Here's the next chapter!

hmmm...as wonderful as this chapter was to write, it makes me a bit...i dont know...edgy. Like i'm messing up with Sasuke's character. Am I?

sorry if these chapters seem uneventful, it all gets more active next chapter and from then on.

Is Sasuke in character? OOC at all? Is the final scene not too rushed or sudden?

PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW!

Chapter 37

"How long has it been?"

"I'm afraid that I don't know what you mean."

Tsunade leaned forward so that her elbows were propped against her knees, staring through the thick glass toward the large village that lay before her. Her golden-brown eyes were thoughtful as she looked back to the silver haired jounin

"Since that Uchiha boy returned. How long has it been?"

Kakashi sighed, shifting to lean most of his weight on one leg as he thought about the Hokage's question. "A week and a half, I think."

Tsunade sighed, letting her eyes flicker back to the glass window once more, staring out at the peaceful village that was just beginning to come to life in the hours of morning. The sky was a dreary gray, blanketed with thick clouds that shed a faint light on the world. It was the color of rain, the color of a storm.

Tsunade pressed her hands against her temples, massaging as she continued to think.

"I brought you here today to check up on the Uchiha. From what you've seen so far, do you think he is trustworthy?"

Kakashi was silent for a few moments, apparently formulating his response, quietly seating himself in the sturdy oaken chair directly across from the Hokage's desk.

"Two weeks isn't enough time to really–"

"I know, Kakashi. Just give me what you have so far, no matter how little it is."

The jounin ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward slightly. "Sasuke is…trying to reconnect, more enthusiastically then I would have expected. Granted, he's still withdrawn and moody, but he's making an effort. For him, that's a huge development, especially after all he's been through."

"How are Naruto and Sakura taking it?"

"Naruto is…well, being Naruto. He's not the type to hold grudges, and is acting as if nothing has changed. Sakura is taking it extremely well, acting similarly to Naruto in that respect."

"Is Sasuke taking the chakra sealing well?"

"The first few times – when it was just me and a few ANBU – were a bit tense, seeing as he obviously was uncomfortable having his power in the hand of someone other than himself. But after Naruto started joining us, he seemed to finally accept it, and has been compliant ever since."

Tsunade breathed deeply. "It seems like he's finally come to his senses, but I suppose it's too early to tell. Do you think that if there was an attack…would Sasuke flee, or would he stay and fight for us?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "He would fight."

"You're sure? Even without his chakra?"

"Yes."

Tsunade seemed relieved at Kakashi's conviction in delivering that statement, and crossed her fingers together in front of her. "I see. That will be all, Kakashi. Thank you."

Kakashi nodded, and bowed to the woman before exiting the office.

I bit my lip nervously as I glanced at the steaming griddle, and stirred the lumpy mixture in the bowl that was tucked between my arm and hip. I felt Hinata's eyes on me, and I swallowed as I carefully lifted the bowl and scooped out a ladle-full, letting it pool on the hot metal.

"That's good, Hikari-san. Now l-let the pancake cook for a minute or so before flipping it."

I nodded, willing my arm not to shake as I followed her instructions. Once I had made two more pancakes on the girdle, I set the bowl down, and waited for the food to cook, spatula held ready.

According to Hinata, the servants usually made breakfast, but Neji and Hinata were often up before the sun, and so it had become a habit of Hinata's to make breakfast. She was a wonderful cook, and Neji had suggested – after me ruining a piece of chicken so horrendously that it resembled a piece of coal – that she teach me how to come up with an edible dish.

Last week was deserts and lunch; this week was breakfast and dinner.

I was glad that Neji had suggested it, because it allowed me to discover something very crucial about myself.

Before Hinata started teaching me, I couldn't cook for crap.

I was literally a danger to anyone hoping for edible food. I was better now, but no where near the level Hinata expected. But luckily for me, Hinata was probably the sweetest person I had ever met, and quietly and calmly explained my mistakes instead of slapping me across the head as I'm sure Neji or Sakura would have done.

I swallowed as I leaned against the counter, and looked down at Hinata, whose head barely reached my chin. Her pale eyes were watching me, and she smiled expectantly as I asked softly.

