A/N: I do not own Naruto. Please don't forget to review! Constructive feedback, comments, criticism are always welcomed!

I hate having to post a long A/N, but please bear with me. I understand that in the canon, Neji was only four years old when he was branded with the seal and his father died. I decided to tweak the canon and make the age nine instead. You could see how I changed the details of the canon in Ch.2

As always, deep thanks to everyone who took her/his time to read this fic.

I decided to post chapters about Neji and Hinata's past while adding tidbits about the SasuHina present. I hope it is not too confusing. I am still experimenting, and I never took a creative writing course and my first language isn't English, so please bear with me.

Thank you. Much love.

M rated- death trigger (if you feel triggered by mentions of death and grief, please leave thischapter or skip the past part and go to the bottom. I don't want to hurt you. If you need help, know that help is around and please call the local crisis hotline. I love you.)

In the past, the reign XXX B.C.E of Cretes, March, Xth, the 15th year of King Hiashi's reign,

Loud footsteps were heard in the grand hall of the grand palace of Knossos, the capital city of Cretes. Two tall figures of identical height and long brown hair strutted in a hurried pace as they passed by the tapered red pillars that buttressed the bright yellow ceiling engraved with circular patterns.

King Hiashi had just came back from his oversea war campaigns with his twin brother Hizashi, but forbade any formal welcomes in haste to go to his wife.

It was the day King Hiashi's queen Hitomi was to deliver a second child.

"I came late by returning from the frontier. It must have been so hard on her to give birth on her own!"

An uncharacteristic sweat formed on Hiashi's face, "I left her alone for six months! She must be greatly upset of this neglect!"

His brother made a congenial smile, but the smile didn't reach his silver grey eyes. Luckily, his elder brother was ahead of him, so he did not see the furrowed brows of his identical twin's face, nor the tenseness of his strong jaw.

Hizashi laughed, "haha, you know that queen Hitomi would never fault you for such triviality. She is a true woman of the palace, always patient and loyal to the king."

Hiashi laughed, "as always, you have a smooth tongue."

The queen's guard straightened up like a rod as soon as he saw the king and the prince and announced in a booming tone, "His majesty has arrived!"

As the bronze door coated with vermillion wax opened, Hizashi smiled tightly, "I offer my congratulations in advance, my king."

Hiashi grunted, as if he was tickled by his brother's praises.

In the open ceiling styled chamber, petals of white plum trees blew gently and landed on the rectangular pool in the center. A jar of scented oil and a lotus-shaped candle was placed by the pool. Diaphanous drapes swept across the air, creating a dream-like atmosphere.

White plum blossoms with a hint of sickly yellow bloomed until March, while they should have faded at least a fortnight ago.

King Hiashi smiled at the blossoms on the tree. Yellow was the sign of royalty. He believed it was a auspicious sign by the gods.

Hiashi's shoulders tensed and his chest brimmed with hope, but he carefully curated his face as not to reveal anything.

Hizashi's heart also was affected, but not out of joy and anticipation. He tried to bring a reassuring smile to his face, but felt his smile forced and artificial.

Hiashi walked up confidently to the queen's bed and pulled the opaque white drapes, "Hitomi, my queen! You have done well! Is it a son?"

He didn't catch the nervous sweat dropping like rain across the queen handmaid's face. Hizashi's face gradually lightened as his brother Hiashi's stiffened.

Hiashi's entire posture stiffened, and his once jovial face grew pale and livid. Then he turned sullen but his fists were still clenched. The light in his eyes dimmed and the carefully curated apathetic mask cracked to reveal the inner savage rage.

A crooked tone of disappointment snaked its way to his cool voice, "A daughter."

Hizashi looked at how the queen's lips turned blue. She was lying with a white dress normally worn underneath her formal tunics, and her dark indigo hair fell across her shoulders. She had just came out of the harrowing hours of labor, but what awaited her was cold scorn and contempt. All because her child was not a son.

The baby wrapped in cotton was fast asleep. She was a sweet infant, but her father was indifferent and nobody dared to interfere the king's process of diluting his anger. Nobody dared to step forward to tend to the second princess and protect her from her father's wrath.

