A Possible Future by Jason Corley

Chapter Eleven

Hinata opened her eyes after a restful sleep. She sat up and the covers slid down to her waist. Hinata looked around the room and noted she was in the house she and Sasuke were staying in at the Uchiha manor. She was home in her room. She smiled at the thought. She swung her legs out of bed and stood up. She noticed that she was wearing her clothes from yesterday and she wanted a clean pair. She looked around the room but couldn't find her duffle bag that she knew she packed to bring here. Then she remembered that she dumped the bag along the way. She looked a little down at the memory but she told herself that it was just clothes. She could always get more. Hinata walked through the house looking for Sasuke but she didn't find him. All she found was the snake lying in the sun coiled up on the floor. Then snake opened one eye as Hinata was walking away. The snake watched Hinata close the door behind her when she left. The snake closed it's eye just wanting to soak in the sun.

Hinata started retracing her steps in the hope of finding her duffle bag. As she walked the memories of the previous night flooded into her mind. With each step she took she thought she could feel the pain returning. When she got to within sight of the Hyuuga manor she couldn't stand the memories. She had to get away from there. She didn't care about the duffle bag. She turned around and standing in front of her was one of her relatives. She brought her arms up in front of her to protect her torso from what he might do. The man that was of the branch family walked toward her but instead of attacking her walked around her without even giving her a passing glance. Hinata turned to watch the man walk through the gate of the Hyuuga manor. Her breathing started to return to normal and she turned back around to head home. As she walked she could feel the stress from walking towards the Hyuuga manor drifting away. She stopped at a tree where she remembered dropping the duffle bag. She turned around in a circle looking for it. She didn't see it. A shop keeper saw her looking for something and motioned her over. The shop keeper asked her if she was looking for something. Hinata told the shop keeper she was looking for a red duffle bag with clothing in it. The shop keeper told Hinata to wait there and disappeared into the back of his shop. When he returned he was carrying a red duffle bag. Hinata thanked the man for finding it. They bowed to each other and Hinata started walking again. She walked through the entrance way to the Uchiha manor and down the main street. As she walked she looked at all the houses she passed and felt that each time she saw them now they all looked cleaner and more welcoming. She couldn't help but feel the place was feeling more alive than she any time she could remember seeing it. She walked into the house she was staying at and took off her footwear. She walked down the hall to her room. Hinata opened the doors to her wardrobe and found three kimono's hanging up. One was a solid river blue with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. Another was a pattern of reds, oranges, and yellows. She looked at it in awe because it looked like the embodiment of fire. The third was a white with pink blossoms. She thought it was pretty but thought it wouldn't look good on her. Her eyes were pulled to the blue kimono. She drew her attention from the blue kimono to her duffle bag. She unzipped it and started putting her clothes in the wardrobe. When she was finished putting her clean clothes in the wardrobe she unzipped her jacket but held it closed when she turned around to check the room. The curtains that would cover the window was open but all she saw was a yard with flowers in it. She didn't think anyone would be out there. She looked to the open door to her room but knew Sasuke wasn't in the house. She slipped her jacket off which was the only article of clothing that had been on her torso. She let it fall to the floor wanting to wash it instead of hanging it up. She untied the drawstring of her pants and let them fall around her ankles. She pulled her panties down past her hips and let them fall to around her ankles. She took out a clean pair of undergarments and put them on. She took out a blue shirt which she pulled over her head. She then pulled on a pair of clean pants. She took her one other jacket out of the wardrobe and put it on. Hinata then closed the doors to the wardrobe and picked up her clothes that were on the floor. She walked through the house to find the wash room. She found it and deposited her clothes into a basket. She would clean them later. Hinata then walked back down the hall to where the snake was. She asked the snake if it knew where Sasuke was. The Snake replied "The masster iss around ssomewhere. Sss sss sss." Hinata bowed to the snake and walked back to the door. She put her footwear on and disappeared out the door.

When the perverted hermit didn't return Naruto left to go eat what was to be his breakfast even though it was lunch time. Naruto walked into the ramen shop he loved and sat down. Naruto turned his head to look the person next to him. It was Jiraiya. Jiraiya looked down and said "Naruto, you're late." Naruto's eye began to twitch. "It seems you don't want to train as much as you did. You're arriving later each day. Perhaps I should stop going out there to train you."

