My Angel
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Hmm not much to say on this one other than on with the story and I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
Chapter Nine
Sasuke and Tsunade make their way back to the Hyuga Estate. While on their way, the Uchiha briefs the Hokage about Hinata's case. He tries to be as thorough as possible. You never knew what small thing might lead to a major breakthrough.
"It was odorless, colorless, and I believe tasteless. Though I am not eager to find out that last part. It was extremely fast acting as well." Sasuke tells her.
"Have they pumped her stomach yet?" Tsunade asks once they arrive at the medical wing of the Hyuga Estate.
"Yes, of course we have, Lady Hokage." A Hyuga physician replies and hands the busty blonde, Hinata's medical chart.
Tsunade looks it over. She frowns. That was an extremely deadly poison. Someone clearly had wanted to make certain Sasuke died. But Hinata had drunk the tea in his stead.
"I'll administer the antidote. I'm familiar with this poison. I will be back shortly with it. Her condition seems stable enough for me to make the trip without it causing her more harm." She muses.
"We are extremely grateful for your help, My Lady." The physician says and Tsunade nods, heading off.
Sasuke looks at Hinata. He brushes the bangs from her face. Soon she'd wake up and everything would be right again. Well after he slaughtered that cowardly son of a bitch who made her ill in the first place.
He glances at her hands. She had such soft, delicate looking hands. They were small. He tilts his head trying to guess what size ring she would wear. He guessed a size seven.
"I'm back." Tsunade says a few minutes later and returns with the antidote, which she administers to Hinata.
"How long will it take to work?" Sasuke asks softly.
"Hard to say. It could be as little as a few minutes since her stomach was already pumped or a few hours. But she will wake. Don't worry. She's a perfectly healthy woman. She has that going for her. It's not as if she was already sick or a child. She can fight this." Tsunade assures him and Sasuke nods.
His angel was a lot stronger than most people thought. She looked so fragile, like a beautiful China Doll. But she wasn't fragile. She was a Jonin. Hinata was strong. She would be okay.
"Thank you." Sasuke murmurs gratefully to Tsunade and the blonde departs.
She sighs. Tsunade had seen that look on Sasuke's face. His memories might be gone, but he clearly did remember how to love. The last Uchiha was in love and this could end in disaster. Still she didn't have the heart to remind him once again why this was a good idea.
If Dan were suddenly return, she would have leapt at the chance to be with him. Logic be damned. In a way, right now Sasuke was a younger version of herself. Only his love hadn't actually died, yet. She had come dangerously close though.
The Hokage was grateful she hadn't. She truly did like Hinata. But even more importantly, if that woman died…she knew what would happen.
Sasuke would go on a rampage the likes of which hadn't been seen since the Nine Tails attacked the village. The streets would likely be bathed in blood. Thank goodness that hadn't happened.
Meanwhile Hanabi frowns as she goes to find her father. She didn't like it. Something was off. Something was off with Toshi.
She had never known the man to gamble. He was claiming to have lost quite a big sum of money as well. That was so unlike him. The younger sister felt unsettled by this explanation and decides it would be best to get her father's opinion on the matter.
"Father, do you have a moment to speak with me?" She calls out softly once she was in his study.
"Of course. What is it? You seem deeply troubled by something? Do not worry about Hinata. I am positive she will be fine. She received medical care swiftly." Hiashi assures her.
The young girl shakes her head. Truthfully, she was deeply worried about her elder sister, but that was not why she was seeking her father out on this day. No, something else was on her mind.
"It's not about Hinata. It's about Toshi." She says.
"What about him?" Hiashi asks in confusion, wondering why Hanabi had sought him out to discuss the Branch Member.
"I stumbled upon him while he was talking to himself. He appeared most distressed." She begins.
Hiashi raises an eyebrow. He certainly did not approve of spying. But he knew that Hanabi meant no ill will. That and she was only ten. The Hyuga Patriarch was certain she would outgrow this undignified habit before long.
"You know that it is wrong to spy on people in such a fashion. But continue." He says, urging her on.
"He kept saying damn him." She mutters.
Now the father was intrigued to say the least. Damn who and why? Perhaps Hanabi had discovered something important after all.
"Did he say the name of whoever he was cursing?" He inquires.
Hanabi shakes her head no. She should have pressed for a name. But she figured that would have only made Toshi suspicious.
"He said that he had gambled and lost quite a bit of money. I've never known him to gamble before and certainly not such a large amount. It's unlike him, father." She continues.
