Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Unbeated for now! Sorry
Temari's Perspective
Temari who had been utterly shocked and bemused at the glowing reports she had been receiving about her little brother all of a sudden had grown increasingly suspicious at his complete turnaround. She had expected him to struggle and he did in the beginning, so much so she had been fielding calls left, right and centre from the firm begging her to returning, wailing about Gaara's incompetence and obstinate manner,
While it had been worrisome, she had reigned in her fears, she could not back out of her plan now that it had been set into motion this needed to be done. Not to mention if things continued the way they had been running she was going to collapse from exhaustion or worse yet succumb to a nervous breakdown. The company was thriving no doubt, but she had taken on all the administrative duties upon herself with no one trustworthy enough to delegate responsibilities to and it had taken its toll on her.
So she set them straight and made them understand that she wasn't going to be back any time soon so they were going to have to suck it up and make it work with her little brother in charge because she wasn't going to intervene even if she had nightmares about the company crashing and burning under Gaara's leadership.
Then the tune changed and while the staff still complained he was unmanageable and a pain in the ass he was certainly working hard and things were running a lot smoother than before. As it turns out Gaara took it as he always did to the extremes and he became a workaholic, proving to be even more unreasonable and irritable in the process, his coffee addiction spiraling out of control and his sleeping pattern shot to hell.
His haggard appearance and his distressing behaviour had almost broken her resolve she was ready to hop on the next plane back to Suna and put her idiot brother right to bed when he decided to pull another surpassing transformation out of his bag of tricks.
Reports came filtering in that the redhead had done an overhaul on his image and was now donning Armani three-piece suits. Temari was beginning to think Gaara needed to be sent back to his therapists because these personality shifts were frankly disturbing and out of control.
Not intervening just yet she monitored him closely and by all accounts he was doing an excellent job especially considering his lack of experience and social skills in addition to his overall reluctance to take up the post in the first place. Gaara even looked better, well-rested and regaining the weight he had lost. Best news yet was that the firm employees were no longer blowing up her phone and Gaara had even kept on schedule with his deigns proposals without her breathing down his neck for once.
While her brother didn't not give into her prying when she poked fun at his new dapper image he did mention he had "a little help". Of course such an answer did nothing to satisfy her curiosity and she took to doing her own digging getting her most trusted informants to earn their keep by maintaining a sharp eye on Gaara's activities.
Temari's informants were arguably her best resources, strategically placed employees in every department who were meant to be her eyes and ears so that nothing got past her. She refused to let anyone make a fool out of her by trying to undermine the formidable company she had built nor would be blindsided by any possible traitors who were leaking pertinent details to her competitors. Too often she was underestimated because her peers viewed her sex as a shortcoming.
Unfortunately there wasn't much to report that she didn't already know from harassing her baby brother and the intel from her assistant who was in constant contact with her. All that her informants mentioned as newsworthy was about some woman who had stopped by a couple of times at the office to meet with Gaara.
Seeing that was as a possible lead she focused her attention there, albeit she was quite surprised that one of her own sex was involved Gaara had never had much patience for women or anyone for that matter. Her brother was an unsocial little scrapper.
Once she had gotten the name of Gaara's new friend Temari had her assistant do the rest of her investigating for her. She was even more astonished and intrigued by the results.
Nakamura Arata was a waitress at the diner her brother had been known to frequent. Well at least she understood how they had met, Gaara had cited time and again he had never found a place that served a better cup of coffee in the entire city.
Matsuri, her assistant had even gone to the diner with Gaara under the guise of discussing business over a late lunch. Carefully observing their interaction she reported that the waitress seemed very polite and cheerful. The most interesting bit was their rapport, they both appeared to be very familiar with each other enough so that Gaara was even more expressive and relaxed than usual which translated into being grumpier and more recalcitrant than typical, though it lack his usual edge. From the waitress' easy handling of his attitude, not being the least bit upset or offended she could tell the two had obviously grown quite close. However, Temari didn't know if they were just friends or if her little brother had gotten himself a girlfriend. Then again as far as she knew Gaara had never even gone on a date so she honestly had no idea how he would behave while in the presence of a woman he was attracted to.
Knowing she couldn't do much till she got back home Temari settled for messing with his head implying she knew things about him, things he wasn't telling her. Much to her disappointment he had hadn't given her much of a reaction, simply scowling and calling her a mental case which was pretty much the pot calling the kettle black in his case.
She thought herself mature by not to bring up his imaginary friends, Shukaku who had landed him in therapy for most of his adolescence.
