Chapter 30: The Festival
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"You ought to stay in tomorrow, in my professional opinion," The Anbu said as they relocated to the tearoom. Hinata picked up a stack of wedding invitations that had been resting on the low table and fixed them to the side.
"Do you really think it's going to be that dangerous for me at the festival?"
Yoshino, who had heard the conversation as she was passing by the open halls, decided to stop by to share her opinion.
"Nonsense, the festival will be one of the safest places for her," Yoshino said as she remained close to the door with a hand on her hip.
Hinata was inclined to agree with her protector, however, Yoshino's statement made her curious as to why she believed she'll be the safest at the festival.
"How so?"
"You see, dear, only an idiot would dare to attack you there. As a Nara, you automatically have the Ino-Shika-cho families backing you. Not to mention the Inuzukas and Aburames who are also fond of you," Yoshino replied, not realizing that something finally clicked in place inside Hinata's plan.
"By the way, do not forget to invite Lord Kazekage and his siblings. I doubt they'll make it, but it'll look bad if we don't reach out,"
"Okay," Hinata replied with her hand on her chin as she wrote a specialized invitation to Lord Kazekage.
"Hinata," She glanced up from the wedding invitations and sent a smile in Shikamaru's way as he stood by the door. "I'm going to lend a hand to the vendors since they need help building hundreds of booths. This year's festival is projected to be bigger than before, probably due to a troublesome increase in tourism,"
"And what about dinner?"
"Not sure if I'm going to make it,"
"Would you like me to come and help out as well?"
He saw all the letters on the table, still unfinished. "If you have free time. But don't forget, I scheduled someone to paint your portrait,"
"I still don't understand why it has to be a portrait when we can just hire a photographer,"
"Troublesome Nara traditions," He replied through a lazy smile. Hinata closed her eyes when he closed the distance to kiss her forehead before leaving. "I'll see tonight then,"
She felt restless after he left, as her mind had come up with ideas but had no way of organizing them coherently. Having gained enough experience and efficiency through playing against her fiancé, Hinata laid out a Shogi board, leaving the wedding invitations unfinished.
After meticulously studying the board, Hinata believed it was now about executing it. Truth be told, she was tired of living in fear. It was about time to take back control.
"Anbu-chan, I'm going to make a call. Get ready for a short walk."
Before Sai could answer, she was already off the floor pillow, her hair being the last thing he saw as she walked out the door.
"And what about the invitations?" He called out.
"I'll finish them later!" He heard her voice down the hall.
The little walk, as she called it, ended up being miles and miles long as she had found some sort of back door, as the Nara forest had a path that connected to the town. She had scheduled a meeting in the most isolated and deserted part, as everyone seemed to be busy elsewhere, working to make the festival happen.
Hinata dismissed her Anbu, wordlessly instructing them to give her privacy as she discusses something with Yami.
Yami frowned behind his mask after reading the mission request he had been given.
"Isn't there another way to do this?" He asked. "What about the meeting?"
"The meeting will go on with or without me. I'm working on the logistics, just make sure people show up. And in the meantime," She took out a second mission scroll and handed it to him, which stated pretty much everything she had just told him, but with more details. "Here are some more instructions of what you ought to do to prepare for tomorrow's festival,"
"For freedom," He said while bowing.
She smiled. "For freedom,"
Once Hanabi's meeting with Yami was over, Sai walked back to her side with his arms crossed.
"You don't look like you're ready to go back," He commented.
"Whatever gave it away? I want to deliver some invitations in person to my friends," Hinata said as she hastily began to walk towards the first stop.
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Kiba had not been expecting her at all. After receiving an invitation from her, he gave her a big hug as he welcomed her inside his home, while Akamaru shaped shifted to join in.
"Kiba-too tight!"
"Sorry Hinata, it seems I've gotten too strong lately!" He said, pulling away and lifting his shirt to show off his hardened abs, for which she rolled her eyes and giggled.
"Is Tsume-chan here?"
"Yeah. What do you need to speak to my mom for?" He asked curiously, as Shikamaru's inquiries lingered in the back of his mind.
"I need a woman's advice and perspective. It's about my wedding night-"
"Mom! Hinata-chan is here to see you!" Kiba cut her off, as he walked further into the home, his cheeks reddening. He dropped her off at his mother's office before leaving to fetch his older sister to make them some tea.
"Hinata-chan, come in! I heard about how your father finally excommunicated you. What a smooth way of getting rid of you than to do it through marriage,"
"It wasn't like that at all, Tsume-chan!"
"I'm only teasing,"
"That's probably how my clan may perceive it. Which is why I wanted to ask you for a favor. I was hoping we could coordinate an event together in your home. I want to gather some of my people and remind them that there's still hope, and they should not give up freedom just because I'm no longer part of the clan,"
"And how many people are we talking about here?"
"Probably hundreds. How much will it cost to rent the space?"
"Just help me cover the cost of catering, and we're good," Tsume replied, not minding at all since she had always wanted to be part of something big.
"Um, there's something else I need to ask of you. In the event that I can't make it to the meeting, would you please follow these guidelines and give the speech on my behalf?" She handed Tsume her unfinished draft that addressed issues of the future and steps to take once freedom is obtained. "You have my permission to use a disguise in my likeness since it'll be more effective that way,"
"Why do you think you won't make it?"
"It's just a contingency plan. There was an attempt on my life recently done by the main branch, and I don't know if there'll be another,"
"Kami, I didn't know about that. Alright. Leave it all to me. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that,"
After saying their goodbyes, they were back outside.
"My sensei and my other best friend are next on the list," Hinata said as she faced her protector.
"Then we better hurry. You still have other duties expected of you back home,"
"I promise this won't take as long," Hinata said.
It was around the afternoon when they finally got back using the same path they took. Hinata extended her hand towards her protector, and they both leaped over the fence, back into the Nara forest. After being nagged by her Anbu, she had managed to get back with enough time to change into something more presentable and traditional for the artist's visit.
On her way out of her room, she caught something from the corner of her eyes that hadn't been there before. Hinata walked up to the scroll, and her eyes furrowed in confusion as there was some kind of sketch there of what looked to be her, sleeping on her side.
"Hinata-sama," Her Anbu called out from outside. "He's here,"
She took the drawing and hid it inside the sleeve of her Kimono and walked out with a worried frown.
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The artist turned out to be a senile-looking old man, who introduced himself as the family painter as he boasted about having painted every Nara in the family tree.
"This is Hinata Hyuga, my son's fiancée," Yoshino introduced her.
"My heavenly Kami, the rumors of your beauty do you no justice, darling," He said in awe when he first saw her. "And here I was ready to paint another hot-headed, loud-mouth, ill-mannered brunette,"
"I've matured and mellowed out since the last time you painted me, you old man!" Yoshino said with a glare, seemingly reverting to the same young woman she used to be, in a span of a second. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'll leave you to your work,"
Hinata giggled before turning to the painter. "Um, where do we even start?"