"My king," the queen struggled to rise, but her strength failed her. Even her urgent plea was just a whisper when he turned away from the child. "you must-you must at least give her a name! She's your daughter!"

Like everything related to the Hyuugas, what would have been a turmoil of emotions was clean, sterile, and quiet. Even the queen's tears were silent.

Ignoring her, Hiashi faced his brother, "Hizashi, I don't have time for this. I have more urgent matters to attend. You give her a name."

Her handmaiden tried to aid Hitomi in standing, and the queen stumbled.

Hizashi almost grimaced at his brother's coldness, but his Hyuuga blood and decade worth of politician life kept him safe, "Should I add the suffix of our father to her name, your maje-"

Hiashi clenched his fist and turned at his brother and was about to make him the target of his frustrations, but something far behind his brother caught his eye.

A tiny figure was standing by the side of a trembling maid who was watching this sight. When he saw who it was, Hiashi's anger took a quick turn.

"Ah...Neji, my nephew..."

Smoothly, Hiashi's eyes that were engorged with anger turned crescent-shaped. His cooled voice reflected tender affection, "My dear nephew..."

Hiashi turned towards the nine year old prince, his nephew, the son of his younger brother. The only male descendant of the Hyuuga royalty.

The king stretched out both of his arms toward Neji.

When Hizashi saw his son's hesitation, he narrowed his eyes and said in a stern voice, "Come to your uncle, Neji. That is not befitting behavior."

Nine year old Neji stared wide eyed as he stood about twenty feet away from where his father, uncle and aunt were standing.

He felt that something was amiss. He just ran from his lessons to see his father, but the atmosphere was too tense and thick. Was the queen crying? Was uncle about to strike father?

But since his uncle seemed to no longer be angry, he told himself that everything must be fine. He must be reading into things too much. His uncle was harsh sometimes but always meant well to his family—or at least, that was what his father said.

Neji at first tentatively took a few steps. And then he ran towards his uncle who quickly strode across the floor.

"Neji!" Hiashi attempted to lift the nine year old boy but gave up, chuckling "look how you have grown!"

"Uncle!" A soft pink blush suffused over the young boy's face, and his mercury grey eyes lit up in excitement. He felt immediately relieved.

Neji was placed back on his feet. Hiashi smiled down at him benevolently, "you are so heavy that I could no longer lift you." He stroked the boy's brown hair that was smoothly combed back in a pony tail.

Hizashi approached Hiashi and Neji and smiled uneasily, "Please do not spoil him anymore with your affections, your majesty."

Hiashi smiled broadly, "I must give my favorite child his gift."

Suddenly savage rage threatened to overcome Hizashi. He is not your child. He is mine! But he as always, never showed any emotions.

Hiashi knelt before Neji and handed him something. Neji received it with both hands, thinking 'It's light.' When he looked, he saw a hairband interwoven with red dyed silk and gold thread.

"A trophy from Thebes, one of our conquests." Hiashi said proudly. "Red is said to symbolize 'health and longevity.'"

Neji looked down at the gift with wide eyes. Then his face lit up in a pure smile and he thanked the king, "Thank you, your majesty!"

"I told you to call me 'uncle' in private, Neji."

"Uh-" Neji glanced at his father's tense face. Ever the observant boy, he hesitated for a second before looking at his uncle. He never saw his father in such malevolent mood before. Hiashi's eyes narrowed in observation. Thinking he must be overthinking once again, Neji looked up to his uncle and king in admiration and gratitude, "Thank you, uncle."

The eight year old princess was in the mazelike garden the palace of Knossos was famous for. The tall shrubs that formed the labyrinthine maze in the palace garden easily over towered the girl. She was hunched over on the dirt, tracing figures on the ground with a twig she picked from the floor.

Even though she was simply just focusing on her little games, her lavender mercury eyes had a twinge of sadness. She looked as harmless as a little leaf on the ground. Her short indigo hair cut in a round shaped bowl cut hang loosely by her soft cheek as she hung her head low.

The reason Hinata was hiding in the garden without anyone looking over her was the handmaid's instruction for her to hide, in case the king's wrath chooses her as a scapegoat.

