It was quiet in the library down below the main floor in Konoha's Hokage building. The constant ticking of the grandfather clock that sat in the main room was the only sound that pulsated through Hyuuga Hinata's eardrums as she sat at her desk. A few scrolls were open on her desk and her ink brush sat idle in her small ivory fingers. Pale and light eyes guided over the text that sat in front of her but her mind wasn't picking up information. It was too quiet and something was missing that day.
Her gaze hovered hesitantly over to Uchiha Sasuke's empty desk that sat across from her. A thin line was spread across pink lips before trapping the bottom one between her teeth. It was well into the morning and Sasuke had yet to show up that day. At first, Hinata figured maybe his training session ran later than usual… or he just simply decided to stop showing up. Maybe he didn't think it was worth it to be stuck in a basement full of dust, old documents and a Hyuuga.
The grandfather clock ticked to the top of the hour, bringing ten long and painful dongs to signify Sasuke was two hours late. She sighed gently, glancing quickly back down to her work. His absence didn't really bother her, but it was more of a worry that sat in the back of her brain. Is he okay? She shook her head gently at that thought, feeling the braid rub on her shoulder. Of course he's okay. He's Uchiha Sasuke… it was safe to say he was the strongest ninja around. No one could lay a finger on him without suffering the consequences.
Leaning back in her chair, Hinata's mind was set on auto-pilot as her thoughts took her elsewhere. Did I make him angry? She thought back to the previous day and didn't find anything that would warrant him not showing. If only she could be the type of person who didn't care what one thought of her. Hyuuga Hinata was constantly on her toes throughout her life while she tried to gain respect from her peers… and not just the Rookie Nine but her own family. Now that it didn't matter, she found herself still in that habit of wanting everyone's approval.
Her eyes lowered for a moment as she thought of her own life; it had been several weeks since she had visited her family. She almost felt ashamed to be seen because of the way the people of the Hyuuga clan whispered amongst themselves. Hiashi-sama was right… She is too weak. These feelings had sat in her gut leaving a somewhat sickening feeling that never seemed to go away. Usually Hinata immersed herself in the work of the library but today it only reminded her of how lonely she truly was.
A sound at the top of the stairs stirred something and her stomach did a flop. Sasuke-kun? It struck her as odd that there was excitement running through her mind. Perhaps it was just because there would be someone else around to help keep her own demons at bay. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Yesterday, Uchiha Sasuke terrified her. Today, she looked forward to his quiet company.
Much to Hinata's surprise, Uzumaki Naruto hit the bottom of the stone step and bounded through the library. As if it was an automatic reaction, Hinata's cheeks became red out of shock and admiration for the blonde haired man who had approached her desk. His usual grin lit her world and she suddenly felt light on her feet. Hinata caught her breath and she shut her eyes tightly. Hinata… don't faint. She always thought she had gotten over her childish feelings, but it was very hard for her to stop. Hinata simply couldn't help it; she was in love with a boy who had no idea.
"Ahh, Hinata!" Naruto said as he crossed his arms behind his head. His spiky blonde hair was always a mess, but she adored it. Hinata smiled and avoided his gaze, as if he could see the secretive love for him in her eyes.
"G-Good morning, Naruto-kun." Her voice was soft as she stammered while fidgeting with her long braid. Naruto's grin faded and he glanced around the basement.
"Eh? Where is Sasuke? I was gonna see if he wanted to go to lunch later!" He said a small pout forming on those lips she so adored.
"Oh… he hasn't shown up yet." Hinata said and frowned gently. Naruto crossed his arms and stared at the floor. It wasn't very often that he got serious but when he did it usually involved the lone Uchiha.
"I hope it's not cause of what I said the other day." He mumbled before closing his eyes. Hinata stepped forward slightly, resting one of her hands on her desk. "I drank too much and well…" His voice trailed off.
