The sun felt much brighter this morning and Hinata groaned as she brought her blanket up over her head to block it out. With her head pounding a tune as her stomach swirled in utter turmoil. The night before slowly came back to her and she recalled the amount she had, groaning and internally cursing herself for drinking so much. A moment later, the reminder of the kiss she shared with Sasuke hit and she gasped before groaning again as her stomach threatened to release the contents residing within. Slowly, she lowered the blanket to allow her eyes time to adjust the light filtering in through the small openings between her curtains. It was only then that she saw a glass of water with small bits of ice floating up top and two pills sitting beside it. A blush crept up her face as she knew she did not leave that there and it had been there for a bit.
It was the first time either of them had really taken the time to initiate assistance to the other without offering first. To think that Sasuke had been the one to cross that threshold before she did was a surprise. So, forcing herself to sit up, she gave her stomach a moment to determine if she would need to release any contents before taking medicine. She felt the nausea, but it appeared to be just that, and she sighed with relief when it eased away enough that she felt safe taking her medicine. The water was still cold and eased down her parched throat, causing a sigh of pleasure when she set the glass back down. Would a shower help? She knew she smelled of alcohol and there was a stench that had her nose wrinkling. Forcing herself up and out of bed, she grabbed some clothes and made her way to the bathroom for a shower. Sighing once the hot water hit her skin, she washed her hair and body, feeling the sensation in her stomach continue to slowly ebb away. Once out, she wrapped a towel around her and began to work on drying her hair, feeling satisfied when it was damp, but not enough to drip water onto the floor. That's when she got dressed and opted for civilian clothes with a white top that held various sunflowers, deciding she'd wear a cardigan if she left the house. Jeans that Ino had purchased for her that clung to her legs, but she'd make do with them for now. Organizing the dirty clothes and towels, she left her bathroom and slipped on house shoes.
In the next few moments, she would question whether she had left at the right time or not. Leaving her room, she closed the door and turned in time to see a sight that made her mouth go dry and her entire body pause. The bathroom door opened, steam billowing out and out came a half-naked Sasuke. A towel wrapped around his waist and his only hand was using a second towel to dry his hair. Like anyone else in their line of work, he was at least toned. She knew he wasn't exactly lanky, but he could be considered such at times. He was toned, but she noted that he seemed a bit more in shape than just toned. Her eyes darted to his left arm and saw the mangled flesh at the end but noted it didn't take away from his looks at all. She had seen her teammates without shirts, even if she had been shy at the time. Yet, neither of them compared to the person who stood before her who was slowly lowering the towel from his hair. Their eyes met and Hinata let out a squeak, covering her face and mumbling an apology for staring.
"Well, you are technically my wife. If anyone had permission to stare, it would be you."
Hinata could hear the teasing note in his voice, and she sucked in a breath and lowered her hands to look back at him. His statement, while meant to be teasing, was not entirely incorrect. They were married and her shinobi attire now held the Uchiha fan crest on the back to showcase their marriage. Even if it didn't start based on love and friendship, what they had going on was leading to that. She'd consider him a friend and someone she would trust with her life, especially after the mission they had on the moon. He had made a plan with her, allowing her to state her needs within the plan he had that he had taken seriously. He not only cared about her but trusted her to be able to make plans that benefited her. How could she not have noticed that their friendship was mutual.
Last night was a shock as she had made confessions to him in her drunken state, yet he had done the same and had been sober. Even now, she could feel that sensation she had felt last night as they looked at each other. Then, her thoughts drifted to thoughts that she had never thought she'd ever think about. Realizing that they had decided to shower at the same time, she wondered if they would ever get to a point of being bold enough to share one together. And that's when she squeaked once again, covering her face and feeling it intensely heat up.
"You alright?" Sasuke asked, his voice still holding utter amusement at her predicament.
"I don't know." Hinata bit her bottom lip and forced herself to meet his eyes, again.
"What were you thinking about?" Sasuke leaned forward slightly, a smirk on his face. "Perhaps about what's under my towel?"
"N-no!" Hinata shrieked, turning to open the door to her bedroom before slamming it behind her, hearing him laugh before his own door opened and closed.
Hinata huffed, trying to force herself to feel frustrated by his teasing, but aside from a red face, she felt a smile on her face. These were moments she had once considered having with Naruto, but now she was sharing them with Sasuke. And she realized right then that she thinks she prefers these moments with Sasuke. Even knowing that in a different life, she married Naruto and had a family with him, it now felt wrong to her in this one. Alternate realities were officially real and yet she wondered how the other version of herself would feel to know that she was happy with Naruto's best friend. How the other Sakura would feel to know that someone else would share moments with her husband as she shared them with Naruto. How would the two men react? How would the two women react?
