A/N: Just to let you know, I updated my last chapter and added some details. The biggest new detail is that Sasuke has a prosthetic arm attached, unlike the canon. Thanks! And yay, 6K word count!
Warning: hinted forced sexual scenes
It was like she was back to the time she saw him writhing in pain at the cliff, roaring in anger at her betrayal.
The cursed sense of helplessness and inability to explain what is in her heart. How she wanted to rush to his side and do anything in her power to comfort him.
But the best she could do was to stand back and watch Sakura and Karin rush to him when he lost consciousness. They could be where she wanted to be so desperately. She envied them so much.
She saw him peer at her through bleeding eyes, but all she could do was look back at him apathetically and turn away.
But when she fully turned and started walking away, her ears picked up on his struggling breath, "Hina..."
She paused in her step, as she felt her heart accelerating, but she started walking briskly, as if she was running away.
But ripping through the air, his cry reached her, "HINATA!"
Tears filled her enlarged pale eyes to the brim as she felt as if somebody punched a hole into her chest. But she bit on her lips, enough to draw blood as she quickened her steps. Seeing her in pain caused Uzumaki's face harden in a scowl; the whites of his eyes darkened, and his entire face contorted in harsh, grim anger.
He raised his arm and pulled her tiny frame to his side and squeezed her, just enough for her to not feel any pain but to communicate his possessiveness.
"He's always been so selfish," she heard him grit through his teeth like a feral animal. Hyuuga has ALWAYS belonged to him. HE, Uzumaki Naruto was the one to make her his Waker's Pearl when he chose Haruno instead. HE was the one who shared half of his kyuubi to her, so he could protect her. But what did Uchiha do? What he had done to Kabuto to bring Hinata back only came back to both himself and her, tenfold. What goes around ultimately comes around.
But his iron grip on her shoulder felt her trembling. He heard her airy voice full of sorrow.
"I...I hurt Sasuke... I hurt him..."
Tears poured down from her eyes as she felt the bitter ice surround her chest that wanted to burst into flames. Cold, bitter rain fell on her shoulder and head into fat droplets. Uzumaki covered her head with his white cloak and they kept walking away.
When they were some distance away from the Konohans, Hyuuga pushed herself away from her master. But Uzumaki let out a low snarl as he gritted his teeth and possessively locked the indigo haired woman to his side. He tried to enwrap her body with his waterproof cloak, away from the showering rain.
"NO!" She cried as she pushed him away with both hands, "NO!"
She stood still under the rain, feeling the water stream down on her head, intertwining with her own tears. Her wet bangs matted to her forehead, and she looked and felt like a drowned puppy.
For the longest time, she didn't know she would be, but here she was. She was angry.
"You," she trembled, not because of the chilly air but anger and pain, "you didn't have to...be so cruel." Her voice was low, and the way she said each word was pronounced, even, and dignified. But her anger was there. It was palpable.
He looked down at her, his blue eyes widened in hurt and then narrowing into an animalistic scowl. He asked her, "How was I cruel, Hyuuga?"
When she looked at him in disbelief, he crossed his arms, "The only reason I didn't beat the shit out of him for sealing me and Kyuubi away for all these years was you. If I had my way, I would never forgive him for what he did to you when..." He paused.
It was a long pause. A pause so loud it made Hyuuga feel uneasy.
"Uzumaki sama," Hyuuga looked at him surprised, "what did...what do you mean?"
At first Uzumaki didn't seem to want to talk. But he relented.
"When he knocked me unconscious and tortured me till I was passed out in the prison, I still held a string of consciousness, Hyuuga."
He finally faced her, "I remember everything. And Kyuubi let me see what he did to you."
Color seemed to completely drain from her face.
(f)It was damp and so hot in the prison when Hyuuga tried to save her master who was lying in a vegetated state over the prison floor. She cradled his head on her lap and bowed her head over his half-unconscious face. It was when Uchiha allowed her ten minutes of relative privacy with her master, on the condition that she will do anything for her golden boy's life. By the frame of the exit door, Uchiha was standing, his arms crossed as he looked at the little woman sitting by the side of her master in the jail cell.