"Shikamaru-san left me with instructions when he commissioned the painting. He said to utilize his office. Would you show me the way?"
"Yes of course,"
The old man turned to Sai, "Young girl, would you help this old man carry his supplies?"
"S-Sure," Sai replied, overwhelmed with happiness to be touching art supplies once more.
"This is the first time I've painted a Hyuga. If I die tomorrow, just know you made this old man's death less painful,"
Hinata inwardly rolled her eyes as his comments about her appearance had been getting more and more frequent. However, she appeared poised and pleasant as her smile came out sweeter to make up for the fact that she felt annoyed, mostly over the sketch she had found.
"So what's the theme here?" Sai asked as he finished carefully setting the art equipment down.
She listened from behind Shikamaru's desk, as her Anbu helped the old man set up.
"A beautiful newlywed Nara wife, catering to her husband's needs as she dutifully waits for him to finish his clan duties. I'll like some teacups as props which Hyuga-sama may hold,"
Sai didn't know what came over him. He tried to hold back a laugh, but a strange sound escaped him. Did he just snort like a pig? Hinata looked his way, startled, then looked away while her hand flew to her lips as she held back a laugh, forgetting momentarily about earlier's discovery.
"Did my fiancé commission such details?" She asked after clearing her throat to compose herself.
"No,"
"That's a relief, I can't stand such a narrow-minded theme,"
The old man glared at her, no longer finding her cute and innocent. She was such a Hyuga, probably with a hidden temper worse than a Nara.
"Anbu-chan, help me set the board," She instructed her protector.
Hinata lifted herself off the floor as Sai had placed a board over Shikamaru's desk.
While he set up the black pieces, Hinata joined him to set the opposing side. She took the king piece, holding it thoughtfully to her chin as she glanced down at the board. Her violet-blue eyelashes make her lavender eyes more pronounced.
The old man's eyes widened.
"Yes!" He nodded as he came closer. His excitement had him reaching out to fix her posture, so he could make her appear less aggressive.
A hand reached out and stopped his wrinkly wrist before he could touch her.
"Don't," The Anbu deadpanned.
"Um, Anbu-chan, he's just doing his job," Hinata said while placing the piece down on the board.
"And how am I supposed to do mine?" He retorted as he turned to the old man. "Listen, I can help adjust Hinata-sama's posture. Just let me know what you want," He said earnestly.
"Are you a fellow painter as well?"
Hinata also curiously awaited his answer.
"Er, I just know how to pose for photos," Sai said through a nervous smile.
"Ah, photos. My granddaughter decided to follow the path of photography. I'll leave the gestures up to you while I get my colors and pallets ready in the meantime,"
Sai turned slightly to Hinata, realizing he didn't quite know what to say to her as he never had to do anything in terms of directing her as she was always someone who gave all the directions.
Hmm, it might be too controversial to have her sitting behind the desk as she's not the leader, Sai thought carefully before speaking his mind.
"Hinata-sama,"
"Hmm?"
He patted the desk, "Sit right here," He then picked up the piece. However, his wrist had a different tilt, and the piece was closer to his lips. "And hold it just like this,"
Sai moved away, walking past the painter, settling behind him, while leaning against the wall.
She sat over the desk, next to the board. She seemed to mirror his direction while breaking into a smile.
"Smile a little less," The painter instructed her.
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After an hour of posing and with nothing else to do, Hinata mostly kept her eyes on her Anbu, as she seemed to recognize that stare from somewhere. The way they looked at her, as if memorizing her, in a way that made her uncomfortable. The playful smile had left her eyes a long time ago.
She moved, breaking posture, and stretched.
"Hyuga-sama?" The painter asked.
"Why don't you take a break? A maid will be right with you if you go to the tearoom," She suggested kindly, but the old man knew she was merely dismissing him out of the room.
"Anbu-chan, come here," She commanded in the same tone he had heard her use on others before.
As Sai got closer, she snatched up his wrist and forced him to sit down in her place. She handed him a Shogi piece and walked over to where the painter used to be while her arms were crossed.
"Hinata-sama-" Sai asked.
"I'm curious to see what I look like from your perspective. Come now, show me,"
Sai hesitantly made the hand signs required. When he transformed into her, he didn't seem to know what to do with his hands as he held the piece to his lips, how he hated chapped lip season.
Afterward, what followed was probably the loudest silence Sai had to endure.
"I didn't want to believe it at first. You can make one heck of a cocktail. Tell me, did you also bartend? Isn't painting also one of those things you enjoy the most, aside from people-watching?" She asked as she withdrew a sketch that looked to be one of his.
She heard him sigh, as he dropped his disguise.
No, at least deny it!
This can not be happening. The Hokage's personal snitch was her protector.
"How much have you told Lord Hokage about me?"
"Nothing yet. I need to tell him something soon before he suspects my fickle loyalty,"
Fickle loyalty? She sensed an opportunity come up.
"And what can I offer you in return for your silence?" Hinata asked as she approached him. "What is this thing that you desire so much that you say it can't be bought?"
He glanced her away thoughtfully while playing with the idea of making a request.
"Will you give me anything I want?" Sai asked.
"If it's something within my power-"
"-It is." He replied. As a Shinobi, he's supposed to want peace and help maintain it for any cause. He's been doing the bare minimum, making sure he helps Lord Kakashi keep foreign countries from wanting to go to war, however domestically…
"And what is it that you want in return?"
"You could say I lack what they may call the will of fire,"
"I can't help you with obtaining that,"
"That is not what I want help with. You see, the creative side of me is trapped right now in the middle. I like peace, but detest it all the same time. There's something I want to express, but my imagination alone just isn't enough in these peaceful times. I want to capture a moment in our history or personal hell. I missed my chance during the war because we were all asleep, locked inside a fantasy. Furthermore, I don't want to miss a chance to be part of something again," Witnessing the collapse of a dying tradition that lasted for thousands of years and recording it through his art, would be timeless and priceless. "Can you give me that?"
He did not mention he looked forward to a bit of gore, blood, fire, and chaos.
"Hn, as long as you don't get in my way. I'm planning a meeting after the festival, tell him that," Hinata said thoughtfully. "It doesn't matter whether he knows or not. He can't stop it since I'm not doing anything outside my rights," She replied, tipping all pawn pieces around the king.
"Alright, I'll send word to Lord Kakashi tonight,"
But now that she knew who he really was, she didn't want to share the same space with him.
"I'm sleeping in a different room tonight,"
"Different room? Do you mean Shikamaru-san's? You naughty thing,"
"I don't want to hear this from you, Anbu-chan!" She said, motioning to the sketch he had made of her.
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Shikamaru found her nearly passed out, her hair spilling to one side as she had finished writing hundreds of invitations, as the Anbu sat in the corner of the room, with what appeared to be a sketch pad. Shikamaru figured the old man must've left it behind when he came to paint her.
