Me: There is a man in the Allied Shinobi Forces named Santa Yamanaka.

My life is complete.

This takes place only a week after the Ramen Stand Incident, so it's rewinding a bit from the original chapter. So Sasuke and Hinata's relationship isn't common knowledge yet – in fact, there isn't even a relationship to know about. So of course Hinata's all confused about it…and who knows what Sasuke's thinking.

On to the show!


When she was young, Hinata's auntie told her that men would always want what they could not have. And if she gave favors too easily, they would lose interest, and leave her. But if she was coy, if she withheld her kisses and her smiles, they would always come after her. Always.

Picture Hinata, twelve years old, as she practices this on her teammates. She wants to see if it holds true. She's nervous about it, and she stumbles a bit through the motions, but she gives them small smiles and in return, they seem to want to help her. The loud one smiles back, and offers to carry her things. The quiet one puts his hands in his pockets and offers to walk her home after training. Her smile widens, and this seems to satisfy them. It works. Her auntie was right.

Fast forward to fifteen. Hinata is talking to her mark. He is three years older than her. He is the son of a wealthy lord. He does not have a very active social life; rather, he is sheltered and naïve. This is all to her advantage.

He is a valuable source of information, and in two days she must extract it. Through whatever means necessary.

When they first meet (she bumps into him "accidentally"), she freely gives him smiles. Apologetic ones, pleased ones, shy ones. They are mostly natural. He is a fairly shy boy, like her, so she will have to take initiative. Kurenai warned her it might be like this. So she is prepared. She asks him if he would like to join her for lunch. It is like looking in a mirror as he stammers, flushes, and accepts. He is exactly like her. Except she is not Hinata now. She is just a girl interested in a boy and they are going to lunch, where she will learn what hotel he is staying at and what room and what time he goes to bed and how she can get information from him without killing him.

After lunch, after he has been sweet and shy and forthcoming with information, she leaves him with a light kiss on the cheek. He blushes, darker than before, and as she turns to walk away from him, she sees the small smile that creeps up on his face as he touches the tips of his fingers to the place where she kissed him.

She goes back to her hotel room and cries, without really knowing why.

Two days later, they are at his door. He has just taken her to dinner. She thanks him, demurely casting away her gaze, and he chuckles nervously and says it was no problem. Returning to his face, she sees that he is flushing again, swallowing nervously, shifting around. He is just like her. Except she is not Hinata right now.

She stands up on her tiptoes and gently touches her lips to the corner of his mouth.

Now go to one week ago. It is Sasuke and Hinata's first date.

Hinata is unsure of what to do, as she has never really been on a real date before. One that she was on by choice, and not for a mission. She does not know how to act. They go to dinner at a small café. They sit outside. Hinata is sure that Sasuke does not know what to do either – he does not seem like the dating type.

But to her surprise, he does not seem nervous. He does not seem even a little agitated. So, eventually, she relaxes as well. Half the time is spent in silence, the other half talking quietly. About anything that comes to mind. Trivial things, like missions and hobbies. There are questions she wants to ask him, things she wants to know, but they will wait. The low branch of a sakura tree hangs over her head where they sit, framing the scene in pleasant pink blossoms, and a few birds hop around at their feet, looking for little morsels of food. She feels that talking too much will disturb the utter tranquility of the moment. So she says nothing more.

It is not exciting, or thrilling, but it is nice. She has a good time. She is content. Sasuke offers to walk her home.

It is dusk when they return. They stop at the door to her newly-acquired apartment, and Hinata is oddly reminded of her mark. His name was Taro. He and Sasuke look nothing alike, are nothing alike. She wonders why she thought of him.

When they stop in front of her door, she is prepared to shuffle a bit, blush, keep her gaze away from his face – which is what she is used to. The old routine. It is what she has practiced. Hinata shrinks into herself a bit and thanks him for dinner, not looking at him. This is where she will kiss him. A small peck maybe, or perhaps a few seconds longer. She hasn't decided yet. When Sasuke says nothing, she looks up, and is surprised at the expression on his face. He is smiling. But not her kind of smile. Not a nice smile. His smile is somehow…mocking.

He pushes her up against her door and takes the kiss from her.

She is frozen in shock, just like the first time…just like her first kiss behind the ramen stand. He does not seem to notice.

