Hope you like it :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Ch 9 - Mark
It was a beautiful morning outside. Closing the curtains Hinata smiled to herself, today was her day off plus she was going to spend her whole day sightseeing.
"I am fine mother, you don't need to worry."
"Itachi I am not taking any chances, I have called your doctor and set an appointment for two in the afternoon."
Itachi smiled reassuring her not to worry but it didn't have any effect on her. "Mother are you forgetting that you have the whole day planned with Hinata to show her the city."
Mikoto seated herself on the bed, "I can't leave you like this, no I am not going to. I'll just have to excuse myself. She'll understand. She's a good girl."
"Mother you know we can't tell her."
"Itachi please."
Itachi looked back with solemn eyes.
"I know we can't I am just thinking. I'll be right back. You are not allowed to get up from there young man."
Itachi nodded.
"So how are you feeling?"
"The medicine has started to take effect, the pain is receding and the vomiting has stopped."
"Sasuke!"
"Hn."
"You were listening to our conversation. Right?"
"So? oh no I am not going to do something like that."
"You saw how upset mother was. You have to do it."
"Fine."
Itachi smiled this was easier than he thought, "you know you have to tell mother, right."
"I am going."
After a few minutes Mikoto appeared again, "you won't believe it but Sasuke volunteered to show Hinata around." Clapping her hands together, "I am so happy."
Itachi nodded satisfied.
"Oh my your already up. I was going to check up on you."
"Um yeah, I was really excited about today, I couldn't even sleep properly."
Mikoto brought her hands together, "Hinata I have to tell you something…"
Just then Sasuke stormed in cutting Mikoto off, "have you had your breakfast?"
Hinata looked at him puzzled, "um yes."
"Good, grab your stuff and lets go."
"But…"
"What? I don't have all day, hurry up!"
Hinata ran upstairs to get her bag. She was really confused. When she came back down no one was in the kitchen or the lounge but then she heard the car horn so she ran outside.
Hinata was really confused, "where are we going? Why isn't Mrs. Uchiha with us?"
"Something came up and she couldn't take you so now I am going to show you around."
"So are we picking Sakura up?"
"No change of plans, Sakura and Naruto are going to meet us for lunch."
"Oh," Hinata brought a hand to her cheek; she was going to spend a whole day with Sasuke. That's not something she had thought about.
Sasuke saw the pink tinge on her cheeks and wondered what she was thinking about.
"Hmph."
"Sakura don't be upset. Look on the bright side. Now we get to spend the whole day together."
"He's so rude, texting me that the plan is cancelled and to meet them for lunch."
"You know how he is, come on Sakura! Please."
Sakura smiled, "alright, we don't want to waste the day by sitting inside. So what will we be doing?"
Hinata looked outside; this was the famous Croshia Street where everything from designer outlets to seven star hotels to tent bazaars was located. It was said that you could find the original as well as its exact duplicate on this street. Sasuke slowed down the car so that she could have a better look. He wasn't planning on stopping there, shopping was just not his thing.
Hinata wasn't complaining though. She wasn't a big fan of shopping either.
Next Sasuke took her to see the well known Margalla dam located near the border of the city. It produced electricity for the whole city besides providing clean water as well.
She had never seen a dam in her whole life before and it was a very riveting experience for her. Hinata clapped her hands together and took a path down towards the water. "It's simply amazing!"
Sasuke agreed and noted how beautiful the weather was, "have you ever ridden a boat?"
"No?"
Sasuke grinned, "then follow me."
Sasuke directed Hinata towards the car and after half an hour they came to a small shed beside the river bank where one could rent a boat.
Hinata looked about at the colorful little boats. Each boat was manually rowed. Sasuke chose a dark blue boat and beckoned her to join him.
Hinata shook her head; she stood rooted to the spot. Couldn't make herself take a step forward as much as she wanted to.
Sasuke looked back, impatient as always but saw that she was hesitant to get on the boat. He told the owner to wait and came back to fetch her.
"I can't," she whispered as Sasuke approached her.
"Why not, come on I will get on with you. I promise nothing will happen to you."
Hinata looked into Sasuke's eyes and saw his resolve, "but Sasuke I don't know how to swim and I overheard some people that it's very deep."
Sasuke smiled and took her right hand in his, "I won't let anything happen to you, now trust me," and thus escorted her towards the boat.
Closing the buttons of her jacket, Hinata sat huddling her self. She had to admit the view was amazing and the ride calm and serene.
Once in the middle, the owner stopped the boat.
Hinata took out her camera and handed it to Sasuke as she was too unsure of herself to handle it on the boat. Sasuke took some pictures of the view, the dam and unconsciously of her.
