Author's Note: On the story: I honestly don't think Sasuke would be angry at Sakura for blabbing. Sakura had no ill-intentions in saying it. Did she even actually do anything wrong? And Sasuke doesn't strike me as someone who would involve himself in those petty he-said-she-said social politics. I think a lot of you just want me to start character-bashing Sakura for some reason.
Anyway, let's talk more about Sasuke's mindset. In the anime, he does get emotional and angry during certain battles, but outside of fighting, he's pretty indifferent, at least externally. Since I'm doing a lot of introspection, I'm making him kind of emotional on a consistent basis, while being externally aloof most of the time. I guess it's really up to each author's interpretation in writing his character.
She became vaguely aware that she was pressed to Sasuke's back…spooning him…. Not that he noticed.
Hinata lifted her eyelids, drowsily watching as he slept. She couldn't determine what had roused her until she noticed how tense his muscles were. His jaw was clenched and his brow was furrowed. It seemed he was having a bad dream.
Veins rose on Hinata's temples as she sensed Sasuke's chakra become erratic. Her eyes traced his chakra circulatory system, following it to his left hand, where a mass of it was accumulating, as though to attack.
She wondered if he was fighting imaginary foes in his mind, or if it was something more authentic? She knew of the trauma he had faced in his childhood.
She leaned over him, her fingers sliding down his arm, to his hand, where she fingered the chakra holes on his wrists. She didn't have Hanabi's precision or Neji's elegance when it came to regulating tenketsu, but she knew she could handle this particular task.
She channeled some chakra to her finger tips, and burned open three of his tenketsu, diffusing his attack, and evening out his chakra. Slowly, his muscles relaxed, but he continued to dream. She saw chakra spike, curiously, behind his shoulder, and continue to flicker in his hand, though failing to manifest.
Deactivating the byakugan, Hinata closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
She was worried about him and how his chakra had been behaving the night before. She wondered if he was all right, so tried inquiring, "A-are you – a-are y-you –" Hinata pressed her lips, failing to compose her attempted sentence. She felt herself recoil as Sasuke threw her an unimpressed look.
He was seated on the edge of her bed, with his shirt off and his head bowed. At her insistence, she had knelt behind him, examining the regulation of chakra throughout his core. Everything seemed in order, but she didn't want to dismiss him yet.
It had been easy to tell him that his chakra had been acting strangely, but as things winded down, she found speaking to him in reference to anything more…intimate…than chakra regulation, seemed to have become difficult. She wanted to discuss the things that had happened the night before, but couldn't shake her fear of him rejecting her again. What if this was all just an extended game? She absently traced the muscles on his back.
"That feels good," he mentioned.
Hinata quickly retracted her hands, sitting on her heels and placing her hands on her thighs. She saw the flash of a smirk cross Sasuke's lips.
"Are we done?"
"No!" said Hinata. Surprised with herself, she closed her mouth, then struggled. "I – I r-really-" She fidgeted. "-missed…you."
A pause. "Aa." Sasuke wasn't the talkative type.
Hinata flinched at his lack of enthusiasm. Why was she stalling? Why couldn't she just get out what she wanted to say? "Last night...wh-what you said...I-I di-didn't hear...I wa-was really tired...ano...unconscious..." She was grateful at that moment that Sasuke was turned away from her, because she wouldn't have been able to meet his eyes.
"I said I love you," he stated plainly; passionless, like it wasn't anything that important. He looked at her over his shoulder. "Did you hear me? Are you awake? Conscious?"
I don't think so… Hinata thought, but she managed a nod.
She watched Sasuke get up and pull his shirt back on. He eyed her for a moment, then walked off with an utterance of "Ja." She wasn't too sure, but he might have been blushing.
After he walked to the window and disappeared through it, Hinata sunk to her mattress and stared at the ceiling, his words echoing…
I said I love you…
The three sat around a small fire. As Hinata drew her knees up to wrap her arms around them, Naruto sat with his legs crossed as he warmed his hands. Sasuke was sitting some yards away from them, his back against a tree, and one of his knees drawn up. With the top of his head pressed against the trunk, his eyes were closed, and his nose pointed toward the sky.
It had gotten dark, the sky black, and the fire's radiance quickly becoming their sole source of light. The further away from Konoha they tread, the colder the atmosphere grew, but soon they would be in the desert, and there would be no more need for fires.
