Hime-sama
by: Bakunawa
XII. Drink
"That was pretty uneventful." Naruto whined to umpteenth time that afternoon, "Why couldn't we get a mission that would lead us to the beach or something? Instead we got a stupid delivery job that a genin team-hell, even academy students could have taken care of. This is the last time I'm letting you take a mission scroll, Hinata-chan. I love you and all but your luck just sucks."
The Hyuuga heiress stopped halfway in writing her name on mission sign-off sheet the gate guards handed them and erupted a bright shade of red. "I-I thought it was kinda fun," she stuttered, "We get to see the Giant Redwoods, didn't we?"
"But no bandits! I heard that forest was supposed to be crawling with them but we didn't get to see a single one!" She was flailing her arms up and down like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Will you stop complaining already?" Sasuke interjected, taking the pen from Hinata and signing his own name on the sheet.
"Oh, just admit it, teme. You were just as bored as I was, " the blonde teenager scoffed, crossing her arms over breasts, "It didn't even take three days like the mission itinerary said would take us to finish it."
"At least I made something productive with my time unlike you." He handed back the pen to Hinata, who hastily wrote the last few strokes of her name's character, and left for the direction of his apartment with his hands deep in his pockets
"As if reading a dusty old book is something to call 'productive'." Naruto walked up to his side and matched his pace while their third teammate had to jog to keep up with them, "Heck, you might have been reading porn for all we know!"
"Don't compare me with Kakashi," he said a little to loudly for his liking.
"Pfff, don't get me started on the little stash I found under your bed."
"Don't make up stories, Naruto. You might regret it," he said, deadpanned and without even breaking stride.
"I'm not making anything up!" she turned to Hinata with glinting mischievous eyes, "Believe me when I say he does have R-rated magazines under his bed!"
"You really have to scream it out loud, don't you?" Sasuke was glaring fire to whoever was in front of him.
"Because it's true! You do have porn hidden under your bed, Sasuke-kun!"
Not oddly enough, a few reacted to the blonde's outburst. A pair of passing kunoichi giggled under their hands. A mother with her son scoffed at her language and immediately dragged her child inside a store. Even an elderly man gave him a toothless grin.
"What are you? Twelve?" the young Uchiha hissed at his rumbustious teammate.
His growing irk only served to entertain the blonde as she laughed heartily. His more sensible teammate was no real help either. Hinata only stood beside Naruto with a sheepishly apologetic smile thrown his way.
"That's it..." he made a move to shunshin out of the scene when a slightly tanned hand reached out to take his wrist.
"Wait, wait, wait," she tried stifling he giggles, "Where do you think your going? I was just kidding around."
"I have more important things to attend to," he said, snatching his hand from her grip, "So if you will excuse me..."
"Geez, Sasuke, will you lighten up for once?" She held her both hand up from his increasing hostile glare. "Look Hinata and I are heading for my place. Since we finished the mission early, she and I are having a sleepover. Her dad won't be expecting her until tomorrow morning anyway."
"So?"
"So why not hang out with us for a couple more hours?" she shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"I'll be making dinner tonight," Hinata pitched in, beaming, "I'm planning curry."
"And you know how divine Hinata's curries are." The blonde was practically salivating by the mere thought of her best friend's cooking. "Second only to ramen," she added dreamily.
"I'll take a rain check." He was about to make his leave again when two set of hands grabbed his shirt.
"Oh, come on, Sasuke," Naruto whined again, "You never hanged out with us anymore ever since you moved out of your parents' house. You know as well as we do that you don't do anything after missions. When was the last decent meal you ate?"
The raven teen left eye flinched almost unnoticed. The girls were keen to his reactions however.
"We know your mom often visits to bring you lunches and stuff," she continued, concern written on her face, "but let's face it, you can't cook even if your life depen-hmph phm!"
"Th-that's not what she meant!" squeaked the brunette, holding a firm hand over the taller girl's mouth. "Naruto, we talked about this..." she whispered. Sometimes, it takes all of Hinata's inner strength not to smack the blonde upside the head for her lack of tact.
