Chapter 25: Engagement and Boundaries
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His hug was almost intrusive when she was feeling this way. His light touches meant for soothing had the opposite effect. What was she supposed to do when overwhelmed by so many contradicting emotions, the kind that made their rounds alternating until she could only identify a single one?
Shikamaru snuck a peek at her troubled expression, pulling away just enough to see her face.
"Would you join me for a drink?" He spoke against her hair after kissing her. It was late by civilian standards, but she was a Shinobi. He was sure she could handle staying up for a few more hours. He had a feeling she would have a lot to say.
She moved, glancing his way and briefly meeting his eyes before nesting back into his chest. Her eyes lingered around different things, not quite fixed. The walls, the sliding doors, the empty chairs and the random floral centerpieces next to the bonsai tree suddenly had the answer. She didn't want a drink. She wanted to go home and think.
"Just one." She replied while pulling away. She had been too preoccupied with thoughts and didn't know that she would miss his scent and his warmth when it was gone. Not only that, but she became aware of this the moment their distance left her feeling cold again.
She rose gracefully, her eyes downcast. She waited by the door until he joined her.
"Are you familiar with where the kitchen is?" He motioned in a general direction, slowly leading the way.
She gave him an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you want to snack in the middle of the night."
"And you don't?" He asked.
She knew had been breaking a lot of rules lately, but midnight snacks were essentially prohibited in her household.
"I used to be able to do as I pleased in the kitchen." She replied sheepishly as her eyes danced to the back of his frame as she walked behind him. "But as I got older, our maids began to keep me out. It's like they reign over that part of our home."
"Do your servants live with you?" He asked. Nothing in his tone hinted that he was surprised.
"Yes,"
Would she be able to adjust to not having one at her beck and call? Shikamaru had to yet again remind himself that she was a different kind of royalty. The kind that had taken interest in hobbies that were probably frowned upon for her stature. They passed a few rooms and turned a few corridors.
"We have two shifts, morning and afternoon. They get to go home after they're done. And maybe due to our lazy nature, sometimes we go on without one because they didn't show up to work."
Hinata stared at him, pausing in her step. "That's nice that they get to go home."
"We offer the option to live in once an heir is born," He added. There was no avoiding the subject. He awaited her answer, already expecting her to evade.
"Things are certainly different here" Of course they were. You do not enslave those that you protect. Your clan probably stays because of loyalty and protection.
"We mostly like our privacy," Shikamaru admitted.
"I suppose we all do. Perhaps that's why Hanabi and I aren't exactly allowed in their spaces."
They reached the kitchen and just like the first time, she found it endearing how there was nothing traditional about it. It looked very modern as opposed to the one in her home.
"Which brand will we be drinking?" She asked as she sat behind a counter on the opposite side, he opened a few cabinets until he got to the right one.
"An original." He said as he approached her with two glasses and placed them down on the counter.
He reached inside another cabinet, returning with a bottle with the label appearing more of homemade handwritten kanji. She reached out and inspected it because she thought she saw something sitting at the bottom of the light liquid. Inside the bottle was a homemade concoction she had never seen before with a plum inside.
He poured about a serving in both glasses, before pushing one across the table, to her side. He grabbed his own and made his way around to sit next to her.
"It's so sweet."
Shikamaru smiled at her words.
"You don't like sweets?" It was the automatic deduction he had made.
"I do love them. But are you trying to keep me awake?" She asked, setting the drink down.
"I need you awake so we can talk."
"And what would you like to talk about?"
"To be honest, I'm just as lost as you are as to why your father would agree with what I offered."
It startled her a little that he would casually bring that up so soon. She had believed he had let it go. She did not want to disappoint him by openly voicing her hesitation and apprehension over the fear of sounding paranoid.
"I'm not sure if I can articulate my feelings out loud just yet."
"Try." He said patiently, his free hand lightly touching the side of her arm. He already had his theories and suspicions. However, he saw no point in sharing his speculation when she could easily speak for herself and her perspective.
She seemed to find that her lips felt incredibly thin, while she bit them out of nervous habit. She would rather not talk about it.
"An arranged marriage is something far from what I wanted. Love or not, I've been trying to get it abolished. But now here I am being asked to sign a contract to be with you."
"You still get what you want," Shikamaru took another sip before staring off towards his surroundings. "We all do,"
"Do you forget I'm still a Hyuga...?" Hinata reminded him as if the meaning behind her words were clear and self-evident.
