Ridding Me of You

Author’s Notes:

Thank you for pointing this out! I have attached the 22nd Chapter

I was supposed to create a narration of what happened to the unfortunate incident that happened between Sasuke and Hinata, but due to lack of new material and demands from you know where, that will kind of come later.

Disclaimer:

The only thing that I can presently claim as my own is the instant cappuccino that I am drinking.

No need to rub it in.

Chapter 22: Chasing What is Mine – Part 1

By boyarina

His ears are still ringing from her screams. She ranted, called him names, made growling-un-Hinata like noises (that he never could have imagined can come from her) as if there was no tomorrow. To think that this kind of treatment was bestowed to him when the only wrong thing that he did was to “come out of his faint” and inform her that mouth to mouth resuscitation is required in order to revive a non-breathing victim.

“Unfeeling, jackass, bastard, jerk, unbelievable…”

The words that spilled from her mouth ran through Sasuke’s head. He wondered if she meant any of them. Maybe not so much. She did stay with him after he “woke up” and was still “too weak” to get up. She even went as far as making sure he got safely back to his bedroom.

Before noisily stomping her exit.

Sasuke huffed and pocketed his hands. The black cloud of animosity that formed above his head since Hinata left darkened the path that he walked on and forwarned anyone who even so much as think of coming near him.

He would have wanted to have some time alone today—to you know, lurk around, maybe hide in one of the corners of Hinata’s room just so that she would be forced to talk to him ( he just knew that she would be avoiding him). Unfortunately, training of team Kakashi resumes today.

Being a good ninja, a supportive teammate, and all that crap, he decided to make an appearance. Apart from all these, there is also the pressing matter of him getting the pertinent details from Naruto about the night he spent with Sakura.

When he got to the meeting place, Sasuke wasn’t sure if he arrived in the correct place and in the same era. For there was (hell must have frozen over), Kakashi talking to Sakura, while Naruto (yes, you may question the credibility of this as he was having a hard time believing it as well) was taking a serene nap under a tree, curled up and strangely donning only a pair of boxers.

He didn’t come any closer. There is something a foot here and if they are planning something, there would be no way in hell that he would be the butt end of it.

Eyes squinted, Sasuke assessed each teammate to see which one would pull a trick first. He went rigid when Kakashi inclined his head towards him and smiled.

“Oi! Hinata-chan!”

Instantaneously, prickling heat rose from his collar all the way to the roots of his hair. Sasuke didn’t know which one was worse, the fact that Kakashi’s boom-box like voice blared to the entire village the teasing his sensei gave him or the fact that he was flat out blushing.

Like a school girl, mind you. Was his infatuation getting this unhealthy?

After a sharp intake of breath, Sasuke opened his mouth to let out a stinging remark, but never got around to saying it.

“Why are you just standing there, Hinata-chan? Join us.” Kakashi gestured “come on over” and winked at him.

Of all the perverted things!

Sasuke growled, throwing out the idea of a biting comment and balling his fists, ready to pummel their teacher to the ground. He lunged forward and would have taken off if not for the vision that came from the corner of his eyes.

“Did you bring it, Hinata-chan?” Kakashi asked.

The general area around Sasuke’s neck and face got hotter when Hinata gave him a passing glance. She too was pink, but nothing near the state that he was.

“Please do not let my father know that I have given this,” she said, quickly moving forward.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively in the air. “I know. I know.”

From where he was, Sasuke saw Hinata pull out a lock of hair braided together with a read ribbon. She held it out for Kakashi to take but he merely looked at it.

“Please hono—“ Hinata started to say, however Kakashi wildly signaled for her to stop.

“Oh, please, Hinata-chan. not to me,” Kakashi said and pointed to him. “Sasuke is the one going to take it.”

Like gasoline to an open flame, Hinata’s face immediately burned brightly with these words.

“B-but sensei, the pledge can be given to teachers with no malice. Shinobi to shinobi, it’s…” Hinata glanced at him again as she trailed off. The teeth biting into her lip told him how agitated she was with her thoughts.

“What is he making you do?” Sasuke asked in a no non-sense voice.

“Hinata-chan, think of it as a promise that you may give to a teammate, or a friend.” Kakashi cut in. “Besides, no one else will know. Just us. If there is a time that will come up and there’s a need for you to fulfill your pledge, then it’s all worth it, right?”

Hinata clamped her lips together, her indecision hanging in the air.

“Don’t do it, if you don’t want to, “Sasuke suggested in a flat tone.

The air that heaved out of her lips gave him an indication that she already made a resolve. Her eyes became purposeful as she looked back at him. Then, she strode to where he was and held out the lock of hair, head bowed and words spilling quickly out of her mouth.

“Please honor my life as I lay it down for you. Promise to cherish my memories as my powers leave my body and move into yours.”

Sasuke was stunned as the meaning of her words sunk in. Astonishment left him paralyzed that Hinata had to tuck into his palm what it is that she offered him.

“What is the meaning of this?!” he thundered.

“It’s an insurance of sorts,” Hinata explained quietly.

“Isn’t that why you have genes that you can pass on?!” He said angrily.

Hinata simply shrugged. “I-I may not be able to…”

Sasuke’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “What in the world made you think—“

“Enough!” Kakashi hollered. “It’s done, Sasuke, leave her be. Hinata-chan, thank you for your contribution. You can go. I’ll handle Sasuke.”

