A/N: First off I want to thank those of you that took the time to review my first chapter. I didn't understand the emphasis some authors would stress at the end of their chapters, but now I do. Reviews are... awesome. Especially after a not so great day at work! Anyway, here's the second chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did I would not have killed off Itachi.
Rating: T
Title for the chapter courtesy of Trivium.
Last edited: 6/11/13
Suffocating Sight
••••••••••••
Mikoto had been so preoccupied with the young girl at her side that she didn't hear the opening of the door or Sasuke calling out to her when they arrived. She did notice them before they were fully visible; their presence was something she was all too familiar with.
"Your onigiri are deformed," she told Hinata with a small laugh when she noticed the girl's rice was misshapen. "Those don't look like bunny faces to me," she remarked teasingly trying to make her laugh and put her at ease.
She had noticed the young heiress had a look of deep concentration on her face while trying to accomplish the task. She knew that because of her status, Hinata would have many servants ready to comply with her every whim, and therefore not have to cook for herself a day in her life. Mikoto had wanted to at least show her the small pleasure she could feel in doing something as small as this for herself. Sure she was very young, but this was the time that children would acquire the habits and characteristics that would shape them into the adults that they would be. She also knew that it would be something her dear friend Hikari would have wanted for her daughter; to be strong and self-reliable, not a spoiled brat that was used to everyone around her doing everything for her.
"S-sorry, M-Mikoto-sama I've n-never done this b-before." She replied as she looked down and another deep blush covered her cheeks.
"Don't worry Hinata, I was just teasing you. Besides I suspected that this was your first time handling food which is why I wanted to show you how to cook, just little things here and there to start with. Once you learn you'll realize the great satisfaction that comes with preparing something delicious all on your own and being able to share it with your loved ones. Then you'll never get them to leave you alone and they won't go anywhere else. All the restaurants in Konoha have got nothing on my home cooked meals!" She exclaimed and earned a giggle from the heiress. "Why do you think Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun come home for every meal they can?" At this the little girl laughed even more.
Itachi and Sasuke had been standing at the entryway for a few seconds and she decided to look up and acknowledge them to see how they would respond to her comment, but when she finally did, she tried real hard not to laugh at the expressions on her sons' faces.
Itachi had a look of curiosity at the exchange going on between the two females, but Sasuke's expression surprised her more out of the two. He looked at Hinata with... adoration? She wasn't sure and when she tried to look a bit more closely, it was gone. I see he's learning more from Itachi in their training than I thought.
Itachi had learned at a young age how to hide his true feelings from everyone around him, but because she knew him more than anybody else she could still see his emotions – even if it was only for brief seconds – reflected in his eyes. He was the Uchiha prodigy after all and she knew it came with the territory; she had just hoped he would have gotten to keep his innocence for a bit longer, he was only 7 years old after all. She hoped the same thing wouldn't happen to Sasuke, become anti-social and put up walls around himself as to let hardly anyone in, but she knew that in time it would. Sasuke wanted to be just like his big brother because he admired and loved him so much and also because he longed for his father's acceptance; only Itachi existed in Fugaku's eyes. She didn't want the life of a shinobi for her sons, but she knew that they would all have to play their role for the sake of the village.
"Oh, Itachi and Sasuke, I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in! I lost track of time, I was kept busy all morning with our guest." She explained while giving the little girl a wink and a knowing smile, as if they shared a secret that the boys weren't allowed in on.
"It's alright okā-san we just became a bit... alarmed when you didn't come to the door," Itachi replied, all the while not tearing his gaze from the unknown girl who had stopped making onigiri and was now captivated by her two index fingers twiddling together.
Mikoto saw that both of her sons could not stop staring at the little girl and were just making her more nervous, from her reactions and her light stuttering Mikoto could tell that Hinata was really shy. "Boys I'd like you to meet Hyūga Hinata, she will be spending a lot of time with us from now on since your father and Hiashi-sama will be working together for the betterment of our clans. Hinata these are my sons, Itachi and Sasuke," she said while motioning to each one respectively.
The girl finally looked up at the mention of her name, and Itachi saw that she indeed had the pupil less eyes. So she is a Hyūga after all and not just any Hyūga but the heiress. To his surprise upon further inspection he saw that her eyes were lavender, and not the pure white he had initially thought.
