Bushido Code Virtue: Benevolence
The next morning, Sasuke went outside to see Hinata slowly doing kata. She was deliberate in her motions, careful to keep from putting her full weight on her thigh.
He watched for a second, more for academic reasons than appreciation. Her forms were strange and he could not sense any low-level chakra coming from her like he would be able to if it was a shinobi practicing. Shinobi trained for speed, efficiency, stealthiness. Samurai were bold. They wanted you to see them.
Hinata was humming something underneath her breath. It sounded like a chant.
He had seen that once, briefly, in the war. The samurai chanted before they met their enemy in battle. Their cries were a crescendo of noise and power. Sasuke knew it was for intimidation but if they used it in training, then maybe it was also a way of activating their muscle memory.
Taking one more moment to stare at the out of place samurai, he moved from underneath the overhang and hopped off the porch. He meant to say something but a call from the gates stopped him.
Hinata stopped too, looking first at Sasuke, then at the entrance to the compound.
Annoyed, he headed to the gates. He recognized the chakra as well as the voice.
"Yoohoo!" Tenten called. "Let me in so I don't have to jump over this fence!"
Sasuke answered the door with a sour frown on his face. Hinata joined him but she was smiling.
"Hi, Tenten." She said sweetly.
Tenten beamed. She pushed her way in between Sasuke and Hinata. Sasuke's frown deepened, as he watched her make her way inside the compound.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
Tenten waved a hand. "You don't send any messenger birds. You never visit me. I thought we were friends, Sasuke."
He huffed but did not argue. Hinata laughed softly.
Tenten held up a hand and it was glowing green with healing chakra. "I don't know anything fancy, but I figured I could come and do some basic first aid for Hinata, if that's okay with you." She addressed the other woman. "Speed up the healing process a little bit."
Hinata joined Tenten as they walked up the path to the house.
"I would like that, please." Hinata said.
Tenten grinned and detoured as she saw the construction area. "Is this your new place?" She asked. Without waiting for an answer, she hopped onto the support beams that would soon make up the floor. There were large gaps that anyone could fall through and hit the ground. In true nin fashion, she ignored the danger and flitted from one beam to another like a small bird.
"What am I looking at?"
With a theatrical sigh, Sasuke walked over and stood next to Hinata who was staying on the ground. They slowly followed below as Tenten explored above.
The whole building was sketched out in a rectangle. The rooms were on the longest sides. A wing for Sasuke and Hinata. On the short side on the left were the bathrooms. On the right, the kitchen and dining room. A courtyard in the middle would connect everything and would have a covered walkway to keep the snow out.
Tenten, who was standing what would be a small receiving room, tutted. "This isn't big enough for Hinata."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
Hinata cocked her head to the side in confusion.
Tenten tapped a foot against the wood. "Hinata has too many friends to fit in this room. She's more social than you give her credit for."
Hinata was wearing her veil and eye shield still but her blush was visible on the bottom of her cheeks, towards her jaw. "I don't have that many." She said.
Sasuke blinked.
Tenten understood that he wanted her to explain. "Well, there's me, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Inaho…"
Sasuke's brows came together and he looked at Hinata. Kiba, Shino, and Inaho were on Team 8. "How did you meet Team 8?"
Hinata bashfully tugged at her pants and avoided facing Sasuke. "Well, to be fair, I met Akamaru, first. I might have bought him a treat in the market?"
Tenten laughed and jumped off the bones of the house to join them on the ground. "Where Akamaru's loyalty goes, Kiba will follow."
"And then I had them over for tea. And Inaho invited me to her house, and-" She shrugged. "They're nice."
How did she manage to do all that in the short time she was here? For someone as bashful and quiet as Hinata, she sure managed to accumulate people. He thought of his decorated fridge and the devoted Kouki. He knew that Kouki still sent her little gifts now and again. Sasuke both burned with jealousy and pride for his little samurai.
He felt the urge to pull her to his side but resisted. Barely.
