Naruto 1. Encounters

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto **

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 1

Sasuke sat in the teahouse, and there was a faint sound of music in the background. The music consisted of the melodic tunes of a bamboo flute. The teahouse bustled with the excessive chatter of men and women, but Sasuke ignored them. He sat in a corner far off from everyone else, a bottle of plumb sake sat on the table in front of him, and he took a sip of it out of a saucer like cup. Sasuke had on a gray cloak that hid his body, and a katana mounted on his hip. The alcohol alleviated his tense body, but Sasuke knew that the alleviation would be short-lived. He was constantly on guard to the outside world around him, it was the direct result of wandering, aimlessly through the shinobi world. Whenever he slept, if that is what you want to call it, he found himself aware of any kind of noises being made in his presence. This presented a problem for him, often Sasuke slept in caves or exposed to the elements, and even the faint whistling of the wind caused him to be on edge.

The noises that he found himself aware of couldn't possibly be made by a human being. He knew that no one would dare sneak up on him, not if they valued their lives, and the likelihood of that happening was slim. Not in this so called Era in Peace. It sickened Sasuke to no end! Villages that once were enemies were now good friends, and the philosophy of loving your neighbor had become a widespread accepted ideal. The Fourth Shinobi War had transformed the world that Sasuke had grown adapted to, a world that was cruel, unforgiving, where people used you for their own gain. Sasuke found himself alienated from this new world, he was so accustomed to seeing conflict between shinobi, hell, he had even been a part of the conflict. However, Sasuke would not subject himself to this new era of peace! Everyone else was swayed by it, abandoning all of their initial motives for their actions, but Sasuke was not an easily influenced young man.

* * *

><p>There were so many who thought that the new peace would change Sasuke, bring him back to Konoha, and Sasuke would redeem himself in the form of becoming a benevolent shinobi. What fucking fools! These incompetent fools included Sakura, and that fucking dobe, Naruto. Hell, Naruto had even built him a new estate in the newly resurrected Konoha. They had built the estate for Sasuke after he aided them in the war, thinking that he would join the village afterwards, but they were sadly placing false hope in him. Sasuke had seen the estate once or twice, it was nice he had to admit, fit for the sole heir of the Uchiha clan, and at times Sasuke did stay at the estate. He would go into Konohagakure without being noticed by anyone, and he would stay there for a couple of days. It beat having to sleep in a hotel room, or outside. However, the presence of Konoha was insufferable, he could only look and be in it for so long. It reminded him of his failed plan to decimate Konohagakure, to wipe its inhabitants off the face of the earth, and send them into the afterlife.<p>

Two young men got up to their feet, one of the men staggered back, and his cheeks were flushed red. The women who poured their drinks, snickered at the sight, and the men balled up their fists.

"You want to fight, Ryuuji?" The severely drunk man asked, curiously. "I can take you on!"

"As if, Jobo!" Ryuuji snickered at him, and he wrapped his arm around his drunken friend's neck. "Why fight each other when we can start a teahouse brawl?" Ryuuji's drunken friend grinned, wildly at the thought, and he started to look around the room.

"Who wants to fight, anyone!" Jobo shouted. Jobo staggered to other tables, eyeing the men who sat with other women, and the teahouse fell silent. The women looked at the two young men, slightly apprehensive for what would come next, and Sasuke stared at Jobo, disgusted.

"What a fucking nuisance." Sasuke took a gulp of his sake, placing the money onto the table, and he put the hood up on his cloak. He walked past Jobo, Sasuke kept his eyes forward underneath the hood, and a hand came flying on his shoulder. Sasuke's body stiffened, and he scowled as his hand moved to his katana.

* * *

><p>"Hey, you, where do you think you are going?" Ryuuji demanded. Sasuke didn't answer him, and he turned around. Half of his face was darkened by the hood, obscuring the identity of the Uchiha heir. Ryuuji twitched when he saw that Sasuke would not answer him, and he whistled to his drunken friend. "Hey, come over here, Jobo, I think we have found your man to fight" Jobo turned, grinning at the sight of Sasuke, and he walked up to him.<p>

"So, you want to leave out of here on me eh?" Jobo asked Sasuke. He frowned when he saw that he wouldn't get a rise out of Sasuke, and Sasuke kept his mouth in defined line without any hint of emotion.

_I don't have time for such senseless bullshit._

"He's not much of a talker, Ryuuji." Jobo observed, quickly. "And just who the hell are you." Jobo reached to grab Sasuke's hood, Sasuke unsheathed his katana, and the blade sat underneath his arm, ready to cut it off. The movements made his hood fall, revealing Sasuke's crimson eyes, and his face was hard. There was a heaviness placed in the air, suddenly, as everyone in the teahouse realized the man who stood before them was no other than the murderous traitor, Sasuke Uchiha.

"Touch me, and you will be living without that arm." Sasuke threatened, menacingly. Jobo staggered backwards as his eyes pulsed with apprehension, and Ryuuji raised his hands up in front of him.

"Sorry, we didn't know!" Sasuke smirked at the Ryuuji, and Ryuuji staggered backwards as Sasuke approached him. Ryuuji ended up, collapsing on his back, and he looked at Sasuke, horrified.

"What?" The Uchiha heir asked, disappointed. He pointed his sword to the man's throat. "I thought you wanted to fight?"

Ryuuji began to stammer. "No, I-I-" Sasuke cut him off.

"Are a pathetic piece of shit." Sasuke informed, curtly, and his gaze directed to Jobo. Jobo looked at Sasuke with his jaw clenched, and his hands were shaking.

"Leave him alone." Jobo commanded Sasuke, Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him, and he walked up to Jobo. Sasuke watched Jobo tremble with each step towards him, and he couldn't help, but chuckle at the sight. He grabbed Jobo by the collar, and lifted him off the ground.

"You dare command me?" Sasuke hissed. His grip tightened on Job's collar, his knuckles pushing into Jobo's throat, and Jobo shook his head as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Please, I have a wife and children." Jobo pleaded. The Uchiha heir stared at him, icily, and he scoffed at Jobo's excuse.

"Hmph!" Sasuke threw Jobo away from him like a rag doll, and Jobo hit the ground with a loud thud. "Like I give a fuck if you have wife or kids." He headed out the teahouse, leaving the atmosphere of the teahouse filled with fear, and Sasuke wandered away from there. The teahouse was located in a small village that was isolated from the rest of the world, it was the kind of village that Sasuke often took refuge in, since its inhabitants were just common ordinary folk. There were no shinobi in the village, and Sasuke liked it that way. The Uchiha heir pulled his hood back over his head, and he cursed underneath his breath. If it wasn't for that altercation in the teahouse, Sasuke would be able to take a room at a hotel in the village, but he knew that word would soon spread about the Uchiha's presence.

"That is just fucking great." The Uchiha heir snarled. The clouds began to darken, and the sky started to rumble with the sign of an alteration in the climate. Sasuke looked up at the sky, a rain droplet started to hit against the ground, and soon one droplet multiplied into many. Sasuke looked up at the sky as a rain droplets hit his cheek, rolling off his skin, and onto his shoulder.

"It would be fucking raining." Sasuke was not too keen on sleeping in the rain, he had grown weary of sleeping outside because that was last resort kind of thing. The Uchiha heir wasn't near any forest neither, Sasuke began to weigh out his options as the rain began to saturate his rain, gluing it to his skin. Well, he could just sleep in his estate in Konoha since Konoha was not too far away. Cursing at the predicament he was in, Sasuke made his way to Konoha, reluctantly.

* * *

><p>Konoha was clearly visible for miles, and the lights were vibrant through the blanket that the rain. Sasuke ran up towards Konoha, making sure that his movements were quiet, and he stopped at the outskirts of the village. He watched two shinobi look into the abyss, lazily, and bored. Also, Sasuke noticed that the shinobi guarded the gates of Konohagakure, halfheartedly, and the Uchiha heir chuckled to himself. He did some hand signs, creating a clone, and the clone moved forward towards the gates. He sat there, watching his clone create a diversion to distract the two shinobi, and they took notice of the clone. The shinobi ran after the clone as fast as they could, Sasuke made sure that no one was coming back, and he moved towards the gate. Taking advantage of how gullible they were, he slipped into the gates, and made sure that no one was looking at him. Sasuke made his way to the estate, but he could have sworn he saw the faint figure of a Konoha shinobi, and it caused him to instinctively reach for his sword. However, Sasuke was too fatigued to deal with the shit right now, and he pursed his lips. The Uchiha heir awaited for a shinobi to come for him, but none did.<p>

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted to himself. The Uchiha heir headed for the estate, and the estate stood far off away from everyone else. The estate stood, empty, and somewhat haunting as opposed to the other homes. The gates were closed up, and Sasuke pushed past the gates. He closed the gates behind him, quickly, and the Uchiha heir stood behind the gate. He wanted to make sure there was no commotion, and he walked into house. The walls were bare, there was nothing in the house except for the necessities, and Sasuke walked into the bedroom. He stripped down his clothes, tossing them to the corner, and he opened the closet. There was rows of untouched men's kimonos aligned adjacent beside on another, and Sasuke scoffed at the sight. He put on a white kimono, and fell onto the bed. The Uchiha heir found himself, staring at the ceiling, and the house was eerily still. The sound of the rain hitting against the roof was peaceful, the bed was comfortable, and it beat sleeping in any cheap hotel bed or out in the open environment. The Uchiha heir felt his eyes get heavy, and soon he drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

><p>-The next day-<p>

The sound of lively Konoha citizens woke Sasuke up, he frowned to himself at the sound, and Sasuke lifted up in the bed.

"_It would be quiet if I would have killed everyone."_ Sasuke thought to himself. Sasuke fell back in the bed, putting his arm over his face, and a knock came at the door. Sasuke's sharingan activated, instantly, and he got up off the bed. He grabbed his katana, walking through the house, cautiously, and Sasuke leaned up against the wall. He figured that whoever it was would end up leaving, but the knocking continued to persist.

"Sasuke!" shouted a voice. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he immediately recognized the voice, and he growled at himself. _Naruto._

"What is he doing here?" Sasuke thought back to the figure he could have sworn he had seen, and he cursed underneath his breath. He had let his fatigue get in the way of his judgment, the Uchiha heir should have known when he saw that figure that he should have left right there. Sasuke knew that Naruto would not go away, but Sasuke was not going to humor him. He stood against the wall, the knocking became frantic, and the Uchiha heir watched the door shake underneath the force of the knocks. Sasuke watched the door, cautiously, and then the knocks subsided into nothing. He kept his eyes on the door, and Naruto busted through it.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "I know that you are here, I can sense your chakra!" Sasuke walked out to meet his former teammate, and he pointed his sword at Naruto. The hokage's jacket was draped over Naruto's clothes, and Naruto crossed his arms. "I heard you came last night."

"So." Sasuke sneered.

"So do you like the estate?" Naruto asked, curiously. Sasuke looked at him, apathetically, and he put his hand on his hip.

"Don't mistaken, I will be leaving today." Sasuke informed." Now get out, and fix the damn door."

"Oh yeah, sorry." Naruto chuckled at him, as a smile came across his face, and he scratched his head. "So what makes you come to Konohagakure?"

"None of your business." Sasuke growled. The Uchiha heir looked at the warm smile on the Jinchuuriki host's face, and it made him grind his teeth at the sight. He was not here on any friendly visit, he didn't yearn to see his blasts from the past, and all he wanted was a warm bed.

"So how have you been?" Naruto inquired. "You look good." Sasuke didn't answer him, but he saw Naruto was going to keep up the one sided conversation. "So you know, I have become Hokage, and I have gotten married to Sakura."

"Congratulations." Sasuke said, condescendingly.

"You could live here, you know, instead of living that nomadic life of yours." Naruto smiled at him, wryly.

"No, now get out." The Uchiha heir reiterated.

"Okay, I can see that you have you mind set up." Sasuke saw a sullen look spread across Naruto's face, he watched Naruto walk up to the door, and he placed the door back on the hinges. The Uchiha heir lowered his katana when the door closed, and he walked back into the bedroom. Sasuke picked up his clothes, but they were still saturated. He took them outside with a stream of water trailing behind him, and Sasuke laid the clothes out onto the porch. The Uchiha heir figured that he would let them dry, and then be on his way. His stomach growled, lowly, Sasuke walked into the kitchen, and he opened the fridge. The fridge was empty to his surprise, and he slammed the door shut. It meant that he would have to go out into the town, and Sasuke cursed his body for such primal needs. The Uchiha heir grabbed a pair of sandals, and he took some money out of the pocket of his clothes. He walked out of the gate, some of the inhabitants of Konohagakure quickly took notice of him, and there was a series of whispers that broke out.

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><p>A woman shielded her child away from Sasuke, avoiding eye contact with her husband pushing him along, hastily. Some children played with a ball along the streets, the ball came heading towards Sasuke, and it hit him against his leg. The children stopped, catching sight of Sasuke, and he directed his sinister glare to the ball and then back to the children. Sasuke left the ball where it was, walking past it, and the children hid until he was away from them. He watched the children grab the ball, scurrying away as fast as they could, and Sasuke smirked to himself.<p>

_They feared him, the villagers, the sight of them struck dismay in their hearts. _

It delighted him to a certain degree, but the Uchiha heir could see that it was becoming a quick nuisance. This is why he liked to stay in villages that were unaware of his identity. The Uchiha heir walked into the first restaurant that he could find in Konohagakure's district. The people in the restaurant stopped eating, immediately, an eerie silence fell over the restaurant, and Sasuke walked over to a booth. He relaxed, closing his eyes, and he placed his chin in his hand, awaiting for his waitress or waiter. It wasn't long before a waitress was assigned to his table, and she walked up to Sasuke, hesitantly. The waitress had a menus in her hands, and she placed one in front of him.

"Hi, my name is Ofumiko and I will be your servant today" Ofumiko introduced. "What would you like to drink?"

"Water" The Uchiha heir commanded, not making eye contact as boredom spread across his face. "And I would like to order now"

"Oh!" said Ofumiko "p-please hold on, let me get out my notepad" Ofumiko searched in her pocket, fumbling through it, frantically, and Sasuke looked at her, annoyed. She looked young, probably about his same age, maybe a year younger, but that was all irrelevant and superfluous information to Sasuke, and Ofumiko pulled out her notepad.

"I would like a plate of takoyaki, and a bowl of katsudon" commanded Sasuke. He picked up the useless menu, and Ofumiko nodded at him. She took the menu, turning around and almost running away from his table. The Uchiha heir could hear the whispers in the restaurant.

"_Why is he here?" _

"_I thought he was a wander, and nobody" _

"_No, doubt he is here planning something."_

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><p>Sasuke sighed at the gossip, he looked around the restaurant, and caught sight of Ino sitting at a table not too far from him. Ino looked at him, baffled with her mouth hung agape, and Sasuke stared at her, uninterested. His gaze directed to those who were sitting at the table with her, there was no one that he had paid particular interest in, except for one. The Hyuuga heiress. Hinata sat across from Ino, she looked at Sasuke, shyly, and Sasuke stared at her. He had never really paid attention to her, only that she was too kind for her own good and she was extremely weak. However, the Uchiha heir had also remembered how strong she was during the fight with Madara. It was clearly evident that the Hyuuga heiress had grown, exponentially in perfecting her byakugan, and Sasuke began to smirk to himself. He had just found the key to his boredom. Sasuke would test his skills against her, he had never fought with a Hyuuga before, and if she proved to be worthy. The Uchiha heir would strike up an alliance with the Hyuuga heiress. The Uchiha heir watched Kiba who was sitting next Ino get up, Sasuke glared at him, and he walked over to the table.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Kiba asked, angrily. "You should not be here."

"Oh?" Sasuke asked, coldly as he stood up. "And why is that?" Kiba cringed at him, Akamaru appeared next to Kiba, and he growl at Sasuke. Sasuke looked at the dog, and he let out a chuckle.

"Keeping a mutt around I see." Sasuke sneered.

"What did the fuck did you just say?" Kiba reached to grab the collar of Sasuke's kimono, Sasuke balled up his fists, and his onyx eyes flashed to crimson ones. The Uchiha heir watched Ino and Hinata walk over to them, hurriedly.

"Stop it, Kiba." Ino commanded, trying to ease the situation. "You really shouldn't cause a scene."

"This asshole already did the moment he walked into Konoha." Kiba objected. "So tell me why are you here, to destroy the village, to eradicate us off the face of the earth, tell me."

"I don't owe any of you an explanation."

"P-please stop it." Hinata pleaded, softly. Kiba looked at her as the anger suddenly disappeared off his face, and Hinata looked at Sasuke. "I'm sorry, w-we have disturbed you. Uchiha-san." Sasuke stared at her, icily, and he pursed his lips. Her voice was soft and gentle, it agitated him. "We are d-delighted to have y-you back here in Konoha."

"I hardly doubt that." Sasuke scoffed.

"I'm sorry for the r-reception that y-you are getting." Hinata murmured, lowly.

"Why?" The Uchiha heir glared at her. "Why are you sorry?"

"Because e-everyone is a human being and s-should not be ostracized regardless of w-what they did in the past." Hinata explained with a warm smile.

_Definitely, too kind._

"So tell me, Hyuuga, why are you associating yourself with such low company?" Sasuke asked, coolly.

"What the hell did you just say?" Ino asked, angrily. Sasuke ignored the irate expression on Ino's face, and he kept his eyes on Hinata. "And she has a name."

"They are not l-low company." Hinata said, defensively. She frowned at him, and Hinata pursed her lips.

"Whatever." The Uchiha growled. "Then that makes you a low life for associating with them."

"I am n-not." He watched her cheeks flush red in embarrassment and perhaps anger. " Y-you shouldn't say such cruel things to p-people."

"I don't give a fuck." Sasuke chuckled at her.

"Come on, Hinata, you don't need this!" Kiba grabbed Hinata's arm, and he began to lead her towards the door. Ino stared at Sasuke, infuriated before she followed behind them, and the Uchiha heir smirked as Hinata took one last look at him. If he was going to have Hinata filled his boredom, it meant that Sasuke would have to stay in Konoha till he was satisfied with her, and he cringed at the thought. However, he would be sleeping in a nice warm bed, and he would have warm food to eat instead of scraps.

"Guess, I will be staying after all." The Uchiha heir murmured to himself, and a sadistic grin spread across his face. "Till we meet again. Hinata Hyuuga."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator. **


	2. Hinderances

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 2

Word soon spread that Sasuke would be staying in Konohagakure despite his efforts to keep his presence inconspicuous. Hell, Sasuke had only been seen twice after he had first arrived into Konohagakure, but that was enough. The village was so interconnected, everyone knew each other, and this made it available for gossip to spread like wild fire. Sasuke didn't even have to go outside his gates to hear some of the chit-chat among the hoi polloi. There were a few commonalities among the gossip, and it included some phases like:

"_I can't believe the Hokage is allowing such a man to live in the village."_

"_Now, I will have to sleep in fear that he will come rob me of my life."_

"_Such a demon doesn't belong here."_

To avoid all of it, Sasuke stayed inside of the estate most of the time, and he slept most of the day. As for food, Sasuke saved the food from the restaurant, and he had been eating bit and parts of it. He didn't eat a whole lot since he lived a nomadic life, there were times where food was not available, and so it was a habit of his to savor as much as he would. However, being confined within the four walls of the estate could only be tolerated for so long, and the Uchiha heir found himself venturing out.

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><p>Sasuke stood in the forest, the forest was still with the noise of birds chirping in the evergreen trees, and he huffed, excessively. A huge tree stood in front of him, the bark was black, and the remnants of the dead wood crumbled off its base. He figured that he would train by himself for a while, it had been long since the Uchiha heir had tested his abilities and he wanted to make sure that they weren't dull. The Uchiha raised his katana, as a bright blue electric flow descended down the blade, and Sasuke struck the tree as hard as he could. The tree shuddered at the sheer force, and Sasuke stared at the tree. He began to admire how deep his katana cut into the tree because it was one of the things that Sasuke always made sure of when he traveled to different places. He always made sure that the blade was sharp, the Uchiha heir wanted to be assured that when he unsheathed the sword to bring it down upon someone, that it would cut flesh.<p>

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted as a cocky smirk played on his lips. The sound of leaves crushing broke the Uchiha heir out of his thoughts, Sasuke tightened the grip on his sword, and he pointed it in the direction of the sound. A familiar chakra began to fill the air, and he sighed in annoyance. "Don't you have some fucking duties or bullshit to do instead of bothering me?" Naruto chuckled, lowly and he appeared out from behind a tree

"I figured that you would be out here." The Jinchuuriki host's gaze directed to the mangled tree. "Don't you think you have done enough damage to it?"

"No, I train to kill, now what the fuck do you want?" The Uchiha heir hissed through gritted teeth.

"You have caused quite an uproar among the villagers." A grin came on Naruto's face, and he crossed his arms.

"So." Sasuke growled.

"Are you rumors true?" Naruto asked, inquisitively. "Have you decided to stay in Konohagakure?" Sasuke didn't answer his question instead he just looked at Naruto with a hard expression, and he pursed his lips. There was a momentary silence exchanged between the two men, and Naruto looked back at him, intently. Naruto was about to open his mouth to reiterate the question, and Sasuke's hand flew up to stop him.

"I heard you the first time." Sasuke stated. "I don't see why it matters to you."

"I am Hokage, I have to keep a census of everyone living in the village, you know."

"Don't give me that bullshit, it is your way to keep tabs on me." Sasuke scoffed at the excuse that the Jinchuuriki had come up with. "If you are going to bullshit at least make it good."

"Sasuke." The Jinchuuriki host said, firmly. "Just answer the question."

"The fact that I am here at this moment should be enough validation." Naruto's face lit up, and a wide smile spread across his face.

"That is great!" Naruto shouted. "For how long?"

"For as long as I fucking feel like." The Uchiha heir grimaced. Naruto nodded at him, and The Uchiha heir watched the Jinchuuriki host try to contain his elation.

_Wipe that stupid smile off your fucking face._

"Maybe since you are here, you can have dinner with everyone, and I can round up the o- "Sasuke cut him off.

"I am not here to exchange formalities, I just want the warm bed and the food." Naruto nodded at him, indicating that he had taken a mental note, and he pressed his lips together.

"I know that everyone is treating you with suspicion." The Jinchuuriki host explained. "But, I was hoping to alleviate some of the tension by showing them that you are no longer the man that you used to be."

"No that is where you are wrong, dumbass, I will _always_ be that man, and I will prove to be nothing other than that." The Uchiha heir exasperated. "That was always your fucking problem, trying to redeem me in the eyes of my _former_ peers."

_Redemption, what a silly ideal. There is no redemption for the things I have done. Redemption is not for demons._

Naruto frowned at him, and his jaw clenched up. "It would really mean a lot to everyone including Sakura to see you as a different person or in a different light."

"Like I give a fuck as to what is meaningful to your wife or anyone for that matter."

"You mean to tell me that you want to always be feared like this?" The Jinchuuriki host asked, baffled.

Sasuke chuckled at Naruto. "Of course I do."

_It keeps people away from me._

"Sasuke!" The blond headed Hokage shouted, angrily. "I don't believe that." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed together into an irate expression.

"Tch, you're a bigger dumbass than I initially thought." Sasuke derided. "Now, I'm leaving." Sasuke turned on his heels, he felt Naruto's stare bore into his back, and he disappeared into the forest. The Uchiha heir looked over his shoulder to make sure that Naruto was not following after him, and he cursed underneath his breath.

* * *

><p>This encounter with the blond headed Hokage was not something that the Uchiha heir had found to be surprising. He had predicted the possibility of Naruto confronting him as soon as he learned the news of his prolonged stay in Konohagakure. Naruto had always been stuck on the Uchiha heir, and it annoyed Sasuke to no end!<p>

Naruto was like a leech! Just you think you got rid the leech, you soon realize that it is still attached to you, and had merely moved out of you sight, temporarily. These bonds that the Uchiha heir found everyone attached to were so fucking absurd! Sure! Sasuke once had bonds, a bond with his parents, and a bond with his brother, Itachi Uchiha. However, those bonds were forcibly severed by the very shinobi village that Sasuke had once been a part of. How ironic! But, why couldn't they just leave him the fuck alone? How hard was that to comprehend! He had no desire to see his anyone from his past! And there was no way in hell, Sasuke would prove himself to be something that he was not because his past defined him in every way. His past drove his ambition, his ambition for power, for recognition, but now it was different. Sasuke had already fulfilled what he had set out to do when he left this god forsaken place, but what was there now? The Uchiha heir felt a sort of emptiness inside of him, he was searching for a new direction, and it was the primary reason for why he wandered from place to place. What does a man of war do when there is no war to be fought? The question may had seem so easy for someone to answer, but it much more complicated. It perplexed Sasuke to a certain degree, and it was why he had chosen the Hyuuga heiress to fill that emptiness. To strike up an alliance with the Hyuuga heiress, to fight against her, to test his sharingan against what is said to be the origin of his very kekkei genkai would provide the Uchiha heir with a sense of what it was like before the era of peace started. The battles, the opponents begging for mercy, the sound of bones crushing underneath his strength, oh the sheer delight! These thoughts of emptiness plagued his mind when he wasn't fighting, and the alliance with the Hyuuga heiress would be a momentary relief from them.

* * *

><p>Sasuke sighed in agitation, and he pulled the hood of the cloak over his head. He made his way towards the estate, the Uchiha heir pushed past the gates, and he found a sort of tiredness fall over him. In fact, over the course of two days, Sasuke found himself yearning to eat and sleep. He often deprived himself of sleep when traveling, and now that he was living a temporary settled life. It was catching up with him. The Uchiha heir walked inside the home, the home was so empty that it made it hard for anyone to believe that someone actually lived in it, and Sasuke walked over to the fridge. He opened the fridge in hopes of finding the remnants of some food, but there was none left. Sasuke had stretched the food from the restaurant far enough.<p>

_I have to go to the market, I can't just keep buying restaurant food._

Sasuke sighed, heavily, and he walked inside of the bedroom. He pulled out a pouch filled with money, and stuffed it inside of his pocket.

_Today is going to be filled with unnecessary interactions, I can see it now._

The Uchiha heir made his way towards the market, the villagers moved out of his way, quickly and they murmured underneath their breaths. Sasuke glared at them, angrily, and the villagers ceased their excessive chatter. The market became clearly visible, and it was extremely noisy. Merchants yelled for customers, holding out their commodities in hope to attract the attention of the people passing by, and they grinned at the sight of a caught customer. The attention of the customer meant the possibility of a sale, and a rise in their profits. As soon as the merchants caught sight of Sasuke, they shied away, but still held out their products to him with shaking hands.

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted to himself. These weaklings couldn't even contain their fear of him. How pathetic! The Uchiha heir was indecisive as to what he would make, but he was not going to stand in the crowd of people, debating. Sasuke walked up to a meat stand, there were all kinds laid out before him, and the merchant's mouth dropped to the ground. "Give me the duck, fish, pork, and beef." The merchant stared at him, blinking as if he didn't hear what Sasuke asked for, and Sasuke cringed at him. "Now!"

"Oh yes!" The merchant shouted, breathlessly. "I-I'm sorry!" The Uchiha heir glared at him as he gathered up the food, and began to wrap it up. He placed it all in a bag, and Sasuke snatched it from him.

"How much?"

"2000 yen." Sasuke placed the money on the counter, ignoring the merchant's shaking extended hand, and he walked over to another stand. However, the Uchiha heir caught sight of Hinata out the corner of his eye, and he looked up. Hinata was talking to an elderly woman, and the elderly woman slipped some food into her grocery bags. The Hyuuga heiress had some leeks along with fresh fruits in her bags, and Sasuke studied her, carefully. Hinata had a grin on her face, the elderly woman looked at her, warmly, and Sasuke smirked to himself. The Hyuuga heiress laughed as she waved at the aged woman, and he watched her make her way towards his direction. Sasuke turned on his heels, walking towards her, and she caught sight of him. He watched her face turned red, she pursed her lips, but Hinata kept a kind expression on her face. It almost looked as if she were trying to mask some emotion. Nonetheless, The Hyuuga heiress walked up to him, and she smiled at him, warmly.

* * *

><p>"Oh" Hinata said, breathlessly. "I-I didn't know you were going to be in the m-market today, Uchiha-san, how are you?"<p>

"I'm fine, just grocery shopping."

"So y-you decided to stay here?"

"Now, you know well and damn well that I decided to stay here, everyone in the village knows so I am sure that you do as well."

"I don't t-tend to tune into gossip" The Hyuuga heiress said, defensively. "Most g-gossip is fallacious, and I-I don't like it when people talk about others."

"Oh, then you would be the first person in the world, I have met like that."

"Uchiha-san, p-please stop."

"Why am I hurting your feelings?" Sasuke chuckled at her, and Hinata's gaze directed to his bags. The Uchiha heir saw her evade the question.

"If you don't m-mind me asking, what are you making for d-dinner?" Hinata looked at Sasuke, keeping that same lovely visage, and Sasuke scowled.

_I want to break her of that kindness._

"I don't know, I haven't made food for myself in ages, so I just bought whatever, why?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and Hinata held up her hands in front of her.

"I-I was just curious."

The Uchiha heir looked at her bag of leeks. "So what is a pampered young woman like you doing out here, I thought you had servants to do your own fucking cooking."

"I do, but I-I don't like them to cook for me b-because I ask enough of them already." The Hyuuga heiress fumbled with her words.

* * *

><p>"How fucking noble." Sasuke glared at her. "So tell me, did I make you upset when I said that you were a low life for associating with those fucking fools you call friends." Hinata looked at him, shocked and she bit her lip.<p>

"Well!" shouted Sasuke. Hinata jumped at the sudden rise in his voice, and she shook her head.

"Stop, I k-know what you are d-doing." Hinata said with a hint of firmness in her voice.

"And what is that?"

"You are m-making yourself seem evil, and I know y-you are not." Sasuke looked at her, quietly as his face glossed over into a silent expression.

"How do you know that?" The Uchiha heir tried to toy with the Hyuuga heiress, but she was making it exceedingly difficult.

"There is g-goodness in everyone."

"That is truly absurd thinking." Sasuke derided. "You are _so_ weak."

"I am not, the belief in the n-natural goodness in human beings d-doesn't make you weak, it makes you human." Hinata murmured.

"Human beings are not naturally good." Sasuke stated, icily. "You have been sheltered too much, Hyuuga."

"That is not true."

"Hmph, whatever!" Sasuke grunted. "It is hard to believe that you have this free time, don't you have training to do or whatever shinobi do in Konohagakure, go protect some poor defenseless village or save a family from a burning building"

"Please don't mock us." Hinata pleaded.

"I _will_ do whatever I want"

"I need to get going." The Hyuuga heiress said, quickly. "P-please, excuse me, Uchiha-san, it was a pleasure seeing y-you today."

_A pleasure? I just insulted your ass and you keep treating me with such gentleness. What the fuck is wrong with you?_

Sasuke watched Hinata walk past him, and he turned around. "Wait." He watched her stop in her tracks, she didn't look back at him, and he heard her sniffle.

_Is she crying?_

"Just l-leave me alone." The Hyuuga's voice cracked.

_She is so damn sensitive._

"Look." Sasuke said, curtly. "I'm sorry." His voice gave no hint of a true apology. It was empty and cold. The Hyuuga heiress turned around, and her eyes were glossy. Sasuke could tell that she was about to cry, perhaps not in sadness, maybe frustration, but she was holding back.

"No, y-you are not."

"Look, you got those words to utter from my mouth that is the most anyone has gotten out of me." The Uchiha heir's voice was harsh and filled with contempt. "So consider yourself to be honored." The Hyuuga heiress nodded at him, and she bowed to him.

"I must be g-going, enjoy your day, Uchiha-san"

"Sure, whatever," Sasuke said, dismissively. He watched her turn on her heels, walking in the opposite direction from where they were, and Sasuke groaned in agitation. This was going to take longer than he initially thought.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	3. Conditions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 3

Hinata considered herself to be a kind, considerate young woman, however there was so much that she could take. Her few encounters with the Uchiha heir had cause a slight anger to arise from the pit of her stomach. The Hyuuga heiress hated the feeling, the feeling of anger, and often she tried to push it away by occupying herself with other activities. Although, this was only a temporarily relief from it. The main thing that Hinata detested was to visibly show anger, she made herself mask it with a kind expression, because it meant that she had allowed the anger to fester inside of her soul. Hinata did her best to brush off the emotion, she had seen what anger does it individuals, making them commit horrible actions just out of spite, and she didn't want that to be her. Yet, the Hyuuga heiress had allowed herself to tear up in front of the Uchiha heir, it was out of sadness and pure tiredness. She had only encountered Sasuke twice, and he had insulted her, demeaned every fiber of her being. Hinata was tired of being insulted by the Uchiha heir, and she had done nothing to evoke such harsh words. However, she had allowed a moment of weak self-control, and she talked to the Uchiha heir without stuttering. He had even noticed this change in her way of speaking. The main reason why Hinata stuttered in the first place was she was extremely timid, and Hinata felt that a direct manner of speaking was a bit abrasive. In addition, the Hyuuga heiress had been taught that a woman should never raise her voice above a certain intonation which is why kept her speech low. But Surely! Her kindness was being tested! The Hyuuga heiress was saddened, deeply by the words of Sasuke, his insults cut her deep as it would any sensitive young woman. The words stripped her bare, and made her vulnerable. Hinata thought she was past being someone's punching bag, but apparently not. Yet, the Hyuuga heiress felt a sort of sadness for the Uchiha heir. She had heard all of the talk around town about how he should go back to where he came, and that he didn't belong here. Wasn't this his original home? Was not Konohagakure where the Uchiha clan originated from? What feeling it must be to know that you are not even welcome in your hometown?

The Hyuuga heiress didn't see anyone hang around Sasuke neither. What loneliness. It was a known fact that humans needed to interact with one another from being a fetus to when you grew old. Sasuke didn't have that interaction, his family was ripped out of his life, and people's fear of him kept them from being even a few feet from him.

Was insulting people the only way that Sasuke knew how to reach out to someone?

Hinata knew that there was goodness in the Uchiha heir underneath his icy demeanor, and if she were to share this with anyone. They were think she was crazy including her own friends. Did the Uchiha heir intentionally make himself to appear more evil to others and why not? Everyone had perceived him to be evil and after a while, it would not surprise Hinata that he would think this as well. The corruption of the goodness of human beings was not born, it was created.

Then, what would she do when she saw the Uchiha heir again? As Hinata had suspected that she would see him again. Would she be prepared for his insults? Hinata sighed to herself as she stirred the pot of leek soup, and the smell played on her olfactory senses. She had on her usual attire, a white apron draped over them, and a pair of socks with bedroom shoes. The Hyuuga heiress knew that if her father, Hiashi, saw her dressed like this he would automatically give a look of disapproval, but Hinata didn't mind. Hiashi liked both Hinata as well as her sister, Hanabi to be dressed like Hyuuga royals they were even when around the house. But to be honest, Hinata didn't really care about being dressed in the finest silk kimonos or to be showered with the finest gifts. Hinata seasoned the broth of the soup, and she hymned to herself. She looked up when she heard footsteps come into the kitchen, and one of the servants smiled at her.

"What is that delicious smell?" Usami asked, curiously.

"Leek soup, I figured that I-I would make it for you all to show my a-appreciation for all the hard work that you do for my family and me." Hinata smiled at her, gently, and the young woman walked up to her.

"This is too kind, Hinata-sama."

"The soup will be ready in a few moments, c-can you please round u-up the others and go to the dining room." Hinata pleaded. "I will bring y-you out the bowls."

"A-absolutely not!" The woman looked at Hinata, horrified. "We are s-supposed to serve you!"

"It is not a q-question." The Hyuuga heiress kept a warm expression on her face, and the young woman looked at her, speechless. However, a small grin began to play on her lips, and she nodded at Hinata.

"Very well, Miss Hyuuga." Hinata watched her walk out of the kitchen, the Hyuuga heiress pulled out about twenty bowls, and she lined them neatly on a silver tray. She grabbed a ladle, dividing out each portion of the soup into each bowl, and heard the chatter of servants as they made their way to the dining room. Hinata grabbed the tray, carrying it out to them, and she slid open the door. She walked into the room, the servants looked at her in awe as she placed the bowls in front of them, and Hinata chuckled. She placed her hands together in delight as a rose color rose on her cheeks.

"I-I hope you all like it." Almost at her request, they all grabbed the bowls, and took bites. There were sounds of pure delight as the soup touched their tongues, and Hinata was shocked when she was met with their elated faces.

"This is amazing, Miss Hyuuga!" they shouted in unison

"I'm so glad you like it." Hinata beamed.

XXXXXXX

The Next day

Naruto sat in a huge velvet patted chair, and he stared at the pile of papers before him. He tapped his pencil against the hard surface of the desk, his eyes were bored, but a small smile was on his face. Honestly, Naruto loved being Hokage, protecting his wife, the villagers, but he detested all of the paper work. The paper work ranged from building approvals to new agreements between villages. The young Hokage had managed to slip away from the paperwork, tried to establish a friendly term with Sasuke, but it was clear that Sasuke didn't want that establishment. It was nice to have Sasuke back into Konohagakure, he hadn't seen Sasuke in so long after the war, and had often wondered if Sasuke was even living anymore. Sure, Naruto had had some gossip of within other villages saying that they had saw him, but he didn't know the validity of those words. Sasuke had remained off the grid for a long time since now. The young Hokage didn't know if Sasuke had fallen ill or possibility been killed off, although the possibility of a potent aliment was more of a logical explanation. Despite, the Uchiha heir's unwillingness to be sociable with anyone, it almost felt as if the old team was back at least within the perimeters of living within the same village as one another.

_Why are you really here, Sasuke, I thought you loathed this place. _Naruto contemplated to himself. _What could overcome your hatred for this place?_

The door swung open causing Naruto to snap out of his thoughts, and he perked up.

"Naruto-sama!" Shizune rushed into the office, and Naruto looked at her, surprised.

"Oh, hey, is something wrong?" Naruto's eyebrows furrowed together inn confusion, and Shizune bowed to him. Shizune handed him a pile of papers.

"This is the report you have requested over the crimes that have been occurring a lot lately in the districts of Konohagakure." Naruto looked at her, intently as he took the papers, and he opened it. The Jinchuuriki began to read aloudly.

"According to claims made by the villagers, there have been over 300 incidents of robberies both household and on the streets. Some of these robberies have led to some vicious assaults, one recorded incident was a pregnant woman who was assaulted for some money in her pocket." The blond headed Hokage grimaced at the more that he read. "Furthermore, the villagers claim that these heinous acts are committed by a group of men ranging from early twenties to early forties, and they wear a headpieces that cover half of their faces."

"We have more intel as what the men look like, it is four to be precise, one man is brown headed with chocolate brown eyes, and pallid skin. The second man has orange hair with honey eyes, and he is said to be rather robust. The third man is very muscular, and he is quite skilled at kendo. He has long black hair and green eyes. Finally, the fourth man who is said to be the ring leader is thin with blond hair and gray eyes with fair skin." Shizune explained. "We have received the description form a man who was assaulted last night from them, and we have reason to believe that they are merely doing these acts to gain things that they don't have."

"We have to put an end to this now!" Naruto slammed the papers on his desks, and he stood up, quickly. "Shizune, can you please get Sakura, Hinata, Ino to come here, and I will assign them to look for these men. I will have them keep looking for these men until they find them, I want this village to be as safe as possible."

"Hai!" Shizune turned on her heels, exiting out the door, and Naruto turned around to look out the window.

The safety of Konohagakure was one of the highest priorities of the Jinchuuriki host, and he would make sure that nothing disturbed that.

XXXXXXX

"How do you feel?" Ino asked, skeptically. She looked at Sakura with a raised eyebrow, and Sakura smiled at her.

"How I feel about what?" Sakura asked, stupidly. She knew perfectly well what the conversation was about, it was about Sasuke Uchiha.

"You know damn well what I mean." Ino shook her head as a smile came across her face. "About Sasuke Uchiha is staying here in Konohagakure."

"It is not like it is forever." Sakura gave Ino a sour look, and Ino shook her head.

"You have been so quiet since you heard the news, but I know that Sakura Haruno is never quiet, so what is going on through that mind of yours?

"Nothing." Sakura looked over Konohagakure from on top of building, a faint breeze blew her short hair across her face, and the sun started to rise in the daylight sky. Sakura didn't want to talk about Sasuke. That was an old wound in more ways than one.

"Don't give me that shit." Ino flipped her long blond ponytail over her shoulder, and she looked forward at the citizens who looked like ants from where they were. "Tell me."

"If you must know, I don't trust him." Sakura murmured. "I mean he would have killed me if Naruto had not intervened in our quarrel all those years back, and I came to realize something."

"And what is that?"

"That Sasuke Uchiha is not the same man he was when he was here, when he left Konohagakure, he left himself here, and the man he is now doesn't resemble the man we knew when we were preteens." Sakura explained. "It is hard to believe that they are the same person, I mean he did aid us in the war, so I will give him that."

"Is that why you have been avoiding the estate?" Ino looked at Sakura, intently, and Sakura met her gaze.

"Yes, it is." Sakura admitted. " and honestly, I think that I am doing him a favor, he doesn't care if he sees me, Naruto or anyone that he knew once before, but Naruto constantly seeks him out, Naruto thinks that he can change Sasuke even after all of these years since the war."

Ino chuckled at her pink haired friend. "But Naruto that husband of yours he is pretty amazing, he can change anyone, he has incredible powers of persuasion."

"Yeah." Sakura smiled at the thought of Naruto, her husband, her confidant, and the man dearest to her heart. "But, I think Naruto has limitations to his power of persuasion when it comes to Sasuke, I think it would take someone other than Naruto to even bring Sasuke to the thought of changing."

"And who do you pretell that to be?"

"Who indeed is the correct question?" Sakura murmured, lowly. Her thoughts were interrupted when a young shinobi male dropped down in front of them, and she looked at him, shocked.

"Sakura, Ino, Naruto has requested for you all to see him immediately."

"What is wrong?" Sakura asked, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"It about the crime situation within the districts." Explained the young shinobi. "It has escalated." Sakura nodded at him as a determined look came across her face, and she turned to Ino.

"Let's go." She watched Ino chuckle at her, and she bent her legs.

"Bossy as ever." Ino teased. Sakura teased as she made her way to the hokage's office.

XXXXXX

Hinata entered the room, she looked at Sakura and Ino with surprise.

"Oh, sakura-san, I d-didn't know that y-you would be here." Hinata said. "You either, Ino-chan."

"Hinata-san, it is so nice to see you again." Sakura smiled, warmly. "I haven't seen you since after the war."

"Hey, Hinata." Hinata watched Naruto grinned at her.

"Hinata-san!" he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been?"

"G-good, Thank you for a-asking."

"We so all need to hang out." Naruto groaned.

"Why are we here, it is about the crimes right?" Ino asked, curiously.

"Yes, there have been a recent number of assaults and I wanted you all to check it out." Naruto explained. "Can you do that for me, guys?"

"Of course" Sakura smiled at Naruto and Naruto grinned at her. Hinata smiled at the two lovers, sure, Naruto had been her first love, but it gave her pleasure to see him so happy.

"Please be careful, Sakura." Naruto pleaded. Sakura leaned over, giving him a light kiss on the cheek causing his face to turn beet red, and she chuckled at him.

"Of course I will be."

"Geez, get a room you two." Ino groaned. Hinata watched Sakura's face turn red, and Ino took her hand. "Let's get out of here before they have a make out fest."

"Okay." The Hyuuga heiress said, looking at Sakura over her shoulder. "S-sorry, Sakura-san."

"Don't apologize on behalf of her." Sakura smiled. "That's so Ino." Hinata nodded at her, and they walked out of the office.

"I-I will take the e-eastern district." The Hyuuga heiress volunteered. "I k-know it very well."

"Okay, then I will take the northern and western, and Ino do you want to take the southern?"

"Yea, I will." Ino chimed.

"Okay, we will meet back here if anything is found and if any of us knows that we haven't come up and we will come after you." Sakura explained. "Please be careful, Hinata-san, and Ino-san."

"You too." They said in unison. The three kunoichi broke away from one another, each one heading to their desire district, and Hinata ran as fast as she could. The Hyuuga heiress made her way to the eastern district, she had expected to see some unrest, but the villagers seemed to be their quiet usual daily routine. However, she heard a strangled cry that sent chills down her spine, and she ran in direction of the scream. She saw a young woman standing over her husband who had his arms wrapped around his waist, and Hinata activated her byakugan. Two men stood over the couple, and one of them had a small sword.

"Should we finish him, Nokuzuho?" The orange haired man asked, menacingly.

"I think we should, Kenbii." The man with the small sword pointed it towards the young woman, and the young woman looked at them, fearfully. However, the two aggressors perked up at the sound of footsteps, and turned around. Hinata watched the young men catch sight of her, and they ran in the opposite direction.

"S-stay here, p-please." Urged Hinata. "I will get medical h-help for your companion." The young woman nodded at her as tears streamed down her face, but Hinata could tell that the man had couple of broken ribs. The Hyuuga heiress ran after Nokuzuho and Kenbii as they descended into a crowd of citizens.

XXXXXX

Sasuke walked the streets of Konohagakure, he had the hood of his cloak over his head, and the villagers had grown accustomed to him. There was no excessive chatter when he walked by, they had kept it to themselves, but they aggravated the Uchiha heir to know end. With their happy smiles and living their happy lives.

_What a fucking joke. _

The Uchiha heir had not seen the Hyuuga heiress for days, and he was starting to question himself. Should he wait for the Hyuuga heiress to comply with being his ally or should he _make_ her become his ally? He had grown wary of Konohagakure it had only been a few days, and Sasuke had enough of it for a lifetime. There was a sudden stir among the crowd of hoi polloi, and some people started to gasp. The Uchiha heir stopped as he saw two young men push past the villagers, knocking down stands and he looked at them, intently. Their faces were full of pride, and a smirk was plastered on their faces.

"Hey!" shouted a woman who was pushed by one of the men, and some of the surrounding villagers helped her up. The Uchiha heir went to turn around, ignoring the scene, but he caught sight of indigo hair. He turned around, quickly, and the Hyuuga heiress ran through the crowd at full force. She had byakugan activated, and kunai in her hands. She threw the kunai at one of the men, and Nokuzuho deflected it with his sword.

_Pathetic, she can't even hit someone who is no more than a few feet away from her. _

The men made their way towards the Uchiha heir, and they caught sight of Sasuke. Kenbii gasped in dismay, Sasuke stood there, quietly, and he tried to turn the other corner. Sasuke moved, quickly, and the man started to scream. Sasuke grabbed the collar of Kenbii's shirt, lifting him off the ground, and he caught sight of Nokuzuho He held out his foot, tripping Nokuzuho, and the man collapsed on the ground. Nokuzuho's sword fell out of his hand, and it landed a few feet away from him. Sasuke smirked to himself as he watched Nokuzuho try to scramble to his feet, and he placed his foot on the man's back, inhibiting him. However, Nokuzuho and Kenbii were too afraid to say anything, and Sasuke looked at Hinata who ran up in front of him.

"Uchiha-san." Hinata said, breathlessly

"You wanted to catch these men right?" Sasuke asked, coldly. His grip tightening on the collar of Kenbii's shirt.

"You s-shouldn't treat him so h-harshly, Uchiha-san."

"Hmph!" grunted Sasuke. "You're so weak with your kindness even towards your enemies." Hinata pursed her lips, her byakugan deactivated, and she shook her head.

"S-stop insulting me." Hinata murmured, lowly. Her voice reflecting a slight assertion. Sasuke looked at her, taken aback, and he found himself, smirking.

_So the gentle heiress did have a backbone after all. _

"You have to give me a reason not to insult you." Sasuke hissed, icily, "you threw this kunai and didn't even hit these weaklings, they don't even have a blood limit, and they are just ordinary humans." He increased his pressure of his foot on Nokuzuho, and he let out a whimper.

"There are p-people around, Uchiha-san, I-I cannot risk hurting them." Hinata said, kindly.

"Casualties are always a part of being a shinobi if I remembered correctly." Sasuke scoffed at her reasoning.

"And what if I h-hit you, Uchiha-san?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"I don't need your concern, you could never hit me." Sasuke sneered.

"P-please put the m-man down, Uchiha-san." Hinata's pleas were kind and gentle. Kenbii began to fumble with his words.

"P-please listen to h-her, let-" Sasuke cut him off.

"Shut the fuck up you worthless piece of shit." Sasuke looked at the whining young man he was holding up. "And if you want him, come and get him." He watched the heiress gulp, she walked up to him, and she reached to grab the man. Sasuke watched her, intently, she kept her eyes on his face, but evading eye contact.

_Avoiding direct eye contact eh? _

When Hinata touched Kenbii's shirt, Sasuke let go of him, letting him fall to the ground and the man trembled, violently.

"Hmph!" grunted Sasuke. "You got guts, I must admit, no one would have accepted that offer." He watched a flicker of surprise come across her face, and a smile settled on her lips.

"Why are you chasing these idiots?"

"They have been involved in a serious of r-robberies here in the eastern d-district." Hinata's voice was angelic, and she reached out to help Kenbii who was clearly distraught. However, the man smirked at her, Sasuke took notice of this, but he didn't bother to aid the Hyuuga heiress_. _The man pulled out a small knife out of his pocket, and he tightened his grip on the handle.

