Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Last Time
Sasuke stomped to where Hinata was sitting and grabbed her outstretched arm. "Come on, we're going."

Hinata stumbled as he dragged her up. "W-where…?" He didn't answer but proceeded to pull her along. She worriedly glanced back at her jacket which was still lying on the ground. "W-w-wait m-my…!"

"We're going," he repeated again, glancing back to give her a penetrating glare, "now." He emphasized this with a sharp tug.

Hinata wilted under his fierce stare and could do nothing more but to gaze forlornly at the shrinking image of her jacket being left behind as he dragged her away.


Pathways
Chapter 7
Endless Rain


Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sasuke glanced at the shivering girl beside him once again, feeling the beginnings of a temper tantrum coming on. The fact that the rain wasn't showing signs of letting off only added to his bad humor. But what was really ticking him off was that the prim and proper heiress seemed to be on his case still. Since the beginning of their journey, she had not spoken a single word to him and acted as though he had planned to abduct and have his way with her all along.

He wasn't concerned by the silence at first, heck, he is silence personified. There was a time, Sasuke remembered, when he would be pissed off by girls constantly disturbing him by screeching his name incessantly. Admittedly, having a girl not fawning over him was a welcome – if not pleasant – change. However, he began to realize there really was such a thing as deafening silence. Eventually when he couldn't take it anymore, he had asked Hinata what was wrong ("Are you mute?") to which she had responded by saying that no she wasn't mute and that it was his fault that her jacket was left behind ("N-no, i-it's just that m-my j-jacket…"). What a rude girl…and he had been so delicate about asking her about the whole thing too.

Pfft. All this fuss for an ugly oversized sweater. It was not his intention to leave that piece of work behind, it just happened. The thing didn't look good on her anyway.

For a while, he had been able to tolerate the extreme quiet but when the rain started he felt his irritation grow by the second.

It was not long before he began to question if bringing her along was a good idea after all. Maybe he should just dump her off somewhere and let Orochimaru find her?

Sasuke shook his head mentally. That plan wouldn't do at all since if Orochimaru decided to be done with her, he would also be done for.

Again, he had decided that enduring a couple of days with her tedious company was preferable than dying revenge less. And that and only that reason alone was why he was now taking her with him to Lightning Country.

Although he is actually kidnapping her, Sasuke amended, he had not planned it initially. And he can't be accused of wanting to have his way with her (Sasuke glanced at Hinata noticing that she was trying her best to shield her almost transparent front from view – from his view. His stomach tightened and he clenched his jaw), because she was completely unattractive. He glanced at her again, noting the great difference in her appearance without her jacket.

Okay, perhaps the tiniest bit attractive, Sasuke admitted reluctantly.

Regardless, due to the present circumstances, he would have taken her with him whether she was eye-catching or not.

It had been a while since they hitched a ride in this wagon and a little later since it started raining. He could only guess that she was beginning to feel the bite of the cold without her ugly jacket. Sasuke reclined against the fruit crates and watched Hinata at the corner of his eyes. Like him, she was leaning on the crates but with her arms hugging her drawn knees to her chest.

A minute shiver ran through her. Sasuke knew she was probably bothered by the cold. However, he failed to see where it was a problem of his. His mind was preoccupied with other important things; like keeping her alive for example. Which was the reason, really, why they were now heading to Lightning Country. News of the Akatsuki being there on some business reached him before he left with Hinata from Otogakure.

There was no certainty how long he would last keeping her alive before Orochimaru gets to her. He didn't fear for her safety though. The concern was really for his safety. If she died before he got his revenge...

Sasuke scowled.

He could only hope that the detachment of the Akatsuki will include Itachi, all this trouble would be for nothing if he wasn't there.

Sasuke closed his eyes and let the rain pelt gently on his face. No one else should know of the stupid experiment he had let Orochimaru do to him and the heiress. Specifically, the side-effects it had. The stakes were far too high for him to allow it. He opened his eyes and sneaked another glance at the heiress. That means absolutely no one. Not even the Hyuuga heiress herself.

"U-um…"

Sasuke perked up upon hearing the soft voice break through his reverie. He had thought she wasn't speaking to him. "What?" He didn't like how his response was a bit too quick and eager sounding.

