#i knew spending two years of my life deep in my uchiha mikoto moment would eventually be worthwhile

[bleachbleachbleach]

Wait I was think of this fanfic idea which I am not going to write at all but an idea so basically it a Naruto and bleach crossover basically Uryū Ishida is Sasuke Uchiha dad

So basically

My ship in this fanfic

Sasusaku

Uryu x Mikoto

This is an Arby's a Bleach blog

On the other hand, this ask has somehow found the exactly right place on the Internet that it belongs, because I WOULD DIE FOR Uchiha "appeared in like 2 panels" Mikoto, and I spent formative teenage years writing fanfic almost exclusively for Sasuke's dead mom (and his dead dad and his dead cousin and his dead brother). This is all to say I have thoughts about Uchiha Mikoto and what life she might have lived, had she wed Ishida instead of Fugaku.

I think Mikoto was Uchiha by birth as well as by marriage, because the Uchiha Be Like That, so she still would have grown up in the family cabal--if perhaps at a distance from the worst of it, if she doesn't marry the family head. On the other hand, this, of course, did not save Uchiha Shisui. And I think that regardless of specific family lineage, anyone of notable shinobi talent would still be fucked. Perhaps even moreso if her children also possessed the birthright of the Quincy. (I'm imagining this taking place in Narutoland, since Ishida seems like the likelier candidate for multiversal travel, given his resume.)

I think Mikoto would lead a freer life with Ishida, having brought his Karakura sensibilities with him and overall just being a thoughtful, kind person. In turn, Ishida would be familiar with the strictures of the Uchiha clan formation, though I think he might find their obsession with maintaining the family sharingan powers somewhat discombobulating, as contrasted with how he'd grown up under Ryuuken's dismissive attitude towards the Quincy legacy. (Like, I seriously doubt Shisui was the first Uchiha to die by Uchiha. These people and their eyeballs smdh--)

For reasons largely outside of Ishida's control, I imagine Itachi's childhood still ends poorly, regardless of who his father is. The current that pushes him to that riverbank and through the ANBU did not begin with Fugaku, after all. Coming to terms with this is probably very difficult for Ishida, because it forces a hard look at his own clan (formerly sacred territory for him, eternally pristine as a proud survivor, and as an inheritor of the violence of genocide).

Sasuke inherits both his father's generational trauma re: Quncy genocide and the Uchiha trauma of, well, existing as an Uchiha and also surviving your brother's family massacre. (I imagine Ishida survives this, and maybe Mikoto too.) So Sasuke's not an orphan in this one, but I think rather than the lining of this AU being fully silver, it probably becomes a story of the incredible difficulty of parenting (and child-ing) in the wake of unimaginable trauma. Nobody's perfect.

And what of Mikoto? Mikoto who does not wed the soon-to-be clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, as planned. Mikoto, who marries the stranger. Mikoto, who trained doubly as a shinobi and as a lady; a wife; a bearer of heirs.

I think with Ishida Mikoto is able to lean in/awaken her quirkier side--and in their courtship they find that they are the most deeply serious people they know. They are also the weirdest people they know. Ishida makes her clothes that knock the socks off anything you can buy at Konoha Outfitters. (Ostentatious, sniff the haters. Not because the clothing Ishida makes for Mikoto is anywhere near as genuinely ostentatious as his own Quincy whites--she is a ninja, after all--but because it is fit and cut *so* perfectly to her. You can see her for her when she wears his clothes, and this is a visual experience not often achieved in Konoha. In the aftermath of The Massacre, and the investigation into the ANBU [nothing comes of this; one bad actor, bad apples, disturbed young man, etc.], some wonder if it might not have been different if the ANBU dress code weren't so strict. Could it be as simple as that? Surely not. But what if? The Ishida brothers had been such lovely, happy children--)

I can't tell from your original ask what you personally had in mind with this scenario, but I think for me that story is absolutely about intergenerational trauma; the drama of two clans and their wacky interclan dynamics/expectations; parents and children; and sartorial magic.

(It feels only appropriate to meme my response too LOL)

[dianapana]

SH Day 6: Marriage Agreement: ‘Til Our Contract Do Us Part

@sasuhinamonth

Hello dears, this prompt is composed of an older story that I changed a bit here and there and finished just now (it’s somewhat finished as in the ending isn’t too open, but it is open enough for me to continue if I ever wish to). I was very excited to finally use it after having it in my docs for idk maybe a year or so. It’s veeery long compared to what I usually write for these prompts but it just didn’t feel right to split it into parts anywhere.

~Love, Dia

Modern AU, OOC

Champaign

Hinata couldn’t help but sigh in relief when the waiters started walking around with trays full of Champaign glasses, it meant that the speech and toast part would come soon, that was her dad’s way of ending these events, thanking everyone for coming. Usually after the toast people drank their glasses quite fast and they all shook hands with Hiashi before leaving, considering there were about a hundred people around that would take about another hour. She made it thought the preparations for the event and the event itself which took over 7 hours, the worst parts ended, she will survive the goodbyes.

Once the trays were all empty and everyone had a glass in hand Hiashi walked to the middle of the room at what seemed to be the slowest speed possible. Everyone was watching him, nobody dared talk. For most people this wasn’t their first Hyuuga Event and they knew how things worked, and even those that attended it for the first time were smart enough to follow everyone’s lead and stay quiet.

Finally reaching his usual spot Hiashi rose his glass and started speaking. Hinata sent a small prayer to the heavens wishing the speech to be short.

“I want to start by thanking everyone for coming over tonight, especially in such a short notice” it was indeed short notice, Hyuuga events happen 2 times a year on the 20th March and 23rd September; spring and fall equinox. But Hiashi decided a month ago that a mid-June event needed to be held this year. Nobody knew why. “I hope everyone had a pleasant time today, from our oldest friends,” Hiashi said turning to the Nara and Yamanaka leaders “to our newest friends” his eyes moved to Fugaku Uchiha “and everyone in between”

Hiashi started talking about the notion of friendship and how important bonds are in ‘our world’. Hinata could tell the speech would be a long one, and with every bullshit word coming out of her father’s mouth she wanted to roll her eyes. But she couldn’t. The elders were watching her every move, Neji and Hanabi were in the same position, having eyes on them at all times. They all had to smile and nod and act like these events are their favourite place to be, no matter how big of a lie that was. She was tired, the servant woke her up at 5 in the morning to start getting ready, her father didn’t agree with the first two dresses she had put on, the putting on and taking off, took her about 2 hours in total and was extremely exhausting despite the help from the servants. The preparations for the event also took longer than usual. Her father kept telling her how important it was for her to behave. Hinata had never been the one to cause problems during such events, no matter how much she hated them, but for some reasons, it was her that was always given the longest lectures.

The windows were open at least and the night summer wind gently blew inside. The dress Hiashi approved of was a deep red long evening gown. All the skirt layers were extremely heavy and she had been standing on high heels for longer than it should be humanly possible, the corset was so tightly tied, at times she’d have issues breathing and to top it all off the dress had long lace sleeves which were sticking to her skin. It had not been a fun dress to wear in the middle of a heatwave. Her mind was still drifting in space when all of a sudden, her father stopped talking.

“I know many of you have been wondering the reason for this event and we shall let you know. Fugaku would you mind joining me?” The Uchiha leader went to the centre of the room as well. Whispers started going around the crowd, nothing like that had ever happened before. Hinata looked to Neji trying to see if he was aware of any of that, but her cousin would not make eye contact with her. Neji’s head was lowered, his fist was clenched and the hand around the glass was white-knuckled, it was a miracle the glass hadn’t shattered in a million pieced from his grip. Neji was aware of what was about to happen and he was not pleased.

“Today is the first time in over 100 years when the Hyuuga and the Uchiha families meet in peace at an event such as this. The bond between the two is alone a motif to celebrate but we must do everything in our power to keep this bond as strong as we can which is why we have decided to bind the families together thought marriage.” Hiashi’s voice boomed with pride. The crowd’s whispers grew in intensity. Hinata looked at Hanabi, both girls looking shocked and even scared. Hanabi wanted to reach out and hold her older sister’s hand. Grip it tight and pray that they both get over this event intact, but before she could make a move Hiashi started speaking again. “Hinata, my daughter would you please come here”

All eyes turned to her. Her heart beat a thousand times per second, despite her sudden fear her body moved gracefully, her mind was in utter chaos but her body knew the drill, it obeyed whatever her father told her to do. As she was passing by people, a familiar hand gripped her for a moment, trying to say so many is such a small touch. Ino, her best friend, tried to give her all the strength she had, she wanted to assure her everything will be fine, and also thought that touch she said sorry. She said goodbye. Hinata reached her father’s side and turned towards the people. She had never been in the front of the ballroom before, had never had all the eyes on her. Hiashi put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, the kind of smile she had never seen before. The smile she had wished to see as a child, there was pride and content in it, but it only made Hinata’s heart break further. The emotions were not directed at her as a human, he was not proud of her, his pride came from finally finding it, a way to get rid of her. He had married her off.

“Sasuke my son, come!” Fugaku’s command was just as loud and even stiffer. Hinata found Ino’s eyes in the crowd. Her friend was crying silent tears. Seeing Ino cry made Hinata oddly detached. It was a strange sensation, she almost felt like her soul had left the body and she was watching from somewhere far away all of this happening to somebody else. The Hyuuga girl moved her eyes from her friend to the man walking towards them. Her future husband.

Once the young Uchiha stood in place Hiashi raised his glass and finished the toast. “To my beautiful daughter and her fiancé,” they cheered for her. They drank for her. And yet she didn’t. The Champaign glass was still full. She was lost… not in thought, her mind was blank but she wasn’t present either.

“Look alive princess” Came a voice from her right. Sasuke took her glass and finished it in one gulp. He placed both his and her glasses on the tray of a waiter and took her hand and kissed the back of it. People gasped and whispered. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. With her on heels, his mouth came to her ear. “Smile sunshine. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Fool them all” His voice was oddly gentle and it broke something in her. She would have cried but Sasuke was right; she had a part to play. Taking a small breath in Hinata fell in character.

Hiashi told them to do the honours and say goodbye to everyone, after all that was their engagement party. Hinata looked up at the man she would spend her life with and gave him a sweet and shy smile, she even managed to make herself blush when he smiled back at him. She smiled and blushed whenever someone congratulated them or made a comment about their engagement. From time to time, she’d steal a glance at Sasuke and look at him with what she hoped came across as admiration. They made eye contact a few times, he winked at her twice. They were both playing their parts flawlessly. One could not tell that they had never met before, that they were not indeed lovers. Fugaku called Sasuke to him and Hinata was left alone to say goodbye to the guests. A few older ladies praised her for being able to catch such a handsome husband.

The next in line was Gaara. Hinata’s heart broke a little more upon seeing him. He too looked sad, which her brain turned to something else despite knowing it not to be true. Her feelings for Gaara had not gone away as she had hoped they would after finding out that he was in a secret relationship. “I am sorry Hinata” He whispered as he kissed her cheek. There was nothing either of them could do, people were waiting in line to talk to her after Gaara. Her father and fiancé were in front. Hinata smiled and thanked him just as she had everyone else. Gaara would not save her, he couldn’t and even if he could…he wouldn’t.

Ino was one of the last people to come talk to her. She had gone to the bathroom to pull herself together after crying. The blonde was stronger than that, but she had cried for Hinata because at that moment Hinata could not afford to cry. The Yamanaka girl hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear encouragements that they both knew would not help.

Everyone had left but the Uchiha family and the main Hyuuga family. Even the Hyuuga elders had seen themselves out. Habani was nowhere to be seen. Neji, her father, Sasuke, Fugaku and Sasuke’s elder brother Itachi were all talking among themselves. To the side was Mikoto, Sasuke’s mom. Hinata was still by the door; now that everyone had left, she was unsure of what to do, under normal circumstances she would be allowed to leave and go to her room, but her father hadn’t dismissed her yet. The Uchiha woman looked to her, smiled and started walking towards her.

“You look lovely dear. I’ve been keeping my eye on you the whole event but Fugaku would not allow me to come and talk to you sooner. Come dear let’s sit down and gossip while the men talk business”. The two women walked to the first table and sat down next to each other. “The event was so long; I thought your father would never make his speech. It must have been hard for you too, staying all those hours on high heels and in that dress, what were the servants thinking giving you such a heavy and warm dress to wear; do they not know it’s summer?” Mikoto went on about trivia things a moment longer. Hinata had yet to say a word, however, her future mother-in-law didn’t seem to mind her silence, for she filled it with mindless talk.

“I know it’s a difficult time for you,” The woman said and took Hinata’s hands in hers. “They were unfair to you, they should have let you know earlier.” Mikoto touched a strand of Hinata’s hair. “You have nothing to fear. We are a good family. My son will take care of you. It will take a while for you to adjust I know, but this is not the end of the world.”

Hinata opened her mouth to say something but found her throat was so dry she couldn’t say anything. After clearing her throat, she tried again. “Will I be leaving with you tonight?” the idea of leaving tonight and not being able to say goodbye to anyone was unboreable.

“No sweetheart. The Uchiha is an old family with old traditions, you will move in with Sasuke only on the night of the wedding. It is a sin to live under the same roof before that.” Hinata nodded. At least she still had some time before that.

“When is the wedding?”

It was easy to see Mikoto was an affectionate person, she moved her chair to be closer to Hinata and hugged her. Something about the woman put her at ease, her voice and hair reminded her of Hikari, her own mother, it was a strange feeling. “The wedding will be in three months. Before that we have to pick a dress, everything else has been pretty much done, you can look over everything and make the last-minute decisions. Of course you and Sasuke will spend some time together to get to know each other and-“.She was cut off by Sasuke himself when he addressed her “Mother” Mikoto squeezed her harder one more time before letting Hinata go. The woman got to her feet and kissed Sasuke’s cheek. “Goodbye Hinata, I will see you soon dear”

She and Sasuke were now alone. He took a seat in the chair Mikoto had emptied. For a moment they didn’t talk. It was all moving along too fast for Hinata to comprehend. Just under 2 hours ago, all she wanted was the event to end so she could sleep. Nothing could have prepared her for the change her life took. It almost felt like it wasn’t real; or that it was all happening to someone else. She had not made a single decision about this.

“Tomorrow I’ll come and we will have lunch together and talk more. It has been a full and exhausting day.” His voice was just as gentle as it was when he whispered to her before. “What would you prefer we eat? I will make reservations ahead of time”

“Anything will do, I don’t mind” Hinata answered. She appreciated that he didn’t want to ‘get to know each other’ then and there. She was indeed tired and needed to think about everything a little more, in order to realize that it was all indeed real. Looking up at Sasuke she had to say she was lucky; he was very good looking and so far, had shown her kindness. If what his mother said was true her destiny wasn’t as cruel as it could have been.

He got up and extended his hand for her to take, which she did. Hand in hand they walked back to where both families were still discussing. Neji would still not look at her, Itachi offered her a kind smile, Fugaku only a nod.

“I see that the two of you hit it off.” Her father said, it appeared he was really happy with the arrangements. Sasuke nodded to her dad. Hinata was certain that if Hiashi had his way she would leave with the Uchihas that very moment and never return.

“Hinata is tired, it is quite late so we should go. I will return tomorrow at noon in order to take her out for lunch Hyuuga-san.” Sasuke had not asked permission to take her out. He had simply stated that he would. That was the moment she realized her father was no longer the one to command her. Sasuke was. She wasn’t sure if what she felt was fear or excitement.

“Yes of course. Hinata you may leave” Hiashi said but Hinata didn’t move for Sasuke was still holding onto her hand.

“I will walk her to her quarter.” Hinata barely had time to bow to what would soon be her family before Sasuke started pulling her along. “In my presence you will not follow his word. My word is absolute, his is barely wind blowing by you.” Sasuke appeared to be annoyed by the fact that her father dismissed her. “If he says go but I am standing still, you too will stay unless I decide we will leave”

“Yes.” She knew how their world worked; despite them living in the 21rst century where women were seen as equals more and more every day, their world stopped evolving. The husband was the ultimate master while the woman was a possession. First, she was owned by her father, then by her husband.

