Chapter Twenty
I think
About my great friendship
As a great romance
Of my young life.
Lena Dunham
...
Two weeks later…
Uchiha Sasuke took a moment to rummage his bag. He had only a few essentials, enough to survive the next couple of weeks traveling.
It took him a few days to prepare Karin, Jūgo, and Suigetsu for his departure. He left them instructions in case of any incidents, as well as the order of sending him messages reporting how things are doing in the hideout.
When he had told Team Taka that he was resuming his travels, they had been mildly surprised, especially Karin. The day before his departure, the woman had corned him to know why he had made the decision to leave them.
(Flashback)
"I promised Naruto I would take care of Hinata for a few weeks. I never said I would stay to babysit her for a whole six months." He said dryly.
"What about Hinata, Sasuke-Kun?" She asked. "I thought you cared about her."
He didn't say anything. He couldn't react.
"Are you ruining away, Sasuke-kun?"
(End of Flashback)
He remembered pushing her aside and threatening her not to ever say something like again, especially not in front of Hinata.
Uchiha's weren't supposed to be afraid. They didn't run; they never feared any situation. They were strong and emotionally detached from others. And yet, Karin had been right. Sasuke was running; he was afraid because he was becoming attached to the small woman. How did this happen? He wasn't supposed to care. He didn't want to care for anyone.
But he did. Now there was another person other than his best friend that the Uchiha cared for. He cursed himself for his weakness. How did someone like Hyūga Hinata manage to creep into his heart? It had taken Naruto years to find a place into his heart, but this woman was able to do it in a matter of weeks. Someone as weak as Hinata had managed to charm the last survivor of the Uchiha clan.
He felt ridiculous.
It all happened too soon that he never saw it coming. In the first few days after they had left the Hidden Leaf, Sasuke was positive he couldn't stand the woman. Her stuttering always hit a nerve. Her inability to keep up with him was a source of annoyance, and her tears at night were hunting him and making him remember his own fears.
Then they arrived at the hideout, and he made the mistake to dedicate time to watch her. In the beginning, it was only to make sure she wouldn't attempt to escape. He only wanted to make sure this woman wasn't going to do anything stupid. But then watching became more than just a way to make sure she wasn't escaping.
Sasuke began to observe her.
He could spend hours watching her. At first, he would only do it for no more than two hours, but then it became a constant for him. He could watch her for long hours. He liked to look at her when she cooked, when she washed the dishes, when she did her laundry, when she practiced her healing, or when she trained with Suigetsu.
He tried to convince himself that he was only doing it to make sure she was safe and that the others were treating her kindly. But then that began to bother him too. Why did he care if they were kind to her
The more he denied it, the obvious it became that he was slowly beginning to care for the Hyūga, and that scared him. This feeling was nothing like the one he felt for his best friend Naruto. No, Naruto was like a brother to him. However, the feelings for Hinata were becoming something else. The thought of it terrified him. He couldn't begin to explain what it was, but he had never felt anything like this before.
It was not love. No, he would have known that. What he felt for her was different. She comforted him. She gave him peace.
He enjoyed talking to her so much he was beginning to let his guard down. In some ways, it was similar to his friendship with Naruto, but there was something different. Something that made it all the more special. She understood him.
She was so much like himself, and at the same time the very opposite.
They shared the loss of their beloved brothers. The loss of the village, friends, and family. That alone made them alike. Yet, she was kind where he was ruthless; she was patient where he was not; she was light where he was darkness. They were so alike, and at the same time, they weren't. Like yin yang.
It was for all these reasons that he couldn't stay. Besides, she was to leave someday. He was only to keep her safe for a short period of time and then she would leave the Hideout to live her life somewhere else where she could find peace.
The thought of that made him feel an ache in his chest.
Taking his backpack, Uchiha Sasuke scanned the hideout for any signs of the Hyūga. He wouldn't say goodbye to her. He couldn't. If she asked him not to leave, he wouldn't be able to. At the same time, if she didn't care if he left or stayed… Well, Sasuke didn't want to think how he'd feel about it. The mere thought of it made his chest tighten.
After making sure she wasn't around, he took his leave as quickly as possible. He left the Hideout without looking back. If he did he would probably hesitate. He had to act quickly. He had done it before when he left his only friend and the village that was his home at the age of thirteen. He knew he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him or he wouldn't have the courage to leave.
He had only run two miles south from the hideout when he felt another presence. This, whoever it was, wasn't strong enough.
Activating his Sharingan he scanned the area. There it was. Running toward him. What was it? A dog? No, a nin-dog.
"Identify yourself?" Sasuke yelled loud enough for the canine to hear him.
"Pakkun, Kakashi sent me here with a message from Naruto." The dog said.
"Naruto? Kakashi?"
"Yes," The dog said now in front of him.
Now that Sasuke could see him better, he identified him as Kakashi's nin-dog.
"What's the message?"
He rubbed his hands nervously while sitting in front of the bonfire that kept him warm during his watch.
It had been two weeks since he sent Sasuke a message requesting his location with Pakkun. Their sensei had been kind enough to summon his nin-dog for this specific job. They needed his powerful nose to track the Uchiha.
Naruto and Kakashi had sent Pakkun looking for Sasuke the morning before the Uzumaki left to his mission, and he still hadn't heard from his friend.