Temari wasn't the most patient woman, but she waited until just before her departure to toy with him one last time at their scheduled call.
As usual the first words out his mouth were, "When are you getting back?"
Smiling smugly she pondered, "I think I should extend my time here in Konoha. It's a lovely place and you're doing such a fine job back home. There's no hurry."
From his rigid expression and the tiny snarl he let slip she knew he wasn't a bit pleased with her idea. Though it was actually a jest, she would miss Konoha she'd had an unexpectedly good time thanks to a rather infuriating lazy genius who'd kept her entertained. However she was anticipating her return to Suna, to the company, knowing that everything didn't weigh upon her shoulders alone anymore was a welcomed relief and she'd be damned if she let Gaara retreat back into his hole and revert to his former bad habits after all her scheming.
"Alright I'm kidding I have a 6 PM flight I will be back on Thursday at the office bright and early Try not to miss me too much till I get there and I can't wait to see you out of your street rat clothes, " she teased.
Interrupting his grumbling she made one last jab before she disconnected, "Oh and tell your little girlfriend to expect a visit from me when I get back."
She stayed on just long enough to listen to him sputter before hanging up feeling that the cat who got the cream.
Yes, she definitely couldn't wait to get back home.
Time Skip- Two Years Later
Hinata's Perspective
Stifling a yawn she pulled out her compact one last time to check on her makeup. Her dark circles were covered, her liner hadn't smudged and her lip gloss was still in place at least till she began gnawing at her bottom lip.
Smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt and straightening her jacket Hinata passed through the doors of the firm. It was still early enough that the rest of employees were either still getting their coffee fix before they could start functioning or they just hadn't arrived yet.
Mentally going through her agenda for the day she took as fortifying breath as the elevator dinged and she stepped out onto the floor.
As though they had just been waiting with bated breath as her colleagues caught sight of her a collective sigh of relief resonated through the office space.
'That bad' she mused.
Temari's assistant, Matsuri approached her first, a grateful smile in place, "I'm so glad to see you've returned Nakamura-san. How was your trip?"
Smiling back she replied, "It went well the current Hong Kong project is on schedule, Gaara-san should be back in a couple weeks if all goes according to plan. I'll be flying to Sydney next week to go over the plans for the new skyrise and meeting with the lawyers to finalize the deals of the terms of agreement concerning the contract. So now that the pleasantries are over, would you like to tell me what has got everyone on edge?"
The older woman sighed, the weariness in her expression unmistakable, "The monsoon rains have hit Amegakure sooner than expected, thus the Kamatari Bridge will not be completed in time. Temari is not taking the news well."
Wasn't that an understatement.
"Bugger," Hinata muttered under her breath.
She knew that this bridge had been Temari' s pet project for the last year it had been a struggle to even get the winning bid on such a coveted venture. They had been vying against proposals from about 15 other firms.
Already going over possible strategies in her mine to ease her boss' nerves and concoct a solution she paused when she noticed the amused look in Matsuri's eyes.
"Is there something else?" Hinata questioned feeling self-conscious.
In a suspiciously bright voice the other PA replied, "You have another delivery from Inuzuka-san in your office."
Her pale blue eyes widened before her features settled in a grimace, she certainly did not need this added worry on her plate, it was stacked and overflowing as it was.
Taking a calming breath she began to count backwards from 10. In French.
It was a tip she'd picked up in a magazine some time ago. It had been a major help many times over her career in focusing her mind in stressful situations. Especially when it came to her job , she needed to be level-headed. She was the one who was meant to be calm and provided structure and order when everything was going to hell in a handbasket and everyone else got to panic and run round like headless chickens.
Alright then Temari first.
Deal with Inuzuka Kiba later.
Once Matsuri had assured her the boss lady was alone and brooding which was uncannily similar to her younger brother except she was more prone to bouts of violent cursing and pelting office stationary which pretty much scared everyone off, giving her a wider berth whenever she stepped into a room for fear she directed her frustrations at them.
Knocking on her door twice she was warned for her efforts in return by a sharp, biting voice.
"You'd be the bearer of good news or my pen with will end up lodged in your chest cavity."
Hinata paused for a moment considering her options. Death threats meant thing weren't just bad, they were bordering on disastrous and considering she had been awake with no sleep for the past 38 hours she wasn't sure if she was up to dealing with a crisis at the moment. Regardless it didn't matter if she was ready to drop from exhaustion or that her neck was paining and tight with tension.
