A/N: I told you it was coming! So here it is!
Discord
"So, what's the play O' fearless leader?" jeered the suited man swirling his cocktail in it's glass lazily as the woman paced about the gambling dens backroom. "Orochimaru-sama may have put you in charge but he's not liking the results it seems."
"Urusai!" shouted the redhead, crushing her lit cigarette in her bare hand with nary a wince. She had listened to their insults and disapproval of her handling of their little Uchiha dilemma, claiming she was being too cautious. In truth, she had been. Eventhough the man had an image, and morals to uphold, he was not above using his own power to make her life a living hell if she crossed him. But part of her still wanted to get back at him for choosing her over their agreement.
"Sakon is right, Tayuya. Orochimaru-sama is becoming restless with our progress. Sasuke isn't taking him seriously enough." chimed Jirobo pensively.
"What more does he want? The Hyuuga sits on Sarutobi's board and is Sasuke's faithful lapdog, she'll do whatever he tells her to, just as he wanted." She was growing more furious by the second at the lack of progress in this meeting.
"Can we be sure of that? Those two are as thick as thieves. The Uchiha needs to know he is our pawn, and by extension, so is she." retorted Sakon, clearly chomping at the bit to get his hands on Sasuke again.
"He'd have us threaten her and bring the wrath of her entire family on our heads. We'd be fucked the minute we tried anything." rationalized Kidoumaru.
"Maybe we should ring Kimimaro, if you've lost the stomach for it." chimed the usually silent Ukon from the rooms dark corner.
"He would sooner kill the girl than simply threaten her." dismissed Kidomaru, casually rolling a coin between his fingers. "Pressure busts pipes, and Sasuke has bent to Orochimaru-sama before."
"Then we continue to work him and leave the girl." decided the defacto leader, pouring herself a near full glass of whiskey. "Put the boots to him again if need be."
"Are you going to personally handle him?" sneered Ukon with a sharkish grin that froze Tayuya momentarily. Did he know about their rendezvous' and backroom dealings? "He seems to have a soft spot for you."
"Tch! I'm just not a brain-dead grunt like the rest of you. A man like him requires more than a fist to the gut, it takes tact." She asserted, praying her boasting would diffuse any misgivings.
"Fine, let's be done with this already. How do we get to him? His apartment is a no go, and so is his office." asserted the burly enforcer.
"He has other places he frequents, let's pay one a visit for starters." A sly grin crossed her face as she downed her drink with one large swallow and made for the door. "We'll grab a drink while we're at it too."
Sasuke could hardly sleep, and not because he was still mildly scarred by the sounds of his brother's "activities". He was still coming to terms with what Itachi had divulged earlier, and how best to proceed. The boiling blood in his veins told him to raze the company and salt the earth it stood on to stop anything as tainted as it from ever rising again, but his heart told him otherwise. He could tell himself that he would never do something as heinous as what his father had done to preserve the family legacy, much less something to destroy it, but his family was nothing if not capable of the impossible in desperate times.
So, there he lay with Hinata curled in his arms in a deep sleep, while he stared blankly at the ceiling with his dark thoughts. Their lives were becoming more complicated by the day, and the road to their lives together more perilous than previously thought. The idea of pushing her away for her own good crossed his mind briefly, and despite the sickening feeling it gave him, it would be the most loving form of mercy; to spare her the hardships that seemed to follow him like a dark cloud. Sasuke stared down at her as she shifted in her sleep and muttered something incoherent. Would she become another statistic of the Uchiha family business just like Itachi? Or would she suffer a worse fate, like him?
Suddenly the sound of his phone vibrating roused him from his thoughts. He glanced at the fluorescently lit screen briefly before carefully prying himself from his fiancée's hold and slipping from the bed.
"News, Jugo?" he asked in a hush whisper, not wishing to wake the sleeping princess.
"She's been in and out of the residence several times today. Apologies for not alerting you sooner. I didn't want to disturb you."
"Handling that woman takes precedence. Is there anything else?"
"Hai. I've been able to confirm your theory. She doesn't live alone."
"I see. Who is this person?"
"A woman. Long black hair, average height, pale. She was only outside for a moment, to retrieve something from Tayuya."
"Hn. Thank you, Jugo. Get some rest. I imagine she isn't the sort to get a full night's rest."
"Hai. Goodnight Sasuke-san."
Sasuke hung up the phone and peered over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't woken Hinata before he shimmied his way back into the sheets and her arms.
"What did Jugo want?" she whispered against his chest, throwing him for a loop at her surprising stealth.
He contemplated keeping the truth from her but, odds were she had heard the entire conversation. "It was about Tayuya. I've been having him keep an eye on for her."
"You should have told me." Her voice was soft, still heavy with sleep, but concerned all the same.
"It's nothing more than validating a theory, Hinata." He defended, moving to secure her in his arms.
"Sasuke-kun…what are you planning?" she was fully awake now, sitting up and staring down at him with her snow-white doe eyes.
"There's…a woman I believe she's protecting. If I can, I plan use her as leverage, to keep us protected." He could already see her gaze turn to disapproving in an instant, "Hinata, I—"
"Are you…are you going to threaten her?" in an instant the mood shifted, the reminder of dark deeds seeping into their quiet bedroom.
Did she think so lowly of him to believe he would stoop to such a devious tactic? Never mind the veiled notion that she seemed to think he was capable of such a thing. "No, of course not. If I can reach her, I can get information on Tayuya; keep her at bay while I deal with Orochimaru."
Her eyes fell from his and down to the sheets, struggling to decide whether to chastise him for withholding secrets once again, or to try and dissuade him from his well-meaning, but dangerous plan. "Sasuke-kun…I don't know. What if this makes things worse?"
"It's a risk I'm willing to take."
