Chapter 43: Embracing Our Shadows
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Despite Hinata having a strained relationship with the reporters, it seemed Hanabi had gotten better at tolerating them, through flirtatious mannerisms as they shot some photos of them walking.
Naruto, Sakura, and Konohamaru waited around as Hanabi posed, sending peace signs their way as Hinata let go of her sister's arm, joining the small group waiting on standby. Hanabi motioned them over to join her in a group photo.
After waving politely to the flashes of light, Hinata touched Sakura's and Hanabi's shoulders, herding them to the entrance as Konohamaru and Naruto followed. When the five finally stepped inside the nightclub, Hanabi's stoic expression was broken, and her jaw slightly dropped. The place was more lively than she had imagined.
If she could screech, she would, as she skidded away in happy steps, throwing her arms around some of the crowd of guests of coworkers that had gotten there before them, as they all began bouncing happily in place while in a circle.
"Hanabi-chan, your wristband!" Hinata said while sliding it on her hand as every guest had one should they want to hang out on the first floor.
'Thank you,'
"It's too crowded down here. I'll be upstairs," She said, motioning towards the stairs.
'Okay! Try to have fun!' Hanabi said while fixing her sister's flyaway, proud of how her makeup had come out, as she had added shimmers and sparkling cosmetics on her cheekbones, leaving her looking almost whimsical.
When Hinata glanced up, she saw Ino waving at them from the second floor.
Ino chuckled as she spoke over the music.
"Look at all the pools of men available for us," Her eyes fell towards Kiba who was raging in the middle of a crowd, enjoying himself on the first floor, regardless of having to use earplugs just to be there. "They are mostly guys that used to be our teammates,"
They moved away from the railing, walking over to an empty booth.
"I won't participate in this pity party," Hinata replied, having heard of the private wedding that will be taking place in Shikamaru's home.
"Pity party? It's our reality. I used to think there was this huge supply and demand out there, but there's honestly a shortage of bachelors. Equal opportunity? Please, anything less is seen as downgrading. But if you and I put ourselves out there, we'll make competition rough for the others,"
"Ino-chan, did something happen?" Hinata asked, curiously, as she wondered why she was suddenly talking about guys.
"Choji kissed me the other day, and I don't like how I reacted."
"Have you talked to him since?"
"Yeah. He's over there getting us drinks,"
"I always had a feeling he adores you more than a friend," Hinata said, as she watched one of her cousins perform an entire dance routine to a Konoha-pop song, the second floor seemingly more spacious as most guests had remained downstairs.
"Hinata-chan!" Kiba hopped over the booth, landing on the seat right next to her. "Come on, loosen up and let's dance,"
"Where is Akamaru?"
"I left him at home, in case I happen to score with a chick,"
"Why are you talking to me like I'm one of the guys?" Hinata said as Ino giggled.
"At least he's honest about it," Ino added.
"Here you guys go," Choji had returned with three shots, and began passing them around before settling down, across from them.
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Hinata had been tipsy before, but never this way, as the crowd swept her up, almost like an ocean current that she couldn't escape. Just when she thought she could, the crowd would only gather her again. She squeezed her eyes shut when the smoke got released into the dance floor, blinding her vision until it was just her and lights as the base dropped, sounding as loud as her heart.
Kiba's voice brought her back, as he laughed, wildly jumping in place while fisting the air. He stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he moved to make way for Hanabi.
'Onee-chan, are you alright?' Hanabi asked, having noticed her sister looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"I feel nauseous. I think I need some fresh air,"
'You're such a lightweight. I got you,' She said, as she offered her arm and waved towards Yami to come their way.
"My body won't listen to me. I don't feel like I'm in control. I think I should go home before I regret not leaving sooner,"
'Good call. Yami-san can take you home. I'll leave with Naruto and Sakura-chan when we're ready,'
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"You know what I'm craving? Ginger chews and carbs," Hinata said as she walked next to Yami, while under a disguise technique.
"We can stop at the supermarket on our way home,"
"Thank you Yami-san,"
Hinata waited for him outside, as she leaned against the vending machine, she stared at the sky, ignoring the wave of dizziness that threatened to rise. When the door slid open and closed, Hinata's head snapped in that direction, as Sasuke and Naruto exited the supermarket.
She had wanted to call out to him, and tell him it was her, and that she was finally ready to talk, but held back knowing she won't come across as clear and credible, as she herself hates to have conversations with a person not in their right state of mind. Wait, why was Naruto looking her way?
Act casual.
Walk faster.
Does he know that it's her?
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Sasuke's eyes flew wiped open and he coughed, as his breath was choked out when Naruto pulled him into a headlock, a dirty ambush, as he had been focused on his task while he was at home.
"Naruto, what the fuck, now I gotta start over," Sasuke said, throwing glares since a bottle of specialized ink spilled all over a new technique he had been working on. "Aren't you supposed to be at a party right now?"
"I left Sakura-chan with a clone,"
"You just made me backtrack three hours," He discarded the technique scroll, tossed it into the garbage, and turned to him with his arms crossed.
"I can help you redraw the technique, so why are you so mad about it?"
"Hn, the lack of time I'm left with, I wish I had more time to research and explore my eyes techniques. I still can't figure out why it activates on its own without my consent,"
"Are you still taking the medicinal stuff Sakura made to help you subdue it?" He nodded. "Then make time to figure it out."
"It is not that simple. I'm constantly needed at the office,"
"It is simple. If you can make time to hang out with me, then obviously you have time to research your abilities. What can you do to free up time for productivity?"
What indeed, Sasuke asked himself as he walked towards the window to look outside. He could delegate the tedious task that doesn't necessarily need to get done by him.
"Pick up a brush and help," Sasuke instructed while showing him a draft of the Kanjis he was going for. He replaced the scroll on the table, and each took to paint a different section in silence.
"Ne, Sasuke, I'm kind of over this," Naruto's hand paused as he spoke. "I always wanted to be the Hokage because it forced people to acknowledge me. But I already got the affirmation after obtaining my hero status. Don't get me wrong, being an apprentice is awesome. I genuinely care more about saving lives and making people smile,"
"I know the struggle,"
"Eh? You do?"
"I accepted this position because Kakashi wouldn't stop talking about it. Saving people, it's never-ending. And so it's the political bullshit that comes along with it,"
"Yeah I know. The world is understaffed,"
Sasuke's stomach eventually growled. "Let's pick something up from the market,"
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"I can't get over how you can simply eat tomatoes like it's a fruit," Naruto said, as the two exited their local mini market. He held a bag of groceries while Sasuke carried a watermelon and a pack of water. "The food at Hanabi's birthday dinner was actually fucking good. Why did you have to go and piss them off-"
Naruto stopped in his tracks, his eyes taking in the profile of a civilian he didn't recognize, as she was standing right across the street.
"Oi!"
Naruto yelled as he hustled to make it across, with Sasuke strolling right behind him.
"Hey, Missy, are you here alone? Would you like me to lend you a shadow clone-"
"I'm waiting for someone, thank you though, Uzumaki-San," The stranger said as she shied away before Naruto could touch her arm. Her accent gave her away. The person was definitely local.
"Just call me Naruto,"
Sasuke noticed how her body looked stiff the moment Naruto had gotten close while trying to peek under her hoodie. Knowing the breach in physical boundaries was going to warn the person away.
"Dobe, back off, you're clearly being a nuisance," He said as she turned to walk the other way. "What was that about back then? Did you recognize her?" Sasuke asked.
"I recently finished memorizing the faces of every person and personnel in this village. But I didn't recognize who she was. They are obviously under a disguise technique. Sasuke, do you have anyone assigned on a spy mission?"
"Negative."
"'Guess sometimes people just want to be left alone. Unless Kakashi-sensei is off on his own, commanding secret side missions,"
"We could verify if that's true by following her,"
"It's best if we leave it alone. If Kakashi has someone working on a mission, we might blow their cover," Naruto replied, pragmatically. "Besides, there's a chance you got yourself a stalker, because I know she's not one of my fans."
"Don't joke around like that if you don't want to die,"
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Then next week, the same stranger happened to be waiting outside the Hokage's tower as the two exited together.
"Ah, it's you again! I didn't get your name the last time," Naruto said while pointing.
"And what would you do with that information?" She asked.
"Don't you want to be friends with your future Hokage?"
"I came here to talk to Uchiha-San," The stranger lowered her sleeve, holding up her wrist, showing off some kind of accessory which got Sasuke's attention. To think she had kept the bracelet he had gifted her in Suna, he didn't know what it meant yet.
"Naruto, I'll catch you later,"
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Sasuke and Hinata strolled away towards a park. At the time, not many people were out and about.
His dark eyes curiously followed her as Hinata paused by a vending machine. Sasuke struck her as a person who doesn't like sugar in his drink. She got two bottles of water and handed one over to him before proceeding to settle on the bench located by the playground, patting the empty space next to her.
"It's hard to catch you by yourself nowadays. Does Naruto ever spend time with Sakura-chan?" She turned half of her body his way and crossed her legs.
"Those two have been suffocating, but they're not the one that has been stalking me,"
"If I were truly stalking you, then I would know when to catch you when you're alone,"
Sasuke turned his attention to his surroundings, his gaze lingering on the swings. Hinata left his side, leaving her water behind to dust off the traces of playground sand covering the seat, before lacing her feet with chakra, and stepping onto the board of the swing.
His eyes mostly stayed on her as he took a sip of water while she began to swing. Her trance-like eyes immediately found focus as she glanced his way, sending him a sad smile before staring back up again at the moon.
