Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

"What's with the white shirt?"

Sasuke looked down at his crisply ironed, starched white shirt.

"I may go to the festival later." He answered dully.

It was the beginning of September and it was still a bit hot, though northern winds were just starting to blow in to cool down the heat of Konoha. At four o'clock in the afternoon there was a terrible stillness at the Hokage Tower; the sort of laziness that was usually experienced on a Sunday afternoon, despite it being Thursday. But Sasuke supposed that everyone was simply looking forward to later in the evening – the start of the Bon Festival.

With careful delicacy, Naruto laid down his pen on the table and turned it side to side. Sasuke gave him a raised eyebrow of expectation.

"I didn't want to say anything, but I've been hearing that a certain Uchiha has been spending a lot of time at the Hyuuga household; that you're courting a Hyuuga." He was wearing a mischievous grin.

Sasuke looked down and turned a page in the mission report that was in his hand, more out of dramatics than for an immediate need to turn that page.

"Yeah. For a couple of weeks now."

Naruto's eyes bugged out, his face turning red.

"You – you! You're really courting a Hyuuga…for some time now!"

"I'm not courting a Hyuuga. I've just been spending a lot of time with Hinata."

Naruto stared at him. He stopped turning the pen.

"Hinata Hyuuga?"

"Yeah. Hinata Hyuuga." And he offered up no further explanation. Naruto was mildly surprised that Sasuke even bothered to repeat his answer given the bowels-evacuating stare that Naruto was giving off.

"You know, as your best friend I thought you would have mentioned that you and Hina were becoming friends."

Sasuke wrinkled his nose at the mention of the taboo 'best friend' phrase. He never told Naruto anything, but Sasuke always liked to think that a best friend was supposed to be your wife, that person that you pledged your life to, in sickness and health and all that. He definitely didn't see Naruto as wife material.

"I didn't think that I had to mention it. We just have tea sometimes and she helps me out with things that need to be done in the house."

Suspiciously, Naruto had no comment. Sasuke embarked on a feather-smoothing exercise as he talked about the work that he had to do on the house. Naruto entertained him and for a while they spoke of house expenses and that led to remembering D-class missions where they had to help clients with their shitty houses.

Naruto laughed and Sasuke thought all was well. Then suddenly he was asked,

"Gaara is now setting up his own Transnational Organized Drug Unit, so I have to ask, since you are the Head of our own T.O.D.U, did you finish the report on the achievements and work plan for the next three years of the Unit?" Sometimes Naruto couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. A large amount of the time, being Hokage really sucked and it took him a lot not to push a Rasengan into his own chest. He imagined Sasuke felt the same judging by how his eyes were glazed over like a donut.

"No."

Naruto stared at him as he waited for Sasuke to elaborate or give an excuse or something.

"And the reason is…?" Naruto prompted.

"I was busy."

"Busy doing what?" Naruto wanted to pull out his hair. Sometimes dealing with Sasuke was like pulling teeth.

"Working on the house with Hinata."

Naruto picked up the pen again and started tapping it furiously on the desk.

"Well you have all afternoon to complete it then."

"Can't. I'm supposed to meet Hinata later at the square."

Naruto chuckled in disbelief. Sasuke recognized it as a he-better-had-not-say-what-I-thought-he-said chuckle. Sasuke felt a shiver of danger run up his skin. It had been a while since he sparred with Naruto.

"That's odd because I know she's supposed to leave for a mission for tonight."

"What mission?"

"Classified."

"Classified? You're sending her on an A or S-class mission? I don't think that she's ready for something like that."

"Don't insult her. I know Hinata and she's quite capable."

"You were the same one that recommended that she be moved from active duty and become a teacher in the Academy. And then you moved her from that too."

"She's been getting better. She's a lot stronger than you think."

"I think that's what you want to believe."

"You keep looking at Hinata as how you knew her in the past and I mean, before the war, before Pein attacked the Village, before you left. She's quite strong. She just had a tough time. You keep seeing her as how she was."

"No, I'm definitely not." Naruto narrowed his eyes at him as he wondered whether he was reading too much into those words. "But maybe you are." Sasuke continued quietly.

Naruto didn't know how to comment on that and Sasuke felt a hollow and smug satisfaction that he had put his friend in such an awkward emotional corner.

