Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Unbetaed. You won't believe the trouble I had to go through to upload this chapter ugh.
A/N: Very Important!
Towards the end of this chapter you will see a line in bold font.
When you do go look up "Arms" by Christina Perri on Youtube
and listen to it in the background while reading the rest of the chapter.
Thanks
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Taking a deep breath she tried to loosen the tension that had her muscles wound tight for the entire two hour plane ride. Looking out the window of the taxi she'd entered the minute she stepped out of the airport Hinata admired her first glance of Konoha in over two years.
She had returned home at last.
But it wasn't her home anymore was it? Not really.
The scenery was a stark contrast from Suna, the endless sand dunes just beyond the city limits were nowhere to be found, instead she could spot trees and hedges lining every street, the air was cool and refreshing, not dry and arid.
Taking a deep breath she felt cleansed, as though by finally coming back she was one stop closer to exorcising her demons and putting her past to rest.
Looking at the people along the sidewalks she began to reconcile with the faster, lively pace of life in Konoha. Everyone looked to be in a hurry to get someplace else as though there was some internal clock they were racing against. A stray thought crossed Hinata's mind, she found most of the faces shockingly pale in comparison to the ones she'd left behind in Suna. A silly observation of course, but back in Suna she become accustomed to the diverse skin colour palette, the desert city boasted a multicultural population so it was a bit of a change to see such uniformity upon returning.
Hinata had ample time to absorb her surroundings, occupying herself with trying to spot minute changes that had occurred in her absence. A new skyscraper, the refurbishment of a dilapidated structure, new signs of weathering on familiar landmarks and it seemed like the shopping district had exploded in the two years she'd been gone. It proved to be such a wonderful distraction she hadn't even realized they had arrived at her destination until she noticed the wide stretch of land set against the backdrop of the mountain covered in stone monuments to the dead.
She'd come to greet her daughter after being away for so long.
Her feet remembered the way instinctively, a path she had tread countless times during those first brutal months when she'd spent most of her days wishing she had been laid to rest instead of her child. In a section specially segregated for the Uchiha clan she approached her daughter's gravestone, not failing to notice the recent placement of offerings, flowers and incenses.
It made her smile soothing an unconscious worry that perhaps her baby had been forgotten along with her. She knew then that Sasuke continued to visit Megumi, to pay his respects and look after the final marker of their child's presence.
Kneeling she bowed, offering her prayers for her daughter's soul to be at peace before settling herself more comfortably on the ground set on recounting the events of her life over the course of the last two years.
At first the words seemed to slip her grasp, she didn't know what to say or how to properly explain the reasoning behind her earlier decisions, all the things she'd done that had led her back to this point.
Taking a moment to center herself she did her best to hold her lingering anxiety at bay and focus on the relief, the sweet joy and bitter sorrow of returning to this place after her extended absence. She hadn't even know up until a few weeks ago when she'd ever be coming back here, when she would be able to greet her daughter once again.
So randomly searching her memories she plucked out the one that stood out the most, the first time she'd noticed Gaara and from then the words came trickling forth before they flowing with ease as she told her daughter about her best friend. The redhead who had made so many doors open for her, who'd been a source of comfort and support, who had allowed her to gain the strength and confidence to take a stand for herself and make the decision to control the direction of her life. Of course, Gaara would never would admit to any such thing, but he had played such a pivotal role in helping her become the person she was today and Hinata could never express in words just how truly grateful she was for his presence in her life.
She easily spoke about Temari being her mentor with warmth and affection, a confident, intelligent woman who had seen potential in her and had taken her under her wing. The blond woman had given Hinata the chance to prove herself and carve out her own space in the running of the Sabaku sibling's firm. She freely admitted to her daughter how wonderful and fulfilling it was to have a role, a purpose, how gratifying it was to know that her opinions and decisions mattered. Hinata had made a name for herself, she had her own accolades and achievements, she didn't have to rely on her family name and she wasn't just an Uchiha bride anymore. Part of her still lingered on her old dream of being a doctor, a calling that never truly faded, but she would never regret the path she had chosen and all the irreplaceable experiences she had gained and the lessons she had learned, things being a doctor would not have taught her.
