FicWad

Slightly AU, possibly more than a little OOC. Sasuke x Hinata. Two years after the defeat of Orochimaru, six years after the first Chuunin Exam our beloved Genin entered. Based off the anime.

Don't own it, honest. we'll survive somehow.
Hidden in Plain Sight

Oh just wonderful...the one day I decide to flaunt the fact that I'm new and different and shiny, and this happens. I think it's a sign... even behind a mask, I'm not meant to be anything but Hyuuga Hinata, the quiet girl, the weak girl. Hinata looked down at her scarf, the silvery blue now mottled with several spots of dark brown. Blood. Hers. Ino had been most helpful, rushing her into a restroom, to get the stain off as quickly as possibly. And to take care of her friend's wound. "Thank you, Ino-san, but it's really not that bad." My family will have a fit if they ever find out. The former Hyuuga heiress, the one too weak to fulfill her birthright, was the only one wounded, despite having dodged the attack of Hidden Mist nin.

"Hinata-chan!" Her voice was scolding. "You're a medic, you know that it might get infected! And the sooner it heals, the sooner you can pierce it again. Do you want to wander around wearing only one earring?"

"After this, I'm wondering if wearing earrings at all is a good plan. I dodged the senbon. It caught in the earring, what were the odds? I'm just lucky the earring broke before it could do anything more."

"Well it's not like you were expecting to be attacked during a celebration! And you looked so nice too. If Ten Ten and I hadn't been with you when we all bought our outfits, and met up before to get ready, I wouldn't have recognized you!"

"Thank you, Ino. I'm really glad we're friends." The trademark Hinata blush was about to make a reappearance.

"Hai! When we were Genin, I would have thought my personality would have sent you into a corner, honestly."

"You're probably right. I do however know for a fact that some of your ideas send people running into corners, crying; so can you blame me?" Hinata smiled, brighter and more open than it had been five years ago.

Lots of things have changed in six years, Ino thought to herself, reflecting, as she had done every now and then for six years, on a day a long time before. The day that Sakura had thrown all Ino's goodwill back in her face in the form of a bright red ribbon. She and Sakura had drifted further apart in the past years, even after they'd reconciled somewhat during the Chuunin Exam. The thought that a mere boy could drive such a wedge between them had made her think even deeper. For the longest time, I thought Sakura needed me, needed me to protect her. Turns out she just needed someone to set her goals on. That day, it went from being like me to winning Sasuke. No matter what anyone says, I didn't welcome Hinata as a close friend because I like feeling needed by someone. She and I know what it feels like to think that you are holding people back, that maybe your best isn't strong enough to help the people that mean something to you. We want to help people become better; we just do it our own different ways. We're not top Chuunin, but we're not weak. No matter what anyone else says. "I'm glad we're friends too, Hinata. Now let's go, before my date decides it's too troublesome to wait for me."

Hinata laughed. "Not tonight, you didn't see him staring at you. Ten Ten was right, the veil may be useless as a mask, but it somehow works as a boy catching net. Now hold still at let me fix your hair." There was a few minutes of rustling as Hinata adjusted the gold ornaments in the blonde hair. "There, I think we're ready to go back to the Festival of Masks, and perhaps the only interruptions we'll get this time will be Neji-niisan or Shikamaru-kun scaring off anyone that dares think you or Ten Ten are unattached. Especially after watching you beat up Mist ninja."

"You helped too. Don't forget, we're not weak. Now come on, ocean spirit, we have a dragon girl and two uncreative masked ninjas to go have a good time with."

"Anything you say, Sand dancer."
"Sasuke-kun... do...do you want to dance with me?"

"No." The angel's sickeningly glittering mask hid her look of disappointment. She left after that. He could feel the look the blonde in the lion mask leveled at him, but a lighted hearted "That makes twenty four now" was Naruto's only comment. Sasuke had found himself, much to his indignation, persuaded to come to the Festival of Masks. He even had a costume of sorts. A crescent moon covered part of his face, and he wore deep navy blue and black. He'd been almost relieved when Mist nin had decided that a festival would be the perfect time to try to weaken Konoha. They'd been proven wrong. Even if most Leaf ninja were let off to enjoy a break of sorts, their deadly skills and survival instincts were not attached to their forehead protectors. No ninja worth their kunai ever went anywhere without knowing they could fight, to the death or until back-up arrived. Sasuke scowled to himself. The fight hadn't been very interesting, or very long. Once several nin got into the trees and disposed of those throwing weapons at the villagers, the Mist nin were all but taken care of.