Tenten smiled and held up her other hand which was holding a bag. "Speaking of which, I have presents from Team 8."
"Presents?" Hinata said. Her voice was both surprised and pleased. "They didn't have to give me anything." She tried to be demure, but everyone could tell she was excited.
Tenten rifled through the bag and held up a vial. "This is from Shino. It's pheromones and he said only a drop exposed to the air would be enough to signal for help." She put it back in the bag and held up a tiny cylinder with a mouthpiece at the top. "A dog whistle from Kiba. For obvious reasons." She replaced that as well and pulled out a bundle of clothes.
Hinata took it and carefully unfurled a light pink satin shirt and matching pants.
"From Inaho." Tenten explained. "She said your old pair of pajamas probably got ruined."
Sasuke thought about the torn clothing he had inspected for clues then handed over to the ANBU for them to do the same. Inaho was right, but he thought the gift was a little frivolous compared to the gifts from Kiba and Shino.
Then, reminding Sasuke that he knew nothing about women, Hinata opened the shirt and gasped as she felt around the inside. Sasuke saw a pocket but it was only until Hinata pulled out a dagger that he understood.
"I know, right?" Tenten grinned. "The pants have sheaths too. And they're padded in a way that you won't accidentally poke yourself in your sleep but are comfortable to lay on. And the blade is anchored so it doesn't fall or wiggle its way out. And they're pretty. You can hardly see any lines."
Hinata replaced the weapon and clutched the garments to her chest. "This is too much."
Tenten waved it off. "She said it was repayment for that salve you gave her. Anyway, here, give them to me and I'll put them back in the bag. Then we can go inside, and I'll help with your injuries."
Hinata obeyed without protest and led Tenten to the house. When they got to Sasuke's room, he made to follow but Tenten stopped him at the doorway.
"Nope." She said. "You can sit right here and wait." She pointed at the floor next to the frame.
Sasuke glowered at her.
Tenten shrugged, immune now to his moods. "Stay there," she commanded like she was talking to a slow-witted dog. "You can listen, but you can't peek."
Embarrassed, Sasuke turned and did what she said.
Tenten closed the door and then laughingly whispered something to Hinata. Hinata giggled quietly. Sasuke's ears burned. There was a rustle of clothing and then silence for a minute.
"I'm not surprised he didn't let anyone see you. Especially Sakura." Tenten said, loud enough for Sasuke to hear. She sounded distracted.
"Sakura?" Hinata asked. "Are you talking about Haruno Sakura?"
Tenten hummed her agreement. Sasuke huffed.
"I hear you." Tenten scolded Sasuke.
Sasuke huffed again, deliberately.
"What's wrong with Haruno-san?" Hinata asked. "I thought she was the best med nin, second to the Godaime."
If Sasuke had two arms he would have crossed them. Instead, he made a fist and put it in his lap.
"Not to be mean about it, but she's obsessed with Sasuke." Tenten said.
There was a telling pause.
"Oh?" Said Hinata.
"Mm." Tenten said in agreement. "Hold on, this part is tricky."
Hinata hissed. Sasuke made to rise to his feet but Hinata's next words stopped him.
"That itches. I wasn't expecting that." She explained.
"Sorry." Tenten said. "I'm not good enough to numb the area so you don't feel the pain. Or itchiness."
"It's ok. I appreciate it anyway." Hinata responded.
Tenten brought up Sakura again, much to Sasuke's displeasure. "You know those type of men that are obsessed with a woman? The ones who don't force themselves on you but don't take no for an answer."
"I might." Hinata said diplomatically.
"Well, that's Sakura with Sasuke. Again, amazing woman, but Sasuke's her blind spot. She doesn't know how uncomfortable she makes him." Tenten said.
"Why… why is this happening?" Hinata asked. "I thought they were friends. Teammates. If you listen to the rumors, they might have even been lovers."
Sasuke jolted. He knew his minor celebrity generated speculation. But he never considered it would be of that kind.