Seeing her chance to escape, Hinata quickly nodded and took off.

Sasuke scowled at her leaving figure and faced his teacher.

“What are you planning now?” he demanded.

Kakashi smiled at him mischievously and answered. “You’ll see.”

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sakura made a hard and fast deal with her parent in order for them to temporarily ditch the idea of marrying her off to someone else. She told them that once she proved that she and Naruto are not attracted to each other, there would be no marriage contract whatsoever. He parents agreed but wanted to see immediate results.

This is the reason why Sakura rushed to her sensei’s place, pounded on the door and dragged Kakashi to their meeting place so he can come up with a solution.

Kakashi didn’t disappoint. At first she thought he would not deliver when he temporarily left her in order to get his “solution”, and came back with Naruto in his trail.

She was about to scream at her teacher to tell him that bringing Naruto in would not – NOT – NOT – help at all when he tossed something to her.

“Blow on it, Sakura!” Kakashi yelled. “Now!”

What she caught was a whistle. She immediately complied with Kakashi’s order without thinking – relying heavily on the fact that maybe this is Kakashi’s best answer to her dilemma.

The next thing that happened was too strange for words. Naruto suddenly stopped chasing Kakashi, dropped on all fours and started… purring. He scratched at his clothes until it all tore off. The boxers he was wearing would have been destroyed too if Kakashi head not come over to scratch him behind the ears.

“There now, Naruto-neko, not too naked,” Kakashi coaxed sweetly. Naruto meowed in response.

Speechless, Sakura stared unblinkingly at the scene before her.

“You see, Sakura,” Kakashi explained. “If you let your parents see that at the times that Naruto turns like this, it is your responsibility to take care of him. In his human form, he repays the kindness with friendship.”

“How would that help with my problem?!”

“Well since he is not always human, you can make them understand that two can’t possibly stay together, right? Secondly, get a girl cat that he’ll surely be attracted too and you can show your parents that.”

Sakura mulled over the idea. When Naruto walked over to her and rubbed himself against her legs, she absent-mindedly patted his head.

“That’ll work,” she murmured. Naruto moved off again, this time to curl under a tree.

“How can he go back to himself?” Sakura asked. She looked up to her teacher when he didn’t answer immediately. Apparently, his attention was diverted by the arrival of Sasuke and Hinata.

Sakura let Kakashi off the hook when the new arrivals presence demanded much of his person. She drifted off to Naruto’s side to pet him some more. She would have wanted to stay there for the rest of the day, brushing her hand on Naruto’s hair and back.

Unfortunately, after Kakashi dealt with Sasuke and Hinata, he went to her side. He pulled her up to her feet, snatched the whistle from her hand and blew on it.

Naruto groggily sat-up. Sakura watched as he took in his state of undress, eyes widening as realization dawned in.

“Where are my clothes?!” He exclaimed.

Kakashi ignored him as he clapped his hands together.

“Team!” their teacher boomed out. “We are going to play a game today. In this game, we will learn how to plan, and stay focused when something that we hold dear is taken away from us. This is a retrieval mission. By the end of the day, if you failed to obtain your precious item, the holder will do whatever he/she pleases to do with it.”

Kakashi eyed each of other and said, “Fan out. I will give you an item from your teammate, which you would have to hold on to as they try to get it back. Once you have it, announce what it is. Nothing like desperation that would give each one of you motivation to have it again.”

Sakura felt edgy about this exercise. Sasuke and Naruto appeared this way as well, but are now starting to do as Kakashi instructed. About 100m from each other, they stopped. Kakashi nodded and went to each one of them to hand out a box, containing their teammates’ belonging.

“Announce yours Naruto!” Kakashi-sensei ordered.

“I’m still shirtless and pantless!” Naruto complained.

“Get dressed later!” Sakura yelled back, eagerly wanting to know what he has.

Naruto’s grumbling echoed in the clearing. “I have a lock of hair!”

Sasuke did a double take. “How did you get that?!”

“Sasuke!” Kakashi warned. “Announce yours, Sakura!”

“A whistle!” She said, jumping a little. Yes, she was a little relieved that Naruto don’t have her precious thing, but still is pretty much nervous as she didn’t know what Kakashi took from her.

Naruto, on the other hand, looked panic-stricken as he patted every inch of his pocket-less body. He gasped audibly. “You have my whistle?!”

“Everyone! Please! You will have the time to retrieve your things in a little while,” Kakashi huffed. “Announce yours, Sasuke!”

“It’s a photo of—“

Sakura screamed. “Don’t say it!” The moment she heard the word “photo”, the memory of her secret trip to take a picture of Naruto in his trunk flashed right before her eyes.

“Don’t you dare say it! And give that back!” She said threateningly (if not a bit hysterically).

Kakashi lifted his head up in the heavens.

“Okay. I see everyone’s hopped up in getting their own things back. I think we can get started.” He took a deep breath and said, “Ikku.”

The P.S.

The sequel to this might take a little while to create… still trying to connect the dots of how these events would lead to the final conclusion of the story… By any chance, have you seen my slacker of a muse?

Ideas anyone?

Also, a little favor, for those who can speak Spanish, can you guys write your reviews in this language? I am trying to learn it.