By : Sessakag
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
"Well good morning my shy Hyuuga friend. My, my, aren't we aglow today?"
Pink cheeked, the Hyuuga in question shut the door with a soft click, enclosing herself within the floral scented shop. She shuffled meekly towards the teasing blonde leaning over the checkout counter and graced her with a smile.
"Good morning, Ino-chan."
The cordial shop owner straightened with a bright lip curl of her own.
"What brings you today? Can I interest you in a exotic bouquet to spruce up the living room," she inquired, waving a delicate hand at the collection of resplendent flowers lining the store shelves,"or perhaps you're here to browse more of our toe curling accessories down in the basement?"
The teasing blonde winked.
"I've got some pretty kitty costumes that'll really make your pussy purr."
Hinata flushed.
Ino was as blunt and upfront about horizontal gymnastics as Naruto was, and the frank reference to sexual toys induced a resurgence of the permeating awkwardness and shame that had left her tongue tied and unable to speak with her boyfriend about her extracurricular shopping. However, in this situation, with a female friend that seemed to know and accept her lewd urges better than she did herself, it was a little easier to open her mouth. Even so, she wavered, struggling against the urge to retreat into her shell. Pupiless orbs skated to the side, while unmerciful heat burned her cheeks. She fidgeted, twining her fingers while she searched for the boldness that only seemed to appear within the throes of passion.
"I…" she swallowed nervously, before pressing forward, "I…wouldn't mind seeing …what you have…"
There.
She'd admitted it.
The bunny suit had awakened her mind and body to a new dimension of ecstasy. One she ached to return to. Any sexually healthy woman would feel the same way….right? There was nothing to be ashamed of…
Right?
Silence reign in the wake of her softly spoken proclamation. Anxious, she peeked from beneath dark lashes in the direction of the flower shop owner. The seductive blonde had rounded the register and was sauntering towards her. A slender arm looped her neck.
"Now that's what I like to hear," Ino purred with approval, "come, my cute little submissive pupil, let us sully that prim and proper Hyuuga breeding just a little bit more."
The lulling cadence of words spoken directly next to her ear brought a coil of desire to the pit of her stomach. Hinata blushed, but made no protest as she was ushered behind the counter to the coveted door deceptively marked 'Employees Only'. She was beginning to suspect the teasing blonde wasn't completely teasing. The seductive tenor of her voice when she spoke to her sometimes, coupled with the gentle brushes of her hand in intimate places had left Hinata with a nagging suspicion that her friend held dual proclivities; one towards males and one towards females. While Hinata didn't have the guts to flat out ask her Yamanaka friend if she was bisexual, the hesitancy couldn't stop her mind from speculating. She was almost certain her suspicions were true and half certain Ino was subtly, and not so subtly, coming on to her.
Was Ino attracted to her?
And if she was, how did she feel about that?
They descended the stairs and stepped through the archway of the Erotic Blossom before she could come to a conclusion.
Walking through that wooden entryway was a lot less overwhelming now than it had been during her first foray into the sex store, and yet, Hinata couldn't help but sweep the room in a curious, cautionary glance. It was no more intimidating than she remembered and the customers no less focused on the many items of sexual gratification than who had just entered. No one looked her way. Not a single censuring expression shot in her direction. A knot of unease unfurled from her abdomen and tension leeched from the delicate muscles lining her frame.
"There you go," Ino encouraged softly, "relax. Everyone's here for the same reasons you are. They can't judge you anymore than you can judge them."
Ino retracted her arm with a slow glide before linking hers with the subdued Hyuuga. Steering them towards one of the extended rooms, the confident blonde initiated conversation.
"Naruto show you the suit he bought?"
Heat suffused her body.
She nodded.
"The…bunny costume," she confirmed quietly, "last night."
"Mmmm," she hummed, "very nice choice."
Ino drew closer, cerulean orbs alight with interest, the softness of her breasts pressing against her arm.
"Well don't leave me in suspense, gimme details, Hinata. How'd it feel?" she prodded.
Flustered, Hinata searched for an answer to explain her reaction to the mind blowing sensations.
"S-Strange."
Ino gasped, bringing them both to an abrupt halt. Surprised lavender met assessing blue.
"Strange?" Ino repeated.
Confused by the reaction, Hinata stove for a fuller explanation, her eyes darting away as she clarified.
"I'm…not sure where the…pleasure comes from and its strange not being able to pinpoint it…"
"Whew," the shop owner huffed, "you had me worried there. Those sensory suits are my pride and joy, hours of hard work come to fruition and it would break my little old heart to think they didn't live up to their design."
"You designed them?" Hinata asked as their casual stroll began once more.
"Of course," she gloated, "who else but a beautiful genus could come up with such cleaver, intricate mental fucking machines?"
Hinata flushed at the crude, but accurate description.
"They were a pet project I started a few months after I took over the store," the Yamanaka explained, "You see, early on, I realized the Blossom's most prominent clientele are shinobi, more so than the average citizen and we ninja are of a creative mind and spirit. Simple dildos and standard lubricants aren't always enough to satisfy a man or woman who's daily life is lived on the edge of danger and excitement. To keep the shop wares interesting and our unique clients happy, we needed to be innovative. So, I started brainstorming, and came up with the sensory suits."
They passed a number of explicit DVDs and browsing customers, then walked through the archway of the fantasy department.
"The reason you're not able to locate the sensation is because it doesn't exist in a way your brain and body recognizes. The pleasure you feel is a concoction of my own making."
Having reached a rack of costumes, Ino plucked one from the hanging rod. It was a leather teddy encased in a plastic container that crackled. Inside, kitten ears, attachable tail and garter. She held it up as she explained.
"We keep the sensory suits in the storage room, but this is as good a prop as any. The Yamanaka specialize in mental manipulation and the brain specializes in manipulating the body. Bringing them together makes for an interesting experience. To put it in simple terms, I draw on my knowledge of the brain receptors to construct a sensation, that 'strange' pleasure you can't really pinpoint, and create what you would think of as a blueprint."
Pointing to the teddy, the psyche kunoichi continued.
"The blueprint is then infused inside the nodes sewn into the fabric and accessories. This direct contact, of your skin and the nodes, creates a link, a pathway to your chakra network. Once it taps into your tenketsu, it transmits the blueprint to receptors in your mind and from there, is distributed throughout your nerves and interpreted uniquely by your body," Ino beamed with pride, "Best part about it, no two experiences are the same even if the suit is the same. Everyone interprets pleasure differently. What may be mind blowing for one, is soul shattering for another."
"That's incredible, Ino." Hinata complimented.
"Isn't it though?"
She returned her impromptu prop back to the rack, then slapped her hands on her hips with a pout.
"Unfortunately, we've run into a few snags in creating suits geared towards men. You see, women tend to make love, here," she said, pointing to her temple, "and its easy to apply the impulses, but men, not so much. The suits work on men of course, but its nowhere near as potent as it is for females. They may as well jack off and save the trouble of dressing up. Its lack luster in comparison."
Her petulant expression turned sly.
"The development team thinks some fine tuning of the nodes could give male sensory suit that edge its missing, but its difficult. We want to use physical impulses to trigger parts of the male genitals but we don't have that deep an understanding of the tenketsu network as someone of the Hyuuga Clan might."
Hinata blinked at the emphasis, a nagging suspicion rising when the shop owner sidled closer and slid an arm across her shoulders.
"Now if we had the Byakugan, we could really expand the sensory suits capabilities, not to mention, fix our little issue. Can you imagine the implication?" she gushed, "Orgasms in places that don't exist, deeper, more toe curling explosions in place that do. The possibilities are absolutely endless."
Certain where this was headed, Hinata flushed.
"Ino-"
"Say, you wouldn't be interested in…contributing your, desperately needed, one hundred percent discreet, Byakugan expertise to the development and advancement of the sensory suits would you?"
"I-I couldn't do that!" Hinata sputtered.
"Hmmm, not even for a good friend?"
