What Happens Next?
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I think everyone knows what is coming this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter 24
Once it was clear that Sasuke was getting medical attention, Neji knew he had to act. He still didn't like or trust Sasuke, but no one deserved to be shot in the back. That and he would never forget that terrified look on Hinata's face as he collapsed. It would likely haunt his dreams for the rest of his life.
Neji might be more aloof than his gentle cousin, but he wasn't completely heartless. He did recognize now that the couple did truly care about each other. The prodigy knew that couldn't allow this to happen again. Next time, the assassin might actually achieve their goals and Hinata could be a widow before her next birthday.
"Uncle! I believe I know who is responsible for the attack on Sasuke." Neji says as he races over to the Hyuga Patriarch.
"Who? Who is responsible?" Hiashi demands.
Hiashi couldn't believe someone had been foolish enough to attack a wedding with at least a thousand ninjas in attendance. But perhaps that is what made it so brilliant. Everyone's guard was down.
"I'm afraid it was Tenji. He has always voiced strong objections to Hinata and Sasuke's relationship. He does not believe the Clans should mix in this particular fashion." Neji replies quickly, knowing time was of the essence.
"You have as well. I shall speak with him, but I do not believe that alone is enough to prove he is guilty. It is one thing to object to a relationship. It's quite another to attempt assassination over your objections." The leader of the Hyuga Clan observes and Neji nods.
It was a disturbing thought. Hiashi didn't want to believe that a Hyuga was capable of such dishonorable actions. Still he had lived long enough to know that such idealistic views of his Clan, were not particularly realistic. He had to get to the bottom of this.
"I hope that I am wrong as well. Truly, I do. It gives me no joy to tell you of my suspicions." His nephew informs him.
Hiashi sighs. He understood completely. The Hyuga Patriarch was grateful that Neji had come forward. If he hadn't, Hiashi would have no leads at all and that would be completely unacceptable.
"I'm aware of that. Thank you, for coming forward. We can not allow this sort of attack on our Clans to go unpunished. It matters little if it was from one of our own or not. This sort of thing tends to get out and will do enormous damage to our reputations." Hiashi mutters in annoyance.
Neji couldn't disagree with that. It was disturbing. At least a thousand ninjas had been in attendance and not one of them had noticed anything was off. It made them look foolish at best.
"That and we need to find out who is responsible. It's likely they will make another attempt on Sasuke or Hinata's life, if we do not." Neji points out.
It made Hiashi's blood boil with rage just to think about it, but he knew that his nephew was correct. Anyone who was suicidal enough to attack with that many potential witnesses, likely wouldn't give up. He couldn't allow them to be successful. Hinata would be devastated if Sasuke were to die and he was sure the reverse was also true.
"I suspect you are right." Hiashi mutters with more than a hint of exhaustion to his tone.
It was exhausting. They had spent weeks planning the perfect wedding for them. Now they had to figure out who had tried to kill Sasuke.
The scariest thing? The Hyuga Patriarch had no idea if the assassin had been aiming for Hinata or not. It was possible that they wanted to kill Hinata, but had accidentally hit Sasuke.
Perhaps it mattered little to them, which of newlywed they killed. Sasuke might have just been the easier target. Either way, these thoughts made his blood run cold.
"Don't worry, Uncle. We will find out who did this and they will pay." Neji assures him.
"Indeed we will. I shall go see if I can find Tenji. I think your suspicions do have merit. I have noticed he seems a bit distant lately." Hiashi replies as he heads off.
Meanwhile one of the medics comes out of the operating room and finds Hinata. His medical uniform was drenched in blood. The bluenette almost fainted. She assumed Sasuke was dead. That was a lot of blood to lose.
"We have him stabilized. It took several blood transfusions and blood replenishing pills. A major artery was struck. But we have healed it. He's still incredibly weak from the blood loss, but he'll pull through. I am so sorry this happened to you and him. I can't believe someone would attack on your wedding day." The medic tells Hinata.
Hinata hugs her coworker in relief. Thank goodness. Sasuke was going to pull through this after all. It was only dumb luck that had saved him, she realized. If that arrow had been just one inch closer…
"Can I see him?" Hinata asks.
She knew that she had to see him. Even if he wasn't awake, Hinata would be relieved just to see that he was alive with her own eyes. Not that she thought that the medic was lying to her, but still. It was one thing to hear that he was alive, it was another to witness it.
"Of course. Just don't overexcite him." The medic cautions her gently and the bluenette rushes into the room.
Sasuke had always had a fair complexion, but Hinata had never seen him look that pale before. The new wife had never seen him look that weak before either. It felt fundamentally wrong to witness him in such a vulnerable state.
"Sasuke?" She calls out softly and he turns his head slightly to look at her.
"Hinata." He replies with a small smile and then grimaces in pain, causing his lover to rush over to his side.
