Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to Melanieciel, Sachiko Heiwajima, Guest, ImCutePoison, crimsonkira, Dani Stark, Kibachow, Eveel Me, Tamani, wolf-enzeru, rao hyuga 18, NeverInUrWildestDreams, and CrimsonNight41 for all your amazing reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this to their favorite and follows lists - I'm blown away!

Author's Note: More SasuHina interaction to be found in this chapter! I've been looking forward to this one for a while - it's probably in my top 5 favorites from the whole story, especially the second scene. I loved writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it! Thanks for checking it out!

*~Chapter X~*

~Confrontation~

Sasuke knew if he was going to have a chance to go the library and do some more research before his brother arrived, Thursday was it. After Jiraiya left, the best-selling author did a load of laundry, worked out in the gym in his basement, played with Ninja for a while, then worked a couple more hours on his outline for his (hopefully) next book. Then he ate lunch, changed into his disguise, and headed for the library.

He wasn't a fool - he doubted his disguise would work on Hinata now she'd met the real him. But even if she did recognize him, hopefully the baggy clothes and hat would keep anyone else from making the same connection. After all, she was the only one (that he knew of) who had seen him as both himself and in the disguise. So though he felt reasonably sure Hinata was going to recognize him (oh, wasn't this going to be fun?), he also felt certain no one else would.

But he had to go to the library - and, strangely, wanted to go to the library. It was a risk, but one worth taking.

All for the sake of his fans, naturally.

Hat pulled down low over his eyes, Sasuke slouched into the library, feeling a flutter of uncertainty in his stomach when he noticed Hinata sitting at the desk. Usually right after lunch (at least, in his limited experience), she reshelved all the returns and the holds which hadn't been picked up.

But of course, the one time he really wanted her to be gone from the desk, there she sat. She seemed to be nibbling on her thumb knuckle as she stared intently at the computer screen in front of her, forehead wrinkled and her delicate features set in an expression of deep thought. As he lingered in the doorway and watched, she winced and clicked the mouse loudly, as if what she'd just seen frustrated her.

Figuring he should just be a man and get this over with (as soon as possible), Sasuke tugged self-consciously on the brim of his hat again and strode over to the desk. Keeping his head tilted so it mostly blocked his face, he said, "I'm going to go get some books again, okay?"

From beneath the brim of his hat, he saw Hinata jump slightly at his sudden appearance. She looked up, making the long purple earrings in her ears swing like twin pendulums beneath her curtain of dark hair. She peered owlishly up at him with her big pale eyes, blinked, and said, "Oh, it's you. Of course, please, go on." She waved vaguely toward the nonfiction section and then went back to her computer.

Okay then. That was easy. Feeling grateful for the reprieve, Sasuke scuttled back to his research supply and started pulling down books. If she hadn't been so distracted, he knew she would have recognized him. What's she so intent on, anyway? She looked like the fate of the world hung in the balance of whatever she was doing.

Scoffing quietly under his breath, Sasuke hauled his armful of books back to his corner and settled in. He didn't know much about women, but what little he did know made him sure little things like the wrong color of makeup or a chip in their nail polish was earth-shattering.

But for some reason, Hinata didn't strike Sasuke as that type of woman. Every time he'd seen her, she'd seemed very quiet and serious, not outgoing and scatterbrained. He had a feeling whatever made her look so worried was definitely significant.

Another quick glance around, then Sasuke pulled out his glasses and slipped them on. Usually the few times he went out he wore contacts, but the mail had lost his newest supply and he was out until the next batch arrived. So like it or not, as long as he was going to be reading, writing, or typing, he needed to wear his glasses.

Shaking off his thoughts of everything but work, Sasuke buckled down and got down to it. He was really racking up a lot of good material, and the book was starting to flow together. The main characters were coming to life in his head, and the groundwork was already laid for (what he hoped would be) a solid plot. His home provided the perfect inspiration for the spooky old mansion in the book (though Sasuke always insisted his had characters, not ghosts), and...