"In what way? Being specific would help me understand."
Hinata almost scoffed. It was as though he didn't know her at all.
"You don't understand how I feel," Hinata replied, swatting his hand away as she continued to grip the grass in her hand. And as if immediately regretting her reaction, she sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry… "
Shikamaru tilted his head and gave her another look before glancing away. If there was something he was failing to understand, it was probably because she was not sharing the whole truth. He didn't think he'd have to resort to speculation.
"Could it be that you feel like your father is simply handing over your clan to me? I guess you have the right to be angry. Then again, one could also say a Hyuga will be ruling my clan,"
"You know it's not the same at all…"
"The only difference is the way you view things-" He paused, catching himself very early. He had almost said something very insensitive. He took another sip of wine. "I understand why you would feel that way, though." He smoothly saved himself from uttering something troublesome.
"The contract, whose idea was it?" It was probably his mother's, for sure. Yoshino was the one that was all too happy for her grandchildren to be raised as the next Hyuga heir. Hinata half suspected that perhaps his mother had planned everything from the beginning.
"Mine. But would it matter if it were not my own?" Shikamaru asked.
"Probably. More than you think." She replied honestly as she took another sip. She kept an eye out for his reaction, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"It Is up to you whether you accept those terms and conditions. You always do what you want. What's so different about now?" He quickly glanced her way, meeting her eyes. He didn't mean for it to come out like that. The truth was, he was ready to enter a debate against her should she choose to fight against whatever she deemed unfair.
"Shikamaru-kun, let's not pretend like I might not lose you if I don't go along with this…"
"And you hate to lose." He rose from his seat, reaching her. His hand was back on the side of her arm, lightly touching her. When he spoke, his voice feathered against her ears. She shut her eyes tight, hating herself at that moment. Nothing made sense as to why her body had betrayed her the way that it did, as few syllables managed to set her body on fire. It wasn't fair that she was suddenly turning into mush, just like she had back then in Suna.
"Okay...you win." She said as she tried to move away from his voice. "I miss the good old times when you couldn't control yourself around me. You're a little intimidating when you can think clearly,"
He had a winning grin as he moved towards the door. "Come, let's take you home before you lose control." He teased her.
"I'm very much in control."
He extended his arm towards her, and together they stepped outside.
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He didn't miss the times that she referenced. Back then, every moment he had spent with her almost felt like it might've been the last. He could finally breathe now that she was promised to him. But along with that promise came certain expectations, which he was a little stricter in upholding since their future was no longer uncertain.
The two caught the attention of anyone who had been walking around at night. The glances they received were that of curiosity more than anything. They walked past the Inuzuka compound and the Aburame's mansion. It wasn't until they reached about a mile that they began to receive a few unwanted looks. The way the members of her clan glared their way was an indicator of what they'll have to deal with.
Hinata sighed next to him as they walked.
"I don't think that's ever going to go away-Their stare, I mean."
"Just ignore them." That was the least of his worries. A lot can change in a couple of years.
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Yami entered his home.
He walked by the common areas, running his fingers over furniture surfaces where dust had collected. The last time he had returned home just to sleep was just a few days ago. He had no real reason to come back daily when nothing was waiting for him.
He had been an only child his whole life. Both his parents passed, but not due to natural causes. His mother died due to medical negligence during the war, she had been the last to go. He never met his father. The life of his late father was snuffed by the main branch member. His father had been known to have a weak constitution and was taken by cardiac arrest, caused by the excessive use of the cursed seal.
Eventually, Yami began to believe his life was just a series of bad luck, so he never entertained the idea of settling down and starting a family. He didn't want to subject any children to the same life of slavery.
It was only recently his life got turned around. He had come into a position of privilege, by chance. He had been handpicked by the previous leader to serve as the second in command. But that didn't mean he wasn't still a branch member. He still didn't have control.
There was a light tap on his door. A note was swiftly slid underneath the frame. The person who had delivered the note remained anonymous as they fled into the night.
Yami opened up the note. It was a list of names of all the individuals being considered to fill the seats that the previous elders once occupied. He memorized the entire list of names before destroying the piece of paper. It appeared he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.
