Remember! This chapter begins two years after the war, four months after rescuing Hanabi! Also, this does not follow any of the cannon after The Last. Some things may be similar but won't be exact (it's fan fiction for a reason). Also, Sasuke is 20 and Hinata is 19 in this chapter and on.

Fun fact: This entire chapter was written while I was at work. Oh and it's 7,000 (yes, without this AN it is still 7k). Hopefully, I can keep up the word limit.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own NARUTO.

Daybreak

Chapter Two

Luck

Ducking to avoid a sandal clad foot to the head, the Byakugan princess sighed for what could possibly the millionth time in the past ten minutes. She fell back into the defensive while her thoughts took over her mind.

Noticing her sister's somber gaze, Hanabi stopped her assault about a yard away, hands on her hips. "Onee-chan, you're distracted again."

Diamond eyes seemed to clear at the familiar displeased sound of her little sister's voice before Hinata dropped out of her stance. "Ah, sorry, Hanabi-chan. I can't seem to concentrate today..."

A thin brow cocked, though it went unnoticed. She waved her hand and motioned for her to sit on the dewy grass, "Is it about Naruto-san?"

It didn't take a genius to notice Hinata's mood plummet when the war hero's name was mentioned. The older sister's shoulders sagged, her lips pouting while her thoughts got the best of her again.

It had been four months since they had rescued Hanabi from Ōtsutsuki Toneri and all seemed to fall right back into place after they arrived back in the village. Hanabi had asked (more like demanded with a small please at the end) that Hinata train with her once she was released from the hospital. When they didn't have missions or clan events, the sisters took time in the afternoons to get at least an hour or two of training in. Possessing Hamura's chakra still felt odd in her body, but with training and practice, she learned to yield it, even if she was far from mastering it. Every time she activated her Byakugan, Hinata could feel the strength flowing through her veins so it made her a little wary of activating it often.

Naruto had taken her out on a few dates, but lately it seemed like he was forgetting about her as the days passed. Now, Hinata was not one that needed to constantly be around her significant other, if she could call him that, but he was brushing off her offers for lunch, dinner or just about anything that involved them going on a date! She knew he was busy during the day so after multiple rejections and missed dinner reservations, she slowly gave up. He would apologize and promise to make it up to her but the last time she had heard from him was about three weeks ago.

As she watched the sun drift lower in the sky, she frowned. It looked like she won't be hearing from him until she got back from her mission now.

Hanabi didn't bother to disrupt the train of thought going on in her sister's head until a few minutes passed by, "Are you hungry?"

Standing, Hinata extended her palm, "Yes, we should get back for dinner. I have to leave at daybreak tomorrow morning."

Sunset in Konoha was a quieter time compared to the rest of the day in the village. The younger kids, not quite old enough for the academy, said their goodbyes to their friends, scampering in the house after their parents. The vendors were either catering to last minute customers or packing away for the night, some greeting the Hyūga girls with smiles and waves. The last trails of blue was slowly disappearing in the bright yellow and orange of the sky. She couldn't help but be reminded of a dazzling smile and loud voice as well. The late October winds whipped harshly, a refreshing cold that promised a chilly winter in a few months.

Folding her arms across her chest, Hanabi brushed a stray hair from her face, "When will you be back?"

"If I had to guess, about three weeks," Hinata replied, "It takes a few days just to get to the Land of Earth and I'm not on a deadline."

"I'm so jealous that you get to go on a solo mission," the heiress huffed, cheeks poking out slightly. "Why can't father assign one to me?"

Pink lips spread into a smile as her hand stroked the top of Hanabi's chestnut colored hair, "That could be because you are only sixteen years old and also the heiress."

If this was meant to pacify her, it did exactly the opposite as Hinata's hand was playfully batted away, "I don't see why I still have to be heiress when you're stronger than me..."

Hinata looped her arm through her baby sister's, faintly noticing how tall she was getting compared to herself. All those years ago, when they had fought for the title, she had purposefully lost. She could have easily beat Hanabi that day, but the thought of inflicting any kind of pain on her innocent sister, who was only seven at the time, hadn't sit right in her mind. She would much rather lose the title, and that's exactly what happened. There wasn't an ounce of regret in her for that decision.

Without the title of heiress, Hanabi wouldn't be as protected as well as she was right now and her father wouldn't have personally trained her. "It's better that you are heiress. You're much more fit for leadership than I ever was."