"How have you been?" Sasuke asked, knowing she'll likely not drop her disguise.
She didn't see the need to tell him that she constantly finds herself thinking about him nonstop. Dreaming almost every night about all their good times. She gripped the rope of the swing tighter.
"Sasuke, you have my number,"
In lieu of replying, he merely reached out and gripped the swing, stopping her just so he could slip his arms around her waist.
"I thought you wanted time and space to heal,"
"I thought I did, but lately I've been thinking that for us to ever work, I require patience and commitment from you. And in return, I assure you that you shouldn't worry or expect revenge or retaliation from me. Um, I don't know what the process is. I don't want to ever hurt you or be hurt again."
He completely pulled away slightly, giving her time to go back to holding the swing instead of holding him.
"Hinata, I hear what you're asking of me," He said, knowing he couldn't risk it, as the effects she already had on his life, with just her absence and her silence, had been detrimental, to the point where his friends had to step in and drag him to get himself some help. If he gives his word that he'll wait for her, he would be giving away his everything, allowing for another chance for him to falter, and fall into a greater depth of despair. And to be honest, he found himself wishing it for once, wishing for himself to be happy. This was not a game he wanted to replay. "If you end up falling for someone else, dating, or getting married before you're ready to forgive me, just know that there won't be any hard feelings."
Please don't say that, as if you've already given up…
Fight for me a little…
But saying those kinds of things would've only put her in a position where she'll feel like she'll just be walked all over. He was the one that hurt her, so why did it fall on her to express her wish for him to help fix things?
… Why was she even sad? It's not like she could picture how staying together would look like if she were to forgive him. If he didn't want to fight for them anymore, was this worth saving? She looked away from him when catching how her train of thought quickly derailed on its own. Where are all these negative feelings even coming from?
"That's not what I'm saying at all. I want us to be together. And I never thought I would ever ask this of anyone. If you stay away from Hanabi, I think that's the only way I'll feel better,"
He didn't know what to make of her answer. It was a given that he wasn't stupid enough to make the same mistake again.
He took a deep breath. "Look. During this period of unnecessary silence, with you not reaching out to even let me know where we stood, I've had time and have been reevaluating the things that I want," which was still her every time, "Even if you were to give me a chance, I don't see how it's going to work if you don't trust me,"
Hinata's lips had thinned into a line. There were very few situations in her life in which she felt the need to beg. This was not among them.
"You're right. Let's live and have a good life,"
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"Come on, buddy, it'll get better,"
Naruto said from across the room, the next day, while they were inside their work space, at the Hokage tower, unaware there had been a recent conversation or development. Sasuke could've had her back in his life, but the time just didn't feel right.
"Believe it!"
"Hn. You haven't said that phrase in forever."
"People started taking me more seriously when I didn't end my sentences that way. Sasuke, you're my best friend, and I want all of you guys to be happy. Imagine waking up, most days, with a smile."
"And why am I smiling?"
"Just because," Naruto said, both hands taking shape into a fist before he boxed with the air, flinging swings as he got closer to him. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he caught his punches. "Picture what it's like looking forward to a good breakfast, or meal, or coffee, or just life in general. And when good things happen, hell, even better!" He said, while finally punching him on the side of the arm.
"Naruto, you're annoying,"
"And you look like you wanna beat something up. Let's spar,"
He's projecting. "How am I the violent one?"
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Over the next few months, Hinata caught glimpses from afar as Sasuke grew his friendship circle, and a placid smile spread on her lips, when Sasuke would take off and leave with a group who would meet him outside after work. Tenten and Lee were among the colleagues that gravitated towards his orbit. Hinata was happy for him, as he seemed to shine more brightly. Well, his new friends might not notice his shine, but after witnessing his smile being given away so freely to someone that wasn't her, it seemed he was breaking down his walls, as very few used to be able to breach him.
He deserved every good thing that came his way, along with all the happiness inside it. It had once been within her power to offer it, but her stupid pride held her back, which is why Hinata had vowed to do her best as well, to move on. After congratulating Sasuke at the opening of the Uchiha memorial, she had already laid out a path for herself. No matter, she'll be fine, even if she'll go back to existing, instead of living, and slip back to breathing goals and strategies because she had to, it would be the only way to prove to herself that she was still alive.
Yet in all her commitment to herself, Hinata couldn't stay away from approaching him a year later, during Naruto's wedding to Sakura. Though the two had exchanged minimal words, they had spent the night close to each other's company. That same year, she had transferred, working as a teacher at the Academy her family had opened up.
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1 Year later
Hanabi stepped into the campus courtyard, her sandals making hurried sounds as she walked over a path of stones laid out for her. Her fast steps became quick strides as her body leaned forward, arms taking a natural position. She began to run after pinning her sister's location, who was currently in charge of overseeing multiple school clubs, the water dancing club being among her favorite one.
Hanabi approached the site, walking up to the body of water as Hinata and a few students were water dancing, while other young genins hung around, sitting on the grass, chatting. She held her hand to her lips to quiet a student, as she had dropped by as a surprise. Her sister had been dancing with her eyes closed at the time.
At first, Hanabi didn't want to interrupt her sister while she seemed so lost as she went through different forms, delivering the most graceful spins and leaps, arms moving over and around. The vintage navy blue sailor romper her sister had been wearing looked closer to a small dress.
Hanabi bent down and grabbed a pebble, and tossed it into the water, finally breaking her concentration. Lavender eyes were wide open, her eyes brimming with happiness in just a second.
"Hanabi-chan! Welcome back!" Soon enough, the pond didn't escape her manipulation, as she knitted her hands, then sliding them across. The body of water rose to form a spherical form that elevated her. She waited for the right height before she jumped, her landing bringing her to Hanabi's level.
"So, how did it go?" She asked, as her sister had taken time off to travel and go to another tech convention.
'It was eye-opening.'
Hinata tilted her head. "How so?"
'Do you remember the conversation we had right before I left? You said to work on the things that I can control, I might've found a way to help save lives outside the hospital,"
"Come on, let's sit. I want to know more,"
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Hanabi and Hinata both turned their heads to the newcomer, their future clan leader. The two had been in the middle of having tea while sitting outside their patio furniture, in the middle of the garden.
"Hinata-sama, can I have a few words with you?" The elder's son asked politely
"Yes of course. Is it urgent? I'm kind of in the middle of something,"
'Don't worry, I'll leave-' Hanabi said and made a move to stand.
"That's not necessary. It'll be brief."
"So, what does our future clan leader wish to speak to me about?" Hinata asked as she placed her tea to the side.
"My dad seems frustrated with me. He thinks I'm not ready to take the next step."
"Are you ready?"
"Not without speaking to you first. Is there any advice you could give me? Like things you wish you knew."
Things she wished she knew a few years ago…
"Well, respect is not something that's inherited by being a clan leader. Nor is power ever truly handed down. You have to earn both, otherwise, you'll just have a title and nothing more to show for it,"
"I doubt I could top the changes you helped make," He replied as she made way for him to sit right next to her.
"Don't linger on my accomplishments, since times are changing. You see, I think it's okay to not leave a mark on the world. What matters most is the lives that you'll touch. As long as you provide the basic needs to our people, they'll follow you. Then respect, trust, and influence will naturally be earned. We just had a revolution. It's not the time to reinvent the wheel again, since everyone just wants a break. Avoid being a problematic figure, and you'll be fine. What other kinds of homework have you done?"
"I heard the fire spreading when you became a devoted member of our local shrine. And our people have been buzzing about religion. They said they want us to revert to our roots since they feel like we're lacking in beliefs and faith,"
"Even if you make them happy in that aspect, you will be pressured to marry as soon as possible. And If you have someone in mind, make sure this person looks as dandy as a flower. According to the elders they want a new Dahlia,"
Their future leader turned to Hanabi. "I would marry you,"
'You're sweet. But no.'
"Unless you have a death wish, you should not be flirting with my little sister right in front of me,"
"Hai, hai," He said with a charming grin as he stood up from the outdoor sofa and politely bowed before leaving.
Hanabi waited until he disappeared before giggling.
'Awww look at you, Onee-chan, so protective and wise, telling someone not to leave a mark when we're about to make a splash,'
"It's not guaranteed that we'll succeed,"
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A second year slipped by, when Sasuke had stopped looking for traces of her when he was walking around in public, and yet he actively did so in the dark, as he splayed a stranger in the middle of a bed, inside a room that was dim enough to picture blue hair instead of red, as she persistently appeared in every single thing that he does. He came to hate the smell of love hotels and didn't go back when her name accidentally slipped out of him one time, having a good-for-nothing side when he had read a news article of Hinata's private wedding ceremony, as well of her moving away to the Mist village with her husband.
To think it's been six years since he has last seen her.
How time flies, Sasuke thought to himself as he was let into Naruto's home by a young girl with blond hair.
"Uncle Sasuke!"
He scooped her up to his shoulder and made his way to the living room to find Sakura in the middle of giving Naruto a haircut.
"What's the occasion?"
"I've been putting it off for some time, but I'm finally having my likeness carved on the mountain. The artist said I look too much like my father, and I thought why not cut my hair, you know?"
"Hi Uncle Sasuke," The other twin walked inside the room to lie on the couch.
"Is Boruto behaving at school?" Sasuke asked.
"He has to if he wants to ever study under you. Sarada, why don't you get Uncle Sasuke a chair?"
Sasuke placed his god-daughter down and combed the side of his dark hair and held a piece forward to study it. He had to admit, he looked a little rugged. Good thing young kids these days don't really know what Madara looked like.
