Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
A/N: Wow….I never thought Chibi Hina-chan & Chibi Sasuke-kun would be a hit wif you guys….yeah, I kinda like 'em too…..I can even imagine them! In fact, I got the idea after seeing a picture on deviantart…..I forgot who was the artist, coz I used the pic as my icon. You guys can check it out on my profile. Yeah, and I'm gonna use tat scene describing certain parts of the fic……and thanx everyone for ur support!!
Julia – woman! This chappie goes for you! And thanx for even suggesting it!!
Okay people, this is somewhat longer than I usually write, especially for you guys…..hope all of you enjoy!
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Recap:
Sasuke couldn't deny the bitter feeling like his heart was squeezed tight when he first saw them hugged each other. Anger coursed through his veins and was biting his lower lip as he hold his tears from escaping.
Sasuke glared at the two figures walking away and beginning to go deep in his thoughts. Nii-sama has already made his move…..I must make my next step. I'm not going to let that Tomato Freak spending her time with Nii-sama. And he'd better not get his hands all over her! Gripping his hand into a tight fist, Sasuke punched the tree next to him. Blood seeped through the tiny gap between his fist and the tree.
"I….won't….give….up." He swore, looking up in the sky…..
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CHAPTER 6: WHEN LOVE & HATE COLLIDES (PART 1)
The next day:
P.E. with Gai-sensei was like a death sentence in disguise. Everyone groaned in pain when he had them do 1000 push-ups. The girls all had their eyes widened in shock. Even the boys. And they were all shock for the wrong reason.
They were checking out Hinata again in her P.E. clothes – again. This time, someone replaced her school t-shirt with a size smaller. The size of the drool on the floor – doubled.
Hinata felt a huge wave of uncomfortability when they were doing push-ups. The boys couldn't even concentrate on their exercises and were staring at Hinata doing push-ups. Eyes up….eyes down.
"Psst…Hinata-chan," Sakura whispered next to her.
"Yes Sakura-chan?"
"Err…don't….don't you…think that…that….your…errr….shirt is a little….small?"
Hinata blushed furiously. And here I thought I was the only one who noticed it!
She snapped out of her reverie when she realised something……All the boys noticed her blushing, sighed contently.
Ino stood next to Hinata and murmured into her ears, "I wouldn't be surprised as in the animal kingdon calls it 'mating season'. And it is pretty obvious which 'female' the 'males' are fighting for."
"Are you jealous Ino-pig?" Sakura smirked.
"Hell no, Billboard-brow!"
"What is there to be jealous about?" Sasuke suddenly said. Leaning against the pillar of the basketball hoop (A/N: If that is what you call it!).
Hinata frowned.
All of a sudden, both Ino and Sakura latched their arms on Sasuke's side. "SASUKE-KUN!!"
If there was any way Sasuke could vanish into thin air, he would've done it by now. The sound of spending his holiday in the Alcatraz sounded so much better than having fangirls surrounding him even a second!
"Oi Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled at the blushing Hyuuga heiress.
"Oh…hi…Na..Naruto-kun," Hinata's melodious voice responded to Naruto.
Sasuke frowned.
"Ne…Hinata-chan," Naruto said.
"Ha…hai..Na..Naru…to-kun?" Hinata blushed.
"Why is that your shirt looked smaller?" Naruto scratched his head absently.
"BAKA!!" Kiba smack him hard on the head.
Hinata blushed another shade of red as she held her hands across her chest. She felt like crying as if her body was exposed to everyone for viewing pleasure.
"Oww! What was that for??" Naruto demanded, glaring angrily at Kiba.
"You're embarrassing Hinata here!" Kiba pointed out, and everyone noticed that he was pointing towards Hinata's chest.
Hinata whimpered.
"BAKA!!" Sakura smacked him on the head.
"HENTAI!!" Ino slapped him across the face.
Everyone sweat dropped. Kiba literally had 'X' marked in his eyes.
Naruto laughed and pointed at the unconscious Inuzuka.
"I can't believe how horny that Kiba is!" Sakura fumed.
"Well, at least his cousin Kazu-kun wasn't at all like him," Ino replied. "Kiba, you disgust me!"
"Heeel….ll..pp!!" Kiba moaned.
"Is all my beautiful youths ready for their springtime of youth?!" Gai asked excitedly. His perfectly white-shined teeth gleamed brightly, with hands on his hips.
Everyone sweat dropped. Thinking what would be the worst that could happen.
Shikamaru held his hands up.
"Yes Shikamaru?" Gai asked.
"Chouji was admitted into the infirmary. Again."
Gai nodded his head.
"Gai-sensei," Sasuke said. "Are we going to play basketball again?"
"Hai Sasuke!!" Gai exclaimed. "I want all of you to play this wonderful game since the beauty of your youths shone through the energy and determination you all displayed last week was so extraordinary, I want all of you to play it again!"
