Ambivalence
Seven different Hyuugas came out of Hinata's hospital room, they were the first who got to see her, obviously. Hanabi looked emotionally and physically exhausted as she came out of the room. But she acknowledged Sasuke with a small nod, her father waited by the door until everyone in the clan had left the room and had started to walk down the hallway.
When everyone were gone Hiashi turned to Sasuke. He could feel the confused glances that Kiba and Shino gave him before they walked together with kurenai and her daughter into Hinata's room.
Hiashi walked over to Sasuke, he was dressed in the traditional Hyuga clothes and stood tall in front of Sasuke. He gave Sasuke a sweeping once over look with those cold eyes of his. Sasuke didn't take anything to heart, he knew what kind of person Hiashi was.
"Uchiha" he greeted with a slight tint of disgust to it, mostly probably because it was hard for the Hyuuga to forget the rivalry between the Hyuuga and Uchihas that once existed.
"Hyuuga."
"As I know it you are my oldest daughter's anbu partner. I am here as the clan leader and as her father to inform you that she will no longer participate in any shinobi activities after she has recovered from her injuries. This decision is final."
The Hyuuga then just disappeared into smoke.
'Of course he would send a shadow clone'
Shino, Kiba, Kurenai and her child walked out of her room just a few minutes later and Sakura stuck her head out of the door to see if there were any more people there to visit Hinata. She looked chocked for a second when she saw Sasuke sitting there patiently on one of the couches. She gave him a tired smile and waved him over.
"I need to tell you something before you see her…" She said in a hushed voice.
Sasuke looked at her, annoyed. "Can it wait?"
"No it can't" she said and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking inside. Sakura truly was a strong woman, it wouldn't surprise him if people got bruises just from her hugs.
"What is it?"
"Orochimaru… what he did to her took a huge toll on her body. Especially her mind, Sasuke. She has been in and out of it the whole day" she let go of his shoulder and continued talking. "Her mind almost got fried because of all that forced chakra, she barely even remembers the war, Sasuke…"
"Let me see her" he knew and understood what she was trying to say, and if that was the case then he wanted to at least be able to talk to her, maybe she would regain some memories by seeing him.
He had brought her back, he hadn't hoped for more than that. But he had secretly wished for more and maybe that was why he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of her not remembering him.
Sasuke opened the door and ignored the pitiful look in Sakura's eyes before he closed the door behind him.
Hinata was sitting up in her bed, with not a single scratch on her. She looked healthy, her hair shiny and skin glowing. She turned her head away from the window to look at him as soon as she heard the door close. Her cheeks quickly bloomed red at the sight of the last Uchiha entering her room.
"Hyuuga."
"Uchiha."
They both greeted each other and Sasuke decided go over to her and sit on the chair next to her bed.
She could barely look in his direction, especially not with the way he was looking at her. In her world they had never even talked to each other before, and he was still the little brat who had betrayed the village.
Sasuke broke the intense silence.
"How are you?"
"I... I-I think that I will be f-fine" Hinata stuttered and looked down at her twiddling fingers resting on her lap.
"What have they told you?" he asked.
"Tha-that we were… par-tners?" it should be a statement, but it came out as question.
Sasuke frowned upon hearing her stuttering, he paused for a moment and then lifted his hands to place them over her face. Her skin felt soft and firm beneath his hands.
"What are you doing?" Hinata questioned and looked up at him through his fingers.
"You never stuttered when you wore your mask" is Sasuke's simple answer.
A small smile broke out on her face and she felt as if something had been lifted from her shoulders.
"What?"
She grabbed his hands in hers and took them off her face. "Thank you..."
Sasuke does not say anything for a while and just looks back at her. Hinata then let his hands go and Sasuke stood up again. "When will you get out of here?"
"I don't know, they are running a few tests on me but haven't found anything yet… besides the amnesia. I feel fine though..." She answered honestly.
"Right. Let's spar when they let you go"
"I'd like that" she smiled, again.
"Good."
The awkward silence came back and Hinata returned to fiddle with her fingers. Her hands were really small Sasuke noted.
('Cute…')
"For how long were we anbu partners?" she whispered without looking at him.
"Not very long, roughly two months" he answered, Hinata nodded to herself.
"It's hard to believe that I have been an anbu… there are many things right now which are hard for me to believe" she looked up at him. Sasuke didn't say anything, he has never been good at comforting people so he wouldn't even attempt to.
"They told me that Neji…" She choked up and looked away in embarrassment, she doesn't know why she's opening up like this – and to Uchiha Sasuke of all people! But maybe it is true what they say, that it's easier to open up to strangers. Only thing is; Sasuke knew her, she didn't know Sasuke.
"It's confusing. But Sakura is saying that I will probably be getting my memories back once my mind has healed completely."
"I'm sure it will be back to normal soon" he tried.
"... They told me that you and Naruto saved everyone in the war. That was really brave of you" it almost felt rehearsed to listen to her words, but he would take it, she was trying.
"Is that the way that they phrase it?" he said, masking his amusement. "I can't imagine that it was Kiba who informed you of this."
"No it was Sakura…" Hinata paused and reflected for a few seconds and smiled to herself. "She has been really kind to me, I have to make it up to her when I get better."
"I guess she has her moments…" he didn't know what Sakura had told Hinata but he doubted it had been everything.
"She really likes you" Hinata said.
'Wait a minute…' was Hinata trying to play matchmaker between him and Sakura?
"Things are a bit complicated" he tried to make her understand that Sakura was really not someone he had his eyes on.
"She has always wanted you, and she has always stood by your side" she blushed, she knew she was crossing over the ine with the Uchiha, but she wanted to do this for Sakura.
"I don't want her to want me" it came out harsher than he had intended.
Hinata looked into his eyes for a second time now since he had entered the room. It felt as if time ceased to exist, looking at her eyes reminded him of all the times when he looked up at the moon the days he spent away from konoha. She had some kind of gravitation surrounding her that pulled him towards her, but they never collided he just continued to circulate around her. Being pulled in one second and pushed away the next.
Hinata on the other hand felt panicked looking into his eyes, she felt as if she was drowning. His eyes were so intense and she was so confused about everything. He looked at her as if he knew everything about her but he was just a stranger to her and it felt weird.
She couldn't look at him any longer.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I think I need some rest" she looked away from him, more confused now than ever.
"Then I'll be leaving. Just come to our usual training ground when they let you leave, I'm always there at the break of dawn."
"I… I don't know where that is" she said, embarrassed.
"Training ground 7" he walked over to the window instead of the door, Sakura was one of the people that he least wanted to see at the moment.
Before he jumped out of the window Hinata managed to squeak out a quiet "bye". She wasn't sure if he had heard it or not but she didn't want to feel rude.
Of all the things that she had been told, the fact that Sasuke was her anbu partner had definitely been the strangest thing yet so far.
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Hi guys the was a little break there, I had some few papers I needed to write, and you know how it is.
Shout out to everyone who continues to read this, if you have any suggestions on what you want to happen next know that I read all your reviews. Some have really inspired me with this.
Also know that Sasuke and Hinata and everyone in this fanfic will most likely feel very ooc, but I'm trying guys.
Until next time, (probably Friday/Saturday if I finish on time)
