Prelude to the Chunin Exams

Team Seven were making their way back to Konoha, having completed the D-rank mission. The sun started to set on the horizon, the sky deepening from a vibrant magenta to a bright orange and finally to crimson. The forest seemed to go on endlessly, wild shrubbery sitting below the huge canopies.

"Why do we get a lame mission to find a stupid plant?" Naruto complained, trudging along the off-beaten path.

Sasuke threw his a dirty look. "It's a rare flower, idiot."

"Whatever, how are we supposed to get stronger if we're looking for a freaking flower?"

Sasuke silently agreed with Naruto. They had the Sharingan, Byakugan and even his stupid team-mate was pretty good at shadow clones- a jonin-level technique. And yet, here they were wasting three days because of a damned flower in a remote part of the land. They hadn't come across a single enemy; the biggest danger they encountered was a small rock that tripped Naruto and almost broke his nose. Sasuke was glad they were finally heading back home. He hoped the Hokage would assign them a real mission.

"It's for the Yamanaka flower shop," Hinata piped in, following behind them.

"Then Ino should get it herself!"

"Team Ten is away on a d-different mission," Hinata reminded Naruto. She took the flower out of her bag, the iridescent petals glittering like gems in the evening light, "and we've already found it."

"The dope would know if he remembered how to use his eyes and ears," Sasuke remarked with thinly veiled annoyance.

"What did you say!?" Naruto balled his fists.

Hinata jogged quickly and planted herself between the two boys. "I-I'm sure Sasuke didn't mean it."

"I did," he deadpanned, goading Naruto with a massive smirk.

Hinata's shoulders flopped as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Not this again.

Naruto bared his teeth. "Stand aside, Hinata! We're gonna finally settle this."

She sweat-dropped, having heard the statement several times during the mission. She refused to budge, putting her hands up to placate him. "H-How about we take a break?"

"No," the two said simultaneously, reaching for their kunais.

"W-we have set up c-camp, it's getting late!" Hinata cried pleadingly as the two shifted into an offensive stance. It was time for the ultimate weapon: "I-I packed us all food!"

At the mention of food, Naruto's stomach grumbled and Sasuke looked at her, intrigued. Hinata made a mental note to bring a whole buffet with her next time.

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly with a laugh, forgetting all about his glaring contest with Sasuke. "I never say no to food!"

"What did you make this time?" Sasuke asked, peering at her backpack expectantly, "is it omusubi with okaka and tomatoes?" That was his favourite dish.

Three blue tents perched under the shade of a large tree. The serene gush of water was heard close by. Sasuke had made a small fire using the Fireball Jutsu (to think he used the Uchiha's famed jutsu to make a camp-fire instead of burning a foe's flesh made him scowl). The three of them sat around as the darkness of a cool night descended upon them.

Naruto analysed the the rice ball Hinata gave him, squinting with fascination. It looked just like him! Hinata sure did put a lot of effort in her cooking. Sasuke frowned just like the face (that he guessed was supposed to be him) on his rice ball. Hinata watched with relief as they took a bite. She was not one for confrontation, but she soon learned that if she didn't step in as a peacemaker, Naruto and Sasuke could spend days fighting one another. Home-made food, it seemed, was the only solution to their relentless rivalry.

"Wow, Hinata! This is delicious!" Naruto cried, "you'll make a great wife one day!"

Hinata felt light-headed at the comment. She wobbled right to left, feeling her consciousness drifting away... and she was gone. Her arms cushioned her drop as she fell onto the wild grass.

"Hinata?" Naruto said, unsure. He turned to Sasuke, who had already finished his snack. "I guess she was really tired and went to sleep."

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath, making his way into his tent.

Naruto blinked, puzzled by his team-mates's behavior.

Naruto woke up in the middle of the night, rubbing his eyes blearily. He hated when his sleep was interrupted, but nature called. He slipped his shoes on, stumbled out of his tent, eventually finding a suitable place behind the trees. Business done, he zipped his pants and headed back to his tent.

Except something caught his eye: movements in the distance. He walked further along, arriving at a grand waterfall in the clearing. Several streams of water gushed down from the rocks, combining into one single drop into a large pool. A figure stood atop the water, Naruto was captivated by the ethereal display. He ducked, hiding behind a bush as he watched, unable to pull his azure gaze away

The silhouette twirled, droplets of water surrounding her form like clusters of diamonds. The water cascaded around her like a silvery cocoon, reflecting the moonlight. She took delicate steps, skipping in front of the waterfall as if she was skating, swirling and gliding; an enchanting dance under the stars.

