Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

Chapter 13

''Here's your food, Hanabi-sama'', a fifteen-year-old girl said as she set a wooden tray before Hiashi's ex-heiress.

''Thank you, Ayane-chan'', Hanabi said. Her eyes were steadily fixed on the young girl, even though she couldn't see anything but a few distorted shadows before her. She was sitting on a large pillow on the wooden floor of her large bedroom with her hands resting gracefully on her folded knees. The smell of the tasteless food they always seemed to serve her reached her nostrils in a matter of seconds as the wooden tray was laid before her.

''I guess my grandma always finds time to take care of anything I do or eat during the day'', Hanabi said, taking the porcelain spoon and dipping it in the green water that was supposedly a soup.

''Kitsume-sama is always concerned about your well-being, Hanabi-sama'', the young girl said, still standing before Hanabi with her head slightly bowed.

''But of course...'', Hanabi said with a sarcastic smirk crossing her face. She let the green water of her soup slightly slip from within her white porcelain spoon back inside her bowl, before throwing the spoon back on the surface of her tray. She wasn't going to it that thing no matter what anyone said. ''My grandma always does what's best for me. So considerate of her, isn't it?''. Each and every one of her words was glazed with irony, yet the servant girl in front of her was too young and naive to catch any of that.

''Y-yes, Hanabi-sama'', the young girl said and suddenly Hanabi's attention was turned solely to the girl.

''Your hands are trembling'', Hanabi stated after a mere moment, taking the girl by surprise. She was blind, yes, but the rest of her senses were sharper than ever. Nobody knew that Hinata had trained her all those months before leaving for her engagement in the Land of Earth, and certainly, nobody had even suspected that she had kept training with Konohamaru, even after her sister went missing.

''I-It's nothing, Hanabi-sama'', the girl said, hiding her hands behind her back, as if afraid her mistress could actually see her. ''I...I am just a bit tired that's all...''.

''Tired'', Hanabi said, not actually believing a word the girl had just said. ''You are free to rest then''.

''Thank you, Hanabi-sama!'', the girl said with a small smile before excusing herself from Hanabi's presence.

The door opened and closed behind the girl's frail form, but Hanabi just sat there silently for a few more minutes, just enough to make sure that no steps could be heard from the corridor outside her room. Then she stood up, walking outside her room as well. The girl was obviously lying, afraid that word could come out that she, a mere servant girl, had spoken ill of the Hyuga matriarch. But Hanabi was no fool. Ever since Hinata had gone missing, things seemed to be getting weirder and weirder in the Hyuga compound with each passing day.

She walked down the long corridor, her steps soundless like a cat's. Both she and Hinata always knew how much the elders along with Kitsume always loved to conspire something behind closed doors. And their father, Hiashi, always seemed to follow anything they decided. He was no innocent though because he was fully aware of his actions. Yet they had not managed to find out about their plans. Neji had been spying on them for years, always standing as Hiashi's most trusted warrior. And he had found out the truth, but then the war broke out. He had attempted to talk to them, reveal everything to both Hinata and her. He had promised them both, that they would know of everything once the war ended. He had promised them that they would change it all. And then, he died.

Hinata had tried to follow on his steps though. Once she was officially selected as Hiashi's heir, she tried to become what they saw as the perfect puppet to carry out their plans later on. She followed everything they said, she said no to nothing, all the while trying to protect her sister and find out of the truth that Neji had talked to them about. But Hanabi could not bear it sometimes, because, in her eyes, Hinata had sacrificed everything. She had not managed to learn anything much though, as Kitsume and the elders were way too careful with their plans to trust anyone like that.

Since the day Hinata disappeared though, Kitsume and her dogs seemed to grow more and more impatient and careless though. With each day that passed that their precious puppet was not yet found, Kitsume's always calm and prudish mask seemed to break more and more, and the old woman had not hesitated to use the cursed-mark seal on any branch house member that had dared make even the tiniest of mistakes.

