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Rumours are scattered around Hi no Kuni, originating from Konohagakure, the home to a specialised army of reputable shinobis—the renowned Anbu Black Ops, of a special team assigned of two. The news spread all throughout autumn, as soon as they were seen on a back to back successful missions of intricacy as a fixed unit. The Alpha-Beta duo see through everything, their movements deadly, their execution precise. A combination of two out of the three most powerful ocular kekkei genkai, first ever formed known to men.

Their predatory gaze is appropriately conveyed through the face they are wearing; lion's whites penetrate through every layers—every front of their targets, while the reds of hawk capture every miniscule details of their opponents' weakness.

Before them, their enemies don't stand a chance.

Some have called them names, ranging from words synonymous to ominous to something lethal. Only a few could stand their ground, the rest of the hearer tremble whenever the names are spoken.

One stood out, and the name affix to their persona in the field like no other.

Gankyoushi Niningumi—The Eye Wielders Pair.

The name passed on from mouth to mouth and hence as consequence they took other forms to match with the tongue of the natives. In this area, in the outskirts of Nagaremura, a remote land separated from neighbor countries, they are recognized as Nigkankyoushi.

Wakana shudders at where her thoughts has taken course. Nikankyoushi—the label itself felt dangerous on her tongue. It brings about an influence a name alone shouldn't have borne. She isn't even a kunoichi, there is hardly any possibility of crossing paths with them. Yet, it affects her no less.

The bell dangles, signaling the arrival of a new visitor—a very much appreciated distraction. Although the inn keeper doesn't have to worry much for her new visitors easily caught her entire attention.

They are a couple of beautiful people, enclosed in a highly tended, exceptionally expensive traditional attire. The wife's dark hair is slick and pulled into a braided updo, appropriately uncovering the allure of her face for other people to appreciate. While the husband's hair is left untended, the natural dark mess highlights the contrast to fair skin of aristocrat ancestry.

Bright brown eyes are set firm on lean spread out branches of plum blossom, with the promised arrangement of petals just teasing at the hem of the wife's sleeve as it disappears under the fold of much darker, much heavier layers of fabric, hiding delicate hand nestled comfortably on strong arm.

Only when the man asks for a room does her eyes slowly move to regard the man on the eye. Before she even has time to appreciate his eyes—because they are beautiful, dark, and trapping her entranced—she finds herself saying only one room left, the one situated at the furthest wing, the one owning a garden on its own, the one only the owner of the inn occupy when they visit.

The fold on the husband's elbow crumples further when the woman tightens her hold. Her cheeks adorned with reddish hue, her eyes downcast, but those black eyes… the same shade of her husband's but not quite—they hold a stern gaze that's quite alarming for a lady of her status that reveals nothing by principle. The brief exchange catches Wakana's attention only for long before the man tersely declares his intention to book the room for the night.

She gives him the key.

They take the path to the room promptly. She didn't tell them to take the second left, but they did, and she merely watches when their backs disappear behind a paper wall.

They look so good together.

A couple of mesmerizing beauty, beautiful as individuals and suitable as one.


Tattered clothes are discarded around the futon, made of highly durable materials for extreme climate. Pale eyes are staring at the ceiling, brow contorting, sweat glistening. The man above her moves with need, as though the more he does it the more he wants it.

Sasuke cups her face with one hand, she diverts her attention to his face; lips gaping, nose flaring, and dripping saltiness to the corner of her lips. She licks her lips and tastes sweetness instead.

It's always this way with him; everything of him has sabotaged her every sense.

Only, she doesn't mind. Hinata welcomes the change with open arms.

"What is it?" he asks, calming his breathing as he takes down a notch in his pacing. "What's troubling you?"

Hinata bites her bottom lip because slowing down only further enhances the warmth of their union. That ruffled particular notch he doesn't reach often but when he did it sent her flying beyond comprehension, that familiar protrusion, that specific crooked part.

"Uhn…nothing," she manages to get out, closing her eyes when he reaches that notch still with the same quality of taking his time. "It's nothing."

The fingers on her mandible press on further, a thumb thrusts her on the clit, and Sasuke pulls out from her halfway.