The little princess did not deserve to be the object of the king's wrath at his inability to sire a son. So even though she wanted to be by her mother and baby sister's side, she had no choice but to hide in the maze-like garden.

When she focused on drawing the stick figures, she heard a voice that made her eyes light up in recognition, "Princess Hinata!"

She quickly dropped the stick that she was playing with so intently for an hour. She stood up, "Neji ni san!" She saw Neji racing towards her and she felt her heart swell up, almost painfully, in happiness. It was not often the boy could come to her in their secret place as he was bombarded with hours of studying in the temple and training with his father. Today must be my lucky day, she thought.

The nine year old boy who towered over her by a head stood by her side. "Hinata sama, I have been looking everywhere for you."

A soft pink blush suffused over the bridge of her round nose. "I-I" she stuttered, "thought you were busy today!"

Neji grinned to see the elation on her face, "I was supposed to, but Hiashi sama came so my lessons were cut short! And that's how I came to see you!" He talked so fast that he did not realize what disastrous implications his words held.

At his words, the girl's smile fell. It felt as if she was hearing shards of glass breaking on the marble tile floor. Her eyes widened, "Father...came back?" She let go of the warm grasp she held over his hands. Color waned from her dainty features, especially her rosy cheeks. Her round face paled like a ghost.

The boy's eyes widened at her sudden change in attitude. He did not know what could have occasioned this swift change. Then he quickly realized his blunder.

He tried to remedy his mistake but he wasn't given a chance. She already knew.

"Father came," Hinata hung her head low, her side fringes swept by her round cheeks, "And he...didn't ask for my attendance."

He asked for yours was the tacit accusation that Hinata was too soft to throw at his face. But it was still there.

Neji's complexion paled. He made a mistake. There was no longer excitement between the boy and girl hovering in the air, but thick, icy tension--the same kind that permeated between his father and the king. He didn't like it and he had to fix this.

"His majesty," the nine year old tried to redress his mistake, "must have been busy tending to the queen's health."

But seeing her downtrodden demeanor, he knew he failed and chewed anxiously on his bottom lip. Both of them well knew of the queen's "failure" to produce a male heir, so there was no way the king would take care of her.

"Neji ni san," her voice was soft and delicate like a feather, "i-it's okay...You are father's favorite, and i-it's not your fault. Please don't feel bad." Her eyes shone gently with understanding as she struggled to make a reassuring smile at the boy.

His face refused to lighten up despite her comforting words.

She poked her index fingers together, suddenly feeling remorseful for making her blameless cousin feeling at edge.

Neji's brows creased, "Hinata sama, don't say that." He spoke in a placating tone.

"Here," he quickly pulled something from the pocket of his tunic, "actually, his majesty told me to give you this."

On his palm was a hairband of scarlet threads interwoven with gold. Hinata's eyes widened.

She couldn't hide the slight suspicion in her voice, "But...my hair's too short for this, Neji ni-san."

He insisted, "You could use this as a bracelet till your hair grows long."

When he saw her blush prettily, he finally smiled this time.

He reached out his right hand, and Hinata drew out hers. Then he slipped the bracelet over her wrist.

He looked as if he accomplished something major, "See?"

Hinata looked down on her wrist and didn't say anything for a moment. The red and gold hairband shone like a spangle over her delicate pale wrist. Suddenly feeling unsure at her prolonged silence, Neji swallowed.

Then she lifted her eyes to him. She saw through the stiffness in his smile. She knew that Neji ni was good at everything except one thing—lying.

She felt ashamed of feeling jealous, even for a moment, of Neji's ability to win her father's affection and approval.

She made the brightest smile she could muster, "So fa-father does care for me! Thank you, Neji ni-san!"

He smiled back. When she looked at his eyes, she thought she was looking at twin crescent moons. The soft breeze blew strands of his brown hair across his face.

The eight year old Hinata was not good at describing beautiful smiles, but she knew it was like seeing white doves soar to the turquoise sky or sunflowers blooming in endless meadows. It was like warmth slowly coming back to bring life back to her very being. His smile brought every senses within her to spark like little firelights.

She had to admit. Even at the age of nine, Neji was superior.

"Thank you, Neji ni-san."

But the peace that finally transcended on them shattered soon.

