Who Are You Really.
Chapter 7
Sasuke opened her eyes and looked to her left, seeing Naruto. His face was resting peacefully; he was covered in bandages, some of which needed to be changed but was otherwise obviously alive. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep, she thought, while still staring at him, his presence bringing her peace.
She remembered everything: the fight with Zabuza, then the hunter-nin, and bringing him back to Tazuna's village. She carried Kakashi, while Sakura carried a heavily bound and restrained hunter-nin. Tazuna was kind enough to carry Naruto, but the trip was significantly lengthened, and they had to continue their journey through the night, which was dangerous but necessary, arriving early the next morning. When they arrived at Tazuna's house, she remembered seeing a lady in her mid-twenties and a boy no older than 11 before passing out due to her injuries and exhaustion.
She turned to look away from Naruto and up at the ceiling.
I couldn't do anything. Naruto, the dead last, saw through that hunter-nin. He is unusually knowledgeable and intuitive, honest and open. Yet he comes across as a complete idiot.
She chuckled, blushing at her thoughts, sitting up.
"He is precious to you, isn't he?"
She turned to the Kirigakure shinobi who was still tied up. His wounds were wrapped up but in obviously much worse condition than Naruto's bandages. They were stained with yellow, dried blood, obviously needing to be changed again.
Good.
"What does it matter to you? You will be seeing your Master again soon anyways." she spat.
She didn't notice a visible flinch in the boy's face, but she saw the sadness in his eyes all the same. She sat up, glaring at him; her body ached, but she could move.
He was quiet for a while, looking away with that sadness in his eyes. She realized that she was wearing different clothes, a white kimono that stretched down her body like a robe. She peeked under it and realized she still had on her underwear. Her wounds had been covered and neatly wrapped.
She stood up, walking to the door and past the ninja, who she noticed had been chained to a support beam for the house. Stepping out and down the stairs, she headed to the smell of food.
She heard familiar voices as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. At the table, she saw Sakura sitting with Team 8, Kurenai, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Tazuna, and the boy and lady she remembered seeing before she passed out. At her arrival, the kitchen grew silent, everyone looking at her. Kurenai smiled and pointed to an empty chair next to her. As she approached the chair, Tazuna smiled and said,
"I never got to say thank you before you passed out, but thank you. This is my daughter Tsunami and her son Inari," he said, identifying the two individuals she didn't recognize.
Sasuke just nodded to Tazuna in response before sitting in her chair. She realized she was sitting directly across from Hinata.
They are annoying me already.
Hinata was a person that Sasuke admittedly despised for only one reason: Naruto. The girl had been infatuated with Naruto since their first day at the shinobi academy; sometimes, Sasuke thought that Hinata liked Naruto even before the Academy. She was grateful that Naruto was completely ignorant of women because Hinata Hyuga, without question, had a thing for Naruto. Hinata was quiet, shy, patient, and feminine. She was kind to Naruto, as well as to everyone else. She came from a noble family; if Naruto dated her, he'd no doubt gain prestige, and maybe being tied with the Hyuga clan would bring Naruto better treatment around the village. She was the ideal person for Naruto. Sasuke selfishly couldn't accept this, though. Even though she was focused on revenge, she also felt immense spite toward the Hyuga purely for her feelings towards Naruto. This just aggravated her even more, though.
"Sasuke-chan, I am Kurenai Yuhi. It is a pleasure to officially meet you," Kurenai said, still smiling kindly at her.
"What's Naruto and Kakashi's condition?" she responded, not returning the smile.
"Kurenai-sensei says they are stable, and that is primarily because of me and Tsunami. So, you should thank her instead of just ignoring her and Inari! And I'm doing just fine as well, thanks for asking!" Sakura said, glaring at her.
Sasuke scoffed before raising an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I can see you're fine, Sakura. The only injury you could have gotten is a sprained ankle." she hissed in disgust.
"What the fuck is your problem, Sasuke!" Sakura said, angry tears forming in her eyes.
Sasuke rolled her eyes in response, looking away at the individuals in the room observing them.
"You're my problem, Sakura."
Before Sakura could get a word in, Kurenai stepped in between the two.
"Is everything alright? I understand Team 7 is supposed to have a… unique chemistry, but this doesn't seem healthy." the jonin asked, concerned.
"No, everything is not alright!" Sakura said, standing and glaring at Sasuke as she pounded her fist on the table. In response, Sasuke's Sharingan twirled to life with burning rage. She looked at Sakura, still sitting down comfortably in her seat.
"What are you going to do about that then, Sakura?"
"Okay, you two, come with me outside. Now!" Kurenai said, standing up abruptly and walking out of the house. She stopped after a few steps. Sakura turned, casting one more; angry look at Sasuke before walking towards Kurenai. Sasuke just watched her walk away with a smug, deadly smirk on her face before she heard Kurenai shout at her, "I am your superior, until Kakashi recovers, Sasuke Uchiha. I will report your insubordination to the Hokage myself if I must!" she said threateningly.
Sasuke shot the lady a glare as she stood up, walking out of the house behind Sakura. They walked for 10 minutes before Kurenai stopped and turned suddenly. She looked at them both with a steely gaze before speaking.
"I don't personally care if you two get along or not. We are on a mission. I'd at least think that Kakashi's genin would know how to act in front of a client. Whatever issues you have with each other, say it right now! Or I will tell Kakashi and report this unprofessionalism to the Hokage," Kurenai said, crossing her arms as she stepped away, eyeing the two.
Sasuke looked at Sakura, who turned to look at her. She seemed concerned about the threat; when she noticed Sasuke's gaze, she narrowed her eyes before speaking.
"I can't stand her; she's nothing but a bitch to me, and I hate it!" Sakura said, turning away and crossing her arms. "I am nothing but nice to her, and she is just so mean!" she almost whined.
So, she has figured out my gender, finally! Sasuke thought.
She rolled her eyes away from Sakura, looking at Kurenai, who was watching her reaction. Sasuke just kept her posture neutral, staring back at Kurenai.
"I treat Sakura no differently than I treat anyone else." Sasuke said plainly.
Sakura scoffed at this. "Yeah, right, you're not half as mean to Naruto!" She spat.
"You're not half as kind to him as you are to me." Sasuke said emotionlessly, but her eyes held a deathly glare.
"What's that have to do with anything!" Sakura said, looking at her as though she were stupid before looking to Kurenai for approval.