...He just couldn't seem to shake the heroine's rather significant resmblence to the librarian at the front desk. He'd tried several times to change her, but as soon as he got into the rhythm of things, he reverted back to the heroine-who-looks-and-acts-like-Hinata.

Sasuke felt reasonably sure she wouldn't appreciate being the heroine in his newest novel. But he also couldn't help himself - he had to go where inspiration led him, especially now - so as long as she didn't find out (and he sure wasn't planning on telling her), he should be fine.

At last resigning himself to the fact Hinata was going to star in his newest book (with names changed to protect the innocent, naturally), Sasuke found himself really getting into the flow of things. Idea after idea poured from his brain, through his fingers on the keyboard, onto the page. He jolted out of his rhythm at 4:43 with the realization he'd stayed much longer than he'd intended. If he wanted to get back home before people started getting off work and flooding into the library, he'd best pack things up and head out now.

After shutting down his computer and tucking it back into his messenger bag, Sasuke put away his glasses and then gathered up his armload of books to return to the shelf. The library had been nice and quiet all afternoon, just the way he liked, with only a handful of people coming in over the course of the afternoon to use one of the computers, drop things off, or pick up their reserved books. No one ventured close to where he sat in his cozy corner.

With great care to make sure he put them right back where he found them, Sasuke returned the books to the shelf and then headed toward the front of the library. If he could slip out of the library past Hinata, that would be great. But he had a feeling he wouldn't be so lucky a second time.

It's only until January. For some reason, that thought really didn't reassure Hinata that much.

She'd gotten a text from Hanabi letting her know she only planned to live with her older sister until January, when she would go west three states over and live in a college dorm. But July to January was a very long time to have Hanabi living under the same roof again - one of the many things she'd gratefully escaped when she moved out.

For the time being, at least, she chose not to think about summer vacations.

Tenten's only half-joking words from the night before flittered through Hinata's memory. "Well, Hinata, you could always show your dad your tattoo. That would pretty much put an end to his machinations, I think."

Only three - no, four now - people knew about her tattoo: herself, Tenten (who was there with her when she got it, and got a dragon tattoo on her own shoulder), Neji (who had smiled in amusement and quietly applauded her slight rebellion), and now the mysterious man with the hat who kept coming into the library and looking at books on the supernatural. Perhaps he thought his home was haunted, and he was trying to figure out what to do about it?

While Tenten's idea was one Hinata would hold in reserve, she'd really rather her father not find out about the sunflower on her ankle. If Hiashi didn't instantly have a heart attack at the sight of the tattoo, he would probably go off on an hour-long tirade about how disappointed he was in Hinata, and how childish and irresponsible she was.

On the bright side, that would probably keep him from forcing her to let Hanabi move in...

Hinata could just hear it now: "You're not responsible enough to keep yourself out of trouble, let alone your younger sister! How could you, Hinata? I am so disappointed in you!"

At least part of the speech she'd heard before. Ad nauseum. It wasn't anything new.

But she would really rather keep her tattoo a secret. So that left her back at square one: trying to find a way to keep Hanabi from moving in with her that would satisfy everyone, and not let certain secrets out of the bag.

And not give her father a heart attack.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone approach the desk from the direction of the shelves. Hinata looked up with her usual courteous smile, then noticed it was the man with the hat.

He stopped in front of the desk, a black messenger bag slung over his right shoulder, his left hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans. "I put all the books back on the shelf," he said. "Thanks for letting me pull them down and look at them."

Shaking off her preoccupation, Hinata let her smile turn from professionally courteous to a warmer, more personal smile. "No problem. Thanks for letting me know, and for putting them back where they came from when you're done. But are you sure you don't want me to check any of them out for you? It's really no problem."

The man hesitated, head tilting slightly as he looked back toward the nonfiction section. "I already have a library card," he said slowly, "but it's several years out of date." He sounded doubtful, almost edgy.