He then looked at both Hinata and Sasuke. "I've seen the two of you play, and it was a remarkably beautiful display of tactics and strategy of how you enjoy your glorious youthfulness! The rest of the class should follow by your example!"
"This is going to be trouble with a capital 'T'," Ino murmured.
"Yeah, how troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, taking a seat on the benches.
"Aren't you going to play, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.
"With those two glaring at each other? Its too troublesome for me," Shikamaru said, leaning back against the benches while all of them noticed the killer looks which both Hinata and Sasuke were throwing at one another.
"I wanna be in Sasuke-kun's team!!" Sakura exclaimed. Latching herself to Sasuke's arms.
Not wanting to lose out to her arch-rival. Ino jumped up and latched herself onto his other arm. "Me too!!"
"Butt out pig!" Sakura yelled. Her green eyes flashing angrily.
"Over your freaking pink hair, forehead girl!" Ino's sapphire blue ones glaring at Sakuras' emerald green ones.
Sasuke's eyes was twitching as he was prepared to burst out anytime.
"So," Hinata smirked. "It seems like history is going to repeat itself huh?" Crossing her arms across her ample chest.
"What history Tomato Freak?"
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten how badly you lose to me previously?"
"Yeah right!" Sasuke finally managed to pull himself away from his fangirls. "That…that wasn't losing. I…I…was just…giving you…face! Coz you're….a…..girl!"
Hinata sneered back at him. "Well, just admit it that you lost to me, Duck Butt. Everyone knows it."
"I did not lose to you! You're just jealous!"
"WHAT!?" Hinata went into an octave. Her flushed face obviously shown
"Oh hell," Ino groaned.
"Are we going through this again?" Naruto looked blankly at Kiba.
Kiba and Shikamaru sighed.
Gai just love watching the interaction between those two. "Those are just two beautiful expression between youths. Expressing their love for one another!!"
Both Hinata and Sasuke stopped their arguments and stared stupidly at their teacher. The rest of the class froze and stared as well.
Not realising that Hinata had her Byakugan activated and Sasuke his Sharingan. Both felt an urgent need to kill an annoying beast in green spandex until…..
"GAI-SENSEI!!!"
Everyone had a jaw-dropped experience.
"O-M-G." Both Ino and Sakura muttered at the same time. Trying hard to digest the view before them.
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He looked to the left, and then to the right.
Okay. Coast is clear. He said to himself, sneaking in through the window and jumped down stealthily onto the floor. Still crouching, he heightened his senses a few notches and checked whether the coast is clear for him to move around.
He looked through the lockers until he found what he was searching for.
"Hyuuga Hinata. Good," he smirked. Picking the lock was a small matter. Once he was done, his black eyes gleamed viciously. "Alright Tomato Freak, time for a little payback."
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"That was probably the scariest moment of my entire life!" Ino was practically yapping away as the girls finished shower and started to dress. "I think Kimi-chan had a concussion when he ran into us just now."
"Yeah," Sakura added. "Not to mention he totally freaked Yumi-chan and Mizuno-chan with his err…unusual display of acrobatics in spandex!"
The girls were still busy chatting with one another until they heard Hinata gasped in surprise.
"What's the matter Hinata-chan?" Ino asked worriedly.
Hinata's pale eyes looked troubled. All the girls in the changing room was looking at the panic-stricken Hyuuga heiress.
"I…I…I can't…fi…find my…my….jacket!" Hinata was rummaging through her things.
Ino and Sakura looked at each other. The other girls all gave the same blank look on their faces.
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Half an hour later:
"I don't think it's around here Hinata-chan," Sakura said, wiping her brow. "Are you sure you put it in your locker?"
Hinata nodded her head. She looked so grief-stricken. Her eyes started to swell with tears when she heard Sakura said so.
"Then where could it be??" Ino muttered, putting both hands on her hips, with her legs spread wider in a stance.
Suddenly, three girls ran into the changing room and were panting heavily.
"What's the matter?" Sakura asked.
One of the girls were pointing outside while the other one tried her best to get a breather and the auburn haired girl finally said. "Ou…out…si..side!"
"Huh??" Almost all the girls gave the same response.
"What is it Aya-chan?" Ino asked.
"Hi…Hina…ta's….jack…jacket!" Aya, the girl with darkish blond pigtails replied.
Hinata's large lavender tinted eyes widened. "Whe…where?" Her voice croaked.
"The field," Aya replied.
All the girls took a look at Hinata. And before they could blink, Hinata dashed out of the room and out towards the football field.
Right there, leaning against the flagpole post was Sasuke. Crossing his arms, he smirked viciously at her.
Hinata frowned angrily.
He pointed upwards.
Hinata's eyes went all the way up. Right up there. On top of the flagpole…..was Hinata's jacket. Flapping against the winds of Konoha.
Hinata turned her head sharply at Sasuke and glared furiously at him before she did the inevitable.
