are you happy to be back in the village?" Hinata asked in an attempt to start conversation.

Sasuke's eyes flickered up at her and she noted that the dark circles that surrounded his eyes were no longer present. "Not exactly."

"Oh?"

"Hn."

By the course of their conversation, Hinata felt as if she were talking to her cousin. His short responses that revealed so much left Hinata feeling melancholy. A bittersweet smile trembled on her lips as she pressed herself mentally to not let a single tear rise. Lately, everything reminded her of Neji.

"We renovated the Uchiha compound in hopes that you'd be staying this time..." Hinata slid her jacket on but left it unzipped. "Are you?"

"That's the plan," Sasuke responded smoothly, sounding as if it were some sort of chore. "You never answered my question."

Hinata knew that Sasuke had a vague idea of what her answer was, but now it seemed that he wanted to hear it out loud. "No, Naruto-kun and I are not dating."

"Ah," Sasuke dropped the topic immediately. "How did Naruto become Hokage so quickly?"

"That," Hinata started with a warm smile as she filed away scalpels into their indented grooves. "is a bit complicated. He's taking over slowly, but he's still in training under Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei."

"And Sakura is a teacher at the Academy?"

"No—uh," Hinata blinked hard and sat back, causing Sasuke to immediately snap his eyes toward her. "She's...starting a new program until we get official teachers."

By the look of confusion lingering in Sasuke's eyes, Hinata decided to explain.

"She's getting a medical-nin program started," the pale-skinned beauty uttered. "So instead of being a combat oriented program, should a student decide they...want to heal their teammates primarily, they'll have the option of doing so much earlier."

Sasuke grunted his understanding and rose to his feet whilst gathering a couple of duffle bags in his arms. "That's smart."

Hinata nodded in excitement and then began to wring the hem of her jacket. "Tenten-chan owns a weapon shop too now. Business is slow...due to the peace...and there's not that many new students enrolling in the academy."

There was a large lack of care evident in his eyes. Sasuke remained silent and studied Hinata warily. "And you?"

"Me?"

From Sasuke's lack of confirmation, Hinata bit the inside of her cheek and folded her hands in her lap. In her current position, she had to crane her head up uncomfortably to make eye-contact with him. "I'm helping restore the village."

"And afterward?"

Hinata thought of her clan, of how Hanabi was the true heir. She fully supported her sister in the matter and would dread being in charge of such a powerful clan. All the responsibility that her younger sister faced made cold chills run down Hinata's spine. She wouldn't wish that position on her worst enemy. For right now, Hinata felt speechless. What she was going to do with her future didn't come to mind that easily.

"I'm not sure..."

Sasuke's eyes flickered from hers to the bags in his hands. "Medicine is a sport for you?"

Hinata felt her face heat up and an uncomfortable tension in her abdomen. She felt as if he were taunting her, yet she wasn't mad. Sure, she had learned the basics but quite frankly she was leaping from interest to interest. If she could help someone in that moment she'd take the opportunity but other than that she was sort of meandering. "I'm not so talented to pursue...med-medicine as a career."

"I'd beg to differ," Sasuke scoffed, utterly annoyed. Hinata felt like going home. "Are you fishing for compliments?"

No, No!

"That isn't my intention, Uchiha-san," Hinata responded calmly, rising up from her previous position. His height was daunting to her, and she still had to gaze upward. "Thank you for thinking other—otherwise."

Hinata had mostly outgrown her stuttering habit, but this man was purely unconventional. He was dangerous, blunt, and attractive. She was out of her element entirely. Mentally, Hinata willed herself to stand strong and kick her stuttering out the door.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke dropped the honorific. "Stay safe on your way home."

Well now he was kicking her out she supposed. Not too sad about it, more on the happy side of things, Hinata nodded and climbed down the main stairs with Sasuke not too far behind. She could feel his eyes wander to her every once in a while but they tended to observe other things. As they finally neared the door, Sasuke handed her her luggage and held the door open for her. "I'll let you know if something is off with my arm."

"Please," Hinata said gratefully, as she was still concerned for the intimidating Uchiha's welfare. "I stay at the Hyuuga compound currently, so...I'll let the guards know that you have a chance of dropping by sometime. They should I mean shouldn't give you much trouble."

Sasuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow, as he was still guarded. Hinata noticed this and blanched at her improper sentence. "I—I, they shouldn't give you trouble, Uchiha-san."

"Yeah I got it, Hyuuga."


Now, Naruto was everything she had ever wanted in a romantic interest. He was manly, handsome, courageous, and friendly. She'd spent years preoccupied over his well being. The days she spent daydreaming of him kissing her softly and with such tenderness tormented her. She had worked so hard to have him. She loved him, she truly did.

"Ne, Hinata-chan where do you want to eat tonight?"

