When the heart is down and the soul is heavy, the eyes can only speak the language of tears.
-Ikechukwu Izuakor
Hinata's scream died in her throat as the air was knocked out of her lungs. She watched in slow-motion as her hand slipped from the kunai, the ropes finally falling apart, and letting her go.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She was falling.
She frantically extended a hand, trying to grab at anything that would break her fall, but to no avail. She tried to concentrate, tried to think a way out for this mess.
She strained her mind, trying to come up with a plan, forcing herself to pay attention to the facts of what was in front of her-
Her head was pounding. She couldn't think. She couldn't breath.
To make it worse, she felt something scorching at her back, as her head went uncomfortably warm and began spinning wildly.
Faintly, she registered the smell of something burning. The smell of smoke assaulted her nose, as tears filled her eyes, her life flashing before them.
She was struck by a terrifying realization.
I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.I don't want to die.I don't want to-
Something hit her stomach, and suddenly, she could breath, vision also clearing of the smoke that obscured it.
However, her head continued to pound painfully behind her head, as the burning sensation only increased.
Through her blurred vision, she made out a form of black and red.
Then, she saw him.
His crimson eyes were wide, hair flying around him, as his lips moved, forming words. But, she couldn't hear him.
He didn't come after her, didn't try to stop her fall; she didn't know why she was hoping he would, neither why she was felt her heart sink, when she realized he wouldn't.
She felt betrayed, though how, she didn't know.
She blinked slowly, suddenly feeling drowsy.
She focused on staying awake, trying not to loose sight of what was in front of her. Trying not to loose sight of his eyes.
She felt tears blur her vision again when she realized that they would be the last thing she saw.
Somehow, she didn't mind very much.
She saw his lips move again.
Just what was he saying? Was he mocking her? Telling her how stupid she was to listen to him?
If he was, then she couldn't blame him. She was telling herself the same things.
Meeting his eyes, she wondered if he was smug, happy to have finally disposed of her.
She didn't understand why the thought filled her with despair and crushing sadness.
Maybe she had actually believed him when he'd said that he wouldn't kill her. When he'd said that she had potential.
She'd wanted to find out for herself if what he was saying was the truth.
It was clear, now, however, that those were just white lies; sugar-coated words she'd lapped up so eagerly.
She was a fool, for playing right into his hands.
One second she was accepting her fate, and the next, his words finally reached her.
Hold your breath.
Time, which seemed to have slowed down, suddenly resumed it's flow just as she took in a deep breath and clamped her hands over her mouth and nose.
Immediately, the burning sensation stopped. Instead, everything went ice cold.
She opened her eyes, which she had clenched shut at the last possible second, and took in her surroundings.
It took a moment for her to realize that she was underwater. Testifying to the fact, her lungs burned, begging for air.
All her drowsiness now gone, she swam up wards, gasping greedily as she broke though the surface. Quickly swimming to the corner of the pond, she pulled herself out, coughing violently as she tried to catch her breath.
After a moment, she collapsed, closing her eyes to calm her breathing. She shivered, feeling the child air hit her bare skin.
She blinked.
Wait, bare?
Immediately, she shot up up, looking for signs that would explain what happened.
She looked down when something slid down her shoulders, and into her hands. She gasped when she realized it was her jacket.
Its whole back side had been burnt away.
The fire had also burnt a part of the training shirt she had been wearing underneath. A small part of her waist was open to the air.
No part of her body had even the slightest mark of a burn.
Uchiha Itachi, it seemed, had just saved her life.
She slowly sat up, nervously rubbing her arm, still in disbelief of what had happened. It had all transpired way too fast.
Refusing to look at him as he landed a few metres away from her, she focused her eyes on her hands. There were a few strands of hair on them.
She froze, only now feeling the air hit her neck.
Stifling a shocked gasp, her hands went up to tangle in her hair. She choked when she realized that it had been burnt off too. Only slightly at the front, and all the way up to her neck at the back.
She felt tears fill up her eyes.
Her hair had been a symbol of change for her, an indication that she wasn't the same girl she'd been as a Genin. It had been the only thing she'd felt comfortable with others seeing.
And now, it was gone.
Suddenly, the image of Naruto popped up in her mind.
She'd grown it for him, hoping that he would end up noticing her if she did, especially now that Sakura kept hers shorter.
And just as his arrival came close, it had gotten burnt.
