SasuHina spend the day apart, but end up together as usual.
Chapter 68:The only north star I would follow this far
Limbs weak, Hinata plopped down onto the engawa in the private courtyard outside the Head House with little grace. She swiped the back of her wrist across her forehead, grimacing when it came away wet with sweat.
It had been another early morning, leaving little time to enjoy waking up with Sasuke. Despite her best efforts, Sasuke had awoken when she'd left the bed and then turned a deaf ear to her insistence that he should get more sleep, opting to see her off, half-asleep. A smile curled her lips, remembering his hand brushing through her hair and the kiss pressed to the top of her head.
They hadn't even had time for breakfast and with her plans later today, they likely wouldn't see each other until the evening, certainly there would be no time for afternoon tea.
Hinata wet her lips, the phantom taste of matcha on her tongue.
When it was joined by the phantom scent, Hinata's thin brows drew together in confusion.
The sound of a tray being set down had her eyes fluttering open.
"You look tired," Neji remarked. He slid the wooden tray that was sitting between them closer to Hinata.
Hinata nodded gratefully, taking one of the two cups on the tray. The scent was not a phantom after all and soon neither was the taste. It was a touch bitter and grainy, likely prepared with too hot water and too uneven mixing. But it was the first cup of tea Neji had ever brewed for her and so she hummed appreciatively. "Thank you, nii-san."
Neji acknowledged her thanks with tip of his head. "Ten seals in one day might be too much, Hinata-sama."
"I just want to make sure that we are fully transitioned to the Hikō no Tsubasa no Juin before I go," Hinata said.
"There is no need to push yourself. The…Ōtsutsuki has granted you free entrance to his domain at any time." He didn't sound particularly happy about that. "If you need more time…"
"I'm okay, nii-san," Hinata said, offering Neji a faint smile.
"I'm not doubting you," Neji clarified. "You are doing something revolutionary for our clan. I simply think you should be able to enjoy that. To let yourself be celebrated. As it is, you hardly seem to be letting yourself sleep."
Caressing the porcelain cup with her thumb, Hinata regarded her cousin, the concern lining his face. "I…nii-san, when I found out that I…manifested the tenseigan...I was scared." She glanced down, staring into the depths of her tea. "It was something I couldn't control, is still something I can't control. I don't mean to rush things, I guess I'm eager to finally get some control over this."
"Finally?" Neji asked carefully.
Blinking down at her murky reflection, Hinata bit her lip. "The Hamura charka…it feels like I had only just wrapped my head around it when this happened. My whole life feels like…I struggle to catch up and then as soon as I think I have, everything gets turned around again."
Neji reached out, bypassing the cup waiting for him on the tray to lay his hand on Hinata's arm. "Hinata-sama, you're doing well. I may not say it aloud, but that is how I feel watching over you," he said, after a moment. "I worry, but I trust you to know your limits." His eyes softened, though the smile in them didn't quite make it to his lips. "I suppose I am still getting used to seeing you running towards something so decisively."
On the other hand, Hinata's smile bloomed more freely. "I am too," she confessed. "You know, nii-san, the reason I can do that is because of you." At Neji's startled look, Hinata's smile grew wider, eyes squeezing shut. "Since I know you'll be here watching over our clan the way you watch over me and Hanabi, I can go to the moon free of worries. With such a big change, our clansmen will need someone dependable to look to. There's no one better."
Eyes so like hers widened, an unexpectedly childlike look splashed across Neji's face in a rare glimpse beneath the way he held himself so reservedly. Averting his gaze, Neji finally picked up his cup and drank from it, hiding his expression behind porcelain.
Hinata sipped from her own cup, using the motion to hide her smile.
Quickly pulling his cup away, Neji swallowed thickly and then cleared his throat. "I will do my best, Hinata-sama," he said, voice rough. "Have the sealings been going well?" he asked.
Hinata hummed thoughtfully. "The sealing ceremonies themselves have been fine. I've noticed they're taking me less time to do now. But…" She hesitated. "There are a handful of Sōke Hyuuga who have been difficult to reach when it comes to scheduling their ceremonies," she said delicately.
Neji's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"
Hinata's lips pressed together in a slight frown. "We knew it was unlikely that this transition would be without incident. The lack of vocal protest is a blessing. I'm sure it would have been much worse without grandfather's endorsement." She sighed. "I guess I'll have to continue to be…persistent."
"Hinata-sama, permit me handle it."
Head whipping to the side, Hinata stared at Neji, surprised. "Eh?"