"How is Kiba?"

Okay, the situation with Kiba was extremely awkward, to say the least. I had tried to talk to him last week, but he had refused to see me. It seemed that he was still hurt by my actions and words, and was pointedly avoiding me. The only way I could communicate with him was through Hinata, but I never tried. I settled with asking Hinata how he was, which would let me know if he seemed recovered to the point of maybe listening to what I had to say.

Hinata's face fell, and she glanced down at her slender fingers, fidgeting slightly before answering.

"He's fine. I heard that he…um…"

"What?"

"He is d-dating a girl named Ayama. H-He told me a few days ago…I'm sorry."

I set down the spatula, running a hand through my hair as I leaned back to stare at the ceiling, my eyes following the graceful grain of the wood that was present in the panels.

Kiba had moved on. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. I was happy that he had found someone else, someone who wasn't torn between two lifestyles like I was. But I was also sad, because I had never gotten a chance to talk to him about my feelings.

I was also surprised. I hadn't seen Kiba as the type to let something like this go that easily, but I guess it proved even more that Kiba and I hadn't known each other as well as we thought we did.

I smiled at Hinata, who was hovering as if expecting me to start crying.

"That's good. Tell him congratulations for me, will you?"

"O-Okay." Hinata seemed surprised, but she quickly covered it as she gasped. "Hikari, the pancake!"

I whirled around, only to find smoke rising from the pancake, making me cough and retch.

"Oh shit!"

I grabbed the spatula, and Hinata was running around the kitchen frantically. "What should I do?"

"Flip it!"

I frowned. "But it's already ruined, shouldn't we just–"

Hinata tried to grab the spatula out of my hands, and I quickly leaned forward to slide the spatula under the burnt pancake. I lifted it up, and was about to turn it over when someone cleared their throat behind us.

I shrieked, and whipped around, my excuse for a pancake flying across the room to land on the window, on its uncooked side. I cringed as it slowly slid down the glass, leaving a thick layer of gooey batter in its wake.

I looked to who had cleared their throat, and frowned. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke was standing just inside the entrance to the kitchen, his eyes amused as they flickered towards the pancake. Hinata blinked in confusion, but after glancing at me she smiled demurely, greeting Sasuke with a small wave.

"H-Hello Uchiha-san. What b-brings you here so early?"

I glared irritably, putting a hand on my hip. "And how'd you get in, anyway?"

"The servant told me you were in here, and so I came."

I sighed at his simple answer, and scowled before turning back to the griddle. "I'll never get this right…" I mumbled, and Hinata patted my shoulder, her eyes gentle as she murmured.

"That's not true, Hikari-san. It isn't really about t-talent; it's just a-about practice. How about I f-finish up? I'll i-inform Neji-san that you went with Uchiha-san, don't w-worry about it."

I smiled, and thanked her before racing out the door towards the small room that was mine in the Hyuuga Compound. It was respectable; a single bed and a closet and chest to keep my clothes in. Neither of the clothing spaces were very crowded – Hinata had gone shopping with me, and I had bought a few simple shirts, one pair of loose fitting pants, and two pairs of shorts – and I grabbed the first shirt that was hanging there, along with the pants. It looked like it was going to rain, and I wanted the warmth the pants would provide. I didn't have a jacket, but that was fine; I could stand to get a little wet.

Sasuke waited outside as I changed, and after I finished we made our way outside. The sky was dark and gray, but I still smiled at being outside, stretching my arms high above my head, with a sigh of contentment.

"It's nice being outside, Hinata has had been cooped up in there for hours!"

Sasuke smirked. "Hours to make pancakes?"

I flushed angrily, and punched him on the arm, making him smirk even more. Honestly, was it just me, or was Sasuke's mission making me feel like an idiot these days?

Bleh.

I rolled my eyes, and asked. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"The idiot wants to spar."

"Wonderful. Don't you and Naruto fight, like, all the time though?"

Sasuke stuck his hands deep in his pockets. "It's not me he wants to fight this time."

