Arranged Love Chapter 11

Do I really need to say by the 11th chapter of this story that I do not own Naruto, okay? After getting such a good response on my last chapter, I got to updating this faster. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

Hinata looked over Sasuke with concern. She had been in that fight with Orochimaru with him and knew that he had put the most effort into it out of all of them put together. While she didn't know the full extent of the curse mark Orochimaru had put on him, she knew enough from what he had told her to know Sasuke hated it. He was even choosing assignments that were beneath his skill level so there would be little to no reason for him to get into a situation where he would lose control of the curse on him. Hinata had told Sasuke he had the talent to go ANBU with Naruto but he refused. The reason that he gave was that Itachi was in ANBU so he couldn't face it, but she could tell that it was not the real reason he went beyond what he did.

"You can go now Hinata," Sakura said as to rush Hinata from Sasuke. "Naruto has to be observed. I am here, so if either guy improves or gets worse, I'll make sure to let you know."

"Oh, thank you so much Sakura-chan." Hinata said bowing to Sakura. She then turned and left the hospital room.

Sakura growled to herself and looked at Sasuke's shoulder. Tsunade had a theory that when Orochimaru died, the curse mark would do one of two things. One of them was that it would kill the cursed individual or the other theory was that the mark would disappear and the curse would be broken. The only other known cursed individual in Konoha was Anko Mitarashi and she was in the Land of Waves on a mission, so her mark could not be examined. However, there was no word from the rest of her team, so she wasn't dead, at least to what Sakura knew. Sasuke had looked a lot like her did the last time he overused his Sharingan. She picked up the cloth over his eyes and remoistened it. He couldn't open his eyes for fear of causing even more damage. I sure hope he doesn't hold anything against me… Sakura thought. While he sure as hell couldn't see, Sasuke sure could hear and he may have heard the outburst she had towards Hinata. It wasn't really her fault about the situation and Sasuke would know that.

"Any improvements?" Tsunade asked as she walked in and checked on Sasuke's vitals.

"No. Everything is the same. He's stabilized, so that should be a plus." Sakura said. Then she was reminded that Anko had the same mark as Sasuke. "Any news about Mitarashi Anko?"

"Not yet." Tsunade said as she looked over Sasuke. "She was on an A-rank mission and was to maintain silence with the village. We won't know until she returns if she felt anything with her curse mark." Tsunade added as she adjusted the amount of medicine Sasuke was to get in the IV drip.

"Okay." Sakura sighed. She had hoped that she could get an idea of how Sasuke would be affected by the curse and maybe see if there was any connection. Sakura looked again at Sasuke's shoulder. She always checked it, knowing what was going on. "Is it possible that the curse will always be with him? Or that each curse is different? Anko was one of Orochimaru's students and one of the first cursed."

"Yes, but it is the effects of each curse that is different. They have many of the same properties but they affect the victim is different. From what we gathered from Orochimaru's corpse-" Tsunade started to explain when Sakura interrupted her.

"You mean he is actually dead?" Sakura said ecstatically.

"Yes, he is really dead. The kunai Sasuke drove into his heart sealed his fate. Then again if not for the chakra disruption that Hinata was able to do thanks to her Hyuuga style cut off any way for him to do some forbidden jutus and come back to life." Tsunade said.

Hinata gets all the attention doesn't she? Just because she was born into a clan with a kekkei genkai and they have all their own styles that no one else can do, she is so great… Sakura thought as she noticed Tsunade staring at her with a peculiar look on her face.

"Oh… that's great that she was able to help Sasuke kill Orochimaru." Sakura said covering up her jealousy. "But what about Kabuto?" Sakura asked thinking about Orochimaru's partner in crime.

"That's the lucky part." Tsunade smiled. "The Land of Waves has him captured and it is Anko's team's mission to kill him." Tsunade said.

"Kill him?!" Sakura yelled. She as stunned that Tsunade would just have someone killed, that she wouldn't carry out a trial.

"He's too dangerous Sakura." Tsunade said bowing her head. "He did all those sick experiments that killed all those innocent people. You know as well as I do that he would just keep up Orochimaru's work. Remember how he betrayed the Leaf in the first Chunin exams you took?"

Sakura paused and looked down at Sasuke. She wasn't sure of having Kabuto killed right away but she remembered what all happened to Sasuke at Kabuto and Orochimaru's hands all those years ago. Then, each time the images of Orochimaru placing the curse on Sasuke came into her head. Then each time the images changed from Sasuke to random children with the curse being placed on them in turn. While it was Orochimaru who ultimately placed the curse on the victims, it was Kabuto who made them. Kabuto was the one who tried to ally with them as a trap for Sasuke. Both Orochimaru and Kabuto made Sasuke suffer; they were the ones who haunted him, even after he killed Itachi. They were why Sasuke had to hold his skills back. They were why he would never allow himself to move past a mere police officer and why there was an encroaching depression falling on him. And she knew he was not the only victim. The Sound Ninja Four who kidnapped him so long ago were victims, Kimimaru, and the three members of Sasuke's old Team Hebi were used by Orochimaru and Kabuto for their own goals.

"I don't think those marks will ever fully disappear." Tsunade said looking again at Sasuke's shoulder. "But it will fade to that of a slight scar or birthmark. It won't be as visible."

"That's good." Sakura said. She then turned her head and saw Naruto lying on the bed next to her. "How is Naruto coming along?

Tsunade walked over past Sasuke's bed and looked at Naruto. She smiled as she looked at Naruto. He was already sitting up in his bed. He was reading a manga when Tsunade took his vitals and looked over to see how his burns were healing. It was almost as if she could see Kushina coming out in him. "You're so much like your mother, Naruto" Tsunade said. "I couldn't keep her still while she healed either."