"I am a 'bitch' to you because I don't like you, Sakura Haruno. I don't like the way you make it seem as though you're innocent all the time but make fun of people with Ino whenever you can to boost your social standing amongst our peers. I don't like the fact that you only became 'nice' to Naruto because I forced you to be, and because you noticed I was being kind to him. I don't like how you romanticize being a shinobi. I don't like that you've tried to charm Naruto after you realized you were wrong about him. You called Naruto an idiot just like the rest of them, yet that 'idiot' is the reason why we were able to kill Zabuza and capture his helper, the reason why we are alive. You disgust me there is nothing about you that I like to deem worthy of kindness." Sasuke said, spitting at the ground by Sakura's feet.
Sakura just looked at her, shocked before glaring with tears brimming in her eyes.
"Why does how I treat Naruto matter to you? Do you love him? Is he your boyfriend, do you have a crush on him? Why'd you let us believe you were a boy?"
Sasuke's eyes flinched, and she shook from the restraint it was taking her not to punch Sakura in the jaw.
"Not everyone thought I was a boy. Everyone on Team 8 knows I'm a girl... Only idiots like you thought that!" She spat back.
"Well, there you go! You proved my point! Naruto also thinks you're a boy. Is he an idiot too? Or I'm sorry, you're only allowed to call people that." she said sarcastically.
"I don't always mean the word when I say it, unlike you. So, my meaning is different, and Naruto, I believe, understands this. You are only upset because you have been faced with reality, you're no better than Naruto! Actually, you're worse than him, the same person you and others of our class picked on for years saved your life! You always thought you were so much better than him! Why? Because he is brash? So what if he has big dreams, he has never done anything remotely hateful to you! Any of you, yet you all demean and belittle him as though he is beneath you! Unlike you, I listen to Naruto, I saw his effort in the academy, I pitied him, resonated with him, the boy who has never known love yet offers kindness to everyone, the boy who has had nothing all his life, yet will gladly offer anyone his last. I believe him when he speaks, because although he talks big, he always backs it up! Unlike you! You're hateful for no reason! You'd rather live in your own selfish ignorance than face the truth! You're nothing but a sheep, a follower, you disgust me! You're mad at me because I don't respect you? Give me one reason to acknowledge you, Sakura Haruno? You live in delusion like a sheep."
Sasuke said, glaring at her. The two stood silent for a few moments, glaring at each other.
Sakura stood there with tears falling from the intensity of Sasuke's words. "You love him, don't you?"
Sasuke flinched unintentionally before casting Sakura the most spiteful scowl she had, then at Kurenai before turning and walking away.
"I have nothing else to say." she said as she walked away from the two. She heard Sakura yell out to her.
"Oh yeah... Well, you're just a stuck-up selfish bitch! You think that your brother is just going to stroll back into Konoha and let you kill him! As if you are going to have to leave! When you do; you will break Naruto's heart and leave me and Kakashi- sensei to pick up the pieces! At least then I will still be around!"
Sakura and Kurenai watched her leave. Sasuke stopped in her tracks. Even from behind Kurenai and Sakura could feel the anger imitating off the Uchiha after a few moments Sasuke just continued walking, and Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
Sakura's tears falling as she spoke.
"I can't believe this whole time; Sasuke was a girl. I feel so stupid. It's obvious looking at her now, and a part of me always knew. I think everyone always knew. She is just so perfect; I idolized her, I still do, so does Ino-chan. We just decided to accept her as a boy because she was so much better than the rest of us. It would have been easier to accept. We wouldn't feel as bad about ourselves if Sasuke was a boy... she's right."
Kurenai sighed. This is not what she thought she and Team 8 were getting into when she received the notice from the Hokage that Team 7's C-ranked mission had been bumped up to an A-rank which in actuality was a S ranked mission. Although team drama isn't unusual within the shinobi world, it's always messy.
"Sasuke Uchiha is definitely talented; she was the top-ranking student in the academy, the first female kunoichi to receive such awards. She comes from a fabled clan; she is pretty as well; she is the ideal kunoichi. Although her past is tragic and she obviously carries those scars with her to this day, she does seem to still possess a heart, but that isn't your real issue with her, is it, Sakura?"
Kurenai had watched the interaction, she and team 8 may have arrived to Tazuna's house a day after team 7 arrived, but she knew immediately Sakura was struggling, the girl had barely slept. According to Tazuna and his family she barely ate, she just watched over her three teammates and cried. She tried her best and did very well with helping their recovery, she understands that the girl is probably experiencing a ton of emotions, right now she needs emotional support still she would need to talk to her about the things she said to the Uchiha and inform Kakashi.
Sakura looked at her feet, shaking her head.
"No, you're right. I am upset with myself. I feel so stupid and ashamed, embarrassed. She allowed me to have a crush on her for years, and I just feel so... brainless. Now everything makes sense, but it feels so strange."
Kurenai nodded her head in understanding.
"You were, in a sense, deceived, but you were mainly lying to yourself. Sasuke, for whatever reason, allowed you to live in that 'lie' or delusion, as she called it. I think you also recognize that, Sakura-chan. Now that you know Sasuke-chan is a girl, how will you move forward?"
"I don't know. I feel angry; don't I have the right to feel angry with her?" Sakura responded, still looking at her feet.
"You certainly do. I am sure if I was in your position, I'd feel angry as well. But it is not going to benefit you nor your team to be spiteful towards a teammate; it will lead you down a road of more pain and tragedy. It seems to me that first, you must come to terms with things within yourself. As you do this, I advise you get to know your teammate for who she really is and not the romanticized version you had of her. Although I don't know if she will ever forgive you for your words. That was cruel and rude, and totally inappropriate Sakura, I pray you haven't destroyed any chance of a relationship between you two."
Sakura was embarrassed, she had crushed on a girl for years, and everyone in her class would soon know about it, but at least she wouldn't be the only girl who had been tricked by Sasuke for so long. If she really thought about it a lot of people confused Sasuke gender. She had said those things to Sasuke out of anger due to her embarrassment, she didn't want to ruin a relationship with her idol.
"Let's take a walk, Sakura Haruno. Give you some more space from Sasuke for a while. Now that she is awake, how about you and I travel to the battle site and recover Zabuza's body? You still remember how to get there, right?"
Sakura nodded her head, and Kurenai offered her a cheerful smile.
"Good. Hey, did you know that you were meant to be on my team with Kiba?" Kurenai said deciding to change the subject to lighten the mood.
Sakura shook her head no; she had never heard about this before.
Kurenai smiled. "I guess I'm not surprised Kakashi hasn't told you this," she said as they started off in the direction where Zabuza lay.
