Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
NOTE: The song that the deities perform in this chapter was inspired by the solos in Yanni's "For All Seasons"
Divinity
Chapter XXV
Devotion
"There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable."
-Mark Twain
"The soul that can speak through the eyes can also kiss with a gaze."
-Gustavo Adolfo Becquer
The next few weeks passed by until finally, it was the night of the deities' performance.
The weeks prior, however, were a mixture of both pleasure and displeasure. For starters, Sasuke was incredibly frustrated by his lack of progress with Hinata. So far, he hadn't found a single moment to get her alone. Neji was with her for almost every moment of the day, and for the few moments that he wasn't, she was either surrounded by the other deities or just Temari. Then, at night, Gaara guarded her room to the point where Sasuke couldn't find a point in even trying. The young deity was never left alone, it seemed, and the only way to get answers from her was to get her alone.
What was even more frustrating was the knowledge that even though Naruto agreed with Sasuke's evidence, the blonde disagreed that Hinata was hiding anything bad. Apparently, he had Naruto's support, but only to a certain extent.
Gaara, for his part, kept pretty active, what with keeping an eye on Temari as well as Hinata. He also hadn't slept in a while, fearing that the moment he did sleep, Sasuke would strike. Both Hinata and Temari had reprimanded him in their own ways—one gentle, the other fierce—each one telling him that he needed to sleep before he ended up crashing in the middle of training or something. They didn't have to tell him that since he already knew well enough that he needed to rest. However, priorities came first.
Kakashi and Asuma had finally returned, but many other warriors were still kept out in the forests to scout for anything demon related. They had suffered some casualties, but were never able to find the bodies or the murderer behind it. They continued to scout anyway.
Then there was Itachi and Hinata.
Their training continued without delay, and Hinata had improved tremendously; so much so that she would sometimes spar with Neji just to see how much better she had gotten. Her quick advancement both delighted and confused Kurenai, who remained in pleasant disbelief at how quickly Hinata was adapting to her fighting style (as if she was becoming an expert overnight).
Other than that, though, the relationship between Itachi and Hinata had gradually worsened with tension as each day passed. Normally, such tension could be dismissed or dealt with easily, but considering that the tension derived from something more primitive with lustful desire…it was getting harder and harder to resist…for Itachi anyway.
Itachi wanted her, but he was slowly coming to find out that he didn't just want her body—it wasn't just her body that his blood was calling out for. It was everything. He wanted every part of her that she had to offer, and even if she didn't offer, he still wanted it.
He was also gradually starting to forget what was stopping him from taking what he wanted.
As for Hinata, it was complicated on a different level. Having never experienced attraction or desire for another person before, she was quite lost as to what she was supposed to do—suppress it or act on it? Did she even have a choice? She thought that she did or that she would, but the second that Itachi touched her or looked at her with that strange heat in his eyes, she couldn't think straight. Her heart would pound against her chest to the point where she would wonder if he could hear it. Her breath would get heavy, and she wouldn't be able to think anything more than how she wanted to get closer to him—she wanted more.
It was somewhat frightening to realize how much she wanted and needed him—a certain something that she couldn't put a name to, couldn't understand.
It was a feeling that seemed to come out of nowhere and so suddenly that it made her wonder if it was only because she was older and more mature. Or, perhaps, it had always been there since she was a child. Perhaps, the feeling itself just matured.
Matured into what, though?
In the early hours of the morning, when it seemed that all were still asleep, Hinata wandered through the hallways and corridors with aimless direction. She had been feeling so restless lately that she wasn't able to stay asleep as long as she would have preferred, so instead, she would find herself wandering around the temple with nothing but confused thoughts on her mind.
She didn't want to keep doing this, however. She hated not knowing what she was feeling or how to deal with it. So, it came to the point where she stopped walking and looked upwards at the bedroom door in front of her. Hesitantly, she knocked ever so lightly at the wooden door, backing away soon after with her gaze on the floor. She waited.
Just when she was about to turn around and leave, thinking that it was too early to be bothering anyone, the knob turned and the door cracked open only enough for a head to peek around in tired curiosity. "Hina?"
Temari's voice was sleep-ridden and her eyes were squinted, along with her hair being messy. If the nightgown was anything to go by, Hinata had just woken her friend. "I…" she felt ashamed now. "I'm sorry to have woken you—"
Temari furrowed her brows before rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…um," she was floundering for words. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the baths with me, but you don't have to, of course."
"Hina," Temari gave her a deadpan stare. "It's not even sunrise. What are you doing up this early?" she paused, seeing that she wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon. "Are you okay?"
When Hinata still didn't answer and only glanced everywhere but at her, Temari sighed in exasperation. "Give me a minute." With that, the blonde closed the door behind her, obviously disappearing into her room.
Not a minute later, Temari reappeared, hugging the door close to her as if trying to shield Hinata from looking inside. Closing the door behind her, she motioned for Hinata to start walking. "Let's go."
The walk to the baths was silent. In fact, it wasn't until they had both been relaxing in the water for a while that the silence was finally broken.
"Hina," Temari began, alerting the dark-haired girl's attention to her concerned gaze. "What's going on? Are you not sleeping well or something?"
"I guess…" Hinata's gaze became unfocused as she stared at the rippling water. "I'm confused…about, um…"
"Is this about Neji?" Temari supplied helpfully.
Hinata shook her head. "He…We talked a couple weeks ago, and…I told him that I couldn't return his feelings."