He dove in for a kiss and stole one right off of her opening lips. He flushed in happiness while she merely smiled softly at him.

Well she thought she loved him.

"Anywhere you want to eat, Naruto-kun."

"Well," Naruto ran his right hand through his short, spiky hair. "I dunno Hinata-chan. I'm kind of tired of ramen. Whoa that sounded nuts I take that back. Some barbecue does sound good today though!"

"Alright, I'm fine with that."

Just yesterday she had formally met and operated on the man that saved her father. While the tired-eyed, handsome man had slept, she made a priority to thank him for saving her father when he was injured by Toneri's puppets. As well as Sasuke destroying the meteorite that was sure to destroy Konoha entirely.

"You wanted that idiot Sasuke to join us right?"

"Yeah," Hinata confirmed, and continued once she saw Naruto's disappointed pout. "I-I mean I wanted all of rookie nine to come too, Naruto-kun!"

"Ha," Naruto scratched his nose with the back of his finger playfully and smiled wide. "That sounds better! Maybe a little bit of sake will lift that depressing jerk's spirit."

The cackle that spewed out of Naruto made Hinata laugh as well. "Maybe."

"Well I'll round up everyone then, Hinata-chan. Save us the good booths, okay! Oh and tell that cheapskate Shimittare that he better not skip out on the good sake!"

Hinata nodded with an amused grin on her face. She was sure she looked goofy so she covered her mouth unconsciously.


Being the bleeding heart that she was, Hinata aided Shimittare in setting up the tables for the celebration. Naruto had called the restaurant a little bit after they were half-way through setting up the tables. "Ne, Shimittare you cheap ass man! Rookie nine is going to give your place a lot of business at five today so get the place ready. And I swear if you give us the cheap sake again, I'm going to let Lee drink. You know how crazy that man gets when it comes to liquor."

The middle-aged man grumbled his distaste for the whole situation as he threw cups of sake down onto every table.

"Rookie nine is a pretty big group in'nit?" Shimittare asked as he grit a toothpick in his front teeth. "I know I have the best sake in this whole dump but I didn't know you guys were going to be taking advantage of my reserves this often."

"I apologize," Hinata said humbly, offering her most charming smile.

At this the man smiled, humbled himself. The girl had class. "I know you're not the ring leader of this. It's our future Hokage who's running me broke! Eh, but good kid regardless. That Lee pansy on the other hand is the softest flower I've ever seen! Pause. The boy can't hold a damn drop of liquor, always asking for water with some lemon in it, I never even heard of a lemon until he came here."

As the man rambled on and on and Hinata attempted to listen, her patient walked in.

"You're early, Uchiha-san," Hinata said slowly, feeling a bit awkward. As usual.

He donned black sweats and a white shirt with a open crown collar that came up to his chin. His eyes looked noticeably well rested, even though the mentally exhausted dullness still lingered in his dusky eyes. His hair was clean and shiny, and curled up a bit in the back. His eyes found hers immediately and he nodded his respects.

"Would you," Hinata waved quickly at the assortment of drinks, not being able to find the words suddenly. "A drink?"

"Afterward," Sasuke said after a moment of pondering; his lips curled up in a smile that just said, duh.

"Isn't it typical Leaf Village manners to drink after a meal is completed?"

Now, Hinata was not one to be patronized on her manners. "I hardly thought most people followed those mannerisms still, Uchiha-san?"

She was excellent at deflecting scolding at this point. Her father had gave her excellent practice over the years.

"Hn," Sasuke's smile grew a bit before falling completely. "I guess I'm just old-fashioned."

Sasuke took a seat at one booth and clenched his fist to flex his forearm. Hinata watched him curiously and paused momentarily to ask Shimittare if he needed help preparing the raw meat. Shimittare shrugged and said he knew nothing about seasoning the meat, that his wife had ran out on some errand, and that he had had it already sliced up.

"If you want to go ahead and flavor them up for your friends, sweetheart, go ahead!" The wrinkly eyed booze master went into the back and came out carrying a tray that held a wide variety of raw meat and fish.

The transferring of the huge pounds of meat into Hinata's hands made her falter. She took a few clumsy steps backward and just as she was about to steady herself, she felt two hands in the middle of her back press against her.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san!" Hinata said, a bit startled.

"Un," Sasuke sounded, taking the tray from Hinata's hands and placing it in the booth he was sitting at.

Hinata took this opportunity to sit across from him and kill two birds with one stone. "How is...everything?"

"Alright," the handsome man said dismissively, leaning back in the booth.

"Good," Hinata mustered, not finding anything better to say. "Well, I actually wanted to thank you for saving my father when he was injured; saving Konoha from being destroyed while Naruto and I were away as well."

Yes! No stuttering!

"Hyuuga Hiashi," Sasuke mulled over quietly, watching as Hinata salted and peppered the meat strips then dunked each strip carefully into a bowl of soy sauce. "Is that why you were in charge of attaching my arm?"

