Author's Note: Hey, what's up everyone? I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I had to deal with some family drama, a busy schedule, and even some trouble with a guy I like. In all honesty, the details aren't worth talking about, but they are headache-inducing. Anyway, lots of hugs and thank you's to all my readers. This story has received a combined total of 113 faves and story alerts, and it's even part of the Elite Ninja Ink community. That's so awesome! I squealed with joy when I found that out! I'm beyond thrilled and must thank you some more. So...Thank you! To my reviewers: As always, you have my eternal gratitude for sharing your opinions on this story, and you have my word that I will do my absolute best when I write it. Okay...I'll let you read the latest installment now. Please review and let me what you think! Ready… Set...Go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... Constantly repeating that is kind of depressing.
Chapter 8: Glimpses of the Definite Past and Possible Future
Kiba shifted uncomfortably in his bed at Konoha hospital. His ribs were still broken and any movement pained him. Sakura had told him that Tsunade was on her way to talk to him regarding that fight with Naruto that had occurred yesterday. In all honesty, he didn't want her to come. Kiba was fully aware that she would lecture him, and worst of all, tell his mother. Although Tsume Inuzuka loved her family, she only expected the best from them. When he or his sister Hana disappointed her, she was quick to anger. News of a fight would certainly put her in a bad mood.
While images of his mother's fury filled his thoughts, he didn't notice the door open. The newcomer walked quietly, as though they weren't sure if they were welcome. The person moved closer to Kiba, who was still lost in his thoughts. A kiss on his cheek brought him back to reality.
"Hinata! What are you doing here?" the boy asked, a big smile on his face.
Hinata smiled," Shino told me what happened yesterday. I wanted to see if you were okay."
When he saw Hinata, Kiba was no longer aware of his pain. He was just glad to see her. To him, she looked especially beautiful today. It seemed almost as if she were glowing. Glowing? Maybe I also whacked my head into that tree. Kiba thought, realizing that his observation sounded peculiar, even to him.
"I'm fine... Now." Kiba replied grinning. Hinata laughed softly. She opened her arms and hugged her boyfriend gently. She didn't want to hurt him by accident. She tried to pull away, but Kiba stopped her. Their eyes met, and she leaned forward to kiss him. When their lips met, the door opened.
Tsunade walked into the room, and raised an eyebrow at the teens. Hinata immediately pulled away from the boy, her face as red as a tomato. She mumbled a quick bye, bowed to Tsunade, then left the room as fast as her feet would carry her. The Inuzuka looked disappointed as she left. The Fifth Hokage noticed this. Well, now that was interesting. Tsunade thought.
"Kiba, what happened yesterday?" Tsunade asked, getting right to the point. Kiba was quiet. He really didn't feel like talking right now.
"Kiba, don't be disrespectful. Answer your Hokage!" Another woman's voice ordered.
Kiba's head shot up. "Mom?" he questioned. Sure enough, standing there was none other than Tsume Inuzuka,\ and she didn't look happy.
Eyes widening, he spoke hurriedly, "I was sparring with Naruto, and then we got into a fight, but it was for real, and not just a training match."
Tsunade nodded. "I know that. What triggered the fight?"
Kiba cast a worried look in his mother's direction. She had a scowl fixed on her face. Her eyes were focused on him. "Well?" Tsume prompted, folding her arms.
Kiba looked at Tsunade, a message in his eyes. Send my mom out, his eyes pleaded. Tsunade wanted the truth, but it was obviously something that would get him into trouble. "Tsume, may I have a word with your son in private?" the Hokage asked, looking at Tsume.
"Of course, Hokage-sama.'' the other woman replied, leaving the room. Tsunade closed the door behind her.
"Start talking. I want full specifics."
Kiba groaned, but tried to sit up anyway. "Okay. I said something that made Naruto mad. I didn't realize at first, but then he started to yell. I guess I did too. He said something back to me then walked off. I ran up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, and then punched him in the face. He attacked me too." Kiba gestured to his chest and the bandages wrapped around him.
