Chapter 3: Why me?
A/N: I realised that I missed to add to plot. So I had to change this chapter. The first part is new and the second part is edited. Guess I am being forgetful. So I have read some reviews regarding Naruto. As an author of this story let me tell you whatever Naruto did at first was unintentional. He didn't know that placing Hinata with Sasuke would cause such a mess. Never in a million year had he ever thought that Sasuke would develop feelings for Hinata. As for why he is keeping Hinata captive and drugging her is suspense though yes he is in the wrong. This story would involve a lot of politics so Naruto has to play right or he would be taken down first in this chess game making Konoha lose.
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Hinata woke up startled. Her eyes searched for him in the dark, panic starting to set in until she felt a hand soothing her back. The fingers then travelled to her bare thighs and drew circles.
"Did you dream about him again?" She heard him speak but she could only respond by furrowing her face between the pits of his arms. He understood her answers well.
"I dream about him too" Sasuke's deep monotonous voice gave her a bit of strength. Sometimes she wondered how he kept his calm when he had nightmares about dead family members. Is that the reason he never slept?
"I-itachi?" She questioned.
He nodded and she could only assume what those dreams were about. If they were near what she saw in her sleep about Neji then she could sympathise with the last Uchiha. He brought her closer to his chest and the rhythmic beating of his heart lulled her back to sleep.
"You know this reminds me of the time when I nursed you back to your health after those thief tried to steal your eyes" She grimaced not loving the fact that he had to bring that incident up.
"Or when you took care of me after I almost died" She removed herself from his hold and instantly missed the warmth his body provided. The chilly wind of the rainy night seeped through her flimsy nightgown and she wished to drape herself in her warm genin clothes once again. Those large hoodies always made her feel safe and she now wondered why she ditched them in the first place.
She wanted to return to his arms as her body has become weak and frail. She shivered as if she was stranded in the middle of December winter. She was stubborn though determined to not let him know that she needed him in any kind of way. She knew it will give winds to his flame.
"Wait" He exclaimed as he brought his hands behind her neck but she jumped. His eyes narrowed when he saw the fear in her eyes but massaged the point where he had injected her a few hours back. The heat returned to her veins in a few minutes.
The swelling in her neck had reduced as well.
He retraced the offending appendages to his side.
"Do you fear me Hinata?"
She didn't know what she should reply. If she said no then he would continue what he believes in and if she says yes, he would not understand. In her confused state of mind she decided it was better to tell him no but she ended up bobbing her head in agreement.
She realised that it was those drugs that brought out the lies in her. He pressed his mouth in a thin line, a habit that he usually exhibited when disappointed in her.
"If you have always feared me then why do you want me? Why Hinata?" His sharingan flashed but she didn't dare react.
He wasn't wrong. Even though he had been always been physically rough with her, he never took advantage of her. If he was as bad as she had wanted to believe then he would have had his way back when they were alone in those missions. When she was vulnerable recovering from the injuries those vile men inflicted on her, he never made her feel unsafe or threatened her in any way.
She didn't understand him because some time he would manhandle her and then sometime he would treat her like an injured bird.
"You confuse me Hime" He muttered closing his eyes and when he opened them back again, she could see the obsidian coals cooling down leaving grey ash behind. He drew her closer breathing on her sensitive neck. She wanted to scream that the feelings were mutual. He confused her as well.
"I bet you wish you should have killed me back then when I first kissed you" Her eyes grew larger than usual as he slowly went down nibbling on her jaws and the area below her neck. He dipped like a ship grazing the valleys of her breasts before finally resting on her flat stomach.
He pressed his face on her soft belly inhaling her unique sweet scent. Her heart skipped a beat as her face reddened before she was disgusted with herself because she wasn't going to give in to weakness like before. She tried pushing him with whatever little strength that was left in her limbs but failing.
She might have enjoyed the love he showered in the past. Whatever intimacy she had initiated before was because she hadn't known he would become her jailer and she his captive. She should have a say in this.
