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When she first opened her eyes, all that she could comprehend were the white tiles that loomed above her. So stark and pure that when she finally emerged from oblivion, they blinded her. Her eyes fluttered erratically, taking in what little light she could handle after days or weeks of darkness. Funny how, not only was it difficult to surpass insurmountable death, they had to make it even harder for her when she did.

Hinata groaned, squeezing her eyes shut and went to move her hand over her eyes.

Only it was strung up.

And in a cast.

So was her leg.

Now that she noticed, her entire body was basically wrapped in gauze and bandages. Only her left arm and leg were left to fend for themselves against the sterile chill of the hospital room. Yet the intensity of the white tiles were much more intolerable than the fact that she couldn't move seventy five percent of her body. Tears involuntarily pooled in response to the bright irritation and Hinata lifted her good arm to wipe them away.

The soft rumble of a door sliding distracted Hinata from her vexations, turning her head to see Sakura standing in the doorway.

"You're awake." Sakura tilted her head, the glasses resting on her nose slipping down a little further. The pink haired medic made her way to Hinata's bedside, her heels clicking against the floor.

"I swear I'm not crying. It's just, really bright in here." Hinata wiped at her still watering eyes.

"Well, you did strain your blood limit to the very brink of its capacity so I would imagine you'd have difficulty adjusting." Sakura reached over the bluenette and grabbed her chart, frowning as she began to flip through the notes. "In fact it'll be like this for quite some time, I'd say a week. The trauma to your body doesn't help either." The medic jotted down a few more things before settling the papers into the clipboard and placing it on the bedside table.

"Ugh, even the tiniest bit of light makes my eyes water." Hinata gave up wiping and opted to just keep her eyes closed.

Sakura glanced at Hinata for a moment before crossing her arms. "So what happened? How do you go from walking in the market one day to lying in a hospital wrapped entirely in casting the next?"

Hinata's face blanched. How did she get here? She remembered not being able to breathe. She remembered pain and bloodshed, the green grass and the circular clearing.

Kasinami Sora.

ANBU tryouts.

It all came rushing right back to her as she recalled the battle that barely left her alive. She replayed the moments in her head, her smile growing wider with recognition.

"I remember! Haha! I remember!" Hinata wanted to jump up and down from the sheer excitement despite her extensive injuries. This was amazing! The proctors had wiped the memories of the losing opponent immediately after the battle, even if they were bleeding out or on the brink of death. Nothing mattered more than the ANBU anonymity, and the fact that she could still remember was a good sign that she had been accepted into ANBU or at least won the match!

'I did it!'

"Remembered?" Sakura looked at the bluenette with a raised brow.

Hinata fought to control her excitement. "Um, nothing. I just- I just got into a really i-intense spar with someone."

Sakura crossed her arms and frowned. "Hinata you were barely breathing when you came to me. It wasn't just some spar. I know what happened Hinata. All high level medical personnel are authorized to know for the best emergency care during the trials."

"Oh. Well then can you at least congratulate me?" Hinata smiled in the direction of the pink haired medic.

Sakura scoffed and rolled her eyes, a small grin forming at her lips. "Che, might as well while I still remember." She bent down for a hug before reconsidering and instead, patted Hinata on the forehead. "I don't want to jostle you so, good job Hina."

Hinata laughed, "Thank you."

Sakura turned around and headed for the door. "I'll check up on you in about three hours. Try not to die in between then." The pinkette waved her hand behind her as she went.

Hinata giggled and saluted the medic with her good arm. "I'll do my best!" A thought occurred to her just before the pinkette was out of earshot. "Hey Sakura!"

It was only a few moments before the the pink haired medic reappeared at the door. "What?"

"Two things. What do you mean while you still can remember?"

Sakura sighed and stepped into the room, sliding the door closed behind her. "Well when you're promoted to an Attending at a hospital, they require you to sign a consent form basically saying that you'll allow your memory to be wiped for all special forces cases, just to ensure secrecy."

Hinata frowned. "You're getting your memory wiped because of me?"

Sakura smiled and rolled her eyes. "Not really considering there are others, so it's not just you. Plus it happens every year so this isn't anything new to me."

