"If only one Remembers to turn on the light"
He was sitting on a swing underneath an old tree that was draped with fairy lights when she approached him; dressed in a simple white dress with her hair in a loose plait and a warm smile on her face.
"May I join you?" He moved over in response.
"Hmm, Naruto-kun got a bit too caught up in the celebrations." He raised an eyebrow, she giggled "he sprayed champagne all over Sakura-chan and now she's chasing him all around the restaurant".
"That baka". He finally got her to say yes, and then he goes and pulls that stunt, did he not learn anything from years of abuse, Sakura Haruno does not take kindly towards jokes delivered by Uzamaki Naruto. Still, at least the dobe was happy.
Hinata glanced at Sasuke and was surprised to see a nostalgic look on his otherwise expressionless face.
"Sasuke-san?"
"Do you believe that everyone can find happiness?"
She looked up at him in surprise; in the short span of 18 months Hinata Hyūga
had seen 5 sides of Sasuke Uchiha.
Stubborn: Hinata looked over, concerned as an irritated 16 year old Sasuke Uchiha attempted to gently pull out a crooked nail from a plank of wood. He was helping with the rebuilding of the Ninja Academy and he seemed to be losing every bit of his patience with each passing millisecond. "C'mon, c'mon" he muttered as he tried to tug the nail out; but the stubborn little bugger refused to budge. Growling in frustration he gave it an angry tug which resulted in the nail being pressed further into the plank of wood. Sasuke let out a frustrated growl, "you stubborn little sh-"
"U-um, Uchiha-san", he whipped his head around to see Hinata Hyūga
standing timidly before him.
"U-um"
"What?" he let out irritatedly.
"I um" ,she looked at him hesitantly, before slowly approaching him. "Um m-may I?" She asked gesturing to the plank of wood. He raised an eyebrow "go ahead."
Grabbing a kunai from her pouch, she pressed the tip of it under the head of the nail and used her hand on the handle of the kunai as leverage "I-t's all about the touch, y-you have t-to be precise-" ;she slammed her hand on the handle of the kunai and the nail sprung from the plank and into the air. She caught it and held it out to him "and firm."
Sasukes' eyes widened a little, "not aggressive" she finished.
"Che", turning away in slight embarrassment Sasuke headed over to the pile of planks of wood, "I should be out there on missions, rebuilding the peace and relationships not wasting my time on menial tasks".
"I think it's j-just that some of the other countries need time to regain your trust."
He cast her a cold glare and she flinched in response, "I saved the world with Naruto, what more proof do they need?"
"I-I know its unfair, but trust takes time".
"I don't any of the countries or the villagers approval, I still came back and am willing to protect these ungrateful people in the name of peace even after what they did to my brother, my family. I know what I'm doing is right." He finished softly not really talking to her.
Hinata smiled sadly, regardless of whatever some of the villagers continued to say she could see that he really had turned over a new leaf, he was growing and maturing.
"Y-You know when you first returned, during the war and announced what you were going to be Hokage I was really confused, I remember thinking where on earth did that come from?" He glared at her and she smiled sheepishly, "b-but as I saw you fight alongside Naruto-kun I saw the resolution in your heart, I really did; and then I understood. You fought for justice and peace; you weren't necessarily fighting against your clansman because they were the enemy, you fought against them because they were a threat to the peace of the world, the civilians. You fought them because you felt that's what needed to be done. Your heart's in the right place Uchiha-san and as you continue to help and do what's best for the people, they will begin to see that and see past their prejudice, it just takes time. Trust always takes time but once you have their trust you will have a special spot in their hearts Uchiha-san".
His eyes widened in surprise, how could a stranger understand him like that?
"I-I used to be a-afraid of you, I was so unsure of your motives, I never really knew what you were thinking but seeing you fight alongside Naruto-kun, and even now watching you helping others; Uchiha-san, I-I think Uchiha-san is an admirable person." She was smiling so warmly and her eyes were filled with so much kindness that it was a little too much for him. He wasn't used to this much genuine warmth and sincerity; especially from a person he barely knew, so he let out a simple tch and resumed picking up the planks he needed for the wall he was building. Hinata smiled, "also I'm sure when your older you'll be assigned more negotiating missions .I'm sure anyone would feel uncomfortable giving a 16 year old that kind of responsibility."
