Big thanks for all your reviews and comments! It's a great pleasure to see that this story is so well-received. Next chapter will be the last one of the exposition arc, after which we'll move towards some more action-packed things.
Stay tuned, hope you enjoy this one!
Chapter 6. Belated Reunions
Sitting at the desk in her dusky bedroom, Hinata looked perplexedly through the small gap between the shut curtains of the half-open window. A loudly chirping bird had just flown by, making her flinch and snap out of her anxious thought for a moment. While the clear sky's yellowish shade was already indicating the approach of the evening, the young woman was still trying to understand what exactly had happened earlier. Because none of it made any sense to the kunoichi for now, and this fact was arguably even more disturbing than her ex-teammate's demise.
After her conversation with Ino, she headed directly to the hospital of Konoha. Although the Yamanaka had told her that Shino was alive and safe, she still felt the burning necessity to talk to him. She needed both to see him being fine first hand, and to comfort him as she could imagine how he was feeling now, probably blaming himself for what'd happened to Kiba. Of course, the Aburame never showed much emotion, not even in a situation like that, but she knew him well enough to say it had to be killing him inside. And while she didn't consciously realize it, thinking of a way to help her surviving friend was keeping her mind occupied, preventing it from fully embracing what had happened to the third member of Team Eight. That was exactly her type of escapism after all.
The first surprise came when she'd approached his ward. The room was guarded by two masked ANBU shinobi who wouldn't let her in, telling her that access was restricted and refusing to elaborate any further. No amount of explanations of her connection with the person inside, nor even bringing up her status as the Hyūga heiress helped the situation at all. They remained just as adamant about it no matter what. Both confused and worried, she decided to seek a medical worker to at least ask them how Shino was feeling and if there was anything she could do to help him.
And there came the second surprise. The red-headed girl who Hinata vaguely remembered as one of interns recently working under Sakura told her that Shino had already been fully healed, conscious and pretty much fine. But if that was the case – and the girl didn't seem to be lying – why were they keeping him there, especially like that, as though he was some sort of a criminal?
Then finally, the third and final surprise came in the form of a very tiny note carried by a ladybug that landed on her hand once Hinata'd left the hospital, completely baffled and unsure what to do. In fact, it was a barely noticeable piece of paper, hardly any bigger than a pinky toenail. Thankfully, she was familiar with this jutsu of her friend, so she instantly figured out what it was. Shino had mastered the use of micro bugs to write texts in miniature letters, which made it very convenient to leave messages that were hard, sometimes impossible to notice.
So now, still holding a magnifying glass in her right hand as well as the tiny note attached to her left ring finger, she lowered her eyes to look at the brief text once again.
They will break the pact. 4/5T 1D.
Hokage is wrong.
6 weeks from now.
Notify Shikamaru ASAP.
That was all the note said. And she didn't understand what it meant at all. Could this be possibly related to the fact Shino was now kept in custody…?
She sighed, igniting the note with the tiniest bit of her chakra and putting the magnifier away before leaning on the back of her old chair, looking up. Hinata bit her lip nervously, trying to decide what to do. Rushing to find the Nara as was requested in the note was probably not the best idea. Both because it would look suspicious in case she was already being watched by the ANBU Black Ops, and also since she was most likely going to see him at Ino's place in just a few hours anyway. But at the same time, sitting idly and just waiting wasn't the easiest thing to do in a situation like that.
Her second idea was to try to find Sasuke, but then again, that could look even more suspicious in the eyes of potential observers. Though she hadn't noticed anyone as she repeatedly scanned the surrounding area with her Byakugan. Still, no matter how tempting it was to try and do something – anything… Hinata didn't want to take the unnecessary risk of letting down Shino and the Uchiha.
A knock on her door made the kunoichi flinch again, reflexively looking over her table as panic filled her for a moment, making her wonder if she should hide anything before finally muttering:
"Uh… enter."
Her white eyes widened in surprise a moment later as she saw her father quietly walk in, closing the door behind his back.
"Hinata. Are you busy right now?" He sounded humble and a bit worried at the same time which she didn't find exactly typical for him.
"Um… no, father. Did something happen?" she asked carefully, giving him a small polite smile.
"No…," he sighed, "Yes and no. May I sit down?"
"Yes–yes, of course." She motioned at her bed as there was no other chair in the room – normally no one ever came here without a very good reason, not even the clan's head.