She left her room and made her way to the kitchen, humming to herself as she debated on what to make for lunch that wouldn't send her stomach back to being overly nauseated. She heard Sasuke leave his room and glanced over to see him in his normal shinobi attire that he had during his travels. The only thing missing was his poncho, but she found herself taking in his appearance. His hair still slightly stuck up in the back now that he didn't have bandages around his forehead to keep it in place. Even with longer hair than she remembered him having, she could agree that he was still attractive. And it was then he must have sensed her staring as he glanced over at her, raised a brow, then went back to going through some of his things.
"You alright?" He asked, focused on his task.
"Oh, yes. I'm alright." Hinata smiled in his direction, even if he wasn't looking back at her at that moment.
She then felt a presence behind her, turning to see him standing there, a look on his face that she couldn't describe if she could. He was standing close to her now, barely a foot between them and the tension in the kitchen shifted to something darker and intimate. His right hand reached up, slowly settling on the left side of her face as his eyes drifted from her own to her lips. She recalled her desire to repeat last night and here was her chance. Placing her hands on his chest, she reached up before she could talk herself out of it. Their lips barely brushed when there was a knock on their door. They stopped, refusing to move as their lips still barely touched, eyes nearly closed before the knock was heard again. She caught Sasuke's foul language and giggled as he went to the door, nearly slamming it open only to see Hanabi looking up at him curiously.
"Middle of something, Uchiha?" Hanabi asked, a smirk on her face. "I came to visit with my sister."
Sasuke stepped back, glaring at Hanabi's back before he grabbed his shoes, slipping them on before leaving the house. Hinata felt the disappointment surge through her, but knew that Hanabi would make this an embarrassing experience and was relieved he wouldn't be here for that. Though, she could admit that she was disappointed that the moment between them had been interrupted. While she was shy about it, she still remembered the first kiss they shared between each other, even if alcohol had been rushing through her system like a river last night. The idea brought a slight blush to her cheeks, which her sister seemed to have noticed immediately as a grin spread across her face.
"Thinking about your husband, dear sister?"
"N-no!" Hinata squeaked out, waving both hands in an attempt to divert Hanabi's attention. "I blush over the smallest things, it seems."
"Yeah, you do." Hanabi shook her head with a smile on her face.
Before Hinata could respond, a knock on the door grasped their attention instantly, Hinata making her way to the door. Standing on the other side was someone in their ANBU uniform, an owl mask planted firmly in place to hide their identity. Hinata's heart seemed to plummet right to her stomach, that feeling of dread wrapping around her like a vice. Owl looked between the two women, before firmly staring right at Hinata, as if to give her a moment to squirm a bit.
"The Hokage requires the presence of Lady Uchiha." Owl stated, tone flat. "I will be escorting you to the Tower."
"Oh, well, let me grab my shoes." Hinata nodded, glancing toward Hanabi who took the hint and put her own shoes on.
"We still need to talk." Hanabi said, glancing over to Owl.
"I know. Let me see what the Hokage wants, first. I will meet you at the Hyuga compound when I'm done."
Hinata walked behind Owl toward the Hokage Tower, thoughts drifting to what the situation would be. She had a feeling it had to do with the time-traveling Hyuga and possibly her own grandmother. The stairs seemed to go on forever, as if expanding to keep her going for as long as it could. Soon enough, she found herself outside of the Hokage's office, taking a deep breath as Owl knocked on the door. Kakashi's voice was heard on the other side and soon the door opened to allow her entry. Hinata noted Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru standing within the room. As she entered, she heard the door close behind her, but took her spot to Sasuke's left, glancing up at him. His face revealed nothing, so she had to assume that they were not given details and were just waiting for her before doing so.
"As you know, Masaru Hyuga has claimed to have come from the future. We have had several members of ANBU as well as the Yamanaka clan to confirm what he's shared with us. At this time, the information we have been given from the Hyuga is true. He admitted to getting caught up in the Tenseigan, hoping it would benefit him to make things easier in the future. We have confirmed that information to also be true."
"Kakashi-sensei, do we know what this means?" Sakura asked, her face furrowed in concentration.
"It means that he was able to get what he needed to fix his timeline. However, due to Mio Hyuga's interruption in his mission, he has created an alternate reality. That was also confirmed during our interrogation. What the council has decided is to have the five of you travel with him to make sure he is able to complete his own mission."
