Thank you very much for the reviews! At this point I've decided on most of the pairings, but not all of them will be obvious right away. Keep in mind this is supposed to be realistic – one of the things I disliked the most in canon was that everyone basically married their "first sight" love and it was as unbelievable and straightforward as possible. Meh!
Anyways, hope you all enjoy this update!
Chapter 3. The Child
Staring blankly at the rather humble, inconspicuous gravestone she was sitting in front of, Hinata was thinking. Or at least that's what one would say by throwing a look at her right now. She herself wouldn't characterize what was going on inside her read at the moment as such, though. For that was an absolutely incoherent, chaotic cocktail of various things that had been, in truth, tearing her apart for many months by now.
First of all, the death of her cousin whose remnants were buried just underneath her. She hadn't gotten over it yet, not at all. There would be no point in saying that she blamed herself for his death – that much was obvious. After all, he'd died protecting her. He'd covered her from the Ten Tails' mortal strike back there on the battlefield four years ago. And she wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision back then.
He and her had always had a complex relationship. Although she'd of course never ever hated, nor even just disliked him, the abyss dividing them due to their family history and everything deriving from that had never truly been bridged either. Perhaps that's what bothered her the most up to this day, out of everything else relating to Neji. They'd never really had a proper closure moment. Of course, their relationship had improved drastically between the moment of their fight during the first chūnin exam and up to his death. Yet they'd never actually talked through all the uneasy feelings both of them had. Yes, they'd loved each other deeply. Hinata had no shade of doubt about her own feelings, and his love had been proven by his final sacrifice. Still, to her, their relationship had always felt quite fragile until the very end. All of the clan issues that'd been poisoning both of them, most of it had been carefully avoided whenever they'd spoken to each other. Retrospectively, she reckoned they'd both simply feared inadvertently making things worse by bringing up any of it, so they'd just treasured the peace and the mutual admiration while they could.
Hinata carefully took a slightly withered white flower off the gravestone, slowly spinning it in her fingers and frowning.
Then there was Hanabi. Her little sister she still loved so much, and another heartbreaking loss. Sure, she still continued to cling to the delusion of the girl still being alive out there somewhere. Perhaps Hinata was just stubbornly refusing to accept what was most likely the truth. But no matter how it really was, she still missed her sister terribly. And every passing day was only making it worse, because her hope was slowly yet imminently waning. And there was absolutely nothing the young woman could do about it which made her feel more helpless than ever.
She sighed, closing her eyes and putting the dying flower on the ground.
Another thing, or rather a whole bunch of things, was her entire clan. Of course, Hinata realized that she had no choice but to obey her father's will and to become the leader they all wanted to see in her. But Hinata herself had no delusions about that – she just knew she wasn't ready. She was prepared – after all, she'd gone through lots of training and learning – but not quite ready yet. And she knew that no amount of guidance would ever be able to change that. Because how could it, really?
She was meant to become a puppet. Actually, worse than just a puppet – after all, dolls couldn't hurt anyone, while she knew she'd have to cause a lot of pain in the future. And not just pain – realistically, death and destruction as well. And her first victim would be herself – her own life. She was going to give up on all of her dreams, hopes, desires and even her own very nature for the sake of her family. Hinata knew there really was no other choice. The young woman realized she was the only one who could do it, so she intended to go through with it until the bitter end. She had already accepted her upcoming role as a political figure, as a heartless head of quite a messed-up clan, and as a wife within a loveless incestuous marriage. And as ugly as all of it might sound, perhaps the worst part of it was the fact that none of it even seemed extraordinarily awful to her anymore. Just maybe a little worse than everything else that had been happening lately. The kunoichi wasn't a fool, and neither was she naive. She could see it clearly that their village, their country and the entire world were on the decline, rapidly heading towards a dark age of strife.
Her only remedy was the firm belief that by agreeing to sacrifice herself this way, she might manage to serve her duty and get some sort of fulfillment this way. After all, her life didn't really belong to her anymore. She owed it to Neji who, Hinata had no doubt, would've done the same in her position. And so would Hanabi. And so would any other Hyūga.
She hugged herself, feeling a bit chilly as the gust wind ruffled her hair. Fair or not, that's just how life was, nothing more, nothing less.
And then finally, there was him. The subject of her recent nightmares. Naruto Uzumaki, the boy she'd once loved; the man whose support, warmth, admiration and everlasting optimism had immensely helped her to keep walking her path until now…
She bit her lip, suppressing tears. Today it was all going to end. She needed to make sure he'd forever hate her. Despise her. Forsake her. And rightfully so, because she would never forgive herself if she were in his position either.
But what choice had she? None. Hinata knew he would just continue to fight her clan to get her father to 'free' her from the upcoming marriage. That's just who Naruto was, that's what he did for his dear people. She also knew that it was simply not achievable. Realistically, even if she and Naruto loved each other that way – which she wasn't sure was the case at all at this point, if ever. On the surface, a marriage between the future Hokage and the future Hyūga matriarch could sound like a good idea as it might empower the union between the clan and the village. In reality, it would only destabilize her clan from within, creating an even stronger conflict between the traditionalists and those who secretly wished for changes. And at this point of time, any turmoil within the Hyūga clan would ripple through the entirety of Konoha, and hence their whole country as well. It was simply too much of a risk for all of them.
She hugged her knees, suppressing a tremble. It's ok, she thought. But no, actually, it wasn't. None of it was good. None of it was fine. Behind the meek mask of acceptance and stoicism, the kunoichi was on the verge of breaking down. The burning desire to just run away, to leave the village and the clan for good, to escape this cursed life, was now stronger than ever.
But of course, she wouldn't do anything like that. That would be way too selfish for someone like Hinata Hyūga. She knew it. Her father knew it. Everybody knew it, so they had nothing to worry about.
She slowly pressed her face to her lap, beginning to sob as the shaking of her body was becoming unbearable. None of it was fair. Not just her own life – none of it. Had they really fought so hard just to end up in this hell? What on earth had all the people died for during the Great War? For this unending state of hopelessness and misery? Was there even any chance for things to ever be different in the future…?
"Hey… why are you crying?"
Hinata flinched, turning in the direction of the voice that caught her completely off guard. There was a child – a boy not older than ten, staring at her with confusion as well as a mix of mild disdain and compassion at the same time.
"I–who are you?" she stuttered, frowning. Of course, she wouldn't remember every single face in the village – that would be ridiculous to assume she could despite the Byakugan. Yet still, somehow the boy was giving her a distinct feeling that he wasn't a local. From the way he was dressed – a beige shirt with a bizarre pagan pattern that reminded her more of the clothes that were common in Land of Iron – to his worn-out red scarf that was clearly too long for someone of his age.
"You don't recognize me?" His eyebrow arched a bit – Hinata could clearly see genuine surprise in his dark-gray eyes. She certainly didn't, and the more the kunoichi was looking at him the clearer she realized she'd never seen this child before.
"N-No," she said quietly, quickly wiping her tears with a sleeve of her kimono.
"Figures," he said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, coming a step closer. "You don't look like yourself either."
"Uh–excuse me?" She frowned, not knowing what to think. The whole situation felt incredibly weird to her, but at the same time it was rather surreal than awkward.
"Well, I just didn't think you were such a crybaby." He rubbed his head, ruffling the short dark hair. "Thought you'd be a badass," he drawled with disappointment.
It made her chuckle at how silly that sounded.
"Me? A–a badass? I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else."
"Doubt it! Your name is Hinata, isn't it?"
The young woman frowned again, looking into his eyes searchingly for a few seconds.
"Yes. But I don't think I know who you are."
"Yeah, seems you don't. But I know who you are, so guess I got the upper hand here, huh?" He grinned, sitting next to her. "So why were you crying?"
"Um…," she turned away, looking at the gravestone again. "Just because."
"Are you a child?"
"What…?" She glanced at the boy again – he was giving her a very serious look now.
"Only kids cry just because."
She smiled, shaking her head. The honesty and straightforwardness of this kid was amusing and almost charming.
"I guess you're right. Adults say that when they don't wish to explain the reason."
"Yeah, adults lie a lot. So why were you crying?" he repeated persistently, looking at her with irritation now.
Hinata didn't reply for a few seconds, thinking. Strangely, despite how odd the whole situation was, she didn't find herself uncomfortable in his presence. She didn't feel like lying to him, either.
"It's just too hard to explain… a lot of things are not happening the way I'd like them to."
"Adult things?" he muttered understandingly.
She smiled.
"Yes… something like that."
The boy sighed, looking up at the clear noon sky.
"I don't think crying solves anything," he reasoned eventually, watching the clouds with a dreamy face.
Hinata nodded, looking up as well.
"You're right. It doesn't."
"Fighting does, though."
She blinked a few times, but he wasn't saying anything else.
"Sometimes it does…," she agreed, "But sometimes there's just no one to fight. Rather, it's like the entire world is against you and there's nothing you can do about it," she said quietly, summing up her previous depressive meditations.
"What do you mean no one?" The boy drawled, glancing at the Hyūga as though she'd just said something very stupid. "You just said it yourself."
"Huh?" She blinked again.
"The world is against you. Hence, the world is your enemy."
She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't. Despite how childishly naive and edgy he sounded, something in the child's tone was making Hinata feel… uneasy. Could it be because there was some truth to this seemingly absurd statement? Come to think about it, was there a way for someone to rebel against the entire world? Against life itself?
Yes, probably. People of myths and legends, such as Madara Uchiha, or even her own peers like Naruto and his old friend Sasuke could do that. Maybe. They were truly extraordinary individuals after all.
But she wasn't one of them.
"Well… I don't think I can fight an enemy like that," she replied, giving the boy a sad smile.
"Meh! You don't need to think, you need to fight. The only way to win is to fight."
Hinata's smile vanished. The boy wasn't looking at her now, still staring at the sky without blinking, his eyes wide open. His expression at the moment was unusually vigorous and resolute, to the extent that it felt almost slightly scary to her. This wasn't a normal expression for a child. Not at all.
"Never give up…," she muttered thoughtfully, smiling at him carefully. "Is that your ninja way?"
"I'm not a ninja," he snapped, rolling his eyes. "I just know that you can't get what you want if you don't fight for it. Never giving up is a stupid idea – what if you're just wrong? You still gonna keep repeating whatever dumb shit that got you where you are in the first place? Duh!"
Hinata didn't say anything for a while, looking at this strange child who seemed not to pay her any attention at the moment. He had a point. As awkward as it was to admit, he was right.
"You are surprisingly wise for your age. What's your name?" she asked after some time, smiling at him.
He glanced at her skeptically.
"Pretty sure you got more important things to worry about. A name's just a name. Let's say it's Asahi, or Momochi, or Boruto, or whatever stupid one it could be, what difference does it make for you?"
"W-Well–"
"You're missing the point as always!" he interrupted her angrily. "Stop worrying about irrelevant things. Figure out what you can do. And then just keep moving forward until it's done. Simple as that."
There was so much power, resolve and passion in his words that Hinata felt shocked, not knowing what to say. And at the same time, his energy was quite contagious because for the first time in months or even years, she was feeling better.
Maybe she could actually figure out something. Maybe she could find her way to a better future. Despite all hardships and against all odds.
Could she, though?
"Why are you still here?" the kid muttered, looking at her with a frown. "Get up already. We done here."
Hinata nodded slowly, finally rising up from the ground.
"Will I see you again?" she asked perplexedly, not really knowing why.
He gave her a thoughtful, almost estimating look before saying,
"Maybe. If you do what you need to do instead of being the deadbeat old man Hiashi wants you to be."
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion, but then her vision darkened. The boy disappeared, and so did everything around, too.
All of a sudden, Hinata realized that she was sitting on the dusty old bed, completely alone in the silent room. She still was in the abandoned inn she'd used as a temporary refuge. She glanced at the window – apparently, she'd slept through the whole day as it was already dark outside.
Was that just a dream…?
…No, it wasn't just a dream. Whatever it was, there was a meaning to it. Because now she felt more purposeful than perhaps she ever had before. Although she still didn't know what exactly to do, Hinata was still going to try something. To try and build the future that wouldn't be as dark. To fight this cruel world with everything she had. For everyone… and for herself as well. And she knew what had to be done today. As scary and painful as it was, no doubts lingered in her heart anymore.
Only fear remained, but she knew she'd overcome it. She always did.
Two hours later…
The two shinobi were standing just outside of the bar, one of them already holding a glass in her hands.
"You look good. Actually, even better than your original self," said Ino teasingly, sipping on her drink – a mix of heavy liquor and orange juice. The person standing next to her wasn't drinking anything, choosing to stay sober for now.
The blonde kunoichi laughed as her company ignored her. The man didn't look amused at all, his blank white eyes looking somewhere down the street.
"How cute, you're pouting!" Ino teased him again, but then decided to let it go, seeing no reaction at all. Despite him remaining silent, she was starting to feel like she was sitting on a stack of explosive seals that were on the verge of detonating. "Anyway, let's just quickly go over what we spoke about at the apartment. Our target will arrive soon; he won't be alone. Sakura will be accompanying him, so you'll definitely know when to… act. By the time he enters the bar, our little theater play should be in full swing. Once we're finished with this business, we can talk about your… business."
Once again, the man didn't say anything, making Ino sigh in frustration. After a minute or so he suddenly turned around and entered the bar, leaving the woman alone outside. She stared at her drink with a curious look on her face, somehow content.
"Finally, something interesting in this forsaken place," she whispered to herself and after a little while, followed the man inside the bar.
At the same time, at one of the entrance gates into Konoha a blonde ninja accompanied by a pink-haired kunoichi was waiting a bit impatiently as one of the outpost's security approached them hurriedly.
"Thank you for your patience, please come through." The guardsman handed a few papers to Sakura, apologetically bowing to them the next second.
"No worries, Jiku," she replied, motioning her partner to come. The two of them entered the village while the gates behind them closed shut a few seconds later, a few outraged voices dying out on the other side. Unsurprisingly, Sakura and her companion managed to go past all the queues and lines, as they were exempt from all the quarantine procedures due to their high-ranking status in Konoha. As well as their abilities, of course; it was common knowledge that both of them had exceptional self-healing powers, so it was believed that no infection could actually affect them, whether that was true or not.