"What did I say?" protested the blonde behind her best friends fingers, though most if it were muffled up.
Both girls knew how touchy Sasuke's was about anything that concerns his family, especially his relationship with his father. Now more than before.
Anybody who knew him warily avoid broaching the subject. Anybody who wasn't Naruto, that is.
Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before turning his back slowly from them. "I don't need your charity. So. Buzz. Off!" His tone was ice cold. The look in his eyes were even colder as he gave them warning not to stop him from leaving.
"All right..." the blonde seethed, fists clenched tightly, "That's how it's always going to be."
Hinata had to take a step back, clutching her hands to her heart before Naruto hollered, "You're such a stuck up jerk! Do you think I care if you starve to death, locking yourself up in that shithole? I'd rather see you die eating your own arm out! Argh!"
The blonde angrily threw her arms up in exasperation and continued while people were starting to stare, "And here I was trying to be nice to you for once because hey, you're having a rough time and everybody sees you're not doing so well with it even though you always play it out like you don't give a shit. Yeah, you're always playing it like you're the coolest guy in town. Well, I got news for you buddy, you're human like everybody else! Spend at least a fourth of your dumb life on human interaction because the gods know you need it! So if somebody asks you if you wanna hang out, you hang out!"
Naruto was panting hard after the tirade. Eyes were locked on Sasuke's unblinking black irises while her fists were trembling at her side.
Hinata stood at the side, fidgeting as people watch the scene Naruto was making with mild interest or indifference. Everybody in Konoha were pretty much used to the blonde's explosive tendencies and, as a matter of fact, almost 80 percent of the kunoichi population in the village more or less have the same violent urges. Hinata just never got used to it though.
The Hokage's child and the young Uchiha both stood in silence, watching each other for long awkward stretch.
"Che, you never give up, do you?" It was Sasuke who broke eye contact, turning to face the other direction with a hand on his temples.
"Damn straight!" The blonde tilted her chin up boldly, fist on hip. She could not keep the small smirk blooming from her face though.
"I think it's called bullheadedness," the young man added as he leisurely walked passed her towards the Hokage's mansion.
"What did you say?"
"And has anybody told you, you talk to much? If you really wanted to ask me out you could have done it in one sentence."
That caught Naruto off guard, lamely sputtering, "Y-you conceited bastard..."
"You didn't have to drag Hinata in your little games either."
"What the hell are you talking about? I wouldn't even dream of dating you even if you're the last male of the species."
"Wow, I never knew you've recently added a few words in your vocabulary. Can you even spell 'species'?"
"Let me spell out 'asshole' for you with my fists!"
Hinata followed the duo a few paces behind. At least they did not have to resort to Naruto's plan B, she thought with a sigh. It would have involved her paralyzing the Uchiha from the neck down with Gentle Fist then hogtie him to a pole just so that they could carry him to Naruto's house. She really didn't think she could pull off a quick one on the Uchiha anyway but Naruto had been adamant in getting their ever brooding teammate to open up a little bit.
After dinner later...
They were sitting in one of the mansion's three receiving rooms. This one was facing the back garden.
Sasuke remembered it was the same part of the mansion he and Naruto first met.
Hinata also had very fond memories of the place and was very contented in sitting quietly, reminiscently looking into space.
Naruto was still in the kitchens getting tea ready.
Silence hung between the two occupants.
"..."
"..."
And it was awkward.
"..."
"..."
Very awkward.
Admittedly, they had been on the same team for a few years already. They had gone through countless missions together, trained together if not. They had been in tight situations together and knew they got each others back when things get rougher. Their interactions were almost always professional, however. On casual settings, they always have other friends, mainly Naruto, hanging around so personal contact between them were very few and
very far in between.
"Uhm..." Hinata broke the silence.
Sasuke gave her an indifferent sideways look as he leaned broodingly on the low table, chin on fist.
"Uh, Naruto is taking a long while..." she attempted to sound conversational.
"Hn."
"..."
Very awkward.
"Sasuke-kun?" she attempted again. He acknowledge her with another low grunt. "I-I do hope you aren't too upset with us for dragging you to dinner?"
