Seductive Sound
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter because as I said before, now it's all about the romance and family moments. Well that and perhaps, a splash of the Akatsuki.
Chapter 34
A week had passed since the fight with the Zetsus and Obito and they were now all back in the Leaf after enjoying an enormous feast in the Mist Village. Sasuke was also happy that he could enjoy some quality time for Hinata. It had been very difficult for him to pull away from his Sunflower, but he had finally managed it.
"You can't possibly be serious." Hiashi rolls his eyes at Sasuke.
This was important and had to be done. "I am very serious. I'm going to ask Hinata to marry me." It was something that he had been dreaming of since he was seven and Sasuke would be damned if Hiashi Hyuga was going to scare him away from Hinata.
Sasuke hadn't come alone to face Hiashi though. Oh no. He had brought Itachi with him.
Not because he was scared of Hiashi, of course. No. That wasn't it. The younger Uchiha Brother had brought Itachi with him for the Hyuga Patriarch's own protection because Sasuke knew Hiashi would say something stupid.
He'd say something stupid and then the Uchiha would be tempted to lose his temper and that simply wouldn't do. "You do realize that my foolish little brother did help to say the world from being trapped in a permanent Genjutsu, right?" Because Hinata actually loved her father for some reason that Sasuke couldn't entirely fathom. So he couldn't die. (At least not by Sasuke's hands).
"I suppose you're right." Hiashi sighs heavily as if this was all just so terribly taxing. "In light of that, I shall tolerate his existence and the unfortunate happenstance that he'll likely be my Son-In-Law." Sasuke twitches at that. "And I'll just have to pray to whatever Gods and Goddesses are listening that the children will take after their mother instead of him."
Yes. He had been very wise to have Itachi come with him. Hiashi Hyuga was just asking for an Amaterasu. That much Sasuke was damn sure of.
Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "Well, that's a start." The elder Uchiha Brother smiles at Sasuke. "Brother, is there anything that you wish to say to your future Father-In-Law?"
"Yes." Sasuke nods somberly. "I'm very grateful that Hinata must've taken after her mother because I do not see any similarities between my precious Sunflower and this pig."
This time it was Hiashi's turn to twitch. A fact that causes Sasuke to smirk. It felt good to one up this man.
How did Hinata share any genetic material with him? It was really inconceivable to Sasuke, but he knew that it didn't matter. He loved Hinata and she loved him. Everything else was irrelevant in his mind.
"Do not test me, Uchiha." Hiashi glares at him.
Itachi sighs and rubs his temples. "I believe I feel a migraine coming on. Come." He smiles at both of them. "Let's put this kunai measuring contest to rest. We have something far more important to focus our efforts on, anyway."
Hiashi and Sasuke both gape at him. The other raven haired ninja couldn't believe his brother had actually said the phrase kunai measuring contest and Hiashi couldn't believe that Itachi actually expected him to help the Uchiha Brothers with anything.
"What exactly are you talking about?" Hiashi looks at Itachi incredulously.
Itachi chuckles at that and shakes his head. "You're far more alike than you are different, really." Sasuke didn't particularly care for being laughed at by Itachi, but he chooses to ignore that feeling for now.
What was his brother up to now? Obviously, the former Criminal Ninja was up to something. Sasuke could hear it in his laugh. He was far too pleased with himself for this to be normal.
"Out with it, Itachi." Which made Sasuke feel far more on edge than he really wanted to admit. "What are you trying to say?"
"My foolish little brother still has to get an engagement ring for Hinata." That was embarrassingly true. "A fact that I believe we should remedy immediately." Despite the fact that his cheeks were now likely stained a brilliant shade of red, Sasuke knew that Itachi was right about this much.
He had to get Hinata a ring. The youngest Uchiha couldn't rightfully propose to her without one. There was just one problem with that.
Sasuke couldn't get her just any ring. It had to be the perfect ring. Which was why he was definitely going to need Itachi's help and maybe even Hiashi's assistance. (The latter of which left a bitter taste in his mouth).
Later that night, everything was so quiet. Too quiet. Instinct told Kisame that wasn't a good sign. So he goes and finds Itachi. He was usually better at dealing with such feelings than him (or feelings in general).
"Yes, Kisame, I know." Itachi nods as he continues writing on a scroll.
Kisame raises an eyebrow at the eldest living Uchiha. "What do you know?" How was it possible that Itachi knew everything? No wonder Sasuke had an inferiority complex.
Itachi chuckles and the blue skinned man realizes that he was actually writing two letters. "I know that you're worried things are too quiet and I'm working on rectifying that right now." He was rectifying that by writing letters?!
He could live to be a thousand and the swordsman would likely never understand the enigma that was Itachi Uchiha. How the Hell were letters going to solve the too quiet dilemma?
