Chapter 14

The main mall was a huge thing. It had many shops and the food court was huge. Sasuke didn't particularly like going there because it was always crowded but he ignores his dislike of the place in favour of going costume shopping with Hinata. Naruto's party was in two days and it was best to buy the costume now anyway. Hinata was just going with the flow of things. Neither of them were enthusiastic shoppers.

They were just passing by the food court when a red head made a move on Hinata. In hindsight Sasuke should have expected it.

"Hey beautiful. I really like you, you know." he said to her watching her with an unblinking stare. This gave both of them pause. Hinata was shocked this sort of thing didn't usually happen to her. She concluded it must have been the change of clothes after all she hadn't been to the mall since that time.

To say Sasuke was irritated now was an understatement. Why had he not taken this into consideration? How could he have forgotten? As if feeling the glare Sasuke was directing at him the red head continued.

"Sorry, that's just how I am. I like to take away other guy's girls." the red head said addressing him but not taking his eyes off Hinata. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. This was an awkward moment that she didn't quite know how to handle. She tried to think of what Temari or ten-ten would do. Temari would probably flirt with the stranger. She wasn't sure what Ten-ten would do but it was bound to be a better option than copying Temari

"Back off Sasori." Sasuke voiced saving her from try and the red head looked over at him for the first time. The use of his name had brought his attention away from the Hyuga before him.

"Sasuke? She's your girl?" he asked before giving Hinata another once over and releasing a low whistle. "Daaaaamn! My bad."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sasori gave Hinata a smile before offering a hand to her. "Sasori. And you madam Hyuga?"

"Hinata, now back off." Sasuke answered for her. He really didn't want the red head interesting in Hinata. That would be all sorts of trouble that would definitely leave to a hospital bed. Sasori shot him a glare at his tone.

"Watch it little Uchiha. I don't tolerate ignorance." he said warningly, his glare was unwavering.

"I don't appreciate your flirting." Sasuke said coolly. Sasori smirked at him.

"And I don't give a-"

"Danna!" a blond called from behind the red head and he spun to look at him. Irritation was evident in his features. Sasuke grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her away from them.

"Let's go before they start arguing." he explained and no sooner had they walked away that they heard the tell-tale signs of an argument. It was a typical occurrence.

"Who are those guys?" Hinata muttered when she looked back to see Sasori slap the blond in the back of his head. It looked like a playful move like that would have.

"Sasori and Deidara. More Akatsuki." Sasuke told her and slowed down since they were far enough away from the two to not be seen.

"You get along with them well even though you're in their rival gang." Hinata stated pointing out one of the stores that advertised costumes. Sasuke frowned at her words.

"It comes with being related to Itachi." he told her and held the door to the store open for her. They both entered and looked around the store. It was decorated in dark Halloween colours. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know." Hinata answered. Sasuke rolled his eyes. This party really didn't have to be a costume party. It could have been a normal party but obviously Naruto had to have the best and most fun. "Let's just look we might find something."

"So we have nothing particular in mind." he stated while looking at the things they passed as they walked the aisles. A pair of bunny ears gave him pause. He smirked at the back of Hinata's head. "Bunny, do you want to go as a bunny?"

"You do know that if I'm going to be a bunny you would have to be one too, right?" she answered over her shoulder with an innocent smile. She giggled at the disgusted look he gave the ears. The mere thought of one of those things on his head was disturbing. It almost made him feel sick. "We'll go for something cooler then."

"Do they even have anything cool?" he asked with a look around that said he didn't think so. Hinata shrugged with a small grunt.

"Of course we do." a young brown haired girl said. Her name tag read 'Matsuri' and her smile was bright. "Please come this way. May I ask the occasion?"

"Costume party." Sasuke answered flatly. He didn't particularly like shopping and costume shopping was one of the worst times to go shopping.

"Well obviously but high class or friendly or clubby?" she asked with an exaggerated roll of her eyes and a wide smile.

"A friend's birthday party." Sasuke answered holding in a sigh. This was going to be boring.

"The Uzumaki party?" she asked as if it was common knowledge. They raised their brows at her. Just how many people knew about this party?

"Yea..." Hinata answered slowly.

"How old are you?" Sasuke asked. She was obviously younger than they were and didn't look like a high schooler.

"Middle school. It's so unfair that I won't even get to think too hard about going. It's supposed to be fun!" she whined with a pout. She suddenly turned bright eyes onto them. "If I find the perfect costume for you will you take me with you?"

