"Hatake Hinata, at your service!" she answered the door with a smile at the young ninja standing there.
"H-hai. My name isn't important. The message I'm carrying is." He quickly handed her a sealed scroll, eyes cast down.
"Uh, thanks."
"Hai."
Hinata opened the scroll, leaning on the doorframe lightly. Her eyes went wide and she reread it over a few times.
"Is this legit?" she asked.
"H-hai, Lady Hatake."
"Just 'Hinata' is fine, thanks. Mkay. Thanks; see you!"
With that, the door was closed and only leaves swirled around the young messenger.
--
Hinata walked into the Hokage tower right on time, hands in pockets. She nodded to the secretary in front of her door and was allowed passage into the main room.
"Lady Tsunade" Hinata withdrew her hands and put them together, bowing low to signify respect.
"Get up, please." Tsunade murmured, gazing at the younger female with interest.
"What is it you need of me, Hokage-sama?"
"You remember that…ninja you defeated recently?" Tsunade spoke quietly.
"Hai."
"Good. Well, it seems he has… a request."
"I don't follow."
Tsunade sighed and stood up, walking around her desk and placing a hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"You're his last request."
Hinata didn't get it still. How could that…man… wish for her as his last request?
"B-but… I still don't see…"
"Hinata. We gave Deidara one last chance to tell us something useful, and he waited till the last minute, quite literally, in doing so. He made a deal with us, and I really hope you'll be able to help us carry it out."
"Ohhhh. What was this deal?"
"He gets to talk with you for a few hours; he tells us a few things. Hopefully he'll tell us everything."
"Will… will we be alone?"
"No. I already have twenty guards there, and I doubled it for your… meeting. He will be in a straightjacket and drugged. And chained."
Hinata nodded.
"Okay, I guess. Whatever I can do to help…" she muttered.
--
It didn't take long to get to the prison cell Deidara was in. Tsunade was allowed through instantly, and Hinata was dragged through with only slight resistance. After going through a network of tunnels and rooms, they finally ended up in front of a large room with a one-way mirror. Tsunade gave rapid instructions to one of the ANBU members standing guard and then stepped back to let Hinata through.
"Go ahead Hinata. I'll stay here just in case, and you won't even be close enough for him to touch you. And he's still drugged and chained."
The younger female nodded shyly and slipped in, closing the heavy door behind her quietly. She immediately noticed three ANBU hiding in the corners, some low-level Jutsu keeping them hidden. Deidara was sitting in a chair, his arms wrapped around his stomach and hugging his back. Hinata realized that he was in a straightjacket.
"Hello." She murmured quietly.
He lifted his head and gazed at her with unsteady eyes, hair pulled up behind his head. His original hairstyle was gone, replaced so that they could see his whole face. Bright blue eyes were dulled by exhaustion and there were half-healed bruises across his face. The machine that covered one of his eyes was missing, and it was odd to see him like this.
"You." His word was spoken unsteadily, like a toddler just starting to walk.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, fidgeting a little.
"You beat me." His words were slurred together still, and she had to walk a little closer to understand.
"That I did" Hinata confirmed, confused at why she was called here just to be told that.
"But you're a…girl. Too young to have gotten so….good." Deidara tried to talk faster, trying to make a point.
"I was raised by Hatake Kakashi and apprenticed under Orochimaru." It hurt a but to bring up the snake.
It took a little while for this to sink in. Then Deidara's eyes went wide and he started laughing. Hinata didn't say anything, letting him chuckle at her expense. In a short time, his laugh turned into a cough. He couldn't stop and no one came in or went forward to help him. It made Hinata uncomfortable, seeing him struggle for breath. She strode forward and held her hand to his chest, sending her chakra to his lungs to assess the damage. Two ANBU were instantly next to her, pulling her back roughly.
But Hinata shook them off, glaring and walking towards him again. His body was more abused than it was after her fight with him. Half his ribs were broken, his throat was dry, and there was some internal bleeding.