Scoffing lightly, Hanabi tightened her grip on her arm, "I want to go on as many missions I can before I have to take over as Head. Then I'll be stuck in the village for the rest of my life. How boring."

Hinata grinned, "That's not true. Father goes out and does diplomat business for the Hokage some times. Even Obaa-san gets to travel."

However, that didn't stop Hanabi from continuing to complain about the seemingly boring jobs that the Head of their clan had to deal with while they walked the rest of their way home. When they did arrive, their dinner table was not set yet so both quickly dashed to their separate baths to wash up before they had to come back down again. An hour later, sitting down at the table with their father, Hinata quietly reminded him about her upcoming mission.

Hiashi paused for a second, before resuming sipping his tea. He had almost forgotten tomorrow his oldest would be going off for her first solo mission. As a father, he was worried and anxious about her going alone, but he had been the one to assign it to her. The mission was very simple; to collect an update on the Korime clan's dōjutsu and medical records. He had the up most confidence in her abilities and it would be good for her to see Iwagakure...Especially since the Korime clan's heir had always had somewhat of a crush on Hinata. He sighed into his cup, earning confused stares from his daughters before they continued their conversation.

Over the last few weeks, Hinata's guardian Ko had informed Hiashi of how Naruto and Hinata's relationship has been a bit strained as of late. He had hoped they would rekindle soon, but it was looking as if Naruto was just too busy, and when he wasn't doing charity work or missions, he was on the old swing at the academy, looking deep in thought. He was looking forward to the start of relationship and in a years time, would hear an engagement on the horizon.

He was sure his mother had her own spies informing her of the newest development as well. She was looking more cocky in the weekly meetings, like she had known the relationship wouldn't last very long.

Sensing a pause in the conversation, Hiashi cut in, "Hinata, do you still have the list of noble clan heirs I gave you?"

She put down her utensils and wondered where he was going with that question but knew better than to ask, "Yes, Otou-san."

"I'm sure you're aware that the heir is Korime Tatsuya, one of the heirs on that list," He stated matter-of-fact. "He is around your age. I want you to seriously consider him. He also fought in the war and is very respected in Iwagakure."

It was something she did not want to hear about, especially since she was still in an inner turmoil over Naruto's dismissive behavior. Officially, he had not asked her to be his girlfriend, but they shared a handful of kisses and went on more than a few dates. It felt wrong to think about any other guy while she was still somewhat seeing Naruto. For the sake of answering her father, she nodded, and Hanabi quickly launched into a story to dispel the awkward air around them all.

Later that night, Hinata found herself walking through the village, eyes pointed straight up to the heavens to watch the stars twinkle down at her. Anticipation of the mission in the morning and her thoughts around the sun-haired boy had kept her mind too busy to sleep. She had thought that a walk could clear her head, or just make her tired enough to rest, but it did the opposite. She passed by the shopping district and just so happened to turn her gaze towards Ichiraku's. Two distinct colors popped out at her on first glance.

'Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan are eating ramen this late?' She thought to herself, feet rooted in the middle of the road.

A cold feeling gripped her heart as she watched on, noting how dejected Sakura looked, which was odd since she was usually so cheery. Naruto frowned and patted her back, scooting closer to her. Not intending to, Hinata was able to pick up on bits of their conversation.

"I've been waiting for him for so long, and he doesn't even care! He said some other girl has his affections. Every one of our friends has someone. Even you finally realized Hinata-chan liked you. I'm alone. I should've gave up on him a long time ago." The petal-haired medic sniffed, rubbing her eye with a closed fist. "I wouldn't be so heartbroken."

Naruto seemed to tense at her words, large hands retracting from his teammate's back. He coughed awkwardly, "I haven't been able to see Hinata-chan in a while. I've been so busy and thinking a lot but...I never knew it would be so hard to break an old habit."

Feeling her brow raise, Hinata subconsciously moved closer to the two friends and hid her chakra signature, although she should've just minded her own business and continued on her way home. This conversation wasn't something she should be listening in to but that didn't matter now.

Sakura seemed confused, her emerald eyes eyeing her childhood friend questioningly, "What old habit?"

He smiled sadly into his ramen, choosing not to look directly at her. "My mind is where I want it but...not my heart."