Naruto was bristling but took a deep breath and seemingly shook it off.

"So will I get that report tonight?"

Apparently he hadn't shaken it off.

"Hn." Sasuke rolled his eyes and got up to leave.

As soon as the door closed Naruto turned to the ANBU who were hiding by genjutsu in the room.

"Well don't just stand there! Help me look for a mission to give Hinata!" Naruto screamed at them as he frantically overturned case files.

The children at the Academy were a bit restless, Iruka noted. No doubt their minds were far away wondering what goodies they would be eating later at the festival and what games they were going to play. Many of them had their heads propped up on their hands, just barely keeping their eyes open as their mouths could be used as makeshift fly-catchers. Some he could see were itching to get into some kind of mischief – he was thinking of the young Hyuuga who was reaching over to pull a girl's hair, to be specific. Every time Iruka thought of the word mischief he thought of Naruto's little boys who would be in his class in a few years. Not one, but two of them! How could the fates be so cruel!

A knock on the door interrupted his teaching. He was a bit surprised to see Kiba Inuzuka and his dog and Hinata Hyuuga.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei!" Kiba greeted loudly as he set up a little radio near the door and plugged it into a socket.

"Iruka-sensei, good day." Hinata smiled and bowed her head faintly.

"Why do you look so surprised? Didn't you get the memo that we were coming around to teach the youngsters how to do bonodori?" Kiba asked.

Iruka looked down at his desk and noticed the piece of paper that was now currently serving as his cup of tea's coaster. He turned it around and indeed, it was a memo informing him of his guests impending arrival to teach the youngsters how to do the dances of the Obon festival.

"Ohhh."

Kiba smiled and clapped his hands together as he faced the class.

"Hey runts! I'm Inuzuka Kiba, heir to the Inuzuka Clan and Head of the Canine Nin of the Konoha Police Force and this is my partner Akamaru. This incredibly beautiful woman here is Hyuuga Hinata, the ex-wife of Hokage-sama! Treat us well!"

Hinata gave Kiba a look of deepest annoyance for introducing her as 'the ex-wife of the Hokage", but he missed it entirely when someone shouted quite enthusiastically,

"Hinata-sama!"

It was a young Hyuuga who Kiba instantly recognized as Kouji Hyuuga or as Kiba referred to him in his mind – Neji 2.0. The child looked just like Neji did at that age when he had just joined the academy, down to the same ridiculous hair. The only and most striking exception in this Neji doppelganger was the personality. Kouji was loud and exuberant and had so much energy that people often wondered why God hadn't split him into two.

He was also the physical reminder of Hinata's greatest mistake and worst memories in life. Kouji Hyuuga was the son of one of the Hyuuga members who had served as her midwife. Hinata often imagined that this is what her son would have looked like if he had lived past the age of two. But of course she never told anyone that. She just tried her best to avoid him which was undoubtedly difficult because they lived on the same compound and also, the child had taken a liking to her. But that didn't mean that she didn't try her best to avoid him. It shamed her to her core.

She inwardly groaned, but chastised herself because the child should never be maltreated by her for having the misfortune to be born with such a face and personality.

She smiled tightly.

"As you know," Kiba continued, "tonight is the start of the Bon Festival. We dance to welcome our ancestors like grandma and grandpa."

"My Gran is alive and she lives at home with me." A little blonde girl said.

"Well we're only welcoming the dead ones."

The children looked horrified, no doubt already having heard of the terrors of the last Ninja War. Iruka wanted to clout Kiba.

"Who wants to pet Akamaru?" Kiba said, desperate to salvage the situation.

They screamed excitedly until Iruka spoke up. "After the class, you can pet Akamaru."

They pouted, but at least they forgot about the dead coming back to life.

"Anyway, I will teach you the dance moves." Hinata said cheerily. "And guess what? I heard that there'll be prizes given out for the best dancers later."

They chattered excitedly as they shifted the tables and chairs to get more room to dance. Kiba started up the tape and loud drums filled the classroom as Hinata began to show the children the simple dance of the Obon Festival.

When they were finished and were about to leave, Kouji came up to her, pulling on her green flak jacket. She looked down at him and her stomach did a somersault.

