Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of the Naruto-verse. I just like to toy with them

Author's note: un-beta'd and written very very quickly. Read at your own risk. Spoilers for Chapter 452

Resuscitate

Synonyms: arouse, awaken, breathe new life into, bring back to life, bring to, come to life, energize, enkindle, enliven, give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, invigorate, perform CPR, rejuvenate, renovate, restore, resurrect, revitalize, save, wake up

Neji was disturbed.

It didn't occur to him that Hinata would be interested in such a strange person.

It didn't bother him that his shy cousin had somehow begun dating.

It didn't surprise him that she was dating a shinobi rather than a tame civilian.

However, it did disturb him that Hinata was kissing the bastard in a very intimate manner in a very compromising position.

The two shinobi scattered as the tree they were sitting under was obliterated.

"Neji! You should not begrudge your cousin the power of YOUTHful love!" Gai-sensei declared as he blocked his former student's next attack on Sai.

The image of his innocent cousin engaging in any form of youthful love flashed in his minds eye. Neji determined that powerful genjutsu must be at work and performed the "release"jutsu.

He blinked.

Nothing changed. Hinata was approaching him with a worried look. Sai was standing next to Tenten while she whispered something. It sounds suspiciously like "…has over-protectiveness issues…not a complete jerk…"

Gai-sensei stood to the side and let Hinata pass. Hyuuga Neji took a deep cleansing breath. He waited for his cousin to speak. Explain. Deny. Transform into a log. Anything.

Hinata fidgeted.

"It's n-none of your business Neji-nisan." She blushed as she spoke and studied the ground.

Neji gaped at her simple statement. Which on the Hyuuga looked like a scowl and a slight parting of his thin lips. A crease formed between his eyebrows.

Hinata stance firmed suddenly and she looked up. "It's m-my choice. My life. My body." Her face flamed red as she said the last word with authority. Neji wondered if she would faint.

"Hinata-sama!… But you were – were!" Hyuuga Neji couldn't finish his sentence. Hinata had been straddling Sai. Her face bent over his and…aghh.

"It's NONE of your business Neji-nisan!" Hinata declared. Her face was still flushed. But her stance was defiant. She looked at him one more moment, quickly turned and walked back to Sai.

Hinata spoke quietly to Sai and Tenten while Gai-sensei deliberately stepped in front of Neji's view.

"Come Neji! Let us continue on our way to the training grounds. Lee is undoubtedly waiting for us!" He gripped Neji's shoulder. With the firmness of a father and the strength of an elite jonin, Maito Guy steered Neji away.

"He'll be okay. Neji-kun was just surprised." Tenten explained. Actually, Tenten was a little surprised that Hinata and Sai were so openly intimate. "I'll talk to him."

"Thank you for your support Tenten-chan." Hinata said sincerely.

Tenten waved off her thanks. "In the meantime, maybe you can go somewhere more private for…" making out. She almost said. "…your private activities." She finished lamely.

Hinata flushed and nodded. She looked at Sai and they both were gone in an instant.

"They are kinda cute together." Tenten said to no one. "Socially awkward and painfully shy." She smiled as she ran to catch up with the rest of Team Guy.

"I thought you were uncomfortable at my home." Sai half-stated, half-asked.

"Mumhum. But Tenten-chan is right. We should be more discrete." Hinata explained as she toed off her shoes and walked into Sai's studio.

Sai followed her into his studio and carefully put away his backpack, special brushes and inks. Hinata turned away and blushed slightly. It always felt like she was watching him undress when he was pulling off his shinobi gear. Which was ridiculous. Hinata had been on hundreds of missions with dozens of different teammates. Most of who were male.

Hinata stared openly at his bare mid-riff and admired the view for a moment before blushing again.

Sai was different. He was kind in strange ways.

She had fixed a bento lunch for Sai one time. The next day, he had fixed her a bento lunch. But when he met Hinata in the hallway of the Hokage tower, he never offered to help her carry scrolls or books. He just assumed she was capable of her work. The thought warmed Hinata. On the few missions they had shared, he had never questioned her role or tried to "help" her. His actions stated a simple certainty: she was capable.

Strange that she would find his indifference flattering.

"Do you want to sit on the couch or should we try it on my futon?" Sai inquired.

Right. Not so indifferent in some ways.

"Umm. Th-the couch is best. I think." She squeaked in reply.

He held out his hand and she took it. His hand was warm. He held her hand with a gentle pressure of his fingers over hers. It became easier every time. For both of them.

Sai led her to his couch and sat down. A moment later Hinata's long hair whispered by Sai's face as she placed one knee on the couch. She shifted her weight and her breasts brushed his chest as she brought her other knee to rest on the couch. Gently she sat down in an intimate straddle on his lap.

Sai sat perfectly still as warmth filled the space between them. He didn't know enough about emotions to understand it. But it was pleasant.

The former member of Root found his hands on her thighs and smoothly moved to the Hyuuga heiress's waist. He pulled her closer for a moment. He pressed his head to her chest and listened to her heartbeat. She didn't resist, but she didn't melt into his arms either. He inhaled the mix of smells; lavender, ink, and crushed grass from the training grounds.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly without changing position. "I like this."

Hinata blushed. Despite how many times she had held him like this over the past few weeks, she was surprised.

"It-it's okay." She answered. "I-I like this too. More then I should."

Sai pulled away from her so he could look at her pale eyes and flushed face. "After your mission is complete. Can we still date?" He whispered to her innocently. Like a child asking for dessert after dinner.

Hinata smiled uncertainly and bit her lower lip. "I don't know."

She really did like Sai's quiet company and constant confidence. And somehow his lean body fit her curves in all these terribly embarrassing blissful ways. She licked her lips nervously. "Ask me again when my mission is complete and you are safe. You might want to consider different options."

Sai accepted her statement at face value as he always did. She simply wasn't sure. Hesitantly, Sai touched Hinata lips with his fingertips. The lower lip was reddened from the pressure of her teeth. "Will you...will you kiss me?" He asked.

She nodded and gently brushed her lips against his. And then again. And then again with a small amount of pressure. His tongue touched her mouth gently and a soft exploration commenced.

They had weeks of pretending intimate touches. The real think was an emotional rush which left them both filled with heated curiosity.

Time passed and Hinata came up for air. "Wait." She pressed a hand to his face. She could feel the evidence of his desire. Her own body was melting with the intense desire to just touch him a little more. But she had work to do. "The mission."

Sai nodded. His normally pale face was flushed and his short neat hair was a mess. He looked more handsome and vulnerable then ever.

Hinata leaned over and her long hair draped over partially covering both of their faces. She focused on the place in the back of his tongue where she had mapped out most of the intricate lines of charka that could kill him. Only a little more and she could neutralize it.

She whispered "Byakugan."

Six weeks ago.

Shizune, assistant to the fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in Leaves spoke firmly with an intensity which shown in her eyes.

"This is an A ranked mission. Hyuuga Hinata, you are the only one with the right mix of skills who we can depend on."

"Your medical skills, your Byakugan, your familiarity with curse seals. Most of all your loyalty. This is a mission only you can complete." She continued.

"If you fail, Danzo and his collaborators in Root will win. And many will die." Shizune passed Hinata the mission scroll with the limited information they had collected on the Root curse seal.

"Sai will die." Sakura added.

"No one will know about this mission. Only you and Sai. He will be under surveillance so you must be careful." Shizune emphasized. "You need a good reason to be physically close to him. Frequently."

Hinata met Shizune and Sakura's intensity with calm determination.

"I won't let you down." Hinata promised quietly.

A/n: Started out as a silly and sort of stupid idea. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!