Unknown

Her pain, no one ever saw it as she walked down the path. No one saw the way she faked her laugh.

'No one sees,' she thought, 'No one cares.' It was cold that night but she did not show her chill. She hated when someone called her weak, though that never stopped them. The rain poured down nonstop as she walked into the village she called home. Her mission was a success and she was returning home. Though she didn't feel that she had the right to call it that, for she could care less what happened to the village. It was the people who she cared for.

The pain was numbing and she hardly noticed it, hardly smelt the blood as the rain carried the smell away. She shivered and couldn't seem to catch her breath.

'I'll soon be there,' she told herself. She was heading to the Hokage's tower; she had to turn in her report. Tsunade would want it as soon as possible; she'd want to know what happened. The tower was empty of employees as Hinata dragged her self up the stairs. The rain's steady beat helped her distract herself form the pain and cold.

Once she reached the Hokage's office door she paused gasping for breath. Voices could be heard from the other side.

"Tsunade please let Sasuke-kun come back," Sakura's voice was pleading.

"Why the hell should I, the bastard left on his own," Tsunade's voice rang true and clear with anger.

"But Baa-chan, Sasuke-teme killed Orochimaru, doesn't that account for something," Naruto's voice was just as pleading as Sakura's. Wincing with the pain Hinata pushed to door open, causing the four people in the room to stop and stare in horror at her bloody form.

"Tsunade-sama, th…the Ak…Akatsuki," Hinata's sight blurred as she stumbled over the two words, she fainted as the pain finally caught up to her body's nerves system. She couldn't tell whose arms had caught her and she didn't really care, they were warm and that was so very soothing to her wreck of a body.

"Hinata," Tsunade's voice yelled in alarm. Sakura's fallowed close after as Hinata's limp form coughed a hard bloody cough.

Everything was dark, so dark that when Hinata pulled her hand in front of her face she couldn't see a thing. What was going on, had she died? She wasn't cold anymore but she wasn't comfortable either. Something was sticking into her side and it was becoming bothersome. When Hinata moved she noticed that it wasn't a something, it was a someone. 'Who' she thought as she opened her eyes as wide as she could, trying to see who it was but she still couldn't see.

Shifting so that she could pull away from the warm mass of a body, two arms only held her tight.

"Please don't move Hyuuga, Tsunade will be back soon to help with any pain," the voice of the person made her stiffen and pause. The voice was familiar and yet she couldn't place who it belonged to. Hinata squirmed in his grip but he refused to release her. His grip only tightened until she was pressed so close to him that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Please," she whimpered, "Please let me go," she went to rip off the cloth from her eyes but a hand stopped her.

"Tsunade, said it's wouldn't be wise, your eyes need to rest. Hell you need to rest, if you don't I'll just have to make you." Hinata didn't like the way he had said that, and she didn't like the way it sounded like he was talking down to her.

"Look I…I have m…more pressing matters, if I d…don't tell Tsunade about th…the Akatsuki it'll b…be too late. And if I d…don't get to my f…father, he can't help." Hinata tried to push away again.

"Now you look…listen, Tsunade has gone to take care of that and she wont need the help of old Hiashi. Now rest, this is my last warning." Hinata was gritting her teeth; she was trying to keep from shivering and yelling out in pain and frustration, as a wave of pin prickling washed over her entire body.

"I'm s…sorry," she said charging her hand with chakra and pressing it to the young man's chest. He grabbed her wrist and flipped her onto her back, him now on top of her to keep her from moving.

"Look here I said that, that was my last warning and I don't play around," with that Hinata felt a relaxed hand on her side and was shocked, "I'm the one who is sorry."

"Sasuke," the voice registered now, it was Sasuke. Hinata sat up gasping, why was she so breathless? She opened her eyes and this time was greeted with the sight of the Uchiha on top of her. The cloth that had been wrapped around her head must have come away when they struggled.

"Calm yourself, if you keep moving you'll reopen your wounds," he said looking pissy.

"B…But," Sasuke's hand covered her mouth.

"Stop talking," he said and instantly regretted it, Hinata could feel the tears stinging her eyes and knew that they were watering. Sasuke got up off of the Hyuuga girl and walked to a window.

"Tsunade has sent the two of us here, into hiding. It seems the Akatsuki had a thing for you," Sasuke said glaring at the glass in front of him, "My damned brother wanting a weakling like you, I can't see why."

"I'M NOT," Sasuke jumped and stared at the girl in shock, "I'm n…not weak, I'm not," Hinata rolled so that her back was to him and could no longer hold back the tears.

She let them fall from her eyes freely, but not once did she make a sound, not once did she let it known that she was crying. Never had she willingly cried in front of someone and she was never planning on it. To long had she done so, to long had she shown no emotion and she knew that few knew it. She cheered herself by thinking of Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Tsunade.

They were the few who knew that she had shut herself from emotions. Everyday they watched her, listened to her new found hardened voice. None of the others had heard or saw it, but then again the others were obsessed with bringing Sasuke back. She didn't hate Sasuke but she had thought it a waste of time searching for someone who didn't wish to return.

Sasuke's face was emotionless as he watched her sleep; he couldn't help but notice the change in the Hyuuga.

"Hump, who would have known so much would change in the time I was gone," Sasuke said smirking vary slightly to himself. He turned back to the window, glaring at the figure that stood in the middle of the street in the pouring rain. This wasn't a good sign, Sasuke could tell. Something was wrong and some how the little Hyuuga was in the center of it all.

(A/N: I own nothing when it comes to Naruto, or of any of the stories that I post.)