Having writer's block already . . . :/
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Naruto & Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 3: Silent Confrontation
'No, that doesn't seem fitting.' The indecisive girl scratched another name off of her list. Setting her cheek in her left hand, she stared off into space, trying to come up with a creative name for her dog. One would think that she'd learn to pay attention in class after being humiliated in front of everyone just the day before. Hinata was different, though. Her mind just didn't want to stay put. 'Shou, Nobu, Kenji . . . no.'
Nothing seemed right. She finally gave up and decided that she'd figure out a name for him at a later time. To her, giving a name was a serious matter. It had to be the perfect name – one that made sense, one that described him. If it wasn't the perfect name, she would rather him not have a name, at least for the time being. She thought that maybe the unknown person would be able to come up with something better and that she could respond to his or her note, asking for their suggestion. Suddenly, she caught the daunting Uchiha peeking at her list of names, in which she countered by hiding it with her arm.
Although Sasuke looked to be a sharp and accomplished guy, he was genuinely bored. He would constantly look for something to entertain himself as long as it didn't include bothersome people, and he didn't expect to find something this amusing so early in the school year. The night that he'd left the treats with the note, he was unmistakably planning to come every day after school for the sake of his pleasure. He honestly didn't want to know who the other person was, just yet, or else it would take away from his fun.
As he absorbed the day's literature lesson, sitting motionless in his seat, he sensed the girl stirring behind him. Barely noticeable, the nosy boy glanced back towards Hinata to find her briskly writing on a random scrap of paper. From what he saw, it seemed to be a list. 'What is that lousy girl up to?' Unintentionally, he leaned closer to read what it said, but his view was immediately blocked with her dainty arm, causing his dusky eyes to meet her large, ghostly ones. The look on her face was obviously a displeased one; however, Sasuke wasn't about to back down and show his accommodating side – definitely not to her. He viewed her as a senseless, wimpy, standoffish little girl with absolutely no purpose and he wanted her to know that.
The small girl's distrusting front only provoked his taunting disposition. The dark-haired boy solely stared her down, waiting for her gaze to break. Complete and utter loathing glistened in his eyes, and it horrified Hinata. It was as if he was attacking her with his eyes, feeding off of her low self-esteem. What did he want from her? She was just minding her own business when he, without warning, gave her such a cruel and vile scowl. She only wanted to protect her personal affairs from him, yet it set off such a crude reaction. Hinata couldn't take his fowl stare any longer and looked back down at her desk in submission. At that moment, she felt like crying. What reason did he have to give her such a hateful look? What did she ever do to him to deserve it? He acted like a wolf, trying to show his dominance over her. It wasn't a normal reaction; it was one of pure hate.
Sasuke turned back toward the front of the room. Biting her lip and holding back the tears, Hinata tried to make it through class. No one else was aware of the little stare down that the two just had, even though it was so intense. Now, she just wanted class to be over and each second felt so long and painful. How could that boy sit there in front of her as if nothing happened? 'He's so horrible! I hate him!' she screamed in her head. Never, did Hinata think she would hate someone in her life. In fact, she didn't like the thought of hating someone at all, but Sasuke Uchiha was the exception. No one has ever made her feel so dreadful.
'Briiing!' The lunch bell went off in Hinata's relief. As soon as she heard it, she hurriedly left her seat and ambled out the door. Sasuke watched as the ends of her hair disappeared around the door frame when she turned the corner. She was very much upset. 'Hmmph, serves her right.' Her every action vexed him and he had finally communicated it to her using the hate in his eyes. It made him feel powerful, but deep inside, he felt a taste of remorse, causing him to sit at his desk a little longer than usual.
Knees against her chest and arms wrapped around them, she let out a long sigh. She sat in the courtyard by herself next to a tree. 'I won't cry. No, I'm not going to cry over something that that guy did! That's just what he wants.' Hinata unraveled herself and leaned back to look at the deep blue sky. An image of her puppy appeared in her imagination.
"You and the mysterious person are my only friends." She said as if her little companion were there. The indigo-haired girl desperately needed some comfort and the puppy was the only thing that was able to give her that in times like those. Even thinking about her puppy comforted her. Her father and sister didn't pay attention to her so she definitely would not be comforted by them. Hinata only had two friends and one of them was someone that she'd never even met in person. It was quite sad, really, but she sucked it up and went on with her day. She wasn't about to skip class and give that Sasuke what he wanted. Hinata wanted to be strong and wanted to show him that his stupid eyes didn't scare her.