The long-haired man nodded hesitantly and came closer. He lowered on the edge of the bed, locking his fingers in front of him and propping his chin. For a while they just looked at each other silently. Hinata didn't have anything to say to him, so she just waited for her father to begin the conversation. At the same time, the Hyūga patriarch was apparently choosing the right words to relay whatever was on his mind. It was a rare opportunity for her to examine his looks from such a close distance. She'd never noticed before that his face now had more than a couple of wrinkles, and a good part of his formerly majestic brown hair had turned gray. His eyes, however, were even more surprising to look into right now, as all she could read in them was doubt, conflict and… affection…?
"Hinata, I know I haven't been the best parent to you throughout all of your life. Sometimes I was unnecessarily harsh to you, and I certainly didn't pay you enough attention as you grew up…"
She remained motionless, just staring at him as though she was seeing him for the first time in her life. Just what is happening today…?
"...Even so, you have managed to grow into a fine young woman who is more than worthy of taking over my position as our clan's leader. Furthermore, everything you've become, you did it on your own. Not thanks to my active support as your father, but in spite of its absence. The truth is, I am both proud of you and ashamed of myself."
She blinked, feeling her eyes watering up against her will. She was too afraid to say anything, so the girl just kept staring at him in disbelief, allowing the man to continue.
"I believe you do possess the intelligence and the perception to notice that very dark times are upon us. Both when it comes to the village and our clan, and likely – consequently – to us as individuals too." He sighed, lowering his hands and putting them on his knees, pausing for a few seconds.
"Whether you believe me or not, my main concern, above everything else, is your personal survival." He looked away, frowning. "Yes, I do want you to live a good, fulfilled life," he muttered, as though saying it to someone else who wasn't there in the room at the moment. "But at the same time, it's crucial to understand that you and I don't exactly belong to ourselves. Our sacred duty is to secure our clan's survival no matter what. Do you have an idea what it entails, daughter?"
Hinata didn't reply right away, suddenly feeling like she was walking on eggshells. She had never seen or heard him behaving this way, and it was so puzzling to her that it made the younger Hyūga unsure how to act herself.
"Yes–well… I believe I do, father," she stuttered quietly.
He eyed her searchingly for a few seconds before hemming and shaking his head.
"I'm not so sure if you actually do, Hinata. But, I will tell you." He sighed again, lowering his head and looking away. She could see there was a lot of inner conflict in the man at the moment, but whatever he had on his mind was clearly important enough for Hiashi to force himself to overcome this turmoil very quickly.
"As Hyūga clan's head, your allegiance must be to the clan and to the village. However, being loyal to the village doesn't necessarily imply loyalty to its current leaders."
She could feel her heart begin to pound faster. There was no way he could know about her and Sasuke's…
"This isn't a point of view common among most of our elders, and I know that you and I don't share a bond strong enough for me to expect you to accept my course of leadership and to help me do what I deem necessary. Even so, I'm asking you – begging you – to listen to me very carefully and to do precisely what I'm about to ask of you."
Hinata slowly nodded, clenching her fists in the long sleeves of her jumper. Maybe it was just a lucky coincidence after all, and he wasn't aware of their secret scheme.
"Of course, father. What is it?"
He looked directly into her eyes and said without further hesitation:
"We need to help Sasuke Uchiha become the next Hokage. I know you aren't familiar with that man besides your brief encounter from a few days ago, when he disguised himself as one of our clansmen. But, right now I need you to prioritize the task of approaching him and finding a way to become his ally on a positive basis. This must be done by any means necessary. Whether it entails partnership, friendship, an infatuation, or anything else."
Her eyes widened as the kunoichi was now in a state of deep shock. What exactly was he saying? And most importantly…
"Why…?" was all she managed to squeeze out, still not understanding anything at all.
"I spoke with him earlier today. It was a… productive dialogue, and I do believe that his intentions ultimately benefit both our clan and the village. The plan he presented to me is also sound enough to say he has considerable chances to grant a decent future to all of us. It isn't perfect, but at the very least it's certainly better than anything Naruto Uzumaki can offer as of now. And since you will be taking over my role in a few years, there's no going around the fact that you'll have to work in tandem with the Uchiha when it comes to ruling this village in the future. We need to prepare a solid foundation for that, and we need to start work on it in advance."
They both remained silent for a while, with him waiting for her to say something and her trying to somehow process through everything he'd just revealed. She was almost certain it wasn't a test of some sort. The young woman could see her father was being completely sincere. So it didn't take her long to come up with an answer. Hinata then finally opened her mouth, almost whispering:
"Is there… a preferred way for me to interact with Uchiha-san?"
Her father frowned, giving her a long thoughtful stare before saying:
"I am not expecting nor encouraging you to get romantically involved with him, if that's what your concern is. But you need to earn his trust, and I certainly don't think he's the type of person to give it away easily. Fortunately, I have already conjured an opportunity for you to approach him. He will be training you for some time in preparation for becoming our clan's head."