"Where a-are we g-going?" She raised her head from her knees and looked at him through her lashes.

Now if it was under any normal circumstance, Sasuke would have told her that it wasn't her business to know (even though it clearly was, since he's dragging her along with him) but he was too glad to have her speaking to him that he didn't really care as of the moment. "To Lightning Country," he had supplied in a cutting tone. After all, even if he was relieved to have someone to talk to, it doesn't mean that he was relieved to feel relieved.

He saw her lips form an 'o' and purse as she once again lowered her face on her knees. She didn't speak again after that but it was clear she was preoccupied with something. He noticed her eyebrows meeting in a slight frown.

He waited for her to elaborate but when it became clear that she wouldn't he felt compelled to ask her. "What?"

He met her pale eyes. After a while, she shifted her gaze elsewhere and spoke carefully. "The…the Hidden Cloud Village…it is – it's in Lightning Country…"

It was a statement that sounded more like a question; a question that she wanted him to confirm.

"What if it is?" She was looking at him again with her disconcertingly white eyes.

"Just th-that…when I was…" she shifted her gaze once more "I…n-nothing. It's nothing."

He knew it wasn't just 'nothing'. She was in the middle of saying something…important, he could tell. And lying was not one of her strong suits. Sasuke itched to force her into telling him what it was but held himself back. It wasn't his business after all…just like it wasn't her business to know why they were traveling to Lightning Country.

So instead he said, "I see." But he didn't see. Not really. He knew this and it annoyed him.

The rain was still falling. It poured in sheets.

Sasuke let his head rest back on a crate, feeling the rain pelt his face softly. The sensation reminded him of a distant memory…of coldness and emptiness. He shook himself.

Gods, how he hated the rain.


Sasuke stretched his arms up and took the time to survey the surrounding area. Behind him, Hinata was thanking the old couple who gave them a lift on their equally old wagon.

"Just follow this dirt path and you would soon arrive at the nearest village. From there, it would probably take you a day's journey to reach the border of Lightning Country." He heard the old man explain to Hinata.

"We're sorry that we could only take you this far." The old man's wife said.

"No…no…it's quite alright." Hinata replied in a soft voice. He noted it lacked her usual stutter. Bemused, he turned around just as she was giving a bow of thanks. "Thank you for helping us," she said.

The couple bowed their heads in welcome. Finally, the old lady waved. "Well, take care." She looked at him and bestowed the same words, but added, "And watch after your wife. She is such a fragile looking thing." The old woman indicated Hinata's head injury.

"B-b-but…!" The stutter was back and it was back with a vengeance.

"She's not my wife." He had rebutted in a calm voice. After years of listening to Kabuto's innuendos about his and Orochimaru's questionable (and non-existent) relationship, Sasuke learned to take this kind of thing in stride. It was just a simple misunderstanding, nothing to blush about.

The heiress though, was blushing furiously. She held herself rigidly as if being mistaken as his wife was the most preposterous idea she had heard, ever. Inwardly, Sasuke felt a slight pang of hurt but immediately quashed it into non existence.

The couple smiled sheepishly at their obvious mistake, said their farewell and went on their way.

Hinata was still blushing when the old wooden wagon disappeared from sight. Sasuke sighed and turned his back on her. "Come on." He began walking in the opposite direction.

It was a while before he heard her catch up to him. He kept their pace slow since they didn't need to hurry. The village the old couple spoke of was only a few minutes away, he could tell by the numerous chakra signatures he detected coming from afar.

The short trip was silent and uneventful until he stopped just outside the vicinity of the small village. He turned his head a bit to look at the Hyuuga heiress. By now, the blush she was sporting just a while ago was completely gone, leaving her complexion as pale as ever.

He studied her. She definitely will attract some unnecessary attention what with her attire; a fishnet shirt lined with black cloth to cover her chest. Dimly, he wondered if leaving her ugly jacket was a good idea after all. They will only stay for one night so it probably wasn't such a big deal. However…

"Hey," he prompted, causing her to look at him in surprise. She was obviously lost in her own thoughts.

Slowly, Sasuke lifted a finger and pointed at her. "Take that off."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She brought her arms in front of her, as if too shield her body from his view, "W-what a-are you…w-why?!" He lifted an eyebrow at her palpable outrage.

