Already starting on Chapter 10... I'm getting ahead of myself ;) Not sure how long I want the story to be so we'll just have to see. Once again, thank you for reading.
Uchiha Sasuke opened his eyes and everything around him was peaceful. The sky was clear and in front of him was a grassy hill with a large oak tree on top. The breeze tossed his hair back and forth and the summer air smelled sweet. The sun was in its first stages of setting and Sasuke watched as two ground squirrels scurried between his feet. Two distinct laughs shook him from his thoughts, and he looked up the hill to see two figures at the top. Mother… He could see her long dark hair blowing in the breeze and he smiled. He could also see someone else sitting next to her, but he couldn't make out who it was. His curiosity got the best of him, so he began to walk through the tall grass. Mosquitoes and grasshoppers scattered as he ran up the hill. He could hear them laughing to themselves and he smirked a bit. As soon as he reached the top, he saw them sitting underneath the big oak tree.
"Ahh, Sasuke. You've got dirt on your face." His mother said quietly and the soft smile he remembered so well spread across her lips. It gave him a warm feeling in his stomach that he hadn't felt in so long. It was the feeling of being loved. The person next to his mother laughed a bit as Sasuke rubbed his sleeve on his cheek. It was a girl. Her face was blurry, but she seemed familiar to him.
"She's a very nice and beautiful girl, Sasuke." His mother continued as she nudged the woman next to her. Sasuke felt puzzled, as he tried to pinpoint who was sitting next to his mother. He frowned and knelt down in front of the girl. Her face was fuzzy. She had long hair too, just like his mother, and she smelled nice. It was a subtle vanilla smell… not too strong. Suddenly, the girl reached out with her thumb to touch his cheek.
"You missed a spot." Her voice was sweet and, without his consent, his cheeks flushed. His mother was amused at this.
"He's just like his father. Always trying to be so tough, but we all know he's got a good heart." She said with a giggle.
Sasuke looked away, embarrassed again. The feelings in his stomach and in his chest were so strange to him. Sasuke wouldn't normally behave this way, but it was like his body was moving on its own free will. Everything seemed so simple and nice. Sasuke looked over at his mother and she was smiling. He had missed her so much. Sasuke laid down on his back and he could feel the grass tickling his arms, but he didn't mind. The girl scooted up, and lifted his head into her lap. It was peaceful. It was how he had always envisioned being with someone if he ever, well, dated. She moved a few locks of hair away from his eyes and he shuddered at her touch. The strange thing was he didn't feel vulnerable or angry. Sasuke felt… happy. It was a feeling he decided he enjoyed. He looked up and focused on her face. It was still blurry, but he could tell his mother was right- she was beautiful. Sasuke inhaled the breeze that blew and rested his eyes.
A crack of thunder jerked him up, and everything was different; the sky was dark and cloudy and the ground underneath him became slippery. Sasuke yelped in horror as he stood up. The hill was gone, the warmth of the sun was gone, and all he could hear was the sounds of slithering snakes. They covered the ground around him and hissed angrily. He felt them slither around his ankles and wrap around his calves. Sasuke struggled and began to get nervous. There was only one man who favored his snakes more than himself. He tried to activate his Sharingan but it was as if all of his chakra was drained because nothing happened. Sasuke felt helpless. He looked around desperately for his mother and the girl but they were gone.
"Damnit!" He said and tried to kick off the snakes. But within seconds, they were back at his feet. They slithered around his ankles, and sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Sasuke-kun…" That evil voice made his stomach churn and he looked around wildly. Orochimaru… The snakes' grips on his legs were getting tighter, and ahead of him he saw Orochimaru's eyes. "I've seen your brother. He tells me how disappointed he is in you." His voice was like nails on a chalkboard and a sharp pain pulsed in his brain. It was blinding and he threw up his hands to his head to make it stop.
"Sasuke-kun, you're pitiful. You've gotten weak…" His voice made the pain increase in his head and he did everything he could not to cry out. "The power I provided you with was a waste…You couldn't even follow through with the revenge you wanted so desperately. You had to rely on Naruto-kun to carry out your dirty work." His menacing laugh echoed in his brain and Sasuke could no longer take it. He screamed.
