It's one of those days again. Where the water pounds the streets, gutters gush, pulling at the debris that line their sides. A few tread outside armed with resilient umbrellas. But the drops fall heavy, almost enough to shake off the robust shield.
It was like this when Neji was called away.
It was like this when his team came back without him.
Without even a body to mourn.
Hinata watches the drowning rain. The puddles that turn into limpid pools. How the birds take shelter underneath the rafters, huddling close to outlast the storm. Hinata gazes out and imagine the rain acting as her tears.
And then she doesn't have to.
Sasuke from the hallway observes and guards. If Hinata realizes that he is there, she'll try to bury everything beneath a plastic smile. He hates that almost as much as her tears. If she won't even allow him to comfort her, then at least he can protect her quiet moment of grief.
He just wishes he could do what she does for him.
When, on certain times of year, Sasuke feels that crack of despair too.
He'll reserve up training yard after training yard to destroy until Sakura sits on him to bandage his wet red hands. And then he'll wreck himself again. and again.
It's only when Naruto brings him home does Sasuke start to come to himself.
Then with Hinata, they'll go to the memorial stone. They'll be there for hours. Even past twilight where the light fades leaving only shadow and the stilted callous lamplight. Their stares will still trace the carved lines until Sasuke notices Hinata swaying ever so faintly.
His wife is tired. Hungry. Cold.
Sasuke interlocks their fingers and takes them home.
It was supposed to be just a routine information exchange. Where representatives mutually trade secrets for the sake of village diplomacy. Sasuke hates it. But he refuses to let Tsunade see him cringe every time she summons him, just to rub his face back into proper ninja society.
Sparring with Naruto is so much more palatable than this pacifying hell. Through torture couldn't pry that from him. He and the other respresentative had successfully stared down the other, given information through thinly veiled insults and were moving towards their respectfully different inns when Sasuke saw him.
And froze.
There across the way, speaking to a shop vendor was a ghost. Or was going to be, after Sasuke had finished using chidori on him. What did this pretentious, fate-spewing, ratty longhaired traitor think he was doing….
A strip of long faded cloth wrapped over the deserter's eyes.
Neji was blind.
It took a few placed glares and a bit of justifiable skulking to get the whole story from the civilians.
The man had washed up on the banks of the river heavily wounded. After being treated, he refused aid to return home and haunts the edge of town as a type of medicine man. Some say he sells herbs. One person swears that a sharp poke at his ribs cured his rheumatism.
Sasuke learned one other thing.
Behind that worn cloth was nothing.
Neji wasn't just blind.
He had lost his eyes.
Sasuke thinks of pride. The honor of a clan. The difference between tradition and stupidity. And the moisture Hinata flicks away from her face when she thinks Sasuke's not looking.
When Sasuke decides that talking isn't going to work he goes with the "Naruto Approach."
He punches Neji in the face.
Later. An hour and half later, Sasuke notes that the "Naruto Approach" is in fact more successful when you are indeed Naruto. Then again Naruto often interjects encouragement or something inspiring in between blows.
Sasuke can't do that. Yet, he tries to make due with sarcasm and spite.
"You're keeping up well for a pathetic Hyuuga."
"Look around you…oops, sorry feel around you, there is so much wreckage and you still call yourself weak? The only thing weak about you is your stupid resolve."
Hissing, Sasuke admits his newly cracked ribs may have been deserved.
"I can't believe Gai held silence for a month for such a prideful idiot."
"Do you really think TenTen would make anything less of you with your 'disability?' Or that Lee, Lee who was literally once a pitiful cripple, would?
Almost breathless, Sasuke barely manages to pin down a livid Neji. Even blind he proves to be a creative genius. Sasuke can't feel his left side and hopes that Hinata will be able to fix those charka pathways before they choke him. It's time to end this.
"I'm leaving tomorrow from the Green Tea Inn. If you really want to prove yourself anything more than a blind, overpowered invalid…meet me there at 9:00. "
He releases Neji and moves out of his pretty comprehensive reach. Sasuke begins to walk carefully, not because of his injuries, back to the inn.
"Come back to Konoha. I'm tired of watching my wife cry on rainy days."
Neji shows up at 9:05. And smirks every time he hears Sasuke clutch his side.
Sasuke chooses to wait until they're back in Konoha before he does anything to the conceited Hyuuga. Waits until he sees Hinata's expression change from surprise, to shock and finally settle on overwhelmed joy. She's still crying for Neji, but not in pain anymore.
Sasuke gives himself a mental pat on the back. And hits Neji again.
Notes: Writing Neji is hard. I think it's only to some of my dear friends that I spared Neji instead of leaving him for dead. On the other hand I wanted to show how Sasuke, though still a jerk, really cares and empathizes with Hinata irregardless of how different their losses are.