A/N: This was originally going to be an RP thread, but someone requested it be turned into a Fanfiction instead. So here it is! This story will turn into a slight Sasuke/Hinata/Itachi love triangle, but will mostly be Itachi/Hinata. I have not written in a while, so please forgive any mistakes. Please leave a quick review if you enjoyed this story! If no one reviews I won't know if there's any point of writing another chapter. Thank you so much.

Patch

Chapter 1

Hinata

Hinata gave a contented sigh, allowing herself to fall face first onto the comfort of her cool bed. She fisted her hands in the sheets, soft as silk and chilled like a summer breeze. The familiar scent of vanilla laundry detergent surrounded her and she breathed it in, flipping onto her back. Pale eyes landed on the ceiling and she began to swing her legs to and fro as she dangled them over the edge of the hefty mattress. An occasion when the Hyūga girl became restless was a rare one. But after weeks of what seemed like endless rain, the sunshine outside of her window coaxed her to come out and play.

The heiress began to hum, relaxing as she thought about her open calendar for the day. Perhaps she would go to the market and buy as much produce as she could fit in her basket. Or maybe she could simply take a walk and enjoy the warm, fresh spring day. Only what seemed like seconds into her planning, a loud knock resounded throughout her home. Hinata sat up instantaneously, hoping it wasn't Kiba wanting her to train with him. She wished to unwind today, not battle until she nearly fainted from exhaustion. Before she could even make it halfway down the hall the knock sounded again and she heard a familiar voice.

"Hinata, open up!"

She felt her stomach clench and her palms grew cold with anticipation. With a deep, calming breath she reached for the silver door knob and twisted, pulling the door open.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." She greeted amiably, despite the knot in her chest. The girl inwardly chastised herself for being so pathetic, nearly unable to make herself meet his gaze. She fumbled with hands as cool as a winter's snow.

"Hey Hinata! What took you so long?" He grinned that infamous grin at her, leaning against the door frame.

It was only then that she noticed Sasuke brooding behind the blond boy. She felt foolish for overlooking him and quickly rectified her mistake.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun." Hinata greeted before steeling herself and meeting Naruto's cerulean eyes with her own. "Where is Sakura-chan?"

Inquiring after Naruto's perpetual girlfriend stung, despite her own affection for the pink haired woman. The love that she felt for Naruto wasn't something that would ever go away, and Hinata was beginning to resign herself to that fact. True, it hurt, but every day it hurt a little less. As long as he was happy, she would put on a brave face.

Sakura had, in fact, repeatedly asked Hinata if she were okay with her newfound admiration. Of course the right thing was to say yes, and Hinata always did the right thing. She had told her green-eyed companion that she'd been getting over Naruto anyway and that her dating him would help give her the push to move on. The Hyūga felt a twinge of guilt at the recollection of her lie. But then again, hadn't it become truth?

"Oh she's busy today! Something about Ino and shopping for bathing suits. I wasn't completely listening when she explained it to be honest. You know how girls are." Naruto chuckled until Sasuke slapped him firmly on the back of the head.

"She is a girl, you idiot."

Hinata felt heat rush to her face, lithe fingers winding around the hem of her grey blouse nervously in an attempt to ground herself. "It's okay Sasuke-kun. I'm sure Naruto-kun hadn't meant it that way."

"'Course not!" Naruto exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head and tossing a glare Sasuke's way as he nurtured his newly acquired sore spot.

"Anyway…" Sasuke prompted lazily, clearly growing impatient with small talk whilst eyeing Naruto, waiting for the blond to speak.

For once, the ever-so-dense Naruto took a hint. "Right! Sasuke and I were heading out for some ramen and we were passing by here anyway so I figured we might as well come and get you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and met Hinata's gaze, quirking an expectant brow as they awaited her answer. Boy was Naruto stupid. He found himself thinking that quite often lately, actually.

"Um…of course." The Hyūga felt herself muster up what she felt would be a polite smile as she retreated for a moment, grabbing a thin violet sweater off of the coat rack. "I appreciate your invitation."

Sasuke

The trio seated themselves on the barstools, Naruto automatically ordering for each of them. Sasuke briefly wondered how Naruto knew what Hinata would like, or if he even did at all, but decided that he didn't care enough to ask. Hinata ended up between Sasuke and Naruto, which was just as well in Sasuke's opinion. Hinata could deal with the splashes of miso broth from Naruto's excessive slurping.

Eyes like two onyx stones flickered down to watch the girl fidget with her thumbs as an awkward silence stretched on. He briefly wondered why she was so insecure until his gaze shifted onto the blond dobe. Oh, right. It was because Naruto was an oblivious fool. He unwittingly hurt Hinata on a consistent basis, Sasuke was sure of it. After all, the girl had nearly died for Naruto and, according to the rumor mill (Sakura), had confessed her undying love for him in the process. Yet who was he still chasing? Big-mouthed Sakura.