The sunny garden suddenly seemed to be enclosed by dark dreary shadows. Neji felt Hinata's squeeze on his loose indigo tunic that covered his torso when she broke to him the news. Her mother died by disease after giving birth and goddess Kaguya embraced her.

That was when the two learned that death could come at a second. Alive a second ago, but dead and crossing Styx river the next.

Hinata buried her face in the ground. She felt like dropping into a deep hole, the harrowing sounds of the wind ringing at her ear. In the distant, she could hear Neji calling her name. She desperately held onto that one voice, that strong, sturdy tree to hang on in the middle of the tempest, and when she came back to her senses, she found herself in funeral clothes, sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. They were sitting on the steps of the temple of Kaguya. The funeral chants about their patron goddess Kaguya welcoming her children reverberated through the white marble building. The two children huddled on the marble steps, forgotten by the people. It was a strange day. They both felt cold even though it was the middle of summer.

Through muffled sobs, Hinata managed to say, "Neji ni-san, it hurts so much. It hurts..."

She remembered what her guardian Kou said in a gentle voice as he held her.

"Hinata sama, you must no longer cry anymore. Far greater challenges are awaiting you. Please don't cry. You have to be strong. You're the first princess of Cretes, the woman with the highest authority in the kingdom."

"I-I don't know such things, Kou," the child huddled in a ball in his arms, "I-I just want mother, mother-"

Kou sighed, "Then be invisible, Hinata sama," he stroked her hair, "be invisible, so nobody will see your tears. It will keep you safe-"

When she buried her tear-drenched face on her knees, she heard a gentle voice, "I'm sorry, Hinata sama." That is all the nine year old could say, "I am really sorry." She turned her face, still nestled on her knees, to see the turmoil in his eyes from the peripheral. His long hair swept by his face that looked down at her. And for some strange reason, the little girl felt comfort in seeing the stormy look in his face. She was not alone in this storm. For once, she was not alone, not told to be stronger, not told to be something she was not. She had somebody who chose to be with her. It told her that she was visible. He sees her. And if he is the one who sees her, she told herself, nothing else really mattered.

A low male voice called her name, "Hinata."

Hinata's lavender tinted eyes fringed with long lashes opened wide.

She turned to see Sasuke. They were in the middle of the village street, surrounded by market stalls made of wood. Thick trunks were used to buttress the tents. He was looking down at her with concern. She blushed, embarrassed to find herself spaced out in the middle of the streets.

She recalled what caused her to conjure the memory of her mother's death. The sight of the young mother and her child in the market submerged her in deep, dark memories.

Her mother's death when she was eight came as a huge shock to her. She still wasn't sure if it was death by fatigue or suicide. As soon as the mourning was over, she remembered desperately trying to be the right mother figure to her infant sister, protecting her against her father's unjust wrath. Hanabi and her smiles and coos to her when she was a baby helped her to survive and find meaning in the chaos.

It was not just her mother or sister she remembered. She also remembered something else, but she desperately tried to shove the memory down. She told herself, I managed to not remember him today. I will continue to efface this memory. I could. I could do it.

It was Sasuke's firm voice that jolted her back to the present.

She swam back to the surface, her present.

When Sasuke kept staring at her, she tilted her head to a side and made a reassuring smile, "I'm sorry. I-it must be the heat."

She hoped her reddened cheeks would be taken as sign of the sweltering summer weather.

He looked down at her for a moment and then said, "Is there something else we need?"

Hinata knew that he was in fact asking her if she needed anything.

She hummed thoughtfully, her gaze with a faraway look. A grey headress concealed half of her face. Then she said, "olive oil."

He nodded, and ever indulgent, walked with her towards the village's oil craftsman.

As they headed to the oil mill, which was a tent covered with white camel skin, they felt the heat of the brick ovens with the long snouts emitting gushes of heat. Sasuke wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist, and Hinata fanned herself as the heat bellowed aggressively.

Sasuke looked at how the heat was taking a toll on her, "Wait outside. It is too hot in here."

She desperately wanted to be outside and feel the cool breeze blown by the mountainside. But it was her idea to get olive oil, so she felt that she should share the burden, "I c-could wait."