"Hmph" she caught his jaw between her delicate fingers and breathed air into his lips and lungs. She didn't notice the stormy look on Uchiha's face that Uzumaki witnessed at the periphery of his vision. His long dark hair cast an ominous shadow over his eyes that stared impassively at the two. As absurd and hilarious as he might sound, Uzumaki actually found his rival's state rather pitiful. Here was the one girl who Uzumaki knew was Uchiha's safe harbor, but she was too busy turning her back to him, resuscitating his enemy with kisses. Kisses that she wouldn't even give him even though he figuratively knelt down before her and begged her to marry him. Only to have her betray him in the worst way possible by pushing him to near death. As much as Uchiha hated her, he couldn't turn his eyes away from her like a love starved puppy.
Sometimes he hated how well he could read Uchiha's feelings.
Uzumaki's blue eyes seemed half focused and dimmer than usual, but his senses were still sharp. He was sure he looked worse than he actually was. He couldn't feel his face, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that his face must be covered with purple marks and cut bruises. He could hardly open his eyes cause he got a black eye on both.
When he was able to refocus his gaze, he felt a water drop fall on his left cheek. He adjusted his focus and looked up.
It was Hyuuga, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears as she looked down at him with a sweet smile. He could vaguely trace her dimples that would form when she smiles like that, showing her teeth. The light was directly above her head, so her face was cast in shadows, but there was no denying the gleam of hope and relief that radiated from her sweet face. But his damn vision kept getting blurry and refocused, on and off again. If only he could see her clearly.
"Waker sama," her tearful voice was filled with relief and elation, "Waker sama, I'm so glad-"
His blue eyes widened as he felt another tear fall on his cheek. He felt her soft caresses on his face, "Hyuuga..."
When everyone else, including the Akatsukis, stabbed him in the back, Uzumaki didn't have any hope. That anyone would come to his rescue. He gave up that anyone would still be loyal for him and risk Uchiha's cruel retribution.
But here she was-Hyuuga, his Waker's Pearl whom he knew that Uchiha couldn't get enough of. If she said just a single word, Uchiha would be wrapped around her delicate pinkie finger. But no, she came to save him, willing to make herself the object of the Second Waker's ire if it meant bringing him back to life.
"Hyuuga..." How had he not noticed what a gem he was with? More tears started to drop on his face. He made a sad, rueful smile. What a jerk he was for making his dear Waker's Pearl cry. He reached out his unsteady hand and cupped her cheek. Her sob worsened. His poor treasure.
"Waker sama," she quickened her tone, "there is not enough time." She pulled out a little pouch from the inner pocket of her wrap shirt, "I've brought some rice balls-"
"Hyu-"
She hurriedly stuffed herself with a bit of rice ball and hunched over him once again, silencing him effectively. Feeling her soft lips on his again, he froze.
His right hand that was about to reach to her, grab her shoulder, and tell her to run away as fast as she can, stopped in mid air.
Then his hand grabbed her slender arm and he pulled himself closer to her for dear life. He felt her wince at the sudden pressure of his fingers on her shoulder, but she didn't push him away. She was intoxicating, beautiful.
But when she separated herself from him after feeding him, he saw, to his disappointment, no sort of amorous blush in her cheeks or nervousness in her eyes that he used to see. No matter how much he would wish it was not true, Hyuuga was simply acting out of fierce loyalty and protectiveness as his subordinate and compassion.
"Waker sama-" her lips smiled, but her eyes were so deep and sad. It pained her to see him in so much pain, but she struggled to look strong and cheerful.
But her eyes widened and her smile dissipated when she felt a large shadow looming over her and the man she was cradling.
A voice that could deceive others as cool and smooth echoed behind them, "I hate to interrupt the lovers' adjourn, but-"
He hadn't noticed that Uchiha stepped into the cell. But he saw the tall, swarthy man grab Hyuuga's slender arm and roughly jerk her up.