Sasuke was furious; if fumes could come out of her ears like in the cartoons, they would be.
I cannot stand that pompous little bitch. She thinks I'm the bad guy, why? Because I let her live in her little delusional fairytale land. It's not my fault she's a dumbass. And she asked if I love Naruto... Of course not, I just can't stand pompous little bitches like you trying to weasel their way into his life just to make yours better. He deserves a kind-hearted, noble woman who has and will always recognize him. Then she dared mention my brother!? I'll kill her one day I swear.
Sasuke headed into the house and walked into the kitchen.
"I'm telling you, shinobi are amazing. That Naruto created so many clones, as you call them; they could fill up the sea!" Tazuna was telling the remaining portion of Team 8 about the battle that had taken place between Team 7 and Zabuza three days ago.
"See, that's where you lose me. Naruto!? Really? Are you sure you weren't in a genjutsu? Naruto couldn't even create a single clone back in the academy," Kiba said doubtfully.
Tazuna shook his head. "I know what I saw; that kid is really impressive!"
"Naruto is an id-" Kiba was cut off by a glaring Uchiha.
"Finish that sentence, and I'll cut your tongue out of your mouth pup." Sasuke said glaring at the boy as she took her seat. She was not in the mood for games.
"Sasuke-chan! Hey, didn't even notice you there," Kiba said with a cold sweat on his brow.
Sasuke rolled her eyes, ignoring the Inuzuka. The lady named Tsunami gave her a plate of food, which Sasuke thanked quickly before diving into it; she was unbelievably hungry.
"Sasuke-chan, how are you feeling?" Hinata asked her in her usual shy and timid voice.
Sasuke ignored the Hyūga; she preferred to eat and head upstairs to rest a little more before she would start training. She wasn't really in the mood to talk.
I need to get stronger. Naruto has surpassed me, and I can't allow that! How can I defeat my brother and revive my clan if I can't keep up with Naruto. How can I keep him safe from a monster like Itachi, if he has to save me, and I cannot stand with him on equal terms.
"Sasuke-chan?" Hinata said, her face full of worry.
Sasuke looked up from her plate to the Hyūga and sighed.
It's hard to ignore you when you're looking at me so kind and caringly.
"I'm fine, sore but I'll manage," she replied curtly. Hinata gave her a huge genuine smile at hearing her words, and Sasuke internally grimaced and rolled her eyes. Hinata Hyūga was attractive and feminine, soft and caring — the complete opposite of her. She was selfish; she knew this Sakura was right.. She wanted to keep Naruto all to herself; she didn't know why… Actually, she did. He reminded her of family, he saw her for who she was, even if he didn't know she was female. He still recognized her; he still appreciated her for her. She wanted to lock him away in a room where only she had the key, so he would never think about leaving her alone again. If Naruto became aware of the women more feminine and softer-natured than her, women who weren't self-proclaimed avengers. He'd leave her for them. Why wouldn't he? She lied to him and allowed him to believe she was a boy. What sane man would accept such a thing?
"Can you tell us what happened with Zabuza Momochi and that other ninja upstairs?" Shino asked. He was just as curious as Kiba and Hinata. Sakura had already debriefed them on the situation, so they knew a bunch of the details already, but there were things even Sakura wasn't aware of, like what happened between Naruto, Sasuke, and that Kirigakure ninja upstairs. Kurenai told them that the ninja wasn't listed in the bingo book and would have to be taken into custody for further investigation. They were originally sent after Kakashi had reported to the Hokage about the Demon brothers' appearance and had tracked the group here to Tazuna's house, where they found a heavily injured Sasuke and Naruto, as well as a chakra-exhausted Kakashi. Hearing Sakura's take on the fighting filled in some of the missing information Team 8 was missing, but there was still information that they lacked.
Sasuke sighed before filling in the details that Tazuna and Sakura weren't informed about.
Naruto woke up and the first thing he noticed was his body was completely sore, and he was in a house he'd never been in before. Sitting up, he looked around; to his right was an empty bedspread, which had obviously been used by someone recently. The covers that had been there for the individual were tossed to the side. To the right of the empty cot was Kakashi, who had bandages around his arms and hands and was resting peacefully. He looked around the room and saw the hunter-nin he had fought with earlier. The ninja was silently observing him, whom Naruto now recognized as a boy since his shirt was gone, replaced only with bandages; his hands were seemingly bound behind his back. His bandages needed to be replaced as they had been stained with blood. Naruto looked down at his own bandages; they too needed to be replaced, but it was obvious that whoever was taking care of him and Kakashi prioritized their wounds over the boy's.
Naruto looked up at the ninja and asked him, "Where are we?"
The ninja was silent before speaking, "I am not exactly sure, but I believe we are in the Land of the Waves. If I had to guess, we are at the bridge builder's home," the boy replied. His voice sounded detached and broken.
Naruto nodded his head in understanding. "How do you feel? Are you okay? I will get you some more bandages for your wounds. I wouldn't want them to get infected," Naruto said, offering a small smile to the ninja.
The ninja looked at him with surprise. "Why?"
It was now Naruto's turn to look at the ninja, confused. "Because I don't want you to get sick and die!"
"But I tried killing you. Aren't you angry? Don't you hate me?" the ninja asked bewilderedly.
"And I fought you with the same commitment, although I didn't want to kill you, and I am glad you're okay. I want you to stay alive so you can find meaning for your life outside of what Zabuza told you!" Naruto answered earnestly.
The ninja grew quiet at this. Naruto's stomach growled, and his face grew red in embarrassment, but he heard another growl that sounded like his and smiled at the ninja.
"I smell food. I will see if I can grab us some. How long has it been since we fought?"
"Three days."
At this, Naruto froze. He had been asleep for three days, and Kakashi-sensei had been asleep for just as long! He walked over to Kakashi, putting his hands on the Jonin's neck to check for a pulse and other signs of life. He was relieved to feel a pulse and see Kakashi's steady breathing; outside of the few bandages he could see without moving the covers, his sensei seemed fine, just resting. Letting out a sigh of relief, Naruto turned back to the ninja who was still watching him curiously. Next to the ninja was a door, and Naruto knew if he followed his nose, he'd find food.
"Okay, stay here. I will get you some bandages and food!" Naruto said to the boy with a smile as he headed to the door.
"My name is Haku, no surname," the boy said softly.
Naruto paused before he walked out of the room, smiling over his shoulder at the boy. "Nice to meet you, Haku. Sit tight; I'll be back with some grub!"