"You are not permitted to touch the prisoner" came the warning of one of the ninjas behind her.
"So?" she shot back, hands outstretched to heal the blond.
Again the pair grabbed her and dragged her back. She struggled, trying to contain her anger at them.
"He'll die if you keep this up! He needs to be healed!" Hinata shouted, trying to break free from the iron grip on her wrists.
There was a knock on the window-thing and Hinata glanced back. She only saw her reflection, but obviously there was some signal, because they dragged her out and set her in front of the Hokage.
"What is going on?" Tsunade demanded, trying to figure out who to glare at.
"He'll die if you don't heal him soon, you should know that, Hokage-sama" Hinata spat, confused at herself for caring this much for a criminal.
"We keep him alive enough to get information" she responded.
"Alive enough? Do you hear his cough? That might be why he won't tell you anything. He can't!"
Tsunade opened her mouth to snap back, but closed it when Hinata glared at her.
"Let me see him." She spoke with authority, not even waiting for the guards to open the door for her.
Hinata watched as the female Hokage examined the man quickly, and then glance back to the mirror. Somehow her eyes met Hinata's and she realized that the Hokage didn't think he was this beat up. Some of the ANBU must have been doing this to work off access anger.
"Now do you see what I'm saying?" Hinata asked when Tsunade was standing in front of her again.
Tsunade nodded and Hinata's arms were released.
"Yes. I'll get someone to take care of that. Thank you for noticing; he might have died and we would lose our advantage. I can't believe my ANBU would do that…"
"Am I done here, or do I still need to stay here longer?"
"I don't think he was done talking, Hinata. Sorry."
She shrugged and went back into the room. Deidara was staring at her oddly, and she shifted from foot to foot uneasily.
"Why did you do that?" his words sounded a little clearer, as if seeing that small act of kindness made the drugs wear off.
"We would have wasted a lot of time if you died." Hinata said slowly. "And I can't stand seeing people in pain, even if they did something horrible."
"That's how come you survived Orochimaru…" the blond mused.
Hinata nodded, uncomfortable about talking about the man.
"What did you want from me? I would like to try and get this over with…" the blue-eyed blond reminded her of Naruto, and it was a weird feeling.
"I was curious, un."
"About…?"
"The person who defeated me. I want to know about you."
"How much about me?"
"Anything you can tell me in an hour, un." Hinata sighed; his added word was finally back.
"Um. Okay."
And so she started telling him about her life and how she got strong.
--
The hour went surprisingly quickly. About halfway through two medics came in and healed Deidara as fast as they could. One gave did his lungs and held up water while he blond drank. The other worked on his face and internal bleeding. They left silently, and Hinata didn't pause in her explanation. He actually seemed to be listening, and it felt good to be able to say anything to him without being judged. He nodded occasionally, not interrupting her speech.
"Hinata?" Tsunade poked her head in.
"Oh, yes?"
"Hours up. You are free to go now."
Hinata's eyes slid back to Deidara and was surprised to find he looked disappointed.
"May I stay a little longer, Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade gazed at her with confusion but nodded.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Not too much more time though, we still need to get a story out of him."
Hinata nodded and turned back to Deidara as the door shut. She went on with her story, ignoring the surprise on his face.
--
Eventually, which ended up being three more hours, Hinata had to leave. She had to admit, for an S-class criminal, he wasn't that bad. Of course, that was when he was on drugs and lock and key. She did, however, sympathize with him on one thing. Konoha wasn't what it seemed to be.
--
Before the Hatake left the prison cell to go home, she turned and looked Deidara in the eyes and gently mocked, "Art is a blast, un."
--
Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for her when she got home. They both found out, through Shikamaru, that Hinata was requested from the Akatsuki bomber. She opened the door to find the blond sucking down ramen, with Sasuke at the other end of the table. His expression was priceless, and before they noticed her standing there she snapped a picture.
"You're back!" Sasuke looked relieved, not noticing when she slipped the small camera back into her pocket.