"It was alright I guess..." Sasuke responded, indifferently looking the other direction, "Thanks. Curry was... delicious."
For Hinata, that was enough.
It was not that Sasuke was unappreciative, he was just not used to expressing it, she surmised. She was already too familiar with inexpressive men. It comes with being born to Hyuuga.
"Tell me why am I staying longer for this?" he grumbled, slumping even further.
"Because you can't say 'no' to her?" Hinata suggested, beaming.
Sasuke gave her a long unblinking look. The Hyuuga girl stared back with the sweetest smile, a challenge to prove her wrong.
"No, she just doesn't take 'no' for an answer. It's different."
Hinata giggled, "Naruto does get violent sometimes."
"Understatement of the year, Hinata."
"Okay, okay." Hinata chuckled openly.
It was at the moment Naruto walked with a platter in hand.
"What's the joke that you guys left me out of?" she asked, pouting.
"Where's the tea?" Sasuke pointed out.
"Ehe, about that..." the blonde sheepishly explained, putting the platter on the table. "I think I might have put something different in the pot. It smelled a little funny so I threw it away. Good thing I found juice in the fridge and some umeboshi."
"Juice for after dinner tea?" Hinata seemed perturbed of the idea as she watched Naruto pour them drinks from a huge pitcher filled with grape juice.
"How did you end up messing the tea in the first place? You're useless." Sasuke said, derisively.
"Shut up, you bastard!" The blonde practically slammed the Uchiha's glass in front of him.
"You're going to give us constipation, you know that?" Sasuke scoffed.
"Like you don't have pole up your ass already," Naruto bit back.
"What was wrong with the tea, Naruto?" Hinata asked, interjecting.
Naruto shrugged, "I thought I was sure but do you remember the tea bags you gave me not too long ago? "
The brunette gave a long silent "oh" in realization as she took her glass, before remembering her manners.
"Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?" Sasuke rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his juice.
"Just be thankful, teme," Naruto growled, "because if I had given you cup, your balls would have shriveled and died."
"So it was those sort of tea." Sasuke actually looked up, strangely interested.
"What are you you talking?" Naruto asked with genuine confusion on her face.
Hinata was quicker to catch on as she sputtered a bit of juice on her sleeve.
"You said it yourself, dobe," Sasuke continued, mock-disbelief on his face, "I'm actually surprised you're taking those. Makes you wonder what you're up to... or what you' have been up to." Sasuke gave her a narrowed critical eye before swiveling his gaze to the young woman sitting beside him. "I'm even more surprised they came from you, Hinata."
Hinata visibly flinched away and flushed a pretty faint pink. "I-I-It's not what you think?" she protested, voice rising an octave higher than her usual.
"What is he talking about?" Naruto's eyes were scrunched closed in her utter lack of understanding.
Hinata was gawping like a fish between Sasuke and Naruto. "I-It's not... but-no..."
"There's nothing really wrong about it, I just never took you for that type of girl." Sasuke snickered coolly, looking pointedly at Hinata, "And now you're influencing the dobe with your... unsavory ways. Tsk."
The Hyuuga heiress flushed even redder as she frantically defended herself, "It was for menstrual cramps! Naruto had been complaining a-about pains so I gave her some herbal tea for menstrual cramps s-so stop looking at me like that p-please!"
The young Uchiha chuckled behind a clenched fist, looking away. A low rumble at first and then open free laugh.
The young women openly stared, Hinata still red and upset while Naruto admittedly confounded.
"What?" Sasuke was sheepish.
"What's the matter with you, teme?" Naruto busied herself with her own drink, "For a second there, I thought you were losing your mind."
"I was just teasing," he shrugged, smirking.
Hinata could not help stare at him dumbly. When did Sasuke ever been this amicable with her? He was always straightforward and business with her.
"I known it's standard for kunoichi to take contraceptives as soon as they reach the right age. It's not that big of a secret," he continued taking a bite of umeboshi before taking the pitcher to pour himself more juice.
