A/N: ...I haven't abandoned my OTP, but I AM very annoyed at Sakura over her behaviour in recent chapters. (Think it shows? Just a little? No? Too vague? Guess I'll have to try harder next time, then. XD) This is probably just a one-shot, but we'll see.

Also, anyone who's read my other fics knows that I am NOT a Sakura-basher, so don't even start with that.

"Hyuuga Hiashi. I am here to ask for the hand of your elder daughter in marriage."

The servant who announced the visitor and then left to fetch them some tea has hardly stepped out of the room, but Uchiha Sasuke has never been one to mince words, and the events of the past few years have, if anything, only served to make him more direct. No political maneuvering, no pleasantries, no putting the other party at ease or off their guard: just straightforward and straight to the point.

Hyuuga Hiashi does not like what he sees when he looks across the table, a young man with little to no respect for rules or authority whose sharp, dark eyes meet his own far too easily, as if they are equals. As if the boy's own clan hadn't originated from the Hyuuga long ago. As if he doesn't owe them--or anyone--a thing, be it gratitude or deference.

He wants to refuse. The Uchiha clan is finished as far as he is concerned, and good riddance. Allowing the sole survivor to return to Konoha, granting him amnesty, is a shameful, pointless action, though since it is the new Hokage's wish, the Village as a whole has accepted it more or less; they trust his judgment, and anyway, they owe him at least that much for their treatment of him during his childhood, for saving them all from Pein and Akatsuki regardless.

Hiashi trusts Uzumaki Naruto as well, though that doesn't mean he doesn't question the wisdom of encouraging a former missing-nin from a family of traitors to rebuild his clan. But while he does have his reservations, his faith in the newest (youngest) Hokage overrules it, for the changes he has already wrought in the Village as a whole and the Hyuuga clan in particular are startling. Many have not been easy, many will probably never really take root until new generations that do not know of the old ways and cruel traditions make up most of the clan's population, but all have ultimately been beneficial.

Still, he does have reservations.

"And why should I give you my daughter's hand? What advantage is it to the Hyuuga to be joined with a formerly great clan?"

If he is looking to get a rise out of his visitor, he is disappointed. Uchiha Sasuke doesn't bat an eye at the obvious slight, doesn't betray a flicker of any sort of emotion, his voice cool and even when he gives his reply. "If you're talking about a bride price, I will pay whatever you see as fitting. But if you're talking about societal connections…" Here his tone does grow colder, though only just barely. "…Whether you take our history of enmity towards the Senjuu to be true or not, the Uchiha were the most prestigious clan in Konoha. I will see to it that this is so once again."

There's an implied with or without your help in those words, and Hyuuga Hiashi's frown deepens. Whatever he may have once said about the elder of his two daughters, he does care about her, perhaps more now than he once did, but he cares just the same. While she is still not as strong as Neji or even Hanabi, Hinata has improved herself greatly; given a few more years and a proper husband, she might even prove herself worthy of taking his place as the head of the Main House. He is far from convinced that the cold-eyed young man before him would be a suitable match, and worse, if she did marry him, Hinata would leave the Hyuuga household altogether rather than bringing her husband into the clan, as she would if he were from a less-important family.

He wants to refuse. But if Sasuke is right (if Naruto is right), he knows all too well the possible benefits this alliance could one day bring about, and there is much to take into account; he will have to bring the matter before the elders.

"I will consider your proposition," he says after a long space of heavy silence, the response stiff and suitably vague and clearly a dismissal. "You'll have your answer within a week's time."

Sasuke nods ever so slightly, the closest thing to a bow he gives, before smoothly rising to his feet and turning his back on the head of the Hyuuga clan. "I await your favourable response," he says over his shoulder as he goes, pausing only to slide the fusuma at the end of the room aside before stepping out into the hall, brushing past a bewildered servant and her full tea-tray without a glance.

Hinata and Hanabi are sitting together behind a closed fusuma panel leading into the room next door, where their father is currently speaking with Uchiha Sasuke. It is an age-old practise, listening in like this, though Kō and Yū both seem uncomfortable with it, frowning in disapproval and fidgeting worriedly respectively. They have no way of knowing that their charges were in fact put up to this by their father and their cousin, the latter of whom is doubtlessly listening in through a fusuma panel on the other side of the room their father and his visitor are in, just in case.

