Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 3

Hinata considered herself to be a kind, considerate young woman, however there was so much that she could take. Her few encounters with the Uchiha heir had cause a slight anger to arise from the pit of her stomach. The Hyuuga heiress hated the feeling, the feeling of anger, and often she tried to push it away by occupying herself with other activities. Although, this was only a temporarily relief from it. The main thing that Hinata detested was to visibly show anger, she made herself mask it with a kind expression, because it meant that she had allowed the anger to fester inside of her soul. Hinata did her best to brush off the emotion, she had seen what anger does it individuals, making them commit horrible actions just out of spite, and she didn't want that to be her. Yet, the Hyuuga heiress had allowed herself to tear up in front of the Uchiha heir, it was out of sadness and pure tiredness. She had only encountered Sasuke twice, and he had insulted her, demeaned every fiber of her being. Hinata was tired of being insulted by the Uchiha heir, and she had done nothing to evoke such harsh words. However, she had allowed a moment of weak self-control, and she talked to the Uchiha heir without stuttering. He had even noticed this change in her way of speaking. The main reason why Hinata stuttered in the first place was she was extremely timid, and Hinata felt that a direct manner of speaking was a bit abrasive. In addition, the Hyuuga heiress had been taught that a woman should never raise her voice above a certain intonation which is why kept her speech low. But Surely! Her kindness was being tested! The Hyuuga heiress was saddened, deeply by the words of Sasuke, his insults cut her deep as it would any sensitive young woman. The words stripped her bare, and made her vulnerable. Hinata thought she was past being someone's punching bag, but apparently not. Yet, the Hyuuga heiress felt a sort of sadness for the Uchiha heir. She had heard all of the talk around town about how he should go back to where he came, and that he didn't belong here. Wasn't this his original home? Was not Konohagakure where the Uchiha clan originated from? What feeling it must be to know that you are not even welcome in your hometown?

The Hyuuga heiress didn't see anyone hang around Sasuke neither. What loneliness. It was a known fact that humans needed to interact with one another from being a fetus to when you grew old. Sasuke didn't have that interaction, his family was ripped out of his life, and people's fear of him kept them from being even a few feet from him.

Was insulting people the only way that Sasuke knew how to reach out to someone?

Hinata knew that there was goodness in the Uchiha heir underneath his icy demeanor, and if she were to share this with anyone. They were think she was crazy including her own friends. Did the Uchiha heir intentionally make himself to appear more evil to others and why not? Everyone had perceived him to be evil and after a while, it would not surprise Hinata that he would think this as well. The corruption of the goodness of human beings was not born, it was created.

Then, what would she do when she saw the Uchiha heir again? As Hinata had suspected that she would see him again. Would she be prepared for his insults? Hinata sighed to herself as she stirred the pot of leek soup, and the smell played on her olfactory senses. She had on her usual attire, a white apron draped over them, and a pair of socks with bedroom shoes. The Hyuuga heiress knew that if her father, Hiashi, saw her dressed like this he would automatically give a look of disapproval, but Hinata didn't mind. Hiashi liked both Hinata as well as her sister, Hanabi to be dressed like Hyuuga royals they were even when around the house. But to be honest, Hinata didn't really care about being dressed in the finest silk kimonos or to be showered with the finest gifts. Hinata seasoned the broth of the soup, and she hymned to herself. She looked up when she heard footsteps come into the kitchen, and one of the servants smiled at her.

"What is that delicious smell?" Usami asked, curiously.

"Leek soup, I figured that I-I would make it for you all to show my a-appreciation for all the hard work that you do for my family and me." Hinata smiled at her, gently, and the young woman walked up to her.

"This is too kind, Hinata-sama."

"The soup will be ready in a few moments, c-can you please round u-up the others and go to the dining room." Hinata pleaded. "I will bring y-you out the bowls."

"A-absolutely not!" The woman looked at Hinata, horrified. "We are s-supposed to serve you!"

