"What exactly will this do for me?" He asked, his patience being tested at the moment. He wanted to lash out against her in protest, but the way she was smiling behind her hand made him think against it. With a small grunt, he quickly made his thoughts dissolve.

If it were under different circumstances, and if he was a different person, then maybe he would've allowed the thought to bubble up inside him and take him over. But he was still Sasuke Uchiha, so it seemed as though Hinata will continue to be a weed to him.

"This will improve your...image?" She 'explained'; although to Sasuke it sounded more like a question she was asking herself.

The two were in the compound, given that Sasuke was pretty much under house-arrest. This time, it really was just the two of them. Sasuke's professional babysitters, as he lovingly likes to refer to them, were called in by Tsunade.

Of course, Sasuke wasn't meant to be left alone. This is where Hinata came in. He wasn't sure why, but Sasuke pretty much deduced that Tsunade (or someone who was pulling the strings) figured Hinata had some sort of immunity and thought it would be best for her to be placed into the cage that contained the big bad Sasuke.

She slowed to a stop, and Sasuke followed suit. For the past few minutes, they were aimlessly pacing. Though he didn't ask, Hinata told him it helped her think.

"Sit," she said. She sat down on the floor, cross-legged, with Sasuke following suit. The floor was cold and rough, but it didn't bother her, and Sasuke was already used to it.

He looked at her, as if waiting for more instruction. To Sasuke, just the idea of someone like Hinata 'teaching' him how to be a 'better' person was laughable.

And yet, it was happening.

"N-Now," She said, "Smile!"

He simply stared at her, his face still set into it's usual scowl.

She tried again, this time demonstrating how to do it with her own nervous one. Her fingers followed as the corners of her lips turned up.

A couple of seconds passed with no response from Sasuke, causing Hinata to drop her hands and put them into her lap. She frowned at Sasuke.

She was hoping if she kept this form, she'd be able to win. She would not yield to the Uchiha. It usually worked with Kiba, when he wasn't willing to do anything.

In short, it was a one-sided staring contest.

2 minutes passed, cloaked in silence and awkward staring.

Hinata fidgeted. Sasuke was still as impassive as ever.

Looking into Hyuuga eyes were kind of interesting. They were completely...blank? But not blank at the same time. Maybe it was the fact that they had no pupils that kind of freaked him out.

But, Hinata's eyes suited her. It was a weird thing to think, but it was still was Sasuke thought. He watched silently as Hinata squinted her eyes.

She tried to glare, but it was a pitiable attempt. The angry expression looked so foreign on her face, which ultimately caused Hinata to win. After another second of being the recipient of Hinata's glare, he chuckled.

It was more of a half-chuckle — he stopped himself as soon as the tiniest sound was emitted from his throat. It felt weird to him; he wasn't sure how long it has been since he truly chuckled. Or half-chuckled.

He was hoping she didn't see it; but, unfortunately, Hinata saw and heard it.

Almost like a flower, she sprung up, or rather quickly sat up, with her eyes slightly wide. She was smiling, her hands clasping together in front of her in delight.

"Y-You did it!" She said excitedly, her cheeks dusted a faded pink from excitement. They were making progress! Finally!

Sasuke quickly slipped into his usual brooding appearance, as Hinata continued to smile at him. She acted like a puppy after they received a treat.

To think that a half-assed smile can make someone that happy.

"One with teeth, now!" She requested, still smiling at him.

He gave her a look of defiance, and she wilted again.

He secretly hoped she'd stay in that state, for his own sake, but she quickly rebounded.

"I can pretend t-to be someone else!" She said in an excited whisper. Whenever Hinata got really excited, her voice would go lower — habitually into a whisper.

Nodding her head at her own idea, she agreed with herself.

She shifted her weight onto one side, as she retrieved something from her sweater pocket. It was revealed to be a scrunchy.

Sasuke knew where this was going, and was a bit curious to see how it would turn out. She gathered her hair up with one hand. The other head held the scrunchy, and in one swift motion, Hinata put her hair in a somewhat high ponytail.

Her bangs still framed her face, but it was still a refreshing new look on the girl.

Absentmindedly fixing fly-aways and strays, Hinata paid no heed as Sasuke shifted.

He leaned forward, his hand already moving on its own.

In her excitement, Hinata forgot a significant amount of hair, that lied against her neck, separated from the ones secured by the scrunchy.

"You forgot some," he said. By this time, Sasuke was a second away from touching the abandoned locks of hair. But as soon as Hinata realized what was going on, and how Sasuke was coming closer, she instinctively scooted back, taking in a sharp intake of breath.

