Hello.

I re-read my creation from start to finish and thought to myself "You know what this SasuHina focused story is missing? Some actual Sasuke x Hinata moments." Sheesh...

That being said, this chapter is all about that, so I hope you enjoy.

"Those who stand against me... stand briefly."

"A marriage, huh?" Kiba took a spoonful of the rabbit stew their host had served them for breakfast.

"That is what Sasuke said." Hinata chose to leave aside the context in which she found out the true objective of their mission, if only to avoid a defensive reaction from her team mates. While she could trust Shino to not make a scene, Kiba was a different case altogether.

"A common way to establish alliances, that is certain." The Aburame's bowl remained untouched.

"I thought we were already in an alliance with the other nations. Our victory in the war saw to that."

"The daimyo must be taking advantage of the peace to solidify it with this decision."

"Except that…" Hinata paused, unsure whether it was her place to give out all the details. Initially, she wanted to share every bit of information the encounter in her room brought to light, but then it came to mind that if Kurenai would be leading their mission and would have chosen to keep them in the dark, she would respect the decision. For better or worse, Sasuke was the team leader now and she was going to give him the same courtesy that her sensei would have received.

"Huh?"

"Never mind… I am done with my meal."

"But you hardly touched it." Kiba stared intently at her for a moment. "Does that mean I can have the rest of it?"

Hinata smiled and pushed her bowl towards him then stood up from the table.

"Remind me to ask lady Chizue for this recipe. I haven't had rabbit stew this good since my mother stopped cooking. Hey, where are you going?"

"Getting some fresh air. I couldn't rest properly last night."

"After that creepy encounter in the bath with Lord Itsuki, I don't blame you. He seemed more off his hinges than usual. The sooner we are done with this mission the better, I say."

Kiba didn't know half of it, and it was better that way. After the reply from Konoha would arrive and the decision on how to proceed taken, she would swallow her feelings about the whole ordeal and do her duty as a shinobi.

[…]

The sweet scent of the forest flowers dotting the ground in patches of white bells and sprigs of lavender mixed in with the raw, earthy smell of wet mud. Unlike the forests in the Land of Fire, this one was much more humid and dense. The trees seemed ancient as they disappeared into the sky, rough with age, yet their roughness had been worn down by the vibrant green moss that crept up their trunks. In the canopy, birds twittered, chirping and calling in distant melodies to their kin. A faint rustling could be heard as small rodents scampered through the foliage, though it was drowned out by the greater rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. Despite all of this, Hinata's attention was focused on the man who was exercising his sword skills a couple dozen meters in front of her. This would be one of the few times since their mission started that she would see him without his cloak. Of course, the Byakugan could always satisfy her curiosity if she ever chose to use it, but due to a mix of respect towards the man and personal restraint, the temptation was always pushed down. The dark grey, long-sleeved shirt he wore was kept tight to his body by the leather harness covering his upper torso. The left sleeve flopped hollow from the elbow down and the scabbard of his sword followed his movements, secured to the harness by a thin strip of fabric that circled from his waist to his shoulder and back down across his back. The blade whirled around him, deflecting attacks from imaginary foes, then ending its movements in precise finishers. The desire to analyze his rather alien swordplay lured Hinata closer. Most shinobi who had suffered the loss of a limb would end up retiring from active duty. By all measures, he had the right to a comfortable life in Konoha – his contribution towards defeating Madara had earned him that much, and yet here he was, honing his skills while he had ordered the rest of his team to take a day of rest.

"Content with watching?" His eyes fixated on her.

"I did not mean to interrupt. If my presence bothers you, I can leave."

Sasuke shook his head and sheathed his sword, then gestured to the patch of ground in front of him with an open palm.

"You… want us to practice… together?"

"Sparing with an actual opponent is more productive, though you are free to decline."

"No!" She surprised herself with the suddenness of her own reply. "I mean… I would like to practice with you."

"Come, then."

From a distance, Hinata found Sasuke's flurry of attacks a fascinating spectacle to behold – now that she was standing within striking distance of the blade, she was nervous. A lifetime of training in the Hyuga clan's unique taijutsu style dictated that the closer she was to an opponent when the fight started, the higher the chances of victory – now, under the gaze of those eyes, her whole body was instinctively trying to pull back and put just a bit more distance between them. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. This was silly. It was only sparring match – more than that, it was an opportunity to test herself against one of the top shinobi in Konoha. She shifted her feet to distribute her weight appropriately and brought her hands up to complete the familiar gentle fist stance.