"That's no problem," Hinata replied cheerfully. "All I need to do is update your information - make sure your address, e-mail, and phone number are all current, then renew the card, and it will be good for another year. It won't take but a minute, and then you can check out the books for three weeks - and even renew them a couple of times."

Once again the man's gaze slid back toward where he'd been just a few minutes before, then toward the door only a few steps away. She had the oddest feeling, like he was going to bolt. "It's not that I'm trying to get rid of you or anything," she said quickly. She tilted her head slightly, trying to get a look under the hat. Why was he so determined to hide under that hat? The first time was kind of cute - now it was just plain irritating. "I just thought it might be easier on you."

Sighing, he dug his wallet out of one of the messenger bag's pouches, flipped it open, and pulled out an antiquated card. He stared at it for a long moment, face completely hidden behind the bill of his cap, as if wondering if he really wanted to hand it over to her.

Hinata raised her eyebrows at what part of his card she could see. He wasn't kidding when he said his card was out of date - she hadn't seen a card like that since she was in middle school. Clearing her throat, she said softly, "I might have to issue you a new card. That one is pretty old from the looks of it, and we've changed our system a bit since then." She couldn't even scan that card, which meant the number would have to be input manually each time he wanted to check something out. She was willing to do it, but he struck her as the type who would much rather get things done quickly.

Shifting nervously, he said, "Fine, I'll take a new one, then."

Smiling, Hinata said, "No problem. Give me just a second, please." Leaning down, she pulled a new set of cards from beneath the desk along with a blank form and handed them to the man across the desk. "All you have to do is fill out those papers, then I'll scan the cards to activate them, input the information into the computer, and you'll be good to go."

The man shot another nervous look toward the door, then plucked a pen out of the little cup on her desk and hurriedly scrawled the required information on the form she'd handed him. Clicking the pen shut a few seconds later, he dropped it back into the cup and then held the sheet of paper out toward her.

Wondering if she'd even be able to read what he'd written, Hinata took the paper from his large hand while simultaneously scanning the cards - one for his wallet and one for his keychain - with her other. Turning toward the computer, she shook the mouse and reached for the keyboard to input the man's information in the little window which had popped up on the screen.

Hinata glanced at the name, started to type it in, then did a double take. Blinked at it. Checked again, just to make sure she was reading it right.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Looking up, she found Uchiha Sasuke standing before her, nervously twisting his cap between his hands, an anxious expression on his thin face as he stared at her. Popping to her feet, Hinata waved the sheet of paper and nearly screeched, "You're the one who's been coming into the library in disguise and pulling down all those books from the shelves?!"

He winced slightly, as if she'd slapped him. "You don't understand," he said softly.

"You played me for a fool!" Hinata's hand tightened around the paper until she felt it crumple in her grip. "How nice of you, sneaking in under my nose, laughing at the silly little librarian, and then walking in here yesterday evening cool as you please, as if you'd never seen me before in your life!" She realized the tone of her voice was only a notch below shouting. Her vision was also surprisingly blurry, but she couldn't help herself.

How could she have been so stupid last night? Why hadn't she recognized him, especially when he spoke to her? Even if she hadn't registered his height, or the way he moved, or even his hands, which she'd seen quite clearly before, she should have recognized his voice!

Even earlier, when he stopped by the desk to tell her he was going to pull down some books, Hinata should have realized. But she'd been too distracted, and look at where she was now.

"I wasn't trying to trick you deliberately." A muscle in Sasuke's jaw pulsed visibly, and he looked away from her. "Never mind. I won't bother you again." Turning away, he swept through the doors and vanished, leaving Hinata trembling in his wake.

Sinking back down into her chair, Hinata stared at the paper she still clutched in her hand. Laying it on the desk, she smoothed it out and stared at it, taking note of his bold handwriting, surprisingly neat considering how fast he'd written down his information. Everything was there - his name, address (though that one was obvious), and his e-mail address, though she noticed he hadn't put down his phone number.

