This story is for Pinaka over on the SasuHina Month Discord. You can find his works under the penname Gurukant. His writing is excellent.
Both Pinaka and Sommernacht beta'd this for me. Sommernacht's works are also excellent. I'm very honored to have help from such talented writers. (Any mistakes are my own and made after they fixed the other ones.)
Thank you to these people for reviewing: Danish78, KatrinSH, a Guest, Legend Saint-14, dumdeedum, and Gold-hatted-lover.
Happy New Years, Lovelies. I hope 2023 brings you all health, happiness, and nothing but great things. Please enjoy.
Warning: I am not nice to Sakura in this chapter, which is a shame. But I did it with a purpose, and, like always, I will do my best to redeem her later. I need her to be a villain, even if briefly. Sorry. :(
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"Sasukeeeee," a cousin drawled.
Sasuke smoothed the tape over his cardboard box and picked it up. He walked around his cousin, intent on ignoring him.
The cousin cut him off and grinned. "Come on, Sasuke. Tell me what you're doing."
Sasuke raised a brow. "You can't tell that I'm packing up my desk? What kind of officer are you? Move."
Said officer refused, so Sasuke veered around him. All over the room, police officers stared avidly at the two from their sea of desks.
"Oh, don't be like that." The other man followed closely on Sasuke's heels. "I heard you pissed off the samurai so much you have to go rebuild their entire compound. Can you imagine an officer getting kicked off the force for trespassing?"
Sasuke focused on the front door. That was it. He only needed to get outside and then he could use jutsu to get away. He needed to hold his temper. The door sat so close.
"I'm not getting kicked out," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.
"I'd give you a demerit for lying, but it wouldn't be worth it," the other man breathed into Sasuke's ear.
Ew. Sasuke jerked up a shoulder to protect the delicate skin. What a freaking weirdo.
Just a few more steps.
"And-" his cousin continued but got cut off by a sharp yell.
"Senior Officer Daitan! Officer Sasuke!"
The both of them froze, recognizing that voice. Sasuke gave a longing look at the door.
Almost there.
They both turned and stood tall as another officer strode towards them. Auntie Fuku, also known as Inspector Fuku, while at work, strode forward. Behind her, all eyes were glued to the scene. Sasuke wanted to spit at them.
"Officer Daitan!" she hissed.
She drew even with them. Fuku only came up to their shoulders, but the short sleeves of her uniform shirt showed off her strongly corded arms. The knowledge of what those arms felt like wrapped around his neck, haunted Sasuke. He never wanted to spar with her ever again.
His cousin, Officer Daitan, snapped to attention and saluted quickly. "I-Inspector!"
She did not bother to salute him back, so he had to hold it until she did. "What is the statute of limitations on trespassing?!" she hollered.
Daitan literally started sweating. Sasuke watched the show out of the corner of his eye as he also stood at attention and couldn't turn his head.
"U-u-uh…"
Fuku's glower turned even more deadly. Killing intent swarmed around her like upset hornets. "U-u-uh," she mocked. "I asked you a question!"
"Y-yes Inspector! I don't know Inspector!"
"You're on toilet duty for a month! What kind of officer doesn't even know the law? That's dereliction of duty! I want to see you in my office after this so I can issue you demerits for bullying your subordinates and for being stupid! Do you understand?"
Daitan did not dare speak.
Fuku pushed up into his space. Her voice fell to a low and deadly tone. "I said: do you understand?"
"I understand!"
Fuku jerked back. "When was the last time you brushed your teeth?"
His red face turned even redder. Sasuke bit the inside of his lip. She turned her attention to him.
"Officer Sasuke!"
Sasuke shifted his box so he could click his heels and salute. "Inspector."
She saluted back at him. He dropped his salute after she did. Daitan tried to lower his own arm, but she glared at him until he raised his arm back to his forehead.
"What is the statute of limitations on trespassing?"
Sasuke took a deep breath and focused on a spot past her shoulder as he recalled the passage. "Per Penal Code 146.5 section 24: …if a clan or family has vacated a house, compound, or any other kind of dwelling has been vacated and classified as 'abandoned' for more than fifty years, the ownership of the property transfers over to the Village of Konoha. It then becomes classified as public lands. According to subsection 24.5: as long as a citizen is not asked to vacate and does not stay on public land for over 48 hours without a camping permit or special permission from the Office of the Hokage, they are allowed to remain on public land for training or leisure."