Moreover, Hinata didn't forget her early days in Suna the amazing people at the diner, Kurenai, Ino and Choji who had given her a safe place to lick her wounds and recover, had offered her an easy, unconditional acceptance she'd never had before. Working at the diner had given her first taste of independence, earning her own money, living by her own rules. Everything had turned out so well, she honestly could not believe just how exceedingly fortunate she had been and she resolved that once she had returned to Suna she would definitely set aside more time to reconnect and spend time with those people who had helped her build her new life.
Though Hinata was having a difficult time trying not to reflect and be concerned over how strange and complicated things had become with Gaara lately, she really hoped their friendship would endure, no matter how things turned out.
She simply couldn't imagine her life without him now.
XXX
Hinata had spent a long time deliberately exactly when and where this meeting would take place. She had been inclined for them to meet at a neutral location, somewhere in public if only to prevent herself from doing something idiotic and thoughtless like tackling the man on first sight. However, it was hard to imagine dissolving her marriage in a random place surrounded by strangers, she even foolishly told herself she was rejecting this option on the off chance someone spotted them in public together, though wouldn't that ruffle some feathers.
His office had been passing thought, she liked to imagine striding in all composed and confident slapping down those papers on the desk and telling him to sign them, putting everyone off kilter with her surprising reappearance. Of course she wouldn't make it past security or even onto the elevator before Sasuke knew she was there and was ready for her arrival and the entire building would probably know she'd showed up before her first five minutes with him.
So she settled for ambushing him while he was at home though she crossed her fingers on the off chance that he wasn't actually in Konoha but was instead off on a business trip on another continent. Maybe if she were really lucky once he heard who was buzzing at his gateway he'd refuse to let her in and she could just drop off the papers without ever having to meet with him face to face.
Of course her plans would never pan out as she had hoped. For instance, she wouldn't have expected to be standing in the pouring rain get soaked to the bone as she stood in front of the gate of her old house waiting for someone to answer the intercom.
Of course by the time she got permission and the gate opened up for the taxi to crawl up the driveway she was dripping water all over the backseat and the driver was shooting death glares at her looking like he was about to reach back and strangle her. Yeah there was definitely no chance in hell he was going to wait on her while she wrapped up the loose ends of her former life in Konoha.
After spending the greater part of her afternoon visiting her daughter's monument she'd decided there was no time like the present to get the most unpleasant part of her trip over with. Before she spent anymore time fretting over the impending meeting with Sasuke, Hinata called another cab to take her back to her hotel so she could settle in and drop off her luggage. Now here she was after spending 45 minutes in her hotel room staring at the door willing herself to put on a brave face and get going. It was only once the rain had begun drizzling she suddenly found the will to abandon her safe lodging for the unknown.
Now here she was soaking wet and trying to appease an irate taxi driver by handing over the fare along with a very substantial tip, feeling quite embarrassed and off kilter. At very least the scowl directed at her eased and she stepped out onto the entrance leading to the front door only to be greeted by an unfamiliar servant who also claimed her wet jacket. As she entered into the foyer another servant handed her a towel which she graciously accepted trying not to look utterly mortified at her waterlogged, harassed appearance, this was hardly the entrance she'd been expecting to make.
Hinata wanted to make a quick pit stop at the restroom to put herself in some semblance of order, but apparently the master of the house had instructed for her to be lead to his office at once. So while she tried to tug at her silk blouse now plaster to her skin and squeeze out the excess water in her hair she was ushered along a familiar pathway to a place she'd once spent hours lounging in the company of her husband while he directed his family's multi-billion dollar corporation.
Except now she was back to sever the last ties tethering her to a man she was probably never going to get over, which was a very depressing thought altogether. Hinata was basically signing away her rights as his wife so he could freely bring another women to be the mistress of this house and the warm body that would share his bed, while she went back to her life in Suna to her best friend who was trying to decide whether or not he should stay in his current relationship because he held more than friendly feelings towards her.
