CCNote: Thank you so much to everyone who has read up to this point. It's been a time, hasn't it? I really hope that you enjoyed this little experiment of mine and that you feel inspired to write your own little challenge. If you want to read longer plot oriented stories from me there are a few completed fics on my profile page. Now I'm going to go back to working on 'For the Love of You' which will be updated sometime next week. 'Being an Uchiha' will resume AFTER 'Love' is completed. Also for the first time ever I'll be answering questions openly now that the story is complete. Feel free to ask away and vent about the 50plus chapters you've read so far. I'll post a special chapter explaining my reasoning after this just to answer everyone.
ANYWAY whether you've reviewed every chapter or have been lurking for the last 57. If you speak English or don't. If you're a troll of a stan. Don't forget to REVIEW! Please enjoy this epilogue and thanks again for reading! Until next time!
Epilogue
The day he returned to the village it was jarring to see how much had changed. The streets were wider and unfamiliarly named. Buildings stretched higher and advertisements seemed to obnoxiously gain purchase on every surface. With the influx of foreign people milling through the gate it was easier for him to slip through and enter without formally announcing his presence. The lack of security was concerning to him though that might be due to being on edge constantly for the last five years.
This lax attitude was the product of an extended peace. It was a peace that they enjoyed through battles they knew nothing about. Sasuke adjusted his cloak and continued to make his way through the bustling streets, relishing the fact that he hadn't come across anyone that would recognize him. Lowering his hood, he pulled out the small note that Kakashi had sent in his last directive for him to return to Konoha upon the completion of his latest mission. The note was scrawled in a childishly rushed way that only Naruto could manage but it was still legible if one were to squint. After five years one would have thought he would have better penmanship especially if he was gunning to take Kakashi's place.
"Idiot." He mumbled under his breath, but the insult lacked the bite it used to have. That idiot would be leading the village.
It took nearly an hour of walking around in circles to find the address to the house. When he did he couldn't help but snort at the atrociously painted mailbox with the name 'Uzumaki' written on the side. It was a horrible bright orange color riddled with small, multicolored handprints and looked like the work of a drunk child. Only Naruto would allow such a monstrosity.
Turning away from the mailbox, he noted that instead of one floor there were two. It made sense that after five years they had a larger house. Naruto had said he wanted a family, they couldn't raise a child in the small house he and Hinata had previously shared no matter how tidy she kept it. At the thought of Hinata, his heart did a not so subtle flip.
One would have assumed with the time that had passed he wouldn't be looking forward to seeing her as much as he did. How much had she changed over the years? Was she happy? He had many chances to return and see how things had shifted but he'd always refrained from doing so. He had many excuses as to why he couldn't attend the weddings and reunions of his fellow shinobi.
He was too busy…
He was too far away…
He accidentally on purpose lost the scrolls written to him in Sakura or Naruto's handwriting…
There were a million excuses. He'd always been good at making up excuses but now he'd run out of them…
Shaking his head, he made his way up the small path to the front door and rang the doorbell. It took a moment, but he eventually heard a loud thud on the other side of the door. There was a bit odd jiggling of the doorknob but when the front door finally opened it wasn't an adult on the other side to greet him. Instead there stood there stood a three-year-old in frog patterned pajamas staring back at him. Bright blue eyes stared up at him, his small mouth slightly open as he tilted his head back. Messy blonde hair and faint whiskers completed the visage and Sasuke would have pinched his other arm if he had one.
"Hey! Don't open the door for strangers! What if-" a voice shouted from around the corner, pausing in their tracks as soon as they took in the sight of him.
Sakura stared at him wide-eyed with a small brush in one hand that was likely meant to tame the toddler's wild hair and her other hand resting atop a small bump underneath her apron. The little boy immediately ran behind her legs but kept a close eye on him from his safe place. She placed a hand on his head and gently pushed him away down the hall.
"Go get your dad." She said, her voice distant as she tried to get over the shock of seeing him again.
The boy was hesitant to leave her at first but eventually did as she requested. As soon as he was gone, Sasuke stepped into the entryway, his throat unexpectedly tight.
"Sasuke." She said, her lips finally spreading into a genuine smile. "It's been awhile."
"It has."
...