Sighing in what Naruto found to be an uncomfortable silence, he voiced the wonder that had been bothering him all day. "If it takes four days to get to Suna, why did baa-chan give us five?"
As one of his traveling companions gave him a shrug, the other left him ignored.
Hinata offered Naruto a weak smile. "I'm sure the package is very important, Naruto-kun. Tsunade-sama may have over-compensated, in case there's trouble en route." She held Naruto's gaze, despite that it made her heart clench. She tried not to think about the times Naruto had attempted to kiss her, or of the fact that she had rejected him the way Sasuke had rejected her. But at that moment, she didn't want anything that could come between her and Sasuke, even despite the Hyuuga curse, and despite the fragility of their connection.
Naruto absently bit the inside of his cheek. Hinata was being as kindly towards him as ever, but they couldn't seem to shake the awkwardness between them. It was clear to him she still wasn't over Sasuke. "I can't help wanting to know what's inside," he said, pulling the package out of his backpack. "We're supposed to deliver it to Gaara in-person. Aren't you curious?"
Hinata was not. She was more curious of what technique Gaara would use to mutilate them at seeing that his package had been opened.
"Naruto-kun, p-please d-"
"Don't," mentioned Sasuke from his tree, though he had not moved an inch.
The blonde bristled. He had lost all respect for Sasuke, not after the bathhouse fiasco, but at seeing him step on a toad by accident earlier that day. Sasuke was clearly preoccupied about something. "I didn't ask you teme," Naruto growled.
"Che," said Sasuke, finally opening his eyes. "I'm going to sleep," he deadpanned, getting up as though he hadn't been pretended to be asleep for the past half-hour. He threw a final glance, at Hinata no less, before walking off and ducking into the tent.
Naruto was surprised by the smile that graced Hinata's lips in as she watched him.
"Feh, I guess I can wait till we get to Suna," Naruto grumbled, shoving the package back into his backpack as Hinata snapped out of her reverie. It was then that Naruto realized how very alone he and the Hyuuga were. Not knowing what to say, he panicked. "I think I'll check in too." He stood up too quickly, and was caught by a wave of dizziness, weeks recovering from injury having taken a toll on his body. With a hiss of pain, Naruto dropped to his knees.
"Naruto-kun!"
Hinata was quickly standing before him, her hands on his shoulders, and concern in her eyes. "Are you all right?"
The firelight flickered on and off her body, highlighting each one of her subtle curves. Naruto's gaze drifted slowly up to her face, where he admired her worry-filled eyes, ghost white, even in the darkness. "Un..." he managed, his nose brushing her navel.
Hinata knelt down in front of him so the two were face to face. "Naruto-kun?"
She wasn't crying, like she had been the first time he had attempted to kiss her. She wasn't the small, weak creature he had hoped to lead away with extravagant declarations and romantic promises.
Hinata wasn't going to indulge him in any of his fantasies of an easier, more compliant, life. With her nose inches from his, her realized only at that moment, how much she had matured, and in such a short time. He hated himself for his attempt to erase it all in her time of weakness. She would have been the perfect woman for any selfish man.
"I'm – fine," Naruto said, climbing to his feet. He offered her his hand.
Hinata took it, allowing herself to be pulled up. The two exchanged an awkward smile, before walking off in different directions, Naruto, to put out the fire, and Hinata, to the tent. The sensation of her skin lingered on his hand.
Her hair's getting longer, Naruto mused as he watched her go.
Sasuke was burrowed away in his sheets, no part of his body visible. Naruto was surprised Hinata didn't mind sleeping beside the demon spawn, but was glad to have his spot near the flaps of the tent. He fell asleep within seconds of hitting his mat, and didn't notice as the girl beside him sat back up.
From her spot between the boys, Hinata observed as Naruto fervently sucked his thumb and mumbled about ramen in his sleep, while Sasuke's few movements proved only that he was alive.
Why did he sleep like a carcass? Or like a child, hiding from a dream monster?
She hesitated, and poked Sasuke. His form twitched, but he did not respond.
Sasuke was the type of person who drained others of confidence. If a person addressed him, they risked being ignored and humiliated by his disinterest in acknowledging them. Naruto was a strongly compatible friend, because he never weakened or tired. With Hinata, Sasuke was incompatible, to the point that she had to gather her strength and inquire–
"So – you love me?" she whispered, but there was still no response. Maybe he was beginning to regret the admission.