Hanabi entered the small room where her father always welcomed his guests with a cup of tea or sake, all the while making sure to mask her chakra signature. She could sense that she was alone in the room, as well as that no one had seen her enter, as she had felt no chakra signature anywhere in the corridor before. She slowly walked towards the thin wooden wall that separated this room from her father's office, and touching her ear on the wall she could clearly hear Kitsume shouting angrily.

''You've let an Uchiha make a fool out of us!'', Kitsume said, her voice bearing no politeness whatsoever. ''Kakashi probably believes that it is a misunderstanding, that Hideoki was hallucinating when he said that the Uchiha boy was the one who attacked them, but both you and I know that is not the case!''

Hanabi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The Uchiha boy Kitsume had said... Uchiha Sasuke? Was that the one who had abducted her sister? That couldn't be..., Hanabi thought.

''We will find them!", she heard her father's voice. ''It's only a matter of time until we do, now that we know the Uchiha is the one who-''

''Do you even understand what this means?'', Kitsume angrily interrupted her son. ''The boy knows what we are looking for. And he's using her to show him the way up to the Land of Iron. If he gets his hands on the scroll everything we've done these past twenty years will prove to be in vain!''

''You are overdramatizing the whole situation!'', Hiashi said, obviously trying to not lose his patience with the woman that had brought him to life. ''The Tsuchikage's men are after them, the Earth daimyo's men are after them, Kakashi's men are after them, OUR men are after them!''

''And all of them have proven to be nothing but useless idiots!'', Kitsume said, not seeming to care one bit of any excuses that her son was now throwing her way. There was a long stop before Hanabi heard a door opening. Then Kitsume's voice could be heard again. ''Don't make me regret not sending you to your death instead of Hizashi all those years ago...''.

Hanabi's eyes grew wide for a while, but then a smirk crossed her face once more. They had not felt her presence even for a second, all the while providing her with information that was never supposed to reach her ears. They had truly grown too careless lately.

''Fools'', Hanabi murmured.

The guard standing at the large entrance door was looking them up and down for the past three minutes, contemplating whether the foreigners standing before him could prove to be dangerous.

They had already told him that they had traveled all the way to the monastery at the apex of the Inseki mountain to meet a certain monk, yet the guard had simply kept staring at them stupidly, much to Sasuke's dismay. She looked at her right side, where the dark-haired shinobi was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, trying to not lose his patience. And he was trying too hard, Hinata noticed because Sasuke knew that a monastery was not a place for him to lose his patience, or they would never grant them entrance. And he was also sure that barging in with their weapons at hand would not make any monk actually tell them anything. They needed to be both calm and smart.

A thin bald monk appeared through the half-open wooden doors, looking intently at them.

''Thank you for calling me, Takuya-san'', the monk said, referring to the guard that simply nodded his head. Then his eyes fell on them once more. ''Could I have the pleasure of knowing the names of the visitors that came to pay their respects to the gods of this holy monastery?''

The monk's words seemed polite and gentle, but Sasuke could easily see his suspicion behind them.

''My name is Yoshiro Hamamoto'', Sasuke said, giving a fake name to the monk. ''And this...'', his hand extended to gently take a hold of hers, taking her by surprise. ''... is my wife Miyu''.

Hinata looked at him, not being able to contain the tomato red colour that stained her whole face at once. Sasuke could see her from the side of his eyes and he tried really hard to contain a smirk that threatened to reach his lips. For some reason, he enjoyed it greatly when the Hyuga heiress reacted like that to something he had said or done.

But Hinata definitely didn't feel the same way. She looked at her hand that the Uchiha didn't seem to let go of. My wife, he had said and her blush almost deepened. On their way to the monastery, Sasuke had simply informed her that they would give fake names to the monks as to make sure that they wouldn't betray them after they could leave. But calling her his wife in front of them was something he had never informed her about.