"DUCK BUTTTTTT!!!" Hinata launched herself against the offending Uchiha and started to strangle him with all her might. Sasuke, who was naturally shocked by her outburst, defended himself against her attacks by going straight for her hair. Both of them were struggling on the grounds as Hinata had her hands around his neck while Sasuke had his on her hair. It was one amazing sight to behold.
Ino sighed. "This is so troublesome."
Sakura turned towards her blond bestfriend. "You sound like Shikamaru."
Ino grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, can't help it."
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"I hope you have a good explanation for this," Uchiha Fugaku said, looking sternly at his youngest son. His arms crossed across his police uniform.
Uchiha Sasuke. Fourteen years old. Uchiha Clan's 'spare' to the 'heir'. Youngest son to Uchiha Fugaku was sporting two black eyes, a bleeding nose, a bruised cheek and had lost a front tooth, was a sight to behold.
"Hinata," Hyuuga Hiashi said in the same icy cold tone towards his eldest child.
Hyuuga Hinata. Fourteen years old. Heiress to Konoha's most distinguished and oldest clan. Eldest child and daughter to Hyuuga Hiashi sported a black eye, a bruised upper lip and ruffed up messy hair was definitely out of the ordinary.
Both sat before their fathers. On the ground. Right on their knees, kneeling. With their heads bowed down.
Sasuke was in pain. But he had to bear it. He stole a glance at his arch-nemesis who kneeled down right beside him. He smirked.
Hinata was also in pain, but she couldn't help it but sniff helplessly.
Both Hiashi and Fugaku sighed.
When will they both grow up? Fugaku pondered.
Why can't they act like adults? Hiashi thought.
Both clan leaders looked at one another. They both had the same thought running through their mind.
"Hn," Hiashi murmured.
"Tch," Fugaku muttered.
"Hyuuga-sama, Uchiha-sama." A man with heavy scars on his face looked at both clan leaders. "I'm Ibiki Morino, the Academy's Head of Discipline," Ibiki introduced himself. "I've talked to Principal Sarutobi and he has agreed to let this slide, but with the exception that both the children will have to receive their punishment."
"Punishment!" Sasuke yelled.
"Pu…pun..punish…ment?" Hinata gasped.
"Oww!" Sasuke yelped as Fugaku flicked his ears.
Hinata crouched much lower at her father's deadly gaze.
Ibiki sighed. Knowing the history between the young Hyuuga and Uchiha through their records, it was amazing that both of them were still alive.
"What is the punishment, Ibiki?" Fugaku said. "I hope its sufficiently met."
"Don't worry, Fugaku. Tsunade-sama have seen to it and the matter will be properly dealt with," Ibiki replied.
"Hn."
"Tch."
Ignoring the adults, both Hinata and Sasuke were still giving death glares towards one another.
Dumbass duck. Hinata mouthed at him.
Stupid tomato. He replied back, with equal malice.
Both Hiashi and Fugaku looked at one another. Fugaku gave Hiashi a I-know-how-to-keep-them-both-quiet look. And his counterpart nodded his head in agreement.
"Sasuke, Hinata-chan," Fugaku said. Both teens looked at the elder Uchiha.
"Hai, Otou-sama."
"Hai, Ooji-sama."
"If the both of you do not behave, Hiashi-sama and I would have no choice but to bethrothed the two of you and you both will have to spend the rest of your lives together. What about that, huh?"
Hinata paled.
Sasuke blanched.
Both head of clans grinned from ear to ear.
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"You can't believe it, Itachi-nii! How that stupid dumbass of a duck had my jacket tied all the way up there and….and….arrgghhhh!!" Hinata grumbled, beating the ground she was sitting on. Releasing all that pent-up tension building inside of her.
Itachi smirked at Hinata's antics. Thinking of how adorable Hinata looked when she was angry, her cheeks flushed against the nasty looking bruise.
"Just ignore him, Hina-chan."
"He's just too bloody annoying to be ignored, Itachi-nii! He just can't leave me alone! Every. Single. Day!"
Hmm….it seemed that Sasuke and I have to have that little talk that we've delayed so far. Itachi said to himself.
"No matter what, Hina-chan, just ignore him. No matter what he uses or says, you must have the will power to fully ignore him."
She peered up at him. "Is…Is…that how….you….you…deal with him, ne, Itachi-nii?"
Itachi looked down at her. His dark eyes gazed into her lovely pale ones. To him, her eyes are so full of pure innocence and love. And that was how he fell for her. Initially, he had thoughts of just using Hinata to aggravate his little brother, but it seemed that her influence on him had grew into something……stronger. And it stuck to him ever since.
To Itachi, Hinata was something pure and untainted and the feeling of just being by her side, calms him. Hinata trusts him, believed in him, with all her heart, without any single doubt whatsoever. That pleases him because no matter what he do or say, Hinata believed him all the way. Not like the others. Everyone else had thoughts that whatever he does, is because to further his ambitions.
But that was not Itachi. No.
Only Hinata. Knew him truly. Heart and soul, Hinata knew. And for that, Itachi was willing to lay down everything for her.
