Towards the Sun

Chapter 20

The sound of soft, steady breathing teased her out of her slumber. Hinata stirred, her eyes fluttered open. All she could see through the window were branches ornate with the colours of autumn. Orange and red maple leaves were dancing in the wind. She tried to stretch, but could lift only her right arm. She looked to her left; a familiar hand was holding hers. The warm touch sent butterflies up her stomach.

"Sasuke …," she said quietly. The young man was sound asleep in a chair placed close to her hospital bed. His dark hair shielded his eyes from view. With her free hand, she brushed them aside. Watching his peaceful expression brought a smile to her lips.

The window above her bed had been left slightly open. A cool breeze crept in – the chilly air tickled her side, and sent a shiver up her gown-clad body.

Hinata sneezed.

It was a soft, brief achoo. Nevertheless, the sudden sound pulled Sasuke out of his sleep. It took him a couple of seconds to regain his bearings – (Where was he? This wasn't his bedroom.) – and, realizing that Hinata was awake next to him, an expression relief and joy twinkled in his eyes.

He pulled Hinata into his arms and held her tight. She was startled at first, but soon her shoulders relaxed in his embrace. She breathed in his scent – it smelled like soap and fresh lavender. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Sasuke pulled away slowly and looked at her with tender eyes. Something warm, a surge of affection and happiness within Hinata, bubbled and rushed over her body. Without second thought, she grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned over – her lips met his, and she closed her eyes. Her mind was floating on clouds, her body felt warm and giddy from this intimate contact.

Sasuke deepened the kiss; his left hand wove into her dishevelled hair, his other arm provided support as he bent over the bed.

At the other end of the room, the door slid open.

"Ah – eh – don't mind me, I'll come back later," said someone awkwardly. It was Naruto.

Sasuke and Hinata instantly pulled away from each other, their cheeks flushed.

It took them a few moments to regain their composure.

"Sasuke and I just got back from a mission yesterday," said Naruto after a while. All traces of awkwardness were gone – he now felt like a proud brother towards his teammate. Hinata enquired after her sister. They assured her that Hanabi was well, and Naruto quickly changed the topic again. "Sasuke came to visit you every time we returned to Konoha, ya know?"

Naruto flashed a toothy grin and slung an arm over Sasuke's shoulders.

"Ah, I see," replied Hinata. Her fingers were fiddling with the blanket covering her lower body. "Thank you for coming to see me, Sasuke. How long was I, uhmm …?"

"After using so much chakra," Naruto was now saying, "you've been unconscious for about a week. That guy was worried sick."

"Oi, Naruto. Be quiet."

"See his face? Look at the dark circles under his eyes."

Naruto had to eclipse himself for a while, to let Sakura know that Hinata was awake.

Now that Sasuke and Hinata were alone, the conversation shifted to the group of people they had confronted. Sasuke's summary was straight to the point.

The lifeless bodies of Ai and Akio were found on the forest floor. The twins, on the other hand … they had killed each other before Sasuke could intervene. As Hinata had guessed, Sasuke used his Chidori to neutralize Genbu, the water beast, and destroy the last scroll.

Only Tora, the leader, had survived. He was currently under the ANBU's surveillance.

"Tora's underlings …," said Hinata. "Do you know who they were really?"

"The Fifth could not find any record about them," replied Sasuke, his voice grave. "She supposed they were orphans who scavenged through villages ravaged by the past wars."

A sorrowful expression twisted Hinata's features. The battle was over, the persons she cherished were safe … yet, part of herself regretted the lives lost that day. Those who perished had been far from innocent souls, but her mind remained agitated.

"But after some days with the Interrogation squad," Sasuke was now saying, "Tora's finally talking. He gave Ai a replica of the Sharingan eyes stolen from … from Orochimaru's old hideout in the Sound Village." His expression darkened visibly. He was partially to blame for this series of events.

"These eyes they obtained," he went on. "Obviously, they were not perfect, but … they could still produce realistic illusions using people's memories and dreams. They used those eyes' ability to infiltrate affluent people's minds over the country and retrieve their most guarded treasures."

There was a short pause. Then, Sasuke repeated quietly, "From Orochimaru's experiment … in a way, it was my fault." A bitter tone stained his voice as he added, "Since I know of all of Orochimaru's hideouts, the missions Naruto and I have been given were to destroy any remnants of those experiments. We took care of the last ones yesterday."

"Don't dwell over it." Hinata placed her hands on each side of his face. Her gentle voice was soothing to his ears. "The past is done. You came back to the village to start anew …"

She looked into his eyes. They were like an unfathomable abyss, yet in their depth, the morning light danced and glimmered like stars in the night sky.

With the tips of her fingers, she stroked his cheek.

"No matter your past, no matter what you've done then … I love the person that you are now, Sasuke."

Her words left him speechless. He leaned over again. Delicately, as though he were handling the most fragile of flowers, he brushed his lips on Hinata's forehead.

The sun has risen well over the mountains surrounding the village. Its warm light filtered through the maple leaves and poured into the hospital room. It illuminated the young man and woman by the window in its golden, shimmering rays.

Yet, to Sasuke's eyes, Hinata was the most radiant.