AN: omg guys, I was not expecting this to be so long! I was simply writing it in blocks, coming back days after days and weeks after weeks... and just simply adding on to it. I am thinking of ending this whole short story soon! What do you think of Sasuke's feelings towards Hinata? I enjoyed so much putting him in pain with his feelings towards Hinata HAHAH.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and let me know how you think, or want the next chapter to be like? Sweet fluff? Sweet HOTNESS?

Sasuke thought he could burn the vet down, but he loved animals. He just had to control the weird emergence of anger within him that was dying to burst out from his chest.

"What did you say again?" Sasuke requested the Inuzuka to repeat his words as he tried his very best not to set the bag of cat food and treats in his arms that Tamaki had requested him to deliver to her.

"Say what?" Kiba replied while having his attention focusing on the girl he was trying to chase, "Tamaki, I already told you, Akamaru is really good with cats!"

Indeed, Akamaru was, but Hina and Denka were not that friendly with dogs.

"Hinata is dating Gaara?"

"Woah," Kiba held both his hands up, "you're twisting my words. I just said Hinata is going on a date with Gaara."

Sasuke was fuming, "she moved on so fast from Naruto?"

"Time's relative. Plus, it's been almost six months and Gaara's not that bad."

Sasuke blinked. He never knew they had been in this arrangement for quite a period. Though he was very aware that he had been returning to Konoha much more than usual, so did everyone else.

"How did he ask? Why is he still here again?" Sasuke remembered vividly the last visit was a month ago before he travelled and now that he was back, why is that annoying red head back again?

Kiba scoffed, "why do you care? Don't tell me you're in love with our Hinata."

Kiba knew the arrangement between Sasuke and Hinata and even though he was very much against it, he decided it was up to Hinata for her own life decisions. A smirk flashed across his face when he noticed a subtle hint of himself in the Uchiha. It still etched deep in him how he had fallen over a female that only saw him merely as a sex toy, and how he was going crazy over it. Sasuke was emitting that aura.

"I did not say that."

"Then why does it matter?"

"Because," Sasuke paused, frowning and wanting to cast an illusion on the entire village, "I had plans with her tomorrow as well."

"Well guess not now," Kiba shrugged, "she just told me this morning she was nervous about going to the date with Gaara tomorrow. Or maybe our Sasuke Uchiha is not that of a special person," the canine handler knew how to add salt to his wound. Screw him for all the trouble he had caused over the years!

"Tamaki!" Sasuke pushed the bag of cat food in his arm towards his female friend, "shut your boyfriend up or else I will do it. Tell Nekobaa I will be visit her tomorrow instead."

Tamaki almost flashed an expression of disgust, "he is not my boyfriend! And are you staying till tomorrow?"

"I have things – "

Tamaki nudged Kiba's arm and smirked cheekily, "I think you're kinda right. Our Sasuke Uchiha seemed to have a thing for Hinata."

A loud grunt left the dark-haired male as he left the vet.

There was no way Hinata would say yes to a date. He was stomping through the crowded market, and it seemed like everyone could tell his negative mood to stray further back into their store.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He halted and spun himself around, sharingan activated and willing to strike anytime.

It was Sakura, the woman who loved him for the longest time ever.

"Who pressed your buttons?"

He rolled his eyes and deactivated his weaponized eyes, "no one. What do you want?"

"Nothing, I just noticed that you were angrily walking through the market. Was it Naruto?'

How he wished it was Naruto so he would not be filled with a mix of odd feelings within him that he was so confused about, "it's not."

Sakura had long stopped loving him, notably when he rejected her even after the war and told her to focus on someone else. She had wasted her youth on him, and she thought it was time to finally let him go. After loving someone for so long, she knew the feeling of troubledness, and she could tell that it was plastered on the Uchiha's face.

"Let me guess…," she grinned, "love troubles?"

There was no love! No love to begin with! Hinata was merely a way to vent his sexual frustrations and while for some reason he really enjoyed her company and for him to willing delay his travels to see her again, he was sure there was no love!