Touching the darkened spot on her right eye, he gently caress it with his fingers. "Does it still hurt?"
"Uhmm." She nodded her head. Her eyes wide and the pink on her cheeks deepened at Itachi's ministrations on her bruised eye.
He could hear her deep breaths and smiled softly. Then, he leaned forward and gently kissed the darkened part of her eye, leaving a warm lingering feeling of his breath against her pink tinged cheeks.
Hinata who was caught by surprise, blushed a hundred times fold as she swore she could feel her heart rammed and battered her ribcage. And she thought she would die of embarrassment if Itachi could hear how loud her heart thumped!
Her large beautiful pale eyes looked away shyly.
Itachi smirked. He put his finger under her chin and pulled her face up to face his.
"Hina-chan."
"Uhmm?"
"If let's say…one day," he paused. Trying to figure out his sentence.
"A…ano, Itachi-nii. What is..it about….one..day?"
He kept his gaze locked onto hers.
Do you want to be my….wife?
No. Itachi couldn't say it. He can't. He turned away and looked far into Konoha's forest.
"What is it, Itachi-nii?"
"I-ie, Hina-chan."
"Why won't you tell me?"
Itachi looked at the black-eyed Hyuuga sitting closed next to him. He pressed his forehead against hers and replied amusingly, "Not until that black eye goes, Hina-chan!"
"Itachi-nii!!"
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Uchiha Manor: That night
"Oww!!" Sasuke yelled. "Kaa-san! It hurts!"
"Of course it hurts, especially when you get into fights, Sasuke!" Mikoto looked at her youngest son furiously. "I have no idea what on earth possess you to….to….pick fights with a young lady!"
"Hmph!" Sasuke snorted. Young lady my ass!
Fugaku was laughing.
"Fugaku!!" Mikoto chided her husband. "Now is not the time to laugh! It is embarrassing that my baby gets into a fight, and with Hina-chan some more!"
"That's it, Mikoto-koi," Fugaku looked amused. "It is funny and at the same time, downright embarrassing for Sasuke since it was he who lost the match."
"I did not lose!" Sasuke replied indignantly, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Now then Sasuke," Fugaku looked at his son. "How come you had two black ones while she only had one, and how did you managed to lose a tooth while she still had hers intact?" Fugaku paused. "I heard from Ibiki-sensei that you were pretty much underneath her when they reached the fighting scene."
Sasuke gave his father his trademark 'death glare'.
"Uchiha Sasuke," Mikoto looked at Sasuke. She raised an eyebrow. Sasuke started to shiver. "I want you to go over to the Hyuugas tomorrow and apologised to Hinata-chan for what you did to her."
Sasuke was about to protest when Mikoto smack his head with her palm.
"I am ashamed that my baby boy had the nerve to fight a girl, and of all girl, Hinata-chan. She's so adorable! I can't imagine what on earth possess you to go and picked on such a young sweet thing. You disappoint me, Sasuke."
Sasuke could feel bile rising up to his throat. Adorable?? Young?? Sweet?? Is his mother gone loco up in her head? Sasuke can't believe what his mother is making him do.
"But Kaa-san!"
"No buts, Sasuke. You either go there and apologise or I swear to Kami-sama that you'll never live to regret you hadn't do it."
Fugaku wished he had his videocam on with him at that time, because the look on Sasuke's face was simply…………..priceless.
Back in his room. Sasuke was pissed off mad. Lying down on the bed, he thrashed himself around trying to release the pressure of stress that had accumulated in his mind.
"That's not fair!!" Sasuke was angry. Why do I have to apologise to Tomato Freak?! It's all her fault that got me into this mess!
"Sasuke." A silent but yet dangerous voice muttered in Sasuke's semi-darkened room.
"Aniki?"
"Did you not heed my warning, Otouto?"
Sasuke glared angrily over at his brother's shadow by the window. "Hmph!" Sasuke snorted. Deep down, Sasuke knew that it was his fault, but refused to admit it was.
Without any warning, Sasuke felt extreme pain on his back when he found himself being slammed into the wall of his room. Sasuke snarled furiously at his brother.
"A little advice for you, my brother," Itachi muttered between clenched teeth. "What belongs to me, stays with me, and that includes my girl." He paused. "As I have said before, you may be my brother, but if you hurt someone who is precious to me, I won't hesitate to deal with you…..personally."
Sasuke remained stoic as he glared at his older brother, whom he adored since childhood. But when Hinata entered their lives, many things have changed, and Sasuke hated it. He had lost his beloved brother to a……stranger. Worst, a Hyuuga.
Both brothers had their sharingans on and were eyeing each other with equal ferocity, refusing to back down.
"Don't forget Aniki," Sasuke smirked. "It isn't over yet, coz she still have a choice."
"Of course, Otouto." Itachi smirked back. "You're nine years too late, and I'm way ahead of you."