"Yes, Kouji-kun?"

"Hinata-sama, will you be at the festival later?"

"Yes."

"Will you be one of the dancers on the stage?"

"Yes."

"I will try to dance my best for you then!"

Hinata felt that tightness in her chest that she was soon becoming accustomed to associating her interactions with this child. She smiled at him, but her mind kept bringing up memories of Neji and herself when they were at that age, but it kept mixing with images of his impaled body on the battlefield and Naruto hugging him and her son and the vacant look in his pale eyes.

Oh God, she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Kiba asked.

She turned to run away from the poor child and ran smack into Sasuke in the corridor. What was he even doing here?! She was so confused! She stumbled back and he held her wrists away from him as she almost struck him out of reflex.

The suddenness of running into him there and the unexpected emotions and memories that crept up on her clouded her mind for a moment and she pulled away from him rather violently.

"Don't touch me!" She whispered fiercely.

"What's going on here? What are you doing here?" Kiba asked as he came into the corridor just in time to hear Hinata's words to Sasuke. He looked at Sasuke suspiciously.

Sasuke looked to Hinata who had to take a moment to catch her breath and calm her mind, but to him it just looked like she was perfectly okay with letting Kiba think that she was somehow violated by the Uchiha. Sasuke tsked and walked off.

Kiba ignored him and went to Hinata.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just…" She looked around and saw Sasuke's retreating form heading out the door. Oh gosh! She was feeling like an absolute heel. She dragged her hands over her face.

"Hinata, are you still taking the counselling?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't w-worry about me. I'm sorry for making you worry. C-come on, we have another class to teach." She hurriedly walked to the other class, ignoring Kiba's looks of concern.

After his literal run in with Hinata that afternoon, Sasuke had no intention of going to the celebrations later that evening. He knew that he had promised to meet up with her after she had went on and on for what seemed like days of why he should come to the festivities, but right now he really didn't give a fuck about what promises he made to her.

He kept remembering her look of disgust when she spat at him, "Don't touch me." He could admit to himself that it hurt him, but he couldn't come up with a reason why.

He wasn't going to the festival, but after he dropped off his report (ticked off by the fact that Naruto wasn't even there), he remembered that Naruto had said Hinata was supposed to leave for a mission tonight and that meant that he could clearly walk through the festival (he usually cut across the quadrangle and that's where the festivities were being held) and have no fear of bouncing into her.

She was the first person he saw as soon as he stepped into the quadrangle.

She was on the circular stage along with about twenty to thirty other dancers dressed in yukatas. Two drummers were busily drumming out a folk song and singers sang into microphones as scores of mainly civilians, but nin as well (both young and old) followed clockwise around the stage.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" He looked up and in the distance he could see Ino calling out to him. She was at the watermelon stand together with Sakura, Shikamaru, Shino, Chouji, Kiba, Sai and Ten Ten. He felt like someone was missing. He didn't really want to go across there as he was already in a foul mood, especially when he looked over at the stage, which he kept doing no matter how hard he tried not to do that. But Sakura saw him and muttered something that was obviously about him since the entire group turned to look at him shrewdly, then was scolded by Sakura for being so obvious and tried vainly to pretend that they didn't see him there in the first place. Sometimes he had a hard time believing that they were all Jounin.

Suddenly, there seemed to be an increase in the general excitement of the people. It was a like a buzz of electric animation and general feeling of likeability. He realized that everyone was looking in a particular direction and that's when he noticed that the Hokage had arrived.

Wait! Naruto?! What the hell was that bastard doing here enjoying himself after I had to slave and hustle over that report, Sasuke thought angrily.

He rolled his eyes so hard that they nearly fell out of their sockets and that was when his eyes made four with Hinata's.

She gave him a pleading look and told him to wait. He ignored her and went over to the group.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto and Sasuke asked each other at the same time.

"I finished the report, by the way." Sasuke said angrily.

Naruto chuckled easily and rubbed the back of his head. Sasuke wanted to murder him.

The group continued to talk about the festival and the weather and how long it had been since anyone had seen Lee and whether he was okay and if he truly didn't want to come back and the mood dipped a bit. Right, that's who was missing, Sasuke thought. The group chatted but he was out of it, constantly having to ask them to repeat what they said. It took him a while to discover the reason for his distraction. When he noticed that Hinata was no longer on stage and he somewhat frantically (on the inside of course) searched for her and found her standing by a tree just about thirty feet away from him, Ino said quietly to him,

"Maybe you should just go talk to her."