_Don't tell me that she is that gullible. _

Kenbii tried to cut the Hyuuga heiress, she turned on her heels, and Hinata hit the back of his neck. His body stiffened as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed on the ground. Sasuke chuckled at her, and he saw a look of confusion spread across her face.

"I was wrong about you, Hyuuga, it seems you can take care of yourself." He watched Hinata smile at him, warmly, and Sasuke met her smile with a smirk.

_It seems I may have rooked you in after all. _

"Hinata!" a voice shouted. Sasuke looked to see Sakura running down the way with Ino trailing behind her, and he cursed underneath his breath. Seeing Sakura was even more agitating than seeing her fucking dobe of a husband, Naruto, and Sasuke lifted his foot off Nokuzuho. He kicked Nokuzuho over to Hinata, and his onyx eyes bore into pale ones.

" look in order for me to stop insulting you, to stop thinking so little of you, you need to fight me, and I will be waiting for you tomorrow at sunrise in the kukoji forest." Sasuke hissed. "Anyways, I am leaving." He walked away from the heiress, hearing the two kunoichi run up to her, and Sasuke smirked to himself. The Uchiha heir had a feeling that Hinata would be there, a sort of excitement washed over him, and he found himself looking forward to tomorrow.

After all, in this world, people wanted to prove their self-worth to someone, and Hinata was no different from them.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	4. The value of self-worth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 4

The sun started to rise over the horizon, the light penetrating through the trees, and a faint breeze blew the raven colored hair of the Uchiha heir. Sasuke Uchiha stood in the forest, and his hand rested on the hilt of his katana. The katana peeked out of the curtain of his cloak, and the cloak blew in the gentle wind. His sharingan was activated, the movement of the animals in the trees were slowed down in front of him, and a smirk played on his lips. He had been waiting long before the sunrise for the arrival of Hyuuga heiress, and Sasuke was growing impatient. He was never fond of patience, often times, Sasuke just took what he wanted right then and there. However, the Uchiha heir realized that he had not given her a specific time as to when they should have their quarrel, but he did that, purposefully. Sasuke wanted to keep the timing ambiguous, but he knew that she wouldn't make him wait for too long. After all, she was born of noble birth, she knew noble customs, and one custom was not to be late to anything. Sasuke would wait for the Hyuuga heiress to arrive even if it took all day, but if she didn't show up. The Uchiha heir would make sure that she would pay for wasting his time.

XXXXX

Hinata placed a kunai in a pouch on the side of her leg, and she bit her lip. She wasn't quite sure if she should meet Sasuke in the kukoji forest or not, he said that he would stop insulting her once she fought against him, however Hinata had a feeling that he wouldn't hold back. Sure, she had perfected her byakugan, the Hyuuga heiress had even achieved one of the highest techniques for her byakugan, but that wouldn't be enough to stand up against Sasuke's sharingan. If she was going to do this, Hinata would have to try to avoid being caught by those eyes, and make sure that she methodically changed her movements. Furthermore, Hinata would have to make sure that she caught sight of the Uchiha heir's vital chakra points, and deplete them before he resorted to any kinds of special jutsus. However, Hinata detested confrontation with anyone, especially physical conformation, so this was difficult. Hinata walked out of the estate, contemplating these thoughts, and she started to plan out what she would do when she came face to face with him. The Hyuuga heiress would not, immediately fight against him, but instead she would merely try to talk it out their differences. Why must the world always settle their differences with fighting? However, Hinata had a feeling that conversing about it wouldn't solve the problem. The Hyuuga heiress sighed to herself, and she turned the corner. She made sure that no one was following her, and Hinata made her way to the forest. Hinata pushed past the kukoji forest until she caught sight of a figure standing in an opening in the forest, and she made her way, cautiously to the opening.

"Uchiha-san." Sasuke turned around to face her, and she caught sight of his activated sharingan. Hinata bit her lip, and the Uchiha heir began to unsheathe his katana.

"So you came after all." Sasuke stated, coolly. "I was starting to wonder if you could even live up to your Hyuuga name."

"I-I didn't come here to f-fight, Uchiha-san." Hinata held up her hands in front of her, defensively. "I-I just wanted to talk things out."

"Talking?" The Hyuuga heiress could see that this displeased Sasuke, and she was met with an icy visage. "Talk is senseless, I didn't come here to fucking talk to you."

"a-aren't you tried of fighting?" He didn't answer her question, Hinata could tell that he was growing anxious, and he threw off his cloak.

_Looks like I am going to have to fight him after all. _

Hinata looked at him, she got in a stance and she activated her byakugan. She was taken aback at the amount of chakra that poured out of his body, it emanated from everywhere that she couldn't pinpoint an exact location of his chakra, and she knew this was going to prove to be hard.

"Be careful, Hyuuga, I can see you planning." She gasped at him, his words snapping her out of her thoughts, and Sasuke smirked, evilly. The Hyuuga heiress watched a blue electric flow descend down Sasuke's katana, and he charged towards her.

XXXXX

_Am I tired of fighting? _

What kind of fucking question was that supposed to be?

_Hell no, I am not tired. _

That was the main reason why he even chose to interact with her, why he had decided to possibly strike an alliance with her. It was all for the sole purpose of the fight. Fighting provided the Uchiha heir a distracting from the emptiness within him after the Fourth Shinobi War, the emptiness of not belonging in a new world filled with peace. In addition, he didn't purpose this duel to give the Hyuuga heiress a chance for him to stop deeming her existence, but to see if she was worthy of becoming his ally.

_Prove to me, Hyuuga, that you are worthy! _

He raised his katana infused with chidori to cut down the Hyuuga heiress, and she turned the opposite way from him.

"I don't w-want to fight, Uchiha-san." Hinata reiterated. "Please."

"Then you will die." Sasuke knew couldn't let her touch him since it would dampen his chakra flow wherever she hit him. He stared at the Hyuuga heiress, awaiting for her next move, and Hinata charged after him. The Uchiha heir as able to follow her movements with ease which gave him an idea as to where she would hit him. Sasuke held up his sword, ready to cut her down, and she avoided him, bending backwards. The katana swiped the air, catching some of her hair, and Sasuke looked at her, coldly.

"Oh well." Sasuke sneered. "It will grow back." He saw a flick of anger spread across Hinata's face, and she tried to hit him in the side. He turned, kicking her in the back, and he saw her wince. The Hyuuga heiress flipped on her feet, she stood in a different stance, the position of the eight gentle fists, and Sasuke look at her, apathetically. However, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he began to notice what she was doing, and he moved, quickly.

_There is no way in hell, I am going to let you deplete my chakra. _

Sasuke went to strike her down, she turned the other way, knocking him in the back of his neck, but not depleting the chakra. The Uchiha heir cursed underneath his breath as he stumbled downwards, and his eyes widened. Hinata turned on her heels, appearing beside him, and his lips parted, slightly.

_Hmph! That is a nice surprise. _

"I got you." The Hyuuga heiress hit his side, Sasuke cursed underneath his breath, and he flipped back away from her. Sasuke could tell that she had only weakened his chakra, but it was nothing serious. However, Sasuke was caught a little off guard by the Hyuuga heiress, she had moved fast, faster than his sharingan. He didn't know how she managed to move like that, but it was definitely more of something he wanted to see. Sasuke charged back at her, and his chidori became brighter enclosing the blade.

XXXX

The Hyuuga heiress tried to ignore the stinging pain in the base of her spine that the Uchiha heir had just inflicted, and she held her hands out in front of her, defensively. Hinata could tell that he was serious in every fight, he had the killer intent, and in every fight, Sasuke fought to kill.

_Was he going to try to kill her? _

Hinata avoided him by bending the opposite way as he went to stab her, but instead Sasuke grabbed her jacket, roughly. She looked at him, shocked, and Sasuke stared at her, coolly. He held his sword up in the air, Hinata gasped, slightly as she slipped out of her jacket, and she moved fast underneath him as he stuck the hollow empty air where she would be. Hinata ducked underneath his arm, hitting the arm that generated the chidori. It immediately stopped, she saw him scowl, and Hinata huffed, heavily. She had on a black V-neck sleeveless top, Hinata felt exposed without her jacket on, and the Hyuuga heiress felt him stare at her. She felt her cheeks grow hot. Her cheeks hot in vulnerability and she was starting to grow weary. However, the Hyuuga heiress knew that if she let her guard down for even a second, Sasuke would take advantage of it, and he would draw her blood.

_No, he won't kill me, not if I don't allow him to._

XXXXX

The black top clung to Hinata's thin silhouette, it was a pleasant change from seeing her in the baggy clothing that hid her frame.

_Nice sight to see. _

Sasuke tossed the jacket aside, he didn't seem to dwell on the exposed heiress, and he flipped his katana back into his other hand. He charged back after her, Sasuke could tell that his chakra was half gone as a result of being hit by her twice, and he was not going to allow her to do that again. He hissed, angrily at himself, and Hinata pulled out a kunai. She infused the kunai with some of her chakra, sending them his way, and Sasuke knocked them out of the way. However, one managed to cut his cheek, blood trickled down his cheek, it was only a minor slit on his skin, and the Hyuuga heiress charged after him. The two heir charged for one another head on. Sasuke held up his katana, Hinata went to hit him, but he ducked underneath her. It was the same movement that Hinata had just pulled on him, and he balled up his fist. She noticed his clenched fist, Sasuke punched her in the stomach, and he was met with wide pale eyes. The punch was not hard, but he knew it was enough to knock the breath out of her.

XXXX

Hinata gasped at the loss of air, but she had another trick up her sleeve, and Hinata jumped away from him. She held her stomach, wincing, slightly, and thanking herself that she didn't eat breakfast. Hinata charged after him, moving as fast as she could, and Sasuke stood there, waiting for her. She could tell that he always waited for his opponent. Hinata acted as if she were going to punch him in the arm, she made sure that he was following her movements, and that was precisely what she wanted. She used her other arm, hoping to hit him, but he turned to avoid the hit. Hinata watched him draw back his other hand with chidori as a murderous glare fell over his face, and Hinata speed up her movements. He tried to punch her in the chest with his chidori infused hand, and Hinata gasped at the sight. Hinata avoided the punch, barely, and she pursed her lips. She turned in the opposite way of his movements, hitting him right in the middle of his back where she noticed his chakra was flowing out, and the chidori disappeared. The Hyuuga heiress heard him growl, lowly, kicking her in the side, and she flipped onto the ground a few feet away from them. Hinata's body trembled, violently, as she held her side, and Hinata curled into a ball. Her body whole body ached especially her back, ribs, stomach, and back. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, she had shown Sasuke that she wasn't weak, but she wasn't sure if that was enough to convince him.

_What do you think of me now?_

XXXX

The Uchiha heir sheathed his katana, it was no use fighting her any further since he could see that she had enough. He was not going to fight against her when she wasn't in perfect condition. The blows that he afflicted upon her had taken a toll on her small, frail body, but Sasuke didn't care. Yet, she had managed to withstand them, and that was more than what most people could take so he had to give her some credit. Also, there were a couple of surprises that she had managed to spring on him, and it keened the Uchiha's interest. Not many people could surprise him in a fight.

No, she _wasn't_ weak. Her ideals and her kind nature made her weak. Nonetheless, he was not here to debate the value of her morals. As long as she could fight, keep the fights good, then she was _not _weak. The Hyuuga heiress was rough around the edges, sloppy with her movements, and seeing her laying on the ground made him scowl.

_Get the fuck up. _

Sasuke walked up to Hinata, and he growled to himself. "Hyuuga." There was no response from the young heiress, the Uchiha heir stopped behind her, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were glossy as if she were fighting back tears, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I didn't even hit you hard."

"I-I'm fine." Hinata gave him a kind smile, she waved her hand, dismissively, and she rolled onto her back. Just need an little rest."

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. He knelt down next to her, and he studied her. "You can't possibly be in that much pain." Hinata looked at him, quietly, and she shook her head.

"I told you, I-I didn't want to fight, Uchiha-san." Hinata murmured. "tell me, p-please, will you stop insulting me now?"

_Yes, I will stop insulting you. You have proven to be a worthy ally. _

"Yes, I will." Sasuke hissed. "Now, get up, before I change my mind."

XXXX

Hinata nodded at him, lifting up, and a sharp pain in her stomach caught her. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and she looked up at him. There scratches on her face from where she had hit the ground.

"what k-kind of fighting w-was this?"

"The kind you get when you are not affiliated with a village." said Sasuke, coolly. "The kind of training that would keep you surviving in the real world."

"I thought you were g-going to kill me." There was a silence exchanged between them, and Hinata searched his face.

"No, I won't kill you." Sasuke assured. The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, skeptically, and she pursed her lips.

"You say that."

"I said that I wouldn't" Sasuke hissed, angrily. "That should be enough validation" Sasuke stood up, extending his hand out to her, and Hinata's lips parted, slightly. He deactivated his sharingan, and Sasuke stood up, extending his hand. "Get up, Hinata."

It was the first time he had used her name, it sent chills down her spine, and she stared at him. His pallid skin illuminated in the sunlight, his slanted onyx color eyes juxtaposed with his raven dark hair. It was no wonder that all those years ago, so many women found him to be attractive. He was a very handsome man, but he was dangerous.

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her up onto her feet, and The Hyuuga heiress stumbled forward. She fell into him, pressing herself up against him as she felt her cheeks flush red, quickly, and Sasuke pushed her away, quickly almost as if she had burned him.

"S-sorry!" Hinata stammered, breathlessly. Sasuke glared at her, turning on his heels, and Hinata hit herself against her forehead with her hand as she knew that was a stupid thing to do. She hated her clumsiness, and she saw the small cut on his face.

"Uchiha-san." Hinata gasped, concerned.

"What?" The Uchiha heir exasperated.

"your face is c-cut, allow me to p-please fix it for you." Hinata reached out towards him, she watched him instinctively flinch away from her, and she was met with a murderous glare.

"Don't touch me ever, Hyuuga, its fine." Hinata nodded at her, withdrawing her hand, and she stared at the ground.

_Was he afraid for others to touch him?_

"You should really leave the jacket off." Hinata couldn't see his face only his back, but she looked at him, confused.

_Was that a compliment?_ There was a rustling in the bushes, a familiar chakra came in the air, and Hinata's eyes widened in shock.

XXXXX

"Hey, Hinata, I figured that you would be training here in the forest and decided to join you…" Kiba's voice trailed off, and he caught sight of Hinata's scratches on her face. His eyes narrowed, quickly, and he looked at Sasuke. Sasuke stared back at him, coldly, and Kiba frowned at him. "You bastard, what did you do!" Kiba whistled for Akamaru, Akamaru jumped out of the bushes, and he growled at Sasuke.

"N-no, Kiba." Kiba saw Hinata walk in between Sasuke and Akamaru. "Please, Uchiha-san, and I were s-sparring."

_Sparring? You have more scratches on your face than he does? That hardly characterizes as a spar._

"Hinata, he is dangerous." Kiba warned. "He could have killed you, we all know that his bloodlust is unquenchable even in a friendly spar."

XXXX

"I'm fine." Hinata assured. "I was trying t-to make Uchiha-san feel more a-at home."

"Is that what happened, Uchiha?" Kiba asked, skeptically. Sasuke remained quiet, he walked over to his cloak, and he began to fasten it on his neck.

"I'm going, Hinata, three is a bit of a crowd." The Uchiha heir sneered. Kiba looked at him, angrily, and Sasuke tossed Hinata's jacket over to her. She caught her jacket, looking at him, shocked, and the Uchiha pushed past her. He knocked her shoulder, causing her to stumble backwards, and she saw Kiba ball up his fists.

"Watch where you are going, asshole!" He walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at him.

"Are you okay?" Kiba asked, curiously. Hinata nodded at him, Sasuke stopped before he left the opening of the forest, and he looked at her out the corner of his eye.

"See you around, Hyuuga." She stared at him as he disappeared in the forest, and Hinata knew that she had not seen the last of him. No, in fact, the Hyuuga heiress had a feeling that she would see him more than ever before.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator. **


	5. A new outlook

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 5

Sasuke sat in the living room of the estate, he had on a men's white kimono, and he stared at the wall. The small cut that the Hyuuga heiress had inflicted upon him was nothing, but a faint scar. However, the Uchiha heir didn't really care, hell, his whole body was covered with scars. Scars from the multitude of the battles juxtaposed with the dark enigmatic symbol of the cursed seal. Yet, the laceration reminded the Uchiha heir that there was some potential in that Hyuuga heiress. Shit, not many people could actually get close enough to the Uchiha heir with his sharingan activated, and scratch him. He had promised not to kill her, but Sasuke felt the need to elaborate on that a little further in his mind. The promise was foreign to him, the Uchiha heir had never promised anything to anyone in such a long time that he surprised himself. He still knew the way to make them. All of Sasuke's promises had been fulfilled, the promise to kill Itachi, to become stronger, to leave this dead weight of a village, he had done it all with blood stained hands. The Uchiha heir was a lot of things, a traitor, murder, a demon, but he was rarely the one to go back on his word. No, he would not kill her, but there were many ways to inflict death upon someone without actually killing them. If the situation came to pass where Sasuke found himself on the opposing side of her, he would merely impale her, avoiding any direct contact with major organs, and she would bleed to death. However, there was another problem that the Uchiha heir had not foreseen, but should have. The Hyuuga heiress came with _unwanted_ bonds. This was made apparent when the Uchiha heir was fighting with her, and he had come in contact with the Inuzuka. The more that he was around her, who knows who else he would come in contact with! Other insignificant shinobi that Sasuke didn't give a fuck about. Did he really want that? The Uchiha heir grimaced to himself, and he cursed underneath his breath.

_Fuck. _

Sasuke rubbed his temples in agitation, but he knew the answer to his question. He refused to acknowledge it though. The answer was simple, the Uchiha heir would have to deal with it because it was part of the package of having her as his ally. A very agitating part of the package.

XXXX

Hinata couldn't believe how much her body ached from her spar with Sasuke, she had soaked in multiple hot baths to soothe the muscles, but it was futile. The Uchiha heir had done a number on her. However, the Hyuuga heiress refused to let anyone know how much she was in pain, she didn't want it to hinder her from her daily tasks or training. However, she did notice a couple of things about the Uchiha heir as they sparred with one another. Hinata could tell that he enjoyed the fight, savored every moment of it, but at the same time like to end it, quickly. The Hyuuga heiress could tell this not only by his actions, but red eyes revealed it. This would not have been clearly evident to an everyday person since all they saw was his icy visage, and the permanent indifferent line of his mouth. However, Hinata was a quite an observant young woman, slow to speak or take action. Often times, she could tell what people were feeling through their eyes, it was a talent that she had developed since she was a little girl. Hinata saw the Uchiha heir's eyes were empty, sometimes deviating to a very minute flicker of emotion. She could tell that Sasuke had eradicated himself of any kind of emotion. He had trained himself not to feel from what Hinata could see. This perplexed her to a certain degree. When her kunai hit him, did he feel anything? Pain? Or was it just a mere cut? Hinata looked down on the ground, in tune with her thoughts, and a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Ino asked, curiously. Hinata blinked at her twice, snapping out of her contemplations, and a small smile spread across her face.

"S-sorry, Ino-san, w-what did you say?" Hinata looked at her, apologetically, and Ino chuckled at her.

"It is fine, Hinata-san, it is your turn." Ino beckoned to the sack dummy that stood a few feet away from them, the dummy had a huge target drawn across the front of it, and Hinata nodded at her. She reached into the small pouch on the side of her leg, and pulled out some shuriken. Kiba sat underneath the tree, she felt him stare at her, intently, and she bit her lip. They had not discussed Hinata being with Sasuke the other day in the kukoji forest, however she had a feeling that he wanted to say something just didn't know how to approach her. Shikamaru stood, lazily next to him with his shoulders slumped into a casual posture, and his face was bored. Sakura practiced on the other dummy, the dummy was lined with kunai, and she had a determined look on her face. Often times, when there was no duties to do such as today, Hinata found herself training with some friends to pass by the time. Hinata threw the shuriken, hitting the dummy, however her side caught her. She winced at the sharp pain, and her hand instinctively reached for her side.

"Hey, Hinata, are you okay?" Kiba got up, and his eyebrows furrowed together in concern.

"Oh, yes, n-no worries."

"Are you hurt?" Ino asked, curiously. Hinata shook her head, but Kiba sighed.

"The gig is up, Hinata, you should tell them." Her eyes widened at him, Kiba looked at her, intently, and Ino looked at her, confounded.

"Tell us what?"

"N-n-"Hinata was cut off.

"She is hurt from her spar with Sasuke from a couple of days ago." Kiba crossed his arms, walking up to her, and Hinata bit her lip. Sakura had stopped throwing the shuriken, the color drained from her face, and her mouth hung agape. Hinata hated to be placed on the spot, Ino looked at her wide-eyed, and Hinata looked at the ground.

"I thought y-you were going to keep that b-between us." Hinata murmured.

"I would have." Kiba sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she felt him squeeze it, affectionately. "But look at you, you are hurt because of him." The Hyuuga heiress knew that her old friend, Kiba, had nothing bit her best interest at heart, and she greatly appreciated it. However, she was able to make her own judgments about anyone regardless of how absurd they may seem to others.

"You spared with Sasuke?" Sakura asked almost absentmindedly. Hinata nodded at her in agreement, and she smiled at all the shinobi looking upon her.

"I w-wanted him to feel like he was at home." Hinata explained. "I mean who wants to be c-cooped up in that estate the whole t-time?"

"Well!" Ino said with a wide smile on her face. "You are the first person who has been able to draw him out of that estate!"

"Not even Naruto could do it." Sakura frowned at Hinata. "How did you do it?"

"I was in the forest, saw him t-training, and I offered to s-spar with him." Hinata lied. She couldn't tell them that she had purposely agreed to meet the Uchiha heir to fight for her self-worth that would be added more fire to an already intense situation especially for Kiba.

"And he accepted?" Kiba asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Of course."

"Speaking of I have been seeing you two interact with one another a lot." Ino frowned at her. "Like when we caught those bandits, he was around you and now we find out that you have been sparring with him." he has been around you a lot." Her voice was teasing, and Hinata turned red in embarrassment.

"I am n-not sure why."

"be careful, Hinata." Sakura warned. "His interest in you with caution, there is no pure genuine need for human contact with him unless he want something from you."

"Thank you, Sakura-san." Hinata knew that there was validity in all of the warnings about Sasuke, but she couldn't help, but feel that there was a sort of loneliness about him. Shikamaru stood there, quietly, and she perked up when he sighed, heavily.

"Geez, you guys need to stop giving her the third degree, she is fully capable of handling herself." Shikamaru groaned.

"Well, he could just want to be around someone, after all, Hinata-san is so kind and warm, it is no wonder that someone would want to reach out through her."

"I doubt that is the reason." Hinata saw Kiba scoff at Ino, and she looked at Sakura. Sakura seemed to be deep in thought, she knew that there was a time that sakura had been set on rehabilitating Sasuke, so hearing the news must had affected her to some degree. Hinata had been able to interact with the Uchiha heir more than Naruto had been able to do.

"Well, you should have told us." Shikamaru beckoned to an empty space underneath the trees. "Why don't you sit down and relax."

"I-I didn't want to worry you g-guys."

"Well, you have me worried being around Sasuke." Objected Kiba.

"I will keep a look out, I-I promise" Hinata assured. "Now let's get back to t-training, it is not many days that we get w-without duties."

"Agreed!" Ino shouted. Ino pulled out a kunai, resuming her training, and Kiba nodded at Hinata. Hinata smiled at him, he was so protective of her like an older brother, but she didn't want to dwell on the matter any further. She watched Sakura as she trained, her face was intense, and she was smiling at everyone. However, Hinata could tell that she was bothered. The Hyuuga heiress didn't want to be the cause of any quarrel between the two nor did she want to make trouble for Sasuke. However, Hinata had an idea that Sasuke was fully aware of this possibility, and that he was fully prepared to take it on. She was also ready to deal with all the attention that it brought on, every human deserved a chance in life, and Sasuke was no exception to that rule.

XXXX

Sakura had to admit that she was baffled by the news concerning Hinata and Sasuke. Sasuke had chosen to interact with most unlikely person in the world in her opinion. Furthermore, he didn't even know Hinata, so why her? Hinata was a beautiful, timid young woman, but she was also Hyuuga. The heiress to the most powerful clan to Konohagakure, Sakura figured that was the only reason why Sasuke had taken interest in her, and she needed to confront him about it. Hinata was a very dear friend to Naruto, she had not known the Hyuuga heiress too well, but anyone important to Naruto was important to her. Sakura was not looking forward to seeing him face to face again. After the war, she was glad that he had parted ways despite Naruto's best efforts to keep in Konohagakure. When she saw the Uchiha heir, it only reminded her of how he tried to kill her, and that was not something she wanted to relive. Sakura walked up to the dummy, and she started to collect the shuriken.

"Hey, sakura, you're going?" Ino asked, shocked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Sakura smiled at Ino, and she put her shuriken in a side pouch. "Something came up."

"Is this about Sasuke?" Ino looked at her, raising an eyebrow, and she crossed her arms.

"No." The pink haired kunoichi smiled at Hinata, and she waved her hand. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Oh, okay, Sakura-san, I will see you later." She knew that she would have to provide an explanation to Ino later on about her leaving, and sakura bit her lip. She would have to come up with something good. Sakura took off out of the forest, and she headed towards the Uchiha estate. The pink haired kunoichi walked up to the gates to the Uchiha heir's estate, and she knocked on the gates. Her gaze directed to the deadbolt lock on the gates, and the estate seemed empty. There was no response, sakura frowned to herself, and she knocked, forcefully now.

"I know that you are in there, Sasuke." Sakura said, firmly. "Open the gates."

"What pleasure do I have to have your company?" A cold voice said on the other side of the gate. Sakura could see that he had no intention of opening the gates nor to show himself to her.

"You have been hanging around Hinata a lot lately."

"Jealous?" A mocking chuckle escaped from the Uchiha heir's lips.

"No, I want to know what your angle is."

"Angle, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Sasuke." Sakura growled, lowly. "We all know the only reason why you care to be around others is if it is for your gain." The pink haired kunoichi didn't like to be so assertive with Sasuke since she didn't know when he was going to snap. However, Sakura needed to get her point across to him.

"Oh, that seems a little harsh for you." Sakura flinched, she could tell that Sasuke was toying with her, and she balled up her fists.

"Look, just don't try anything funny."

"And who said that I was?"

"Hinata is a very dear friend to Naruto, if you would do anything to her… then, Naruto and you will find yourselves on opposing sides once again." A dark laugh came from the other side of the gate.

"If I was going to do something to that woman, I would have already done it." The Uchiha heir informed, curtly. "You should of all people know this."

"So tell me why are you talking or sparring with her?" Sakura asked, skeptically. "If you are not planning something?"

"Don't you have something better to do than to badger me, bitch?" Sakura felt her cheeks grow hot in anger at the insult, and she grimaced.

"Just heed the warning, Sasuke." Talking with The Uchiha heir like this, in this matter, brought a sort of sadness to her. He was once a good ally, but now look at the two. The two former teammates couldn't even be a few feet near one another. It was hard to believe how far he had fallen from what he could have been. Sasuke could have been one of the strongest shinobi, but instead he had chosen a path that brought glory to those who you triumphed over.

"Whatever." The pink haired kunoichi nodded at Sasuke, turning on her heels, and she figured that Naruto would soon learn about the two's interaction. However, she was not going to mention it to him, Naruto had enough of his plate, and she didn't want to add to his stress. Despite, Sasuke's denial for planning something, Sakura would keep her guard up because trusting him was like trusting the devil.

XXXX

Sasuke stood on the other side of the fence with clinched fists. He stared at the small pond in the yard with different colored fish swimming throughout it, and he cursed underneath his breath. That bitch thinks that she can keep tabs on me, then she has another thing coming. And who the fuck did Sakura think she was, threatening him? He was Sasuke Uchiha! Last time he checked, he had almost ended her life at one point until she was saved by that overzealous husband on hers. She had a lot of nerve confronting him. These shinobi always like to stick their nose in places that it didn't belong. He didn't see a problem with collaborating with the Hyuuga heiress, he didn't harm her... much. Let alone, last time he checked, she was still breathing so what was everyone's fucking problem? Sasuke had an idea that this was brought on by the Inuzuka who saw the Hyuuga heiress and him in the forest together. No, it couldn't have been the Hyuuga heiress who had brought this down upon him. She was too nice, too kind to speak out against him or anyone for that matter. Hell, Sasuke could make her suffer, and she would still take up for him. The Uchiha heir look out through the cracks of the gate to make sure that he wouldn't be receiving any more surprises, but he caught sight of the Hyuuga heiress walking in the opposite direction of his estate. He opened up the gate, and leaned against it.

"Hyuuga."

"How are you today, Uchiha-san?" Hinata asked with a kind expression on her face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her because he was not in the mood to exchange such common pleasantries.

"Hyuuga, tell me why I received a visit from Sakura." He watched her eyes widen in shock, and he looked at her, intently.

"I didn't m-mean to cause any t-trouble for you." Hinata murmured.

"You didn't." The Uchiha heir exasperated. "Your stupid dog friend did."

Hinata looked at him, reluctantly. "He means no harm."

"He is disrupting my peace, so make sure that you keep him on a tight leash." Hinata frowned at him, Sasuke could see that his words bothered her, and he didn't care. He wasn't insulting her was he? She should be happy with that. Furthermore, the Uchiha heir _never_ agreed not to demean any of the incompetent fools she chose to associate herself with.

"Don't talk about my f-friend that way, he was only trying to l-look out for me."

_Don't tell me what I can and cannot do. _However, the Uchiha heir was kind of curious, the Hyuuga heiress had been warned about him, yet she chose to not listen to them. Was she not afraid of him?

"Tell me, Hyuuga, do I scare you?" Sasuke smirked at her, evilly, and Hinata looked at him, speechless.

"What?"

"You heard me don't make me fucking repeat myself, answer the question." Hinata shook her head in response to the question which caused Sasuke to raise an eyebrow.

_You should be afraid of me, Hyuuga. _

"I am not afraid of you." Hinata's voice was clear without the presence of a stammer, and the Uchiha heir knew that she meant that. She didn't stammer when she had her mind made up about something.

"Why are you not afraid of me?" Sasuke asked, annoyed. "And what do you think of me?" He watched her shift uneasy, pursing her lips, and Sasuke could tell that she was hesitant to answer. There was a momentary silence exchanged between them, and he frowned at her. "Answer me."

"I-I think you are lonely." Hinata fumbled with her words. "That is what I-I think, I-I think you push people away purposefully."

_You think I am fucking lonely? What absurdity! But, perhaps to some degree I am. However, not in the way that you think. I am lonely because I don't have a worthy fighting opponent not in this era. So you are correct to some degree. _

The Uchiha heir remained silent.

"I-I am sorry, Uchiha-san, if I have o-offended you."

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. He turned on his heels with his back towards her, and Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "You have offended me."

"what?" Hinata looked at her with all the color draining from her face, yet, it was delightful to see her shaken up from him toying with her. "How?"

"You keep calling me, Uchiha-san, Uchiha-san." Sasuke mocked her voice. "I have a name you know, it's Sasuke, start calling me by that." Hinata looked at him, shocked, then she sighed as a warm smile spread across her face.

"Okay, Sasuke-san." The Uchiha heir's back stiffened, and he found himself taken aback by the manner in which she uttered his name.

It was the first time, in years, he had heard someone speak his name in such a benevolent tone.

**Please review the story/or each chapter, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator. **


	6. The bending of Sasuke Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 6

Konohagakure seemed to grow in population, immensely over the course of several days. The streets bustled with more citizens, some of which were a part of the other four great shinobi countries. Furthermore, there seemed to be some kind of elation among all of the villagers, Sasuke couldn't figure out what the fuck it was, but every villager had a huge smile plastered on their face. The Uchiha heir didn't care what the fuck was going on, but one thing was for certain. The more hoi polloi had brought more noise, and this greatly displeased him. The noise penetrated the walls of his estate, and Sasuke found himself unable to concentrate with all of racket. In addition, the disruptions made by the inhabitants were not confined to the daytime, but they prolonged late into the night. Sure! He had a warm bed, but what good would that do if you couldn't even sleep? On several nights, the Uchiha heir found himself staring at the ceiling, and frankly, he was tired of looking at the texture of it. The sleepless nights had put Sasuke in a foul mood, and he had every intention of taking it out on anyone who crossed his path. Sasuke stared at the Hyuuga heiress who was arched forward with her eyes closed, and she was huffing, excessively. There were more scratches on her face, her jacket was stained with dirt from where he had threw her to the ground, and the zipper was down. The loose zipper allowed the jacket to fall off her shoulder, slightly, which revealed her moonlight kissed skin. Her cheeks were rosy red, and her lips were white in dryness. Thick black circles were formed underneath Sasuke's red eyes, and he was paler than usual. Everything agitated the Uchiha heir, the sunlight, the breeze, even his own existence. Normally, with this level of agitation, the Uchiha heir wouldn't be able to tolerate any form of human contact. However, Sasuke found himself not minding the presence of the Hyuuga heiress, in fact, he was at ease much to his surprise. So, maybe the Hyuuga was good for more than just sparring.

_**Just maybe. **_

"Uchiha-san, you look t-tired is everything okay?" Hinata looked at him, concerned. He noticed that she struggled to get the words out of her mouth, no doubt out of the lack of oxygen. Hell, they had been sparring for three hours straight.

"I said don't call me that, Hyuuga." Sasuke hissed, angrily. "You can call me by my name, stop with the fucking formalities already."

"Sorry." A weary smile spread across her face, and the Uchiha heir rubbed his eyes as they faded to their usual onyx color.

"Whatever."

"Sasuke-san, p-please answer the q-question." He heard her plea in her usual delicate voice.

"I am fine, I told you that I am no need for your concern."

"But the b-bags on underneath your e-eyes." Hinata objected.

"You should be concerned about yourself since you look like you are about to fall over." Sasuke stared at Hinata, observing how her body trembled in exhaustion, and Hinata shook her head.

"I-I am fine." The Hyuuga heiress straightened up her back, she took a step forward only to fall to her knees, and she gasped, slightly. Sasuke walked up to her, and he sheathed his katana.

"See, I told you, you should worry about yourself." The Uchiha heir sighed in agitation. "Plus, I don't see how you would be any good to me in this condition, the fight wouldn't even be a fight."

_I am not going to fight you when you are not at your best._

"B-but, you w-want to fight more right?" Hinata sat down, leaning back, and Sasuke knelt down.

"You wouldn't last." Sasuke stated. He didn't say this to insult her, but it was a fact. Hell, he could fight all damn day, and never get tired. However, the Hyuuga heiress couldn't go on much longer, seeing how exhausted she was, and the Uchiha heir didn't want to have to deal with the possibly of her passing out. "Are you not tired?"

"I am." Hinata admitted, shyly. "but, so are you."

"You're not going to let that go are you?" Sasuke stated this rather than asked it because he was fully aware of the answer. "If you must know so much, yes, I am tired."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking so many damn questions?"

"Well, you are my s-sparring partner." Hinata smiled at him, warmly. "It is only natural that I am a-attentive to your well-being."

_Natural? It was __**NOT**__ natural for partners, comrades, teammates or whatever they were to be concerned for one another. _Hell, Sasuke would have gladly killed his comrades if they stood in the way of his goals. In fact, there was one case in which he had impaled Karin, his former…well… whatever you wanted to call her… in order to kill that bastard Danzo. So for Hinata to say such things was completely idiotic. However, this case with her was different from any other situations before, the Hyuuga heiress's existence was important to him. He needed her to be alive so they could spar.

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. "You are a tenacious woman, but I will tell you, it is because of all the damn noise going on in this place."

"What noise?" Hinata looked at him, perplexed, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"How can you not hear it?" Sasuke exasperated. "The village has seemed to come alive over the course of several days, is there something I am not fucking aware of?"

"Oh, yes, they are c-coming for the phoenix festival."

"What in the fuck is the phoenix festival?"

"It is a c-celebration of the new era of p-peace that has fallen over the lands."

_Oh hell! Kill me._

"Fuck that shit." Sasuke scoffed at the idea. "When did this occur?"

"A year after the war." Hinata informed. "It was an a-agreement between all of the five kages."

"I see." Sasuke cursed Konohagakure, it was a pain in his ass in more ways than one, and this just fueled his hatred for it even more. There was no one he could find who wasn't happy with this era of peace, everyone thought it was like a utopia made real, but it was his own personal hell.

"do you not like festivals, Sasuke-san?" The Uchiha heir gaze directed back to the Hyuuga heiress who looked at him, curiously.

"No, I don't."

"How come?"

"You are just full of all kinds of damn questions today aren't you?"

"You don't h-have to answer them, if they make you un-"Sasuke cut her off.

"You don't know how I feel, Hyuuga, don't try to empathize with me." His words were icy and harsh. Hinata nodded at him, looking at the ground, and he scrutinized her. There was a momentary silence exchanged between the two heirs, and he cleared his throat. "I have never been to a festival before."

"Never?" Hinata looked at him, baffled. "Oh y-you must go to one."

"Why?"

"Well…" The Hyuuga heiress looked off in the distance, he could tell that she was searching to give him a good answer, and a small smile settled on her lips. "There are all d-different foods you can try, g-games, and…" Sasuke looked at her, unmoved.

"Those are all unnecessary nuisances, Hyuuga, so when is this festival?"

" I-In a couple of days."

" I see." Something warm trickled down the side of Sasuke's head, he looked down as a droplet fell onto his hand, and he stared at his dark red blood.

_Oh that is right. She managed to cut me more this time around. _

It was at that moment, the Uchiha heir started to become aware of the scratches on his face. He had a gash on the side of his head, and a couple of lacerations on his face from where Hinata had cut him with a couple of chakra infused shuriken. Pain had become so second nature to him that he didn't even realize when he felt it, seeing his blood was nothing to him, and he heard a slight gasp. Sasuke saw a very horrified Hinata stare at him, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sasuke-san, the sparring w-was too much, I-I have really hurt you." Her voice was filled with regret, and Sasuke watched her reach out a hand towards him.

"I warned you once, not to ever touch me, I'll break your hand if you do, and that is a promise." The tonality of his voice was threatening. The Uchiha heir saw Hinata withdraw her hand, nodding at him, and she kept her eyes on the gash.

"doesn't that hurt?"

_No. _The endless battles made him a slight masochist.

"Where are all your baby sitters?" Sasuke evaded the question. "I haven't come face to face with any of them today."

"I am sure that they are b-busy with the influx of villagers c-coming in for the festival." The Uchiha heir noticed her eyes became wide as she uttered the words. It seemed that the Hyuuga heiress had a sudden epiphany, and she jumped to her feet. He stood up, ignoring the oozing gash, and the Hinata stumbled backwards. "I am sure they are wondering where I am, I have to go help out, I haven't even checked my duties for today yet."

"What are you going to get punished or something?" The Uchiha heir let out a mocking laugh.

"I will see you later, Sasuke-san." She bowed to him before disappearing out of the forest, and Sasuke turned on his heels. He walked over to a tree, sitting down, and he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sasuke figured that he might as well get some sleep while it was quiet, the Uchiha heir closed his eyes, but he couldn't stop thinking about how the Hyuuga looked at him with such a horrified face. He grimaced at the image.

_That face is so unbecoming of you, Hyuuga. _Sasuke thought as he drifted off to a light sleep.

XXXX

Hinata couldn't believe that she had forgotten to check on her duties for the day, it was so unlike her, and she promised herself to work extra hard to make up for the mistake. The Hyuuga heiress brushed the dirt off her jacket, however there were grass stains all on her pants. No matter how hard she tried to look clean, Hinata knew that everyone would know she had spared with the Sasuke. She was definitely tired from it, Hinata yearned to go home and change into fresh clothes. Climb into bed, and sleep for the whole day. However, Hinata had priorities, and they outweighed her needs. Her theory about the Uchiha heir was indeed correct, he didn't feel pain, judging by the way he carried out his daily activities unaware of his wounds. The sight of blood made her uneasy, and Sasuke's blood was no exception. The metallic smell of it infused with its rustic iron taste made the Hyuuga heiress nauseous. Whenever, Hinata caught sight of blood, she knew that death would be following afterwards, and it was one of the many factors as to why Hinata detested battles. She wanted to patch up the gash on his head, but Hinata was not going to press it any further. Anyways, when Sasuke informed her that he would break her hand, Hinata knew that he would do it. Furthermore, Hinata called Sasuke her sparring partner, but what she really meant was friend. In an odd way, the Hyuuga heiress thought of him as a friend. Yet, Hinata recognized that he probably wouldn't like the word so she played upon it.

Why did he not like for anyone to care for him?

The Hyuuga heiress made her way to Naruto's office, she ran inside causing the blond headed Hokage's eyes widened. The young jinchuuriki host looked her up and down.

"Hinata-chan, why do you look like that?" The blond headed Hokage frowned at her, and he stopped up, quickly.

"Oh, I was sparring." Hinata informed. "S-sorry about not checking in with y-you this morning." Naruto smiled at her, and he waved his hand.

"Aww man, too bad, I was stuck in here the whole time, I would have joined you, and who were you sparing with?" Naruto asked, curiously. Hinata pursed her lips, she didn't want to cause any more unwanted confrontations for the Uchiha heir, and she looked down at the ground. On the other hand, Hinata couldn't lie to her dear friend.

"Uh…." Hinata began. "I was sparing with Sasuke-san." Naruto's eye became wide as saucers that Hinata thought they were going to pop out, and his mouth dropped.

"You were sparring with... Sasuke?" The Hyuuga heiress nodded in confirmation, Naruto leaned back in his chair, and she could tell he was stunned. "Did he offer to spar with you?"

"No, I offered him."

"And he accepted?"

"Y-yes, Naruto-chan." The Hyuuga heiress saw the young jinchuuriki host was speechless, she smiled at him, and Hinata tried to ease the situation. "Where is everyone?"

Naruto blinked twice before he answered, and then he cleared his throat. "As you already know the phoenix festival is in a couple of days so everyone is checking the villagers from each country including our own. Sakura and Ino are checking with villagers here, Shino and Kiba are checking with villagers from the land of earth and lightning, but Shikamaru preferred to work alone. He is checking those from the land of water, and those coming in from the land of wind need to be checked."

"Okay."

"I am sure that none of them are suspicious considering how Gaara has probably checked them all out before they were allowed to come here to Konohagakure."

"Oh, is the Kazekage c-coming this year for the f-festival?" Hinata asked, curiously. Naruto nodded at her, eagerly, and she was happy to hear that. The Hyuuga heiress may not have been in love with Naruto anymore, but she hated to see him unhappy. There was a silence exchanged between them, and she headed out.

"I will check them out." Hinata wanted to leave before any more questions were going to be asked about Sasuke.

"Oh yeah, be careful, Hinata-chan."

"Don't worry, I-I will be." The Hyuuga heiress assured as she shut the door behind her.

XXXX

Naruto stared at the door, completely bewildered by the news that he had just been informed of. Sasuke had agreed to a spar with Hinata? Why did he accept? The blond headed Hokage had made numerous futile attempts to get the Uchiha heir to socialize with others, but Hinata was able to do that on one try. Naruto reflected back on his encounter with Sasuke in the kukoji forest, and how Sasuke said that he had no intention of seeing anyone. If this was true then, why would he want to interact with Hinata? The young jinchuuriki host pondered these thoughts as he picked up a pencil, and tapped it, lightly, on the table's wooden surface. After a few moments, Naruto felt a small smile tug at his lips, and he couldn't help, but let out a soft chuckle.

"Maybe, I am not the one who can get through to you, Sasuke." The blond headed Hokage whispered, silently to himself as he turned to look upon Konohagakure through the window.

XXXX

The villagers from the land of the wind ranged from young to old, and there was an excessive chatter among them. Their chatter included sighs of awe which no doubly came from the beautiful architecture of Konohagakure. Hinata stared at the villagers passing by her, so far all of them checked out just as Naruto had suspected, and she gave everyone a welcoming smile. An elderly young woman struggled through the crowd, she had huge baskets of food, and some of the villagers just passed by her. They didn't offer her a single help, the Hyuuga heiress caught sight of the older woman, and she walked into the crowd. The elderly woman had sweat forming on her brow, she seemed to be straining herself, immensely, and she went to drop the basket.

"Oh no!" she shouted. The Hyuuga heiress grabbed the basket before its contents spilled onto the ground only to be crushed underneath the feet of her fellow neighbors. Hinata saw a grateful express come across her face, and she reached out her hand. "Thank you... err..."

"Hinata." Hinata pointed to the other basket of food. "Please allow me to h-help you with all the baskets."

"Oh, I simply mustn't" the elderly woman looked at her, shocked. "You have been so kind already that I cannot burden you."

"I-It is my pleasure." The Hyuuga heiress insisted, and she placed her hand on the handle. "Please." The elderly woman looked at her, defeated, and she nodded. She handed Hinata the other basket of food, Hinata balanced the baskets on one arm, and she held out her hand. "Please allow me to maneuver you through the crowd."

"Oh my, I didn't realize shinobi from Konohagakure were so kind." The woman held onto Hinata's arm, and she gave her a small smile. "Isn't that a little heavy for you?"

_A little. _

"No, I am fine." The Hyuuga heiress wasn't going to tell the woman that the baskets of food caused a little trouble for her. After all, Hinata was not the one tell others when she was having trouble with anything.

"Oh, you are a strong woman." The woman admired. "Nothing less than I would expect from a Hyuuga."

"You are too kind." Hinata turned red at the compliment. "w-what are in t-these bags?"

"Several batches of pomegranates native to Sunagakure, I am bringing them to my son who is going to be making pies for the festival."

"Oh, really that sounds great."

"Will you be enjoying the festival?" The elderly woman asked.

"I-I will be on duty, why?"

"Well as penitence for helping me, I will tell my son to give you a free pie."

"that is so kind."

"Well..." The woman chuckled at the Hyuuga heiress. "Shinobi do get hungry don't they and I heard that you all don't get really good meals when you are on duty."

"Thank you." Hinata was speechless at the generosity of the elderly woman, she didn't expect to receive anything for helping her. The Hyuuga heiress felt that it was necessary to help anyone who was in need.

"And please do e-enjoy the festival."

"I will try to."

"And spend it with someone special." The elderly woman grinned at her causing the Hyuuga heiress's cheeks to grow a rose red. "Do you have someone special?" Hinata shook her head. "Well, surely you have someone special, it doesn't have to be a lover, and it could be a friend."

"Yes, but they are all on duty."

"You shinobi always work hard, you all need to take time to smell the roses, such a beautiful woman such as yourself should be able to enjoy the festival."

"I-I will." Hinata assured. "I promise, don't worry."

_A friend to spend time at the festival with huh? _The Hyuuga heiress lead the woman to the gate, the woman's family met her at the gate, and they thanked Hinata for the aid. The woman waved to Hinata as she left, and Hinata waved back, timidly. She leaned up against the gate, looking at the ground, and she began to ponder. Everyone had someone to spend time with during the festival, friends, family, etc., all except for one person.

_Sasuke Uchiha. _Hinata figured that the Uchiha heir would remain cooped up in the estate as the festival went on, and she bit her lip. He had never been to a festival, so why not invite him? He said that it was a nuisance so the Hyuuga heiress had an idea that he probably wouldn't accept the offer. However, she couldn't bear the thought of someone not inviting him, and even if he didn't accept it, at least someone offered. Hinata bit her lip, looking onto the crowds of citizens, and she had her mind set. She was going to propose the idea to Sasuke.

_The idea of attending the festival with her. _

XXXX

Sasuke made his way to his estate, he managed to get a decent sleep in the forest, but it didn't alleviate his foul mood. The Uchiha heir unlocked the dead bolt on his gate, he went to push open the gate, and he caught sight of the Hyuuga heiress wave at him. Sasuke stared at her, coolly, and she smiled at him.

"d-did you spend all your t-time in the forest?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"That is none of your damn business, Hyuuga, what do you want from me?"

"I have a question for you." She began, hesitantly. "B-but, I am not sure if you will like it?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her, and he crossed his arms.

"I probably won't, nonetheless, spit it out." The Uchiha heir commanded. "I hate waiting."

"would you like to go to the phoenix festival with me?" He saw the timid look on her face, her cheeks flush in embarrassment, and the Uchiha heir rolled his eyes.

"What makes you think that I would want to go to that shit?" Sasuke asked. "Didn't we have this discussion in the forest?"

"Yes, but I thought it would like to get out of the estate."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because e-everyone will be enjoying t-themselves and you will be left out."

"Why do you care so much if I go?" Sasuke hissed.

"I just do." A silence fell between them, and Hinata bit her lip, nervously. She opened her mouth to break to the unnerving stillness, but Sasuke held up his hand.

"Shut up, Hyuuga, I'll go."

"what?" Hinata looked at him, stunned, and Sasuke growled at her.

"You heard me, don't make me fucking repeat myself." Hinata's cheeks turned rouge in elation, and she bowed to him.

"I promise you won't regret this."

"Oh, I doubt that very seriously." Sasuke groaned to himself as he stared upon a very ecstatic Hinata. He wasn't quite sure as to why he agreed to go to the festival. Perhaps, it was on a whim or maybe she was rubbing off on him with her kindness.

