Here is the fourth chapter. Yay! Sorry for the long wait. This chapter just kept rolling by, as I kept avoiding it while too busy with my AP Studio Art Summer Assignments -_- Just a heads up to explain something. In this chapter, Hinata makes a reference to her behavior similar to The Paradox Man. The Paradox Man is a literature work that I had written before in my spare time. So that means I have full claim to everything that is mentioned about The Paradox Man. I ask you now kindly to NOT STEAL ANYTHING REGARDING HIM! It would be much appreciated :]

Oh! And thank you all for the lovely reviews and favourites. Please enjoy!

Summary: In everyone's eyes, Hinata has remained the same, even after so many years have gone by. She's still the same innocent, gentle, caring young woman. Even when the news of Naruto and Sakura hitting it off, the village felt incredibly sorry for the girl who had been in love for so long. But to Hinata, that was just what she had wanted everyone to see. Deep down, concealed behind her mask, Hinata is a completely different person. And only one person has been able to see behind the lies… and now he's more than determined to reveal the truth.

Pairing: Sasuke and Hinata

Rating: M to be safe

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, EXCEPT The Paradox Man.

With Eyes That See the Bigger Picture

Episode 04

"What the hell is this?"

Sasuke looked up from his cup as he sat at the kitchen table sipping on his coffee.

"I asked you what this is. And where did my clothes go?" Hinata patted her newly-found dress. It was baby pink with cream frills seen at the ends. A bow was attached just above her chest on the left. "And what's with the underwear?" She wasn't even going to begin describing it.

Sasuke focused back on his coffee. "You looked like a bum with your supposed 'down-to-earth' clothes… so while you were asleep, I found these. Besides… they're more feminine and worthy to be worn by someone who's going out with me."

A fork flew by his ear, barely missing it. "Since when did you decide to go public?"

"Since the moment I decided that it was too much of a hassle to keep it in secret. Besides," he frowned, "Would you rather I refer to you as my 'stress relief'?"

Hinata walked over to the kitchen sink and took out a glass from the drawer above. She poured the water into it, taking a light sip. Sasuke placed down his own drink and looked to her direction.

"So are you heading to some sort of meeting then?" Hinata questioned rather shyly.

"Yeah. Tsunade wants to see me about something." he answered simply as he went to put away the empty cup into the sink. Pulling out a pack from his rear pocket, Sasuke lit a cigarette casually. Hinata raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "What? You one of those pro-health freaks?"

"N-not really," Hinata backed away towards the table, "I could care less if you decide to waste away your lungs. You'd die quicker..."

She paused. Sasuke's mouth curved, "And then you won't have to worry about me keeping your precious secret?"

There was no response. Hinata gripped the chair next to her tightly. Her gaze wandered to the sink without much concern as Sasuke shifted to lean back. He relaxed in this position more before beginning, "Why do you do that? Pretend? Do you find some sick pleasure in it?"

Hinata's empty stare hadn't faltered but her face grimaced, "Have you ever read a book called 'The Paradox Man'?" Sasuke shook his head. Hinata smiled, her eyes full of pain. This bothered him.

"The Paradox Man, as he later referred to himself, is a story about a young man who had created a grand scheme. In order to expose the secrets behind the lies and deception people around him had formed, he pretended that he was deaf-mute and blind."

Why are you telling him this?

"He had trained himself to each day appear as such a helpless man. As his friends and family begun to accept this lie, the guard that they had previously set up against him was soon brought down. Without worrying that he could overhear them, the people began to spit about all sorts of truths that they had hidden. His brother would constantly use him as a sort of diary where he would tell him everything that had gone about that day and all of his opinions on the matter. His mother was slowly losing herself as more grim events begun to appear one of which included his father dying on line of work. His brother soon followed. Unable to convey feelings of sympathy, the boy had asked one of his childhood friends who had knew about his secret help him communicate with his mother. Unable to do so, the boy soon abandoned his broken mother in hopes to still continue his grand scheme.

But soon, the trust he put in his childhood friend had also begun to shatter, as his paranoia of his secret being exposed overcame him. Unable to cope with the fear, the boy killed his friend secretly but his paranoia grew worse. Soon he grew so afraid that he decided to cut himself away from the entire world completely by committing suicide. In his last moments, the boy caught a glimpse of the dream that he had always wished to accomplish before passing away. Can you imagine what it was?"