Hinata's mouth opened in shock "Every year? That's really brave of you." Sakura shrugged and leaned back against the wall.

"I wouldn't prefer it but it is what it is. What's the second thing?"

"Oh." Hinata flushed slightly but she turned her head to the side so Sakura couldn't see. "I-I was wondering about Sasuke…"

Sakura's smiled faltered as her eyes glazed down to the ground. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I was actually about to get Naruto so he could tell Sasuke that you were awake."

"Ah." Sakura looked up at the bluenette who had her eyes closed but was intently listening, most likely hoping there was more than what the medic had already said.

"Sasuke… has been busy as of late with all the new recruits and such, but he's been visiting you almost everyday whenever he gets the chance."

Hinata gasped. "Oh! How long have I been out?"

"About a week and a half."

Hinata's jaw dropped in shock. She didn't know how she felt. It was a crazy bubble of mixed emotions since she was warm and fuzzy about how Sasuke had been visiting her and yet, it was incomprehensible as to how she lost a whole week and then some.

"It's a sum to process but you'll be fine. I've already stretched protocol so I'm gonna go get Naruto to tell Sasuke. See you in three hours."

"Okay." Hinata heard the door slide open and shut again, Sakura's heels clicking away at an unusually quick pace. She wondered why Sakura wouldn't just go straight to Sasuke, but then again they were both busy and Naruto could probably spare a moment.

Hinata relaxed as much as she could into the hospital bed. She wondered how soon Sasuke would be able to come once he heard that she'd woken up. Over the past few months, they'd gotten pretty close to each other, scratch that, really close to each other.

It had gotten to a point where Hinata couldn't deny it any further. She felt something for her instructor. Something more than friends.

The bluenette thought back to when she had her revelation. She remembered shaking every more-than-friends thought out of her head. All the times where she'd catch herself admiring the strength and grace of his body only to beat herself up about it later. Every mean, snarky comment he had ever said to her mixed in with the concerned and caring moments they shared. He was a confusing mess but Hinata had come to think of him as her confusing mess.

Hinata sighed and let her head drop to the side and off her pillow. She didn't want to mess anything up with their friendship since Sasuke seemed to be the only person she could really open up to and vice versa. She didn't want to screw it up because of some silly feelings. Hinata knew that Sasuke cared for her but she didn't know in what way. Imagining his dark demeanor and spiky raven hair, he just didn't seem like a loving kind of guy who would get himself into a relationship. In fact he didn't even seem like a relationship type of guy. If Hinata didn't know any better, she would've thought he was asexual.

Hinata grimaced at her own train of thought. She really knew how to pick them. First, it was the eccentric blonde who wouldn't give her the time of day, and now, it was a guy who could potentially be in love with himself and was incapable of differentiating between a happy and a sad face. Seriously, he had the same expression for everything, except in those rare moments that Hinata had managed to get a laugh out of him, where she would just sit in complete wonderment to see such a stoic man smile. It was like seeing a double rainbow with a unicorn in between.

But she lived in those moments, like really lived. To see Sasuke unguarded and open toward her meant that he had placed some level of trust in her. She knew how careful she had to handle it because it was the most precious thing that Sasuke had to give. It made her feel special, wanted and needed in a way she never was before. Hinata silently vowed, to him and herself, that she would never, ever come to betray that trust. To her last breath.

Even if he didn't want her the way she wanted him.

Hinata still kept her eyes shut against the bright tiles of the ceiling and sighed. Sasuke was extremely confusing. He would keep his distance some days and be right beside her the next. Sasuke was always there for the hard parts. He'd held her through the anniversary of Neji's passing, her grief and sorrow making her into some sort of animal, yet he remained, a silent strength in her weakest hour. He'd been there for two out of the three years since she lost her closest relative and guardian. The following days had been awkward, mostly on her part since Hinata didn't know how to face him. He was resilient and fortified while she felt as though she would shatter. It wasn't until they sat by each other one day, Hinata staring out into the training field. She was remembering one of her spars with Neji, one they had on that same exact field. He'd beaten her to a pulp that day but at the end, he'd stood above her with his hand outstretched, a smirk playing on his lips and telling her to get back up. She remembered the breathless smile she gave him as she took it, jumping back up for another round of kick-assery.