Either way, Sasuke had allowed her to persuade him to do something that he didn't really want to do, and that in itself was a rare occurrence.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator. **


	7. The Phoneix Festival

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 7

The smells of different arrays of foods filled the air, playing on the olfactory senses of anyone who passed by them. The laughter of children mixed in with the playful rhythmic mood of music touched each corner of Konohagakure. It was a joyous event for everyone, except one. Sasuke stood at the front door of his estate, he had his arms crossed, and he cursed underneath his breath. The Uchiha heir had on a black kimono with a pair of sandals. To his unfortunate displeasure, he had to buy a new men's kimono instead of wearing his usual clothes. His everyday attire had dirt, and blood stains all over it, and it needed to be washed. The only thing he kept from his every day wear was the katana hilted on his hip. There was nowhere Sasuke would go without it. Sasuke considered not to show up to the damn festival, but he was not the one to go back on his word. If anything, Sasuke was not looking forward to the festival at all, but there was no point in bitching about it. What was done was done.

_Fuck my life. _

A soft knock came at the gate, the Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, and he walked up to the gate. Sasuke was met with a smiling Hinata, and he eyed her.

"Let's get this over with," The Uchiha heir growled, lowly.

"I really appreciate y-you willing to go with me."

"Whatever." Sasuke slammed the gate behind him, and Hinata walked beside him as they made their way towards the festival. There was a silence exchanged between the two heirs, the sound of their footsteps hitting the asphalt of the road was the only noise, and Sasuke kept his eyes forward.

"Um...Sasuke-san." Hinata began.

"What?" Sasuke didn't face her as she spoke, he was watching the image of the festival, getting closer and closer only to reveal the plethora of inhabitants.

"I-I am really glad you decided to come."

"Don't bullshit me with your sentimental words." Sasuke spat, icily.

"I really do mean it."' Hinata said, defensively.

"Will you be glad that I came if I killed everyone right now in this festival?" Sasuke smirked at Hinata, and Hinata looked at him, horrified.

"y-you wouldn't do that." Hinata muttered.

"Okay." Sasuke said with his voice skeptical. "But if anyone dies at this festival then it will be all your fault even if it results in the death of your good friends." Hinata nodded at him, he saw her make a mental note, and his eyes narrowed.

Did she not believe him?

Normally, when he made threats people took them as warnings, but she didn't seem all too convinced.

What the fuck was wrong with her? He was a killer, and she needed to understand that fact.

"I will also be on d-duty as w-well, Sasuke-san."

"Doing what?"

"Just making sure that everything goes well."

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. "what is someone going to do?" in case you haven't noticed, nothing happens anymore, no attacks on villages or anything that happened when we were younger."

"So what would you like to do first?"

"I don't know, you fucking invited me here, you make the damn decisions."

"I d-don't want to intrude."

"Just make a decision already." Sasuke exasperated. "Or I am going back home." He looked at her, threateningly, and she pursed her lips.

"I would like to go see a musical performance first if that is okay."

"I really don't care." The Uchiha heir and Hyuuga heiress came up to the entrance of the festival. The men were dressed in light colored kimonos while the women were dressed in their finest yukatas with brightly colored parasols. Children ran through the streets, holding sparklers in their hands, and there was a spectators' box where the kages sat in. The spectators' box overlooked the festival, Sasuke looked at it, intently, and he saw Naruto sitting beside Gaara. The other remaining three kages sat beside them. The Uchiha heir pressed his lips together, cringing, and he looked at the sight, coldly.

_You think you're so fucking high and mighty don't you, Naruto?_

"D-do you like shamisen music?" Hinata asked, curiously. "I think it is the f-first performance today."

"Why does it matter?"

"I want you to like it as well." Hinata smiled at him, warmly. "that is important."

"Whatever."

"Come on, I think the performance is this way." It was easy to keep up with her, since he could distinctively pick her out of the crowds of villagers by her hair color. However, he growled as residents bumped into him, and he fought the urge to just cut them out of his way. Sasuke saw that Hinata got a considerable distance from him, and he figured that he would find her either way. He was not going to bust his ass to try to keep up with her. The Uchiha heir came up to a tent where a group of three men and women sat on a matt. There were ornaments hanging from the tent, and the women had on geisha like makeup. A mass was forming around the tent, Sasuke saw the Hyuuga heiress standing front of the mass, but he chose to remain in the back. He saw her scan the crowd until her eyes rested on him, she beckoned him to join her at the front of the crowd, but Sasuke just stared at her. After a few more attempts and realizing that he would not come. The Uchiha heir watched Hinata made her way through the crowd to where he was, and he growled.

_You idiot, you lost your place. _

"I am sorry, Sasuke-san, I lost you." Hinata apologized.

"Stop it." Sasuke commanded, curtly. "You're annoying me right now."

"what?"

"You so apologetic, it is annoying." Sasuke hissed.

"I-" The Uchiha heir cut her off.

"Don't say you're fucking sorry, just turn around and watch the damn show." Hinata gave him a soft complaint smile, she turned around, and the music started to play. The crowd sighed in awe, the Uchiha found himself bored, and he looked at the ground. However, Sasuke took notice of Hinata standing on her toes as she tried to look over the crowd, but she was too short. She moved one way, but another person moved in front of her. With a sigh, Hinata fell back on her feet, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Just push your way through them, Hinata."

"that is rude, I mustn't." Sasuke groaned to himself, he grabbed her sleeve, and he dragged her through the crowd. As he drug her through the mass, she fumbled in a polite protest, but Sasuke ignored it. He pushed the villagers out of his way, some of them cursed at him, and he looked at them, sinisterly. When they met his eyes, the color drained from their face.

_That is what I thought. _

Sasuke pushed her to the front, the Hyuuga heiress stumbled forward, and she turned red in embarrassment. The musicians looked at them, shocked with their fingers plucking the strings, mindlessly.

XXXX

Hinata didn't look at the musicians as they stared at her, she directed her gaze to focus on the matt that they were sitting on. She couldn't believe that the Uchiha had been so rude passing through these people. The Hyuuga heiress wanted to crawl into a shell, however she had to admit that it was a nice view. The music settled her nerves however, she looked out the corner of her eye at the Uchiha heir. Sasuke had an unfathomable expression on his face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she would have to get him to like something.

Did he like the music?

Did it bore him?

These questions struck a curiosity in the Hyuuga, but she was also taken aback by Sasuke. He had shown her a faint ray of kindness.

Did he really care that she saw the musicians playing?

She felt a smile tug at her lips, and Hinata figured that she would have to repay him for it. The Hyuuga heiress looked at the Uchiha heir out the corner of her eye, he looked handsome in his black kimono, and she felt her cheeks turn red at the thought. Despite the enjoyment of the music, Hinata scanned the mass of inhabitants. They were all happy, and none of them seemed suspicious. The Hyuuga heiress prayed that it would remain that way all day. Halfway into the musical performance, Hinata walked over to Sasuke, and she smiled at him.

"do you like it?" Hinata asked, inquisitively.

"It's fine."

"we can go if you are bored."

"I didn't drag your ass to the front for you to not stay here for the full preformance." Sasuke growled. He glared at her, and the Hyuuga heiress nodded at him. The preformance lasted for an hour, and the crowd began to break up.

"let's go see the k-kiosks if that is okay."

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged at her, he turned on his heels, and Hinata followed him into the streets of venders. The Hyuuga heiress looked at all the different kiosks which ranged from selling toys for children to fine silk kimonos. She looked, excitedly at everything, and Hinata caught sight of the elderly woman whom she helped at Konohagakure's gates. Hinata walked up to the booth, and the old woman caught sight of her.

"Oh, Miss Hinata, how are you today?" She asked with a grin.

"I am fine, thank you."

"Did you find someone to spend the festival with?" The elderly woman asked, curiously.

"Oh, yes, I did."

"Would you like to try a slice of our pies?" she asked, curiously. "I know I promised you one before I left the other day."

"No, thank you." The Hyuuga heiress declined, politely. "I just w-wanted to come visit y-you."

"You are too kind, come back if you want some." With a nod, Hinata moved onto the next booth with the Uchiha heir, and she heard him scoff.

"Geez, you are too much for me, Hyuuga."

"what?"

"Being kind to old ladies and shit, let me guess you saved her right?"

"No, I helped her."

"Doing what?"

"She dropped her stuff, and I-I helped carry it for her."

"That's even worse." The Uchiha heir exasperated. Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but she her train of thought was cut off by a cheerful voice.

"Hinata!" Ino shouted. The Hyuuga heiress turned around to see Ino, Sakura, and Kiba along with Akamaru running towards her. She waved at them, but she bit her lip. The closer they got towards them, the Hyuuga heiress watched their mouths drop as they began to recognize who was with her. Kiba was the first one by Hinata's side.

"' what is he doing here?" Kiba asked, angrily. Hinata looked at Ino who stared at Sasuke with a shocked face as her cheeks grew rosy red in bashfulness.

"I thought you understood the nature of our conversation, the other day." Sakura crossed her arms, keeping her eyes on Sasuke, and Hinata noticed that Sasuke remained quiet.

"P-please everyone, I invited him." Hinata walked over in front of Sasuke, and she felt his stare bore into her back.

"Hee!" They all shouted in unison. Kiba frowned at her.

"Why, he doesn't care if he comes here or not."

"As that may be, everyone is welcomed to the festival." Hinata explained, kindly. "And Sasuke-san is no exception." Ino cleared her throat.

"Sasuke, are you taking advantage of her?" Ino asked, firmly. Hinata looked at Sasuke out the corner of her eye, and the Uchiha heir crossed his arms.

XXXX

He didn't feel like answer the Yamanaka's question, nor did he want to explain the reason for why he was here to anyone. Furthermore, the Hyuuga heiress was defending him to her so called friends, and he would have gladly allowed her to keep talking. But, he was not someone that needed to be saved by anyone, and the Uchiha heir wanted to make that clear.

"It doesn't matter if I answer it or not." Sasuke stated, coldly.

"What the fuck did you say?" Kiba asked, infuriated. Akamaru stood beside Kiba with his teeth bared at Sasuke, but it didn't faze the Uchiha heir.

"You all wouldn't know if I was taking advantage of someone even if it bit you in the ass." Sasuke sneered. "Including you, Sakura." Sakura scowled at him, and she balled up her fists.

"You smug bastard." Kiba reached passed Sasuke, grabbing the collar of his kimono, and the Uchiha heir activated his sharingan.

_I'll teach you not to touch me. _

"Kiba!" Ino shouted, dismayed. "Let go of him."

"I will do no such thing, I am going to teach this bastard a lesson!" The Uchiha heir began to unsheathe his katana until he felt someone knock it back into the holder, and a pale hand pushed Kiba away from him, abruptly.

"Stop it now, both of you, this is a place of celebration, there is no need for this conflict." Sasuke glared at Hinata whose eyes darted between him and the Inuzuka.

_Did she just….? _

"Hinata is right." Sakura crossed her arms, and she walked up to Kiba, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I am truly sorry, Hinata, did you find anything out of the ordinary?" The Uchiha heir could tell that Sakura didn't like him being here with Hinata as much as everyone else did, but she wasn't going to mention it.

_So an old dog can learn new tricks. _

"No, everything seems f-fine." Hinata said with a smile. "But, I-I will keep a look out, Sakura-chan."

"I know you will." The Uchiha heir saw Kiba motion with his hands that he was watching him, and Kiba looked at Hinata.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan."

"It is fine." And with that, the three shinobi were gone.

"Tch, what fucking nuisances."

XXXX

Hinata tried to control her frantic heartbeat, but she found herself shaken up for what could have occurred between Sasuke and Kiba. Furthermore, the Hyuuga heiress knew it was a bold move to intercept the confrontation between the two young men like that, but she could see the situation getting out of control very fast. She looked to see her hands were trembling in fear, Hinata closed her eyes short, and she took a deep breath through her teeth.

"Hyuuga." She opened her eyes up to see Sasuke in front of her, and Hinata turned red in embarrassment. His eyes were back to their normal color.

"Y-yes." Hinata was expecting him to say something about her interceding in his fight.

"Is there any more places that you want to look at?" The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, baffled and she nodded at him.

"There is." With a nod, Sasuke turned around, and he began to walk in the direction of the other booths. Hinata followed after him, and she thanked him inside of her head for not confronting her about it.

But why didn't he say something?

This was a question that Hinata figured she wouldn't get a straight answer for, and the Hyuuga heiress decided not to dwell on it. Not wanting it to spoil her day, she made herself enjoy the rest of the sights that the festival had to offer.

-Later on that same day-

The sun started to set, the sky turned a vibrant display of pastel colors, and the multitude of residents started to die down. The Hyuuga heiress started to become a bit hungry, and she was sure that Sasuke was hungry. She walked up to a vender who was selling freshly made red bean paste buns, and she bought a small bento box filled with them.

"Are you tired of walking, Sasuke-san?" The Uchiha heir didn't answer her.

"w-would mind if we sit down, I bought us food." With a shrug, Sasuke followed her through to find a seating area. Hinata found a bench underneath a willow tree, and she opened up the bento box once they sat down. "I-I hope you like red bean paste buns." She took a bun out of the box, and held it to her lips. "I figured that you must be hungry by now."

XXXX

Sasuke watched the Hyuuga heiress take a bite of a red bean paste bun. The box of buns sat in between them, and the Uchiha heir couldn't believe that she had bought one of his favorite foods. He was surprised to find that the Hyuuga heiress, and he had some form of commonality. The Uchiha heir sighed and he reached into the box, grabbing one. The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, shocked as he took a bite, and he looked at her, coolly.

"What are you looking at?" He was hungry after all.

"you like these?"

"Yes, I wouldn't be eating it if I didn't like it." Hinata beamed in delight, and she held the box out to him.

"Please take as many as you want, I-" Sasuke cut her off.

"It is fine what you have here, I don't fill up on food anyways."

"I didn't know y-you liked these." Hinata said, staring at her food. "w-what else do you like?"

"You're pushing it, Hyuuga." Sasuke warned. "Don't you think that is enough information for today, hell, most people don't even know what foods I like."

"Okay." He saw a flicker of disappointment come across her face.

Why did she want to know about him? He was nobody to everyone else, why wasn't he nobody in her eyes?

Sasuke frowned. "Don't tell anyone or I will make sure that you beat you until you pass out next time we spar." The Uchiha heir commanded. Those words were not merely a statement, but they were a promise.

"I promise that I won't tell." The Uchiha heir had an idea that she wouldn't tell, hell, she kept it from her friends that she invited him to the festival. However, he wanted to be sure that she didn't reveal it to anyone. People were always trying to wonder what the qualities were of the Uchiha heir other than the obvious ones, and these people included the shinobi that she was friends with. The Hyuuga heiress should consider herself to be lucky to be able to learn one quality about him, but she was also extremely perceptive. Sasuke didn't have to say much with her, she could figure a lot out of his unspoken words, and he had to admit that he liked that.

"this is kind of peaceful isn't it, Sasuke-san?"

"That's a fucking stupid thing to say, Hyuuga." The Uchiha heir exasperated.

"Maybe." Hinata leaned back, closing her eyes, and Sasuke stared at her.

How could she relax in the midst of all this chaos that the festival brought on? It was not too long afterwards that Sasuke saw her fade into a light sleep.

_I can't believe her. _

The Uchiha heir felt something hit his shoulder, he knew it was the Hyuuga heiress, and he grimaced. He wanted to shove her off him, and ring her slender neck for sleeping on him. Sasuke expected his anger flare when he looked at her, however it didn't happen. Instead, he found himself gazing upon her, her hair fell in front of her face, and the Uchiha heir got a whiff of her scent. She smelled like fresh lilac and jasmine, it was intoxicating, and Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk. Did she think that it was permissible to do such a thing?

"And you didn't even ask if you could sleep on me." Sasuke sighed, heavily. "I guess you can... for now. The Uchiha heir rested his chin against his hand, she was the first woman that he allowed to do this, and to be honest, it felt kind of nice.

What was going on with him? First, he allowed her to stop the possibility of a fight with the Inuzuka and now this.

He was growing soft after all.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	8. A new start

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 8

The Uchiha heir began to notice a slow and small change occurring within himself, and he felt the need to confront it. Sasuke was beginning to grow soft on her. He suspected that it was the primary reason for why he had even agreed to go to the festival in the first place. As silly as it may sound, he would have remained completely obvious to such things, if it were not for the other day. He had learned from a young age to close himself from any kind of emotion, emotions were weak, and it was what got you killed in battles. Emotions drove shinobi to commit imprudent actions. So, Sasuke stripped himself off them when he left Konohagakure, failing to recognize any other emotions except for apathy and aloofness. Throughout the years, the other emotions began to dwindle, and the last of them were used on Itachi Uchiha after his death.

But why her? Why was she able to revive them?

Sasuke was around women before, but they didn't bring about such actions. Shit, when he looked at Sakura or Karin, he felt nothing, if they were to bleed out in front of him, entrails spilling out of their bodies, he wouldn't feel any obligation to help them. But, when he gazed upon the face of the sleeping Hyuuga. The Uchiha heir felt a sort of peace and contentedness. It was the first time that he had felt the feeling of contentedness in his lifetime. When he was a young shinobi, he was not satisfied with his life, and much to others belief, he was not content with his life after he had killed Itachi. Maybe, it was because she quenched his thirst for a fight that he felt these two feelings. Either way, Sasuke had let his guard down, and now he was ruined. Furthermore, he couldn't get the smell of her perfumed skin out of his head. The Uchiha heir could swear that her scent lingered on him for days, and it almost drove him to the point of throwing away the black kimono.

What was going on with him?

It had been the first time that he had allowed a woman to be within so many feet of him. Often times, when a woman invaded the parameters of his space, it was when they were throwing themselves at him, begging that Sasuke would take them. The Uchiha heir cursed underneath his breath, he had been so aversive to touch, and here he was allowing her to touch him. Not necessarily, skin to skin contact, but harmless bodily contact.

Why did he let her? Maybe it was because she was so gentle.

Oh how far he has fallen!

Sasuke considered to stay away from Hinata for a couple of days, but he knew that wouldn't work out very well. It would defeat the purpose for why he came to this forsaken place.

The Uchiha heir stood in the forest, its quietness was interrupted by the chirping of birds, and he stood in a casual stance. After a few moments, Sasuke's eyes narrowed in agitation, and he looked up at the sun.

She was late.

In fact, judging by the way, he sun was positioned in the sky, he had been waiting on her for an hour, and frankly, he was getting impatient. Sasuke took a deep breath through gritted teeth, he balled up his fists, and turned around. The Uchiha heir was going to find Hinata, and make sure she regretted wasting his time like this. As if right on cue, Sasuke saw the Hyuuga heiress run out to where he was, her face was frantic, and he crossed his arms.

"You're late."

"I-I am sorry, Sasuke-san." Hinata looked at him, apologetically, and she gave him a shy smile. "B-but I am not able to t-train with y-you today."

"What?" Sasuke asked.

" I was just now able to get out of our hectic day today, we have to g-go deliver some goods to a starving village."

"You couldn't have told me sooner than this?" The Uchiha heir looked at her, displeased.

" I-I am so sorry, I h-have been out earlier than our sparing time gathering up some goods." The Hyuuga heiress explained, breathlessly. "This was the o-only time that I could get out."

"I see… and what village is it?"

"A small unaffiliated village, I-I am not sure of the name."

"And you thought it was okay that you put aside our daily spar for that?" Sasuke asked as he approached her, keeping intense eyes on the soft contours of her face, and Hinata looked at him, speechless.

"what if they starve?"

"Hmm… who care?" The Uchiha heir stated, apathetically.

" I care if they do." The Hyuuga heiress muttered as she directed her gaze to the ground, and the Uchiha heir stopped to where he was no more than a few feet in front of her.

"Of course you do." Sasuke scoffed at her. "How long are you going to be gone for?"

"A c-couple of days."

_And what pretell do you think I am going to do in your absence?_

"You didn't say anything about this before." Sasuke hissed.

"I just learned about this morning, and I-I will be drafted out this afternoon, it is an emergency situation." Hinata explained. "They have been in f-famine for days."

"You have wasted my time telling me this news, I would have been able to figure out where you were, and do you honestly think I am so completely oblivious to my surroundings and to those who are in it."

"No, I didn't want you to think I left you."

"Why does that matter, I am nobody."

"No you a-are not." Hinata said, quickly. The Uchiha heir saw her meet his eyes for a brief second when she said this, and he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Sasuke pushed past Hinata, she followed him with her eyes, and he stopped to where they were side by side. There was a long pause exchanged between them. "I don't know what to do with you." He saw a perplexed look come across Hinata's face, but he didn't wait for her to ask what he meant by the words. No, he left Hinata standing right in that forest before he revealed anything else.

XXXX

Hinata didn't mean to leave the Uchiha heir waiting for her so long, she had been summoned by Naruto at 6: 00 am this morning, and it had been non-stop ever since then. Late last night, Naruto had gotten a scroll tied to dove's leg that was a plea for assistance. According to the scroll, this unaffiliated village had recently experienced a serious of droughts that have left the lands infertile, and this has led to the death of several inhabitants including children. Furthermore, the villagers who had been surviving were living off storage food. Hinata had been packing carriages of food since this morning, and she couldn't just abandon the tasks that she was assigned to complete. The foods ranged from fresh fruits to packages of meat. The Hyuuga heiress wondered what the Uchiha heir would do while she was gone.

Would he remain a hermit in the estate or would he still come to the forest here to train?

Hinata stared down the path that the Uchiha heir took to disappear out of the forest, and she bit her lip.

What did he mean by what he was going to do with her?

She wanted to ask him the question, but he had left before she could utter the words. Hinata sighed to herself as she made her way back to where they were stocking the carriages, and she grabbed a bag of grain. The Hyuuga heiress threw it onto the carriage, it started to weigh down, and Ino walked up to her.

" I hope we can get there soon." Ino crossed her arms. " I hate sleeping out into the open."

" We have a map, so I-I don't think it will be too long." Hinata smiled at her, warmly.

"we haven't even gotten there yet and she is already complaining." Shikamaru grumbled. He grunted as he tied down the food on the carriage, and Ino looked at him, sourly.

" I am not." Hinata chuckled at the two fighting, she walked up to Sakura who had a billboard in her hands, and Sakura smiled at her.

" I think that is everything." Sakura said as she checked off a box on the list, and she handed it to a young male shinobi. " I hope we get there soon, I don't want any more deaths because of malnutrition."

" I think Kiba-san h-has the map."

"Yeah, I do." Kiba said as he came around the carriage, Akamaru trailed behind him, and he held up the map. Hinata looked at the blueprints of the lands, and she looked at Ino.

" I-I am sorry, Ino-san, I misspoke, it looks like we w-will be traveling for a couple of days." Ino groaned in dread, and Hinata walked up to a horse. She made sure that the horse was secured, tightly to the carriage, and they all got ready to take off.

"We will have to take turns leading the horses." Shikamaru stated. "There is only enough space for one person in the carriage."

"I will t-take the first lead." Hinata volunteered.

"And the rest of us will be guarding the carriage in case there are any attacks on it." Sakura informed.

"If any of us get tired, we will take turns sleeping the carriage." Kiba crossed his arms, and Hinata nodded in agreement.

"There will be little to no breaks though." Shikamaru explained. "Only at night when it gets too dark will we stop."

"Okay, agreed." Ino said, quickly.

"I also have the food for all of us." Kiba held out several bags of bread, and Hinata grabbed the horse's rein, gently.

"We will h-have to find an r-river for w-water."

"Right." The Hyuuga heiress tugged on the rein, the horse started to follow her as the gates opened up, and she ventured out into the outside world.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir went back to his estate, he grabbed his cloak, and Sasuke pulled the hood over his head. He was not going to stay here in Konohagakure if the Hyuuga heiress was not here, after all, she was the sole purpose for why he resided in this place. It was good in a strange way that she was leaving here. He needed a break from his former village, from everyone, and Sasuke didn't care if Hinata returned sooner than he did. He would come back when he felt like it. The Uchiha heir walked out of his estate, he ran through the streets, and he slipped out of the gates.

"Hey!" The two guards shouted. "You!" The Uchiha heir activated his sharingan, looking at them, sharply, and he watched their eyes roll into the back of their heads. The two guards collapsed on the ground, and Sasuke smirked to himself.

_So easy. _

The Uchiha heir ran as fast as he could from the village until it became a dot, and he stopped. He figured that he would stay at one village, and move onto the next one tomorrow. It was what he always did. The next unaffiliated village closest to where he was, was about a couple of hours away, and the Uchiha heir made his way in the direction of the village.

-Several hours later-

As suspected, Sasuke arrived at the village just as the evening started to fall. There were no gates for the village, it was open for any attacks, and anyone to wander inside of it. The proportionality of villagers in this village paled in comparison to Konohagakure. They didn't seem to be paying much attention to the Uchiha heir, continuing on with their daily tasks, and Sasuke walked into a hotel. A small young woman stood at the counter, and she looked at Sasuke, shocked.

"I'd like a room for the night." Sasuke pulled down his hood, reaching into his pocket, and he laid the money on the counter. The woman stared at him, blinking twice, and the Uchiha heir pressed his lips together. "Do I have to repeat myself?"

"Oh!" the young woman took the money off the counter, counting it, and her face flushed red in embarrassment. "And when will you be leaving?"

"First thing in the morning." There was no way he was going to be charged for a new day, most hotels that he had been in charged if you stayed to a certain time, and Sasuke suspected that this hotel was no different from the others.

"Okay, that is fine, and also our standard rooms all have king sized beds in them and room service is offered."

"Room service is extra charge right?"

"Yes."

"Is that enough?" Sasuke exasperated.

"Oh yes." The woman handed him the key, and he snatched it from her. "Your room number is 150, and your dinner will be up very soon."

"Fine."

" oh, please wait, I also forgot to tell you our menu for tonight."

" just get me whatever you have ready." The Uchiha heir walked down the hallway, he kept his eyes forward, and the hotel was quiet. Sasuke opened the door to his room, there was a king sized bed, and it had two gray pillows with matching gray covers. The carpet was tan, there was a lamp sitting on top of a cherry wooden table, and Sasuke slammed the door shut. He took off his cloak, and the Uchiha heir waited for his dinner. No more than thirty minutes later, a knock came at the door, and the Uchiha heir opened it up. The woman stood with a sliver tray that had a cup of green tea and a plate of onigiri.

" I hope this will do."

" It is fine." Sasuke took the tray, and he turned to close the door.

"Just leave the tray outside the door here and I will get it." The Uchiha heir gave her a small nod before he closed the door, and he sat down on a small table in the room. Sasuke's stomach growled at the sight of the food, he had become spoiled in Konohagakure with getting meals every day, and the Uchiha heir ate the food, silently. Once he was finished, Sasuke placed the tray out the door, walking over to the bed, and he collapsed on it. The Uchiha heir closed his eyes, the bed was not as comfortable as the one at the estate, but Sasuke was not the one to complain. Either way, it was a bed, and whether comfortable or not, it served the same purpose. The Uchiha heir pulled out the blade of his sword, tightening his grip on it, just in case anyone tried to sneak into his room, and he drifted off to sleep.

- Several days later-

Sasuke began to wonder if the Hyuuga heiress was enjoying her time, traveling with those idiots. Instantly, the Uchiha heir frowned to himself and wished that he could rid that thought out of his mind.

What was he thinking?

Did Sasuke ever consider anyone else's feelings before? Hell no, he didn't.

Sasuke headed for the other village that was further from this previous one, however it was only about an hour away, and once again, the Uchiha heir would settle there. So far there had been three different villages that Sasuke had been to excluding the first village. Sasuke noticed something unusual as he approached the other village, the vegetation around it was dead, and he activated his sharingan. The Uchiha heir hands rested on his katana, there was once where he saw signs similar to this, and the whole village had been massacred. Sasuke approached the village, there was a field of recent graves, and fields of crops that looked like they had been burned up. The Uchiha heir stopped in his tracks, and he stared at the scene. This was the village that the Hyuuga heiress was bringing food to.

How ironic!

Sasuke saw a carriage enter the village, he could see sakura was leading the carriage due to her unusual hair color, and he crossed his arms. The Uchiha heir considered turning back around and head back in the other direction. However, he had come too far to settle for something else, and Sasuke caught sight of Hinata walking alongside the carriage. He was curious to see how well this little benevolent act would go with the villagers. With a smirk, Sasuke headed down to see the event.

XXXX

Hinata wished that they could have been there sooner to prevent the deaths of loved ones, she promised herself to go to the local shrine, and pray for the dead. The villagers perked up at the sight of them, they came out of their homes, and Hinata could tell that some of the men, women, and children had frail physiques.

"We have come from Konohagakure to give out food to those who need it." Sakura stated. An elderly man pushed through the gathering crowd, and he was adorned in fabrics that had all kinds of ornaments hanging from it.

" I was beginning to wonder when you all would come." He began. "I am the village head, Gakukoru." Hinata bowed in reverence, and she beckoned to the carriage.

"We have brought foods of all kind." There was a chatter among all the villagers, and she noticed that they started to become uneasy.

"Now, we will distribute it all evenly." Shikamaru began as he untied the food, revealing the bags of grains, rice, and vegetables. As soon as the villagers caught sight of it, they rushed up to the carriage all at once, and Kiba along with Ino tried to control the influx of inhabitants.

"Please c-calm down!" shouted Gakukoru. The inhabitants seemed to be ignoring his commands, Hinata held out her hand, and she looked at everyone, concerned.

"T-there is enough for everyone, please relax."

"Out of my way." A young man shoved `the Hyuuga heiress to the side, and she stumbled backwards. This was getting out of control fast.

XXXX

Sasuke watched the scene from on top of the building, he smirked at the sight, and his eyes focused on Hinata. He watched her tried to effortlessly calm down the crowds. Sasuke wanted to see her use violence against these weaklings, to use her byakugan, and throw them off her. However, Sasuke knew that it wasn't going to happen, and he pressed his lips together as he noticed that the villagers started to push her around. The Uchiha heir watched her start to be thrown among them, and that irked him.

The Uchiha heir saw that sakura, and the other shinobi were preoccupied with their own problems. He saw her fall down to the ground, Sasuke scowled and he jumped off the building. He walked up to the ruckus, and he unsheathed his katana. He walked up to a man who was trying to push his way through the mass, and the Uchiha heir grabbed his shirt. Sasuke threw him backwards, and the man's eyes widened as he stared into his eyes. He let out a scream, catching the attention of everyone, and the Uchiha heir saw the crowd turned to face him. Instantly, his presence became well known, he pointed his sword towards the mass, and looked at them, coldly.

"Move out of my damn way." The Uchiha heir commanded. The crowd moved from him, Sasuke walked up to see Hinata was on the ground, and she looked at him, shocked.

"Sasuke-san, you're h-here?" Hinata asked. Without a word, the Uchiha heir did something that he had never done before, not even to his own teammates. Sasuke extended his hand to Hinata.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	9. Bold crossings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 9

Sasuke did not grab Hinata's hand when she reached for his, instead he grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san." Hinata smiled at him, warmly. "B-but, how did yo-" The Uchiha heir cut her off.

"How dare you allow yourself to be pushed to the ground?" Sasuke hissed. "What kind of Hyuuga are you?" The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, stunned, but the Uchiha heir continued on.

"You should make these leeches know who is in power." The Uchiha heir averted his gaze from the Hyuuga heiress to a man who was holding a bag of rice, and he trembled at the sight of Sasuke. He gazed upon the Uchiha heir, dismayed, Sasuke walked up to the man, and the man's face lost color.

"You there, tell me how did you get all the way over there?" The voice of the Uchiha heir was dark, and cold.

"I-I-" The man began to stammer, Sasuke gave him a displeased look, and he flickered his katana towards his throat. Instantly, the man dropped to his knees, and he held up his hands in a pleading manner. "P-please, d-don't k-kill me."

"You didn't answer my question." Sasuke exasperated. "Now stop evading it."

"I-I w-was the f-first one i-in front of the c-crowd and... and…" His voice trailed off.

"And you would have to push past her to get over here." Sasuke beckoned to Hinata, a terrified look was on her face, and she stared between the two men. "Am I correct?"

"Y-yes, you are." The man said, reluctantly. "b-but, I am so sorry."

"Hmph." The Uchiha heir grunted. "Apologies are empty." At that moment, Sasuke's leg was grabbed by Akamaru, and Kiba, Ino, and Shikamaru appeared next to him with their kunais pointed at his throat. Sakura appeared in front of the man with her arms outstretched on both sides, defending the civilian.

"Sasuke, stop!" Sakura shouted. The Uchiha's red eyes bore into her green ones, and he smirked at her.

"Or what?" Sasuke taunted.

"Or we will have to attack you and once again you will become our enemy." The pink haired kunoichi threatened. There was an unnerving silence exchanged between everyone, and Hinata rested her hand on the hilt of his katana.

"Hinata, stay back!" Kiba warned.

"Sasuke-san, p-please put your k-katana down." Hinata asked, gently. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her, and he looked at her hand.

Who did she think she was? He could easily strike her down where she stood.

"Please." Hinata repeated.

"Hmph." The Uchiha heir withdrew his katana, there was a sigh of relief from the shinobi, but he caught sight of the baffled look on their faces.

He had listened to someone for once in his life. Normally, when people spoke to Sasuke, it was all just mindless chit-chat that he let float on by without giving it a second thought. However, when Hinata spoke to him, he found himself quite the opposite with her. He was attentive to everything that she said

She was definitely ruining him.

"You are a fool." Sasuke grimaced. He turned on his heels, walking towards the crowd, and the civilians parted away from him. The Uchiha heir leaned up against a building, and his face had an unfathomable expression on it.

XXXX

Hinata tried to ignore the stares that she was getting from her teammates, and she bit her lip. She walked over to the trembling young man, holding out her hand, and he watched her.

"I am so sorry to have him f-frighten you." Hinata apologized. "Please help yourself to the f-food we have brought." The young man nodded at her, taking her hand and he got up.

"Thank you, everyone from saving me from that demon."

"It is no problem, now, let's continue giving out the food." Ino proposed.

"Right." Sakura agreed.

"Okay!" Kiba shouted. "We want all the men in one line, women in another, and children in another line." The presence of the Uchiha heir was a perfect way to make the crowd submit, the mass began to disperse themselves into the three lines, and Hinata started to hand out the food.

"So, Hinata." Kiba began. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Hinata asked, curiously. She knew what the question was regarding to, and Hinata really didn't know how to answer it.

Why did Sasuke listen to her? Why did he help her when she was pushed to the ground?

The Hyuuga heiress knew that if it were not for them protecting the villager, he would have struck him down.

Did it really bother him that she was being treated that way?

She knew that the inhabitants didn't mean to act so aggressively, who knows how long it had been since they had caught sight of any kind of food. On the other hand, Hinata recognized that didn't matter the reason to the Uchiha heir, and the only way that he saw it was that she was being pushed around.

So if it did bother him, had she pierced that cold exterior of his? The truth was that she had.

There were several instances where this truth had revealed itself. Reflecting back on the festival, Sasuke had dragged her to the front of the spectators so that she could get a better view of the shamisen players. She had learned what his favorite food was, and she had fell asleep on him. If this was not enough evidence of it, then Hinata didn't know what would be.

"Do what?"

"Get the Uchiha to lower his katana." Kiba stated. "I heard that was something that even Naruto couldn't even do."

"I don't know, but I-I was just didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"Yeah, especially in front of all these people, it is something that children should not see." Kiba sighed. "Thank you, we all owe you one."

"Oh no, d-don't think that." The Hyuuga heiress shook her head, and she chuckled at him, softly. "You are my f-friends, we are supposed to help each other."

"Tell me." Kiba began as his face turned serious. "Do you consider Sasuke to be your friend?"

"what?" Hinata asked, shocked.

"Was that why you stepped in to stop all of us?" Kiba pressed on further. Hinata nodded at him, hanging out bag of vegetables to a little girl, and Kiba sighed. "I know you do."

"You do?"

"I know you." Kiba grinned at her.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Ino asked, curiously. "I saw that you got pushed down."

"I am fine." The Hyuuga heiress lied. The truth was that she had a sharp pain in her shoulder from where she hit the ground, and Hinata figured that a bruise would probably be there. Nonetheless, Hinata admitted that she was elated when Sasuke stepped in to help her. She felt as if she was drowning in the mass of villagers.

"The crowd got out of control quick." Ino exhaled. "We were not anticipating that."

"Let's make sure that doesn't happen again, it was quite a nuisance." Shikamaru informed. "And you do realize that when we held the kunai to Sasuke's throat, it wouldn't have changed the outcome of anything."

"I had Akamaru holding him down." Kiba objected. Akamaru barked in agreement, and Shikamaru looked at him, flatly.

"Be as that may be, his strength alone outnumbers us." Shikamaru stated, coolly. "Have you not heard of some of the people he took down before the Fourth Shinobi War?"

Hinata knew that there was some validity in Shikamaru's statement which is why she intercepted between their quarrel. However, the Hyuuga heiress wasn't quite sure if he would have cut her friends down. Not if she would have asked him not to. No, Hinata was not afraid of the man that the hoi polloi called a demon, a traitor, or a murderer. Maybe at first she may had been, but the recent interactions with him had allowed that fear to melt away.

Of course, this would be silly to some. They would say that she would need to keep her guard up, that he was a master of manipulation, a sociopath, but she couldn't bring herself to think of him in that way.

"Yeah, we have." After the food was rationed out, Gakukoru walked up to them, and he smiled.

"Thank you for all of your help."

"No problem." Hinata returned the same kind expression. "It is what w-we are supposed to d-do."

"Well, it is getting late for you shinobi to head back." Gakukoru observed. "Why don't you all stay at my home?"

"Hee?" Sakura asked, surprised. "Really?"

"Of course, you all have given us food, it is the least that we could do." Gakukoru offered. "There is enough room at my estate."

"Thank you for your hospitality." Ino smiled at him.

"It is no problem." The village head started to walk down the street, and Hinata looked over at Sasuke.

Where would he sleep tonight? Would it be out in the open?

"I_I will catch up with you guys." The Hyuuga heiress strolled over to the Uchiha heir, and she saw him pursue his lips.

"what do you want, Hyuuga?' The Uchiha heir growled.

"Do you have s-somewhere to sleep tonight, Sasuke-san?"

"That is none of your concern." Hinata observed at him, quietly as she searched his face for an answer, and the Uchiha heir scowled. "They have a hotel here."

"Okay as long as it is somewhere warm."

"Your hurt aren't you?"

"what?" Hinata asked, baffled.

"Your façade doesn't work on me." Sasuke informed. "And judging by that reaction you gave me, it would appear that I was correct, so where is it." The Hyuuga heiress held up her hands, and she kept her usual gentle visage.

"I-I have to go, Sasuke-san." Hinata urged. "don't worry a-about it."

"Who said that I was worried about you?" The Uchiha heir hissed, icily. Hinata nodded at him, and she turned around to catch up with the others.

XXXX

Was he worried about her? Hell, no.

The only reason why he was concerned about her being hurt would be to make sure that it wouldn't mess up her ability to fight against him. Furthermore, it annoyed him how she so gracious giving out the food to those who would have trampled over her to get it.

What was wrong with her?

The sun was beginning to set, the sky turned a vibrant array of different colors, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. He made his way to a hotel, the hotel was small, and a man looked at him, shocked when he entered.

"I would like a room for tonight."

"This is not a place for demons." The man said, boldly.

"I would assume that you saw me threaten your neighbor right?" Sasuke asked, curtly. The man gasped to himself, and he pulled put a pair of keys from underneath the counter.

"Here, please take these, it will be free of charge for your room tonight." He explained. "This room is keys to room 45."

"I see you still have your wits about you." The Uchiha heir sneered as he grabbed the keys. "And do you all offer room service."

"Yes, we do." The man murmured in compliance. "Your dinner will be up soon."

"Hmph, good." Sasuke made his way towards the room, it had been the smallest one that he had been in, and there wasn't much to it. However, the Uchiha heir didn't really mind, and he sat down on the bed. Sasuke started to hear voices outside of his door, and he started to recognize one of the voices belonged to sakura. The Uchiha heir opened up the door, seeing sakura come down the hallway, and he leaned against the frame.

"You and I need to talk." Sasuke didn't answer her, a clear expression of apathy on his face, and Sakura crossed her arms.

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked, curiously

"I can go wherever I please, I am free from confines."

"Yes, that is true, but why are you specifically here, how did you know we were going to be here?"

"I didn't it was mere coincidence." Sakura nodded as if she was taking a mental note, and the Uchiha heir crossed his arms. "But, that isn't the real reason why you are here is it?"

"Ho-" Sasuke cut her off.

"You are so easy to read." The Uchiha heir groaned in annoyance. "Get on with the real question as to why you are here."

"Why did you step in and help out Hinata?"

"Help?"' The Uchiha heir scoffed. "Do you honestly think that I helped her out of some form of benevolence?"

"That is what it looked like." Sakura smiled at him, the Uchiha heir didn't like the gleam in her eyes, and his eyes narrowed.

"It wasn't, I can assure you." Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth.

"Then why?"

"Pity."

"Pity?" Sakura looked at him, perplexed. "You helped her out of pity?"

"Yes, all of my actions that you may have misconstrued as a form of aid was out of pity." The Uchiha heir explained. "This includes me lowering my katana." Sakura's cheeks grew hot in embarrassment, and Sasuke smirked at her. "You have come to the realization haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The pink haired kunoichi balled up her fist, and she scowled at him.

"Come on, Sakura, you have come to the realization that what you thought may have been a slight change in me was nothing more than a misguided hope." The Uchiha heir interpreted. "You of all people should know that I do everything for my own gain, so you coming here was a waste of time." Sasuke went to slam the door shut, but not before he caught sight of Sakura.

"You should see yourself out, you know the way." The Uchiha heir slammed the door, it was none of her business as to why he did anything for the Hyuuga heiress. He lied to the Haruno, he couldn't let her know that there were completely opposite reasons behind his actions. No, he had an image to uphold, and Sasuke was not going to taint it.

-Several hours later-

The Uchiha heir was given the dinner, it was a bowl of jasmine rice, and a cup of water. He figured that it was probably not the new food that was just given out to them, but instead a part of leftovers. Sasuke didn't care, it served the purpose of fulfilling his hunger, and he took a few bites of it. Once he was finished, the Uchiha heir gathered his stuff, and he sauntered out of his room. Sasuke was not going to stay in the hotel if he was going to receive any more unexpected visits. The Uchiha heir walked through the streets, and he made his presence, inconspicuous. Tonight, he would be sleeping outside.

XXXX

The Hyuuga heiress sat in the room, Ino stretched out her limbs, and she collapsed on the bed like mat.

"It feels so nice to have a hot bath." Ino sighed. "And that was quite gracious for the head of the village to give us a place to stay." Ino had on a white kimono, and Sakura came out of the bathroom. She rubbed a towel through her hair, she had on a dark blue kimono, and Ino raised an eyebrow at her.

"You didn't take up the hot water for Hinata-chan did you?"

"No." Sakura said, quickly. "Hinata-san, the bathroom is ready for you."

"O-Oh, thank you, I will take a b-bath later."

"Okay, it is open for you whenever you decide to."

"Thank you, s-so much."

"Did you enjoy dinner, Hinata-chan?" Ino asked, inquisitively.

"Oh yes, it was very good." Hinata admitted. "The steamed dumplings were my favorite."

"I think they were everyone's favorite." Sakura chuckled. "But don't you find this place a little odd?"

"W-why do you say that, Sakura-san?" Hinata inquired.

"This estate is in the finest condition while the other buildings are so mundane." Sakura observed. "The village head shouldn't have a better home than the rest of the villagers, it should be the other way around."

"True, his food seemed exotic as well." Ino frowned to herself. "We will have to do more scouting in the morning."

"Agreed." Hinata assured.

"Well, I'm going to turn in." Ino yawned. "We have a full day ahead of us."

"I am too, don't stay up too late, Hinata-chan."

"I won't." Hinata watched Ino, and Sakura turn over into their mats, and she waited till she heard them drift off to sleep. The Hyuuga heiress got up, heading towards the bathroom, and she pulled down the sleeve of her jacket. A huge flower shaped bruise was bloomed on her shoulder, Hinata winced, slightly, and she sighed. The Hyuuga heiress expected the house to be quiet, but she heard light footsteps throughout the house. Hinata frowned to herself, she slid open her door, and she noticed a small light coming outside. The Hyuuga heiress made her way, quietly, through the estate, and she strolled out of the estate. However, the light had disappeared out of her sight, Hinata began to look around outside, but she caught sight of Sasuke.

XXXX

Sasuke saw the Hyuuga heiress, she seemed to be looking for something, and he approached her.

"What are you doing?" The Uchiha heir exasperated.

"I-I saw an light and was c-checking to see what it was."

"I see." Sasuke grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it, and Hinata let out a small yelp. "That is what I thought." He saw her hand go to her shoulder, reflexively, and she trembled.

"How did you know it was on my shoulder?"

"I knew by the way that you were positioned on the ground, it was the only plausible place that something like that would be."

"Oh."

"Does it hurt that much?" He saw her look at him, confused by the question, but the Uchiha heir didn't offer any kind of explanation for his question.

"Sasuke-san."

"Answer the question, Hyuuga." The Uchiha heir urged.

"A little." Hinata confessed.

"See, this is why you should have let me cut down that man." Sasuke reached up a hand, hesitantly, and a baffled expression spread across her face. His fingertips touched her silk hair, and Sasuke brushed a strand of it behind her ear.

What was he doing?

A rouge color spread across her face, the Uchiha heir's fingertips moved to her cheek, and they lingered there.

"I-Isn't this bothering you?" Hinata asked, breathlessly.

"No, but it should be." After a few moments, the sound of men chattering interrupted their moment, and Hinata pulled away from him.

"Did you hear that?"

"I did." The Uchiha heir confirmed.

"It sounds like Gakukoru, I am going to check it out." She began to walk away from Sasuke, but the Uchiha heir grabbed her wrist. Hinata turned around, and Sasuke stared at her, coolly.

"I am coming with you."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	10. Retribution

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 10

What was the purpose of this alliance with Hinata? The answer had been clear to him when he first met the Hyuuga heiress. It was to merely use her as a means to fulfill his boredom, to satisfy the empty feeling of not belonging to a world with no violence. He was not a blood thirsty man as much as it seemed, it was just that all the violence, all the fights had made him feel alive. So, according to what was supposed to be the plan, he was merely going to fight her on a daily basis, not giving a second thought to her well-being. However, this plan started to become tainted by a few things. The first one being that he had agreed to the festival, the second one was that he had allowed her to sleep on him, and the third one was helping her when the crowd got out of control. Not only did his plan for her become tainted, but now, he was touching her.

What was going on with him?

He also liked the way that her cheeks flushed a little red when he touched her.

What was this? Sasuke didn't like anything.

The Uchiha heir could say now, that the alliance that he had first sought out with her had faded away into nothing. No. Now, he found himself interested in something else. He was interested Hinata as a woman. Sasuke was never really attracted to any woman before, so this was new to him.

Furthermore, he couldn't believe that he agreed to accompany the Hyuuga heiress as she made her way towards the voices. The thought of Hinata getting into another bind agitated him, so to make sure that she didn't, he was going with her.

He stared at her back as she moved through the night, she was a frail young woman, and Sasuke could see her thin silhouette through that oversized jacket of hers. The Uchiha heir activated his sharingan, he didn't like the unexpected in any aspects of his life, and that included unanticipated company. The voice became more and more apparent, and it led them to the towns square. Hinata hid behind a building, and the Uchiha heir crossed his arms. She bit her lip, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san, for c-coming with me."

"Whatever." The Uchiha heir said, dismissively. "Just get on with this, I'm getting tired." The Hyuuga heiress nodded at him, activating her byakugan, and she snaked her head around the corner.

"There are t-three men with Gakukoru." Hinata informed. "They seem to be in an argument, but I-I can't hear them." She turned back to Sasuke, and the Uchiha heir remained silent.

"I-I need to a get a little closer, I am going to try to g-get behind that building over there." The Hyuuga heiress beckoned to a tall building closer to the four men, and the Uchiha heir gave her a slight nod. He watched her make her way to the other building, directing his attention to the men, but they seemed oblivious to the Hyuuga heiress's eavesdropping.

_What idiots. _

The Uchiha heir considered to turn back around, and leave the Hyuuga heiress right here in the night. This was not any of his business, and he didn't like sticking his nose in anything that it didn't belong.

But what if she gets seen by these fools?

_Don't care_. Sasuke thought to himself. _She is a shinobi, she can handle herself. _

Immediately, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He was lying to himself. If he truly didn't care, then why would he was standing here at this moment?

Did this prove that he was protective of her? **Maybe.**

XXXX

Hinata looked at Gakukoru, and he fell to his knees. The three men surrounded him, and they looked, displeased.

"I-I am sorry." Gakukoru muttered, lowly. The Hyuuga heiress pursed her lips, seeing a broken expression on the village head's face, and one of the men spoke.

"You fool." He growled. "How dare you bring those shinobi from Konohagakure here?"

"I didn't, Kishiiro." Gakukoru said, defensively. "I don't know who did."

"This is between this village and us." The second man hissed, and he reached over grabbing the collar of Gakukoru's kimono.

"I know." Gakukoru said, quickly. "The shinobi will be out of here soon, Osugi."

"They better be." The third man warned. He pulled out a naginata, Osugi constricted Gakukoru's arms, and he pointed it to his chest. Gakukoru began to whimper, Hinata's eyes widened in shock, and she began to dread for what to come next. She wanted to intervene, but she didn't want to blow her cover. The Hyuuga heiress pursed her lips, and she reached inside of her pocket, feeling the cold steel of her kunai. If anything else were to progress any further, she would step in.

