:D Hello. Sorry for the late update. And like usual here's a long one cause I suck! I changed my mind on the whole Orochimaru thing. And in fact I was thinking about ending the story sooner but I can't. So a few more chapters to go and then completion. But I already know that I want to start writing another story. Hinata is just so adorable and she's my favorite! :3 Chapter 15 in all it's glory!
Tsunade downed another small cup of sake as she read through several scrolls at a table in a quiet corner at a local restaurant. Her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion as she rested her head on an open palm. She had every document pulled that involved the Uchiha clan as well as curses, seals, and genjutsu. Tsunade was good at being observant and remembering every detail in those documents. She was also good at coming up with solutions to the problems that lay in front of her. However this problem had her stumped. Her cheeks were slightly pink due to the alcohol that was flowing through her system. She didn't get to drink very often since her duties as the Hokage took up almost all of her free time so it was getting to her head faster than usual.
"Well, well… drinking on the job I see." A voice interrupted her research and she looked up irritatingly at Hatake Kakashi. Her honey eyes rolled as she reached for the bottle of sake.
"It's impossible to be alone in this village." She muttered and took a swig straight from the bottle. Kakashi didn't seem offended as he sat down across from her. He rested his arm lazy on the chair behind him while he leaned back.
"Any luck?" He asked quietly. Tsunade swallowed the liquid gold in her mouth and set the bottle down with a defeated thud. Kakashi could see the toll that this particular puzzle was taking on her.
"Not as much as I'd like." She sighed as she rolled up a scroll and casting it aside into a pile. Kakashi crossed his arms and watched her with his one eye.
"Just as I feared…" He said casually. "There isn't much to go on with those documents." Tsunade sighed gently and let her eyes rest. It had been almost a week since Tsunade promised Sasuke she'd have a solution for him. It had been weighing on her mind so she was determined to do something.
"I hope that it's just remnants of the curse mark still left and not actually anything to be concerned about." She said but her gut was telling her otherwise. Kakashi seemed to quietly agree. He leaned back deep in thought. Tsunade opened her eyes to watch the silver-haired ninja. Not knowing what to do was leaving a bitter taste in her mouth—she is the Hokage of Konoha and she's dealt with much worse.
"What about Orochimaru's old hide outs? Perhaps there is something left behind with some insight." Kakashi mentioned after a few moments of silence. Tsunade waved her hand at him as if dismissing his idea.
"They've been long destroyed by now. Besides, he was always good about cleaning up after himself." Tsunade said thinking back to his early days. He was a very intelligent person but irresponsible with it. She always wondered if Orochimaru would become something great… and he was, just in the wrong way. The Fifth Hokage drew invisible circles with her finger on the table as she tried to pry open her brain for something more. There was always an answer for everything and as a perfectionist, she would find it.
"Perhaps until we can find the answer, we should teach Sasuke a way to wake himself up. Every genjutsu has a release." Kakashi said. She nodded with a feeling of defeat. It wasn't the answer she was looking for, but there was no other choice.
"Yes. I suppose that will have to do for now." Tsunade stood up from the table and gathered the scrolls in her arms. She looked over at Kakashi. "I know I probably don't have to ask but could you check in on him in the morning? Tell him to come by and see me."
Sasuke woke up to his Sharingan activated and drenched in sweat. He was gasping for breath as if he had just finished a rigorous training session. Kicking his sheets away from him, he cradled his face in his hands. Orochimaru… The dreams had stopped for a while after his return to Konoha and just as he began to forget about them they came back almost worse than before. The dreams usually varied; sometimes they started off pleasant and then Orochimaru would appear. And other times, they were nightmares from start to end. Each time, Orochimaru would remind Sasuke he wasn't gone. He sat up in his bed and let his feet touch the ground. Tsunade still hadn't come up with any ideas and he was growing impatient. Sasuke decided he would go see her today.
Being back in Konoha was fine for him, but Sasuke was used to more adventure; perhaps he would start getting assigned missions soon. There was no reason for Tsunade not to trust him. Besides, he couldn't stand sitting around all the time. Even though he had been just waiting for a place to call home and settle down in, Sasuke wasn't one to keep still. He got dressed and ready for the day but before he walked out of his bedroom, he made sure that the pendant was safely hanging around his neck.
Life was almost painfully good. Aside from the terrible nightmares, Sasuke was finally starting to settle into a norm; wake up, do chores, training, eat, training, eat and bed. Of course Hinata was in his schedule as well. They spent a lot of time out in the garden by the memorial and occasionally she would help with his training. Sometimes their time together was silent and other times he would listen to her stories. She understood that he didn't have much to say and it never seemed to bother her. Sasuke liked that she looked past the fact of how everyone in Konoha perceived him. Instead, she saw straight into his soul and into who he really was. Sakura never bothered to do that, but perhaps he just pushed her away before she had the chance.
Sasuke exited his house and the wind was cold against him. Winter had arrived in Konoha, but it wasn't the typical winter everyone thought of. Konoha very rarely had anything but sunshine, and on occasion it would rain. Sasuke even remembered snow blanketing the village when he was very little. So winter mainly meant cooler breezes and shorter days. After walking a ways, he noticed Kakashi was standing at the entrance of the district waiting for him. With his hands in his pockets, he approached him slowly and with narrowed eyes. Sasuke tried to keep the rage and irritability to a minimum but it was still very hard for him. He still had an ego perhaps too big and little patience for anything. Kakashi didn't bother looking up from his book when Sasuke stopped.
"It's good to see you back." Kakashi said and Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't in the mood beat around the bush today…or any day, really.
"Do you need something?" He asked in his usual monotone voice. Kakashi shut his book and pocketed it.
"Just checking in." Kakashi said ignoring his attitude. It was something one got used to and he never took it personally. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not your student anymore. I can take care of myself." He said and began walking past him. Kakashi scratched the back of his head lazily before he took the few steps to catch up.
"Ah right… like I told Naruto and Sakura, we're comrades now." That never stopped either of them from still referring to him as 'Kakashi-sensei', but he didn't seem to mind. Sasuke would never admit that he was jealous of his former team mates. Somehow Sakura outranked him now and that bugged him. Even Naruto was moving forward with taking some sort of internship with Tsunade. And here Sasuke was still battling the consequences of his mistakes in the past. He ignored that fact.
"Make sure you stop by and see Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said after a few minutes of silence.
"She's had plenty of time to get her shit together. Hopefully she's got something worthwhile." Sasuke muttered as the Hokage building was getting closer. If only he knew…Kakashi followed him until they got to the stairs leading up to the entrance.
"Well, if you'd like to join us, we're having a training session tomorrow morning." Kakashi offered. Sasuke laughed as if it was a joke and he thought bitterly again about how behind he was from everyone else. Technically he was one of the strongest ninja in his class, but rank-wise he was still a Genin.
"Doesn't matter; I'm not a Konoha ninja anymore." Sasuke proceeded up the stone steps alone ending that conversation dead in its tracks. He thought about that fact over and over it again and it sort of made him depressed. Perhaps he needed a new hobby.
Sasuke walked the familiar hallways until he reached Tsunade's office. As usual, he didn't bother with waiting his turn; he simply knocked and barged in. To his surprise it was empty. Wondering if maybe he was too early, he crossed his arms. Really…? As if his mind was being read, Tsunade walked in through the open door with a few scrolls in her arms.
"Good morning, Uchiha." She muttered groggily and her head felt the consequences of the alcohol last night. He watched her set down the scrolls, plop in her chair, and exhale. Tsunade knew that taking on the job of the Hokage was literally giving one's life up. However it didn't keep her from ignoring the fact that it truly sucked. Sasuke could care less about the tired look on her face and instead he decided to poke at the temper of the Fifth Hokage.