The memory made her entire body sag against the tree she rested against and her breath left her as reality reminded her that Neji was gone. Her comrade, her guardian, her cousin, her best friend. Gone, and she would never again hear him say her name, never see him smile at her, never feel his hand on top of her hair, ruffling it, never again…

She began to hyperventilate. She struggled to regain her breathing, the sharp intakes short and painful. Too much yet not enough.

She hardly registered hands grasping her face, pulling her eyes to face steely dark onyx. She stared at him but didn't really see him. It wasn't until she really lifted her empty gaze did she see the understanding and sincerity in the person who now held her attention.

"Breathe." Sasuke sat in front of her, his cool gaze commanding her.

It wasn't his order that made her slow down. It was his complexion, his expression of complete surety. His eyes promised what he didn't say aloud. The pain would never disappear but it would dull. The memories would ache. They would hurt like a punch to the gut but they weren't there to remind her that Neji was gone, no, they were a reminder as to how he lived. Uchiha Sasuke knew, he knew that even though she could fall apart, she could piece herself together as well. And that at the end of the day, he would be there to remind her that she would be okay. Because Neji would've wanted her to be.

They didn't speak much after that, Hinata just nodded and they stood up to resume training. But she fought with a new vigor. Now, she believed in herself and in her purpose. She believed that she could live through it all and the pain that came with it.

And it all began when she believed in him.

Hinata had fallen asleep. With her eyes being closed for that amount of time, it was inevitable but once she woke, the blinding white tiles came after her again.

She groaned and stirred, her arm instinctively shooting up to cover her eyes.

"They should really do something about that."

Hinata's eyes shot open in surprised. "WH-AHH!"

'Sasuke! THE FUCK!' Stark pure white assaulted her vision, tasing her right in the eyeballs. Cursing at herself, Hinata snapped her eyes shut and wrapped her palm around them as if it would keep them from falling out.

"Sorry." She could just imagine Sasuke's stoic facade, shoulders shrugging. She hadn't even sensed his presence! He was probably judging her for that in the back of his head right now and the blandness behind his half-assed apology suggested that it was in fact, her fault that she got snuck up on.

"How long have you been here?!" Hinata didn't want to look at him since she knew her face was flushed, from embarrassment, shock, happiness, excitement…

"About an hour." Sasuke made no move from his chair beside her bed. He just sat and assessed her condition, from her casts to her bandages. He was in the middle of training his squadron when Naruto came bounding out of the trees to tell him that Hinata was finally awake. After a week of monitoring her, the bluenette was finally coming out of her mini coma and Sasuke had dropped everything to be there as soon as he could. His squadron was confused as to why he passed off the instruction to his second in command but gave a short dutiful response that made it sound like an urgent matter.

Which it was. To him.

Naruto had departed to tell the others and he had ran to the hospital only to find Hinata dozing. Her hair was still that sharp shade of indigo and still shined subtly, even under the overbearing lights of the hospital. Her complexion was still a little too pale for his liking but color had returned to her cheeks. He had died a thousand deaths looking down at her on that field. She was collapsed, unmoving and barely breathing. Blood stained where her blush always appeared. There were proctors who were debating on whether or not the hit had counted and if they should have her memories erased. Sasuke had her in his arms after only a second and didn't say a word as he bounded to the hospital himself. They shouted and called after him but he didn't care. He would deal with the legalities later but Hinata was in his arms and he didn't know how far she had pushed herself. He usually never prayed but he sent a quick one, asking to whatever deity was listening that she hadn't gone over the edge.

He had wanted to bring her to Tsunade but she wasn't at the hospital and the time it took her to get here would've been too long. So he sought out Sakura and the young medic stopped in her tracks as she saw the scene in front of her. Blood and bruises everywhere on Hinata and the most frantic expression Sakura had ever seen from Sasuke.

"Help her."

From there, Sakura quickly lead him to an empty room in the far reaches of the wing since all the others were occupied. Medics tried to pry Hinata from his arms but Sasuke gave them the most terrifying glare until they backed off. Under the careful instruction of Sakura, Sasuke carefully placed the unconscious bluenette on the cot, making sure all her weight was distributed to her good side before Sakura quickly shoved him out.