Tenten snorted. "I'm sure the rumors are amazing. And wrong. I don't know if it's because Sakura thinks if she works hard enough, she will get what she wants. Or if she's spent so long defining her life by her crush on Sasuke that she doesn't know what she'll do if she considers life without him."
"Why…" Hinata started to say. "Why are you telling me this?"
Tenten hummed. "How does your leg feel?"
There was more rustling of clothes. "It feels amazing. Thank you, Tenten!"
"You're welcome, Hinata. Sorry about the scar. Again, I'm good for battlefield stuff. And to stop the bleeding when I nick myself because I wasn't paying attention. I never learned enough to deal with scars."
"It's okay." Hinata said. "I can make an ointment for that. I'll make some for you too. Again, thank you."
There were footsteps and then the door opened. Sasuke stood before Tenten finished sliding it and looked at her searchingly.
Tenten smiled and patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "I should go." She said. "I'm late to sparring with Neji and Lee. And Lee will try to hunt me down if I'm late."
Sasuke grimaced. He definitely did not want Lee on his property.
"Have a good day, Sasuke. Hinata." She moved down the hallway then stopped to look at Sasuke. "You be careful with her, got it?"
Sasuke started at Tenten. She rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hallway. Hinata came to the doorway and listened to Tenten leave. She looked at Sasuke when they heard Tenten leave through the front door.
"I don't know why Tenten told you that." Sasuke said quietly even though Jugo was on an errand and Tenten was gone. "But I don't feel anything for Sakura. And she won't hurt you."
"Then why haven't I met her?" Hinata asked.
He sighed. He did not know how to tell her that he avoided Sakura like the plague, but he did not think she was a bad person. Just stubborn. Misguided.
"I'm waiting for her to forget about me." He finally said.
Hinata tenderly slid a hand over his cheek, then cupped it with her palm. Sasuke briefly jolted at the unexpected touch but pressed into it when he realized what was happening.
"How could anyone forget about you, Sasuke?" She asked with a teasing smile.
He turned his face deeper into her palm. "You're making fun of me." He murmured.
She moved closer. He felt daring as he put his hand on her hip. As a younger man, he wondered what it would be like to be able to be close to a person. But he never imagined that it could be so casually affectionate. So lighthearted. His parents kept themselves at a distance from each other.
How did Hinata know exactly what Sasuke needed? Where did she learn this?
Sasuke pulled her closer then stopped, feeling too demanding. She pressed herself against him anyway. The heat on his face spread to his neck. She hugged him to her with her other arm and her hand rested against the small of his back.
Right over the pleasure gate, his brain reminded him helpfully.
"I'm not trying to belittle you." Hinata said softly, seriously. "I want you to feel safe with me."
He kissed her palm. "I don't know what I'm doing with you." He admitted.
"I've never been with anyone, either." She said. "I need you to tell me when I do something wrong."
A thick, burning ball of jealously in his chest relaxed.
"Only if you tell me when I fuck it up, too." He felt like returning to what Tenten said. "Nothing ever happened with Sakura. She… she does make me uncomfortable."
He knew that Hinata could probably not even see his face, but he grabbed the hand on his jaw and guided it to join its partner on his back. He then leaned down and buried his face in her neck. This was a strange way to be vulnerable and he felt the urge to flee, to hide.
"I thought Tenten was telling me about her so I can protect myself." Hinata mused, resting her cheek against his hair. "But maybe it was more for your sake than mine."
Sasuke stiffened. He reared back to look at her. Hinata chucked and leaned her head against his shoulder, reversing their positions.
"Tenten cares about you." She said.
Sasuke closed his eyes and soaked in the heat of her. "Sakura is a teammate. She isn't going to hurt me." He mumbled. "Naruto trusts her." He added, almost as an afterthought.
"Do you trust her?" Hinata asked.
His silence was answer enough.
"And that's okay." She said. "That means we'll have to stick together."
A wild idea slipped out of his mouth before he could hold it back. "If we got married, she would get the picture."