Temari arched a brow. "How'd he take it?"
She smiled sadly in reply. "He was hurt, but…I think he understood."
Temari smiled proudly. "See? I knew you'd do the right thing, eventually. And I got to give Neji props for not blowing up at you or deciding to end your friendship." Her eyes narrowed. "A lot of guys do that, which is just plain pathetic, by the way."
Hinata repressed the urge to giggle.
Temari looked over Hinata analytically, feeling as though she was playing a guessing game. "So, if it's not Neji…Is it a guy?"
The young deity hesitated before nodding.
"Are you going to tell me who?"
Morosely, she shook her head.
Temari sighed. "Fine…but you will tell me one day, right?"
Hinata looked up at her and smiled with a quick nod.
"Good. So what's the problem? Do you like this guy?"
"I love him very much." She replied timidly.
"Okay…" Temari was about to ask another question, but Hinata finally started to open up to the conversation.
"But, it's different." She began with obvious confusion written on her expression. "My feelings are different…" she paused in struggle. "I don't know how to describe it."
"Alright then," Temari leaned forward slightly. "Let's get straight to the point. Do you want him to kiss you?"
Hinata blushed heavily, but reluctantly nodded slowly.
Temari's smile turned sly. "Has he touched you? Nothing sexual, just…like a hug or something?"
Another nod and the blush reddened further.
"Did you like it?" Temari saw that instead of replying, Hinata only lowered her head as her blush began to spread over her face, which made the older girl laugh. "I'll take that as a yes." She crossed her arms, drumming her fingers against her skin. "Do you want to have sex with him?"
"Temari!" Hinata exclaimed, hiding her face in her hands.
The blonde laughed louder. "Should I take that as a 'yes' too?" At her friend's embarrassed whimper, she laughed again. "Okay, okay…no more sex questions for the virgin."
"Thank you…" came the quiet and muffled reply.
"So, let's summarize." Temari inhaled deeply. "You love this guy, but it also sounds like you're very attracted to him, too. In that case, there's only one more question I have to ask."
Hinata was almost afraid to ask. "Which is?"
Temari's gaze turned softer. "Could you live without him?"
Needless to say, Hinata didn't have a quick answer for that. She instinctually wanted to say 'no', even though her mind told her that she could just as well survive without him. Whether she could or couldn't, it didn't matter. What mattered most to her was how it made her feel just to think about not having him around ever again. She didn't want to live without him…And being honest with herself, she knew that she needed him in her life. He was necessary…more so than anyone she'd ever known.
With a soft smile of surrender, Hinata met her friend's gaze evenly. "I don't think I can."
Temari smiled as well while lifting herself from the water and preparing to get out. She passed by Hinata on her way out and placed a comforting and sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You're in love, Hina." Her smiled suddenly became rueful. "Welcome to my world of misery."
So, she was in love with Itachi, huh?
Well…at least it made sense, and it definitely clicked in her mind the way that a puzzle fits together with all its pieces.
But, why did she feel happy about it for only a moment before she practically sank into despair?
Wasn't love supposed to make you feel lighter than air?
At first, it did feel that way…until it came to her attention that she was in love with a demon, and not just that, but a very powerful demon as well.
A demon that felt nothing besides the thirst for human blood and destruction…
A demon that was probably incapable of feeling what she felt…That was why she felt such trepidation about the new discovery. What was the point of falling in love with a demon that couldn't possibly return those feelings? Was this how Neji felt?
After Temari and Hinata finished bathing, the older deity departed back to her room, and Hinata noticed that even though the sun had risen, it was still quite early. In fact, breakfast wasn't supposed to begin for another hour or two, and she suspected that at least most of the temple residents were still sleeping, something she would've been doing if her mind wasn't so preoccupied.
So, to occupy herself until she would have to adjourn to the dining room, she walked aimlessly through the silent hallways of the temple. If she had any direction in mind, it would be to head to the courtyard. To do that, she chose to venture down a hallway that would sweep past most of the deities' bedrooms, including hers.
With her hands clasped together behind her back and her eyes gazing at the floor, she walked toward the corner that she would have to turn around at in order to find herself in the aforementioned hallway.
When she did turn that corner, however, she halted and widened her eyes at the sight she saw, which made her retreat a few steps and hide behind the corner. Flitting her eyes around nervously, she reasoned that she hadn't been seen nor heard, so ignoring her inner protests to ignore what she saw and walk away, she ended up peeking around the corner curiously, as if to confirm that she did in fact see her friend and Shikamaru in an interesting embrace.
Sure enough, there was the couple, standing just outside Temari's bedroom, their arms entwined around each other, and their lips locked passionately. It made Hinata's eyes widen once again, especially since she noticed that Shikamaru was wearing the same clothes he had worn the previous day. He stayed the night with Temari? The thought made her blush and finally decide to walk away and take a different route to the courtyard.
Minutes later, she had calmed from the embarrassment of seeing her friend and her lover, and found herself in a familiar hallway, where large windows lined one side that allowed one to see outside. As Hinata walked, she kept her gaze focused outside the windows on the early morning light beautifully flooding the crisp green plant life of the courtyard.
Her focus was derailed when she caught sight of two occupants in the courtyard, and as she peered closer to the window, she saw that it was Tenten and Kankuro. Tenten was sitting cross-legged before one of Kankuro's puppets, a tool in one hand and the seemingly broken puppet arm in the other. Her brow was furrowed and concentrated as she applied the tool to the broken part.