She had worked too hard to overcome her weaknesses and her timidity to slink away from her duties. Nakamura Arata was everything Hyuuga Hinata had not been.
Dependable, composed, assertive, capable, successful.
This woman did not let weakness of the mind or body stop her from doing a job she was damn good at.
So Hinata put her hand on the door knob and let herself into Temari' office.
With a quirk of her lips and a playful tone she countered, "Would you consider me good news?"
The blond head snapped up and the tight lines around her mouth relaxed into a tired smile before she quipped, "Next time I'm gonna leave my brother to fend for himself . You are of infinitely more use to me here."
Hinata could feel the warm glow in her chest unfurl and expand like a rosebud blooming. Her confidence and self-esteem peaking with the acknowledgment of her skills and the amount of faith the older woman had in her. She was more than ready to tackle the current problem and whatever other troubles that were bound to crop up. Nakamura Arata did not accept failure.
Chuckling her eyes crinkled in delight, "I'm sure Gaara-san has different ideas, but you have me here now so what's the damage."
Three hours and 6 phone calls later the issue of the Kamatari Bridge had been resolved.
The city had been extremely understanding and accommodating about the unforeseen delay caused by the rains, but the offer from Temari and the firm to assist in the reparation and clean-up that was sure to ensue in the aftermath of the mother nature's wrath had cemented continued amicable relations and put them firmly in the city's good graces
Now that she didn't have a reason not to enter her own office and Temari had ordered her to take the rest of the day off and catch up on her sleep after catching her yawning one too many times. The burst of clarity and vigour adrenaline had provided had long worn off and she was dredging up on her last reserves just to keep herself on her feet.
On her trek to her office Hinata had been interrupted at least five times by representatives from different department who wanted to use her as a sounding board for their ideas and proposals. While some were brilliant no doubt, but they tended to be half-baked, unfeasible or plain ludicrous and since Temari had little patience to sort through the muddle and polish their ideas what with her numerous other duties and the need for her approval on any major decision or transaction she simply did not have the energies to devote to them. So unofficially Hinata got the post of deciding who got a meeting with the boss and who had to go back to the drawing board.
And she was a whole lot nicer about rejecting their plans and offering advice and encouragement in turn so there was no escaping them anytime soon.
Some days she wondered how her mentor had managed before Gaara had stepped up and taken on some of his responsibility.
Biting back a grimace as pain lanced across the back of her head she tried to keep her composure until she was enshrined in her office and could begin wracking her purse for a couple of painkillers.
Opening the door and slipping in quickly she sunk to her knees, her head bent as she felt a wave of nausea overwhelm her. The bar of granola and flaour water she had consumed earlier churned unpleasantly in her stomach. Her headache had advanced into a migraine that had the power to debilitate her, there was no way she could continue at work today, even she had to recognize her limits no matter how much she wanted to push past them. There was just still so much more that had to be done.
Once the nausea had subsided and steadying herself against the door as she withered a bout of vertigo from standing so suddenly she straightened and finally took a good look at her office which was lined with dozens of baskets of fruits and she knew exactly who to blame despite Matsuri's earlier warning.
Heaving a sigh Hinata bemoaned Inuzuka Kiba's unwillingness to accept rejection.
After they had met a couple months ago at a charity gala Gaara had guilt tripped her into attending he had been after her for a date. Though she thought he had been roguishly charming with a bit of a rough exterior she had turned down his request, apologizing kindly, citing that she simply didn't date. Hinata had had enough complications in her personal life and too many hang-ups to even consider pursuing a relationship that wasn't strictly platonic.
However Inuzuka-san just wouldn't back down and took her refusal as a challenge to woo her with gifts until she yielded.
That meant at least once every week she would be bombarded by deliveries sprawled around her office. First it had been flowers, then cards, stuffed toys followed by concert tickets, spa days, boxes of chocolates and pounds of sweets, it had been disquieting and a bit flattering in the beginning, but now she had had grown weary of it.
Hinata did not appreciate the sort of attention she was garnering because of her persistent suitor and she really did wish Inuzuka-san would understand that it was nothing personal, but she honestly had no intentions of dating him or anyone else in the foreseeable future.
And truthfully she had gotten a surprising amount of offers over the years from very handsome, wealthy, powerful men, but she simply couldn't accept any of them.
While she may be estranged from him, living half-way across the country with a new identity and she had built a whole new life in Suna Hinata still considered herself to be very much married and in love with her husband. Even if he had moved on with gorgeous supermodels and famous actresses who may her feel ugly and insignificant in comparison.