Uzumaki groaned as he unceremoniously rolled off and hit where he got attacked on the floor.
Hyuuga cried, "Waker sama!" Meanwhile, Uchiha looked down at his struggle apathetically, while still maintaining his iron grip on Hyuuga.
She looked up to him and helplessly clawed at his hand that was holding her hostage, "Please," she begged, "he's still so hurt."
Uchiha snarled at her, a face that was half a glare, half a malicious smirk, "Our deal was ten minutes." He then started dragging her to the opened door of the cell, "Now it's time for YOUR end of the deal."
"No," she shook her head and begged, "please."
When Uchiha grabbed her wrist in an iron grip and dragged her close to the exit door, Hyuuga resisted and kept turning back, crying, "Waker sama!"
"Let...her...go, Uchiha." Uzumaki tried to raise his voice, but it came out as a hoarse, sickly whisper. But he got what he wanted. Uchiha stopped.
He turned his cold dark eyes that blared with the sharingan at his prisoner.
Uzumaki continued, "you...know...that Hyuuga didn't...do anything." He tried to raise himself up on his elbows, but he was sure he looked like shit, "So let her go. It's between you and me."
As if Uzumaki's attempt to free her was pathetic, Uchiha made a mocking smirk. "How touching. As if I'm the villain. Just yesterday, you had me groveling at both of your feet, after I pathetically asked your Waker's Pearl to accept my mother's gift." His cold gaze shifted to Hyuuga who squirmed under his grasp and averted her eyes in fear and shame.
"So, this does involve your Waker's Pearl," and he resolutely turned away from him as he held Hyuuga's wrist, "And I have plenty to discuss with her."
"Waker sama," Hyuuga looked back at Uzumaki tenderly, forcing a smile on her lips, "I'll be okay. So please don't worry-"
But the minute he heard Hyuuga speak to his prisoner, the jailer's thin strand of sanity snapped and he activated his bloodline limit.
When Uzumaki saw the swirls on Uchiha's eyes, he felt a heavy weight over his head and he fell face flat on the cold stone mortar. The impact was enough to break his nose although he braced himself by gritting his teeth.
"Waker sama..." Hyuuga's voice was breathless. Then she raised her voice as she renewed her struggles, "Waker sama, Waker sama!" When her struggles to free herself became wilder, Uchiha gracefully lunged at her and rounded her up in his arm. Her petite size and lack of physical strength compared to the Wakers caused her to be easily wrapped and immobilized by his arm. Compared to Hyuuga, Uchiha had the size and strength of a bear. She jerked forward a couple times to free herself, but Uchiha bit his lips and applied pressure on her body and wrist that he caught in his grasp. Finally she bowed her head and sobbed when she realized that her struggles were pointless. Her long indigo hair fell like silk, and Uchiha looked down at her with unreadable eyes. She was as good as a butterfly in a spider's web.
That night, Kyuubi allowed him a glimpse of what was happening to his Waker's Pearl. Even though the demonic fox warned him that he should conserve on his energy.
In the globe of vision Kyuubi created, Uzumaki saw the tall, dark haired man drag the petite woman along the hallway by the wrist. He was taking her somewhere.
Hyuuga was no longer crying, but the tear marks on her cheeks made her look even more sullen. She said calmly as she stared straight ahead, "I do not wish to be alone with you."
Uchiha's lips twisted in anger as he stopped in his tracks and glared at her wildly. No doubt, the Second Waker was angered by not only the First Waker's Pearl's insubordination but her audacity, ordering him around as if she is the queen. She was probably the only person in the world who could make demands at her imprisoned state and get away with it. Uchiha remained still with his icy, suffocating silence.
But still he tsk'd and obliged her wishes by opening the tall, gilded door to the main hall where they would be alone but the space was not private enough for her to fear him.
That was at least what Uzumaki hoped for. That Uchiha wouldn't dare to hurt her in such a public setting.
