A Little Hopeful

Hinata, having heard the return of Sasuke was breathless. She was currently running down the streets of konoha towards the hospital, she wanted to know; to know whether it was real, whether he was okay, what happened to him, when suddenly she was pulled back by her teammate Kiba.

"Whoa, Hinata, why in a hurry?" asked Kiba.

"Oh, K-kiba kun, I-I was j-just…" Hinata kept thinking of a possible excuse other than visiting the Uchiha which she knows will make the Inuzuka suspicious. "Just…?" continued Kiba. "I-I was s-supposed to help in the h-hospital today!" she said rather a little loud. Kiba was surprised by the sudden rise of her voice so he couldn't help but feel that Hinata was hiding something, so he decided to tag along with her. "Oh? Really? I was supposed to invite you to dinner" Kiba said blushing. Hinata hearing this blushed and stared at Kiba who quickly said, "I-It's not what you're thinking Hinata! M-my mother is holding some party tonight and t-told me to invite anyone, so I thought maybe y-you would like to go" "Kiba kun, th-thank you for i-inviting m-me, I would like to go to Tsume san's party" said Hinata still blushing. "Great! I mean… I was hoping you'd come with me" said Kiba a little lower than a whisper on the last part. "Hmmm? D-did you say something Kiba kun?" asked Hinata. "Huh? Oh yeah, I said I'll just go with you to the hospital since I don't have anything better to do" said Kiba. Hinata hearing this was shocked, she didn't know what to do anymore. She can't visit Sasuke now that Kiba was with her and she wasn't really supposed to help at the hostpital today since she was scheduled on the weekends, she couldn't come up with anymore excuses.

"Uh…K-kiba kun? Are y-you sure you're o-okay with going t-to the hospital with m-me? Since…" tried Hinata one last time. "Huh? Of course I'm okay with that Hinata; I wouldn't do it if I wasn't okay." Retorted Kiba. Hinata hearing what Kiba said finally gave up. She was nervous as to what may happen when they reached the hospital. She just prayed to Kami that everything goes alright.

As they were entering the hospital, Sakura happened to see them, particularly Hinata.

"Hinata chan! I'm so glad I saw you!" said Sakura breathlessly. "Sakura chan? Is something wrong?" Hinata asked worriedly to pink haired kunoichi. "No, nothing's wrong, it's just I need you to take care of someone, please Hinata chan, please, I seriously need to do something in the Hokage's tower today, please…" begged Sakura. Hinata being Hinata wasn't able to deny the plea of her friend so she agreed, "Hai, S-sakura chan, I'll t-take care of the p-patient." Sakura was so happy that she run out the hospital before saying, "he's in room 308! Thanks again Hinata chan! I owe you!" yelled Sakura. Hinata was so overwhelmed, she couldn't believe that she agreed to Sakura and what's more she remembered her saying that the patient was a he. Kiba on the other hand was staring at Hinata and laughing at the way she looked. "So Hinata, I guess I'll see you tonight, don't want to bother you and you're patient" joked Kiba leaving Hinata while laughing. "K-kiba kun!" yelled Hinata. She didn't find Kiba's joke funny but dismissed it nevertheless.

Hinata's POV

While she was walking along the halls of the hospital looking for the room Sakura said, more like yelled, she couldn't help thinking…

'I wonder what room Sasuke kun's in… Bad Hinata! Bad! Stop calling him Sasuke kun! You don't mean anything to him anymore, he even told you to stay away from him, so stop expecting anything…Maybe I shouldn't have come after all, I don't even know what I'll say to him once I meet him again, I'm so stupid. I'll just pretend that I don't know him anymore maybe since that's how it was been for a long time. It hurts, I know but it's for the best even if I still kept holding on to our childish promise a long time ago. I wonder if he's okay or what does he look like now, what happened to him all those years he's been gone, so many questions.'

Lost in her thoughts, Hinata didn't even notice that she was already in front of the door she's been looking for.

'Oh, I'm already here. Room 308. I wonder what kind of patient is "he".

As Hinata opened the door, what she saw was the last person she wanted to see right now. On the hospital bed, staring at her was none other than the Uchiha Sasuke. Hinata didn't know what to do, she just kept staring at him as if everything was just a dream and that her mind were just playing tricks on her.

'What…am I alright? Am I sick? Why am I seeing Sasuke?

Just then, Hinata closed the door quickly and waited for a good five minutes before opening the door again. Still the person she saw was Sasuke. She couldn't believe her eyes. She just kept staring at him not knowing what else to do but then her nurse side kicked in and she went inside the room, she took his charts and checked his vitals. And then said, "U-uchiha san, do y-you w-want something t-to drink?" Sasuke didn't respond and just ignored her, while Hinata expecting that he'd ignore her just decided. She went out of the room and went to a vending machine and took all the possible drinks that are still available.

Sasuke's POV

'What is she doing? Just staring, like I'd grown two heads or something. Just ignore her, she's nothing worth acknowledging. It's great that she left and I hope she just doesn't come back.

Just then, Hinata came back into the room with various kinds of drinks in her hands.

"U-uchiha san, which do you like? C-carrot juice, a-apple juice, o-orange juice, t-tomato juice, ch-cherry juice? Asked Hinata but still the Uchiha ignored her. He kept looking out the window with an impassive face. Hinata didn't plan to give up, she sat on the vacant chair placed near the wall and just kept on fiddling with her jacket sleeves.

