GAME

Chapter 4 – Dreams of the past

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...unfortunately...

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"

I have listened to various songs but mainly the 'Queen of the Damned' soundtrack while writing this story and recommend listening to them or the suggested 'chapter song' while reading to create the mood if you're interested ;).

This chapter's song is 'Ciara –Paint it black'.

…...

"Sasuke…you should not have come" – Spoke the original shop keeper in a grave voice as he appeared from behind a bookshelf and glanced at the body consumed in an inferno only to turn into dust seconds later.

"And leave you trapped in that paradox, among other things which you are very well aware of?" – The dark stranger replied in an apathetic tone while looking ahead at nothing in particular. Sarutobi looked at the young man in front of him for a long moment, carefully selecting his next words.

"The method in which you have entered this world has left you significantly at a disadvantage. There are consequences and despite your strong linage it does not exempt you from them. How can you achieve what you have set out to do if you are weakened?"

"It is only for a limited time and besides Orochimaru made his move, I could not ignore it." - said Sasuke in finality.

"Him being a shape shifter makes things difficult. This body was only temporarily inhabited by him but shows imprints of himself undoubtedly, who knows where the original is." - retorted Sarutobi.

"He is like a snake that sheds its skin and retreats into hiding when threatened." – he ponders before continuing – "I have sent my henchmen to guard her, at least until I figure this out." - alleged Sasuke, which only seemed to make Sarutobi more concerned.

"Make sure they do not attract attention to themselves. They are more trouble than they are worth…" - sighed Sarutobi getting his smoking pipe out of his robe. A slight curve of his lips and a bow before his elder, Sasuke takes his leave disappearing within a blink of an eye.

After a moment of preparing his pipe and lighting it he brings it to his lips and inhales deeply. Breathing out the heavy smoke he thinks of Sasuke meaningfully, his godson whom has been named after him.

Sarutobi Sasuke was one of the heads of the ten guarding clans, which maintained balance between the underworld and earth. He was tall with shoulder length spiky white hair smoothed back behind him, deep jade coloured eyes and three distinctive green brush strokes on his face, one on each cheek and one across the bridge of his nose, he wore a long khaki robe. His elderly appearance did not correlate with the power he held within, despite being tricked by the snake. Sasuke was the father of Sarutobi Hiruzen whose former pupil Uwabami Orochimaru tried to impersonate for the purposes of deceit to ultimately cause warfare and imbalance in the parallel realms. The girl's unintentional involvement may only have been a drop in the ocean in Uwabami's conspiracies, however the ripples will soon show just how much of consequence that involvement may have been.

Being Uchiha Sasuke's godfather was a challenging task and keeping him out of trouble due to his interest in the human world could not be taken lightly. From childhood since he met the human girl, it made him restless. Sarutobi wasn't sure what consequences of them meeting again could bring but he could speculate on a few and it was nothing good. Sasuke was still young and impulsive despite his reserved exterior. The memory imprints that the unsuspecting girl has left on him still affected the young man that stood before him only moments earlier. 'To be young again…' sighed Sarutobi.

The subject of his henchmen also left much to be desired. Kimimaro, Jūgo and Suigetsu were a disjointed bunch. All three swearing loyalty to Sasuke after he released them from a binding contract to the sadistic snake. Having met them he didn't doubt their loyalty but their influence on Sasuke was what worried him. They indulged and encouraged anything Sasuke desired. And if he wanted to meet the human girl from the exorcist linage again then so be it, consequences be damned.

...

The journey from the town center back to the campus was a good 45 minutes if you're lucky, which included a bus ride. Finally getting back for dinner, which Ino already started without her, she received a curious stare from her when Hinata came into the common room.

"Took you long enough madam, what held you?" – spoke Ino inquisitively. Hinata tried to dispel the thoughts of the earlier events deciding it was best forgotten for now at least despite the slight shake in her hands.

"Oh the practice took longer than normal today, the coach added extra drills to prepare for our face off with the Suna university's students next month." – Hinata lied smoothly not wanting to worry her but still feeling a little guilty for lying to a close friend nonetheless 'It's not a complete lie…the competition will take place next month…' she thought trying to squash the guilty emotion. Ino nodded in response and then Hinata joined her to help finish cooking dinner before they settled on the kitchen table with their food and scattered course work to begin their assignments which were due very soon.

