Author: *coughs* Well...I don't know why, but I had this sudden urge to write a SasuHina fic. I'm in progress of writing this so I have no idea what kind of fic it will become. I know for a fact that I don't understand jutsus that well...and suck at fight scenes. So it won't have much fighting. Sooner or later, it will have romance, but not right now. I hope you enjoy!

Disclamer: I don't own Naruto, but I always dream that I do.

-x-x-

It was dark out and for some reason, the moon had disappeared. There was no light for miles, it was as though she was lost in an abyss of darkness. The only explanation she could find, was that she had finally died. She didn't know what caused her death, maybe a kunai to her throat, or even a snap of her neck. But that didn't matter. She was free. Her heart fluttered, light as a bird. A small smile graced her lips. To finally be rid of all responsibilities that people pushed onto her, now she could live peacefully.

"Oh wait." She said out loud, but the sound of her voice made her think. She hadn't meant to speak, she didn't even feel her lips move. She realized that she hadn't moved her lips at all. Before she could continue that thought process, a deep voice chuckled loudly from the depths around her.

"Now that you're dead, you believe you can be peaceful?" The voice whispered, its voice laced with venom. It sent shivers down her spine. "Are you an idiot?" She winced at those words. People really love to bring her down. "Live peacefully my ASS! You're dead, you're no longer living!" The voice sneered at her low intelligence. "If anything, no one can be peaceful in a place like this!" The voice roared, echoing. "You my dear, will forever be trapped. You can never be free of the weight on your shoulders!"

As if on cue, she slumped forward, grasping her chest as pain exploded under her palms. Her breath came out as a wheeze. She couldn't breathe. Her heart had been so free before, but now it felt as though someone dropped a ton of bricks on her chest.

Once again the voice laughed at her. "When death befalls you, you can never be the same. You wouldn't be the same person you once was. If you're lucky, you will be reborn with a better life, but for you my dear..." The angered voice trailed off. Suddenly, there was a light at the deepest corner of the darkness.

As the light became brighter, the voice changed. "You will wake up once again. Just like you did the day before and the day before that. For you my dear, is still alive." Instead of the scary and demented tone it had earlier, it now had a kind-hearted feel to it. Almost as if the voice cared for her well being. "Someone as pure as you child, should live your life to the fullest because it's the only life you have. It's what I would have wanted." The voice was connected to a body this time. The shilouette in front of her had the figure of a woman. "Now then...It's time for you to awaken."

-x-x-

When the young Hyuga heiress had woken up from that dream, her heart was beating loudly in her chest. She was about to scream because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but then she remembered that she was currently on a mission. In her panic, she turned her byakugan on. She was relieved that everyone else was still asleep.

After calming down, she was sure that her embarrased face could be used as a beacon of light for at least a couple of kilometers. If she didn't stop her blushing face, an enemy could ambush them. She wouldn't be able to handle it if people got hurt because of her carelessness. Of course there was no way that could happen since each of them were residing in their on tent. Her blushing face was practically invisible to the outside, not that she was calm enough to think logically.

The last thing she remembered from her dream was the woman. Although she could not see her face, the voice she heard was silky and smooth. It spoke with an air of power and yet -at the same time- gentleness. Her voice reminded Hinata of a flowing river. Water held great power, but it also had wisdom. It could easily over power at any given moment, if it wanted to.

Hinata took a deep breath and thoroughly viewed the forest outside her tent. There was no sign of a threat and she could finally turn her doujutsu off. On her left, Shino's chest was rising and falling at a normal pace and on her right, Kiba and Akamaru were doing the same in their tent. Each of them brought their own tent. You always needed to be ready since most missions would require you to rest for a few hours before getting back on the path.

At the thought of the unknown lady, Hinata had remembered that there was a river nearby where she would be able to cool off. Maybe she would also be able to decifer the hidden meaning of her dream. She always believed that dreams were like a crystal ball in a way. Sometimes, it felt as though she could see the future if viewed in a certain light.