She hoped he hadn't notice, but he did.

And as if he were coming back to his senses, he went back to his original seating position.

She was still wary of him. He already knew this, but to see her actually act out upon it seemed unnatural.

"T-Thank you," Hinata stuttered out, trying to fill the silence, as she redid her ponytail. This time, she remembered to include all strands and locks.

And like nothing happened, she reverted back to the expert on smiling. Except this time, her hands were anxiously toying with the hem of her sweater. And now, it seemed to be harder for her to speak — the amount of the times she stuttered in a sentence increased.

Sasuke tried pushing all of these things that he noticed to the back of his mind. It didn't matter to him. It shouldn't.

But when she asked him again, trying (but failing) to look straight at him, to smile and greet her politely, his body acted on its own again.

"Good afternoon, miss." He said, trying to smile. The way he smiled felt uncomfortable on him, but he guessed it would tide him over for now by the way Hinata nodded.

"G-Good afternoon," she said in reply.

And they continued to do this for who knows how long. At times, Hinata would move back if she noticed there wasn't enough distance between them. At times, Sasuke would discreetly move closer when he felt there was too much, even though he forced himself to think that his body was, yet again, acting on its own.

But he very much knew that, if anything, he was acting out on his own thoughts and impulses.

And he tried to push this thought into the back of his mind.

When he noticed the slight way Hinata would bob her head when moving, and the way her ponytail would move along with her, he pretended he saw nothing.

Instead, in his mind, as she watched him expectantly, he repeated a phrase in his mind. He kept reminding himself that she was just a weed. She was a weed.

If she were a flower, it'd be his duty to crush her.

So, she was a weed.

It was pathetic how he made himself believe that she was a weed. He shouldn't be bothered if he managed to hurt her. That's what happens to the weak. And if anything, it would be her fault for sticking around so long.

And though he tells himself that, he still awkwardly smiled when Hinata asked him to. At times she would laugh behind her hand, her hair bowed a bit. At those times, Sasuke found his gaze on her lingering for a second too long. At those times, Sasuke felt disappointed in himself and disgusted by his actions.

But at the same time, watching the pure childlike delight dance across her face, he felt oddly at ease.

By now, her hair was out of its ponytail. It's been probably a half an hour since they had started their "training" sessions, which mainly consisted of Hinata teaching Sasuke manners. Which, of course, Sasuke had. It was just the matter that he chose not to use them.

It was quiet between them right now, with Hinata simply observing the inside of the room they were in. They were still seated on the floors, but in a more relaxed position. During the approximate 30 minutes, it was as if Hinata forgot that she was supposed to be on her guard around him.

Sasuke didn't remind her.

"H-How does it feel?" She asked, giving him a slightly apprehensive look, while absentmindedly picking at the skin around her fingernail.

"Konoha?" He said, assuming she was inquiring how he felt being back in Konoha. Although, she'd be a couple of months late on asking said question, of course.

With a hesitant shake of her head, she elaborated.

"Being...here," she whispered, looking around slowly, as if she was afraid the walls may hear her.

Oh.

He understood what she was asking now. The question others failed to ask. The one people would dodge purposely.

Or well, he assumed they'd dodge asking the question if given the chance to ask it. He hasn't had much interaction with other people, save for his babysitters and Hinata.

He sat there, tightlipped, wondering how it felt. He wasn't really sure anymore. How does it feel? Being in the very place he witnessed his parents get murdered by his own kin, his own brother, who had a warped idea of how to protect his village and younger brother.

The whole Itachi thing could have been handled better. When in the hospital, he thought about it a lot. What would he have done in Itachi's shoes; different things he'd say to Sasuke if he, himself, were Itachi.

He'd probably not tell him to simmer in his own hate.

When he was in the hospital, he always felt angry. And then a bit sad, and then confused, and angry again. A cycle he thought wouldn't end.

But it has.

And now, as he carefully thought about it, he felt nothing. Or rather, he didn't know what he was feeling.

Right now, he was a mixture of what he deducted was his feelings. Whether he existed as a heterogeneous or homogenous mixture, he did not know. But he knew, for sure, he was currently a mess.

Hinata waited patiently for his answer.

He looked at her, with his regular impassiveness.

"I don't know anymore," he said with such a finality, that voiced the unspoken declaration that there was no room for any arguments. He watched carefully for her reaction.

Would she pity him, or empathize with him?