The young man suddenly stopped, looking at the Hokage Rock with a hint of worry in his blue eyes.
"What's up? Come on, let's get going. I need a drink… and a massage, ideally," the pink-haired kunoichi said with a tired, slightly whiny voice.
Naruto, however, didn't reply, instead silently activating Sage Mode. This startled Sakura for a while, but she quickly remembered that this was a part of his usual routine whenever he returned to the village after a prolonged period of absence. A few seconds passed before he exhaled, and his now orange eyes returned to their normal color. He frowned, walking up to Sakura with his hands in his pockets.
"Let's go," he muttered and continued to move. The young woman seemed a bit confused but caught up with him quickly.
"Is everything alright?" She finally realized that he could've sensed something, considering the plan she, Ino and Hinata were about to carry out. However, it appeared like Naruto didn't notice anything out of the ordinary after all. He hemmed, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"Yeah... just felt a bit... nostalgic for some reason. Though I... well, never mind." The blonde shinobi was in deep thought which seemed a bit unusual for him. Typically, he'd be all cheerful and happy whenever he'd return home after a mission. Unknown to Sakura, when he'd activated his Sage Mode a minute ago, his heart almost skipped a beat as he thought he sensed a familiar chakra print nearby. However, the feeling disappeared just as quickly as it had come upon him, and deepening into his senses couldn't confirm anything at all. Just some remaining pieces of chakra, probably from the Uchiha compound's ruins, he thought, attempting to rationalize what he'd just felt.
Sakura tensed up, throwing a worried glance at him.
"I see, well... Forget about that, ok? We had a busy schedule these past few days, running errands for the Sixth and all. I'm sure you're tired of all this political crap, so let's put all of it behind us for now." She smiled at him reassuringly, caressing his hand gently. "This evening we're gonna rest and have some fun, right? Remember, today's a big day for everyone!"
The young man seemed to relax a bit, taking her hand in his absentmindedly. He nodded with a semblance of a smile on his face.
"Yeah. I am hungry after all! Can't wait to have some ramen." To Sakura's relief, he was once again smiling the same way he'd used to. Or so she wanted to think. She preferred not to notice that the smile wasn't exactly genuine which, in truth, had been becoming increasingly common recently.
But even so, Naruto was happy. After all, this was his home. And Sakura was also right, today was an important day indeed – the anniversary of their victory. No matter how he actually felt right now, they were about to show up to the public. He couldn't allow himself to look depressed or troubled, especially not when his people needed the exact opposite so desperately.
"Let's hurry!" he said as he quickly jumped up on the roof of one of the buildings, starting to run towards the bar that was their destination. Sakura immediately followed, smiling at his back.
At the same time, Ino was sitting at the table near the entrance. There was also a small window facing outside. The atmosphere inside was... warm. It wasn't loud and chaotic as one would expect of a place like that, but rather relaxing and welcoming, as if acting like a safe haven for Konoha's veterans who kept arriving every minute. More and more people poured in with time, and the Yamanaka recognized every single face. Some were her ex-classmates, others were her current coworkers. Sure, she didn't know every person there, but due to the nature of her job not a single one was unfamiliar. Despite wanting to relax above all, she was still subconsciously alert for potential intruders.
"Hey, why are you sitting alone all the way here? Come, join us at the big table. Food's free for the veterans today!" Tenten jumped on the chair in front of Ino, folding her hands under her chin and eyeing her friend playfully. "By the way, how many did you have already?" she nodded at Ino's glass, looking a bit worried. The blonde-haired woman smirked, looking away at the window.
"Not nearly enough." She finished her drink and motioned the barkeep to bring her another one. "I'll join you guys shortly, just waiting for Sakura here."
"I see," Tenten replied hesitantly. She changed her gaze to the young Hyūga man who was courting Hinata at the table near the bar stand. "You came with this guy, didn't you? Who is he? I've never seen him before."
"Uh… him?" Ino glanced at Hinata's companion, grinning. "Some kind of super-secret bodyguard from the main line of the Hyūga clan. You weren't supposed to see him before… guys like him always lurk in the shadows!" she replied in a pretentiously serious voice. The kunoichi was obviously messing around, however this was the usual way she spoke with her friends. They could rarely figure out just how much truth was in her words, and how much of it was… not exactly accurate. As unbearable as such an attitude was, they treated it with understanding as they knew it was just the nature of her job. That's probably why the only person who could tolerate her presence for long periods of time was Shikamaru, being shrewd enough to see through most of her deceits and wordplays. Though he, for some reason, was nowhere around yet.
"...But well, due to some recent developments in the Hyūga clan, he's now allowed to appear in public. And as you can see…," she pointed her glass at how Hinata was seemingly more than eager to enjoy his presence, now sitting on the man's lap much to Tenten's shock, "Being a personal super-secret bodyguard of the heiress has its perks, wouldn't you say?"