"O-ohayo gozaimasu, I-Itachi-san and S-S-sasuke-san." She said after she jumped off the chair and bowed to each one.
"Just Itachi, heiress." As if embarrassed to be recognized for the position she held she turned a bright shade of red. As if on cue, he looked down at his brother, who's eyes had widened upon learning who she was. Sasuke almost tripped over his own feet when he started to make his way towards the Hyūga and Itachi smirked at the sight.
Sasuke stood in front of Hinata and just looked at her from head to toe examining her, and when they thought she couldn't turn any more red she did under his scrutinizing gaze. "So you're like the princess of the Hyūga then aren't you?" He said when he reached his conclusion.
She shook her head violently. "N-n-no, I'm no p-princess. I'm j-just plain H-Hinata."
Itachi actually smiled at her statement. An heiress that doesn't have a glorified image of herself. This should be interesting.
Accepting her answer, Sasuke nodded and smiled at the young heiress. Giving closure to that discussion he walked to the table, grabbed a tomato, bit it and once he was done chewing he turned to Mikoto and said, "Okā-san I'm hungry. Can we eat already?"
曰向
曰向
They sat and ate lunch in the dining room once they took the food to the table. Hinata sat next to Mikoto and the boys sat across from them. They ate for a while in awkward silence, which none of the three children felt brave enough to break. Mikoto examined them. Hinata was looking down at her food, taking small bites, and was wearing a deep blush on her small cheeks. She turned to look for the cause of said blush, and bit the inside of her cheek so as to not laugh out loud when she found it. It was Sasuke, he was eating his lunch but wasn't even looking at his food. Instead his unwavering gaze was fixed on the girl and he looked at her with such curiosity, that she'd think he had never seen a girl before in his short life. She turned to look at Itachi, who was looking at the exchange between the two, and when her eyes met his dark gray they shared a knowing look.
She decided to finally break the silence before little Hinata passed out from the unrelenting stare of her young admirer. "How did your training go this morning?" She said addressing the boys.
Itachi made motion to answer but Sasuke startled looking at her, and interrupted him. The young heiress almost gave an audible sigh when he finally looked away from her and her color started to subside. Itachi almost laughed at her reaction, and when Hinata turned up to look at him he offered her a smile.
"Okā-san you should have seen aniki he was so cool!" At his response all three at the table laughed earning them a small frown in return. He just shook his head as if to shake off their reaction, and instantly beamed to continue his story. "He's so good with shuriken and kunai! He didn't miss a single target! I want to be just like aniki when I grow up!" He exclaimed looking around the table.
Itachi put a hand on his small shoulder to get his attention. "Don't worry Sasuke you're still very young and have several years to go before you enter the academy."
"But I want to be the best in my class!" Sasuke interrupted. He crossed his arms in front of his torso and pouted.
"Alright, I'll train you in the basics by the time you enter the academy." At this Sasuke cheered up and threw his arms around his big brother and caught Itachi off guard. He recovered within seconds and hugged his little brother back. "Just no weapons yet, I'll teach you some taijutsu. A shinobi shouldn't rely on weapons alone. You should always aim to incapacitate your opponent first and hurt them only as a last resort."
Sasuke nodded furiously at Itachi. "Hai, I get it. Don't kill unless you really have to, right?"
Itachi's eyes widened a little in surprise to his choice of words. He had tried not to let Sasuke find out such things so young and had in fact been a little overprotective of him. He realized, however, that he should have known better, he would not have been able to keep these things from him. It was all around them. Sasuke had not experienced war like he did, and he hoped that he never did, but he still heard about it from around the compound.
Itachi looked at his mother for reassurance and when she simply nodded he regained his composure. "Hai, don't kill people unless absolutely necessary and avoid conflict at all costs."
Mikoto looked at her sons with glazed eyes and wondered when had they grown up so quickly? She knew Itachi had been forever changed since the Third Shinobi War and she felt responsible for it.
She and Fugaku had been called upon by the Hokage once again, since they were former ANBU, to protect the village. She felt torn between fulfilling her duty as a kunoichi and as a mother, but she knew that if her taking part in the fight helped save the lives of her beloved village, would her staying behind start a chain of events that would lead to her not having a place to come home to and most importantly risk the lives of her sons?