Hinata also noticed he was talking more now than he was at dinner.
"Oh, so that's what you've been talking about," the blonde slapped a hand on the table.
"And that's what I would like to call 'slow'," Sasuke placed much emphasis on the last word.
"I thought you talking about something else so how was I supposed to understand? And how dare you accuse Hinata of anything, you bastard."
"I was just fooling around, dobe," Sasuke bit back, throwing a piece of umeboshi on Naruto's cheek, "You really think Hinata would go sleeping around like some floozy?"
"It's okay," Hinata smiled, a bit embarrassed by her outburst as she took drink of juice herself, "I was just taken off guard, that's all."
"See, she's okay with it," Sasuke shrugged, "Anyhow, blondes are more likely to sleep around."
A beat or two later... pandemonium broke loose.
Minutes later...
"You are going to be in so much trouble," Sasuke shook his head slowly.
"Shut up," Naruto murmured, "This would not have happened if you just stayed put and let me slice your head off."
"Well, sor-ry for having some sense of self-preservation," Sasuke leaned back on the low table, glass of juice in hand.
The blonde did not throw a comeback but focused on the task of realigning the two pieces of a once decorative scroll. It was too crumpled up however to be put back together.
"Argh, Daddy made this himself," she grumbled in frustration, "he's going to be pissed."
"That's what you get when you resort in violence for every conflict." It was not Sasuke who said the sagely quote.
"Aw, Hinata-chan, I thought you were on my side?" Naruto pouted.
"I'm on nobody's side," she said calmly, taking a small bite off an umeboshi, "I'm just saying that you're being too careless, Naruto-chan. Someone's going to get seriously hurt if you continue this." She lifted a fist and gently bopped the blonde on the head.
Naruto winced even though Hinata's fist was nothing but gentle. "I'll just put it together with glue, okay?"
"It won't be the same," Hinata said, this time pinching her best friend's nose, "You'll just have to deal with your father's wrath once he gets home."
"Ow, Hinata-chan! That hurt!" Naruto tried pulling her nose from Hinata's firm grip.
Sasuke watched the pair with a raised brow. Hinata was getting a bit too touchy-feely with their blonde teammate. She was pinching different parts of Naruto's face-nose, cheeks, ears.
"Hinata-chan, stop it!" Naruto whined loudly as her cheeks were stretched out to their limit, "You don't know how strong your fingers are. They're like iron pincers!"
Hinata released her best friend's face with an audible smack and started to giggle. "Sorry," she said, though she far from apologetic, "But you're so cute and pouty, I couldn't help myself."
Sasuke was little perturbed. The girls had been friends since childhood, even longer than he had been friends with both, and it was not uncommon for them to show each other affection but Hinata was acting a bit out of character tonight.
"No-Hinata! W-wait, stop it! Ow, ow, ow!"
The brunette was now cuddling the blonde while pinching her in random places.
"Sasuke, help me!" Naruto cried as she scrambled away from the brunette. She didn't go far when Hinata grabbed her ankles and pulled her back.
"Come here, you little you..." the brunette had a dark evil look on her face that promised death by tickles and pinches.
Yeah, something about Hinata was off tonight.
Sasuke sat back with his drink as he watched the two girls play with strange interest.
Later later...
"You know Sasuke..." Naruto said solemnly. She was sprawled on the floor facing the ceiling. Sasuke had to lean to the side in order to see her face, half covered the table. "You're a nice guy," the blonde continued, almost whispering, "If you weren't such a dick all the time."
The Uchiha snorted, "What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing," she shrugged, "I just think you're nice guy, is all. Like for example, your mom. You love her so much that you'd do everything she tells you. You'd complain like you always but you are definitely a mama's boy-hey!"
Sasuke poked the blonde's forehead none too gently.
"I say it how I see it, okay?" Naruto was about to retaliate but changed her mind when she saw the almost pouty look on her teammates face. "You're also a very helpful person," she muttered again, "I think it comes from your need to be perfect with everything. So you can't stand it whenever Hinata misses a step in her own Jukenho or if I break out of formation to do something badass."