"…Naruto-kun?" She breathed. He glanced up at her and forced a smile that she knew wasn't genuine. Hinata felt embarrassed of her constant observation of the man knowing much of his life than he knew of her own. She wanted to see Naruto happy and give him everything that he deserved.
"Sometimes I say stupid crap that I don't mean. You know how that is, right!?" He said with a smile. Hinata looked away again, embarrassed to admit she really never drank alcohol. The grandfather clock chimed in before she could come up with a response and Naruto's eyes went wide.
"Hey… that clock isn't off, right!? Ahhh… the old lady is gonna kill me! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto hastily threw together his hands to form the right seal and another Naruto appeared with a yawn. "HEY, wake up you! I'm gonna be late for that meeting if you don't leave right now to cover for me."
"Meh… oh. OH the meeting!" The clone stammered and began to panic. Hinata smiled gently while rubbing the back of her head as the second Naruto began to scurry off towards the staircase.
"Um… Naruto-kun." Hinata said quietly. "T-Tsunade-sama is going to know that's a clone." Naruto grinned while lifting up his hand for a thumbs up and it seemed to melt her heart.
"Trust me, Hinata. If there's anything I know well, it's the old lady." Hinata smiled politely. "Besides, I'm gonna head out and see if I can find Sasuke. I need to apologize." There was a crash upstairs the shook the building and loud voices could be heard even through the heavy layers of stone that made up the sturdy building.
"NARUTO, DON'T YOU DARE SEND CLONES UP TO MY MEETINGS!" Tsunade's booming voice seemed to freeze Naruto's features in place as he rubbed his hand through his hair.
"…ehh that didn't work as I thought it would." Naruto said with a quick shrug of his shoulders. "Hey! Hinata, I know it's a pain but can you go find Sasuke for me? Thanks! You're the best." Those blue eyes sparkled at her and his smile grew wide as he threw up his hand up to wave. Hinata held out her hand while she watched him run up the stairs.
"Naruto-kun…" Her voice trailed off and then a small sigh escaped her lips. The basement became quiet again except for the dull ticking of the clock. Her eyes glanced at the work on her desk and with a frown she headed towards the staircase to exit the Konoha library.
There was a pounding in his skull; it was dull but it was persistent. Sasuke didn't dare open his eyes because he was familiar with this pain. It wasn't a pain from over-using his Sharingan nor was it anything related to being a ninja at all. It was a hangover and not a good one.
Rolling over onto his stomach, Sasuke inhaled into his pillow before trying to get comfortable in his bed. The sheets were half on his bed and half wrapped around his legs but he could care less. All Sasuke needed was a few more hours of sleep and he'd be fine.
Something caught his attention, however, and it was a scent… a scent of food. His head lifted off his pillow and he cautiously opened his eyes. The scent of food was confusing for him because his loft was slightly on the outskirts of the market district, so there really wasn't anyone around him that would create the smell, nor would it travel the distance.
Another thing he noticed was the sense of a presence in his loft. Sasuke groaned inward and quietly rolled over so that he could get off his bed. With a pounding headache and still a little drunk from the night before, Sasuke cautiously approached the door to his bedroom and peaked into the living room. He could see a kettle of tea brewing on the stove and something cooking next to it, but there was no one in sight. For a split second Sasuke wondered if perhaps it was he who was making food last night. That thought was dismissed after a few moments and he decided to investigate further.
Pushing the door open all the way, he ventured out and stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted someone at his sink. It wasn't just anyone; it wasn't an intruder looking to steal his things or an enemy ninja sneaking in to murder him in his sleep. It's the Hyuuga Hinata washing his dishes. A wave of emotions rushed over him. First it was shock that anyone, especially her, had let themselves in on his property. Second it was anger that she was in his kitchen doing his chores. Third it was embarrassment that she was in his kitchen doing his chores.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke said as he approached her. His eyes were narrow and he watched her flinch. Hinata shut off the water and grabbed a towel to wipe off her hands.