"That will be all for today."
"Thank you Hinata-sama."
The elders bowed low before her as she stood to leave the room and she returned their respect with a bow of her own. It wasn't nearly as deep as she should have bowed nor for as long but it was merely one meeting preceding a long day to come. The last few months had been hectic with preparations for Hanabi's wedding and she wanted nothing more than to get away from the incessant talk of table runners and flower coordinating.
What she needed now was a nap but she knew that wasn't going to be possible. She still had a council meeting to attend but before that, she was to meet with a never-ending barrage of suitors. Hinata scrunched up her nose at the thought as she slowly walked through the halls of the compound. Suitors seemed to sprout from the woodwork since word had spread to clans outside of the village that she wasn't marrying Naruto. They at least had the decency to not sniff around aggressively until Naruto and Sakura got married but after that they were incessant.
Everyone knew that Hyuuga Hiashi only had two daughters and since she was reinstated as heiress anyone that married her would be the head of the Hyuuga. It was a lofty title one didn't often give to outsiders. What none of them knew was that she had no intention of remaining the Hyuuga Head. Once Hanabi was married she would abdicate her power and step down. Since she was marrying within the clan there was no need to worry about outside loyalties or the byakugan becoming watered down.
'And' Hinata thought as she slid open a door to step out into her garden. 'Hanabi will be an excellent Head.'
Hanabi would step into the role flawlessly and after the ascension, she might be able to get that nap she was longing for. It would, unfortunately, be at least a year or two before that could happen. Hanabi still needed to be trained in areas that did not involve physical fighting and it wouldn't be fair to mount the responsibility of Head on her shoulders so soon after she was married.
Sighing at the prospects before her, Hinata left her shoes on the porch and stepped down into the garden, relishing the shock of the cold fall grass between her toes. Sometimes she missed the easier days of when she intended to become an Uzumaki. She had a lot more free time then but now wasn't so bad. She felt useful, fulfilled. It was a wonderful feeling but there was something missing. If she dwelled on it too long at night she could put a name to the feeling but she always brushed it aside. There was always more to think about. More to do. There were a million reasons why…she was good at coming up with more…but now…
Now Hanabi's wedding was coming right around the corner. She had to start thinking about what to do after she stepped down. She could go back to being a full-time kunoichi. That had been thrilling for the year that she'd done it. Before her father took ill and she needed to step into his place. Without being able to rely on her childhood teammates to always look after her, missions took on a new edge and pushed her to limits she never thought possible….
A large part of her missed the adventure of it all. It was more fast-paced than her life in Konoha but once again, when the sunset and the stars dotted the sky, there was still something that was missing. Hinata let out another sigh she lowered herself onto a stone bench in the garden and closed her eyes. Sitting alone wasn't as peaceful as sitting with another. She'd lean into his side and he'd pretend he didn't know she was sleeping. She missed that feeling.
"Hinata-sama." A voice called from behind her but she didn't turn to open her eyes. She just needed one more moment of solitude before yet another thing was asked of her. "You have a visitor."
Inwardly she cringed. She could only hope that it wasn't one of the many suitors she was supposed to meet with later. They had a tendency to come early. If it was she wasn't in the mood to deal with their empty platitudes. As diplomatically as she could, she swallowed her disdain and stood up.
"You didn't have to stand for me." A deep voice said, the tenor of which sent a shiver down her spine.
She turned on her heel, astounded to hear a voice that she hadn't in so long. Sasuke smirked at her as he stepped down into the garden and lazily made his way over to where she stood. He sat on the bench she'd just risen from and cocked an eyebrow at her. It was a familiar expression. Teasing. Arrogant. Seeing it reemerge as something more substantial than a mere daydream made her heart stop beating.
"Are you going to just stand there?"
At his jab, her entire face turned red, something she hadn't done in years. It didn't help that the way he was looking at her made her feel uncomfortable. A bit of eye contact was normal but he was staring. Clearing her throat she tried to ignore the way her cheeks burned.
"Uchiha-san, you're back." She said and Sasuke let out a short snort.
"Uchiha-san?" he replied incredulously. "Is that how you greet me?"
...
