A big thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed... I was losing motivation mainly because my life has been so busy. But I started to watch a few more episodes of Shippuden and needless to say I'm back on track. You guys are amazing. :)
A crack of thunder awoke Sasuke with a start as he sat up in bed. Rubbing his face in his hands, his groggy eyes traveled over to the clock that sat on his night stand. He still had a few hours to go until his alarm went off, but a small ache sat behind his eyes and he attributed that to too much alcohol the night before…and the night before that, too. Sasuke sighed and kicked his sheets away before standing up. Aside from the soft pitter-patters of the rain outside, everything was quiet and it was barely light out. Every so often a rumble of thunder would shake the walls so out of pure boredom and curiosity he watched out the window as the puddles danced outside.
It didn't rain very often, probably once every few months, but when it did it had to make up for its absence so it would usually pour down all day. In his own mind, rain was the perfect weather for training because it helped keep one cool and it made one more focused as well. Sasuke stretched his arms before crossing them on his chest to think. He hadn't really trained in quite some time, which was unusual for him. Sasuke had let himself slack for long enough so he decided now would be a good time to get in some training before he had to head to Hokage building later that morning.
He wasted little time getting dressed and hastily tied on his pack to his thigh for easy access to his kunai and shuriken. Before he left the door, Sasuke grabbed his sword as well, not daring to leave it behind. It had been some time since he had used it and he didn't want to get rusty just because he wasn't assigned any missions.
Just as if he was thirteen again, Sasuke walked nonchalantly through the wet streets of the village, on his way over towards the training grounds. The rain seemed to have an impact on the traffic compared to what he saw the other day—the whole village was practically a ghost town but he didn't mind. One thing he never really took into account was how comfortable he felt back in the Village of the Hidden Leaves. It was truly home to Sasuke even though everyone throughout the land had heard him say how much he hated Konoha. It was bittersweet; it brought back good memories like when he accompanied his mother to the fruit stands and he got to pick out his own apple. However it also brought back other memories like sitting all alone at the small lake just outside the market district. It only signified his loneliness and helplessness as a child after his clan's demise.
He walked past a closed vendor that Sasuke remembered usually handed out sweets. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks as a memory flashed in his mind. The rain pelted on him from above, but he wasn't even in the right state of mind to care. Sasuke could see light eyes that were so full of fear watching him from behind a man. I know her. Before he could pinpoint what he was remembering a sharp rumble of thunder snapped him out of it. He glanced around seeing no one; Sasuke was all alone. He rubbed his temples figuring his hangover must really be messing with him.
For Sasuke, memories likes to pop up out of nowhere on the occasion. It wasn't unusual for him to have a flashback to a specific time and it was usually triggered with a location, a scent, or a nostalgic feeling. It wasn't like he didn't remember much of his childhood, but more or less; he had to make room for more important details such as observing a suspicious character or particular details.
The entrance to the forest leading to the training grounds was getting closer, and Sasuke could feel adrenaline and chakra flow through his body in excitement. Much to his delight, the training area was completely empty which gave him plenty of room to spread out. Before doing any sort of exercise, Sasuke liked to stretch out his muscles, which was one thing his brother taught him well. He remembered watching his brother doing squats (which at the time he thought were silly) and Sasuke poked fun at him. It was only then that Itachi grabbed him by the scruff of the neck to playfully show him who had the authority.
Sasuke smirked as he swung his arms feeling satisfied at how loose his muscles were now. Back when he was with Orochimaru, he had a routine he did during training. He even had one when he was a part of Team Seven, but he had since outgrown it. Jutsus had evolved, new ones had been learned, and it struck him with pride how much he had come as a ninja, but it didn't surprise him, or anyone, for that matter.
Quickly reaching down into his pack, Sasuke grabbed a few shurikens in his hand then a few in the other and began to run through the grounds. Leaping up into the air, he copied the same exact moves he saw his brother do all those years in his training. Everything was precise, sharp, and without mistake as the sounds of metal clinking through the air filled his head. It was like music to his ears… it was something he hadn't heard in quite some time. After Itachi died, Sasuke wandered for a few weeks before figuring out what he was going to do. Everything was on the back burner as he silently mourned his brother's death.