In the beginning she had cried and moped and lamented the sorry , pathetic state of her life, regretting her decision every day to leave him behind so much so she had been stuck in a rut afraid to move forward. Working at the diner and the security and normalcy it had provided her had been exactly what she had needed at the time, but eventually it had been her safety blanket, and there was no way she would ever be able to grow, to make progress, to change herself if she hadn't taken the next step and moved out of that phase and onto something new and more challenging and that was precisely the opportunity Gaara and his sister, Temari had offered her.
It still stung every time she turned on the news or looked at the cover of a magazine to see her beloved with a new woman on his arm every few months, but regretfully she also breathed a little sigh of relief knowing he wasn't in lovedand ready to move on completely, that she didn't have break her last tie to him just yet, to release him dissolving their marriage.
She was still selfish and hurt and she wanted to back to him so desperately, but she accepted her weakness and stopped resenting herself for feeling this way. She was human, she was flawed, but what really mattered was that despite her feelings she had the courage to put it behind her enough that she didn't dwell on what could have been every second of the day, that she was doing something worthwhile with her life instead of wasting way, consumed by regret. Because Kami-sama knows it had been excruciating to do what was right even when every instinct in her had rebelled against it, screaming at her not to leave, that this was the man she had given her heart to, that she deserved to be with him.
There was just so much more at stake than what she wanted, than her own happiness and Sasuke, he would always, always come first and she would do whatever it took to protect him and ensure his happiness.
Finally shaking herself out of her thoughts she pulled out her phone and asked Shinomori-san, one of the receptionists to distribute the baskets in her office to the rest of the staff. Then she gathered the necessary files and paperwork that needed her immediate attention and left the office planning on returning home to her small apartment and her fish, Nori who has surprisingly good company who she frequently left with her neightbour, a single mother and a seven year old daughter who enjoyed looking after the her pet when she was required to go out of town .
Just as she pulled into the appartment parking lot her phone rang. Reading the caller ID she contemplated whether she really wanted to answer it, but her do-gooder tendencies won out in the end and she pressed 'Accept'. Time to play relationship mediator.
"Hello Su-" her greeting interrupted by the barrage of words assailing from the other end of her call.
"That selfish, useless bastard refused to-"
Her plans to kick off her heels and take a long overdue nap just went on in smoke and Hinata silently cursed herself for becoming involved in Gaara's relationship issues.
Sasuke's Perspective
Downing his fifth glass of scotch Sasuke signaled the bartender for another. The burn of alcohol had long since ceased to affect him and he had done away with the ice after his second glass.
Usually at these types of event he didn't indulge preferring to be sober and alert, but today's extenuating circumstance warranted partaking in the reprieve alcohol so readily provided. His latest piece of arm candy was off socializing with the other flighty socialites, gossiping about someone else's business and discussing the latest fashion trends or whatever tended to occupy their vapid minds.
She was beautiful no doubt, an up and coming actress making her debut in the latest blockbuster franchise. Yet she seemed like a carbon copy of every other woman he had taken to these insipid events.
At least Karin- was that her name? - she didn't appear to expect anything more than a pricy trinket to mark the entirety of their short lived "courtship".
Even now he had his lawyers prepping the way for his next girlfriend, she was supposed to be some model turned philanthropist. Konan wanted his name associated with her latest charity project to boost awareness so they had struck a deal and in exchange for his help she would just be required to attend a few social events by his side. Well that should give the media enough fodder to speculate over for a while, wondering if she was the "one" to make him discard his playboy image which he had carefully cultivated over the last two years.
Staring into his now empty tumbler, he contemplated ordering another, it's not like he was going to be driving himself anywhere tonight, but he would rather his drinking habits in public not draw any undue attention, besides he had a liquor cabinet at home with far stronger spirits to drown away his sorrows in.
Today marked the second year since he had returned to an empty house and was greeted with the knowledge that his wife had left him and even now the desolation and pain of her absence had not lessened, if anything his desperation mounted when his furtive search efforts had borne no fruit leaving him to despair.
Had she moved on?
Was another man occupying her thoughts and warming her bed at nights, drawing sweet sighs from her lips?
Had his public persona driven her even farther away from him? Did he even cross her mind anymore? Did the bond they share still matter to her?
Sasuke wanted to tell himself that no matter the distance between them or how much time had passed the intensity of their feelings for each other could not fade.