On their way back Sasuke relayed a story of a newly married couple who had come here to enjoy a boat ride but had ended up being dead. Now it was said that the married couple would come out on the first full moon of every month to drown another newly married couple.
Hinata tried to laugh, "you're kidding right?"
"No! Some of these owners have witnessed the couple walking along the bank of the river."
"Sasuke!"
"Hmm."
"Today is going to be a full moon at night."
"Relax, we are not a couple and besides it is just an old myth and nothing more."
Seeing that she hadn't exactly calmed down he started to tease her about it, "you're not scared are you?"
"No no, I am not scared just a little overcome by your story."
Helping her out of the boat Sasuke rushed her towards the car, "come on, it's quarter to two and we have to meet Sakura and Naruto for lunch."
"Itachi are you ready?"
"I am coming mother."
"Good I have got all your reports and your medical file. Let's go."
"Hey Hinata Sasuke over here," waved Naruto.
"Hey, how long have you been here?"
"We just arrived a second before you guys. We just got seated."
Naruto and Sasuke immediately got into a deep discussion regarding politics.
"So Hinata how was your day? Where did Sasuke take you?"
"Well we passed the Croshia Street; I didn't imagine it would be so long. Then Sasuke took me to see the Margalla dam. It was amazing."
"You've never seen a dam?"
"No and we also took a little boat ride. Well it wasn't little; it lasted a whole two hours."
"I love boat rides, don't you?"
"Well at first I was a little afraid to get on a boat since I don't know how to swim but once on the boat I really enjoyed it."
"Boat ride? Sasuke you took her on a boat ride? today?" shouted Naruto.
"Yes you idiot and what's wrong with that?"
"Haven't you heard the rumor about the married couple?"
"So?"
"It's going to be a full moon tonight and it's the first full moon of the month."
Hinata paled a little at hearing that.
"Look it's just a silly old myth and nothing more. Relax!"
Bending his head so that only Naruto could hear, "could you keep your mouth shut, you're scaring her"
"You're the one at fault for taking her on a boat ride."
"NA-RU-TO!"
"Ok Sakura, I am hushing up."
Hinata looked at the exchange between the two and smiled, they definitely suited each other. To bad they weren't a couple yet.
After lunch Sasuke dropped all three of them at the mall while he went to run some of his own errands.
"Thank you Sasuke I had surprisingly a wonderful day today."
'Surprisingly? What does she mean by that?'
"Sasuke!"
"Hn."
Hinata looked worried, ever since that phone call he had been awfully quiet. She didn't know what to say or do to make him fell any better so she just left him be.
As they stepped inside, the house looked very empty and sad in a way. Hinata was too tired to notice and ran upstairs to her room. Whereas Sasuke took his time putting the car keys back, drinking a glass of water and then finally treading upstairs and standing outside Itachi's room.
"You can come in now. I know your standing there."
Sasuke didn't move. He was afraid to see his brother in that state, all feeble looking. Ever since he could remember his brother was his ideal. No matter how hard he tried he could never catch up to him but Itachi was always there to encourage him, to move on and to never give up. In a way he envied but also idolized him.
Sometimes when life gives you something, it also takes something back and sometimes the costs are too great to bear.
Sasuke didn't enter his brother's room instead went upstairs on the roof to calm down a bit…But he couldn't stand it any longer. Sasuke barged into his dad's home office, "why didn't any body tell me that Itachi is suffering from Hepatitis."
Fugaku stopped what he was doing and stood up to nurse Sasuke, "Sasuke sit down. Let me explain everything."
"No I don't want any of your explanation. It's good that I accidentally heard mom on the phone today, otherwise I don't think any of you were planning on telling me."
Fugaku listened patiently to his son. He knew hearing it all of a sudden must have been very painful for him.
"Oh God I thought he was suffering from food poisoning today and I couldn't understand why mom was so worried. All those headaches and pale complexion, I thought was due to him over working himself at the office. But it never once crossed my mind that he actually might be sick. All that time I was determined to work just as hard as him thinking that just this once I was going to do better than him, bring in more clients, make more profits, think up more innovative ideas than him. And all this time he was sick. I feel so… GOD!"
Sasuke stormed out after that. He didn't know what to do so he snatched his car keys and left.
Special thanks to ImCutePoison, you have reviewed every chapter of mine and your reviews have given me a lot of confidence :)
TO Usagi, thank you for your review. I am glad you like the Hinata in this story. Hope you like the upcoming chapters as well.
DevilLove, Thank you for your reviews as well. I am sure there is going to be a bit of tension between Sasuke and Hinata due to Gaara. Lets see what happens :)