Hinata had been elated about being on a mission with Naruto, the first mission together since his return from training. Still, she was nervous. She wanted to perform well in front of him and Yamato, but pressure never did suit her. Thus, when their group had run into Sasuke after their spat with Kabuto, she had failed to exceed expectations. Now, they had to pursue Sasuke once more, after so recently coming face to face with him.

'Naruto-kun isn't speaking. He must be disappointed. Yamato-sensei too…' Suddenly, an arm had wound itself around her abdomen, and she pulled to the forest floor. Trying to scream, she opened her mouth, activating her Byakugan. It was definitely Sasuke. A hand clamped her mouth shut, and Deja Vu flooded her senses. But that was currently not the issue in her mind.

'As a hostage, I'm more trouble to Naruto-kun! What's wrong with me?'

"You owe me."

Freezing, Hinata's eyes widened in remembrance.

You owe me.

That day, a year ago, during the period of Naruto absence… She had been saved from the Sound ninja by God knows who. He had been kind enough to direct her to the location of her squad. But looking back, she should have placed his voice. And she should have died, or been captured. Either way, death would have come.

She owed him her life. He knew she would honor this debt, because it was in her nature. And even if she did try and say it didn't happen, he could still overpower her.

She had become his trump card.

She did not fret as he ran after Naruto with her under his arm, a hand still firmly clamped over her mouth. Even if she did, he had restrained her with wire. If she wiggled her hands or feet even a tiny bit, cuts would appear. It didn't help he was running at almost inhuman speeds.

So when they finally got into Naruto's shouting distance, Hinata felt even more miserable than before. It was as if a heavy weight was being lowered onto her body. Instead of an asset, she had become a liability to Naruto's team. She had thought, after passing her second Chuunin exam, that maybe she had indeed become a better ninja. She had hoped that, if she proved she could improve herself to Neji-nii-san, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Kurenai-sensei, and especially Naruto-kun, she would not screw up as much on missions.

So far, it was proving unsuccessful.

Naruto's screams of her name were getting louder by the second. Yamato was calling not far to the left. But the Uchiha was going for the blonde, and when he soared over Naruto, surprising the heck out of him, Sasuke took the liberty of pointing a kunai at her delicate throat.

"Sasuke-bastard let her go!" was Naruto immediate response at seeing the discouraged Hyuuga. Hinata watched as conflicting emotions crossed her idol's face, feeling all the more guilt and ashamed at her current situation.

"Naruto, what do you think of this girl?"

The question had been so random, Naruto blinked several times, unsure he had heard right. Hinata merely whipped her head around to gawk at him, only to have him wretch her head forward again by the jaw, where he held her in place. His breathe was on the back of her ear, and she shivered despite the warm, beating sun of mid-June.

"She's one of my best friends! I bet you don't know who was first!"

She did not notice the small pang she felt in her heart.

"Idiot, what have you noticed about her from the past to the present?"

Hinata, though not being a dumb person, could not possibly fathom where Sasuke was going with this.

"Um… she has a big chest?"

Even while turning a mad scarlet, she could actually feel Sasuke roll his eyes. She could feel the motion: the swerve of the eyeball.

"Do you notice anything about her behavior towards you?"

A nagging feeling started to envelope her stomach, and she suddenly realized what in the world Sasuke was trying to do.

He was helping her.

Again.

She jerked her head to plead with him to stop through eye contact, but he yanked her head back, and she was forced to endure the small humiliation of a long hidden secret.

"Nothing out of the ordinary-"

"She's liked you since forever, stupid." It sounded so official coming from Sasuke that her flushed face did not radiate as much heat as she thought it might. Naruto's expression seemed to expand as realization dawned on him.

But then it quickly blazed again as Sasuke released her jaw, only to hold her by the shoulders. He pulled her toward himself slightly, till his lips were barely touching her ear, and then shoved her forward, where she stumbled into Naruto's waiting arms. An inferno seemed to blaze from ear to ear as she saw Sasuke through her peripheral vision. She thought she saw what might have been a hint of sadness in his fiery red eyes, but as soon as she blinked, his image had dispersed.

There a minute of awkward silence, in which neither of them moved. Then, faking a cough, Naruto refrained from holding her any longer, seeming slightly embarrassed.

"So… I feel kinda stupid not realizing it before…"

But Hinata did not here him. She could merely grimace at the thought of when she'd have to repay her debt in full. She did not feel it when Naruto hugged her and asked her to go out with her, which was entwined with some apologies for being a dimwit. And even though she nodded to his proposal, knowing that her fondest, most deepest wish was coming true, she dreaded the fact that she now owed Uchiha Sasuke her life, as well as her heart.