He flicked her on the forehead, "Wait outside." His gesture was playful but his tone brooked no barter.

Her forehead throbbed, and she stared at him temporarily in surprise at his impish behavior.

Soon she sighed and turned, touching her forehead, "this will be the last time this works, Sasuke. You can't use my forehead against me."

Her voice was calm and quiet, but she narrowed her milky orbs at him.

He noncommittally hummed, his arms crossed as he watched her huff as she went out.

The oilsmith joked, "Your bride has sass, Sasuke. She was so quiet before, but now she is quite a little titmouse."

When Sasuke didn't say anything but glared suspiciously at the oilsmith, he added shrewdly with a sly smirk, "It means she is at ease with you."

He withdrew his glare and rolled his eyes as if the oilsmith said something absurd, but a smirk tugged at the end of his mouth.

Unaware of the exchange about her, Hinata watched the crowds go as she waited outside.

She saw a little girl run errands, and two middle aged women barter over exchanging three chickens with a calf.

Then she heard a low male voice bellowing theatrically, "Father killer!" and a woman's shrill voice, "Murderess!"

She froze. She almost dropped her bag made of hemp ropes to the ground. Palpitations of her heart assaulted her with full force, and her fingers trembled. She grabbed her skirt till her knuckles turned white.

Her chest constricted and suddenly she forgot to breath. No amount of oxygen could sooth the harsh respiration.

She slowly moved to see where the voice came from. She barely breathed.

But soon her shoulders relaxed when she saw what it was.

It was a puppet's play. She breathed out a sigh of relief and quickly covered her hot face with her hands, "Oh, gods."

When she raised her face from her hands, she couldn't help but stare at the ragged dolls' drama occurring above a hastily constructed oak scaffold.

The play had quite a throng of spectators, all ranging in the age spectrum, but the majority were children of about seven to fourteen years old.

A young spectator yelled, "Die, you witch!"

Hinata watched the play dryly. It felt strange--watching little children who have never known murder shouting for her death. It felt as if the play wasn't even about her.

The play was at the climactic moment--the part where the brave, valiant prince cuts down the evil first princess who killed her father, the great, wise king.

A puppet doll with long brown hair that surprisingly resembled Neji drew out its sword. Hinata watched the puppet pierce the doll with long black hair.

The doll with long black strings as her hair was meant to represent her--the evil first princess who committed the worse crime to humanity--patricide.

The most noticeable trait about the long black haired doll was the red slits for the eyes. It surly looked demonic.

Red symbolized bloodshed and cruelty, and she couldn't help but bitterly smile at the crude representation. She told herself that it was a relief that the doll did not resemble her, except for her dark hair.

The prince pierced the red eyed evil princess with his sword, and dices of red radishes spilled from the rag doll's chest.

The children cheered at the representation of blood shed, and Hinata merely stared apathetically. But she couldn't help her hands from squeezing painfully into fists. She didn't feel anger—rather she felt numb.

She heard the villagers whisper, "The princess did die, did she?"

"Of course. Such a evil woman should never lift her face."

"I heard she was exiled to a deserted island and died of starvation."

"Who knows. Only the king and the royals."

When she felt drowned in the strangers' voices, she suddenly felt a firm grasp on her shoulder. Her blood ran ice cold.

She whirled around and jerked away from the grasp. Her shocked pale eyes met surprised dark ones.

Sasuke looked momentarily speechless by the sudden way she jerked out of his touch. He seemed to be at lost for words.

Hinata realized her blunder, "Oh, I'm sorry! I-I thought you were someone else."

His brows slightly furrowed, "Hinata." He paused for a moment, "are you okay?"

He pressed the palm of his hand against her forehead, "You look anxious."

"Ah-ah, no," she rubbed her own forehead with a bit of exaggeration, "It must be the heat! We-we should go home!"

She used the word "home" purposefully to change the subject. At the mention of "home," Sasuke seemed visibly relaxed, his posture less tense, but still his face looked concerned.

Feeling a pang of guilt for being manipulative, Hinata smiled and grasped his hand gently, "Let's go home." She was wheedling him, she knew, but she wanted to get themselves out of there before he suspected anything strange.

