The SEAL'S Kiss

Authors' Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

Ino grins eagerly as Hinata walks into the salon with that handsome naval officer in tow. It looked like he really did accompany her everywhere except the bathroom, and today, they weren't even trying to hide it. Probably because it was crowded, and because Ino already knew that they would be coming together. "Hey, you two! Glad to see you made it!" With complimentary eye-candy.

"Hey, Ino." She smiles as she strides over to her friend. "Try not to overload him too much your impressive mastery of all things aesthetically related. " She doubted Sasuke really wanted to hear about hair, nails, and makeup all day.

"Hn." Sasuke rolls his eyes, flicking his bangs away from his eyes, twitching slightly as he makes a tactical retreat to the small lounge area. Because like hell did he want to listen to Ino prattle on about things that he really didn't care about.

The stylist snickers. "Maybe I'll have you in this chair after Hinata!" She's met with silence from the small lounge, but the smile on her face doesn't wane a bit. "He's kind of shy, isn't he?"

If Ino knew about what went on while Sasuke was sailing the High Seas, the woman definitely wouldn't have called him shy! "Not exactly. It's just he's a bit on the quiet side and very, very professional." It must have seemed ridiculous to Sasuke to be dragged to a salon while he was a member of the Secret Service, but he was bound and determined to be by her side at all times. So he had come anyway.

Pulling out a comb and pushing Hinata into one of the chairs, Ino grins as she runs the comb through soft blue locks, separating them easily. "Alright, I'm going to twist your hair up and decorate it, so try not to pull anything out, alright?" Ino unrolls a whole assortment of sparkling feathers and glitzy strings of rhinestones.

"Feathers and rhinestones?" Hinata blinks at the choices. "Isn't that a little...retro and overly dramatic?" And very, very 80s?

"Not exactly." Ino pulls out some short, colorful feathers styled after toucans in blue, yellow, and red. "Think Brazilian. It's all about the arrangement and the colors." Ino starts with one of the higher sections of hair, plaiting it loosely as she wraps it around and pins it in place, sliding the first few feathers in at the back right corner of her head.

Hinata nods. Well in the worst case scenario, she could always take it down later. "Alright." So for now, she'd let her friend do what she liked and see what the results were.

"Just…watch." Ino's hands set to work, braiding and twisting, sliding feathers in, letting them burst outward from that single spot at the back of Hinata's head, like the tail-feathers of a tropical bird.

While not overpowering, the splash of color fits Hinata like an exotic crown as Ino strings the rhinestones tastefully from the crown of short feathers, draping them about Hinata's head in two rows, like decorating a princess.

Hinata nods, letting Ino work her magic as she glances over towards Sasuke. He had been rather resolutely quiet about all of this.

The officer's eyes are fixed on the windows, both on the outside of the salon, and the reflections in the glass. He was on moderate alert, as there weren't too many people present, but wary all the same.

Ino glances at the SEAL for a moment as well. "You know, I could clean him up a bit for the ball tonight while you change into the dress in the back." She'd found the perfect dress for her friend, red and silky, with a wide, fluttering skirt, perfect for dancing in a style to match her hair.

"I'm sure he has something in mind." That and he was perfect just the way he was in Hinata's mind. "But if he wants to, sure."

"Something that ISN'T according to the military regulations that he's used to." Ino shakes her head, not believing her friend. "I'll see if I can convince him, I'm sure that I can make a couple of good arguments." She pins up the last few locks of Hinata's hair, looking it over one more time to make sure that everything is in place. She was pretty sure that twenty minutes to do it was some kind of record, but she excelled at doing hair neatly and quickly.

Hinata laughs as she shakes her head. "Good luck." She couldn't see Sasuke going for it, but Ino was welcome to try.

"Alright, now go, the dress is waiting for you!" Ino had picked it out specially for this event. "I can't wait to see you in it." She even had something picked out for her friend's bodyguard, if he was up for blending in properly.

Hinata nods and smiles. "Well I'll go try it on then." With that in mind, she heads into the back of the salon and into the large changing room. There, she found a long red dress with a flowing silk skirt that demanded she wear heels in order not to trip over it, and a simple, embroidered bodice that wrapped over a single shoulder. The opaque silk sashes that fasten to the upper arms would drape towards the floor, giving her an exotic Latin flair.