Sasuke suddenly realizes that speaking and smiling, weren't his brightest ideas. Fuck, that hurt. The Uchiha had just been so relieved to see his new bride, that he couldn't help it. It was second nature for him to respond to her, at this point.
"It's probably best you don't talk right now. Just relax. It's going to be okay. We'll find out who did this. You're safe now. The doctors say you are stable." She says in a rush and Sasuke simply nods.
Sasuke nods. He smiles and holds her hand. Honestly, when he got his hands on that damn assassin, he would going to rip them limb from limb.
He was a ninja. It was expected that people would try to kill him, but on his wedding day? The bastard didn't even have the courtesy to let him enjoy his Honeymoon first?! That was just evil.
He knew that he'd be out of here soon enough. Then he would kill that son of a bitch. After that, he and Hinata could finally enjoy martial bliss and maybe work on giving his future niece or nephew a cousin.
"Sasuke, I know I said you shouldn't talk, but what are you smiling about?" Hinata asks in concern.
"How much I'm going to enjoy killing who did this and that we should give my future nephew or niece a cousin." He says simply.
Hinata didn't know whether to be alarmed or to blush. She knew that Uchihas had tempers. She could scarcely imagine what Sasuke would do once he discovered who his attacker was. The blushing was for obvious reasons. She knew what giving that child a cousin entailed.
"Sasuke, you should focus on getting better first." She chides him gently and brushes some bangs out of his eyes.
"Oh I am. Both are very motivating." He replies with a smirk and Hinata decides to settle on blushing.
Hinata knew she was a natural blusher. But anyone would have blushed, if they saw that smirk. Sasuke could be rather expressive when he wanted to be and it didn't take a genius to figure out what was on his mind at the moment.
"Get some rest. I'm going to go see if we have any idea who is responsible. Sasuke, please don't overdo it." She pleads with him and Sasuke nods, showing that he would be a good Uchiha and rest.
Hinata smiles and mouths a thank you, before heading off. Sasuke might have been injured, but his eyes weren't. It was a nice view as she left. He mentally curses out his attacker again. He should be on his Honeymoon right now and doing a lot more than just looking! Damn him (or her)!
As Hinata was walking out of the room, she bumps into someone. The bluenette apologies and blinks when she realizes it was Mikoto. Well of course it was. What mother wasn't going to check on her son, after he'd been shot with an arrow? She mentally scolds herself for her surprise.
"How is he doing?" The Uchiha woman asks gently.
"They've stabilized him. Sasuke lost a lot of blood. He seems to be in good spirits though." She mumbles quickly.
Mikoto nods and sighs. She embraces the younger woman. The Uchiha Matriarch didn't know what she would have done if positions were reversed. She couldn't imagine if it had been Fugaku that was shot.
"You are very brave. I am amazed that you are as composed as you are. I myself, confess I would be sobbing and still clinging to his bedside, were I in your position." She whispers.
"Thank you. I know h-e'll be okay. That's why, I think. I hate leaving him. But he needs his re-st and we need to find out who did this." Hinata stammers out.
Mikoto couldn't agree more. She wonder if the attacker had fled or tried to blend in with his or her surroundings. The brunette realized she really didn't know anything about the person who attacked her youngest son. Mikoto didn't even know their gender! That was going to make finding them rather difficult.
Elsewhere Hiashi looks for Tenji. Neji did raise some valid points. While it wasn't enough to convict the other man, it certainly did merit further investigation.
The fact that Tenji was proving so elusive to find, did add to his suspicions. Still the village was only so large. If the man was responsible and ran, he would know that would only "prove" his guilt. So Hiashi expected he would find his relative at some point.
"How can I help you, Lord Hiashi?" Tenji asks, realizing that if he avoided the Hyuga Patriarch for too long that would only make him look guilty.
"Ah there you are, Tenji. I wanted to speak with you about what happened at Sasuke and Hinata's wedding. I'm afraid that we haven't found the would be assassin yet. Do you have any ideas who they might be? We must investigate every possibility." He says smoothly.
Inwardly, Tenji breathes a sigh of relief. It didn't sound like Hiashi suspected him. Then again, this was the leader of the Hyuga Clan. He might just be probing subtly for information. There really wasn't a reason why he would seek out Tenji's input specifically. There were hundreds of Hyugas and even Uchihas he could ask.
"I'm afraid that I do not. It's quite terrible." He answers.
"Oh yes, it is very terrible. Neji informed me that you had concerns about the match." Hiashi continues.
Damn it. What should he do? Should he run? Hiashi wasn't accusing him yet, but it sounded like he was about to do so. If he ran, it would likely only cement his guilt in the minds of everyone. If he didn't, Tenji knew that his life would almost certainly be forfeited.