"I-I couldn't…if anyone ever found out…"
"They won't, kunoichi's honor," Ino assured her with a raised hand, "Discretion is an integral function of our enterprise here."
The arm around her shoulders tightened. Soft rounded breasts pressed against her upper arm, and the blatantly sexual closeness brought that whisper of arousal back to her abdomen.
"Ino…"
"And I can definitely make it worth your while," the blonde coaxed, "help me out with this one, itty bitty, tiny thing and I'll…"
Plush lips found her ear. A shiver of awareness crept up her spine and a tingle of lust unfurled in her lower belly. It was a confusing feeling, a forbidden sensation of desire that was ripped away a moment later as whispered words filled her ear. Her eyes widened and she reared back abruptly. Lavender orbs sought vivid blue in an effort to gauge the sincerity of the offer. There was no teasing twinkle in those cerulean depths. Ino appeared entirely serious.
"Would you really-"
"Absolutely," Ino winked, "and a Yamanaka's word is ironclad. Trust me, I can keep a secret. If I can keep my sex shop's existence under raps, imagine how quiet I can keep our little arrangement."
Hinata hesitated.
It was true, Ino had kept such a large scale, highly inappropriate establishment incredibly silent and had somehow secured the same secrecy from those that frequented it. Even so, how could she agree to what the other woman proposed. She fidgeted, searching for a response.
"Ino…that's really…generous, but I'm not sure that I could…"
That she could enter into such an agreement considering her position within the Hyuuga Clan. Her relationship with Naruto had already created very uncomfortable friction between her and the Clan, if she added…this to the cocktail of drama, what would happen then?
She shuddered to contemplate the consequences that could ensue.
"A-and father would never approve of such an arrangement."
"Well we wouldn't be consulting your father for this. This would be a private contract between you and I, unaffiliated with the Hyuuga Clan."
Hinata wasn't sure if that made the whole proposal better or worse. Even if she wanted to exclude the Clan, she wasn't sure she could. The blood in her veins, the eyes that saw through walls, wouldn't allow for an exclusion. Every decision she made, as her father would say, was on the behalf of the Hyuuga.
But…
But what if…what if Ino really could come through on her promise and manage to keep their connection completely confidential? Would the risk be worthwhile in the long run?
"Take a week or two and think it over," Ino suggested, putting a respectable distance between them,"and if you're still not interested, no hard feelings one way or the other."
A bit relieved by the reprieve and the assurance of no ill will if her response was negative, Hinata gave a silent nod. Still, she found herself curious.
"How…how do you manage to keep everything discreet?" she asked.
There were a lot of people coming in and out of the Blossom, it was hard to believe the Yamanaka's were able to keep them all quiet.
"The Erotic Blossom is invitation only shopping," Ino explained, "You have to be a member to shop and only another member can send invitations, and those invitations must be pre-approved. There's a lengthy application that has to be filled out, background check, things like that, and in that paper work are several documents of non-disclosure. They have to be signed and returned within forty-eight hours and if not, that membership offer is terminated and no further offers can be extended to that individual. There's no listing of the Yamanaka businesses or ties in the application so as to avoid a disgruntled rejectee from spilling the beans about where the Blossom is and who runs it and even the sex shop itself is listed under an alias until the new member has been thoroughly vetted. In the agreements that are signed, we make clear than any mention of the Blossom or its occupants will result in significant monetary compensation payable to the store owner and victim, as well as the release of the offenders personal activity within the store to the public at large. There's a lot more legal mumbo jumbo I left out but that's pretty much the gist of the setup."
Dark brows creased.
"It kind of sounds…like blackmail."
Ino shrugged.
"It is, but that's how we do business here. You keep our secrets and we'll keep yours. Nobody gets in without agreeing to that stipulation in black and white."
Confused, Hinata pointed out a glaring contradiction to that assertion.
"But, you've never given me any forms to sign."
Ino smiled.
"That's because you're a close friend. I don't blackmail friends," she said, "I can trust you. Right?"
Hinata nodded, touched by the confidence. She would never give away her friend's secret and not just because she didn't want her own business aired to the world.
"Of course you can trust me, Ino."
"Then that's all I need to hear. Now," she breezed, interlacing their arms again, "I've made my pitch for a business partnership lets move on to the good part. What can I interest you in today?"
The words jogged her memory.
"Ah, speaking of partnership," Hinata began, "Naruto-kun said you and he are…in business together?"
"Told you did he? Yeah, he brings in top notch oil from Mount Myōboku. That stuff's amazing and incredibly versatile. Did you want a few of the candles we make with it?"
She nodded.
"Naruto-kun asked me to pick one out and that he'd show me how to use it when I get home," still a bit unsure of what that meant, she admitted, "I'm not sure what he meant by that."
And with his hand sliding over her buttocks in broad daylight, she'd been too distracted to ask.
Ino giggled.
"I'll let him explain it. Wouldn't want to steal his thunder and ruin the fun."
They weaved through the racks of costumes, and Hinata took mental notice of an adorable school girl outfit. Its plaid patterned, navy blue skirt was inappropriately short with the cutest puffy half slip sewn below the cloth. Attached to the tiny tutu shaped skirt were charcoal suspenders and tucked behind the skirt was a crisp white blouse that was slit down the middle, a design that would leave a good portion of her breasts exposed. Just as crisp as the shirt were two thigh-high stocking adorned with pretty navy bow ties at the hems.
She found the ensemble fun and sexy and wondered if Naruto would think so too.
It wasn't a sensory suit, but left her feeling squirmy inside all the same. What would it be like to lay across his knees and be paddle wearing such a provocative assemble?
She wanted to find out.
"Candles are this way." Ino directed cheerfully.
Casting a last, subtle glance at the kinky getup, Hinata let herself be led away.
There were hundreds of candles in various shapes and sizes. Small, fat, tall and stubby. Some were shaped and contoured into wildly inappropriate shapes and body parts, others, in more artsy, romantic designs that were a lot less shocking to her sense of modesty.
"Pick whatever piques your fancy," the store owner invited, "though I would like to make a suggestion on where to start."
Ino led the curious woman to a shelf nearest a row of massage oils.
"These don't burn as intensely," she explained, "and are a great place for a beginner to start. Just enough but with a tiny little bite."
She had no idea what any of that meant.
"Oh…um…alright, then I'll start here, I suppose."
Did the intensity of the candle's flame create some sort of effect? Were these herbal essence candles that produced a calming or maybe even an aphrodisiac aura the longer, or more intensely they burned?
She wasn't sure.
Hot faced as she passed over the phallic shaped candles and candle holders, she selected one of the artsy, non-scandalous candles. The stick of wax was fat and stubby, but a very pretty blue that matched Naruto's eyes. It was nestled inside of a holder shaped to resemble two hands forming a heart.
"Excellent choice," Ino titled, "let's get you checked out."
With the sweet smelling candle in hand, Hinata retraced their steps back to the bustling heart of the store. She kept her gaze on the artfully sculpted designs etched into the shiny candle container, and indulged only small, discreet, cursory glances at the many individuals browsing the explicit merchandise. She felt a bit more comfortable trekking through the store, and her relatively normal purchase of a cute little candle tamped down on the shame she might have felt had she been carting back anything less benign. They were a few feet from the register when a face she recognized stopped her dead in her tracks. Shock swept her slender form as she watched the older female pick up a DVD from the many racks of naughty videos.
The female turned to speak to a male next to her that Hinata had never seen before. The pair stood intimately close, their body language bespeaking of a relationship far from platonic. It was a bit difficult to see the entirety of her face beneath the hood of the tanned cloak she'd wrapped around her shoulders and head, but in the brief glance inside she got, Hinata was in no doubt of the middle aged woman's identity. Those milky, pupiless eyes were unmistakable.
She knew that woman.
Had sat across from that stern visage over a table of tea and argued many a time.
