Hello lovely people,

I have a short one for you now. I was not looking forward to writing this chapter and instead of procrastinating for a couple of months I bit the bullet.
And here it is, I am very proud of myself.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Please leave a review and let me know if you have some ideas for things to happen on the mission,
because I am drawing blanks from here on out.

Nami2255

Reading Guide

"Talking"

'Thinking'

The plan - Chapter 11

It was very early in the morning but Hinata wasn't sleeping. She was standing in front of her window looking at the sky getting lighter. The sun wasn't up, and yet here she was. She looks at her untouched bed, she hasn't closed her eyes twice. The one time she tried to sleep, she saw Sasuke dark distant eyes.

'Why did he turn distant in an instant?' she asked herself. She had thought of many answers. That the moment was gone, is one of them. There was one answers which was troubling her and it kept recurring through her mind. 'Was he suddenly reminded that it wasn't Sakura he was kissing. That's probably why, that's why he stopped that wonderful kiss.'

Hinata finds her thoughts a little out of the ordinary for her. 'Do I still want to be with Naruto? I like how Sasuke teases me, how he smiles and how he kisses me.' She thought back about that kiss and about why she stopped it. 'I wish to say the kiss was mind numbing, but sadly not enough. I had to speak my mind. For a quiet person, I always seem to talk at the most inopportune moments. The air around Sasuke turned cold and distant the moment, I opened my mouth.'

'Sasuke said he had something to talk about before we got side tracked. She had wondered what he wanted to talk about. Hinata felt weird about her question. She regretted the fact that it stopped the kiss. But if it was because Sasuke was reminded that he was kissing Hinata instead of Sakura, maybe it was the right thing to do. 'I am not getting anywhere with thinking like this. I need to talk to Sasuke.'

Hinata changed her outfit and ran out of the compound. She hasn't eaten anything or slept at all. 'This is going to a bad day.' She thought to herself while yawning.

She arrived at their training ground, Sasuke wasn't there. 'Normally he would have been here already. Maybe he is eating breakfast or sleeping.' Both things weren't things that Sasuke would usually do at this time as Hinata knew very well.

She used her Byakugan to scout the village. She first tries his house and the few places Sasuke would go to. But she doesn't see him. She enlarges her reach and sees the familiar chakra signature. 'What is he doing there?' And goes towards Sasuke.

Sasuke has had a rough night as well. He couldn't sleep but not for lack of trying, but every time he was close to falling asleep. He saw those beautiful pearlescent eyes of hers, he heard her moaning and he was holding her so close.

And then he hears that awful question coming from her lips. 'For who are we kissing?' His eyes open wide and he immediately sits up straight. "Damn it!" Sasuke shouts in frustration. He is able to stop himself from punching a hole in the wall this time.

After a couple of times of this repeating, he gives up and gets out of bed. It is just after four o'clock in the morning that he leaves his house. But his feet aren't taking him to the training ground they walk past the training ground and walk there way up.

After a while the path stops and he has a complete view of the village, he has arrived at the Hokage heads. He watches the sunrise, all of the rooftops are glistening because of the dew and sunlight. It reminds him of the sunsets and sunrises by the sea he encountered during his journeys. He is lost in thought for a while, remembering the good aspects of his journeys when he feels a familiar chakra signature coming his way.

The person materializes just behind him. "H-Hello Sasuke…-kun." Hinata says a little unsure.

"You found me quicker than I estimated, I must be a real good teacher." Sasuke says not a hint of a smile on his face.

"I found you quicker than you thought because come from a family of trackers." Hinata corrects. "Not that you're not a good teacher though." Hinata quickly says.

Sasuke snorts but keeps his gaze on the sunrise.

"Can I sit next to you?" Hinata asks still unsure of herself.

"You can do what you want, Hinata." Sasuke says still maintaining some distant in his voice by not addressing her like he did before.

"Then I'll sit down." Hinata sits down and also starts to watch the sunrise, both silent. While they were usually comfortable with the silence. They feel that today it is different, the silence feels awkward. Hinata feels therefore that she has to talk.

"Last night, before… you know. You said you wanted to talk, about what did you want to talk?"

Sasuke let's the silence repeat again while he is mulling over his answer. He needs to tell her that the plan doesn't seem to be working.

"I don't think Naruto will fall in love with you, I am sorry. I don't think Sakura still loves me like I thought she did." Sasuke admits expecting Hinata to react.

"I agree with you. Naruto is blinded by the love he has for Sakura. Sakura looks at you because she is worried about you and doesn't want anything to happen to her husband's brother figure." Hinata says.