The monk nodded his head and Hinata soon realized how wise it actually was to pretend to be a married couple. In a holy place like this, a man and a woman that weren't actually married would never be accepted inside the monastery by the monks. The rules of the monastic life had always been strict, yet a couple bound through the holy mystery of marriage would always be welcomed without any problem.

''And what could a married couple of shinobis seek from a holy place like this?'', the monk said, eyeing the weapons on their backs.

''Shinobis or not, we've traveled far to reach this holy monastery, dear sir'', Hinata said with a gentle smile, before Sasuke could speak. ''We desire to make an offering to the gods for good fortune, as well as speak to a monk by the name Ryuichi. We wish to speak to him about something considering our marriage''.

Sasuke looked at her with a small smirk. That woman somehow managed to always deliver a quick answer in situations like these. She was smart, he had to give her that.

Hinata's deliberate and polite words seemed to be enough to persuade the monk to grant them entrance. After contemplating what the young woman before him had said, he turned to the guard again asking for him to confiscate the couple's weapons, before allowing them to come inside. Sasuke stiffened upon hearing the monk's orders, but feeling a simple nudge by the woman at his side was enough for him to pass his katana to the guard, shoving it hard against his stomach when the monk was not looking. Without his weapons on him, the Uchiha felt practically naked, even though he knew quite well that even without them he would be able to kill anyone that crossed his way.

Smirking at the guard Sasuke walked inside, following after Hinata and the monk. He had, of course, kept some of his other weapons hidden under his shinobi gear as he wasn't some eight-year-old genin to do as others told him.

Walking through the large green gardens, the monk led them to the temple at the center of the monastery. Opening the large shoji doors, they walked inside, to a room with gold statues and numerous candles burning all around them.

''You can wait here. I will bring word to the Great Monk of your arrival and see if he can meet you now'', the monk said and without sparing them a second glance he turned around, taking his leave.

They both sat down on their knees, waiting for the monk to arrive.

''I see you really liked me calling you my wife'', Sasuke teasingly said after a few moments of silence. He turned to look at her, only to see her face turning red once more.

''I-I'', she narrowed her eyes at him, not liking how he always managed to bring back her stuttering like that. ''I was taken aback is all''.

''Right...'', Sasuke said with a raised eyebrow. ''You don't have to keep your emotions at bay, Hinata. Many would die to be called the Uchiha's bride.''

''Then choose one of them'', she immediately responded, making him chuckle.

''Got anyone in mind?''

Hinata stopped for a second as the picture of a pink-haired woman passed through her mind.

''Sakura...'', she said as she watched him raise a questioning eyebrow at her again. ''Sakura would make a good bride for you. She always loved you...''

He chuckled again.

''Somehow the idea of pink-haired Uchihas running around my feet doesn't seem so appealing''.

She was about to say something, defending her friend, but the shoji doors opened once more, interrupting her altogether.

An old man with a long white beard that reached his knees walked slowly towards them. He was holding a somewhat crooked wooden stick in one hand, probably so to help him walk more steadily. But as the man came to sit before them, Hinata soon realized that was not the case. The man's slanted eyes were completely white and staring emptily at no one in particular. He was blind.

''They told me about a lovely couple that came from far away to pray, but also to meet me in person'', the old man said with a genuinely gentle voice. ''They told me to just rest and meet you two tomorrow, but I am just a man here to serve the gods of this temple, as well as the people that come seeking help. They told me of your names are Yoshiro and Miyu, isn't that right?''

''Yes, Ryuichi-sama'', Hinata said, bowing her head a little. She knew this was somewhat of a mission yet lying to a holy old man like him, only made her feel embarrassed with herself. ''We came all this way to meet you. There is something we need your help with...''

''About your child I presume...'', the old man said making her blush like crazy again. Sasuke didn't seem to pay him any mind though. The old man reached out, gently taking Hinata's hand in his and holding it affectionately. ''You do not need to be embarrassed, my dear. Many young men and women have traveled from far away to seek my blessing for a healthy child to be born. And you certainly have mine...''

The old man smiled at her making her blush even more.

