WITHOUT WARNING CHAPTER 17
A SAFE PLACE
Pissed was an understatement.
Angry was far from a home-run.
Seething with loathing was rather close, but not quite there yet.
He was frustrated with himself. It was an insistent ache he felt in his chest.
When Karin described the features of the man who took Hinata, he couldn't put a name or a face on said person. Instead, his mind zeroed in on the one word he needed: "inu" or dog.
But Sasuke couldn't understand why he would be feeling this way. He was not a dog, nor was he a wolf so the issue of marking territories was out of the question. It couldn't possibly be love, as he argued with himself if such emotion was even possible for him at this point after all he had done to mark his humanity as ultimately tainted with blood. It had only been a short time since he was forced into the situation of being fixed for Hinata for the purpose of reviving the Uchiha clan, there was no logical way he could be in love. There was no logic to his emotions and he hated it.
It could be his natural possessiveness. He knew that in himself. He had been possessive as a child with minor things such as his brother's attention and time, the toys he was given, as well as his mother's praise and watchfulness. He felt it twist into a darker, more sinister version of the once innocent and silent demand for familial love and attention. It became general possession over everything he considered to belong, or should belong, to him.
In this case, Hyuuga Hinata.
He shook his head suddenly and paused on one of the roofs he landed on. "Tch!" He grit his teeth in frustration. No, the Hyuuga hime is just his best option to restore his clan. Nothing more. There was too much at stake to involve his sworn duty to his clan with a fleeting emotion that was unbecoming of the Uchiha name.
It was a great idea though to have a Hyuuga be the carrier of the Uchiha bloodline considering the similarity in formidable doujutsu. The possibilities could indeed be endless with such an arrangement. This was a plan he would be thankful to Tsunade for but not that he would ever tell her.
That's what it all boils down to -- a feeling of possession because of his goal to revive the Uchiha clan from the ashes, and restore them to their former glory and more. It was his priority after all, second to killing his brother which he had already done. Now that his brother was gone by his hands, and he has managed to free himself from the anger that gripped him of that once tightly-held grudge, he felt in his bones the desire for self-preservation. And alongside it was to allow the Sharingan to stay in existence.
It will not end with him. Not on his watch.
Still. This feeling. Sasuke thought as his hand slipped into his yukata and settled on the skin over his heart. Why does it feel this way?
He ran once more, trying to track the trail left by Hinata whom he had become a little familiar with over time. Since she began living very near him, he had the chance to study her -- one of which was committing to memory some traits that seemed uniquely hers such as her scent. He convinced himself that his actions were a part of having her as the Uchiha carrier-to-be.
Her trail led Sasuke to the outskirts of Konoha's newly formed walls. He stood on the topmost portion, activating his Sharingan as he searched the thick forest for her trail. By the looks of it, her trail had been swept away by the wind that steadily twisted and made its way through the trees. Her scent too had been carried away. He cursed softly.
"Where the fuck did that mutt take her?" He snarled under his breath.
There was a slight brightness in the distance, buried in the sea of trees. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his senses zeroed in on the area and he felt it, just a trace but it was certainly there, Hinata's aura spiked for a moment. He smirked though in his head he was preparing to scold Hinata for being easy to find because of how easily her emotions affected the flow of her chakra.
With a victorious growl under his breath, he propelled himself forward towards the source of Hinata's chakra.
-----------------------------------------------
"Kiba-kun," Hinata started, though her voice noticeably faltered. "Gomenasai, but what brought this on?" Her mind reeled with confusion, but there was a single point of focus and that was Kiba's kind eyes oddly mixed with a mischievous smile. She tried to wrap denial around herself but Kiba's confession was as clear as day and she couldn't find an excuse to deny that she had heard and understood it.
Kiba was not surprised that her first response was a question. In fact, he found it to be a very Hinata thing to clear up confusion before addressing anything. Especially when it came to emotions. Kiba didn't have an actual plan on what to say any farther than telling her how she felt. His hand automatically reached behind him to scratch the back of his head as he nervously laughed in embarrassment.
"I didn't actually think this far ahead." He said aloud, realizing how stupid it sounded now that the words were out of his mouth. "I just really like you, okay? I mean since we were genin. And now, I'm old enough to know this isn't just some silly crush and I actually do love you, Hinata. Can we not make it harder for me? You know I'm not good with words." Kiba pouted after his mini-speech earning himself a nervous giggle from the hime.
"Kiba-kun," Hinata composed herself. "You know I care very much about you."
