I Would Wait Forever

Alrighty, here's chappie 3! yeah! I know the story is still just starting, but it'll pick up eventually. I was asked how many chapters it'll be...not a clue. :) Also there was some indirect questions about threesomes. This is a Hina/Naru fic, I swear. But Sasuke will also develop too. I think you'll be able to figure out his love interest pretty easily. :) Enjoy.

Chapter 3

Naruto and Sasuke dumped their packs in their room and met Hinata out in the hallway. They’d only been able to get two rooms, so Sasuke and Naruto had easily fallen back into sharing a room. They always had as boys after all. The inn was decent though, so the room was big and comfortable.

Naruto smiled at Hinata, desperately hoping she’d forgive him. She hadn’t talked to him all day, simply blushing horribly or stuttering every time he got close to her or asked her a question. Usually Sasuke had to repeat the question and coax the answer out. It was frustrating as hell for a guy who knew next to nothing about women. Surely she knew he was prone to saying stupid things and acting rather impulsively…right? To his relief, she nodded slightly at him and smiled shyly back. Well at least she was smiling.

Grinning happily he led the way down to the dinning room, Sasuke trailing behind them. Sasuke had been strangely quiet ever since their chat by the river. Not that a quiet Sasuke was unusual, but he seemed…broodier than usual. Deciding to confront his friend later that night, he focused on what he was going to eat instead. The innkeeper had bragged about his wife’s cooking skills, and Naruto planned to test them out immediately.

A shy young woman, probably the inn keeper’s daughter from her looks, came and took their orders, blushing furiously under the gazes of the two handsome men. Naruto grinned at her and sent her away giggling and blushing with a wink.

Hinata smiled and Sasuke shook his head. “And you’re worried about finding a girlfriend?” Sasuke snorted softly into his friend’s ear. “Look what you do to them.” Naruto frowned and scooted away, trying to ignore his friend. Hinata blushed lightly, indicating she’d probably heard what Sasuke had said. Thank you Sasuke. Like he needed help alienating Hinata. He did that just fine on his own.

They chatted softly through their meal, avoiding the topic of their mission, just in case there were prying ears. Apparently there were a few contacts in the area they needed to meet with, but they’d been told the contacts would seek them out when they were ready. That left them waiting for either a contact to find them or for Kakashi to send word.

They were settling back in their chairs, happily full, when the inn door swung open admitting three men, laughing and talking. The three glance up at the men, deciding they might as well start to get to know the locals and other inn residents a bit. Two of the men looked rather like brothers, maybe even twins. They both sported red-brown hair and couldn’t be over five and a half feet. Naruto would have thought they were handsome even, if they hadn’t been so blindingly dwarfed by the raven haired man behind them.

Naruto felt his cheeks flush as he took in the sight of the tall, dark-haired god. He was taller than Naruto, though not by much. He was slender, very much like Sasuke, but also clearly muscled; deadly looking. It was his face that really hit Naruto’s senses the hardest. He was blindingly handsome, beautiful. Haku came briefly to mind, graceful and dangerously beautiful. And despite all that he looked rather easy going and cheerful. He’d need to watch this one carefully for a while.

The beautiful man turned his piercing green eyes on them for a brief instant and grinned lightly, tucking his long raven hair behind an ear. He winked at them and then turned back to his chattering friends, following them to the counter and then out of the room.

It wasn’t until people started to whisper and eat again that Naruto realized he wasn’t the only one affected. Hinata’s mouth was slightly open and her cheeks flaming. “Oh my,” she murmured softly. He couldn’t feel the least bit jealous however. He whole heartedly agreed.

He turned his gaze to Sasuke, startled at the mess he found. Sasuke’s eyes were wide, cheeks blazing and sweat beaded across his brow. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. “Did he just look at us?” he choked out in a very un-Sasuke-like squeak.

Naruto, vaguely amused at his friend’s sudden discomposure, grinned and slapped Sasuke on the back. “Sure did.”

“So he was real?” Sasuke asked blinking at his friend, looking rather startled and confused.

“Hard to believe isn’t it?” Naruto said with a laugh. “Too hot for you?”