"It needs to be a risk we're willing to take, Sasuke." her tone was enough to remove all possibility of him arguing, and he knew it. His frown deepened and gaze dropped; no matter what good he believed he was doing always seemed to be wrong. He couldn't help but mentally kick himself for believing his shrewd business sense would be useful to his relationship.
She could see the defeated look on his face, her lips twisting in uneasiness. It wasn't easy to break a man like him, but he seemed to be at the end of his rope with their situation, no doubt Itachi's words still leaving him somewhat shaken. But he needed to stay strong, not only for himself but for her as well.
Carefully Hinata lifted his head to meet her gaze, a somber smile on her lips as she stroked his cheek. They needed one another to make it through the coming storm, they were each other's strength; all that they could rely on. "If this is what you think we need to do, we'll do it. But we'll do it together."
"I can't put you at risk like that, Hinata. I'd never forgive myself if—"
"Stop it, I'm not a child." she snapped, her sweetness slipping away for a moment, if only to get his attention. "If you do this, I want to be there. I am…going to be your wife, your partner. I need you to be mine."
In an instant his resolve evaporated, and he was putty in her soft hands. But she was right, here he was again, preparing to make the same mistake as the last time he kept her in the dark. "You're right. When the time comes, I need you with me."
Her smile shined as bright as her eyes before pressing her lips firmly against his. For once she felt like he was listening, truly making a concerted effort to include her. It was only right, soon they'd be family. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. Now let's sleep."
"Hn. Bossy bossy." he smirked, pulling them both back down underneath the sheets.
The streets were heavy with slush after the winters flurry and the constant upheaval from Saturday nights usual jovial crowd, fearful that they may be trapped inside before they knew it. And the Lazy Cat had enjoyed a very profitable evening because of such, even into the wee hours of the morning.
"Alright! Last call everyone! You know what that means, you don't have to go home—!" yelled the young purveyor.
"But you can't stay here!" slurred the inebriated crowd in a raucous chorus, all downing the last of their libations before rushing the bar.
"Temaki, make sure Gato-kun knows we're closing up. Don't need any more riff raff strolling in." ordered the wizened woman as she did her best to attend to the patrons.
"Yeah yeah, I'm on it. Make a hole!" she called climbing over the bar counter and hopping down into the crowd. As she pushed her way towards the front, several suited individuals pushed their way past her, "H-hey wait, we're closing."
"No worries. We'll make this quick." chimed the shortest of the bunch, her crimson hair flowing behind her at their slightly hurried pace. Temaki could feel a cold shiver travel down her spine as she watched them approach her grandmother.
"It's last call so make it quick. What are you having?" greeted the old woman, diligently cleaning several glasses.
"How's about five Uchiha specials. Doubles." ordered the lead woman with a grin.
"Eh? Uchiha special? Is that some sort of joke Missy? questioned the woman, clearly growing impatient with the small cadre. "If you're looking for Sasuke, he isn't here."
"If you knew her, you'd know she wasn't joking grandma." sneered Sakon, shouldering his way to the bar and leaning on the top with a grin.
"Let me tell you how it's made. Two parts Hibiki, one part some red shit for color, one part 151 liquor, for the flame." she explained, her own grin widening as the woman busied about making their drinks, and growing from ear to ear once the flame was lit.
"That's an expensive drink. That'll be ¥40,000." she eyed each of them warily as they smothered the flames with their palms and gobbled the heated liquid in an instant. "Pay up and scram. We're closing."
"Might as well put it on our tab." droned the redhead, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her blazer. Casually she reached into its interior pocket and produced a retractable black steel baton, placing it on the countertop. "We plan on doing some more damage."
Suddenly the room erupted into chaos. The enforcers smashed glasses, bottles, and customers alike, throwing those fool enough to meddle clear across the room, including the bouncer. The bedlam that followed was enough to clear out almost everyone, save for the owners. Temaki quickly clambered over the bar and retrieved a hidden bat underneath, swinging wildly at the assailants, the only thing keeping them away from overtaking her grandmother.
"Another loyal to the Uchiha. Don't you know working for him will only end badly?" asked Jirobo as he calmly walked behind the bar and approached.
"S-s-stay back! I'm not afraid of you!" shouted the brunette, shifting her weapon between each one of them as they closed in around her. Her heart thudded in her chest, doing her best to stifle her flinching at the sound of smashing glass all around her. The lot tore down fixtures and threw barstools against the walls, laughing all the while like a pack of wild hyenas.
"That's your second mistake. The first was trusting Sasuke." The dark tone of the somewhat lazy offender drawing her attention briefly as he pressed his boot into the back of the bouncer before kicking him in the rubs to keep him down.
"W-what do you want with Sasuke!?" asked Temaki, panicking as her zone of safety diminished and she swung at the orange haired man, only to have him easily grab the weapon and yank it from her hold.
"Just a chat. It's time Sasuke remember his business partners aren't the type who like being fucked with." Tayuya hoisted herself over the bar in one move and grabbed the Hibiki left undamaged off the shelf. She grinned in the face of their fear, the heady scent of it practically an aphrodisiac for her. "Tell that bastard we need to talk, or else. We'll be waiting."
With that, the mob made their exit, weapons and bottles of liquor in tow, leaving the two women shaken and frozen. Temaki crumpled to the floor and broke down in sobs, overwhelmed by the vast ruin that now surrounded her. Her grandmother placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to soothe the pain away with soft assurances.
"What do we do now Nekobaa?"
"We call Sasuke. Whatever mess he's involved in…he'll know how to solve it."
Sasuke's brow furrowed as he stirred from his deep sleep, the sound something rumbling disturbing him. He ignored it for as long as he could, but even when it ceased it began again. Growling in frustration after the second fit of vibrating and the start of a third, he blindly reached for the offender, hardly opening his eyes to see who he wast about to admonish.
"What the hell is it?" he grumbled.
"Sasuke. You need to come to the bar. Now."
"Nekobaa…do you know what time it is? I'm not—!"
"Damnit Sasuke, listen to me!" shouted the elder, her voice loud and demanding enough to even wake Hinata. The sound of her desperation snapped him from his drowsiness, forcing him to sit up and listen.
"These people came, t-they smashed everything in the bar—tore it apart. They said they were your business partners. Now you get down here, and you tell ME what the hell is going on, Uchiha Sasuke!"
The young Uchiha's blood ran cold at the dreadful news. She didn't describe the offenders, but he already knew who they were. Tayuya had made her move, she was done lying in wait it seemed.
"Sasuke-kun? What's going on?" questioned Hinata, she could barely make out the panic on his face but she knew it was there.
"I'm on my way." He said no more before hanging up and quickly bounding out of the bed, quickly gathering his things and began dressing. "Grab your things and get dressed, we need to go back to Tokyo. I'll explain on the way."
"O-on the way? Sasuke…what's happened?" to think moments ago she was enjoying the warmth of his arms and now…
"Tayuya is back. She's…hurt people I care for." He paused briefly, contemplating whether or not this could be a trap. Tayuya could be vicious as well as cunning, the notion wasn't far-fetched by any means. But it didn't matter either way, "They need me. I have to go."
Hinata didn't question him any further, seeing now how deathly serious he was about the situation, despite the vagueness. They busied about the room in near darkness collecting their belongings before stealthily making their way down the stairs and to the front door.
"Leaving under cover of darkness? I figured you'd at least stay for breakfast, Sasuke." The cool voice coming from the kitchen nearly made them jump out of their skin. Itachi stood there at the kitchen island casually hunched over a laptop.
"Emergency back in Tokyo." answered Sasuke simply, noticeably perturb by the interruption. "Goodbye Itachi."
"Hn. No rest for the wicked it would seem. Myself included." He joked with a half grin before waving them off and onto their mysterious destination. "Stay in touch, little brother. Goodbye Hinata."
Sasuke didn't return the sentiment, nor wait for Hinata to offer her usual politeness, only open the door and usher Hinata out. The nights chill whipped around them, the crisp crunch of fresh snow marking their path to their snow-covered car. He tossed his companion his keys and told her to defrost the car while he haphazardly knocked snow from the roof and windshield. He'd done a fairly piss poor job, but he felt he had wasted enough time already. When he finally entered the vehicle, he was as cold as death itself, but he paid it little mind, revving the engine several times as if to warm his own system. Before leaving the mansion in the woods at a less than safe pace. Though all it took was her hand on his to quell the storm inside of him.
They spent the remainder of the car ride in silence, the peaceful winters night outside starkly contrasting the mood of the dark interior of the sports car. The heiresses mind turned to what the man beside her was thinking and how the recent development may change his approach to their problem. He promised he wouldn't do anything rash—that he wouldn't threaten whoever Tayuya cared for, but now she couldn't be so sure. He was full of silent fury; she could feel it, he was wild and untethered. And she was to be his moral compass in these trying times, but even she doubted her ability to keep him grounded.
They arrived on the scene eventually and were greeted by the bright lights of squad cars up and down the block, caution tape and broken glass the new décor of the once pristine bar. As soon as Sasuke parked he was bounding out the car and rushing towards the entrance, deaf to Hinata's plea to wait. Almost immediately he was held back by officers just outside the door.
"Let me through! Temaki! Nekobaa!" he growled angrily as he attempted to shake off the officers and break through the line. Even Hinata joined the fray, hoping to stop him before he ended up in handcuffs himself.
"Sasuke-kun, please! Calm down!" she urged, pulling at his waist to separate him as quickly as possible. Her snow-white eyes peered around him and caught a glimpse of a familiar approaching officer, her eyes pleading with him for further assistance.
"Settle down goddamnit!" shouted the blond, shoving his way between the two opposing forces, his teeth bared as if attempting to match his friends own frustration. "We're handling it, teme. You don't need to be here."
"Like hell I don't." he contested angrily, taking a moment to collect himself before spotting the parties he had been looking for and redoubling his efforts, this time successfully. Naruto waved off the sentries and allowed him passage, knowing he would wind up locking his best friend in a cell for the night if he fought him anymore.
"W-what happened Naruto-kun?" inquired the Hyuuga keeping a close eye on Sasuke from a distance as he approached two women currently being questioned by another officer.
"It's still not clear. They won't tell us who did this, or why they did this. Could just be a drunken bar fight that got out of hand." He pondered aloud, raising the caution tape up so she could duck under and join him inside.
"Watch your step. It looks like it got a bit messy."
He wasn't wrong. The hardwood floors were scuffed and stained with broken bottles, liquor, and blood. Hinata had to look away as her stomach began to roil at the sight. This was Tayuyas doing, and no doubt whoever she worked with. The woman was vicious for her size, but there was no way she brutalized so many people alone. Hinata shuddered at the thought of people just as sinister as the redhead coming after them.
"Say Hinata-chan, you wouldn't happen to know why Sasuke is so upset?" questioned the officer somewhat slyly. He recalled how she had become cagier and more secretive like her soon to be husband the last time he ran into them. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think she had some insight into his emotional state.
"Ano…he was very worried about those two women when he heard. Who are they?"
"A woman named Nekobaa and her granddaughter, Temaki. They're the owners." He answered taking a brief look at his notes before adding to them. "He must be pretty close to them. Can't remember the last time I saw him like this."
"Yeah…" she had to purse her lips to keep from sharing any more than necessary. It wouldn't take much to start connecting the dots and aligning motive to even the most obscure associates. When Naruto put his mind to it, he could be a world class detective; best not to give him any reason to apply those skills.
She could see Sasuke had just succeeded in pulling the two owners from the officer questioning them, the last thing he needed was for Naruto to start the same with him. "N-Naruto-kun? Can I talk to you about something personal?"