If that was even possible at this point, her eyes widened even more as she looked at him in utter disbelief, wondering if this all was some sort of a delirious dream. For her father to suggest that she should take lessons from a former rogue ninja such as Sasuke Uchiha…? Let alone to get close with him on a personal level? Was the world truly going completely insane?
"He will be… t-training me…?"
"Yes," Hiashi nodded firmly, "I have always secretly believed that our clan is far too orthodox when it comes to ninjutsu practice. Focusing entirely on our own techniques and neglecting anything else has helped us perfect our use of the Byakugan. But at the same time, we're commonly missing out on many other aspects of ninja art that have also been developed by outsiders a lot throughout the last few decades. No matter how controversial his figure is, Sasuke-san's combat mastery is undeniable, and his expertise is unique. As a dōjutsu user, he's a good fit for the role of your mentor."
She slowly nodded. He definitely had a point – the Hyūga clan had always frowned upon those of its members who tried to adapt other branches of ninjutsu and expand their traditional arsenal of techniques. And Sasuke most certainly was one of the most experienced shinobi alive, so getting him to teach her some new moves was objectively a great idea. The only problem there was…
"B-But… why would he agree to teach me?" she asked and then instantly regretted it, belatedly realizing that it was probably her task to convince the Uchiha to do that. But then, surprising her even more – which at this point seemed almost unbelievable – Hiashi smiled at her warmly and said:
"Do not worry about that. He has already agreed to. Sasuke-san will be coming to meet you formally tomorrow, as per what he and I discussed earlier."
She gulped nervously, nodding once again.
"Understood. Uh… is there anything else you would recommend me to do?"
Hiashi hemmed thoughtfully, scratching his chin.
"No… no, I believe you are ready, at least physically you are. For now, take some time and prepare yourself mentally. I will be making arrangements to notify the Hokage in the meantime. Sasuke-san mentioned he will be leaving the village to do something important soon, so as his temporary apprentice, I expect you to follow him wherever he goes. Naturally, once you return, a detailed report on everything you've done together is desired, but not mandatory. I'll leave it up to your judgment what is necessary to share and what isn't. I… trust you, Hinata."
She took a deep breath, looking away. She definitely needed to ask Sasuke about all this once they'd be able to talk in private. All of this was a massive surprise, to say the least, and she had no idea what to think about this turn of events.
"I will do as you wish, father."
He then suddenly did something that shocked her far more than anything else until now. Hiashi got up, came close to her and gently hugged his daughter, holding her in his warm embrace for a few seconds.
"Thank you for putting your trust in me, Hinata. A father can only dream to be humbled by his child. And I am truly proud of you. I… I love you, my girl."
Her arms began to shake as she slowly hugged him back, burying her face in his chest.
"I love you too… dad."
The sun was already slowly setting, its soft golden rays illuminating the deserted street along which Sasuke was unhurriedly walking. The atmosphere was deceivingly peaceful and relaxing, but at this point the Uchiha was already fully aware of the dire state of affairs within the village, so he didn't fall for this superficial tranquility at all. If anything, so far Konoha had been doing nothing but making him sick, and it had little to do with his own history with the village. Because at this point, he could say with certainty that he'd moved on from that.
Of course, he didn't feel all that bothered by all the shady people he could feel were lurking around every now and then, even without paying any attention to notice their movements. The occasional skirmishes he saw here and there didn't concern the ninja all that much either. The problem was the atmosphere as a whole. It was… oppressive. Comfortless. There was no sign of the former warmth these streets had once possessed, even though he'd never exactly appreciated that to begin with. Although Sasuke personally had no such experience, in a way it felt similar to what he imagined would be sitting next to a sick, not very beloved relative who was most certainly dying. And nothing the doctors who came to treat the ill patient would do seemed to be working.
In other words, it felt hopeless. Uneasy. Futile. Why had he even come back? Was there a point? Maybe it would've been better to let this place get what it deserved after all? Maybe it should… just die? Wouldn't that be natural? Wouldn't that be exactly what they all deserved…?
The Uchiha frowned. Throughout the last few days, that had been a very tempting suggestion to agree with. Objectively, he had very little reason to want to save Konoha. But frankly, he wasn't going to do that anyway. His plan was to rebuild it and create something new – a place worthy of calling his home, no less. Whether it would succeed or not remained to be seen, of course. And although his hopes weren't very high, he realized it was also his only existential goal to hold on to at the moment. Without that, he felt just as purposeless as everything around him did now.
