Wow, thanks for all the hits and reviews! Skye 13, in response to your question, I'm not exactly sure how many chapters this is going to be. I originally thought it would be between ten and fifteen, but I'm writing chapter ten now and there's still a long way to go until we reach the end (and that's assuming none of the characters take over and make it even longer). Right now I'm going to tentatively say twenty chapters, but be aware that that number may change.
Before anyone asks, I'm going to put everyone's ages up here. Team Gai is 21, the Rookie Nine are 20, Team Konohamaru is 16, Hanabi is 15, and Hinode is 3. (For those of you who are interested, I'm saying that Neji and Tenten got married when they were 17.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own a Mist Village headband. The Mist Village is the best!
Chapter Two
It was midmorning by the time Sasuke was finally escorted into the Hokage's office. A young woman with long, midnight-blue hair and the trademark white eyes of the Hyuuga clan stood beside Naruto.
"Sasuke, you remember Hyuuga Hinata from the academy," Naruto stated.
The Uchiha nodded politely at her. He recalled her now—the shy, stuttering girl who had a crush on Naruto. He wondered what she was doing here.
"I have made my decision. I will allow you to remain in Konoha, with one condition," the Hokage began.
Sasuke was quiet, forcibly keeping himself from becoming too hopeful. He knew Naruto would not remain silent too long. The Hokage eyed him, studying his expression to gauge Sasuke's reaction as he made his next statement.
"Hinata-chan is to watch you during your time here. She will report everything you say and do directly to me. Is this acceptable?" Naruto asked.
The Uchiha glanced at the young woman. She met his gaze confidently, not cowering like the girl he remembered. He had become a good judge of power during his time away, and sensed that Hinata was a force to be reckoned with. Still, she would be a good inside source to find out what had happened during his absence. At length, he nodded his acceptance to Naruto's offer.
"Good. You are both dismissed," the Hokage said, turning back to his paperwork.
Sasuke and Hinata left the office. They headed aimlessly down the street, neither speaking a word. Sasuke looked over at Hinata and decided to start a conversation. After all, he needed information.
"What has happened to the rest of the Rookie Nine?" he asked, referring to the other ninjas who had graduated from the academy the same year he had.
"Choji and Ino are still chuunin. The rest of us are jounin, of course with the exception of Naruto. Sakura is the best medic-nin in all the countries, as well as inheriting the former Hokage's super-human strength. Shikamaru is Konoha's tactical genius and on the Hokage's council of advisors. Kiba is a special-class jounin, and both he and Shino are two of Konoha's best trackers," Hinata said.
The Uchiha mentally marked down Sakura as a possibility. The pink-haired girl had been almost as annoying as Naruto when they were younger, but perhaps she had matured as much as the blonde Hokage over the years. Hinata's stomach suddenly let out a small growl, distracting him from his thoughts. He looked down at her to see a slight pink tinge adding color to her pale cheeks. It amused him to see the composed jounin so embarrassed, but he took pity and gestured her into a nearby restaurant.
"I…I'm fine, Uchiha-san," she stammered slightly.
Sasuke ignored her protest, instead saying, "I am hungry as well. Come."
Her pale lavender eyes narrowed at his authoritative tone, but another rumble of her stomach convinced her to follow him. They sat at a table next to the window and ordered their food, falling again into silence. The waitress soon brought their orders. They both murmured the blessing over their food and were about to begin eating when a blonde whirlwind swept through the doorway. She sat down next to Hinata and began to talk excitedly.
"Hinata-san, you'll never guess what I just found out! Rock Lee and Forehead girl just got engaged! He proposed to her this morning," she said.
'Yamanaka Ino,' Sasuke recognized her blonde hair and light blue eyes.
Along with Sakura, Ino had been one of the most obsessive members of his fan club and was one of Konoha's foremost gossips. This last fact had been one of the reasons Sasuke never considered her as a prospective wife. The other reason was that she struck him as the type of woman who would marry him for the novelty of it, then abandon him and any children they would have when she grew tired of him.
When the woman stopped to take a breath, her eyes landed on him. She took in his hair, dark as a raven's wing, and his jet eyes. Her own eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"Sa-Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed in shock, "There was a rumor that you had returned, but…" She quickly regained her composure. Glancing between him and Hinata, her eyes narrowed, and then she smiled seductively at Sasuke. She asked, "Do you need someone to show you around, Sasuke-kun?"