His first and second targets seemed like genuine, nice young men who had just started a family, with little kids running around the house. He sighed. He had to remind himself that even the evilest person could still be genuinely pleasant to the people they share connections. But the task was already proving difficult in his heart. He decided he'll circle back to them another time.
As he was retreating, he overheard a few main branch members talking as they walked in huddles.
"Everything started collapsing the moment she took over. Do you think Lord Hiashi will be able to fix everything?"
"Her cursed thesis is still out there, poisoning the minds of our people. It's hard to come back from that."
"Do you think the new elders will be able to recant it and burn all of her scriptures to the ground?"
"It's worth bringing it up to Hiashi's attention."
"Agree."
Everywhere he went, the sentiment was the same. The majority of the main branch didn't like what she had published because they had a lot to lose should the future shift to promote balance and equality.
Deciding he had heard enough, Yami withdrew back into the shadows, moving as silently as the wind as he stepped lightly across branches, almost gliding. He paused, dropping outside Hinata's window. He peeked inside. Her lights were off, and she appeared to be sleeping. He moved again, this time making one final stop in front of the steps to his home.
He removed his mask before turning in for the night.
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The winter fog shrouded everything, covering forests and mountains. It was thick enough to add a mystic of dread as the Nara genins took a test outside.
Yoshino watched from a distance, holding up binoculars, as the three troublesome genins, which she had helped train in the past few months, surpassed the other students. There was a serene smile on her face. She felt proud of their development.
She directed a smile towards her son, who strolled up next to her. Her eyes silently thanked him for helping get those three to catch up. Shikamaru said nothing in return, merely watching as the three troublesome kids laid their opponents to the ground, kunai against their throats, without having to use their shadows. Yet even while the three troublesome teens seemed to shine, there was something off about their demeanor and the way they carried themselves. They guarded their emotions and kept their complaints to themselves.
The very same afternoon, Shikamaru sat inside the shogi room, watching the three take turns as they went up against each other in a shogi match. The winner got to challenge him.
"Shikamaru-sensei, why don't you like to sacrifice your pawn pieces?" The winner asked.
"It keeps you guessing, doesn't it?" The truth was, they were nowhere near his level, thus he had to find ways to keep himself entertained.
"No, it doesn't. I need you to take this game seriously," The winner said. "It's a drag if I'm bored,"
"Last I remember, you hated challenges,"
"It's not that I suddenly like challenges, I can't be lazy anymore if I want to date a Hyuga."
Shikamaru raised a brow. "Where exactly did you get this idea from?"
"There's been some talk. Someone saw Hiashi-san leaving your home, and you were spotted walking Hyuga-sama," Another teen replied.
If rumors were already spread this quickly, he wondered how her clan was reacting.
The three teens stayed until dinner and discussed the entire game until it was time to go.
"Good night sensei! Thanks again for helping with our training!"
It was quiet after they left. Notably so, especially since his mother had spent an unremarkable amount of time in silence while at the table. It was a matter of patiently waiting for her to say what was on her mind.
"I sensed hesitation on Hinata's part," Yoshino said as she collected the dishes once the three teens were gone. "Are you sure she's not going to change her mind?"
"We've already talked it out," Shikamaru replied.
"I see."
"What's bothering you, mother?" Shikamaru asked.
"You didn't tell me Uchiha-san was in her circle of trustees," She almost scoffs.
"What does Uchiha have to do with anything?"
"He came for her the night she left our home with just a letter for an explanation. I saw them leaving together," She paused as if thinking over her next words. "You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw," She said vaguely. However, there was nothing cryptic about it.
The statement had his immediate attention. The snippet moment that his mother had gotten a glimpse of, he had seen as well. It was obvious, even to him, that there was something there, whether Hinata decided to acknowledge it or not. However, there was no point in addressing it. Their wedding date was going to be set for a few days.
"You're worrying too much. It's going to be fine,"
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Naruto arrived in the village that same evening, a little later than planned. He had stayed in Suna to mourn together at Matsuri's funeral ceremony. He knew it broke both Hanabi's and Sakura's hearts that they both couldn't make it. Likewise, he hoped they were doing okay.
When he went back to work the next day, confusion spread across his features as he stared at the desk located across from him. It had been cleared off of any evidence that Shikamaru had once worked there. The shogi board and ashtray were gone, along with the mountains of papers that were normally stacked on the side of Shikamaru's desk. As he was taking everything in, Kakashi debriefed on what he had missed.
