Disclaimer – Naruto does not belong to me.

Sasuke paused at the threshold of the Southern gates as suppliers and merchants waited patiently for their carriage to be inspected. He could have entered seamlessly through the Grand Northern Entrance fronting the large village below, but the ever-constant crowd hoping for a glimpse of royalty ensured this remained his preferred point of entry.

It also helped that it was close to the servant's accommodations, and a certain lavender-eyed girl Sasuke was hoping to run into. He really should be presenting himself to his Uncle first, but Hinata's hurt and angry expression had somehow warranted more urgency.

He knew her forgiveness was a long shot, but Sasuke was nothing but tenacious.

Hopefully the joy at seeing her old possessions would warm her attitude towards him and perhaps, given time, they could be something more. Sasuke would never show it, but Obito's recent detraction had him a little envious. If love could return sanity to his crazy 'cousin', then maybe it could also fill the hollowness and void that was currently his life.

As if reading his thoughts, a figure of blue materialised from around the corner, her face a picture of discomfort as she perused the contents of her covered basket. Sasuke did not understand why she was dressed in such a pretty kimono or why her hair was styled so elegantly, but he knew better than to speculate. His conjectures had screwed him over in the past and he was not about to make the same mistakes again.

It was likely that red-head's doing, anyway. She probably had some bizarre need to play dress up and the Hyuuga was just a willing victim.

Letting out a cough to attract her attention, Sasuke suppressed a smirk as she fumbled with her basket before stopping in her tracks.

"Hyuuga."

"Uchiha-sama." She bowed stiffly before readjusting her bulky basket and stepping away. Their last encountered had been icy, to say the least, so he did not blame her for her hesitance.

"Can we talk?"

"No." She replied rigidly, shooting the imposing prison behind him a quick glance before looking away. "I'm rather busy."

Sasuke doubted that her chores were very intensive today if she was clothed like that. But it was the way she had hastily eyed the dungeons behind him that made him realise where she was previously headed to.

And he had to stop her.

"It won't take long." He insisted firmly, catching the edge of her elbows to guide her to a more secluded spot.

"No, really. I ca…What are you doing?"

"This is for you." He said abruptly as he clumsily propelled the object into her hands. It was not his best moment but Hinata was too dumbfounded to notice.

"What is this?" She asked in disbelief.

Sasuke scratched his head in uncertainty. "It's a compass...your mother's?" At least he hoped it was. He had discovered it in a fancy patterned chest, along with items belonging to Hyuuga Hiashi. The tender inscription on the back was addressed to his love so Sasuke had automatically assumed it was for his wife - Hinata's mother.

But if Hiashi had a mistress….then he was screwed.

"Why?" She repeated again, her voice rising with each word, "Why are you giving this to me?"

Sasuke wasn't sure if she was overcome with emotion or if she disliked the gift, but he had to say the words before it ate him up. "I wish to apologise…"

"No. Stop." She interrupted sharply, breathing heavily as she placed a trembling hand over his lips. "You mean to tell me that after burning down my village, raiding my house and stealing all my clan's possessions, that I can have this one item back as an apology? Are you…are you insulting me?"

Sasuke stared at Hinata's angry eyes in bewilderment, his brain completely malfunctioning at how she had perceived his gift.

"Hyuuga…that's not…."

"Please leave me alone." She fumed before pushing the compass back into his slack palms and storming off. Her brisk stride remained unfaltering and angry, determined and unforgiving, until she took a fleeting look to the right before taking a sharp turn to the left. Sasuke saw the anguish in her eyes as she went back the way she came.

He wanted to protest his innocence, to explain this misunderstanding but Hinata was right, even if she never voiced it. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

He was not innocent, he was complicit.

The compass should not have been his to give, it was hers, should have been hers. To return it as an apology, when he was the accomplice to her loss was like a slap to her face. What the hell was he thinking? How did his Uchiha genius not see this coming?

But more importantly, how could he fix this?

Sasuke slumped back against the wall as his brain tried to self-destruct. Running through different schemes and scenarios in his head, his eyes suddenly flashed open as it stared at the cold, secured structure a few walls away from him.

Fuck, No.

"General, the Emperor would like to see you." A pair of armoured boots interrupted as Sasuke banged his head against the wall.

X-X

Sasuke trudged through the doorway indignantly as the study doors closed silently behind him. He did not bother with the niceties knowing how much it would irk his uncle, but he neither cared nor was he in a generous mood. Madara's threatening aura was asking for a fight anyway, and Sasuke was willing to oblige.

After the disaster with Hinata, he needed to vent some frustration.

"What took you so long?" Madara enquired calmly as he flicked some files off his desk. It was hard to miss the littered and broken mess on the polished floor, but Sasuke refused to be distracted.

"I had unfinished matters."

"With?"

"That is none of your concern." Sasuke responded in a clipped tone. His business with Hinata was private, especially when they were imploding faster than a falling meteorite.

"Hn." Madara replied non-committedly, leaning against his intertwined fingers as he stared at Sasuke intently. "I see your failure to retrieve Obito has not humbled you."

"It was a mutual parting, not a failure."

"Your orders were to bring him back here, were they not?!" Madara angrily gritted out as his hands slammed against his desk.

"You owe him his happiness!" And mine, Sasuke wanted to say. "We did everything you asked of us. When is it enough for you?"

"When all threats to our existence have been eliminated…Do you think they will spare your nieces and nephews, your future children if they overthrew us?" Madara paced angrily. "They will wipe us out, if given a chance. You do not want a repeat of the massacre, do you?"

Sasuke tried to regulate his breathing at the thought of Hinata and his children being slaughtered.

No, he would never let that happen again.

"What do you want me to do?" He mumbled through clenched teeth, his anger at his uncle now directed elsewhere.

"We have lost Obito, but we still have the tailed beasts. Maybe it's time I introduced you to them."

X-X

Many have commented on the length & content of my chapters and though I agree that both areas need a lot of work, I hope that you can understand that this style just works for me.

Long chapters are overwhelming and I think I would lose my momentum and interest in writing if I tried to go down this route. If the length truly bothers you, perhaps come back in a few months' time to read all the updates in one go?

Next, Dinner & Punishment (Dinner was moved as it would make better sense in the next one).

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed!