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This chapter is all about Sasuke. Mostly.

Enjoy!

"He's not as complicated as you think," Sakura said nonchalantly as they strolled through the market place, "He seems all cold and hardcore but he's not really."

Hinata responded with an incredulous look.

"I'm serious! It took us years to crack open that hard-boiled egg and it wasn't easy, I'll tell ya!"

Hinata smiled. She and Sakura had become quite good friends in a short amount of time and Hinata enjoyed her company immensely. Sakura was fun, lively, cleverly witty and exotically pretty with her rosette hair and emerald eyes. No wonder men were attracted to her. And she was independent, ferociously loyal and wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in.

"Look, if you really want to do something about it, you could try starting a conversation with him. That's still going to be pretty hard, but try anyway. And make sure you ask him something important that he cant reply with a yes, no, or Hn to."

Hinata though she would have more luck convincing a pig to fly.

"I-I'll try, but I-I'm n-not sure if he'll listen to me."

"Then say something that will make him listen."

"B-but–"

"Aww, Don't worry lovie, he will okay? Chin up! And if it doesn't work the first time, just try again! Persistence is key my friend!" Sakura saw the dejected look in her friend's eyes and made mental note to have a 'word' with her raven-haired teammate. She didn't see Hinata as a threat to her relationship with Sasuke, and all Hinata wanted to do was get along with her teammate.

"C'mon, I think see the boys up ahead. They'd better save us good seats at Ichiraku or things are going to get ugly. Last time, I had to sit next to an old geezer who kept winking at me and trying to get my number." She shuddered comically.

Hinata giggled and followed her friend.

Team seven were truly one of a kind.

In the beginning, Hinata could not understand why they fought constantly and unnecessarily over stupid little things but it was simply how they communicated. They loved to pick fights with each other and even their compliments were disguised as insults. They made up just as much as they argued, and Sakura had once remarked early on that if team seven wasn't fighting in some shape or form, then something was seriously wrong. Hinata had laughed quietly at the time but later discovered that Sakura wasn't really joking.

Even though they appeared mismatched and incohesive to an outsider, the seams of their friendship were iron clad, and their love and support for each other was unparalleled. They complimented each other perfectly and they were more of a family than the Hyuuga ever were.

She hadn't been happy in a long time and was slowly starting to get reacquainted with normal life. Life with Hiro (that psycho) was anything but normal and despite the circumstances, Hinata would say that she was doing quite well. She signed the divorce papers as soon as she received them. She didn't even pause to read the content. She was yet to hear her family's response and she was getting progressively restless as the days went on. She wanted to sever her ties with Hiro as soon as possible and move on with her life. Deep down, she still loved the Hyuuga and would care for them always – but enough was enough. They disrespected her, hurt her, neglected her, and turned a blind eye to her misfortune. Hinata always had a nagging feeling they may have even encouraged Hiro, which was very unnerving.

It was over now, but it would be a long time before she was whole again.

Ironically, the only way to get through to Sasuke was to 'get up all in his face' and annoy him. Hinata wasn't quite sure how that worked but it was worth a shot.

But s She knew that in the bottom of her heart They had seen everything that happened with their byakugan eyes and

For the first time in his life, Sasuke wasn't quite sure what to do.

Sensitivity really wasn't his thing.

Being battered to the bone by an enemy shinobi was one thing, but being abused in your own home was quite another. Day by day, he felt his anger grow towards Hiro and the Hyuuga; Hiro for being an abusive bastard and the Hyuuga for being an oppressive, good-for-nothing cult. The memory of her that night was permanently etched into his mind and although he held no affection for the frail Hyuuga, no one deserved to be treated the way she had.

He should have pummeled their faces in when he had the chance.

For the most part, she was a lovely young woman who strived to please the people around her. Unfortunately, but she was also incredibly shy and sensitive. She certainly wasn't meant to be a shinobi and even less fit to be the heir to a clan like the Hyuuga.

Sasuke vaguely found himself wondering what his family would have thought of her. She was kind and selfless, well suited for the position of the dutiful wife and a loving mother. She was probably the kind of girl his mother would've liked but that wasn't enough. His father and Itachi would have blatantly disapproved. Main families needed strong heirs who were able to lead and protect their clan – and that including the daughters. They needed to be strong physically and emotionally, and carry many burdens on their shoulders.