When Naruto was left alone in the office, he couldn't get anything done with so much weighing on his mind.
"Just watch. I'll be a better Hokage than anyone before me, but on my terms," Naruto said to himself. He was confident that the incident that got Shikamaru fired wouldn't have happened if he had been around. Or so it's what Naruto wholeheartedly believed at the time.
As soon as his shift was over, Naruto grabbed his winter jacket and locked the office behind him. He summoned his shadow clones after exiting the building and sent them out to deliver an invitation to meet up at a local bar.
The streets he was walking through were a district mostly populated by the Naras and their allies, and he dodged a few Yamanakas and Akimichis stumbling back home from an evening of drinking. He stopped in front of a barbecue restaurant, owned by the Akamichi clan, remembering with fondness the last meal he had with everyone.
He turned his heel towards the Nara mansion to invite Shikamaru in person. When he arrived at the Nara mansion, he was welcomed by Yoshino, who led him to the tearoom. She sent a maid to alert her son that Naruto was there.
"I take it you've heard what happened?" Shikamaru said through a yawn as he entered the tearoom as his mother sat across from Naruto, serving tea.
"I can't believe Kakashi. He can be such an ass sometimes," Naruto paused and almost covered his mouth. "Excuse my language, Yoshino-san."
Yoshino nodded slightly while still giving him a look of disapproval. She rose to exit the room.
"But yea, am I the only one who thinks he was trying to make an example out of you and Hinata-chan, so he could keep other clans in check," Naruto continued once Yoshino had left the tearoom.
"I'm not sure if I agree with your assessment," Shikamaru said. "We did get a little out of hand, Naruto."
"When I'm in charge of the village, you're always welcome to come back," Naruto said.
"I'm not sure how the Konoha council will feel about that," Shikamaru said, not completely convinced by the offer.
"He-he, you're right. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, that's not the only reason why I came here. I'm meeting some friends nearby for a drink. Do you want to come?"
"What a coincidence that you picked these parts of town,"
"Like hell it is. I wanted to make sure you didn't have an excuse not to come. I also heard a crazy rumor about you and Hinata at work,"
Rumors? "What a drag, just tell me after I grab my stuff," Shikamaru said.
He joined Naruto after throwing on a jacket and a scarf.
"So?" Naruto asked impatiently. "Are the rumors true? That you somehow got her father's approval to date her,"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Like you said, just a rumor." Shikamaru nodded to a few family members as they headed deeper into a street filled with business ventures. He wasn't ready to tell Naruto just yet, nor anyone for that matter. Not until Hiashi publicly announces their status to the Hyuga clan.
Naruto was about to say something to tease him, but paused when he noticed Shikamaru's attention shifted elsewhere. They had stopped a few yards away from the designated bar.
Shikamaru turned slightly to stare at Naruto from the corner of his eyes. He could tell the blond was trying to come up with an excuse as to why he had forgotten to mention that the Uchiha would be there.
He took a controlled breath before proceeding. Keep your enemies closer, he figured he would try a more amicable approach.
"Uchiha-san." Shikamaru greeted him with neutral politeness. Sasuke raised a curious brow and uncrossed his arms, which he hadn't noticed he had been doing.
"Nara-san." Sasuke nodded slightly their way, not having a problem, but playing along with whatever charade was going on.
"Sasuke, you made it. I'm surprised you're here." Naruto said. Although he had sent a clone to invite him, the memories he got back from when the clone after had dispersed seemed to hint that Sasuke wasn't interested in the invitation.
"Hn."
"Who else did you invite?" Shikamaru asked.
"I think the only ones that can't make it are Shino and Hinata-chan," Naruto said, as if answering Shikamaru's true inquisition.
"Hey, guys!" Kiba's voice greeted them as he approached the group. The three paused outside as they waited for him to catch up. Kiba patted Naruto on the shoulder before walking past him. "Let's grab some seats by the bar."
"Huh? Why? I was hoping for a booth." Naruto replied.
"Kiba-san's right. It's troublesome when this place gets very busy." Shikamaru said over his shoulder as he pushed the door open and disappeared inside.
Sasuke never understood why his best friend loved to go out to grab drinks, even though it was extremely hard for him to get drunk. The dobe was probably going to get stuck with getting everyone home safely with his shadow clones.
Naruto had waved his way, instantly earning his attention.
