A week went by and Hinata was getting better sleep, the depression was only caused by her father now, and she had a new friend-- Uzumaki Naruto. Things were going back to the pre-Sasuke norm, and Hinata was back to the quiet, nearly unnoticed girl she used to be.

The last class ended and Naruto peeked behind him. First at Hinata, then at the Uchiha. He felt a fierce, burning desire to put himself between Sasuke's glare and Hinata.

He got up from his seat and strode to the back row where she was still gathering her books. Leaning on the side opposite her, Naruto managed to perfectly place his body between the dark eyes watching the small, fragile girl.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." He grinned for a double reason; her smile, and the burning stare that he could feel on his back.

"Oh…h-hi, Naruto-kun…" Her voice sounded peaceful when she spoke his name.

"Let me take you to Ichiraku, 'kay?" He couldn't help to look back at Sasuke this time; he looked just in time to see the Uchiha turn away stiffly, yet quickly. It must've been an Uchiha thing. Naruto smirked.

"O-okay," she stuttered softly, light blushes on her porcelain face.

He waved, the smirk from earlier changing to a grin, and left the room.

- - - -

It took all he had not to whip a book across the room into the back of the ignorant blonde's head, and it took more than that to not kick the desk in.

Teeth gritted and fists clenched, he told himself he couldn't have feelings for her anymore. The only thing that mattered was killing his brother, and getting his revenge.

Plunk, plunk, plunk.

"Damn," The fourth shuriken missed. He landed awkwardly on the ground and looked for the stray shuriken.

"This was like breathing to him, and he did it with ten…I have to get stronger."

Plunk, plunk, plunk, thunk.

He managed to hit the tree, at least, this time. Next time it would be the target.

All was silent that night in the Uchiha's massive district. All except the constant sound of targets hit with kunai and shuriken.

"Brother…Itachi…I will kill you, no matter what it takes!" No matter what I have to give up. That was the last time her face flashed in his mind…That was six years ago…

- -

It was a fun night with Naruto-kun those six years ago, but that was the last we did anything special together… He said 'hi' a few more times, but we stopped doing anything a little after. I missed him. He helped me through a terrible time in my life, and I'm very grateful, though sad we grew apart.

I walked in the class room, walking to my usual spot in the back row, and got out a few books. Kiba and Shino often joined me in this row, and the company was nice. A few times Kiba had spoken to me, though the conversations never lasted long…

Sensei came in and class started. I looked at Naruto-kun every few minutes or so, and couldn't help but blush when I did…

The class ended, and I put my books quietly into my bag. It was the last class of the day, and I had to go home.

I still remember the day we got put into teams…

- -

Hinata sat in the back row still. Force of habit, maybe; or a comfort zone, even. Her lovely purple eyes watched Naruto with the happy thought that he'd passed too. Even if he didn't know how much she cared for him, it still made her glad to see him.

The girl named Haruno Sakura was Naruto's obvious crush now, and even more obvious was Sakura's crush on Uchiha Sasuke.

Hinata didn't know why she still felt a light throb in her heart for Sasuke; he was just another boy in class. Now, at least. Childhood crushes never do last.

Naruto stood and yelled out the pink-haired girl's name excitedly, not seeing her real intention for coming over by him.

The next thing the Hyuuga knew, there was a flood of girls by that desk, and she didn't care to watch any more.

As Iruka was reading of names in the groups of three, Hinata's heart fluttered with hope that Naruto and she would be on the same team.

"Team seven is Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka started and Hinata crossed her fingers under the desk. "Haruno Sakura," One more, "…and Uchiha Sasuke."

Oh well, Hinata sighed and pressed her finger tips together, looking up when her name was called.

"Next is Team eight… Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino."

She looked to both her sides. They both seem nice… She smiled lightly to both of them, and only Kiba grinned back. Shino merely nodded at her and went back to what he was doing.

Hinata missed the next assignment while she was watching her two new team mates, but heard the one after.

"Team nine; Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akamichi Chouji." Looking to see who the blonde's team mates were, somewhere inside, she felt a hint of satisfaction.

"Ugh!" the girl yelled in frustration, hitting her face on the desk.

The one known as Shikamaru raised his head-- he seemed to be sleeping before-- and sighed. "How troublesome…"

'Chouji' didn't seem to care, and kept eating the bag of chips he seemed to pass through the teacher.

Hinata was telling Hiashi about her teammates at dinner and she was happy when he seemed pleased at the family names of the two boys.

