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. I got a tad bored with the RuroKen, because I've been without it so long. Shinobi love yo, all that jazz. Anyway... I tried. Rated M to play it safe, cause fifteen year olds are so gosh darn innocent.
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."