They walked quite fast when leaving the ballroom, but once they were out of sight Sasuke slowed his steps. He was aware of the difficulty of walking in heels, his mother always made sure to complain about it. Her hand in his felt small and fragile, he had never been given something to take care of, sometimes that was his and his alone. He had been against the marriage at first. He wanted to wait until he was the Uchiha head later in life before taking a wife but his father insisted, he needed to marry young and have heirs because Itachi could not. His older brother had been his father’s favourite from a young age; that was until Itachi was 18 and Sasuke 13, about 10 years ago. On his 18thbirthday Itachi gave up his title as the heir in a very public way only to than later inform his father that not only does he not want to be head but he would not be fit for the role, for he could never give heirs to the clan. Itachi’s infertility came as a shock to the whole family. Sasuke was tested as well as soon as possible but thankfully the tests proved that he would be able to have children.

Fugaku had learned in the past 10 years to accept Sasuke as his heir, his relationship with his father was better now than it had ever been, but even so they were not as close as Itachi had been with him. But Fugaku put in all his efforts to try to make Sasuke the best, he taught him everything he could and allowed Sasuke to do as he pleases as long as what he did would be useful to the family. So, when he informed Sasuke he had picked a wife for him it came to no surprise that he had chosen a girl from a very important family, a family even older than the Uchihas and just as influential. The girl was known among her people as an angel and was believed to be the most beautiful Hyuuga girl to ever be, so of course, Fugaku wanted her for his own heir.

Upon seeing Hinata for the first time that night Sasuke had concluded the rumours had not been false. He had not been disappointed in the slightest. He was actually impressed. He expected two outcomes: either the girl to cry and make a fuss about the marriage or to be the ditzy kind of girl he had seen around that throws herself at him. She had been neither. For the shortest moment she had faltered and shown her true feelings, disbelief and numbness, but she pulled herself together as soon as he spoke to her. She had acted and played her part perfectly.

The pavement was old and uneven towards the main house. Almost nothing had been altered from the time the house was built, only maintained, so cracks and unevenness in the pathways happened. Hinata was trying her best to walk over them in her heels. Normally by that point in the night, she would take her heels off but she was not alone. Noticing her slowing down Sasuke stopped.

“Would you want me to carry you?” The offer was unexpected and it made Hinata quiet for a moment which Sasuke took as ‘yes’. He slightly bent and placed an arm under her knees and the other around her back. On instinct, Hinata placed both her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

“You didn’t have to do that” Despite saying that she was thankful. Her feet were killing her.

“How high are your heels?”

“About 6 inches. Why?”

“6 inches and I’m still 6 inches taller than you.” He made a humming sound. Hinata didn’t know what he was thinking but she didn’t try to figure it out either. It was hard enough trying to figure out what she was feeling, there was no energy or time to uncover the mysteries of Sasuke’s mind. Her body was tired but her brain was even more exhausted. At this point not really caring anymore, she placed her head on his shoulder and just enjoyed the ride. Upon getting to the main house Hinata instructed him to go to the 2nd floor to the left. There was a guard outside her door that did not stop him from entering her room but actually held the door open for him. Two servants were inside waiting to help her undress and wash before going to bed. Sasuke put her on the edge of her bed.

“Thank you for bringing me here.” Hinata said. She felt a bit shy now, not really knowing how to say goodbye to him. This was the first time a man beside her dad and Neji entered her room. Not even the guards were allowed inside.

“Goodnight Hinata, I will see you tomorrow” Sasuke said, he kissed the back of her hand once more and left. Not waiting for her reply. Once again, a choice was made for her that day, but she was grateful for it this time.

The servants were gossiping about her fiancé and how gentle and beautiful he was, about how he had looked at her and how he had carried her like she was the most precious thing in the world. They guided her to her feet and to the full-length mirror to the side of her bed.

All their words were flying around her but none of them really registered; her brain was still not processing much of anything. She was still in the ballroom holding her Champaign glass praying for her dad’s speech to be short.

The servants untied her corset and Hinata took in her first deep breath in what felt like ages. They peeled off her sleeves and pulled the skirt away from her body. She was left in her underwear and heels in front of the full-length mirror. Her arms were splotchy and red from place to place from the itchy lace, her breasts and abdomen had red traces from where the corset was too tight on her. Her panties were red to match the dress, her legs were white and smooth but they were barely holding her at that point in the high heels, they were visibly shaking. Her eyes moved back up over every inch of naked skin until it reached her face. She wasn’t sure what she expected to see there, maybe something different. Some kind of evidence of the announcement from that night, but everything looked just as it did that morning.

One of the servants had just finished putting the dress away for it to be cleaned the next day, while the other filled her bathtub with hot water, salts and oils. Hinata would usually take off her heels and walk on her own to the bath but she was still looking at herself in the mirror, her eye make-up wasn’t smudged at all, her lipstick had gone after eating and drinking halfway through the event, so she excused herself to the bathroom several hours ago to take it off, her updo had lost some of its volume and a few strands had fallen around her face. She was too close to the mirror, her image being all she saw. Hinata took a few steps back and tried to picture Sasuke next to her naked body. They would make a beautiful couple even she could admit that.

Not being able to stomach the image she had in her head anymore the Hyuuga girl finally turned around and sat on the bed for a moment to take her heels off. She walked to the bathtub and took off her underwear as well and lowered herself in the hot water. Her head was resting on a soft towel; one of the servants started taking her make-up off and cleaning her face with scrubs and putting gels on her face and gently massaging everything in.

“Haruhi, could you please put some music on?” Hinata asked the servant that was not busy at the time. A moment later soft music started playing in the background. Once the facial massage was done a charcoal mask was applied to her face and finally, her hair was taken from the updo. Mina, the servant washing her poured some warm water on her head in such a way as not to get it on her mask. Her hair was shampooed twice and conditioned and rinsed and finally, put in a towel.

Haruhi came to help with washing her body, they scrubbed at her neck, collarbones, arms, hands, breasts, back and every other part of her. Her body was rinsed and washed again, more gently with moisturizing lavender soap and rinsed again. Her facemask was taken off, the water drained from the tub and she stepped out of it allowing the servants to towel her off. Mina placed a large towel over her bedsheets and Hinata laid on her back and enjoyed as both her servants massaged every part of her body with more oils, once they were done on one side she turned on to her front and they started to work again.

Her massage was almost done when Hanabi busted through her door. Hinata lazily opened her eyes, she was tired and finally relaxed, thus on the edge of falling asleep. Her sister was in her night attire, her hair still wet from her own bath most likely. Her eyes were red, she must have cried, but she looked angry at the moment. Hinata’s servants did not stop their massage despite the company of her sister.

“How can you stay there and enjoy your massage?” Hinata asked sounding astonished.

“You had enjoyed your bath time, why shouldn’t I?” Despite all of Hinata’s efforts over the years she and Hanabi weren’t as close as she wanted. Hanabi had always resented her for being older, the firstborn, the heir. When Hanabi was 3 and Hinata 7 the younger spent her days playing and reading stories and being watched by the elder women while Hinata was studying with the men. Hanabi had asked once why that was the case and an elder said “Your sister is the heir. She has to know how to be a leader, while you my dear, you will be a wife to someone” Despite that incident, things slowly started changing over the years, Hinata lost her father’s favour and Hanabi was taught leadership skills while Hinata was toughed to cook. Despite the obvious manner in which Hiashi favoured her now, Hanabi had always felt jealous of her sister, for she always believed what that old woman said to her in her childhood, she resented Hinata for she was to be the one that would not be married off. What an irony.

“Why aren’t you upset?” Hanabi’s voice was breaking and she was shaking. “Why aren’t you angry?” her fists were clenched and she looked like she wanted to start a riot. “Why aren’t you in dad’s office demanding he change his mind?”

“There’s nothing to change Hanabi.” Hinata finally got up and gestured to the servants to leave. She took the towel and put it around her body as the two bowed and left the room, left the sisters to talk among themselves. “Dad did it in such a way that it cannot be undone.” Hinata walked to her closet looking for something to wear to bed. “He didn’t tell me before so I couldn’t contest it, and now I can’t. Everyone that matters in this world knows about it. Unless I have a good reason, a very good one, there’s nothing that can stop this. In three months I will not be here anymore” Hinata finally picked a silk shorts and tanktop combo and put it on. “And you little sister.” The older one said as she walked towards her sister “You will be a Hyuuga forever, this will be the only house you know, these will be your people.” Hinata wanted to finish her sentence with ‘just as you’ve always wanted’ but stopped herself short.

Hanabi was crying again. She had prayed and wished to be the one to stay for so many years. But she had never thought about her sister leaving. She had always been bitter and held Hinata at a distance even when the older one tried to make the gap between them disappear. She had never taken the opportunity to get to know Hinata, and now she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry.” Hanabi said and hugged Hinata. They hadn’t hugged in ages. This time it was Hinata who pushed away.

“It’s over for today. I have not yet realized that this is not a dream. We will speak tomorrow. I’m going to bed now” She was a bit angry at Hanabi for only now trying to act like a sister. She had tried before that evening too, right before Hinata’s name was called, but even then it was in a moment of weakness, of fear, it wasn’t out of love or care. For most of her life Hinata tried to convince herself that she was fine with the way her and Hanabi’s relationship was, after trying for a few years to bond with her and being rejected, Hinata became content with what they had because she believed Hanabi not to be able to connect on a deeper level. She didn’t connect with Neji or Hiashi either. But seeing that she is indeed able of that connection, that she just didn’t want it before, hurt her more than Hinata would ever admit.

Hanabi left and Mina and Haruhi peeked in Hinata’s room. “Good night Himata-hime” they said in union and Hinata wished them a goodnight as well. Them calling her hime reminded her of the way Sasuke had called her Princess. ‘Smile sunshine. Fool them all’ he had said. And she did. She smiled and fooled them.

Now that her head was finally on her pillow, hair still damp, sheets cool and comforting, the room dark and quiet she allowed herself to admit a few things out loud. “I am getting married. I will be an Uchiha. Sasuke will be my husband.” The silence in the room was deafening “I am scared.” A little voice in the back of her brain whispered ‘I am excited’ but she didn’t say it out loud. With those thoughts in mind, she fell asleep.

________________________________

The next morning felt normal. She woke up, brushed her teeth, washed her face, got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. She didn’t feel different. Upon reaching the dining room she realized for once she was the last to arrive. Hanabi was in her seat looking upset, Neji was frowning at his phone and her dad was reading something on his pad. That is what the house would look like in three months. She moved from the doorframe and all eyes turned to her. Hanabi still looked sad, Neji looked sorry and her dad was happy. Hinata walked around the table and sat in her chair.

“Good morning sunshine. How did you sleep?” Hiashi had stopped calling her sunshine when she was 4 years old and Hikari died.

“I slept very well, how about you father?”

“I did as well”

Neji was looking at Hinata almost expecting her to cry or scream. He was looking at her face trying to find proof of tears from the night before, but her face wasn’t red or puffy. She looked well-rested.

The breakfast was finally brought for them to eat and they did so in silence. Hiashi was the first to finish and instead of leaving to go do work as he would normally, he started talking.

“Sasuke will be here at noon. You should start getting ready after breakfast” Hiashi too wanted to test his daughter and see how she would address the situation. He wanted to know if he had to give her a lecture about her behaviour around the Uchiha heir.

“Yes, I know. I already thought of what I want to wear. I will change and come seek your approval as I would for an event.” Hinata said between bites. “He didn’t mention where we were going but he did say he will make reservations so I am assuming it is a dressy place despite being a lunch date”

Everyone was taken aback by her answer. Hinata had not lied, she slept very well and woke up early. She accepted her fate almost entirely, she picked what she wanted to wear and even thought about a few things she wanted to ask Sasuke. In all truthfulness, she was a bit excited but was trying to keep her expectations low, that way she would not be disappointed if this change was not for the better. The only thing she didn’t particularly like about this was not seeing Ino and Neji. They were her best friends despite Neji’s behaviour in those 2 days.

Seeing as nobody spoke anymore Hinata excused herself and went to her room to start getting ready. It was only 9 in the morning. Sasuke would only come in about 3 hours but there wasn’t much else she could do.

She didn’t even reach her closet to take out the outfit she had thought of wearing when Neji came into her room. He walked to her and bowed. “I’m sorry” he was apologizing for not telling her, for not being able to stop it, for the way he treated her.

“It’s ok Neji. Everything could have been worse.” She wasn’t lying. She heard of many girls that had married old and abusive men. Their whole life they were raped and beaten. She didn’t know Sasuke at all but from the 2 interactions she had with him, he didn’t appear like he would hit her. Mikoto too seemed nice enough. “What is one prison exchanged for another?” She wasn’t allowed to do much in the Hyuuga household anyways, read and study. She was a bit eager to see if she had a bit more freedom as an Uchiha and if not, she was already used to being a caged bird.

“I couldn’t convince uncle not to do that. The bond with the Uchihas was apparently necessary. And Fugaku requested you to marry his son. Uncle couldn’t deny a direct request like that. Plus...” Neji decided to stop there.

“Plus, dad would rather Hana be the leader.” Hinata continued what Neji wouldn’t say. “I know that Neji. I’ve known that for a while now.”

“If one of the leaders were to request to marry you as well uncle might need to reconsider” He didn’t sound sure at all.

“He wouldn’t change his mind. The relationship with the Uchihas is more important to him than any other family at the moment. In addition, nobody would risk their bond with both us and the Uchihas for my hand in marriage” Hinata absently replied while looking through her collection of necklaces while sitting at her vanity.

“If we ask Gaara maybe-“

“He wouldn’t. and I would never ask him either” Yesterday she might have jumped up at the idea of marring Gaara. But something changed and made her realize her feelings for Gaara were never really for the man, but the freedom he represented. Gaara was her friend, he was a leader and if he would have been her husband, he would have offered her the most freedom a woman can have in their world. “I would never ask your boyfriend to marry me” Hinata said this while watching Neji’s face in the mirror.

Her cousin blushed and looked alarmed. “You are mistaken Hina-“

“Stop” I know I’m not. Her eyes softened. “It took me a while to realize but I did. And I confirmed my suspicions when I told Gaara about my feelings a few months ago and he said he was in love with someone himself. I asked why he wasn’t marrying this girl and he replying that his relationship was taboo. I thought she was a married woman maybe, a commoner. But it clicked when I saw him look at you.” Neji was still not moving or breathing.

“I will not tell anyone about the two of you Neji. It is nobody’s business but yours.” She got up from the vanity and walked to him and hugged him. “For what is worth…I wish you both happiness.” She knew that their relationship would not be accepted in their world and her heart wept for both cousin and her friend. The world was cruel. “I hope you find a way to be happy and free” She wanted that for herself too. Happiness and freedom to find who she was and then be herself.

Neji hugged her back. “That means the world to me Hinata.” He sighed long and his body felt like it was deflating. “I hadn’t realized how it would feel to hear the words from someone other than him or me. How much I wanted someone to validate the way I feel” Neji took a step back and kissed her forehead. “I wish you happiness and freedom as well Hinata. I hope your life as an Uchiha to be better than your life as a Hyuuga has been.”

She hoped that as well. After another hug, Neji remained in her room and the two of them chatted while Mina and Haruhi were doing Hinata’s hair and make-up for her date. The dress Hinata had chosen was a black beach dress with daisies and sunflowers on the skirt. The skirt was cut on one leg to her mid-thigh. The upper part was like a tank top in the front but the back was almost bare, only a few strings places in a random pattern kept the front from falling. She would pair the dress with gold wedges and a gold choker and her normal hoop earrings. Her makeup was done also in soft golds and whites. Her hair was braided in the front like a crown and she asked Haruhi to braid some small daisies in as well. The rest of her hair was free and in waves from not drying it properly before bed. Neji had left right before she changed her clothes about 10 minutes ago. Being finally done she did as promised and went downstairs to get her father’s approval, it was still only 11 so if he had any complaints she would have the time to change, or so she thought. After knocking on his office door and being granted access Hinata opened the door only to find Sasuke in the room with her father.

Hiashi looked up at her and he only nodded his approval for her attire. Sasuke had on a white button up with the last 2 buttons undone and the sleeves rolled to his elbows and a short pair of black slacks.

“Come in Hinata, Sasuke came early so we had a talk while you were still getting ready” Hinashi beckoned her to enter the room but she didn’t move to which Sasuke smirked.

“Actually, I think we will be leaving now, seeing as she is ready as well. I will see you later Hiashi-san” Sasuke greeted the older man, took Hinata’s hand and closed the door of the office. Neither of them said anything as they walked to Sasuke’s car.

Hinata was starting to get nervous, not only for the date and being alone with Sasuke, but because she hadn’t been outside without her father or at least Neji. Sasuke opened the door of her and she got inside his car. He walked around and go into the driver’s seat. Before starting the car though, he kissed the back of her hand.