Sasuke is shocked. "Did she say it like that?"

"No, but I can tell." Hinata admits. "She tried to apologize for taking Naruto, like he was mine to take. She even told me she knew that it was going to be your last journey away from the village." Hinata says. She keeps her eyes trained on him for a second to gauge his reaction.

"So she knew all along. I wish she just told me or someone else did." Sasuke says.

"They probably thought that you would grow over it, just like they did with me. Sakura also said that we were really good together, we seem to fit together." Hinata says.

"The Dobe said something similar." Another quiet follows. "So what do we do now?" Sasuke asks sneaking a glance at Hinata. 'Please tell me you still want to be with me anyway, who cares about this plan.' Sasuke begs in his mind.

Hinata catches his eyes and looks away. "I don't know." 'I don't want us being together to be over, I have loved our short time together.'

"Maybe we should just call it quits then." Sasuke says hurt. 'Since you are still in love with Naruto'.

"Perhaps we should" Hinata agrees equally hurt. 'Since you are still in love with Sakura'. Hinata stands up dusting herself off.

Sasuke is still not looking directly at Hinata. "We can just go our separate ways and let the village figure out that we are not together". He proposes. 'Since I don't want to announce to the world that I just lost you.'

"That may be best." Hinata acknowledges. 'Because I can't even think about without getting sad. At least the break up will be very believable.' "Goodbye Sasuke-kun." Hinata says with a fake smile and two closed eyes.

Sasuke looks around him and sees Hinata's strange smile. "Goodbye Hinata-chan." He turns around again face the sun again. "It is funny that this whole thing started and ended here, at the top of the Hokage heads." Sasuke comments 'Maybe I laugh about it one day.' Sasuke doubtfully thinks.

Hinata doesn't trust her voice not to break. So she just nods, knowing he saw the nod somehow. She wants to walk further but suddenly an ANBU materializes in front of her.

"Uchiha-san, Hyuuga-san, the Hokage requests a meeting with the two of you immediately."

The ANBU says and went as quickly as he arrived.

"You have got to be kidding me." Sasuke says exasperated. 'I just wanted to stay here and do nothing.

'I just wanted to go home and be alone.' Hinata thinks. 'I better leave the wallowing for later.'

Sasuke stands up and dusts himself off.

"Shall we take the quick way then?" Sasuke says offering his hand to Hinata. Before he realizes what he is doing and quickly gestures towards the Hokage building down below them with his hand. 'This will take some getting used to, again.'

Hinata just nods, still trying to compose herself. 'Sure, jumping tens of meters is just what I need to wake up and put my game face on.'

When they arrive at the door of the Hokage they hear Naruto and Sakura both yelling at Kakashi.

"Just the day before yesterday you gave us a couple of days to adjust." Sakura shouts angrily.

"And now we have to go on a mission?" Naruto yells. 'They really do complement each other.' Sasuke and Hinata think.

"Well since you won't be leaving till tomorrow morning, you would have had a couple of days to adjust. and besides I gave you a full two weeks off, get over it." Kakashi says with a soft voice and an eye smile. "And you won't be going together."

Sasuke and Hinata walk through the door. Saying hello to everyone there.

"You will be going on an intelligence gathering mission. It will be far away from here, passed the Crimson State Island. You wouldn't be known there, what is necessary for the mission." Kakashi ensures them.

"If it is necessary for us to be unknown, why not choose other shinobi for this mission?" Naruto mutters

"Because I want the best we have to solve this mission." Kakashi says. "Please don't interrupt me again. You will be going to Dragon Country, before you get excited. There are no dragons there, I checked. You will act as couples, which makes it easier for you and for me, you won't have to act. I need you to find out a multiple of things while you are there."

"Multiple things like what?" Naruto interrupts him again. Kakashi makes a hand gesture and suddenly Naruto is muzzled, which he desperately tries to take off.

"I warned you, Naruto." Kakashi says still smiling with his eyes.

"I want you to find out, if and how the peace here is affecting them. How they feel about it in general. And if you can find out any information that might tell us more about the anything but cute and cuddly Bunny goddess, known as Kaguya. Pay close attention to temples and archives too for anything you may or may not find useful. I trust your judgement on it."

Hinata and Sasuke take in all of the information. They look at each other and just know what the other is thinking.'It seems like we have to act like a couple a little bit longer.' They both nod their heads, knowing their plan of acting like a couple is back on again.

Thank you for reading. Please review and if you have an idea, you can leave a review or leave me a PM.