Next chapter as promised! Things are building up, I would thoroughly appreciate your thoughts on this… Enjoy!

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She awoke in the death of night, restless. Sitting up, she surveyed the surroundings. I observed her reaction with only half-opened eyes. When she met my gaze, a question that needed asking came to mind.

-"When you revealed my name to your father, he told you to leave, right?"-

She nodded slightly, and I pressed on, -"Why?"- She looked around like a trapped bird in a cage, then lowered her head and answered -"H-He said t-that you are t-traitor…"-

-"I am."-

-"A-An assassin…"-

-"I am."-

-"…a-and a demon w-who is u-unable to love."-

-"Indeed I am."-

"I-I know you a-are not…"

-"What makes you think that?"- She drew near on her knees; I remained lying on my back, trying to... focus.

-"B-Because…"- She took my right hand in hers, placing them on her lap. -"... y-you've come b-back, y-you are n-not a cold b-blooded assassin and…"- Her grip on my still hand tightened. -"... you've come f-for me, you s-saved me…"- Her gaze met mine. -"...you k-k, uhm, k-kissed me."-

I sat on the futon calmly, not breaking the contact of our hands.

-"Yes, I came back"- I looked at our hands. -"Yes, I've stopped killing without a reason"- I glanced at her naked shoulder, finding the wound that I had healed. -"I will always come for you, I wouldn't even hesitate to destroy entire villages if it were to protect you…"- My left hand reached for the back of her head, turning her face towards me. -"...And yes…"- I moved her face closer to mine, feeling her agitated breath on my skin. -"...I am in love with you."-

In that moment, our lips met with a mixture of need and tranquility. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, replaced by a newfound serenity that settled in my heart. She briefly broke the kiss to place her hands on my neck, then gently settled on my lap, whispering my name against my lips. Fire surged through my veins, my Sharingan activating as she kissed me tenderly. I grappled with myself; I needed to halt this before it was too late. She kissed me with an innocent touch, revealing her inexperience. She wasn't ready for this. Despite my inner turmoil, I had to restrain myself. There were matters that needed attending to first.

She pushed me back by my shoulders, and I lay down with her atop me. Breaking the kiss, I delicately held her shoulder, creating a bit of space between us. I gazed at her intently, my Sharingan deactivating.

-"W-What is it?"- Fear gleamed in her eyes. -"H-Have I done something wrong?"- Her voice trembled with apprehension, tears threatening to spill, and shame shadowing her face.

-"Hmph."-

In a swift move, I was over her, hands gripping her wrists above her head, knees on either side of her hips. My Sharingan flared back to life, a battle between instinct and the lust I struggled to contain.

-"I will have you"- my voice rumbled, thick with restrained passion -"and you'll be mine. But the moment isn't right yet."- "Hime."-

She raised her face to mine, and I kissed her gently, as though she might shatter at any moment. She had exerted herself physically enough for one day. I moved off her, and her face lit up with a beautiful smile, cheeks tinted a perfect pink. I took satisfaction in knowing that I elicited such reactions from her. I locked eyes with her and saw something that overwhelmed me - love, the deepest and most pure love.

-"I-I love y-you..."- Her hand caressed my cheekbone. -"...Sasuke-kun."-

-"Hinata"- I met her gaze squarely. -"Don't make this harder for me."- My forehead rested against hers, and she guided my left hand to rest over her heart. She was so alive.

-"They're falling"-

-"Huh?"-

-"The stitches."- I looked at her shoulder. -"They're falling"- I repeated, attempting to divert my mind from her body.

-"Oh yes! Uhm, T-Tomoe-san c-could not heal it."- Her cheeks turned even pinker, and she looked at me shyly. -"...it itches a bit."- I handed her the ointment from the nightstand, somewhat incredulous. Tomoe had always tended to my wounds. The only way to properly heal her shoulder wound without leaving a scar was with chakra, and given Hinata's condition, she couldn't do it herself. But Tomoe had. Now, there would be a scar on her skin...-"Tomoe."-

-"Hmph."-

-"S-Sasuke-kun?"-

-"It will leave a scar on your skin"- I stated matter-of-factly, assuming that Tomoe had noticed what I had unconsciously tried to do. Mark her. When she heard my words, surprise flickered across her face for a moment, but then she relaxed again. I lay by her side, and she drew near, resting her head on my chest with her characteristic shyness.

-"It will be a m-memory..."- She whispered.

-"Of those bastards."-

-"N-No..."- Her gaze met mine. -"...that y-you saved me."-

I was dumbfounded. Could she really replace that night with a memory of... me?