…

Hinata dreamt again that night of her grandfather's basement. Back in her little five years old body she ran up to the white painted door opening it eagerly without hesitation this time. Cold wind shakes her little body as she takes a step back and peers into the blackness expectantly for then, a little boy her age, to step forward into the room shutting the door behind him. For some reason she could not make out his face as if it was a forgotten memory however she could see that he had spiky black hair to his chin and pale skin, dressed in a black yukata. Hinata smiled softly at him and brought out a game of checkers to his inquisitive but guarded eyes.

"What is this?" – he asked curiously and so Hinata explained to him as they settled on the floor with some cushions, the rules of the game to the best of her ability and they attempted to play.

"You won again…" – spoke the little boy in a slight annoyed tone to which Hinata only chuckled with reddened cheeks and brought out a collection of little toy cars that her grandfather collected 'I'm sure granddad won't mind' she thought, to distract him. Chiding her little old self for being a terrible host to her guest and making him uncomfortable 'What would mother think?'. She told him about all the different cars that she knew of and their purposes in her world like the ambulance, fire engine, police car and a racecar, which seemed to interest and baffle the little boy.

"You humans are so fragile and defenseless that you need all these things for protection from almost everything..." – his words made Hinata blush with fury, clench her chubby little hands and open her mouth to say something to only pause when he continued – "But I have to admit that you invent interesting things and help each other despite unfamiliarity and no merit…foolish if you ask me." – he smirked seeing her obvious ire that amused him to no end but her polite manner would never allow her to raise her voice or hit him which made his grin broadened even more 'Funny humans, so easy to tease' he thought amusedly 'Wonder how red her face can go? Will her head explode?'.

"…-san, w-we may n-not be able to walk on the ceiling or heal so f-fast like you but kindness is not a weakness it is t-true strength! My m-mom always says that if you light a lantern for someone else it will also lighten your path." – She spoke with soft determination. Hinata did not hear herself say his name as if it was like a forgotten memory again.

"Do you even know what that means?" – he spoke a little skeptical, raising his eyebrow.

"…N-not really…b-but I'm learning everyday little by little!" – blushing from embarrassment but undeterred Hinata continued – "Acts of kindness no matter how s-small make you feel happy and warm, right here" - she touched his chest where his heart should be, smiling at him sincerely. Sitting in front of him leaning over, she wore a lovely light blue and purple yukata with wisteria flowers printed on it with her wavy hair so long it touched the floor, she was an image of a beautiful young princess, he felt his face heat up from an unfamiliar feeling stirring in his chest. Never has he been so close to someone nor touched so willingly. His life has been mainly solitary as per norm for his kind but never has he met anyone as innocent or pure of heart as she. He a moth and she the light from which he could not turn away. A little startled from the touch and her warm smile he turned away to hide his embarrassed face and confusion that she stirred within him.

"I have to go…" – he spoke quickly getting up, turning his head slightly in her direction with a slight curve to his lips, his face still warm. She smiled in return and got up to bid him farewell, oblivious to his conflicting emotions.

"See you again tomorrow?" – she spoke hesitantly but yet hopeful to this peculiar new friend, which she has made recently a few weeks ago. Sneaking around to see him in the basement while her granddad was out and her mom was having her usual afternoon nap due to her pregnancy. Nevertheless the true test was getting past the housemaid and most days she was able to time it perfectly, light and fast on her toes while the maid busied herself in the kitchen or watered the plants in the large garden.

"See you tomorrow." – he nodded fondly and proceeded to open the door and disappear within the darkness closing the doors behind him.

…

Waking up to the sound of her alarm clock Hinata tried to repress the strong desire of wanting to throw the damn clock against a wall from frustration. 'Where are these dreams coming from? Who is that little boy?' she contemplated while she laid in her bed until she suddenly remembered about the cursed board. She flew from her bed and looked around for it, checking her draws to discover that it has not returned. Breathing a sigh of relief and thanking the heavens above she then moved to get ready for her morning lectures.

…

Blending into the shadows Sasuke moved unnoticed through the old streets of the city, well hidden with deviation portals to keep away those who do not belong among the other races residing in the city. Those streets would only come alive after midnight, away from the prying eyes of humans for their own protection, as those who do not know how to navigate the streets nor how to protect themselves from the creatures, which rule them, once they cross the border will certainly not be able to come back alive.

Finally arriving at the designated meeting point Sasuke waited for his henchmen. It was a dark traditional Edo period establishment for those such as himself to dine and rest that provided privacy and subtlety for their customers. The attendant escorted him through the dimly lit enamored halls of the building to a private room, which he had requested. Sasuke sat down graciously on the dark silk cushions at the head of the low mahogany table. Kimimaro was the first to appear, rising from below the floor, closely followed by Jūgo and then finally Suigetsu emerging from the shadows from the corner of the room, to report back to their ring leader.

