The enemy is not fighting you because you're Weak. He's fighting you because you're Strong.

-Anonymous

Licking her lips nervously, Hinata stared at her feet, her breath coming out in short pants. She froze when she felt warm breath on her scalp.

He was close. Close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off his body. Close enough for her to catch a whiff of his scent; sweet sandalwood and pine.

She exhaled shakily, pressing herself deeper into the tree bark in a desperate attempt to create some space between them.

She couldn't breath.

Coldly, Itachi regarded the woman in front of him. After his arm had retained feeling, he had approached the village again, more cautiously this time. He had no doubt that the Hyuga had told the Hokage about him.

However, when he reached the village, he found it to be completely normal. He had been expecting the place to be crawling with ANBU's. Sneaking into the village parameters was quite easy, and so was spotting the Hyuga as she was making her way to the forest.

The answer was obvious: She hadn't told anyone. The question was Why?

For a moment, he'd thought that this was all part of some elaborate plan of hers, to catch him off guard and lure him into some kind of a trap.

But as soon as he was close enough to see her clearly, he watched her expression on her face, as it changed like seasons.

He almost chuckled in disbelief when he saw the realization and frustration dawn upon her.

Now as he stood in front of her, he came up with only one possibility. Slowly, he extended a hand towards her, intent on confirming the conclusion he'd come up with. He felt her breath hitch, her whole body tensing, as soon as the tip of his fingers came into contact with her skin. Jerking her head up, he met her eyes, ignoring the way her fingers came up to clutch his, in an effort to pry them off from around her jaw.

He could see it all now.

Despair. Hopelessness. Frustration. Loathing.

This time he really did chuckle, no longer able to contain his disbelief.

"You really did forget, didn't you?"

Hinata's eyes, which had been wandering, looking for a way out, snapped up towards him, her face burning.

"O-Of course not!" She looked away, her voice cracking, "I'm-I'm not t-that pathetic."

Itachi narrowed his eyes her.

"Why didn't you tell, then?"

She slumped against the tree, her eyes clenched shut in embarrassment.

"I-I-I-"

"I will not repeat myself, Hyuga."

Once again, her eyes snapped up to him, this time alight with-

Is that anger?

His suspicion was confirmed when her lips curled back into a snarl.

"Don't call me that!"

His eyes widened, as he, against his better judgement, took a step back.

She was breathing heavily, fingers clenching against the tree bark.

"I'm not a Hyuga," Her voice was small, barely a whisper, eyes shadowed by her bangs, "so, please, don't call me that."

Once again, Itachi simply watched as she composed herself. Just a second ago, she looked ready to kill him. And now, she was a trembling and begging mess.

He cocked his head.

What a strange woman.

He saw her gulp.

"I-I overthought the situation, t-that's all. I thought it w-was some sort o-of a trap. And that y-you were still hiding i-in the village. You t-threatened to kill Kiba. I c-couldn't take the r-risk."

Ah.

So, she had thought that he would attack her teammate if she went to the Hokage. It was, in fact, what any other capable Shinobi would have thought. You were always taught to look underneath the underneath; to not fall for traps, to be cautious if the objective seemed too easy, too obvious.

You looked past deception. And she had done it.

Nevermind the fact that he hadn't meant to deceive her. He'd assumed that the moment she realised that he'd left, she would immediately tell the Hokage. If anything, he was the one who had underestimated her.

But, she doesn't need to know that.

"You took a gamble," He began, "and you lost. However, If I had not left the village, and you had told the Hokage, then you would be crying over his dead body, instead of over your failure."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Which one do you think is more preferable?"

Her silence answered him.

"Regardless, that's not what I was really wondering."

She looked up in question, warily.

"That spar we just had. Why didn't you fight back?"

Calling it a spar was an understatement. It was more of him tossing her around like a rag doll.

Pathetic.

She stiffened as if understanding his train of thoughts. She swallowed.

"I was distracted."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. He suddenly felt anger, burning hot, as it cut slowly thought his heart.

"Do you think all of this is a game?" He began quietly.

She looked up at him again, caught off guard.

"W-What?"

"Being a shinobi." He clarified.

"In the life of a shinobi, every moment is crucial. A single second can be the difference between life and death, either for you or your comrades. Sometimes even both."

He took a step closer.

"Distractions are something you cannot afford. That is why Shinobi train everyday, to hone their skills. Many are fighting at this very moment, for not only their own survival, but also of others. And yet, here you are."