Sasuke could give an endless eye roll at Naruto's idiocy. Anyone was better than Sakura. Wait, he took that back...maybe not Ino. She had an even bigger mouth than Sakura and Naruto combined, which Sasuke would have never thought feasible. It was as if the girl ran a gossip column in a past life. No, a nice quiet girl like Hinata would be the perfect addition to a household. Just like his Mother.

To his surprise, Hinata was the one to break the odd silence that had enveloped the group. "So, Sasuke-kun…how are things with Itachi-san?"

Sasuke rested his elbows on the counter and laced his fingers together, staring at his own pale hands as his chest tightened. He didn't particularly like to breach that subject, but since it was Hinata, he'd let it slide. "It's alright. I'm sure you've heard enough from the other villagers. They aren't feeling so welcoming." He muttered coldly, and hoped his words didn't sound as angry as they did to his own ears.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, I didn't mean to-"

The Uchiha parted his lips to interrupt her, but Naruto jumped in first. "Don't worry about it! Sasuke's just sensitive lately. Right?" Naruto smirked over at him, looking a bit too smug for someone so intellectually challenged. Sasuke's hackles rose.

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke growled maliciously.

Steaming, aromatic ramen bowls were laid out in front of them and the blond broke his chopsticks apart, instantly devouring the noodles like a starved hyena. Sasuke and Hinata were slightly more hesitant, however. Sasuke snapped his own chopsticks carefully, feeling the wood split between his hands. He still did not begin eating yet and, he noticed, Hinata didn't touch hers at all. Sasuke set his chopsticks down on the paper napkin adjacent to his bowl.

"What did you mean, Sasuke-kun? By the villagers not being very welcoming?"

The Uchiha gave her a wan smile, shifting in his seat. "You know how the villagers are. They don't like change. Itachi betrayed the village and in their eyes there's no justifiable reason for that. They ignore the facts and see what they want to see. It's the epitome of ignorance." He couldn't even look at her when he said it; sure the observant woman would notice the crimson color of his irises.

Hinata frowned, picking at the edge of the bar with her thumbnail. Pity was radiating from her expression. It was true that Itachi had a dangerous side, just like any decent Shinobi. But his brother was only a ruthless killer when he needed to be, which was how all of them were. They were all killers.

"Would you…"

The Hyūga glanced up to meet Sasuke's gaze and he flicked his eyes away apprehensively.

"Hm?" Hinata pressed. He was a bit surprised at how forward she'd become. The Hyūga had come a long way from the anxious, timid child she'd once been.

"Would you want to meet him? Naruto is going to train after lunch and I was planning to stop by Itachi's on the way. He doesn't live far."

Hinata hid behind the dark fringe of her bangs, her infamous blush striking once more. He finally found something familiar about the girl's mannerism. Her fingers twitched beneath the bar and he eyed her curiously, with what he hoped was something akin to patience etched onto his features.

"I-I would love to."

He attempted to smother a small smile as she stuttered. Did he make her nervous? Was that a good thing? Sasuke recollected how anxious the young woman had been around Naruto, whom everyone in the village knew she held a deep affection for. Was her interest piqued in him? Probably not. He didn't seem like her type, for he was just about as far as one could get from the Knucklehead Ninja in likeness.

"I'll take another, pops!" The aforementioned blond exclaimed, already finished with his second bowl.

Hinata

Hinata waved Naruto off as he headed toward the training grounds, walking backwards and waving merrily at her and Sasuke with both hands. Sasuke walked with his own hands stuffed in the pockets of his dark pants, glancing over to Hinata momentarily. They walked for a while in comfortable silence, Hinata enjoying the warm sun shining down onto her porcelain skin. She felt relaxed once again, realizing that Sasuke was one of the few people whom she could stay silent with and not feel awkward about it. The Hyūga found herself wondering if he felt the same, and decided to assume that he did. Sasuke did, after all, seem to be tranquil rather than tense.

Grass whispered beneath their shoes as they started into a prosperous forest, lush green trees and bushes surrounding them. She could hear the faint howl of wind through the flourishing leaves as the pair passed under dozens of trees. Long strands of indigo hair tickled her face and she brushed them aside, tucking the stray locks behind her ear.

"I heard he lived outside of the village, but I didn't know he was this close by." Hinata remarked conversationally, smiling sincerely to Sasuke as they stepped into a clearing.