"Tell me," he presses, his whole body unmoving but a thumb on the work.

Hinata knows that she is losing and will eventually have to admit defeat by telling him. Sasuke is giving her an opportunity to choose without giving her any options, it is a yes or yes offer. Her hands creep to his sweat-laden neck, pressing on fair skin, a physical confession of frustration and desperation.

"Oh, please, Sasuke," she beseeches, "I was just thinking…that you—you…ah." All the words leave her when Sasuke starts to move again.

"That I what?" he asks, placing the hand that was on her face to palm a breast.

"That you…ah," It's that notch again, "…you outdid your genjutsu."

Sasuke frowns.

"I needed to conceal your eyes," he says, matter-of-fact, pulling out of her completely.

At the loss of his warmth, her insides are screaming. She is close to screaming herself but she knows better. "Hiding my eyes is necessary, yes," she retorts, frustration seeping out. "But you shouldn't trick her into giving us the special room."

"I want us to be comfortable."

Hinata too frowns, propping herself up on her elbows. "A room in an inn after weeks in the woods is more than enough."

"No." Sasuke shakes his head. He pulls her upward and settles her atop of his lap, aligning their sex in place. While Hinata is frustrated by the way their mid-sex conversation has taken course, she is more frustrated by the one-sided interruption, so her body follows his guidance without question. "You are more than enough for me." He lowers her hips and they become one once more. "I want to give you more." He kisses her. "Let me give you more."

Hinata doesn't have words. They fail to reach her. So, she cups his face, then kisses him.

True to his words, Sasuke is giving her more, and more, and more. Only after exhaustion gets the best of her where she can't receive more does he eventually stop. But even though there is no energy left inside her, she can't seem to get herself to sleep no matter what.

She's been staring on the wall for the longest time and even though Sasuke can see it by the infrequent flutters of her lashes, he also senses it. She's been much too rigid within his arms.

"When are you planning to rest?" he murmurs to the back of her head.

Hinata stiffens but then immediately relaxes. "Sorry… I thought you'd fallen asleep."

Sasuke kisses her ear. "How could I? You waking up feels like you're asking me for more."

Hinata's cheeks glow red in the dark and Sasuke merely grins, feeling satisfied with the output.

"Sasuke… I'm tired."

Sasuke guffaws and Hinata has to roll over to face him and witness it herself; it's the first time he laughs so heartily, so openly in her presence.

His laughter is now reduced to a chuckle at the sudden change of position. "What?"

Hinata smiles. "I love your laugh."

Sasuke scoffs. "It's sleep or sex. You choose."

Pale eyes widen. "Sasuke!"

Said man dives his head to her neck and breathes her natural scent in. "So, it's sex?"

Hinata pulls away rather roughly. "It's sleep! Okay? Let's sleep."

Sasuke nods slowly, facial lines making appearance. "But?"

Hinata withers away like every flower outside in this season. "It's just…."

"Hm?" Sasuke weaves his fingers between her long hair, encouraging her to look at him.

Hinata releases a sigh, gazing up at him under heavy eyelids. "I just… I still can't believe that I've gone to missions with you… as your partner, as a fixed unit." Her eyes search his. "If it wasn't for you, I'd never earn the acknowledgment I'm getting now as an Anbu, a true, respectable Anbu."

Before her, Sasuke blinks, as though he can't quite get what she just revealed. "It's all you. I only did what a rightful superior would do to his subordinate, to his men—and women worthy of such recognition." His tone and the way he brought himself switch into that of recent memories that feel like years ago, when they met as captain and subordinate for the first time. Either she's seeing in a different light or he did change his bearing around her, in the last couple of months, she never got to see his side as the Captain before that fateful mission ever again. Although in their recent missions as a duo he treated her no different than other captains—her faults are her faults, he is the leader and she is the subordinate, and they watch each other's backs on equal grounds—there are things she notices that he wouldn't do to just anyone.

He leads the way but Sharingan active throughout so he'd be next to her in less than a second when an enemy strike, cooks her his creations on ninja rations, watches her sleep while on watch duty, and lets her sleep more by not waking her up until last minute.

