"Acts of kindness."
As Sasuke made his way to visit the fresh graves of his family, everyday life went on around him. Birds chirped and flew overhead. Shop owners greeted their customers or fixed up their shops. People bustled about with their errands. Kids laughed as they walked with their parents or siblings. No matter how normal it all seemed, it was a sharp reminder that he had to continue his life after the tragedy.
Every day, he went home alone to an empty apartment. It was simply a place to live, not his home, not a place he built memories. He ate, trained, prepared for school, and took care of himself all alone. He walked through the streets of the village every day and would see families smiling at each other while he had no family to return to. Memories of them and their bonds haunted him.
On top of that, no one seemed to understand. Not the Hokage, not Iruka, not his classmates, not their parents, not a single villager. People went silent when he came around, but once he was walking away, the murmurs started up. Even in class, when they thought he couldn't hear, they talked about him. As if he wasn't there. As if his life was on display. As if the stares or rumors didn't bother him.
As this reality was becoming more concrete, new goals were forming. For now on, he couldn't form any new bonds or get too close with anyone else. He especially didn't want to lose anyone that ever meant something to him. Besides, he had to see Itachi again one day. Not out of the love he once held, but to get answers and to avenge his family. No one could get in the way of this goal. Friends would only drag him down.
As he reached his family's graves, he was taken back. It was different from the last time he visited. Multiple flowers lay on each grave, and all the headstones looked cleaner. His eyes narrowing, he wondered why a complete stranger would go out of their way to do this. He was the last Uchiha, other than his brother, and it was unlikely he would do this.
Though it could be seen as a touching gesture, he wasn't sure how to respond. This was his place. His family's place. The last thing he needed was someone messing around there or someone expressing pity or paying condolences. He was tired of apologies and people not knowing what to say or behave around him and how they treated him differently. Emotions over his lost and over this surprise whirled around him. He let out a long sigh and sat in front of his parents' graves, growing lost in those feelings and in his memories.
Feet away, hidden away in the forest bordering the cemetery, a young girl watched with lavender tinted eyes and an uncertain expression. She hadn't been sure if Sasuke would accept this gift. For a while there, Hinata wasn't sure how to help or approach her classmate without him taking it the wrong way. Until one day, she realized a way to pay her respects. In the first chance she had, she snuck past her family and servants to avoid their questioning and to evade supervision from Ko, her relative that her father appointed to watch over her.
It might be strange to help a classmate she barely knew, but deep down, she sympathized with him. No matter how stern they were with her, the young girl could never imagine losing her family, especially at the hands of another relative. The Uchiha massacre was a huge tragedy, one that shocked the village, especially her, but obviously upsetting Sasuke the most. It was clear that the hardship had a deep effect on him, the heartbreak in his face and in his behavior. That anguish slowly hardened into hatred. He changed and kept his distance from others.
Many others didn't seem to understand him, and though she couldn't fully understand either, she still wanted to do anything to help. After all, that was one of the worst devastations anyone could suffer, and he deserved someone to reach out to him. His family raised and took care of him. He grew up with them, saw their familiar faces on a regular basis, spent time with them, and shared deep love and bonds with them. In an instant, Sasuke lost his family to his beloved older brother, and his entire world was destroyed. Sasuke didn't deserve pity, the stares, or the gossip going around.
This was the least she could do for him. Turning away, she quietly walked away, giving him privacy. She knew she had to keep doing this for him.