"Haha I think Sakura is saying you also need a major haircut," Naruto said as he tried to stay still while Sakura worked on trimming his hair. Sakura's 7 month belly stood out, catching the attention of his peripheral vision, as he sat on the chair which had been placed right next to Naruto.
Sakura giggled as he turned to stare.
"Sasuke, would you like to say hello?" Sakura asked.
"Is it okay?"
Naruto elbowed him. "Come on, don't be cold to your new niece,"
Sasuke placed a hand over her belly, and his eyes slightly widened when he felt a movement inside. This new life already radiated love and warmth. Yet the pain of growth, the pain of change, does not hurt as much as it hurts to stay the same. When did he suddenly become envious of his two best friends? He needed to stop all this co-dependency and give his friends more space, just to lay to rest all the rumors of them being involved in a poly relationship.
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"Naruto, we may have a problem on our hands, Lord Gaara is on the phone," Sasuke said, the next day, both sporting their new hairstyle which got them a stream of compliments left and right.
Kami, there's always something, Naruto thought to himself, as Gaara isn't the kind of person to casually call over empty pleasantries. He sat in front of his laptop, before picking up the transferred call.
"Hi Gaara!"
"I need you to look into something, I already sent you some files I gathered so far- I mean, where are my manners, how are the twins? How's Sakura doing?"
"The twins are good. And Sakura is due in two months, but she's so cute when she's needy. I'm so stoked to have another daughter. How's Toneri-chan doing?"
"We've been thinking about the future, and possibly adopting."
"That's awesome,"
"So now, back to business, I don't know how it's been with you, but there's been a dramatic decline in the demand for our intelligence-gathering team. They rarely get requested for assignments,"
"I guess that's what it means to live in a time of peace,"
"I don't know if it's just that. It could be true I'm being paranoid. To lay my nerves to rest, I was hoping to ask you for a favor,"
"And what's that?"
"I'd like you to perform a deep-dive into all the trends for the last year and see if you notice anything alarming,"
Naruto welcomed the advice, since Gaara had been doing this longer.
"Hearing the way you're thinking at this level, by seeing the bigger picture as opposed to the small day-to-day operations, aren't we supposed to be the same age?"
"This job just forces you to age faster," Gaara replied honestly. "But let me know if you find anything,"
"Ah, will do, thanks for the heads-up Gaara. I'll get on it right away, and I'll call you if I find something."
Naruto turned to Sasuke as he glanced up.
"Hey Sasuke, can you delegate this task to someone who's slacking off, and have them perform a presentation for us. You should've gotten the files I forwarded you,"
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"Lord Hokage, I went further back, and ran the numbers for the last three years. There's been very little demand for the Ino-Shika-Cho to be hired for missions. We probably missed it because they're part of the main clans, and don't necessarily need the Shinobi income to thrive," The chunin said as he stood in front of his PowerPoint presentation, as he noted the budget allocation for each division. "If this trend keeps going, we might not need the Ino-Shika-Cho formations-" His eyes widened as he had a realization, "Holy shit! Did we just achieve world peace!?"
Naruto frowned.
Doubtful.
"Let me see the numbers." Naruto unhooked his Hokage cloak and draped it over the chair, as the chunin stepped away from the presentation. Hmm, Gaara had a feeling something was up, and this just confirmed it. "Thanks, you may go,"
"What's so wrong about not needing the intel-team?" The chunin frowned, complaining on his way out. Naruto didn't answer, as he returned to his laptop and began typing away.
"Sasuke, there's something I'm going to need help investigating, and I need you to oversee it, since I trust you'll get this done quickly. I'll draw the details of the mission by the end of today,"
"What's the time frame for the mission's completion?" Sasuke asked.
"You'll be on the field for as long as you need to be, until there's some kind of breakthrough. I can ask Kakashi-sensei to cover for you. I'll draw up some candidates to accompany you whenever you're ready."
Sasuke leaned back. "Hn, so even in times of peace, one must always be cautious-"
"Dad, our school needs you to sign this permission slip for a trip to the Uchiha museum," Boruto said, as he walked with his sister's hand in his.
"Hi again Uncle Sasuke," The twin greeted cheerfully, wearing a pristine school uniform, with the Hyuga logo embedded on the side of her arm sleeve. She reached out to hug Sasuke's side.
"Geez, again? This is the fourth trip this year." Naruto complained while Sasuke chuckled.
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Sasuke waited around, on the Hokage's rooftop, for the companions Naruto had chosen to swing by. His eyes traveled to the sky when Shikamaru and Ino dropped, landing before him.
Sasuke returned Ino's greeting with a polite nod.
"Yamanaka-san, we appreciate you accepting this mission. Naruto felt bad he had to drag you back to service."
"It was a favor long overdue, since Choji and I are quick to throw our kids at him whenever we have something planned." Ino replied.
Sasuke then tossed a look over at Shikamaru, as if asking why he had accepted the mission.
"This situation affects the future likelihood of my clan's success. Even I know how to be professional about it, Uchiha,"
"Then let's discuss the mission elsewhere," Sasuke said, opening up a portal to his office.
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It's been close to a month since Sasuke's assignment was given to him. Since he didn't want to be wasting anyone's time by chasing after a ghost, or possibly after something that might not exist, he already did some research about their surrounding allies and noticed something based on the census rolled out. A drastic drop in crime. The percentage drop is especially strong in more villages than others. Sasuke had sent his team the files in advance, so he didn't have to catch them up.
"Hmm, the fact that Gaara believes it so, then there must be something offsetting the balance. No matter how peaceful things get, one should still have a demand for intel. Whether to spy on a cheating spouse or a corporation." Shikamaru agreed.
"Precisely. The world revolves around information flow. It's more concerning when it's quiet. Unless there's someone out there monopolizing the demand." He said as he handed Ino her mission scroll. He waited a moment for her to read it as Shikamaru leaned over.
"Why are we starting our search in the hidden Mist village?" Ino asked curiously.
Sasuke handed over some charts which backed up his plan.
"For the last three years, the Mist Village was able to prevent several groups of terrorists from forming. They also stopped dozens and dozens of attacks and saved roughly hundreds and maybe even thousands of lives."
"That's a pretty impressive record," Ino said as she read the report. "Should I move my family over there?"
"Troublesome. It's almost too impressive. It's like they knew of the attacks before it even started."
"What exactly do you hope to do if we find something?" Ino asked.
"It depends. Ultimately, we're willing to negotiate with them, and have them work alongside us. We're not trying to make enemies. Yamanaka-San, while we're there, try to gather as much detail as possible, enough where Nara and I could form a plan-"
"Hey," Naruto greeted with a grin, eyes crinkling from the intensity of it. He barged into Sasuke's office while he was in the middle of debriefing Ino and Shikamaru. "Guess what! I pulled a few strings and got you guys some free lodging while you're on your mission,"
"Hmm?"
"Turns out Shino barely spends any time at his home, so I asked if he had extra rooms to spare. I insisted that he won't notice you guys are even there," He held up a peace sign, whiskers twitching as his lips shaped into a feline-kind of a smile.
"And what does Aburame do for a living?" Sasuke asked, surprised to find out Aburame had moved so far away from home.
"Well,"
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Shino rubbed his eyes, tired of staring at his computer screen, as he had been entrusted to oversee all aspects of the school operations at the Hyuga Academy of the Mist. He reviewed the new curriculums petitioned by his students, as he sat inside his office. He didn't want to know what Hinata was gleaming about as she walked inside with a stack of folders.
"Here you go, principal-sensei, more work for you."
"You're not making this job easier," Shino commented, as she had turned down the title of principal, yet was always helping Shino out, both doing similar tasks without her having the title.
"I walk around and look pretty so that most people look at me instead of you," It was true that she tended to handle public speaking and events as he handled most of the paperwork. "My clan has been very active lately. Since they're trying to expand their presence and open up other schools in other countries for our scattered clansmen. They need my help with a few key interviews."
"They're taking advantage of you," He said. But she didn't react to his comment.
"Shino-kun, you haven't said anything about next week. Are we having dinner with Lord Chojiro or not?"
"I can't even if I wanted to. I'm having guests over that night," Shino said apologetically as he had to set time aside to accommodate his guests and give them a tour, along with a spare key.
"I didn't know your family was visiting," She commented skeptically.
"It's not my family that's visiting. Naruto asked me to do him a favor before even telling me what I was agreeing to. He tricked me into letting Uchiha-San, Nara-San, and Yamanka-san be my guests."
Hinata couldn't hide the feelings she felt, as she looked horrified.
"Are they here on a mission?"
"Naruto said it was classified. I'll send Lord Chojiro my apologies, and let him know I can't make it,"
.
The night before the trip, Shikamaru sat before some papers he had yet to sign, Shikadai being the single reason he didn't want to at the time. Though Shikadai was only seven years old, and very smart, he couldn't imagine what this would do to his psyche growing up. His wife had expressed that she doesn't think she'll ever be happy. He had given her everything except for the one thing she craved. Aside from safety, respect, and security, she had asked for love. He did love his wife, a love that came out of obligation, for she was the mother of his son. Why couldn't that be enough? Had he been too selfish?
He signed the divorce paper, only because his village was on his side, allowing him to keep his son, for he was the heir of his clan. This mission couldn't have happened at the worst time.
.
Sasuke handed over his key to Tenten. She looked visibly excited to be looking after the Uchiha museum, located at the Uchiha's memorial park.
"I don't know when I'll be back, but you and Lee will be compensated greatly for this." Sasuke knew that it wasn't about the money, as Tenten was just happy to be looking after his family's weapon inventory and restoring them.
