A/N (sorry it's so long): First I want to worship all the awesome people who read this! 100 plus reviews is more than I could have imagined. Sadly this fic might not deserve it, though I guess everyone hates his or her own writing. I'm having so much fun with this and I'm having even more fun reading all the kick butt responses! Hugs readers to death Second I want to apologize for taking SO LONG on this! If you read my profile you know my comp is broken. Well, it still is! I decided to F it, as it were, and began writing on our other comp, though it's slightly painful for I love my computer. (Even though it's a piece of CRAP!!!) Third, I decided that all the interludes would be short for your reading pleasure. Fourth, I want you all to know that I'm aware that I'm being evil. It's fun. So please bare with me as I stall some more on the dinner. -Ducks as burning Orochimaru plushies are thrown- Fifth; you have my permission to laugh all you want at my stupid OC. It was necessary for the fic but it pained me to make one anyway. Hibari came out of nowhere and so did his personality. All I knew was that it had to start with an H O .o Okay I'm done now.
Again, I'm SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!
So without further ado,
Beautiful Soul, Chapter Seven: The Five Ws!
For some strange reason the dojo was always dark, even in the daytime. That was no problem for a Hyuuga, as anyone could imagine. Hinata sat in that darkness and watched her father and sister spar. She was after all already dressed up; it would be pointless to get all sweaty and tired before going off to meet her maybe husband. Watching her sister and father spar was exciting to say the least. Having been training with him for her whole life, Hanabi was probably the best kunoichi in the whole clan. Some of the elders disagreed, but who said the Head had to be the strongest?
"Kaiten!" Hanabi shouted and did a perfect spin. Neji had spent three months teaching her that jutsu, it was expected to be perfect. Hinata praised herself that it took her only two. The two sisters had very different fighting styles. While Hanabi used brute strength and taijutsu to win, Hinata used her wits and mostly ninjutsu. Hinata had never been good at taijutsu, much to her father's disappointment when she was younger. Snapping back to the fight Hinata watched as Hiashi made to close off the chakra to Hanabi's arms, but was pleasantly surprised when she did a back flip to avoid him and the attack. Hinata gasped, she knew that jutsu anywhere. It was one of her very own creations. Hanabi smirked as she threw out her arms and started to spin back down to the ground. Just as she landed senbon came flying out of her still spinning fingers in all directions. Hinata quickly blocked all the ones thrown her way and silently cheered Hanabi for doing it successfully.
Hyuuga Hibari whistled an old tune as he walked down the many hallways of the Hyuuga Compound. Some of the younger people he ran into gave him weird looks. He supposed the song was out of date, but it had been his favorite as a teenager. He was on his way to the Hyuuga Ancestral Graveyard where all the Hyuuga were buried, to see his wife. He had great news to tell her. It had been a good ten years since she had died from an unknown assassin. Thankfully she had died with honor, keeping the secrets of the clan, as was every member's duty. He smiled as he thought of her brash nature and the will to say offensive things to people you shouldn't offend. He softly sang a bar from the tune he was humming.
/I want you and your beautiful soul/
Without warning Hiashi stopped dead in his tracks, surprising both girls. He was a mystery, even to them. Sometimes he acted so strange it was a wonder his children hadn't written him off as crazy years ago.
"I do belive it has been ten minutes." He said in a monotone voice. He looked almost spaced out, if that was possible for a male Hyuuga.
"Ara?" Hanabi voiced unconsciously. Still high off of her adrenaline she was having a hard time concentrating on anything else.
"Oh, alright. I guess I should go then." Hinata said but was rooted to her spot. Was she really going to do this?
"Don't tell me your afraid." Hiashi turned to his daughter and pinned her with his pupil less eyes.
"O-Of course not!" Hinata cursed her stutter. It always gave her away. She stood defiantly though her legs felt like jelly.
"Good." Hiashi was still his strict self, no matter what happened. Hinata just nodded and started for the door.
"Good luck!" Hanabi called after her. She smiled painfully to herself. She needed more than luck.
"You look stunning, dear." Was the first thing Hibari said to Hinata as they met at the gate, she just blushed and politely thanked him. It was an odd feeling to be complimented on her looks by an old man. She had been getting that all day. People saying she looked beautiful, it was so embarrassing. She only counted her blessings that Neji didn't see her. If he had, she would probably never live it down. It was all she could do to walk too school every morning without him accompanying her every time. She hoped he forgave her for not asking him to be her escort. It would be a blow to his pride, but she was sure his death glaring wouldn't have been welcomed.
Besides, she thought, I owe Hibari one anyway. Remembering the day he saved her she blushed again. Having caught a small four-year-old Hinata from falling off a balcony his wife decided to show up at the exact moment she was in his arms. His wife being who she was had immediately accused him of cheating on her. She made a big scene, though secretly thought it was very heroic. Making him sorry and beg at her feet was just too fun. Not understanding at that age, she had just watched with wide eyes, now however it was very embarrassing and she remembered him practically licking his wife's boots for a week. She felt somewhat responsible so decided to make it up to him, as it were.