"Why would we need to assist him?" Shikamaru asked. "That doesn't make any sense. And why would they require some of the strongest shinobi to do so? That puts Konoha at risk."
"I agree, but their reasoning is you should be able to return within minutes of this meeting, so it would be as if you never left." Kakashi leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "The council has put their foot down on this matter and have ignored other concerns to sway them. Given their involvement with the Hyuga and Uchiha marriage, this should not come as a surprise."
"What do they hope to gain from this?" Sasuke asked, his frame seeming to tense as the discussion had gone on.
"That I cannot answer, but you can guarantee I will be looking into it." Kakashi gave his usual eye crinkle as he smiled. "I have a hunch they hope something happens and they have time to look through Uchiha archives during your absence. However, they are not aware that I specified that you come back within minutes of this meeting."
Hinata smiled, having heard stories about Kakashi and Shikamaru being similar in the way they would think things through. To know that he didn't specify to them the time when the group would return meant that his hunch was much more likely true than Hinata cared to admit. To know her family was involved in this entire mess bothered her. Knowing that they were using her in order to obtain information on a nearly non-existent clan that she was married into. If they had Sasuke out of the village, they would be working with the council to gain access to information. Were they really looking for something that involved an Uchiha and Hyuga child? Or was there something more to it behind the smoke and mirrors being offered up.
"Hinata, I have a feeling I know what you are thinking. I would have to agree with you. I do believe there is more to this than the only explanation we were given. I will do whatever I can to protect you both. ANBU has been ordered to notify me if a council member has accessed the archives and to turn anyone else away for the time being." Kakashi gave her a smile. "While I cannot stop the council from gaining access, I can know when they begin to look and can go from there."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Hinata gave a slight nod.
She could see the slight twitch of Kakashi's brow but noted he had stopped attempting to correct her to stop calling him by anything other than his name. Hinata tried to hold back the giggle but had a feeling he caught it given the amusement she could see in his own eyes. The discussion continued, each one of them told to keep an eye on Masaru and that they should be fine to be themselves. Hinata thought back to how she now lived in an alternate reality compared to the one she was supposed to live. Masaru had stated that she was married to Naruto and now that idea seemed so odd to her. Glancing up at Sasuke, who was focused on Kakashi, she wondered what that Hinata would think. Would that Hinata be surprised that in a different life, she ended up with Sasuke and couldn't see herself with Naruto? When had she, this Hinata, gotten to the point of seeing beyond Naruto? The moon.
Of course, it would be the moon that changed everything. The mission leading up to it and knowing that her life was in Sasuke's hands. That he gave her the ability to make her own choices and to feel the utter support he provided to her. Those moments led to her questioning her thoughts while she was growing up, if chasing after Naruto wasted time that she could have used to develop feelings for someone else? Yet, she knew that it was a silly notion given that at the time, her life was leading her to spend it with Naruto. It didn't matter that life changed by the hand of someone else, she was content with where it took her. It helped her to see that Naruto wasn't the only one that could gain such affection from her.
"Any questions?" Kakashi asked, bringing her out of her thoughts and into that very moment.
When they all shook their heads, he asked that they meet him at ANBU headquarters that night to leave. They each left, Hinata and Sasuke walking to their home in silence, though the silence was comfortable between the two of them. She knew she'd need to make her meeting with her sister quick, so she relayed that to Sasuke who nodded with understanding.
"Just make sure you are in time to pack up for our mission." He turned left to go to their home as she continued on straight, heading to the Hyuga compound to see her sister.
Walking in while knowing what many were doing behind her back left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she was doing this for her sister. Neji was on a mission at the moment, which saddened her to know she couldn't say goodbye, but also knew that they did not plan to be gone longer than a few minutes. Where would they go while waiting for darkness to befall the village? Would Kakashi know that they had reemerged and know that the mission was successful or a failure? Hinata had many questions, but she would save those for this evening now that she had time to dwell a bit on what was coming.
The door was opened for her and Hinata nodded to the guard before making her way inside and hearing her sister in the dining room. Making her way there, she noticed that a meal had been made for the two of them, causing Hinata to smile at the scene before her. Hanabi turned at that moment, catching Hinata's eye and running up to hug her sister. Being dragged to the table amused her as her sister expressed her need to have the two of them enjoy a meal together and discuss things.
"And tonight we can watch a movie!" Hanabi beamed, not catching the frown on Hinata's face.