-"Sleep."- I closed my eyes, concealing my confusion. Her warm lips brushed against my cheek before she nestled her head against my chest once more, her hand resting on top of my heart. -"A memory about me."-

That night, I slept soundly, free from the haunting nightmares. I felt the warmth radiating from her body to mine and vice versa. So, when dawn arrived and I noticed the absence of that warmth, I awoke, seemingly "calm," and made my way out of my room. As I walked down the hallway toward the foyer, a delightful aroma greeted my senses. I entered the kitchen to find her covered in flour.

I observed her one final time before shifting my gaze to the table, where a pair of empty tea cups and some dango were arranged. It wasn't my favorite, but the scent was enticing. I looked back at her and couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight. -"Adorable? Really?"- She gazed back at me, surprised and entirely coated in flour, her cheeks flushed to an unbelievable hue, and shame in her eyes. The smile left my lips, but my face remained composed, as did my demeanor.

-"Go ahead, clean yourself up and get dressed. We have something very important to do today."- It came out sounding like an order, though I hadn't meant it that way. I attempted to rectify, -"I'll make tea."-

Her eyes sparkled with life, and her lips curled into a small smile. -"H-Hai."-

She approached me with clumsy steps before stopping in front of me. She looked at me for a fleeting moment, and I understood... Leaning toward her, I brushed my lips against hers. Her arms found their way around my neck, and she returned the kiss softly. Just as I was about to grasp her waist and deepen the kiss, she broke away, stammering, -"G-Good m-morning S-Sasuke-kun."- She "darted" out of both my arms and the kitchen. I sighed, trying to ignore the lingering fire on my lips from her touch, and scanned the room. Everything was immaculately clean, as if she had been the sole victim of the flour.

I retrieved the teapot, the camellia, and set the pot on the stove to boil water. Meanwhile, I allowed myself to contemplate the day ahead and how I would achieve my objective without resorting to violence.

After a few minutes, I sensed her presence and the fragrance of lavender enveloping me. I removed the pot from the stove and turned to find a stunning woman: she wore a pale lilac kimono, gazing at me with shyness. Her hair was braided at the side of her neck, her cheeks adorned with a natural pink.

-"D-Did I choose w-well?"- She inquired. -"I do not k-know where we're g-going, so..."-

-"We are going to the Hyuuga Compound."- I looked at her. -"To pay a visit to your father."- Horror filled her eyes, and when I saw her legs falter, I had her in my arms within a second, holding her securely by the waist. Her face grew pallid, body trembling, and I even felt her pulse waver. Her heart was even more delicate than I'd thought. It hadn't been directly damaged after all... Well, I was mistaken.

-"Don't be afraid."- I gently tilted her chin to meet my gaze. -"You'll go with me. I will protect you at any cost."- Her pulse steadied with my words, and color returned to her face. She still trembled slightly.

-"Y-You promise?"- I nodded resolutely, and her body ceased trembling. Yet, a curious glint lingered in her eyes. -"Uhm, S-Sasuke-kun, what a-are we going to d-do there?"- Fear returned to her eyes. -"Y-You are not g-going to h-hurt my father, a-are you? He only s-said those things b-because he worries about m-me b-b-Mm!"- My lips silenced her, and my arms held her even more tightly by the waist, her hands resting on my chest.

When I broke the contact, her eyes were half-lidded, her lips swollen and slightly parted, tempting me. But I held back. We sat at the table and had breakfast in peace.

-"Wait here for a minute. I'll be back."- I returned to my room, took a bath, and dressed without haste. I contemplated what was to come... I was convinced it was the right course of action, and nothing would deter me.

I left my room in black fit pants and a black haori with the Uchiha emblem embedded in the back. She awaited me at the entrance, and when she looked at me, I couldn't help but feel very satisfied with her reaction. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes widened in surprise before she closed them, attempting to shift her focus from me.

-"Let's go."- I walked past her, and she followed, keeping no more than a few feet between us. I halted whenever the distance grew too great. Her warmth had to reach me, and her scent had to surround me. Of course, I also wanted to make it abundantly clear to anyone who saw us that she was with me.

After several minutes, we arrived at the Hyuuga Manor, where we were briskly received by a servant who directed us to the foyer. I was then instructed to proceed to the study, where I would meet the head of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata's father, and my current adversary. I felt no intimidation whatsoever. After all, I was the last surviving member of my bloodline, and therefore, the leader of the Uchiha Clan.