"No." Sasuke answered instantly. Hinata looked at him at the quick reply. The party couldn't get that bad... but she hadn't been to any of them so she couldn't say. She had heard stories so she really couldn't be sure.

"Will you tell me how it goes?" she asked undeterred. She had expected to get shot down on that one. Hinata watched as Sasuke gave her once over with narrowed eyes.

"Ok but only if we like what we get." he agreed and she lit up instantly. Hinata watched amused at her antics.

"Yes sir! I will go above and beyond duty for this!" she said with a salute. She looked them over seriously before looking around the store as if measuring their uses and gauging what would fit them. "Do you have a price range?"

They looked between each other before answering. "No, not really."

She narrowed her eyes at them before shrugging. "This way then!"

After going through almost all that the store had to offer they still hadn't found anything. Hinata and Sasuke were sitting on a bench that was by the clothes. Matsuri was before them examining a row of clothes with a thoughtful expression.

"We won't find anything here." Sasuke said. He had been through enough clothes for the day. Hinata was too tired to comment. She had done more changing than ever. Her head was resting on Sasuke who was leaned forward on his elbows.

"You're right." Matsuri answered thoughtfully before turning to them. "Let's go then."

"Go?" they asked confused. They had just sat down. Where could they possibly be going now?

"Other shops." she answered before calling to her boss that she was going on lunch break. Both Hinata and Sasuke watched her with slack jaws.

"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked. This girl was odd.

"Above and beyond duty. I want party info... badly." she said pulling them both up. Hinata groaned but Sasuke glared at her hand before pulling away from her. Matsuri ignored it and lead them out the door and through the mall.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked when he saw her looking around. He didn't really want to continue this and Hinata was tired.

"Don't know." she answered. She was too busy looking for a shop that would sell what they needed to notice the look the two gave her. She could not be serious.

They were passing by a shop's display when she suddenly stopped to stare at it. A grin stretched across her face that made them flinch. That look had a lot of evil potential.

"Just how rich are you?" she asked with that same look. They shrugged. "This is serious just what can you afford?"

"Hyuga/Uchiha." they said as if that explained everything and it did.

"In other words you can buy and fricking thing you want." she said excitedly and her grin only grew more. She rubbed her hands together gleefully. "Perfect."

XX

When they finally finished shopping and were walking back towards the car park, Sasuke got a call from Itachi to wait for him to collect something that was important. They decided to just wait at the food court since it was close by and they could sit at one of the many tables. They hadn't expected to see the same red head from hours ago siting on the short wall by the food court. With a little grumbling on Sasuke's part, they put their things on a table nearby and received a nod of acknowledgement from him.

"Watch as he fails." Sasori said with an expectant smirk as he motioned in the direction of the blond from before. They watched as Deidara was chatting up a tall brunette that just didn't seem interested in him. "Now watch the pro."

Sasori shrugged off the wall and swagged his way over to them. They watched as he pushed Deidara aside and pulled the girls lips to his giving her the snog of her life. Shocked faces watched as he left her breathing heavy with a flushed face. He looked her in the eyes and said "Friday, seven o'clock, right here."

She merely nodded before he pulled away from her and swagged his way back to the wall with a gaping Deidara following him. Hinata was just as surprised at the whole thing; that just wasn't normal. Sasuke watched on unsurprised he had seen something similar before.

"Swagger like that only comes once in a millennia." Sasori said with a smirk as he slipped back onto the wall.

"You suck." Deidara finally managed to say with a scowl. He never understood how Sasori could get away with that stuff.

"You're just jealous because I'm awesome." Sasori said with a superior smirk that was mocking the blond. "You've got the looks Dei but you can't be this hot."

"Are you kidding me? I'm hotter than you are." Deidara scoffed. Sasuke rolled his eyes. This was going to get weird soon and he didn't want to be there when it did. "Girls are just weird."

"I'll get you a sandwich and a latte." Sasuke told Hinata before disappearing. The two arguing boys didn't even notice him leaving. She wasn't particularly hungry but Sasuke was gone before she could tell him that. Hinata looked between them as they argued back and forth about who was hotter. Suddenly they turned to her.

"Which one of us is hotter?" they asked. Hinata stared at them shocked. They were asking her? They were looking at her expectantly. They actually expected her to answer them. "Well?"

"Um…" she started, looking from one to the other. It was a hard decision. Should she answer them? If she did, who would she choose? They were both hot. It was during this panicking moment she spotted a tall figure that looked vaguely familiar until he turned and she realised who it was. It was ok to choice outside of the choices right? "Itachi."

Both boys were shocked by her answer. That hadn't been the answer either of them were expecting. They stared at her for a moment before their features suddenly took on looks of dislike.