To say the least, it was rather tricky to get the beautiful dress on without undoing her hair or ripping the delicate fabric. "Maybe I should have put the dress on first." It took her nearly fifteen minutes to slide into the dress, arranging it so that the twists in the skirt didn't overlap and crease when the limousine came for them. She couldn't drive in heels, after all. "Better show Ino." After all, her friend would be able to fix any small mistakes she might have made in dressing.

Hinata returns as Ino is sweeping away a small pile of raven black strands, grinning widely as she sees her friend in the bright red dress. "Told you I could do it!" She points to Sasuke, sitting on the counter, fiddling with the bangs now curving over his cheekbones and over onyx eyes. Ino was quite proud of how she'd re-shaped the spikes, layering them to take away some of the weight and making them stick right out at the back. "He's stubborn, but I can win with logic!"

She blinks and smiles. "Wow. You managed to talk him into it." And somehow he looked even more amazing than usual.

"Yep, just pointed out that since he's your bodyguard, and was going to be accompanying you to such an important event, that he should at least look the part of a stylish, high end party-goer." Ino tilts her head towards the back, catching Sasuke's eye. "I can watch her for two minutes. And I promise that the world is not going to end. So hurry up."

He rolls his eyes and slides off the counter, striding into the back, where Ino claimed to have stashed an 'appropriate outfit' for him to wear. Something to subtly match Hinata. Ino shakes her head, smiling wryly. "Honestly, that guy…if he had his way, it would have been the clippers instead of just a trim." It was a habit that Ino was of the opinion that he break sooner, rather than later. "But at least now he'll look like a proper date, instead of just your bodyguard."

"You're lucky he's going along with it." Hinata shakes her head. "It's not as though you could have forced him, if he wasn't humoring you."

"Like I said, I won with logic. I presented a good case, and he went along with it." Ino tugs slightly on Hinata's dress, straightening it out around the waist and hips. "I do know how to get my way with more than just sex appeal."

It had been logic and not the latter, Hinata thinks to herself. "Well that's good." She really needed to get a grip. The bluenette was getting jealous over Sasuke far too easily.

"Yep, and now, I'm making sure he gets all dressed up for you." Ino giggles, just imagining the look on his face in there. "I think you'll like what I picked out for him. Black and red are definitely good colors for him."

"Well I can't disagree with that." Though Hinata doubted there were many colors that didn't look good on him. "Sasuke, come out. Ino's not going to stop until you do." Except maybe bright colors.

There's a moment of silence, before the door opens, and out steps Sasuke, dressed up in shining black shoes, trousers suitably loose around the knees and calves for ease of movement, and a ruby red dress shirt to match Hinata's dress, covered by a darkly shimmering black vest. He stares at the outfit resignedly. "You people are determined to make me dance, aren't you?"

"Yep!" Ino holds up her two fingers in victory. "I knew you'd look great!"

Hinata blinks at the astonishing transformation. "Well you don't have to, if you don't want to." She blinks again as she takes in the sight of Sasuke dressed up like that. "But she's right, you do look great."

Dark eyes flick to Hinata, and a faint smile crosses Sasuke's face. "Thank you." His eyes take in the dress properly this time. "And you look stunning, Hinata. Red suits you."

"You really think so?" Maybe she should wear it more often then. "I usually stick to lighter colors."

"Yes, you glow in the color." Sasuke found that the other, subdued, lighter colors suited Hinata's shy demeanor. But it was in the bright, vivid colors that she truly shone. "Though I'm sure that you could make any color look tasteful if you wanted to." He grimaces. "Except orange. Never orange."

Hinata smiles at the compliments and laughs at the last part. "Not even on Halloween?" She teases him playfully.

"Not even on Halloween." Sasuke shivers at the thought. "Naruto likes orange more than enough for the rest of the world."

"I'll keep that in mind." She giggles and nods somberly. "No orange."

"Good." Placing a hand at Hinata's waist, and eyeing those heeled shoes, Sasuke guides her slowly towards the door. "It's time to go."