Hinata gasped and her arms tightened around him. "You want to get married?"
He froze. Should he not have said that? He thought that when she asked for him not to let her go, she knew what he meant when he said he was keeping her. Sasuke thought they were on the same page. When he decided to keep her, that is what he meant.
But if she refused him, then he could keep her in his house, keep her as a clan member. Watch her bring a man into the fold so she could marry. He would do it. Or he would try. Maybe.
Probably not.
Hinata's breath hitched dangerously, and Sasuke knew immediately what was happening.
He dug his fingers into her hair and carefully undid the clasps keeping her eye shield together. He let it slide it down her face, drop to the floor, then lightly pushed her back by her shoulder.
She was crying fully now, even though she was biting her lip to keep her little, hitching sobs quiet. With his hand he thumbed the tears from one cheek. He braced the stub of his bad arm on her shoulder, trying to keep her close. He pressed small kisses to the other side of her face.
"Hinata," he reprimanded quietly between kisses. "You're supposed to tell me when I fuck up."
She gave a hitching chuckle and awkwardly caught his lips with hers. He never kissed anyone who was smiling before. "I-I'm… not s-sad."
He pressed another kiss to her cheek, mentally cataloging the texture of her soft skin and the pulsing veins.
"Then why are you crying?" He complained.
She sniffed and took a few moments to compose herself. "I-I thought that I would b-belong to you and the clan and that-that I would do anything, be anything you needed. Like w-with Mifune, be a member of your household. O-Or even bear your children if you wanted but-" She took a shaky breath. "But I didn't think you wanted to be mine, too!"
Sasuke felt faint at the mention of children. But he tried to stay focused. "But why the tears?"
"I'm happy!" She exclaimed.
"Hinata," he said gravely. "That doesn't make sense."
She laughed giddily and hid her face in his chest.
"It's settled then," he said, and ran his hand over her hair. He felt focused, like he was crafting an excellent genjutsu. "We'll get married, and have as many children as you want, and help Jugo find a person to marry if he wants them. Our clan will be strong, and we'll never leave each other. Ever."
"Okay." Hinata said quietly.
Being against her was killing him. He wanted to take her back into his bedroom and press her into his bed. He wanted to see her with child. He just wanted.
But he also wanted to treat her like a princess, like someone who was truly a blood member of Mifune's household. There was no family left to care if Hinata kept her honor. But Sasuke cared. She deserved to be treated as if she was a member of a prestigious clan marrying into another powerful clan.
Without much money left, the most Sasuke could offer was a wedding, keeping their honor intact, and building her a house. He would do that for her.
"Our wedding will probably be small." He warned, not at all apologetic. "Only Jugo and Naruto."
She raised her head and peered slyly up at him. "And Kakashi, and Tenten, and Shikamaru, and Shino-"
"Hinata," Sasuke growled playfully and tightened his arm around her.
"And Kiba, and Inaho-"
Sasuke hoisted her up and carried her down the hall towards the stairs, while she laughed. He needed to work on this house of theirs.
oOo
A couple days later, Sasuke found himself in the attic, sorting everything he would be taking with him. This section of the space was full of old documents and scrolls. Some of the items were worthless and others were priceless antiques passed down through generations of Uchiha. He needed to pay attention to every piece just in case.
He almost felt like he was working in the armory. What made it bearable were the sounds filtering in from the outside of Jugo and Hinata working on their garden. Hinata wanted to work on growing medicinal plants and Jugo was interested in learning the tricks of the trade.
He smiled when the sound of their laughter drifted up to him.
A little distracted, he almost did not notice what he was reading. Sasuke stopped, surprised.
Fuinjutsu
The art of sealing requires patience and careful chakra control. This jutsu can seal objects, chakra, living beings, and practically anything one can imagine. This text will explore the applications, limitations, and techniques required to become proficient in Fuinjutsu.