[…]

This was impossible. The man had no openings. For more than an hour, now, every one of her attacks either missed or got deflected. With any hopes of actually winning a duel having evaporated a few minutes after they started, her remaining drive quickly turned towards landing at least one hit on him. He had stopped using his sword after their second duel ended with a torrent of his strikes causing her to trip over a root and land flat on her backside. The pain of the impact faded quickly, but her ego took a hit when she saw him sheathe the weapon and continue with taijutsu alone. Worst still, was the fact that she wanted to call him out on holding back, but couldn't work up the courage, since with or without the blade, the results were the same.

"Point."

Hinata leaped back half a meter before he could finish the word, but it was too late. For a split second, his hand bypassed her guard, allowing his index and middle fingers to settle in the tender spot between two of her ribs. If that had been a kunai, her lung would be punctured. If it had been a sword, she would be skewered. That single word he would say whenever a round ended in his favor… After hearing him say it again and again and again all she wanted in this moment was to gain the right to say it back to him.

"Do you wish to take a break?"

"No." Worried that his words might signal the end of their practice and with it, take away her chances to speak the word, she quickly corrected her posture. "One more, please."

Sasuke nodded, seemingly pleased. "As you wish."

Hinata evened out her breathing and watched him take up his usual position, her eyes scanning him for a point to strike at. Sasuke's starting stance was full of openings, but it was his reaction speed that would always prove a counter to her attacks. The empty sleeve flowing in the breeze caught her eye. If she wanted to land a hit, then his left side would be her best bet. Inch by inch she shuffled her feet closer, muscles wound up tight. She would wait for him to make the first move, then find a window to her target.

A minute passed and frustration started to creep up on Hinata. It dawned on her that he was waiting for her attack as well, but she was determined to not lose this game of patience. In an instant, all that determination melted away when she saw his right hand move to the hilt of his sword. A feeling of pure panic took over her train of thought at the idea of the bladed instrument being reintroduced to the fight, so without a moment's pause, she leaped to close the distance, releasing the energy in her legs explosively. Sasuke's move turned out to be a feint, designed to get a reaction out of her, and it had worked like a charm. He pivoted to the side and let her first strike go past him, then brought his hand upwards, clamping the wrist of her overextended hand and bringing it up with his own. The move wrenched Hinata out of balance and forced her to take another step forward, bringing her face a hair's length from his. For a split second, Sasuke appreciated the fierce determination in her eyes. To him, combat was the purest form of conversation, and when it came to it, there was no better communicator than him. Yet there she was, inadvertently letting him know that she wasn't ready to give up without tasting victory. The moment could not last, though. Hinata's free hand was winding up to deliver a blow to his exposed left side, so he released his grip and moved back just in time to avoid it. Carried by her momentum, she pressed her attack with a continuous barrage of near-misses, matching every step he took backwards with her own advance. When Sasuke felt the trunk of a tree against his back, he pivoted again, and her palm struck the hard wood, blasting a chunk of it away and sending splinters into the air. He used this momentary distraction to strike at the sweet spot between her ribs again, but she spun with him and brought her elbow down against his hand, deflecting the hit. For the first time since they began, her next move surprised Sasuke. Taking a page form his book, she followed her last parry with a firm grab of his arm, then put her weight into delivering the counter. Her palm impacted his chest with a loud thud. A second of complete silence followed, then the forest resonated with her uncontrolled glee.

"Point! Yes! Yes!" As soon as she realized her misplaced outburst, Hinata took in a few ragged breathes and tried to calm herself. "Err… I mean… Point." She corrected, sheepishly.

"Well done." Much to her surprise, Sasuke had a satisfied smirk on his face.

Hinata puffed up her chest with pride, innocently unaware of how the act brought Sasuke's attention to her womanly features. Her whole body felt raw and her eyes were beginning to sting from the continuous strain, but she could not recall the last time she felt so vindicated for her efforts.

"You can let go of my hand now…"

Sasuke's words caused her to flinch. Her grip on his forearm loosened after delivering the final blow but she had not let go completely – instead, her hand slid down to his wrist where it rested until he mentioned it.