Hinata slowly frowned. She wondered why Sasuke couldn't spare a smile, or a nod, just to show her that things had not changed since the night before.
"Are you that insecure?" he said tiredly.
She reddened. "Why – why are you–?"
"It's cold," muttered the lump of sheets, to justify its withdrawn behavior.
Hinata scratched her cheek. "You're really c-cute sometimes," she mumbled.
The lump did not respond. It seemed uncomfortable…or something. It was hard to decipher a lump's emotions.
Hinata sighed and lay back down.
Naruto was wonderful. She would always hold love for him in her heart.
But she chose Sasuke, even if he was a jerk sometimes – even if he was often reduced to a lump of magically talking sheets. He was the one she chose over all the other lumps in Konoha.
With that, Hinata drifted off, anticipating her trip to Suna.
Part 2
The lake wasn't far from where they had camped, closed off on all sides by foliage.
Hinata dove into the water.
It was so early that the sun had not risen entirely. Naruto and Sasuke were still fast asleep, which granted her some privacy to bathe without having to worry about them walking in on her. Knowing Sasuke, he would probably do it on purpose.
...would I mind?
Hinata broke the water's surface, taking a few deep breaths of air. She pulled her hair out of her face, her mind continuing to be occupied by her boyfriend.
Even before their break-up, their relationship had steadily grown more physical...more sexual. Each time he kissed her, it was in a new place, extracting a new noise from her throat. Even from the start, their relationship had always entailed a measure of intimacy. They were better at it than they should have been. Better at touching than talking.
She was almost…grateful that Naruto was around. She didn't want to think about what she and Sasuke would be up to if they were alone.
Is that really a bad thing? Hinata wondered, nose-deep in the water in an attempt to cool her burning face. She couldn't deny that she loved when Sasuke touched her. She had been craving the contact since their time apart. She couldn't imagine being with anyone but him.
They had never had sex before, but that was inevitably where their relationship was headed. She was sure Sasuke was eventually going to expect more. Maybe she would even want it.
Her skin reddened as she remembered their episode of…strategic discretion…in the Lightening country some days before. How she had wrapped around Sasuke so tightly, she could feel the stiffness of his arousal pressing her body.
It's the Hyuuga curse, Hinata told herself. It wasn't her fault she was becoming a pervert.
Neither men had known Hinata was capable of such a scream.
She covered her face with a hand as Sasuke shrugged. "It was a bee," he said impassively.
The trio had spent the day travelling by tree branch, until they had reached the road that led directly into the Wind Country.
Naruto was twitching. Is it me, or did Sasuke just grab Hinata's ass? Desperately trying to amend the situation before anyone could get hurt, Naruto squeezed himself between Sasuke and Hinata, while giving the Uchiha a warning look. Surely the boy had traumatized his ex enough for the day.
They continued down the simple dirt road that lay parallel to the forest. On the opposite side, sloping fields of grass led to a small town, visible just beneath the dusk.
"EEEEE!" The blonde's high-pitched shriek put Hinata's to shame.
Hinata's blush deepened, her hand still covering her face.
"A bee?" Naruto seethed, his voice unusually high.
"No," Sasuke responded coolly. "No bee."
Naruto tackled him.
As the blonde locked his jaw upon Sasuke's shoulder, the Uchiha wrapped his ten fingers around his neck. Sasuke rolled them both over so he could be on top, only to be thrown back to the ground a few seconds later, Naruto seeming to have the same thing in mind. Biting, and scratching, and...groping...ensued as the two took part in a relentless fight for dominance…which mostly consisted of a questionable amount of straddling.
"Please stop!" Hinata cried.
At the sound of her desperate plea, the two boys looked up at her, before pausing to stare.
"Hinata…your nose is bleeding."
Fortunately enough, a kunai flew by, an exploding tag attached to its handle. It hit the ground not a foot away from them, and the road went up in flames before Hinata would have to explain herself.
The Hyuuga took another sip from the saucer in her hands. She had never tasted sake before. It made her feel sort of...
"Nice," sang Naruto, after finishing a bottle in just a few gulps. He lunged toward Sasuke in an attempt to give him a slobbery, brotherly kiss, but the Uchiha swiftly dodged, causing Naruto to fall face-first to the ground.
Hinata giggled into her saucer, wondering if the blonde was already drunk. Her gaze turned to Sasuke who was sitting across from her at that small circular table. He ushered her closer, and the two put their heads together.