This is not how it is supposed to go. She is supposed to keep this from him, to hold it above his head and make him work for it. Otherwise, he will lose interest. That is what her auntie told her.

But how can she keep away something that he so easily takes on his own?

It does not last as long as the first time, and before she has a chance to even try to formulate a plan of action he has stepped back, again smiling that mocking little smile, like he knows what he has done, and revels in it. Like he absolutely adores the look of confusion and the tiniest hint of horror on her face. She is used to being treated like a lady, like the heiress of the Hyuga clan. Boys wait for her consent, because they are gentleman and would never dream of attempting to do anything she did not initiate.

Sasuke is not a gentleman.

She is still backed up against her door, and when that terrible smile widens a bit, she feels like the stammering, confused, helpless teenager she was but a short time ago. She is not in her realm anymore – she is in his.

When she looks back on it, she sees that this was his way of letting her know how it would be between them from then on.

He turns away from her and walks down the stairs, disappearing into the night without another word.

Funny, she didn't even notice it was dark out.


She realizes, as she stands in the Hokage's office, that she's never been on a mission with him.

How odd, really. She's been on missions with just about everyone else from their age group…she's even been on missions with the members of Neji's team.

But not Sasuke.

She has, however, been on missions with Shikamaru. When they leave the Hokage building, their appointed team leader turns to them, not looking particularly pleased with his selected teammates. Hinata winces, wondering if he doesn't want her because she's weak. Sasuke, at least, is powerful. Strong. What does she have to offer?

These thoughts are silly, she knows. She knows that she was chosen because she is a good tracker. She knows that Tsunade does not assemble teams randomly. She knows that she's here for a reason.

But she can't help feeling that, still, she doesn't belong.

In any case, she knows why Shikamaru is displeased with Sasuke.

"We'll leave in about half an hour," the Nara says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "That enough time for you two?"

Hinata nods. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Sasuke turn his head away. Shikamaru's eyes narrow at this, but he says nothing. "Meet back here," he says, and then he is gone.

Hinata packs light.


It's still early in the day when they depart, and the Sun is more in front of them than it is above them. Still, it is not enough to penetrate the thick foliage of the forests surrounding Konoha.

As they leap through the trees, Hinata can't stop herself from glancing occasionally at Sasuke.

He is handsome. Pale, with dark features…appealing in a different way than Naruto, who is all sunshine and smiles. While Hinata was never particularly attracted to him before, even she could see that he was good-looking. But…it hadn't meant anything. His appearance was nice to look at, but ultimately it wasn't what she liked, and it wasn't what caught her eye when she looked through a crowd. No…she was looking for bright blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Even that fluorescent orange jumpsuit – everything about Naruto was bright. He was difficult to miss.

She supposes the same goes for Sasuke now – his face is so distinctive, so recognized, that he can't walk down a street in any town without turning heads. Not in the way he used to. She feels a sudden flush of pity for him.

Almost as if he can read her thoughts, he catches her eye. Embarrassed to be caught staring, Hinata turns her gaze forward again.

Shikamaru, who has been going at a steady pace until now, suddenly holds up a hand.

Sasuke and Hinata land on the same branch, waiting. Shikamaru is still for a moment. "Hinata," he says.

Hinata immediately activates her Byakugan, vision sharpening and color fading into grey. She searches, zooming in, sifting through the colorless forest before she spots two blue flames, far ahead. "Two of them, approximately half a kilometer away," she says. She zooms in further. The chakra flame is dim. "Their chakra signals are weak," she says, keeping her eyes trained on them. The two forms move at a slow pace, leisurely, along the forest floor. "They don't appear to be shinobi."

Shikamaru, crouched on the branch ahead of them, stands. "Best to stear clear just in case," he says, though his tone indicates that he no longer finds them an immediate threat. Most likely they are travelers, either lost or taking the scenic route.

They resume their pace, veering to the left as they near the two civilians.

While Hinata feels a little more secure about her position on this team, she has to remind herself to stay alert. If Shikamaru sensed those two before she did, then she isn't doing her job as a tracker. And to be caught staring at Sasuke…how unprofessional, not to mention humiliating.

Either way, she needs to focus.


Hinata has only been on one other A-rank mission, and even then she was in a larger group. This is one of her first missions as a Jounin, and she is eager to prove herself, at the same time she is nervous about the high level of difficulty.