She was a member of the Hyuuga Clan, one that remained a constant source of grief for the young woman and had been for well over a year. A staunch defender of the conservative, traditionalist dictates the Clan espoused, she had made it her life's mission to bad mouth the Hyuuga heiress at every opportunity. A ruthless, manipulative, Clan elder determined to 'purge the Clan of lewd impulses' standing there with a video in her hand that was not at all reflective of the views she championed during the heartbreaking conclaves in which the removal of the current Head and his heiresses stood at its forefront. This woman, the ring leader of the campaign to oust her and her father, was doing the very thing she accused and condemned others for doing. Inviting the 'lascivious, depraved and immoral influences of an increasingly perverse world' to guide her actions. 'Tossing away the honor of the Hyuuga' in the process and making a mockery of the 'righteousness and modesty' that such a 'prominent, dignified Clan mandated'.
Her scarcely veiled insults and undisguised scorn for the Clan heiress was quite often on full display, chipping away at Hinata's self esteem and leaving her feeling lower than low each time that unfavorable opinion was shared by other members of her Clan.
The things that woman had said to her, about her, about Naruto.
After all that talk of decency and propriety… only to find that the self-righteous, finger wagging woman was no better than she was.
Her hands tightened on the candle and a sensation she didn't often feel flared to life in the depths of her stomach.
Anger.
Burning, ire.
Silent outrage at the glaring hypocrisy of a woman that treated her worse than an insect. What right did she have to judge her relationship with Naruto, or the clothes she wore when she was hiding beneath a cloak and cavorting with an unknown male in the middle of a sex shop?
What would the Clan think if they could see the high and mighty woman that condemned her? What would the entourage that followed the despicable woman think if they found out about the double life she lived?
"Discretion," Ino repeated near her ear, "is an integral function of our business. You understand that, right, Hinata?"
Hinata watched as the woman and man wandered through the door of the only room with an actual door. The one Ino explained housed props and accessories for kinks that could make even the most experienced sex goer extremely uncomfortable.
"Hinata?" Ino called again.
Her grip loosened on the candle, but the burn in her gut remained.
"Right," she replied absently, "I understand."
The two were silent as Ino scanned the candle at the closest register. Hinata fumed quietly as she dug money from her pocket.
"It happens." Ino said after a moment.
She looked up, momentarily distracted from her hushed anger.
"What does?" she asked.
"Seeing someone in places they've scorned publicly."
Hinata blinked.
"You know who she is?"
Ino shrugged, taking the money for the candle.
"I know everyone that comes through those doors and I know seeing her is like a slap in the face considering the things she says she abdicates for, but that's human nature. Contradictory to the end," the blonde tisked, holding out her bagged purchase, "More often than naught, your biggest adversaries envy you the most. Afraid of the scorn they may receive from peers or of leaving the prison of propriety the grew up in, they lash out at those that have the courage live the life they wish they could."
Hinata took the bag, mulling over the words.
"Seen it a million times over. I know you're angry and exposing her would probably make you feel real good, it would to me if I were in your shoes, but I just can't have you do that."
She wasn't sure she could bring herself to do that even if she had been in a position to expose the two faced woman. Such a petty act of revenge would make her no better than the woman.
"I know…I wouldn't stoop that low even if I could."
"I figured as much, but I had to be sure. Rest assured, she's not unscathed in this alternate reality she's created for herself. Spending your life living a lie is its own punishment."
Ino bent below the register and rummaged around before straightening with a small velvet bag. She rounded the checkout station, stuffed the bag in the front pocket of her capris, then linked arms with her dark haired friend.
"Come on, its almost time for lunch. A little R and R with the girls will do you some good."
Hinata didn't dispute the claim. While she may not be willing to lower herself to publicly shaming another woman for her proclivities, the anger had yet to abate with that decision.
xxxxxx
"You're joking, right?"
Sakura looked up from her glass as her best friend and Hinata Hyuuga strode towards her. Seated at the kitchen island and hunched over a freshly poured glass of coconut rum, the pinkette let out a low sigh.
"I'm not drunk or anything," she explained to the disapproving blonde, "This is only my second glass and I haven't even touched it yet. I just needed something to help me unwind. I was hoping you'd be here and we could talk before everyone else showed up."
She'd been in dire need of a listening ear and sympathetic shoulder. When her knocks had gone unanswered, Sakura had rummaged in a nearby flower pot on the porch for the spare key and let herself in to wait, something the two best friends did quite frequently. Though, when Sasuke was in town, Ino kept her visits to minimum, all but eliminating any need to use Sakura's spare key stashed in a loose brick on the side of the Uchiha abode. Once inside, she had taken a seat on the couch, hoping against hope, Ino would walk through the door soon. After an hour of waiting and her earlier, seemingly one sided argument still fresh on her mind, Sakura had grabbed a medium sized glass and poured a cup of rum up to the rim.
Her friend was unsympathetic, the deep frown gracing her plush lips a mute indication that the medical kunoichi's early morning drinks and the excuse she offered was more than insufficient. Hands fisted on her hips, Ino meandered towards the despondent pinkette.
"Unwind some other way," Ino told her, snagging the glass from her hand, "hard liquor in the am without the benefit of girlfriends is a no no."
"One drink, alone, in the morning, does not an alcoholic make, Ino."
"Uh huh, my cousin used to say the same thing." her friend muttered as she padded into the kitchen, drink in hand.
Sakura sighed.
She didn't have a drinking problem, and resented being compared to Ino's unnamed cousin. She didn't know what demons had pushed the Yamanaka's relative to drink but Sakura didn't think the woes that had put the glass in her hand this morning were comparable to the unidentified cousin's. Drinking away the remnants of a depressing but painfully familiar marriage spat she was hardly a cause for alarm considering she'd only ever done it a handful of times, however, after the stories Ino had told of her cousin's battle for sobriety, she could understand the other woman's overt concern. Her relative's self destructive battle with alcoholism had left Ino more than a little scarred.
Naruto's gentle girlfriend took a seat next to her, and placed a comforting palm over her own.
"I'm sorry, Sakura-san," she murmured, "I stopped by the flower shop to speak with Ino. I…found myself in need of a listening ear too."
Welcoming the distraction of someone else's relationship problems, Sakura tilted her head in curiosity.
"Really? What's the big lug done now?"
Hinata flushed.
"Uh…nothing bad…I just…"
She paused, throwing a glance at the female leaning in the archway of the kitchen.
"Sakura knows about the shop. You can talk to her about it. In fact, you're the last of our girl group to find out." Ino replied.
Pink brows rose.
So, Hinata was finally in on the not so secret, secret. No wonder she had questions, Ino's wares were overwhelming and was probably even more so for someone as modest as the soft spoken Hyuuga. She was a little shocked Hinata had the balls to go in let alone admit to it even among friends.
"Yeah, we all know about it, so you can speak freely with us." Sakura encouraged.
"Though, maybe we should wait for the others to get here first. They're gonna wanna tease you about it. They've been waiting a long time for you to catch up." Ino grinned.
Sakura laughed as the pale woman sputtered.
"I think that's a great suggestion. You wouldn't want to deprive us of that would you, Hinata?"
Teasing Hinata was easy but satisfying and while they had missed out on her initial reaction to the Blossom, digging for details of the shy woman's fetishes would more than make up for it.
"Besides, we only have a few minutes before the others show up and I think Sakura really wants to talk about why she thought drinking would be a good way to solve a problem."
The censure in the comment was enough to wipe the amusement from her face. Sakura huffed.
"Can it, Ino-pig. I wasn't trying to 'solve a problem', I was passing the time and trying to relax."
"Alright," she said, taking a seat on the last vacant chair next to her, "you're relaxed, the rum is gone, I'm here, so let's hear it.
"Do you…do you want me to wait in another room while you talk?" Hinata offered.
Sakura shook her head.
"No, you can stay. Its nothing I wouldn't repeat among the group. I just…didn't wanna ruin lunch with the same old drama."
"Marital squabbles again." Ino commented.
