Hinata wasn't able to get much sleep since she was nervous of the kind of examination Kabuto was going to perform on her the following morning. It was due to this inability to sleep that she was able to bare witness to an amusing scene: a groggy unkempt Sasuke. The kind of person Sasuke usually exuded was that of a regal eagle, composed and commanding, with a presence that blended impassivity and authority, instilling a sense of awe and reverence in those who encountered him. His face, once devoid of expression, now appeared as a sleepy child gently rubbing away the last traces of sleep from their eyes, while his tamed textured hair that had crowned his head lay like flattened ruffled feathers, a portrait of disheveled. She watched him meander his way to the bathroom, the sound of his joints popping as he stretched, stifling his yawns. Intrusive dreamy thoughts paraded through her mind, imaging her whole situation as if they were playing house and he was her husband who felt delighted to showcase this unguarded side of him every morning for the rest of their lives.
Right when she was about to drift to sleep filled with innocent, lighthearted dreaming, a clamorous banging sound came thundering from the front door. A pristine Sasuke reemerged from the bathroom and peevishly made his way to the door as Hinata, now fully awake, slipped out of bed to stand behind the bedroom door, peering before her with apprehension.
"Why are you disturbing me this early in the morning?" Sasuke hissed at Kabuto who smiled at him in amusement towards his bad attitude.
"Lord Orochimaru requested for me to examine our Lady Hinata first thing in the morning, and I would never disobey our Lord." Kabuto slyly replied while eyeing Sasuke's now activated Sharigan with a hidden uneasiness. The two men stood there in stillness, neither yielding to the other, until Kabuto caught sight of her from his peripheral vision, breaking the trance. "Now, come along, Lady Hinata. It shouldn't take much time." The last part was for Sasuke's sake, not hers.
"Tch..." was all he could say as he cocked his head towards Hinata and nodded for her follow the man.
Holding back her trembling, she reluctantly made her way across the room until she reached the two men where Kabuto gestured for her to take his arm in an attempt to be chivalrous but her arms remained at her side which made Sasuke internally crack up. With a smile, Kabuto motioned for her to follow, and so she reluctantly did, her heart gripped with hesitation.
However, what neither of them were expecting was for Sasuke himself to follow as well.
"Sasuke-kun, medical procedures are done in private. I do insist you refrain from tagging along," Kabuto recited without giving a glance at the unwanted company.
Sasuke simply ignored his request and instead positioned himself to walk right beside Hinata. A small wave of relief washed over her, it was a wave that made her feel considerably safe, like no harm would come to her with Sasuke by her side. The dread that had been weighing on her heart lifted, allowing her to breath. She lightly turned her head towards him, finding that he was looking down at her. His eyes, his usually stoic eyes, were soft and gentle that filled her with warmth, her own eyes wavering with mixed sentiment. She gave him a small timid smile, which he responded to with a reassuring nod.
The trio arrived to a destination that was hauntingly familiar to Hinata, having failed to pay attention to their route. This was the room Kabuto cleaned her in. She instinctively took a step back at the memory, a step that didn't go unnoticed to Sasuke as he gently took hold of her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze before quickly letting go. She took a deep breath and walked past the door with Sasuke close behind, but no sooner had she walked in than Sasuke abruptly seized her wrist and yanked her behind him, blocking her from the unexpected guest.
"Done in private, huh?" Sasuke scoffed, his eyes sending daggers towards the object of his disdain, Orochimaru. The grip around Hinata's wrist remained.
"Well, isn't this a surprise. I didn't think you'd be joining us, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru mocked behind gritted teeth, smiling at Sasuke's outlandish display of gallantry.
"I couldn't possibly leave her alone with you sniffing around, now could I?"
"Why, I merely came by to offer my support to my dear Lady Hinata."
A chill ran down Hinata's spine at the sound of her name leaving his lips, those very same lips that defiled her days ago. Unable to bear the sight of him, she buried her face behind Sasuke's shoulder, gripping the hem of his shirt with her free hand.
"If you think I'm going to stand by and let your lecherous eyes wander all over, then you're sadly mistaken."
"Shall I proceed with Lady Hinata's examination, my Lord?" piped Kabuto. He was seated in a rolling stool in front of the metal table that now had adjustable stirrups. Orochimaru waved his hand, signaling for him to continue. "Please come sit on the table, my Lady."
Sasuke let go of her wrist and walked her over to the examination table, blocking Orochimaru's view of her as she cautiously made her way. Orochimaru wasn't a stationary man, so he crept closer towards the site of the action. This clearly upset the Uchiha as a growled, "Orochimaru.."
The white skinned man chuckled as he moved behind the table, unable to see anything of interest to him. When Kabuto told Hinata to lower her bottoms, Sasuke gave him a stern glance. The medic then slyly pulled out the drape he carelessly forgot to offer. With her draped, she slid her bottoms off. All her muscles tensed when she was asked to lay back and put her feet in the stirrups. Her eyes watered with anxiety as Kabuto pulled the drape back a bit with his equipment in hand. It was about to begin...