Naruto and Sakura had told him that she had returned to living at the Hyuuga compound the same night he left Konoha though they didn't give him many details as to why. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out what had transpired between them. The two had been dancing around one another for years it was just a shame that another person had gotten caught up in their idiocy. They still spoke of her fondly though. Naruto was proud that she'd become the Hyuuga Head while his son affectionately referred to her as his 'aunt'.
When he'd arrived at the Hyuuga compound he wasn't sure what to expect of the situation but it certainly wasn't this. It was strange being in her presence after so many years had passed. She was still the same woman she had been when he first met her. The same woman that crouched outside of convenience stores and spoke with a voice one had to make a point to listen to. He'd almost forgotten how soft her voice was. How much she thought about her words before they were uttered. How her brows scrunched together when she was thinking too hard and she bit her bottom lip when she was nervous.
She was the same and yet she wasn't.
Her back was straighter. Although she thought carefully about what she wanted to say, she spoke with a confidence that was foreign to him. She averted his gaze from time to time but when her eyes caught his it made the world pause for just a moment. She would forget what she wanted to say and he couldn't come up with a response. Speaking to her used to be so easy but now…now he was nervous and he had never ever been nervous in front of a girl before.
Then again, Hyuuga Hinata was not a girl. Although she wore a simple black kimono and dark purple haori, he could tell that she was every bit the definition of a woman. His eyes dipped from hers down to pink lips and even further to a pale, slender neck. The sight of which made him swallow uncomfortably and look away. Grasping at straws for what to say, he spotted the Hyuuga crest embroidered proudly on either side of the front of her haori.
"So you are now the Hyuuga Head." He said, inwardly surprised that she accepted the role of her birthright.
That had not been the path he'd imagined she would take. This morning at the Uzumaki household he'd witnessed a house full of toys and noise and laughter. That was the life he imagined she would have. That was the life he wanted her to have. She smiled at him, a knowing look in her eyes as she tugged at the sleeves of the haori.
"I'm only the acting head for now. After Hanabi's wedding, I'll be stepping down and giving her control."
"And then?"
"And then what?"
Sasuke shrugged, pretending not to care what her plans were from that point forward. Her eyes narrowed at him, suspicious of his nonchalance as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
Her cheeks puffed out in frustration and though he knew he was getting on nerves he couldn't help but think how cute she looked.
"How long are you staying in Konoha?" she asked.
There was an edge of anxiety in her voice though she did well to conceal it. She had changed a lot but there were still quirks in her demeanor that he could pick up. Taking pity on her, he ran his fingers through his hair and answered as honestly as he could.
"I don't know."
The answer didn't satisfy her. Her shoulders slumped slightly and her brows knitted together but he had nothing more to give her. He honestly didn't know how long he'd stay before Kakashi sent him out again.
"Before…at the academy….you were angry with me." She said and Sasuke chuckled.
"You remember that?"
"Of course I do!" she said, rising quickly off the bench as if she'd been pricked. "You never spoke to me again. I don't even know what I did wrong!"
She stood before him with fists clenched and a fire in her eyes. She wasn't angry but she certainly wanted answers. Standing up from the bench he towered over her small frame but she didn't back down at all. Instead, she squared her shoulders and stared back defiantly at him.
Sasuke took a step closer. She didn't step away. He smirked and lifted her chin just a little bit higher. She acted confident- as if she was in control…. However, the way her cheeks lit up at a simple touch told him otherwise. When he leaned down he could hear a small breath catch in her throat.
"That day…" he started, the memory of the classroom still fresh in his mind. "I was going to kiss you."
He'd wanted to kiss her well before then.
When she cried.
When she smiled.
Too angry to speak…
Fingers coated in sticky rice…
Drunk in the middle of the training grounds…
"But you didn't."
Sasuke shook his head and smirked.
"I didn't."
"Why?"
"You were supposed to be getting married."
"I was."
She was teasing him, luring him closer with her eyes and she didn't even realize it. She was oblivious which was the root of all their problems.
"Um…Hinata-sama." A nervous voice called from the covered walkway. "Inari-san is here."
Sasuke didn't step away, he wasn't done with her just yet, but he did look up to see a frantic branch member tugging on the edge of their kimono's sleeves. Behind them, a short brunette man stared at them slack-jawed with a bouquet of roses. Who the hell was this? Without meaning to, his Sharingan flared to life and he analyzed the man and his frightened, jerky movements. He was a civilian and weak. What the hell was he doing here requesting Hinata's audience with flowers?
His disgust must have been evident because the man named Inari looked as if he were on the verge of pissing his pants.
"I-I-I'll come back a-another time!" he sputtered before turning back into the house.
The nervous branch member chased after him, unwilling to remain in the Uchiha's presence for much longer than necessary. Satisfied, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan only to find pale lavender eyes full of confusion staring back at him.
...
"Why did you do that?"
He stared back at her blankly as if the answer were obvious. It wasn't but he was arrogant enough to think so. Frowning, she looked away from him and debated whether or not she should go after Inari. It would reflect poorly on their clan if he chose to spread rumors of a threatening Uchiha. She should go after him but she didn't. The thought of Sasuke disappearing again kept her grounded despite her irritation with him at the moment. Her curiosity outweighed her moral obligations…or at least that was her own reasoning.
Curiosity...only curiosity...
"Sasuke…" she said. "Why did you leave?"
"There were things I needed to take care of."
"That's not a good explanation. You didn't even say goodbye."
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him smirk and the sight made her cheeks flush again, her heart rate picking up to pace it had been before they were interrupted. To a pace that felt familiar five years ago when she'd been ignorant enough to think it was only excitement. In a way it was but her heart hadn't beat like this since then. Nervously she turned to look up at him fully and tugged on the edge of his black cloak.
"Next time…will you say goodbye?"
She didn't want him to go. He'd only just arrived but she was already mentally preparing for him to leave again. Sasuke looked down at her, his smirk fading away as a seriousness overtook him.
"Hinata-"
"Hinata-sama. Shibata-sama would like to-" a branch member called from the walkway. Their interruption this time was not met with a Sharingan but their own blood limit.
"Please tell Shibata-san I will not meet him today." She said firmly and the branch member nodded before scurrying away.
When she turned back to Sasuke the air of seriousness had not left his features. Instead, his frown deepened and he took a step away from her.
"You have many suitors."
Hinata cringed at the statement even though she knew it to be true.
"They are only interested in becoming the leader of the Hyuuga through me."
"I'm sure there are one or two that have caught your eye."
"As the Hyuuga Head I will not subject myself to the platitudes of-" she started to admonish such a far-fetched claim but Sasuke didn't look as if he were joking.
He was serious and if he was serious that meant he was probing her for answers. The only reason he'd do that was if he cared what her answer might be one way or the other. Blushing she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and shook her head. Warm fingers cupped her chin, tilting it up once more to look at him directly.
"Good."
That was the only thing he said before his lips descended upon hers. It was surprising how warm it felt when he kissed her. Soft and unsure despite the confidence he preferred to exude. Sasuke had never been as tough as he portrayed himself to be. When he pulled away from her, she was left frozen and at a loss. Dissatisfied, she stood on her toes and leaned up as far as she could go. He met her halfway, an amused smirk on his lips, and kissed her harder than before.
There was so much she didn't know about Uchiha Sasuke, so much that he would never reveal to anyone.
She respected that. His past was important but it no longer tied down the man standing before her. The man whose hand moved to press against the small of her back to bring her closer.
He kissed her as if he missed her. As if he'd kissed her a thousand times before despite it being their first.
There was a lot they needed to figure out….so much that still needed to be said.
When they separated a second time it was only for air since words were impossible to form. They had time to talk later. What they should do….what would happen after this kiss that took her breath away.
'But this…' she thought as she opened her mouth to accept him further. 'Is as good a starting point as any.'
They could figure out the rest from here…
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
CCNote: Did you really think I'd leave you there without a lemon? You've waited 57 got dang chapters! (Skip to leave a review if you don't like lemons) Don't me about the creative license I'm taking with this shameless lemon.
She wasn't going to allow him to stay anywhere that wasn't up to her own standards during his stay in the village. It would reflect poorly upon the Hyuuga clan to have a close ally stay in a cheap motel. There was the option of staying with Naruto and Sakura in their spare guest room but their little boy was mischievous and sleeping around him was a dangerous endeavor. An album full of facial drawings on unsuspecting house guests- proudly shared by Naruto himself- kept Sasuke from ever taking them up on the offer. The Kazekage and Raikage were both crown jewels in the album. He was not about to allow his photo to join their ranks.