Fuku nodded. "Good." She turned to address both Daitan and the eavesdroppers. "Officer Sasuke has not been demoted or fired. He's doing his diplomatic duty." She thrust out a finger to point at the cluster of people. "Like you should be doing your duty!"
The group scattered like scared cockroaches.
She then lazily saluted Daitan. "Wait in my office."
Daitan skittered away.
"At ease."
Sasuke relaxed at her command.
"Did you clean out your locker, too?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Inspector."
"Good." She gestured with her head towards the door. "I'll walk you out."
They walked side by side towards the entrance.
"You take care of yourself, okay?" she said. "I'll be excited to have you back when this is all-"
She moved before he could register it. Reaching up, she clapped him on the shoulder. He stumbled forward a step.
"Sasuke?" Her voice held confusion. "Your… your chakra…?"
Shit.
Sasuke wheeled around on his heels, his back facing the doors. He backed up slowly towards the door that led to the hallway. He chuckled nervously.
She stalked after him, holding up her hand like it was contaminated. "Nephew. What was that?"
He shrugged. He had the urge to tug at the earring in his ear. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'd rather not get my ass kicked, thank you."
She huffed. "I'm not trying to kick your ass. I'm trying to figure out what's going on with your chakra! Let me touch you, brat."
Sasuke chuckled nervously and continued moving backwards. "I'm really uncomfortable with this dynamic right now."
She lunged forward. He threw himself back and stumbled out into the bright morning sun. The door swung back shut but she threw it open so hard it hit the wall with a mighty crash.
Her fingers brushed the box.
"Sorry, Auntie," Sasuke said before he Body Flickered away.
oOo
In keeping with his guise as being as mediocre as possible, Sasuke walked through the city streets instead of running over the rooftops. After dumping his work stuff at home and packing for an extended stay, he made his way to the Hyuga compound. The duffle bag strapped to his back swayed with his steps.
"Sasuke-kun!" a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
Sasuke felt feral. He wished he was an Inuzuka so he had an excuse to bite something. Or someone. Just a little bit.
"Sasuke-kun!" The voice was louder and closer. Passersby looked over.
He gritted his teeth and kept walking.
The woman giggled and jogged in front of him. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted. "Ignoring me is not very nice," she chided playfully.
Sasuke ignored her, walking around her when she tried to plant herself in place.
"Sasuke-kun!" She caught up to him. She had to hustle to keep up with his long strides. "How are you? I haven't seen you in forever!"
"What do you want?" he spat. He could not look at her.
More people stared.
Sakura laughed. "Oh, come on. Don't be so grumpy. I just want a favor."
That stopped him in his tracks. He finally, finally looked at her. She looked pretty today. Her long hair lay in intricate braids around her head, and her eyelids shimmered with brown eyeshadow which made the green irises pop. Her lips glistened with gloss.
The sight of her made him sick. Which might be extreme. But considering that their break-up was less than amicable, maybe not.
He sighed, suddenly tired as hell. He did not mind being the village punching bag most days. However, he usually did not have more than one opponent a day. And the fact that he might have blown his cover with Fuku weighed heavy in his stomach.
"What do you want?" he asked.
She smiled at his softer tone. Pushing into his space, she smiled shyly. "I was wondering if you could introduce me to the samurai. You're going to stay with them, right? I think they're so cool."
His brow furrowed. "The leader is a woman," he said flatly.
She jolted in surprise. Her hand went up to touch her carefully styled hair. "Well… Um. That's amazing! She must be um… really talented, right?"
Sasuke smirked unkindly. "She's really pretty."
A blush rose on her face. "T-that's really nice. Um. But she must have a brother, right?"
"Tch." Sasuke began walking.
"Sasuke," she whined, which did not sound as endearing as when Naruto did it. She shuffled after him. "Why don't you talk to me anymore? Remember all the good times we had together?"
He bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. "Hey, you know what I do remember?"
"Yeah?" she giggled, walking next to him.
"Yeah," he said, his grin widening. "I remember that time we dated because I really thought we liked each other."
She tripped over her feet but caught herself. "Sasu-"
"And then I caught you telling Ino you were only dating me to get close to my brother and Shisui. Remember that? I do."
Sakura stopped in the middle of the road. She held her hands to her chest, tears welling up in her eyes. "Sasuke…" she whispered.
