Being the first to swear fealty to Hinata, Sai was unofficially her guard. The group made their way from the dungeon out into the crisp night air. Sasuke looked at Sai and frowned.
"Unofficially, you are her guard until I appoint someone."
"There will be no need," Sai answered. "I will guard her with my life."
Sasuke's frown deepened.
Noticing his displeasure, Hinata slipped in front of him and cocked her head to the side. I can handle myself; I'll be fine.
"I still do not understand how you expect me to trust him."
I don't; I'm asking you to trust me.
Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow and hummed.
She frowned. "Sasuke, we are getting married in two days."
He rolled his eyes. I did not plan for marriage to come so early.
"What do I have to do to get you to trust me? What will it take for us to move as a unit?"
Sasuke shrugged. And looked to Sai, who was watching intently.
Stifling the urge to roll his eyes
Sasuke cleared his throat.
There is a small room attached to her bed-chamber; that is where you will stay while she rests.
"Lead the way," Sai answered.
Hinata sighed and turned, falling into step with Shino; "well, how have you been?"
He paused and nodded his head.
"You always were a man of few words, Hinata said while giggling. Ino will hate that, okay? Talk to her, Shino. She's capable of being quiet, but she needs to hear you speak".
Shino nodded. "I will try; she is an intriguing creature."
Hinata glanced at him and smiled.
"Oy! Hey, what about Sakura?" Naruto shouted out.
"I've tried talking to her, but she just keeps hitting me! I thought you priestesses were supposed to be gentle!"
Hinata giggled. She's plenty gentle; I suppose she believes you can handle what she dishes out.
Naruto groaned, "so violence is the rest of my life."
Naruto, you should know, it isn't an easy transition for us; most people think it is. Easy I mean. But it is hard. We have the same issues you guys do; trusting someone, we have hardly interacted with. But we are taught from young that to be selected Is to acquire a bond unlike any other. That we must find it in ourselves to surrender to the magnetic pull that makes us vassals of the gods.
Tsunade once said it was the most exhilarating terrifying, and downright angering process. I could only imagine that when we get over ourselves and really surrender to the strength of the bond, we'll discover something incredible.
Sasuke spared Hinata a glance before coming to a stop and placing a palm on the edge of the banister. The trimming was minutely raised, and he pushed down, revealing a door. "This is where you will sleep. As there is a wedding in two days, your first task is to make sure she shows up at the wedding."
Sai nodded. No harm will come to her.
Naruto nodded at him and passed over Sai's sword.
"Well, goodnight," Hinata said before opening her door and walking into her room. She bowed before shutting the door.
Naruto, Shino, and Sasuke made their way back to the king's quarters. "Will you be moving into this wing?" Naruto asked before settling on the couch of the receiving room.
Eventually, we'll have to. Sasuke answered though I would hope she changes things. I can't stand to look at the actual bedroom anymore.
"You should get to know Hinata, Shino interrupted. She's the most genuine woman I have ever met".
That's the thing, Shino, how do you know Her?
The only indication of Shino's confusion was a slight head tilt. "She was the firstborn daughter of the Heavenly Hills, and I was the firstborn of the Misted Forests and Kiba the firstborn of the Valley Hounds. Our lands are united, and being of the same age, we had classes and played together as children".
Silence fell in the room before Shino cleared his throat again.
"Hinata hasn't changed much since we were children, though she had an incredible stutter and an immense shyness. Everything else is there".
Naruto chuckled. "Sasuke doesn't get to know people with words, and it's like he doesn't compute them. He learns everything with his fists".
Shino shrugged, "then fight her."
The trio sat in silence for a long time before Sasuke rose quietly and walked towards the door. I might just take your advice Shino.
It was the early hours of the morning. When Hinata was woken by three rough taps on her door. Glancing at the window and noting it was before dawn, she frowned; grabbing her robe and pulling it tightly against her, she padded barefoot to the door and pulled it open.
What-
Hinata's voice cut off; Sasuke was in armor.
She tried again. "W-whats happened"? Surprise and worry tinged her voice.
Sasuke took in her softly disheveled state and paused – "I – for some reason, I thought you'd be awake."
Hinatas face twisted in confusion before settling on softly annoyed.
Sasuke. It is nearly dawn. What do you want?
Sasuke blinked before a faint smile graced his face. "Well, since you're up now, get dressed in your armor and come with me."
Hinata spun quickly, turned towards her armor, and began getting dressed behind her partition.
What are we doing? A patrol?
"No," Sasuke answered, "we're going to fight."
Fight whom?
"Not a who Hinata you're going to fight me."
Hinata stopped moving. She had been in the middle of tying her hair up.