Hiashi had to concede his youngest daughter had a point. He had never known Toshi to gamble either. It did seem like a cover crafted quickly on a whim because it certainly did not have the ring of truth to it.
"And you believe this was a lie?" He questions her.
The younger Hyuga could only nod her head. It seemed so odd. Perhaps it was nothing. She might very well simply be overanalyzing things. Something in her gut told her this was not the case though and that was why she had sought out her father's advice.
"I must admit that my suspicions are aroused as well. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I shall watch him closely until I get to the bottom of this. It may very well be nothing. Perhaps he merely acquired the bad habit recently." Hiashi says and by bad habit, he meant gambling.
"Perhaps, father. Thank you for listening to me. I didn't know what else to do." She murmurs and Hiashi nods, dismissing her.
Elsewhere in the Hyuga Household, Rio slithers about quickly. He had been following Toshi as instructed. The Branch Member hadn't even been aware of his presence. He overheard the man's pacing the day Hinata was poisoned. It couldn't be a coincidence.
The snake decided he had to tell Master Sasuke. But he was worried what his reaction would be. He might very well tear the village apart and that would only serve to frighten his lady.
"Master Sasuke?" Rio says when he slithers into the medical ward.
Sasuke wasn't paying attention though. The center of his world was currently Hinata. He lets out a loud sigh of relief when he saw the woman's eyes begin to slowly flutter open in confusion.
"You are awake. Thank goodness. I thought that I had lost you." Sasuke murmurs as he caresses her cheek tenderly.
"Sasuke? What happened? Why am I in the medical wing?" Hinata asks in confusion.
Sasuke frowns. How could he tell his sweet, innocent angel that she had been poisoned? Hinata had been poisoned by tea that had clearly been meant for him.
"You are were poisoned. Someone was trying to kill me. But you drank the tea before I had. I am so sorry, Hinata." He whispers.
"It's not your fault, Sasuke. But we have to figure out who did this. They'll try again." She mumbles and Sasuke nods.
Sasuke kisses her. Hinata moans into the kiss and wraps her arms around his neck. It was a kiss that was different than all the others. This kiss was one of desperation. It almost felt like Sasuke was trying to consume her or perhaps to make sure that she was really there.
She always tasted so sweet. How did she always taste so sweet, he wondered. It didn't matter. She was his angel and she was still alive. Hinata hadn't been stolen from him by the Angel of Death, just yet. He couldn't believe how close it had come to that.
"I know. Still I can not help but feel guilty. Someone wanted to kill me. But they nearly killed you instead. I promise you that I will find out who did this. I won't allow anyone to hurt you again." He vows.
"Sasuke, I know that. Sometimes though, I think you forget that I'm a ninja. Our lives will always be endangered to a certain extent." She reminds him.
"I know that. I just…wish that I had protected you better. I love you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't woken up." He admits.
Hinata lets out a soft sigh. She runs her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair in a comforting gesture. She was still amazed that the spiky locks were so soft. Hinata had always expected them to feel harsher. Then again, she had thought the very same thing about Sasuke himself once.
"This is not your fault. I'm alright. It's fine. We'll find out who did this and everything will be alright." She whispers to him and kisses his cheek.
"Yes, it will be." Sasuke agrees.
He was so different now. Sasuke without the Massacre was a completely different person than the one who had been forced to endure such a tragedy while he was so young. It was like they were two completely separate people.
This Sasuke was not a man who had only thoughts of revenge on his mind. This wasn't a man who was consumed by hatred and bitterness towards the war. No, this Sasuke was kind, gentle, playful, and at times…well rather naughty. This Sasuke professed to love her and she believed him. The transformation as truly stunning.
"I just hope that when you wake up, you do not forget me." She whispers.
"I would never forget you now. Don't worry about that for a single moment. You should rest." He tells her and Hinata nods.
"Alright. So should you. I can see those bags under your eyes. I doubt you have gotten any sleep since I was poisoned." She observes and notices Sasuke couldn't deny that.
"Very well. The medics will be nearby if you need anything. I'll see you soon." He tells her before kissing her forehead and heading off to let her sleep off the lingering effects of the poison in peace.
Sasuke heads off. He had access to his Clan's funds now. While Hinata rested, he'd go shopping. He mentally winced at that word. Oh how he LOATHED shopping. But sometimes it was necessary.
He heads into the Leaf Village and looks around until he finds what appears to be a rather upscale jewelry shop. He noticed that only people who looked well off were entering. The building was large and grand, so that was another sign he must be in the right place. Sasuke heads inside curiously.