Sasuke didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on Hinata's whose were still staring endlessly, avoiding his along the process. "His dream, his impossible dream as he called it, was loneliness."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows as he opened his mouth to speak but silenced himself shortly after. Hinata took note of the reaction and looked up to him finally, still smiling sadly.

"When he was in school, he wrote a paper to answer the class question. If there was a woman who had been living inside a box, unknowing of the world outside, would he have let her out? To everyone's surprise as almost everyone decided to let her out, the boy decided to keep her in claiming that she was in the best place to be on earth. He had said that a world without people was a world without pain. He claimed that the feeling love, which so many had argued against him which she wouldn't be able to experience, was a false one. People need to be loved when they are in pain. Pain is caused by people. So again, a world without people is a world without pain."
From there on, he had always been searching for his own 'box', a world where he would only exist, unknowing of the people around them and of the pain. He thought that if he was to hear all the pain-causing truths of the people around him before the person had announced it to themselves to him, he would be able to avoid the pain. But unfortunately, the truth was too overbearing and he couldn't take it anymore. As his final wish, he was able to experience his 'box' right before death took him."

Hinata paused as Sasuke shifted towards her cautiously. Her body jerked away before he was able to make contact. "So to avoid his mistake, I have decided to deceive the people around me and please them in any means necessary in order to prevent the painful truths to ever slip their mouths. I too wish to find my 'box' dream, but without the suicide."

Sasuke caught hold of her hand briefly after she finished. His eyes stared intensely into her hollow ones, absorbed.

"'I intend to reach that dream of loneliness, even if I lose my sanity in the process'," Hinata quoted, "Alone."

Without you to stand in my way.

Sasuke, ignoring her push, claimed the younger girl into a tight-sealed embrace. Her lavender scent rushed in. They stood like that for a brief moment before Hinata managed to wriggle out of the grip, almost tripping Sasuke. Half dazed, his eyes not once leaving hers. "Are you trying to make me angry?"

His expression darkened at the statement, "Shut up already. You start spitting out all of this philosophical crap... it's really irritating. Who cares what people think of you? You're just you. You're Hinata!" He reached out once more, this time the notion was rough as he pulled Hinata towards himself. His chest collided with hers as a million emotions sparked.

Hinata huffed as she tried to escape once more. "What do you know? You don't know anything! You don't even know how I feel about this!" You're just an outsider.

"Loneliness? You want to feel loneliness that badly?" he practically roared, "You would think of all people I would be the one to understand the most!"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! You're definition of loneliness and mine are completely different!" Everyone who is not me is an outsider. "I want loneliness, but most of all I want to live in a world without having knowledge of people! I want to forget..."

Why? Why do you want to forget?

"Is it because something happened to you in the past that you're so..."

Wrong, I want to forget because I am scared.


You want to escape? Are you afraid of people?


I'm afraid... afraid of life. I hate this so much, waking up every day without a motive. I just want to find that 'box' and disappear forever. I want to feel that happiness that the Paradox Man felt.


You want to coward away and live a life spent without people?


Exactly! This world is filled with too much pain, I just want to disappear!


What about that significant other? The one to fulfill you and look after you with genuine love?

"Hinata," Sasuke's voice became prominent, "Stop trying to run away."

Isn't finding that person worth the pain? Because when you do find them, they will be able to help you just as much as you're willing to help them. They'll care for you, love you. They'll always be with you and for you!

"Hinata..."

They're the person most important in your life.

"Hinata..."

Lips slowly brushed against hers. It was gentle, small pecks here and there but no tongue. Sasuke pulled Hinata closer into the embrace, his lips beginning to descend towards the crook of the neck. A hand ran over her bottom as Sasuke pulled her up and off the ground, crashing their bodies together from pure pleasure. He momentarily stopped the kisses as he set her down on the kitchen table. His hands settled on both of her sides, leaning against the table for support as he dived in once again to claim her mouth longingly. The kiss intensified to new heights.

A small, almost non-existent moan slipped past Hinata's lips. A wave of triumph washed over Sasuke as he daringly continued to push Hinata lower until he was hovering over her flail body. He stared down on the grand sight below. Flushed pink from embarrassment, her pale skin gave no avail to the blush. The dress' bow skid to the side a little revealing more desirable sights. Roaming lower, Sasuke took note of her heaving chest. Her hands rushed to her face, trying to cover her scarlet face. He chuckled low.

"I know you want this just as much as I do." His fingers slid to her most sensitive spot, hovering over the fabric. "It's very cute when my puppy acts shy in these situations."
Hinata frowned from beneath the fingers, "Puppy..?"