He turned to face her and continued moving backwards, skillfully weaving around obstacles. "Remember how you never apologized to me? You told me you would never truly date a deadbeat like me? 'Cause I remember it all. I don't even need a Sharingan for that."
A nin, who had been casually meandering in the same direction, almost careened into a nearby cart. Another shinobi sunning on a wall nearby, gaped openly in surprise. Anko dropped her dango.
In this village, Sasuke was like the anti-Naruto. People watched Naruto whenever he appeared in public like sunflowers followed the sun. They were drawn into the Golden Boy's magnetism. They watched Sasuke like a very horrible trainwreck. He knew they were impossibly curious about the Uchiha disgrace. Poor Sasuke, bullied at every turn, and not even able to manifest his Sharingan.
He could feel his eyes straining. The anger lapped at his chakra pathways, begging to release the red pupils. He could show them. He could show them all. The earring dangling at his ear turned lightning hot.
Killing intent swept along the roadside. The nin scattered. Sasuke sighed as the anger receded from his veins and pooled back into the tight ball in his chest.
"Hi cousin," Sasuke greeted.
Shisui stepped out of the shadows of a nearby tree, his burning gaze focused on Sakura.
"U-Uchiha-san," she stammered.
"Haruno-san," Shisui's voice pitched low and deadly. He paced forward like a panther. "What is this I hear about you not honoring our agreement? I thought I specifically told you to apologize and then never, never talk to Sasuke again."
She bowed at the waist so fast, a hairpin slipped from her hair and a braid slithered out of place. "I apologize! I'm sorry!"
With that, she turned on her heel and jumped to a rooftop to scutter away.
Sasuke sighed. He turned in the opposite direction and did what he always did. Moved on.
Shisui followed behind him, a few paces back. "Sasuke," he said quietly.
"Thanks for the save, I guess." Sasuke rubbed at his earlobe, which genuinely felt a little burnt from the metal looped through it. "I didn't know you told her to back off before."
Shisui ignored this. "Auntie Fuku said something weird happened with your chakra when she touched you today. She said you had more chakra than she thought."
"Inspector Fuku is a scary lady and my chakra reacted to that. It must have messed up her senses," Sasuke said.
At this point, the buildings gave way to forest. The trees' shadows embraced the pair, pockets of light peeking through and warming their skin.
"Sasuke," Shisui admonished calmly. "You haven't talked to me in weeks. Itachi says you don't let him touch you anymore. Your mom insists your chakra levels are higher than we think."
Sasuke peeked over his shoulder. He recognized a pair of trees. Only a few more paces. "What do you think that means, then?"
"I think it means that you're getting better. I can train with you again. Get you ready for the jonin exams. Maybe we can finally get your Sharingan to activate."
Sasuke huffed out a laugh. He stopped right in front of the massive doors leading into the Hyuga compound. With a groan, they opened automatically, even though no one stood on the other side. Sasuke stared in surprise.
They did not do that before.
He sensed an object moving closer. He hustled forward into the compound.
"Sasuke," Shisui pleaded.
Sasuke faced his cousin. Shisui dropped his outstretched hand and tried to follow. The doors started closing once Sasuke cleared their path.
He smiled apologetically and placed his foot on a pressure plate. A small fence of electrified chakra wire snapped into place between them. Shisui's big eyes grew wide and full of hurt.
They watched each other until the doors shut. The noise of it echoed.
Sasuke let out a long breath.
Even with the newcomers, this place still felt like a haven. It felt safe.
Making his way through the overgrown pathway with ease, he decided to visit the communal building first.
The hunch ended up being a good one. Out of the house next door came a tall man wearing an unadorned, loose haori and hakama. Face and head uncovered; his long hair swayed behind him as he approached Sasuke.
"Welcome back." The man smiled, his eyes crinkling a bit.
His eyes. Sasuke startled.
The irises were completely milk white with an extremely pale ring of gray around them. He knew from the writings left in the compound that they had a powerful dojutsu. But to see it in full view like this was astonishing. He never realized what they actually looked like.
They reminded him of the moon.
Did he have his dojutsu activated? Sasuke did not sense any malice coming from him.
"It's strange seeing our eyes for the first time, yes?" He paced closer.
Sasuke licked his lips and nodded. "I'll say. Do they look like that all the time?"
The Hyuga shook his head.
