Chapter 4: A washed-out ego

Rating: T

Summary: no one told Hinata that Neji was just a plain playboy, luckily she found out. It's rare to lose a Hyuga and gain a friend, soul-mate and lover called Sasuke. Who can she trust?

Pairings: SasuHina...till death

Disclaimer: i do not own Naruto, or Sasuke or Hinata

AN: Ah one of the light-hearted chapters in this fic. I think I owe my thanks to Uchiha Fan Forever, Loyal Reader123, Cheh, Mangekyo Prince, Ava, xoxo Ricebunny xoxo, Shinari, Gaaramino, Ryokudragon and Kittyrain for reading this fic from head to tail. Without your enouragement and ideas, I think I would have abandoned this fic by now. SO seriously, I'm not spelling out your penname for nothing: I'm thanking you from the bottom of my heart. Keep up your support!

Also...if you are mentioned in the above or you are an avid SasuHina Supporter, I would like you to invite you as a SasuHina staff for my community and spread SasuHina domnation in Naruto Fanfics. Help spread the word of the cutest couple in Naruto History haha :) PM me if you're interested k?

Enough said...on with the story...


Hinata woke up in a completely different room with a scent, taste, feel that blew her mind. Before opening her eye, she cherished the cozy, hallowed autumn breeze across her cheeks and the heavenly pillow that cradled her head like a newborn baby. She didn't want to open her eyes; in fear the day's stress would overwhelm her. The ivory-eyed girl snuggled closer to the pillow inhaling its redolent, misty scent. That's when it happened…The pillow moved. The pillow seemed to actually shrivel away from her when her hand feathered across the edges. The astonished girl snapped her eyes open and had to keep herself from screaming bloody murder.

It took her maybe half a second to calm down, comprehending the scene before her. What the hell did I do yesterday? She gathered her thoughts quickly. I was sleeping since I returned from Hiruzen. Then? The terrorizing dream that shook her brought about by an ominous predator. Then the inner-Hinata screams. Then…Her brain cells clicked into place.

"Can I sleep in your room?"

I can't believe I actually said that! Though she was never involved in intimate relationships, and was somewhat new to the subject of love. Hinata knew that she was still a girl, and sleeping like this was totally off-limits for her, emphasized by her father and the entire clan.

She dared a glance at the object of her concern. The moving pillow was none other than compact muscle, complete with well-defined shoulders and…was that a six-pack? The hallowed autumn breeze was no less than the rhythmic breathing of the raven-haired boy that had one staunch arm resting on her spine. That was enough of a warning for her to "attempt" to worm out under those biceps.

"Attempt" was an understatement. After several of those, she breathed heavily through her nose, careful of keeping her captive asleep. If he woke up at this instant, she would have a lot of explaining to do. Hinata bit her lip desperately trying to conjure some course of action.

With her Byakugan she scanned the room for means of escape. The only objects within reach were a potted fern, an alarm clock, a lamp and a remote. She grinned.

She hastily picked up the remote Sasuke had informed her of yesterday. But stopped when she realized she had forgotten when button was 'maid service'.

Was it the Red or the yellow? She was sure she heard Sasuke say blue yesterday (Sasuke said red). She risked the blue.

Immediately a wooden bucket was emerging from a crack in the ceiling….ohh no. Oh shit!

Sasuke woke up perhaps one second before the disaster struck and was on top of her in a nanosecond.

SPLASH! Ice cold water rained on them. Rephrase: Ice cold water rained on The Uchiha Sasuke's bare back.

When the last drop emptied onto his bird-tail hair, he raised one eyebrow at the culprit under him.

"Ah…good morning Sasuke," she didn't know what to think. "-kun?" she added in an attempt to temper his anger.

Now that the sun was fully across the horizon, the glaze of water over his hair, back and chest was flickering. Despite his raised eyebrow, he looked like some holy being. The Byakugan-wielder couldn't help but suppress a giggle. "You know it's only Tuesday." When he didn't budge, she added, "Better get changed for school."

This girl…Sasuke narrowed her eyes deciding for the best means of revenge. It didn't matter. He thought. She will be dead soon anyways. It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun with your prey.

Hinata stopped laughing, "W-what." Sasuke's smirk widened. She was expecting an angry lecture instead.

"On second thought, I wouldn't mind taking you to school in your PJs." He leaned uncomfortably close to her ear, "Princess Hinata."

Her shocked expression pleased him more, and before she chanced a glance at her PJs she was racing to the bathroom. Hinata was so employed in gaping at Uchiha's drenched form to realize her loss….white Pajamas and water? OHHH NO. not a good combination.

A slam of the bathroom door was heard.

Phew! She examined the soaked PJs. At least it's only near the neck…

The transparent circle was already expanding. She relaxed a little before hopping into the shower.

