SHIBARI: Bound

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Warnings: Language

Music:

'(11.1) Keflavic – Mochas

'(11.2) Fasetya - Someone To You (feat. Shalom Margaret)

Note: YouTube playlist link included on my PFP.

Chapter 11

Fishcakes and Idiots

Present (Late Summer 5 AN) – Konoha

With a roar of frustration, Sasuke shut the door to his room with so much force, it shuddered on its hinges.

The front entrance gaped open, but Hinata stood awkwardly in the yard listening to the angry Uchiha hitting and throwing things.

He swore loudly, and she pretended not to notice.

At that moment, both sets of Team 8-Uchiha pairings arrived at the scene. Koji hurriedly ran into the house with a concerned look on his face. Shortly after, his knocking echoed through the tense atmosphere as he begged the oldest Uchiha to talk to him.

Jin strolled over to Hinata and paused. His normally passive features twisted into worry. "What happened?"

She rubbed a hand down the side of her face and took a breath. How would she explain? "He lost his temper at Okasan's and a Hyuga elder ended up getting hurt."

A fleeting emotion passed through the dark-haired man's eyes. Before heading after Koji, he quietly offered, "You're all welcome to come inside. Make yourself at home."

Hinata gave a curt nod in thanks. Team Eight followed Jin with their eyes until he disappeared into the temporary residence.

Shino gave Hinata a questioning look.

Kiba eagerly piped up with a wild look, "Please tell me, I heard correctly when you said a Hyuga elder was laid out."

Another sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes for composure and gave a slow nod. Her eyes snapped open at her friend's loud whoop.

"Fuck yeah!" Kiba yelled excitedly with a fist thrown into the air. "You have no idea how much I wish I was the cause. I'm sorry Hinata, but those elders deserve everything wrong that's coming to them. That emo asshole just went up a few points in my book."

The Hyuga gave the Inuzuka a reprimanding stare.

His fanged grin did not falter.

"Okasan's?" Shino probed.

She glanced at Shino and explained, "Shirayuri gave a performance and Tojiro recognized her as a Hyuga. He tried to force her back to the compound."

Kiba snorted. "Now I know he deserved it."

"Is this going to be a problem?" The Aburame came across as slightly panicked and judgmental in his concern, but he was afraid for the woman in front of him.

Hinata's eyes narrowed at his words. "The mission is not compromised."

"You know that's not what I meant, Nata." Shino gave her a pointed look behind dark lenses he knew she could still read. "I'm worried about you. This was just supposed to be observation. Less than a week in and it's already becoming too personal."

She met his look and couldn't help but feel the sting of old wounds ripping open. With more bite than intended, Hinata asserted, "I can handle it Shino. I'm not weak anymore."

Between the frustration she felt about how things ended at Okasan's, fear of the Hyuga elders, and anger at her own inabilities, she walked away on determinedly fast legs.

Shino called out, "Hinata!" He took a step in her direction to go after her but was stayed by Kiba's hand on his arm.

"She needs space man. You know how she gets."

With one last look at the kunoichi entering the Uchiha house, the Aburame heir acquiesced.

'(11.1) Keflavic – Mochas

Hinata had been sitting on the engawa for a while. Her head leaned back against a wooden post. One leg dangled off the edge while the other was loosely wrapped by pale arms and locked into place with folded fingers.

The sun had set.

With it came the slightest of chills.

Lavender orbs searched the emptiness of the sky and far off suns for answers she wouldn't find. They mirrored the desolation and veneer she felt she was living. The light people see is a lie. An echo of the past. People didn't usually dig further than what their eyes saw.

Kiba and Shino gave her the time she needed and kept their distance. She wasn't ready to face them. Of all the Hyuga traits she failed to inherit, hubris wasn't one of them. Even if she was ready to apologize to Shino for her embarrassing display, she wasn't settled enough within herself yet to talk.

She had grown in many ways over the years, but she was still helpless against her own clan. That would never change.

There was a shift in the dark chakra she'd been haphazardly following. When it hovered next to her, she kept her eyes on the heavens and didn't acknowledge its owner.

What she wasn't expecting, was a steaming bowl of ramen to suddenly obstruct her view. Blinking, she turned to her host with arched brows.

A pair of unwavering charcoal eyes greeted her. Sasuke also made no attempt to break the silence but steadily held his arm out in offering. A second bowl of soup occupied his other hand tucked close to his body.

Hinata untangled herself and sat with both legs hanging over the edge of the deck, accepting her meal graciously. "Thank you."

He mimicked her position. Only a few inches of space separated them. With both hands cupping the hot dish, he appeared pensive.

She began sipping on the broth, feeling the warmth coat her throat and course down to her empty stomach. The flavor was immediately recognizable- Ichiraku's. They must have delivered takeout.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Sasuke's voice was low with a trace of shame, and completely sincere. He was still staring at his untouched noodles, unable to meet her eyes. "I… lost control."

