OPrincess ShinigamiO here! And whoa, am I being early or what? Yeah, I had some time to spare, with exams over and all. And here I was, bored at home, trying to think of a wedding gown design for my older sister, who's obviously getting married (so happy for her! ;)) And because of that and for the success of my last chapter, I'm gonna give you the longest chapter of the drabble (up to date, that is)! ;D
Okay, so maybe one of the reasons why it's long is because I'm tackling both Itachi and Hanabi's point of views in this chapter. (Hehe. ;)) This is also the first chapter to have two titles. Some SasuHina fluff on the way! Come to think of it, I haven't given them their first kiss yet... ;)
Of course, I'll never ever ever forget to thank all those who reviewed! I got several positive feedbacks from the last chapter, which probably means that I did a good job with their RTN personas! So thank you for all your support! Hope that this chapter'll entertain you like before! So, without further ado, let's get on with our favorite pairing's siblings' points of view! ;D
Disclaimer: Don't own. It's already frustrating enough to know that SasuHina might never happen in the canonverse. :(
P- Peace/Pressure
…
(Itachi Uchiha)
Being in Heaven isn't all what people thought it would be. When I was still alive, my mother told me that Heaven was a place where nobody would need to eat or sleep, and where nobody would ever feel pain and sadness any longer.
But the last part wasn't entirely true. Sure Kami in Heaven no longer allowed any demons to harm us physically. And as long as our loved ones (and new ones) were around, why would anyone feel lonely and depressed?
Mother and father are with me, as well as several from the Uchiha clan. And yet there are people who aren't so lucky, of course, but it's too late to feel sorry for them.
I am happy, truly I am.
But the happiness I feel right now isn't as fulfilling as I hoped it to be.
No, there is but only one more person who could fill this hole inside me.
Being dead could have its advantages. It allows us to see what's happening in the world below us, the mortal world. In the skies of Heaven, Kami lets us see our mortal loved ones go on about their lives if we wished it. Although it could've been better not to, the thought of seeing my little brother kept nagging my mind for several days (there were no more nights, after all).
So at this day, I climb one of the many mountains Heaven has, extend my hand to the pure white clouds above me, and murmur my wishes to see Sasuke's current life.
As the clouds swirl above me, I sit down on the golden ground, questioning yet again whether this is the right thing to do. I didn't notice mother joining me to look at the sky.
"I never would've thought that the next time I decide to watch a movie, I would be watching it in the sky. And what more, a drama featuring my very own son." Mother giggles lightly, flipping her long dark hair behind her shoulder. "You're very brave to do this, Itachi."
"Mother," I sigh, never taking my eyes off the forming sky, "I highly doubt that you will be entertained seeing your son suffer right before your eyes."
"Which son are you referring to, son?" she says, and I see her raise an eyebrow teasingly at me from the corner of my eye, "I don't recall teaching you to be pessimistic. Who knows? Maybe my baby boy has finally had his life turned around."
Mother shrugs, turning her eyes to the sky. I am honestly quite surprised. My worrywart mother, who has been a sucker to daily night soap operas, seems very confident with Sasuke's current well being.
Maybe it's her "mother's instinct". But who knows? I'll never understand women like her.
At long last, the clouds cease swirling in the bright golden sky. In the middle of them all, a tiny light shines through. Slowly, the light shows a blurry image of the earth. Another burst of light conceals the clouds, and when it cedes, the clouds finally show my foolish little brother with a girl, having a relaxing picnic in the training grounds.
Wait. What?
"OH MY FRIGGIN' KAMI!" Mother suddenly squeals, jumping up from her seat in excitement and quickly covering her mouth in apology to Kami before leaping all around me like the fabled Easter Bunny. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!"
….. Huh. This is a surprise. In the scene revealed to us, it shows of Sasuke lying down on a bright purple blanket with a single plate of tomato sandwiches right beside him, with his head on top of the brunette girl's lap. His companion, on the other hand, seems to be leaning on a tree, taking a light nap herself. I guess right away that their training earlier has been quite… intense.