He turned and addressed her with a blank look, "Gaara's 16 and he's the Kazekage."
Hinata bit her lip, she had nothing to say to that, "point."
He gave her a look before angrily ramming a nail into a plank.
"Um, Uchiha-san-"
"What?" he asked irritatedly.
"You should be less aggressive rem-"
"It's fine, It's a plank of wood. If it can't even handle this amount of pressure it's not even worthy of being building material', he then continued ramming several more nails in with much more force than necessary. Hinata watched on uneasily, he was applying too much force "Carefu-" the timber split.
"FOR FUCKS SAKE!" Sasuke let out, flinging the hammer at the wall in frustration; and the entire wall that Sasuke had spent three hours working on fell down.
"Uch-"
"Don't. Just. Don't".
Sweet:
"Happy Birthday Hinata."
"Happy 16th Onee-chan!"
"Hiiiinaaata! Happy Birthday! Breakfast is on us! C'mon Shino stop sulking she loves your gift alright, geez"
"Happy Birthday, Hinata-chan."
"HIIIIINATA-CHAN HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Let's head over to Ichikraikuu's! MY TREAT!"
"BAKA-NARUTO why the hell would she want ramen! Happy Birthday Hinata-chan! Here's a little something. Also the girls are throwing a little party for you. Lets go!"
"Oh my Hina-chan! Don't you look gorgeous! Wow Kimonos really suit you, ne Tenten-chan? Aye Megane hoe"
"What the hell did you just call me? Blond ass skank! Yeah…she looks alright"
"Geez would you two calm down, gosh, you look beautiful Hinata-chan, ooooh cupcake?"
Hinata headed back to the Hyūga compound with a content smile on her face, today had been a wonderful day, she had been showered with blessings, gifts and compliments from her beloved friends. She smiled happily, she felt so loved and appreciated today, it was nice. She was pulled out of her stupor however when she sensed a presence; Hinata turned around to see Uchiha Sasuke standing awkwardly from afar as if calculating something.
"Sasuke san-' she said unsurely.
He stared at her for a few seconds before slowly approaching her. "Sas-" Once he was in front of her, he stared into her eyes intently before handing her a small rectangular box with a single lavender bow, Hinata looked up curiously. "I noticed these were your favourite," he let out gruffly before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. With a confused smile Hinata opened the box and a delicious scent filled her senses; inside were 5 warm cinnamon rolls.
Wise: Hinata punched the post in anger, damn it why couldn't she get it! Neji-nii san sacrificed himself for Naruto, for the people, for peace, for Her. She was eldest, she had to get stronger so she could protect her family, her Sister. Tears slowly rolled down her face. "Rotate your palm another 5 degrees left, also your footing could do with a bit more stability." Hinata looked up, Sasuke was standing a couple meters from her, arms crossed with a calm expression on face.
"Sasuke san! I-" he walked up to her and got into a defensive stance, "come."
Hinatas' eyes widened, she stared at him for a couple of seconds before she wiped her tears and determinedly charged towards him. She thrust her right palm forward and it just grazed past his neck, he caught her wrist and twisted it, "5 degrees left" he repeated in her ear. Hinata nodded, using Sasukes' back as a leverage she propelled her body over him and landed steadily. Sasuke turned and grabbed her left arm, allowing Hinatas' right palm to pause just centimeters before his heart . She looked up in shock and Sasuke just gave her small smirk. "You can't do everything on your own, sometimes a little assistance is needed."
Pained
17 year old Sasuke Uchiha stood before his brothers grave. It had been a year since the war, and village had returned to it's daily conundrums. His fellow ninjas had seemed to move on, but what about him? Could he afford to move on? Could he allow himself to smile with them? To laugh alongside them? Just how could he? To smile, to laugh, after the hell his family has been through? Just how could he? How could he allow himself to be happy? How dare he-.
"It seems selfish that we're here enjoying our lives at the cost of theirs doesn't it?"
Sasuke looked up and and saw Hinata staring at Itachi's grave, she gave him a morose smile. He looked into her eyes and saw not sympathy but pain.