Well maybe, too quiet wasn't the right phrase. There were certainly noises in the Uchiha District, particularly when Sasuke and Hinata forgot to use the Soundproofing Jutsu. It was just that everything felt well a bit too peaceful considering the world had almost been trapped in a permanent Genjutsu. Like it had all been too easy.
"Who are you writing?" Kisame blinks.
Itachi smiles at him, the picture of serenity. "Pain." Uh huh. Why did he see TWO scrolls then.
That was one long letter. Something smelled fishy here and the former Mist Ninja was going to figure out what it was. Itachi looked entirely too pleased with himself. He was up to something.
"You think that a freaking letter is going to stop him from trying to go through with the Eye of Moon Plan?" The raven haired ninja had to be out of his mind.
Pain had been working on that forever. Like Kisame, he had actually believed Obito's promises. Unlike him however, the man hadn't snapped out of it. He hadn't been there during the final battle and he likely still wanted to achieve some sort of utopia.
Itachi shrugs gracefully. "He's down four Akatsuki Members." That was true. Zetsu, Obito, Itachi, and Kisame. "Actually, five because Sasuke killed Deidara." Ouch that was also true.
So that left Pain, Konan, Hidan, and Kakuzu. That wasn't going to be enough to extract Tailed Beasts. Not unless they recruited more people or Pain put those freaky clones of his to work and Kisame wasn't sure, if the clones could do that.
"So you think he'll calm down because he doesn't have the numbers." The swordsman wasn't so sure about that. "What's to keep him from getting more people?" That would seem to be a very Pain Thing to do.
The Uchiha continues writing as if he didn't have a care in the world. "That is a possibility, but it's not easy finding people with enough chakra to perform something like that and people he can trust not to betray him." Itachi pauses for a moment. "Not to mention a rather flexible moral compass that would allow them to participate in a plan like that in the first place."
That was true. It was pretty hard to find a powerful individual who was willing to bend the rules to such an extent, but who was also loyal. Kisame had never really thought about it that way before.
"Alright." Maybe Itachi could Letter No Jutsu Pain. "That still doesn't explain who the second letter is for. Konan?"
Itachi shakes his head at that. "There's no need to write a second letter for her." That was probably true. "Pain will show her the first letter." Yeah. Those two would probably be screwing like rabbits, if Pain wasn't so sick. "He trusts her completely."
Yeah. Kisame should have known the answer to that question. Still, Itachi was being annoyingly evasive. Which could mean only one thing.
"You're writing the Mizukage." Kisame grins. "Who knew that you had a thing for cougars."
Itachi glares at Kisame and his eyes flash crimson red. "Kisame, one of your greatest challenges appears to be knowing when to remain silent." Oh yeah. Itachi was definitely writing Mei.
He'd rarely seen the other man get worked up about anything. This was going to be so much fun to tease him about. Kisame couldn't resist.
"Well you know what they say about Mist Women." He smirks at him.
This prompts Itachi to roll his eyes at his partner and sigh. "No. I don't know what they say about Mist Women." Good because the swordsman was more than happy to tell his normally stoic partner.
"A Mist Woman's kiss is pure bliss." He smirks.
Itachi blinks at that. "Well that's better than what I expected. I thought you were going to say something positively vulgar." He sighs in relief.
"Oh well that's the kid's version." He grins at his partner. "I can tell you the adult version, if you like." Kisame cackles as Itachi suddenly goes rather pale.
"No. No." The raven haired ninja shakes his head quickly. "I don't believe that I need to know the adult version." Yes, teasing Itachi Uchiha was far too much fun to be legal, but Kisame would do it anyway. He liked living dangerously.
Hinata wasn't sure why Sasuke wanted to take her to the hospital so badly, but she decides to just humor him. "Alright." She tilts her head. "We're here."
Was this Sasuke's way of saying he wanted to Play Doctor or something. They hadn't really done that before. The could be fun, but wouldn't it be safer to do such a thing at home. They could get caught here.
"Yes, we are." Sasuke smiles at her and kisses her forehead. "Close your eyes and no cheating with the Byakugan."
She would not cheat! "I wouldn't do that." Hinata grumbles slightly as the bluenette closes her eyes and Sasuke wraps a blindfold around her.
A silk blindfold. Of course, even his blindfold choices had to be luxurious. Sasuke was never one to do anything halfway, it seemed.
"Good." Sasuke was likely smiling at her now, though she couldn't see it. "Now, don't undo the blindfold until I tell you to do so." Her lover was definitely smiling. She could 'hear' it in his voice. "Alright?"
Hinata nods, still not sure what exactly he was up to. "Okay. I won't take the blindfold off until you tell me to." After all, a Hyuga never went back on their word.
"Good girl." Sasuke chuckles and that's when Hinata hears the sound water being poured.
