What Happens Next?
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. This is my most popular ongoing story at the moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 11
Fugaku shakes his head. Sasuke was under the influence of the Truth Jutsu. So he knew that his son had been being honest with him, for now. But he knew Sasuke. He'd never expressed an interest in anyone, even if it was only a physical attraction.
"I think they are quite cute together. Though I worry that they are setting themselves up for heartbreak." Mikoto says to her husband as they were doing the dishes.
Unlike the Hyugas, the Uchihas didn't have servants. They were a wealthy Clan but preferred to maintain their own households. They didn't want to grow soft. The Hyugas preferred to demonstrate their power in whatever way they could, the Uchihas in her mind were more practical.
"She seems to be a good girl. It's unfortunate that she's a Hyuga. That complicates things. It would be much easier if he had fallen for another Uchiha." He mutters as he washes the dishes, Mikoto drying them.
In his mind, Mikoto's hands should not be subjected to that level of "abuse." She had such wonderfully soft hands. He didn't want them "harmed" by harsh dish soap.
It had to be harsh. Uchihas tended to eat rather messy foods, the spicier the better. Which often meant condiments were added. Which in turn, meant their dishes were normally quite messy.
"Do you think he has fallen for her?" His wife asks curiously.
"Not quite yet. But he is on the edge of the cliff. It wouldn't take much. She seems to feel the same way. I saw how they danced together. Sasuke has never danced before. You will do things you normally wouldn't, for the woman you love." He replies.
Mikoto smiles. Her boys were all grown up now. She would be a grandmother soon. She glances at her reflection in the mirror. Hmm was that a gray hair. No, it couldn't be.
"Are you fretting over a single gray hair?" Fugaku asks with a chuckle, noting the direction her thoughts were turning.
"You see it to?!" She replies in panic.
He shakes his head. Fugaku kisses his wife's forehead. He would love her no matter what her hair color was, even if it was a ridiculous color like pink.
"Your hair color matters little to me. Though I do confess a fondness for running my fingers through it. Besides, it's the natural course of things. Our boys are men now. It's only natural." He assures her.
"I suppose you are right. I'm being silly. If you don't mind the wrinkles around your eyes, I don't mind the gray hair." She says with a smile.
"Wrinkles?! What wrinkles?!" Fugaku asks and Mikoto laughs.
"Mmm my love, it is too easy to tease you sometimes. You have no wrinkles." She tells him and Fugaku shakes his head, his wife could have such a sadistic sense of humor sometimes.
"You can be a cruel woman." He mutters and Mikoto shakes her head, snuggling into his arms.
He was just so much fun to tease. Fugaku had always been so proper. It was enjoyable to pull his leg now and then. She smiles and looks out the window, seeing some of the younger members of the Clan playing some sort of game in the streets.
It didn't seem to have any particular rules. There was a ball involved. But she couldn't tell who was on whose team. Perhaps they were competing individually. But mostly, they were just children, being children.
"I miss those days, when everything was so simple." She whispers.
"I do as well. But unfortunately, we are adults now and must act like it. Occasionally." He states and gives her backside a firm swat before striding off, as his wife chases him.
Shisui blinks when he walks into the house. Mikoto was chasing Fugaku. That was weird. The Uchiha Patriarch looked entirely too pleased with himself. He files this firmly under the, I Don't Want to Know Category.
"Fugaku, this came for you in the mail. It's from Lord Hiashi." He says.
"Oh. Thank you, Shisui." Fugaku says and takes the scroll, reading it quickly.
Dear Fugaku,
I think it is best we talk about the best way to move our Clans forward. A thought has occurred to me. I wish to see if you are of similar mind. You may name a time and place that is convenient to you, to meet.
Awaiting Your Answer, Lord Hiashi of the Hyuga Clan.
"That's odd. He wants to meet." He murmurs.
"It's probably about the hot springs." Mikoto muses out loud and Fugaku gives her a quizzical look.
"It's a very long story." She says and rubs the back of her head sheepishly, causing Fugaku to wonder if he even wanted to know.
He decides he doesn't want to know. The middle aged man rubs his chin thoughtfully. He would have to choose a location and time carefully. He did not want to give Hiashi a power advantage, but he also didn't want to make the other man uncomfortable.
"How about the public training grounds?" Mikoto suggests.
"Yes, that will have to do. I wonder what is on his mind." Her husband says and sends a reply, hoping that something good would come out of the meeting.
Meanwhile Hinata was not having a very good day. Ino had cornered her. Her best friend was interrogating her in ways that would make even Ibiki blush. Once Ino had a new piece of gossip in her hands, she was like a dog at a bone. The woman just wouldn't give up.
