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Chapter 12
Deal
"Are you sure about this?" Hinata nodded, her eyes glinting with passion.
Sasuke guessed that she must have made full recovery from her undying request. "I won't pick you up, if I find out that you collapsed."
He took his shoes on and headed towards the door. Kakashi had them meet up very early in the morning, and he didn't tolerate any lateness. He's the one always late, though.
"A-Ano-" Sasuke stopped and turned around to see Hinata in her, actually his, oversized pajama.
"A-Arigato..."
"For what?"
That question seemed to have caught her off guard, her cheeks were taking the color of red. Again. Iruka said she wasn't a fangirl, but... He saw as she fiddled with her fingers, mumbling words to herself, and an awkward smile on her face. She did that whenever she was too shy to come forward with something.
She looked him in the eyes. His heart pumped a beat harder. "F-For b-being n-nice t-t-to m-me."
He sighed to himself, but felt a tiny smirk across his face. He turned around and had his hand on the door handle until she spoke again.
"I-Is there r-really nothing I-I-I can do for you?"
His smirk grew wider from her tiny voice sounding unsure but at the same time willing. He looked at her from his shoulders. "You already have." He opened the door and stepped out, leaving her dumbfounded.
"I-I have?..."
Sasuke was on his way home from yet another meaningless session. Sure he was getting stronger from it, but something made him feel bound to this duty of being a Guardian. As if he couldn't escape all of this once he's gotten strong enough to take down his brother.
It was hard to believe that they were on the second last day. Looking back, he only saw the time he had spent with Hinata, not his progress. She seemed very excited whenever he came home, sometimes staying longer because she wanted to know him better. He would turn her down, and force to sleep for her recovery. Gently, though.
He did give her permission to call her Kurai, but he's not the same person as before. He had other things in mind that were far more important than worrying about a person from his past. Even if that person was the one he...
No. She's a good material for the revival of the Uchiha clan. With her bloodline combined with his, his kids would be unstoppable.
His feet suddenly stopped on him. He felt a tingling thing in his chest.
Sou ieba, Mitsu, you wanted to be like your mother, does that mean that you want to find a husband like your dad?
He still hadn't told her about him being her missing childhood friend, and maybe it was best that it stayed that way. He continued his walk home, until he saw a figure standing before him. His eyes had an unfamiliar shape. His skin was paler than his.
"How nice to bump into you, Sasuke-kun." A smirk grew across his face.
"How do you know my name?"
"We Guardians must keep track of each other. It wouldn't be nice to exclude anyone." His creepy grin wasn't what caught Sasuke's attention, but the 'we' did.
"'We'?"
"Ara, hasn't Kakashi told you? About the 3 Ninjas, who were known as the Sannins. The 3 Legendary Ninjas, who were said to be the greatest in their time?"
"Then prove it." Sasuke had no time to mess with an old man like him. Though he didn't look like any ordinary old man with that attire of his.
"However you wish." He brought his crystal which was shaped as a snake's head. A red light blinded him before he saw a fully geared Sannin.
"W-Who are you?"
"My name is Orochimaru. And I'm here to make an offer."
"Moooo, even today Sakura-chan had her eyes on that teme." He kicked a rock out of his way. "What does he have that I don't?"
"What offer?"
Huh? Was that Sasuke's voice?
Naruto sneaked up to where the voice came from, and there he was talking with another man. Who is that? He didn't look friendly, he was creepy and spooky... Well, it's Sasuke were talking about...
"There's no price to this offer. I'm just here to give the Guardians, who got the potential to be a great ninja, an opportunity to become something even greater. You wouldn't want to be in the same state during your fight with Haku."
Sasuke clutched his hand. "I know right, the feeling of being useless and completely helpless. And then to be saved by somebody who's far below your rank. Tsk, tsk, tsk. It leaves scars."
A mighty wind past Sasuke, he covered his eyes from the sand particles. He heard the sounds of things being torn apart, too. A tremendous chakra followed with the wind, making Sasuke feel refreshed and somehow powerful.
"You might get a new shirt."
"Huh?" He looked at his shirt, the edges had been cut and his collar was near distinction.
"I can teach you that, and I can teach you how to make it more... sharp."
Sasuke stood there in silence. This was what he was looking for in a sensei, this is the power needed to defeat his brother. The brother who massacred his whole clan and left him with nothing. He saw as Orochimaru reached his hand out to him.
I can't believe this. Sasuke! Don't!
Sasuke squeezed Orochimaru's palm. He felt another strong wave of chakra rush through his hands and through his whole body.
"A-Amazing."
No way! I gotta tell Kakashi-sensei!
Naruto quietly escaped from the scene. I thought Sasuke was happy with us. I thought he finally started to let go of all that hate of his. But he was a scumbag all along, that little teme! Is this the reason Sasuke has been acting weird this whole time?
