Standard disclaimers apply. Because it's very hard to pay shipping for inspiration.

Hands Over My Eyes

I get accused of being a cold heartless bastard a lot. What can I say? Most people just really annoy me. I get tired of their refusal to see how much life really sucks. I get tired of not being able to cover my eyes to the truth like they do. Maybe it's because of the Sharingan. Maybe these red eyes bleed hate, and no matter how much you don't want to see, you still do. I don't want to think about it. If I do, will I back down from my vow? If the blood is not on the hands of the killer, but inside him, does it run in everyone of the line? I don't want to be thinking about this.

But I can't stop. I can't just blind myself and let that determine my life. I know I have to kill that man, but as the years have gone by, the reasons why keep changing. Because of him, I don't have a normal life. I can't live like the blind fools I have to see every day. I'm an Uchiha. I shouldn't want a normal life. Because I'm an Avenger.

"Sasuke-teme, get your head out of the clouds and back to earth, so that I can send you flying!"
"Baka."

She had been walking with Kiba and Akamaru. They'd found some place they wanted to show her, but then Akamaru had gotten distracted, and Kiba had rushed off to find him. Leaving Hinata to find this special place by herself. According to Kiba is was prime seating to watch several training areas at once. Luckily for her, Akamaru soon came back.

They landed to see Sasuke kick Naruto into a tree. Several trees actually, but the blonde didn't seem at all fazed. His eyes lit up when they saw the dog on the tree branch.

"Heya Kiba! Wanna spar with me? Sasuke-teme doesn't even bother trying to make the fight interesting…"

Hinata disappeared. Naruto had never known she was there, Kiba and Sasuke thought she'd gone off because she was far too shy. Actually, she'd realized something, and needed to think it out. Hinata didn't know where to turn. She had had an epiphany, but there was no one unbiased enough to share it with.

Naruto and Sasuke were undeniably close friends. They were two of the strongest ninja Konoha had to offer, trained by Hatake Kakashi, in close confidence with two of the lengendary Sannin. They were strong, but they both kept trying to become stronger yet. Both became stronger by training with the other… but that didn't mean they were limited for sparring partners. They trained with different people, with different strengths.

Naruto spent most of the time he was not on missions training. Naruto's eyes were focused on his goal of becoming Hokage. He didn't look anywhere else; he only saw things when he understood them, or when they could help him reach his dream.

Hinata finally understood that he didn't see her. She could not help him on his path to Hokage; she could only walk behind him, where his eyes would never look. She was a ninja like him; but where he was the ninja that plowed ahead, toward his goal, she was the ninja who stopped to heal those who could not keep up.

His eyes only looked forward, which was why he was so cheerful, he always saw the new day ahead of him. Her eyes though… her white eyes saw everything around her. They were directed ahead, but she saw those people, those events in the corner of her eyes. And she could not ignore them. And while she tended to them, she fell more and more behind Naruto. She could not keep up with him. And she had known it for a long time now.

She'd kept her hands over her eyes, trying to pretend. But even the most stubborn child peeks. And so she forced her hands down, and acknowledged that Naruto would never see her. Now the question was, what was she going to do about it?

She had to stop chasing him, but it takes a while to slow down when you've been running for so long. Perhaps not slow down. She'd follow the path Naruto had set, to grow strong, to build and keep a better Konohagakure no Sato. But now, she wouldn't follow Naruto because he was Naruto. She'd follow him because he was going to become Hokage one day, and she wanted as many people as possible to see him then.

Ino sighed. Looking after the flower shop was fun… but only when there were people in it. She looked around; the flower displays were colorful without being too gaudy. Her eyes settled on a vase. It was an arrangement of chrysanthemums and baby's breath. It reminded her of the Uchiha clan symbol. She'd seen it often enough, Sasuke had always turned his back on her. Not like she cared, it had become more of a game as she grew older. Annoy as many people as possible, with only one word. One word, "Sasuke-kun!" shrieked while pouncing on the indifferent Uchiha. Her mouth quirked into an amused half smile. It certainly worked almost all the time. Shikamaru, check; Sasuke, double check; Sakura, not enough room to fit checks.

She understood what Sakura saw in Sasuke, she herself had seen it. Then she realized that Sasuke may have been all those things, but there was more. Sasuke was a person too, he was human, he could bleed and he could break. And he was blind.

He was a ninja yes, but he was also a person, a citizen of Konohagakure. He had days off from his missions. He spent them training. He refused to admit that he was allowed to be happy. And if Ino had pursued him seriously, and if he had allowed her to become more than a friend, it wouldn't have been complete. He would always see himself as a ninja first. He would not allow himself to be happy, which would have made her unhappy. The downward spiral would not have ended until someone made him see that he didn't always have to be a ninja. Yamanaka Ino knew that she would never be that person for Sasuke. But he'd never see who that person was unless…

"Sasuke no baka needs to get his head out of the ground!"

She jumped as she realized Shikamaru had been standing in front of her for a good while now. He had a smirk almost as annoying as Sasuke's on his face.

"I agree. Was wondering why I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your head has been in the clouds for a long time now, hasn't it?"

"Shut up before I hit you with something."