Naruto replied loudly "It's all Sasuke's fault. Everything was fine before he came back."

Jiraiya smirked "I thought the whole point of your training was so you could go and drag him back here."

Naruto continued "Yeah. I was suppose to go and drag his ass back here. But he just showed up and is acting like nothing happened. Now he says he's going to participate in the Chuunin exam. Just like that. He's not even on a team anymore."

Jiraiya replied "Sasuke's on your team."

Naruto's jaw dropped and his eyes grew to the size of saucers. He grabbed his hair with his hands and yelled "What?"

Jiraiya continued ignoring Naruto's outburst "Enjoy yourself for the rest of the day. And be on time tomorrow with your bag packed."

Naruto's posture returned to normal and he asked "Why's that?"

Jiraiya answered "Because tomorrow we are going to start training for two weeks strait. And if you are late, I won't train you anymore till after this Chuunin exam." Before Naruto could answer Jiraiya got up and walked away. Naruto turned his attention to the bowl of ramen that had been placed in front of him and started eating.

Shikamaru looked out across the forest and knew that all he was going to be doing until the Chuunin exam was pulling guard duty. He had made sure his name was on the list of examiners for the first test.

Sakura finally stabilized the boar and looked over at Tsunade who was sleeping. Sakura's eye started to twitch. Sometimes Sakura really hated the fifth. She yelled at Tsunade to wake up. Tsunade lifted her head and put her hand to her forehead. She told Sakura to keep it down and asked what time it was. Sakura wasn't going to keep it down she told Tsunade rather loudly that it was past lunch time and that she had been up all night. Tsunade looked over at the animals and dismissed Sakura telling her to take the day off. Sakura stared at Tsunaded for a moment before leaving. She was actually thankful for the day off. She was going to go home and go strait to sleep. When she got there she did exactly that.

Hinata approached the Uchiha training ground and heard a fast steady thumping noise. She peaked around a tree. From her vantage she watched as Sasuke moved around and between 4 posts unleashing a constant barrage of attacks. She didn't know how long she was standing there but she felt that his pace had not slowed down. She was amazed at the endurance he was showing. It made her think of the few times she had watched Lee practice. She decided remain where she was when she said "Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped between the four posts and looked at Hinata. When Sasuke saw that she was waiting for him to say something he asked "Do you feel up to a light workout." Hinata nodded and walked down to meet him. She stopped a few paces away and Sasuke said "Prepare yourself." Hinata performed the hand seal to activate her Byakugan but it didn't. She tried again but was unable to activate it.

A worried expression came to Hinata's face and she said "I can't use my Byakugan." Sasuke didn't say anything. She continued "Shizune said you reversed the effects."

Sasuke shook his head and said "She said I stopped the effects and may have reversed them. The only effect I think I reversed was your sight. And I think I merely stopped what was being done."

Hinata looked down and said "I over heard Shizune talking with another doctor. I heard that my blood appeared to have been boiling inside me. Something about the blood being super oxygenated and the rate my heart was beating. They said I was lucky to be alive."

Sasuke said "You may have to live without your Byakugan. It may never come back."

Hinata's expression changed from worried to lost. The two of them stood there silent for a bit then Hinata said quietly "I've trained my whole life to use the Byakugan in a fight. How can I fight now."

Sasuke replied "You learn to fight without it. Which means we have a lot of training we need to get in if you are going to make Chuunin this time." Hinata didn't react to this so Sasuke continued "If you think Naruto will see you if you become a better ninja, don't you think he would be impressed if you made Chuunin." Hinata lifted her gaze to look at Sasuke. Sasuke could see it had at least sparked an interest in Hinata so he continued "I know you can do it but it's going to be hard work up until then. Are you up for it?" Hinata nodded. Sasuke wasn't convinced so he said "I don't think you are." Hinata looked like she had just been slapped in the face.

Sasuke stared at her and Hinata quietly said "I'm up for it."

Sasuke held a strait face even though he wanted to grin and said flatly "I can't hear you."

Hinata repeated in a speaking tone "I'm up for it."

Sasuke continued to hold a strait face and said loudly "I still can't hear you."

Hinata repeated loudly "I'm up for it."

Sasuke yelled "What?"

Hinata yelled "I'm up for it!"

Sasuke commanded loudly "Prove it." As he stepped forward and shoved Hinata. Hinata recovered from the push and quickly took a fighting stance. Without realizing it Hinata was pumped up to fight now. She moved in to strike. When Sasuke saw her coming after him he couldn't help but let the grin creep on to his face. Sasuke made sure to keep Hinata fighting at 100. Even though her 100 got slower and weaker as the day wore on it still made her push her limits. Sasuke had decided he wasn't going to do to her what was done to him. Instead when he struck blows that Hinata should have been able to defend against, he would make sure it was what she would consider a light hit. Sasuke could see her drive to keep fighting even though Hinata's form was getting sloppy. He decided to end the fight. He moved in and put Hinata in a hold from behind. Hinata pushed off the ground making Sasuke lean backwards. They both continued to the ground. Sasuke decided not to twist and slam Hinata into the ground instead he let himself hit first and just maintain his hold. Hinata tried kicking her legs but Sasuke wrapped his legs around hers to stop her from kicking. Eventually Hinata stopped fighting and relaxed. When she was just lying there pressed up against him resting, Sasuke released the hold. They stayed like that for a bit before Sasuke said "That's enough for today." Hinata tensed her body trying to sit up but she couldn't so she like herself relax back down on Sasuke.

Hinata said with a hint of mirth "I can't get up." Sasuke sat up forcing Hinata into a sitting position on his lap. He put his hands around her waist and stood up with Hinata. Sasuke let go once they were standing. Hinata looked like she was barely standing on her own. Sasuke started to walk off towards the house but Hinata looked like she was going to stagger back. Sasuke walked up to her and lifted one of her arms over his neck, helping support her with his shoulder. They walked back to the house that way. Hinata knew that Sasuke could have easily picked her up and carried her but instead took the time to walk with her. She felt grateful that he was treating her as a peer instead of as an inferior. She leaned a bit more into Sasuke when they got to the house and Sasuke was opening the door. The snake opened its eye at them when they entered and watched them sit down to take off there footwear. The snake watched as Sasuke helped Hinata to the bathroom. When Sasuke returned the snake hissed "Not going to help her bath thiss time masster? Sss sss sss." Sasuke sat down at the table in living room and opened a scroll to look at. The snake laughed again.

Naruto had his backpack packed and ready to go for tomorrow. He was not going to be late. He didn't want to miss out on two weeks strait of training. He then thought of Sakura and he would be missing two weeks with her. Naruto left his apartment and headed for the main office where he knew Sakura practiced with Tsunade. When he got there an attendant told him that Tsunade wasn't there. Naruto said he didn't care about Tsunade that he only cared where Sakura was. The attendant told him that Sakura wasn't there. Naruto left wondering where Sakura could be. He walked to her parents house not knowing a better place to look. When he got there he knocked on the door. Sakura's mother answered the door and wasn't pleased to see Naruto there after dark. When Sakura heard a knocking at her door she groaned and told the offender to go away. But the offender was her mother and yelled back at Sakura to get up because she had a guest. Sakura rolled off her bed where she had just walked in and collapsed onto the bed. For once Sakura was getting out of bed with clothes on. She stumbled down the stairs and to the front door to find Naruto waiting for her. He explained to her that he was going to be training with the perverted hermit for two weeks and that he wouldn't be around. Sakura, still mad about the previous night, was not happy to see Naruto in the first place but to be dragged out of bed just to hear this annoyed her. And she told Naruto this in a rather uncaring manner. Sakura concluded her rant by slamming the door closed and returning to bed. Naruto was left standing there starring at the door. Naruto trudged back to his apartment in a depressed mood.

When Hinata finished her bath toweled off and thought about putting her sweat soaked clothes back on but didn't want to. She wrapped the towel around her and slid the door open a crack. He didn't see Sasuke so she opened the door and stuck her head out to look down the hall. When she didn't see him, Hinata started down the hall with nothing but the towel around her. When she entered her room she bumped into Sasuke and started to fall backwards. Sasuke reached out and put his arm behind her pulling her up right. Trying to keep from falling herself she leaned forward but when Sasuke pulled her up right her balance was shifted forward, so Hinata fell into Sasuke. In the sudden movements the towel Hinata had on worked loose and fell to the floor. Hinata had not noticed she was leaning against Sasuke and could hear the beating of his heart. It was a steady beat and it comforted her. Hinata closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Sasuke. Sasuke stood there with Hinata against him and his arms inches away from her back. Sasuke was confused at the feelings he was having. He knew that Hinata liked Naruto. Since Sasuke had know Hinata he did not have feelings for her like she did for Naruto. To Sasuke, Hinata was just someone that was a friend to him when he needed one so long ago. He wanted her to be happy. Sasuke didn't really believe that she would be happy with Naruto but he knew she was happiest when she felt she was doing something that she thought Naruto would like her for. Sasuke helped her to these ends so she would be happy. Her hugging him like this did not fit with the image of her having a crush on Naruto. Sasuke had always been fond of Hinata since they were little for her kindness towards him but now he was feeling a growing attraction to the girl in front of him. He didn't know how he felt but he decided to embrace these feelings he was feeling and ignore the logic that told him to put a stop to this. Sasuke tenderly wrapped his arms around Hinata's naked back and embraced her. She seemed to snuggle up to him. Hinata listened as Sasuke's heart beat started beating harder and faster. At first she wondered if she was bothering Sasuke but then she felt his arms pull her closer to him and she knew that she wasn't bothering him. Hinata whispered "Thank you." Sasuke not wanting to ruin the moment didn't say anything, he brushed he cheek against Hinata's hair and received a stronger hug from Hinata. They stood there like that for a long time, neither wanting the moment to end. Sasuke going with what his gut was tell him slid his hand down Hinata's back and came to rest on her tail. Hinata didn't protest, so he gently squeezed. Sasuke found that Hinata had a firm butt. Hinata slipped her hands up under his shirt and caressed his back. Sasuke had not expected this type of reaction, he had expected her to start freaking out. She pulled at little and Sasuke was going to let her go but she didn't step back just enough to not be pressed up against him anymore. She turned her chin up and leaned forward some as Sasuke tilted his head down. They both closed there eyes when they were within an inch of each other's lips and Hinata's stomach growled loudly killing the mood. Sasuke kept his eyes closed but a huge grin was adorning his face. Hinata couldn't open her eyes from the embarrassment and was already turning a pretty shade of red. Hinata pulled her arms out from under Sasuke's shirt and he let go of her as so as he felt her start to pull away. They both opened there eyes with there gazes locked before Hinata looked down and Sasuke looked up. Hinata moved past Sasuke and walked to the wardrobe as Sasuke walked out of the room. Hinata opened the wardrobe and slipped on the white kimono with pink flowers. She tied the pink obi sash around her waist before closing the wardrobe. Hinata walked down the hall and found Sasuke in the kitchen cooking dinner. She walked into the living room and sat down at the table. She stared down at the table still feeling terribly embarrassed. The snake laughed "Sss sss sss." Hinata lowered her gaze even more. She was now looking at her lap. Eventually Sasuke entered the room carrying a tray that had a bowl of rice, a bowl of mixed vegetables, a plate of lemon flavored chicken, two empty bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, a tea kettle, and two cups. He set the tray down between them and placed both the empty bowl and cup in front of Hinata. Sasuke filled both her cup and his cup. Sasuke could tell that Hinata wasn't going to get her food until he had gotten his, so he took portions of the meal. Hinata followed not taking more than what Sasuke had taken. She sipped at her tea and when she set it down she said "It taste like plum."

Sasuke asked her "Do you dislike plum?"

Hinata shook her head "No. I like it." Hinata then picked up her chopsticks and started eating. When Sasuke looked from his food to Hinata he saw that she was looking everywhere but at him and she had a cute blush across her cheeks.

Sasuke smiled to himself then said "Eat your fill. You're going to need the energy tomorrow." When Hinata looked at Sasuke his attention was on his food. She smiled and nodded before returning her attention to her food. The snaked watch there exchange and laughed "Sss sss sss."