- Pluck -
Part II
Chapter 22: Temporary
Companion song: Will by Satoru Kōsaki (Beastars). This song is the inspiration for the song Hinata and Shino play; it's not exactly what plays in my head, as this piece has many more instruments, but it's similar.
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does. You matter. Stop running away and start helping yourself. Please."
Somehow, she always knew the right things to say to just make him completely forget the years of self-control that he had drilled and tattooed into his skull. It was aggravating. Insulting. Humiliating.
Exactly what he needed.
Because she was also right. It was about time Sasuke Uchiha started thinking about Sasuke Uchiha and not about Naruto Uzumaki or Itachi Uchiha or Hinata Hyuuga. They were adults. They could think for themselves. They didn't need him holding their hand and watching their back constantly.
He needed help.
He needed to start helping himself.
And to do that, he needed to be honest.
Because Sasuke Uchiha was a bad liar, and it was starting to get annoying to hear all the shit he spouted to others.
So when he told her to cover her ears and she did, he leaned over the table, arms keeping his steady, and looked right at her. Not around her. Not in her direction.
Her.
Because he was talking to her —
"Stop being a stupid piece of shit."
And to himself.
"I took you in my dream. I stole your from Naruto. I kissed you like I want to kiss you now, and I didn't regret a damn thing about it."
Her eyes stared at his mouth, as if trying to decipher what he was saying.
But he wanted it to be for a different reason.
"I'm in love with you," he said, slowly, in case she might pick up what he said. He reached over and circled her right wrist. "And I don't plan on giving up, Hinata."
And when he swiped her hand against the left side of his face, he felt like a thousand tons were lifted off his body. It was amazing. Thrilling. Exuberating.
"There," he sighed. "Satisfied?"
Not really.
Not at all.
But it was the first step, and he pulled back before he lost what little control he had and kissed her like he had in his dream.
Because that was too selfish, even for a now very selfish Uchiha.
A month of dark waters and coffee did a lot to a person.
But then again, Hinata supposed she was used to it.
It was all habit now. Waking up to chilly water, ripping into her breakfast and, maybe, jumping to the surface to give her hair a quick wash. Then she was at that table that she was so used to, a mug usually in her left hand while her right was occupied in someone's stickers, tugging and plucking and brushing them away. It did not take long for people to come find her once again, and she was sure some of them were returning patients, though she had trouble distinguishing them from newcomers.
It was scary at first.
All these people with all these problems who came to her for help. Because she was anonymous, because she had a reputation, because she was their last choice - she wasn't sure why they came to her, in particular. But they did. And as the days swept by, she got better and better and plucking those pesky weeds from their face and helping them feel like the universe wasn't against them.
Scary, at first; then it felt nice.
Sasuke was right. She helped people.
She . . . helped people.
...
"How awful!"
It had been announced that Naruto and Sakura were engaged that morning, and that they were planning a massive, astonishing wedding for all to come and enjoy. Of course, Hinata was well aware it was all a part of the plan. They needed to make sure their relationship seemed real, still, so that no suspicion of them learning the truth and of Ino's betrayal would come to her stalker. The news was a big piece of conversation passed through the Hall, and it wasn't even late morning when Hinata received her third, heartbroken girl who had been so sure that, one day, His Grace would find her through the muck and fall desperately and instantly in love with her
Somehow, Hinata couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards them as she rubbed their shoulders and plucked their faces.
But that wasn't the main fiasco of the day.
Tsunade was, at that moment, having a fit behind the bar. After downing her fifth glass of sake, she slammed the crystal down on the polished bartop, sneering and wiping at her mouth, smearing some of her bright lipstick. Those eyes of hers were sharp and glaring at every face that passed her, as if they were the cause of her dour mood. But of course they weren't. In fact -
"What the hell is that kid thinking?"
She was mad for her sake, Hinata knew.
It seemed that, somehow, Tsunade knew about her past relationship with Naruto. Jiraiya must have had an idea of it, too, with how he didn't bother to calm the pissed woman as he rubbed vigorously at the bar's already sparkling glasses. Ino must not have reached them when she set out to erase as many memories of her and Naruto as possible. And while that was good in the grand scheme of things -
"Hinata, I - I swear, I'll kill him. I don't care what happens to me. The fact that he'd do this to you is -"
"D-Do . . . what, Tsunade?"
But to most of the universes, Hinata was still a mess of a girl who lost her wings and her memory, and like Naruto and Sakura had to play into their engagement, she had to play into that facade. Which hurt terribly. She hated lying to Tsunade, to Jiraiya, to Kakashi. They were nothing but kind to her, this entire time.
But . . . she had to. For the sake of her safety, and that of others.
"Oh, right." Tsunade's anger simmered and hissed, then disappeared as she glanced away. "Nothing. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Hinata felt her chest split in two, but she faked a smile and did not press further, instead sitting in her spot waiting for a distraction to come, and come quickly.
...
And it did, in the form of a somewhat familiar face.
A tell man approached her table in a way no other had - except for one, of course. Sasuke. There was purpose in his stride. He did not hesitate like many do, questioning if she was the real deal, if she was even worth their time. Hinata made sure to glance Shino's way, and when his head tilted back and showed no signs of danger, she relaxed and allowed the man to come closer.
"Moon."
Deep voice. Thin eyes. Wild hair that did not match his reserved posture and soft expression. Yes, she's seen this face before. He was in the Guard, and while she never saw him while she was staying in one of the cells, she did recall his face showing up a few times when Sasuke would bring her to see Suigetsu.
"My name is Juugo." Her puzzled expression must have escaped the shadow of her hood, for those were his first words to her when he reached her side. His smile was calm and relaxed; it did not match the normal look of a Guard at all. Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe she did not know him. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm here to take you to see our Head."
Ah, so he was.
And now that she was looking closely, she was sure -
"You're . . . Sasuke's friend."
His smile widened a tad. "Yes, I am." He reached out a massive palm that was at least three times the size of her own, peach scars littering the skin and some of his joints looking lopsided and awkward. But when she took that offered hand, he did not crush it or even come close to hurting her as he gave it a light grasp and helped her to her feet. "Please, allow me to guide you there."
There was no particular reason for him to aside from safety, as she knew well how to navigate herself to the Guard at that point, but Hinata nodded and passed Tsunade a look, mouthing that she would be back. Shino continued to play without pause, and she knew she would be safe with Juugo.
"May I ask what this is about?" she asked as they made their way down the Hall, through a thicket of people.
It was not until they reached the other side did he answer. "I wish I could tell you, but I'm not at liberty to know." Juugo stared at her for a moment, and she quickly realized it was her eyes that had caught his attention. "But I believe it is a continuation of something you have discussed with him in the past."
Hinata hadn't a clue what the Head of the Guard could possibly want with her, so she made sure to keep up with his pace as they made their way to the Guard.
Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to arrive.
But, un-thankfully, there was a rather large commotion that caused an uproar of Guards of every kind running about the place like ants in a panic.
"What!?" It wasn't hard to recognize that screaming voice. Karin had a sort of presence that simply could not be forgotten, and even if Hinata rarely speaks or sees her outside of small talk while they were visiting Ino, she still would remember the absolute power behind everything Karin did. And right now, it was yelling at the top of her lungs. "You lost him? How the HELL did you lose him!?"
There was blubbering and a cacophony of footfalls as bodies swarmed the hallways, and Juugo blinked at the people rushing past them. Hinata stayed close to him, unsure of the situation transpiring about them. And rather than asking questions or joining the . . . search for whoever was missing, he simply gave her a slanted smile and plopped a heavy hand on her shoulder.
"Give us a bit," he told her. "I'm sure he's busy right now with . . . this, but I'll go find him and tell him of your appearance."
Hinata nodded and caught the hem of his tunic before he could walk away. His eyes, a bit wide, glanced at her over his shoulder, and Hinata turned to the main hallway where a few Guards still swarmed.
"While you're doing that, um . . ."
He must have caught on, for he smiled and gave her shoulder a gentle push in the direction she was facing. "Go ahead. I'll come get you when he's ready."
He left, and so did she, taking careful precaution to avoid anyone who could possibly bump into her.
She knew the way to Suigetsu's room well, as Sasuke has taken her multiple times in the past month. There was a coldness in the medical wing that was more . . . strange than uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because the last time she was there, it was when she was on the brink of death and her back had to be stitched back together at an excruciating pace. Well, no matter what it was, it sent the hair on her arms standing, and Hinata made sure to quicken her pace halfway to Suigetsu.
Turning a corner, she was met with a grey hallway that stretched on for what seemed like forever. From what she recalled, he was the sixth door on the right, and Hinata hadn't even noticed that it was cracked open until her fingers were already turning down the handle.
There was a creak, then a swift of fabric and feathers. Through the crack, bright as the very walls of the room, she saw the marvelous, impossible sight of three pairs of wings stretching from one, lone back. It made her spine feel like it could shatter at the mere idea of how painful a thing that must have been - six wings, all inside one person. The weight must have been terrible. The balance - irritating.
But there were no lines of discomfort or agitation in that one back; instead, the indent of the spine was an elegant slope, and the rest of the body did not teeter or wobble. Perfect. It was all so perfect.
And that could only mean -
"Ah."
That she was in the presence of a God, and a significant weight came to Hinata's knees when bright, silver eyes turned to peer down at her.
"There you are, Princess."
...
"Toneri," she sighed without even realizing it.
He paused halfway through turning to her, his left hovering just a few inches over the laid, sheet-covered, unmoving body of Suigetsu. Somehow, with the Moon King looming next to him, that subtle rise and fall of his chest looked almost . . . .
"You -" Pale lips dipped in a small, confused frown, "remember my name?"