He unraveled the scroll further, looking for the Senju-like seal. What he found was strange. Instead of the crescent moon, there was the tomoe symbol of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
He opened it more, but nothing seemed any different from the first copy of this scroll.
This needed to be taken to Kakashi.
oOo
It was not a surprise to be summoned into Naruto's office a few days later. The scrolls he found had some kind of link to at least two clans, which made this Hokage business.
However, he was surprised that Naruto asked that Hinata also be present. Even more of a surprise was seeing everyone who was gathered. Joining Naruto were Kakashi, Tsunade, Hizashi, and Neji.
Sasuke made a show of not reacting. Neji watched closely as Sasuke guided Hinata to her seat with his hand just under the knot of her obi. She placidly settled herself down and slid her hands over her lap to straighten out the fabric.
Sasuke sat and met Naruto's eyes. Naruto, expression solemn, leaned forward over his desk.
"I bet you are wondering why you are all gathered here today." Naruto intoned gravely.
Kakashi and the Tiger ANBU in the corner groaned in unison.
"Shut up, Naruto!" Tsunade growled.
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
Hizashi placidly stared at a spot on the floor.
Neji squinted in judgement.
Naruto giggled like a little boy and slapped his desk in mirth. "I've been waiting for so long to use that one!" He hooted.
Even though she had her veil, Hinata brought up her hands to cover her mouth.
Feeling even more disgruntled at the thought of Hinata being amused by Naruto's antics, Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Can we please just talk about why we're here?"
Naruto pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Okay, okay." He grinned then looked at the ANBU in the corner expectantly. The ANBU placed four scrolls on Naruto's desk. Neji stood and placed his own two scrolls next to them.
Naruto pointed at one of Neji's scrolls. "Hyuga." He pointed at the one next to them, then continued down the line. "Sarutobi. Uchiha. Hatake. Senju."
Kakashi spoke up. "At face value, they're all the same scrolls, but if you look closely, there are important differences."
"Like the clan signals?" Sasuke asked.
"Hn," Kakashi hummed an affirmative.
"And there are certain words, sentences, and diagrams that are different. Which were a pain in the ass to find in a huge fucking scroll like that." Tsunade grimaced.
Sasuke had his suspicions of where this was leading, but he did not need to seem like the smartest person in the room. He kept his guess to himself.
Hizashi confirmed Sasuke's suspicions anyway.
"For years, we've been searching for this information." The elder Hyuga said. "This is the first breakthrough we have had in a long time." He sent an almost warm look in Hinata's direction. Sasuke bristled. "Even if she cannot be our new Clan Head, Hinata-san has still brought us good fortune and hope for the future."
"It's a cipher." Hinata said wonderingly.
"Indeed." Hisashi confirmed.
"Forgive my ignorance," she continued, "what is it a cipher for?"
Naruto picked up the last scroll and irreverently tapped his desktop with it. Neji gave a full body twitch.
The Hokage grinned. "It cracks the code on the directions on how to remove the Caged Bird Seal."
Sasuke understood completely. The Hyuga would never deign to admit they were relying on their fellow clans for help. But they would never suspect that their peers had the clues to their deepest secrets either. They distributed the pieces to the strongest clans in the village and let the passage of time erase all knowledge of how precious these scrolls were. It was almost foolproof.
Almost.
Sasuke smirked. A Hyuga still could not make a genjutsu powerful enough to fool a Uchiha.
It took him a moment, but he realized that Hinata was sitting very still next to him. He wanted to reassure her, but he did not want to draw attention to her either. Her seal was already gone, but it had permanently activated her Byakugan and was robbing her of her sight.
But only Naruto and Sasuke knew that.
"The problem is," Naruto continued. "The only person who can execute this, is a skilled seal master."
"And we don't have one of those." Kakashi said.
Tsunade sighed and shifted. "I hate to say it, but not even Sakura-chan or I would be able to remove it safely."
"Why?" Neji asked.