I squint my eyes to look at the girl closely. She seems slightly familiar, someone I might have saw or heard of, but I fail to recall her name.
My mother, on the other hand, is currently trying not to pee in her dress in sheer excitement. No longer able to contain it, she begins screaming in the sky repeatedly about finally having a daughter-in-law.
"Simmer down, mother. We may be in a good place now, but I don't think our fellow companions would like their ears shattered by your excited screaming."
"Oh hush you! Nobody gets hurt here anymore. Besides, can't I express my excitement for having a son WHO IS FINALLY INTERESTED IN HAVING A GIRLFRIEND?"
With her fists on her hips, mother looks at me pointedly in accusation like a child caught stealing candy. I roll my eyes at this.
"I think it's a little too late for me to find interest in marriage, mother. I made my choice, and I don't regret anything."
Mother continues looking at me suspiciously.
"… I'm not gay."
"That's not the issue here, son!" she huffs, crossing her arms together, "The point is, instead of spending all your life doing dangerous missions, inevitably killing us," she narrows her eyes, "and then using the last of your time taunting your little brother into killing you, which is still a stupid idea for me, you could've at least searched for a girl to settle down with instead of those damned Akatsuki! Why you decided not to live peacefully with a pretty little wife still baffles me…"
"Mother," I shake my head in exasperation, "Let's just forget about me and concentrate on your other son. He, on the other hand, hasn't failed you just yet."
"Hm, such a disappointment," she sighs, sitting back down and plastering a wistful expression on her face, "That Mei girl you used to have a huge crush on could've been my daughter-in-law. Such a sweet girl…"
I frown at the memory. True, I did love a girl once. She was a classmate of mine during my first year in the Academy. Even when I graduated ahead of her and was kept busy by the several impending missions imposed on me, she never once failed to brighten my spirits up whenever we had the time to see each other. She was, aside from Sasuke, one of the happiest memories I've ever had in my entire living.
The only reason why I didn't decide to pursue Mei was because of my duties as an Uchiha. If I married her back then, she would've ended up being killed along with the rest of the Uchihas. And if I didn't kill my foolish little brother, I don't think I could have done the same to her. It would've been too traumatizing for her to bear if I let her live anyway.
It was safer to let her go before I'd regret it.
I just hope that Sasuke would not have the same predicament as I had.
"Oh, oh look!" Mother squeals and points at the scene recorded in the sky. It's obvious that she's enjoying every single moment she's witnessing, since it concerns her living son's love life, "Is he doing what I think he's doing?"
I raise an eyebrow. In the sky's image, it seems that Sasuke has awakened from his light slumber, opting to stare at the girl's sleeping face unnoticed. His dark orbs soften at the sight, the corners of his lips slightly move upward. Reaching out a hand, he softly caresses the sleeping girl's cheek, very careful as to not disturb her. It is honestly quite a touching and very sweet scene to watch, I'm tempted to forget about my worries about him.
After all his years filled with hatred, which was regrettably my doing, it's quite surprising to see Sasuke looking like all of his past never happened at all. Yes, I did wish for him to one day find peace within himself and to never give up on his friends. But early on, I never did expect my dark little brother to fall-
"IN LOVE! MY BABY BOY IS IN LOVE! AND WITH A STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL LADY, NO LESS!"
I sometimes wonder how father ever survived with mother by his side almost 24/7.
No, I wonder why he opted to marry her at all.
"Oh, my precious little boy," mother sniffs, wiping a tear falling out of her eye, "He's finally growing up into a real man. Oh, Sasuke, my little boy. Please don't screw this up like how your stupid older brother did."
"In what way would he be screwing up, mother? They're not even doing anything yet."
"You're right, Itachi. This isn't enough! A man needs to be more aggressive, like a tiger chasing its prey! GO KISS HER YOU IDIOT!"