Behind the brunette was Kankuro, who was on his knees and leaning over her with a tender smile, occasionally speaking to her, to which she would nod or reply back verbally. As Hinata continued to watch, she saw Kankuro lean closer to his deity and place his hands over hers to demonstrate how to fix a certain part of the puppet arm. While Tenten continued to look focused on her work, Kankuro's loving smile never turned from her direction.
Seeing it made Hinata smile softly at the subtle show of affection between the two. As she walked forward to rest her hands against the windowsill, she couldn't help wondering if that was what being in love looked like. Would her and Itachi ever be like that? Did they ever look like that when he was teaching her how to fight?
Two hands suddenly fell next to her own on the windowsill, and the arms came next to hers, effectively caging her in from behind. She tensed, not knowing who it was, though the person was decidedly male, and she could feel his chest within an inch of her back. Glancing down at his hands that were clenching onto the sill, she saw the tattoo-like demon marking on his left wrist, and it made her heart flutter in panic at realizing that it was Sasuke who was standing behind her.
His mouth came to her ear, his dark hair brushing against hers. "It's a rare occurrence to find you alone, and now that I have…I'm not going to pass it up."
She repressed the tremors that wanted to run up and down her spine, and instead kept her gaze on her shaking hands and his oh-so-calm ones. "I don't have anything to tell you, Sasuke."
The muscles twitched beneath the skin on his forearms as he seemed to obviously tense at her words. "Don't lie to me. It's only a waste of your time and mine."
"I don't know anything." She murmured quietly, only to feel surprised at hearing and feeling his breathy chuckle against her ear.
"There you go again. You lie a lot for someone who can't do it very well." He paused. "Which makes me suspect that you're hiding something that must be very important to you; otherwise, you wouldn't be lying so much…and avoiding me as well."
Hinata couldn't seem to stop her heart from beating so quickly and frantically. Perhaps if she just didn't say anything at all, he would go away. Or, maybe not. He didn't seem like the type to back away easily, and that was not comforting at the moment.
His voice became quieter. "Tell me where he is. I know that you know."
"I can't," she replied without thinking.
He didn't speak right away, feeling somewhat shocked that she was finally saying something that resembled the answer he was looking for. "Why not?"
She bit her lip, as if that could stop her from saying anything, but despite that, she knew that she wasn't going to be let go until she gave him the information he required. But, that would mean betraying Itachi, or then again, it could also mean trouble for Sasuke. Gulping, she turned slightly towards him so that she could see his face and look into his black eyes with pleading. "He'll kill you."
Emotion flickered within his endlessly black eyes as he realized that she was not just stating a fact, but warning him as well.
Her lips pursed tightly before she murmured. "I…wouldn't want to see you hurt, because of me…"
His eyes widened a small degree. Was she trying to protect him? He knew that his brother was incredibly strong, especially since he was able to kill his father, and it appeared that Hinata knew that, too. She knew it so well that she was trying to make sure that Sasuke would never have to experience that firsthand, because he would get badly injured, if not killed. She obviously didn't want that.
Despite how he had never treated her with kindness, or anything resembling it, she still seemed concerned about his welfare. Needless to say, it was strange for him to find out that he was suddenly feeling the same about her, which is why he had to ask. "What has he done to you? Has he hurt you in any way?"
She smiled briefly before it quickly disappeared from her expression. "No…though, I know he could if he wanted to. But, I don't think he does."
Not only did his face reveal his skepticism, but his tone did as well. "You think he cares about you?"
She smiled again, though it was small. "Probably not nearly as much as I care about him."
His eyes narrowed in something akin to confusion. Then, he started to laugh without humor. "You must be more disillusioned than I thought. The Itachi I remember would never even think of caring about any creature with human blood."
A crease formed between her two brows. "I believe he does."
"Then we're not talking about the same one."
"Yes, we are," she persisted softly. Seeing his immovable expression, she thought perhaps that a description might work. "He has dark hair like yours…though his is longer."
He continued to stare at her, not saying anything, just listening with silent disbelief.
"His eyes are red, like rubies…Yours are like onyx, I suppose." She glanced over his features, while picturing her demon's features in her mind. "And he's a little taller than you, but not by much."
His eyes widened when she leaned closer to softly touch the skin between his nose and eye. "He has lines here, like he never sleeps…even though I know he does."
Sasuke gulped. "My father had those."
She smiled, still focused on the lines that were not on his face, as if she was caressing Itachi's face and not his. "It must be hereditary then." Her smile grew as she found his gaze. "You must resemble your mother more."
She started to remove her touch from his face, but he grasped onto her wrist in mid-air between them. His gaze never tore from hers. "What is he to you?"
She hesitated, as if trying to figure that out for herself, but ended up replying. "He's my friend."
He seemed tempted to shake his head, but instead moved closer, invading whatever space was between them. "He's more to you than that."
Surprise filled her expression.
"Which is why that makes you incredibly stupid." He saw her hurt look, and quickly continued. "Or ignorant. I can't decide which."
"Because he's a demon?" she asked quietly.
"Well, that's the obvious answer, isn't it?" his tone was scornful, and yet his hand never released its restricting hold on her wrist, though it was not painful. "Whatever connection he has with you, it's not what you think it is. It's never what you think it is. He has some type of ulterior motive for keeping you around, and that doesn't mean well for the rest of us, does it?"