This close, Sasuke noticed something else. On his forehead sat a seal done in green ink. The main body of a seal was an uneven wheel, with eight spokes. Underneath it, looking like an unrolled scroll, sat two thin, sharp tipped leaves facing outwards in either direction.
He did not know the symbol.
"Do you recognize me?" the Hyuga asked, smirking.
Sasuke shook his head. "My apologies."
The man bowed. "I am Ko. Pleasure to see you without barriers between us."
The words sounded almost ritualistic. Sasuke tried to respond with the same gravity as he bowed back. "Pleasure is mine."
Ko's expression warmed. It was a far cry from what he looked like in the meeting. His voice sounded soft and friendly; leagues different from his voice behind the respirator.
He gestured towards the communal building. "Come. I was just exploring, but Hinata-sama will want to see you. She's in the back."
Sasuke did not need any directions, but he politely followed Ko's lead. On the back of his haori Sasuke saw the Hyuga symbol embroidered on the cloth with care. A flame inside a folding fan. Sasuke recognized that symbol.
In the building, he noticed signs of occupation. Dust and cobwebs were now gone. Oil lamps of all sizes with cans of kerosene strategically sat in different spots, waiting for night to fall. Everything smelled less musty as air circulated through the open doors.
Even with the small changes, the building felt almost unrecognizable. It inspired both shame and possessiveness in him. A single person could not be expected to upkeep a whole compound. But for a moment, he wished he had tried.
They emerged outside and followed the porch around a corner. In front of them, a woman sat straight on a red pillow. Kunai, throwing stars, and diagrams littered the ground around her. She held a paper in the air, reading it closely. Thin eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. Ink stained her fingers.
"Hinata-sama," Ko greeted. "Sasuke-san is here."
The woman startled a bit. She blinked up at them, as if she was emerging from underwater. "Oh," she said quietly. "Oh!" She shot to her feet and bowed quickly. "Welcome."
He bowed as well. "Thank you for having me in your home."
Sasuke could not believe the soft-voiced woman in front of him was the same one who treated the Third so coldly. She stood smaller than he expected. Today, her impossibly long hair lay unbound, and it slipped over her shoulder. When she straightened, he caught sight of her face. Lush lips curved into a smile. The light caught her, illuminating her irises, and lighting up the lavender in them.
He felt stunned. She was beautiful.
"Sit!" she invited, holding out a hand to another pillow nearby. It jolted him out of his reverie. "I was just passing the time. We should probably go over a few things."
Ko took Sasuke's duffel without a word and left the way they came. Sasuke sat, still feeling a bit shell shocked.
"I want to thank you for coming," she said once they both settled in. "I hope you didn't feel forced into doing something you didn't want to."
Sasuke tried desperately to restart his brain. But how could he? She was beautiful and she smiled at him so gently. No one had even looked at him kindly today. Even Shisui's expression had been pitying.
"I," he tried. "I understand why I was sent here." He felt like rocks filled his mouth, making it hard to speak clearly.
She nodded, but she was distracted as her eyes roamed over the paperwork on the floor. "If at any time this arrangement does not suit you, please let me know. We'll figure out something else, don't worry."
She thought he worried about the arrangement? Dumbly, he remembered what Kakashi told him.
She's nice.
She leaned forward, gathering up her papers into a neat pile and rolling the scrolls. Sasuke looked to his left. He felt the presence before the soft footsteps announced the arrival of another person. Another man exited through the closest door and padded over with socked feet. He bowed a hello to Sasuke then handed him a cold, sweating bottle of unsweetened tea.
"We don't really have a kitchen, but the icebox works," the man said apologetically. "Hinata-sama."
She hummed but did not look up from the scroll in her hands. Engrossed in her task, she paused to jot a couple of notes. He reached down and gently pried the pen out of her hand and replaced it with another bottle.
"Oh," she said again, her cheeks pink.
Sasuke stared dumbly. This close, he noticed the seal on her forehead, but also a pink scar on the left side of her face. It started close to the corner of her mouth and stretched down to her jaw underneath her ear. Sasuke pondered that for a second. How did a samurai who wore a helmet get such a scar?
Also, it looked new and not yet healed. He wondered at it.
She fumbled with the bottle slightly, drawing attention to her hands. Thin, tiny scars also adorned her calloused fingers and palms.