"You're all alone, now. No one wants to love a failure. No one wants to love someone as pitiful as you." Orochimaru's voice was now a whisper in his ear and Sasuke he opened his eyes to see Itachi inches away from his face. Was this some kind of genjutsu? He was staring into his brother's eyes and his anger began to rise. Sasuke hadn't seen him since that day he attacked Konoha.
"Sasuke. You are a sad excuse for an Uchiha… and a brother." He said. Sasuke stared at him and tried over and over again to activate his Sharingan. Even his Chidori wasn't forming in his hand. He wanted to settle the score right there and get his revenge. His brother took one step back and began to laugh manically. This confused Sasuke, as his brother rarely behaved that way. Itachi reached up to his own face and started to pull off his flesh, until those familiar snake eyes were revealed.
"No one wants to love a failure." Orochimaru said again and Sasuke felt like his head was going to explode from the pain. Suddenly, he could hear that girl's voice calling him from far away.
"Sasuke-kun!" The pain in his head started to dissolve away, until he felt himself being jerked around. "Sasuke-kun! Wake up!" He opened his eyes and saw Hinata leaning over him with a look of worry in her eyes. She gasped when he opened his eyes and his Sharingan was circling. Sasuke's heart was racing and he was drenched with sweat. The dream felt so real. He sat up quickly and looked around. Neither Orochimaru or Itachi were anywhere to be found.
"Holy shit is everything okay!? I heard screaming like someone was being murdered." Masaru barged into the Headquarter building huffing and heaving.
"Yes…everything is okay." Hinata said while her eyes watched Sasuke. It scared her half to death. He rubbed his eyelids and allowed his Sharingan to disappear. What is going on…? Just a dream… just a dream… The dream had started off so peaceful. He remembered his mother and... her. Looking over at Hinata, he suddenly felt shy. It was Hinata who was in his dream and they shared somewhat of an intimate moment. She smiled reassuringly and reached up to wipe his face.
"Um...You've got dirt on your cheek…" Hinata said softly and Sasuke pulled away from her. She frowned a bit but she didn't seem too surprised. Sasuke never cared for anyone touching him and she wasn't sure why the impulse to wipe his face even came to her. Sasuke looked over at Masaru and realized he over slept.
"I'm fine." Sasuke got up to his feet and his legs felt wobbly. He kept his composure but on the inside, his mind was racing. Dreams were always such a strange thing and they always exposed a person's subconscious weaknesses. They made things come to light that a person is always trying to forget. Hinata stood up as well and she was still worried. She had arrived just before Masaru and Taro came with their cart. She was surprised that Sasuke wasn't already up, and went to investigate to make sure everything was okay. That was when she heard him screaming and rolling around in his sleeping bag. It took some strength (and courage) to get close to him because he was tossing and turning so violently.
"Sasuke-kun, are you sure?" Her voice was soft like silk, just like it was in his dream.
"Yes." Sasuke replied to her sharply. He peeled off his sweat-drenched shirt and threw it in the corner of his area. Hinata's face turned a shade of pink and she looked away from him. Seeing a man shirtless was always such an awkward thing for her. Whenever Kiba would take off his shirt to go swimming with Akamaru, she always made sure not to look. Kiba enjoyed teasing her modesty by chasing her around asking for a hug. Of course, she never had to worry with Shino because he kept himself well hidden behind his jacket at all times. Masaru coughed a bit trying to remind them he was there.
"Well, we're here whenever you're ready to get to work." He said, and left the old building. Hinata bit her lower lip, and she decided to leave him alone for a while. His screams still rang in her mind and it made her feel sick to her stomach. She walked out towards the cart and Taro ran over towards her.
"Hinata-san!" He said and hugged her legs. She smiled and ruffled his black hair. Sasuke could hear them outside and he dumped some water over his head from his water bottle. That bastard still haunts me... Sasuke wiped his face with his arm and he felt a little better. Some hard work would help him get the dream off his mind. He put on a clean shirt and stretched his legs a little. His injury was healing slowly, but it was feeling good enough that he could get rid of his crutch. Sasuke pulled on his shoes and walked out. He squinted in the sun and saw Masaru had already called forth Nezumi and several smaller rats to help bring in the debris they didn't get to yesterday.
"Let's go, Uchiha. Remember we're on a tight schedule." Masaru called out to him and Sasuke ignored him. Taro smiled brightly.