Because as hard as it was to admit, deep inside he was in many ways similar to this very village. Dying, apathetic, hopeless. Without a higher purpose, his life had no meaning. And since he didn't see any other reason to keep moving forward, the current course of action was essentially the only thing he had. Whether he liked it or not.
As he came close to his destination the ninja stopped, eyeing the slightly dilapidated wooden construction with a bit of curiosity. Back in the day it had looked a lot more welcoming, but even now it wasn't exactly repulsive. If anything, the place appeared to be doing considerably better than most of the remaining eateries he'd seen so far.
He stepped under the canopy, seeing a couple of customers who were eating there in silence. The owner of the place was nowhere to be seen, but Sasuke had never been a fan of ramen to begin with, and neither was he hungry. The person he'd come for was right there anyway.
"Yo, dumbass," he said casually, sitting next to the blonde ninja who was staring at his bowl blindly, absently picking noodles with chopsticks without the usual enthusiasm.
Naruto was playing around with the bits of food that were still left in the bowl in front of him. He rarely had any issues with finishing his favorite dish, however today he was struggling to eat. His appetite wasn't as great as usual after recent events. He didn't respond immediately, just lazily glancing at the person who'd just greeted him. He then reluctantly gave him a nod before speaking.
"You sure you're supposed to be out in public? Considering that the quarantine laws seem to not apply to you." Naruto wasn't exactly surprised to see him there. Thanks to Sakura, he already knew that his former teammate was in Konoha. Keeping in mind everything that had happened over the past few days and coupling that with the fact that Uchiha seemed to have been hiding so far, the blonde shinobi wasn't sure if he even wanted to talk to his old friend. The young man then sighed, quickly finishing up his food and moving the bowl away. Finally turning his head to face Sasuke, he crossed his arms on the table, leaning on it.
"You look like shit. Though given your years of homeless travels, that shouldn't be a surprise," he added in a calm voice with a slight grin on his face.
"That's just a gesture of integrity on my part, Naruto. I look like what I am." He smirked at the jinchūriki, glancing at the owner of the place who walked out of the staff only room with another bowl of steaming food, placing it in front of the Uzumaki. "Just a cup of green tea, please," the Uchiha said politely, to which the older man nodded and began to prepare the drink. "Besides, the village itself doesn't look any better than I do, so it's a good match, don't you think?"
For a while, Naruto eyed his friend with the same grin that faded over time. He glanced sideways, nodding in response and turning away.
"Yeah. Or you could look better to make the whole place more welcoming. Every little bit helps, you know?" he let out a short laugh, realizing how stupid that sounded. "I'm glad your highness finally decided to shine his light on me, though. Or was it just a coincidence you ended up here of all places?" Naruto decided to change the subject. He wasn't trying to accuse Sasuke of anything. It was the usual banter that he was used to whenever they spoke to each other. Despite somewhat suspicious circumstances, Naruto couldn't deny that it was a relieving encounter, as Sasuke might be the only person with whom he could be direct and... well, himself.
The Uchiha's brow cocked a bit.
"For me to coincidentally come to a ramen place? Seriously, Naruto? You never were the brightest one out there, but this is too dumb to assume even for someone like you." He smirked again, taking a sip of the hot liquid and pausing for a few seconds. He knew he had to be careful around his friend now, but the plan he was keeping in mind seemed sound enough, at least for the moment. He knew that as long as he would act like his normal self, nothing would be suspicious.
"I was doing other things. I understand you'd be thrilled to see me the very moment I entered the village, but that could wait. Besides, I heard you've been quite busy yourself."
Naruto chuckled. So he doesn't deny that he was in the village without notifying anyone... The shinobi shook his head, both to that thought and to Sasuke's question.
"Eh, nothing out of the ordinary. The usual running around with the Hokage's business. Unfortunately, the times when you could beat someone into the ground to resolve an argument are over. Or at least on hold for now." He paused for a bit, thinking about what he just said. It truly did feel like all those diplomatic missions served only one purpose which was not to actually resolve anything, but rather to postpone the inevitable catastrophe that was right on their doorstep.
"Sad, isn't it?" drawled Sasuke neutrally, taking another sip. "Back in the good old days, it used to be a lot more fun."
Of course, the Uchiha had suspected that Sakura wouldn't keep their encounter a secret from Naruto, at least not for this long anyway. So after some thought, the former rogue decided that acting straightforward and blunt was the best option he had. That was the reason he'd decided to face Naruto so soon, in the first place. He also believed it was safe to assume that the Uzumaki was at this point fully aware of what had happened back at the bar, and about Sasuke's own role in that silly play.
"...Though I can't say that you've improved in matters of cunning and charm. Your whole idea of marrying the Hyūga was a joke, let's be honest."