"Hurry up Sasuke! The seats are filling up." Naruto yelled his way before fully entering the bar.
Sasuke paused and lifted his eyes towards the sky as he heard a pair of wings flapping against the wind. When he made eye contact with his raven, it greeted him with a loud caw. It landed on his shoulder, being more vocal than usual as Sasuke retrieved the message from the cylinder container which it carried around its body, as some sort of messenger bag.
Sasuke unraveled the scroll. It was an informal letter from her, the Hyuga seal was missing. For some reason, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately, never quite signing off her name.
I need your assistance with something.
I can't right now. I'm busy. He wasn't about to just stop everything he was doing, just to rush to her. Sasuke slid the message into the same cylinder. His raven took off right before he entered the pub.
"Aw dang, it. I got here too late. There are no more seats." Choji complained. He had arrived a few moments after everyone had already settled by the bar.
"Choji, what took you so long? You live right in the area." Naruto replied while moving to the side so that their bigger friend could squeeze in between Shikamaru and him.
"I was busy with some festival preparations." Choji leaned his elbow against the counter as he stood. "Can you believe I'm still working on the budget? I think I'm going to need your help with crunching the numbers,' bro." He said to Shikamaru.
"Festival?" Sai asked as he appeared behind Naruto, scaring him half to death.
"How long have you been standing there?" Naruto asked.
"I just got here." Sai said, as he called the bartender over to them. "I've never been to an Ino-Shika-Cho festival before,"
"That's because there hasn't been one for years. But we feel that's what the village needs right now. It's time we bring the tradition back." Choji said cheerfully. "This year we're going to host a historical dance performance of how the Ino-Shika-Cho allegiance came to be."
"I look forward to painting it."
The bartender served Sai a drink and left it on the counter. Sai had to squeeze in between those that were seated. His shoulder bumped into Shikamaru's as he reached for his drink, instantly earning a glare from the shadow user.
"Nara-san, I didn't see you there. I hope there aren't any hard feelings between us for throwing you under the kunai." Sai said, playfully.
"Is that your pitiful way of apologizing?" Shikamaru deadpanned with a bored look on his face. He knew it would be a waste of his energy to get involved any further, so he turned his attention back to his friend, Choji.
"Sai what you did was fucked up. You should apologize." Naruto had read the reports of what had happened that night. "Too bad we're not in Suna. We could've turned this into a very bloody game."
"Um, hey guys..." Choji said from his side. "My clan doesn't condone violence outside of missions."
"Don't worry Choji, like I said we're not in Suna."
"-I understand why Sai did it. We couldn't afford to lose our jobs." Kiba said, in Sai's defense.
"Then our tab should be on you, Kiba. Maybe that will teach you to stay quiet and remain diplomatic next time." Ino said as she approached the group. She had overheard Kiba's loud, obnoxious voice from afar.
She briefly hugged Choji from the side before moving to Shikamaru's side.
Sai looked into her eyes as she smiled his way before turning her attention to Kiba
"Good thinking, Beauty-chan. I do need money to support my art-" Sai's smile beamed, making him appear more menacing than ever.
"Wait a second, what?" Kiba's glare was directed towards Ino.
"Awesome. Drinks are on Kiba tonight!" Naruto continued to instigate, but turned away from the conversation in time to ignore Kiba's reaction.
He grinned at Sasuke. "So Hanabi-chan is getting released tomorrow from the hospital, huh? That's great news."
"Yeah." Sasuke already knew since he had just left the hospital to come to this little gathering. He took a deep sigh as his mind recounted his visit. Hinata's younger sister expressed feeling worried about the rumors she had been hearing. She was also confused as to why people seemed to believe that her father would ever approve of someone who wasn't a Hyuga. Why was he even thinking about this? It wasn't any of his business.
"Let's visit her and see if her father will let her go on the trip," Naruto suggested,
"Why not just send him a letter offering to oversee her training?" Sasuke asked.
"What training? I thought it was supposed to be a vacation."
Sasuke chuckled. "It was the only way to convince Hinata."
"Ah, so that's how it is. Well, I still want to see how they're both doing."
The same messenger bird found its way inside the pub, with a letter clutched between its claws. It aggressively dropped it off, by Sasuke's hand.
"Oi, what's with the sass little guy?" Naruto commented from his side. "Keep it up and Sasuke might turn you into dinner."