"Eh? I don't know if now is the right—"
"It's about Sasuke." She blurted out, hoping that alone would give Sasuke whatever time he needed to get a private word in with the two women. Hinata could see the blond's eyes immediately widen with interest as they stepped aside to converse.
"Are you hurt?" He asked in a hushed tone, wary of all the inquisitive eyes and ears about.
"We're fine, a bit shaken is all." answered the elder of the women, still soothing her traumatized granddaughter. "Those thugs destroyed the bar, nearly killed us in the process too."
"They wouldn't do that, it's me they want, not you." he explained knowing it would give them little comfort. "Did they say why they did this—what they wanted?"
"Y-you. They wanted you." whispered the brunette still unable to meet his gaze, and Sasuke couldn't blame her. They were unwitting victims in a war they had nothing to do with. When her head rose and faced him fully, he could see the cycle of fear and anger in her eyes. "They wanted to talk to you. Threatened worse if you didn't."
"…You have to understand, I never intended for this to happen." Sasuke could offer nothing else short of a simple promise without risking them to further exposure. From his periphery he could see Naruto and Hinata just a few steps away, "I'll pay for whatever repairs are needed. For what it's worth…I'm sorry."
"Sasuke! I need to ask you some questions."
"Don't bother, we're leaving." He returned sternly, quickly brushing past him and grabbing Hinata's hand before making for the door. Though, he didn't make it far before a firm hand grasped his shoulder and halted him.
"Damnit Sasuke. Tell me what's going on…I can help." he pleaded fiercely. He knew something was going on, this incident was far from random, as was Hinata's stalling for time with her innocuous questions about Sakura of all things.
Help. It was simultaneously the one thing he needed and the last thing he from outside forces. The inclusion of law enforcement would surely draw not only Tayuya's ire but also Orochimarus, and with situation rapidly approaching a boiling point, any escalation of tension was the last thing he could want. Sasuke barely peered over his shoulder as he shrugged from the hold, "You cannot help everyone, Naruto. Especially not me."
He didn't wait to hear his oldest friends retort before continuing on his way towards the exit, a reluctant Hinata trailing only a step or two behind. The heiress was saddened by the abrupt departure, reminiscing on a time when she would have given anything to have the blonds undivided attention. But that seemed like such a long time ago, and she had promised to be her fiancé's partner, for better or worse.
When they returned to the car, she barely had enough time to buckle herself in before he peeled off down the empty street. "Sasuke-kun…"
"I'm taking you home." He responded, body practically melding with the vehicle he was so focused.
"W-what? What about you?"
"I'm going to relieve Jugo. Take care of Tayuya once and for all." He whispered darkly. Hinata could see his fingers tighten around the wheel and shifter through the sparse illumination.
"Anata…" she warned hoping the term of endearment would deter him as it had in the past.
"I'm going to destroy her once and for all." Whatever internal monologue he was having manifesting into the ether.
"Stop it, don't talk like that. We can't stoop to their level." Her voice was soft and soothing, as was the hand she laid on his between them.
"She'll regret crossing me…hurting those I care for." As the darkness in his voice grew so did his desire to expedite their journey. The roar of the engine happily agreeing with his heated fury.
"You're scaring me Sasuke…please." She pled suddenly feeling powerless to pull him back from his dark thoughts as she had so many times before.
"They'll all suffer for what they've done."
"Stop it Sasuke!" she shouted, feeling as if he'd forgotten her in his anger—forgotten everything they were trying to build together. Without thinking, she reached over him and clutched the wheel, twisting it with all her might as she jammed the shifter into a lower gear. The sound of grinding gears filled their ears as they drifted several feet through the slush before coming to a full stop in the middle of a side street.
"Damnit Hinata!" he growled, turning to meet her defiant eyes with bared teeth. "You could have killed us!"
"Better I do it myself than knowingly let you confront someone dangerous like Tayuya!" she returned, unwilling to relinquish her hold on the steering wheel when he tried to pry it from her grasp. "You're not thinking rationally Sasuke-kun. We can't lose sight of our goal."
To think the once unassuming Hyuuga was now talking him off the proverbial ledge and making more sense than him to boot. He was never this impulsive, but Tayuya had unraveled him; goading him into brash actions when his strength lied in careful planning. It would have been a hard thing to admit; needing help a few months ago, even more so from her. But now it seemed she was the only one who could do so.
His aggressive demeanor lessened as she stared him down, she was right. Between Itachi's revelation and Tayuya's attack, he had lost sight of what he was fighting for—what they both were fighting for. The Uchiha released the wheel and reclined in his seat, exhaling heavily as he stared the roof. He was teetering on the brink of madness already, to choose inaction now betrayed what every cell in his body screamed for, "What would you have us do, Hinata?"
The heiress frowned at the softness of his voice, he was as near broken as she had ever seen, and she knew it killed him to show such weakness, even in front of her. She never thought she would have to be the strong one in the relationship, but here she was. She mimicked his actions and craned her head to look at him, "Let's just… go home, get some sleep first. We can figure the rest out in the morning."
"Home…sounds nice." She couldn't see it clearly in the darkness of the car, but she could hear the faintest semblance of a smile in his voice. Slowly, he sat up and took the helm again, righting the vehicle and sending them on their way at a much more measured pace.
Day broke perhaps too early for the exhausted couple when they were stirred by the invasive sunlight. He no longer kept the blinds shuttered after Hinata complained of the bedroom being too dark and dreary even in the morning after banging her shins on the bedframe one too many times.
"Five more minutes." She whined sleepily, pulling the sheets over her head.
"Make it an hour." concurred the dark-haired man clutching her in his arms, the inside of his eyelids his only defense against the sun. Though, neither of them would get anywhere near their wish when the quiet of the early morning was broken by the sound of someone banging on the front door.
Sasuke groaned, knowing by the urgency of the knocks that whoever it was would not simply go away. He reluctantly released Hinata despite her opposition and blindly pulled on a pair of forgotten sweats, "It better not be your sister again, that's the last thing I need today."
