Nunchi (Korean): “The subtle and often unnoticed art of listening and gauging another person’s mood.”
Landing in the soft dirt after a portal jump, Hinata beheld a breathtaking sight she was not expecting.
“Sasuke...” Her silvery sweet voice floated gently to his ears.
He smiled at the sound of his name caressed by her tongue, and secured her more firmly in his hold. With a dichromatic stare, he admired the cute pout on her bewildered face. “Hn?”
“Are… are you sure this is the right place? Did you perhaps make a mistake?”
Wearing a playful smile on his lips, he quietly assured, “I made no mistake.”
He released her from his grip only to lead her by the hand towards the edge of a cliff. Surrounded by swooping green peaks framed by azure skies, and a steep jagged valley cut by a dazzling river below, the view was glorious. As magnificent as their setting was, there was no temple nearby.
When he took back his hand to tuck away in his pocket, Hinata suddenly felt bereft. Uncertainty gnawed at her insides. She scrutinized this normally stoic man as he shot his attention to his muddied boots and kicked the dirt sulkily.
“The temple marks the end of our journey.” His voice was quiet. It lacked his usual confidence, like he did not want to acknowledge his own words. Clenching his jaw, his pride forced him to bite back the truth.
The words ‘I’m not ready to leave you’ were never spoken.
Although he didn’t realize it, Hinata tacitly understood his intentions. She was bursting at the seams with bubbling joy, knowing he purposely added the detour to immerse himself in her company. Tears sprung to her eyes from the pressure building deep in her chest. There was no way to sufficiently express the wild emotions consuming her, so she decided to show him instead.
Sasuke was still looking at the ground when she surreptitiously approached. Visibly distressed, he did not notice her hand reaching out to comfort him.
She was so close she could feel the warmth and electricity shooting through her fingertips from his inner chaotic energy.
“What were you and Kiba talking about?” Sasuke abruptly asked.
Startled, her hand jerked back to her side as if burned. “Hm?”
“At the party.” His head turned and he fixed her with a serious stare. “You were hiding in the backyard. Why?”
Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped at the horrific claim. Indignant, she insisted, “I was not hiding.”
“Mmm. You were,” he smirked devilishly. “Tell me why.”
She let out a heavy sigh. Now it was her turn to look away. Her eyes searched the shapes in the sky for divination. “You might not know this, but I spent most of my life chasing Naruto. I was inspired by him. I wanted to be like him, and even thought I was in love at one point.”
He watched uncomplainingly as she paused for a breath and wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze finally shifting to him.
“When I told him, he completely ignored me. He never once mentioned to me that he had a girlfriend. I would have understood. I thought, as friends, he would have at least given me that courtesy. When he showed up with Shion at the party, I-,” she choked up and continued, “I just needed space.”
Scanning her hurt features for a moment, he dug in deeper. “Does it still upset you?”
Hinata furled her brows. She was never a good liar and yet she attempted, failing miserably. “No. Of course not.”
Sasuke offered a single incredulous glance before he scoffed and walked away from the cliff.
Nervous and feeling completely exposed, she asked, “Where are you going?”
He stopped and turned, facing her. Looking squarely at her, he commanded, “Pretend I’m Naruto. What do you want to say to me?”
Her head tilted to the side at his instruction. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do.” His agitation was rising. “If I was Naruto, what would you say so that you can move on?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head, hiding her eyes behind her curtain of long bangs. Her posture was closing off.
“Fine. Allow me to assist you.” He lifted his hand in front of his lips. With a sign and a whisper, a swirl of smoke covered him and lifted to reveal Naruto- or the apparition of him.
Hinata stared back blankly. Finally blinking, she took a deep breath, started to walk away, and evenly stated, “I’m not doing this.”
Before she could run off to where ever she thought she could escape to, Sasuke grabbed her wrist. Every time she tried to look away, he maneuvered so she’d have to look into blue eyes. “Say something. Just try. Tell me I’m an idiot.”
“Pardon me?” she balked at the suggestion.
“Is that too much?” Sasuke huffed loudly, placing a hand on his hip. Exasperated, he switched tactics and deadpanned, “Hit me.”
“I’ll block it, just hit me.”
Quickly swooping to her side and sliding away, loose dirt kicked up around them and Hinata’s long hair floated up, following the path of his escape. Checking her obi where she felt his brush, comprehension filled her eyes as they flew up to the Uchiha.
Holding the scroll containing the spoils of their travels, he dangled it dangerously over the cliff’s edge.
“Attack me, if you want this back.” Sasuke smiled mischievously, seeing the terrified look on her face.
With a secure grip on the scroll, he quickly bobbed his arm down and back up in mock clumsiness. He gasped and lied dramatically, “Oh dear. I almost lost it there.”
Her eyes flashed malevolently. She looked as fierce as a hissing kitten to him. Between clenched teeth, she cautioned, “Give. It. Back.”
Observant of how close she was to losing her inner battle, Sasuke gave her a wicked smirk and opened his fist. The rolled paper plummeted to its rocky grave. For a moment the only noise was the breeze whipping against the cliffsides. The sharp movement and resounding roar that came next were a stark contrast, startling him to action.
“KIAI!!!” Hinata released her battle cry and charged at Sasuke.
He darted away from the cliff’s edge onto more solid ground. Without missing a beat, Hinata spun and arced her palm towards his destination with a blast of chakra.
A large boulder behind him, some yards away, split in half from the blow he narrowly avoided. While he was fast, her predictions were fairly accurate.
He stared at her, still wearing Naruto’s face, in astonishment. She was really mad.
In the blink of an eye, she was upon him. He used his forearm to throw off a palm thrust, and a backstep to avoid another ambush. Each movement he made in defense, Hinata targeted with precision- lashing out with the intense fury of a cornered animal.