Well at least she thought it was water. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't be entirely sure until she actually undid the blindfold or activated her Byakugan. The latter of which she would not do as she had given him her word.
Hinata rolls her eyes under the blindfold. "Arf! Arf!" He was acting like she was some well-trained puppy.
"I think you're more of a sex kitten than a puppy, but either way you're perfect." Sasuke smiles and caresses her cheek. "Alright, I want you to take a sip of the drink and you can undo the blindfold when you're done. Drink very slowly."
He'd put something in the drink. That much was obvious. Hinata just didn't know what. Maybe, it was a flower or something.
Still, she does as she was asked. Hinata drinks from the glass slowly. Very slowly, only to discover that it wasn't water. This was definitely some high class champagne and something metallic had just brushed up against her lips.
Metallic and small. "What the?" She blinks at that and undoes her blindfold.
What she saw made her gasp. It was a stunning silver band with white diamonds across the front of it. There was also a large yellow diamond in the center, surrounded by smaller circular diamonds. It was a ring. An engagement ring.
"I thought it would be appropriate to propose to you in the place where I fell in love with you." Sasuke smiles at her. "And the yellow diamond is because you are my Sunflower."
That was so sweet. So Hinata did the only thing that a woman could do in her position. She jumps into his arms and glomps him. The champagne spilled everywhere, but that didn't matter to her.
"Yes." She smiles and kisses him.
Sasuke smiles and kisses back. "Well that was easier than I thought, I didn't even have to officially ask the question." That statement makes Hinata's face burn ruby red.
"Saving the world does grant you some leniency in proposal deliveries." She mumbles between kisses.
Sasuke smirks at that and runs his fingers through her hair affectionately. "That's very good to know." Hinata nods shyly at that and smiles at him.
Yes, it was very good to know. Obito and the Zetsus were gone now. They could get on with their lives. There was just one small problem.
"How are we going to tell my father?" She blinks.
Sasuke shakes his head at that. "I already informed him that I was going to propose to you." He rolls his eyes at the memory. "He even helped me to pick out the wedding ring, after Itachi insisted on some family bonding."
The three of them must have looked ridiculous, striding into a jewelry shop. To say the least, Sasuke hadn't been pleased about having Hiashi come along. Still, the man obviously knew more about jewelry than he did and well, Sasuke wanted Hinata to have the perfect ring.
"Will you kindly stop looking as though someone dyed all your kimonos pink." Itachi shook his head and sighed at Hiashi. "This is for your daughter. She loves my foolish little brother and it is up to you to ensure that she gets a proper ring because Sasuke likely knows next to nothing about this sort of thing."
Sasuke twitched at that. It was true, but that didn't mean that he approved of his brother telling Hiashi that. Itachi must be buttering the Hyuga Patriarch up. That was the only logical explanation.
"Yes, I suppose you're quite right." Hiashi sighed as he looked at all the rings. "Did you have anything in particular in mind? For the cut or gem? What kind of band do you want?"
Those were all good questions. Sasuke wasn't sure. There was every material and kind of gem stone imaginable on display. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and many other gorgeous gems lit up the display like some sort of expensive rainbow and that was just for starters.
"I think a yellow diamond." It was just like a Sunflower. "It reminds me of Hinata most."
Hiashi rolled his eyes at that. "How droll. A yellow diamond because she gave you sunflowers on that day." Sasuke glared at the other man for his comment.
Yes, that was why he wanted a yellow diamond, but how dare the lavender eyed man mock his choice?! It was very symbolic and romantic. Just who did Hiashi think he was?
"Yes." Sasuke glared at him. "What's wrong with yellow diamonds?"
Not that he had any particular attachment to various gems, but he thought his reasoning was rather good. Hell, even Itachi had given The Hyuga Patriarch a dirty look for his unnecessary comment. '
Hiashi chuckled at the glare. "Nothing in particular. It's just such a childish reasoning." He shook his head as he looked at the displays. "Though let's see here. I suppose I should help you select a suitable ring." He rolled his eyes again. "Clearly, you would be utterly hopeless without me." And clearly, the other man wanted to be Chidoried.
Itachi sighed as he glanced at various rings. "How about this one?" Itachi smiled. "It's got a large yellow diamond at it's center and many smaller white ones with a silver band. Simple and yet elegant." That did sound like Hinata.
She was a natural beauty. His Sunflower never needed to bother with things like makeup, fancy clothes, or other things of that nature and neither did this ring.
"It's perfect." Sasuke smiled as he grabbed it and took it to the shopkeeper. "I'd like to buy this ring." Who had trembled in fear at the mere sight of him and Itachi.
Not that the younger Uchiha could blame him. They both had rather fearsome reputations. Actually, it was a wonder that the man hadn't run away screaming or passed out. Sasuke hoped the guy got some sort of bonus that day for a job well done.