At his slow approach, the knocking was quickly giving him a headache. Without looking through the peephole he unlocked and threw the door open, prepared to stare down the disturber, or up, rather.
"Jugo? What's going on?"
"I'm sorry for the intrusion Sasuke-san, but I've only just learned about what happened at the bar last night. I wanted to make sure—"
"I hadn't done anything rash?" he interjected in a tired fashion, still wiping the sleep from his eyes as he led the taller man inside. "Hinata beat you to the punch in that lecture."
"I see, you must also know Tayuya and her compatriots were behind it. Should I call Karin and Suigetsu to plan our response?" He questioned as he stepped through the vestibule and eyed his employer seriously. Even Sasuke could see that he too wanted physical retribution for the attack, and when the normally docile man wanted a fight, the situation must have been grave indeed.
Sasuke thought on the matter briefly, his own anger glaring again as he remembered the destruction and fear Orochimarus henchmen had brought down on Nekobaa and Temaki. He calmly retrieved a glass and poured himself a glass of water, the cool liquid calming his nerves as his eyes returned to his defacto general. "If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate them. I intend to do just that."
"You have a plan then?" Jugo inquired, keenly aware of his employee's penchant for quoting Sun Tzu when he was in the best state if mind.
"Hn. Go back to your post outside her address. I'll relieve you of duty later today." As he finished his instructions, Hinata came padding her way into the living room in her robe. Sasuke only glanced at her briefly, before smirking to himself, "We both will."
"Ohayou Jugo-kun, is something wrong?" she greeted mid yawn before brushing past both men and began making tea as if on autopilot. "Would you like some tea?"
"No, thank you. I only wanted to inform Sasuke-san of yesterday's events, but he seems aware already." Suddenly feeling like a third wheel he excused himself. "Sorry for intruding so early."
"Was that about the business at the bar?" asked the heiress once the door closed and they were alone.
"Hn. He wanted to know how we'll proceed." his aloof attitude was vastly different from how he had been acting just a few hours earlier.
"So, how will we?" she watched him closely for signs of what he may have been hiding beneath his stoic demeanor, she was certainly getting better at it each day.
"We pay her a visit. Have a chat. A civilized one, if possible." He responded, casually taking residence on a stool at the counter.
"I'm glad you're thinking more clearly, Sasuke-kun. But…I have lesson plans to prepare, my own work to do today."
"Nothing you can't do in a car I'm sure." He assured, knowing that both deeds needed to be done but shying away from assigning any disproportionate importance to either. He already had one fight on his hands to deal with, he did not need another.
"You said the same thing yesterday." She pouted into her cup at the thought of shirking her duties again, Kurenai would never let her live it down if she showed up unprepared.
"Then I promise this time." He offered with a charming smirk with hopes it would lessen her concerns.
When her eyes narrowed suspiciously, he sighed and reached for her hand, gently stroking her knuckles, "I can't do this without you, Hinata."
She pursed her lips and placed her tea on the table, her delicate brow furrowing in thought. She had been the one who implored him not to do this alone after all, what kind of partner would she be if she backed out now? "Okay, we'll do it together then. But let's eat something before we go."
So it was agreed, albeit reluctantly on Hinata's part. The couple enjoyed a light breakfast, cleaned and dressed themselves, and discussed the plan, Sasuke answering all of the what ifs she could muster, running the gambit from if they were confronted by Tayuya herself, all the way to what if they needed a bathroom. Needless to say she had her reservations. But she agreed and did her own version contingency planning. She busied about whipping up snacks for their "stakeout". The Uchiha had quickly taken to referring to it as such the minute he saw a small spark in her eye, the excitement of such a thing not completely lost to her apprehension.
"Almost ready?" he asked as he leaned against the doorframe and watched her gather her laptop, textbooks, and several notebooks in her arms before jamming them into his, "Is this really necessary?"
"Yes, and I won't hear another word about it." She all but ordered before turning on her heels and collecting the boxes of meals and snacks she'd prepared in her arms and met him at the door. "Now I'm ready."
Sasuke struggled to open the door with his full hands, using his legs to keep it ajar as they made their way down the hall with their haul. Dressed in heavy winter coats and dark turtlenecks, they looked like detectives who had to attend both a stakeout and a food drive.
"Allow me to help, Hinata-san." offered the burly guard, easily carrying the weight of her food stuffs before Sasuke refused his help, nudging the elevator button with his elbow. "Will you need an escort today, Uchiha-san?"
"Not today. We're meeting Jugo." He offered as they rode down to the parking garage and made their way to his car. They loaded their supplies in the backseat and bid farewell to their stalwart protector before pulling out and into the early afternoon streets. Sasuke retrieved a small piece of paper from his blazer pocket and eyed it as he maneuvered through the streets.
"The address?" questioned the heiress as the twisted and turned, shifting from main roads to side streets.
"Hn. Supposedly some loft apartment she's hiding out in." he answered, making a mental note of how upsettingly close she lived to him; it couldn't have been more than a fifteen or so minute drive. It wasn't the wealthiest looking building, decrepit by comparison to his own, but it still must have ran her a pretty penny given the anonymity. Whatever, or whoever she was hiding had better be worth it.
They slowly crept through the semi derelict parking lot before spotting Jugo's large SUV parked in a corner, and pulled up alongside it, rolling his window down.
"Any movement?" asked the dark-haired man, keen on skipping any unnecessary niceties and getting right to the task at hand.
"None since last night. Sleeping in, it seems." he answered, nodding in acknowledgement to the woman who had joined his employer. "I had thought you were joking when you said were going to relieve me."
"I wouldn't joke about something like this Jugo."
"Yes, of course. My mistake, Sasuke-san." he apologized shuffling about in the glove compartment for something before producing a notepad of scrawled notes, "Here is the information I've gathered so far. A schedule or sorts."
