The first time he saw her was when his family and her family had dinner together.
It was many years ago but he remembered seeing her sitting on a chair, staring at her plate nervously as though too nervous to eat in case she upset anyone. She was the same age as him then, eight years old, and as normal eight year olds would be, he was bored listening to his father and his older brother speaking to Hiashi about 'formal' issues.
"Sasuke, why don't you show dear Hinata our estate?" his mother had said smiling sweetly at the shy lavender-eyed girl. Sasuke nodded and slipped off his chair eager to leave, Hinata also got off her chair and slowly followed him out of the room.

Sasuke had showed her around; a little excited to show off to a Hyuuga. "My brother Itachi is an ANBU." He said and then felt blushed hearing the boastful tone in his voice. Hinata merely smiled shyly.

"H-hai, my f-father often says t-that." She stammered, Sasuke smiled at her warmly and then took her hand suddenly. Her face turned pink and so did his but he quickly ignored it. "Let me show you something!"
He could still remember the way her eyes had widened when he had brought her to the river dock at night. The river sparkled as though filled with diamonds since it was reflecting the beautiful stars. "It's so... pretty..." Hinata breathed momentarily forgetting her nervousness. He remembered how his face heated up and then Hinata turned to him smiling at him. "Do you always come here?"

"Yes..." he nodded still blushing. Then they both realized that they were still holding hands and quickly released each other blushing furiously. Sasuke and Hinata looked away hiding their blushes.
After a while Hinata said hesitantly, "Sa-Sa-suke, I-"

"Sasuke! Hinata's family are going home now!" they both heard his brother calling out to them. Between the eight year olds they felt extremely disappointed at their short time.
"I guess you have to go now?" Sasuke said quietly, Hinata nodded looking sorrowfully at him.

"Oh well..."

Sasuke stuck his hand out, ignoring his red face. Hinata looked at him surprised but then with a gentle smile she took his hand and they walked back together.

Sasuke could remember his time in the academy. Hinata had always remained a shy and sweet girl. After the massacre he spoke to no one and gave them all the cold shoulder even Hinata... but she understood. She simply accepted the fact that he didnt want her support.
But Sasuke knew that the white chrysanthemums he found fresh at the Uchiha graves were from her. He rarely visited the grave yard but each time he returned he saw that the graves had been tended to and they always had fresh white chrysanthemums. It made him smile or come very close to one and he was always very grateful -although he didn't show it- he was happy that someone cared for him. He never thanked her in person.

But Hinata knew he was thankful.

How? Well that was simple. No one visited her mother's grave except herself and Hinaba. But since she was nine years old, she would find pale pearl-pink Peace Lilies by her mother's graveside. It took her a while but then she realized who it was.

And she was thankful.

Years had passed by. Sasuke had become strong and was an elite jounin, part of ANBU. He managed to kill his brother, on brink of death but Naruto came and saved him. Sasuke had fulfilled his dream.
But there was something missing.
His lost life. He spent it hating and training so he could finish off Itachi Uchiha, the once Uchiha prodigy. However he knew he could finally move and he felt free but there was something on his mind.

No.

Not something...

... someone.

Hinata stood in front of the marble tombstone, with a tulip in her pale hand. Her shoulder-length purple hair moved gently as the wind caressed her face. Lying at her feet were the usual Peace Lilies but today she felt that something was amiss. Hinata frowned slightly as she lay down her flower and then silently walked away, her mind troubled.

"Naruto you BAKA!!!" Sakura screeched and punched him.
"Waaaaaaah! Sakura I'm sorry! Itai! Itai!" she continued to punch him for performing the 'Sexy no Jutsu'. Sasuke watched bored as Sakura gave him a final sharp kick. "Hmph! Nineteen years old, jounin and on his way to be a hokage but what does he do? Busy doing perverted jutsus!" she ran and kicked him sharply again.
Sasuke sighed and walked off his hands in his pockets, he didn't know why but lately he felt as though there was a great weight on his shoulders pulling him down hard. It felt just as bad if not worse- when he was trying to kill Itachi.
What is this feeling? he asked himself, frowning slightly and then he stopped walking. He didn't stop because of Sakura and Naruto's antics because something caught his eye.
The graveyard.
He sighed again and realized that the death anniversary of his clan was drawing very close. With another sigh Sasuke left his team and walked away in search of peace and solitude.

