After he used his rinnegan's Human Path to gather information from the rogue ninjas, it was agreed (more like he ordered) that they would both meet the rest of the reconnaissance team the following day.
The Hyuuga then changed her wet clothes for dry ones, reluctantly shared with him her simple packed meal of onigiri and gyoza, muttered quietly to wake her up so she could take second watch and then was out like a light, clearly too exhausted and in need of rest to replenish her low chakra reservoir.
He snorted as he observed her sleep in her roll like a child—curled to her side, hand tucked under her chin, face looking so calm despite what just happened earlier, expression so innocent despite her profession.
Then, two hours into his watch, the Hyuuga's peaceful sleep ended. Her eyes moved rapidly under her lids, silver tears fell down her moon-pale cheeks and her previously even breaths turned short, heavy and loud in the deafening silence. She was clearly having a night terror. After a while, when it continued, he thought of waking her up but then she whispered 'Nii-san', 'I'm sorry' 'What do I do' and 'Hanabi' again and again.
He remained seated and still, his mouth a thin line and his teeth clenched—the words coming out the Hyuuga's mouth made the annoying thoughts that's been popping up since that awkward, ill-fated dinner come to the forefront of his mind once more, bringing with them a deluge of emotions he didn't really like.
For a long time, he'd ignored and had been apathetic to the situation of others. He'd been absorbed with the tragedies he has suffered and focused only on his pursuit of power and his goals of avenging his clan. Only Naruto's situation made a significant mark in his mind and that was only because of the parallel paths they seemed to walk and how similar their history and struggles were in many ways—not to mention the blonde had been a persistent leech that simply refused to let him go and saved him in the end.
The two years of traveling and seeing the world did help in opening his eyes to the suffering of others but the constant move from place to place meant that the concerns he met and dealt with never really took root for long. That dinner changed something and the stray thought of the Hyuuga having similarities to Itachi has led to other annoying thoughts popping up—thoughts like the uncanny similarities in both their lives.
He thought of their shared beginnings through Kaguya and her sons Hagaromo and Hamura. Their clans the Uchiha and the Hyuuga. Of the power in their eyes. Of Konoha. Of their tangled strings and intersecting lines and roads that crossed but never truly touched, never truly connected.
He thought of the choices forced upon them by others and choices they willingly made or were forced to make for themselves. He thought of the different but similar pain and helplessness and despair over their situations that they endured, are enduring, and wondered if there was a scale in the world capable of measuring the weight of each.
He thought of Itachi, his older brother. How he was twisted and manipulated and taken advantage of at a very young age. How he was forced by shitty old people to use his power to massacre their own family, their clan—all to protect ignorant, ungrateful people. How his brother spent the rest of his life most likely feeling overwhelming guilt and grief. How his truth, until now, remained secret and would most likely be kept forever in the dark.
He thought of Hyuuga Neji, her cousin, her brother. How he was branded and treated a slave by his own family. How he lost his father to save a rotten clan and a corrupt village. How he was rumored to have been a genius but had his wings clipped since he was a child due to circumstances he had no control over. How he loved his cousin and sacrificed his life for her. Like Itachi did for him.
He thought of himself. How he suffered in the aftermath of the massacre. The painful sundering from the family he loved and the terrible nightmares that came after. The choking hatred he felt for his brother. Konoha's apathy and lack of action. His bloody pursuit of power for the sake of retribution only to find the bitterest of truths in the end. How he now has the power to make a change but the one thing he wanted to change most could no longer be. How he travels the world instead, trying to atone for sins he committed, trying to do his part while the people and the village that played a part in pushing him to commit those same actions continue to keep the truth hidden and show a façade of a peaceful, happy existence. How even after years, he remained angry and bitter and tired and empty and knowing not what to do with the rest of his life.
He thought of Hyuuga Hinata. How she has her family and clan but does not truly have them. Her sacrifice for her sister. How she was labeled weak and expendable as a child. How she was disowned and disinherited at a young age. Konoha once more showing indifference and a lack of action. How until this day she remained shackled by manacles designed by her own family, living and fighting a cage that seemed impossible to escape. How she didn't possess the power to make the change she wanted.