"Sasuke-san!" Sasuke gave the boy a small nod of acknowledgement. Masaru spit to the side and commanded his rats to pick up the pace. Hinata and Taro were already quick to work collecting the debris from the rats just as they had before. Sasuke crossed his arms for minute and looked over at the old man.
"Well, this is getting done fast." He said. Masaru nodded.
"Yeah but we don't get their help when we start buildin'. I was thinking that we get done early this afternoon and figure out what it is you want rebuilt here." He said. Sasuke didn't say anything. He was in a trance, watching the rats go back and forth picking up wood, rocks, cement, etc. What did he want rebuilt? Of course he needed a house… Luckily money wasn't an issue as the old man was doing this for Tsunade for whatever reason. The only issue was time. If he wanted a house that was big, it would take too long. But he didn't want to live in a hut, either. Sasuke had a little less than three months… which seemed impossible considering it was just the two of them working on it. There was no way this would work.
The day went on and all of them, with help of the rats, worked quickly to get almost all of the debris cleared out. With 100+ rats working at fast paces, it worked in their favor. Sasuke would glance over at Hinata every few moments and he noticed the gash on her forehead was healing. The sleeves on her jacket were rolled up past her elbows and he figured she wouldn't dare take off her jacket. She was too innocent and his cheeks went hot when he thought about what might be hidden underneath. What the hell...He was a hormonal teenager, though, so it shouldn't have surprised him too much. Taro was even breaking a sweat as he was racing to meet the rats and then scrambling back to the cart.
In the late afternoon, Nezumi lifted the last large chunk of concrete into the cart with his tail and yawned.
"Finally we're all done, Masaru." He said while he nuzzled Taro with his giant nose and whiskers. He giggled and the old man dusted off his hands.
"Good work, Nezumi. Thanks for all your help." He looked out towards the crowd of rats who squeaked with exhaustion. Nezumi grinned.
"Be good for your grandfather. He still thinks he's young!" His tail swayed back and forth. Hinata wiped sweat from her cheek and heaved a sigh of relief. Sasuke crossed his arms when Masaru spit in the large rat's direction.
"God damnit, I'm not OLD!" Hinata brought a hand up to hide her laughter and Nezumi disappeared in a puff of smoke before he got hit. Taro tugged on his grandpa's finger.
"Say grampa… I'm hungry." He said and rubbed his belly. Masaru sighed with a satisfied smile and picked up his grandson in his big arms.
"I know. Alright you two," He looked over at Hinata and Sasuke. "Let's go get something to eat… it'll be my treat for all the hard work. Besides, we got shit to talk about." Hinata never really cared for cursing. Her clan was always so dignified and she only ever heard her father curse once at her late uncle. But she was actually used to hearing Kiba cursing and even a quiet Shino would show his frustrations on a rare occasion. Sasuke decided not to turn down the old man's offer. He'd need to speak with Tsunade about missions one of these days so he'd have some kind of income.
They all walked into the village and Taro was excited to be getting another amazing meal. He held tightly onto Hinata's hand as he pulled her forward. She of course allowed him to do this. Sasuke and Masaru followed behind a ways. He looked over at the man and he was curious of him. But he was more curious about what he owed the Hokage to make him be stuck doing work for three months.
"I take it you did something like peek in at the Hokage in the bath house?" Sasuke asked with a smirk and he put his hands in his pockets. Masaru laughed lightly while scratching the back of his bald head.
"I wish." He said and thought back to how she almost killed Jiraiya for trying to see her naked. "Nah I lost a pretty bad bet. You know how she likes to gamble on the side… a Hokage shouldn't be doing such things but she does anyway."
"How much did you lose?"
"Ahhh, let's just say three months is a very generous IOU." He said. "But I gambled for good reasons. I lost my wife a few years ago while I was away on a mission. After that, I decided to quit being a Konoha ninja and look after my daughter and Taro." Sasuke didn't really care for life stories. Everyone had their baggage and their burdens. But it also answered his next question about the summoning and ninjutsu.
"Hinata-san, where should we go!?" Taro asked ahead of them. Masaru smiled softly.