"I don't get up every morning intending to fight with him, honest to God I don't," she burst, "I get up. I make coffee, all the while, saying in my head, 'okay, we're not going argue this morning. We're going to have a nice breakfast like a normal husband and wife.' But when we both sit at that table and I just…"
She shook her head, unable to describe the tension that filled the room the moment they sat across from each other.
"Either he says something in that 'I don't give a fuck' tone and I get ticked off or he does something even worse. He says nothing. Its the silence I can't stand the most. All the things he doesn't say."
"What do you want him to say?"
"I don't know, good morning for a start? How did you sleep? What are your plans for today?…You look beautiful this morning…." she trailed off, turning her gaze from her the two women.
She exhaled sharply, annoyed by the dull heat that filled her cheeks. How could she not be embarrassed that she had given voice to such an insecure admission? It felt shameful to say aloud, but to her, it was a legitimate avenue of worry she struggled with. What man ignored a woman he was attracted to? What man had to have his arm twisted to give a woman he found pretty a compliment every once in a while?
Ino made a sympathetic sound.
"Well I can't say I don't understand that, because I do. Positive re-enforcement can do wonders for a girl's self esteem and maybe that's something you guys should talk about. Keep in mind though, just because he doesn't say it, doesn't mean he isn't interested in you, or that he doesn't find you attractive. Some guys just don't understand the power of a few sweet words, or the pain of silence."
"Well, Sasuke's definitely one of them."
"Then you gotta give him a little nudge in the right direction. Throw down some subtle or not so subtle hints. He's only ever been with one woman, so there's a learning curve you have to take into account."
"I…I think maybe Ino is right," Hinata chimed in, "Sasuke-kun might not realize what sort of things are important to a woman."
"Maybe," Sakura conceded, "but some things are just be common sense right?"
"You would think," the Yamanaka shrugged, "but obviously not since we're sitting here having this conversation."
"There's also the pardon to consider," Hinata pointed out, "it can be hard to concentrate on the little things in life when you're under pressure."
The reminder brought a cloak of burden to her shoulders. She tried not to think too hard about the day to day showdowns over Sasuke's continued citizenship. Tried not internalize the very real possibility of her husband being re-branded an enemy of the Leaf. It made her sick to her stomach. Having lived through one manhunt for the man she loved, she was terrified of it happening again. Terrified that a second time would see him meet the end many in the village wished for.
"I know that," she whispered, "I know he's stressed. I am too. I just want to feel like we're in this together, not me chasing after him again. I just…want him to love me."
"Are you sure you didn't have more than a glass of rum before we got here, because now you're talking crazy. Sasuke does love you. You think he's the type to stay in a marriage with a woman he doesn't care about, because I don't."
"I know that too but its not the love I need. I want…" she trailed off, racking her brain for the appropriate description, "I need him to…"
Pink brows furrowed.
What did she need from him?
Ino shook her head.
"How can he know what kind of love you need if you can't even explain it to yourself."
Sakura sighed, pressing an exasperate palm to her forehead.
"I don't know," she admitted on an exhale, "I just know what we have now isn't enough. Not for either one of us. He's unhappy too. He doesn't say it, but I can feel it. There were times, early on when we got married where he seemed happy or content at least, now days, it seems like the only time that happens is when Naruto walks through the door."
When he was home, the quiet he exuded was strained, his shoulders holding a subtle stiffness and yet the moment Naruto showed up, there was a relaxation, a discernible easing of tension she resented. She wanted that with him. She wanted to be that comfort to him.
She wanted her own special relationship too.
"I'm jealous," she admitted, "of their bond. Their connection. In my head, I know I'm being ugly but in my heart, I can't help it. I'm his wife, aren't I supposed to be the closest person to him? The person he feels most comfortable unburdening his soul to? To me, that's part of being married. Sharing secrets, sharing burdens, sharing memories, sharing a life together."
Sakura held back the overwhelming urge to cringe. She hated the things that were coming out of her mouth, the jealous and bitter words that left a repugnant taste on her tongue and she didn't want to be that person but she couldn't pretend like she didn't feel that way. She felt rejected. Shut out by both her husband and former teammate. Left out of the ironclad bond the two had forged long before Sasuke had left the village. A bond she would never, could never, be apart of.
She shook her head then turned to the woman on her right.
"You understand right? I mean, you and Naruto are together, don't you ever feel…envious when those two are together. Like you're on the outside looking in?"
Hinata paused before shaking her head.
"No. Naruto-kun and I…" her eyes grew dreamy and happiness flooded her face, "we have our own special connection."
Dejected, Sakura sighed. Shoulders drooping, she leaned against the island, chin in hand.
"Can I have my drink back now?" she asked the woman on her left.
"No but you can listen to my suggestion."
"All ears."
"Focus on what you have rather than what you think you want. You're staring at the trees and missing the forest."
Ino softened, reaching out to give the pink haired woman's hand a squeeze.
"I'm no Uchiha fan, but for all his faults, the guy does loves you, he wouldn't still be there if he didn't. I don't think he's the type to string you along if he feels there's nothing to keep him. I just think you might be misreading him a little. Everyone loves differently. Some are subtle, some flamboyant, some a mixture of both. You just have to figure out how Sasuke loves Under all that darkness and gloom and mystery, he might be as flamboyant in affection as knuckle headed Naruto."
Find out how Sasuke loved.
Easy for her to say.
Sai doted on her.
Outside of lackluster genitalia, Sai was nearly perfect and did all the things a man in love did without being told. She resented having to probe, tug and push her husband for the slightest bit of affection. At this point Sakura would trade a thick cock for freely given attention.
Anything to soothe the hollow ache in her chest.
xxxxxx
"Yeah well, things change," Naruto shrugged, "Its called maturity. A lot of the shit I did when I was a kid was stupid and at some point, even I gotta grow up. Part of being a man, ya know."
"I agree," the one armed nin replied, "we all have to grow up, but I don't believe your hesitation has anything to do with maturing. You're being evasive and making up an excuse to hide it."
Naruto frowned at the accurate depiction, neither confirming nor refuting the assessment. He didn't need to do either. His continued silence was enough confirmation for his best friend.
"When you want to talk about it, we can talk about it." Sasuke told him.
It was phrase he'd said to the raven haired male more times than he could count over the last few years. Strange to find himself on the other end of those words. He was always the one needling for information, and trying to coax the other male to be more open and willing to talk. In the face of his dogged determination to get Sasuke to open up, he couldn't be a hypocrite and not live by the words of his own creed.
"It's embarrassing, alright?" Naruto admitted with a sigh.
He ran a hand through his hair before spilling the beans.
"The first girl I ever had sex with, I kinda lost my head over her," he confessed, "We weren't together long before my dumbass thought it'd be a good idea to ask her to marry me after she had already rejected my offer to move in together, 'ttebayo."
Sasuke gave him a sidelong glance.
"That sounds more like you," he said, "I'll assume she wasn't too keen on tying the knot so soon?"
"That'd be an understatement," Naruto confirmed with a sardonic twist of his lips,"I was a clingy piece of shit as far as she was concerned. Dumped me a couple of days later and never looked back."
The memory was still as painful and humiliating as it had been back then.
He grimaced.
"I'll admit, it shook my confidence. Reminded me too much of the past. I know, its stupid to get hung up on one rejection from a girl but its stuck with me ever since,'ttebayo. I can't shake it. At least not right now, I mean I know I'll have to eventually if I ever want to have a family, but right now, its just easier to back off for a little bit. Make sure the next time I pop the question it doesn't blow up in my damn face."
Uncomfortable by his revelation, Naruto folded his arms behind his head as they walked.
"So that's it, I asked a girl to marry me and she said hell no."
"And now you're insecure about it."
"Yeah, I'm insecure about it." he agree with a bit of a pout.
They fell quiet again, travelling sedately towards the heart of Konoha.
"Its her loss, not yours," Sasuke commented after awhile, "You're lucky she didn't accept your proposal, such a woman would have made your life hell."