In the end all her doubts were answered. Fugaku and her, along with their squad had single-handedly stopped a devastating attack on their village and held it off long enough for reinforcements to arrive. After that she knew that if she had stayed to protect her sons, she would have risked all their lives. When it was all over and she arrived home to Itachi and Sasuke, she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. She found Itachi clutching his baby brother in a death grip, rocking back and forth and repeating as if in a chant "I'll protect you Sasuke... I swear I'll protect you and won't let anything hurt you..."
Her trembling knees gave out on her and would've fallen if it weren't for Fugaku standing at her side. He held her up and when she turned to look at him he saw the same pain reflected in his eyes. She broke away from him and ran towards them, stumbling and almost falling along the way. When she finally reached them and dropped to her knees she grabbed Itachi's small shoulders and shook him gently. He looked up at her and it took him a few seconds to snap out of his trance. When he finally realized who was kneeling in front of him, she looked into his dark gray eyes and saw the small thread that he was barely holding on to snap. She saw the tears finally come and overflow his eyes. He leaned into her and sobbed while his small body shook uncontrollably and violently, all the while still holding on to the baby in his small arms. Fugaku knelt down and started to take Sasuke from him, but Itachi jerked his head up and held on tighter. When realization hit him, he let go reluctantly and as soon as he was out of his arms he turned to look at Mikoto. He didn't say anything and he didn't have to. What she saw in his bloodshot eyes told her more than any words he could have said ever would, the accusation, where were you when all this happened? Where were you when I needed you most? Where were you when I fell apart?
He sought refuge in her embrace. He sat on her lap and held on as if his life depended on it, as well as his sanity, this she knew. She sobbed with him, at his lost innocence. She knew the things he heard from the war – the explosions, the battle cries – maybe even the things he might have seen would forever scar him. Oh, how she hoped he hadn't seen anything! She felt her beloved Fugaku at their side, holding on to Sasuke with one arm as he held on to them with the other, and he cried with them silently. He realized then that his eldest son, whom he loved more than life itself, would never be the same. That's what started it all; his adoration for Itachi. He blamed himself for his pain, for not being there when he needed him the most.
All the while Itachi continued to cry until he passed out in their embrace. Not once did he notice the flak jacket his parents were wearing, along with the cuts on their faces and bruises already starting to form. The silent indicators that they had been at war trying to protect the things most important to them which they held in their arms at the moment. Before he was born both his parents retired from the ANBU; his mother when she became pregnant and his father shortly after, to take care of Mikoto and the unborn child as well as his roll as the new clan head.
After the incident Itachi never mentioned it to his parents and neither did they. At first they both thought that their eldest just didn't want to bring up that fateful night because it was painful to all of them, but later as time passed they realized that he didn't remember it. His small mind had opted to block that incident and simply forget it, or most of it, as a defense mechanism. They knew he still remembered the war and the fact that they hadn't been there for he became a pacifist after that. He always tried to avoid conflict for when kids tried to pick fights with him, or with anybody else he knew, and their justifications were unjust, he would find a way to settle things without a fight. Not to mention his being overprotective of Sasuke, she remembered how Itachi had been holding on to him and it brought tears to her eyes. Maybe one day, he would remember his breakdown and they would finally be able to talk things out and they would be able to reveal their role in protecting Konoha during the Third Shinobi War. Nobody knew what they had done, except for the Hokage, the Elders, and the ANBU for that information was classified.
She was torn away from her memories by a small hand tugging on her apron. She was snapped back to reality and realized that they were all looking at her. She smiled at them to reassure them once she saw the concern on their little faces, especially Hinata who looked like she was about to cry.
"Itachi, why don't you train Hinata as well? She wants the same thing we are striving for, peace within the clans and she needs to be strong for when she takes over the Hyūga Clan."
Itachi thought about it for a moment, even though it seemed like an eternity to Hinata. He nodded and said, "She will train with us, as long as she's okay with it."
