It was another boring day here in Konoha for the Uchiha, and he wondered if he should even stay longer, or go back to traveling the world and discovering new sights and people. The second option is the one that was screaming at him right about now, and he wanted to take it! But then his thoughts immediately went back to his old team mates. He did tell them that he would stay a bit longer to visit. Oh why did he make such a promise to begin with? There was only so much you could do here. His best friend's birthday has already gone and passed, and there was no other events coming up any time soon for him to really care. Would they get mad at him for just up and leaving so suddenly? Probably. The last thing he wanted, was to deal with an angry Naruto and Sakura. The two together could be very annoying, especially when they're both scolding you for doing something stupid. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he slipped his sandals on and left the hotel.
It was almost noon, and Sasuke wasn't sure if it was too early to go over to their place. One still lived in a small apartment, that was filled with empty ramen cups and clothes strewn about everywhere...and the other in a house with her parents, who were way too nosy for his liking. Last time he stopped by to pay the pinkette a visit, her mother asked when they were going to get married. Just what was she telling her parents? They weren't going out! Sure she may be his closest friend who is a girl, but that was it. His feelings for her didn't run any deeper than that, and it wasn't being done on purpose. You can't just choose who you fall in love with. But what he can say, is that Sakura is an important friend to him. They just can't go beyond friendship is all, and hopefully she understood that. Although lately she has been less clingy, which was a good thing for him.
Maybe she has grown out of her fangirl stage after all.
Since he was never hungry right away when waking up, he skipped breakfast altogether. The smell of homemade rice balls being made caught his attention, and he went right over to the small stand. Behind it was an elderly lady who was moving at a rather slow pace, but that was fine, since she already had a bunch of them sitting on a platter on the table. Each one had been perfectly molded into a triangular shape, as they were placed into rows of three on a banana leaf. This meant they were being sold in sets of three, which was fine. He wanted a couple of them anyways to help satisfy his hunger. And these were one of his favorite things to eat on top of it.
Sasuke took out his wallet and handed the woman some cash. But instead of waiting to get his change back from her, he simply grabbed a set of the rice balls and walked off. It's not like he didn't make enough, because he definitely did. So he could afford to dish out money like that. He grabbed one and took a bite out of it, noticing just how much filling was in the middle of these things. Yup, this was enough to tide him over for a while, since he didn't have the patience to cook for himself. Either he ate out, or just whipped up something quick and easy that didn't require much work at all. So it was obvious that he ate out a lot, rather than sitting down and enjoying a home cooked meal. He hasn't had one of those since his family was alive.
Despite this, he still managed to eat as healthy as possible. Plus he doesn't eat any sweets, since he can't stand them. The taste is awful, and it doesn't go very well with his already sensitive teeth as it is. This is something that people can't comprehend, since they still try to give him things like chocolates, cookies, ice cream, and much more. Valentine's day is the worst for the Uchiha! He always ends up giving them away the day after to little children, since it would just be a waste to throw them in the trash. The smell of something sweet being made alone causes him to get a pounding headache. This is why he could never walk into a bakery shop, since he knows he wouldn't walk out of there without feeling sick to his stomach.
"Come on Hinata, let me give that bastard a piece of my mind!" Hearing this made him stop dead in his tracks. Not only was the voice very recognizable, but he also heard a name that stuck over anything else. He hasn't seen her since she ran off during Naruto's birthday party, and even he wondered if she was okay. From what he could tell, her fiancé was a real jerk who needed to be set straight. But that wasn't any of his business. They weren't even friends, so why should he care so much? Still, he was feeling curious now as to what her team mate was yelling about.
And so he hid behind a nearby building and peered over at the two. It was, of course, Kiba. He wore an angry expression on his face as he yelled at the Hyuga. 'What could have pissed him off to this point?' His dark eyes remained on the brunette though, since his hands were waving all over the place as he spoke, as if he couldn't contain all of his anger. Yup, this wasn't surprising for someone like him. Of course he would lose his cool that easily. "...?"
"K-Kiba-kun please! I don't want to make things worse!" Hinata shot back at him. It's bad enough that she got scolded by her father last night when she finally returned home... And now she was getting yelled at by her best friend! It wasn't really directed towards her. She gets that he is upset for what has happened to her...but he needed to calm down, since he is causing a scene. People were beginning to stare at them, which was making her feel very uncomfortable.
