AN: I would like to, again, thank Lord Of The Land Of Fire for helping me with the first Scene. Yeah, you'll know what part I'm talking about when you see it. Just think, he believes I'm the bigger perv.

Your Mistress.

xxx

For The Good Of The Village

Ch 25 Maybe A Little

Sasuke awoke to the sound of his door opening, followed by footsteps and a blanket being dragged. A body fell onto a futon just a few feet away from him, lazily turning towards him.

He didn't have to look over his shoulder to know it was Naruto. The childish giggling gave that idiot away.

As much effort it took to ignore him, that simply didn't seem to work. Snickers and childish tittering aimed at the back of his head just seem to multiply, daring him to look at the blonde team mate and acknowledge what had him in high spirits.

Despite his better judgement, Sasuke answered those noisy hiccups of a chuckle. "What, dobe?"

"I'm in love, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes shot open, turning to glare at Naruto's blushing cheeks, and googly eyes of his moronic team mate.

Damn my Uchiha charm, Sasuke thought miserably to himself. This is just getting ridiculous.

"I'm getting another room."

Naruto was sure Sasuke was a second away from Shun-shin'ing, but a quick grab on his wrist stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"Look Naruto, I don't blame you. I mean, I am an Uchiha. But even though you kissed me you need to know I'm just not into that sort of thing."

Naruto stared at him blankly, completely lost. "Huh?"

"I can handle any girl that has a crush on me, well except for Sakura, but I don't really think of her as human. However if you're trying to take advantage of whatever respect I have for you-"

"Whoa!" Naruto let go of Sasuke as if his skin burned him. "Teme! Not you, but a girl! Hinata-chan! I'm in love with her!"

Sasuke studied Naruto's expression, weighing his words and the fervent timber of his words. Exhaling a sigh, he sat back down, severely irritated that Naruto was going to throw this at him when he was trying to sleep. "Naruto, I'm glad you've found a crush other than Sakura. Really, it's great, but she's a Hyuuga. If you start stalking and pestering her you're going to end up in jail. I'm sure as Clan Head, her father knows people..."

"Gah!" Naruto scratched at his hair, "No! She's in love with me, too! I'm serious."

"Oh, really." Sasuke's dead panned stare did nothing to support Naruto's claim. "Well I'm sure she does. The same way I'm sure you'll be Hokage some day."

Naruto glared at him. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Can you prove it?"

"Absolutely!"

"How?"

"She kissed me."

Sasuke blinked, a half choked chuckle almost made it past his lips, but he swallowed it down with a ridiculing dismissal of his hands. "You're dreaming, Naruto."

Naruto sighed, "I am...but it's true!"

"By any chance were there horse size bowls of free ramen there or was the Hokage telling you he wanted you to take over?"

"No! And that's how I'm sure it was all real!"

"You really dream of that?"

Naruto balked at Sasuke as if he admitted something weird. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Go to sleep, Naruto," Sasuke blatantly turned away from Naruto, rolling over to ignore anymore of his teammate's antics.

"I'm serious!" Naruto jumped over Sasuke, putting his face as close as he could to the Uchiha heir. Lips puckered, he spoke furiously "Look! Can you see any lipstick or marks on my lips? Seriously, look! Look!"

"Keep it down, guys, people are trying to-" Kakashi peeked his head only to see Naruto with both hands on Sasuke's shoulders and their faces very, very close.

Naruto's puckered lips were all but touching Sasuke's. The Uchiha prodigy was staring wild eyed at Naruto, terrified that Naruto was using Hinata's kiss as an excuse too...

Kakashi coughed into his hand, distracting both boys.

"Ah, I see. Please, excuse me and feel free to carry on. I'm really glad to see you two have gotten so close. If you don't want rumors getting back home just keep things quiet."

"No, it's not what you think!" Sasuke shoved Naruto harshly away from him, "It's a misunderstanding!"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I was just wanted him to look at the lipstick I have on."

Kakashi shrugged. "Whatever works for you two."

Sasuke glared at naruto. "Dobe, you are not helping!"

"It's all right," Kakashi assured easily, pointing to a certain page in his orange book. "This happens more often than you think. If you want I can tell you about a couple of clubs in Konoha you might enjoy. Anyway I won't tell. Carry on you two."

Kakashi closed the door, waiting for the door to shut completely to say, "Well, that explains a lot."

Sasuke and Naruto turned to look at the other, Naruto up on his elbows looking at Sasuke with his face screwed incomprehensibly. "What just happened, Sasuke?"