Even in that accursed letter she had left him he treasured the words on that page because she had she had written them and even more she had admitted that she loved him and that was enough to spur him on even when his spirits flagged and the life of pretenses and falsehoods he had fashioned for himself suffocated him all in the hope that she would be back with him one day.
Glancing at his watch he blinked a couple times trying to clear his vision, it was almost eleven and he was eager to leave. After messaging his date to meet him at the entrance he bid his farewells and called his driver to inform him that he was expected at the front of the hotel where the party had been hosted.
Feeling slight buzzed he wasn't in the mood for conversation and thus that car ride was shrouded in silence only upon her leaving did the car did he mention that their last appearance together was scheduled that weekend.
Once he was secluded inside his study having tossed his jacket aside and loosened the collar of his dress shirt he casually sprawled his long limbs over the sofa a glass of brandy in hand.
No more hard liquor for him tonight, he had a board meeting scheduled in the morning and he didn't need to cope with a hangover. A sharp, clear mind was required to carefully subvert the machinations and hidden power plays always shifting in favour from one faction to another. The foolish, petty games grown men played to allot themselves a sense of grandeur and self-importance that was feeble and illusionary at best. Anything to keep their oversized egos afloat.
From time to time he was forced to step in if only to prevent them from causing him any real trouble, diverting their attentions elsewhere and foiling pathetic underhanded schemes meant to hinder him in a futile attempt to wrest more power and influence.
Remembering then the message on his phone that he had received halfway through the tedious function his mind finally turned to more pressing matters.
Itachi was currently spearheading the plan to ensure that when he made his move against his family and the Hyuuga there wouldn't be a damned thing they could do about it. He was stacking the deck in his favour and bidding his time, before he made his final play.
Once Shikamaru had delivered the information he needed Sasuke had taken a trip into the northern mountainous region of the country where his brother had been occupying his time as a rather successful potter sculpting ceramics. It had been taken surprisingly little convincing to get his brother on board. In fact the older man had actually expressed regret over the way in which events had played out and for leaving him behind citing that he had taken a path had isolated him from the family and he hadn't wanted to drag Sasuke into his quarrel. That had he stayed they would have been pawns pitted against each other to guarantee what was in the family's best interest, holding the knowledge over each's other head that where one failed or slipped up the other would be there to take his place. His brother had also stayed away all these years because he was afraid of how he'd react and was unwilling to disrupt his life after he had wronged him.
Sasuke had honestly thought his brother was the foolish one instead of him, but his aniki had always been an unfailing selfless and devoted brother and he knew Itachi's fears were not unfounded. Madara was a scheming old bastard and he would have used Sasuke's insecurities and his desperate need to prove himself against his perfect older brother for his own gain. Maybe his brother had made the right decision, the Uchiha acknowledge he had been a messed up youth and vulnerable to manipulation.
Once Sasuke had revealed his ruined marriage and the part their family and the Hyuuga had had to play in his wife deserting him the reclusive man been more than willing to assist him stating that his happiness had always been his main priority come what may.
Once he had acquired his brother's aid Sasuke commenced with his initial plan, knowing that he could not buy out the other shareholders, it would be unfeasible and would surely raise red flags he had taken a more devious route to ensure that he had the majority vote on his side.
He had assigned Shikamaru to dig up every last bit of dirty laundry that the damn windbags had stuffed away, to unearth every skeleton from closets that were never meant to be opened, every shred of leverage he could use against them. After all nothing mattered more to members of prestigious clans than saving face. They would be under his thumb and to keep himself out of suspicion Itachi was acting as his proxy under an anonymous guise. Even if they did discover Itachi's involvement they would pin it as the elder Uchiha being the prodigal son simply returning to the family fold after an extended absence and they had all known how brilliant and capable the former heir had been he was not above such methods. However, they were unlikely to know anything of real importance until the timing was right. Shikamaru was much too good at his job to leave behind any tracks.
Scrolling through his contacts he pressed call then taking one last drink he drained the remains of brandy. It took exactly three rings before that familiar baritone voice answered.
"Sasuke."
"Aniki", he replied easily.
"I take it you've returned home. Did you enjoy your date?" the older man inquired casually.
Scoffing Sasuke suddenly wished he had foregone the brandy and headed straight for the spirits that crossed the 50% alcohol content mark.
"I hardly think you called earlier to check up on my abysmal dating life. Now what's the news?"