Sasuke activated his Sharingan to read the letter briefly. He released a small blue fire technique in his hand to burn it. The messenger got the hint and took off.
"Who was it from? Let me guess, Kakashi?" Naruto said curiously. His friend had gotten rid of the scroll a little too fast for him to tell if it had been sealed by the Hokage.
Sasuke hummed a disinterested reply before downing his first shot. He let Naruto believe that to be the truth.
"Then you're leaving?" Naruto asked.
He watched Sasuke get up from his chair in a completely different mood than when he initially went in. His dark chakra flared as he left payment on the table.
"Oi, Teme!" Naruto called out. "Don't forget about tomorrow, okay!?"
A few random Shinobis leaped back and away as they were wired to avoid anything that looked like a black hole. They glared in Sasuke's way as he was the only one responsible for summing a portal in a very tight space inside the room. The distortion around the area created a supernatural breeze that ruffled his hair, giving visibility to both his Rinnegan and Sharingan as he half turned to Naruto.
"My business won't take long," Sasuke said stoically as he stepped through his creation.
"Where's Sasuke-kun going?" Sakura asked. She had been the last person to join the group, as she had recently just gotten out of the hospital.
"I think Kakashi summoned him," Naruto said while standing up and wordlessly offering up his seat as though he had done it plenty of times before.
"Really? But I was just with Kakashi-sensei…"
"Huh," Naruto muttered. Why would Sasuke lie?
While briefly walking through space and time, Sasuke thought back about the content of the letter Hinata had sent. Nowadays, it seemed that whenever something displeased her, she normally turned to him to vent about the injustices of her world which is how he figured something didn't go the way she had planned. But that's not why he was fuming inside.
Today, she did something she shouldn't have done. Hinata had meddled in his private life. He admitted it was strange for her to do so since she rarely ever breaches his privacy. Whatever he was being called for had better be an emergency.
.
Hinata was sitting on a floor pillow, behind her desk.
Scattered around the room were plain filing boxes decorated with prints of her family's symbol. The boxes were filled with files, sealed tightly with a technique only her chakra could open. She had spent her day clearing up the office in preparation for Hanabi since she was most likely going to inherit her office.
Sasuke's messenger bird was on her lap, feet tucked in, giving the appearance that it was casually nesting. It stared back at her, almost intelligently, as she removed small debris of broken branches from its feathers, which it had gotten from multiple rushed trips to Sasuke. She wasn't particularly focusing on what she was doing, since everything felt surreal. She had achieved one of the things that she had wanted, while still feeling like she had somehow lost. Her father wouldn't budge when she urged him to release the branch members from their cages. He refused to remove anyone's seal. She yanked another piece of debris off the bird's feather, accidentally pulling a feather along.
The raven was vocal, cawing in distress while remaining still nevertheless.
"You're behaving surprisingly well. I'm happy you appreciate me pampering you this way."
She smiled when the raven was vocal once more.
It wasn't unfamiliar to her anymore, to see a portal opening in the middle of the room.
When Sasuke emerged from the portal, his red eye glowed as he glowered at her, not bothering to hide his disdain.
She stood up very slowly, holding the raven within her arms. It was easy to know why he was mad.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used my Byakugan to find you."
Even though she had apologized, he was reluctant to let it go. His eyes then trailed to the annoying feathery nuisance in her arms. He still hadn't forgotten about its attitude a little earlier.
Seconds went by, and the raven began to panic under the intensity of his glare.
Hinata let out a soft cry as she was forced to let go of the raven. She shielded her face as it began to frantically spaz, flapping its wings as though it had forgotten how to fly. The raven's claw accidentally wounded Hinata's arm in the process as it took off towards the window. Hinata peeked through the opening of the shield she had created once she felt it was safe again.
She then glared at Sasuke.
"Seriously? The poor thing didn't deserve that," She said as she pressed against the wound on her arm. She aimed the arm away from her so that the blood doesn't stain her clothes and reached from a box of tissue, using it to press it against the wound.
She didn't react when he was by her side in a second.
"Let me see it." He said a little softly. She didn't miss the concern in his eyes as the glow of his Sharingan diminished.
"I'm okay."
"Hinata." He said her name, impatiently. Hinata turned her eyes away as she stretched her arm out to him. She winced in pain as he inspected it. He kneeled in front of her and immediately began to work on healing her.