"I'm sorry, Hanabi-chan, but I have a mission and will be leaving tonight. I can't stay that long as I need to pack."
"Oh. Well, that's fine, I'll enjoy the time we do have." Hanabi nodded, but then wasted no time at all. "I have a feeling you're falling for your husband."
Hinata gasped, face heating up instantly as she went to cover every inch she could, trying to hide how red her face was. It was too late and she groaned, slinking down into her chair. Hanabi was right, but Hinata knew she didn't love him. Not yet. She liked him had hoped with time and bringing romance into their relationship, that it could develop into something more. Sighing, she lowered her hands and took in a deep breath, looking at her younger sister.
"I don't love him, but I do like him. Is that a bad thing?" Hinata tilted her head slightly.
"No, not at all! Honestly, I can see that he feels the same way about you."
"How do you know? I didn't think you had been around enough to notice such things." Hinata pouted, brows furrowed.
"I see you two around when I'm in town. Gosh, big sister, I was the one without eyes and you are much more blind than I am." Hanabi waved her chopsticks at Hinata teasingly. "Sasuke looks at you the way you look at him. And this morning, I can tell I interrupted something."
"It wasn't anything." Hinata shook her head, feeling her cheeks burn slightly. "Maybe a possible kiss, but nothing happened."
"Have you two even kissed, yet?!" Hanabi leaned forward, nearly putting her hair into her own food.
"Last night." Hinata wanted to hide, again, but to share it with someone made her feel lighter somehow.
"About time! I get that the situation isn't one that either of you wanted, but you do look good together." Hanabi shrugged. "I get it, though. You two never really interacted as kids, so you don't have a history. However, you don't have a history. Everything he's done has only affected those you cared for, never yourself. It's easier to forgive him and see him with your own eyes rather than focusing on what everyone else wants you to see. The question is, dear sister, what do you see when you look at Sasuke Uchiha?"
A/N: Thank you all for the continued support with this story. I know I've been slow to update, but like with anything else, life gets in the way. It still thrills me to see that so many of you enjoy this crack-pairing as much as I do. While I enjoy the light novels (been reading a chapter each night to my kid who is getting into Naruto, it's been fun to see the workings of the canon pairings). Though, I'm on Kakashi books atm, I have finished 3 of the Sasuke novels. I believe that's all he has, but I could be wrong. I have a Sakura one to read, a Naruto one (that goes along with the the where Sasuke and Sakura go to the observatory), and two Kakashi books. I am into the first Kakashi story. I've enjoyed sharing them with my kid! Also excuse me while I write responses as I'm watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Spock is my favorite character. If you know… you know what's happening. He's putting the gloves on, guys! -sob- Seen these movies thousands of times, I still cry like a baby during these scenes.
Thebayang - Saaaame. Been waiting for a perfect moment for these two to kiss. I do have a few ideas up my sleeve in upcoming chapters. And I feel the same way. We see Sakura more than the others and even I feel she's not given her due, either? I don't remember when the opening started, but it was the kunoichi of Konoha against Konan and I WANTED THAT TO BE A THING! Why did we not get this canon masterpiece that it could have been!? That is all.
Tnkstar - I hope you enjoyed the chapter, too! Thank you! And hope this one didn't disappoint, either. ^^
I-Love_Trunks1 - Saaame. I wrote it and was like "ABOUT TIME BRAIN". I needed a perfect moment and finally was able to snag it. Now onto part 2. :P
LaCrazyWriter - Same. Hyuga seem a bit too… prude-ish? I enjoyed writing chaos within the clan. And giving Hiashi his due as he does turn into an adorable grandpa in Boruto.
Same! I wanted Hinata to have her bold moment! I feel like she could be if given the actual chance and wasn't a side/back character.
I always felt Neji's death was something that made no sense in many ways. Though, I do admit, I loved Boruto meeting him when he and Sasuke go back in time (I hope I'm not spoiling anything. If I am, please yell at me lol). That was the only time I appreciated it because of how meaningful that moment was between them. Though, Boruto and Naruto was also meaningful in its own way, too.
I will always recommend kimchi fries. I had some recently and was not upset by this. Spouse took me out, so naturally I wanted Naruto ramen and kimchi fries. I'm not sorry. And that's me, I love food, but the love I have for my spouse is not the same. The entire thing was shoved too quickly for me. I wanted his love for her to come naturally. So much about that movie I felt could have been done better to get them together. Even showcasing changes between the war and that movie when he looks at her I would accept.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!