I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

A/N: My dear readers thank you so much for your patience. I apologize that it took me nearly forever to update!

The Caged Raven

Chapter 8: Social Visit

Never in his life, for over a decade had Sasuke woken up with such bliss. Bloody horrible nightmares no longer plagued his sleep but rather, a lovely beautiful angel. First thing he saw when he woke up was having his wife's body pressed intimately against his. She was practically holding him like a pillow with her yukata suggestively hanging off her shoulders to reveal soft creamy white skin. For a minute, he had the idea of taking her right there and then. His thoughts drifted off to last night's 'incident' after her bath. He remembered vividly how her front was generously revealed. Her two plump yet deliciously looking orbs which could rival Tsunade's and those ripe pink...

His bliss was short lived when his pale eyed angel cracked her eyes open. It took her a few seconds to register their position. It was then a loud squeak escaped her lips. Sasuke earned a nice hit from her Gentle Fist technique, which almost sent him flying off to the other side of the room. He wanted to laugh at the irony of the name. The so called gentle fist had packed a whole great deal of chakra and power, nearly knocking the air out of him.

He winced, while struggling to get up.

'Wonderful, not only is this new Hinata more blatant, but she's getting more violent too. She slapped me yesterday and tried to kill me this morning!'

Wait, she can do the Gentle Fist? He had expected she had forgotten her fighting style. Abruptly sitting up, he glared intensely at the now red faced woman.

"You remembered how to do the Gentle Fist?"

Hinata gave him a puzzled look.

"G-gentle...Fist? What's that?"

He cocked his head to the side.

"It's one of your fighting styles."

She still had that clueless look on her face.

"But I don't know any fighting styles."

Maybe she did it out of reflex? Although she had forgotten about her techniques, her muscles won't. It was probably her muscle memory doing the job of self defence.

"I think your body reacted by instinct, causing your muscle memory to react. Something you've been training with for almost your entire life will be engraved into your muscle memory," he explained.

Hinata nodded in understanding.

"If you want, I help you with training to make you remember your family's fighting style as well as activating your byakugan. After all, you'll need to have some sort of self defence," he offered.

She shrugged.

An awkward silence befell on the couple, until an unfamiliar chakra was felt from the entrance of the cave. The cave was surrounded by a barrier which allows the inhabitants to sense anyone stepping within their boundary. Apparently, there was a stranger who knows of this cave's existence since they seem to be waiting in front of the closed wall behind the waterfall, waiting for their entrance to be granted.

"I think we have a guest. Stay here while I check."

Sasuke gingerly stood up with a light grunt and exited the room.

The smell of the morning dew in the cool cave was a refreshing feeling first thing in the morning. He wanted to stop and just enjoy it, but he knew he needed to see the so called intruder. There was no time to leisure around. Normally, he would probably stroll through the fields, enjoying the scenery but now he was briskly walking through like he doesn't have a care in the world.

He reached the rim of the field and continued walking on the barren rocky ground which was wet due to the humid. Bright blue chakra was emitted from the tip of his fingers before he placed them on the hand print on the cool wall. He closed his eyes.

Not only does the handprint chakra serve as a lock but a 'peep hole' too. By focusing a certain amount of chakra while closing his eyes, Sasuke was able to see the figure on the other side. The man seemed harmless and his chakra showed no sign of hostility. After doing a full check up on the visitor, Sasuke decided that it was safe to allow entry. The chakra wave on his finger tips changed. Slowly, with a low rumble the damp walls of the cave parted.

Standing in front of him was a young man around his mid twenties with nicely cropped hair which reached to his shoulders. In his hands, he held a sealed envelope.

'A messenger?'

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked gruffly. He was well known for his lack of courtesy but he didn't care. The only people he would bother showing his courtesy to would be either his wife or his clan, which the latter no longer exist.

The man seemed to be shaking when he saw the Uchiha. It seems he was infamous amongst the villagers. They know his horrid reputation and what he was capable of doing. The messenger seemed to know when to fear the Uchiha. Good for him, at least he had the brain to not get himself killed by saying anything stupid or angering him. Sasuke nearly laughed at the sight before him. The poor man seemed like he was about to wet his pants. He was practically shaking like hell.

"G-Good morning U-Uchih-ha-san. I-I H-hope I'm n-not b-bothering you or anything..."

The poor lad seemed as if he couldn't continue due to his fear. Sasuke would love to see him bite his tongue from all the stuttering. If he thought Hinata's old stuttering was bad, this man was even worse!

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, feigning annoyance. He was enjoying the man trembling in fear.

"As a matter of fact, you did disturb me. What's so important that you had to disturb my sleep this early in the morning? It better be a good reason or else..."

His sharingan eyes activated.

Ah, torment. It was one of his favourite sadistic hobbies. A small smirk formed on his lips, but the other man misinterpreted it as a smirk of hostility rather than amusement.

'Oh god! He's going to kill me!' The man thought with fear.

He needed to get out of here as soon as possible without getting himself maimed.

He thrust the envelope forward with shaking hands. Sasuke snatched it from the messenger's grasp.

"T-This i-is all I-I have to g-give y-you!"