"What exactly did you say?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
Gritting his teeth, Kiba said." I said that Sasuke was a traitor and that he didn't deserve to marry someone as great as Hinata. Naruto got pissed off and said that Sasuke was too good for Hinata. Can you believe that crap?"
Tsunade sat at the foot of the bed. "Yes. Naruto would defend his friends no matter what."
"Yeah, yeah... Loyalty's great and all, but there is a point where he's loyal to a fault. Someone like Sasuke doesn't deserve that type of friendship." Kiba replied, getting mad. After a moment, he continued, "Hinata is way too good for Sasuke. Naruto is just too much of a moron to see that."
Tsunade smiled faintly. Naruto was in love with Sasuke and Kiba was in love with Hinata. Yet, Sasuke and Hinata were getting married. No wonder why they had fought. "Kiba. As a shinobi, you need to better control your feelings. Naruto will be here shortly and he will apologize to you, but I also want you to apologize to him. You two are friends and you were both defending those who are important to you. Afterwards, I will fix any damage Naruto inflicted on you."
"Fine. What are you going to tell my mom?" Kiba asked, glancing at the door.
"The truth. I'll say there was a misunderstanding, and both of you got carried away. I'm not going to say anything about you and Hinata. Tsume is a proud woman and will be furious if she finds out her son is secretly seeing an engaged girl who will soon marry. She'll probably beat the snot out of you."
Hearing that, Kiba quickly said, "Hinata and I are just friends!" his voice sounded slightly panicked. Originally, Tsume had no problem with Kiba and Hinata's relationship. She had even approved of it, saying Hinata was a polite young lady. After the wedding was announced, her opinion changed. She didn't think Kiba should stay in the relationship. Tsume didn't want her son to get hurt. As far she knew, Kiba and Hinata had split up.
"Don't lie to your Hokage." Tsunade said, amused with the boy's response. She continued, "As long as it isn't causing any more problems, I don't care about your personal life. Just don't pick any more fights. Understand?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade nodded. She got up, and stood near Kiba. She focused her chakra, and proceeded to heal his broken ribs. A green glow engulfed her hands as she put them on his chest. Kiba gasped sharply, feeling his bones mending. It didn't hurt much, but it did feel strange. It felt like his bones had melted, and then reformed to their proper shape.
There was a knock at the door while Tsunade worked. She didn't look up but said, "Come in!" Naruto came in, anxious. He began to relax as he saw Kiba being healed. Tsume watched her son, pleased that he would soon be fine.
Ten minutes passed by. Tsunade poked Kiba's ribs, feeling for any damage. Needless to say, there was none. She smiled and asked, "Naruto isn't there something you need to say to Kiba?"
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Naruto said. He was genuinely sorry about what happened. He hadn't meant to break any bones.
All eyes on him, Kiba replied, "Yeah. I forgive you. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit you first." Kiba had no problem with Naruto, so he didn't mind saying sorry. The only one he did have a problem with was Sasuke, but of course, he wouldn't say that in front of anybody, especially Naruto.
"It's all settled then. Tsume, you can take Kiba home now. Naruto, go do a mission or something else that's productive." Tsunade said, writing down what happened.
Naruto smiled and said," OK. See you later everyone." With that, he left the room.
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Sakura looked at the front entrance of the hospital. She hoped Naruto hadn't already left. She needed to ask him something important. Fortunately for her, he passed by the reception area where she was currently at. She rushed over to him and cheerfully greeted him," Hi Naruto!"
"Hey! What's up, Sakura-chan? You look excited." Naruto said, noting his friend's approach. Normally, she would just say hello, then continue with whatever she had been doing. Especially if she was working at the hospital, like she was now. She would often mention how busy she was.
Sakura looked nervous, and began to fidget. After a moment, she asked," Naruto, do you want to have a bowl of ramen with me tonight?" A pink tinge was visible on her cheeks.
After much thought, Sakura had decided to ask Naruto out. Sasuke had told her to find someone who had a romantic interest in her. Wasn't that Naruto? When they were younger, Naruto had an obvious crush on her. Throughout the years, he had remained nice to her, no matter what. Didn't that mean he was still interested in her?