"Mhmm, mhmm," Kiba said these with matching nods as he waited for Hinata's response. He was keeping himself as jolly as ever, knowing he was grasping at loose ends. He had always known Hinata's deep affection for Naruto -- Kiba's self-proclaimed rival -- so he knew he had a sliver of a chance if any at all to receive the same feelings from Hinata, but he had to tell her before it was too late and before he could regret anything. He hadn't planned to ever tell her actually, yet here he was.
"I appreciate your words, and I'm touched by your feelings," Hinata said, though she was no longer looking at Kiba's face but at her hands which rested on her knees.
Kiba wouldn't say it aloud anymore, but he had gotten this idea when he had spoken earlier with Hinata's closest friend, Ino. He saw her busying herself with the flower shop the Yamanaka family owned, and he had asked where he could find Hinata that time to show her this clearing in the forest which he knew she would appreciate.
He didn't actually think of admitting anything to her at that time. He sort of resolved to never tell her how he had felt from their genin days and just enjoy her company and how easily the words I love you left her lips for him out of brotherly affection.
He knew he couldn't compete with the blonde goofball who spoke too loudly and grinned too widely. Naruto had won in that aspect. Just by being himself, even when being in a different team, he managed to capture Hinata's heart. And to this day, Kiba knows he doesn't have a good chance to secure his position as Hinata's romantic partner.
He knew all too well. And yet here he was.
He can recall the scene and Ino's words so perfectly then, and the way her eyes seemed suddenly so wise when she spoke to him.
"You know, maybe it's about time you settled your chase." Ino had answered him so cryptically that he had to scratch his head and asked her to explain.
Ino rolled her eyes then she said, "If you're looking for Hinata, you should take this chance. Tell her how you feel -- how you've felt all these years. It's no surprise you developed feelings for her. Almost all our 4 teams did except for ours." Ino smiled wistfully. "Shikamaru and Choji are like brothers to me, and they see me as a sister. Sakura has always been infatuated with Sasuke, and to an extent I know she sees potential to be with Naruto too. Tenten had a place in her heart for Neji but now that he isn't with us, the hindrance to her attraction for Lee has gone and she acted on that." She then looked him seriously.
"On your end, I know Shino treats her as a sister. And solely as a sister. But you, Kiba? The way you look at her tells me you don't want to settle for just a sibling kind of love." She stated and Kiba could only listen since everything so far had been true. "Don't miss this chance Inuzuka, it might be your last to at least get it all off your chest before someone else comes along to take her away. She deserves to know that much anyway."
Ino turned then and went back to her work as if she hadn't just shaken Kiba to his very core. He stumbled back for a second, unable to say anything. Then something clicked in him and he had run to search for Hinata with such a passion.
It's hard to believe he actually found her quite quickly after that and got to bring her here and now. She gracefully sat with her knees tucked under her as she faced him.
Kiba drank in the sight of her, committing it to memory.
Don't miss this chance Inuzuka. Ino's voice echoed in his ears.
"Gomen, Kiba-kun. I will always love you, but as a brother." Hinata said quietly and a kind breeze blew between them, allowing Kiba to gulp without Hinata noticing.
There it is. That damn I love you like a brother. A part of him wondered if he hadn't admitted his feelings, would she still be able to tell him she loved him without adding the brotherly way at the end? His head hung low then. His hair gave enough shadow over his eyes to hide them from Hinata's view. But he had no regrets, not here.
Hinata clasped her hands together and kept them close to her chest as she watched him make an effort to breathe deeply. She wanted to hold him but found it impossibly cruel to do so if she had just turned down his feelings.
After a few sniffs, Kiba raised his eyes to meet hers again. He gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Kiba-kun, perhaps you only had these affections for me because I was the girl you were most with while we were growing up. You weren't exactly exposed to anyone else our age as often." Hinata offered a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes as she made logic out of his feelings. He shook his head adamantly. No, no, no!
Kiba took a deep breath to reveal even more of himself even after being rejected. This time, it was just for Hinata to know she was more than she gave herself credit for. It didn't matter that he was already rejected. What mattered to him was having her see herself in a better light. "You've always been there, Hina, being your usual kind and caring self. But Shino and I got to see more than anyone else." He began, and opted to use the nickname they gave her for familiarity.
"Your hands were the ones that held Shino's and mine when we were too downtrodden after a mission ended with us needed saving. Your eyes were the ones that gave us the strength to keep improving and gave us purpose. Your heart was the one that gave us someone to protect, and to fight for. Your soul was the one that gave me hope that I'm not just that loud mouth with a dog as a sidekick. I was so much more because of you. You don't know how much life and hope and love you poured into Shino and I."