"You said yourself that while you are away you would like me to watch over the clan," Neji pointed out. "If anything comes up in that time, it may be necessary for me to step in. Why not start now?"
"I…" Hinata stopped herself.
A part of her wondered if it was the best idea to have someone from the Bunke branch intercede when the heart of the issue was the Sōke feeling that they were being usurped. It might put Neji in danger, becoming a target for their unhappiness.
But more logically, she understood that Neji had had a target on his back since their first chunin exams, perhaps even earlier when he'd first shown signs of being far beyond any Sōke's capabilities. If the end goal of the seal was to eliminate the division in the Hyuuga, then denying Neji's request on the basis of him being Bunke was in direct opposition of that.
And so swallowing back her initial emotional response, Hinata said, "That would be helpful, thank you."
Holding her gaze, Neji dipped his head, his eyes sparking with determination.
Gaze straying beyond her cousin, Hinata's eyes lingered on the far side of the courtyard where a stone path led back around to a gated separation between rest of the compound. The path was new, like so much of their home, destroyed and then rebuilt. Somewhere on the other side of that gate, Hinata had met Neji for the first time. The exact place they'd been standing, where Hinata had once shied away from Neji's friendly smile, may also have been destroyed and rebuilt. And between the two of them, there had been even more things lain to waste. Things not so easily renovated by wood and stone.
But the sense of security Neji had inspired, enough to coax Hinata out from behind her father, had been resilient. A small seed weathering droughts and floods, patiently waiting to feel the warmth of the sun that it might sprout like the great trees of Konoha.
As she returned to her half-full cup of tea, despite the heaviness still clinging to her limbs, Hinata's heart felt lighter. And despite its bitterness, the tea somehow tasted sweeter.
It seemed Neji disagreed, however. He coughed into his fist, setting his cup down, tea sloshing around where it was nearly filled to the brim. Nonetheless, he kept Hinata company as she drank her fill. And then even longer as she recuperated under the afternoon sun.
"Huh."
Kakashi glanced up at Sasuke from his desk, a clueless look on his face. "Hm?"
"You're actually here," Sasuke said dully, leaning against the doorway.
"Why wouldn't I, the Hokage, be in the Hokage's office at the Hokage Tower?" Kakashi asked pleasantly.
Sasuke scoffed.
"Could it be that someone has been slandering my good name?" Kakashi pondered aloud.
"Your sad attempts at humour aside, I need to talk to you," Sasuke said.
"I'll have you know the obaa-san I helped across the street this morning told me I'm a very charming and funny young man," Kakashi said, leaning back in his chair.
Sasuke made a face, shutting the door behind him. "Charming? Young? So the figment of your imagination lied to you three times over?"
Kakashi's eye twitched, a seldom seen sign of irritation. "You said you needed something? This is an interesting way to ask for a favour, but I guess you've always been like this."
"Maybe you should have set a better example," Sasuke deadpanned. "The Akatsuki task force — I'm turning it down."
Kakashi's brows jumped. "You're turning it down," he repeated.
Shifting in place, Sasuke attempted a casual shrug. "I understand the importance of the mission and I won't downplay my responsibility, but there are other things I need to prioritize. If I need to consult sometimes, I can do that, but being a fulltime member isn't possible."
Kakashi folded his fingers together, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "Hm."
They stared each other down for a moment, Kakashi unbothered and Sasuke trying his best not to break first.
He lost.
"Well?" Sasuke asked, hackles raised.
"To be honest, I had already assumed you were out. What with Hinata requesting to be assigned to a long-term mission, the details of which she asked to be kept top secret, though I'm sure you're aware of where she'll be going," Kakashi drawled. "And so when Naruto came in the other day saying he wanted in, I didn't see a reason to say no. Frankly, even if you wanted to be on the taskforce, all the Konoha slots are now taken."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, waiting. After a minute, he asked, "That's it?"
"That's it," Kakashi said. When Sasuke's expression didn't ease, he added, "Not everything has to be a fight, Sasuke."
Thrown off by the pace of the conversation, it took Sasuke a few seconds before the tension left his body.
"For what it's worth, I think it's a good decision," Kakashi said, a fraction of sincerity slipping through his lackadaisical mien. "You've been making more of those lately. It's a nice change."
Sasuke's lips pressed together, vindicated by the words so much so that he felt embarrassed, though their backwards nature wasn't lost on him. He broke eye contact, turning his attention to his pocket as he fished something out and wordlessly tossed it at Kakashi.
Catching the object easily, Kakashi quirked a brow.