"My daughter hates ninja. Her husband was one and…well, he died in combat when the Sand attacked during the Chuunin exam. She refuses to let Taro think or talk about it. Needless to say, we've had our fair share of losses due to being ninja." Sasuke frowned and thought back to that time. It was shortly after Orochimaru gave him the curse mark. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt so guilty. Ninja died all the time. It was a huge part of being ninja—they die in honor for Konoha. And it happened all around Sasuke, and he's even felt the blood of those whom he's killed. He snorted slightly trying to ignore his guilty conscious.
"Death is always a risk when you become a ninja." Sasuke said, and if Masaru was offended, he didn't show it. A silence fell between the two when Taro decided on a restaurant ahead.
"Mom takes me here sometimes. They have yummy things here." He said and smiled up at Hinata. She knelt down in front of him and brushed some dirt off his nose.
"Gosh, you've been such a big help lately. I'm sure Sasuke-kun thinks so, too." She smiled as Masaru and Sasuke caught up. Taro looked at Sasuke and smiled. He felt his eyes yearning to roll irritably, but he refrained. Instead he looked at Hinata. Being so nice to children came naturally to her and here he was having to physically stop himself from coming across as a total asshole to this kid.
"Alright, squirt. Let's eat here then." Masaru said. They entered the restaurant and sat down at a table. Taro refused to sit by anyone but Hinata and he seemed proud to be with the only girl in the group. This worked out just fine for Masaru and Sasuke as they had important things to discuss. The old man opened a blank scroll and looked over at the Uchiha.
"Gimme your ideas, kid." He said while his calloused hands picked up a pencil. Sasuke folded his elbows on the table and sat silent for a moment. Truth be told, he wasn't sure. They couldn't build an entire district because there would only be one resident.
"Er… I was thinking of a house, of course." Sasuke said thoughtfully. "And…I was wondering about a memorial as well." Masaru began to scribble down ideas. Hinata bit her lower lip as she watched. This was an important time for Sasuke as they were beginning the blue prints and plans for the district. She didn't think it would be appropriate to interrupt with an idea she had.
"'kay. Anything else?" The old man asked. At this point in time, a waitress had greeted them. After several moments of Taro's indecision to have juice or tea, he finally decided on water. Sasuke rubbed his temples and stared at the scribbles on the scroll.
"Yeah but we don't have the time for it." Sasuke said as the waitress arrived back with their drinks. Hinata poured herself a cup of hot tea and sipped on it. All the while, she kept an eye on Taro. Masaru grinned.
"See, here's where it gets funny. Even though you guys think I'm fucking old, I'm fucking good. I came from a family of construction so I work faster than the average guy." Sasuke seemed amused at this and choked back a bitter laugh with some tea. Hinata hid a smile behind her hand and gazed at Sasuke. His hair had a nice way of settling around his face, and every so often, it would get in his eyes and he would angrily bat it away. It was strange that they had little to no interaction their whole lives, and now something was bringing them together. In fact, Naruto was barely on her mind as she was preoccupied with helping Sasuke in his district. Sasuke leaned back and stretched. His back was stiff and his leg was beginning to hurt. He should probably go see the Hokage here pretty soon and ask her nicely to heal him up again.
After a few minutes of going back and forth between things that were and were not doable for them, the waitress took their order of food. A silence overcame them as Masaru rolled the scroll back up and put it in his pocket. Hinata decided now was her chance.
"Um… Sasuke-kun?" He had almost forgotten about her since she was so quiet. He sipped his tea and looked at her.
"Hmm?"
"I was just wondering if… a garden would be a good addition to the memorial?" Sasuke didn't say anything for a while. He thought as to whether or not it would be a good idea.
"No." Sasuke said bluntly, setting down his cup of tea. Hinata bowed her head and nodded. Masaru watched the life in her eyes disappear and he glared over at Sasuke.
"Oh? Why not?" He asked the Uchiha.
"Because I don't know anything about flowers and I don't want to have to bother with it." Sasuke defended his answer. It was true. He had zero talent in gardening and if he was gone on missions then there would be no point. Hinata looked up.