"Stop Sasuke" She said sternly and he froze like a statue. He lifted his face with a questioning gaze and she had never seen him looking so innocent and childlike. Who would even believe this is the same man who enjoyed killing like a sport?
Then something clicked inside her head and she knew she had to ask him. Maybe it was those lethal injections that gave her the courage to speak.
"You wanted me to kill you?" She quizzed because of what he said earlier. It was now his turn jerk away from her but her fingers were already tightly threaded on his black t-shirt.
"Hinata!" He warned her but she still didn't let him go.
"You wanted to die on those missions and I was between you and your death" She breathlessly let it out finally realising his obsession with her. "You hate me because I was given the mission to protect you"
Those missions were his tickets to hell that is the reason he accepted them.
Sasuke on the other hand kept his cool but she knew he was hiding something from her.
"Is that the reason you want to keep me alive because I didn't let you die"
Is that his way of revenge? A method of torture? She would accept that at first Sasuke was a mission to her but then she started caring for him because she saw a different side to him. Somewhere she had already realised that he was a broken soul with a haunted past. He continued living because his best friend wanted him to live and not because he wished to.
"Ino was right. You are suicidal" She confronted him and he didn't decline. He took a deep breath and met eyes with her. Under that moonlight, his purple Rinne sharingan cascaded a mesmerising sight and she begrudgingly admitted to herself that the man was hauntingly beautiful.
"You are right" Her focus shifted back to the matter in hand. "I wished for death every second of my life and every breath I took was just a waste"
"And you came as an opportunity" She gasped when she heard that because it meant that she was right all along. "Especially when I learnt that you could kill me easily but you refused to do so"
He gave a dry laugh.
"Naruto told me you couldn't even kill a fly. I wanted to prove him wrong" Her hold on him slipped as if he was made of sand. He violated her boundaries with a death wish. His face held a sad expression and she couldn't help but feel her throat closing off. It seemed like some invisible force was trying to choke her. Her tears of frustration spilled and rolled the sides of her high cheek bones.
He really had no purpose in life wandering like an aimless soul in search of a resolve. He was still doing the dirty work for Konoha, the same village that killed his entire family. They had hurt him and now he was expected to call it home because his eldest brother wished for its safety.
He had once expressed to her even when near death that he never wanted to come back to the land of hidden leaf no matter what. She had taken care of him alone but when she was at a lost, she had suggested sending him under Tsunade's care.
"Don't take me back to Konoha or I would skin you alive" He had threatened her before losing consciousness and she wondered if really hated Konoha that much.
"Don't worry" She snapped back as he grabbed her chin slowly inching towards her. "I don't hate you"
He made sure she listened to him this time.
"I love you"
Her stomach flipped and her breath thinned. She didn't understand if it was because of repulsion or was it something else.
She turned her cheeks to the side and he missed her lips, caressing the side of her mouth but that didn't deter him.
"Let's make a deal Hinata. If you love me, I will give you anything you want" He was desperate and she knew he was trying to bait her.
"Anything I want?" She repeated and he nodded slowly.
"In that case I want freedom Sasuke. Would you give me?" She smiled watching him struggle.
"And I want everything that you took away from me" She waited for that to sink in. "I want revenge Sasuke"
And she hated herself even more when instead of hesitation; she found happiness in his eyes.
"Whatever you want as long as you are mine"
She stared dumbfounded before asking him something she had wished to know for years.
"Why me?"
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2 years ago~
"Why me?"
Naruto had sent an Anbu to call Hinata and by the looks of it, she had been in the middle of training. She was still in her training gear with her hair tied in a ponytail. She looked tired and sweaty. Her clothes were smeared with dirt from top to bottom. Maybe he should have given her time to shower.
