My Angel
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Without further ado, I give you chapter ten of My Angel!
Chapter Notation: Don't ever mess with Neji's cousin or get Sasuke mad. Hmm is Neji behaving an OOC fashion? I'm not sure.
Chapter Ten
Sasuke was cleared for release form the hospital a few hours later. He raced back to the Hyuga Estate. He just hoped that he got there before Hinata woke up. He had promised he would be back soon.
"Sasuke? Where were you?" Hinata asks when she sees him run into the medical wing.
Saskue sighs. He had already told her about some of his memories returning. He just couldn't find it in him to lie to his angel. But he really wished he could right now. He didn't want her to worry.
"At the hospital. I had another flashback. This time it was…Nevermind, how are you feeling?" Sasuke asks and takes her hand into his.
Hinata frowns. Whatever it was must have been bad for Sasuke not to want to talk about it. He was hardly the type to beat around the bush. And for all his crimes before losing his memories, lying or covering up the truth hadn't been one of them. So what could possibly make her most precious person act this way?
"A bit cold." She says and fakes a shiver.
"I'll get you some more blankets." Sasuke murmurs and turns around, about to head off to retrieve them.
Hinata knew that it was sneaky. But she also knew that a cuddly Sasuke was far more likely to tell her what he had seen. So she wasn't above using some underhanded methods to get the results she wanted.
Maybe, Sasuke was rubbing off on her in more ways than one. Hinata knew that she should be disturbed by this, but at the moment she didn't care. She was too worried about Sasuke to agonize over questions of morality.
"I don't want blankets." Hinata says.
"You don't? But you said you were cold." Sasuke replies and tilts his head in confusion in an adorably innocent way. (Who knew that Sasuke Uchiha could do adorable?)
"I am. But you are warmer than any blanket will ever be. I missed you while you were gone." She says.
"Oh." Sasuke says and gets in the bed with her.
He quickly lays on his side and wraps his arms around her tightly. Sasuke pulls against his chest. Then he throws the blanket over them before rewrapping his arms around her again.
"Better?" He whispers hotly into her ear.
"B-etter." She replies and leans into his hold, reveling in the warmth his body against hers, even with so many clothes separating them.
"Good." He says and kisses the top of her head, before burying his face into the crook of her neck and inhaling her sweet scent.
He smiles. Her scent always soothed him. Actually her mere presence was enough to chase his demons away. He had always known that he had many inner demons.
Sasuke just hadn't realized how many there were. That memory had been so vivid, it was like he was actually reliving it all over again in real time. But now here he was with his angel in his arms and it felt more like a bad dream than anything else. He didn't know how she did it. It was like magic.
She hated to do it. But she had to know. She had to know what had been so horrifying to remember that it caused him to end up in the hospital.
"Will you tell me now?" She asks.
"I once asked your father how my family died. He said honorably. Maybe he meant they faced down their killer bravely before they were murdered. There was so much blood, everywhere." Sasuke tells her with a far off look in his eyes, one that said he wasn't really "with" her anymore, but reliving that terrible memory once more.
Hinata blinks. He had seen the Massacre again? The world was cruel. It was heartbreaking enough to see one's kin slain once, but twice? The Hyuga Heiress had no idea how his sanity was still intact.
"I'm so sorry." She whispers to him and lays her head on his chest.
"It's not your fault. You aren't the one who butchered them. As bad as seeing that was, I know it isn't the thing that caused me to lock away my memories. If it was, I would have gotten amnesia as a child. It wouldn't make sense for it to be triggered years later. No, there is actually something worse in my past. I don't know what it is. I don't want to know. I like the present and the future seems bright. I don't want the past to steal that from me or from you." He says and wraps his arms around her even more tightly.
Hinata cuddles into him closer. He was holding onto her for dear life. It was as if was afraid to loosen his grip even slightly. It wasn't painful, but she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She got the impression that he was worried if he let her go, she'd disappear in a puff of smoke and that made her heart ache on his behalf.