''I may be blind'', Ryuichi said again. ''... but the gods gave me the ability to see in a way no one else can. To see of things that are yet to come...'', she saw his face turn grim for only a moment, as if something had passed through his mind while holding her hand, before his gentle smile could return on his thin lips. ''You are not yet with child... yet it won't be long till you will hold one in your arms...''

Hinata gently took her hand away at hearing his words. She could feel Sasuke's stare on her yet she could only look on the ground right now, not knowing how to react to what the man had just told her.

''This is not what we came here for'', Sasuke's stern voice reached her ears.

''Of course, it isn't'', the old man said, never losing his small smile. ''A Hyuga and an Uchiha coming all this way from the Land of Fire in order to find me, must surely be seeking of much greater information''

Hinata's eyes grew wide, but Sasuke just smirked a little at the man's realization. He had heard the man was one that could not be easily tricked, and he had just proved them that.

''How'', Hinata said. ''How did you know?''

''Your chakra signatures are too strong for me to ignore, my child'', Ryuichi said. ''The moment I set foot in this room I knew that you were not who you claimed to be''.

''Yet the rest of the monks knew nothing of that sort'', Sasuke said.

''And they will know nothing of your identity, be assured'', Ryuichi said.

''You are asking for us to trust you?''

''You came seeking for my help young man'', Ryuichi said, slightly turning his head towards the place Sasuke was seated at. ''The least you can do is trust me, no matter how hard it may be for you''.

The old man then slowly stood up with Sasuke immediately following suit.

''You said you would help!''

''I did young Uchiha, yet now is not the time for the discussion you wish to have with me'', Ryuichi said, his face looking a bit more strict whenever talking to Sasuke. ''The sun has started setting in the sky. It is the time for our last prayers to our gods. Tomorrow morning I will answer anything you have to ask but for tonight just rest. A monk will guide you to one of the rooms we have for guests that have traveled from afar like you''.

And with that Ryuichi left, ultimately cutting sort any conversation Sasuke wished to have at the moment. No more than just a couple of minutes later another monk entered, offering to guide them to one of the guestrooms the monastery had to offer. Once leading them there, the monk gave them a small bundle with what seemed to be clothes, as well as a basket filled with fruit and vegetables grown by the monks themselves.

Hinata thanked him with a smile and a small respective bow, before closing the door of the small room behind the monk's retreating form. But turning around she only saw an angry Sasuke throwing his cloak on the floor.

''I'm sure he will tell us everything in the morning'', she said trying to reassure him, as she set the basket and the bundle on the small wooden table next to the door.

''Really?'', Sasuke said looking outside the small window sternly. ''I think the man is just messing with us. He could probably be buying himself some time to call the Tsuchikage's men on us during the night''.

''He is a holy man. He would never allow for blood to be spilled inside the monastery''.

''Don't be so naive'', Sasuke said. ''Both of us have seen saint men turn into monsters''.

''He is different. I can feel it. This old man is not a monster. And I have seen plenty of monsters walking even through the corridors of my own house. The monastery has its own rules and since we came here looking for answers we shall respect his wish to wait until the morning'', Hinata said and Sasuke turned, looking intently at her. ''Even if he gave us all the information we needed now, we would have to spend the night here anyway. The road down the mountain is not an easy one during the night. Besides we could use some rest...''

He stayed silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking of something, before eventually taking the cloak he had previously thrown on the wooden floor.

''I think we should just go'', he said. He was being bull-headed, like always, yet Hinata simply walked towards him.

''No matter what happened in the past'', she said in a low gentle voice, as she took the cloak from his hands. ''You can allow yourself to trust the people around you sometimes...''

''I trust you...'', he said looking into her eyes. ''Isn't that enough?''.

She said nothing, suddenly feeling lost into his eyes. She couldn't say anything because she had never expected words like these to come out from his lips. She felt something tightening strangely inside her chest. Yet, no matter how much she tried she could not strain her eyes from his.