Sasuke had been keeping just a saucer of sakẻ company, with Naruto's help; but Shikamaru and Neji had also sat down. Sasuke glanced over at them; both were watching a space close to the open stall, where people were dancing. Shikamaru obviously had thought it too troublesome to get a costume, and only had a black domino mask, no doubt forced upon him by his girlfriend. Neji was wearing black; however it seemed his girl had also forced a mask on him. It was a panther... an exceedingly cute panther. Sasuke didn't know how one could turn a fierce predator into something that looked so... cuddly, but Ten Ten obviously had skills beyond that of normal people. Speaking of those girls... Sasuke glanced at the space the other two were staring at.

Three girls stood out. Gold ornaments glinted in the light as the blonde owner moved with the sounds. It was Ino, in a desert dancer's silks of deep green. Then there was Ten Ten, a high slitted dress of crimson, scarlet net going all the way down her arms, and a red dragon mask resting on her head. She must of have been the well-armed flash of red he'd seen jumping through the trees, taking out the enemy nin near the west side. He didn't know how she had kept so many weapons on her person, and he didn't really want to. Dancing between these two was a girl he didn't think he recognized. Her skirt was asymmetric; the longer side was black which turned into a deep sapphire blue that got lighter and lighter until the material was almost white when it reached the high mandarin collar. A sheer silvery blue scarf fluttered all down one arm. Cinching her waist was a silver chain, little starfish charms dancing at the ends of the dangling links. A creamy white shell ornament had been fixed above her left ear, a nice contrast to her black hair and the deep blue of her half-mask. Silver hoops of different diameters, bubbles he supposed, punctuated by small shell charms dangled from one ear. The three of them were dancing, but something about the moves was reminiscent of hand to hand combat.

As if on cue, the three girls spun for a couple seconds before stopping, each landing in a small pose for the end of the song. In that brief whirl, Sasuke saw several things about the water spirit girl. The first was that the spin was similar to that of the Hakkesho Kaiten, only slower, more graceful and less intense than when he'd sparred with Hyuuga Neji. The second that the girl's hair was shorter than most girls kept, and the third... When the unhidden half of her face had flashed into his vision, he'd seen silver. That girl... was Hyuuga Hinata? It was improbable, it was likely some other Hyuuga, after all that noble clan hadn't been all but wiped out in one night. But something... something told him that this was Hyuuga Hinata... his mad ninja skills of course. Ninjas were supposed to be experts at gathering information after all.

This revelation of course had nothing to do with the fact that Hyuuga Neji was glaring at Naruto for asking who the hot girl dancing with Ten Ten and Ino was. Shikamaru just groaned, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, mendokuse. "Neji, don't pound him too badly."

"Nande? Why would Neji get pissed, it's not like that girl is..."

Shikamaru just backed away as Neji managed to grind out a furious "Are you really that stupid, or is there some special technique to it?"
"THAT'S HINATA-CHAN?"

Hinata, Ino and Ten Ten looked over to the stall. Ten Ten and Ino burst into laughter, while Hinata just stared at Naruto, who was gibbering his disbelief. Sasuke privately agreed with Naruto's sentiments. Despite not knowing the girl, Hyuuga Hinata had been infamous in the Academy, for her shy demeanor and huge crush on Naruto. He'd have had to live under a rock for those details to escape him. Which fact was supported by the fact that Naruto was an idiot, and didn't even notice.

Hinata wanted to laugh at the sight of Naruto whose face was absolutely ridiculous. She refrained, as Ten Ten and Ino were laughing enough for the three of them. Ino looked at Ten Ten, Ten Ten looked at Ino, and both cracked identical evil grins.

"Hinata, we're going to go investigate this... We'll send over one of the guys to keep you company."

Ino smiled and gave Hinata a friendly warning before flouncing off with Ten Ten. "If it ends up being Shikamaru-kun, don't let him near the shouji boards. Otherwise I'll never get him back."

Hinata blinked, but decided not to question her friends' intentions. They were so happy with their boyfriends, Hinata supposed that they felt it their next task to find her one. She suspected that if Shino and Kiba had not still been away on their mission, aiding the Hidden Sand, they would have roped one of them into go to the Festival with her.