"Nothing of significance to report." – Suigetsu spoke first, breaking the silence with an apathetic tone. Hōzuki Suigetsu was a lanky but toned man with light blue shoulder length hair and deep purple eyes. He had a sadistic nature to him and he liked to mess with his opponent's or target's minds. He was a true impersonation of the definition of his clan's name, Hōzuki, 'Demon lantern', leading his victims to their demise. He sat down to Sasuke's left.

"When you say nothing of significance I expect that you haven't done anything thoughtless to bring attention to yourselves?" – replied Sasuke coolly in an authoritative tone, prompting Suigetsu to smirk darkly at Sasuke in challenge, showing his razor sharp teeth.

"We removed every possible threat. There were only lower rank demons, no links nor evidence of danger at present, however there is presence of exorcists on site." – spoke Kimimaro as a devoted soldier whilst he sat to Sasuke's right. Kaguya Kimimaro was a calculating but honorable swordsman with long silver hair, vivid green eyes and distinctive two circular red dots just above his eyebrows, which distinguished his clan. He always spoke objectively and had a stern persona in comparison to his comrade Suigetsu whom enjoyed chaos, example being the humans he tormented and in turn tormenting the one he meant to guard. This caused many disputes between the two leaving Jūgo as the mediator.

"I will do better in keeping them in line and out of trouble Sasuke." – Jūgo spoke lowly with his deep voice while frowning as he sat across from their leader. Ryūchidō Jūgo was a massive man, just over two meters tall with light auburn spiky hair that was swept back with cropped sides and amber eyes. Despite his imposing stature he was a reserved man whom only spoke when necessary, however violence was deeply imbedded in his blood due to his unique abilities to be able to absorb the energy surrounding him, which caused violent outbursts in his younger years before he learnt how to control his powers properly with the help of Sasuke.

Sasuke was able to summon the three of them from the underworld after he jumped through the portal, which resided in the snake's lair, and into the human realm. He ordered them to clean up the mess and guard the human girl from possible threats while he tried to release his godfather from one of the paradox worlds he was trapped in by Orochimaru.

He looked at his henchmen thoughtfully. They have never failed him despite whatever may have happened nor difficulties thrown at them along the way. He knew what it was like to be bound against will to serve without thought but he never expected them to swear loyalty to him after he freed them from the snake. At first he dismissed them and told them to live by their own will which only served to strengthen their resolve. Looking at it from a simpler point of view perhaps it was imbedded in them after having been under command for so long, institutionalized as a result, so when they finally got their freedom they didn't know what to do with themselves. Having neither purpose nor clan to turn to was almost like torture worse than death itself. Sasuke realized this after some time, when they wouldn't give up and followed him wherever he went. But nothing is ever simple and he was sure that they all had their own personal motives for choosing this path to follow him.

Perhaps they were kindred spirits or perchance that was what they saw in him. They all shared a similar background, coming from powerful clans, which were no longer. Bound and manipulated from childhood. Having neither real purpose nor true kin but nevertheless finding a shared goal and that was to put an end to the demon snake.

…

A couple of weeks went by without incident and Hinata tried to pretend as if she was moving on with her life despite the residual worry she still had in the back of her mind, that it was not yet over. This quiet period almost felt like 'A calm before the storm' and she knew that she could not lock herself up in her room and pretend that nothing has happened.The sporadic dreams, which she was having, did nothing to lesson her building anxiety either. The events, which had transpired seemed so surreal that she wanted to laugh in hysteria. She could not talk to anyone in the fear that they would think her mad and force her to go to a psychiatric institution. Her past, her present and her future were no longer clear to her. Hinata felt lost and the anticipation of the storm brewing kept her on edge. She was desperate for a release but forced herself to keep it together. Hinata's dedication for her studies helped somewhat to keep her mind off the predicament in which she was in but she feared that it would not last much longer.

…

The weekend finally rolled around and Hinata decided to go to the university library for a couple of hours to do some revision and gather some research papers for the new assignment they have been given that week while the girls were busy at hockey practice. She made sure to wrap up warm to protect her from the November chill. Wearing thick black tights under a thin form fitting grey woolly dress that came up just a few inches above her ankles with short slits on either side of her calves, black brogue ankle boots, a khaki mac coat and a multi coloured maroon scarf, she packed her things. After carefully placing her laptop into her black leather hobo bag along with other things she needed, Hinata made her way to her destination.