Continuing blow for blow in lock step with each other as if this were a harmless training session, Sasuke remarked with a teasingly nonchalant air, “You’re angry.”
Frustration evident in her struggle and the set of her mouth, her chest heaved and she finally admitted, “Of course I’m angry. You. Just. Dropped. Everything. We WORKED FOR!” Each word emphasized by an attempted finishing move.
With a demeanor involved in discourse over whether or not it is preferable to shower in the morning or at night, Sasuke wavered his head from one shoulder to shoulder as he debated. “Well, yes. And also, no. You are upset about what I did just now, but deep down you’re really angry at Naruto. You just refuse to acknowledge it, and the longer you refuse, the more this anger will fester. I should know. I’m the king of festering anger.”
His self-deprecating humor was completely lost on the aggressive yet graceful Hyuga. The veracity of his statement struck a chord in her, but only made her want to hit him harder. How could she accept this manic rage she was feeling towards the man she admired for so long? The hero of the five nations. She had no right to be mad at him, right? Plus, she was always a nice and forgiving person. Shouldn’t she just do what she always did and accept the undeserved disrespect someone handed to her?
Sasuke wasn’t done yet. He knew the importance of this moment. He didn’t want to hurt her. If she was going to overcome what happened between her and Naruto, she needed to confront it. Gods did he need her to put Naruto completely in her past. Whatever it took, he would make sure that if they were going to move forward together, without regrets. His voice dipped low with urgent desperation. “Use this anger, Hinata. Focus your mind on what’s really hurting you, and let it out.”
A grimace crossed her lovely face, a bead of sweat forming at her temples. The logic in his advice seeping through the miasma. Determination sparked behind her irises, complying without letting up on her assault. Like a crack in a dam, the complaints slowly began trickling past her lips. “Naruto. You were my hero. And I thought you were my friend.”
“I am your friend,” Sasuke countered.
“No,” she sternly disagreed. “A friend would be honest. A friend would not ignore you. A friend would try to explain.”
“What if I said I was trying to spare your feelings?”
“I don’t need my feelings spared! Do you think I’m some delicate flower that can’t handle the truth that you have a girlfriend? Or that you don’t see me romantically? I would have understood! I almost died to protect you. Neji DID die to protect us. I didn’t deserve your silence. What I needed, was my friend! When I needed you most YOU DISAPPEARED!” Screaming the last two words, she targeted a slap across the man’s face in front of her.
Allowing Naruto’s form to disperse, Sasuke caught her hand in the air and they both paused their actions. Staring into each other’s eyes. Reading beyond the words. Breathing each other’s air as they both panted heavily- partly from exertion but mostly from nerves.
His fingers curled gently around hers. She may be looking at him, but they were seeing the past. Her mind was reliving the pain as he spoke. “If Naruto were here right now, what would you want to tell him?”
He expected her to cry, to scream, to wallow in self-pity. He did not expect the quirk of her lips when her next sentence flowed out.
“You’re an idiot,” she said simply. There was a hint of humor in her smile.
Not sure he heard her properly, Sasuke sought clarity. “What did you say?”
Adding more emphasis and volume, she stated, “You’re an idiot, Naruto!”
He smiled, realizing she was saying the words he told her to say at the beginning. He shouted back, “Louder!”
Turning to face her entire body towards the void of the canyons, she screamed fervently, “YOU’RE AN IDIOT, NARUTO!”
Hinata’s voice echoed around the valley sides in resounding agreement forcing a bright smile on her face. Still beaming with excitement written on her features, she swiveled her head to look at Sasuke’s unreadable expression.
Speaking with a deep rumble in his velvety low tenor, the Uchiha took slow and calculated steps in her direction. “Naruto, is such an idiot.”
Unsettled by the predatorial glint in his eyes that swallowed her like a succulent treat, she stuttered, “Y-yes. He was very rude to me.”
Sasuke’s eyes flared in amusement and the edge of his mouth lifted. “The audacity.”
Her brows tethered confusedly together. She stared up at the taller man, who was now close enough to send sparks flying across her skin. “Are… are you making fun of me?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” Although his words refuted her claim, his mirthful tone and pleased appearance seemed to contradict his statement. Unconsciously, his bloodline limit activated and he perused the soft lines of her face, the smooth curves of her breasts, and the suppleness of her skin. His warm breath sent a thrill up her spine. He was a fingertip away from pressing himself to her body, but he stood his ground imposingly. “Is there anything else you want to say?”
“To Naruto?” she questioned.
“Hn.” He inclined his head once in affirmation.
After a brief pause to reflect, she casually shrugged a shoulder. “I suddenly don’t feel like it. But I do have some words for you!”
Flashing a charming smile that revealed his perfect canines, Sasuke stepped back, releasing the tension of their stance. Reaching behind him, he pulled out the missing scroll and held it to her in apologetic offering.
“I used a genjutsu to make you believe I dropped it. You were too emotional to notice the change in chakra.”
Snatching the precious item between two hands and resecuring it between her side and her obi, she suspired, “Thank you. For everything.”
He swallowed at the sincerity in her words feeling entirely undeserving of her gratitude. She did not know how grateful he felt for her, and this journey they experienced. Something in him had changed even if his circumstances were the same. It was like he could breathe again after being stifled for too long.
Extending an open palm, his left eye shifting from red to purple, the shimmering portal swelled into existence. “Let’s finish this.”
She bobbed her head and held his hand. “Yes. Let’s.”
The familiar tickle fluttered in her gut and a rush of air swept around her. Soon the sounds of tranquil nature filled her eardrums. When she saw the elaborately carved structure in front of her, she was in awe.
They were standing inside the gates of the temple.