It's Sasuke's own fault for leaving that button there in the first place.

8:17 am – Hiruzen Academy

Hinata was digging for her timetable in her backpack outside History class. Their professor Hatake Kakashi had already begun the day's lecture. She was positive her and Sasuke needed to make an entrance sometime before the class ended. After all there was still more than half an hour left.

Oh why did she have to have a class with Sasuke first thing in the morning? It was a poor choice considering if they were early or late they would arrive together. She glanced to see what Sasuke was doing. He leaned against the hallway giving her a I-told-you-so-look.

OK Hinata this is just a 17 minute late. No problem right? She reached for the doorknob.

"Ah," Kakashi paused to greet Hinata. "Looks like you broke our record…our first late on the second day."

She could tell despite the sensei's warm smile, he was not pleased and was looking for a passable excuse.

"Um…Watashi…" (watashi means "I" or "me")

"She was with me," Sasuke followed through the door and now every nerd in the room had their eyes on him. The Uchiha Sasuke? Late on the second day of school? With Hinata Hyuga? This MUST be the turn of the century.

While the class gaped at him as if he had committed a horrible crime, Sasuke calmly addressed the white-haired man. "My apologies sensei, but Hinata-san was in a state of torpor when she crossed the street near the market when a van nearly took her." He closed his eyes as if picturing the moment. "I was fortunate to warn her before the accident."

Hinata knew he would think of a reasonable excuse. But this! This was far from what anyone would imagine to be specious and unreasonable. A detailed excuse, lie whichever you prefer…was briefed without a stutter, a slight pink on the cheeks or nervous hand-fiddling. No wonder they called him the Uchiha Prodigy.

Kakashi seemed to have taken in the hint that this was serious as well. Nevertheless, the genius sensei surveyed his expressions for any hint of inaccuracy in his excuse, but found none.

"Well, if that's the case then I will have no reason to report this," he nodded to confirm with Sasuke. "However, I would like the two of you to remain for detention after school. It's only fair that a late is treated like a late." Kakashi smiled.

The raven-haired boy was ready to protest, but at Hinata's urgent glance, he nodded and took his seat.

"As I was saying. Hiruzen's name descend from the third Hokage of our village. Sarutobi Hiruzen who not only mentored the three legendary saanins, but saved our village from a deadly attack..."

Hinata madly scribbled her notes at the back of the classroom. Luckily I'm saved from a record. Father will kill me once he finds out about this! Detention doesn't sound so bad compared to a nasty record right? If only I didn't press that retarded button. Why does Sasuke keep that button there anyways? What use did it have? She glanced at Sasuke from the corner of her eyes who looked as stoic as ever eyes boring into Kakashi.

She returned to her notes when a slip of paper fluttered on her notes. It was Sasuke's handwriting alright.

You're so dead

Hinata's snowy eyes snapped up at Sasuke. You're the one who had that button in the first place! She clutched her pen and scribbled back.

Then why do you have that blue button there in the first place?

Sasuke sniggered when he read the message. And she dares to ask me when she pressed it in the first place.

None of your business

Now that Hinata shifted to writing messages and reading Sasuke's expression, her attention left her history notes and to cheering Sasuke up from the detention notice.

It won't even leave a record. Why so bitter?

Was the girl crazy? Demented? Sasuke wrote his answer without looking at her…

I have never been in detention in my life. Thanks for nothing.

Just when he looked up from his notes, the white paintbrush-haired man swooped in on them. "Having fun Uchiha?"

All color left Sasuke's face.

"Well! Tell you what! I think the two of you would have more fun with an extra hour of detention. What do you say?"

Sasuke didn't talk to anyone for the rest of the class.

Lunch greeted Sasuke with hamburger and fries. He hated the change in the school lunch menu from eastern to western cuisine. He hated the fact he was in detention (with an extra hour thanks to a less-than-genius someone). He hated how he wasn't somewhere else being productive. He hated the fact he was here at all. He was in a revolting, prestigious private school that taught him absolutely nothing about life or better accomplishing his grand revenge. It was all for Konoha's loyalty, Lady Hokage's trust and Hinata's life.

He bit down on his hamburger when a certain blonde-head appeared out of thin air.

"SASUKE!" He hollered. "I haven't seen you in AGES!" Oh the epiphany.

"You saw me yesterday dobe," Sasuke choked down his hamburger fast before the blonde could snatch it from his hands. By the time Naruto had arrived, half the school was peering from at them from their respective tables in the cafeteria. Indeed…Naruto's odd position on the cafeteria table and Sasuke's petrifying glares at the blonde teenager was enough to attract attention from even outside of Hiruzen.

"Aw man if feels like forever! So what's up with the freshman speech and all?"

"Nothing. They asked to read off the page."