As if life wasn't as complicated enough as it was.
Before her guide could open the door and announce her presence she reached out a hand to stop her.
"I would like to visit a restroom first please", she requested cordially, her nerves frayed and her body felt too restless and fidgety.
"I'm sorry ma'am but Uchiha-sama ordered that you brought before him immediately."
Straightening her spine and tilting her head until her gaze met directly with the apologetic servant she stood her ground.
"You may offer my apologies to him on my behalf, but I will not be entering that room unless I am given the chance to visit the restroom. Now would you kindly take me there."
The middle-aged woman appeared reluctant and distressed at the prospect of disobeying orders, but Hinata refused to back down. She could not, no would not go before Sasuke for the first time in two years looking bedraggled, but more than that she refused to face him when she could feel the remnants of her former self and all those nasty bad habits she's been wholly bent on discarding surging to the surface like a breaching whale ready and intent on disrupting every last bit of progress she had made.
In the end her greater will and determination overrode the older woman's protests and she was subsequently led to an opulent bathroom just a few doors down.
Planting her hands face down on the vanity, she bowed her head dragging in a deep breath and she pushed every last ounce of negativity and self-doubt and fear into a tight, coiling orb compacting it tighter and tighter, shrinking it to the size of a golf ball restraining it from expanding and breaking free before she exhaled heavily shoving it up and out of her body, pushing it out of her core, releasing herself from that infectious mass before she allowed herself to lift her head looking back at herself in the mirror.
Staring unflinchingly back at her reflection Hinata mentally slapped herself.
It was ok to be afraid and uncertain.
It was perfectly normal.
She had a right to be scared and nervous after all, but those feelings had been riding her and dictating her actions since she'd decided to return to Konoha just as they had when she'd still allowed herself to be cowed and bullied and pushed into a corner, before she'd found the inner strength to stand up for herself and chosen not to be weak-willed and pathetic. She was a grown ass woman and she was in control of her own life, she decided what was best for her and she, not her fears or her doubts or her sister or the clan or anyone was going to have that kind of debilitating power over her anymore. Else then, what the fuck was the point of leaving Sasuke, of going to Suna, befriend Gaara and working with Temari if the first sign of her past had her reverting back her previous ways.
It was ok to be freaked out and completely spazzing mentally, but when she entered that office those things weren't going to matter, they weren't going to be influencing her or her actions. Hinata had to show Sasuke and moreover, herself that she was not the person she'd been two years ago.
She was better. Stronger.
Nakamura Arata and Hinata Uchiha-Hyuuga were one and the same.
Cracking a smile she finally drew her attention to her appearance and almost sniggered. She looked like shit. Her mascara had run and her eyeliner was smudged, her lip colour was all but gone. And her hair, kami-sama her hair. It was limp and stringy and sticking out in places where she'd passed the towel.
There was very little she could do about her clothes, but pulling out a moist wipes from her handbag she began removing the cosmetics from her face. When she was done she was at least thankful for small blessings, her skin didn't appear red and blotchy and her hair, she'd finger combed it a bit and pulled it off her neck with a clip.
Overall she'd done a commendable job, looking a heck of a lot more presentable, even if she was cursing the fact that she hadn't realized how damn see-through her blouse was, but what could she do at that point. So with her mental armor intact and her game face in place Hinata was ready to look her husband in the eye and hand over those divorce papers while holding onto her composure. This day was inevitable and if she was going to cry it would be in the privacy of her hotel room, where he would never have to know just how much she was hurting, all he would see was the person she had worked so hard to become.
Taking one last look at herself she left the bathroom only to find her guide looking exceptionally twitchy. Well it couldn't be helped, though she empathized with the person who had to be on the receiving end of one of Sasuke's glares. He was way too good at making someone feel like they wanted the ground to open up and swallow them whole just so they get away from his penetrating gaze.
Letting loose a blustery sigh when she realized just how tense her muscles had become as they approached his office once again she pasted on a polite smile before following her guide into the room.