I raised an eyebrow. "Naruto wants to take me on? Ooh this is gonna be good." I cackled to myself, picking up the pace until I was practically running. Sasuke kept up with me easily, and I let him lead as we weaved through the streets until we came to the training fields.

I saw a familiar flash of orange within the gates, along with a pink haired figure. I froze at the sight, and turned to glare at Sasuke. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Do what, Hikari?"

"You really are cruel…" I hissed, turning and walking towards the two ninja waiting, still oblivious to our presence. I felt Sasuke hold me back by my upper arm, and I found myself staring into dark eyes.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked quietly, and I blinked slowly, looking at his hand on my arm. I liked having it there…it was firm and secure, and made me feel safe and cared for.

"It's nothing, Sasuke."

"Hikari…"

"Yes, Sasuke?" I smirked at the way his jaw tightened, and decided to give it to him. "Sakura and I just…don't get along. Simple as that."

"Why?"

"Look, me and your girlfriend over there just see things differently, okay?" I muttered, pulling my arm away and marching through the gate entrance. I couldn't help but feel stung that Sasuke didn't correct my assumption that Sakura was his girlfriend.

I should've known. Sakura had been falling over Sasuke hopelessly over the past two weeks, and what irked me more than anything was that Sasuke wasn't pushing her away. He was polite, even nice, most of the time. It made me realize that Sasuke was becoming comfortable around his teammates again, and that I was just some girl he had happened to save back in Sound.

Maybe Sasuke was beginning to realize just how pretty and sweet Sakura was, and just how ordinary I was in comparison.

I shook my head to clear it, and waved cheerfully at Naruto, who immediately waved back. Sakura didn't wave, just smiled slightly at me before waving cheerily to the boy behind me.

I honestly wanted to kick something, anything to vent off some of the irritation that sprung up at the way those emerald eyes warmed and sparkled happily.

Naruto distracted me as he bounced up in front of me, his cerulean eyes excited. "Ready to get your ass kicked, Hikari?"

"Hm…I was about to say the same thing to you, Naruto. What happens if both of us say it? Does it just…nullify the statement? Or does it mean that both of us will kick each others asses…while at the same time getting the shit beaten out of us?"

Sasuke chuckled, and Sakura rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Hikari, that's stupid. What's the point of saying something like that?"

"Oh I'm sorry, is your name Naruto?"

Sakura fumed at my words, and I smirked at her before turning back to Naruto, who was still trying to figure out how that would work. I tugged on his arm playfully, and pulled him towards the large empty space between us.

"Come on, Naruto. Stop thinking so much, it doesn't suit you."

Naruto and I faced each other, and I smiled before leaping at him.

I sighed as I disarmed Naruto after a minute, yawning as I held his arms behind his back, sitting on them to prevent him from moving. Naruto swore, and I looked up as the sky rumbled dangerously with rain. I let Naruto up, and Naruto spat before using my hand to heave himself to his feet.

It had been an hour since beginning the spar, and it was plain that Naruto wasn't at my level. I wasn't stronger, but I was faster, and speed was a key factor on the battle field. If it were a spar in which chakra and jutsus were used, I had no doubt that Naruto would be much more of a challenge. But now, in taijutsu, I was at a much higher level.

Naruto scowled. "Dammit Sasuke, why'd you have to train her to be so freaking fast?"

Sasuke smirked smugly, shrugging. Sakura rolled her eyes, glancing up at the sky with a frown. "It's going to rain soon, I'm going to get some lunch. Want to come?" Her emerald eyes moved from Naruto to Sasuke, somehow missing me.

I gritted my teeth as Naruto nodded with a grin, and Sasuke glanced at me before shaking his head. Sakura asked him why, and he said that he wanted to train for a bit before the rain started. The pink haired girl seemed disappointed, but she put it aside with a glowing smile, and the two headed off towards the village, laughing and talking until they were lost from view.

I sighed, sitting down at leaning my back against the tree trunk nearest to me. "God, she pisses me off. No offense. I mean, I save her life, and she treats me like dirt. What gives?"

"None taken." Sasuke muttered, and I looked up at him curiously.

"Oh? I thought that you and she were getting along?"

"I thought you knew better than to blindly assume." Sasuke said curtly, and I smirked before closing my eyes.