"You're not making sense, you know."
"I'm not done yet," Naruto snapped again, "Stop interrupting me. As I was saying... whenever you see something wrong, you always go out of your way to fix it. You don't do it half done too. You're so anal. Have I said thank you that one time you help me with math?"
Naruto arched her back to look at her teammate. Sasuke was quietly looking at her incredulously too.
"Guess you don't remember. It was a long time ago anyway," she shrugged, lying back down with arms behind her head, "My point is that you're a closet nice guy, Sasuke. You're just afraid people would know about it. That's the part I don't get though."
"Don't think about it too much," the Uchiha was definitely pouting, looking the other way, "You'll only hurt you puny head if you do."
"Asshole," the blonde said, though without the usual spite in her words, "See what I mean? You're always such a... argh, such a dick whenever something good comes your way. You always shut everybody out."
Sasuke simply rolled his eyes. "And I thought only Hinata was acting strange tonight..." he muttered, sipping juice again.
"What did you say?"
"I was asking why Hinata is taking too long to get umeboshi."
Much later in Naruto's room...
Hinata could not stop giggling over the sight of Sasuke struggling with himself. His hands were already poised at the handle, ready to pull the drawer open.
"Hn," the Uchiha was irked. How did the Hyuuga even manage to convince him to give into the dare? He couldn't even remember how he even ended up joining the girl's little game of Truth or Dare.
Things had been getting a little hazy. At first he thought it was just the lightness of the atmosphere that started out with dinner but then he was starting to get really lightheaded with their after-dinner refreshment.
"What am I supposed to do again?" he asked dumbly.
"Find Naruto's lousiest undergarment," the Hyuuga repeated then giggled. She looked a little pink around the cheeks and ears.
"Sasuke, sonnovabitch! Don'ya dare!" The mentioned blonde screamed, vocabulary slurring terribly. She was lying on her back on the floor, half her body in her own bedroom while the other half was sprawled outside. Her arms and legs were paralyzed by none other than her best friend.
"Hin'ta-chaaaaan..." Naruto whined, turning her head over to where the brunette sat on her bed, "How could'ya joo t'is to me? I can't believe you're joing t'is t'me! I thought we're soul mates!"
"Hush, Naruto," Hinata snapped with a cold look on her face. The lack of honorifics was not missed too. "It's your turn next anyway." Then she started giggling sweetly again as she turned to Sasuke. "Anytime this year Sasuke-kun~" she said in a sing-song voice.
"Gimme a sec..." Sasuke tensed, "Tell me again, what will happen if I don't push through with the first date-I mean, dare?"
"You would have to walk home naked tonight?"
"Right... fuck it."
The drawer was opened and Sasuke instinctively drew away, arms ready for anything... nasty that might pop out. He was met only but soft pristine underwears of varying colors and designs.
Naruto was screaming her head off, her body was less responsive than her throat. "Teme, you put tha'back! I swear'm gonna to cut your ballz'off!"
"I'm just suppose to grab anything here, right?" He said behind hand, face so flushed red like a tomato.
"No, you have to choose the lousiest," Hinata chimed.
"They all seem lousy to me."
"Teme!" Naruto growled, urging her body to move inch by inch.
"I'll give you a clue: it's white and -hic- boring," pink-cheeked Hinata added. She had been randomly hiccuping instead of the usual stutter lately.
"She's got several white and boring panties."
"With teddy bear prints."
"... No, I don't see it here."
"You have to at least make the effort of -hic- of d-digging in," Hinata hiccuped again.
"NOOO!" Naruto was able to manage to turn herself over. She lay awkwardly on her side, right arm pinned beneath her while her left looked like it was broken in an odd angle. "Lay one fin'er on them and you die!"
Hinata squeaked at seeing Naruto moving already. She had not anticipated the blonde to recover so quickly.
Sasuke, on the other hand, did not anticipate Hinata jumping over the blonde like one would jump over a water on a sweltering summer day.
"Hin'ta-chan!" the said blonde cried, "I think you 'roke a rib. You acting s'rough with me, I'm thinkin' you're not Hinata-chan 'nymore!"