“You look lovely today as well.” He turned her hand around and kissed her wrist. “You were a good girl Hinata, not listening to you father.”

Her breath hitched due to the second kiss, no man touched her wrist before, let alone kiss it. During her talk with Neji they discussed Sasuke as well. Her cousin said that he is known to be cold and quite cruel. But he had been anything but that to her. He had been gentle and affectionate, something she had never experienced. Nobody in the Hyuuga household hugged her or kissed her hands.

Sasuke looked at her and smirked at her blush, he could tell this was the real deal and not a fake like the ones from last night’s goodbye charade. He finally started the car and drove down the Hyuuga driveway till he reached the first gate, one of the security men opened the gate for them and they continued down the driveway to the second and final gate, this was opened for them as well and they were finally on the road.

“I have never left without father or Neji the premises of the house.” Hinata admitted.

Sasuke looked at her for a split second from the corner of his eye. She was looking out the door with a small smile. “Not even to a friend’s house? I noticed you talking with the Yamanaka girl a lot. Were you never allowed to visit her just with a guard or two?”

“No. Neji always had to come along” Sasuke’s reply was a small hum. He hadn’t realized that the Hyuugas were that strict.

“I will assign my best guard to you once you move in with me. When I am at work; because unlike your father I am away from the house quite a lot, you will stay with him. You are free to go as you please as long as he’s with you”

‘You are free’ was what Hinata heard. She had wanted to be free for such a long time but now that I was so close to her, she wasn’t sure what she’d do with said freedom. The rest of the drive she spent trying to come up with what she would do the first chance she got.

The restaurant was in the centre of the city, where she had never been before. The amount of people walking around was mind-blowing. There were kids laughing, people talking walks and strolling around just because they could. Her whole life the thought of public space being dangerous had been drilled in her head. Other families could be around, they could hurt her. ‘People are mean and cruel’ that was Hiashi’s go-to answer when one of them wanted to go somewhere. Despite Hinata never really believing what her dad said, his words were on repeat in her head, so without really meaning to she took a step closer to Sasuke, held onto his arm with both hands and tried to hide away. Even if one does not believe the things they are told, if they are told them often enough, they become involuntary habits; she had been taught to think she was always in danger, paranoia was not easy to let go of.

When he had said they’d go eat at a restaurant she thought he meant one owned by the Hyuuga or by the Uchiha family, a restaurant from their respective part of Konoha. She knew what part of the city belonged to the Hyuugas and looked up what parts belonged to the Uchihas and this part wasn’t owned by either.

He noticed her stiffening in the car when he parked it. He noticed her fear and the way she clung to him for dear life. “What’s the matter Hinata?”

She looked up at him with big eyes, she looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Aren’t we in danger?” Her voice was low and trembling. Sasuke stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and took both of her hands in his. Hinata took a step in front and pressed her body to his, still trying to hide.

“Why would we be in danger?” he was genuinely confused.

“People are mean and cruel. This isn’t our territory. Someone could try to shoot at us.” The reply rolled off her tongue without much thought. She had heard them so many times they felt natural.

Sasuke placed one of her hands on his chest and the other on his back above the waistband of his pants. Hinata’s eyes grew even larger when she felt both guns. “This is neutral space. We’re not on anyone’s territory.” He said softly and let go of her hands but they stood in place. “And even if someone was to try to harm you, I’d kill them all” he whispered in her ear in the gentlest way possible. The threat should have scared her, but it made her feel secure. “I will protect you with everything I have. Nobody will dare touch a single hair from your head for the fear that I’ll destroy them all” Sasuke tucked a hair strand behind her ear as he continued to spill threats to any future danger. “Do you feel better now?” he finally asked.

“Yes” Hinata answered but couldn’t look at him. She felt silly and embarrassed for being worried. They were a few steps from the restaurant and had been standing in place being an inconvenience to people passing by. “Let’s go inside” she turned around and started walking to the door and Sasuke followed. He could see her flushed cheeks but allowed her to think she had hidden her discomfort from him. There were things on his mind, her fear had been real. She had been taught that if she were to ever leave her house she would die, her father hadn’t been above lying, traumatizing and manipulating her emotions to keep her in place and in control. He had always stayed home to work so he could keep an eye on all of them. Sasuke did not agree with his methods at all.

They were finally seated at a private table on the second floor. Hinata was looking at the menu with a sparkle in her eyes. “Do you know what you want to order?” Sasuke asked her. The restaurant was fancy enough to have steak and lobster but it also had hamburgers.

“I think I’ll take a chicken cheeseburger. I tried making one in secret home and it was good enough but I’m curious to see what a real one tastes like” She said with enthusiasm. “What about you? What are you ordering?”

“I think I’ll have a burger as well, the extra spicy one” Just as the two closed the menus the waiter came to take their order. Sasuke ordered for them the burgers and a big portion of fries and onion rings with a side of all of their 4 sauces, neither of them wanted soda so they decided to order a large bottle of water.

“You’ve never eaten a burger before?” Sasuke asked trying to go back to what she had said before.

“Only the one I made. Our cook usually makes food for 2 days so he has Tuesdays and Thursdays off. In those days I like cooking something that I want to try rather than just help him with whatever dad ordered he cooks…Most what dad wants is traditionally Japanese food and I like it, but I see some foods in movies and I want to try them.”

“So, you like watching movies?” He wanted to know what her hobbies and interests were in order to provide her with them so she wouldn’t get bored alone at the house when he was away.

“I watch a movie once every 2 weeks when Ino comes to visit me.”

“She only visited you two times a month?” He had believed the Yamanaka girl to be her best friend.

“Yes, that’s how many times father allowed her to come over…” Her voice so far had been light but it had a tint of sadness when she had revealed this last part.

“What about other hobbies. What do you do usually in a day?”

“Hobbies? Oh well, umm…Usually I wake up and if it’s a day where the cook is at work, I help him make breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between I had a few classes that the elders taught me about leadership. Neji and I usually have tea in the garden when he has the time…”

He was furious. Hiashi was killing her. He didn’t allow her to leave, but she couldn’t get visitors, she wasn’t allowed to do anything but exist. He wasn’t sure if he could wait three months for her to move it. Hinata was his and she was unhappy. He could tell Hinata was feeling a bit awkward because of her answer which is why he didn’t push it. The food came and they ate in silence. Hinata had loved her burger. She tried all 4 souses and really liked the sweet chilli and the honey mustard one. After the waiter took their empty plates Sasuke ordered dessert.

“Did you enjoy the food?”

“I did. The burger was much better than the one I made home…” Her smile had returned on her face. Despite the fact that he had been against the marriage before, Sasuke was eager for it now. From the moment he had laid his eyes on Hinata this feeling overcame him, the need to protect and please her. She was his and he would keep her safe and happy no matter what. Whatever she’d ask for he’d give her, if she wanted the moon, he’d find a way.

“I’m glad you liked it. Next time tell me what other foods you want to try and I’ll think of a place to go.” Hinata agreed. They talked a little more about the food when the dessert finally came. He had ordered a lava cake with vanilla ice cream, according to many people that was the best dessert the restaurant offered.

“There’s only one. Do you want to split it?” Hinata asked but Sasuke only shook his head and pushed the plate in front of her.

“I don’t particularly like sweets so you can eat it.” He watched her enjoy the cake. She had giggled after cutting into it and seeing the molten chocolate pour out. She had never eaten a lava cake, of course. His chest felt tight, like something was squeezing his heart and wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Hiashi had sheltered her from all these small pleasures of life, he wanted to hit the older man, but at the same time, he couldn’t wait to see Hinata experience everything for the first time. It was like watching a child, she had the same big and innocent eyes.

When Hinata finished the cake, the waiter took the plate and brought the check for which Sasuke paid but they didn’t get up to leave yet. “I have a few things for you” he said. And pulled from his pocket a new phone with the charger and its pair of headphones. “I already programmed my number there and Naruto’s; he will be your bodyguard. If anything happens during these months when you are still living with Hiashi call me and if by any chance I can’t pick up call him.”

Hinata was staring at the phone like it was alien technology. “You’re giving me a phone?”

“Yes. I want to be in touch. Sadly, I can’t come and eat with you every day so on the days we can’t meet I want you to call me. I’ll call you as well when I get home if it isn’t too late and we can talk, you can tell me about your day and such” Hinata nodded and took the phone from him and stared at it for a second longer. “You can add any number you want, Neji’s, Ino’s, your sister. It will be helpful to have them for when you come and live with me and feel lonely.”

“I can add other numbers…?” Hinata was once again hit with the realization that Sasuke was offering her freedom and she didn’t know how to take it. She was overwhelmed by the fact that she had a phone, let alone that she could use it to call Ino.

“Of course. It has an unlimited number of minutes and internet too. You can watch movies if you wish. Also, if you want to buy something online use the phone, I programmed it so it would automatically take money from my account and I’ll be notified.”

Hinata was trying her best to keep tears from spilling. For some reason the fact that he allowed her the freedom of a fully functional phone felt like a huge step, he was putting his trust in her. At that moment Hinata made a promise to never betray his trust. In the few hours that Sasuke was the one in charge of her, he had been more indulging and kinder than her father had been during 22 years.

“And the last thing” Sasuke said as he took a red velvet box out from his other pocket. He opened it and inside was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The band was made of white gold and it had a big red ruby in the middle and on each side three smaller diamonds. The ring wasn’t overly huge, but it was beautiful. “I didn’t have the time to give this to you yesterday, I’m sorry” Hinata shook her head, there was nothing he should apologize for.

Sasuke held out his hand for her to place hers in so he could slip the ring onto her finger. It fitted perfectly and looked gorgeous on her finger. It felt a little strange, she had never put on rings on her left hand because it was considered bad-luck, so the feeling was foreign but she knew it would go away soon enough and the ring would turn into something that brought her peace at all times just from looking at it.

“I love it thank you” The squeezing was back and more powerful this time. She was wearing his ring. He had proof to show to the world that she was his. Sasuke was the one to get up first and Hinata followed. They walked out of the restaurant and back to the car hand in hand.

It was barely 2 in the afternoon. “I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you today.”

“It’s ok. It was more than enough. I had a wonderful time, thank you” Hinata was still looking at the ring with a smile on. It was weird how something that yesterday felt like the end of the world, today felt like the beginning. Her heart fluttered when Sasuke opened the box and showed her the ring and it violently beat in her chest as he was putting it on her finger. Maybe marrying her off was the best thing her father could do.

They reached the Hyuuga house faster than either of them would have liked. “I’m not coming inside this time” Sasuke said as he walked her to the door. Hinata just realized that that had been her first date. She saw similar scenarios in the movies she watched with Ino. The boy walked the girl to the door after their date and he would kiss her. Would Sasuke kiss her? Did she want him to? A part of her was scared but the other part of her was screaming ‘KISS ME’. But Sasuke didn’t kiss her, at least not on the lips. Just like last night he kissed her forehead and left saying goodbye.

Hinata walked inside the house and it felt even colder and duller than normally. She wasn’t sure she could survive another three months there, not when freedom with Sasuke was that close. Hinata didn’t go to tell her father she was home, instead, she ran up the stairs to her room where Mina and Harushi were waiting for her. Her servants were a few years older than her, yet Hinata had never considered them friends because Hiashi drilled the belief that servants were to be servants since she was small, but her dad had been wrong before, so maybe he was wrong on this occasion as well.

The two girls bowed to her and Hinata stopped. She wasn’t sure how to act, a sudden image from a movie popped into her mind. When one of the girls would tell the others about her crush and they’d all jump up and down and screech. So, she took in a deep breath.

“You can raise your head” she said in her normal tone. The girls did as she asked. Taking in another breath she extended her left hand for them to see the ring. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Her energy was overflowing and she couldn’t contain it anymore. She started jumping up and down and laughing.

“Today was the best day ever. He was so lovely and just everything was amazing.” Hinata took one of Mina’s hands and one of Haruhi’s and started jumping up and down. The servants looked at one another before starting to laugh too and jumping with her.

“The ring is lovely” “And he’s so handsome” “I’m glad you had a lovely date Hinata-hime” “Did he tell you when the next one will be?” The two were talking alternatively.

“He didn’t but he gave me a phone and said he’ll call everyday he can’t see me” She showed them the phone as well. Hinata wanted to call Ino as soon as possible but she didn’t know her friend’s number. Whenever she wanted to talk to Ino she’d use Neji’s phone. Hinata started walking towards the door to the hallway, she wanted to look for Neji to get him to put his number and Ino’s in her phone.

The rest of the day went by faster than most of her days do. She talked to Ino on the phone for hours then took a bath and as she was changing in her night attire her phone rang. Sasuke had kept his promise to call her when he got home. She told him about talking to Ino and asked about his own day. Their conversation wasn’t very long but it still made Hinata smile. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and thoughts of Sasuke in her mind.

________________________

The following morning the first thing she did upon waking up was to check her left hand to make sure the ring was there and that it wasn’t all just a dream. She couldn’t help but smile upon seeing the piece of jewellery.

Sasuke’s question about hobbies bothered her a little, she had never really had the means of finding a hobby, she either didn’t have the time or didn’t know what to try besides cooking recipes she made up. But now she no longer needed to attend the leadership classes, her father informed her of that at breakfast, and she now had access to the internet, she could try learning a new skill, discover what she liked to watch or read, find out something she enjoyed doing. That was on her to-do list until she met with Sasuke the next time, get a hobby.

Ino liked gardening and making flower arrangements, Hinata liked helping her around the garden as well but doing the arrangements themselves was always difficult and not particularly enjoyable. The one thing she knew she’d like was drawing but was a bit scared. She had always doodled on her notes but had never tried to do an artwork. So that was the first thing she looked up on youtube, drawing videos. She found many and every single one was more amazing than the one before.

Hinata immersed herself in the videos and all the different ways in which one could create art.

________

Despite being in the middle of work Sasuke couldn’t help but think about Hinata and the things she said during their date a few days ago. She was basically a teenager getting her first phone. Sure, she knew a shit ton about leadership, her family and their world but she knew nothing about the outside world, technology and real human relationships. She didn’t know herself either, that part, seeing her figure out who she was as a person, what she enjoyed and what she didn’t, would be lovely to watch. But Sasuke was still confused about how Hiashi thought he could shelter his heir from everything, had Hinata been the leader she would have been lost, not because she wasn’t fit for it but because she didn’t know how to navigate her way through the outside world, she didn’t know what to do when someone wasn’t giving her orders. Her father had succeeded in turning her into someone submissive not because she was weak but because she had never been given the opportunity to be independent. Hinata had amazing skills, she knew over 5 languages and was taught how to fight, but she didn’t know many basic things.

Sasuke kept thinking of the best ways to slowly expose Hinata to more of the outside world and its customs, the Yamanaka girl wasn’t as sheltered but she wasn’t exactly well versed in ‘normality’ either. Naruto would spend a lot of time with her too but he couldn’t entrust the blond to teach her things, who knows what dumb stuff he would fill her head with. Of course, the obvious solution would be his mother, she was the sanest out of everyone he knew and she could help her prepare for the life of ‘the wife of the Uchiha leader’, but he would like to assign someone that’s around their age as well, someone Hinata could consider a friend and not feel overly anxious around.

Before he could find the perfect candidate, his cousin Shisui came to inform him his father wanted to talk to him. He forced himself to focus on work, but lingering thoughts of Hinata distracted him every now and again. He was still worried about her being in the Hyuuga household still, time seemed to be moving in slow-motion, the beginning of September appeared to be years away.

________

Her eyes were sparkling as she was telling him all about the painting tutorials she watched the past three weeks, she apologized for wasting so much money on ordering acrylic paints and brushes. When Hinata mentioned the money issue his temper almost got the best of him, Hiashi had so much money, enough to have a Rolex to ear for every day of the year, yet he couldn’t allow his daughter under 100 dollars to buy paints? Not to mention, but Hinata’s perception of money was off, she apologized for spending 12 dollars on a tube of paint without knowing that the phone she ordered it with was almost a thousand times more expensive. Hiashi only ever spent money on his daughters if it fit his needs, he dressed them well so people could see their wealth, Hinata had been nothing but a trophy.

“I’m sorry I asked for your address, but I just don’t want the order to come to the Hyuuga estate, I’m sure father would destroy everything I bought…” Hinata said, the tips of her ears red, as if she was embarrassed for having him as a father. It wasn’t her that should have been embarrassed but Hiashi.