They seemed to be arguing in the throne room; he couldn't exactly hear what their quarrels because his energy was waning dangerously, but they were fighting.But the minute he saw, through Kyuubi's lenses, Uchiha pinning her on his very own ivory chair with his body, his hopes were dashed to the ground into million pieces.
Through Kyuubi's abilities, he could hear Hyuuga's cries as she beat Uchiha's broad, dark back with her tiny fists. Tears were streaming down her lovely face.
Her feet dangled on the side as Uchiha savagely thrusted his pelvis towards her, grunting like an animal.
Trying to balance his brutal thrusts, Uchiha gripped the edge of the tall ivory chair and kept pushing onto poor Hyuuga. He shuddered at the pleasure that shot through his body as he grinded against her, his breath roughening and eyes heated.
Uzumaki couldn't believe it. He at least thought that Uchiha had some honor. He even knew the bare details of what he went through to kill Orochimaru, steal his secrets to kill Itachi, and become the Second Waker. But here, he was attacking the very person he claimed to love.
Hyuuga couldn't bear to look at her assailant in the eye. She averted her face and closed her eyes.
"No...please..." she panted and turned her face away. Her lips were blood red and she was at loss, at heat, "ah...ha..ha..." Seeing this, Uzumaki felt his mouth turn dry.
Uchiha smirked.
"You like this, Hyuuga? Would you be able to forget me after this?" He taunted her, rubbing against her till she was close to losing consciousness.
He sneered as he continued his powerful hip thrusts, "I would kill to see the dobe react...to seeing his Waker's Pearl defiled on his chair."
Uzumaki never felt as helpless and useless then. He bowed down on his knees and beat the earth with his fists. When all he could see was Hyuuga struggling to no avail and not be able to save her.
He saw Uchiha run his fingers in her dark hair and grip a hand full of her shiny locks. He then ran his lips across her jawline and roughly forced a kiss, if that could even be called a kiss.
When Hyuuga lifted her hand to slap him, he caught her wrist and dug his tongue even deeper into her groaning mouth.
He heard him murmur, "mine, Hyuuga...mine."
It was beyond Uzumaki as to why Uchiha would do such a thing. Didn't Uchiha take care of Hyuuga since she was little? How could someone he once viewed as a friend do such dastardly thing to someone like Hyuuga? Didn't he love her?
He dug his fingers deep into his lap, enough to draw blood.
That was when he heard Uchiha's voice, "Send my regards to Kurama."
Uzumaki's eyes widened and a small vein ticked on his jaw. The bastard knew. Knew that he was watching all along in mind numbing helplessness.
That moment, his eyes flared deep red and he couldn't control himself. The bright sunshiny Naruto was quickly incinerated into ashes that turned into shards that sharpened his appetite for revenge. His inner demons started to consume him. (f)
Uzumaki looked down at her, "And then he sealed me for five thousand years. All I could do was to wait. Wait for you."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. He coddled her as he nuzzled his jaw against her soft, feathery hair, "And he was so obsessed with you that he purposely timed your recovery with his reincarnation. I didn't know that such thing was even possible, but he did. That selfish, obsessed bastard."
"Hyuuga," his blue eyes turned whimsical, "I might be selfish, but...don't call me, 'cruel.'" He pulled her deeper into his chest, nuzzling her with his nose, "I had enough. I'm not letting him put you in danger because of his selfishness again."
Hyuuga couldn't say anything. She could only remain rooted in her master's embrace.
"Give me a freaking chance, Hyuuga" He whispered, "I swear I won't make you unhappy or ask more from you than what you're unwilling to give."
Hyuuga didn't say anything for a while. And then she grabbed his sleeves, "Please...please...keep your promise." Her voice no longer sounded tearful, but somehow it was sadder.
The rain kept soaking through his shoulders and blond hair. He knew that she meant his promise to not exact his revenge from Sasuke. He closed his eyes and laid his cheek sideways on her head.
"I promise."
He didn't have to do more to hurt Sasuke. Taking Hinata back was enough of a punishment. He didn't need to do anymore.