There was a pause as Naruto considered it. Sakura held her breath, waiting for his reply.
"Sure!" he answered. Sakura exhaled in relief. Smiling, he continued, "It'll be fun. It will be like old times, when Kakashi would treat you, me and Sasuke to ramen after a successful mission."
Sakura looked confused, "Sasuke-kun?"
Naruto nodded, "Yeah. Isn't he coming too?"
"No. I just thought it would be you and me."
Now it was Naruto's turn to look confused. "Why?"
Sakura blinked, surprised. Naruto was as oblivious as ever. He didn't realize that this was supposed to be a date. She laughed nervously, "Well, um... I just didn't think that Sasuke-kun would want to go..." Naruto continued to look at her, not understanding why she would decide that. "But, if he wants to go, then he should! You should ask him." she added hastily.
His smile returned, "Okay, then. I'll see you at seven o'clock." He waved bye and walked away. Sakura watched him, wondering if she had just made a mistake.
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Sasuke knocked at the door to the office of the Konoha elders. Today, he had been asked to meet with them. He didn't want to, but had no choice.
"It's open." someone called. Sasuke pushed the door open and walked in. Both village elders looked at him, eyes widened in shock. Sasuke didn't understand why. He glanced around him, wondering if there was something worth gawking at. "What?" he finally asked when he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. What Sasuke didn't realize is that they were staring at him. He looked normal and to the elders, that was exactly the problem.
Sasuke was still wearing the chakras restriction bands, but he didn't look exhausted, or even remotely fatigued. Instead, he was fine. The only thing that was slightly different was his eyes. Before, they had been cold, not showing the faintest trace of feeling. Now, they were beginning to show something other than indifference. Something had changed with this boy, but neither elder could guess what it was.
Homura was the first to recover from his disbelief. He cleared his throat, and tried to sound professional, "Today, you will be inspecting some empty houses in the village. You need to check if they are safe enough to be renovated. If they are not safe, then they will be destroyed."
"Shouldn't you have a professional building inspector do it?" Sasuke asked, already not liking this task.
Koharu felt like smirking, but didn't. She said, "These aren't just any houses. In fact, they might be of particular interest to you. Especially since you used to own them."
The boy's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He knew exactly what they were talking about," The Uchiha district? Why?"
Koharu smiled, trying to hide her satisfaction of annoying Sasuke," You're getting married soon. You should have a nice place for your wife and future children. As Uchiha, you and your wife will automatically be entitled to live there. Since you're the last of your noble clan, you originally owned all that land, but with your unfortunate leave from the village, it became property of Konoha. Now, we are just returning it to you because you have come back. First, you need to check if they are still in good condition."
The old woman's voice was so full of false sincerity that it was making Sasuke sick. Homura also smiled and nodded, agreeing with Koharu's words. These people disgust me, Sasuke thought.
"Fine. Do you have the keys to the houses?" Sasuke said, keeping his tone unaffected by his dislike for the village elders.
"Certainly." Koharu got up from the chair she sat in and opened the door of a nearby file cabinet. She rummaged through the contents, and removed something. She approached the Uchiha, that same fake smile on her lips. "Here you are." she said passing him the keys. There were at least ten different keys, bound together with a scarlet ring.
Sasuke took the keys, and the woman's gaze settled on the chakra restriction bands on his wrists. "My, what curious bands! May I look at them?" she asked Sasuke. Of course, she was only pretending not to know what they were, but she needed to see why they weren't being effective on the Uchiha.
Sasuke offered her his wrists. The black steel shone under the lights. Koharu's fake smile vanished, and was replaced by fear. All the original seals were gone. There was a new image on the bands. The Kyuubi and he was actually grinning at her! She touched the fox's image and pulled away, feeling pain. It had burned her!
Homura came immediately, after seeing her clutch her hand. The old man seized Sasuke's wrists, and looked at the fox's smile. The man looked at Sasuke, "What is this?"
