Author: Feral Panda Chick
Summary: Sasuke and Hinata have finally returned to Konoha after six years away from their beloved village… but there's still work to be done. With Orochimaru and Akatsuki still on the loose, will they their happiness ever be anything but fleeting?
Rating: T/PG-13, to be safe. Probably for language, at some point.
Pairings: NaruHina (definite) SasuSaku (possible) SakuLee (possible) NejiTen (definite) AsuKure (definite)
Warnings: None, for now.
Other: Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter. The first part is just rambling, but the underlined, bold, and/or italicized parts are things I want you to pay attention to, alright?
Prodigals
Chapter 04
"There are three truths: my truth, your truth, and the truth." (Chinese proverb)
Hinata looked wistfully at the night sky through the window. It sometimes helped, knowing the people she cared about were under the same stars that she was, even though they couldn't be near.
The bathroom door of her hotel room was flung open abruptly. Sasuke walked out, clad in only a towel around his waist. She spared him a glance but otherwise didn't react. She had seen much more than that in the past three years.
"S'all yours," he muttered sullenly, looking away from her. A smile flickered about her face for a brief second. One thing hadn't changed – Sasuke was still a cold-hearted bastard.
Slipping into the bathroom, she let herself indulge a long shower to wash off all the grime and other unidentified substances that had made her body their home. They had been on the run for a few weeks and only yesterday had they agreed it was safe to stop. Their clothes hadn't been changed nor had they bathed since their escape, so the chance to wash up had been particularly tempting.
After drying off, she slipped into the black tank top and loose, knee-length shorts that they had pilfered from a store in town. Stifling a yawn, she padded out of the bathroom on quiet feet.
Sasuke was in the corner, his head leaning into one hand as he watched her. He had apparently decided to eschew the whole shirt thing and was sitting in just the long dark pants (also taken from a store in the village). Hinata was outwardly calm but inwardly a wreck.
Observation. People looking at her, staring at her. Observation made her unbearably nervous, because for the past three years, close observation usually meant a test. And tests usually meant agonizing pain.
"Is something the matter?" she asked politely, turning to match his gaze. He flickered into nonexistence.
Her eyes widened. Where –
"I'm right here," he said darkly, their faces inches away from each other. She froze, immediately ceasing all action as her back was pressed against the wall. Her breath caught in her throat, but not from excitement.
She was afraid.
She had spent the past three years in a box with only a treadmill and memories to train with; Sasuke had been learning from a Legendary Sannin, no matter how creepy, and real world experience counted for so much more than simply imagining. While her time as a prisoner had honed her thinking and strategizing impeccably, she was physically incapable of fighting against him.
He could do whatever he wanted to her.
"Hinata…" Sasuke whispered, leaning closer to her. Her cheeks flushed. She cursed silently, really hoping he wasn't going to take that the wrong way.
"Sasuke, we –"
Apparently he had. Hinata stifled a sigh as his lips came crashing down onto hers. Hinata responded, if only to settle his hormones.
A few minutes later they parted, both of them breathing heavily. He had a tiny, annoying little smirk on his face; she kept her mouth a straight, hard line. A girl's first kiss was supposed to be with a boy she liked a great deal. A girl's first kiss was supposed to be magical and romantic and wonderful, not decided on the whim of some arrogant man-child who had abandoned her village.
But as the eternally-optimistic Hinata had been finding out for the past three years, what was supposed to happen and what really did happen were two very different things. She accepted the loss of her first kiss with dignity and a little disappointment, and hoped to convince Sasuke to leave it at just that – a kiss.
"Are you done?"
He did a double-take. "What?"
"I said, are you done?"
"U-uh yeah, I suppose."
"Good." Inching away from him against the wall, she walked over to her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which turned out to be a large map of the Godaikoku (1). She laid it out on the middle of the floor and invited him to join her, which he cautiously did.
"So, for our first move, I think we should…"
-
Hinata pulled on a mesh shirt over her bra, and followed it with a skintight black tank top; next was a long-sleeved shirt that wrapped around her waist and tied on her right side – under that one she stored many of her extra weapons. Her black skirt was quite short and would have showed off her toned stomach if not for the bandages; Hinata had wrapped herself from her stomach to her ankles. She wore black shinobi sandals like those from her rookie genin years. A kunai pouch hung at her right side and there was another one on her left side near her back. With cool certainty, she tied her hair up and secured it with a small, decorative knife.
"Dressed to kill, eh?"
Hinata smiled at Kurenai. "You know it."
Her former sensei grinned at her. "Seriously… do your best."
"I won't need to, for her. I won't for anybody except Sasuke."