He didn't have to say it out loud for them to understand. Stunned at the revelation, Sakura didn't know what to say to console him, and Hinata couldn't stand to hear another word. With a spin of her heel, she was off towards her home. When she was safe in her own room, Hinata stopped masking her chakra signal with a sigh.

Falling back on her bed, arms crossed under her bust, she finally let her heart hurt. The tightness in her chest was something she had been acutely familiar with growing up with a crush on Naruto. He had always openly shown his affection for his teammate, so this sort of confession shouldn't have hurt her as much as it did.

He was her first love, her first kiss, her first date...She wanted him to be more of her firsts and also her last. She swallowed the saliva in her throat, dully noting that the feeling in her chest was becoming colder. If he was uncertain about pursuing a relationship with her, why couldn't he have just spoke with her and told her all of this? They could have talked...and figured something out!

Midnight locks floated around the bed as she rolled over, smashing her face in a pillow before tossing over again. Why did this have to happen the day before she was getting sent on her first solo mission? It was just her luck.

The morning came quicker than she would've liked. After a few hours of restless sleep, Hinata decided to just get up an hour before the sunrise and make sure she was prepared to travel for at least two weeks. It didn't take more than fifteen minutes for her to secure her pack and reseal her scrolls once again. With a frown, she changed slower than usual and took her time in brushing out her hair, making sure to keep a few hair bands on her just in case she needed it.

Down in the kitchen, the maids were just getting up and ready for their day as they mingled with the cooks. Making her way down there, they all greeted her before she did the same. A few of the older cooks were passing her fruits and other food items wrapped up and a bento box for her lunch later on. After promising to take some of the offerings, they coaxed her into sitting and eating something before she set off. She never had the heart to refuse them. They had always looked after her and doted on her when she was little so this wasn't new to her either. Hanabi would try to protest but even her brash little sister had a weak side when it came to the cooks.

A few of the maids kept her company before one of them commented that it was about ten minutes to daybreak and she had better get a move on if she wanted to keep up the schedule. Hastily saying her goodbyes, Hinata was readjusting the straps of her pack and fixing the kunai holster that was wrapped around her black shorts. Coming to a stop at the front gate, she brought her hands together to say a small prayer to her mother, Neji and his father before disappearing into the forestry ahead of her.

It would take a little while for her to reach Kannabi Bridge in Kusagakure. Fortunately for her, there were a few small civilian villages along the way so it would be relatively easy to find a place to sleep.

Watching the blanket of dark hair fade from his vision, the Hyūga Head turned from his personal study's window. There was no doubt in his mind that Hinata would complete the mission without any problems but there was a lingering, unsettled feeling in his gut that would always twist his stomach whenever any one of his daughters would leave the village for a mission. This day was no different.

Sitting back at his desk, he would swear he could feel a few gray hairs sprouting from his scalp.

Korime Tatsuya was a brilliant young man, a year older than Hinata and nearly on par with Neji's intelligence. The Korime clan's dōjutsu was very impressive as well. However, there has been a disturbing trend in their illness, which has been steaming from their eye itself. It seemed that the more prolonged use was wearing at the optic nerves and therefore causing permanent blindness. The symptoms were dizziness, nausea and migraines. The Hyūga clan had a strong tie with the Korime so it was only natural that Hiashi send their special healing medicine to them. Hinata would be collecting the detailed updates from the medical ninja that were evaluating them and see what other remedies he could help them with.

He wondered briefly if Hinata would deem Tatsuya a worthy candidate. The boy was very respectful when they had first met and had matured over the years but Hinata seemed so smitten with Naruto that he doubted anyone else would hold her heart.

Bowing his head, he sent a prayer to his wife, pleading for her to help Hinata's heart make the right decision.

A small voice in the back of his head told him it wouldn't be either man he was currently thinking of, but he brushed the thought off in favor of reading over the scrolls in front of him. He was confident that Hinata was responsible enough to pick a husband who suited her the best. It was her life after all. He promised his late wife he would give his blessing to whoever had her heart and he would honor that promise.

Around four in the evening, she stumbled upon a quaint civilian village and quickly found an Inn to purchase a room for the night. Once she was out of the Land of Fire, villages would be scarce and far apart so she would have to cherish the room while she had it. Tossing her bag on the table, she rummaged through it, making a note to pick up some more snacks that would hold her over during the day before heading out in the village for some food. There was a distinct feeling that someone was watching her but as she looked around, everyone seemed to be just going about their day. No one paid her any extra attention.

