"Hinata," Sasuke's voice was suddenly sharp, guarded, and she nearly scowled at the sudden relapse. "I'm sorry." It was possibly the worst thing he could have said. The absence of his closeness was frustrating, and Hinata felt her shoulders slump and her hands curl into fists. Stepping away from Hinata, the Uchiha straightened his shoulders and spoke again. "I need to go back to Orochimaru."
The words didn't properly register. "Wh-what-?"
"I let you die." Again, Hinata stared at the Uchiha blankly, wondering if he had lost his mind.
"N-no you didn't, I'm right here-"
"In an illusion. I had the opportunity to kill Itachi, and I took it, even though I was fully aware it would kill you. If you continue to follow me around, it's what's going to happen. Only next time, it'll be for real. If you want to live, you'll go back to Konoha."
Hinata swayed a little, the feeling was returning to her legs, and it was obvious she wouldn't be able to follow anyone anywhere. She didn't reply, thinking that maybe she should just go back to Konoha. But she didn't know how she could face Naruto and her family again. Sasuke glanced at her, seeming to notice her current state. "You can stay here, until you're strong enough to go back."
"What are you going to do?"
"Finish him off, once and for all."
"I can help you! You know I can!"
"Not the way you are now."
"I...I'll prove it!" Hinata fumbled slightly, sinking into an awkward fighting stance. Her leg was stiff, and when she tried to move it, searing pain shot up her hip and spine. The Hyuuga stifled the cry of pain that threatened to spill, and stared at Sasuke, panting. "Come on! Attack me!"
Sasuke quirked one eyebrow. "Your attacks are defensive. I might not have to protect you as much, but you wouldn't be helpful to me."
"W-well unless you want to carry me all the way back to Konoha, you're going to have to let me go with you!" Hinata forced strength into her leg, leaping at the Uchiha. His Sharingan flicked to life, and he stepped to the side nimbly. But he didn't move quite fast enough, and Hinata slammed her palm into the Uchiha's lower arm. Sasuke grunted, clutching Hinata's wrist and yanking her hand away from him. She stumbled, her leg giving out.
Sasuke held onto her arm tightly, and Hinata felt a painful jerk in her shoulder as he preventing her from falling. Hinata sniffed slightly, eyes tearing up from the pain. "You can stay here." Sasuke repeated, lowering the Hyuuga to the ground, where she let her arms flop to her sides, frowning. She didn't want to stay here alone. Her whole life had been spent in relative solitude...feeling Sasuke's eyes on her, Hinata forced herself to straighten up, keeping her injured leg out in front of her.
"S-so is that it then? I just...I won't see you ever again?"
The Uchiha paused, then moved around in front of Hinata, looking down at her. "You're supposed to be with Naruto-"
"And you were supposed to be with Sakura!" Hinata blurted, finally letting her emotions bubble over. If Sasuke wouldn't show what he was feeling, she'd compensate by showing enough emotion for both of them. It made her uncomfortable just thinking about it; she always preferred to be a private person. "A-and...Naruto never really wanted me. He didn't...he didn't feel the same way about me." It surprised her that talking about it actually lifted some of the weight around her heart. "I...he was everything to me! He's what I wanted to be and he made me feel like as long as I didn't give up, there wasn't anything I couldn't do. I love him!"
Her words were met with silence, and Hinata lifted her gaze slowly, unsure if Sasuke was even there anymore. He had probably just run away from the psycho, emotional girl who kept bringing him down. She was a little shocked to see he hadn't moved. He was still staring directly at her, his Sharingan now dormant and his coal black eyes clouded with some strange expression she couldn't place. The only thing she could guess was that he wasn't happy. All thoughts of confronting him and demanding anything from him drained out of her brain, leaving it completely blank.
A light breeze whistled through the trees, pushing Hinata's hair away from her neck and sending a cold chill over her skin. Just as she was about to say she'd head back to Konoha, Sasuke moved, reaching down and taking hold of Hinata's upper arms. He lifted her off the ground, supporting the weight her injured leg couldn't.