Sasuke was walking into the forest when he sensed someone nearby. He tensed not recognizing the sudden powerful chakra surge. His black eyes widened slightly in surprise and he climbed up a tree and leapt from top to top going towards the chakra signature.
He stopped as he saw the person, he frowned waiting for the powerful shinobi to turn around... and he almost fell off the tree in shock.
The powerful shinobi was...

"Hinata?" he whispered to himself.
He watched silently as she fell to her knees but she stood up again panting slightly and then did many hand seals, forming a jutsu he did not recognize. She looked ahead with determination but then she stumbled with fatigue and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she slumped down.

Sasuke hesitated but then leapt down from the tree top and walked over to the unconscious beauty. Sasuke knelt down and tried to revive her when she didn't wake up; he sighed and lifted her into his arms bridal-style. Hinata whimpered softly and then buried her face into his chest causing him to blink rapidly. Then he shook his head and ran off.
Sasuke decided not to take her to her home yet since he knew it would look really bad if he went to the Hyuuga household with Hinata in his arms. Not to mention the Hyuuga males that would want to kill him. He decided to take her to his home.

As he lay her in his bed, he contemplated on how strong Hinata had become. She really had grown stronger than before and he couldn't help but hold admiration for the female Hyuuga.
Without realizing it Sasuke brushed Hinata's hair out of her face and he suddenly found himself wondering what she would taste like when he mentally slapped himself.

Stop thinking these thoughts, Sasuke! he ordered himself You can't afford to like her, it'll only make you weak!

Weak? another voice said, this time it sounded amused, sounding frighteningly like Naruto, You no longer need to fear being 'weak' since you have accomplished your goal. Love strengthens you, it doesn't weaken you.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he withdrew from Hinata, his mind scrabbling to try and upright itself.

Love? Love! LOVE!?

Sasuke felt panicky, I'm not in love. I'm not in love. Not with Hinata Hyuuga. The girl who loves Naruto... no, this can't be...
But the more Sasuke thought about it the more clearer it became to him. Hinata liked Naruto; everyone knew that but for some reason it made him grit his teeth in anger and his blood boiled. Yes it was true. It bothered him every time he saw Hinata smiling sweetly at Naruto, or giving him a gift or even acknowledging her. But he got enraged when Naruto unknowingly threw these affections aside for a one-sided love with Sakura. Sasuke hated it. Why? Because he could give her much more than Naruto ever would... or could for that matter.

Hinata moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding but it vanished as she sat up and stared at her surroundings.
This was not her room... she glanced around, her eyes widening further and further as she noted her surroundings. She was definitely in a boy's room, it was quite bleak but then she froze when her eyes caught sight of dark blue tops strewn over a chair. They had...

... the Uchiha symbol.

"So you're awake?" a voice said calmly. She gasped and saw Sasuke entering the room looking at her coolly. "You've only been out a couple of hours. You've gotten stronger." She blushed at the compliment but she was still confused. "I saw you when you passed out. So I brought you here." He explained smirking slightly at her shy face.
"Oh u-um... th-thank you S-Sasuke." She stammered and then turned redder when she realized that she was in his bed. "Oh! Oh!" she squeaked and then tumbled out of the bed.
Sasuke smirked in amusement, holding back the urge to chuckle at her sudden burst of shyness and surprise. Hinata stood up quickly and made his bed smooth again before turning red once more. "Th-thank you again S-Sasuke, and I'm s-sorry about t-the trouble." She squeaked and started to fiddle with her hands again.
"Don't be sorry. I didn't mind." Sasuke said bluntly. She blushed again and nodded before hurrying to his bedroom door. To her immense surprise and shock Sasuke blocked her way.
"Uh... um..." she tried to move but he kept on blocking her way, making her turn beetroot red and she wondered why her heart was beating so fast. "S-Sasuke?"
He smirked again and this time stepped out of her way. "I like the way you say my name, Hinata." Hinata stared up at him open-mouthed in shock. Did he just...? Flirt with her?
"Uh..." she didn't know what to say, she just stood there shocked.
"What is it? I'm allowing you to leave but you don't want to?" he asked amused making her blush.
"No! I-I mean... um no... Well I should go. Good bye Sasuke." With that she sped out of his room before he could even blink. Sasuke heard the front door close and then chuckled to himself.

It had been several weeks since her encounter with the Uchiha. Each time she thought about the dark-eyed genius it made her blush and her heart rate increase. She found herself thinking less and less of Naruto but more and more of Sasuke.