"So you have an Aburame and an Inuzuka boy on your squad." Hiashi summarized what his daughter had told him. He got up from the table and turned to leave, "Don't hold them back, Hinata." He added harshly before disappearing from the room.

"Y-yes father," Hinata hung her head.

- -

Father had never been too supportive of me. I was the girl who would be the clan's downfall, as far as he was concerned… Hanabi was to be the heir, if it were up to him.

It wasn't, and that was why he was so angry at me so often. I didn't like when he was angry…

I left for home and headed to the wash room when I arrived, reaching under the sink and into a cabinet there. I pulled out the medicine and pulled up my sleeve, removing the bandage and replacing it.

I pulled down my sleeve, careful not to touch the tender patch of skin. Going back to my room, I sat down on the bed and pulled a little lavender diary from under the pillow. I sat back against the head board and flipped open to a dog-eared page with a smile on my lips. The entry was of the day Naruto had taken me to the ramen shop. Written in my messy seven-year-old print and worn from all the times I'd read it as though it were a good-night lullaby, it only made my warm smile grow. As I went to put it back under the pillow, something fell from between the pages.

Reaching down to the floor, I pulled up a pressed violet, turning it gently in my fingers, I mumbled, "Where did you come from?"

I felt like I should remember why I'd kept the little flower, but for some reason the purpose evaded me. I put it in the back cover of the little book, still thinking about it as I tucked the book back in its place.

--

As the girl slept, she dreamed…

The sky was a light purple, a darker flower in the middle of it. She was a little kid again as she slid down one of the petals and laughed childishly, sliding off the flower and into a pile of violets like the one she had been on but a second ago. The flowers spread apart, floating in the air, covering her in a mist of purple.

She laughed happily and smelled a flower from the pile.

In that moment, as the flowers began to hit the ground, young Hinata saw two boys. They were familiar somehow, like she'd known them, in a distant time…

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out and the boys turned to each other.

Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.

It all rushed back in a moment, as the two stared spitefully at one another: the years of pain, the happiest days of her life, her hopeless crush-- the violets... Her realization ended and they turned to her, smiling, then turning away and walking in the opposite direction of her.

She held out a hand towards them, moving forward onto her knees, tears forming in her pearly eyes. No sound came, again, as she tried to yell for them to come back. "Come back," she would have said as the tears overflowed. "Please, don't leave me!" But there was no sound, only tears and silence.

A tear landed on her hand as the skin aged lightly, spreading over the rest of her, her figure changing into the Hinata of the present. Her elbow bent and she landed again in the pile of flowers, more tears falling over and soaking, turning light purple to a darker shade.

The now wet violet began to grow darker and darker, until they turned a wilting color, the rest following suite as it died, turning black and disappearing. She didn't notice this until she was falling, the ground of flowers now gone.

--

I woke in a cold sweat, panting lightly from the nightmare I'd had. I pulled out the diary again and stared at the flower, flat in my hand, wondering if the dream was true.

Was it true? I couldn't help but wonder.

There were times in my life I could not remember very well, and before the entry I'd always looked at was around that time. I flipped through the journal somewhat frantically, flower on the bed beside me.

Nothing but ripped pages.

- - - -

As I lay down, my damp hair felt nice and cool on my hot skin, the training from before still making my arms and legs ache. I can't believe that I was put on such a horrible team. Hatake Kakashi for our sensei is good, I suppose; but did Uzumaki really have to be on the squad? Is that my reward for being the top student: working with a baboon? That Haruno girl is smart enough. As long as she cuts back on the stupid fan-girl crap, I might be able to stand her.

This better not hold me back…

"Why couldn't she have been on my squad?" I asked my pillow as I turned over, shoving my face into the other end of the conversation.

Hinata got placed with Inuzuka and Aburame. Judging by their family names, they'll be good teammates for her. She, at least, won't be held back.

I wonder how she's doing-- I stopped mid-thought and threw my pillow against the wall, turning back over and sitting up. "Argh! I have to stop thinking about her! I need to focus!" Itachi's face burning sickeningly in my memory-- tearing me up from the inside as I grimaced at the look he was giving me-- for a short time.

Her face always comes back to my mind and, even though I know I shouldn't, I welcome it. Any time I would think of her, a smile would come to my face. The smile that often disappeared when I wasn't thinking about her.

The way that idiot looks at her is bad enough, but the way she's looking at him, now… Yeah, it's enough to rip out my heart, though I deserve it for what I did to her.