"I know it isn't my fault. It still saddens me how much pain you've gone through and you don't even remember most of it. Now you are being forced to relive everything twice." She murmurs.
"It doesn't matter. The past is the past is the past. Besides, with you by me, I can endure almost anything." He says and kisses her forehead.
Hinata smiles. Who knew that Sasuke was such a romantic deep down? Well he might have always been a romantic. Perhaps he would have been this way from the beginning, if the Massacre had never happened.
She remembered him as always avoiding the girls at the Academy. Of course, she couldn't entirely blame him. They had been a little too…excessive in their pursuit of him. Perhaps Sasuke just preferred to be the one doing the chasing.
"You are really sweet when you want to be." Hinata says.
"Only for you. Is my brother still alive?" Sasuke asks.
"No. He's dead. You killed him." The bluenette replies honestly, as she remembers overhearing this news one day.
"Itachi Uchiha is dead." Kosuke said at one of the restaurants and Hinata's eyes widen in shock as she decided to listen in on this conversation further.
Kosuke was a Chunin from the Leaf Village. He was neither exceptionally talented, nor a weakling. He was just an average ninja by almost any metric. That applied to his looks as well. The 18 year old had short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. His eyes were his most attractive feature, everything else about him was unremarkable.
"What? Itachi? No way. Who killed him? The man wiped out an entire Clan single-handedly. Who could possibly take him?" Tanji inquired.
Tanji was a Genin who was scheduled to take the Chunin Exams soon. He was also Kosuke's cousin. He had sandy blonde hair and dark green eyes. Tanji like Kosuke would not really stick out in any Bingo Book.
"His baby brother killed him." Kosuke answered him.
"Oh good. He'll get a big reward for that. Pity he doesn't remember doing it. I still can't believe that he lost all his memories. Probably for the best though. He was shaping up to be just as psychotic as his elder brother." The younger man responded and Hinata felt a rush of white hot anger surge through her veins at this assessment, still she just kept listening.
"It's NOT about the money! You idiot! Itachi killed their entire family. It was about avenging them. Besides, Sasuke is living with the Hyugas in the lap of luxury anyway. What does he need money for?" The Chunin demanded to know.
"Yeah. I know. But still that's a lot of money. Yeah, the Hyugas. Still not sure how that one happened. I always thought the Hyugas and Uchihas hated each other. " His fellow patron mused.
"My guess is the Hyugas are smart. They see an opportunity here. Sasuke is the last of his Clan. If he likes them, they can form a powerful alliance later down the road, if he restores the Uchihas. That and I think he has a thing for the Heiress." Kosuke said.
"Well she is a pretty little thing. Hell of a rack to! I can't blame the guy. He probably wants to see what would happen if the bloodlines merged. Now there would be some fearsome ninjas." The second man replied.
Hinata twitches. How dare they talk about her, Sasuke, and her family like that?! Sasuke did not have a thing for her because she had a "nice rack" or he wanted to merge the bloodlines. He wasn't like that. Alright, he did seem to like looking at her breasts. But it's not like he was some random pervert like those two people!
"Hopefully she keeps him distracted if he gets his memories back with clan restoration. Lust might be one of the few things stronger than hatred." Kosuke chuckled and Hinata wanted to hit him.
"Indeed. Damn, I'm out of sake. Bartender, another round please!" Tanji called out and Hinata left before she did something she would regret, like bashing their skulls in.
"Good. I'm glad." Sasuke mutters and nuzzles the crook of her neck.
"Just don't let it change you. It's over now. The reason you were like that is gone. You can be happy now. You can start over." Hinata says and Sasuke nods in agreement.
Hinata sighs in relief. She wasn't sure what else he was going to remember. But it was hard to imagine what could be worse than Massacre. But something had broken Sasuke completely.