"Don't worry about anything. Your family's legacy will be safe with us,"
"I have no doubts,"
Sasuke took off, to meet Nara at the gates, but he was not alone, as a woman with blond hair and amber eyes stood around with a heartfelt smile as Shikamaru gave a hug to a boy who looked just like him.
"Nara-san, your husband will be back before you know it,"
Shikamaru released his son and turned to Sasuke, greeting him with a neutral look.
.
The next morning, Hinata's phone wouldn't stop ringing as she got ready, slipping on her dark pants after adjusting her sleeveless cami corset before draping a white blazer over her shoulder. She left the calls unanswered, presuming it to be Shino, wondering if she was going to show up at the faculty conference. However, when the caller got past the fifth attempt to reach her, Hinata figured whoever was on the other side had a strong intent on making contact.
"Hinata, so you finally answered," Naruto's voice came from the other side.
"Naruto-kun, is there something going on back home?" She asked.
"Nothing to worry about. I can't go into details, but I'm just going to ask for a favor. If Sasuke reaches out, asking for help of any kind, would you please assist as a fellow Shinobi from our village?"
"How bad is the situation?" She glanced at the vivarium displaying her sassy prince, a scaleless lavender corn snake.
"This mission is not your typical one, and I want their safe return as soon as possible. Helping them might expedite that mission, since you've been living there for quite some time,"
"I see. Alright. Should he reach out, I'll assist to the best of my capabilities,"
.
"So this is why you asked me out for dinner," Hinata said to Lord Chojiro as she stared at a letter in her hand, a mission assignment.
"I'm not asking you to be a double agent. I want to find out what kind of sentiments are being shared. They'll likely open up to you since you are a fellow Shinobi," Chojiro replied as he adjusted his goggles. He needed to know if he would be treated as a friend or a foe, just for having connections with the organization they were trying to find.
"Lord Chojiro, there are better ways to go about this. Why don't you invite them to Mei's birthday party as a show of good faith? After all, I'm just a school vice-principal, remember?"
He sighed. "Reports rolled in saying Yamanaka-san has infiltrated the village yet I can't pinpoint who or where she is. Lord Naruto isn't showing good faith,"
"How did you arrive at this information?" Hinata asked.
"From the same source that they're chasing,"
"I see, so the ghost really does exists,"
.
Shikamaru stood in front of the bulletin board, rubbing his chin, feeling as though they were going about this the wrong way, as all these red strings did not attach to anything. He didn't react when a window opened behind him, as Ino gracefully snuck inside his temporary guest room, their team captain having previously called for a meeting.
Shikamaru turned when he heard him entering the room with a laptop between his arm. He nodded over to Ino, who was sitting on his bed, dressed in her one-piece suit. She pulled down her ninja sash, revealing her face.
He walked over to an empty surface to lay down his computer.
"That was nice of Aburame-san, to let us stay," Ino said.
Shikamaru agreed.
Being at the home of a fellow Shinobi whose loyalty belongs to their village, was the best move on Naruto's part.
"Sasuke-san, have you figured out the next plan?" Ino asked.
"From all the information you've gathered so far, I can see we've been fixated on finding out the "who" our ghost is, instead of asking ourselves the 'how'. That's my analysis so far," He said, as he opened up his laptop and showed them a chart on the screen, ruling out the different methods the ghost might be using to spy. "I don't think we're after a large organization, since technology has evolved too much,"
Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Wait it second," Shikamaru took his laptop and clicked through several charts. "The most basic thing is to stage a terrorist attack to draw them out, but that would get us flagged by this country. We might have to take a look at known figures, and their portfolio, and find out what exactly they have invested in. If we don't find anything, then we know we're looking for someone more private,"
"I'll update Naruto, and send him our theories, so he can do some digging on his side. In the meantime, let's sit tight," Sasuke said as Shikamaru handed him back his laptop.
Ino yawned. "I'm gonna turn in for the night, I feel like I haven't slept in months, good night boys,"
She raised her hood, and lifted the window open, disappearing into the night.
.
The next morning, they emerged into the living room space when there was a knock on the door. The maid moved to answer the door, greeting the person with familiarity.
Bluish lavender hair flowed behind her when she walked, as she proudly wore a uniform of a kind, which represented her family's academy. Her hair, her lips, her face, she still had those kinds of youthful features with the only difference being the soft kindness in her eyes. Maybe it was easier for Shikamaru to see it now without the hatred that used to once cloud his judgement. Sasuke was pretty sure the room brightened up right away when she smiled. The two stayed still when she rushed their way, giving each a quick-Mist-Village greeting, through her brief side hug.
"Kami, look at you two, in the same room. When I heard you were Shino-kun's guests, I wanted to say hello right away. Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?"
"No," Sasuke replied once he was able to find his voice again. "We were just about to go get something," Though what he really had wanted to say was that she looked great. What kind of technique was this? It is like she had aged just a day in all these years. It was her mature mannerism that only seemed to give her away, in the way she moved in the large space.
"That's perfect! I was hoping to catch up with you two. I know a great place nearby," She said, and not too soon after that, they were all out of the door.
.
"How are Boruto, Sarada and Shikadai?" She asked as the three waited around for their food to be served.
"They're good kids. This photo was taken a while ago," Sasuke pulled out a photo and handed it over to her. He seemed to be gloating as though the twins were his own.
"Aw, they're so adorable," She said as she shuffled between the pictures handed to her. She giggled as she observed all the features that made them look like their parents. She focused slightly longer on Shikadai's features.
"I wasn't aware Konoha was so advanced in science. Shikadai is just a clone of you, isn't he? What does your wife have to say about such narcissism?"
"Then the cloning process failed because my son acts nothing like me. How are you and your husband doing?" Shikamaru went on, noticing her missing wedding band, preventing her from asking about his soon-to-be ex-wife.
"One shouldn't fall for the false things said on the news,"
"Then why did you move away?"
Hinata remembers having lived through two major public events that knocked her down. Since then, she had been burnt and consumed the moment that gray area in her life had become exposed. Every move she made had to be careful, which was insane.
"I felt unsafe back home. I was going through it, for some time, until I realized that the media would never let up. The excessive amount of articles and pictures taken or written without my consent… Pursuing anything meaningful with anyone felt impossible because that would mean pulling any potential loved ones into that. So when Shino-kun said he wanted to apply and be the principal at our new school opening up, I made him an offer, and suggested we be roommates. Shino was the only one I could turn to, with my vision of the future."
"Hmm, a man and a woman rooming together. I feel like I'm missing something here. Last time I checked, your whole clan still has a ritual around protecting purity," Shikamaru said from his side.
"I guess you saw right through me. Shino-kun and I were married briefly before we moved, it was the strategic kind. That was the only way to loosen and separate what I own, from that of my clan's. So now, if I want something, I could just act, without going through so many channels of commands,"
"Sounds like you got your freedom, congrats," Sasuke said with a smirk. "I can see Aburame is still as supportive of you as he's always been," There had been slight hints of jealousy threatening to rise.
"Shino-kun has been the most amazing friend. It was quite the win-win partnership."
They all glanced up from the small round table as the waitress placed their orders down. Sasuke complemented the presentation once he received his tomato soup with a sandwich on the side.
"I promise this place doesn't disappoint,"
"What's your favorite part of living here?" Shikamaru asked her.
"A large population of my clansmen settled in this village, so naturally it fills me with joy to see them happy. But my favorite part is the food, and the locals. They don't really know who I am. I'm just another Hyuga that's far away from home. The truth is, I miss home a lot, and I miss you guys," She admitted.
"Has it ever occurred to you to reach out?" Sasuke pointed out, though feeling like he had this conversation before.
"You, of all people, should not be saying that. You practically gave up on me, and suggested we both move on," And that had felt like decades. She had never wanted to be apart. Hinata rested her arms on the table, feeling nostalgic. "I sometimes find myself going over decisions I've made, back when we were so problematic, and the stupid things we used to do because we thought we were adults, but deep down we were still just kids,"
"Don't forget about the compulsive desire to compete and dominate, as if achievements were prizes to be won, flags to be taken," Shikamaru added.
Sasuke chuckled. "We all had our issues,"
"Ah. I'm not proud of all the anger issues I had," Which he had carried from his angsty teen years and trauma from the war. However, moving on became easier when his son Shikadai was born and their lives no longer overlapped. Shikamaru began tapping his finger against his thigh.
"I agree. Like when I met the two of you, it was during a time I was isolated, living in a bubble, not that it excuses anything, but I just wanted to sincerely apologize, for everything,"
"That's all in the past, so no point in lingering on it anymore," Shikamaru said, finally going back to his food.
For some reason, Sasuke was left to confront something he had not wanted to think about. His mind sent him back to that time she had expressed a wish for them to work it out.
"Have you ever dated since divorcing?" Sasuke asked in morbid curiosity to know if she had others, noticing Shikamaru's fidgeting behavior stopped as he zeroed in on Hinata's frown.
It was honestly difficult to find someone who wasn't afraid of her father, her clan leader, and the elders. It didn't help that strangers seem to inherently think she was a particular kind of way. The kind that is too pure to taint. Servicing as a priestess, years back, had done more harm than good as it had kept some people away. She was not a priestess or a saint.
"I rather like it, being single," Hinata tossed Shikamaru a look as her lips curved into a smile. He had to look away, not liking whatever this thing was, as it hung in the air that morning, almost like a foreboding feeling of something that had yet to pass.