“He is very pretty,” Hinata said softly, looking at her distressed teammate, a worried expression on her face. “Are you okay Sasuke…you look like you feel ill. Can I do something for you? I could make some tea….”

Sasuke flicked wide, dark eyes to the young woman’s pale, worried gaze. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. “No…I’m fine. Thank you.” He stood up abruptly. “I’ll be outside. I want to look around town a bit.”

Naruto started to rise to follow his friend, who was making a rather rapid escape. A tiny hand on his arm stopped him. Startled he looked over at Hinata, who for the first time wasn’t blushing at him. “Don’t,” she ordered softly. “He’s confused and needs to be alone. I don’t think he’s accepting a few things about himself. The last Uchiha can’t…live his life without a woman. His clan will die and he knows that. That is why he looks so very ill. I think he looked at that man and for once saw what he could have, instead of what he should do.”

“How do you know so much about what Sasuke is thinking?” Naruto asked curiously, settling back into his chair.

“I know something about loneliness, love and confusion…and so do you, despite what you say. You know very well what Sasuke is going through,” she said, blushing lightly, knowing she was indirectly admitting to her own love for him.

He looked at her for a moment, surprised by her sudden openness. “Yeah I guess I do,” he said finally, a rueful smile on his face. He stared at the tabletop for a moment and then looked up at her again. “Hinata, I hope you’re still willing to give me the chance to really get to know you. I know my mouth and brain haven’t been connecting much lately…but I’d like to…I don’t know…be with you? I know that’s not quite right either, but I hope you know what I mean.”

She sighed and cocked her head at him, studying him with pale eyes. Finally she smiled a little and nodded. “I think I do.”

He smiled in relief and reached out to gently take her smaller hand. “Hinata…do you want to go on a walk with me…just around town?”

“Yes,” she said with a small smile. “I would like to go on a walk with you.”

Smiling and still grasping her hand, he helped her up and led her out of the comfortable inn and into the fading light of the little town.

***

Sasuke let his head fall back into the short wall he sat against. He’d found a small, deserted park on the edge of town, perfect for some quiet time. His mind was buzzing with thoughts and worries and he just wanted to calm the storm for a few moments.

That man. He’d set off a time bomb that had been steadily counting down for most of Sasuke’s life. Sasuke had tried for years to deny his feelings and desires, to remember that he was the last of his clan. He had been meaning to take a wife for a few years now, to begin the slow process of reviving his once great clan.

But after one look at the gorgeous man, Sasuke felt sick thinking about deceiving a woman into loving him when he knew he couldn’t return it. He had dozens of women, both young and old, willing to lie down for him on a moments notice. He had a vicious circle of match making mommas at his door every other week. Finding a willing bride would be easy, even finding a pretty and good-natured one.

The only problem with the whole situation is he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to stand lying with her, no matter how lovely or sweet. He’d figured out what he was years ago when puberty came. Other young men whispered about a beautiful woman’s breasts and erotic dreams they’d had about so and so in their classes. Sasuke hadn’t had those same dreams. Oh he had dreams…but they weren’t about Kurenai or Ino or Tsunade. They were all beautiful, busty women. Men drooled (usually discretely, due to the women’s profession) whenever one of them walked by.

Instead Sasuke had dreams about harder flesh, rippling muscle, deeper voices. For a young man, with no one but a blond idiot and a lazy jounin to turn to, it had been confusing and humiliating. Naruto would have made fun of him…at least a few years back, he would have, and Kakashi was friendly and encouraging, but how did one bring up the topic of sexuality with their sensei? “So Sensei, I had this dream last night about going to the men’s public bath….” Yeah that would have been a stellar conversation, he decided with a snort.

Then he and Naruto had gotten a little older and the issue of their bodies’ needs arose. It was just a simple fact of life that a teenage boy would need to take care of certain needs on occasion. On several occasions one of them would start to masturbate and the other would join in. Half of the time they made a contest out of it, seeing who could come first. In Naruto’s case it had been a thing they just did, another game they played. It had never been a game for Sasuke, at least not in the same way.