"Mother, that's not what I meant…"
"Oh, oh! Hush, Itachi! I think he's really going to do it!" Mother flaps her hand at my face before curling it into a fist to contain her glee. I shake my head and give a sigh.
Sorry, little brother. It seems that our mother has made it her personal goal to watch your supposedly private love life unfold like her daily dramas.
Not like I'm doing any better though.
I turn my head to the scene. Sasuke is shown to have sat up from his position, sitting directly in front of the still sleeping girl. He still retains the calm, loving expression on his face, something that I find to be so unusual.
After all, ever since I betrayed him, he always looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes.
His hand of which was still carefully caressing the girl's face slowly slides down to the tip of her chin. The sleeping girl turns her head slightly, but still not waking. She quietly mumbles something incoherent, which apparently Sasuke understood, since his lips began to form a smirk.
"Hinata, are you actually dreaming about me?" he whispers rhetorically.
Ah, Hinata. The young Hyuuga heiress. So that's who you ultimately fell for, little brother. An unusual yet fitting choice.
The girl, Hinata Hyuuga, unconsciously sighs, lifting her own lips into a tiny satisfied smile.
To this, Sasuke gives a low chuckle, tracing the outline of her slightly pink lips before moving closer and closer to her face.
Words cannot describe how terribly happy my mother was, and how terribly sorry I felt for Sasuke for having this private moment invaded by our watching eyes. I sigh in exasperation as my dear mother decided to roughly shake me back and forth while harshly stomping repeatedly the golden ground like a child having a tantrum. Only the difference is that she's rather excited than angry.
I place a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to pull her away from the scene.
"Mother, I think Sasuke's been embarrassed enough, unconsciously. Let's stop before-"
"NO!" Mother slaps my hand away, never taking her eyes off the scene. "Just a teeny wee bit more and I'll be satisfied for the rest of eternity."
I sigh again. Of course that's a lie. She'll never be satisfied until Sasuke marries and has kids or even grandkids. And she'll make sure to witness every single important moment of Sasuke's life if it's the last thing she'll do.
But I concede anyway and turn back to the scene unfolding before us. I guess I'd rather face a hundred times Sasuke's full hatred than to have my mother angrily screaming at my ear for the rest of eternity.
Before he was close enough to kiss her, Sasuke pauses and decides to breathe in the Hyuuga's scent instead. I could see my mother pout slightly at the corner of my eye, but I ignore it and concentrate on the scene again.
That's when Hinata decides to wake up. Slowly blinking her pale white eyes as if waking from a beautiful dream, her face suddenly turns into a bright shade of red seeing the close proximity of Sasuke's face to hers.
"S-S-Sasuke-kun?!"
Immediately, her forehead accidentally bumps hardly into Sasuke's, making him cringe slightly and fall backwards. The Hyuuga then stutters out apologies repeatedly, crawling closer to Sasuke to inspect his head.
"I-I'm s-so sorry, Sasuke-kun!"
"Tch, don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt, though I never thought your head would be that hard." Sasuke says, rubbing the bridge of his nose gently.
"S-sorry, Sasuke-kun."
"Stop apologizing, Hinata. I thought you were past that already."
"S-" Hinata quickly stops herself, bowing her head in embarrassment as her midnight blue locks curtain her flustered face. "I-it's just that, your face was so close, a-and I thought-"
"That I was gonna kiss you?" Sasuke finishes for her, plastering a smug expression on his face and resting his head on his fist. "Believe me, I was very tempted to take advantage of you."
To this, Hinata's face turns slightly darker, slowly lifting to look at Sasuke's.
"U-um, is your head okay?"
Sasuke smirks. "I told you, it's fine. The question is, is yours alright?"