"Could it be that daughter or son of yours?" The third man asked, curiously. Hinata's eyes widened at the news. The village head had children? She had not seen any signs in that estate that anyone had been living there, why was that?

"No, no, it wouldn't be they wouldn't jeopardize our deal, Taguchiji." Gakukoru fumbled.

"Hmph!" Taguchiji grunted. He didn't seem to be too convinced. "I guess you are right."

"After all, if it wasn't for us, you and your family would be starving with all the rest of the villagers." Osugi explained.

Hinata eyes widened in surprise, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Were these men response for the famine plaguing the village? There was a dark aura surrounding these men, they didn't look like missing ninja, but looks were deceiving.

"Well, do any of the shinobi from Konohagakure look like they could pose a threat?" Osugi smirked.

"Well." Gakukoru began. "One of the shinobi is their previous Hokage's protégé, and one is a Hyuuga, and…"

"Then, they are a threat." Kishiiro snapped. "It would be wise to not let them in on what is going on here."

"I understand."

How could such a man give away such things about them?

He has seemed so nice. Hinata shook her head of the thought, she knew that he was being pressured into giving this intel.

"How long do you think the food they brought will last?" Osugi inquired.

"It was a carriage that they brought."

"Then, we will have to go and destroy all the food when they leave."

"These are innocent children, they don't deserve to starve." Gakukoru defended. "They have done nothing."

"You and they are all descendants of the Ahumishi, no different for us." Taguchiji hissed. "Your ancestors robbed us our predecessors of our birthright and flourished on it, we are rectifying the situation."

"Your predecessors tried to kill Ahumishi." Gakukoru grimaced at them. "He did what he had to."

"Another word and we burn down all the food we gave you, burn down your home, and let your rot here like the rest." Gakukoru pursed his lips together, nodding in compliance, and the man dropped him to the ground. He yelped in agony, and the men sighed in irritation.

"Look, old man, we will be around here, watching you." Kishiiro stated. "Keep that in mind." And with that, the men were gone, and Gakukoru quietly cried to himself. Hinata wanted to console him, tell him that they would take care of all his worries, but she restrained herself. She need to tell the others about this information. After a few moments, Gakukoru picked himself up from the ground, and headed back towards the estate. Hinata waited to make sure that he was gone, and the Hyuuga heiress walked over to where she had left Sasuke.

XXXX

This man was so weak, allowing himself to be manipulated like that. The Uchiha heir could almost say that he pitied the old fool if it wasn't for his unwillingness to empathize for others. He saw Hinata stroll over to him, and he looked at her, bored.

"I bet, it killed you to see him get handled that way by those men." Sasuke sneered, already knowing the answer.

"I-It did." The Hyuuga heiress admitted. "I have tell the o-others about this, w-we have to help them."

The Uchiha heir could see where this was going, and he knew that this would result in trouble for him.

"It is getting late, I'm leaving."

"I'm so sorry for keeping you out so l-late, Uchiha-san." Hinata apologized. "I s-should start heading back to the e-estate before Gakukoru notices."

The Uchiha heir stopped in his tracks, and he looked at her out the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Hyuuga, don't get yourself killed." Sasuke stated, coolly. He saw a flicker of surprise spread across her face, and then a smile settled on her lips.

"I promise."

"We'll see." Sasuke hissed, lowly, and with that, he disappeared into the night.

XXXX

Hinata made her way back towards Gakukoru's residence, and it seemed that Gakukoru hadn't come back yet. His estate was sill quiet with the sleeping shinobi, the Hyuuga heiress slipped into the bedroom, and Ino, and sakura were sleeping, soundly. Hinata ran the hot bath water, diving into the tub, and she took a quick bath. The bath was the prefect thing to relax Hinata before she went to bed, she collapsed on her matt, and allowed her fatigue overcome her.

-The next morning-

Hinata opened up her eyes to the feel of the sun rays on her face, and she lifted up. She looked around the room to see Sakura, and Ino were getting dressed, and Sakura smiled at her.

"Morning." Sakura chimed. "You must have stayed up late." Hinata rubbed her eyes, snapping herself out of the morning haze, and she got up.

"I-I have to tell you guys something." The Hyuuga heiress said, quickly. "S-so last night, I noticed a small light coming from outside, and I followed it. " I saw Gakukoru talking with three m-men, and these t-three men have been causing the f-famine here."

"What?" Ino asked, surprised as her eyebrows arched. "And the village head allowed this?"

"I-I think he is being manipulated." Hinata speculated. "a-and he told these men about us, each one of us, I-I don't know where these men are, but they promised to be keeping an eye on us."

"Well, we certainly cannot leave now." Sakura fastened her jounin jacket over her body, and Ino nodded at her in agreement.

"We cannot allow these villages to be back at square one, we have to inform the guys about this." The Hyuuga heiress nodded at them, and a knock came at the door.

"Excuse me, ladies, Gakukoru has requested you for breakfast." A servant girl informed on the other side of the door.

"Okay, we will be out in a minute." Hinata began to change, quickly, and she slipped on her sandals.

"So these men do they know everything about us?" Sakura asked, curiously.

"O-only basic stuff." Hinata explained. "But, t-they didn't look like shinobi." I-it seems to be some k-kind of internal c-conflict." The men seem to be funding Gakukoru with the food."

"I see, so that explains it." Once the Hyuuga heiress finished getting dressed, she followed Ino, and Sakura out of the room to the dining area. The sound of Shikamaru's and Kiba's voice could be heard down the hallway. Hinata walked into the dining room, there was a long table with all kinds of fruits, and rolled omelets were on each plate. The elderly village head sat at the end of the table, giving her a smile, and it was odd. It was so different seeing him now than, it was last night.

"Good morning!" Gakukoru beamed. "I hope you girls slept well."

"W-we did." Hinata sat down next to Kiba, and a servant girl came around, pouring her white tea. "Thank you."

"It is no problem."

"You should try the rolled omelet." Kiba suggested. "It is the best that I have ever tasted." Hinata nodded at him, and she took a bite of it.

"So about how long does it take you guys to travel back to Konohagakure?" Gakukoru asked, curiously.

"About three days." Shikamaru informed. "Why?" The Hyuuga heiress could see Shikamaru was thinking hard about something, and she figured that he was able to pick up on the deception of the elderly village head.

"Oh, I was just wondering how long it must have taken you all to get here." Gakukoru defended. The door to the dining room slid open causing everyone to perk up, and a woman and man stood in the doorway. The woman had long brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She had on a green kimono adored in pink flowers, and the man had short black hair. He had on a dark blue kimono, and they both had matching brown eyes. Gakukoru's face went white automatically, Hinata knew right away that it must had been his children, and his mouth hung agape.

"W-what are you all doing h-here?" Gakukoru muttered.

"We thought we would come pay you a visit." The young woman smiled at him. "Who are you guests?"

"We are shinobi from Konohagakure." Kiba explained. "We came here to help out with the famine."

"Thank you." The young man explained, and he turned on his heels. "We talk to you outside when you guys are finished." His eyes rested on Gakukoru, and the elderly village head pursed his lips, nodding. They left out of the dining room, there was a heaviness placed in the air, and Ino looked at the Gakukoru.

"Who was that?" she asked, curiously

"No one important." Gakukoru smiled, grimly. "Please continue eating, and excuse me." He got up, Hinata watched him slid the door behind him, and Shikamaru crossed his arms.

"He is hiding something."

"Agreed." Akamaru barked in agreement, and Hinata bit her lip.

"I-I was able to gather s-some information last night when everyone was asleep?"

"You did?" Kiba asked, shocked. "How?" Hinata explained all the events of last night to Shikamaru and Kiba. She had left out the fact that Sasuke was with her, and when she was finished, the pink haired kunoichi stood up.

"Let's find him, and confront him about this." The shinobi got up, walking out of the dining room, and Hinata heard someone arguing. She followed the sounds of the argument with everyone, and it lead them to the back of the residence in the garden. The young man and women seemed to be trying to reason with the elderly village head, but he was shaking his head. Gakukoru caught sight of the shinobi, and they walked up to him.

"We know that you are hiding something." Ino said, bluntly. "What is going on?"

"What are you talking about?" His face became hard.

"I-I heard you last n-night." Hinata informed, and the elderly village head's eyes widened. "Please, I didn't try to pry, I just stumbled across y-you talking with those men."

"So you know." Gakukoru sighed, heavily. "Please, everyone, these are my children, my son Ryuuku, and my daughter Usami."

"Pleased to meet you all." Usami said with a bow. "I am truly happy to see you all here."

"Yes, especially to break the control that those men have over my father." Ryuuku looked at Gakukoru, and then back at them.

"I don't understand." Ino frowned, perplexed. "Is this some kind of war between clans?"

"Sort of." Gakukoru explained. "The two founders of this village were my uncle Ahumishi, and my grandfather, Kisyukoru, and during their rule, this village was highly affluent." However, we were invaded by neighboring villagers who plundered us of everything, and we spun into economic turmoil." My uncle sought to solve the hardship by reaching out to other villages, but my grandfather disagreed." My grandfather thought that the village should try to resolve the problem on their own efforts, by plundering other villages." This caused a rift between the two brothers, and eventually the village split into two. "Those who agreed with my grandfather stayed here, and those who agreed with my uncle went with him."

Hinata's eyes widened at him in shock, and she pursed her lips. "b-but those men called you a descent of Ahumishi."

"Because I have sided with his ideals." Gakukoru explained. "You see, I have seen what my grandfather's path does to people, my grandmother was a woman who had been taken from a village that my grandfather burned it down." She was forced to bear children for my grandfather, and all of her children were killed in battles that my grandfather engaged it." My mother was just like my grandmother. She was forced to bear children for my father after being taken from a village." But, when I was teenage boy, I ran away to here, and was taken in by my uncle." I was raised here till my adult years, and when I turned twenty-one, my grandfather attacked the village in hopes to reunite the two village." However, his efforts proved to be futile, and my uncle was killed him including all his followers." It was kept a secret that I was my grandfather's descendent when I was made head of this village."

"So how did these men come about?" Kiba asked, curiously. "I thought they were all killed."

"I did too until they appeared a couple of months ago, and began to cause the famine as punishment for what my uncle did." Gakukoru stated and his eyes began to water." they took pity on me knowing my true lineage and agreed that they would keep my family alive, if I didn't interfere in what the villagers were going through." But, I couldn't stand seeing the malnourished villagers, their cries for help, and knowing I couldn't do anything."

"So, who sent us to come help you?"

"I did." Usami admitted. "It was not just to help the villagers, but in hopes that you all can relinquish this stronghold that they have over my father, and this village."

"h-how are they causing the famine?" Hinata asked, shocked. "t-they don't look like shinobi."

"They aren't, but they might as well be, they have taught a lot of what you all know from missing ninja." Ryuuku stated. "They have some kind of control over the earth."

"We will help you." Ino assured. "Do you have to meet with them again?"

"Tonight, but I am sure that they are watching us right now." Gakukoru said, fearfully. "This is why you two should have not come here." He shot a glare at Ryuuku, and Usami.

"We can't stand seeing you like this." Ryuuku defended

"Then, when you meet with him tonight, we will come with you." The pink haired kunoichi planned.

"Thank you, everyone."

"Hmm... yes, thank you very much." A sinister voice came from above, and all their heads snapped up. Hinata gasped as the three men jumped off the top of the roof, and Ryuuku pushed Usami behind him.

"Stay back!" warned Ryuuku. Taguchiji walked up to him, balling up his fists, and he punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Ryuuku's eyes widened as his mouth opened up, letting out a strangled cry, and he collapsed on the ground. Taguchiji grabbed him, lifting him up over his shoulder, and Kishiiro grabbed Usami. She screamed, frantically, the elderly village head tried to grab her, but the Kishiiro pushed him back on the ground.

"You betrayed us, Gakukoru." Osugi growled. "How dare you."

"P-please give t-them back!" Gakukoru shouted. Hinata reached into the pocket, grabbing a kunai, and she shot it towards the Taguchiji's direction. He deflected it with his naginata, his eyes resting on her and the rest of the shinobi.

"Come any closer, and we will kill them." he assured. "I'm sure you don't want their blood on their hands." He looked back at Gakukoru. "Meet us tonight at the same place, and we will decide then what to do with you and your family." And with last comment, the men took off, and Gakukoru began to burst into tears, hysterical.

"They are going to kill them!" he wailed. "I know they will." Hinata knelt down, touching his shoulder, and he looked up at her.

"I promise that we will get them back." She smiled at him, warmly, and Gakukoru nodded at her.

"How?" the elderly man asked, shocked.

"Hmm" Shikamaru began to calculate. "I'll come up with something."

XXXX

The sound of someone screaming caught the attention of the Uchiha heir, and he tried to try to ignore the noise. However, the screaming continued to persist, Sasuke flinched in agitation, and he groaned himself.

_Shut up. _

The Uchiha heir started to realize that the screams would not desist, and he headed towards the direction of it. Whoever it was, he would end their annoying disruptions. The noise lead him to an underground cave entrance, it was near the graves of the dead, and Sasuke remained hidden. He immediately recognized the three men from last night, however, they had a young man, and a frantic young woman with them.

"Shut her up." Osugi groaned. Kishiiro threw her to the ground, roughly, and he grabbed the hem of her kimono.

"If you don't stop, we'll slit your throat." He warned. The young woman nodded at him, and she stopped her disruptive behavior. Sasuke rubbed his temples, and he turned on his heels. Whatever was going on, was not his problem.

"What are we going to do about the shinobi?" Osugi inquired. The Uchiha heir stopped in his tracks, his sharingan automatically activated, and he pursed his lips.

"If they interfere, we will kill them." Kishiiro chuckled. "Are you not willing to try for your revenge?"

"I am." Osugi growled. "But expect there to be quite a fight."

"Well..." Taguchiji pulled out his naginata. "We shall see tonight." He grabbed the woman, throwing her into the cave, and a smirk spread across his face. The Uchiha heir's eyes narrowed, and his hand rested on the hilt of his katana.

_Yes, indeed we shall. _

XXXX

The place where Gakukoru agreed to meet the men was near the unmarked grave of Kisyukoru, and the elderly village head stood in front of it. The Hyuuga heiress stood behind a tree, the moonlight lit up the night, casting an eerie glow over where they were, and she pressed her lips.

"I hope this works." Ino said, coolly.

"I-I am sure that it will." Hinata smiled at her. The men started to come into light, and they had Usami and Ryuuku tied up.

"The sight look familiar?" Osugi asked, icily. "This is where your father died at."

"I know this, I have visited this place often."

"Have you?" Kishiiro asked, questioningly. "Then why abandon him?"

"I didn't, he abandoned what we stood for." Gakukoru defended.

"That is bullshit." Taguchiji growled. Taguchiji pushed Usami and Ryuuku to the ground.

"Don't hurt them!" Gakukoru pleaded.

"An eye for an eye, Gakukoru, we gave you a chance, and you blew it." Kishiiro beckoned to Taguchiji, Taguchiji pulled out his naginata ready to bring the blade down on them, and Akamaru lunged for him. At that moment, the shinobi from Konoha made their presence known, and Hinata ran towards Taguchiji. She activated her byakugan, Taguchiji grinned at her, and a dark chakra began to pour of his body. Her eyes widened in shock, he charged towards her, and pulled shuriken out of his pocket. He threw them towards her, Hinata spun on her heels, deflecting them, and he went to punch her. She ducked down, avoiding the blow, and she jabbed his side with her hand. The Hyuuga heiress watched the chakra flow dampen, slightly, and Taguchiji growled at her. He took his naginata, trying to stab her, and she bent the other way, avoiding it. Hinata kept her eyes on Taguchiji, he became agitated when he realized that he couldn't stab her, and she began to use her Gentle Fists. With each stab, Hinata began to deplete his chakra, and Taguchiji roared in anger. He grabbed her wrist as she tried to deliver the final blow, the Hyuuga heiress gasped at him, and he took out a kunai. She noticed that the kunai dripped with a purple liquid, and she knew it was poison.

"Perceptive woman, I see." He chuckled. "This poison spreads through the movement of the body including involuntary movements such as your heart beat, your body will be tainted with this in a matter of seconds." Hinata gasped at him, and she began to pull away. She wanted to scream, but Hinata felt her throat dry up.

"I thought I told you not to get yourself killed." A voice hissed. The Hyuuga heiress saw a dark figure appear in front of her, and she was met with red eyes.

"Sasuke-san."

XXXX

The Uchiha heir saw Taguchiji looked at him, baffled, and he stabbed him through the chest. Taguchi staggered backwards, blood pouring from the wound, and Sasuke looked at him, unemotionally.

"You asshole!" Taguchiji shouted. Sasuke remained silent, Taguchiji picked up his naginata, and he swung it at the Uchiha heir. The Uchiha heir deflected it with ease as his hand electrified with the bright blue flow of chidori, Taguchiji looked at him, shocked, and he struck the same wound in his chest. The Uchiha heir deepened the wound, Taguchiji looked at him, shocked, and then a smirk crept across his face.

"What is so amusing?" Sasuke asked. "Death?"

"That." Taguchiji muttered with his last breath. "And that someone like you would make any effort to save some woman." The Uchiha heir growled as death overcame Taguchiji, and he slumped against him.

"Don't act as if you know me." Sasuke pushed him off of him, and he stared into Taguchiji's half-opened eyes. "And you are wrong in one area." The Uchiha heir averted his gaze to Hinata who looked at him with parted lips. "She is not some woman."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	11. Breaking Points

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 11

Sasuke flicked the blood of his sword, Hinata sighed in relief, and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san." The Hyuuga heiress said, breathlessly. Sasuke scrutinized her, he saw Hinata trembling, slightly, perhaps in dismay.

"Tell me, Hinata." The Uchiha heir sauntered over to her, and there was an unfathomable expression on his face. "Are you afraid of death?"

"W-what?" Hinata asked, shocked.

"Don't make me repeat myself." The Uchiha heir hissed. Hinata shook her head, his red eyes were met with her pearl ones for the first time, and she pursed her lips.

"I-I am not afraid of death." The Hyuuga heiress admitted. "It is an inevitable end that every h-human being faces, I just don't want to be taken from this world in an h-harsh way."

"Well." Sasuke began. "You won't have to worry about that…at least not anymore." He saw a flicker of surprise come across her face, and he turned around, beginning to walk away. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, Sasuke-san, I-I have to figure out why the ground is not fertile." Hinata reached out to stop him, she grabbed his arm, gently, and the Uchiha heir's body tensed up. His eyes glossed over to her hand, she pulled back, and she bit her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry." The Hyuuga heiress apologized. "I did-" Sasuke cut her off.

"I don't mind it." Sasuke informed. "At least, I don't mind it, **now**." So how is the unfruitful ground my problem?"

" I-I don't know if there are more of these m-men, I suspect not, but t-two people are better to take them on than one." A kind expression was on her face, and the Uchiha heir stared at her.

"Fine." Sasuke growled after a long pause. He couldn't believe that he agreed to involve himself any further into this matter, and he wouldn't have done so if it were not for that reason that Hinata brought up.

Did she suspect that he was going to bend when she asked him? Hell, why not? He had bended to everything else that she said. The Uchiha heir's jaw clenched up, and he cursed underneath his breath.

She was taking advantage of how soft he was becoming.

_How about I unsheathe my katana and show her how soft I have really become. _Sasuke began to ponder the thought in his head, his hand moving towards the hilt of his katana, but then he stopped himself. _ And what will you do when the blade is out, cut her down? _

_**No, you won't do anything. **_ Hinata had imprinted upon him, and it overcame his mundane need to strike fear into her heart. Sasuke's eyes followed the Hyuuga heiress who strolled over to Gakukoru, and he was off to the side. The elderly village head was quivering in fear at the sight of the fighting shinobi. However, his eyes met the Uchiha heir, and all color drained from his face.

"P-please don't k-kill me." Gakukoru stammered. His attention focused on Sasuke, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

_Shut up, you whiny fool_.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be." The Uchiha heir exasperated. The Uchiha heir watched the Hyuuga heiress kneel down, and she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"C-can you show us where you first noticed signs of the famine." Hinata inquired. Gakukoru's eyes moved away from Sasuke to her, and he nodded. He got up to his feet, and beckoned to them to follow. The elderly village head lead them to a small valley not too far from his father's grave site. The ground was brown, and dead crops were littered all over the ground, black and barren.

"This is where it all begun." Gakukoru muttered, grimly. He reached down, picking up a dead corn stalk, and he tossed it. The disproportionality of the dirt scattered all over the valley caught the attention of the Uchiha heir, and he grimaced.

Why does it look like that?

"I-I don't see anything." The Hyuuga heiress scanned the valley with a frown on her face, and she turned to Sasuke. "H-how about you, Sasuke-san?" The Uchiha heir knelt down, spreading out the dirt with his hand, and it revealed a paper seal.

"This valley has been sealed up." Sasuke informed.

"Is there any history in m-making seals in your v-village?" Hinata asked the elderly village head.

"No, not at all, they must have learned that when they left the village." Gakukoru shook his head as he said this.

"P-probably from missing n-ninja." Hinata knelt down, scanning the seal, and she touched it, lightly. "I h-have never seen this kind of paper seal before."

" it is an earth seal that comes from a small village in the Land of Earth, it sucks the nutrients out of anything that it is placed upon, a ground, a human being, I have run into it a couple of times in battles." Sasuke stated. "Some missing ninja tried to place the paper seal on me."

_Yes, I remember that battle very clearly, and the look of surprise as I robbed them of their existence._

"H-how do we remove it?"

"Can't we just take it off?" Gakukoru stepped forward, the Uchiha heir took out his katana, and he pointed it towards him. Instantly, the elderly village head stopped on his tracks.

"It can only be taken off by those who placed it there and it will explode on any others who try to remove." Sasuke growled. "I don't want to deal with having to dispose of your body if you blew up." The elderly village head nodded at him with wide eyes, and the Uchiha heir lowered his katana.

"It seems t-that the whole valley has been covered in them." Hinata observed. "I-I am sure that every place where crops are grown have these p-paper seals near them." We will have to go back, and make them take off these paper seals."

"Or just ignite them." Sasuke proposed. "These paper seals are layered in an enigmatic design." The Uchiha heir uncovered another paper seal that was angled, and he stood up. "If one of them is ignited, they are set up in a way that all of them will ignite in a sequence."

"H-how do we ignite them?"

"I will just set them on fire." The Uchiha heir shrugged. The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, perplexed.

"Don't ask how, let's just get to a safe distance." Sasuke watched the Hyuuga heiress lead Gakukoru far away from the sight, and he followed behind. When they got to a safe distance, the Uchiha heir activated his mangekyo sharingan, and he focused on one of the paper seals.

"Amaterasu."

XXXX

Hinata watched Sasuke set the paper seal on fire, the paper seal was engulfed in the unnatural black flames of Amaterasu, and she couldn't help, but stare at him in awe. Sure! She had seen the sharingan before, she saw it when she fought against Madara in the Fourth Shinobi War, but never at an up close distance. Furthermore, the Hyuuga heiress had never witnessed such a power to be displayed in front of her without her being caught in the crossfire. The power of an Uchiha heir, and this powerful Uchiha heir was helping her. Although, she knew that he would never admit to helping anyone, but in reality he had. Sasuke had protected her on several occasions now. Hinata promised herself that she would repay her debt to him by trying to protect him. It was only right.

"I can't believe my eyes." Gakukoru looked at her, baffled, and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"W-what?"

"The infamous Uchiha is helping us." Gakukoru muttered. "I thought the rumors were true about him, that he was a cold, uncaring man, but it would appear not."

_No, Sasuke is not uncaring that I know for sure. _

"I am g-glad that he decided to help us otherwise I don't know how we would g-get those paper seals off."

The Hyuuga heiress could honestly say now that the man she had met in the restaurant all those days ago was not the man who stood before her at the moment. No, something about the Uchiha had changed since then, she could see it.

"Down now." The Uchiha heir ordered. "Unless you want your ears to bleed." The Hyuuga heiress crouched down, covering her ears, and so did Gakukoru. The flames ignited all at once making a booming noise, and she looked up to see the Uchiha heir staring at her. He didn't seem bothered by the noise, the sight of him would have frightened anyone. Those red eyes, and that emotionless face with flames going up in the back of him.

However, Hinata didn't shy away because she knew that he was not feeling what his face gave away.

Within seconds, the explosion immediately attracted the attention of the others, Shikamaru was dragging the two men who were unconscious behind him, and Ino ran up to her.

"Hinata, are you okay!" Ino shouted, frantically. Her face was filled with panic, and Hinata nodded at her.

"O-oh yes." Hinata assured. "We found o-out what has been c-causing the famine." The men placed paper seals on the ground." The Hyuuga heiress picked up a tattered paper seal, and she held it up.

"I see." Shikamaru said as he looked at the two men.

"Then, what was that explosion?" Kiba asked.

"We had to set the s-seals on fire." The Hyuuga heiress explained.

"We?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"Y-yes, Sasuke-san did it." Instantly, she watched their gaze moved to the Uchiha heir, and he was leaning up against a rock with his arms crossed.

"You helped… Hinata?" Ino inquired as her eyes became wide.

"Tch." Sasuke growled. "I don't help anyone."

The Hyuuga heiress couldn't understand why he was one way with her, and another way with her friends. Maybe, it was because the two of them hadn't acknowledge each other before the war? But, he hadn't really known Kiba or Shikamaru either? Hinata recognized that she wouldn't be able to come to a correct answer to the question. It was just the way that he was, and the Hyuuga heiress wouldn't request any other way.

Sasuke's eyes lingered on her for a moment, and then he turned around.

"I owe no one any explanations." And with that statement, Sasuke disappeared into the night. Hinata wanted to speak more with the Uchiha heir, but she had an idea that she would see him later on. The Hyuuga heiress's glossed back over to her baffled friends, and then at the two incapacitated men.

"Did they g-give you m-much trouble?" Hinata inquired.

"No, they didn't." Sakura smiled at her. "But, we saw that the third one was killed, did Sasuke do that?"

"Yes, h-he saved me." Hinata admitted. "The third man was going to kill me, and if it were not for him stepping in then, he would have s-stabbed me with a poison dipped kunai."

"They all had poisoned weaponry on them." Kiba stated "we found multiple shuriken dipped in the same toxin no doubt." I'm glad that you are alright."

"So you said something about setting seals on fire." Sakura asked, confused.

"I w-will explain as w-we go remove them from the other gardens." Hinata smiled. The shinobi nodded at her, and they headed towards the other grounds, valleys or gardens around the village. Hinata expected them to be covered in the seals, but there wasn't a single one there. In fact, there were remnants of where the paper seals had been burned away, which caught the Hyuuga heiress off guard.

Did Sasuke do this? Maybe, Maybe not, but Hinata couldn't help, but feel that it was done just for her.

XXXX

He didn't owe any explanations to anyone for his actions. He did what he wanted and when he wanted with no questions asked. The Uchiha heir felt warm blood trickle down his cheeks, and he knew it was coming from his eyes. The mangekyo sharingan required too much chakra, but Sasuke didn't care. It wasn't as if in a couple of hours, his chakra wouldn't be replenished to its maximum anyways. He figured that the Hyuuga heiress would head over to remove all other paper seals, and he imagined her trying to eliminate them.

No, he wasn't going to allow that. The image of her being thrown back from the explosion from one little mess up was a possibility that Sasuke wanted to eradicate. The Uchiha heir made his way towards every possible ground, garden or valley that surrounded the village. With ease, Sasuke got rid of all the paper seals, and he stared at them as they burned in front of him.

He was beginning to care about her **way** too much. Sasuke could just leave all of this behind, and pretend that it never happened.

**No**. Sasuke found himself yearning for her.

_What is wrong with me?_

The Uchiha heir began to rationalize the situation he was faced with. Maybe it was the basic male need for a woman that he felt this way.

**No**. Sasuke had a feeling that it was much more than that. In fact, it went way beyond that notion.

Now, the question became... what was he going to do about it?

XXXX

The villagers had been informed that the famine was over, and that they could plow in the fields again. The shinobi from Konoha stayed at the village to make sure that the grounds were fertile again, and to their fortunate luck, it began to rain. The rain lasted for days on end, the Hyuuga heiress began to wonder if Sasuke was in the rain since she hadn't seen him for a couple of days now. Gakukoru rationed out the food he had been funded with to the inhabitants to tie them over till when the food started to take root. The first crop took root after a week of rain, and the village was thrown into complete bliss. There was a huge celebration in the village, and it took place around Gakukoru's residence. The celebration lasted late into the night, Hinata stepped out on the porch to get a breath of fresh air, and a slight breeze blew her hair back. However, she caught sight of a male figure walk past the gates, and Hinata gasped. She could have sworn she saw red eyes, and she only knew one person that they could have belonged to. The Hyuuga heiress headed out of the residence towards the direction that the figure went in.

XXXX

Sasuke heard footsteps behind him, he didn't stop to see who it was because he had an idea of who was following him. He had avoided her, attentively, for the past five days, deciding what to do about the predicament he was in, and he had come to a decision. The decision he came to required the presence of the Hyuuga heiress, and he came to a stop. Hinata stopped behind him, he could hear her breathing, heavily from trying to keep up with him.

"Sasuke-san, h-how are you?"

"Fine, why?" The Uchiha heir turned around to face Hinata, and she frowned at him.

"I-I haven't seen you in a couple of days." The Hyuuga heiress observed. "I-I hope everything okay."

"It is."

"The crops are growing back." Sasuke could see that she was trying to make small talk, but he was never really fond of such things.

"I know."

"T-thank you, Sasuke-san, for burning all of the paper seals." The Hyuuga heiress thanked. "y-you didn't have to do t-that."

"Who's to say that I did that?" Sasuke hissed.

"I-I know you did, I-I recognized the black flames."

"I see."

"c-can I ask you something?" Hinata asked, curiously. The Uchiha heir looked at her, unfathomably, and his eyes narrowed at her.

"What?"

"w-why did you do that for me?" the Hyuuga heiress pressed, gently. "Why d-did you save me from that man, why are you doing a-all of these things for me?" There was a long pause between them, the Uchiha heir sauntered towards her, and his face was cool. This was the pivotal moment to enlighten her of his decision.

"I don't know." The Uchiha heir growled. "Maybe it is because you have ruined me." His voice was curt, and she looked at him, perplexed.

"I don't understand." The Hyuuga heiress shook her head at him, and the Uchiha her sighed, heavily.

"Doesn't matter if you do." The Uchiha heir reached over for the Hyuuga heiress's hand, and he grabbed it, gently. He interlaced their fingers together, a slight blush rose on her cheeks, and a shy smile played on her lips.

"But, if you really want a non-ambiguous answer to your question, it would be because you are always getting into trouble or that trouble always follows you."

"I'm sorry, I-I don't mean to be a burden."

"You're not." The Uchiha heir admitted. "But, you are in another way, it is nothing to ponder about, I have decided to take on the burden."

"And what burden is t-that?" The Uchiha heir smirked at Hinata, and he squeezed her hand. He enjoyed the warmth emanating from it, and for the first time, Sasuke Uchiha allowed the barriers he had purposefully set up to come crashing down.

"The burden of having you as mine"

XXXX

-A few days later-

The whole village watched them depart for Konohagakure, and Gakukoru stood ahead of them with Ryuuku on one side and Usami on the other side.

"It was nice to be a part from home for once, but I am ready to go back." Ino sighed.

"I-I am too." The Hyuuga heiress admitted.

"At least we have room to ride in the back of the carriage." Kiba grinned at Hinata, and Akamaru jumped in the back of the carriage.

"Thank you, everyone for your help." Ryuuku bowed. "We will be forever in your debt."

"You all are welcome here anytime." Usami added.

"T-thank you so much."

"D-do you still have your report to turn into Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, curiously.

"Yes, I do." Sakura held out a scroll, and placed it in the inside of her jacket. Once, everyone said their goodbyes, Hinata headed towards the gates of the village, and she saw the Uchiha heir leaning up against it. His eyes made contact with hers, and his expression was cool.

"Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked, shocked. "w-what are you doing here?"

"Don't worry about it." The Uchiha heir said, nonchalantly. He turned on his heels, walking, silently, and never looking back at her. The Hyuuga heiress knew that he was there for her, to make sure that nothing happened, and it made a warmth arise in her chest. Things were different now between the two heirs, that night from a couple of days ago had changed everything between them. It marked a new beginning for Sasuke, and her.

And she looked forward to getting to know who truly Sasuke Uchiha was.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your reviews so far! I appreciate all your support. **


	12. Perspectives

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 12

They were about a day from Konohagakure. The Uchiha heir didn't say anything to her the whole way there, and she was beginning to wonder about him. Once in a while, the Hyuuga heiress snuck a peek of him, he had an indifferent expression on her face, and when he met her eyes, she turned the other way. A slight blush coming to her face, telling herself, mentally, to look at the ground from now on as a shy smile played on her lips. This was strange for the Hyuuga heiress. She had not really paid any attention to any form of romantic feelings in a long time, at least not after she had confessed her love for Naruto. Of course, it ended up with Naruto and Hinata loving one another as friends, and nothing more. Naruto loved Sakura in the way that Hinata had loved him, and that was fine with the Hyuuga heiress. She wanted to see the jinchuuriki host happy. So, it was not that Hinata still harbored feelings for Naruto, it was just that she has put her love life on pause, and she didn't know how to exactly put herself out there for someone else. Her timid nature prevented the possibility of that every happening, but she didn't expect someone to be interested her would be Sasuke Uchiha. Although, it wasn't exactly quite romantic feelings yet, it was definitely the beginning of something more intimate between the two. Of all people! Sasuke Uchiha, the same man who all those years go, the girls doted and swooned over. She felt flattered, and there was some validity in those girls infatuation with him, he was quite handsome, even Hinata couldn't deny that.

So was she attracted to the Uchiha heir?

The Hyuuga heiress was attracted to Sasuke, but his physiological features was not the main reason as to why she wanted to get to know him. She wanted to get to know him because Hinata was curious about him.

Also, wasn't he attracted to her a little? He did say that he wanted her to be his in a roundabout way. It was only natural that two people who were attracted to one another, learn about each other, but Sasuke was a hard man. Hinata wasn't quite sure if he would share anything with her, about who he was, in fact she could imagine that he would tell her that everything she knew about him already. However, the information Hinata had learned about him, had been delivered through rumors, tainted by the biased feelings of people towards Sasuke Uchiha, so she didn't consider it to be valid.

Hinata's thoughts distracted her, she ran into Ino, and she stumbled backwards.

"Sorry." The Hyuuga heiress apologized. "I didn't m-mean to bump into you."

"It is alright, Hinata-chan." Ino grinned at her, and she waved her, dismissively. A cool wind blew Hinata's hair behind her, the sun was starting to set, and it made the sky turn into a different array of vibrant pastel colors. Everyone had been eerily quiet, no one uttered a word to one another, so it was nice that Ino was breaking the silence. The blond headed kunoichi sighed. "Maybe, we should start setting up camp, after all, I am sure that we are all exhausted, we have been on the move for two days without stopping."

"Agreed, it will start getting dark soon." Shikamaru stated. There were no towns around, just miles of terrain, and some vegetation.

"There is a river a couple of more miles." Sakura informed as she held up a map. "We will set up camp here."

"Okay." Kiba walked up to the Hyuuga heiress, Akamaru was buried in his jacket, and he smiled at her.

"Are you tired, Hinata-chan?" The Inuzuka looked at her, concerned, and Hinata shook her head. However, her legs were tired, and her feet burned from being on them for so long. Yet, these physiological pains were something that she had gotten used to when going on long missions.

"I am fine, n-no worries." Hinata gave him a reassuring smile, and Kiba nodded. "w-what about you?"

"I can't wait to take a break!" Kiba let out a long sigh, making a face, and Hinata let out a low chuckle.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir looked at the Hyuuga heiress out the corner of his eye, and he started to admire her tenacity. Sasuke would have expected her to collapse in exhaustion by now. He didn't mind the demand on his body, he was accustomed to such things, but he also knew that she was tired more than she let on. Shinobi from Konoha went on missions, yes, and they traveled for days, yes, and they did face an immense demand on their bodies depending on the situation that they were placed in. However, it took years for the Uchiha heir to be able to withstand such things without being overcome by his mundane human needs. He could go days without eating or drinking anything, but most shinobi would have fallen over by then. Since they had been traveling, everyone had taken turns sleeping inside of the carriage, but the Uchiha heir didn't. He was too aroused to allow himself to sleep, traveling always aroused him, and it wasn't like he could honestly get a good sleep. The sleep he did received came into two categories. The first category was that he would wake up hour after hour. If he did sleep, restfully, the second category came into play, Sasuke was plagued by the image of Itachi Uchiha looking at him with those ash burn lifeless eyes, a loving smile plastered on his face, and blood trickling out of his mouth. So, to avoid all of it, it was best to not sleep at all.

There were black circles underneath the Uchiha heir's eyes.

He had not spoken to the Hyuuga heiress, in fact he had kept his distance from her, and it was not that he meant to do this, purposefully. It was just that this was all new to him, and he wasn't sure how to go about everything. Sasuke was surprised that no one had said anything to him as to why he was accompanying them on their way back. Good. Cause he sure as hell wasn't going to give the a explanation for it.

And why did he accompany them? A very simple reason really. He wanted the Hyuuga heiress to be his and only his, and he didn't like harm to come what was his.

Oh! How the alliance that he first sought out had become blurred developing into a desire to pursue an intimate relationship with her.

- About thirty minutes later-

The sound of rushing water began to fill Sasuke's hears as they continued to walk, and soon a huge river was spotted cutting through the terrain. The water was crystal blue, he heard a sigh of relief among everyone, and the Nakamura placed lead the horse off to the side.

"We will rest here and be back up early tomorrow." Shikamaru stated. "We should be in Konohagakure by tomorrow's afternoon."

"Sounds good." Kiba chimed. He collapsed on the ground, resting his hands behind his head, and he closed his eyes.

"W-w have food that Gakukoru g-gave us." He watched Hinata walked up to the carriage, pulling out loaves of sweet bread, and she looked at everyone. "I-I am not sure about water though."

"We will drink from the river." Sakura shrugged, and she sat down on the grass.

"I'll munch on a loaf of bread." Shikamaru volunteered. "There is a lot isn't there?"

"Too much t-to count." The Hyuuga heiress handed him one, and Shikamaru unwrapped it. The Uchiha heir watched her grab another loaf, walking over to him, and she smiled, bashfully. "A-are you hungry, Sasuke-san?"

"I am fine." Sasuke held up his hand in front of him. "You eat."

"b-but you haven't eaten a single thing since we l-left the village." Hinata looked at him, worryingly, and Sasuke stared at her. He saw her open up the loaf of bread, and she handed it to him.

"Please eat it." The Hyuuga heiress urged. The Uchiha her kept a cool expression on his face, he let out a sigh, and broke off a piece of it.

_If that will stop you from being a pain. _

"You have not eaten either." Sasuke observed. "You really need stop with the selflessness, it is quite annoying." His voice now slightly agitated. He popped the morceaux of sweet bread in his mouth, and pushed the loaf back into her chest. "I'm done, now leave me alone."

The Hyuuga heiress pursed her lips, and she nodded at him. She turned on her heels, the Uchiha heir grabbed her wrist, gently, and Hinata looked back at him, surprised. A smirk came to his face.

"Eat." Sasuke demanded. He was turning the tables on the Hyuuga heiress, she had been so pushy with him, and so now he was going to be pushy with her.

"w-what?"

"You heard me, eat the food or I will force feed you." Sasuke growled, throatily. "And don't test me, because I swear I'll do it in front of everyone here." The smirk still on his lips, she took off a piece of the bread, and Hinata took a couple of bites. She looked at him for approval, he just scrutinized her, but he was getting his message across without a single word. After about a third of it was gone just by her standing there, Sasuke let go of her wrist. He saw her, blush rose red, and she looked up at him.

"That's enough," The Uchiha heir approved. "I don't need you to throwing up." A slight chuckle was in his voice, the Hyuuga heiress let out a low laugh, and she wrapped the food back up

. "I am done torturing you for now."

"I began to eat, and didn't realize how hungry I was." Hinata admitted.

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. "I can't have you dying on me, Hinata, you are fragile, and not immune to such things."

XXXX

The Hyuuga heiress was not embarrassed when he touched her wrists, but she was embarrassed by the fact that she had just eaten all of that food in front of him. However, Hinata knew that is what he wanted her to do, he was always forceful with her, but it was in a caring way.

Yes, Sasuke Uchiha did care for someone… he cared for her regardless of whether he admitted it or not, his actions reflected it.

And here she was laughing, laughing with him! The Hyuuga heiress didn't even know that Sasuke Uchiha even had a sense of humor. She walked back over to the carriage, and the Hyuuga heiress watched the Uchiha heir sit down. He sat with his back towards everyone, and Hinata watched Kiba walk over to Sasuke.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir heard footsteps behind him, he didn't turn around to face the person, and Kiba stepped in front of him. Sasuke looked at him, coldly, and Kiba sighed.

"Thank you for saving, Hinata-chan back there in the village, it seems I was wrong about you."

"I don't care what you think about me or anyone else."

"I was against you being around, Hinata-chan, in fact, I think that we all were considering who you are and what your motives were for it, but it seems that they are not malicious." The Uchiha heir didn't need any fucking approval from anyone to be around anyone. The Inuzuka carried on. "However, I will be watching you, Hinata-chan is like a sister to me."

"Leave me alone." The Uchiha heir growled. He watched the Inuzuka look at him, irate for a moment, probably at the lack of interest in what he had to say, and he pushed past Sasuke, grumbling. Sasuke didn't look back at the others, he kept his eyes forward, and he remained that way the whole day.

XXXX

The night soon fell, and everyone pulled out more food for dinner. They ate their food in silence, and soon everyone went to bed. However, Hinata found herself, oddly awake, and she began to wonder if Sasuke was asleep or not. Furthermore, he hadn't interacted with anyone all day, and she wondered if he was still sitting off to the side. After a few struggles with her thoughts, she lifted up, curiously, and looked around the camp. Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Sakura were all asleep soundly as their chest rose and fell. She looked to see the Uchiha heir was sitting down with his legs crossed, overlooking the river. Hinata got up, walking over to him, but he didn't turn around.

"Go back to sleep." Sasuke ordered.

"You are not tired?" Hinata asked, curiously. She strolled over beside him, and sat down on the ground.

"No."

"If you d-don't mind me asking, how come you d-don't sleep, Sasuke-san?" The Hyuuga heiress questioned. "You haven't slept a wink since we l-left the village."

"I don't sleep when I am traveling out here, sleeping is a vulnerable state."

"No harm w-will come to you here." Hinata assured. He scoffed at the ridiculous comment, he reached over his hand, and laid it on top of hers.

"Like I fret over such things." The Uchiha heir snorted, mockingly. "I am Sasuke Uchiha, harm doesn't come to me, and I cause harm."

"Is that w-why you don't s-sleep?"

"Hinata." Sasuke said as his eye rested on her, they were intense, and he pursed his lips. "I have killed many people, my hands are stained red with their blood and among those people I have killed my own brother, my own family slaughtered in front of me, sleep doesn't grace me with her presence."

"You killed… your brother?" Hinata murmured as her eyes became wide orbs.

"Yes, I did, I ripped the only relative I have out of this wretched world."

_One of the many rare things that I regret doing. _Did the Uchiha heir have morals, hell no, he abandoned morals or anything that held you back of your actions. However, the emotion of regret you could say was something that he could say was a possible moral. Hell, he regretted nothing, except for that one thing.

"W-why did you kill….him?" Hinata asked, apprehensively. The Uchiha heir felt an odd form of anger wash over him, and he clenched his jaw.

_Are you so oblivious!_

"I was misguided by that damn village that you called home, that village that you and so many people hold onto so dearly, used my clan, me, my brother as nothing but pawns in their own selfish quests." His voice was dark and cold. "They all made a fool out of the Uchiha clan!" A gasp escaped out of her lips, she tried to pull her hand away, and he grabbed it. "I will make them rue the day that they all decided to use the Uchiha clan if not in this life but in the next!"

"Sasuke-san." Hinata muttered, lowly. "I-I…. "Her voice trailed off.

"No words of kindness eh?" The Uchiha heir derided.

"I'm sorry." The Hyuuga heiress closed her eyes, and she turned away from him. "I'm sorry that Konohagakure m-makes you feel such things." B-but, what do you mean by "they"?"

"Everyone." Sasuke said, bluntly. "Everyone that I have come in contact that belong to Konohagakure ever."

"So it is true." Hinata mumbled, lowly. She withdrew her hand, and the Hyuuga heiress searched the Uchiha heir's face. "The r-rumors that you wanted to decimate Konohagakure."

"Yes." The Uchiha heir said, flatly. "I wanted to kill everyone who inhabited it." He saw her pale at his words.

_You wanted to know, Hyuuga, sometimes the truth is abominable._

"You say wanted, w-what made you change your m-mind?"

"My brother did, it was my way to honor his wishes."

"…..have those murderous feelings left you?"

"No, they have not." Sasuke admitted. "I just merely channel those feelings in a different direction." He kept his response ambiguous, but he knew that she could figure it out.

"In your fights." Hinata guessed. There was another silence exchanged between them. "Let me ask you a q-question?"

"And what pretell may that be?"

"If you would not have met me, if you did not h-honor your brother's wishes, would you have struck me down when you destroyed Konoha."

"You know the answer." A slight gasp escaped from her mouth, and she withered away from him.

"But what if you knew me?" Hinata said, shakily. "c-could you look me in the eye and do that?" w-what about Sakura-san, and Naruto-san, they knew you as well, w-what about the innocent lives."

"So." The Uchiha heir brushed off her sentiments, and he looked back at the river. "But….. If I knew you then, I would have left you… alive." As for my former teammates, I wouldn't care."

"y-you would have condemned me to a life of l-loneliness without my family." Hinata defended." Without my friends."

"You would be alive wouldn't you?" Sasuke exasperated. "That is more than what most people get out of me." He saw her recoil, she pulled her legs up to her chest, and she placed her head in her knees, hiding her face. Her body trembled, and he knew that she was crying at the pure apathy displayed by the Uchiha heir. "Are you afraid of me, Hinata?"

"' I am _not_ afraid of you." Her voice unsteady. The Uchiha heir reached over a hand, and he rested the palm of his hand on the middle of her back.

"Show me your face, Hinata."

"Why w-would you do that to a-another human being?" Hinata demanded. "Devalue and d-dehumanize them in such a w-way." She lifted her face, it was filled with a mix of terror and confusion, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I-I can't even comprehend it." He moved his hand, brushing her bangs out of her face, and a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It is okay to be weak in front of me, you don't have to be so strong, you can be afraid of me." The Uchiha heir informed. "Because, I know that you are."

"I-I'm sorry." Hinata apologized. She lifted up her arm, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her jacket, and a determined look came on her face. "But I-I will not look at you with such fright you like everyone on Konoha does, I-I will not shy away from you o-out of fear."

"Hmph, that kindness _will_ be the death of you." The Uchiha heir stated. "You know I could just be doing this to get through to you and use all your kindness against you." A smirk came on his face. "I am always calculating, Hinata, don't you ever forget that."

"You should take that to heart."

"But, sometimes life t-throws you events that are unanticipated, Sasuke-san." The Hyuuga heiress muttered, lowly. Her tears now dried up. "It is h-hard to calculate those things."

_Oh how well I know. You were not anticipated. _

"I don't need a lecture." He snapped.

"I know."

"You should go to sleep." The Uchiha heir recommended.

With a nod, Hinata started to get up, but he grabbed the sleeve of her jacket. "You can stay here and sleep."

"A-are you sure?" The Hyuuga heiress asked, shocked.

"I wouldn't have proposed the idea if I wasn't sure, I am _always_ sure about everything I do." Siting back down, he noticed that she was uneasy, and she fumbled with her fingers.

"Relax, Hyuuga, and go to sleep."

"Oh, yes, sorry, may I p-please rest my head against your shoulder?"

"Fine." He saw her hesitant, and the Uchiha heir became agitated. "Well…I gave you permission didn't I?" She bit her lip, Hinata rested her head against his shoulder, and the Uchiha heir tensed up. He fought the urge to throw her off of him, he was not used to the touch of a woman. Then, she did something unexpected.

XXXX

Hinata allowed herself a bold move, hoping to relax the Uchiha heir, and she wrapped her arms across him. A faint blush rose to her cheeks, she closed her eyes not wanting to see the look on his face, and she drifted off to sleep.

XXXX

Sasuke looked at the Hyuuga heiress, angrily. Did he say that she could do this? He would have permitted that she grab his hand, maybe brush his skin, or hair but not embrace. Hell, he had only just now allowed himself to show affection for her. She took in a deep breath, it escaped from her parted lips, and the Uchiha heir rolled his eyes. He muttered something unintelligible before he turned his gaze to the moonlight kissed water, staying like that for the rest of the night.

XXXX

He was an uncaring, cold man, but at the same time a warm, and thoughtful person. What an oxymoron that was. The Hyuuga heiress couldn't figure him out.

Did his words strike fear into her heart? Yes. However, he was truthful with her.

Furthermore, she figured that he would have looked down upon her when she broke down in front of him, but he didn't. In fact, he tried to comfort her in a strange way.

He was definitely an odd man.