The man "tsk-ed" and took the bottle back. He rubbed the perspiration off on the sleeve of his haori and handed it again to her. She took it, opened the top, and took a drink. Once she was done, her eyes sharpened. She looked present, somehow, in a way she had not before. Her gaze focused on Sasuke, and he felt a little cowed by the intensity of her gaze.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I allowed myself to be distracted."
The man walked around and kneeled on his own pillow. "I am Neji, Uchiha-san."
Sasuke inclined his head. "Sasuke is fine." He thought about his next words for a second. "Pleasure to see you without barriers between us."
The corners of Neji's lips kicked up slightly.
Hinata beamed widely, looking between the two. "That's good!"
Neji nodded. "You'll fit right in, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke chuckled and tugged at his earring. "I don't think so. But I'll do my best."
The two clansmen exchanged a speaking look. Hinata then turned her ice purple gaze on him.
"Are you so used to hiding your skills that you are uncomfortable with compliments?" she asked.
Sasuke felt like she could knock him over with a feather. No one would ever ask him that question. He wondered if the Hyuga were so bold faced because they were samurai, or because they were testing his boundaries.
He decided to go for complete honesty. Their arrangement would prevent them breaking his cover. Also, he needed practice for when this all finished, and he needed to relearn how to tell the truth.
"I…" Sasuke started, "...think it might be that. I'm not used to them from anyone other than the Hokage and his family." Something occurred to him. "And the Inuzuka. They're another clan."
Neji hummed. "The clan that specializes in raising and fighting with dog-nin?"
Sasuke nodded. "The clan head's daughter is also aware of my mission, and she works closely with the Third."
"How many people are involved in this organization?" Hinata asked, now digging through her pile of papers once again.
"I am unaware. But I'm allowed to reveal Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, and Hana. If we need to pass any messages to the Third or to the Hokage, we can through them."
Neji pushed his long hair over his shoulder so it could cascade down his back. "I suppose in a nin village we'll never know the true extent of the network."
Hinata nodded. "Can I have my pen, please?"
Neji plucked it from out of his sleeve and handed it to her.
"We need a list," she continued, carefully writing in neat, looping strokes. "Of the people we can contact. We'll have to devise a way to contact those people in case you, Sasuke-san, become incapacitated."
She paused and sent him an apologetic look. "Not that we believe that will happen."
"Prepare for the unexpected." Sasuke waved it off. "I understand."
She smiled, pleased. Sasuke ignored the swooping sensation in his stomach when he saw it. He glanced guiltily at Neji. But the other man did not pay attention as he began to organize the paperwork.
"We also still have to get rid of the traps. I think we've found a good number of them, but we could only disarm a few. Some of my clansmen are tidying up a couple of houses so we can sleep there, but we'll probably have to hire some general contractors."
"Ko-san can oversee them," Neji said.
"Okay." Hinata wrote that down. She addressed Sasuke. "We also have to fit in training with Neji-kun. Since Neji and I will be accompanying you on your mission, we thought it best to learn each other's fighting styles as soon as possible."
Sasuke shrugged. "Seems reasonable."
"Sparring with me and with you," Neji murmured.
She paused. "Um. Yes. Also sparring with me."
Sasuke wondered why that made her so uncomfortable.
Neji silently gestured to Hinata for the list. She handed it over and continued speaking with more confidence than before. "We also need to outfit you with weapons."
Sasuke's brows furrowed. He crossed his arms, uncomfortable. "I have weapons."
Both samurai stared at him in mute shock. He shifted in place. Did he offend them?
"D-Did no one tell you?" Hinata asked.
Neji picked up a kunai diagram. "That's why we're here."
"I'm… not following," Sasuke admitted.
The embers of his anger from earlier suddenly grew hot. The flames lapped at the back of his throat. Did someone neglect to tell him important information? It would not be the first time.
Neji's expression softened and it caught Sasuke off guard. "We're weapon designers, Sasuke-san. Samurai channel their chakra through their weapons instead of their whole body like nin do. In exchange for allowing us to move back and reclaim our land, we agreed to develop weapons suited to nin."
"Like chakra wire?" Sasuke pulled out a loop of chakra wire from a pocket.
He pushed a tiny bit of chakra into it until it vibrated from the stored energy. Holding it up for them to see, he pulled each end taught and it wriggled.
"Um. Something like that," Hinata said.
Neji stood. Hinata reached behind her and pulled out a sheathed dagger from under her pillow. Neji accepted it with a nod.
"Neji-kun will show you."