Hinata slowly nods, shyly bowing her head yet again. Curious, Sasuke raises an eyebrow in disbelief before lifting his fingers to slightly push aside her bangs. Sitting in the middle of her forehead is a tiny red bump. Sasuke's eyebrows dip slightly.
"You said it doesn't hurt right?"
Hinata nods. "It's fine, Sasuke-kun. It'll disappear soon. I-"
To her (and our) surprise, Sasuke swiftly brings his face close to hers, and in one quick second, presses his lips directly on her forehead. Hinata's cheeks flush harder as Sasuke's lips linger on her head. I didn't have to look, but I could hear my mother's joyous squealing behind me. I'm afraid that if I did look, she would be rolling on the ground like a wine barrel rolling down a hill.
Not bad, Sasuke. Though if it were a kiss on the lips, it would've lasted our mother approximately a whole week instead of just three days, I estimate.
After a few more lingering seconds, Sasuke ceases and rests his forehead to Hinata's, taking yet another deep breathe to feel her scent. Silently, he murmurs something that only Hinata could understand.
Closing her eyes, Hinata smiles and slowly wraps her arms around Sasuke's neck to bring him closer until their noses touch.
"I'll never leave you. I never will for all eternity, Sasuke-kun. I promise." She whispers softly.
Satisfied, Sasuke sighs before closing his eyes with a smile to relish the moment.
"Alright, Itachi. Time to quit."
I blink several times, turning my head questionably to my mother, who is already standing and fixing her dress. She must've noticed my surprise, because she plasters on her trademark smirk (that looks frighteningly similar to Sasuke's) and rests her fists on her hips.
"What? You want to see more of those two being lovey-dovey? I've had my fair share of excitement, it's time to leave them alone."
"Huh. I could've sworn that you wanted so badly to see every move Sasuke makes on the Hyuuga."
"Well, of course I do. But even I know my limits." She says, flipping her hair behind her shoulder, "Besides, with what I've seen just now, I'm pretty sure that Sasuke has everything under control now. At least with that girl, I'm now rest assured."
As she says this, a soft motherly expression overwhelms her face. And then, I began to understand her purpose for watching the whole time. Just like me, all she wanted was a confirmation that Sasuke was finally free from his worries, and with Hinata Hyuuga, it was clear that his life would be steady from now on.
Feeling the corner of my lips lifting, I nod my head in agreement.
"Very well. It's about time we let Sasuke make his own future."
I, for one, am tired of creating a path of hatred for my little brother.
Mother grins, glancing at the image in the sky one last time before turning away and heading down the mountain.
"Alright then. Don't stay here too long, son. Your father might be looking for us now."
I watch her disappear down the cliff before turning to look at the sky once more.
The flustered Hyuuga is currently being teased to feed my surprisingly romantic brother with his tomato sandwich, with him looking all smug as he takes a bite out of the snack.
I raise a hand to the sky and wave it around. The clouds begin swirling with a bright light, concealing my little brother and his Hyuuga lover from my eyes.
As I trudge down the mountain, I couldn't help but chuckle lightheartedly.
It looks like I have absolutely nothing to worry about after all.
From now on, my foolish little brother will have no fear into finding his life's paths on his own. He will no longer have to worry about anyone criticizing his every move, not as long as Hinata Hyuuga's by his side.
Well, until mother comes back next week, that is.
…
(Hanabi Hyuuga)
I watch as my older sister waters the tiny tomato garden she decided to grow a month ago in the Hyuuga Compound's backyard.
It's quite unusual though, since this is the first edible plant she's decided to plant. I smirk inwardly. No doubt it was because of the uber hot Uchiha's influence.
Gardening has been a hobby of hers for a very long time. Father told me that our mother used to love gardening as well. Well, that is until she died from a terrible heart attack.
Obviously, my older sister inherited a lot of our mother's personality, like her love for gardening and her kind-hearted behavior. Kami, even their appearances look terribly similar.