"Because you are the only one I can trust" Her fingers locked themselves together as if she was in disbelief after hearing him. She peered at him with large eyes that he couldn't stop staring. She was like a glass doll and he wasn't sure if it was even right to think that she was fit to carry out such serious missions.
"Hina-chan" Naruto took a deep breath before continuing, "You can back off any moment. I will not pressure you but . . . " He hesitated and then broke their eye contact as remorse took over him. He didn't know how to continue, fearing what if he messes her even more. After Neji's death, she had not been herself and whenever he had tried to talk with her, she always pushed him away. She drowned in her grief by taking missions after missions and her friends were worried for her.
It wasn't that they doubted her capability but Hinata had always tried way too harder to prove herself. He had then promised himself that after he becomes Hokage, he will give her a long vacation from her duties to keep her safe. However, now he is the one handing over one of the most dangerous missions to her.
He knew he was kind of taking advantage of her knowing the fact she would do anything for him. His eyes caught the light on her shiny headband that she took great care of and he smiled as he found she still wore it around her neck. It suited her well.
"Naruto-kun" She called him and his heart raced as he lifted his azure eyes once again. "I don't go back on my words. I have promised to serve you and I will"
She beamed at him and her lavender gaze held some strange emotion that Naruto had always been afraid to put a name on it.
He shook his head trying not to go there.
"Thanks, Hina-chan. You don't know how much your help means to me" He took a sigh of relief as if some kind of weight lifted off his shoulders and she blushed because she wasn't used to such high praise.
Naruto had no one he could trust maybe except for her because he knew she was loyal to him, devoted even. Not even his own team mates were trustworthy at this point- because even Sakura and Kakashi had tried to kill Sasuke in the past and his other friends could care less if the last Uchiha is living or dead.
He had to save his friend but this time he couldn't do it by himself. He needed help from someone he knew wouldn't betray him no matter what and after Shikamaru's advice Hinata was the best choice for the job. She is the one he could rely upon.
"The council wants someone to keep an eye on Sasuke" She nodded her head urging him to continue.
"And I want someone to keep him safe because they consider him some kind of dog that they can use and if he bites back, they tend to put him to sleep" He continued but she doubted Sasuke Uchiha would ever need anyone's help.
"How could I help?" Hinata asked unsure of what role does she play in here? Her voice was hardly above whisper but Naruto's foxy ears heard her nevertheless.
"They want to use Hyuga family's cursed seal on him" He said at last.
Her clear pearly eyes became as huge as saucers.
"W-what? That's dangerous". Hinata couldn't even describe how risky this was. This could basically kill the avenger. "We haven't used caged bird on anyone outside the clan"
"I know Hinata but It's their final decision and I can't do shit about it" He bit his tongue as he cursed himself. What kind of a Hokage would he be, if he couldn't even protect his own friend? Could he ever protect his people then?
He remembered how helpless he had felt when all the Hokages except Gaara voted against Sasuke. He had tried to defend his friend but they didn't want to listen.
"Listen boy we know that you wish your friend to be free of his crimes but we can't let him free of consequences" The Raikage had said pointing towards his disabled arm.
"But Sasuke helped us win the war . . ."
"Sorry but we don't want a repeat"
And they left one by one.
"I am so sorry Naruto" Gaara apologised at last and stood up taking his leave as well.
"They told me that if the seal works then Sasuke could become one thing less to worry about and if not then this would get the world rid of a criminal" He was angry now. The world has still not forgotten Sasuke's past crimes, one of them including murdering Danzo in the Hokage summit. For them he was a traitor and he should be punished. They did not care if he had helped them to win the war, he was still a criminal in their eyes and Naruto couldn't make them see the other side of picture no matter how hard he tried. If he knew becoming Hokage would mean being a puppet then he would have preferred not to be one. All this power was useless if couldn't protect his best friend.
