Title: Vertigo
Type: Naruto Fanfiction
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Pairing: Sasuke x Hinata SasuHina
Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata
Story Placement: Alternate Storyline fanfiction
Background: It's in a different time and place, the plot is actually the background.
Plot: Once upon time, there was a girl who lived in a tall tower. All she'd ever know was the circular stone walls, the worn silk sheets of her canopy bed, and the man who kept her locked away from the world. But when a clumsy boy literally falls through the roof, Hinata is exposed to a world she'd only seen from the tiny window at the top of the tower and feelings only expressed in story books she read late at night.
Warnings: I will not attempt to attack certain Naruto characters though there is a little anti-Sakura and anti-Ino in the beginning and middle of the story. I do apologize but things do get better for them. I don't even bash my own villains! I can not predict the future of this story but there maybe a yaoi if you squint and turn your head to the left.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I was simply inspired by other works and embellished a simple love story.
Author Note: I'm sorry this is late. I'm actually away from where my computer is with all of my things on it. I'm over at my boyfriend's place and I was cooking him dinner then watching a movie when I realized I hadn't updated yet! I'm even writing this chapter spur of the moment and unplanned! I feel terrible so forgive me if the chapter is weak.

ENJOY!

Vertigo
By Heaven is Drunk

Chapter 14.

Well you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you've won

"I can't believe you stole Hinata away without Sasuke-kun's permission! Do you know how detrimental this is to our village?!" Sakura and Naruto were stomping their way to Tsunade's room where she would most likely be meeting with the other council members. Naruto was nursing a black eye and Sakura was ranting herself back into being calm enough to approach Tsunade with the grievance news, "Orochimaru could start a war over this!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," He sighed, "She was suffering, I only wanted to get her away from him."

Sakura paused, "I know you were trying to do something good, Naruto. But you should have waited for order from Sasuke-kun."

Naruto pouted, "Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, you know you can do things without his permission once in awhile."

Sakura cleanly punched him in the arm and continued walking towards the tower.

"Well," Tsunade sighed, "This is a problem."

"It is." Anko chewed on beaten up toothpick.

"How do you plan on correcting this mistake?"

"Hell, it's your job, you do." Anko shrugged and turned away from a white robe stained purple, "No one hired me to remove your wine stains."

"You are my subordinate and I demand you clean my robe before I have to meet the King and Queen." Tsunade snarled.

Anko snorted, "I'm not that low on the totem pole!"

Sakura threw the door opened at that precise moment, "Tsunade-sama!"

The two women jumped away from the ruined robe and blushed furiously. When they realized it was merely Sakura and Naruto, they eased slightly, still embarrassed by being caught off guard. Anko cleared her throat and attempted an escape to the door while Tsunade sighed, "What is it, Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto made a mistake!" Sakura threw the blonde boy into the room, "He never got orders from Sasuke-kun to rescue Hinata!"

The moment was still, none were breathing within the room. Tsunade went pale at first then her face turned a deep shade of red. Naruto laughed nervously, "Uh…w-what I can explain!"

"NARUTO!" Tsuande screamed.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes towards the east horizon. He somehow thought he'd heard Naruto's name filled with deep loathing screamed across the face of the earth, but it could have been the stress causing his mind to malfunction. He turned his ears off, contemplating any way to get himself out of this mess. He had to prove, at the very least, that Hinata wasn't a citizen of Otogakure. This caused some alarm because she didn't recall her parents, her past, or anything other than Orochimaru and the locked Tower. If she were stolen, she'd would have been very young.

Too young to remember anything other than her current surroundings. She would have been a stolen infant…

Sakura's mother cheerfully put a plate off cookies in front of Hinata and curiously waited until Hinata took a polite bite. The young violet eyed girl chewed softly, covering her mouth with her pale hand, and then smiled gently after quietly swallowing the cookie, "It's delicious, Haruno-san."

Sakura's mother smiled softly, "I'm very glad it is. Did your mother often bake cookies?"

Hinata shook her head 'no', "I don't remember my mother."

Haruno-san frowned, "She died young? Then your father? Did he ever buy you sweets?"

Once again, she responded negatively, "The closest thing I had to a father was the man who kept me locked in the Tower. From what I have read, Father's don't plan to marry their daughters, so I can't say I ever had a father."

Haruno-san's frown line deepened. She stared at Hinata unable to decide if she should be surprised or saddened by the innocent life. After a pause and Hinata shyly reaching for a second cookie, Haruno-san smiled brightly and physically shook her dark thoughts away, "Well, that is behind us. The bastard is in the Tower and you are safe in the Village. You'll never have to go back."

Hinata nodded, "Will…will my captivity simply be changed?"

Haruno-san frowned, "Captivity?"

Hinata nodded, "Even if I'm not in the Tower, I'll someday have to be married, right? Sasuke said that girls my age should be looking for husbands, and all of the books have said that I should be married…H-h-he said h-he'd marry me and locking me away was a sign of his love, b-b-"

Hinata felt herself begin to cry, Haruno-san rushed to her side and began wiping her tears, "Hinata-chan, please don't cry. You have it all wrong."