"It was an accident. We slipped. That's all. He's not my lover!" She protests for the 1000th time that day.
Honestly, she shouldn't have to protest this much. The Truth Jutsu should make it obvious that she was telling the truth. Her friend should drop the issue and move on. But Ino was bound and determined to embarrass her, it seemed.
"I know it was an accident. But what were you two doing together in the hot springs, in the first place. You were both alone!" The blonde says as if that last part proved her conspiracy theory.
"Sauske was using the public hot springs. I showed up after he did. They are PUBLIC. So he didn't send me away. Nothing happened!" The Hyuga Heiress insisted, hoping that this time Ino would just drop the matter.
Hinata was being difficult. That was annoying. But Ino had never been one to shy away from a challenge. (You couldn't date Sai, if you were.) So she wasn't going to give up that easily. She decided a change in tactics was in order to get the results she wanted.
"But you wanted something to happen?" Ino asks.
"Yes. Wait, I mean no. I don't know!" Hinata replies with a blush and Ino smirks victoriously.
Now she was finally getting somewhere. Hinata was just really shy. Thankfully, Hinata had her for a friend. Ino was going to help her friend get over her bashfulness and finally get a guy that actually noticed her.
It was odd. Sasuke had never noticed anyone else before. But he seemed to be into the quietest girl of their generation. Maybe that was part of the attraction. He was clearly used to girls throwing themselves at him.
"Hinata, you are all over the place. Let's go through this calmly and rationally." Ino offers.
"Calmly and rationally? That would be a first, my love." Sai says with a chuckle as he heads back over to the girls, carrying their lunch.
Ino shoots Sai a dirty look. Comments like that were not helping. Hinata was already skittish enough as it was.
"What do you mean?" Hinata inquires cautiously.
"Well we can make a list of pros and cons to your being with Sasuke." Ino says cheerfully.
Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. Love didn't work that way. You couldn't just make a couple lists and decide if it would work out that way. Love was intuitive. You couldn't really explain it. You just knew when you had found it.
"I don't think that will work. Love isn't some math equation." Hinata protests.
"Well it can't hurt, can it? Sometimes writing your thoughts down can be very therapeutic." Her friend argues.
Hinata shakes her head in amusement. She decides to go along with Ino's crazy plan. The blonde would never let her know a moment's peace otherwise.
"Alright. But can we not do this with Sai here? That's embarrassing." She mumbles with a blush.
"Okay. I'll see you later." Ino says and kisses her lover, before the artist heads off…muttering something about wanting to finish up a painting anyway.
Ino smiles as she watches him walk off. Sai was absolutely gorgeous. She hated to see him go, but loved to watch him leave.
"Alright. So I guess we should start with your concerns about a relationship and then go to the positives." She offers.
"Obviously our Clans haven't always gotten along." Hinata mumbles.
"Alright. I'll write that down. What else?" Ino prods her friend gently.
Hinata blinks. Well she had never really thought much beyond her family. That was really the main reason. Other than him not being interested.
"I don't think he likes me that way." Hinata says in a rush.
"Oh I'm pretty sure he does. I doubt Sasuke would bathe with just anyone. He's a pretty private person. He saved you from getting crushed to death and comforted you after Naruto…you know." Ino replies.
Hinata sighs. She didn't need to be reminded of that incident. Oddly enough, she hadn't thought of Naruto in awhile. Not since all this Truth Jutsu craziness started. But she knew she had to focus on giving Ino an answer.
"They were public hot springs. It's not like he could stop me. I imagine he would have saved anyone. He's not the type to watch someone die, if he can do something about it." The bluenette counters Ino's arguments in what she perceives as being a highly effective way.
"What about your date with him?" Ino asks slyly.
"How did you know about that?" Hinata demands.
"Oh um…small village? You know word gets around. And Sai and I might have set you two up." She whispers the last part and mentally curses the very inconvenient Truth Jutsu.
Hinata blinks. She probably should have known. Ino fancied herself to be quite an expert on love. But she never figured the blonde would meddle in such a direct way.
"I can't believe you did that! I know you were just trying to help. But please, don't do anything like that again without my permission!" Hinata pleads.
"Alright. I'm sorry. I just wanted to help. I didn't want to see my best friend be so sad. That's all. Onto the advantages!" She says cheerfully.
Hinata shakes her head. Ino was Ino. She hoped her friend would keep her word, but she felt like the flower lover would like be meddling in her "relationship" with Sasuke again.
"He's kind in a subtle way. He sought me out after what happened with Naruto. He didn't have to do that. Oh and he listens to me." She adds as an afterthought.