I don't like Sasuke, I don't like Sasuke! I like... I like Naruto right? Hinata asked herself as she walked down the village. She waited for the familiar jolt she usually felt when thinking about Naruto... it didn't come.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

Hinata yelped as something collided into her but then someone grabbed her arm and kept her upright. "Whoops! Sorry Hinata. Didn't you hear me yell?" Naruto said cheerfully "I'm just chasing after Sakura. See you later!" with that he ran off. Hinata stared after him and then shrugged before walking on.

Suddenly she froze.

"Naruto just bumped into me and..." she began in shock and stared at her hands which were completely still. ... and I felt nothing?
She bumped into Naruto but didn't even blush.
Naruto spoke about Sakura but she didn't feel jealousy.
She... she... doesn't like Naruto anymore? "I..."

"I... I... don't like Naruto anymore because I...?" Were her feelings about Sasuke the cause of this? These new alien feelings that plagued her... she had never liked any boy other than Naruto and was so focused... Sasuke...?

It was barely sunrise when Hinata crept through the chilled streets of Konoha. It was freezing without the warmth of the sun, Hinata shivered but she clutched her white chrysanthemums and took on the cold. She did this every year and there was no way a bit of cold would stop her now. She bit her lip and entered the graveyard, passing graves until she reached the Uchiha graves.
She shivered again and then walked swiftly to the graves placing a couple of flowers on each grave taking her normal routine that she had taken for the past ten years. She went very early so that neither Sasuke nor anyone else would realize that it was her who flowered the graves of the Uchiha clan. Although Hinata knew that Sasuke knew she still kept up her routine. After she had laid the flowers, she still have some left and these she saved for the last grave as she did every year.
The last grave was actually a double grave, containing Sasuke's parents inside them. Hinata paused and stared at the grave recalling his parents and recalling his mother's sweet and comforting.

Fugaku Uchiha

Sasuke's father.

Mikoto Uchiha

Sasuke's mother.

Hinata took a deep breath and then lay down the white flowers before stepping back and bowing her head in respect. She sighed and turned around to leave the graveyard when she bumped into someone.
"I-I'm so-sorry um... Sasuke?" she nearly gasped in shock, his black eyes were on her lavender eyes and then he looked at the flowers on all the graves.
"Hinata." He said softly taking her by surprise. He shocked her further when he slipped his hand into hers. He turned and looked at her straight in the eye before saying quietly, "Stay with me today."

Hinata looked at him and her eyes softened. Her shyness and fear vanished as she gripped his hand and looked at the graves silently. Sasuke slowly wrapped his arm around her, pulling her gently into his body. Her eyes widened and she felt herself blushing again but she remained still and silent, standing side by side with Sasuke.

"Thank you... for being here." Sasuke said quietly.
Hinata looked at him in surprise as he sank down on the couch beside her before nodding slowly. "Its OK..." she whispered looking at her hands. Sasuke glanced out and realized that it was growing dark. "You stayed with me in the graveyard the whole day and I wish to repay you." He said looking at the shy Hyuuga.
"N-no, its OK Sasuke. I didn't mind at all." She answered brushing the hair away from her face. Sasuke fell silent as he watched Hinata; she looked uncomfortable and started twiddling with her fingers.
"I'm sorry for pushing you away . You wished to help but I wished to kill." Hinata frowned and was about to protest "No, its true. So thank you Hinata. Again."
"Its all right. It was eleven years ago... so the past is the past." She said softly making Sasuke smile slightly. He stood up and helped her up by offering his hand.

"I want to show you something."

He took her hand and they both left the house. The day had turned into night, Hinata noted surprised by the swiftness of the passing of the time.
Sasuke stopped when they had reached the familiar river dock. Hinata couldnt help but gasp as the black shimmering water sparkled and turned into shiny parts of silver and light. It was beautiful.

"Sasuke... its still so beautiful..." she murmured making him smile again, then Hinata realized that he was still holding her hand "Sasuke-"
But Sasuke cut her off with his own lips pressed against hers. Her lavender eyes widened in shock before she slowly relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. Hinata kissed him back and felt his tongue skim across her lips begging for entry. Hinata opened her mouth and Sasuke's tongue started wrestling with hers. She withdrew from him panting for breath and giggled as she watched him trying to catch his breath.
"Hinata...?" he said after breathing normally again. She looked shyly at him and smiled softly.

"I love you."

Her eyes widened slightly and then she smiled back touching Sasuke's face gently with her right hand. "So do I." she whispered.
Sasuke smiled and kissed her again, a moment later they broke off.

"I'll always love you, I promise."

"I'll always love you too Sasuke."