"Mission report," Sasuke said blandly.
Kakashi's brows only furrowed more. "What mission?" he muttered, more to himself, as he unraveled the scroll across his desk. Then his expression smoothed out, eyes twinkling as realization dawned on him.
Uninterested in the inevitable teasing, Sasuke made a quick escape.
Kakashi's fake mission had warranted an equally informal report, but the contents, at least, were genuine.
On the parchment there was only one word written in Sasuke's neat script.
A name.
Standing outside the okonomiyaki restaurant, Hinata held Mirai close to her chest as Kurenai wrapped Kiba in a hug.
"Congratulations again — I knew you could do it," Kurenai was saying warmly as she pulled back, still keeping Kiba close with her hands on his shoulders.
"Ha, was there ever any doubt?" Kiba said with a broad grin, triangle clan markings stretched to their limits.
Hinata and Shino exchanged a look, aware that Kiba had in actuality been very nervous for the jounin exam.
"Never," Kurenai agreed, with a knowing glint in her eyes. She gave Hinata an appreciative smile as she reached for Mirai and took her daughter into her arms.
Hinata, Kiba and Shino waved goodbye to Kurenai, Hinata giggling at Mirai's enthusiastic hand gestures. The familiar weight of Kiba's arm on her shoulder drew Hinata's attention to him, finding Shino in a similar position.
"Man, I wish we could go out for a drink or something, I'm feeling so wired!" Kiba exclaimed.
"It's not even six…" Shino said judgmentally.
Ignoring this, Kiba barrelled on, "We'll have to do it some other time! My family's got a whole thing planned later today, so I gotta get back." Akamaru barked in agreement. "But we can't take too long to plan something…" A prideful look came over his face and he lowered his voice to say, "Hinata-chan's not the only one with a fancy, top secret, long-term mission coming up."
Though Shino didn't react, Hinata gave Kiba the look of awe he was seeking. It was genuine, if a little exaggerated for Kiba's benefit.
"A jounin-level mission already?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei told me about it when he gave me the promotion. He needs a tracker for this inter-village taskforce to shut down old Akatsuki hide-outs," Kiba explained, brown eyes sparkling with excitement, oblivious to Hinata stiffening under his arm.
Even Shino appeared impressed by this, though his voice was level when he asked, "What happened to top secret?"
Kiba made a face. "Okay, it's not actually top secret since the Akatsuki doesn't even exist anymore."
"It does seem to be the type of mission that might be announced to the public at large," Shino conceded. "Why? Because it would be reassuring to both civilians and ninja alike to hear this. When will you leave?"
"We're going to do a couple meet-and-greets with the members in the next few weeks to get used to each other and build up teamwork. Then we'll hit the road in about a month."
Kiba and Shino continued to talk, but their voices faded into the background as Hinata's mind spun.
Sasuke had decommissioned Orochimaru's lairs during his atonement journey. A long-term mission outside of the village related to the Akatsuki…it would not escape Kakashi's notice that this was perfectly suited to Sasuke. He would certainly be offered a place in the taskforce.
"There's only two other ninja from Konoha, so it's super exclusive! Obviously I'm the tracker, I figure there's gotta be a heavy hitter and maybe someone good with infiltration?"
Hinata had presumed that Sasuke would join her on the moon, but she'd never explicitly asked. She'd thought they were on the same page. But even if they were at the time, if this new opportunity came up and Sasuke was interested…who was Hinata to hold him back?
"You don't know the rest of the team?"
"No. Or not yet. For a hidden village, nothing stays secret for long here."
"Or perhaps you're an incurable gossip…"
"Oi, I'm not Ino!"
Hinata knew how Sasuke felt about atoning for his past, knew that he still didn't feel that he'd done as much as he should. Accepting the prosthetic arm was a step forward, but it didn't mean Sasuke was completely at peace with the part he had played in the war.
If this was something Sasuke needed to do to achieve that peace, shouldn't Hinata support him?
But then why did it feel like her heart had dropped to her gut?
"C'mon, Hinata-chan, you've got my back here right?"
Hinata trusted Sasuke's feelings as well as her own. A few months apart wouldn't change anything.
And yet…
"Hinata-chan?"
And yet, the thought of being apart from Sasuke…
She'd be lonely.
More than being away from her family and her friends. More than being away from her home.
Being without Sasuke, that would be a different kind of loneliness. One that Hinata didn't want to have to face.
It was selfish, but it was true.
"Hinata, as an expert in selfishness, it's not a word I would use to describe you."