She risked staring at him now that he was focused on the gash on her arm. She was drawn to his eyes, his long lashes, his lips. She remembered secretly being jealous of him, a very, very long time ago. Back when all I could see was Naruto. Why was he so beautiful?
"Sasuke, why are you so scary?" She went on to ask him something else.
He tilted his head then grinned.
"So I scare you? Flattery doesn't get you anywhere with me. I'm still upset with you, Hinata."
"I didn't expect to see you at a bar tonight," Hinata said.
"I indulge Naruto's whims once in a while." No, that didn't quite explain why he had given in to the request. "He was recently at Matsuri-san's funeral, and now he's back, pretending to be his regular self… "
"I see, so you were just there for your friend,"
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She looked away when his eyes were back on her, and pulled her arm away when she felt like it was fully healed.
He dropped his hands to his side, the healing aura immediately disappearing as he was back on his feet.
"Forgive me for misunderstanding the situation. You normally hate going to social gatherings, that's why I thought you'll be glad that I gave you an excuse to leave,"
"You're not presenting your case very well, Hyuga."
"You're going to have to start calling me Nara very soon," Hinata said while smiling sheepishly.
Sasuke froze. It was as though Naruto had knocked the wind out of him. No matter how prepared he had been, he felt an indiscernible loss just from having her confirm it. That's when he finally took notice of the surroundings. She was already packing up.
"Congratulations." He said, actually meaning it. After all, isn't this part of what she had been fighting for?
"Thank you. I'll be back, I'm going to rinse this off," She motioned to the dried blood on her arm.
During her absence, he unclipped his cloak and hung it on the wall close by, and removed his shoes, stepping once again on the tatami mat.
When she returned, she quickly slid the door close. She spun, her gray dress moving as she walked. She took a seat on the edge of her desk, facing him.
"So what's so important that you had to resort to stalking me?" Sasuke still remembered. How could he not? Tonight he was at a pub. A few individuals were there, and yet it was him she reached out to.
"Could you please let that one go?" Hinata said, as though she was the one that had been inconvenienced by the memory.
He watched her twist her upper body slightly to reach inside a drawer, pulling up a mission scroll.
"Anyway, I was hoping you could help me with a small request… "
He sighed, not bothering to hide that he was feeling a little tired.
"Don't you have others to talk to, Hinata?" Like, what's his face?
"Well, part of the reason I come to you with my problems is… It's easier when I'm with you. You could say I'm not afraid of what you might think of me, even though you're always judging me," She confessed, softly.
"Don't take it personally, but I have to decline. I can not be employed by you again,"
She moved, relocating, to the floor right in front of him. He raised a brow at the way she stared as if the answer were in his eyes.
"May I ask why?" She asked when she couldn't understand the reason.
His eyes trailed to the scroll in her hand. He had been meaning to draw boundaries. That's why he figured he might as well start now. It would be harder to do his job since he was too close to the subject. She couldn't have him both ways. Besides, things worked best when employed by a stranger.
"You could say I'm retired,"
Hinata rubbed her temples as if willing away an impending headache.
"I didn't realize that I might've been depending on you too much. But now I see how I have burdened you,"
"Do not be so dramatic. If you were a nuisance, I would probably say that to your face."
"Alright then. I'll find someone else." Hinata said.
Sasuke chuckled. "Don't tell me there's already trouble in paradise,"
"No, nothing like that. But I don't expect you to understand,"
"You forget who you're talking to. I still know you, Hinata. I'm quite aware of your feelings and how you think. You can't always be in control of everything and win all the time. People normally just move on when they don't get what they want. So whatever it is that you're up against, maybe it is best if you let it go,"
She seemed to blush for reasons unknown. Instead of replying, she began to fidget with her braid, staring at the ends of her hair, thoughtfully. Her attention was immediately back on him when he rose, reaching for his cloak to leave. She opened her mouth, almost to thank him, but it didn't seem right to do so. It was still undecided whether she would take his advice or not.
Hinata had been wrong in her inference, for he had returned, dropping a letter over her lap. With a look of mischief, he took a seat again and gave her a look of amusement as he waited for her reaction.
"You behave as though you've already read this letter before," Hinata said dreadfully.
When he didn't answer, she sighed in defeat. She lifted it to her eye level to unseal it.