And she heard his voice, but the words simply did not register in her mind. Her gaze was still stuck on those wings that framed his grand figure, shadowed the highlights of his fine robes, fluttered with every wisp of air in the room. Again, her back ached, and she forced herself to look at his face, if only to try and get herself to focus.
And that face was - startling.
Nothing like her cousin, despite the same, drab expression they shared. There was something else to Toneri's gaze. Something she knew well. Something that was on the tip of her tongue. Something that seemed so unlike the rest of him, and Hinata felt like her rib bones were melting away and pooling into her intestines like lava.
The heaviness in her knees overcame her, and she fell to the floor, head bowed.
"I-I'm so sorry!" For whatever reason, his name was all she could think of, and it was a terrible struggle to remember how to properly address him. "U-Um, Your Highness -"
"Enough of that." His robes glided over to her, and a cool hand lifted her chin up. "You don't belong down there, Princess."
Slowly, she stood once again, feeling awkward and small. Unable to look in his direction, she turned to Suigetsu and tiptoed to him, grasping one of his cold hands, feeling that familiar, rough skin of his palm. Her head was still foggy and racing, but seeing him still alive and breathing helped calm her.
Wait.
That's right. Three sets of wings, because . . . .
"Y-You saved his life," Hinata whispered, looking down at Suigetsu's face. "I - I thought for sure he'd be dead, but - but you - why?"
It shouldn't feel so odd to talk casually to a king, as she's clearly done it with Naruto and Gaara. But Toneri had a way of presenting himself that commanded respect, and even being in the same room as him felt like a blessing, not to mention the fact that the only reason why Suigetsu was alive right then was because of him.
And it was that same, powerful, commanding king that stood at her side and looked down at Suigetsu with passive perfection, as if unaware of the true miracle he had done.
"Naruto," he mused, head tilted a bit her way. "He asked me to. Guilt overwhelmed him, I suppose. I'm sure you're aware how he is - can't help but see the good in people, no matter the wrongs they've committed."
And Hinata nearly had the mind to agree with him, but she bit her tongue and reminded herself to stick to her facade. With a small bow to her chin, she whispered, "I'm sorry, but I actually don't - um - but it's not that I don't believe you!" He gave her a curious look, and she smiled and dipped her chin his way. "Thank you for saving him. I'm so grateful, and I wish I could repay you somehow."
He, for a moment, stared down at her. Then, his wings swept behind him as he fully turned to her, and said, "Call me Toneri."
Her heart squeezed, but she nodded. "Thank you, Toneri."
Courageous, she found the strength to look him in the eye again - and, again, was left completely breathless. There was another something in his gaze that seemed so odd on his face, but this one, she recognized. It . . . reminded her of Sasuke, somehow; of the way he'd look at her, watch her, carefully guard her. No lightning, no buzz of power, but everything else was there. The heat. The unyielding power.
"Ah - Your Highness - there you are!"
Hinata took a step back and pulled herself away from him when Karin came into the room, practically hanging off the door frame. There was a flustered pink to her face as she tried to adjust her wrinkled and messy appearance, then dipped her head to the stout Moon King.
"I'm sorry," Toneri murmured, leaving her and Suigetsu's side to come to Karin, "I only wished to see him."
"No, no," Karin gasped, straightening up, "it's fine. You're fine. Let - if you're done, I'd be happy to escort you to the entrance."
The small incline of his head was all she needed to twirl on her heels and click her way down the hallway. When Toneri turned to shoot Hinata a final, passing glance, that fiery look was gone from his face, and his smile was placid and polite as he floated away, as if he hadn't been there in the first place.
...
Dread was not an easy thing to forget. It stayed in the body forever, sleeping when you thought it was gone, only to lift its ugly head when the time was right.
Entering the Head of the Guard's office was full of complete and utter dread. Her body and senses were reacting even if her mind could not conjure a memory of the place, of the very man she was set to meet.
And he looked . . . about as villainous as she expected for someone who could ignite such terrible fear in her unsuspecting body.
Long, black hair, thin glowing eyes, twisted smirk, thin and crooked fingers that tapped lightly against the top of his desk; the man sent poison into her stomach with a mere glance from him, and she gave Juugo a begging look when he brought her into the room.
"Thank you, Juugo," the Head hissed, low and smooth and slimy. "You may leave."
He could only give her an apologetic look before he left and shut the door securely behind him. Shivering, Hinata stayed in the middle of the dark room, unsure what to do or what to say. And the man, well aware of her state, took great pleasure in stretching the silence out and watching her squirm beyond his folded hands.
And then, at last, he spoke.
"I have decided that you will be moved and trained to work here, Hyuuga. Consider yourself lucky."
Huh? She blinked. Here? At the Guard?
Her mind was still frozen in the white walls of the medical wing. It took some time to piece his words together, and even longer to try and understand why he would possibly decide such a thing.