Hinata nearly jumped from where she was sitting and almost knocked over her tea. Itachi and Sasuke only smirked at her reaction while Mikoto giggled and tried to soothe the girl by rubbing her back when she turned a bright shade of red. "H-hai I-Itachi-san. Teach me h-how to be s-strong."
Itachi nodded and was about to say something when Mikoto interrupted.
"First we have to work on that adorable stutter of yours, you have to be more confident in yourself Hinata." She said, as if reading his mind, while running her hands through her dark blue tresses.
Hinata turned to look at both of the Uchiha sitting across from her and they nodded simultaneously. She blushed again and only nodded in response not wanting to risk stuttering again.
"Don't worry Hinata, with aniki training us we will be the strongest Shinobi in the village!" Sasuke reassured her.
曰向
曰向
After they finished their lunch the children helped Mikoto take the dirty dishes to the kitchen. Itachi wanted to help clean up but Sasuke wanted to play with his big brother and would not let him do so. Itachi finally gave in and giving Mikoto and Hinata an apologetic smile he walked of with the younger one.
Mikoto and Hinata were left alone once again and Mikoto was actually quite grateful, she would get to spend more time with the little girl. She moved a chair to the sink and picked up Hinata so she could reach the dishes and help her clean. More than anything she just wanted the young girl close, she reminded her so much of her dear friend and she already felt a growing affection towards her. She realized Hinata had something, what she wasn't quite sure, that made the people around her fall almost instantly in love with her and want to protect her. She knew this would also happen to her sons once they got close to the lavender eyed girl, but she couldn't help but wonder if it would create rivalry between the two.
"Why don't you bring Hanabi with you next time you come visit?" She asked Hinata.
"W-well, I wanted to b-because I-I don't l-like b-being away from her b-but otō-san said we shouldn't b-burden you."
"Oh nonsense! I would love to have the both of you over everyday if it were possible. You see Hinata, I love my sons but I always wanted to have a daughter. Having you and Hanabi will be like getting two daughters, not just one. I know you have your caretaker but you would be better with someone that would take care of you both as if you were her own."
Hinata lighted up at this and her eyes became glazed with emotion. She hugged Mikoto and buried her face in her neck. "Arigato Mikoto-san." Then the tears began to flow freely.
Mikoto started to tear up to and she kissed the top of her head.
Itachi and Sasuke happened to walk in on the private moment that they both shared and both boys blushed, actually blushed and looked down at their feet.
Upon realizing that they were no longer alone, both females looked up at the intrusion. They both wiped the tears from their faces and smiled.
"I'm gonna make some cinnamon rolls for dessert. Would you like some?" she asked the boys. Hinata's smile turned even wider and her eyes twinkled at the mention of her favorite treat. Mikoto could only smile at the ray of light that had been brought into their home.
Itachi replied with a "Hn."
Sasuke just made a face of disgust.
Oh yeah, he doesn't like sweets, Hinata remembered but it still didn't taint her happiness.
With that the boys walked away again leaving the females alone. Hinata didn't realize it yet but they were starting to fall into a pattern that they would all become familiar with.
When the cinnamon rolls were done, the smell spread throughout the whole house alerting everyone in it.
Sasuke felt like throwing up at the smell, Ugh, I hate sweets!
Itachi almost ran to the kitchen, he had a big sweet tooth. When he got there he saw over two dozen rolls on the table in front of him. Mikoto was taking another batch out and Hinata's eyes twinkled at the sight before her. He laughed, she couldn't seem to pick which roll she wanted.
"I-Itachi-san the rolls are d-done. W-would you like some?" She said as she grabbed a plate and placed one on it offering it to him.
He took it gladly and gave her a warm smile. She blushed and waited for him to take the first bite of it. Once he did he saw Hinata relax and breathe out as if she had been holding her breath. Mikoto smiled at them and turned to see Sasuke behind Itachi, who had also been observing the two and now frowned at them.
Hinata noticed too and spoke to him snapping him out of his thoughts. "W-would you like to t-try one S-Sasuke-san?" She asked offering him one the same way she had to Itachi.
He approached slowly and took it to everyone's surprise. He looked at it for a while, and Hinata tired of waiting took one and took a bite. She closed her eyes and made a small noise of satisfaction while chewing on the cinnamon roll, earning her a smile from the three Uchiha.