Well, I honestly don't really remember much about our mother. She died when I was two, after all. But judging by the pictures father and nee-san occasionally showed me, she reminded me a lot like how nee-san looks right now.
And even when my father prefers training me over her, even as far as making me the next heiress of the clan instead of nee-san, I can't help but feel a little jealous of her.
Of course, I'm not saying that out loud. Nuh uh.
Nobody really knows this, and I myself have realized this just recently.
Maybe it's because she had a deeper connection with our mother, resemblances and all, which I obviously didn't have. She did spend some years with her, while I was still a mere baby when she left the world.
Or maybe, it's because nee-san's finally free from all the pressure the Hyuuga Elders are giving. Now that she's no longer the heiress, all the Elders are now focusing on me.
At first, I didn't know whether I resented her for that or not. But I suppose that was partially my fault, for being born with more talent than her.
Hey, I'm not trying to boast. I'm just repeating what father's saying.
Of course, one of the reasons why she's less capable is because of her kind personality, one of which was inherited from our mother. Come to think of it, maybe that's why I grew up tougher. From a young age, I never did really experience the tender loving care only a mother could give.
Not that father doesn't love us. He doesn't say it out loud, but nee-san assures me that he truly cares for us deep inside that hard, cold shell.
Yes, it's kinda hard to believe at first, after all that harsh training he gave us from a very young age. Train, train, train. That word almost took over my whole life. It's what I grew up to do. What I was taught to do.
And because of that, nee-san's heavy responsibilities are now passed down to me.
Sheesh, look at me. Silently envying my sister while she's innocently nurturing the tiny green vines on the dirt.
I shouldn't be thinking this at all. Don't I have everything now? I'm deemed stronger than my own nee-san, I have the title of being the rightful heiress of the Hyuuga clan, several of my Academy mates look up to me, and all the senseis compliment me for all the excellent work I accomplish.
But tell me, why do I feel slightly irritable when I see my sister smile so truly while she's covered in dust and mud?
Hm, the image sort of fits her in a metaphoric way, come to think of it.
We aren't exactly considered the best in the sibling category, mostly due to all the forced spars we had to do to outdo each other in our father's eyes. And yeah yeah, I admit that I'm not exactly the best little sister to her, bullying her and all.
But nee-san never held a grudge against me, no matter how bad I treated her (okay, now I'm feeling guilty). Instead, after losing a spar in front of the Hyuuga Elders, nee-san would always just plaster a smile to hide the pain she's feeling inside from me.
Even when everyone else kept criticizing her and putting her down for being a failure, even by our own father, nee-san never uttered out a complain. She took all their insults face on, even when it's crushing her deep inside.
Neji-nii told me that he used to hate her so much, even as far as nearly killing her during the Chuunin exam's preliminary round, because she was the reason why uncle Hizashi died. But after that Naruto guy defeated him during the Chuunin exams, he decided to have a change of heart and from then on did whatever he could to protect nee-san. (And in the process, me.)
And boy, he's doing an excellent job at being the overprotective big brother, it's ridiculous how he keeps doting on her as if she's the most precious china.
Geez, I wonder how Tenten-san feels when she goes out on a dinner date with both Neji-nii and nee-san.
In the garden, nee-san is currently washing herself with the garden hose. I glance at the wall clock behind me. It's ten o'clock. You know what that means?
It means that it's time for her to visit her precious Sasuke-kun.
Ugh, love. I'll never understand it. (And please don't associate me with that Konohamaru idiot. He never stood a chance, really.)
Even after a year and a half being together, I still found it funny that nee-san would fall for an Uchiha who used to infiltrate Konoha, murdered several people for the sake of his idiotic goal, and was kept in chains for a year. Really, the fact alone that nee-san fell for someone other than Naruto was a surprise.
I can't remember how long she doted for the idiot (and I still can't believe he saved the whole world and brought Sasuke back), and I honestly had no idea why.