Kurenai evaluated her student with guarded eyes. She could tell that what Hinata had said was not a boast, but a simple statement of fact. She had simply progressed that much in six years. It was such a change, from the painfully shy wallflower to the strong, confident kunoichi. Of course, the bijuu might've had something to do with it. But without Hinata's natural qualities, like her modesty and her caution, all that power would've gone to waste.
And more important than strong, she was smart.
"Make me and Saru proud, okay?" said Kurenai, referring to her and Asuma's two-year-old son, Sarutobi Sachiro. He had already gained the nickname Saru for his monkey-like tendencies and likeness to a young Sandaime.
"Naturally. I wouldn't want to disappoint my nephew."
"I'd walk you there, but –"
"The whole motherhood thing, I know. I hope I'll see you there at least."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world! I finally get to see my last student pass into Chuunin-hood. Do you know how long Asuma's been holding that over my head? Especially with Mr. Genius Shikamaru…"
They shared a laugh before Kurenai's expression turned more somber.
"Hinata, I've been meaning to ask you if you were feeling alright – but I didn't see much of you this month. You just seem – upset."
Hinata smiled. "It's nothing to worry about. Can't I have couple jitters without you breaking down on me?"
"Really."
The smile faded. "Really really, Kurenai-sensei. It's nothing. I'll be fine."
"That's what you said when you told me the story of your stay in Kumo, and I know you're not f –"
"Sensei."
That tone. It was one she hadn't had in her time with under Hinata under her wing. Her voice in that instant had not been of soft compliance, like the red-eyed jounin remembered, but one of calm superiority. It was a tone that demanded respect and obedience. Kurenai's resolve crumpled and she sighed.
"Go kick some ass, then."
The smile was back.
"Now that I will gladly do."
Hinata calmly walked into the stadium five minutes before her match – the first one – was due to start.
"You're cutting it awfully close," said Sasuke lazily, not moving from his sitting position in the contenders' box. He was wearing a black, gi-like shirt that exposed much of his chest and black pants that were secured near the ankle, his Kusanagi propped over his shoulder against the wall.
"A little risky using that sword, don't you think?" she asked mildly, standing over him.
"Just for fun."
"And your Chidori Nagashi."
He smirked, eyes glowing red briefly. "That too."
Hinata could feel Yuugito's gaze burning into her back but paid it no mind. She waved briefly to Shige to fortify his obviously shaky nerves and avoided Hanabi's glare like the plague. She smiled at Konohamaru and Moegi; he grinned back and she simply nodded, pale-faced.
"Ladies and gentleman!"
Tsunade's had been magnified to fill the stadium, echoing from the Kage box where she sat with Gaara.
"I welcome you from every corner of the continent to the Konohagakure no Sato Chuunin Examination!"
The crowd roared its approval.
"We gather here today to usher in a new age of shinobi and we hope you have fun watching them fight for it!"
Tsunade deactivated her jutsu and nodded down to Shikamaru, the proctor once again.
"The first match is between Nii Yuugito of Kumogakure and Hinata of Konohagakure," he said loudly. Naturally, he found raising his voice quite troublesome, but there was nothing to do about it with Tsunade breathing down his neck all the time.
"Going to neuter the cat?"
She turned to Sasuke with a smirk. "Obviously."
Yuugito had already leapt over the side of the platform, spinning in midair before landing with (surprise, surprise) catlike grace, earning her oohs and aahs from the masses. Hinata chose the more sedate path of the stairs.
"Take your time, why don't you?" Shikamaru grumbled quietly as she passed him.
"Sorry, I didn't have Naruto to help me plunge to my death," said Hinata sweetly.
"Not everybody can be as lucky as me."
"Too true."
He quickly jumped out of the way when the two kunoichi caught gazes. Becoming injured during the first match was quite unbecoming of a jounin, not to mention troublesome. Besides… being the genius and woman-expert that he was, Shikamaru knew that putting two women who clearly had some sort of rivalry going and were trained as killers together in an enclosed space meant major carnage.
"I won't lose," Yuugito said.
Hinata raised an eyebrow without concern. "That's my line."
"This won't be a repeat of my first chuunin exam!"
"…are you reading my mind?"
"First match – BEGIN!"
They simply stood for a minute, observing each other. Hinata was completely calm, and her unconcerned stance showed that. In contrast, Yuugito immediately crouched into an offensive position, eyes narrowed. Hinata yawned, looking supremely unconcerned.
"Don't jump the gun, dearie. We've only just started."
Her tone was patronizing; Yuugito's scowl deepened. She launched herself with precise ferocity at Hinata.
The Kumo kunoichi's fist shot out to catch Hinata in the jaw. Hinata avoided it easily. Yuugito swung with her left. Again, Hinata dodged with ease. The blows came harder and faster, increasing with power successively; still, Hinata simply tilted her head to avoid the blows or jumped when necessary to avoid kicks.