Ino writes those things down. Those were good things. She was hoping for something a little more juicy though. She gestures for Hinata to go on.
"He's v-ery attractive and smart." She mumbles with a blush.
Ah ha! That was much more promising. For the next hour or so, Ino badgered Hinata into opening up about her feelings for Sasuke.
Unbeknownst to the two women, they weren't the only ones discussing Sasuke and Hinata. Elsewhere, Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga were meeting to discuss that very topic. Though the Uchiha Patriarch didn't know that yet.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me so quickly. I know that as a Clan Head, your time is very valuable." Hiashi greets the other man respectfully.
"Of course. What is it you wish to speak about?" He inquires.
Hiashi frowns. He didn't know how to address this issue tactfully. He was a Clan Head, not a matchmaker. But he still had to try.
"I've noticed that Sasuke and Hinata seem to be growing closer. I wanted your thoughts on the matter." He says tactfully.
It was Fugaku's turn to frown. He wasn't sure how to answer that question. It was one that called for extreme caution. The Hyuga and Uchiha Clans relations were still distant at best.
"I would…be inclined to agree with that assessment." He says.
"Do you approve of it?" The Hyuga Patriarch decides that it would be best to question the other man more directly.
Sometimes there were benefits to being under a Truth Jutsu. This was one of those times. Normally, he was certain someone of Fugaku's intelligence, could successful evade a question. That was not the case now though.
"She seems like a good match. My only concern would be how our Clans would handle such a union, if they did indeed marry. Sasuke is not the sort of man that chases after every pretty face he sees. That is his cousin Shisui, not him." Fugaku offers.
"Yes, I am aware of Shisui's flirtatious nature. I have witnessed it myself. I am glad that this is not the case with Sasuke." Hiashi replies with a chuckle.
Hiashi was surprised that Fugaku did seem to be tentatively approving the match. He had not foreseen this. Hmm, careful consideration would need to be given. He wished he had more time to formulate a response. Unfortunately, he would have to act quickly.
"Perhaps we should see if their feelings grow, when they spend more time together. We could speak to the Hokage. Get them assigned on a mission together." Hiashi suggests.
Fugaku blinks. Was Hiashi condoning the match? Well he was at least open to the possibility.
"And you would trust him, with her…alone on a mission?" He inquires.
"He's protected her once. Sasuke is a smart boy. He knows if he upsets her, it could trigger a Clan War. I also trust he'll conduct himself properly. You did say he was nothing like his more outrageous cousin." The Hyuga Patriarch replies.
"That is true. Yes, let's go discuss this with the Hokage." He agrees and heads off with the other Clan Head.
A few hours later, Sasuke hisses in pain. He had innocently been minding his own business, heading to the market to pick up a few things. That's when a GLASS bottle went flying and smashed into his arm.
"YOU CHEATER! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH THE BABYSITTER!" A woman cries out in outrage.
"Well maybe if you actually showed me some affection, I wouldn't have to seek it elsewhere!" The man roared back.
Sasuke twitches. He was getting really tired of this. He knew he'd have to break this one up. If they were throwing glass bottles around, it was necessary.
"Both of you, stop it. While I can certainly sympathize with her wanting to punish you, I can't allow you to throw glass bottles out in the middle of a crowded street. You missed him and got me. What if it had been a child or an elderly person?" Sasuke demands.
"I'm deeply sorry! My wife is not thinking clearly. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt." The man says in a rush.
"You two should get divorced or go seek counseling. But if I see you throwing things in the street again, I'm going to arrest both of you. Oh and my Clan really doesn't like adulterers. So trust me when I say, you don't want that to happen." Sasuke hisses in irritation.
"I didn't mean to hit you. I meant to get him. But you're right. I should punish him in private." She says as she drags her husband off.
Sasuke groans. He sighs and lifts up the sleeve of his shirt. The glass had gotten him damn good. He was bleeding badly enough that his white sleeve was turning red. He knew that there was probably pieces of broken glass stuck into his skin. He was going to need to see a medic.
Perfect. Just what he wanted to do. He wanted to spend half the day in the emergency room, dealing with giggly medics. He looks up at the sky as if to ask, why him?
"I guess I better get this over with." He mutters and heads to the hospital to get his arm looked at.
"Can I see a medic? Some idiot chucked a glass bottle into the street and I got hit with it." He explains at the front desk.
The woman blinks. Yes, his sleeve was now blood red. Damn. He must have gotten nailed good.
"Of course. One moment and I'll call someone to attend to you. How long ago did this happen?" She asks.
"About five minutes or so." He says with a sigh and waits.