She knew it. What could cause someone who had already endured such pain to completely shut down like that. What was so horrific that his only way to maintain his sanity was to erase all his personal memories?
"I won't." He promises her.
"MASTER SASUKE! MASTER SASUKE!" Rio calls out.
"Rio?" Sasuke asks in confusion, wondering what his small Summon was freaking out about.
Rio jumps up and down, trying to get Sasuke's attention. He had to tell him what he saw! Sasuke had given him a task and he had completed it. Master Sasuke was going to be so proud. Maybe he'd get some snake treats and some wine! Rio really liked wine, particularly strawberry wine.
"Master Sasuke! I think that it was Toshi who poisoned Lady Hinata by accident!" Rio says.
"Rio, that's a very serious accusation." Hinata whispers.
The little snake nods. He knew it was. But he was almost positive that was the case. No sooner had the words left his mouth, then Sasuke shot off the bed, and out the door.
"This won't end well." Hinata says and slowly gets out of the bed and follows Sasuke.
"TOSHI!" Sasuke bellows and even the Hyuga Heiress had to wince at his tone, it was one that promised a very violent and slow death.
Sasuke was so loud, that the entire household seemed to have heard him. People stopped what they were doing to watch the Uchiha. Had it happened? Had his memories finally come back and had he snapped?
"Sasuke, what is wrong?" Hiashi asks as he cautiously approaches the younger ninja.
"Toshi tried to kill me, but ended up poisoning Hinata by mistake." Sasuke snarls in rage.
Hiashi blinks. He knew that Hanabi had expressed concerns about Toshi's unusual behavior. But to accuse him of attempted murder? It didn't seem to fit with the man's character.
"That is a very serious crime you are accusing him of. Do you have evidence? I will not allow you to kill one of my clansmen without proof. I hope you realize this." The Hyuga Patriarch says and tries to regain control of the situation that was quickly spiraling out of control.
"Rio, caught him muttering to himself about it." Sasuke replies.
"Who is Rio? Is he willing to bare witness at a trial?" Hiashi asks in confusion.
"I am Rio!" Came the tiny voice of the snake that was slithering beside Sasuke.
"SNAKE!" Some of the Hyugas panic, mostly women.
Sasuke sighs. Really? Ninjas that were afraid of a harmless garden snake? That was embarrassing. He knew that everyone had their fears, but seriously? He shakes his head in disbelief.
Hiashi privately shared Sasuke's sentiments. Honestly, it wasn't even a venomous snake or that big. It was a bit embarrassing to see some of his clanswomen and even a few clansmen lose their composure in such a fashion. But they had more important things to focus on.
"SILENCE! It's just a Summon. Rio, please speak your peace. I am very interested to hear what you plan to say." The Hyuga man says.
Rio perks up. He was always happy to have people pay attention to him! He was often overlooked because he was so small. Plus this was important.
"Thank you, Lord Hiashi. As I was saying, Toshi conspired to kill Master Sasuke. He planned to do this by poisoning his tea. But Lady Hinata drank the tea that was meant for Sasuke instead. That is why she nearly died because he attempted to murder Sasuke and it backfired!" He explains.
"There will be a trial. Toshi is entitled to a chance to defend himself. If what you say is accurate, I will have no choice but to sentence him to death." Hiashi says and Toshi is brought out by Neji.
Neji knew that Toshi had a grudge against Sasuke. The man had made no secret of it. But he had never thought that the other Branch Member would do something so foolish. In the brown haired man's mind, there was little doubt that what the snake said was the truth. Toshi had tried to kill Sasuke and by doing so, had probably forfeited his own life.
"Have some dignity." Neji mutters as he drags Toshi kicking and screaming to the prisoner holding room.
"He has none. Poison is a coward's weapon." Sasuke spat out the word poison with what could be described as only the highest level of contempt imaginable.
Hinata places her hand on Sasuke's shoulder. She scarcely recognized him at the moment. He was an angel of vengeance. Where was the man who had been holding her so tenderly, only just a few moments before?
