I apologize for not responding to the reviews. But some of them are almost a year old and then that made me feel awkward. And I froze in indecision. However, I read them and cherished them! A review on AO3 made me update this. :)

Stay safe. Stay healthy. And allow yourself at least some happiness. Enjoy.

oOo

Bushido Virtue: Self Control

Sasuke hated how damp the warehouse was. Cold and humid, it was a terrible place to store items like explosives and metal susceptible to rust. He lost count of the number of items he put up to be destroyed. But it was the fault of some long dead Hokage and Sasuke was only here to waste time until his punishment was over.

Speaking of items that were vulnerable to water, Sasuke frowned at the box of scrolls open in front of him. The smell of old paper hit his nose and he crinkled it in disgust. He hoped none of these were moldy because he needed to look through every single one. If valuable, he would have to put it aside for an archivist to restore or rewrite.

Most of scrolls were innocuous. The contents were full of basic instructions that Sasuke learned as a genin. How to rig wire traps. Beginner taijustu stances. Chakra diagrams.

But one of them in the middle caught his eye. His senses tingled in warning as he closed his hand around it. The item appeared the same as the rest he had seen so far but was free from damage. Appearances could be deceiving. Sacrificing some chakra, he used his Sharingan to check for genjutsu.

His hunch was proved correct when the genjutsu was dispelled. He was able to get rid of it easily, but the fact that someone had gone to the trouble of disguising it made it suspicious. The scroll had a plain wax seal that peeled back easily underneath Sasuke's thumbnail. Now curious, he carefully unrolled a section and poured over the contents.

His brows furrowed as he read.

Fuinjutsu

The art of sealing requires patience and careful chakra control. This jutsu can seal objects, chakra, living beings, and practically anything one can imagine. This text will explore the applications, limitations, and techniques required to become proficient in Finijutsu.

It seemed like a common textbook. So why, Sasuke mused, was it hidden with a genjutsu? And why was there no design on the seal? The paper was of very fine quality. It must have belonged to a prestigious family or a library.

Sasuke rerolled the scroll. He tapped the end of it on the table as he thought. The mystery of it all was intriguing. And his Rinnegan would be able to see any pattern such as a hidden code.

Mind made up; he tucked the scroll into his cloak. No one would miss it.

oOo

Sasuke did not remember the last time he wanted to see someone enough to intentionally seek them out. However, that is what he found himself doing the next morning. He left the scroll alone the previous night. He wanted to work on building his new house and he needed to finish reading the relevant books before he could do so.

During breakfast with Jugo, he had looked around the small kitchen and thought about Hinata. And about what Jugo had said. About her joining their clan of two.

It appealed to him. Even if she had not sworn her undying devotion to him like Jugo had, she was a strong fighter. She was in search of a place in the village. Just like Sasuke and Jugo. She had things to offer them. With her knowledge of chakra, she could contribute to help regulate Sasuke until the cuff came off. Perhaps even teach Jugo what happened to his chakra when he went into his rages.

Without someone to have his children, Sasuke would have to grow his clan by adoption in the meantime.

How would he approach her about it? Jugo had asked to join.

Sasuke would need a plan. First thing he needed to do was gather intelligence. He also needed some chakra regulating tea if he wanted to spend time with that scroll.

With his excuse in mind, he set out for the Nara forest. It was an oppressively warm morning already, but when he entered the trees, the shade and the breeze made it a pleasant temperature. He inhaled the smell of the earth deeply. He liked it on the edge of town. It was wilder here.

He drifted through the trees like a silent specter until he reached Hinata's cottage. And there he paused. For Hinata was on the porch, kneeling at a small table. And she was not alone.

Sprawled on the other side, lazily smoking and blinking sleepy eyes at the tabletop was the Nara heir. Shikamaru.

Sasuke paused, taken by sudden surprise. He knew Hinata was friends with Tenten and Jugo, so it made sense that she knew other people in the village. Even more so that she was on the edge of the Nara property. It could even be said that Naruto had asked Shikamaru to watch over Hinata.

But Sasuke's fist clenched as sudden anger coursed through him. The intensity of it was shocking but he allowed it.