"It is not a q-question." The Hyuuga heiress kept a warm expression on her face, and the young woman looked at her, speechless. However, a small grin began to play on her lips, and she nodded at Hinata.

"Very well, Miss Hyuuga." Hinata watched her walk out of the kitchen, the Hyuuga heiress pulled out about twenty bowls, and she lined them neatly on a silver tray. She grabbed a ladle, dividing out each portion of the soup into each bowl, and heard the chatter of servants as they made their way to the dining room. Hinata grabbed the tray, carrying it out to them, and she slid open the door. She walked into the room, the servants looked at her in awe as she placed the bowls in front of them, and Hinata chuckled. She placed her hands together in delight as a rose color rose on her cheeks.

"I-I hope you all like it." Almost at her request, they all grabbed the bowls, and took bites. There were sounds of pure delight as the soup touched their tongues, and Hinata was shocked when she was met with their elated faces.

"This is amazing, Miss Hyuuga!" they shouted in unison

"I'm so glad you like it." Hinata beamed.

XXXXXXX

The Next day

Naruto sat in a huge velvet patted chair, and he stared at the pile of papers before him. He tapped his pencil against the hard surface of the desk, his eyes were bored, but a small smile was on his face. Honestly, Naruto loved being Hokage, protecting his wife, the villagers, but he detested all of the paper work. The paper work ranged from building approvals to new agreements between villages. The young Hokage had managed to slip away from the paperwork, tried to establish a friendly term with Sasuke, but it was clear that Sasuke didn't want that establishment. It was nice to have Sasuke back into Konohagakure, he hadn't seen Sasuke in so long after the war, and had often wondered if Sasuke was even living anymore. Sure, Naruto had had some gossip of within other villages saying that they had saw him, but he didn't know the validity of those words. Sasuke had remained off the grid for a long time since now. The young Hokage didn't know if Sasuke had fallen ill or possibility been killed off, although the possibility of a potent aliment was more of a logical explanation. Despite, the Uchiha heir's unwillingness to be sociable with anyone, it almost felt as if the old team was back at least within the perimeters of living within the same village as one another.

Why are you really here, Sasuke, I thought you loathed this place. Naruto contemplated to himself. What could overcome your hatred for this place?

The door swung open causing Naruto to snap out of his thoughts, and he perked up.

"Naruto-sama!" Shizune rushed into the office, and Naruto looked at her, surprised.

"Oh, hey, is something wrong?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed together inn confusion, and Shizune bowed to him. Shizune handed him a pile of papers.

"This is the report you have requested over the crimes that have been occurring a lot lately in the districts of Konohagakure." Naruto looked at her, intently as he took the papers, and he opened it. The Jinchuuriki began to read aloudly.

"According to claims made by the villagers, there have been over 300 incidents of robberies both household and on the streets. Some of these robberies have led to some vicious assaults, one recorded incident was a pregnant woman who was assaulted for some money in her pocket." The blond headed Hokage grimaced at the more that he read. "Furthermore, the villagers claim that these heinous acts are committed by a group of men ranging from early twenties to early forties, and they wear a headpieces that cover half of their faces."

"We have more intel as what the men look like, it is four to be precise, one man is brown headed with chocolate brown eyes, and pallid skin. The second man has orange hair with honey eyes, and he is said to be rather robust. The third man is very muscular, and he is quite skilled at kendo. He has long black hair and green eyes. Finally, the fourth man who is said to be the ring leader is thin with blond hair and gray eyes with fair skin." Shizune explained. "We have received the description form a man who was assaulted last night from them, and we have reason to believe that they are merely doing these acts to gain things that they don't have."

"We have to put an end to this now!" Naruto slammed the papers on his desks, and he stood up, quickly. "Shizune, can you please get Sakura, Hinata, Ino to come here, and I will assign them to look for these men. I will have them keep looking for these men until they find them, I want this village to be as safe as possible."