His reticence seemed so unlike him. A small grin lifted her lips as she stared into her own bowl. "I understand. I'm not upset." At this his eyes turned to hers, divining the truth from her soul. She stared back unblinking. "I promise. Actually, I'm kind of glad you did what you did."

"Is that so?" He asked, amusement lilting his voice.

She smiled broadly at him and confirmed, "Yes. It'll be worth whatever punishment my father and the elders come up with if I'm found at fault."

His face turned serious again and he looked down at the quickly cooling food. He tutted is dismay. "You should eat your food, it's getting cold."

She nodded, facing her meal again. Picking up her chopsticks and twirling the noodles, she quietly suggested, "You should too."

With a snort, he picked up his chopsticks but added, "I never knew you were so bossy Hyuga Princess."

"I… I'm not bossy!" She vigorously retorted, her eyes staring at him wide with shock. Shock at the accusation and even more so at his sudden teasing.

The Uchiha chuckled and sarcastically hummed, "Hn. I'm pretty sure it's encoded in Hyuga genetics. We may have learned that in the academy if you'd paid attention."

Hinata gave an exaggerated huff in mock insult. "Since when did Sasuke Uchiha gain a sense of humor?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me," his tone was light.

"That's true." She giggled and went back to scoop up more soup with her spoon. Her body stilled and her face fell when she noticed the pink and white swirled naruto on her spoon.

'(11.2) Fasetya - Someone To You (feat. Shalom Margaret)

Sasuke noticed her falling mood and paused in his own actions to see what had changed. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Naruto."

Hearing his name.

It was unexpectedly refreshing and brought forth a torrent of emotions. No one dared mention it around her since he was laid to rest. People would rather pretend he never existed than bring him up for fear of something breaking.

They treated her like porcelain.

She couldn't help the fresh tears that sprung to her eyes causing her to blink rapidly, attempting to dry them before he saw her weakness.

He spoke his next words so easily she almost didn't believe her ears.

"I miss him. Every day."

Her gaze snapped up to him. "You do?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted, no, she needed to hear it again.

He tilted his head towards her. Their eyes spoke to each other. Acknowledging the truth of his words. He spoke for her sake anyway. "Of course. I loved him. As more than a friend."

She smiled through her tears. "I did too."

Sasuke noticed how her hand flew up and curled a finger to her lower lip at his admission. The same way she did every day at the cemetery all those years ago. He offered a devastating grin and stated, "I know."

His response forced a breezy laugh through her constricted throat.

He continued, "I'm pretty sure everyone in the village knew. Everyone except the idiot. Kami, he was such an idiot."

Hinata's laugh came a little easier this time. Shyly, she confessed, "I thought he was perfect."

"Maybe I should call you baka," he jokingly mused.

With a giggle she admonished, "That's not nice. I know he had his faults, but they never mattered to me."

Lost in their own thoughts, silence enveloped them.

Seeing the fishcake on her spoon that started the whole conversation she recalled, "Did you know I beat Naruto at a ramen eating contest?"

He tossed her a look of disbelief at that statement.

"Honestly! I hold the record at Ichiraku's. They crowned me the Queen of Gluttony. My picture is on the wall and everything. Even Choji hasn't been able to claim the record from me!"

Squinting at her for a moment, Sasuke shrugged and before he began to eat again, he advised, "Well, I'm sorry Glutton Queen but one bowl is all you're getting out of me tonight."

His remark earned him another giggle from the petite kunoichi.

For the moment, it was just the two of them. Immersed in their little world of reminiscence, minutes passed quickly. Two delicate souls shielded in a glass bubble from the hurricane of time that flurried around them.

They traded stories of their past experiences involving the legendary knucklehead of Konoha. In this bubble, they divulged things neither had the courage to share with anyone before. That pain they both harbored hurt a little less when there was someone to bear it with.

Abruptly, he inquired. "Are you and the Inuzuka together?"

"What?! No! Of course not." Her cheeks pinkened under the change in topics.

"What about Neji? He seems rather protective of you." Sasuke perused her flustered features with a perked brow. A sly grin splitting across his face.

"That… is a long story." She looked away. The discomfort was tangible. "But no, I'm not spoken for."

"I'm available as well." Seeing the curiosity plainly written on the shy kunoichi, he referenced his earlier statement, "Now you know something else about me."

The way his eyes stared at her made her flush and her stomach flutter. She could get lost in the deep abyss of his stare.

Did his eyes always have this gravity that attracted anything caught in its pull?

Were his lips always such a nice shade of pink?

They looked so soft she felt an urgent need to sink her teeth into his bottom lip to test that theory.

"Ahem." Shino cleared his throat.

Awkward realization swept over her as she noticed the collapsing space between herself and the Uchiha. She straightened her posture and looked at the tall shinobi standing behind them. She acknowledged, "Um, hello Shino."

Shino mutely looked between the two dark haired shinobi for a moment and then notified, "Our shift is over. Are you planning to leave with us?"

"Yes, of course." She hastily stood with her empty bowl and offered to take Sasuke's bowl as well. He handed it to her with a nod of gratitude as she verbally expressed, "Thank you for the meal… and the company."