Naruto walked out of the room and followed his nose to the kitchen. Before he walked into the kitchen/dining room area, he heard familiar voices. His body was aching, and he felt some blood beginning to seep out of his open wounds. Usually, he'd already be healed by now, but he was suffering from various injuries and chakra depletion, so it probably was limiting his body's natural impressive recovery. He had to slow down and grab onto the wall to rebalance himself.
Sheesh, I guess I got more banged up than I thought.
"Kiba, if I catch you looking at my boobs one more time, I will fucking castrate you; you, disgusting mutt!" Sasuke spat her venomous tone could be heard from the hallway, even Naruto knew by the tone of her voice she was dead serious. He immediately felt bad for Kiba, only slightly.
"I-I'm sorry." Kiba replied, frightened.
Naruto smirked at this. That's right, Sasuke! Get his ass… wait… boobs? Naruto stood there for a moment. What is Sasuke talking about? He's a boy… boys don't have boobs… I must've misheard him… yeah, that's it.
Naruto shook his head, fixing himself. He pushed himself off the wall and continued towards the smell of food and the sounds of Sasuke and Team 8. The first thing that Naruto noticed when he entered the room was Kiba; his face was blushed red, and he was looking shy, very unlike Kiba. He also noticed that Tazuna was smiling, seemingly enjoying being around the young shinobi. Shino was sitting at the dining table along with the rest of the group; he seemed to be in thought, about what Naruto had no idea. The first person to notice his arrival was Hinata. She looked at him, her face instantly flushed red as she eyed him, her flustered face a mix of shyness and worry.
"N-Naruto-kun." she said timidly.
At her words, the entire group turned to him. He watched their faces, a mixture of concern, amazement, and in Kiba's case, annoyed aggression appeared.
"Idiot! You shouldn't be moving already; your stitches have burst." Naruto knew that voice; he was sure that he could recognize Sasuke's voice anywhere. She was his only friend of course he would be familiar with her. Before he looked at her, he looked down at his bandages. The bandages that were previously only lightly blood-stained had become drenched.
He sighed before turning to look at the owner of the voice that belonged to Sasuke. His eyes found Sasuke seemingly immediately. But what he saw literally took his breath away. He had to reach out for the nearby wall to keep himself from collapsing.
Sasuke was sitting in her seat, wearing an all-white kimono that seemed to stretch down to her kneecaps, but that wasn't what took his breath away. Her hair had been tied back into a ponytail, exposing all of her face that was usually at least partly blocked from view. She looked stunning; her brown eyes were piercing into his blue ones; her face had a tinge of redness to her cheeks which combined with her kimono made her look undeniably more feminine. The kimono was made of silk-like fabric that hugged her skin. She had bandages on her arms and legs, but that wasn't what his eyes were glued on. From his location, he could see the two peaks of her breasts poking out from under her kimono. Her kimono had a slit in the front which would show some cleavage, but her breast seemed to be wrapped by bandages that were probably attached to her arms. Still, it was obvious that she in fact did have breast; her breasts had to be larger than Sakura, but smaller than Ino, more matching the size of Hinata's who had the second largest in class, if he had to guess. His mouth dried as he stared at them.
It was obvious what he was staring at; everyone in the room could track his gaze from the sockets to her breasts. If Sasuke was annoyed, she didn't show it, nor did she yell at him. Her face only reddened noticeably more.
He watched her stand and approach him. To him, it seemed like she was moving in slow motion, his eyes still locked on her breasts, but to everyone else, she was moving at a normal speed.
Those are boobs... actual boobs. Sasuke has boobs... that means... Sasuke is a girl!
Naruto's head was racing, and he felt his body begin to become unsteady. Even as he held on to the wall, he felt he would still tip over and fall at any moment.
Everyone else saw the obvious concern on Sasuke's face as she muttered "idiot" under her breath, approaching Naruto more rapidly.
Hinata too had moved into action, matching Sasuke's pace, both of them reaching Naruto just in time to catch him as he fell forward. Instinctively reaching out to catch himself, Naruto's hand found solace and support on a soft, squishy structure.
"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sasuke asked with a slightly embarrassed tone.
As Naruto almost fell over, his eyes as well as his balance had lost focus for a moment. When he managed to reach out and grab his soft support structure, he squeezed it a few times to make sure it was strong enough to support him. His other arm had been grabbed by Hinata, who was holding it against her chest trying to keep him upright. Through the bandages on his arms., Naruto could feel her soft, warm breasts pressed against his arm. They felt eerily similar to the support structure that he was using to balance himself with his other hand.
Everyone in the room observed the scene unfold, with mixed expressions of concern and awkwardness. Sasuke, maintaining her composure despite the embarrassment, helped steady Naruto, while Hinata, equally flustered, tried to support him on her side.
With Hinata's and Sasuke's assistance, Naruto managed to steady himself, though his mind was still reeling from the revelation. The realization that Sasuke, his teammate and friend, was a girl, shook him to his core. His previous assumptions and understanding of their dynamics suddenly seemed naive.
"Let's get you seated and checked on those bandages." Sasuke suggested, her tone returning to its usual seriousness.
Naruto traced his arm from his elbow to that support structure, sure that if he had blood to spare at the moment, a trickle of blood would be coming from his nose. When he was falling, he just reached out to grab the first solid thing he found, and that solid thing happened to be Sasuke, more specifically, Sasuke's breast. He squeezed it again slightly.
Yep, defiantly boobs!
"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked him in her sweet voice. Naruto straightened up at this, being brought to reality and out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, Hinata-chan, I'm fine." he said, offering her a smile.
He missed the annoyed, possessive glare that Sasuke sent him and Hinata. Hinata was also too busy staring into Naruto's eyes to notice. Her face was flushed red, almost purple. She herself was struggling to maintain consciousness at her proximity to Naruto. The only thing keeping her focused was the thought that Naruto needed her.
Naruto took his eyes off Hinata and glanced over at Sasuke. He was only briefly aware he was still holding on to her breast. They stared at each other in silence. From the onlookers' perspective, especially Hinata, who was the closest to the two, they'd think that they were having a silent conversation with just their eyes; they'd think that for the two of them, no one else was in the room. It was just them.
Sasuke smirked at Naruto, who playfully glared at her.
"Bastard!"
"Idiot, how long are you going to keep groping me!" Sasuke said teasingly, not a hint of anger could be found in her face or body language. Only her obvious blush was the only indication that something was off.
Naruto looked at his hand again before shouting "Sorry." before pulling his hand off her as though he was burned.
"It's okay, Naruto. Just focus on getting better." Sasuke said, her voice carrying a hint of warmth despite the awkward situation.