Large, moon shaped eyes regarded the man sitting across from her with a dumbfounded smile. That was some conversation leap. "No one put me up to it, if that's what you mean, Uchiha-san."

He smirked, and revealed to her what made him so charming to most girls in their village when he was young. "Hyuuga, your family loves to repay debts. Or you mean to tell me you're secretly in love with me, and that's why you wanted to help me?"

Hinata blushed and felt frozen even though an embarrassed heat flooded her face and made her feel as if she was utterly exposed. This guy was ballsy. "What?"

"I'm joking," Sasuke said with a shake of his head, having had his fill of messing around. He went back to feeling tired.

"Well," Hinata's eyes scanned the restaurant and deeming it empty enough, looked around for the clock. It was 4:36. "I don't think there will be any harm in taking our first pick..."

Sasuke was amused and held a teasing tone once more. "Really, Hyuuga?"

"Oh," Hinata laughed lightly at seeing how she mildly surprised him. She enjoyed seeing his entertained grin. "Mm! What are your favorite parts, Uchiha-san?"

"I don't really..." He started before the words died in his mouth. From the way he was unsure of how to respond, Hinata gathered that he didn't remember the faintest thing about having a barbecue.

"Loin is popular...eh, the fish...pork belly as well..."

"Hn," Sasuke rumbled from the back of his throat as he surveyed the huge mounds of meat in front of him.

Deciding that she was making it harder on him to actually choose just one, the plump-lipped princess decided that she'd just give him all the choices. Without asking she began to take the fattiest, juiciest bits of meat from each pile and place them onto a separate plate. With no objection coming from Sasuke, she knew that she had chosen the right thing. Rising from her seat, she began to pick up the tray and carry it over to the mahogany bar, letting Shimittare know that he could distribute the rest to the other tables. In return, she received a heavy, old-fashioned grill for their table.

Hinata set down the grill in front of Sasuke and as she was about to turn away to not impose on him; to leave him to his meal in peace, she caught his eye.

"Do you need help?" She inquired quietly, slightly hoping he didn't hear, in fear of offending him.

"Well I can't light the wood underneath it," Sasuke stressed, finding the barbecue more of a hassle than anything. The look of annoyance in his eyes told her as much.

"That's not normal," Hinata stated, suddenly serious. She quickly sat down across from him and snatched his outstretched arm. He tensed at the contact for a moment. She could feel his eyes study her harshly yet she ignored it. Her hands ran up his arm, and felt the natural muscles that his body had grown into the arm. It was weird stuff. She didn't have a need for her Byakugan as she spent literally hours arranging his chakra network. Running her hand down his firm forearm in a straight line, she pressed her slender finger in in certain points before popping her finger up. Sasuke clicked his tongue in surprise. "Only four more..."

When Hinata had finished, Sasuke clenched his fist hard and rolled his wrist. "It feels normal now."

"Thank goodness."

"I actually have some more chakra knots in my back, I think," Sasuke started as he touched his fingertips to the wood under the grill and started a blaze. "When are you free?"


"Naruto-kun, you're drunk," Hinata sighed, she hated over the top drinking.

"No, no, no," Naruto said firmly, as he placed his elbows on the table and furrowed his eyebrows. "You're avoiding the question."

Quite contrary to popular belief, Naruto was a serious drunk. No, not the one where he gets drunk all the time. He's the drunk that will talk serious economics and politics and make a scary amount of sense.

Sasuke was watching all of this with one leg crossed over the other, his ankle resting over his knee, and his arms stretching out over the top rim of the booth. Naruto sat next to him with Sakura and Hinata sitting across from the two. Hinata was sober, she had to walk Naruto home. Sasuke had drank a bit and was intensely listening and commenting on some of the stuff that Naruto had to say. Sakura was plastered but managed to compose herself by eating obscene amounts of meat all while yelling across the restaurant at Ino who was frying ludicrous pounds of shrimp and pork belly.

The restaurant was a loud mess, and the villagers who were curious of the ruckus and decided to stop by for conversation only added to the roar of laughter and yelling. "Naruto-kun, can you repeat your question?"

Serious Naruto seemed to whisper his question once more.

Hinata gazed with slight frustration toward Sasuke, who sat a bit closer to her. Sasuke unfolded his legs and leaned forward, their eyes peering into the others dangerously. "Dip-Shit is asking why you won't officially go out with him."

Tying up her hair with a spare hair tie, she told Naruto that she'd answer his question later.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto said seriously. "I care for you a lot, I just want to show everyone the awesome girl I can call mine. To call you my girlfriend."

The interest that glimmered in Sasuke's eyes annoyed Hinata slightly. This was meant to be a private discussion.

"Um, Sakura-chan, can I slip by you for a moment?"