He tipped his head to the Team Eight pair and turned away, silently shifting his attention to the stars.

Hinata led Shino into the house and towards a recycling bin to toss the disposables before exiting through the large red door.

Kiba caught up to them on the front lawn.

As they passed the lion dogs standing guard at the edge of the territory, Shino asked, "Are we okay?"

Slowing her pace, she threaded her fingers into the warmth of his hand and squeezed. Light lavender irises peering up into dark shades, she spoke with contrite unease. "Yes... I'm sorry I got upset over nothing. I know you didn't mean it how I took it. Do you forgive me?"

The Aburame smiled and squeezed her hand back. "How can I say 'no' to those ridiculously large eyes of yours? They're as big as a bug's!"

"Hey!" She rebuked with a wide grin spread on her face.

Kiba forced himself into the mix, placing an arm around each of their shoulders. His mouth spread with a slow grin that made his incisors glint in the dark as he knowingly asked, "Brothers?"

Hinata responded with a smile of her own as she assured, "That will never change, Kiba."

Shino calmly remarked, "Kiba, you have ramen dog breath. Please extricate yourself from my breathing space."

In jest and a little bit of spite, Kiba leaned closer to Shino and let out a lungful of air. Shino strained to escape Kiba's brawny armed death grip and eventually succeeded.

Hinata simpered as Kiba unwrapped his grasp of her to chase after Shino while yelling, "C'mon! Don't you want a kiss?"

Things were falling back into place.

When the men finally settled with Shino threatening to have insects crawl into Kiba's mouth, a sudden revelation crossed Hinata's mind. "What did you all do today?"

Kiba answered with a lift in his shoulders, "Job hunting."

Another door.

Hinata hesitated outside of her father's office.

It was just as daunting as the red door, but this one was made of thin white paper and bamboo colored wood. The seals inside prevented eavesdroppers, so the material didn't matter, but appearances did.

"You may enter, Hinata."

Of course her father knew she was there. She still paused for a breath before sliding the shoji screen open with a bow.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Oto-sama." When she lifted her eyes, they stopped on Neji. He stood behind the large desk, to the right of Hiashi who was sitting.

He gave nothing away.

A dauntingly large Hyuga crest was proudly painted on half of the wall to their backs. With the slightest waver in her voice, she politely addressed the male heir. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Neji-niisan."

Following Hiashi's lead, Neji simply nodded his salutations. The perfect successor.

The older Hyuga motioned for her to sit in a chair across from him and she did as he requested.

Hiashi spoke evenly, "I've heard from several sources that you've been seen around town with the Uchiha. I would like an explanation."

Hinata's eyes flitted to Neji's. She didn't know if he knew or not. Did you say something?

His head made an almost imperceptible shift to the left. No.

She sighed inwardly. It would come out at some point. The Hyuga were experts at keeping and uncovering secrets. She might as well be the one to set the narrative. "Lord Hokage has assigned Uchiha-san to my ANBU unit and has requested that Team Eight assist the Uchiha clan with reintegrating into Konoha. Everything else is mission classified."

Neji's eyes narrowed.

The room was quiet as Hiashi contemplated the news. His lips turned down slightly with a penetrating gaze directed at his oldest child. "You should have said something sooner," he admonished and let his words settle before continuing. "The elders are spinning tales and now we are left to do damage control. I do not like it. Any of it. I promise you, affiliating with Uchiha always leads to misfortune. They are a cursed clan.

"I will speak to the Hokage about this matter. Until then, I do not want you interacting with them more than necessary. Bonds can be dangerous to form, Hinata. I trust you know how to keep your emotions in check?" The question was said more like a statement.

"Yes, Oto-sama," her eyes lowered with her response. Agreeing was unexpectedly harder than she thought it would be. She would evaluate the negative reaction later. Right now, she needed to prove her emotions were under control

"Very well." He started to dismiss the former heir but stopped, his hand settling back on the desk. Hiashi remembered something else he planned to discuss. "Tojiro was sent to Konoha hospital yesterday. Minor concussion. His story is that the Uchiha attacked him. Would you know anything about this?"

She blinked and stared owlishly. "Hai," she admitted slowly with a nod. With an expectant look from her father she explained, "I went with Uchiha-san to Okasan's. He claims he seeks to establish prominent connections to help restore his clan's reputation."

Neji scoffed. Both Hiashi and Hinata's eyes lifted to Neji's. At the clan head's prompting stare, the young man made no attempt to hide his scorn, "Okasan may be influential, but she is the last person to help improve one's reputation."

The clan head nodded and returned his focus to his daughter. "I agree with Neji. Okasan's business dealings are less than honorable. Your presence at Okasan's is also inappropriate. This will require even more damage control than I thought. What else?"

Eyes darting between the two males, she informed, "When we arrived, Tojiro-san was there and demanded that I return to the Compound with him. When he attempted to physically detain me, Uchiha-san stopped him. That's when Okasan showed up and took me away from the scene. Things escalated during a geisha performance. I did not see the performance."