"Everything you've achieved so far is all your doing. You deserve that. Stop wasting your time thinking you're not."

His hands would make way around her hair and tie it gently whenever she was too concentrated to do it. His eyes would acknowledge her every hit to the enemy, victorious or otherwise. His lips would rise into many kinds of twist that she lately had managed to decode as his versions of smile, whenever she laughed, spoke, when she wiped the perspiration on his temple.

He commends her for her accomplishments truthfully, and only when necessary.

Uchiha Sasuke sees her for all her worth.

Her sight blurs as tears of overflowed self-worth fills the lower side of her visual field. "Sasuke…"

"Remember what Kakashi said? You'll come out as Omega-Anbu officially." His eyes blazing, radiating strength, baring the height of his trust, only for her eyes to see. "We're getting there."

To avoid the spill, Hinata hides her head into his chest. But her strength is bubbling inside, confidence rising it spills the tears nonetheless. But none of it is of gloom.

"We're getting there," she reciprocates.

Sasuke's chin hit the crown of her head gently as a nod of approval. "It's the promise of a Beta Hokage, the first Beta made into captain, and he won't be the last."

With more force, Hinata nods. "I'll be the first and I won't be the last."

A slight widening of eyes, followed by deep-rooted pride. "That's the spirit."


Two sets of dark eyes, a meek smile, a curt nod, and—

"… so, is the master room available?"

Wakana shifts back to reality. She smiles confidently, staring unseeingly.

"I'm afraid not," she replies, practised, "the current occupants haven't checked out of the room."

The potential future renters back away with a stomp of the foot. Wakana bows low in a display of professional empathy.

Last night, Wakana couldn't focus completing her list of supply expanses. The only clients of the inn just kept making sounds that she had to pay a visit to make sure everything was all right.

No comprehensible words, they were all grunts, sighs, a glassware breaking, a fabric ripping, moans, and—her cheeks redden just the mere reminder—wet slapping.

Once her brain produced vivid imaginary of the sounds, she stopped in her track and retraced her way back to the front hurriedly like she had seen them with her own two eyes.

Her brown eyes dash to a wooden clock atop the reception desk. Three o'clock in the afternoon; way past time to check out unless the clients wish to extend the rent. Pushing back inappropriate images to the back, but still prominent inside her mind, she makes way to the master room, in the hope she'd be able to confirm whether they wish to extend their stay or not, blush still making appearance.

Her steps brisk despite the narrow line of her yukata, a talent she's achieved after years of practice. From down the hall, she cannot make out any sound. Surreptitiously she releases a breath.

A knock. Then another. Another two knocks, three, five.

Still no answer.

She then announces her presence and her intention to slide the door open. With slightly trembling hands, she slides open the door.

The room is in the condition she had left it yesterday morning. No sheets are stained, no delicates are broken—nothing is out of place.

It is as though no one has been there.

Was anyone really there at all?


眼行士 二人組

Gankyoushi Niningumi

二眼行士

Nigankyoushi

Cool, right? Of course, I would never come up with this name, not in this lifetime xD

I credit the name of the duo to Daifuku Mochiin-senpai. Without you, sasuhina in fated pair wouldn't have a superb alias. You're the star of this chapter, thank you so so much! It's also been consulted to Dr. Behla and she approved! *thumbs up*


Author's Note : Also, sorry for being away with no updates at all! I've shared the news in my other WIP (Subclinical Manifestation) but because I think not many people are reading that fic any more (lol) I'm gonna share the news here as well! (I quote the notes from SM not because I'm lazy, mind you! xD)

"So, the six months I went MIA, I was preparing for my board exams for the first half, and the latter half I was having a well-deserved rest from anything at all and currently I've been interning as a research assistant as I wait for the national assignment for my internship program as a newly appointed practitioner. Finishing medical school has definitely awoken every sentiment I'd had for Subclinical Manifestation. Hence the update.

It'll get busier from here, but this won't be the last of me, promise.

See you all soon hopefully."

Ah, it's come to my attention that my followers no longer receive email from whenever an update is made... alas, I hope you'll see the new update eventually xD. Is it already time to switch to AO3 as my main paltform...?

- Crowds