TITLE: A Normal Conversation

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMER: Naruto and it's characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: This is the closest thing to canon I've ever written! Gen fic. Set vaguely after Shippuuden.

"Good morning, Lee-san!"

Hinata smiled brightly before taking a seat next to him on the bench. She was surprised that Lee wasn't busy training, but she supposed even geniuses of hard work needed a break now and then. She had been meaning to speak with him when she got the chance and now was as good a time as any.

Rock Lee was actually one of the few people in Konoha who didn't intimidate her. She had a lot of respect for him. Even though he was considered a loser he was determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a strong ninja despite his inability to preform even the most basic of jutsu. He was a lot like Naruto that way.

"Uh, Hello! Nice to see you!" While he seemed happy enough, Lee's enthusiasm was somewhat lacking. His smile wasn't nearly as wide or blinding as usual.

Perhaps he was feeling down? Hinata hoped not. His unrelenting optimism was one of his best traits. "Um. I hope I'm not bothering you, but Neji-niisan said you needed some ointment? I j-just finished a new batch. It should help with your training!"

"Right! Thank you very much, Hyuuga-san! I appreciate your youthful efforts!" Once again, his smile didn't reach his eyes. Hinata didn't know Neji's teammate very well, but she was sure that this lack of good cheer was very uncharacteristic of him.

"It's really no trouble. H-here." She handed him the small glass bottle, secretly amused at the flash of puzzlement that crossed his face as he examined its contents. "It's for bruises and small abrasions. Be sure to keep the lid closed tightly after use and store it in a cool place. Just tell Neji-niisan when you need more!"

"I see! This will be very useful!" His cheerful tone definitely sounded strained. "How much do I owe you for the ointment, Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata's brow creased. "N-nothing at all. It's a gift."

"Well, thank you again!"

The Byakugan's high level of insight alerted her to the uncomfortable set of Lee's shoulders and the way his face kept trying to fall into a neutral expression. His body language was screaming that he was in a bad mood and that he wanted her to go away. His head tilted slightly in a subtle gesture that seemed to be an old habit. Wait, subtle?

Silent alarms went off in Hinata's head.

She studied him carefully for a moment, observing the way he stilled under the weight of her gaze. At first glance he seemed perfectly normal. He was wearing the usual green suit, orange legwarmers, and wide smile, but now that she was paying attention she couldn't help but notice that he had the unusually high chakra presence of someone who was proficient at ninjutsu. Just as she had thought, this was not Rock Lee.

"Byakugan!"

"Damn it!"

Hinata's eyes went huge with shock as she stared through the henge. She would never have guessed the identity imposter on her own! What on earth was Uchiha Sasuke doing running around Konoha disguised as the self-proclaimed Beautiful Green Beast?

"Uchiha-san? What's going on?"

He shot her a vicious look. "You just fucked up my score on the jounin exam."

Hinata's lips parted as understanding hit. "Oh! Y-you're on the infiltration part? I-It's okay, Uchiha-san! The examiners won't count this b-because of my bloodline limit."

"Are you sure?" He seemed suspicious of her optimism.

"There's precedent. Th-they never take off points for getting c-caught with the Byakugan. We wouldn't have any jounin otherwise."

"What tipped you off?"

"Um? What do you mean?"

Seeing Rock Lee roll his eyes was a strange and unsettling experience. "I mean, what made you activate your bloodline limit? Why were you suspicious of me?"

"Oh! Um. W-well, you just s-seemed sad. At first I th-thought Lee-san was just having a bad day, but then your body language... and you made this gesture."

She imitated it, tipping her head slightly as if to look at him from behind long bangs.

"Also, y-your chakra signature is t-too strong. Um, I hope that helps. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you, Uchiha-san."

"No, it's fine. Thanks for the advice." His thanks was grudging at most, but the fact that he had bothered at all kept her from taking offense at his curt tone of voice. She had spent enough time around her cousin to realize that someone could be both a genius and a social retard. Uchiha Sasuke seemed to fit quite neatly into both categories.

She managed a tiny smile for him in response. "Y-You're welcome. Good luck on the rest of your exam, Uchiha-san."

"Here. The ointment."

"Oh! No, th-that's okay. K-keep it. It might come in handy!"

Hinata could feel his blank stare on her back as she walked away. She really hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, but he seemed strangely puzzled by her behavior. From the expression on his face, you would think he had never had a normal conversation with a girl.

And people called her weird.

END