"Thank you for all of your hard work, Jugo-kun."
"You're welcome, Hinata-san. I'll be on my way then."
"Wait!" exclaimed the heiress, the sudden sound of her urgency jolting her two companions'. She reached into the backseat and shuffled their supplies about before producing a bento box of assorted food stuffs and reaching over Sasuke to hand it to him. "Here, I'm sure you're hungry."
"You're too kind. Thank you." The orange haired man returned her cheerful smile with a small one of his own as he accepted. "Please, be safe."
"Of course. I'll do my best to keep him safe." Her cocksure words were enough to visibly shock the bodyguard and make her fiancé chuckle in delight. They bid farewell to their towering defender as he lowly pulled away and disappeared out of view.
Sasuke took first watch as he called it, deciding to give her whatever time he could to devote to her studies. And she tried her best, but even as she scribbled notes and combed through textbooks, she couldn't help but observe him from the corner of her eye. Every slight move, or shallow exhale drew her attention. Had he spotted her? Had they been found out? She needed to know. She was on high alert and not even the complexities of operant conditioning could focus her.
"How long do you think we'll be waiting?" She asked shifting in her seat, the leather suddenly growing substantially less supple on her bottom.
"Can't say for certain." He droned, his own boredom growing, albeit at a much slower rate. He glanced at his timepiece briefly with a frown, "It's been little more than an hour."
Hinata huffed in annoyance and slammed her textbook closed. She reclined in her seat and stared at the ceiling with a pout, "Maybe we should have left this to Jugo."
"There's only so much he can do." He responded, following her own actions and relaxing briefly. "Besides, we're the only ones who can set this right."
"You never told me how we're supposed to do that Sasuke-kun." She turned her head to stare at him, concern written all over her face.
"Carefully, and without violence. Hopefully." He deflected, though when the look she shot him expressed anything but confidence in his answer, he knew she was as skeptical as he was. He sighed heavily before turning to look her full in the face, "I don't know what we'll meet if we ever gain access to her apartment. All I know is that Tayuya is protecting someone, I don't know from what, but this person is her weakness."
"And we exploit her?" it was less of a question and closer to a condemnation, sending the Uchiha's lips into a twisted frown.
"We learn what we can from her." He defended, knowing how she felt about possibly intimidating this person whose only crime this far was associating with Tayuya. "No more, no less."
She nodded in understanding, feeling slightly guilty for judging his intentions too harshly. This weighed far more heavily on him than it did her, and even though she promised to shoulder what burdens she could for him, she could never truly know the sheer stress the situation must have been putting on him. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to seem angry…this is all just so—"
"Complicated? Stressful?" he finished, a small wry smile coming to his lips. He reached out and toyed with a few tendrils of her hair, "I know. But I promise, one day our lives will go back to normal."
"You can't promise that. Besides, I don't even know what normal is anymore. So much has changed." She returned somberly, leaning into his soft touch.
He chuckled at her candor, despite the uncharacteristic gloom attached to her voice. "It's not having to wonder at night if the world is going to crash down on you in the morning. Normal is lying in bed together for as long as we please, without a care for anything other than each other. And I promise we'll get back to that."
Hinata couldn't help but blush at his sweet words, he was never the most vocal or emotionally inclined person, but when he sensed her distress, he seemed to become another person all together. Maybe it was the real him, the one he couldn't risk showing the world for reasons of his own. But she could see him for who he was and for all he wished for, not just for himself, but for the both of them.
Before either of them knew what was happening, she all but tossed her work aside and pounced him, her lips hard on his own and her body flush atop him in the cramped space. She didn't know what came over her, maybe it was his words and their sincerity, maybe it was pent up desire from the previous evening, or maybe she had just become bored with sitting around.
Though he wasn't complaining, not that he could do much of that anyway. Her sudden enthusiasm was more than welcomed, and he returned it in kind, smirking against her feverish kisses, "We're on duty Hinata…"
"M-maybe we can take a break?" she whispered breathlessly as she pulled away briefly, still caught in her haze of lust. The opal eyed woman began contemplating the logistics of actually following through with her intentions as she attempted to relieve herself of her peacoat, only succeeding in bumping into the horn with her rear. "S-sorry!"
He chuckled lightly, and took more firm possession of her hips, teasing as he leaned forward to meet her, "You'll blow our cover, Hinata."
If only it had been a simple joke. From the corner of his eye he spotted the most dreaded flow of red hair emerge from the building and peer in their direction. Clad in a black leather moto jacket and holding her ox blood colored helmet as she approached to inspect the noise.
Sensing his sudden tenseness, Hinata craned her head to see what had drawn his attention, her own body going stiff as well. "W-what do we do?!"
Even with the tinted windows she was sure to know who occupied it once she got close enough, they had to act fast. With a deathly serious look on his face he turned back to her, "Kiss me."
"Wh-what?!" she questioned, frozen as he pressed her even closer to his body.
"Make it convincing." He whispered as he pulled her head down to his, her hair cascading around them as they engaged in a brutal liplock. She was still in a state of disbelief that this was their best bet of keeping their presence a secret, but when she felt the cool tips of his fingers glide up her back she snapped back to reality. If he was going to take it seriously, she would too.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and shut her eyes, focusing solely on the thudding sound of her heart and the feel of his lips. If Tayuya was going to be their undoing, she couldn't have asked for a better position to be in when it happened.
They continued their performance for some time, writhing against each other like beasts in heat, waiting with bated breath for the eventual knock on the window, or the smashing of it. But it never came, and eventually Hinata was brave enough to pry herself from him and peek. She watched as their target settled atop her crimson motorcycle and started it up, seconds later peeling off. Finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief, or at least catch their breath.
"Good job." breathed the man beneath her, his face flushed and the light beginnings of sweat forming on his brow. Hinata returned the words in the same hushed tone, both silently staring at one another as if asking whether they should continue or not. Their act had stirred those oh so familiar desires, and now the very mission hinged on whether they could rein them in.