It was a good thing that Sasuke came back for training. But he wasn't the same, and it all started since they came back from that mission.
What the hell happened during that period?! He's been so secretive, pushing us away ever since.
Orochimaru grinned. "I have one last thing say. I don't assume that your sensei has told you yet."
"Told us about what?"
"The truth."
Pure eyes looked out from the balcony, letting the stars comfort her until a certain person came home. She felt her throat heavy and her eyes dry and throbbing. The crystal in her hand was trembling from her constant shaky hands.
She heard the sounds of footsteps and felt relived. But, she knew Sasuke-kun. And she knew that he was a person who only looked for things that could further his progression. Comforting a girl, who lost it all in one fight and day, wasn't anything he could bother himself with.
But then again, he was caring towards her. He made her food, he made sure that she was fully recovered before allowing her to continue her ninja duties. But, she was an ordinary ninja compared to him. Something she was reminded of today. Her hands attacked her crystal, she let the frustration and anger out on the crystal. Oh, how she wanted to throw it away.
She heard words running through her head. She felt reality trying to shake her back to the real world. Her desire to cry her heart out was finally unleashed from the voice she had been waiting to hear since she came back. She felt herself being dragged back inside. She attempted to throw her crystal away, until her wrist was stopped by a strong hand.
"Oi. Stop!" That still didn't stop the heartbroken Hyuuga from struggling her way out of his grip.
"Let me go... Please! There's no use of me anymore!" He tried to calm her down by quieting her, but her constant rambling about her worthlessness and lack of confident were getting out of hand.
"Hinata!"
"I-I c-can't u-u-unlock it." She whispered.
"Unlock what?"
"M-M-My Armor..." His grip on both her wrists weakened. "I-I th-thought that I-I-I had. H-How e-else d-d-did I do it du-during t-t-the fight w-w-with Y-Yoroi..."
Sasuke leaned back and looked at the crystal her hand had dropped during her little meltdown. It's lavender glow wasn't as bright as his.
"S-She s-s-said t-that i-it's t-too late for me... T-That I-I-I h-had to w-wait..." Sasuke didn't know what to do, he wasn't in any way specialized in this area: comforting. But he didn't want her to wet the floor. He carried her up and laid her down on the bed.
"Huh?..." His pitch black eyes staring into her pure eyes felt hypnotizing in a way. She felt lost whenever she looked him in the eyes. And at times safe. But it couldn't stop her tears from falling.
Can't believe I'm doing this. Sasuke stretched both his hands out and caressed her cheek. With his thumbs, he cleared her eyelashes from the wet liquid.
"S-S-Sasuke-kun..." A heavy blush appeared across her face. "Wh-What are y-you?..."
While Sasuke cleared her face from her tears, he thought back to when his mother would cry over something and how his father would comfort her. He looked at her confused expression and sighed. He slid his hands to her elbows and pulled her close.
"S-S-S-Sasuke-kun." He managed to carry his stiff hand and place it on the back of her head. And with his other, wrap it around her back. He pulled her into a hug.
Other than her chest squeezing against his, he felt her heart beat rapidly. He let that slip his mind as her uneven breathing had settled down and her tense body was loosening up.
Hinata let face rest against his shoulder as she found her arms circling themselves around him. Her hands grabbed his shirt tight, trying to hold the next set of tears back. "Sasuke-kun..."
"I thought you wanted to call me Kurai." She felt a smirk form on his face.
"I-I-I forgot..."
"You better decide on one because I'll only respond to one."
...
...
...
Her only response was a tighter hold.
Hinata sniffed the remaining snot in as she lay down, facing the guy who she never thought she would consider a close friend.
"What now?"
"N-Nothing." She quickly closed her eyes, hearing a quiet chuckle escape from the Uchiha's lips. After a while, she opened her eyes again and found him sleeping. She felt the urge to cuddle against him for protection...
Will you still respond to Kurai, when I'm in danger?...
She crawled a little closer. Her body tensed from the gentle hand on the back of her head and another on her shoulder. Both pulling her closer. She felt warm limbs tingling around her waist and between her legs. "S-S-S-S-Sa-"
"Will you fall asleep now?" He said, with his eyes closed.
She felt her cheeks burning for the third time today. This wasn't normal, she never blushed this many times from thinking about Naruto. In fact, the blonde ninja hadn't crossed her mind lately. She only anticipated Sasuke's return, everyday.
"H-Hai..." She relaxed her body in his strong arms, and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Sasuke felt the need to speak up about Naruto's constant glaring, but he knew he was probably planning something stupid.
"What are you glaring at Sasuke-kun for, Naruto?"
"Hm! Ask him, he's the one keeping secrets!"
"What did you say?!"