Hinata's voice was stuck in her throat. She hadn't considered how her two teammates had seen her. She only felt she had to keep improving to keep up with them. She hadn't known she was like fuel to them in becoming better ninja and better men.
"I grew up thinking I wouldn't ever settle down and just see the world with Akamaru at my side. But with you, I felt I could willingly change all that and just be with you." Unshed tears made Kiba's eyes shine then. But he covered it with a huge grin. "But don't worry Hina, I know you don't feel the same for me. I just hope you can stay by my side, as a friend and sister. I can be happy with that." He assured her.
"Of course, Kiba-kun. I will always be here. I promise you that."
Kiba closed his eyes then, relishing the feeling of finally telling her how he felt. But also preparing himself for the pain that will haunt him after he has left her presence. He knew he would have to deal with the aftermath, he had expected a rejection, and he knew the pain to follow. But it still made him nervous. He stood up suddenly, brushing off dust and dirt from his pants. Hinata was about to stand also when Kiba stopped her.
"I'll go on ahead. You don't need to come along with me, Hina." With that he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking away. It was an anticlimatic way of ending his spontaneous confession to the girl whom he has always had his eye on since childhood.
"Huh?!" Hinata exclaimed, shocked as to why Kiba would suddenly leave her. Was he angry? Did she hurt him that much that he'd leave her in the middle of the woods now? But she couldn't bring herself to speak up as she has literally just rejected him outright.
When Kiba reached the outskirts of the clearing where they came in through he chuckled and in a low voice suddenly said, "She's all yours."
Hinata had heard his faint voice but couldn't make out his words. But Kiba's words weren't meant for her.
In a different area of the clearing, a bright and patterned, lavender eye shone at him for a moment as if in agreement to his statement. Kiba smirked before vanishing in the thick shrubbery. He didn't stand a chance to begin with. Not against Naruto, and it seemed even against the former rogue-nin.
He had felt the Uchiha's presence sometime after he declared his feelings. But surprisingly he didn't disrupt Kiba's conversation with Hinata. In fact, he had concealed his presence even more as if to allow Kiba a few more minutes of privacy with Hinata. But he knew Sasuke was there, he smelled that faint electricity in the air to know he had stayed.
He couldn't care less at that point and poured his heart out to Hinata while he had his chance. Faithful to Ino's advice.
Hinata probably didn't realize it because she was too focused on what Kiba had to say.
Sasuke continued to watch Hinata from the shadows, waiting till she conceded that the Inuzuka actually left already. She sighed, confused and stood. Her attention was on the small pond that lay in the middle of the clearing. Sasuke was surprised to find a small smile on his face while he watched her. He found comfort, even an odd calmness settle over him as he watched her. Mostly, he was curious as to what the Hime planned to do.
She stepped lightly onto the water, making the fireflies take flight around her in slow movements, and bask her in their small but gathered light.
She stood afloat in the middle of the water, and she began moving her hands as if in a trance around her. The water began to rise in tendrils and looped around her body like threads wrapping around her but not too close. They moved and twisted around to the sure movement of Hinata's arms and hands. It was a glorious sight to Sasuke.
She had an affinity for water, while he electricity. The water was now raised a good few feet above her head and it spread out now creating the image of a twisting, moving sphere of water threads around her body. She controlled the water with such accuracy that no droplet fell from the water tendrils she raised around herself. Her chakra danced with the water and they gave in willingly to her control.
Sasuke's concealment fell off and he walked into the clearing. Hinata looked in his direction, her eyes mildly surprised and she was about to stop her jutsu.
"Don't," Sasuke commanded in a nonchalant voice. He was met with Hinata's brows meeting and a confused look in her eyes.
"Don't stop what you're doing." He said and walked towards her with confident strides. All the while, curiosity gripped him but his face didn't break to show any emotion. He kept himself in check.
Hinata continued, and now faced Sasuke as she did so. Her heart began beating faster than normal and she wondered how his presence can cause her to be nervous so easily. She had become used to him so why now?
Sasuke stood at a good space away from the sphere of water tendrils that danced around Hinata. He slowly raised his hands as if to touch the water sphere.
"Sasuke-kun, don't! It'll hurt you." Hinata designed this jutsu. She knew it looked like something to play with, or generally harmless since it's literally just water with chakra running through it. But the water tendrils that coiled inward and outward and danced around her could cut through nearly anything. There were highly flexible blades she could control and mold at will. She had designed it so that it was both an offensive and defensive jutsu that allowed her to utilize her water affinity.