The man in question put his shoes on and hopped off the porch. He held the blade at his side, with the sharp side upside down as if it were a longer sword. He stood in front of a cluster of knotweeds, which stood taller than his head. The stems were woody and a pain to cut. Was he going to try to chop them with the dagger?
Neji let out a long breath. The energy in the clearing changed slightly. It did not feel electric like it did when a nin began a jutsu. Nor did it contain the oppressive molasses sensation of killing intent. It felt hot like when a fireball jutsu first formed on top of Sasuke's tongue.
His Sharingan instinctively activated. Neji's chakra patterns held no discernable difference from a nin's. It looked dimmer actually, almost like a civilian's. However, in a split second, it flared, almost blinding Sasuke. Bright blue chakra enveloped Neji's eyes and hands.
Neji feinted forward, unsheathing his blade in a sharp movement. His chakra coalesced into the same shape as the blade, but it extended out at least a meter and a half. It sliced cleanly through the plants, cutting them in half with an electrified crackle. The energy then boomeranged back into the blade and flowed back into Neji's body to be reincorporated into his chakra network. Neji stood and sheathed the dagger. He took a deep breath and his system returned to its benign current.
Sasuke's eyes widened then narrowed. Oh. Interesting. They could make short range weapons into long ranged ones with a careful application of chakra. No wonder Konoha was interested.
A small clap caught his attention. Hinata clasped her hands together, looking pleased. They made eye contact.
Sasuke blinked, quickly deactivating his Sharingan. But too late. The image of Hinata's face appearing soft and indulgent burned into the back of his eyes.
Neji returned to his spot on the porch. He presented the dagger in both hands to Hinata. She took it before taking the blade out of the sheath.
Taking him by surprise once again, her dojutsu activated. Sasuke resisted the urge to lean forward or reactivate his Sharingan. The small amount of moth-eaten scrolls in the compound described their dojutsu. But never in detail.
He knew it allowed the user to see everything in front of and behind them. But the way she stared at the dagger, it appeared as if she was looking into the blade.
"How did it work?" she asked.
"Good, Hinata-sama," Neji answered, smoothly lowering himself into his knees in a seiza position.
She looked upwards. With her face on full view, Sasuke could see the pulsing, bulging veins leading up to her eyes. It fascinated him. He would bet anything those pathways were full of chakra. So that was why Neji's chakra concentrated towards his face during the attack.
She blinked, and her skin returned to normal.
It took a moment for Sasuke to register that she started speaking.
"The dagger's handle is full of circuitry that allows us to channel chakra from our body into the blade," she explained. "It also tethers the chakra in place to keep it from dissipating once discharged, so it can be returned to us."
"Is the metal the conductor, then?" Sasuke asked.
The metal in question held a blue tint, unlike the matte gray of typical nin weapons. Hinata sat taller, raising her brows.
"Yes!" she exclaimed in excitement. "Exactly!"
Neji chuckled. "See? You'll fit in, Sasuke-san." He smiled at Hinata. "She is one of the premier weapon designers in our clan."
To Sasuke's surprise, Hinata colored and ducked her head. He could not believe the woman with the unshakable confidence could suddenly be so bashful.
"My sister is even better than I am. But I am grateful that our father taught us. I don't do metalsmithing or the construction. So, please don't think I can take credit for everything." She deflected.
Sasuke held out a hand at her while addressing Neji. "What was that about taking compliments?"
Neji smirked. "How does the saying go? The flaws we hate the most in other people are the ones we dislike in ourselves."
Sasuke chuckled and even Hinata giggled.
She covered her mouth with a hand. It looked adorable seeing her act girlish even while holding her own weapon in her other hand.
Opening her mouth to say something, she paused when a long, lonesome howl sounded through the compound.
"Is it coming from the gates?" she asked.
Neji sat up, activating his dojutsu.
Sasuke slouched in his seat. Maybe if he ignored it, they would go away. Another voice joined the next howl. It echoed through the empty compound.
He sighed. "It's for me. But you should probably come too."
Needing no direction, because this had been his compound once, he stood and made his way towards the front gates. He watched as they began to open for him even while he was a meter away. What kind of technology did these people have?
The Hyugas paced behind him. He could feel their curious stares.
The howls subsided when the two creatures spotted Sasuke. Akamaru sat, his tongue lolling out in satisfaction. Sasuke crossed his arms and leaned against the solid wooden frame of the gate.
"What do you want?" he growled.