"I really do hate you at times, Naruto."

The Uchiha heir got up, took his pillow, blanket, and stomped out of the room.

Naruto scratched his head, muttering to himself. "What was all that about?"

Flopping himself back on his make shift bed, he thought back to Hinata...and giggled. He couldn't sleep. Though his eyes were open, all he could see in the night were lavender tinted, large pale eyes framed by dark indigo hair and the sweetest smile.

Touching his lips, he giggled again. "Best mission ever."

xxx

Hinata woke thinking the world was a beautiful place after all.

She knew what was waiting for her when she went home. There was no doubt about the list of things her father would reprimand her about and receive another scolding about being a disappointment, but the confrontation seemed...tolerable now.

It really did.

She hummed, thinking about Naruto and all the things she needed to tell him other than how happy she was that he let her be accepted by him. A muffled squeal became known, but it was the sudden silence in the room that opened her eyes to everyone staring at her.

Only Naruto had a similarly bright smile on his face.

Guy and Kakashi were talking, making preparations and plans to head back to Konoha now that the bridge was complete. All that was left was to let the tar and cement dry.

Tsunami, Inari, and Tazuna were preparing for a village wide feast in celebration of their new found freedom. In a few hours, Team Guy and Team Seven were going to head back to Konoha, but there was just one quick matter to take care of...

"Hinata-sama?" Neji glared impatiently at his young cousin.

Hinata chewed her lip, but did not cow herself as she normally would. Instead, her eyes strayed to Naruto, which he caught, and gave the cutest squint to let him know that she was thinking of him.

He answered her back with a toothy grin, unable to keep his giggles to himself.

...well, another thing to take care of.

Sasuke didn't have to keep his eyes open to realize what was happening.

"Come with me," He spoke to Naruto, eventually making his way towards the door, but not before stopping in front of Neji. "You have ten minutes. Don't make me come after you."

Neji had held his arms loosely across his chest, his attention still focused on Hinata when Sasuke had approached. Still avoiding Sasuke's beckoning encounter, he answered with barely a nod. "Ten minutes."

That was good enough for Sasuke.

Guy's fists were clenched by his check, invigorated by the sudden challenge. "Ha, ha, ha! What a fiery youth! He won't beat my Neji, but what an outstanding scene, eh, Kakashi!"

Kakashi was checking the binds on Haku, seeing that they were tied as they should be. Haku made a point of looking behind his captor and then at Kakashi, silently directing him to do the same.

"Oh, Guy. Did you say something?"

Might Guy looked ready to have a vein in his head explode, but he grumbled out a, "Curse you and your hip attitude."

That was the last Hinata and Naruto heard before following Sasuke out to their training area by the sea.

xxx

They caught up to Sasuke at the center of their training ground, stretching his arms, his legs, torso and back. His eyes were closed, but his voiced reached them well enough.

"So...it's true."

Hinata didn't make what Sasuke was trying to say at first, but Naruto chuckled victoriously, throwing his arm around Hinata's shoulder as if he had been chosen for Hokage right then and there.

It never occurred to her that he would tell Sasuke...or anyone about it. It just didn't click.

Was he really...that happy?

Sasuke's eyes were glued to her, narrowing inquisitively as if to confirm what his idiot of a partner was claiming. Unable to look him directly in the eye, she was able to nuzzle close to Naruto, pinching at the side of his black shirt.

The dark haired Uchiha strode forward, staring down at her, noiselessly questioning her on one simple detail that she knew as well as he if she was prepared to handle the issues that would eventually come up.

What were they going to do when they got back? Her father was definitely not going to approve.

Lavender pupil less eyes under long lashes turned to meet onyx black, responding in kind that she would work on it when the time came.

It seemed enough to answer Sasuke's question. Shaking his head, he walked away to continue to warm up.

Hinata thought of something, forcing her to squeak through trouble lips. "You're not ready, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke stopped in mid stretch, looking over his shoulder at her, waiting for her to say it again.

When she didn't answer right away, she repeated, although stutteringly behind Naruto's back with her big, lavender eyes peeking from his shoulder. "Y-you're not r-ready. Neji nii-san is on a different level."

Sasuke whirled on her, causing Naruto to lift one hand up to Sasuke's chest and another to keep Hinata behind her.

"I told you once, Hyuuga, I am Uchiha! There is no equal to me! Just because you and Naruto want to be part of a loser club, make out in secret till your daddy, Hiashi, finds out about it and forces you to break up, that's your business, but don't get in the way of mine!"