“It was a nice surprise, seeing you order and send things over to my place already made it even more obvious to me that the wedding is going to happen soon” That wasn’t a lie. When her first order of brushes and canvases arrived Sasuke asked the servants to clear a whole room downstairs, one that had a glass wall towards their garden and turn it into a painting studio. Besides what she ordered he got more, he bought every type of paint there was, acrylic, water, oil and many others. He even talked to Sai, one of his workers that is a famous painter and asked if he would be open to giving Hinata a few hours, of course, provided she was fine with the idea as well.

“H-how do you feel about the marriage…? I can’t imagine you were pleased with it…” her face was lowered, her eyes watching as she was playing with her hands in order to distract herself from the question. She was scared he’d say he hated the idea, especially since over the past month since the announcement, her feelings slowly turned to happiness and excitement.

“I was slightly annoyed when dad first told me. But I’ve changed my mind and I cannot wait” Sasuke answered and placed one of his hands on top of hers to calm her down. “It drives me mad knowing you’re stuck in that house for another 2 months. I have to constantly fight the urge to just sneak in and kidnap you” His tone was light thus turning his words into a joke, Hinata giggled at it, but Sasuke was dead serious.

“I’m glad” Hinata admitted and grabbed his hand with both of hers and brought it to her lips and kissed his knuckles. Her feelings for Sasuke were complex, they started out as indifference when they were simply just individuals belonging to the same world, then they turned to fear and maybe a light form of hate the moment Hiashi announced she had been sold off, but after spending the slightest time with him, she felt relief, admiration and gratitude towards him. He represented a better future, one with freedom and happiness, a future away from her father. Sasuke was her saviour, but even those feelings started to change, her heart would flutter whenever his voice echoed from her phone, she’d constantly check for new texts from him, the days in between their meetings were the longest, while the time spent with him seemed to be so short. Every time he kissed her hand or her forehead she wanted to grab onto his face and bring it down to her face, she wanted to hold his hand, to hug him, but the urge she had most often and the one hardest to fight was to ask for the wedding to be held earlier. Whenever Sasuke drops her off at the Hyuuga estate she wants to ask him to marry her right that moment so she could go home with him.

She spoke to Ino about her feelings and about Sasuke, Ino told her that she was so glad the Uchiha was so nice to her, but that she should be careful, her feelings appeared out of nowhere and they developed so fast, she shouldn’t get too attached to him, shouldn’t become totally dependable of him because in their world ‘love’ was never one to last. Ino’s view on love was jaded after her parents’ divorce, Ino’s father was devastated when his wife left him and his daughter was there to pick up the pieces. Hinata was aware her friend was trying to warn her and shelter her from future heart break, but the thought of Sasuke hurting her seemed outlandish.

They ate pasta this time around, and with every bite, her eyes got bigger and bigger. “This is the best thing I have ever eaten. How can something be this delicious?” She kept praising the food throughout, whenever the waiter came to ask if they needed anything else Hinata would ask him to tell the chef that he is a genius, that his food is the most amazing thing ever. Sasuke smirked and shook his head every time.

“I can stay for longer today, is there anything else you’d like to try?” He asked her as they were walking around the pedestrian central part of Konoha. Hinata had been utterly confused with the concept of a part of the city denying car access, whenever they crossed a street, she’d still check for cars despite Sasuke assuring her that there was no way for one to get there. The central part was crowded and busy with people, Hinata stood a step behind Sasuke trying not to bump into anyone, looking over his shoulder at her to see if she heard his question Sasuke realized she had not, she was far too focused on not hitting anyone to concentrate on anything else. Reaching for her with his hand, he placed his arm around her waist and drew her close to his body. Her face instantly turned beet red and she looked up at him. He lowered his face towards her and Hinata’s brain picked up speed, he would surely kiss her, but there? In front of all those people? Wasn’t a public kiss a bit too much? However, his face passed by hers and only stopped when his lips were next to her ear “I asked if there is anywhere else you want to go. It’s too loud and you couldn’t hear me”

Due to her embarrassment and agitation, she simply pointed at a random building, which turned out to be a Starbucks. The two of them walked together, Sasuke still holding her by the waist, but upon walking into the café he let go, she was disappointed, but only for a moment, for he was simply letting go in order to hold her hand. Their fingers intertwined and the world fell into place, the smell of coffee wasn’t overpowering, actually, the café smelled more of chocolate. Sasuke stopped before reaching the end of the line.

“Take a look at the menu, being here for the first time can be overwhelming with all the options. If you want, we can buy so pastries as well” He already knew well that she enjoyed sweets very much. “What do you usually get?” Her eyes were glued to the menu reading all the ingredients for each beverage.

“I don’t think you’d like what I get. I get a large Americano with 3 espresso shots and no sugar.” Upon hearing his order Hinata scrunched her nose in a disgusted expression, she looked up at him. “So you drink just…black coffee, willingly?” he couldn’t help but laugh at her disbelieve “My dad drinks it that way too, says that putting anything else in coffee is blasphemy. I once asked for sugar and he got so mad… I hadn’t had coffee since then” Her story left a sour taste in his mouth.

“Maybe I’ll get a large Latte with 3 shots of espresso and one cube of sugar after all…” That conversation made him realize that there was nothing he’d hate more than her believing him and Hiashi had anything in common, he’d drink sweet coffee with milk from now until forever if it meant distancing himself from her father’s image. The change in his order made Hinata smile. “I decided as well, I want a vanilla and cinnamon Frappuccino with almond milk” Sasuke placed their orders and out a few fruit tarts as well. Their lunch date turned to a dinner date as well, which had been the longest period they had spent together in one day, thus making it especially hard when it was time for Sasuke to drop her off. Hinata watched from the hallways window as his car slowly disappeared behind the huge gates of their estate, watching him leave made her heart hurt. She knew Sasuke hated leaving her as well, still, she couldn’t help but feel abandoned.

“Are you back?” Hanabi asked as she exited the library, she probably had just finished one of her classes. All of Hinata’s bitterness towards her sister disappeared, now she only felt pity. Hanabi would be stuck in the house forever and she would be free, it was scary how one’s view on certain events could change so fast. Barely a few days ago Hinata thought she was the one being punished, but now realized it was her sister.

“Yes I’m back” Despite her pitying Hanabi, the two weren’t close enough to offer kind words of encouragement and support. “But I’m a bit tired so I’ll go to sleep”

“He didn’t hit you, did he?” it was barely a whisper, but it made Hinata’s blood boil. Her alliances changed the moment Sasuke treated her nicely, hearing Hanabi badmouth him made her want to scream at her sister, but she didn’t. She turned around slowly and smiled. “He didn’t. He would never. He won’t. he isn’t father, there is nothing about him similar to father” Hinata didn’t stay behind to hear Hanabi’s reply. She ran up the stairs and the moment her bedroom door was closed she called Sasuke, he picked up on the second ring.

“I miss you” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized, but she didn’t regret them. “I miss you” she repeated, to show to Sasuke, to herself that she meant them.

“I miss you too” his voice was softer than she had ever heard it, it was a shame she couldn’t see his expression. She closed her eyes and wished for the weeks to fly by.

________

Despite her newfound freedom in the form of a phone with full access to the internet, Hinata’s days seemed to move slower than ever. The time in-between her ‘dates’ with Sasuke were dragging on forever. She’d talk to Ino on the phone, watch videos, read from an ebook, listen to music, cook and barely 2 or 3 hours of the day would have passed. The highlight of her day was always her chat with Sasuke. Apart from their night calls, they kept texting throughout the day as well, but he was busy with work so his replies were few and far in between. Wasting time and dreaming of her future became her routine, each day seemed to be a carbon copy of the previous one. Not today, however, today was a special day, today she, Mikoto and Ino were going to choose her wedding dress. Hinata was practically bouncing, eager to leave the house, eager to try the dresses on, eager to see herself in white, the dress would be proof not only that the wedding was getting nearer, but also that it was indeed reality and not one of her daydreams.

She had been worried her father wouldn’t have allowed for it, but both Fugaku and Sasuke assure him that Naruto, her future bodyguard, was the best and he would be able to protect the three women for the day. Thankfully her father was just as excited about the wedding and would not go and do anything to potentially ruin his newfound friendship with the Uchiha head.

The plan was for Naruto and Mikoto to get to her house around noon, then they would drive to Ino’s and to the dress shop. After picking up the dress they’d go to eat and see the wedding venue and all the plans Mikoto arranged, to make sure Hinata liked everything and if she didn’t so they could change everything by the wedding which was 3 weeks away. Hinata woke up at 7, unable to contain her longing to be outside, she got dressed up, ate and has spent the last 4 hours pacing around the entrance hall.

When her father passed by her early in the morning he lectured her, telling her how she should behave, be respectful, yet vigilant because ‘people are mean and cruel’ because ‘the shop isn’t on out territory’, because ‘you are always in danger.

Neji also spent about half an hour with her talking about her feelings about the wedding, her impression of Sasuke. Her stories and happiness eased his mind and guilt, for he had not been able to stop the arranged marriage. He truthfully wished for her excitement to never die; he hoped the Uchiha household would be a proper environment for her growth.

The only one in the Hyuuga household that was not on board with the marriage was Hanabi. She continued making remarks about Sasuke’s renowned cruelness, hinting that Hinata would not know happiness in her marriage with him. She constantly asked whether he had any violent tendencies towards her, whether he ignored her, whether he cheated on her. Hinata always tried to not let her words get to her, Sasuke was wonderful and more than she had ever hope for, she had no reason to doubt him, so all of Hanabi’s words never had any impact but annoy her. Hinata always defended Sasuke and Hanabi would answer ‘my foolish sister’, patronizing her, making it seem as if she knew more than Hinata herself. Hinata tried to understand where Hanabi was coming from…all of her life she had hoped to be the heir and now she was. But Hinata’s happiness was yet another source of jealousy for Hanabi, she was slowly realizing that once again, she was the one who had the short end of the stick, thus all of her remarks weren’t for Hinata to believe, but for herself. She tried so hard to convince herself Hinata’s future was bleak and Hanabi had to pity her, not the other way around.

Once again, right before Mikoto and Naruto arrived Hanabi made a remark that hurt Hinata’s feelings, a remark which Hanabi too regretted instantly, her remorse could be read on her face, but her ego stopped her from apologizing. “Make sure you pick a pretty dress Hinata, that’s what you’ll be buried in when he kills you on the wedding night” she said loud and clear, for the servants around to hear, had Hiashi been there he would have punished Hanabi for trying to destroy the Hyuuga-Uchiha Union, but all Hinata did was give her a sad smile and answer with “Good luck to you too little sister” Their relationship could never be fixed, not when jealousy was the primal feeling Hanabi held for her, not when her ego stood in the way of a sincere apology, not when Hinata was resigned and no longer wished to try.

Mikoto came like a hurricane, she entered the house without knocking, she hugged Hinata and kissed both of her cheeks, she complimented her on her dress and make-up. Behind her was a blond young man that gave her a warm smile. “This is Naruto, he will be your bodyguard when you enter the family”

Naruto took a step closer but made no attempt to touch her, he simply smiled wider and bowed his head slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet and protect you Miss Hinata” Naruto’s use of her name and not of Hyuuga felt odd, but freeing; she wanted to move past this family. She would not forget them, for they were part of her, they made her who she was at that moment, but she wanted to leave them and this variation of herself behind, she wanted to become independent and someone she chose to become.

After picking Ino up the group was ready to go to the dress shop, Mikoto had asked Ino to sit in the front seat for she wanted to talk to Hinata in the back. Hinata couldn’t help but notice her friend’s red cheeks whenever she looked Naruto’s way. Hinata couldn’t tell if the flushness was due to the fact that Naruto was a man Ino had never had contact with when she was young, thus she wasn’t used to his company, or whether her blush had a deeper meaning. In the backseat, Mikoto explained certain details about the wedding preparations, her tone was light and she talked without any formalities. Whenever Hinata answered it was an awkward mix of formal and informal language and she refrained from addressing Mikoto directly, for she didn’t know what to call her, Mrs Uchiha, or was that too formal for someone to be her mother-in-law in 3 weeks? Mikoto, but wasn’t that rude to address in such a manner to an older relative?

Upon reaching the dress shop, the designer working there assured the women that she had reserved the whole shop just for them. She was eager to help and to please any and all of Hinata’s requests. “Call me Sakura!” she said as they met “no need for formalities, after all I am here to help you find what you will be wearing on the most important day of your life”

Hinata tried on 5 dresses before finding ‘the one’. It was perfect in every way possible. The bodice was made entirely of lace that was a bit see-through, thus had white material around the chest area in a heart shape. The skirt was long and flowy but not overly heavy, it had beautiful lace details on the bottom of the skirt and a split on the left leg until above the knee. It was a stunning dress, but so were all the ones before, however, the moment Hinata tried it on, it felt different, it felt right. Seeing herself in the mirror her eyes got a bit misty and in her overflow of emotion turned around to hug Sakura who just finished buttoning the last button at her back. She told her how she felt the dress was the one and Sakura’s eyes got a bit misty too. This is what she did that job for, these moments in which a young woman found her perfect one and only dress to wear on her wedding day, she lived to see the happy tears and all the smiles.

“Stay here for a second, I’ll announce that this is it, this is the dress” She learned in the years of doing this job that whenever an instant click between woman-dress happened it should always be said to the party that came to help pick the dress as well so they would not criticize anything and break the magic spell of the moment. “Hinata found it, her perfect dress” Sakura said just moments before Hinata walked in wearing the most radiant smile ever, Ino screamed and ran to hug her and shower her in compliments, Mikoto watched from the side-line as the three young women discussed how perfect the dress was. After a short while, Hinata turned to Mikoto with bashful red cheeks “What do you think Mrs. Uchiha?”

Mikoto went to her and hugged her close as well. “The dress is perfect, it’s everything I hoped you’d find and more” she made a short pause for she felt this pressure in the back of her throat as id she too was about to cry. “and please, call me mother, I know that the wedding will only be in 3 weeks, but you already are my child Hinata dear” Mikoto’s kindness and warmth only made Hinata cry more. Naruto watched with a smile the whole event, he too liked Hinata from what he had seen of her, he was glad his friend was lucky enough for the arranged marriage to lead him to her. Even before he met Hinata he saw Sasuke’s expression when talking about her, he heard the soft tone in which he spoke about her and could tell that his friend held a deep affection for his fiancé.

After the dress picking event, Hinata asked for Sakura’s number to call her in the instance of the dress needing anything done day-of the wedding, that was the excuse anyway, in reality, she simply felt as if the moment they shared in the dressing room was special and wanted to try and keep in contact with her. Their next destination was the wedding hall, followed by other shops to get the wedding shoes, jewellery and her second wedding outfit in which she would change after their first dance. Just like the days in which she had dates with Sasuke, the time flew by and soon enough it was dark outside and time for them to return. After dropping Ino off, instead of driving back to the Hyuuga estate, Naruto took a sudden left turn which led to Hinata’s confusion, doubt and for the smallest second fear. Mikoto placed her hand on her knee and smiled at her, letting her know there was nothing to be afraid of. Despite being quite late, it wasn’t dark out yet, the summer sun refused to set.

The car stopped in front of a restaurant Hinata knew. “Are we getting dinner as well?” She was wondering why did they drop Ino off, maybe Mikot had something to discuss with her in private? Before she could come up with any other speculations, her car door opened and a familiar face greeted her with a smirk on. Her heart started beating faster the moment her eyes met Sasuke’s. She placed her hand in his and was smoothly pulled out of the car and into his arms. “Thank you, mother for dropping her off.” He said and then nodded towards Naruto expressing his thanks to him silently. Hinata was still in a daze and looking up at him as if he was a mere hallucination.

“I finished work earlier and Naruto told me you guys were still out so I asked him to bring you to me” He explained the situation to her and ushered her towards the entrance of the restaurant. It was the same restaurant in which they ate that pasta, out of all the things they tried together those were her favourite. Looking up at Sasuke Hinata kept wondering how Ino could expect her not to fall for him when he treated her this way, he had brought her more joy than she had experienced in her whole life, the memories she had of him were her favourite. He was slowly and steadily becoming the centre of her universe.