Well well well…the girl had spunk after all. Who would have thought? "W-why would I…f-follow you?!" Though she could definitely do without the stutter.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He had no time for this. Deliberately, he stepped towards her and watched in a mixture of annoyance and amusement as the Hyuuga heiress backed herself to a tree.

Foolish, really.

White eyes widened further as he closed the distance between them by a foot. "I don't understand you at all." He said as he reached out both hands to either side of her head, effectively trapping her with his body. "What are you so afraid of?"

Her face was beginning to flush again and he saw her eyes close. "P-please…d-don't…" she whispered in a breathy voice.

Something in him shifted with the way she spoke but he couldn't identify what it was. So he ignored it and inched his hand closer and cupped her cheeks. He felt her flinch at the contact and he smirked. Gently, he ran his fingers down her face in a light caress, and then slid them softly to her smooth neck.

Her breath hitched and Sasuke felt himself mirroring the action. He caressed her skin once more and her breath hitched again. He could only watch in fascination as a fresh wave of blush started spreading from down her neck up to her face.

It was…strange. "Hey…" he softly said. Large overly bright eyes opened, giving him a distinct impression that she was going to burst into tears any minute. She opened and closed her lips a few times but no words came out. Sasuke found his eyes pulled to them. Odd, he hadn't noticed how very pink they were before…and lush. They called to him and made his mind sluggish, unable to process what he was feeling…why he was feeling like this.

"P-please…" she whispered again in the same breathy manner. Sasuke found himself preoccupied with slowly closing the distance between him and those lips that he barely heard her. "P-please…don't."

Don't. The word echoed inside his head as her pulse thundered beneath his fingertips. It beat a loud staccato, in time with the rhythm of his heart…

And triggered a memory he wished to never recall.

Of a time he was weak and he felt most afraid, for his life and for his family's. He had never pleaded to someone as much as he had then. And his heart had never drummed so loudly that it was the only thing he heard.

That is, until now.

Sasuke immediately drew back, his hands feeling like they'd been burned. What was he thinking? This was madness. He clenched his hands and paused. Confused, he brought his hand up and saw a familiar fabric clutched tightly in it.

Her hitai-ate.

He had forgotten he had meant to take it off before he got a little…sidetracked.

At least, he had an excuse. In a low voice, so to hide the tremor in it, he said, "Exactly what did you think am I going to do?" Sasuke stepped back and once again put some distance between them.

The heiress looked up. In a daze, she lifted her hands up to her neck and blinked.

Sasuke leered at her. "You didn't think I would undress you, did you?" He held up his hand and showed her what he held there. "You have such a dirty mind, Hyuuga."

At this, he watched in fascination as she worked herself up into a tizzy of blushes and stutters. "I-I'm s-sorry…I…" she worried her bottom lip.

It was his complete undoing, but the action served to bring his attention to her mouth again. Angry, at his own reaction, he abruptly turned around and glared intensely at a tree. "Forget it. Anyway, we couldn't let them know you're from Konoha." Like I was.

Silence met him and he glanced back to look at her.

She was looking at him again with her unnerving white eyes, as if she could read his mind and soul by just doing so…As if she was trying to tell him something. And the weird thing was, he could almost hear what she was thinking, it was there, echoing his own sentiments.

Like you were…

He froze in mild shock but didn't know why. She was still looking at him with her big white eyes and then tore her gaze away to look at her feet.

But it was a long time ago.


It was not uncommon to be mistaken as such, Sasuke reasoned with himself. People, especially complete strangers, take everything they see at face value.

For instance, if they see two boys constantly arguing with each other and then sleeping in the same place, they immediately think that one or both were…well. Not stopping to think that said boys were teammates and have no say where they would sleep.

Or if they see a slimy and possibly crazy person hunger for a young boy's body, they hastily jump to conclusion that said slimy person was a pedophile. Not taking into consideration that perhaps said crazy person was a power-hungry, immortality craving egomaniac that was in love with nobody but himself.

In retrospect, thusly, when a young man and young woman travel together, people would instantly think that they are husband and wife. Or of intimate relations…short of being brother and sister. But the fact that they looked nothing like each other – except for the hair color, which wasn't much – that possibility of being brother and sister was quickly discarded out the window.