"Hey you guys; what's going on?"
"You have delicious ramen, Hinata-chan! Where did you get it?" Naruto glanced up eagerly.
"Dobe." Sasuke rolled his eyes at his best friend before answering Hinata. "We heard that you talked to that guy. Is it true?"
"Uh, Naruto's question first. I made it," she had spent days learning how to make the best possible ramen just for him, "and yes it is true." She confirmed.
Kakashi appeared out of nowhere. "Aha! Pay up, Sasuke!"
Hinata blinked, confused, as the Uchiha slapped some money into her fathers hand. Then it got serious again.
"What happened and why the hell were you there?"
"I dunno. Apparently, according to Tsunade, Deidara asked to talk to me."
"Do you know why?"
"Well, he asked me about my family and how I was raised and trained."
"And you made something up, correct?" Kakashi pressed.
"Nope. I told him the truth."
"Whatever for?!?"
"No one trusts him! He doesn't know who to trust, either. Besides, he's scheduled to be executed soon. He's probably telling them everything he knows right now. At least, that's what the deal said."
"…Hinata…"
"…Yes?"
"…Never mind."
--
The rest of the day was boring. Hinata felt better about herself – being able to spill your guts in front of someone willing to listen and not judge really boosted self confidence. She wanted to do something that night, though, so she picked up a few simple, in-village missions. It didn't take her long, and it got her back into the habit of working. The extra cash helped, too.
--
Sasuke yawned and opened his door, rubbing his right eye carefully. A quick glance at the clock before he got out of bed showed that it was past midnight. His eyes adjusted and he stood up straighter, full attention on the female at his doorstep.
"Hey Sasuke…do you drink?"
--
He didn't. But he agreed to go to the bar with Hinata, who looked a little depressed. He hoped he could help her, since her smile kept him from strangling Naruto on missions. She seemed to know where she was going, and eventually pulled him into a low-key bar. It was poorly lit, but it was warm and there weren't many people. There were two suspicious looking males in the corner, but Sasuke dismissed the petty threat and turned to see Hinata chugging down a bottle of sake.
"Are you okay?" he managed, pulling the bottle away from her.
"Yeah. Jus' need someone to make sure I get home jus' fine." Her slur was already present.
"Hinata…"
"I'll be fine, Uchiha. Stop worryin' about me. Some other girl needs your attention." She stole the bottle back and held it with both hands, eyeing him warily.
Coal eyes blinked and a small blush appeared on his face. "You- what do you mean?"
She sucked down some more sake and grinned at him. He felt his heart flutter and his cheeks heated a little more. He turned away and looked around the bar once more. The two in the corner were getting a little louder with each sip of beer.
"I've seen the looks you've given me. Don't lie and tell me that you hate me now, Sasuke." Hinata gestured for another drink.
Said male shrugged. "Then I have nothing to say."
"I knew it. Sasuke, I'm not the one for you. Trust me. I know you think I was the one to bring you out of the darkness, but it wasn't just me."
"Who else, then?" he murmured, turning to face her seriously.
"Look around, dobe. Believe it!" She imitated her boyfriend and got up, sauntering over to the back table.
Sasuke watched as she slammed three large beers onto the table, boasting she could out-drink them both. His mind fought to process what she was saying. Naruto had been there with her, did they… both help? It finally clicked and he stood up, making his way to her just as the three started drinking. They three were doing shots now, and they kept doing one for one until one of them had to stop.
It was just Hinata and the other dude, and Sasuke wondered how she had gotten started drinking. He also wondered how she could be winning. They had gotten to twenty-one before the other male had to withdraw his claim to drink her under the table. He tossed her something and she caught it easily, making the raven wonder if she was really drinking.
"What is it, Hinata?" he questioned, looking at the item questioningly.
"This guy's sister runs a spa…" she murmured, fingering the silver key happily. "And I just won a week's worth of free treatments."
