Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto and its characters; I also don't own His Stand in Bride by Michelle Styles which is the inspiration for this story. Any events written in the story that is similar to real life events is purely coincidental. This is not Beta'd yet.
Chapter XVIII:
The following day, Sasuke paid for Hinata's bill at the inn and they resumed their journey according to their itinerary. As they were walking in the forest both of them felt chakra from a lot of people who have been following them since they left the town where they met again. Stopping in their tracks Sasuke urged Hinata to use her byakugan to scan the area and have a vantage point advantage among their trackers.
"How many?" Sasuke asked gripping into the hilt of his katana tightly.
"A dozen probably or could be more." Hinata replied whose byakugan is activated holding kunai on both of her hands.
"Prepare yourself for any sudden attack anytime now." Sasuke warned and activated his sharingan.
As she was told, Hinata was in her gentle fist form.
"Did the two of you really think that I will just let you leave in peace?" A man appeared among the bushes carrying a katana with him.
"You again?" Sasuke asked who remembered him as the gambling den operator.
"Indeed, you killed 3 of my men and for that you and your wife will be punished!"
As if on cue the rest of his men who are 20 in number appeared with murder intent on their bloodshot eyes.
"Hinata chan be careful." Sasuke said before lunging on his opponents.
Sasuke didn't bother summoning up susanoo for it will be a quick fight for him and being stagnant since the era of peace he missed the action of decapitating someone with his bare hands rather than relying on his jutsus. He slashed one man after another although they have strength and speed with them it was not enough to kill him. His eyes kept on darting back and forth from his opponents to his wife who was handling herself quite well as she uses her clan's signature stance, he made a mental note to his mind that he'll be focusing on training Hinata in utilizing her own strength and speed in fights rather than relying on her jutsu alone.
"Damn it, he's indeed strong." The gambling den operator said as he watches his men bleeding so bad one after another. "If he's so strong then I'll be targeting his wife instead."
The operator lunged at Hinata who easily tossed him away with her air palm knocking the air out of his lungs upon impact. Sasuke was just done finishing his opponents when he saw her wife easily tossed the bastard away sheathing his katana back to the scabbard he reached for her.
"Are you feeling hurt?" He asked concernedly.
"No how about you Sasuke kun…you were facing against almost all of them." She said while catching her breath.
"I'm fine I just reek of blood after slashing them. You fared well against them also especially the operator's sudden attack at you."
"Hai, with my byakugan I can see almost everything that's why I saw him about to attack me from the side." She said proudly that the legendary Uchiha Sasuke praised her.
"We should pick our pace now Hinata chan for there could be reinforcements coming our way and I am in need of a bath as soon as possible, I can't parade around people with the stench of blood in me." He said placing his bag over his shoulder.
Hinata nodded and carried her bag as well and followed Sasuke. Upon reaching a river Sasuke removed his clothes leaving only his boxers before dipping in the cold water while Hinata gathered his clothing.
"Don't bother, I'll clean them myself." Sasuke said noticing Hinata gather his clothes to wash herself.
"It's alright I use to clean the clothes of Shino and Kiba before when we are on missions." Hinata said smiling as she started to wash Sasuke's clothes.
"You clean those bastards' clothes before?" He asked in a slightly raised voice, anger rising in him at the thought of Hinata washing another man's clothes.
"Hai, I offered to do it they didn't ask me to wash for them I just did it for them." She returned to in defense of her teammates.
Sasuke grunted and dived in the water to catch a fish for them to eat for lunch, as a husband it's his duty to serve his wife who willingly washed his clothes. He was able to catch 2 big fishes and started a fire to cook it, when it was done he called for her who was hanging his clothes by the big rocks along the river to dry.
"Hinata chan I made us lunch, why don't you stop what you are doing and join me here."
"Hai." Hinata replied and walked to where Sasuke was and blushed upon seeing Sasuke half naked in only his boxers it was only the second time he saw his body for he always sleeps with a shirt. She noticed his well defined body decorated with various scars which are proof of his hard work to become a powerful shinobi.
Her ministration did not go unnoticed by Sasuke who smirked and teased her, "I know my body is mouth watering and all but you my wife should get use to it for you'll be seeing it regularly and someday you'll be seeing all of it."
If it was possible Hinata turned redder like a ripe tomato and turned her back on him to eat without looking at him. Sasuke laughed and proceeded to eat his fish, after eating and replenishing their water containers and his clothes are already dry they resumed walking. However as Sasuke checked the map, he noticed that the private hot spring resort is in a town next to the village of Suna.
"We are changing our itinerary a bit."
"Why is there anything wrong Sasuke kun?"
"Nothing really it's just that Suna is nearer from our current location than to the private hot spring resort."
It was late afternoon when they reached Suna and upon arriving at the gate of Suna they were halted by a Suna shinobi guard.
"Who are you two and what business do you have here in Suna?"
"We are to visit kazekage sama, my husband and I are here upon his request of us to visit him" Hinata answered.
"Who are you two so I can send message to kazekage sama and ask him if he indeed invited you."
"Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hinata."
The shinobi guard nodded and disappeared to convey the message to Gaara, Gaara was currently reading scrolls in his office when the shinobi guard arrived.
"Excuse me kazekage sama for interrupting but there's a husband and wife at the gate asking for entrance in our village they specifically told me that you requested them to visit you."
"Who are they and what do they look like?"