I was so angry, so cold, to her that day. She ran away crying… It wasn't her fault, why was I so angry? Why?…

Damn it! Stop thinking! Slapping the sides of my face, I crashed back down into the bed and began to stare at the ceiling, hoping for a numbness of sorts as I closed my eyes. "Hinata…forgive me," I felt a trickle of wetness fall down my cheek.

Wiping my eyes, I got off my bed and walked over to where my pillow went after it hit the wall. I threw it back on my bed and went down the stairs for some food. There was ramen that idiot Naruto had got me for my birthday last year and the foods he eats last forever. I boiled some water and waited three minutes.

After the wait, I sat down with a steaming bowl of ramen and broke apart some chop-sticks. Not waiting for it to cool down I started to eat, enjoying the slight burn.

After all, as a shinobi, what's a little hot water?

Even eating and feeling the burn-- literally-- couldn't keep my mind from drowning in my thoughts. It was a mental struggle to keep my head above water, so to speak. First it would be of her, then my brother, the blonde idiot, my lazy ass of a teacher, and then back to her again. A never ending crash of waves.

I was always thinking about her, ever since we were kids. It drove me crazy, but in a confusing, yet good way. I didn't understand it at all, which brought on more crazy. The bad kind. It was sort of a good versus evil in my head, but like in every cliché battle, the good won.

Before long, I'd eaten the entire bowl without even really enjoying an ounce of it. The empty bowl clanged into the sink, and I just threw out the wooden chop-sticks. Finally I was beginning to feel tired, even if my mind wasn't. Maybe my body would just crash and I could pass out.

It was getting late as I threw the idea of training over sleep in my head and I decided the latter, going up the stairs again and into the rest room to clean up. I washed my face, took off my shirt and let it soak to get the blood stains off. Then, I went to my room and fixed the pillow, wincing as I laid down on a cut I'd received earlier on during my training. It wasn't that large, but it was deep.

Focusing on the stinging in the wound, I tried to find a calm empty place in my mind. Turning on to my side when the light sting turned to actual pain, I felt my eyes drifting shut. She, of course, came to mind, and for once, I just lost myself in her image.

--

I knew I was asleep now. I could see her-- clear as day-- the way I always did when I dreamt. She was grinning widely with her hair flowing in the wind, a violet in it; the violet I gave her so long ago. Her dress was a longer version of the dress she wore the first day we met. She held out her hand for me and I took it happily, smiling-- another hint it was a dream. I never smile anymore-- and we walked along the field of wildly red roses, holding hands and talking, though there was no conversation to hear.

--

I woke up in a daze and thought before I got up. I thought about how I wasn't getting too much stronger. I remembered how Hinata had watched me train a few times; near when I finally learned Katon. It was her that helped me through that. It was her who would be the one who trained with me.

I sat up in my bed, daze over, and decided: I was going to talk to her today. I got dressed quickly, adrenaline finding it's way, and grabbed a fruit on the run out. I headed to school and waited outside until they opened the gates.

Early. Genius.

I waited and waited, then went inside with Iruka, who was a bit confused but didn't ask any questions. He knew better by now that Uchiha never answered directly and I imagine he didn't want to deal today. The dobe came in and I ignored him when he talked about Ichiraku ramen, as usual, but I kept my eyes towards the door. She would be here any minute…

Just as I saw Bug-boy walking in, I saw her and the dobe beat me to it. I froze in place.

"Hinata-chan!" The blonde crowed. He nearly jumped over me and the table to make his way to her.

I wanted to move, to say something to her, when I saw Naruto race up to her with his big goofy grin, but I was stuck. What was I ever going to say to her? No…what could I say to her? After what I did to her back then, there isn't anything I could say to make it better. Not now, it was far too late.

Her cheeks painted a thick shade of pink as she brought her hands up to her face, a soft giggle—caused by whatever the idiot said—left her lips. I don't even think she knew I was in the room…

When she looked up, I caught her eye without meaning to. I held my breath, hoping for something, but not sure what. She held my gaze for a moment before tearing her eyes away. In that split second, when she pulled her gaze away from mine, it looked like she was in pain, I looked away as well. I am such a fool!

I plopped into my seat obviously, uncaring who saw or wondered, and took out my books to put them on the table. It was probably a sad display, a boy my age sulking for no apparent reason. I mulled it over and still didn't care, still somewhat sulking when I heard the reason of my sulking come over.

Naruto. "Oiii, teme!" He didn't even try to keep his voice down. How irritating. It didn't help. The idiot came over to me in a few seconds and he was pretty excited. Of course, talking to her, who wouldn't be? I shook my head as if to dispel the thought away.

"What, dobe?" I asked sourly.