"But," she whispered, unsure if she had the right to speak, but feeling like she had to say something, "your order . . . a month ago . . . was to have me settle back into my old -"
"And you have," he interjected. "Quite smoothly, from what I hear. Enough time has passed for you to move your sights and efforts here without arousing much suspicion." The way his eyes skimmed her face made her feel like he was reading her like a book, and she pulled her hood closer to her head. But it was too late. He saw what he wanted to see and smirked. "We've discussed this in the past, though, of course, you wouldn't remember that. Your abilities will be quite helpful with my Guards, and Kabuto is a great teacher."
Her blood froze at the idea of that man being her instructor. Should she protest? Was that the right thing to do? But if what he said was true, then his men needed her; the very people who aided her when she needed it most. Wasn't it best to return the favor?
Well . . . she supposed it didn't matter. He didn't look like he was giving her much of a choice.
"S-Sir, I -"
"Orochimaru," he hummed, his smirk curling in satisfaction, "though 'sir' does sound nice from your sweet mouth, Moon Witch."
Don't say that, she thought, eyes sinking to the ground. Only Sasuke can call me that.
"I -" She gulped. "I . . ." And hesitated and wondered how any of this could have happened. If she had her memory, would she know? Or would it have been sudden either way? "I . . . will try my hardest to help in whatever way I can."
He nodded, pleased. "As I suspected. The next week will get you settled, and then Kabuto will be instructed to teach and train you." Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, curtains of hair sweeping over his shoulder. "Don't disappoint me, Hyuuga."
And . . . she wouldn't.
Because she had no choice, really.
This . . . is temporary.
The impact of the statement was humming in her breast, but it was not a sad sort of feeling. Nor was it overly happy. In fact, Hinata felt quite indifferent, but it still made her look at things from a new perspective.
Despite everything that has been slowly planted in her mind by Ino's nimble hands, she still did not remember much of this place. Only bits and pieces of it from her memories of Sasuke and Naruto and Suigetsu, so maybe it was for that reason that when she heard that she'd soon be moved to work in the Guard, it did not feel like she would leave much behind. Of course, she would miss Kakashi and Tsunade and Jiraiya, but she could always visit. And there were people out there with stickers weighing down their faces, but Hinata knew that even if she stayed, she would not be able to help all of them. But if she plucked at the faces of the Guards, maybe then she'd aid more than just a select few.
But the cornered chair below a dim light, the murmur of conversation always present somewhere in the background, the hiss of portals in the distance; she would not miss it as much as she expected she would.
Did that make her heartless, or adaptive?
And . . . the quiet Aburame at the front, bringing people in with his songs; he was temporary, too, she realized. Because there would be no reason for him once she was in the safest place in the universes. Surely, she'd miss him and his music, even if they barely got to know each other in the long month he's been her bodyguard.
Sad, really. She had made a friend with her last two bodyguards.
It seemed unfair to him that they had to stay apart.
Maybe . . . I should speak to him.
But the few times she had gotten a word in with him, there was always something awkward and shaky between him. Maybe she said something that he did not understand, or maybe he struggled to speak in her tongue; it was always difficult, and she didn't want to force him into something that made him uncomfortable.
Should I buy him a drink?
That was also tricky. The first few times she had done that with Sasuke, he had outright refused them. And, sure, Suigetsu always took them with little hesitation, but Shino, she dared to say, had more in common with Sasuke than Suigetsu. That, and she hadn't a clue what he liked. What if she got him something he hated, and he would begin to dislike her?
Hinata knew well that she could not make everyone like her; but a bodyguard, she supposed, was an important one who should.
So talking with him was out of the question. Buying him something was a risk she was not willing to take. What other options were there?
The question stuck to her the next day, when she visited Ino once again.
"What shall we work on today?" she asked, braiding her long hair behind her back with perfected skill. In the month she had been coming over, Ino has adapted more to the cell. She'd been keeping herself clean, and even made the grey drab she wore look fashionable, somehow. Karin would often comment how Ino seemed to be 'falling back into her old self', and that gave Hinata some assurance that at least something was going right. "We're getting along nicely with Naruto, and I'm sure you're eager to remember more about him — and I'd say he feels the same way, even if he hasn't visited in a while. You know how it is. Rules and such. We can never be too careful."
She's also found her tongue, Hinata has noticed, and it often kept her an extra ten minutes in that cell to listen to this or that. Ino was desperate to talk to someone outside of those Guard walls, so Hinata stayed and listened patiently, glad to find the woman opening up to her.
And while the subject of Naruto did sound . . . tempting, Hinata was still reminded of her previous question.
"Um, actually," she started, sitting down at the low table and gesturing for Ino to join her. She did, fingers still caught in her hair, a pleased smile on her lips. "I'd like to try to remember something particular in my past. A hobby of some sort, maybe."
Bright blue eyes that no longer bowed to the darkness of the cell squinted in thought. "What kind of hobby?"
Hinata brought a knuckle to her lips. "Anything with insects, maybe?"
"Insects?" There was a hint of disgust in Ino's tone.