"Welcome back," She said, with a lot less energy than normal. "How was it?" She asked as she approached him and took a piece of wooden debris off his hair.
"It was troublesome. I didn't know I missed doing these kinds of things with the other clans. You'll be there at the next one helping us for sure," He smelled himself. He had a feeling he smelled like he was rolling on wood. "Let's catch up later, I'm going to take a shower," He added and patted her on her head.
Sai stopped sketching when she glanced his way.
"Anbu-chan, we need to go over some things together, for tomorrow," She motioned him to join him. As Sai listened in, his lips twitched into a wicked smile, sensing her wavelength and train of thought as she explained tomorrow's plan.
He stayed behind after she exited the room, now giving her more privacy than before, as she deemed it inappropriate for them to share the same room while she gets ready.
That night, Hinata knocked on Shikamaru's door and anxiously waited. When he opened it, he had been in the process of drying his hair with a towel, his entire torso exposed.
"Shikamaru-kun, can I come in?" She asked him.
He paused and left his white towel draped around his shoulder. "Is everything okay?"
"I was thinking, I want us to have a secret code so that I'm not constantly afraid of whether you're an assassin or my fiancé. When you enter a room, I want to hear you say it," She said as she slowly made her way towards his bed and climbed in the middle of it.
"And what phrase have you decided on?" Shikamaru asked.
"Is 'I love you' too cheesy?"
"I love you always," He immediately replied, his answer earned him a giggle from her.
Shikamaru plopped down next to her. He could tell something made her nervous from the way she had moved a pillow on her lap.
With a slight blush on her cheeks, she lifted her finger and poked his chest, sending chakra his way, pleased that he didn't disperse into someone else.
"Yeah, it's me," He replied with a lazy smile, knowing she was just being cautious.
"I know, just wanted to make sure,"
He leaned all his weight into one arm, while his free hand casually rested on her leg, feathered over her thighs.
"I'm glad you dropped by," He said.
"We barely get to spend much time together with all the clan work you've been doing. But I know it is not always going to be like this," She looked away from his bare chest, fidgeting with the pillow on her lap.
Not knowing what to do about her odd nervous behavior, he enveloped the pillow in darkness, using his shadow to fling it across the room. It then wrapped itself around both of her wrists, as an invisible force pushed her down on her back, her hands bound over her head, all the while Shikamaru remained laying on his side.
"W-What are you doing?" She asked him.
He lazily pushed himself up into a sitting position, slightly amused by her reaction.
"Sometimes you're easy to read. You're already involved in something. And I suppose you've also reached out to Yami-san," Shikamaru theorized, coming closer until he was eventually looming over her.
She was too flustered by then to come up with a retort, she looked away from him.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes, realizing what might've been going through her mind at the time.
"Troublesome, what are you getting excited for? I thought you weren't into this," His teasing words did earn a response. It might've been the first time he had seen her intense disdain specifically aimed towards him. He felt like an idiot for wanting to kiss her right then.
He let go of the shadow, not expecting to be met by a hug as soon as he unleashed her. Her hands gripped his hair as he returned her kisses.
His arms automatically snaked around her waist. And with very little space left between them, Hinata could feel him pulsing against her as she was straddled.
Her fingers left his hair to explore as she lightly touched his arm, stalling around certain areas, discreetly blocking his chakra path one by one, enough to immobilize him, before rolling to be on top, his wrist bound over his head by her small hands.
"It's just one meeting with the clan, and then I'm done,"
"Troublesome. Just don't put yourself in a situation where Lord Kakashi will be forced to have Ino read your mind. Ino, she's like a sister I didn't ask for. For some reason, she has it in her head that you're not right for me. Maybe you two should spend more time together to convince her otherwise,"
She frowned, as it was her first time hearing of this. Did that mean the Ino-Shika-Cho was not actually on her side? Had she overestimated her own likability?
"You make it seem like she actually has a say in your decisions. But I remember you saying you'll be with me until the end," Hinata said as she was still sitting on top of him, straddled.
"I'm still here, Hinata. I broke kami knows how many laws for you. Maybe that's the problem. Now, care to release me?" He asked, as he couldn't move a single muscle.
"I like you better this way," Hinata replied playfully. However, she went on to unblock his chakra.
Maybe she shouldn't sleep here tonight after all. Hinata climbed out of bed as he was in the motion of sitting back up. Shikamaru didn't let her reach the door, his shadow stopping her. He scooped her up, bringing her back to bed bridal style.
"Sleep here tonight," He said, as he was thinking that waiting five more days isn't going to make a difference as she was already his wife in his eyes.
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'It's like you want me to move in and live here with you,' Hanabi teased her older sister, the next day, as they had just finished getting dressed at Nara's residence.
Hinata adjusted her younger sister's ornament, her hand pausing momentarily, as she wondered if Hanabi was going to grow up to be taller than her, as they now stood eye-to-eye.
Hinata retrieved her hand and smiled.
"Where are you meeting Sakura-chan?"
'By the entrance. Then we're going to meet up with the rest of the gang,'
"Right," Hinata said, knowing she probably implied that he was going to be there.
'But we'll watch the play together,'
"Mhm, looking forward to it,"
'Are you? You seem kind of down,'
"You already made plans with your friends, so I understand,"
'If you hadn't made things weird between you guys, we would've all been having fun right now,'
"Can we not talk about this ever again?"
'I'll be leaving first since Yami-san is outside. See you at the play, Onee-chan,' Hanabi said as she exited Hinata's room.
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The streets which were home to the Nara clan, Yamanaka clan, and Akimichi clan were crowded with both people and entertainment as all kinds of booths had been set up for the purpose of celebration. From young to old, rich or poor, the festival was very open to the public to enjoy the foods and mini-games which promised prices.
Naruto strolled behind Sakura and Hanabi, listening to Sakura's voice express sounds of mysticism, as though she couldn't believe how lively, vibrant and peaceful the scenery seemed. The sun was slowly setting, and the vendors lit up their lanterns one by one.
Sakura's conversations and giggles may have seemed one-sided at glance, but he knew better as nowadays Hanabi found a means of communicating to her through silent giggles, sarcastic smirks, or rolls of the eyes.
Sometimes Sakura would turn to him and point to things, emerald eyes lighting up even more, before going back to solely focusing her attention on Hanabi, as the two walked side by side, arms locked.
Naruto's attention shifted back to Konohamaru, as they were all trailing behind him. Konohamaru, Sasuke, and Sai were discussing work-related things that needed to be done in preparation for team 7's pending departure. He noticed Sasuke glancing over every so often his way, sending him questioning glances as his hands were tucked inside his Yukata.
Sasuke raised a brow towards Naruto, who had closed the distance and threw his arm around his shoulder, pulling him close.
"Did Tenten finish up the weapons?"
"I left her with instructions to deliver it,"
"Cool. Ne, can you take the others around for a bit?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shrugged Naruto's arm off, picking up speed, leaving Naruto behind to join the two girls in front of him.
