Chapter Seventeen:
There wasn't a predictable thing about her,
And it was that chaos,
That made her interesting.
Atticus
"I'm not s-staying here w-with them," Hinata announced once they had arrived at the room that would be hers.
The Uchiha had taken the time to walk her to her room to give her the opportunity to process everything. It only took him a few seconds to register what the woman was saying. At her petulant pout, the Uchiha smirked with blatant amusement. He was expecting this reaction, but unfortunately for the Hyūga, she had no choice but to accept her situation.
"I m-mean it, Sasuke-san." She said a bit nervously, but firmly.
"I'm afraid that," He said taking a few steps toward her. "you don't have a choice, Hyūga. You will stay here."
"I… I appreciate w-what you've done f-for me, Sasuke-san" She began saying. "B-but I refuse to s-stay here. I don't feel c-comfortable."
He looked at the woman before him. Her back straight, eyes looking back at him, a slight blush on her cheeks, and trembling hands. The small thing was scared; he knew she was. He had that effect on most people.
And yet… This woman refused to back down to the lone Uchiha. That irked him.
"I don't care how you feel." He snapped making his way to the door.
"And… I don't c-care what you p-promised Naruto-Kun." She declared. He stopped in his tracks. There was a small pause before she continued. "I won't s-stay here."
She made to leave the room, but before she could cross the door Sasuke yanked her by her arm and pinned her to the wall.
Her eyes widened in horror at the menacing look in his eyes.
"Why do you have to make things so complicated, Hyūga?" He seethed.
She didn't say anything but stare at him with eyes wide as saucers.
"Perhaps I should hurt you." He said smirking.
Of course, he wasn't going to hurt her. He only wanted to frighten her to the point she would never dare to argue his decisions again.
"You w-wouldn't." She said meekly, never taking her eyes off of him.
"What?" He frowned.
"I said… You w-wouldn't hurt me." She said a bit louder.
"What makes you think I wouldn't, Hyūga?" He said inching closer.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure if to say what she had been thinking.
"So?" He pressed.
"You w-wouldn't want t-to hurt Naruto-Kun." She said simply.
He stared at her unable to utter a word. This woman, this small kunoichi, so insignificant and frail, but so brave for her small size.
It was as if she could read him. He hated that.
And yet...
Sasuke wasn't sure why, but something kept him rooted to his spot. Was it the way her pale lavender eyes stared quizzically at him? Perhaps it was the way the rosy pink in her cheeks spread through her face and down to her neck? Or was it the way her parted lips trembled?
He hadn't realized he had been inching closer to the woman until he felt trembling hands pushing against his chest.
"S-Sasuke-san…" She said meekly.
The Uchiha backed away.
"You will stay here." He said with finality and left her alone in her room.
Hyūga Hinata was confused.
The Uchiha had been frightening. For a moment, Hinata had thought he would really hurt her, but then something in his expression changed. He no longer looked as scary as he had intended in the beginning.
His reaction had startled her. The way he looked at her made her heart accelerate and her breathing had become shallow. Then he did the strangest thing.
He began to lean closer to her, and Hinata felt a surge of panic. So, she did the only rational thing to do, she pushed him away. That was enough to awaken the Uchiha from his trance. Whatever it was that he had intended to do to her, was long forgotten. But what had he wanted to do exactly? That would always remain a mystery to the small woman.
She was in the middle of her musing when she heard a knock on her door.
Her stomach clenched. Was it him? Would he hurt her this time?
"W-Who is it?" She asked carefully.
"It's Karin. May I come in?" A voice said from the other side of the door.
Hinata sighed in relief.
Hinata had wanted to deny the woman petition, but she didn't want to be rude to the woman behind the door. After all, the best thing she could do was to try and get along with her hosts if she was to stay here with them.
"Y-yes"
"Hinata" The woman said as she made herself inside the room. "That's your name, right?"
"Y-yes"
"Are you hungry?" Karin asked. "I'm not the best cook, but I can make you something."
"Oh…"
"So?" She asked expectantly.
"I can c-cook," Hinata said tentatively, hoping not to be offensive.
"You cook?" Karin asked hopeful. "What can you cook?"
"Anything." Hinata smiled shyly. Perhaps the woman wouldn't mind letting her cook.
"Really!?" Karin clapped her hands together. "Would you mind cooking for us?"
"For us?" Hinata asked a bit confused.
"Like all of us here?"
"Oh"
Hinata took a moment to answer.
"Sure," Hinata said giving the red-haired woman a small smile. "What would you like to eat?"
The woman seemed nice enough, perhaps she could stay here. Surely, the Uchiha wouldn't leave her in a place he knew she wouldn't be safe.
Naruto wasn't sure how his sensei thought the team he had gathered could work together. It was clear that neither shinobi wanted Naruto to be part of this mission.
He didn't blame them of course, after all, he was part of the reason why Hinata had left the village the first time. He now understood it had been wrong to avoid giving her a straight answer, and he knew that now. Naruto had only wanted to spare her the rejection, but that had been a mistake.