"Whoa! What the fuck, teme!" Naruto shoved Sasuke away from Hinata, his fists balled and ready to take Neji's place in this match.

Staring back at him and Hinata were Sasuke's trump card, a two tomoe in one eye and a singular one in the other.

Hinata was still shaking her head, but Naruto couldn't see her. Fierce cobalt blue narrowed at Sasuke's red orbs reflecting back at him.

"You will never understand, dobe, this is what I have been waiting for. With these eyes, I can see beyond your perception." He stood another impossible inch closer to Naruto, "I am more...simply more. I...am...Uchiha! I can't lose."

Naruto could see that Sasuke was looking through him, past him. Turning around, he saw Hinata's shiver under her thick coat, trembling at some memory. Then it dawned on him.

"Did you hurt her?"

Sasuke scoffed, continuing back to his stretching.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped, ready to launch himself at Sasuke.

For a brief moment, Sasuke's felt the heat of hell nipping at his neck, but when he turned around all he could see was Hinata holding Naruto's hand with one of her own and bodily nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun," Her nervous voice reached him, soothing his feral rage. "I'm okay. He just refused my assistance when I offered to help him train."

Naruto could feel how important it was to her that he didn't fight Sasuke. Having faith in her claim, he wrapped an arm protectively around her. "Don't you ever put your hands on her again, teme."

Sasuke huffed, annoyed that Naruto would even think to threaten him. Didn't he know how little it was to him, Uchiha Sasuke?

"S-Sasuke-kun," Hinata stuttered, still trying to reach Naruto's friend. "I really think you need to let me help you. I've trained with Neji nii-san for most of my life, so I can tell you-"

"Have you ever beaten him, Hinata?" Sasuke stopped in a side stretch, focusing on her.

Her fingers poked, unable to answer to calmly about her failures. "No, Sasuke-kun, I haven't, but neither has-"

"Then I'm not interested in what you have to say. Stop getting in my way."

Her long blue locks crossed over her face with a strong wind as she tried to get Naruto to help her convince Sasuke to listen to her. Naruto just shook his head, pointing to something in the distance to distract her.

"Want to waste five minutes with me?"

Beaming a pretty smile, she dashed in the direction Naruto was pointing to. Looking back, she did feel a bit guilty that Sasuke had not even heard her advice. In just a few minutes it would prove to be Sasuke's undoing.

xxx

It only took a few minutes to have Naruto and Hinata's hands filled with a potpourri of glossy shells, shell fragments, and a single piece of driftwood. Both of them had their sandals drenched with sea water and sand after combing the beach for their little treasures.

Peeking at their little bundle, Naruto brought his pile up to Hinata right under her nose. "Pick one."

A rough, thick, spiky orange and red conch shell peeked out from his large hands. Taking it, she showed it to him. He acknowledged it with a nod. The rest, he stuffed into his pocket.

Hinata winced, knowing that sea shells had a tendency to smell if they weren't properly washed before they dried.

"Ano...Naruto-kun..."

"Oh, crap!" He grabbed her hand and bounded off with her in tow, "Sasuke and Neji are about to start."

xxx

Kakashi and Guy were monitoring near the treeline, watching as their prized students made their last preparations before their little 'spar' began. Lee was chomping at the bit to participate, eagerly asking to fight whoever the winner was. Tenten, on the other hand, was doing all she could calm him down, letting him know that Neji needed to meditate and focus.

Which he was doing now. Eyes closed, breathing coolly controlled, and mind centered, Neji opened his silver Hyuuga eyes towards the dark haired Uchiha prowling on the other side of the small clearing to get to him.

Naruto and Hinata appeared in time to see they had not missed a thing.

Apparently, neither did Neji.

His narrowed focus picked up a very incriminating detail that would have to be discussed at a later time...

Hinata quickly whispered to Naruto, "We can't be seen like this." She glanced at their joined hands. "Neji will-"

"Hinata," Naruto threaded his fingers with her, unafraid of Neji or anyone else for that matter. "I'm not going to let you go...ever."

...and Hinata knew it.

Mewling worriedly, Naruto sat on the opposite side of Neji's team, cheering Sasuke on. "Get'm, Teme! Show him how Team seven kicks ass!"

A small bead of sweat ran down the side of Sasuke's cheek, facing Naruto with a smug countenance of premeditated victory already in sight.

"No, dobe, I'll show them how an Uchiha does it."

Neji turned his attention to Sasuke, an unhurried pace towards the center of their arena. Sasuke quickly stepped to the center, about ten feet away from his opponent.