Sasuke wanted his brother dead, but he wanted to be the one to do it. Considering his luck, he almost laughed as Itachi took his last breath in his arms. To seal Itachi's fate forever, Sasuke burned his body to make sure that no one could get ahold of those eyes. There was no burial and nothing for anyone to pay their respects to—not that anyone had respect left for the eldest Uchiha brother.
The muscles in Sasuke's legs burned with excitement as he landed on his feet. All weapons had hit their target right once he landed, but he didn't stop to celebrate. Without missing a beat, Sasuke ran while unsheathing his sword from behind him. Chakra was flowing through his body as the water poured down on him and lightning erupted through the blade which cut stone targets cleanly in half. Sasuke never allowed himself to stop for a breather, so instead he continued on with the new routine he was making up as he went.
His eyes glanced over at a tree towards the entrance of the training grounds and he could sense something…someone watching him. He had felt it shortly after he began but Sasuke figured he'd give whoever it was a nice show. With lightning fast reflexes, Sasuke suddenly disappeared from the middle of the grounds and landed right behind the person who had hidden themselves behind the tree. With his sword extended, he looked up to see a familiar cowering stance and a familiar looking butt.
Hyuuga Hinata squeaked as Sasuke appeared behind her, and she stood frozen. She could feel her knees beginning to shake and an overwhelming feeling was taking over her. Of course, there were many different ways she could get herself out of this particular mess; activate her Byakugan, use her own quick reflexes and bop the sword right from his hand. However, this wasn't just an ordinary foe, this was Uchiha Sasuke one of the, if not thee, the best ninja in their generation. He was a pupil of Orochimaru and had killed many people with just his pinky finger. He was lightning fast, calm, collected and there was little that could stand in his way. All it would take is one swipe for her to be gone. A crack of thunder shook the ground and she didn't dare flinch.
"Why are you watching me?" Sasuke asked without emotion to his voice. Hinata's mouth was dry even as rain drops fell on her lips. She tried to say something but not much came out. Sasuke waited patiently.
"Oh… well I u-usually t-train with my t-team here in the mornings." Her voice was barely audible over the rain drops that fell through the tree branches. Sasuke was still as he watched the back of her head. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach while he held his sword up as if he was threatening to hurt something so fragile and innocent. Not that he had any intention of harming her—she wasn't worth the effort. Sasuke enjoyed his privacy and when his territory was threatened, he took action like a snake. Sasuke withdrew his sword and slipped it back in its sheath behind him. His eyes never once left her.
Hinata heard the metal slide back but it didn't change her uneasiness. Shino had left with his father for a clan-specific mission to another part of the land for the investigation of a new species of bugs and Kiba was also off somewhere for Tsunade. In order not to get behind, Hinata would continue training without them however Sasuke had beaten her to the training grounds. She remembered watching in awe as he moved in a mixture of grace and speed to the rhythm of the raindrops. It was something she only saw in highly advanced ninja like her father. It was also frightening to her… like the dark orange chakra that moved throughout Naruto's body, this was similar. Anything could happen and she wouldn't be able to react fast enough. Uchiha Sasuke was terrifying on all levels, mainly because she had watched him grow up before her eyes into some kind of…monster.
Sasuke's feet turned and he shook his head as he began to walk away from her. She turned to watch him walk away and she let go of the breath she had been holding. He was so unpredictable and she wasn't familiar with his behavior yet. It would have been easier if she was stuck in a basement with someone like Chouji or even Ino…both were easy to predict and she knew exactly what was important to them: food and vanity. Hinata didn't know what Sasuke liked, if he liked anything at all. She knew more of his dislikes than anything else.
Her muscles relaxed as she no longer felt his presence in the training area. She no longer had the heart to train and it was a good thing Kurenai was no longer looking after their sessions any longer. Deciding to blame it on the thunderstorm, Hinata decided to head to the Hokage Building earlier than usual. It would be nice to spend a few hours alone before Sasuke got in. It was going to be a quiet and awkward day.