He watched, and she did...nothing. Her expression was blank, mirroring what his own face looks like during the majority of the time.

Even through her lack of expression, it was evident that she was thinking hard.. Carefully calculating as she treads carefully on the road she was on - that part of instilled Hyuuga traits failed to escape her.

"That's," she began, ending with a pause. Her hands were still now, folded in her lap.

She looked at him in the eyes for a moment, as she continued to complete her sentence.

"That's fine."

And her eyelids concealed her eyes, as they fluttered to a close. She repeated the phrase, laced with a comforting tone.

"That's fine," She said, a whisper of a reassurance, that made Sasuke feel as though she was reaching out to him; her fingers carefully and gingerly going through the mess that is his hair.

And that was when he realized how long he has been waiting to hear those words. To be assured that it was ok to not know what to do.

His gratitude bubbled up his throat, and almost escaped his lips, but he quickly forced it back down again.

He assumed, correctly, that she knew he was grateful.

Almost as if in acceptance to his silent gratitude, she opened her eyes again.

A smile came first, and then a suggestion. Both threw Sasuke a bit off guard.

"Let's go outside," she said.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm under house arrest," he said with a sneer. If Hinata was the type, she would have rolled her eyes at him then.

"I-I'm serious, you know," She continued. Her stutter broke in when she really understood what she was asking him to do. What she was going to do.

Break the rules.

Breaking the rules, of course, was taboo for any Hyuuga. Especially for one as good natured as Hinata.

Sasuke figured she had some sort of saint-complex, and that was what she was still doing here, trying to coax him into going outside.

Ironic how she, out of all people, was trying to get him to break the rules. And the fact that he'd rather follow them made him feel a tiny bit perturbed.

He was weighing out his options when Hinata began to take her offer back.

"If you don't want to, that's a-alright."

"No," he said without a moment's hesitation.

And that is where he discovered another side to the girl, who was quickly getting up off the floor with enthusiasm.

A look of mischief darted across her face when he had agreed, melting into one of her usual smiles.

"Where are we going to go?" He asked, placing his hand on his knee as he hoisted himself off the ground.

She shrugged cutely, "Nowhere."

Spinning on her heel, she said, "And everywhere."

She began to walk away, where Sasuke, once more, deliberated on what his next actions should be. Inevitably, he willingly followed in her footsteps.

Hinata chatted with him, as they walked, but never turned around. Not even for security measures.

This made him feel a bit lighter, knowing that she was able to put her guard down at least this much. But it also made him a bit disappointed, for some reason.

Perhaps he just really wanted to see her smile at him again.

It didn't need to be said, but she said it anyway.

"Careful not to get caught," She advised in a whisper.

It should be easy enough for Sasuke. He had been able to evade his own alleged best friend for a majority of his years.

They haven't come across any villagers, and they didn't pick up on anyone's chakra a signal, meaning no one was nearby.

"Are you doing this for your own gain?" he asked his voice low. He was talking to her back, and gained no response. Instead, she filled him on their whereabouts.

"K-Keep this place a secret," she said, still not turning to look back at him. Both of them knew he didn't really have anyone to tell.

"Are we still in the village?"

She paused for a second, stopping in her tracks. Sasuke did so as well.

Then, as if affirming she was going in the right direction, she nodded to herself again.

"More or less," was her ambiguous reply.

He gave up on leading her into more conversation; he was greeted by nature's sounds and the lush green Konoha never lacked.

People may change, Sasuke noted. But something's, indisputably Konoha's tall trees, never changed.

But soon the amount of trees began to diminish, and the noises of the small birds sounded muffled, as if someone covered the birds beaks with a soft towel.

They had come across a small clearing.

Here, was where Hinata turned to face him. He was a safe enough distance away from her, but he could still view the light lines that formed around her mouth as she smiled, her cheeks red once more.

Probably from excitement.

"We're here," she announced, arms wide; she then turned her back on Sasuke again.

He walked behind her awkwardly, not nearly knowing what to do here. It was serene and peaceful, and it made Sasuke nervous and unnerved.

Hinata took to laying down on the grass itself, her hair spilling across the ground, somehow perfectly.

Sasuke assumed the other Hyuuga's, Neji, hair would spill out in a similar fashion. Having good hair must've been a Hyuuga thing as well.

He took the liberty to sit near her, his arms behind his back, as his palms touched the ground and held him up.

The quiet was still unnerving to him, but when he looked up and saw how blue the sky was, he felt a bit more at ease. He could already tell that this venture outside will do wonders for what was left of his mental health.