Naruto could only stare in awe, hypnotized the woman's mystifying allure. Her slender arms moved around in a gently, forcing water to rise below her into thin streams that whirled around her figure like fluid ribbons, wrapping around her body. His legs moved to their own accord, dragging his body towards the waterfall.

"Hey, what's your-"

Splash! The figure gasped softly, bringing her arms around her body.

Naruto lifted his head, spitting out the salty water. He silently swore at the rock that he slipped on, shaking his his wet hair. As he looked around, his chest full of anticipation, the figure was no where to be seen. His bubble of happiness popped as he heaved himself out the water, grumbling under his breath. He would never find out who the angelic creature was.

Sasuke's eyes shot open. He sat up straight, looking around suspiciously. Naruto had left his tent a while ago and hadn't returned. His lips pressed into a thin line as he threw the blanket off his body. If the idiot thought he could get stronger than him by training in secret, he had another thing coming his way! Sasuke tied his Konoha headband and slipped outside. A sudden splash caught his attention and he ran to the source of the sound.

When he arrived at the waterfall, he raised his brow, a humorous smile curving on his expression as he folded his arms. Naruto sneezed as he waded out of the shallow water, looking up at Sasuke in confusion.

"What are you doing... in the water?"

"There was a beautiful woman taking a bath!" Naruto stated, his clothes dripping wet like his hair.

"What the hell, Naruto!" Sasuke blurted, unfolding his arm. His voice a pitch higher as he stared at the blond, completely scandalized, "I didn't know you were a big-ass perv.""

"I just wanted to know her name!" Naruto defended himself, "plus, I didn't the specific details of her naked-"

"-Stop talking, you dirty idiot," Sasuke snapped, his face a light shade of pink. He scrunched his face in disgust, though a strange curiosity poked him senses, "how could you spy on Hinata like that?"

"H-Hinata?" Naruto repeated incredulously. He whipped his head back and forth wildly. "Nah, it wasn't her!"

"It could only be her," Sasuke stressed, "look around, dope, we're in the middle of freaking nowhere!"

Naruto squinted his eyes in a fox-like fashion, considering Sasuke's point. "It was a beautiful woman!" he said stubbornly, "plus, it looked nothing like Hinata."

"Are you calling Hinata ugly?"

"No! I'm just saying it wasn't her!" Naruto retorted, affronted by the shallow notion.

He wouldn't dare think about Hinata in that way- she was his best friend! He still preferred Sakura and her smile, wondering when she'd be his girlfriend. But the woman in the waterfall was way prettier than Sakura!

"Let's settle this. We'll go check Hinata's tent," Sasuke whispered, tapping his chin with his index finger thoughtfully. He raised a conspiratorial brow as Naruto listened carefully. "If she's there then you're right, and if she isn't, I'm right and your officially a perverted freak."

Naruto didn't contest Sasuke's ultimatum as the two tiptoed to Hinata's tent. A part of him felt guilty for intruding on their team-mate's privacy, but the need to get to the bottom of the predicament was inescapable. Sasuke's eyes scanned the area as Naruto slowly unzipped the tent, careful not to make too much noise. There Hinata lay in her sleeping bag, her body rising and falling as she slept.

A sly grin crossed Naruto's face he jumped in joy.

"Ha! I told you," he half-whispered, half-cheered.

"Your still a pervert," Sasuke grumbled, peeking his head inside her tent to make sure Naruto wasn't making it up.

Hinata's wet hair drenched her pillow as she hid her burning face under the blanket. As soon as Naruto and Sasuke's bickering faded into silence, Hinata pushed her blanket off. She had tossed her clothes on so quickly that he coat was worn the wrong way. She exhaled, her heart still thudding a hundred miles per hour since she sprinted back to the camp from the waterfall, blind panic fueling her legs.

All she wanted was a peaceful bath, to scrub the grime and sweat from her body and train a little as well. What she did not expect was the simple wash to transform into a salacious show to entertain her crush. Hinata felt her ears burn at the mere thought of it. She was grateful that he didn't believe it was her, but she was still mortified that she'd been caught in a situation he father would deem irreparably shameful for a Hyuga.