Hinata was Sasuke's responsibility. No one else's. If he did not let the Hyuga take her, then less so the Nara clan.

Stalking up to the porch, he waited for the two to acknowledge him. Hinata noticed him as soon as he stepped into the clearing around her house. Her gentle smile grew as she tilted her face towards him.

"Hello," she greeted quietly.

"Hn." Sasuke responded.

Shikamaru indolently raised a hand in greeting then extended the same hand towards the table. Sasuke realized there was a shogi board on it. Shikamaru moved a piece.

"Shikamaru has been my shogi partner since a little after I moved here." Hinata explained cheerfully. "I'm no match for him, but I used to play when I was in Mifune's court."

"Tch." Shikamaru turned his head so he could blow smoke into the wind and away from Hinata. "I've never seen your techniques before. Mifune must have taught you some tricks."

Hinata smothered a giggle in her long sleeve. Sasuke took another look at her and realized she was wearing a kimono. He had only seen her wear them at important meetings. And her veil covered her whole face and was made of a gossamer thin lace, with the dark mask covering her eyes underneath it. With him, she wore shapeless or men's clothing. Was she trying to impress Shikamaru?

Sasuke felt a headache blossoming between his eyes. Unlike Sasuke, Shikamaru was going to head a large clan. And he was an adviser to Naruto. In some sense, Shikamaru had a lot more to offer Hinata than Sasuke did.

And what did Sasuke have? A clan of two, and the hatred of half the village. He could raze the village to the ground, cuff or not. But Hinata wanted to assimilate.

He was at a disadvantage and he hated that he was realizing that now.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, he spat out the only response he could think of. "How do you recognize which pieces are yours?"

Hinata smiled and picked up a spare nearby piece. It was white. "All of mine have a small bit of my chakra embedded in them. And an engraving at the bottom. Shikamaru has his chakra in his."

He took the piece she offered to him. He ran his thumb over the kanji for "white."

"And the board itself is engraved so I can feel the spaces. And Shikamaru-san is kind enough to let me know when I put something out of place." She turned to smile at the man in question.

He shrugged. "Cheating is not as interesting."

Sasuke snatched Hinata's hand but made sure his grip was gentle as he guided it the way he wanted. He placed the cool game piece in her palm. "Well. Since you're busy I'll come back." He made sure that his tone was level, if not disinterested.

"Oh." She breathed. "I'm sorry, was it something important? Do you need something?"

Yes. "No," he bit out. "I'll be back," he said more to Shikamaru than Hinata.

He turned sharply on his heel and faded back into the forest. He forgot the tea.

oOo

Anger thrummed in Sasuke like his heartbeat. His eyes felt like there was sand behind his eyelids as they ached to activate. To do something. Sasuke fumed. Not since before he joined Orochimaru did Sasuke feel so outmatched. Sasuke contained unrivaled power and he could still lose Hinata to someone who had money and prestige.

He had been in war and fought the first ever chakra user and now he was stuck with useless training. There was no purpose to it. He did not care about the loss of his power as much as he cared about this feeling of uselessness. Naruto did not need him and now, it seemed neither did Hinata. Without Jugo, what was the point of even being in this village and suffering the indignity of being shackled?

He hissed once before stalking towards the skeleton of a house that had been fallen into disrepair long ago. Sasuke did not feel like the ghosts of his family haunted his property. He knew they had moved on, gone in the cycle of reincarnation to, hopefully, live out their full lives.

Most of the houses had not been salvageable and the Hokage had decided to tear them down instead of keeping them up as a reminder. The ones that could be saved, were. Perhaps in the hope that one day there would be people to fill them.

But they had been left to rot when Sasuke left the village. And when he came back, only his family home had been anything resembling livable once he evicted all the small creatures and insects that had moved in.

Jugo approached, probably drawn by the killing intent that Sasuke did not care to stifle. "Sasuke?"

"I want to burn something."

Jugo pulled even with Sasuke as they eyed the building in front of them speculatively.