She smiles as she tries to stop giggling. "Alright. Where to next?" It was a strange, but mostly wonderful week so far. Filled with pancakes, makeovers, and Sasuke.

"Well, unless you have more errands to run, I assume that it would be best to arrive early at the Hilton." That, and Sasuke wanted to check out the venue one more time before the actual ball started. "It would probably be in bad taste for the organizer to be late."

"That's true." She smiles as she allows him to lead the way. "Alright. Let's go." After all, Sasuke had a plan in mind.

Keeping his eyes open, Sasuke escorts her outside, opening the door to the waiting limousine, driven by one of her father's agents. Though he found that the fact that it was stocked with alcohol was the root of a plethora of bad ideas. Whoever had thought that alcohol in a car was a good idea was obviously some kind of idiot. "Remind me, how much champagne are you planning on consuming tonight?" It was best to have an idea of that beforehand, so that he could predict her needs.

She tilts her head as she considers it. "I usually only have one or two glasses." Hinata smiles at him. "It wouldn't be good if everyone saw the president's daughter intoxicated."

"Good." Sasuke hadn't been looking forward to dealing with a drunken charge. "Remember to sip slowly, the bubbles make you absorb the alcohol more efficiently. No throwing it back quickly." He closes the door as the vehicle begins to move.

"I always pace myself." Hinata nods at him reassuringly. "You should be more worried about Hanabi when it comes to such things."

"Your sister is Sakura's department." Sasuke smirks at the thought of Hanabi trying to drink too much on Sakura's watch. "She's probably going to try and throw a temper tantrum when Sakura cuts her off, though."

She knew that she shouldn't, but curiosity got the better of her. "Is that what Sakura does with you?" Hinata glances at him. "Keep you in line?"

Sasuke snorts at the thought. "First of all, I know how to hold my liquor. Second, I don't drink as much as Naruto does, I know how to pace myself properly. I also know when to cut myself off. I leave Naruto to Sakura. Besides, I don't drink often enough for it to be a problem."

"Oh I wasn't just referring to liquor." The bluenette laughs. "I meant other things as well."

The SEAL raises an eyebrow, before frowning at her. "…Are you under the impression that she's my girlfriend?" It's what it sounded like to him, but he couldn't be sure.

Damn. She had walked right into that one. "Maybe." That was what his father had implied. "That or you used to date her."

…She knew. "Was it it one of my team who told you, or one of my family?" Those were the only people who had access to Hinata who would be able to tell her about that part of Sasuke's past.

"Sorry. It was none of my business." She blushes, realizing her error. "Never mind, it doesn't matter."

Sasuke watches her, then sighs. "Sometimes. For the most part, we had to handle Naruto, but sometimes she had to rein me in. Sometimes, I was the one holding her back before she hurt herself. Sometimes Naruto was the level-headed one. The situation…well, it didn't really matter. We've just always been like that. When we added Sai, well, it got more chaotic." He couldn't lie to her, he just couldn't do it. "If you know enough to bring it up in the first place, I'm guessing you know the basic story, at least."

She blushes and nods shyly. "Well I didn't exactly get the novel version, but enough to make me curious. I really shouldn't have asked." What was the matter with her?

Great, curious meant that she would wonder. Wondering meant that she would likely concoct all sorts of stories in her head. And if there was anything Sasuke hated, it was people thinking false things about him. "Yes, I was involved with my team for a few years, yes, I am bisexual, no, I am not involved with them anymore, no, I don't plan on getting involved with them again. Does that mean that I hate them? Not at all. I just needed to get out before someone got hurt." He sighs heavily after that torrent of preemptive answers. "Does that answer everything that's bouncing around in your head?"

"That was very thorough..." Hinata blinks as she blushes. "Well all the basic questions yes." She wouldn't even dare ask the not so basic questions.

Oh heavens help him. "And the not so basic questions?" Sasuke was almost afraid to ask, but fear had never stopped him before.

"I shouldn't ask." She shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has a past." Hinata smiles at him. "Yours is just a lot more...colorful."