He wouldn’t say he was in love with Naruto, but he admitted that he was deeply attracted to the blond man. Who wasn’t lately? Naruto was easy going, gorgeous and had a seductive quality about him that was hard to resist. During those nights in their dark tent, hearing the young man gasp as he spent himself into his hand, Sasuke had been tempted more than once to reach out and touch his friend. He never had though; he’d never crossed that line between close friend and lover…as desperately as he’d wanted to.

Now he was sleeping under a roof with a man that rocked every one of his senses with a simple smile and a wink. Sasuke felt like an awkward teenage boy all over again. He wasn’t sure of himself, something he hated more than any enemy he’d ever face. He had is brother to thank for that.

He didn’t know what to do. He knew what he was supposed to do…but didn’t think a sweet little wife and a brood of children would, alone, have the power to make him happy.

***

Hinata smiled one last time at Naruto and gently closed her door, bidding him a good night. As soon as his grinning face disappeared behind the door, she squeezed her eyes shut and stifled a squeal. It wouldn’t do for him to hear her giggling like a mad woman through the door.

They’d walked around the market area of the town, meeting the vendors and nibbling on little treats along the way. Naruto had been so sweet, chatting comfortably about his dreams and what he’d been up to. Of course she had watched him for so long she knew exactly what he’d been up to, but she liked to hear it from him anyway.

He’d even managed to get some details about her life out. She told him about her studies with her father so she could take over the clan. Hyuuga had finally seen the potential in his eldest daughter and had focused intently on preparing her for her responsibilities to the clan. He wasn’t the least bit pleased with her recent move to a new apartment or her insistence that she go out on more missions, but he did understand her reasoning and permitted it. How could she lead one of Konoha’s most powerful clans if she didn’t have the life and battle skills necessary to make decisions and guide her family?

He was also less than pleased about the man she’d focused her affections on so devotedly for over a decade. Like most people his age, Hyuuga still had lingering bad feelings concerning the Kyuubi vessel, despite Naruto’s clear ability to control the fox and its horrible power. She wasn’t quite sure why he didn’t forbid her from pursuing the young man, but she wouldn’t question it. Perhaps he simply thought nothing would ever come from it and he could marry her off to one of her cousins. The same had nearly happened with Neji, but fortunately her father had let Neji marry his long-time love, Ten Ten.

She kicked off her sandals and fell back on her bed, sighing happily. Maybe Naruto hadn’t meant to pity her for her feelings for him. Perhaps he was genuinely interested in seeing what it would be like to be with her. It wasn’t like she was going to throw this new opportunity away…the way she’d very nearly done a few days ago.

Smiling to herself, she sat up and tugged off her jacket. She wrinkled her nose a little at her own smell. They’d traveled at full speed all day, and she had to admit it showed…smelled. She hated to go to bed this way. Sighing again, less happily this time, she wandered to her pack and pulled out her soap and towel, deciding she might as well head to the bathroom down the hall and get cleaned up. She doubted she’d encounter many people this time of night anyway. (A/N: Yeah, yeah, I could do a shower scene here…but I’m not gonna! heehee!)

Hinata peered out of her door to check the hallway for blond ninja before sliding out the door and toward the public bathroom. Just as she reached for the doorknob it turned and the door opened wide, releasing a cloud of steam and a very tall, very handsome man. She blinked and blushed, looking up at the handsome man from earlier.

He stopped rubbing his towel over his long raven hair and grinned at her. “Good evening,” he murmured pleasantly.

“Yes…good evening to you…thank you,” she stuttered out.

“You were downstairs earlier, right?” he asked politely, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. “With a blond man and a dark-haired man?”

“Yes,” she said with a small, blushing nod. “My name is Hinata,” she said, trying to be polite, despite how flustered she felt. Even with his hair wet and standing up in every direction he looked fantastic.

“Kuro,” he said bowing politely to her. “Pleased to meet you. Will you be here long?”

“Perhaps,” she murmured. “My friends and I are hoping to meet up with some other friends soon, but we’re waiting for them still.” It wouldn’t hurt to get word out that they were in the area. Hopefully a contact would find them soon. “You?”

He grinned and shrugged lightly. “We’ll be around for a while. Maybe we’ll look up some friends too while we’re here,” he said with a nod. “Well good night,” he said suddenly. He nodded to her again and wandered down the hall.