Oh, no. It was a letter from her cousin. She was already feeling drained just thinking about him and how he had gotten away from her with the help of his Suna allies. Why the Konoha council had allowed it, she didn't understand. She slowly shifted, laying on her side before reading the letter out loud.
"Dear cousin," She paused, trying to conjure her inner Toneri voice. "I'm writing to let you know that I forgive you. I will be gone for a long time, but I look forward to meeting-" She stopped, no longer finding amusement in the letter he wrote. "I hope my cousin never returns," Hinata said as she crumpled it in her hand, tossing it across the room. "Suna can have him forever."
Her legs were crossed as she laid on her back, glaring at the ceiling, her skin entirely hidden underneath her ankle-length dress.
"-but I look forward to meeting the future heir to help guide them through a peaceful ruling." Sasuke finished the letter, he already had it memorized. "Your cousin has a strange way of asking for your forgiveness."
She gaped at him. "How did you open my letter?" She asked with a hint of annoyance and suspicion.
"I had a little help from someone. I suppose that makes us even," For stalking.
"Is that someone my little sister? Did you trick her into opening it?"
He chuckled.
"Does seeing me angry amuse you?"
"Not at all." He leaned forward and ruffle her hair, frizzing it on purpose.
In a quick motion, Hinata was on her knees, seeking retribution. He caught her hands as she hovered over him, successfully stopping her attempts. She fell back down and gave up. She could hardly do anything while giggling uncontrollably, all the while wrestling her hands out of his grip.
As she lay there, she covered her lips with one hand to stop herself from smiling. She didn't like to smile too freely. Hinata tried to reel herself back in and control her giggles.
It was hard not to suddenly be aware of every part of her body as he got a good view from his angle. She was sprawled by him, her head close to his lap, her hand gently folded over her stomach as her lavender eyes stared up at him, never looking away.
She was so close. There was no way of moving away from her without seeming weird about it. She'll see through it.
He cleared his throat. "By the way, just a heads-up. Naruto wants to visit tomorrow,"
"I don't mind the visit, but it's too soon to ask father about anything. I hope you let him know that."
Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief when she was the one that moved away, suddenly seating up properly as though she remembered her royal status.
Now that there was a resemblance of distance, he briefly dwelled on her previous words. Did she forget that Naruto generally tended to do whatever he feels it's right? Sasuke didn't comment on it.
He pretended to stretch a bit and slipped to his side, laying with his arm propping his head. Although they remained close, he no longer felt her warmth.
"My little sister comes home tomorrow. But I don't think I have any way of explaining everything to her without seeming..." She trailed off. But he seemed to understand the question.
"Just show her the truth." His eyes motioned to the filing boxes in her surrounding. "It would be the easiest way to tell her everything without distorting anything."
"Are you insane?" He raised an eyebrow her way. "If Hanabi-chan reads my recap, she will see what I have done."
"You're being too harsh on yourself. You know we all had a part to play." Sasuke reminded her.
"Some more than others," Hinata replied, regretfully.
"You underestimate her. She may already know everything."
She shot him a look. "Did you tell her?"
"No, but I think I finally know what you're afraid of," His older brother had been the same way, only a little more twisted. "She will eventually have to see you for all your flaws."
She remembered the heartbreak she went through when she realized Naruto was also just a flawed person and not some sort of saint. She smiled bitterly before lifting her gaze to stare at him. "It might hurt her."
"Everyone has to grow up eventually." He said, rising to a sitting position while drawing one knee in.
"I just want her to be happy."
"She'll be better off knowing," Sasuke replied.
"I hope you're not wrong." She said while rubbing the corner of her eye and suppressing a yawn.
"I think that's my cue to go," Sasuke said with a grin.
"I think so too, my dear friend."
If she were able to read his thoughts during all the time they spent together, she probably wouldn't be calling him a friend. But as a friend, he didn't wish to trouble her with his burdens. There was no reason to tell her that he had not listened to her warning, that he had grown too fond of her.
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A/N: 9-20-21 Hello! It's been a long time x.x I hope you've all been well, friends and families too. I'm wasn't on a hiatus, but I went through a period where it was hard to type enough words to form a chapter. I was unhappy with the original chapter 25 so I had to start all over.
I finally got around to editing this after the time I posted it. Edited: 12-5-2021, grammar.
Edited: 9-9-22 grammar and title