"S-Sasuke-kun… you um… didn't come to work today." She said quietly. He opened his mouth to say something next, but the thought of 'work' came busting into his mind. He had forgotten to set his alarm in his drunken state last night and simply forgot. There was a small amount of time that passed in silence before he said anything.
"That doesn't give you right to break into my place and…" His strained gaze shifted towards the stove. "… make food." Sasuke suddenly wondered where she had gotten the tea or the rice that was bubbling. Hinata stared down at her feet as she walked past him to stir the rice so it didn't burn.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet. "I didn't break in, really… the door was wide open." Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and stared at her. He couldn't recall getting home last night and he really had nothing to say to that. Hinata continued as she swirled the rice with a spoon.
"Naruto-kun was looking for you… and he asked me to come find you." Satisfied with the cooked rice, she moved it from the hot burner and then walked past him again to pick up the clean bowl in the sink. "I noticed you had gotten sick and… you didn't have any food."
Sasuke stood there trying to take this situation in all at once. The front door was wide open, food was cooking on his stove, the dirty dishes were clean, and she also probably noticed the lovely vomit in the toilet. Anyone else would see a mess of a person, but Hinata didn't seem to mind. If she did, she didn't show it.
"I don't need you to do things for me." He said irritably as she spooned some rice onto the bowl.
"I-I know, but." Her voice trailed off. It was just in her nature to be giving and perhaps motherly to everyone. There would countless times she had to patch Kiba up after long training session. She would even help massage out the knots formed in Hanabi's back and shoulders due to high tension and chakra build up. Sasuke took the bowl from her without a word and then knelt down at his kitchen table. He picked up his chopsticks and slowly watched her pour tea into a cup for him.
"This is a special tea with different herbs from the Hyuuga gardens. It should help with the nausea and headache." She said quietly before setting it down. Sasuke felt his eyebrows furrow as a memory seemed to explode in his mind. He could picture the gardens in his mind as she spoke; it was a beautiful garden that he remembered seeing much as a kid.
The clink of the cup hitting the top of the table shook him from the memory and he just stared at it. That's strange… when did I ever go neat the Hyuuga estate? Sasuke didn't dwell on it long; the aroma of the tea smelled good, but he didn't dare pick it up while she was watching so instead he waited for her to turn her back. The taste of it was sweet, but not too overpowering. Normally Sasuke disliked sweet things, but it did calm the storm in his stomach and eased the pounding in his head.
Hinata went about cleaning up the mess of the pot of rice which she put the left over in the fridge. Sasuke kept her in his peripheral vision while he ate and much to his dismay he felt a little bit better. He wasn't used to anyone doing anything for him. Uchiha Sasuke was very much an independent person partly because he refused and partly because he had no other choice growing up. He didn't find it 'sweet' or 'nice of her' because she was invading his private space, but it was convenient for him since now he had a homemade meal.
"So I guess I will see you soon, Sasuke-kun." Her small voice interrupted his thoughts and he glanced over to her. He ignored her and continued to chew on his rice. There was something different about the rice she had made; it was more flavorful than when he did. The texture of the rice was perfect which meant she was observant and had a knack for doing…womanly things… like cleaning, cooking and organizing the many documents in the Konoha Library.
Hinata frowned at his response, or lack there of, and turned to let herself out. It was odd cooking for him and even doing his dishes, but the place was a mess. Hinata knew he had just arrived in Konoha not too long ago and was probably still settling in. It even struck her as strange that she had gone to his loft, saw that he was ill, left and came back with tea and rice. Hinata never even did that for her fellow team mates. Maybe it was because Sasuke was special to Naruto. Or maybe it was because Hinata felt bad that there was no one around to help him, even when he didn't ask.
"Why aren't you leading the Hyuuga?" Sasuke's voice suddenly stopped her and she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was sitting back in his chair with his hands folded. His dark mysterious eyes were staring straight at her and she felt her cheeks get warm.