A slight fall of her arm woke the Hyuuga heiress up, and she lifted up, quickly. Her eyes were met with onyx eyes, Hinata gasped at him, and she back away.

"S-sorry." The Hyuuga heiress said, breathlessly.

"You should be." The Uchiha heir grumbled. He said this with a blank expression, his voice was dark, but there was no sign of fury behind it. She was surprised at this, she had expected him to be infuriated, but the Hyuuga heiress could tell that he had her allowed to remain that way all night. A smile came to her lips, and she wiped her eyes. "You all need to hurry up and eat, we need to head out soon." Sasuke stood up, he stood afar, and Hinata took a couple of more bites of her food. As she ate, everyone started to wake up, and Sakura smiled at her.

"Morning, Hinata-san." The pink haired kunoichi greeted.

"Morning,"

"Ugh." Ino groaned as she lifted up. "I am so ready for a warm bed." The Hyuuga heiress chuckled at her. "How did you sleep, Hinata-chan?"

"I slept good, thank you." Hinata smiled, kindly.

"Geez, can I not get one sleep without you whining Ino?" Shikamaru asked as he lifted up, and he rubbed his eyes. "Every time, we go on missions like this, it's the same thing."

"No, you won't." Hinata walked over to Kiba, she touched his shoulder, his brown eyes fluttered open, and Akamaru began to stir at the same time as Kiba.

"I am up." Kiba grinned with a flash of canine like teeth. He lifted up, and began to stretch like an animal.

"Just w-wanted to make sure."

"We will all start heading out soon." Shikamaru announced. "So let's hurry and eat." Hinata walked over to the horse, and she gave it some water in preparation for the long trip. Kiba grabbed onto the horse's reins after she was done, and everyone ready themselves for the last bit of their journey.

XXXX

- A few hours later-

The Uchiha heir was not happy to see Konohagakure once again, it was the bane of his existence, and the guards at the gates looked at him with a stunned expression.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke Uchiha?" One of them demanded with a guarded eyes. "Stay right there."

"You going to stop me?" Sasuke questioned, knowing the answer that he would get, and they shook their head.

_Smart decision. _

The gates opened up, letting all of them through, and other shinobi came to greet them. All of their mouths dropped when they caught sight of the Sasuke, Sasuke was seeing more than enough, and he headed towards the estate.

"Oh, Sasuke-san..." Hinata began. The Uchiha heir cut her off.

"You know where I stay at." Sasuke spat. "Come see me there if you wish to speak with me any further." And with that, the Uchiha heir pulled up the hood of his cloak, and put as much distance as he could between the shinobi and himself.

_Man, he fucking detested shinobi. _

XXXX

Hinata wondered home after they turned in their report to Naruto, and informed him of all the events that transpired. The Hyuuga heiress was surprised when she saw Hiashi standing outside the Hyuuga gate as she approached it. Hiashi's looked at Hinata with a stern look, his pale eyes were intense, and he had on a brown kimono with a matching tan jacket. The Hyuuga heiress walked up to her father, and she bowed in front of him.

"I-I am back from my mission."

"I am aware that your mission is finished, I was given the paper work on the duration that it would take you to complete it." Hiashi said as he crossed his arms. "Come inside... we need to talk."

"Yes, father." Hinata followed after him. The Hyuuga heiress looked up at him, perplexed as he walked in front of her. "If I may ask, w-what is this about?" Hiashi stopped, looking at her out the corner of his eye, and Hinata's eyes widened at his comment.

"It is about your recent interactions with Sasuke Uchiha."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	13. True Intentions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 13

Hinata sat in front of her father, Hiashi Hyuuga, and her legs were folded underneath her. She didn't meet the eyes of her father, instead she looked at the wooden boards in the floor, but she felt his gaze penetrate her.

"w-what all do you know?" Hinata asked, lowly.

"Everything, the festival, you going out to the forest to train with him." Hiashi informed. The Hyuuga heiress should have seen this coming, she knew that her father kept a close eye on her, and her sister, Hanabi. Nothing got past his eyes.

"I-I was merely trying to w-welcome, Sasuke-san back into the village." Hinata said, softly.

"You are the next in line to the Hyuuga throne." Hiashi's voice was stern. "You being around him, are you not aware of what he has done?"

"I-I am." Hinata mumbled. "But, why not give him a chance?"

"To do what?" Hiashi pressed." A chance to harm you? you have duties remember that, you are a shinobi, and the future heiress, those are the things that you need to focus on. Not rehabilitating someone."

"b-but, he saved me." Hinata defended. "When I was on the mission, h-he stepped in and kept me from being attacked."

"You shouldn't need the help of anyone." Hiashi grunted. Hinata pursed her lips, and nodded in compliance. "You have an image to uphold, we cannot allow you to be perceived as weak, enemies will take advantage of that."

"I understand."

"Your kind nature will be taken advantage of that Uchiha, so do a favor and stay away from him." Hiashi recommended.

"B-but, he is my friend."

"Friend?" Hiashi asked with a reflection of doubt in his voice. "You think that he is your friend."

"I do."

"Hinata." Hiashi said, flatly. "That is a foolish notion that should be tosses out of your mind, immediately." Why do you think he wanted to be around you?" all he wants is the power of the Hyuuga!" Hiashi's voice was now angry, Hinata flinched at the tone, and she felt tension in the air. The air was heavy and thick that Hinata felt as if she was going to choke on it.

Hiashi continued. "The Hyuuga and Uchiha have history together." We are both ancient clans who have been revered as the most powerful among our peers, we both have powerful kekkei genkai that have evolved from one another, but the Hyuuga have kept the secret of the byakugan guarded for centuries while the Uchiha have allowed theirs to run wild." I will allow ours to be compromised by my misguided daughter."

"Yes, father, I am s-sorry." Hinata apologized, and she bowed to Hiashi. "P-please forgive me." Hiashi sighed at his daughter.

"You are strong Hinata, I saw what you did during the Fourth Shinobi War, but you are also weak." Hiashi informed. "Now, go wash up." Hinata stood up, her face covered with her hair, and she walked out of the room. She slid the door behind her, and upon hearing the click, ran down the hallway. Her tears were now streaming down her face, and she went into her room. Closing the door behind her, she fell on her bed, and buried her face in her pillow. It was not too long that she heard her door slide open.

"Hinata?" Hanabi asked, concerned. "Are you okay?" The Hyuuga heiress gasped in shock, and she wiped her tears away, quickly.

"Yes, Hanabi?"

"Are you okay?" Hinata felt her sister touch her shoulder, and she smiled at her.

"O-oh yes, thank y-you."

"Did father say something to you?"

"No, w-why do you ask?"

"It is about Sasuke Uchiha isn't it? I was able to overhear some of the conversation between father and the people who had told him about you and Sasuke." Hinata looked at her, stunned, and then she nodded. "He is a bad man you know."

"Maybe in the past." Hinata defended. "Now, he is not a bad person, no, now he is d-different."

"How can you tell?"

"It is h-hard to explain."

"Do you know why he wanted to originally hang around you?" Hanabi asked. Hinata grimaced, pondering the question, and she couldn't come up with an answer.

"No, I don't."

"Are you sure it was not for your byakugan?" Hanabi questioned. "I love you, Hinata, and I do trust your judgement, you are my dear big sister, but you have to be a hundred percent sure. You should ask him and see what he says."

What was the real reason for him being around her? This was a question that Hinata found herself unable to answer, and she stood up.

"I will be back, Hanabi." Hinata walked out of the house, and she headed towards the Uchiha estate. The gates open for the first time, she could see inside it, and Hinata looked at the garden in awe. She approached the front door, and she knocked on it, quietly.

XXXX

Sasuke opened up the door, the Hyuuga heiress's face was puffy, and her eyes were red. Had she been crying? His eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips, and he leaned up against the door frame.

"Why do you look like that?" The Uchiha heir asked, coolly.

"I have to ask you a q-question."

"Another one?" Sasuke exasperated, and Hinata nodded at him. "What is it?"

"Why d-did you first start hanging around m-me, Sasuke-san?" Sasuke looked at her, intently, and she held his gaze. "Why d-did you seek me out that first time in the restaurant "please tell me, I need to k-know."

"Why is it important?" The Uchiha heir groaned.

"Because my father thinks that you wanted me for the b-byakugan." Instantly, the Uchiha heir's face became hard, and his eye became cold. "Is the whole reason w-why we interacted with one another is because you w-want my byakugan?"

_Smart man. That is to be expected from the head of the Hyuuga clan. _

"You may not like the answer." He saw her pale at his response, and she backed away from him.

"Tell me, please."

"Are you doing this because of your father?" the Uchiha heir asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not a-anymore." Hinata grasped her pants, and she looked down at the ground. "I am doing this for me, I n-need to know."

"Fine." Sasuke said with rolled eyes. "I didn't interact with you because I want your byakugan, I am perfectly happy with my kekkei genkai, but it was somewhat related to your byakugan. You see I was tired of not having a worthy opponent to fight and well, I have never fought a Hyuuga before, and you were the perfect opportunity to fill that."

"' So you just talked to m-me because I was a Hyuuga?" Hinata asked as he saw her eyes fill with water.

"Essentially, you were just a punching bag till I got bored of you or you wore out." Sasuke affirmed. Tears now fell down her cheeks, she covered her face, and she shook her head.

"You were t-taking advantage of my k-kindness."

"Yes."

"That is so cruel." The Hyuuga heiress muttered. "And what about n-now, are you taking advantage of me now?"

"There are circumstances that prevent me from doing so now, I no longer have the desire to."

"I don't believe you." Hinata turned away from him, and Sasuke fought the urge to want to reach out towards her.

"Hinata."

"My father was right." The Hyuuga heiress sobbed. "I am a fool." And with that, the Uchiha heir saw her run out of his gates, and he felt something warm in his hands. Sasuke looked at his hand, his fists were clenched in a tight grip to where his nails dug in the flesh, drawing blood.

Had they been like that the whole time?

XXXX

Hinata ran all the way back home, she walked up to the stairs of her front porch, and sat down. She could hear all the voices of everyone telling her that they told her that this would happen, Hinata pulled her knees up to her chest, and she rested her head on them.

Was it so wrong to have faith in him? Did he even care that she wanted to make him feel like a normal person?

The Hyuuga heiress felt used by him, but she had only herself to blame for the predicament that she was in.

He had no intention of being her friend. Sasuke Uchiha didn't want friends, and he was not going to entertain the idea of having one.

Friends didn't treat one another like that. The Hyuuga heiress mentally kicked herself, she should have left things alone, and not demanded the truth from him. He had warned her, and she should have taken his advice. It would save her from this emptiness that she was feeling in her chest.

The emptiness was familiar to her, in fact, she had felt it when she had confessed her love for Naruto, and he had not return it.

It was the emptiness of being alone.

XXXX

-Several days later-

The Uchiha heir hadn't seen the Hyuuga heiress since their confrontation, Sasuke told himself not to care, and to go about his own day. He did this for the first couple of days of her absence, and it worked. However, he noticed that he couldn't sleep at all during the night, in fact, all he did was stare at the white plastered walls, and this put him in a very foul mood. Everything began to agitate him, and Sasuke began to suspect that this was all out of some form of guilt.

So he did know what guilt felt like. The Uchiha heir thought that he had rid himself of that annoying emotion a long time ago, but apparently not.

Why did he care so much? She was the one who asked the question. He was truthful with her.

_You __**really **__fucked up, you fucking idiot. Apologize. _The Uchiha heir snarled at the thought, and he cursed underneath his breath. There was no way in hell that he was going to apologize to her. Sasuke Uchiha was never apologetic for any of his actions! He was not going to break that streak.

_Fine, then good luck to you, we all know you won't get a wink of sleep before you do. _

It was only after a few more sleepless nights, Sasuke started to give in. He needed to find the Hyuuga heiress quick.

-The next morning-

As soon as the sun rose, the Uchiha heir ventured out into the market to see if Hinata was there, and no luck came up. He looked all throughout the kukoji forest to see if she was there, and she wasn't. He was getting tense when he results turned up nothing, and he considered going to her estate, dragging her out of there, and making her accept his apology. He didn't care if she wanted to accept the apology or not, at least he did it. After, a couple of more no luck searches, he passed by a kimono shop, and the Hyuuga heiress walked out of it. She had a bag in her hands, and she met his eyes.

XXXX

Hinata looked at Sasuke, surprised, and then she smiled, wearily.

"Hey, Sasuke-san, i-is something wrong?"

"Yea, there is." The Uchiha heir informed as he sauntered towards her,

XXXX

"I'm sorry" Sasuke apologized. Oh! How those words made his tongue burn. He saw the Hyuuga heiress's eyes widen at his word, she was clearly taken aback by his apology, and the Uchiha heir ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry for everything."

"I f-forgive you, Sasuke-san." Hinata said, quickly. "N-" Sasuke cut her off.

"I am not finished yet." The Uchiha heir pressed. "I really need to talk you."

"About what?" Hinata bit her lip. "You have m-made it clear that you were only interested in me as a p-punching bag and not me as a person."

"That is what I wanted to talk to you about, I am not interested in you for that reason, anymore."

"You're lying." Hinata said as she shook her head. Sasuke could tell that she was deeply hurt, it was evident all over her face. The Uchiha heir walked up to her, grabbing her jacket, and he pulled her against him. His body tensed up at the touch, and his jaw clenched. Hinata put her hands in between them, they rested on his chest, and she tried to pull away. However, he tightened his grip on her.

"I am not lying." The Uchiha heir reiterated.

"If you are n-not, how do I know that?" Her lavender eyes met his ash burn ones.

"You should know by a couple of things I have done for you." The Uchiha heir explained. "I stepped in between you and that crowd in the village, I also stepped in between you and those men, and I am holding you like this right now, if that is not enough validation for you, I don't know what is."

"But, what about what you said?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"Before, this all began to occur and I met you, I wouldn't have cared if you were struck down, blown up, I couldn't even stand the thought of you touching me or vice versa." The Hyuuga heiress looked at him, shocked, and he leaned down, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "But, I will no longer think about taking advantage of you, things have changed between you and me."

"Sasuke-san."

"That is the truth." Sasuke sighed. "I have been nothing, but truthful to you. That is the most that people get out of me in a lifetime."

"I k-know it is, Sasuke-san." Hinata began. "Are you s-saying that you have changed?"

"That is what is implied isn't it?"

"I know y-you have changed, I have seen it in you."

"Oh how so?" Sasuke questioned.

"When we f-first met your eyes were filled with coldness and apathy but now their d-different." Hinata explained.

"Your eyes can see more than just chakra." The Uchiha heir whispered, lowly. "This is why I say that you have broken me."

"I'm s-sorry."

"Shut up." Sasuke hissed. "The minute that I agreed to go to that festival with you was the beginning of it, and now I am ruined."

"Is that what you mean by circumstances?"

"It is." Sasuke explained. "And when I told you that I wanted you to be mine, I meant it, every word of it." There was no motive behind those words, it is what I desired." I desire… you."

"That makes me happy." Hinata said with a hint of elation in her voice.

_Happiness? _He couldn't believe that this had come out of someone's mouth? Sasuke Uchiha, murder, traitor, selfish, sadistic asshole was able to deliver something other than heart ache, and pain.

"I am not a romantic man, Hinata, but I can tell you that I have been more agitated these past couple of days than I have been in a long time." The Uchiha heir admitted. "And that made me come to this conclusion."

"And what is that?"

"That I don't want you to ever leave me, I want you to be always by my side."

"My father will always be s-suspicious of you e-even if we're..." Her voice trailed off.

"Dating."

"A-are we?" Hinata asked, curiously, but Sasuke remained silent. He could tell that his silence was making her uneasy. "I mean... if you w-want to."

"I don't know if I have romantic feelings for you yet." He murmured." But, the answer to both of your questions should be obvious." Hinata couldn't help, but let out a small giggle, and Sasuke smirked at her. He lifted up his head, leaning into her face, and she looked at him with parted lips. He brushed his nose along her jawline all the way up to her ear, and her breath hitched. "You want me to say one of those answers out loud don't you?" She gave him affirming smile, and she nodded. There was a pause between the two heirs.

"Yes, Hinata Hyuuga, I want to date you." Sasuke whispered as he pressed his lips against her ear, affectionately.

"I'd like t-that." Hinata admitted as she closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

XXXX

-Later on that day-

Hinata was training in her backyard, she was huffing, and her byakugan was activated. A wooden dummy sat in front of her, it had dents in it from where she had hit it with her hands, and they had scratched on them.

"Hinata!" Hanabi shouted. The Hyuuga heiress turned around to meet her sister, and Hanabi ran up to her. Hanabi's face was full of disbelief. "Sasuke Uchiha is here." Hinata's eyes widened at her sister's news, and she followed her sister back into the house. The Hyuuga heiress stopped at her front door, Hiashi was standing at the gate with his arms crossed, and Sasuke was standing in front of him. They seemed to be in a conversation, it looked like a deep conversation, and she saw Sasuke bow to Hiashi, halfway. This caught Hinata off guard, she strolled over to where they were, and Hiashi turned around.

"What is g-going on, w-why are you here, Sasuke-san?" Hiashi closed his eyes, pushing past her, and she stared at him, perplexed. However, he stopped a few feet away from her, and he turned around.

"I will not be responsible for you, if any harm comes to you." Hiashi said, coolly. Hinata watched him head back into the house, and she looked back at Sasuke.

"What did you do?"

"Don't worry about it." The Uchiha heir said, dismissively. However, Hinata was fully aware of what he had just done. He had persuaded her father to allow her to be around him, and she smiled to herself.

The selfish Uchiha that everyone talked about had just done something for someone, and it wasn't just for anyone. It was just for her.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	14. Just a Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Author's Note: This chapter I decided to make humorous and give a glimpse into the first stages of dating between Sasuke, and Hinata before stuff happens ( *cough* foreshadowing.) Anyways enjoy!**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 14

Hinata wasn't quite sure what to call Sasuke. Her boyfriend? Her beau? Her romantic friend? Dating was something foreign to the Hyuuga heiress, she had never been in a relationship before, but she was excited for it. It was a new adventure for Sasuke, and her. The Hyuuga heiress promised herself that she would try her best to keep it quiet that the Uchiha heir and her were officially dating. Hinata walked into Naruto's office, Sakura, Ino, and Kiba stood in front of his desk, and there were no papers on his desk.

"Hey." Hinata greeted, warmly.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." Naruto beamed. "I called everyone for a quick announcement today." The young jinchuuriki gave her a toothy grin, and he leaned back in the chair.

"More missions?" Sakura groaned.

"Nope, today is off day for everyone." The blond headed Hokage informed. "We have no missions for today, everyone can take a break." Uniform sighs of relief filled the room, and Naruto chuckled.

"That's great!" Kiba exclaimed as he turned to Hinata. "Hey, since we aren't busy, there is a watering hole in the Ozashumi forest, and I was thinking that we could all go and have some fun."

"Sounds good to me." Ino chimed in. "I could go for swimming."

"I'm coming too." Naruto explained. Hinata looked at him, surprised, and he stood up, stretching. "I have finished all work for today, I could use the break, and why not use this time to enjoy it."

"Great." Sakura gave her husband a warm smile.

"Okay, then what about food?" Kiba asked, curiously. Hinata nodded at him.

"I can bring the f-food if you w-want." Hinata proposed.

"That will be great, thank you, Hinata-chan." Ino smiled.

"Sounds like a plan." Kiba chimed in. Hinata observed everyone's excited faces, and she began to wonder if Sasuke would like to come. After all, they hadn't seen one another since the commencement of their relationship, and it would be nice to spend time with him. However, she also knew that he didn't really like to be around anyone except for her, and she pondered the question if he would even go. Yet, Hinata couldn't bring herself not to ask him, even if he didn't accept.

"w-what would you like me to bring?" Hinata asked, curiously. "I-I can bring tea and cucumber sandwiches?"

"That sounds delicious." Ino assured. "We are not picky." The Hyuuga heiress gave her one last nod, and everyone agreed to meet at the Ozashumi forest at noon. Hinata walked towards the Uchiha estate, the gates were partially open, and she stepped through them. As soon as she did, a hand grabbed her wrist, and she turned to meet onyx colored eyes.

"O-oh, Sasuke-san, how are y-you today?" She gave him a warm smile, and Sasuke looked at her, coolly.

"Anyone tell you it is impolite to sneak into someone's home?" The Uchiha heir asked. Hinata shook her head.

"I-I'm sorry." She began to stammer. "I-I didn't mean to in-" Hinata saw a smirk come across his face, and her cheeks flushed red. The Hyuuga heiress knew that he was teasing her, and she saw him release his grip on her wrist. Sasuke's hand moved to her hair, and he brushed it behind her ear. "Why did you l-leave your gate open?"

"Because I knew that you would probably be coming here." The Uchiha heir informed as he crossed his arms. The Hyuuga heiress flickered her eyes to the ground, and she began to bite her lip.

"Um… w-would you like to go swimming with me and s-some friends?" Hinata proposed. She looked up at him from underneath his eyelashes, there was a long pause, and Sasuke scoffed.

"Some friends you mean sakura and those others right?" the Uchiha heir inquired, fully aware of the answer.

"And... Naruto-chan." Hinata added. She saw a flicker of annoyance come across his face, and Hinata held up her hands. "y-you can say no."

"Shut up, Hinata." The Uchiha heir held up his hands to hers interlacing their fingers, and he pulled her close to him. "Have you considered the fact that maybe I hate swimming."

"y-you do?" The Hyuuga heiress asked, shocked. "I'm sorry, I t-thought that maybe we could um…. Spend time together." Sasuke stared at her with an unfathomable expression, and he sighed.

"Fine, but you owe me." the Uchiha heir hissed.

"You'll go?"

"Yes, I just said that." Sasuke admitted with a scowl. "But you owe me, I just don't go hang around those nuisances for pure enjoyment, I know that they will all get on my nerves in some form or another especially that dobe, Naruto. So you have to compensate me for that."

"What do you want?" Hinata asked.

"Hmmm..." The Uchiha heir smirked at her, evilly, and she stared at him, speechless. "I haven't seen you in a couple of days either so that makes your debt to me even higher."

"b-but, I have b-been on missions all those days."

"And you think that is an excuse?" Sasuke asked as a displeased look came across his face, and Hinata's lips parted. "But, I'm going to make you wait on what I decide." The Hyuuga heiress nodded at him, she knew that he was toying with her, and enjoying every little expression that she was giving him.

"Since w-when you come, and I am bringing the food, how d-does cucumber sandwiches, and tea sound?"

"I don't care." Sasuke shrugged, and his eyes narrowed. "You offered to make food for everyone didn't you?"

"Y-yes, why?" The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, and muttered something, unintelligible.

"Don't overwork yourself." The Hyuuga heiress couldn't help, but chuckle. Sasuke was really caring when he wanted to be, as if reading her thought, the Uchiha heir pursed his lips. "Don't be mistaken, this is not out of some odd form of endearment, I need you to be in a perfect physical state for what I have planned for you." Hinata gasped at him, Sasuke pulled away from her, and he headed towards his front door.

"What time is it?"

"Noon."

"Okay, I will see you then." And with that the Uchiha heir disappeared behind his front door, leaving the Hyuuga heiress standing in the front yard.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir never thought the day would come to pass that he would enjoy the company of the opposite sex or date one. He had avoided women for so long, and this was out of personal choice. The women he had come in contact with both in his preteen years and now had been smitten with him. One look at one of the girls, and they took it as his commitment to them. This included girls like Sakura Haruno, and Karin, his former teammate. Karin was nothing, but a sadomasochist who enjoyed him biting her. In fact, the Uchiha heir could recall a time that he had been injured, bit her, and she had an orgasm right there. Now, Sakura was another story, in her preteen years, she was so infatuated with him that she would have gladly threw down her life for him just so he could pay attention to her. Nonetheless, all these attempts from Karin and Sakura were pathetic and just downright sad. However, Hinata Hyuuga didn't fall into the crowd of fan girls, and Sasuke liked that. In a way, she was a breath of fresh air.

Sasuke was not going to go swimming, he hated the water, and he hated the company that he would be in especially Naruto. If anything, the Uchiha heir would just spectate, and watch the Hyuuga heiress enjoy herself. As soon as the clock hit noon, Sasuke headed towards the forest, and he could hear laughing. The sound of water splashing resonated throughout the forest, and the Uchiha heir cursed underneath his breath. Figures started to become apparent, the Uchiha heir stopped behind a tree, and he looked at the scene. Naruto was splashing Sakura, a wide grin on his face, and she was laughing. Kiba was hissing at them as the water was being splashed his way, and Ino was laying out in the sun. The Uchiha heir saw Hinata was sitting on a blanket laid out under her, and she had a basket next to her. There were small cups, and saucers sitting next to it. She had on her usual huge jacket with a pair of shorts, and sandals. He rolled his eyes, cursing himself for allowing her to persuade him to come, and he walked out into the open. Everyone stopped, looking at him wide-eyed, but Sasuke ignored them. He sauntered over to Hinata, sitting down next to her, and he looked at everyone, hard.

"Sasuke, you came... here?" Ino asked, shocked.

"I was invited." The Uchiha heir hissed through gritted teeth.

"Well, I'll be damned." Naruto grinned at him. "I thought I'd never see the day."

"Don't get any silly notions." Sasuke growled. He gave Naruto a cold stare, his eyes flickered to Sakura who was looking at him, surprised, and then she smiled. His eyes narrowed as he saw her eyes go to Hinata and then him.

_Rid yourself of that thought now! I can see you contemplating._

"y-you didn't wear anything cooler?" Hinata asked, curiously. Her question broke him out of his thoughts, the Uchiha heir's eyes settled Hinata, and he crossed his arms.

"I am not swimming."

"W-why not?" Naruto asked, disappointed.

"I am not here to have fun with any of you." Sasuke sneered.

_If anything, I am here for just Hinata __**only.**_

"Anyways, why are you wearing that oversized jacket?" Hinata turned red, shaking her head, and she clutched the jacket to her body.

"I-I can't." Hinata said, bashfully. "I will be e-exposed."

"It is only a bathing suit." Sasuke said, flatly. "It is not like you're naked." He saw her pale at his remark, and the Uchiha heir waved his hand. "But, whatever, it is your choice, I won't say anything more, you may pass out."

"w-would you like some tea?" Hinata held up a pitcher of tea, and a cup. She was clearly trying to divert the conversation, and the Uchiha heir shrugged.

"Whatever." He grabbed the cup, she poured him it, and Sasuke kept his eyes forward.

"Do you l-like it?"

"I told you not to overdo it." Sasuke scoffed. "….. It's really good." Hinata smiled at him, warmly, but he kept his distance from her. Careful, not to giveaway signs of their relationship.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, you should come in the water." Ino suggested.

i-I'm fine." Hinata assured.

"Come on." Kiba urged.

"Oh, okay." The Uchiha heir watched her get up, sitting down on the edge of the water, and she placed her sandals to the side. She put her legs in the water, she remained that way for a majority of the time, and the Uchiha heir looked off at a certain distance. Naruto put Sakura on his shoulders, and Kiba put Ino on his shoulders. They tried to push each other off their shoulders, Hinata giggled, and Sakura managed to push Ino off Kiba's shoulders. Sakura succeeded to push Ino off of Kiba's shoulders. Ino fell backward, but she accidently grabbed Hinata, and Hinata fell into the water with her with a gasp. Sasuke stared at the spot where Hinata was, and he got up, not seeing her there. He was clearly displeased, Sasuke saw Hinata come up from the water, and her hair stuck to her face.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan." Ino apologized, quickly. She shot a glare at Kiba, and Kiba groaned to himself.

"Its fine, no worries." Hinata assured. "It feels nice." The Uchiha heir looked at the Yanamaka, coldly, and he heard her gasp as she met his eyes. He extended his hand to Hinata, the Hyuuga heiress grabbed it, and he helped her out.

"You idiot." Sasuke murmured as he reached over a hand, and pinched her cheek, gently. Hinata winced at him. "It is not _always_ okay."

"She didn't mean to."

"Tch, whatever." Her jacket clung to her body and her shorts, he could see the outline of her bikini. It was pink and the top went around her neck with a hook in the back. The bottoms were just basic bikini ones. The bikini showed off her slender curvaceous body.

"You should take off the jacket, there is no point in concealing what you are wearing now, and everyone can see it." Sasuke informed. Hinata gasped at him, and she looked at herself. A slight blush coming to her cheeks.

"O-okay, but p-please turn around." The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, turning around, and Hinata took off her jacket and shorts. "I-I'm done."

"The pink looks good on you." Sasuke stated. "And stop being so timid, it is not like I haven't seen a woman's body before."

XXXX

Was that a compliment? Hinata couldn't help, but smile at him. She knelt down, grabbing some water, and she splashed it on him. Sasuke gave her a stern look as water dripped off his hair, and she giggled. His look may had been upset, but his eyes were not. Without another word, the Uchiha heir sauntered back to the matt, and Hinata got into the water. She watched the others play games in the water such as Marco polo in which she joined into. Hinata found herself looking back at Sasuke, and she began to wonder.

What things did he like?

It was midafternoon, and she portioned out the sandwiches. Everyone gave her praise about the, but she was interested in what Sasuke thought about it. She watched him take a bite of it, he closed his eyes, and sighed.

"This good, Hinata." Everyone looked at him, shocked at his compliment, and Hinata nodded at him.

"I-I'm glad you like it."

XXXX

Naruto looked between the two, and he began to smirk.

"So, Sasuke, you came here cause you were invited by Hinata huh?" the young jinchuuriki host inquired. The Uchiha heir glared at him, and he pursed his lips.

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing." The blond headed Hokage smirked. The Uchiha heir didn't like the gleam in the young Jinchuuriki's eyes, and Sakura hit him upside the head. "Ouch."

"Let's have a meal when you are not trying to fight." Sakura hissed.

"This was a good idea, Kiba." Ino chimed.

"Agreed."

XXXX

The remainder of the food was in silence, and everyone was beginning to leave. Hinata put on back her jacket which was dried up now, and her pair of shorts. She stumbled as she tried to put on her sandals, and bumped into the Uchiha heir.

"Oh, s-" Sasuke cut her off.

"That was grueling torture." Sasuke hissed. "And now, I am going to make you pay for every bit of it." Hinata gasped, she had forgotten that he said she was indebted to him, and he reached out a hand. He wiped water off her cheek, and his eyes bore into hers.

"w-what do you want?" The Hyuuga heiress asked, shyly. A smirk came across Sasuke's face that made her slightly uneasy, and he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, all I want is dinner." The Uchiha heir informed. "I will pay for both of us."

"S-sure, I would l-like that." The Hyuuga heiress sighed to herself, and she made a face. Sasuke really did like to tease her. He made it seem so bad and all he wanted was dinner with her.

"What is with that face?"

"Oh, n-nothing." Hinata waved her hands in front of her, and Sasuke shrugged.

"Hn." He walked beside Hinata, she looked at him, and reached for his hand, shyly. Her slender fingers touched his hand, and she interlaced their fingers.

Hinata could see that she would have to get used to his teasing.

XXXX

"I am beginning to suspect that eventually everyone will find out about this." The Uchiha heir groaned. "You and I."

"I'm sorry." Hinata apologized.

"Shut up." Sasuke growled. "I will deal with it when it comes." He led her back into the village, Sasuke choose the first restaurant that she spotted, and it was quiet when they entered. People stared at them as they sat down, and Hinata went to sit across him. Sasuke squeezed her hand, however, and he pulled her next to him.

"I really enjoyed today."

"Good."

"Did you h-have a good time today?" The Hyuuga heiress asked, curiously.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I feel a-as if I left you out." Hinata said, sullenly.

"Hinata…." Sasuke stared at her, intently, and then, he looked away. " … I just care if you have a nice time." Hinata looked at him, taken aback.

"Sasuke-san."

"Just get what you want, I'm ready to order." The Uchiha heir exasperated. His voice was curt and revealed a slight agitation. He beckoned for the waitress to walk over to them, and Hinata ordered her food. There was a silence exchanged between the two until the waitress came back with their food.

"This relationship seems a little unbalanced." The Uchiha heir stated as his food was laid out in front of him. Hinata stared at him, perplexed, and he glanced at her out the corner of his eye.

"How?" The Hyuuga heiress's eyebrows furrowed together into a confused expression.

"You know everything about me, and the only things I know about you is just what I see."

"And what do you see."

"That you are the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, and that is it." Sasuke informed. "So to balance out this relationship, tell me about yourself, Hinata." Hinata looked at him, speechless, and then she nodded at him.

"Sure." Dinner was quite an adventure, she told Sasuke everything about herself. About her father, and about her cousin, Neji. Sasuke just nodded at everything as she spoke, Hinata couldn't help, but giggle at his antics to try to learn about her. After it was finished, he led her back to her estate, holding the picnic items, and she turned to him. They stood in front of her gates, it was beginning to rain outside, and she put her hand over her head.

"I'll go get an umbrella." Hinata informed, but the Uchiha heir grabbed her wrist.

"Don't, I don't mind it." Hinata looked at him, and his eyes lowered. He leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers, roughly, and he heard her gasp. However, Hinata began to relax, his kiss softened, and their lips molded with one another. His tongue slipped between her lips, caressing hers, and she sighed in pleasure. Their kiss was moistened by the rain, but they stayed that way for a good minute. Eventually, Sasuke pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers, and Hinata for the first time saw something that she had never seen on his face. It was a smile.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	15. Just another Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 15

It all began with a cough, the Hyuuga heiress didn't think too much about it, however as the days progressed, her symptoms became more and more prominent. After the coughing was a sneeze, and then, extreme fatigue. Hinata had been on mission after mission, the missions were so relentless that it made her appreciate the one day that they had off. Nonetheless, her sickness made it hard to complete each mission because all she wanted to do was lie down. Hinata had to admit that getting sick, a rare occasion, but this morning was the start of something horrible. She felt flushed, and all of the symptoms she was having before had come crashing down on her. However, Hinata was not going to let the sickness hinder her from completing her duties.

"Hinata, you don't look so good." Kiba informed and Akamaru barked in agreement. They stood on top of a building, overlooking Konohagakure, and Hinata smiled at him.

"I'm f-fine." The Hyuuga heiress assured. However, Hinata was far from being fine, the more that she did, the worse that she felt. Ino looked at Hinata, skeptically, and she got up. She walked up to Hinata, placing her hand on her forehead, and Ino jerked back her hand, instantly.

"You're burning up!" Ino shouted. "You should have stayed home today!" Ino looked at Hinata, concerned, and Hinata shook her head.

"But, w-we have d-duties." Hinata defended.

"You're not going to be efficient in completing them if you are sick." Kiba sighed, heavily, and he walked up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and Hinata looked up at him. "Go to Naruto's office, and tell him that you are going home because you're sick."

There was a silence exchanged between the three, and Hinata nodded at him.

"Okay."

"Good, take care of yourself." Kiba grinned as he ruffled her hair, and Hinata headed toward Naruto's office. She entered Naruto's office, he was buried in a stack of papers, and he looked at her, shocked.

"Everything okay Hinata-chan?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, I'm going h-home." Hinata stated. "I really d-don't feel well." Naruto looked at her, sullenly, and he waved his hand.

"Sure, I don't care, take a break as long as you like, you should have told me earlier." The blond headed Hokage said, concerned. "I would have allocated any duties to you today." I hope you feel better, Hinata-chan." I will make sure Sakura checks up on you later."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled, kindly. She headed back out the door, and sauntered towards her home. Hinata stopped by the Uchiha estate, the gates were open, and the Hyuuga heiress strolled up to the front door. She knocked on the door, no one answered, but Hinata hated to knock again. She knew that he was home. Hinata walked around to the back, and the Uchiha heir was sitting on the back porch. He seemed in deep thought, he had his eyes forward, and a look of indifference on his face.

"Sasuke-san." Sasuke's body stiffened, he turned to look at her, and a smirk came on his face.

"What no duties today?" The Uchiha heir asked with a raised eyebrow. Hinata shook her head as he stood up, and Sasuke sauntered up to her.

"No, I am n-not feeling w-well."

XXXX

"That is an understatement." Sasuke snorted. Hinata looked sickly pale, her eyes were puffy, and a slight redness was spread across her pallid cheeks and her nose. The Hyuuga heiress gave him a shy smile, and she reached out a hand towards him. The Uchiha heir studied her as she touched his hand, and Hinata looked down, when she saw that he didn't grab her hand.

"I'm sorry, you p-probably d-don't want to-" The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." Sasuke pulled her close to him, and he felt her wrap her arms around him. He shuddered as she buried her face in his shoulder, and he scowled. "I didn't say that you could do that."

"I-I shouldn't be so close to you, you may get s-sick." The Hyuuga heiress stated, worryingly.

"Why are you so worried about me?" The Uchiha heir asked, coolly. "I don't get sick."

"I'm sorry, I just w-wanted to m-make sure." The Hyuuga heiress apologized against his shoulder, and the Uchiha heir took in her scent. She smelled like fresh lilac, and jasmine. She was so fragile against him like a porcelain doll, and Sasuke chuckled to himself.

"What?"

"This is why I hate swimming out in areas like the one you invited me to." Sasuke informed. "You get sick." Or maybe it was because… we shared our first kiss in the rain." The last commentary was him teasing her, and he saw her ears turn red. He knew that she was embarrassed, and she shook her head.

"Please s-stop." Hinata pleaded. "I know your t-teasing me."

"You think I am going to stop because you are sick?" Sasuke asked, skeptically. He leaned down, and he pressed his lips against her ear. "… I guess I can for today." But really, Hinata, the reason why you are like this is because of the Inuzuka."

"It is not his fault."

"Your right, it is both of yours." The Uchiha heir hissed as he kept his lips on her ear. There was a silence exchanged between the two, and Hinata looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-san, I don't f-feel so good." Hinata felt her legs give out, she began to collapse, but Sasuke caught her. She looked at him, surprised, and a look of disapproval was on his face.

"You are an idiot." Sasuke reached up a hand, pressing it against her forehead, and he pursed his lips. Her lips were not their usual cherry natural color, but instead of faded shade of pink. "You have a fever, why are you up and walking around." Now, you can barely even walk."

XXXX

Hinata gasped at him as he picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn't believe that he was doing something like this, and she stared at him, wide-eyed. Sasuke looked at her, then he looked away, almost to what to Hinata could see was embarrassment. Sasuke Uchiha embarrassed? There was no way!

Hinata giggled at him, Sasuke met her eyes with a glare, and he laid her down on his bed. "Just stay here or whatever." The Uchiha heir turned on his heels, but Hinata reached out, grabbing his shirt, gently.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san." The Hyuuga heiress smiled at him, and she saw the Uchiha heir look at her out the corner of his eye. The same smile that she saw when they kissed came across his face, and he turned away.

"I'll get you a washcloth, and I will inform your father that you will be staying here." Hinata stared at him with parted lips.

"You mean… you're going to take care of me?" The Hyuuga heiress questioned.

"Or I could just put you out of my home." The Uchiha heir proposed, "Would you prefer that?" Hinata shook her head, a giggle coming from her mouth, but it was interrupted by a cough. "Then just shut up, and lie down." Hinata nodded at him, laying back on the bed, and she heard him walk out of the room.

Sasuke was taking care of her! She felt a warmth in her chest, and Hinata studied the room. She had never been in his home before, the house seemed empty, and lonely. There was a certain coldness in the house, Hinata shuddered at the chill, and she took off her sandals. She got underneath the covers, and she closed her eyes. She felt too forward, laying there on the bed, this was the place that Sasuke slept at!

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and she felt something soft hit her. Hinata lifted up, seeing a black blanket, and she looked up to see the Uchiha heir crossing his arms. He had a cloth in his hand, and there was steam coming off it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke asked as he walked up to her, and he put his hand on her chest. He forced her down on the bed, she looked at him, surprised, and he knelt down on the side of the bed. "I didn't say that you could get underneath the covers of my bed."

"I got a little c-cold, s-sorry."

"That is why I brought you a blanket." The Uchiha heir grumbled. "I figured that you would be." Hinata looked at him, baffled as he began to wipe her face, and Sasuke didn't meet her eyes as he did this. She saw him reach a hand, unfolding the blanket, and he pulled it on her.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir didn't like the look that the Hyuuga heiress was giving him, and he didn't like the predicament that he was in. He was not used to taking care of anyone, but himself. In a way, it was something new to him, and Sasuke was completely sure that now he cared about the Hyuuga heiress. Now, there were three people in his life that he could say this for, it was Itachi, himself, and now Hinata. He was also a little agitated, how could she allow herself to get so sick? Didn't the Hyuuga make sure that all their offspring were fully defended against such mundane things?

"You don't get cold?"

"No." The Uchiha heir scowled. "I used to sleep out in the environment, rain, snow, sunshine, I am immune to such temperature changes."

"I understand." There was another pause between the two heirs, and the Uchiha heir laid the washcloth on her forehead.

"Go to sleep." He commanded getting back up.

"d-don't leave me... p-please." Hinata pleaded. He felt her hand touch his, and Sasuke sat on the bed. There was a bit of fearfulness in her voice, and his eyes narrowed.

"Why do you say it like that?" Sasuke stared at her, and Hinata bit her lip.

"I am... a-afraid."

"Why?"

"Because m-my mom got sick when I was y-young and she died." The Hyuuga heiress explained. "And I don't want that to h-happen to me."

"And my presence gives you some form of comfort?" Hinata nodded at him, and Sasuke pursed his lips. Sasuke Uchiha, the murderer, traitor, and downright scoundrel could provide comfort to someone. The Uchiha heir lifted up their hands, brushing his lips along her knuckles, and he smirked at her. "Then you are a bigger idiot than what I thought you were to be." Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but then a smile came on her face, and she closed her eyes.

"Hmmm… maybe." Sasuke studied her face, it seemed rather peaceful, and he noticed that her grip began to slowly loosen on his hand. The Uchiha heir laid her hand on her stomach, and he got up as he heard her take in a deep breath. He reached over a hand, brushing her bangs off her forehead, and Sasuke gritted his teeth. She was making him weak, and it was a weakness that he had welcomed into his life.

What the hell was wrong with him?

"I have succumb to you, Hinata." Sasuke whispered as he pulled his hand away from her. He cracked the door behind him, and headed out of his home towards the Hyuuga estate. Hiashi was the first one to open up the door, both of them exchange intense glares, and Hiashi crossed his arms.

"What is it?" Hiashi asked.

"Hinata is sick." The Uchiha heir informed. "And she is at my home. "

"Then, she belongs here, where she can get the best care." Hiashi stated. His face was stern, and Sasuke gave him a cold look.

"She is fine where she is." Sasuke hissed. "I will return her when she is back to normal health."

"You're taking care of her, I assume then." Hiashi chuckled at the Uchiha heir, and Sasuke didn't answer him. His onyx eyes boring into Hiashi's lavender ones. "I will take that look as a yes… I see, so the infamous Uchiha has a soft spot for my daughter."

"I told you what I needed to, I'm leaving." Sasuke turned on his heels, heading out of the Hyuuga estate, and he cursed underneath his breath.

As much as he didn't want to admit it out loud. Hiashi was right. Hinata was his soft spot. He felt his stomach growl, and the Uchiha heir rolled his eyes. There was no food in the house, he needed to go buy some, and Sasuke grumbled. The Uchiha heir made his way to the market, he ignored al the shouting merchants, and he began to ponder what to make himself.

Tea? Miso soup and tofu? Did the Hinata like that?

Sasuke shook his head of the thought, and he walked up to a stand. It didn't matter if she liked it or not, she better eat it, if he stood up and made it. Sasuke bought some tea bags, herbs, and the ingredients for miso soup. He caught sight of some villagers staring at him, and the Uchiha heir looked at them, icily. They gasped, scattering away, and Sasuke smirked to himself.

_Cowards. _

He walked back to his estate with the bags in his hand, and the Uchiha heir kept his forward. Sakura came in sight, Sasuke pursed his lips, and he cursed his luck. She caught sight of him, and her eyes flickered to his bags.

"Oh, Sasuke-san, are you shopping for food?" Sakura asked.

"Isn't that obvious, now cut the chit-chat." The Uchiha heir hissed. "And step aside, you're in my way."

"I was going to see Hinata, but I saw that she wasn't at the Hyuuga estate." Sakura informed. "Do you know where she is?"

"And why would I know that?" Sakura gave the Uchiha heir a small smile, and his eyes narrowed at her.

_What is that smile for? _Sasuke had an idea that Sakura was fully aware of the relationship between Hinata and himself.

"Because I know you do." The pink haired kunoichi stated.

"And if I did, why would I want to tell you?" Sasuke sneered.

"I heard that she was sick, and I wanted to see if she was feeling a little better."

"She is not." Sasuke hissed, curtly. He pushed past Sakura, bumping her shoulder, and she staggered aside.

"Sasuke." Sakura said, firmly, and the Uchiha heir continued to walk away from her. "That food seems like an awfully lot for you, are you… cooking for someone else?" The Uchiha heir stopped, looking at her out the corner of his eyes, and his face was stoic.

"Intuitive aren't we?" His voice was mocking, and Sakura's eyes became wide. He knew that she had an idea that the food was for Hinata as well. He didn't wait for anymore for what she had to say, and left her standing in the street.

The Uchiha heir walked inside of the estate, he sat the groceries on the table, and he pulled out a pitcher. He heated up some water, filling the pitcher with it, and placed a couple of tea bags in it. Sasuke added some extra herbs to tea, and he turned on the stove. He started to make the miso soup, and he stared at the pot at the water began to boil.

XXXX

Hinata woke up, sitting up, and she took the wash cloth off her forehead. Her skin was clammy, and she got up off the bed. She walked out of his bedroom, and into the kitchen. The Hyuuga heiress's eyes widen, as she saw Sasuke lay out food on the table, and she stepped into his view. He looked at her, and crossed his arms.

"You look like a mess." The Uchiha informed. Hinata gasped, patting down her disheveled hair, and Sasuke sat down at the table with his back towards her. "Here is some food, now eat, I am sure that you are hungry." Hinata walked up to the table to see a pitcher of tea along with a bowls of miso soup with tofu in it. The Hyuuga heiress sat down, and the Uchiha heir poured her a cup of tea. He pushed it in her direction, and he looked down at the bowl of miso soup. "You should take off the jacket, it will only make you sweat more, and I don't want you to sweat in my bed."

"Ah, sorry." Hinata turned red as took off her jacket, and she laid it in her lap. Hinata took a sip of the tea, and she smiled. "This is really good, I didn't know you knew how to cook."

"Who said I cooked this." Sasuke questioned, and Hinata chuckled at him.

"I know y-you did."

"I see, well, I am self-reliant, I don't need anything from anyone, and food is necessary to keep my existence." The Uchiha heir stated. "So I had to learn how to cook."

"That s-seems l-lonely." Hinata murmured. Sasuke stared at her, and she sat down her cup. "Not having anyone to l-lean back onto, being alone in the world."

"It would appear that way wouldn't it?" Hinata didn't want the Uchiha heir to feel lonely, in fact, it pained her for anyone to think that, but it particularly bothered her to see Sasuke lonely.

"Do you enjoy that loneliness?" The Hyuuga heiress asked as her lavender eyes met onyx ones, and the Uchiha heir took a sip of the soup.

_I thought I did. _

"Just eat." The Uchiha heir commanded, evading the question. The Hyuuga heiress nodded at him.

"Thank you so m-much, Sasuke-san." Hinata beamed. She took a couple of bites of the soup, and she noticed Sasuke was scrutinizing her.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am a little." The Hyuuga heiress admitted. "The food is really g-good, you will have to teach me how to c-cook so well." A slight humorous intonation was in her voice, and the Uchiha heir scoffed.

"It is mundane, stop acting like it is five star restaurant food."

"It is too me." Hinata defended and she gave the Uchiha heir a kind smile. "b-because you made it just for me."

"Whatever." They ate the food in silence, and Hinata got up to take the dishes. Sasuke noticed a piece of food on the corner of her mouth, and he chuckled. "You have tofu stuck to your mouth." Hinata turned red in embarrassment, covering her face, and the Uchiha heir stood up. He grabbed her wrist, gently, and kissed the corner of her mouth, wiping it off. "Go lie down, I have the dishes." Hinata nodded in compliance, and he pulled away from her. The Hyuuga heiress turned on her heels, and she disappeared into his room.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir washed off all of the dishes, he strolled into the room, and Hinata began to start sneezing. He grabbed a box of tissue for her, and Sasuke sat down on the floor, against the bed. She wiped her nose, coughing at the same time, and Hinata laid back in bed. However, she laid down curled up to where she could Sasuke's face, and Sasuke wiped her face with the washcloth. He touched her forehead, and she closed her eyes.

"You don't feel as hot." Sasuke stated. "The fever is coming down." The Uchiha heir traced the contours of her face with his finger, and she touched his wrist, gently. He watched her move over, patting the empty space, and Sasuke got up. He laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and he turned to her. Her body was as far from him as possible. She smiled at him, and he reached out his arm under her. "Come here." Sasuke rolled Hinata next to him, her face was red, and she rested her head on his chest. The Uchiha heir growled.

"S-sorry." Hinata lifted up her head, she tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

"Just relax." Sasuke exasperated, The Hyuuga heiress nodded at him, laying her head back down, and she wrapped her arm around him. He rested his hand on her back, and for the first time found himself at peace. The Uchiha heir closed his eyes, focusing on Hinata's warm body, and a faint smile came across his face. He could get used to this.