Naruto also decided to be honest in his response as the cat was out of the bag with the whole Hyūga business anyway. So he didn't need to pretend that he cared anymore. Especially not in front of Sasuke of all people.
"Oh?" he shrugged, looking indifferent. "I think it would be good for Konoha. Besides, not like anyone here usually requires a more refined approach to convince them. You should know that." He paused, motioning Teuchi to pour him a drink. After a few moments, a cup of coffee was placed in front of him – his usual beverage in recent years.
"I tried to play nice, but the message wasn't getting across. So... if it wasn't for your little stunt in the bar, I would've changed my attitude to a more direct one anyway." He took a sip of coffee, but then winced and put the cup away to let it cool down a bit. "Well, guess I gotta thank you for that? Partially at least. Truly, the right man in the wrong place can cause a lot of issues, huh?" he added with a barely visible smirk on his face. "Always being a pain in my ass, just like in the past, you bastard."
"I don't think I caused you any problems. If anything, I saved your ass out there, because Hiashi and the rest of them certainly didn't like the idea of you two being together. And knowing you, I can imagine you weren't a fan of it either." Sasuke paused, looking away. So far the conversation was going surprisingly nice, and he almost enjoyed talking to his old friend once again. Still he knew there were a few things he needed to push throughout this conversation, and he had to be convincing enough to get Naruto's, and hence Kakashi's attention off his back for the foreseeable future.
"And I wasn't in the wrong place, dumbass. Your interest back there crossed my own, so I just did what I needed to do, simple as that. I won, you lost. As per usual." He grinned, silently praying that this card would actually play as intended.
This time the blonde ninja let out a loud laugh.
"Overconfident as usual, eh, Sasuke? I'm glad that at least some things remain the same even after all these years. As for the Hyūgas... Ultimately, what they like or don't like doesn't matter. Although the same can be said about any of us, including myself. We all do what we have to do," he mused, almost as if speaking to himself. He then turned his gaze on Sasuke once more.
"Hm... yeah, now that you mentioned it, your interest. It seems like it crossed with the Head of the Analysis and Interrogation departments, too. What's up with that?" he added, eyeing the black-haired ninja curiously.
In his mind, Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. This was going just as planned. Now all he had to do was to tell him most of the truth while avoiding mentioning some parts of it.
"Nothing in particular," he shrugged casually, putting the cup on the desk. "Ino was the first person I met in the village when I'd just come back. While I can't say I enjoy talking to her, she was eager to inform me about everything that's been going on here lately, as well as the Hyūga problem. After she explained it all, I saw a good opportunity to reach my own goals by playing a role in that… situation. Now that I got what I wanted, I'm not planning to stay here for much longer anyway."
Naruto's facial expression didn't change, as he continued to look at his friend thoughtfully.
"I see...," he muttered, finally turning his attention away to his now pleasantly warm cup of coffee. "You're very chatty today, that's unexpected. Guess it's Ino rubbing off on you, given what you told me, eh?" he added in a slightly teasing manner. He wasn't sure what to make of all this yet, but he felt that none of this bode well. Ino running around looking for Sasuke and then just talking with him about everything? They had rarely spoken even before the Uchiha had gone rogue. Considering her current position in the village as well, there would be very few reasons for her to actually seek him out like this. Unless…
Holding his assumptions back for the moment, the ninja was still feeling suspicious of Sasuke's presence in the village. It didn't seem like his friend would elaborate on what his interests and goals were, and pushing him on the matter wasn't something Naruto wanted to do. Not at the moment, at least.
"So where are you planning to go next?" he then asked, glancing at the Uchiha.
"Planning to take the Hyūga who dumped you on a trip. Her old man asked me to… tutor her. He doesn't think she's strong enough to become the head of their clan, so I'm going to teach her a couple of things." His stomach suddenly grumbled as he looked at the other bowl of ramen Naruto hadn't touched at all. Strangely, for a second it was almost tempting to take it and give it a try, but then he decided not to after all. His attitude so far had been almost too provoking anyway, so there was no reason to add more fuel to the fire.
"I've been thinking of a way to help Konoha," he said instead after a pause. "Not that I care about the mess in the village all that much, but there's nothing better to do anyway. As you noticed, punching the faces of the people we dislike doesn't bring as much satisfaction these days… so I figured something more productive could be good for a change."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Hiashi asked you?" he slowly said as if trying to convince himself that he hadn't just misheard Sasuke's words. His face expressed confusion and disbelief for a second, but then quickly turned to reflect an internal conflict that didn't miss the Uchiha's eyes.