Having found a quiet spot in the medical cohort part of the building she put her bag on the table and connected her laptop. Taking off her coat she draped it on the chair but kept the scarf on and then proceeded to switch on the device and bring up the Microsoft Word document, which contained the assignment topic and some of the notes she drafted earlier. Rolling up her sleeves to her elbows and putting her note pad on her right hand side Hinata thought about the best way to tackle the task at hand. Twirling the pen in her hand she scrolled through the vast electronic list of all of the books and papers residing in the building on the library's website. Using filters she scribbled down locations of a few relevant materials she might require, by a way of saving time so that she didn't have to spend too much time searching through the aisles.

Finally satisfied with the five she found on the website as a good starting point, Hinata got up to go retrieve them. Carefully walking down the aisles as not to bypass any of the material she was searching for, she had her note pad close in her left hand and her right hand gently skimmed the bookshelves. So engrossed in her search she did not notice a presence observing her from a short distance.

…

Sasuke used the momentum to cross the realms with the sole purpose of protecting her, consequences be damned. After having neutralized the immediate threat he tried to stay away, he strained to keep his distance, at least until he regained his powers fully. He feared that if he got too close now she would get caught in the crossfire that was about to break out, which he himself was immersed in. He busied himself with the first set of tasks at hand but having completed them and there being no leads at present he could not help his mind straying to her. 'We will meet again.' words, which he had spoken to her for the second time in their lives. He never imagined that fate would let them be reunited after so long, thinking that he broke that promise he made her so long ago. His godfather was a wise man and he convinced Sasuke that to keep her truly safe he had to let her go. As reluctant and bitter as he was he could not deny the reasoning of his sole guardian despite his young age. Having lost so much already he was determined to do everything he could to protect her even if it meant never seeing her again.

Unable to keep her he tried to burry the memories of her in the furthest part of his mind, locked inside. As the years went by he rarely let himself think of her but when Orochimaru made his move, intertwining her in his plans and using her as an amplifier to create a great hole between the worlds he could think of nothing else. After helping her send the soldier demon, that was sent to kill her, back to where it came from and confronting the vessel in which Orochimaru temporarily resided in he was left with more questions than answers to his growing frustration. He wanted to keep her out of this war but despite his efforts, ultimately there might be little that he could do to prevent her involvement one way or another.

Keeping a watchful eye on her made the temptation of confronting her almost overwhelming at times. A distant yet familiar emotion bubbling up in his chest just like when they were children. Anticipation of almost seeing a familial again. The short time he spent with her, the memories he retained were ones of the most prominent of his childhood. He could never forget them or her, and seeing her again after so long Sasuke could not deny that he has missed her on some level. Nor could be deny her beauty and the purity of her soul which called out to him. She was true to her name, Hyūga Hinata, 'towards the sun' and as if drawn to her light he left to seek her out.

…

Seeing her concentrating face, as she studied, was a familiar scene. Sasuke almost felt like being taken back in time. Brows knitted and a slight pout of her plum lips, he felt nostalgic about the times they played games together as children.

He followed her down the aisles but kept his distance for the meanwhile, looking through the gaps in the adjacent bookshelves, he watched her silently reminiscing the times they spent together and how her light has drawn him to her like a moth to a flame. She burned brightly. He could not help but get closer but the closer he got the more this new and unfamiliar emotion clenched his chest. He traced the porcelain skin of her face with his eyes as if memorizing her features. Her delicate eyebrows were like twin brush strokes, thick eyelashes framed her doe eyes and light warmth dusted her cheeks. Her hair was like midnight silk that framed her face prettily and cascaded in waves down to her lower back. Absentmindedly she brushed her long fringe to the side with her right hand along with her side bangs behind her ear, as she walked by searching on.

Hinata came to a holt when she found one of the books she needed and as she picked it up she caught a slight movement to her right in the aisle behind the shelve she stood, looking up she saw the same stranger she met at the old shop a few weeks ago. Stunned she dropped whatever she was holding in both hands and hurriedly turned the corner to stand before him. They looked at each other for a moment that felt like an eternity to her. Hinata's mouth went dry from the apprehension of seeing him again and it's implications.

"W-w-what are you doing h-here?" - Hinata stuttered, struggling to find words due to her bewilderment.

"Is it not permitted for a student to enter a library to search for a book?" - Sasuke's slips curved up slightly in retaliation, making her eyes widen in disbelief.

"I don't believe you." - Hinata said abruptly almost interrupting him before she accused him - "Was it you that hurt all those people around me?"