"… I see." He pulled her by the arm, dragging her to a corner booth. She rested her head against the soft cushions, smiling at him.
"What was that about? You could kill yourself doing that!" he hissed at her, keeping his voice low.
"I woulda been fine, I'm still peachy!" she giggled. "I wanted something and I got it."
"Well, not everyone can get what they want. Don't ever do this again, and I don't want to catch you drinking again. Ever. It messes you up, Hinata."
"You don't mean that, Sasuke-kun." She slid closer to the male and he blinked, confused.
"Yes I do." He deadpanned.
Hinata grinned and pulled his head down to hers, pressing her lips roughly against his. She threaded her fingers through his dark locks and kept his head where it was. He was shocked enough not to do anything until she pulled away. He touched his lips, confused.
"But… you… Naruto…" he couldn't find the right words.
She pouted. "I like Naruto, but you're cute too! I can't resist a friend that's been chasing me! I know what it's like to not have the person you love not love you back. Why should I be forced to pick just one of you?"
Sasuke stared at her. She was mental. Drinking made her either a manipulative bitch, or she had major problems. Something didn't add up.
"You've been drinking a lot, Hinata. It's time to go home. You'll feel better when you're sober." He choked out, backing away from her lips.
She let out a loud sigh and slipped out of the booth, waiting for him to bring her home. Dizzy, she toppled to the floor.
"Wheeee!" she laughed and waved her arms and legs. "I'm flyin'!"
Sasuke shook his head and picked her up, supporting her the best he could. She took the opportunity to kiss him again. It was less pleasant than the other one, probably because her breath reeked of alcohol. Halfway to her house, he realized that Kakashi was going to kill him.
To say Kakashi was mad was… actually, it was dead wrong. He wasn't mad at Sasuke at all, but he instead thanked him profusely for bringing her home. Sasuke was mystified, and it was only solved when Kakashi revealed that he had been worried about her but didn't know what to do or where to look. Sasuke was allowed to help her to her room, and he was nervous because he wanted Kakashi to think well of him.
She kissed him one more time before running for the bathroom, looking quite sober indeed. Her eyes were wide and he could tell they were more focused. Her steps were lighter again and not the lumbering gait she had when she was drunk. He touched his lips again and turned to see Kakashi standing there, eye expressionless. Sasuke gulped.
"Sas…uke…" Kakashi growled.
"Just let me explain!" the raven held his hands in front of his face, cowering before his sensei.
He heard Kakashi move advance towards him, but then he was past him and still moving. Sasuke didn't move for fear he would turn back and get him. Sure, he could defend himself, but…not when he was angry. A door behind him opened and then closed a moment later, the faint sound of retching reaching his ears. He took this as his cue to get the hell out. If Kakashi forgot about being mad because she was throwing up, so be it.
--
It had been a weird day, and no one mentioned it the next. It was like everything was back in place, and their roles were the same as a few days ago, not the previous one. Like it never happened.
But Sasuke didn't forget, oh no. He was still thinking of what happened, trying to explain it. Nothing made sense, but all during the day he thought. He made sure to pay attention to healing patients, of course, but his body moved on auto-pilot. About halfway through the day, Hinata and Naruto showed up, inviting him to lunch. He accepted cautiously.
The restaurant was a quaint little shop, with coffee and breakfast as the main items on the menu. Hinata just ordered a cup of tea, but the boys got way more. Naruto ordered two large bowls of miso ramen and a side of dango. He kept trying to figure out what else would be good. Sasuke got a few random things; a salad with extra tomatoes, a small cut of meat, and an onion soup.
"So Sasuke, how's work? It fun working in the hospital?" Hinata questioned politely.
"I guess. I don't enjoy catering to egotistical people who think they deserve free attention."
"Do you get many patients?"
He didn't even have to think on this question. "Yes."
"I see." She sipped her tea.
"Haha! I bet fangirls request him!" Naruto laughed, slurping his ramen.