The Uchiha was inwardly irritated by the familiar suffix she added onto his name. He had never given her permission to address him so informally.
"The Hokage has appointed me to watch him, Ino-san," Hinata stated.
The blonde leaned across the table to touch the young man's arm.
"Maybe he wants some feminine company, Hinata-san," she responded.
Hinata went utterly still. Sasuke pulled his arm out of Ino's reach, trying to decipher the Hyuuga's expression, but her pale eyes were unreadable.
"Thank you, but no. Hyuuga-san has been an excellent guide," he said firmly, "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a meal to eat."
Stunned by his rebuff, Ino stood and left the restaurant. As she walked away, Sasuke could not help but compare her to the woman sitting across from him. Ino wore a tight shirt and short skirt that hid almost nothing, while Hinata wore a jounin vest over a baggy shirt and pants. Ino's hair was shaped to stylishly frame her face, which was heavily covered in make-up. Hinata's hair was pulled into a ponytail and her face was devoid of any make-up. The Hyuuga heir was certainly not as girly as Ino, but the baggy clothes she wore only served to emphasize her slender frame. Sasuke didn't think anyone could accuse her of not being feminine. The door closed behind Ino and Sasuke picked up his chopsticks. He took his first bite, watching Hinata closely. Long, thick lashes shielded her lavender eyes from his scrutiny. After a brief moment, she began to eat. Sasuke was thankful that she had not started to cry. He never knew what to do around overly emotional women. Still, he felt the need to distract her from the blonde's cruel words.
"So, Rock Lee proposed to Sakura," he commented.
Hinata smiled faintly.
"Yes, Neji told me that Lee was planning on it. I am glad Sakura accepted. He will be good for her," she said.
Sasuke mentally pictured the bushy-browed, spandex-wearing ninja. He raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Lee has loved Sakura for years now. I know that he will cherish her and give her the love she deserves," Hinata said.
Sasuke returned to his meal, feeling slightly put out. Hinata had no idea that he had been considering asking Sakura to be his wife. She did not know that, by saying that Lee would give Sakura what she deserved, she was implying that Sasuke would not. Still, the pink-haired woman was out of his reach now. He was not so desperate as to attempt to steal Sakura from Rock Lee.
The meal was nearly over before Hinata broke the silence that had fallen between them.
"I will need to stop by my home to pick up a few things before we go to the Uchiha compound," she said.
Sasuke grunted a response. Luckily, Hinata was used to her cousin's sparse vocabulary and understood him to mean that he was fine with that. They finished the meal with no sound but that of wood clinking against their plates. When the waitress brought their checks, Sasuke picked up both of them and rose to pay.
"Uchiha-san, I can pay for my own meal," Hinata's protest caused him to pause briefly.
"Nevertheless, Hyuuga-san, I will pay for it," the young man stated.
Hinata felt a tide of red cascading onto her face. This was the second time in as many hours. She hadn't blushed this often in years. She met Sasuke's gaze and was furious to see his mouth twitch ever so slightly. The arrogant Uchiha was laughing at her! Just as she was narrowing her eyes to glare at him, the young man turned and left to pay the bill. Hinata took a moment to calm herself, feeling slightly ashamed for letting Sasuke to get to her so easily. She was an ANBU captain, an elite ninja. She did not allow her emotions to control her. When she rejoined the young man, her stoic Hyuuga façade was back in place. She led the way to the Hyuuga mansion. Sasuke hesitated slightly in the doorway.
'I assumed that she would be living on her own by now. I did not reckon on having to deal with her family,' the Uchiha thought.
Hinata motioned him inside, either ignoring or not seeing his discomfort. They took off their shoes and the young man followed Hinata toward her bedroom. She wanted to finish this as quickly as possible, without running into—
"Hinata-sama," said Neji's deep voice, followed by a colder greeting to the young man beside her, "Uchiha."
"Neji-oniisan. Otousan," Hinata greeted her cousin and father calmly.
Sasuke said nothing, merely bowing to the Hyuuga males.
"What are you doing, Hinata?" Hiashi, her father, questioned.
"I am just collecting a few things for my next mission, Otousan. Now, if you'll excuse us, we must be going," the young woman stated.
Hiashi nodded his assent. He knew that his eldest daughter could take care of herself. Neji, however, was rather overprotective of his slender cousin.
"Uchiha, I would like to speak with you," he commanded.