"Hinata-chan?"
Blinking, Hinata's vision re-focused, dark hair and mesmerizing eyes replaced by the concerned faces of Kiba and Shino.
"Alright?" Kiba asked.
"I'm fine!" Hinata replied, voice pitching higher than normal. "I just…I just remembered I have something to take care of." Her expression softened momentarily. "I'm really happy for you, Kiba-kun. You've worked hard. We'll definitely celebrate before you go."
The concern didn't completely disappear from Kiba's face, but he grinned nonetheless. "Don't forget, we'll be celebrating you too! Drinks are on Shino." Shino made a disparaging sound and Kiba laughed, saying, "Or maybe drinks on us to make up for leaving Shino all alone."
"I am predicting months of relaxation in my future," Shino said wryly.
Mind still preoccupied, Hinata's smile at their banter was half-hearted. With a quick pet to Akamaru's head, Hinata waved goodbye and started down the street. She tried to keep her pace measured, but found herself gradually speeding up.
Soon enough she was racing through Konoha with one person in her thoughts.
Landing in a crouch on the Hokage-iwa, as Sasuke slowly straightened up, he took in the sight of the boy in front of him. The setting sun bathed the scene in an orange glow, the colour even seeming to bleed into the other's blond hair.
"Thought I'd find you here."
"Guess I'm predictable like that," Naruto said, still facing away.
Sasuke came to a stop next to his friend, mismatched gaze following the path of Naruto's eyes.
"Konoha really looks beautiful from up here." There was almost something wistful in Naruto's tone.
Sasuke had to admit that it did. His eyes traveled from the Hyuuga compound to the Uchiha district. It was too far to see in any detail, but Sasuke imagined he could spot the changes: the cleaned-up streets and painted walls, the construction materials and other signs of a work in progress. "Everything looks good from far away," he returned.
Naruto huffed out a laugh. "Always such a glass-half-empty kind of guy."
Eyes sliding back to his friend, Sasuke asked, "Why did you join the taskforce?"
"What, are you mad that I took your spot? If you wanted it, you would have said yes," Naruto taunted. He finally turned to look at Sasuke with knowing blue eyes. "Better question: if you didn't want it, why didn't you say no?"
Sasuke remained silent, mind turning to the conversation he'd had with Shikamaru. But unlike with the Nara, he didn't need to explain any of that to Naruto. Naruto already knew.
"Maybe I didn't want to give you a chance to take off like you did after the war, or back when we were genin," Naruto continued, "Not when we both know it's not what you want to do."
"I turned it down," Sasuke said defensively.
A glimmer of surprise passed through Naruto's eyes. "…you really have changed since you've been back."
Sasuke frowned self-consciously. "Have I?"
"Back at the academy…I wanted to be acknowledged by you so badly. I thought we were the same." Naruto paused, then clarified, "Alone."
Sasuke remembered it too. Naruto coming at him again and again and again. Every day, every lesson, getting in his space and glaring at him with eyes filled with aching loneliness.
It had pissed him off.
Konoha was a ninja village. A village of orphans, parents KIA. Sad, but not comparable to an entire clan decimated by one of their own.
What right did this kid have to try to relate to Sasuke?
To think his pain was on the same level?
To act like they were the same?
The Naruto of the present scrunched his brows together, his gaze faraway, somewhere in the past. "But I was so stuck on our similarities, I overlooked our differences. I never wanted to be alone. You did."
Naruto wasn't wrong, but deep down, buried so far somewhere Sasuke could ignore it, Sasuke hadn't wanted to be alone. Not really. But it had been better for everyone if he didn't let anyone close. Safer.
For the people around him not to become a target for Itachi to hurt.
For Sasuke to not be hurt by someone close to him again, like Itachi.
"I was worried you might start pushing everyone away again," Naruto confessed. "I guess I was wrong."
"You didn't have to do that, Naruto." Sasuke sighed wearily. "One day you're going to have to stop chasing after me, trying to clean up my messes."
Naruto shrugged. "I was always a slow learner," he said, the lightness of his words belying the depth of emotion in eyes. "Besides, it wasn't just for you."
Sasuke's eyes trailed back to where Naruto had been staring. The Hyuuga compound. "Hinata," he realized.
"Hinata," Naruto confirmed. "She'd smile and say it's okay, but it wouldn't be."
As if it would be okay for Sasuke. A scoff rose up in his throat.
Months on his own, often going weeks without interacting with another person, no contact with anyone he knew other than the occasional messenger bird. None of this had bothered the Sasuke from before he had returned to Konoha.