"I have no time to be sick in bed!" Naruto moaned. "Can't you at least get me better reading material than this manga!? I've read it like five times!"

"Idiot!" Sakura yelled. "You know Lady Tsunade knows what she is talking about!"

"Now Sakura, calm down. He's making good progress so I can give him some ANBU briefs. The chief wants him to keep up with what's been going on." Tsunade said.

"Yeah, I'm tired of reading this!" Naruto whined putting the manga on the floor while Sakura smacked him.

Meanwhile, after giving her students the day off, Hinata headed down to the Yaminaka Flower Shop to see if Ino was in. Hinata never had too much time talking with her, but from what she knew from when she did talk to her, she was an expert in dealing with the affairs of love. "Hello?" Hinata said walking into the flower shop. "Is Ino-Chan here?" she asked.

"Oh hey!" Ino said waving from behind the counter. "I haven't seen you here in a very long while Hinata!"

"Yeah…" Hinata said putting her hand behind her shoulder. This was going to be very tough to talk about. She didn't tell her closest friends let alone Ino. "I have a guy problem that I think you may be able to help me with."

"Sure, I can help you with anything you need." Ino smiled as she walked out from behind the counter. "Have a seat." She said as she carried a stool from the back of the room and beside the counter. Ino then walked behind the counter and turned to Hinata. "It's a slow day here anyway. I have plenty of time to talk with you. You should stop by more often anyway."

Hinata sat down on the stool and sighed. It was hard enough for her to admit to herself that she was having feelings for Sasuke, but to explain this to Ino as going to be very tough to do. She is pretty much Konoha's resident expert on things like this, so I don't need to feel bad about this. Hinata thought as she sighed and then said, "Ino, I have a problem…" She looked down at her feet.

"Oh go on, I promise I won't tell anyone about it if you don't want me to. Your secrets are safe with me." Ino said placing her hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Okay…" Hinata said as she took a breath and closed her eyes. "As you know, I've been with Naruto for years now but recently I found out that I am in an arranged marriage to Sasuke that is going to happen this December."

"And? Are you trying to force feelings for him? Forcing yourself to not love Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Let me finish please…" Hinata sighed. "Well I got to know Sasuke more through this. I mean I knew him okay through Naruto but not that well as a person. While Naruto and Sakura are looking for a legal case to present to the elders to annul the marriage…"

"Well that is great!" Ino said. "With Sakura's brains she and Naruto are bound to find something to annul it!"

"Yeah, you would think that but so far no luck." Hinata said. "Well the more I am talking to him, the more I am relating to Sasuke. Recently, I have been umm… having…umm…."Hinata blushed bright red. This was one subject she had a hard time talking about.

"Go ahead and say it, we're not little genin anymore. We are all adults here." Ino smiled. "There is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I have been having dreams of a sexual nature with Sasuke. When I was in the Forest of Death fighting Orochimaru with Naruto and Sasuke and, while I was scared for the both of them, I cared more about Sasuke than I did Naruto. I mean I was enraged that Orochimaru was going after Sasuke and I just went in there with the intent to kill. I don't know what is coming over me. I mean I had a crush and feelings for Naruto for years now, and we are together thinking about marriage and a family of our own. Then I find out I am engaged to Sasuke and I start getting feelings for him! What is wrong with me?" Hinata yelled putting her hands on the counter in front of Ino in desperation.

"Nothing is wrong with you." Ino said. "You are just simply falling out of love with Naruto and into love with Sasuke. I know what that is like. I mean I used to be over the moon for Sasuke, but then something came over me and I did not see what I used to see in him anymore. It was as if the bad boy charm that pulled me in was gone. It was then I saw more in Chouji than I did Sasuke. Now, I am having the most fulfilling relationship of my life. Sometimes childhood crushes don't last. Your heart changes as you get older. What you love when you are little does not always stay with you."

"So you are saying I basically outgrew Naruto?" Hinata gasped. The idea that she could simply outgrow a man like a pair of shoes was appalling. It made the relationship seem like less important.

"It is not like that at all." Ino said appalled. "You know how you find some things childish that you held to the gospel truth back when you are younger, well relationships are like that. What you value changes, so the person you will want to be with will change. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Are you ashamed of the fact you no longer believe in demons anymore?"

"No." Hinata said.

"Are you ashamed of the fact you no longer ignorant of how the rain falls from the sky?" Ino asked.

"No." Hinata said.

"Then that is the same thing. Your mind grows and you should not be ashamed of the fact that you got older and your horizons expanded. Your heart is your own and you should not feel bad about that." Ino explained.

"Oh. Thanks for the insight." Hinata said getting up and heading out the door. She headed to her apartment turning over what Ino had told her in her mind. Was it true that she simply just outgrew Naruto and now Sasuke had what she wanted and needed in a partner? But then again, Sakura was dating Sasuke and she was pretty mad when Hinata had shown up at the hospital just to wish Sasuke well, nothing more nothing less. Sakura was going to be extremely mad at her for simply having feels for him. Sakura was threatened by this and Hinata knew it. But Ino had kept telling her that she couldn't control how she felt, and it was sure that Sakura was unable to control how she was feeling too. Hinata had to wonder that if this situation had not happened, had the arranged marriage never been, would this still be happening? Or was this just what happened as people got older?

So how was this? Good? Bad? Boring? Let me know in a review. I am going to work hard to update some of my other fics, but I won't forget about this one. Well that's all I have to say here so remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now.