The rain continued throughout the late morning hours as the rumbles of thunder were even audible down within the lower levels of the Hokage Building. The library was quiet otherwise except for the occasional shout from what only sounded like Naruto from the level above hurrying to get to where he needed to be.
Sasuke's eyes would slowly glance up to gaze at the quiet Hyuuga that sat across from him in her desk. She was clearly ignoring him or at least seemed very into the documents in front of her. He also observed that the Hokage Building's electricity wasn't the best. After every rumble of thunder, the lights above would flicker, but it didn't seem to bother either of them. Neither spoke about the events that had unraveled that morning at the training grounds. Hinata wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or scared, but she had avoided all eye contact with the Uchiha and only spoke when it was absolutely necessary.
Hinata's project for the day was finishing up with the newly inherited items from the previous day and adding them into the large database. The large database was open to the public, especially for those who were looking to check-out scrolls and/or documents. It consisted of a large book sitting near the entrance and Sasuke figured it probably had more than five hundred pages in it. When she asked him to grab it and bring it over to the desk, he thought about laughing at her. However, Sasuke did as he was told without a word as to not look weak and he hauled it over. This thing must weigh a fucking ton… Hinata walked over to his desk hesitantly and stood next to him. She leaned down and opened the book's large cover, then began thumbing through pages.
His dark eyes watched her intently and he could sense something coming from her. Perhaps it was the way her chakra flowed at a faster rate than usual or maybe it was her nervous antics. He crossed his arms as her small index finger traced over words until she stopped.
"O-Okay. All of the documents that were put on the shelves yesterday must be added here… this is called the main database." Her voice was quiet as it normally was. "Anyone can check out documents, of course, and this is what they can use to find specifically what they're looking for." She reached over to grab a few papers sitting to the side.
"This is organized by topic. Go through and add in the title of the documents and its location." Her heart pounded for a slight second when he eyed her. "P-Please." Sasuke took the papers from her and then pulled the book closer to him.
"I'm not going to kill you." He said as he picked up his brush before dipping it in the black ink that sat on the desk. Hinata brought a finger up to her lips as if he caught her doing something silly. She frowned and turned away. If he wasn't going to kill her, then why draw his sword at her? Hinata fumbled with her braid as she walked back over to her own desk and sat down. It was unlike her to ignore comments but she had nothing to say. The words just couldn't form in her head so she simply ended the conversation there.
Sasuke exhaled quietly as he sat and did his work. This whole 'desk job' thing wasn't his thing at all. He wasn't the type of person who enjoyed the easy things in life because there was little to no challenge in sitting down here. Hinata got enjoyment out of being surrounded by knowledge and quiet happenings. Sasuke found his pleasure through releasing built up chakra, protecting the ones he cared for (which didn't really apply in this case) and moving on to the next mission.
A sneeze interrupted his thoughts as he looked over at her. He was about to say something about how she shouldn't have been standing in the rain earlier that morning but something interrupted his thoughts. His ears perked as he heard voices and footsteps clomping down the stairs towards the library. Hinata also heard them and stood up at her desk.
The door opened as a handful of children piled down the stairs and Sasuke was immediately regretting everything about this entire situation. I hate kids… Hinata smiled and walked over. A voice came from the stairs that struck a memory in Sasuke's brain.
"Alright, alright… quiet down. Your voices echo down here and it's too damn loud." Sasuke crossed his arms at the male's voice and he leaned back in his chair. Nara Shikamaru. Hinata smiled as Shikamaru barely made it down the stairs and he stepped over the small rambunctious children who were staring at the large bookcases in wonder.
"I-I wasn't expecting you, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata said quietly. Shikamaru exhaled lazily and slipped his hands into his pockets. Sasuke didn't realize that he had become an instructor at the Academy. If he cared enough, he would have wondered what Iruka was up to, but he didn't.