"Yes, I can't deny that. I am far from the only one. Neji also expressed concerns. So did many other members of our family. Hyugas and Uchihas have never mixed before. This is quite the gamble. Surely, you must see that, My Lord?" He inquires gently.
He didn't see what he should feel guilty about though. Tenji had been protecting the Clan. The young man wasn't sure why his family was behaving so foolishly. Why would they allow such a match to be sanctioned? It was practically blasphemy. They should be thanking him, not trying to hunt him down.
"I am aware that not everyone was entirely comfortable with the match. But they do love each other. That is the most important thing. I wouldn't keep them apart because people are slightly uneasy. I am confident that overtime, the Clans will become more used to each other." The Hyuga Patriarch continues.
Tenji wanted to protest that. It was rather obvious that was not true. He remembered how the Clans would bicker about even the smallest detail when it came to the wedding. Hyugas and Uchihas might as well be completely separate species as far as he was concerned. They had nothing in common.
Tenji had no idea why that wasn't clear as day to the rest of his family. Normally, they were far more practical to this. Oh well, it seemed that the task of protecting the Clan had fallen to him. He would do what needed to be done.
"I am not so certain. But I would not question your judgment. It has served our Clan well for many years." He says.
That was why it was so distressing to see Hiashi act in this way. It was unfathomable that the Hyuga Patriarch would condone such a marriage. What was he thinking? Had he lost his mind?
"Yes, I suppose there comes a time when a man has to listen to his instincts." Hiashi says and slams his fist into Tenji's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
He quickly proceeds to lock up his chakra points. Hiashi then slings the other man over his shoulder and takes him to see Ibiki. He knew that Ibiki would be able to get to the bottom of this.
Hiashi believed that his methods were Medieval at best. But he had never been one to argue with results. Ibiki always delivered results. He was the best in the business, as far as the Hyuga Patriarch was concerned.
"I want you to find out if he attempted to assassinate Sasuke Uchiha at his wedding to my daughter." He states simply.
"An assassination attempt at a wedding?" That's a new one. I had thought that I had heard everything, but this one takes the cake." He mutters and takes Tenji from Hiashi.
The leader of the Hyuga Clan chuckles slightly. Ibiki was far from a comedian, but every once in awhile he did have a good line. He nods his thanks and flits off, leaving man to conduct the interrogation in peace.
If anyone could get the answers they needed, he knew that it would be him. One way or another, the truth would come out. Idly, he muses that the Truth Jutsu would have come in handy during this instance. Damn it. The one time they needed it, it was no longer active.
Later that day, Naruto goes to visit Sasuke. He really was worried about the bastard. But he knew that his family would want to see him first. That's why the blonde had waited so long to go and visit.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" He inquires.
"Like I got shot in the back with an arrow. How do you think I'm feeling, loser?" Sasuke replies.
"I guess you are feeling better. You are acting as bastardly as usual. I'm really sorry about what happened to you. What kind of person would attack at a wedding? Not that I wanted you to get attacked at all, of course. I'm just saying that is a really low blow. You know what I mean?" The blue eyed ninja babbles.
Sasuke shakes his head. Naruto was Naruto. He would never be a very concise speaker. His heart was in the right place though. That was what mattered most. Sasuke knew that he couldn't ask for a more loyal friend.
"I know what you mean. I still feel like Hell. But Hinata was here not long ago. So that makes it better, I guess. When I find out who attacked me, they are going to regret it." Sasuke hisses.
"Yeah. They totally will! Believe it!" Naruto says and he blinks when Hinata comes back into the room.
Hinata smiles at Naruto. It was nice to see that he was here to support his friend. She touches her cheek, gesturing for Naruto to do the same.
"Oh right. Um that's just lipstick. I'm not bleeding." Naruto says cheerfully.
"Lipstick? Didn't know you were into makeup loser. But you know it's called lipstick for a reason, right? It's supposed to go on your lips, not your cheeks." Sasuke says in a sarcastic tone.
Naruto twitches. Sasuke was so lucky he was recovering from a major injury. Otherwise, he would have kicked that bastard's ass. Hmpf!
"I know that! Anko just kissed my cheek is all. It's not like I was randomly trying to put on lipstick. Geez, Sasuke. You are really weird sometimes. Hinata, I don't know how you put up with him." The blonde huffs.
"Anko kissed you?" Hinata asks in surprise.
"Well yeah. It was after we caught the bouquet and garter belt. She dragged me off. I think we are sorta dating now. Maybe dating isn't the right word to describe it. I don't know. But I guess the bouquet thing really works." Naruto tries to explain.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He didn't think for one minute that Naruto would be able handle Anko. She struck him as a far more…adventurous person in some respects than the very innocent blonde. Still this should prove rather entertaining. He was going to sit back and watch the fireworks.
"I'd pay good money to watch this. There's no possible way that your dumbass can keep up with her." Sasuke replies with a smirk.