"Well?" He demanded and she felt her hands tighten into fists. It's too damn early for this, Uchiha… tread lightly. Knowing exactly what he was there for, she opened one of the scrolls on the desk.
"I do have a solution for you… a temporary one, but it will work for now." She said sternly, her eyes rapidly going over the text below her. Sasuke shifted his weight, still occasionally feeling the stiffness in his leg from his previous injury. He didn't say anything. "Did you ever get taught how to repel the typical genjutsu?"
"That's your solution?" Sasuke asked with a hint of annoyance. Everyone claims she's this all-knowing saint… Tsunade rubbed her aching forehead simply too tired to care.
"Yes, Sasuke. It should help you wake yourself up and end the dream. Until I can find more information, I have to work with what's dealt—the same goes for you." She didn't even bother to look up at him. "Do you know it or not?"
"Yeah bu-"
"Good. Until we can get this figured out, I will keep you off the roster for upcoming missions. See Kakashi for any training purposes. You're dismissed." Tsunade said dryly making sure that the conversation was over. Sasuke's ears perked up; she was even considering re-instating him as a ninja. A normal person would smile, say thank you, and be on their merry way but, as Masaru came to the conclusion, Sasuke wasn't a normal person. He had an ego and reputation to carry and he would until the day he died. The only person who seemed to have a "get off free card" from that was Hinata. Sasuke secretly smiled to himself and turned to leave.
"Oh, and if you see Hinata today tell her I would like to speak with her." Tsunade added. He didn't respond and proceeded to leave. With a frown, Sasuke shut the door to her office behind him. It was none of his business, but he wondered why they needed to meet up… perhaps to discuss a mission? Sasuke didn't really care for that idea simply knowing that Hinata would be put in danger and be away from him for an extended amount of time. He put his hands in his pockets and started to walk down the hallway thinking to himself.
"Heeeeey, Sasuke!" That overly hyper voice that he (and the whole village) knew all too well echoed in the building. His eyes rolled and he didn't bother responding.
"Sasukeeeee." Feet were bounding up behind him and Sasuke stopped to look at Uzumaki Naruto. He hadn't seen him since the confrontation and that was fine with him. He knew that what Naruto did to him was an accident, but Sasuke still felt a grudge being held against him.
"What do you want?" He asked and Naruto slid to halt. He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. That blonde hair seemed more well-kept than usual and he thought perhaps it was Sakura's influence.
"Well, I was just finishing up some paperwork for the old lady and was gonna go get some ramen. Wanna go!?"
"No."
"Aww, come on. Why not!? You've been in Konoha for a week already and haven't said a word to me." Naruto's voice had that slight whine to it that always made Sasuke want to strangle someone. He figured that would never change. How the hell did she admire him so much…? Maybe Sasuke was too hard on Naruto or everyone for that matter. He tried to control the anger that still burned deep inside his chest but it was harder than he thought.
"Yeah and I've been busy." Sasuke said as he began to walk forward again. That was halfway true… although he wasn't busy with anything real important, he did enjoy training much more than sitting at the ramen shop with the loud mouth.
"Come on. I'll treat. And that means a lot coming from me!" Naruto grinned as he kept in stride with Sasuke. He frowned in jealousy and thought about how Hinata would probably be blushing up a storm if it were her.
"Fine," He grumbled and immediately regretted it as Naruto 'yahoo'ed. And it was just like old times: Sasuke walking with crossed arms and Naruto blabbing the entire way through the streets of Konoha. The village was now fully built from last year's attack from Itachi. It looked the same, however, and it was starting to slowly feel more and more like home to him again. The children ran amongst their feet playing and people had stopped giving Sasuke looks of horror. His life was slowly starting to come together. The Uchiha pendant gleamed brightly in the mid-morning sun on his chest that he wore proudly, but he just couldn't shake that constant feeling of irritable-ness. Sasuke had dealt with it his whole life but now he really didn't have a reason for it.