"He wouldn't—" she gulped, adamant about defending her demon friend. "He wouldn't do that to me."
Sasuke shook his head, as if in pity. "Then you know nothing about his true nature." His face seemed softer in expression now, almost like he was sympathizing with her. He pulled her closer, placing his mouth back next to her ear in order to whisper warningly. "He will make you believe whatever you want to believe, but don't fall for it. You'll only get hurt in the end."
Her brows furrowed. "Did that happen to you?" Judging by how he suddenly tensed, she would guess that was the affirmative. "What did he make you believe?"
Sasuke was quiet, making her wonder if he was just going to ignore her question, but his reluctant answer finally came. "He made me believe that we were family…" he backed away to look into her eyes. "But he ended up killing mine." He watched silently as her eyes revealed such sadness, which for some reason, made his chest swell pleasantly. "Hinata, you can't keep allow—" he stopped mid-sentence and tilted his head slightly to the side, listening. "Shit."
Hinata watched confusedly as he backed away from her, glancing at her with narrowed eyes, while he fit his hands into his pockets casually. "Same time tomorrow." He muttered and turned to walk down the hallway in front of her. Just as he turned a corner, she heard someone call out her name from behind.
Turning around, she saw Neji coming toward her with a worried, yet relieved gaze. "There you are."
"I'm sorry, is it time for breakfast already?" she asked apologetically.
"Yes. You weren't in your room." He stated, though the question was implied.
"I woke up early, so," she laughed quietly. "I've been wandering."
He nodded slowly before shaking his head and laughing below his breath. "Well, let's go then." He held out his hand to her, which she took easily.
"Right,"
It didn't take long for Hinata to start questioning herself as to why she told Sasuke all that she did. Perhaps it was because she was in the moment and wasn't thinking clearly, or maybe, she just (at the time) felt that she could tell Sasuke those things.
His reaction to it all surprised her. She had expected his reaction to involve him screaming at her to tell him where Itachi was and then he'd kill her afterward, or just kill her without question. What she wasn't expecting to see was how strangely accepting he was, and perhaps even sympathetic.
He believed that she was being fooled by Itachi, just like he apparently had been in the past. And if one thing was for sure, their conversation was far from over. Sasuke wasn't going to stop until he had all the information that she hid within herself.
It was a scary notion, but she didn't know what else to do. She had gotten herself in this mess; she needed to learn how to get out of it…or work through it.
After all, despite his cold demeanor, Sasuke hadn't made any motions about hurting her. He meant her no harm; he just wanted answers.
A part of Hinata didn't mind telling Sasuke about Itachi—up to a certain point. For instance, she refused to tell Sasuke where Itachi was. Either way, perhaps she might get a few answers out of this deal, too.
Itachi was very close-mouthed about the past that he shared with his brother. Perhaps Sasuke would be willing to share more.
"Ladies, are you ready?" Kurenai asked, watching three of the deities tune their instruments and the other two stretching their limbs.
Temari released her arm from the hold behind her back. "We're as ready as we're going to be."
"I'll let them in, then." Kurenai smiled before turning to the door to the music room to let the rest of the temple residents into the room as well.
Chairs were already set out, which mostly everyone took advantage of, save for Kakashi, Sasuke, and Gaara, who preferred to lean against the wall. It was a bustle of activity as all were getting situated, and the deities were quite surprised to see the village leader and his protégé there as well.
Stopping her stretching, Temari stood and edged toward Hinata to nudge her shoulder. "Hey," she whispered, motioning over to the green-eyed man. "What's he doing here?"
Hinata noticed the man, who was helping the elderly leader into a seat before sitting down himself. He seemed friendly and easily-approachable, but he also gave off the feeling that he had…rough edges, so to speak—something horrible bubbling just beneath his regal appearance. Outwardly, Hinata just looked at Temari with innocent inquiry. "You mean Yukio?"
Temari frowned at her. "Well, I sure as hell don't mean Lord Sarutobi." She paused, turning her attention back to the young man. "I don't like him. It's hard to believe that he's supposed to be our future leader."
"Why don't you like him?" Hinata asked meekly.
"I just don't." She replied without hesitation.
"Maybe…" Hinata murmured. "He's not as bad as you think."
Temari narrowed her eyes before shrugging it off. "Maybe. Whatever." She spotted Shikamaru and quickly went up to him, convincing him to sit in a chair that was closely separated from the rest of the group.
A few minutes later, the girls were stationed in their positions and were ready to begin. Kurenai silenced the audience and nodded for the girls to begin.
It began slowly, but quickly picked up speed as Hinata, Sakura, and Ino played together and Tenten and Temari began to dance in synchronized movements. They played the same basic harmony for a certain duration of time, as if warming up before the solos would start.
In a sudden break of music, Ino began her flute solo, keeping her eyes closed as if lost in the moment. It was fast-paced and accentuated just how much Ino had progressed with her instrument. When she ended it, she bowed with a smug smile. The smile grew when she saw Naruto stand up from his seat to clap and cheer her on, while the rest merely sat in their seats and clapped, save for Gaara and Sasuke, who just watched with their arms crossed.
Hinata and Sakura began to play together, so that Tenten and Temari could perform another dance. They stopped soon after, only for Temari to stand in the center and Ino to start playing again. It was Temari's dance solo, and needless to say, it was slightly raunchy in the eyes of the older adults.