Forget about losing her position as heiress, she would have been outright disowned by her entire clan!

The next morning, Hinata lagged further behind Sasuke and Naruto, clutching the straps of her backpack as she stared at the ground. She could not look either of them in the eye after last night.

"Come on, Hinata!" Naruto called as he and Sasuke stopped for her to catch up. Naruto grinned at her when she approached them, "you're missing out on our conversation."

"S-sorry, what conversation?"

"Yesterday, I saw the most beautiful woman dancing in the waterfall!"

"D-dancing?" Hinata's left eye twitched, her pale face reddening at Naruto's brazen description.

It was far from that; Hinata was training. She tried to fuse the water with her chakra to create a fluid needle-like projectiles as a defense mechanism. Of course she usually trained with her clothes on, but she really felt comfortable enough in the knowledge that she was all by herself! How wrong she was...

"Yeah, I wanted to know who she was, but she ran off before I got to ask."

Sasuke scoffed, his hands tucked in his pockets. "You were probably dreaming."

"Well, if she was the woman of my dreams, I wouldn't mind!" he grinned, laughing bashfully.

"Freaking perv," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head as Naruto continued to beam, reminiscing about the mystery girl.

Hinata flushed, her slow pace halting to a stop. She burned hotter than the sun. With a squeak, she covered her face with her hands, unable to survive any more of the humiliation.

"Hinata, you okay?" Naruto asked, perplexed by her reaction. "It looks like you're coming down with a fever again."

Sasuke's stoic stare flitted back and forth between the two. His eyes widened in shock as the pieces of the puzzle clicked in his brain.

"Holy crap," Sasuke cursed under his breath.

The magical woman Naruto couldn't shut up about was Hinata after all! Deep down, he wished he could've sneaked a peek at what Naruto saw. There must be a reason why she always wore that over-sized coat.

Sasuke Uchiha never was jealous. Not at all. Everyone was jealous of him, that's how things were. He couldn't blame them. He had skills only others his age could dream of. And his good looks too. There was an obvious reason why all the girls fawned over him. Face, brain and brawn. Sasuke was always proud of what he had achieved but his success didn't blind him from his true goal. He had focus. He had a goal, a mission that fueled his thirst for vengeance; for justice.

Yet, lately he was distracted.

Sasuke couldn't understand why the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head when he watched Hinata pay more attention to Naruto than him. It was strange and he hated the fact that he couldn't rationalize the discomfort. Something warm stirred inside him when Hinata asked him if he was okay. It wasn't like the others, who cried if he got so much as a scratch on him. Hinata wasn't motivated by infatuation. Then that warmth changed to ice when Hinata rushed to the idiot, looking at him with those big, innocent eyes.

Simply put, Sasuke Uchiha was not used to being ignored.

In fact, Hinata's lack of obsession with him was one of the reasons he could tolerate the girl. Unlike the silly blonde on Team Ten and the pink-haired girl with the enormous forehead, Hinata Hyuga didn't treat him like a precious object to swoon over. He was glad he didn't have a clueless cheerleader crying his name out all the freaking time. Hinata was different and he liked that.

But she was not as different as he initially thought.

He liked that too.

Maybe a bit too much. Sasuke never imagined that he could relate to the pampered heiress.

There were nights the nightmares refused to let him sleep. The blood pouring through the streets; the bodies of people he loved piled roads. Skurikens still embedded in the limbs of people he called family. Smashed windows, glass littering the streets he walked everyday to the academy. The defiled symbol of the Uchiha Clan on the ground. The inescapable terror. And worst of all, the pathetic fear. Sasuke was too weak. Too weak to protect his own family.

During nights like these Sasuke strolled to the village lake, as he usually did when it got too much. The silence in the air, only broken by the gentle sounds of the water quelled his rage. But this time someone was there already. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the figure sitting in his spot. He frowned, recognizing the silhouette of the person.

"S-Sasuke!" Hinata exclaimed, startled as he sat beside her.

"What are you doing here at this time-" he shot a look sideways- "and don't lie."

Hinata sighed, pulling her knees back towards her chest. "Y-You won't care."

Sasuke's expression remained impassive, expertly hiding the turmoil twisting inside him. Hinata was right: he didn't care at all, but she piqued his curiosity. "Try me," he merely said.