As they hiked up the mountains, Sasuke went forward. The reason he went forward was to clear out any hindrances and show her which rocks or soft spots of soil she should step on to scale the precipice. Once, he even cleared the pathway for her by getting rid of a snake that was nestling in the middle of the forests. She remembered how he broke a branch and lifted the snake and tossed it off to the side as if it was a worm, while she was close to fainting.

She looked at him and wondered in silence. Should I ask him?

"Sa-Sasuke?"

He stopped and turned slightly. He silently asked her what was in her mind.

Drawing courage from his attention, she asked tentatively, "Sasuke...what do you think...of the first princess?"

Even someone who led such a secluded lifestyle as Sasuke knew of the story about the first princess who murdered her father.

He said nonchalantly, "They say she killed her own father."

His dark eyes glanced at her. Hinata tried to not show her nervousness.

Then he shrugged, "It is surprising to me that nobody knows what happened to her. She might as well died."

There was no moralistic judgment in his voice, nor curiosity of the cursed princess's fate. Just indifference.

It was very Sasuke of him, but she didn't know why she felt such a pang of disappointment stabbing at her chest.

Hinata forced herself to smile, "Yes, def-definitely."

The hot humid weather even penetrated into the depths of the forests where they resided. The forest was usually cool, but the hot wind infiltrated every nook and cranny of their hut, and it felt suffocating to even just stand still underneath the trees.

Hinata really felt the need for a bath.

So when Sasuke told her that they should go to the creek, she was overjoyed and took his and her spare clothes.

It was their daily ritual to take turns keeping watch and bathing.

So she followed Sasuke to the creek by the white poplar trees to take her regular bath. But to her shock and huge disappointment, they faced a dried up creek.

With an apathetic facade, Sasuke lightly kicked a pebble that was sitting in the bottom of the dried creek.

He swept his forehead with the back of his forehead and squinted as he gazed at the blinding sun, "We're going somewhere else."

She was surprised. Was possible to find a spot to take a bath? She thought the creek was the only place that offered fresh water.

He stated, "It is a bit deeper into the forests." He glanced at her, "do you think you will be fine with the travel?"

She nodded, but she couldn't answer in enthusiasm because of the immense heat sucking energy from every marrow of her being.

He looked at her, his brows furrowed. Before, Hinata would have thought that he was frowning because he felt inconvenienced. She used to be afraid whenever he frowned. But now, she had the belief that he was concerned for her.

He turned and she obediently followed. He threaded through the twisted vines and rocks and protruding roots as if he was one with the elements.

Even though she was not as graceful, she managed to keep her pace. Living in the forests and navigating her way was hard at first, but she became accustomed to the forest paths.

He encouraged her, "We're almost there."

As he went up a particularly steep part, he turned and stretched his hand. Her pale small hand grasped his, and he lifted her up and they safely landed on level ground.

Hinata was simply relieved to be walking on level footing. The coolness of the shades provided by the canopy above also kept her happy and content instead of frustrated and stressed for the rest of the travel. As they walked, she saw some small purple flowers, the size of the tiny bronze coin that was the minimal currency in Cretes.

When she paused to gently touch the purple flowers, Sasuke stopped and watched. Thinking that she was stalling him, she quickly retracted her touch.

Before she could utter an apology, Sasuke said in a monotone, "You really like flowers."

She felt suddenly bashful, "Th-they're beautiful." She spoke slightly defensively.

He stared at her without a word. Hinata sensed a change in the way he looked at her, almost as if he was calculating something. It made her slightly nervous.

She almost felt as if he could see through her heart. His gaze was sharp and piercing.

But he turned and kept going without a word.

When they arrived, Hinata couldn't help but stand in awe of the new spot. It was a pond that was worth the envy of water nymphs. There was a roughly circular pool of clear green water, speckled with the pink lotuses and bulbous water hyacinths floating on the surface. Water lilies the color of light blue floated tranquilly.

She knelt down and caused ripples on the smooth green water with her fingers. She felt giddy at the prospect of diving into the water.

Sasuke stared down at her reflection on the water, "It's a nice place, but it takes a while to get here."

Her eyes were transfixed by the beauty,"How did you find such place?"

