OPrincess ShinigamiO here! And I'm so so so sorry for posting late! It just so happened that we lost our internet for the last five days, and I haven't had time and energy to type up the chapter until now. But don't worry, this will be one of the longest chapters of the drabbles to date. And the title, hah! You might not have expected it to be so easy, did you? We're having another Friends' Point of View edition with Team Hebi/Taka's Jugo! I apologize if this is the wrong spelling of the name, but I haven't had the energy to change it right now so just bear with it. SasuHina will only appear at the last half, but they will have some fluff, don't worry! So please enjoy this late chapter! ;)
As per usual, thank you to all my reviewers! Please accept my sincere apology for not mentioning you guys in this chapter. But it's late (more like 4 AM) and I really have to finish this and crash before I forget! Don't worry! I'll post your names on the next chapter, so please continue looking forward to it! ;D
Disclaimer: I ... freakin'... don't... own~zzzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzz... (-_-)zzz
L-Love
…
It was late during the fall season when Jugo arrived at Konoha.
The orange-haired giant stared impassively at the gates, silently pondering whether it was a good idea to come visit Sasuke after all.
It's been a full year since he and the rest of Team Hebi, no, Team Taka were fully discharged and sent on their own free ways. The group had been disbanded then, though not officially. It's just that not everyone of them wanted to stay at the same village that kept them imprisoned for quite some time.
Not to mention, not every Konoha villagers would be happy to see the rogue ninja team made up of Orochimaru's experiments that planned to destroy the village.
Only Sasuke remained in Konoha, but that was because he hadn't exactly been given the freedom to leave the village, thanks to his former teammates.
Suigetsu left to travel God knows where in the hopes of reforming the second generation of the Seven Swordsmen. There's little doubt for this to happen though, because they've been in constant watch by the ANBU even after their release by the order of Konoha's council members.
Though reluctant to leave Sasuke's side, Karin didn't want to stay in Konoha as much as the rest of Team Taka, so she decided to stay low in one of the calmer villages like the Tea Country. She hated Konoha with a passion, partly because they interrogated and imprisoned her for a long time, and also because that was where Orochimaru used to live and serve.
That was enough reason for her to leave Sasuke's side and to find a new path of her own. For now.
She promised to return someday in the hopes of winning Sasuke's heart after a good duration of time away from each other (she insisted that time spent away from each other would make Sasuke's heart fonder, or so she said).
Of course, none of Team Taka believed a word.
They all knew that Sasuke was someone who would never take romance seriously.
And if he did, they were sure that the end of the ninja world wouldn't be too far behind.
The corner of Jugo's lips slightly hitched upwards as he remembered Suigetsu and Karin bickering as much as they could at Konoha's gates before they all went their separate ways.
They'd never admit it, but Jugo knew that ever since Sasuke gathered them together, they've all bonded at some point, though there were no doubt some instances when loyalties and maybe even sanities were questioned.
Team Taka might not have treasured friendship as much as Sasuke's first teammates did, but they still faced and overcame many obstacles together.
They travelled together. They ate and drank together. They rested together. They suffered together. They made and learned mistakes together. They mended each other in little ways they'd never expect.
And even though in the end, they all had to go their separate ways, they were still Team Taka. And no once could change that.
Since they've separated, nobody had seen one another for a whole year. No communications or whatsoever at all. In order to create a brighter future for themselves, they had to go their own way, or else they would most likely cling to the past.
They knew in their hearts that Team Taka would reunite one day.
They just weren't sure whether they still would in this lifetime.
Until today.
Jugo took a deep breath after shaking his head from his reverie.
A tiny blue bird flew by, flitting in circles against the bright sun before perching itself at the giant man's shoulder.
To this, Jugo smiled. Then he took a step forward and entered Konoha once again.
Like Suigetsu and Karin, Jugo had been travelling by himself. It was difficult, of course, to travel alone when you have this unpredictable monstrosity that might emerge anytime you least expected.
But with the help of Naruto and a few sedatives, Jugo was able to practice controlling his sage mode before he was allowed to be set free.
He did consider staying at Konoha after being set free instead of travelling alone, since he wanted to stay loyal to Sasuke. But something in his mind told him that it was for the best that all members of Team Taka should go their own ways.