Naruto starts yelling at Sasuke. Hinata giggles. She could tell that her husband was enjoying winding Naruto up. The blonde was clearly letting himself be wound up.
Maybe he thought it would make Sasuke feel better? Then again, it was Naruto. He might just not be able to resist the bait, Sasuke was laying out for him.
"Oh yeah?!" Naruto demands.
"Yeah. It'll be fun watching you get your ass kicked. Anko used to be Orochimaru's next choice for a vessel. I bet she is into all sorts of freaky things. You can't keep up." Sasuke tells him.
Hinata raises an eyebrow. What was Sasuke doing speculating on Anko's sexual preferences? She couldn't say she cared for that at all.
"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought." She mutters.
"Hinata, it's not like that! You know that you're the only one I want. I'm just saying that she gives off that whole dominatrix vibe." Sasuke rushes to defend himself.
A jealous Hinata could be a dangerous animal, he realized. She did know how to lock up chakra points. Hinata was also very fast. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to dodge her, if she was filled with a jealous rage.
"Do you like that sort of thing?" She asks.
"What sort of thing?" Sasuke replies, not sure if he was going to dig himself into the hole he'd unwittingly dug deeper or not.
"When the woman is the more aggressive one." Hinata clarifies.
Naruto blinks. Yeah this was going to get awkward. He decides to slip off. The blonde really didn't need to know those sorts of details about their relationship.
"I enjoy both honestly. But it doesn't matter. I'm with you and that's what makes it most enjoyable. So it doesn't matter who takes the reigns. I love you, kitten." He tells her.
"I love you too." Hinata says with a smile and kisses his forehead.
Sasuke smiles. He couldn't wait to get out of this hospital. He was definitely going to prove to Hinata how much he enjoyed their time together.
It was hard for him to process that Hinata was feeling at least a little insecure in that area. She was fucking amazing.
Sasuke was tempted just to lock the store and spend the rest of their lives together in bed (or whatever other hard surface was available or them to make love on.) End of story. There was no reason for her to feel insecure.
"Do we have any idea who is responsible yet?" He asks.
"Not yet. But we will find them. The entire village is probably looking for them by now. I know at least our Clans are." Hinata replies and Sasuke nods, apparently content with that answer for now.
He lays back in his bed. Sasuke trusted the Clans to take care of this. The assassin wouldn't get far. Sasuke was sure of this.
Hinata leans over and fluffs his pillows. It was cute, he thought. The way she was fussing over him, was cute. He smiles and runs his fingers through her hair.
"I know we'll find him. Don't worry. I'm fine now. I doubt he'd be dumb enough to attack a hospital. Well or she. We really don't know yet, I suppose." Sasuke mutters.
That wasn't terribly reassuring to Hinata. This person had already attacked a wedding with over a thousand guests attending. The bluenette honestly didn't think that a hospital would stop them.
"Of course, I'm going to worry. I'm always going to worry about you. I love you. They attacked us at a public event once. They might do it again. I don't want to lose you." She whispers.
Sasuke's eyes soften. He knew that she was really worried about him. He was lucky to have a wife that cared about him so much. He places a gentle kiss against her lips.
Hinata responds in kind. It felt so good to see him and feel him again. Sasuke was still alive. He was going to stay that way, if she had anything to say about it!
"I'm alright, Hinata. You aren't going to lose me. You also definitely aren't going to lose me before the Honeymoon." Sasuke says after breaking the kiss.
Hinata blushes. Her husband could have a very one track mind. It seemed an arrow wasn't enough to subdue an Uchiha's sex drive. Well at least he wasn't an outrageous flirt like Shisui. Sasuke seemed rather monogamous.
"Good. If you die, I'll kill you." Hinata warns him.
"That doesn't make any sense." Sasuke says and looks at her in confusion.
"It doesn't have to make sense! Just know that I mean it." She mumbles and feels her face heat up in embarrassment.
Sasuke shakes his head. He wraps his arms around her. The Uchiha ignores the pain this caused. He wanted to hold his wife and comfort her. He'd suck up the pain and maybe get some more morphine later. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.
"I know you do. I'm glad that I was the one who got hit. I don't know what I would have done, if it had been you." Sasuke whispers.
Hinata nods and snuggles into his arms. She wondered if it hurt him to hold her this way. Maybe she should tell him not to?
"Sasuke, doesn't it hurt?" She asks.
"Yes, but it's worth it." He tells her without any sense of hesitation.
"I'm going to go get a medic to look you over. We don't want you to reopen your injury." She warns him.
"Hinata, you are a medic and a very good one. Besides, who is going to take better care of me, than my wife?" He asks.
Hinata protested that she wasn't even fully trained with. She made quite the speech about him needing proper care. Then she darted off to find another healer and Sasuke shakes his head. Silly kitten. Her kisses were the best medicine.