Sasuke's expression turned solemn as Itachi walked out of his room. Before Itachi leave, he turned around and looked at his younger sibling. "You will never win her over, Sasuke. No matter what you do, she will never be yours." With that, Itachi slammed the door.
Slumping down on his bed, Sasuke covered his face with his forearm. He knows his brother had stated the truth. Itachi was way in front of him. Besides, he was running out of time to exact his revenge.
No….It wasn't that he hated her, nor he liked her….but he didn't know why he was doing this. True, he was thinking of taking revenge, but it doesn't really make sense to him. But she was so damn irritating and Sasuke hated that guts she displayed in front of him. Always torturing him…..tormenting him…..annoyed him…..it just never ends!
Sasuke shrugged, got up from his bed and pulled a box from under his bed. He opened it and looked inside.
There were pictures of Hinata which he silently took. There were also pictures of Hinata in kimono during their kindergarten graduation. And yeah, he stole those pictures from Itachi's album. In those pictures, Hinata wasn't posing by purpose at all. It was pictures of Hinata having school lunch…..Hinata laughing in class……Hinata dozing off during Maths class…..Hinata training alone at the training grounds…..Hinata in an apron during cookery class.
Those were all candid pictures of Hinata. Putting those aside, he looked at the various shapes and sizes of prettily wrapped presents. Those were all the birthday presents Sasuke bought for Hinata since they were in kindergarten, but never had the courage to give them to her. Except for one…..his first gift to her……
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Flashback: 9 Years Ago
All the Rookie 9: 5 year olds
It was a cold winter day in December, Chibi Sasuke was walking down the street with his mother, accompanying her to buy some groceries. Sasuke didn't know why his mother like to go through all the trouble of going out of the warm and comfortable house into the cold blistering agony of winter. She could just always get the maids to do it, its not like they don't have any maids around.
"Tch." Sasuke snorted. Feeling slightly agitated. His nii-san was lucky. Out on a mission. But what he had to do?? Accompanying his mother. Shopping.
Sasuke sighed.
Sporting his usual dark blue jacket with high collar with a white thick looking scarf wrapped around his neck. Since it's winter, he did not wear his usual white or black shorts but instead a long black pants. Sasuke looked unusually adorable, all bundled up like big round ball.
"Do you want to stop for some hot cocoa, Suke-chan?" Mikoto asked her son, calling him by his pet name.
Sasuke glared up at his mother. "Kaa-chan!" Chibi Sasuke pouted. His chubby cheeks were tinged in pink as he glared at his mother. "I'm a big boy now! Otou-sama said that I am no more a small boy!"
Mikoto tried her best to stifle her giggle by putting a hand over her mouth, looking down at her adorable little boy.
"Hai, hai! Sasuke-kun! Now, is that better?"
"Hn."
Mikoto laughed out loud this time. Sasuke was mimicking his father. Trying hard to be a grown up and to be accepted, following the footsteps of his older brother.
"Oh," Mikoto gasped. Sasuke turned his head around and looked at what his mother was looking.
"What is it Kaa-chan??"
Mikoto looked down at her son and dragged him into one of the shops. "Hello Hiashi!" She greeted the head of the Hyuuga clan.
Sasuke immediately turned and looked at Hiashi. Tall, long-haired and stoically calm, Hiashi reminded Sasuke of his own father, but unlike Hiashi, Fugaku was much more unpredictable
Noting that the Hyuuga head had the same look on his face since Sasuke first met him some time ago. Then, looking downwards in Hiashi's arms was the pale looking Hyuuga heiress.
Hinata.
His mortal enemy.
His close rival.
His arch-nemesis.
His pain in the ass.
Sasuke scowled.
Hinata stared at him, and then frowned. Her nose was slightly red, and she was sniffing. Holding her hanky in one of her hands, and a small package tucked under her other arm, Hinata wiped her nose. She had flu. Then, she was broken from her trance when her father touched her small head. "Oh," her small chubby lips mouthed a small 'oh'. Hiashi put her down and Hinata straightened her pale lilac kimono and bowed slightly at Mikoto. "Ohayo, Mikoto-obasan!" She then looked up at Mikoto who giggled excitedly.
"Ohayo Hina-chan! Are you feeling alright, dear?" Mikoto knelt down before the young Hyuuga girl and pinched her cute chubby cheeks. "Ohh…Hinata-chan's so kawaii! Ne, Sasuke-kun??"
Sasuke felt a jolt on his arms. "Sasuke-kun, what do you say? Come on now, don't be rude."
"Ohayo, Hyuuga-sama," Sasuke bowed slightly towards Hiashi.
"Hn." Hiashi replied.
Silence.
Jolted again. Sasuke frowned at his mother. "What??" It was obvious that Sasuke was irritated.
Mikoto nudged her son forward to the shy Hinata.
You've gotta be kidding me?? Sasuke's black eyes widened. He gave a look at his mother. Mikoto raised an eyebrow.
Okay. She raised her eyebrow. Not good. Sasuke said to himself.