"You do realize that the Konoha's officials won't just let you, a former nukenin and an Uchiha, walk away with a Hyūga, right? Especially with the one that's supposed to be the next head of the clan, Sasulke. Have you seen the border control over the whole country? And even putting that aside…," he paused, as if the thought itself was messing him up. "She's important to her clan and to the village. By hanging out with her, you're essentially carrying out contraband in the form of their dōjutsu." Obviously, the blonde realized that whatever the Hyūga clan decided amongst themselves was for them to decide, but this could easily be considered to be a potential threat to Konoha's security.
"You know you're only making your sudden reappearance here even more suspicious by telling this to me, right?" he then added nonchalantly. He wasn't sure what to make of this yet, but this sudden news made him feel like Sasuke was messing with him which wouldn't be a surprise, but at the same time this man never did anything without a purpose. So, what was the point here?
Sasuke shrugged almost completely indifferently and said:
"Suspicious, huh… Well, does it really matter? My clan has been viewed as suspicious for the entire duration of its existence in this village, so I'm not worried about that. You wouldn't fall low enough to be like the previous Hokage in that regard, would you, Naruto?" The tiniest hint of irony was barely noticeable in his voice as he looked directly into his friend's eyes, pausing for a moment.
"Not really my problem what they all think, dumbass. My business with Hiashi is personal, it's between our clans and has nothing to do with big politics. His permission, or rather his request for me was received and reviewed. He said he would handle the formalities, and I can't be assed to bother with all that garbage. In return, I will be getting what I returned for, so it's only fair. It will benefit the village in the end, too. And honestly," he grinned with a genuine bit of nostalgic cockiness. "Knowing me, can you honestly say that anyone under my protection is in danger at all? Or are you implying that she's actually that weak?"
Naruto shook his head as he continued to stare at Sasuke.
"Yeah, right. And here I thought you'd be the one to prove them wrong about those suspicions, not to reinforce them..." He looked away and sighed. "Man, you really are here to cause nothing but problems after all." Wiping his face with his hands, the blonde shinobi felt frustrated and confused. So much had happened over the past few days, and now this was a 'perfect' cherry on top of the cake. Something was definitely stirring, and he just couldn't grasp what exactly it was.
Naruto took a deep breath, finally regaining his composure.
"Your protection... Sure, if that's even your goal – to protect her." He scoffed, shaking his head. "But, whatever... It's not my job to interrogate you," he added, wincing. "Although it seems the person whose job it actually is failed at it miserably." He ignored Sasuke's neverending verbal jabs at him this time, as he was starting to get tired of the back-and-forth.
Considering that Ino still hadn't reported anything about her encounter with Sasuke, he figured it meant that she was also trying to gain something from the Uchiha. And now the Hyūga clan was involved in this, too. The internal unrest had been growing for a while now, but it never moved past the rumors phase. Did all of this mean that someone finally started taking action...? How annoying, he thought bitterly.
For a while, Sasuke just studied his friend's expression, thinking silently. After all, it didn't seem like Naruto was still the same naive child he'd been just four years ago. That made things more… hopeful, in the Uchiha's eyes. Sitting there in front of his friend now, surprising to himself most of all, he was feeling a strong urge to… comfort him somehow. At the end of the day, no matter what happened, the two of them still were best friends. And they both could definitely feel what was going on in each other's hearts and souls. So as irrational as it was, Sasuke disliked not being able to be entirely honest with Naruto. Part of him wished to openly declare his intentions to the jinchūriki and to settle it all right there and now. But he knew neither of them was ready for it yet. So…
So he decided to just tell him as much as he could, and to reassure his friend in the best way he could come up with. Getting off the stool, he came close to the Uzumaki and put his only hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Look, Naruto… A lot of things have happened since the last time we talked. You have your own goals to chase, and so do I. But, believe me when I say it… I'm not your enemy. I don't intend to kill you, nor to fight you. I…," he looked away, frowning but not removing his hand, "...Don't agree with a lot of things you believe in. And I'm sure it's mutual. But in the end, we both want the same thing. Survival and well-being of this village. And if we have to clash over the best way to achieve it at some point… we can either resolve it through talking, or settle it the old way. Regardless, we're in the same boat. I want you to remember it… whatever happens next."
Naruto looked at the bottom of the empty cup he was holding as he listened to his friend carefully.