Hinata was still laid out on the ground, enjoying the way the sun's rays would warm her for a second, and then be hid away by the passing clouds.

"I-I am," she said, soft. Speaking too loud in this place always seemed wrong to her.

It was a place where she would come to frequently, usually to get away from others. She loved Kiba and Shino with all her times, but they were far better than she was (in her opinion) so she quickly took to coming here in order train and strengthen her resolve to become a better ninja.

Not only that, but it was a good way for her to collect her thoughts, and just be alone for a bit.

But it seemed as though Sasuke needed a bit more than her, at this moment at least.

"I-I'm using you for my own gain," she confessed.

She knew he turned to look at her for a moment, but then he shifted his attention to the clouds again. He seemed satisfied with her response.

"I feel..." A pause.

"Like I-I'm doing something others c-can't."

"Taming the Uchiha traitor?"

"No, t-talking to him," she said.

That shut him up.

Sasuke squinted as the sun was unveiled.

"I f-feel important," she admitted, closing her eyes. The sunlight warmed her, leaving her feeling buoyant.

"A link to t-the outside world," She went on.

"S-Someone who is of...use."

He stopped her there.

"In short, you see me as a needy kid. And you are the doting mother tending to me," He said sarcastically. "You feel as though I depend on you."

She opened her eyes once the clouds came again, and sat up.

"Yes." She said, with stunning honesty.

She turned her head to him, and he moved his head a bit so he'd be able to see her more through the corner of his eye.

"I p-plan to use you, Sasuke." She warned. "I-I'm going to use you for all you're worth, and then leave."

Whether or not this was all talk, Sasuke was still interested. He turned his head back, so only a blur of Hinata was visible in his peripheral vision.

"Alright," he said.

Her eyes were still on Sasuke, as she drew her knees to her chest and laid her cheek on them.

"As long as I get to use you," He said. Using people was something he was exceptionally good at, which he proved time and time again.

"It's a deal," she said, smiling.

She still wasn't really sure what she was doing here with him, but her heart thudded in her chest and she was excited by the risk of it all.

And that was it.

For the next hour or so, testing their limits, they talked.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"You've done b-bad things, yes."

"Yes or no?"

"T-The world isn't...that black and white."

...

"I...I always wanted to go to the Land of Iron," a confession. "To reside in a neutral land w-would be nice."

"I can't go," he said.

"Why?" She glanced at him. He glanced back.

"I'm an international criminal."

"Oh."

...

"Why are you talking to me? I could kill you." An astute observation.

"S-Stop," she shushed.

"I can. I'm Sasuke Uchiha," he said, as if bragging. Being Sasuke Uchiha was nothing to brag about, he knew.

"Let's forget our names f-for now." She smiled. "J-Just two people talking."

He looked at her again, and this time, he allowed himself to admire how...beautiful she looked. Turning away, he decided to give it a go at lying down on the ground as well.

She followed suit.

"Two people it is,"

...

They were back before anyone could really notice their absence. Sasuke's babysitters were still absent, and Hinata said that she told her teammates and family she had other matters to attend to.

"Of course Kiba wanted to accompany me," she said, laughing behind her hand. "B-But Shino told him not to." Sasuke deemed Shino to be the more sensible one.

Other than that, the sneaky walk back was quiet.

It was, however, in the confines of his former home that Hinata decided to interrupt the small feeling of ease Sasuke found.

They were simply sitting on the floor again, not saying much, when Hinata spoke.

"Naruto and Sakura are coming tomorrow," she said.

He fought the urge to respond in anger.

Why should he be angry? Did he even have it in him to be angry anymore?

She took his silence as a question, and she explained.

"L-Lesson two," she said. "Y-You have to deal with them l-later on."

He grunted in response.

She took a long look at him, and sighed, as she got up.

"T-This way I c-can also leave earlier."

He looked up at her, eyebrow raised.

"Leave?"

She smiled uncertainly, and said, "Leaving you."

The smile suddenly looked out of place on her face.

"S-Step two in using Sasuke," she said, her voice faltering a bit, giving way to the fact that she didn't really have any ill intentions.

For better or for worse, she was doing this for him.

Which was the most stupid thing to do. With that sentence, Sasuke saw that Naruto really had influenced this girl.

And with that, she said her goodbyes, and left Sasuke alone to his thoughts. The two masked Anbu came back shortly after Hinata left, and asked Sasuke question's, which Sasuke chose not to reply to.

He had to remind himself not to get attached.