"My first reaction when I heard the two of you would be here, I thought Konoha was getting ready to go to war with the Mist Village," She said, after placing her chopsticks down, settling her hands on her lap.
Sasuke waved his hand, feeling amused. "Naruto is still a pacifist,"
"Good, because my loyalty will always be with Konoha, but I would rather not have to fight. Feel free to ask for help should you need it,"
"Hn, thanks for the offer, but I think we got it. Our third member is rather talented,"
"The offer still remains," Hinata reached into her purse, but Shikamaru's words stopped her.
"Don't worry about the bill, breakfast is on our team captain,"
She still continued searching inside her purse, pulling out two envelopes and placing them down on the table before standing.
"I don't know the details, but these are invitations to Mei-sama's 60th birthday party which is tomorrow night. Word is, Lord Chojiro wants to know what you're doing here and what Naruto is up to. I think you should talk to him to calm him down,"
Sasuke opened up the envelope, finding a business card discreetly tucked away within the birthday invitation.
"Thanks, this is actually pretty helpful to us," Shikamaru admitted.
.
Shikamaru's brow raised in awe as he stepped inside the venue and looked around. It was the middle of October, but the decorations made it feel like a private after-party for an opera. The staff members were dressed professionally in suits as they walked around, as the entertainers danced on small pillars, each wearing a unique mask while on their stage.
"Nara. Keep moving. We're blocking the entrance," Sasuke nudged his shoulder, both following the traffic of guests pouring in slowly, as many seemed intrigued or impressed with the grandeur of the event's design.
Shikamaru sighed.
"This is going to be a pain. Let's just greet everyone and get this over with." He turned to look behind him, but his colleague was nowhere to be seen. However, he spotted Ino under a disguise, already deep in conversation with a group of politicians.
He walked past a ballerina and paused, captivated by something, before he could even acknowledge why that was. He took a few steps closer, stopping right in front of the woman who had caught his eyes, noticing Sasuke had already been standing before her, seemingly transfixed, as he stood on the other side of the stage.
Shikamaru shoved his hands inside his pockets, genuinely interested in just watching her. There was something hypnotic about her movements. He couldn't help but be drawn in, feeling himself relax. All his worries and troubles seemed to melt away, and he was just able to enjoy the moment. She seamlessly looped back to the beginning of the choreography, before taking a step forward, a slow bow. That of an advanced entertainer.
When the song ended, Sasuke finally noticed that he was not the only one. A crowd had previously gathered to watch, and they applauded before dispersing.
He glanced over to Shikamaru, who was walking up to him. When it was just the three of them, the ballerina finally looked down from the elevated pillar that served as her small stage. She sent a soft nod, kneeling to be at their level. After she removed her mask, Sasuke lifted his head and stared at her, curious about her sympathetic expression.
Shikamaru took the chance to take in her visual aesthetics. Her short silver hair and hazel eyes somehow suit her. There was a quality about her preventing her from appearing sexual in her black and gold dress. Art, Shikamaru mused, is what she came across as.
Her alluring voice seemed to contradict her youthful appearance, as she maintained a sweet and elegant aura despite him having detected the local accent of a Hidden Mist woman. She sounded like a cure to anyone's medical melancholy. Both soothing yet familiar, almost like an old friend. She was a literal goddess, Sasuke found himself thinking, after he deduced the reason why he had been attracted in the first place.
"You both look stressed. I can change that…"
"This is not really our scene," Shikamaru admitted to himself. A birthday, becoming a political maneuver to bring people together, was too similar to the annual clan meetings they have back home. "Unfortunately, the grind never stops,"
"Isn't that why we're all here?" she asked, holding out her mask and letting it drop into Sasuke's waiting hands. She adjusted her dress, then rested one hand on her leg as she remained kneeling to one side. Sasuke felt silly for feeling as though he was being seen, since normally every stranger, both Shinobis and civilians alike, wanted the most physical things from him.
"What's your name?" Sasuke asked.
"Love, it's nice to see you,"
He shook his head, clearly amused and extended his hand to shake hers, his final test, sending a pulse the moment their skin touched, pleased she didn't disperse. Kami, now knowing she was real, Sasuke couldn't help but to find her even more stunning.
"When are you going to take a break, love?"
"Whenever Uchiha-san desires it," The dancer replied with a smile in her eyes as she drew her knees in, while her lips had a slight tilt to it.
Shikamaru glanced over at Sasuke, ready to disperse the flirting happening. After all, they were here on a mission.
"Uchiha, let's not be rude. We need to keep moving and greet everyone. And I do mean everyone." Shikamaru said stoically from his side, before tossing a quick look in Mei's way, as the village leader, Chojuro, shook hands with more people.
"Why don't you join us at our table once we're settled?" Sasuke asked, as he handed her back her mask, motioning up to the round table that had been reserved for them.
Her eyes trailed to Shikamaru, acknowledging him.
"If your handsome friend doesn't mind,"
Shikamaru held up his arms, crossing them into an "x", reminding Sasuke that they were on a mission. Sasuke signed an apology to her as he slightly bowed her way, before turning to follow his colleague. When they walked away, the dancer rose up, slipping back to her choreography.
"She didn't seem to disappoint you," Sasuke noted from his side. Shikamaru sent him a look, but he chuckled and kept pushing. "Come on, don't deny it Nara, she's a solid 10,"
"Well, this is worrisome, you know I'm married, right?" Shikamaru said, his hand flying to his temple, showing off his left hand.
"Then where is your ring?" Shikamaru's eyes slightly widened when he realized he had forgotten his wedding band behind. "I guess everyone has a degenerate side, including you,"
He didn't find it necessary to share that he's in the process of finalizing the details of his divorce and that when Naruto had asked him if he wanted to be part of the mission, he had also agreed because he needed time away from home to think. He just hopes his son doesn't end up blaming his mother too much.
Shikamaru said nothing, leaving it at that as they split once more to greet the rest of their ally, before eventually meeting back at their reserved table. The dancer never joined them, understandably so, as she had chosen to surround herself with the same crowd Ino had previously infiltrated.
"You're probably thinking to yourself that I'm no fun," Shikamaru said, the moment Sasuke seemed bored, as he settled across the table. "But if I wasn't in the process of finalizing my divorce, I would've invited that dancer over, whether you saw her first or not."
Sasuke looked his way, contemplating something about his admission. How much did Nara have to drink? He normally wouldn't open up about this kind of thing.
"Look around you, this venue wouldn't bat an eye if we shared," Sasuke pointed to the odd number in the middle of making out in a corner, a politician and two random dancers. It was Sasuke's way of preventing the conversation from becoming too serious.
"It's not so much the sharing that I mind. It would be nice, for a change, to take a break from looking at your ugly face,"
Sasuke winced and placed a hand on his chest and pretended to clench his heart,
"You wound me Nara,"
"Clearly not deep enough, since I aimed to kill,"
He rested his elbow on the table, leaning his face into the palm of his hand as his dark eyes trailed back to the dancer. "All jokes aside, if you ever find yourself in that situation, you'll quickly realize that you won't have time to notice the other guy's face,"
They both stared at each other before Shikamaru broke into chuckles.
"Is that a fact? Your body count must be terrifying,"
"Believe me, I'm more tamed than I seem," They both lifted their eyes when Lord Chojiro finally managed to shake some people off, to make time to talk to Naruto's advisor.
"So we meet again. What brings both of Lord Hokage's advisors to my village?"
Shikamaru raised his hand. "I'm retired,"
"Right,"
"We came to take notes of what it is that you do so well. This place is essentially a paradise," Sasuke replied while leaning into his chair.
Chojiro chuckled nervously.
"There are still issues here and there, I would certainly not call my village a paradise,"
"How humble. Lord Chojiro, to put it bluntly, we're searching for the identity of the person that's been feeding you intel. Or are you the one controlling information?"
Sasuke sent Shikamaru a glare.
Lord Chojiro slowly started to rise, feeling displeased. "Tell your Hokage he should give up. I tried looking for them as well, with nothing but dead ends. I gave up since it was a win-win partnership. They keep my village safe, and I look the other way,"
"Do you have a way to contact them? Lord Naruto wants to reach out and arrange a similar 'partnership', as you call it," Sasuke asked.
"I'm not the one that reaches out. They're the ones that do," Lord Chojiro replied, ending the conversation before departing.
"What?" Shikamaru asked.
"Give me that," Sasuke replied, dryly, snatching the drink from his hand, taking a sip.
Shikamaru glanced at his watch, before feeling around for cigarettes and stood up.
"I'm going to find the rooftop,"
"I'm pretty sure they announced that it was closed for renovation," Sasuke replied as he glanced up.
"No one would oppose having it opened just for you," He made a suggestive gesture with his hand, knowing at this point this might've been the alcohol perhaps talking.
"You suppose wrong," Was Sasuke's humble response.
Shikamaru motioned to someone as if to make a point. A staff member came over, and her eyes seemed to widen by whatever Shikamaru had said in her ear. The staff member sent a nod his way, motioning for them to follow.
"Do I even want to know what you said to her?"
"I asked her to show us a place where people go to be alone,"
Somehow, Sasuke didn't buy it as they stood around the rooftop. "You used my name just now to scare her, didn't you?"
"Spare me the act, Uchiha, I know the kind of python that you are," Shikamaru walked over to the ledge and took in a side of the city he never had a reason to experience. The village's nightlife streets were lit up with banners and advertisements for indulgence, as the narrow streets were more crowded than usual. His eyes were then glued to the sky as their skin glowed a mixture of colors, before trailing to the beach nearby.
It didn't take too long for Ino to open the door, still in her active disguise, her tutu moving as she walked.
Shikamaru lit a cigarette as Sasuke crossed his arms her way. "Report. What did you find?"
"I heard Lord Chojiru whisper a name during a private phone call. Our ghost might go by the nickname of 'Leader-sama,'"
"Troublesome, it's not exactly a revolutionary find, but at least we got proof of a possible conspiracy. Now, we can move onto the 'how',"
"Well done, Ino-san. Let's call it a night," Sasuke said, while Shikamaru ended his cigarette. "Thanks for the hard work, everyone,"
Ino immediately changed her disguise into a housemaid the moment the three got closer to the residential area they were currently staying in.
"Whoever that mansion belongs to, they must be pretty pretentious," Shikamaru said as he pointed out to a house that seemed to glow beautifully during the night.
"I think it looks pretty modern and cool," Ino defended it from her side.
.
Hinata removed her short silver wig and dropped it over her bathroom counter, rinsing her hands before removing her contacts. According to what she has gathered so far, the way she's been moving recently has placed her in Gaara's radar. Which is why Naruto seemed to be looking for her as well, seeking for a partnership, rather than taking her down. She can't assume other countries would have the same sentiment. She needed to think of something before every single ally started looking for her.
"Hanabi-Chan, we might have to switch up the way we've been doing things," Was the email she had sent that night.
.
Shikamaru plopped down on his bed, face first, regretting his choices. He ignored Sasuke, who had followed him, listing over the events that stood out that night. When Shikamaru didn't engage him, he remained sitting on a chair, typing away as his work laptop rested on his desk. Sasuke's hand paused to click on an email.
"This isn't good," He immediately paused, rushing to the phone to call their Hokage. "Naruto, when are you going to stop sending me cryptic messages? You don't even talk like that in person,"
"Haha, true. But I'm relieved to say your time is up. The ghost has been found."
"What do you mean? Were there others on the chase?" Was this always a race?
"It seems you guys poking about in the Hidden Mist village placed them up against a wall. Since you were closing in, they decided to reveal themselves to me,"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" He asked, suspecting him.
"Yeah. Sorry for pulling a Kakashi-sensei on you guys," Naruto said.
"Did you already have a feeling of the identity of the person?" Shikamaru asked, as he joined Sasuke's side, suddenly sober at the time.
"Yeah," After pulling the stocks of everyone, everything about the situation at the time fit her M.O. Her move to the Mist village had also aligned with the first spike that several countries had experienced. Naruto wished his friends had stopped to think about it, and maybe they would've also seen it. "I'll explain everything when you get back. In the meantime, you should pack your things and leave when you're ready,"
After Naruto hung up, Sasuke slammed his laptop shut, as the cathartic feeling of solving this case suddenly got taken from him.
"Troublesome, it seems Naruto is on his way to becoming scarier than Kakashi, because here I thought he had invited me to join the team to strengthen our bonds and all that bullshit. Obviously, he had different plans," From one ex-advisor to another, he had understood there comes a point where a Kage might begin to withhold information.
Sasuke picked up his laptop, deciding to head to his own room.
"Guess we better start packing. I'll go wake up Ino and tell her we're leaving early in the morning," Sasuke offered from his side, however, Shikamaru followed, since the bathroom was on his way.
Ino yawned as she opened the door to her guest room. She stared at Sasuke, unblinking, until eventually his words sank in.
"What? We're leaving? But you were there when I said I want to visit a few local historical sites when this mission is over. Staying a few more days isn't going to make much of a difference,"
"Oi, Ino, don't you miss your husband and kids? I wanna get back to my son,"
She turned to Sasuke, knowing he'll have the last say in this. "Team captain! Permission to stay a few more days!" She asked, saluting him.
"Permission granted," Sasuke replied, returning the sign. He then fidgeted with a business card inside his pocket that he had obtained the other day. "Sorry, Nara, it seems like we're staying,"
.
"Uchiha, whose number did you acquire?" Shikamaru asked the next day over breakfast as Sasuke played with a business card in his hand as if he were contemplating whether he would follow up or not.
Did he really want to open himself up this way again? Sasuke sighed and placed it away in his pocket.
"That would be none of your business,"
Shikamaru didn't need to wrestle him, as his shadow alone did all the stalling. Shikamaru snatched the paper off his hand and read it. Suddenly, he suspected him.
"Sasuke-san, are you an idiot? Don't you see how happy she looks? I would stay away from her if I were you,"
"I don't see how that has anything to do with wanting to spend time with an old friend,"
"What a pain, that you would think Aburame-san will leave her alone with some womanizer,"
"Keep it going, Nara-shika-kun and I'll write this off as insubordination. I expect all this slandering from Inuzuka-san, but certainly not from you. Is this coming from a place of concern or something else?" Sasuke said while using his hand to cover half of his face, leaving one eye exposed.
Shikamaru was grateful he hadn't been drinking water at the time because he was sure he would've spit it out.
"That is the worst Kakashi impersonation I've ever heard. Why are you moving your head around so much?" He said as he laughed. "Since you insist on staying, then you'll be paying for all the souvenirs I take back to Shikadai,"
"I'm your team captain, I got you,"
However, Shikamaru was right.
When Sasuke had reached out, he was somehow roped into bringing Nara along, as Hinata insisted that Shino would love to give them a tour to show off her family's school.
.
"Congrats on your mission's success," Shino said the next day, as they walked along the sidewalk that followed the canal, passing foliage-covered pastel houses, on their way to the academy.
Why was Shino there?
Sasuke tossed a look over at Hinata, who smiled. Once a bodyguard, always a bodyguard, huh.
"It doesn't seem like a win," Shikamaru said.
"Why do you feel that way?" Hinata asked from her side.
"Naruto isn't even here, but he somehow managed to get a step ahead of us. Something about that doesn't add up,"
"He's our Hokage for a reason, now stop with the defeated faces. A win is a win," Shino replied.
"Shino-san!" A group of teachers walked up to him, waving. "Are you busy right now? We'll like to have a word about the chunin exams our students are participating in this year,"
"What is the date of your departure?" Shino asked his guests.
"In two days," Sasuke replied.
"Let's reschedule the tour for tomorrow, then. That way, you'll get to see why the Mist Academy location will always be number one," He said, before walking away with the group of teachers that awaited him.
"Raincheck?" Sasuke asked as they stood around.
"It would seem so, sorry about that," Hinata replied as Shino was seen walking away.
Hinata turned to Shikamaru, who wouldn't stop looking at her as though he wanted to get her attention.
"Before you go, I need some kind of clarification. When you gave us those invitations the other day, I thought it was because you'd be at Mei-sama's party to formally introduce us. We were pretty much on our own since Aburame was a no-show," Shikamaru said as he took out his pack of cigarettes. "Where were you that night?"
Hinata sped up ahead and stopped at a distance to perform a pirouette in place, her beige shorts underneath the dainty dress was slightly exposed until her somatic movement slowly seized, her hand ending on the railing for support as a canoe flowed underneath the bridge.
She bowed their way.
Shikamaru looked unfazed, as he caught up, raising one hand to chop her over her head with his pack of cigarettes. "Troublesome, do you think pranking a fellow Shinobi on a mission is amusing to you?"
"Nara, what are you talking about?"
Shikamaru touched her chin slightly, tilting her head his way, "Take another look, Uchiha, and ask yourself, out of all the guests that were present the night, who was the vice principal that was missing?"
"You look stressed, love. I can fix that…" She said in mocking innocence, however, Sasuke's eyes widened further.
No way, how did he miss something so blatant? He gave Shikamaru an accusing look, since Hinata had looked like a completely different person back then. The shadow user didn't see the point in explaining that when it came to her, it was like he still had x-ray vision.
"So you two just stood there and watched me act like a fool," Sasuke said dryly as he caught up to the two at the bridge.
Hinata giggled from her side as Shikamaru shrugged offhandedly.
"It's not my fault you've become such an easy target. And to my defense, I tried to warn you, or would you still like me to go on a break with you?"
"So you think you're cheeky now,"
Hinata darted away the moment she sensed that he would chase her, using Shikamaru as a shield, dodging rings around him, and yelling for Sasuke to stop. Those were probably her first pragmatic words that day as she considered the public space, with very little room on the narrowed bridge, which earned chuckles and side glances from locals passing by.
Shikamaru reassured the strangers that he didn't know them, even though Hinata had been clinging to his back, for protection.
"Shika, make him stop-"
"Oi!" Shikamaru finally snapped at the two. Having had enough, he subdued both their shadows while calling out their immaturity.
He released them when the weather did a flip, no longer on their side, as the rain came down hard. Hinata touched her purse, but her hand hesitated. She decided not to take out her umbrella, knowing what she knows about this kind of weather, and Sasuke's powers.
Using his rinnegan, Sasuke prevented the deluge from completely drenching them. It took very little manipulation, as every small molecule of water repelled away from them. When Shikamaru took a step into a puddle, the water seemingly parted in half, as if dodging his steps to help keep him dry.
Shikamaru's grin widened a little as he sent him a thumbs-up. "Good work, Umbrella-san,"
When Hinata giggled that way, she looked so happy and free. Suddenly, just then, Sasuke's day felt complete.
She hummed quizzically towards the brown eyes that were on her.
"I recalled Aburame-san mentioning you live nearby," Shikamaru said as he lifted his arm and pointed towards a distance, looking at the same house he had called pretentious.
"Would you like a tour when the weather clears up?" She asked.
"If you don't mind, we can wait out the rain at your place."