Sighing, Hinata turned back toward the computer and typed in all the information quickly and then saved it. Sasuke's cards were activated, but she didn't know if he'd take them. Even if he did, she felt pretty sure he wouldn't use either one of them. She'd scared him off.

Staring down at the colorful little pair of cards, she entertained the idea of giving them to him when she saw him for his session next Wednesday. She could also apologize for yelling at him, because remembering the look on his face, she knew he'd been telling the truth. He hadn't been trying to trick her maliciously. In fact, considering how rarely he was ever seen in town, she had a feeling he just didn't like being around people. It must have taken a Herculean effort for him to come down to the library, even in disguise.

A sudden thought struck her, and she stared down at the cards in her hand in horror. What if he calls and cancels the other two Wednesday appearances because of what I did?

Tsunade would kill her if she found out Hinata was the reason he canceled.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Hinata glanced at the clock. It was five o'clock - time for her to leave, go home, and get ready for the wedding rehearsal tonight.

Quickly gathering up her things, Hinata let Tsunade know she was leaving and then hurried out the door.

Once she was in the privacy of her car, she stared at the library cards she still held. I don't have time to take them to him now. But later...

Her decision made, she thrust the cards into her purse, started the car, and drove toward home.

I'll take them to him as quickly as I can, and hope to goodness I didn't just blow everything.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: Oooh, Sasuke, you caught her on a really bad day. Yikes. Poor Sasuke, poor Hinata, poor everyone! I really do feel like I'm putting them through the wringer, but I can guarantee I'll make up for it. In spades. ...Fairly soon. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you again for next week's update!

Q & A: Some of you may recognize this spot from over on my story Blind Faith. I'm here to address some concerns/confusion a few reviewers have voiced. There seems to be some question about why Sasuke would like someone who's been mean to him all the time, but the thing is, Hinata hasn't. Granted, when she caught him putting the books back, she kind of jumped on him at first - but once she realized he didn't mean any harm, she was nice to him. Plus she was nice to him the first day he came, though Sasuke ran away because he's shy. At the meet 'n' greet, Hinata did make a snap judgement about him based on what he writes, but for her, literature counts as something that makes her think through the story, something dramatic and breathtaking and which leaves her guessing and thinking long after the last page. She is (partially) mistaken in thinking Sasuke is a horror writer (instead of thriller, which she is more appreciative of), and writes nothing but mindless violence and guts and blood and gore. It is the kind of writing she hates most. From the covers of his books and the admittedly frightening picture on the backs of his books, it's easy to see how she would make this mistake! As for why she got mad at him when he took off his hat and she found out he was Sasuke... It goes back to her childhood. She's always been told by her father that she's useless, worthless, weak, and basically stupid. She's a target for the butt of jokes, and has been several times in her life. She's managed to get past that, partially, thanks to Neji, Tenten, her friends, and being away from her father's direct influence, but a lot of those old feelings have been dredged up by the situation with her father and Hanabi possibly moving in. Plus she's under a lot of stress from Tenten and Neji's wedding, since she's the maid of honor, and Tsunade is expecting a lot more from her because of the extra things going on at the library. She wasn't deliberately being mean, she was just reacting out of instinct. She is under an incredible amount of stress in this story, and since Sasuke didn't say anything the night before (or come up to her earlier during this visit and say anything) about him and the guy in the hat being the same person, she understandably feels like he's making fun of her, trying to pull the wool over her eyes. Granted, he didn't mean anything by it, and we know that, but she doesn't. She's reached the point where all the stress in her life has come to a head, and she's reacting in a way she ordinarily wouldn't - but that's the point. And while she is afraid of losing her job (I think anyone would be in that situation), she does feel guilty about snapping at him like that. You'll see that more later - and yes, she will eventually apologize, so please keep an eye out for that. So I am writing her "OOC" for a reason, and she won't be this way for the entire story. I really hope that helped clear up the confusion, and if any more questions arise, keep an eye on this space for the answers! Hope to see you again next week!