"…Yeah." Sasuke deadpanned.
"….HAHA!" Naruto had to put his chopsticks down to laugh harder at the raven.
"Stop it, Naruto. It must be difficult and annoying…" Hinata murmured, lightly smacking the blonds arm.
"Sorry." He muttered, blushing softly.
Hinata grinned widely at him. "It's alright." She didn't mean to, but she leaned over in her seat to kiss him.
He responded eagerly, kissing back and putting his hands on her head, bringing her closer. Sasuke coughed after a little while, the scene too awkward for his tastes.
"Gomen" Hinata blushed at her other friend. Naruto didn't look sorry at all.
"I'll be right back, guys. Need to take- uhh I mean use the restroom." Naruto caught himself and got up from the table, smiling at the proud look Hinata gave him.
Sasuke thought it would be awkward. He was right.
"I'm sorry about last night." Hinata spoke bluntly, right after Naruto slammed the door of the bathroom shut.
Sasuke shifted around in his seat a little. He didn't really know what to say, so he stayed silent.
"I know that it'll be awkward around me. But only because you're going to make it like that…"
"…"
"I can make it much more awkward for you." She winked.
Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know how."
Instead of making a witty comeback, she just kissed him again. Really though, he had wanted that to happen. He hoped it would, anyway. He wasn't surprised, so he kissed back gently. She seemed excited and pushed against his lips a little harder, scrapping her chair closer to his. His fingers twined through her long hair and got stuck. She let out a tiny moan and he kissed her harder.
And then it was over, with Hinata sitting properly in her seat, closer to Naruto's seat but still in-between the two rivals' chairs. Sasuke was panting hard, but Hinata wasn't breathing hard at all. She was smirking at him, an oddly devious look on her face. Her hair was smoothed out with long fingers, a makeshift comb that worked perfectly.
Naruto appeared back at the table before Sasuke realized he was still staring at Hinata. The blond looked between them, confused, but shrugged and started attacking his food again. He didn't make a comment and Hinata didn't offer an explanation.
It was silent the rest of lunch.
--
Naruto left first, claiming he had to go visit Tsunade (he did). It got a little awkward again, because Sasuke didn't know if Hina was going to attack him with her lips again. He kinda hoped so, but he felt it would be betraying Naruto.
"Sasuke, relax. I'm not going to kiss you again. I just want to talk right now."
"…Okay."
"…You know I can't be forced to pick between you too. I love Naruto, he's my world, but he can be…thick-headed."
Sasuke snorted. "Mm."
"I just want you to be happy" she said softly.
"I am happy. You make Naruto happy. Why shouldn't I be happy?"
She gave him an odd look. "You kissed back. You're jealous."
"…Look, it would hurt Naruto if I took you from him."
"Then I'll have you both."
"And whom will you marry? Him or me?" Sasuke prompted.
Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "Which ever one asks me when he knows he truly loves me."
"Naruto already does."
"He has issues too. He doesn't trust anyone fully, even though he tries to."
"Bullshit. He loves you and you know it."
Hinata slammed him against a wall, pushing her mouth to his. She angled her knee between his thighs and pushed gently, using a hand to play with his hair. His eyes shut tightly and a low moan escaped his lips. She pressed harder, more insistent, and he opened his eyes wide and tilted his head back. She smirked and sucked on his collarbone, nipping lightly.
Then he pushed her away, breathing ragged. He felt his blood rush south all at once and fought to get it elsewhere. It didn't work.
"Tell me…" she panted. "You didn't enjoy that. Look me in the eyes and tell me you weren't turned on by that. Tell me you don't want me."
Sasuke couldn't do it. He felt ashamed, but there wasn't any denying it. It showed in his body, and how he couldn't lie to her. Because it was entirely true. Everything about her turned him on; her body, her mind, her lips, her swaying hips, her long hair that was so soft and fluffy, those pale white eyes. Everything.