Tenten's eyes widened as she stared at the couple, struggling to believe what she was seeing. Needless to say, such behavior was simply too out of character for Hinata who'd always been known as a very modest and shy girl. If anything, Tenten and other girls often made jokes about how their friend might actually faint as soon as some guy would kiss her. So now, seeing this…
"I thought she liked Naruto…?" she mumbled perplexedly, unable to look away from the weird sight.
"Yeah... crazy, isn't it?" Ino drawled, smiling leniently and watching the couple as well. "Goes to show just how much we really know about other people, huh?" she added and smirked. Tenten didn't like the way she sounded, nor the sly grin on her face. Given the Yamanaka's position in Konoha and how much she actually knew about every inhabitant of the village compared to the rest of them, this certainly sounded quite ambiguous.
"Right... well, you know where to find us." With that, the weapon mistress left Ino alone, joining up Lee and the others at the bigger table. She was clearly sounding disappointed and confused, but right now that didn't bother Ino at all. Because as her friend left, the head of the Yamanaka clan finally noticed the pair she'd been waiting for, as they were unhurriedly approaching the bar from the opposite side of the street.
"Fucking finally..." The kunoichi was getting impatient. She raised her left arm and snapped her fingers a couple of times to catch Sasuke's attention, which he did of course. This was his cue.
While everyone else was enjoying themselves in this rare evening of solace and tranquility, the two ex-members of Team Seven entered the bar, with Sakura walking in the front.
Meanwhile Tenten's eyes widened even more than they had before as she saw Hinata suddenly wrapping her hands around the mysterious Hyūga's neck. She couldn't see the young woman's expression as she was facing her newfound companion, but that act alone was enough to shock the kunoichi, to say the least. So much that she didn't even notice how the previously neutral, stoic face of the male Hyūga changed just a tiny bit. In fact, his expression now wasn't reflecting the supposed mood of the situation he found himself in. He didn't look infatuated or excited by Hinata's actions in the slightest. More so, the man seemed almost startled as he glanced towards the entrance of the bar, apparently recognizing someone there.
At the same time, Hinata carefully touched his cheek, bringing his attention back to herself. She caressed him lightly, her lips slowly approaching the side of his jaw as her embrace tightened. What Tenten did notice however, was that her friend's body began to shake a little as she was doing it which didn't really match the seemingly assertive attitude of hers. Something was off, that much was clear to Tenten now.
As Sakura and Naruto entered the hall, the pink-haired kunoichi immediately turned her attention to Ino who was still conveniently sitting at the table nearest to the entrance which made her very easy for them to spot.
"Hey! I knew you'd be here," the medic said and smiled warmly, walking closer to hug her friend. "Long time no see, Ino-pig."
"Not that long, forehead! It's been just a month, you could've stayed away longer, honestly."
"Ha! You wish!"
As the two of them exchanged greetings, Naruto waited, smiling at their reunion. He then looked across the bar to see who decided to come and eventually his gaze stopped, the blue eyes widening in the expression of utter shock and disbelief.
"What the…," he muttered, reflectively stepping forward.
The two girls next to him were now silently glancing back and forth between Naruto and the two Hyūgas. The yellowed-haired shinobi's smile vanished. Now he looked as though he wanted to say something, standing there with a half-opened mouth, but just couldn't utter anything at all. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his face at the moment was relaying deep shock as he was slowly and reluctantly processing what he was seeing.
He gulped, clenching his fists and narrowing his eyes as the realization hit him. Not only had his future plans just been shattered. This was also making him look vulnerable in front of a bunch of people including his closest friends. He felt vulnerable indeed. In a sense, it reminded him of how he'd once felt in the past as a kid whenever the villagers had made fun of him, how they'd mocked and threatened him. It forcibly pushed him back into the almost completely forgotten time when he couldn't keep up with his fellow peers in the Academy, being the only one not to graduate initially. For the first time in quite a while, he was once again feeling humiliated and utterly lonely…
A sound of glass breaking somewhere on the opposite side of the vast hall suddenly brought him back to reality. That same instant, any vulnerabilities that had been briefly noticeable in him before were immediately gone. His facial expression instantly changed as well. He now didn't look angry or mad – merely unamused.
Naruto then started walking towards the couple with intent. Everyone else seemed oblivious to what was happening, besides Sakura and Ino who were attentively watching Naruto's every move. Hinata still hadn't looked at him, but her Hyūga companion seemed to have noticed the approaching shinobi in advance; he momentarily looked at the 'mastermind' behind all this. The only thing the young man noticed in Ino's expression was a mildly sadistic smile. She was really enjoying this for some reason, and he didn't know enough to say why.
Meanwhile, the future Hokage now stood over the Hy ūga couple, glaring at them darkly. Any signs of the typical warm and welcoming aura he usually brought everywhere he came was now gone, replaced by something unfamiliar to Hinata's date.