"I c-...w-what are you doing?" For a moment, Hinata thought he was taking her up on her not-very-serious offer of being carried back to Konoha. But Sasuke half carried her back to the compound, letting go of her when they were standing in front of the couch in the front room. Hinata lost her balance, flopping clumsily onto the cushions, and looked up at the Uchiha in puzzlement.
"The compound hasn't been restocked in a while." He said, his tone almost lighthearted. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Hinata gaping after him in confusion. Would it kill him to say what he was doing every once in a while? She didn't think it would, but maybe Uchihas had some kind of mental block. Immediately, Hinata felt guilty. Sasuke had grown up without a family, without anyone. It wasn't his fault that he was emotionally stunted.
Well, Hinata wasn't just going to sit around hoping he came back. The flak jacket she was wearing actually had some supplies in it. Old ones, but trap wire doesn't have an expiration date. Now she just needed something like a splint. There was a chair sitting beside the couch, looking only a little out of place. The compound wasn't really decorated with aesthetics in mind. Hinata reached out, pulling the chair over to her. It was sturdy, but held together with wood glue, not screws. Bracing herself against the couch, Hinata snapped off four of the wooden planks that made up the seat, measuring them out against her leg. They were a little short, and back to back only reached about midway down her shin, but it was her upper leg that was giving her trouble.
Using the trap wire, Hinata managed to secure a decent substitute for a splint around her leg, then leaned back, satisfied with her work. Using the back of the chair for support, she stood, testing her balance. Putting any weight on her leg still hurt too much to walk normally. Hinata frowned, looking at the chair. "That could work." She murmured, sitting back down. This time, she pushed a little chakra into her hands, then swung her arm down sharply, removing the back of the chair and the back legs in one piece from the rest of the chair.
With the chair remnants as a crutch, Hinata tried walking again, and sighed with relief. The chair held up nicely. It was uncomfortable, but worked just fine. The Hyuuga hobbled her way down the short hallway, trying each door as she passed it. The first two were bedrooms, and the third was a bathroom. The fourth was a supply closet, which made her do a double take.
Sasuke made it seem like the compound was completely lacking all supplies. But the closet seemed fully stocked. There were even clothes strewn on the ground, and Hinata recognized some flak jackets like the one he had given her. Puzzled, Hinata moved farther into the closet, taking down some of the medicines and herbs. It would be easier if she had a base ointment, but the jar of it was on the top shelf. Balancing on two feet was hard enough, let alone trying to stand on her toes.
Nevertheless, Hinata tried, propping her makeshift crutch against the other side of the closet and reaching up. Her fingertips brushed the jar, pushing it a little farther away from the edge of the shelf. Frustrated, Hinata stood up higher, trying for the jar again. This time, her hand closed around it. The triumphant smile died before it reached her face as one of the chair legs snapped off, sending her falling backwards.
Hinata clamped her eyes shut. The fall wasn't going to kill her or even knock her unconscious, but it was probably going to hurt. She didn't even had time to fully brace herself for the impact when an arm encircled her waist, pushing most of the air from her lungs. Feeling like she shouldn't be surprised, Hinata looked up at Sasuke, hugging the base jar against her torso.
"What are you doing in here?" He didn't help her to stand up straight, and Hinata felt too tired to do it on her own, instead opting to let Sasuke support her. She didn't feel like answering, either, and just let the silence stretch, going over the possible medicines she could make. The closet HAD been stocked nicely. She had even found an ointment that had been discontinued ten years ago, when the plant had become endangered. Hinata dropped her gaze to the base ointment, turning it around to read the ingredients.
She could use just this for the suture on her stomach. It could be fully healed within a few days if she mixed it properly. Were there any more of these? Hinata looked back up at the top shelf, and she could see a few more jars, but they were too far back, and she couldn't tell what was in them-
"Tch." Sasuke made an irritated noise, lifting Hinata off the ground altogether and into his arms. She looked at him, noticing he was wearing the clothes he had when she first met him. The faded scar on his chest was barely visible, but she could tell it was taking longer than it should to heal. As he dropped Hinata on the couch, she shoved the base ointment up at him. The Uchiha blinked, quirking one eyebrow.