"We should…" Sasuke shifted slightly to given each other some space, quickly realizing it was a mistake when his manhood brushed against her core, forcing them to gasp sharply.
"Y-yeah...just let me…" slowly she climbed from the driver seat to her own, careful not to brush or bump against anything else that may reignite their passion.
They took a moment to cool off, Sasuke rolling down the slightly steamed windows while Hinata fanned herself to cool her crimson colored cheeks. There was something about pantomiming their desire for one another that left them unable to even look each other in the face. It wasn't shame, something more akin to a wanting to shy away from risky behavior. She couldn't always count on him having protection, and if lust prevailed, that previously discussed… "point of contention", would no doubt end up being revisited.
"Ready?" he asked, the sound of his voice jolting her back to reality. Their heart rates evened out, and finally they could look at one another. A blush shared between them when they noticed the damage they'd done to each other's now slightly bruised lips.
Hinata nodded in kind as she shrugged back into her coat and exited. For a brief moment the sound of gusting wind quelled the beating of her heart as they approached the front door. Sasuke gave the handle a tentative pull, surprised to find it unsecured by any mechanisms, then unsurprised by the general state of the building. Flickering lights, grimy cracked tile, and in some cases just cement flooring. The Uchiha knew Tayuya made a decent living working for Orochimaru and whatever other illicit activities she ran on the side, living in a place like this didn't add up. It only helped to confirm his theory.
"Which unit is hers?" wondered Hinata aloud as she inspected the scribbled directory.
"The missing one." He answered stepping forward to join her side. His finger traced the listing before stopping between two nonconsecutive numbers, "This isn't a home. It's a hideout."
The duo approached the questionable elevator, quickly finding it inoperable unsurprisingly. And so, they began their trek up several flights of stairs, on each floor greeted by strange new sounds and smells. They were lucky enough to have reached their desired floor without running into any other residents, they would've almost instantly recognized either one of them, or simply thought they were cops.
The eyed each unit they passed, but the one with the sounds of loud music practically banging on the door caught their attention, the hallway smelled of her too, tobacco and cinnamon spice.
"What if more of Orochimaru's people are in there?" worried the heiress, now just a few steps from their goal.
"At the first sign of trouble, go back to the car and call Jugo." His answer was grim at best, but as she opened her mouth in protest, he reached for the doorknob. With a small twist he could tell it was unlocked, and with another he slowly pushed open the door into the would-be rock concert.
For a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
For whom the bell tolls
Sasuke and Hinata watched in bewilderment as a lithe girl around their age pranced about in a drab grey tank top and matching sweats, singing lyrics to the song as she furiously swept the hardwood floors and whipped her hair around. She had inky black hair that's length far surpassed even Hinata's and fair skin a shade or two above her own as well.
The apartment was nicer than expected, given the exterior areas. Exposed brick walls, vaulted windows, and high ceiling gave it a sense of class, while the expensive looking furnishings gave the air of comfort. As he scanned the area his eyes locked onto the coffee table at the center of the room, empty baggies and needles strewn about haphazardly. She was the secret, the weakness that Tayuya hid from the world. A metalhead user, that the redhead held some form of affection for if not a simple obligation towards.
She was so focused on her task that she hadn't noticed them immediately, not until they fully entered the home and closed the door behind them, the soft click swiveling her head in their direction. She raised her broom defensively and bared her teeth as she glared, doing her best to intimidate the intruders as the music built to a crescendo, "W-who the fuck are you?! Are you cops?"
Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fill his soul with a ruthless cry
"No, we're not cops." responded the Uchiha holding his hands up in surrender slowly as he took a step further into the room, the woman flinching, alternating her weapons focus between the two, suddenly feeling cornered by his movements. Sasuke moved around the room and stopped the record player before the heavy metal riffs gave her an itch to strike out at them. "We just want to talk."
"You're not supposed to be here—no one is supposed to be here! If she finds you—!" despite the mix of dread and vitriol in her voice, Sasuke noted the twitchiness in her movements. She was high.
"What will Tayuya do if she finds out we talked?" he asked calmly, watching her demeanor soften instantly at the sound of her name, but her weapon remained trained on him.
"How do you...? Wait…I know you. You're her boytoy, Sasuke. Yeah…I've seen you on the news and in the photos." she sneered with a knowing grin before turning her attention to Hinata, "And you must be the fiancée."
Sasuke eyed the heiress from the corner of his eye, watching as her fist clenched at the sound of his shame being thrown in her face yet again. She was always reserved, but as of late she was becoming somewhat unpredictable.
"We're not here to fight. We only want to talk to you about Tayuya." Her words were soft and if they did any good in garnering them goodwill, it could not be seen. "You see…she's hurt us."
"What do I care? Her business is her own." she defended childishly.
"And that business is what's brought me here today." His tone took a dark turn as he stepped towards her. He could feel the urge to terrorize her just as she had Temaki and Nekobaa rise within him, to strike fear in this woman's heart so she felt what they had, but he suppressed it. "What's your name?"
"K-Kin. Tsuchi Kin" the oppression of their closing distance and the look in his eyes shook her to the core, her voice shrinking under his dark gaze. "W-what do you want with me?"
"Sasuke-kun." Called Hinata, unsure of what turn the confrontation may take if she didn't intervene now. She approached the two and stood between them, unfazed when the broom was well within striking distance. She was scared, if not truly of them or Tayuya, then of something else. "We only want to talk. We need your help."
"I-I can't betray Tayuya. I won't do that." her defiance reared its head again if only for a moment, there was something about the opal eyed woman that calmed even her restless spirit.
"She's done a lot for you hasn't she?" she asked softly, placing a hand on the weapon and slowly lowering it. "She cares about you, maybe more than anyone or anything else."