--
Hinata met up with Naruto later. She grinned at him and explained what happened while he ate some of her ramen. Tsunade had made him work like crazy in her office, and it made him hungry.
"So… You kissed Sasuke?"
"Mhmm. Again. He doesn't seem to want to even try. He thinks it'll hurt you."
"Hinata, it's perfectly logical. He's my best friend, and I'm his. We don't usually share things. It's against our code."
"Well, this code is meant to be broken. There's enough of me to go around."
"I know, Hinata-chan. It's alright though, since it's his choice. Eventually I'll tell him that I don't mind sharing. I'd rather not, but I know that you still love me."
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him. "Mhmm. I loved you first, and now that I've got you I'm not losing you." She murmured. "Not again."
--
Hinata and Naruto got up early the next morning. They wanted to be ready for what was going to be happening later that day.
"Hurry up, Naruto! The stores open in a few minutes! I wanna be the first ones there!"
"Fine, fine! Sorry! Just needed to find my money…"
"We'll use mine its fine you can pay me back later!"
With that said, they left at four in the morning to get Sasuke a birthday present.
--
Hinata looked in the clothing section, distracted by the new selection of clothes. She found some awesome casual clothes and made sure to grab a few for when she was off missions or had a day off. She liked the light purple t-shirt with a white dragon curled up on it.
Meanwhile, Naruto was in the toys section of the general store. He was trying to figure out which gag-gift to get his best friend. It was difficult to decide between the flying duck hat and the rainbow hat. Of course, the Sasuke action figure was good too….
Hinata finally found the cutest thing and immediately bought it, grinning from ear to ear. She paid and held the toy close to her, snuggling it. It was too cute to resist! She looked at it again and giggled. Sasuke might not like it, but that was probably why she got it for him. Gag-gifts were the best right now because then the actual present would be even better. She carefully put the stuffed animal duck in her bag and went to look for Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, did you find something yet?" she called lightly.
"Yeah! It's perfect!"
"Good. Buy it and let's go. We still need to get everything else done!" She handed him some ryu notes and gazed wistfully at the beautiful kimonos in the corner. She wanted one so badly, but it would be blowing all her money.
"Go it! Let's go!"
"Right!"
--
The two spent a good chunk of time at Naruto's apartment cleaning up. Naruto made a list of things they needed to do and then made a dozen clones to start working on it. Hinata wrapped her gift in a box of appropriate size, and then helped the blond wrap his silly gift a few times over. The small item eventually looked like a very large one. Laughing, they went to work on the rest of their plans.
--
At noon, Kakashi showed up with Shikamaru. They took over decorating while the other two took a break for lunch. After a quick snack of ramen and rice, they began to work again. Hinata took over the job of writing invitations to specific people and cooking. She ended up making a few shadow clones too. She worked hard on the cake but set out snack foods on a table. It was good that Naruto didn't have much in his apartment, because it meant they had tons of space to set things up.
Finally they finished and took a few seconds to check their work. There were light blue streamers in an odd way, but when you looked while laying on the floor it was the Uchiha symbol. There were balloons floating around, filled with air and helium so that they didn't hit the ceiling or get popped on the ground. It was clean and the room smelled nice, like apple pie and ramen. The cake was in the center of the food table, in the shape of Sasuke's head.
There was a smaller table next to the food table, with a few small presents on top. Naruto's was under that table, waiting to be opened last. Or first. The rest of the food table had bowls filled with popular snack foods, and there was a large container filled with lemonade. There was a smaller one filled with tea, and an even smaller, more hidden one filled with sake.
The rugs had been vacuumed, cleaned, and vacuumed again. Walls were patched up and repainted. The bathroom was also scrubbed clean, and there was a large sign on the door so that it could be found easily. Naruto was the most excited, still bouncing around the rooms, examining if they forgot anything. Probably because his space had been fixed up for free.
"Finally." Shikamaru sighed, flopping down on the couch.
"We're actually not done yet" Hinata spoke up, looking sheepish. "We still need to invite people. And not let Sasuke or his… stalkers know."