The pair approached a beautiful, quaint stone cabin from the rear. Sun rays struck the worn grey roof, reflecting off of the more iridescent rocks. They shone like dragon scales, a million different colors shimmering off of each stone. White butterflies flitted about in the shade of the cottage, pale grasshoppers making their escape from the Shinobi as the pair walked through fertile grass. The multitude of shiny windows glistened with mirror images of green leaves and a blue sky. It was something straight out of a fairytale book.

"Wow." Hinata breathed, absolutely charmed by the place.

"Hm." Sasuke muttered in as much agreement as he'd give. She laughed inwardly as she and her companion leisurely made their way to the front of the enchanting cabin.

Before she knew it the Hyūga plunged straight into Sasuke's back, stumbling rearward, embarrassed at her lack of presence. She was too fascinated by the cabin to notice that he had come to a complete and sudden halt. The Uchiha boy was a good few inches taller than her, effectively blocking her view, but that did nothing to stop her from sensing his anger. It radiated off of him in thick waves like heat off of the pavement on a blistering summer day.

"Sasuke-kun, what is it?" She whispered almost silently, apprehension gripping her.

When he failed to answer she peeked around him, gasping in horror at what she saw. The yard was decimated. "Oh no." She breathed, her hand rising to cover her mouth. "What-"

"The villagers." Sasuke snarled, cutting her question off at the root. His hands were curled into tight fists, his knuckles pure white.

"That is absolutely terrible." Hinata said genuinely, taking in the devastating sight. "How could they do such a thing?"

The remains of what had once been a garden littered the front lawn. It looked as if it had been trampled by fifty horses and then raked over. Daffodils and roses, tomatoes and lettuce, alstroemeria and catmint, along with a plethora of other plants, flowers, and vegetables besieged the once-beautiful yard. Her heart ached for Itachi.

Sasuke was now shaking with rage. "Fuck." He spat, turning and marching away from the cabin.

Hinata darted after him, wondering for a moment why he didn't check on his elder brother until she realized that she had not sensed any other chakra near them. From what she'd heard, she would have definitely sensed the elder Uchiha's. She briefly wondered where he'd gone off to, and whether or not he'd found the destruction yet. After recognizing that she'd fallen behind she increased her speed in order to keep up with Sasuke's brisk pace.

The Hyūga attempted a few consoling words on their trek back but he simply brushed them off, far too furious now to listen to a thing she had to say. "Sasuke-kun…"

"Go home, Hinata." He ordered, turning to her. "You're the future Hyūga clan head. You don't need to be involved in this." His features were pinched with rage, irises blood red with the Sharingan's power.

She took a hesitant step back, lilac eyes becoming impossibly wide as she felt anxiety clutch onto her. He couldn't be angry at her, could he? Sasuke's ruby eyes enlarge in response, with what she thought was astonishment for just a moment. With that he was off, stomping away like a child throwing a tantrum. It was, however, true that Hinata could understand his wrath. She herself had a passion for gardening, and a lot of work went into it. She perked up at this thought, a metaphorical light bulb flashing in her head. That gave her a wonderful idea.

The heiress groaned, stripping off her dirt-covered boots and dropping them onto the floor, her clothes following shortly thereafter. Indigo hair was matted with sweat and what she suspected would have been morning dew had she been a blade of grass rather than a human girl. She could barely keep her eyes open, not bothering to wash up and simply diving into bed, resolving to wash her sheets the next day. Here she was again, lying in her haven.

Twelve hours. It had taken her twelve hours to shop for seedlings and cuttings, fertilizer and several fully-grown plants. To venture to Itachi's lone cabin in the woods and turn the soil, carefully lodging each sprout and plantlet into their designated fissures. But she had done it, and by the time she'd finished it looked not quite yet beautiful, but promising. The garden would look striking and fruitful soon enough.

She sighed with satisfaction, feeling gratified but exhausted to her core after all of the arduous work. Hinata wondered if he would like it. She would have loved it, but then again this was a man that she'd never met. The girl grunted softly, too tired for her anxious mind. Her lavender eyes shut and she drifted off to sleep.

Itachi

"Calm down." Itachi took a sip of his lemon green tea, onyx eyes locked with his younger brother's as he swallowed the slightly bitter liquid.

"Calm down?" Somehow despite Itachi's request, Sasuke had still not cooled his temper. "You're telling me to calm down? When these fucking idiots are destroying your property?"

"Your face is getting red, little brother." Itachi replied dully, yet again sipping on his steaming cup of tea. His gaze shifted to the multitude of onlookers in the tiny café. "You're making a scene."

Sasuke stood abruptly, slamming white-knuckled fists down onto their small wooden table. Silverware clattered onto the floor. "That's it. How can you be so damn casual about this?"