"What is this…?" he finally spoke, looking down at both of them. His voice was firm and sharp.
Hinata flinched as though she got electrocuted, afraid to look at the blonde ninja. She slowly turned her head to the left to show Naruto that she recognized his presence, but it wasn't enough for her to be able to look at him directly.
She wasn't saying anything, however. Instead, her companion whose neck she was still hugging, now a little more tightly than before, gave Naruto a calm stare. He appeared to be irritated by the interruption, and he was irritated indeed, although for entirely different reasons unknown to everyone around.
"Something the matter, Uzumaki-san?" The honorific didn't seem like it was a mockery, not at all. Yet it still felt somewhat unnatural coming out of his mouth. As though he just wasn't used to adding one to anyone's name at all.
"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata finally mumbled so quietly that it was almost a whisper.
Most people in the bar didn't seem to notice anything strange, minding their own business. But the eyes of everyone close to the three of them were now directed at the scene that was about to unravel.
Naruto stared at Hinata for a bit before turning his gaze to the other Hyūga. He didn't recognize this man, but it didn't matter to him either way.
"Seriously? Is that the first thing you have to say to me? You Hyūgas really are getting full of yourselves lately," he replied grimly. Everyone in the village, not just the Hyūga clan, knew about his and Hinata's bizarre relationship and the controversy surrounding it these days. Everyone also knew what Naruto was capable of when it came to his various powers. And even so, this man was actually taunting him? The Uzumaki didn't like that at all.
"Hey, Ino... is this really going to be alright? What the hell is that guy saying? Is he definitely part of the plan?" Sakura asked her friend cautiously. She felt that something was off. Ino, however, didn't even flinch, looking perfectly relaxed and quite amused. She propped her head with her one hand on the table while holding her drink with the other.
"Don't you worry, forehead. All good," she replied in a calm tone, the smile never leaving her face.
"...I'm not asking for any explanations or excuses from you. Not like you're eager to speak anyway…," Naruto said to Hinata while still staring down her companion. "I knew your old man would go to any lengths to hinder me, but seeing you taking part in all this... I didn't expect that." He looked at her again, his eyes full of disappointment and hurt. It didn't seem like he was ready to walk away from them, though…
Now they were definitely getting a little too much attention. Most of the bar became really quiet as everyone was observing the three of them. Perhaps the most surprising part of it was the Hyūga ninja Hinata was still hugging, which in truth looked more like she was desperately holding on to him, simply too afraid to let go. The man didn't appear to be even slightly nervous or scared. He just continued to look into Naruto's blue eyes calmly, his right hand wrapping around Hinata's waist somewhat possessively as he spoke,
"I believe you were repeatedly informed of the state of affairs in the Hyūga domain, Uzumaki-san," he said in a neutral tone. "Your relationship with the heiress is not permitted, nor approved by the head of our clan. As the future Hokage, I believe you should know what that entails." He paused for a few seconds, as if to let it sink in, not breaking their eye contact. "That being said, I would appreciate it if you stopped making the heiress feel uncomfortable due to your presence. If you have a problem with me, we could go out and settle it without causing a fuss here."
Although the Hyūga clan was admittedly the strongest in Konoha these days, it was also common knowledge that none of them was a match for the jinchūriki of the Nine Tails. Not even close. The fact that this mysterious man was basically inviting Naruto to have a conversation that very clearly wasn't supposed to go peacefully… it seemed impressive to some, and suicidal to others. Either way, it was ballsy of him to say the least.
Naruto just eyed the man with contempt while still waiting for Hinata to say something. However, the girl still remained silent which seemed to only further disappoint the jinchūriki. He then finally looked at her companion again almost lazily, unfazed.
"I did not ask for your opinion, nor was I talking to you right now. If you wish to bring up titles or accordance, then know your place and speak only when you're spoken to. I am not Hokage yet, but you aren't Hinata's husband for now either," the Uzumaki replied, deliberately mimicking his adversary's overly polite and formal tone. He never liked it whenever anything even close to politics was brought up, and neither did he feel natural at speaking this way. But since this Hyūga decided to act like that, he didn't mind playing along. After all, he'd gone through some preparations throughout the last few years.
"Hey, would you two relax?" said Tenten as she and Lee decided to intervene. "Today's not the day for these kinda things! Settle down and figure it out like adults, will ya?" she added, sounding hopeful, almost pleading.
"...But if your heart tells you to, then definitely agree to a duel, Naruto-kun! Our youth is NOW!" A drunk Rock Lee, not reading the mood at all, butted in, raising his glass and hiccupping.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Tenten smacked her ex-teammate on the back of his head, making him hiss in pain.
Naruto ignored both of them, but Lee's intervention definitely served as a distraction that helped him relax a bit. He realized this was now turning into some ugly fare for everyone's amusement, one that he couldn't afford as his reputation was now at stake. He wasn't going to make himself look like a clown to his people. So looking at Hinata once again, Naruto took a few moments to finally speak up.