"For the love of…have Naruto do it, Hinata. I want to take a nap" Shikamaru groaned, holding a pillow over his head.
Kakashi shook his head, grinning under his mask, and took the invitations from Hinata.
"I'll do it, Hina-chan. Naruto'll end up telling everyone. You get some rest. They'll be here in… four hours."
She yawned and nodded, dragging Naruto away from the food. He began to protest but ended up shutting his mouth when she threatened to punch him quiet. The two fell onto the bed and fell asleep, much like the lazy ninja on the couch.
--
Kakashi found the people without much trouble. He made sure, casually, that Sasuke wasn't going to be doing anything later. He didn't even need to find Sasuke for that, because he just checked with the receptionist at the hospital.
"Hello, yes, I'm here for my checkup…Yes, Sasuke is my doctor….yes, I'll wait. Thank you." He turned to see where she pointed and saw almost three dozen girls (and half as many guys) also waiting for Sasuke.
Kakashi held back a giggle and left, knowing that the kid wouldn't be going anywhere for awhile. That meant that he couldn't even get a chance to find out about the party.
He left through the bathroom window, off to the store to find the Uchiha a present.
--
Finally the party was ready. The sun was going down, people were ready to party, and Sasuke didn't have a clue. Since it was a surprise to the birthday boy, everyone had to find hiding places. Of course, the hardest thing to do was hide from a ninja, so Hinata was sent to get him. She wore normal clothes to make sure he would be more relaxed.
"Hey, Sasuke. Walk with me to Naruto's house?" she offered. "We can pick him up for surprise ramen and then go do something." By making it look like they were going to be the ones surprising.
"Uh, sure. Just… I actually need some help with something else…" she tilted her head, trying to look inside his door. He was right in the way.
"Do you have… a mountain in there?" she questioned him.
"Uh… fangirls. They got me…gifts, for some odd reason."
"Oh I see. Well, were you going to burn them or something?"
"Nah, I did that last year."
"…Huh?"
"Never mind. You mentioned Naruto?"
--
It was easy to keep him preoccupied on the walk over. They talked about normal things for once.
"So his guts just… exploded?"
"Yeah. He was a walking time bomb, and it was a mess. See, he had…"
This went on the entire way over, and Hinata couldn't keep the smile off her face. But neither could Sasuke.
--
"SURPRISE!!!"
"HOLY SHI-" Sasuke jumped and attached himself to the ceiling with a hand and a foot.
The entire room laughed, amused by his reaction. Hinata really did a good job with calming him down enough to hide themselves well enough. Surprising a well-seasoned ninja was tough, but they had somehow done it.
"Happy Birthday, Sasuke" Shikamaru drawled, leaning on his shoulder.
"Uh, thanks…" Shikamaru was shaken off, and he ambled away, sipping from a bottle that looked suspiciously like Hinata's secret stash.
"When did you find out..?" Sasuke turned to Hinata and Naruto, who were holding hands and grinning at him.
"One word: fangirls."
"Fuck."
"No thanks." Naruto laughed, and he dropped his girlfriends hand to grab something to eat.
"So, you will be happy and just party for a bit, have cake, enjoy some sake, and get presents. From only your closest friends, of course."
"Who is here, anyway?" he murmured, looking around. People were dancing and mingling, listening to the music. It sounded like rave, or maybe techno. He liked it.
"Well, there's me, Shikamaru, Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune, Iruka, some girl Shika brought, a bunch of people Naruto knows, uhhh… let's see." Hinata reeled off some more names. "Tenten, Neji, Choji, Karin…" Hinata shrugged. "Some people got invited along with the ones I asked to get here. There aren't any fangirls, though. I checked."
The raven finally smiled and relaxed a little more. "Okay. Cool."
--
The cutting of the cake was difficult. It looked so good that no one wanted to cut it. But then someone mentioned it was better than cutting the actual one, so it was done much easier. It tasted great, and Sasuke was made to blow out the candles and make a wish. It was a little embarrassing, but fun nonetheless. Pictures were taken, cameras passed around, and memories made.