"Kill or fight me? Heh, I'm not worried about myself..." he muttered, standing up from the stool to face the Uchiha and added:
"I know you've changed, even if some people would disagree. On the one hand, given my current position in Konoha, it would make sense to take you into custody." He looked away, as though actually considering doing that for a second. "But..." He raised his hand to move the hanging cloth of the canopy away, gazing at the unwelcoming street of his beloved village for a few seconds. "What I am afraid of is that the other part of me would probably agree with you," he added, sounding disappointed at himself. He'd never truly admitted even once that his convictions or beliefs could be wrong. In the past, he had felt desperate a few times, and the biggest blow his beliefs had ever taken was during the battle against Obito and Madara. The moment Neji Hyūga was killed…
Those words... 'I'll never let my comrades die'. Say it again…! Your flippant words and ideology shall become lies. This is the end result of hope and ideals.
Those cursed words once again rung in his mind as Naruto visibly winced at the thought of them. Despite how the war had ended, how Obito had repented for his deeds... The blonde shinobi never really forgot those words of his. He kept pushing them far away in his mind, but they were still there, incessantly waiting to strike his resolve at any tiniest moment of doubt or weakness. Over the past few years, he'd continuously returned to that day in his meditations. And now, he felt like his formerly firm beliefs were once again being challenged. This time, however, the young man decided to let his friend decide on further action. Just to see what would happen.
They stood like that in silence for a bit as Naruto was mulling over his recent thoughts. He was beginning to feel annoyed. Was he betraying himself right now? Was he willing to take this risk by allowing Sasuke to do his own thing…?
He shook his head and decided that what's done is done. If there would be unwanted consequences of this decision, he would just face them as usual. After all, that's what he always did. The Uzumaki looked at Sasuke with a slightly pained expression but his eyes relayed nothing but careful trust.
"I guess we'll see," he finally muttered then.
For the first time since his return, or maybe even in years, Sasuke smiled genuinely. Whatever was going on in Naruto's head – and he could feel there was quite a turmoil – at the very least he could be reasoned with. That was certainly reassuring.
"Yeah. Now, back to business. Last time I was leaving the village, you guys told me that there was a prosthetic hand prepared for me. I think it's time for me to get it. Sakura should be able to attach it, right? We can use it as a chance to have a nice little chat all together… just like the old times. Surely, you two would love it, wouldn't you? Before I leave again, that is."
Suddenly, it was as if a switch got flipped and the usual Naruto persona reappeared. He made an exaggerated disappointed face, his shoulders lowering in defeat.
"Man, you really are an emotional void. Even when we're having a moment like that, you quickly change the subject to what you actually need. Such an asshole!" He put his hands behind his head and walked out of the ramen shop, laughing carelessly. "Yeah, of course. To be honest, I thought you wouldn't ever request it, given how stubborn you bastard are. But for some reason, Sakura believed that one day... Surely, one day you'll want it after all. Guess I'll have to treat her to something, and you should thank her as well, Sasuke. If it wasn't for her, it would've been used for something else already," he said with a grin on his face. "But anyway, yeah, we can go and get it now. As far as I know, Sakura shouldn't be too busy right now.
Sasuke smirked at him.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's go already."
The two of them headed toward the hospital, and for this brief moment of tranquility, somehow it almost seemed like they were back in their childhood once again. Both of them decided to savor it for a while, as they knew it was just a calm before the storm. But that was no reason to reject this rare opportunity to pretend that things weren't as bad as they were.
As it was already completely dark outside, Sasuke went out of the hospital and began walking to the apartment Ino had offered him to stay in. He glanced at his bandaged left hand, clenching and unclenching his new fingers several times before giving it a satisfied nod. He'd gotten used to not having an arm throughout the last few years, but having it back now felt perfectly natural and quite nice, too. Almost as if he'd never lost it, in the first place.
Surprisingly, the surgery had gone pretty smoothly and rather quickly too. The three of them had actually spent more time talking about this and that – unsurprisingly, nothing important was brought up. And although the conversation had been rather tense for all the obvious and unobvious reasons, the Uchiha had to admit it wasn't exactly unenjoyable. Besides, he was certain that he'd managed to lower the suspicions of both of his former teammates to some extent, which was also good for him.
Neither of them had mentioned it throughout the talk, carefully avoiding the subject. But judging by their gestures and looks towards each other, Sasuke figured that Naruto and Sakura were now somehow romantically involved. Not that he minded it at all, of course. To him it only meant he'd have less of their attention on himself, if anything. And aside from that, it now also made sense why Sakura had taken part in Ino's plan with the Hyūga girl. She had used Sasuke to get rid of a threat to her relationship with the Uzumaki. He had to admit, that was pretty bold of her, but Sasuke was fine with that. At the end of the day, he certainly wasn't sanctimonious enough to judge his friend for trying to fight for her own happiness in this rotten world. Especially not when it was beneficial to all of them, quite literally.
Of course, Naruto and Sakura had done most of the talking there. He'd mostly remained silent, just listening to their jabbering and rarely giving out reactions to this and that, rather out of politeness than of interest. He could see that Sakura felt a bit uneasy around him, most likely feeling some sort of guilt for being with Naruto now, as well as using him to push Hinata Hyūga away from the Uzumaki. But Sasuke had genuinely tried to give her a hint that he didn't care about any of it, and that it was all in the past. He wasn't sure if she'd grasped it, and frankly neither did he care.
Deep in his thought, he didn't notice the strange movement of shadows in the sideway alley right away. Only when he felt something binding his body, preventing it from moving normally, the Uchiha stopped, activating his Sharingan and looking around.
"Whoever you are, I suggest you undo the jutsu right now if you don't wish to die," he said casually, surprisingly unable to see the culprit.
For a while it was quiet, nothing moved and no sound was made. However, after a while Sasuke heard footsteps seemingly coming out of the deep shadows. Eventually a young man in black clothes came out, holding a rat sign with his hands. As he approached the Uchiha, Sasuke also walked towards him at the same pace, unable to control his own movement.
"Never thought I'd be able to catch you, of all people. But I guess it was a successful gamble." The other ninja finally stopped, looking directly into the eyes of the Uchiha as if he wasn't worried about falling under his genjutsu at all. "I guess you managed to get on their good side to receive that thing." Shikamaru eyed the new prosthetic arm on Sasuke for a few seconds with a bit of interest. "Sorry for the dramatic effect…," he drawled lazily, not sounding apologetic at all. "I just needed to make sure no one around would be around to hear us and that you'd remain in one spot while we speak. I know why you came back, or at least I believe I know. Thankfully, you stumbled upon the right person during your first day in Konoha and I think that's the only reason the village isn't currently experiencing a devastating battle. After all, I imagine your usual 'welcoming party' would've been a lot less… nice." He grinned as he released the rat seal and the shadow that controlled the Uchiha retreated back into the alley.
"I doubt you remember me, but that's irrelevant, so I'll make it short... Since you obviously have an agenda that conflicts with the current status quo in the country, I believe we can be useful to each other. Ino was already straightforward enough with you, I'm sure you got the hint that things aren't going so well here. And that there's a sentiment amongst the people here that our Hokage isn't doing a good job. I'd like to discuss that with you." As he said that, the rest of the unnatural shadows dissipated. Now the lonely alley looked the same as it would on any usual night. "Ino's apartment isn't far away from here. What do you say?"
Sasuke frowned, eyeing him searchingly for a while. Contrary to the guy's belief, he did remember him, but what he'd just told him wasn't necessarily good news. Either this was a blatant provocation on the Hokage's part in order to lure out his true intentions, or the other ninja was actually genuine, and in this case, he could become his ally. Either way, agreeing to follow him didn't seem like a bad idea. In the worst-case scenario, he could always just tell Kakashi that he only followed their bunch to find out who the traitors were.
Assuming that they would survive the encounter if it was an actual trap, that is.
"Shikamaru Nara… what makes you think that I'd like to listen to whatever you guys have to say?" He replied in a similar lazy and uninterested manner, deciding to play it safely regardless. Even if they were truly his potential allies, it just wouldn't be very much like him to be eager about interacting with them, let alone after such a blunt greeting.
Shikamaru scratched his head.
"Cautious, aren't we... That's annoying but understandable." The man wasn't trying to mince words. He sighed. "I intend to become the Seventh. For now, that's what I want. That's what you said, right? When conspiring with the head of Hyūga clan," he added, remembering the intel that Sai had gathered during the Uchiha's meeting with Hiashi.
"Given my position in the village, normally the Hokage's office would already be cracking down on you and the Hyūga brethren. And that's not happening right now because it's not in my interest," he said firmly, looking a bit bored and annoyed. He had actually hoped that Sasuke would just agree to go with him. Explaining things out in the open like this was troublesome no matter how secure the area could seem at the moment.
"I won't lie, the only reason I'm here talking to you is because you can be useful for what we have planned for this village. I'm sure we can be useful to you as well in a way, considering your current goals. So us two having a chat makes sense, doesn't it?" Shikamaru sounded as though he was trying to explain something extremely obvious to a baby.
For a few seconds, Sasuke instinctively contemplated killing him on the spot. Someone having overheard his conversation with Hiashi wasn't all that surprising. But the fact that the word had already spread, and that it had happened this fast, caught him off guard just a little bit. Especially in contrast with how peaceful and careless the evening overall had been until now.
Still, the man in front of him had a point. If they were already aware of his plans, there was no logical reason not to hear them out at least.
"Fine. Lead the way."