"Well, if that's your answer then I'll accept it, Hinata. Though I'd still like to discuss a few loose ends before we can move on. So come with me, let's have a chat, will ya?" Naruto was being sincere. Any hints of possible conflict that he may have wanted to stir up before were now gone. All things considered, he decided that all that remained was to properly end this chapter of their lives and turn the page. For both of them.
Hinata lowered her head, and for some time it seemed like she was going to ignore his offer. But then she reluctantly slid off the Hyūga man's lap, taking a moment to fix her attire that consisted of a simple lilac jumper and a long beige skirt. She then shook her head, allowing her slightly messed up hair to flow down her back properly before finally turning to the Uzumaki, although still refusing to look him in the eye.
"Of course. Let's go, Naruto-kun." She waited for him to lead the way, not adding anything else. Her face expressed nothing at the moment, although she definitely looked paler than usual. The ninja behind her appeared to be quite annoyed, but for some reason he was now looking directly at Ino, slightly narrowing his eyes. It almost seemed like he suddenly lost any interest in Naruto and Hinata whatsoever.
As the two of them walked past their table and exited the bar, Ino looked back to catch the Hyūga man's stare. She quickly whispered into Sakura's ear, asking her to order more drinks and also to speak with Tenten and Lee about what had just happened. The pink-haired kunoichi nodded hesitantly and walked away. The tension in the bar was now somewhat lifted and people returned to their food and drinks, chatting with their friends and teammates, without a doubt discussing the scene they'd just witnessed.
The Yamanaka stood up from their table, not forgetting to pick up her half-finished drink. She smiled at the remaining Hyūga and waved her hand, inviting him to follow her. She then went into the staff-only area, eventually walking outside, using the back entrance of the bar.
Before she could turn around to face the man though, she could feel a strong hand abruptly turning her around and almost instantly grabbing the collar of her black sleeveless turtleneck, pressing her back to the wall.
"What the fuck did you just drag me into?" he asked demandingly, his real voice breaking through the disguise. He sounded ice-cold and it was very clear that he was just about to lose his temper. It seemed as though he was actually contemplating the idea of breaking her neck right there and now. Still he decided to give Ino a chance to explain herself, staring into her eyes with a deadpan expression.
"H-Hey, relax! You're gonna make me spill my drink." She looked at her glass worriedly. "Your interrogation technique kinda sucks, 'cuz all you're doing right now is making me excited," she added, now looking into his eyes condescendingly.
His face didn't change at all, nor did he say anything.
"Not in the mood for jokes like that, huh? Such a bore." She sighed, giving up on the attempt to weasel her way out of this. Surprisingly the woman didn't seem to be intimidated by him, even though she definitely believed that this man could kill without breaking a sweat. Whether all her work in the Interrogation division had desensitized her too much when it came to situations like this, or she really had simply come to terms with death long ago, was unclear. She stared at Sasuke for a bit, hoping that he would at least let her go before she'd speak, but that didn't happen, of course.
"It's nothing special," she finally said, lowering her eyes. "Hinata had a problem. That's what you helped us with. Be happy, you've finally done some good for your village! Hiashi-san wouldn't allow for their relationship, he made that clear multiple times. So Naruto knew that yet continued to believe he would be the Hokage in shining armor soon to help her out, as well as save the world in his free time. Didn't I tell you earlier how the politics in the village changed? Hinata is being propped up as the next head of the Hyūga clan, so she has to marry another Hyūga because some outdated bullshit traditions dictate it. None of our business, let's be honest. That can't be helped. Eventually she understood that and tried to convince Naruto to give up, but that stubborn, naive idiot wouldn't stop trying." Sasuke felt that Ino was getting angry as she continued to speak.
"He kept causing problems for everyone, spouting crap about his 'ninja way' and all his other typical bullshit. Like a child, honestly! Thinking that if he yells about it enough, things will go his way on a whim. Well fuck that, all he did was screwing everyone involved. Most of all Hinata herself. So to finally beat it into his thick skull that it's time to move on, we thought of this plan. Thankfully you arrived in the village just in time to play your part! For real, I doubt anyone else would be able to create a convincing enough transformation to fool him. Not to mention your acting skills." She paused, letting it all sink and waiting for any potential follow-up questions.
Sasuke still didn't say anything for a while, not looking away nor letting go of her collar. Although Ino sounded surprisingly genuine in everything she was saying – which was probably the only reason he wasn't about to actually kill her – all of it still made him feel sick. This place was not the village he remembered – that's where that realization hit him with its full strength and precision.