They couldn't wait any longer. The Hyuga tracking teams were beginning to doubt Naruto's intention in this mission. They seemed exasperated and annoyed by the amount of time it was taking them to track down the former heiress. Hanabi was becoming irritated, in fact, he had noticed her trembling and nervousness. It was obvious she was concerned to be found out. Her position as clan leader was at risk; moreover, if they found out she was involved in this scheme, she would be considered a traitor.
"Naruto" Kiba called from the entrance of his tent.
It was only a whisper but in the silence of the night, Naruto was able to hear him clearly.
"Kiba?" He whispered back, his eyes following the Inuzuka that was now walking toward him.
"Any news?" He asked once sitting next to him.
"No," Naruto said holding his head with both hands. "I still don't know anything."
"Hanabi is becoming exasperated," Kiba said almost silently, to avoid the Hyuga's sleeping in the other tents to overhear their conversation.
"I know." Naruto grimaced. "So am I."
"What do we do?"
Naruto grimaced. "We wait."
The woman sighed.
It was going to be a long day and she dreaded it. Sasuke had left them instructions to follow every day, as well as a routine of bordering the perimeter of the hideout. He made it clear that they had to make sure they were not seen by the Hyūgas.
He had cast a few Genjutsus in the area, and only them were aware of it. He hadn't wanted them to tell Hinata about the precautions he had taken, otherwise he knew she would worry about her clanmates. In fact, he had forbidden them from letting her outside.
Perhaps it wasn't obvious to him, but it was obvious to the Uzumaki. She knew him well. They had spent years together. From a very young age, Sasuke had become the center of her life, until a few years ago when she realized she no longer felt any romantic feelings for him.
Uchiha Sasuke cared for the Hyūga, perhaps more than what he'd cared for anyone else in their group. This knowledge made her jealous of the woman. She didn't want to feel bitter, but knowing that someone had managed to win Sasuke's attention in a matter of weeks, while she had never fully gained his affection as a friend in years, hurt her.
And yet, Karin couldn't blame him. Hinata was a wonderful woman. In the time they had known each other, Karin had started to care for her, to the point where she now considered her a good friend. Yes, Hinata was everything none of them were. She was light. The only person in this hideout that was truly good and pure and Sasuke needed that.
Perhaps this is why Sasuke's decision bothered her. Moreover, Hinata was becoming attached to Sasuke. She could see it. But Sasuke had opted for leaving the hideout like a coward. No matter what he said or how many times he denied it, Karin knew he was running away from his feelings, and in the process, he was going to hurt Hinata.
She heard the door to her laboratory open. She didn't need to look to know who it was. It was time for their healing lesson.
"Good afternoon, Karin-san."
"Hello, Hinata-chan!" She said turning around to face the small kunoichi. "Ready to start your lesson?"
"Yes!" Hinata said with a smile.
"Very well!" She smiled at her apprentice. "Let's get started."
They began their lesson short after. Karin would explain to her how to transfer her chakra into her hands. Hinata already knew the steps, but she liked to go over with her as a reminder. Then she observed as Hinata worked her way into healing a small bunny Jūgo had collected yesterday for their practice. The animal had been attacked by another animal, most likely a snake.
"Good job, Hinata-chan. You are improving quickly." She said after their lesson had finished.
"Thank you, Karin-san," She said taking a seat next to the Uzumaki.
Karin smiled.
"Karin-san," Hinata said fidgeting a little. "H-have you seen Sasuke-Kun?"
"This morning," She said dreading what the next question would be.
"I didn't see him for lunch," Hinata said, "Is he okay?"
"He is fine"
"Where is he?"
There was the question she didn't want to answer, the one she dreaded.
"He," Karin hesitated for a second "He left this morning."
She saw the confusion in Hinata's eyes.
"Where to?"
"I don't know, Hinata-chan." The Uzumaki said truthfully. "I guess, he resumed his travels."
"He... He left without saying goodbye?"
Karin saw how the pain began to reflect in Hinata's eyes. She knew Hinata was hurting. The least Sasuke could have done was to say goodbye to the woman in person. Instead, he left her a letter.
A letter she was to give Hinata.
"He left you this," Karin said handing Hinata the letter.
The small woman took the letter, and after excusing herself she left the laboratory.
The Uzumaki watched her as she left the room without another word. Hopefully, Sasuke's letter wouldn't make things worse. Karin knew the Uchiha was emotionally incapable of writing a heartfelt letter.
Author's Note: Thank you all so very much for your amazing support! I loved all the reviews!
Sorry for the short chapter, but this is as far my muse was taking me. I know I took a bit longer than expected, but I've been really busy with other fandoms and work. In all honesty, I hate this chapter lol. I wanted it to be better, so I waited before updating it. However, my muse failed me once again lol. At the moment, I plan to take a break from this fic, but I'll get back to it. I hope to have, at least, two chapters ready before classes start.
Answer to Reviews:
Gangnam Style X3: I'm so very glad you liked the last chapter. I was a little afraid to post it because I wasn't sure if things were going too quickly or not.
Koen D: Yes, our Sasuke has absolutely no idea how he feels for Hinata. He is experiencing this for the very first time!
Viralver: Haha I love your reviews! They always make me laugh. Thank you for your wonderful support. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Sonia: Thank you for your awesome review! I'm so glad you like this story. I understand where you come from, and you will see those meaningful moments in flashbacks. The next couple of chapters will make more sense.
See you later!