So once again being mistaken as married didn't do much to ruffle Sasuke's feathers.

When they arrived at the village, he instantly felt the villagers' tongues wagging. But this wasn't a surprise to him. He had even expected it and thought that it was good that he removed the Hyuuga's hitai-ate beforehand.

In terms of size and population, the village wasn't much to shout about. He doubted that travelers go this far out since the path he had chosen for their journey was the least popular of all routes. Sasuke reckoned that this village rarely saw visitors so it was a safe bet that news of the two of them crossing here wouldn't spread.

It seemed that there was no need for him to dispose of them after all.

Nevertheless…

This inn keeper was really pushing it.

"I told you, we are going to pay." Sasuke snarled menacingly. Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably behind him.

The bald man that was the inn keeper mirrored her. "Umm…well that's not the problem see, 'cause there're just two rooms, see? And you and your wife happened to come in at the most inopportune times, see?"

Sasuke ignored the comment about the Hyuuga being his wife; he just couldn't be bothered anymore. "Inopportune of times? What the hell are you talking about?" He growled. "This goddamn village doesn't even get visitors!" He was shouting at the end. Gods, he hated it when he lost his cool.

"Yes, well, see, that's the problem. See, this inn's practically out of commission because no one ever comes in this village…see?" The inn keeper explained.

"I fail to see how that concerns us. You just said there are two rooms." Sasuke said, reigning in his temper. "Give us the rooms." He ordered.

"See, that's where the second problem comes in. I said there are two rooms, but I didn't say that both are available see?" The man said, scratching his bald head. "Maybe you and your wife would want to try the other tavern down by the roadside? It's a little further from the village, see?"

Why do they even bother to put up a sign? Sasuke wondered. Very well, he smirked as he fisted his hand and pulled back for a blow, just for putting him into this wasted effort (so to speak).

Sasuke watched in satisfaction as the man recoiled from the impending blow. But before his fist even made contact, it froze a hairbreadth from the inn keeper's face when Hinata brought her cool hands to that of his own.

Bemused, he looked at her. She was blushing (yet again) and was shaking her head tiredly. "P-please…" she said and then turned her attention to the cowering inn keeper, "please show us…the way to t-the tavern you spoke of."

Glad to have Sasuke's wrath removed from his person, the man was only too happy to oblige. "Yes, yes! It's this way, see. Follow me!" and then he went scampering out.

Sasuke watched the man go outside and then directed his attention back to the Hyuuga who was moving to follow the man. He grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her.

She looked back, surprise written on her face. "U-uchiha…s-san?"

Sasuke pulled her arm towards him and stared her down, his face only several inches from his own. He was about to give her a piece of his mind for interfering when she suddenly scrunched her face and sneezed.

Violently.

The words died on his tongue. Vaguely, it crossed his mind that it was a good thing that she didn't sneeze directly unto his face.

She was impersonating a tomato again and looked so embarrassed that he felt his irritation dissipate. Her expression was endearing in a way.

A weird way.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry!" She gasped.

Sasuke sighed. "Let's just go." He said in a resigned voice, feeling tired as well.

The rain was pouring again when he stepped outside of the inn. A light sniffle alerted him that Hinata wasn't far behind as he made his way to the waving innkeeper.

"This way!" The man motioned and scurried away.

Sasuke made to follow when a dull thud sounded right behind. What is the stupid Hyuuga up to now? He thought, still smarting that she was able to stop him from punching the man earlier. Sasuke glanced back, prepared to give a proper telling to when he stopped short.

There lying on the ground, mud coating the edges of her shirt and hair, lay Hinata.

She was unconscious.


Sasuke found himself heaving a tired sigh as he got Hinata settled on a futon. The water from her clothes and hair permeated the mattress almost immediately and the bandage on her head was soaked.

"Is the accommodations to your liking?" the previous innkeeper asked from the shoji. With him was the lady (a thirty-some woman if he had to guess) that owned the place. Her sharp eyes were not looking at him but focused on Hinata's prone from. She had a look about her that he didn't quite like. If he was by himself, he would travel on (sleep on a tree branch, perhaps) but he had Hinata with him…a very sick Hinata.

So instead of leaving, like he wanted to do, he had to stay. He would just have to be a bit vigilant. "There's no other choice now is there?" he glared.