"I don't need that." He started to push her arm away, but she held the jar in place, looking at him with what she hoped was a stern expression. It must have come off as pathetic, because Sasuke smirked. "All right. Fine. If it will make you happy." He snatched the jar, and started pulling off his shirt. Hinata felt the blush spring into existence like someone had flipped a switch, and moved her gaze away quickly, staring down at the wooden floor. "Aren't you going to help me put it on?" Sasuke dropped his shirt on the ground; Hinata could see the white fabric out of the corner of her eyes.
Positively glowing with embarrassment, Hinata stammered out a reply. "Y-you c-could...g-go put it on i-in the b-bathroom and use the m-mirror."
"Hm...I guess." Sasuke paused, looking down at the jar in his hands. Hinata snuck a quick peek at him, thinking maybe it would be better if she just got over it. Sasuke was leaning over, his pale skin shining slightly with a thin film of sweat. He must have run back from wherever he got the clothes. She had seen him without a shirt before, and might have been able to handle it, if Sasuke hadn't been looking at her. His arms were draped on his knees, where he was resting his weight, and his head was turned, eyes focused on her face and an almost playful smirk on his lips.
Her breath caught in her throat, and Hinata felt her heart start racing, while her stomach felt like it was going to drop right out of her body. "Tell me something...about Naruto."
Naruto? Hinata opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Baffled, she just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"The two of you aren't together anymore?" The smirk was still there, although he looked a tad more serious now.
Hinata felt a small stab of pain, and dropped her gaze. They weren't together anymore. He had picked Sakura over her. But saying it out loud, admitting it...it was going to hurt. The thought was already making her blush fade away. "N-no...I guess we...we aren't together anymore." She had to say it, but the moment she did, a sickening feeling slammed into her gut, and she thought she might throw up. She had lost Naruto. She had him, and she had lost him.
"But you still have feelings for him." Sasuke's tone had shifted. He sounded very grave, serious. Hinata looked up, wanting an expression to go with his voice. He was looking away from her, down at the ointment again, turning it over in his hands.
Hinata didn't want to face how she felt. She locked away all feelings of love, not sure how to interpret them anymore. "I promised I wouldn't abandon him." She said after a short pause.
Sasuke snorted a little, then nodded. "It's good he has someone who cares about him. He needs that."
Hinata stared at him until he spoke again.
"You're good with medicines. You gave Naruto some ointment during the chuunin exams, didn't you?"
He didn't seem to want an answer, so Hinata didn't reply, but inside she was surprised. He remembered that?
"Have you ever considered being a medical ninja?"
The surge of anger was more than Hinata had expected, and she knew even as she thought it that her feelings were irrational. Sakura was a medical ninja...was that why he came back? Did he think she was going to be some kind of replacement for the other kunoichi? Obviously, she wasn't as good as Sakura, or else Naruto wouldn't have left her for the pink haired girl. Hinata clenched her fists, her teeth clicking together. "I can't...I can't be Sakura for you, Sasuke-kun. I'll go back to Konoha as soon as I can walk again."
She was aware of Sasuke looking at her again, but didn't plan on letting him stop her from talking. That is, not until he started laughing. Hinata felt her mouth flop open in shock, and couldn't do anything besides gape at the Uchiha as his body shook with the tremors of his hysteria. She wasn't entirely sure that the laughing had anything to do with amusement. It was probably just pent up emotion escaping through a brief chuckle or something that escalated...to this.
Thankfully, the laughter didn't last long, but then Sasuke placed one hand on Hinata's good leg. "If anything, I wish Sakura were more like you."