Disturbed as he was, Sasuke stood by as he watched Kabuto insert a metal device inside Hinata, but he found his hand reaching for the helm of his sword ready to slice the white haired man to pieces when he saw her face grimaced at the foreign intrusion. As quickly as it started, Kabuto pulled out the instrument ending his examination. Sasuke swiftly handed Hinata her clothes which she quickly put on, feeling relieved that it was finally over.
Avoiding Sasuke's intimidating glare, Kabuto stood and warily faced Orochimaru. "It appears our young couple have, indeed, copulated, my Lord."
"Is that so..." Orochimaru's voice trailed in disbelief, he was certain he wouldn't be able to go through with it. The smile on his face had yet to fade as he made his way towards the exit, stopping beside Sasuke as he snarled. "Congratulations, Sasuke-kun."
As soon as Orochimaru disappeared from view, Kabuto made a show of sauntering off, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Well, now, don't let me keep you from your extracurricular fun," he called over his shoulder, chuckling. "And remember—safety first! Use protection!"
...
Never had Hinata been more grateful to be back in Sasuke's chambers as she allowed herself to lean her back against the wall and gradually sunk down to the floor. Her slumped figure resembled a stationary doll, devoid of emotion masked by the beauty of her delicate porcelain features. Even Sasuke spared himself a sigh of relief as he took a seat next to the emotionally drained Hinata.
"Thank god that's over," Hinata breathed, her hands neatly folded in front of her. Her pale eyes seemed to be lost in the distant along with her thoughts until she dipped her head down, causing her curtain bangs to shield her face. "Um... Sasuke... I just want to say... Uh... I'm sorry."
Taken aback, his eyebrow arched as he shot her a quizzical look. An apology was not something he was expecting from her. Instead, he felt that it was he that should be the one apologizing. "What for?"
"Um... well... for last night, I mean," She murmured as she covered her flushed face with her hands in embarrassment. Sasuke remained silent, so she blurted. "I pressured you... even though I knew you didn't want to... and for that I'm sorry!"
The corner of his lips curled upward as a low hum resonated from his chest, causing Hinata to peek at him from between her fingers, catching a glimpse of a laughing Sasuke. "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean for it to go far-"
"You were not at fault for that! I..." Her hands were no longer enough to hide her embarrassment as she hastily buried her head in her knees, wrapping her arms around herself for added cover. From the confines of her shelter, which Sasuke had to lean down to discern her muffled voice, flustered with what she was about to say next. "I... I... I didn't want it to stop."
"Oh...?" Her confession caused the proud Sasuke to blush. The doubt of going too far was gone, but now he found himself wanting to share with her his own confession. "I... didn't want to, either."
"Really?" The muffled squeak from the timid woman next to him caused him to let out a warm laugh. Here they were, spewing out their feelings, and she was talking to him in that ridiculous state, although he found it oddly endearing.
"Yea... It was kind of hard to after all that build up."
What Sasuke said must have resonated with her since she lifted her fading red face up to glance at him. What he didn't know was that Hinata felt ashamed at herself for losing control of herself, but, with what Sasuke said, she felt vindicated of her impure actions. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
The two sat in silence for a while, neither of them budging from their spots on the floor. Relief was all Hinata could focus on as she let herself completely relax, both body and mind. Sasuke's eyes would occasionally glance over at Hinata who was now resting her head on her arms on top of her knees. He couldn't help but notice the way her long midnight hair, although messy from the abrupt morning, framed her face, giving her a soft, welcoming appearance. That very same hair that was spread over her pillow the night before, the very same hair he buried himself in. And her eyes, despite their cold white disposition, carried a tender warmth that filled whoever they gazed at with a certain tranquility, but under the right conditions can show her true desires. And when he scans her lips, those soft, supple lips that once burned for him, had him reminiscing of the sweet taste left behind. She was, truly, a beautiful woman...
Sasuke mentally shook his head of his musing, and decided to focus on their next steps moving forward.
"Every four months, we relocate to a different lair." The break in the silence startled Hinata, but she quickly grasped the meaning behind his words, realizing it was Sasuke revealing his thoughts on achieving her liberty. "Our next move will be in six weeks. If we are to make a move to get you back to Konoha, that would be the best time to do it."
Hinata nodded as he spoke, her eyes radiated with anticipation as she waited to hear more of his plan. He carried on, mentioning that it would just be Kabuto, Orochimaru, and them traveling together to their next destination and how there was a trail that would lead her straight to village that was known for being a resting hub for traveling ninja who would most likely come to her aid when she arrives.
And just like that, she could imagine the wind sweeping through her hair as she ran, running as desperately as possible, praying -aching- for the wind to alter its course for assistance. Waiting for her at the unknown village would be her comrades with arms outstretched, ready for her arrival, her tears floating weightlessly in the air behind her forming a sparkling trail in her wake.