It made him feel better and angry at the same time. Better because, somehow, aside from Naruto, he found another person who shared a similar tragedy, shared a little of his suffering. Misery does love company after all. It made him angry because she's just another proof that Konoha—the place his clan helped found, the place many of his kin died for, the place his brother killed their family for, the place he decided to help in the end—continued to be a place of ignorance, of injustice, of suffering.
"Nii-san!"
The Hyuuga jolted awake hoarsely crying out, her breathing short and ragged. Sasuke kept his eyes closed to feign nonchalance and simply listened as she took many deep breaths then grabbed something from her backpack—a water bottle she drank from eagerly.
When she remained awake after a long while, he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Go back to sleep Hyuuga," he muttered in the stillness.
Her gaze whipped to his direction and he found himself meeting red-rimmed and tired silvery eyes. She still looked exhausted and though her chakra has increased, it still felt low, the disturbed sleep clearly only gave a little of its intended effect.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Uchiha-san," she said with a wince.
He scoffed. "Tch. It's not like you have control over the things that happen when you sleep."
She nodded her head then went to lie on her roll once more but her eyes remained wide open, her byakugan activated. He decided to just let her be then. It was no use, he knew. He's gone through enough nightmares to know how hard it was sometimes to go back to sleep.
After a few minutes, she sat up once more, brows furrowed and sight focused on something probably miles away from them.
"What is it?" he decided to ask after a while.
"T-there are possible enemies approaching our location, Uchiha-san. Five men around fifteen kilometers North, three men ten kilometers East and another group of three around eight kilometers South," she reported, eyes unblinking as she scouted great distances.
Sasuke felt a little impressed with how far her sight was able to cover. Sure the byakugan now seemed underwhelming in the face of his ocular powers but a range of more than ten kilometers…it's a great tool for reconnaissance indeed. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Fifteen kilometers, is that the farthest you can see?"
"A-ah…it's…it's twenty Uchiha-san," she hesitantly replied.
"And what is the longest range known for your entire clan?" He was interested to know because of Kaguya and his hunch of a greater threat with similar but greater ocular powers and thus didn't care if the question came out a bit invasive.
She looked at him warily before responding, "Mine is, I believe." She then got up and started to pack her things.
"No need to get up, Hyuuga. I'll take care of it."
As soon as his words left his mouth, her back stiffened and she looked at him with a stubborn glint in her eyes. "I can fight Uchiha-san."
Sasuke smirked a little.
Through the years, women always seemed to have a select number of reactions when it came to him—disgust or desire and a few times, a bizarre mix of both.
Since he was a child, he'd been surrounded by females always fawning over him—having expectations or demanding things from him as though he has an obligation to fulfill simply because they felt something for him. In rare occasions, a few tried to kill him.
The Hyuuga had always been different, even as a child, now that he thought of it. She never fawned over him and instead held a torch for Naruto who, at that time, was nothing but a dumb loser. She never exhibited any emotion for him at all, be it admiration or envy or anger or hatred. She didn't look at him with judgment or expectations. He suspected that even now, after all that he's done, she never saw him as anything but as Uchiha Sasuke—the last of his clan, her former classmate, member of Team 7 and Naruto's friend.
The only time she ever reacted to him was when he opened his mouth. For some reason, his bluntness always seemed to push the woman's buttons without him meaning to and caused her to react in ways he'd never expected of the timid and non-confrontational girl he knew her as.
It's nice—amusing and a bit therapeutic. He'll never tell anyone but he actually liked it.
"I know you can fight. In three out of four occasions I've met you this past year, you were involved in fights, or have you forgotten?" he asked with a raised brow.
She took one long deep breath then responded softly after, "This is my mission. I refuse to be a burden."
"I didn't think or say you are Hyuuga. But with your current condition, you'll definitely be a burden if you can't get up to meet the others tomorrow. So, sit tight. Just keep looking and let me know when they're here," he ordered, his sword in his hand in preparation for a fight.