From his peripheral, he saw her eyes widen. Just like Naruto, Hinata was an open book. Her eyes gave too much away. The fear when the enemy charged towards her, recognizing the Byakugan. The way she hunched her shoulders when she was disappointed in herself at a failure. And the expression Sasuke noticed more and more often was the red blush on her face when she was around Naruto. His eyes flickered to meet hers and Hinata briefly contemplated. Sasuke was her team-mate so maybe deep down he really did care, even if it was just a bit.

"I-I don't know if I'll ever become truly strong," she confessed.

"And why does getting stronger matter so much to you?" he asked lazily, "the branch family would probably sacrifice their life to protect you from harm anyways."

Hinata resisted a glare and then deflated. "My father thinks I'm weak and I want to show him that I'm not," she replied quietly, unaware of Sasuke's surprise, "I want to show him that I'm capable to leading my clan one day..."

"But?" he spurred her on, listening intently.

"I'm nothing compared to my older cousin," he said, holding back her tears, "Neji's the strongest the Hyuga clan has ever seen and he's only a year older... how can I ever reach his level? I'm the eldest of the main branch, but sometimes it feels I was born in the wrong family."

Sasuke stared at her as she wiped her eyes, a horrid empathy pervading his senses. The expectation of greatness, the validation from a father, the burden of reputation of an elite, and a familial prodigy they aspired to surpass. In that minuscule moment, Sasuke realised that he and Hinata were more alike than anyone could imagine. He faced her fully, a newfound realization dawning on him.

"My brother Itachi was a genius too," Sasuke murmured, spitting the word out like it was poison. He wondered why he was even talking to her about personal matters he never disclosed to others. Hinata met his stormy eyes. "I thought it was impossible to be better than him. My father ignored me, even when I tried hard to show him my strength-" Fill your heart with hate if you ever want to take revenge, the words rang in his mind. "-But I vow to get stronger than him. I will avenge my clan."

"I-I don't know-"

"If I can do it- and I will- you can too, Hinata."

Hinata took in his words, shock colouring her face. Was Sasuke actually... nice to her? Her eyes drifted downwards. She knew the rumours that it was Sasuke's brother who slaughtered his own family. The incident sent shock waved through the village and threw the Hyuga clan into a state of bewilderment. The massacre of an elite clan put them all on guard, and the situation further justifying the need for the Cursed Seal on the branch families. Hinata felt a pang of sympathy to think Sasuke had to endure all that at a young age, and she smiled at the resilience he showed.

"We both will," she promised, giving his a small smile. "Right?"

Sasuke's head turned to her and the edge of his mouth twitched upwards, an oddly genuine smile resting on his face. It was the first time Hinata saw it.

"Y-you should smile more," she said after a pause, "it l-looks nice."

Sasuke's immediately disappeared as he frowned, earning a small giggle from her. He didn't mind her comment at all, secretly liking the sound of Hinata's laugh.

Days flew by, mission after mission. Since their promise by the lake, Sasuke couldn't help but notice Hinata more. Her silent insistence to train when he wanted to rest. She practiced taijutsu diligently at the crack of dawn, reflecting his own strict routine of training as soon as the day began while Naruto was still asleep.

Sasuke sparred with her once, shocked to face her aggressive strikes, one that rendered his arm useless. The Gentle Fist, Hinata told him, blocked chakra points. Sasuke wondered she could disable the Sharingan if she struck him on the face. He shivered inwardly, thankful that she wasn't an enemy.

Sasuke would have enjoyed their sparring sessions if it were not for Naruto joining in, destroying the pleasant moments with his loudness.

Perhaps it was the fact they were he and Hinata were brought up in clan with ocular kekkei genkais. When Hinata used her Byakugan to assess the danger in their surrounding, he inwardly marveled and realized that it was probably the same feeling when people saw his Sharingan copying their hard-learned jutsus instantly.

"It's not fair that I'm the only one without a kekkei genkai," Naruto had complained during a training session.

Sasuke raced up a tree, aiming several kunais at targets on other trees. The daggers hit every target perfectly. Naruto and Hinata were sparring with each other. They swapped their styles; Naruto now taking on a defensive stance while Hinata took an offensive approach. After hurling strikes that Naruto successfully dodged, her Byakugan saw an opening, sliding her legs to the left, she jabbed him on the side, causing him to fall onto his bottom.

Sasuke ignored him, but from his peripheral vision he saw Hinata whisper something to him. Naruto grinned at her, giving a small nod as he bounced up. Sasuke didn't know what she said to him, but whatever it was, Naruto never complained again about their inherited abilities.