Hinata listened silently, feeling Naruto's pain radiate to her bosom. She had always been able to feel others' pain. Her kindness was overwhelming her insides. The urge to poke her fingers hardly surfaced these days but she wanted to do it so bad right now. She bit her lips as she still couldn't figure out how she could help in all this until he is asking her to –
"I need you to place the seal on him" He answered predicting her train of thought.
"No" She quickly placed her hands over her mouth shocked at how quickly it came out like a reflex action.
"Listen to me first Hina chan" He tried to calm her. "Shikamaru and I have talked about this. You are the only one who can help us with your family seal. We know you can place it on him safely and I trust you"
"H-how could you say so N-naruto-kun especially after knowing my thoughts on it?" Hinata whispered horrified. "I want my clan free of this cursed seal and not place them on more innocent people"
She couldn't believe Naruto would request her of such thing. When he had asked her for help, she hadn't expected this because he already knew how much Hinata hated this practice because of her cousin as just like the name suggests they had caged Neji like a bird. She didn't want more victims because once such seals are placed they could never be reversed. Unlike other jutsus, you can't get rid of Hyuga clan's forbidden seal until death claims the soul.
"Moreover my clan would disown me if they ever come to know I have put the family secret out like this" She revealed fearing for her own safety as well.
But Naruto disregarded her pleas. "Please Hina chan if you don't do it then they would try to mark him by themselves and you already know the danger it entails.
Would they stoop so low as to treat Sasuke as a guinea pig even if the experiment was more likely to cause his death? But then again Sasuke was a criminal and the shinobi world didn't care for their well beings anyways.
"I know the Hyugas won't help me except you. So please Hina chan don't you turn me down" He begged and her guts twisted because she indeed wanted to help her friend.
"B-but . . . I can't use the same seal on him like we do on our branch member" She reasoned because then the seal could even become the reason for the last Uchiha's death, the same thing Naruto is trying to prevent.
"I know that is why Shikamaru suggested if the seal could only be activated by you" Naruto inquired. So basically only she would have access to Sasuke's power and no one else could use him to their advantage."I have already reasoned with the council's decision and they have agreed on the condition I choose someone who is neutral towards Sasuke. That someone is you Hina chan"
Hinata kept quite at that as if she was in deep thought. She was tentative but she could see how desperate Naruto was and she had never seen him this up in the lurch. She wanted to help him and she knew she would because to prove her worth she could go to any lengths. This way her friends would stop questioning her ability. Both shinobis sat in silence waiting for what's next to come.
"I will do it" She finally answered.
"So it's possible then?"
"Yes the seal had to be placed on me too but don't worry I will be fine"
Hinata had taken interest in seal after Neji's death and she carried intricate knowledge. Maybe it is time to use it to prove everyone that she was strong and not that same weakling in her teens. She was a strong shinobi. She might not possess the same strength as Sakura or have an arsenal of amazing interrogation skills like Ino. She might even not be as good as Tenten with weapons but she had own expertise that she would not let go to waste.
"Shikamaru was right that the Hyugas have filthy knowledge on seals" Naruto was surprised as he had never heard of any Hyuga technique such as this but then quickly shut his mouth when Hinata gave him weird look.
"Oops sorry Hina chan! I mean you are not filthy like your clan. No that sounded wrong" He nervously scratched the back of his head.
"It's okay" Hinata understood that the Hyuga clan had always repulsed people with their inhumane secrets. "I have to take my leave now" She abruptly stood and bowed in sincere respect. It seemed like she wanted to run as far away from him as possible because even though she didn't say it out loud, all these have disturbed her greatly and she was stressed out. The memories of her Neji Ni were returning to haunt her.
"Hina chan?" He called out as she reached the door knob and she turned around. He had a serious look on his face and somewhere Hinata felt that Naruto had still not revealed everything to her.
"Thank you" He was forever indebted to her.
"Y-you are welcome, Naruto-kun"
After all this was the first mission Naruto gave it to her. Only if she knew how this mission to protect a stranger would endanger her.
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Thanks and please review. I am asking a lot from you guys but still.