The brunette grabbed a strand of her violet-color hair, but held it gently as he stared right into her eyes. "Look what he has done to you! I've been biting my tongue over this marriage ever since you told me about it. You think I accept this?! Hell no! But what can someone like me do about it? I stand no chance against your family. I have absolutely no say in what you do with your life, but damn it Hinata! You just...how can you let this happen to you? How long did it take you to grow this out?!" He was getting angrier the longer this carried out.
Her gaze shifted away from him then, as she fidgeted nervously with her pointer fingers, pushing them together as she tried to think of what to say to all of that. And here she thought her team mates didn't care enough to say something about her engagement. "I-it's not like I let him into my bedroom. It happened while I was asleep. I woke up and found most of my hair on my pillow! How did I know he would sneak through my window at night? If so, then I would have locked it..." Now she has to be even more careful around her fiancé. Who knows what he will do next...
Sasuke looked over and saw what they were arguing about. Her waist-long hair was now up to her shoulders. He didn't notice it before, since he wasn't focused on either of their appearances. That just wasn't something he always looked for in a person. He could care less about them. But this seemed to spark his interest though. 'So her fiance snuck in during the night and chopped off her hair? Such a childish and immature thing to do to someone. What a coward...' Even though the two weren't close and have barely talked to each other, this still didn't sit well with him. How could you do that to someone who was so...sweet and innocent? Seriously, what has Hinata ever done to deserve this?
Kiba narrowed his eyes. "You are destroying your life, and for what? So that your family will accept you? At this point I'm not even sure if they love you. What father would give away his daughter to some old creep who abuses her? Physical or verbal, it's still not okay. You need to stop this before it's too late! As if I want to sit here and watch my best friend being beat down like this and controlled to this degree. You're better than this...and you deserve so much more..."
Hinata didn't say anything to that. What he all said was true. The abuse was only going to progress further and further, until what...until he kills her? "Growing up I was nothing but a disappointment to me father. He cast me aside when he realized just how weak I was, and didn't want anything to do with me anymore. Now he actually talks to me. Do you know what it's like to be disowned by your own father?" She asked, balling her hands up into fists as they hung at her sides.
"...I may not know what it's like." He began, taking a step forward. "But you shouldn't put yourself in this unhealthy position just so that he will notice you. He should already be there for you anyways. He doesn't care what happens to you. He just wants the pure bloodline to be passed down, even if it means marrying someone you don't love. Look, just think about what you're doing, okay? Don't rush into this. I gotta get going for my mission. When I come back, I better not see that ring on your finger." He lightly patted her on the head, before taking off for the village gates. 'And you better be alright when I see you next...'
"..." Hinata just stood there and watched as he ran off. Then she looked down at the ring on her finger, wondering if it was going to stay there permanently, or not long at all. Why was all of this pressure being put onto her like this? It felt like her head was going to explode due to all of this stress! Everyone is expecting so much out of her. Well she can only do so much, for she is just one person. At least he was on her side in this, whereas before she felt so completely alone. Did Shino feel the same way? He probably did, since they're both close friends of hers. For now she will just keep her distance from Hiroshi and try to think of what to do.
Sasuke stepped out of hiding and slowly made his way towards her, casually biting into one of his rice balls as he pretended to not know a single thing. Neither one of them sensed his presence, so he could play along until she cracks. This wasn't supposed to be a game or anything. But he did wonder how long she was going to lie to him. "Are you lost?" He asked. Only because she was still standing in the middle of the street.
"Huh?" She whirled around to face the raven, blinking a few times as she took him in. What happened to her...she didn't blame him at all for it. Even as she looked at him, she didn't feel any anger or sadness, not even any regrets. It's not like he knew what would happen after touching her hair like that, so why put the blame on him? That would be very unfair of her to do. "I-I thought you would have already left..." She mumbled.
He raised a dark brow at her. "Oh? I never said when I was leaving..." That he was certain of, since he didn't know himself. It was just whenever he felt like it. He would rather be free, than to be tied down to a single village. However, he needed to cleanse his clan's name and to protect Konoha in place of his precious older brother.
Hinata's eyes widened when she realized this, and nervously smiled at him. "I-I'm sorry. Guess I shouldn't have assumed such a thing..." She spoke quietly. Now she felt embarrassed.
"...Your hair is shorter." He pointed out. Although this time he didn't bother reaching out to touch it. Obviously this happened to her because of him. Knowing how crazy her fiancé is, he did it after their little encounter at Naruto's party. 'Does she blame me for this? Who knew...' His gaze remained on her, waiting for the shy Hyuga to say something.