Hinata sighed softly. The river was just in sight after she walked out from under a few more trees. She couldn't help but to smile at the sight. Unlike her dream, the moon was high abover her, basking the river in moonlight. It was the only source of light for miles since they were still far from any villages. The last village they passed was a day away.

As she got closer to the river, she was left breathless. The river was shimmering due to the full moon. It was absolutely beautiful.

Hinata didn't waste a second as she quickly took off her ninja sandals and dipped her feet into the water, flinching at the coolness, but relaxed when she got used to it. She giggled quietly, water always seemed to calm her down.

It seemed that she was still wary. A ninja was always prepared for battle, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. The thought of someone sneaking up on her and having to engage in battle made her paranoid. What would she do if she accidentally striked one of her teammates, thinking it was an enemy? She wouldn't be able to handle the guilt it would cause.

After splashing the water with her feet a few times, Hinata decided it was time for her to go back. She was vulnerable by herself, though she hated to admit it. It would be horrible if she were to die at such a short notice. She always imagined herself dying to protect someone she loved, not because she was caught off guard.

Hinata frowned. It was always difficult for her to part with water. Whenever she took showers, she always stayed until her fingers and toes looked like sponges. It wasn't her fault that she loved the way it felt. The effect it had on her was ridiculous. She shook her head, she needed to get out even though it was the best feeling in the world.

She finally got up and slipped her sandals back on. She frowned at the squishy feeling, hadn't thought about drying them before getting out. Now she had to live with it until she got back to camp.

As she walked towards the forest, a figure jumped off of a branch and landed a few yards away. Its face hidden in the shadows. Hinata imediately dropped into her stance with her palms out. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes widened at the familiarity of the voice. She knew that voice, even though she wouldn't want to admit it. Right in front of her stood Sasuke Uchiha, traitor of Konoha.

How the hell did he sneak up on her when she was so guarded? Yes she was a little...occupied, but not enough for a regular ninja to catch her off guard. Then again, Sasuke wasn't just any regular ninja. He was an "S class" missing nin. Many wanted him for different reasons. Some wanted their best friend/rival back and others wanted the pricy bounty on his head. He was probably one of the most wanted people in all of the hidden villages and yet he stood right in front of her, almost mockingly so. He probably didn't even feel the need to reveal a weapon, he knew he could take her down easily.

As if reading her mind, Sasuke smirked at her. He walked around her, towards the river, completely ignoring her. He bent down and scooped up a handful of water and brought it to his lips. "I won't repeat what I said." He said with his back turned to her. It was the worst insult one could use against an enemy. He obviously didn't see her as a threat.

Hinata was just glad he hadn't killed her yet. She remained in her stance, there was no way she could let her defense drop. This man could easily take down an army. "I-I was just passing t-time." Curse that stutter of hers. She thought she lost it years ago when she became a chunnin. Now it was back and she just wished it didn't get her into trouble. If she had to, she would fight the man before her, but she wouldn't try to commit suicide when he clearly sowed no signs of seeking a battle.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, not caring much for her answer. He scooped another handful and drank it slowly. He was dying of thirst, but he wasn't going to reveal such a weakness to her. Just because she was weaker than him didn't mean she was harmless. She was a kunoichi, she could easily slit his throat if she wanted to. "What are Konoha shinobi doing here? You're at least a few days away from Konoha."

For some reason, neither of them felt a need to attack the other. It was probably the effect of the moon and river, yes...the stillness of it all was the cause. Neither would admit to anything else that came to mind.

It seemed to take longer than Hinata thought to reply. She didn't want to give away information he could use against her, but she also didn't want to lie. "We're on a mission and decided to rest for a bit." A small smile tugged at her lips. She hadn't stuttered at all. "What are y-you doing here?" Drats, it came back. She almsot frowned, but steeled himself.

