Aww guys…the reviews from the last chapter are all awesome! It fueled me up to pick my laptop and write this chapter. Arigatou…
-yeah…sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger from last chap, I just could not help myself…though I noticed that every time I left you guys with cliffhangers, that's the time when I get lots of reviews!. lol
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. .Yada.
-o-o-o-
Chapter Seventeen: Her Reason to Blush (part one)
Hinata's white orbs widened as she stared at the person who was standing in front of her. His hair still damp and his half naked body still wet. In his right arm was a large wound that was already bleeding, staining the white towel around his waist.
Still clutching the hilt of her sword, she felt her heartbeat increases its pace, thumping wildly against her chest.
Oh boy…
"Hinata…" The voice made her shiver and she felt her knees starting to shake. Was this some kind of trick? Good heavens. She thought as Sasuke frowned at her. Apparently, she was not the only one that was also surprised with this unexpected encounter.
"Sasuke…" She almost whispered, her body frozen on the spot. How could it be…? "You…you're here?"
"This is my house."
"I mean…you already came back from the mission? I…I did not know."
She heard him snort. "And the first thing that you did was stabbed me with your sword."
Hinata's breathing started to became heavy, her eyes resting on the painful slash on his arm. "Go-Gomenasai…I was passing by and…and I thought that it was some intruder. So I checked…The lights are off so I thought…" She trailed off as she saw him clutch his wounded arm to stop the bleeding.
With carefully concealed expression, Sasuke watched as the Hyuuga's face registered something that looks like panic and confusion. Her eyes were darting on his face and into the wound. She was also starting to look pale and her breathing was heavy. It was like something was stuck on her throat.
When he initiated the first attack, he has no idea that it was Hinata. Good thing that he did not made it a very powerful blow. In fact, he was just planning on scaring the intruder away. He figured that if he would kill someone even by accident inside Konoha's territory, he would still be blamed by the council. They still have their doubts about him after all.
Foolish Hyuuga…what if he has injured her?
"You're bleeding." Hinata's voice was small. She was actually torn between two kinds of ideas right now. Will she make a run out of this awkward situation? Or would she stay with this person who, she might add, has been the source of all her confusion and dilemma during the past two months.
He raised his eyebrows at her, still eyeing the sword that was still in her hands. "What do you expect? You stabbed me." He studied her face as he watch her lips turned into a straight line. The last time he saw her, she was weak and blinded, she cannot even sense chakra signatures to save her life.
Now she was running around stabbing people. He thought grimly.
So she was back on the Anbu already? He eyed her Anbu uniform and the catlike mask on the floor. Sasuke almost shook his head. What a coincidence. Of all the people to pass by his house and be curious…It has to be her.
"Gomen-"
"Stop apologizing."
Hinata bit her lip, quite unsure of what to do next. Of all the people to be with in this embarrassing and frightening moment…It has to be him.
If she saw him in normal days, she would have avoided the Uchiha for the advantages he has done to her when she was still confined inside the hospital, or maybe, she could ask him why he did those and clear things out between them. She could even greet him with a polite smile for a job well done with an A-class mission.
But…she reminded herself, this is not one of those days.
Let's just say…That I own you now Hyuuga. His past words came back to her and it made her breath stuck in her throat. Somewhere inside her mind tells her that this was not a good time to bring that subject up with Sasuke, especially when she has sliced his skin and muscle.
Sasuke looked at the wound on his arm, it was not deep but it tore a few muscles so the bleeding was intense. Removing his attention from the heiress, he tightened his grip on it. The relaxing smell of lavenders was starting to join with the rustic scent of blood.
Hinata may still be flustered, shock, and confused, but her Anbu and medical training was second nature to her and she was glad that they kicked in, helping her to think and execute the next step. Gathering her courage to approach Sasuke, she closed their distance with fast steps. She needed to do something. She was after all the one who wounded him because of her false assumptions.
For the meantime, she will ignore that fact that this guy was the one who took her first kiss…
The very same guy who claimed her as his own like she was some kind of property…
And the one who was wearing nothing at the moment…except for a white towel around his waist…
Setting all that was bothering her behind, which she admitted took a lot of effort and self control. "Let me." She told him as she removed his hand that was firmly placed on the damage muscle. She needed to see the damage to figure out what to do next. Pulling him into a nearby chair, she asked him to sit.