It wasn't exactly a lie.

She did not watch herself perform.

There were just some carefully selected pieces of information she chose to omit.

She was counting on the hope that Tojiro did not recognize her as Shirayuri. His behavior at the end of the performance was more forceful than it normally would be with a main branch member. This told her she was correct in her assumptions.

The clan head scrutinized her for a few moments and then conceded, "Fine. I will corroborate with Tojiro. You are excused for now, but remember, you are a Hyuga. I expect you to act as one."

"Hai, Oto-sama."

With another bow she swiftly found herself away from her father's stifling presence, exiting the walled interior and towards the gates of the compound.

"Hinata."

Neji had caught up quickly and did not require raising his voice for her to halt.

She turned around and stared blankly at him. The stoic Hyuga mask he wore could not conceal the agitation she knew bubbled under the surface.

He implored, "Talk to me."

"What do you want me to say, Neji?" Her heart broke at hearing the desperation in his tone. She did not want to hurt him.

His steps paused a short distance from her, and he held back his compulsion to reach out. Neji was at his wits end, and it showed in his strained voice. "Let me help you, Hinata. You're keeping things from me again. I can't fight your battles against the elders if I do not know the full situation. Just tell me what's going on."

"I explained the situation already," she mumbled in response, feeling a bit fed up herself.

A hand flew up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "You're not telling me everything. I know you. I know you're hiding things. I had you followed yesterday you know."

Wide lavender eyes shot up to a silvery stare. The feeling of being watched finally clicked in her mind, but without any murderous intent, she brushed it off as the usual stares she got as a Hyuga princess. Her emotions crumbled on her as she felt the burn of the invasion of privacy. It was hard to come by as a Hyuga and something to be deeply respected in her clan. Her brows furrowed.

Don't you trust me?

A crease formed on his forehead at the hurt she openly displayed in her eyes.

"Why?" She asked, her voice full of uncertainty and yearning to understand.

"If you won't talk to me, how else will I know how to protect you?" He spoke with sincerity and brimmed with concern.

"Neji, I love you… but I don't need you to protect me anymore. That is no longer your duty or your concern."

Her words couldn't have been clearer, and they stung.

The Hyuga male sucked his teeth. It hurt too much to respond.

"I-I have to go. Goodbye."

Neji watched the woman he spent his entire life guarding as she walked away. Despair tinged the words she did not hear, as they quietly tumbled from his lips, "I promised I would always take care of you, Hinata…"

His torment quickly gave way to determination.

Grief has blinded her. She can no longer see what she needs.

I promise, Hinata, I will save you.

Even if it is from yourself.

"Over here Sakura!"

A short haired brunette with red glasses and a white lab coat waved her arm in the air from an empty table in the cafeteria at Konoha General Hospital.

Sakura smiled at the petite girl and carried her tray of food over. She sat across from Sukui and gently placed her lunch on the surface.

"I'm so happy we could both finally meet for lunch," Sakura exclaimed happily. "It's been so long since we've done this!"

Sukui grinned back at the lead medic from her corner seat with pastel green painted walls behind her. This was their usual table but between Sakura's medical shifts, missions, and training plus Sukui working in a different department, they rarely saw each other.

"I feel like it's been years!" The brunette groaned.

The Haruno giggled. "I think it has been." Picking up her sandwich, she took a bite and swallowed before inquiring, "So, how's everything going?"

The spectacled young woman nonchalantly replied, "Oh, I've been around. I'm working in the pharmacy now. You?"

Pushing her short pink hair behind her ears, Sakura thought for a moment. "Can't really complain. This has been a good year. The new child psychology ward is almost fully funded." She took a bite of her sandwich and finished it before inquiring, "But enough about work! Are you married? Have any kids?"

Sukui snorted. "Che. Yeah right! The perfect man for me is hard to find. Once I get my hands on him though, he won't be able to resist! I really am quite a catch." Her nose turned up in the air haughtily with closed eyes and crossed arms in jest. She peeked one dark violet eye at her old comrade and a conniving smile turned her mouth. "What about you? Are you still chasing Sasuke?"

Sakura blushed instantly and she averted her eyes to the wall. "I'll admit, I still have feelings for him. We've been through so much. You don't just get over those emotions overnight, but I haven't seen him since this weekend. I have no idea where he's staying, and he hasn't tried to reach out. Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru won't tell me anything. Sometimes I wish Tsunade were still Hokage. I'm sure she would tell me."

The brunette's face contorted into a snarl and a vein pulsed on her forehead. "That knucklehead! After all he's put you through, you deserve better! I tell you, the nerve of some people." A dainty fist slammed angrily into the palm of another. The next second her teeth stopped gnashing together and she stared at Sakura with a wily gleam in her eye. "Kakashi and Shikamaru might be tight lipped, but I'm sure someone knows something. Maybe a certain blonde best friend who seems to know all of Konoha's best gossip."

Tapping a slim index finger to her chin, the medic looked up and considered Sukui's suggestion. "Hmmm… I suppose you're right. I could ask Ino. She always has her finger on the pulse of the village."