Hinata stared at the hand on her leg, her body trembling slightly. He didn't remove his hand, and Hinata could feel him watching her. Slowly, she lifted one hand, trying not to notice the very obvious shaking in her fingers. Hesitating briefly, she placed her hand over his. The moment their hands made contact, Sasuke pulled his arm away. Quickly, Hinata reached out and caught his fingers. "Sasuke-kun...you...you need someone who cares about you too."
The Uchiha paused, his hand frozen in midair with Hinata's fingers wrapped around his. "Like Sakura." He said quietly. Hinata started to reply, but Sasuke's face twisted in pain and he jerked his hand from hers abruptly. "A lot of good I've done for her. She shouldn't have tried so hard for me. And you shouldn't either. Anyone who cares about me is just going to suffer loss, the same way I have."
Everything he was saying swirled around in Hinata's mind for several moments, before it all came crashing down around her, falling into place as she realized exactly what he was saying. If she had been able to, she would have jumped to her feet. As it was, she managed to sit up a little straighter, half standing before slumping weakly back onto the couch. Sasuke glanced at her, expression calm and even.
"Y-you...you weren't...you're not planning on..." She couldn't even make herself think the words, let alone say them.
"I'm not going to outlive Itachi by very long, no. There are a few things I need to know, but-"
"No. I won't let you."
The Uchiha blinked, then his eyebrows drew together in a scowl. "The only reason I'm still alive is to kill him. Not even you can change that."
"You can't just kill yourself-!"
"There's nothing else I have to live for."
Hinata could feel her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "Your death...it would d-destroy him!" She whispered, not sure she could find the strength to speak out loud. A hint of puzzlement clouded Sasuke's expression. "N-Naruto-kun...he's still trying to s-save you. He's trying to save you, and if he c-can't...he...he won't ever be the same."
Of course. Of course she would be worried about Naruto. What his death would mean to Naruto. She didn't care about him personally. Sasuke found himself straining to keep his face blank, but it was becoming increasingly difficult around Hinata. She could usually tell what he was thinking even without the aid of expression. Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, going over the things she had said.
She said Naruto never wanted her. He didn't believe that for even a second. Something must have happened, some kind of horrible misunderstanding. But for her to just completely give up on Naruto ever loving her again, there must have been another event that dashed all her hopes. From her reaction about his offhand comments about becoming a medical ninja, he assumed it was something related to Sakura. And the way she kept pushing Sakura's feelings on him...
Maybe they had gotten into a fight and Naruto had assumed they were broken up, then he jumped right into bed with Sakura. Sasuke sighed internally, wondering if his departure could really have affected Sakura badly enough that she was seeking comfort wherever she could. He felt guilty, but not enough to do anything about it.
What was Hinata thinking, then? Did she honestly believe he could just return to Konoha and sweep Sakura off her feet? Then what? Naruto would be free, and she was hoping he would go back to her? If Naruto was stupid enough to leave her or cheat on her once, Sasuke didn't think he deserved any kind of second try.
She was probably right, though. Naruto was always going on and on about being Hokage and about Sasuke being the closest thing to family he'd ever had. If he died...Sasuke wasn't sure how badly Naruto's depression might become. And Sakura's, as well. They'd probably even be stupid enough to blame themselves, as if they had had any part in his leaving.
Sasuke rarely allowed himself time to mourn or think of his clan's death, but now, briefly, he wondered what life could have been. If he had grown up normally, and his rivalry with Naruto had never reached the epic proportions that it was at now...
Quickly, Sasuke backtracked. If he hadn't had the motivation of killing Itachi-although when he was younger he didn't entirely understand what it would mean-he never would have worked so hard in the academy. He wouldn't have achieved top scores, and he probably wouldn't have been on the same team as Naruto and Sakura at all. He might have even ended up on Hinata's team.
He could've helped her. If he had gotten to know her earlier, they could have been good friends. Even without his clan's demise, Sasuke's ego knew most of the girls in his class would probably still have been obsessed with him. Hinata would probably still have been obsessed with Naruto, which would have been a nice relief for Sasuke. They would have been able to spend time together without him worrying about hurting her feelings or anything like that.