"We should anticipate Orochimaru having henchmen hanging back in case we were up to something, but I'm fairly confident that you could immobilize with your Gentle Fist taijutsu-"
"Sasuke..." She interrupted, her eyebrows were furrowed with what could only be a broken expression, her voice losing its inflection.
"Hm?"
"I haven't been able to use any chakra since I've been here."
"Is that so?" Sasuke pondered over this new information as he leaned his head back against the wall. A smirk creeped up his face, remembering their first interaction when she tried to attack him thinking he was Orochimaru. At the time, he was a little embarrassed for her pitiful attempt. This was a Hyuga, known for their world renown taijutsu, yet she wasn't much of a challenge to thwart. A soft laughter emitted from the Uchiha. "That explains that sorry excuse of an escape the other day. Did you really think you could immobilize someone with just a slab of wood?"
"What other choice did I have..." She pouted as her eyes playfully protested at his teasing.
"Then you could definitely take on his henchmen with no problem," Sasuke turned and gave her a rare smile, one that crinkled his eyes and puffed his cheeks, transforming his usually stoic expression into one of comforting familiarity. It was the sort of smile shared among friends, which the blushing Hinata gladly returned the smile.
While the two sat by each other on the floor, further discussing the plan of escape and their development in skills throughout the years, Sasuke couldn't help but find himself enjoying her company, which baffled him. Prior to today, he would barely utter a full sentence to her, but now here he is, sitting by her, having just shared a night together, conversing like comrades. The same could be said for Hinata, who found it appropriate to inquire more on his progress after leaving Konoha, it was as if she were with Shino and Kiba after a whole summer of working on separate missions meeting to share all that they've learned.
What surprised Sasuke the most about his behavior today was how protective he was of Hinata, how he stood by her like a loyal knight, ready to smite whoever dared to harm her. And although he would never admit this much, he felt a bit territorial when he saw the way Orochimaru was ogling her. It was as if his instincts were growling, warning him to guard what was important, even if he tried to bury those feelings beneath his stoic exterior.
Indeed, the both of them were beginning to drop their walls.
But then a nagging feeling took hold of Sasuke's senses, corrupting the scene before him of simple companionship. This familiarity was both a comfort and a disturbance; it was softening his resolve making him more receptive to her presence and less to his objective. The sensible part of him denies that such a minor, pleasant affiliation isn't enough to derail his life, but the darkness that surrounds the Uchiha's psyche blares it's skepticism, you find her beautiful.
Companionship breeds weakness.
"-and then Lady Tsunade took in a few more pupils, and she taught us how to... Sasuke?" Hinata stared at the man beside her who appeared to be in a mental haze, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts and oblivious to her presence. "Sasuke?" She was about to nudge his shoulder when his hand snapped over her wrist, preventing contact and catching her by surprise. Without a word, Sasuke stood up and walked out of his chambers, leaving behind a perplexed Hinata.
Did I say something wrong?
...
Kabuto remained still as he watched his Lord thrash like a toddler having a tantrum because their mother wouldn't let them play their their new toy. An occasional object would fly across the room, breaking or shattering into pieces while Orochimaru screamed at the universe for tilting the scales against him. He remained stoic as to not to attract the deranged man's rage, thinking to himself, This is most unbecoming...
The older man's anger eventually dwindled away, ignoring the destruction that laid before him. Though he madly wanted to ravish the Hyuga right then and now, all good things come to those who wait. So he couldn't have her at the moment, no matter. Once he possesses Sasuke's body as his own, she would be all his, every single nook and cranny of hers ready to be explored by him.
The raging appetite made it torturous to alleviate his animalist tension. She was to be mine!
"Lord Orochimaru," finally sensing an appropriate time to interrupt the man's fuming, Kabuto stepped forward to gain his attention.
"What is it, Kabuto!" All his endearing, though demeaning, honorifics went out the metaphorical window.
"I may have a temporary solution for your desires, my Lord," Kabuto peeked Orochimaru's interested. "I've been working on this technique for espionage purposes, but I believe it may serve you well."
"Well, out with it!" Orochimaru hissed, impatience fueled his blood.
Kabuto classically pushed back the bridge of his glasses, unaffected by his Lord's aggression. "I've discovered a way to not only remotely activate a genjutsu, but a genjutsu that allows the caster and victim to feel every physical action done to them. Meaning, she will feel all that is done to her, but more importantly so will you."
A wicked smile spawned on his face, "Do tell me more, Kabuto-kun."
...
Author's note:
Writing is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I keep feeling like I'm being redundant, or I'm forgetting a detail to the story (I have bad memory, forgive me jajaja) I've reading all these wonderful fanfics in the meantime, and can't help to compare them to this mediocre piece of work xD Maybe I should write some crack to get a lot out of my system all at once for the sake of clarity lol
Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave an a review- I love to hear feedback.
PS. I occasionally update my chapters if I see a spelling mistake or feel like a sentence or paragraph can be redone better. I just get so eager to give y'all a new chapter! :P