Sasuke obeyed, silently musing how he liked the way her hands touched his arm. The softness of her palms was quite a contrast against his hard biceps. He sighed and shook his head again. This was all he could do to prevent the urge to pull her to him and bury his face into that soft, silky mane of hers. It has been two months since they have seen each other and right now, everything about her was so damn tempting. "Would you at least breathe?" Sasuke asked her, his eyes staring directly at her white ones. It did not escape his attention that the heiress was holding her breath back. If she did that unconsciously, he has no idea.
"I'm going to heal it with my chakra Sasuke –kun." She told him.
"You should."
"This might sting a little…" She warned him, looking at his eyes with forced control. Somehow, his chiseled chest distracts her for she knew the feeling to be crushed against it once...or was it twice? Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to act natural. She knew how mischievous Sasuke was, he would not let it pass if he noticed that she was uncomfortable with the way he was "clothed".
Sasuke was just going to tease her again.
As she was mending the torn tissues with her glowing fingers, She noticed that Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it on the back of the chair. He was not saying anything, and Hinata assumed that the newly arrived Uchiha was still tired. She can also tell that some of his muscles are sore.
A few minutes passed and she stopped. The wound has stop bleeding and the open cut was closed. She took a soft gauze material from her pouch and gently wiped the blood from his arms. When the wound was clean enough, she wrapped it with bandages that she usually carries with her in case of emergencies.
There. Hinata though, satisfied that he was not bleeding anymore. And now's the time to retreat. A small voice inside her head added, making her tense again. The Uchiha has not moved or said anything yet…
She took it as a good sign.
Straightening up, she looked around for her Anbu mask, intending to flee while Sasuke was still unaware. She cannot bear another second to be with him in the same room. Her cheeks were already flushed and heated, and at the pace she was going, Hinata wondered if she was going to burn herself out.
Silent as a shadow, she took her mask and put it on her face. She did not want anyone to ask why she so flustered was and red on the way to the Hyuuga compound. They would just think that she saw Naruto again. After years and years of admiring Naruto, everyone was already used with her "reason to blush".
But this time, it was not Uzumaki Naruto.
It's his best friend. Hinata thought grimly as she took one careful step to where the door was.
"Where do you think you're going?" A cold voice asked her.
The heiress stopped on her tracks, her heart beating like crazy at the sudden interruption. Heavens…she never felt like this even in the most dangerous of missions as Anbu. If anything, she was actually very compose and calm. Why was this Uchiha making her feel like this?
Slowly turning around, she faced him. The facial covering was somehow making her a little braver and poised than she usually felt. Guess Anbu's are really good in hiding one's emotion…
"I am leaving…Your wound is already taken care of." She answered him. She watched him stood from the chair and flexed his neck…such a manly neck, she unconsciously added. "Gomenasai for the intrusion. I only mean well…" Hinata was about to bow down in sign for her leave when Sasuke scoffed.
"I am not done with you yet."
"Wh-what?"
"You just attacked me in my own house…not to mention that you stabbed me." Sasuke looked at the girl under his nose. He cannot see her face behind that bloody mask. And I haven't seen you in two months.
"Gomen-"
"I did not ask for an apology…"
"I know it was foolish of me, as an Anbu, I cannot help but be very vigilant and cautious." Hinata admitted, her eyes downcast. "But I am really sorry for my wrong assumptions Sasuke-kun...I have no idea that you came back already."
Sasuke's lips twitched. He eyed the heiress who was obviously nervous behind that cat mask of hers. "Then Make it up to me."
-o-o-o-
Naruto's arm tightened around Sakura as they walk side by side on the already silent street that leads to her house. They just finished a very delicious meal with Sai and Ino from one of Naruto's favorite eating place, The Ichiraku's Ramen.
"Are you cold?" Naruto asked, his tone was different from his normal buoyant one. It was more affectionate and somehow mature. It made Sakura smile. She may not tell him, but she liked the fact that he only uses that kind of tone on her.
"You're warm enough." The rosette answered contentedly, loving the feeling of Naruto's strong arms. She was not actually this lovey-dovey especially in public, but she missed the Uzumaki so much that she was willing to give both of them some slack.