But would they have become friends at all? Hinata had only started chasing after him and talking to him because he left Konoha, and because he was important to Naruto. And with him gone, Naruto was unhappy, so Hinata had been worried about him.
"S-Sasuke-kun?" He looked at her, noticing that she was still shaking as if the air was chilly, but to him it felt almost too warm. She must be nervous. Again. "P-please...p-promise you won't do anything...like that." Sasuke let out a long sigh, fatigue suddenly washing over him. Carefully, not wanting to hurt her leg any further, he reached out and moved forward at the same time, pulling Hinata against his chest and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
Smiling faintly at the small 'eep' of surprise that he felt rather than heard, Sasuke spoke. "I'll try."
She didn't seem to be shaking anymore. Sasuke felt her wiggle slightly, then blinked in surprise as her arms closed around his waist. "Okay."
"I do have to leave. Just for a while. Orochimaru will come looking for me eventually, or he will send Kabuto. And I don't know what would happen if they find out you're here." There was a good possibility that they wouldn't even care, but there was just as much of a chance that they would want her dead or recruited to be one of Orochimaru's shinobi. None of which were things he wanted to expose her to.
"I-I'll stay here."
She should be safe. No one knew where the Uchiha compound was except Itachi, which was another problem he was trying to ignore. It seemed like Akatsuki was close to capturing the Kyuubi...to capturing Naruto. He would want to help Naruto, but it didn't seem plausible. He needed more strength, and that was something only Orochimaru could help him with at this point. Once Orochimaru was dead, however, he would be more free to make his own choices, and that much closer to killing Itachi. He had fallen off track, with Hinata's strange presence in his life he was becoming more and more distracted. He couldn't allow himself to fail, not when he was so close.
But still...Sasuke lifted one hand, weaving his fingers through Hinata's hair. It was tangled and dirty, but still soft. It definitely looked better long, framing her face and contrasting her pale skin. She was very still, watching him with wide eyes. If he stayed any longer, he probably would feel too guilty to leave. Releasing a burst of chakra, he vanished.
---
"This is unacceptable. I authorized you to bring in the Hyuuga girl, I just assumed you would kill Sasuke if he were nearby. I didn't realize it would be so much of a problem for you, Itachi." The Leader's voice was cold, although it wasn't so much a tone of irritation as it was one completely devoid of emotion. Itachi was just close enough that he didn't have to squint to see him, but his attention was mostly elsewhere.
It had started out as a game. Getting impatient with the capture of the nine tails, Leader had sent Kisame and Itachi out to Konoha, where running into the Jinchuuriki had been almost too easy. It also would have been very easy to kill the Hyuuga when she showed up, alone and stuttering and looking for all the world like a lost schoolgirl. Itachi could remember how loyal the shinobi in Konoha were, willing to throw their lives away just to protect their comrades or the innocent. As if anyone were really innocent. The whole notion of peace Konoha swore they were trying to preserve was utter ludicrousy. Itachi felt a faint stirring in the depths of his memories, an almost nonexistant flutter of pain. He had stopped truly feeling hurt a long time ago, but the resentment towards his former village still remained.
Sometimes he wondered why he had left Sasuke alive. It had been a selfish decision, really. But nothing had been given to him, nothing in his life had been fair. At the time, he thought he deserved one outlet for his grief, one way to somehow defy the orders he had to follow. Even at that age, so long ago, he had been damaged beyond the point of repair. He knew peace was the only way to achieve happiness, and seeing the Uchiha's planning what they were planning...he knew one side would have to take action eventually. Somewhere along the line, between the initial assignment granted by Konoha, and actually carrying out the mission, he had broken. Ever since then, his personality would flip, sometimes he would be so consumed by grief and regret that he couldn't function, and all he wanted to do was find Sasuke and accept atonement for what he had done. Sasuke could never know the truth, never learn what had truly happened, because if Sasuke were to forgive him, Itachi would never be able to find his own inner peace. And if Sasuke would kill him, would avenge the Uchiha clan, he would surely be welcomed by Konoha with open arms.