Naruto leaned on one hand resting on the table. "I wish I did that," he said as if in a fantasy. "Then people would fall at my feet, granny Tsunade would appoint for the next Hokage and Hinata-chan," (the idiot actually blushed…), "would be all over me! HAHAHA!"

Sasuke retreated with his lunch tray to the garbage can with the hyperactive teenager close at his heels. "Wouldn't that be perfect?"

The Uchiha shut his eyes, "it would be if you didn't score the lowest out of all the applicants."

Naruto blanched and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" Sasuke calmly emptied his fries into the trash, restraining the urge to smack Naruto with the lunch tray.

"You left your results at Ichiraku Ramen. Someone must have picked it up and posted it over the internet."

Naruto was too busy trying to form sentences with random words he was uttering. "But…I….NOO. it can't…."

Sasuke calmly left the blonde man to fend for himself in the middle of the cafeteria looking like he wet his pants.


Detention with Kakashi

When the dismissal bell rang, Sasuke made no effort to leave his seat in his last class of the day. Even he was a little shocked when his former genin sensei announced his detention. Sasuke was sure the white-haired pervert knew what he was up to: making excuses. Even though the excuses he used were never repeated, complete with extreme detail and a persuasive tone, Kakashi knew deep down that he was lying. It was Sasuke's bad luck he was also his former sensei who babysat Naruto, Sakura and him during training, low rank missions and Chuunin exams. The man pretty much knew Sasuke's habits inside out.

Sasuke sighed and packed his bags for his detention making a mental note not to allow Hinata to sleep in his room ever again. She was like a walking accident zone, and if he – The Uchiha Sasuke – wasn't giving her 100% of his attention, she was bound to explode and take down everything or everyone in the vicinity. She was vicious indeed.

When he traipsed into the history room, he made sure to sit at the opposite corner of the room to the Hyuga girl who was unpacking her notes.

"Good afternoon. I'm glad you two can make it."

The Sharingan-wielder mentally snorted. Yea right, if I didn't "make it", you're bound to drag me by my collars here from wherever I might be. Sasuke thought.

"Since I still have tests waiting to be marked, I'd like you to do me a favor of…" He pulled out a crunched sheet from his chest pocket. "Purchasing these items and bringing them back to me before –"he craned his neck for the clock. "Nine. Oh I'd hate for teenagers to be wandering the street past nine." He beamed at Hinata.

Before he had "handed" the note over, Sasuke had snatched it from his fingers and comprehended the information while tracing his fingertips over the note. Judging by his disgusted expression that deepened with every second, the young girl knew this definitely was not her ideal detention. But then again, with Kakashi, nothing was really ideal.

"You want us to buy your groceries?" Sasuke said incredulously. Hinata looked impatient and scanned the note in Sasuke's hand.

"You want us to do your laundries?" Hinata gasped in shock.

"…and dishes?" Sasuke folded his arms.

"Well…I do have many tests to go through…" Kakashi read Sasuke's expression and added. "Don't tell me you're thinking of running out on me."

"I thought this was supposed to be a detention."

"Of course it is. Detention is about learning what you've done wrong. I really don't think you'll learn anything just sitting here until nine. But if you don't complete those tasks (he pointed to the parchment he handed Sasuke) by nine, that should teach you a great deal about time management. If you know what I mean Sasuke."

Hinata glanced from Kakashi's threatening eyes to Sasuke's death glare and back.

"Ah, then Sasuke I think we'd better get going." Hinata's gentle voice pierced the sullen atmosphere. When that didn't work, she gently tugged Sasuke's arm.

"Hn. I won't need until nine." He glared at the white-haired professor.

"The earlier the better," Kakashi turned his back on the Uchiha genius and Sasuke was out of the room in less than a second.


4:15 pm Detention

Hinata's didn't dare speak to the man in front of her. She could tell by the clenched fists and brisk pace he was walking at that the Uchiha was angry; his ego was deflating with each second that passed. The ivory-eyed girl glanced down at the to-do list trying to piece out which task they should accomplish first. But since Kakashi was never punctual or organized, she figured it wouldn't matter where they began…

Kakashi's to do list:

1. Weekly groceries: a carton of milk, some peaches, some grapes, carrots and cheese. Freshly made icecream at the Shinobi Slab, five bowls of Ichiraku ramen-to-go.

2. Laundry: pick up funeral suits from the dry wash, empty laundry baskets, and purchase two white towels.

3. Kitchen: empty sink of dishes, fridge clean up and vacuum floors.

4. Pressure wash all windows

5. Water the lawn

6. Pick up a copy of Icha Icha paradise sequel #3

"Um…Sasuke?" Hinata ventured. "Your car is over there." She pointed at the silver Lamborghini that took her to school.