"I don't know...maybe." she had been so easily disarmed, confused even by what was happening as she was led to the couch.
As Hinata took the lead, Sasuke backed away feeling his presence may do more harm than good. He wandered around in search of answers, probing for other weaknesses besides a damaged woman. He stood in the open kitchen; no mail or stray documents lying about, a few photos of Tayuya and Kin pinned to the fridge. They were close, though the relationship didn't seem romantic in nature; Tayuya doing her best to hide it even feigning annoyance or disdain in each picture.
He was about to give up his search when he spotted the open trashcan. Peering inside past the dust, dirt, and discarded liquor bottles, noticing a pastel colored brochure crumbled and jammed near the bottom. Upon inspection he realized what it was, a pamphlet for a private rehabilitation center just outside of Tokyo. He pocketed it and turned his attention back to the two women on the couch.
"How long?" asked Hinata, doing her best to stay calm; no easy task when Sasuke left her alone with a possibly violent stranger whose apartment they essentially broken into.
"How long what?" she returned crossing her arms and shifting uneasily in her seat under the scrutiny, despite the unassumingness of it all,
"How long have you been using?"
"Why the hell should I tell you? Are you some sort of therapist?" she spat angrily, unconsciously eyeing her works on the table and scratching her slightly scarred arm.
"I'm a behavioral psychologist, but I've studied substance abuse as well." She explained trying her best to keep her calm, periodically glancing at Sasuke, if not for assistance than to support. "With your permission, I could—"
"I don't need any help, or your pity." She interjected heatedly, her attentions returning to the man now behind Hinata. He placed a hand in her shoulder, silently insisting he begin his own line of questioning.
"But help is what Tayuya wants for you, isn't it?" he asked, the look on her face all the proof he needed to press on. "It's why she's blackmailing me, you know."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. She just said we needed the money."
"She needs more than the money to get you into this facility." he retorted before pulling the informative trifold from his pocket. "This place is for the elite who want to keep their vices a secret while they get treated. But no one gets in without a reputable sponsor. That's what she needs me for. She needs my name."
"So what? I'm not going anyway." the dark-haired woman seemed intent on being defiant to the bitter end. She and Tayuya were a match made in heaven.
"Kin-chan...please understand. She's gone to great lengths to hurt us— and people we care about." reasoned the heiress, hoping her soft voice and gentle look would earn her the trust and attention she needed before moving forward. "And if what Sasuke-kun says is true, she's done it all for you. To help you get well."
The truth turned the room silent, an uneasiness hanging more heavily than before in the air. They'd appealed to her better nature in hopes of swaying her. If the seemingly heartless Tayuya could have a compassionate bone in her body for this woman, maybe she too could. If not…
"I-I'm not responsible for what she does. Even if it is for us." Hinata's words had clearly had an effect on her. Kin's hands began to shake and she knotted them, anxiously eying a half full baggie of white powder. She hesitated when she reached for it, her hand hovering briefly before landing on a pack of cigarettes instead. She inhaled and exhaled the lit stick, sighing at the futility of her situation, "What do you want from me?"
"We need you to stop Tayuya's vendetta against us." Sasuke answered simply, even though he knew it was far from an easy task even with her access to the woman.
"Tch! I can hardly stop her from making a mess every time she shows up. I can't stop her, and neither can you."
Her attitude was beginning to wear on even Hinata, but she had some small understanding of what she was going through. She had volunteered at shelters and listened to the stories of the downtrodden, they too were cagey and distrusting, but food often helped to loosen their tongues. "Are you hungry, Kin-chan?"
"Tayuya could be back at any moment, we don't have time for—"
"I could eat, I suppose." she answered quickly. Tayuya rarely brought groceries around, and when she did it was almost entirely of the instant variety.
Hinata smiled brightly before she stood, placing a gentle hand on Sasuke's chest as he handed her the keys begrudgingly, leaning in close and whispering in his ear, "Be nice, Sasuke-kun."
Though the look in his face as she left told her he'd have a difficult time achieving that by any measure. The door shut behind her, leaving the two alone.
"So…you and Tayuya huh?" Sasuke didn't even need to look at her, he could hear the smirk in her voice.
He remained silent, counting the seconds he and his fiancée were apart to keep himself calm. He was wished it was solely Orochimaru whom he had to deal with every day, he was far more predictable and he could afford the luxury of physically assaulting him with little to no remorse. But these women…
"I never knew any of the men she's had, much less seen photos of it. You must be real special in bed. Something special enough to remember." He watched from his periphery as she stood up from her seat and approached him, whatever lecherous thoughts running through her mind giving her cheeks some color, "I wonder…"
"Spare yourself the embarrassment." He ordered flatly, taking several steps away from her reach. 'Hurry up Hinata.'
The heiress rummaged about in the backseat of the car, collecting packed lunches in her arms, herself too feeling peckish in anticipation of a lengthy interrogation. She closed the door with a bump of her hips and fumbled to lock the doors with Sasukes far too elaborate key fob, hardly paying attention to where she was walking. Suddenly a crimson motorcycle came speeding into the parking lot and her blood ran cold, her body freezing in place as it came to a skidding halt just a few feet from her.
The woman bound off the vehicle quickly, her every movement fueled by anger, practically tearing her head from her shoulders as she removed her helmet with teeth bared already.
"Where is that fucker?"
Ooooh cliffhanger! Sorry I had to do it. But now we've revealed Tayuya's secret. If your familiar with my previous works, most notably Loyalty and Love you'll know I'm a fan of a good Tayuya-Kin dynamic. I have however decided to go slightly different route with it this time. As you can tell I've got a soft spot for the unsung characters of Naruto. But what will happen next? The insuing confrontation is garunteed to be explosive. But you'll have to wait for the next installment. As always, send me your reviews, critiques, and comments so I know what your enjoying or otherwise.
Next Chapter: Foes
Until next time! Sayonara!