The tone of his question was different. It held no emotion in it, as usual, but this topic would usually tug at the heart strings of most folk around the village. Hinata suddenly didn't feel so surprised that he didn't pity her. She turned and ran fingers down her braid, clearly a habit to her, and shrugged her petite shoulders.
Sasuke observed her awkward behavior as he listed things off in his head: sudden hunch, lowered gaze, fidgeting and warm cheeks. It was something that Tsunade had mentioned the previous night… her rightful spot as the head of the Hyuuga… He didn't unlock his eyes from her as she stepped forward a bit.
"My sister Hanabi has taken over." Her voice was quieter than usual, but Sasuke still heard every word…each word dryer than the last. He could tell she wasn't one to hold hard feelings, but this seemed to peak his interest for some reason.
"I'm not surprised." Sasuke said finally after a painful few seconds of silence. Hinata felt her stomach knot up at that statement and a wave of anger was beginning to surge through her little body. I'm not surprised…?! It stung as if he had come up and slapped her across the face. Before she could release all of the emotion pent up, Sasuke stood up from his chair.
"A leader must be strong at all times. It only takes one mistake to cause chaos." He said. "The Hyuuga attempt to patch up their own mistakes by turning against their own and-"
"You're wrong!" Hinata squeaked while her hands formed fists at her side. Sasuke's blank stare watched her every move and she almost thought his expression was mocking her. "We are a strong clan!" Sasuke smirked and crossed his arms. She says it as if she is still a part of the clan.
"No, you are weak." He said simply. Something inside her eyes seemed to fade; there was no anger, no sadness, nor embarrassment. It was as more like defeat. Her light eyes stared straight into his dark eyes as if it was yin and yang standing beside each other.
"There is no greater danger than underestimating your enemy." Hinata suddenly whispered without even thinking. Those words were strange coming from her mouth, nor did it sound very intimidating. It was a phrase she remembered hearing often growing up in the Hyuuga household and it came out on instinct. Sasuke wasn't her enemy by any means but it just seemed like the right thing to say.
Hinata didn't blink, nor release her shaking fists. All her life it was constant scrutiny… never did she imagine that it would follow her and also come from someone who had no idea. Sasuke would never understand and she didn't need him to. He had no clan to compare or relate to so in the end it was useless to put up a fight. The snake might be bigger but the mouse was swifter. Without another word, Hinata turned around and left Sasuke's loft.
Sasuke watched her go, his face still as blank as before, but inside his mind was turning. There is no greater danger than underestimating your enemy. That phrase looped over and over again as if déjà vu had taken over. Memories began blinking like puzzle pieces just waiting to be put together. The wind howling outside brought him back to reality and he slowly heaved a sigh. His eyes glanced over at the clean kitchen she had left behind, along with a paper bag of tea leaves and herbs.
That was the second time he had been the reason for the glint in her eyes to disappear. It was something that seemed to stick around in his gut afterwards and he didn't like it. There was something different about this woman that prompted him second guess his actions on a constant basis. It was new, foreign and somewhat irritating for him.
The following week was quiet. Not only was it quiet in the Konoha Library, but it was quiet throughout the entire village. Missions were coming in left and right which meant many of the ninja were out. It didn't concern Tsunade as much simply because there was another rumor going around that Kabuto was staying hidden near the west border—far from Konoha.
Even Naruto and Sakura had been sent on a mission, which was rare, because both had priorities in the village. Sakura had her classes and duties at the hospital while Naruto had his internship with the Hokage. Kiba and Shino were both out, which left Hinata stuck yet again, without a mission. It had been quite some time since she had been summoned with her team for something. It made her wonder if Sasuke was right—is she too weak to complete missions now?
Little had been said by either since their confrontation. It was easier to stay quiet. Working alongside the Uchiha was frustrating; his apathetic views and ego were beginning to wear into the gentle Hyuuga. At least back at home, Hinata had the chance to escape her father's ways by training with her team. With Sasuke, she was stuck with him for long days which was disheartening for her.