Sasuke didn't realize that he'd been panting and fought to slow his breathing. He looked down at his uniform, tainted with blood. Hinata's blood He rarely ever lost his cool but where Hinata was involved, his emotions were a wild card. He paced a few steps before running out of the hospital and headed towards his own home. He had to get this blood off of him.

The former avenger shot through his house and took off his uniform, throwing it in the wash basin before grabbing a new set. Sasuke dressed and went to rub off the blood stains. The water went pink and Sasuke felt sick in his stomach but once the stains were removed Sasuke hung his uniform to dry and tossed the water, feelings miles better. He stalked back out of the house in his clean uniform and debated whether he should go back to the hospital.

Sakura was probably working with her and it would be a while before he got to see her. Plus it would make him anxious just sitting around and waiting. The raven decided to head back to the tournament. They were most likely still arguing about whether or not the match counted and as ANBU captain, he surely would have a say in it. Hinata hadn't gone through the beating of her life for nothing and he was going to make sure of that.

He had spoken in her favor and thus, Hinata's name was initiated into his ANBU squadron. But a week and a half later, sitting in that stiff hospital chair and watching her breathe with difficulty, he questioned whether or not he had made the right decision. He had a hard time watching her struggle the way she did during her match against Kasinami Sora and knew, with a shred of despair, that he and his team had been through worse. Much worse.

To think that she would be sharing their experience sometime soon already made Sasuke cringe but if and when it actually happened, he might go brain-dead. He should just tell her to stop but he'd already helped her so far, it didn't make sense for him to suddenly quit on her. And despite her uncanny ability to put herself at risk, she was his woman and he would do whatever it took to get her where she wanted to be.

He smirked a little. 'His woman.'

Sasuke had never felt the way he did when he was with Hinata. She made him feel whole and together when he was always just pretending. She was the one who showed him that the crevices of his soul weren't so endless as he'd thought. Hinata knew exactly what to say and when to say it but what he loved, yes loved, even more was her quiet attentiveness. Always listening and waiting. No one ever did that for him, even though his closest teammates had offered. He had tried but they were always expecting something. Hinata never expected anything to come from his long thoughts of reflection. Sometimes he would even hit a dead end and leave it where it was but Hinata never pushed him and always leaned back and put her own thought into it. It never felt like a psychologic consult, the way it felt with Sakura the first time he tried, rather forced himself to try to open up to her.

Confiding in Hinata was like having a conversation, the kind of conversation that made bonds grow deeper and truer until Sasuke had declared to himself that Hinata was all he would ever want and all he ever would need.

The ex-heiress was his and that fact was undisputed by all. He knew Sakura still felt something toward him but he'd made it clear that he was only interested in one person. On the other hand, Sasuke was aware of Hinata's childhood crush on Naruto and despite being inseparable teammates, Sasuke still held a small grudge against his girlfriend's old object of affection.

But now as Hinata laid in quiet thought, Sasuke tossed all of it from his mind. He only looked at the bluenette, waiting for her to say whatever that was on her mind.

"So… you've just been sitting there for an hour?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"…Doing what?"

Sasuke only stared at her casted form impassively. "Watching you."

"Um…t-that's kind of creepy."

The raven narrowed his eyes. "A man can't watch his woman while she lays injured and completely helpless?"

Even though she couldn't move much initially, she could tell the difference between the lack of movement compared to the rigid, frozen form that she now possessed.

There was a long drawn out minute of silence before Hinata sputtered. "Y-y-you w-what?"

"You can't even move from your bed so apologies if I was being inconsiderate." Sasuke drawled, his tone laced with hard sarcasm.

"N-n-no- y-you said…" Hinata stuttered out. She stilled herself to the point where her muscles kind of ached from the strain. It was as if the sound of her skin stretching could distort what he had just said and what he might repeat again.

"That you're injured? Helpless? Useless? Yes, I said all those things."

"No, not-"

"Useless? Alright maybe I tacked that one on at the end but-"

"No, you said I was…" Her voice dropped down several volumes until all that escaped was air.