Although Naruto understood why Kiba and Hanabi treated him with disdain, it still hurt. Mainly because if it wasn't for him and Sasuke, Hinata would be living a life of servitude to an ungrateful clan and branded by a seal that would only bring her shame and pain.
Of course, they didn't know about his involvement in Hinata's second disappearance. Kakashi hadn't told them, most likely to protect both Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto knew that Hanabi would cooperate in their mission. As a proud Hyūga, she would do as she was told and follow the protocol. However, the Uzumaki didn't see how the Inuzuka would be willing to collaborate with him in their mission. Kiba was a stubborn man and could hold a grudge. Naruto saw only one way to make him accept him and cooperate with his leadership in the team. He would have to tell Kiba his involvement in Hinata's second disappearance and pray Kiba would believe him.
"Kiba!" Naruto called after the young man.
The young man came to a halt and faced the Uzumaki.
"What?" He barked.
"We need to talk." Naruto said.
"About what?" Kiba narrowed his eyes.
"About Hinata-chan."
He wasn't sure what came over him. Perhaps it was the way she had looked so vulnerable while pinned against that wall, or the fact that the Uchiha had wanted to intimidate her enough to make her forget about leaving the hideout.
No matter how much he thought of it, he didn't know why he had reacted in such a way.
Oh, how he wanted to let her leave the hideout. To hell with her, if something happened to the former heiress it wasn't his fault; he had done enough. But he had promised his best friend he would watch over the insignificant woman until it was safe to let her go on her own. He would have to keep her hidden in the hideout for a period of six months. After that period of time, she wouldn't be his problem anymore.
Coming out of the warm shower, the Uchiha got dressed in a high neck shirt with short sleeves, black long pants, and his usual sandals. He noticed he looked much like his younger self when he still lived in Konoha. The only difference is the shirt did not have the Uchiha crest.
He had given up on it years ago.
It's not that he didn't care for his clan. He did care. He still missed them very much. However, it no longer held the same meaning.
Walking toward the kitchen of the hideout, he heard voices. If he wasn't going crazy, and he was certain he wasn't, it sounded very much like laughter.
Straining his ears to hear the voices from the corridor, he heard the soft laughter of the Hyūga. Shortly after he could hear Karin and Suigetsu in one of their famous arguments. Yelling and screaming at each other like old times.
Deciding he wasn't in the mood to deal with their bickering, he took his leave before anyone could notice he was even there.
He was hungry, but not as hungry to endure those two fighting. Besides, it was very likely that Karin had to be the one to cook, and he wasn't particularly fond of her cooking.
She was laughing. She was truly laughing. After everything she had endured, she never thought of possible to laugh for a long time.
Hinata had been cooking for everyone when Karin had suggested she made something of her liking. Suigetsu was quick to disagree with her choice of meal and soon enough the two of them began bickering. Karin was doing most of the yelling, while Suigetsu simply teased her.
She didn't want to compare, but Karin reminded Hinata of Sakura. The Haruno was quick to anger like the red-haired woman. Always losing her temper over the smallest things.
"Stupid!" Karin yelled clenching her fists in an attempt to control her anger. "I still don't understand why Sasuke brought you here!"
"Because I'm not useless in a fight, unlike some people." He said teasingly. "Seriously, you can't even cook. Hinata-chan can cook better than…"
Suigetsu didn't get to finish his sentences when her fist collided with his arm.
It was at this point that Hinata stopped laughing.
"G-guys…" She tried to say meekly. "There is n-no need to f-fight…"
"You didn't complain when you were hungry or did you!" Karin yelled.
"That's because I didn't know better."
"Karin, Suigetsu," The big guy spoke for the first time since she met him. "Stop." He said very seriously making the two others stop their bickering completely.
The man had been sitting by the table when Hinata had arrived in the kitchen. Not once did he say a word to her, so it had surprised her when he finally uttered a word. And judging by Karin and Suigetsus reaction, she wasn't the only one surprised.
"I'm not the one causing problems" Suigetsu said before disappearing from the kitchen leaving a fuming Karin behind.
"Don't mind him Hinata-chan," Karin said attempting to regain her composure. "He is an idiot. Now let's get cooking!"
Hinata was a little nervous after their display, but she assumed it was normal for them because the big guy didn't seem to worry. She realized she didn't know the guy's name. Blushing lightly, Hinata approached the tall man shyly.
"Um…" She said hesitantly. "I d-don't think I know y-your name."
"Jūgo," He said simply.
"Nice to meet you, Jūgo." She smiled at him and added "Hyūga Hinata."
After dinner, Hinata began her nightly routine. Oh, how she had missed to pamper herself before a night of good sleep.
She took her sweet time under the warm soothing water, and only when she felt satisfied did she step out of the shower. She brushed her hair thoroughly and applied a moisturizing balm she liked to make for her use to her skin. Then, she went to the kitchen to check if Sasuke had come by and took the onigiris she had made especially for him.
She had made sure they were filled to the brim with cherry tomatoes and tuna fish.