The Sasuke of right now…couldn't fathom it. Going a day without seeing Hinata's face, teasing her until she pouted, holding her close and breathing her in…it was simply unfathomable.
"She supported me for so long without any expectations…" Naruto's grin was sad around the corners. "The least I can do is return the favour."
Sasuke shook his head. "Now you know I'm not going, so you don't have to force yourself."
"Hey, I know you think I rush into things, but I did actually give this some thought, ya know," Naruto protested. His expression sobered. "The first thing Tsunade-baba and Ero-sennin did when the second war ended was leave. I know they had their own motivations, but there's a reason they kept at it. Tsunade-baba's still traveling all the time! And back then after you left…it wasn't easy. But even though I left with Jiraiya to get stronger, I got a lot more out of it than that. Despite everything else that was going on, those three years were some of the best ones I had." Naruto scratched his cheek, right where the whisker marks were. "I've been thinking a lot about what I'd do if I decided to hold off on becoming Hokage and I kept coming back to those memories. The world is so much bigger than Konoha. I think getting out there, seeing more of it, meeting more people and forming stronger bonds with the other villages…it would prepare me more than only going to stuffy meetings with high-ranking officials and trying to understand the world by reading about it in books."
Sasuke stared at Naruto for a second, dumbfounded. Then he snorted.
It figured. Sasuke had left Konoha to be away from people, to sort out the mess inside him. Meanwhile Naruto wanted to leave Konoha to create new bonds, to connect with the world outside of himself.
"Uzumaki Naruto, friend of the world," Sasuke mocked.
Naruto stuck his tongue out. "You joke, but just watch! I'm going to come back cooler than ever! Hinata-chan will be so wowed by my strength, she'll drop you in a second!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It won't make a difference."
"What, you don't believe I could be that cool?!" Naruto exclaimed, offended.
"Hinata's liked you since you were a total loser, so it won't make a difference."
Naruto's mouth dropped, eyes widening and face growing red. Speechless, he blubbered out a bunch of half-formed sentences much to Sasuke's amusement.
Finally, clearing his throat, Naruto changed the subject. "You know, you really owe me big. Kakashi-sensei told me Karui's gonna be on this taskforce. The moment she saw you, you'd have been dead. Taskforce finished. Peacetime over." Naruto crossed his arms in an 'X'. Then, struck by a realization, he whimpered. "Oh man, she's totally gonna punch me in the face again."
Sasuke shrugged. "Don't know who that is, but just punch her back. You're a ninja, aren't you?"
Naruto recoiled, face blanching. "I can't believe you wanted to be Hokage. You'd be terrible at it."
Scowling, Sasuke snapped, "I'd be great at it. And you're not Nanadaime yet, so watch it. I might decide I want it after all."
Naruto cackled. "Sure, sure. I'm real worried."
"Which one of us was top of the class again? And which one was dead last?"
"Let it go already! We made jounin at the same time!"
"I'm not convinced you didn't cheat on the written portion."
"Cheating was encouraged in the chunin exams!"
"So you admit it."
Hinata's feet pounded on the paved streets of Konoha in sync with the pounding of her heart, her byakugan guiding her forward. Turning around a corner, she skidded to a stop, hands braced on her knees as she panted.
The sun was low in the sky, only an hour or two from setting. It shimmered on the surface of the Naka River where it cut through the village, made traversable by an arched bridge.
Leaning against its railing, Sasuke was in profile, dressed in grayscale ninja gear that veered towards the darker end of the spectrum. Although his pitch-black hair swallowed the sun's rays mercilessly, his pale skin was sun-kissed, a healthy glow to it.
Breathing slowing, Hinata straightened, her hands falling idly to her side and enlarged veins receding at her temples. She began to approach and Sasuke turned his head to look at her. The hard lines of his face vanished, causing Hinata's breath to catch in her chest, feet stumbling a little as she stepped onto the bridge.
"Hinata." Sasuke's deep voice wrapped around her name like an embrace.
"I —" Faced with the reality of him, Hinata felt embarrassment wash over her. She was acting like a crazy person, running through Konoha because of something she didn't even know to be true.
Seeming to register her harried state, Sasuke stood to attention. "What's wrong?" he asked, voice soft but eyes stormy, as if he were ready to go to war based on whatever she said next.
"Don't go." The words slipped out involuntarily, a quiet plea.