Onyx eyes met silver in a contest of wills, but surprisingly it was Sasuke who looked away first. He could not afford to antagonize one of the most influential clans in Konoha.
"As you wish, Hyuuga-san,' he agreed.
After a warning glance at her cousin, Hinata left with her father. Sasuke was stuck alone with a scowling Neji.
"You will not harm Hinata," the Hyuuga genius stated imperiously.
"I have no intention of harming her, Hyuuga-san. I truly intend to become a Konoha ninja again," Sasuke replied, slightly irritated at having to explain himself to this man.
Neji's eyes bore into Sasuke's, as though the Byakugan-user was reading the Uchiha's mind. Sasuke did not break his gaze this time. A hint of the crimson Sharingan bled into his jet eyes, but he was stopped by a sudden thought. Was Neji in love with Hinata? It would certainly explain his possessiveness.
"Anata," a feminine voice called.
Neji surprised Sasuke by breaking his gaze and responding to the affectionate title.
"Here, Tenten," he said.
The brunette waddled into the hallway, stopping at the sight of Sasuke.
"Oh, did I interrupt something?" she asked.
The Hyuuga prodigy went to her, taking one hand in his and placing the other on her swollen belly.
"No, Tenten. Is everything all right?" he questioned gently.
Sasuke was quickly reevaluating his opinion. Neji was obviously not in love with Hinata. He must be simply concerned for her welfare.
"Hinode was asking for you," the woman said.
Neji nodded and, with a parting glare at Sasuke, headed back in the direction his wife had come from. Once they were alone, Tenten grinned at the Uchiha.
"You are quite a cutie, aren't you?" she questioned.
Sasuke's jaw nearly dropped.
"Pardon me?" he asked.
The weapons mistress could barely hide her amusement at seeing the emotionless Uchiha so flabbergasted by her statement.
"I will go find Hinata. You wait here," she said, turning and slowly waddling away.
Hinata looked up from packing as Tenten entered her room. Her heart dropped at the predatory grin on the pregnant woman's face.
"What is it, Tenten-chan?" she asked warily.
"I've seen your Uchiha. He is very handsome, though not quite as much as my Neji. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him so," Tenten said happily.
Hinata's lavender eyes widened as she tried to keep herself from blushing for the third time that day.
"You said that in front of Neji?" she exclaimed.
"No…though it would have made it more interesting if I had," the brunette stated, a thoughtful look coming into her chocolate brown eyes.
Hinata quickly stuffed the last items in her pack and pulled it onto her shoulders.
"Oh no, Tenten-chan, don't even think about it. Besides, Uchiha Sasuke is not my anything. Tell Neji and Hinode that I said goodbye," the young woman said, darting out the doorway.
Tenten smirked and murmured, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much…"
When Hinata met up with Sasuke, she could barely meet his gaze, so humiliated was she by what Tenten had told her. The Uchiha must think her family was crazy. They left the Hyuuga mansion and strolled down the streets in silence, headed toward the Uchiha compound. Hinata shivered as they passed through the gates marked with the red and white fan symbol of Sasuke's clan. It was so odd to pass from the bustle of Konoha into the sad quietness of this place. She glanced up at the young man walking beside her to find his face stoic, eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. She wondered what it felt like for him, having memories of this place when it was as alive as the town they had just left. He looked down to find her staring up at him, a compassionate expression in her pale eyes.
"I did not clean up a bedroom for you. You will have to do that once we reach the house," he stated tightly.
The last thing he wanted from this woman was her pity. He was an Uchiha, and his pride ran deep despite the many things he had suffered. Hinata quickly looked away; inwardly irritated that she had allowed herself to feel for him. It was her mission to watch this man and make sure that he was not a traitor. She could not let herself become soft.
"Do you have cleaning supplies?" she asked, her voice business-like.
Sasuke grunted an affirmative and the conversation ended.
Couple quick notes. In my opinion, the whole Neji liking Hinata thing is gross, but apparently its common in the Eastern culture, so I stuck in Sasuke considering the idea.
The second thing is that I've gotten about three hundred hits on each chapter. I'm figuring on making this a review-based story and posting a new chapter when I get twenty reviews for the previous one. Though, if I get twenty reviews too quickly, then I'll have to increase the number. Drop me a quick review and let me know if you like this idea, or if I should just update weekly.
Review! It inspires me to write more quickly!