"Yeah… meant to tell you earlier but…" His voice trailed off but Hinata already figured it was because it was extra work on his end. She didn't mind; she welcomed the company. Anything that would end the awkward silence between her and Sasuke was welcome. His eyes travelled over to the Uchiha who was sitting contently over at his desk. So it's true. Hmm… The chatter amongst the children was beginning to get even more loud as Shikamaru clapped his hands together for attention.
"Hey now. Listen up. This is the newly renovated Konoha Documents Archive…"
"Hmmm, this sign says the Konoha Library." One kid piped up as he pointed to a large plague on the wall. Shikamaru shot him a lazy glare to which the boy cowered slightly.
"…and this is Hinata-san. She is the head of this area." He finished. Hinata felt her cheeks grow warm when the sudden attention spotlighted her. The children in the group were between the ages of 6-7, just like when she entered the Academy. It brought back a nostalgic feeling, and it was funny how far they had come. Here Shikamaru was as an instructor and here she was in charge of many classified documents. It fueled a sense of pride inside.
"Good morning, Hinata-san." The class said boredly in unison. She nodded with a smile.
"W-Welcome! Now as you can see, this is the basement of the Hokage Building. Here there are hundreds of different books, scrolls and documents all full of information-"
"Like what!?" One kid interrupted. Hinata brought a finger to her lips thoughtfully.
"Well… just about anything you can think of, really."
"Oh yeah? Is there a book on summons!?" One girl asked as she waved her hand in the air. Hinata smiled and nodded. This created an excited chatter.
"What about love stories?" Another girl asked. Hinata was about to nod, but she frowned.
"O-Oh, no. This library is mainly used for gathering information about specific clans, jutsus or historical references…" Sasuke dipped his brush in ink and smirked to himself. Kids were idiots. He recalled himself even being very naïve about the world.
"Hinata-san! You're saying there aren't any stories about a knight and a princess?" The girl pressed and Shikamaru rested his heavy hand on her head.
"The library in the market is the store you'd find those there. Now listen up, this is an important place." Shikamaru muttered and the little girl blushed with embarrassment. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Love stories… princes, princesses, knights in shining armor, fairy tales… they're all a waste of paper.
"Well, if you'll follow me, I will give you a quick tour." Hinata said quietly and the children nodded. She walked around the many bookcases, explained how it was organized, and what types of information one could gather at each shelf. It was a very quick and brief tour mainly because a lot of this wouldn't be of much use to them at this stage in their life. However Hinata noticed lately that the class that was set to graduate this year had been visited frequently, reading up on jutsus and historical information. She wished they had the much improved library during her time at the Academy.
"Alright class, take a few moments to look around on your own. But please, please… do not touch anything." Shikamaru said tiredly and the kids scattered as they trotted to bookcases. He sighed heavily and leaned up against a bookcase. Shikamaru glanced over at Hinata who was trying to stifle a sneeze.
"Hey. Since when did Tsunade-sama decide to punish you?" He asked dryly. Hinata stared at him confused but when he nodded over in the direction of Sasuke, she glanced down to her feet.
"Oh… um. It's only until he can prove that he's trustworthy." She said. Shikamaru shrugged.
"Well, I'm just glad she didn't stick him with me." He said with a slightly pained look washing over his face. Hinata smiled politely. "I heard Ino gossiping that he almost destroyed a bar." Her thoughts took her back to the other night and it made her cringe at the way Sasuke had glared at her after she stopped him in mid-attack.
"Yes… everything was okay, though." Shikamaru frowned and let out another small sigh.
"Well, just be careful." He said, his gaze going past her to the Uchiha. Hinata blushed a bit at his worry. She always had to be alert around Sasuke just because she couldn't predict him.
"I-I'll be fine." She wasn't very close to Shikamaru but it was nice to know he cared enough to show concern. Hinata wasn't close with Chouji either, but she had heard that he was staying busy with his own team of Genin.
"Alright… time to head up. Our next stop is to see the Fifth Hokage." Shikamaru clapped his hands together to grab their attention, but he didn't need to. The children chattered excitedly upon knowing they would be meeting the Hokage. Hinata folded her hands behind her and smiled as she heard them whisper amongst themselves.