No, he corrected himself, frowning at the images his distant memories were now chaotically throwing at him. If anything, this was probably how Konoha had always been behind the facade they had all bought into as children. A deeply rotten place where manipulation, deception and backstabbing were behind all of its policies. Come to think about it, that was hardly unfair. After all, these exact qualities traditionally defined the art of ninja as a whole.
"You should've warned me it would be Naruto, of all people," he muttered through his teeth, finally loosening his grip and letting go of her. "What exactly is supposed to stop me from catching up with him right now and telling him about your little ploy?" he asked then, sounding curious rather than threatening, as though just genuinely wanting to hear her reasoning.
Finally, being free of his grasp, the first thing Ino did was finish her drink quickly before even more got spilled. Despite how much she drank this evening, strangely there wasn't a hint of her being even slightly drunk. Wincing a bit, she threw the empty glass in a pile of dirty clothing that lay near the dumpster, focusing her gaze on the disguised Sasuke again.
"And why would you do that?" she cocked her head, placing her right hand on her hip and looking at the young man intently. "I know you've already connected all the dots. You were the smart one in your team, after all. Naruto and Hinata just weren't meant to be in the world that we live in right now. They both have their roles to play to ensure the survival of Konoha. They have no choice but to do just that. What would happen to the village if Naruto continued to defy Hiashi-san? Just think." She leaned on the wall, peering at him searchingly.
"It would eventually lead to a civil war, given that more than half of the village is currently under the Hyūga's thumb. Once that happens and our beloved jinchūriki uses all his might to bring his divine justice and strike down the Hyūga rebels, we will lose important resources and the military power that we need to survive. Or the opposite, they'll just take control of the village completely. Either way, it would be a signal for other countries that Konoha right now is in turmoil and is ripe for the taking." She looked deeply disappointed as she said this, crossing her arms on her chest and frowning. "Come on, I don't need to explain this to you any further. You of all people should understand what it means to do what is needed, sacrificing your own dreams and desires for the bigger goal. Hinata understood that, eventually. Naruto didn't. Simple as that."
Sasuke closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. He knew that she was right, of course. Ino totally had a point. All of what she was saying definitely sounded like Naruto. To fight for his childish dreams and beliefs until the very end, never giving up no matter how absurd it got. And although the Hyūga girl clearly had enjoyed that farce about as much as the Uchiha himself did, if what Ino was saying was true, he could only commend her resolve in serving her clan and the village. Though obviously it would be outrageous to even compare these things, still in a sense, it distantly reminded him of the spirit of Itachi's sacrifice.
"Whatever. Arrange a private meeting with her old man for me. This shit hole you all call a village needs some serious fixing." He looked away, pausing for a few seconds "I'll be starting off with the Hyūga clan."
Ino's eyes widened a bit as she let out a chuckle.
"Wow, you do have a sense of humor after all, huh?" she didn't really take his statement seriously, as he wasn't the first to announce something like that. Naruto did the same thing quite often, though in a different way. Whenever they heard him talking about fixing things, one could only feel pity for him at this point. Sasuke however, he sounded like he had something more substantial on his mind…
The woman shook her head. This didn't matter anymore. Her task was done for now. She reached into her small purse and took out a piece of paper, giving it to the Uchiha.
"Here. It has already been arranged. What time is it now?" She looked at her wrist watch – it was already past midnight. "Uh, so... in a bit less than forty-eight hours, go to this location mentioned in the note. It's not far from the main cemetery, there will be a small arbor with benches. Once you're there, burn the note itself, it will act as the signal for him. The rest of the details, you can read by yourself." Yamanaka closed her purse and suddenly yawned.
"I think we're done here. Unless you have anything else you want to ask or–" Ino didn't get to finish the sentence as another person stormed out of the pub's back exit.
"This voice!" shouted Sakura, staring at the two of them in shock. The blonde kunoichi opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted. "I knew something was off with this Hyūga guy!" Sakura hesitated for a bit as if she couldn't believe what she wanted to say. "Sasuke…?" She looked confused. "Is that you?"
"Sakura." He recognized her, though not dispelling his disguise as their eyes met. He came close to the pink-haired kunoichi, almost passing her by but then turning his head toward her ever so slightly as they were standing next to each other, facing opposite directions. "Give me a favor and don't tell Naruto that I'm here yet. I want to talk to him myself later."
She gasped, hearing his real voice, and blinked a few times in confusion.
"But–"
Sasuke didn't let her finish, patting her shoulder in a somewhat friendly yet clearly dismissing manner before walking towards the exit.
"See you."
He had to admit, the Yamanaka turned out pretty professional both when it came to their plan, as ridiculous as the whole thing seemed to him, as well as their further agreement. He glanced at the note she'd given him before putting it in his pocket carefully. Not that he needed to wait anyway, but she'd even made sure he'd have some time to prepare for this meeting. Still he intended to use this time accordingly, now that he had nothing else to do until then anyway.
Before approaching the Hyūga patriarch, he decided to speak with his heiress in private first.