The words were a soothing balm to the wound he'd laid bare and made him feel a lot better that his secret fear hadn't been met with scorn or even worse, pity. A small smile curved his lips.
"I know that now," Naruto chuckled, "dodged a bullet."
They entered town a moment later and the good nature grin curving his lips quickly faded.
"He's back again." someone whispered as they passed.
"Why doesn't he just leave, hasn't he and his Clan done enough damage to the village?" another jeered.
Naruto tensed, willing himself to keep moving, to ignore the hurtful, hateful comments Sasuke's presence had drawn. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before and yet the outrage he felt remained the same. He loved his village, loved the people, but he knew better than anyone else that Konoha could be a cruel, unforgiving, unrelenting, cesspool of hatred when it believed itself to have been slighted. It had always that way and now, Sasuke was it's target.
In the eyes of the townsfolk, Sasuke was the devil's spawn who was using the Leaf's hero to save his own hide, while Naruto was the saintly savior with a heart big enough to house the Uchiha monster that had taken his arm. He understood some of them were angry, understood they were scared to have another Uchiha in their midst after what had happened with Madara, but he refused to understand the ugliness that fear had produced.
Their loud censure and undisguised contempt was a mirror image of the scorn he's grown up under.
He didn't like it.
To his mind, they were in no position to judge his friend considering their own track record with the 'hero' they proclaimed to love. Had he been of the same mindset as they were, he'd never have forgiven the village that had made his youth so miserable.
He held no grudges because he believed everyone deserved a second chance.
The villagers.
Sasuke.
Anyone and everyone that still had breath and the will to change should be extended that courtesy.
"The nerve of him to show his face to Uzumaki-san after what he did to his arm." hissed a young woman.
His teeth clenched and a coil of irritation flared. It was his damn arm, if he wanted to be pissed about it, he would be, but again, he ignored the criticism and put one foot in front of the other. Several people that crossed their path and glared at his companion before veering across the street to the other, Uchiha free sidewalk.
This too, he pretended not to notice, though their silent disdain brought a deeper ache to his clenched jaw.
"Disgraceful, Uchiha scum." this from an elderly man sipping tea at a nearby table.
He turned and opened his mouth, ready to blister the old man's ears. Sasuke's restraining grip halted the rebuke hovering on his lips.
"You can't browbeat them into acceptance, Naruto. Let it go."
"Screw that, I'm sick of having to listen to their nasty comments," Naruto fumed, struggling to keep his voice low, "They don't know the whole story and they sure as hell don't know what their talking about."
"That's just it, they don't know. They have no idea, so can you blame them for how they feel?"
"Hell yeah I can, dattebayo. What gives any of them the right to make someone else's life miserable? You made mistakes, you're owning up to 'em, what more do they want?"
"They want me gone from here, Naruto, and if we want to change that mindset, blowing up over every little slight isn't the way to do it."
Calm logic in a tide of emotions.
Trademark Sasuke.
He struggled, working through the anger still festering in his gut. He gave the people watching them his most disappointed glare before taking an irritated breath.
"Let's get outta here," he muttered, continuing their journey at a clipped pace.
Sasuke trailed behind the aggravated jonin.
"This meeting may not go any better." Sasuke warned
Naruto silently, reluctantly agreed with that stark prediction. He'd already been a bit apprehensive and nervous abut bringing his friends and Sasuke together, and this brief foray into the village had only deepened those concerns. Even though his buddies had seen Sasuke on the increasingly rare occasions he made an appearance in the village, some even closer at the screaming matches that were his pardon conferences, this would be the first time the blonde jonin brought his previously exiled friend around the group. It had taken several weeks to get to this point, weeks in which he had argued and pleaded for his comrades to give the one armed shinobi a second chance.
Their response had been unanimous and unwavering.
We'll try to be civil but don't expect us to roll out the red carpet.
His response?
Fair enough.
It was something at least and he would take what he could get.
Beggars couldn't be choosers.
Now, after being reminded how deep resentment ran, he was tempted to call the whole thing off and wait a little longer before orchestrating this confrontation. Only problem was, they didn't have the luxury of procrastination. Worried as he was about the results of today's meet up, he knew they couldn't turn back now. They had to start making progress one of these days and today may as well be that day.
He was optimistic by nature.
It wasn't in him to cut tail and run. If he wanted things to change, they would have to make it happen.
"Maybe," he answered with renewed determination, "but doing nothing will only make things worse. We gotta start somewhere, dattebayo."
At least he'd had the foresight to select a meeting place located in a relatively isolated area. A pretty little lake a ways beyond town where he and the guys went fishing in their free time. The spot was quiet and surrounded by thick, shady trees. During the daylight hours, they'd bring bait, fishing poles and a few drink to pass the time, and when the sun began its descent, they'd find wood from the surrounding forest for a fire.
When they arrived, the guys were already cooking some of the fish they'd caught from the wide, glistening lake.
Naruto cleared his throat loudly, nervously.
Six pairs of eyes swung his way.
Choji paused, a tender slice of white meat held between wooden chopsticks halfway to his mouth. Shikamaru wiped the scales from his blade, dark eyes sharp on the Uchiha behind him. Kiba, standing ankles deep in the water with his pant legs rolled up and a fish in each hand watched their approach through narrowed eyes, while Akamaru divided his attention between his owner's mounting tension and the appetizing fish wiggling in his clawed hand. In true Sai fashion, the pale nin sat sketching beneath the shade of a nearby tree, though his enigmatic gaze missed nothing. Their stares and silence were hardly welcoming, but only one left their hostility undisguised.
Naruto was taken aback by the vehement glare Lee aimed at the silent Uchiha. His bushy browed friend had never looked at someone that way to his recollection and it left him more than a little concerned. After the war, and in between caring for his debilitated sensei, Lee had pursued Sakura with a single minded determination that had bordered a bit on desperation. Flowers, candy, stuffed animals and anything else he believed would woo the short tempered kunoichi had made an appearance during the taijutsu's bid for her love. With Sasuke back in the village, Lee had worried, and rightly so, that the Uchiha's mere presence would effectively extinguish any chance he had to be with Sakura Haruno. His worry had not been fruitless. Though gracious in declining his gifts and requests for a date, Sakura had spared the hopeful male not a single glance.
Naruto wasn't naive enough to believe Lee felt no resentment towards Sasuke for 'stealing' away the woman he loved but surely he couldn't still be harboring that deep an anger for a man who had married a woman that had never and would never look his way, right?
If the bright gleam in those dark fishbowl eyes were anything to go by, that's exactly what the situation was.
"Yo," Naruto greeted the group, striving for nonchalance, "We're here."
Choji turned his gaze back to his food, then chomped down on the white meat between his chopsticks.
"Yo." he muttered as he chewed.
"Naruto." Shikamaru acknowledged.
Sai merely nodded neutrally in their direction, while Kiba went back to snatching fish from the water and Lee to stirring the flames of the cooking fire with a stick, both clearly uninterested in pretending to exchange niceties. Naruto held back a long suffering sigh but took comfort in the fact that they seemed civil even if they were being cold.
No red carpet.
Got it.
He turned to Sasuke. The other male had donned that remote cloak of indifference he'd developed early on in childhood. His gaze was shuttered, and a subtle stiffening of defensiveness lined his cloaked shoulders. Naruto took a breath, then pasted on a bright smile.
"Welcome to Evergreen Lake, the best place to fish, swim and take a load off," he announced, slapping a hand on the back of his stonily quiet friend, "Come on, I'll show you the best place to fish."
Grabbing two poles from the stash of fishing rods leaning against a bolder, and one of the tin cans full of slithering bait next to it, he led the other man to a nearby, flat topped boulder he frequented. It was settled beneath a shady tree, smooth enough to lounge comfortably on and close enough to the fire to be within conversation range. They settled atop it, and cast their lines.
Awkward fishing was awful.
