The mountain was everything Hinata had expected it to be and then some. The narrow trails were laden with slippery ice and sharp rocks. Hinata had managed to fall more in the first five hours of travel than she had in the last ten years of her life.

She cursed under her breath and clung to the icy rails that lined the narrow paths. Karin was like a well oiled machine when it came to whining and she had yet to cease or slow down in the slightest. "Are we going all the way up there?" She pointed toward where she thought was up, but in reality she couldn't see ten feet in front of her face for the thick snow fall.

"Yup." Suigetsu yelled over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn around and face her. Karin groaned and ignored the fact that he had even answered her to begin with. "Don't you think we should take cover through this snows storm, Sasuke? Before we get blown off the side of the mountain?!"

Sasuke glanced back at her with is usual emotionless expression. "Grip the railing tighter. We need to make as much ground as possible." Karin seemed to deflate slightly and she did just as he said. Hinata, on the other hand, whom used to love snow now despised it's very existence and Sasuke's answer made her want to rip the shoe from her foot and take out the back of his head with it.

When the group reached the half way point, Hinata happened to spot a large log cabin vacant for traveling monks. "Hey! We should stop, Sasuke!"

"No, I told you we need to make as much ground as possible."

"Well you go ahead and keep walking further into the snow storm. That's one less potential husband for me to deal with." Hinata remarked as she grabbed Karin's arm and pulled her toward the cabin. He gritted his teeth and looked back at her as she dragged Karin to the cabin. Sasuke sighed in defeat and the rest of the group made their way to the cabin.

Once inside, Jugo lit a fire and Suigetsu hung everyone's cloak up to dry properly. "Isn't this just awesome?" Suigetsu blurted out. "What are the odds of finding a safe, warm, and vacant cabin."

"The odds are great, actually. These mountains are known to freeze people to death. You can find tons of vacant cabins littered about, you idiot." Karin growled out as she attempted to control her chattering teeth. The girls were hunkered down beside the fire, desperately trying to conserve heat. Jugo shook his head lightly and tossed them a blanket. "Here.."

Sasuke walked back into the cabin to examine its interior and build. "It's a decent enough cabin, there are three bedrooms. Karen and Suigetsu, Jugo is bigger so he can have his own bed, and Hinata is with me."

Hinata rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Tch, how'd I know.." Sasuke had nothing to say in return. He sat next to the fire and heated his hands.

He was always so arrogant that she just couldn't even manage one civil conversation with him. What was it about him that made Naruto care so much? They were polar opposites to say the very least.

"You warm yet?"

"No." Hinata answered coldly as she laid next to him.

"Do you want me to-"

"Don't touch me." Sasuke laid next to her on his back, trying to control the smile on his face, "Gotcha." The two laid in silence for the most part of the thirty minutes before Sasuke groaned and turned on his side, facing her.

Her eyes were closed and the room was lit by the glow of the fire from the other room. She didn't have to open her eyes to know he was staring at her. "What, Sasuke?"

She didn't have to look to know he was smirking as well, she could just hear it. "So, why is that you hate me again? I know I have a long list of people whom all have different reasons. I just can't wrap my brain around yours."

"In order to wrap your brain around concepts you must first have one. Goodnight."

"So you don't hate me?" Hinata huffed and opened her eyes to look at him. "Why did you make that bet with me?"

"Why not?"

"That's not the question."

"You didn't have to agree to it."

"But I did."

"And that's not my fault."

"You're so heartless. Who makes bets like that anyway?"

"Who agrees to bets like that?"

"Oh my go- do you ever shut up? Do you just like the sound of your own voice?" Hinata practically growled through clenched teeth. "You see this?" She pointed at the space between them for emphasis, "This right here is why we would never work out together on even a good day where I was heavily intoxicated and no longer consciously responsible for my actions. You infuriate me." Sasuke arched a brow, obviously enjoying her discomfort. "You can't even answer a question honestly without being a smart ass, I cannot handle you because your ego and I cannot fit in any sizable room together."

"Any room?" Hinata turned her back to him after she scoffed loudly. "Just shut up. You're childish."