Without another word, the man dashed off with his buckling knees, away from the Uchiha's sight.

Once he made sure the man was out of ear shot, he let out a chuckle. While shaking his head, he walked back into his domain.

Hinata looked at the envelope her husband was holding with curiosity.

"What's that?" she pointed.

"I don't know. Let's find out shall we?"

He sat on their futon cross legged. He tore off the seal on the envelope. Producing the neatly folded parchment, he began scanning the paper.

Hinata scooted closer to get a better look over his shoulders. He could feel her soft chest pressing against his hard back.

'Damn it, she's driving me insane!'

"Well?"

She asked him innocently, unaware with the fact that she was driving her sexually deprived husband insane with a simple gesture.

He snapped out of his reverie, focusing his attention back to the letter.

"It's an invitation. We're invited to have lunch with the Kage in mid afternoon."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"The Kage? Why would the Kage want to dine with us?"

"Well, I haven't mentioned that we're important people have I?" He said sheepishly.

"Important people?"

Hinata was in awe.

"Just how important are we? What did we do to gain such status?"

Her excitement and curiosity was getting the better of her, causing her to lean further forward, putting more pressure on Sasuke's back. He could feel her perk rubbing against him.

'Easy there...' he told himself.

He was sweating bullets now while trying to tame himself. Feeling that he was about to lose control, he discreetly scooted away from her contact making her fall forward.

There was a small gasp before she pouted cutely at him.

"What was that for?"

"We need to get ready."

He evened his slightly laboured breathing.

"Umm...Sasuke-kun, what exactly do we do for a living?"

He stood up, facing her.

"We sell medicine that we brew ourselves; it's what you love best. That's why we have a field of herbs outside."

"Oh..."

He crouched down to her eye level, poking her forehead, the same way as his as his deceased brother.

He smirked.

"Get changed, we're leaving soon."

Hinata nodded and walked towards a wooden screen, which was painted aesthetically with cranes and blossoms. She grabbed a few articles of clothing before disappearing behind the changing screen.

Sasuke made a quick change of clothes himself. He was already stripped down to his waist until he heard Hinata's question.

Her muffled voice could be heard.

"U-uh, Sasuke-kun, is this really the type of clothing I usually wear?"

Sasuke was seriously contemplating on whether he should say yes or no. He didn't want her walking out in public parading her tempting body. Hell, he didn't even want her to expose a single patch of her skin if possible. He wanted it all for himself. Sasuke was a very greedy man, and his whole life has proven that.

Besides, if he was to say no, it wasn't what she would usually wear, then she would ask more complicated questions which would force him to think up of more lies. He was getting tired of making up stories; if he was to make anymore, he might as well write a fictional story. Moreover, he would need to exchange them with the female shop owner. Again, he didn't want to look like a jerk for rejecting a gift in exchange for a new one. He was already known to be the world's biggest jerk, but he didn't want to taint his brother's dignity. He needs to stop being a jerk for his brother's sake.

Sasuke didn't want to admit it, but they were all just a bunch of excuses to hide his real intent. The truth was he really liked the attire that the shop had chosen. In fact, he can't even wait until Hinata comes out of that damn changing screen!

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he never finished changing. He was half naked when Hinata finally revealed herself.

She shyly walked from behind the screen. What Sasuke saw made his throat go dry.

'For the love of...Argh! She's literally turning me on every time I lay my eyes on her!'

His wife was berating his mind like a tease.

Her kimono was blue in colour with silver petals scattered around. The fabric pooled beneath her feet which trailed behind her; the sleeves nearly touching the floor. The kimono was elegant indeed, but what caught Sasuke's attention most was the generous amount of cleavage exposed. Just looking at her assets reminded him of a certain blond middle aged woman...

"Don't you think this looks rather well...indecent?" she asked.

'Indecently elegant.' He mentally corrected her.

"It looks perfectly fine."

He was starting to notice that she was eyeing his half-naked body.

He inwardly snickered.

"Like what you see?"

She was caught off guard, blushing.

"H-huh? Oh, sorry! I'll be waiting outside while you finish changing."

It was difficult for her to run in the heavy kimono so she power walked instead.

Sasuke was slightly disappointed; he wanted to tease her a little more. But he knew that Hinata would always cower away before the fun even started. If he forced things too much, he just might end up with a few broken limbs.

Sasuke was surprised to see a carriage waiting for both of them just on the other side of the water fall. The messenger must have been scared out of his hide that he'd forgotten to tell him that there would be an escort. Shrugging, he picked Hinata up bridal style, making sure that her kimono won't get drenched before walking on the water towards the waiting carriage.

The Kage in neutral countries were treated like a Daimyos since they don't have a figure head. The system in neutral countries work differently thus, the Kages were the ones who have the ultimate power, allowing them to govern an entire country.

Since this was the case, it wasn't surprising for the Uchiha to find that the Kage's residence was not a typical Kage tower but rather a palace, similar to that of a Daimyo's.

They were brought to a large dining hall specifically for guests and audiences. They were told to make themselves comfortable while the Kage's finishing up his meeting in another room. Hinata looked around the luxurious room with awe. She had never been an audience for such an important person before, at least, as far as her memory goes. She was tense, rigid, and downright nervous.