He seemed to measure my mood. "I just asked Hina-chan to join me at Ichiraku"-- my eyes widened-- "Do you want to come with us?!" He finished with an overly-stoked expression and tone. My eyes were still coming out my skull. I had to keep it cool.

"Whatever," I said, hoping he would take it as a yes. He frowned at my lack of excitement and left.

Iruka stood at the head of the class for what seemed like for ever, it was actually rather stupid to be back in this class room again, even if every ones' sensei had been sent away on a mission for the next two weeks. Even Team Gai was stuck in here; that must have been humiliating.

I tried not to rap my fingers on the desk top as I watched the clock. I barely heard any of what Iruka said; besides, it was all review of stuff we learned a long time ago.

Finally it was time to leave, I tried to seem un-hurried as I left, but when I lost sight of the idiot I was following... I hate to admit that I got nervous that I'd missed my chance. Somehow I managed to catch up to him and Hinata at the gate and follow them out.

"Oi, teme, I didn't think you were coming…" Naruto eyed me suspiciously, and I thanked him for it. Being an ass to him was something I could do.

"I'm hungry, idiot."

"Hmph," Naruto pouted and turned to Hinata, who was on his other side, trying to hide behind him. The blonde leaned over to whisper in her ear-- oh, how I wanted to rip his head off. Stay calm, I told myself and focused my eyes forward.

"Just ignore him, Hina-chan." I heard him say, my fist clenched tight in my pockets as I imagined myself snapping his neck.

A slight smirk crept onto my face as I imagined him in pain. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly and the two of them looked back at me; Naruto with an expression saying, "I knew he was crazy", and Hinata's with her kind, worried expression. It was one I was so used to, but it turned the smirk into a sappy smile and I shook my head quickly, getting ahead of them to hide my embarrassment.

Naruto-- practically jumping on to the bar stool from ten feet down the street-- sat at the far end of the bar, and Hinata took the spot next to him. Which left the only available seat for me, next to her. She looked away from me as I sat down, and I felt her go tense next to me.

We were both stones, frozen next to each other. It was too awkward for words. Next to me, the girl of my dreams-- quite literally-- who I'd hurt so badly. Who I'd ignored for so many years. Who had fallen for the closest thing to a friend I've ever had.

I couldn't imagine what was going through her mind, but I tried. "Why is he here?" "I can't believe he came…" "I wanted to be alone with Naruto-kun" I emphasized the suffix with hatred. What she had called me, growing up.

Naruto took off into a dramatically exaggerated tale of their most recent mission, during which Hinata nodded often, and I corrected him even more often than that. When our food came, the chatter didn't end; it only became slurred through ramen broth and noodles. Hinata ate slowly, stopping whenever she wanted to say or add something to the conversation. She briefly described her last mission with Kiba and Shino, telling us that she'd finally gotten the hang of a new jutsu.

I listened more intently to what she had to say. After all, I had been wondering for a long time how she'd been doing. And when she told us about how she'd gotten better at her jutsu...

"Hinata, that's great," I gave her a small half-smile, trying to keep my cool. I even managed to just say her name.

"I'm glad you think so, Sasuke-kun," she replied quietly, her cheeks blushing as she played with her fingers.

Naruto eyed us both for a moment, speculating the short conversation and decided to slurp the rest of the broth from his ramen. "I think it's about time to get to training. Eh, teme?" he said, and I swear I could feel a vain pop on my forehead.

"You're right," I said, getting off the stool and paying for mine and Hinata's ramen.

Her blush deepened and she stuttered shyly, "T-t-thanks." Her stuttering seemed to stop for a moment, before-- or did I imagine it?-- but I liked it, either way. She seemed to be getting more comfortable…

I smiled at her and waved, heading off to the Manor to train.

"W-wait!" she called, stopping me in my tracks. I turned, slightly frozen. "C-can I come, t-too?" she asked the ground. I couldn't speak. I could only nod; she smiled and went to my side, still unable to look at me.

It was an awkward walk to the manor. Neither of us said a word or even made a sound; aside from her squeaks-- a sound that pulled a stubborn, yet involuntary smile-- every once and a while when someone came too close.

I couldn't help but wonder why she wanted to be near me so suddenly. At one point, it nearly worried me, but that was just my mind running loose on me. What was more important than that was what I was going to say to her.

I was about to speak, when something unexpected happened. Once we were in the training grounds, no one else around, she spoke, "S-sasuke-kun..." I noticed her stammer, as I turned to her, a bit in shock.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound like me; or rather the me she used to know. I found it sort of easy to be relaxed, around her at least.