Kiba sucked at his teeth then picked at them with a nail. "Mom wants to know if you'll come to dinner."
Sasuke gestured behind him. The Hyuga pulled even with him. Only then did he realize they wore their goggles.
Kiba, uncultured animal that he was, made no effort to pretend not to stare. "They can come too." His grin showed off his sharp canines.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, this is Inuzuka Kiba, and the nin-dog is Akamaru."
Both samurai bowed formally. Kiba blanched at being treated so respectfully and took a step back. Akamaru did not mind. He trotted up to Sasuke and hip checked him in greeting. Then he went to Hinata. She held out her hand with a smile. He magnanimously presented his head for pets. Once satisfied, he went to Neji who also presented his hand but did not pet the dog.
Akamaru did not seem upset. He trotted back to Kiba and rubbed along his legs, spreading the new scent.
Kiba relaxed. "You can come too of course."
"We have quite a few people," Hinata said.
Kiba absently scratched Akamaru behind the ears. "We'll have enough."
Neji and Hinata exchanged a look before she nodded.
"We'll meet you there," Sasuke said. "I'll make sure they get where they're going."
Kiba nodded. Briefly remembering his manners, he bowed at the samurai before turning to leave. To Hinata's delight, Akamaru stayed.
Sasuke followed the cousins as they gathered their clansmen scattered around the compound. A lot of polite introductions followed. Sasuke made sure to remember the name and at least one thing that stood out to him about every person. Honestly, he found it a little difficult. The traits that really caught his attention were their eyes, forehead seals, and long hair.
He noticed, however, that most of them put on either a headband over their bandana, or intricately carved happuri, the kind of armor that covered their faces and cheeks. It reminded him of Yamato.
Sasuke made a note of each one, because they all appeared to be personalized. The fabric of the bandanas were in all different bright colors, standing out against their brown, beige, and tan clothing. The happuri also were lacquered to be distinct and unique to the wearer. They also all wore their goggles, but those all looked the same.
Hinata put on her own happuri. It was lacquered black, and the carving caught his attention. It did not look as finely done as others. Instead, on the forehead sat a single flower, painted gold. On the sides framing her face were the leaves from the seal, crafted to look like they were falling in midair, also painted gold.
Sasuke said nothing but he thought about it on the trip through the village. The Inuzuka compound was on the opposite side of the village from the Hyuga and Uchiha. He made sure to take his usual route, off of the main roads.
He did not think he needed to sneak around or hide them. But old habits never broke easily, and Sasuke was used to skulking.
The Hyuga who followed mostly whispered among themselves as they followed. It surprised him. Nothing he could say could truly prepare this quiet group for a night with the Inuzukas. They could just experience it for themselves.
The Third Haimaru brother greeted them at the gate.
"My favorite Uchiha!" Three cried, throwing himself at Sasuke.
The Hyuga shifted slightly at the sight of the large dog barreling towards the nin. Sasuke did not move so neither did the samurai. Three collided harshly with Sasuke's legs and rubbed himself happily over his pants.
"You brought friends?" Three's tail wagged madly. "Who are they? Are they nice?"
Hinata made the mistake of holding her hand out for Three to sniff. Akamaru wailed in despair of losing her attention.
"Okay, cousin, okay." Three licked Akamaru's mouth in apology.
"This is Three," Sasuke explained to Hinata, Ko, and Neji, who had taken point.
"Three?" Ko asked.
Three circled the group, hitting multiple people with his tail. "I'm the Third brother!"
"Three," a familiar voice barked at the gates.
Sasuke gestured with a tilt of his head, and they continued forward as Three ran like hell to the voice. Inuzuka Tsume stood proud and tall as she watched the contingent of samurai approach. Kuromaru nipped at Three as he passed but said nothing.
Tsume bowed low. Hinata did as well, the rest of the Hyuga following her lead.
"I am Clan Head, Inuzuka Tsume and this is my partner Kuromaru. We are honored to meet you."
"The honor is mine," Hinata said in her high, clear voice. "I am Commander Hyuga Hinata."
Tsume straightened and smirked. "Commander, eh?" She slapped Sasuke's shoulder and shook him roughly.
Sasuke, doing the same as he had with Three, channeled chakra to his feet to keep him upright.
She only laughed. "I hope we can show you some hospitality. It's not often we get a Lady."
Sasuke raised a brow. A Lady?
