Sasuke took inventory of his surroundings. He was on training ground one, surrounded by trees, briars, and the occasional squirrel.

Activating the sharingan, he took aim at the living creatures. "Katon," he hissed, wondering how many of them he could set on fire.

Over the next hour, Sasuke managed to burn down the training field, but had surprisingly been unable to kill any squirrels. He had even gone out of his way to save one, actually.

What am I doing? he wondered, irritably.

He could no longer determine why he was so angry at Hinata. Maybe because she had affected him to a degree that unnerved him. He had long been using the shinobi lifestyle as a means of keeping himself disconnected from others, but the war was over, and it had just been an excuse. It was as though he hated Hinata because he didn't know how to – because he didn't deserve to

There was a phantom pain behind his shoulder. As his sharingan reactivated, Sasuke clutched the side of his neck and attempted to properly regulate his chakra. Fucking Uchiha curse. His chakra was growing restless and searching for an outlet, but he had long been liberated from Orochimaru's seal. He deeply breathed until the flare subsided.

Maybe he…needed her.

Much the way it had when he had lost his clan, and when he had killed Itachi, his own body was protesting the latest broken connection. So maybe he didn't hate her as much as he would have others believe. Hyuuga Hinata dominated him.

The war was over, as reluctant was he was to believe it. After months spent in the village, no one had come to abduct him, or murder Naruto. No mysterious villains had appeared, making claims on his body. Sometimes he still had dreams about the consequences – his childhood, his family – but it was past him, despite his reluctance to accept it.

Hinata was in the present, and she was slipping away.

What is this? Sasuke wondered, as his hand moved from his neck to his face. This burning in my eyes. It's was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place the sensation until he felt wetness against his fingers.

Why am I crying? he wondered, as he pulled back his hand and stared at it.


She had agreed to file the report for her mission with team seven, and had spent the last few hours trying to find a discreet way of describing her…physical…interaction with Sasuke. She felt herself redden, still unable to figure out what had come over her that afternoon.

"Hinata?"

She looked up from her paper work. Hanabi stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking shaken. Hinata gave her a questioning look.

"I think you should see this," said Hanabi, approaching the table and shoving Hinata's things aside. In it's place, she unrolled an antiquated scroll. "I was going through father's things in the attic, looking for new techniques and such, and I found this scroll. At first I thought it was a joke…" Hanabi trailed off, looking uneasy.

Hinata peered down at the scroll. It was titled, The Hyuuga Curse. Lifting it up, she quickly scanned it with her eyes.

Though the text was embellished with a lot of flowery language and subtlety Hinata would have loved to peruse for her mission report, the general theme of it was a supposed curse on the Hyuuga clan. The scroll claimed that when two powerful doujutsu users of differing clans came into contact, the sexual tension was – unparalleled. The more powerful the users, the more potent the attraction. In fact, the scroll went on to claim that if said users were ever to act on this supposed tension, and copulate, both would be driven to madness, indefinitely and incurably.

By the time Hinata had finished reading, she was ghostly pale. She looked at her sister, who looked just as frightened as she did.

"You cannot date Uchiha Sasuke," said Hanabi.


"I want you back," he said flatly.

Hinata nearly had a heart attack when she opened her bedroom door to find Sasuke standing there, arms crossed, and looking peevish. Grabbing her collar, he pulled her inside, and closed the door behind her, before observing her paleness. "You're afraid?"

She shook her head, no, and detached his hand from her clothes. She backed away from him despite it, but Sasuke followed, not wanting her to get away.

Sakura made his heart calm.

Hinata made it race, without knowing, without trying, just standing there, staring at him.

"Let's get back together," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders, and feeling her tense.

He knew he shouldn't have touched her; shouldn't have tried to kiss her –

Hinata turned away from him, causing his lips to meet her temple, though he didn't care. "I need you," he muttered.

Hinata's eyes widened. Sasuke had never been so blatant about his feelings before. She looked up at him, feeling color return to her face. "I need you too," she mumbled, feeling herself blush. She was somewhat astonished by what was happening, and couldn't help suspecting it was all a dream. It felt like lifetimes she had fanaticized of Sasuke looking at her that way again. She still had doubts about his intentions, but they weren't enough to weaken the intensity of her feelings, and she hated herself for it.