Sasuke just smiled at him in return, a playful and teasing-looking smile.
"First time?" she said teasingly, it sounded incredible sexy but also intimidatingly scary.
Naruto was confused for a moment before realization struck him! The bastard was teasing him about grabbing her breast!
Before really thinking about the response, he shouted, "What! No... of course not!"
Sasuke's smile quickly faltered and was replaced by a menacing glare. She looked away and directed her glare at Hinata.
"Let him go. I will bring him back upstairs," Sasuke said, her voice laced with underlying violence if the Hyuga didn't obey.
Hinata, although she wanted to stand up for herself, wasn't trying to get into a fight with the Uchiha. She immediately let go of Naruto's arm; as soon as she let go, Sasuke replaced her, shoulder bumping the Hyuga slightly as she held Naruto in a similar way the Hyuga once had, except she had ducked under Naruto's arm so it rested on her shoulders, and her chest was pressed against his ribs to better support his body weight.
She expertly turned both of them as she headed back to the room that Naruto had just appeared from.
"I will take him back to rest some more," the Uchiha said before disappearing, leaving the rest of the room quiet.
"You saw that, right? Naruto totally groped her, and she didn't say or do anything!" Kiba said, the disbelief evident in his voice. He looked at Shino, who just shrugged and remained quiet. He looked at Tazuna, who just chuckled in response, taking his and Sasuke's plates to the kitchen to be washed.
Only Hinata was staring at the doorway through which Sasuke and Naruto disappeared. She had a distant, almost hopeless look in her eyes.
Kiba sighed, thinking What in the world is going on with Team 7
As they slowly made their way back to the room where Naruto and Kakashi were resting, Sasuke spoke to Naruto, who was being unusually quiet, and it was making her uncomfortable.
"You okay, pipsqueak?" She asked, genuinely concerned.
"You're really a girl... Kiba was right this whole time." Naruto said almost in disbelief.
Sasuke rolled her eyes at this. "Is it really that unbelievable?"
"No... And yes, you're just so perfect... at everything, and you're a bastard. I thought girls were usually... you know... soft and sweet, like Sakura-chan. You're nothing like that. My rival is a girl, your strong for sure, it's just shocking."
Sasuke scoffed at the mention of their other teammate.
"You got a problem with me, Uzumaki?" Sasuke said defensively. She could handle Sakura being mad and hating her. Mentally, she told herself she could take the same from Naruto, she should be able to, in fact it would make steeling her heart to slay her brother easier; but her heart was racing right now, and it was telling her it would break if Naruto held this against her.
"What... no, it's just different. I'm kind of glad." Naruto said with a blush as he looked away from her.
This made her raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah, why is that?"
"Because sometimes when I look at you, my heart races, and I don't know what it means."
This time it was Sasuke's turn to look away and hide her blushing face.
"Better not let me find out you have a crush on me! That means you liked boys since you thought I was one this whole time!" Sasuke teased jokingly, but due to her embarrassment, it came out quicker and harsher than she intended. She struggled with sounding cute like Sakura and Hinata.
She felt Naruto stiffen as he seemed to actually think about what she said.
His face turned to her with a horrified look. "I'm not gay, I swear! I am happy that you're a girl! It means me finding you cute doesn't make me gay, right? Not saying I have a crush or anything, just have thought before that you can be cute, kind of like how I thought Haku was a girl and that he was cute!"
Sasuke face was beet red, and Naruto was looking at her desperately with horrified and pleading eyes. He thought that he had made a mistake and pissed the Uchiha off; she'd let him go, and he would probably fall on his face.
But it was far from that.
He said he thought I was cute... he thinks I'm attractive... Sasuke's heart was fluttering in her chest. Wait... who is Haku!
Her face twisted with possessive anger at the thought.
"Who is Haku?" Her voice came out impressively calm, but it held an underlying wrath that Naruto didn't pick up on.
"Oh, that's the name of the Hunter ninja we fought." Naruto said to her matter-of-factly.
Sasuke released the tension in her body; she was already planning on committing murder on this Haku but felt satisfied with the answer Naruto gave.
"Since I am a girl, Naruto, you thinking I am... cute... doesn't make you gay." Sasuke said, her already blushing face deepened in shade at saying the word cute.
Naruto let out an audible sigh of relief; he was obviously more caught up in his sexuality than anything else.
"Good. I was worried there for a second, Bast—" Naruto said, stopping all of a sudden and looking at her with a questioning expression.
"What is it?"
This time it was Naruto who was blushing and looking at her strangely.
"Well, I was wondering, since I know you're a girl, should I still... you know, treat you the same? It's rude to treat girls the way I treated you, isn't it? I feel as though I don't know you at all. Who are you, really, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, his sadness and worry evident in his tone.
Sasuke rolled her eyes; they were approaching the room that held the resting Kakashi and the hunter ninja whose name was apparently Haku. She didn't want their conversation to be possibly overheard.
She stopped them, turning so that she could pin Naruto to the wall. She pressed her body against his to hold him upright without causing him to use too much strength and possibly injure himself more. She looked up at him.
That's weird. Naruto definitely grew more.
Naruto used to be visibly shorter than her at the academy; afterwards, he had hit a miniature growth spurt and was only an inch shorter than her. Now he stood almost two inches taller than her, meaning that Naruto had grown 4-5 inches within the span of a month. If she had to guess he'd stand at about 6'0, definitely her preferable height for a boy.
He must be in a growth spurt. She thought, looking up into his dashing blue eyes as he stared down into hers. His eyes were full of questions; she knew he was wondering why she had him pinned up against the wall. She, too, was asking herself the same.
He had a slight blush on his face that matched hers. If anyone were to walk in on them right now in this position, it would be easy to mistake this for a more intimate encounter. She had her body firmly pressed against his, she could feel his strength pressed against her, as she was sure he was getting a good feel of her body as well.
Still, though, Sasuke didn't move away and pressed herself more firmly against him until she was satisfied he wouldn't fall over.
"I don't want our relationship to change. I want you to continue treating me exactly as you always have. After all, I have not changed. I am still the same person who fought with you three days ago, the same person you sat next to in the academy, and the same person teaching you how to cook. Treat me the same way you always have, pipsqueak, and I will do the same to you... okay? I am still the Sasuke Uchiha you knew, idiot." She was upset at herself that her voice sounded weaker, almost pleading. She blamed it on her rapidly beating heart and her proximity to the Idiot.
I'm sure he can feel my heart pounding in my chest... What is wrong with me... Why do I care so much about what he thinks... I never cared about anyone's opinion before.