A flash of pink in her peripheral vision told Hinata that Haruno Sakura had indeed joined the party. She nodded courteously to the girl, who was looking somewhat wistful, as she searched the crowds. She had a white mask, pink petals painted on it, and she wore a cream kimono decorated with sakura branches in bloom.

"Well someone should go keep her company! And you call yourselves men..."

Hinata couldn't help but grin at the strident tones Ino's voice was taking. Sakura had turned to return the greeting, and had caught the soft play of emotions on Hinata's face. She suppressed a longing sigh, and waved.

"Hi, Hinata! Enjoying the Festival?"

"Oh yes. Are you here with anyone?" Hinata queried politely.

"Actually, no. Lee and Naruto asked, but I'd rather just go alone. You?"

"Nope, not with anyone either. Not for lack of the girls trying though. Shino-kun was supposed to have come back yesterday, but he's apparently been delayed. Just as well, I suppose... Ten Ten and Ino are in a match-making mood. And have been for weeks."

"Oh." A slight pause. "Do you know where Sasuke-kun is?"

"No. I don't know what kind of costume he's wearing, so I don't think I've seen him."

"Oh." The pink-haired girl sighed again, slightly deflated. "Well, then I guess I'll go look for him."

"You could ask Naruto. He's over there by the bar. Could you tell them all, I'll be fine wandering around by myself?" Hinata tilted her head toward the group, Naruto still looking as though the foundations of his way of life had been attacked by a large caffeinated frog.

"Sure. Have fun, if you see Sasuke-kun... tell him I'm looking for him."

"Alright, hopefully you'll find him before the end of the night." Sakura nodded and headed over to the rest of her graduating class. Naruto brightened somewhat as Sakura made her way through the crowd.

"Creative costume." Ten Ten remarked as the other girl approached. Sakura either didn't catch the sarcasm, or had chosen to ignore it.

"Has anyone seen Sasuke-kun?" she asked, trying not to sound too plaintive. The rest of the ninjas looked at her in surprise; then they looked again, and found that Sasuke had indeed disappeared.

"Well, he was sitting there a few minutes ago." Ino remarked, looking around. "Hinata disappeared too... Oooh Ten Ten! Are you scheming what I'm scheming?"

Sakura looked at Ino a little oddly. "I was just with Hinata, she said to tell you she'd be fine wandering around the festival alone."

"Didn't Sakura-san tell you all I'd be just fine walking by myself? I am Konoha shinobi."

"Sakura was there? Good thing I left then. Naruto wouldn't have been happy if she had been number twenty five."

Hinata looked at him, a look he couldn't interpret. The moment passed and she shrugged slightly. "Well at least I didn't lie to her when I said I hadn't seen you. Though it's not a very concealing costume. But even off duty, the genius of our class is still a creature of shadows."

"And you? For the girl who spent years covering her very elbows... nice dress."

She blinked at the incomplete concept he'd just tossed her. "It was training inspired." She smiled slightly at a memory of a waterfall incident years ago.

"Training? With water?" Sasuke grinned ever so slightly. "Not my style."

Hinata tilted her head and returned the grin, only brighter. "Not with the Katon techniques I imagine. But water is excellent training for chakra release techniques. Training with waterfalls is how I finally received recognition." The grin had been turned into a wistful smile. She almost visibly shook herself. "Maintaining chakra and conserving it, it's fun."

Family...recognition... oh the joys of the kekkei genkai. Sasuke may not have been the most understanding person in the world, but he could empathize with that. And he could tell she wasn't happy about it. Why he cared, he wouldn't question, maybe it was just because they lived the same; alone, with something they had to live for, even if they didn't want it. He sought another topic of conversation.

"Want a cup?"

Hinata looked up. Sasuke was pointing to a tea house, quaintly decked out in lanterns. She smiled and nodded.
"So how have your missions been?"

Hinata looked up. He's trying to make conversation? "Oh they've been good, Ino, Ten Ten and I have been teamed up for a while. We were in the Sand last. And you, Sasuke-san?"

"Che, they've been too easy. This evening was pathetic." He noted the slight tensing of Hinata's shoulders, but didn't think much of it. She was capable, even if her doubt cost her ability in battle, she was capable.