Sasuke frowned looking to the side to then mutter under his breath - "I'll need to speak to that imbecile...". He felt a headache coming on.

"Who are you?" - Hinata continued without missing a beat.

Sasuke hesitated at first, unsure of what to disclose to her or what he should reveal to her for now- "All you need to know currently that I'm here to protect you and fulfill an old promise." – he spoke cryptically avoiding her question.

"Protect me? So we have met before?" - she said slowly, unable to believe it, to which he gave a simple nod.

"What is your name?" – Hinata persisted with her interrogation.

"Sasuke" - he said simply.

Hinata stricken by its familiarity persevered - "Sasuke…you are...you're that little boy...that I met in my grandfathers basement aren't you?...but that's impossible...none of this makes sense..." - she rumbled on with panic building. He wanted to put his hands on her shoulders to steady her and make her look at him but he knew better. The last time he initiated the touch it burned him worse than the deepest fire's of hell. The fingertips of his index and middle fingers still ached, however he discovered that if she initiated the contact or gave him something then what ever she touched the object with he could touch as well. Example being when she gave him the box and he accidentally brushed his fingers against hers, the contact did not scorch him. Therefore in that moment he understood that he was unable to touch her without her consent. The reasons for that predicament evaded him.

"Are you afraid of me?" - he then spoke to snap her out of her reverie. His words surprised Hinata and she jerked her head up to meet his gaze, having to almost arch her neck due to his towering height in comparison to her petite frame.

Searching his eyes Hinata was unable to shake the memory of a gentle young boy that she met all those years ago, whose face seemed to become a little clearer in her mind. A boy now a man standing before her presently. Questions came shooting through her mind like bullets making her feel a little dizzy.

"Should I be?..." - mumbled Hinata uncertainly breaking eye contact for a moment to then look back at his face anticipating his answer.

"No." – he stated simply to then continue - "You have no reason to fear me."

"You weren't as a child, probably against your better judgment." - he smiled lightly.

"Children are not born to fear nor hate…it is only something that is learnt." – Hinata answered him. So should she fear or distrust him now? It would certainly be wise to do so, caution due to the circumstances surrounding their ambiguous meeting and reunion.

"Someone wise once told me that if you light a lamp for someone else it will also lighten your path." - Sasuke reiterated her words, which she spoke to him 15 years go. She has lightened his path for him and now it was his turn to do the same for her. His words hit her deeply because those words had sentimental value to her. It's what her mother used to say and it's a saying she tried to live by because kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Hinata could not comprehend what this stranger, whom stood before her, was to her neither in the past nor in the present.

"I will never forget your foolish bravery or your kindness." – Sasuke spoke wanting to reach out to her, however his train of thought was interrupted as he felt a hunter's presence near. Taking it as his cue to leave to prevent conflict in a public place despite the secluded area, he straightened and murmured to her that he had to go.

"What? No! There's still so much I must ask you!" – Hinata reached out to grasp his navy sweater but he took a step back evading her with a soft apologetic smirk.

"All in due time…" – before he could think better of it he continued – "Meet me at the Ippodo tea house tomorrow at midday and I'll try to answer you then." - he walked backwards a few steps before turning a corner. Hinata tried to follow him but as she stumbled forward in the direction he left he was already out of sight as if he had disappeared into thin air.

…

A figure stood hid in a dark corner, far enough as not to be detected but not close enough to hear the exchange that transpired between the couple moments earlier. Pushing up the glasses back up the bridge of their nose, the stranger got out a cell phone and dialed the desired number. This occurrence had to be reported.

"Neji…there has been a development."

…

Authors note:

DUN-DUN-DUN…

Finally some SasuHina! I hope you haven't given up on me yet ahaha :D

Who is this stranger? Any guesses? Ehehe

As Orochimaru and Jūgo did not have surnames in the manga I kind of picked one for them, but they still have some relevance to them in some way.

Uwabami – means 'boa constrictor/anaconda/python' in Japanese…ish? lol. As the Sannin were based on the characters in The Tale of Gallant Jiraiya in Japanese folklore I used the animal he represented in that story as his surname: Orochimaru - Uwabami 蟒蛇 (python or anaconda). Jiraiya - Gama 蝦蟇 (toad).

Ryūchidō – means 'dragon ground cave' in Japanese. In the manga it is an ancient cave in which Orochimaru sought to discover the origin of Jūgo clan's ability.

Jūgo isolated himself in caves after he massacred a whole village during one of his outbursts .

Thank you for your previous lovely reviews I really appreciate them!

Hope you have enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think!