Temari's dance started off symbolizing the wind, and was emphasized by the fans she used and the way that her body twirled around. However, that began to change into something more seductive as her teal eyes settled on Shikamaru, and she moved her way over to him, bending and twisting her body around him. Her hands glided over his shoulders and chest teasingly, and her eyes seemed to glint with mischief. All the while, Shikamaru could only gulp and attempt to hold onto his self-control…and by the goddess, he tried not to move.
Luckily for him, her solo came to an end, drawing her back to the center, where she finished with a flare, to which everyone applauded uncertainly. All the music stopped, only to be replaced by synchronized clapping as Tenten's solo began, and she had been right about making her own music.
She brought two long and thick wooden rods to the center of the floor, and used them as part of her dance as well as her beat to dance to. She used amazing acrobatics, flipping over the rods, twisting around them with fantastic flexibility, all the while making music with them. It was definitely a sight to see, and the way she ended had all there on the edge of their seats. She pounded the rods to the ground and jumped up until her feet were on the tops, balancing gracefully before delivering a skilled backflip off of it, hitting the ground and bowing.
Just like Naruto, Kankuro stood and clapped and whistled, sitting back down before it became Sakura's turn.
Sakura stepped forward with a smug smirk, and as soon as the previous applause died down, she started off on a fast note, her violin solo being intense and eye-catching.
Lee stood to cheer for her, but was quickly silenced and pushed back down by Naruto, who glared at him. "At least wait till she's done!"
"Yes, of course!"
Sakura's fingers flitted blurrily over the strings, pressing, releasing, and moving with amazing speed. Finally, when she finished with a bow, Lee was able to cheer for her as exuberantly as he wished, to which Sakura blushed the color of her hair.
Trampling on her nerves, Hinata began her solo, which meant that the entire performance was coming to an end. She was so used to playing songs more slow and elegant that she wasn't surprised to see the others' shock at how equally fast-paced her solo was as the other deities. In fact, like Sakura, her fingers moved over the strings with such speed that it would almost seem like a blur of movement. She plucked and plucked, going faster and faster before brushing her fingers over all of the strings in reach, and then beginning again.
It was so upbeat that it had almost everyone clapping their hands to match the rhythm. Neji was smiling in pride, and if anyone looked, they would notice Gaara's small smirk. Sasuke was even enjoying it up until Kakashi nudged him. Glancing over, Sasuke saw the gray-haired man clapping and nudging for Sasuke to do the same, to which the younger man merely scowled and looked away. "Come on, Sasuke. Get into it."
"No," he glared at him again. "You're an embarrassment to warriors everywhere."
Kakashi pouted. "You're so mean."
As Hinata came to the end of her solo, she kept playing and Sakura soon joined in, followed by Ino until all three were playing together for the finale. Tenten and Temari went back to their dancing, and they all built up speed and then ended it in a flourish. Each of them stood up straight and bowed, relishing in the loud applause, whistles, and calls from their friends. Temari ran over to Hinata as soon as they stopped bowing and flung an arm around her shoulders. Sakura was bombarded by Lee, and Ino soaked up every compliment that Naruto gave her. Kankuro was seen embracing Tenten and giving her a congratulatory kiss.
Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru approached Temari and Hinata, offering their congratulations and compliments as well. During which, a hand landed on Temari's shoulder, diverting her attention to the smiling village leader. "You girls did very well. I'm very impressed."
Temari smiled. "You should be, old man. It's taken us over ten years to get this good."
"Rightly so,"
Yukio came forward with a disarming smile. "Congratulations. My Lord was right, that was very impressive."
Even though Temari looked away without a word, Hinata smiled back at him graciously. "Thank you,"
Yukio's green eyes fell to the young, dark-haired deity. "Hinata, right?"
"Yes," her smile stayed constant, not noticing the way Neji inched closer to her in a very territorial manner.
Yukio's smile stayed constant as well as he further addressed her. "How is the pavilion working out for you? I haven't gone in a while."
"It's going very well, thank you."
"Ah, that's good to hear." He paused. "If you don't mind the intrusion, I would very much like to come observe again in the near future."
"Oh no, I wouldn't mind at all."
Neji glared. "I mean no disrespect, but if you become a distraction, we would have to remove you." The warning was emphasized with his menacing tone.
"Of course," Yukio's tone and expression showed nothing but professionalism. "I wouldn't dream of distracting our village healer." His eyes found hers again. "She is very much needed here, as are all the deities."
With another smile and congratulations, he left with the village leader to speak to the others.
In his absence, Hinata looked over to Neji, seeing his distrusting gaze follow after the future leader. She sighed. "You don't like him either, do you?"
Neji turned to her, his hardened gaze softening. "What's to like?"
"He's very nice and polite."
Neji snorted unintentionally. "That doesn't mean he's trustworthy."
Hinata bit her lip before replying. "But Lord Sarutobi trusts him. Isn't that enough?"
Like Temari did before, Neji shrugged noncommittally. "I suppose it has to be until we get to know him better."
The conversation ended as soon as the others joined them in animated conversation, and the gathering didn't end until the adults had to usher them out of the room and towards their bedrooms.
It wasn't until the temple activity settled down into a lull that Itachi appeared at Hinata's balcony. When she saw him, she smiled widely and came close to running up to him eagerly. "Were you able to hear us?"
"I was," he smirked at seeing her excited smile. "You have improved."