"O-Or, um, plants, maybe?" Shino was from Forest, after all. Surely, he had some love for nature. "Or even music of some kind —"
"Ah." Finished with her braid, Ino leaned over the table and planted her palms on the surface. "I think I can help you with that."
...
She tried to plan out what she would say when she went to him that afternoon, but nothing really came to her. It was difficult. Shino was a faraway man, down to the very stickers covering his eyes. And it wasn't that Hinata is inexperienced with the type; simply look at her cousin and close friend as fabulous examples of men who simply did not take much pleasure in conversation. They did not ever make it apparent that they wished to speak — not now, not in a day, not in ten years — and Shino was no exception.
Hinata felt like if she talked to him, she would bother him.
Not to mention the overwhelming fact that it was best if they had as little time together as possible.
"He'll notice you staring eventually."
The low, teasing voice sounded akin to something her cousin would muse from behind, but when Hinata turned, she was reminded that she was in the presence of the mighty Sasuke Uchiha. He had come with her as she left Ino's cell; even then, it must have been apparent how nervous she was about approaching Shino.
The meaning behind his words struck her seconds after her gaze found his face, and with a bashful blush, she focused her gaze on her hands, which curled into her lap.
Sasuke stayed silent, nothing but the creak of the chair sounding from his direction for a few seconds. There was a shuffle, and in the corner of her eye, she saw him cross his arms.
"The Moon Witch has adopted a crush," he hummed, "and on an Aburame, no less. How dreary."
The humor, as subtle as it was, slipped from his voice, and he sounded awfully serious just then. But — surely — he knew that was not the case.
"It's not a crush." Her eyes turned back to Shino, his soft melody caressing the walls of the bar. "I'm trying . . . to gather courage."
"To confess," he concluded, scowl obvious in his tone.
"N-No." And she wished he would just leave it be. "I just want to ask him something."
Hinata knew she sounded silly, or like a twelve-year-old. Talking was not a scary thing; talking to men never really made her that uncomfortable. Talking to aloof, unapproachable men — she's had her practice with that. But it was Shino in particular that made her uneasy, and not in the way where she feared getting snapped at or ignored completely, but rather that she would make him uncomfortable and he would have difficulty expressing so in her tongue.
That, and —
"You are aware you should be staying away from him, aren't you?"
Well, it was important they kept their distance.
This, she all knew.
But, still . . .
"If it was for five minutes," she said to Sasuke, "and for only today, would it ruin everything?"
She felt his gaze burn into the side of her skull. "No," he said after a while, "not really."
And that was the confirmation she needed. Hinata stood and checked her hood, making sure it covered her face. It would do no one any good, after all, if she showcased her face in front of everyone during this experiment. Blood rushed into the tips of her fingers, and she took in a deep breath and tried to steady herself.
Sitting quite adequately in his seat, Sasuke watched her struggle to take that first step. He scoffed, stuck between amusement and bewilderment at how she managed to make everything difficult, and pressed the toe of his boot gently against her leg.
"Go, already."
So she went, and his gaze stayed on her back the entire trip across the bar.
...
"Sh-Shino"
When his piece ended and he paused to flip to a new song, Hinata approached him, chin dipped and fingers intertwined in front of her. His antennae twisted to her before his half-covered face did. Automatically, her stomach twisted at the sight of his stickers, but she dared not let a speck of that dread show up on her face.
"Danger?" he asked, placing his instruments down on a nearby table.
She shook her head. "N-No, no. Um, nothing like that." The bar sounded a lot louder when his music was gone, and Hinata tried hard to not focus on the mutterings surrounding them. Instead, she glanced down at his instruments, finally recognizing them after Ino had plugged her head with memory. "This one's a . . . guitar, yes? And this —" Her fingers hovered over the smaller instrument, "a violin. They're, um, very well made."
Shino traced the index of his left hand along the strings of the violin. "Bark spider silk," he said, then strummed his thumb along it. "Aburame specialty. Births rich sound."
Hinata smiled and nodded. "Yes, it does." She glanced around, then looked back at him. "Is that all you have? Do you have, um, a flute of some kind?"
His head tipped to the side, and she could almost feel his gaze run over her face, like the very bugs crawling over his skin. Then, he walked over to a bag that leaned against the nearby wall, pulled it open, and dragged out a fabulous, gold flute that shimmered in the marigold light. He returned to her side and held it out to her, and she carefully took it in two hands.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
He said nothing, only bowed his head to watch her fingers trace the instrument.
The silence didn't feel tense or awkward, and Hinata finally gathered the courage to ask, "Can I play with you?"
Shino's frown was more curious than unpleasant. "Play?" he repeated with a notch in his voice.
Her face turned a bright red. "I-I'm quite good," she sputtered, "and while I do admit it's been a while since I've played, I promise I won't . . . u-um, ruin and embarrass you. I just thought . . . ."
Her words disappeared in the air as he turned away from her and went back to flipping through his music sheets. Ashamed, Hinata placed the flute down next to the other instruments and moved to apologize when —
"O-Oh!"