Sasuke also found this entire situation to be annoying, but if it was what he had to do to get ranked up, then he would do it. He hoped that eventually the Hokage would see that he was trustworthy and not scheming. A week after their confrontation, Sasuke eyed the Hyuuga sitting across from him. Her gaze rarely met his and if it did, her cheeks would grow pink and she'd look away instantly.
Their latest project was putting away several checked out medical documents that Sakura had requested earlier that day. Many of the large books had fallen apart due to old age, so Hinata was going through and re-binding many of them, then Sasuke would put them back onto the shelves.
"S-Sasuke-kun." Her voice was gentle as it pierced through the silence. He glanced up at her to see what she wanted. Her eyes remained on the open scroll in front of her, although Sasuke always made sure to look at her straight on. "Um… these can be put away now." He set down his ink brush and got up to grab the books. Without word, Sasuke walked over towards one of the medical bookcases and began to scan the spines of the books to figure out where they went.
Hinata grabbed the last large book that needed its pages re-attached and sighed gently. It was slightly depressing down there, even worse than when she was all by herself down there. At least when she was alone she didn't have to deal with piercing glares and painful silence. In fact, Hinata almost missed the company of her stoic family; at least they had a reason to be rude.
She thought of the last time she had spoken to Neji. It was a few weeks before Sasuke's return to Konoha and he had just returned from a long mission with his team. He had stopped at her apartment just as she was leaving for her training session that morning. She remembered his intense gaze at her as he approached her and it almost terrified her.
"Hinata-sama." His voice had been cool and smoother than silk. Ever since she had left the Hyuuga District, there was little to no interaction between them. It was partially her choice and unfortunately partially theirs as well. For Neji to approach her right after a mission meant something must be wrong. He had held out his blood stained arm which had been hastily wrapped and looked like it hadn't been changed in days.
She remembered bringing him inside and silently cleaning it, disinfecting it and then re-wrapping.
"How are you doing?" He had eventually asked, his eyes meeting hers. The small talk was awful and she just wished that things were the way they used to be. Hinata wondered what Neji was doing… maybe she should visit. He had been promoted throughout the clan and for some reason it didn't even seem like he was any different than the main house.
Hinata finished her job on re-binding the book as her thoughts returned to reality. The silence in the room was the same; the distant ticking of the clock and the occasional voice from upstairs would bleed into the basement. She gathered the book in her arms and lifted it off the desk. It was heavier than usual and she figured she wouldn't bother Sasuke with it.
She glanced up to see him still putting away books and she stood next to him awkwardly. Her eyes scanned the text in front of her and then looked upon the shelves to see where its proper place was. Sasuke's eyes focused on the job at hand, but he couldn't help but every so often look in her direction. It had been a while since Hinata had been that close to him… perhaps the last time was when he reached up to help her put something away. He could smell her vanilla scent and it seemed to ease the stress lines in his forehead. Sasuke suddenly felt relaxed for some unknown reason.
He also knew that the particular book she had belonged on the top shelf and he was curious to see what she would do, knowing damn well that the Hyuuga girl wouldn't be able to reach. He watched her frown and her shoulders went limp slightly out of defeat. Sasuke reached over, took the book from her arms, and slid it up in its place.
Hinata's cheeks went warm and her head lowered a bit. Sasuke also frowned upon seeing this reaction and he felt the same feeling as before… as if he had done something wrong. There is no greater danger than underestimating the enemy. He looked over at the pile of books still to be put away and bent down to grab one. Sasuke handed it to her sheepishly.
"Here." His voice wasn't harsh nor was it full of pride. It was just…there. Hinata bit her lower lip before taking it then turned to gaze at the bookshelf again. With a very small smile she knelt down to put it away. In his own way, it was a nice gesture; he could tell she didn't like to be underestimated. And she could tell he liked to be left alone. It was finally a small understanding between the two. Sasuke handed her yet another book and she took it gladly.
