There are secrets behind your eyes,
And if my lavender ones bore lies,
Yours have something I should see,
Tell me: I'll set them free.
"I want to love you."
Her own words echoed in her head and almost never faded. The pen's sound when it hit the floor came with it. It kept rolling on the carpeted floor, the ink leaving black stains as it tumbled.
Yes, Hinata thought about her decision to tell her husband about her wish, but she never thought of the consequences. She rarely acted on her own instincts, but whenever she did: it mostly fall downhill. The thing with her husband is no different.
It was hard to describe — the way Sasuke looked at her. He still had his eyebrows raised, but his eyes were now as blank as they always were. Body language was not much of a difference since his body was still the same as it was before.
"I. . ." she trailed off, biting her lip. With hesitation but no doubt, Hinata continued, "I've thought about it, and I —"
"Did you really?" he asked, almost snapping at her if it weren't for his voice lowering at the last word. Her heart started beating wildly and all she could do was stare at him, for she did not quite understood. Then he repeated, "Did you think about it?"
"Not much," Hinata admitted, her cheeks now warming up out of embarrassment. If she were younger, she would have pressed her fingers together. Licking her lower lip briefly, she continued, "But I have no doubts about it."
"Hn," he replied, picking up the pen before writing again. Afterwards, the only thing that could be heard was the pen scratching the scroll. At this, Hinata went to the bed. And with the long silence, Sasuke said, "Sleep, Hinata."
From her bed, she watched Sasuke write. The moonlight was her only light whilst her husband had candlelight. The way it illuminated his features reminded her of mornings with her husband.
She did not know she missed it until now.
Somehow, Hinata did not feel hopeless.
The morning after that, Hinata decided to visit Hanabi in the hospital. First thing in the morning after their breakfast, Hinata walked up to the place where Sasuke read his scrolls — the couch.
"I'll visit my sister today," she told him.
"I'll walk you there."
The conversation was simple and maybe not even worth remembering, yet it was good to know that he did not find her awkward. Yet he was still as strict as ever.
When they had arrived at the hospital after their walk, Sasuke was still the one who talked to the nurses even though Hinata's mind was already working well enough now. It would still baffle sometimes, but not as much as it did yesterday.
They reached Hanabi's room but before Hinata could open the room, Sasuke's hand waved to capture her attention. When he did, Sasuke started.
"What time will I pick you up?" he asked.
"I'll be fine," was her answer.
"I know," Sasuke said. "What time will I pick you up?"
This time, his voice was stern and somehow annoyed. Hinata had to remind herself that she needed this marriage to work out. . .and that she needed to love him. So she flashed a smile.
"Around four would be nice," she said with a small genuine smile.
"You'll have your lunch here." It was a statement, not a question, but Hinata nodded in response. "I'll pick you up at four."
Hinata wanted to protest once more and say that she could go home by herself. But then. . .she realized that maybe she isn't the only one trying.
"Thank you," she said. Feeling Sasuke's hand in her lower back, Hinata started to move forward. Smiling goodbye at Sasuke, she went inside the room.
Thankfully, her little sister was already awake. With a small welcoming smile, Hanabi reached out her hands for Hinata to share warmth. Once she pulled away, Hinata was about to say something but Hanabi flashed her palm right in front of her sister's face.
"Are you pregnant?" asked Hanabi after pulling her hand away from her sister's face. The elder sister was almost pretty sure that she had a look of surprise in her face, if not: terror. "Please tell me you are."
"I am not!" answered Hinata in bewilderment, her eyes still wide. "And why would you ask that?"
"I've heard from the nurses!" gushed Hanabi with a bright smile. The smile turned into an unladylike pout. Mumbling, the girl continued, "But they refused to tell me anything and told me to rest."
"And did you rest?" asked Hinata.
"Yes and you're changing the topic," shot Hanabi before flashing a mischievous smile once more. "So…I'll be an aunt now?"
"No, Hanabi, no," Hinata answered, covering her face out of embarrassment. With her hands still in her face, she asked, "Why would they assume that?"
"I heard that you were having morning sickness?" stated Hanabi in a questioning manner. Upon this, Hinata removed her hands and turned to look at her injured sister. "They were talking rather loudly. They probably thought I was asleep — which I obviously wasn't. And then I heard that you puked your stomach out yesterday, just a few blocks away from here. Several nurses saw you so. . ."
The brown haired girl was obviously waiting for a reply as she trailed off. But all Hinata could do was stare. She knew exactly how the gossip was made up, but Hinata was not mad at all.
"No," Hinata started. "I'm not pregnant."
"How would you know for sure?" Hanabi asked, raising a brow at Hinata. As a response, Hinata sighed and closed her eyes. There was no way she would open up to Hanabi. "See? You don't know. Maybe you're pregnant."
"Hana—"
"Oh my gosh! You'll have the cutest children!" Hanabi gushed, putting both of her injured hands to cup her cheeks. "Name one after me! Or Naruto-san! Or. . .or. . .or whatever! Just don't name them stupid names!"
"Hanabi, Hanabi!" called Hinata calmly, cupping Hanabi's face. "I'm not preg— And why would I name my child after Naruto-kun?"
"Beats me. He just crossed my mind," said Hanabi with a shrug. Hanabi moved closer to the other side of the bed and tapped the space for Hinata to sit. The elder sister complied. "Anyways, I'm so glad I'm back and got to know that you're pregnant now. After months of trying and not getting out of the house, that's just unsurprising."
"Hanabi. . ."
"I told otou-san about it too. Last night," said Hanabi. This time, it captured Hinata's full attention. She turned to her sister, mouth agape. The youngest sister did not seem to notice this. Oblivious about Hinata's flags, she continued, "He wasn't surprised, too. But scolded me because it's the first thing I said to him."
"I would, too," Hinata mumbled.
"What's that?"
"I'm not pregnant," Hinata repeated, eyes staring back at Hanabi. "It just so happened that I became anxious, and then the next thing I know, I was already vomiting."
"It's okay, I understand," the younger sister said with an assuring smile. At this, Hinata wanted to sigh because she knew to herself that Hanabi got the wrong idea. "It's not okay for a secret such as that to blow up. Anyways, you know you can tell me anything, okay?"
"Right," agreed Hinata with a sigh. Knowing that Hanabi won't let it die down, she decided to stray away from the topic. "How are you feeling?"
Hanabi looked at her body before looking back at Hinata. Her lips curled in amusement.
"I actually think I'm fine," Hanabi said, looking at her wounded hands. "In fact. . .I believe I'm feeling more human than ever."
All Hinata could do was stare at her sister intently. Aside from the bruises, the dried up wounds, scars, and the visible injuries Hanabi had, she seemed fine. There was that peaceful aura she had in her — an unforeseen side of her.
"I was dying," continued Hanabi. With a chuckle, she continued, "When I got to the cave, I was running out of blood. I didn't bring my pills with me nor the salves you made. Reckless move, I know. My chakra was still very much full, but I couldn't freaking move. Sightings said that the shurikens were dripped with poison — a slow one, but not that simple to get an antidote. Thank goodness the missing nins were stupid."
The eldest daughter was speechless. There was nothing she could say or even ask. Instead of speaking, Hinata kept quiet and moved closer to her sister.
"Poison huh?" Hanabi mumbled with a chuckle. Letting out a — what sounded like a dreamy — sigh, Hanabi continued, "The kunai in my stomach hit deep. I was almost pretty sure it hit an organ, just not too vital I guess."
"Did Naruto-kun kill the one who went after you?" asked Hinata after a long pause.
"I did." There was no pride in her voice, nor remorse or whatsoever. It was just like Hanabi was telling a normal story. "I've launched my weapons while I was running away from the bastard, one or two hit him. He was from Iwa and he had these jutsus that are just too strong for me. I know you understand. Boulders and sharp rocks were targetting me — I couldn't fight. My whole body was hurting and there was this hot searing pain in where the shurikens hit me."
Much like Hinata was, Hanabi was a close combat fighter. Even with their enhanced vision, the Hyugas still chose having to fight hand in hand rather than long ranged forms. For a moment, Hinata thought about it but decided to push it away for now.
"So when I entered the cave after having a look at it, I saw these solid stalagmites. I was struggling. Kami knows I couldn't even wrap my hands around it, let alone break it without using my chakra," Hanabi continued with a sad smile. "Eventually, I did. I was already using the byakugan before I even entered the cave so I knew where he was, and he was at disadvantage because it was dark. It was uncertain, but I threw the rock in my hand and it went straight in his neck. He struggled. I saw how he did. But I didn't feel guilty. Not one bit."
"I'm proud of you," Hinata declared with all honesty.
"Thanks." Hanabi cleared her throat. "That moment, I've already accepted my fate and just wanted to die. I was already choking on my own blood and the bitter taste of what seemed like the poison they had used against me. The next thing I know, I was saved."
And there Hinata had it. Even if she thought that she could not stand to know what really happened to Hanabi, it was relieving to know that her little sister saw the silver lining in it all. Realizing that Hanabi still hadn't come to the conclusion, Hinata looked at her sister.
"It made me feel human again. . ." Hanabi started as if she read Hinata's mind. With her pale lavender eyes on the ceiling, she continued, "The pain was nice, it reminded me that I was not numb. After years of the elders pressuring me and you both into becoming something we're not. . .it's maddening."
"Indeed," Hinata agreed, nodding lightly. The tears were starting to prickle in the corner of her eyes. Hearing her sister opening up, something Hinata did never imagine. She continued, "I'm glad you're telling me this."
"I swear, I wanted to. . .for a very long time but I couldn't find the time. When I did, somehow I sensed that you were not having a great time," she admitted, tears now freely flowing from her eyes to her cheeks. "I envy you. A lot."
The revelation was new and surprising, but Hinata refused to show any emotion upon it. She just acted like there was nothing in it for her.
"I used to envy you, too," Hinata admitted back. "But I couldn't bring myself to hate you. And I- I don't even know if I want to hate you. . .Otou-san was always proud of you."
"We don't really know that for sure," Hanabi said, closing her eyes as if she wanted to rest. "I'm a disappointment to the clan, and you think that you are, too. But we aren't, really. And I swear. . .if I become the head, I'll change the ways. The elders crap are plain stupid."
And Hinata could not bring herself to disagree. Deciding not to scold Hanabi for such language, Hinata softly smiled and fixed her sister's hair.
"But I don't envy you because of that," Hanabi continued in a sleepy manner. "I envy you because you're free from the clan. . .you have Uchiha-san while I have none. . ."
I envy you because you're free from the clan. . .you have Uchiha-san while I have none.
I envy you because you're free from the clan. . .you have Uchiha-san while I have none.
I envy you because you're free from the clan. . .you have Uchiha-san while I have none.
The words echoed in her ears hauntingly. Yes she was free from their clan, but she did not have Sasuke. There was no point of correcting Hanabi anyways.
"Rest for now," Hinata said with a small smile while fixing her little sister's hair.
"I will," Hanabi assured her. "I hope you feel human, too."
The second time around Hanabi mumbled those words, Hinata understood what she meant. But when Hanabi meant it for Hinata to understand, she couldn't.
The food stalls weren't far from the building where Hanabi was confined, so Hinata took her time whilst Hanabi slept in her room. It was nearing lunch and she did not even notice how fast the time went by.
But when Hinata had her hands full of the food she bought, there was a familiar blond at the corner of her eyes.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked silently.
"Hinata-chan?" someone asked from behind. The voice was all-too-familiar, Hinata did not even second guess who it was. She turned around and met the green eyes of her friend. "Hi!"
"Sakura-chan," she whispered before hugging her friend, avoiding not to spill any of the contents in her cups. Once she pulled off, Hinata asked, "Is it your break?"
"Yeah, I'm waiting for the pig," Sakura said nonchalantly before taking a bite out of her takoyaki in hand. "It'll be her break in 5 minutes. And oh hey, are you here to run some tests?"
The Uchiha knew exactly what Sakura was asking. And if she wasn't wrong, there was almost a hint of hurt in her voice. The last time she had seen the pink haired kunoichi, Hinata told herself she would deal with her some other time to sort out some issues — after all, Sakura loved Sasuke. But then, Hinata still wasn't ready for the confrontation so she decided to set it aside again.
"I'm here to visit my sister," Hinata answered with her eyes on the ground, refusing to meet her friend's eyes. Having to deal with Hanabi about the pregnant thing was already too much, now it was Sakura's turn? "Oh and how have you been? I heard what happened to your mission."
"Ah right," Sakura said, looking down at her shoes. "I failed but Naruto said it was a victory. But it's not his mission so. . ."
"Well, you're here," breathed out Hinata. "It's a success."
"Thanks," Sakura said with a tight smile. "Oh I almost forgot. . .uh Tenten and I would celebrate our birthday by the end of the month. Masato's pub."
"Oh, that's nice."
"Yeah, everyone's invited," Sakura mumbled. "Tell Sasuke-kun then."
Before Hinata could react, their attention was taken away from them.
"Sakura-chan!" a loud voice in the food hall boomed. With this, both the kunoichis turned around to see Naruto with a bright smile, walking towards their direction. "Oh! And Hinata-chan! It's nice to see you both here! "
"I work here," Sakura said, rolling her eyes at Naruto. "What are you doing here?"
"No particular reason," Naruto answered with his usual bright smile. His hands were now in the back of his head. Sakura did not seem convinced. "Eh you know me. If I'm not at Ichiraku's, I'm here."
"You never go here," shot Sakura, giving her blond friend a glare. She crossed her arms and continued, "What's your deal?"
"Like I said: nothing," Naruto said, putting his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.
"Naruto," called Sakura. "Normal people don't just go to hospitals for nothing."
"I might not be normal, eh?" Naruto joked, nudging Sakura with his elbow. At it, Sakura grunted and aimed a punch at Naruto. Before she could do so, Naruto spoke, "Kidding aside, I just wanted to go somewhere, ya know?"
"I don't get you," Sakura mumbled. "I really don't."
"Not a lot of people do," Naruto said, making Hinata giggle. He smiled a bit at Hinata, but before Hinata could smile back, Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Ah I just remembered! I need to go somewhere!"
The blond man started walking away in a fast pace.
"What do you mean you need to go somewhere?!" shouted Sakura.
"Hokage successor duties, ya know?!" Naruto shouted back, earning murmurs of disapproval with the noise from the people in the stalls. "Bye!"
And then he was gone. Hinata faced Sakura, only to see the pink haired girl fuming mad.
"What's up with him?" asked Sakura, more to herself than to Hinata. Turning to face her, the green eyed girl asked, "Anyways, did you see the look he gave you?"
"Sakura-chan. . ." Hinata whispered, unsure of where it was going.
"No, no," Sakura waved her off. "Did you see that smile? I haven't seen him smile like that in a really long time."
There was the look of tantalizing in her eyes. It was almost as if the pink haired kunoichi was persuading her to feel something upon it. And Hinata knew that Sakura was framing up something — something she shouldn't.
"Yes," Hinata simply said. "That's how he smiles."
"No, you don't know that," Sakura quickly said. "Even those who doesn't know him knows that look when they see it. And he immediately exited. Hina–"
"Sakura-chan," called Hinata cutting her friend's rambling in a flat voice. Her lavender eyes squinted at her friend before she continued, "I am a married woman. I don't like what you are insinuating."
Was it wrong for Hinata to think that if it were Ino she was talking to, it would be fine? But it was Sakura.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry, but I need to go now," Hinata said, loosening her grip in one of the cups she was holding.
The married woman walked away from her friend to go back to Hanabi. She tried to calm herself down and eventually she did because there was a small part of her that wanted to set it all aside. Shrugging off the thoughts about Sakura trying to provoke her about Naruto, she entered the room where Hanabi was confined.
Upon seeing her little sister, the irritation immediately faded away.
When Hanabi woke up, it was lunch time so they proceeded to eat. And there, they spoke about things that they should have told each other in the time that they haven't been together.
"I feel like I haven't eaten something like this in a month," Hanabi said, rice falling from the sides of her mouth. "I mean, I've eaten last night but they served me food that tastes like crap."
"Language," Hinata warned softly before taking a small bite in her food. "Eat properly."
"Well it's true." Hanabi snorted. "Besides, I haven't really eaten something decent for a month. Duh. I have been missing for four weeks and last night's food is how they repay me?"
"Just eat your food, please," Hinata said, bowing her head lightly before proceeding to eat.
"Uh yeah, sorry," the girl said with a smile before eating her food.
After quite a while, the little sister spoke again. This time, their conversation was about their clan. Hanabi spoke about how much she hated the mission but loved it nonetheless because she got to get away from the community for a while. There was something about her tone that resembled pain and hatred, but Hanabi's way of talking made it deceitful.
"One moment the old man was complimenting me, and really complimenting me," Hanabi started, her story circling around an elder who had these nasty mood swings and her eyes widening in exaggeration. "Then he started saying things such as: why can't you be like Hinata-sama?"
"I'm sorry you have to feel that way," Hinata apologized sincerely. Sad eyes met her sister's energetic ones. "I don't really want that to happen."
"Oh stop, I'm not here to guilt trip you for being ladylike," Hanabi assured her with a snort. "I'm just saying that these elders should just stop looking for the perfect leader. They obviously will never get one because of their stupid attitudes."
Hinata's thinned lips only showed that she understood.
"Well, am I wrong?" asked Hanabi, her eyes lowering. "They wanted someone physically stronger — no offense."
"None taken," squeaked Hinata.
"And then they tested us both. And then they found out about my attitude," continued Hanabi without a beat passing, emphasizing the last word of her sentence. "They're now looking for a much gentle soul! And they cannot undo everything now because you're married outside the clan and they couldn't bring you back even if they wanted to. Eh, it's not like we both wanted this crap. Again, I'm not blaming you for anything."
"I understand," Hinata softly responded.
"Enough of my rants about the clan," Hanabi started. "How are you and Uchiha-san?"
The question made her remember her confession the night before. She held her breath for several seconds. And it was still true, she wanted to love him.
"Finer than ever," Hinata responded truthfully. With curiosity lingering in her mind, she asked, "Do you really want to know about that?"
"Well. . .yes," Hanabi said, straightening her back and putting her hands together in a formal manner. "It's only right for a sister to know so, okay?"
"Okay," was her only response before throwing her used cups of food in the nearby trashcan.
"Do you ever regret marrying him?" asked Hanabi, obviously not putting much thought into it. There were a few things one shouldn't ask about married couples, and Hinata was almost pretty sure it was one of those. "I know it's arranged and rushed, but do you ever just ask yourself on why you agreed to marry someone you don't really know?"
At this, Hinata started to wonder.
She had never thought of telling herself about her rues in marrying the Uchiha. Had she ever had any? She wasn't sure.
"Never," Hinata answered. It was not a lie, yet it almost sounded like one once it rolled out from her tongue. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."
"It's yours because you agreed?" asked Hanabi, quirking an eyebrow. "You always blame yourself, huh?"
"I don't. . ." Hinata trailed off.
"Yeah, it happens," Hanabi said with a sigh. "You don't have to hide anything from me."
"I know," Hinata said with a smile.
"Do you think you would regret anything?" asked Hanabi. Quite unsure of what she would say, Hinata thinned her lips. "I think Sasuke-san is a good man. Otherwise, Naruto-san wouldn't trust him so much. But I couldn't help but wonder, okay? If you would regret something in the far future?"
"It's not impossible," answered Hinata dryly. "But I have no one else to blame."
"Oh." There was realization in her sister's voice. "You're still not answering my question."
Hinata let out a sigh. At first, she was trying her best to stray the conversation away from her and Sasuke. Unfortunately, she did too little effort to do it properly. Then again, Hanabi can be too persuasive and there's not much the elder sister could do.
"I think I will never regret it," Hinata answered with a small smile — that even she could not decipher if it's real or not.
Remembering how Sasuke treated Hinata the day before and even before he left to retrieve Hanabi's team. It was enough reason not to regret, or was it not?
"Are you grateful that they arranged your marriage?" asked Hanabi. The way the Hyuga heiress bit her lip out of anxiety did not come unnoticed. Without Hinata answering the first question, Hanabi asked again, "If you had several choices, would you still pick Sasuke-san?"
"I am thankful I agreed to it — I am not forced," said Hinata, answering the first question. To answer the second question, she took a breath and thought about it. "I never had many choices, but I think no. I wouldn't have."
It was an honest answer, but she did not like the way it turned out as it rolled from her tongue.
"Thank you," Hanabi said before laying on her bed. The little sister looked up to the ceiling on the room while Hinata watched her. "For answering my questions."
The long silence meant something. When they were alone together, Hanabi would not shut her mouth. Even the smallest of things, the Hyuga heiress would find a way to talk. They never run out of topics. But now. . .Hinata knew it meant something.
Deciphering whether Hinata would ask her sister as to why she was awfully quiet, Hinata observed her sister. Her fingers kept on moving. Pale lavender eyes were stuck in ceiling. Her other hand would clutch her blanket from time to time. It was almost as if she was lost in a deep thought.
"Hanabi?" asked Hinata, capturing her sister's attention. As if nothing was wrong, Hanabi looked at her sister quickly and smiled brightly. With hesitation, Hinata continued, "Something's wrong, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Hanabi asked. "No, no. Nothing's wrong."
"Please tell me," Hinata pleaded, biting her lip.
A long time has passed and Hinata still haven't got the reply from Hanabi that she wanted. Something was clearly wrong with her sister.
"Maybe some other time," answered Hanabi.
"Okay," accepted Hinata.
They spoke afterwards, but not as lively as they were earlier. For one, Hinata knew there was something wrong with her sister. And if Hanabi was not ready to admit what it is, it was still fine. One thing was for sure: it was something about the clan.
Sasuke came to pick her up at exactly four. Hanabi didn't look too surprised but managed to wave goodbye at Sasuke.
They walked home with people staring at their every move. Even if Hinata rarely go out of their house, she was almost pretty accustomed to how people looked at them both. There was always a hint of mischief, curiosity, and maybe a pint of judgment in their stares. Hinata did not find herself bothered at the thought.
Just as they were nearing the house, Hinata spoke up.
"Have you heard?" she asked hesitantly. Having no response, she continued, "About us. . .uhm. . .expecting?"
Hinata did not know if the idea she brought out was clear. The word 'pregnant' was not something she could say out loud. Or maybe she just could not bring herself to say the word.
"Hn," Sasuke answered. Hearing the one syllable that was barely a word fall from his lips, Hinata could even sense a ghost of an amused smirk. "Kakashi asked."
"Hokage-sama. . ." trailed off Hinata. "What did you say?"
"It's not his business," muttered Sasuke, making Hinata smile and giggle a bit. The body beside her stiffened, but Hinata shrugged it off.
And when she thought that her confession to Sasuke would change everything, it didn't. In fact, she believed it had improved her relationship with Sasuke.
It was one afternoon she could not forget.
The sun was brightly shining outside and the winds of spring embraced her completely. Sasuke was home, but he was not with her.
They had not much on their hands at that moment and it had been an hour or so when they had their lunch. Hinata was already on her training gears and had already began binding her joints with her binding cloth. Opening the door to their backyard where she did most of her training, she heard footsteps.
A few days ago, she asked herself how she could be too familiar about Sasuke's footsteps. Maybe it was boredom that made her notice the unnoticeable, but it did not matter now.
From behind, Hinata turned to look at him. When her eyes met his, she was pretty sure she bore surprise. Fully turning around to get a full view, Hinata saw how he wore his training gear.
It was the first time Hinata trained after quite a while since she had to go to Hanabi at the hospital. Sasuke would join her sometimes, even in the room. But he was always away, giving the sisters some time and privacy. Still, Hinata was thankful about it.
"Train with me." It was more of a command than a request, so Hinata could only nod.
Even if she didn't want to, she would still nod.
"Taijutsu?" asked Hinata.
"A little bit of ninjutsu wouldn't hurt," Sasuke said. There was something about the way he said it that hinted a smile. In reality, there was none.
"Just nothing that could possibly cause death or major i-injuries?" asked Hinata, both eyebrows rising and almost disappearing in her bangs. Thinking it was stupid of her to ask, she rubbed her face with her hands silently and hid beneath her hair before murmuring, "I don't want to get killed."
She knew how the amaterasu and the chidori can be. Well, Sasuke may have known more jutsus than that, but Hinata did not know.
"You mean you don't want to kill me," Sasuke mumbled. It was almost inaudible, if it weren't for the silent environment.
At this, Hinata smiled. Who knew her husband could succumb one person in flattery? Hanabi was right. Sasuke was a charmer.
"I'm not sure," said Hinata, now having second thoughts. Lowering her gaze, she continued murmuring, "I haven't had anyone to spar with in a long time."
There was no response from Sasuke and all she could do was sigh. There would be no point in stating how much at disadvantage she can be. He would not really listen.
Her husband was someone who was constantly training. Sasuke had been on missions and even spars with Naruto from time to time — he would tell her whenever she asked or when he wanted to do so.
While her, she would train alone. The last time she sparred was with Tenten whom she couldn't really fight. Hinata was a close combat fighter while Tenten was the other way around. And that was probably around five or four months ago. To be exact: when she was still unmarried.
"Okay," she sighed in defeat.
They had settled on where Hinata would usually train herself. There was a large tree that hovered overhead so the sun could not get them fully. Quickly putting on a stance, Hinata looked at Sasuke who seemed very calm.
He had his eyes closed but looked ready nonetheless. Hinata mentally told herself that it would be best if she did not look at Sasuke like he would give her consideration just because she is his wife. With this little weird thought, Hinata thought that at least Sasuke had no plans on killing her. Even if he had, he definitely would not.
Because then, why did they marry if it weren't for show?
"Uhm, are you ready?" she called, her lips thinning in worry.
"Hn," Sasuke said with a nod before opening his eyes. "Are you?"
"Honestly. . .I d-don't think I could be," she said, biting her lower lip but kept her stance. It was a miracle her body was not shaking out of nervousness. "But maybe I will be."
For the first time since they married, Sasuke flashed a smirk. It only lasted for a few moments before he invited her to attack him. At this, Hinata smiled gratefully for no reasons.
But when they started their training, Hinata saw how reckless Sasuke can be.
At first, they were solely focused on taijutsu. It soon ended when she hit Sasuke in the chest using the palm bottom strike. And it was surprising. It was the first time one of them had hit another, since they fought back and forth using only defenses against one another's attack.
The force she put on her attack was mild — or in Hinata's words: maybe in Sasuke's definition of mild — because she would not overuse her chakra to the point that she would exhaust herself. The attack she pulled towards him was what she had used it several times back when she was younger when she still could not perfect their clan's jutsus.
Aside from that, Hinata knew how damaging the attack can be.
Halfway through their spar, his sharingan was still not activated, while Hinata's kekkei genkai had already been. Yet she was still at disadvantage. Everytime she would try to attack, he would immediately block her movements. Even with one hand, he could easily put up his defense in a close combat.
As if he's had her memorized like the back of his hand.
Several times did she start pulling through her ninjutsu, but every time she tried to do so, Sasuke would find a way to stop her from doing so. He still had not activated his deadly ninjutsus aside from his fire breathing jutsu which Hinata immediately blocked with water she had managed to pull because of the pond near them.
It hadn't occured to her that it was possible for her to do so since she never knew she could control water like that. Water was not really her natural affinity.
What was more shocking was the fact that he used a jutsu she had seen in their early days as ninjas, which he didn't use now.
"Your affinity is water, I see," commented Sasuke when she had blocked his jutsu with water.
"No," she corrected, panting lightly. The beads of sweat were now free falling from her chin to her clothes. Wiping one in her cheek, Hinata continued, "It's naturally lightning and fire."
"It is?" asked Sasuke. Hinata did not bother to reply since it seemed rhetorical and he asked it without interest. "That makes the two of us."
Still panting because of the tension, Hinata threw her guard down slowly without pulling off her stance. It seemed like it was the perfect opening for Sasuke. The next thing she knew, Hinata saw his hand with most of his chakra gathered.
On cue, Hinata blocked the points and sent half of Sasuke's body shock. It was the effect of locking up chakra points after all. Thankfully, Sasuke had put a massive amount of chakra to his feet to remain on the ground.
With widened eyes, she looked at Sasuke before looking at the ground. She had not expected that Sasuke could do that to her. He could break her arm with that attack. If it weren't for her reflex, her shoulder would probably be broken.
"I guess we sh-should stop," Hinata said, stuttering because of panting heavily and the nervousness Sasuke gave her. She deactivated her byakugan and put her hands on her knees for support as she could not stand properly anymore. "I'm not sure if I c-could go on."
"Yes you could. Look at my hand," Sasuke ordered, raising his hand for her to see clearly. Hinata refused to meet his eyes so she went directly for his hand.
And there she saw how much damage she had inflicted — even without the byakugan. His smallest finger was really bent while the ring finger had a slight sight of bone in it. The latter was already swollen and bruised.
Hinata never knew how her defense could be that harsh. Her heart was beginning to rub against her chest as she felt sorry for her husband. Sasuke had already lost his other hand, she would not want to be the reason why he would lose the other one.
While she was almost too certain that she could heal it, Hinata was still guilty. There were hot tears in the corners of her eyes but she did her best to not let it fall.
"I'm s-sorry," she finally mustered, standing straight and clumsily moved towards her husband. Her eyes were still as wide as they were before. With worry, she refused to meet his eyes. "I never planned it to go this far. . ."
"I did," Sasuke said, lending his hand for Hinata to heal. As if on cue, Hinata immediately wrapped her hand around his wrist and activated her byakugan. "Do what you must."
Hinata knew exactly what he was ordering her to do. Complying, she took a deep breath.
"I don't know much about healing jutsus," Hinata softly lied with hesitation tampered in her voice. With uneasiness in her system, her body began to shake. "M-maybe you should just go to the hospital."
"You've studied healing jutsus."
There was the dismissive nature in his tone that made Hinata's choices very limited. Finally falling for his argument, Hinata sighed and went on. It was a good thing she was not out of chakra, otherwise she would probably faint just to heal her husband.
Hovering her hand over his, the green glow began to show as she put an effort for her own cells to transfer in his system. With the byakugan, she could see where the bones are broken. Thankfully though, there was only one broken bone in Sasuke's hand and it could be easily healed.
"I'll put on a remedy in your broken bone," Hinata murmured a lie. "You'll still need to see the hospital if you want it to heal properly. . ."
"It would heal with you," deadpanned Sasuke with a small shrug. With it, came a grunt from Sasuke. The grunt sounded painful so Hinata turned to look at Sasuke fully.
"Your shoulder is di-dislocated!" Hinata gasped with too much concern even for her liking.
Now Hinata wondered how he got to raise his hand earlier without ease but now received pain because he shrugged.
"And who did it?" Sasuke asked rhetorically.
It was almost as if he was guilt tripping her. Then again, there was something in his tone that seemed encouraging. Whatever he had in mind — or if he had something — it was too much for Hinata. She did not even know if she was feeling guilty, encouraged, boosted, or whatever.
"Sorry," Hinata mumbled, earning nothing from Sasuke. "I can fix that. . .Uhm, just- stay calm okay?"
Putting her hand in his back, just before his shoulder and by his bicep, she popped his shoulder right back into place. That was when she earned another grunt from Sasuke. Though this time, it sounded like annoyance mixed with relief.
"But please. . ." Hinata mumbled. Looking down, she continued, "Go to the hospital or Sakura-chan or Ino-chan. I'm not sure if I did it properly."
"They weren't the ones responsible for this," Sasuke muttered in return. The pregnant pause he incorporated was almost too much for Hinata. Before she could say something, Sasuke continued, "Take a shower. I'll go after you."
And so she did.
When she was done, Hinata waited in their room. Knowing that Sasuke would be done any minute now, Hinata composed herself in asking why he did not use his signature jutsus — even in the mission. Beforehand, she even assured herself that even if he did not want to answer, everything would be okay.
It was slowly dawning on her that she was beginning to feel more comfortable with him. Otherwise she would not even try to think of asking Sasuke the question she had in mind.
But when Sasuke was done bathing and had a new set of clothes, it was him who talked.
"What did you do?" asked Sasuke with furrowed eyebrows.
It was an unusual sight. Foreign to say the least. The man was looking at her with confusion. His eyes were asking for an answer that Hinata knew she could not give — as she did not really know what he was talking about.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Hinata, trying to refrain herself from knitting her eyebrows. Biting her lip, she confirmed, "I didn't do anything."
"I've done a lot of things, but what did you do?" Sasuke asked again.
He slowly walked his way towards her with a glare that could only frighten Hinata in a way he has never done before. Her heartbeat started racing against her chest. Sasuke was now just a foot away from her and in any second, she felt like she could pass out.
"I. . ." Hinata trailed off, her hands now travelling to her chest in distress. "I don't understand."
In a blink of an eye, her hands and back were already pinned against the wall. Eyes widening, she looked at Sasuke. The space between them were merely inches, his knees were linked in her legs — to pin her down — with the both of her hands just atop her head.
His eyes were glaring at her menacingly. Maybe he subconsciously activated the sharingan as his eye was beginning to glow red. The worst part of it all was Hinata was cornered and could not do anything about it.
"What did you do?" he asked through gritted teeth. The hand that was holding her hands gripped tightly and roughly, Hinata was almost sure it would bruise later on. "Why did you do it?"
"Sasuke-kun. . ." she whispered, almost suffocating at the contact.
"I. . .am. . .asking. . .you," Sasuke said, his grip tightening in every word.
The action was maddening. Their faces were only mere inches apart. The breath Sasuke exhales touched her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
Her legs that was linked by his knees were painful. It was almost crushing her bones. If it went on, the contact would probably break it.
"Sasuke!" she finally shouted upon the pain it inflicted. "It's too much!"
His eyes softened, or rather turned to the way it normally is. Thin brows furrowed at her.
The grip on her wrists loosened. And before she could say anything, Sasuke detached himself away from her. As if startled by his own actions, he jumped away, leaving them enough distance for her to breathe.
It took time for her to finally catch up her breath. It was as if she just got back to the shore from drowning.
"I didn't mean it," he told her in a whisper-like manner.
The sound barely entered Hinata's ears, for she could hear her own heartbeat and her breathing made it harder for her to hear.
But Hinata knew that it was his way of apologizing. With a nod, Hinata tried to flash a smile with sweetness, but couldn't. The suffocating event was just too much for her.
Instead, she kept on catching her breath.
"I—" Sasuke cut himself off. "I'll give you time."
"Please," Hinata said, tears now welling up in the corners of her eyes. But she did not cry — it felt too useless.
He flickered off while Hinata slept. If she weren't tired, she would not have the chance to sleep. Knowing she was, Hinata slept.
When she woke up, the skies were already dark. Refusing to rub her eye, her eyes focused on the ceiling above her. Then she tried her best to remember what had happened earlier. For quite a while, she had a hard time convincing herself that it wasn't a bad dream.
"I didn't mean it," a voice said. Following to where came from, she saw Sasuke by the corner of the room where he would write his scrolls. While she tried to sit straight, he continued, "Forget what I said earlier if you can. I won't do it again."
If I can forget it, I would, she thought but never had the power to speak. Under his gaze, Hinata felt powerless.
Suddenly, she felt like she wanted to take back what she said yesterday night. Yet Hinata was in it now. And there was no turning back. When she said that she wanted love him, she really did.
"I believe you," responded Hinata after a while.
After they had their dinner and the moonlight was slipping through their window, Hinata faced the other side of the bed, refusing to see Sasuke. The soft breaths he took brushed Hinata's nape, yet she tried her best not to squirm. He didn't wrap his arm around her shoulders or did his usual routines.
When midnight came, Hinata knew that Sasuke wasn't sleeping. For some reasons, she knew.
The way he breathed out or maybe even the way his body move was enough depiction. In all honesty, Hinata barely knew her own husband. Yet for some reasons, she figured she was slowly knowing him through his ways.
"I meant what I said about loving you," Hinata softly told him. With hesitation, she continued with a slow pace and a soft tone, "About earlier. . .I forgive you."
Because if he didn't ask for forgiveness, she would forgive him. It was her nature.
"Why would you?" asked Sasuke after quite a while, pertaining to her statement that she had forgiven him.
"Because you deserve to be forgiven," Hinata stated.
There was more to her words. . .and maybe Sasuke had already figured it out. Needless to say, her heart bore sincerity.
The next thing she knew, an arm snaked over her shoulders to wrap itself around her. A ghost of a small smile appeared in her features before she drifted off to sleep. And somehow she knew that Sasuke didn't. There was something holding him back.
Addressing some questions and other notes (u may skip)
-I'd like to think that Naruto would become a major part in the story.
-Toneri won't be in this story. There's more room for him in other stories. And ye, this means that Hinata's chakra is blue, not purple.
-I like to think that Sasuke will take time before opening up. I hope you don't easily forget details lol.
-I don't like Sakura bashing (or any types of bashing anyways), but I just needed to write the scene for what's more to come. Don't worry — it won't be too much. I still hope the scene with Sakura isn't considered as sakura-bashing or whatever. It's part of the build up.
Chill guys, we're still at the beginning *smiles*. Also, you can point out my mistakes and other questions to make sure that I have no plot holes. Thank you for the kind reviews, follows, and favourites. Seriously guys, you're all amazing.
You can recommend your preferences anytime (formatting, scenes, etc. I'll see what I can do). C'mon guys, I love you all.
Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.