As Kakashi arrived, Sasuke went straight up to him. Ignoring the evil stares Naruto gave him. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun. Something wrong?"
"Tell me everything."
Kakashi was taken aback from Sasuke's strange request. "Everything?"
He brought his crystal at sight. "I knew you were hiding something from us about these. But I never thought it would be this much." Naruto and Sakura could hear a raise in Sasuke's voice which was rare.
"Kakashi, since you introduced these crystals to us, you have given us unclear information. You made us train hard, treasure these crystals, made these scrolls out to be the ultimate threat. But to what expense?"
He saw tiny sweat drops fall from Kakashi's forehead. He felt his hand turn into a fist.
He wouldn't have thrown his crystal away, he wouldn't have ended up so wounded during his fight with Haku, Hinata wouldn't have had to put her ninja career on a long pause, and that fight with Yoroi would have been a piece of cake had he just been better informed of the crystals capabilities and how to utilize it to its max.
"And now you're making us train for this test with the scrolls. Until you can give us a full explanation of what all this Guardian thing is about, I won't participate in all this anymore."
"Sasuke-kun..."
A sigh escaped Kakashi's lips as he sat on his flat and waited for his students to surround him. "I thought I could dodge this part, but seems not."
"These crystals are given to the chosen ones who bear an extraordinary Will of Fire in them. And these crystals comes with an advantage: a massive amount of chakra. That chakra is controlled by you and your crystal, primarily your crystal. That's why I want you to master full control of your crystal so that the chakra becomes yours automatically." Kakashi looked at Sasuke, as this was a direct message to him.
"The crystal got a mind of its own if you don't master it in time, and if you ever let the despair and anger inside of you taint your heart during a fight or any other moment, the crystal will take full control of your mind."
There was something he wasn't telling them. And that thing may have been of much more importance than this. "Kakashi, what's this test with the scrolls really about?"
Kakashi locked his eyes with Sasuke's, he immediately saw a reflection of his younger self. He felt a suspicion in Sasuke that just grew wider and wider, just like in the past. "Acceptance. The scroll won't accept weaklings to be their guardians, that's why you have to be ready. You stand in front of the scroll, it will blind you for a second and that's where it all starts."
"And also, the reason why I'm making you undergo all this is because of some rapports that has been going on around lately. There might be a big threat our way, so be ready. That's all I've got to say."
"I got one last question. How are all crystals supposedly connected if we have to keep our identity a secret?"
"That... is something I can't tell you."
"Why?"
...
...
...
So, what that Guardian said was true. Kakashi saw the evening sky falling upon them and felt that it had been enough training and information for them.
"Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke turned to Sakura who had her usual pose when asking him something, a fist against her chest. Naruto was there as well. He still had those suspicious eyes when looking at Sasuke. "What?"
"Why did you make Kakashi answer all those questions? We know all of that."
"That's none of your concern."
"TEME! Stop hiding things from us!" Naruto did not only sound angry, but frustrated. Frustrated over all these things being kept from him and Sakura. The meeting with the creepy man. This sudden threat. And it was also having a negative effect on Sakura, she felt more down than ever.
"You out of all of us seems to know how dangerous all of this is. Can't you at least do a little for the team and tell us what it is that's so terrifying?!"
"Naruto..." Sakura was used to Naruto's loud voice, but this one was shaky and... afraid... And Sakura could feel it clearly as she was feeling the same thing.
Sasuke turned his head over his shoulders. "If you're that scared, then you aren't working hard enough." As he was about to skip off, Sakura stopped him.
"What about Hinata Hyuga, and the fight with that spy? They weren't just a game."
"Huh? What fight?"
Sakura looked at Naruto and told him of the rumors that had been going around Konoha lately. Naruto gasped from this and in a split second grabbed Sasuke's collar.
"Naruto?!"
"What about you doing, you dobe?!"
"You were at the verge of death and you didn't even care to contact us?!" His grip grew tighter. "What teammate doesn't inform their team of what happened so we at least know of your well-being instead of being sick worried about you all the time?!"
"N-Naruto..."
N-Naruto. Sasuke removed Naruto's hands from his collar. He looked at Naruto without a word said before he flashed himself away.
Sakura was about to comfort Naruto until he turned around and flashed himself away as well. "Naruto..." Sakura had never felt this... understandable with Naruto. She was as confused and frustrated as he was. She was scared. Hinata Hyuga...
She looked at the skies and armored herself. She must have been a Guardian if she survived that heavy of a blow as Kakashi said, and that must mean that she is strong...I won't let someone get in the way of Sasuke and I's relationship. Cha!
Thank you for reading and sticking around ^^ I've had a whole lot of time taken away from me because of work and exams. I'm sorry that I kept you waiting and hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Have a nice day :3