Getting ready for Uzumaki's grand return to the Realm took a lot of time and effort for the Akatsukis and of course, Waker's Pearl Hyuuga. There was the public opinion to persuade, uprisings to quell, and reformation to happen.
The grand senators of the Realm gathered around the golden ruler, "Uzumaki sama, the Second Waker's place has been empty for too long."
"Uzumaki sama, there are rebels who are claiming their right to the Second Wakership. Please attend to these warfares."
"Uzumaki sama"
"Uzumaki sama"
"Uzumaki sama"
Hyuuga was getting incensed at how the senators just won't take her master's answer "No, I won't install a Second Waker."
'Why are they vying for the position of the Second Waker, when they can't do their own jobs right?' She remembered her master saying in frustration when they were alone.
"My lords-"
The minute she tried to step in, Uzumaki laid his broad, manly hand on her shoulder. "That will do" he said as he smiled warmly at the senators, but in a somewhat intimidating manner.
When the senators left, Uzumaki and Hyuuga were alone in the main courtyard. The breeze was cooling, gathering their flowy robes together.
Thump- Uzumaki laid his fuzzy gold head on Hyuuga's left shoulder. The disparity between their heights caused him to bend over, so he could lay his forehead on her.
Hyuuga merely stood still and said nothing. She could smell her Master and feel his quietly undulating breathing.
She clenched her eyes shut as in pain, as she heard him trying to gather his breath and his poise. He was the Golden Waker, the Sun. No weakness could come from him.
And her master's business also effected Hyuuga.
"I owe you too much," he finally said in a low, steady voice. For a long time, there was always a twinge of regret in his voice. That regret has been there since he forced her to break her bond and come back to him. But the regret wasn't strong enough for him to let her go.
Hyuuga smiled gently and shook her head, "No...I prefer to be busy, Waker sama."
And it was true. She was surprised to find that the weeks of craziness have actually came as a source of relief. When she was busy, she didn't have to think about the dark-eyed handsome she left behind. She didn't have to miss how he would smile down at her, one of his rare genuine smiles, or when he would raise an eyebrow and smirk at her when he is amused by her response to his sarcastic comments. When she was busy, she didn't have to keep on replaying what he used to say to her, things that made her heart leap and warmth flow throughout her body. When she was busy, she didn't have to think such things.
Except sometimes...times she can't help but open the little treasure chest she stored in her heart and take a little peek. Like a child looking into her treasure she had hidden somewhere.
Konan was running somewhere, looking left and right. She stopped a maid who was passing by.
"Do you know where Hyuuga sama is?"
The maid who was detained by her arm looked startled, "Hyu-Hyuuga sama is in the main kitchen, Konan sama. She is preparing for the First Waker sama's afternoon treat-red bean soup."
Konan released the maid and rushed to the kitchen hall.
She flung the wide wooden door open, "Hyuuga sama"
A long haired woman was sipping delicately from the ladle she raised to her lips. She kept eyeing the content of her sooty black cauldron. She then looked at the violet eyed intruder, her doll-like expression betraying nothing, "Konan san." Hyuuga actually looked a little surprised. She was supposed to be dismissed from her official duties for the day. Feeling bad for how overworked she was since they returned, her master had decreed that she be temporarily relieved of her Waker's Pearl job, for at least the weekend holiday.
"Hyuuga sama, I have some serious news."
Hyuuga, still holding the ladle, faced Konan. Konan looked at her superior in the face, squarely.
"A strong presence is felt to be approaching the portals that connect the Realm and the mortals' territory."
Expectation caused Hyuuga to speak fast, "Is it Kabuto?"
Her opal eyes lit up, 'finally, I could have my hands on Karin.' How she had bid for the moment to have her revenge on those two. May she be reborn again and again, but she will never forgive Karin.
But all she could do was patiently wait for the snake and the red head to approach her on their own, in the Realm where she is the most powerful.
But Konan's face turned strange. As if Hyuuga was sleep-talking.
"No, Hyuuga sama."
"It is your past master, Uchiha Sasuke." Konan took a deep breath, "He has been on a rampage against the portals to the Realm."