'Hm. Odd,' she thought to herself, but brushed it off as her own paranoia.

Being in a ninja village had it's benefits, but it lacked a certain charm that a civilian one had. While she would never live in one because it was so far from her family, Hinata always liked spending time in them. The atmosphere felt a lot more relaxed and peaceful. Only a few vendors recognized her eyes, though none cared too much other than give her an extra second of their gaze. Going outside of the Land of Fire, there would be much more than just a look which was something she wasn't exactly looking forward to.

A few stores caught her eye while she made her way back from a small grocery store, a brown paper bag on her hip. The sparkling necklace on display twinkled in the setting sun's last rays, a crescent moon-shaped pedant encrusted with diamonds and a turquoise gem dangling in the center. She paused in her steps to examine it through the window. It was really beautiful, and her birthstone as well! But she couldn't justify spending that much money on a gift for herself, even if her twentieth birthday was right around the corner. Hanabi's birthday was in March...maybe when she had a free day, she would take a trip out back out here to get her something. It had been a while since she had gotten jewelry for her sister anyway.

Deciding that would be her plan, she took one last look at the necklace before continuing back to the Inn. The feeling of being watched came back full force, and this time she didn't wait to activate her Byakugan. Moon-like eyes gazed up to the treeline after scanning the village only to see nothing out of the ordinary. There appeared to be man down the street that had a chakra signal but it wasn't some one she recognized. Sighing, she figured there wasn't anything to worry about and entered the Inn without another thought about it.

Onyx eyes trailed after the Byakugan princess as she waltzed into the modest Inn for the night. He really shouldn't have been surprised that she noticed his presence, even unconsciously. What respectable ninja wouldn't have? Especially since his eyes were nearly glued to her figure the moment he recognized her. He cloaked his signature before she could identify him but wasn't sure as to why. It was just instinct on his part.

Sasuke took a step from the shadows, towards the Inn. They were about eight hours from Konoha. He had left the village early in the morning after meeting with Kakashi but he hadn't expected Hinata to be right on his heels. Actually, he had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't even notice her until a few hours into the trek when he had stopped at a river. Of course, he was quite a ways ahead of her, so much so that he was positive she hadn't been able to see him with her all-seeing eyes. Being honest with himself, he wouldn't have noticed her either if she had not stopped at the river as well. It was just his luck.

The only logical answer for her to be out of the village would be a mission, but her teammates were nowhere to be seen. So, it had to be a solo mission, but after the ordeal she had been through just a few months prior, he was surprised that her clan would allow her to leave the fortress that was Konoha. Granted, she had almost been kidnapped in that village so it wasn't as well protected as one might think.

He would be lying to himself if he denied that he was curious as to what her mission was or where she was going. On a whim, he decided to observe her as she went on her way. When morning came, he was patiently waiting on a rooftop and watched as she slipped out of the village as quietly as she came in. When he noticed the direction she was headed, he felt his brow raise.

What mission took her to Iwagakure, by herself at that? Once they were about ten minutes from the Kannabi bridge, he wondered if his former team was still in the Hidden Stone Village. A while ago, he overheard that they were making their way to look for something. But that was only because one of Jugo's birds had personally delivered a message to him. It was odd in itself, considering that they hadn't spoke since the war.

Onyx pupil watching the back of the Hyūga, Sasuke pondered on the mission Kakashi gave to him before he left and couldn't help but think that it couldn't be a coincidence. He must've been too in his head because he hadn't noticed when the kunoichi stopped in her path, completely still at the foot of the bridge.

Although he knew just enough about the Hyūga Clan's abilities to know never get in their range when fighting, he didn't know just how far their range exactly was. He wasn't staying his distance - fifteen meters at the most - since she would be out of his vision but he hadn't felt her chakra spike since the village so that meant her Byakugan wasn't being activated.

That was, until just now. He also wasn't faster than her eyes were, since she easily caught him behind her.

Lengthy dark hair snapped to the side of her as she turned her enhanced eyes to meet his. They were far enough that he couldn't catch whatever word tumbled from her lips, but from the realization on her face, she seemed to recognize him.

Not a fan for dramatic entrances, Sasuke closed the distance between the two of them in a second. When he was out of the tree line, a few meters from her, he took in her appearance as discreetly as possible. The last time he saw her, if he was being honest, was yesterday, but he hadn't been this close to her since just after the war. That was almost two years ago. Her hair was longer, thicker, tickling the protruding swell of her hips. The pale purple shirt that was secured by a black obi around her middle flattered her body more than the large sweater he had last seen her in. She traded in the long skirt for a pair of dark shorts as well as thigh-high stockings under black boots.