Finally giving in, Sasuke took a bite. Everyone stopped to wait for his reaction, Itachi stopped reaching for his third roll, Hinata stopped with the roll halfway to her mouth and her mouth open, and Mikoto just stared at him. Once he finished his bite he turned to look at them as they all seemed to be asking So, what do you think? by their reaction.
"It's okay. It's not as bad as I thought it would be."
Hinata gasped at his response as if he had slapped her and shook her head.
"Hn," was all he heard from Itachi as he continued to reach for another roll.
Mikoto finally finished with her last batch and got one herself.
Hinata just looked between the three trying to get them to say something at what Sasuke had just said. She was still in shock. How could he have said that. Those were the best cinnamon rolls she had ever had in her short life...
When she saw they weren't gonna say anything she turned to look at Sasuke once more. He just shrugged and continued eating. She relaxed and just kept eating her favorite cinnamon rolls.
曰向
曰向
Sasuke had actually eaten sweets. He was shocked and he had done it because of her. Her. Why do I care about what she thinks she's just another girl! But he knew better, he knew she wasn't just another girl. She had hardly approached him and he liked that, she preferred to stay close to his mother following her around the house. She was also warming up a bit more to Itachi, blushing every time he talked to her and he felt a knot in his stomach. The feeling was unfamiliar to him.
That's when he decided to ask her. "Hinata do you wanna go outside and play with me?"
Hinata just stared at him wide eyed not knowing what to say. She turned to Mikoto as if asking for her permission and when she smiled at her, Hinata nodded at Sasuke in response.
Sasuke couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips from the victory accomplished, he merely grabbed her small hand, ignoring the blush that tainted her cheeks and led her outside.
He led her away towards the back of the house, a side which she hadn't been to yet. She could hear the floorboards creak beneath their weight as they walked deeper into the house and she waited anxiously to see where he was taking her. As Hinata looked around the house, she could see it was a large house considering it was just the four of them, but then again they were the head family so they would probably have guests stay over, much like the Hyūga did. When they finally reached a room at the end of the house Sasuke stopped in front of the fusuma doors suddenly, and she was so deep in thought she bumped into his back. Instead of snapping at her he only smiled when he turned to look at her.
"Hinata I want you to close your eyes for me. Nobody other than the Uchiha has seen this part of the house, and you'll be the first." A blush crept up on her cheeks and he smiled even wider. "Okā-san takes pride in her garden. You'll see why."
He motioned for her to close them and she obeyed. She heard him slide the doors open and then she felt a warm hand wrap around hers. His touch would no longer startle her, she was becoming used to it and actually liked it.
He walked forward onto the porch still leading her by her hand, she knew they were outside; she could see the sunlight through her closed eyelids and feel its warmth. "Careful, there's three steps down." He cautioned.
When they made their way down he stopped once again and stood off to her right side. "Okay you can open them."
She gasped at the sight in front of her and felt overwhelmed by its beauty. Hinata had never seen such a beautiful garden; the one in the Hyūga compound didn't compare. She took her surroundings in slowly for fear of missing anything from the moment she knew she'd remember for the rest of her life. The revelation of their garden to her, the first member of another clan to be honored in such a way, and a Hyūga none the less.
Sasuke turned to look at her. She had squeezed his hand tighter and he realized she hadn't even noticed. She had a smile on her face and kept looking around her. The sun reflected on her seemed to give her an ethereal beauty; her porcelain skin seemed to sparkle under the light and her dark blue hair seemed to turn an altogether different shade and he liked it. He wanted to reach out and touch her, she almost didn't seem real. When he was about to do so she looked at him with those lavender eyes that appeared to see right through him.
"It's so pretty..." she whispered, with tears that were threatening to overflow.
He looked at her freely now that she had turned in his direction and he took all of her in. Her lavender eyes, her fair skin, and her blue hair. He wanted to engrave this moment in his memory and never forget it. He gave her a crooked smile, the one she had already come to love, the one that neither of them knew at the time but would only be meant for her. "Yes it is..." he whispered.
Gently pulling on her hand, he led her forward. "You're not gonna see the rest of it from here. There's so much more for you to see."