"No," her face turned pale like a sheet of paper, "there is no way he could have figured out those portals on his own."
She clenched her fists, looking at Konan as if she was expecting her to say that there was some mistake in this information.
But instead, Konan bowed, "There is no error in the intelligence the Akatsukis have gathered, Hyuuga sama. You may see for yourself."
Then Konan turned, leaving Hyuuga alone in the kitchen.
The First Waker was dozing in indolent bliss under the frocks of peacocks that gathered in Hyuuga's private garden. He had been looking for Hyuuga but decided that he could just take a nap along with her pets that she dotted on. When things began to tone down and Uzumaki's position reached some stability, Hyuuga made it a habit to disappear from others' eyes. He decided that he could just wait. The breeze was nice, and he was half asleep in bliss.
Then he heard a maid's slight quarrel with his Waker's Pearl.
"Hyuuga sama, you must not disrupt the Waker's peace-"
"I have something urgent to ask my sovereign"
He turned his head to her and smiled. An undeniably charming smile. Hyuuga was dressed in a simple light purple wrap shirt and khaki pants that were slightly baggy.
"Hyuuga, I thought you were on a break."
"Uzumaki sama," "Sa-" she paused, and then continued, "Uchiha is reported to have defected from Konoha and been on the periphery of the Realm"
Uzumaki at first stared at her with an unreadable expression and closed his eyes.
Hyuuga stared at him.
"You...knew?"
"Waker sama," she tried to calm down, but it seemed futile, "I thought you said Uchiha will have nothing to do with the Realm again."
"I said that I will no longer deal with Uchiha personally." "But if he comes forth to deal with me, I will not stop him."
"How is Uchiha able to reach the portals? Did he recover his-"
"Hyuuga," he stared at her squarely as he lied down on his back. His voice was firm.
"We both know that it is impossible for Uchiha to ever become what he was again."
He lowered his gaze as he turned his head away.
"So I don't want you to start getting...new ideas."
Ideas like...going back to him.
He looked at her once again.
"Remember when you told Sasuke that he was too weak?"
She nodded.
"You did your best. Because that was the only way that would make Sasuke hate you. And hate me."
Anger and hopelessness caused Hyuuga's opal eyes to flash deadly white.
Surprised by the way she lost hold of her temper, Hyuuga paused. But Uzumaki didn't look stunned. Somehow, seeing his calm, stoic visage made Hyuuga wilt in shame. Further sinking feelings of hopelessness caused the Waker's Pearl to furrow her brows and turn her face away bitterly.
"I had to push him away-"
Uzumaki toned down the harshness of his tone. He didn't mean to sound accusatory.
"Hyuuga. This has to do with the late Second Waker, Itachi."
When she looked at him confused, he continued
"As you would know, Itachi sama was his brother."
"That was the way Itachi encouraged him to be strong enough to be where he was. Telling him he didn't have enough hate in his heart. That he was too weak."
Realization struck her like a boulder.
Tears brimmed in her opal eyes.
"I...I didn't know. I didn't..."
She covered her face.
"I...just wanted Sasuke to...detest me. And forget about me. That was all I could think at the moment to repel him."
In a moment, he approached her, his gait light and steady like air.
He held her close to his chest.
"He's either going to want to speak to you for one last time or...kill you."
The golden desert of some continent whose name is unknown
A tall man with a protective head scarf and a sword on his belt bowed respectfully before an entourage. "Huda sama, for today, nobody has crossed the desert. You're safe to travel."
Long bejeweled fingers caressed a plush ostrich fan. A smirk played across painted lips.
So called the "Midas of the Sun" for her wealth and mercantile skills, Huda was enjoying the shade of her portable tent on the back of her favorite elephant.
Huda was a mere orphan girl who seduced and married a wealthy merchant with her beauty and guile. After her elderly husband died, she forcibly took over his business and accumulated further wealth by using military force to monopolize the desert's trade path.