Naruto searched her eyes, looking for something. It felt like an eternity under his scrutiny, but Sasuke knew it was only a few seconds. She was scared. Scared of losing the one person that made her feel completely comfortable, the one person that could make her smile. She stood there, feeling his strong body pressed against hers. Her womanhood had been reacting to his touch since she first touched him.
A consistent heartbeat could be felt, and it wasn't coming from her rapidly racing heart. His breath was hitting her skin, cooling it upon impact, but lighting a fire beneath her skin in her blood. When he found what he was searching for in her eyes, he smiled at her, and it was his real smile that made butterflies appear in her stomach.
His arms, which had been hanging loosely at his sides, wrapped around her. She felt him accidentally brush her butt cheeks, quickly lifting them so that they stopped at the small of her back, but she didn't care. He hugged her to him tightly.
"Okay, I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do without you, bastard!" Naruto said, placing his head on her shoulder as he hugged her.
Sasuke was frozen for half a second before she threw her arms around his neck and returned the hug, closing her eyes. She had a content smile on her face. No one who knew the Uchiha would recognize her in that moment. Most people hadn't even seen her smile since her clan was killed. This is why Naruto was different to her than anyone else, he made her feel things she hadn't felt since her clan was murdered things, she felt she wouldn't feel again, nor deserve to feel again. A single tear ran down her face before she even knew it had formed.
"U-Um, excuse me?" They heard a voice.
Sasuke was internally seething at the interruption, turning with a hateful glare. She stared at Hinata.
Hinata had a look of embarrassment, mixed with envy, and shock on her face and eyes. She held a plate of food that had been neatly wrapped in her hands. She was looking at them, staring.
Naruto quickly let go of Sasuke, much to her annoyance, and she reluctantly let him go, wiping her face quickly and returning Hinata's stare with a hateful one of her own.
"I'm sorry to interrupt; I was just going to bring you food... N-Naruto-kun, you looked hungry earlier." Hinata said. She broke eye contact, looking anywhere but at the Uchiha female glaring at her.
Sasuke let out an annoyed huff that turned into an angry grunt at Naruto's reply.
"Oh no, it's okay, Hinata-chan, you're right, I am hungry. That reminds me, can I get another plate for Haku?"
Hinata turned to look at Naruto, her face visibly confused. "Who is Haku?"
"He is the hunter-ninja we captured; he's hungry as well. Hey, can one of you change his bandages too? They need to be changed."
Sasuke turned her glare towards Naruto, who didn't notice her. Hinata seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding. "We used most of our bandages on you and Sasuke, but I have more. I will be back with bandages and food for Haku-san." Hinata said before darting away.
Sasuke looked down at her kimono; it had been stained with blood. She looked at Naruto and noticed his bandages needed replacing too.
"Your bandages need replacing as well; I will do it." she said.
She was offering because she didn't want to leave Hinata with Naruto alone. If the girl saw the state of his bandages, the girl would want to change them herself, and she just couldn't allow that.
"Okay, thanks, bastard." Naruto said, offering her a playful grin.
She smirked in response and helped carry him back to his resting place. When they entered, Haku was asleep, still tied up.
Hinata arrived a few minutes later and seemed surprised to see Sasuke, which made the other girl raise an eyebrow.
So, you were hoping to have alone time with him...
Sasuke wordlessly got up and took a plate along with a wrap of bandages from Hinata.
"I will tend to Naruto; you treat that one." Sasuke said, daring the Hyūga to refuse.
Hinata looked as though she wanted to challenge her still, her mouth moved slightly as if she was going to speak, but she timidly looked away, nodding her head slightly.
Sasuke smirked at this, turning to walk away.
Going to have to try harder than that, Hyūga. The idiot is totally blind.
She placed herself between Naruto and Haku, and Hinata. Sasuke told herself that her possessiveness over Naruto didn't mean anything, that she just rather treat his wounds than an enemy's.
She began unwrapping the old bandages gently, trying her best not to injure Naruto further. She heard Hinata lightly wake up Haku before explaining to him what was about to happen. She didn't hear Haku reply and figured he didn't say much.
The room was silent for a while as the two kunoichi tended to the two men's injuries.
Sasuke finished first and grabbed the plate of food to feed Naruto.
"I can feed myself, bastard; I'm not a baby, you know!" Naruto complained. Sasuke returned his complaint with a steely glare.
"And ruin your bandages again? I will not replace them again, so just allow me to feed you!" Her blushing face not matching the glare she sent at him.
"Are they a couple?" Haku asked Hinata in a hushed whisper, looking at the kunoichi who was finishing up replacing the last of his bandages.
Hinata looked up at him in surprise before looking over to Sasuke and Naruto, who were bickering like a pair of old married people.
"I hope not..." she replied sadly. Haku, at first, was surprised by the kunoichi's answer before he looked over at her; she was staring at the other two with a look of sadness and envy in her eyes. Haku immediately understood and remained quiet.
Next Day
Sasuke was up earlier than the rest of the house, excluding Tsunami, who had woken up early to prepare breakfast for everyone. Sakura and Kurenai had returned the previous evening. Kurenai had informed the group that she, along with Sakura, had taken some identifying memorabilia of Zabuza, for Team 7, as well as his sword, which was apparently a special sword used by individuals called the 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.' Having his sword and his other apparel would allow Team 7 to claim a huge bounty that was placed on the man.
Kurenai also told them that once Kakashi recovered, she and Kakashi would decide whether Team 8's assistance was still required or if it would be better for them to escort Haku back to the village. She was pleased to hear that their mission was upgraded to an S-ranked mission, meaning that Team 7 was the first genin team in their class to have such a high-priority mission. Although Team 8 was accompanying them, they would be sharing the credit for the completion of the mission. They were considered a support team sent by the Hokage, really just to check on how Team 7 was doing. This was considered an A-rank mission for them. They had been tasked with it because they just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Kurenai was in the middle of a meeting with the Hokage when Kakashi's messenger arrived.
Kurenai had been keeping a watchful eye on Team 7 in Kakashi's absence, probably due to her fight with Sakura the other day. Sakura hadn't really interacted with her much, not that she was complaining, and she was pleased to see that Sakura also didn't go out of her way to flirt with Naruto. After she had tended to Naruto's bandages and he was fed, he slept for the rest of the day; she figured that his body needed more rest. No one dared bother him either; Sasuke was watching everyone that went into the room like a hawk.