"Oh… S-sorry. I was just a bit caught up in the moment."

"I could see that."

Shame at her own amateurish display of emotion threatened to color her cheeks red with embarrassment. Then again, she was justified to be proud of herself. She watched her sparring partner move past her and kneel before his travel bag. This was Sasuke Uchiha. One of the two legendary shinobi who stood against Madara during the fourth war and achieved victory for their side. His speed and reflexes represented the peak of human conditioning, but even so, she could see him. She could react and counter him… she could land a hit.

"Here you go." He held up a white cloth and gestured for her to take it.

"Thank you."

The kunoichi wiped away the heavy beads of sweat that streamed down her face. Then she froze. In an instant, her illusion came crashing down, taking with it all the confidence she mustered a moment ago. She took another good look at him, in what was an involuntary last-ditch effort to hold on to her hopes, but this only served to reinforce her conclusion. It was close to two hours since they had started. Her muscles were burning with pain and the sound of her own jagged breaths came into focus. The hand which guided the cloth across her forehead was shaking, and in the time it took him to rummage for it through his bag, her legs had collapsed under her own weight, bringing her to rest on the forest floor. By comparison, Sasuke was just as composed as when they had started. If anything, his demeanor seemed even more relaxed than before, taking in calm, steady breaths of air with nary a hint of exhaustion visible on his features.

"Are you alright?" He lowered himself to meet her gaze, concern visible on his face.

"Did you let me win?"

Sasuke's sigh was all the confirmation she needed. Concern turned to disappointment, though unbeknownst to Hinata, it was directed at himself, for being sloppy enough with the execution of her victory that she could notice it. The smile he secretly enjoyed seeing faded away immediately and he hated that it did.

"Just how much, exactly, were you holding back?"

"It does not matter. It was a good sparring session." He rose to his feet and started walking back to the tree that held his bag and cloak.

"I want you to fight me with your full strength."

"No. You do not." He dismissed the notion without turning to look at her.

"Sasuke… Please…"

A pit formed in his stomach when he heard her plead. He knew she was doing it unconsciously, but it didn't seem quite fair, the effect she had on him in that moment. It wasn't pity that he felt towards her. He was familiar with pity – it's what he would feel towards most people who stood against him. This was guilt - he had failed to provide a comfortable lie that would put her mind at ease. This was a desire to protect – he understood her drive to become strong and did not want the harsh display she was asking for to become a source of doubt. This was caring on a level he had not felt towards any of his peers, since his return to Konoha, and he couldn't quite put his finger on why it was the case.

"I want to know the real difference between us."

Sasuke's fingers clenched into a fist. "Fine." When he turned to face her, the true form of his right eye was active. "Tell me when you are ready."

Hinata swallowed hard. When she saw the Mangekyou Sharingan she felt the need to remind herself that this was still just a spar. Being aggressive and unpredictable had gotten her closer to victory than any previous attempts, that day. Even if he allowed the last hit to connect, she had still pushed him to be on the defensive up to that point. A repeat of her performance would be needed, despite her current physical condition. This was no time to complain, though. She heard him state that he would not hold back, and she trusted him to keep his word. Fighting against her own weight, she brought herself to an upright position. A fresh dose of adrenaline coursed through her body and she was thankful for the pain-numbing it provided. Chakra rushed to her eyes and her vision radius expanded as a consequence. Once more, she would settle into the familiar stance of her clan's style.

"Rea-"

Hinata's world went dark for a fraction of a second and when light returned, her body was pressed to Sasuke. His right arm was holding her waist tight against his, and his left pressed the blade of his sword against her neck.

"-dy…"

She hadn't blinked. Hinata was sure about that much. Yet, somehow, within a timeframe smaller than her mind could process, he closed the distance between them. No… It took another second for her to realize it. He was in the same spot. She had closed the distance. But that was impossible. Even if she wanted to, her body was nowhere close to reaching such speeds. Nothing was that fast. Genjutsu was the instinctive explanation she would next settle on, but her dojutsu provided immunity to such techniques. Her mind raced in a fervor to make sense of what had happened. Then she noticed the hand holding the blade beneath her chin. Metal fingers, powered by wires and tubes, tightened around the hilt.