Hanabi is getting angrier and angrier with each passing second, glaring into the next room with her teeth bared and her Byakugan activated, every muscle in her petite body tense and quivering with a fervent desire to put "the Uchiha traitor" in his place--a shallow, unmarked grave. When Sasuke mentions a bride price, as if her sister is merely an item to be bought and sold, she actually starts up off her cushion, Yū's near-frantic attempt at restraint easily shaken off; only the sudden, gentle pressure of her older sister's hand on her thigh prevents her from storming into the room to defend Hinata's honour.

In contrast, Hinata is the picture of tranquility, listening in silence to the entire exchange, her face calm and composed; the only indication of inner turmoil is the way her hands are folded together in a white-knuckled ball in her lap, which the long sleeves of her kimono hide completely. When she has to free that hand to stop Hanabi, she can feel her short nails digging into the palm of that single still-clenched fist, and hopes that Sasuke will leave before she manages to draw blood.

His visit is a brief one, thankfully, and as they hear his light footsteps fade away, Hanabi turns on Hinata, expression indignant. "How dare he march in here and make demands! It doesn't matter what Otou-san and the elders decide, you shouldn't have to do this!"

It's not quite a shout, but Hanabi isn't taking any care to keep her voice down either; their father has doubtless heard every word she's said, though it's not so unlikely that she meant for him to. For all her willfulness, she knows better than to say such things to his face, but she has her ways of making her opinion on certain matters known. She will make a fine clan leader someday, Hinata thinks with a faint smile, especially if the elders have their way and she takes Neji as her consort. He is one of the few who can manage Hanabi at all well, and he tempers her brash, impulsive nature perfectly.

The younger girl has quieted some, but it's obvious she's still seething. "Regardless of everything else, he's still a traitor—he's not good enough for you or our family! And besides, Kiba—"

"I-it's all right, Hanabi," Hinata interjects softly, cutting off whatever Hanabi had been about to say about her former teammate. She is well aware of Kiba's feelings for her--they are nothing new after all--but she also knows with absolute certainty that he would never fit in with her family. The rules and solid structure of the Hyuuga clan might be changing drastically, but there will always be rules, and the idea of Kiba being forced into all the stiff formalities that will undoubtedly still remain intact is a painful one. She could never ask that of him; he doesn't know what he'd be in for.

Sasuke, on the other hand… He was originally from a prestigious and powerful clan, so stifling rules would be nothing new to him, and his aloof bearing and personal appearance would allow him to fit in with the Hyuuga almost flawlessly.

Hinata doesn't really care either way, though. She hasn't been quite the same since Naruto's wedding, though she's truly happy for him, or tries to be; it still hurts though, more than she'd thought it would, more than she'd thought possible. But dragging Kiba into things is not the answer, and though a part of her would welcome the warmth and comfort she knows he could offer, she won't allow herself to be that selfish. Instead, she has decided to be practical and leave the choice up to her father--not so much a decision really, since she'd likely never had much say in things anyway, but now that the person she'd wanted is entirely unattainable, she has no reason to refuse whoever it is that Hiashi eventual chooses for her to marry.

Besides, Sasuke is Naruto's best friend, or was once; there must be something worthwhile in him if Naruto cares (cared?) for him so strongly. And right now, she realises, she can help Naruto a great deal by agreeing to this, since rebuilding his clan will tie Sasuke to Konoha once again. And from what she's seen and remembers of Sasuke, and especially from how Naruto has always talked about him, she knows he must be kind deep down…and for all his cynicism and seeming indifference, lonely.

She stands slowly, still thoughtful, because loneliness is something she can understand all too well, and if he really is kind deep down…

Hanabi looks at her warily as she moves with a sudden purposefulness towards the door, and already Kō is trailing behind her, so she pauses briefly in the doorway to give them both a reassuring smile.

"Please, don't follow me. I'm not going far."

"Onee-san?"

"Hinata-sama—"

She hears them calling after her, curious and concerned, but she doesn't turn back again, and by the time they follow her into the hallway, she's already gone.

As he makes his way along the long, winding path leading out of the Hyuuga compound, Sasuke contemplates recent events yet again.