It was her way of saying thank you for all his troubles, and for bringing her to a safe place. Although, she wasn't sure if she'd want to continue in a cave. So far, she liked the people he had chosen to stay with her. A little strange, but they were nice to her. Moreover, she wanted to make sure she was still on his good side. For reasons unknown to her, she worried about his opinion on her.
Taking a look at the kitchen counter, Hinata noticed that his food was still sitting there. Hesitating a bit, she took the food and proceeded to follow along the corridor to where his room was. Karin had told her where each of them was sleeping, in case she needed anything.
She stood in front of the door, and after taking a deep breath she knocked. Surely he would appreciate the gesture, right? She could only hope.
Knocking on the door a second time, she waited for any sound that indicated that the Uchiha was still awake.
When it seemed like he wasn't, she began to walk away. Just before she could take more than two steps the door to his room opened and a frowning Sasuke greeted her.
"What do you want?" He asked curtly.
To her utter horror, the Uchiha was shirtless. How on earth did she get herself into these situations? In an instant, her face betrayed her. In only a matter of seconds, her face was crimson red.
Noticing her reaction, the Uchiha smirked.
She officially wanted to die.
"H-here!" She squeaked in her nervousness and handed him his food. "I m-made those for you…"
She couldn't see his reaction for she had opted to look to the side while the Uchiha stood there shamelessly shirtless.
"Hn," He said taking it. "So you cooked?"
"Y-yes."
When it became obvious that he wasn't going to say anything else, she took her leave, hurrying along the corridor into her room. Her face was still ablaze and her heart was pounding uncontrollably out of embarrassment.
It's not that she had never seen a shirtless man before. She had seen Kiba shirtless a few times, and other shinobis she tended to their injuries after the war. But those rare cases were different. Kiba was like a brother to her, and the others were patients or fellow comrades.
But this was Uchiha Sasuke, the last of his clan, Konoha's most hated man, Sakura's love interest, and Naruto's best friend. It simply felt wrong to witness him in that state.
Besides, she felt rather guilty for admitting that the Uchiha was, indeed, nice to look at.
Blushing even more profusely at her admission, Hinata lied in her bed and covered her face with her blanket, hiding out of mortification.
Had he noticed? He had. Of course he had. That's why he found her reaction so amusing.
Shifting in her bed, Hinata willed herself to think about something else. Anything.
Her thoughts drifted to her friends, Kiba and Shino, her sensei, her father and sister, her clan, and finally Naruto. She missed them. She missed Konoha. She missed home.
Like a tidal wave, unexpectedly, Hinata began to sob. At first quietly, but the more she thought about her situation, about the things she had lost and missed, the more her sobs intensified.
Suddenly, the realization downed on her, she would never come back home. For all she knew, she'd be considered a missing nin from now on.
Unable to hold herself back, she let it all out. She cried until there were no more tears left until her eyes felt dry until darkness consumed her and sleep took over her.
Author's Note: Thank so much for all of your support! I feel like this was the worst chapter I've ever written, so please do forgive me for how horrible it is. It is also short, so sorry!
After this chapter, the story will take a different direction and it'll be a bit faster, but not to worry, I won't make their relationship OOC. However, Sasuke's character will feel a bit ooc, and you'll agree with me that there is no way to make him fall for Hinata without him sounding ooc. I'll just try to make things believable for his character.
Also, Karin and Suigetsu might sound OOC at times, so please tell me. I honestly don't have a lot of recollection of these characters interactions.
Important: Updates will be slow, very slow actually and that's because life is just not kind to me at the moment. My mother is not doing so well, so I'm her caretaker at the moment. I hope that I am able to write more in the next couple of weeks. But right now I'm just extremely busy taking care of her, making sure she takes her medications and taking her to all of her doctor's appointment. On top of that, I start a new job, so I'll be really busy.
Answer to Reviews:
First things first, thank you all so much for your kind words and the get well soon wishes. I am all better now!
Also, I'm glad to hear so many of you loved the last chapter and the previous one!
Viralvera: Glad you liked the chapter! And as for your last comment, I'm so happy to hear people actually like how I'm writing Sasuke. He is difficult to write. I find myself struggling with him sometimes. I've always had this idea that Sasuke would be super awkward with a woman like Hinata. Because she isn't what he would expect in a girl. He had Ino, Sakura, and Karin drooling over him for years, but my lovely Hinata wouldn't be like that.
DAngel7: Yay! Thank you! I was afraid the progress of their interactions was a little too fast. I want to thank you for your sweet words on chapter 15. I'm happy to hear that their characterization is still true to their canon persona. Also, I appreciate that you like what I've done with Hinata. I know many like to make her outspoken so she looks strong, but they often forget who she really is. I tried to make her strong, but keeping that shyness she always had, and I'm glad I am accomplishing it so far. As for Kakashi, he is my baby. I love that man too much. Like I seriously had a major crush on that character, and I probably still do. He is my weakness. I hope I'm doing him justice though.
See you guys next time!