The interior was darker than she remembered; the drapes were drawn over the expansive windows towards the rear of the office, though as far as she could tell things were pretty much the same. The sofa she'd spent most of her time lying on was still present and the dark finish wooden bookcases were still stacked with books and folders and there was the plush rug she liked to bury her toes into.
She'd glimpsed the outline of his figure out of the corner of her eye, but she hadn't taken a proper look at him just yet. Once the door had shut behind her and she was sure they were the only two persons in the room she shifted her gaze until she was looking directly at him for the first time in two long years. And he, he had his eyes locked on her form like a sniper's laser, his gaze tracked every slight shift and movement of her body.
Seeing him in person was like stepping into the sunlight after spending months in the darkness of a cave without a sliver of light, she felt blindsided and disoriented. Just being in his presence was enough to unnerve her and probably the most frustrating thing was that as she came out of her daze the first thing she noticed was just how freaking gorgeous he was. Those magazine photos and the video feeds of him did not convey the sheer magnetism of his presence and the air of power and authority that shrouded him. Sasuke was like some mystical being, so aloof and far removed from her, she could hardly believe any person could be so devastating to look upon.
It boggled her mind trying to understand how just the sight of him could wreck her completely. How could he possess this kind of power over her even after all the time and distance she had put between them. The knowledge terrified her to the core. Two years had done nothing, absolutely nothing to diminish her responsiveness to him.
Hinata was very much aware of her racing pulse and her clammy palms, not mention the giant mutant butterflies whirling around in her stomach making her feel exhilarated and like she wanted to retch all at the same time. Fuck, was she blushing?
Madness. This was complete madness.
Hinata didn't doubt that Sasuke had picked up on every last one of her physical reactions to his presence and if anything his gaze had intensified, his scrutiny of her figure was blatant. He wasn't hiding his interest in her in the least. It made her cringe and preen simultaneously on the inside, she needed to get away from him, to catch her bearings.
They hadn't even spoken a word to each other as yet and her resolve was faltering already. It felt like all her plans were crumbling to bits and pieces.
She had to be the first one to break the silence and the mounting tension between them before it really all went to hell.
"Hello Sasuke", she greeted, her voice just a touch husky as though her throat was parched.
He continued to stare at her for a moment longer before replying, "Hinata."
Someone help her, it should not have sounded this good to hear her name fall from his lips.
She needed to get this over with fast and high-tail it back to her hotel, being in his presence was not something she could ever prepare herself for adequately.
"I heard about your engagement to my cousin, Hinamori. Congratulations, she's very lovely." That was good Hinata put some distance between them, remind herself why exactly she was here and what she'd come for. The man was getting married to another woman dammit.
"Hn", he responded not sounding the least bit enthused.
Well it's nice to know some things didn't change, she chuckled mentally feeling some of her nerves dissipate, maybe she wasn't completely out of her depth. His conversational skills hadn't improved one bit, which is reassuring in an odd way.
"I'm sorry for dropping by like this unannounced, but…well I wasn't sure how my presence would have been received. I hope I didn't interrupt any of your plans."
"I was expecting your return", he assured her coolly.
Nodding she tried not to let her nerves show, she didn't know what she had been expecting but, he was rather distant to say the least.
"You look well", she supplied lamely.
"You look…tanned."
She let loose a relieved laugh, maybe he wasn't totally calm either.
"I don't want to keep you back or anything so let's get right to it", she insisted feeling a little more self-assured.
Taking this opportunity to break from the gaze fixated on her she reached into her bag and pulled out a folder before crossing the space separating them to hand it over. Even with her attempts to hold herself at a distance his hands brushed her own as he took the papers from her.
The electrical current that passed through her on contact with his skin had her recoiling in shock. Again she made sure there was an appropriate distance separating them as she watched him move towards his desk opening a drawer before shoving in the folder and shutting it.
Blinking in confusion, she voiced her concern, "Aren't you going to sign them? If you do it now I can file them with my lawyer as soon as possible and this will be all over."
"No, I am not signing them." The finality in his voice perturbing her greatly.