"Yes…green, pink, blue, yellow, and black." Colorful was putting things mildly, in Sasuke's opinion. "Is that a problem?"

She shakes her head quickly. "No. It surprises me, but what you choose to do in your off time, has no bearing on your work performance."

"Chose to do, I'm not with them anymore…" Sasuke sighs, leaning back in his seat. "And you're right, it has no effect on my performance. Unless it's there to help with team cohesion."

"Yes, it seems you were very...cohesive." She nods and tries to squash her blush. "Anyway, um good to know. You didn't have to tell me any of that of course."

"It was better than having you wondering and cooking up who knows what kinds of explanations in your head." The limousine begins to slow, catching Sasuke's attention. "Besides, it's not top-secret. People just usually don't figure it out too quickly, if they figure it out at all. Anyway, best to clear that up before we're in public."

She nods at that, not sure what else to say. "I guess that's true. Well you can always ask me stuff, if you wanted." It didn't seem right that she knew so much about his personal life, but the reverse wasn't true.

Well, if she insisted. "Do you like to dance?" It was a simple enough question, but relevant to the situation at hand.

"I like to dance. More so in private than public." Hinata smiles at him. " I've gotten more comfortable with dancing in public over the years though. I kinda had to."

"I see." Then it was the same with her, Sasuke could respect that. "That's fine, you're not required to like dancing in front of people who like to judge you." He sure didn't. He much preferred it in private. "But it seems, at least for tonight, that we're both going to have to suck it up."

Speaking of sucking. Sasuke really shouldn't have said that after talking about his Naval Harem. "Well it's for a good cause." Now, Hinata's mind was wandering to places that it shouldn't and sucking was involved.

"Yes." As the limo stops, Sasuke opens the door, offering a hand to Hinata as a view of the hotel is revealed. "Shall we go?"

She nods and takes his hand. "Yes, we shall." Hinata smiles at him as they make their way inside.

The venue for the evening was the International Ballroom, an enormous, oval shaped ballroom with a soaring ceiling, and giant stage along a single wall, and more than ample room for tables to be set up around the cleared center that would serve as the dance floor. It had been designed in a more modern style, but could serve traditional ballroom uses. Which meant that the music would be played from the stage, both live and through the speakers lining the room. And the Latin theme of the event's decorations complemented Hinata's dress perfectly.

"It's always so beautiful here." She looks around in awe. "They really went all out."

"Well, it IS their job." And right now, Sasuke was doing his, visually scanning the entire room to make sure that nothing jumped out at him as suspicious or dangerous. "The guests should be arriving soon. Perhaps your dancing skills will garner you more donations."

She shakes her head and smiles. "I like to think that I'm a good dancer, but I'm not certain my dancing skills have any real impact on donations." It was flattering that he though they did.

Sasuke shrugs. "Rich people throw money at a good show. But I suppose that the good PR is enough for them to make an effort to care. Or at least pretend to."

"Maybe, you're right." She laughs as she leads him to the dance floor. "Though it surprises me that you don't consider yourself a rich person?"

"Because I'm not?" Was that a trick question? Sasuke wasn't entirely sure as she pulls him along. "I'm stable, but I wouldn't say I'm rich. My parents are another story. Itachi is pretty well-off himself, but the only thing I have from my parents is a place to stay, and a small inheritance squirreled away with the rest of my navy salary."

"Well you're better off than most." As the music begins, she draws him into dancing with her, admiring the way he looked in his outfit. "And you could have been rich, if you wanted. You could have gone into politics like Itachi, but you chose a more risky form of service to your country instead." Hinata smiles at him. "That's very admirable."

Sasuke's right hand takes her left, his own left falling to her waist as the music rises in a traditional waltz. "I'm just starting where my father did. I'm not a fan of politics." He steps back, drawing her into the three-step pattern of the waltz as other couples move onto the dance floor to join them. He leans in close to her ear, taking a closer, more traditional dance position. "Besides, it's all just a bunch of old men, arguing over which outdated traditions to keep, while my brother and your cousin plan a much-needed hostile takeover of Congress."

"That's not entirely true." Hinata giggles. "There are some women in there now as well." Like Mei. The cougar who was currently eyeing a red head by a punch bowl.