"I want to be free!"

"Love is free!" Haruno smiled, "Love is what saved you from that Tower and love is what is giving you your freedom. Once Sasuke-sama destroys Otogakure and has you instated as a civilian of the Fire Country, you can be whatever you want!"

"B-b-but marriage?"

Haruno-san smiled and relaxed in her chair, "My daughter wants to be married because she is in love. Right now she is a doctor and she will be even after she's finally decided that her love is in front of her and not in a castle in the capital. She will be free to go to a hospital all the way in Amegakure even after she is married because he loves her enough to let her do what makes her happy!"

Hinata smiled softly, "He must be a good man."

"Nearly the very best," Haruno smiled, "And he loves her so much that he allows her to fawn over other men and date whom ever she wants. Love isn't capturing someone; it's grasping them just tightly enough that they feel safe and cared for."

"I would like a love like that." Hinata smiled softly, "One where he'd be happy that I'm happy even if I'm not locked away in a small room reading about other people's adventures."

"I think you may already have that." Haruno-san smiled, she rested her finger under Hinata's chin and raised her eye sight up just enough to have the meek violet gaze meet her own electric green eyes, "My dear, what do you think of Sasuke?"

Hinata frowned, "He's a coward."

"What?" Haruno-san laughed softly.

"He said all of these wild things about saving me, helping me, and it was Naruto-kun who rescued me!" Hinata stood, "Naruto-kun is my knight in shinning armor, just like Rapunzel."

Haruno-san smiled softly, "Not everything is how they write it in fairytales, sweetie. Love is just as plain as the white sheets on our beds, but the miracle is still the same."

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?!" Tsunade growled, "Sasuke is over in Suna trying to solve the political crisis and here we've broken the law! When Orochimaru finds out that his citizen is stolen then we're all screwed!"

"B-b-but Sasuke said he'd solve it politically!" Naruto nursed his other black eye.

"If that kid's anything like his brother," Anko chuckled, "He'll try to convince Orochimaru of giving up the piece of property where Hinata was staying without that snake realizing it."

Tsunade sighed, "Well hopefully he succeeds, but if he doesn't, we have to be able to tell him that Naruto broke the cease-fire treaty."

"We'll go to war with Otogakure." Sakura frowned.

"Is she really worth all that?" Anko sighed. She chuckled and defensively put her hands up when her three comrades glared at her, "I know, I know, Damsel in distress. But we're talking about the civilians in this village dying for her."

"She could be a civilian of this village," A new voice approached them from the front door. Shino, fully disguised in the white jacket and black sunglass appeared at the door with an air of confidence, "If she is, we would have the right to reject the legitimacy of Otogakure having that piece of land and arrest Orochimaru for kidnapping."

The group stared at him as he approached the desk and passed a bound group of papers to Tsunade. She frowned, "What the hell is this?"

"Information," Shino announced, "A month before Sasuke-sama's departure, he sent me there to gather information about the people. If there had the proper support from the government for the basic necessities of living. You can read the report yourself."

"Thank you, Shino." Tsunade sighed. He bowed properly and retreated from the room but Sakura's gentle voice stopped him.

"Shino-kun?" She stepped forward, "Is-Is there a way to prove that she is?"

Shino nodded, "If she looks like anyone who's already in the village now. Any special qualities she has that a family here has as well. We can then compare chakra or blood or anything that you doctors can think of to prove it."

Sakura nodded, smiling appreciatively but nervously as well. Was there enough time to prove Hinata's identity?

"Hinata has bright violet eyes," Naruto pointed out, "Almost white."

"And who else has those eyes?" Shino offered coyly. The group paused, thinking very deeply and the conclusion was all the same.

"The Hyuuga family."

Hinata and Haruno-san walked side-by-side in the marketplace silently. Hinata gulped in the noise and the people and felt her heart beat against her rib cage. This feeling was incredible and overwhelming. She could live to be here every day and at the same time never return to this place, both would make her happy because she'd experienced it in the first place. Haruno-san laughed, introducing Hinata to anyone who asked as "The Princess quiet enough for our Prince."

Hinata hadn't asked but by the way people offered comments about Naruto, she considered Naruto was their prince. He was pleasant enough to be one, racing into a dangerous situation for a girl, providing compliments to those who deserve one, having a strong sense of right and wrong. He was truly a decent knight and this town obviously saw him as their Prince Charming.

"My dear, Ringo!" A woman, scraggily in looks escorted by dogs grinned brightly at Haruno-san, "It seems you've gained another daughter out of no where."

Haruno-san laughed, "Yes, Naruto-kun brought her home from the border."

The woman's narrow brown eyes stared at Hinata seriously. The girl felt the blush race to her cheeks and she felt too bare in the long-sleeved white dress, black pants, and thick boots that were given to her. She circled the girl, Haruno-san pleasantly attempting to end the scrutiny in the background. Finally the woman stroked her chin, "From the border? She doesn't look like someone from the border."