He's more than certain the Hyuuga will accept his offer--after all, regardless of his clan's bloody history, it was an Uchiha that everyone had come to see the last time Konoha hosted the chuunin exam; the supposed Hyuuga prodigy had been overlooked entirely. And despite his own admittedly checkered past, so long as Naruto is Hokage, he knows that he and his own will always be safe and accepted in Konoha. There will be no more massacres, no more prejudice, no more Senjuu plots; and really, what better revenge is there than to live in their village and grow prosperous and powerful once more?

He's equally certain that he's made the right choice in selecting his future wife. She's most likely who his parents would have chosen for him, since there had been no girls close enough to his age in their own clan, and there's no denying that the Hyuuga are now the strongest and most prestigious clan in Konoha. And since his potential first choice has already been taken…

His stride slows just a bit as his thoughts drift towards his former teammates, though he's too lost in inner contemplation to realise the slight change in speed. Naruto treats him the same as always--flashing him toothy grins, slinging an arm around his neck and leaning heavily on his shoulder, dragging him off to eat ramen with him a few times a week, taunting and poking and pestering good-naturedly--but that doesn't change the fact that things are different between them now. Even though Naruto's forgiven him for everything, what he's done can never be entirely forgotten; there will always be a shadow of hurt, a trace of worry, a hint of fear that he might leave again someday in those vivid blue eyes.

Still, even that's better than trying to face the other member of their team. It's been five years since the Village was rebuilt, since Sasuke returned, and she still can hardly bring herself to look at him. Sakura rarely goes out to eat with them, and when she does she is always very quiet, always careful to keep Naruto between herself and Sasuke. When they all walk together, she clings to Naruto's hand, or his arm when she can get away with it, which is most of the time. Naruto is extremely gentle with her, a warm, open tenderness and wholehearted acceptance that Sasuke knows he could never have given her. It's obvious that she needs Naruto, that she depends on him--everyone depends on him, he's the Hokage after all--but with Sakura, it seems different somehow, deeper, more intense. Like she relies on him to save her each and every day. Like he's all that holds her together.

She avoids being alone with Sasuke at all costs. They've only run into each other twice when there was no one else around, both times late at night while he was out walking and she was coming home from a late shift at the hospital. The first time, she'd taken one look at him and then just fallen to pieces, tears pouring down her face, choking out a broken I'm sorry before dashing past him, probably running all the way home to the apartment she shared with Naruto. He wasn't certain if she was apologising for giving up on him, for accepting Naruto's affections instead, or for something else entirely, but he hadn't followed her to find out: he hadn't really wanted to know.

The second time they'd bumped into each other, she'd dropped her eyes and passed him by without a word, without a single tear, without even a nod of acknowledgment, as if he wasn't there at all, and that simple action said more than any words ever could. There was nothing left to say.

Sasuke nods to himself, his stride quickening once more as he shakes off remembrances of the past and focuses on the present and near-future once again. Yes, Hyuuga Hinata is the best choice, and since Naruto is already married, there is no reason for her to refuse him. He isn't unaware of her past feelings for the dobe: while he had never really listened to the gossip back at the Academy, nor had he particularly cared about his classmates' personal lives, even then he had been nothing if not observant, and Hinata had never been particularly subtle about watching Naruto.

Really, that's another thing in her favour. It's interesting, even a little nice, that Hinata was never one of his many overbearing admirers…but though Sasuke would never admit it, it's also a bit of a sting to his pride that instead, she was always looking at Naruto. (He knows that on some level, they will always be rivals, regardless of the playing field, and since Naruto has "won" with Sakura....)

Still, Hinata had never thrown herself at Naruto; she'd behaved in a much more proper fashion, in a manner befitting one of her social status. He's only seen her a few times since his return, and he hadn't really paid much attention to any of the girls during his Academy days, but from what he's seen, she is an excellent choice. He likes her reserve, her proper bearing and high-class behaviour, and though he's never seen her fight, he knows the abilities of her bloodline, and that is what is most important: potential.