Since the moment they got seated and he reached out to hold her hand and slowly brush her wrist with his thumb, Hinata had been fighting the urge to simply utter ‘I love you’. Was it too fast? They met about 2 months ago, they went on dates about twice a week maybe three times if Sasuke’s work allowed for that, however they talked daily, her thoughts were filled with him. She wasn’t confused, these feelings might have started as gratitude for being saved, but they were romantic, she was in love with him, that much she knew. Sasuke noticed how distracted she was during their meal, she barely complimented the chef, but he decided not to pry yet, however, her silence during their walk after dinner bothered him more than he cared to admit. He loved how her eyes sparkled when she spoke about things she loved. She stopped walking and turned to face her, cupping her face in his hands, her eyes fluttered shut for a moment. She looked so lovely, and so utterly small and fragile, he would protect her with everything he had, he would help her build her strength enough to be able to protect herself, but even then, when she was capable, he’d do everything in his power to destroy anything that posed as a threat to her, whether physical, emotional or mental.

“What’s the matter Hinata? You’ve been in deep thought all night” he had been excited to hear all about her day, Naruto kept him updated every hour, but hearing the events from her would have been much more entertaining. Hinata looked into his eyes longingly, he wasn’t sure what she wanted but whatever it was he would give it to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in.

“I have been...thinking whether I should tell you something the whole night and I cannot seem to find the right answer, what do you think I should do?” her eyes were still closed, too scared to see his reaction. Sasuke was the one confused now, why would she be struggling in such a manner? She should always tell him everything, anything no matter how trivia, he wanted to know every single thought that went on in her mind.

Sasuke took a step closer to her, their bodies were almost touching and he was still affectionately holding her face. “I think you should tell me; I think you should always tell me everything” Hinata’s heart was beating out of her chest, she was scared to look into his eyes as she said it, but she wanted to see him as she said it too. Choosing to be brave today, choosing to believe that Sasuke would catch her when she fell, Hinata opened her eyes, placed both of her hands over his on her face and smiled.

“Ok, I will tell you” Her mind was made, but she still needed a second to compose herself. “I love you”

The feeling Hinata had when putting the dress on was similar to what Sasuke experienced upon hearing those words, however, the magnitude of his feeling was much stronger, it felt as if the planets aligned, as if all the events ever in the world and its history happened as they did in order to lead to this very moment. A star exploded that lead to the creation of a galaxy, to the creation of a planet, to the creation of humanity, all for this one single moment.

He had not thought in depth about his feelings for Hinata, not because he didn’t want to admit them, but rather because it was unknown territory, but the moment she uttered the words he knew them to be true on his side as well. “I’m glad” he answered, his voice cracked so he cleared his throat. “I’m glad you decided to tell me” Hinata’s smile was stunning, she had told him and he was happy, he was moved, she could see a myriad of emotions in his eyes, all slowly falling into place. Sasuke wanted to say the words back but felt oddly fearful and uncertain, he had never experienced that level of awkwardness. “I do too” he muttered feeling defeated, he had chickened out and took a shortcut, but he will try to work harder, he will be able to express his feelings.

Hinata wasn’t mad or sad or disappointed by his answer, she could tell he was trying his best and if she were honest, it was lovely seeing him be the flustered one for a change. They were still in the same position, their faces close to each other, so Hinata once again took the initiative and raised on her tip-toes and kissed him, it was merely a peck. She knew the Uchiha traditions now and wished to follow them thus not being able to fully kiss him, however, the moment felt monumental enough for a small peck to be excused, plus nobody would ever know.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment longer, she was such a complex antithesis, she was weak yet strong, afraid yet brave, clueless yet intelligent, and everything about her made him glad for all the decisions he ever took that led him to her. He was thankful to his father which without even realizing he showed, since his and Hinata’s engagement was announced he and Fugaku have been getting along much better, everything at work went smoother and he often worked harder and faster in order to get a day off to spend with her. Hinata too helped him, their relationship was equally beneficial to both, they both took and both gave.

________

All of the final preparations for the wedding were coming along beautifully, the big event was the next day, but for Hinata even that was too long, the past three months had felt longer than her whole life before her engagement. Everything was better in the Hyuuga household, Neji and her were closer than ever, for he was finally able to be fully honest with her and she too was much happier and open. Her father mostly left her alone, apart from a small incident in which he admitted that he had spoken to her doctors to have her fertility tested almost half a year ago when he and Fugaku were first talking about the union, the test came back positive, but Hinata still felt like that was a huge invasion of her privacy and complained to Sasuke, who in turn argued with both of the older men, but the deed was long done and there wasn’t much he could do but think even lower of Hiashi and treat his father coldly for a while, until Hinata assure him that she had moved past that issue. Even Hanabi stopped her remarks after the incident on the wedding-dress day. After choosing the dress she and Mikoto went out to spend time together a few more times, she even met up separately with Ino and Sakura twice. When Hinata talked about her new friendship with Sasuke he was, in her words ‘delighted’; Sasuke had hoped for the wedding dress girl to become Hinata’s friend after she first told him about her. He had wanted her to have a friend that was well-versed into normality in order to help Hinata at times navigate society, however, he wished for that friendship to bloom naturally, sure he could have done as others would, namely bribe someone into being her friend, but that would only cause issues later, plus being close to Hinata is payment enough.

The weekend before the wedding Hinata was invited to have dinner at the Uchiha estate, she and Mikoto were already very close, however, Fugaku still scared her a little while Itachi seemed nice, but maybe a bit cold and detached, unwilling to fully interact with this world. He reminded her a little of herself when she still lived at the Hyuuga household. Being able to form that connection, after dinner she sought him out and talked to him alone, trying to relate his feelings with her own. Itachi wanted to be freed from his family much like she did, however, the ties keeping him there were much stronger, he loved all of his family but could not fully function and integrate into their world of organized crime.

After her talk to Itachi ended, Fugaku apologized for breaching her privacy and welcomed her to the family. She knew how much that meant, her father had never apologized for anything, so she could only imagine how hard it must have been for Fugaku to step over his pride and ego, she appreciated it more than she let on.

The night before the wedding Hinata had a dream, in that dream, she and Sasuke were laying together on a bed just looking at each other while holding themselves close, she felt at peace with her surroundings and Sasuke’s eyes on her made her feel seen and loved. The whole dream was peaceful, they sit in silence, then talk a little followed by kisses and laughs, which would quiet down to silence and the circle would start anew.

When her servants woke her up at 5 am, she wasn’t annoyed as she normally would have been before any other event, she had taken with her the peacefulness of her dream, she had waited so long for this day it almost felt like this was just another dream too, but the scrubbing her servants did during her bath stung, letting her know that this was reality, the happiness she felt was going to be a constant, for Sasuke will make sure to keep her smiling throughout their whole lives.

Unlike the preparations for other events in which Hinata didn’t particularly care about her looks, she was very specific this time around, she and Mikoto picked together her hairstyle too, her makeup colours and every little detail. Time seemed to dilate at times and a minute felt like an eternity, while other times it felt as if it were on fast-forward, she’d close her eyes for a second and a full hour would have passed.

By 9 am she was completely done, looking at herself in the mirror she remembered the day the engagement was announced, how picturing herself next to Sasuke felt strange, but now, picturing herself without him felt unnatural, her brain and heart finally agreed and they both knew Sasuke was her everything, he would be the one and only to ever stand by her side. While she was admiring herself in the mirror Neji walked in, telling her it was time to go to the church, the wedding was about to begin.

Nothing could ruin her perfect day, not even Hiashi holding her hand proudly as he walked her down the aisle, not even Hanabi refusing to make eye contact with her, all she could see and all that mattered was Sasuke at the end of the red rug, standing tall and handsome. Everything that had happened before in her life almost didn’t matter, this was the moment her life began. She barely heard anything the priest said, her answers were mostly done on auto-pilot, only when it was the moment for the rings to be exchanged did her eyes water, hearing Sasuke say ‘I do’ was a memory she’ll treasure forever. Their first official kiss was short, much shorter than she had hoped it would be, but even that didn’t ruin her mood, for she had walked inside a Hyuuga and left an Uchiha.

It was during their first dance that Sasuke whispered “I love you” he softly into her ear, only for her alone to hear, it had taken him a bit longer than her but he got to the point in which he could express his feeling in words too, for he had told her he loved her countless times with his actions alone. “I love you too” she replied and pulled his face to her for a kiss, not caring remotely that people were watching her. She would not be punished for causing a scene, Hiashi had no more power over her and Sasuke would never cage her or treat her like an inferior. She had the freedom to do whatever she wanted, and her first choice was to kiss her husband in front of all of those people on her wedding night.

@sasuhinamonth

[a-fanatic-fangirl-requests]

omg i love your blog sm!! i was wondering if you could write an itachi x reader angst?? like it's set during the uchiha massacre and itachi has to yk,, kill his wife aka the reader?? it literally came up to me in a dream! thank you!!

Hi. You have no idea how happy I am I got this request. I’ve been wanting to write this FOREVER. Let me tell you why. So, in one of the Naruto Storm video games, Tobi/Madara is talking to Sasuke, explaining to him about who Itachi had killed and such. Eventually, he mentions he killed his lover and I made a noise between a gasp and a scream. So...I wholeheartedly believe that Itachi having a lover is canon based on the video games and I won’t let anyone take that away from me. That was many many years ago though. But that desire to put it into words has remained and I haven’t seen anything else like this out there, so I’m glad to give it to you!Also, Itachi is aged up to be at least 18. But let’s just say 20 to be safe~ I hope you enjoy the read!

It’s Ok. (Itachi x Fem!Reader)

Warning(s): angst, death, I cried writing this so you better cry reading this

Word Count: 2,531

“Oh my.” A yawn escaped your lips for the fourth time as you made your way back to the Uchiha compound. “I’m more tired than I thought.” You muttered into your hand as a means to conceal the yawn. A small bit of cold metal touched your lips, making you pull your hand away. The silver ring on your finger brought a smile to your face. “How did I get so lucky.” It was a statement, not a question as you would never question the reason why, just glad that it was.

Itachi had sent you on a spa getaway for a few days and nature seeing. The both of you were supposed to go, but of course, the Anbu came first. You weren’t upset by it, it was something that the both of you knew would happen and what was accepted going into the marriage: the village and its safety come first.

However, that did not mean your marriage was accepted by others.

The rest of the clan found it an ill match as Itachi was the pride and joy of the Uchiha clan, while you…you were some ‘nobody’ who barely made it to Chunin rank. It would be a lie to say if it did not bother you at the beginning of the relationship.

“Shh, (F/N), don’t let it bother you.” Itachi’s deep and soothing voice hummed in your ear, curled up in his arms on the couch in your small apartment.

“How can I not?” You sniffled back, nuzzling your way even closer to him only to have his arms tighten around you even more.

A small kiss was placed at your forehead. “Because, they don’t know you. And, unfortunately, they’re telling you all you need to know about them.” Itachi sighed sadly. “I’m sorry they cannot accept the beautiful soul of the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

That had put a smile to your lips. “Really?” You whispered, looking up at him for confirmation.

He returned that smile and nodded his head. “Really.” His lips met yours, sealing that statement forever in your heart.

Itachi supported you no matter what, regardless of what anyone may say or think of him as a cold-hearted ‘weapon’. Although, the mere thought of how he was treated always made your blood boil. Truly, the Uchiha clan had told you all you needed to know about their practices without being told directly. Whenever Itachi had brought you over to his parent’s home, Fugaku would always be sure to praise his son’s accomplishments a little too hard.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it? That the next great shinobi of our generation is of the Uchiha clan.” Fugaku would boast, motioning to Itachi with a drink in his hand. “A genius. A perfect weapon.” He mused to which his wife, Mikoto nodded.

“It truly is. He makes the clan proud.” She would say in agreement, never seeming to make a statement of her own.

The pair would always make you tense, your hand balling into fists. But as soon as that would happen, a larger hand would lay over your own and put you at ease. Your hand relaxed and laced together with Itachi’s, allowing you to eat your dinner in peace while he fended off the attention to him as a ‘tool to be used’ into something more mundane.

And unfortunately, another dinner was planned. This one was by his parents inviting them over, not Itachi’s own goodwill to try and have a connection.

You had just lay Sasuke down for bed on the couch, the boy having fallen asleep while you read to him, when Itachi told you his parent’s wishes. “They what? You’re kidding.” You asked in disbelief, keeping your voice quiet as you lay a blanket over Sasuke’s small form. “What do they even want to talk about?”

“Something that is none of their business.” Came the short reply.

Confused, you made your way over to where he was leaning against the kitchen counter, a cup of tea in his hands with another beside it. Itachi handed you the other brewed cup to which you gave small sip before asking, “Which is…?” You pressed, wanting him to explain a bit further.

He ran his hand through his dark hair, the hair tie not in to hold it back. “When we are going to have a child.”

You stared at him blankly for a moment before clenching your jaw. “You’re right, that is none of their business.” You rolled your (E/C) eyes and leaned on the counter next to him. “And here I thought they may be coming around to me,” lifting the cup up to your lips, you added, “guess not,” and took a long sip.

Silence filled the air for a good while, the both of you sipping on your tea with the occasional snore from Sasuke being the only other sound. “Would you like a child?” Itachi asked, his hand reaching out to grasp your left one, gently rubbing the silver band on it with his thumb.

“I,” your eyes glanced down in the near empty cup of tea, “I don’t know. I like the idea of them. But…I’m not sure I would make a good mother.” A small snort came from Itachi and you looked at him with narrowed eyes, “What?” You asked in challenge, wondering exactly what he was going to say.

Setting his own cup down, he stepped in front of you and effortlessly lifted up your (B/T) form to sit on the counter and occupied the space between your legs. “I’m surprised is all.” He hummed, a hand reaching up to gently grasp your cheek, his pale thumb stroking your cheek bone. “I’m surprised you’re doubting the skills you clearly possess.”

Now it was your turn to snort, but a smile found its way to your face regardless—like it always seemed to when you’re with him. “I’m curious. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Well,” he glanced over his shoulder before motioning with his head at it, “the way you were interacting with Sasuke would be my best example.”

“That’s different, we are just watching him for the night.”

“It’s not different.” He immediately said, his hands now finding their way to your hips. “You’ve shown incredible patience. Allowing him to show you whatever he wanted to. An interesting stick he found? You marveled at it. The fireball he was able to summon? You cheered for him like no one else had.” He praised, his forehead now leaning forward to rest against your (S/C) one. “Reading to him and doing voices with it? You are a natural.” His lips came closer to yours. “Not to mention, how you treat the blonde boy. Whenever you see him, you speak with him, give him attention. You have a kind soul.”

By now, a dark flush was beginning to spread on your face. You would never not love the compliments he gave, but it always was embracing to have him say them so openly and as a matter of fact, not opinion. “You…you would make a great father.” You whispered back, now finding your lips just a breath apart; so close, that you could practically feel him smile.

“Thank you, (F/N). That means the world.” Your lips and bodies met that night, hoping that whatever the result would be, it would be a good one.

Playing with a lock of your (H/C) hair, you had been waiting patiently for the doors to the compound to open. But…they wouldn’t budge. Frowning, you glanced around and while it was night time, it was dead silent. “That’s odd.” You muttered, noting the air smelt weird too. Itachi had not been at the home you shared that was thankfully away from the compound, his mission supposed to have been over the day prior, and figured he might be at his family’s home to pick up Sasuke early as you were going to look after him again.

Ignoring the warning in your head to not pursue it and turn around, you leapt up to balance on the top of the gate only to nearly fall back in shock.

Bodies. Bloodied, fallen, bodies littering the ground. Given your relationship with the clan as a whole, the only thing you felt was shock and worry about the two Uchiha that mattered in your life: Itachi and Sasuke.

Quickly leaping down, you ran from door to door, body to body, quickly determining that none of them were Itachi nor Sasuke. And while you should have been relieved, you just weren’t.

Rounding another corner, you stopped midstep, finding the small figure you were hoping but dreading to see. “Sasuke!” You cried out, running and sliding down next to him, quickly checking over his body and determining the blood on him was not his own. He seemed to be merely passed out. Right as you were about to pick him up and take him to the hospital when a pained voice spoke behind you.

“Why are you here, (F/N)?” The voice, while so familiar, sounded to be deeply in pain.

Laying Sasuke’s upper body back down on the ground, you slowly stood up. “I got back early. I wanted to surprise you.” You whispered back, knowing full well who eliminated the Uchiha clan. “Surprise.”

“(F/N)….”

Taking a deep breath, you turned to find your blood-splattered husband with his Sharingan activated and tears flowing from his eyes. The both of you stared at one another for what felt like an eternity. “It’s ok.” You said after a moment, your hand reaching up to brush away some of his tears, effectively spreading the blood away as well. “It’s ok.” You whispered again.