Pieces of paper were shoved in her hands, and a firm palm fell on her shoulder and motioned her to the back of the bar. "Stay with Uchiha," he said. "When ready, I get."
Blinking, dazed, she did as she was told without much thought. Settling herself back in her spot, Hinata placed down the papers and gave them a bleary look. Sasuke leaned over to look, as well, and his dark eyes narrowed.
"Sheet music?" he asked, looking at her. "Are you planning on playing?"
She supposed she was, and with a skip in her chest, Hinata quickly began to memorize the notes.
...
Two hours later, she knew the piece by heart.
Shino finished up his piece, grabbed the flute with his third arm, and turned to her. A clear signal he was ready for her, and Hinata grabbed her papers and stood, excited.
"You'll listen," she said to Sasuke, "won't you?"
He was bent over his own paperwork, and while his eyes never turned away from it, there was still a sort of surrenderance in his posture. "I have nothing better to do."
Satisfied with the answer, Hinata went over to Shino, who was cleaning the flute with a small rag before handing it to her. He nodded to the thin music stand, and as she placed her sheet next to his, he grabbed his violin and guitar and checked their tuning. Hinata licked her lips and blew over the embouchure hole of the flute, glad her muscle memory remembered the correct way to position her lips so that, when she blew, the sound that came from the flute was steady and gentle.
Shino settled next to her in front of the music stand, and he tapped his foot on the floor and tilted his head her way. "Help?"
She realized he was asking if she needed help keeping beat, and Hinata shook her head. "I'll be fine, thank you."
He hummed, a buzz coming from his throat, and he turned to the sheets.
"Ready?"
Hinata held the flute to her lips and smiled. "Ready."
...
It was a beautiful song. Only when she was playing it did she realize how lovely it was. It was slow and emotional, the strum of Shino's guitar keeping the beat steady as his violin heightened the singing of her flute, never overpowering it, but keeping close and guiding her forward.
She didn't know anything about this song; had never heard it before in her life, she believed.
But she hoped she'd hear it again — hoped she'd play it again.
Hinata didn't know if it was a short song or if it just rushed right past her, but before she knew it, the notes on the pages ended, and she had nothing left to play. Her lungs were screaming and her face was flush, and she could hardly recall a time where she felt more satisfied and pleased with herself.
In the back, Tsunade whooped in celebration, and Jiraiya mused about the grace of her flute, which Hinata was sure she had nothing to do with. A few of the others in the bar hummed in appreciation, and Hinata made sure to keep her head low as she thanked them. She handed the flute back to Shino and thanked him, happy she was able to play such a nice piece, and she was sure there was something of a smile on his lips as she turned to leave.
Sasuke was still stuck in his work, tracing the lines of words with precise focus.
To anyone else, he would have seemed the same; but Hinata has known him for a long time, and even if much of his face was still covered in dark weeds, she could see the hints of awe in his expression, the satisfied turn of his brows and the crinkle around his eyes.
That sent another wave of glee through her system, and Hinata grinned up at the ceiling and popped her fingers, ready for anyone to come her way.
...
And, eventually, someone did.
The man she thought she wouldn't see for another month.
Naruto.
He looked how he always did in public: dark, covered, unnoticeable. No one turned their head to give him a second look because he did well in presenting himself as anything but the Sun King. But she noticed him the moment he stepped out of the Sky Gate, and her heart flew with the wings she had lost so long ago.
The lights brightened above as he approached, and to her side, Sasuke huffed and turned away from his work. "Dumbass," he muttered, "are you trying to get people to notice you?"
If Naruto heard him, he did not bother to answer as he took the spot to Hinata's left, lifting his head just enough to steal her breath with his brilliant smile. "Hin — ah, I mean, Moon. Good to see you again." And then he laughed like they were kids playing spy in his palace.
Hinata found it charming.
Sasuke —
"Why the hell are you here?"
Didn't.
And, again, Naruto didn't bother to hear him as he leaned over to be closer to her, and sunlight and heat washed over her entire body. "Did you miss me?"
Sasuke clicked his tongue, disgusted, and Hinata smiled. "Y-Yes, of course," she said, and Naruto's grin widened. "But, u-um, why are you here? Shouldn't you . . . be with . . . ."
Somehow, the name 'Sakura' refused to leave her lips.
"With your wife," Sasuke finished for her, none too gently, and she couldn't help but flinch.
"Fiance," Naruto corrected, finally regarding that dark man across from him. "Pretend fiance, at that." His voice was low so no one would hear them. "And even before I remembered Hina — Moon, I still came here for her help. If anything, avoiding her would be more suspicious."
Her hands came to the edge of the table. "Help?" she asked. She craned her neck slightly to get a look under his hood and saw there were, indeed, weeds covering the tops of his cheeks. "Of course I'll help you."