It was like a breath of fresh air to see her up close after all this time even if he felt weird that his eyes were marveling at how soft the skin on her face appeared.

Out of routine, she activated her bloodline to check if she was being followed. It was typical of her to do so whenever crossing the boarders and honestly, she wasn't expecting to find a huge, dark chakra just a few meters from her. It didn't take her more than a few seconds to realize whom the chakra belonged to, but she was confused as to why Sasuke was over here. He must've known she saw him, by the way he paused in his step before resuming, coming to stand in front of her.

With her dōjutsu deactivated, Hinata took in the ex-avenger for the first time since the war ended two years ago. He had grown slightly taller, although he wasn't much taller than Naruto. His inky-colored hair was now slightly hanging in front of his left eye although she doubted it affected his vision much. His hair was as wild as it was when they were younger, the thick band around his head did little to control them as it spilled over. The high collar of his black shirt reminded her of how he used to dress in their childhood, however he layered on a long poncho, which looked a bit weathered with time. Obviously it had served him well during his travels, but she wasn't sure if he'd need something so thick going into the Land of the Earth. From what she had been told, it was a relatively warm country, despite the later months they were venturing in.

Her musings were cut short when the wind brushed his hair from his face, showing off the dull violet of his famous Rinnegan. For a second, she wondered if he had activated it upon noticing her, but when he failed to deactivate it, she brushed it from her thoughts. Sasuke had a very different thought process than she, so it was useless of her to try see things from his perspective.

"Sasuke-kun," she greeted with a tilt of her head, "It's been a while since I've seen you."

Not one for pleasantries, Sasuke watched her for a second before humming his reply. He didn't know what to say to her, so he thought it best to keep his mouth shut for right now. However, hearing her after so long, eased some of the tension in his shoulders. Her voice was as soothing as he remembered it to be and after listening to Naruto and Sakura talk his ear off a few days ago, it was welcomed.

"How are you doing?" Realizing her sort of forward question, Hinata felt her cheeks heat up as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. The last time she heard any news about him, was when she had gotten back from rescuing Hanabi four months ago. Kakashi had filled them in briefly that Sasuke had saved her father and destroyed a meteor that had penetrated the village's defenses. She had wanted to thank him for helping her father but he hadn't chose to stick around the village much long afterwards and was gone before they had even come back.

"I'm fine," he answered after noticing her blush. "And yourself?"

She must've not thought he wouldn't return the question, since her wide lavender eyes blinked owlishly at him before she recovered, "Oh! I'm well." She hoped that he didn't notice the hitch in her voice at her obvious lie. She won't be "well" until she sorted everything out with Naruto, either breaking it off or...or...

A beat of silence passed by them. Just as she parted her lips to make some excuse to leave, Sasuke's deep voice stopped her, "Are you on a mission?"

As soon as he asked, he wanted to punch himself for such a stupid question. Why else would she be out on the boarder of the Land of Fire?

"Ah, yes, I'm headed to Iwagakure..." She trailed, not wanting to give much information but he was a friend. Well, comrade? Yeah, that sounded better in her head. Although, she did see him as a friend of hers, the Uchiha may not have see her as one in his mind.

She was right, in a way.

On a whim, he walked past her, onto the Kannabi Bridge. When he noticed she wasn't following, Sasuke turned to face her again. Her large eyes were studying him with a poorly hidden curiosity, "I have some business in Iwa as well." He wondered if the Byakugan could tell tell if a person was lying.

Taking the hint, Hinata hurriedly caught up to him. For a few minutes as their steps took them across the boarder, they didn't utter a word to each other so Hinata took the time to discretely examine the Uchiha more closely. He was notably taller than she was - being five foot three had it's advantages, but mostly it hardly helped her - so she noticed when his strides weren't nearly as long as they should've been. She was a little surprised that he was so considerate but reminded herself that he had grown up in a noble family, where manners and etiquette overruled most things.

Lost in her thoughts, Hinata nearly missed his question, "Iwa is relatively peaceful since the war. What kind of mission is it?"

