For Your Love Only

V. Find or fight.

Sasuke felt how winter morning wind strokes his hot cheeks, all body was tensed up. He knew that time goes against him.
Five balls in two hours. These few useless things could judge on his future. The future with her. Why it should be so irrational? Why he couldn't just take her on a date, spend time together, talk... Like normal people, who don't care about the status, far away fromthe games played by nobility. The man knew exactly why, but this answer just disgusted him.
It was not about same Hinata, but about her father.
He hated when such an obstacle staid on his way. Depending on someone, who already judged him to fail.
Uchiha couldn't explain his motives. What in Hinata made him do things like this. He could have any woman he wanted, so many craved for his interest or even a look. But Hinata... She was much different than these. She had never been blindly into him, more, in the past her interest turned to Uzumaki, who also competed with him that day. And he just couldn't stand the thought that she could get into hands someone like him. Like any of these men Sasuke faced earlier.
He was the only right one to walk by her side.
Like she was always for him only. And Sasuke always had only her in his mind. Heart. Soul. She was the promise.
Sasuke didn't know, when this all started. When she joined him in the library during studying history? He still remembered what she had red - legends about yokai. How her interested gaze was coming through lines, careful, little hands touched the delicate paper. Or maybe when she practiced playing the violin? Such stubborness and will of fight was something that noone could expect from her. Sasuke couldn't count times when he could stare at her for hours.
He wished things were different, but it didn't matter anymore. There was the task to complete.
   
After ten minutes Sasuke slowed down. That was where the forest began. He was lucky to be the first one at place - noone didn't destroy the hints covered with snow. Uchiha was bornt hunter, who used to notice details that not many would care about. That was giving him an advantage.
In fourty of an hour Uchiha found two of the balls, but this task turned out to be harder than he expected — for the first one he climbed on a tree to get it from the raven nest, the second was hidden between rocks by running there river. From angry shouts and curses spooking every animal around Sasuke assumed that other candidates also had problems.
Uchiha searched carefully. When his hunting skills failed, he still had an instinct. He knew that there weren't hidden in obvious places. There was a chance that the balls would be somewhere connected with same Hinata. Sasuke reached to the memory of her, what made him smile lightly.
Then he remembered their archery lessons. The way she looked at him, when he proudly aimed and shoot in the center of training shield. Her teary eyes, when they went for hunting and killed a hare.
That was a weak hint, but worth checking.
After these years that place seemed silent and empty. Searching there was like running after a memory that still was vivid in his head. He stood where he had, looked where he had. Saw that delicate and so precious to him girl. Sasuke felt pain in his chest. Wished to hold her, comfort her. But all he had done then was leaving without a word three days later. Sasuke again felt the disappointed of younger self.
Then, he knew where to find it and was right - the third ball was where the hare fell.
Suddenly, from deeper parts of the forest got him screams that send cold shiver through his spine. Uchiha didn't know what made him hurry there. There was no time for anything else but searching for last two balls. Sasuke felt more reckless than ever, but didn't stop running. But the view he saw was over his expectations.
Naruto was laying on the ground barely concious. He was severly injured, the snow was soaked with his blood. But the most terrifying of all were his broken and unnaturally twisted legs. Sasuke kneeled by him and tried to keep the verbal contact.
Uzumaki moved and got to the hidden pocket in his jacket.
   
" T..ake them...Don't... let him... get... her. "
  
He handed Uchiha last two balls. Exactly these he needed. But his pride didn't let him take them. With irritation, he said:
   
"You're a man, not a hunted hare. I'm getting you out of there."
   
"But... No time."
    
Uchiha looked at his clock. There lasted only twenty minutes before the end of their time. He was ripped apart, but it didn't take him long to decide.
  
"Fuck this whole shit. You're not going to die here."
   
Sasuke cursed with gritted teeth as he took him using the fireman's carry and ran to the edge of the forest.
  
...
   
The time was almost up. Failed lords lzunuka and Aburame were with her outside, when Lord Okada left to change his clothes.
Hinata couldn't sit calmly waiting for their coming. She had a feeling that something bad happened. Sasuke was always before his time and Uzumaki, even if he had problem with procrastination, wouldn't leave her waiting.
The cold sweat ran through her spine, when time passed. Father stood up from his chair, but Hinata stopped him.
   
— Father, I have a bad feeling. Please, let's wait a little longer.
    
— Rules are rules, my daughter. I can't give you to someone, who doesn't obey them.
   
— Just a moment, please... You know something is wrong here.
    
— Hinata, we have to treat them equally. I told him that there's no special treatment. 
   
— But dad...
   
"Look, they are coming!"
    
Hinata heard and turned to see them. Sasuke's horse ran in galope with something hanging behind the rider. Fastly she understood that it was a man.
All her body was shaking, stomach were twisting painfully almost making her puke. That was something she was the most afraid of. All because of her.
    
"Get the medics, now!"
   
Lord Hyuga ordered and servants left in hurry. The black horse stopped by them and Sasuke got from the saddle. Without wasting time, he untied knots from robe that the injured man held weakly.
Uzumaki was in critical state, almost passed out. Suddenly, the door opened before group of medics led by young, pink haired woman with green eyes. She fastly checked patient's state.
   
"An... angel?" — Naruto muttered.
   
"Not yet. Put him on the stretcher and to the infirmary, faster!" — pink haired ordered.
   
— Sakura, may I go with you? — Hinata asked shyly.
   
"Hinata, better do not." — the woman called Sakura answered and left after the patient.
   
Uchiha looked at Hinata, who instantly got pale like a corpse. That was too much for her. She felt how all strenght leaves her, couldn't catch the balance. "Lady Hinata!" Someone shouted, but Sasuke managed to catch her in time, then took the Lady in his arms and held tightly not to let her fall.
   
— I'll take her to her room. She needs the rest.
      
Before Sasuke heard any voices of resistance, he was already inside the manor. His footsteps echoed through an empty hall, stairs and the first floor. During the walk he met no single soul. That almost felt like home.
  
With harder push, Uchiha opened the door to Hinata's room and laid her on a huge bed. The female, delicate body almost drowned in blankets and silky pillows. He took off the silver coat she wore and placed on a bed frame. Hinata's face was so peaceful... He couldn't believe how beautiful woman she became. Sasuke laid next to her and took between strong arms to keep warmth. His gaze couldn't leave these pair of closed eyes with long, black lashes, the pale skin with blushed cheeks, these soft and rosy lips. Uchiha wanted to touch her so badly, but that wouldn't be right. There was noone he respected more.
Suddenly, Sasuke felt like his eyelids started closing against his will. He had never felt more comfortable, but he wanted to stay on the watch. What if she would wake up and see him like this? Or someone would enter? That will was strong, but the exhaustion and tiredness were stronger. One moment of taking guard off got him into hard sleep.