Chapter 16 Old Feuds.
Choji, I think our parents are glad that we are friends. They commented that the Akimichi clan and the Nara clan have been allied for centuries, and so we should follow the tradition
How troublesome!
Nara Shikamaru
"Can I kiss you?" the words had resonated in Hinata's head, and at first she hadn't even noticed he had said them. Only after a few seconds had passed she fully understood them. She lowered her head even more.
"What is your answer?" Sasuke insisted.
"I-I N-N-N H-Hai" she finally said, although she was shaking her head.
Sasuke was silent for a few seconds, still holding her chin. He pushed her against the wall, not too hard, but not too gentle either.
"Very well" He said.
He lowered his head, getting closer at her. He stopped. Hinata had closed her eyes. Sasuke got even closer, with his lips almost touching hers. At that distance he could clearly see the new tears that were coming from her eyes. After a few seconds, still keeping the short distance between them, he moved her chin and moved his lips to her ear.
"Bitch!" He said, adding all the possible venom in his voice.
Hinata opened her eyes, only to be glared at by Sharingan pupils.
"Is this your way of playing a game? What the fuck are you plotting?"
Hinata automatically lowered her eyes, but Sasuke raised her chin, and her eyes were drawn again to the Sharingan.
"You suck at pretending! You are a failure at being both an actress and a shinobi."
By now Hinata was profusely crying.
"I'm betting you and your friends thought about getting a few laughs at me. "Why not play a joke on Sasuke and break her marriage?" Do you think I'm an idiot!" She tried to move away, but Sasuke smashed his fist against the wall, centimeters away from her face. Cracks appeared on the wall, decorated with red. She stood, shaking like a leaf
"I have a short temper" whispered Sasuke in a slow, menacing voice" so tell me who the fuck had the idea of this joke? I highly doubt you are smart enough to think of it yourself."
Hinata tried to escape to the other side, but Sasuke stopped her with his other hand
"Who was the mastermind?" Insisted Sasuke "Who was?" Now he was raising his voice even more
Hinata by then had closed her eyes, and was totally immobile, closing her eyes with all her might without answering his questions. She could feel Sasuke threateningly getting closer. Five seconds later she heard a yell and she felt the presence of Sasuke being pulled away. Finally a strong slap
Hinata opened her eyes,
"What...?" Sasuke said, protecting his red cheek with one hand and facing a new person
"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?" yelled the new person. She recognized her classmate Sakura. "You are an insensitive, unfeeling, heartless, cold, uncaring, selfish, egotistical..."
"I was just trying to find out who..." started Sasuke
"Go away!" yelled Sakura
"But..."
"Go away!" Yelled Sakura "Now!"
"Shit" said Sasuke, and after a last angry glance at Hinata, he left.
Hinata was still shaking, and when Sakura smiled got closer, she fiercely hugged her.
"I-I-I" stammered Hinata
"Shhh" said Sakura, returning the hug and caressing her hair. "There, there, there. It's OK, it's OK. Really, Sasuke-kun was just angry because he doesn't understand what's going on." After a pause, she added like as an afterthought "Who forced you to do it?"
Hinata was too tired to think. She hadn't been able to rest since he had received the order of seducing Sasuke. She was mentally and physically exhausted, and Sasuke's violence had scared her. She just wanted to rest. She said the words.
"M-my f-father."
Sakura held her breath
"Hyuga Hiashi!"
Taking the worn out Hinata to the Uchiha's residence was child's play for Sakura. She waited until Hinata fell asleep, and left the room silently. Outside, she turned to a corner of the living room, where there were shadows, as the sun was setting
"Hinata is already asleep. Did you hear what she said?"
"Of course" From the darkness, a shadow became solid in total silent. "Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan, the most powerful clan in the Leaf Village. I suspected the Hokage was forcing Hinata to ensnare me. I didn't expect to be the Hyuga clan."
"I don't understand. Why would they be interested in us?" Sakura raised her eyes. Sasuke was in a pose that anybody else would have said it was lack of interest. Only she could see that he was nervous "Sasuke-kun?"
"The Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan share a history of bloodshed and mutual hate. There are some old feuds from centuries ago. I didn't think they still cared about them." He finally said
"What happened centuries ago?" She asked. What she really wanted to ask is why he was scared of telling about it to her.
"I'll tell you if you want, but" said Sasuke, looking straight at her eyes "I'd prefer if you didn't ask. It's the genesis of my clan, and still it makes me want to puke."
Sakura appreciated that Sasuke was being totally honest with her. He didn't want to talk about it, but he would if she insisted. Sasuke was actually planning to leave the Leaf, and he didn't have any family or friends he could confide in. However, he had confessed his plans to her, making clear that he would never lie to her. He had even told her about Hinata's strange confession. It made her fell important that he was placing so much trust in her.
"I won't ask, Sasuke, but please remember that is not your clan anymore. It's our clan now"
He shrugged, although mentally he thought that Sakura was wrong. It was not her clan. It was his, and his duty was to avenge it, killing the Uchiha Prodigy.
"We need to find out what's the Hyuga clan planning. I could do some research..."
"Sasuke" said Sakura with a smile "why don't we just knock and ask?"
Sasuke looked at her with a surprised look. He smiled.
"Hai, why not? Let's go and ask the Hyuga clan. It's not that they could kill us and hide the corpses. Could they?" there was a forced silence after his words.
They set off hurrying up in case the night caught up with them. When they were about to reach the Hyuga district, Sasuke slowed down.
"Sakura, I know it was my idea to play good cop-bad cop, but... don't you think you went a little too far with the insults?"
Sakura smiled a mischievous grin
"Sasuke-kun, it was my chance of calling you all those insults at least once. I had to take it."
"And, don't you think you hit me a little too hard?"
Sakura looked at him. She started to laugh
"Sorry, Sasuke-kun, but this is too funny" she said between laughs "We got drunk, we made love, we married with the opposition of everybody we know, we killed a Sound shinobi, now we are facing the most powerful clan in the Leaf, and you are worried about a single smack?"
Sasuke smiled almost against his will. Since they were running out of daylight, he took her hand and pulled her along.
The Hyuga guards didn't seem surprised when he arrived, but they sent some sinister looks for Sakura. She noticed that all of them were from the Main family. She had expected to find Hyuga Neji somewhere, but he definitely wasn't around.
The room were Hyuga Hiashi was expecting them was wide but there was too little light. It gave away an ominous feeling. Near the head of the Hyuga clan was also her second, but the, according to the information Sasuke had gathered from the comments from Kakashi, favorite daughter, Hyuga Hanabi.
In a semicircle standing near the head of the Hyuga clan were seven Hyuga shinobis. All of them competent-looking.
Sasuke and Sakura kneeled before Hiashi, who was also kneeling down. He didn't appear surprised by their arrival either..
"Hiashi-dono, I don't think we have talked before. I am Uchiha Sasuke, from the Uchiha clan."
"I welcome you to my home, Sasuke-dono. We haven't talked before, but I have heard about Uchiha Sasuke, the last survivor of the tragic clan. I am Hyuga Hiashi, head of the great Hyuga clan. I remember that my grandparents used to tell me story about the former greatness of the Uchiha clan."
Sakura raised her eyes. "His grandparents told him about the former greatness". There was an insult hidden among those polite words.
"You are too kind, Hiashi-dono. The Huyga clan is clearly right now the most numerous clan in the Leaf. There were three Hyugas in my class alone. A pity only one passed: Your own daughter, proud descendant of your lineage. Her sensei probably told you that on her graduation day" Sasuke said with exactly the same polite tone.
Another hidden insult, noticed Sakura. Sasuke had only mentioned numerous, not strongest, and he had made a clear reference that only one Hyuga out of three graduated from the academy in his year, and Hiashi hadn't gone to her graduation.
"Indeed, if there were more Uchihas, the Leaf would be safe from his enemies. A pity they couldn't control their own shinobis"
Another insult. This time it was barely hidden.
"That's true. The Uchiha clan was unable to control all the elite shinobis it produced. There were far too many geniuses and prodigies. No wonder they were the strongest clan in the Leaf. Still, you curse seal jutsu is very effective at sacrificing people for the good of the clan. My deceased father used to call it the Slavery jutsu. Of course, that was just what he said." He added, while the guards made some almost imperceptible moves closer to them
«And his father is not here to say if that was true or not» thought Sakura. She was surprised by the turn of the conversation. They were past the borderline of education. Even if they speeches were still polite, they were throwing everything at each other. Was that really the first time they talked? What really happened between the Uchiha and the Hyuga clans?
"Your father. I knew him. A good man. A pity he couldn't control his own son. The whole clan exterminated by just one man, even if he was the genius Uchiha! Makes you wonder the truth about the power of the Uchiha clan."
"The Hyugas also have many geniuses, like Hyuga Neji. I don't know his father, but I bet he must be very proud when they told him that he went to the third part of the chuunin exam on his first try. Ooops! My bad! I am sorry. I forgot he was sacrificed for the Hyuga clan."
"It was his honor. The Hyuga clan values loyalty above all. A pity..."
The conversation was cut when Sakura smashed her palm against the ground. After a few seconds, both Hiashi and Sasuke sighed, while the guards let go of their weapons. The tension in the room relaxed considerably.
"I apologize, Sasuke-dono. My words were uncalled for."
"No, please, Hiashi-dono. It was my young blood that boiled too fast. Let me ask you just a simple question, and we will not bother you anymore." Sasuke inhaled breath. He activated the Sharingan. Red eyes scanned the people around him "I know that you ordered your own daughter to bother me, so what the fuck do you want?"
Sakura had a jolt. Sasuke was throwing all common sense out of the window, not to mention precaution in a room full of Hyuga guards, and even forgetting education in the process.
He was truly cool
"So, my daughter wasn't even able to seduce you. Worthless. Well, no matter. It's better to solve it between us."
The whole room was deathly silent. Sakura glanced about her. Sasuke was glaring at Hiashi with open hostility in the eyes. Hiashi had a smirk in his head, like a player who had all the cards, and was just waiting to show them.
"I want to offer the hand of my daughter, Hyuga Hinata in marriage to you. That way the series of events that have been called the Original Uchiha Tragedy that caused the schism between our clans will be finally forgotten. You will join directly the Main family, and your sons will belong to the strongest clan in history of the Fire Country. The Hyuga and the Uchiha bloodlines combined will create the faultless clan, invincible both in gensutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu, perfect in defense and attack. Sasuke-dono, I am offering you to join the perfection."
And the bomb was dropped. Sakura understood why Hinata was so distressed. She loved Naruto, but her father was forcing her to marry Sasuke. Hanabi and the other Hyugas didn't appear delighted by the idea. Sasuke was silent. He didn't even move a muscle while Hiashi talked.
Sakura felt the terror moving up from her chest to her throat. Was Sasuke thinking about it? It wasn't like he had agreed to their marriage by his own will. He had been forced to it. Also, since the same moment they had married, she had set herself on the mission of breaking up the walls that Sasuke had surrounded himself with. Maybe that had been a mistake. Maybe Sasuke just wanted to let himself go in hate and regret for the rest of his life. Hinata was so shy that she probably wouldn't bother him... If she could go back in time... No, no. Even if it cost her Sasuke's love, she would not allow him to be unhappy.
"Hiashi-dono" said softly Sasuke "Are you on drugs or something?"
The guards yelled in anger at somebody who had dared to speak against the head of the clan that way, but Sasuke wasn't finished.
"Shit! I don't believe I wasted my time coming here. First of all, I am already married, Secondly, I wouldn't be caught dead marrying a Hyuga, third, I don't like you, Fourth, I don't like you, Fifth, I still don't like you, and sixth..." Sasuke turned to Sakura "I am quite comfortable the way I am now."
Sakura blushed, surprised by the unexpected comment, while Sasuke stood up, holding her hand and turning away.
Hiashi was still smirking, while the both of them walked away
"If you accept to divorce that girl, and marry Hinata, we will give you full support to catch your brother, Uchiha Itachi. I know the Leaf is not giving you any help to catch him." He abruptly said.
To those words, Sasuke actually stopped, and Sakura felt terror coming back again. Itachi was Sasuke's weak point. If the older brother was involved, the younger one would do anything for revenge, even if it meant destroying his own life in the process. She didn't expect his love for her, because he loved her, she knew that, could survive the trial.
Sasuke was standing, totally immobile. He turned, while Sakura was holding her breath in total terror.
Sasuke started to laugh
"That was a good one, Hiashi-bastard." He said between laughs "Do you actually think your pathetic little clan could do anything against the Uchiha Itachi, the one that killed the Uchiha clan? He would kill all of you in five minutes. You are so pathetic! Hinata is a really nice girl. I guess there was an accident at the gene pool somewhere. She lost the snobbish genes."
Hiashi glared back at Sasuke
"I see. Maybe I made a mistake offering you this honor. After all, the only thing you Uchihas are good at is revenge and mass-murder, like what happened during the Original Uchiha Tragedy. We can see the pattern in the two Uchihas left."
"The Original Uchiha Tragedy happened because you Hyugas played being Kami-sama with people and feelings! And you haven't learnt in the last seven hundred years! Shit! How much suffering are you going to make just to further your goals?"
Sakura looked around. The guards were blocking their exit. If they weren't careful, their marriage would be indeed a short one.
"The Uchihas are like viruses. And to ensure your own aims, you don't hesitate in involving women to reproduce." Hiashi glared at Sakura "Sasuke-san, don't you think it's destiny that the one you chose to marry had the name of Sakura, the same name as that woman?"
"That woman?" asked Sakura, before she could tell herself shut up. Immediately she was rewarded by a look of triumph of Hiashi, and another look of fear from Sasuke
"Oh, he didn't tell you? Your dear husband didn't tell you about the Original Uchiha Tragedy? Tsst, tsst, tsst. That's very impolite of you, Sasuke-san. You shouldn't keep secrets from her. The sad story of the girl, the only innocent of the whole tale, which committed only one sin: To love an Uchiha. Her only reward was pain."
"Hiashi-san, I am starting to get angry" warned Sasuke while his chakra flared.
"Don't you think she has the right to know?" Hiashi nastily asked
Sasuke closed his eyes.
"She has the right to know" admitted Sasuke, while he kneeled down. "Get ready, Sakura" Sasuke closed his eyes, inhaled air, and started relating his tale "The series of events that ended up being called the Original Uchiha Tragedy started more than seven hundred years ago. The Hyuga clan was by then the most powerful clan of the region, when the Fire Country still hadn't been created..."
Sakura looked at Sasuke, who had a worried look on his face, even though he spoke clearly. Hiashi had a look of cruelty in his face. The faces of the guards were impassive, only Hanabi's face was smiling, in exactly the same grin as her father.
True, she wanted to know what the hell was that Original Uchiha Tragedy, but not at that place, not at that time. It didn't even sound that important in the first place.
For the second time in that day, Sakura smashed her palm against the ground
"Seven hundred years?" Interrupted Sakura "You are telling me that this story that you fear to tell me happened more than seven hundred years ago?"
"Hai"
"Well, it's stupid. Sasuke-kun, you are a baka for being scared of something that happened so long ago. And you" she added, looking at Hiashi "You are most pathetic. You just care about your clan, your clan, your clan. You don't even worry about your own daughter. You don't even deserve our time. I'm not surprised the Uchiha clan detests you"
After saying that, Sakura proudly stood up and started walking away. Sasuke was forced to follow her, surprised by her initiative.
"Woman, who do you think you are?" Hiashi angrily asked
Sakura made a move with her hand proudly showing her back, the Uchiha symbol proudly displayed. Sasuke knew that the symbol was already in all her clothes, but he hadn't remembered how great his symbol looked on her
"My name is Sakura, Uchiha Sakura, from the Uchiha clan." She wished her words could reflect all the contempt she felt, and she left without even bothering to look back.
Sasuke thought that Sakura was truly cool.
For a few moments none of them said anything, while they walked away from the Hyuga district with the light of the moon looking after them, but Sakura didn't have much resistance.
"Shit! I don't believe Neji's father sacrificed himself by that bastard"
"You believe that?" asked Sasuke raising an eyebrow. Sakura looked at him with surprise in the eyes. Sasuke sighed. "You told me when I was in the hospital that the father of Neji had sacrificed himself for his twin. However the more I look at it, the more suspicious it sounds. If I were to sacrifice myself, I would make sure to leave at least a note so my son didn't suspect foul play.
"Are you saying that the Main family lied to Neji!" Almost yelled Sakura
"I am not saying that. I am just saying that shinobis aren't only killing machines. They are also masters at deception, like the trick we played on Hinata, or the trap I used on the Hokage to get information out of her." He sighed. "I can give you many cases in the history of the Main family of the Hyuga clan, when they tricked members of the Branch family. I don't know if the story they told Neji it's true or not. I am just saying that I wouldn't be surprised if Hiashi, that publicly humiliated his twin in multiple occasions, lied to him."
The conversation was stopped short when they felt somebody approaching. A few seconds later Hinata appeared.
Sasuke didn't know how to act. Sure, Hinata was nice, but she was still a Hyuga. Sakura didn't have any trouble, as she stepped in and hugged her.
"Don't worry. We already told your father to back off. If you ever want to get out of that clan, know that Naruto and we will always be there to support you."
Hinata mouthed a word of thanks, before scurrying back to the Hyuga quarter.
"Hiashi trusts the second daughter, Hanabi, who is far stronger than Hinata. I could see that with a glance." commented matter-of-fact Sasuke. "It won't be long until the Main family uses the curse jutsu on Hinata"
"What!" Yelled Sakura, making Sasuke jump "No, they wouldn't do that to her. I mean, she is really nice and..."
"So? For hundred of years, the strongest kid of the Head of the clan has become successor of the Hyuga clan and lead the Main family, and the second strongest has suffered the Curse jutsu and become unofficial head of the Branch family. It has been like that for hundred of years, including with Hiashi and his twin brother, and I don't see traditional Hiashi changing it."
"I won't allow it" said Sakura with coldness in her voice "I won't allow it."
"The destiny of the Hyuga's generations is to fight against each other, hating all the time. Hinata and Hanabi can't have a happy relationship, because one of them is destined to fall and see the other rise to the top. There is nothing we can do. Hinata is like a bird in cage" Sasuke commented, thinking that Sakura would be wasting her time, but apparently she loved lost causes. She still thought she could save him.
"That's right." Sakura agreed, and her eyes, cold as ice, turned to Sasuke "She is like you, and your cage is Itachi."
Sasuke turned brusquely to her, and opened his mouth to defend himself against those stupid, groundless accusations. However his logical, pragmatic mind, had already told him that Sakura was right.
"Maybe" he conceded "But it's not like I can do anything about it."
"I bet that's what she says to herself, too." Sakura said with a calm voice, while appearing perfectly in control, but feeling the cold sweat. That was the first time she launched that kind of full-scale attack against the walls that surrounded Sasuke's heart.
After a few seconds, Sasuke kept walking
"You are right" he admitted "And I choose to stay inside the cage. My brother and I are destined to kill each other. That's our destiny, and not even you can change it."
"Sasuke-kun, haven't you heard that the destiny is written in the stars?"
"Hai. So?" He asked
"To save you, Sasuke-kun, I would move the stars from their place and rearrange them" she said, and her words were strong.
Sasuke fully turned around. He had already noticed that he had been changing since they were living together. He had noticed that she too had been changing, he just hadn't noticed how much. Instead of the sweet Haruno Sakura, that used to cry when things were bad, now in front of him was Uchiha Sakura, which shared the common trait of all Uchihas: The unending, pitiless, ruthless determination.
She moved her hand and grabbed his. For a few seconds he looked around, blushing, but he didn't recoil. Sakura started walking to the Uchiha district, when he suddenly tensed and dropped her hand
"Sorry, Sakura. I am going to train." He said with a smile.
Those words hurt Sakura, but she managed to hide her pain.
"I'll see you at home, then."
«Home. I haven't called any place home in a long time», he reflected. He waited until she had disappeared in the direction of their house. He looked at the roofs, where he had felt some chakras following them.
"Is that the girl that you choose instead of Hinata-sama? Pathetic. She is naïve and stupid." said a Hyuga shinobi that was glaring blankly at him, and nobody does better a blank stare that the Hyuga clan
"I tend to agree. She is so nice that she can actually look like a baka. But" He activated the Sharingan against the five shinobis, chuunin probably "nobody speaks about ill about my wife without regretting it."
"You could have joined the Hyuga clan. Now it's time you pay for your arrogance" warned another of the Hyuga chuunins while cracking his knuckles.
Sasuke smiled widely. The Hyugas smiled widely. The wolves clashed.
Sakura walked to her house. She entered and went to the fridge to get some snacks. In the meantime she was remembering the day, especially those precious seconds when he hadn't pulled away from her touch. For a few seconds, it looked like they were going to walk hand to hand home, but then he had looked around, and he had tensed.
She stopped
He had looked around
He had tensed...
He wouldn't...
"That Macho! Why does he always have to do it alone!"
Sakura left the Uchiha compound and started running until she reached the place where they had parted. Sasuke was there, all bloody, all beaten.
"Sasuke-kun!" She screamed
"It's OK, really, it looks worse that what it is" Sasuke said with a half a smile. He couldn't move the mouth to complete it. "They were five of them, Hyuga chuunins, and I kicked them pretty hard too. As soon as I am better, I am ambushing them one per one and..."
He shut up, when he saw Sakura looking at him with a worried expression
"What?" He asked. Finally he sighed. "Fine, I'll defy them openly."
Sakura smiled, and some minutes later they were slowly walking to the Uchiha compound, with Sakura with an arm around his waist and supporting his arm over her shoulder with her hand.
"Well, at least we can walk very closely, and there is no way you can escape from me" joked Sakura, trying to put some humor in the situation.
Sasuke sighed.
"Even if I were well, I wouldn't escape from you" he said, softly.
Sakura stopped and looked at him. Even in the darkness of the night, she could see his eyes looking nervously at her, then to the ground, and back at her. She smiled
"Let's go home, Sasuke-kun" she said, and this time he knew which place she was referring to.
Well, well, another chapter. Please Review! I am getting very few reviews! I need reviews! PLEASE!
Well, I hope you liked the chapter. I am trying hard to show the evolution of Sasuke's reactions to Sakura's love. At first he didn't even believe he could be loved. Later he understood that he was falling in love, and fought tooth and nail against those feelings. In this chapter, he is finally admitting, although only slightly, his love. I hope you liked also the Evolution of Sakura. And what about Hiashi and Sasuke's friendly conversation
Don't worry, thought. This is not the last chapter. Far from it. We still have to know more about the Original Uchiha Tragedy, about that mysterious Sakura of the past, and don't think Oro and Itachi are going to be idle.
I have seen many fanfiction about the Hyuga clan, and I find strange that none have ever thought that the tale of Hiashi could be a lie. In the manga/anime we just saw Hiashi's version. In this world of deception, you never know. Also, Hinata or Hanabi are destined to be one of them Head of the Main family, and the other Head of the Branch Family, with the curse seal in the head. It's the way it has been for hundred of years. I still find strange that no author has thougth about it