And for the first time, Sasuke started to realize that being with Hinata was something he was growing very fond of, very fast.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	16. The beautiful demon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 16

Hinata's cold only lasted for two days, luckily, there were no real important missions during her absence, and on the last day that she felt fully recovered, a huge mission started to come up. Naruto hadn't given anyone any specifics about it, but it was mandatory that she along with Sakura, Ino, Shino, and Kiba attend a meeting about it. The meeting was to be held at nine in the morning, but Hinata woke up before then. It felt a little odd to be back in her own bed since she had been at the Uchiha estate for the past couple of days. However, there was no doubt in her mind that she wouldn't have gotten better if it wasn't for him taking care of her. She couldn't help, but giggle to herself when she reflected back on how he took care of her.

He was so caring in an odd sort of way, but that was how Sasuke Uchiha was. She liked it, and…She liked him.

Nonetheless, Hinata wanted to pay back the Uchiha heir for her kindness, and she had a little time to spare before her meeting. So, the Hyuuga heiress decided to venture out into the market, buy something for him, and give it to him before she was deployed for the mission. Hinata left the estate early before any servants could catch sight of her, and object to her going out alone. She didn't want to burden them. She walked towards the market, turning the corner, going into the part that sold personal commodities of all sorts, and she stopped at a men's kimono kiosk. Men's yukatas flowed in the wind, and Hinata bit her lip.

She wasn't quite sure what Sasuke really liked? What his favorite color was?

"Excuse me, miss?" A young man came out from a rack of men's yukatas, and Hinata smiled at him, kindly. "May I help you will anything?"

"O-Oh, no, I-I am just looking." Hinata explained. "Thank you so much."

"Well… maybe I can help you out with your search?" The young man grinned at her, he had brown hair, and dark brown eyes. His skin was lightly tanned, and he looked about the same age as her. A slight blush was on his cheeks. "I don't mind helping out a pretty girl."

"O-oh, no, no." Hinata denied as she waved her hands in front of her. "I-I am just trying to figure out what I-I can buy for someone?"

"Oh, I see." The young man's grin grew wider. "A boyfriend or husband." Hinata turned red, and she looked at him, shyly.

"Yes…." Hinata said. Her voice mousy.

"Well… what does him like?"

"I-I am not sure."

"I see." The young man stated, a look of puzzlement came on his face, momentarily, and then it was soon replaced by a flamboyant expression. "Well, anything you buy him I am sure that he will like it."

"Thank you." Hinata bowed to the man, continuing on with her searching, and after the third or fourth kiosk, Hinata spotted one that had lines of stone bracelets laying down in front. The stone sparkled in the sunlight, Hinata strolled up to them, and she picked up a two of matching brackets. The stones were a shimmering blue, and the bracelets tied at the bottom.

"You have good taste." A woman walked up to her, and she smiled at her. "Is it for someone special to you?" Hinata looked at her, shocked, and then she nodded.

"h-how did you know?"

"That bracelet you pick up always attracts the attention of someone looking to buy something for their dearest one." She informed. "That is the purpose for the bracelet." Hinata nodded at her, wondering if she bought if the Uchiha heir would wear it, but wasn't it the thought that counted? Even if he didn't wear it, if he just accepted it would bring a sort of warmth to the Hyuuga heiress. She pondered it, but a smile settled on her lips.

"I'll take it, and can you wrap one in a box for me?" Hinata asked.

"Certainly." The young woman put the bracelet in a small box with a red ribbon, and Hinata put the other bracelet on. She headed, quickly to the Uchiha estate, and Hinata knocked on the door. Sasuke opened the door, leaning against it, and he crossed his arms. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and Hinata frowned at him.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked, concerned.

"Why?" Sasuke asked as he cocked one eyebrow, and Hinata looked down.

"Y-you just look tired."

"Well, I haven't been sleeping." Sasuke stated. "Anyways, why are you here, Hinata?" Hinata turned red in embarrassment, pressing her lips together, and a flustered expression spread across her face.

"Well... y-you see, I-I wanted to…" She began.

"Hm… what is it, Hinata." A devious smirk coming across Sasuke's face, he walked up to her, and brushed her cheek. "What has you so nervous?" Hinata turned red even more, taking the box out from behind her, and she held it out to him. She looked down as her hair covered her face.

"I-I bought this for y-you." Hinata explained. She was surprised when he didn't take it, Hinata looked up at the Uchiha heir, and she saw him taken aback for once. The expression wasn't very clear, but it was there.

"Why did you buy something for me?" The Uchiha demanded. His eyebrows furrowed together, and he pursed his lips.

"I wanted to." Hinata said with a kind smile. "Now, please open it." Sasuke took the box, his eyes never leaving her face, and a cautious look on his face. Hinata watched his eyes narrow as he pulled out the bracelet, and she bit her lip.

"D-do you like it?" He didn't say anything just stared at her, and Hinata reached out her hands.

"M-may I put it on your wrist." The Hyuuga heiress took his hands, gently, slipping the bracelet on his wrist, and she tightened it. When she went to pull away, Sasuke grabbed her wrist, and he held it up, revealing the bracelet.

"Matching ones, I see." Sasuke murmured, quietly. He didn't seem to be talking to her now, but to himself. The perplexity written on all over the Uchiha's face made Hinata giggle.

Had he not ever received gifts before?

XXXX

The Uchiha heir wasn't quite sure to think about the bracelet on his wrist, he didn't mind it, it was just… odd that she would buy something for him. No one did anything like that for him... ever.

Sasuke pulled her towards him, she fell into him, and he titled her head upwards. His lips brushed along her jawline, and all the way up to her ear.

"How did you know that blue is my favorite color?" Sasuke whispered.

"I-It is?" Hinata asked, shocked, and then he noticed that she started to tremble. He grasped her shoulders, pulling away from her, and tears were in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"I am so happy you like it." Hinata said with a blush on her cheeks. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You idiot." He poked her forehead, she looked at him, stunned, and he gave her a smile. "If it came from my girlfriend, I'd probably wouldn't mind it."

XXXX

Did he just really…. Call her his girlfriend?

Hinata knew that they were dating, but she was quite unsure what he would see it as, romantic partners, just an infatuation, but now it was quite different, he had affirmed it to be quite more.

"G-girlfriend?" Hinata asked, absently. A look of displacement came across Sasuke's face, and he crossed her arms.

"What you don't like that or something?"

"N-No." Hinata stammered. "I-I just…didn't know you t-thought of me that way." She wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulder.

XXXX

There was a silence exchanged between the two heirs, and Sasuke scowled.

"Why are you up so early?"

"I have to report in for a meeting about an important mission, I have to be going on soon." Hinata murmured against his shoulder, Sasuke let out a throated growl of anger, and she pulled away from him. He cupped her cheek, firmly, and brushed his lips against hers.

"And you were going to leave me here... **again**?" The Uchiha heir asked, icily.

_And you are going to put yourself out there to get cut down by some worthless piece of shit? _

"Well, I-I-" He cut her off.

"I am coming with you." Sasuke stated.

"w-what?" Hinata asked, baffled. "Y-you can't, at least I-I don't think you can."

"Hinata." Sasuke looked at her, intently. "I am Sasuke Uchiha, I do whatever the hell I want, and if I say I am coming then, I am coming. When do you have to be there?"

"Nine."

"It is almost nine now, we should get going." The Uchiha heir walked past Hinata, heading towards the gates, and he looked at her over his shoulder. Hinata stood at his front door, speechless. "Are you going to just stand there or are you coming."

"O-oh, yes, sorry." Hinata ran up to him, Sasuke headed out of his estate, and she touched his hand.

Sasuke was surprised at himself, his body acted on instinct without giving a second thought, he interlaced their fingers, and pulling her closer to him, ignoring the look of shock they were getting from the villagers.

He could see that Hinata was starting to become one woman that he wanted constantly to be close to him. His body craved for her touch.

Sasuke returned to his icy disposition as soon as he heard the irritating voices of the other shinobi on the other side of Naruto's office door, he also relinquished his hold on the Hyuuga heiress, and watched her push open the door.

"Hey, Hi-"

Instantly, their attention glossed over her, and focused on Sasuke. Sasuke walked into the room, and his hand rested on the hilt of his katana. He looked around the room, around at the speechless shinobi, and then back at a very baffled Naruto.

"This is an office of the so called Hokage eh?" Sasuke derided. "This is a shitty place."

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"It is simple really." Sasuke said with crossed arms. "I am going to go on whatever the mission you are going to assign to Hinata. I am assuming that it is a huge mission considering you devoted a meeting to it." The Uchiha heir's sharingan activated as his eyes flickered to Sakura and Ino then to Kiba and Shino.

"Are there are no objections here?" No one uttered a word, and Sasuke grunted to himself.

_That's what I thought._

"Why do you want to go?" Naruto asked, a smirk across his face as his eye diverted between Hinata and him.

"That is none of your fucking business." The Uchiha heir growled. "And I am sure that you are dying to have me fight on your side once again like I did during the war." A hint of sarcasm was in his voice mixed in with contempt.

"Your damn right I'd like to." Naruto confirmed. "Okay, Sasuke, you can go."

"You should know by now that I will do whatever I please on it."

"I know, but somehow I think you have a different…incentive than your own." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at his statement, and his jaw clenched.

Naruto was right. Fuck.

"What is the mission about?" Ino asked, curiously. Her question alleviated the heaviness in the air.

"Yes, sorry, you all have been assigned to escorting a princess from the Rakuhogi village to the Zasoku village where she will be marrying the prince there." Naruto informed. "The reason why you have to escort her is because there are those who don't agree with the marriage and will so anything even harm the princess to stop it. So, you all have to protect her."

"Is she here?" Sakura asked, curiously. Naruto nodded, and almost as if on cue, the door opened up. A young woman stepped into the room with floor lengthen white hair, and pallid white skin. She had gray eyes, and full red lips. She had on a pink kimono made of the finest silk, she had a slender body, and beside her were two men who carried naginatas strapped to their backs. The woman was the epitome of Asian royal beauty.

"Hello, I am Satsuki, Princess of the Rakuhogi village, it is a pleasure to meet you all." Satsuki bowed, and Shino adjusted his glasses.

"Have there been many attempts on your life to prevent this marriage?" Shino asked, coolly

"Yes there have been, my marriage is to help settle a long feud between my village and the Zasoku village." Satsuki explained. "And there are radicals in the village who will so anything to make sure that it doesn't take place." Her voice was sweet and like velvet.

XXXX

Hinata stared at the woman, she was absolutely beautiful, but there was an uneasiness about her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, nonetheless, Hinata still kept a kind smile on her face, and listened to what Satsuki had to say.

XXXX

Sasuke stared at the woman, his eyes narrowed, and he walked over to Hinata. His eyes moved to Hinata, she seemed to be listening, intently to what the woman had to say, and he began to wonder if she noticed it. His eyes flickered back to Satsuki. There was a certain darkness in her eyes, an untamed bloodlust, and a hidden agenda.

Satsuki met his eyes, and he resisted the urge to unsheathe his katana.

"Oh, I didn't know that an Uchiha resided here." Satsuki said in surprise. "I am honored to be in the presence of one, and a Hyuuga as well."

"The honor is all mine." Hinata said with a bow.

"The Zasoku village is in the land of the mist, but it will take you guys a couple of days to get there, so we have checkpoint and places that the princess will be staying at." Naruto informed. He handed a scroll to Sakura, and she placed it in her pocket. "The first checkpoint is in a small village called Kazahahui that the princess's father has connections with."

"Okay." Ino said with a nod.

"You guys leave now, and I will see you will get back." Everyone left the room, descending down the hallway, and Hinata looked at Sasuke. Sasuke kept his eyes on Satsuki, she was laughing with Ino, and her movements were graceful. It made him sick. He was babysitting care of some sliver spooned bitch who had some kind of hidden intention. He didn't like the gleam in her eye, and he sure as hell didn't like the fact that she acknowledged him or Hinata.

"Hinata." Sasuke said. "Have you noticed it?"

"What?" Hinata asked, perplexed.

"About the spoon fed woman." The Uchiha heir's eyes moved to hers, his onyx eyes stared into Hinata's pale ones, never taking a look forward to see where he was going.

"She is a kind, p-pretty woman… but, there is s-something off about her." The Hyuuga heiress's eyebrows furrowed together. "I am not quite sure."

"Agreed." The Uchiha heir affirmed. "And because of that look in her eye, I don't want you to leave my sight for one moment during this mission." Hinata smiled at him, nodding in compliance, and soon there was a silence exchanged between them. They walked outside there was a carriage, and Satsuki was lifted up into it by her guards. The carriage took off, and they followed behind it.

"M-may I ask you something?" The Hyuuga heiress walked along side Sasuke, Sakura and Ino walked in front of them, Shino and Kiba walked along both sides of the carriage.

"Un."

"H-how did y-you know that I picked up on her?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"Because you are perceptive, Hinata." The Uchiha heir said with a smirk, and he clicked his tongue. "And let me ask you a question, why did you call her beautiful?" He saw her look at -

"You don't think so?"

"No." Sasuke scoffed.

_You surpass her in all areas especially in __**that**__ department. _

XXXX

-Later on that same day-

The journey had been mostly quiet, they were almost near the Kazahahui village, the first checkpoint. Hinata stayed beside Sasuke, sometimes, he would reach out a hand, and brush the outline of her eyebrow without anyone looking at them. Satsuki was fraternized with all of them except for Hinata, but she spoke too soon. The princess pulled back her curtain that was obscuring the view of inside, and she made eye contact with Hinata.

"Hyuuga-sama, can you come here, please." Hinata smiled at her, walking forward, and hearing a growl come from the Uchiha's mouth. She felt his eyes bore into her back as Hinata approached the carriage.

"Yes, Satsuki-sama?"

"I appreciate such a strong woman protecting me on this mission." Satsuki said with a smile. "I have heard nothing but good things about the shinobi who come from the Hyuuga clan."

"Thank you, and you can call me Hinata."

"Hinata, what a beautiful name, I am so glad to have someone here who can relate." Satsuki stated. "We're both women of high statuses, you know how it is to always be the target of someone."

It was at that moment, that a Kunai flew past Hinata's head, lodging itself into the side of the carriage, and Satsuki let out a horrified scream. Hinata activated her byakugan, turning in the direction, and there were three men who were coming at them in full force. Shino stayed by Satsuki's carriage, Sakura and Satsuki's guards took on the first man while Kiba and Ino took on the second man. They had on the masks of demons, their bodies were fully cloaked in armor, and third man ran up to her. He had on the mask of a red colored demon with yellow horns curled onto the top of the mask, and he had a sickle and chain in his hand. It spun around in a fierce centripetal motion, that was when Sasuke moved in front of her, and he unsheathed his katana. Hinata winced at the sound of steel clashing with one another, but she took advantage of the third man's distractedness. The Hyuuga heiress could see his chakra spiking wildly, he did no efforts to conceal it, and she hit the spots where she saw the chakra coming out of. The third man grunted as he struggled against Sasuke, and at the same time having his chakra deplete at a high rate. With a growl, the third man turned around and he tried to cut down Hinata in hopes of trying to end her attack. Hinata turned the other way, the sickle cut her cheek, and Sasuke's katana went through the third man's chest coming out from the other end.

The Hyuuga heiress gasped at him, his red eyes were cold, and blood trickled out of the man's mouth. Sasuke tossed the man aside, the body sliding off his blade, and she saw a killer intent was all over his face. Sasuke turned towards her, walking up, and wiped the blood that trickled down her cheek.

"Red doesn't suite you well." Sasuke informed as he pulled his blood stained hand away from her. Hinata stared at him, shocked, and then she looked at the carriage. None of the men seemed to be attacking the princess, Shino stood beside it, quietly, and that was when she wondered.

Was the target really Satsuki? There was only the kunai lodged in the carriage, and although Satsuki looked horrified. Hinata could see a faint glimmer of a smile on her face, and it sent a shiver down Hinata's spine.

All of the men were killed, Satsuki thanked all of them for saving her, and they made their way to the village as fast as they could. Luckily, they reached the village at the dawn of evening where they were taken in by an elderly woman and her husband that turned out to be Satsuki's great grandmother. The home was big enough to fit all of them, Kiba, Shino, and Sasuke were all put in one room, and Hinata, Sakura, and Ino put in another one.

Satsuki's great grandmother and her husband prepared everyone a big dinner. However, the dinner was far from quiet, there were questions about how long Satsuki had been receiving the attacks, and if there were anyone that she knew specifically that would harm her.

She all answered the questions with no and a while. Satsuki was nonchalant with all her answers.

Causing Hinata to believe she knew much more than what she was leading on. She made her way towards the bedroom, but Hinata was shocked to see Sasuke standing outside the bedroom door.

"W-what are you doing h-here?"

"I told you not to ever leave my side so you are sleeping by me tonight." The Uchiha heir informed. "We're waiting till everyone is asleep, and then you'll be sleeping out here in the hallway. Hinata nodded at him, smiling at his protectiveness although he would never admit it, and everyone fell asleep. She went inside of the room, quietly, and grabbed a blanket.

Sasuke sat down on the ground, he kept his eyes forward, and Hinata sat down beside him.

"Now, go to sleep, Hinata." The Uchiha heir commanded.

"What about you?" Sasuke flashed her a cold look, and she knew not to press it any further.

"M-may I sleep on you?" Hinata asked as a faint blush rising to Hinata's cheeks

"Do whatever you please, I don't care." Sasuke said with a shrug. She laid her head against his shoulder, and was surprised when he lifted his arm to press her closer against his body. It didn't take long for the Hyuuga heiress to fall asleep, but not before she caught sight of Sasuke leaning back his head, his eyes coming to close, and a look of contentment on his face.

XXXX

A faint noise woke the Uchiha heir up, his sharingan activated on instinct, and he saw a shadowy figure walk past the hallway. His eyes narrowed.

_I think it is about time I paid a visit to this princess. _

Sasuke moved away from the Hyuuga heiress, and he lied her down on the floor.

The Uchiha heir walked down the hallway, heading towards Satsuki's room, and his grip on his katana tightened. As her bedroom door came into sight, the door was slid open, and Sasuke hid behind a wall. He watched a man leave the bedroom, a look of satisfaction on his face, the same demonic mask as the men that they face earlier hung loosely around his neck, and Satsuki peeked her head around the door. Her face was flushed red, her kimono was so open that it barely concealed her breasts, and they exchanged a passionate kiss. Soon, the man disappeared.

The Uchiha heir unsheathed his katana, he waited a few moments, and then headed towards her room. Sasuke slid opened her door, Satsuki was adjusting the hem of the second layer of her kimono, and she gasped at him. Her hair was disheveled, she went to scream, but the Uchiha heir pressed his katana against the base of her throat. Her hands fell to her sides, they were wide in dismay, and he growled.

"I know you are hiding something." Sasuke hissed as his grip tightened on her neck, she continued to look at him, shocked, and then her eyes narrowed at him. That bloodlust that he saw in her eyes finally rearing its head.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Satsuki said. Her voice still menacingly sweet and dark.

"You just had sex with some random man?" The Uchiha heir stated. She opened her mouth to answer, but he cut her off. "No, you knew that man didn't you?"

"I see, I should have known that I couldn't get anything past the eyes of an Uchiha." Satsuki said with a sadistic smile. "But, I didn't realize that your Hokage was so gullible."

"I am not with any village especially not Konohagakure." Sasuke informed. "I could care less about how you worked your charm on him, and I don't care about him, but your charm won't work on me."

"I figured that it wouldn't."

"Look, I really don't care what or who you do, you can screw anyone you please, your guards, that man, I really could careless, but I know you are calculating something." Sasuke stated. "And I really am not in the mood to hear all about it, I am here just to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

"Perhaps, it is because I am in such a good mood that I have decided to give you a warning." Sasuke spoke as a sadistic smile came across his face. "Or maybe I lied, maybe your charm is working on me a little after all."

Now, he knew he was just being a dick.

" Here is my warning, in the mist of all your planning or whatever, no harm better come to Hinata, because if it does, I will make sure that this face that everyone seems to be smitten with.." A chuckle came out of the Uchiha's throat, and she gave him an intense yet fearful look. "I will see to it that when I am done with you, not even the Gods will be able to recognize you when I send you into the afterlife."

Despite this warning, Sasuke knew that she wouldn't heed it, and he was prepared to extract his promise. It was all just in a matter of time.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	17. Untamed Wraths

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 17

The Uchiha heir took a sip of green tea, his ash burn eyes never wavered off Satsuki as she passed around the plate of food. It was early in the morning, they had to start heading out to towards the second checkpoint if they wanted to make it before nightfall. The second checkpoint was the Jyokujo village where Satsuki's father resided in, according to Sakura, he was going to meet with them, and accompany them for the rest of reminder of their travels. Of course, this agitated Sasuke, he had to deal with more sliver spooned nuisances, and he would be forced to protect them.

And why? Because Hinata would protect them, put herself in dangers way, and the Uchiha heir was not about to have that.

The plate came around to Sasuke's end, his eyes moved to the food, and then back at Satsuki. Satsuki smiled at him, kindly, that façade of hers was really starting to piss of Sasuke, and the Uchiha heir passed the plate to Hinata. Hinata looked at him, shocked, and her eyebrows furrowed together.

"You're not g-going to eat, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked, worried. Sasuke shook his head, Satsuki giggled at the two, and he gave her a piercing glare.

"I'm not hungry, Hinata, just make sure you eat." He stood up from the table, and Sakura crossed her arms.

"Where are you going?" The pink haired kunoichi asked, curiously.

"None of your business." Sasuke slid open the door of the dining room, slamming it behind him, and he walked outside on the front porch. He stared hard at the ground, leaning up against the columns of the porch, and he heard the door open up behind him.

"I-is everything okay, Sasuke-san?" The Uchiha heir felt her hand touch him, gently on the shoulder, he turned around, and a concerned expression was on the Hyuuga heiress's face.

"I thought I told you to eat." Sasuke sighed, heavily as a smirk played on his lips. Hinata smiled at him, her eye lashes lowered, and she gently touched his face.

"Please tell me if s-something is bothering you." The Uchiha heir touched her hand, pulling her towards him, and he titled her head upwards.

"I knew Satsuki was hiding something." Sasuke stated. "So it turns out that she is planning something."

"W-what is it, how do you know?" Hinata asked with parted lips.

"Last night, I saw her consorting with one of the men who attacked us." The Uchiha heir informed. "I noticed that when we were asleep that the man snuck in, and I went to her room, and he was coming out. She is quite cozy with what is supposed to be her enemy." Hinata's cheeks turned red in embarrassment, and she grimaced.

"D-did you tell the others?"

"No."

"Shouldn't you tell them?"

"Hm… maybe." Sasuke leaned in, brushing his lips along hers, and his pressed her against him harder.

"Will you tell them, please?" Hinata pleaded. The Uchiha heir had his eyes closed, not answering her, but instead still caressed her rouge colored lips with his. "Please, tell the others… for me... will you do it for me?" Sasuke stopped at her words, pulling away, and he looked at her, intently. There was a silence exchanged between the two heirs.

He relinquished his hold on her, crossing his arms, and clicked his tongue. "Fine." Sasuke breathed. "But, I really don't see why I have to, the others should learn to be more perceptive."

XXXX

She knew that Sasuke didn't like having to do stuff for others except for her, but it made her chest swell that he would go pass that just because she asked him to. She knew that Satsuki was hiding something, but never this, so it turned out that she knew those men, so she was never in the real danger.

Was her father aware of this? Surely not, otherwise it would have defeated the purpose of him asking them to protect his daughter, then went on inside of her head?

They had been used, tools in whatever she was planning. So when, they attacked the carriage, where those men trying to take Satsuki away, and saw Konohagakure as a hindrance in that goal?

"Be careful, Hinata, I can see you trying to figure out the situation." Sasuke stated. Hinata looked up, smiling at him, and he sighed. "Some things are just not worth the time trying to contemplate about."

"S-sorry." Sasuke shrugged.

"Oh!" Hinata said as a sudden epiphany hit her. "Here, I have something for you." The Hyuuga heiress reached in her pocket, pulling out a napkin filled with food, and she unwrapped it. "I was worried about you not eating, you need your strength too, Sasuke-san, so I-I saved you some food."

She saw a momentary look of surprise come across his face, it was faint, but it was there. His eyes closed, a smile came on his lips, and he held out his hand. She handed him the napkin, it was filled with an assortment of fruits, and two balls of onigiri. He took a bite of the food, and poked her forehead. Hinata winced at him, covering her forehead, and she smiled at him, warmly.

"You're always so worried about me." The Uchiha heir stated.

"Of course, I care about you, Sasuke-san." Hinata informed. "That is what people do who care about one another, they worry about their well-being."

XXXX

The Uchiha heir looked at her as his eyes lowered, staring at the food. He pursed his lips, pondering the commentary that she had just made to him. It was an odd thing for her to say, no one really cared about him except for Itachi, and as for Naruto well… the Uchiha heir didn't really see it as caring so much as Naruto just trying to reach out to someone who he thought was like him in order to fill some void he had in his life.

He knew that she did care about him, but to say it out loud so sweetly. His eyes flickered to the bracelet around his wrist, and he grimaced.

He was very fond of Hinata. Yes, he had to admit it. Sure, he had noticed it when she was sick, and they laid together. But, the more that she was around him, the more he wanted her to be constantly around him.

The Uchiha heir did care about her in an odd sort of way, she was not a hard woman to please, and he assumed that the reason why he was even here was because he worried about her. Yes, Sasuke Uchiha worried about someone other than himself.

Could this mean… he had fallen for her… more than just pure boyfriend and girlfriend? Did he want her as a woman, as his woman, to belong to him only, to take on the Uchiha name?

Hands touched his wrist, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he looked at Hinata.

"Did I say something wrong, Sasuke-san?"

"No, of course not." The Uchiha heir sat down on the porch, Hinata sat down next to him, and he ate the food in silence. She leaned up against him, resting her head on his arm, and closed her eyes. It was at that moment, Sasuke looked at her out the corner of his eye, and a certain question came into mind, one that he found himself unable to answer.

Did he… Did he love her?

_No, I couldn't possibly… _

And the worst part about all these thoughts clouding his mind was that he didn't seem to mind the idea of possibly loving her.

Everyone gathered into the women's room to discuss some of the vague, yet valuable information that the Uchiha heir was able to get.

"So are you telling me that this princess is not really just a fraud?" Ino asked as she blinked in disbelief. Sasuke glared at her, and his jaw clenched.

"I just said that." Sasuke hissed, curtly.

"I saw the same man from last night, the same one as Sasuke-san saw." Shino said, quietly. Hinata looked at Shino, shocked, and although, Sasuke couldn't see his eyes through the dark tinted glasses. He could feel him staring at him.

"You did?" Kiba asked. "How?"

"Well, when we were attacked, I noticed that Satsuki despite her screaming was surprisingly calm, it was all just an act." Shino informed. "So I got suspicious, and some of my bugs saw a man leaving this estate last night. It is true what Sasuke-san says."

"I would have never guessed."

"So what are we going to do about this?" Sakura asked as her eyebrows furrowed together,

"I-I don't think w-we should let her know that we are onto her." Hinata stated.

"Agreed, it puts us at an advantage." Kiba complied.

"We will all have to be on a guard as we make it to the second checkpoint." The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, not wanting to hear any more of the mindless chit-chat, and he turned around.

"I don't care what you all do." Sasuke hissed.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted. "Don't try anything funny if something is to transpire as we make it to the second checkpoint."

"Oh, don't worry, Sakura." The Uchiha heir derided. He left the room, a smirk playing on his lips as he reflected back onto his promise he made to Satsuki.

Hinata waited by the carriage, Satsuki was getting ready, and she bit her lip. She told herself not to reveal anything to Satsuki, Hinata looked at the Uchiha heir who seemed to be in deep thought. She stared at his broad shoulders, the way his shirt outlined his back, and his back stiffened. She squeaked as he turned around to look at her, and she turned the other way. A slight rouge color coming on her cheeks.

"Hey, Hinata." Sasuke said, coolly. His face was hard, his eyes were intense, and she was taken aback by it.

"Sasuke-san… is-" His last statement made her shiver.

"I'd kill for you."

"I-I don't understand, w-what do you mean?"

"No worries, I am sure that you will find out, soon." Hinata followed his eyes as they looked past her, and rested on Satsuki coming out with a warm smile. "Very soon."

"Ah, Hinata-sama, are you going to be my bodyguard for today?" Satsuki asked, curiously. "I would love for you to be?"

"S-sure." Hinata said with a kind smile.

"Would you like to ride with me inside of the carriage?"

"No, she wouldn't that is beyond our duties, Princess." Sasuke snapped. "And it violates the relationship between shinobi and those who they are assigned to protect." Hinata took a mental sigh, thanking the Uchiha heir for bailing her out, and Satsuki nodded at Sasuke.

"I understand, forgive me, Hinata-sama." Satsuki closed the door to her carriage, sticking her head out, and they made their way towards the second checkpoint. During the journey, there was tension in the air, and an unnerving silence that made Hinata shift a little bit. The Uchiha heir walked alongside her, she saw his hand was rested on the hilt of his katana, and she pursed her lips.

"Hinata-sama, is there any reason why everyone is so quiet? Satsuki asked, curiously.

"Oh, I-I am not sure." Hinata grimaced.

"I hope it is not something I have done." Satsuki said as a regretful expression came across her face.

"No, no worries."

"Ah, I can't wait to see Jyokujo again." Satsuki sighed. "I haven't been there since I was a little girl, it is truly a beautiful village, small, and did you know that is where my mother is from?"

"Oh?"

"Yep, it is one of the few memories that I have of my mother, she died when I was very young."

"I-I'm sorry." The whole way there, Satsuki tried to talk with Hinata as much as she could, the more that she spoke, the more the Hyuuga heiress saw the Uchiha heir clench the hilt of katana tighter. Hinata wasn't quite sure if she was talking to her because she had a genuine interest in her or because she was trying to get information out. However, when they got a couple of miles away from the village, and it came into view. Satsuki fell eerily silent, making the Hyuuga heiress think that she was concocting something.

The village head and Satsuki's father stood at the gates of the Jyokujo, her father had brown hair, and stern expression on his face. He had on a silk kimono, several ropes were draped over it, and tassels hung from it. His eyes were brown, he seemed to me in his middle ages, and Satsuki got out of the carriage to meet her father.

"Father!" Satsuki shouted. "I have missed you so." Hinata watched the stern man greet his daughter with huge arms, his face melting into a warm expression, and she began to wonder if they were beginning to get a little too suspicious of Satsuki. However, it was at that moment, a man in the same mask dropped behind Satsuki and her father.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir recognized the built of the man who appeared, it was the same man from last night, and he grabbed Hinata's wrist. He pulled her back, quickly, and his sharingan activated. His eyes flickered to several men who appeared, about thirty of them all at once, and he growled.

"It's an ambush!" Hinata gasped. Her byakugan activated as she got into a defensive stance, and Sasuke saw Satsuki hold onto her father.

"What is happening!" she wailed.

"Stay away from my daughter, you!" Her father hissed. The man behind the mask only chuckled, pulling out a tanto, and he stabbed Satsuki's father in the gut. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he saw her father fall over to the ground, and Satsuki reached into her kimono. She pulled out a tanto as well, and stabbed her father in the back. Blood stained her clothes, and Hinata's eyes widened.

"Satsuki, w-what are you doing?" Satsuki turned to face her, and she smiled at her, darkly. Her face stained with her father's blood.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"You planned this didn't you, witch!" Kiba shouted as Akamaru grabbed one of the men by his jaws, and swung him into the ground.

"I did." Satsuki cooed. "You pathetic fools."

"What is the meaning of this?" Sakura shouted. Satsuki's eyes flickered to her father, he laid on the ground as a pool of blood formed underneath his body, and he reached out a hand towards her. She looked at him, disgusted, and she snapped her fingers. The man behind the mask stabbed him one last time, his arm fell to the ground, and he wrapped his arm around her. He lifted up his mask, kissing her, passionately, and licking the blood off her face.

"You see, my father was a fool, thinking I would marry some weakling." Satsuki informed. "This alliance is pathetic, and he was pathetic, I have longed awaited the day in which I would see his death, he killed my mother, stole everything I ever loved from me, and I wanted revenge. And well, I met Yabuya, here, leader of the Toichio clan, one that my father planned to take down after I was married off, and as it turned out, he wanted to see my father's head as well. So, we bonded. I have long awaited this day, sorry, you got all involved, you can thank my dead father for that."

Shino sent a swarm of bugs her way, Yabuya jumped in front of Satsuki, forming hand signs, and out of the ground came a dragon. The dragon swallowed the bugs, then headed for Shino.

Sasuke cursed underneath his breath, one of the men came after him, and the tomoe infused together into the enigmatic design of mangekyo sharingan.

"Amaterasu." He murmured. Black unnatural flames consumed the man, the man screamed in agony, and collapsed on the ground. The Uchiha heir unsheathed his katana, cutting down the numerous amounts of men who came after him, but he watched the Hyuuga heiress out of his eye. Hinata dodged the men with ease, her arms moved fast as she depleted the chakra of her assailants, and spun on her heels. A wind defense formed around her, throwing the men back, and Sasuke's eyes rested on Satsuki.

Satsuki met his eyes, and she smirked at him. "Oh yes, how I could forget, Yabuya, this man threatened me in my room last night."

Yabuya looked at Sasuke, irately, and he held up his tanto, dripping with blood.

"Please, be a dear, and kill that Hyuuga princess." Satsuki commanded. Yabuya looked at her, shocked.

"I can't even get close."

"Try." Satsuki urged. Yabuya nodded at her, Sasuke hissed, and he kicked the man away from him. Satsuki's lover leaped for Hinata, she took notice of him as he tried to stab her, and she bent the other way. Hinata pushed him away from her, Yabuya flew backwards, and he landed on the ground. The Uchiha heir moved to him, holding the blade of his katana up to Yabuya throat, and Yabuya looked at him, icily.

"Kill me." Yabuya urged.

"You asked for it." The Uchiha heir raised his katana, however Satsuki appeared behind him, and she tried to stab him. Sasuke grabbed a hold of her kimono, ramming his katana through her chest, and her eyes widened. Blood trickled out of her mouth, and Yabuya screamed.

"I warned you." He hissed. "Now go to hell, and say hi to the people I have sent there." Sasuke yanked his katana out of her, Yabuya reached into his shirt, and she shoved something against the Uchiha heir's back. Upon instant, the Uchiha heir fell to his knees, feeling all his chakra suddenly drain from his body, and he turned to see a box like object attach to his skin. Yabuya grabbed Satsuki before she fell to the ground, she reached up a hand to cup his face, but it fell short. Her body became flaccid, all color drained from her face, and Yabuya grabbed his tanto. He pointed it towards the Uchiha heir.

"I am going to make you pay for that."

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Sasuke growled.

"Oh, it is just a mere trinket that sucks all the chakra out of whoever it is placed on, it is really useful in battles."

"That's dirty."

"Who cares?" Yabuya said a wild smirk came on his face. "Now, that Hyuuga woman, is se yours?" The Uchiha heir didn't answer. "I see, well, I will just have to see won't I?" Sasuke watched the man move to Hinata, Hinata was breathing, heavily, and all of the men around her were passed out on the ground.

XXXX

Hinata saw Yabuya head towards her, once again, but there was something different in his eyes. He was going to try to kill her, it was evident, and she looked over to see the Uchiha heir looking at her with a clenched jaw. The lifeless body of Satsuki laid next to him, and she frowned at him.

Why was he sitting there? Something must be wrong. Yabuya lunged for her, she jabbed one of his arms with her hand, draining the chakra out of it, and he hissed. He did some hand signs, the ground came up like ropes, constricting every part of her body. Yabuya snapped his fingers, she was pulled to her knees, and he smirked at her.

"Your special to that Uchiha aren't you?" Yabuya asked, coolly. Hinata's eyes widened, she tried to reach for her kunai, but the restraints on her wrists prevented her from doing so. Hinata looked at him, fearfully, and Yabuya pointed the dagger to her chest. "No matter, you won't be special for long."

And with that, Hinata gasped as the blade pieced her, and she heard Kiba scream her name. However, it was drowned out as a she felt warm liquid trickle down, and darkness overcome her.

XXXX

Sasuke watched Yabuya pull the blade out of Hinata's chest, the restraints released her, and she collapsed on the ground. Sasuke remained silent as Yabuya walked over to him, and Yabuya smirked at him.

"How does it feel, Uchiha?" It was at that moment that Yabuya noticed a dark chakra emanate off of Sasuke's body, he dropped his dagger, and began to back away with wide eyes. The black flame like symbols of the curse seal spread across Sasuke's face, the box like trinket on his body broke, and the Uchiha heir grabbed Yabuya's arm. Yabuya screamed, fearfully as Sasuke's eyes began to darken, and Sasuke looked at him, smirking.

"I am going to make sure you pay." The bright blue flow of chidori formed in Sasuke's hand, and the Uchiha heir made sure that he didn't hit any major places. Yabuya howled in agony, Sasuke saw Sakura, and the others look at him with mouths hung agape, and for once, he considered them to be smart. They stayed away from him, the men started to flee, and the Uchiha heir pulled his katana out of Yabuya's shoulder next.

"Just kill me!" Yabuya shouted, frantically. Blood trickled out of his mouth, and Sasuke chuckled at him.

"Oh, I will, I assure you, but not in this reality." The Uchiha heir forced Yabuya to look at him in the eyes, Sasuke plunged Yabuya into a world of illusionary torture. Yabuya's eyes widened, he let out one last strangled cry, and then collapsed on the ground. All of the remaining men, Sasuke sat on fire with Amaterasu, but he didn't hear their screams. He just focused on the incapacitated Yabuya.

_The ravens should pick at your entrails now. _

Drool trickled out of Yabuya's mouth, Sasuke stepped away from him, and walked over to Hinata. Hinata had her eyes closed, he could tell that her chakra was fading fast, and he picked her up. The Uchiha heir turned around, Sakura and the others were at his side, and he laid her down on the ground.

"She can be healed. " Sakura assured. "Her wound is deep, but I assure you that she can be healed." Her voice was delicate, almost sounding as if she were trying to mediate a hostile situation. Sasuke didn't say anything, he watched Sakura's hands glow green, and press against Hinata's chest. Kiba looked at Sasuke with a guarded expression, and Akamaru hid behind his leg.

"Your quiet, Uchiha, what are you thinking?" Kiba asked, apprehensively.

" That if she doesn't wake up from being healed, if she doesn't recover from her wounds, I will kill all of you, especially, you, Sakura, and trust me, not even Naruto will be able to save you from my wrath, and that is a promise."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator **


	18. Resolve

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Author's Note: So I had this chapter typed a couple of days ago, and just finished finals for my junior year of college. So updates will be more frequent now. Anyways, enjoy!**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 18

The Hyuuga heiress laid on the ground, motionless, her chest rose and fell at a less than steady pace, and her breathing was shallow. The covers were pulled up on her, concealing her bandaged chest, and her lips were chalky white. She was pale, paler than usual, and almost looked like a ghost. A small table like tray sat next to her with a bowl of warm water, and a wash cloth. They had taken refuge in the Jyokujo village to attend to Hinata's wounds, Konohagakure was a day away, but they had to make sure that Hinata was stable enough to be transported there. Sakura did heal her, she had closed up the gaping hole in Hinata's chest, but Hinata was in desperate need for a blood transfusion. Hinata was given liquids every thirty minutes to keep her hydrated, sand he did swallow the liquids, but barely.

Nonetheless, in the midst of all this, Sasuke was surprisingly calm which make Sakura and the others incredibly standoffish. The pink haired kunoichi had seen a rage in him that she had never witnessed before, a hatred uncontained, and it was all because he witnessed Hinata being impaled. Furthermore, Sakura couldn't get the image of Yabuya out of her head, how he laid on the ground, gurgling noises coming from the base of his throat with eyes that showed no one was there, subconsciously.

Sakura had once seen that same dark chakra that emanated from the Uchiha heir, yes, she remembered it very clearly. It was when they were preteens and back at the academy. They were in the second stage of their chunin exams, and it took place in the Forest of Death. It was there, that she had been attacked by the sound ninja, Sasuke had received the cursed seal of heaven, and had tapped into it for the first time. She remembered the sadistic smirk on his face as he dislodged the sound nin's arms, yanking out it out of the ball and socket, and that chakra swirling around him that it made her sick to her stomach.

But, this time was distinctly different from then. The way he picked up Hinata from the ground, like a wilted flower, treating her carefully, and delicately. Sakura never knew what went on inside the mind of Sasuke Uchiha, but one thing was for certain. Hinata was the rock that separated an insane Uchiha from his usual stoic self, and if that rock was shattered, if Hinata was shattered then, Sakura was for certain they would see a very vengeful Sasuke, one that had never been seen before.

While the pink haired kunoichi worked on Hinata, Sasuke stayed away, in fact the whole time that they attended to her, he was nowhere to be seen. But, she knew better, he was watching from a distance, and if she missed up even to the slightest bit. Sakura would end up just like Yabuya. Sakura walked past Hinata's room, resting her hand on the edge of the door to slide it open, and just as it barely opened. She saw him. Sasuke was sitting next to Hinata, his back was towards the door, and he seemed to be staring off in some distance. She smiled at the sight, but gasped as she saw his face turn towards her. His sharingan was activated, an unsettling gleam was in his eyes, and she slide the door shut.

_I'll come back later. _

The pink haired kunoichi turned on her heels, heading the other way, and she quickly descended down the hallway.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir sat in the room, he stared at the window, and an intense expression was on his face. His eyes flickered to an unconscious Hyuuga heiress, he reached over a hand, and brushed her hair out of her face.

_Get up, Hinata! _

Sasuke scowled as he stared at her still closed eyes, and he traced the outline of her brow. He yearned to see those opal eyes of hers, to see her soft smile, Sasuke gritted his teeth, and his jaw clenched. He allowed this to happen, he allowed her to get hurt, and it was all his fault that she was in this condition.

_What the hell._

What was this foreign feeling? Was it guilt? Ah, that was what it was.. He had never come in contact with such an emotion before. The question that he asked himself earlier once again resurfaced.

Did he love her? Love, was a notion he considered to be foolish, now… not so much. Sasuke thought that he was incapable of producing such an emotion, perhaps when he was a kid, he was aquatinted with it, and he thought that all remaining emotion of love died with Itachi. So for him to even fathom such a thing was beyond disbelief.

_Hm… maybe it was love... who knows. _To be honest, Sasuke didn't even really know how to even recognize the emotion of love, he had been alienated from it for so long. He knew basic concepts of it, but to recognize it in himself was something he was unable to do.

Regardless of whether love drove his actions or not, he was sure by now, this thing he had with Hinata was something far more than boyfriend and girlfriend. He had just killed for her, and he would do it again, no woman ever had evoked such things out of him. He thought that just dating the Hyuuga heiress would be enough to fill his desire for her, but it left him, wanting more and more. His thirst for her, for her essence, for every fiber of her being was unquenchable. She was the driving force behind all of his actions.

The door slid open, Sasuke turned around to see Kiba looking at Hinata with a pained expression, and Sasuke growled.

"Get out." he commanded.

"I am Hinata's friend as well." Kiba said with crossed arms. "How is she doing, any changes?"

"How would I know?"

"You have been in this room all day since Sakura left." Kiba informed. The Uchiha heir didn't say anything, he just got up with an agitated expression on his face.

"You're getting on my nerves." He exasperated. Sasuke began to walk out, but Kiba stepped in front of him. The Uchiha heir looked at him, icily, and his hand rested on the hilt of his katana. "Do you want me to fulfill my promise?"

"Look." Kiba said as he ran his hand through his brunette hair. "We all know that you care about Hinata."

"Out of my way Inuzuka."

"I just wanted to say that I didn't think you were capable of such a thing."

"Of what?" The Uchiha heir asked, curtly.

"Of caring about someone other than yourself." Kiba stated as his eyes flickered to Hinata. Sasuke grabbed Kiba's shoulder, tossing him out of the way, and Kiba clicked his tongue. "What th-"

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me." The Uchiha heir hissed. And with that, he slid the door shut behind him, leaving Kiba standing there, speechless.

* * *

><p>Hinata was healed one last time before they made their way to Konohagakure, the Uchiha heir watched them place her on it, and Sakura and Ino carried it long the way. As expected, when they had reached Konohagakure, the shinobi had sprung into action, and Hinata was rushed into the hospital. Sasuke withdrew himself from all of it, disappearing into his estate, closing himself within the confines of the walls.<p>

XXXXX

Sakura walked into Naruto's office, and Naruto looked at her, concerned.

"What happened?" Naruto asked. "What happened on the mission, how did Hinata end up like that?"

"The princess, Satsuki was involved into an elaborate scheme to kill her father, and we were caught up in it and at the second checkpoint, we were attacked by a group of men. Apparently, these particular group of men have been seeking to assassinate her father, the princess had been involved with the leader, and it was during the attack that Hinata got hurt."

"Where is she?" Naruto asked as his jaw clenched, and he balled up his fists.

"Dead." Naruto's eyes widened at her in shock, and his eyebrows furrowed together. "How?"

"Sasuke killed her." Naruto's lips parted, slightly, and Sakura nodded at him. "He was ambushed as well, and she attacked him."

"And the leader she was involved with?"

"Also dead, he was the one who attacked Hinata." The blond headed Hokage smirked at her, and he crossed his arms.

"Killed by Sasuke as well wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"I see, and where his the father?"

"Dead, Satsuki killed her father and so did the leader." Naruto shook his head, and he looked back at the window.

"I am sorry, I should have been able to recognize it." Sakura shook her head.

"Actually, I don't think that anyone would have suspected anything about her if it wasn't for Sasuke, he is the one who realized that she was hiding something." There was a silence exchanged between the two.

"Hey, Sakura, how did it feel, having Sasuke on the mission, did it feel like the old days." Sakura pursed her lips, and she nodded at him.

"Yes."

"It would be nice to have him back here would it?" Naruto murmured, lowly.

"Naruto…" The pink haired kunoichi's voice trailed off, and she touched Naruto's shoulder.

"Sorry, Sakura." The blond headed Hokage said with a loop sided smile. "I hope Hinata-chan will be okay."

"She is in the best care." Sakura assured. "And there is one thing I know about Hinata."

"And what is that?"

"That Hinata-san is a strong woman."

XXXX

Hinata didn't know how long she was out, but she woke up to flowers and bears in her room. It was early in the morning, and the nurses were just changing shifts. She gasped as all the memories of her being impaled flooded her mind, and she touched her chest. The hole was no longer there, just a faint scar, and she sighed to herself. She stared at the bag of blood going into her arm, her limbs felt heavy, and weak. But, it didn't take long for everyone to realize that she was awake, and Hinata soon found her room filled with all her friends.

"We are so glad that you're okay, Hinata!" Kiba sighed with relief. "You gave us quite a scare."

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"There is no need to apologize." Naruto said with a grin. "Just get better." Hinata nodded at him, and a kind smile came on her face. The concern of her friends, Naruto taking time out of his busy schedule to see her made Hinata's chest swell, but she also felt a little empty. She began to wonder where the Uchiha heir was.

Had he come to see her? The Hyuuga heiress didn't let it keep her from enjoying the company of all her friends, they stayed till the evening fell, and began to leave one by one. Ino was the last one to leave, the whereabouts of the Uchiha heir made Hinata anxious to the point where she had to ask.

Ino poured her glass of water, handing it to her, and Hinata took it. She stared at the glass and grimaced.

"D-do you know w-where Sasuke-san is?" Hinata asked, curiously. Ino shook her head.

"No, sorry."

"Do you know by a-any chance if he has c-come to see me?"

"I can't say for sure." Ino stated. "In fact, no one has seen him since you have been here." A sullen feeling washed over Hinata, and she pursed her lips. Ino took notice of the sad Hyuuga heiress, and she smiled at her. "He is probably just busy with something."

"Yeah, I guess he is."

"He really cares about you, Hinata, so no worries." Hinata looked at her, shocked, and Ino twirled her blond locks around her finger.

"Look, Sasuke didn't exactly take it well when you were cut down in front of him." the blond headed Yamanaka informed. "I had never witnessed a killer intent in him before firsthand like Sakura and Naruto had, but I saw it then."

"What do you m-mean?"

"The man that cut you down, Hinata, Sasuke put him in a vegetated mind like state." Ino informed. Hinata's eyes widened, and her lips parted, slightly. "Seeing you like that pushed him over the edge, Hinata, he even threatened all of us if you weren't healed, and believe me he was very serious about it. But, he stayed in your room the whole time that you were unconscious."

"I don't understand, Sasuke, I think that no one does, but you are important to him." Ino informed. "That I am sure of." Hinata smiled at her, and Ino put her hand on her hip.

"And when were you going to tell me that something was up between you guys, I mean I knew, but you could had told me." Hinata turned red, and Ino walked over to the hospital bed, sitting down.

"Now spill, please, I am dying to know." Ino said as she titled her head. "How did this all come about?" Hinata bit her lip, and she looked down at her bed sheets.

"It just k-kind of happened."

XXXX

The Uchiha heir walked into Hinata's bedroom, she was laying with her back turned, and he crossed his arms. He saw the covers around her body tighten.

"I thought you w-weren't going to come… ever." Hinata murmured.

"And what makes you think that?" Sasuke asked as he approached her bed. He pulled up a chair next to it, and sat down. She moved in the bed to face him, he could tell that she seemed to be hurt by his temporary absence and he scowled.