"Oyyyyy!" Naruto was beginning to get excited as they sat down at the ramen stand. He rubbed his hands together and could barely contain himself. "Gimme the usual." He said and the old man and his daughter happily began the preparations.
"And for you, Sasuke?" The old man asked. He leaned on his elbows and closed his eyes.
"I'll just have some tea." Sasuke said. Naruto's eyes almost watered with happiness as a bowl of steamy noodles was put in front of him. He wasted no time with his chopsticks. Sasuke watched him out of the corner of his eye slightly disgusted at how Naruto never seemed to learn how to properly eat in public.
"So! How's the new place?" Naruto said after he swallowed a mouthful. Sasuke sipped on his tea quietly.
"It's good." Naruto finished up his bowl of ramen within minutes and he exhaled a sigh of satisfaction. Sasuke suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia as he sat with his former team mate. It recalled him back to their Team Seven days and even though he hated to admit it, it was a nice, refreshing feeling. Although it didn't keep Sasuke from being short with Naruto.
"Mmhmm. Sakura-chan says the memorial garden thing looks pretty cool, too." Naruto said as he set down his chop sticks. Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch out of irritation from hearing that Sakura had been to his garden. But he dismissed it since he knew that Hinata and Sakura were friends. After a few failed attempts at casual conversation with the Uchiha, Naruto's eye fell to gaze upon the unused chopsticks. The tone of his voice also lowered to a more serious tone.
"Y'know, Sasuke, Hinata worked really hard." Sasuke took the last drink of his tea and set the cup down. He didn't really care for personal conversations in public. In fact, he didn't care of personal conversations hardly ever. No one needed to know his business and he didn't need to know anyone else's business.
"Yeah, I know." He said, but really he didn't know the half of it. Naruto had been there during the training sessions and saw the amount of effort she put in. He had seen her collapse many times and endure several medical treatments to keep the chest injury from becoming worse. Naruto had never seen her work so hard for anything before, let alone one single person. It even reminded him of himself when he trained all those years with Jiraiya just to get to Sasuke's level. Naruto just couldn't sit back and watch Sasuke cast it all aside like it was nothing.
"Do you?" Naruto questioned him. Sasuke felt himself getting irritated again. He was ready to leave. "Not only did you almost kill her, but she almost got permanent damage to her Byakugan from trying to find you and-" Sasuke slammed his fists on the counter and stood up glaring at Naruto.
"Don't you fucking dare throw that in my face." He growled. Naruto had no idea the torment he put on himself for it. The amount of guilt was eating him inside. Naruto's eyes narrowed as Sasuke continued. "Like you have any room to say anything to me… you took Itachi from me."
"To save you." Naruto said quietly and that only fueled the anger in him again. Sasuke was letting it get to him. He couldn't keep it in anymore.
"I DIDN'T NEED SAVING!" Sasuke yelled and turned to walk away. He could feel the urge to rely on his Sharingan; it seemed to be a habit. The anger inside was bubbling; it was the same feeling of when his curse mark would begin to take over his body. Naruto got up to follow him. "Leave me alone. And this time actually fucking do it."
"What is your problem!?" Naruto couldn't wrap his head around why Sasuke was so angry. "You're alive; you have a brand new house, a memorial garden and a woman who almost died on more than one occasion for you! What exactly more will it take to make you happy?!"
Sasuke whipped around to come back with a response, but there was nothing he could say. Naruto would never understand—once you live 18 years being sad, alone and angry it's hard to wake up the next morning with flowers coming out of his ass. But Sasuke knew the main reason of his anger was because everything that Naruto said was right and he was wrong. The time for revenge is gone; the time to be angry is gone. Sasuke reached up to grasp the pendant in his hand. He squeezed it until he was afraid he might shatter it and then he looked over at Naruto.