Sasuke ignored her warning and allowed the water to gently graze his palms before looking Hinata in the eyes. He trusted her control of the jutsu, it seemed. "I want to try something."
Hinata's eyes widened a little more in concern, but she conceded to allow Sasuke to satisfy his curiosity. Small sparks at first had appeared in his palms then almost instantaneously the sparks grew into lightning bolts that danced and sparked in the Uchiha's steady hands. Hinata shared in his curiosity now and watched closely as his hands landed gently on the sphere, there was a slight steam that rose from his hands' contact with the water-tendril sphere before the bright lightning bolts spread around the sphere Hinata had made around herself. The lightning didn't randomly spread though.
It spread out with direction -- it followed the tendrils of the water patterned around and Hinata found Sasuke watching her with just as much wonder in his eyes as he allowed himself to show.
"Interesting," Sasuke muttered, eyes still locked on Hinata's.
"How did you do that?" Hinata asked, still in awe as the lightning finally closed and covered the entirety of her water sphere. She now stood in the middle of a water sphere with tendrils forming patterns and lightning following each tendril and wrapping around it. She was beyond amazed. Pale blue water imbued with Hinata's chakra mixing elegantly with the luminous violet lightning of Sasuke's chakra.
"I didn't," Sasuke answered nonchalantly. But his eyes betrayed his expressionless demeanor since they still held the same amount of wonder. "It's the water. It can directly conduct electric currents so it allows my electricity to not ravage the place freely."
"So technically," Hinata began, her wording careful as she knew of Sasuke's bouts of anger. "The water tames the otherwise uncontrollable lightning?"
Sasuke stared at Hinata for a few seconds, thinking. Then his signature smirk broke out, and he retracted his hands from the sphere and with it the electric currents. "That's an interesting way to put it, Hyuuga."
Hinata blushed and returned the water calmly back to the source where she stood. She stepped lightly back onto the grass and avoided Sasuke's calm and calculating gaze. She began walking towards the direction of the area where Kiba had brought her into the place. Hinata softly informed Sasuke that she was going ahead but his voice stopped her short.
"I have two things to ask you."
Hinata turned halfway to look at him. "Yes?"
"One, how did you design that jutsu yourself? And two, why did you reject dog boy?" Sasuke kept his voice neutral, masking his real intent. He wasn't just curious, he felt something close to a desire to know more about this mysterious woman that stood before him. He would never have batted an eyelash or taken any interest in her before. She had been quiet but generally uninteresting. All she was to him was bearable before all these complications in their situation happened. And she was only bearable because she wasn't as loud or as obsessed as every other woman.
Now he simply wanted to know more of her. This petite and pretty little thing that seemed to hold all her strength in quiet solitude.
She also seemed to be a breath of fresh air in contrast to his Team 7 friends.
Moment later, Hinata and Sasuke were sitting in the same place where Kiba and her had previously sat on. The fireflies took flight around them and lent a soft illumination around their area.
"Kiba-kun is like a brother to me--"
"That was number two. Answer one first." Sasuke calmly commanded, a serious look on his face.
Hinata was unsurprised by this and nodded. "I designed this when I was younger. I was about 12 that time, and it had started with just a series of arm movements that allowed me to form a net-like aura that was as hard as steel. Its physical form was a net made of light. I adjusted it after to make use of water so i didn't have to expend too much chakra." Hinata paused, allowing a moment for a follow-up question. When there was none, she continued.
"I designed this to prove myself to my father and the Hyuuga clan. I trained everyday to be worthy in my father's eyes to be the Heiress to our clan. I wanted to be the Head so I can change the system for those of the Branch family, and remove the practice of putting the cursed seal. I needed to get stronger and I still need to get better. Even though I'm... No longer considered the Heiress of the Hyuuga clan, I still want to grow stronger."
"Hn," Sasuke acknowledged but didn't offer any other comment. Hinata assumed it was time to answer the second question.
"I rejected Kiba-kun because he has always been like a brother to me. I cannot find it in myself to see him as anything more."
"Then, why reject him outright? Why didn't you break it to him gently or at least tried to know him more before finally deciding?" Sasuke prodded. Hinata was surprised that he asked more into the second rather than the first question.
"Well," Hinata wondered how she should phrase her answer but decided to go with unfiltered honesty. "I wouldn't want to string him along or keep him waiting for an answer that might never come, or one that might not be what he was waiting for in the first place."
