.. Only 2 reviews? I really did appreciate every review you all have given me, but for chapter 6... just 2? Are people still reading this story? Or am I just wasting my time here?
Speaking of reviews, I must give a special thanks to Tiger Priestess for ALL THE SUPPORT! She reviews for EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER since I started this story! (oh my goodness, you have no idea how good that makes me feel!)
"But you could be so much stronger with it, Sasuke."
Those words struck a chord in his heart. But who had spoken them? It did sound rather quiet and sincere, but he couldn't recognise the voice. Although it did sound rather familiar, he was incapable of putting a name to that voice. With his back turned to the owner of that sentence, he could assume that this person was someone he rarely, if never, actually talked to.
He turned around to find that the person behind him was...
Hinata Hyuga.
Masking his shock at the sudden boldness coming from the girl, he raised an eyebrow.
Pushing the tips of her index fingers together- a habit she has taken up- she quietly backed up her earlier statement, "Naruto... he's become so strong because of it."
"We are two different people." He honestly did not know how she could relate Naruto's methods of finding strength to his own, especially when she doesn't even know-
"Yes, but when it comes to love, anyone can become stronger with it. You have grown stronger from it too."
"Do not confuse hatred with love." He said warningly,
But today Hinata was full of surprises.
"You should heed your own advice."
Sasuke had never truly found the Hyuga girl annoying, because she had never bothered him (which he was still thankful for) up until this point. He was seriously considering putting her into a genjutsu with the illusion of Naruto making out with-
"You fought to avenge and restore the honor of your clan all those years. You wouldn't have done that out of hatred..." her eyes softened at her next words, "it must have been out of love."
Sasuke was speechless.
The girl that had never talked to him in all his life had managed to make him question his outlook on his life in no more than 8 sentences. This was something that no-one, not even the knuckle-head ninja she was in love with, had ever accomplished. How was it possible that anybody, let alone this feeble kunoichi, could become aware of this and be able to make him aware of this also?
"It's odd how you would notice this when not even my team-mates have,"
"...I'm not the only one," Her gazed was fixed on a blob of fuchsia in a flower shop, further identified to be Sakura having a heated argument with Ino.
When Sasuke followed her gaze, he found himself staring at his teammate. 'Sakura has known all along? But how come she never told me this? Perhaps she did... and I just didn't listen to her again.'
"When a person... has something important they want to protect... that's when they can become truly strong..."
'Those words... weren't they said by-'
"You had grown stronger to protect your clan's name. Now that that has been done, what will you protect now?"
'I would kill her... but I don't understand her. She may be on to something though...'
However, just add he had turned around to question her further, she disappeared.
Sakura had stormed out of the flower shop in anger at her most recent and yet again pointless argument with Ino.
'Ino with her guys, Naruto with his ramen and Tsunade-shishou with her sake. What is it with blondes? Are they all so loud and demanding? But then again, this is coming from a girl with pink hair... hmmm..'
"Sakura."
"WHAT? ...oh, hi Sasuke. I thought you left because this was 'a waste of your time'? " she mimicked him not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice,
He looked at her cautiously, 'Obviously something must have made her upset. She would never talk to me like this if she were in her normal mood. I need to approach this situation with caution.'
"Teach me again."
"...what?" In all her honesty, she couldn't fathom why he would ask, no, order her to explain once again what love was... unless...
"Did Naruto scream at you and call you an insensitive bastard again?"
"No."
"Did Sai call you an emotionally constipated bastard again?"
"No."
"Did Kakashi Sensei talk to you about his Icha-"
"Sakura..."
"Okay fine, just let me finish my shift at the hospital today first."
"We have to report to Hokage's office this afternoon."
"But why wasn't I told about this earlier? Urgh, now I have to go and cancel my shift! I'll just tell you when we meet at Tsunade-shishou's office!" With that, she headed off in the direction of the hospital not once looking back.
Sasuke figured that he might as well tell the other members of Team 7 about the meeting that Kakashi informed him about the other day.
He was not surprised when he found Naruto at Ichiraku's slurping down what seemed to be his sixth bowl of ramen. Naruto was so absorbed in savouring the taste of his food, he didn't even notice the Uchiha standing behind him.
"Dobe."
"...omnomnomnomnomnom..." (AN: 'omnomnomnom' is supposed to somewhat be the sound effects of Naruto eating)
"Dobe."
"...ramen?"
"...you idiot."
"...MY RAMEN IS SPEAKING TO ME? ALL THIS TIME YOU COULD SPEAK?"
Sasuke, deciding not to waste any more time on this idiot, gave up on trying to inform Naruto of his presence and let the ramen 'convey his message' for him.
"You have a meeting in the afternoon at the Hokage's office. Tell Sai about it as well."
"Ramen... I know I've eaten you many times in the past, and I will still continue to do so... but can we be best friends? ...PLEASE?"
Sasuke left the shop and, since he had no hobbies, decided to head toward the training grounds.
Meanwhile:
Hinata, who had quickly teleported out of Sasuke's sight while he was distracted by his teammate, jumped gracefully up on one of the many trees that surrounded the currently deserted training grounds.
After settling onto the branch, she pulled out a small, familiar-looking orange book from her pouch and began to read.
OKAY! THIS IS ALL FOR NOW. I am so freaking tired, I just can't write anymore at the moment. :\
PLEASE PEOPLE! Review this if you are still reading it! (And sorry for the super late update!)
Yours truly~