"Just… please. Leave me alone." He muttered and turned to leave. Perhaps it was the dreams that still weighed heavily on his mind. Or maybe it was the lack of adventure in his life… Sasuke wasn't totally sure, but Naruto was right. His father was right. And he was wrong. Naruto frowned as he watched his best friend walk away. It was taking every fiber in his body not to run after him, but Naruto decided, for once, that it might be best to let Sasuke go.
The only thing that Sasuke wanted to do was see Hinata; not even a good training session could calm his nerves. Upon returning home that afternoon, the district was empty. Usually he would arrive home at this time to find Hinata keeping up with the garden just like she promised him so long ago, but it was strangely quiet. A frown settled on his lips as he stood alone in the garden. They shared many moments here that it almost seemed to be their spot now. The cool wind blew back his hair and even though she wasn't with him, he could feel the peacefulness that the memorial brought him.
However there was just something that he couldn't shake. He thought about how all the anger and sadness seemed to dissolve when she was near him. Sasuke figured that he didn't even need to be touching her to feel more at ease. Hinata seemed to be the water to put out the fire that constantly churned in his chest. He decided that he would go find her as she was most likely at the Hyuuga district.
As Sasuke walked, his brain kept going back to the argument with Naruto. It was as if he couldn't help but explode and release the madness inside. Sasuke always used to blame others for getting in his way, thus creating the rage that fueled him throughout his life. Now that he had everything he could ever ask for, Sasuke wondered if there was still something left for him to do. Or maybe it was still something that Orochimaru left behind. Maybe he really wasn't gone.
The Hyuuga mansion was getting closer and he was anxious to see her. It was the first time he had actually gone looking for her. In fact, it was the first time he had ever actually been in the yard of the mansion. Sasuke had, of course, walked her home many times and he never dreamed of actually entering. He was kind of curious to see the secrets they might have locked inside.
He approached the front door and knocked sheepishly. Sasuke frowned when Neji answered the door. Both of their eyes locked as if electricity was flying between the two. It had been quite some time since the two had seen each other and Sasuke remembered their last confrontation about Hinata. Back then he had denied anything going on between them, which was half way right. Neji's eyes narrowed.
"Uchiha," He said with that cool tone that he always had. Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Is she here?" Sasuke asked, not even bothering to act respectful. Neji was silent for a moment.
"Hinata-san is busy." He said finally and Sasuke raised his eyebrow. Bullshit.
"Neji-niisan!" Sasuke heard her voice from within the house as she jogged to the door. Her small smile was already distinguishing the flame in his body as he nodded to her. "S-Sorry, Sasuke-kun, I got caught up in something…" Her voice was softer than usual and he figured it must be because Neji was there. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Just making sure everything was okay." Sasuke said finally and almost felt embarrassed saying it. Hinata felt her cheeks get warm and she squeezed by her cousin to leave the mansion.
"I-I'll be home soon." Hinata said with eyes lowered. Neji frowned and his own eyes seemed to stare daggers at the Uchiha. Sasuke could feel the anger bubbling again, but only because he noticed how reserved she became. He always had an idea that her father and cousin made her feel very insignificant but it never seemed to dampen her spirit until now.
Dark clouds had gathered in the sky much to Sasuke's dismay. Distant thunder rumbled, but no rain drops fell. They walked silently down the road that had always seemed to become their road and Sasuke could tell there was something different about the quiet between them. Normally, Hinata would have bright eyes, observing their surroundings and she would even sometimes hum gently. On this particular day, her head was lowered and eyes seemed to be glued to the pavement. He suddenly hated Neji. Before it was just simply arrogance but now it was almost personal and he felt like he had to do something.
"How can you stand to live with that guy?" Sasuke finally blurted out as they walked into the Uchiha district. Big rain drops were beginning to fall signaling a late fall thunderstorm. Hinata glanced up at him as they stopped walking.