The door at the top of the stairs burst open and hurried steps were heard coming down. They both glanced over at who it could be and much to their surprise it was the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. Hinata offered her a polite smile, but from the look on her face it seemed like there was an emergency.
"Hinata." Her voice was firm and full of caution. Hinata's smile slowly faded away as she walked to meet Tsunade in the middle of the library. Sasuke stayed where he was, but his ears were straining to hear the hushed conversation. He idly stared at the scroll in his hand interested to see what was going on. It was about time that something exciting happened around there.
There was a sharp gasp as Hinata let the book fall from her hands and they were brought to her mouth. Sasuke glanced behind his shoulder in curiosity and his dark eyes watched Hinata nod gently to Tsunade's words. Turning, they both walked quickly towards a door in the far corner of the library and Hinata unlocked it then shut it behind them.
Sasuke frowned and crossed his arms. It wasn't his business but there was a strange feeling that was churning in his stomach. It was a feeling of dread and almost worry. There was something off about the way Tsunade, of all people, left her office and came down into the library. If it wasn't important it would have been someone else down to run her errands. Not to mention, it must be personal for Hinata to drop a book she had spent much of the afternoon repairing.
The two women weren't gone for too long. The door was opened in the room and Tsunade emerged with giant books and scrolls in her arms. Hinata followed behind her as well with many different books in her arms.
"S-Sasuke-kun…" Hinata's voice cracked as she stopped. "I um… I have to go. I guess that means you're done for today…" Sasuke wasn't stupid; even though she hid her teary eyes, it was pretty obvious. All he could do was nod that he had acknowledged her and off she went following Tsunade up the stairs.
His eyes had caught view of the documents in her arms and it had the words Hyuuga Anatomy written all over it. Sasuke could only imagine that it had something to do with a fellow clan member. He secretly hoped it was her father because there was a large amount of distaste for him for an unknown reason. With a sigh, Sasuke bent down to finish up the job of putting away the rest of the documents that had been checked out.
Suddenly it hit him. Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze turned towards the corner of the library. Classified documents...The door was slightly ajar in the midst of the frenzy and he could slowly feel a shot of adrenaline going through his body. He recalled Tsunade mentioning that the classified documents were, of course, off limits to him but there was no one there to intervene.
Without wasting any time of being caught, he approached the cracked open door and gently pushed it open. It was a small room filled with smaller book cases, drawers and perfectly preserved antique weapons. He wasn't interested in stealing anything, just looking for some more information on his own clan. There had to be something more. Sasuke shut the door behind him and inhaled slowly.
Sasuke stepped forward and examined a few shelves, not finding much that was of interest to him. Many of the documents he was looking over were personal records of MIA ninja, prisoners of war from other countries, sacred healing techniques and such. It was slightly disappointing to him to know that such unimportant documents were labelled as "classified" but if they did just happen to fall into the wrong hands, it could be a problem.
He moved on, from bookshelf to bookshelf, looking for something more specific and more…personal. After a few minutes, he began to wonder if maybe there really wasn't much more on the Uchiha clan than what was open to the public. Sasuke suddenly felt defeated; he crossed his arms and leaned up against one of the book cases. His eyes caught glimpse of something with an Uchiha symbol on it and he narrowed his eyes to focus more on it.
Somewhat hidden in the dark corner of the room was a large, old wooden chest that looked like it was about to collapse at any moment. Sasuke stared at it for a few seconds before pushing himself off the bookshelf to approach it. He knelt down on his knees and then ran his hand across the dusty Uchiha emblem that was on the top lid. It looked as if it hadn't been touched in over ten years. With a frown glued onto his lips, Sasuke hesitated before unlatching it and pushing the heavy lid up.
He coughed a bit as dust and cobwebs escaped from within and he let the lid rest against the wall. His heart pounded nervously for some reason. It was almost as if he was disturbing a tomb… in essence, it was probably what was left of his clan. Sasuke looked in to see books stacked neatly, preserved scrolls and even an old flag he recalled seeing outside the Uchiha Police building.
