Behind the Scenes

Chapter 18

Sasuke gazed at his girlfriend with a gentle smile as she prepared dinner for them. It had been three months since she had confessed her feelings for him, and they had both agreed to take things slow, considering his recent breakup and the complication with Naruto. However, about a month ago, they had finally decided to make their relationship official.

Hinata turns around to face Sasuke, holding the spatula in her hand. "So, Sasuke, do you want me or the dinner?" she teases, a playful smile on her face.

Sasuke smirks and stands up from his chair. "As much as I'd love to have you for dinner, I think I'll go with the food for now," he replies, his tone cocky and flirty.

Hinata rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Always thinking with your stomach," she teased as she continued cooking.

Sasuke smirked and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I can't help it if I have a hunger for both," he said, pressing a kiss to her neck.

Hinata giggled and leaned back into him. "Well, I guess I'll have to make sure you're well-fed then," she said, turning her head to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

Sasuke grinned and turned her around to face him, his hands still on her waist. "I have a feeling I'll be well-fed in more ways than one tonight," he said, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

Hinata laughed and lightly pushed him away. "Behave yourself, mister. Dinner's not even ready yet," she scolded, but there was a hint of amusement in her tone.

Sasuke chuckled and let go of her, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "I'll behave... for now," he said with a grin. "But I can't promise anything later."

Hinata rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Sasuke kissed her neck as she cooked.

As she stirred the pot, Hinata glanced over at Sasuke. "Do you think we're moving too fast?" she asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Sasuke pulled her close, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What, with the cooking or with us?" he teased, his tone flirtatious.

Hinata giggled and nudged him playfully. "I meant us, silly."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss. "I don't know about you, but I've waited long enough," he said with a smirk. "And I don't plan on slowing down now."

Hinata blushed at his words and smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her body. She turned off the stove and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've waited a long time too," she admitted, gazing into his eyes.

Sasuke leaned in to kiss her again, deepening the kiss this time. "Then we're on the same page," he whispered against her lips. "Let's take things as fast or slow as we want."

---

Shion observed Naruto's pacing with concern. "What's going on, Naruto?" she asked, noticing his distress.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his neck anxiously. "Shion, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can keep doing this," he admitted.

Shion's expression darkened. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice laced with anger.

Naruto avoided her gaze, feeling guilty. "I mean...I can't do this anymore," he repeated. "I have to be honest with you. The truth is, I only got together with you because you look like Hinata."

Shion's anger boiled over at Naruto's confession. "What the hell? You used me?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising.

Naruto looked at her, guilt and shame etched on his face. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Shion. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, trying to placate her.

"How could you do this to me? I thought you actually cared about me," Shion said, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"I do care about you, Shion. But it's just that Hinata has been working so much, and she's never home. I was lonely, and I missed her," Naruto explained, desperation creeping into his voice.

Shion shook her head, still unable to believe what Naruto had just said. "That's no excuse, Naruto. You could have talked to her, you could have worked things out. But instead, you chose to cheat on her with me," she said, her voice wavering with emotion.

Naruto hung his head in shame, realizing the gravity of his mistake. "I know I messed up. I don't know what to do to make it right," he said, feeling lost and helpless.

Shion wiped away her tears, her anger still simmering underneath. "I don't know either, Naruto. But you need to figure it out. I can't be with someone who doesn't truly love me," she said before walking out of the room, leaving Naruto to ponder his next move.

Naruto slumped onto his bed, his mind consumed by thoughts of Hinata. He loved her with every fiber of his being, and the fact that they were no longer together was tearing him apart. He couldn't understand how it had come to this. All he knew was that her job had taken her away from him, and he couldn't handle it.

He sighed heavily, feeling helpless and lost. But then, an idea struck him. He had to get her back. He had to make her see that they belonged together. Nothing else in the world mattered but her.

With a sense of determination, Naruto jumped up from his bed and grabbed the extra dorm key that Hinata had given him. He hadn't returned it yet, and he knew it was the perfect opportunity to talk to her, whether she wanted to or not.

"I have to make her understand," he muttered to himself as he headed out the door. "I can't live without her."

As Naruto made his way to Hinata's dorm, his mind was consumed with thoughts of her. He couldn't bear the thought of her being with someone else, especially not Sasuke. The two of them had always been close, and Naruto had always been jealous of their friendship. But now that they were dating, Naruto's jealousy had turned into an all-consuming obsession.

He arrived at Hinata's dorm and used the extra key he had taken to let himself in. He made his way to her bedroom, his heart pounding with anticipation. But as he opened the door, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold.

There, on Hinata's bed, were Sasuke and Hinata, entwined in each other's arms, their bodies moving together in a passionate rhythm.