Yuugito leapt back, sneering. "I should've known better than to engage a Hyuuga in taijutsu," she said. Her eyes widened. Had her opponent –
"If I had been using Jyuuken, you would know it, and not just because the match would already be over."
"Don't underestimate me," she hissed in return. Hinata shrugged.
"Why shouldn't –"
Her reply was abruptly cut off. A cage made of lightning had trapped her where she stood. Yuugito dissolved into nothingness – a kaze-bushin. Hinata sat very still as the real Yuugito materialized across from where the bushin had been.
"Fuuton: Wind Bushin," said Yuugito triumphantly. "And of course Raiton: Cage of One's Own Destruction. That's why you shouldn't underestimate me."
"I see." She didn't sound terribly impressed. Yuugito didn't let it dampen her spirits.
"Everyone was talking about your first Chuunin Exam, you know. They all wanted to see your development – they seemed to think you had improved a great deal from a 'dark, shy weirdo'," said Yuugito with a haughty sneer.
Ouch. That had stung. She'd been talking to Naruto, clearly.
Not that I should be surprised by that.
"I guess this may be a repeat of your last Exam, Hyuuga-sama," said Yuugito loftily.
"Is that really what you think, Two-Tail?"
The blonde's eyes snapped open. "What did you just call me?!"
"Once again, you've stolen my line," said Hinata with a small smile. She had finally figured out why this girl rubbed her the wrong way so badly – except for their obvious romantic competition. She was the jinchuuriki of the Nibi no Nekomata. They really were like cats and dogs. Almost literally. Her powers, however, seemed strangely lacking in the area of darkness and death, which was the Nekomata's specialty, and mostly in the area of pure power that all demon containers had. Had the Nibi no Nekomata been sealed away especially well within her? That seemed unlikely; even the Fourth Hokage, renowned as the one of the greatest ninja ever had been unable to seal a bijuu away so completely.
Perhaps it's been extracted by the Akatsuki…?
"I don't take to insults very kindly from people I loathe," Hinata said lightly, just before she disintegrated, becoming a pile of dirt within the cage. Yuugito spun around frantically, searching for her lost prey.
"I mean, dark and weird, sure, but shy? Honestly, I'm offended." She was only a few feet behind the Kumo kunoichi.
"So you're a Doton user? That's quite weak against the lightning type, you know," she said, attempting to hold her ground in a dignified manner. Yuugito couldn't contain her gasp rock-hard earth bound her feet to the soil and formed chains that slunk onto her wrists with surprising speed.
"Oh no. I'm quite against favoritism like that," said Hinata with an innocent smile. "Choosing just one element seems so picky."
She began to circle Yuugito predatorily. Out of the ground next to her feet emerged a dragon made of earth that quickly began to orbit Yuugito with her. She watched with nervous, catlike eyes, flitting between her ultra-assured opponent and the serpent that could attack her at any moment. It was almost like fighting two people. Except she was at their mercy instead of being able to fight. She tugged against the chains to no avail.
"I mean, earth here is good and reliable, while something like fire –" At this, the dragon burst into flames, but continued its course around the Kumo kunoichi. " – is more forceful, a better offense.
"However, the benefit of water is that is it more adaptable, and can be used creatively, more so than most elements," said Hinata, watching lazily as the dragon slowly morphed from fire to water.
"Wind is a fun one, very offense-oriented." Suddenly, it was whirling around playfully, almost whimsically, just the faintest outline of an actual form.
"Naruto-kun specializes in wind," said Yuugito. "Did you know? You probably wouldn't, having abandoned your village and everything."
"The kitten has claws," said Hinata, amused. "I'll let that little bit of sass slip, seeing how completely pathetic you are right now."
Why are you letting her get to you? You rarely demean your opponents like this.
Come now, aren't you renowned as the wisest of the bijuu? Certainly you can understand the petty jealousy of a woman in love.
She could feel the Gobi's dark amusement. And the scorn of a woman tortured.
Yeah, well that pain is secondary, isn't it?
"And lightning," said Hinata, who watched the dragon intently as its lightning counterpart crackled into existence. "You seem to hold that element in especially high regard. But I like to think of most things in equal terms, you see. And that's why I don't pick an element… I just master all of them."
"That's impossible," said Yuugito stoutly, closing her eyes as a tiny bolt of lightning struck her cheek teasingly, leaving a tiny welt.
"It should be," agreed Hinata amicably. "Anyway, now that you know that any elemental attack you throw at me will be absorbed for its chakra or easily thrown off, I'm wondering how you'll attack. Especially since you seem to lack the Nekomata's chakra."