"I win."

The words made her head snap upwards to meet his eyes. Blood red and inky purple stared her down. Images of the reaper in her dreams invaded her mind.

"Death…"

Sasuke raised a query eyebrow at the word that escaped her mouth. He slowly moved the sword away from her, worried that any sudden moves might cause her to struggle out of his hold. The reaction never came, though. She was completely still. A frightened, confused, wide-eyed porcelain doll that he could break if he tightened his grip just a bit more. Up until now, when they would spend time together, he would be the one to feel vulnerable and stunted in his ability to find words. But right now, this was his element. Her alluring white eyes and silky voice held no power over him in the heat of battle. He wanted to taunt her – throw a verbal jab to impose his victory. Then, he realized he didn't find the situation funny. Seeing her be afraid was unpleasant. Seeing her be afraid of him felt crushing. He released his grip and took a step back. Her eyes followed him, but she remained silent.

The sound of the sword sliding back into its scabbard finally triggered a reaction from her. Hinata took a step forward and tugged at his shirt, as if to confirm to herself that he was real and standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry… about last night."

"What?" He heard the words, but couldn't quite grasp her intent.

"I should have defended myself, but instead I relied on you to…" a quiet sob broke up her sentence.

Yet again, Sasuke found himself at a loss for words. To him, the events that took place in her room rested completely at Itsuki's feet. He did not even expect gratitude for his intervention, let alone an apology for being put in the position to defend a team mate.

"It's alright."

"No, it's not." Budding tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes and she dropped her head in an attempt to hide them from him. "I trained for years to become stronger, so that people wouldn't need to protect me. Kiba and Shino… Naruto… Neji… and now you. I'm just as weak as I was all those years ago."

"That wasn't weakness, Hinata. It was restraint." His fingers lifted her chin.

"But I-"

"I should be apologizing to you. When Itsuki said those things about Itachi, I wanted to kill him. I would have killed him. You could have done the same, but held back not only yourself, but me as well. Strength comes in more forms than just combat prowess, and last night… you were stronger than me."

Hinata blinked repeatedly, then wiped away her tears. She took a moment to look at the now crumpled piece of cloth he'd given her, then offered to return it.

"Thank you."

"Keep it. You seem to have more need of it than I." He smirked and his Sharingan finally became inactive, once more.

A puff of air escaped her lungs and she couldn't help but smile at the snarky remark, acknowledging the truth of the situation.

"Where are you going?"

"It was a long sparring session. I'm going to rest for a bit." Sasuke picked up his cloak and travel bag, then continued walking deeper into the forest.

She chuckled and moved to match his pace. "You don't need it."

"No, but I can enjoy it, nonetheless."

[…]

A few minutes later, the two shinobi stepped into a clearing – large enough to allow more than a few sunrays through the thick canopy above, but small enough to be missed if a traveler was walking by it with a purpose. Sasuke set up his cloak to cover the wild weeds next to a larger tree, then dropped his bag next to it. With a click, the sword was free from the cinch that connected it to his harness. Finally, he lowered his body and crossed his legs, leaning with his back against the tree trunk. He didn't say a word to her but Hinata noticed that he occupied only half the space covered by the cloak, leaving the other half as an open invitation. She smiled and shuffled to accept it, though she chose to kneel down, bringing her feet under her bottom, instead of leaning on the tree, as he had.

In the moments of silence that followed, Hinata observed his posture. Sasuke's eyes were closed so she didn't feel the need to be subtle about staring at him. The sun was at its peak in the sky and bathed them both in light. On him, it worked to amplify his serene expression, a stark contrast to the always-focused way in which he carried himself. Based on the way he acted with others and even on the way he fought, she couldn't imagine a version of him that was capable of relaxing, yet in this moment, he evoked an aura of calmness that she couldn't help but enjoy basking in.

Unfortunately, the stillness of the moment was shattered by an audible growl from her stomach, which immediately caused her face to swap shades from pale to red. Now that Hinata had taken a moment to slow down, her body was demanding tribute for the grueling ordeal it endured. For a moment, she regretted having ceded her breakfast to Kiba. Sasuke's eyes opened lazily, in response to the sound, and she felt the need to apologize, but ended up swallowing her words when he reached for his travel bag. From it, he pulled out a plain metal box, no bigger than his palm, and took a few seconds to get the lid off, clearly stifled in the endeavor by the lack of his other hand.