"Yes, I suppose there are." Amusement dances in Sasuke's eyes as he takes in the sight of Gaara, blushing under the attention of the female senator. "Maybe we should advise Itachi and Neji to include her in their plans. If they haven't already moved in."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea." Hinata smiles as she watches Gaara. Oh boy. That poor unsuspecting red head. "Though they've probably already approached her."

"Now I have to wonder just how far their network extends." Sasuke smirks at the thought. "Probably a lot further and deeper than anyone suspects, if I know my big brother. He got his sneaky genes from Mom."

She laughs at that thought. "And you got your dancing genes from your mother, I take it?" It was fun to tease him.

A scarlet stain extends across Sasuke's cheekbones. "I…don't know…probably…" So, as the music changes to a faster measure, he twirls her around, pressing her back to his chest, supporting one of her hands as he wraps his free arm around her waist. He's careful to avoid her heels, though. "I know that it's kind of…feminine, but I'm just good at it, I guess."

"Well you know that they say you can tell a lot about someone by how they dance." She smiles as she twirls around with him. "So really, you shouldn't be so embarrassed about it."

"Is that so?" He coaxes her forward a large step, turning them around again as he presses her close to him, always aware of where the closest sets of partners are on the dance floor. "Then what does mine tell you?"

"I probably shouldn't say." She blushes and shakes her head as she's pressed rather intimately against him. "Ino's a bad influence on me, I suppose."

"Oh really?" That was…interesting. Not quite what he expected, since this was still pretty tame. "This is nothing, actually. You should see my tango."

She resists the impulse to snuggle against him. "I'm sure that it's marvelous." And he'd probably never speak to her again, if she used Ino Psychology on him.

From a distance, Fugaku smirks at the sight of his son. "I told you that the boy could dance." Though he was fairly certain that Hiashi was rather scandalized by the lightly intimate position.

"Yes, you were right." Hiashi was too young to be a grandfather! "Well...she seems to appreciate his dancing skills. I think it's safe to allow our wives to meddle, as they're undoubtedly going to do now."

The director chuckles at the sight of the President's aghast expression. "You know, Hiashi, at your age, you should try to relax a little, otherwise you'll give yourself a heart attack."

Hiashi shakes his head. "Oh I relax plenty. Emiko and I are going on a second Honeymoon once whoever sent those would be assassins after us are dealt with." They were going to Paris actually. Maybe, this time they would see more sights than just their hotel room. It had been a lovely hotel room though...

"Ah, a good idea." Fugaku could just see the possibilities. "I'm sure that Mikoto will be bothering me about going on a third after hearing about that."

As guests fill the ballroom to the brim, Fugaku spots a familiar, though unexpected face. And frankly, one he was not too fond of. "Senator Shimura, I wasn't expecting you to attend this evening." Or any evening, considering what a stubborn stick in the mud this ancient man was. If a policy put forward was outdated, Danzo was usually behind it. And he caused Itachi no small amount of irritation in Congress.

"Well it is for a good cause." Danzo smiles at him. "Who can resist helping helping needy children?" He chuckles at the thought, trying to play the part of the kindly grandfather at least outside the Senate.

Danzo, for one. Fugaku didn't buy the whole act the old man was putting on. He never did. But he would play ice, since they were in public. "Of course. I've seen firsthand the kind of problems that need solving. And this sort of benefit is the second step in accomplishing that."

He nods in understanding. "Is that your younger boy over there?" Hopefully, the brat was more respectful than his elder brother.

"Yes, that is Sasuke." Fugaku's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "He and his friends have recently returned from a tour overseas, so we thought to bring him to the charity ball."

"Ah I see." Military then. Hmm. "Well that's nice. He seems to be rather enjoying himself." Sai was with Sasuke's division, wasn't he?

"Yes, he is." And Fugaku would see that it stayed that way. "But forgive him if he does not approach you, he's not fond of politicians." Maybe that would help to ward off Danzo's curiosity.

"How very odd considering his brother is a Senator." He chuckles.