"Not just flowers, though. I was thinking about planting vegetables and fruits there, too." She said. Sasuke kept a firm look at her. What the hell is her problem? I said no. When he didn't say anything, Hinata sat up straighter. "I could help you with it. Besides, it would cut down on your grocery expens-"
"Whatever. Do what you want. You're in charge of it which means you plant them, you water them and you take care of them." Sasuke interrupted her and he sipped his tea, angry that he gave in to her. In reality, it was a good idea. It would make the memorial look more respectful and it was a source of food. But Sasuke wasn't the type of person to say yes so quickly. Hinata felt a little triumphant and she smiled. Her clan planted herbs, fruits and vegetables so this would be something she could at least contribute to. Taro hugged Hinata's arm and looked excited.
"Can I help you, Hinata-san?" He asked and stared up at her with those big brown eyes. Hinata nodded happily. At this point, their meal had arrived and it was relatively quiet. Taro would squirm every so often, in which Hinata would remind him that if he wanted to be big and strong, he would have finish his food. This prompted him to go to town and the sound of his chop sticks hitting the bowl made Masaru give one of his big laughs. Sasuke secretly smiled into his cup of tea.
After they had eaten, Taro looked up at Hinata wearily. His eyelids were getting heavy and Hinata smiled. He was a tired boy; he helped move rocks all day and ate a big meal. She stood up and bowed to Masaru.
"Thank you very much, Masaru-san. I'll take Taro outside for a bit of fresh air." The old man nodded at her as she gathered the little boy in her arms. Sasuke watched her walk out with Taro's head resting on her shoulder. Something stirred inside his stomach again, and the feeling he felt in his dream had returned. His mind wanted to associate it with 'happiness' but his ego set that thought on fire. The two men got up after Masaru paid for their meal and walked towards the door.
"Same time tomorrow?" Sasuke asked when they got outside. The old man nodded and looked over at Hinata who was holding a sleeping boy on a bench. He looked back at Sasuke.
"You got a good woman." He said. Sasuke laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Nope. Not even close."
"Well here's a tip, Uchiha." Masaru looked over to make sure she wasn't paying attention. "Girls like that one right there are hard to find. Don't take that shit for granted or you'll end up pissed off for the rest of your life." Sasuke rolled his eyes and grunted. This guy obviously didn't know much about the cold hearted Uchiha Sasuke. A breeze flew past them and Sasuke closed his eyes. He had a feeling of excitement as things were starting to finally come together with his district. He wondered if he father would approve of the choices he was making. Which prompted him to think back to his dream. He wondered if somehow Orochimaru was still able to fuck with him even though he was dead. It really wouldn't surprise him, considering the power Orochimaru had. But was he really able to talk to Itachi in the afterlife?
"Well, Taro is all tuckered out so we'll be back tomorrow." Masaru said and he walked towards Hinata. She got up carefully and handed the sleeping boy to him.
"He has so much energy that he wears himself out." She said with a small chuckle. The old man nodded and stared down at Taro.
"Yeah, he gets that from his papa. Thanks for taking care of him. He's always lookin' for someone to latch onto." Sasuke watched them talk and he didn't feel like waiting any longer. He turned to walk back down the way towards his district. Hinata looked over and noticed that Sasuke was walking away. She bowed quickly and thanked Masaru again, then followed after Sasuke. When Hinata caught up to him, they walked in silence.
Sasuke kept going over the words that Masaru said to him in his head, and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was beginning to get to the age where he would have to start thinking of getting married and continuing on the Uchiha name. Or maybe it was because the dream with her in it had been on his mind almost all day. He really wasn't sure and it irritated him. This wasn't the Sasuke he used to be, but when you're no longer in ties with the feared Orochimaru, or seeking revenge, life had to return to 'normal' at some point.
The familiar path they took was nice. Neither spoke because neither had to. They didn't need small talk to enjoy each other's company. Soon, the Hyuuga mansion was in view and Hinata exhaled a bit. Sasuke glanced over to her after hearing her sigh. She had been spending a lot of time with him, and the only time she was really at home was at night. Maybe she was using him to get away from her father. He smirked a bit. He was the bad boy type to piss of her father. It was especially fitting since their clans rarely ever got along. As they got closer to the entrance to the mansion, Sasuke secretly hoped Neji was watching him.
"G-Good bye Sasuke-kun." Hinata said and turned to walk into the mansion. He nodded his good-bye as he continued to walk. His eyes watched her go in just to make sure, and Sasuke continued on back to what would soon be his rebuilt home.