*~*Two Days Later*~*
A knock came at Hinata's bedroom door, and she got out of bed and walked over to the door. When she opened it, she saw her cousin, Neji Hyuuga. He was a year older than Hinata, who was twenty-five, and had long brown hair tied together at the bottom to single strands and such did not bother him and his field of vision. His white eyes, which ran with the Hyuuga clan, stared at her with seriousness, but she also noticed something else…a hint of pity? "Yes, Neji-nii-chan?" Hinata asked.
"Your father wishes to see you," Neji replied.
"…Hai." The young man stepped aside, and she walked past him and down the hallway toward the main room where her father, Hiashi Hyuuga usually spent his mornings. As usual, her father was sitting on his mat, staring out into the courtyard where Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi Hyuuga, was practicing her technique of the Gentle Fist – one of the special fighting styles and secrets of their clan. Hinata quietly took a seat on a mat beside him and watched her sister train. "You called for me, Father?" she asked.
Hiashi gave her a stiff nod. "Hinata, you have been locked up in your room for two days," he said.
"I'm sorry Father, but I did not feel like going out those days."
"Is it still because of the incident?"
Her father's choice of words was slightly less painful, but it still hurt that he would mention it so bluntly. Hinata winced at the word "incident". She then gave her father a small nod. The man sighed, more of expelling anger within himself more than air.
"Daughter, it is unhealthy to think of the past; forget it. You are going to be the head of the Hyuuga clan soon, and you need to have a clear head for when you take my place."
"Is that all I was brought out here to hear?" Her tone had turned from quiet to angry. Hiashi looked at Hinata, and he was taken by surprise to see her glaring at him. "Did you only want to speak to me just to tell me to forget a tragedy?! Naruto was our Hokage, no one would forget that! I loved him, and he loved me. He dies to protect our village, and you want to tell me to suck it up and go on? Well, Father, I cannot do so. He proposed to me Father, remember that?!"
"Something that I did not approve of."
"So? The thought counted, and I still said yes."
"I would've removed you as heiress of the Hyuuga clan if you got married to him," Hiashi said, trying to keep the argument under his control. Either way, the commotion had attracted Hanabi's attention, and she paused her training to watch. Both Hiashi and Hinata did not notice her gaze or Neji's, for they were staring directly at each other.
"I wouldn't have cared," Hinata said.
Her answer shocked her father, and his stare turned hard and ferocious. "So," he growled, "you do not care whether or not you lead our clan, the strongest, most influential clan in Konohagakure?! Do you want to be disowned?! You would like that, wouldn't you? All the pressure and stares that you cannot take will be lifted off your shoulders if you gave up and crawled away like a pathetic failure, is that what you think? Well, you're wrong." Hinata immediately lost her fire that kept her going on with the argument, and she just stared in horror of his words. Hiashi continued anyway.
"If you were to step down as heiress, people would still stare at you, talk behind your back, but only the subject will change. They will not see you as a powerful Hyuuga…no…They will see you as a coward!"
Neji decided to step in when he saw Hinata look away, her eyes brimming with tears. "Lord Hiashi," he said coolly.
The man looked at him, and his expression of anger and impatience subsided. It went back to its composed form, and he replied, "What is it?"
"Someone has requested to see you at the front gates of the compound."
"Hm." He stood up and took one last glance at Hinata, and then he left the room. Hinata wiped her eyes, and she stood up. She walked across the main room, heading to the front gates as well.
She paused by Neji and said, "Thank you. I will be outside for the time being, so if my father asks, let him know."
"Hai, Hinata-sama," Neji said. He gave her a small bow, and she bowed in return and walked away.
"That was kinda scary," commented Hanabi. Neji looked in her direction, and when he did she added, "Hinata never yells like that."
Neji sighed. "That is true, Hanabi-sama, but she will yell if you hurt her too much." With that the young man walked away, and Hanabi shrugged and resumed her taijutsu training.
* * *
Sasuke was taking a break from his training, sitting in the shade of a tall tree and hiding from the heat of the sun's rays. He noticed Hinata walking by the shops across from where he sat, and then he saw Ino run up to her. The Uchiha watched the two talking for sometime, and Hinata shook her head no. Puzzled by her response, he looked at Ino, who smiled a little and nodded in understanding. She walked away from the Hyuuga, and Hinata stared after her.
I wonder what they were talking about, Sasuke thought. He looked at Hinata again, and she was staring at him. She smiled a little and started walking over to him. Sasuke just waited in the shade for her to reach him.
Once she did, Hinata asked, "Mind if I sit next to you?"