They were standing on a stone pathway that was surrounded by moss on either side. As they followed the path it curved slightly to the right and it led to a curved wooden bridge that went over a small stream. She stopped when she was on the bridge and saw that the stream widened on both sides into a large pond. Water lilies of many colors rested on the surface and when she leaned over the bridge to look she saw that several koi fish swam in its waters.
Sasuke pulled her away and continued to walk towards the end of the bridge where the stone path resumed. Once there she really took it in; the privet hedges surrounding the walls, the big Japanese white pine directly in front of the back door to the house off to the left side of the bridge, the rowan, maple and pine trees scattered here and there throughout the garden, and the stone lanterns placed at key locations throughout. Continuing the stone path, which was enclosed by pink azaleas shaped into mounds on either side, it soon turned into stone steps that curved slightly and led them down, to where she hoped she would soon find out.
Everything was so green and the plants that were in bloom, which most she couldn't name, were so beautiful. Her surroundings put her at ease. The garden became her favorite part of the house and she wished that now that she had been brought to such a place she'd be allowed to visit as often as she'd wanted.
They walk down the steps and though they were at a slight decline, got her a bit tired. She enjoyed the stroll but the garden was a lot bigger than she had thought. They finally reached the end and to her surprise, or disappointment, she saw that there was more for her to see. Sasuke, upon reading her expression, gave a smirk in amusement. In front of her the path, no longer being made out of stone but dirt, widened and there were maple trees on both sides as far as she could see.
"W-where does that lead to S-Sasuke-san?" She asked finally breaking the comfortable silence.
"I'll have to show you Hinata, but first there's something I really want you to see." He said dragging her off to the right side of the dirt path.
To her view came a huge purple wisteria, it looked as if it had been there a long time by the sheer size of it. As they approached it, she saw that hidden underneath it, covered by its large blooms and branches was a small gazebo. The wood was distressed but that just added to its appeal.
Sasuke turned to look at her again, it seemed like he had been doing that all day, and took her smile as a sign of approval. "Nobody comes here, it's my secret hideout. Whenever I feel bad because of otō-san, I usually come here to get away, and now I wanna share it with you Hinata."
She gasped softly at his confession and turned a light shade of pink as she looked down at her feet.
Sasuke reached out for her and held her small hands in his. "Hina, will you be my best friend?" Calling her by the nickname only those closest to her could.
Hinata was caught off guard by his question and was silent for a few seconds. In that time she could see different emotions flash in his obsidian eyes; doubt, longing to be accepted, and need. The same ones she was sure he could see on hers. She couldn't deny him at that moment and she knew she never would.
"Hai, Sasuke-kun. I'll be your best friend and I promise to always be there for you no matter what." She said with such conviction, not stuttering even once, as her eyes glazed.
That was the first most important landmark of many that would be established in their relationship. Him no longer calling her by her full name and her adopting that honorific of endearment. He hugged her, surprising them both and her arms hung at her sides. Within moments she realized what was happening and responded by slowly lifting her arms and wrapping them around his shoulders in an almost equally constricting hug.
"Domo arigato, Hina." Hesitantly he pulled away from her and held her at arms length. He saw the tears that now ran freely down her face and frowned while wiping them away. "Why are you crying?"
Hinata shook her head and smiled and him, "I'm crying because I'm happy Sasuke-kun, you're my first real friend... my best friend."
He looked into her lavender eyes and saw that they shined with new light. "My best friend... I won't let anyone hurt you Hina, not even me. If anybody tries to I'll hurt them."
From then on, Hinata knew everything would be alright as long as they stayed by each others' side. Even if they didn't, she knew they would find a way to look out for each other... they always would.
They continued to look at each other, and as if reading what she had been thinking Sasuke furrowed his brows. "We'll always be together no matter what happens. If one of us has to leave the other, we'll come this place, until the other returns, for as long as we need to." He said as he pointed to the gazebo. "This is our place now... nobody will know."
The thought of Sasuke leaving made a chill run down her spine and she tried to shake it off. The mere thought of him no longer being there by her side made her feel alone, and as if to try and fill the emptiness she hugged him, clutching on to him desperately.
"Don't leave Sasuke! Don't you ever leave this village! Don't you ever leave me!" She said as fresh tears came.