"Crafting seals and removing seals are almost two different disciplines. I can craft them. Kakashi can repress them. But removing them?" She shrugged. "It's like trying to draw out venom from the bloodstream. A person needs to see how the seal is using the person's chakra against them. Unless you wanted your test subject to become a vegetable..."
Hinata was sitting close enough to Sasuke that she was able to surreptitiously place her hand between them and catch his empty sleeve fabric between a couple of her fingers.
"I have a proposition for you, Sasuke." Naruto grinned.
Sasuke glared at his friend.
Naruto continued, not even the slightest bit bothered. "If you can figure out how to remove the seal safely and effectively-and you can work with everyone in this room to figure it out, then I'll take your chakra cuff off."
Sasuke peered dubiously at his friend. "Why do you want me to do it?"
Kakashi sighed. "You need a job that will give you some kind of standing in the village. Why not become a seal master?"
"Or you can just stay in the armory and then no one will have to see your face." Tsunade smirked.
Sasuke glared.
"Tsunade-baba…" Naruto whined.
She shrugged and then she was all business and piercing eyes. "I'm thinking your Rinnegan might be able to see the corrupted chakra pathways in a way that medical nin cannot."
"Think about it?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke made no promises as gathered Hinata and left.
oOo
"What are you thinking?" Jugo asked, not even pretending to read the book he had propped open on his chest.
Sasuke idly twirled his closed paper fan between his fingers. He opened, then closed it again. They were lounging on the porch, with the exception of Hinata, who sat ramrod straight. She had a shogi tile between her fingers and was running the pads of her thumb over the carved symbol on the bottom.
"I don't want to get involved in another clan's politics. The last time someone got involved with mine, my whole clan was slaughtered." Sasuke said.
"You'd have the support of the Hokage." Hinata said quietly.
"If the Hokage was anyone but Naruto, I honestly would not care." Sasuke replied. "I know he promised Neji to free his clan, but I thought he would use diplomacy, not support the Branch's rebellion."
"You'd have an ally with the new Hyuga clan." Jugo tried.
Sasuke snorted and laid back. He stared at the rafters, curling a lip in disgust at the accumulated cobwebs he never bothered to clean. "Only if Hisashi and Neji are successful."
"Hiashi tried to have Hinata killed." Jugo said darkly.
Hinata froze. Without looking, Sasuke dropped the fan, reached over, and grabbed Hinata's hand. She squeezed it once.
"That's a good point." Sasuke allowed. It was probably the most compelling point. He could not kill Hiashi, but Sasuke could destroy Hiashi's way of life.
"I don't care about revenge." Hinata said. "I just want to be safe."
"Will you be safe if Hiashi stays in power?" Jugo countered.
Hinata, with only her eye shield on, pursed her lips.
"We have to consider," Sasuke said softly, "that Hizashi and Neji could have been lying to me. Maybe they're trying to manipulate us into acting."
Jugo groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. "It was easier with Orochimaru."
Sasuke smirked. Orochimaru encouraged wholesale violence against enemies, justified or not. There, it was about eliminating the weakest members, so the strong could flourish. Sasuke wondered if that was why Karin and Suigetsu had returned to Orochimaru's side.
They wanted a master. Sasuke tried to be that. Admittedly, he did not have much success. Sasuke was starting to learn that maybe he did not want to be a master, he wanted partners.
Jugo stayed because Jugo wanted a brother; someone to fill Kimimaro's void. Hinata wanted a husband and a clan to belong to. Everyone on this porch wanted a family.
They were his to protect, but he would treat them like equals.
"We have to find the nin who attacked me." Hinata said. "If they're still in the village."
"Then we can interrogate them." Jugo agreed darkly.
Surprisingly, Hinata laughed. "You're pretty bloodthirsty."
Jugo sniffed but looked like she had complimented him. "Well, everyone needs something to do."
"Killing someone in peacetime is called murder." Sasuke teased.
Jugo laughed and used his foot to push at Sasuke's hip. With his thigh, Sasuke trapped Jugo's foot, and then they wrestled for a minute while Hinata looked on with a smile.