The director nods. "Those two have their fair share of arguments. But I believe it is because of his brother's more progressive views, that Sasuke only takes it with a pinch of salt instead of the entire bag."

Interesting. Well, maybe Sasuke would be less annoying overall then. "I see. Well I wouldn't worry about such things." He smiles. "Brothers fight sometimes. It's only natural."

"Yes, they do. Luckily, they refrain from hurting each other. It is only play, after all, I wouldn't allow them to fight seriously." Perhaps it was time to change the subject. "Though I heard from Itachi that you were going to push for another term? Is that wise? In your position, I would have long since retired with a sizable pension with which to enjoy my golden years."

"Golden years, I believe you're around sixty years of age yourself." Danzo rolls his eyes at the suggestion. "No. There's still more than I can do." He had lived a long and productive life, but not nearly as productive as he wanted. He would make sure to go out with a bang. With a legacy. "Thank you for your concern though."

Fugaku was hardly the one pushing eighty. "Of course there is." Plenty that he could do to make Itachi's job a lot harder. Then again, perhaps his son would rise to the occasion and use Danzo's attempts at policy in order to raise himself up. Fugaku looked forward to that day with great anticipation.

A throat clears behind Danzo, that of one Itachi Uchiha, flanked by Neji Hyuga, and one very silent, almost invisible Sai Shimura. "Father, Mother was looking for you, it seems that she and the First Lady are up to something. I didn't dare ask what." Though he was fairly certain that it had something to do with the fact that his little brother had only just taken his new lady off the dance floor to get some food and let the girl's poor feet rest.

"Of course she's looking for me." Fugaku shakes his head, shooting Danzo another slightly suspicious look. "Have a good evening, Senator."

"And you as well." Danzo nods at him politely. "Best not to keep your wife waiting too long." The man had to be insane to have married someone who used to work as a CIA interrogator.

As Fugaku makes his exit, and Neji edges away to speak quietly with his uncle, Itachi keeps a cold gaze focused on Danzo. "It seems that you're taking an interest in my little brother, Danzo."

"Well he is part of a dynasty of sorts." He chuckles at the thought. "Shame has no interest in politics."

"None, though I did try to convince him. He simply insisted on emulating our father, and joined the navy instead. After all, it is something of a military dynasty. I decided to be the black sheep." Itachi didn't like the way that Danzo had looked at Sasuke. "A word of advice. Trying to gain his support in anything is futile. I suppose that one could argue that he was too smart to go into politics."

He chuckles at that. "I believe you just indirectly insulted yourself." As if Danzo was going to follow for that trick. The Humble Trick. "Though I shall keep that in mind." He had practically invented it.

"See that you do." Itachi's gaze never wavers, and never grows any warmer. "Sai, let's go collect Neji before he gets swept away from Hiashi by ladies wanting to dance with him."

"Of course." Sai tries his best not to snicker at that. "I shall rescue our fair prince!" Itachi was so jealous, he thinks to himself as he toddles off to get Neji.

Itachi notes the way that Danzo's eyes follow Sai, and he frowns again. "Once more, I find it astonishing that you and Sai are related when the two of you are nothing alike." Sai, Itachi could tolerate, even like. The man was loyal and intelligent, and a good friend, among other things, to Sasuke. Danzo, on the other hand…was a disloyal, treacherous snake who would just as soon help you to suit his own purposes as stab you in the back.

"He is my grandson." Danzo shakes his head in amusement. "Not my clone." Though the boy did have many talents. It was unfortunate that he refused to use them wisely.

"Thank goodness for that. I wouldn't let him near Sasuke, otherwise." Itachi had never made any secret of his distaste for Danzo, and he wasn't going to start now. Of course it was never physical, not in the slightest, but he was not above insulting the man if he was so inclined. And the way Danzo looked at his baby brother…well, it made him very inclined to stand opposite Danzo.

Danzo couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes. "Charming as always, Senator Uchiha." No matter. He would be dead soon enough.

"I try." With a very slight glare, Itachi turns away from the ageing senator to rejoin Sai and Neji. Something had always rubbed him the wrong way about Danzo. The look in the man's eyes was blatantly predatory. Something was very, very wrong.