"The concrete did come in today." Jugo murmured in thought. "We need to clear space for the new foundation. I've been working on some plans." He pointed at a sapling that was growing through a hole in the porch. "I want that plant, though."

"Then get it," Sasuke instructed, stalking around the house. He found a rusty pail in the back and brought it back.

Jugo smiled. "Just one second."

Sasuke huffed a breath. His patience was waning as his headache was growing. "I'll start over there. And don't you think you're going to get away with not joining me."

Jugo stopped, on his way to a nearby shed to find a shovel. "Boss?"

Sasuke peered up from underneath his bangs. "I know Tsunade did something to make your rage controllable. But I know it hasn't stopped you from being angry."

Jugo's face shifted and, in that moment, he was a different man. His eyes were distant as he looked over the wreckage of the Uchiha compound. "When I destroyed the village, it looked like this when I was done."

"But there's no one to hurt this time." Sasuke said firmly.

Jugo whipped his gaze at Sasuke and glared.

Sasuke smirked. "You can't hurt me."

Jugo's killing intent spiked before being banked to a low simmer. "I can tear this apart?"

"Yes."

Jugo visibly struggled with himself for a moment before locking eyes with Sasuke. "And then we'll rebuild?" Jugo had never sounded so vulnerable.

Ah. Sasuke realized in that second that Jugo needed the same thing that Sasuke did. A purpose. "And then we'll build ourselves a home." Sasuke felt a brief flash of compassion, his anger slipping away in his need to help his only clan member. "And we'll plant your tree in front of it."

Jugo smiled. "You got it, Uchiha-sama."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. A little lighter, he turned to his first building. And, knowing he was going to summon half the ANBU in the area, he modified the seals for his hand and took a deep breath.

"Katon! Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

oOo

Immensely calmer and also a little tired, Sasuke made his way down the forest path. He showered away the smell of smoke and ash and his hair was still damp. After being out in the heat all day, the cool of the evening felt nice. The sunset was at his back, throwing long shadows on the ground and bathing his surroundings in an orange glow.

His rage from his morning had simmered down to mild irritation. But he knew what he wanted to do. He needed to know what was wrong with Hinata's eyes. He needed to know about her seal. He needed to know everything about her. If he was to negotiate her into his clan, he needed the intel on what made Hinata weak.

He already knew what made her strong.

She was waiting for him at the front door. She was still wearing her kimono. It was lavender with pink flowers that Sasuke could not be bothered to know the name of. Her veil was gone. The thick, impenetrable part that covered her eyes was there as always. Her hair was loose and cascaded down her back.

Hinata greeted him with a soft smile. "Sasuke-san."

Sasuke felt greedy as he took her in. He stepped onto the porch to face her and looked her over.

"Hinata."

"Come in," she motioned and closed the door behind him. "I made tea. Did you have dinner yet?"

"I am not hungry." He caught her elbow and she turned to face him. "I have questions."

If she was surprised, her body language and lips did not show it. "About what?"

"About your eyes."

This time her lips pressed into a firm line and she shrunk back from him. He was not holding her very tightly, but he did not release her either.

"You owe me after how I helped you with the Hyuga." He demanded, crowding a little more into her personal space. "Tell me." So I can help you, he thought. "So I know what we're dealing with."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I will honor what you did for me," she murmured. "At least let us get out of the hallway."

Instead of leading him to the kitchen like she normally did, she took him to the living room.

There was a small brazier in the corner. It provided the only light in the room as night fell. The door to the porch was open for ventilation but Hinata quietly slid it closed. Even in the forest, one could not expect any privacy in a nin village.

He knelt next to her at the low table because she did. There was this solemnity that they both felt. It made sense. Covering her eyes had been an issue of survival, not vanity. By revealing them, she was doing something that might have risked her life in the past.

Sasuke thought of the times women nin had risked their safety for a chance to get close to him. Sakura. Karin. Others. Something he never asked for.

But this time, Sasuke tricked Hinata into this. She was not a nin but a samurai. She did not do this to gain affection, but instead to retain what she already possessed. Her dignity. This was not something that she was doing out of trust. And outcasts did not trust easily.