"I've only ever seen Tsunade-sama from afar…"
"Ohh, I saw her the other day! She is so beautiful."
"She sure is scary!" Shikamaru frowned and hushed them all.
"Thank Hinata-san for taking time to show you the library." He said and the kids all turned to look at her with large and wondering eyes.
"Thank you Hinata-sannnnn." They said in unison and she laughed slightly before subconsciously scratching the back of her head. Shikamaru casted her a look of 'are you sure you'll be okay?' before he headed up the stairs and Hinata nodded. She waved gently as the kids filed out the door and everything became increasingly quiet down stairs. Sasuke gave her a small glance when she returned to her desk as he finished up his project.
"When did Shikamaru become an instructor?" He asked. His voice wasn't curious nor was it bitter. It was just there. Perhaps Hinata found a hint of jealousy in it, or maybe she was just imagining things.
"Two years ago… on Asuma-sensei's birthday, actually." Hinata said quietly as she sat down. There was some sadness in her voice, but Sasuke's face remained blank. He had heard of Asuma dying in action; he was the Third Hokage's son so of course talk spread through the lands. It wasn't the death of a beloved Konoha ninja that sunk into his thoughts, though. Sasuke never realized that once his deed was done with his revenge that life would be so unfulfilling and that he would feel so far behind. That was the last thing spoken between the two as the afternoon trudged on with the occasional crack of thunder in the distance.
Sasuke was excited to get the hell out of that basement. He was ready to escape the silence and away from the frightened eyes of the Hyuuga girl. It wasn't that she truly bothered him… it was more like they just clashed; Sasuke was blunt, Hinata was not. Feelings mattered to her, but he said to hell with those a long time ago.
One might say that many of the problems that Uchiha Sasuke faces today are due to his own stubbornness, anger, and selfishness. He thought otherwise and casted blame away from himself, but as an older ninja with opportunity, he might have to swallow some pride to get to where he needed to be.
Sasuke climbed the steps leading from the lower level with Hinata following only slightly behind. She stopped to flip the light switch off which left them in the dark for a few moments as they went up the stairs. A couple voices could be heard at the top of the stairs, so Sasuke stopped to lean into the door and listen in. This caused a traffic jam and Hinata walked straight into Sasuke.
"Ooof!" She murmured. Trying to get her balance, Hinata reached out to latch onto his arm before she fell down the stairs. Reflexes kicked in and he held them both steady until Hinata had her footing down. Luckily for both of them, it was dark and her bright red cheeks weren't visible. Sasuke's attention went back to the familiar voices and he frowned. Tsunade, Sakura and Naruto... great. The three people who he disliked the most in the same area. Hinata frowned as she listened in as well but after a few moments, she began to wonder why they hadn't left yet.
"U-Um… Sasuke-kun…" Hinata whispered still feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable. He ignored her as suddenly it got quiet in the hall. Sasuke could no longer hear Naruto's whiny voice, so he figured they were in the clear. He opened the door from the basement and walked out cautiously. The hall was empty and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"There you are!" Tsunade's voice called out to him like nails on a chalkboard. He wondered if possibly ignoring her would make it go away, but he knew better if he wanted to get ranked. Sasuke turned around and Tsunade shut the door to her office. She smiled sweetly as she approached him. Hinata had also come up into the hall as she curiously wondered what Tsunade wanted.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade asked as she crossed her arms on her chest. Sasuke frowned as he looked away in disinterest.
"Leaving work-"
"Oh? To go where?" She interrupted without hesitation. Sasuke stared hard at her as hundreds of rude and blatant comments swirled in his head like a giant typhoon. Somehow he kept them all at bay although his glare was hard to hide.
"Is it a problem where I go?" He asked and Tsunade shrugged.
"Well, if you're planning on going to the bar, then you can forget it." She said as a smirk formed over her lips. His anger was building but he was good to not let it show. "After what you pulled the other day, you aren't allowed to drink alone. So with that being said, let's go."