"Hai!" Shizune turned on her heels, exiting out the door, and Naruto turned around to look out the window.

The safety of Konohagakure was one of the highest priorities of the Jinchuuriki host, and he would make sure that nothing disturbed that.

XXXXXXX

"How do you feel?" Ino asked, skeptically. She looked at Sakura with a raised eyebrow, and Sakura smiled at her.

"How I feel about what?" Sakura asked, stupidly. She knew perfectly well what the conversation was about, it was about Sasuke Uchiha.

"You know damn well what I mean." Ino shook her head as a smile came across her face. "About Sasuke Uchiha is staying here in Konohagakure."

"It is not like it is forever." Sakura gave Ino a sour look, and Ino shook her head.

"You have been so quiet since you heard the news, but I know that Sakura Haruno is never quiet, so what is going on through that mind of yours?

"Nothing." Sakura looked over Konohagakure from on top of building, a faint breeze blew her short hair across her face, and the sun started to rise in the daylight sky. Sakura didn't want to talk about Sasuke. That was an old wound in more ways than one.

"Don't give me that shit." Ino flipped her long blond ponytail over her shoulder, and she looked forward at the citizens who looked like ants from where they were. "Tell me."

"If you must know, I don't trust him." Sakura murmured. "I mean he would have killed me if Naruto had not intervened in our quarrel all those years back, and I came to realize something."

"And what is that?"

"That Sasuke Uchiha is not the same man he was when he was here, when he left Konohagakure, he left himself here, and the man he is now doesn't resemble the man we knew when we were preteens." Sakura explained. "It is hard to believe that they are the same person, I mean he did aid us in the war, so I will give him that."

"Is that why you have been avoiding the estate?" Ino looked at Sakura, intently, and Sakura met her gaze.

"Yes, it is." Sakura admitted. " and honestly, I think that I am doing him a favor, he doesn't care if he sees me, Naruto or anyone that he knew once before, but Naruto constantly seeks him out, Naruto thinks that he can change Sasuke even after all of these years since the war."

Ino chuckled at her pink haired friend. "But Naruto that husband of yours he is pretty amazing, he can change anyone, he has incredible powers of persuasion."

"Yeah." Sakura smiled at the thought of Naruto, her husband, her confidant, and the man dearest to her heart. "But, I think Naruto has limitations to his power of persuasion when it comes to Sasuke, I think it would take someone other than Naruto to even bring Sasuke to the thought of changing."

"And who do you pretell that to be?"

"Who indeed is the correct question?" Sakura murmured, lowly. Her thoughts were interrupted when a young shinobi male dropped down in front of them, and she looked at him, shocked.

"Sakura, Ino, Naruto has requested for you all to see him immediately."

"What is wrong?" Sakura asked, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"It about the crime situation within the districts." Explained the young shinobi. "It has escalated." Sakura nodded at him as a determined look came across her face, and she turned to Ino.

"Let's go." She watched Ino chuckle at her, and she bent her legs.

"Bossy as ever." Ino teased. Sakura teased as she made her way to the hokage's office.

XXXXXX

Hinata entered the room, she looked at Sakura and Ino with surprise.

"Oh, sakura-san, I d-didn't know that y-you would be here." Hinata said. "You either, Ino-chan."

"Hinata-san, it is so nice to see you again." Sakura smiled, warmly. "I haven't seen you since after the war."

"Hey, Hinata." Hinata watched Naruto grinned at her.

"Hinata-san!" he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been?"

"G-good, Thank you for a-asking."

"We so all need to hang out." Naruto groaned.

"Why are we here, it is about the crimes right?" Ino asked, curiously.

"Yes, there have been a recent number of assaults and I wanted you all to check it out." Naruto explained. "Can you do that for me, guys?"

"Of course" Sakura smiled at Naruto and Naruto grinned at her. Hinata smiled at the two lovers, sure, Naruto had been her first love, but it gave her pleasure to see him so happy.