--
Over half of the guests left before presents. Naruto insisted that it be close friends only. The Hokage left after being bribed with more sake, and Hinata reluctantly gave her one of the best bottles she had. Then it was quiet.
"So…"
"Gifts! Open them now!" Naruto cried, tossing himself onto the couch, trying to squeeze between Kakashi and Shikamaru.
Naruto was kicked off and he spread himself on the floor, leaning against the couch. Shikamaru, yawning, kicked him just to get some leg space. Kakashi grinned and moved aside for Hinata to sit on the couch. She shook her head and started moving the packages over for the birthday boy.
"Mine first! Mine first!" Naruto laughed.
"Actually, Naruto, mine is going first." Kakashi piped up. "Because I need to go on a mission tomorrow, and I need sleep. Sorry, Sasuke."
"Perfectly fine. I want to get this over with too…"
Hinata handed him a small bag and he pulled out what seemed like hundreds of tissue paper pieces. He finally gave up opening it nicely and ripped it apart, blushing like a little kid. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was…
"…What?" he was quite confused.
"…It's a t-shirt, Sasuke. Sheesh." Kakashi rolled his eye, almost laughing. He had gotten the kid a perverted book, but it was so good that he needed it for himself. So he went with the generic – clothes.
"…Right. Thanks."
Hinata passed the male another one and he opened it a little more slowly, wondering who it was from to try and figure it out.
"From me" Shika yawned. He didn't sound (or look) sober at all. The clingy girl was nowhere in sight, though.
"…I see. Thanks." He actually meant it, since it was useful. It was a cool design, really. The black padded sword popped open to reveal that it was really an umbrella. It could, in theory, double as a weapon.
"Mhmm."
"Mine now?" Naruto begged, sitting up quickly.
"Not yet, Naru-kun" Hinata scolded, almost grinning too quickly after her words.
"Fine…"
"Best for last" Sasuke quoted, then immediately looked away. The grin on Naruto's face made Hinata look away as well. It was… uncomfortable.
"Right. Here's mine." Hinata handed him a box and he opened it delicately, taking his time. Naruto bounced around, excitement building with the tension.
"Isn't it cute?!" Hinata squealed, slightly drunk and adoring cute animals. The stuffed duck stared at Sasuke, fake fur and body seeming to mock him.
"Uh, yeah, Hinata, yeah…" He looked around awkwardly, then put it on top of the small pile of his things.
"Mine now! Yay!" the blond jumped up and dragged the large box over to Sasuke.
"…What."
--
Needless to say, it was amusing. He had to get through six or seven layers, and a lot of boxes were dead ends and he had to get the other small box that was inside the main one. Each one led to something random; all of the boxes had a silly saying on a slip of paper.
'Happy Birthday, teme!', 'Nope! Wrong one!', and 'Can't find me!' were just some of the ones Sasuke pulled out of the boxes.
Funny, though, it was the last one he opened. He sighed and pulled the ribbon off of it. He tore the paper from the shell and stripped the tape off easily. He opened the box…
And something attached itself to his face.
So uh. I really don't have an excuse for taking 59 days to post this. I really am sorry.
So I'm going to work extra hard on the plot and random funny things!
Also, I apoligize for the twist on the relationship thing. I will explain it more/better later. I don't know why I write what I write. It just...happens. Oh well.
Also enjoy some Deidara love! He's so cute. And drugged! (and on death row, uh oh!)
THERE IS ALSO ONE MORE THING.
One of my friends is writing a WICKED awesome fic. here on , and I REALLY want you to read it. I'm not even kidding, if you think my crap is good, then you'll go CRAZY for her stuff. Her username is: FireOkami-Kitsune.
It won't even take that long to look her up. The more reviews/hits she gets, the faster I bring you more story!
PEACE OUT.