Sasuke felt like killing somebody right now, but they were in a store, and in public places, now was not a good time to throw tantrums. Whoa! Me?? Throwing tantrums?? Hell no! Uchiha Sasuke is a big boy! Sasuke said to himself and gave himself a nod.
He turned around and looked at Hinata in the eye.
"Ohayo……Tomato Freak."
Hinata's eyes twitched.
Mikoto and Hiashi sweat dropped.
"O..ha…yo….Duck Butt."
Sasuke's eyes twitched.
"Stupid tomato."
"Dumbass duck."
The day didn't turn out well for both Mikoto and Hiashi when both their children began to quarrel. Until Sasuke pushed Hinata and Hinata lost her step, she fell down and so was her package. Everyone could hear the sound of crashing onto the floor as Hinata's pale lavender tinted eyes gazed achingly at her broken present.
Hinata got up and held the small package. Untying the strings, it was a small porcelain figurine of two birdlike creatures. She held it close to her. Her eyes filled with tears as she wiped her running nose with the sleeve of her kimono.
"Uchiha Sasuke!!" Mikoto was on the top of her voice. Sasuke flinched. His mother has a very penetrating voice. Very penetrating one.
"Its alright Hinata, let's go now, you're not feeling well," Hiashi said, pulling his daughter up and held her in his arms. He then gave Sasuke a look.
"Gomenasai Hiashi! I'm sure Sasuke didn't mean it." Mikoto looked apologetic. Holding onto her son in her tight grasp. Feeling a need to punish Sasuke right on the spot. "Gomen-ne, Hinata-chan."
Hinata tried to smile at Mikoto but when she looked at Sasuke, tears just wouldn't stop flowing.
"Its alright, Mikoto. Besides, Hinata just had fever yesterday and coincidently, today is her birthday."
"Aahh….gomen Hina-chan," Mikoto said, putting a hand on Hinata's arm. "I'll get you another one, ne?"
Hinata shook her head and bury her face in folds of her father yukata as they left the shop.
Then, Mikoto turned and faced her son. Sasuke flinched. "Uchiha Sasuke. Home. Now."
Without saying anything to aggravate his mother, Sasuke turned his legs and begin to walk fast on the opposite side. He managed to turn around and stole a look at the Hyuugas. Deep down, he felt sad when he saw Hinata shed tears. It wasn't the normal tears that she shed when she quarreled with him. It almost broke his heart when he saw her like that. And he knows that it was all his fault.
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Back at the Uchiha Manor:
Fugaku looked at his son. Hard. He sighed. Regrettably.
"You know Sasuke," his father said. "If you really liked her, you don't have to be very brutal about it. The way you show her you liked her indicates the opposite. Women have very very complex mind, you know?"
"Fugaku," Mikoto glared angrily at her husband.
"Okay, I take it back," Fugaku said. "What I mean is that Sasuke, what you did was wrong. You're a big boy now and at your age, your brother did not waste his time bullying little girls or chasing anything in skirts." Thank Kami-sama it wasn't anything in pants for that matter. Fugaku sighed in relief, and concentrated back to Sasuke. "He was already able to throw fifteen shurikens at the same time."
"Tch."
"Stop mimicking me!" Fugaku was irritated. Then he added, "In order to be a man, you must learn and know what sense of responsibility is, Sasuke. And if you know what responsibility means, you're already a man. But there's also other ways to show that you're a man, but I'm sure your mother will have my head on the chopping block if I were to tell you about it."
"Ahem!!" Mikoto glared at her husband. Her sharingan activated. (A/N: Yeah, Sasuke and Itachi's mom knows how to activate her sharingan coz she was a kunoichi once before she marry Fugaku).
Fugaku shivered as he asked his wife, "What did Sasuke do this time?"
"Mandarin duck," Mikoto replied. Both Uchiha men looked at her.
"Heh??" Both Uchiha men looked dumbfounded.
Mikoto ignored them. "Apparently, it was Hinata-chan's birthday gift. Hiashi said that it was the last item in the store and there weren't anymore."
"Why the hell would she want a duck for a present?" Sasuke wondered.
"UCHIHA SASUKE!! DON'T YOU DARE USE ANY PROFANITIES IN MY HOUSE!" Mikoto yelled at her son.
Fugaku looked at his son in disgust. "You just really had to do that, didn't you, Sasuke??"
After listening to his mother nagged for an hour and a half, Sasuke asked his mother after she had calmed down. "Kaa-chan, is Mandarin Ducks that important?"
Mikoto looked at her son. His adorable face showed sign of complete innocence in the subject matter, so she just sighed and proceed to tell him.
"Of course! Especially for all women, because mandarin ducks are symbolic for true love and represent happy everlasting marriage! (Sigh) An everlasting love is what all women wants, Sasuke, and I'm sure Hinata-chan also feels the same way. Mandarin ducks also symbolizes fidelity and eternity. There is a legend behind the mandarin ducks, and from what I know, it was Hinata-chan's favourite story."