"Yes, Uchiha-sensei."

"Sakura is a strong kunoichi, a skilled medic, and a good teammate. But…" Sasuke muttered softly, and I heard him shifting from his position slightly.

"But…?"

"I don't see her in that light. I wish that she could understand that."

"Don't we all?" I mumbled, laughing to myself before cracking an eye open to see his face. Sasuke was staring up into the dark angry sky, his eyes dark and solemn as he searched the heavens for something that seemed just beyond reach.

I stood and walked towards the gate, and just as I did so the clouds released their torrent of rain. The water fell in sheets that quickly soaked everything, and I growled as I was quickly soaked to the bone.

Dammit. Now I had to run back to the Hyuuga Compound in cold, wet clothes. Wonderful…just peachy.

I looked over at Sasuke, dry under the branches of the tree, only to find that he had a thick rain jacket on, and was flipping open an umbrella. I sighed as I saw his smirk, and refused to let him get to me. I gave him a dirty look, and turned to walk towards the gate.

The water was icy and chilling on my skin, and I shivered as I tucked wet hair behind my ear, rubbing my arms to try and retain some semblance of warmth.

Suddenly, the water was gone, and I stopped moving in shock. I looked up to see a bright orange umbrella shielding me from the rain, and found Sasuke's face a mere foot away from my own under the umbrella. I blushed at his thoughtfulness, and turned away.

"I'm fine…already soaked anyway." I muttered, and Sasuke ignored me, continuing to stand there, holding his umbrella over the two of us.

We began walking again, and I found that in order to get out of the rain completely, I had to practically hug Sasuke's side. This was actually quite a good opportunity for me, since he was practically sex on legs, and hence would give me a chance to get close to him without him taking it the wrong way.

I swallowed hard, trying not to shiver. "Thanks, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

I smiled. "Would you consider us friends? Or are we more comparable to….business partners?"

Sasuke frowned at the last two words.

"Friends."

"That's good, because I consider you a friend. I mean, it'd be kinda insulting if after all we've been through, you don't consider us at least friends."

"At least…" Sasuke mused, seemingly lost in his thoughts as he looked down at the grass beneath our feet. I found myself staring at his face, the masculine line of his jaw, the gentle curve of his lips as they pressed together in thought.

My face lit up instantly as my mind went further, and he smirked at my blush. "You're staring."

I crossed my arms indignantly. "So? Am I not allowed to look?"

"Looking and staring are two different things."

"Not really…" I muttered, trying not to blush. What was wrong with me?

"Why were you staring, Hikari?"

Sasuke was stopped now, facing me and looking extremely curious. I groaned. This was not happening! Why did Sasuke choose now of all times to be so damn curious about every single thing?

"Because…I…" I fumbled, searching for an excuse. Sasuke was waiting, his eyes dark and indiscernible as he stared at me. His hair was glinting a strange muted orange color because of the umbrella, and his face was calm and smooth. His skin looked pearly in the light, and I swallowed hard as my eyes flickered to the ground before looking back up into his eyes.

There was no more running away from this. No more shy kisses on the cheek, no more dancing around the feelings I had for fear of being rejected or worse, being mocked. I couldn't hold back any more, I couldn't sit around and let Sasuke get pulled into Sakura's web without at least telling him how I truly felt.

I took a deep breath, and quickly moved forward to kiss him. He froze in shock, and therefore it was nothing more than my lips gently pressing against his still ones. I pulled away, blushing, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Because I wondered what it would be like to kiss you."

Sasuke was in shock, his eyes wide and his mouth parted slightly. I bit my lip, and looked at him struggle to compose himself.

Suddenly, the rain was hitting me in sheets, because Sasuke had dropped the umbrella and was currently pulling me close. His lips pressed against mine desperately, as if drinking water after days in the desert, and I found myself kissing him just as desperately. Our mouths were awkward and fumbling, but I didn't care, because every touch was perfection in my eyes.

And I realized something, in the very moment that my lips touched his. It was a very clear thought, very obvious and wonderful in its simplicity.

Kissing Sasuke Uchiha was something that I should have done a long time ago.