Since Sasuke had been wearing the bands, he couldn't help but notice that they absorbed chakra. Mainly his own, but when he had started sleeping in the same bed as Naruto, they started sapping Naruto's as well, due to their close contact. The Uchiha had correctly guessed that the chakra bands were being destroyed by Kyuubi's chakra that had mixed with Naruto's. In short, the Kyuubi had overpowered any effects the bands may have once had. The fox's image proved his dominance over the seal on the bands. However, Sasuke didn't think this information needed to be shared with the elders.
Sasuke was the picture of innocence as he replied, "I don't know. A few weeks ago, an ANBU supervisor of mine told me to wear them. He said that I needed to. The bands began to change recently, and they turned into that fox. Does it mean something?"
The elders exchanged looks. "No, but maybe you should take them off." Koharu suggested. She had no idea what was going on, and it couldn't be good. Especially, since Kyuubi was involved.
The raven-haired boy nodded. He removed a kunai from his weapon pouch, and gently slid it between his skin and the chakra restriction band. He carefully wiggled the blade around, and the steel began to stretch. When it was widened significantly, he slid off the band. He repeated the process for his other wrist. When he was finished, he put both bands in his pocket. He glanced at a clock on a nearby desk, and said," Well, I'd better get going. It was nice talking to you both. I hope we can do it again sometime." When he spoke, he used the same false cheery tone as Koharu. Then he left, but not before smirking at the elders. They picked the wrong person to mess with. Sasuke thought. He considered the meeting to be a victory for him.
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After Sasuke had gone, Koharu was angry, "What happened? You said that those stupid bands would work!" She yelled at Homura.
Homura was stunned for a moment, and then he yelled back, "You make it sound like I wanted him to live! It was supposed to work. That pair of bands has killed at least a hundred people!"
"Well, I guess it stopped working. Did you see that damn picture? That was Kyuubi!" Koharu had lost her cool and was livid. She had even been burned with the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. She was mad and felt this was all Homura's fault.
"Shut up, woman!" Homura said, voice threatening. Koharu said nothing, and let him continue, "Why are we fighting? Neither of us did anything wrong. That Uchiha punk is just a freak. This proves that he really is from an evil clan."
Calming down, Koharu took a breath, "Yes. I do suppose you're right. If he is being protected by a demon, then he truly is evil. What should we do now? At this rate, Uchiha will be married and get to escape his proper punishment."
The old man shook his head, "I do not know, but a lot can happen in a few weeks. Perhaps Fate will be kind and get rid of that Uchiha for us. Until then, we need to be more careful. That punk is still a skilled shinobi, and we cannot underestimate him again."
Koharu still wasn't happy," I want to know how he got the Kyuubi's aid. That demon hates everyone. What makes him so unique?"
"Unless... It's just a coincidence." Homura muttered. There was a pause as both elders contemplated this odd occurrence.
The only source of the demon's chakra was the boy who was the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Did he help Uchiha? Was that even possible? And if it was, how would he do it, and why?
Homura didn't know the answers to these questions, and it frustrated him. He had always prided himself of planning things out, and outsmarting others, but now a child was outsmarting him? It was inconceivable. Perhaps the answers would reveal themselves in time, but there were more pressing concerns to be dealt with.
"Are we going to actually give him back the former Uchiha district?" Homura asked, removing his glasses and polishing them against his shirt. "No. The buildings are old. It's likely they will need to be torn down." Koharu said, a frown on her lined face.
The man wasn't convinced, "Things that are old aren't useless. You and I prove that. We provide protection for Konoha."
"Indeed... If the buildings are in good condition, we'll just order him to destroy them anyway. If it is assigned as a community service task, he will need to do it. If he refuses, then he violates the contract, and will be executed."
Homura stroked his beard thoughtfully," That will have to do for now." At least until I can think of something else. He thought.
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The sun had begun to set as Sasuke walked on to the Uchiha district grounds. The sunset's orange glow seemed to illuminate the fact that this area had been devoid of people for years. He walked slowly, looking around. The houses still stood, their walls marked with the Uchiha crest. That same red and white fan crest was exactly like the one on the back of his shirt. As the last Uchiha, he felt it was fitting to wear his clan's symbol. After all, who else could possibly wear it and understand its importance?