"Is that Sasuke Uchiha?" One of the patrons whispers.
"I believe it is. I wonder what he's doing in a jewelry shop?" Another answers with a question of their own.
The clerk, who appeared to be rather brave, heads over to Sasuke. The Uchiha had to admire his courage. Most of the other people were watching him with a mixture of awe and wariness. For the thousandth time since his return, he wondered what he had done to have this effect on people. And he, once again decides that he didn't want to know.
"Excuse me, sir. May I be of some assistance?" He asks.
"Yes. Where is the section where you keep the rings? The engagement rings specifically." Sasuke replies.
Idly, Sasuke was impressed. He didn't know that human eyes could go that wide. He wished he had brought a camera. The moment was rather comical. Oh well, he had more important things to worry about than the shocked look upon some clerk's face.
"R-ight this way, sir." He replies and leads Sasuke to the back section.
Sasuke didn't remember much of his previous "life." But all his practical knowledge was intact. This told him that he had never really invested much time in learning about jewelry.
Why should he? He was a ninja, not a jeweler. At the moment though, he found his lack of knowledge in this area a bit frustrating because there were just so many damn choices!
"As you can see, we have quite a large selection to choose from. So I am sure you will find something to your liking." The clerk offers him a wary smile.
A wide selection to choose from was putting it rather mildly, Sasuke thought. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands of engagement rings before him. To him, they all looked beautiful and shiny. How the fuck was he ever supposed to pick one?
"I can tell you are a bit overwhelmed. Well it helps to think about the woman you wish to propose to. Tell me about her?" He inquires.
"She's beautiful and very innocent, shy. Stronger than she looks." Sasuke says.
"Well if you are going for beautiful and innocent, I would always recommend diamonds. They do represent purity. They are also a safe choice as they are so popular." He offers.
"That sounds good." Sasuke says, not at all sure if the other man was just bullshitting him into a sale.
Sasuke remembers the old saying though. Diamonds are a girl's best friend. So maybe Hinata would like them either way.
"The top shelf has all the diamond engagement rings." The clerk continues and Sasuke looks.
"This one is rather nice." Sasuke says as he reaches for it.
It was a golden band with an engraving on the inside that said, I will always love you. There was a large circular diamond in the center and two medium sized ones framing it.
"Oh yes, that's a good choice. It's a very expensive one though. Engravings are costly." He explains.
"Price doesn't matter to me. How much is it?" He asks and the clerk tells him.
Sasuke blinks. The other man hadn't been exaggerating. It didn't matter though. Sasuke had inherited all his clan's wealth. The other man might as well have told him that it was free. The Uchiha pays for the ring and heads off.
He smiles, deciding it was a good ring. Hinata should like it. Now he just had to figure out how to propose to her. He did want it to be special, but he knew he wasn't really good at being "romantic."
Normally, he just showed he cared by pushing her against a wall and kissing her or that one time giving her a chakragasm. Sasuke knew he was a man that was just better at expressing affection physically than verbally. But for Hinata he would try. For her, he would do anything. That's when he noticed the Full Moon and a flashback was triggered.
Sasuke was just a small boy. He remembers staying late at the Academy one night to practice throwing kuanis. He certainly couldn't have been more than seven years old.
"Mother and father are going to be worried about me, if I'm late for dinner." He muttered as he raced home.
Something was wrong though. The District was eerily quiet. Too quiet. Suddenly feeling alarmed, he rushed into his home.
"Mother, father, big brother…I'm home!" He called out.
Upon hearing no answer, he only grew more worried. He calls out again and again. But each time, he received no answer. And each time, the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach grew larger and more impossible to ignore.
He decided to check his parents' room. He gasped in horror at what he saw. His parents were lying on the floor in a pool of their own blood.
"MOTHER! FATHER!" He screamed out desperately and threw himself over their dead bodies.
"Please wake up! Please wake up! We'll get you help!" He sobbed desperately.
"They won't wake up. Their dead, Sasuke." He heard his brother say.
"Itachi! Help. We need to help them!" He cried out desperately and that's when he saw the sword in his elder brother's hand.
"You…killed them. WHY?! WHY?!" The little boy demanded to know in fear and anger.
"To test my limits. You aren't worth killing. Let your hatred grow and someday you may be worthy of fighting me." Itachi told him and left, him all alone, crying.