"You haven't been here in a couple of days, and I-I was starting to think that y-you were forgetting about me." Hinata face turned grim, and the Uchiha heir clicked his tongue.

"Hinata, that is foolish." Sasuke as he looked forward. Hinata reached out a hand towards him, Sasuke took it, and she squeezed his hand, gently.

"I heard what y-you did, what you did to Satsuki and that m-man who attacked me."

"What about it?" The Uchiha heir's eyes bore into Hinata's face, and she bit her lip.

"You killed them because of me."

"Yes, I told you I would kill for you." He saw a perplex expression come across her face, and Sasuke sighed. "I would kill anyone... if you asked me too… and if you got hurt." The Uchiha heir avoided Hinata's eyes as he said this. "I would kill them."

"Is that what you feel for me?"

"Yes."

"And what about you, a-are you alright?" Hinata asked concerned. "I saw that y-you had something on you…." Sasuke looked at her, agitated, and he growled.

"You are the one in the hospital bed and you are worried about me, just stop, it is annoying, Hinata."

"I'm sorry, I j-just can't help it." Hinata said with a smile. "Is t-that so wrong?" Sasuke remained silent. "Is something wrong?"

"No." The Uchiha heir saw that she didn't look too convinced by his answer, and she nodded at him, not pressing it any further. There was a silence exchanged between the two, and Sasuke stood up. "I'm leaving, you need to sleep."

The Hyuuga heiress grabbed his wrist, and she shook her head. "P-please, don't leave, you can stay here." She stared at his back, and he balled up his fists. He turned around with an unfathomable expression on his face, pulling away from her, and she looked at him, shocked. He walked up to her, cupping her face, and pressed his forehead against her forehead. His eyes lowered, and her lips parted.

"You're driving me to do unspeakable things, Hinata." Sasuke informed.

"Is that a bad thing or good thing?"

"Who knows?" The Uchiha heir shrugged. "Both, bad, I don't really care anymore. You are making me weak, Hinata, and the worst thing about is, that I don't even care, in fact, I welcome it." He chuckled, halfheartedly. "What the hell did you do to me, Hinata?"

"N-nothing."

"You broke me that is what you did." Sasuke pulled away from her, titling her head, and he traced her lips with his fingers. "You broke me with these, with that smile of yours." The Uchiha heir leaned over, pressing his lips against the corner of her mouth.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-san?"

"I don't even know anymore." Sasuke chuckled, lowly. "When do you leave here, Hinata?"

"Tomorrow why?"

"I don't want you to go back to the Hyuuga estate, I want you to stay with me at the Uchiha estate." She tried to pull away from him, but he grabbed her shoulders. He nuzzled his face in her neck, taking in her scent, and she blushed.

"What are you saying?"

"Are you objecting?" A displeased look came across Sasuke's face, and Hinata shook her head.

"But, to live with you, my father w-would never go for it, we would have to be engaged, and y-you would have to be my fiancée." The Uchiha heir remained silent, and Hinata smiled at him. "And we-" He cut her off.

"Well then, we will just have to fix that now won't we?" A baffled expression fell over Hinata's face, and Sasuke stared at her, intently.

"I-I don't understand."

"I want you as my fiancée."

"Y-you want to marry me?" Hinata asked almost dazed.

"If that is what it takes to have you by my side constantly without any interference then yes?" Sasuke stated. Hinata's eyes widened, he saw her speechless, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you objecting to it?"

"No, not at all." He could see her still processing it all, and he smirked at her. "You just have to talk to my father… and…" Her voice trailed off.

"Just be prepared for tomorrow, I will be here to come pick you up."

"O-oh, okay." And with that, Sasuke left Hinata's room as he felt her eyes bore into his back.

* * *

><p>The Uchiha heir made his way to the Hyuuga estate, Hiashi opened the door, and he stared at Sasuke, intently.<p>

"Uchiha." Hiashi said with crossed arms.

"I want to marry your daughter." Sasuke informed. Hiashi's eyes widened a bit, a look of surprise came across the usually composed Hyuuga head, and then they narrowed.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"And what makes you think that I will agree to it."

"Because, I know that you want to do anything for the Hyuuga clan, and ensuring that the safety of the main house is a goal that you cannot deny." Sasuke looked at Hiashi with a cold expression, and Hiashi pursed his lips.

"And you think that you are capable of such a thing?" Hiashi asked, sternly. "That you can protect her better than a Hyuuga member?"

"Yes." The Uchiha heir affirmed, cockily.

"And what makes you think that I will agree to this? She will no longer be the heiress to my clan if I allow this to take place." Sasuke didn't say anything, and Hiashi's face darkened.

"Why do you want to do this?" He didn't answer.

"Is this out of some form of love?"

"I don't know."

"Hm… interesting." Hiashi stated.

"But, I know that you are a man who has interests." The Uchiha heir said with a smirk. "and an alliance with the sole heir to the powerful Uchiha would prove to be beneficial to you, and I know that the Hyuuga clan is highly reputable, and you will do anything to protect that reputation, so just think Hinata Hyuuga, unmarried female, hanging around me, that tarnishes your image a little don't you think, her hanging around someone that will not be her future husband." Hiashi may had had a hard expression, but Sasuke could tell that he knew that he was right.

"Fine, but this will be private arrangement between us, because Uchiha, you don't exactly have a good reputation, you are a murderer and a traitor, and you have to prove to others that you are not, you have to rebuild your image."

"Tch, whatever." Sasuke turned on his heels, heading out of the Hyuuga estate, and he stopped when he got half way down the road.

This agreement, this arrangement, this engagement to Hinata would give him more time, time to think things out, time to think about what he truly felt for the Hyuuga heiress, and it would be a way for him to ensure her protection from others.

And just to think, it will all start tomorrow.

XXXX

The Hyuuga heiress stayed up all night, staring at the ceiling in complete and utter disbelief. Sasuke Uchiha wanted to marry her?

She would have thought that a marriage proposal would have come another way still, but it was unique in a sort of odd way.

Did she see herself with him? She did. Hinata assumed that she would marry someone that her father arranged for her, never to Sasuke Uchiha.

Did he love her? Maybe he did or didn't.

But, she loved him.

Yes, that was it, he proposed marriage because he wanted to protect her, but she knew that he would never admit to it. Tonight was something that she would have never anticipated, but she looked forward to it.

She looked forward to becoming the fiancée to Sasuke Uchiha.

-The next morning-

No more than the sun arose over the horizon, Sasuke was there, and Hinata opened her eyes to see him standing by her bedside.

"You're here?"

"I told you that I would be." The Uchiha heir said with a smirk, and he laid her clothes on her lap as she pulled herself up in the bed. "Now, get dressed, I'm going to take you out of here." Hinata smiled at him, nodding, and he stepped out of the room to give her some privacy. She stepped out of the bed, slipping on her usual attire, and Hinata struggled to put on one of her sandals. She gasped as hands came around her wrists, she looked up at him, and the Uchiha heir stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to g-get on my s-sandal." The Uchiha heir sighed, and beckoned to the bed.

"Sit down, and I will do it for you." Before Hinata could say no, Sasuke had already pushed her onto the bed. She watched him put on her sandal, her cheeks turned red, and she reached over a hand. Her hand rested on his head, her fingers interlacing in his raven hair, and the Uchiha heir reached out his hands. He lifted her off the bed like a child, and she couldn't help, but see him smile. She met his smile with a kind one.

_I love you, Sasuke._

"Come on, I'm getting tired of this place, let's go."

"G-go where?" Hinata asked, giggling.

"To your new home... with me."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	19. Moments

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Note: This chapter contains lots of Sasuke and Hinata interactions. **

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 19

The Hyuuga heiress was still in a state of euphoria when Sasuke helped her gather her things to be taken to his home, she had an idea that he had discussed his proposal with her father, but she was curious to see what her father said. It took all day to move her stuff in, and she found herself exhausted with all of it.

Hinata leaned up against the wall, she closed her eyes, and she felt fingers caress her lips. She opened her eyes, meeting Sasuke's ash burned eyes, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you go lie down?" He suggested.

"W-where?"

"In my bed." The Uchiha heir informed. He took ahold of her wrist, leading her into the bedroom, and he pushed her onto the bed.

"B-but what about y-you?"

"I will sleep on the floor."

"W-what did my father say about t-this?" Hinata asked, curiously. The Uchiha heir remained silent, but Hinata pressed the issue further. "Please tell me." Sasuke sighed, sitting down on the bed next to her, and he ran his hand through his hair.

"It is a private proposal." The Uchiha heir informed. "And he will allow it, if and only if I change my image. You know, the image of me being a murderous traitor."

"I don't think that."

"Yes, but you are the only one out of millions of people." Sasuke stated. "And your father doesn't want to deface the Hyuuga name, so I have to prove myself."

"I see." Hinata murmured. There was another silence exchanged between the two heirs. "Why d-did you p-propose to me, Sasuke-san?" The Uchiha heir looked at her, intently, and he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

" You said that the only way your father would allow you to live here is if I were you fiancée, and I want you here because I know that if you are in my presence at all times then no harm will come to you." Sasuke explained.

Hinata reflected back onto what Ino said, about how Sasuke had stayed with her the whole time, she was incapacitated, she wanted to ask him about it. However, she knew that he would completely deny such things, did it bother him to see her like that?

"Hey, Sasuke-san."

"Un." The Hyuuga heiress reached over a hand, placing hers on top of his, and she leaned into him, placing her face in the crook of his neck.

"You k-know I will _never_ l-leave you right." Hinata whispered. "I will always be h-here for you." She tried to convey her love through words to him, and the Uchiha heir lifted her chin up. She looked at him, and he lowered his eyes.

"That is supposed to be my job." Sasuke stated. Hinata noticed that he fell silent once more, an unfathomable expression was on his face, and she reached up a hand, touching his cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how you may just become Hinata Uchiha." Hinata's eyes widened in shock, she watched Sasuke smirk at her, and he leaned in, kissing her forehead without another word.

She laid on his bed, lifting up her hand, and she couldn't help, but smile as she imagined the image of a ring around her finger.

_The wife of Sasuke Uchiha. _

Hinata Uchiha was a name that she could get used to hearing.

XXXX

In the middle of the first night that the Hyuuga heiress stayed at his home, the Uchiha heir awoke to a heaviness on his chest, and he looked behind him. The Hyuuga heiress laid next to him, her arms were wrapped around him in a tight embrace, and her face was laid up against his back. He scowled to himself, thinking about how when they first went to bed that night, they were sleeping in two different locations. Sasuke on the floor, and Hinata on the bed. He could see how quickly that went out the door. Her embrace on him was tender and warm, longing.

So she was a hugger huh? He couldn't help, but silently chuckle to himself. She had to be touching someone huh?

He expected himself to wither away at her touch, but in an odd way, he found himself yearning for it.

After that first night, it became a constant situation that the Uchiha heir found himself in, however, the eighth night was distinctly different. Instead of just the Hyuuga heiress embracing him, he embraced her back, and he found that he was quite fond of that way of sleeping.

What was wrong with him? Hinata was breaking him in more ways than one.

When it became clear that she wanted to sleep with him, he just decided to lay in bed with her at nights and go to sleep.

She was a quiet sleeper, didn't move around a lot, and at times, he would just wake up and poke her cheek to see if she was alive. Of course, she would move, mutter his name, and pull his arms around her tighter.

The Hyuuga heiress occupying his home, laying with him, was something that Sasuke found himself very fond of.

Sasuke knew that she loved him, she didn't have to say anything, he could see it in her eyes. The very notion of someone loving him was that he once considered to be completely absurd. No, she didn't love him for his looks, for his status as an heir, but as him as a person.

And he couldn't have asked for anyone better.

XXXX

"What the hell." Hinata heard the Uchiha heir curse, she gasped, slightly, thinking that something was wrong, and rushed into the bedroom. The bathroom door swung open, the Uchiha heir walked out with a towel around his waist, and a tan bottle in his hand with a green top. His eyebrows furrowed together into an exasperated expression, and his eyes met the Hyuuga heiress's shocked expression.

"What is this, Hinata?" Sasuke demanded. He held out the bottle, Hinata walked up to him, and she took the bottle. It was just shampoo, her shampoo, and she grimaced.

"It is just s-shampoo." Hinata stated. "I-I don't understand."

"You put it by my shampoo and I ended up washing my hair in it." The Uchiha heir hissed. He crossed his arms, and looked away from her, a scowl settling in. "and now my hair smells like whatever fucking scent that shampoo is… what it is? Oh yeah, exotic fruits." Hinata stared at Sasuke, quietly, and then, her lips curved into a humorous smile. She began to laugh, the Uchiha heir's eyes flickered back to her, and he clicked his tongue.

"I-I am sorry…." Hinata managed to get out in between laughs. "I-I didn't mean to…" Hinata wrapped her arms around her stomach, and she walked into the bathroom. She moved her shampoo and conditioner to the opposite side in the shower, still giggling, and a hand clasped her wrist, gently. Her laughter ceased, she was pushed against the bathroom counter, and the Uchiha heir put his arms on both sides of her, pinning her down.

"I am glad that you seem to find this so amusing." Sasuke said, coolly. Hinata couldn't understand if he was upset with her truly, or if he was just toying with her. "Still… I have never heard you laugh before, Hinata. It has a… nice ring to it." A smirk came across Sasuke's face, and Hinata's face flushed red. She couldn't help, but notice the water dripping off his raven black hair. Her eyes briefly wandered to his body, and her lips parted. He was lean, his chest was chiseled, his muscles were well-defined, but there were scars all over his body. She felt her cheeks grow hotter by the second, and here she was pinned by a half-nude Uchiha.

The Uchiha heir seemed to take notice of this, and he leaned into Hinata. His breath was hot on her neck, and he pressed his lips against her ear.

"What has you so flustered, Hinata?" Sasuke teased.

"N-nothing." Hinata stammered. The Uchiha heir chuckled in her ear.

"It doesn't sound like nothing." Hinata covered her face with her hands, her ears turning red, and Sasuke pulled away from her. He took her hand away from her face, and his eyes lowered.

"Your cheeks are such a nice shade of red when you blush."

"Do they hurt?" Hinata asked, curiously. The Uchiha heir cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Does what hurt?" One of his hands relinquished their hold on her wrist, and stroked her hair.

"Your scars." Hinata reached out a hand, touching the one scar that descended down his chest, and he instantly stiffened.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir stopped stroking her hair, and he looked at Hinata who looked at him with a sullen expression.

"No, I am numb to pain." Sasuke stated.

_But, I am certain that if you were to cut me that I would feel it. _

"Y-you have so m-many of them." Hinata whispered, lowly. Her finger traced the outline of the scar on his chest, and he shuddered at her touch. He saw a pained gleam in her eyes, and he pursed his lips.

"Does that bother you?" The Uchiha heir rasped. Hinata nodded at him, and she smiled at him, thinly.

"You k-know that it does, I h-hate to see you in pain, Sasuke-san." Hinata admitted. "Where did you get this o-one?"

"Doesn't matter, that is all in the past now." The way that she was touching him, her delicate fingers on his skin made a burning desire arise in him, a desire for her to continue to touch him, and a desire to touch her. He leaned into her, titling up her chin, and pressed his lips against hers. Her hands settled on his shoulders, the Uchiha heir's tongue entered her mouth, and he began to caress her tongue with his. She moaned against him, he pressed into her a little harder, and his hands moved to cup her face. He broke the kiss, leaving her breathless, and his lips trailed along her jawline. He allowed himself another moment of weakness, a low throated stifled groan came from the base of his throat, and he moved down her neck. The Uchiha heir began to nibble at the skin, her hands moved up his neck, and she knotted her fingers in his hair. He proceeded onto her clavicle, his lips brushed along the bone, and she shivered, letting out another moan. The Hyuuga heiress felt good against him, so delicate like a flower, but this was the limit that he would go to. He didn't want to make any mistakes with her, the Uchiha heir had to admit that he had made a lot in the past, but this was not going to be one. He wouldn't allow the Hyuuga heiress to become a mistake. Sasuke wanted to make sure that he was in love with her before he proceeded any further.

But, no woman had ever elicited such things out of him, such desire.

His lips moved to her ear, and he saw the dazed look in her eyes. The Uchiha heir smirked, and he stroked the outline of her clavicle with his finger.

"I know you have scar from where the man impaled you." Sasuke murmured. "Let me see it, you have seen my scars." Hinata turned as red as a tomato, but she nodded at him. She removed her fingers from her hair, the Uchiha heir let out a disappointed groan, and he grabbed her wrists, gently. "Just tell me where it is."

"I-It is right u-underneath my h-heart."

"Is it okay if I see it?"

"Y-yes." The Uchiha heir pushed her jacket off her shoulders, he slipped down her fishnet top to expose the remaining section of her chest, but he didn't pull it down far enough to unveil her breasts. There was a slightly tanned scar, it was just above her right breast, and Sasuke pressed his lips against it. Hinata's breath hitched.

"Sasuke-san…."

"I shall not let you ever receive any more of these." Sasuke muttered against her skin. "No one will ever cut you down again, I will obliterate all those who attempt to do so." His tongue licked the scar, tenderly, and Hinata covered her mouth with her hand, attempting to hold back another moan. He smirked at her, pulling away, and she met his eyes. The sight of her caused his member to harden, his smirk fell, and he backed away from her. He turned around, quickly, his jaw clenched, and he looked at her from over his shoulder.

_Got to get her out of her… __**now**__._

"I need to get dressed." Hinata nodded at him, nearly running out of the bathroom, and the Uchiha heir let out a steady breath.

"Dammit."

XXXX

Hinata couldn't control her unsteady heartbeat, she like passing out, and Hinata pulled her shirt and jacket back up. Her legs felt like jello, but she was in a state of pure bliss. Hinata turned red, shaking her head, and she darted out of the bedroom.

The thing about it all was that Hinata wouldn't have stopped him.

XXXX

It was not too long afterwards that Sasuke came out of the bedroom, fully clothed, and he sauntered to the refrigerator.

"I-I am really sorry about the s-shampoo, Sasuke-san." Hinata apologized, sincerely.

"Don't worry about it, now I can smell as good as you I guess." Sasuke said with a shrug. He opened the door, his eyes narrowing at the scarcity of food, and he turned to Hinata.

"I'm going out." Sasuke informed. "I need more food in the house since you will be living with me." Hinata smiled at him.

"M-may I come with you?" Hinata asked, curiously. "I can figure out what to make you and me for dinner."

"That is unnecessary, Hinata."

"I-I can make h-homemade red bean paste buns." Hinata proposed. "For dessert." The Uchiha heir stared at her, intently, and Hinata looked down, shyly. "I-I mean if y-you want."

Sasuke walked up to her, grabbing her hand, and he interlaced their fingers. "You should know by now that anything you do for me… I don't mind." The Hyuuga heiress squeezed his hand, affectionately, and he led her out of the estate. Just as Sasuke pushed open the door, Hinata let go of his hand, and he clicked in tongue.

"What are you doing, Hinata." The Uchiha heir grabbed her hand back, tightening his grip so she couldn't pull away.

"Sasuke-san, I-I don't w-want to embarrass you in public."

"I really don't care, Hinata, I want them to see, all of them to see, you are _mine_." Hinata giggled at him, they walked down the street, and Sasuke kept his eyes forward. He could see the shocked expressions of all the villagers, Sasuke was not too fond of being on public display for anything, but he would do it for Hinata.

"How about beef and rice?" Hinata asked, curiously. Sasuke gave her a slight nod, and a genuine smile settled on his lips. He stood afar, his eyes never leaving the Hyuuga heiress as she went to the different food stands, and he had his arms crossed.

He began to ponder. If he was able to figure out all of these emotions, realized that he loved Hinata, and married her. She would never leave here, this was where her family lived, this was her home. Would he stay here with her?

He hated Konohagakure, he hated all of her friends, all of the inhabitants, but he couldn't get enough of her. He wanted to be around her all of the time. Sasuke wouldn't take her from this place, it would cause her to suffer.

No, he knew the answer to the question, he would stay here with Hinata. She outweighed all of his hatred for this place. But, he also knew that Naruto wouldn't just let him stay here in Konohagakure as a normal citizen.

No, the fucking dobe would want him to become a part of Konohagakure forces once more. Sasuke was sure of it, but if it was to be with Hinata, he would do that. The Uchiha heir felt a mocking chuckle come from his throat.

Oh! How he didn't ever anticipate the day where he would meet a woman that he possibly loved, and that that woman would have such a power over him that he was willing to go back to Konohagakure.

If this were to transpire, if he were to become a part of Konohagakure again, it would depend solely on Hinata and what she thought about it. He only listened to Hinata, only did things for her, and as for the rest of them, the rest of Konohagakure, they could all rot in hell for all he cared.

* * *

><p>A small stand caught his attention, an elderly woman laid out a row of different necklaces, and it seemed to attract the attention of passing by villagers. He watched delighted looks come across the female villagers, the Uchiha heir walked over to the stand, and some of the villagers gasped at him.<p>

"Excuse me, may I help you with something?" The elderly woman asked, curiously. Sasuke looked at the bracelet on his wrist, and he groaned to himself. He needed to pay her back, give her something in return for the bracelet, and a heart shaped pendant necklace caught his attention.

"I want that necklace." The elderly woman looked at him, shocked, and he rolled his eyes. "I want it now." She jumped at his forcefulness, she grabbed a small box, and took the necklace off of display. A group of girls looked at the Uchiha heir, curious, whispering to themselves, and Sasuke placed a lump of yen on the surface. He took the box, and began to walk away.

"Excuse me, but this is too much."

"Are you complaining?" Sasuke asked, displeased. The elderly woman's lips parted, she bowed to Sasuke, and the Uchiha heir walked away from the kiosk. The group of girls followed him, he tried to resist the urge to unsheathe his katana, and scare the living shit out of them just so they could leave him alone. His hand moved to the hilt of his katana, but it dropped as soon as he saw Hinata. He watched her face lit up as she met his eyes, and she walked over to him.

"I-I didn't see you, Sasuke-san."

"I just wandered off a bit." Sasuke said, nonchalantly. He grabbed the small bag of rice she was holding, and handed the box to her. She looked at him, surprised, and an unfathomable expression was on his face. "It is compensation for the bracelet." Hinata took the box, opening it, and she gasped.

"I-" Sasuke cut her off.

"You can and you will." The Uchiha heir commanded.

"This is so beautiful." Hinata pulled out the necklace, and she held it as if it were going to break. "I will cherish this forever, Sasuke-san. Thank you." Hinata sat down her bags, wrapping her arms around him, and he let out a soft chuckle.

"Don't you want to put it on?"

"C-can you put it on m-me, please?" Hinata inquired. Sasuke smirked as he heard disappointed sighs come from the group of spectating girls, the girls stormed off in the other direction, and Hinata pulled back her hair. He clasped the necklace around her neck, she turned around so he could get what it looked like on her, and she couldn't contain her elation.

"What are you so happy about?" The Uchiha heir hissed. "It is just to pay you back for the bracelet that you bought me, that's it."

"I know." Hinata picked up the bags, he walked alongside her, and he stared at the necklace around her neck out of the corner of eye.

He couldn't stop thinking about how nice it looked on her, and how he should buy things for her more often. He liked the way things looked on her when he bought them.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator**


	20. Affirmations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Note: Okay, so as you all know there will be some lemon scenes in this FanFiction. It is rated M after all. So here is the plan. More close sexual scenes will begin in the next chapter, the lemons will begin in chapter 22 and transcend all the way up to the last chapter which will be chapter 23. I just wanted to let everyone know. As always, I hope you enjoy!**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 20

Hinata walked out of the closet, she had her hair pulled into a high bun, and a pair of gray shorts on with a baggy pink top. The Uchiha heir watched her, silently, admiring the way her slender legs were shaped, but he scowled as he couldn't see the upper portion of her body. Since the bathroom incident, he found himself wanting to touch her body, and for her to touch him. To compensate for such things, he would just walk up to her, and caress her cheek or he would stroke her arm, neck, and lips. At night, when she got up to go to the bathroom, or moved away from him, he found himself on edge. He wanted to be with her at all times even when she went out to sit on the porch.

She drove him mad, and she could get him to do mad things. Hell, if she asked him to cut himself, he'd probably be happy to oblige, and even go far as to say how deep do you want it?

He was sure by now, this is what it felt like to be… in love. He silently chuckled to himself, thinking about how he of all people could love someone.

The Hyuuga heiress met his eyes, her cheeks turned red, and she bit her lower lip.

"S-sorry." Hinata apologized.

"For what?" The Uchiha heir asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

"I-it is kind of inappropriate for me to wear t-this, I mean I know their pajamas." Hinata said as she tucked down her shorts. Sasuke walked up to her, and he grabbed her chin, gently. Sasuke's lips brushed on hers, his arm snaked around her waist, and he pushed her against him. He let out a grunt, feeling her soft mounds press against his chest, and he kissed her, hard. She let out a soft moan, her hands raked up his neck, into his hair, and she pushed his face into hers, more. He pulled away from her, teeth grazing along her neck, and she gasped for air. He took his hand, trailing his finger up and down her leg, her skin was so soft underneath his touch like silk. She gasped and let out another moan. All the noises she made, and the touch of her against him was making him hard, very fast. His finger wandered to her shorts leg, and her breath hitched. Hinata pushed him away, gently, and Sasuke smirked at her. Her face was now beet red, and she covered her face, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-san." The Uchiha heir liked how she was so timid when he pushed the line a little further, but he also thanked her for pulling away from him at the right moment. He was a man of incredible self-control, but that self-control seemed to go out the window with Hinata.

"It's fine." Sasuke said with a shrug, and he crossed his arms. There was a silence exchanged between the two. "And I don't see why you are apologizing for the clothing, in fact, I find it to be highly appropriate around me."

The Hyuuga heiress pulled her hands away from him, and she looked at him, perplexed. "What?"

"Everything is appropriate except for that shirt of yours." The Uchiha heir pointed out. "It hides your figure way too much."

"I feel a little u-undignified if I wear f-form fitting clothes." The Hyuuga heiress murmured, lowly.

"Even around the man you are going to marry?" Sasuke asked. The Hyuuga heiress remained silent, she played with the necklace he had bought her, and he scrutinized her. He had noticed that she touched it constantly, and delicately. He noticed how she marveled at it, like it was at the precious thing in the world. The Hyuuga heiress shook her head, and she smiled at him, shyly.

"No, I j-just have to get u-used to It." she admitted. Hinata then looked at Sasuke, apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-san, but I have to g-go somewhere today."

"Where?" A displeased look instantly spread across Sasuke's face.

"Sakura, Ino, Naruto, and Kiba wanted to see h-how I am doing since I got out of the h-hospital, and they agreed to t-take me out." Hinata explained.

"I see." The Uchiha heir growled as his eyes narrowed. He didn't want to be without her, not for one minute.

He was in love with her.

The Uchiha heir needed to tell her that he loved her, he needed to tell her that things had changed between them, but he would do it in a subtle way. However, he was a man of precision, and now was not the right time to tell her.

"Well, whatever." Sasuke spat. He was clearly agitated, and turned on his heels to walk away. However, Hinata ran up to him, and she wrapped her arms around him. She ran her hands up his chest, affectionately, and the Uchiha heir let out a low groan. Hinata rested her head against his back.

"I don't want to go alone." Hinata explained. "I was thinking a-about you coming with me… you know w-we go as a… couple."

"What makes you think I would like to go, I hate Naruto, and all of your friends." There was another silence exchanged between the two, and Hinata's grip on him tightened. He really didn't want to be bothered with any of it.

But, he would do anything to please Hinata, and she wanted him to go with her.

Sasuke sighed, giving into her. "What all are you doing?"

"They were going to take me shopping, and out to eat." Hinata informed.

"Fine, I'll go with you." Hinata giggled, and she lifted up, kissing him on the cheek, tenderly. "Thank you so much." The Uchiha heir grabbed her wrist, lifting up her arm, and he ran his lips from there to her elbow.

"You knew I would go didn't you?" His ash burned eyes met pale ones. "You know I can never pass up an opportunity to show everyone that you belong to _me_ and _me_ only."

Hinata giggled at him again. "I know." Sasuke walked hand in hand with Hinata, their fingers were interlaced, and she walked in front of him. He allowed her to lead him down the street, he admired the way that her hair glistened in the sun, and Hinata would turn around, smiling at him. She squeezed his hand every couple of minutes, and Sasuke couldn't help, but return the same smile. However, he returned to his usual aloof demeanor when he caught sight of Sakura, Ino, Kiba, and Naruto waving them down.

"Hinata!" Ino shouted. She ran over to them, her eyes flickered to their hands, and a grin spread across her face. "We haven't seen you since you have gotten out of the hospital, how are you doing."

"I-I'm great, have you been b-busy with missions?"

"A little." Ino shrugged. "Missions have been kind of slow." The Uchiha heir rolled his eyes, and Ino smiled at him. "We are so happy to have you here too, Sasuke-san, especially with Hinata, you two are so cute together!"

At that point, Sasuke wanted to impale himself with his own katana.

_The things I do for her. _The Uchiha heir thought as his eyes moved back to Hinata. Naruto walked up to Sasuke, and he smirked.

"I always knew you had it in you." Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and Sasuke hissed.

"I will fucking cut your arm off, dobe." Kiba sauntered to the Hyuuga heiress, and he hugged her.

"I'm glad you're okay, Hinata-chan." The Inuzuka sighed in relief. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, not liking another male touch his woman, and he pulled Hinata away from Kiba, closer to him. He glared at Kiba who held his hands up in front of him, and back away.

"W-what a-are we going to do first?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"We will go shopping if you want." Sakura proposed.

"Sounds great." The markets were busier than ever, the Uchiha heir remained silent, as Hinata caught up with her friends. However, she never left him, and her grip remained tight on his hand.

Hinata was led into a shop for women, and Ino looked at Sasuke.

"Can you stay outside of here for a moment?" Ino asked, curiously. The Uchiha heir growled, and Hinata mouthed I'll be right back. With a dissatisfied grunt, she let go of his hand, and they disappeared into the shop.

"Sasuke, I didn't know you were so fond of public affection." Naruto teased.

"If I were you, I would shut it before I cut out your tongue."

"Hey, Uchiha, I can see that Hinata is enamored with you." Kiba informed. "You better treat her well."

"And you need to mind your damn business." Sasuke growled. In order to get away from the two nuisances, he walked away from them, and went into the nearest shop.

XXXX

The Hyuuga heiress stood next to Ino, and Sakura. Ino was holding up a pair of under garments, and Sakura was pulling out a pink top.

"We're glad to see you okay." Ino informed. "Has Sasuke been taking care of you?"

"Y-yes, he has done a lot for m-me." Hinata smiled, tenderly as she thought of him...

"Does he takes care of all your needs?" Ino giggled

"It is n-not like t-that." Hinata stammered.

"Uh huh."

"Have I missed anything important?" Hinata asked, trying to change the subject.

"And Kiba and I became a couple." Ino chuckled. "It has been building up to that ever since we went out to the pond. And yesterday, it was made official.

"Oh, I am so h-happy for you two."

"So this is like a couples outing for all of us." Ino informed. "Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke and you, Kiba and I."

"I see."

"Hey. Hinata-san, can I talk to you for a moment?" Sakura inquired.

"Of course." The Hyuuga heiress was pulled to the side by Sakura, and Sakura smiled at her, kindly. They stood far away from an overzealous blond headed Yanamaka, searching through a pile of clothes.

"Don't think that I was ever against you and Sasuke, it was just that I didn't want to see you get hurt because I knew how he was or at least I thought I knew." Sakura stated. "But, I know that things are different between you two."

"Sakura-san…"

"You will have to forgive me, I was not trusting your judgment about interacting with him." The pink haired kunoichi admitted.

"Oh, there is n-no need to apologize." Hinata said, smiling.

"In fact I think all of us were like that with Sasuke." Sakura said as she frowned, and crossed her arms. "All of us were standoffish about you being around him, and that came off as us not supporting you, and for that, it is vital that we apologize. I, and the others apologize because we had our own preconceived notions about Sasuke, we could all learn from your kind heartedness."

"Thank you, Sakura-san, and I k-know that you all were just l-looking out for me." The Hyuuga heiress assured.

"He is happy, others may not be able to see it through his aloof expression, but I can see how fond he is of you." Sakura informed. "He has changed, I can see it in him, I am so happy for you, Hinata."

"Thank you, Sakura-san, I try to make him happy."

"You don't have to try too hard." The pink haired kunoichi grinned.

XXXX

The shop Sasuke had walked in was a ring shop, there were rings all lined up on tables underneath pillows, and a young man strolled up to him.

"Can I help you?"

"No." The Uchiha heir hissed. "If I wanted your help, I'd ask for it." The young man looked at him, shocked, and Sasuke sauntered to a table. He stared at the rings, intently, and a scowl came across his face.

The Hyuuga heiress would become his wife that he was sure of. So what would she like?

Sasuke needed her right fucking now. He wanted to see what the rings looked like on her hand. The Uchiha heir stormed out of the shop, and Hinata was just now coming out of their shop. She had a small bag in her hand, Sasuke grabbed her arm, and she gasped at him.

"Come with me, now."

"W-what is wrong?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"I need to see something." Sasuke led her to the table inside of the ring shop, and he pointed to a row of rings. "Try each one of these on." Hinata looked at him, baffled, and then she nodded. She tried on the rings, Sasuke remained silent, studying the way they looked on her slender hands, and the last ring Hinata tried on caught his interest. It had the biggest stone out of all the rings, three diamond shaped stones with circular ones on top, and a sliver band.

_Ah yes, that is the one._

"Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked as she touched his cheek.

"Hm... I was just looking that's all." Sasuke soothed. "I'll meet you outside." He headed out the door, but not before he caught sight of the fond look she gave the ring on her finger.

XXXX

The restaurant they picked was a grill and sushi place. They all shared a long tray of different kind of sushi, and sashimi. There were multiple bowls of miso soup on the tables, and Hinata found herself holding hands with the Uchiha heir underneath the table. Ino ordered sake, but Hinata stayed away from it. She had never been fond of alcoholic drinks, and she giggled at the blushed expressions on her friends' faces.

She wondered why Sasuke had dragged her into the ring shop, it made her happy beyond belief to try them on, her visualizations of a ring on her finger becoming real, but she thought this as just a engagement for her safety. However, Hinata knew that there was reason why he had done it because he didn't do anything without a reason.

Hinata gazed upon Sasuke, he met her eyes, but she didn't shy away.

What was he thinking?

XXXX

Sasuke leaned up against the wall, he had his arms crossed, and a stoic expression on his face. In the process of them leaving, Hinata had went to the bathroom, and Ino and Kiba had left. A very intoxicated Naruto walked up to him, a goofy grin on his face, and the Uchiha heir's jaw clenched.

"So you and Hinata are a couple huh?" The blond headed Hokage asked with slurred voice. No reply. Naruto continued on. "I see you two are getting pretty serious."

"Look here, I didn't come here because I want to see any of you." Sasuke hissed. "You all could rot for all I care, I came here for her and that is it. And I don't like your concern you have for her, dobe."

"She is my friend."

"I don't care, she is _mine_." Sasuke growled. "You have a wife, go be concerned with her. She is my concern and mine alone. I don't have to explain a damn thing to no one."

Naruto held up his hands, defensively. "Okay, geez, sorry."

"Tch, you're a fucking nuisance." Sakura pulled Naruto by the arm, and she smiled at Sasuke.

"Sorry."

"You better be."

"Tell Hinata we will see her later." The pink haired kunoichi stated. The Uchiha heir didn't answer her, an agitated expression on his face, and he watched his former teammates leave the restaurant. Hinata walked out of the bathroom, and she looked around the restaurant.

"D-did they leave already?"

"Too drunk." The Uchiha heir informed. Hinata nodded at him, and she grimaced.

"Are you a little drunk?"

"No why?"

"You had a c-cup of sake." The Hyuuga heiress stated. "Y-you're not a least b-bit drunk?"

"No, it takes more than that." Sasuke said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

><p>It didn't take them long to reach the Uchiha estate, Sasuke waited for Hinata to take off her shoes at the door, and she looked up at him.<p>

"T-thank you for coming with m-me, today." Hinata said with a smile. "I really enjoyed it."

He needed to tell her now. Now was the right moment.

"Sure, I'll do whatever you want, _anata_." The Uchiha heir stated. Hinata's eyes widened at him, and she turned red.

"D-did you just…" Her voice trailed off.

"What can I not call my fiancée, _anata_?"

"No, no, it is not that." Hinata murmured. The Uchiha heir grabbed her arm, she fell into him, and he stroked her hair. Sasuke now stared at her.

"So what kind of rings did you like that the store today?" Sasuke pressed. "I know that all women have an idea of what they want for a wedding ring, did you see anything that caught your eye when I took you in there?" Hinata's lips parted, speechless, and the Uchiha heir smirked at her. "Unable to answer huh?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Oh, no, I want to."

"But, why, I t-thought that you only agreed to m-marry me because you wanted to p-protect me."

"Are you objecting?"

"No, I love the i-idea." Hinata admitted. " but…"

" We need to talk."

" O-okay…" Sasuke grabbed her hand, and lead her into the bedroom. The Uchiha heir sat down on the bed, pulling her with him. He buried his face in her stomach, taking in a deep breath, and her sweet scent filled his lungs. Her shirt lifted up a bit, exposing some of her flat stomach.

" I really liked the biggest ring you tried on, the diamond shaped one." Sasuke informed. He took advantage of the sight of her naked torso, pressing his lips against her bare stomach, and she shivered at each one of his kisses. The Hyuuga heiress was too speechless to say anything, but he continued on.

" It is the best out of all of them, and you deserve nothing less."

" What are you saying, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked, her voice trembling with moans and shock. He took notice of this, he looked up at her, and she reached up a hand, resting it against his cheek.

" I am not a man of words, but of action." The Uchiha heir stated. " but things have changed between you and I, I thought I wanted to marry you just for your protection, but it is not just for that anymore, there is something much more."

" a-are you saying that you.. you want to marry me b-because you love me?"

" What more would it be?" A smile grew wide on Hinata's face, and she wrapped her arms around him, warmly. The Uchiha heir could feel her love for him through the embrace. The Hyuuga heiress pulled away from him, and kissed him, sweetly.

The Uchiha heir didn't know a lot of things that could possibly kill him except for the slender woman that he held in his arms, but he gladly welcomed it.

" I love you too, Sasuke-san." Hinata beamed. Sasuke let out a soft chuckle, wrapping his arms around her waist once more, and he pressed his cheek against her torso, allowing his eyes to close just for a moment.

Hinata was the woman for him. The one and only woman he would love in this life and the next. That night when she was asleep, he did something that he didn't even think was possible, Sasuke leaned over her, and he whispered into her ear.

" I love you, Hinata."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	21. Appeasements

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. **

**Note: Last Chapter will be Chapter 23 not 25. Sorry for the confusion. So lemons begin next chapter which will be chapter 22, and transcend over to 23. **

**Another Note: **This chapter contains a little bit of a sexual scene, just letting you all know. As always, enjoy!****

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 21

Hinata was the woman he wanted to marry, and he would gladly do it right away. However, there was a hindrance in the way, and that was her father, Hiashi Hyuuga. He needed to improve his image for the Hyuuga head to give her to him. Sasuke really didn't need for her father to do so, she was already his, but he knew Hinata would want her father's approval. Now, the question became how was he going to do it? How would he, Sasuke Uchiha, change his image?

He certainly wasn't going to go around the village, and kiss some damn babies. Nor was he going to shake the hands of the villagers. They could all fuck themselves.

But, there was one way he could do it, it was an inevitable end that he would be faced when he decided to stay in the village with Hinata, and that was to become a part of Konohagakure once more. He had already come to the conclusion that Naruto would probably ask him this if he resided in there, so why not take advantage of it now? Why not take advantage of the blond headed nuisance's pathetic dream for him? It was an offer that the Uchiha heir knew that his old pain in the ass couldn't refuse. He would use Naruto was a means to improve his image so he could marry Hinata.

Sasuke silently chuckled to himself.

_So it turned out the young jinchuuriki host was good for something. _

However, he would need to run the notion by his fiancée before acting upon anything. The Uchiha heir laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling, and Hinata had her head rested on his chest. Her chest rose and fell, she ran her finger up and down his arm, gently, and Sasuke's free hand stroked her hair. It felt like silk running through his fingers.

Sometimes, they would just lay in bed, enjoying each other's company in a peaceful silence. It was something the Uchiha heir was very fond of.

" _Anata_." Sasuke breathed. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Is e-everything ok?" Hinata asked as she lifted up her head, and her eyebrows furrowed together in perplexity.

"Do you remember when I told you about the deal that your father and I made on the condition of this engagement?" The Uchiha heir began. "The condition that I have to improve my image in order for this marriage to take place." She nodded.

"I r-remember."

"Well, I have come up with an idea on how to do it." Sasuke informed. Hinata stared at him, shocked, and her lips parted.

"How?" Sasuke took in a deep breath through gritted teeth, and scowled.

"I've decided that I am going to become a part of Konohagakure again." The Uchiha heir informed. "That is how I will improve my image." The words felt like fire on his tongue as he uttered them. Sasuke watched her eyes widen, stunned, and speechless.

There was a silence exchanged between the two lovers.

"Y-you hate i-it here, you h-hate the village." Hinata stated, baffled. Sasuke smirked at her, lifting up, and he kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Ah, yes, you are right about that, but when we marry, I know you want to stay here." The Uchiha heir informed. "Your family, friends, everything you know is here. And I know that if I were to stay here, it would be asked of me to do this, all I am doing is expediting the process."

Hinata sighed, and she buried her face in his neck. "T-this is too much to ask of y-you, I will see if I can plead with my father, m-maybe I can change his mind."

"No, Hinata, you see with this decision, there is no persuasion to be needed, and my image will improve on its own as soon as everyone learns that I have joined forces with Konohagakure once more."

"Are you sure a-about this?" She inquired. "Would you b-become a _shinobi_ again?"

Sasuke flinched at the word _shinobi_, and his jaw clenched. " I will not become a _shinobi_, you know I hate all of them except for you, that is one area that I will not bend to, but I don't know whatever the dobe decides when I run it by him."

"Because Hinata, I want to marry you as soon as possible."

"I do as well."

"Then, this decision of mine will make it a reality." The Uchiha heir stated. "Tell me, what do you think?"

"I will go with whatever d-decision you make." Hinata said as her hands moved up his neck. "I just don't want y-you to make any d-decisions on the account of me." Sasuke pulled away from her, and he poked her forehead.

"Too late. You are the only one who I allow to be a driving force with my decisions. I thought of this because of my desire for you."

"You're doing so m-much for me, thank you."

"There is no need for such trivial things like thanking me. So, I am going to go to Naruto's office now, then I will come back, and we can head over to the Hyuuga estate."

"Oh, okay, I wish you luck." Hinata said with a kind smile, and she kissed him, lightly. Sasuke lifted up, getting off the bed, and before he left the bedroom, he looked over at Hinata, smirking.

"I don't need luck."

* * *

><p>The Uchiha heir made his way to Naruto's office, he gritted his teeth at the thought, and balled up his fists. He was not going to like this, not one bit.<p>

However, Hinata was worth it.

Sasuke cursed underneath his breath, opening the door, and the young jinchuuriki host looked up at him, stunned. The Uchiha heir shut the door behind him, and a stoic expression was on his face.

"Well, hello, old friend."

"I am not your fucking friend." The Uchiha heir growled. "This is not some friendly encounter."

"Then why are you here?"

"I am here to make a proposition to you, one that I am pretty damn sure you won't be able to pass up."

"And what is that?" The blond headed Hokage asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Let me become a part of Konohagakure forces once more." The Uchiha heir stated. Naruto's eyes widened in shock, Sasuke could see that he had taken him aback for a moment, and then a wide toothy smile came across Naruto's face.

"You want to become a _shinobi_ once more."

"No, did I say I wanted to become a lackey?" Sasuke hissed, icily. "I just want to join the force to go on missions, nothing more. And I know that you won't pass this opportunity up because you yearn to have me back here with you all." The young jinchuuriki host remained silent as a scowl settled in on his face. He stared at Sasuke, hard, and Sasuke stared back at him, aloofly. There was a silence exchanged between the two men.

"I do want you here." Naruto admitted.

_Of course you do. _

The young jinchuuriki host leaned back into his chair. "Okay, Sasuke, I will put you back on the team."

"But, I will in no way represent Konohagakure that is the conditions of this proposal." Sasuke growled, the blond headed Hokage opened his mouth to object, and then he nodded in compliance.

_That is what I thought. _

"Oh, and this stays between you and I, I know how you like to run that damn mouth of yours." The Uchiha heir derided.

"Why are you doing this, if you hate it so much here?" Naruto asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

"Circumstances have persuaded me to do this."

"You mean Hinata?" The Uchiha heir's hand rested on the hilt of his katana, and his ash burned eyes turned into red ones. Naruto held his hands up, quickly. "Whoa, I didn't mean to bring her up, I just asked."

"Mind your damn business."

"Okay, okay." Naruto said, trying to ease the situation. "I will make sure that you go on missions with everyone else, but the only difference is that you will be unaffiliated, there will be no attachments to you."

"Hmph!" Sasuke grunted. "And when is the next mission?"

"In a few weeks." The Uchiha heir nodded at him, taking note, and he turned around, ready to head out the door. "Fine, I will go on that one." As Sasuke was almost half way out the door, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and he hissed, knowing who the hand belonged to.

"I will enjoy having you back here, it will be like old times eh."

"Get your hand off of me." The Uchiha heir warned. "Or I will cut it off." Naruto removed his hand, and Sasuke headed out of his office, but not before he caught Naruto's one last comment.

"Yeah, it is exactly like old times."

* * *

><p>No more than the Uchiha heir passed through the gates of his estate, Hinata met him, and she looked at him, concerned.<p>

"What d-did he say?" Hinata asked, curiously.

"I told you it would work out." Sasuke stated as he took her hand. "Now let's go see your father."

"Un." He led her to the Hyuuga estate, and watched her knock on the gates. The gates opened, Hiashi met them, and his eyes narrowed, slightly.

"Hinata, Uchiha." Hiashi greeted. "What brings you two here." He was not the one to revere authority, hell, he detested it, but this was the man who was in between Hinata and him. So Sasuke bowed, and spoke.

"We need to talk." Sasuke informed. Hiashi stepped away, beckoning inside the gate, and his eyes never wavered off of the Uchiha heir. They were led inside of the Hyuuga home, and into a separate room. Hiashi sat down on his knees, and crossed his arms.

XXXX

Judging by the look on her father's eye, Hinata knew he wasn't going to be persuaded very easily, not that he wasn't before. Hopefully, the action that Sasuke took would be enough because she wanted to marry him just as much as he did her.

"Father." Hinata began as she bowed to the ground. "Please, I beg of you to hear, Sasuke out."

XXXX

"And what pretell may that be?" Hiashi's opal eyes bore into Sasuke face, and Sasuke looked at him, intently.

"That deal we made, you and me, about this marriage taking place, about my image."

"What about it?" Hiashi asked, sternly. "You have done nothing of to improve it so far, so this engagement is still null and void."

"It is not." Sasuke said, coolly. "I have just joined Konohagakure forces once more, you can go ask your _Hokage_ now." A hint of degradation was in Sasuke's voice as he pronounced the word _Hokage_. Hiashi's eyes widened, slightly, and he pursed his lips.

"An Uchiha joining Konohagakure after he sought so effortlessly to destroy it." Hiashi stated. "Now, isn't that something." Hiashi's gaze flicked to Hinata. "Are you prepared to do this? You will no longer belong to the house of Hyuuga, and you will no longer be the head of this clan."

"I am." Hinata informed. Hiashi eyes lingered on Hinata and then, he closed them.

"The only reason why I agreed to this is because an alliance between the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan would prove to be beneficial in a lot of ways." Hiashi stated. "I know about you, Uchiha, I know what you have done, I know your hands are stained with blood. So let me tell you this, Hinata. If he proves to be something else in the course of this, something totally different from whatever you think him to be now. You will have to deal with it on your own."

"I u-understand." Hinata murmured, lowly.

XXXX

_No, you're wrong, Sasuke is different now. _

Hinata knew that the Uchiha heir would never hurt her.

"This is foolish, Hinata, so you think that joining Konohagakure is sufficient enough to improve you image huh?" There was a silence in the room, causing Hinata to shift uneasily, and Hiashi held up his hand. "I will give you two my blessing."

Hinata looked at her father, shocked, and speechless. The Uchiha heir smirked at the Hyuuga head, and Hinata bowed again to her father.

"Thank you, father."

She couldn't control the happiness threatening to burst out of her chest.

"The marriage will take place in a couple of days." Hiashi dictated. "And it will be a private ceremony that is how it will work." Hinata nodded at her father, and she stood up.

XXXX

Before they walked out, Hiashi cleared his throat. "Oh, and Uchiha, I will be keeping an eye on all of your actions as you operate within the force here."

The Uchiha heir didn't answer Hiashi, he just glanced at him, and then followed Hinata out of the Hyuuga estate. When they got on the other wide, he was met with a kiss, and it caught him off guard for a moment. However, Sasuke relaxed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed her lips against hers hard, allowing his tongue to delve in, and caress hers. He didn't allow her to breathe, only when he pulled away was she able to take a breather, and Hinata smiled at him, shyly.

"I'm so h-happy." Hinata said with a bit of elation.