Suddenly, Sasuke stopped trying to grind Jugo's face into the floorboards. Jugo coughed out some dust and attempted to peer behind him.
"What?" Jugo asked, muffled.
Sasuke clambered off Jugo's back. "I have an idea." Sasuke said, then proceeded to tell them his plan.
oOo
For a brief moment, Sasuke considered asking Sakura for help. He might be able to get her to tell him who had been treated recently for the injuries Hinata remembered making on her assailant.
Sasuke dismissed this idea quickly. As much as he did not want to owe Sakura, he also recognized how shitty it would be to ask her to break confidentiality rules for him. He would also probably be disgusted with her morals if she did agree to do so. But he believed that she would probably tell him no, and he would have put the both of them through that situation for no reason.
That plan was discarded. If Naruto had that information, he would have acted on it already
The next best choice would be to go to the source.
Sasuke found Neji in a training field. It was a hot summer's day when the sun was highest in the sky. Neji, draped in the robes of his clan, did not seem very bothered by the heat.
He was with a wooden training form, the kind that had simple wooden appendages that spun to mimic arms, methodically practicing a basic kata. It appeared to be a simple enough exercise. Neji would slowly go through a series of punches and kicks. But Sasuke realized that Neji tightly suppressed his chakra.
Neji almost looked like Hinata did when she trained.
Sasuke mentally filed that away for later.
Neji straightened when Sasuke entered the boundaries of the field. Neji was not breathing hard, but the bandages on his knuckles and bare feet were spotted with blood.
"Uchiha." Neji greeted.
"Hyuga." Sasuke returned. "I have a question for you."
Neji eyed his visitor warily, but then returned to his form practice. "Ask."
Sasuke circled around the back of the mannequin, studying Neji's movements. "How many healers are in the Main Branch?"
Neji snorted. "There are none."
Sasuke was surprised. "None?"
"None." Neji gritted his teeth, and the next punch was not so controlled. Sasuke moved out of the way, lest he get a chopped off wood dowel in his face. "They treat us like servants. None of them would deign to know something as pedestrian as learning how to assist others."
Sasuke thought of Tenten. "Would they know basic field healing?"
Neji shook his head. "Not with chakra. And most of the Main Branch are the elders. The only person who fought in the War was the Head-was Hiashi. He might know how to dress a wound. Hanabi did not fight, and her combat experiences are limited to the missions she takes with her chunin team."
"Then I have a favor to ask." Sasuke said.
Neji paused and straightened. "A favor?"
"Don't get too excited." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I need you to check and see if your healers treated anyone recently. Especially anyone with abdominal wounds."
Neji's eyes narrowed in thought. "Did Hinata injure her attacker?"
No one said Neji was dumb.
Sasuke smirked. "Apparently she stabbed the shit out of him."
Neji's lips quirked upwards so quickly that Sasuke almost missed it. "I'll check."
"Hn." Sasuke hummed and turned to leave.
"Uchiha."
Sasuke partially turned and raised a brow.
"In return, I was wondering if I could call on Hinata."
Sasuke frowned. What for? If Neji tried to recruit Hinata to the new Hyuga, Sasuke would not be happy.
"She's under my protection." Sasuke bristled and bit out. Which was the closest he could get to saying: she's mine.
Neji shook his head. "I know." He bit out. "That's why I'm asking permission. I… The memories I have of her were fond. She's the only person in the Main Branch who was nice to me, even if we were children. And I saw her spar with Tenten. I would like to ask her about how she trained when she was in the Land of Iron."
Ah. That explained why Neji was training the way he was. He was trying to crack her code.
Oddly enough, this calmed Sasuke. He understood professional curiosity. And perhaps, he might understand Neji trying to connect with an old family member. Neji had a family. A big one. But this was his closest cousin in blood and in age. She was probably a curious anomaly to him.
Sasuke sighed, thinking about Tenten's criticism about the social spaces in the house. She was right.
"It's Hinata's decision," he said.