"I was just visting Nii-sans grave. I know it seems selfish at first but they sacrificed themselves so we could live a better one. I know it's seems wrong to smile but shouldn't we be happy? It's because of their love I am able to be free! To live a life of happiness. It's unfair that they had to die in order for us to have a future but they want us to happy. So as sign of gratitude we should respect their wishes and do so.
I went into the war with the mindset of protecting the people that I love, and I was willing to die for them. If I had died I would've wanted them to know that I was happy to give my life for them because I was able to help give them future in a sense. Therefore I would want them to live their lives and work towards a happy future, the future that I helped them have".
Sasuke stared at her, listening to her wisdom. "What about you Sasuke-san? How would you want people to feel over your sacrifice?"
He contemplated on what she had said. "I do things as I see fit, I went into the war to set the record straight, to clear the name of my clan, and restore balance to the world. If I died, then I guess I would wish that my sacrifice allowed others to live peacefully". Hinata smiled softly "But it isn't fair!" He let out through gritted teeth. "What happened to my clan, it was wrong. It was unjust, who the fuck did they think they were!" He let out in anguish "Those fucking council-men! That's why I'm here to make sure that what happened to my clan, my family, my brother-" Hinata watched in pain as she saw Sasuke break down. She watched as silent tears ran down his cheeks, as he held onto his brothers tombstone. Hinata couldn't bear to just stand and do nothing, so giving into her loving nature she wrapped her arms around him in a protective embrace. He was a good person, a kind person, a strong man who was filled with cracks; but she was here and she wanted him to know that. She'll be here, to stand by his side.
He let himself go bare in her embrace, Hinata allowed you to, it was one of her traits; and once he did he felt a little better. Wiping his tears, he moved away from her warm embrace and just stared at the sky, he was too embarrassed to look at her, they weren't that close, barely friends.
"You deserve to be happy Sasuke-san."
He turned in surprise and was met with an encouraging smile, "you've fought so hard, been so brave and now you've let go a little. I think it's time you work towards your future now Sasuke-san, you have the right to".
"I don't think happiness is in my future given my families track record". He said dryly.
Hinata smiled softly, "I think now seems like an appropriate time to quote one of the most wisest man in history."
Sasuke looked at her skeptically, "happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light." He scoffed lightly, and Hinata smiled gently, "remember when you first dip your feet in the lake, at first it's cold right?"
Sasuke nodded slightly, "and then after a while how does it feel?" He frowned slightly, realising where she was getting at, nevertheless he answered honestly, "it feels nice."
"Right! So, give things time, and they'll turn out alrighti. Wounds take time to heal, but if you surround yourself with people that love you and who connect with you, you'll find that they'll heal faster." She finished with a bright smile and Sasuke would be lying if said he didn't feel the pressure in his chest lift or the tug at his lips.
Fatherly:
"BUT sensei" Seijuro whined
"Sit still and shut-up!" Sasuke grumbled
Seijuro continued to whine, "b-but it stiiings."
"Well maybe if you were paying attention as opposed to waving those senbons around like an idiot trying to show off, you wouldn't be in this position would you!"
18 year old Uchiha Sasuke was currently attempting pluck out poisonous senbons out of his moronic students' arm and legs as swiftly as possible.
He really should have adhered to the alarm bells in his head when Sei insisted on mastering poisonous ones, but in his defense Sei was an exceptionally talented and skilled ninja….when he was focused. Said idiotic student was currently sporting a rapidly swelling right arm and left leg.
"Ow, ow, OWWWWWW! SENSEI!"
"Would you calm down?!" Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "Hyūga
sensei is bringing the antidote"
"Sasuke! Here I've got it" Hinata ran towards the two, holding out a tub filled with mint green paste.
"Thank god" Sasuke let out under his breath
"Thanks", he said grabbing the tub and began rubbing the cream on his students de-senbonned arm whilst Hinata worked on Seijuro's leg.
"Sniff."
As they continued to rub the ointment on his skin, his limbs began to gradually return to their original state.
"Sniff."
Sasuke sighed as he saw tears falling from his students' eyes.
"Oi stop that."
"Sniff, sniff b-b-ut it hurts and worse, I embarrassed myself ".