She giggled. "It has been ten years, so I would certainly hope so."
"Mm,"
Hinata's smile began to fade nervously when she saw his eyes gaze upon her in familiar heated intensity. It was the same look that was becoming a little too normal lately. Gulping and inhaling shakily, she tried to smile more naturally. "Should we go?"
"Yes," he held his hand out for her to take, which she did, waiting for him to pick her up into his arms fluidly before leaving her room and the temple behind.
When they arrived in the meadow, Hinata found herself full of energy, and most likely from the excitement of the performance. She was particularly excited to begin training, especially since she was starting to become a very proficient fighter.
Facing Itachi, she smiled. "I sparred with Neji again today. He said that I'm getting a lot better."
The red-eyed demon nodded once. "Were you able to hit him?"
"Only twice." Her smile lessened as her shoulders lifted in a shrug.
"Where?"
"Mm," she tilted her head as if trying to remember. "The first time in his shoulder and the second time in his stomach."
"Good. Was he in pain?" he was inwardly hopeful about that, but refrained from showing that on his face.
Her brows furrowed. "Well, no, of course not. I didn't want to hurt him. We both made sure to keep our hits light."
It was Itachi's turn to furrow his brows. "Humans must spar differently from demons, then."
"I think it was just me." She explained. "When the other guardians and security force spar against each other, they don't hold back, but I think because it was me that Neji was sparring against…"
"He went easy on you." He finished, non-too-happily.
Her bottom lip pouted slightly. "Probably."
As he approached her to begin her training, he remarked, "From now on, you should spar against someone who will not go easy on you. Otherwise, you will not learn or get better."
"Okay…" she situated into her beginning fighting stance as he stood before her expectantly.
Without allowing for any further conversation, Itachi removed his cloak to throw onto the ground not too far away, revealing his leather vest—the only armor covering his chest—and his dark pants and boots. "Begin,"
Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she moved forward into their typical style of training, which always began as a spar so that Itachi could assess the areas that needed further work and conditioning. Only then would he begin the instruction part of the training, which used to be a very hands-on moment, but due to recent tension, he seemed to avoid it all-together.
Punches and kicks flew at him in rapid succession, each of which was easily blocked or deflected by his own hands. As always, he had to actively ignore the way it felt every time that his fingers brushed against the soft skin on her hands and legs. She, too, had to ignore how much it made her heart skip a beat or increase in speed every time she felt his gently demanding touch.
This was why the tension wasn't disappearing. Although, they both supposed that even if they were to refrain from touching each other, the looks alone would have eventually done them in. Itachi hated having so little control over his bodily urges; it was literally taking every ounce of willpower he had to keep himself in check around her. He was going against his very nature by not answering those urges.
When demons wanted—craved—something, they didn't think twice about taking it. They were of the mindset to claim that something before someone or something else did. When it came to just about anything with demons, it was strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hinata was what Itachi wanted. He knew that as well as his blood did. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't be hesitating and holding back so much. The only reason that he was doing so was because, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was slightly…cautious about how such a "claiming" would change their relationship. He was hesitant, because he wasn't certain if she would end up hating him for it, which of course made him feel…cautious.
It was the only reason that he was holding back from doing anything, from doing exactly what he wanted and needed to do. But, by the goddess, he didn't think he could hold out for much longer. He was ashamed that his self-control was this weak when it came to her.
Oh well. He would not budge. He refused to budge. In fact, he wouldn't do anything. If she wanted what he wanted, then she would have to make the first move.
That was a comforting and irritating thought. Comforting, because it would help motivate him to keep himself in check. Irritating, because he knew her personality, which meant that he would probably have to wait a hell of a long time for her to get over her nerves and do something.
Hinata's inner thoughts weren't too far off from his own. As much as she tried to focus on their current spar, she couldn't stop hearing Temari's words echo around in her mind.
"You're in love, Hina."
That's right. She was in love with Itachi, her demon friend of over ten years.
That certainly changed things, especially since that now she knew what she truly felt for him, she had no idea what to do next. Was she supposed to tell him? That thought made her heart beat a little too fast, since for all she knew, he could just as easily reject her…and there would go their friendship.
She supposed that perhaps…it would be best to remain silent. Itachi meant too much to her for her to want to do anything that would end their connection. It never occurred to her that he might just hold the same feelings.
Hinata was beginning to understand what Temari meant when she said, "Welcome to my world of misery" (misery, of course, being the key word). This was way too complicated.
Then again, what if it did work out? What if she did confess her feelings and he just happened to return them? If so, she would leave with him. She would leave her temple home behind, and make a new home with Itachi. But then what? I would be labeled a traitor, but would that mean the same for him?
He obviously didn't seem too worried about it when he basically told her not too long ago that he wanted her to leave with him. She supposed that if it ever came to that, she would just have to trust him to know what he was doing. She knew that he cared enough about her to never let anything happen to her; that was for sure.
After that…would they…get married? That's what usually came in a relationship among humans, but considering that Itachi was definitely not a human by any standards…
Did demons even get married? Did they even know what marriage was?
Her eyebrows met together to form a crease between them in inner confusion, even while the spar continued. "Itachi?"
"What?" he replied snippily, not pleased that she wasn't focusing on the spar, even though he wasn't either.
"Do demons, um…I mean, should they ever want to, that is…um…" she gulped, seeing impatience enter his eyes. Spit it out! "Do demons ever get married?"