"I'm going to kill him." Deidara growled out as his eyes narrowed into slits. Everyone liked that dumb Uchiha.

"I'll help you. The only one hotter than me is me." Sasori said with a glare. Deidara raised a brow at him.

"You're being awfully narcissistic today." Deidara observed with a look filled with suspicion. Sasori was usually confident in himself but being so out rightly narcissistic was not usual.

"It's the weed." The red head answered and Deidara looked at him with wide eyed. Sasori didn't smoke either. "I found pot in my backyard."

"And you're just telling me this now?" the blonde asked hurt. How could he keep something like that from him?

"I forgot you smoked." Sasori answered with a shrug as if it was no big deal.

"So you smoked it instead?!" the blonde exclaimed making a few heads turn. Hinata watched them wide eyed. Was this a normal conversation? She really didn't think so.

"No... I only looked at it... and dug it up... and burned it." Sasori answered slowly.

"And you inhaled didn't ya?" Deidara asked crossing his arms over his chest with a glare.

"Yea." Sasori said as if it was obvious. Deidara instantly glared at him.

"Imma kill you for killing the weed." he growled taking a threatening step towards the red head.

"Should I be hearing this conversation?" Hinata interrupted and they both turned to her. They had forgotten she was even there. She had been invisible to them because of how wrapped up in their conversation they were.

"No. You shouldn't be hearing this." Sasori said as they both gave her matching dark looks that promised a bad ending. Hinata started at the sight and dark aura.

"Hearing what? What were you saying?" Hinata said instantly.

They patted her on the head saying: "Good girl."

"Do I even want to know?" Sasuke asked when he returned with the food and Itachi. He handed the drink to Hinata and began reaching for the bags. "We should leave now."

"Why the rush?" Itachi asked coolly.

"You made me wait so that you could hand the grocery shopping to me." Sasuke said angrily. Itachi shrugged lightly with a blank stare.

"I'm busy and you're going home now anyway." he said nonchalantly. "It's because Hidan is coming isn't it?"

Sasuke glared at him before turning to Hinata. "Are you ready to leave?"

She shrugged before smiling at the young men. "it was nice meeting you. Please tell Kisame I said hi."

She picked up the last remaining bag and followed Sasuke out. If Sasuke wanted to leave because of this Hidan guy he probably wasn't someone Hinata wanted to meet. It was best to just go with Sasuke. The three members of Akatsuki watched them as they left.

"Why does your brother get the hot chick?" Deidara asked with a pout. Itachi turned a cold look onto the blond. Deidara could practically feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise and become crystalline. Even Sasori could feel the frigid nature of that stare.

"Refer to her as anything other than Hinata and I'll do you the honour of murdering you." Itachi said before spinning on the spot and disappearing into the crowd.

"And you think I'm narcissistic." Sasori asked with a raised brow. Deidara hadn't moved just yet. "'The honour of murdering you'. Wow man, just wow."

XXXXX

Everything fell into place. It all did. He had a date with Hinata for Naruto's party. He wasn't being annoyed by Itachi or anyone. He was simply lying in the couch being thankful of his peace and thinking about how life was good.

It was all ruined by one phone call. He was given a job to do. Granted it was his job but this was the second house this month and usually he only did two or three a year. However he couldn't not do it, not that he had a problem with burning a house down to smothering ashes. No, he had absolutely no problem with that. He loved that. He'd burn a house every week just to have fun. It was what burning the house meant: Hebi was up to something and it wasn't going to be good. Hebi was generally off in its own business and keeping on the down low. If they were getting busier it couldn't be good. He got ready anyway, threw a bottle of gasoline into the car and left the house.

When he got there his brother's vehicle was already there. He frowned at the thought that maybe Itachi might try to stop him until he saw Kisame pulling out two bottles of gasoline from the trunk. If Akatsuki was in on this, it wasn't good. The saying 'let sleeping dogs lie' applied greatly to Akatsuki. If Akatsuki was rousing now hell was coming soon. He did not like this. Everything was good but just this told him everything he needed to know. Something was up and he was in it and people connected with anyone in it would be affected.

But he could be wrong. God, he hoped he was wrong.

I was going through the chapter for corrections when I got to Sasori's swagging and suddenly I remembered a song that put the whole thing in perspective. Then I started laughing because it sort of actually fit his attitude for this chapter. Don't know it you actually want to listen to it since you might not get some parts but its Swaggin by Wayne Marshall, Fambo and Tifa. Try thinking about it in slow motion. It always works.