A weak heir meant a weak clan, and a weak clan was destined for death and destruction.

A huge part of him pitied her for being the weak heir to a clan like the Hyuuga, but fate was a cruel thing. In the academy, he recalled her struggling through shinobi lessons despite possessing the byakugan. She was demure, shy and stuttered heavily – traits that were unfitting for a Hyuuga heir.

Sasuke realized that although she may have had the clan and the living family, but in the end what use were they to her? She was probably more alone and isolated than he was. Heck, his entire compound was empty but at the end of the day, Sasuke knew that he was well loved and that was more than what he could say for her.

Still, she didn't deserve the cruel hand that was dealt to her. She didn't ask to be the firstborn or the Hyuuga heiress. She couldn't change who she was and it was unfortunate for her life to have folded out the way it had.

He wanted to approach her, maybe reassure her and possibly even comfort her, but he wouldn't know what to say. He was never good at this kind of thing and his social skills were abysmal. If he tried to do or say something it would probably come out weird and awkward. So Sasuke did what he did best: he ignored her.

His original theory was that if he disregarded what happened her, maybe she would too… But this was excruciatingly hard considering he could hear her piercing screams and violent tossing and turning during her sleep. He couldn't recall the number of times he stood outside her bedroom door, internally fighting with himself about whether he should go in or not.

Once upon a time that was his reality, and no one had been there to help him.

He wasn't sure if Hinata would appreciate him barging into her room in the middle of the night and given what she had been through, she probably wouldn't take too well to a man in her bedroom.

In the end, despite the nagging feeling of wanting to help her, Sasuke did nothing. Then, he would stalk off into the kitchen, pour himself to a drink (or three) and listen to her scream, cry, and fight the demons in her sleep on her own – just as he had.

During the day, she was like a frigid, timid little mouse who practically jumped out of her skin at the smallest things: a door opening, rustling of clothing, footsteps, objects falling and the list unfortunately went on. She trembled nervously while doing the most mundane of tasks, such as folding the laundry or washing the dishes as if someone was watching her.

A basic household chore took longer than it should have to complete and after each task, she would go back and inspected her work. If it were not up to her standards, she would become flustered and started all over again. Sasuke distinctly remembered one afternoon where she had been folding his laundry when she suddenly gasped in horror at something in particular and then began to wash and fold the whole lot all over again (Sasuke had thought it was an intruder and instinctively pulled out his kunai ready to slit their throat). After that, she ironed each of his shirts at least three times (his pants twice) until they were each as flat as a board.

And then there was the food issue.

Each mealtime (except for breakfast) began with an appetizer, followed by an entrée, a main course and ended with a decadent desert after dinner. Each meal was cooked to perfection and presented as a restaurant quality dish. For someone who was used to take out, instant ramen (courtesy of Naruto), bland meals and microwave dinners, Sasuke suddenly felt like a pampered prince, but given the situation, he wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The worst thing was that Hinata barely ate any of the wonderful food she had cooked. Her serving portions were considerably smaller than his and she picked at her meal like a little robin. It was no surprise that she was remarkably underweight and thin. Sasuke frowned. He liked his women curvy and well nourished.

When he discussed his concerns with Sakura, she had said that Hinata's behavior was common for people who had undergone abuse at the hands of their partners. It would take some time for her to recover from physical and psychological trauma that had been inflicted upon her. The only thing they could do was to support her and be patient with her.

This morning, Sakura mentioned that it might be worth a try for Sasuke try to engage Hinata in conversation to help build up her confidence and self-esteem. Without thinking, Sasuke scoffed and retorted that he was an ANBU captain and not a miracle worker. Sakura shot him the deadliest glare he had ever seen and threatened that if he didn't do as she had asked, she would personally finalize the extinction of the Uchiha clan.

Sasuke immediately got the hint and shut his mouth.

Yes, Sakura was his beloved teammate and friend but lets face it: she was crazy and Sasuke valued his ability to reproduce. She was the last person you'd want against you and Sasuke didn't put it past her to carry out her threat. And yes, Sasuke hated bratty little children; but he still needed them in order to restore his clan. He frowned at the joke Naruto had made when he had gone out drinking; something about reproducing via mitosis.

So there he was, trying to figure what to say to a timid little mouse who was practically scared of her own shadow.

