Sorry that I'm really late with this update. It's my exam week and study time is hectic. But I do have your dose of sasuhina right here.
Enjoy
"How long till they wake up?"
"It shouldn't be that long, the sake they took wasn't that strong so…"
"Regardless they still drank too much of it. Sake is sake. You still get drunk at the end of it all whether it's a strong version of it or not. The least they could have done is spike a normal drink. Anyway, Aunt Mikoto is so going to roast you when she finds out"
"You think I don't know that!"
"Mm, shut up!" a sleepy Sasuke grumbled, turning away from the light in the room.
"You're up!" a voice cheered.
Izumi, Sasuke thought. Sasuke sat up on the couch, rubbing his aching forehead. He heard a click and saw Izumi with a phone in hand taking pictures of him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke groaned, slightly wincing at the pain.
"Aw, our little Sasuke has a hangover. Gosh why are you starting to be fun only now?" Izumi pouted.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Sasuke asked.
"Remember, today you have to go for dress fitting or something like that. And while you were supposed to be at the manor last night you decided to have a little party here. I'm so dead," Shisui whined, going into the tiny kitchen. Izumi handed Sasuke a glass, which he accepted and drank, but went running to the bathroom to throw up.
"Ah," Izumi smiled, "works every time"
Sasuke came back minutes later and noticed Naruto, still asleep and tied up on the couch.
"Do I want to know what happened to him?" Sasuke questioned.
"Romeo here was rather adventurous with Ten-ten. I needed Izumi's help to separate the two. We had to tie Naruto up and lock Ten-ten in her room," Shisui explained.
"I wish you'd involve me in your life more Sasuke. No offence or anything, but your life is so beyond average. Look at all the fun you're having here. And you're friends too…"
"Would you stop with whole melodramatic fan-girl thing you have going on, Izumi" Shisui chided.
"Oh," Izumi said, "I forgot. We're one person down. Hinata, right?
"How do you know about her?" Sasuke demanded.
"No need to be tense. You told me about her," Izumi replied.
"You're lying. Shisui did"
"Nuh uh. You are the one who told me. You should have seen yourself," Izumi giggled, "you were all, 'Hinata's my love. She's beautiful and kind and smexy. And gosh I love how her body…'"
"That's a lie," a blushing Sasuke shouted.
"I can show you the video," Izumi purred.
"You didn't," Sasuke growled. He reached out for Izumi when they all heard a banging and Ten-ten yell for someone to get her out of her room. Izumi slipped from Sasuke and unlocked the door, to which a blur rushed out towards the bathroom and a familiar sound was heard. Five minutes later, Ten-ten came out, rubbing her shoulders and saying
"Urgh, I'm never drinking sake again"
"Darn right," Shusui said. Izumi handed Ten-ten a glass of the same liquid she gave Sasuke. Ten-ten took a gulp, but immediately rushed back to the bathroom.
"What is that?" Sasuke asked.
"It's a tonic for hangovers. Wake up Naruto. You boys have a busy day ahead of you and time is of the essence"
An annoyed Sasuke took to waking up his friend as Ten-ten returned to the living-room.
"Who are you?" she gasped, pointing at Izumi.
"Izumi Uchiha. Nice to meet you, Ten-ten. Would you like me to pour you some water?"
"No thanks. I don't trust whatever you give me even though the pain I felt is gone after drinking that vile stuff you gave me," Ten-ten replied.
Half an hour later, they were all seated in the kitchen eating breakfast. Sasuke had to endure the torture of the video Izumi took of his 'drunken' state, but to everyone's dismay, he confiscated Izumi's phone and deleted all the pictures and videos of the previous night and morning.
"You're so mean, Sasuke. Everyone was enjoying it," mumbled.
"Thanks for the tonic, Izumi. I don't think I could've survived," Naruto said.
"Oh you're welcome, Romeo," Izumi chirped.
"Why are you calling him that?" Ten-ten asked.
"You know, that hickey on your neck should answer your question," Izumi answered.
"What!" Ten-ten screamed, racing for her room and screeched rather loudly. When she returned, she had a scarf around her neck and couldn't look at the red-faced Naruto.
"Izumi stop it," Shisui scolded.
"It's only teasing. Now, I assume that despite your insanely hilarious drunken state last night, you were all serious about finding Hinata right?"
The three teens nodded.
"Good. It's been a while since I went hunting," Izumi declared.
"What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked.
"I'm a bounty hunter and a detective"
"Are you ever serious?"
"She's not," Shisui cut in, "but she has an odd talent for finding people. It's now a weird hobby for her"
"It is not," Izumi protested, "Working as a private detective and bounty hunter is my passion. Not weird"
"Can you keep this under wraps?" Sasuke asked Izumi, ignoring the blank look on Naruto and Ten-ten's faces.
"Sure. This will be a challenge though but I'm totally up for it. What are you guys going to do in the mean time?"