He didn't know what he expected her to say, but he was a little curious when she looked down at her hands and sighed, "It is a mission from my father. The Hyūga Clan is helping a clan with their dōjutsu since we're known for our healing eye technique. There seems to be a medical problem with it. Hopefully, we can find a cure soon."

A dōjutsu clan? Glancing at the petite female on the side of him, a thought crossed his mind. Her clan specialized in eye techniques so it wouldn't be so far-fetched...For a long time, he had been trying to control the Rinnegan, and he took pride in saying that he almost had it down. Unfortunately, it was constantly activated, which drained his chakra on a never-ending basis. It didn't matter too much, since he hadn't needed to use any ninjustu for the past few days so he wasn't worried about depleting on his power. It was just annoying. The Byakugan was one of the original dōjutsu so it was entirely possible that she could help him...

Old habits die hard, though, and he found himself unable to ask.

Instead, he pushed those thoughts aside, "I've never heard of any medical problems with the Byakugan."

She hummed, pulling his eyes to stare at her face. "We are required to go through extensive eye exams every six months. If there are any problems like blurry vision, we are monitored closely until it clears up. If there are any issues with a Byakugan, it is healed relatively quickly."

Sasuke found that she wasn't nearly as tense when talking about her clan than when they were silent so he continued, if only to hear her voice for a bit. "That explains a lot. The Uchiha had a lot of eye problems from what I've read in clan documents."

Her eyes slid over to his as they entered the forest, tall trees looming above them. "I've read a little about it, as well...Prolonged use will strain any dōjutsu, mine included."

He nodded, but didn't bother replying back, too far into his own head. She didn't continue, instead mumbled out a quiet, "If you're having eye trouble, I can take a look at your eyes for you...If y-you want to."

His face must've showed his questioning before he could've controlled his features because Hinata immediately was on the defense, with a pink hue dusting her cheeks, "I-I uh, consider it a thank you...For saving my father! I didn't get to properly thank you a few months back..."

That's right. Her father was Hyūga Hiashi, the unconscious Hyūga he found and brought back to the village when the meteor was about to strike. It wasn't as if he didn't know, Hiashi had been the head since he was a little boy, but it hadn't been that important for him to remember. The Hyūga family dynamic was something he didn't wish to know that intimately anyway. Other than the fact that she had a younger sister and her genius cousin sacrificed himself in the war, he knew nothing of her family. Oh, and that meddling old lady he met a while ago was her grandmother.

That would make her the heiress. Why would Hiashi assign his heiress on a solo mission to Iwa? Not even an escort was with her. Hiashi must have the up most confidence in her. He hadn't fought the princess himself but from what he heard of her abilities from his teammates, she could go one on one with Sakura and be on par with her so he figured he shouldn't knock her prowess without seeing it first hand.

Remembering that he had yet to respond to her offer, Sasuke turned his eyes to the path in front of them, "If you have the time, I would appreciate it. I haven't had any medic examine my eyes. Most don't know what they are looking at anyway."

Finding humor in that truth, Hinata felt her lips turn upwards, "I understand. Many non-Hyūga medics or civilian doctors are intimidated with dōjutsu injuries. It's very delicate and the chakra pathways are extremely hard to heal since they're intertwined with the optic nerves."

For the next few hours they traveled in relative silence, the crunch of leaves or branches under their sandals the only noise, other than the occasional bird chirping. Both had acknowledged that they were quiet individuals and thus, didn't bother making idle conversation. Occasionally, Sasuke would ask something about the village, how everyone was doing and what-not. He asked her about Naruto, even if he had saw him not too long ago. When he noticed her tense shoulders and uncomfortable posture, he easily steered the conversation to the other rookies.

From what Sakura had told him, Naruto was still dating Hinata. He hadn't bothered to confirm it with his best friend, though when the topic of the Byakugan princess was brought up around the blond, he awkwardly brushed it off. Sasuke just assumed he was shy about the topic and didn't think much of it at the time. It wasn't like he was going to push the subject anyway, especially since Sasuke was still somewhat interested in the Hyūga girl.

He wasn't stupid enough to deny his feelings any longer. It was painfully obvious that he felt some sort of attraction towards Hinata. Every time he would set foot in the village, it took all of his will power not to search for pearly eyes and flustered pink cheeks. Sakura was getting more assertive in her attempts to date him, so he had only recently admitted it out loud. He was almost positive that Naruto knew by now. Their pink-haired teammate had a difficult time keeping secrets from anyone, so he wouldn't be surprised to get a letter from his best friend complaining about how he didn't bother to tell him about any romantic interest and demand a name, at the least. With the knowledge that Naruto swept Hinata off her feet, he was going to take his crush's true identity with him to the grave.