Gathering an armload of groceries they had purchased this morning, Hinata climbed onto the old kitchen stool and began to place them where they belonged in the cabinet. When some of the tomato cans shifted in her arms, she began to struggle with her balance as the stool started to wobble. Hinata closed her eyes in anticipation of colliding head first with the floor when a pair of hands settled on her waist, steadying her. Hinata froze when she realized that Sasuke was standing right behind her, the pressure of his touch strong and capable, but respectful. She tensed immediately and she could feel the warmth of his hands seep through her thin yakuta and felt her pulse rocket at the unfamiliar contact.

"Do you want me to put those away for you?" he asked, his hands still on her waist.

"N-no, I'll be o-okay. T-thank you…"

"Hn."

His hands left her, but he stayed nearby. Hinata tried desperately to calm herself as she put away the last remaining boxes of groceries. He was standing way too close for her liking. The only man to ever hold her waist was Hiro and Hinata flushed red when she realized Sasuke was the second.

"You need to be more careful." He admonished.

Hinata hugged herself, her eyes downcast. "I-I'm sorry. I w-will."

Sasuke mentally hit himself. "That stool's no good… I don't even know why we still have it."

A conversation! Now was her chance!

"O-Oh, how come?" she ventured.

"I broke my arm on it when I was five trying to steal Itachi's share of cookies while he was out training. Needless to say, I never did it again."

Hinata giggled softly. "W-what kind were t-they?"

"Hey, check this out." Shikamaru drawled, handing Naruto a suspiciously large folder.

Naruto made a face, clearly not wanting to go through the daunting file. "What is it?"

Shikamaru sighed. The rambunctious blonde was becoming troublesome. He was getting increasingly restless and reckless. They had been working on Hinata's divorce case for weeks but they weren't getting anywhere. The Hyuuga were being particularly difficult and uncooperative even though the hokage office had significant evidence against them and they were in serious breach of Konoha law and ethics and basic human rights.

Last week, the Hyuuga (who were now equally frustrated) claimed that Hinata was their property, for the Hyuuga to do with as they pleased and that was the bottom line. They wanted to 'stop this divorce nonsense at once' and demanded the return of their heiress. They said that Hinata's duty was to the clan and to her husband Hiro, who was supposedly very distressed and hurt at her untimely departure. In their eyes, Hinata had brought unparalleled and unnecessary shame upon the clan and disrespected her husband to the highest degree.

She was expected to return to the Hyuuga, apologize for her actions and seek forgiveness from her husband and the clan. In their eyes, the thought of divorce was inconceivable and would not be happening, especially between two members of main family and for weeks, they completely disregarded the considerable evidence against them. Hiro strongly denied the allegations and went on to say that they were in fact 'happily married' and were 'simply going through a rough patch'. He wanted his wife back so that they could work out their issues and continue with their married life.

He refused to sign the divorce papers, fully aware that the hokage office could not force him to sign the documents. He re-iterated that it was not in the rights of Hokage office to interfere in a matter that concerned a husband and his wife, and to the Hyuuga, the very notion of divorce was shameful and it was something that only took place among commoners.

The memory had made his blood boil and Naruto was absolutely murderous, and Sasuke had to be called in to hold down the fox demon vessel. Shikamaru truly sympathized with Hinata from the bottom of his heart. When heard about what had happened to her, he was shocked to say the least.

True, the Hyuuga weren't exactly your average 'loving family' type but he never expected something like this.

But now...

"Hinata's original marriage certificate and supporting documents that were taken from the Hyuuga compound last week. Notice that the blood print is not her own despite the fact that Hinata was of consenting age at the time of her supposed wedding."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization.

Shikamaru smirked and continued, "which means that according to Konoha law, their marriage is null and void."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, his weary eyes brightening instantly as he put on his Kage hat.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?! Move out!"

Watch out Hyuuga.

Here we come.

I really hope you liked this chapter :)

Hmmm, I wonder what Naruto will do? More importantly, what will the Hyuuga will do?

Will Hinata finally get the closure she needs... ?

A/N: I really want to know what you guys think of Sasuke and especially how he is portrayed in my story. I know he's a bit different from other fanfiction but I hope you will bear with me... there is a method to my madness, I swear! ;)

Reviews give me wonderful euphoric highs =) hehe! *hints suggestively