"You didn't get a tan, did you spend the whole time inside?" Sasuke teased his brother as he stepped into the elevator.
Itachi smiled at him. "You know I don't like sunburns."
"That's why they invented sunscreen." Sasuke shot back. "How was it?"
"You should ask dad, I got sick," Itachi told him, looking up at the number display.
"Hinata said she was too, she worked from home the whole time." Sasuke's face moved to an irritable pout.
"Did you pick her up for some medication?" Itachi wondered with a smile.
"She wouldn't let me in," Sasuke commented, but there was something behind the sour look on his face. Aw, was he upset he couldn't come in to take care of her?
"I have to make copies of these reports and get them up to her, I'll ask her to lunch, see how she's feeling." Itachi smiled. "Are you free?"
Sasuke's face twitched. "Nah."
Itachi shrugged it off and waved with the folder in his hand. "See you then."
Sasuke didn't respond as he watched Itachi walk out of the elevator.
Hinata placed reports on the director's desk as she updated him on what he missed, once she was done with the business she added a small medical file on top. "This is what the hospital gave me when I left. I made sure he had his medications, but they want him to go in more frequently to monitor his condition, but he won't let me make the appointments."
Fugaku sighed. "That's just how he is, he doesn't want the condition taking over his life any more than it has to."
"If he doesn't monitor it, it could end his life." Hinata pressed.
Fugaku smiled. "You're free to pester him, he doesn't really respond much to me anymore. He tells me he is fine, but that's why I have them send his medical files. I know he's not." Fugaku leaned back and crossed his arm over his chest. "He's stubborn about it."
Hinata knew where he got that from. "Which reminded me, I got your refill." She dug in her bag and placed his pills on the table.
The director gave her a look. She stared back, challenging him.
Hinata stopped to smile up at Itachi sliding the folder she closed too quickly off to the side.
Itachi smiled, acting like hadn't seen the move. "I think Sasuke's still a little upset."
Hinata grimaced. "I don't like lying to him."
"I am sorry about that, but it's for the best. You'll like him less if you tell him about my little stop at the hospital." Itachi reached forward, putting the folder in his hand on her side of the desk, and in the same movement picked up the folder she was trying to hide from him. Hinata snatched at it, but Itachi held it out of her reach with a grin. "How can you keep secrets when you're so obvious?" Itachi opened the folder and his face turned down.
Hinata reached across further and snagged it back. "Well now you know. I got tested, we aren't even the same blood type, so you don't need to lecture me."
"Hinata, I would not take your kidney," Itachi told her.
"Well, I don't even have to ask you now, do I?" Hinata opened a drawer and dropped it in. "I just wanted to see if I could help, even if it was to donate blood."
"Just keeping my secret is enough for me," Itachi told her.
Hinata let her sad eyes fall away from him.
"You know, if you are always going to look so sad when I come to see you, I'm going to have to start to bring presents." Itachi teased. "Maybe I'll have flowers delivered, make the gossip girls in the lobby talk."
Hinata shook her head. "You have a check-up on Friday, don't miss it."
"Oh, are you going to start checking up on me now?" Itachi leaned over with a smug face.
"Your driver will inform me if you are so much as of late." Hinata replied coldly.
Itachi chuckled. "Alright, mom."
Fugaku growled as he hung up the phone, Hinata was quick to give him a look. Right, his blood pressure. He took a deep breath. "This Suna brat is playing with fire."
"Brat?" Hinata chuckled as she set down the folder she had in her hand.
"The kid is your age, running a company, on top of that he's got a criminal record." Fugaku huffed.
"Criminal record?" Hinata wondered.
"Yeah, he has a couple of assault records from his youth," Fugaku explained.
"Shouldn't that have been expunged?" Hinata titled her head.
Fugaku waved his hand. "Depends on if you can keep your nose clean until you're 18, clearly he didn't. Now he's just a pain in the ass, but they are the main source of materials on this side of the country."
Hinata gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sure he's not that bad, I'm sure his image is more bark than bite."
"Glad you think so." Fugaku picked up a file. "You can deal with him."
Hinata took the folded with a tut.
Hinata settled in the Suna company meeting room and waited. She checked the time, he wasn't late, she was early. She opened her computer and check that she had everything she needed. She didn't want to embarrass the director by being under prepared.
The door opened. A man with red hair and a flat scowl came in. "I must have the wrong room."
Hinata quickly stood up. "Uh, I'm representative from Uchiha," Hinata explained.
His face twitched in a deep scowl. "You are not who I was expecting."
"I am the director's assistant. He asked that I meet you." Hinata explained.
"Why isn't he here?" He demanded.
"Because he believes I may be more suited," Hinata told him honestly. "I've been meeting other companies for him for a few months now. He's been watching his blood pressure."
The man set his jaw. He looked like Sasuke when he was upset.
"I apologize for any inconvenience, but I am capable of handling this manner." Hinata bowed her head.
He huffed and sat down. "Gaara No Sabaku." He introduced.
"Hinata Hyuga." Hinata sat down.
Gaara got a moment of slight recognition on his face. "Hyuga?"
Hinata nodded.
Gaara sat there a moment more, looking like he was searching for a memory.
"Uh, it's a common name," Hinata explained.
"They all have white eyes?" Gaara asked.
Hinata nodded. "I think it's a dominant trait."
Gaara nodded slowly and held out his hand to indicate for her to start.
Hinata rubbed her face as she blinked at the screen. They had been working out this contract for 6 hours, and Gaara didn't seem to indicate at all that he wanted to take a break.
She was hungry and would love a cup of coffee, but he was zoned in, and she didn't want to break his focus.
Gaara was an intimidating man, but honestly seemed just a stern old man in a 20-something's body.
Gaara looked at her for a moment again, he was really trying to recall something. It seemed to only distract him for a moment, but there it was again. "Hyuga…" He said again. "Did you go to the Sakura festival 15 years ago in a blue yakata?"
Hinata blinked at him. Now she was trying to remember. "Probably, I would have been… preteen-ish, I didn't get a new one until… Wait, what?" Hinata stared at him. How did he know what she wore?
"I remember you," Gaara explained.
Hinata thought back, to a festival with a redhead boy. Wait. "Were you the kid with bruise all over his face?" Hinata pointed to her own face, where she remembered he had had a split on his face.
Gaara nodded. "Probably."
"Hanabi-chan and I made you clean up and put medication on your cuts." Hinata was starting to remember now.
"You said you were going to be a doctor." Gaara looked down at the computer.
"Uh, Hanabi-chan's in medical school," Hinata said quickly.
"And you work for Uchiha?" Gaara filled. "Your very good."
Hinata blushed a bit, it was a strong compliment coming from him. "I do alright."
"Let's stop today. We should meet again late this week." Gaara suddenly got up.
Hinata bowed her head. "Of course."
"Have you eaten?"
Hinata brought a cup of tea to Hanabi who smiled. She was always overjoyed to sneak away to her sister's apartment.
"Do you remember a few years back at a festival we went to, there was a little boy with red hair," Hinata started. "He was about my age, but short, and he had a face full of cuts and bruises."
Hanabi rolled her eyes back, thinking. "No, not really."
"Hmm, maybe you were too young." Hinata hummed, sipping her cup.
"Why?" Hanabi wondered.
"Apparently he's the director of a company now I had a meeting with him yesterday, and he recognized me," Hinata explained.
Hanabi giggled. "Maybe you made an impression."
Hinata shook her head with a small smile. "No, he probably just remembers a really bad day."