"N-Neji-niisan?" She asked and when he didn't respond she forced a smile. "Oh. He doesn't really live with us. He is from the Branch house so h-he has his own home." Sasuke didn't know much about the Hyuuga clan but he did know a bit about the different houses. Ch… then why does he walk around as if he owns the place? Sasuke got closer to her, already smelling her vanilla perfume. Or perhaps it was her shampoo; Sasuke would never get why girls had so many different things that had fragrances. The rain was beginning to get heavy, so they took quick cover inside Sasuke's house.
"I don't like his attitude." Sasuke said as he shook raindrops from his hair. Hinata was running a hand through her damp hair as she stood in the main room. He was expecting a small chuckle or even a smile from her, but her face was emotionless just like his and he didn't like it. Something was wrong. He wondered if perhaps he said something to upset her but he realized he's said worse…and it never seemed to bother her. When Hinata refused to say anything, Sasuke frowned at her.
"What's wrong?" That phrase was another strange thing that he rarely ever said. Other phrases included 'you smell nice' and 'come sit with me'. Sasuke never cared before how anyone was feeling or what might be bothering them in their own lives. He always thought that if anyone had the right to feel sad, it was him, but now that he had someone else in his life it seemed to be changing his views. Hinata chewed on her lip before forcing yet another small smile.
"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun." Lie. Sasuke approached her and brushed a raindrop from her nose.
"You suck at lying." Sasuke said flatly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her cheeks flushed at the intimate touch. Usually she would smile brightly and take the opportunity to plant a kiss on his cheek. But instead she stood there limp in his arms.
"I…" She whispered. "I have a meeting with my father tomorrow about my 18th birthday." Sasuke's face remained expressionless.
"So?" He finally said. The frown remained on her pink lips and he thought about kissing it away.
"W-Well… I am the heir to the Hyuuga clan a-and… well on my 18th b-birthday…" Hinata had reverted back to the stuttering which she cursed in her head. Her eyes began to fill with tears and it was another thing she hated about herself. Hinata thought that she had gotten strong enough not to give in to her emotions. She was a ninja and ninja had to remain apathetic for many reasons. The lights inside flickered as the storm picked up, the wind howling outside. Sasuke ignored it as he felt his stomach flop.
"And?" Sasuke pressed on, but he already had a feeling he knew what the problem was. She became the head of the clan at her 18th birthday. Hinata took a deep breath and the tears seemed to disappear in her eyes.
"And… I won't be able to be a part of Team Kurenai a-anymore or be able to c-come and go as I please." His facial features didn't change, but inside his mind was turning circles. He wanted to be selfish and tell her not to do it. Sasuke wanted to get on his knees and beg her to refuse and to stay with him. But he wouldn't and he didn't. After a while of searching her face for something to say, he finally opened his mouth.
"Do you even want to do it?" His voice was unusually quiet and she could see the realization of the matter had sunken in to him. Hinata frowned and squirmed out of his arms. She turned around and stared down at her shaking hands. Yes and no. Hinata of course wanted to show everyone in her clan that she could do it. After an entire lifetime of constantly being ridiculed and told that she would never amount to anything, Hinata wanted to take the step forward. She wanted to make her father, and late mother, proud. But Hinata was also still young; she enjoyed being with her friends and even though she disliked training, it was an excuse to leave the Hyuuga district to see her team mates.
And the biggest factor was Uchiha Sasuke. Hinata could barely go fifteen minutes without him creeping into her mind. She enjoyed being around him and tending to the memorial garden. Hinata wanted to be near him at all times, but becoming the head of the clan meant that she would constantly be busy.
"I don't know…" She managed to say quietly. The lights suddenly went out and everything was dark inside the house. Normally, Sasuke would curse Masaru's handy work, but with the storm he probably wasn't the only one without power. They both seemed unfazed by the darkened room for a while just standing there. Sasuke sighed gently. He remembered seeing a few candles in a drawer in the bathroom, so he fumbled his way in. Upon returning with a light source now, he saw Hinata still in the same spot staring intently at her hands. He approached her while the little flame on the candle seemed to dance wildly.