He scowled at her, but nevertheless walked over to Hinata, uneasily aware of the stares on his back, especially Naruto's and Sakura's.

"What do you want?" He asked it so violently that he might as well threaten to strangle her. She let his mood wash over her.

"Sasuke-san, I just want to apologize for this afternoon."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

There was a dismal silence between them even as the music from the drums and the clatter of chatter from people formed a cocoon of noise around them.

"I…I am…" She seemed to be choking on her words. "When…umm after…uhh because of everything that happened…I, I uh, have some intimacy issues." She whispered 'intimacy'. He looked at her in confusion. She loathed to elaborate, but she persevered, "Sometimes, when people touch me, it brings up a really, um…uh, strong reaction because of what happened."

He knew that she was talking of her son's death, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out how that could lead to her having tactile problems. She was hugging herself close, the setting sun behind her creating a silhouette.

Sudden raucous laughter rang out and they both looked back to see the group falling all over themselves as Naruto had cracked some joke or something. Sasuke looked back at the pitiful creature next to him who seemed to shrink into herself more. She couldn't even stand to share the same space as Naruto, forcing her to pull away from her friends. He didn't know what to tell her. He wanted for them to be sipping tea at her house and staring at her gorgeous and peaceful garden. He was about to suggest that they go back to her place when he remembered that she had a mission tonight.

"I don't think you should go on that mission tonight."

"What? I don't have any missions. I've been off of active duty for a while now."

Sasuke opened his mouth to elaborate when an ANBU guard jumped down from seemingly nowhere and handed Hinata a scroll, then disappeared. Sasuke almost face-palmed. He was going to murder Naruto.

"Naruto is a real, live idiot." He muttered darkly as he looked over at his invidious friend. Hinata looked up at him quizzically in between reading the rolled up parchment. "I don't mean that he has idiotic moments like we all do. No, I mean that is his nature – to be an idiot." He seethed.

Hinata giggled, felt bad and tried to stop and ended up scrunching up her face.

"You shouldn't say such things."

"Are you serious? Do you have any idea why you're going on this mission? Naruto is an absolute cu–" He didn't bother to finish his sentence. She was so…weak. He wanted to shake her, force her to move on from all this. Naruto was wrong. She may have been strong before, but right now…

"Why do you pick up for him? After everything that happened?"

He looked away to see Naruto finally leaving the group.

"He'd do anything for you, you know. For all of us." She answered rather confidently.

"And what? You still want to be like him? You're still on with that?"

"I'm not – You're being too selfish, Sasuke-san." It was practically a whisper.

"Speak up! Let me hear you."

For the briefest moment, he saw a flash of anger and he felt inspired.

"I said that you're being selfish."

"No, I'm definitely not being selfish anymore." He said and the honesty of that moment took him by surprise. He didn't want to think about what that meant. He wondered if she noticed that he was having an epiphany.

Sasuke sighed. He looked at her features – fair skin, long indigo hair, large and round colourless eyes that made her look mentally under-developed when she looked at him in confusion like she was doing now.

"Don't go on that mission."

"Is it because you doubt my abilities?"

"Yes."

Her lips hardened into a thin line of irritability, her eyes steely. "Is it because of what I just told you?"

"Yes."

She shook her head in dismay; annoyed, disappointed and feeling vulnerable that he was attempting to emotionally blackmail her like that.

"Good night, Sasuke-san." She replied stiffly and walked off. He reached out to stop her, but remembered just in time her confession. In the end he jerkily stopped his hand forced them into his pockets.

"Don't go to him, don't go on that mission." It was so odd to be pleading and with Hinata of all people. He experienced such a surrealism that he almost shouted at her to just leave, all in an effort to break himself out of whatever he and Hinata had fallen into.

"Don't worry about me." She said and left to go get her debriefing, leaving him to wonder when he started to worry about her.

A/N: So what did you guys think of this chapter? What about Naruto and Sasuke's interactions and Hinata's PTSD? Review please and let me know what you think!