"O-Of course." The man had been sweating bullets. "H-How would you like to pay for the ring? We do have several financing options."
Hiashi gave Sasuke a dirty look. "Stop terrifying the innocent shopkeeper!" That damn idiot. Sasuke hadn't been doing it on purpose!
Itachi sighed as he got between the two of them. "He'll pay in full and in cash now." The elder Uchiha smiled pleasantly at the shopkeeper. "With interest. Consider it hazard pay."
Sasuke nodded and quickly gave him the money for the ring and a ten percent bonus. The poor guy did deserve it.
"You should go buy yourself a drink or something." The young man shook his head. "You've more than earned it." To which the shopkeeper nodded dumbly and the three men swiftly departed from the shop with the engagement ring in tow. And thus, their shopping trip concluded without any bloodshed.
Hinata laughs at that. "That's just so hard to imagine." She smiles and kisses his cheek. "Still, I'm very grateful that you're at least trying to get along better with him."
Well, Sasuke wasn't sure that he was trying to do that. "And I'm grateful that you said yes." He hadn't killed Hiashi though and really, the Uchiha couldn't help, but feel as though that merited some sort of award.
His reward was her smile and her laugh. Hinata really did have the sweetest laugh and smile in the world. He never got tired of hearing it. Hiashi could be damned. One way or another, Sasuke Uchiha was going to marry this woman.
"Can you believe that he's actually proposing to her?" Hiashi sighs in the Hokage's Office.
He didn't really know why he'd come to Tsunade. Maybe, Hiashi thought it was his duty to warn her. To warn her about what was about to happen. Sasuke was going to propose to Hinata.
The blonde gives him an exhausted look. "Whatever his other faults may be, it is clear that he does care about her." Yes, to a very unhealthy degree! "She's a grown woman, Hiashi." Unfortunately. "The most you could do would be to disown her, if she says yes and I doubt you really want to do that."
No. He didn't want to do that. That and he had helped to pick out the engagement ring. Disowning her would make him a damn hypocrite and he hated hypocrites.
"You're right." He glances at her. "What are you going to do about Taka, Kisame, and Itachi?"
He could almost understand letting Itachi stay. The man had been forced to make a horrible choice and as uneasy as it made him feel to know that he was sharing his village with a serial killer, Itachi had done the right thing. Kisame and Taka though, well they were certainly more of a stretch to put it mildly.
Tsuande sighs at that and Hiashi really didn't envy the woman at the moment. "They helped to save the world, I can hardly throw them in prison." Being Hokage could be a difficult job at the best of times and Hinata's peers certainly didn't make it any easier. "I'll give them all the option of becoming Leaf Ninjas or civilians and see what they say."
That was an outrage really. Unfortunately, he couldn't really argue with her logic. That was the most rational thing to do.
"Very well, My Lady." Hiashi nods his head in submission. "Well now, I have thoroughly briefed you on everything and thus, I should probably take my leave."
Tsunade takes out a bottle of sake and two glasses. "You should have a drink first." He probably should. "You look as though you need it." Hiashi most assuredly did.
"That's very kind of you, My Lady." He smiles as he reaches for the glass after the blonde finishes pouring it. "And I accept your most generous offer." With that being said, Hiashi takes a rather large gulp of sake and sighs.
He'd have to find a way to deal with this situation. Hopefully, the children would take after Hinata though. He could just picture an army of mini demons swarming the Leaf in a few years. Demons with red eyes and who would light everything on fire whenever they had a temper tantrum.
"Perhaps, I'll have two drinks." He smiles at Tsunade.
Tsunade nods and smiles back. "Alright." She pauses and pours him another. "Though I should probably walk you home." Yes, that would be a good idea.
Sadly, Hiashi Hyuga was not a man who could hold much liquor. He had always suspected that had something to do with the Byakugan though. In the end, he knew that it didn't really matter. He simply had to be very careful about how much he drank and a little planning never hurt anyone.
Speaking of planning, Aoda had finally done it. "That should do it." He smiles at the other snakes. "We've scattered his body in over two thousand locations across our land."
That should ensure that Zetsu would never rise again. His body could survive being bisected and not age a thousand years, but the giant snake doubted that it could reform after being spread across such a vast area and essentially have its cells freezed.
"We did it." Another Snake Summon smiles. "He'll never be able to free himself from that."
Not only that, but they had managed to burrow and his remains several miles under ground and tightly packed the earth on top of it. If he somehow managed to revive himself, he'd have to do so in thousands of locations and somehow manage climb out from miles underneath the ground.
Aoda nods at that. "Yes, we did." Master Sasuke would be very pleased.
Now he could pursue his Match and first clutch of Hatchlings in peace. Speaking of Hatchlings though, that snake over there did have some lovely scales. Maybe, Master Sasuke wouldn't be the only one claiming a Mate this season…