Hanabi and Sasuke walked side-by-side towards the north-east of the village, trudging along the rocky paths as they made their way to the Hyuuga compound.

"She hates me…" Hanabi broke the silence with a scowl, biting her lip miserably til it bled scarlet drops.

"No, she doesn't." Sasuke reassured for the sixth time. Hanabi didn't take the bait, and she rambled on about how rude she was earlier that day.

"Hn." He grunted, not really caring about their small argument, but contemplating about his own argument with her.

Those eyes… So full of emotion… so disgustingly pure…

"That boy deserves all the love in the world…"

"Tsk." He tightened his hold around the eldest Hyuuga firmly, her limp frail body shivering against his frame. Her temperature had gotten worse, and her sister blamed it solely on herself. Sasuke had to come up with a white lie, claiming that they were discussing important matters when she collapsed suddenly.

"It's all my fault!" She wailed, tugging on her sensei's sleeve.

"Get off me or I'll knock you unconscious and leave you and your sister here if you don't shut it,"

Hanabi stared at him and pouted, marching past him in a tantrum. How Hinata could deal with her alone was a mystery.

"THE THINGS I DO FOR YOU AND THE THINGS I GET IN RETURN!" She roared on the top of her lungs, flocks of birds fleeing in all directions. Sasuke punched her head to the side, earing another ear-splitting growl from the gifted maniac.

"OWWW!"

"I mean it." He warned, moving her aside. She held her head and swore into a frenzy the rest of the journey. When they finally reached the compound, Sasuke looked up at the proud Hyuuga sign, remembering how he loathed the name. He still did.

"Keep quiet, the house-maids are still awake even if father and Neji are away for now." Hanabi hissed, opening the main gate slowly to check if the coast was clear. "Okay, we'll go my secret entrance way, and then-"

Sasuke walked right passed her, kicking his shoes off as he went. Hanabi's jaw dropped as she hurriedly closed the door, whispered "Tadaima", organised her shoes as well as Sasuke's before sprinting after the trespasser.

"Are you insane? We aren't called the Hyuuga for no reason! These guys can sense you from a mile away!" She whisper-yelled at Sasuke. He shrugged and began walking up the wooden stairs at the end of the garden, careful not to wake Hinata.

"Yes, uncle. I'll report to the Hokage immediacy." A way too familiar voice spoke, giving Hanabi the chills.

"Quick!" She panicked, but before she could come up with a strategy, Neji was already standing before her.

"Hanabi-san? What are you doing up so late?" He asked gently, keeping his formal attire.

"N-nothing!" She squeaked, almost perfectly imitating her sister. Neji chucked a deep rich laugh which echoed down the stairs.

"Well," He ruffled her hair, passing her to continue his journey. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hanabi-san."

Hanabi smiled back and waved, but suddenly, another voice spoke to her.

Stall him, idiot.

Sasuke managed to somehow talk to her through telepathy. This was enough to freak her out alone, but Neji finding out about the Uchiha lurking around in their compound will be the end of her.

"Uh… Neji nii-chan! I forgot to tell you something!" She shouted, gaining a very surprised look on her cousin's face.

"Is it important enough to keep from the Hokage?" He questioned, and she nodded briskly.

"Hurry, I don't want to be late." He sighed, his hair swaying in the breeze. Her hair of similar colour bobbed up and down as she sprinted to tell him the good news.

Meanwhile, Sasuke found Hanabi's so called 'secret entrance' with a neat sign that read 'KEEP OUT!'. He slid the heavy door open with one hand and held Hinata close with the other, his arm firmly on her waist. Her limp arm secured around his neck tightened when the night grew colder, making the rogue assassin himself squirm uncomfortably.

Get a hold of yourself.

Hanabi's sneer rippled through his mind and he almost forgot to disable the Genjutsu he placed on her.

"Release!" He weaved the sign and activated his sharingan, cancelling out the Jutsu.

"Hmm?" Hinata murmured, nuzzling he face deep into the crook of his neck. Sasuke tilted his head as far back as he can, cringing at the weird sensations he was gaining from this.

"Stop it, damnit!" He mouthed, more to himself than to the sleeping heiress.

Leaning back into the dimly-lit hallway, Sasuke stood and waited for his clumsy student, catching his breath.

"Boo!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her childish games, nodding her to lead the way.

"Hurry up," He fussed, wanting to complete this so he could get home.

Hanabi snickered, a smirk creeping up her face. "I heard all of those dirty thoughts going through your head."

Sasuke remained unfazed, his emotions hidden behind his never-changing mask. "Hn."

He couldn't care less whether she managed to hear his thoughts, but what came out of her forever-unclosing mouth made his blood run cold.

"Wait til everyone hears about this! Wait til Hinata hears about this!" She plotted, talking loudly on purpose to get her mentor's attention.

"And you'll tell them what exactly?" The slightly-interested Sasuke intervened.

