Disclaimer: I do not own this anime nor its characters… Enjoy!
~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~
So I wanted to clear up ages for anyone wondering… Story's current Month is April
Hinata - 21 (Dec, 27th)
Gaara - 22 (January 19)
Sasuke - 21 (July 23rd)
Neji - 23 (July 3rd)
Hanabi - 17 (March 27th)
Koko - 16 (July 2nd)
Shino - 22 (January 23rd)
Sakura - 22 (March 28th)
Kiba - 21 (July 7th)
Tenten - 24 (March 9th)
Lee - 23 (November 27th)
Temari - 24 (August 23rd)
Kankuro - 22 (May 15th) birthday is coming up
Shikamaru - 21 (September 22nd)
Shiho - 21 (June 18th)
Matsuri - 22 (no birthday listed, so making it for December 30th this story)
Hana - 26 (April 13th)
Sai - 21 (November 25th)
Ino - 21 (September 23rd)
Naruto - 21 (October 10th)
Chōji - 21 (May 1st)
Ayame - 25 (February 14th)
Also it occurred to me I messed up in the last chapter, with not having Hinata use honorifics… Which is a part of her personality so we cant have that missing… Also that she had been a little too OOC even with being stronger, she wouldnt have spoken about Sasuke that way regardless of her personal feelings about him so I edited the last chapter if you would like to reread it if you have already read it, if this is your first read through then ignore the author's note! I fixed that and will continue on.
~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~KokoroNoTakara~~~
After leaving the meeting with Naruto and the Uchiha, Gaara was satisfied with which they had come to an agreement on everything. The Uchiha would indeed be a Konoha villager again, but the main stipulation of becoming so was that he had to marry first, along with some other things. Producing an heir was not required but the Uchiha needed to establish some attachments to show his seriousness. The Konohan that was escorting him Gaara recognized as the twin bunned teammate of the Hyūga prodigy.
Tenten was leading the Suna leader out of the Hokage tower when they ran into Neji and Kakashi. The Hyūga didnt look happy but Kakashi despite the mask seemed to be grinning.
"Gaara! So negotiations went well then?" the silver haired ninja asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Gaara's right eye twitched slightly. The copy nin was up to something, he could just tell. His best friend's former sensei had an aura of mischief rolling off of him at the moment. "Hai, as well as expected. The Uchiha will have to earn his citizenship, but you knew that." Gaara then ignored the jovial silver haired older man and turned to the long dark haired man beside him who was looking highly upset. "I need to speak with you privately." He addressed the Hyūga curtly.
Tenten could not hide her surprise as Neji agreed to it. As the two men departed she was left with Kakashi. His one eye gleamed with mischief.
"Uh Kakashi sensei?" she started as she brought the silver haired ninja's attention to her.
"Hn?" Kakashi grunted in question.
"What are you up to?" The blunt question came and Kakashi raised his eyebrow.
Kakashi thought for a second if he should rope her into his shenanigans. This was Neji's former teammate and they were still rather close.
Deciding to test the waters he broached the subject, "What do you think of Gaara as a husband?"
Tenten shook her head in disbelief, "Nani?!" She baulked at the suggestion, throwing her hands up in front of her as it sounded to her that the copy ninja was trying to set her and Gaara up. "Nothing against him, but no."
Kakashi instantly realized what she had thought and back tracked, "Not for you but as in general. Say for instance if a certain beauty were to be interested in him?"
Tenten studied the older man with her head slightly tilted. "Ok I will play this game with you. So a certain "beauty"," Tenten air quoted, "may be interested in Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Suna. Is this beauty someone of importance?"
"She most certainly is, especially to that long haired friend of yours that just left." Kakashi's answer came quickly and with notes of a smirk.
"Hinata?!" Tenten exclaimed, surprised as Hinata had not shown any interest in anyone, male or female since she had gotten over Naruto.
"Yes?" a voice came from behind them. Kakashi and Tenten turned to see the person in question with the last Uchiha in tow.
"Tenten was wondering who would be chauffeuring Sasuke around for the first month." Kakashi replied quickly to deflect any suspicion.
The Hyūga scowled softly resembling more of a pout and glanced at the Uchiha. "Unfortunately yes I got stuck with that job. Don't think I won't let Naruto-kun pay for it either. This was supposed to be my first week off in a month! How can I be stuck babysitting a criminal?!" Hinata huffed and stamped her foot in a pretty childlike manner that had both her friend, Kakashi and the Uchiha thinking it was adorable.
Sasuke was grinning on the inside. Negative attention was still attention and it could always change to good. As long as she gave him any attention he would lap it up like a dog. Not that he would ever make that apparent.
"Wait, how did you know?" Hinata asked as she had literally just come from Naruto's office having been called to it before he and Neji left the break room after Gaara had left with Tenten.
Kakashi and Tenten looked at each other as Kakashi replied,"I knew Naruto had planned on making you on duty before he went and got Sasuke." throwing his student to the wolves as he made evident that he knew about the Uchiha coming before Hinata. Granted he hadn't known that Naruto hadn't told Hinata but that was Naruto's fault.