The spar ended with his hands wrapped around her wrists and both of them stopping in their tracks, while his surprisingly shocked expression met her blushing and inquiring one.
"What did you say?" Itachi didn't realize it, but his grip on her wrists had tightened slightly, as if not willing to let her back away.
Hinata bit her lip nervously. "I asked if demons ever get married…," she repeated slowly, uncertainly. At his silence, she hesitantly looked away before looking back at him again. "Do they?"
"That's a human custom when a man and woman are united through law, correct?"
She slowly nodded. "Something like that."
"Then, no." he answered. "Demons don't have that custom."
"Oh," Honestly, she didn't know what else to say.
Itachi noticed her downtrodden expression and felt pressured to add on to what she had been really asking. "Demons have a different custom."
Her face brightened. "They do?"
Still holding onto her wrists, he nodded. Although, inwardly, he was curious as to why she was asking in the first place. Marriage was on her mind, and the fact that she asked about demons…It made the edge of his mouth tilt upward. "Should two demons choose it, they mate. And that is not meant in a strictly sexual nature." He saw her blush, and resisted the urge to laugh. "It's considered to be a soul-binding contract, which means that if a demon chooses to mate, he or she is forever tied to their mate, never allowed to take another for as long as they live."
She understood, kind of. "But don't demons live for a very long time?"
Again, he nodded. "Which is why it is rare for a demon to mate."
"But they still reproduce…?"
He smirked. "That can be done without a soul-binding contract."
Ignoring another rising blush, she questioned further. "I don't understand how it's rare because they live for a long time."
"It's rare, because not many demons want to be with another, and only that other, for their entire lives."
That was a saddening explanation; at least, to her ears it was. How could demons be so…selfish? Although, she knew that humans could be selfish too in matters like that. To devote yourself to one person for your entire life was already a life-altering decision, but then add on to that the fact that the persons involved could live for centuries…? When it came to her and Itachi, or…if it came to her and Itachi, there was another matter to consider that did have to do with their lifetimes. Itachi had the ability to live on through the centuries, barely ever aging. While as a deity, Hinata could live twice as long as most humans, she still would never be able to live as long as Itachi.
She would age faster than him.
She would die before him.
When she would look old with age, he would look as young as he did currently.
If they ever mated (as he called it), would he still care for her or desire her when the time came for her to look old and aged? It was the possibility of eventual resentment that made her edge away from her previous thoughts of them ever being together.
Demons and humans were never supposed to get along…were never supposed to fall in love with the other. She was starting to understand the reason for that.
Much against his better judgment, Itachi released one of her wrists in order to brush his fingers against her cheek. "Hinata,"
His touch and voice brought her out of her reverie, feeling embarrassed at her having zoned out for a while. Meeting his eyes, she saw that slight sliver of concern there, before it was wiped clean. His fingers lingered against the soft, tempting skin of her face before he reluctantly moved away, distancing himself from her, no touching.
"Sorry," she laughed quietly under her breath—bashfully—before biting her lower lip. Teeth still gnawing on her lip, she looked up, seeing that his eyes followed every movement of her mouth. Seeing it made her heart quicken, especially when his red eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she could see a tangible heat filled with barely restrained longing. That made her inhale sharply with nothing but pleasure and unfamiliar need.
As his brain seemed to shut off for a moment, he stepped forward purposely, invading her space, but pulling back as if he was having some type of internal battle. His jaw and body tensed, his hands fisted, and just breathing was horrible, since every time he inhaled, he inhaled her scent…which made it even worse.
Closing his eyes, he turned away from her. "I'll take you back." His voice was clipped with strain.
Her eyes widened in panic. No! It's too early! "Already?" her voice was meek and trembling.
He didn't reply; instead, he kept looking away.
Her gaze lowered before she reached out to grab onto his hand gently, which made him turn to her with shock-filled eyes. Pleadingly, she didn't release her hold. "Please…Don't take me home yet." She paused before continuing quietly. "Even if we don't train, could we just…stay out here? Please?"
"And do what?"
She pursed her lips in thought and looked around at the clearing as if it would give her the answer she needed. Instead of answering, she finally just pulled him toward the middle of the clearing, appreciating that he followed without complaint.
Reaching that point, she sat down on the grass and looked up at him questioningly, her hand still loosely attached to his own.
He was hesitating, struggling with something.
But one look at the delicate fingers that wrapped around his was all it took for him to join her. She smiled softly and turned to look up at the night sky, or more specifically, the friendly moon. "We used to do this when I was little, remember?" she glanced at him with that same warm smile. "Look at the moon…?"
He remembered. Although, even then, he was staring at her, rather than the moon. "Is your favorite still the full moon?"
She giggled. "It is," she peered at him through her bangs. "Although, I've learned since then that what I thought were different moons are actually different phases." She ended it with another laugh, which he found delectable. "Is yours still the new moon?"
He smirked in amusement, while looking down at her hand still holding onto his. "Perhaps," he murmured, his fingers interlacing with hers, and surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind. She rather enjoyed it, actually. It felt…right…and peaceful.
Silence enveloped them comfortably, and a few minutes later, Hinata laid down on her back, her opal eyes drinking in the amazing sight of the stars. Meanwhile, she enjoyed the way that his thumb seemed to unthinkingly stroke her skin.
Not liking that he wasn't able to see her, Itachi laid back as well, his gaze focused on her out of the corner of his eye. Occasionally, she would look over at him, making sure he was still there. She would smile, and whether he liked it or not, he would smirk softly back.