Sasuke sighed and made eye contact with Hinata, she was smiling warmly, tch.
"Oi, are you a boy or a man? Take this as a lesson and make sure to learn from it. Real men cry on the inside and if you're a Ninja, you don't show your tears in front of others. It's a sign of strength, learning to take it in and grieve later and then finally move on.."
Seijuro's eyes widened
"Now are you are ninja or not?"
"Sniff, mhmm" Seijuro responded
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "I asked you if you were a Ninja or not!"
Seijuro jumped in a salute "HAI SENSEI! I am a Ninja, but before that that I am a MAN!
Sasuke smiled internally, "Hmph, you've still got quite a bit to go kid"
Seijuro pouted, "You'll become a strong and brave man when your older Sei-kun" Hinata said kindly.
"H-hai!" Seijuro said blushing. Sasuke rolled his eyes, "alright kid looks like we're done here. Now head home and get plenty of rest."
"Hai! Arigato Uchiha Sensei, Hyūga Sensei" Seijuro said bowing, before bounding off home.
Sasuke sighed, "taku" he muttered watching his student tumble and trip on his way back home.
"You've got quite a knack with kids" Hinata said amusingly
"Tch"
Hinata smiled, "learning to take it in and grieve later; and then finally move on, truly is a sign of strength."
Sasuke turned and faced her, "Ah" he said with a look of nostalgia.
Present:
Hinata looked up into the night sky, "I think the first step towards happiness is loving your self, as long as your happy with who you are, no one else's opinions matters because and I quote-" Sasuke let out an amused chuckle, she smiled in response, 'You know the struggles and the triumphs. You know the hard work and the sacrifices, you know the whole story [2]' Once you've accepted yourself, happiness with eventually follow. However the important thing is not to chase it, because happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.[3] So work hard towards your dreams and happiness will come with the fruits of you labour."
Sasuke mulled about what Hinata had just said, learning to love himself huh?
"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect Sasuke. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections"[4] Hinata said with a warm smile, Sasuke's eyes widened. In a short span of 18 months he had seen 3 sides of Hinata Hyuga.
Compassionate: He was sitting at the lake, feet dipped in the water wondering what to do next. The war was over, the villagers had begun to return to the daily routines just as they did before, Naruto was back to chasing Sakura again and he well, he had been coming here often as of recent. The lake had a nice, calming and refreshing atmosphere that allowed him to reflect on his life and where he wanted to go from here. Although at 16 years of age he's felt like he's accomplished a lot and yet at the same time he feels like he hasn't. "Um Sasuke san" he looked up and was met with a warm smile set upon the gentle face of Hinata Hyuga.
"Yes?"
"May I join you?" He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but warmth.
"Yeah, sure" he moved to the right, and when she bent to sit next to him he caught a whiff of her perfume…it was nice.
"I've noticed that you've been coming here often," she said as she rummaged through her basket.
He raised an eyebrow inquiringly "ah, coming here helps me think"
She turned towards him and smiled "mmm I understand, there's a nice clearing about one kilometer from the lake, it's filled with beautiful flowers, and gorgeous willows. I love spending a couple of hours there, pressing flowers and thinking about life."
He listened; Hinata had this quiet wisdom about her.
"Anyway I noticed that these were your favourite." She said blushing slightly as she held out a container filled with washed cherry tomatoes.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, "um, sometimes a small snack helps you think," she said smiling as she took a tomato and bit into it.
Her eyes widened in pleasure "ooh these are sweet" she said giggling softly.
He allowed himself to smile with his eyes, and popped a tomato in his mouth, hm these weren't half bad. He was only 16 he had plenty of time to decide.
Warrior: He observed her as she vented out her frustration. She punched the post in anger, as tears slowly rolled down her face. He understood why she tried to do things on her own. But sometimes, as he's recently come to realise – reluctantly anyway – that a little advice goes a long way. So that's what he does, he approaches her, and she looks up surprised and ashamed that he's caught her walls down and baring all. "Rotate your palm another 5 degrees left and also your footing could do with a bit more stability."