"Oh, just my mentor's a huge pervert!" She cackled, running ahead before he breaks her skull again.

"Oh yeah? I could say something just as ridiculous. It's not like they'll believe you." He challenged the 12-year-old.

"Do I look like I would lie, sensei." She turned around and gave her best puppy dog eyes. Sasuke tutted, rolling his eyes. Who did he look like, Naruto?

"Okay, what do you want?" He gave in, curious to see why should would go such lengths.

Hanabi beamed like the blinding rays of the sun. "You have to take my sister out next Friday after the graduation."

"Done."

Hanabi smirked before doing a retake. "Wait, what? You're agreeing to it just like that?" She pouted, saddened to see he took the fun out of it so quickly.

"Yes. Besides, I need a date. And I can't have you ruining my social status, now can we?" He winked, glancing down at her sister. Hanabi frowned, a slight blush dusting her cheeks.

"Of course, you'd do it for yourself…"

"Don't worry, I'm not incredibly selfish." He smiled. "I'm doing this for my favourite student."

The frown on her face flipped right round, and she hugged him tightly.

"You're not so bad after all, Sasuke Sensei!" She giggled, skipping towards her sister's room.

Hinata awoke the next morning, exhausted and extremely sore. She picked up the buzzing phone beside her, jolting awake to already see 6 missed calls in the last 20 minutes.

"H-hello!" She squeaked, catching the phone when it jumped from her hands.

"HYUUGA HINATA WE NEED TO TALK!" Tenten screeched over the phone, taking a deep breath.

"D-demo, why?" Hinata whined, afraid she somehow made the kunoichi upset.

"Why? WHY? WHY?! You get out of bed and come over right now, then I'll tell you why!" She fumed, hanging up just as quickly as Hinata picked up.

"Oh no…" Hinata panicked, jumping into a baggy black jacket and brushing her bed hair with her fingers before rushing out.

"Hinata-sama?" A few maids called in astonishment. Had they just seen the Hyuuga Princess run out of the compound looking like a druggie?

Hanabi yawned but her eyes snapped open when something rushed past her, almost blowing her away. "Nee-chan?" She blinked, rubbing her eyes again. "I wonder what that was about…" She shrugged, carrying on her day.

Hinata sped down the early morning streets of Konoha, jogging past the Ichiraku ramen store to see Chouji ordering a misu ramen.

"Ohio, Chouji!" She waved, and he turned around just to see a running blur.

"Ohio… Hinata?" He pondered, leaning back out of the ramen shop.

"One large bowl of misu ramen!" The friendly shop owner called. Chouji leaned in and drooled, famished as he usually was in the morning.

"YES please!" He tucked in, forgetting about the weird scenario that had taken place.

More and more of her friends who were beginning their daily routines saw Hinata making her way through Konoha in a hurry, and most were dazed and confused as to why.

Maybe she has a mission assignment to complete? Shikamaru questioned.

Maybe Naruto had done something to upset her? Ino thought at the flower shop, ready to pound her fellow blonde senseless.

Maybe an emergency had occurred at the hospital? Rock Lee assumed, pushing up from his six hundredth sit up.

Nevertheless, Hinata payed no attention as she turned the last corner, already out of breath. Panting like an athlete that had completed a thousand-metre sprint, she placed her hand on the wall and rested for a few seconds. Without warning, a large beast leapt over her tired body, crushing her wheezing bones.

"Woof!" The large dog barked, happy to see one of his favourite people in the world.

"Akamaru!" She laughed, covered in happy licks and slobber.

"There now, boy. I think that's enough now."

"The poor girl is still in her pyjamas"

Hinata's favourite voices spoke, her two best friends that she needed most were finally here. She jumped up, hugging both of them tightly, tears of happiness springing up from the corners of her eyes.

"You guys! Never ever l-leave me like that w-without warning." She scolded, her arms tightening around their necks. The two men blushed lightly, also relieved to see their team member still up and going, even if she was a bit under-dressed.

"That's because, we had a mission to com-" Shino began, but had been rudely cut off.

"Well it was a tough journey, but we made it out alive!" Kiba concluded, happily swinging an arm around both his comrades' shoulders, leaning down toward the small kunoichi.

"Let's go and eat a nice breakfast! What do you say, Hina-chan? It's on me." He brought his face close to hers, squeezing her shoulder slightly.

"Ano, Kiba-kun. I've got somewhere to be. Maybe tomorrow?" She smiled apologetically, slipping out from underneath his firm muscles.

"Aww, such a kill-joy. Well, Shino. Do you wanna pay for us?" He hollered, waving a hand at Hinata behind his head. Akamaru barked and wagged his tail before following his owner. "See ya, Hinata!"

"Good-bye, Hinata-chan." Shino bowed traditionally, and she giggled by the contrast between her comrades.

Waving good bye, she ran up the stairs to Tenten's flat, knocking on the thirty third door lightly.