No words had to be said between them—looks could be so expressive. And just the other's presence nearby was enough for that moment; a moment when they could both forget about everything else that mattered, and instead revel in each other's silent company.
Not even an hour later, Hinata had fallen asleep, and minutes after that, she was seen curling up against Itachi, her nearest heat source. He watched her like she was all he could see, and he enjoyed how their entwined hands stayed laced together between them, and how she rested her head on his shoulder with her other arm draped over his chest, her fingers curled against the leather armor.
Moon and stars forgotten, he watched her with a memorizing eye, taking to memory every breath that escaped her lips, every sound that resembled a muted snore, every piece of hair that flowed over his skin, and every move of her limbs.
With his one free hand, he caressed her face, touching her eyelids, her cheeks and chin, her lips…then her neck and shoulders, down her arm until he finally rested his hand over the one of hers on his chest. Even then, he continued to stroke the delicate skin, his body feeling light with thoughtless feelings.
He imagined what it would be like to go to sleep and wake up to this sight every day, and needless to say, he wanted it.
To constantly have her close by, always within his reach…
To sleep every night with her supple body against his more hardened one…
Never having to let her go back to her home…
Never having to wait another twenty-four hours to see her again…
Always within his reach…
He wanted that more than anything in the world—more than power or fame. He just wanted her. He was willing to do anything to achieve it.
Feeling her body against his made him acknowledge just how much his life actually meant something to him now.
He wasn't just existing anymore, nor was he spending his life carrying out orders from a demon lord.
He had something much more precious to live for now.
And he refused to give her up.
Hidden by curtains, Gaara watched from his bedroom balcony as Hinata's demon carried her sleeping body into her bedroom. He tensed in waiting, knowing that he had to catch the demon before he departed for the night.
Quickly, his sand came around him, allowing him to transport to the other balcony. But before his sand had disappeared around him, his green eyes widened at seeing the demon directly in front of him with a warning glint to his red eyes.
He's fast. And he sensed me coming.
Itachi glared at him with threat. "Have you come to protect her from me?"
Getting over his initial intimidated shock, Gaara returned to his calm appearance. "No," he paused, feeling anxiety just by looking at the demon. "I need to know what you plan to do about your brother."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Sasuke. What about him?"
It was Gaara's turn to narrow his eyes, except in confusion. "Did Hinata not tell you about what he's been doing?" He took the demon's silence as a 'no'. "There's a reason why I stand guard over her room at night while she's with you. Sasuke saw the pendant, and he recognized it as yours."
"I know that."
Gaara continued, despite feeling somewhat surprised. "If he doesn't know for certain, then he highly suspects that Hinata is connected to you, and considering that he wants revenge against you…"
"She's become a target to him." Itachi finished. "I knew that would happen."
Gaara glared. "Then were you also aware that he's been trying to corner her for information about you?"
Red eyes widened in shock, though it was barely noticeable.
"He tried coming into her bedroom at night, thinking that she was alone. I, of course, intercepted him." He paused. "Sasuke's not going to stop stalking her until he gets the information he wants."
Shit was all that ran through Itachi's mind at the moment, obviously not liking this new information, but feeling peeved that Hinata hadn't mentioned the new development to him.
"Fortunately," Gaara murmured. "I don't think he's managed to get her alone yet. She's never alone during the day, and when she's not with you at night, I keep guard."
Like gears in a machine, Itachi's mind was running through different possibilities and strategies as to how the current situation would be dealt with. He hated to admit it, but there was not much he could do outside of either stealing Hinata or breaking into the temple to kill his brother. The latter could prove too risky, while the former could potentially damage the only relationship he actually cared about.
During the demon's silence, Gaara felt that he had to reiterate his earlier question. "What do you plan to do about it?"
Itachi's eyes fixed on the half-demon with cold resolve. "Hold him off for awhile longer."
"And then what?" Gaara muttered through gritted teeth.
"I'll take care of the rest." He finished while walking towards his balcony exit.
Not liking what the demon might have been implying, Gaara turned to face him. "What are you planning?"
Kneeling on top of the balcony railing, Itachi glanced at the younger man out of the corner of his eye. "That…is not for you to know…yet."
Gaara watched the demon jump from the railing before disappearing behind the Konoha wall. Turning around to look at the sleeping Hinata, all tucked in her bed, Gaara couldn't ignore the uncomfortable tightening in his chest, and the worry that emanated from it. It felt like a dreadful premonition was finally going to come true.
Was it time already?
So…I've been very irritated that almost every time that I go onto fanfiction, I have to take a quiz first? What's the deal with that, and when will it end?
Anyway, so I have been debating with myself over this story for a while. Since it is going to be quite long (I feel that I'm only halfway through), I've considered two options. One: I could just continue, even though the story will amount up to sixty-some-chapters. Two: I could split it into two parts, having Divinity be the first part, and have the next part be like the Demon Arc or something. What I mean is to basically cut the entire story in half, posting each half under the new story option.
Does that make sense?
For simplicity sake, I think I might just go with option one, even though you guys would have to deal with a long-ass story, and a ton of chapters to sort through.
In any case, please review because I need opinions. I want to do whatever will be easiest for my beloved readers.
Thank you for your patience and love!
See you next time!
-Tranquilwriter
P.S. I have the next chapter planned out, so it should hopefully not take too long to finish.