Sasuke tossed Shikamaru a look, as the most convenient outcome would've been to ask him to teleport them to Shino's home. Was Nara still in his investigative mode? Or was this something else?
.
"Hinata-sama, what happened to you?" Her butler asked as she showed up at the entrance with damp hair sticking to her face, and two very dangerous guests.
"It's not something that your wind technique and towel can't fix," Hinata said as they all left their shoes behind, and followed the butler inside.
Sasuke walked up to the vivarium, as it took a large living space inside, and whistled. He dried his hair and left the towel draped around his shoulders, as he caught a partial glimpse of the snake casually resting underneath a cave created by rocks.
"Another few years and you won't be able to handle your pet by yourself,"
"It's already difficult enough since all it wants to do is wrap itself around my waist and never let go. I miss the times when I used to be a tree, back when he used to fit in the palm of my hand. But now it views me as a tiny piece of branch," Hinata shook her head at the memories. "I no longer get any respect,"
He chuckled. "As long as it doesn't see you as a meal, you're fine,"
The shadow user moved away from the window, after watching the soothing yet violent downpour for a while. He took a sip of tea he had been offered, rejoining the two who had been engaged in a quiet card game, glancing over Hinata's shoulder as they played.
There was something Shikamaru could not wrap his head around, as he thought about all the interactions he had, so far since being at the Mist village. If Hinata had to resort to disguising herself as a dancer, what was her mission, and what had she been after? She's been living here for some time. It wouldn't surprise him if her loyalty has shifted.
Was she a double agent?
Wait no…
"…Shino-kun has been the most amazing friend. It was quite the win-win partnership," She had said back then.
"…Tell your Hokage he should give up. I tried looking for them as well, with nothing but dead ends. I gave up since it was a win-win partnership. They keep my village safe, and I look the other way," Lord Chojuro had used similar keywords.
Coincidence? He thinks not. Naruto had confirmed something that didn't make sense at the time, as he refrained from saying anything over the phone, then later congratulating them through an email.
"…It seems you guys poking about in the Hidden Mist village placed them up against a wall. Since you were closing in, they decided to reveal themselves to me,"
"What a pain, so that's how it is," Shikamaru said to himself out loud as he chuckled.
"Hn?"
"Sasuke-San, it doesn't seem like we have to wait until we get back home to ask Naruto how he caught on, when we could just ask the ghost ourselves,"
Hinata slowly placed her cards down, when Sasuke visibly tensed.
"Hinata…is that true?"
"I stand by what I said. My loyalty will always be towards our home,"
"Then how did you end up here?"
.
'Onee-chan, I've been thinking lately that illnesses are unavoidable, we cure one and then another one pops up. But technology is shifting. I got a tour of the telephone facility and got to see all the workers that connect the calls for us…'
"And what does this have to do with saving life?"
'Our eyes will never see everything. So, I thought of ways we could invest in our clan's future, expanding our Byakugan range. I can already see a monopoly being born before us. Imagine how game-changing it would be if we were to have access to that sort of network of information. We could develop a way to stop evil deeds before it happens, including acts of terrorism, hence controlling what I can, to stop people from being injured or going to the hospital,'
"Hanabi, when you say it like that, it sounds like you want to control information and build a network of spies. That's a level of threat that has never been seen before,"
'Not me. We. I need your voice because we're going to need lots of money to realize my vision. The elders will like the idea if it's you pitching it.'
"I would rather have the elders not be a part of it, they'll find a way to corrupt your vision,"
'Then what should we do?'
"Give me some time, and I'll slowly buy this company out,"
'I don't care about how long it'll take. Just think about all the wars, kidnappings, and terrorism we could prevent. It'll be less work for the overworked and understaffed Shinobis,'
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"I was influenced by my sister's dream, and in order to accomplish it, I had to first break away from my clan, or they would've flagged me for the way I had planned to move my investments around. I didn't know any better at the time that this move was the volatile kind. You see, technology is shifting again, and we're getting left behind. It seems, each and every day, I'm losing a battle because people are choosing to communicate through emails," She said, as she stood up and opened a drawer, taking out a flash drive, and distributing it to Shikamaru's hands. "This is all the intel my team has managed to gather for the safety of Konoha this month. Tread carefully when you hand this over to Naruto,"
"So that's it?" Sasuke asked.
"Eh?"
"Are you going to roll over and just take it?"
"Excuse me?"
"I think what Sasuke-san is trying to say is that you could easily adapt to the trends and move on," Shikamaru explained.
She narrowed her eyes their way.
"Sure, our objective sounds harmless when I say it out loud, but I'm a threat on paper. I knew that very well the moment Naruto sent you. I was lucky you guys had not been a stranger,"
Sasuke glanced down at his tea. The rain had stopped by then.
"Hn," How should he put this? "Hinata, I rather it be you, than someone who might actually use this advancement for something sinister,"
Shikamaru never thought he would agree. "Troublesome, I need a drink,"
"I think we all do," Sasuke said as Hinata released a sigh of relief she didn't know she had been holding.
.
It was late into the afternoon when the three had been sitting around in her living room, with the tv on and neglected, as they shared stories of their failed moments with all these new technologies popping up. Hinata remained in the middle of the largest sofa, with her back sunk in the comfort of the furniture, as she sat crossed-legs, laughing, as Sasuke leaned forward, in a single-seat, with Shikamaru playing with the leaves of a large foliage plant nearby.
"I can't believe Naruto never found out about your email fuckup," Shikamaru said with a grin.
"No one was there to teach me how to "CC '' someone, and I panicked. Thankfully, Naruto was at one of Sakura's appointments. Tenten and Lee helped me cover the mistake by hacking into his laptop, and we were able to fix it,"
"So what's the story with the python?" Shikamaru asked, touching the glass.
"Cornsnake," They both corrected him. Not all snakes were the same.
"Hn, must everything have a story?"
"With her, they always do,"
"I found it when it was a youngling, being tortured by a few students who were using it as target practice. It must've wandered off away from its nest, but when I looked, it was vacant by then. The vet thought it was going to die, so I didn't name it for a few days,"
"Then that's one tough guy," Sasuke said, seemingly connecting with its tragic backstory.
"Where's the restroom, by the way?" Shikamaru asked.
She turned slightly to motion behind.
"You just have to exit into the left hall, and follow it, it's on your right,"
When it was just the two of them, the comfortable silence only lasted a few seconds before the two smiled and looked away.
"Hinata, I'm happy to see you're doing well," Sasuke offered.
"Thank you. And you look good, like you've been moving well through your experiences,"
He raised a brow. "Are you flirting with me?"
"I would never," She said, standing up, suddenly remembering something. She had made a lot of friends here. And the students she works with were mostly good kids. "Wait here, I have something for you,"
"Hn?"
"I asked the culinary club to print out a list of specific recipes for the school paper, but they ended up publishing a magazine with over 20 recipes that incorporate tomatoes. It may not be your mother's recipe, but it's something," She said as she moved to leave, in search of it.
He caught her wrist when she passed him.
"Sasuke?"
"I missed you, more than you could ever know,"
Hinata touched his brow when it furrowed and spread her arms to hug him. She lifted her gaze when he reached out to touch her cheek, and tiptoed to meet him halfway, barely able to catch her breath against Sasuke's kiss. They parted when the room felt as if it had grown colder.
"Would you stop glaring? It's getting uncomfortable all of a sudden," Sasuke said, sending him a challenging smirk.
"What else am I to do? I leave for one second, and I come back to this? Do you two not know what restraint is?" Shikamaru chastised them, looking as annoyed as he'll ever be, as he kept taking a few steps their way.
"I think he wants your attention," Sasuke commented as he snaked his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, while still walking.
"Being a spectator isn't exactly in my nature," Shikamaru said, just for the sake of being playful as he paused right before her. And just like that, there was something in the air, and Hinata could sense that the two were waiting around for one person to take it further. She was aware this kind of arrangement was supposed to be a planned, and thought-out process, with conversations to be had when they were sober. Still, she reached out, as she considered a more private space, suggesting a place they could be alone, perhaps her last pragmatic word that day.
.
Her mind doesn't actively encourage profanity, but fuck, she had missed Sasuke so much even though her body was quick to melt against Shikamaru's touches, Sasuke's embraces, and their kisses, forgetting for a moment how they got to be inside her room, completely bare as she felt Sasuke's breath against her navel. Shikamaru's deep, husky voice was almost hypnotic the entire time, as he asked her personal inquiries or boundaries they should not cross.
She opened her eyes and glanced at him. To ask something like that now of all times.
"I'd probably like anything you do to me,"
"That's not a real answer," Shikamaru said to her as he chuckled.
"But it's true." They instinctively knew not to try and test it.
Sasuke soon invaded her senses again, his movement earning giggles as he peppered her skin from her thighs to her knees. Still, he couldn't help but wonder how many others had been lucky enough to witness these kinds of expressions.
"Why do I get the feeling you two have done this before?" Hinata complained.
"We all have needs," Shikamaru did not try denying it even though it wasn't true and was just winging it, as his hand lazily roamed, finding her hand and guiding it to where he wanted. She was unaware that her idle touch felt like an anvil against his skin, especially when her small hands closed like a ring, lingering in certain areas more than others, sending statics throughout his body.
Sasuke slipped his hand between her as if to prove a point, saying something that made her face turn red. She drew her legs tighter together, almost trapping his arm, before reaching out to hit him for being vulgar.
"Please quit it with the dirty talk," She said shyly, looking at him again, catching the intensity of his eyes, as a silent promise reflected inside.