"Please be careful, Sakura." Naruto pleaded. Sakura leaned over, giving him a light kiss on the cheek causing his face to turn beet red, and she chuckled at him.

"Of course I will be."

"Geez, get a room you two." Ino groaned. Hinata watched Sakura's face turn red, and Ino took her hand. "Let's get out of here before they have a make out fest."

"Okay." The Hyuuga heiress said, looking at Sakura over her shoulder. "S-sorry, Sakura-san."

"Don't apologize on behalf of her." Sakura smiled. "That's so Ino." Hinata nodded at her, and they walked out of the office.

"I-I will take the e-eastern district." The Hyuuga heiress volunteered. "I k-know it very well."

"Okay, then I will take the northern and western, and Ino do you want to take the southern?"

"Yea, I will." Ino chimed.

"Okay, we will meet back here if anything is found and if any of us knows that we haven't come up and we will come after you." Sakura explained. "Please be careful, Hinata-san, and Ino-san."

"You too." They said in unison. The three kunoichi broke away from one another, each one heading to their desire district, and Hinata ran as fast as she could. The Hyuuga heiress made her way to the eastern district, she had expected to see some unrest, but the villagers seemed to be their quiet usual daily routine. However, she heard a strangled cry that sent chills down her spine, and she ran in direction of the scream. She saw a young woman standing over her husband who had his arms wrapped around his waist, and Hinata activated her byakugan. Two men stood over the couple, and one of them had a small sword.

"Should we finish him, Nokuzuho?" The orange haired man asked, menacingly.

"I think we should, Kenbii." The man with the small sword pointed it towards the young woman, and the young woman looked at them, fearfully. However, the two aggressors perked up at the sound of footsteps, and turned around. Hinata watched the young men catch sight of her, and they ran in the opposite direction.

"S-stay here, p-please." Urged Hinata. "I will get medical h-help for your companion." The young woman nodded at her as tears streamed down her face, but Hinata could tell that the man had couple of broken ribs. The Hyuuga heiress ran after Nokuzuho and Kenbii as they descended into a crowd of citizens.

XXXXXX

Sasuke walked the streets of Konohagakure, he had the hood of his cloak over his head, and the villagers had grown accustomed to him. There was no excessive chatter when he walked by, they had kept it to themselves, but they aggravated the Uchiha heir to know end. With their happy smiles and living their happy lives.

What a fucking joke.

The Uchiha heir had not seen the Hyuuga heiress for days, and he was starting to question himself. Should he wait for the Hyuuga heiress to comply with being his ally or should he make her become his ally? He had grown wary of Konohagakure it had only been a few days, and Sasuke had enough of it for a lifetime. There was a sudden stir among the crowd of hoi polloi, and some people started to gasp. The Uchiha heir stopped as he saw two young men push past the villagers, knocking down stands and he looked at them, intently. Their faces were full of pride, and a smirk was plastered on their faces.

"Hey!" shouted a woman who was pushed by one of the men, and some of the surrounding villagers helped her up. The Uchiha heir went to turn around, ignoring the scene, but he caught sight of indigo hair. He turned around, quickly, and the Hyuuga heiress ran through the crowd at full force. She had byakugan activated, and kunai in her hands. She threw the kunai at one of the men, and Nokuzuho deflected it with his sword.

Pathetic, she can't even hit someone who is no more than a few feet away from her.

The men made their way towards the Uchiha heir, and they caught sight of Sasuke. Kenbii gasped in dismay, Sasuke stood there, quietly, and he tried to turn the other corner. Sasuke moved, quickly, and the man started to scream. Sasuke grabbed the collar of Kenbii's shirt, lifting him off the ground, and he caught sight of Nokuzuho He held out his foot, tripping Nokuzuho, and the man collapsed on the ground. Nokuzuho's sword fell out of his hand, and it landed a few feet away from him. Sasuke smirked to himself as he watched Nokuzuho try to scramble to his feet, and he placed his foot on the man's back, inhibiting him. However, Nokuzuho and Kenbii were too afraid to say anything, and Sasuke looked at Hinata who ran up in front of him.