Sasuke would be the first to tell anyone he'd had a rough life, and it would be one of the more truest things he'd ever say, but he also would be the first to admit that Naruto had it just as hard as he, if not harder. Love was something both boys had longed for their whole lives, so who was Sasuke to come and disturb his best friend's happiness just because of his own bothersome feelings?

Even if he had to watch from the side lines his entire life, he would gladly keep his mouth shut to see Naruto happy. He owed him that much.

However, when he noticed the Hyūga carefully dance the subject of her dating Naruto, he knew something was up. He couldn't fathom what on Earth could be wrong. They were perfect for each other, he bitterly concluded. As the sun dipped past the horizon, he dropped the subject but knew it wouldn't leave his mind any time soon.

Hinata was pleasantly surprised to see that they worked in harmony pretty well. He easily built a fire while she set up her tent. It wasn't as big as what she usually brought for her teammates to share, but it could hold two people without feeling cramped. She nervously began to ask him if he wanted to sleep in there with her, but before she could gain the courage to form the sentence, he was off to collect more wood in the thick forest around them.

She had brought food to hold her over during the day, but not too much for dinner. Preparing a few cans of food, she was about to give in to her hunger and eat without him, when his inky hair popped up to the side of her. In his hands was a long rope, three average sized fish attached to it.

His dark brows raised in question, without verbalizing anything and she immediately knew what he was asking of her. With a quick nod, she beckoned him over with a flick of her small wrist as she gathered a pan from a scroll in her backpack along with other miscellaneous things like spices. Sasuke sat next to her, taking a kunai and began to clean them off one by one.

By the end of their meal, they hadn't spoken more than ten words to each other. Hinata was busying herself with cleaning up the utensils and then sealing them back in the scroll while Sasuke taken to gaze intensely at the fire before him, lost in his own thoughts. It's only when he could feel the hesitant energy rolling off his travel companion did he decide to speak up.

"I will-"

"Sasuke-kun, wo-"

She seemed more startled by his deep voice than anything more, the scrolls falling from her hands and into her bag without the grace she normally held. His head turned towards her, onyx eye locking in on her wide ones as he motioned for her to continue.

Zipping up the creme colored pack, her nimble fingers brushed her fringe from her face while her cheeks flushed in color, "Sorry, I was just wondering if...you'd want me to check your eyes now? This time tomorrow we'll be in Iwagakure and our separate ways so..."

It took him a moment to realize he was staring rather hard at her face, but it had been a while since he'd seen the pink color dusting her features. Clearing his throat to rid him of any thoughts, he nodded but noticed she stood and moved towards the tent.

Contrary to popular belief, Sasuke had not had any kind of sexual relations with any female. Of course, he'd been kissed before (mainly against his will or in his unconsciousness) but he hadn't ever willingly touched a female without violence besides Sakura. Those were only hugs and they ended before the medic got any funky ideas as well. Karin had jumped his bones once upon a time, but other than a kiss, she hadn't gotten much further than that.

In all his twenty years of life, he had not once slept in the same tent (room, bed, etc) with a girl. On missions with his team, he would share a tent with Kakashi and Naruto or they would have a tent big enough for all of them to fit. Taka usually found rest in motels or somewhere in villages. The times they did spend outside, Sasuke chose to distance himself and take refuge in the trees.

Feeling his eyes follow her movements, Sasuke swallowed the saliva in his mouth, not liking that he couldn't help but think this was fitting. Being in the same small tent as his best friend's girlfriend whom he just so happened to like, out of all the other girls in the world. Did the Gods want him to suffer so much?

Oblivious to his internal dilemma, Hinata poked her head out of the flap of the tent, eyeing him curiously. "I'll need you to lay down so I can get a more accurate look and the ground out there is not comfortable..."

Yeah, he was positive this was the universe's way of testing his fragile patience. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and into the tent, regretting it almost instantly. How could he possibly tell her no now, when she looked at him with those moon-like eyes filled with unguarded tenderness?

He groaned to himself. Sasuke hoped that she wouldn't have to touch him or be that close, least he do something he knew he shouldn't. However, the ex-avenger never had luck on his side.