Vanilla

Disclaimer: If ever I would own Naruto, you'll gonna see Uchiha Itachi as the main asset of Akatsuki.

Moh! Thought I would receive loads of flame for making OC and it was such a relief to see few. Either way, both flames and 'nice' reviews are fully accepted.

—Sasuke bit his lower lip. He hates it when someone looks as if the condition was unmanageable for him "I can't" — I was on the rush and haven't seen that. Thanks for Neko11lover for pointing it.

You know, I hate the Hinata I've portrait in chap3 coz she cried without an accepted reason. So I've made some unexpected changes but it wouldn't shock you, really.

Chapter IV – After the search

His eyes were locked on them, not the look that was pure concern but with a tinge of something Sasuke never seemed to see before even when with Sakura. Naruto would die for just to have a one-percent chance to take her to a ramen-date but during those times, he got a face of a maniac. He wasn't good in classifying emotions so for the better of the current condition he left it pretendedly unseen— a thing he was pretty good at.

Gently, with his arm to support her on the back, Sasuke assisted her to recline on the nearest tree and immediately checked for her vital sign. Naruto rushed next to them and wore off his jacket giving Hinata some comfort. Cold don't mingle to fresh cuts. The blonde bent down, his body close enough to pass some heat and wrapped the orange suit around her fragile body "Thanks" Hinata replied with a tired smile.

Sasuke frowned. He stood up, the rising temperature affecting him finally as he awkwardly straightened his numbing knees "I'll search for the others"

She coughed twice and when she pulled her hand away from her mouth, blood tainted her already stained fingers "Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed and placed a hand on her back soothingly.

"Onegai…" Her tone was like the texture of a dying flower yet he knew she was far from fatality "Don't leave, Sasuke-kun"

Sasuke fidgeted so did Naruto. Thin sheet of the night's zephyr running through his ebony hair while he approached and crouched down in front of the Hyuuga.

"Sure" A smirk formed on him as he pushed her back on the tree, a kunai sliding invisibly on his other hand "Even in hell" With a swift attack of the weapon underneath, he thrust the metal right through her chest.

Naruto stared misunderstanding everything and finally, he raced to the side of the Uchiha. His mouth opened but no words came out "Sasu-ke…"

"Don't you dare sob, dobe. I'm not a babysitter"

Sasuke pulled away with the kunai still struck on the flesh. Momentarily, the bloodied form against the trunk turned into a talisman, a black kanji written in the center.

The sky had closed and gathered the dark cumulus clouds to descend once again there, unfriendly as it always seem for Hinata. She thanked when the rain ceased moments ago along with its thousand droplets noise in the ground. But it didn't help. It was later replaced by a thick fog and the streaming moonlight that successfully crossed through the boundaries of the heavy trees made such a wonderful view as it made the compact moist glistening in the midair. If she wasn't just in the critical point, she'd appreciate it more.

The chill was getting to her nerves and before she knew it, her left foot toppled on the other and she lost the balance. There wasn't much chakra to stop the fall and to feel the woods cracking against her back wasn't manageable after an hour-long fight. After what it seems twenty branches, her body almost bounced an inch from the surface when she hit the ground.

She coughed twice and blood spilled out. She placed her hand on the ground and pushed herself up the ground but still didn't manage to take her posture. Instead, she crawled to the shadow of a big boulder that was enough to hide her feature and there leaned her tired body. Her breath was still racing and she waited for the normality to arrive. As she did, she examined the surrounding and found out that the trees here were different from the previous ones she saw. She pulled her knees in her chest and hugged them near her. It was getting too cold.

It seems she was very far from everyone and for a moment she thought of tears. But there wasn't much to cry. Hinata produced something from the inner folds of her dress and pulled something. A black scroll tied in three red strings. Thinking just how Naruto would react made her smile.

She fidgeted then returned the scroll immediately.

A figure stood in front of her. He had a mask ANBU usually wear and a brown long hair that was tied high, she wasn't a female though and his voice was masculine "Hand the scroll, lady"

Hinata stood up, her hands clinging on the boulder for support "I've won fair. You promised to leave me if I did"

"We worked as partners so obviously you ought to defeat me too" He approached her, his long elegant hair swinging in the back as his pace became faster and faster until he was already in attacking speed.

Slim fingers slid inside the holster and perfect. All her weapon was already used up and there was nothing there. Hinata pushed herself off the boulder and simultaneously ran to him like two things about to collide. When they were only foot away, the man pulled a katana and made a quick idea to cut her head off to end the fight quick. There was a smirk on the man's face.

Much to his surprise, Hinata grabbed the coming katana with her bare hand while a foot immediately slid to the back of his leg and she pulled. Before the man dropped down on the ground, she had her other hand on the kusanagi attached around the man's waist.