Despite the anger and the jealousy that plagued him all day, he was tempted to call the whole thing off. What stopped him was the idea that knowing her, she'd probably be offended.

Hinata's soft smile trembled a bit. Sasuke mentally cursed. This was not funny anymore. There was no triumph as she reached behind her head and underneath her hair and undid the fastenings to her mask.

It slid down her face and she caught it. When she pulled it free, he finally saw what he wanted for so long.

Her eyes were closed but her Byakugan was obviously activated. The veins around her eyes were not as distended as he expected. Instead they were thinner and less pronounced but still pulsing with chakra in time with her heartbeat. Thick black lashes rested on her cheeks.

He experienced an inexplicable urge to reach forward, to trace the lines. His ego nor his propriety would allow it, so he sat, motionless.

"Are you able to open your eyes?" He finally asked.

She hesitated. "I am but… it's too bright when I do."

Risking it, Sasuke carefully activated his Rinnegan. This way, he was able to track the path of her chakra through her tenketsu. He was able to see the thick concentration of chakra around her eyes. Her Byakugan was always activated. Sasuke did not know how much chakra the Byakugan usually took, but it must have been tiring and straining to keep it going for so long. Sasuke deactivated his own dojutsu as his own energy was drained.

What kind of life had Hinata been leading this whole time?

"If you want to put your mask back on," Sasuke offered. "I've seen enough."

"It's okay." She murmured. "I wanted someone to know. I'm glad it's you."

Stunned into silence, he did not respond.

After that pause then it was her turn to ask a question. She also allowed herself what he did not. Her hand lifted and she reached forward. The tips of her fingers almost, almost touched the skin underneath his eye. He imagined the ghost caress and despite himself, shivered.

"What color are yours?" Hinata breathed. "I remember what colors are."

Warmth flooded through him and he felt brave. Catching her hand, he forced her fingers to actually make contact with his face.

"Black." He moved her hand to the other eye. "This is the Rinnegan. It's purple with black tomoe."

She took his centimeter and made it into a yard. Lightly brushing her index finger over his eyebrow and carefully moving his hair away from his face, she inspected him with touch. He straightened as lightning sparked down his spine. Forcing himself to stay still, he found it hard to do so when his heart was pounding.

And then she smiled and Sasuke suddenly understood what she meant about everything being too bright. He gritted his teeth as his eyes fell shut in desperation. His body tried to strain to be closer to her and it took all his willpower to stop it.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-san?"

He could not bring himself to answer. His breath hissed out from behind his clenched teeth in a sign of his weakness.

"Oh," Hinata murmured. "I see." She leaned in but took a moment. "Let me know if I'm overstepping my bounds."

Sasuke almost laughed at the role reversal. He would never be offended if she took this liberty with him. She did not need to protect him from herself.

Her lips pressed to his. The touch itself was light but the significance of it rattled his bones. He barely reciprocated and Hinata's hand slid around to the back of his head, anchoring him in place. She pulled away and carefully ran her nose along the side of his. The softness and the heat of it caused him to shiver.

"Hinata…" He breathed.

The thumb of her other hand reached up to touch his chin. Slipped in his mouth to touch the inside of his bottom lip.

He fell forward, his forehead coming to rest on her shoulder. He fisted his hands in her kimono right over her knees. After so long of being alone, just touching another person like this was overwhelming.

She hummed, guiding his head so he could press his wet lashes to the base of her neck. He did not feel like she was judging him or cataloguing the ways in which he was weak for later use.

His limbs felt disconnected from his body. He was unsure on how to proceed so he just tried to just do what felt good and safe. Sasuke lifted his heavy arm and wrapped it around her. He tentatively rested his hand against her back. He did not want to let her go.

His dilemma of the day surged to the forefront of his mind. He let himself imagine what it would be like to have her as a Uchiha. He would never have to see her leave the house at the end of the day or belong to someone else. What if her hakama was embroidered with the fan? His hand involuntarily clenched in the bow of her obi.

The Hyuga did not want her. He did. Jugo did- if maybe not in the same way. The Nara, the Hyuga, could not want her as much as the Uchiha did. Why did Naruto make Sasuke responsible for her wellbeing if she was supposed to join someone else's clan?