Sasuke didn't need him anymore, and Jugo needed to practice controlling himself without him, knowing that Kimimaro would want him to do the same.
So he left Konoha and lived in the forests and mountains, with animals and a few friendly country-siders for company.
Jugo looked around as he took in the nostalgic sight of the village. The last time he arrived, he wasn't really able to appreciate Konoha's surroundings, thanks to the heavy shackles and painful seals around his body.
Now that the situation's changed, he realized that Konoha was quite a peaceful place when there's no war concerned.
People began to stare at the giant man as he silently passed them by. Not many people knew about the formation of Team Taka, and the few people who knew were sworn to secrecy as to not spill any more bad blood between men.
Of course, that didn't mean that they couldn't give suspicious glares at the man.
But Jugo didn't mind, seeing that it's quite normal for them to look at him that way. He was a rather calm and forgiving person if it weren't for his curse, and he'd rather not start anything that would catch the Hokage's attention in a negative way.
"Jugo? Bipolar Jugo? Is that you?"
The orange-haired giant perked his head at the name-calling before turning, spotting a young brunette woman eating a giant bar of dark chocolate in one hand and the other holding what seems to be a plastic bag full of chocolate-flavored ice cream.
Seeing the familiar signature buns on her head, Jugo easily recognized her with a tiny friendly smile.
"Tenten-san. Good morning."
Tenten grinned at the sight of her old temporary training partner, showing off her chocolate-stained teeth. As part of Jugo's sage mode-controlling practice, Tenten was tasked to hold him down whenever he lost control. She was thrilled of course to have someone challenging to train with, even when Neji was quite disapproving of her decision. Over time, Tenten and Jugo became good friends and regular training partners before Jugo left Konoha.
"Jugo! I knew it was you when I saw that towering body and the mop of orange hair entering the village gates! It's been a year since I've last seen you. How have you been and what brings you here?"
Jugo shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the amount of chocolates she was carrying.
"I've been travelling around the forests for quite some time. I just happened to remember this part of the forest and realized that it was just outside Konoha. I guess it must be fate, because I have been thinking of visiting Sasuke for some time now."
"Hm, is that so?" Tenten mumbled as she bit into a large piece of chocolate, "Well, I suppose it's been awhile and that you've missed your old team leader."
Jugo watched curiously as Tenten bit gobbled up the last bit of her chocolate bar before digging into her plastic bag and scooping up a large tub of chocolate ice cream.
"Well? Has he been well?"
"Oh no, don't worry, Jugo! Sasuke's been healthy and doing well for the last several months." Tenten paused in the midst of her ice cream scooping and grinned slyly at her giant friend, "In fact, he's actually doing VERY well. That is, ever since a certain someone-"
"Tenten! Hey Tenten~!"
Tenten and Jugo turned to see Lee bathed in all his usual exuberant glory, waving in a somewhat careless manner as he clumsily stumbled in circles. His face was beet-red, and his eyes were clearly drooping. The sight of a large sake bottle clutched in one hand explained everything.
"Tenten, I think I see the fountain of youth at the other side of town~"
"Lee! Did you get into another freakin' drinking bet again?!" Tenten began mercilessly scolding her green-clad teammate while angrily waving her chocolate-laden spoon, her high-pitched screaming attracting the passerby's attentions as Lee continued swaying his arms like an octopus. Jugo watched in curiosity and amusement at the scene, albeit a bit worried.
The weapon mistress's anger was almost parallel to when he'd transform into a violent killing machine. Especially today.
Tenten took a break from her scolding after smashing the sake's bottle on Lee's head, rendering him unconscious. She then turned to Jugo with an apologetic grin on her face.
"Sorry, Jugo. Seems like we should save our little chat for later. If you'd like to know where Sasuke is right now, he's probably back at the Uchiha Compound with Hinata."
Jugo raised an eyebrow in surprise after Tenten left with an unconscious Lee towed in one arm and the bag of chocolates in the other.
Hinata? Hinata Hyuuga? He remembered meeting the shy Hyuuga heiress maybe twice when she temporarily watched over him in the stead of Tenten, and when she gave a bunch of sweet-smelling Freesia flowers as a present of congratulations for being set free.