"Come sit." Sasuke said gently, holding out his opened palm. Hinata frowned but she took his hand. He led them into his bedroom and Hinata could feel her face getting warm. She always felt so nervous and almost scared going into his bedroom because it was such an intimate place for her to be. He set the candle down on his dresser while the rain pelted the window. Sasuke turned with her hand still in his and he pulled her closer. Hinata felt safe in his grasp, but she didn't dare look in his eyes. She knew that he didn't want her to choose her clan over him. Sasuke put his finger under her chin to gently make her look up at him. After a few seconds of silence, he inhaled gently.
"Family is important. Do what you think is right." He said almost with a tone of defeat. It really wasn't Hinata wanted to hear and her eyes filled with tears again. He never gave her a definite answer. He never told her how he felt about things. He always refrained from actually helping her solve problems… perhaps an old habit he got from his father.
Sasuke leaned in to muffle a soft sob with a kiss. Hinata felt her body melt, as it usually did in Sasuke's embrace. Their kisses were usually gentle and soft, on the occasion they would get passionate. Hinata could feel Sasuke hold her tighter and their kiss was now filled with desire. She had to break it off as another tear slipped out. Sasuke wiped it away as a flash of lightning lit up the room. Hinata smiled a little.
"I just… want to be with you." She whimpered. Sasuke normally would have found it endearing and 'cute' but it only pained him. He let her go and went to sit on his bed. Sasuke didn't want her to choose him over something so important. He thought back to when he was still a child, always hearing his mother crying softly at night when his father would be away doing clan missions. Hinata sat on the bed next to him and ignored her heated face.
"Sasuke-kun…" Hinata said and he looked at her. Her face looked beautiful in the dim light of the candle. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and her lips were very enticing. She lifted her hand to graze his face with her fingers and he leaned into her touch. Hinata brought her lips to his and he held her close as things got more heated. Sasuke laid her down on the bed and he broke away to catch his breath. He stared down at her as he rested on the palm of his hands. Hinata could barely breathe yet alone say anything. Her face was flushed and her mind was running at top speeds.
"Hinata…" He whispered. "…can I see it?" His hand gently touched her chest right over her heart where his Chidori had hit her. She leaned up to rest on her elbows. Hinata wanted to say no, not because it would require her to unzip her jacket, but because she didn't want him to feel so responsible.
"Are you sure?" She said after a rumble of thunder shook the house. Sasuke could see the fear in her eyes, even in the dimly lit room. He nodded as he rolled over to her side. She hesitated before grasping the zipper of her jacket and pulling it down not just halfway, but all the way. If Sasuke ever wanted to know what Hinata was hiding underneath the jacket, well now he knew in a very intimate moment with the Hyuuga heir. She simply wore a black tank top and of course her forehead protector was around her neck. Sasuke didn't even bother to observe her curvy body on display; his eyes went directly to the raw skin on her chest. It was almost healed, but the scabs were forming a nasty scar that would always be there to remind her. Sasuke felt like crying right then and there but he didn't. He also felt like gathering her up in his arms and apologizing until he could no longer speak.
His fingers hovered over her hot skin on her chest and he looked at her for approval. Hinata gave him a small smile and he very lightly traced it with his fingertips. She didn't wince, shudder, or tell him to stop; she just watched the features on his face. Hinata had never seen him look so sad before, probably because he always looked so emotionless. She could see his eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed almost as if he was holding back even more emotion. After a few seconds, Sasuke withdrew his hands laid back. He reached up to grab her frail body and he held her close with her back to his chest. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as the scent of her hair hit his nose.
Sasuke could feel her short breaths against him and he didn't say anything to her. Hinata didn't say anything to him either. They just laid together, listening to the rain outside and the occasional rumble of thunder. The candle danced brightly in his room and he never felt more complete than in that moment. There was no anger or rage. He didn't feel like he had to keep his ego in check with her. Knowing that this might all disappear with her 18th birthday made him just hold onto her tighter.