Starting where we left off last time, Team Eight vs ROOT
Chapter 25: I'll find you when the sun goes black
The time it took Hinata to evaluate the situation felt like hours with the sound of her teammates' strangled breaths echoing around her. In reality, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.
Fujiwara's bleeding had slowed, skin healed enough not to tear again the moment she let go. Hinata halted the flow of chakra in her hands and reached for her kunai pouch. She retrieved a single kunai and spun it around her finger before launching it across the room.
The lone lightbulb shattered. The kunai struck dead center, destroying the filament and casting the adjacent room into darkness. Without pause, Hinata then proceeded to kick the medical lamp beside her, smashing it with her chakra encased foot and shutting off the last light in the bunker.
Darkness flooded her vision. Hinata refrained from activating her byakugan despite the natural impulse. The meager glow of her chakra infused eyes would hardly be enough for the Nara to use for his shadow work, but she didn't want to risk it.
Working from memory, Hinata reached blindly in the dark to take hold of the roll of bandages she had spotted earlier. Successfully grasping it in her hand, she began to wrap it around Fujiwara's half-healed wound.
All the while she could hear the tide turning in the other room. If there was a set of ninja least reliant on normal visual sensory input alone, it may just be Team Eight. And a room with no light source certainly put a Nara at a disadvantage. Still, their opponent was a ROOT member and judging by the tantō he carried, he wasn't completely defenseless without the Kageshibari no Jutsu.
The fight sounded vicious, but Hinata knew Shino and Kiba were no longer in immediate danger.
Without her vision, Hinata's other senses were amplified. The scent of Fujiwara's blood was strong and she could almost taste the pungent formaldehyde in the air. Her ears were filled with the sound of jabs and kicks, but then a small click cut through the air.
Hinata didn't know why it sounded so loud to her until she recognized what it meant.
The white light of the standard issue flashlight shone in a thin beam.
Kiba cursed loudly.
The light jumped around the room in time with the ROOT member's movements. It flashed brightly against Hinata's eyes and she shut them instinctively. When the light didn't move on, Hinata opened her eyes and glanced around her. The light was reflecting around her, bouncing off of the equipment in the room, most of which was metal.
The ROOT member shot towards her in a flurry of movement, preceded by winding shadows. Hinata's hands were still occupied with bandages. If Fujiwara was breathing, she couldn't hear it over the pounding of her heart.
The powerful reserve of chakra shut away inside her pulsed behind the iron door she used to hold it back.
The shadows were stretching, rushing for her feet.
The iron door rattled, indigo chakra roiled around the edges, leaking out.
Hinata's body felt hot and out of control. Her chest burned, breathing starting to get shallow.
Then, suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. Overpowering chakra filled the bunker. Hinata looked up and saw a pair of glowing red eyes.
Hinata started to smile at the familiar sight only to feel a shock run through her heart so strongly it felt like she was actually struck by lightening.
The eyes were orange, not red and certainly not purple.
She didn't know how she had made that mistake.
"Rasengan!"
Hinata's hands trembled for a moment. Then she collected herself, returning to wrapping Fujiwara's wound and putting pressure on it. She checked his pulse and found that it was incredibly weak.
Kiba and Shino had already cornered the Nara and now with three against one, it was quick work to incapacitate him. Kiba and Shino secured the ROOT member while Naruto helped Hinata carry Fujiwara outside as delicately as possible. When they climbed out of the bunker, they found Sakura waiting beside Akamaru and the pink haired kunoichi quickly took over Fujiwara's medical care.
Relieved of her duty and abruptly weak-kneed, Hinata collapsed onto a nearby tree root. Her blood soaked hands stained the snow around her a dark red.
Hinata took in the scene from a distance. Kiba and Shino on either side of the tied up ROOT member with Akamaru at their feet. Fujiwara on the ground while Sakura stabilized him. Naruto speaking into his radio.
Her eyes snagged on the orange in Naruto's clothing, his trademark colour. The colour of the kyuubi's chakra. The colour of his eyes in Sage mode.
Distinct from red and on the opposite spectrum from purple.
Although Hinata held back from using her dōjutsu during spars, Sasuke had no such qualms. She'd seen that hypnotizing red and purple on such a frequent basis for the past few months, more than she'd ever seen the orange glow in Naruto's eyes.
Missions with Naruto were rare and in between, especially those where he'd needed to tap into kyuubi chakra or use Sage mode, but Naruto's chakra signature was unique and so well known to her. There was no logical reason for her to have mistaken it for something else.
And yet…
For some incomprehensible reason, Sasuke had been the first person to come to Hinata's mind and she had immediately felt safe at the thought of him being there.