Overwhelmed with these new emotions, panic started building in him.

Ironically as he froze up, Hinata relaxed her eternally rigid posture. The curves of her body pressed against his and she tenderly brushed her cheek against his hair.

"Sasuke," she breathed. "I've never belonged to anyone… I-" Her voice hitched. "Please don't let me go."

Like magic, those words dispelled the negative thoughts and uncharacteristic doubts surrounding him. He could not make her choose him. But in this moment, she was choosing him anyway. Energy rushed through him and he bravely gathered her closer.

"I won't." He promised. "I won't."

oOo

Two nights later, Sasuke was pouring over the scroll he had liberated. It was late, later than he intended to be awake but he could not leave this puzzle alone. He had read the first half for what felt like close to fifty times. And by the first half, he meant that there was a second part missing. Maybe even more. This scroll was an introduction to something that Sasuke felt was important.

But the text was boring. As far as he could tell, there was no trick or hidden code. This was straight forward and dull. The only interesting part was when it referenced the other pieces.

Yet, Sasuke had good instincts. His were telling him that this scroll, this part, was hiding something intriguing. Maybe someone in the village would know.

What had Naruto said? There were no seal masters in Konoha. Not even Kakashi, with his extensive knowledge could be considered a master.

Sasuke absently drummed the fingers of his hand on his desk as he thought. The noise was almost enough to cover up the scraping sound from behind him.

He whirled, a kunai flying before he even finished the turn. A pale hand clumsily knocked it away. The figure on his windowsill slumped into his bedroom and collapsed to their knees on the floor. Sasuke could feel his Sharingan splutter to life, but it was clear from their weak chakra that this was not someone with hostile intent.

His nostrils flared as he smelled the copper tint of blood. The figure raised their face to him and was illuminated by the lamp on the desk.

Hinata faced him. A cut on her cheek bisected a couple of distended veins and he realized that her mask was missing. Her eyes were still tightly shut but tears escaped anyway.

"Sasuke," she whispered.

He had already moved to kneel in front of her. She was cradling her leg and he knocked her hand out of the way to reveal a nasty gash on her thigh. Her hair was matted with an unknown substance and her ripped clothing was falling off her shoulders.

Jugo's steps clattered in the hallway, before he burst inside, half transformed into his cursed self. He halted when he saw Hinata.

"Sasuke," she whispered and bent forward so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "I thought I was finally safe." She hiccupped.

Sasuke was speechless. It was Jugo who found his words first.

"Who did this to you?" He growled, holding onto the door so tightly, the wood creaked in warning.

She shook her head. "I-I don't know. It's been so long since…" She sniffed. "I think I killed him, but I don't know if the body is still there. I was… was asleep and I woke up…" She stopped to shudder in pain.

Sasuke snapped back into his body and into awareness. "Jugo," he hissed. "I need you to get medical supplies for me."

Jugo nodded. "Do you need me to get the ANBU?"

Sasuke shook his head. If Hinata had managed to sneak in without catching their attention, then that was good. If his instincts were loud before, they were practically screaming at him now. He needed to protect Hinata. He needed to keep her hidden. And the way she was angled, not even Jugo was able to see her face.

Right now, he needed to get her clean.

Jugo nodded and disappeared into the dark hallway.

Hinata raised her face. "Sasuke…" She pleaded and Sasuke hated it.

"I'm going to help you." He promised.

Trusting Jugo to figure out where they went, he pressed forward. Wrapping his arm low around her waist and under her thigh, he quietly instructed her to wrap her arms and legs around him. It was the only way he could safely carry her to the bathroom, even supporting the other side of her with what was left of that arm. It was small with barely enough room for them to stand even pressed together. He sat her on the closed toilet seat. She did not want to let go.

She slumped forward and her hair covered her face when Jugo delivered the bandages. Sasuke set the supplies in the sink for lack of a better place to put them, then crouched in front of her. He made a point of looking into her face even if she could not quite see it.

"I'm going to do a really shitty job bandaging you." He admitted quietly.