"Do you have any idea who the lucky man is?" Hibari asked mildly as they slowly made their way to the address on the note.
"Nope. Do you?" Hinata had hope in her eyes, hoping he would tell her yes then a name.
"Sorry dear, I'm just as clueless as you are." He laughed. He hadn't even known she was being courted. He decided he was getting really old.
"Poop." Hinata said disappointed. Her father had always scolded her for using the word but Hibari just laughed harder.
"We will find out soon enough." He said as they neared the street. That's what I'm afraid of, Hinata thought.
Meanwhile Sasuke was sitting in his favorite chair that was so big he sunk into it, looking like the child he never got to be. He glanced at the clock every few minutes then scolded himself for doing so. Rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers, he concentrated on smoothing his emotions out. How would he be able to do anything if he was wrung tight as a spring? Mentally going through all his copied jutsus seemed to help. Becoming even more frustrated with his thoughts, he grunted and scratched his head hard and fast. Ugh. He thought, now I have to redo my stupid hair.
The closer they got to the house the more nervous they became. Hinata wrung her hands and tried not to freeze up, Sasuke himself sat fidgeting trying to tell himself he was doing no such thing. They were two houses away when Hibari finally recognized where he was. Having not been in this part of town since he was a young and fresh ninja, it was understandable that he almost didn't notice where he was. If he was correct, this was the old Uchiha grounds. Most of the buildings were sold as houses or shops years ago, but the three main houses still stood proudly. He became more surprised as he saw the correct address printed next to the main house door.
"Masaka..." He almost whispered to himself. It really couldn't be... Could it?
"Hm? What was that?" Hinata looked to Hibari and instantly knew he had figured out who she was about to meet.
"Ah. Nothing, dear." He smiled at her kindly, subtly telling her he wouldn't snitch.
Sasuke could hear them walking outside. The slow steady beat of feet on gravel drove him insane. Kami-sama, they're here! He thought franticly, running around in a panic making sure he didn't miss anything. He heard them stop outside his door and a knot of apprehension filled his stomach, it felt heavy and tense. He could only stand there and wait for the knock that was sure to come. Hinata felt herself freeze up at the door and was ever so thankful Hibari was there to knock for her.
Now, Sasuke very rarely had any need of advice or council. He even went as far as to say he was above that and would never need it. Yet it was times like these he wished his father were there to pat him on the back and tell him he would do fine. Any type of encouragement would have been greatly appreciated. No, today he was alone and he would be for the rest of his life if he screwed this up. Blinking back the depressing thoughts, he took a deep breath and opened the door as confidently as possible.
The door opened with a squeak and as Hinata felt the light breeze from the air moving around the door they both gasped, though for very different reasons. In Sasuke's case, he thought he had seen the most beautiful thing at her party, but now he knew better. Hinata in nice clothes was much better than Hinata in her Chuunin outfit. He couldn't help but stare. In Hinata's case however, standing before her was a drop dead sexy looking Uchiha. Uchiha Sasuke at that. Must be at the wrong house, Hinata thought. At least until he cleared his throat and welcomed them inside. Wide-eyed and mouth gaping she slowly entered the house, as if it would break under her feet.
Think of your mission! Hibari told himself firmly. You are to see if this man is worthy of Hinata-sama. No matter how cute they are together. He frowned and tried to focus but the two were just so perfect standing next to one another, he found it hard to find faults in this boy. When Sasuke noticed the escort was a kind looking old man he felt relived. He really had been dreading half a year of Neji's death glaring.
"Dinner is this way." Sasuke pointed to his right and led the way to what he hoped was a good dinner. He had already pulled her chair out so he wouldn't have to embarrass himself by doing it in front of her. Despite what anyone said, both his mother and his father had drilled how to be polite into his head at a young age. He just rarely decided to use it. It had been silent so far, Hinata in a seemingly permanent state of shock and Hibari decided to watch in both silence and amusement.
"Ano..." Sasuke started, gulping thickly. "I hope you like the chicken." He wanted to smack himself. Great conversation starter, that was. It did, however, wake Hinata up.
"Ah, I'm sure I will." She smiled tightly and picked up her chopsticks. Her hand was trembling and she had a confused yet determined look on her face. Slowly taking a piece of chicken, as not to drop it and be completely mortified, she put it in her mouth, half expecting it to be poisoned. Though she had no idea why she had such a thought.
To her utter surprise, the chicken was very good and so was everything else she had tried. Forgetting just about everything else she began to tuck in. Eating had always been one of her favorite things to do, especially if the food was good. Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke had been discretely watching for any signs his food was bad. He let out a relived sigh as she began to eat in earnest. Hibari himself was slightly impressed by the food and wondered who had cooked it. The silence stretched on.