As her thoughts continued to circle around her head, reaching no conclusions, Hinata suddenly felt a warm weight settle around her shoulders.
With a muted gasp, Hinata first looked down at the dark cloak encompassing her and then looked up to meet the eyes of the boy running havoc in her head.
Sasuke stood above her in his vest and long-sleeved shirt, one loose sleeve swaying in the wind. Hinata could feel the body heat he'd left in his cloak slowly sinking into her skin, but it was the intensity of his eyes that warmed her down to the bone.
Hinata shivered incongruously and moved to wrap the cloak around herself. The moment her fingers touched the warm fabric, she snatched her hands back. "Oh no!" she gasped, staring down at the blood on her palms.
She heard Sasuke huff and then he was kneeling down. "That cloak's been through worse," he commented even as he packed his right hand with snow and then pulled her own hand into his. One by one, he washed the blood away from her hands.
It would have been faster if she'd done it herself, but Hinata couldn't bring herself to pull away. Even through the chill of the cold snow, Sasuke's hand was warm and grounding.
Once her hands were clean, Sasuke released them. He paused for a moment and then brushed his fingers through her bangs before settling his hand on her head. Hinata's eyes fell shut in contentment and she leaned into his touch.
After a long moment, Hinata's eyes fluttered back open. Spotting a streak of red on Sasuke's vest, her brows furrowed. "Oh! I think you got some —" She stopped abruptly, her reaching hand faltering in the space between them. "You're hurt!" Hinata exclaimed, eyes wide.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Barely a scratch."
"We should get to the hospital," Hinata said. She peeked over his shoulder and nearly ducked back down when she saw Naruto's curious face angled in their direction. Instead, she turned to where Sakura seemed to be finishing up with Fujiwara. The kunoichi was leaning back, swiping the back of her hand against her forehead.
"Fujiwara-san too…" Hinata glanced at Sasuke with worry.
Sasuke pressed his lips together in a tight line. He drew back, fingers sliding through her long hair. Rising to his feet, he held out a hand and Hinata let him pull her up.
They joined the others and Sasuke wordlessly opened a portal. Hinata helped Sakura lift Fujiwara through and into the hospital corridor while Kiba and Shino handled the ROOT member. Akamaru warily entered after giving the edges of the rip in space a suspicious sniff. Naruto and Sasuke stepped through last, the latter closing the way behind them.
A gurney seemed to appear out of nowhere, two medical ninjas transporting Fujiwara down the hall as Sakura followed barking orders.
"We should report back to Hokage-sama," Shino said.
"And figure out what to do with this guy," Kiba added, gesturing to the tied up ROOT member.
Naruto perked up. "Ah! Kakashi-sensei wants him down in T and I."
Shino nodded. "Kiba, escort the hostile to T and I. Hinata-chan, you should stay here and fill Sakura-san in on any details relevant to Fujiwara-san's health."
Hinata nodded in understanding while Kiba gave a mock salute. "Aye, aye, cap," Kiba said, more fond than anything.
Ignoring Kiba's comment, Shino turned to Naruto. "I presume Hokage-sama wants a verbal report as soon as possible? I shall deliver it on behalf of Team Eight."
"You should do the written one on our behalf too," Kiba said, already making his way down the corridor dragging the subdued ROOT member along while Akamaru pushed at the captive's calves from behind.
Naruto blinked, seeming distracted. "Yeah, sure. I have to meet up with him too." He glanced between Sasuke and Hinata, before settling on Hinata. He moved closer, ducking down a little to accommodate their difference in height. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, voice filled with concern. When he put his hands on her shoulders it was so familiar Hinata didn't even think to step away.
"Mm." Hinata could only nod.
It was Naruto that broke eye contact, staring down at her shoulders as his hands dropped back to his sides. Hinata followed his eyes to Sasuke's cloak and felt blood rush to her cheeks. Naruto stepped back, bursting their private bubble and the rest of the world rushed back in.
"You coming?" Naruto asked, looking at Sasuke over his shoulder.
"Sasuke-kun is injured," Hinata protested. Naruto's blue eyes turned to her and though they still had the ability to make her chest tight, Hinata did her best to keep her voice firm. "He should get a check up first."
Naruto was rarely unreadable, but this was one of the few times where Hinata wasn't sure what was running through his mind even as she held his gaze.
"I already reported back to him. That's how I found you," Sasuke said.
Something like a frown adorned Naruto's face as he nodded. "Alright." Then his expression cleared and he added, "You better get that looked at. Don't be an idiot."
Sasuke muttered something under his breath that Hinata didn't catch, though she got the sentiment.