"By accident," he turned around and sauntered off a few feet away from the pond, "I will keep watch. Go ahead."

She didn't need to be told twice. "Th-thank you," she hurriedly discarded her dress. The fabric pooled down at her ankles, and she stepped out naked. Even though she knew nobody was watching, she crossed her arms over her breasts.

She carefully tapped the surface of the water with her big toe. Then she slowly submerged her pale calf into the green water.

She heard Sasuke warn her in a raised voice, "Be careful of the rocks in the bottom."

"I-I'll be careful-"

She heard him grunt and she smiled secretively.

The water was delightfully cold and a shock of icy chill ran across her spine. It was so hot that the water's coolness felt deeply welcoming.

It took her a few moments to finally get her torso under water, but when she did, she quickly submerged herself head deep into the water.

She soared up the surface with a bounce, feeling the wet mud cool underneath her toes. Even the sensation of the mud underneath her toes gave her childish bliss. It felt like stepping on soft, pliant dough. The feeling of the cold water lapping at her skin was so delicious that she started bouncing up and down in quiet joy.

A pink lotus with spear shaped petals caught her eye and she waded towards the flower. To her delight, she saw more white water lilies floating.

The aquatic scent of water lilies drifted in the air and delighted her. She lifted her black curtain of a hair with her slender arms and tossed it to a sideway knot and squeezed the excess moisture.

But she still remembered Sasuke's warning to be careful of big rocks. She waded carefully and deliberately in the water, and then she felt the smooth sliminess of a big rock right in front of her. The moist green lichen and moss contributed to the strange sensation of sliminess of the rock. It bewildered her but also fascinated her.

Feeling adventurous, she stood on top of the high rock and looked around her. Only her legs were in the water. She looked up at the tall oak trees surrounding the pond and saw the leaves' shadows dance on her breasts and torso. She scooped up a handful of water and splashed herself. She wiped across her neck with her hand. Her long indigo hair was plastered to her spine.

She watched her hands dipping into the murky green water and scoop up the crystal clean water from the depths.

With the scoop of water in her hands, she closed her eyes and lifted her chin and breathed in the clear air.

The sunlight gleamed on her wet body, the light travelling across the curve of her spine down to her buttocks to her smooth thighs.

Her wet eyelashes sparkled in the light, and her lips were opened slightly like a chaste lily bud.

She was so absorbed by the quiet, beautiful scenery that nothing could obstruct her joy and concentration.

So when she glanced at Sasuke's direction, she was startled to see him watching her with an inscrutable expression.

She felt heat rise to her cheeks, but she also stared back at him, as if she was challenging him. She was sure her cheeks were turning red, but she felt strangely bold and defiant as he stared at her.

Maintaining his stoic demeanor, he walked towards her. She felt her heart palpitate for every step he was getting closer.

She balked and stepped back. She wonderee if something was amiss with him. Before, Sasuke never impinged on her privacy when she was taking a bath. He always resolutely turned his back to her while she was bathing. She thought he would continue to practice such decency even though they were married. She never expected the stoic man to suddenly act so shamelessly.

The shameless man squatted over the bank and rested his elbows on his knees, fixing his gaze on her face. He rested his temple on his knuckles and tilted his head to a side and watched.

Feeling defeated, Hinata submerged into the water, only her opalescent eyes peering above the surface. She blinked. Her dark indigo hair spread across the surface like saturated satin. She hoped the coldness of the water would chase away the redness of her face.

He broke the silence. He spoke in a monotone, but there was a weight to every syllable he uttered, "Come here, Hinata."

Hinata hesitated. Her milky eyes fluttered above the green water, and her gaze darted to the side.

But when her eyes drifted back to him, she felt magnetized to his fiery gaze.

She grabbed a nearby lily pad, the size of a big fan, and used it to keep her modesty when she lifted herself halfway from the water.

Dark eyes, so pure in its blackness, stared at her naked form, saved for the dark green lily pad for her breasts.

He lifted his roughened hand and pressed his palm against her wet cheek. She, at first, started, but soon learned to rest into his caress, tilting her head to a side to press her cheek against his palm. A bead of water dropped from her cheek down to his hand and arm.

Gazing into her, he said quietly, "Beautiful."