"Well you know how these girls are, Tsume. The put make-up on and dress differently." Haruno-san laughed, "You never know where they're from until you meet their parents."

"Then who are your parents?" Tsume frowned.

"I don't know." Hinata frowned, "I-I-I've only ever known Him."

"Him?" Tsume repeated, Haruno-san laughed loudly and took the woman by the arm.

"Please, Tsume," she led the woman away, "Hinata's quite overwhelmed by the crowds and I'm sure she'd like to go home."

Hinata did, or at least attempt to. She turned away and tried to retrace her steps back to the house.

"I swear, Ringo." Tsume frowned, "she looks like someone, like Hitomi-chan. But that's impossible, right? Hitomi-chan and Hyuuga-san only had Hanabi-chan, right?"

Hinata felt herself burst into tears as she turned right again and found herself back in the marketplace. She had no idea where her home was and no idea where Haruno-san was. So she only could stand there, shaking in dread. She suddenly wished Sasuke was there, taking her hand and guiding her onto his plane and flying somewhere.

She gasped, why Sasuke and not Naruto?

"Hinata-chan!" She turned around relieved and tired. Sakura was pushing her way through the crowd, waving frantically for Hinata's attention. Naruto, bruised but happy, was right behind her, "Hinata, there you are! We have good news and bad news."

Hinata nodded, waiting for them to catch their breath before speaking. Naruto, with his bright, foxy grin spoke first, "The good news is that you can stay!"

Hinata grinned brightly but suppressed it. Of course there was bad news. Sakura frowned, "But, Naruto jumped the gun a little bit and to avoid a war, we have to prove that you're a citizen of Konoha at least."

Hinata nodded, "B-but I don't know who my parents are."

"But we do!" Naruto smiled, "Or at least we can find relatives! You have distinct features, we can compare them to the family we're thinking of!"

Hinata nodded, "So, where are they?"

"The capital!" Naruto grinned brightly, dodging a punch. Hinata flushed white, the capital where Sasuke said he'd take her. Would Sasuke be in the capital? He must be since she had not seen him yet. So going to the capital meant that she would see Sasuke.

"So we have to leave now!" Sakura grabbed Hinata's wrist, "We have to pack clothes and food then leave for the capital. That's where the largest portion of the family lives as well as their records. It'll take us a full day to get to the capital and it being so late now, we won't get there until tomorrow evening. So, we have to go."

They'd almost made it to Sakura's house when Hinata dug her heels into the dirt to stop them, "No!"

Sakura frowned, "No…?"

"No, I don't want to go."

"But your heritage! If you're a Hyuuga then we can prove your citizenship and you can be protected by us." Sakura frowned, confused, "You'll…you'll be able to marry Sasuke-kun."

Hinata felt the burn in her heart. Marry Sasuke…"I don't want to! He didn't save me, Naruto did. I'd rather marry Naruto!"

She knew she shouldn't blurt declarations like that, especially if the boy was standing behind them, but she couldn't stop herself. The pain was too much.

Sakura frowned, "Hinata…Sasuke is important…very important…and Naruto's rescue could cause a war…Sasuke was trapped, he couldn't…"

"Sasuke is a prince," Naruto chimed in from behind Hinata, his tone serious, borderline dark, "He's going to be the heir actually, and you, for all we know, were in Otogakure property. Him saving you, in the way I saved you, is a direct declaration of war and this entire village would be invaded and destroyed."

Hinata felt faint and sick. These people could die as casualties in a war because of her selfish desire to escape.

"Sasuke was pinned down by his politics and had to save you the only way he knew how." Sakura sighed, "He's in Suna now, trying to devise a contract to exchange that piece of property where the Tower is to be Fire Country's land, and for you to be a citizen of our country…we hope."

"Hope?" Hinata felt the choke in her voice.

"He planned everything on his own," Naruto sighed, "All we know is that he's in Suna trying to avoid war and he said he had to solve things politically."

Hinata nodded, Sasuke did care. He was trying.

"Now we have to leave!" Sakura insisted, "If your escape gets to Orochimaru before we prove your connections to Hyuuga then we've lost! Now let's go!"

Author's Note: Dammit, 1:39 am in the morning! Good think I don't have class tomorrow. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, thank you to: Emmeline Creazil, DolceNana, akatsukisushine, Jhay, Sepsis, Adelaide 'Adell' Pierce, Aya, SarahiNia, and Warrior-of-the-Flames.

Well, I'm getting close to the end of the story and I hope its been good. I left a note in my profile but I'll say it here too. At the end of the story, I'm going to send out personal responses to the reviewers who leave posts on the last chapter. Just as a sign of my gratitude! So, please respond to the last chapter. I want to share the love!

I post an update on my profile every so often and as soon as Vertigo is done, I'm going to be working on a Shika X OC and a Sasuke X OC until I can get the materials for my next SasuHina fic. Alright, good night everyone!

Zai Jian!