Nope... Still don't own it. I'll be sure to let everyone know when I manage to pull that one off. I don't know why I procrastinate by writing fanfiction. I really should stop... Especially with finals coming up. It's just an idea. HAve fun children.

There's More in My Eyes than What I Can See With Them

There is more to the Hyuuga than the Byakugan. There is more to Hyuuga Hinata than the heiress. What do I have to do to prove this to them?

Hyuuga Hinata was attacking her shadow clones like they meant to kill. Her kekkei genkai was useless against them, so she sought to improve her skills without resorting to the Byakugan. Everyone thought all she was good for was her eyes. Whether to fight or to heal, without her eyes, she was no better than any other ninja.

Why couldn't they understand that she didn't think being one of "the other ninja", those who were not great, who were not recognized, who were still ninja, and therefore already great; why did everyone think that being one of those was so bad? Yes, ninja like Hatake Kakashi and Tsunade and Uchiha Sasuke were important. But so were all the ninja who woke up in the hospital after doing their best to complete their missions.

Even if no one else sees them, I'll acknowledge them. Naruto-kun… Even if I've gotten over my crush… I'll always acknowledge you. Even if no one else understands the difference, I know. I knew you were special long before you showed them all. Now I want to do the same. There's more to you than what only I saw. And there's more to me than what everyone else thinks they see.

His clones had nearly killed him. Again. Taking on two sets of five one after the other probably hadn't been the smartest thing he'd ever done. He hoped that his brother wasn't stronger than ten of him, but with the Mangekyo Sharingan, one didn't know the full extent of Itachi's power. Itachi had, after all, managed to land Kakashi in the hospital without a flinch. Yet again Sasuke was beset by those ephemeral thoughts that maybe he should have killed Naruto at the Hidden Falls. But then he remembered that he didn't because he was not Itachi. And it was ideas like that that justified Sasuke's determination to kill him.

With the Sharingan came the name Uchiha. Not the other way around. And as an Uchiha, Sasuke had to avenge his clan.

Sakura sighed again; watching, but not seeing, people she knew and didn't know anymore walk by. Her food was growing cold, but she didn't care. The blond man beside her noticed her preoccupation, but as she had been like ever since Sasuke-teme's return, he didn't think much of it. He waved as Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Shino, Ten Ten and Neji passed the Ichiraku. Sakura was still staring into space.

The Sharingan allows Sasuke-kun to see attacks and copy them. But does it somehow blind him? How can he not see what I can give him? What I want to give him. He needs what I can give him. Why won't he accept that he needs someone to love him? Is there anyone else who can give him what I, Haruno Sakura, can't? I see Sasuke the way he is to me. He's perfect, but he doesn't like it when I say that. Can't he understand that I'm trying to heal him? Heal him in a way needles and chakra can't. Even the Byakugan can't see Sasuke the way I can.

Sasuke was too tired to sneeze. He just lay there, waiting till he could move again. He heard voices, could distinguish the loud but charming voice of Yamanaka Ino and the loud but not so appealing voice of Inuzuka Kiba, both raised in friendly argument, punctuated by the occasional bark.

He could hear them cease and then many voices were raised, but they were too far away and too incoherent for him to understand. He didn't particularly care.

"Hinata!"

"Oi, Hinata!"

"Bark!"

Three kunai whizzed through the air. All three missed. But they did get the attention of one Hyuuga Hinata. The three clones disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Oh! Gomen, minna-san…"

"Don't start…" Kiba groaned as Akamaru whined in agreement.

"Too late." Shino calmly pointed out.

"Hinata-chan, didn't we all tell you, on at least three separate occasions to stop apologizing for nothing?" Ino demanded.

"Actually I can distinctly remember five." Ten Ten remarked thoughtfully.

"Whatever the number, let's just go, before the restaurant closes." Chouji grumbled impatiently. They began to walk.

"Where is Lee-san?"

"Che, who knows."

Ten Ten laughed. "Lost another match with Neji, and is currently running around the village a hundred times. If you listen, you could probably hear him screaming to do better next time." Neji refrained from commenting.

That's Lee-san's nindo. Hinata smiled, allowing the affectionate undercurrents to all their voices to wash over her. She made a mental note to see if she could find him later, and bring him a late lunch.

She really ought to have known better. She had found Lee, but he had already finished, and was in fact on his way back to challenge Neji for tomorrow. She supposed it was just as well, as she would have had to resort Shikamaru's suggestion to get him to actually eat if he were still in the middle of his laps. She smiled slightly at the thought of her informing Konoha's Green Beast that a true gentleman would not leave a lady to dine alone. Still, now she was carrying food for two and a flask of hot tea for no purpose.

Her feet took her back to where she had been training earlier. In the evening light though, she chose to walk around and drink in the twilight.

Then she stopped.

Uchiha Sasuke was unconscious on the ground. Actually, he was sleeping, hard training evident from the visible scratches and tears on his clothes. She stood indecisive, then finally knelt beside him, pulling out the small container of medicine she'd been planning to use on Lee.

Sasuke woke feeling much better. Better than he should have felt considering he'd been sleeping on the ground, without a jacket. Except that he had a jacket. It wasn't his jacket, but it was draped over him anyway. He sat up and looked around. Hyuuga Hinata was kneeling about four feet away from him, sipping tea, looking for all the world like she was in a dining hall, and not in the forest.

The pungent scent of the herbs still lingered on him. She obviously had not been able to keep her healer hands to herself. Thankfully, she'd only tended to the visible wounds, not that there were any serious injuries anyway. He was interrupted from his distracted thoughts by the soft clear voice of the Hyuuga heiress.

"Now that you're awake, would you like some bento?" Ever the hostess.

"Were you planning on this meeting? Because you seem incredibly prepared for it."

She laughed then, as much at the childish annoyance on his face as the ridiculous nature of their first words.

"Actually I'd been looking for Lee-san. I found him, but he didn't need my help. Then I found you. I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. Was I wrong?"

She fought down the urge to laugh even more. Sasuke really was acting like a child, with the annoyed twitch of his mouth giving away his reluctance to say

"No. Ittadakimasu."

She just watched him. His chopsticks were raised to his mouth before he stopped.

"Something wrong, Sasuke-san?"

"It'd be very rude of you not to join me."

There was that smile again, the amused, warm, tolerant, understanding one. He'd seen it on her face once. He'd been in the marketplace, and he'd seen her walking with Shino and Kiba. The dog had undoubtedly been doing something stupid, because he had a guiltily embarrassed smile on his face. The Aburame had been doing his very best to pretend he didn't know him. Hinata… had had that smile.

She picked up a set of chopsticks with a soft "Ittadakimasu".

She set down her chopsticks with a soft "Gochisou-sama deshita" and began collecting the used crockery. He moved to help her, but she was done.

"…Arigatou, Hinata-san."

"Dou itashimashite, Sasuke-san. Walk with me back?"

"Sasuke-kun! I've found you." Sakura tried not to take a flying leap into arms. Which were folded, so it wouldn't have done anything.

"Sakura."

"Good evening Sakura-san."

"Hinata! What were you doing with Sasuke-kun?" Sakura couldn't stop herself from making it sound like an accusation.

"Ano, I found him in the training grounds after I found out that Lee-san didn't need any help. He was kind enough to escort me back. I should go back to the compound now though. Good night, Sakura-san, Sasuke-san."

Sakura watched the other girl walk off, before turning to catch up with her obsession. "I looked in the training grounds, I didn't see you there."

Sasuke had begun walking home, without waiting for her. When she caught up, he just said, "You don't know where to look."