Kakashi put his little orange book away, keeping his hands in his pockets as he and Guy strode to the center of the make shift battle field. The silver haired scarecrow spoke first.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you have issued a challenge to Hyuuga Neji and he has accepted. Considering this is not a dual, there will be no fights to the death, outrageous wagers," Guy looked extremely disappointed about that, "or any attempts to permanently injure the other. Is that understood?"

"Fine," Sasuke evenly answered, preparing himself in a well balanced stance meant to prepare for offense and defense.

Neji waited to answer, purposely delaying to observe Sasuke's every detail, every pose, and breathing pattern. Shaking his head, he spoke clearly and pointedly as his opponent.

"You've already lost."

Sasuke's lip curled, growling, "Then say you're ready! Lets fight!"

Inciting him even more, Neji sighed, completely bored, but, never the less, accepting the challenge. "Yes, lets."

Neji nodded towards Kakashi, his hands relaxed at his side and his body favoring his back leg.

"Begin."

"Sharingan!" Sasuke's eyes glowed with scarlet irises, charging Neji with a swift combo of kicks and lunge punches.

Neji stepped away, keeping his block tight around his torso and framing his body. He fell back...then fell back some more. Each time he moved backwards, Sasuke got more and more aggressive, trying to clear the distance with shots to the head by extending his reach in kicks, in hay makers, or precision attacks to Neji's guard or feet.

Neji simply slipped away, then slipped away...then slipped away.

"C'mon, Sasuke! What are you doing?" Naruto yelled, shouting out his frustration, but it was Hinata that answered him.

"He's learning Sasuke and baiting him." Hinata answered, her eyes never leaving her Nii-san and Sasuke.

"What? Why?" Naruto asked, unable to comprehend the tactic.

"Naruto-kun, the Hyuuga know everything there is to know about the Sharingan's early stages. We've been the Uchiha's peers for as long as the first Hokage created Konoha. As part of our Clan's curriculum, we are taught about all the famous doujutsus, especially that of our rivals in the Leaf, the Sharingan."

A sliver of reality started to creep into Naruto's instincts. "So...you mean your family were prepared to fight...?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun," Hinata pinched the side of Naruto's shirt, keeping him close. "I tried to tell Sasuke but he wouldn't listen."

A depreciating frown creased Naruto's lips as he continued to watch Sasuke chase Neji down. "I don't know whether to be happy or sad for the teme."

Hinata was already preparing for it, mentally, of what her Nii-san was going to do to Sasuke. It was the same thing he did to Lee or Tenten when he got under their skin.

Like so...

"So you think you've got a weapon in your arsenal, hm?" Neji swapped two forward punches and a lunge to tackle, but hopped away twice. Dusting his bandages, he paced sideways, giving Sasuke his profile. "That is the almighty Sharingan, is it not? The Uchiha pride and joy?"

"Yes, it is!" Sasuke dove at him, pushing him further into the tree line where palm trees and other assorted trees grew.

Neji positioned himself behind a thick trunk, peeking out the other side, "So, tell me, how much practice do you have with it?"

"I've beaten Gato's gang with it! I've got plenty of training to-"

"Ah, civilians with clubs and knives." Neji mocked, grinning arrogantly to Sasuke, "How very...Uchiha of you to be proud of such a testimony."

Sasuke hopped onto the side of the tree, chakra pushed himself off of it and rocketed it towards Neji.

Neji ducked in time to avoid having his head knocked off.

"Oh, haven't we grown from the Academy. You know how to chakra walk up trees. Good." Neji hopped onto the other side of an opposing tree, hands on his hips. "But is this the limit of your capabilities?"

Sasuke followed suit, dashing from one tree to another, but he was not prepared for Neji to start hopping from one tree to the next...on the sides of the trunk.

Sasuke lost his balance for a second, attempting to try what Neji had just completed, but recovered by landing on the ground with a smooth rebound back onto the top of a branch.

Neji was waiting for him on the top of another tree branch, looking down at him with a conceit that Sasuke had not yet mastered.

"It would seem we have found the limit to your abilities...Uchiha."

Closing his eyes and focusing while creating a sign with his hands, Sasuke took the moment to strike quick and true to Neji's blindness.

Hinata turned away, unable to look.

Naruto was sure Sasuke had Neji dead to rights.

Kakashi simply shook his head and started to walk towards the center.

Just as Sasuke flew towards Neji with a devastating knee to the face, Neji's eyes opened with the fierce Byakugan activated. Pushing off the tree with chakra, Neji's arm scythed sideways, catching Sasuke in the throat with a nasty clothesline.