"Sasuke-kun, how should I act?"

She turned towards her husband for advice.

They were both seated on separate large cushions beneath them at the dining table.

"Just act like you normally do."

Sasuke wasn't being much of a help but he didn't care. He wasn't one to make social visits and he surely was not the type to make a social visit with meaningless topics chattered about. He wanted to go home as soon as possible.

He noticed Hinata beginning to put her two index fingers together out of nervousness. Her body must have picked up her old habit subconsciously.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"That."

He gestured at her fingers.

Realizing what he meant, Hinata reluctantly dropped her hands onto her lap.

"Sorry. My body just..."

"Hn."

A maid came in shortly informing the guests that the Kage would arrive shortly.

Sasuke never liked waiting which means he was rather pissed off right now. What kind of host keep their guests waiting?

Soon enough, the Kage had made his grand entrance, sitting himself on the far end of the table whilst greeting his guests with a bow of respect, which the couple likewise, returned.

Lunch was uneventful as since the Kage did most of the talking. Sasuke had to resist the urge to yawn. He had to admit that he admired Hinata's feigned expression of interest. She even tried her best to engage a conversation with the other man. Alas the taboo topic of Uchiha Itachi was approached.

Sasuke never liked it when strangers bring up his brother's name. Sure he felt pride, but all other feelings like guilt were mixed inside as well. It made him feel awful.

"Your elder brother Itachi was indeed a great man..."

When those words left his mouth, Hinata sat straighter in great interest. She never anything about Sasuke's brother and judging from the Kage's speech, it seems that he was a hero. This intrigued her so she listened intently.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a haze. Sasuke was relieved that it was finally time to go home. It was already late afternoon; he was thinking about dinner but decided to pass on that thought. He didn't have any more room from the sumptuous lunch he had. Hinata seemed to agree with the fact as well.

Once in the carriage, Hinata was the first to break the silence.

"Your brother... he must have been a great hero."

Sasuke, who was facing the window, diverted his attention to her.

"To me, he was more than a hero. He even went as far as playing a villain to save his beloved people, but only to be betrayed by those ungrateful bastards."

A pained expression etched his features. He was disgusted with himself. He had murdered his own beloved brother without a second thought. Itachi had done and suffered so much for his sake and he murdered him in cold blood.

Sasuke's clutched fists shook as he struggled to even his breath.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

Hinata placed a worried hand over his.

Something warm and hot slid down his eyes. Sasuke was crying blood.

Feeling the warm thick liquid dripping on her porcelain skin, Hinata jerked back.

"What's wrong?" she said in a panic.

She lifted his head with her hands on either side. She came face to face with an angry red looking magenkyo sharingan.

"Your eyes are blee-"

"I...I'm a monster..."

"Sasuke what are you talking about?"

"I'm disgusted with myself! I shouldn't even be alive!"

He was yelling at the top of his lungs by now. He could feel more blood mixed with tears sliding down his cheeks. He grinded his teeth together with rage.

Deciding not to say anything which would potentially agitate him, Hinata carefully produced a handkerchief from the long sleeve of her kimono. She gently padded his face, trying her best to get rid of the stain. But it was useless, the bleeding won't stop.

'His eyes are filled with so much hatred and grief...but why?"

She sat quietly next to her husband, giving him some space to calm his mind. She was ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. It's just...My brother... he died because of me."

Hinata's eyes widened with surprise. She wisely chose to keep her mouth shut and continued to listen.

"I was no different than the other villagers. I see him as a traitor and a disgrace to the Uchiha clan. I was so hell bent on killing him because I thought he deserved it. I didn't realize that he did it for the sake of peace and sparing my life until it was too late. I...murdered my own beloved brother without even feeling any remorse!"

It was getting harder for him to continue with his chocking sobs.

Soft cool fingers cupped the side of his face. Hinata drew his face closer towards hers; she then placed her forehead against his. Sasuke's eyes fluttered closed, her scent was warm and comforting.

"Sasuke...It wasn't you fault, don't blame yourself. Itachi-san sacrificed his life for yours, so you shouldn't put his sacrifice in vain. Don't say selfish things like you don't deserve to live because you have other people to live for."

Sasuke's eyes opened groggily.

When he opened his eyes, no longer did he see red, but a beautiful bright smile from the woman before him. It was mesmerizing...

"You have your clan to live for and...me..."

The bleeding tears ceased to flow. Sasuke's eyes reverted back to its normal black onyx colour.

Hinata instantly retreated her hands and her face was flushed a healthy red.

"D-don't get the wrong idea! What I meant was...You're practically the only person I can depend on right? I mean I'm an amnesiac and it's not like I have my family anymore so...so..."

Sasuke cut her off.

"You know..."

"Huh?"

"You look as red as a tomato. Did I ever tell you that my favorite food in the entire world is tomatoes? You look awfully irresistible right now...it makes me want to devour you."

Sasuke licked his lips teasingly.

Yet again, out of reflex, Hinata yelped and violently pushed him away from her.

Sasuke burst out laughing at her flustered state. Things were going to be rather different between the two after today.