Her hand came up to touch the short locks. "Ah. I decided to change things up a bit, starting with my appearance. How does it look?" This was Uchiha Sasuke she was talking to... The very same guy who didn't compliment anyone. It just slipped right out of her mouth, and now it was too late to take it back.
Sasuke honestly had no idea how he felt about it. It's not like she was ugly with shorter hair. Yes he preferred for a woman to have it longer, but that didn't make them unattractive. It was just a trait he has always liked. His mother had long hair, and she was a beautiful woman! Both on the inside and outside. "It looks fine. Do you like it? You seem...hesitant about it."
"W-what do you mean by that? Of course I like it! Why wouldn't I?" Hinata really didn't need this right now. It would be really bad if she were to be caught talking to him of all people. She already feels terrified enough as it is coming back home to the compound...she doesn't need another reason to make her fears that much worse. She cannot speak to him anymore. "Now if you will excuse me." She tore her gaze away from him and held her head low while walking past him, trying to hurry off before someone sees them together. But when she felt something grab at her arm, she quickly looked back to see what was going on. "...-"
"Running away again? You're really good at that. Do you think I'm an idiot?" Sasuke tugged on her arm, yanking her towards him so that he could speak to her properly. He gets why she is scared, but she can't live in fear for the rest of her life. It'll be the end of her. His eyes were cold as they bore into her pale ones...but he wasn't upset with her. "What else is he going to do to you?" He finished off more quietly. Everyone expects him to be this heartless monster who has no feelings at all, when in fact he did. People underestimate him way too much!
"I-" But she didn't get the chance to say anything, since he cut her off right away.
"Family doesn't have to be blood-related, you know. You keep preaching about your father, but have you actually thought that maybe, just maybe, your friends are like family too? You always have your team mates to turn to, especially that Kiba guy..." He didn't care for him to be honest. They have never gotten along with each other. And he was one of the many people who still didn't want him here in the village.
Tears welled up in her eyes when he said that, and yanked her hand out of his hold. "B-but I'm just a burden... I always have been! I can't just crash out on their couch after getting kicked out of the compound. I would feel so bad for imposing on them and their families..."
Sasuke just shook his head, obviously disagreeing with what she just said. "Any real friend would never view you as nothing but a burden. You should give yourself more credit. I hear you took on Pein..." Sure she didn't defeat him, but she's alive! So she wasn't as weak as she made herself out to be.
Hinata thought back to that day, remembering just how painful it was being throwing up in the air like that, and then crashing down onto the ground. Even after being tossed around like a rag doll...she managed to live through it. 'Who else will be on me like this? What he's saying is correct. No matter what I do, I don't think it's ever good enough. This is how I have always been, and it's so hard to change that...'
"...Here." He grabbed one of his rice balls and held it out for her to take. Yes he was pretty hungry, but right now she needed to be cheered up. Comforting people wasn't his forte to begin with...and he was only trying his best to be as helpful as he possibly could. If he just walks away from this, then it will slowly eat away at him.
"...?" It was odd seeing Sasuke being so nice and generous. All she heard from other people about him were terrible things. That he was a psychotic murderer who just wanted to destroy villages. But the person standing before her was the complete opposite of that. Even the expression he wore was much softer as he looked at her. People really could be pulled out of the darkness and be saved after all. This was his chance to redeem himself, and to prove to everyone that he has no bad intentions anymore. This is why you should never give up on someone, no matter how far they slip away. 'He should feel very lucky to have such amazing and determined friends...'
Smiling a little, Hinata took the rice ball into her hands. It would be rude to deny the offer. Plus it did look really good! Once again she left the house without eating breakfast. It appears she hasn't been eating very much at all lately. Even her clothes were becoming Just thinking about Hiroshi made her want to throw up. "A-are you sure I can have this?" She asked, looking up at him with those large, milky-white eyes of hers.
Sasuke couldn't help but stare into them for a minute. His clan never thought much of the Hyuga's, since he viewed his own as being superior to them. They were nothing compared to the Uchiha's! But that didn't mean he hated them. And he had no reason to feel that way towards the one he was talking to at this very moment. As a matter of fact, has their eyes always been so...so beautiful? Was that even the word he should use to describe them? She might take it the wrong way if he compliments her on them. This is why he kept his mouth shut about it, deciding to just shrug it off for now. "If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't have offered in the first place..." He simply stated.