Sasuke was surprised to see the girl still in class after lunch. He was almost sure that she would be skipping or would have left after his death glare, especially after he saw her reaction to it, but there she was sitting behind him as if nothing happened. It wasn't like him to pick a fight or cause a ruckus, but there was something about her that motivated him to do it. It was her - and only her - that could make him act so different. Maybe she was stronger than he thought.
There was supposed to be another basketball practice that day, after school, but Sasuke decided not to go. He went to the gym to let his coach know, with the excuse that he wasn't feeling well. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood for practice and just wanted to go home. But, of course, he planned to stop and visit the puppy before returning. Perhaps the person had already replied to his message. So, with that, he headed to that desolate area where the anonymous person kept the small, white dog. Stepping over the uncontrolled growth and debris, he almost inaudibly made his way to that one lifeless building.
"Hehee! Stop, y-you're tickling me!" He instantly heard a faint voice from behind it.
'It's that person . . .' The voice was obviously female and very gentle. Sasuke decided to remain hidden so he crept backwards, a safe distance away, and then shifted to a spot with a better view. Poking his head out from behind a faded, rusty car, he saw a sight that left him in shock. It was a familiar, indigo-haired girl with pale violet eyes, sitting comfortably in the grass with the puppy in her lap. The afternoon sun reflected off of her silky hair as she smiled a smile just as bright. The boy's jaw dropped, eyes widened a fraction. 'All this time . . . it was her!?'
Only his deep curiosity kept him from storming off in complete disappointment and rage. Continuing to watch her, Sasuke stayed out of sight. The dog's white, puffy tail wagged at lightning speed while Hinata stroked its fur affectionately. It rolled over, indicating that it wanted her to rub its stomach next. She giggled and did as he wished while his rambunctious demeanor suddenly became calm and relaxed.
"I'm so glad I have you. Without you and that mysterious person, I'd be all alone." She said tenderly, with a distant gaze, demonstrating her deep thoughts. Sasuke could just barely hear her, but his expression softened a bit. He really had that big of an impact on her when what he did was so little? That lonely look on her face made his insides turn, but as the minutes passed his cold front reappeared and he stalked off toward home. Hinata's head rose in alarm as did the dog's.
"Did you hear that?" she asked. There was no other noise, so she disregarded it and played with the pup some more.
'I can't believe it. I was exchanging messages with that dumb little girl. What a waste of time.' Sasuke stomped down the sidewalk, hands stuffed in his pockets. The only sounds were the heavy bass from a car that drove by and Sasuke's slow footsteps. 'Bmm..BmBmBmmm…' However, they did not deter him from his wandering mind. Just when things were starting to get interesting it had to turn out to be her, out of all people in the town. Waves of thoughts just pounded against his skull. He couldn't believe that he was once interested in her and her actions, when at school, he felt nothing but hatred toward her. Nothing could have bothered him more. For some unexplainable reason, it was only her that made him feel that way.
"Ah, you're home!" his mother greeted with a smile which quickly turned to a worried frown. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
"I'm fine." He barked before heading up to his room and collapsing on his comforter. Open CD cases and magazines were strewn about the floor of his bedroom. The walls were covered in posters of his favorite bands and movies. Staring at the ceiling, he explored his thoughts on the subject. 'Without you and that mysterious person, I'd be all alone.' Sasuke recalled the words that Hinata had spoken. No one could possibly be that alone, he thought. Not that he would understand, though. He was always surrounded by family or - in the case of school - girls. Many times he felt like he didn't get enough time alone. Such a feeling was foreign to him. If she was so alone, then why didn't she talk to people and make friends? Then it all led back to the reason he was so frustrated with her. He just didn't understand her!
'Why have I been thinking about her so much lately, anyway? Tsch, it only puts me in a bad mood.' He rolled over and finally took a nap. The boy hated things he didn't understand and Hinata was definitely on the top of the list.
Back at the deserted plot, Hinata started to write another note on a piece of paper which she zipped in a plastic bag and hung on the gate.
'I'm not sure what to name him. What do you think?'
She was pretty sure that he or she came at night, after she left. They would definitely answer by then, right? She couldn't wait to find out what kind of name they had in store.
Will these two ever learn to love? What will Sasuke do, now? Will Hinata's only two friends reduce to one? Follow along and you'll find out! ;)
Thanks for your feedback; it's good to know that you like it. Let me know how you feel about this chapter. Too rushed? Too slow? Too confusing? Leave a review and I'll do whatever I can to fix it and continue on in the path that you all want. I appreciate every one of you readers!