The boy before her shrugged. "Just decided to see what was making all that noise." He smirked when Hinata blushed. So she really was vulnerable after all. She should have known better. "You better scurry back to your hole before the cat bears his claws." His smirk widened when she registered the hidden meaning in his words.

Without a second thought, Hinata squeaked like a mouse and ran away from him. She shouldn't have gotten too comfortable around him. It surprised her. She never actually spoke to him before, they were never friends to begin with.

-x-x-

After Hinata, Kiba, and Shino returned from their mission a few weeks later, the entire village was in chaos. It appeared that the infamous Sasuke Uchiha had returned a few days after their encounter. He suddenly appeared at the main gate with Orochimaru's head as proof of his deed. He was imediately summoned by Tsunade before the villagers could react. They weren't sure whether the common folk would embrace the traitor or deem him forever a traitor. Tsunade didn't want to find out until everything was organized.

When Sasuke was chained by a chakra rope and sealed from using his doujutsu, he was positioned in front of the godaime and was forced to explain himself. It was a very serious matter so everyone stilled their breathing to hear his words. Tsunade didn't even reach for her secret stash of sake hidden in her desk. That in itself spoke of just how serious it was.

Although Sasuke had been a little self-concious, he didn't dare to show any expression. His eyes though, spoke for him. He let his desperation show through so that they knew he wasn't lying. He told them about what Orochimaru put him through and that he was taught everything he needed to learn. He explained that he killed him before he could use him as his next body. There was no way the Sasuke Uchiha would die by the hands of that snake bastard. He went on saying that his lust to kill his brother was still there, but he had made another vow, to restore his clan. In order to do that, he would need to gain the village's trust once again. He couldn't do that if he was considered a traitor in their eyes.

-x-x-

At the moment, that was all people knew. It seemed that the elders and clan heads were still discussing the matter and hadn't come to a conclusion yet. Hinata had told her teamates that she would deliver the mission report to the Hokage and meet up with them later when she finished.

Sadly for her, Shizune instructed her to wait until the Hokage came back because she had something important to discuss with her.

A few hours later, Tsunade came out of the meeting with the council and came to a decision. It was decided that Sasuke would be given a chance to regain his former status. There were more pros than cons with him coming back to the village, but he would be watched over 24/7. Even the tiniest movement would have an Anbu member armed with a kunai at his throat.

Finally, Hinata was called to the Hokage's office and would be able to leave this hell hole. She didn't mind the Hokage tower, but being stuck there with nothing to do made her sour. She just hoped she doesn't snap at Tsunade-sama or else she'll be punished.

"Ah Hinata-chan." The Hokage grinned at her and took another swig of sake. "How was the mission?"

Hinata smiled, already knowing her mentor's habits. "Mission succesful Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade waved away the honorific. "Oh you know you can drop formalities here Hinata-chan." She smiled at her, looking quite sober. She brightened when Hinata returned the smile herself. "Now," Tsunade hid the sake bottle back into her drawer. "Was there anything odd that occured during your trip?" She eyed the Hyuga with curious eyes. A hint of suspicion hidden deep in them.

Hinata's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. She must be talking about her run-in with Sasuke. She took a second to breathe. "No Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. If she had called her "Hokage-sama" or even "Tsunade-sama" she would have a reason to suspect, but she used "-chan" instead. Still, she was stubborn and wasn't even close to giving up. She wanted to give her a chance to fess up before she forced it out of the young girl. "Are you sure Hinata-chan?" She smiled once again. "I wouldn't hold it against you. I'm your Hokage." She watched as her desciple tensed. "If anything, I'm the one person you should trust." She urged.

Hinata gave up right then and there. Nothing could go unnoticed by her. She was the freaking Ho-Ka-Ge for christ sake! She would know that she was pregnant before she could! Though she wasn't planning on having a child for years, but that's beside the point. "O-Okay..." She frowned. "There was a little something..odd that occured."

"Yes?" Tsunade practically leaned forward to hear her words. "What happened?"

"I met a wolf in the woods."

-x-x-