And other times...he was seized by an uncontrollable anger. He would sink back, retreating into the farthest corners of his mind as he had on the night when he had killed everyone he cared about. He had to repress everything that made him human, it was the only way. And even then, he hadn't been able to do it. He hadn't been able to kill Sasuke. It might have been kinder-he couldn't imagine the struggle Sasuke had gone through, and Sasuke seemed worse off every time he had seen him. There was no one left to be angry with except himself, and the grief would often burst out in moments of near insanity, where his only goal was to cause as much pain as he kept locked away.
He had tortured, killed, hurt people dozens of times over since joining the Akatsuki. It never got any easier, but each time he could feel part of himself growing dimmer. And when Hinata had shown up, he hadn't felt much differently towards her than he did the others. There had been something, a slight memory flickering in the back of his mind. She bore a mild resemblance to the only girl he had had a chance to love, the same girl he had murdered so many years ago. Their personalities were nothing alike, as far as he could tell, but from what he remembered, the sweep of her jaw and the softness around her chin and cheekbones were quite similar. The Hyuuga's hair was a dark blue, almost indigo, while his lover's had been black.
The next time he saw her, he had been going over the comparison in his mind. He had created a clone and sent it to Konoha with a protective chakra barrier around it. Only Hinata would be able to get close, unless someone broke the barrier with some kind of powerful attack. He could remember holding her against him, and the sudden wildness that had taken over when he noticed all the differences between Hinata and the other girl-he wouldn't allow himself to think her name. He had wanted to hurt her, to make her fear him, to drive her to the point of sheer terror just from hearing his name.
He hadn't gone very far from her, but had lowered the chakra barrier and decided to take a shot at the Jinchuuriki, for it was dark and the boy was likely to be asleep. Even now, he wasn't entirely sure how Sasuke had known he was there. He hadn't been able to sense his brother's presence, although Hinata's had blazed plainly as she approached. It snapped the sadistic rage burning through his veins, and he had been able to leave. Sasuke would never be able to finish him off with all of Konoha watching and trying to interfere.
He couldn't stop himself from lurking after that. Hinata never failed to awaken his darker side, and while he was consumed by that darkness, it was easier for him to function. It hurt less for him to exist, and he could almost pretend that he had done nothing wrong. Of course, it never lasted...
And then, apparently, Hinata had met Sasuke. She had been there when Sasuke intervened, and Itachi had wondered if maybe they had become friends of a sort. On a deep, subconscious level, this pleased him. If Sasuke was still able to connect with someone, maybe he hadn't completely destroyed his brother's soul after all. He made a promise to himself that he would leave the girl alone. If Sasuke could survive killing him and still retain whatever relationship he had with her, it would only let him die happier. Hinata's devotion to the Jinchuuriki was a frustrating obstacle he hadn't anticipated. She'd betray her own village, just for this boy...just as Itachi had sacrificed everything for Sasuke.
It was around that time that Pein assigned Itachi another mission. Kisame had informed the Leader of the connection between Hinata and the Jinchuuriki, and Pein had assumed that Naruto would come right to them if they had Hinata. He had told Itachi to abduct her alive if reasonable, but dead worked just as well. The ploy had been too perfect, Itachi was almost disappointed at how well Hinata had fallen for it, at how easily it all had been. A few words about threatening Naruto, a few broken bones courtesy of Kisame, and it was over.
Sasuke had appeared again. This time, he did feel his presence when he got closer, and he was ready with a genjutsu. Because he didn't think he could stand killing someone he hoped Sasuke might have grown fond of. Not right in front of his eyes, anyway. And once again, he had been unable to kill his brother. Itachi knew he couldn't. There were many things, horrible things, that he was capable of. But Sasuke's murder wasn't one of them. So he instructed Kisame to carry Sasuke while he himself lifted Hinata and they made their way back to the base, where he had fixed her. Pein was all for letting her die and Kisame wanted to send one of her arms back to Konoha to entice the Jinchuuriki, but Itachi hadn't let them. She couldn't die.