"You'll have to learn samurai ranks, Sasuke-kun," Tsume said. She gestured for her guests to follow but kept a tight grip on Sasuke's shoulder. Longsuffering, he followed. "She's samurai gentry."
Gentry?
What.
oOo
Hinata surveyed the dining hall with interest. Most of the adults sat at an impossibly long table hewn and carved from some kind of dark wood. They placed her next to Tsume towards the head. In the middle of the table lay an enormous spread of cooked meat and vegetables. Some adults had their dog partners by their side and carefully plucked out choice cuts for them. Other dogs sat next to children at other tables with their own bowls on the floor, and even more dogs lounged on large pillows situated around the room.
At first, the din overwhelmed her. Now, she felt a little more used to it. This did not appear so different from samurai gatherings at the Land of Iron. The Hyuga were a quiet bunch, but they were the exception, not the norm.
"Is everything to your liking?" the older woman asked, jarring Hinata out of her contemplation.
Hinata quickly returned her attention to her host and nodded. "Yes, thank you."
"I'm glad." Tsume leaned an elbow on the table and angled her body towards Hinata. "I hear you're going to be taking responsibility over our Sasuke-kun?"
Hm. Tsume's body language did not seem too intimidating. But her eyes were sharp as blades and her long canines pushed against her lips. Hinata chanced a glance at Tsume's partner on the ground. Kuromaru rested his head on his paws, but his sharp ears were upright and pointing at Hinata. She wondered about this protectiveness.
"Yes, he's helping with the rebuilding efforts."
"Good! Better to be as far away from that clan of his as possible."
Hinata forced herself not to demonstrate her confusion. Why did Tsume want Sasuke away from his clan? Did Tsume know something?
"Pardon?"
Tsume threw herself back into her chair. "I'm just saying we wouldn't treat packmates like that. He's one of ours now."
This whole conversation was so confusing. Sasuke was packmates with the Inuzuka? Did that mean he was allied with them? Or did it mean something deeper?
"How… how did you become… packmates with him?"
Tsume burst into boisterous laughter, startling Hinata. "My fool son took Akamaru out into a rainstorm!"
"Moooom," the fool in question moaned.
A few spots down the table, Kiba slouched down in his chair. Hana, sitting next to him, patted him on the shoulder.
"They got separated and somehow Akamaru ended up on the other side of town… by the Hyuga compound. Kiba had no way of tracking in the rain, and Akamaru also could not find his path home by scent. Sasuke showed up at my doorstep with Akamaru in tow. Two little drowned puppies lost in the rain."
Sasuke gave them a look. A toddler had claimed his lap and he was giving them tiny pieces of roasted vegetables to chew on. The toddler chewed on Sasuke's fingers as much as the food. "I wasn't lost. I think the whole point of the story is that I knew where I was going."
Tsume laughed again. "Aa. Okay, Sasuke-kun. Fair enough." She sucked her teeth and returned her attention to Hinata. "How is the re-building going?"
Hinata shook her head. "We've only just started today, honestly. It's been mostly taking stock of which buildings are still intact and which ones need to be demolished."
"Do you have your kitchens set up yet?"
Hinata shook her head. "We are planning on making do with camp stoves in the meantime."
"Nonsense!" Tsume slapped the table with the palm of her hand. "Come here for meals."
"We couldn't dare impose. There are so many of us."
"Allies of our packmates are allies of mine. I insist."
Hinata chanced a glance at Sasuke, her guide in this situation. He nodded.
Acquiescing with Sasuke's blessing, Hinata finally accepted. It would be a great relief to not have to worry about feeding her people. Also, this way, they could pass messages to Hana a little less conspicuously.
"We'll bring supplies in return," Hinata said.
Tsume gave a fanged grin. "Perfect."
oOo
By the time they returned home, Sasuke could barely keep his eyes open. The combination of the drama of the day and having a full belly lulled him to sleep. He opened his pack and set up his sleeping arrangements next to Ko, who patted the wooden floor next to him.
Sure, maybe sleeping in a sleeping bag underneath a holey roof was not the height of luxury. But he could see the stars. And smell the fresh, cool evening. And he felt safe there, even with foreign fighters surrounding him. Yet, they were not enemies. This land belonged to them as much as it did to Sasuke.
Packmates, he thought, before slipping into sleep.
o
oOo
o
Coming up: Hinata and Sasuke finally spend a little more 1 on 1 time with each other.