Neji gave an infinitesimal bow. "Thank you."
Sasuke shrugged and left the clearing. Once he was out of sight he rubbed at his mouth, trying to hide his amused smile.
oOo
The next morning Sasuke found himself in a little home goods shop. Apparently, Hinata needed some items that she had been previously borrowing from the Nara. Also, judging how she was inspecting the chopsticks, she did not approve of the ones Sasuke had at home. He knew that she had grown up in a wealthy household, and she did not seem like she was making frivolous purchases, but this seemed unnecessary.
He peered at the prices and scoffed. "What's wrong with the ones we have at the house?" Sasuke asked in an undertone as he looked over her shoulder. "These are expensive."
She picked up one made of lacquered wood. "Exactly. The ones you have are hollow. They're too light."
Sasuke frowned and eyed the saleswoman hovering at the other end of the counter. She had already wrapped up their other purchases and was practically vibrating with glee.
"I can pay." Hinata offered.
Sasuke scoffed. He could not see her face, due to the veil, but he could hear her laugh quietly. She picked up another pair.
"Those are pink." He complained. He placed his hand on hers and guided it to another similar pair. He did not want to tip off their audience about Hinata's colorblindness.
"I'm okay with black." He said. "Or the red ones right next to them. I like that little..." He fought for the right words. "Swoopy design."
"Okay," she agreed easily. "We'll take black. And we need metal ones."
Sasuke moved to argue.
"Ones that are not hollow." She cut him off.
The saleswoman rushed over and asked how many pairs they needed and if these items would be delivered with the rest of their purchases. Hinata started haggling. Interest lost, Sasuke turned to look at the rest of the store right as three men entered.
Sasuke stiffened when he realized they were Hyuga. One of them was an old man, with a stern, wrinkled face, and gray hair. His forehead was unmarked. The man next to him was Hiashi, who looked over at Sasuke briefly, and after a dismissive glance, returned his gaze forward. The third man trailing behind them was young. His forehead was covered by bandages but judging by his submissive posture and his downcast eyes, he was definitely a branch member.
The young man briefly looked at Sasuke and they met eyes. The other nin looked defeated.
Before Sasuke could process this, Hinata tucked her arm into his good one. She pulled him close into her body.
"Let's go pay." She said quietly. "I found everything I needed."
Hyper aware of the threat in the room with them, he agreed and guided her to the register. He barely noticed how much everything cost or the delivery agreements Hinata made. He did not relax until they were down the street, far from the store.
His awareness faded in slowly, and only then did he notice that Hinata was trembling.
"Hinata?" He demanded. "What's wrong?"
She took a shaky breath. "He was there," she whispered. "The nin that attacked me. It was one of them."
Sasuke thought of the old man, of the branch member. Of Hiashi's cold gaze.
What was worse? If Hiashi was the assassin who tried to kill his own daughter? Or the branch member, who looked more like a marionette than a human being? Sasuke dismissed the old man immediately; his chakra had been weaker than a genin's.
Sasuke pulled Hinata closer and did not let go until they were inside the compound.
Jugo, who had been putting down slabs of plywood to serve as the subfloor in the new house, called out to them cheerfully. He hopped off the frame and loped close. His smile slowly fell.
"What happened?" Jugo asked urgently. He ran his hands down Hinata's arms as if looking for any injury. She stepped into him, and he hugged her without hesitation.
Sasuke shook out his arm as if that could shake loose the chakra he could feel pooling in his hands and behind his eyes.
"I can't murder anyone," Sasuke said in a voice low and hoarse with anger. "Instead, we're going to take Naruto up on his offer."
Jugo nodded grimly.
oOo
*Note: Last chapter is the next one. If there are any questions you have or anything you want to see, please let me know. It's going to be a little self-indulgent, so go crazy, and I'll do my best.
Also my summary for this chapter was:
Jugo: I want to murder.
Sasuke: We live in a society.
...then...
Sasuke: Let's join a coup.
Jugo: Okay.