But Sasuke didn't make a move to look away either. He just could stop staring into those moon-like eyes, those blushing cheeks of hers. That woman bore an innocence and at the same time strength and will he had never seen before. And he felt almost bewitched. He raised his hand, but as his fingers were about to touch her pale face, Hinata took a step back, suddenly looking elsewhere.

''I think...'', she said folding his cloak and neatly placing it on the wooden table as well. ''I think we shall rest. The monk brought us food'', she opened the small bundle to reveal two white robes. ''... and clean clothes to sleep in. We have traveled in these shinobi gears for days now. We could use some clean clothes''.

She took the smaller robe in her hands, all the while trying to keep her eyes anywhere but on Sasuke.

''I'', she tried to say. ''I think I am going to change first''.

And with that she rushed inside the small bathroom attached to the room they had given them, quickly closing the door behind her.

Sitting against the closed door now, she suddenly felt breathless. She brought a hand to her heaving chest, trying to control that weird feeling that didn't seem to be able to go away. What was wrong with her, she couldn't understand. Yet every time her eyes met his, something always seemed to stir inside her, something she couldn't explain.

She shook her head, trying to throw away any unwanted or troublesome thoughts. Taking her clothes of she decided to take a cold shower. Maybe that would be able to help. Feeling the cold water touch her skin, she closed her eyes. The night he had abducted her, she had thought he would kill her, yet Sasuke had proven to be everything she had never expected him to. Suddenly his words from a few nights back pierced her thoughts. His story had made her cry, his pain had made her want to hug him. She had never managed to see through that pain of his before as no one had ever tried to see her own pain. She had always put her feelings aside in order to help those around her. And all those nights she had spent crying in the darkness of her room, no one was ever there to console her and she imagined that was the same case with him. A small child, left alone in this world, growing up with nothing but hatred towards the wrong person. Suddenly she understood why Naruto never gave up on him. She wouldn't either.

Drying her body and wet hair with a towel, she took the linen robe, throwing it around her body and tying it around her waist. It was modest enough, reaching down to her feet and covering her large chest, yet Hinata still felt a bit exposed. She looked at her dirty shinobi gear, realizing that she had no other choice but to wear that robe.

She sighed before slowly opening the door and stepping outside. The least she expected to see though, were two futons laid out on the floor next to one another and Sasuke already sleeping. She slowly walked through the dark room, careful as to make no sound. She stood beside the empty futon that was meant for her, looking at it with a blush all over her face once more. They two mattresses were two close, yet she knew there was no other way of putting them, considering how small the room actually was. She had slept in the same room as the Uchiha before, but never so close to him. He would always make sure to sleep either on the couch or on the floor, all the while leaving the bed for her every time they happened to spend the night at a motel. But now, it was like sleeping on the same bed.

''Just lie down'', he suddenly said, making her jump. He had an arm over his eyes, making it look like he was already asleep.

''I thought you were sleeping...'', she said in hesitation.

''I was trying to'', he said, not looking at her. He was wearing the other robe, she noticed, but his broad chest was visible to her even with the clothing he had on, making it more difficult for her to just lie down beside him.

She said nothing, still eyeing the futon. But then a hand suddenly reached out, grabbing her by the arm and bringing her to fall on the mattress.

With her head now resting against the soft futon, she looked at him, still holding onto her. He was leaning over her now, looking straight into her eyes again.

''S-Sasuke...'', here was her stutter again, but the Uchiha didn't seem to move.

''Just sleep...'', he said in a low almost husky voice, before letting go of her hand and returning to his own mattress, with his back now turned to her.

Hinata just stared at the ceiling of the room, still blushing like crazy.

It was going to be a long night.

Hey everyone!

Here is chapter 13 and Hinata surely did blush a lot, lol.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. That Ryuichi monk though, he could be hiding something to realize the two were Uchiha and Hyuga, don't you think? Hmmm, we'll see!

Please don't forget to leave a comment! It always helps!

See you soon!