Attaining a weapon for herself finally, Hinata jumped to a distance to plan for the next move. Now the problem was this was the first time she'd touch such weapon. There was only the kunai and shuriken, but nothing like this or katana. She swallowed hard feeling as if her insides were already like a chiller

He chuckled hard before taking his posture "Now, now. Teach me how to use a kusanagi, wouldn't you?" He teased knowing the difficulty.

In an instance, the man disappeared and reappeared in front of her. Hinata wasn't really too late but if she hadn't move for the next second, she'd be one limbless now. She gripped on her very useful kusanagi and ignored the slice that ran through her right bicep along to the upper elbow. Without anymore break, she rushed back again and made a sway of the kusanagi. The man simply blocked it with the katana enjoying a little play for a while.

He smiled as he saw a weak point. His sword thrust through her left shoulder and almost immediately beads of blood passed across the metal, running to his palm. Her weapon fell and she took a step back with her free hand clutching the clean cut. He wasn't the one to give up sympathy and so an advantage was an advantage. Using the moment, he pulled the katana high in the air ready for the one strike to finish the fight.

Hinata stared.

"Katon. Gokakyu no jutsu" Glowing ball of fire came enraging straight to the man and as he jumped to a tree for safety, Sasuke landed on the side of the stunned Hyuuga "I haven't given you any order" He said but never looked his way, his eyes were on the Anbu standing not too far from them.

"G-Gomenasai…" Her voice failed to show strength, something she planned to share at the same extent of her triumph with the scroll. On the contrary, Sasuke liked it better. Sounded very much like Hyuga Hinata compared to the previous one.

In another moment, Naruto hopped down together with the group "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura ran to the Uchiha, hugging him tightly by the arms and squeezing the life out there "I've missed you greatly"

"You shouldn't have left, Hinata?" Kiba walked to her and gave a stunned look for the good cut on her shoulder that seems a stick was poked on it. Hinata just gave it a small smile as she still clutch on it. Shino simply watched with concern and Naruto… well he was being Naruto preaching Hinata like she wasn't only a foot away because of the loudness.

Sasuke changed the topic. The man was on curses because obviously success was now on the opposite side and there was no way in hell he could defeat six of them. But of course such sure win wasn't allow to an Uchiha. He'd choose the other way, the complicated one. Man to man. That was if he would fight that way because right now there was a hint that he'd prefer running for his life.

Another man appeared on the side of the Anbu and Hinata knew him, it was the partner of him that she had defeated previously and where she attained the scroll.

"Let's finish this already. I'm sick of it" Naruto cracked some knuckles and stepped nearer to the two strangers in the tree.

The Anbu laughed and simultaneously both the man performed identical seal hands. Transparent lines dividing the whole forest into parts and before they knew, they had fell on a genjutsu.

The fog accumulated greater and everyone seemed to disappear in the thick air along with their chakra signals fading slowly. There was a minute panic on her mind. First, because she was very much aware she was the weakest point that moment. Second, the scroll was still at hand and there was no way she could protect it. And her prediction was yet supported by a nearing chakra system in an abnormal speed.

Distinguishing it as none other than the one she had defeated previously, she collected her confidence once again. The mission was now to protect the scroll and defense was a lot harder than offense.

A kunai darted and scratched her cheek proving only that her senses had deteriorated. Hinata proposed the fog had something on it that might help to worsen the situation. A fist came flying from a direction and hit her on her side.

Hinata stepped back. She hadn't felt that and she was afraid there was more to come unexpected. And yes, there was few shuriken thrown from the right direction. Three were successful on her leg, another cut through her neck and the remaining she managed to dodge.

She thought if the target was relentlessly moving, there was no way there could be accuracy for the next attack. Hinata ran away from her spot and she felt someone following along.

Suddenly there was a loud thud and for a moment, she thought if there was an earthquake. A long crack followed then in the next seconds she felt herself slowly giving up to invisible hands that were pulling her down to an abyss.

The ground she was standing at wore off from the earth and then she understood it. A cliff was only step away and she probably had perfectly fallen on an ambush. It was too late to know she was falling from her weight.

Hinata blinked a few times but only to see the white thick air, the coldness prickling her. Something slid around her wrist that caused her to relax for a moment because of the warmth. It tightened and she knew she had been a burden again to be saved.

Unfortunately for both of them, there was no luck and they ended up still pulled down by the gravity and falling to the cliff down to the deeper forest.

I know I'm terrible in doing action. There wasn't much SasuHina ne but now they've both fell to a cliff, there could be privacy and I can do something… naughty? Joke. Something sweet of course, though naughty could be in the future. He he he…