Every cough, shuffle and splash seemed amplified within the unfriendly hush that descended over the group. It felt grating and out of place. Ten minutes later, Naruto was sick of it.
He shot a glance at his friends, watching as they ate, fished and sketched in silence.
Fuck it.
Time to break the ice. Of their group, one man was easily drawn into conversation about one subject in particular.
"Hey Choji," he called down from his perch, "you hear about that new barbecue restaurant downtown?"
"It's open already?" the big man questioned with interest.
"Nah, not for another two weeks, but they sent me an invitation to try out the menu before they open. I can bring a guest or two with me. You game?"
"As if you have to ask this barbecue loving lug if he wants free grilled pork," Shikamaru put in, tossing away a severed fish head, "he's been talking about it non-stop since construction started."
"That's because the barbecue restaurants in Konoha stopped their all you can eat buffets. This one has it listed as one of their features." Choji enthused.
"They stopped doing it because you keep cleaning the restaurant out by yourself," Kiba laughed, "It was either let you eat 'em outta business or get rid of the buffet."
"Hmph," Choji grunted, unruffled, "all you can eat means all you can you eat, and I'm not leaving until I've eaten all I can eat."
The plump male patted his stomach for emphasis before grabbing another skewed trout from the fire.
"Well I suggest you try and contain yourself at the new place, otherwise you're gonna end up in the same place you are now," Shikamaru warned, "another barbecue establishment scrapping the buffet promotion."
Naruto doubted the warning would dissuade the hearty Akimichi from scarfing more than his fair share of meat and accessories.
A splash filled the air and the silent male sharing the rock with him yanked a wiggling fish from the water using a combination of his one hand and both feet. From what he could glean with a subtle glance, Sasuke appeared a little less strained, focused as he was on the mundane but relaxing task of fishing, and while the guys seemed steadfast in their effort to pretend the one arm nin wasn't there, the initial tension was fading. It wasn't an ideal situation, nor what he'd been aiming for, but at least no one had come to blows. For now, there was a measure of peace. His friends had nothing to say to Sasuke, and the lone genin appeared content to be ignored.
He'd take that as a criterion of success…at least for now.
"Where's Shino, Kiba?" Naruto asked, eager to keep the conversation flowing, "thought he said he had time to hang out this week."
"Next week," Kiba corrected, watching the water with sharp eyes and even sharper claws, "Couple more classes and he'll be a certified teacher at the Academy. He wants to buckled down until its over."
"Still hard to believe he wants to teach at the Academy," Choji commented, "Never pegged him as an educator. What inspired him to pick that career path?
"Beats the hell outta me," Kiba shrugged, "better him than me though. Kids are a gross, pain in the ass."
"Kinda harsh don't you think?" Shikamaru chuckled.
"Nope," the Inuzuka grumbled, bringing both hands to his waist, "they smell like farts most of the time, can't seem to keep their fingers out of their damn noses, and their hands are always sticky. Akamaru can't walk through the village without getting God knows what smeared all over his fur."
Akamaru barked in agreement.
"And I dare you to go out and find one with a clean shirt."
Choji snickered.
"Germ carrying little monsters." he declared.
"You're one to talk," Shikamaru laughed, "you spent most of your childhood and a good chunk of your teenage years covered in whatever muck and mud you and Akamaru rolled around in."
"That's different, we were training."
"I call bullshit on that."
"We were," he insisted, "tell him Akamaru."
The big white dog merely whined, unwilling to backup the partial falsehood.
"Exactly," Naruto chortled, "bullshit."
"Shut up," he growled, "you weren't exactly a poster child for cleanliness either."
"Yeah, but neither did I walk around looking like a mud creature."
The pole in his hand gave a tug and he returned the pull with a strong one of his own. A wiggling catfish broke through the waterline. Naruto reeled it in, unhooked it and tossed it down into the bucket next to Shikamaru.
"Speaking of dirty," Sai piped up over his sketch book, "I saw Tamaki the other day, Kiba."
Naruto snorted.
Tamaki, the cat loving, shop worker from Sora-ku had moved to Konoha after a chance encounter with the feral looking Kiba in the course of a mission. Their attraction had been instant. Rushing headlong into an intense relationship, Tamaki had relocated to Konoha and taken residence with nin inside his one bedroom apartment. Within a few weeks, the feline enthusiast had repacked her bags and left, proclaiming the bestial Inuzuka to be a 'dirty dog', no pun intended.
What Kiba had done to earn such a label, the group was unsure, he refused to dish out details, stating only that not every girl was into 'kinks'. The Inuzuka in question shot a glare at the chortling blonde on the rock before refocusing on Sai.
"Really?" he asked, "Did she ask about me?"
"Not really. I did ask if she was speaking to you again, and she said she would speak to you when you were done being a pervert."
A few more chuckles joined Naruto's mirth.
"Damn, Kiba," Naruto laughed, "what kind of sick stuff are you into?"
With a rumbling growl, Kiba tossed a fish at the teasing Uzumaki.
"Shut the hell up! You're one to talk! How's Hinata's butt feel from that paddle, eh?"
Blue orbs slyly amused, Naruto posed a question of his own.
"How do you know what we use?"
Face redder than lava, and guiltier than a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar, Kiba sputtered as several eyes swung curiously in his direction.
"W-W-What?! I-I don't know, I just assumed," he insisted to the group, "I-Its not exactly quiet at your place! The walls are paper thin, you know that asshole!"
Naruto lifted a brow but said nothing, reaching out instead to catch another wiggling fish.
"Speaking of Hinata," Choji cut in, "How'd your talk go? You guys officially living together now?"
This was the opening he'd hoped for. Common ground, and perhaps, some measure of understanding between his friends and Sasuke. He snuck a glance at the Uchiha in question, then turned his gaze to the water before answering.
"Not yet."
"She said no?" Lee asked, incredulous.
If there was anything that could draw the hopeless romantic male into conversation, it was the discussion of woes attributed to the pursuit of a woman's love and affection. Woes the taijutsu master knew a lot about.
"No, she said yes."
"Then what's the problem?" Kiba asked.
"The Hyuuga Clan is the problem," he answered, "She doesn't think they'll approve of our living situation. She's been trying to break it to her dad and the rest of the Clan so our plans are on the back burner, 'ttebayo."
"Not surprised," Shikamaru said, "the Hyuuga have a pretty strict code of conduct."
Naruto frowned.
"I'll admit, I don't know shit about being in a Clan, but I think she should be able to decide where she wants the live, ya know? Or how she wants to dress. Or how long she wants to stay at my house," he vented, "Sometimes I just get tired of having to wait for the Clan to approve of what we can and can't do in our relationship."
"Decision making is different when you're apart of a Clan, even more so when you're next in line to take over," Choji explained, "Don't be mad at her, Naruto, she's just trying to keep the peace. Its not always as simple as brushing aside the things you were raised to believe."
"I'm not mad at her, not at all," Naruto refuted, "I'm just frustrated is all. She's old enough to make her own decisions, she doesn't need the Clan to do it for her, 'ttebayo."
"You're right about that," Shikamaru agreed, "she doesn't need them to make decisions for her, but unfortunately, shared decision making is a core function of a Clan. Think of a Clan as a miniature representation of the Leaf. Konoha is a collection of individuals that work together for the betterment of the village as a whole and function beneath a shared set of principles and social norms. This connection and sense of communion breeds loyalty, it provides a person with sense of pride and purpose."
He'd heard this depiction before.
From the man quietly listening next to him.
Sasuke had tried putting into words the ties he felt bound him to the Uchiha name after the war and Naruto recalled pride and purpose being among that explanation.
"Now take that broad sense of unification and condense it among a select few and you get the Hyuuga, or the Yamanaka, or the Inuzuka. Within these tribes, you have a unique set of principles, a different hierarchy and a new governance and allegiance separate from Konoha. An identity in which only a small number are privileged to possess."
He paused, reaching to pull another fish from the bucket.