"They told me their names are Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hinata and they look like shinobi and looking at their forehead protectors they are from Konoha."
Gaara dropped the scroll he was reading, "Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hinata? But how did that happen?"
"Is there anything wrong kazekage sama?"
"No let them in and lead them here and before doing that call Temari here."
The shinobi guard bowed and left. Not long after Temari arrived in Gaara's office.
"You called for me?"
"Yes I need you to prepare a banquet for dinner and to prepare one our guests rooms we are having visitors tonight."
"Who are they if you don't mind me asking?"
"Uchiha and Hinata san. Apparently Hinata san married Uchiha not Naruto."
Temari with a surprised look on her face asked, "But how did that happen isn't she supposed to be marrying Naruto which we are not able to attend because of some internal matters we need to tend to? And didn't the shinobi we sent said he attended the wedding himself?"
"Yes but he wasn't able to report back to us that it was the Uchiha she married, anyway since they are going to stay here we are going to get our answers from them."
Outside the Suna gate
"You are both allowed to enter our village and our kazekage seeks your presence in his office."
"About time it's getting cold in here."
Hinata nudged Sasuke's arm and mouthed the word "behave".
As they were walking Hinata can't help but feel amazed at how much Suna changed since the last time she visited there with Naruto but again frowned upon remembering him.
"Anything wrong?" Sasuke asked.
'No." She lied.
"You are not a good liar you know for your eyes speak the truth."
"It's just that the last time I was here Naruto kun was with me."
Out of instinct and jealousy Sasuke held into Hinata's hand, "Will you do me a favor and stop referring the bastard as Naruto kun for I don't want you to call any other male with a kun except for me."
Hinata blinked at Sasuke's words but didn't push herself to ask him why for she can ask about it later when they are alone.
"We are here at kazekage sama's office." The shinobi guard announced and knocked into Gaara's office before opening the door and left.
Sasuke and Hinata entered the office and closed the door, their intertwined hands didn't go unnoticed by Gaara who glared at Sasuke.
"Gaara sama we are glad you invited us here in your village, and hi Temari san it's been long since we last saw each other." Hinata said to ease the tension among the two males.
"Same here Hinata san." Temari replied
"If I remember correctly I invited you Hinata san and Naruto here to give my wedding gift for you, not Uchiha and you Hinata san." Gaara replied his eyes never leaving the Uchiha.
"I don't mean to sound rude but the baka was not man enough to marry Hinata chan so I married her instead isn't that right hime?" He asked looking deeply into Hinata's eyes.
Hinata was surprised when Sasuke called her hime while looking into her eyes.
"That still doesn't answer anything for Hinata san is dating Naruto not you." Gaara again returned.
Sasuke was about to answer but Hinata answered Gaara, "Yes it was Naruto who's dating me but a night before our wedding he slept with Sakura whom he was in love that's why he ditched our wedding and that is when Sasuke kun proposed to marry me to save my name, that is why Sasuke kun and I got married."
Hinata was again in tears for the wound in her heart caused by Naruto is still fresh, Sasuke who isn't a showy kind of person placed his right hand that is holding Hinata's hand from her hand to her shoulders and pulled her towards him to cry on his chest.
Temari who saw what Sasuke did and heard what Hinata said can't help but feel sorry for Hinata and at the same time happy that the avenger is always there to catch her tears. She never thought that someone with the reputation of Sasuke will be able to show this kind of emotions not only in front of Hinata but to other people as well.
Gaara sighed and felt nothing but anger towards his friend Naruto for what he did for someone like Hinata. He also felt envy at the Uchiha avenger who was there for her if he knew about Naruto's stupidity he would also offer to marry Hinata.
"Hinata chan it's alright you can stop crying now." Sasuke whispered into Hinata's ear for it always hurt him to see his wife crying especially about the dobe.
"Hinata san, I'm sorry for what happened but seeing how things changed my offer stays and you and Uchiha can stay here in my village where you will be treated as valued guests as a gift for your wedding."
"Thank you Gaara san." Hinata said after wiping her tear soaked eyes.
"Why don't you two rest for a while in the room prepared for both of you as we wait for dinner?"
Sasuke replied with a hn and followed Temari along with Hinata whose hand was being held by him.
"What did you do Naruto?" Gaara asked to himself.
In Konoha
Sakura was doing her rounds in the Konoha Medical Center when she suddenly fainted, Ino who was doing her rounds as well saw her.
"Sakura?"
Ino immediately approached Sakura and checked her pulse and upon feeling her strong purse she asked for some help to carry Sakura to the emergency room to be checked at. Tsunade was on duty in the emergency room when they arrived.
"What happened Ino?" Tsunade asked who began checking at Sakura.
"I don't know she suddenly fainted while we are doing our rounds." Ino replied.
Tsunade noticed a strong almost double pulse rate in Sakura, "Prepare a full nutrition fluid and regulate it at 25 drops per minute to be administered immediately and prepare a pregnancy test as well."
"Pregnancy test?" Ino asked as she immediately prepared the things needed by Tsunade.
Author's Note: Thanks for the favorites, follows, reviews. Next chapter you'll be seeing more Sasuke-Hinata-Gaara, and what do you think about Sakura's pregnancy will Naruto forgive her easily? I'm still thinking about how to make Sasuke jealous and will write the scene suggested by a reviewer, if you have any more suggestions and scene requests except for love scenes for we have a long way to go before that happens kindly leave in a review.