"Aw, let me kiss the boo-boo away, Naruto-chan~" The brunette began to rain small kisses on the blonde's face.
"No-ngo... stop eet! No..." Naruto protested a bit but gave into Hinata's gentle touches a moment later, purring like a cat.
"I think I know where the panties are!" Sasuke suddenly exclaimed, snapping a finger.
The young man marched towards the pile of limbs and proceeded to pull Naruto's shorts down, enough to see a worn out piece of underwear with faded teddy bear prints.
"Bingo -hic-!" Hinata cried, arms in the air waving the V sign.
"Sasuke, asshole!" It was at that moment Naruto's body chose to react, grabbing the Uchiha and tackling him to the floor. Naruto then began to divest him of his own clothing. "You think it's fun-argh! Le'see how you feel with just you und'wear on!"
"Oi, what the fu-" Sasuke cursed.
Hinata felt something fell on her head, covering her from the light. "What's this? Sasuke, isn't this you're shirt?"
"Hinata, now!" Naruto cried, locking the Uchiha's arms behind his back. Strangely, the young man did not put much effort. He was looking at Hinata almost pleadingly.
"What're you waiting for? Take'is pants off!" Naruto ordered.
The brunette complied without question, even going as far as jabbing a few of Sasuke nerves behind his thighs just to keep his lower extremities from moving.
"I got it off!" Hinata exclaimed with delight, waving Sasuke's dark pants like a banner as she spun around.
"Demons! Both of you are fucking demons!" the Uchiha, only in blue boxers, yelled above all the girlish squeals.
"That's wha'you get for looking at my panties!" the blonde yelled at his ear before turning to the still ecstatic Hinata. "And you..." Naruto growled, "You start'd all t'is."
Hinata stopped spinning around and fell on the bed with a loud thud. "My head starting to hurt..." she whined softly. Naruto stalked over to the other girl, gait very unsteady. "Naruto-chan, you look scary now... not cute."
The blonde chuckled darkly, her face cover by the shadows of her thick fringe. "Payback time..." she whispered.
He should have left right after dinner. He regretted ever accepting their offer of a warm meal in the first place.
Sasuke cringed at Hinata's terrified screams and Naruto's pointless evil cackle. He could not dare to watch the horror.
With his lower extremities still useless, the Uchiha struggled to crawl away. His body was getting heavier and heavier by the minute. His brain urged him to find away to get away from this hell hole.
His eyes were beginning to blur but at last he found the door to freedom. Sliding it open took more energy than he expected but no matter because he was finally getting out.
"Sasuke! Sasuke!" Hinata's cries for him rang through the haziness of his own steadily dimming mind. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the brunette pulling the hem of her mesh shirt down to cover her pink panties. Tears were streaming down her face as she stumbled forward and crashed right on top of him.
"Get her away from me! Get her away!" she cried.
"Y-your knees... are digging on my back," Sasuke said but the Hyuuga did not hear anything over the sound of her own cries.
Sasuke felt another presence coming-a more diabolical one. He started to inch away but only to realize that he had stumbled upon a narrow closet. Random shoes and boxes and some old dolls were staring at him, mocking him.
"Fuck..." he cursed his fate right before another body landed on top of him.
And his world slowly went black.
Several hours later...
The great Jiraiya-sama was in the kitchen rummaging through the fridge in search for his experimental mix that contains mainly of grape juice and Moon-bud extracts, the kind that they give terminally ill patients just to ease the pain. He only put a little bit of it in the juice, of course. But for some reason or another, he could not find the pitcher he surely remembered putting inside the fridge.
Meanwhile...
Minato nearly died of brain aneurysm the moment he stepped into his daughter's room and found pieces of male clothes scattered on the bed, a familiar purple jacket hanging from the ceiling fan and three pairs of naked legs poking out of the closet.
Bakunawa's Corner: Totally AU. Un-beta-ed. Slightly edited. T rated. Anyways, this is my answer to The King in White's persistent question of who was the third person in the closet. Hoped you enjoyed!