He continued to walk the old path to his home, where he had once lived with his brother, and their parents. Sasuke paused, looking at the front door. He wasn't sure if he should open the locked door. It had been years since he had last seen this place. It didn't change, but he felt as though he had. He stood in front of the locked door, and reflected on how he had changed...
When he was a child, he didn't care too much about anybody, except his family. Strangers were a little intimidating to him, so he had few acquaintances. After the massacre, he had stopped caring entirely about anyone. His single goal in life was revenge on his once-admired brother, Itachi. That did change eventually.
Sasuke had been assigned to Team 7, where he had been forced to cooperate with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. At first, he felt Kakashi was a lazy teacher, Sakura was boy-crazy and annoying, and Naruto was just a dobe. Over time, he recognized their good qualities, and found himself growing close to them, and even feeling a type of connection to them. However, he felt his bond with Naruto seemed to be the strongest. It also meant the most to him.
Despite this, Sasuke did leave the village and became a missing nin so he could get stronger. He trained, and trained for the sake of achieving his goal. His revenge was all that mattered. When he did finally get his revenge, he found that it wasn't what we wanted, or more importantly, needed. His family was still dead, and nothing had changed, except his hands were now stained with blood.
Then, Naruto had decided to show up in his life again. He succeeded in bringing the Uchiha back to Konoha, just like he always vowed he would. Strangely enough, Sasuke wasn't angry at Naruto for this. Now, he was glad that he was here in this village, where Naruto was.
Yes, he had changed. Before, he would have preferred to be alone, but now, he did want someone by his side. He wanted the only person who mattered to him...who had always mattered to him; Naruto.
With a hint of surprise, Sasuke realized that he wanted Naruto with him as he faced his past. His presence would definitely lighten the mood, and would have made things easier. Sasuke smiled slightly. He was beginning to really miss the blond, even though he had just seen him a few hours before.
I can't believe it. I guess I really have fallen for a dobe. Sasuke thought, unlocking the door, and stepping inside his former home, still full of memories.
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Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop, feeling the wind on his face. Blue eyes scanned the ground carefully. He hadn't seen Sasuke around lately, and was now looking for him. Just as he was starting to get really worried, he caught sight of the raven-haired boy walking towards his current direction.
"Hey Sasuke!" he called leaping off a rooftop and landing a few feet away from his friend.
"Hn." Sasuke replied, a far-away look in his dark eyes.
Naruto waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face, "Anybody home in there?"
"Don't be an idiot. I'm just thinking about some stuff." Sasuke answered, continuing to walk. As he passed Naruto, the blond noticed that the other boy was holding a small square item wrapped in purple fabric.
"What's that?" Naruto inquired, curious.
The raven-haired boy didn't say anything, but merely glanced at Naruto. He tossed the small bundle to Naruto, who eagerly caught it. He gently pulled off the fabric, not knowing what to expect. Beneath the fabric was a picture frame. Naruto flipped it over and looked at the image. It appeared to be a family photo. To be more specific, a family of four. A pretty mother was standing in a garden with her serious husband, and their sons: an older boy with a slight smile on his lips, and his younger brother, laughing next to him.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Sasuke... is this your..." he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.
Onyx eyes showed a hint of wistful sadness. "Yes. That was taken on my mother's birthday. She framed it, and kept it on her night-stand. She said she did it so the first thing she would see when she woke up was her family. After all these years, that picture remained right where she left it, until I decided to bring it with me."
"Oh. I see. How did you get it?" Naruto asked softly, continuing to look at the photograph, marveling how happy the Uchiha family looked, especially Sasuke.
"I went back to the Uchiha district to have a look around as an assignment. I found that and some other pictures that weren't framed." Sasuke put a hand in his pocket and removed a stack of photos held together with a black ribbon. He put them back after Naruto saw the bundle.
