Treacherous Heart

Chapter Fifty-One – Discipline

A few hours passed before Sasuke's nervous breakdown ended and he allowed himself to emerge from the bathroom, toweling his hair dry after he had taken a shower to clear his head and put on some pants.

Upon stepping into the living room, towel still in his hair, his eyes locked with pure white ones.

"Really Uchiha, how long does it take for you to look presentable?"

The towel rubbing through thick, soaking strands stilled.

A few moments passed, and the towel slid away entirely.

"Hyuuga. Nara. What're you two doin' 'ere? And where's Kakashi?"

"Kakashi had to go grocery shopping," Shikamaru replied, looking relatively relaxed. Either that or he was just too lazy to put his guard up. "We're here to keep watch on you till he gets back."

"I am also supposed to check if the Chakra seals are still active," Neji added, taking a step forward. Sasuke eyed him distrustfully, but didn't move from his spot near the table. Instead, he draped the damp towel over the back of the nearest chair before reaching into his pocket, noticing with an amused smirk the way the two with him tensed – one standing and the other sitting at the dining room table, opposite of the Uchiha.

Sasuke immediately found what he was looking for, but being the sadistic bastard he was, he let the hand in his pocket linger for just a moment longer, raising his eyes and locking gazes with the paranoid Hyuuga, the black orbs glittering with mischievous intent.

"Beware. I'm hiding something."

Then he had to bite back a mocking laugh as he saw the white eyes flash while one distrusting hand crept to the kunai holder on the Hyuuga's right leg.

As if a few little kunai could stop me. Sasuke thought, amused.

"Oh, what's wrong Neji-kun?" He asked sweetly, letting that single honorific carry all the taunting laughter he possessed. "Whatever gave you any reason not to trust me?"

He was satisfied to see the Hyuuga's eyes flash angrily as his body stiffened, obviously suppressing a shudder.

Yep. When you were around a snake like Orochimaru for six years, it was impossible NOT to pick up a few creeper skills.

Smirking – obviously as entertained as Neji was angry – Sasuke decided to stop playing games and pull out what had been in his pocket.

Looped around his finger was a simple black hair tie.

Immediately the two before him relaxed, and Sasuke gave a cold laugh, dangling the black tie where Neji could plainly see it.

"Be afraid of the black hair tie, Neji-kun," he taunted with that same honorific. "Be very afraid."

Neji shot him a venomous glare as Shikamaru sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Just hurry up and check the seals, Hyuuga," the shirker ordered as Sasuke began to pull his hair into a thick braid, but then strangely reconsidered it and put the tie back into his pocket.

"And why do you need to do that?" He asked, now completely serious. "Tsunade put the seals on just yesterday. Why do you need to check them already?"

"We will periodically check them twice a week at random intervals – Tsunade's orders," Shikamaru replied. "We don't need you breaking the seals and bursting out in a fury, now do we?"

Sasuke fought down a disbelieving snort.

As IF I'd do something so stupid and rash! He thought disapprovingly, scowling.

"Also…"

The Uchiha opened his eyes just in time to see the Hyuuga grab his right wrist, seizing it in a death grip.

Immediately Sasuke lashed out with his other fist, unconsciously seeking to crush the Hyuuga's Adam's Apple.

Unfortunately for him, Shikamaru had expected this instinctive reaction, and the Uchiha's eyes widened as his attack suddenly came to a crashing stop, his knuckles barely brushing Neji's throat, his entire body frozen where it stood.

His mind blank, Sasuke glanced down – at the floor to the right of his feet.

His shadow was locked in Shikamaru's own.

His face carefully blank, he stared down at the intermingling shadows.

"Question," he stated simply, raising his gaze to lock eyes with the Hyuuga as Shikamaru forced his left arm back to his side. His black orbs clashed with Neji's white. "How DO you check the Chakra seals?"

Neji smirked.

"You'll find out in about two seconds," he breathed victoriously, his entire aura smug.

The next thing Sasuke knew, he was on his stomach on the dining room table, hands yanked behind his back and Neji pushing his elbows together, the Hyuuga sitting like a rock on top of him, straddling his hips.

Despite the pain in his arms, Sasuke realized that Shikamaru had released him from the Shadow Possession Jutsu.

He can't use a Jutsu on me when the Hyuuga is checking the seals! He realized. The foreign Chakra would mess with them and cause them to break!

Immediately he began to thrash, writhing and bucking underneath Neji's weight like a furious snake.

"Dammit!" He heard Shikamaru hiss above him. "Keep him down, Hyuuga!"

A powerful hand fisted his long hair by the roots, lifting up his head and slamming it back down onto the hard wooden table as the Hyuuga's weight settled decisively on top of his hips, locking him in place.

"Stay STILL, Uchiha!" Neji hissed as stars burst from behind Sasuke's eyelids and he momentarily went limp.

Leaning forward, his hands still gripping Sasuke's wrists, Neji's breath brushed the Uchiha's ear.

"Besides, it was decided you need a little corporal punishment," the Hyuuga breathed icily into the other's ear as Sasuke fought to make his mind clear, blinking furiously. "Also orders from Tsunade."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"We're to break you until you have no will left – that's what you get for killing off a good ninja during one of your moods. Orders from Orochimaru."

Sasuke began to thrash again, nearly throwing the Hyuuga off this time.

"YOU LITTLE–!"

Neji's Byakugon activated and the seals underneath his palms burst into flame, making pain unlike anything Sasuke had experienced flash through his entire system.

The barrage of curses towards the Hyuuga caught in his throat as his teeth clipped shut against a yelp of pain, and he shuddered, his face twisting up in agony as the pain flared with a vengeance through his body, flowing through it like blood as he fought to get his wrists out of Neji's grip, trying to throw the other off.

But suddenly all the strength seemed stripped away from him.

Fuck.

"Orders from Orochimaru."

NO!

End Chapter Fifty-One – Discipline