"You're just playing with me, aren't you?" whispered Yuugito, looking down at her feet.
"Yes."
"You're in a completely different league, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"You… you could beat me so easily, right?"
"Yes."
There was only cold, hard logic in that voice. Realization came crashing down on Yuugito like a bucket of ice-cold water.
"But…"
Yuugito looked up at her captor.
"I want to see what you've got."
I want to see if you really deserve him.
---
"Naruto-kun?"
Hinata looked around the training grounds with a frown. She'd been looking for Naruto for at least ten minutes to ask him a question about a jutsu she was developing (much too powerful for the Chuunin Exam finals in three weeks, but a useful one nonetheless). Certainly he, in his invention of many commendable jutsu, could help her work it out. There was also the fact that she just wanted to see him… but Hinata ignored that little bit of information and trekked onward.
She heard feminine laughter to her left. Good, she thought as she made her way towards the sound. Maybe somebody has seen him…
Hinata had just barely stepped into the clearing when she saw it.
Yuugito and Naruto, wrapped rather indecently around each other on the ground. Their faces would touch if either of them moved an inch.
"Yuugito-chan…"
"Naruto," demanded the Cloud kunoichi huskily. "Kiss me!"
---
She hadn't stayed for the rest of the conversation.
The next three weeks were spent studiously avoiding Naruto and Yuugito, and consequently spending more and more time with Sasuke. It's not as though she minded Sasuke, as much as she ripped on him. In fact, it was slipping into an old and comfortable routine to spend most of her time with him. As implausible as it seemed, Sasuke was her support system in the absence of Team 8, and had become the person she trusted the most, if only because she had spent three years with him alone.
She had used those three weeks to settle with the idea of Yuugito and Naruto hooking up. Her heart was tearing itself up, but she decided that his happiness came before hers, always.
Nothing much has changed. He still doesn't notice me.
Well, screw him then.
She'd decided that making sure Yuugito was worthy of Naruto was the first step to letting him go. Maybe – just maybe – the girl would prove herself, despite her village of origin.
"Do you work well under pressure, Yuugito-san?"
"What?"
"I hope so…"
"Wait! What are you - ?!"
The earth began to rumble ominously. Soon, jagged rocks began to erupt from the ground in a rough circle, climbing higher and taking the two kunoichi with them.
Yuugito looked around with awed eyes. This woman had summoned what appeared to be the crater of an extinct volcano. The two opponents were now nearly even with the spectators.
This must take an enormous amount of chakra! Her opponent seemed completely fine – she wasn't even out of breath. She waved cheerily when she caught Yuugito staring. Damn! Her chakra reserves are enormous!
"Oh! I almost forgot," said Hinata apologetically. She pressed her hands together and closed her eyes, concentrating intensely. Chakra gathered visibly around her feet before shooing down to the middle of the crater where it thrust itself deep into the earth. After a few moments of silence, there was a bubbling sound. Something began to ooze out of the bottom of the crater; it was a fierce yellow-orange, and it was radiating intense heat.
Is that lava?!
It was. In fact, the lava was slowly but surely filling up the formerly-extinct crater. By the time it had filled most of the volcano, only a few ledges and jutting rocks remained uncovered by the whim of Hinata. It bubbled thickly, swelling for a moment before releasing the hot air into the sky. Yuugito could feel the sweat developing all over as the full impact of the heat hit her. The image of the spectator stands began to distort suspiciously – the heat was so intense that it was blurring the scenery.
"Well, it is called Fire Country. Now, attack me!"
------
------
DUN DUN DUN!
(1) I hate these, really I do, they totally interrupt the chapter… but the fact that I had misinformed you all was tearing me up inside. Okay. So when I said Godaikoku, I named their ninja villages, not the countries themselves – so to correct myself, it would be Land of Fire (Konoha/Leaf), Land of Water (Kiri?/Mist), Land of Lightning (Kumo/Cloud), Land of Earth (Iwa/Stone), and Land of Wind (Suna/Sand).
Ugh… I am so sorry about this chapter. I suck at fight scenes. Can't wait for the Chuunin Exams to be over. Only this fight and the Sasuke v. Hinata fight will be drawn out in detail like this. UGH! I can only think of how I don't like it at all. Tell me what I did. I think it was a dialogue thing...
I'm glad I addressed the SasuHina issue, though. Any kind of romantic interaction they did have was purely hormonal. Sorry, SasuHina fans. I mean, that's a cool pairing… but NaruHina totally pwns in this story.
Tell me if you're for SasuSaku or tell me who you think Sasuke should get together with if SasuSaku doesn't work out. I already have somebody in mind… (not telling!)