Y-your kidding, right?
Sasuke walked into the room and picked up her staff, testing the weight in his hands before turning and tossing it to her.
Have I given you the impression that I make jokes?
Hinata stifled the urge to roll her eyes and stepped forward, "fine, then lead the way."
Sai's door opened as the couple walked down the hallway.
"Do you have-"
No one needs you to sleep.
Sasuke a voice was sharp and direct.
The only indication Sai heard what he said was the soft clicking of the door returning to its place.
Hinata pouted. You don't have to be so mean.
Sasuke tensed and remained quiet until they reached the training room. He turned to look at her at the door and nearly swore aloud.
Displeasure looked foreign on her face, and there was an itch to rid her of it.
Stifling the urge to throw fire, he walked to a screen door and opened it, stepping out into a hidden courtyard.
Realizing he wasn't going to answer, Hinata took a deep breath and followed him into the yard.
She looked around at all of the leftover weapons and settled debris on them, and realized it had been some time before someone had been in the yard.
Sasuke turned to look at her and watched as an array of emotions crossed her face.
He cleared his throat. Usually, my brother and I would clean the fields after training. This time he was called away, and I had to step up to monitor the kingdom.
Hinata nodded.
And they stood in silence for a moment before she said
"If o-or when you are ready. We can clean it together."
Sasuke hummed out an answer before sliding into his battle stance.
Hinata stared at him for a moment and slid into position.
The air was cold on the flesh raising goosebumps across the exposed length of her arm. The breeze wove through their hair, whipping the strands in a strange dance in the stillness of the dark morning, and then Sasuke was above her, bearing down with a blade she had not seen him draw directed towards her throat.
The sound of steel on steel sang in the air as Hinata repelled his strike. They circled each other, and Sasuke leaped forward again, this time sheathing his sword and trading blows. His foot caught her firmly in the stomach, throwing her back and knocking the wind out of her. She narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed bored. "This isn't the skill set I saw at the selection." Hinata planted her glaive into the earth and rose from the ground slowly
You are not a god I need to impress.
"No," Sasuke agreed. "Just your emperor."
Hinata stared at him for a moment before she pressed the side of her staff, unsheathing her dual-ended glaive, and slid one foot forward.
Sasuke nodded as he took in her form and unsheathed his sword.
Hinata breathed slowly out of her mouth and lifted her foot from the ground. She stepped forward and disappeared in a flash of light.
Sasuke's smile was feral as he turned to meet her blade aimed for his neck. He deflected, dipping his blade at an angle to stop both ends of her weapon from cutting him. His parry was strong and should have tossed her off her feet, but instead, she dropped into a sweeping kick. He jumped, and she turned again, swinging the glaive aimed at his torso. Grunting, Sasuke slammed his hand down on the flat of her blade and flipped, swinging his sword in a high arc, aiming to cut off her head.
She ducked, throwing herself forward and abandoning her glaive for a sword stuck into the earth. Rolling to a stop, she threw kunai over her shoulder and ran to grab a second sword. Sasuke flashed in front of her and began to overpower her with vicious attacks of his blade. As he continued to cut down, Hinata's face screwed up. Anger as she struggled to keep up. His blade nicked her in places she couldn't quite reach fast enough. Each nick was just deep enough to remind her that she'd be seriously wounded in battle. In her anger, her byakugan snapped on, and she saw an opening and brushed her fingers across his arm. Sasuke leaped back as pain coursed along his arm, watching her intently before activating his own doujutsu.
The air stilled. Sasuke stared down at his arm and forced chakra through it. Grunting as he felt the pain ripple through his body. Sweat trickled along his face as he breathed and slowly flexed his arm.
Hinata had retrieved her glaive and spun it around, this time tinged purple along the blade. Sasuke's hands flashed, and then his sword was alight with lightning, and the two met in the center of the field with a deafening crack.
Shikamaru sighed as the shogi table shook ever so slightly.
"That's Hinata"
And sasuke"shikamaru confirmed.
Should we be concerned, Temari asked.
Shikamaru snorted, "this is just a conversation."
A conversation that shakes the ground?
Shikamaru shrugged." It's how Sasuke speaks."
Temari rolled her eyes . "is this how you speak?" she asked, moving her piece on the shogi board.
Not really, Shikamaru answered. This is, so I don't have to speak.
The silence in the room was comfortable. Interrupted by the distant explosions of power in the distance and a shaking shogi board.
The board rattled one more time before Shikamaru let out an annoyed sigh.
We'll stop them when a piece is knocked out of position.
Temari snorted. "I'm glad you have some measurement of danger."
There's no danger to the people here, only property damage.