/You're the one I wanna chase/
After a good twenty minutes of eating, dinner was finally done and tea was in ten minutes. Sasuke saw this as a chance to talk. Maybe even get to know her a little better. Clearing his throat and looking at Hinata's escort warily he politely invited her to go into the living room for tea and the wait for dessert. Hinata nodded absently and followed automatically. This was not happening. It was a dream it had to be. There is no way that THE Uchiha Sasuke would look anywhere near her, much less at her. Hinata felt like the world was tilting off its own axis. It was her fate to marry a cold and unfeeling Hyuuga, and Sasuke was supposed to find an impossibly beautiful girl like him and live happily ever after. What was happening tonight had to be some kind of trick from the gods, and she knew she would wake up any second.
Sasuke started to say something, then stopped. How should he address her? He didn't know her well enough to call her Hinata, but Hyuuga was so formal it made him gag. After a bit of thinking he decided sama would be the best choice, she was head of Hyuuga now anyway.
"Hinata-sama, I hope you aren't too surprised." He said as lightly as he could. He was still an Uchiha after all.
"Eto..." Hinata looked to Hibari with wide and pleading eyes. He only raised his eyebrow. "To be honest, I am not sure I'm awake"
"You are awake, I assure you." Sasuke wasn't sure if he should be offended or not. He decided on taking it as a compliment.
The silence was awkward and the Hyuuga heir felt not at all comfortable. The very idea that Uchiha Sasuke was even glancing at her was ludicrous. She didn't know much about him, other than rumors and her own conclusions. Having followed Naruto around for half of her life she had seen a lot of Sasuke, though never paid attention since she was so worked up about his teammate. Sasuke was dark and silent, the only emotion he felt was anger and he had a total of five facial expressions, which was more than Shino had, but still a small number. The person she was seeing now seemed almost... Human.
The tense atmosphere and unbelievable situation made her light headed. Swooning in her spot, she was awed at the surreal ness of that whole day. Putting her hand on her head and standing, she tried to ask where the bathroom was, so she could maybe spare herself the embarrassment of fainting right in Uchiha Sasuke's living room. Sasuke stood with her and looked at her worried, she looked almost sick. She swayed a bit with her hand on her forehead so he called her name. Meanwhile Hibari was watching with interest. How would the young Uchiha handle a fainted Hinata? She was such a sensitive girl, if something shocked her to the core she would faint. It started happening after the cloud as a babe had kidnapped her. It had left a deep scar; her father still to this day blames himself, as well as many other family members.
Catching the unconscious woman before she hit the ground, Sasuke wondered what in the world had just happened. Hibari held back a laugh at the picture.
"Lay her on the couch, she'll wake up in a minute." He said. Sasuke looked at him in almost shock, this was the first time her escort had said anything. Not to be seen as a complete dunder head, he did as was told. He couldn't help but admire her peaceful visage. He only hoped the next few months showed him she was not all looks.
"Do you think you can really woo her? She has had a hard life, and many strong men to compare you too." Hibari slyly asked. This Uchiha was very interesting. Sasuke immediately stiffened, and had to hold back a glare, and possibly a snarl.
"She will be my wife if it is the last thing I do." He replied with conviction.
Having awoken at the question, Hinata almost held her breath with anticipation. Not forgetting herself she regulated her breathing. If you didn't look for any other signs, she would appear asleep. Having to fool ninja senses was not an easy thing to master, she had practiced for years to get it correct. Hearing his answer, she smiled softly to herself. This might just work, if the right forces are at work. Hinata thought as she pretended to wake up. Sasuke was there in a second and she realized why so many woman had fallen for him. The look in his eye was beautiful and many probably only dreamed what it could look like. Then as fast as it had come, her rationality kicked in. Those many woman would soon be out for blood. Specifically her blood, and the thought of having to stand up to those crazed woman filled her with dread. Well, she thought, the good things are always hard to get.
"Are you alright, Hinata-sama?" Sasuke asked seriously and put his hand in her forehead instinctively. Oh, how he loved to say her name.
"Ano, ah, I mean, err, yes." Hinata stuttered. Was this really happening? She knew she was repeating herself, but it really was very unbelievable.
"If you're sure." Sasuke stood up from his kneeling position next to the couch. "I'll go get the tea." He said with more confidence than he felt. Walking swiftly to the kitchen he couldn't help but lean against the door.
"Baka." He whispered to himself. After sufficiently scolding himself he took out his almost never used tea set and swiftly made the after-dinner tea.
"Hibari-san." Hinata whispered when Sasuke was out of the room. "How could you not warn me"
"Ah, it was quite nice seeing your face. Plus I wasn't sure." He shrugged and Hinata groaned. Why was everyone against her?
"You should have warned me." She pouted. "I fainted in his living room, Hibari-san! How humiliating is that?" She covered her red face with her hands.
"It wasn't all that bad, plus he didn't seem to mind carrying you to the couch." He snickered. Hinata looked at him with wide mortified eyes.
"Hibari-san! How could you say that?" She groaned. "Please don't say anything else, I'm quite embarrassed as it is." She pleaded. Hibari just laughed.
/You're the one I wanna hold/
TBC...