At seeing her cry, he felt something in him tighten and if it was within his reach he'd do anything possible to not see her cry again. Holding on to her tightly he reassured her, "I won't Hina, I'll never leave! I'll stay here with you."
They held on to each other for a while until the young heiress calmed. He then whispered to her, "Come, there's one more place I want you to see."
Giving him a shy smile, she nodded and let him hold her hand as they walked down the path, under the maple trees. She looked up and around her. There are so many of them...
"You should see them in the fall. We'll come here together, once the leaves start to change color. You'll wanna be here every day!" He told her once again being able to tell what she was thinking. It was something that was becoming second nature to them. She didn't talk much; not like all the other annoying girls that he knew, and he liked that about her, as much as he liked the fact that she truly wanted to be his friend and wasn't just another fan girl.
Hinata started to see a clearing, finally an end to their long walk, and saw that at the end of it was the lake. She had always loved water, and this was no exception. The sun reflected from the lake's surface, making it shimmer a wonderful shade of light orange, and it looked so different to her, as if she was looking at it for the first time. She had never seen it from this angle, though, this must only be a point accessible by the Uchiha. She was about to ask Sasuke when he interrupted.
"The villagers can't come to this side of the lake, not even other members of our clan unless given permission. It is exclusively ours."
Exclusively theirs. Not even the Hyūga had access to things like that and she felt privileged to have been granted such consideration on behalf of them; to enter their home, to be allowed into their precious garden that she was almost sure not even her mother had seen given the circumstances their clans had been in at the time, and now this private access to the lake.
"Arigato, Sasuke-kun. This has been the best day I've ever had." She said with a voice filled with emotion while gently squeezing his hand.
He squeezed back. He knew exactly what she meant. This had been his happiest day, too. He wanted to lighten the mood though, he didn't like seeing her cry even if it was from happiness. He slowly turned to her and got a bit closer, he started to tickle her and she doubled over in laughter.
"Hina, cheer up! Our day together is almost over and we still haven't played!" He said finally realizing how time had flown by when he turned to look at the setting sun. She laughed. I love hearing her laugh.
When he finally stopped and she was able to catch her breath she asked, "W-well what d-do you want to do?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment and then she saw when he finally came up with something, almost as if a light bulb turned on. He quickly tapped her on the shoulder, "You're it!" He said as he ran away.
Hinata at first didn't know how to react but when she realized what he meant she started chasing after him. He was fast and she couldn't catch up. She was wearing a kimono and it was not making things easier on her. He turned back to her when he never felt her catch up and saw she had a hard time running because of what she was wearing. To tease her even more, he'd get close to her and then run quickly away, he did it repeatedly.
"Sasuke-kun! You're no fair!" Was what he heard from the girl.
He laughed but then abruptly stopped when he heard a small grunt. He turned to look at her and saw her on the floor, her face flat on the ground. A look of worry crossed his face and he ran towards her. "Hina, are you okay?" He asked once he reached her and knelt down towards her.
She looked up abruptly and reached out for his arm, knocking him on his back from the surprise. "You're it!" She said as she giggled.
Realizing what she had done Sasuke laughed at her ingenuity. "No fair, you cheated!" He sat up and reached to tickle her once more. She put up a fight this time and tried to tickle him back.
It earned her a few laughs from the black haired boy, but neither seemed to want to give up first. "S-s-stop S-Sasuke it h-hurts!" She said in between laughs and with tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I-I'll stop if you s-stop!" With that she finally stopped and almost immediately he did too.
Trying to catch their breath, they laid on the ground, half of their small bodies on the grass and half on the dirt path. When their breaths came back to normal, they both looked up at the sky admiring the setting sun and everything around them.
"One day this will all be yours, Hina."
火
A/N: So there's the end of Chapter 2. Hope you enjoyed it. It's a pretty long chapter for me, I don't think I've ever written anything this long. Well, tell me what you think if you feel compelled to, I'd appreciate it. Oh, and I'm sorry if it seems like it's dragging, I personally don't think it is, but I just want to really establish the relationships between the characters so there's no confusion later. The story does get a lot better so stick around! Thank you for reading it so far!
-Wyvern