She apologizes later to Shikamaru for not sensing the two civilians, and compliments him on his own sensory abilities.

Shikamaru, who had been drinking from a canteen, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "It's fine," he says. "And I didn't stop you because I sensed them…I was just doing a routine check of the area." He admits, flashing her his signature lazy smirk. "No worries."

Reassured, Hinata gives him a smile in return, and he hands her his canteen.

While not exactly friends, she and Shikamaru are on good terms.

From across the fire, Sasuke watches them with indifferent eyes.


Hinata has first watch.

The night is crisp and clear, a whisper of the coming winter flavoring the air. They are traveling to Takigakure, in the north. Their objective is to locate and retrieve a missing-nin rumored to be hiding out in the village; but their other task is to reaffirm the power of the Land of Fire. It's one thing if the missing-nin is hiding there, but it's another thing if he is being housed by Takigakure knowingly. This is why she was picked, instead of another tracker like Kiba or Shino. And this is why, so soon after his parole, Sasuke was allowed to go on a high-rank mission. The Land of Fire still holds some of the best shinobi in the land, including those of the Hyuga clan – and the Uchiha. The Nara clan is also widely known throughout the shinobi world for their intelligence and strategical prowess, and is often cited as the reason Konohagakure is so difficult to defeat. If Takigakure has forgotten that, then they need to be reminded.

A Nara, a Hyuga, and the last Uchiha.

Enough to strike fear into any shinobi's heart.

Hinata pulls her knees closer to her chest, not knowing how to feel about that. Although she is honored to be chosen for this mission, she cannot help but feel that she is a token. Like she has always been. A token heiress for her clan, the token girl on her team, the token Hyuga for a mission. Replaceable. Nothing particularly special, just a title that another person could fill if something were to happen to her.

She sets her mouth in a grim line. If that's the case, then she just has to make herself indispensable; someone they'll never be able to replace.

When Shikamaru comes to relieve her, she returns to the campsite to find that Sasuke is still awake, sharpening a kunai by the fire. He glances up as she approaches, but she avoids his eyes.

She sits down across from him, warming herself by the dim flame. She glances up at the moon, high in the sky. "Y-You should sleep," she suggests quietly to Sasuke.

"I did," he replies.

Hinata does not argue. It is not her place to tell him how much sleep he needs.

She feels uncomfortable, sitting here with him, and doesn't quite know why. It's not like Sasuke is someone she's never met. It shouldn't be that hard to talk to him…after all, they have kissed two times now.

"What are we?" She says suddenly.

He looks up, and she regrets her words. She can feel her face heat up, and hopes the color is lost in the glow of the fire. "I-I mean…" she swallows. "Are we together?" She blushes deeper at the question, at how immature and silly it sounds.

"No," Sasuke says simply.

She tries to keep her voice steady, but ultimately fails. "A-Ah." She ducks her head, wishing she had never said anything. She feels stupid and naïve. But if they're not together…then what are they? Friends? Strangers? She finds that a little hard to stomach, seeing as how he's taken her first two kisses. She can't accept that they're just nothing.

"Do you want to be together?"

She looks up, stunned.

Sasuke is looking at her as well, dark eyes fixed on her face. He seems serious. She finds her voice. "I…I don't know," she says hesitantly, wishing her cheeks weren't so hot.

She's unable to look away as he sets down the kunai he's been working on and walks over to her. He sits beside her on the log, elbows resting on his knees. For a few seconds he just looks at her, and she looks back, and his eyes are so dark.

She isn't all that surprised when he draws her close, but for some reason she is surprised to feel his mouth on hers. His kiss is different. Not gentle, but not unpleasant. Soon enough her eyes are falling closed, and she is leaning in to him, having at least some idea of what to do now.

That's three times.

A sound catches her attention, and she breaks the kiss, whipping her head in the direction of the noise. Shikamaru is standing there, an unreadable expression on his face. "I came back for some water," he says dryly.

Hinata can only stare at him, eyes wide, her heart in her stomach. If she thought staring at Sasuke was embarrassing…

Sasuke, for his part, looks unperturbed. He gazes steadily at Shikamaru, who looks back at him with what could be any number of expressions, none of them positive; but then the shadow user turns away to look through his backpack for his canteen. Hinata wishes the ground would swallow her up.

When Shikamaru leaves, Sasuke moves away from her, going back to sharpening his weapons. "You should sleep," he says.