Naruto clapped Sasuke on the back and offered her a small grin before taking off down the corridor behind Shino's distant figure.
Instead of staring at Naruto's retreating back, Hinata turned her attention to Sasuke. "Let's go find a nurse."
"Hinata!" Sakura called, approaching from the other end of the hallway wearing a white coat with her short hair tied back. "Good job on stopping the bleeding. Fujiwara lost a lot of blood, but we've got him hooked up to an IV now. Did you notice anything else we should look out for?"
"Sakura-san," Hinata greeted with a smile. "Yes, there were some abnormalities with his chakra network. But first, would you mind taking a look at Sasuke-kun? He's —"
"I'm fine," Sasuke cut in. The irritation in his voice made Hinata shrink into his cloak, surrounding herself more with the scent of his detergent. Somehow this gave her the courage to look at him. Expecting to find him glaring at her, Hinata instead saw that expression turned towards Sakura.
Sakura was undeterred by his ire. "You're hurt!" she exclaimed. "Come on, let me take a look at it," she said, reaching for his arm.
Sasuke slapped her hand away. The sharp sound echoed through the hallway and made Hinata wince. She twisted her fingers into his cloak, eyes nervously darting between the two former teammates.
The hurt that flashed across Sakura's face was heartbreaking. Before Hinata could move to comfort the other girl, Sakura had already hidden the pain away under a scowl.
"Fine! Be stubborn and bleed to death for all I care!" Sakura shouted. She pulled out a roll of bandages from her coat pocket and threw it at Sasuke's chest before storming off.
Hinata watched her helplessly, unsure if she should follow. Then Sasuke took off in the opposite direction and Hinata's feet seemed to move by themselves.
"Sasuke-kun." Her voice was breathy. Hinata was tired, more emotionally than physically.
Fortunately, Sasuke didn't make her chase after him any further. He slowed to a stop, waiting.
"You…" Hinata didn't know where to start. The bandages in Sasuke's hand that he had reflexively caught helped direct her. "When I hurt my knee, you insisted I go to the hospital. You're obviously hurt enough to be bleeding, so how can you…" Hinata huffed in frustration. "I never would have expected you to be so prideful that you would risk your health."
"It's not a matter of pride," Sasuke said lowly.
Hinata studied Sasuke's profile. "…is it Sakura-san?"
Sasuke didn't respond except to glare at the wall. The downward tilt to his lips was almost petulant, something Hinata wouldn't have noticed months ago.
It struck Hinata how young Sasuke was. How young they all were.
Only eighteen years old, having lived through the death of his clan, an invasion, defection and a war.
If Hinata searched her memories, she didn't think Sasuke had ever been particularly social. She doubted that had changed after he left the village. In the stories he'd shared, Sasuke hadn't been surrounded by the most normal of people, even given the average ninja's propensity for eccentricity.
Softening, Hinata took hold of the sleeve of Sasuke's right arm. She tugged gently, but Sasuke didn't move at first. When she glanced back at him with beseeching eyes, he gave in and let her pull him to the front desk where she asked to see an iryō-nin.
"I can call Sakura-san —"
Hinata was quick to jump in. "Ah! We just saw her. Sakura-san is taking care of an important patient for Hokage-sama."
Nonplussed, the nurse scanned the binder in front of her. "In that case, Mayumi-san should be free soon."
Perking up at the familiar name, Hinata smiled and thanked the nurse.
They were led to an empty room. Sasuke sat down on the examination table with no complaint and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. They waited in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before the door opened and Mayumi stepped in looking as put together as she had the last time.
"Hinata-san, Sasuke-san. How can I help you today?" Mayumi asked with a smile.
When Sasuke didn't immediately speak, Hinata looked at him imploringly.
Sighing with exasperation, Sasuke said, "Just a cut."
Mayumi was unphased. "That's certainly something I can take care of. Would you prefer Hinata-san to stay or wait outside?"
Blinking at the question, Hinata felt a little embarrassed. Surely her presence wasn't needed here. As she started to move towards the door, Sasuke spoke.
"Hinata can stay."
Hinata stopped in place. Glancing at the door and then Sasuke and Mayumi who were paying her awkwardness no mind, she turned her attention to fidgeting with the fabric of Sasuke's cloak still draped around her.
"Alright. May I see the cut?" Mayumi asked.
Sasuke frowned and then began to shed his shirt, unveiling pale, muscled skin.
"Eep!" Hinata spun around to face the wall, hands clasped over her eyes. She could hear Mayumi laughing which only made her blush deepen.