“(F/N)…I…you can’t….” His voice was cracking as his body trembled, struggling to speak.

“I know.” A few tears began to fall from your face now. You had seen too much. You knew what had to happen. Tilting your head, you placed a soft kiss against Itachi’s lips which was quickly met with desperation, a need from him to never let it stop.

One of his hands found its way to your hair and holding it tightly, the other wrapped around your waist to pull you close to him, sword falling to the ground. “Take us back to our home?” You whispered against his lips before he gave a small nod, your body getting picked up and in what seemed like an instant, you were inside your bedroom.

Sitting on the edge of your bed, he loomed over you, hands grasping the bedsheets and his head leaning on your shoulder as it seemed even more tears were falling. “(F/N)….” He said again, this time seeming to choke out your name.

A sad smile graced your features, your head turning to place a kiss against his cheek while your left hand found a kunai in the pouch on his thigh. “It’s ok.” You said again, nudging it into his hand.

Itachi pulled back to look at you, his red eyes seeming to memorize every last inch of you, so he could always remember you—his beautiful wife.

“Oh.” You said suddenly, lifting your left hand up, smiling fondly at the silver ring there. With shaking fingers, you took it off and placed it on his pinky. Once it was securely on, you smiled back up at him. “There. See? I won’t be leaving you.”

Itachi gave a small laugh, “You always find a way, don’t you.” He whispered, letting you take his hand that held the kunai to raise it to your heart.

“Yes, I do.” You smiled back, your eyes staring up at him with nothing but love and acceptance.

His hand seemed to still a little with both of your hands wrapped around his on the kunai’s handle. “I love you, (F/N).” Itachi leaned in, his lips against yours.

Closing your eyes, you whispered against him, “I love you too, Itachi.” And with one last kiss and your hands jerking towards you, your world went entirely dark. All the while the body that sobbed above you mourned what could have been.

______________________________________________________

Having died for the second time was odd. But now, Itachi could eternally rest. He was able to see Sasuke accept the truth of that fateful night, knowing full well that he may never be forgiven. Or even son, get sent to the darkest parts of the afterlife. So, it was met with some confusion that all he saw was light.

“Itachi?”

The man’s body froze. A voice he hadn’t heard in person for years, and had only replayed conversations in his mind. Turning in disbelief, his breath got caught in his throat at seeing the most wonderful sight before him. “(F/N)?” The name came out barely audible, it was not a name he had said aloud in a long time.

You smiled brightly, walking over to him while making sure to keep the small bundle to your chest. “Hello, my love. I’m glad you’re finally with us.”

Itachi had been in awe of how serene you were in the white kimono that he had nearly missed the small object in your arms, but he did not miss the ‘us’ comment. “Us?” He whispered, a sense of guilt and dread beginning to fill his heart.

“Itachi Uchiha. I know what you’re thinking, and don’t you dare. I had no idea either.” Your hand opening the bundle a bit more, an infant with black hair and large dark eyes stared up at the man. “It’s ok.” You said again, letting the man embrace the two of you.

“Do…do they have a name?” He whispered into your hair, his heart trying to accept that he had unknowingly killed his own unborn child.

You shook your head, your free hand reaching out to adjust his arms. “No, not yet.” Placing the small bundle into his arms, you smiled up at him proudly. “I wanted to wait for his father.”

“A boy.” He smiled, unable to help the tears from falling in both joy and sorrow.

Nodding, you wrapped your arm around his waist and leaned against his shoulder, looking down at the life you had created and now meeting in the afterlife. “Yes. You’ve done so much, Itachi.” You hummed, laying your hand over his. “You’ve sacrificed so much. Now…it’s time for you.” Leaning up, you placed a kiss against his lips, a feeling he had missed so much. “It’s time for us.” A small sound of happiness came up from the baby in his arms. “He agrees. Now, what should we name him?”

Looking at you, then to his son, Itachi closed his eyes. “How about…(C/N)?”

Smiling, you nodded in agreement. “(C/N) it is.”

Swallowing hard, he raised (C/N) up and gave a light kiss to the boy’s forehead which earned a happy giggle from the boy before placing one on your own. “I love you, (F/N).”

Glad that you could finally be together forever, you beamed back up at him, “I love you too, Itachi. Now, come on. We have eternity together. We’re not going anywhere.” Taking his hand, the three of you walked off into that bright void, your souls at peace.

[roraewrites]

twenty seven

[ sakura’s secret ] rating: m

//transition chap ~

previous | next

Sasuke’s Part

The first thing he had thought about this morning was Sakura; her hair smelled like his shampoo, and she had one of his shirts on. It was big around her small body, encasing her and practically claiming her as his own and it made him smirk. That smirk slowly faded as he closed his bedroom door behind him, leaving Sakura to fix herself up in his bathroom as he walked towards the front door.

“It’s so good to see you!”

He was instantly embraced in a warm hug and a set of lips pressing to his cheek. Like usual, his mother greeted him with an over the top embrace, but he couldn’t help the laugh that pressed through his lips. He could feel happiness emit from his core, spreading through his body and giving him life as he wrapped his own arms around Mikoto.

“You’re early,” he greeted and just as he was about to close the door behind his mother, a foot stopped it from closing. “And you’re—”

“I came with,” Itachi spared him a gentle smile, but a glint of mischief flared in his onyx eyes. Sasuke was now glaring at his older brother, fully aware of what was going on now.

“Have you eaten yet, dear? I could take my boys out for breakfast if you’d like. It’s been awhile since the three of us have gone out together.”

Sasuke nervously scratched at the back of his neck, something he had picked up on from that annoying blonde kid in his class and it only made him that much more irritated. Instead of rolling his eyes at his brother, Sasuke coughed slightly — Itachi’s smile grew at the corners. Of course he would love to go out and spend some time with his family, but before he could answer, the clanking of a bottle sounded from down the hall.

“Do you have someone here with you?” Mikoto’s soft voice cooed while her dark eyes lit up. It was almost encouraging to see that look from her, but a scorching blush settled on his cheeks as Itachi’s smile deepened. Of course his brother knew that Sakura was here, and of course he was going to see this out.

Sasuke took a deep breath before answering, his voice hardly sounding through the lump that had formed in his throat, “yeah.”

His heart was beating a little faster in his chest and his mind began to numb up a little. He could feel the tingling feeling at the tips of his ears, knowing full well that they matched the shade of red his cheeks had turned and before he could stop his mother from racing down the hall, a petite girl stood in the entryway of the hall.

Her soft voice was something he had grown used to and while it calmed his body more days than not, it was setting a fire in the pit of his stomach.

“I— uh, hi! Sorry if I interrupted or anything,” Sakura greeted with a cheeky smile and a small wave of her hand. The clothes that she wore were plain and simple, a mint colored shirt that hung down over her bottom and a pair of leggings that ran over the curves of her legs. She had her bangs braided off to the side and the rest of her pastel hair ran in waves, framing her face.

Sasuke even noticed she had a minimal amount of makeup on and although the look was natural, she looked absolutely stunning. The corners of his lips began to turn upwards when she glanced at him, the soft green of her irises meeting the dark pools of his own, but his thoughts had been completely cut in half when Mikoto had perched herself in front of Sakura.

His mother stood only a couple inches taller than the pinkette, but her warm smile and friendly eyes mirrored Sakura’s — maybe that was why Sasuke was so drawn to her, because he felt familiarity and he felt comfort whenever it came to the girl.

“You are so cute,” Mikoto’s soft voice filled his home and while it made not only Sasuke’s ears heat up, Sakura’s cheeks had been dusted with a pink blush. Her voice had almost been a whisper, but it was loud enough for both Sasuke and Itachi to hear. “Why hasn’t Sasuke told me about you? What’s your name?”

The younger Uchiha swallowed, trying to push the lump that had formed in his throat away as his mother began to ask questions. Whether or not Sakura wanted to answer, he knew that Mikoto wasn’t going to leave until she heard absolutely everything about what her youngest son had been up to.

“This must be why he doesn’t visit home anymore! If anything, you should’ve brought her with.” Stern, obsidian eyes rolled in Sasuke’s direction and he could only stare at her. Sakura stood completely still in front of the woman, her eyes somewhat wide as Mikoto’s gaze turned back to her. “So what was your name, dear?”

“Sakura,” she responded softly. “Sakura Haruno.”

When she said her name, it felt like butterfly wings fluttering on the inside of his chest but Sasuke remained quiet. Only his arms came to cross over his chest but when the pinkette finally offered a smile, he felt his heart nearly skip a beat.

“Sasuke probably hasn’t mentioned anything about me because we’re still fairly new with each other?” It was almost a question for him but she didn’t even spare him a glance. Instead, Mikoto took Sakura’s hands in her own before giving her a reassuring squeeze.

Oh, how his mother was such a loving and caring woman.

“Well you seem like a very lovely and kind young woman. Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

“Oh, no! I couldn’t! I’ve got to get home and finish some school work—!”

The entire room quieted down and just as Sasuke felt like he could breathe again, the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own heart smacking against his chest. Sakura was completely pale, Itachi’s smile faded, and Mikoto stood absolutely motionless in front of her.

Nobody said a word.

“Well good job, Sasuke! You’ve got a girl who’s committed to school,” Mikoto cooed before dropped Sakura’s hands and wrapping her up in a hug.

Sasuke still couldn’t breathe, he could hardly move. It was surprising to him that he kept a straight face, let alone remained quiet as tension began to settle down on all of them — or maybe it was just the three of them that truly knew what was going on? Regardless, he finally inhaled while his eyes found Sakura’s.

She looked absolutely sick to her stomach as she nodded and smiled, agreeing with Mikoto before laughing slightly.

“You’re sure you don’t want to come? I think it would be great for all of us.” His mother tried to reassure her and before she could reject once more, Itachi finally spoke up.

“She’s going to keep asking until you finally commit to coming.”

With that, Sakura nodded slightly, her small smile widening as the color returned to her face. “Then sure, I’ll go with you guys.”

.

.

.

Usually when Itachi and Sasuke were younger, their mother would take them into the city and to the smallest diner possible. She never explained why, but she would always pass up the high end, classy restaurants and continuously bring them to the same place yet neither of them would complain.

They would always be greeted by the same older woman and seated in the same place towards the back; it was always in the same booth and the three of them would sit in the same seats. Mikoto would usually take the seat across from her boys, allowing the two of them to sit by one another and while Sasuke would always complain about wanting to sit by his mother, Itachi would never let him out of the booth.

It was always such a fond memory, one that he’d never forget and as the four of them entered the small restaurant, he was greeted by nostalgia.

“Haven’t seen you guys in awhile!”

It was the older woman from years ago, only her hair was now completely gray and she had wrinkles that adorned her face. She looked as happy as ever though as she took them to their usual seat, placing menus in front of the four of them as they sat down. Mikoto insisted that she sit next to Sakura, while Sasuke sat by Itachi across from the women.

“Just like old times,” his brother elbowed him softly before picking up the menu. Sasuke could only scoff before finding Sakura’s playful smile and jade eyes looking at him from behind her menu. He smirked back before picking his own menu up and looking through their list.

After a few moments of silence, the older woman had returned with water for everyone and a hot pot of coffee accompanied with sugar and creamer. Once she took their orders, they all sat in a comfortable silence until Mikoto cleared her throat.

“So, Sasuke,” she started with a gentle smile.

“Mother,” he responded back in an even tone.

“How’s your first year of teaching going?”

If it hadn’t been for Itachi choking on his glass of water, Sasuke would have answered with a simple “fine”, but when his eyes peered over at Sakura, he shrugged.

“Harder than I thought it was going to be, but I enjoy it.”

Her dark brows furrowed together as she handed her older son a napkin, her hands coming to rest on the table between them. “I’m glad you enjoy it, dear. Is it what you thought it would be like?”

Another shrug except this time he could feel the heat stirring at the tips of his ears, but Sasuke was thanking himself for growing his hair out over time. “My class listens. There’s just other things that factor in that make it hard.”

“Hard in what way?” Itachi chimed in, but Sasuke’s knee was meeting Itachi’s from under the table.

Mikoto’s furrowed eyebrows never faltered and when she sat back, she glanced towards Sakura. “They still behave like children when they’re together. As a mother, I’m happy to see my boys getting along, but you’d think they would grow out of it at some point.”

Sakura merely giggled but it had such an effect on Sasuke that he had to glance away from her and focus solely on the cars that lined the street outside. It was sunny out, hardly any clouds lining the sky and while it was still slightly cool, the snow had finally stopped falling from the skies above.

When their food finally came, Sasuke was too deep in his thoughts to realize that Sakura had excused herself from the table and she was standing outside on her phone. She looked almost upset and the way she talked with her hands answered that for him.

He’d ask her about it later but for now, he watched as she walked back into the building and took her seat next to Mikoto, masking the worry and frustrations on her face with that usual smile before they all began to eat in silence.

.

.

.

“We’ll have to do this again, sometime!” his mother spoke as she hugged both Sasuke and Sakura. The three of them stood just outside of the building that Sasuke lived in, rays of light shining down on them as they said their goodbyes.

“I’d love to,” Sakura smiled before stepping back and finding Sasuke’s arm coming to wrap around her waist. Although she wanted to feel awkward, she felt almost comfortable being this close to him in front of his mother and she didn’t even seem to mind. Instead, she offered one more heartwarming smile before hopping back into the car with Itachi.

Sasuke and Sakura watched as Itachi drove away, both of them waving as they exited the parking lot and left the two of them to stand outside the building. It was only when they had turned onto the road and began to drive away that Sasuke pulled Sakura closer to him and began to steer her towards the doors of his building.

They hadn’t had time to talk about what transpired between the two of them last night, let alone have enough time to just talk that day and the moment they got up to his condo, he had her back pressed to wall and his hands on her hips, his lips coming to crash against hers.

“Didn’t get enough last night?” Sakura teased through their heated kiss and while Sasuke wanted to smirk, all he could think about was her.

She smelled of fresh flowers, her soft eyes and pastel hair enticing him and hypnotizing him, making him feel like his entire life had been unreal until he met her. Sasuke had never believed in the mushy, bullshit love stories, but when it came to Sakura, he was more than willing to wait a lifetime or two for her.

He was breathing her in now as his lips worked against hers, their tongues tangled in the middle as he hoisted her up against his body, her legs coming to wrap around his hips.

“I can’t get enough of you,” he breathed out before kissing at the corner of her mouth. Sakura only leaned into his kiss as he trailed soft pecks down her cheek, grazing her jawline and finally tracing his lips against her clavicle.

What he said was true.

Sakura Haruno was all he could think about. She was his first thought in the morning, his last thought before he fell asleep at night. When he decided to adventure into the city, he would think of places that she would like to visit, and when he would smell certain scents, they reminded him of her. He’d swear up and down that her laugh was the loveliest sound known to man, a calming bell in the back of his mind that would put him at ease on his most stressful of days.

It was unreal how he felt for her, but it also the realest thing he had ever felt for anyone. His fingers curled around her bottom, trying to pull her closer to his body as he pressed his nose into the crook of her neck.

She was all he ever wanted.

“Sasuke?” Sakura’s concerned tone sounded out before him but he didn’t move. He kept her in his arms, his nose inhaling that sweet, flowery fragrant he had grown familiar with and he just didn’t want to let go. Not now, not ever.

He’d never admit it, but he felt pain whenever it came to wanting Sakura. It hurt to know that he couldn’t have her the way he wanted — not yet, at least. Regardless, it hurt him to know that she was forbidden and as much as he wanted to claim her and hold her close whenever he wanted, he just couldn’t.

So in that moment, he held her as close as he could.

Her fingers started to run through his hair while her lips pressed gentle kisses to the crown of his head. A low hum began to calm his overwhelming emotions, taming the beast that screamed from inside of his chest, battling with his heart as he ached over something that couldn’t be his. Sakura continued to hum, and when he finally felt his composure return, he lifted his head from her neck and pressed one final kiss to her lips.

“I’ll take you home,” he spoke with a monotone voice, yet his eyes betrayed him. They were soft, filled with compassion and care and everything that reflected what he was currently feeling in his heart.

When Sakura bit down on her lip, he couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at his lips. “You know what that does to me,” he warned but instead of acting on it, he gently put her down and moved out of her way. “Go get your stuff and I’ll take you home.”