His smile was warm and could light up the entire room if he wanted to. "Thank you. You've always been there for me." She blushed, not sure what to say, and that smile slowly disappeared as Naruto turned back to Sasuke. "Oi. You're still here."
Sasuke had returned back to flipping and rereading pages from his stack. "I was here first," was all he said.
"This is kinda private."
He snorted. "Like you could keep anything from me."
"What!? I have my secrets!"
"Right."
"Sasuke," Naruto huffed, "five minutes, that's all. Let me have this. I haven't seen her in a month!"
His eyes stilled on the white parchment. "No."
"Stubborn ass. You don't even need to be here."
The joints in her fingers were getting stiff and agitated. The weeds on Naruto's face fluttered, waiting for her touch, and she turned to Sasuke. "I need to help him," she said. "That's what I do, right? I help people."
Dark eyes turned to her, the dullness from reading pages of text not disappearing. The clear cheek she had cleared last month flexed, and he finally gathered his papers and stood.
"Five minutes," he told Naruto, "and then you leave before you ruin this whole operation."
Hinata caught a glimpse of blue eyes that followed Sasuke to the bar, and then he turned back and rubbed at the side of his neck. "Yeesh," Naruto said, shaking his head, "I'm the Sun King and all and he still thinks he can just boss me around." But despite his words, he was smiling, and Hinata knew there was nothing to worry about. "But, hey, no reason to stay on it. I only have five minutes, after all!"
Folding her hands together, Hinata fell back into instinct, into habit, and forgot for a moment the uneasy beat in her chest.
"Tell me where it hurts."
...
"This is probably . . . something you don't want to hear."
Those were probably the worst words you could hear from your fiance, but Hinata stayed professional and gestured a hand for him to continue.
Naruto's lips turned into an awkward, lopsided smile that twisted his face and made the stickers on his cheeks shift. "Just let me explain, first, before you say anything?" He sounded scared — or worried — or both. Dread bubbled in her stomach, but Hinata nodded. That seemed to assure him enough, as he began to talk. "It's about Sakura. Um, obviously, we're still pretending to be together. It's awkward, but we get by. I know it's hard on her, and I feel so sick with myself. And, sometimes, I wonder if it would be better if I just returned her feelings."
Her eyes blinked up at him. Her mouth opened, then shut, reminding herself to keep quiet.
"I'm not in love with her," he continued, "but for eight months, I thought I was. Feelings just don't go away, even if they were forced into your brain. Does that . . . make sense?"
"Yes," she breathed, not trusting herself to say more. This was about Naruto, not her.
"It's just . . . strange." He patted his chest where his heart was beating. "It feels like half of me is fighting the other, but I know that's not true. I know all of me —" His face turned to check the people around them, "well, you know. We both do. But there's still something in me that starts up whenever I'm with her. My heart starts racing — or — or I just see her and nothing else. And I feel like shit because I have you, and I want to be with you. Sometimes . . . I wonder if it will ever stop. I mean, I know it will, I just want it to stop now."
Hinata, for a second, felt lightning flood her senses and felt stickers tumbling off skin as she kissed them away. The pounding, the heat, the stress — it was all there, and she grabbed Naruto's sleeve and asked, "It will stop, won't it?"
Under his hood, his eyes blinked. "Yeah," he whispered, slipping a hand under her own hood to run his fingers through her hair. "Sorry. I was just trying to be honest, not trying to scare you."
Right.
This was about him.
She lifted a hand and grasped the one in her hair, smiling, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Give it time," she said. "Please don't worry yourself. No matter what, I want you to be happy."
His face gave a subtle glow that only she could see as he leaned in.
"I will be," he said, stickers falling to the floor, "because I have you."
Her mind stopped working as his mouth neared her face, and she glanced around, wondering if it was appropriate in such a place where someone could see them —
"Idiot."
But she had nothing to worry about, it seemed, as Sasuke appeared between them, grabbed Naruto's head, and yanked him back. The Sun King yelped and nearly toppled out of his chair, and Hinata sat back and rested a hand over her racing pulse.
"There's a time and place," Sasuke said, returning back to his spot next to her, dropping his paperwork on the table. "This is neither of them."
"Fuck, Sasuke!" Naruto barked, glaring at him. "Gimme a warning next time!"
"That was the warning."
"Gods, no matter what, you'll always be a bastard."
Sasuke's mouth quirked a tad. "And you, a moron." Without looking up, he rolled a shoulder to the exit. "It's been five minutes. Don't come back."
"I swear, if I was any other king, your ass would be in so much trouble!"
"Ah," Hinata piped in, finally catching her breath, "you must have a lot of work to do, Naruto. I don't want you to have to stay up late because you stayed here for so long."
Naruto's expression immediately brightened as he thanked Hinata for her kind thoughtfulness, and with a quick, affectionate pat to her head, he was off to Sun 1. The room cooled and dimmed, and Hinata felt like she could relax once again.
"Gods," Sasuke muttered, "he listens to every word you say like a damn mutt. Fuckin' pathetic."