"Hn." (Translates: Oh)
"Do you want to know?"
"Hn!" (Translates: Why'd you think I'd ask you for?)
Mikoto smiled, and proceed to tell her son the story of eternal love between a husband and wife, separated by death only to find themselves meeting each other again, honouring their promise and vow to love each other for all eternity. The gods looked at them favourably and reincarnated them as mandarin ducks who mates for life and are not ashamed to show their love and affection for one another.
Sasuke stared wide-eyed at his mother.
Very quickly, he gave a slight bow to his mother and quickly left the room. Mikoto looked at her son and then at her snickering husband.
"It is not funny, Fugaku."
"I didn't say it was."
Once in his room, Sasuke took out something from his cupboard. A rather medium sized coin box and shook out all it's contents. He calculated all the money he has, and deposited them in his coin pouch. Sasuke then took his jacket and wore his shawl around his neck.
He walked to the living room where his parents were, looking around, his mother wasn't around. "I'm going out for a while." His tone was that of seriousness in it.
"Where are you going, Sasuke?" Fugaku asked, peering from his newspaper.
"To be a man, Otou-sama," Sasuke said.
Fugaku grinned, standing right in front of his son. Putting a hand on his youngest's shoulders, he nodded his head. Giving him his permission.
"Before that, Otou-sama," Sasuke said, looking up at his father sheepishly. "Can I have 20 ryo?"
Fugaku stared at his son incredulously and shook his head and left his son with a huge question mark hanging on the top of his head.
Without looking at his son, Fugaku replied, "Be a man….do the right thing!" (A/N: I know! I just had to put that one in!! Classic!)
Sasuke sweat dropped. Yup, I think Otou-sama have been watching too much Russell Peters on youtube.
After Sasuke left, Mikoto looked at her husband, wiping her hands on her apron. "Was that Sasuke? Where is he going?"
Fugaku grinned at his wife. "He is going to be a man."
Mikoto's eyes widened and looked at her husband menacingly. Fugaku could feel scorching blazing aura from his wife as her eyes locked to his. "You'd better pray that when my boy comes back with his innocence intact, Uchiha Fugaku. Or else I'll let you taste the fury of a Uchiha female."
Fugaku sweat dropped. As he started his prayers.
-------------------xx------------------------
Sasuke was walking down the street towards the shop where Hinata had bought her mandarin ducks. Going inside, Sasuke saw the rows of shelves of fragile looking items.
"Hello there, boy. What can I do to help you?" A rather ancient looking old man said to Sasuke.
"Mandarin ducks."
The old man looked surprised at Sasuke. "Mandarin ducks?"
"Uhm. Mandarin ducks."
"I'm afraid we're out of it, boy. The last one was bought by a young Hyuuga early this morning."
Sasuke nodded his head.
"How about other things? Swans?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Mandarin ducks!" He was more adamant this time.
The old man now remembered. This was the young boy who pushed the young Hyuuga girl and dropped her porcelain mandarin ducks.
"Come here," the old man said. Sasuke followed. The old man took a small block of wood. He began to carve.
"I'm sorry boy, but I'm out of the porcelain mandarin ducks. But, if you could wait for a while, I'll carve out this special one for you, is that alright with you, boy?"
Sasuke smiled, and nodded his head as he took a seat opposite the old man, totally intrigue by how he effortlessly carved the small block of wood using only a few sharpened knives. It took him only about 20 minutes to finish the whole thing!
Sasuke marveled at the beautiful carving of two ducks linked by their beaks as if they were kissing. When Sasuke noticed that, his face blushed in deep pink.
The old man sat there laughed at the blushing boy and said, "What else would you be thinkin' there, boy?" He gave a small knife to Sasuke and said, "Here, mark underneath those duck."
"What?"
"Mark 'em with your own word. You can write whatever you want and give 'em to your lucky girlfriend."
Sasuke frowned. "Tomato Freak is not my girlfriend!"
The old man grinned. "Oh, unless you're such a coward that you don't know how to carve using a knife?" Further taunting the young Uchiha.
"No, I'm not!" Sasuke replied, snatching the knife away from the old man and began to carve under the ducks.
Silently, the old man chuckled.
After Sasuke was done, the old man wrapped the ducks in a white wrapping paper.
"How much?" Sasuke asked.
The old man looked at Sasuke. He had a very good feeling that Sasuke brought all his savings with him. He paused a look and then replied, "Two ryo."
"Hn." Sasuke dug into his pocket and took out his coin pouch. He then calculated. Good! I've got more than enough! Chibi Sasuke looked pleased.
"Thank you," the old man said.
Sasuke bowed respectfully at the old man and dashed out of the shop towards the Hyuuga compounds.
--------------------------xx-----------------------------
Sasuke was nervous. All the Hyuugas were looking at him. Their pale white eyes seemed to bore through his soul. He gulped nervously.
Buck up, Sasuke! You wouldn't wanna look weak in front of these stuck-ups Hyuugas don't you?? Sasuke said to himself.