"We all have to make our own decisions," he continued, "we don't always have to follow the edict and traditions of the Clan, but it can be hard not to. There's a sense of shame, and fear that can go along with choosing a different path. You risk losing your place of belonging, of being ostracized by the people you love. Me, Choji, Kiba, we've all struggled with trying to define ourselves separate of the Clan, but its not always a battle we can win. Growing up under such narrow, isolationist circumstances, you internalize and personify those ideals and they becomes synonymous with who you are. It influences everything you do and can lead you behave in ways others not of that ilk might find strange. It can be simple influences, like hesitating to make life decisions without the consultation of the Clan or more extreme scenarios like-"
"Betraying your village in the name of your Clan." Sasuke filled in.
Several eyes swung in the Uchiha's direction.
Naruto held his breath, his cerulean orbs moving back and forth between the staring men. They'd reached the point he'd been trying to make, using Hinata's ties to the Hyuuga as an example, and had now entered the confrontation he hoped would chip away at the simmering distrust. Mutual understanding was as good a foundation as any to build comradery and hopefully, friendship.
"Is that supposed to be some sort of justification to excuse the shit you pulled?" Kiba challenged.
The question was constructed in a tone that was casual, and yet the softly spoken inquiry was laced with an abundance of scorn
"No," Sasuke returned, eyes fixed to the rippling water, "merely another example to add to the explanation. I offered no excuses upon my return, nor at my hearing, and I don't now."
"Good because we wouldn't wanna hear 'em anyway."
"I may not have been apart of a Clan," Sai interjected, "but I was raised within a group that functioned in a similar manner. Anything other than the advancement and furtherance of the group's ambitions was considered unworthy of consideration. At the time, the things you do in the name of that goal feel justified. Necessary evils."
"Don't give him any cover." Kiba growled.
"I'm not giving cover to his actions one way or another. I'm merely stating my own experience. There were a number of things I was raised to believe were right. Things I would never consider doing now that I know better. I'd be a hypocrite if I pretended that I don't understand what can drive someone to do heinous things. "
"He's right," Shikamaru agreed, "Even though I don't like it, even though I don't agree with it, I do understand it."
The once slothful ninja shot a glance at the fishing Uchiha, his regard less hostile, more thoughtful.
" I've wondered myself, does the Clan make an individual, or is a Clan made up of individuals. Does the Clan define who you are or do you? That's the downside of such sequestered comradery and like minded echo chamber atmospheres. They have the potential of becoming dangerous over time. Such a narrow world view leads to in-fighting and most assuredly out-fighting with the world around. Clashes with new ideas can lead to a modernizing of a group, an advancement and continued prosperity in an ever changing, ever evolving world. But when it shifts in the opposite direction, a collision of differing world views can lead to dissension and in extreme cases, annihilation of the entire Clan by forces outside or within."
Like the Uchiha.
"Understanding this evolution, however, doesn't absolve you or anyone else. We all live and die by the decisions we make. Hurting other people, threatening the village, maiming the person you call friend is inexcusable no matter how you were brought up."
Damning words but not unlike the words he'd spoken during discussions of Sasuke's pardon with the Clan heads. Naruto knew Shikamaru's stance quite well.
"I neither want, nor need an excuse," Sasuke repeated calmly, "and I'm well aware of the scale and scope of my sins."
A coil of tension subsided and Shikamaru turned back to his fish.
"I'll give you credit for taking responsibility at least," he said as he dislodged scales form the new fish, "Some of us don't have a choice on weather or not to live with the consequences of your rage."
It was a not so subtle dig at the Uchiha over the arm he'd stolen from their spiky haired friend in the expenditure of that rage. Naruto frowned, but let the comment stand. Last thing he wanted was to get into an argument about his prosthetic. He'd tried and failed over and over to convince the guys, the whole of Konoha, that he was okay with his new, synthetic limb, that it was stronger than the one he'd been born with and felt just as good as the old one.
He may as well be talking to a bunch of bricks.
The group descended into silence.
He scowled.
Things hadn't turned the way he'd hope they would. The guys hadn't magically fallen into like with each other, but they'd sewn the seeds for dialogue to his mind. It was miles away from friendship, but Naruto had no intention of letting the undercurrent of dislike continue if he could help it. Slowly but surely, he planned to chip away at the stewing mistrust and laden anger between the men he'd grown up with.
In the meantime, discussions of the inner workings of a Clan would prove to be invaluable.While today's conversation had been insightful, the description of the iron clad grip Clan life produced had only exacerbated his own insecurities about the Hyuuga influence on his relationship with Hinata.
xxxxxx
"Guess who finally popped their sex shop cherry."
Hinata sputtered, nearly choking on her tea.
"I-Ino!" she bumbled, face aflame.
Her plain spoken friend merely grinned.
"What? You said it was okay if they knew."
"I think she was hoping for a more…tasteful revelation." Tenten giggled.
"I know," Ino shrugged, "but I like seeing her flustered."
"Well quit it because I wanna hear the juicy details."
"Yeah, me too," Karui chimed in, "pipe down Ino."
"Spill it, Hyuuga, what's your kink?" Temari urged.
"Well…I…"
The words stuck in her throat.
What if they thought she was a freak? A pervert of the worse kind.
"Here, I'll make it easier for you," Sakura offered, "Temari here is into vibrators, dildos and any combination of the two."
"Guilty as charged." Temari confirmed with wink.
"Ever heard of a sex machine or a Sybian?" the pinkette asked.
Scandalized, wide eyed, Hinata shook her head.
"That's Tenten's thing, and I'm sure she'd be happy to…enlighten you." Sakura giggled.
"You're laughing but I'm telling you," Tenten insisted, "give it a whirl and it'll change your life."
"Meh, its okay, but I prefer flesh and blood jackhammers." Ino shrugged.
"Ino here, is a switch and into a wide variety of kinks. We'd be here all day trying to list them all." Sakura explained.
"Billboard-brow here is right, but don't worry, we have plenty of time to go down the list later."
"Karui here doesn't mind being watched while she's getting busy, if ya know what I mean." Sakura continued.
She knew what that meant.
Exhibitionism.
"And me, well, sensation play is really as far as I go into any specific sort of kink."
Curious, embarrassed and mildly aroused, Hinata asked, "What's sensation play?
"Its where you slide different textured items on the body. I'm on the softer end of the spectrum. Feathers, silk scarfs, oils, stuff like that."
"All of us like kink between the sheets, and not once has anyone here confessed a hidden desire and been shamed for it," Ino asserted, "you're among friends, figuratively and literally."
The warmth and acceptance was soothing and persuasive, coaxing the overtly shy woman from her protective shell. Hinata looked down at the sweet tea in her hand, then at the clock ticking on the wall and finally settled on the left over sandwiches in the middle of the living room table as she pried her lips apart.
"I'm…submissive…" she admitted, blushing furiously, "and I…like being spanked."
"Don't duck and hide," Ino teased with a poke to the flushing woman's ribs, "We've all been spanked at one time or another."
Pupiless orbs rose as the women shared their opinion.
"I wasn't a fan of it," Sakura admitted, "but you guys know I'm not really into that kinda thing."
"I liked it, but it wasn't really anything mind blowing for me." Temari commented.
"Same." Tenten chimed in before taking a bite of her sandwich.
"Not my main kink, but I never turn down a good paddling." Karui said.
"My rear end and a strong swinging arm amounts to a good time in my book." Ino declared.
Hinata took a sip of tea as a coil of tension loosened. She listened quietly while her friends discussed the bottom burning fetish, feeling less and less of a freak as they spoke. She felt hearted by their casual acceptance of her love for paddling, quietly amused by their recounting of attempting to sit the day after. She even indulged a shy giggle when scrutiny turned her way.
"So it was what I thought it was," Sakura laughed, recalling Hinata's post spanking sit down at the cafe a while back, "you were squirming like a worm next to me that day. Reminded me of Ino's sore butt chair dance."