Hinata scowled then suddenly perked up like she got an idea and excused herself, asking them to watch Sasuke for a moment as she turned and headed back towards the Hokage office. Tenten saw the crinkle of Kakashi's unhidden eye and knew exactly what was going through the copy nin's mind.
"Who protects the Hokage against his own bodyguard when she is upset with him?" Tenten asked with mirth.
"That is a very good question, should we warn Sakura?" Kakashi asked the weapon's mistress. Tenten gave a thoughtful look and shook her head no. A few moments later she saw Sai heading towards the Hokage office.
"Sai!" Tenten shouted for the artist nin. Sai turned and gave the trio time to approach him as Kakashi and Tenten knew he wouldnt deviate from his path.
"Yes?" the pale man asked when the three were within a few feet of him.
"Where are you going?" Tenten asked.
"Naruto and Hinata have requested my presence in the Hokage's office." Though he was most definitely in love with Ino, all of Konoha knew Sai had a soft, very platonic spot for the Hyūga princess. He was one of the few males that Neji trusted around Hinata alone. The other two being her own team mates from Team 8. Tenten didn't know why he did as they could have crushes on her, it wasn't hard to like the usually soft spoken Hyūga.
Though not the stuttering mess she had been around everyone but Kiba and Shino, she was still pretty shy. Now that she was a jounin of her own merit, her father had realised that shy didn't mean weak. That had brought the mighty Hyūga clan leader to his knees metaphorically. Especially now since she was the Hokage's personal guard and it was heavily rumored she was also Anbu and a captain at that. No one confirmed or denied the rumors as Anbus were supposed to be anonymous but with the unique blue black hair of the Hyūga princess and the known presence of an Anbu with the same raven hair in a ponytail, it was inevitable and stopping the rumors was impossible.
"You may end up on Sasuke duty for the month." Kakashi supplied with a smirk evident in his tone.
"If that is what Hinata wishes, then I will let Ino know that we will have to reschedule next week's reservations at Dono's with her family." Sai replied nonchalantly with a shrug.
"I think she just wants her week off still, not for you to take her entire month's job." Tenten commented with a sigh. She knew Sai would without question do whatever Hinata asked.
"You would listen to Hinata over Naruto, your hokage?" Sasuke spoke up, not knowing the relationship between the pale artist nin and the woman he had set his sights on.
Sai's eyes narrowed on the Uchiha as he took a second to study him before replying, "Naruto, Hokage or not is an idiot. Hinata is like an angel. If Hinata asks something then I shall give it, if within my power to do so. I heard she is also not happy with you. I have nothing personal against you but you will watch yourself around Hinata or else." Sai replied and with that light threat disappeared.
"I thought he was engaged to Ino?" Sasuke asked with confusion. The artist nin had acted like Hinata was his girlfriend or something.
"He is, Hinata is his best friend. She was the first outside of Team 7 to befriend him. You would do best to heed his warning. The last person to highly upset her ended up in the hospital with minor injuries. Though they were a civilian, the son of a noble who wouldn't take no for an answer. You are a ninja and as such Sai wouldn't hold back." Kakashi replied, boredom seeping into his tone. He wanted to talk more with Tenten about Hinata and Gaara but with the Uchiha here he didn't know if it was wise. Though…. Kakashi turned his one eye toward the Uchiha and studied him. He had been pretty inquisitive about the pretty Hyūga. He had never shown this much interest in any female. Or male for that matter.
"Anyways Tenten, about what we were speaking about? Your thoughts?" Kakashi prodded.
Tenten gave a small sigh and gave it some thought. If Hinata were truly interested in the redhead, with her complete acceptance and stance of the jinchurikis, Tenten felt that Hinata would be good for the leader of Suna. Even though Shukaku had been taken from him and he had become a better person since his fight with Naruto all those years ago, he could still use a gentle human touch. Tenten knew he was still plagued with nightmares as Naruto wasn't very sly about acquiring information to help ease his friend. Though would the Kazekage be good for her friend? He was strong, Shukaku or not. While Hinata was stronger than she had been before, the Suna leader was still stronger and still feared by many. Her friend would be safer than ever if so.
"IF, and I mean IF Hinata truly is interested in him, then I see no reason to be against it. Are you planning something? Also what if he isn't interested in her or has someone he is interested in back home? I wouldn't want to give Hinata any false hope just to dash it because a fellow Sunan holds his interest."
Tenten had not forgotten the Uchiha but simply didn't care that he heard. Kakashi however had been subtly watching his former student's reaction and was satisfied with what he saw. He smiled under his mask, the movement not lost on Tenten, but Sasuke's attention was now elsewhere.
For Sasuke Uchiha's eyes had slightly widened then hardened into a narrow as he realized the content of the conversation was Hinata being interested in someone, a male someone, from Suna. That redhead wasn't just his bane when it came to him coming home. He was also his rival for the raven haired beauty's affection! So be it. This battle was far from over; it was just the beginning. May the best man win.