YO!! How are ya all?? First of all, thankyou to all of you for reading!! Yaayyy!! And thanks for all your overwhelming support and all your wonderful reviews!! Thankyou!! Chapter 12 then, huh? Wow… sure goes fast… here it is!! Enjoy!!

Chapter Twelve: Thoughts, Feelings and Threats

AARRGHHH!! DARN YOU, HINATA!! Sasuke screamed in his mind. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FRICKIN' NOBLE???

Sasuke was clutching the scroll in his hand. It was strange, but he could feel Hinata's spirit, and it was as though he could tell what Hinata wanted him to do with it.

Don't follow me or try to find me. I'm sorry… I have been burdening you and slowing you down all this time… So please just take that scroll… and complete the mission.

"Oh, damn you!!" Sasuke blew up angrily. "You expect me to complete the mission and leave you??"

Just please don't look for me…

Oops. Sasuke's face flushed red and he quickly put a hand to his mouth. I just yelled out all that stuff out loud!! I must be insane!!

Goodbye, Uchiha-kun.

Sasuke glowered in anger as he took his and Hinata's stuff and slung them over his back. He was just so angry at Hinata, and at himself.

SHE'S SUCH A DUMBASS!! Sasuke frowned. He gazed down at the scroll. His eyes lowered and narrowed as emotions took over him.

I don't get it, Hinata. Where did you go? And why is your blood on the ground? Sasuke couldn't help the growing feelings of worry and anxiety take over him. He was frustrated at himself too.

AARGHH!! I don't like her, I don't!! I'm just worried, okay??? I hate you, Hinata! And I'm so damn pissed at you for disappearing like that!! Hinata, you loser!! I-I…

Sasuke sighed. He tightened his grip on the scroll. Who was he trying to kid?

It was so obvious. He knew it himself. It was right there, in front of him, staring him in the face. How long had it been there, tormenting him and irritating him?

Sasuke let out a slow distressed breath. He already knew it.

He loved her.

Sasuke ran through the forest, the trees and the long haunting shadows on the ground.

Dammit, Hinata! Where did you go?? He thought.

He ran faster, looking around him as he went. Stress was visible all over his face. It was around this time when he realized. Hinata hadn't disappeared by herself. She had been taken away. And hurt too, as he could tell from the blood.

Hinata… Panic rose up in Sasuke. He could clearly remember the sight of blood outside the cave. He clenched his teeth as he ran even faster. Whoever did that… whoever it was that hurt Hinata… whoever it was that took her away… Sasuke felt the familiar burning sensation inside him that made him want to kill for revenge. It made him thirst for bloodshed.

Whoever it was… that made her bleed… Sasuke's dark eyes seemed to get even darker. I'm swearing right now… I'll kill you!!

Thoughts of her and memories of her just seemed to come into mind. It was still strange, Sasuke decided, that out of all the girls in Konoha, the one he actually ended up liking was the one girl who didn't like him. And happened to have a crush on Naruto too!

Sasuke couldn't help feeling a little jealous thinking about it.

He had always thought that Hinata was… a waste of space. She couldn't do anything. And she was so weak and shy and nervous and- Argh! She just infuriated him.

Maybe she just reached him, because she had a way of getting to him. For some reason, even if it was just a simple sentence, Hinata's words reached inside him.

"Uchiha-san… how can you… how can you kill someone… without feeling anything… at… all?!??"

It was so weird and unfamiliar to Sasuke.

"…we… should bury him, shouldn't we, Uchiha-san?"

She was so different from all the others. She was weak, yes, and she stuttered in the most annoying manner, but there was something special about her. She just seemed so pure and innocent… so full of goodness, even thought she had gone through so much in the past.

"Uchiha-san… you're actually really nice!!"

The image of Hinata on his back, smiling at him like that... Sasuke felt his face heat up and his face mercilessly glow red.

"Uchiha-kun… you can't kill them… because they are living… too!! You can't take away their lives like that… you can't!! Uchiha-kun… don't- DON'T KILL THEM!!"

How come she was the only one who could stop his evil blood-lusting self?

"C'mon, Uchiha-kun! You said we had to hurry so I'm hurrying!"

"I… I have to fight!! I'm… a ninja!! I won't… run away!!"

"I want to be strong!!!"

"D-do you think maybe one day, I'll be able to save you, Uchiha-kun??"

"I try to be strong. I train and I train… but I don't get any stronger… Why doesn't anyone accept me the way I am??"

"I…I'm sorry. Because you never cry, Uchiha-kun… I decided I should cry for you… I know now you've had a hard past… and you seem like you're carrying so many troubles and burdens all by yourself… maybe if you would just let your feelings out, you would be able to lighten your loads."

Sasuke was silent and still. He had stopped running and was caught in the words Hinata had said to him last night.

"Just please… Uchiha-kun… Don't be afraid to cry."

Why is it that I… am drawn to her so much? Sasuke pondered inside his weak and troubled soul. She is just so… I don't know… she just needs to say a few words and I go weak… And she's not afraid to listen to my troubles and she was willing to even cry for me.

Is it just because she was there that night? All she did was sit beside me and listen. And she cried tears for me, because at that time I was unable to do it myself. And she told me the very words I needed to hear.

Sasuke stood alone in the forest-like place, and raised his head to look at the beautiful blue sky. Is it because you are just there beside me that you've managed to take my heart??

Suddenly, a disturbing and alarming memory rang in Sasuke's head. That other night when he had stolen a kiss from Hinata!! Sasuke immediately felt dirty and bad, like some kind of lecherous pervert. His face went from pink to absolutely flaming fire red.

"AARGHH, NOOO!!" He shouted out in frustration.

"What's this? Talking to yourself, Uchiha?" An unfamiliar voice came from the trees.

Sasuke was immediately on guard. He whirled around to face where he thought the voice had come from. "Who are you?!? What do you want??"

A ninja with green eyes stared straight back at him. He seemed vaguely familiar to Sasuke, yet there was also something very different about this guy.

Suddenly, recognition sparked in Sasuke's eyes. His eyes grew large.

"You!!" He managed to cry out.

The ninja sprang down from the branches and stood across from him.

He gave Sasuke a smirk. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten me, Uchiha."

"Why are you here??" Sasuke demanded. "What do you want??"

"Oh, stop asking questions!" The ninja snapped. "I'm going to tell you!!"

Sasuke glared at the ninja and the ninja simply stared back at him. Yes, he was the same person, but he seemed to have gained so much confidence and he looked a lot stronger. Sasuke felt annoyed and panicked. Dammit!! He didn't have the time to talk to this ninja!! He had to go after Hinata!!

"Don't think I haven't forgotten what you did, Uchiha. You killed my best friend!!" The ninja exclaimed. "You don't know my name and why I'm here yet, so I'll tell you."

Sasuke glared at him, full of frustration.

The ninja glared with hatred straight into Sasuke's black eyes.

"My name is Kitake Minabi and because you killed Renn, I'm going to kill you!!"

Eh heh heh… I've been meaning to get this guy back in the story. Does anyone remember him? He didn't actually have a name before; I just referred to him as 'the burnt ninja' or something like that. I just had to put him in now right when Sasuke is impatient and urgent. Hahaha!! Well, hope you liked this chapter!! Please review!!