He walked up to Hanabi and his sudden closeness had her attention as they both sent a quizzical glance his way.
Due to the nature of Naruto's stupid request. He decided to sign his response, knowing Sakura was still learning the basics.
'The dobe wants time alone with his girlfriend,' Sasuke made fast hand signs to go along with his words. Hanabi giggled, and her eyes lightened with mischief as her head gave a firm nod.
She turned to Sakura, who seemed a little skeptical of the exchange happening.
"What did Sasuke say about me?" Sakura asked Hanabi, suspiciously.
"I'm going to steal you for a while," Naruto replied nonchalantly as he moved behind Sakura. Both his hands reached out as he gently pushed Sakura away from the group, prompting her to walk.
"But Naruto, we all came here together," Sakura protested, her body half turning to glance over her shoulder, meeting his persuasive blue eyes.
"We'll meet up later and then do more activities together,"
"Alright, have fun you two," Sai said a little too enthusiastically. The group's eyes were suddenly on him, for he had been too expressive with his emotion, seemingly out of nowhere.
"That's the spirit, I knew you'll have my back, Sai!" Naruto said, knowing that he was Lee in disguise.
After the pair disappeared, Lee immediately realized he had almost given himself away. He didn't want to risk another failure like that.
"I'm going to go find Ino-chan. I'll see you guys around," He lied.
Hanabi nodded, waving briefly after Sai, before turning to Sasuke and Konohamaru.
The smoke coming from all the food being cooked hit Hanabi's nostrils until she identified the one scent that made her stomach growl. She stopped at a food stand that displayed an assortment of grilled vegetables and meats on skewers. Her sharp lavender eyes were filled with intent as the vendor standing behind the booth asked what she and her friends would like.
Hanabi pointed, her choice leaning towards veganism, before turning to Sasuke and Konohamaru, as if waiting for them to decide.
"Go ahead and order something," Sasuke said to Konohamaru as he turned his way. "Your Senpai will be treating you tonight," He said to the two of them, then glanced towards Hanabi who seemed happy about the concept of getting her expenses covered.
"Thanks, that's awesome," Konohamaru said, bowing slightly his way, his eyes almost sparkling in delight. "Make it two of whatever she's having," Konohamaru said to the vendor as Sasuke took care of the payment.
"Aren't you getting anything?" Konohamaru asked Sasuke.
Sasuke nodded, then walked up closer to the booth to scan the choices before him. He stretched out his hand to receive a grilled meat and vegetable skewer.
They turned away from the booth, to seek refuge out of the crowd that trafficked both ways. Naras, Yamanakas, Akamichis, Inuzukas, Aburames, and Hyugas were walking all around them, along with civilians.
"Are you a vegan now?" Konohamaru asked as they settled by the bare trees. He recalled the last time they all went out as a group. Hanabi's plate had been filled with meat back then.
Hanabi looked at Sasuke as if asking him to interpret for her.
"She recently started caring about living things a little too much," Sasuke summarized.
"You mean you haven't been eating meat? How the hell did you grow so much in just a few months?" Konohamaru commented, for which she merely decided not to respond.
"This is missing tomatoes," Sasuke said reflectively to the two, his statement seemingly random, though it really wasn't, at least not in his mind.
Hanabi pounded on her chest, almost choking on her food. Once she had recovered, she shook her head as if to say, 'No, it doesn't need frigging tomatoes'.
"Naruto-nii was right about you," Konohamaru commented with a blank expression, feeling disappointed or let down by witnessing Sasuke's cool image shatter before his eyes.
Sasuke persevered, making a stand on his statement, not feeling any embarrassment over his preferred taste. He took a small bite, while his palm held a napkin ready to catch any renegade.
Konohamaru rolled his eyes, before smiling towards Hanabi. In turn, she gave Sasuke a look that was deciphered as another counter, a stand against his preferences. Sasuke smirked freely and said nothing further as they all continued to eat in silence.
Once they were finished, Hanabi walked in front of them in search of the next place to try, as the two followed.
She dodged past people, the ornaments that held her brown hair together swayed with movement as her wool cloak was partially opened, revealing partially the kimono she wore underneath.
The sunset had set by then, with the evening sky drastically changing the surrounding atmosphere. The decorative red lights became more prominent as they hung from booth to booth. The ghostly, translucent nature of Hanabi's eyes captured the colors of the warm lights hanging all around them, her lavender eyes turning into all shades of crimson.
When she glanced their way, it transitioned from plum to brown. By the time they stopped by a bare, dormant cherry blossom tree, her eyes were lavender again.
Ever the observant, Sasuke noticed something blatant about Konohamaru; Poor guy had a crush on Hanabi, as he was reminded of the way Naruto usually looks at Sakura.
Sasuke thought he heard Konohamaru wistfully sigh.
"Hey, um, Hanabi, would you like to share a beer?" Konohamaru asked, pointing to a booth that had some on display.
"Didn't I say I'll treat you all tonight?" Sasuke reminded them, hiding his amusement when Hanabi seemed relieved that she didn't have to answer.
He lightly patted Konohamaru on the back, knowing what the glare being aimed his way was for.
"Then I guess I'll have a beer," Konohamaru replied almost grumpily.
"And you?" Sasuke asked Hanabi.
He understood right away her gestures as she held her arms, pretending to shiver.
"Hot chocolate it is," Sasuke replied while walking past Konohamaru, saying he'll be back with their drinks.
The two waited for Sasuke by the side, and out of people's way. As they waited, Konohamaru wondered if she was aware of her expressions. He had heard about the hell she went through from being kidnapped to losing a friend, yet there was a small tilt on the corner of her lips as opposed to the Stoic blank look she once had in her eyes.
Hanabi glanced at Konohamaru, the two suddenly exchanging an awkward nod and a smile.
He blushed and looked away.
"Say...you're not mad at me, right?"
She looked at him in confusion.
"You haven't reached out since you got back…and I'm sorry I didn't visit you at the hospital. I really wanted to. Hell, I didn't even visit Naruto-nii after what happened to him at the war. Somehow I've grown to hate hospitals, no offense to your career, I respect what you do-" He suddenly stopped talking and sighed. It was kind of frustrating that he couldn't exactly have a proper conversation with Hanabi.
'Idiot,' Hanabi mouthed his way, visibly irritated by something he had said. That's when he knew he should've stayed quiet and had somehow messed up.
He looked in Sasuke's direction, as he seemed to be finished paying for the drinks.
"I'm going to go look for Lee and Tenten and see what they're up to. They said they were coming, but I haven't seen them yet. Tell Sasuke-senpai I said thanks and sorry,"
Sasuke followed Konohamaru's retrieving form as he rejoined Hanabi, handing her a cup. He was left with an extra beer, how annoying. Sasuke placed the extra can inside the pocket of his cloak.
"Hn, so he ran away," Sasuke said casually.
'Yeah,' She replied, while finally taking a sip of her drink.