She raised her head a bit to take a glimpse at his whiskered face. Naruto was taller than her now by a good few inches. She figured that after a few more years and he was going to be as tall as Kakashi. "You're quiet." She pointed out.
"I'm contented."
"Aa."
"Say Sakura-chan…" Naruto scratched his head. "I am just wondering…"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Uhm…your mission with Sasuke…I mean…both of you got along well right? I mean that Teme did not do…you know…something that was …hmm…peculiar?" Naruto racked his brain for the right words. He was just actually trying to find out if Sakura's past fangirl feelings, as Kiba once called it, somehow returned after two months of being with that Teme.
The medic nin stifled a giggle. "Hm…well Sasuke was being Sasuke. Silent and mysterious as always…you should have seen him. He left with half the hearts of Kirigakure's girls with him."
"Hm…Teme tend to have that effect on people." Naruto said. "Hope he did not have the same effect on my girlfriend."
Sakura frowned. "No, he didn't."
While the couple was still talking, Rock Lee came out of nowhere and landed in front of the two, giving all of them a taste of dust as his metal clad foot placed themselves firmly on the ground.
Naruto covered his nose while Sakura coughed.
"Lee…" Sakura looked at her classmate and wondered why he was shaking. He did not even raise himself up; instead, he stayed bent on the ground. His breathing was heavy and his round eyes wide with fear.
"Lee what's wrong?" Naruto helped the obviously rattled guy to stand on his feet.
"She's a monster!" The green clothed Shinobi suddenly clutched Naruto's jacket with trembling hands. "A monster! Please Naruto…Do not let her get me!"
"What? Who?" He and Sakura asked in unison. What was the guy talking about?
"She just got Neji!" Lee almost screamed, tears were starting to form on the rim of his eyes. "Poor Neji!"
The couple would have asked the trembling Taijutsu user for more information about this "monster woman" when someone landed in front of them again, a little more graceful than the first one. If anything else, it was a very elegant landing.
It was Neji Hyuuga.
The Anbu captain was not wearing his standard Anbu uniform, so he must be not on schedule in the Anbu today. He carefully eyed the two lovers and finally his teammate, who was still muttering about the end of his youthful days and the pain that he was going to face when the "monster woman" get her hands on him.
"Neji!" I thought she got you." Lee said.
"She did. I got away." Neji answered as he looked around nervously. "Come on Lee…we need to get going before she gets here. "
"Wait…" Naruto said, losing his patience. "Can you both please tell me what was about this monster woman? And why are you guys so nervous?" he raised his hands up. "And both of you are talking in riddles!"
"It's Tenten." Neji answered grimly and Lee nodded his head so fast in agreement, his midnight black hair was a blur. "She's…pissed."
Sakura frowned. "What? Tenten is no monster. What are you guys talking about?"
"No time to explain." The Hyuuga took Lee by the arm. "Come Lee…we must make haste." With a puff of dust, the two teammates disappeared from sight, leaving a very confused Naruto.
"What the…" Naruto trailed off as he looked at the spot where the two was standing seconds ago. "I really can't believe those two just left without letting us know what the matter was."
Patting her boyfriend's back, Sakura laughed as it dawned on her that the two Shinobi are running away from their friend. "Do not worry about it Naruto. Maybe Lee and Neji did something that Tenten did not like, probably messed with her weapon collection or something."
The Blonde finally shrug." I wonder if it has something to do when Gai sensei was carrying Tenten around the village on his neck. Neji and Lee were both looking impish that time." He was still a little irritated that his two friends did not relay any more details about the matter but finally decided that he could just ask Tenten when he sees her.
"Gai sensei did that?" the rosette's green eyes became round as she pictured out such an embarrassing scene. Imagine a thirty year old youth enthusiast carrying an eighteen year old girl on his neck. "Oh."
"Whatever. Girls are scary."
With a smile, Sakura took Naruto's hand in hers. "You bet we are."
-o-o-o-
Sasuke's lips twitched. He eyed the heiress who was obviously nervous behind that cat mask of hers. "Then Make it up to me."