Uchiha Sasuke fell to the ground gasping, choking and suffocating to barely get any air into his lungs.

Neji pushed the attack, going full offensive.

He didn't need to use force or full range kicks or punches. The Hyuuga prodigy took Sasuke apart in pieces, sniping at points at his shins, under his arms, solar plexus, instep, inside of his thigh, and up into his chin and straight onto his nose.

Sasuke fell before Neji, on his knees barely able to feel what happened to him. It was as if his mind was trying to catch up to the pain that his body felt.

"You silly, foolish, stupid, arrogant peasant." Neji paced around the fallen hair, shaking his head at the unremarkable boy who's words that were boldly and caustically boasted before now seemed like an empty promise of noisy bravado. "You think because you have a tool that you know how to wield it?"

Grabbing Sasuke's hair, Neji half dragged, half carried Sasuke to the beach and onto the waves of oncoming water.

"I am Hyuuga," Neji hissed, forcing Sasuke to look into the vein gorged silver eyes inside his sockets. "Everyone of 'my' people are born capable of using this 'tool' since we are able to walk! We are also made aware of your doujutsu's evolution, and what you're showing me now is barely in its pupa stage. You think you can challenge me, a reall Hyuuga, because you've fought civilians, beaten lower ranking Academy students that come from inferior clans? Look at my team mates! Look at them!"

Neji slapped a jab Sasuke threw to the side, pinching the nerve clusters at his opponents neck to keep him still...although his pain reached the ears of anyone listening to him scream.

"You see that idiot in green? He is a master of taijutsu. Did you hear me?" Neji turned Sasuke's face to the side to ensure he had Sasuke's attention. "A master at fourteen. He could easily take on most Chuunin and several lower ranking Jounin. And her, Tenten, with the buns on her head. A weapon's mistress of some of the highest caliber, equally skilled in weaponry as Lee is with hand to hand combat. Do you see them? Do you?"

Sasuke didn't answer, he simply glared at Neji, helpless to even move despite his desire to.

"They are beneath me!" He scoffed at Sasuke, grounding out his pride with those simple words. "Both of them are your betters by leaps and bounds, Sharingan or not! He would run circles around you in speed. She could match you in any thrown or hand held weapon five times over blindfolded! You...are...a...joke!"

Sasuke growled again, attempting another kick, but Neji threw Sasuke over his shoulder bodily, watching him splash into water that was deeper than Sasuke could reach from the bottom without the water coming up over his head. Sasuke had to tread water to stay afloat.

Neji balanced himself easily on the wave's surface.

Sasuke tries to push himself onto the water's plane, but the chakra push wasn't coming to him correctly no matter how the Sharingan showed him how Neji was doing it. He would get sort of on and sort of off...but it was not something he could do just yet.

He hadn't practiced it.

Kneeling just an arm's length away, Neji shook his head, sadly witnessing Sasuke's feeble attempt to even stand on the water and failing.

"Walking on water is what the Hyuuga teach children as they learn how to write." Walking over towards the beach, Neji called out behind him, "You definitely belong on a team with Naruto and Hinata. Congratulations," Releasing his Byakugan, Neji smoothed his sleeves and called out over his shoulder, "You have found a team to be your peers."

Sasuke seethed, unable to believe how quickly he had lost.

Hinata and Naruto both...

Both of them, Sasuke realized with fuming reality.

...ran on the water, skillfully, to help him out and onto the beach.

Once they got him onto a shallow enough surface, Sasuke brushed them off, stomping away from them and Kakashi's barely involved reply of, "Are you alright?"

Sasuke said nothing.

"Hey, Sasuke, what happened? You were supposed to win, right?"

Sasuke got further and further away from Naruto, from Neji, from everyone...except, he could not get away from the one last barb he knew was coming.

"How could you lose, Sasuke?" Naruto cupped his hands over his mouth, to purposely crow at the top of his lungs, "Didn't you tell him you're an Uchiha?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata scolded with her timid voice, unable to agree with Naruto's ribbing of his team mate.

"Tell me he doesn't deserve it, Hinata-chan." Naruto answered back, hooking her arm with his.

Sadly, as much as she hated those who bullied others, she couldn't find it in her heart to defend Sasuke.

"Maybe...a little?"

"That's my girl." Naruto held her close, beaming a wide, cheeky smile.

Hinata followed him in step, leaning purposely and affectionately next to him. With the way Neji was looking at her, she was sure their end was going to come closer than she wanted.