Naruto smiled. He knew the Uchiha wasn't the emotional type, and he definitely didn't share his feelings openly so it really meant a lot to Naruto that Sasuke was willingly showing him these pictures. "Thank you, Sasuke." He said, still looking down at the picture frame he held.
Sasuke stood near Naruto. He placed his hand under the blond's chin, and tilted his head up so they were looking at each directly. Sasuke leaned forward, until he was resting his forehead on Naruto's. A rare smile adorned the raven-haired boy's face. "You're welcome, Naruto. I knew you would be able to appreciate this." They remained like that, connected by their mutual fondness for one another.
At last, Naruto pulled away slowly, reluctantly. He was blushing. He rewrapped the picture frame, and passed it back to Sasuke. They looked at each other once more, and continued their walk in a comfortable silence.
A girl's voice called them,"Hey, Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"
Naruto looked around. From across the street, a blonde girl waved at them, "I've been looking for you two."
Ino ran up to them. Naruto smiled in greeting, while Sasuke remained expressionless. She spoke to Naruto, "Sakura told me to tell you not to be late for tonight." Then she looked at Sasuke. She winked at the attractive Uchiha before delivering her message, "Hinata's at the fanciest clothing store in Konoha. Today is the day when she's finally picking her wedding dress! You need to get your outfit too."
The boys briefly exchanged looks of mild disappointment, and then Naruto thanked Ino for her messages. The girl smiled and shook her head, ponytail dancing behind her. "Don't mention it. I just finished a flower delivery and just happened to find you two on my way back." She looked at both boys up and down, and turned around to head back to Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino waved at them, and darted off.
As Ino was leaving, she giggled as a thought occurred to her. Wow. Naruto's really handsome, and Sasuke- well, he's always been drool-worthy. It would be so hot if they were together...
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After Ino left, Sasuke asked," You're seeing Sakura?" his tone was sharp, almost accusing.
Naruto didn't notice the tone. He was thinking about the question, and finally remembered, "Oh yeah! She wanted to have some ramen with us tonight."
The Uchiha was skeptical, "Okay... What exactly did she say?"
Naruto repeated the earlier conversation with Sakura. Sasuke listened, becoming irritated. It was obvious that she wanted a date. Just her and Naruto... What about Naruto? Did he want that too?
Hn... Sakura is quite gifted. She has the unique ability to annoy me without actually talking to me. Sasuke thought, mood darkening.
"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked, voice showing no emotion.
"Hm... I don't think I can cancel on her. Sakura-chan will be really mad." Naruto shuddered, remembering how she gets when she's mad. The last thing he needed was to be punched so hard he would end up flying through the air... and then crash into a building on the way down. After his visualization, he continued to speak," I guess I'll go."
"That's fine. I have something I need to do anyway."
Naruto frowned. He wanted Sasuke to go with him. With hope in his eyes, he said," You should go with me. If you hurry up at the clothing shop, you can join us."
"Fine." was Sasuke's terse response. The Uchiha wasn't sure if Naruto told him that because he was just trying to be friendly, or he if really meant it. Regardless, Sasuke decided that hurrying up would be a good idea. He could ensure Sakura kept her hands off Naruto.
"Alright. See you later, then." Naruto said, his frown still on his face. He was bothered by the fact that the wedding was approaching so quickly. Eventually, he and Sasuke wouldn't be able to hang out together whenever they wanted to. Each of their lives would be so busy and it would keep them apart. He sighed, and remembered what he had once said.
I guess it is all for the best...
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Hinata spun around, her white dress twirling with her. "Well, what do you think?" the saleswoman, Kiku, asked the bride-to-be.
The Hyuuga heiress stopped and studied her reflection. She was wearing a snow-colored dress with a halter neckline, and long skirt that flared out gracefully. White roses were delicately embroidered on the dress's satin surface. "Yes, it is nice." Hinata said quietly.
"Nice? You look gorgeous!" Kiku exclaimed," Didn't I tell you? That dress really flatters your figure."
"I don't know. Perhaps it's a little revealing." Although Hinata did have a good figure, she didn't like to show so much skin. The dress was low-cut and tight. It accentuated all her curves. The girl turned to the side, looking at the mirror. There was one curve on her body that startled her. It was a small hill on her belly. Hinata suddenly felt sick.
"Can I have a looser dress?" Hinata asked, trying to push down the bump. Kiku didn't notice that part of Hinata's body. The saleswoman was jealous of Hinata's cleavage. Hmph. Some girls get all the luck.
Kiku sighed, then returned her attention back to the customer's face. She put a friendly smile on and made a suggestion. "Why don't we see what your future husband will think?"
Hinata's pale eyes widened." N-no, I..." She didn't get to finish her sentence because Kiku left the changing room.
"Uchiha-san!" Kiku called. She looked around briefly before being completely distracted by what she saw. A very handsome man wearing a black suit was tying his tie. He had glossy blue-black hair that stuck up in the back with longer strands that framed his face. His skin was as pale as moonlight and his eyes were obsidian pools that didn't give away his thoughts. Kiku couldn't help but gawk at him. She wasn't alone. All the women in the store were staring at this mysterious man.
Sasuke Uchiha (for it was him) finished with his tie. He looked up to see women staring. Some had their eyes bugged out. Others were wiping drool off their mouths. He cleared his throat and asked, "Excuse me, is Hinata finished?"
Kiku's head bobbed up and down. Even his voice was sexy! She felt like fainting.
"Yeah, I'll get her." Kiku practically floated away. She was so light-headed. It wasn't every day that a man like that walked into her shop. "Hinata-chan, your future husband wishes to see you." Once again, the saleswoman felt a stab of envy. Hmph! A great body and a sexy husband? Life is so unfair...
While Kiku was grumbling to herself, Hinata was still in the dressing room. The girl draped a shawl over her shoulders. She knew that Sasuke was very observant, and her little bump would attract his attention. She didn't know if he would be angry at her, but she didn't care about that. She was more worried about Kiba. She needed to tell him as soon as possible. She had wanted to tell him earlier at the hospital, but Tsunade had entered the room before she got the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was completely ignoring the stares he was getting. Instead, his own eyes were focused on the window he was sitting in front of. He glanced at the nearby clock. It was almost nine o'clock at night. He knew that Sakura and Naruto had already finished eating, and it was likely that they would pass by the clothing store. It was only a block away from Ichiraku Ramen.
Sure enough, Sasuke did see them passing by, across the street. Sakura was laughing at something Naruto had said. The pink-haired girl then stopped and hugged herself. Sasuke could read her lips and knew she had said she was cold. Naruto took off his orange and black jacket, and passed it to her. Sakura smiled and put it on. She then leaned closer to him, and intertwined her arm with his. Naruto looked at her, surprised. After seeing that, the Uchiha had needed to look away. He closed the window's curtain. If Sasuke would have continued to look, he would have noticed the sadness present on Naruto's own face.
While Sasuke was watching them, a single tear had slid down his cheek. The raven-haired boy noticed, and immediately wiped it away. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was his own tear. His chest felt strange too. It was as though his heart was in a vice, and being crushed.
"Sasuke-san!" Hinata called to him. He got up slowly, his expression devoid of emotion. He walked over to where Hinata was standing in front of a large mirror. Sasuke stood next to her, and looked at their reflections. Despite their nice clothes and the fact they were getting married, neither of them were smiling, he realized. Why? They weren't happy.
As the Uchiha continued to stare at his and Hinata's image in the mirror, a thought occurred to him. I have seen the past and the future in one day.
Today, he had seen his past in the Uchiha district. That was definite and could not be changed, no matter what. Right now, in the present, he was seeing his possible future. He would be married to Hinata, and Naruto would be with Sakura. That meant he wouldn't be with Naruto, and that caused the vice to tighten around his heart.
Sasuke suddenly felt a surge of anger. Why did bad things always have to happen to him? It was bad enough that his whole family was dead, but now that he found somebody worth loving - somebody who made him happy - that person was also going to be snatched away from him! The Uchiha had dealt with loss too many times and wasn't about to experience it again.
No. I will not accept that future. I'd rather die than see that happen.