Sasuke leaned forward in his chair. "Come again."

Hinata gulped. "Your woman. You said I was your woman." She'd gone beet red and her emotions were in the most confusing place they had ever been.

Sasuke stared at her blankly. "…And?"

Hinata gaped at him. "AND?! and?! w-w-when.., when?!" She was truly at a loss for words and if she wasn't just short of being tied to the bed, she was pretty sure she would've gotten up and shook the living daylights out of him to answer her.

On the other hand, Sasuke sat in deep thought. Had he…? Well, technically he never really asked her but he had already assumed she'd know. He didn't treat her like other girls and he made it clear that he deeply cared for her on a romantic level. Plus, all of the rookie nine knew that they were an item. Yet Sasuke couldn't pass over the dread that maybe, just maybe Hinata had never gotten the hint. even though it was as big and clear as a bright neon sign the color of Naruto's jumpsuit.

A missed hint that was becoming extremely evident as Hinata laid in silence, her eyes moving wildly under her eyelids.

And as he stared at her.

So he stared. And stared. And stared.

"For Kami's sake."

It wasn't for another five minutes until Hinata broke the silence. "So… we were- are? dating?"

Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. "For about three months now."

"H-h-how could you not even tell me?! Or a-ask me for that matter?!" Hinata gasped.

"Why do I have to ask?" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. He truly was confused about her reaction.

"Oh, I don't know because it's a rather important piece of information don't you think?!" Hinata pursed her lips and if her eyes had been open, Sasuke was sure he would've seen them roll.

Sasuke sighed. "Well it's irrelevant now. Do you want to be considered together or apart?"

The bluenette frowned. The onyx eyed raven always had a crude way of asking things. "You mean if I want to be a thing with you?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed. He stood up and leaned over her, feeling her breath hitch in response. "Being with me is not some mere thing." Sasuke pushed off of the cot and stood straight above her with his face schooled into a figure of authority. "You're in for life."

Hinata had no words as she slowly nodded. She knew how it was with Sasuke, how it is always all or nothing. And it wasn't like she'd been waiting for this for the entirety of the time she's known him, nope not at all.

Sasuke smirked down at the bluenette and brushed her hair back from her face. "Here." Sasuke reached into his pocket and produced a pair of sunglasses. "These will help. Been there, done that."

He placed it on over her eyes and took a step back to look. Her entire right side was strung up to hover right above the bed and her left arm and leg cuddled up under the blanket that surrounded her. With the sunglasses, the kunoichi looked like the chillest nearly dead patient ever and even that couldn't stop Sasuke from bursting out in laughter.

Hinata was immediately transfixed even though she knew she should be pouting. His laughter was truly a sound to behold and it made Hinata smile, which in turn made the scene look even more ridiculous and caused the usually stoic Uchiha to laugh even harder. No one in the five kingdoms would ever see this side of Sasuke and wouldn't believe that this person was hidden beneath the tortured layers of the ex-avenger even they saw it for themselves.

Hinata thanked Kami that day for bringing Uchiha Sasuke to her, so that she could see what others believed to be lost.

Because what she'd discovered and what Sasuke had assumed, was that she was his and he was hers.

So I know it's taken me five-ever but finally a new chapter! I'm sorry it isn't as action packed as my previous chapters but I really wanted to get down deep and establish the foundation of what SasuHina feel for each other and where it came from. And I was trying to give you the feels.

BUT WOW! Two whole chapters dedicated to Sasuke's reminiscing about how they "officially" became an item. It's a little more fluff than I usually go for but I'm happy with it :) He needs to remember less though two chapters is A LOT xD I promise next chapter is back to the present, to when they're already married. It'll be action packed with a little bit of everything :) I'll still jump back now and then when it fits but I actually have a plot going now so it won't be as often.

Thank you for reading this far and I hope your lives are going splendidly. I will continue to upload chapters, slowly but surely. Feel free to leave reviews and critiques! They're always welcome and I love to know what you think! If you feel that this story is worthy of your favorite or follow...

Please.

Plz. Love me.

Till next time, over and out.

xoxo,

Uchiha Setsuka