Hinata watched Tsunade begin to walk towards the exit of the building, and then her gaze fluttered over towards the Uchiha. The look on his face was expressionless, but she could tell in the way his eyebrow twitched that he was peeved. Perhaps it was too harsh to keep Sasuke on a leash, but he knew himself that if he wanted to win the prize, he'd have to play the game…and by someone else's rules.
After several silent seconds, Sasuke eventually pushed his weight forward as he followed the Hokage out of the building. The sun's rays were poking their heads from behind the mountains indicating another day was almost in the books. Hinata followed behind the two, making sure to keep her distance. It was quiet and she almost found it uncomfortable. Luckily for her, she didn't have to stick around much longer as she took another path home.
Sasuke's eyes moved at the loss in her presence and he crossed his arms before looking back to the Hokage. Tsunade was keeping a steady pace throughout the village streets with Sasuke slightly next to her. This is stupid. I'd rather just go home and sleep… But the thought of the sweet sake warming his body changed his mind and finally they arrived at a quiet restaurant just on the edge of the market district.
"This place is good enough. Let's go." Tsunade said with a firm voice and he ignored her. If there was one thing Sasuke was known for (aside from a few genetic things) it was that he rarely followed orders from anyone. During his time as a Konoha ninja so long ago, Sasuke followed the orders of Kakashi or his sensei's only because in the end it was beneficial for him. He also followed Orochimaru's orders (loosely) because it was also something of use for him.
They entered the restaurant and Tsunade led him to a table in the back corner, which was far away from anyone's listening ears. Sasuke's eyes traveled around the restaurant slowly as he sat down and he observed every person, window and any risk of attack. It was mostly a habit; he was on the run for quite some time trying to stay off the radar of not only the Leaf but of other bridges he had burned throughout his life.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily. A frown line had formed between her eyebrows as she crossed her arms. Her gaze stared intently on him, but he didn't notice. Sasuke folded his hands on the table and looked past her. She could see his prior lifestyle had an effect on his face. Although it was emotionless, it also had a look of defeat as well.
"How did Itachi die, Sasuke?" Tsunade said finally. His features didn't falter; instead he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. His death certainly wasn't from him.
"Greed." He muttered with such apathy it caught her off guard. Tsunade leaned forward with a thoughtful look. Greed… It wasn't technically suicide, but if a ninja uses ones' abilities too much, too hard and without the proper medical examination, one could surely kill themselves.
"I'm sorry." Her apology surprised him but he didn't acknowledge it. Tsunade really did feel bad for the boy. He had done everything in his power to regain control over his own life and he fought for too long for it to be taken away just like that. She didn't agree with the revenge, not to mention all the times they went out searching and trying to recover him, but her heart seemed to go out to him. Before anymore could be said, a waitress approached the table and Tsunade of course ordered them both a bottle of their finest sake.
Silence fell upon the two as Sasuke refused to continue and Tsunade was lost in her thoughts. Orochimaru perished due to his own stupidity as well as Itachi. It struck her as strange, but the bottles of sake being set down in front of her snapped her out of it.
"Ahh, been thinking about this all day." She said with a slight smirk upon her lips. Sasuke didn't say anything in return instead he grabbed his bottle and poured the sake into his saucer cup. Without hesitation, he down it and the tension in his eyebrows seemed to slowly disappear. Tsunade followed suit and with the alcohol it began to ease both of their egos.
"The real reason I brought you out here is to see how things were going with Hinata." She said, whilst pouring another drink. Sasuke leaned back in his chair and closed his dark eyes. Shitty. It's like putting a mouse in a cage with a snake.
"It's not my thing." He said with a dull tone after a few moments. Tsunade smirked while swallowing the sweet sake. She could feel her cheeks getting warm which was an indicator that the alcohol was working to get rid of the stress from her long days as Hokage.
"Sometimes you have to do things that are out of your comfort zone." Tsunade said flatly. Sasuke grabbed the bottle of sake and took a quick swig before shooting her a glare.
"I don't need to be lectured." He said simply. Tsunade shrugged.