A clattering noise behind Sakura cause both females to turn in the direction of the folly. Coincidentally, it was Ino dressed in purple scrubs. She had crashed into a departing medic and their trays collided.

The pharmacy tech's eyes narrowed at the scene. "Speak of the devil."

"Huh?" Sakura enquired about Sukui's reaction.

"I don't like Ino," the shorter girl huffed. "She always ignores me. She thinks she's better than me or something. Always rubbing her confidence, clan status and relationship in my face. You don't have to have a kekkei genkai to be a great shinobi! Look at you, damn it!"

With a hand over her lips, Sakura tittered at Sukui's enthusiastic response. "I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Sukui. I'll prove it to you, she's on her way over now."

Ino noisily flopped onto the chair next to Sakura with a breath. A fresh tray of food slapped against the table surface as she set it down and began to maul her sandwich. "Mmm. So hungry," she garbled past a full mouth.

Sakura eyed her friend with a doting expression. "Aren't clan heads supposed to be poised and well mannered?"

"Mmph," the blonde hummed, "Not right now. Too hungry."

The lead medic gave a short chuckle. Sukui gave her a pointed stare, pressuring her to ask. "Ino, do you know where Sasuke is staying?"

With cheeks puffed out and both hands gripping the bread, the Yamanaka froze, and her light teal eyes found the emerald-colored ones of her friend. Slowly straightening her posture, setting her food on her plate, and swallowing the bite she had squirreled away, she looked back regally and answered, "I may have some information on the subject. Why do you ask?"

Sukui sighed and crossed her arms which had no effect on the young clan head.

Sakura knew that Ino was just digging for dirt. It was what she did, and she did it well. Deciding to indulge her nosy friend she easily answered, "I think I'd like to pay him a visit on my day off."

The Yamanaka's eyes flashed with eager curiosity. "Are you still trying to help Sasuke with clan restoration?"

The brunette scoffed at the blatant remark while Sakura stared wide eyed, and pink-faced at her friend.

"I… I just want to make sure he's doing well," she fibbed.

A shrill giggle escaped past pink lips and Ino's arms wrapped around her waist. "You're so easy to read, Sakura. I don't even need my clan's abilities with you."

"Che. That's just rude," the pharmacy tech said.

When Ino kept laughing, Sukui gave Sakura a look that said, 'I told you so.'

Wanting to prove her wrong, Sakura waved her hand towards Sukui and directly asked her best friend, "Ino, what do you think of Sukui?"

Sukui's jaw dropped at the forward question.

Ino stopped laughing and shifted her eyes towards the petite medic with furrowed brows before looking back at Sakura and slowly answering, "She's… fine."

The same 'I told you so' look crossed Sukui's features, and Sakura gave her an apologetic smile.

"Anyway," Ino interrupted with a twirl of her hand in the air in a benevolent gesture. "Yes, I can find out his address for you and get it to you by tomorrow. He stopped by the flower shop on Monday so it shouldn't be a problem. We keep records on all our customers!" She stated proudly.

Sakura bowed her head with gratitude.

With a snap of manicured fingers, the comment about Sasuke shopping for flowers reminded the blonde of some rumors she was dying to tell. "I hear he's been hanging out with Hinata all week."

"Hinata?" Sakura's face stiffened and she blinked once. Twice. That was a surprise. "What are they doing together?"

Ino leaned forward, wagged her brows, and enunciated with an excited hush, "Everything."

Sukui's face soured and she turned to Sakura with purpose and instructed, "Don't listen to that gossip. You and Sasuke are made for each other. He just needs to be reminded."

Hinata was at the library.

It was just the two of them again while Koji and Jin explored the village and searched for work with Kiba and Shino. All part of their reintegration efforts.

Sasuke was pulling old tomes, dusty scrolls, and heavy leatherbound books from shelves and placing them on a cart as she trailed quietly behind him.

Hinata smiled to herself, remarking on the absence of his cloak. Remarkably, he was dressed casually and wore a black cotton v-neck t-shirt. The shirt was loose but still clung to his torso, accentuating his broad shoulders and toned chest and arms. He wasn't bulky. There was a subdued strength in his form, with a uniquely dangerous electrical current running just beneath the surface.

The Hyuga couldn't help but admire the masculine shape in front of her with timidly fleeting glances. It was starting to make her body hum. The cavity in her chest felt swollen by the increased beating of her heart.

She took a deep breath through her mouth and ripped her gaze away from the man in front of her to peek at the collection he'd gathered. She noted it was full of data and the history of Konoha and major clans.

When she had questioned, "What are we doing now?"

He simply informed, "Learning about the people of Konoha."

When she asked, "Why?"

He responded, "More than money, people are most interested in themselves."

After an hour of sorting, they found a corner to pile the reading material and dug in. Hinata sat next to him awkwardly. With nothing else to do, she peeked over at the pages he was reading with interest.

They stayed that way for some time.