It was silly. Hinata had seen shirtless men before. Kiba, Neji. Even the rest of the rookies on a rare trip to the lake. Ninja in the medic tents during the war. Naruto…
Hinata shook away the thought. Besides, Sasuke clearly wasn't feeling particularly modest and the context wasn't intimate at all. The sight of Sasuke's bare skin shouldn't affect her.
Fanning her burning cheeks, Hinata stared resolutely at the wall until she heard the sound of fabric again.
"All done," Mayumi said.
Hinata dared to turn around. Sasuke was back in his shirt and looked amused when their eyes met.
"I can't say I blame you Hinata-san, Sasuke-san is very handsome," Mayumi teased. She was standing close to Sasuke, writing notes on her clipboard. There was a flirtacious lilt to her voice, but Hinata didn't think she was being altogether serious.
Sasuke stiffened, face falling into displeasure. Although Hinata rather liked Mayumi, she wished the woman would give Sasuke some space. His apparent discomfort bothered Hinata.
The feeling must have shown on her face because when Mayumi looked up she let out a short laugh. "Don't worry, Hinata-san. Sasuke-san may be good looking, but I've seen better." There was a faraway look in her eyes when she said that. Then she added, "Besides, I would never break up such a cute couple."
A frisson of shock ran through Hinata and she could feel the heat dissipating from her cheeks.
Mortifyingly, Hinata's feelings for Naruto had been an open secret for years. With Naruto's popularity after the war and Hinata's position in the Hyuuga, the start of their relationship had been big news around Konoha.
There was no malice in Mayumi's voice, but the implication that the demise of Hinata and Naruto's relationship was well known…
It felt like a loss.
When Hinata looked at Sasuke she caught a flash of embarrassment before he averted his gaze. The tips of his ears were red.
It was a sting to her heart. Hinata brought her hands up to her chest as if to guard it. Sasuke was usually shameless about being caught staring.
It was unfair, she knew, and perhaps invasive to overanalyze. Whether Sasuke felt embarrassed at the idea of being romantically linked with her or repulsed by the idea of romance at all, it wasn't her place to guess nor judge. It didn't degrade their friendship. Sasuke's feelings were his own and they weren't any of her business.
"You're good to go, Sasuke-san, but take your time. It was nice seeing you both again," Mayumi said, oblivious or uncaring of the tension she left behind.
Taking a deep breath, Hinata decided to ignore the misplaced hurt. There were more important things to worry about. "You…you're avoiding Sakura-san."
Hinata had seen Sakura's misery for months now, doing her best to encourage the other kunoichi while not allowing it to encroach on her own friendship with Sasuke. Hinata didn't want to meddle.
Yes, Sasuke's feelings weren't any of her business, but things had gotten out of hand.
"That's ridiculous," Sasuke scoffed.
"You are," Hinata insisted. "You were willing to endanger your health to avoid her."
"I told you the wound wasn't that serious," Sasuke said. He was looking at her again with the most irate expression he had ever directed towards her. It made Hinata want to back down.
Instead, she steeled herself.
"You need to talk to her," Hinata said plainly. "If you care about her like I know you do, then please talk to her."
"I don't —"
"Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, softly but firmly cutting through his words. "I've seen how you act when you don't care about something."
Saskue's lips thinned. He made for an intimidating sight. Ink back hair, pale skin, mismatched powerful eyes. Without his cloak, his lean body was in full view and he wasn't suppressing his chakra so Hinata could feel the full force of it.
But Hinata wasn't scared. Unsure, maybe, of her right to speak of this. Worried of overstepping and disturbing their friendship. But not scared.
Under the cold exterior, there was unequivocal warmth. Sasuke had never given Hinata any reason to fear him. And for that reason, she could recognize the uncertainty he felt. Teenage ineptitude that Hinata struggled with all the time.
One step at a time, Hinata approached. Sasuke's eyes never left hers as he quietly waited. The examination table was high off the ground, so even seated Sasuke towered over her. Slowly, she took his one hand into both of hers. The calluses on his skin matched hers.
"Sometimes, when something is uncomfortable, it seems easier to ignore it. But the more you ignore it, the worse it gets until it's to the point that it seems…impossible to confront." Hinata gently pressed her thumbs into the center of Sasuke's palm. Sasuke's fingers curled, his fingertips brushing her wrists and leaving a tickling sensation.
"…I can't tell her what she wants to hear," Sasuke confessed. There was an edge of guilt in his tone.
Hinata stroked the lines of his palm with one of her thumbs. "Sakura-san has been waiting for a long time. Even if it's not the one she wants…I think she will appreciate receiving an answer."
The messiness of NaruHina and SasuSaku interrupting our SasuHina cuteness...
Thank you to my lovely readers who left a review ^^ helped me feel better and now I'm (mostly) over my cold!
MVH