She almost had the gall to remind him that he had only left her and Naruto for some privacy after she asked him to, but decided against it, and went back to playing with the hem of her cloak.
...
Somewhere tucked in the back of her head, Hinata remembered a scene.
"You're not considering it . . . are you?"
That's right. This had happened before. Well - sort of. Only back then, Orochimaru had given her a choice, from what she understood. You can't exactly consider a command, after all. And they had been in the middle of the halls of the Guard, Sasuke staring at her with a stern, dour expression on his face.
The news of her perhaps becoming a therapist at the Guard had not been pleasing to him, she recalled. And while, at the time, has and Suigetsu blamed it on their mistrust of Orochimaru, there was another memory rolling in her head -
"Sakura has something to do with Sasuke hating the therapists, doesn't she?"
- that told her a different story.
"Have you heard?"
Of course he had. Sasuke heard everything. He made it a point to.
Eyes not lifting from the last piece of work in his hand, he gave an affirming grunt. No disappointment, no displeasure, no anger. Does he . . . no longer hold that grudge against the therapists?
"What do you think?"
One of his brows quirked a tad. "Do you need my approval?"
Her face lit up. "N-No," Hinata murmured, "I was just curious."
Dark eyes hovered on the last line of the paper for a while, then turned away as he dropped it on the table to cross his arms. "I still have suspicions," he told her, "but the Guard would do good in having your aid."
Her pride spiked up at his words, and she couldn't hide her smile.
"And maybe I could help you more."
He settled back, work forgotten - probably finished - and rested his hands against the back of his skull. "Maybe."
He knew how Naruto worked.
He should, really. Two decades' worth of friendship, of high highs and low lows, was enough for him to know nearly everything about the great Naruto Uzumaki, Sun King, Apollo, grand leader of Sun.
When he was called forth to see the mighty king in his sparkling palace at the break of dawn, there was always a reason why. Naruto was always busy raising the sun at that time, and the exceptional magic coursing through his body was enough to give the guy an ego trip or ten. There'd been times when Sasuke would show up just to listen to the guy boast, and once the sun was lifting itself to the peak of the sky, he'd cool down, shake his head like a mutt, and laugh it off like nothing happened.
Kings were powerful beings, and even to guys like Naruto, it got to their heads at times.
So Sasuke was prepared for everything that could possibly happen that grey dawn, just as the first rays of sun climbed over the horizon. Boasting. Empty challenges. Shouting to the realm how absolutely awesome he was.
And, of course, there was the possible conversation of Hinata.
"I can't believe she's my wife," Naruto would sigh, grin cheeky and without falter, "and not yours."
And, sadly, Sasuke would have to restrain himself from punching the shit out of him; kings could not be disturbed as they performed their needed duties. The sun came first, he'd have to remind himself. Then when it was all done and over with, maybe then Sasuke could get a swing or twenty in - whatever made the irritation fade away.
Because, again, Naruto wasn't the type to brag just to brag in any other situation; but if he ever felt the need to during his intense surges of ultimate power, it was always Sasuke he called for, because Sasuke would listen and hum and barely give him shit for it. Not worth the time, he told himself.
But if Naruto, somehow, knew to bring up Hinata to get under his skin, Sasuke would no longer hold himself back.
But this was all just speculation that was riling him up, and Sasuke sucked in the magic of the portal as it took him to Sun 1.
...
Oh.
But . . . something was off.
Naruto liked to show off at dawn. Grand colors that filter through the sky, painting a warm rainbow for all to see and gawk.
That early morning, there was none of that.
And when Sasuke entered that room that he knew well, that he's been to a million times, that he could navigate with his eyes closed - it was off, too.
Clean. Dangerously clean. And neat - suspiciously so.
He wasn't out on his grand, marble balcony where he usually rose the sun; instead, he was by the window, hand barely even lifted in the air.
Landing, feet barely making a sound, Sasuke went to Naruto's side and gave him an exasperated look. "What is it?"
And . . . he should have huffed at his cranky greeting, or met him with an overly loud "Good morning!" the woke up the entire universe. Instead, Naruto didn't even look his way as he handed him a manilla folder.
"Read it."
No chipperness. No boisterous voice.
Sasuke took the folder and slid out the stapled documents within.
And . . . there was . . .
"Naruto -"
"There are pictures." That one, raised hand shook with his voice. "Sasuke - on the back - they -"
And like a sick bastard, he flipped to the back, saw the sketched drawing, and felt bile burn his throat.
"Who -"
"We don't know." The sun was up, and that hand fell with Naruto's shoulders. His usually bright face was shadowed with worry and pain, blue eyes bowed and wavering. "I . . . don't know."
Turning back to the front, Sasuke read what little was written over and over again, stomach twisting, heart stopping, head pounding with thunder.
In some ways, he felt bittersweet. Ironic.
Because he had been right.
This was about Hinata.
Just . . . not in a way he would ever wish to happen.
Chapter 22 - End