Sakura was quick to skip away from him and down the hall, but he could see the saddened expression in her eyes. It wasn’t fair for either of them to be split up, away from one another when feelings this strong had come into play.

It wasn’t what he had expected when he first saw her that day in his class; it wasn’t what he ever would’ve thought about doing, but there was something in her emerald eyes that called out to him, almost like a siren’s song and he felt nothing but lost and found at the same time.

[peachblossomss]

Everlasting Inferno

Summary: In a time of peace and love, an angel of the highest order, Sasuke Uchiha, finds out a dark secret of the society he lives in. His actions have consequences, a war begins, and he is cast out of Heaven. His life from then on was one of darkness. Where was his light? Angel AU. Mainly SasuSaku, including NaruHina and NejTen. Rated M.

Link on FF.net!! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12899698/1/Everlasting-Inferno

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto

Chapter Two 

- ANGSTY ANGELS

Focus, Sakura, focus!! Damn. The pink haired Virtue huffed as she went through a new taijutsu sequence she was honing in on.

“Ugh, I am never going to get this!! TENTEN WHY’D YOU LEAAVEE” She shouted irritatedly. Wiping the sweat from her pale, freckled brow, she slumped to the glens grassy ground. It was a sunny summery sort of day, and the boys were all on a mission to Earth, (Something about interfering in a battle that was about to break out between two human civilizations. They thought she was a liability to their success). So when she awoke on the day of the mission, Sakura decided to train. She decided she wasn’t going to be a liability any longer. Those fools! Just because I’m not as strong as them doesn’t mean I am such a liability that I had to be left behind. This is the last time. I’m done being worthless in their eyes, she thought to herself with heated determination. With those words, the small, ungraceful angel sat up and took off towards a rocky precipice where her training grounds resides. I. Am. Not. Weak. Focusing her chakra to her feet, the girl of 17 flings herself from the edge, launching far into the buoyant clouds above. Unleashing her slender, ivory wings, she makes an almost graceful aerial flip. Sakura starts plummeting back down to the training ground, tucking her wings in as she goes. I will become great. I am no longer the girl who hides behind the back of a man. With a war cry, the cherry blossom angel speeds herself up by kicking the air with chakra powered through her feet. With quick relocation of her chakra to her fist, the angel pushes toward the ground. In seconds Sakura knows she will land upon the springy grass. “I AM NOT WEAK!!!!!!!!!!” she yells, and with her small, dainty fist, the once picturesque, serene field becomes nothing but a mess of dirt and upturned trees and flowers.

“My,my, my!” A smooth feminine voice sang amusedly. “That was quite the show, Sakura.”

The pinkette spun around quickly in her self-made crater, facing the voice who called her name.

“T-Tsunade-sama! Good afternoon.” she said, with embarrassment.

“Where did you learn such a technique? You have not sought out my aid in becoming a better protector, how did you learn of my chakra manipulation practices?”

“Uhhh…” Sakura stammered, “Well, you see, I have always admired you, and well I have always been amazed on how strong you are, so naturally I watched you whenever you would train with Jiraiya-san, and can I just say, he’s a bigger perv than Kakashi-sensei! Anyway, well, I simply put two and two together. I mean, your medical healing chakra is used by manipulating chakra from your hands to someone else, and I learned the same can be applied while trying to focus chakra for other purposes, like defence and striking…” she trailed off.

“Sakura Haruno!” Tsunade snapped, “I believe you to have talent. Like you expressed, you are not weak, and I believe you have the determination and intelligence of someone who could be great. I am not promising you will become powerful like myself and the other Seraphim, but I can help you become your best you. From this moment on, you will be my apprentice. You’re expected to be here tomorrow, 6am sharp.” With a smirk and a wink, the great Tsunade of The Virtues, one of the top Seraphim, unleashed her deep honey colored wings, that appeared to be dipped in crimson, and flew away into the skies above.

And with that, the ungraceful, frazzled girl slumped down into the now upturned grass once again. She giggled to herself, unabashedly and full of excitement. From a distance, her aristocratic and stoic teammate perched in a tree, he had been watching the events that just transpired. He gasped as Sakura launched herself from the cliffs edge, although he knew she had wings to catch the wind. He stared transfixed as she spun gracefully through the air and plummeted with heart dropping speed towards the grassy plain. He stood in amazement as she created such astounding damage with her feminine hand, and he had to agree, she was not weak. When Tsunade of The Virtues declared that Sakura would become her apprentice, he could not have been more proud and in awe of his annoying little teammate.

-----------

(a few days later)

As Sasuke walked home from his meditation, on a calm, blissful evening, he found himself wondering what his team of friends was up to that night. Was Naruto eating ramen again? Was Sakura with Tsunade, learning how to enhance her skills even more? He pictured the pink haired angel flipping so elegantly through the air, as if she had done it a million times. Sakura... when did you change? How could Naruto and I not see that you have become so different from the girl we first met? When did you start caring about your power as a Virtue and as a protector of Heaven? He walked along the edge of the paths, eyes closed and simply using his other senses to guide his way, lost in his confusing thoughts.

“Sasuke-kuuunn! Wait for me!” he heard from behind

“Tch, what do you want, Sakura? I have somewhere to be.” Sasuke asked, whilst pretending the owner of that soft voice wasn’t just the topic of his inner monologue. A slight blush began to dust his cheeks before he could help it.

“I was just wondering how your mission a few days ago went? I haven’t seen you or Naruto since you all left.”

“Hn, It was fine. We were able to interfere before there were any mass casualties, although, there were a few men who decided they could defeat us, and also defeat their enemy.” he snorted. “They didn’t last long, but Kakashi said not to harm them too much. It was actually kind of amazing, we never really get to apply our battle skills while on a mission...” strangely and near frighteningly, he found himself almost unable to stop telling Sakura of their mission.

“Hmph, well, I’m glad you had such a nice time. While you were away, I had a run in with  Tsunade-shishou---”

“Sasuke, little brother, I think it’s time you take your leave from your friend. Father and Mother have an important meeting to attend and they’d like you to be home when they leave.”  a deep, smothering voice interrupted Sakura’s floaty tone.

“Itachi-san!” she gasped, lowering her eyes, “Good evening! I apologize for keeping Sasuke away when he has family duties to attend to, I will take my leave.”

“Sakura, I’m prou--” before Sasuke could finish his sentiment, the Virtue girl bowed, then flashed away in a swirl of deep green mist, much like the color of her eyes, and a cherry blossom sent, one which often follows along with the pinkette.

“Itachi! I was well on my way home. She simply asked how the last team mission went, it would have been rude of me to ignore her. She is my teammate.” Sasuke bit out.

“Now, now, little brother. I know you wanted to spend time with your little girlfriend, but there is important matters Father would like to discuss with you before he and Mother embark on their meeting to Madaras household.”

“First, she is not my girlfriend. Second, do you know what it is about?”

Itachi becons Sasuke over with a slight, sad smile. “You’ll learn soon enough, Sasuke-kun” and with that, the elder Uchiha brother lightly taps Sasuke upon his forehead, and turns to walk home. What is that all about? What will I learn?? Can’t he just tell me for crying out loud?! From then on out, they walked in silence. One, pouting because he was kept in the dark, unknowing of how lucky he was, and the other trying to numb his mind to the tragic truths he knew. When the pair arrived at the Uchiha compound, where all of the Throne angels reside, Sasuke finds his demanding Father in the entryway.

 “Sasuke, what do you know of the humans and their purpose?”

“Father, what do you mean? They are simply living in peace as God’s creations.”

“FUGAKU! In here, NOW!” yelled a voice from the kitchen. “I thought we agreed we were going to discuss this matter once we returned!” Chided Sasuke’s mother, Mikoto. Fugaku promptly left the boys and walked towards his wife’s formidable distaste. 

“Now, dear, Sasuke deserves to know!” Fugaku tried miserably to whisper.

“He is too young! He has not yet met the hundred years required to become a participating member of Heavens ranks! He should not have to carry the burden of…” her voice died out as the doors to their cozy little kitchen slid closed . Sasuke looked to his older brother in confusion, only to find Itachi had disappeared from their home. What in God’s name is going on? The boy fumed quietly to himself, shuffling loudly out of the room. Whatever it is, I don’t want to be kept in the dark any longer.

The meeting which his parents attended came to pass. His father never brought up what he was going to tell his son, and his loving mother pretended the events that day never occured. So he never asked.

------------

Naruto woke with a start. What was that god awful noise?! Can’t a guy get any sleep around here?!!!!”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“NAARUTO! You better be awake!!” yelled a teasing, feminine voice. The boy groned as he rolled out of bed “Sakura-chan, you must be early! We aren’t going to the lake until this afternoon!”, he said disbelievingly, as he opened the door.

“You idiot, it’s already the afternoon! Come on, get dressed! We have our monthly picnic by the lake, and this time I didn’t forget the wine!” Sakura giggled. The two lively members of Team Seven walked slowly to their favorite spot on the lake, taking their time, joking, and smelling the flowers along their way. Heaven was a beautiful place, with lavish lakes, bubbling streams, powerful rivers, hills, dense forests, beautiful plains, and even some deserts. Heavens beauty never seemed to end, the Seven Heavens, as most angels called the group of floating land that made up the paradise in the sky. It was easy to get lost in the serenity of each and every ray of godly light that was cast upon their home.

“It’s so peaceful here, I never want to leave” the pinkette sighed contently.

“Yeah…it’s pretty peaceful here…”

“Nar, you okay? Whatcha thinking about? Hinata-chan?”, she winked. You know, you should ask her out already! She’s entranced by your daftness” Sakura teased, flicking him on the side of his head.

“Sakura,” Naruto stared at her with disquieted, deep blue eyes. “What if I told you that things weren’t as peaceful as they seemed…?”

“What do you mean Naruto?” The teasing tone gone from her voice, her emerald green eyes reflecting the anxiousness in her male companions.

“Well, recently, the tree has been emiting these, these vibes. I am troubled by them, I feel like something bad is going to happen. I don’t know what they mean, but, it’s strange... I feel almost more powerful, if that makes sense? Like... there is a part of me that can’t wait for this dark event to happen.” He whispered.

He looked up as he felt a delicate hand being placed on his shoulder. “Naruto, no matter what, I believe there is a solution to the reason for the Tree of Life to be acting erratically, and I know Sasuke-kun and I will help you understand what these foreboding feelings mean.” With that, the two angels fell into a contemplative silence, watching the light slowly fade from their endless skies. They didn’t know just how true Naruto’s feelings and intuition from the tree would come be. Indeed, something dark was happening.

——————————————————

AN: Hello once again! Peach here! Thank you for the reviews for chapter one! When I checked the story this morning, I was beyond ecstatic to see four reviews in under 24 hours. I feel like that’s pretty dang awesome for my first chapter of my first fic!! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart<3 This story is going to be broken up into parts. We are currently on Part One, chapter two (tbh this ch could have been waaaay longer, but for flow purposes I decided to break it up a bit more). I am not entirely sure how many chapters each part will have, and in all, I am not sure how many parts this story will have (most likely 3 or 4). The first part is going to be a sort of prelude to future parts, where there will be more sasusaku + other ship interactions. The first part isn’t meant to be super duper long, but I want you all to have a good understanding of the basic plot and background information, that will relate to part two. I will try my best to update frequently, but I do work full time, and I am also a part-time student. I currently have no Beta/ anyone in general to read over my writings, so I’m sorry if there are plot holes and grammar errors. It also takes a lot to not only write, but also outline and review each chapter. I really am trying to get some chapters out fast (bc I absolutely love binge reading a fic, and I’m sure you’re all excited and interested to see how this all unfolds ^_^). Please let me know if anything needs clarification! Once again, please leave your comments, questions, and critiques. Much love!!

-Peach

[korogaki]

Young Love

Here’s the other half of the present for @midnightmunchies. I hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ^.^ Link to ao3

“Kizashi, can you believe how time has passed? She’ll be attending the Academy soon!” “Do tell! I am quite emotional, if you ask me.” The kid could hear her parents talking in the kitchen. While it was heartwarming to know they were excited for her, there was an uncertainty in her soul regarding the whole ninja thing. It was something new, strange and kind of scary. Everyone knew that being a shinobi was not kid’s play. Was she actually cut for such a demanding job?

Shortly, Sakura joined them for breakfast, but she stayed quiet for the whole time. At first, her parents didn’t notice, as they carried on with their conversation about all sorts of stuff from supplies their daughter would need to small gossip. After a while, though, Mebuki realised Sakura had barely touched her food. There was also an obvious emptiness in her eyes; those were alarming signs to a mother. “What’s wrong, darling? How can we help you?” She didn’t reply immediately; the girl kept staring at her omelette for a bit. Eventually, she muttered that nothing had happened at all. It was clear that she was lying. Kizashi opened his mouth, attempting to say something, but Mebuki thought it was for the best to not push the matter for now, signaling her husband to stop. “How about the park? Would you like to go there with me?” While Sakura wasn’t exactly very sociable, she still enjoyed going out. Maybe some fresh air would help clear her mind. She nodded.

She finally ate something from her plate, then left the kitchen to dress up. For some reason, this walk got her really excited.

“I don’t really feel like going out.” “Sasuke, you could  make some friends before entering the Academy. It’s more important than you think,” his mother explained. “I’m not interested in such thing. Itachi is strong and doesn’t really have friends, so what for?” “Actually, I have some, thank you very much,” interfered his older brother, who had just entered the living room. He was ready for training, all dressed up in combat clothes. “Name one friend of yours that isn’t Shisui,” demanded Sasuke. The boy seemed determined to prove  his point to everyone, just for the sake of staying indoors. “Izumi is really nice company.” “Girlfriends don’t count.” Itachi turned red upon hearing his little brother. He covered his face with his hand, then replied almost whispering “We’re not exactly together.” He wasn’t telling the truth.

Itachi agreed with his mother about taking Sasuke out, he knew too well how important it was to have someone to rely on and treat you as an equal. He had a hard time at his age since he was an Uchiha. Despite having access to some sort of special treatment both for his name and skills, his classmates would never give him a break from all of that. While he had handled well the so-called bullies (that never did much besides teasing), he wanted the best for Sasuke. Having a good start was important.

“But what if I come with you?” asked Itachi, with a bright smile. Sasuke’s change of mood was sudden and dramatic. His eyes were big and brighter than ever. His brother’s presence in his life meant so much to the boy. “What about training?” “I think I could use a break from time to time. Anything for the kiddo, right, mom?” Mikoto only answered with a warm smile of approval.

It was sunny outside, but the breeze was a bit too cold for the end of March. The village wasn’t very busy, and neither was the park. Only a few kids were out, playing group activities, enjoying themselves. Sakura, on the other hand, did not dare to interfere, despite wanting to join them. Her mother could tell so, but she was very much aware of how her daughter didn’t want forced friendships because of her meddling; Sakura thought it would be awkward and embarrassing.

“You should try at least, darling.” “What if they think I’m… annoying?” Sakura worried at her bottom lip, eyes watery. “Oh, come on, they don’t even know you, no one could be this mean!” Her daughter just shrugged and looked up into the bright blue sky. She hoped it would rain, but no clouds seemed to gather at all.

The sound of some steps distracted her from staring into the void. Her eyes were now glued to the people who were approaching the park. The girl assumed the two of them were brothers, even though the only thing they visibly had in common was the pitch black hair and fair skin. One of them had a combat uniform on, but he appeared to be relaxed and carefree, grinning and having his attention focused only on his younger brother. The latter seemed to be bragging about everything going through his mind, as Sakura noticed he did not shut his mouth for one second.

They must have a wonderful bond.

However, when Sakura thought they were approaching her, she turned her gaze down, to the grass; she felt so intimidated. “Oh, are they not Mikoto’s children!” she heard her mother saying. Mebuki waved her hand, and the older brother did the same in return. Now they were clearly walking in their direction. Sakura freaked out on the inside, but then saw how the younger brother no longer had the same enthusiasm as before; he had grown  quiet and his moves were now minimal. “Long time no see, Itachi! How you’ve grown!” “Haruno-san, really glad to see you. I suppose she is your daughter?” Before the blonde could respond, the little girl spoke up. “Sakura, nice to meet you two.” She was now a bit more confident in herself. She smiled and looked directly into their eyes with warmth and kindness.