She looks surprised for a moment, but it's replaced with a determined smile, and that's what he finds is so admirable and so attractive about her, her resilience. She thrust her right palm forward and it just grazed past his neck, he caught her wrist, and twisted it "5 degrees left" he reminds her. She nods and uses his back as leverage as she propels her body over him, landing steadily. He turns and grabs her left arm, which allows her right palm to pause just centimeters before his heart. She looks up at him in shock he smiles internally, and her grace.
Mirth:
"C'mon teme it's a party."
Is that what this is, seems like a full blown sweat fest with thrown in bonuses of STD's, molestation and if your lucky, post morning regret and pregnancy.
"So?"
Naruto frowned, "your such a killjoy! Lighten up!"
With a sardonic look Sasuke poured himself a glass of sake, "cheers" he said before downing it one shot.
"Asshat," Sasuke smirked in response.
"I told you, you wouldn't be able to get him on the dance floor."
Naruto turned to see Sakura approaching them.
"Well he said he was gonna be Hokage, so you never know-"
"BAKA! That was 2 years ago", Sakura glared as Naruto wailed & rubbed his freshly bruised arm.
"Sorry Sasuke-kun, you know Nar-"
"Leave it" Sasuke interrupted, refilling his glass "Those corrupted old bastards don't give two shits about policies, all they want-" he frowned "nevermind I wasn't cut out for Hokage anyway, now take him away and let me drink in peace." He said downing another shot.
Sakura frowned looking at him reproachfully before turning her attention towards Naruto, "c'mon baka," she said dragging him away.
Sasuke sighed; all they want is a figure of hope, but in saying that he couldn't see anyone but Naruto protecting the people of the leaf. Two years later and he had gained the very qualities needed in a Kage. An inspirational, optimistic and idealistic leader, he was the very embodiment of the burning will. He was just what the leaf needed. Chuckling softly to himself Sasuke observed his surroundings, the pounding baseline changed to a slightly tolerable beat as he gazed around the room and noticed Hinata being dragged towards the dance floor. She was laughing protests but Ino wasn't having any of it. She was dressed in a simple purple and white knee length yakata. It subtly complimented her he noted.
He continued to observe her as she adjusted to the space and beat, and thereby her movements transitioned from awkward to smooth, graceful steps. She looked so happy out there enjoying herself on the dance floor, their eyes met and she gave him an embarrassed smile. He cocked an eyebrow and Hinata laughed and tilted her head, motioning him over. He smiled amusedly and shook his head in a slight no. She sighed and gave him a wistful look. He just gave her an amused smirk. There was no way in hell he was going in there. She continued to gaze at him wistfully, and as the music changed to an upbeat song her eyes lit up. Sasuke looked at her in slight confusion, she cracked a tiny cheeky grin before pulling at him with an imaginary rope.
He stared at her un-amused, really Hinata? There's no way in hell that's working. He was about to mouth no, when he saw her laughing face filled with warmth and mirth and to his and Hinatas' surprise he found himself being tugged forward by the force of her imaginary rope. Sasuke stood before her surrounded by a mass of people.
"Now what?" he asked.
Hinata laughed "just um go with the flow" she said jumping up and down waving her arms around, he raised an eyebrow. Sighing he rolled his eyes and began to jump along with her and as the song went on he began to feel strangely at peace even amongst the mass of people with terrible hygiene standards. He glanced over at Hinata, and as she laughed and sang along with the song he found himself smiling at her, for she was beautiful.
Present:
Beyond the imperfections huh? He glanced at Hinata; she had a peaceful smile on her face. "There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."
Hinata turned to him in surprise,
"José N. Harris," he finished; "I don't know about praying for the ones who don't give a shit about me or hate me, cause I sure don't give two shits about them-" Hinata giggled and he let out a small smile, "but as for loving those who do, I guess I can learn do that" he said smiling softly. Hinata's eyes widened in realisation, "Sasuke I-" She stopped, too caught in the beauty of Sasuke's gentle smile. She felt a tap on her pinky and looked down to see Sasuke entwining their fingers together. Blushing she faced him with a shy smile as they turned to looked up at the bright night sky.
i Quote from movie Yeh Jeewani Hai Deewani
ii Not sure you said this one =(
iii H. D. Thoreau
iv Quote by Gerard Way
Do review =) constructive criticism is welcomed