Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, sadly.

03. Advice

Sasuke arrives at the training field to find Hyuuga Hinata lurking, probably there to spy on the Dobe again. She has been doing this for a few times now and because his teammates are blind fools, he's the only one to notice her doing this (Kakashi probably noticed but is too lazy to do something about it). He has no problems with it, per se, as long as he isn't the one she's spying on, but frankly, the skulking about is beginning to get a bit tedious.

He figures that this is a good time as any to tell her off.

"He's not coming." Sasuke says in a monotone as soon as he's close enough.

It's funny how she jumps in surprise when she heard him speak. Funny and a little sad, all things considered (ironic too, come to think of it). "Are you sure you're a Byakugan wielder?"

The question, delivered as blandly as it was, makes her blush in shame.

Sasuke feels a bit guilty for saying it. "Right." He clears his throat and quickly changes the subject. "He isn't coming today so you might as well stop loitering here."

She blushes again, this time for a completely different reason. "I-I w-wasn't…" She pauses at his smirk, then tries again, "W-Who a-are y-you…I-I do-don't-"

"Everyone knows. Stop trying to deny it." Sasuke waves a hand dismissively and continues forward to the training poles. He starts prepping for training.

Hinata follows him, "K-Kn-Knows wh-what?" she asks shakily, though by the look of dread on her face, she probably already knew the answer.

He pauses in his stretching exercises and decides to humor her. "That you like the Dobe."

She looks just about ready to faint after that statement.

"If you're going to pass out, do it where I won't accidentally step on you." Sasuke informs her drily, continuing with his stretches.

But she doesn't faint. In fact, she doesn't do much of anything at all except stand there in a daze. Sasuke is beginning to wonder if she went catatonic on him when she suddenly speaks in the middle of his warm-up.

She twiddles her fingers. "Do-Does he know t-that I..."

"No." He answers curtly. Sasuke pauses again mid exercise at her disbelieving look and adds in the same tone, "Naruto's as dense as a rock. He'd definitely be the last to know, unless someone says it to him straight out."

She chews on her bottom lip, obviously worried that someone could be interested enough in her love life to squeal on Naruto.

Sasuke shakes his head, "And even then, he still probably won't believe unless he hears it from you." Yes, Naruto's like that. Loyal to a fault. Kind of like a dog. It's a good thing then that he didn't particularly like dogs (Kakashi's ugly pug comes to mind).

A relieved look crosses her face.

"Tone down the lurking and spying though."

Worry flits across her face fast. Lip chewing and finger twiddling commences with renewed vigor, watching her gives Sasuke the uncomfortable feeling that he's somehow being infected by her shyness germs. He shuffles away a little but decides to take pity on her, if only to make her annoying habits stop.

"Naruto's denseness affects his shinobi skills as well," he tells her, a bit warily, "so you can rest easy that he'd also be the last to notice you spying on him."

"Oh." She intones in heartfelt relief.

Sasuke rolls his eyes skyward. This girl needs all the help she can get if she wants to get noticed by someone as oblivious as Naruto. It doesn't help that she's so timid. What does she see in the Dobe anyway? There's really no accounting for taste.

Thinking that the discussion is over, he leaves Hinata's side to do laps around the area before starting his taijutsu training. He's on the fifth lap when he notices a movement from the edge of the clearing.

He stops and glowers at Hinata. "You're still here?"

"I…I j-just want to-" she takes something out of her bag and thrusts it nervously at him, "thank you for your advice."

Sasuke peers at her, a single eyebrow rising.

"It's…it's a b-bento I made for Naruto-kun." She answers his silent question.

He accepts the wrapped package hesitantly, ambivalent on how to feel about being given something meant to be for Naruto.

She shoots him a tentative smile. "I…I didn't k-know what Naruto-kun would like s-so I included a li-little of everything."

Sasuke wonders on the 'everything' part but figures that food would be food. He certainly wouldn't complain that he's getting it for free either.

"A-Ano…" she twiddles her fingers again, "I'll be g-going then." She bows at him and hurriedly turns to leave.

Sasuke gazes at the bento thoughtfully for a few moments, debating the merits on what he's going to say next. It probably wouldn't hurt. Hinata doesn't strike him as someone who indulges in gossip anyway, so he doesn't have to fear about outrageous rumors. Plus, he's feeling a bit magnanimous in the face of receiving free food.

So he calls out to her retreating back, "Hyuuga."

She freezes and turns slowly as if she's expecting to be attacked by him. Already, he's regretting his decision. But whatever.

"Zenzai." He grudgingly imparts to her. "Bring some the next time you decide to go skulking."

It isn't much, as far as advices went-and the only one he's willing to part with anyway-but the brilliant smile she sends his way lets him know that she understands his meaning. The sweetness of it makes his teeth ache.

It's probably too late now to remember that he hates sweets.

.

.

.

A/N: This one is still less than 1,000 words, thus came out faster. Haha, I feel so damn intelligent whenever I use "thus" in a sentence, "ergo", "thusly", and "therefore" too, come to think of it.

The story would pick up speed once Sasuke defects, because I can't really think of creative ways to give them screen time without the story completely going AUish. For now, I enjoy writing Sasuke's less than cynical (and crazy) thoughts on life.

Again, please leave a review and tell me how you find the story. Thanks!