"Eat, if you are hungry."

At first, she intended to deny his offer, worried that in accepting his generosity, she would take away his own chance at sating hunger, but then she felt her stomach rumble again and quickly capitulated.

"Wait… what are these?" Hinata's hands touched the beef strips at the same time that her eyes got to glance inside the box, and her disappointment was immediate. "Why do you still have these?"

"They are still edible." came the dry response. Sasuke leaned in to place the box in between them, then took a piece and brought it to his mouth.

"They're bland and tough as rubber. Sasuke… there's good food at the lodge. You don't have to eat these anymore."

He perked an eyebrow, surprised by how much this small thing seemed to bother her. "Food is food. The taste only lasts until you swallow it, so as long as what I'm eating gives me sustenance, I don't much mind anything else about it."

Hinata's eyes widened. As an avid connoisseur of fine cooking and enthusiastic explorer of all things sweet, she could only perceive his words as sacrilege. "Surely you must be joking…"

"Not in the slightest." As if to prove a point, Sasuke dipped his hand once more in the box and picked another strip.

"So, when you traveled to all those places, you did not bother trying out tasty things?"

"…"

"Next you're going to tell me you slept in forests and caves throughout all your journeys."

When Sasuke nudged his shoulders upwards in a shrug, her jaw fell open.

"And did you also kidnap children to your lair and eat them? Because that would complete the stories they tell about you back home…"

"Only the naughty ones." He grinned and she found that it was eerily easy to express her own amusement in his presence. "Are there a lot of such stories?"

"A few… Some more outlandish than others." She noticed his eyebrows coming together in a frown. "Most start with rumors coming from outside Konoha. When you're not around to defend yourself, it's easy for people to start thinking the worst."

"Do you think as they do?"

Hinata felt a pang of guilt as she spoke. "I used to…"

"But not anymore?"

"Not anymore."

His features relaxed. "Good. Then perhaps I will only care about that." Signaling that he was done eating by pushing the box more towards her, Sasuke leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, letting silence set in again.

She felt pleasantly warm at the remark, and it wasn't due to the sun. But the topic of their home village got her thinking about the people waiting back home – her father, Hanabi, Kurenai… Naruto. Then Hinata remembered Neji's expression, as his lifeblood seeped into the mud of the battlefield, impaled by the attack meant for her. She had given up on trying to separate the image of her one-time crush from the events that lead to her cousin's death. Something had changed in her after that day. If the blonde brought butterflies to her stomach before, now his mere presence kept opening a wound that refused to heal. She knew it wasn't fair towards him - for her to cast him in such a light, especially after everything he had done for the village - but it felt completely out of her control. Thus, she kept her distance as much as she could without being impolite or obviously evasive. Weirdly enough, she realized that he wasn't on her mind as much since the mission began, though she wasn't sure whether that was due to being away from the village or, perhaps it had more to do with the man standing in front of her. The metal case between them beckoned, despite the unappetizing contents. She could always go back to the lodge and get herself a proper meal, but that would mean leaving Sasuke's side, and that thought didn't sit quite right in her mind. Five pieces of meat remained. It wouldn't be enough to sate her hunger, but it would suffice until they would make their way back. Hinata plucked one hesitantly, but before she could bring it to its destination, a falcon swooped in to grab it from her hand. When she tightened her grip, the bird squawked and flapped its wings furiously, seeking to dislodge it.

"Taka… you are being rude. That is Hinata's meal now." When Sasuke extended his arm, the golden-brown raptor gave up on its 'prey' and swooped to him obediently. After letting it drop on the cloak, he nudged the small cylinder on its foot and a caught the paper that fell out.

It took a few moments for Hinata to get over what happened, but when she saw Sasuke's expression return to its usual seriousness, she understood her team's day of rest had just come to and end.

"Eito Fuku's response." He spoke up. "We are to continue with the mission..."

That is all for this now.

Initially, I wanted to make this one a lot shorter than it turned out to be, but one scene just kept leading to another and it felt bad cutting it at those points.

Thank you each for your continued interest in my story.

Share your opinion or criticism in a review.

o/