"Uchiha-san." Hinata said, breathlessly

"You wanted to catch these men right?" Sasuke asked, coldly. His grip tightening on the collar of Kenbii's shirt.

"You s-shouldn't treat him so h-harshly, Uchiha-san."

"Hmph!" grunted Sasuke. "You're so weak with your kindness even towards your enemies." Hinata pursed her lips, her byakugan deactivated, and she shook her head.

"S-stop insulting me." Hinata murmured, lowly. Her voice reflecting a slight assertion. Sasuke looked at her, taken aback, and he found himself, smirking.

So the gentle heiress did have a backbone after all.

"You have to give me a reason not to insult you." Sasuke hissed, icily, "you threw this kunai and didn't even hit these weaklings, they don't even have a blood limit, and they are just ordinary humans." He increased his pressure of his foot on Nokuzuho, and he let out a whimper.

"There are p-people around, Uchiha-san, I-I cannot risk hurting them." Hinata said, kindly.

"Casualties are always a part of being a shinobi if I remembered correctly." Sasuke scoffed at her reasoning.

"And what if I h-hit you, Uchiha-san?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"I don't need your concern, you could never hit me." Sasuke sneered.

"P-please put the m-man down, Uchiha-san." Hinata's pleas were kind and gentle. Kenbii began to fumble with his words.

"P-please listen to h-her, let-" Sasuke cut him off.

"Shut the fuck up you worthless piece of shit." Sasuke looked at the whining young man he was holding up. "And if you want him, come and get him." He watched the heiress gulp, she walked up to him, and she reached to grab the man. Sasuke watched her, intently, she kept her eyes on his face, but evading eye contact.

Avoiding direct eye contact eh?

When Hinata touched Kenbii's shirt, Sasuke let go of him, letting him fall to the ground and the man trembled, violently.

"Hmph!" grunted Sasuke. "You got guts, I must admit, no one would have accepted that offer." He watched a flicker of surprise come across her face, and a smile settled on her lips.

"Why are you chasing these idiots?"

"They have been involved in a serious of r-robberies here in the eastern d-district." Hinata's voice was angelic, and she reached out to help Kenbii who was clearly distraught. However, the man smirked at her, Sasuke took notice of this, but he didn't bother to aid the Hyuuga heiress. The man pulled out a small knife out of his pocket, and he tightened his grip on the handle.

Don't tell me that she is that gullible.

Kenbii tried to cut the Hyuuga heiress, she turned on her heels, and Hinata hit the back of his neck. His body stiffened as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed on the ground. Sasuke chuckled at her, and he saw a look of confusion spread across her face.

"I was wrong about you, Hyuuga, it seems you can take care of yourself." He watched Hinata smile at him, warmly, and Sasuke met her smile with a smirk.

It seems I may have rooked you in after all.

"Hinata!" a voice shouted. Sasuke looked to see Sakura running down the way with Ino trailing behind her, and he cursed underneath his breath. Seeing Sakura was even more agitating than seeing her fucking dobe of a husband, Naruto, and Sasuke lifted his foot off Nokuzuho. He kicked Nokuzuho over to Hinata, and his onyx eyes bore into pale ones.

" look in order for me to stop insulting you, to stop thinking so little of you, you need to fight me, and I will be waiting for you tomorrow at sunrise in the kukoji forest." Sasuke hissed. "Anyways, I am leaving." He walked away from the heiress, hearing the two kunoichi run up to her, and Sasuke smirked to himself. The Uchiha heir had a feeling that Hinata would be there, a sort of excitement washed over him, and he found himself looking forward to tomorrow.

After all, in this world, people wanted to prove their self-worth to someone, and Hinata was no different from them.

Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator