-...Hokage Mansion; 4 am...-

"So just to get this straight, they simply disappeared?" Naruto asked, while staring that the report bewildered.

"Yeah, no trace of them as if they never existed."

"And they blew up Suna. They..." Naruto's hand shook. "Aaaaargh!" He slammed his fist against the desk causing an entire stack of paper to collapse on the floor. Shikamaru went quiet.

"We also got word Sasuke has returned to the..."

"I know. Leave him alone for now." Naruto was staring blankly into the distance. "I'm seizing ANBU until he recovers. Get him to sign that." He glanced at the piece of paper that has landed at Shikamaru's feet.

"Naruto you can't do everything by yourself."

"This is my fault. I have all the power a shinobi can ask for and I'm more useless than EVER!" He exclaimed. "I betrayed Kakashi, I betrayed my friends! I prepared a whole plan of attack and I have nothing! Nothing... They're all gone. All my intel, my sensei, my friends!" He looked up at Shikamaru and for the first time tears rolled down his cheeks.

Shikamaru said nothing allowing Naruto to calm down after a while.

"I'm not giving up." He wiped his face and finally broke the silence. "If I don't sleep to find these bastards, then I don't sleep!" He then got up and began to pick up the paperwork he tore down.

"You're still an idiot Naruto, but not for the reasons you think." Shikamaru sighed and left to find Sasuke.

-...Uchiha Household front door threshold; 5 minutes later...-

"By signing Naruto will also handle ABNU work until you recover."

"I'm injured, not mentally challenged. I'll work from home."

"This is for you." Shikamaru handed Sasuke a wrapping with a slew of medicines and bandages. "Hinata is ordered to administer everything as instructed and you are on strict bed rest until you're cleared for work."

Sasuke glared at him and Shikamaru noticed Hinata approaching from the fire pit to accept the medical kit.

"What a drag... Don't give me the death stare. It's a direct order."

Despite hesitation, Sasuke finally limped forward and signed the paperwork.

"And should he get worse, you are responsible to have him transferred to a hospital." He handed Hinata mission specifics. Rest was securing and isolating the home, Sakura arriving in a week to check on Sasuke and additionally replace Ino as Hinata's instructor as well as other updates regarding Sasuke's injuries, recent mission outcomes, and scheduled dates for future reports to the Hokage Office.

-...-

After Shikamaru left, Hinata began to unwrap the kit when Sasuke grabbed it out of her hand. "Not now." He put it on the table and took her hand leading her to the back garden. He needed a shift in scenery, the walls felt constricting. Dawn was still far from breaking, but the night looked a little brighter. He brought her out to the inside garden porch and pulled her down to sit with him on the cushions.

It began to snow.

Hinata stared mesmerized and extended her palm to catch the snowflakes. She didn't feel the cold despite Sasuke sitting slightly away from her. Her whole body still fluttered.

"I think I love you." He broke the silence.

Huh?!

"I'm selfish I don't care that you love someone else. I... was over the line tonight." He wanted to ask her to try the impossible. To forget Naruto. He felt pathetic before her. No matter how he thought about it, or how much it annoyed him, he finally accepted he related to Sakura quite a bit. No, he was worse than Sakura. Sakura can eventually outgrow loving him, but Uchiha heart is a tricky contraption. Attaches so innocently, helplessly and against the owner's will. Every one of them died and killed for love. Sasuke felt the weight of all his heritage on his shoulders. He was going to give her everything he had as long as there was air left in his lungs, even if she chose to destroy him. He felt like he was hers, fully, helplessly... Yet on the surface for the casual onlooker, Sasuke was as restrained and in control as ever.

She was as red as a tomato, pulled her hand back onto her chest, those few snowflakes melting in her palm, and whispered. "N-no."

Sasuke slowly turned to her and leaned down trying to get a better view of her face. "No what?"

"I also..."

"You also what?" His eyes widened.

"Feel the same." She quickly blurted out afraid to take in air for fear of making any more sound.

"What?!" His eyebrows furrowed. He definitely looked angry though he wasn't. "You left the bedroom! Hinata... You don't have to do this." All young Sasuke ever knew was loss and deception, and deep down he still feared it well into adulthood, even from the most honest creature he has ever known.

"I'm not!" Hinata's heart hurt upon hearing that. She finally looked up. "I wouldn't... I thought you would hate me so I offered for you to leave. I didn't think you'd want to be close if I- if I liked you..." Her voice turned into a breathy whisper at the end as the fact that they were now making full eye contact registered in her mind. He was close this whole time, yet she missed him painfully. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

"Heh." He laughed briefly and the shock on his face turned into a smile. "Hah." He chuckled again trough breaths and immediately moved forward pulling her into his arms. He could feel her whole body shaking while her fingers weakly clung onto the fabric on the back his hospital pajamas, but he just tightened his hold. It didn't feel real yet, as if she was going to melt like she did in his dream. His heart was threatening to burst and kill him on the spot, yet he now he wanted to devour her and satisfy the torturous hunger he resisted for so long. He quickly ran his hands up her back and then began lightly pulling on a fistful of her hair at the back of her head, kissing her neck, her ear, hair and anything that found itself in the way, breathing her in, holding her as if he wanted her to not be able to move an inch while progressing towards those plump, soft lips... Sadly, before he ever reached them, the poor girl passed out.

-...Uchiha Household, bedroom; 10 am...-

Hinata woke up in their bed, in Sasuke's arms, her face berried in his chest. She remained still trying to adjust. She felt like her mind has now turned a little numb just to be able to handle all these sensations she had no chance of processing. With the change in her breathing Sasuke woke up as well. The limp arms that were softly wrapped around her back tightened around her again and he began to caress her neck, the exposed skin on her hip and lower back. He didn't say anything, he didn't try to accommodate Hinata's shyness. It never made him nervous. This greatly helped her. He was going to try as many times as he needed to and she felt that calm resolve, that actually lead her to accept this overwhelming rush of feelings. It was perfectly natural, organic and inevitable. There was no reason to run simply because there was no way to run. She loved him.

He immediately kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheek and lowered down to her lips. She started to shiver again and he chuckled. His laugh embarrassed her, but released a lot of the tension. For the first time she smiled back and so they kissed. Not that it now had a direction, neither had any idea how kissing works, but the clumsy still touch of the lips was more satisfying than anything either one could imagine. Sasuke began to move his lips, experiment with little pecks and grabbed a hold of her ass. All she could do was wrap her arms around his neck.

Hours turned into minutes.

It ended up with him on top of Hinata, their mouths opening lightly, breaths and saliva mingling and him pressing her with his body, one of his hands rubbing the side of her large breast with his other elbow in the mattress, his palm cupping her neck. Sasuke has gradually positioned himself in-between her legs while both were trying to create more comfort. He pulled away and thought he has never seen anything as cute as she looked right now. He needed to bite, just a bit, and began to nibble her nose, ears and neck with his teeth amused by the discovery that it made Hinata make sounds, first in surprise, but then she began to moan in a soft, high pitched tone. She was breathing heavily just as he was and didn't seem to notice her own voice. The little moans did more than amuse him though, they turned him on, made him feel in control, desired, safe... She on the other hand wasn't able to form coherent enough thoughts to become shy, let alone restrain her voice. His erect penis was creating pressure on her clitoris through several layers of cotton fabric between them, which, though they were fully dressed, lead to spontaneous grinding movements. Hinata's whole body slid under him with each push he made onto her sex. Sasuke was the first to pick up on what was going on and despite knowing that it might be a good idea to slow down, even stop himself at that point, grinding yielded even better vocal results than nibbling. Hinata couldn't think, her whole body felt like a million sensations and she had no idea what this looked like right now. His breathing grew ragged. He..

"Fake married my ass." Ino grumbled while purposely stomping the wooden floor with her feet as she entered the lobby. "Hey close your bedroom window, will you?!" She yelled at them from behind the door. "I'll be back in half an hour. Everyone better be dressed when I do!" She added loudly. Sasuke and Hinata who were now frozen in shock heard her slam the front door. She was slightly embarrassed, albeit amused. She wouldn't have bothered anyone had she not been on a tight schedule. She merely created loud noises in order to make sure they hear her leave and to make sure they know she'll be back. As cute as she thought they were as a couple, she had no interest in hearing those sounds ever again.

Sasuke who has lifted his body off of Hinata listened, and as soon as the front door closed once again, leaned back down to touch foreheads. Hinata whose brain was late in coming back online exclaimed: "Oh no!" and covered her mouth.

"What?"

"She'll misunderstand. Sh..." Hinata turned even more red and pleadingly pressed her shaky palms against Sasuke's chest.

"Misunderstand what?" A mischievous smile spread across his lips.

He waited but she couldn't respond. The reality of everything became clearer in her mind. Sasuke kissed her cheek. "I'd say she understood everything."

"Wh-what do you mea?"

"You're mine." He smirked slowly moving her face sideways with the palm that was cupping her head, and bit down on her earlobe again.

-...Balkony of the Hokage Mansion; noon (around the same time)...-

"Remember, keep it short." Shizune handed Naruto his talking points and stepped back.

"Hello, is this thing on?" *screeeech!* Loud sound spread from the speakers as Naruto adjusted his microphone and people covered their ears. "Hehe, sorry about that everyone. Well, welcome to the Annual Fall Festival! Konoha is honored to be your hosts for the first time this year, and hopefully the last. We are working on resolving the current political situation and promise you that we will remain your protectors as long as there is shinobi in this Village!"

People began to cheer.

"I hereby publicly invite the Daimyo for negotiation so we may establish peace and safe trading routes once more. If he truly cares about his people as he claims, he is welcome to join us in resolving the issue!

Please enjoy the festivities and I wish you successful trading! Now, a few words on safety from our police chief Guy."

Naruto nervously left the podium and nodded as he moved trough the crowd of people patting him telling him he did good. Sai was standing at the door to the balcony. "Yes?" Naruto was nervous to see him.

"Daimyo is here to negotiate. Off record."

All the people who overheard turned around, including Shikamaru and several council members.

"That was fast!" Naruto grinned confidently.

Sai leaned closer and whispered. "He was behind Suna. We confirmed it."

The look of horror on Naruto's face was enough to have the entire crowd mobilize off that balcony immediately. Guy, who was going on a tangent about the springtime of youth and fall of maturity, was the last to figure out there was no one standing behind him anymore.