"It's fine," Sasuke replied.
Hinata smiled and sat down next to him. She then noticed some ninja tools lying on his other side. "You were training?"
"Yeah." He noticed how she was staring at the grass, like she was thinking about something that she should tell him. Curious, Sasuke asked, "What is it?"
"Um…I was wondering…do you train…to keep your mind off of…certain things?" She frowned at her question.
Sasuke understood what she meant, and he answered, "Sometimes."
"Ok."
"So, what was Ino asking you over there?"
"She was asking if I wanted to go with her to the mall, and whenever she says that she doesn't only look at clothes. I declined her offer."
"Hn, I see…"
Silence filled the time gap between them. Both of them thought of something to say, to discuss without worry. Hinata thought of herself bad at small talk, and Sasuke thought that he, too, was bad at starting conversations. The quiet stretched on, and no one had decided to break it just yet.
Though, there was a strange sense of comfort between the two. Both of them knew why the other was sad and such, so they just kept each other company. The silence didn't really bother them – they were outdoors, where birds and animals could keep the silence from overwhelming them. It seemed that they did not even need to talk at all, for just their presence seemed to keep them calm and prevent them from thinking about their lost loved one too much. It started to turn later in the day, around two in the afternoon. Sasuke decided to break the silence and ask a question.
"Aren't you needed in your clan home? Surely they would be searching for you by now."
Hinata stared at the grass. "I do not plan to go back to my house anytime soon," she said.
"Why?" Sasuke asked.
"I do not wish to see my father right now." She looked completely away from Sasuke, and he seemed to have gotten the message. Her shoulders slumped, and she stroked a flower that grew beside her very delicately. The Uchiha watched her do so, thinking that she was going to pick it, but when she didn't he stared up at the sky.
Time passed by again, and once the invisible clock ticked ten minutes by Sasuke asked, "Do you want to go get something to eat?"
Hinata was taken off guard by his question, but she then answered, "Sure." The two stood up and started walking back to the shops, looking for a place they can agree on eating at. Hinata easily agreed to a restaurant that Sasuke suggested, and they walked inside and sat down at a table.
A waitress walked up to their table and smiled at them. "Hello, would you like to order any drinks?" she asked.
"I'll have some jasmine tea," Sasuke said.
He looked at Hinata, and she said, "I'd like a glass of water please."
"Alright." The waitress walked away, and after a few minutes she returned to their table and set down a cup of steaming tea and a tall glass of ice water. Both the Uchiha and Hyuuga thanked the woman, and she smiled and walked away after handing them their menus. When the waitress returned, Sasuke and Hinata ordered their food, and she was on her way again.
"You did realize that the waitress was staring at you, right?" Hinata asked Sasuke.
"Yeah, I noticed," Sasuke replied, "but I've become a professional at ignoring those kinds of stares."
"I see."
They quietly waited for their food. Sasuke, after a few minutes of silence, asked, "How long do you plan on staying away from your house?"
"Well, I want to stay away the rest of the day, even through the night." She then sighed, "But I don't really have anywhere to go without Father knowing of the location. He knows every hotel and inn I enjoy staying at."
Sasuke thought about that for a moment. Then he said, "You could stay at my house."
Hinata stared at him with disbelief. "A-are you sure?"
"I know that you don't want to deal with your father, so yes, you can stay at my house tonight."
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." The waitress arrived at the table with two plates and set them down in front of each of the two. Hinata thanked the woman, and Sasuke nodded. The waitress smiled at the Hyuuga, but she gave the Uchiha a genuine smile. Sasuke ignored the woman, and she quietly left the table, secretly disappointed.
After they finished eating, both of them walked out of the restaurant and started walking to the training field to get Sasuke's things from training. Once they gathered those things they started walking toward the Uchiha estate. The way was walked in silence, and no one decided to break it. They soon arrived at Sasuke's house, and he unlocked the door and held it open for Hinata. Again, she thanked him and walked inside. He nodded and followed her inside.
Hinata yawned and looked at the clock, which displayed the time as 7:30pm. She thought that it seemed too early to sleep, but her body seemed to be completely drained of energy. She felt exhausted, and then ignoring it no more she turned to Sasuke and asked, "Where do I sleep?"
"Oh…you can sleep in this room." He walked down the hallway, and she followed slowly. He noticed her trudging feet and stopped at the first door in the hallway. He opened it and held it for her. Hinata smiled and walked inside the bedroom. She found it quite nice – the bed sheets were a pale blue, and the walls were light beige with white trim. She walked over to the bed and stroked the covers. Then she turned her head to face Sasuke.