She frowned lightly after him. What an odd statement to just blurt out and then simply walk away. Shrugging off his odd behavior, she wandered into the bathroom and locked the door. Maybe Kuro would warrant a little surveillance time.

Twenty minutes later she was wandering down the hall, rubbing her hair dry and still mulling over what to do about the strange, handsome man. A loud thud and a string of cursing from Naruto and Sasuke’s room snapped her to attention.

“What in the hell!” she heard Naruto scream in outrage. Eyes wide she hurried down the hall and threw open his door. The scene before her left her shocked and humiliated. “Naruto,” she whispered painfully.

***

Slender fingered skimmed gently over his chest, rousing him slowly from the light sleep he’d just fallen into. Hinata? No Hinata would never be so forward with him, not yet anyway. He sleepily wondered how long it would take for her to open up enough to actually touch him without turning three shades of red. He hummed softly in question and blinked his eyes open, shaking off the sleep in his head.

All he could see was a tall shadow over him as the gentle fingers skimmed low and slipped under the sheet covering him from the waist down. When long fingers slipped abruptly around his hard length he sucked in a breath and wondered just how long the intruder had been molesting him. He growled and lashed out, knocking the shadow off of his legs and onto the floor. Naruto swore profusely and reached for the lamp, switching it on and turning back to confront his late night groper.

Sasuke? Sasuke was sitting on the floor, wearing nothing but a confused and bleary look. “What in the hell!” he yelled at his dark haired friend. “What are you …?” his question was cut off by their door flying open. Hinata looked like she was ready to do battle, until she took in the scene before her. Her face dropped into an expression of shock and extreme hurt. Shit! Just when it had been going so well.

“Naruto,” she murmured in confusion. Sasuke was naked on the floor, swaying slightly and frowning. Naruto was barely covered by his sheet and very clearly aroused. What had they been doing? She felt her throat tighten with angry, hurt tears.

He swore to himself and stood, pulling the sheet around him as he moved. At the moment he was regretting his tendency to sleep in the nude. “Hinata, this isn’t what it looks like,” he pleaded, gripping the sheet around him, bunching it as best he could to hide his wilting erection. It wasn’t his fault his body did things while he was asleep, and he knew very well what rumors were circulating about him and Sasuke. He knew the conclusion she would jump to. “I swear it!”

“Don’t lie to me,” she said softly, her bottom lip trembling.

“But Hinata,” he pleaded, moving towards her.

“He’s not lying,” Sasuke slurred softly before she could respond. Standing up unsteadily, Sasuke began weaving his way towards his own bed.

“You’ve been drinking?” Naruto cried. Not that Sasuke’s blatant nudity and his disregard for the issue at hand wasn’t clue enough. The slurs and the stumbling just confirmed it. No wonder Sasuke had felt brave enough to actually climb into bed with Naruto.

Hinata tried not to stare at either of the men, but Sasuke’s admission drew her attention to him. “I don’t understand what’s going on,” she murmured, tears pooling in her eyes. Was Naruto with Sasuke or not? With both of them naked and their groins still half hard, it was rather difficult to imagine anything else. She knew it was probably really a mistake, but she desperately needed to be told that.

“Neither do I,” Naruto groused, glaring at his drunk friend. “What were you thinking?”

“You wouldn’t understand anyway,” Sasuke muttered crawling under his covers. “I apologize for the uproar, now I’m going to sleep.” And seconds later he was out, the alcohol in his system taking him down quickly. Just how much had he consumed in the last few hours? His senses were completely fried.

Naruto sighed heavily and closed his eyes. It was unusual for Sasuke to be causing the mess…well at least recently. The whole Orochimaru fiasco hadn’t been a walk in the park. He ran his hand over his face and turned to look at the confused and hurt women in his doorway. “Hinata…I don’t know what to say. I woke up and there he was. I swear it,” he said in soft sincerity. “I had a wonderful time with you tonight. I would never spend an evening with you like that if I intended to jump into bed with Sasuke.”

“I know,” she said softly, smiling as best she could. “I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll try to figure out what is really bothering Sasuke.”