"There's no love!" Sasuke raised his voice slightly, feeling his frustrations build up when she flashed across his mind.

"Alright fine," Sakura scoffed, clearly knowing that the man she once loved was lying. Deciding to go on with her day, she bided her goodbyes, 'guess I should not continue to step on your toes. I'm going to look for Hinata."

"For what?"

Sakura cocked her brows, "she said she needed help. Since when you – " she paused.

Sasuke knew where this was heading so he defended himself first before she could even say anything else, "no."

Sakura did not believe a single word, "no way. Why would you ask me then?"

"I'm just curious about your day."

"My day?" Sakura burst out in laughter "Sasuke-kun, I would die to hear this from you a year ago, but you were never curious about my day."

"Am I wrong to show care to my friends?"

"Your way of displaying your care is asking us for a spar or just showing up to say hi before leaving!" Sakura rebutted, "since when you cared about Hinata in such a manner?"

"I am not, plus she and I had plans for tomorrow. I am just shocked that she would not even let me know she was going to cancel on me."

"Oh right, she's going out with Gaara," Sakura tapped her chin as she reminded herself of the reason why Hinata wanted to meet her. She needed help to be prepare for the date, "when did you even make plans with her?"

"I sent a crow to her two days ago telling her I will be back."

"That's it?" Sakura cocked her brows, "that's a nice way of informing someone you're returning, just like how you do sometimes with Naruto, but I don't see that as a way of making plans, Sasuke-kun."

"How is it not?"

Sakura thought the male really needed training on his social skills, "but it's okay, since you're not interested in Hinata, then I guess it won't matter to you that she's going on a date with Gaara."

Was it a big news? Was he too late to the game?

"Who told you so?"

"Temari told me when I visited Naruto. She was there with Shikamaru," Sakura explained, "Plus, Hinata's asking me for help so, got to go! Hinata's waiting – "

Sasuke decided to lower his ego, "can you help me pass her a message?"

.::.

"Sasuke-san told y-you that?" Hinata exclaimed as she stuffed a dango in her mouth.

"Yea, that's weird, isn't it? Why would he want to meet you at your estate? Does your dad allow that? I thought he has always been strict with boys."

Hinata nervously laughed, "Sasuke-san s-saved my dad before I guess he's less strict on that."

"So…" a cheeky smirk adorned the pink head's face, "since when did Sasuke-kun likes you?"

"Likes?" Hinata tilted her head.

"Come on, it's so obvious! He's looking for you and earlier on I saw him walking through the market as if he wants to murder someone. I have never seen him so troubled," Sakura explained, "plus, if he's not interested in you why would he visit your home?"

Hinata could feel herself heating up, "ah no! It's a m-misunderstanding! Sasuke-san visits my home to p-probably pass me some s-stuff he got f-for my dad during his t-travels," she lied, and she rarely did that. Feeling extra guilty, she looked away, hoping Sakura would not catch it.

"Really?"

"Y-Yea," Hinata tried her best to suppress her nervousness.

"I see, maybe I really overread it. Anyways, so what are you going to do with Gaara tomorrow?" Sakura quizzed eagerly, "I never knew he had a thing for you!"

A blush spread across her cheeks, "It's not like that! Gaara-sama just asked me out for dinner to thank me for escorting him the previous month!"

"Then why did you ask me out here for help?" Sakura grinned cheekily, "you knew he's insinuating for a date!" Sakura laughed, "even Temari told us that Gaara is interested in you."

Hinata turned even redder. Sure, it had been quite some time since Naruto's rejection. Gaara was not that bad of a person himself. She could tell by the way he treated the villagers and her. The way he would always made sure that she had eaten, and morning meetings would include him getting tea for her. Every time, without fail. It was rather clear there was some form of interest and care towards her from the Kazekage and maybe, she thought it was not that bad of an idea to see how the "date" would go.