All Hinata can do is nod and return to her sleeping bag, willing her face to cool down and her heart to stop thudding so hard.


The rest of the mission goes by without a hitch.

Takigakure apparently had no idea the missing-nin was in their midst, but even so they are suitably cowed when Shikamaru leads his team of dojutsu users up the steps to the daimyo's house.

Clever, really, to send a team of highly skilled jounin to retrieve a less-skilled missing nin in a land that has always been a thorn in Konoha's side. A little transparent, maybe, but perhaps that's the point.

In any case, Shikamaru chalks it up to a success when they find the man hiding out in a tea shop and are able to incapacitate him without causing the shop and surrounding buildings too much damage.

For convenience's sake they keep him drugged and carry him in turns, stopping to scout the area often to make sure he doesn't have any accomplices waiting to ambush them and rescue him. It's not a challenging mission, mentally or physically, and Shikamaru, as with many things he finds boring, simply goes through the motions.

But it's bothering him…his teammates.

He hadn't been exactly excited to find that his teammates were Hinata and Sasuke, but it was a mission and he had no right to complain about it. And if he did, he wasn't going to. Besides, Hinata wasn't so bad. She could be a little trying at times, but she was likeable and a capable shinobi.

Sasuke, on the other hand…

Since the Uchiha had been brought back to the village, Shikamaru had had minimal interaction with him. Partly by choice, partly by chance. Their circumstances were such that they were rarely brought in close contact, but when they were Shikamaru made sure to steer clear of the other male. He had, after all, been such a trouble for them on the retrieval mission…nearly killed them all. You don't forget someone you almost died for.

And Shikamaru didn't even really like the guy to begin with.

But to walk back to the campsite for his canteen and come across Sasuke and Hinata kissing…was beyond weird. Downright unexplainable.

First of all, it was odd to see Sasuke kissing anyone, period. If he ever thought about – which he hadn't – Shikamaru would've guessed it would be Sakura. It made sense. But even then it didn't really seem likely…Sasuke was, for lack of a better expression, made of ice. Sure, he bruised and broke and bled like a human being, but that was about it. Sasuke had always seemed to him to be something beyond human. Not above the rest of them, like a god, but maybe more of an alien: different. To see him engaging in such a human act as kissing was, he has to admit, jarring. To think that Sasuke has human needs, that he functions the same as the rest of them, is still an odd concept for Shikamaru.

And second of all…Hinata. What Shikamaru can't wrap his head around is the idea that Hinata has ever considered anyone but Naruto. It's just a fact: Hinata is attracted to Naruto. There doesn't seem to be room for anyone else. Not her teammates, not her peers, not even village boys. She has eyes for Naruto, and Naruto only, and Shikamaru supposes that for those who knew her, that is a natural deterrent. If anyone had romantic inclinations towards her, surely they were discouraged by her affection for the exuberant blonde. It is such an overwhelming and obvious devotion that anyone who is interested would immediately be intimidated.

He himself has never found Hinata particularly attractive, but she's pretty enough. She has some appeal, just not for him.

(She does for Sasuke, apparently.)

And how had Sasuke, if his inclinations were romantic and not something else, not become discouraged by Hinata's infatuation with Naruto? And furthermore, how had he distracted her from it long enough to steal a kiss (the thought of which still makes Shikamaru frown)?

He has a keen mind, but this is…beyond him.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. Whatever is going on here, he isn't going to get involved.

That isn't to say he doesn't wholeheartedly disapprove of the whole thing; he just isn't going to involve himself.

When they get back to the village and deposit the missing-nin at the interrogation center, Ino catches his gaze with that look in her eye – she will want to know everything later. He sighs mentally. She'll badger him and bother him until her voice is hoarse, but he won't tell her anything interesting.

It's not his business, and it's not hers.

As they part ways, Sasuke leaving without a word, Hinata waving shyly to him, Shikamaru just hopes Hinata knows what she's doing.


Me: Shikamaru is awesome. Him and Kiba. I dunno – I got a thing for sharp eyes and small pupils.

Pretty different from the original chapter 4, huh? Originally this rewritten chapter was going to be about Naruto, and more similar to the training scene in chapter 5 than anything else. But then I scrapped it all and completely rewrote it.

Hurray for clean slates!

I wonder why Sasuke chose that exact moment to kiss Hinata…?