A few minutes later, Hinata comes out. Her eyes widen when she takes in Sasuke's appearance. She gestures for him to follow her into the backroom for treatment.
"I'm going to run a chakra scan to see, if any of the glass embedded itself into your skin. Would you mind taking your shirt off or rolling up your sleeve?" She asks.
Sasuke shrugs. He tosses off the shirt. It wasn't like he was ever going to be able to wear it again anyway. It was pure white. Now one sleeve would forever be red or at least pink. It looked ridiculous.
She blushes. Hinata tries not to stare, but that was difficult. Idly, she mused this was actually the third time she'd seen him shirtless. This was likely a privilege that many other women couldn't claim.
"This will only take a minute." She tells him and has him place his arm the machine and looks at the monitor.
Sasuke nods. He'd rather wait a minute and know about any shards now, than go home early and find out he had some glass stuck in his skin later. That would just be annoying.
"You got lucky. It looks like none sunk your skin. They only cut you. It's a lot of blood, but it's superficial more than anything. I can patch you up, pretty fast." She says with a sweet smile.
"Great." He replies.
He watches as Hinata's hands glowed with the green chakra that indicated she was using medical jutsus. He never had the patience for it himself. Sasuke did regret somewhat that his chakra was better at destroying things, than fixing them.
The Uchiha was sure that having such a beautiful medic, likely made for more docile patients. Speaking of which, maybe one of these days they could play doctor in the more fun way.
Her medic uniform could be fun, if it was altered slightly. For example, if she lowered the neckline a bit and turned the pants into shorts…yeah that'd be a good start. Hinata had great legs and cleavage. She might as well show them off more.
"There you go! You're all set." She says, still blushing.
"Thanks. What would I do without you to take care of me? It's just getting worse Hinata. This time it was a couple fighting about a husband's infidelity. Thankfully, the bottle hit me and not someone more vulnerable. But what are we going to do, when they start throwing things that are more lethal than glass?" He asks.
"Another medic would take care of you. I know what you mean. every day it gets worse. I don't know how the Uchiha Clan is keeping pace with this as well as they are." She admits.
Sasuke sighs. The truth was, the Clan was being stretched well past their limits. Sure, most of them could handle a double or triple shift once in awhile. But this was going on too long. Even their strongest members were beginning to show signs of exhaustion.
He was damn sure he had bags under his eyes by this point. He knew that Itachi did. Even Shisui wasn't his usual playful self. The entire Uchiha Clan was at their wit's end.
"We aren't." Sasuke admits.
Hinata sighs and nods sympathetically. It was just then that she noticed the bags under his eyes. Sauske was exhausted. His whole Clan probably was.
"Maybe I can ask my father if some of our people can help out. It's not fair to make one family shoulder this big a burden. Besides, it'd be good for them to all get used to working together anyway." She suggests.
"Maybe. I'll talk to my father about it. Our Clan is very proud. I don't know if they'd accept the help even if it was offered freely." He replies with a heavy sigh.
The Hyugas and Uchihas had to be the most stubborn Clans in all of the Leaf Village. Perhaps in a way, that was the real reason why no one had ever taken the first steps towards a reconciliation before. Both were just too proud to do so.
"And I'll speak to my father about it as well. Don't worry. This will all work out…somehow." Hinata says.
"Do you really believe that?" Sasuke asks in amusement.
"I don't know. But it sounds like something that should be said at a time like this and I'm a little distracted at the moment. It's really hard to concentrate." The Hyuga Heiress answers.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wondered what was making it hard for Hinata to concentrate. Unlike Naruto, she had always seemed a fairly focus person. She had received high marks on her academic tests at the Academy.
"What is making it hard for you to focus?" He asks.
"I don't want to say. But this Truth Jutsu will make me. It's so embarrassing. But you are." She mumbles, blushing deeply.
He tilts his head. Sasuke didn't get it. What did he have to do with anything. He decides to ask. Sometimes there were advantages to the Truth Jutsu, even if it was really annoying most of the time.
"Why am I making it difficult for you to concentrate? Are you that worried about my arm? You said it was all fixed." Sasuke inquires in a slightly baffled tone of voice.
"Oh I'm not worried about your injuries. I'm sorry you got hurt. But I already healed you. You will be fine. It's the fact that you are shirtless that is making it difficult to concentrate." She answers in a rush.
Sasuke was about to comment on that, when Sakura came into the room. She looked surprised to see Sasuke there, but continues on anyway.
"Oh Sasuke. It's a good thing you are here. You and Hinata are supposed to head to Tsunade's office right now. She has an important mission for the both of you." Sakura says.
"That's…odd. Alright." Sasuke says and heads out the door with Hinata to see Tsunade.