Here he paused, eyes growing cold, hard as they stared straight at her.

"Do you have any idea how careless it was? For you to so easily give in to your thoughts? To lose focus in the middle of a battle?"

Hinata eyes widened, as his words did a complete one eighty. She gritted her teeth, bowing her head, used to being the victim of such taunts.

"How irresponsible--no, stupid--it was? Do you have any idea how many chances I had to kill you in those few minutes? What if you were with a teammate? Would you blame your distractions, when they are killed?"

Her fists clenched, as her breathing grew heavier with ever word.

To think that she was so very incompetent, that a complete stranger -- an enemy, at that-- was telling her how unfit she was.

"Stop it." Her voice was barely a whisper.

If Itachi heard her, he ignored it.

"Frankly speaking, I find myself shocked that you survived this far. Usually, those like you are killed when they are barely Chunnin."

"Stop it!" Her voice, though louder than before, was still quivering, her eyes hidden by her bangs.

She turned her head to the side.

"I mean it. That's enough."

She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"You think I don't know all that? Don't know how weak and incompetent I am? That how I will never be able to catch up to Neji? Or, even Hanabi?"

She was trembling now. The Uchiha was silent, listening to every word.

"Every morning, I wake up and when I look into the mirror, the first thing I see are my eyes. And the first thought that comes to my mind is that I was so worthless that my own father threw me out. Despite all that, I still spend hours shedding blood, sweat and tears to make him proud."

Fighting for a lost cause, hoping for redemption. Salvation.

He knew the feeling.

"What if that doesn't make a difference?" He said, quietly, "What if no matter how hard you train, how strong you get, you never gain his pride? Then all the time you would've spent on training when you could've done something else, would be wasted. You would die achieving very little."

He felt her breath catch. He didn't blame her. The prospect he had presented before her...it was terrifying.

She shivered.

"The thought of dying like that..it's scares me." She admitted.

"There is so much I still want to do. And the possibility that I might not be able to do it all scares me. But, even if I achieve very little, it would be fine. Because, at least I tried. And that's all that really matters."

His eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

She was willing to sacrifice her life fighting, even if she would get no results at the end? And that she would be fine, with spending her life for someone else, knowing they would never look at her twice?

He had given up on his Clan a long time ago, knowing that they would never truly understand his concept of peace. He had no interest in serving a group who would never agree with his ideals, would never value the sacrifices he had to make for their sake.

How could this woman, then, have not only the courage but also the patience, to claim that she would serve such people regardless of what they had to say about her?

Preposterous. Ridiculous.

"But, why bother? Would it not be better to simply give up? Would that not be so much easier?"

It was, after all, what he had done. He had chosen the easy way out. He had succumbed to the pressure, to the burden placed upon his shoulders and given up on his clan.

He didn't regret his choices. He would never regret his choices. But, by god, did he wish there had been another way.

Itachi regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. He wasn't here to confess to his sins, wasn't here to bare his feeling to this Hyuga.

But, by god, did he need answers.

And, she was the only person he had come close to relating to. They were so very different, but couldn't be more similar.

"I feel...caged."

So did he.

"Because if it weren't for these eyes I wouldn't be half the outcast I am right now."

If he wasn't an Uchiha, he would probably be living a normal life, not wrecking havoc and fear with the mere mention of his name.

"In fact, I absolutely hate my eyes. I loath them with a passion."

There had been moments in his life, when he had considered clawing his out. They had caused him so much pain and suffering and heartache.

He understood the role he had to play, understood that no one else would be able to play it. But, that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Because if it weren't for these eyes, I'd still be considered as much human as anyone else."

If it weren't for his eyes, he wouldn't be considered a monster; a cold-blooded demon who would do anything for power.

Him telling her to give up on her clan, was like explaining to his reflection how much of a fool he was for doing so.

It was like having a conversation with a mirror. The only difference was that his reflection actually answered.

When he looked at her, he saw himself. What if, despite all that he had done for the village, things remained the same.

Then the deaths of his family would be in vain.

The thought made his stomach drop, made bile rise up his throat. The thought made him sick.

Even worse, he still had thoughts of giving up. He imagined going far, far away to the very edge of the Shinobi world, where no one would be able to find him. He imagined living as a ghost, in solitude with nothing but nature as his companion.