She wasn't going to let him stay there even if he wanted to.
Naruto and Sakura lived within a stone's throw of the Hokage tower which was much too far from the Hyuuga compound. He'd been away for five years, she didn't want him to be further than across the hall. She didn't say that though. She was just being a good host.
So he stayed in one of the compound's guest houses that they specifically had cornered off for the clan heads of other villages. It wasn't in use at the moment- they barely used it anyway. Sasuke also seemed to like the fact that he was far enough away from the prying eyes of the main and branch houses that it felt as if he had some semblance of privacy. This was how she justified her reasoning. No one questioned her either even though she could have sworn the elders raised their eyebrows skeptically behind her back.
It only took a week after Sasuke had been settled into the compound before word got out in the village that the last Uchiha was in their midst. Within that same time, her suitors suspiciously dried up. If the Uchiha had come to stake his claim on the elusive Head the rest of them didn't stand a chance. If they tried they might have been able to find some purchase…at least according to the shopkeepers and gossip mongers around the village.
She'd grown accustomed to rumors being spread about her among the general population. The lives of the those within clans was always a topic of discussion since secrecy was the breeding grounds for outsider's imaginations.
She was a prude that couldn't handle a man…
He was a womanizer with bastards that dotted the five great nations…
If anyone were to place their bets on the outcome of their relationship, the odds were in favor of him searching for other prey. Her own clan whispered about them in the hallways. Their suspicions mounting as one week turned into another. Once he was able to find an apartment of his own the whispers died down but not by much. Hanabi knew the full extent of their relationship but pretended to be naive because she enjoyed the gossip. However, it wasn't like they were purposefully keeping their relationship a secret. They just weren't the type to shout it to the world. It was something that only needed to be defined between themselves and she didn't want to justify it to others.
Although…
She couldn't deny that moments like now, with him, skillfully balanced outside her window, that she had to be honest. The unintended secrecy of it all only added to her enjoyment.
With a practiced grace, she unlocked the window to her bedroom and he slipped in. Dark eyes looked at her up and down as if assessing if anything had changed in the last two days since he'd seen her. Her own eyes moved from his up to an oddly placed frog sticker in his hair.
"Sasuke." She said as she reached out to removed the object and held it up for him to inspect. "I thought you liked snakes."
Sasuke grimaced at the rather silly looking frog sticker and she couldn't help but smile. He wasn't particularly fond of small children and the Uzumakis were quite the handful. She'd also been on the receiving end of babysitting duty but her patience went a lot further than Sasuke's. As he slumped lazily onto her bed, Hinata joined him-thoroughly amused by his fatigue.
"Rough day?" she asked and the Uchiha cracked open an eye to glare at her.
"They created monsters." He groaned. "Remind me to never have children."
Hinata smirked knowingly at his proclamation but felt no pity for him. While he got to spend time making peanut butter sandwiches without the crusts on them and playing with overly protective summons. She had been surrounded by old boring men who wanted more of her time than she was willing to give. The meetings dragged on through the day but now they were over and she wasn't the least bit tired. She knew why and that fact excited her further. Anxiously, she ran her fingers lightly from the inside of his wrist up to his elbow. Just a bit of chakra beneath her fingertips was enough to draw his attention away from the memories of a boy in his troublesome threes.
"Hinata." He growled and the sound sent a shiver down her spine.
She should be used to this….but she wasn't
The way he looked at her shouldn't excite her so quickly….but it did.
He knew what he did to her and relished the effect that he had. He enjoyed teasing her and although it drove her crazy she let him do it. She enjoyed doing the same. She leaned down to meet his lips with her own but dodged them at the last second in favor of his cheek. From his cheek, she kissed his jaw. Then his neck, her tongue flicking out to taste his skin. He sucked in a sharp breath at her ministrations and his hand weaved through her hair to get a firm grip. He then pulled her back up to meet his mouth and she allowed him to take control. Today seemed like a day that he needed it.