"Sasuke, please let the trial run its course." Hinata whispers into his ear.
Sasuke would much rather have torn Toshi limb from limb NOW. He very much did not feel like waiting to avenge his angel. But he knew she was right. If he acted on the impulse, it would look very bad. He didn't want Hinata to think that he was some kind of monster who couldn't control himself. So he would wait for now.
"He doesn't deserve a trial. But he will get one. Let him have the night to realize that his death is inescapable." Sasuke mutters.
"Thank you." Hinata says.
A short time later, Hiashi sighs when he was alone in his study. He quickly takes out a scroll and begins penning a letter to Tsunade. He couldn't believe this had happened in his own household. Right under his own nose, a Hyuga had attempted to murder a guest in cold blood. This was simply unacceptable!
Dear Lady Hokage,
I regret to inform you that I write this to inform you of potentially horrific news. As you know, my daughter was poisoned. But she was not the target, Sasuke was.
We believe we have found the would be assassin. His name is Toshi. He is a Branch Member in our home. Tomorrow, we shall hold a trial. I have little hope that he will be found innocent.
I thought you should be made aware of these recent events. I do have fears that Sasuke's anger towards Toshi could erase all the progress he has made. It would be a shame. He has adjusted marvelously otherwise.
Yours faithfully, Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the Hyuga Clan.
He sends his letter out with a messenger hawk. The Hyuga Patriarch's heart was heavy. Hiashi could not hide the fact that he was deeply worried about Sasuke and by extension Hinata.
It did amuse him to some degree that Sasuke seemed to sincerely believe he could find privacy in this household. He was aware of the Byakugan's abilities and yet, he still insisted on trying to drag Hinata into darkened corners to steal kisses. Fortunately for him, other than that and a few caresses, that appeared to be all that he had stolen.
"How strange life is." He muses to himself.
He supposed he should count his blessings that it was Sasuke and not Naruto to a certain extent. Hiashi winces as he imagined BLONDE grandchildren. Likely very HYPER blonde grandchildren. At least with Sasuke that was not a possibility. (Well perhaps they would be hyper, but this seemed unlikely.)
Sasuke was far from lazy. But he did not have his teammate's excessive amount of energy that he burned for no apparent reason. That was a relief. Twins tended to run in their family and he couldn't imagine two hyper blonde children during their Terrible Twos. The very idea made him shudder with undisguised horror.
"I just hope he doesn't try to kill him before the trial." Hiashi mutters.
He would hate to have to discipline Sasuke for this. While he certainly could sympathize and part of him even agreed with the Uchiha, he couldn't allow it. Justice must be served and that included a trial.
"He even wanted to get her a gift." Hiashi muses, wondering what Sasuke had gotten her.
Flowers and the like did seem a bit too tame for the Uchiha to select. He just hoped that it wasn't something outrageous. Sasuke did not seem the type to buy racy lingerie for Hinata at this stage in their relationship. At least he hoped not. Sometimes he mused it would have been easier to have sons than daughters. But he wouldn't trade Hinata and Hanabi for the world.
Meanwhile, Sasuke visits where Toshi was being held. He had promised Hinata that he would let the trial go forth. He hadn't said anything about not terrifying the man. After all, he had to have SOME fun.
Toshi gulps when he hears footsteps. He sees Sasuke walk into the room. He knew he was going to die. The Uchiha's Sharingan was activated and he swore that he was looking into the eyes of a demon.
"You are lucky that Hinata actually believes in things like trials." Sasuke says as he approaches Toshi in a menacingly slow fashion.
"Lu-cky?" He asks in disbelief.
Sasuke nods. If it was up to him, Toshi would already be screaming in agony. He was going to make this coward beg for death a thousand times over before he was done with the Branch Member. But patience was a virtue.