Sasuke's brows furrowed, his confusion apparent. It hit Hinata how expressive he allowed himself to be around her, the indifferent mask he wielded like a weapon lowered for her. He said her name again, starting towards her, arm outstretched.
"The Akatsuki mission," Hinata said.
Sasuke's hand stalled, suspended in the air.
"I know it's unfair for me to ask and I'm being burdensome. And if you really want to go, I'll accept it, I promise." Hinata's lips were trembling and she had to press them together for a moment. "But the truth is…I don't want you to leave."
Her words hung between them for a few sparse seconds. The Naka River flowed beneath their feet, crystal blue peaking out between the wooden slates if either of them cared to break their gaze to look down.
Held captive by Sasuke's mismatched eyes, Hinata confessed, "Even if it's selfish, I had to at least ask."
At this, Sasuke finally unfroze. He swept forward, his one hand carding through Hinata's hair to cradle the back of her head, his thumb warm against the edge of her jaw. "Hinata…I'm not going anywhere."
Hinata's eyes widened, head jolting slightly in Sasuke's hold. "You…you're not?"
"The place that I want to be is anywhere you are," Sasuke reminded her, staring deeply into her eyes. "I told Kakashi no."
"Really?" Hinata asked earnestly. She placed her own hand over Sasuke's, fingers running across his knuckles. When Sasuke nodded in response, she couldn't hold herself back. Throwing her arms around him, Hinata tiptoed to nestle her face into the crook of Sasuke's neck. "I thought…I should have asked but, I thought that you would come with me…to train with Toneri-san. Maybe it was silly of me, since it won't be useful for you…then I heard about the mission and —"
"Of course I'm coming with you," Sasuke cut off her rambling. "I didn't tell you about the mission because I never had any intention of going. I didn't mean to worry you," he grumbled into her hair as he pulled her closer by the waist.
"Sorry. I overreacted," Hinata replied. Relief had washed away her panic to the point that she could nearly laugh at herself, an edge of amusement in her voice.
Sasuke was silent for a moment. Then, quietly, he said, "…you can be more selfish. About me."
Hinata's lips rounded into an "oh". Dropping back down onto her heels, Hinata tilted her head up.
Sasuke's expression was almost shy, though he stubbornly met her gaze in spite of it. Charmed, Hinata reached up to tuck some of his hair behind his ear, revealing its pink-tinged tip. It was impossible to keep her smile at bay and she beamed up at him watching that flush spread to his cheekbones, barely visible but undeniably there.
"Okay," she agreed. "You can be more selfish about me too."
Sasuke's lips parted in shock.
He was so beautiful, Hinata's heart felt full enough to burst.
Clamping his mouth closed, Sasuke jerked a nod. His fingers twitched around her waist, curling and uncurling before establishing a tighter grip.
Drawn helplessly forward, Hinata arched up as Sasuke dipped down. With Sasuke's lips hovering over hers, their noses brushed briefly and Hinata giggled. "Sasuke…" she murmured, pulling away just a little.
"Hm?" Sasuke's gaze was trained on her lips.
"Why do you smell like cinnamon?"
Reluctantly, Sasuke dragged his eyes up to her lavender pair. He blinked slowly. Then, letting out a sigh, he withdrew, though he still kept his grasp on her waist. "I stopped by Amaguriama to speak to the owner. Got there as she was closing up." He cocked his head towards the bridge railing where a box sat balanced, undisturbed by their rendezvous.
"Ah," Hinata hummed in understanding. "The leftovers."
"She insisted."
Hinata pouted. "You didn't say yes right away?"
Sasuke's hand squeezed her waist and Hinata squeaked. "Like you would have. You follow the decline twice before accepting rule every time. You know my parents taught me etiquette too."
"And you're always very polite," Hinata agreed solemnly. When Sasuke squeezed again, Hinata squirmed away, laughing.
"You should be more polite with me," Sasuke groused as he turned to grab the box of cinnamon rolls.
Eyes sparkling teasingly, Hinata said, "I don't think you mean that."
Sasuke didn't deny it, instead saying, "Let's get sugar in you. You're easier to handle after some sweets."
At their backs the sun was disappearing behind the tall trees that encircled Konoha.
Hinata laughed again, falling into step beside Sasuke and tucking herself into his left side.
Around them the street lamps began to flicker on, lighting their path back home.
Me letting the drama of the Akatsuki mission simmer for about 0.1 seconds before squashing it lol
Thanks as always to everyone who takes the time to read and leave me a comment I think someone mentioned wanting a bit more from the SasuHina emotional ends of things last chap, hoping this satisfies!
MVH