As something caught her attention, she chirped, "Oh! That's the crest of the Kamizuru clan who were beekeepers in Iwa. The Aburame nearly annihilated their entire population when Iwa tried to invade Konoha, but we encountered more members during that mission I talked about last night. The one where we tried to find a rare beetle that could track you."

Watching her with a keen interest and glimmering amusement in his eyes, he flipped the page and waited for her reaction.

The parchment contained an old Konoha map on one side and text on the opposite side. Unable to help herself, she piped up, pointing at the clan crests on the drawing.

"The Hyuga and Uchiha have neighboring lands. Did you know that? I wonder why they never got along."

The deep stormy pools of his irises stared into the milky depths of hers.

She removed her hand from the page and placed it back at her side shyly.

Shifting his focus to the opposite page, he pointed out a passage titled 'The Hyuga Affair.'

"And what do you know of this?" Sasuke quizzed.

Her face turned somber as did her liltingly subdued voice. "On my third birthday, Kumo shinobi were invited to Konoha to sign a peace treaty, but it was a cover for them to kidnap me for the byakugan. My father killed the head ninja before I could be taken. When word got out, Kumo denied involvement and demanded my father's head in retribution. Hizashi, my father's identical twin and Neji's father, was sent in his place to be executed. When he died, my father withdrew into himself for some time and the clan despaired. When my mother died a couple of years later, my father was never the same. Our clan has never really recovered from the losses and the elders blame him for it."

There was a charged silence between them. The air was still but it buzzed with an agitated energy.

After a beat he acknowledged with a tamed "hn" and turned the page.

Hinata's hand passed reverently over a diagram of the Uchiha family tree. She was now standing out of her chair, leaning towards him to get a better view of the names. The tree ended with Sasuke's name at the bottom. Unable to keep silent, she spoke her next words with caution. "We all found out the truth of the massacre after the war. I'm so sorry about Itachi."

There was a hard and impenetrable expression on his face. His propped elbow supported the hand where the side of his head rested. Hinata could feel every stroke of his gaze as he outlined the planes of her profile while she spoke. The thrumming of her heart sped up with every second of silence between them. She shifted her sight to his printed name on the aging parchment.

Bracing herself for possible lash back, she delved further, "No one knew about Madara's influence over Itachi until the council revealed the truth. Only an evil man would force a twelve-year-old boy to choose between the love for his clan and the love for his village and brother. He chose to save you and everyone in the village. I know you think he was a martyr, but you should know that we all see him as a hero."

It was quiet still. The intensity of the moment grew and made her anxiety peak.

Their eyes locked and she hoped she hadn't offended him. His expressionless face let her know that she struck a chord and wouldn't have been surprised if he was angry with her casually discussing such a deeply personal and traumatic event in his life.

When he finally responded, he calmly said, "Is that what you think?"

She wasn't sure if he was referring to Madara being an evil man or Itachi being a hero or what he meant. Her brows pinched together while she tried to decode his ominous question.

I shouldn't have said anything.

She felt terrible. It was surprisingly easy to feel comfortable around him and she allowed her inner dialogue to slip carelessly.

A loud snap caused by Sasuke abruptly shutting the book made her heart leap into her throat.

His next question made her head spin. "Tell me Hyuga…"

So, it's back to Hyuga again? It's better this way anyway. It will make things easier.

"…What will Shirayuri give me now that I've paid my dues?"

She bit her lower lip nervously. "It depends. What do you want?"

He stood to place the book back on a shelf while she followed.

Without looking at her he suggested, "Let's head back to my place. I'll think about it on the way."

#####

A/N: Wow wow WOW! The reader response to this chapter was insane! There's also been a sudden influx of new readers. O0O I am blown away. Thank you all for being here. I really hope I can continue to hold your attention and keep you invested. I have a lot of crazy plans all the way up until the end so hang on to your butts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Behind the Curtains: This chapter continues to focus on relationship development between our two protagonists but from a different perspective. As much as physical attraction is fun to write about, I wanted to make sure they're also building a solid foundation of friendship and trust before taking things to the next level. Creating an emotional bond is the more difficult of the two to portray because it takes longer and is more subjective. One reader may find something endearing while another finds it a complete turn off. But one thing that always brings people together is shared grief. Opening up to someone about loss takes a great amount of vulnerability. Losing Naruto was one of the most tragic and life altering events these two experienced and they are connecting and healing because of it.

Some readers might notice that Sasuke says, "I loved him. As more than a friend." That was left ambiguous on purpose. Just as Kishi hinted at Sasuke and Naruto as a romantic pairing but leaves it open for interpretation, I decided to do the same. If you think they see each other as brothers, that's what they are. If you think there was a more amorous aspect to it, then that's what it meant. You decide what you want.