'Tch. This girl doesn't know when to give up; I have a feeling that she won't leave me alone unless I took her juice. Fine. If that's how she wants it then so be it.'

"Tomato" said Sasuke.

"Oh, h-here" said Hinata as she handed the tomato juice to Sasuke.

Hinata couldn't help but smile when Sasuke began drinking her juice. Thinking that Sasuke doesn't want to talk to her, Hinata decided to leave since now she knows that Sasuke was alright. The only thing in her mind now was what the Hokage and council will decide on Sasuke.

Lost in her thoughts, Hinata didn't notice that Sasuke was staring at her. Sasuke stared at how her expressions quickly change while she thought of something in her little mind and can't help but think…

'She never changes; she's still that little eight year old back then, so innocent and… cute…'

Suddenly Sasuke had the urge to tease the girl before him. He then thought of a way that'll make her scream. He smirked when he got the idea. Unknown to the girl before him his plan.

Hinata settling her thoughts then decided to leave, she stood up and headed for the door, as she was about to open the door, two hands were suddenly place on the door. Hinata was startled beyond belief; she didn't know what came over Sasuke to suddenly act like this.

She felt Sasuke's warm breath in her neck and it sent shivers down her spine. "U-u-uchiha s-san" said Hinata. "Hinata" replied Sasuke blowing air into her ear causing Hinata to flinch. "What's wrong? Leaving so soon?" teased Sasuke as his hands suddenly placed themselves in her waist. Hinata noticing this wanted him to stop. "U-uchiha s-s-san, p-please s-stop" tried Hinata one more time. "What if I don't want to?" said Sasuke, by this time his hands were slowly entering her tank top underneath her jacket as he was close to touching her breasts, suddenly Sasuke was pushed back by a wave of chakra in his arm. He tried to move his arm but couldn't and then he looked at Hinata, who was currently flushed various shades of red and panting and said, "I-I'm…Gomen!" she yelled before running out of the room and out the hospital. Meanwhile, Sasuke was still clutching his arm, "Shit, I didn't see that coming, I guess Hinata did grow up after all." Said Sasuke.

Why? Why? Why... Hinata kept asking herself. She didn't understand Sasuke at all. She kept pretending that she didn't know him, and then he did something so unpredictable, she doesn't know what to make of it. 'I don't want to make anything out of it, I don't want for it to happen again and most of all… I don't want to be a little hopeful again, it hurts, it'll just hurt me in the end again' thought Hinata with tears forming in her eyes as she ran home.

In the hospital, Sasuke was sitting in his bed with one of his legs up staring into space when he felt a familiar chakra signature heading straight to his room. He groaned when the person he wanted to avoid barged straight to his room and kept blabbering about whether he was okay.

"-uke! Sasuke! Teme!" yelled Naruto in front of Sasuke.

"What is it this time dope? Aren't you happy enough that I'm in this place again, now you kept nagging me to go with you to some party" said Sasuke evidently annoyed with the blonde.

"Of course I'm happy! And besides Sakura chan's going to the party too, everyone will! It's in Kiba's house. We are so going to get him totally wasted this time, so get up teme! We need to get ready! I wanna look cool for Sakura chan!" said Naruto a little too loud for Sasuke's liking.

"Fine. Just to shut you up" said an irritated and annoyed Sasuke.

"Were totally gonna have fun tonight! Believe it!" shouted Naruto.

Sasuke groaned at the loud mouthed idiot beside him. He couldn't help but feel annoyed and irritated with Naruto since he disturbed the peace and silence his room offered him which led His mind back to the pale eyed girl. He couldn't help but smirk at her reactions, just like when they were young…

Sasuke and Naruto were already ready for the party. Naruto was wearing a tight shirt inside his orange leather jacket slightly showing his chest with baggy jeans and a pair on nice shoes. Sasuke on the other hand was only wearing a simple black turtle neck shirt with long sleeves and normal jeans and shoes.

As both were on their way to Kiba's house, people kept looking at the pair; some were called fan girls loving how the Uchiha and Uzumaki looked like while others were just afraid of the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked at the latter, while the blonde idiot was oblivious to the stares given to him by the girls.

As they reached their destination, they were welcomed by loud music and lots and lots of people. Sasuke already regretted coming the moment he heard Sakura and Ino calling after him.

"Sakura chan! Were here already!" yelled the blonde but was quickly punched in the head by the pink haired kunoichi herself. "Naruuuutooo! Will you ever shut up?" said Sakura and Ino irritatedly. Meanwhile, Sasuke just decided to leave Naruto and his girls behind. While looking for somewhere to relax and have a little peace of mind Sasuke found himself in a garden-like place in the Inuzuka household. He kept roaming around the place when he stumbled upon a huge sakura tree in the middle of the garden. He was about to leave the garden when suddenly his eyes caught a sleeping Hyuuga behind the sakura tree. He then decided to go near her. He stared at her sleeping form, she was wearing a loose summer dress that had long sleeves and showed only little of her beautiful curves, her face so peaceful that it brought back unwanted memories, memories of them together.

It was too late when he noticed that his lips were already in hers, he immediately pulled back as if burned by the kiss, he was angry, angry because he chose to never let anyone near him again, much less Hyuuga Hinata, so how come that in only a day he was already attracted to her. No. Uchiha Sasuske was not attracted. He only lusted. And he denies that he lusted Hinata. Never, never will he associate with someone other than for his personal needs.

And so he left her there alone in the sakura tree, never looking back. He refused. He refused to open his heart. Not for anyone, not for her.