"I do think G-Gaara-sama is – "

Both the girls jumped slightly at the appearance of the almighty Uchiha swiftly taking a seat next to the pink head. Sakura could only open her mouth, but no words could escape, evidently shocked and surprised at his intrusion into their girls' outing.

"What?" Sakura could only managed.

"S-Sasuke-san?"

"I just want to make sure that Sakura did not forget to pass you the message. Since I guess the message I sent, was not clear enough," Sasuke said, with a hint of sarcasm.

"She told me – "

"I bet she missed some details," Sasuke cut her off confidently.

"Sasuke-kun, its only what? A sentence?" Sakura interrupted, feeling slightly offended that the person she had a crush on once had such little faith in her.

"I don't doubt you; I just want to make sure of it," Sasuke explained while having his eyes locked onto the pale lavender tinted ones, "tonight, 9pm. I will be waiting at the entrance of your estate for you, and you are going to cook for me."

"Wait…" Sakura knitted her brows, "you did not mention anything about cooking? How is this my fault that I did not deliver it right?"

"Cook?" Hinata mildly exclaimed. She could not understand his thought process. Why should she cook for him? "Why?"

"You told me you have picked up cooking and you cooked for the Kazekage so I don't see why, before I leave for good, that I should stripped the chance of tasting your culinary skills."

Sakura was appalled by the entire situation, not at this particular moment, but from the moment she met the Uchiha at the market. She never would have thought her former teammate had this side of a character.

The pink head never really cared after she decided to call it quits with her feelings for someone whom she had chased for a long time. She thought she should let him go, after his indirect rejection and, her wanting to youth to not be wasted. Yet, he was still someone of importance to her, after all, they fought in the war together.

She noticed and had heard from her friends that Sasuke and Hinata had gotten slightly friendlier ever since Hinata decided to stop chasing and waiting for Naruto. Sakura thought it was simply Sasuke being nice enough to talk to her, and with how he had once saved her father, it was not surprising that they would share common topics to talk about.

"For good?" Hinata simply quizzed, "you won't be coming back anymore?"

Sasuke felt some form of happiness within him when she caught his words, "I don't have a stipulated date on when to return, but it's going to be a long one."

"Sasuke, you have a thing for our Hinata?" Sakura immediately questioned.

The silence was piercing, but the emotions of their faces only further confused Sakura. Hinata instantly turned red and shook her head, but Sasuke kept mum and darted his eyes to his lap. What was all this?

"Gaara's going after her, are you jealous?"

Sasuke sat up, "I am…" he paused and turned his gaze towards the blue head. She was staring at him, "not," he finished, confused whether did he lie to himself with that answer. Was he jealous?

"So what, you guys had a cooking thing?"

"I kept her distracted when she ended things with Naruto, I don't see why I don't deserve her cooking as a form of appreciation and gratitude," Sasuke said, only to hear Hinata choked on her tea.

Hinata let out a few cough and rubbed her palm against her chest to soothe it, "okay, I will cook for you," she said, defeated.

"Great, I will leave you two to it."

.::.

"You created your own misery, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke was not expecting himself to be sitting in an inn, slightly out of Konoha with his former teammate at 7 in the evening. The table between them was filled with nine sakes, most of which was consumed by the last individual of his clan. Sakura merely took sips of her alcohol as she appreciated the hint of peach and grapefruit.

His memory was rather fuzzy, but he remembered after leaving the girls alone, he went home only to realize he could not stop thinking about the upcoming date Hinata was going to attend. He paced around his small apartment, and finally decided to head to the training ground to vent his frustrations (something he could not understand) and distract himself from the thought of her. She was driving him crazy.

He swung his katana violently and aggressively deep into the training blocks, leaping through branches and intentionally breaking them through his forceful stance.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He stopped, panting as he turned towards the direction of the voice. Sakura was waving at him, and he thought he could ask her more about the date. So, he leaped towards her, and they shared some conversations before Sasuke deciding to ask her for dinner, to which she agreed.