"It won't be necessary since all the shops on that sheet are in one area." She was surprised he answered her at all.

"Okay," She smiled encouragingly. "First stop: the marketplace."

To bystanders, the two students in detention were no more than teenagers out for a gulp of fresh air; one timid shadow trailing a robust figure in the sunset. But was detention really a walk in the park?

Though Sasuke was 110% confident he would accomplish all tasks on the sheet before 9:00 pm, he did not admit the fact he had never once entered the marketplace to shop for groceries. When he was younger, his mother would stop the vegetable stalls and supermarkets before dinner, but Sasuke himself had never picked out a single item. Now that he was older, he was the survivor and heir to the clan since Itachi took leave, he had slaves, maids, butlers to do the very task he loathed: shopping. It was a interminable and often time-consuming act that accomplished nothing, but drivel precious time. Time the Uchiha heir needed to train.

Hinata on the other hand had several occasions where she had accompanied a slave in the Hyuga household for shopping. It was mainly because of her picky diet that she needed to choose certain components of her meal herself, but it was never out of curiosity. Unlike her friend Tenten, she was an indoor type.

When it came for their first task, the overconfident Sasuke and the cautious Hinata was not the best prepared for the challenges of a grocery shopper.

Their first challenge was witnessed as an amiable mother with a six-year old child approaching the owner of a vegetable stall. After the woman spoke for 30 seconds, Sasuke and Hinata took back the word "amiable".

"Are you SERIOUS? Two dollars per pound?"

"Well. It's the average price these days-" the owner didn't get to finish.

"that's ridiculous, last week was still One fifty, and look at these carrots they're…they're not even fresh anymore with the skin peeling and all." Sasuke thought the carrots looked just fine.

"Nope. I won't settle for anything other than two per pound."

"Be reasonable…."

"This is the best price I tell you…"

"FINE. But mark my words I will never buy from your stall EVER again." The "amiable" mother threw down a five dollar bill and snatched the bag of carrots in one arm before strutting off with her daughter.

Sasuke blinked. Two dollars? Seriously? He had only heard of the term "haggle" as a negotiation between the stall owner and the customer…But this more than what he expected. Infuriated customers who looked murderously at stall owners and stall owners who sent death glares back at their customers. He blinked again and walked up to the cramped stall.

"I would like a few carrots." He stated in contrast to the enraged woman.


8:30 pm

"How much time do we have left?"

Sasuke flipped his cellphone from his pockets, "thirty minutes."

Hinata ran her fingers through her tangled blue hair and looked frustratingly at the nonchalant boy before her. "One…last…task." She panted as she slid to her knees on Kakashi's lawn. Despite Sasuke's physical training, he was exhausted from the housework that he had never paid attention to in all sixteen years of his life. He leaned against the fence watching the weary girl pull out the crunched and ripped parchment from her pocket.

"Looks like we have to pick up a copy of…" She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up quizzically at the figure leaning on the fence.

"Hn?" He cocked his head.

The poor girl blushed as she muttered the unspeakable words.

"Icha Icha paradise sequel."

The moment they entered Chapters, Sasuke wanted nothing, but to return to where he had come from.

"I can't go in there," was his excuse.

Hinata rolled her eyes, "Sasuke this is detention." She reminded him. "our detention."

When he didn't budge, Hinata secured his arm and marched straight to the place he least wanted to be. Now which section would you find Icha Icha Paradise's sequel? It didn't take a genius to figure out.

"I'll wait here," he stopped as the word ROMANCE appeared in bold letters in front of him. "Hurry and grab the book." He gave Hinata a gentle push and she walked obediently down the row of materials that made her blush.

She paused when at the end of the row. Aha! Icha Icha Paradise the sequel: bringing you the latest from our renowned…sex therapist?

Hinata screamed and dropped the book. Sasuke who was glancing absentmindedly around him raced to her side and picked up the book. He didn't hesitate to read the title as well…his face turned pale with each word but didn't drop the novel.

He was just about to turn around when a particular pink-haired girl caught his eye. She was apparently reading off the back of a vampire novel when she squeaked at the thing in Sasuke's hand. She dropped her vampire novel and danced over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! What a pleasant surprise…I didn't know you came to read in the evening as well." She winked at him. He winced.

"Sakura…it's not what you think! I'm buying this for a friend-" He was cut off by Sakura's high-pitched shriek, "OHH GIRLS. LOOK I FOUND IN THE ROMANCE SECTION."

Before Hinata had a chance to see where the stomping of high-heels came from, Sasuke had already grabbed her wrist and whispered one word in her ear.

"Run."


AN: This was really an escape from reality. But rest assured, Sasuke will be plotting his kill next chapter...watch out Hinata...

NO more lightheartedness from now on. It's life or death.

Comments? Ideas? Criticism? Throw them at me.