She pulled away from him and walked to her bureau where she began to distract herself by searching the drawers. "You're covered in cuts and scratches," she mumbled.

"Training ground one," said Sasuke. She remembered the briars.

As Hinata continued to search for some ointment, she tried to blink back the tears in her eyes, reminding herself what Naruto had told her – that Sasuke wasn't worth crying over.

He took a seat on her bed, absently watching her. Hinata was wearing only a black nightdress. His eyes drifted along her attractive legs. He considered the concept of her turning him down again, and felt his chest tighten. "Hinata," he said.

She froze at the sound of his deep, potent voice, saying her name in a way that always disoriented her, and maybe he was beginning to catch on. She turned around, and for a while they simply watched at each other, Hinata absently nipping her bottom lip.

Just as she thought her emotions were under control, and she could politely refuse him, Hinata closed their distance, flinging her arms around his neck. The two collapsed to the mattress together, and as she was pressed against his chest, she breathed in the familiar scents of the forest on him, and enjoyed the sensation of the familiar fabrics on her skin, grateful to have it all back for just that moment.

But then she climbed off him, and awkwardly apologized for being so clumsy as to trip and fall on him. Sasuke simply wore a pained expression, and Hinata was surprised when the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

"The ointment," he said, nodding to the container she hadn't realized to be clasped in her hand. As he pulled off his shirt, he watched a new blush blossom on her features, and couldn't help but mention, "You like my body."

Hinata's face burned.

"You're always staring," Sasuke elaborated. He was beginning to realize his fondness for teasing her.

As Hinata looked away, she saw Sasuke stand from the corner of her eye. She wanted to leave, but her body refused to move, as he approached her, taking her chin. Don't, she thought, as he leaned down and kissed her.

Just as she had during their last mission, Hinata lost awareness of her surroundings. She kissed him back despite herself, regretting that she was in love with a boy who could not love her in return. Her hands connected with the skin of his back, and her fingers tentatively brushing a few scars there.

"Go ahead," Sasuke muttered against abused lips. "I know you want to touch me."

It was true.

She wanted to feel each of his muscles, to relish upon how beautiful his body was. She wanted to explore every part, to trace all of his scars, and to hear their stories.

She wanted all of him, and suddenly she was shaking; crying. Sasuke pulled away as he noticed her change.

"N-Naruto-kun means n-nothing to me," she stammered, as he looked at her with concern. "I only love you!"

Sasuke seemed caught off guard by the proclamation. "I know," he said tersely, as Hinata stared up at him.

If Sasuke was darkness, then Naruto had to be the sun. She had always been attracted to the blonde because of his warmth and radiance. Naruto was safe, and even might have even been good for her, yet was she drawn to Sasuke's darkness, his shroud of shadows where she could lose herself forever.

He momentarily looked away from her, looking uneasy and conflicted. Then back at her, with a fresh resolve. "We belong together."

"I c-can't do this anymore," Hinata sniffed. "It h-hurts too much."

"I won't hurt you again." He idly cupped her cheek, observing her wet lashes.

"W-what about S-sakura-san?" she managed. "Or – or Ino."

Sasuke lowered his hand from her face. "They don't do it for me," he deadpanned. His eyes flickered downwards, and she was suddenly conscious of her state of dress.

Hinata wrapped her arms around herself, reddening in irritation. "Y-you don't mean a-any of the things you're saying. I-it's just the Hyuuga curse. It'll make us insane."

"You're already insane," Sasuke assured her.

"D-don't you see – you don't want me. We're just attracted to each other – s-sexually," she reddened more at admitting it. "It's all the curse."

"Does it explain how much I love you?" he questioned.

"What?"

"Does it explain how much I love you?"

"No…I mean…ano…" Hinata was hit by a wave of dizziness, her mind refusing to compute what Sasuke had said. She swallowed her nerves, and inquired, "You do?"

He sighed. "I do." He pulled her forward, and she felt a kiss come down on the top of her head. "Aishiteru."