"I can try to help with finding Hinata," Ten-ten said.
"Play along with this whole wedding preparations and find a way out of it," Sasuke said.
"I'll be helping Sasuke," Naruto declared.
"And I'm staying out of this," Shisui announced.
"Nope. You'll be assisting me Shisui," Izumi exclaimed.
"No way"
"Yes way. You owe me for helping you out here. But if you insist, I have dirt on you I don't mind sharing with the rest of the world," Izumi purred. Shisui gulped and quickly agreed.
"Great. Now, someone give me details about Hinata"
Onsen: The Compound
The rays of sunlight trickled into the room, through the green curtains as Hinata woke from her slumber. She stifled a yawn and sat up, stretching her muscles. Hinata looked around the room she was in, taking in the luxurious setting. The room was fairly large, with cream-white walls, large windows and polished floorboards. An average sized wardrobe and vanity table, and across her room, a door to her adjoining private bathroom.
The silver linen drapes of her four-poster bed were drawn, just as she had left it the night before. The night before, Hinata thought. It was all a blur to her but she was happy. Maybe a little overwhelmed but nonetheless, Hinata had never been more at bliss. She laid back on her plush pillow, recalling the events of the previous night…
The previous night
"Hinata is that you"
Hinata was dumbfounded. How does he know me? She asked herself. Hinata heard a woman order the two servants that remained to leave the room, she included. Hinata felt arms on her shoulders, guiding her to stand up.
"Look at me, child," Hiashi said softly. When Hinata did, she saw tears in his eyes as he replied,
"It is you. You're as beautiful as your mother"
"You know my mother?" Hinata asked.
Hiashi wept, embracing Hinata as though it would be his last time.
"Father?" Hinata whispered, surprised at her own response.
"You remember me?" Hiashi asked.
"I'm not sure. It feels familiar, you holding me like this. I'm sorry I don't remember much. My memories only started retuning to me but very slowly," Hinata said, looking down. Hiashi shook his head and replied,
"It's as you said, you have almost no memories of your time before you were six year's old, but I'm glad you remember me. Even if it's a feeling"
"I don't understand something. How is it you have brown eyes? In the memory flashes I get, I see people with eyes the same as mine" Hinata continued.
"These are just coloured eye-contacts," the young man at the table said, lowering his head and removing the contacts from his eyes. Hiashi also did the same, and when both were done, Hinata gasped. She thought the only time she would see those eyes would be in her own reflection, never dreaming things would turn out this way.
Neji rounded the table and stood in front of Hinata.
"Do you remember me?" Neji asked. Hinata took in his appearance, tall, slightly masculine, dressed in black jeans and a grey dress shirt. However, what stood out was his long dark brown hair which clicked a chord in her memory.
"Nii-san. Neji nii-san"
"It's good to see you alive and well Hinata," Neji said, embracing Hinata. Hinata burst into tears, feeling at home.
When the water-works were done, they all sat at the table. Kurenai was called in and she assured Hiashi that whatever was said in the room would remain there and no word would be let out even amongst the household residents. Kurenai introduced herself to Hinata and excused herself.
"How did you survive?" Hinata asked.
"I was attending to phone call when the blast happened. The bomb blew where everyone was. Before the blast Neji was looking for you and must have been a distance away from it as I was. Had I not been there in time he would have drowned. I can't say the rest for everyone else. And the fact that the first crown prince was amongst them as well, that was a terrible time for us all.
"But we got to safety and have lived in the utmost privacy in the Land of Wind. The name Hyuuga is almost a myth amongst many," Hiashi explained. Hinata reached for his right hand and cupped it in her hands.
"Even though most of the clan is gone, I'm glad that I have you and Neji now. For the longest time, I thought I was alone and that I was just the average abandoned orphan. It makes me happy beyond my wildest dreams that you're alive and that we're all here together," Hinata said.
"Hinata, how did you survive?" Neji asked.
"I don't know how exactly. In my dreams I see myself blown off by the intensity of the blast into the water, nothing more. But all I do remember is waking on a beach and being found by Lord Jiraiya. I've been in his household since and was tasked with looking after his grand-daughter Lady Sakura and being her hand-maiden," Hinata replied.
"I don't follow," Hiashi said, "if you were under Lord Jiraiya's protection, why are you working as a servant? Lord Jiraiya should be well aware of the Hyuuga clan. He should have at least sent you off to the Uchiha Manor"
"Lord Jiraiya has been in a coma for about a decade now. But why would he send me to the Uchiha Manor?" Hinata voiced. Silence followed. Hinata looked at Hiashi, waiting for his answer.
"It has been a long night, Hinata. Let's worry about that another time. For now let's eat, I'm sure after what you've been through, you need rest. And as for the unadon, you cook it the same as your mother did," Hiashi said. Hinata could tell from his tone that the conversation was over and decided not to push further.
Thinking back, Hinata wondered. What's the connection between Jiraiya, the Uchiha and me?