Hello everybody! :) I'm back again with another chapter! This is another past chapter, in which I decided to introduce another character just to spice things up a bit hehe. Sasuke and Shiori's relationship is evolving into something more complex and difficult to understand, especially for Shiori because falling in love with Sasuke is something forbidden. She has many contrasting feelings about this, while Sasuke just follows his own primal instincts. I hope that I was able to convey their emotions well enough here :)

I'd like to remind you guys that I'm following my own storyline with this fic, and that things will not go in the same order they did in the manga/anime. Here, Sasuke is 17 and Shiori is 16, and this is the first time Sasuke sees Orochimaru (he still doesn't have his mark!).

Thanks for all the support, please let me know what you think about this! The next chapter is going to be a steamy one, I hope you're all ready for it

Chapter 4 - Beginnings

When Shiori woke up the next morning, she was immediately greeted with the comforting warmth of a strong body pressed tightly against hers; strong arms were engulfing her much smaller frame, keeping her safe in their tight hold. It didn't feel alarming to her, nor did it feel weird: she felt like she belonged, and this weird emotion was somewhat forgotten to her. It felt nice and cozy, until she felt the other person shift behind her and she was suddenly aware of who was sharing the futon with her. She recalled the previous day and it all came back in focus, but still, she didn't want to move and unravel herself from such a comforting embrace; she nuzzled herself even tighter against Sasuke, and his muscular arm was immediately grasping her waist even tighter, while he slept soundly next to her. Shiori decided to cherish this peaceful bliss until it lasted.

It took Sasuke a couple of minutes before he started noticing the strangely pleasant feeling of her supple skin pressed right against his. He softly groaned at those thoughts, the early morning ones. Her round backside pressed right next to his groin was becoming quite difficult to ignore, and the peachy scent of her soft hair was intoxicating to him. He gladly welcomed her in his arms, but he was afraid he would be hesitant to let her sleep away from him from now on. It was not an option in his mind anymore, everything felt way too nice for him to give it up so easily.

He had to shift and back up from her a little bit, or she would have noticed how stiff he was becoming against her butt. He wouldn't have been able to explain it to her, not yet at least. But the fact that Shiori was nuzzling back against him was more than encouraging and hiding his instincts was becoming pretty difficult. A low chuckle escaped him, as his arm strongly encased her small body once again, trying to keep her close, but not that close.

"Good morning…" his voice croaked, still sore from the heavy sleep. He didn't even try to remove himself from her now, noticing how she had accepted their closeness too and didn't find it repulsive. He was glad.

"Morning…" she murmured shyly, turning herself to face his glowing face. Shiori noticed how peaceful he looked as he smiled softly, his hooded eyes full of something she couldn't really place. He looked happy and well rested, and this was everything it took to make her feel the exact same way. And strangely enough, she wasn't missing Konoha like she thought she would.

Her thin sleeping kimono was leaving almost nothing to the imagination, and Sasuke was having a real hard time trying not to focus on such a revealing neckline or the supple valley of her breasts. Her skin looked so soft and creamy, not to mention the fact that she smelled so good… He was really a goner, but he wasn't sure she would accept him yet, or ever. He had been harbouring these feelings for a long time now, surely he could wait some more and let her accept him at her own pace.

"We should really get going." he stated, noticing how her eyes saddened for a split second. He didn't want her to think he was regretting this, so he started combing his skilled fingers through her soft navy hair gently, trying to convey his affection the only way he could at that given time. She smiled at him, nodding back with a bright flushed face. He smirked, she was so sensitive.

When they finally emerged from their room, fully dressed and ready to leave, the old lady who owned the inn was cleaning the place and removing the excess snow from the entrance. She eyed them with a dissatisfied look and collected the money Sasuke gave her with a grunt. Her disapproval for young lovers visiting her inn was very noticeable, and Shiori really wanted to tell her that they were just cousins travelling, but something in her mind made her question the only thing in her life she thought she was sure of: her relationship with Sasuke.

A cold morning breeze welcomed the two as they finally exited the inn, the weather was really nice as it had finally stopped snowing, and the timid winter sun greeted them with its shy warmth. Shiori was glad they managed to dry their coats and shoes, otherwise they would have been all stiff and wet by now.

"Let's go now. Stay by my side, it shouldn't take long." Sasuke said, walking away from the inn into the main road, back inside the thick forest they left just the night before. Shiori did her best to try and walk as close to him as possible, as he instructed. She still wasn't aware of their destination, but she trusted Sasuke and his reasonings, never questioning anything he asked of her. She simply walked beside him silently, secretly still thinking back at the pleasant awakening she experienced that morning.

It took them the whole afternoon before they finally reached what Shiori assumed was their destination, only because Sasuke stopped in his tracks. Looking before her, she noticed the purplish-coloured facade of what looked like an underground building, with a set of stairs that brought right before the main entrance. The large entrance was adorned with weird drawings and symbols she couldn't recognise, and inside it was only darkness.

"S-Sasuke… What is this place?" she murmured, a slight feeling of discomfort and awareness piercing through her. That place had an eerie vibe and Shiori knew something was up deep down in her guts. Maybe it was because it was nighttime and everything looked much creepier at night, but she was sure she could sense something evil lurking in their surroundings.