"Thanks again," she said.
"Mm-hm," Sasuke replied. "Good night."
"Good night." Sasuke left the room, and Hinata sighed after he closed the door. She pulled the covers aside, got into bed and pulled them over herself. She then closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
Sasuke was sitting in the living room, thinking over what was happening: Hinata's father must've mentioned Naruto, but is Hinata only staying here to avoid Hiashi for only that reason? The thought of Hinata becoming furious and storming out of a room did not fit what the Uchiha thought of her already. She was a really kind, gentle young woman, not to mention shy. If she were to be mad, let alone furious, with someone, they would have to have been such a jerk. Sasuke sighed and decided to try asking Neji later. He stood up and walked down the hallway to his room. The Uchiha took a quick shower and got into his pajamas. He crawled into bed and covered himself with his blankets, and then he closed his eyes, letting his mind drift off into sleep.
*~* The Next day*~*
Sasuke woke up to the sounds of someone cooking in the kitchen. Slightly puzzled, the Uchiha got out of bed and walked up the hallway and into the kitchen. He saw Hinata cooking breakfast, adding some ingredients into a pan. She stirred and let that simmer, and then she turned around to see Sasuke. She bowed her head. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," she said.
The young man took the scene in. "How come you're cooking?" he asked.
"Well, you let me stay the night here, so I decided to repay you by cooking some breakfast." She grabbed a plate, turned back to the pan on the stove and put the food onto the plate. She walked over to the table and set it down, and then she went back to the stove and resumed cooking for herself. Hinata glanced over her shoulder and said, "Your plate is already on the table."
"Thanks." Sasuke walked over to the dining table and sat down. He picked up the fork and started to eat. After he swallowed his first bite, he commented, "This is really good Hinata."
The young woman looked at him and smiled. "Thank you."
"Mm-hm." The Uchiha continued to eat the breakfast that Hinata prepared, and the Hyuuga resumed cooking her own. Once she finished hers, she grabbed the plate and sat down across from Sasuke and started to eat quietly. After they both finished their breakfast, Hinata started to collect the dishes. Sasuke took his own plate when she reached for it. "I got my plate, Hinata. You don't need to do all the housework."
His comment made her smile, and she nodded. She set her plate into the sink, and Sasuke did the same thing. Then she asked him, "What do we do now?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I'm thinking that someone is looking for you. Do you want to return to your house now?"
"I don't know…" Hinata thought about that for a minute. Then she answered, "I might as well go home later today so I don't get into too much trouble."
"Alright. So are you going to hang out with Ino today?"
"I guess so." She started out of the Uchiha's house. "I'll see you later then."
"Okay, see you later Hinata," Sasuke said. The Hyuuga smiled and left the house. She walked into the streets and eventually found Ino.
"Hinata!" Ino said. She hugged her friend. "Hey, where were you? Neji was looking for you, and he sounded rather worried from his usual tone."
Hinata stared at the blond. "Neji-nii-san is looking for me?" she asked.
"Yeah! You better go see him now before we do anything."
"Right." Hinata walked away from her friend and started heading for the Hyuuga compound. She was about to open the gate when Neji stepped out of the estate. He saw Hinata, and his eyes widened.
"Lady Hinata," Neji said. "Where have you been?! Your father has been worried about you."
"Sorry Neji-nii-san," Hinata said. I highly doubt that Father was that worried about me after that argument. He's probably just acting for the sake of the heiress. She inwardly scoffed at Hiashi's tough love technique. She then told Neji, "Well, can you tell him that I am unharmed and will be spending the day with Ino-chan?"
Neji knew that Hinata did not wish to see her father, for he could see it in her eyes. He nodded and gave Hinata a bow. "As you wish Hinata-sama," he answered. The young man turned around and walked back into the compound. Hinata waited to hear the sound of the gate being completely shut before running off to where she had left Ino.
"So," Ino said as they walked over to the mall. "Where were you yesterday? Neji looked shocked that you were gone an entire day."
"I was wandering around the village," Hinata answered.
"Where did you stay for the night?"
The Hyuuga hesitated before answering. "At…Sasuke-kun's house…" She glanced at her friend to see if she was staring at her with her jaws open. She was.
"You stayed at Sasuke's house?" she asked, clearly not believing it.
"Hai…I met him at the training field, and he offered to let me stay at his place for the night." Ino shushed her once they were in the mall and pulled her by the arm.
"Girl, you got explaining to do."
That's all for now! Hope you're liking this story so far. Review please! Thanks! :)
~RedWolf210