Sasuke straightened his back and looked across Hiashi as tea was being served to them.
Hiashi had his arms crossed across his shoulders, and his sharp eyes did not leave Sasuke at all.
"Gomen," Sasuke apologized. Well, at least he felt a part of the burden being lifted up from his small shoulders.
"Hn."
Sasuke presented a small wrapped package in front of Hiashi. "For her."
"Hn."
Silence.
Sasuke did not move. Neither was Hiashi.
Until…..
Knock knock.
"Enter," Hiashi said, picking up his hot steaming cup of jasmine green tea.
Enter the room was another young boy about Sasuke's age but he had long brown hair. He looked remarkably like Hinata's father.
I didn't know Tomato Freak has a brother. Sasuke said to himself.
As if he knew what Sasuke was thinking, Hiashi said, "Neji, this is Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Neji, Hinata's cousin and my nephew."
Hmm….her cousin, huh? Sasuke looked at Neji impassively. He could see Neji returning the favour.
"Neji, show him Hinata's room."
Sasuke paled. How he wish the earth would swallow him right at that moment. There was no way in hell he would be there giving her a present.
"Hai," Neji replied as he left the room with Sasuke trailing behind him.
Hiashi sighed. Picking up his cup and sipped his tea. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this.
"They're just too young," Hiashi said to himself. Fearing what all fathers fear for their daughters………………..potential son in-laws.
After leaving Hiashi, Sasuke walked behind Neji. His jet black eyes glared behind the long-haired Hyuuga.
"It's impolite to glare," Neji said, without turning towards him.
Sasuke was taken aback. "Tch."
"We're here," Neji said as he started to leave. His pale eyes glared hatefully at Sasuke. Sasuke returned the look as Neji walked away.
He's weird. Sasuke said to himself. Then, facing Hinata's door, Sasuke trembled slightly. He knocked the door lightly and pushed open the shouji door. Peeking his head inside, Sasuke slowly pushed it close and walked towards the bed where Hinata was lying. The room was a little dark because of the curtain drawn closer.
She's asleep. Inside, Sasuke prayed for thanksgiving as he wouldn't know what to say if she was awake. Silently, he put the package onto the table beside her bed and left. He didn't want to leave any note or letter or anything. That was enough.
But before he left, he took one last look on his sleeping rival. She looked so pale.
"Wa…water," she croaked softly.
"Huh?" Sasuke raised his eyebrows. He looked around. Hide! Was the only thing in his mind right now. As he was contemplating of hiding under her bed or in her closet, Hinata did not seemed to be conscious.
Sasuke, you're stupid. He smacked his own forehead. She's just delirious from her fever! Baka! Sasuke shook his own head, couldn't believe in his own stupidity.
Sasuke went to the bedside and poured some water into a glass and held it out to Hinata's lips.
Sasuke gulped.
She drank slowly. Her eyes were still close. Sasuke could feel her body was very warm. After she drank the water, he put the glass back and took the cold compress and put it on her forehead.
Sasuke smiled. He liked it when she was quiet. Less noisy. Less irritating.
"A…ari…gatou…Itachi-nii," Hinata murmured.
Sasuke's eyes widened. And then narrowed into small slits, as he scowled when Hinata mentioned his brother's name.
Jealousy hits the rooftop as Sasuke stomped off the room. Pissed off mad. Forgetting all about the mandarin duck lying on Hinata's table.
Aniki…Aniki…Aniki!!! Why it's always him!! Sasuke clenched his fist and bit his trembling lower lip as he ran out of the Hyuuga compound, not wanting to stay any longer.
Unknowingly, Hiashi was observing everything through his All-Seeing Eyes a.k.a. the Byakugan.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sasuke sighed.
What is happening to me? Why am I feeling this way? Why it always hurts here when I think about….her? Sasuke asked, clutching his heart. Looking a little lost, Sasuke covered the box and pushed it under his bed. Yeah, its because she hurt me. She hurt me so bad, I'm gonna make her hurt real bad too…..an eye for an eye…..
Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist. And I won't let Aniki win, not this time. I'll get the both of them…..
- TBC -
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A/N: Yeah, I know all of you would be wondering this weird personality dilemma with Sasuke, well, dun worry, it'll be explained sooner or later as to why he is this way…..
NO….Sasuke is NOT developing any 'incestuous' feelings for his brother (I'm highlighting this coz I'm lazy to answer questions which I am sure will be poking in your minds when reading this chapter)…..I must be insane if I'd do that!! Anyways, its just that Sasuke's very close with his brother initially (remember the first few chappies?? He adored his older brother and thought of him as his hero) until Hinata came into the picture…..you could say, that Sasuke was indeed jealous….
Yeah...and the fact that Sasuke does have feelings for Hinata, only that he's in a stage of denial...most guys does that...
Oh yeah, the mandarin duck came in the last minute when I realized Sasuke was called Duck Butt!! Hhehehee…and yeah, more mandarin duck moments after this….