All the time she'd spent taking care of it, washed away. Just like that.
Her throat clogged.
She was being childish--yes, but her hair had been the only saving grace she had.
A single teardrop fell on her clenched fist.
At the opposite side, Itachi stayed kneeling on the ground, not moving ever since he'd landed. His eyes were oddly blank, as he simply stared at the ground.
He swallowed.
She almost died. If I hadn't come, then she would've died.
He fisted a hand in his hair, realizing just how close he'd come to losing her.
He gritted his teeth, clenching his eyes shut.
How many more? How many people wil be taken away from me?
A choked gasp broke him out of his thoughts. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder, at the crouched woman.
Calmly, he stood up, putting a blank mask over his features and slowly made his way to her, though his instincts were begging him to run to her side and simply encase her in his arms.
Hinata's breathing grew heavier with every step the Uchiha took as she came closer. Soon, he was standing in front of her, hearing her silent sniffles. She dare not look up at him, instead choosing to focus on her knuckles.
He broke the silence.
"You should be glad I arrived on time." He said, "Even a second later, and your hair and clothes wouldn't have been the only thing burnt."
Out of her peripheral vision, she saw him kneel in front of her. His knuckles brushed against her cheek as his hand approached her chin, softly gripping it, raising her eyes to meet his.
"And, yet, it seems you would rather have me not come at all."
She suddenly felt the urge to scream, but she knew she couldn't. She had no right to.
She owed him her life.
And yet, she felt like she'd lost everything.
Turning away from the Uchiha, she covered her face with her hands, embarrassed to be seen crying. She willed herself to stop, but that tears just kept falling and falling and falling.
She didn't want anyone--much less him-- see her cry.
"You do realize that it is pointless to cry over something as petty as hair, and yet you continue to do so."
She shook her head, the image of a certain blonde entering her mind. She clutched her face harder, her shoulders now quivering.
"I-I do not expect y-you to understand. You w-w-won't because you d-don't know me."
Itachi regarded her silently for a moment.
"You're right. I do not understand." He conceded, "However, I do know you better than you think."
He paused, slightly narrowing his eyes.
"You're a hypocrite."
She shot her head up, and he used the chance to look at her.
Her eyes were red, shining, brimming with tears. They were hooded over, their usual innocence all but gone. They were showcasing sadness and melancholy. A lone tear fell down her cheek.
Even crying, she was as beautiful as ever to him.
She was silently questioning him, wanting answers for the statement he'd made earlier.
He looked away from her face as another tear fell, his fingers twitching with the urge to wipe them away.
He didn't answer for a second.
"I am a woman second, and a shinobi first." He began, repeating words he'd heard her say just a few weeks ago.
"Beauty is of little consequence to me."
He watched her face transform from shock, to guilt, to shame.
"Looks do not matter to me. In fact, I could wear anything and be happy, as long as it did t hinder my ability to fight."
Cocking his head slightly, be turned towards her.
"Were those not your words?"
She bit her lip.
He was right, as always.
She clenched her fists. Yet another fault of hers had been discovered. She was a hypocrite. Her words could not be trusted.
She hated this. Hated that there were so many flaws within her.
Just where does it all end?
The ugly part of her mind took this opportunity to send her deeper into the darker recesses of her mind.
"You are weak, unfit to be a Shinobi."
"You are worthless to the Hyuga; we have no need for an heiress who lost to a sister five years her junior."
Itachi watched as her expression changed into hopelessness, the light leaving her eyes completely. Clearly, she had taken his words the wrong way. The fact that she was always so ready to bring herself down was concerning.
He pursed his lips.
Just what has been done to you?
Hinata would've gone deeper into her thoughts had she not felt a hand grip her ankle. Suddenly, she was pulled forward, as she was forced to lay on her back.
Before she could get a word out of her mouth, she felt warmth engulf her body, as two hands rested on either side of her head.
"Stop being so ready to bring yourself down, Hinata. It will do nothing but cause you misery."
His eyes were soft, yet his voice was firm as he leaned over her form, to look her in the eyes as he spoke.
Only now she noticed that all the previous events had disturbed the fireflies. Now, they had dispersed and were fluttering randomly, like pollen in the air.
"Listen to what I have to say very carefully. Having faults doesn't make you imperfect. It makes you a human."
And under this new light, she saw a new him.
His face was stern, and only now, she truly looked at him.