The chest was in awful shape but everything inside was still intact, much to his relief. He reached out to move around some loose papers and he felt like a detective looking for something important but in reality he had no idea what he was looking for. Just something to put his mind at ease… a sign that said even though he was all alone that everything would be okay. There was a rocky exterior that he put out, but deep down he was still a scared little child. Everyone needs someone to turn to for comfort; everyone needs some place to call home.
Everything inside was what Sasuke was looking for; the topics inside the chest ranged from political information to status reports from the Police department. It was like Sasuke was in a candy store of information. One particular scroll caught his attention towards the bottom of the chest. It was older than the rest and as he picked it up he realized there was a blood stain on it.
Sasuke almost wondered if he should open it; there wasn't a seal on it so he figured it couldn't be that bad. He hesitated before he rolled it open. The ink inside was worn but he could still read what was written. Mission to Destroy… Leader: Hyuuga Hiashi … Heir: Hyuuga Hinata … Sasuke blinked his eyes and allowed them to rest as if he wasn't sure what he had just read. However when he looked back down to the scroll it still the read the same. Mission to Destroy… This was an order to infiltrate the Hyuuga district. Sasuke was holding a hit on the former Hyuuga leader and his daughter.
His stomach was in knots as he looked away. There was always friction between the two clans; of course they dominated Konoha with their eye Kekkei Genkai but Sasuke never knew that it was that bad. Deciding to read on further, Sasuke pulled the scroll open more to reveal faded details. Eliminate the Byakugan… Seek revenge… The information further was a complete lay out of the Byakugan mansion, the rooms and how the mission would play out.
He let the scroll rest in his lap as he tried to think back to his childhood. Sasuke had little to no recollection of interacting with the Hyuuga's… There was a slight hate for the other clan, but not enough to warrant an assassination mission. There had to be more to this and if it had come to such a conspiracy, what had happened that made the mission fail? Sasuke suddenly felt physically ill; did Itachi kill them before they had a chance? Or did the Hyuuga's have something to do with it as well? Sasuke rubbed his forehead as a bead of sweat had formed on his temple. He didn't say anything… he didn't say a word! His thoughts had taken him back to Itachi's death bed out in the field along the border.
"Sasuke…" His voice was softer than a whisper. Sasuke's grip on his older brother grew tighter as he lay in his arms.
"You shouldn't speak." Sasuke hissed at him as he refused to show any sadness even though it was burning a hole in his heart. Itachi laughed gently which caused a chain reaction of bloody coughs.
"It's okay." He croaked. "I just wanted to tell you… that I'm proud of you." Those words struck Sasuke like a slap and he stared down at his dying brother with such hate and disdain.
"Proud of me?" He growled. "I am…the way that I am… because of your actions."
"I know." Itachi whispered nonchalantly. Sasuke's brows furrowed as hot tears formed in his eyes. He looked away angrily but Itachi slowly lifted his arm to poke his little brother in the forehead. Sasuke looked back down at him and he could see it wouldn't be long now.
"Why?" He whispered to Itachi. Itachi closed his eyes and breathed in. Sasuke stared down at him and watched a bloody tear come out of his brother's tired and overused eyes.
"Why? Why!? WHY!?" Sobs were escaping Sasuke's mouth as tears flowed freely down his face. Itachi slowly opened his eyes which allowed more blood to escape as tear droplets.
"I'm sorry… Sasuke." Itachi breathed and then swallowed hard as if he was telling his body that he was ready to go.
"Itachi? No, damnit. Itachi!" He shook his brother who smiled up at him one last time before his body became limp and lifeless. Sasuke sat with Itachi for several more minutes as he cried to himself… sometimes they were silent and defeated tears, sometimes they were hot with anger as he quietly cursed his brother under his breath.