At his irritated question, the innkeeper from earlier retreated immediately and was gone in an eye blink. "No, of course not." It was the woman who replied. "I'm Soshono. Is there anything else you'll need? For your wife maybe?"

Sasuke didn't feel the need to correct her. Leaning over, he touched Hinata's forehead and felt ice. "Hot water and dry towels."

Soshono didn't reply. He heard the shoji clicking shut and her footsteps as she receded down the hallway.

Hearing the last of her footsteps disappear, Sasuke turned his attention once again to Hinata. Hesitantly, he touched her cheek gently and felt how cold and clammy her skin was. Maybe it was just his hands being wet from the rain outside but he was sure that a fever should feel hot and not cold.

Sasuke sat there for a few moments deep in thought when he heard a light knock and the shoji sliding open. Then a voice, "Here are the towels and a bowl of hot water you requested."

He turned and saw Soshono there, about to close the door. When she looked up for the last time through the slit on the doorway, he nodded at her. The shoji slid shut once more.

Sasuke settled down again beside the futon after getting up to retrieve the items. There were several dry towels plus the hot water. Creepy though the woman Soshono may be, she was thorough; he had to give her that. She even added in a dry yukata.

Although, he wasn't sure if the heiress would much appreciate it if he was to undress her. He paused…Pah, what she doesn't know won't harm her.

Right.

First the bandage had to go, so he drew his kunai from its holster and carefully cut the bandage wrapped around Hinata's head. After that, he quickly peeled off her wet clothing (and tried not to look at her too much) and just as efficiently sponged her with hot water then toweled her dry. It wasn't until Hinata gave a moan of pain that he realized he had been scrubbing at her skin too hard.

Feeling a little foolish (and sheepish, but he wouldn't admit that out loud), he replaced her wet clothing with the yukata, being careful this time.

Finally, his tasks done, he settled back once again beside the futon. He reached out and placed his palm against her forehead once more and felt her skin beginning to warm over.

Too warm.

Well, she had fever after all. That would explain her sluggish behavior earlier, as well as the over bright eyes and flushed skin. She wasn't just blushing after all.

Sasuke supposed he should feel a little guilty. He was the one who forced the two of them to travel even with the relentless rain falling on their heads…and she possibly wouldn't have been this sick if he hadn't compelled her to leave her jacket behind.

Hn. There's nothing much he could do now about her fever, however. He considered asking the woman – what was her name again…? Ah, Soshono – he considered asking her for some medicine but something about her unsettled him. Another was that he didn't trust her enough not to poison the Hyuuga.

Not that he cared or anything it's just that if something happened to her…well, then something would happen to him too. That prospect didn't score much with him.

In the end, he resigned himself to watching over her.


It was in the middle of the night that he heard a voice inside the room. The constant pitter patter of the rain outside made it nearly impossible for him to notice it but…

"Ooo…" there it was.

Slowly, Sasuke straightened from his reclined position against the walls and listened. Without consciously doing so, his Sharingan activated…however, there wasn't any chakra signature anywhere.

"Ooo…" Sasuke strained to hear some more "kaa…sama…" Wait. That voice belonged to the Hyuuga. It sounded just a tad hoarse but it was unmistakably hers.

She's having a dream. About her mother.

Sighing, he reclaimed his previous position and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to visit him again.

"Kaa-sama…love you…" Hinata murmured in her sleep.

Before he slipped off to sleep, Sasuke wondered when he had told his mother he loved her…Or if he had ever told her at all. The thought filled him with deep regret.

.

.

.

.

To be Continued


Author's Notes:

Okay, this chapter was a long time coming and I'm sorry for the delay but I've been in a fix lately and suffered a lot from writer's block. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not planning to abandon this story, it's just that I have so many things I want to do with it that I can't seem to know where to start writing…Or what to write for that matter. It ended with me doing my most favorite hobby (aside from writing), that's right, procrastinating. I've put doing away with this chapter for so long that I nearly forgot what I wanted to write. This would explain the lack of the usual notes on the bottom. Maybe I'll get back to adding them again once I feel the need for it.

This chapter's a bit self-explanatory so I don't think you folks will miss the footnotes but if ever, feel free to ask me and I'll answer by way of PMs or by including it in the next chapter.