A woman at the table next to them flinched at the younger Uchiha's volume, careful not to make eye contact with either of the two men.

Itachi thought about it for a moment. "Because…getting angry about it will change nothing. My garden was just that; a garden. It was nothing irreplaceable. Anger is precisely what the vandals were aiming for, and precisely what they will not earn. Growing furious only allows them to win."

The older man tilted his head back, draining the rest of his tea before following Sasuke's lead and standing up. He left enough money to cover both of their bills and a generous tip on the table before bending down to pick up the silverware that Sasuke's rage had left littered among the panels of the hardwood floor.

As soon as the pair exited the front door Sasuke turned on him, desperation and wrath still burning deep in those fiery red eyes. "Itachi, we have to do something about this. We can't keep letting this go on the way it has. What will they do next? They could set your cabin alight."

Itachi reached out and poked the younger man's forehead with two fingers. "It will be alright, Sasuke. You don't need to worry so much."

In truth, Itachi found his flattened garden quite bothersome. He had spent many long hours of hard work in that garden. He was hurt that someone would do that to him, but he was also reasonable enough to understand why. After all, the Uchiha had betrayed the village, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to make up for that fact, no matter how pure his motives were. It was all to save his little brother.

"This simply gives me the chance to make a new garden. I was getting sick of those spices anyway." He added thoughtfully, peeking at Sasuke through the corner of his eye to see if the boy had finally simmered down. It was only half a lie. He'd been wanting to plant some additional spices for springtime teas, but that didn't exactly mean he wouldn't miss his old garden.

"You are infuriatingly positive." His younger brother remarked, and Itachi thought he saw the hint of a smile quirking at his lips.

"You need such a person to counteract your adherent negativity."

Sasuke growled childishly, Itachi's matter-of-fact tone clearly grating on his nerves. Only Itachi could raise his hackles in such a way, and the older man reveled in that fact. He loved to tease his younger brother.

"You're making this difficult."

Itachi tilted his head inquisitively, holding the door open for his brother. "Making what difficult?" His voice had a tinge of amusement in it, a light smile playing at the man's lips.

"Forget it."

Raven eyes focused on Sasuke as they paced the streets, passing sales booths and talking over the chatter of the other pedestrians. Time flew by, as it always did with his younger brother. Before the pair knew it the sun had begun to set.

"Itachi?"

"Hm?" Itachi quirked a dark brow.

"I want you to stay at my place tonight." Itachi opened his mouth to respond but Sasuke quickly interrupted. "I don't feel comfortable with you going back yet. We don't know what they'll try next."

"I can take care of myself, Sasuke. You should know this better than anyone." He eyed his brother dangerously.

"That's not what I meant."

Itachi could see that his brother was growing frustrated again. Perhaps he should agree, for the sake of avoiding an argument. "Alright. I will stay for tonight, but tomorrow I need to return home. I've got another garden to get started on."

"Agreed."

Itachi

They had spent the rest of the night cooking dinner and training until Sasuke had finally admitted his own exhaustion. Once Sasuke was fast asleep in his bed, Itachi had read until early morning, when he'd fallen asleep.

Itachi couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a full night of sleep. It could have been five or ten years ago for all he knew. His illness had been progressing, his health deteriorating. Lady Tsunade had been meeting with him periodically, but for the moment there wasn't much she could do. They each had been doing their fair share of research on the matter, but his illness was a stubborn one.

The man dog-eared the book in his lap, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch and standing to his full height. In the next hour he was showered, fed, and ready to go face the wreck of his garden. He and his brother left Sasuke's apartment, stepping out into another bright day. Itachi ran his fingers through dark bangs, taking in a breath of air before setting out toward his cabin, Sasuke close beside him.

What he saw when they arrived was so unexpected that he nearly stumbled into the clearing. His garden…Well a garden, one that was just sprouting up. He looked around in confusion, meeting Sasuke's stunned gaze.

"Hinata…" Sasuke breathed the name, brows pinched in perplexity.

Itachi turned to face Sasuke, crossing lithe arms over his chest. "What?"

"Hinata…she accompanied me here yesterday. I wanted you to meet her, but when we arrived we saw what had happened, so we left. Evidently she returned. Either that, or the villagers were feeling guilty."

Itachi gave a dry scoff at that. "I somehow doubt the latter."

Sasuke's lips quirked up in a wry smile. "So do I."

The two stepped closer to the new garden, Itachi inspecting each plant and Sasuke following along. "Who is this girl?" He asked his brother, meeting the younger man's gaze.

"Hinata Hyuga. She's the heiress to the Hyuga clan. Would you like to meet her?"

Itachi made a confirmative noise in the back of his throat. "Yes, I would."