"Sometimes you need that authority figure." Her voice had gotten soft. Sasuke probably wouldn't be such a stoic asshole if he had someone around to put him in his place every once in a while. Tsunade was no mother, but the instinct was always there especially when she thought of her own little brother. Sasuke ignored her again and he downed the rest of his bottle in one long drink. He raised his fingers to alert the waitress from across the room that he would need another one. Tsunade glanced down to her own sake and realized she was only half way done. This kid... he'd better learn to pace himself.
"I'm concerned of the where-abouts of Kabuto." Tsunade said after a few moments. This was a more comfortable setting than interrogating in her office. She wondered if maybe Sasuke had any idea of the fate of the highly skilled med-ninja. It seemed peace was never consistent; there were always enemies and things to be watching for. Sasuke's gaze was focused on everything around the room but her as if he was multi-tasking with himself; drink, stay alert, and never allow weakness to show.
"Kabuto is smarter than you think." He replied eventually. She felt her eyebrow rise into an arch. It was well-known throughout the lands that Kabuto was indeed a genius which made her wonder if he was even smarter than the Uchiha sitting right before her. To her surprise, Sasuke continued.
"From the get-go, he was always a step ahead. He made Orochimaru look foolish." He said his eyes finally settling on the Fifth Hokage. This prompted her look to get more serious. "You have every right to be concerned."
"You don't know where he is?" Tsunade asked after a sip of her drink and a silent moment of thought.
"No." Sasuke said his voice neither nervous nor worried about it. Tsunade folded her hands on the table top pondering what his ambitions might be. Was Orochimaru a pawn all along? What is his main goal? Is he even planning to attack? These questions went off in her mind like missiles until a question interrupted her flow of thought.
"So you put the Hyuuga down in the basement? Is she not worth the time in the field?" Sasuke asked, his words becoming slightly more drawn out than usual. Her eyes glanced over at him with surprise that he was not only pestering but that it was directed towards Hinata. Tsunade laughed at that statement.
"She's down there for a reason—her attention to detail, her organizational skills and I trust her with such important documents." Tsunade said crossly. "In fact, she could probably give you a run for your money on chakra control."
Sasuke snorted while he watched the waitress set down another bottle for him. Perhaps she was great with managing her jutsu's and the chakra needed for each one, but Sasuke was practically a legend now; making prisoners fall to their knees in joy over his presence. It was a smug feeling knowing that he could just as easily become someone as manipulative as Orochimaru… however it wasn't in his nature to ruin the lives of innocent people.
"Besides, it keeps her mind occupied." Tsunade continued. "After that bastard took away her right to the clan, it's the least I could do for her."
Sasuke assumed that 'he' was Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi. Usually Sasuke wouldn't care; the Hyuuga clan was nothing to him and if it didn't benefit him, then there was no point. But an immense amount of hatred for the former leader of the clan seemed to pulsate through him. Sasuke wasn't sure why; maybe because his clan always butted heads with them. He hid his anger well, however, and simply shrugged it off.
"The clan is a joke, anyway." Sasuke said. "They create separation not only from outsiders, but from their own flesh and blood." Tsunade frowned, with little defense to provide. It was true; the Hyuugas were divided still with the two houses.
There was silence between the two again; Tsunade watching almost in disgust at Sasuke's ability to drink alcohol like it was water. It made her look innocent. Although as long as it didn't interfere with his ability to show up to work, then it wasn't a problem. She smirked to herself and downed the rest of her sake.
"Patience, Uchiha, is the key to many things." Tsunade said suddenly which warranted a strange glare from him. She continued to clarify.
"Good things come to those who deserve it. Besides your skill and name, show me why you deserve to become a ninja of Konoha yet again." With a smile, Tsunade reached into her pocket to leave a few bills on the table, and then stood up to walk away.
Sasuke watched her with those dark eyes and he let those winds sink into his mind. The way he had been running his life for the past ten years was not acceptable in the eyes of his home town village. He would have to fall back into the ways of looking out for his comrades, showing respect, and earning his spot at the top through hard work and dedication. A frown was glued onto those thin lips before he took his last swig of the sake in his bottle. Savoring the taste, the aroma, and the slight high from it, Sasuke raised his hand to the waitress as signal he needed more sake.