" You believe that?"
I believe that they can show restraint.
Temari barked out a laugh punctuated by the loud booms in the distance.
"This is restraint?" She snickered. What's all out then?
Shikamaru looked up at her.
"They are similar, you know. All out for them is quiet and painful. He cocked his head to the side. But you know that, don't you."
Temari stopped smiling and looked out of the window.
"If that's the case. Our rulers are terrifying."
Shikamaru watched Temari as she stared out of the window and frowned.
I recall you telling Hinata there is darkness where there is light.
" Yeah, but "-
Shikamaru shrugged and moved a piece on the shogi board.
The same can be said for darkness. Considering what's coming, we may need a lot of both.
A deafening boom shook the room, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes on the shogi board.
Sasuke was breathing hard, and Hinata was bent at the knees panting. Both bloodied. The battle had gone farther than he had planned. He had never intended to draw blood, but she had gone from defending herself to violence, and it was exhilarating.
He was aware that testing the limits of both of their power could be a wrong decision, but nothing felt terrible about this. Grinning wildly, Sasuke began to summon his black flames with the intention to release them in a single breath. Hinata's eyes snapped to his form and widened before she spun her glaive at an incredible pace and poured her chakra into it, igniting her own flames as Sasuke spewed black fire at her.
Just beneath the roar of the flames, Hinata heard Sasuke yell out. Gift of Amaterasu black phoenix.
When the lightning sky turned pitch black and heat rolled in through the open window like a slap, Shikamaru and Temari shared a look before leaping to their feet and booting towards the training grounds. As the door shut, an explosion shook the castle, and a shogi piece fell to the ground.
Sasuke was in awe.
He had thought she would have dodged the attack, and she was just fast enough. But she had taken control of the fire and stood still in the center of the vortex she was creating. Sasuke narrowed his eyes on her, even taking control of the flames. The heat should have been unbearable. He stepped closer and realized she was lifting the heat above her head. The clouds gathering above clued Sasuke into what was happening, and he rushed forward in an attempt to utilize it.
As the superheated flames rose above her form, the chakra enhanced glaive propelled the heat up and away, but as Sasuke approached at top speed. The clouds opened up and, like a waterfall and put out the remaining flames.
Sasuke unsheathed his blade and stepped into a rapid strike and parry dance. Hinata fought back with every fiber of her being and leaped back when she realized their comrades were fast approaching. She tried to breathe out his name in warning, but the hair stood up on the back of her neck, and the acrid smell of lightning permeated the air and the duo lept toward each other, allowing their blades to meet as thunder shook the castle and lightning struck their crossed weapons as Sasuke shouted.
Naruto was experienced with kirin, and he had nearly died helping Sasuke develop it. The power was a manipulation of nature, and there were few skills like it and even fewer who could survive it. So when Sasuke hoisted his blade above his head as he towered over Hinata, he tossed his father's kunai and attempted to intercept the blow, but the residual heat from the black phoenix threw the kunai away and kept him back. Distraught, he turned to look at the others that showed up and nearly shouted in disbelief as Shikamaru hurled his shadow towards the duo in hope.
They watched in mild terror as the ground shook and an earth-shattering boom sounded before a flash of blue light disintegrated Shikamaru's shadow and temporarily blinded them.
Beneath the light, the two grasped hands locked their blades together, and brought them down on the ground.
Smoke rose in the air, and desperate to see what happened, Temari opened her fan to the highest setting and sent a gust of wind towards the hidden couple. Standing in the center of the crater, Sasuke and Hinata remained standing, a battle-ax locked in position to the large scythe Hinata was carrying.
In the silence of the moment, Sasuke breathed through his nose and muttered out Kaminokari-
Hinata lifted her lips for a brief smile when she answered him Nensho before she closed her eyes and collapsed into his arms.
Neji was the first to move, rushing towards Hinata and Sasuke with rage in his eyes. Naruto leaped in front of him, "Neji."
Look at her, he hissed.
I have looked at her.
Then you see she's bloodied!
So is Sasuke.
He's meant to protect her.
Neji naruto said again, more stern.
She doesn't need to be protected.
They did this damage together. Do not start something you cannot finish.
Tenten placed an arm on his shoulder as she stared at Hinata, "She's fine, Neji. Sasuke has her."
He-!
"Sasuke has her," she said a bit more sternly "look."
Shifting his gaze, Neji watched as Sasuke cradled her in his arms and stood tall. He looked at his friends and nodded before turning and walking back toward the castle.
Sai walked forward and picked up their discarded weapons, and turned to run after them.
As the wind picked up and the silence became more tense, Naruto started to laugh. "We. Have a jackass for an emperor."