"Hinata," muttered Sasuke, his nose lightly brushing against hers. "Can I touch your breasts?"
As Hinata blushed and shook her head, no, Sasuke poured more sake into her saucer. The two broke apart when Naruto climbed back into the chair between them. In fascination, they watched as he sucked down another bottle.
They had been attacked by a group of thieves, and had been ruthless in punishing each one of them.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata had used mostly taijutsu to fight; with each strike, smashing noses, breaking limbs, and tearing skin. It had been such a gay affair! Naruto had faltered only once, having caught his fist between some poor man's teeth.
When the beatings had concluded, and the evening had become night, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata had stripped their victims of food, water, and money. And being thieves, they'd had lots of money. It was then that Naruto casually mentioned, "We have an extra day, right?"
Which brought them to the small village, and its lovely little bar.
It was small, dark, and dank place, with surprisingly few patrons littering the seats. The ones who did were silent, wary, and brooding.
Hinata didn't mind. The King of them all was sitting across from her, but she could handle Sasuke. The greatest of her worries was the ceiling fan above her, that was spinning, spinning out of control! She followed the blades with her eyes until she was overcome with dizziness.
It had taken a while for Naruto to convince Sasuke, and then them, in turn, to convince Hinata. Sasuke didn't like to dull his senses, but then at the last minute decided that going to the bar might be a good idea. Hinata, meanwhile, had always been forbidden. Though, at seventeen, they were all of legal drinking age in Konoha, drinking alcohol was frowned upon in her family.
Her hand connected with Sasuke's as they reached for the same bottle. The contact lasted for a few seconds longer than it should have, before Sasuke relinquished it, and Hinata timidly refilled her saucer. Why couldn't she seem to stop smiling?
And why was Sasuke smirking back?
"Hinata-chan," he said, causing her to blink, then redden. "Can I touch them now?"
When Hinata again shook her head, no, Sasuke ordered another bottle.
Hinata looked down at her breasts. "They're really big..." she mused, thoughtfully squeezing them together. At the sound of a "thump" and a "smash," she looked up to notice Naruto's face had gone missing, replaced with tan ankles poking up toward the heavens. Sasuke, meanwhile, was clutching his face with both hands, looking as though someone had just punched him in the nose.
"Sa-Sasuke? Naruto-kun!" said Hinata worriedly.
Naruto quickly climbed back up from the ground with his pointer finger held beneath his nostrils. A blush on his cheeks and his voice strangely high, he assured Hinata that he and Sasuke were fine. The Uchiha merely nodded in agreement, still clutching his face. He freed one of his hands to brush his knuckles against her cheek.
She lazily smiled.
"You're dumb when you're drunk."
Her smile fell. I'm drunk!?
Naruto watched the exchange curiously. His numb mind attempted to make something of it, but a drunken haze overwhelmed all rational thought, leaving only confusion. Somehow two syllables managed to spill from his mouth. "You're – you're–" Sasuke and Hinata turned to him. Had he figured it out?
Luckily, the jinchuuriki suddenly took notice of some sake that he had spilled on his lap earlier that evening. "Eugh, I think that I had an accident..." he moaned as his already pink cheeks darkened in color.
Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust, leaning back in his seat. It seemed he was the only one among the trio who had any alcohol tolerance whatsoever. And as entertaining as this was… "We should go." He leered at Hinata.
He somehow led the two to a small hotel. Hinata, who had only had two tiny saucers, was latched to him, arms about his torso, her head under his chin. Naruto, meanwhile, had drank the most of the three, and stumbled drunkenly behind them, shrieking obscenities, and falling over several times.
Sasuke ignored the various curse words flying out of the Naruto's mouth, though he was secretly astonished by the blonde's vocabulary. Upon reaching the crappy, closet-sized hotel room he had purchased with Naruto's share of the swag, Sasuke kicked him inside and closed the door.
Far more politely, he led Hinata upstairs, to the nicer room he had purchased with their combined shares, smirking as she mumbled faint confessions into his clothes.
He scooped her up bridal style, causing a giggle to escape her lips. She leaned over, kissing his ear, and causing his pants to feel several sizes too small.
When they got to the room, he dropped her to the bed, and climbed on top of her. She grabbed his shirt.
Hinata was drunk. Helpless.
She pulled him down, and the things that followed would plague them both for weeks to come.