She was kind enough to treat him as a normal human being, not as someone who was seen as a violent monster that would eat them alive anytime. She was definitely the opposite of Karin, and not only through appearances. Oh no, Hinata was much more beautiful than the redhead.
While Karin was loud, dirty-mouthed, and very much annoying, Hinata was shy, considerate, and very soft-spoken. Karin had absolutely no problem showing off her obsession and possessiveness over Sasuke, but Jugo heard that Hinata had a very difficult time expressing her feelings to Naruto.
Yep, they were definitely the polar opposites of each other. And Jugo very much preferred Hinata all the way.
But he never knew that Sasuke would ever bother to give Hinata any of his time. In fact, as far as Jugo knew Sasuke hated interacting with sweet, innocent people. Especially girls.
Jugo didn't realize that he has already arrived at the Uchiha compound's gates as he pondered over Sasuke being with Hinata.
Observing the place, it still seemed abandoned and empty. But that was obviously not the case since some of the houses were cleaned up and repaired.
The giant knew that Sasuke had wanted to revive the Uchiha clan for revenge. But he knew that all these changes at the Uchiha compound weren't all his doing.
Jugo decided not to think much of it and headed towards Sasuke's home.
As he reached the Uchiha mansion, he observed curiously the growing flowers surrounding the house. It didn't seem like they just grew out of nowhere. It's as if someone wanted to decorate the house with pretty-colored flowers. And Jugo was pretty sure it was not Sasuke's idea.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard a soft giggling sound somewhere around the mansion.
Narrowing his eyes, the giant turned his head to the empty streets, seeing no one. He heard another set of giggles, and decided that maybe the culprit was behind the house.
Adjusting the long cape on his shoulders, Jugo silently walked to the mansion's backyard, where the giggles have been growing louder. He tried masking his chakra just in case it was an intruder sent on an assassination attempt. But as he reached the edge of the backyard, he realized that his worries were all just in vain. Instead, his fear was replaced with utter shock.
In the middle of the Uchiha mansion's backyard, Hinata was sitting beside a tiny tomato patch while Sasuke was lying on the grass with his dark head resting on her lap.
And the most surprising fact was that Sasuke didn't seem to care if anyone catches them. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying Hinata's company.
Jugo's eyes widened a fraction as he watched a slightly flustered Hinata playing with some strands of Sasuke's hair with a soft expression on her face. Judging by the basket of tomatoes not far behind Hinata, it seemed that she was just picking up some ripe tomatoes before she turned her attention to her brooding companion.
Sasuke's eyes were closed, but one could tell that he was far from dreamland. He was obviously enjoying the soft, lingering fingers combing his hair, leaning to the girl's warm touch when her hand gently touched his pale cheek and frowning when she pulled away as the former heiress giggled at her companion's reaction.
"Sasuke-kun," Hinata began with her tiny soft tone, "I-I should start making lunch now. It's nearly twelve noon."
"One more minute." Sasuke grunted, reaching out to pull back Hinata's hand onto his cheek, much to the Hyuuga's embarrassment.
"B-but, you said that you wanted some tomato salad. And I s-still have to prepare the vegetables-"
Sasuke's eyes snapped open, effectively stopping Hinata from continuing. His onyx eyes were staring at her lavender-white pearls, and the smoldering look on his eyes made it easy for one to tell that they were saying "I love you".
Jugo couldn't really tell if Sasuke has already realized his presence. But judging by Sasuke's great chakra-sensibility, he concluded that it was more likely that he did but just pretended not to in order to not interrupt the moment.
Hinata's face transformed from a slight pink to a tomato-red as Sasuke gave one of his rare genuine smiles at her, stuttering as she quickly took away her hand from Sasuke's hold and gently lifted Sasuke's head from her lap in embarrassment.
Sasuke grunted in disappointment as he sat up when Hinata scrambled back inside the house with the basket of tomatoes in her arms after stuttering out that she would be preparing lunch. Jugo couldn't help but smile after seeing Sasuke looking like a little boy who was forbidden to eat a cookie before dinnertime.
"I know you're there, Jugo."
Sasuke's eyes turned lazily at the direction where Jugo's hiding. Jugo came out and nodded in greeting.