After six sakes and Sakura rather light probing, Sasuke perhaps, subconsciously spilled his feelings on the table. Maybe he just wanted to know how a girl think, or to vent his feeling verbally to someone, something he had not had the privilege and luxury to do so since childhood.

Sakura was obviously bewildered by the discovery of their sexual encounters. She never thought Hinata would have done something like this, but they all have grown, and it seemed like it was Sasuke who suggested the whole arrangement. And Sasuke? Of all people, him? Why was the stoical male interested in such activities?

Then she continued listening to him, as he slightly slurred his words and through it all, she could hear a tint of dejection.

"I? Created it?" Sasuke knitted his elegant brows and folded his arms, "why is she so… why can't she just be nicer, or I don't know, how she would use to act with Naruto or how you would act around me?"

Sakura sighed, taking another sip of her alcohol, "she's nice to cook for you because she saw you as her friend, isn't that enough?"

"But we are not friends!" Sasuke raised his voice slightly, only to receive a soft kick to his knees by the pink head, reminding him to lower his voice, "we had sex – no we did not. But we did stuff, so how can I be her friend?"

"So what, are you trying to say you're her lover? Even after all the time you guys met are purely for sexual activities?"

"I went over to her place, and I did not want to do anything, Sakura."

"Her place? Isn't her place filled with – "

"I snuck in. I just wanted to stay with her a little longer and she wanted more, like sexually more!"

Sakura pressed her lips, almost wanting to laugh at how miserable her friend was. She never expected Hinata to be the more lustful individual, but then again with all the description and stories Sasuke had told her, Sakura could roughly determine how the Uchiha was feeling towards the shy female.

And she wanted him to admit it himself, "because that's all you guys have been doing, if not, what else can you guys do? This is the arrangement you suggested, Sasuke-kun."

"I want to hug her to sleep," Sasuke said, causing Sakura to finally let out a soft chuckle.

He was such a kid, but sweet and Sakura got to admit, "so Hinata's just been all sexual with you?"

He nodded, taking another gulp of his sake.

"That's great, why don't you just appreciate the passionate lust you two – "

"But she's… I don't feel like this back then when I was doing it with the Inn girl. I don't need to hug her or want to see her. This stupid Hinata," he grunted, "she makes me want her to stay every time. And she rejects it all the time, what is she even thinking?"

"I think our shy innocent, or maybe not so innocent Hinata only sees you at what you wanted between the two of you guys. A friend, with benefit."

Sasuke slammed his cup on the table, "I don't want that!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura kicked him harder this time, causing him to wince. She sighed at the sight of how dejected he was, "tell me honestly, do you like her?"

"I don't know, but I don't like how she's making me feel all the time. I am taking this long travel so I can forget her, and not even think about her or how's her date going to be like. Why don't she ever cook for me? Why must is that I must ask her?" Sasuke clicked his tongue, thoughts racing through his mind.

"She's so nice to everyone. But she doesn't even let anyone know about us, or just simply letting people know that she is hanging out with me. Stupid me telling how I have 'someone' in mind during travels when travelers asked me about my life. I bet I don't even cross her mind at all," he finished, finally resting his head on the table.

"Hinata's dense, you know that right?"

"Since when she's not?"

"I mean, she was mad that Naruto could not see her love, but she's the same. She always had all the suitors around her, and she never knew they liked her even after receiving present and letter."

"What are you trying to say, Sakura?"

Sakura shrugged, leaning herself back against the backrest, "maybe you should let her know how you feel. Nobody really told her straight in the face that they liked her, not even Naruto or any of her suitors. They just complimented her, and how she's everyone's dream partner."

"I don't even know how I feel."

"Well, you have an hour more to figure it out before your meeting with her at her estate. Mind you to stop drinking, it's not nice to enter someone's place reek of alcohol," Sakura said, raising her hand to request for the bill.

"Thanks, Sakura."