“Please say you really believe me,” Naruto pleaded softly.

She sighed and nodded slightly. “I believe you Naruto. Now just go to sleep. I’ll bring something for his stomach in the morning.” With that she was out the door and Naruto was left standing in the middle of his room utterly confused and irritated.

***

Sasuke groaned and opened his crusty eyes. What in the hell did I drink last night, he wondered foggily. It felt like someone had had a party in his skull and forgot to clean up the mess. “Please…someone…kill me,” he groaned softly.

“I’d be happy to,” a familiar voice growled from a few feet away.

He painful turned his pounding head and look at his best friend through blurry eyes. He was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of his own bed looking rather pissed. “Naruto?” he rasped. “What did I do?”

“What did you do?” Naruto parroted in frustration. “You climbed into my bed, bare ass naked and molested me in my sleep! That in itself would have been enough to earn you an ass kicking today…we’re friends man!”

“You say that like I did something worse,” Sasuke murmured, his heart starting to pound. He’d actually come on to his best friend? Did Naruto hate him now? Shit! What else happened last night? For the life of him he couldn’t remember yet. His head hurt too much to really think about anything.

“Hinata came in,” Naruto said, summing everything up very simply.

Sasuke groaned and closed his eyes. Please say he didn’t screw up Naruto’s brand new relationship in a few drunken moments. “I’ll talk to her…I swear it,” he promised softly. Shit shit shit! He wasn’t the screw up in this group. He was supposed to be the responsible one of the pair…serious and thoughtful. Apparently he’d left all of his senses at the bottom of a sake jug.

“Don’t bother,” Naruto muttered grumpily. “It’s worked out already. I already told her nothing happened. You passing out almost immediately solidified that rather nicely.” Someone knocked on the door. “That’ll be her now with something for your stomach. I’ll be downstairs getting food for us,” Naruto grunted, standing up and letting Hinata in as he left.

“Sasuke?” Hinata murmured gently, approaching the bed slowly.

“I’m sorry about whatever happened last night Hinata,” he said softly, closing his eyes to fight off the tears of frustration that threatened to spill out. “Naruto said I acted badly…I can’t remember…but I am sorry.”

“I understand,” she said, setting her tray of tea and toast on the bedside table. “I think I also understand some of what prompted it.”

He looked at her carefully for a moment and then sat up. “I guess you would, wouldn’t you? Serving our clans…unrequited love…and all the problems that go with them.”

“Serving ones clan is never easy, but being expected to lead it is even harder. The pressure and the expectations can be rather overwhelming,” she said softly, pouring tea for both of them and handing it to him. She dumped a small packet of powder in it and gestured for him to drink up. “It will help. I give it to Kiba at least once a week, so I know it’ll help,” she said with a small smile.

His smile was more of a grimace, but he took her advice and sipped the tea. He expected it to taste horrible, but found that it simply tasted like ginger, jasmine and liquorish. “Thank you,” he murmured softly.

She nodded and sat silently for a moment. “You know,” she murmured finally, “It’s hard to be the heir of a powerful clan…but don’t lose hope for personal happiness. I know we’re expected to marry and produce the next generation of powerful ninja…but don’t let that get in the way of what you need to do for yourself.” She set her tea cup down and continued to talk softly, more than he’d ever heard her do. “I was suffocating under my father’s constant watch. I couldn’t grow and learn about the things I needed to know to be a good person. Being able to mediate conflicts and manage livestock is only one part of leading people. You must also understand how to interact with people and how to truly protect them. By staying at the manor I was letting my ninja skills dull and wither, and I was losing touch with the people I would lead.”

“What did you do then?” he asked softly. Hinata might be painfully shy at times, but she was oddly wise and reassuring at the same time. Perhaps it came from simply observing people all day long.

“I moved out against his wishes and went to Tsunade from more missions, those that would take me far from home for long periods of time. I’ve never been happier,” she admitted after a moment. “Now…tell me how you plan to fix your problem,” she suggested.

“I don’t know,” he said, taking another sip of his tea. It was making him feel surprisingly better. “I need heirs, lots of them, and a wife,” he sighed. “Kids would be fine…but I can’t help but cringe at the idea of a wife, no matter how nice or pretty she is.”