"It's been awhile, Sasuke."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his former teammate.
"I trust that you've been doing well this past year?"
"I've made progress." Jugo replied, giving an appreciative smile at his former leader and refuge. Sasuke simply nodded before turning his head to where Hinata's gone. Jugo's eyes followed, and then turned back to the Uchiha with utmost curiosity.
"So, Hinata Hyuuga. You've been spending quite some time with her?"
Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's none of your business."
Jugo just gave a tiny smile, seeing that Sasuke hasn't changed that much aside from being with Hinata.
"And you love her?"
Sasuke didn't reply immediately, continuing to stare at the window where he could vaguely see Hinata humming while preparing the salad bowls. He then turned to his former teammate, and Jugo knew through the look on his eyes of his reply.
The orange-haired man nodded and gave a tiny chuckle. It seemed like the end of the ninja world was not too far behind after all.
"I understand. I would never have expected this, but congratulations Sasuke. I know that Hinata is a good person with a good heart even when I've only met her a few times. I'm sure you both will have a wonderful future together."
"Thanks." Sasuke simply replied before narrowing his eyes slightly, "Since when did you know Hinata?"
Jugo lifted an eyebrow, suppressing a chuckle before replying with both hands raised.
"Don't be mad, Sasuke. She only helped me once with my anger issues and then congratulated me for being set free from imprisonment."
Of course, he wasn't going to add in the fact that she gave him flowers. Jugo chuckled at Sasuke's possessiveness. He wondered what Karin and Suigetsu would think if they found out about Sasuke's feelings, especially Karin. She would be furious indeed, and Suigetsu would probably just crack a joke and flirt with Hinata just to anger Sasuke. If that happens, Jugo wouldn't want to miss it for the world. Of course, it was for Hinata's safety as well. Who knows what the redhead would do to her?
"J-Jugo-san? Is that you?"
Jugo turned to see Hinata at the backyard sliding door, this time clad with a frilly blue apron. He then gave a nod of greeting while she returned the gesture with a bow.
"W-would you like to h-have lunch with us, Jugo-san?"
Jugo glanced at Sasuke for confirmation, who in turn was already walking towards the Hyuuga. Hinata gasped as the Uchiha suddenly snaked his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder and his breath teasing her bright red ear.
"He'll be staying for lunch. But after that, he'll have to go."
"S-Sasuke-kun!"
"It's alright, Hinata-san." Jugo gave a tiny reassuring smile, "I wasn't planning on staying for long. I was just passing by and decided to visit Sasuke for a short while. I'll be leaving this afternoon."
"O-oh, is that so?" Hinata replied, slightly pushing Sasuke away in embarrassment at the public display of affection. The Uchiha conceded and gave a chaste kiss on her cheek, earning a squeak from her, before turning to Jugo and nodded for him to come inside. Hinata stuttered for Jugo to do the same and then followed Sasuke to the kitchen.
Jugo smiled as he slowly went inside, pausing by the door while watching the couple prepare the table. It seemed as if they stopped being aware of his presence, with the Uchiha protesting about Hinata's week long mission to Suna, and the Hyuuga giggling and reassuring him that she'd be fine.
Now he knew why Sasuke wanted to spend the whole afternoon alone with Hinata. Jugo suppressed a chuckle, his eyes softening at the sight of a blushing Hinata giving a soft smile at the Uchiha, who was still frowning with worry.
As Jugo left Konoha a few hours after their lunch, he smiled in relief for his friend.
He was glad that his former team leader has found happiness with a girl. Sasuke Uchiha loved Hinata Hyuuga, that fact was as clear as day. In the past, they would never have imagined the day the Uchiha would settle down with someone.
Now Jugo could see it happening in the near future.
Even with Team Taka disbanded, Jugo knew that Sasuke was already in better hands. In the hands of Hinata Hyuuga.
He just hoped that the rest of Team Taka would understand that as well when it's their turn to find out about Sasuke and Hinata's relationship.
Jugo looked up at the bright, cloudy sky.
It seemed like the end of the world would not be happening any time soon after all.
Again, Reviews are ALWAYS welcome! ;D For the next chapter, it will still be part of the Friends' Point of View edition and will feature Hinata's one and only sensei! ;)