Team Seven rose the ranks, quickly making a name for themselves as the rookie genins to have ever completed the most missions. Hinata; the tracker who could spot an ambush lying in wait for them, and her formidable Gentle Fist shutting down foes with mere touches. Sasuke; his Sharingan making enemies think thrice before attacking, and Naruto; the genin with inconceivable amount of chakra that surprised even experienced shinobis.

"Hinata, wanna get some ramen with me?" Naruto offered, though his glare was fixated on Sasuke.

"O-of course," she answered, her pale skin heated to a dark shade of beetroot. "Sasuke, w-would you like to join-"

"Nuh-uh, I just invited you!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing her hand. Hinata swore she would have fainted on the hard ground if Naruto wasn't pulling her alongside him. She held his hand tightly as they meandered past groups of people.

Sasuke usually didn't care. The idiot always ate ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was something else annoyed him, twisting in the pit of his stomach as he watched Naruto take Hinata with him through the street. His eyes lingered where their hands connected together. He wanted to hold her hand like that.

The way Hinata blushed like a tomato whenever Naruto opened his annoying mouth irked Sasuke. His ears honed in how she quietly cheered him on during missions, irritated that she didn't say his name too. It was a stupid feeling really, since he always had girls screaming his name in the streets. At first Sasuke didn't mind since he knew he pushed her kindness away with his abrupt answers. But deep down he wanted her to take care of him like that too.

There was one thing that comforted him. Sasuke secretly felt a twinge of relief about his team-mate's obliviousness; it was obvious that Naruto saw Hinata's kindness as a token of friendship.

Nothing more.

Naruto was still crushing over the Haruno girl. The very same one that irked Sasuke to no end. In fact, Sasuke arrived to the conclusion that she was just as annoying as the dope. One would have deducted that if a girl repeatedly smacked you in the face, she probably didn't like you.

But not Naruto. Sakura threw several punches, even chased him with a kunai whenever he tried to flirt. She was berserk when Naruto (wistfully) asked Sakura out on a date while Sasuke was standing there. Hinata glanced away awkwardly, shuffling her feet as she tried to hide her dismay. Sasuke surmised that Naruto Uzumaki was a bigger idiot that he presumed.

But that didn't hinder Hinata's affections and Sasuke didn't understand why.

He hated it. Scratch that, he despised feeling like one of his fan-girls. Sasuke just felt protective over Hinata. Yes- that had to be why he was having these troublesome thoughts. They were a team, and after the whole Zabuza ordeal, Sasuke had to admit, he did care about his team, more than he let on. When Haku attacked Naruto, he stepped in front of him, his limbs acting before his mind processed what happened. He wasn't a heartless monster like Itachi.

It was a new day and Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata received specific instructions to meet by the bridge at 6am promptly. After waiting for two hours, Team 7's tardy sensei finally showed up. Kakashi said a cheerful greeting to an enraged Naruto, a tired Sasuke (who expected his sensei to show up late as usual) and an agitated Hinata who hid her annoyance at his excuse.

"I know this is sudden, but I recommended you three for the Chunin Exams," Kakashi announced, piquing the interest of Team 7, "these are the application forms."

"Chunin exams!" Naruto cried, his rage over Kakashi's lateness disappeared as he jumped in for a hug, one Kakashi wasn't impressed with, pushing the boy away.

Sasuke's eyes lingered on Hinata a little longer He didn't miss the way she matched Naruto's grin. Or the way she wished him luck. Or rosy blush on her cheeks when Naruto said the same to her. It was like she forgot he was standing there too.

"If you don't think you're ready, there's always next year," Kakashi added, handing them the papers, "if you want to take part, then complete the forms and come to room 301 at the academy next week. The deadline is 3pm."

"I can't wait to show Sakura how strong I've become!" Naruto cried, pumping his fist in the air.

Hinata's gaze fell, her face scrunched in disappointment. Sasuke smirked at the prospect of beating Naruto to a pulp in front of the entire village.

"Bring it on," he said, a smirk plastered on his face.

A/N: Instead of the Naruto-Sakura-Sasuke love triangle, I think Sasuke-Hinata-Naruto would be much better, especially since Sasuke doesn't ever show affection towards a girl in the entire series until the very, very, very, end (and it's literally a poke).

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