“Because you can’t love a woman,” Hinata added softly.

He nodded slowly. “Not in the way she’d deserve. I love Sakura, but like a sister or a friend. That’s all I could ever give any woman who became my wife. There wouldn’t be passion or undying love and devotion.”

“Then don’t marry,” she suggested softly.

“If I don’t marry the clan dies,” he said softly.

“Children don’t come from marriage Sasuke,” she said refilling his tea.

“I can’t have bastard children,” he grumbled, taking another sip.

“Listen a moment,” she suggested. “I was thinking about your problem last night,” she admitted. “It is an unusual one. You’re the last of the Uchiha, responsible for its revival, yet you don’t care much for women in the…carnal sense.” When he blushed lightly and nodded she continued. “So here is my suggestion. When we get back, you could go to Tsunade and propose a plan to her. Ten women would be chosen from a group of volunteers, even married women if their husbands approved. They would all be suitably strong and well bred, of course. Two or three would be impregnated artificially each year for ten years, providing you with twenty or thirty children, all fairly spaced in age. It wouldn’t due for a whole class to consist of only Uchiha. Those children would then marry later in life and the Uchiha clan is instantly whole again. You would be able to choose a preferable lover to live out your life with, while still upholding your duty to the clan. Plus the chosen women could gain a title of some sort…like the Mothers of Uchiha Clan. It could work if presented correctly. The Uchiha are too important to lose after all.”

Sasuke blinked, both at the amount of words that had just come out of her mouth and the rather workable plan she’d come up with. He set his tea cup down and reached out, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you for trying to help me,” he murmured sincerely.

She blushed and nodded into his messy hair. “Anything for a teammate,” she said softly, her shyness creeping back when she realized she was hugging a naked man.

“Oh for crying out loud,” Naruto grumbled kicking the door shut behind him and balancing a tray in his arms. “I go get breakfast and you move in on my woman.”

Hinata pulled gently away from Sasuke and giggled softly. “You took too long. We got bored,” she teased.

Naruto, who’d just deposited the tray on his bed jerked upright and eyed the pair. Humor danced in both of their eyes. He relaxed and grinned, shaking his head. Hinata teasing was unusual…but rather refreshing. “Well then, why don’t you two love birds get over here and get something to eat. You’ll need to replenish your energy.” He leered at Hinata teasingly. “Sasuke can spare for hours you know.” He picked up a bowl of rice and grinned. “I’d bet he could last for the same in bed.”

Sasuke grunted in annoyance and shook his head. Hinata blushed prettily and strolled to the bed and gathered rice for the Uchiha, whose stomach probably couldn’t deal with much more.

She settled next to the tray and picked up a piece of mango, popping it into her mouth thoughtfully. Had Naruto really called her his woman? Was he simply teasing again? She blushed over his other teasing. His statement wasn’t likely that far off. She knew from her married friends that ninja husbands did tend to be rather…enthusiastic and tireless in bed. Ten Ten had complained about soreness on a few occasions, begging Hinata for her ever present salve. Deciding to tease a little back she cleared her throat and asked shyly, “Do you spar much Naruto?”

Naruto shrugged, shoveling rice into his mouth. “Pretty much whenever Sasuke does I guess.” Had he really forgotten his own joke so quickly? She turned ‘innocent’ eyes on an amused Sasuke. “So does he spar as long as you do?” she asked curiously.

Naruto frowned and spoke up. “Longer!” Sasuke rolled his eyes and went back to eating his rice slowly.

Hinata blushed prettily and smiled to herself. “Good to know.”

Finally grasping the undercurrents of the conversation, Naruto choked on his rice and turned red. Had Hinata just asked him how long he could last? It was indirect, but her secretive smile and refusal to look up at him seemed to confirm his suspicion.

He blinked for a moment and then started to chuckle and shake his head. He saluted the grinning woman with his chopsticks and continued to chuckle for a few minutes. Hinata might be shy, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t full of surprises and a decent sense of humor. He looked forward to getting to know her more over the course of this mission.

***