On another note, this has not been beta-read yet so if you find mistakes, I apologize. You have to understand though that piecing the sentences together the first time was tough work for me since I don't speak English at the onset. I really have to work the cogs in my brain to think of the story in English. It's a pain thinking if this or that grammar goes okay with this or that. More so if I have to look and find my own mistakes.

So…I guess that's that. Much thanks to those who reviewed last time:

Name's just a word – I think he's just being his normal self…you know, same 'ol angsty Sasuke. Though if I may add, he's just angry that he has no other choice than to take Hinata with him cause snakey's out to get her.

oztan – I agree. Thanks for reviewing!

Kawaii Kyuubi-chan – Hmm, I don't think the other girls in Naruto will appreciate it if we make all the boys lust after cute Hinata, but that's a thought. Thanks for the review!

M-dono – Oh, hohoho! WE are both evil! But I don't think we could proceed as planned and still keep the T rating of the story. Anyway, thanks for that lively review!

neon flux – Well, still ever so chatty, I see. Your remarks are really funny (as always), and your requests impossible (as always) but I know you're just joking (as always) so I'll just let it pass (as always)…JOKE! SERIOUSLY though…maraming T.Y. sa 'yo sa pag-review, dahil alam ko na marami kang ginagawa at malalaki ang units ng mga subjects mo. Ayan, I updated, so I hope you'll stop bugging me about it everytime you call on the phone (which was much appreciated, mind you).

Neophyte Serendipity – I SO know who YOU are…

Akizichi-Jigoku Shoujo – Your review was…is a very good motivator for me. I thank you for the constructive criticism. I appreciate it so much that I've tried making the story faster and less detailed – well, less detailed that I could make it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

NanamiYatsumaki – Thanks!

fried ryce – Really? Thank you! I spend hours thinking of how to voice Sasuke's thoughts. Many times, I've thought to just make the whole story on Hinata's perspective but there wouldn't be too much heart in the story if only Hinata's perspective is in play. Your questions were answered in this chapter but you have to really be on guard to be able to spot it. Also, the effect of the Blood Synthesis on Sasuke was shown in the last chapter (again, it is difficult to spot). As the story progresses though, I think this secret effect (so to speak) will become clearer. And NO, Hinata will not get the short end of the deal, not if I've got anything to say (or write) about it! Thanks for the review!

kenshinlover2002 – You reviewed again, yey! I hope this chapter answers your question. Thanks for the review!

munky5 – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. So sorry that I updated so late.

Draonheart0000 – Don't worry, I will continue! Fight!

italicized – No, really, I'm not. I'm naturalized in the Philippines so I speak Filipino (yes, Filipino is the Philippines' national language and NOT Tagalog as is commonly circulated in the net). Anyway, don't say the things you write are stupid! You wrote them so they must mean something special! Did you know that in the University I go to, we have to study Chinese and Spanish? And boy, are they hard to learn! You're lucky you can speak both languages!

Encuentrame – Hear hear! You pretty much summed up the 'hidden' symbolism in it. Though if I may add; leaving the jacket behind signifies the end of the life she had known and the start of another journey she will make. Thanks for the review! I appreciate how you took the time to mull over that symbolism.

shinee-pebbles – There is a reason as Encuentrame deduced. But oh (blushes), I haven't thought if it's for anything sexual in nature (giggles maniacally). No really, I swear!

Hinata6 – Neji will definitely make an appearance although I'm not sure if it's in the next chapter or the one after that. Naruto, thoughit's too early to say, will probably not make another appearance. As to a little jealousy, there wouldn't be excitement without it so definitely, there will be some. Thanks for reviewing!

Domino – Thank you, I'm flattered! I'm glad you think it's well thought out because I've spent sleepless nights just thinking how the pieces all went together without sounding to been-there-done-that. I suppose we're all tired of clichés involving this couple.

brokenAngel89 – This chapter answers your questions. I'm so happy you like my descriptions!

DemonicAuthor05 – Thanks for reviewing!

Kiko cat – Neji will turn up, absolutely.

rebel of life – Hinata will get her moment, wait and see. Thanks for the review!

Miyuki-chan – Thanks!

NocturneD – (waves thank you flag)

then nika said – Thank you!

Please review!