"Yes... it was over very quickly. I'm glad. The festival didn't suffer bad mood for long. Ino and Ten Ten nearly caught Shikamaru-san and Neji-niisan saying they were glad of the attack. Wouldn't have been healthy for them. Ten Ten had tessen with her tonight." At Sasuke's querying look, she explained. "A weapon that Sand kunoichi favor. It's a fan, but with a metal frame. Folded it is as good as a club; open, it's as good as kunai. They're sharp and dangerous, so of course Ten Ten felt the need to purchase a few. I bought a pair, I wanted to see how I could use them with..." She trailed off, uncertain as to why he was staring at her. It wasn't as intense Neji used to glare at her, but he seemed interested, something she still wasn't sure she'd ever get used to. "Is something wrong?"

"What happened to the other earring?" It had been bothering him, as if the imbalance were a reflection of... something. He noted the slight wince, but continued to watch her.

Finally she gave in. "We were close to the first attack. So I wasn't paying attention. There were senbon, I didn't move out of the way fast enough, and one caught in the earring. It broke, but not before pulling a lot. I'll get it re-pierced eventually, after it heals."

"Not used to earrings?"

She blinked, he wasn't telling her off for not being careful? "No, especially not these dangly ones. Incredibly impractical, but they're pretty. After all, tonight is supposed to be for concealing your normal self, and maybe revealing what you truly want to be. Decided to indulge myself this one night. More tea, Sasuke-san?"
They'd parted ways after that pot of tea. She'd found the others and had bid them an early night. Ino and Ten Ten had asked after Sasuke, she'd felt it the better part of wisdom to say she hadn't seen him. She'd ignored the looks of disappointment. Hinata walked through the festival, lights and sounds surrounding her with cheerful ambience. She fell to contemplating one Uchiha Sasuke.

Fact: even after leaving Konoha, he was still the number one bachelor; few enough had known of Orochimaru, much less the hold he had over Sasuke. She had only been given details after Sasuke's return, when it was necessary, and when it wasn't as much of a sore subject with the important nin.

Fact: even if Orochimaru had been defeated, Sasuke still had a sword hanging over his head.

Fact: only those who were close to him, as close as one could get anyway, knew what that sword was.

Fact: he too had a bloodline, and he was the only one spared the Uchiha massacre. If that wasn't pressure to become a good ninja, then the Hyuuga influence on her was just a whisper of suggestion.

Fact: all the fangirls extolling his virtues would not change the fact that it was his defection that had led to the hospitalization of Neji, Lee, Naruto and Kiba, which had hurt her and Ten Ten, and also of Chouji and Shikamaru, which had hurt too, but Ino more so. She, Ino and Ten Ten had grown close in the sterile environment of the hospital. And much as those three had hurt, they knew that they couldn't hate Sasuke, it would take a while to forgive him, but he was Konoha shinobi, had been number one rookie Genin, he was someone who helped make Konoha. He wanted to be stronger, that much the three girls had figured out with the scraps of information that they had. Sasuke had fought Naruto, and had won. But Naruto was alive, and still hopeful. Which meant that Sasuke, even through his darkness, was not gone.

Fact: if presenting Orochimaru's head to the Godaime as an apology for leaving wasn't enough, then add to it that he'd agreed to take the Jounin exam, even if it was unlikely he'd become ANBU for a long time. He had essentially agreed to serve Konoha, grow stronger for them, without advancing toward any personal goals he might have. Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Ten Ten, Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Chouji; all had become Jounin. Neji was so close to joining ANBU. A little more time, and Shino, Shikamaru and Ten Ten would too. Everyone had been getting stronger. And so have I. Father acknowledges it. Even if Hanabi became Chuunin only a year after I did, I am not weak. Father may not be happy that the heir is weaker than the other Hyuuga nin, but he can not say that I am not fit to be the heir. I think I've dallied long enough. Chuunin isn't enough anymore. I will become Jounin, and by the time Naruto becomes Hokage, I will be one of the best medic nin Konoha has to offer. She stopped. She hadn't realized her feet had taken her thoughts so seriously, leading her to the training grounds. But as I'm here, let's see if we can't fight even in a dress. Mistakes are only truly mistakes when you can not or do not learn from them.
Tea was relaxing. Tradition was restful, because one didn't have to think. One merely had to follow the motions set years ago. If there was a clan that took tradition seriously, the house of Hyuuga was it. Even in a casual environment, like the tea house, the Hyuuga heiress was poised and polite, to a fault. She wasn't... normal. Kunoichi were usually one of two things in his mind. Rabid fangirls, blindly chasing something they thought they wanted. Or they were disillusioned, finally understanding that he was not perfect, that he was human. An example of the former would be the twenty four of this evening, and Haruno Sakura. Sakura was the line between the two categories. She knew, she was there, she'd been pushed away, but she still came back. Sasuke couldn't understand that.
The past was the past, the present was the present. How she could fuse her crush with her pain with her desire to preserve her illusion was beyond him.