She noticed how elegantly shaped his eyes were, and how smooth his skin looked. She imagined tracing the creases in his face, outlining the contours of his cheek and jaw.
Her eyes were wide as she took in what he'd said, her cheeks turning, not red, but a faint pink.
A real blush.
"You are amazing, just the way you are."
He was close. She shivered, feeling warm breath fan over her face. He smelled of sweet pine and sandalwood, along with something that was so entirely Itachi, she felt she couldn't get enough of it.
She shivered again. But, not out of fear. Never out of fear.
She doubted she would ever be able to associate that feeling with him ever again.
"And if others can't see that when they look at you,"
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Then, they don't deserve you to look at you at all."
Taking a flower out of nowhere, he placed it in her burnt, uneven hair, as if doing so proved his point.
Itachi suddenly realized that this would be the perfect moment. To trace his thumb over those pink, plump lips, to slide them open, and then finally connect them with his.
But, he didn't do any of that. He'd just gotten her to stop fearing him. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away again.
It was the way he was looking at her. It wasn't a look of pity, or sadness, or even understanding, but rather, one that simply told her that she was enough.
It made her realize that the only way to make others believe in her strength, was to believe in it herself first.
Later, she would blame that look as the reason why she completely broke.
He saw something in her crack; something she had desperately tried to hide, something that had nothing to do with hair.
All the sadness, loneliness and insecurities she'd ever felt and had, but could never express, hit her full force.
She clenched her fist again, to keep it all in. Itachi leaned back, watching silently as Hinata furiously wiped away her tears.
Hinata sat up, taking deep breaths to calm herself. It was the opposite of what Itachi had in mind.
She felt his breath against her cheek.
"Bottling it up inside would only make things difficult for you. Let it all out. Here, there is no one to judge you."
That was the last straw.
Leaning forward, she placed her arms on the ground, suddenly feeling very tired. Burying her face in her own arms, she snapped.
The tears turned into sobs, the sobs into cries, and the cries into wails of anguish and agony. She openly bawled in front of him, saying nothing just sobbing and sobbing and sobbing.
Itachi didn't say anything, didn't stop her, didn't comfort her. He simply stayed and listened.
And that was just enough.
Neither knew how long it had passed. Hours, maybe minutes, but it felt like forever.
Slowly but surely, her cries subsided, cut down to the occasional hiccup or sniffle.
Sluggishly sitting up, she looked up to him. He was still there, sitting cross-legged, barely an inch away from where her head had been.
"You didn't have to stay." Her voice was hoarse, scratchy and in dire need for something cool.
"I wanted to."
His answer was simple, yet couldn't be more complex to her.
"Why?"
He smirked playfully, cocking his head slightly.
Hinata couldn't help the blush that took over her cheek; a faint pink.
"Capture me and I will tell you."
Her lips twitched slightly, her eyes taking in a challenging look.
It made Itachi's stomach flip, his gut swirling with the urge to dominate.
He abruptly got up, turning around.
"It's time for me to go. You should too."
Before he could take more than a few steps, a hand snagged his cloak.
He turned around questioningly.
"I-I-"
She clenched her eyes shut, taking a deep breath. Then, she bowed.
"Thank you." She said quietly, "Thank you, for not only sparing my life all this time, but also saving it."
He raised an eyebrow, lips twitching slightly.
"Your gratitude holds no meaning to me. Just because I am keeping you alive right now, does not mean I will continue to do so."
Hinata hid a smile.
"All the same. I am grateful."
"Hn."
There was silence
"But, this changes nothing."
He glanced at her over his shoulder.
"Is that so?"
Her eyes hardened with determination.
"I'm still going to try to catch you. And one day, I'll succeed."
He smirked again.
That's the spirit.
Slowly, he extended a hand towards her face. Hesitating slightly, he paused for a moment, then continued. His forefinger and middle finger made contact with her forehead as he poked her.
"Until next time."
Hinata eyes widened, her cheeks flushing pink at the seemingly intimate gesture.
But before she could get a word out of her mouth to question him, he disappeared.
THERE YOU ALL LOSERS GO!!!!
MAJOR ITAHINA DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CHAPTER!!!!!
So, how was it? Did you like it? What do you think will happen next??
And, is Naruto going to be coming back anytime soon??
Wait to find out!!
Until the next update, ENJOY!!
-Your romantic author.