"You're very hostile for a Hyuga." Hinata whirled around again, this time with anger written across her face. "Let's talk about how hostile the Uchiha are, shall we?!"

Suigetsu and Karin were sitting in the other room eavesdropping to the fullest of their ability. "Why is he instigating so much?" Karin whispered and shook her head in disapproval. Suigetsu shrugged, "He loves to make her mad. I don't know If I'm the only one that's noticed or not, but he goes out of his way to make her mad."

"No, I'm starting to notice it too.."

"He's a brave man is all I can say about that. She scares me.."

"Do I scare you?"

"Psh. You wish."

"Oh, okay. Good then, I guess." Karin shrugged her shoulders and Suigetsu thought his jaw bone was going to hit the floor. He definitely expected that comment to at least cause her to smack him. "Ok.."

The next morning Hinata woke up mid drool and laying on something hard. At this point she had fully expected Sasuke to have shoved her out of the bed sometime during the night just to make her sleep on the cold floor. However, that couldn't be so, as the previously described hard surface was also at the same time soft like skin. Honestly, she didn't even want to know.

Her eyes shot open when she felt something move against her head. One large hand was tangled in her short hair and weighing her head down. Hinata pushed herself up and wiped the drool from her chin. Sasuke was beneath her, snoozing peacefully with drool pooled on his sternum.

Hinata stared for a moment before grabbing a stray dusting cloth from the floor and wiping her drool from his chest. This right here was why she hated herself.

The group started up the mountain after having a light breakfast. Karin wasted no time a she began to whine almost immediately. Hinata didn't much mind hearing it, she was used to it because Kiba was a whiner once upon a time as well.

"Karin, could you shut up?!" Suigetsu groaned.

"You shut up! You're not my daddy, Suigetsu!" He rolled his eyes and looked at Sasuke. "Isn't there something you can do? Please, Sasuke, shut her up."

"Hn."

It was a long trek up the mountain through icy patches, knee high snow, and, of course, more sharp rocks. The group finally made it to the top and stood in front of two heavy steel doors. "Oh wow.." Hinata whispered to herself as Sasuke pushed the doors open. "What is this?" Along the walls were designs of ancient creatures and prehistoric snakes larger than she had ever seen before. What exactly did Sasuke want from this place?

"Sasuke?" She nudged him after receiving no answer the first time.

"Don't touch anything." Was all he said in response. A man stepped out of the shadows of the entrance. He was tall, slinky, pale, and had yellow reptilian like eyes. He reminded Hinata of Orochimaru almost immediately. Maybe he was one of his experiments..

"Good afternoon, is there something I can assist you with?"

"Are you Ashitoga?"

"I am.." His eyes narrowed in response as he studied Sasuke before continuing, "Oh, Sasuke! I didn't recognize you. Come in, come in."

The doors slammed behind them, causing Karin to jump and cling to Suigetsu. "Jeez, Karin." He held her up with one arm and shook his head. They followed behind Sasuke closely as this man, Ashitoga, led them deeper into the cave like structure.

"We have been expecting you for quite some time, Sasuke, you made us wait quite a while.." Ashitoga continued to lead them down a staircase and into a large room occupied by five other men. One of the men Hinata recognized to be of Inuzuka descent.

"Your friends will have to stay out here.." Sasuke nodded to them and the girls took a seat at the large table in the center of the room.

"Who're the rest of these people?" One man asked and Sasuke turned to him, "This is Suigetsu, Jugo, Karin, and Hinata. Without them I wouldn't have made it back here. I expect them to be in the same condition I left them in when I get back."

"Tch. You're asking an awful lot after making us wait so long." Sasuke glanced over his shoulder as he followed Ashitoga, "I wasn't asking." Another set of thick steel doors closed behind him and the the rest of the group was left alone to this room full of strange characters.

Suigetsu sat down next to Karin and Jugo stood against the wall with his arms crossed. After a few moments of silence, Suigetsu spoke up, "So, you look like you're an Inuzuka.. but you don't have the.." He pointed toward his own cheeks where the traditional markings would be. "..things here.." Hinata bit her lip, embarrassed at his poor observation, and shook her head. This man just stared at him without blinking, for a very long period of time. It didn't help that he was a very mean looking character as well, yet he was oddly familiar to her.