Skipping to the library scene, Hinata's retelling of the massacre has a small inconsistency that Sasuke picks up on. In this story the Konoha council reveals the truth of the massacre, but just like Hinata's explanation to Hiashi and Neji, some details were intentionally left out. Specifically, Danzo. Hmmm…

This story makes use of a lot of grey area or things that are not specifically covered in the manga or anime (as far as I can tell) up to the 4th war. This includes things like teleportation- Can you transport freely, or do you need to swap with an object (reference to Chapter 9: Hawk)? Sommernacht asked me about how I thought this worked in my fic, so I thought I'd share. I'm basing the pocket dimension reverse summons on the theory that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. If you are shifting yourself or objects within your own dimension/universe, swapping does not need to occur. If you open a gateway to move into another dimension, swapping occurs as you move to take up space in that dimension (like pushing ice into a full glass of water will cause water to spill out of the glass, but the volume within the glass does not change). If it's not in-universe travel or a rip in the space-time continuum is not opened properly, then you must replace matter with matter. Maybe that's not exactly how science works but this is interdimensional travel we're talking about. Hehe.

Another grey area includes the capabilities of the Gentle Fist technique. Hinasa258 brought up some really interesting points that I thought would be fun to cover regarding:

1) the ability to incapacitate limbs with a few taps

2) whether juuken strikes can be blocked by chakra and

3) the fact that Sasuke is skilled enough to counter the gentle fist (reference to Chapter 4: Capture the Kunai).

On 1) While there isn't a specific reference to this particular situation in the manga, the manga does reference similar abilities. For example, during the war arc where Naruto's shoulder is bothering him, Hinata uses a single touch of her Juuken to fix it.

On 2) There is a panel in the manga where Neji is explaining the Gentle Fist where he states, "Chakra built substances don't stand a chance against Gentle Fist techniques." So, chakra cannot be used to block the gentle fist.

Note: At the bottom of my pfp, I added a link to a Quora response that includes those two panels if anyone wants to fact check.

And on 3) That is a correct statement. However, I purposefully made sure that Sasuke was emotionally distracted when Hinata landed a hit. We all know that Sasuke is ruled by his emotions and that distracts him temporarily. He also let his guard down because he seriously underestimated Hinata's skillset.

Further, while Sasuke has lightning-fast reflexes and travel speed, Hinata also has lightning-fast reflexes. Sasuke's proof points are the Sasuke shinden novel and his speed compared to Naruto. Hinata's proof points are 1) her reaction speed against Neji. She was almost as fast as him in the chuunin exams but now she's a gentle fist master and is at least as quick as he was at 13. It can be determined that Neji has lightning quick reaction times because of his fight with Kidomaru (Naruto Chapter 196). According to the databook (To no Sho), Kidomaru's arrows shot from his spider war bow traveled at the speed of lightning. Neji successfully countered all of them (except the one in his blind spot), and 2) in 'The Last' movie, Naruto battled Toneri's puppet when it tried to kidnap Hinata. The puppet was able to fight against and escape Naruto. If Naruto is considered lightning fast, then the puppet is as well. Hinata was shown to counter multiple puppet attacks in the movie which would mean she is also lightning fast.

The last point I want to make is about Hyuga abilities in general. At the beginning of the manga, the Hyuga and Uchiha are equally powerful but while the Uchiha continue to get powerup after powerup (fire jutsu, genjutsu, sharingan, mangekyo, ameterasu, Susanoo, kotoamatsukami, etc), the Hyuga stay at the same level (byakugan and gentle fist). Pet peeve of mine that I intend to correct here. ;)

Thank you to everyone who recently added SHIBARI to their favorited and followed fics! Azkipi, BacchikoiBABY21, bonawjam000, Green Alba, indrakshibhandar, jdorsey20619, Kairi Kinomoto, melodyvimoria, Midnight's Violet Haze, Redby, roadtoGaara… each one of you made my day a little brighter and give me the confidence to continue this fic. You're amazing and I appreciate you. 3

The reviews were so much more than I was expecting, but I still want to thank you all individually!

muzicaldove: TYSM for the compliment! Tojiro noticing Hinata's eyes definitely threw a monkey wrench into things. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Sommernacht: Ah, Hinata only goes into the flower shop on Saturdays for her graveyard visits. It's a reminder of her loss. :( I thought about when Hinata should notice Hajime and addressed why she failed to notice him in this chapter. :D Also, she gets a lot of attention from men (last chapter in the Pleasure District is a good example) but she subconsciously ignores anything that doesn't have malicious intent because of her insecurities and discomfort with having the spotlight. I liked my Uchiha forehead poke scene too. ^^ I'm so glad you appreciated the Okasan scenes. We'll find out about his "private audience" next chapter. ;) Thanks for always reviewing and helping to keep me sane!