He caught her eyes as she mock-winced at the strong flavor as she took a sip of the Yamanaka's special hot chocolate.
'Are you trying to poison me!' She signed to him, realizing it was spiked with something alcoholic. Still, she seemed to laugh. 'I should go find my sister soon before she comes looking for me,'
"I'm going to take a guess and say she's surrounded by a crowd of her cult followers right about now," Sasuke said.
Sure enough, Hanabi saw her sister surrounded by Shino, Kiba, Kurenai, and her toddler, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji.
.
"Hinata-chan, Shikamaru-san congrats!" Kurenai said while holding Mirai.
"I can't believe her papa said yes!" Tsume said to Yoshino.
"That was exactly my reaction too," Ino said. "I almost asked Shika who he had to kill or bribe,"
"Facts, I low-key thought the same," Kiba said while elbowing Shino.
"Next year's winter festival should be about how the Ino-Shika-cho and the Hyuga clan became joined an allegiance," Choji said, "It's going to be an epic story with a forbidden romance between two members of different clans and a happy ending-"
Shikamaru gave his friend a lazy smile and said nothing. If only Choji knew half of it from the real story.
"Alright," Ino said. "Kiba-san, Shino-san, thanks for offering your assistance with the stage lighting," She then turned to her team, "It's time to go check in with the stage actors,"
"Hanabi-chan is taking a long time to get here… " Hinata said in contemplation, as she lifted her gaze towards a random food booth, her protector perched at the top.
Sai gave her a slight nod her way before leaping off to join her.
"You should go find Hanabi-chan and meet us back," Yoshino said. "We'll be here by the stage to grab the best seats, we'll save one for you and Hanabi-chan,"
.
Hanabi's brow furrowed. She thought she heard her sister's voice calling from afar.
She turned towards the sound of her sister's voice as Hinata had come up and touched her shoulder.
Hanabi's eyes danced past her, as if expecting her sister to be there with the others. Instead, she was there with an Anbu.
"There you are," Hinata said with a smile, "When were you going to try and find me?"
'Where are the others?' Hanabi asked her, as she couldn't believe they allowed her to walk around by herself, especially with the threat she faces.
"Kiba-kun and Shino-kun are helping with the stage. That's why I came to get you. It starts soon. We should go."
Hinata didn't risk glancing his way.
She was sure Sasuke would be able to see how uneasy she felt inside. However, there was something unnerving about the way he blatantly attempted to meet her eyes.
She gave in, her brows twisting in annoyance, only to see that there was nothing reflecting. No emotions, or recognition. He was a complete stranger. How embarrassing, could it be that she was the only one having a hard time? If she didn't hate him before, she found reasons to dislike him just then.
Hanabi let out an inaudible sigh as she stood between the two with her hot chocolate in hand. No matter what she had initially believed, this was all super awkward. Was being Sasuke's friend even worth it? It felt like she was suffocating as she was stuck in between the two. And just like her older sister had made a choice, she also had to make hers.
Hanabi stepped closer to Hinata.
'Onee-chan, just give me a minute to say goodbye, I'll meet you there, okay?'
Hinata nodded her way and half spun to join the Anbu that waited for her further back.
Sasuke believed he could finally breathe again once Hinata was out of sight.
'I don't think I can-' Her opportunity was interrupted by an energetic woman with brown hair rolled into buns.
"Sasuke-kun! Hanabi-chan!" Tenten waved their way while approaching them with Lee, Konohamaru, and Lord Kakashi. "Look at what I finished today," She handed Hanabi an object wrapped in a soft piece of cloth decorated with the logo of Tenten's weapon shop.
Hanabi unraveled the cloth slowly, immediately recognized it, thinking she had lost it back in Suna's borders.
Her kunai.
She held the knife in her hand as if picturing herself testing it on her enemies, and then closer to inspect it, noticing right away the action figure had been replaced with her new favorite character.
"That guy was really adamant that I finished the repairs today," Tenten explained while pointing his way. "He even had me replace the ornament, here's the old one by the way in case you still want it," Tenten reached into her Kimono and handed her the old action figure.
Hanabi blinked, then glanced in Sasuke's way, her smile that of sadness, mixed with gratitude. How was she supposed to say anything negative, when Sasuke was always so kind? When Sasuke smiled back, it only ended up coming out as his signature smirk.
Sasuke shifted his focus to Konohamaru, his hand reaching inside his cloak to take out the beer from earlier, shoving it hard into Konohamaru's chest, who pretended to wince in pain.
"I never knew the Late Third Hokage's grandson would be such a coward," Sasuke said knowingly, as he feinted disappointment. He shook his head and added a few 'tsk, tsk' as he stared at Konohamaru.
"Haha… I don't know what you mean, Senpai," He said while laughing nervously, not meeting Hanabi's eyes.
"Hn, sure," It didn't take long for Sasuke's smile to disappear once his eyes landed on Kakashi. He knew that look and stayed with Kakashi as Hanabi took off with Konohamaru, Lee and Tenten.
"Is something up?" Sasuke finally asked as the two trailed behind at a distance.
"I'm not sure. But something feels off. I asked Naruto's clones to keep a lookout and let me know if they notice anything's amiss," Kakashi said as he faked his smiles and waved towards bystanders that thanked him for all his hard work at protecting the village.
"Do you think Naruto will really find something?"
"If he hasn't already noticed anything wrong, then perhaps it's because it's already too late to act," Kakashi said with a frown.
"And what do you think the threat is?" Sasuke followed up, but was met with silence.
.
"Hanabi-chan, over here!" Hinata waved to the empty seat next to her, relieved that Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.
Hinata glanced at her sister, as her sister settled next to her.
"Did you decide to ignore the advice then?" Hinata asked, in reference to maintaining a political friendship with Sasuke. Hanabi leaned her way, an empty expression overcoming her features.
Sai reached for his dagger and quickly leaped off the top of a nearby booth. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to reach Hinata in time, but still subdued Hanabi's usurper, pulling her away from Hinata.
"What are you doing to her!?" Kurenai asked, while holding Mirai closer to her, covering her child's eyes as the Anbu pulled Hanabi away from Hinata, subduing her onto the ground with a loud thud, his hand holding a knife steadily to the culprit's throat.
"Kurenai, that's not her sister!" Tsume said, as she realized this had merely been an assassination attempt. Tsume and Yoshino both quickly rushed to Hinata's side.
"Are you hurt?!" Yoshino asked her. Hinata pressed her hand around the kunai that had been plunged into her abdomen and winced in pain.
Blood quickly spread around as she pulled the knife out in case it had been poisoned. The pain she felt prompted her to send out a pulse of chakra, as she bit back a cry while trying to remain as still as possible.
It was becoming hard to breathe.
Naruto and Sakura had been walking towards the play when they felt the first pulse. The two exchanged a look before picking up their speed, arriving there to find Hinata gently being lifted by Shikamaru as he delegated instructions while setting her down on top of his cloak.