"Hm... really?" The Uchiha heir asked as he stroked Hinata's hair. A slight smile played on his lips. "I thought you would be happy when I go buy you your ring." Hinata giggled at him, and he took her hand.

"Let's go."

Sasuke led Hinata in the ring ship, her fingers were interlaced with his, and the same young man from before saw the Uchiha heir. He ignored Sasuke, Sasuke grimaced, and walked up to the desk. The Uchiha heir clicked his tongue, and the young man looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't need my help." A displeased look came across Sasuke's face, his eyes turned red, and his lips set in a definite line. Hinata gasped at him, the young man began to tremble, and he backed away. The Uchiha heir leaned over the counter, and his hand moved to his katana.

"I need fucking help, now, and if you don't provide it to me."

"Yes, yes." The young man said, shakily "excuse me, I think something is wrong with me today, I am out of it."

Hm… that's better.

The young man's eyes flickered to Hinata, and he smiled at her, warmly. "Hello miss, is there anything that you and your err….fiancée were looking for in particular."

"Um…" Hinata began. "It was a small sliver band with a diamond shaped stone."

"Oh yes, I think we have that one still, it is very popular." The Uchiha heir watched the man walk away, and Hinata elbowed him. Sasuke looked at her, she pointed to her eyes, and shook her head. He knew what she meant. Sasuke smirked at her, wavering his hand as his eyes faded to their normal ones. They were led to the same ring as seen before, and Hinata looked at Sasuke.

"You r-really don't have to."

"Try it on." The Uchiha heir urged. He looked at her with an unfathomable expression, Hinata smiled at him, and she took it out of the small box. She slipped it onto her finger, and Sasuke stared at her hand, quietly, and then his eyes flickered to the man. "How much is it?"

"Oh, it is quite expensive." The young man said, haughtily. The Uchiha heir's jaw clenched at the man, his eyes narrowed, and he reached into the pocket. He pulled out a wad of yen, laying it on the counter, and Hinata looked at him, shocked. The young man's eyes almost popped out of his head and his mouth dropped.

"I think that is enough."

"Sasuke, w-where did you get all t-that money?"

"I lived a nomadic life, I have to have some money." Sasuke stated. "Is that enough." The man looked at him, speechless, and he nodded.

"More than enough."

"Good."  
>"Would you like me to wrap it up?" The young man offered.<p>

"N-no, may I wear it o-out?" With a nod from him, Hinata beamed in delight, wrapping her arms around Sasuke, and the Uchiha heir couldn't help but smile. He nestled his face in her hair, and he enjoyed the warmth of his lover in his arms.

XXXX

The whole way home, Hinata stared at her hand, shocked at the ring on her hand, and Sasuke chuckled at her.

"What?" Hinata asked, as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"It will not disappear, Hinata." the Uchiha heir teased. She looked at him, sourly, and shook her head as she outlined it with her fingers.

"I know, it is j-just so b-beautiful."

"Well, then it suits you." She still couldn't believe it, the ring was more than just a ring, and it was what would bond her to Sasuke in such a way that she could cry tears of joy.

XXXX

As soon as they entered the estate, Hinata went to say something to Sasuke, but was cut off when Sasuke pushed her up against the wall. She gasped at him, and he pinned her down with his body. He had both arms on her sides, staring at her, intently, and her lips parted. She reached up a hand, stroking his cheek, and Sasuke groaned. He leaned over, pressing his lips against Hinata's lips, their lips molded into each other's. Sasuke sucked on her bottom lip, and she moaned against his mouth. His hands moved up her stomach, and to her breasts, where he squeezed them, gently. She gasped, her back arched against him, and another moan escaped from her mouth. Hinata ran her hands down his neck, and into his shirt where she stroked him from his clavicle down his sternum. He let out a low groan, pulling away from her, and he stared at Hinata, intently. Hinata's face was red, her lips were parted, and swollen from their kiss. The sight of her, her fingers on his bare skin, and the feel of her soft breasts in his hands made his member stiffen. The Uchiha heir leaned over to her, licked her lips, and he moved his hands underneath her shirt. Her skin was soft underneath his touch, he caressed her breasts, enjoying the feel of them, and she mumbled his name. Sasuke continued to fondle her pale mounds, she bit her lip, fighting back moans, in hopes to conceal them.

Sasuke trailed his lips along her jawline, and then descended down her neck where he sucked on the soft flesh.

"Do you like this?" The Uchiha heir asked, curiously. Hinata didn't answer him, but her moans became louder. Her hands moved down his body where she traced the contours of his abs.

The Uchiha heir groaned, and Hinata took her other hand, knotting her fingers in his hair.

She felt good.

Sasuke hissed, he grabbed her hips, rubbing his erection against her womanhood through the fabric of their clothes, and she gasped at him, shocked.

"w-what are you doing?" Hinata asked, dazed. The Uchiha heir met her eyes, and he kissed her.

"Enjoying your body." He buried his face in her neck, rubbed up against her again, and she moaned once more. Her hands ran up his body, and rested against his neck. Seeing Hinata like this, feeling her up against him was just a tease, he wanted to remove all her clothing, and have sex with her everywhere. The Uchiha heir began to ponder the places where he would take her, on the bed, on the floor, against the wall, in the shower, the possibilities were endless, and he would screw her hard. But, he needed to wait, just a little longer, in a couple of days she would be his.

Sasuke cursed underneath his breath, and his lips moved to her ear. All of his movements ceased, and he pulled his hands out of her shirt. She groaned in between her pants. "I can wait just a little longer, and then you are all mine, there are a lot of things to be done as well... I am sure you want to make wedding plans."

Hinata turned a red that Sasuke couldn't even begin to describe the color, and covered her face, bashfully.

"I do." Hinata admitted. The Uchiha heir pulled away from her, and it looked like she was going to pass out. Sasuke looked at her, smirking, and he brushed a hair behind her ear.

"You okay, _anata_?" Hinata gulped, and she pushed him away. She ran into the bedroom, and he chuckled as she shut the door behind her.

He had to give her time to recuperate.

- A few hours later-

Sasuke sat on the bed, Hinata laid up against him, and she had on a light green shirt with a pair of white shorts. His fingers moved up her legs to her shorts leg then repeated the same motion. He liked how slender her legs were, how soft they were. His face was nestled in her hair, and the thumb of his other hand rubbed over the ring.

"Hinata." The Uchiha heir breathed in her hair. "I need to tell you something face to face, I told you when you are asleep, but it is no good if I do that."

"What is it?" Hinata looked at him, their foreheads pressed together, and Sasuke sighed against her lips.

"I love you, Hinata." Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "After my brother's death, I really thought love was a stupid emotion, so easy to manipulate, and was for the weak, but you have changed my mind."

Hinata's lip quivered, tears spilled out of her eyes, and she smiled at him. The Uchiha heir reached up a hand, wiping away a tear off her cheek, and he rested a hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes, touching his hand.

"I love you too." Hinata affirmed. "I d-didn't tell you because I f-figured that you weren't ready yet. I didn't w-want you to leave me."

"Hm… well, you don't have to worry about that, I will never leave you, Hinata…ever." And with that, the two lovers remained silent as they basked in each other's touches.

"I am g-glad that my father said it would be a private ceremony." Hinata spoke, finally. "I don't want anything e-extravagant."

"But, I know that you want your friends to be able to see it as well right?" Sasuke confirmed.

"I do, but t-that would require a second ceremony."

"Then do it." Hinata gasped at him.

"Really, you don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have said it." Sasuke stated. "I really don't care for any of your friends, Hinata, but it is not just about me, it is about you as well, and you'd like them to be there, so I will tolerate them this one time."

Hinata smiled at the Uchiha heir. "Then how about doing an s-second ceremony separate from the one my father is setting up for us? I can invite everyone there, it will be kind of like an r-reception ceremony."

"Where?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There is a gazebo in a park not too far from here, the p-park doesn't get a lot of attention, and it overlooks the l-lake." Hinata proposed. "I would like it there."

"Sure whatever, you want."

" W-what kind of food should be served?" Hinata asked, curiously.

" Just so something simple like punch and cucumber sandwiches, I don't want you to overdo it."

" Oh that sounds good, We'll do that." Hinata lifted up, and got off the bed.

Sasuke groaned, feeling her warmth escape him. "Where are you going?"

"I need to make invitations." The Uchiha heir couldn't help, but smile at Hinata as she pulled out the utensils to make wedding invitations.

XXXX

Hinata was delighted to make wedding invitations, she would ask Sasuke what color they would be, if the ribbons around them should be lace or not, and he would just shrug, and tell her whatever she wanted them to be.

She decided to make the invitations the shape of the Uchiha clan's fan, and line it with the colors of both their clans with lace ribbon, and some beads.

Hinata sat on the floor doing them, she had an idea that the invitations would take a long time, but she needed to give them out to everyone tomorrow.

XXXX

The creation of wedding invitations lasted late in the night, Sasuke saw Hinata nodding off as she clipped the shape of one, and he walked over to her. The Uchiha heir placed a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him, and wiped her eyes.

"Let me finish this l-last one."

"No, finish in the morning." Sasuke commanded. He scooped her up in his arms, and by the time, he had reached the bed, Hinata had begun to fall asleep.

Even though, it was around the corner, the Uchiha heir was impatient, he couldn't wait to have Hinata as his wife.

And for everyone to know Hinata as the wife of Sasuke Uchiha.

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	22. Unification

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Note: This chapter contains lemons, if that stuff makes you uncomfortable, please skip over it.**

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 22

The Uchiha heir figured that he should take on a different approach to Hinata's friends for the sake of her, he realized that she cared about them, deeply, and he need to change his policy of intolerance. He could at least tolerate them somewhat and be civil. Sasuke didn't want his bride to feel divided between her friends, and him, and their disparities. It would be unfair to make her mediate between the two.

Sasuke watched Hinata place the invitations in a small bag, he walked up to her, and wrapped an arm around her waist. With his free hand, he pushed back her hair, and kissed the back on her neck. Hinata smiled, warmly, and she placed her hand on his cheek.

"You're going to pass them out today aren't you?" Sasuke asked as he planted kisses down the back of her neck.

"Yes, since the w-wedding is in a couple of days." Hinata stated. "I have to get them out a-as soon as possible, I don't want it to be l-last minute."

"I will come with you to pass them out."

"Really?"

"Yes, then everyone can see us as a couple." Sasuke informed. "And everyone can know that soon you will be Mrs. Uchiha." He made his way to the nape of her neck, sucking it, lightly, and her head titled to the side. She bit her lip, and moaned.

"I like the s-sound of that." Hinata said as she closed her eyes. "Being r-referred to as Mrs. Uchiha." Sasuke's hand moved from her waist, and disappeared underneath her shirt. She flushed red, sighing, and the Uchiha heir licked her ear, earning him a small gasp. He chuckled, relinquish his hold on her, and a teasing smile was on his face. Hinata covered her face with her hand, placing the remaining invitations in her bag, and Sasuke took her hand, interlacing their fingers.

"Your embarrassed face is hot." Sasuke stated. Hinata gave him a sour look, removing her hand from her face, and she giggled at him. "Come on, let's pass these out."

"Un." And with that, Sasuke led her out of the front door.

XXXX

"Hee!" Ino shouted, surprised as her eyes nearly fell out. She held the invitation in her hands, then brought it back to her face one more only to pull it away. "You never told me it was this serious!"

Hinata turned red, and she looked down. "I'm s-sorry." She looked at Sasuke who stared at the blond head Yanamaka with a cooled expression, and Hinata squeezed his hand, gently.

"There is no need to be sorry." Ino said as she waved her hand. "I am so happy for you two. So let's see the ring?" Hinata held out her hand, Ino's mouth dropped, and she grabbed Hinata's hand, scrutinizing it.

"Kami, that is amazing." Ino marveled. Her sea foam colored eyes rested on Sasuke, and she smiled at him. "You picked an amazing woman, Sasuke."

The Uchiha heir closed his eyes, and sighed. "Why do you think I am marrying her, Yanamaka?" Ino looked at him, speechless, and then she nodded, turning red.

"I will be there at your second ceremony." Ino stated. "I can't wait." Hinata chuckled at her friend, and then they made their way to Kiba.

* * *

><p>When Kiba received the invitation, and he grinned at Hinata.<p>

"Well, I'll be damned." The Inuzuka smirked, and his eyes flickered to Sasuke. "Don't hurt her, Uchiha." Sasuke shrugged with an unfathomable expression.

"That is a foolish concern of yours." Hinata smiled at Sasuke, leaning over, and she nuzzled her face in his arm.

"Well, seeing Hinata happy makes me happy." Kiba informed. "And I don't know why you gave me this invitation, Hinata, I'll be there."

XXXX

The Uchiha heir knew this would be tested when he came in contact with Naruto, and Naruto wrapped his arms around Hinata, lifting her off the ground. Sakura chuckled at the two, Sasuke hissed, not liking another man touch her, but he restrained himself.

"Congrats, Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted. Naruto smiled at Sasuke, goofily, and he slapped his shoulder. Sasuke flinched.

"I didn't think you were ever going to get married!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Sakura smiled at Sasuke. "It is about damn time!"

"We are happy for the both of you." The pink haired kunoichi cooed. "We will be there."

"What kind of food will be there?" Sakura hit Naruto upside the head, and Naruto looked at her, pouting.

"I was just asking." Hinata giggled at the two.

"There will be p-punch and cucumber s-sandwiches."

"Sounds good." Naruto grinned. "Two of my best friends getting married. I look forward to it."

- A few days later-

The wedding was held at private shrine. The Uchiha heir had on a dark blue kimono with gray hakama pants, and a jacket draped over the kimono. The jacket had the Uchiha fan on the back of it. Behind him was a wall, it had the two symbols of the clans, and a bowl of fire was in the middle. There were two men tapping small taiko drums, and a shakuhachi flute was in the background with instruments making a shaking noise. Hiashi stood on the opposite side, and an elderly man draped in fine kimonos stood with a book in his hand. According to Hiashi, the elderly man had been a part of a long dynastic family who performed Hyuuga clan marriages both for the main branch, and second branch for centuries. Hanabi started to come into sight, she sprinkled some flowers on the ground, and Hinata came from around the corner. She had on a triple layered kimono, it dragged behind her, and her hair was adorned in all sorts of ornaments. Tassels were on her kimono, and her lips were stained red. The Uchiha heir stared at her, intently, a smile settled on his lips, as she met his eyes, and Hinata walked up to where they were standing. The Uchiha heir, and Hinata knelt down in front of the fire, and the elderly man opened his book, reciting a couple of chants. When he was finished, he lit sage, and blew the smoke in their direction, purifying their union.

"Now, onto the ceremony." The elderly man stated as he closed his book. "Would the bride and groom face each other?" Sasuke took both of Hinata's hands, and she looked at him, elated. "Now, do you, Sasuke Uchiha take Hinata Hyuuga to be your wife?"

"I do."

"And do you Hinata Hyuuga take Sasuke Uchiha to be your husband?" The elderly man asked.

"I do."

"Then, in front of his monument, and in front of the Kamis in heaven, I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The Uchiha heir leaned over, wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissed her, eagerly. She giggled against him, and the elderly man lit a candle from the both of fire. He handed it to the now husband, and wife, and they both touched it. The fire changed colors, glowing a vibrant green, and it lit up the sigma of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan. The flames encircled them, and then went out, suddenly along with the candle.

It signified that the two prestigious clans had been bonded through their marriage.

XXXX

"I am going to miss you, sis." Hanabi said as she hugged Hinata's waist, and Hinata hugged her back.

"I promise to visit as much as p-possible." Hinata turned to her father, he placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a nod. He didn't say much too her, nor to the Uchiha heir.

"Come on, Hanabi." Hanabi kissed Hinata on the cheek, running up to Hiashi, but before he left, he turned to Hinata.

"For a moment, I thought I was looking at your mother." Hinata's eyes widened, and she felt her eyes water up at the rare display of affection from her father.

"T-thank you, father." Hinata said with a cracked voice. And with that, Hiashi and Hanabi were gone. The Uchiha heir walked up to Hinata, she smiled as tears fell down her cheeks, and she took a cherry blossom from her bouquet, placing it inside of the collar of Sasuke's jacket.

The Uchiha heir titled her head upwards, and he stroked a free strand of her hair.

"We can't just stand here all day." Sasuke said as he pulled away. "Otherwise those invitations would be all for nothing."

"Un." The two lovers made their way to their home, grabbing all of the food and drinks, and reception, hand in hand. As they headed there, Sasuke whispered into her ear.

"I couldn't have asked for a better bride and now wife." A smile was on his face, and Hinata kissed his cheek.

"I love you." Hinata reiterated. "I am the l-luckiest woman in the w-world."

"Well, I don't know if you're the lucky one here."

XXXX

They were met with awes once they reached the gazebo, tables were pulled out, and white table cloths were spread out on top of them.

"Let's see a kiss." Ino urged. Sasuke glared at her, Hinata turned red, and she bit her lower lip. But, before he could object, she had pressed her lips against his, and she pulled away, covering her face, giggling. The Uchiha heir's lips curved into a smile at the affection of his wife.

"Is that a smile on your face, Sasuke?" Naruto teased

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke said as his smile instantly fell, and Naruto chuckled at him. Sakura elbowed Naruto in the side, the blond headed Hokage grunted, and he rubbed it, gently. The pink haired kunoichi had something behind her back, and she smiled at Hinata.

"So, Naruto and I kind of decided to buy something for you two." Sakura said as she pulled out a box, and opened it, revealing a small cake. The cake had white frosting on it, it had congratulations Hinata and Sasuke written in blue, and Hinata looked at her, taken aback.

"Sorry, it is not big, but you can't just have no wedding cake."

"Oh you're so k-kind, thank you."

"Oh, what good will a cake do." The blond headed Yanamaka said, wavering here. "Hold on, I have to get something." Ino disappeared for a moment only to come with a stack of wrapped gifts, and Kiba trailed behind her with several more of them. Hinata's looked at her, speechless. "What is that?"

"Wedding gifts silly." Ino chuckled.

"We were already going to give her some." Sakura said as she frowned at Ino, and pulled out two small boxes.

"Well, mine are better." Hinata chuckled at the two and their rivalry.

XXXX

"Yanamaka, Haruno, Inuzuka…. Uzumaki." The Uchiha heir stated their names, firmly, and they looked at him, shocked. His eyes flashed to Hinata. "Thank you for making my wife feel special during this day."

There was a uniform silence, their mouths hung agape, the Uchiha heir had never done something like that before. He never thanked anyone in all of the days of his life, but Sasuke had to give appreciation to anything that made Hinata happy. Agitated at their prolonged response, he scowled.

"What?" he hissed.

"Nothing, nothing, now let's enjoy this reception." Ino suggested.

They enjoyed the food, and the reception was met with laughter and bliss. When the cake was cut, and Hinata took a whip of the frosting. She placed it on Sasuke's cheek, everyone laughed, and he cocked an eyebrow. She giggled at him, he took a whip of the frosting, and placed it on her lips where he licked it off. Hinata nearly fainted, and he whispered in her ear.

"Pay back."

It lasted late into the evening, the lake glistened in the setting sun, and the two lovers sat in silence, overlooking the water when everyone left.

"you know, Hinata, I used to come here as a small child and sit here, trying to figure out what my purpose was in life.' The Uchiha heir stated. "But now, I have figured out what that purpose is, and it is you, Hinata."

Hinata looked at him, speechless, and then she blushed. She leaned over, resting her hand against his neck, and kissed it.

"Let's go home."

XXXX

They carried the gifts home, and sat them down in the living room. Before, Hinata could say anymore, Sasuke grabbed her. He picked up Hinata in his arms, bridal style, and they entered their bedroom. Hinata giggled at him, and nestled her face in his chest. He couldn't help but smile at how elated she was, and they fell together on the bed.

"Did you think it was a b-beautiful wedding?" Hinata inquired. "And did you like the r-reception?"

"I really didn't pay attention." Sasuke said as he looked at her, intently. His fingers caressed her lips, and cheek. Hinata looked at him, sourly, and she grimaced. "You ignored the whole thing?"

"Well, it is kind of hard to focus on everything when you are around me." The Uchiha heir stated. Hinata smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and she kissed him gently.

Sasuke opened the collar of her kimono, diving his hand down it, and he cupped a breast. Hinata pulled away, moaning, and Sasuke chuckled at her. He traced his lips along her jawline, and then nibbled down her throat.

"Sasuke, w-what are you doing?"

"We haven't consummated our marriage yet." Sasuke said as he began to untie her obi. "It is tradition that we have sex afterwards."

"You're not the o-one who like t-tradition." Hinata defended

"Ah, but I want to have sex with you." Sasuke informed. "And wouldn't you say it would be a little special to do it today." The obi sash fell to the ground, and the Uchiha heir took off his clothing, and undid his hakama pants. "And I want to show my wife just how much she means to me."

Hinata laid on the bed, wrapping her arms around her nude body, and she shivered. "It's a little c-cold."

"We can create our own heat." He took the ornaments out of her hair, and it fell down.

Hinata looked back at him with parted lips, and her hair now sprawled out over the bed. Her pallid skin was flawless, unscathed, and her body was slender silhouette. Sasuke pinned her down, and he felt his member stiffen at the way she was laid on the bed. The Uchiha heir pulled her legs apart, sitting in between them, and she gasped at the feel of him against her leg.

"S-Sasuke…" Hinata said with her voice trailing off. Sasuke groaned to himself, his erection becoming uncomfortable, and he leaned over. He kissed the base of her throat once more, and she ran her hands up his back, and into his hair.

"I want you, Hinata, I want you, _now_." Sasuke said almost demandingly

Then, he kissed her again, but with such an intensity that it left Hinata gasping for air. He sucked her bottom lip, she moaned against him, and he took advantage of her open mouth. His tongue delved into her mouth, caressing her tongue, caressing the inside of her mouth, and his hands moved to her now exposed breasts. He squeezed them, hard, she gasped, pulling away, and her head turned to the side. He liked the innocent look on her face, the way her face twisted in pleasure, and he wanted more.

"Sasuke!" she rasped. Hinata began to mumble his name.

_Louder, Louder. _

She was so easy to arouse, but he would take his time with her. He wanted to explore every orifice of her body, leaving nothing untouched, unclaimed by his tongue, mouth, and hands.

The Uchiha heir clasped a nipple on his mouth, rolling it in between his teeth, flicking it with his tongue, and sucking, lightly. He enjoyed the taste of her bare skin on his lips. She was soft against him, almost as if she had been created just for him, and she grabbed hair, gently. When he was finished with her breasts, he began to suck the skin that made them, and soon her breasts were covered in teeth and red marks.

"Don't let your shirt go down for any reason." Sasuke chuckled.

"I-I won't." Hinata assured. He could see that right now, she would comply with anything that he did to her.

"And if I hurt you let me know." The Uchiha heir informed. Hinata nodded at him, the Uchiha heir ran his tongue down her stomach, and dipped it into her belly button. She giggled and moaned at the same time.

This woman was truly beautiful. His hands moved in between her thighs.

"W-what are y-"She was cut off as the Uchiha heir stuck his finger inside of her, her back arched, and she screamed his name. Her screams were getting louder, Sasuke was pleased to see her wet for him, and his finger moved in and out of her, roughly.

"Ah_… Mm_." His mouth clamped over hers, hushing her unintelligible words, and her nails grazed his back.

He liked to see her in a state of ecstasy. She hissed when he pulled his finger out of her, and stroked her entrance, tenderly. Hinata shuddered against him. She leaned up, pressing her lips against his throat, and Sasuke took a steady breath. Hinata kissed the scars on his chest, her kisses were tender and sweet, and the Uchiha heir groaned. It was almost as if she were trying to kiss the scars away. Then, she traced another scar with her fingers and pressing her lips against that one. His eyes rolled, and he pushed her back down on the bed. He stopped stroking her, not wanting to wait any longer, and positioned himself.

"This will hurt are you ready?"

"I a-am." He grasped her hips, thrusting into her sex as hard as he could and Hinata covered her mouth, muffling another low cry. Her walls were clenching his member so tightly that he thought it would choke, and he sighed. He gripped her hips, keeping them in place, and began to jerk out her, madly. She moaned his name, their grunts, groans and other sexual noises resonated off the walls of the bedroom.

"You're so tight." The Uchiha heir rasped as he increased the intensity of his thrusts. "But, I can fix that." Hinata threw back her head, and she held onto him, tightly. Their bodies started to make noise as they hit against one another's, and he kept pounding into her as hard as he could. His hard grip on her legs left hand imprints, and the two lovers found themselves climaxing fast. At his pivotal point, he spilled hot semen into her womanhood. He leaned down, kissing her one last time, and rolled off her. Hinata snaked an arm around his waist, she snuggled up to him, and kissed his chest. He sighed as her lips made contact with his skin. Hinata looked up at him, and he brushed her hair out of her face. The air in the bedroom was heavy, and hot.

"I love you, Sasuke." Hinata mouthed.

"You're my everything, Hinata." Sasuke noticed a strained look on his lover's face, and he pulled the cover on her body. "Go to sleep, you've had a long today."

_And tomorrow, and for the days of all my life, I will wake up next to this woman. To her smell, to her body, to her essence._

The indigo haired beauty nodded in compliance, resting her head on her husband's chest, and fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat.

XXXX

Hinata woke up on top of Sasuke, she lifted her head up, and Sasuke had his eyes closed. His lips moved, slightly as steady breaths passed through them. He had his arms wrapped around her, she gently rolled off of him, careful not to wake him, and tip toed to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, she need to wash up. She had expected there to be pain _there_, but there wasn't, and she blushed as she recalled the events last night. Hinata couldn't believe that she had sex with Sasuke last night, it was what a man and woman did when they were married, but the fact that she did it was what got her. He never seemed to get enough of her, his desire for her consumed every fiber of her being, and she shook her head. Hinata stepped into the shower, but soon the curtain pulled back. A pair of arms wrapped around her, and a pair of lips pressed against her neck.

"How dare you leave me alone in bed?" The Uchiha heir said with a smirk. And with that, she was pushed against the wall, her legs were spread far apart, and he began to pound into her once again.

-Several days later-

While Hinata was changing clothes, Sasuke was leaning up against the door frame, with crossed arms. As Hinata searched for a shirt, she found herself staring at her husband, favorably. Hinata had noticed that he really didn't like to leave her in a place by herself, if she took too long in the bathroom, he would check on her, he always seemed to be there. At every moment, the Uchiha heir was at her side, if she couldn't reach something high on a shelf or need to put up something, he would do it for her. Sasuke seemed to be in deep thought, an unfathomable expression was on his face, but he caught sight of her kind gaze upon him.

"What?" The Uchiha heir asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

"N-nothing." Hinata walked to another side of the rack of clothes, she reached out to push a hanger out of the way, but Sasuke grabbed onto her arm, and pulled her into him. Sasuke stroked her hair, and Hinata couldn't get enough of the fond look he gave her.

"Anata, I need to know do I hurt you when we have sex." Sasuke demanded. Hinata shook her head, and he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You would tell me, right, I know how you are."

"Of c-course."

"Good cause the last thing I want to do to you is hurt you."

"I know."

"Do you enjoy it?" Sasuke asked, curiously. "When we have sex?" Hinata turned red as a tomato, pushing him away, and she turned around, getting a shirt. He chuckled as she tried to hide her bashful face, and he leaned down, kissing the space between her shoulder blades. "I enjoy it very much."

"Please." He chuckled once more, figuring that he had better stop teasing her before she had a heart attack.

"So tell me, my love, when do you start your missions?"

"In a w-week or so, Naruto said that he wanted to g-give us time off to enjoy our marriage life." Hinata said as she pulled down the bottom of a blue blouse. "And what a-about you?"

"Well, as per the agreement between Naruto and me, I will be starting a mission in about three weeks." The Uchiha heir informed. "So we have plenty of time to enjoy this serene moment of our lives."

"Good c-cause I don't want it to end a-anytime soon." Hinata admitted.

"You have yet to open the wedding gifts." Sasuke said as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to open them?"

"Oh, yes, let's do it together." Hinata walked into the living room, stacking the boxes, and Sasuke leaned up against the wall. She sat in between his legs, her back to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her waist as she pulled out the boxes. The gifts ranged from bed sheets, pictures, teddy bears, and a plague that had their names engraved on it. The last box made Hinata blush as she opened it up, and she quickly closed it.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. She shook her head, and pulled the box away from him. The Uchiha heir raised an eyebrow, and grabbed the box.

"Sasuke, n-no!" Hinata squealed, lowly. The Uchiha heir pulled out a one piece lingerie, it was white with blue trimming. Sasuke pursed his lips, Hinata frowned at him, and he remained silent as he put it back in the box.

"I didn't realize you had perverts for friends, Hinata."

"I-I don't." Hinata stammered. "I had n-no part in t-this."

"Still, she has good taste, you will have to model it for me tonight."

"Let's just finish opening the rest of them." Hinata said as she tried to change the subject, and grabbed another box.

XXXX

It didn't take long for the word to spread around Konohagakure that Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha had married. The Uchiha heir had wanted to keep it private, but nothing was kept secret around the village for long.

Sasuke had expected some girls to wail over the news, all of their aspirations for him suddenly squashed, but the villagers didn't come up to his wife and ask her why she had married him. Instead, the Uchiha heir had been told that the villagers were curious about the whole thing. Stopping, Hinata in the grocery stores, and asking about their relationship.

Of course, he knew she wouldn't disclose anything, they were both private people.

The Uchiha heir found himself, oddly fond of public displays of affection with Hinata to an even greater degree, being married to her was something that he couldn't have anticipated.

Sometimes, he would spend all day, asking her favorite foods, and things to do. And when she told him, the Uchiha heir would make sure that they did something the next day that she liked.

One time, she told him that her favorite flowers were irises, and he bought her a bouquet of them. Yes, when it came to Hinata, he was enamored with her.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

-Later on that night-

The lingerie given to Hinata laid on the ground, tattered, and labored breaths could be heard outside the door.

"Anata, look what you do to me." The Uchiha heir said, huskily. His member pounded into her womanhood over and over again. Hinata took a deep breath, catching her breath, and she placed both her hands on his cheeks. Sasuke leaned down, and pressed his forehead against hers. After a few more countless thrusts, Sasuke finally released his seed inside her, and Hinata's chest rose and fell, rapidly. She pulled him against her body, he wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Sasuke…" Hinata says with her breathing starting to settle down. "W-what if I get pregnant?" Sasuke grimaced, still laying on top of her, and he propped himself up on his elbow. He reached over a hand, and ran his finger up and down her sides.

"Hm… I am pretty sure that it doesn't work that fast." Sasuke chuckled, velvety. "You would have to be incredibly fertile for that to happen."

"Yes, b-but it will happen, eventually." Hinata said as her eyebrows furrowed together. "I mean do you want c-children?" There was a silence exchanged between the two, and Sasuke stared at her, intently.

"It is hard to say." Sasuke informed. "I really haven't given it much thought since my preteen years, when I was a preteen, I wanted nothing but to resurrect my clan, but obviously that requires a female, and as I got older, I abandoned the notion with much reluctance, there were no women around that I wanted to inseminate, I wanted the right woman to carry on the next generation of Uchihas. I didn't really anticipate finding the right one until you came along."

Hinata smiled, warmly, and she reached up a hand, tracing the outline of his brow.

"Do you want children?" She nodded at him, "Then, we will have them."

"But, I want both of us to d-desire them."

"Hinata, you being my wife, who I am now, this life is so different from my life before, and who I was before, it is all new to me." Sasuke stated as he planted kisses down her sternum, and to her flat belly. "But, that is something that I am willing to experience with you."

"Sasuke…"

"How many do you want?" Hinata shrugged a bit, and she began to ponder.

"M-maybe one or two, and you?"

"As many as possible." Sasuke smirked, teasingly, as Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "No, probably about three."

"Three it is." Hinata settled. "Do you like g-girls or boys?"

"I really don't care."

"And w-would it bother you if one of them have the byakugan i-instead of the sharingan?" The Uchiha heir groaned, burying his face in her stomach, and his grip on her tightened.

" Hinata, I don't care what the children will be like, boys, girls, and the whole kekkei genkai thing is bound to happen, not all our children will have sharingan or byakugan as I would expect them not, but as long as they come from you and have our features, then I don't care." Hinata smiled, running her hands through his hair, and closing her eyes.

"I think t-they'll be beautiful when we have them."

XXXX

They didn't go to sleep that night instead they laid in bed, and enjoyed each other's company with dim lights in the room on. Both of the lovers satisfied with each other's presence, the Uchiha heir rubbed his thumb over her forearm, and with his free hand, ran his fingers through her indigo colored locks.

"I've enjoyed t-these past days with you, with us being an m-married couple." Hinata said as she squeezed his hand, affectionately. "There are just so m-many wonderful emotions I am having." Sasuke smiled, one of his rare smiles.

"And those emotions will never waver, _anata_." Sasuke informed. "But, remember this is only the beginning for you and me."

"I know." Hinata assured. She rested her hand over his heart.

"Because, my love, we can experience this for the rest of eternity." The Uchiha heir said as he pressed her against him, affectionately. "We have all of eternity to be with one another."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, and I hope you all enjoyed it as there will be more to come- FireGladiator.**


	23. Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or any aspect of it. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. **

**Note: This is the last chapter for The Beauty of Power. I appreciate everyone's support for this story. Thank you so much! **

The Beauty of Power

Chapter 23

Hinata had pictures laid out in front of her, she smiled at them, and couldn't help, but laugh. Several days ago, they had dressed up in their wedding attire once again, and took a collection of different photos. In all of the pictures, the Uchiha heir had a satisfied look on his face, and a faint smile on his lips. Whereas, she had a bashful smile on her face, and arms wrapped around his neck, or waist. In some of the photos, she had kissed him, and Hinata could have sworn she saw a faint blush on his cheeks. She didn't realize that Sasuke had been camera shy especially around others.

She had one more week to spend with him before returning to her responsibilities as a shinobi, and he had two more weeks before joining Konohagakure forces.

Hinata placed a picture into its laminated slot, and Sasuke came around behind her. With arms wrapping around her waist, he nuzzled his face in her hair, his breath tickled her skin.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked against her hair.

"Just putting p-pictures in the album. I like this one." Hinata informed. "It makes me laugh every time I s-see it." She held up a picture of the two of them where Sasuke had his hand up, preventing anyone from seeing the two, but through the cracks of his fingers, Hinata was seen, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I hate it." The Uchiha heir groaned, taking in a full breath of her scent.

"I didn't r-realize you were so shy." Hinata said with a giggle. Sasuke pulled away from her, he crossed his arms, and cocked an eyebrow.

"I am not shy, that's a silly notion, Hinata, I like our affection to be private a times, and that photographer was pushy to get them." Sasuke hissed. "He better be glad that I didn't blind him."

Hinata giggled, and let out a sullen sigh.

XXXX

The Uchiha heir immediately took notice of his wife's sadden exhalation, he titled Hinata's chin up, and leaned over.

"Why the long sigh?" Sasuke asked, coolly. An unfathomable expression was on his face, and his eyes were intense.

"Oh, nothing, I just d-don't want this time to end, y-you and me free from our daily lives."

"It is not just that is it?" The Uchiha heir smirked. "You can't hide anything from me, I am your husband."

"I know." Hinata lifted up a hand, and stroked his cheek. "It is just I would have liked to take more pictures of you and me, other than our w-wedding pictures, maybe of other places outside of the village."

"Hm…" Sasuke moved to her ear, and began to nibble on it, lightly. "Well, we still have plenty of time, Hinata, this time off is supposed to be where we can give into our desires and wishes. And if that is what you want then, we will do it."

"Really?" Hinata asked, shocked. "T-Thank you!" Her voice was elated.

"Hinata." Sasuke whispered in her ear. "Don't hold back anything from me, if something is bothering you, whether you are in pain, or you just want to talk, show it to me." Hinata smiled, timidly, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Un." There was a silence exchanged between the two lovers, and Hinata ran her hands through his hair. "Where would w-we go?"

Just as Sasuke was about to say something, the clock went off in the house, and he heard a gasp come from his wife. "Oh, no, I'm late."

Hinata gave him a quick peck on the lips, making the Uchiha heir growl because he wanted more, and she ran to the front door.

"I almost forgot I h-have to meet Ino and Sakura for lunch." Hinata informed. "Sorry, when I get home, w-we can decide where to go, if t-that is okay." Sasuke shrugged, and she mouthed another apology before heading out the door.

XXXX

Hinata couldn't believe that she was married to Sasuke Uchiha. He was the former most wanted man in the village when they were preteens, and out of all the girls in there, he had chosen her. At times, she thought it was a dream, these blissful emotions, and found herself still staring at the wedding band around her finger.

But, she was his and only his. He would only look at her. Whenever, they went out rather it be to the market or to shop for commodities, she noticed he didn't really seem to pay attention to anything else, but her.

Ino and Sakura met her at a small pastry shop no more than a couple of blocks from their home, and Hinata sat down with them.

"You look good, Hinata-chan." Sakura said with a smile. Ino hissed, wavering her hand, and she smiled, widely.

"Don't listen to her, married life looks good on you!" Ino beamed.

"T-thank you." A rouge color spread across Hinata's cheeks.

"I want to get married now." Ino whined. A longing expression was on her face, and Hinata giggled at her.

"You will, don't worry, Ino-chan."

"So tell me how it is like being married to Sasuke?" Ino inquired.

"Ino, she doesn't want to publicize her life." Sakura said with a glare, and Ino raised an eyebrow at her pink headed friend.

"You know you're curious too, Sakura so shut up."

"Is it s-supposed to be a special way?" Hinata asked, perplexed.

"Well, you do have a hottie for a husband." Ino said with a wink. "And I am sure he is hot in all areas." Sakura elbowed the blond headed Yanamaka as Hinata covered her face in embarrassment, and Sakura reached out a hand, touching Hinata's shoulder.

"Forgive her." The pink haired kunoichi apologized. "She's a little crude" Hinata nodded at Sakura through her covered hands, and Ino sighed, trying to ease the situation.

"Have you talked about children yet?"

Hinata pulled her hands from her face, and looked at her friends, kindly. "We will h-have them when the time is r-right."

"Ugh, I can't wait, they will be adorable!" Ino exclaimed.

"Hey, I have a quick q-question."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I was wondering, do you g-guys know any places to go for sights?" Hinata asked, curiously

"Well, there is a village not too far from here commonly known as the village of wonders because there are a lot of natural beauties there." Sakura stated. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Sasuke and I were g-going to take a few more pictures of us t-together"

"Then you will like it." Sakura grinned. "They have an amazing few of a waterfall there, and a cave that shimmers in the moonlight like gems." Hinata lit up.

"Do you k-know the name?"

"It's the Taikukyoi village." Ino chimed in.

"Thank you so much for all of your help."

"No worries." Ino said, wavering her hand. "Now, let's order our food."

* * *

><p>Hinata made her way back home, Sasuke was sitting on the back porch, and he seemed to be in deep thought. It was something that she had gotten used to him doing, she had tried to give him his alone time, never wanting to be clingy, but he seemed to get agitated when she kept her distance from him, using the excuse that he didn't get married to himself. Hinata sat down next to him, she placed her hand on his, his eyes moved to hers, and he raised an eyebrow.<p>

"I would have thought the lunch would have lasted longer, and tell me why you look like you have to tell me something."

"Yes, so Sakura-san and Ino-chan told me a-about a place that we can go for pictures, it is called the Taikukyoi village. It is filled with lots of wonders and I f-figured it would be the perfect place to go to..." Hinata bit her lip. "I mean if you want to."

"Well, if it makes you that excited then I see no reason not to go." The Uchiha heir stated. Hinata grinned, and nodded at him. "Let's start heading out."

"Now?"

"Are you objecting?"

"No, no, but I have to get a camera."

"We will stop by the market before we start to head out."

XXXX

The Uchiha heir bought Hinata the most expensive camera despite her objects, and they slipped out of the gates. Sasuke ran in front of Hinata, however he kept his hand on her wrist, gently. She followed him with ease, Hinata's hair whipped behind her, and the village came in sight in no time. The village was small, but it seemed busier than Konohagakure itself. It was still daytime when they arrived, and Sasuke walked into a hotel, holding Hinata's hand.

"I'd like a room for my wife and I." The Uchiha heir said.

"For how many days?" Sasuke's eyes flickered to Hinata.

"How long do you want to stay here?"

"Two days if that's okay."

"You heard her." The young man nodded at her, handing him the keys, and he stared at Hinata. "Ah, here to see the sights huh?"

"Yes, but I am unsure w-which one to go to first."

"Go to the waterfall, it is everyone's favorite." Hinata nodded, taking note of his recommendation, and they settled down in their room.

"Anata, I know you want to see the sights, but we need to eat." Sasuke stated.

"Un, I know, thank you a-again for doing t-this for me?"

"That is unnecessary gratitude you are giving me." The Uchiha heir sighed.

_I would move the moon for you, Hinata._

* * *

><p>The couple made their way to a local shop, and a young woman led them to a table far off from everyone else. It was quiet, and they ordered a local dish. However, the woman came back with a dish which agitated Sasuke to a certain degree, he was trying to enjoy the company of his lover next to him.<p>

"Here try this." A young woman suggested. She laid a plate of food in front of Hinata, and Hinata grimaced at it. The smell made her mouth water, and Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"What is that?" The Uchiha heir asked, coolly.

"It is food that is good for your body, it helps with your figure, skin, and overall health." The young woman informed.

"We didn't ask for that." Sasuke growled.

"It is a specialty for all couple who come in."

"Not for us, and what are you implying?" Sasuke asked as he cocked an eyebrow at the young woman. His expression was guarded, and a displeased look was on his face.

"I'm sorry." The woman took it away, and Hinata elbowed Sasuke.

"That was mean."

"No, I don't like anything that suggests that you are not perfect, my love, you are perfect in every way and anyone who suggested otherwise can go fuck off." Hinata stared at him with parted lips, and then she sighed, smiling.

She could never get over how protective he was of her. The entrees came out in no time, and a piece of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"You have rice all over your mouth." Sasuke sighed, heavily, and Hinata grabbed her napkin, trying to wipe it off.

"Sorry, this is an m-messy dish, is it off?"

"Let me." The Uchiha heir exasperated. Sasuke leaned over, grabbing the camera out of her hair, and he licked the piece of food off the corner of his wife's mouth. Simultaneously, he took a picture, and Hinata squeaked. He chuckled, lowly.

"What are you going to do with all of these pictures anyways?"

"S-something special." Hinata said, cryptically. "You'll see."

* * *

><p>After they finished eating, they made their way to the waterfall. The waterfall was definitely a sight, the crystal blue water fell over huge boulders and into a bank that was lined with different arrays of flowers. The Uchiha heir watched Hinata look at it with awe, the air was filled with sprays of water, and he couldn't help, but smile, faintly.<p>

"You look like a child who was given a new toy." Sasuke teased. Hinata looked at him, sourly, and she beckoned to an empty place where people could take pictures at.

"Can w-we take pictures t-together over there?" Hinata asked, timidly. Sasuke groaned, taking his lover's hand, and pulled her over to the spot. She held out the camera in front of them, his eyes lowered as she put on a genuine smile, it still amazed him how she could smile so sweetly around him. It amazed him how happy she made him.

They took a couple of pictures with one another, and of the waterfall with each of them, standing in front of it. The Uchiha heir took a few moments as he took a picture of Hinata, he had to admit her beauty captivated him, and she turned red, covering her face as she took notice of this. He smirked at her, and took a picture of her embarrassed face.

"And you can't throw it out." Sasuke informed. "I had embarrassing moments with the photographer, and now you know how it feels, pay back is a bitch isn't it?"

Hinata shot what seemed like a glare at him, it peeked his interest since he had never seen her due it before, but she soon began to laugh.

Their picture taking lasted late into the evening, and they made their way back to the hotel room.

XXXX

Hinata had taken so many pictures that she would have sworn, she saw stars each time she blinked. But, it was worth it. However, she was tired, her excitement had drained all her energy, and she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel.

XXXX

"You should head to bed soon, _anata_?"

"Un, I am going to g-go run some bath water, and then I will a-afterwards." Hinata informed. "Sorry, the day kind of wore me out. Did you enjoy it with me?"

"I enjoy seeing you happy, Hinata, so yes, I did." The Uchiha heir stated. She smiled at him, leaned over, and she kissed his neck. Sasuke laid on the bed with his eyes closed as he heard the hot water run, and it was quiet. However, he noticed a bubble come out of the bathroom, and cocked an eyebrow. The Uchiha heir lifted off the bed, walking into the bathroom, and the whole bathroom was filled with bubbles. Hinata was blowing them in the air, and Sasuke sauntered up to her.

"Think you put enough solution into the water to make these?" He flinched as one popped onto his face, and Hinata looked at him, apologetically. "I am surprised that you didn't overflow the bathroom."

"I o-only put in a little." She defended. The Uchiha heir gave her a long scowl, and then he chuckled, lightly.

"What am I going to do with you?"

XXXX

- The next morning-

Hinata woke up to the feel of the sun against her bare skin, she gasped as the covers settled on her pelvis, unveiling her nude body. She pulled them over her, immediately, and her face flushed red. She looked over to see Sasuke was rested against her shoulder, his hand rested on her stomach, and Hinata smiled at him. She turned over, trying not to wake him, and traced the outlines of his face with her fingertips. The Uchiha heir murmured her name.

"Hinata." he said, sleepily. "I promise we will see the cave of gems, but I want you to lay here with me just a little longer." His voice almost like a plea. Hinata liked to look at him when he was asleep, she nodded at him, and nestled her body up closer to a completely naked Uchiha. It made her face turn redder, and he leaned over, kissing her forehead.

The Uchiha heir had to admit that the cave of gems caught him off guard a little, Hinata marveled at the sight, the gems were all different colors, and seemed to glisten, radiantly within the cave creating a glowing like atmosphere.

She took pictures of them, and of the stones. As she did so, the Uchiha heir took out his katana, and chiseled out a stone. Hinata gasped as he held it out in front of her, and she grabbed it.

"Sasuke!" Hinata said almost horrified. She went to put it back, however the stone wouldn't stay, and Sasuke walked up to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. "We are g-going to get in t-trouble." She put her face in her hands, and he brushed a hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about it, _anata_." Sasuke soothed. "Take it as a souvenir." He crossed his arms as she bit her lip. "What you don't like it? We can always leave it here."

"No!" Hinata said, quickly.

"Hm... that's what I thought." The Uchiha heir said as a smirk played on his lips.

XXXX

The days that they resided in Taikukyoi village seemed to go by in a blur. When they reached Konohagakure again, the Uchiha heir saw Hinata take off to get the pictures developed, and when they were developed, she sat inside of their bedroom for the rest of the day, working on something. Sasuke left it alone, knowing that if she wanted to show him right then, she would have, but he was oddly curious as to what she was doing.

Only till evening did she come out, and she held it in front of him. It was a collage of all the different pictures that had been taken, and the name _Uchiha_ was titled at the top.

"Do y-you like it?" Hinata asked, curiously. Sasuke looked at her, shocked for a few moments, and he smiled at her.

"I didn't realize you were so crafty, Hinata." The Uchiha heir said. His wife smiled at him, her cheeks blushed at his compliment, and she wandered around the living room to see where she could put it. Sasuke noticed her set her eyes on an empty space far above her reach, and he got up. He grabbed the collage, gently as if it were going to break, and placed it up high.

Hinata wrapped her arms around him, and her chin rested on his shoulder. "If we have company over, I want everyone to see us as a family."

"You have truly outdone yourself, my love." Sasuke reached out, and traced the name of Uchiha with his finger.

_It is truly magnificent._

-Later on that night-

Sasuke stared at the collage on the wall, and he stared at the two of them together. How happy she looked, the smiles on her face as she looked at him, and how he gave smiles back in the pictures. No, he was not shy in front of the camera, it was just his love for her couldn't be contained in such things. Hinata walked out of the bedroom, and she looked at him, concerned.

"Sasuke, is e-everything okay?"

The Uchiha heir nodded at her, she sat down next to him, and grimaced as she followed his gaze to the pictures.

"They really are great aren't they?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Hinata looked at him, shocked as Sasuke leaned over, and brushed back her hair behind her ear. The Uchiha heir kissed her, passionately, and she placed both of her hands on each side of his face. He kissed her once again before she could say anything else, and he pulled away to speak against her lips.

"These are just pictures, I know they are memories, memories of us, but you cannot touch, or hold a memory." Sasuke stated. "These pictures pale in comparison to you, Hinata, why should I look at something, if I know that I can experience the real thing."

Hinata was speechless, but Sasuke continued on.

"Looking at these pictures, I can see how different I have become, how you have changed me." Sasuke informed. "This life with you, these past days, is something that I couldn't have never guessed I could be living."

"But, you gave me it, and I feel a little indebted to you, Hinata." She gave him a gentle look, and shook her head.

"Don't." Hinata said, sweetly. "I am s-supposed to make the one I love feel that way. But, I understand, and I promise you, I will always be here for you so we can make m-more memories together."

Sasuke pulled her against him, and wrapped his arms around her into a tight warm embrace. Hinata was his wife, she would never leave him, and he wouldn't even fathom leaving her. They were bonded to one another.

"I know you will be, _anata._" Sasuke whispered, tenderly. "Because I will never let you go."

**Please review the story, I would greatly appreciate it, I really enjoyed writing this story, and thank you again, everyone! - FireGladiator.**


End file.

Naruto, Romance, Suspense