Soft chuckling was his only response. Sasuke could imagine the crinkle at the corner of his aniki's eyes and the slight shaking of his head. The estranged Uchiha seemed to derive unusual pleasure from teasing him and sometimes, for a moment Sasuke paused and wondered if they would ever have a normal brotherly rapport, he had missed having family by his side. Despite past decisions his brother had always been good to him.
"I have made contact with great-uncle Toshiro he was rather uncooperative at first, skittish even like a cornered gazelle being stalked. Nonetheless one mention of his mounting gambling debt and a few implied threats and he proved to be more than eager to help. The yakuza are very interested in meeting with him, he's been avoiding a number of their loan shark collectors at the moment."
"As efficient and capable as always. Has the next target been decided?" Sasuke questioned as he rose to his feet heading to his laptop to message Shikamaru about keeping the yakuza off Toshiro's trail for a while longer now that he had proven to be off use.
"It's a toss-up between third cousin, Satoshi and our esteemed uncle, Ito. Satoshi has left behind a rather telling trail of battered girlfriends while dear uncle Ito has been deepening his coffers with some rather questionable business ventures on the side namely, drugs and ammunition possibly even dabbling in embezzlement and fraud."
"Ito should be approached next he is the more cunning of the two, Satoshi thinks the Uchiha name and influence places him above the law and will hardly be suspicious by abnormal occurrences", Sasuke decided knowing Itachi would follow his lead.
Even now he felt disgusted by his family members, he had rarely made it his business to pry into their activities beyond the offices walls as long as they did nothing to negatively impact upon the business, but to know such scum were entrusted with such power and wealth made him grit his teeth in ire, these men were no better than criminals, they brought dishonor upon the clan.
Sasuke supposed he understood his brother's estrangement a little better now, he had been an angst-ridden teen back when Itachi had left the clan, but he knew his brother had already been entrenched in the business attending board meetings, wining and dining with potential investors and heading projects on his own.
His aniki possessed a strong sense of right and wrong and quietly dismissing the disgraceful deeds being committed yet swept under the rug would have incensed him. Itachi had never approved of those with power misusing it and wielding it for their own selfish gain, whereas Sasuke had taken a more liberal stance though he suppose he could have chalked it up to Madara's influence, the family patriarch had not dissented against treachery and backstabbing after all it had been those very tactics that had resulted in his rise to head of the clan.
"Have you received any news on your wife's whereabouts?" Itachi questioned once the next course of action had been decided.
"Nothing new as of yet the Hyuuga have erased any tracks she may have left behind. All possible leads so far been dead ends. Hell she may have left the country for all I know," he scoffed bitterly his mood plummeting further.
"I would find that to be highly unlikely they would have wanted to keep tabs on her whereabouts and monitor her interactions to ensure she didn't try to contact you. Sending her abroad would leave too many variables to chance. You will find her, otouto."
Playing the devils' advocate the younger Uchiha sneered, "And will she even have me when I do? If she still resides in Japan then I'm damn certain she has heard news of my dalliances with these women I have been using to keep up my front. For god's sakes my dating life is splashed all over the front pages of tabloids on a weekly basis how could she have not known. What's to say she hasn't already moved on?" Sasuke gave voice to his deepest fear that tormented his dreams at night as he lay on his side of the bed reaching for her warn, soothing presence in his sleep only to awaken disappointed and still alone.
"There are no guarantees even the most well laid plan can go astray, you cannot control everything, brother, but at very least have faith in this wife of yours. You cannot afford to doubt the very reason you are fighting against the clans for" Itachi reminded him firmly, trying to ground him in the present.
And it worked.
Chuckling Sasuke rapped his knuckles against his forehead trying to shake off his melancholy state.
"Since when did you become the one to reassure me? Aren't I the mastermind behind this underhanded scheme?" he chided lightly.
"I will always be the voice of reason whenever you falter, otoutoit's what I'm here for," the smirk in his voice unmistakable.
Sasuke had no doubt that had his brother been there before him at that very moment Itachi would have poked in the forehead as he had done when they still children and image set him at ease like nothing else could.
There was no way he would ever lose Hinata. Not to anyone.
A/N: It's been a long wait I'm so sorry its just life got crazy with exams and a ton of schoolwork and I never found a chance to type out this chapter I already had written in a notebook. The time skip happens in the chapter so things should pick up speed from now on. I had a snippet to include, but its incomplete so next chapter I promise!
Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter its my Valentine's gift to you guys. Missed you all lots! I read every review and savoured them even if I didn't reply.
Special thanks to Umnia! She helped me get off my butt and post this chapter!
Sincerely,
CharmGirl24.