And now, with Pein lecturing him and waiting for a reasonable answer as to why Itachi had brought Sasuke as well, Itachi couldn't feel anything. No remorse, worry, or regret. Even the darkness was at bay for now, for which he was grateful. His body felt weak today, and his breath came with the constant threat of a throat-tearing cough. He didn't know how much time he had left. "It isn't a problem. The Jinchuuriki was more likely to come after both of them instead of just one."
Pein grunted, clearly not entirely satisfied with this answer. "Don't you think it's time you ended this, Itachi? Go kill him, and bring the girl back-or her head, I don't see that it matters. And don't return until it's done. Kisame will check on you in a week." He moved towards the door, pausing when he drew even with the Uchiha. "Unless you would rather have me send Zetsu."
Itachi turned his gaze on the Leader, watching the malice spread across Pein's face. Without another word, he turned away and left Pein behind, not stopping until he could no longer feel the chakras of his fellow Akatsui. Then he paused to think, wondering where the most likely place Sasuke would have taken Hinata was.
Hinata was astonished upon waking the next morning, going back over the previous days, to discover that she hadn't eaten at all in nearly thirty six hours. She had been so busy that she had literally forgotten she was hungry. Sitting up slowly, Hinata reached for the makeshift splint she had created the previous day, and put it on again with the aid of trap wire. She had bathed the night before with some difficulty, and felt almost presentable again. Her complete solitude settled in, and she drew in a deep breath, shivering. She wasn't exactly worried about Sasuke, he could fend for himself just fine, and she would only weigh him down right now anyway.
Instead, she was more worried about herself. It was one thing to be in the relative safety of Konoha, but here, she was not only in an unfamiliar place, she was injured and no where near up to her own usual standards. Walking was getting easier. She didn't really need the crutch anymore, which was a relief since she hadn't gotten an opportunity to replace the one that had broken. Her leg still hurt, but it wasn't an incapacitating pain. And with the ointment she had managed to finish late last night, she felt confident that she would be fully healed soon enough.
The storage room had mostly field provisions, along with some things that were not at all to her liking-she shivered at the sight of the nori on the third shelf- but after looking in the large refrigerator, she was relieved. There were all the ingredients to make okonomiyaki, which, the moment she thought of it, sounded perfect. Her stomach growled in agreement. Hinata grabbed the necessary items and left quickly, trying not to look at the packages of ramen sitting just beside the fridge.
After eating her breakfast, Hinata paused, standing with her weight on her uninjured leg and her now clean plate back in the cabinet. She had never been one to complain of boredom, but if she were to simply sit and think, she was sure her thoughts would go to terrifying places. The only training she could think of was chakra control, which didn't seem like such a horrible idea. Maybe she could even figure out how to use genjutsu. She knew the theory, but without someone else to either practice on or instruct her, she probably wouldn't know if she was making any progress.
Hobbling outside, Hinata sat down awkwardly with her leg stretched out in front of her and her back against a tree. Taking a deep breath, she placed both palms flat on the grass beside her and closed her eyes, feeling for the chakra that swirled calmly under her skin. Slowly, she began pulling it in, tightening the chakra and folding it back in upon itself.
Just as she had completed pulling the chakra in from her legs, a powerful presence nearby disrupted her concentration. It only took her a single heartbeat to know it wasn't Sasuke, and as he spoke, Hinata's body froze, every muscle growing rigid as the iciness of his speech washed over her. "Hello, Hyuuga."
Trembling, Hinata opened her eyes, lifting her gaze to see Itachi standing in front of her.
Author: WOW it took me so long to update! I'm sorry! Things have just been kind of crazy...but I got a few reviews and I remembered how much I wanted to continue this. My next update shouldn't take so long, I promise. The next one probably won't be so long, but you never know. Enjoy!