There were moments when he had come so close to actually put such a plan into action. He knew he'd be able to do it. He'd worked out the last detail, planned out every second of how it all would go.

But, then he would remember the reason why he had chosen this path, and his mind would go blank.

His thoughts would change from, "I've been selfless for so long, I deserve to be selfish just a little bit," to "I've been selfless for so long, I can bear to be selfless a little longer."

Giving up would be so much easier. He could just forget all that had happened and leave it all behind him.

Later, he knew that he would regret it. But he already so much guilt on his shoulders, he already had so many regrets, that one more wouldn't make a difference.

That's why he needed her answer. Because, he was way past convincing himself, that he couldn't differentiate between what he told himself was true and what wasn't anymore.

He needed someone, other than himself to remind him of his purpose; his goal.

"But, why bother? Would you rather not just give up? Would that not be much easier?"

She seemed surprised at his question. His eyes, instead of being cold, were intense as they stated at her. There was a kind of desperation in them, as they spoke to her in a language she had not learned yet.

It took her breath away.

"Giving up has never been an option."

The Uchiha held his breath, not wanting to miss a single letter of what she was saying.

"Regardless of what anyone says, whether I achieve anything or not, I have come to learn that my mere existence is important to many. Kurenai, Kiba, Shino. They all need me just as I need them."

Sasuke, Itachi thought.

That's right. He was doing this for Sasuke. He felt his heart clench at the thought of his brother.

"So, you do not wish to be selfish then? To go far away and start anew? Would that not be easier than bearing the burden you are bearing right now?"

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows at his choice of words. It suddenly occured to her that he was comparing the both of them. She looked up at him in disbelief, wondering what could possibly be similar in the both of them.

He was..

He was everything she'd ever wanted to be. Or at least, the person he was before the massacre was.

What could they possibly have in common?

As his question settled in, her eyes hardened. She didn't know how she got the sudden burst of confidence, or what possessed her to say those words. But, by the time they were out, it was too late.

"I am loyal to those I love," Looking up, she met his eyes, she added,

"As you should have been."

At once, he flinched, his blank mask coming off, as his face contorting into so many different emotions all of which she didn't understand, then resting on the one she did.

Rage.

The atmosphere grew cold, biting.

She shuddered.

The last time she had made the Uchiha angry was back at the hospital, but she had been blind back then, and hadn't been able to see him. She suddenly wished that she had, so it would have prepared her for what was coming.

At least, if she'd seen his rage before, she would not have been foolish enough to provoke him now.

Trembling, she felt regret pool in her stomach.

Itachi's eyes burned, as his jaw locked. His fists clenched. Rage bubbled up in his chest, the clamour of his thoughts so loud, his head began too pound because-

You know nothing. Nothing at all.

All of Hinata's confidence turned to dust, as she felt his hand which still right next to her head, make cracks in the wood.

He would kill her now, she was sure of it. Despite his attempts to control himself, she could feel the killing intent ooze through the cracks of his mask.

She paled, eyes widening, lips parted, quivering; the very picture of terror.

Involuntarily, she took a step back, only for her to meet the edge of the branch, where it connected with the trunk.

She gulped, once again staring at her feet avoiding his murderous eyes. She panted shakily, her eyes clenched shut, as she waited for the finishing blow.

The adrenaline was pumping in her veins, making her hyper-aware of her environment.

With her eyes closed, her other senses grew sharp, picking up the smallest of changes in her surroundings.

She shivered, feeling warm breath on her neck, goosebumps erupting on her skin.

Just when had he gotten this close?

She inhaled sharply, feeling his lips brush against the shell of her ear.

"You have no idea just how lucky you are." His voice was a whisper; a threat.

Then, his presence completely disappeared.

Slowly opening her eyes, Hinata dumbly looked around, still taking in what had just transpired.

Her surroundings went out of focus for a moment.

Blinking rapidly, Hinata only now made out the faint shouts of her name.

"Hinata!"

Looking up, she met the worried eyes of Tenten.

"I've been calling you since forever! Are you okay?"

Hinata, in response, blinked once, twice, as if not quite recognizing her.

Then, her eyes rolled into her head and she passed out.

There it is!! Today's update!!

So, how was it??!!

I hope Itachi was in character. Plus, Hinata has some guts. lol. Speaking about loyalty to ITACHI, of all people.

Did you like the little heart to heart our characters had?

Be sure to tell me what you think!!

Until then, ENJOY!!

-Your gutsy author.