“Come on, do the same. It’s really not that hard,” whispered Itachi to Sasuke. While he had his arms crossed to his chest, probably trying to show some superiority, his insecurity was given away by the lack of eye contact with the girl. “Sasuke,” he proceeded to say after a few seconds. The boy finally looked into her eyes, and he noticed just how big and mesmerising they were. As he stared into them, his cheeks caught a pink tint, but so did Sakura’s. Her distinct features were something new to him, but also captivating. Another thing that stood out in her appearance, besides her odd pink hair, was her forehead.

Is it normal to have such a big forehead?

“Don’t just stand there, get to know each other! Who knows, you just might end up in the same classroom next week!” said Mebuki.

“Maybe they feel pressured, Haruno-san,” chuckled Itachi. “If you feel like it, mom is free today. I think she would be pleased to spend some time with you. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on them.” Mebuki pondered if she should let her daughter alone. But she noticed immediately how Sakura gave her a reassuring look, just like the older Uchiha. “I suppose I can trust you with this, Itachi. But be careful nothing happens to my beloved daughter!” she tried to sound fierce, yet her voice slipped into (ma playful tone “I’m sure that won’t be the case,” Itachi smiled in return. “Nice to meet you again, Sasuke. Sakura, take care! I won’t be gone for long.” “See you, mama!” she waved to her mother, then turned back to Sasuke. The two of them sat down on the grass, while Itachi made himself comfortable under a tree’s shadow to study some strategies. However, he was still careful the two children wouldn’t wander off on their own.

“Your brother is a ninja, am I right?” Despite Sasuke being the one asked, she gazed into Itachi’s direction, still fascinated with his uniform and overall way of being. “Not any ninja, mind you!” Suddenly, his excitement returned. “He became an ANBU member at 11 years old! I so want to be like him!” “Yeah, right…” she smiled politely and just nodded. The girl didn’t know how the rankings worked yet. She could tell, though, that Sasuke was really proud of his brother. “I think it’s cool that you already know what you’re aiming for in your future. I am still not sure what being a ninja actually means.” “What do you mean you’re not sure? Being a ninja means becoming strong so you can protect the ones you love!” Anyone could tell the kid genuinely believed in his words. And to Sakura, it somehow made sense. She always expected a sophisticated explanation of what a ninja has to do, but Sasuke’s point of view was a good start for her. Suddenly the Academy was no longer a dark mystery, but rather something she grew eager to discover. “But it’s tough to get at the top, so beware of everything,” he advised Sakura. “Is this a challenge, Sasuke-kun?” “I’m just saying I will do what I can to get at the top,” he tried to sound cocky and confident. “If you are so determined, then I’m rooting for you.” With such kind and selfless words, Sakura unawarely disarmed Sasuke of his earlier attitude; his face was once again warmer and pink. “You’re annoying,” he muttered. The girl was at first shocked and hurt by his reply; her eyes even turned a bit wet. But as she knew better than just crying, Sakura took a deep breath and gave him a piercing look. “That’s rude of you, ya know? I bet you don’t have any friends!” “Do you, though?”

Silence fell between the two of them for a while, as they frowned at each other. Shortly after they suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, as they couldn’t take each other seriously anymore. “Then that makes two of us,” Sakura managed to say after they calmed down. “But I think we have plenty of time.” “You think so?” “Mhm,” she nodded in approval, “For starters, I’ve heard we have to learn to work in teams. That usually means at least 3 people.” He now appeared a bit thoughtful. Why 3? It was an abstract concept to Sasuke for the moment. He wanted to argue that Itachi was doing well on his own, but that would’ve been a lie; he wasn’t exactly on his own, since he had Shisui by his side. Still, they were two.

“Nee, Sasuke-kun, what’s your favorite food?” the girl inquired. “Uhh, that’d be rice balls with tomatoes,” he replied. “That’s as easy dish to make! Maybe, one day, you’d like to try some made by me.” Her kindness was overwhelming to Sasuke, so he couldn’t help but blush for the millionth time that day. The girl really was annoying. But he had to admit he really enjoyed her company. “It would be nice.” Sasuke simply decided to just stare at her again, this time in a more obvious manner. This made Sakura question his decision, so she gave him a concerned look. After all, it was justified.

To him, her appearance was odd, but not necessarily in a bad way. All her traits were different from what he had seen until meeting her. What he noticed this time is how she wore her hair; it was short. Really short compared to the girls in his clan. It was also relatively spikey and kind of messy. “Have you always worn your hair short like this?” “Since I can remember, yeah. I like it this way.” “That’s such a shame, Sakura,” he tried to tease her, “I have a preference for longer hair.” She refused to fall for this, though. “But you said being a ninja is about being strong and able to protect your family. I don’t want my hair to get in my way. None of us can have it all,” she stuck her tongue out at him, and the boy laughed in return. “You certainly aren’t dumb.” “I have a good memory, that’s what my parents say,” she said proudly, “but if you really like someone, the haircut won’t matter.” “How can you be so sure?” “The duckbutt haircut is not my favorite,” her dorky grin was large and really funny looking, but Sasuke only wanted to hide his burning face. She did that thing again and it was simply embarrassing. And how dare she call his haircut in such way? He put his hand through his hair and almost whispered “It’s not a duckbutt. And you barely know me.” “I can tell that you are cute and somehow kind, despite your tough shell.” “…Thanks, I guess.”

For a short amount of time, they stayed silent as they looked nowhere at all. Laying in the grass, now, just like that, the kids felt good. Sakura was fascinated by Sasuke and felt like she had to know more about him. Plus, she also found him extremely cute. Teasing him about it was kind of funny, to a certain point.

Sasuke felt her pushing his shoulder lightly. She was now standing up and jumping from a leg to another. “Tag! You’re it!” To that, he couldn’t help but smirk. “You asked for it, Sakura.” Their giggles could be heard by everyone in the park, but they didn’t seem to notice, and neither did they care. They were enjoying themselves and it’s all that mattered. Itachi felt accomplished, knowing he helped his little brother realise something very important.

“Who gave you permission to skip today’s training?” he heard someone from behind, trying to sound bossy. Of course it was no other than Shisui. “I did,” he replied nonchalantly. “That’s not like you at all.” He paused and looked around. It took him a while, but he was extremely surprised to see that the boy running around with that pink-haired girl was Sasuke. Usually, he would be cold to anyone but his brother, so this was really unusual to see. But he believed it was a good change, nonetheless. “Did you make him befriend her?” “Yes and no. She is the daughter of an ex classmate of my mother back from the Academy days. We met by chance here. But I believe Sasuke would have stepped back if he didn’t like her.” “But I suppose he does.” Itachi slowly nodded with a slight smile on his lips.

“Who lost?” Sakura could barely speak. “I don’t know.” He could feel his heart beating through his entire body. “But I sure am tired.” The two of them were on the ground, almost out of breath. “I’m so hungry! I feel like I could eat a dozen bowls of soba.” “Ditto. Wanna come over?” “Huh?” She could easily feel how her entire face was slowly turning hot. Noticing that, the boy started blushing as well. He wished he could stay oblivious to his current state. “Don’t make such a big fuss out of it,” he broke the eye contact discreetly, “it’s just a meal. Mom would be glad to meet you.” “Oh, that is awesome!” she shouted full of excitement.

He looked at her again, observing how she drastically changed from a moment to another; that’s how she had acted throughout their day, and he found her energy and kinda goofy behavior at first annoying. But it didn’t take him long to realise it wasn’t something bad, that she had to change. That was her and just like that, she had her own charm. The girl’s face was also really cute. Those big emerald eyes were unique, something he could stare into forever. Sasuke was truly fascinated with Haruno Sakura. “Is there anything wrong?” “Eh?” he shook his head in confusion. “You’re staring at me.” Embarrassment was what he felt in that moment; how could he be so obvious about it? As he looked around, thinking for an excuse, his eyes landed once again on her face, but this time on her forehead.

Just what the hell is up with it?

He tried picturing Sakura with what would be considered a normal forehead, but the image was so out of place. Even if he barely met her that day, a Sakura with the smallest change is her physique would not feel right . She was just fine with that billboard forehead. With his index and middle finger, he reached for it, lightly poking Sakura. This was followed by a smirk and a confused look from her. “What about it? I know I have a huge forehead, let it be.” “It’s just perfect for doing this.” “Doing what? What did that mean?” “I’m not sure myself either,” he glanced with the corner of his eyes at Itachi, then returned to Sakura, “but I am sure it’s something important.” Despite not understanding what the brunet meant, the girl smiled. “Maybe we figure it out together someday.” Sakura wasn’t sure whether he heard her or not, but it didn’t really matter to her after all.

“You alright?”

Sakura was in her husband’s arms, in the bed of their house. After a long day of work at the hospital, she could finally relax and enjoy some time with Sasuke. The small lamp on the nightstand made the atmosphere lazy and sleepy, but both of them needed it. “All good, darling. Just a bit nostalgic.” He raised an eyebrow, giving her a somewhat questioning look. “I remembered about a lovely day that happened once upon a time,” she suggested in a teasing voice. “And what is that?” She put her index finger on her lower lip, thinking about a good hint to give Sasuke. “It’s such a shame you gave up on that haircut of yours; it was really cute. Though, it wasn’t really my thing at first.” He rolled his eyes at her words; it was clear what she was referring to. “How come you still remember that day? It’s been years.” “You just confirmed you remember it as well! Don’t try to play all tough and serious with me.” Quickly, she tried reaching for his abdomen to tickle him, but he acted a lot faster. Sakura was in tears from all the laughter, and when she managed to catch her breath, she tried to ask him to stop. When he decided to comply, Sakura made herself comfortable again, this time with her head in his shoulder. His eyes were now glued to hers; he found himself once again stuck on admiring something he had seen millions of times before, but he’d never get tired of.

“Sakura?” “Mm?” “I love you.” She widened her eyes at first, but then a playful smirk formed on her lips. She put her arm around him and closed her eyes. He sighed and nodded. “Annoying,” Sasuke almost whispered. “That’s more like you, darling.”

@narutosecretsantas

[arrowsbane]

the ghosts that we knew (will flicker from view)

@Sumigakure​ Halloween Event 2017

Original Prompt: Prompt 14: Bleach AU [FFN | AO3]

Word count: 1243

Notes: This was mainly inspired by the fact that I was dying to have Sasuke tell Naruto “…I see dead people.” and be 1000% serious. I got my wish.

Summary: Sasuke isn’t born seeing ghosts, but it doesn’t change the fact that he spends half his life listening to their complaints. OR, Sasuke can see the dead, and Minato is stuck in limbo ferrying the dead to the Pure Land.

Contrary to popular belief, Sasuke isn’t born with the dead screaming in his ears or lingering in the corner of his eyes. He’s born completely normal, a hundred percent human with a rather simple destiny. Live, love, fight, and die.

But then the massacre happens.

Then Itachi burns his mind with black fire, and something inside his soul… fractures.

Two weeks later, and he’s waking up in a too-white room in a hospital; being told the irrefutable truth – that his family is dead, and his brother is a murderer.

And then he goes home, to an empty compound that seems so cold it’s a wonder it’s not covered in frost and snow. But the thing is, it’s not so empty. In fact, it’s just as full as always.

Because now Sasuke can see the dead, and this changes everything.

…

It doesn’t take long for his family to realise that he can see them just as easily as he can see the living, and they surround him with love and support.

Whether it’s helping him with his homework, or teaching how to cook, listing 1001 non-ninja uses for a kunai, or even just Great Aunt Miwa waffling on about how to tend to onion plants and how important the roots are – and Sasuke is pretty sure there’s something she’s not telling him here, but he’s six and living in the twilight zone, so meh – it doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that it’s important to note that Sasuke is never alone.

It’s also important to understand that this is not necessarily a good thing.

Sasuke is six years old (seven in the summer), and now he lives and breathes death in a way that makes aged veterans look like unbloodied children.

His waking hours are filled with the ghosts of his family, and he finds himself ‘playing ninja’ with the echoes of children so young that they don’t actually know they’re dead, who don’t know they can never grow up, never fulfil their dreams.

And then he closes his eyes, and dreams of blood and screams and why Itachi?

He can never be free of this curse.

…

Summer passes in a blurry haze, fading into autumn, which freezes as winter creeps in, and then melts into spring. The cycle passes at least once more before Sasuke talks to a ghost who wasn’t an Uchiha in life.

It’s a warm, balmy evening, and Sasuke finds himself hiding from the evening heat by relaxing on the roof of one of his cousins’ houses, in the shade provided by the trees. It’s nice up there – the breeze is cooling him off after a long day of training, and best of all, no relatives.

Sasuke closes his eyes and tilts his head back, humming softly in contentment. Two feet up at his three ‘o clock, a roof tile clinks as weight presses down on it.

“Go away Shisui,” Sasuke grumbles, not bothering to open his eyes. Is five minutes of peace and quiet too much to ask for?

Shisui doesn’t answer, which is suspicious, so Sasuke cracks open an eye.

It’s not his cousin after all, the place is occupied by a strange blonde dressed in a black kosade and hakama, over a white shikagi. The blonde’s outline flickers ever-so-slightly, and Sasuke sighs.

Fucking ghosts.

He’s a medium, but that doesn’t mean he’s bound by law or anything to put up with their shit.

“Get off my roof loser,” He snaps. The ghost ignores him.

“Hey,” Sasuke hisses, eyes narrowing, “I’m talking to you, you stupid undead fucker.”

It’s probably a good thing Mikoto is back at home looking over his homework, because if she’d been there to hear the words Shisui and Cousin Arashi had taught him, she’d have washed his mouth out with soap – or at the very least scolded him until he’d apologized, being incorporeal and all.

The blonde shuffles, sweeping his bored gaze from left to right, still completely ignoring Sasuke – who finally loses his patience and tosses a rock (he likes to keep four or five pebbles in his pockets just in case,) through the man, who finally deigns to look his way.

“Get. Off. My. Roof.” He growls, completely fed up with the interloper.

The ghost blinks, shocked.

“You can see me?” He yelps.

And then the fucker trips over thin air, and falls off the roof.

It’s a good thing he’s already dead, because he’s too stunned to land on his feet.

…

As it turns out, the blonde airhead is actually the ghost of the Fourth Hokage – and isn’t that a mindfuck and a half, because how on earth did somebody this ridiculous wind up the military dictator of a shinobi village?

“And you’re bound here because…?” Sasuke prods, eyeing up the dead man.

“That’s… complicated,” Namikaze admits, reaching up to scratch the back of his head in a rather familiar mannerism that Sasuke is so sure he’s seen somewhere before.

“So un-complicate it,” Sasuke drawls, and the proceeds to drag the truth from the ex-Hokage piece by painful piece until all the cards are laid out. 

To the average nine year old, the concept of sealing a mass of sentient chakra into an infant might be a bit much to deal with – but Sasuke passed the point of ‘ordinary’, and slid right into the category of ‘rather unusual and altogether most likely unique’ a long time ago.

It’s the beginning of a rather interesting partnership, and as it turns out that between Sasuke’s ability to interact with the dead and Minato’s ability of helping said spirits to cross into the Pure Lands, they make a very good team.

…

In one life, Sasuke would have tread the path of revenge, but in this life… Sasuke just does his best to live. He’s got a thousand voices whispering into his ears – some for peace, some demand revenge, some whisper of a coup that-never-was. But most of all, they encourage him to enjoy what time he has left.

He’s ten, and alone-but-not-alone, and constantly handled with kid gloves by the living.

There’s not really much he can enjoy.

He says as much to his companion one night, when they’re leaning against a slanted rooftop and watching the stars fade into the dawn.

“But have you considered Seals?” Minato says, eyes glinting mischievously.

People always assume that Naruto’s penchant for pranking comes from his mother. They never stop to consider that like attracts like, and that Minato was known for his trapping abilities and his love of surprises – the combination of which, was known to be devastating on the battlefield.

“I’m listening,” Sasuke replies, ever curious.

…

Years later, when they’re stuck on the same Genin team, and grumpily bitching over how late their perverted sensei is, Naruto sucks in a deep breath, turns to his teammates, and blurts out:

“So, I’m a Jinchuriki.” He looks nervous, twitchy, like he’s ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. Sakura frowns, not understanding the importance of the word, because Jinchuriki isn’t exactly the kind of thing they covered in the Academy.

“Okay,” Sasuke says, not missing a beat, “tell me something I don’t know.”

“How did you know?” Naruto looks baffled, “Until last week, I didn’t know!”

Sasuke shrugs, and goes back to sharpening his kunai, Shisui snickering in the branches above. Beside him, Minato beams. A smile curls at the corners of Sasuke’s mouth, and he shrugs.

“…I see dead people.”