"Right. Thank you, Sasuke..." This was very nice of him to do. To think, him of all people was actually sharing his food with her. 'I never thought to talk to him before. I always thought he would push me away, or give me an attitude. But now that I have talked to him a couple of times already, I can tell that he's so much different than I thought he was. I've...been underestimating him this entire time. Now I just feel really bad...' She thought, taking a small bite out of the rice cake. Suppose a lot of people have thought so poorly of the Uchiha as well. If only they would just give him a chance to prove them all wrong, then he wouldn't have to worry so much. This guy deserved so much better. She needs to try and get him an actual home here in Konoha, and not just a hotel to stay in whenever he comes back.
"You should be like this more often..." She suddenly said, that smile widening even more. Hinata didn't feel as uncomfortable as she did before, now that she has finally realized that this guy was an okay person. He has been trying to help her out, and was now giving her things to try and make her feel better. It was like they were friends.
Sasuke tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean by that?" He asked. Was he acting that strangely or something? Deciding to shrug it off, he sank his teeth into his last rice ball and looked around. It wasn't too busy, so they didn't have to worry about being in the way.
Hinata lightly patted him on the shoulder. "I meant as in being so nice and caring...not to mention generous. It appears you do have a good heart after all..." She murmured. Now whenever someone talks poorly of him, she will step in and try to change their view on him.
"..." He turned his head to the side, as if trying to hide the look on his face. What was that for? They didn't even know each other, and yet...she said such kind things about him. Maybe this is just the type of person she is. He has heard stuff about her that fit her description. 'Great. Is she going to become another fangirl just like the others? I do not need that right now...'
"If I wasn't being put in this position of marrying someone so jealous...I'm certain we would have become great friends." Her voice was very quiet as she said this, as if too afraid for him to hear it all. "But I don't have any luck when it comes to love, so...maybe this is the best I can do. Besides, I don't look as pretty anymore. My long hair is gone..." It felt as though she was safe to open up to him, so she did exactly that. He just gave off that trusting, loyal vibe to him.
Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes at that one. "So you think women with shorter hair are less attractive?" That was a joke. Not ever woman had the same hair length, so where was she getting all of this?
The Hyuga's eyes closed. "I'm sorry if that's how it came out sounding. It's just a feature of mine that I really loved. It made me feel more feminine..." He probably thinks she's being really silly right now, and that was fine. But this is how she honestly felt. She was opening up to him, knowing he would probably disagree.
"Hn. You look the same as you did before. Besides, you can always let it grow back out. It won't take you long..." He checked the time on his watch, and saw that he was late in getting to Naruto's place. Knowing him, he was probably still sleeping...and in his boxers nonetheless. Some things just never change, do they? But this meant he was going to have to cut their conversation short. He wasn't a talkative person anyways. Was she going to be upset with this though? She seemed to enjoy talking to him. 'I don't want to hear that dobe complaining that I was late. Either way I'm screwed...' He thought with a sigh, reaching up to rub at his temples. It's not like he can hangout with everyone at once. Well, he could if he really wanted to! But he didn't like being in groups of people like that. His team mates alone were a handful to handle.
Hinata ate the last of her rice ball and ran a thumb along her lips, wiping away at anything that was left behind. "I-I should get going, before Hiroshi catches me talking to you. I'll...keep in mind the things you just said to me, along with what Kiba also said. I have a lot of thinking to do. I know I need to make a decision here soon, before it's too late..." It's just so hard being in this situation! But her team mates were like family to her. Maybe they really won't mind helping her out after all. Guess she should be thanking the Uchiha for more than just giving her some of his food. He may not be aware of it, but he really has helped her out a lot. It was nice having people like this on her side. And he's right...her hair will grow back out. At least he didn't think it was ugly. Wait, was she trying to impress him or something? "..."
Sasuke gave a slight nod. And before saying anything else to her, he casually turned around and walked off. There was nothing else to say, and doing the whole goodbye thing wasn't something that he was very good at. It was awkward for him, so that is why he chose to end things right there. 'It's up to her on what she does now. I cannot force her to leave that man. It shouldn't be any of my business anyways. We're not friends...' Although as that last sentence popped up into his mind, it was almost as if he regretted it. Why is that? It's weird, because no one else from his clan ever got close to any Hyuga member. They never gave each other a chance. Should it be this easy to talk to one of them like this? If her cousin was alive, surely he would step in and stop this altogether. But no, he wasn't here anymore. He was gone...
Now he was beginning to feel confused, just like her.
Author's note: Is there anything you all would like to see happen next? I'm always up for suggestions. ^^