But Sasuke was already done talking by then, as he gently planted a kiss on her navel, then further down. Embarrassment crept up the moment she opened her eyes, brown eyes meeting hers. Three glasses of wine shouldn't have warranted this behavior when she indulged them this way. Shikamaru didn't seem to think so, as he simply continued to enjoy her expressions, along with what her hand did to him as he lazily lay on his side.
"What did you eat for you to taste so sweet?" Sasuke asked, casually going back to admiring the view, as she lay, panting. She giggled, saying something that might have sounded like "Weirdo," almost as if she could hear his thoughts. "I can't help it. I want you to know how you taste."
"No, thank you. I would rather not-" He did it anyway, forcing her mouth into an open kiss.
"Oi, Sasuke, can't you tell she can't seem to handle a little kink,"
She sent a playful glare his way. "Not true."
"Really? Then show me." Shikamaru said, knowing she won't turn down the challenge.
Even though she felt shy, Hinata did not look away, as Shikamaru's fingers traced her lips, his eyes asking a silent question, suggestive in nature, as he had positioned himself strategically close. She figured right away this was the kind of thing that he likes, and suddenly, she had this feeling like she had to pretend that she was experienced as it was more embarrassing to admit that yes, she was 29, but didn't know what she was doing. The men in her life were never this persuasive.
Hinata had only meant to repay a kindness forward, not thinking she'll enjoy being the cause of his pleasure, as she was trying to attach a flavor to the way Shikamaru tastes, the palette not quite like the ocean and yet salty all the same.
Shikamaru's soft-spoken apology sounded more wistfully than anything, as he tried to catch himself, but his warmth spread regardless, traveling down her chest, slowly, dripping, moisturizing.
Then, when the fog lifted, he felt a feeling swelling inside. Seeing the two in such an intimate way was a throwback to a past Shikamaru thought he had discarded, triggering a fit of jealousy so vicious that it hurt. Confusion and anger rose out of pure instinct to not want to share her. Hinata did not belong to anyone, he reminded himself, trying to turn that part of him off that felt possessive, since moments before he had been having fun.
Hinata's face felt flushed, as she brought an arm over her eyes. She almost tapped out as her body was feeling too much of everything at the same time. Overwhelmed by the experiences left and right.
"If you don't tell me how it feels, I'm not going to know," Sasuke said, while stopping to rest his chin on her knee, as if the room hadn't been echoing her voice seconds before.
"Please just hold me..."
"I thought Hyugas aren't one to beg," Sasuke drew in a deep breath and leaned down to do so, though all his mind wanted to be rough. Still, he felt like he'll do anything for her, as this was the first time he was deliberately gentle this way with anyone as he whispered something only for her to catch.
"I want you," She said, unable to look away from him as he repositioned himself. The view, and what it did to her, cemented her decision as his hardened length rested on her. Whatever feeling of shame was overwritten by a surge of desire blooming at the mere thought of them joining.
"But we're drunk," Sasuke collected her hand and kissed her palm, before letting go, rolling to the side.
"That doesn't mean you have to take it so easy on me," She said with a look that was too innocent for the exciting things they'd been doing. Hinata tossed a look at the pool of brown hair lying beside her. His brown eyes lazily fluttered open when she squeezed his hand, his attention trailing to Sasuke.
"Hmm, he's right," They should stop. Especially since a migraine was surfacing in, and his brow knitted in pain. "We didn't exactly talk this through. Besides, I still don't like looking at his ugly face,"
"Who's asking you to look?" Sasuke retorted.
Hinata saw right through his pain right away and leaned to kiss Shikamaru's forehead. He blinked when the headache seemed to go away. They stayed that way, tangled around her, talking until they thought they had sobered up. Shikamaru wasn't sure who was the one that first started moving when hands began roaming, and words sounded like gentle coaxing. He had been okay with just watching at first, enjoying the way Sasuke slid her body closer, before carving a better position, the mission was visibly easy for her. To him, she almost looked like a doll with all her flexible ranges, looking flawless from every angle.
The silky bedsheets had pooled around her fists.
It was all she could do to feel like she was holding herself in place, as their bodies, their scents, and their skins became distinctly one until a stream of warmth washed over her with fluidity both hers and not her own, as her scream reduced to hums.
.
The next morning, Shikamaru had privately agreed, that they should not do something like that together ever again, as it would be easy to catch feelings again. All he wanted was to focus and devote all his attention and love to raising his kid. What happened in the Mist Village should forever stay there, that phrase held a meaning that made sense to her now. However, Sasuke had stayed, making it harder for her to just call it sex.
"I figured out something last night,"
Hinata stared at his face. "And what is that?"
"I don't want to share you with anyone ever again,"
"You're so weird. That would imply that I'm yours. I feel like you're trying to tell me something here,"
"I'm asking you to be mine,"
"Not unless you make that known to my family. They're still very traditional, you see, and would want to know about your intentions towards me,"
"You didn't say that last night when the three of us were tumbling," She hit him in the side of his arm.
He chuckled.
"Alright, alright,"
.
Then, as promised, Hinata returned to live back home that same year, just as silently as she had left, she had returned. Having consolidated most of the business that had kept her away, she delegated the responsibilities to Hanabi. Her younger sister sometimes carried the torch, trying to find other ventures of technology to exploit, while Hinata had chosen to retire into a life of peace and quiet as the Advisor's wife.
Just like that, Hinata felt alive again. Living, instead of merely existing. Not needing to breath out strategies, since this time she had recruited a solid Ino-Shika-Cho team to help her run the machine. And when she fixed her apron, her children never thought anyone had ever considered their gentle and patient mother, troublesome. Her hands filled with traces of earth, as she tended to her garden or visted the shrine, forced attention away. Few knew she was the same ghost that still to this day commanded the largest network of spies.
However, Choji and Naruto always felt skeptical about something, but never questioned it out loud as to why Shikamaru Nara was sometimes invited over to Hinata's frequent social dinner. Or why Sasuke would grin freely, while Shikamaru's eyes had a glint, not knowing they will always reminisce about a distant past, as Hinata walked around to serve everyone, though always sitting right in between them.
"Do you remember when we used to be so chaotic?" Hinata asked, playfully, after all the guests had left, and their kids had been with staying over at Hanabi's, the three were sitting on the porch, looking at the sky.
"Hn, don't forget about the compulsive desire to seduce,"
"I don't know what the hell you two were thinking back then. I was a vulnerable single father, and you took advantage of me," Shikamaru said, jokingly.
"I'm pretty sure I was the one that was double-teamed," Sasuke replied.
Hinata giggled, "You two are unbelievable because I remember it differently,"
They watched as Shikamaru stood up from the steps, and lit up a cigarette, waving their way lazily without turning around. Hinata shifted her seat, moving in between Sasuke's leg, leaning her back into him. He kissed her forehead when she glanced up, never taking little fleeting moments like this for granted as a falling star disappeared before their eyes.
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His eyes were still focused on Hinata as she combed her fingers through her hair and attempted to braid her hair.
"If I wasn't your mother, I probably would just punch you," Yoshino said, trying to ignore the slight blush that came over her son's features.
Glancing between the two Naras, Hinata blinked.
"Um...did I miss something?"
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"Careful, Sasuke," She joked lightheartedly, saying his name for the very first time, not realizing the shadow beneath her began to shift as a figure landed right behind her. "Don't go falling for me,".
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"Already done. There wasn't much to see," His active Rinnegan could briefly be seen as he turned around to fully face her.
"That's a relief to hear, that I'm not your type,"
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"The Uchiha will likely return,"
He refused to speculate any further when his eyes met Hinata's. The deeper he speculated, the less he liked the assumptions he stumbled upon.
"Wait, what did you just say, Shikamaru!?" Suddenly, there was life again in Naruto's blue eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Ah." He affirmed.
Then there was Hinata, who for some reason tried to hide her content as her eyes trailed downward and to the side, a soft smile overcoming her features..
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His response was a sharp intake of breath, he knew this all to be very inconvenient. You would think he wouldn't do it, since he wasn't foolish. He was supposed to be a genius, yet there he was proclaiming his loyalty to her and her only..
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"Um, what's this?" She asked Sasuke as she eyed the bracelet. She took his intentions to be malicious.
"Your present," He explained that it was something a child from the orphanage had made for him, but he believed she needed it more than he did.
"This is so like you, to remind me that my problems are so small," She said while slipping the bracelet on.
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"I never wanted to own her," Sasuke said, seriously. He remembered thinking he didn't care about Nara, and that she could love as many as she wants. And although he was mildly the jealous kind, he mostly saw himself as a person who's able to see beauty in others, with needs and feelings that he wanted to fulfill and explore, and some of them with her. But that conversation was never up with for discussion because the opportunity never came as she kept on claiming he was just a dear friend...
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"I simply do not understand marriages. How could a couple expect to completely have ownership over one another for the rest of their lives?" Kakashi said casually, his own version of a hidden test. He waited for Sasuke to respond, as laying underneath Sasuke's answer will be the actual truth.
"Monogamy clearly isn't for everyone."
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The end
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Thank you, to those who helped me finish this, you know who you are. It was a lot of fun and yet stressful writing this, and I learned a lot, thanks for the ideas and pushing or nudging me. I'm not going to stop practicing my writing, as I know it's not quite there yet. And this story was mostly that. Reading back my earlier chapters, I'm happy I've gotten slightly better.
To those who had the patient to stick through this, thank you too!
If there was a particular chapter that you liked the most, please let me know, because I'm curious to know what made you stuck through this lol