She was now outside, waiting for someone. She was waiting for Hinata. The Hyūga had spoken to her multiple times yesterday, especially after Naruto went back to sleep. She was the reason why Sasuke was waiting for Hinata this early in the morning. Hinata was going to join her to train. The Hyūga said that Kurenai had already taught Team 8 how to water walk and climb trees using chakra, and Sasuke was desperate to learn. It pained her pride to ask the Hyūga; their families had been rivals for generations, but it pained Sasuke more to see Naruto pulling ahead of her.
She could put up with the Hyūga if the girl was willing to teach her.
"I can't let Naruto continue to pull away from me." Sasuke thought out loud.
"What about Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked her from behind. Sasuke turned to see that the girl was wearing her usual outfit: a tan jacket that covered almost all her skin, dark blue pants that stretched almost to her ankles, and she wore her shinobi headband around her neck. Her short blue hair had two long bangs that reached her chin on either side of her face.
Sasuke stared at the girl for a moment. Hinata was undeniably beautiful, and it frustrated her that such a perfect girl had a thing for Naruto. Unlike Sakura and every other girl in their class, Hinata saw Naruto for who he truly was, just like her. She wasn't special; she wasn't the only person who saw worth in Naruto. Sasuke knew this. Naruto was handsome, kind, unusually clever, unpredictable, carefree at times, stupidly optimistic, and boisterous. He did deserve a girl like Hinata. If Sasuke was honest with herself, she could recognize this. She was just too selfish to not stand in the way. Anyone could see Naruto's worth; all you had to do was be smart enough to pay attention and have a brain between your ears. Hinata had both.
Sighing, Sasuke ignored her initial thoughts. "Are you ready, Hyūga?"
"Ah, yes, Sasuke-chan!" Hinata said, with a tinge of nervousness in her voice.
Sasuke rolled her eyes.
And she is adorably innocent, the complete opposite of me.
She led the pair into the woods. They walked for about thirty minutes until they finally reached a clearing that had a waterfall running into a river at the edge of the clearing, which was surrounded by trees. It was a perfect place to train.
Sasuke stopped them and turned to Hinata, looking at her expectantly.
"So, how do I do this?" she asked crudely.
"Well, Kurenai-sensei said that in order to climb trees with your chakra, you must first flow the chakra into your feet in an even manner. Too much, and you will push yourself off; too little, and you will fail to stick onto the tree like this." Hinata explained, providing an example. First, she used too much chakra and only managed to take two steps up the tree before her leg looked as though it had been pushed off the tree. She then provided an example of too little chakra and only got four steps before she started to slide down the tree.
"You must focus and try your best to keep the chakra level even throughout the bottom of your feet for the best results." Hinata said, facing her as she walked backward up the tree, smiling at her encouragingly.
Sasuke felt a tick mark form on her forehead. Show off, as if I'd let a Hyūga beat me!
Sasuke focused her chakra flow to her feet, trying her best to keep the flow even at the base of her feet, like Hinata had told her. When she thought she had it perfect, she began running up the tree. She managed to get about ten steps up the tree before she lost focus for a split second. She tried to readjust her chakra flow but put too much chakra into her right foot and was propelled off the tree. Doing a backflip and landing gracefully off the tree, she glared at the inanimate object.
"Wow! Amazing, Sasuke-chan! You did so well!" Hinata said, clapping softly and smiling at her gently.
Sasuke just returned her praise with an annoyed scowl. "Don't make fun of me. I only managed to get 10 steps up that tree!"
"No, I am serious. When Kurenai-sensei first taught us, it took me three days to learn this, and on my first attempt, I couldn't even take one step!" Hinata said, genuinely impressed.
"Whatever, Hyūga. I will learn this in a few hours!" Sasuke declared, running towards the tree again, this time with a kunai in hand. She counted her steps and managed to get 13 this time before she lost concentration for a split second again and was thrown off the tree.
Hinata again clapped at her success. She was truly amazed; Sasuke only had to hear her explanation and see a demonstration once to be so successful.
I see why Naruto-kun admires you so much, Sasuke-chan.
This thought made her a bit sad, and it must've shown on her face.
"What? Did I do something wrong, Hyūga?" Sasuke asked, looking at her uncertainly.
Hinata shook her head, and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "No, no. I was just thinking. Sorry, please continue."
Sasuke didn't move, though; she just stood there for a moment or two, watching her before speaking.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch me all morning? When I asked you to teach me, I didn't expect you to come and just stick around."
Hinata blushed, poking her fingers together as she looked away. "Oh, well, I just thought that it'd be better if... I stuck around just in case you needed more pointers."
This was true, but Hinata also wanted to get to know Sasuke better. She had watched Naruto for years at the academy, and Naruto had always been in competition with Sasuke. In class, they got along in a strange way but were furiously competitive with each other. Seeing them hugging yesterday made her mind and heart race; she wanted to know more about Sasuke, maybe she could find out why Naruto thinks so highly of her, and if they were a couple.
"Okay, well don't just stand there and stare at me. I don't need a cheerleader. You can go train or something; if I need to ask you something, I will come and ask you, okay?" Sasuke told her in a mean yet kind tone. Hinata saw that although Sasuke was giving her usual annoyed and furious scowl, it didn't reach the girl's eyes like it usually did.
"Oh okay, I will be over by the waterfall training if you need me!" Hinata said before smiling, giving Sasuke a small bow, and running off.
Sasuke just watched the Hyūga run off and sighed.
Although you like the idiot, it's hard for me to hate you, Hinata. You're far too kind.
Sasuke shook her head and refocused on the task at hand.
It took Sasuke four hours to finally make it up the tree. When she did, she felt immensely proud of herself. Hopping out of the tree, she made her way over to the waterfall that ran into the river at the edge of the clearing they were training in. She saw Hinata's jacket and pants had been discarded on the river's bank.
She walked to the edge and saw Hinata training. Under Hinata's jacket, she wore a shinobi-styled fishnet shirt that covered up her skin so you couldn't see her flesh, but made her upper body's outline distinctively visible to anyone who looked at her, and she had on black spandex. Hinata had a great figure, even Sasuke was slightly envious of it. Sasuke was aware that some kunoichi like Hinata and Kurenai wore this fishnet usually under something as to not attract too much unwanted attention. She heard that fishnet was a suitable replacement for wearing bandages as a bra for shinobi work. Yet she had never tried to wear it herself.
She looked down at her clothes and frowned in comparison. She now realized why people mistook her for a boy so often; her clothes did nothing to show off her feminine body.
Hinata was moving gracefully on top of the water. It appeared that she was using her clan's taijutsu technique to block water that fell from the waterfall into the river, splashing up from the impact, from landing on her body.