"Yeah sure," Sakura said quickly, bumping her knee on the table as she tried to get up. "Dammit ouch!"

Her emerald eyes quickly went to Sasuke, hoping he wasn't laughing at her. Instead he seemed more annoyed that Hinata was leaving before finishing the question. This went unnoticed to Sakura and alternatively she felt relieved that she hadn't made a fool of herself.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?"

"Fine, fine," Sakura huffed with a smile as she plopped back down in her seat once Hinata was cleared. "Are you taking Naruto home right now, Hina?"

"Mm, he needs to wake up early tomorrow for work."

"Ah, Hina, you're a doll," Sakura complimented, rising her cup to her glossy lips. "Sasuke-kun, you should go with her and make sure she gets home safe after dropping off Naruto."

Sasuke's jaw tensed at Sakura's orders and instead flickered his gaze to Hinata who was standing by the table. His eyes studied hers carefully and she could have swore she saw them flicker red, like a beautiful slide-show. "Do you need an escort, Hyuuga?"

Hinata shook her head quickly and looked toward Naruto who had remained depressingly silent. "Naruto-kun, let's get going."

"Nah," Naruto grumbled, waving off Hinata's waiting hand with his shot glass. "Sorry, Hinata-chan, but I'm not in the mood to be heading home right now."

A hard smack against Naruto's head sent him stumbling out of the booth. Sasuke had backhanded him.

"Hey! You long haired bastard, with only one eye visible you look like a fucking cyclops, I'll fight you right now, that hurt!"

Naruto also knew how to talk a lot of shit while drunk.

Sasuke rose to his feet and pushed Naruto out of the restaurant, with Naruto attempting to push Sasuke back but failing. The cyclops always won shoving matches.

"Uchiha-san! You don't have to walk Naruto home, it's okay, I usually do it!" Hinata rushed after the two.

Onyx eyes fell on her as he gazed at her sideways, and her stomach tossed a bit. "I was ready to go home anyway, Hyuuga."


With a bit of elbow grease, Hinata managed to bobby pin the lock to Naruto's door. Sasuke had briefly wondered if she had to play locksmith every time Naruto drank before he entered by himself and dropped the blonde off into his bed.

Once again the handsome, tall warrior was left alone with her. There was no conversation between the two. For the most part, the Uchiha had not planned on walking the girl home; his own compound was simply in the same direction.

As they neared the gates, Hinata stopped in front of her own compound and simply out of boredom, Sasuke stopped as well.

"Did you enjoy the barbecue per chance?"

"Mm," Sasuke hummed with a slight nod, his hands in his pockets, gazing down the road.

"I'm glad."

"Why?"

"Just my way of welcoming you back I suppose," Hinata reasoned mostly to herself.

The wind tussled their hair and the moon illuminated the slightly tanned Uchiha in a somber light. "Why do you walk the strongest shinobi in the world home?"

His eyes had remained focused on the moon, yet after he finished his question he returned his full attention to her.

"It's a habit."

"Hn."

"You ask a lot of questions," Hinata blurted, not feeling apologetic for once.

"You avoid a lot of questions."

Touche.

Sasuke sniffed and rolled his neck roughly.

"Do you still want me to unblock those blocked chakra networks?"

"Mm," he watched her carefully and seemed to smirk at her, yet clouds had rolled over the moon in an instant and she couldn't tell. "Tomorrow at my place."

Hinata nodded in understanding and for the first time that night felt the inkling of a comfortable friendship coming along. He didn't talk to her with as much coldness, yet was still reserved. The disconnect he held in eyes that evening during the barbecue had saddened her, and she only saw that feeling leave whenever the slightly curly-haired man turned to talk to his blond best friend.

She knew he was tired, tired of most everything. She gathered a lot simply from looking into people eyes. From casting that genjutsu, she saw a defeated man that was oddly satisfied with how things turned out, because he had given everything his all.

He asked a lot of questions because he knew near nothing of what the village had went through. Suddenly, the disconnect made a lot of sense. He had been spending all his time figuring out how to destroy the village. It was a difficult transition.

Maybe she could help him adjust to everything.

She was willing to make a new friend of one she had previously called her enemy.

"Would you like to get lunch afterward?"

Sasuke mentally praised her, maybe she was ballsy.

"Not really."

It's a good thing Hinata doesn't get discouraged easily.


Isn't it ballsy how I said ballsy so often. (No it's disgusting and I don't know why I'm running with it)

I hope this was interesting, I hope you stick with it, we just need to get the ball rolling. I hope you have a great day.

Let me know if you liked it, or if you want to tell me how much I don't understand the characters.

Let's be honest honey.

Masashi Kishimoto doesn't understand his own characters.

And vote on my poll, damn I'm trying to get closer to you hoes.

(I can care less if you're under 13 you little babu, you cute and maturing but this story has smut so dunt terr mummy)