"I don't. I know most of them are rigged from the start. You have less than day before you are convicted and perhaps a few more days after that to live. You see, I don't remember much of my life before I got here. I'm almost certain that I wasn't a medic. But I know more than enough about the human body to drag your death out for quite sometime." Sasuke promises him.
"You are a monster! I had to save Lady Hinata from you!" He snarls out and tries to back away from Sasuke, but it was no use…he was chained to the wall.
"And in trying to "save" her, you nearly killed her. Great job. With a protector like you, who needs actual enemies?" Sasuke asks and emphasizes the word protector in a wickedly cruel fashion, as if mocking Toshi's very existence.
"That was an accident! I would never intentionally hurt Lady Hinata!" He protests.
Sasuke tilts his head to the side as if considering something. It all suddenly made a lot more sense. Toshi didn't hate Sasuke because he was Sasuke. He hated him because he loved Hinata and Sasuke "stole" her away from the Branch Member.
"You love her." He states as a fact, leaving no room for argument.
"I do! You are a demon. You have no idea what love is! I was just trying to save her from you. How could I possibly know that she would walk so willingly into the serpent's den?" He hisses at Sasuke.
"That's right. I am a demon. You should have thought of that before you tried to kill me. Before I'm done with you, you will be begging for the mercy Hell will provide to you. Are you aware of how much blood a person can lose before they die? I am. Down to the exact drop. I could slowly bleed you dry. That does sound appealing." Sasuke muses as he circles Toshi like a predator.
Toshi gulps. He must not show fear. He wouldn't give this vile beast the satisfaction. The Uchiha could probably smell fear like an animal though. He wouldn't put it past that cursed Clan.
"You don't frighten me. I am confident that my clansmen and clanswomen will pardon me when they see what you really are. Everything that I did, I did to protect this family from YOU! They should be thanking me for my loyal service." He growls in rage.
"Your loyal service almost got Hinata killed. She's an angel. She might actually forgive a wretch like you. I'm not though. I will make sure you suffer before I finally allow you to die. And make no mistake, it will be purely based on a whim how long I decide to make you suffer." He warns him.
Toshi gulps. He wonders why the Gods and Goddesses had abandoned him to face this monster alone. He briefly considers trying to find a way to end it all before the trial.
"You won't be allowed to take your own life either. I'm not that kind." Sasuke says as he turns to head off.
"Someday she'll see you for what you really are." Toshi yells at him.
"Maybe. But you won't be around to see that day. She knows what I am and she loves me despite all of my faults. She doesn't love you. You'll go to your grave knowing that she chose a "demon" over you. Over her own blood. I hope that thought torments you as the light finally leaves your eyes." Sasuke mutters as he leaves.
Neji watches from the hallway. He overheard everything. The lavender eyed man raises an eyebrow. Sasuke Uchiha could certainly put on a grand show when he desired to do so.
"Has anyone ever told you that you are a little overdramatic?" Neji asks.
"You are the first. But I think I got the point across all the same." Sasuke answers with a smirk.
The lavender eyed man looks Sasuke up and down. He was convinced that his feelings for Hinata were genuine. Somehow she gotten Sasuke to agree not to kill Toshi before the trial.
That had to be love. What else could possibly outweigh Sasuke's desire for revenge. After all, wasn't that what the majority of his life had been driven by?
"You asked him if he loved her. Do you?" He inquires.
"With all my heart. That's just one of the many reasons why I am going to enjoy killing him." Sasuke says.
"Do you truly believe that Hinata would approve of you torturing a man in her name?" The other man asks.
Sasuke frowns. He considers this. No. She wouldn't. But that was why she was his angel and he wasn't one. Hinata was kind and forgiving. He was not.
"No. But she knows what the penalty is for an attempted assassination. She doesn't need to see how he dies." Sasuke replies.
"I do highly recommend castration as the finishing touch." Neji says.
"I knew there was a reason that I liked you." Sasuke says with a smirk.