"Was."

"Was?" To prevent further embarrassment, Hinata spoke up gently. "When an Inuzuka denounces their family name and leaves the village, for whatever reason, their markings are removed."

"You're given new markings depending on your reason for leaving." He added with a smirk on his face and his attention now on Hinata. "You know quite a bit about my clan."

"I..grew up with an Inuzuka. He was one of my best friends."

"Ah, that explains a little. You must be from Konohagekure.. You look like someone I know." He stared at her for a moment before lighting a cigarette. He had deep auburn eyes, very nicely tanned skin, and a toned yet scarred body. He was a broad shouldered man with large canine teeth. "You look like someone I know as well.."

"Don't all of us Inuzuka look alike?" He smirked sarcastically, however she didn't share his sarcasm. He wasn't the type of character she wanted to get chummy with. She could tell that much just by the amount of chakra he possessed.

He took a long drawl from his cigarette and nodded, "I know who you are now." Hinata arched a brow, "That Inuzuka you grew up with, was his name Kiba?" Her eyes widened and she leaned back away from him. "How did you..?"

"You were both knee high the last time I saw you together." Hinata nodded, assuming it was because she played with Kiba a lot as a child and he was obviously his family.

"How's your dad?"

"Oh, as stubborn as ever." She rolled her eyes. He chuckled and finished his cigarette, putting it out in an iron ash tray. "I used to always threaten to take your mother from him. She was a gorgeous woman," He paused and looked up at her, "and you look just like her."

Hinata smiled a bit and nodded, "She's been gone for a long time now.."

"I know, I heard. That's a shame. He didn't deserve her. Hell, I would've traded him my wife for his. She was a lot quieter than what I had to deal with."

"Oh you don't really mean that, do you?" He arched a brow and she nodded, "Never mind." He chuckled and leaned back, "It's funny because she said the same thing when I told her that."

"Whom was your wife?"

"She still is my wife, we just don't play well together." He smirked, "Tsume Inuzuka." Hinata's eyes widened and she took a better look at him. He grinned widely, "Do you realize who I am now?"

"..What are you doing here..? Where have you been for the last ten years?" There was anger in her voice now. His brows raised at the sudden change of her tone as he found it slightly amusing.

"You left him without a father! Do you have any idea how hard it was for him?!" She stood from her chair abruptly and put her finger in his face, "How could you do that to him?! You didn't even visit!"

"Was he heartbroken?" He asked in a mocking tone as he howled with laughter. "Hopefully it made a tougher man out of him. Of course, any boy raised by Tsume has to be a rough one for sure."

"Why is this funny to you? You could have visited him or at least let him know you were alive.." She grumbled and took a step back. "You have no idea what he's like, he is a good man- he is a damn good man. No thanks to you."

Karin and Suigetsu stared at Hinata, as if they were afraid she would flip a lid and find a cooking pot for all of them. "Hinata.." Karin whispered worriedly.

"No! You have no idea how smart and how skilled he is! I barely made it out of Konoha because he was hot on my trail. The only reason I made it out in time was because I used the skills HE taught me to evade the tracking unit. That and.." She paused for a moment, "..I think he let me escape on purpose.."

"Now why would he do that?"

"Because..he's one of my best friends."

The large steel doors creaked open once more and Sasuke stepped out. He arched his brow at Hinata and the chair on the floor behind her. "I thought I heard a familiar whining."

"Oh shut up, can we leave now?" Her arms were crossed and he nodded to her. "Yeah, lets head out." The group followed him out and started down the mountain. Hinata was absolutely vapor locked from her previous encounter. She actually kept up to pace with Sasuke with her arms crossed over her chest. "What's got you mad now?" He asked out of a feeling of obligation.

"That man back there. He's the father of a friend of mine and... well.."

"You mean Koza?"

"Koza? I didn't get his name."

"Kiba's dad?"

"Yeah."

"Trust me, it's better for Kiba this way. That guy is a monster." Hinata didn't say anything for the rest of the long trek back down the mountain. She was confused on what Sasuke meant, but decided to just leave it. Maybe he was right, after all, maybe things were better this way..