Nee-san told me (with much difficulty, with her annoying blushing, stuttering, etc.) that he was the one who inspired her to be stronger, and for that she would be forever grateful to her first love. When she realized that Naruto could never love her the way she wanted him to, she merely accepted it and moved on with life, despite being depressed for several weeks.
Well, fortunately for her, she's found a hotter and saner replacement (nee-san scolded me for calling him that). Not to mention, he even decorated nee-san's own bedroom without her knowing! Really, for a timid and shy person, she got the ultimate jackpot, big time! (What? Dark, handsome rebels are kinda hot!)
Hey, I guess this is one of the reasons why I'm jealous. Maybe.
"Hanabi-chan?"
"Huh? What?"
I blink, realizing that I was lost in thought and that nee-san is already standing right before me right outside the pavilion. Her hands and feet are still wet from using the garden hose. She looks at me with our trademark white eyes, raising an eyebrow curiously at me (Seriously, she looks terribly like our mother).
"You had this strange expression on your face. And your tea has gone cold already. Is something bothering you, Hanabi-chan?"
I realize that she's right. The teacup in my hand has long gone cold. I put it down on the tray beside me, shaking my head and crossing my arms in response.
"Nothing's wrong, nee-san. Just thinking about that super hot boyfriend of yours of whom I'm sure you're going to meet up with right now."
As expected, nee-san turned into a bright shade of pink, stuttering about how I knew about their daily meetings. I roll my eyes and tell her that it was obvious since it almost happens everyday. Even father knows of it already. Frankly, I'm utterly shocked by the fact that he even allows it.
"A-ah, is that so?" she asks, poking her fingers together. That's one habit I haven't seen in awhile. I raise my eyebrow at this.
"So… you doing anything special with Sasuke Hot-chiha later on? Judging by your expression, there must be something interesting going on later on." I waggle my eyebrows slyly, like I usually do when I tease nee-san.
Again, nee-san begins stuttering. "N-n-nothing! N-nothing special! It's j-just that, w-we're supposed to h-have dinner with, um, Neji-nii and Tenten-san later on."
"Huh. Is that so? Poor guy. I don't get why you're still trying to make Neji-nii and Sasuke get along with each other, what more having dinner together."
"Tenten-san will be there, so it'll be less awkward, I hope. Besides, we wanted to personally congratulate Neji-nii and Tenten-san for the baby their expecting."
"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. She is getting fatter and fatter by the day."
"Hanabi-chan!"
"Yeah, yeah. I was just kidding, yeesh." I wave my hand nonchalantly. "By the way, nee-san, when are YOU planning to get laid?"
Again, her face burns even darker, I could practically see smoke coming out of her ears.
"H-H-Hanabi-chan… Th-that's quite i-i-inappropriate t-to ask…" she stutters.
I smirk slyly. "Oh, come on, nee-san. I'm pretty sure that even you're not immune to thinking perverted thoughts, especially with that boyfriend of yours. Besides, if Neji-nii, of whom we all know is quite reserved and responsible, could give in to the sweet temptation of sleeping with Tenten-san, then why can't you? Come on, nee-san. Just admit it. You've been having wet dreams about Sasuke, aren't you?"
"U-u-uh, u-um, a-ano, I-I-I, um-"
Overcoming the speed of light, nee-san quickly runs away with a squeaky "I'm late" excuse. I grin widely, imagining how Sasuke would look like when he sees her in that flustered state. Probably a turn on.
I stand up, pat the dust from my pants, and pick up my tray of cold tea.
Oh well. Nee-san sure is enviable right now. And here I thought that I had the perfect life.
Well, I suppose she deserves this, after all the problems she's been through. And I'm happy for her, truly I am. It's just so annoying that there are barely any guys right now who are awesome boyfriend materials as Sasuke Uchiha.
Hmm, maybe if all else fails, I might as well give in to Konohamaru after all.
Reviews are always welcome, once again! Next up would be... a little fun fest with friends! ;)