Hinata had an extreme focused look on her face that the Uchiha had never seen on her before. After a few minutes of watching her, Hinata seemed to have made a mistake, lost her balance and focus, and plunged under the water. When she came to the surface, she had a noticeable scowl of frustration before she noticed she was being watched by Sasuke.
Her face grew a tinge red from embarrassment before she climbed up to the surface of the water and walked over to her. When she joined Sasuke on solid land, she offered her a smile, which the Uchiha met with a blank look.
Undeterred, the Hyūga spoke. "Hey, Sasuke-chan, everything okay? Do you need more pointers? It's okay, like I said, it took me three days to—"
"I already learned it, thanks. I was about to head back and grab some food. Were you going to stay out here?" Sasuke replied, keeping her face neutral.
Hinata looked shocked before casting Sasuke a smile. "I see. Truly impressive, Sasuke-chan. You really are as amazing as Naruto-kun says."
Sasuke rolled her eyes, but the blush that appeared was noticed by the Hyūga.
"I will head back with you, if you don't mind waiting for me for a while. I want to dry off a bit first," Hinata said, taking a seat by the water's edge, hoping the hot sun would dry her body fairly quickly.
Sasuke sighed. She didn't want to spend more time with the Hyūga than necessary, but she owed it to the girl, so she sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Hinata spoke, without looking at her.
"After we eat and rest for a bit, we can come back here if you'd like. Water walking is the same principle as tree walking, except that on the water's surface, the surface fluctuates, so you have to be more mindful of your chakra flow and match that to the water's surface." Hinata explained.
Sasuke sat silently, thinking about what the Hyūga had said.
"I'm sure you will master it quickly since it took you only a few hours to learn how to walk up trees. You're amazing, Sasuke-chan. Truly. I see why Naruto-kun admires you so much." Hinata said sadly.
Sasuke eyed the girl before letting out a sigh and speaking. "I was only able to learn it so quickly because of you and Naruto. Without your guys' advice, I wouldn't have learned it nearly as quickly." Sasuke replied honestly.
Hinata smiled at this. "Thank you. I'm glad I could help." Hinata said, trailing off.
Sasuke knew there was more she wanted to say, so she remained quiet and just enjoyed the heat from the early afternoon sun on her skin. The Hyūga seemed hesitant to say what was on her mind though, so they sat there for a few minutes in silence.
Sasuke thought about the fishnet undershirt that Hinata and Kurenai wore, and how Kakashi had been advising her to change her appearance. The more she thought about it the more she was considering a change of clothes. If her style was so bad that Naruto viewed her as a boy along with some others, maybe it'd be a good idea to change it. It's not like she enjoyed being misgendered.
"Hey, Hinata, I want to ask you something." Sasuke said keeping her voice calm, but she did feel slightly embarrassed at what she was about to ask.
"Yes Sasuke-chan?" Hinata responded in kind.
"Is fishnet, comfortable?" Sasuke asked looking at Hinata chest.
In response the girl seemed confused momentarily before looking at Sasuke closely.
"I assume you're asking, because you usually wear your bandages, and rather tight."
Sasuke nodded "Yeah, I've always worn them, since I was younger, now that I am older and my breast have grown, they are rather uncomfortable to wear as tight, but any looser and they'd slap me in the face. We're the same size roughly so I was kind of wondering... how they work for you." Sasuke said looking away to hide her embarrassment.
It's not like her mother or other family members were around, and Hinata maybe the best person to actually talk to about this.
Hinata nodded her head smiling kindly at her "It's okay I understand Sasuke-chan. I had the same issue, but yes, it is rather comfortable and does a great job holding your breast in place. The only negative thing is that they aren't very modest. Thats why I cover it with my coat, but it's not really necessary and not everyone covers up when wearing fishnet, my father just demands it."
Sasuke nodded in understanding.
I will have to try it out.
"I wanted to ask you a question in return, if that's okay, Sasuke-chan?" Hinata ventured.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her curiously.
"Sure."
"What is your relationship with Naruto-kun, exactly? Excuse my rudeness... it's just, I saw you two yesterday... and I couldn't help but wonder." Hinata said, her gaze fixed on the ground before her, refusing to meet Sasuke's eyes.
"We are friends, teammates, that's all..." Sasuke said, for some reason her heart rate increase painfully at admitting that out loud, especially to someone like Hinata, who she knew had feelings for Naruto.
Hinata looked up, her expression showing she didn't quite believe her, yet there was slight hope behind her eyes.
"But I saw you two... and you seemed way closer than you were in the academy..." Hinata pressed, now staring directly at Sasuke, searching her eyes for something.
"Yeah... well, we're teammates. I understand him better now, and he understands me. Is it wrong for teammates to be... close?" Sasuke said, turning her head away with a blush at the word 'close.'
She was looking away, so she missed the narrowing of Hinata's eyes, the suspicion clear in her gaze.
"I don't think your relationship is anything like that of any other pair of teammates I've seen." Hinata said, almost accusingly.
Now Sasuke was on the defensive, glaring at Hinata. "What's it to you, Hyūga! We are teammates and friends, that's all!" Sasuke hissed.
Hinata surprisingly didn't back down from her glare as she usually would; she maintained eye contact, just looking at Sasuke disbelievingly before sighing and looking away.
"Okay... sorry if you felt I was being intrusive. I just wanted to know if you and Naruto-kun were a... couple."
Sasuke let out an annoyed huff. "Well, we're not, so you don't have to question me or worry about me and him. You should be worried about Sakura, or maybe Ino. I heard they have been pretty interested in him since his outfit change. You better get a backbone before you miss out, Hyūga! I'm sick of this. I'm heading back; are you coming or not?" Sasuke said, getting up and walking away before Hinata could answer.
Hinata watched Sasuke stomp away before standing up and putting on her clothes, thankful she had managed to dry off a bit before doing so.
Sakura and Ino aren't who I'm worried about, Sasuke-chan.
She thought as she hurried to catch up to her rival.
A/N Another chapter in the bag, I hope you enjoyed trying my best to give you guys a solid look into the insight of some of our characters. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter a lot and I hope it shows in my work. Some of you have expressed your desire for Sasuke to be made already and I had fully intended her sex to be found out in this wave arc. You can expect at least two more chapters in this arc we still have a mission to complete but I'm using this as a training opportunity for team 7. Also, since this story is doing really well, I am considering making this my primary story, but I'll see how this chapter does before i make that decision. Well, that's all until next time!