Of course, being a woman of her status, she was escorted by her own infantry armed with the most durable and light weaponry that money can buy. Towering over the tallest men she recruited for her safety, she watched over her empire-the desert itself. Not even a single scorpion could pass the deserts without her approval.
Fanning herself with her ostrich fan, she surveyed the endless gold planes. Then something caught her eye.
Reaching out her fan, she commanded her carriage to stop. Her gorgeous plumes of dark eyelashes fluttered as she watched the figure with eyes of a hawk.
In the burning heat where air seemed to undulate, a tall figure swathed in monotonous wraps was walking past the Suna deserts. Judging by the tall figure and shoulder breadth, she was able to tell that the traveller was a man. One by one, the man's feet stooped in the grainy sand, but he kept trudging forward.
Huda frowned. Her entourage gasped. Her handmaiden trembled, "But Huda sama, just a while ago, the messenger has said that nobody has infiltrated through your post guards."
Huda was especially disturbed. It irked her that a mere person has successful evaded the security barricade she has set up in the periphery of her desert. What was even more bizarre was they were thousands of miles away from her nearest post. For herself and her entourage, they have travelled for two weeks already. But the man seemed to have barely any luggage-no jugs of water, no beef jerky. The man clearly had no camel. But it was impossible, even godless to think that a man could elude her hundreds of men she stationed around the borderline and be walking through the desert.
Then, to everyone's surprise, the man stopped a few feet away from the lead of her entourage. A soldier ran towards him. They seemed to exchange a few words.
The soldier ran back and knelt before her, "The stranger says that he means no harm and that he is looking for someone, my lady."
"Who?"
"A young woman in her early 20s, pale skinned, dark hair with a sheen of purple or indigo, with strange milk white eyes, my lady."
Huda quirked her eyebrow. She was becoming even more intrigued. 'A man, risking his life through the hostile desert and her men, to find a woman? Interesting...'
Now that the man was closer, Huda can see the dark hair underneath his grey head wrap and peer into his right eye. Interestingly, his left eye was covered by the head wrap.
Her chief guard commanded the others, "Seize him! He might be a spy or an assassin!"
But Huda raised her voice, "No!"
Her chief guard turned to her, "Huda sama!"
She covered her mouth with her ostrich fan, "Bring me down to the ground. I want to take a closer look at his face."
"No, Huda sama-"
She raised her voice even higher, "Didn't you hear what I say? I want to see that man's face!"
At his mistress's wrath, the chief guard promptly shut up and made a signal to the guards around her elephant.
Her satin slippers stepped gently on the gold sand. She stepped towards the man. The man seemed to make no movement. Everyone around her hushed.
Curiosity got the better of her and she raised her hand to pull down the drape of his shawl that masked his face, 'Such beautiful eye...' she thought.
But in an instant, the man's obsidian eye flashed bright red as an angry brow narrowed at her insolent hand.
Huda gasped and retracted her hand, 'Such powerful energy...' It made her shiver in fear and also anticipation. She didn't recall any man or woman who has made her feel this way.
The soldiers encircled the man and pointed their swords and spears at him.
The chief guard commanded, "Pull down your mask!"
The man seemed to contemplate for a moment. Everyone wondered if the man was planning to be disobedient despite the peril he was in. Then he raised his right hand and hooked his finger inside his mask and pulled it down, revealing his face.
Seeing his face, everyone couldn't make a single sound.
Only Huda, the person closest to the stranger, could hear her own heart thumping.
"Foreigner," breathless, Huda uttered, "I want you."
Her words were like the sound of horns ringing through everyone's ears, waking them up.
But the man who revealed his face said nothing, looking more or less bored and indifferent to the beauty's desire.
Thinking that he simply didn't know who she was, she introduced herself, "My name is Huda. I am called the 'queen of the desert' for my power and wealth."
At first, Huda thought that she saw the man's dark eyes widen slightly at the mention of her name. But she saw his shoulder relax and a cold mask of indifference and wary guardedness settle on his face again.
"Do you not know me?" she asked dumbfounded.