Yamanaka Ino was one of the disillusioned. Those he could understand, he could tolerate them. He'd shown everyone he was human, and had given in to temptation. And those had finally understood that they were chasing the phantom of someone that couldn't exist. Hinata was not really either. When they were younger, she'd treated him with deference, caution and respect, as she treated everyone. They'd grown up, and now she was more familiar with people, a little more confident, and very much more popular, but quietly so. Every now and then he'd see her walking through the streets, running errands or something, despite being heiress. She never progressed very quickly, always having to stop and greet people, ask after the health of some ninja she'd helped at the hospital.

She'd looked at his seal after he came back. To make sure Orochimaru's death hadn't set off some kind of self destruction sequence. The Hokage had given her as much information as she could, hoping the Byakugan could confirm what her friends hoped for. He was sure Hinata had come to his hospital room almost immediately after that conference. She was a born healer, withholding nothing from those who needed her services. There was little pity that he could detect in her, she could never express disgust for someone she knew; she was polite, distant as became a healer. She was genuinely seeking to heal him, not because she thought she loved him, but because he was Uchiha Sasuke, a missing nin that had returned, and might be in danger.

That was the difference between her and Sakura. Hinata knew when to separate feelings from the real world, and was instinctively drawn to those who needed help. He smirked a bit at that thought. She'd been drawn to Naruto; he'd needed to know someone acknowledged him for all those years. But even if she had been drawn to him, she hadn't known what to do, which ultimately meant nothing. Her instincts had been ahead of her. Even for a kekkei genkai like the Byakugan, Hinata had amazing sight, not limited to tenkutsu; it was about time she had learned to use it. She had come into the room, Tsunade a step behind her, politely informed him of what she knew, and had asked if he would like her to examine it now, or come again after he'd recovered somewhat. He hadn't turned his gaze away from the window. Just told her to look at it, and do what needed to be done whenever.

And she had. He had a strange sense of déjà vu when they put him in a room so like the one Kakashi had stuck him in to seal the seal the first time. Hinata had talked the whole time they were setting up. She wasn't looking for conversation, she was simply informing him of what they intended to do. Her voice was soothing, soft, even; like a stream that could never be touched by flood or drought, it just went on forever, clear and refreshing. Sakura probably would have made a dozen promises, all foolish, all based on hope. Hinata simply told him what she knew, and what she hoped this would reveal.

After all that, he'd been released from the hospital, free to return to the empty halls of the Uchiha compound. He was just another ninja now. Hoping to take his place in the Jounin exam, renewing the dreams he had when he was a Genin. He was just another Konoha shinobi, maybe with a reputation to live down, but Naruto had lived like that too. And he would be damned if that idiot could handle the trials of society better than he. Trials that were without a doubt worse than the one he, Uchiha Sasuke faced. Almost the entire village shunning him versus fewer fan girls. Having to claw his way up from the bottom of the class versus building off being the number one rookie. No question about it. Uchiha Sasuke would pass this unofficial, unacknowledged test of society. Of course, it was easier when everyone knew he spent most of his time training anyway. People were not a major part of Uchiha Sasuke's life, never really would be. Training was more productive than contemplating an empty house, empty streets, the dim silence of people long gone. Becoming stronger was more productive than remembering that he'd put both parts of his vow on hold.

He paused. He was broody tonight. Probably because he'd gone to the festival, all the cheerful people, people who'd never known pain like his. People who thought they understood, people who didn't know a thing at all about him. He never tried to understand them, if he did, he did because they were a little like him. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to feel the pain, the proof that he was alive, that he was here. He wanted a fight. He wanted someone to acknowledge him as an equal; not a pawn, not part of the greater good, not on a pedestal. Too bad Naruto was probably following Sakura around the festival, in her search for him. He headed to the training grounds. One could never have too much practice.