Hinata gave Sasuke a sad smile, her eyes closed as she did so, before she dropped her head to stare at her hands clasped together on her lap.
"I know how it feels to have said the secrets long held by the heart... Only to wait seemingly in vain for any sign of a response. I think, Sasuke-kun," Hinata raised her sad eyes once more to meet his stead ones. "Waiting in silence for something uncertain is more painful than receiving an immediate no now."
Hinata shed quiet tears then, unwillingly as the reality of her words sunk in to burn her own situation into her heart.
----------------------------------------------------
During the time Sasuke was told to get her, and when he finally found her within the forest outside the gates of Konoha, Naruto's mind remained on Hinata, and reluctantly on Sasuke as well. He had found it frustrating how Tsunade had sent them in separate ways. But a Hokage is still the village leader, and he couldn't claim to respect the position and title unless he actually followed easy enough orders.
Besides, no one else would take Karin. And it felt wrong to leave anyone behind when they needed help.
He brought Karin to her own place in the Uchiha compound and dropped off a package of ramen from Ichiraku's before he left. He didn't have affection for her, but he wasn't an asshole either and thought she would want dinner after some rest. Kami knows Kiba has a knack for letting his fists fly without control, even if it's against a woman.
He left to find solace by lounging at the top of the Konoha monument of past and present Hokages. It was evening now, and he remembered the last time he was here to be the time he finally decided to seek Hinata out and finally tell her how he felt.
Now, it was the complete opposite. His chest ached at the thought as she was suddenly so far from him, so unreachable with the Hokage's decision to revive the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans.
He allowed his mind to flit back to the meeting he just had with Tsunade and Sasuke shortly after finding out Karin was indeed an Uzumaki.
Tsunade had begun by informing Sasuke of the vision, as a courtesy she said. And since it didn't involve Karin, there was no direct problem there for Naruto.
"Even so, you two have to take initiative in this assignment. I don't care how you go about it, but revive your respective clans as soon as possible. Shizune and I will assist you both in any way medically possible. I can even trace the monthly menstruation of both Hinata and Karin so you both know the optimum time to have sex and conceive children." Tsunade's statement put both men, even the famed expressionless Uchiha, in complete unease. Shock was written all over Naruto's face with his mouth hanging open while Sasuke's eye kept twitching with a grimace. Tsunade had not even tried to censor her wording.
"What about the vision then?" Sasuke asked, and it was both blondes' turn to look at him incredulously.
"Are you considering the vision enough to put the Uchiha clan revival on hold?" Tsunade asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer.
Sasuke shrugged. "It seems pointless to impregnate her once only to have the child turn and kill her. As you said, no one else is as qualified for this position as she is. I have other reasons you don't need to be aware of." Naruto winced at that. It felt so vile to consider Hinata, or any woman, as if someone you just need to impregnate. It made him clench his fist till his knuckle went white.
Tsunade looked at Sasuke pointedly for a while, deciding if the other reasons were necessary to figure out. When there was no aura of hostility radiating off from the last Uchiha, she let it go and turned to Naruto.
"As I've told you both already, we are going to prioritize the Raikage's warning of a threat rather than the vision. We haven't got much to go by at the moment anyway considering how cryptic the vision was. Kozuya-san risked his life to give us this message, so we aren't setting it completely aside either. But first, the bodies found after the war."
So Naruto and Sasuke couldn't prolong the situation any longer. Especially Naruto. Tsunade had stressed the fact that she had ANBU tailing them and observing them every now and then. But it seemed Naruto's "efforts" or lack thereof in acquainting himself with his designated partner had been disappointing to the Hokage.
Naruto's cerulean eyes burned fiercely in the dark with anger and unshed tears. He stood and looked over the steadily growing and developing size and structures in their rebuilt village. He had protected this village with all his might against a variety of formidable foe. They had fought without rest or break when the clash began.
He was strong. He knew it in himself. He was heralded as one of the strongest shinobi in history, and he was still alive to get even stronger and better. Next to him was Sasuke, of course.
He was indeed strong enough, that Naruto's mind began convincing himself he did not need to revive the Uzumaki clan to protect this village and the rest of the shinobi world if needed.
Naruto's mind was set. He would disobey the Hokage's orders and settle the problems his way.
Naruto gripped his chest. "I've taken a while since Pain's, I mean Nagato's attack. But I hope you're still waiting for me," He said to the wind, raising his eyes to watch the stars above. "Hinata,"