Chapter 7: An Unknown Bond, an Unknown Answer

"Sasuke, you called for me?" Hinata said softly, looking up at the fellow classmate. He sat upright and looked into the forest. She looked as well, to see what he was looking at. It was only forest.

"I don't know what I'm feeling." His voice was soft, but very distant.

"Huh?"

"To create a rainbow, you just need water… and a sunny place," Sasuke stated, looking up into the treetops. Hinata raised an eyebrow. Her name meant a sunny place. Water? What was water? "I want… to chase a rainbow too."

There was a crack of lightning and then it started to downpour. Sasuke suddenly appeared next to Hinata. He whispered into her ear, "I don't know how I'm feeling, so find me… please find me and tell me."

Then, in a poof of smoke, Sasuke disappeared. Hinata looked around frantically. What was he talking about? "I don't know how I feel either!" she shouted into the forest. Before she could panic, she dashed into the forest.

'Do I need you? Do you need me? If I don't know how I feel… how am I supposed to know about how you feel?' Hinata thought desperately. She activated her Byakugan and searched. The rain fell hard, blinding her on and off. Branches and leaves scratched at her skin, but that didn't hurt. What hurt was that Sasuke was waiting for her… and she might not get to him—unlike all the other times she had.

'I don't know where you are, but… sometimes, when I lay in bed at night, I whisper… 'Were we so alike? Do you know how I feel?' I don't love you, but I don't hate you. We're not acquaintances, but we're not friends."

The words he said rang in her head. 'Find me… and tell me.'

The rain only fell harder and never seemed to stop. Hinata could hear thunder in the distance. She looked up at the darkened treetop. Were there tears running down her face or was it just rain? There was a shimmer to her left. It was slight, but she saw it.

"I can't leave you alone," Hinata said wearily, as she continued to run. A branch sliced her cheek, but she didn't stop. She ran faster. "We leave each other, but always come back—so I just can't leave you alone."

"S-sasuke!" Hinata shouted. Sasuke was turned away from her. Maybe he didn't hear her. She grabbed his wrist. "I don't know how I feel. I don't know how you feel. I don't know what we are! We're not lovers because I don't need to hold your hand, we're not friends because I don't need to talk to you, and we're not acquaintances because we've told each other too much for it to be that. I don't know what we are!"

Thunder boomed ahead of them and lightning crashed, lightning the forest for a single moment. She gripped his wrist slightly tighter.

"B-but, the nights where I think of what you told me… I want you to be with me," Hinata said. She shut her eyes. Definitely there were tears. "Both of our stories are about weakness, and we both want to change…"

"So… how do I feel?"

"I-I don't know, but I want us to meet. I want to see you every day, so we can be in each other's presence. We're s-so alike that it scares me, but not enough for me to stay away," Hinata replied softly. Sasuke turned around and smiled softly. The raven-haired girl was shocked to see a smile come from him. It was usually a smirk, but it was a smile.

"It's okay if we only have an unknown bond. It's okay… if we only need to know the other's presence is there. We don't need to talk all the time and we don't need to hold hands… just as long as you're there, I have a rainbow," Sasuke stated.

'Is that the rain or are those tears falling?' Hinata thought as she noticed water drip from Sasuke's face.

It stopped raining and the two were silent. Hinata spoke up first. "Because of you… I feel slightly s-stronger. No one will notice it, but I feel stronger. Thank you."

"No, thank you." Sasuke put his hand in Hinata's and rested his forehead against hers. "I… I… I want to be with you too. You don't have to hold my hand, just as long as you're there… as long as you're here with me, I will have my rainbow."

The two held their position for another moment, then they backed away… both were embarrassed. Hinata smiled at the blushing Sasuke and Sasuke could only have eye contact. Then they both left each other… again.

End of Chapter 7: An Unknown Bond, An Unknown Answer

Author's Note: Hohoho! Why do I make them leave each other? XD I felt so accomplished when I wrote this chapter. GOSH, SASUKE, JUST SAY YOUR FEELINGS! Took you long enough. Actually, I don't plan on having this be my final chapter. I realized I wanted to have a Valentine's Day chapter before I finish, so the next chapter could POSSIBLY be the final one... so that means my epilouge wouldn't fit in--YAY! I hated it. --;; (POSSIBLE SPOILER COMING UP) I might Hinata run away too. X3 That would seem a little cute. Well... let's just see what happens (because I have to type it still... since I decided to make it longer)

I didn't know people knew what eggrolls were,

Sammy