Another more secret and much smaller part of him had settled on Hinata the instant he'd seen her interacting with some of her younger, former Branch House cousins at one of Konoha's many summer festivals. There had been something so motherly in the long, dark hair streaming over her shoulders, the gentle smile, the warmth of her quiet laughter and the way she'd straightened an obi here and smoothed a collar there, something he hadn't--hasn't--been able to forget; some unexplainable, intangible that thing that had very little to do with logic and inexplicably moved her from best choice to only choice.

He has only just passed out the Hyuuga compound's main gate when he hears quick, light footsteps behind him.

"S-Sasuke-san!"

He pauses, turning back toward the voice, watching as Hinata approaches, noting the hint of tentativeness in her gait, the way she shifts her weight uneasily as she stops in front of him. She just looks up at him for a moment, openly hesitating; then the set of her mouth firms and she takes that final step closer and impulsively reaches out to grasp his hand.

The movement had been quick, but not too quick--he could have easily avoided her if he'd wanted to, but he is too curious to pull away, merely looking at her small, pale hands wrapped loosely around one of his larger scarred ones, then staring down at her expressionlessly, though a flat why is obvious in his eyes.

Fierce colour floods her cheeks at her own boldness, but she doesn't let go or look away, holding both his hand and his gaze steadily; his estimation of her goes up slightly just for that.

"I just wanted…t-to let you know…no matter what my father says, I…I accept your offer, Sasuke-san."

It's been a long time since anyone has touched him voluntarily without some specific purpose behind it--to hurt or to heal or to drag him somewhere or nearly strangle him with a hug, yes, but not…touching simply for the sake of touching, with no intent behind it other than that simple touch itself. After so long, it feels strange, but it is oddly calming somehow, and he doesn't withdraw his hand.

He knows he should say something, can tell by the slight tremble in her hands that she's gone well outside her comfort zone, following him and telling him this and possibly but not probably setting herself against her father and the rest of the Hyuuga elders if they decide against allowing the marriage. She deserves some sort of reply, but for some reason the only words that come to mind are thank you, and they stick in his throat unpleasantly for reasons he's all too aware of.

"I doubt your father will refuse," he says at last, finally finding his voice. It comes out a little sharper than he'd meant for it to; he continues a bit more quietly, if not quite gently, "You don't need to worry about that."

The smile she gives him is small, but warm enough to touch her eyes, and for the first time in years he's faced with a smile that holds not even the barest shadow of blame or hint of suspicion: just acceptance, gratitude, and simple shyness. There are no ghosts between them--no shared memories, no history, no trust, no betrayal. There is only what will be, not what has been, a blank slate that is more than welcome to someone used to wallowing in past mistakes and constantly being stung by the reminders of old, once-broken bonds.

"Y-yes, of course," she says, reminding Sasuke that he'll have to speak with her about that stutter, though it does seem better than it once was. Listening to her answer questions back at the Academy had been painful. "Will you come back inside a-and have tea with us…please?"

Now it's Sasuke's turn to hesitate--antisocial or not, there are certain conventions that cannot be ignored, and at least one meeting between the two parties is customary. He would accept this offer right now and be done with it if his pride would allow it, but his abrupt departure left little room for a dignified return. He's already had more than enough humility forced out of him over the past few years; he can't abide the thought of swallowing any more of his pride just yet.

"…Tomorrow."

"Eh?"

He turns his head, hair falling to shield him from those wide eyes--that seeming innocence is starting to put him on edge--and grudgingly repeats himself. "I'll…come back tomorrow."

Her smile is wider this time, he notes out of the corner of his eye, as if he's agreed to this simply because she asked him to, and not because it would send a very clear message to Hyuuga Hiashi, an obvious underlining of his earlier unspoken with or without your help.

"Alright," she says, more than a little knowingly, and any lingering traces of doubt vanish from Sasuke's mind when he looks at her again. Her smile has faded, leaving only solemn consent and a tranquil resolve, and he knows that she understands his reasoning (most of it, anyway), that this marriage will be political and practical and has nothing to do with love or even attraction, and that she agrees to it anyway. Whatever her reasoning, she knows her duty, what will be expected of her, and probably what she can (and can't) expect from him. If that's really the case, Sasuke thinks, they'll get along just fine.

Only when he goes to free his hand does he notice that his fingers have gently curled around hers, and that he is holding on to her just as much as she is holding on to him.