His grin widened sadistically, "Puppy. You're like a lost little puppy who wants an owner. You're mischievous and bold... and needs to be trained for that attitude of yours."

Hinata bit the back of her finger, avoiding his gaze unto the ceiling above. Sasuke pulled away her hands and leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. "Be grateful I'm willing to train you." He bent forward to her ear level, his body pressing up to hers lucidly. "I really enjoy this type of sex."

How ironic. Hinata continued to stare ahead, ignoring Sasuke's actions. His breathing became hoarse in matter of minutes as the kisses advanced lower. Is this what you envisioned as the most important person in my life?

The dress was lifted to reveal her undergarments to the open. Softly, he brushed over the area once more before bending down for a light kiss. Hinata's attention was brought back as her spine arched from shock. She hurriedly slid back to a seating position; her eyes wide open as she climbed off the table, walking towards the kitchen doorway. Sasuke followed right after silently. He reached to catch the girl by her arm and thrust her against the hallway walls. More kisses invaded the back of her neck as Hinata squirmed from beneath him. The dress was pulled to the side, revealing her bare shoulders where more pecks found their way. Hinata's mind begun to lose concentration quickly so it was only natural that she did not notice how a sly hand curved in front of her abdomen headed south. Teasing, Sasuke whispered into her ear words that she could no longer register. The pleasure height was too high for her to do anything any longer. The room in front of her began to dance in blurry colours. Her heart was racing at a thousand beats, everything around her grew hot. It was only slightly that was she able to make out the few husky 'I love you'-s before subtle sounds escaped her own mouth.

"How adorable," the distant voice taunted, "You seem to be finally reacting."

"Sh-shut… u-!"

Another hand slipped up to cup her chest as rough fingers played at the tender spot. Hinata leaned against the wall harder yet her hips were suddenly yanked as her bottom came in contact with something more lewd. Rubbing followed. "Stop disobeying or else there will be more punishment," the voice hissed with the friction increasing rapidly. Sasuke bent forward himself continuing to kiss at the shoulders impatiently this time, nipping and sucking hard.

"It's already hard enough…" in between hickeys, "…I really can't stop now."

Ding!

Hinata's eyes shot open. Sasuke too ceased momentarily but proceeded with avoiding the doorbell.

Ding!

"Y-y-you have to…" her voice straining, "Door…"

Ding!

With the last of her strength, Hinata pushed away from Sasuke's hunger advances, tripping on her feet and rushing towards the entrance. Her dress was still askew thus nearly falling over before catching her balance.

Ding! "HEY STOP IGNORING ME!"

Hinata froze at the sound of the voice. Naruto. "TSUNADE IS GOING TO BE FURIOUS IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP!"

Sasuke's figure appeared briefly before her eyes before slipping at the end of the hall. The sound of the creaking door opening echoed throughout the walls before Naruto came rushing in. "Honestly, she even sent out three notices to you along with m-!"

Hinata came into sudden view before Naruto. Still with her dress half on and tilting for support; her hair in a mess, her face sheer white. Gawking at the sight, Naruto spun around to run headfirst into the upcoming Sasuke before retaliating backwards. "Careful."

Careful! CAREFUL! Hinata collapsed to her knees. Sasuke's eyes lifted back down to her shocked expression. "Ah. So we've been found out." WHAT?

"I-I didn't know that you two," Naruto paused, his face completely crimson, "I'll j-just…"

Hinata lifted her dress, rushing out the hallway without hearing the rest of the statement. Collapsing unto the bed, she buried her face into the pillow, covering the rest of her body beneath the blanket. Tears unexpectedly appeared. Grasping the sheets between her chest, Hinata couldn't withhold anymore. He had seen her! He had seen her with that damn Uchiha none-the-less!

A brief creak of the door aroused her, unable to see underneath the sheets. The weight of something foreign made forth as they sat beside her figure. "He lef-!" Hinata shoved aside his hand abruptly but was caught once more. Dark eyes glared into white, tearful ones. Let go.

And as if on cue, Sasuke let the grip loosen as Hinata curled back under the sheets. The heart ached fiercely. The mind unable to convince it of anything.

You can't possibly still love him. Listen to me, you stupid idiot! Don't you see that there is no hope for anything now? Can't you see that in his eyes you were never a possibility? Stop ignoring me!

More tears spilled uncontrollably.

"I hate you."

Sasuke blinked in confusion.

"I hate you so much."

A sharp needle burst through his chest.

to be continued.