Hinata glanced up at Hanabi's worried expression, offering words of sentiments as she rested her head on Hanabi's lap. Her sister began to heal her.
Kiba had grabbed the culprit away from Anbu's grasp, punched him, breaking the disguise to reveal a male Hyuga from the main clan.
"Kiba-san, don't kill the perpetrator!" Shikamaru called out.
He turned to Shikamaru, "But he's guilty as fuck!"
"Listen to him, Kiba. We need him alive! There could be others out there," Shino reasoned. "I'm going to go take a look and see if I find anything."
"We'll help as well!" Tenten said as Lee nodded. They all split up, and at the last minute, Kiba had decided to join.
"Shikamaru-san!" Sakura called out as she ran up to them, to get a better look at Hinata's wound as she laid on Hanabi's lap. She then sighed out in relief. "The attacker missed any important organs," She said as Naruto remain by their side.
Shikamaru returned Sakura's and Naruto's smile that had mirrored his own. Upon hearing the good news, his worries lifted off his shoulder. So she's going to be okay.
"I don't think she'll even need a hospital," Sakura added, as she aided Hanabi with healing her sister.
Knowing that Hinata was going to be okay, Naruto parted from them to do crowd control. He turned on sage mode and inspected the feelings and emotions of the murmuring crowd of bystanders who had witnessed Hinata's assault. Members from all different clans could be seen frowning, their eyes darkening with killer intent aimed towards any Hyuga on sight.
Naruto deactivated his sage mode, knowing now what he must do.
"Ino, we need to silence all witnesses! It's dangerous if one word of this incident makes it out of here to the public," Naruto said as he rushed to her.
"You know it's impossible for me to jumble this many minds at once! Where's Sasuke-kun?"
As a cue, he walked up with Kakashi in tow.
"Sasuke, help Naruto and Ino take care of the witnesses," Kakashi instructed as five of his Anbus dropped from the sky.
The five Anbus recapped their surveillance report and unanimously agreed this shouldn't have been able to happen, as Hinata was a Jounin whose abilities leaned more towards an S-class rank. There was no way a chunin should've been able to do damage, whether she was caught by surprise or not.
Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he listened in, his gaze following Sai who was now becoming a potential suspect as he should've been able to keep Hinata safe.
.
Sasuke didn't waste any time in pulling every bystander around him into an illusion, using the full moon's reflection to help him erase the trauma they had witnessed from memories.
He then joined up with Naruto, both taking a step to the side, away from everyone.
"I don't know Sasuke… Why would a member from the main branch just randomly attack Hinata-chan at an Ino-Shika-cho festival just to risk starting a clan war? It doesn't make any sense,"
"Then there lies your answer. Someone wants a clan war." Hopefully, they had managed to contain all witnesses.
Naruto's gaze trailed to the side.
"This request is going to sound strange, use your eyes and find out if Hinata-chan was involved in this in any shape or form."
Sasuke gave him a look. "You can't be serious right now. Do you think she did this to herself?
"Let's just say Kakashi's not the only one with gut feelings," He commented, as he remembered Shikamaru inquiring about her, and what her maneuvers may be.
Sasuke chuckled sarcastically. Wasn't he the one who threatened him to stay away by using his friendship as leverage or blackmail material?
"Look, I'm not asking you as your best friend, but as your future Hokage,"
Sasuke couldn't believe Naruto played that card. Why must his closest friend have to be so selfish, manipulative, and fickle like a certain someone he knew? Did he have a type?
He probably should warn Naruto that he wasn't exactly in the right headspace at the time. What if he were to do something stupid and descend into darkness with no coming back? If he goes inside her mind, it would be so tempting to manipulate her will and bend it to meet his selfish desires.
"Oi, you there?"
Sasuke blinked, then looked away, to see someone approaching.
"You two are sure taking your sweet time over there," Kakashi commented as he walked up to the two.
"Debriefs and recaps are time-consuming, you know that," Naruto replied nonchalantly.
.
While everyone's attention was either on Hinata or Kakashi, no one noticed Sai's hand move discreetly from under his cloak to pull out a lethal injection. Upon squeezing the venom into the unconscious body, the Hyuga gasped awake, immediately convulsing.
"Lord Kakashi!" Sai yelled while backing away from the convulsing Hyuga. "He bit down a pill!"
Although dressed in a Kimono, Ino still carried a small specialized self-aid kit from her days as a nurse. She quickly took out a syringe and plunged it straight into the dying Hyuga's heart, the adrenaline restarting his heart long enough for Sasuke to jump into his mind.
However, he was kicked off, as the Hyuga's mind was shutting down.
"Did you get anything from his memories?" Kakashi asked him.
"No. Whoever gave the command to attack counseled their identity. They seemed to be a male for sure," Sasuke replied.
Kakashi sighed and turned to all the surrounding faces, her allies. He could sense he needed to tread carefully now that several pairs of eyes looked his way in disdain for being careless enough to let a suspect die. He knew that if he were to ask to bring Hinata in for questioning, he may be met with hostility as he had no proof other than his gut feelings, which were normally right.
Sasuke followed Kakashi's trajectory, not liking the look in his eyes or the implications of what might've been going through his mind.
Kakashi approached Hinata as she was being helped onto her feet. She let go of Shikamaru's hand and turned to the Lord Hokage, seemingly displeased as ever.
"I apologize for the incompetence of one of my own," Lord Kakashi forced himself to say as he sent a glance in Sai's way.
She also glanced over at Sai.
"This is unacceptable. I'm relieving Anbu-san from our-" Hinata paused mid-sentence.
.
Hinata's brows furrowed as she tried to remember a confusing thought. How peculiar, to feel as though she was reliving a moment. She was holding an ink brush as the table had various wedding invitations stacked neatly to the side. Her Anbu sat across from her, back straight and arms crossed, as they lounged around the tearoom.
"Yoshino said it's safer for me at the festival," Hinata reminded her Anbu, but she didn't know why. She brought her hand to her head as it started to ache.
"That's true. All of your allies will be gathered in one place, ready to take a stand against anyone who threatens your life," Her gaze moved his way, threateningly, but he didn't stop. "To think that denouncing your title as clan leader would actually make you even more powerful," He said with a dark chuckle.
"You're exaggerating…"
"You're considered a political jewel. Which is how you came to be here as a poor, scared victim that needs protection from the bitter members of your clans. And if something were to happen to you at the festival, someone has to pay. Five clans against a few main branch members is quite the tip in your favor. With your father in charge, and no elders to counsel him, he would be forced to give into any kind of demand,"
"You exaggerate," She insisted with a small smile, her dark blue lashes slightly fluttering when she glanced back up after writing a letter.
However, her hand stopped writing when it came to the next name on the invitation. Lord Kakashi was a man with little time, but he would notice if she were to blatantly not invite the person he deems the next advisor.
She sighed sadly as she wrote his name.
Her protector hummed in response, that might've sounded like a "Hn?"