Having solved the mystery of Hinata's wiggling, conversation evolved and shifted to a riveting tale of Tenten kicking her latest love interest to the curb. While she was just as interested in the topic as the others, Hinata couldn't help her wandering attention. Ino's proposition and the revelation that one of her biggest tormentors was a flaming hypocrite were distractions she couldn't ignore.
What she would do about either situation, she didn't know.
She had promised Ino she wouldn't say anything about what she'd seen, but how could she look the older woman in the face and pretend like nothing had changed?
And if she did help Ino, could she live with the consequences if anyone ever found out?
She was still pondering those questions on the way home later that evening.
The sun was just beginning its descent by the time she made it to the apartment. After letting herself in, she slipped out of her shoes, sat the bag containing her candle on the living room table then trekked down the hallway to the bedroom. Blazing red caught her eye. Naruto had already selected tonight's scantily clad undergarments earlier that morning. It was a bit on the subtle side in design. A lacy, skin tight, spaghetti strapped, bedtime romper that plunged deep in the front and even deeper in the back. It left a good portion of her cleavage on display while exposing the pale curve of her spine. Next to it, a silky, thigh length robe of the same neon crimson.
The erotic negligee wasn't a sensory suit, but brought a whirl of desire to her insides all the same.
She could only imagine what her lover planned to do to her in the sexy getup.
xxxxxx
"Well…it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, dattebayo."
Sasuke glanced over at the whisker cheeked male walking beside him.
"I didn't think you'd say anything on the first meeting," the blonde continued, "I was surprised but I think it helped a little. It got the pink elephant out in the open at least."
Contributing his input had been a spur of the moment decision. Just as Naruto had assumed, he had had no desire to utter a word during the hangout and yet, while he sat there, watching the waves, and listening to the jonin try to foster comradery, Sasuke had wanted to make an effort too. Not just for Naruto, but for himself as well. He wanted to find out, once and for all, if Konoha was home. If he could ever create the life was always meant to have within the land of his birth. He would never be able to answer that question definitively if he sat on the sidelines. His friend was sticking his neck out for him, putting forth his best effort to enfold the reviled rogue back into the fabric of Konoha and while it was painfully awkward, even irritating at times, he could do nothing less than put forth his best effort too.
He meant what he said.
There was no excuse great enough for the havoc he had wrought, and if reminding him daily of the sins in his past gave the people he'd hurt solace, so be it.
To be honest, he welcomed the verbal repudiation.
It made the guilt easier to bear.
He had received little punishment or rebuke form the person he'd hurt the most. Naruto would never beat him over the head with the horrible choices he'd made. Instead, time and again, he extended his hand in forgiveness and friendship and it was that clemency that was the hardest to accept.
"It's a start." Sasuke replied.
"That's all we need," Naruto shrugged, "We got our foot in the door. Now we just gotta figure out how to open it all the way."
There were very few people to jeer as they traveled down the quickly emptying streets of the village and when they met the intersection that would see them home in different directions, the pair stopped. Sasuke gazed over at the dimly lit path that would lead him to a place of heartwarming, heartbreaking memories. It was either that or return to the home he shared with his wife, and after the morning he had had, he wasn't too keen on another round of bickering.
"You don't have to go there tonight." Naruto told him.
He turned his attention back to his friend.
"Took me a while to figure it out but it makes sense now. You always take the same path after you argue with Sakura-chan."
Naruto brushed a hand through his hair, concern shinning in his blue depths.
"If you don't wanna go home, then come stay the night at my place. Staying out there all night, it'll only bring up painful shit, 'ttebayo."
"Whether I visit the memorial or avoid it all together, the painful memories follow," he told the jonin, "They're stored within me, not the stones."
"I realize that, but when you're out there, that's the only thing you focus on. You get consumed by it. You spend the night out there and the next day you're cold and distant."
It was hard not to be. Spending his time at the private memorial he'd created deep within the overgrown foliage surrounding what was left of the abandoned land that had once been home and horrific murder scene of the Uchiha, gave him comfort. Gave him a place to mourn and reflect…and hurt. When he felt boxed in by the drama surrounding his pardon, or weary of the continuous fighting at home, that secluded tribute to his deceased family and Clan was the only place he could retreat to. He was drawn to the rounded stones he'd place beneath a sturdy tree, sucked in by the haunting silence surrounding the commemoration, and left numb by the finality of death it symbolized. An uptake in the nightmares that occasionally plagued his rest often followed a night spent with the monuments, furthering the chilly distance Naruto sensed.
"Come on, Sasuke," Naruto coaxed, slapping a hand on his shoulder, "If my couch isn't more comfortable than the ground, next time, I won't say a word."
Comfort wasn't the point of his decision to sleep outdoors, they both knew that but after the morning and afternoon he'd had, he was willing to try the blonde's sofa if it would save him a few nightmares and another argument with Sakura. They were moving before he could talk himself out of the decision, and arrived at Naruto's apartment door in even less time. The younger male's casual chatter left him little room to voice an objection anyway. Fishing his key from his pocket, Naruto unlocked the door and swung it open.
"Hinata," he called out as they crossed the threshold, "I'm back."
The door shut behind them and Sasuke bent to unbuckle his shoes. Gleaming dark hair and a flash of blazing red caught his eye. He looked up from the shoes he'd been in the process of removing.
"Welcome back, Naruto…kun."
Hinata stood frozen in the archway of the hall, dark hair gleaming and big, pale breasts straining the confines of bright red fabric.
xxxxxx
The floor was freshly swept and mopped.
A new, shinny, wooden table had taken the place of the old.
Meticulously crafted dinner sat at a simmer on the stove and as she watched the slow tic, tic, tic of the living room wall clock, Sakura knew, her husband wasn't planning on coming home tonight.
She was angry.
Angry and deeply disappointed.
The blend of emotions was one she was familiar with, and in light of that, it was probably for the best that her significant other hadn't showed. She was no more in control of her temper than she had been that morning and despite her good intentions, the festering tension of earlier would be hard to battle if he had walked through that door.
She sighed, shoulders slumping.
Well.
Ino couldn't say she hadn't tried.
Sliding forward in her chair, Sakura snatched up her recently emptied glass, along with the mostly full but lukewarm wine bottle and padded into the kitchen. After stuffing the cork back into the opening, she placed the alcoholic beverage in the fridge and her glass in the sink.
The thin, spaghetti strap of her negligee slipped down her bare shoulder.
It was modest, but left no doubt as to why it was being worn. Skin tight, thigh length and a pretty peach, the gown hugged her small but perky breasts while emphasizing the smallness of her waist. The seductive design made her feel attractive, while the whisper soft fabric against her flesh left her aroused and wanting.
At least it had two hours ago.
Annoyed, by the sensation and her ruined plans, she whipped the strap back on her shoulder and turned off the stove.
Why she had expected Sasuke to come home after an argument, she didn't know. It wasn't unusual for him to sleep away from home when they were angry at each other, a decision she was sure he made under the assumption that she needed time and space to cool off. The exact absolute opposite of what she wanted. After their therapy sessions, and receiving advice from the bespectacled blonde, she had hoped he would do something different, show her that he had taken the suggestions to heart. Coming back and working things out would prove to her that he cared. Returning to the house after the sun went down, regardless of how the day had started, would reveal a desire to be with her even if she was angry.
How easy it seemed to be for him to walk away.
And to stay away.
She swallowed as a well of emotion rose.
Her eyes watered.
Glaring at the meal, she reached for the side handles and gave vent to her ire. Lifting the circular, gray metal from the low heat burner, she whipped it over the trashcan and dumped the untouched food in the bin. It hit the bag with a satisfying thud. Tossing the emptied pot into the sink, she reached for another and dumped that one too. With the remnants of an untouched dinner cleared, she whipped around the house extinguishing candles, then shut off the low ambience humming from the radio speakers. Plates were put back in the cabinet and the bucket of ice thrown in the sink. By the time she had removed the visible displays of contrition and reconciliation, she felt sad…
Sad and foolish.