JokerAtWork: When you started your review with "I really dislike…" I thought I might have a heart attack! LOL! But I agree. Tojiro is disgustingly entitled. I'm so glad you were able to pick up on that part of his character. I wanted to make sure people understand why Neji and Hinata don't like him. Your review really made me happy! The words you used to describe your thoughts and emotions were so poetic. Wow. Thank you!

xpastelberriesx: Ack! You're almost completely caught up! How exciting. :) I'm so touched that you liked my depiction of ghost Itachi and Naruto, the way I wrote Ch. 8: Ghosts, and how Sasuke thought Hinata was Mikoto… T.T Yes, you were right from the beginning about who Hinata's ghost was! Gosh, I feel so flattered that I could give you the chills about Sasuke warning Hinata not to be like Itachi. Super stoked that I could make you like Kiba and Shino even though you're normally indifferent to them. That's one of the biggest compliments I could get! Thank you for reading, reviewing, and sharing your own writing process with me. It's been so much fun! *hearts*

Hinasa258: Welcome! I know it will be a while before you read this note but thank you for your kind and honest perspective on this story. The stories you mentioned (Fate doesn't make mistakes and Forbidden fruit) are really popular so I am truly humbled by the comparison. I appreciate your feedback and perspective on Hinata's strength in my story and I thought the conversation was so interesting I decided to address it above for everyone to read. If you ever decide to translate your Hinata-centric fanfic from Chinese to English, please know that I will eagerly devour your words. I think if you post the Chinese version on FFnet I can run it through a translator too. I encourage you to share your work. It has been a great and terrifying experience, but it's all been worth it. ;)

Bexbluedragon76: Thank you for taking some time away from your vacation to read and review this chapter! *hugs* It warmed my heart that you appreciated the humor in this chapter that I tried so hard to incorporate. This story could easily be very dark without all the added humor and fluff that I actively work on. Haha! Koji acted "like a kid." XD So, so true. I don't know why I haven't read more fics about undercover missions with Hinata honestly. It makes sense to me too! I decided not to drag out Hajime's spying too much since it's not crucial to the plot, but it was a good prompt for this chapter. Now you can see the results. Oh YES! Sexually tension is leaking… like a firehose. HA! I love how you pieced apart the scene at Okasan's and it put a big stupid grin on my face. Thank you for your continued support and love!

Katrin: Where have you been all my life? XD I literally laughed when I first saw your comment pop up. Goodness, such undeserved and high praise! *bows in supplication* No worries about not liking NejiHina! I'm just happy you're being open and daring enough to read this fic even with that less than popular pairing as a side. Aww. Thanks for letting me know you read my overly wordy A/Ns! I think pianocoat is planning to publish her next chapter soon. Let me know if you have other favorite SasuHina fics you're willing to share with me! I feel like I'm tapped out! :D Thanks for reviewing and making my day!

BacchikoiBABY21: Hiii! I'm so excited you're here. I followed you earlier this year because of your stories so it feels like it's a small world. Thank you for your very nice review! "Breath of fresh air." Wow. It's so nice to hear that because it's exactly what I was trying to accomplish. *sniffles* Hey, no biggie on skipping NejiHina. Haha. I know they are controversial but decided to take crazy risks with this fic anyway. Plus, most of us are ultimately here for SasuHina. :D I hope I will hear more from you, and I will also check out your fics Anomaly and Echo like I've been planning to! They are well loved so I feel like I have some expectations to hold up on my end with my story. *nervous laughter*

GreenAlba: You caught up QUICK! Welcome to the show. Hehe. It's such an honor to have my first NejiHina fan (that I'm aware of) give this fic a try. Your kind words about my portrayal of Hinata, Neji and Hinata's relationship and my writing in general was SO SWEET. Thank you. ^^ Regarding your confusion on the last chapter, Sasuke just wants to have influential Konohans in his pocket so the Uchiha clan can wield more power. The rest of his meeting with Okasan will be revealed later. ;) Hinata didn't turn down Okasan because 1) she has the byakugan and borrowed kikaichu (ref to Shino at the flower shop) to keep track of Sasuke without her watching 2) she's undercover as Sasuke's teammate and friend and doesn't want to expose her true motives for being with him 3) Tojiro finding out about Shirayuri is less devastating than revealing her current mission 4) Okasan holds the strings and could make future Shirayuri and other ANBU missions difficult (note she's also very powerful so it's akin to telling Jeff Bezos or Oprah to screw themselves)- aka it's not a bridge you want to burn and 5) Okasan removes Hinata from an uncomfortable situation and was able to get Tojiro to think the issue was being properly dealt with. After Hinata quickly weighs the pros and cons she decides the benefits are worth her discomfort. I hope that extremely long explanation helps! LoL. Thank you for being here and for sharing your thoughts and opinions with me!

DAngel7: OMG I've seen you EVERYWHERE and I'm so stoked that you dropped by! Nice! Happy you were able to learn something with my rant on geishas. I really appreciate you sharing that you liked my portrayal of undercover Hinata and enjoyed Sasuke's reaction. Hehe. Also, yeah Tojiro totally got what he deserved. Teehee. I'm so happy you reviewed this story! Thank you and I hope to see you around more in the future!

To everyone reading this story- I love you all for being here. If you're reading this line, then you have a god given amount of patience. Like a monk. XD A kick-ass monk!

Final note: Yes, my new PFP is MEEEE (dressed as gender bent Kakashi for Halloween, if you couldn't tell)! Haha!

Happy Diwali if you're in India or celebrate that custom!