"It's open!" Tenten yelled back.

Hinata opened her door cautiously, afraid the crazy girl would attack her with the rare assortments of weapons she puts on display in her house.

Tenten peeked her head from her living room, walking up to the door to shut it firmly. She grabbed Hinata's wrist and dragged her into her bedroom, sitting her down and looking at her firmly in the eye.

"Right." She breathed, clapping her clammy hands together. Hinata nodded, waiting for whatever it was she had to say.

"Y-yes?" she smiled, encouraging her to speak further.

Tenten breathed in again, quivering and sweating slightly.

Hinata bit her lip, thinking of suggestions in her head.

"Are y-you okay?" She said, bringing her pale hands to cup her almond ones. Tenten hesitantly nodded, taking back her hands and smiling a huge smile.

This made Hinata smile too, somewhat relieved that she was fine. "Don't worry then, I'm sure whatever it is can wait until after breakfast." She giggled, absolutely famished. Come to think of it, when was the last time she had eaten anything?

"Hinata, I'm 4 weeks pregnant."

Sasuke hated surprises, especially when he can clearly see it coming. On his day off, he did not wish to see two familiar faces on his doorstep with disturbingly bright clothes. God, it was only Tuesday.

"Get lost." He grunted, walking away from his front door unlocked. It didn't make a difference either way because Sakura would knock it down. Judging by how many doors he had bought in the last 5 years, it was an expensive tradition.

"Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun/teme!"

Naruto jumped his back, ruffling his jet-black hair before Sasuke could punch him off. Sakura hugged him tightly, setting her present on the table along with Naruto's badly wrapped gift.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He muttered, wondering if their gifts ever changed every year.

"Big man thinks he can boss us around, huh?" Naruto chuckled, pulling his best mate close. "Wait til' I'm 18, then we'll properly have a drink, eh?" He hushed, nudging him lightly. Sasuke ignored the needy brat since he drank every other day anyway.

"No light-weights allowed, dobe." He smirked inwardly, remembering how he almost raped Hinata on the respectable streets of Konoha.

The trio made their way through Sasuke's large apartment, Sakura quietly admiring his masculine taste. Sasuke noticed how quiet she had been recently, not usual for her at all. No cooing, no clinginess, no fluttering her eyelashes around him.

"Hn." Sasuke contemplated, considering the strong kunoichi finally learnt her place.

In contrast Naruto, as always, kept sneaking a glance at her, and constantly wondered by her side. They would speak in hushed voices, a smile blooming on Sakura's face at something Naruto had suggested, then a light blush dusted her cheeks.

Sasuke went back to the foyer, collecting the two gifts he had received and placing them into his room, slightly relieved that his close friends didn't invite the whole village like they had four years ago. There were only two people who can remember who didn't attend his birthday bash; Neji and Hinata. Staring out of his window at the calm, serene scenery, he slipped one hand out of his pockets and massaged his temples.

He couldn't care less at the time, but he had a weird feeling that he should've seen them at least before he went and betrayed the village.

Especially Hinata. Maybe he could've lectured her before she had feelings to the nearly-engaged blonde. But again, he couldn't care less at the time. As for the other Hyuuga, he can be dragged to hell and back for all he cared.

For some reason, he had grown attached to this shy creature, yearning to see her at times like this, where he felt the loneliest. Not that he admitted he needed anyone, but some company was preferred other than none. With his best friends getting married and his other companions pairing off into their own couples, it'll be about time when all his fans realise there are plenty of other guys for them, and that if he wants to be left alone, then so be it.

"That boy deserves all the love in the world…"

That torturing statement replayed in his mind, making the usually strong and unfettered Uchiha nauseous. Ironic how he was the most loved, most sought-after kid in town, now the prettiest girls don't even batter an eyelid at him. It's what he had wanted ever since he was young, but he never knew how it would leave him so empty and unwanted.

The only true person who had loved him was his mother. Her soft, forgiving eyes. Her warm, gentle hugs. Her open words. Her gushing praises. How she lived her life compared to him made him seem worthless.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he was mortified to feel little droplets escaping his eyes, running down his cheeks.

"What?" He replied softly, blinking in fascination at the small drops of water on his palm. He couldn't even remember the last time he cried.

Sakura, who was waiting patiently at his doorframe, rushed over immediately and hugged him. Her arms held his abdomen tightly, her face buried deeply in his cotton jumper. Another pair of arms slowly wrapped round his shoulders, their head resting Sakura's head. Naruto hugged his teammates tightly, both his hands squeezing his beloved's hand and Sasuke's arm.

Sasuke closed his eyes, taking a hesitant breath. His friends held him close, reminding him that they are there for him and always will be. From the first day of his return to the present day, they've always given him that extra support, always cheering him on when he didn't want them to. He always pushed them away, but they constantly came running back.

"Thank you. For everything."