The man was silent for a moment. Then he said rather dismissively, "I thought it was the name I was searching for." But there was a noticeable bitterness to the way his shapely lips twisted into a slight frown.
But Huda was too mesmerized by the man's face that his words went straight through her head.
Fluttering her infamous eyes that shot through rulers and men's souls, she enticed him, "Would you like to come to my palace?"
Every man, and even some woman, opened their mouths, slack jawed. To come to Lady Huda's palace? It was a dream that was long considered impossible unless one was reborn in a next life as a prince. If the handsome stranger continues to hold Lady Huda's interest, he might even be one of her husbands who live in her harem. And if Lady Huda bears the stranger's son? Then the stranger can practically live, without a day's work, sitting on a pile of money. It was an opportunity once in a lifetime.
A snort. "Queen of nothing," the man uttered in a magnetic, deeply husky voice, "I have nothing to do with you."
At the handsome man's contempt, everyone froze. Huda was shocked. Then she frowned.
The stranger stared back into Huda's eyes for a moment and then lowered his gaze to the ground as he pulled up his mask.
Then he passed by her side.
Huda finally came to her senses. She swirled and cried, "Stranger, stop!"
But the man kept walking away, without even glancing back at her.
Not knowing that she was getting on the stranger's nerves, she called to him, "Where are you going? There's going to be a sandstorm tonight!"
"I'll manage," he uttered in a monotonous voice.
"Stranger, who are you looking for?"
She was now concerned. He was too beautiful to be crazy! "You don't have any idea what you're getting yourself into!"
"Then," he turned slightly and his lips drew back, in a way that is both dangerous and charming "do you intend to follow?"
The effect of that smile was electrifying. Huda stopped.
The man turned. He kept walking, and what seemed to be in a few minutes, he disappeared into the raging winds of sand.
It was dark at night when he managed to scale the rocky walls of the cliff and find himself shelter in a small narrow cave. Rain soaked to his bones and his cloak.
He rested his back on the stony wall of the cave and touched his left arm as if he is feeling some ache.
Then he heard a slight buzz of a chakra signal. He groaned.
Sasuke snapped
"Sakura, I said I didn't want to talk about it."
Sasuke kun, please-come back.
He hung up. It has been happening a lot these days. Since Sakura magically 'recovered' her memories and some of her powers, she had been tapping onto her newfound ability to speak to him through chakra waves. It was annoying.
I... I got back my memories as the Waker's Pearl shortly after my battle with Hyuuga. But I don't care about power, Sasuke. I just want you.
That was what Sakura said after she got back her memories. Apparently, Sakura tried to stop Hyuuga and demanded an explanation. Hyuuga nailed her down with a chakra barrier technique and that supposedly triggered Sakura's subconscious memories. Bla bla bla memories. Bla bla bla Waker's Pearl powers.
But he couldn't understand. Why was it that everyone else around him seemed to share some secret past that he cannot be privy to.
Why was he, alone, not able to unlock these so-called powers of the past life? Naruto did. Hinata did. Even Sakura, who didn't expect herself to be involved in such way, recovered her powers and memories. It was so unfair. Suddenly, the unfairness of the situation crashed onto him like rocks.
He, alone, was in stalemate. He, who is most desperate to have power, is at a standstill. While, Naruto, who didn't have such ambition, became like a deity and took away the only girl who didn't annoy him and made his heart move. While Sakura, who has no interest in running after Naruto, is even more powerful than him. The irony was so hurtful that it made him laugh.
With that in mind, Sasuke settled into uncomfortable sleep.
Then he felt a print of a finger on his forehead.
When he squinted his eyes open in irritation, he frowned.
That same darn man again
"Hey you," Sasuke snarled. "When are you stop coming into my dreams?"
The dark haired, tall man stared at him as he crouched over to meet him at an eye level. He was actually pretty good looking despite the deep tearline marks beneath his eyes that made him look older than he ought to be.
The man narrowed his impressions dark eyes at him, "Hello to you as well."
He smiled, "foolish little brother."