"It's nothing," Hinata replied, while quickly moving on to the next name.
After finally finishing all the invitations, she allowed herself a break as she lay on her back.
She remembers thinking just then that it would be most unfortunate if something were to happen to her at the festival. After all, everything her Anbu had said was right, it could trigger a war.
Hinata sat back up and went for the shogi board that was tucked underneath the table. She arranged the pieces, ignoring the glances her protector sent her way.
"So you know how to play,"
"If I didn't know how to, then what kind of Nara would I be?" Hinata reminded him.
"The only thing I've seen you play with so far is with the lives of others,"
"You seem to have a lot of opinions lately, Anbu-san, so please tell me more," Hinata replied, feeling deeply frustrated over something, but didn't know what. But then, she recalled saying something like that to a different person at a different place and time.
"This headache won't go away," She complained once more, after setting up all the pieces.
He didn't respond, and the two continued to sit in silence as she meticulously studied the pieces before her, before moving them around on the board.
Hinata eventually glanced up from the board, meeting jet-black eyes, before pushing herself up. She paced about the room holding the king piece, close against her chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Where is Nara?" He asked her.
"We barely get to spend much time together with all the clan work he's been doing. But I know it is not always going to be like this,"
"I bet you he's been staying up at night, unable to sleep, wondering if he's even enough to keep you happy. Does anything ever make you happy? You're never satisfied,"
"What are you saying? I'm very happy. He makes me happy. Being with him is everything," She insisted.
"Yet you know how he feels about trouble,"
"He said he'll be with me until the end. I'm not worried,"
"Once you say yes, there are no takebacks… "
Hinata ignored him and placed the king down on the board. She tipped all the pawns closest to the king. There was so little time left.
Hinata left the tearoom, followed the hall where an extra phone was located, and dialed someone. He watched her as she twirled the phone's cable in her index finger as she waited for her father to answer.
It appears she had found a way to make her father agree to put Yami on the phone, under the guise that she wanted to talk to Hanabi's protector and give him guidance on how to keep an eye on her little sister without coming off as too intrusive, as Hanabi was sometimes known for her rebellious temperament.
Yet, over the phone, she instead gave Yami some coordinates of where to meet up. She hung up the phone once she said her brief goodbye to her father.
Her protector took a side glance her way, as they were standing outside the Nara mansion, overlooking the forest.
She seemed contemplative as she looked towards the forest with her Byakugan active. The trees were bare, but the snow from the last two weeks had finally melted.
His eyes wandered lower, taking notice of her attire. So much for dressing for the weather. The only thing she had on that looked close to being warm was the black long-sleeve neck sweater. Other than that, she wore black shorts and thigh-high stockings, which were slightly covered by her light-purple cloak.
She smiled the moment she seemed to have found what she was searching for.
Her protector looked away when she glanced his way.
"Let's get moving," Hinata spoke and took a few strides forward, her hair breezing violently in the wind as she leaped upward, landing on a tree.
Her cloak fluttered harshly as she nimbly glided through the forest. Although light in her steps, the speed she was going as felt as though she was being pulled forward, with her protector having no problem at all keeping up.
"We're almost there," Hinata called out, her eyes seeing beyond what was ahead.
"Where are we going?" Her protector asked, as she finally came to a stop.
"Didn't I already say this to you? We're going on a little walk,"
She had found a narrowed mountain trail that connected the forest to town, and followed it while tossing the hood over her head to obscure her identity.
They eventually reached a fence with overgrown ivy leaves that had survived the winter. Hinata hopped over the fence, and he also followed.
When they landed outside the forest, her protector noticed they had passed a sign warning strangers to keep out of the Nara forest, located on a deserted walkway that led to town.
"How will we get back into the forest?" Her protector asked, as it was known that any person that doesn't have Nara's blood or permission was unable to enter back in once they left the forest.
She lifted her ring finger as if to give him an answer. Her eyes were on him again.
"Anbu-chan, I remember you mentioning something before. You told me wanted something that can't be obtained through means of transaction. What is it that you want?"
He blinked. Since when did Hinata Hyuga care about what other people want? Before he could ask her, Yami dropped before her and bowed on one knee.
When he was instructed to wait outside the hearing range, Sasuke swapped to Yami's body to continue listening.
"Yami-san, I need you to find an anti-supporter that belongs to the main branch. Let them know that an opportunity has come up,"
She took out a mission scroll and handed it to him. Sasuke accepted the scroll with hesitation, before opening it up to read it.
"Please make sure to convince them that the best time to strike me is at the festival, since security is going to be tighter after my wedding," Hinata added.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! This is not just your life you're messing with! You could've died tonight, and Hanabi would've been devastated! You're not some fucking branch member, Hinata-"
She collapsed on her knees, holding her head as if to ease the pain.
"You think just because I'm from the main branch it means we're not one and the same,"
"Lord Kakashi is going to reach a conclusion sooner than later, and I have a feeling he'll want to bring you down since you got off easy before. You don't even know how close you came to getting into trouble!"
"Please stop yelling! You must understand, if I don't do this, nothing will ever change-and what's with this headache? It doesn't seem to go away,"
"Hn," After finally having the information he needed, Sasuke thought to end it. However, Hinata vanished right before him, leaving him surrounded by darkness, which went away the moment he heard a knock on the door. He paused and looked down at himself, seeing the person he occupied was in the process of drying his hair with a towel, his entire torso exposed.
Shit. He shouldn't be here.
"Shikamaru-kun…may I come in?" Sasuke heard her voice from the other side. He froze. Part of him reasoned he should end the intrusion. But what if there's more information he hasn't uncovered? Is Nara involved in all of this?
Sasuke slowly slid the door open. He stepped to the side and let her through. By the time he turned to face her, she was already sitting in the middle of the bed, knees tucked under her, facing him.
He tried not to look at her, as her robe was slightly falling off her shoulder, exposing the white silk gown, along with a bit of skin.
"I was thinking, I want us to have a secret code so that I'm not constantly afraid of whether you're an assassin or my fiancé. When you enter a room, I want to hear you say it,"
"What do you want me to say?" He asked her, going along with it.
"First, I need you to come here. What are you still doing over there, silly?" She motioned him over with a mere gesture as she extended her hand his way.
Almost robotically, Sasuke sat down next to her, his throat suddenly feeling dried as their hands were connected. He swallowed and reminded himself this was all for the sake of extracting information.
Sasuke remained quiet and watched her cheeks have a natural blush as she lifted her finger and poked his chest, sending chakra into him, pleased that he didn't disperse. Still, he seemed to be acting strange.
"You're normally not this quiet…"
"I'm worried about how this will all end," He admitted, as he understood she would go to any length to get what she wants.
"It's just one meeting with my clan, and then I'm done,"
What was she talking about? Was there more to her plan?
"What meeting?"
She sighed. "I already told you. I want to leave my clan with a little speech to inspire them,"
He forcefully yanked his hand away from her grasp.