"Make it up to you?" Hinata was not sure that she heard him correctly or understood the meaning of his words. Maybe it was the fact that he was already walking towards her? Wincing, she tried to stop herself from telling him that he needs to get some body covering first and not just that white towel.
It was too vulgar for her sight and too distracting for her mind.
However, she decided that it was better to stay quiet than give him the idea that she was feeling quite uneasy. Don't ponder on the matter if you are not ready to face it, as her late father would say.
"I said…I want you to make it up to me." Sasuke's face was serious, though she can see that there was a glint of mischief in his obsidian eyes. He was in front of her now, just an arm's reach. She actually wanted to take a step back but thought otherwise. It would be too degrading for the uniform she was wearing.
I am a part of Konoha's elite tactics and assassination squad. She thought. I SHOULD COMPOSE MYSELF.
"After all…We both own each other now." He added, pointing at his wrist. It was the same spot where the Uchiha insignia was tattooed on her."Didn't I make it clear before I left?"
That struck a chord. "You do not own me." She almost spat. So the crazy I-own-you-thing was still going on? "And I do not own-"
"Hm." He suddenly took another step and stooped to her eye level, making his proud nose touch the tip of the mask where her nose would be. Staring into the white orbs that flickered at him, he tapped the ceramic mask with his finger.
Unconsciously, she lowered her eyes; his glare was too intense for her. She has a feeling that if she stared into them long enough, she will drown and never surfaced again.
"Look at me Hinata."
"Sasuke…I"
"I said look at me."
When she did not, two fingers cupped her chin and raised them up to meet his command. Finally meeting his eyes, she can see that Sasuke was wearing a very devious smile. That kind of look scared her. She has seen that smile before, and they always accompany every situation that lacks…personal boundaries.
She also hissed when her body failed to follow what she wanted. She was like a puppet…and a very different puppeteer was controlling her at the very moment.
She should have fled when she has the chance…
"I'll come for you tomorrow. You can make it up to me then."
-0-
Hinata opened her eyes as the light of day hit her squarely in the face, making her squint as she fluttered her eyes open.
Was it a dream? The heiress asked herself as she rolled over to bury her face under the sheets. Stifling a yawn, she stretched her stiff limbs and blinked her still droopy eyes. Such weird thoughts for a morning so calm and peaceful…
"I'll come for you tomorrow. You can make it up to me then." Sasuke's voice ringed in her ears and she blanched. Her heart pace somehow increased and her hand clutched her chest, trying to ease the weird sensation she was feeling.
Suddenly, Hinata shot up from bed, her hair still sticking out of her head like a bird's nest. "It wasn't a dream!" The heiress looked stun for a moment before a knock on her door brought her back to her senses. Eyes still wide, she asked who it was.
"Hinata-nee."
"Hanabi?"
"Can I come in?"
"Y-yes…"
The door opened and her younger sister entered, looking at her with wondering eyes. "Are you not feeling well Nee-chan?...you look very red." Hanabi was already dressed on her casual Hyuuga clothing; it made Hinata wonder what time was it. Hanabi was not an early riser.
"Nee-chan." The younger Hyuuga said. "Someone is looking for you."
"Who?" She asked, even though she already has suspicions who her visitor was.
Hanabi surprised her elder sister by jumping into the bed and shook Hinata's shoulders, she was quite strong for her age and it made Hinata's teeth rattle. The younger sister shrieked and squealed and almost snapped her sister's neck by the process. Hinata, too shock to move or say anything, just let Hanabi shook her until she felt dizzy.
"He's so handsome!"
"H-hanabi…" Grimacing, the blue haired Hyuuga placed a glowing hand on her forehead. It was the least she could do to stop the pain on her head. Hanabi can be really excited sometimes…
With a huge grin, Hanabi looked at the flustered one, feeling so energetic and almost like a fan girl. "I am talking about Uchiha Sasuke, Nee-chan. He's out there at the koi pond with Neji-Niisan…"
"With Neji-Nii?" Hinata raised her eyebrows while Hanabi nodded.
"Yes…and he was asking permission to take you out."
-o-o-o-
Okey…this is just a quickie update. I promise that the next chap would be very…very…very…long…and edited
-hmm…this is the hardest chapter I have written so far…
Ps. Leave reviews guys. I love to hear from you.
-crazygurl12