His tongue brushed between her own lips, eager to meet her own, and she opened to him willingly. His hand slipped from her hair to her haori as he kissed her and tugged on the silk to remove it from her shoulders. Pulling away from his lips her sat up and took the haori off herself. She then put her arm around her back and tugged at her obi to loosen the stiff material. It unraveled from her waist in a heap and for the first time that day she took a deep, unencumbered breath. Absently she noted that she was going to have to start wearing her obi's looser.
She didn't focus on that for long before Sasuke leaned up and recaptured her lips, erasing all meaningful mental capacity. The only thing she could make herself do was work on helping him to remove the barriers between them. The multiple layers of her kimono fell away, mutual frustration mounting as one layer gave way to another. As soon as his hand was able to touch the bare skin of her side she shivered and leaned into it, knowing that more pleasure was sure to come.
His mouth nibbled at her ear while his fingers drifted down her side to her hip before sliding to her center. She lifted her leg to hook around his hip, partially to give him better access but more for her own impatience. There he was surprised to find that she was already wet. He looked at her through heady eyes and smirked, his middle finger sliding between her lower lips. He hadn't known that she'd been thinking about this moment all day but now he did.
"Sasuke!"
He felt the evidence of her desire and tantalizingly teased her clit the exact way she liked. It was alarming how well he knew her body but she supposed that the Sharingan had other uses outside of the battlefield. She certainly wasn't one to complain about it's more unorthodox applications.
Lips moved on from her ear to her neck. His teeth grazed against her skin and when he bit down, a finger entered her. As he simultaneously soothed the bite with his tongue his finger explored. In and out at an obscenely slow pace before adding a second. His tongue moved on from her neck to her breast where he teased her hardened nipple. His mouth gave both breasts ample attention while his fingers strummed below. She moaned under his ministrations though she desperately tried to be quiet.
As if he could sense her mounting need, he pulled his fingers out and left her whimpering from the detachment. She wasn't at a loss for long before his pants slipped under his waist and his already hardened cock sprang forth to greet her. Eagerly she positioned herself on top of him and lowered until he was completely sheathed within her. Her breath hitched at the reunion, her fingers digging into the skin of his shoulders.
"Hinata." He groaned and she pecked his lips before she rotated her own hips against his.
He bucked against her, his own impatience shining through. He was lucky she wasn't in the mood to tease him. Lifting up until he was almost out, she slid back down and set a pace that she was comfortable with. Her pleasure compounded on its self as she watched him watch her thoroughly enjoying herself. A red-eye greedily committing her form to memory.
Faster and faster she rode him until her body was slick with sweat and her peak reached. She buried her face in the crook of his shoulder to muffle her screams, her body slumped and sensitive. He barely gave her time to catch her breath before he changed positions. Though she had reached her own orgasm he was nowhere near done. With little warning, he slammed into her from behind and reminded her why forty-eight hours was much too long….
The next morning she found herself buried deeply into Sasuke's armless side, her legs tangled up with his. She squinted as she opened her eyes reluctantly to face a new day full of things to do. Outside her window, the sky was dyed soft pinks and blues. As the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon she took a deep breath and pressed her nose into Sasuke's chest. She would give anything to continue to stay in bed. Sasuke chuckled sleepily at her silent resistance to starting the day.
"Have you been awake for long?" she asked, lifting up slightly to get a good look at his face.
Her only answer was a short grunt but she knew he'd been awake for a while. Although he'd been in the village for almost a year he was still on edge as if he were traveling on his own. Some habits were hard to break but she didn't mind his weird quirks. Covering her mouth as she yawned, Hinata reluctantly sat up on the bed and Sasuke shifted beside her. His stomach rumbled loudly and she couldn't help but smile. If they were in his apartment she would have made them breakfast but alas someone hadn't waited for her to slip out of the compound.
Perhaps this morning she would make breakfast for them here. She could already imagine the shocked looks of her clansmen…
Although their 'secrecy' was enjoyable there would come a time when they would have to share pieces of their life with the masses. More specifically seven and a half months from now when the results of their relationship came to fruition. However as she nuzzled into his side again, she savored the sound of his heartbeat and the steady rise and fall of his chest. Another hour or two of peace was all too alluring.
Besides, her news of the chakra signatures in her stomach could wait until after breakfast.