How dare she pull this kind of crap tonight! Does she not remember his clan history? His father began to meet up with other clan members, at night. Although it all began peacefully, the hatred, anger, and frustration in people's hearts can not be controlled. This so-called peace talk she has planned would surely lead to something else.
Hinata's head began to throb again. It felt like she had lived through this before, and the more she tried to remember, the more it hurt. When the pain subsided, she pushed herself up and shifted closer to him while on her knees. Her fingers disappeared into his hair as she pressed her forehead against his.
Sasuke's heart stopped beating just then, he was sure of it.
"My love," Just then, his hands reacted slightly, his fingers centimeters away from her waist. "Why aren't you-"
Hinata let out a gasp and a giggle as he suddenly hugged her tightly, both collapsing onto the bed.
This had never happened to him before, a lust seemingly born out of nowhere over a goddamn virtual hug. This was pathetic as he was still angry.
Sasuke turned his head slightly to look at her, rationality instantly vanishing with a single sigh against her lips as she pressed hers onto his.
He's known from the very beginning that this was an awful idea on Naruto's part. But he didn't dwell on that because all that mattered were her lips on his, as she rolled on top.
The painful fog that had prevented her from being aware of the illusion slowly lifted as Hinata pieced everything together, like trying to remember a fever dream.
Startled, she quickly rolled out of bed, catching on that Sasuke had been sent as an inquisitor. Worst of all, she had almost given everything away. At least Sai's involvement was still safe. But to think he would go as far as faking her fiancé's likeness in such a perverse way just to get the truth out of her. She had not known that he could be this wicked.
"Did Lord Hokage send you after me?!" She asked, while attempting to fix her robe for coverage.
Sasuke sighed. He had made a rookie mistake by forgetting to keep a tight grip on her mind so that she doesn't remember tonight's events at the festival.
Not bothering to keep up appearances, Sasuke dropped his disguise. The tomoes spun in his left eye, before setting in place, leaving his crimson eye glowing.
"Kakashi is not the type to casually break laws," Sasuke reminded her. He stood up slowly as she was moving away, backing up towards the door.
"Then who sent you…?"
"Naruto,"
"But why?"
"That idiot was always waiting for your clan to weaken, so he can help you break its traditions,"
"Release me now. I have to get back!"
"Aren't you afraid as to what I'll do with the information I've extracted?" Sasuke asked as he pushed himself off the bed, making his way to her.
"You've never been one to try and sabotage me. Should I be worried?" Her back was pressed against the door as he got closer, the room slightly glitching. Why were they back in Suna?
"Hinata,"
She swatted his hand away before he could reach her hair.
"You're being completely inappropriate right now! Do you have a death wish?"
"You're the one recalling this moment," He replied, while looking annoyed at her accusations. Sure, he was a pervert, but this had not been his own doing.
The door vanished from behind her, the room changing once more. She was inside her room, her back pressed against a soft and comfortable bed as Sasuke hovered over her, about to tuck her in.
"Just get out of my head!" Her hands remained clutching to the fabric of his Suna uniform, after pushing him away.
"Look at you, finally flustered. And somehow you're more worried that I saw through the juvenile crush you have on me. What are you, a kid?"
Sasuke peeled away, then turned, sinking down on the floor, sitting with his back leaning against the bed frame.
"I am going to give you an advice you didn't ask for. Anyone who has ever chosen your side has something selfish they want to gain, including Naruto. I'm planning to remain neutral this time. Let's see how you get yourself out of this one,"
"How noble, as if you didn't benefit in any way just from knowing me. I know about father and how he favors you,"
"Yeah. For getting you out of trouble when Kankuro wanted to marry you off to Gaara for the shit you put them through with Toneri," He paused, suddenly remembering the things he had said to her to end their so-called friendship.
They had an eternity to talk it out. But talking was dangerous, as she may win him over from his neutrality, especially now that he knew his feelings flowed both ways. It was a lot easier when he believed it was one-sided. How was he supposed to simply let go now?
Sasuke saw her joining him on the floor from the corner of his eyes. She hugged her knees.
"You could easily end everything with a mere look or suggestion. Have my father sign what I want, and it will all be over,"
"If I do what you ask, what do I get in return?"
He glanced her way, her silence speaking in volume.
"I have but everything to lose if I get caught warping people's realities. I can lose my career, my friends," He pushed himself off the floor, "My future, perhaps even my life. But you don't seem to care about that,"
"I care," He chuckled. "I just find it strange that with all the power you have, you just won't use it,"
"Ah, power, right. Then I'll be no better than Old-hag-Kaguya, or Madara, and the rest of them,"
.
Shikamaru quickly moved to catch her as she seemed faint, her beautiful Kimono a stained mess. Hanabi lifted his cloak from the ground and helped draped it over her sister before he went on to scoop her up, strategically preventing her from having to speak to Kakashi any further.
Sasuke's eyes were dark again. He turned to his best friend, who pressed him for an answer.
"Well? Did Hinata have anything to do with it?"
"Dobe, did you actually think I would go inside her mind? Even Kakashi has some sort of restraint when it comes to the ways he asks me to use my powers,"
"Fuck, I can't believe I asked you to break a law just now. I guess I was just kind of desperate to know,"
"Hn, tell Kakashi I'm taking his advice and won't be getting involved in this clan dispute even if he were to ask," He said as he began to walk away while waving briefly with one hand. "And don't forget, vacation is in five fucking days! You better wrap this case up before then. Later,"
"I'll take her home," Shikamaru said, and nothing about his demeanor gave any hints of his inner turmoil.
Ino's ponytail swayed behind her as she walked up to them.
"We should probably cancel the play," Ino asked Shikamaru with a deep frown on her features.
"It'll be troublesome if you do. I think the threat has passed, and the situation has been contained," Shikamaru replied while sending a nod in everyone's way.
.
"Are you going to that meeting?" A branch member asked another while they were on their post, survilling the clan, protecting the Main branch members while they were asleep.
"I'm not sure. I mean, I want to be free and all, but what if something bad happens to all of us? What if they activate our seal to punish us?"
A third branch member joined in, frantically gasping for air.
"Guys! Did you hear about what just happened tonight? I heard that another attempt was done tonight by the main branch! Hinata-sama bled for almost hours before they stabilized her. None of us are safe,"
"My Kami, they're monsters," Another replied.
"There's a meeting tomorrow. We should all go!"
"Yeah, we should go. Targeting Hinata-sama is unforgivable,"
"I also heard she got the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance on her side, along with the Inuzuka and Aburame. I think now is the best time to be vocal,"
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Hello all, I hope you guys are enjoying your weekend! If I hadn't split these chapters, it would've been 20k long. I don't know about you but my attention span isn't that great, specially when editing.
And thank you for the review, angstlover. After this story is completed, I have thought about doing just that.^_^
Edited: 9-12-22 Removed a bunch of unnecessary dialogue and added a title.