It turned out, after that, we didn't do any training. She started with a few formal inquiries about how I was, which to be honest were hard to answer. There was a bit of an awkward pause at one point that nearly caused me to crawl out of my skin, but I shouldn't have expected it to be the same as it used to be.

"Um…"She started suddenly, and it seemed to jump start my heart going again.

"Hm?"

She avoided my eyes, "Well…" Her lips twitched a bit as she thought up the right words, and I felt that damned smile creeping its way back. "…W-what…exactly…ha-happened…t-to you?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, incredulous.

"Well...well...I guess...I-I know…what they say...happened, but...what...really happened to you...back then?" she hesitantly met my eyes.

The pearly shade was almost haunting; the sadness sweet, almost, as I gazed back. She kept me in a daze until my mind came back. "It's...It's none of your concern!"

"I...it is to my concern," I was taken aback by how strong her voice sounded.

She'd never been this determined, in all the years I'd known her. But why now? "I don't see how," I stated bluntly, attempting to hide the confusion I felt inside.

She faltered for a moment, but only a moment. "It's because...I care...or I used to...and I want to know..." Hinata sounded so sad, and it hurt to know that I was the cause of that sadness.

I shoved the hurt aside, ignoring it for now. "Used to," I quoted sourly, letting all my irritation flow with my tone.

I knew who to blame for those words, but even if I did blame Naruto, I thanked him twice as much; he was everything to her that I couldn't be now.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked, trying my hardest. I'd tell her as much as I could about whatever she wanted to find out. It wouldn't begin to make up for the past, but, I figured with myself, that it was a start.

She nodded slowly, "I do, Sasuke-kun..." I felt my eyes widen slightly as she said my name.

Preparing myself I took a deep breath, "How the hell do I start…" I murmured under my breath, standing and walking out into the training yard a bit so that I didn't have to face her. There were some things I was going to tell her that I wasn't so keen to see her react to.

I smirked a small "Thank you" to whatever God decided she was to be born without a temper. (That I knew of.)

One more deep breath, I told myself before I started. "That day...I was late coming home from training at the school." I paused, wondering if I could really tell her.

A quick look behind me said I could, though my mind still fought with me. It was an inner war and I knew it would show on my face, so I turned back around.

"So...I was racing home, I was already through the gates of our estate before it dawned on me that every light was out. I knew something was wrong and I kept running for home." My heart was racing, recalling those original feelings from that night. I pushed them back and fought for the facts. Facts, not feelings, I warned myself.

I sighed, releasing the feelings and continuing the story. "I got inside the house and...found my parents..." The images of that night raced through my mind, again, and I tried to concentrate on her face in my mind, in its stead.

It helped. "I...found them dead. My brother...he killed them." Her image was erased and replaced with his; he stood over my parents' bodies, blood running down his katana. I shivered.

She gasped quietly, as only one like her could. If I ignored what had caused it, it did make me smile. The next sound she made, however, did not. They were words. "Y-your...brother d-did that?"

"The rumors...I...just didn't want to believe...Sasuke-kun," I heard her stand, but I didn't move.

Something told me she wanted to throw her arms around me, but she hesitated. I spun on her, losing some of my control. "I'll kill him, I swear it," I hissed.

"If that's what you must do..." she trailed off, pulling a hand over her chest and looking at the ground between us.

"What?" My tone was biting, though I didn't mean for it to be.

"I just w-wonder...a-about you…about your future," A bit of her usual stammering found its way into her words.

I thought about that a moment and, stupid me, the first thing that came to me was to say, "Killing him is all that matters!" I didn't mean to shout, or sound so harsh, but that's how it came out.

She shut her eyes harshly, as if being scolded, and I instantly regretted it.

I didn't know what to say, how to make up for what I'd just said... I stood speechless, searching for words that refused to come.

Not another word was spoken, aside from a too-quiet whisper of, "Good-bye" as she left. Her foot steps echoed throughout the empty mansion halls, leaving me feeling emptier than before.

- - - -

My feet met hard with the ground as a raced away from the place. Realization found me as I ran. I knew that as long as his revenge was at the forefront of his thoughts, I wouldn't matter. But deeper than that, I was afraid the fire in his eyes was fueled by hatred.

- - - -

Author's Note:

Ahhh, Lucy here!

So sorry it took so long, but I hope the length made up for it.

…Maybe a little?

Welcome to the Gennin years of Naruto, where New Love takes its course!

Yoko-chan and I both hope you enjoy reading this as much as we love writing it.