"Well I'll be here for a couple more days, so you can go over it with your lawyer if you like. I assure you everything's in order, I don't want anything from you as settlement", she explained trying to reason why he was being so dismissive about those papers. After all wasn't that why he'd publicized his engagement so she could return and they could finally break the last ties between them?
"Those divorce papers weren't the reason for you coming here", he informed her, further confusing the already bemused Hinata.
"I don't understand Sasuke. What other reason was there for my return?" she asked disbelievingly.
"There is great deal of unfinished business between us Hinata and me signing those documents have nothing to do with it." His gaze veiled, she had no idea what was going through his mind.
Trying to calm her frantic thoughts and her churning emotions she made her attempt to leave and bid him goodbye.
"Nonetheless my only purpose coming to Konoha was to give you those papers and to wish you well. It was good to see you again and I hope you are happy", she said while scanning his face for a reaction, for some indication that he was in fact contented.
Hinata waited for him to say something, to scoff at her, to scowl at very least, but he was expressionless and offered her no response.
"Well then I guess I should be going now. Thank you for seeing me and I'm glad we could resolve this amicably. Also my contact information is in the folder if you need to reach me."
Hinata waited a moment longer, feeling like so many things had been left unsaid between them and his cryptic words weren't helping, but she didn't know whether or not Sasuke was willing to rehash the past and maybe leaving this as the extent of their interaction was the best for everyone involved.
After all what could they say to each other that would change their current circumstances?
Sighing softly she took one last look at him before she smiled wistfully, "Goodbye, Sasuke."
This was her chance to escape, to regroup, so she bowed to him as a sign of respect and farewell and turned to leave, patting herself on the back for not falling to pieces and handing over those papers to him with her dignity intact. Willing herself not to look back at him.
"I'm not happy."
Those words halted her in her tracks, she turned to face him, stunned that he would say something like that.
"What? What do you mean?" her mind fumbling for the meaning behind his words.
What was he saying all of a sudden? Was he mad at her? Should she just leave now instead of preparing for the worse? However, Hinata didn't have a chance to make up her mind before Sasuke took the decision out of her hands.
"I am not happy Hinata" he reiterated before he began closing the gap between them too swiftly for her to do anything more than take a stumbling step backwards and set her heart racing.
"But I will be", he spoke with the utmost confidence as he swept her into his arms, pressing his body to hers, eliminating the last traces of distance between them.
One arm folded around her shoulder and the other encircled her waist tugging her even closer, his head bent and buried in the crook of her neck.
He overwhelmed her senses, she couldn't breathe without inhaling his scent, his warmth suffused her body, making her skin flush and every point of contact between them made her skin come alive and tingle with sensation.
"I am never letting you go", he whispered resolutely in her ear.
All thoughts of fleeing his presence deserted her suddenly. She simply couldn't imagine being anywhere else.
Unconsciously her body relaxed and returned his embrace, sighing in pleasure and contentment, basking in his closeness.
She was finally at home. Back in his arms.
XXX
A/N: Sorry that took so long, but thanks for all those awesome reviews! I have been stealing moments away to write this chapter for the last month. It's been very hectic for me, I'm almost done with school and I have a lot on my plate.
So here it is! Sasuke and Hinata are united at last! It sure took me long enough!
This scene has played out in so many ways in my head but it was Christina Perri's song that really made up my mind and I had to give them a little glimmer of happiness because it's going to be a rocky road for those two.
Also the next chapter is basically filling in the blanks, meaning stuff I was supposed to include in this chapter but just didn't fit. Sasuke's POV, Itachi makes an appearance, Gaara's POV and Hinata's talk with the Sand siblings about her return and maybe the Hyuuga clan might pop up.
Also how do u guys feel about Suzumi one reviewer expressed some concern. I know she's a random OOC but my knowledge of Shippuden is sketchy as hell and I just didn't have a character in mind who fit her personality and honestly she was never originally intended to play such a big role, so yes more background on her later I promise.
I am going to shut up now! Please review and let me know what you think! Did I screw it up? Did the song set the right mood? Are you guys happy? Sad? Mad? Disappointed?
Sincerely,
CharmGirl24.