She sniffed but gave a small smile. "I… I can." She sounded exhausted.

"I'll have Jugo get you some clothes," he said, knowing Jugo was listening at the door. "And then you can rest."

"Don't leave me." She clutched at him, fisting the collar of his shirt in her hand.

"I'm not letting you go, Hinata. I gave you my word. Can you step in the tub?"

She nodded. And despite the incandescent rage roaring in his chest like a lion, he found himself capable of being gentle. He ran a hand over her unbound hair in a soothing motion that was foreign to him but seemed right. She came to him. Not to the Nara, not to Naruto. To Sasuke.

Her grip relaxed and he shifted to turn on the shower. She held onto him as she stood on wobbly legs. It did not even occur to him to offer to stand outside. He just supported her by her elbows as she stepped into the water, clothing and all. She closed the curtain and Sasuke took the opportunity to accept the clothes that Jugo had already run to get.

Jugo's eyes had a question in them, his face hard. Sasuke nodded. Jugo's eyes glinted as he disappeared into the darkness.

Sasuke sat on the toilet seat. He did not listen to Hinata undress and was only vaguely aware of her using his soap and shampoo to wash. He was too busy carefully extending his chakra in searching tendrils.

It was Tenten that had procured sutras with seals on them to affix around his house and compound. They would alert him if anyone with negative chakra came into the property. Of course, they had not activated for Hinata, and maybe that was the problem. If someone smothered their killing intent and tried to sneak in, Sasuke would have to find them through his other senses.

He closed his eyes and tuned out Hinata as he listened to their surroundings. The smell of his soap barely registered. Finally, Hinata turned off the tap. Sasuke stood and grabbed his towel.

It was only when he wrapped it around her that he realized they had not even turned on the light. Seeing no reason to fix it, Sasuke gently helped her lever down into his spot. By now, she was not even putting weight on her wounded leg. He handed her the bandage and she made quick work of wrapping it around her thigh.

Knowing he would just get in her way, he held out his hand for Hinata to use to balance as she stood to wrap one of Sasuke's haori around her. Jugo had brought hakama, but Hinata only sighed in despair at them.

"Do you want help…?"

Hinata shook her head and leaned her weight on him. She looked dead on her feet and he could feel her trembling against him. Having enough strength to hoist herself up his body (which he put a pin in that to think of later), she clung to his front. The haori was long even on Sasuke and it was enough to go to mid-thigh while she was standing but was short enough that Sasuke could feel his hand on her bare skin as he supported her weight. (Which he also bookmarked for later.)

He brought her back to his room and knelt to put her on his futon. This was the only time that he regretted not getting a bedframe as Hinata hissed when her leg folded underneath her. He pushed his blanket out of the way and encouraged her with a light push on her shoulder to let him go and lay down.

She made a noise of protest, but her head was already lolling to the side.

"I'm right here, Hinata." He said. "I'm going to stay here all night."

Enough of his words registered and she allowed herself to lay down. He pulled his blanket over her, but she freed an arm to grab hold of his pant leg. He sighed but she was already asleep.

He leaned against the wall behind him and settled in. Thankfully, he had some tea earlier in the evening. While slightly depleted he had enough chakra to use to keep vigil the rest of the night.

Sasuke thought about the seals around his house again. And the scroll on his desk. Something occurred to him.

Hinata had fallen asleep on her back. He reached over and brushed her damp bangs away from her forehead.

The light from his lamp was dim but enough to see clearly. Her forehead was bare.

Sasuke cursed for not thinking of it earlier. For being too overwhelmed by Hinata to ask when he had a chance that night.

They had taken off the seal in the Land of Iron but accidentally permanently activated her Byakugan. It was the only reason he could think of for it to always be activated.

Who would be trying to attack her? If the Hyuga wanted her gone, and no one knew the seal was gone, why not activate the Cursed Seal to kill her? Did they try and it did not work? And if it was not the Hyuga who were trying to kill her, then who else?

Sasuke swore again.

Someone would pay. But this was more complicated than he first realized.

oOo

*In my notes for the next chapter, my phone autocorrected "Sasuke" to "sake."