The next day, he awoke in a hospital. He heard the medics talking about what a shame it was that such Noble Clan was gone. And he knew, he just knew that he was alone now.
Itachi had murdered their family. Itachi had to pay. He had to pay for what he did to their Clan. Sasuke promised himself that he would get stronger and avenge their family!
Overcome with grief, Sasuke collapsed. He knew though even as he was fighting against a panic attack, this hadn't been what caused his memories to go away. He'd been seven. Why would it trigger amnesia now as an adult? The worst was yet to come and he was certain of that.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yells when he sees his friend rolling around in the street as if he was having some sort of seizure.
He rushes over and grabs him. Naruto immediately placed a piece of cloth in Sasuke's motuh to keep him from biting his tongue. That is what Sakura had told him to do once if he ever saw someone having a seizure.
Sasuke was vaguely aware of someone touching him. But the memory just wouldn't stop replaying itself on an endless loop. He had no control over his body at this point.
"Don't worry, we'll get you some help." Naruto says and whisks his friend to the hospital.
A few hours later, Sasuke was stabilized. He was now coherent enough to realize he was in a hospital. He saw a certain blue eyed ninja sitting by his bedside. Shit.
He was now aware enough of what was going on around him to realize this was bad. He would now have to explain to Naruto what happened. And he couldn't come up with a single good excuse to justify why a healthy ninja such as himself had a seizure. Damn it.
"Sasuke, what the Hell happened? I found you rolling around in the street having some kind of fit!" The blonde exclaims.
"Loser, it's a long story." Sasuke mutters.
The other member of Team Seven looks at Sasuke closely. Something big was up. But damn him if he could figure out what it was for the life of him. What could cause Sasuke of all people to have a fit like that?
He had been so happy since he came back. Without the burden of his memories, while he was still a sarcastic bastard, he had been on a rather even keel. Now something had upset him to the point where he had lost control of his body. This was very un-Sasuke-like behavior!
"I've got nothing but time, bastard." He says.
"If I tell you, you have to give me your word as a ninja that you won't tell anyone else. I don't want to cause a panic." He mutters.
Naruto blinks. This had to be bad. Sasuke wanted his word as a ninja before he would even tell him what was going on? What could possibly have Sasuke so damn spooked? The bastard he knew had never been scared of anything.
"Alright. I promise. What's going on?" The blonde demands.
"I had a flashback. A rather unpleasant one." He answers vaguely.
It wasn't much to go on. But it didn't take a genius to realize which memory would hold so much power over the dark haired man before him. There could only be one with that much punch. Sasuke had just relived the Massacre.
"You saw the Massacre, didn't you?" Naruto asks in a whisper and Sasuke could only nod, as he looks out the window.
He wanted the images to stop. But they wouldn't. Over and over he saw his parents laying in that pool of their own blood. He saw his brother's callous face explaining that he had murdered their entire family just to test his limits. How could he have forgotten this?
"Shit! I'm so sorry, Sasuke. No wonder you were acting like that. Damn. I can't even begin to imagine. Is there anything I can do?" Naruto asks.
"Check may pocket and make sure the ring is still there." Sasuke says.
Naruto looks at him in confusion? What ring? Nevertheless he does as his friend instructed. The blonde reaches into Sasuke's pocket and pulls out a beautiful engagement ring.
"You're…proposing?!" He asks.
"Yes, I am. I love her. She loves me. I almost lost her because some coward tried to poison me and she drank that tea that was meant for me. I'm not going to let that happen again." Sasuke says.
"Yeah. I heard about that. I can't believe that happened. Is Hinata okay?" He asks in concern.
"She'll be alright. Tsunade came and looked at her. The Lady Hokage gave her the antidote and that was after Hinata had her stomach pumped. She woke up not long ago. I almost lost her, Naruto." Sasuke whispers the last sentence.
Naruto blinks. The bastard really did love her. It was insane. He couldn't think of two people who were more different from each other, yet love had somehow blossomed between them. It was like Yin and Yang. Actually, in a really weird way, it was poetic.
"Do you think she'll say yes?" He asks.
"I don't know. We haven't been together very long and I know she's worried about my memories coming back. But that doesn't matter to me. My feelings for her aren't going to change either way." He says.
"You're really serious about this." Naruto marvels.
"Loser, I've never been more serious about anything in my life. When you find the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, you just know. I'm sure somewhere out there, that there is someone dumb enough to put up with you for a few decades." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"You really are such a bastard!" Naruto grumbles.
"I know." Sasuke replies smugly.