"It's a hideout." he simply stated, looking straight down the dark entrance.

"A hideout? And why are we here?"

"I need to talk with someone. And that someone is inside this place." Sasuke started walking down the old stone stairs. He reached the large opened door before he noticed that Shiori was not following him anymore.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, distress clear on her pretty face.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Sasuke. This place is filled with dark chakra, it's overpowering. Who lives inside this place?" she tried to reason with him for the first time in their lives.

"That's none of your business, Shiori. Now come, nothing bad will happen, and I'm here to protect you." he tsk-ed, annoyed with her sudden question. She was a smart girl, he knew that, and he forgot about her abilities of sensing chakra. He didn't want to tell her about his plan because surely she would disagree with this. But he needed to get stronger in order to defeat Itachi, and the old school training back in Konoha was not doing it for him anymore.

"I'm not following you unless you help me understand." she exclaimed, Sasuke knew how stubborn and scared she was so he complied.

"This is Orochimaru's hideout. We need his trainings to become stronger, it's what matters the most now. Come." Sasuke stepped back up the stairs, grabbing Shiori's small hand in his bigger one, trying to urge her to follow him and join him.

"What? The snake sannin?! He's evil! Why would we need his help!" Shiori shook away his hand form hers, suddenly out of breath. She couldn't believe he was about to ask for help from such an evil creature, Sasuke out of all people! Orochimaru's deeds were well known and condemned throughout all the villages, and she was sure they didn't need him in order to reach their goals.

"I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry about anything, I've got everything planned for us. And we won't need him for long." he reassured her, loving the way her lips trembled with insecurity and worry about the whole ordeal. Such a caring girl, he thought.

Shiori looked at him in the eyes, she was unsure about this but Sasuke had everything planned, she trusted him but was deeply sorry about the fact that he would never share his intentions beforehand. They needed to work on that if he wanted to have her by his side.

"O-Okay. I trust you… But we need to discuss stuff together. I have you and you only, Sasuke."

"And I have you. I don't want to burden you more than I have to. Everything I do is for us and our future, remember that." he whispered, a small and reassuring smile appearing on his face as he caressed her soft cheek with his calloused pads.

Sasuke grasped Shiori's hand once again, guiding her down the stairs and inside the huge entrance and into the dark corridor that led inside the dungeon. The air inside was thick with humidity and the walls were moist with dew and moss, it was the perfect habitat for a snake being like Orochimaru. It took them a couple of minutes before they were able to reach the end of the humid corridor and find what looked like the main area of the hideout. Another set of corridors branched from this room, which was made out of stone and lightened by a few fire torches and incense sticks. Right in the center Shiori noticed a small throne made out of rocks, and a pale figure seated comfortably on it, looking like he was waiting patiently for their arrival as he basked in the scented fumes.

"Took you long enough, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru exhaled, his slimy words echoed through the entire empty room. His piercing yellow eyes were burning holes in the two of them, and his sick smile promised nothing but bad news.

"And who is this beautiful creature behind you?" he slithered down his stone throne, circling the two Uchihas to inspect them better.

"My cousin. But you will have nothing to do with her. We're here just for the trainings you promised." Sasuke's tone was hard and strong, asserting his dominance with just a few words. The snake retracted, stopping on his tracks and nodding in agreement.

"Of course... The price doubles, I wasn't aware of your little companion. I will show you your rooms, we'll start as soon as the morning comes. Rest until you can." Orochimaru stated, turning away from the two and reaching the corridor to the right. Sasuke followed him with Shiori's hand still enclosed in his, walking with a safe distance behind the snake ninja.

Orochimaru took them to what looked like another corridor full of doors. The place was really a maze, Shiori had completely lost her sense of orientation. The forgotten sannin opened two of those doors, introducing the two Uchihas to their respective rooms. They were cold, almost empty and bare, with only futons thrown on the ground and small bathrooms inside. The pavement was made out of large blocks of rocks and so were the walls: they were cold and humid to the touch, not the ideal during long winter nights.

"We'll need one room only." Sasuke exhales, grabbing Shiori from behind him and shoving her haphazardly inside the empty chamber, making her gasp from the sudden and abrupt contact.

"I see, I see… We'll start tomorrow at dawn." the snake finished as he eyed them with curiosity, before slithering away back to where he came from. His voice was so slimy it gave Shiori the chills. Disgusting.

Sasuke closed the door behind them, securing it with some protection jutsu and seals. He then removed his drenched coat and placed it next the fire pit. Shiori did the same, and cold air immediately greeted her sensitive skin making her shudder.

"How am I supposed to trust you, when you don't even trust this guy?" Shiori shook her head, sitting on top of the thin and tattered futon.

Sasuke didn't answer. He simply tsk-ed at her, while unraveling the purple cords of his pants and aiming straight for the ofuro. He didn't want to deal with this topic and her doubts any longer, it was quite unnerving. He drew himself a bath that could finally help him soothe his aching muscles and desires, preparing himself for the night to come.