My apologies for the late update, I was distracted, hehe...
I'm sorry if it's coming up slowly, I'll try speeding it up next time :)
I'm not trying to bash Ino and Sakura, but this is what I believe they would act before Naruto... so please play along :) also thank you everyone for the reviews! it keeps me motivated :)
Enjoy!
p/s: again, sorry for the grammatical mistakes and spelling...
A year has past and Sasuke had moved out since the death of Hinata's mother. Some of the older generations blamed her death on Sasuke, they accused him being jinxed. Hiashi on the other hand did not. He promised Sasuke to support him financially until he becomes a Chunnin, but Sasuke declined the offer. Instead, he accepted a pension from the Hokage. Sasuke moved into an apartment nearby, the rent was cheap and the room was decent. Sasuke had started packing, he would leave after supper, as Hiashi requested him to stay until then.
Everyone ate quietly, Sasuke noticed an empty between Hinata and Hanabi, who had grown stronger considerately.
"It seems Neji's not coming." Hiashi took a sip of his soup.
"I-It seems like he's busy with training, he said he will v-visit you later."Hinata mumbled. Sasuke braced for something expected, but nothing happened. Whenever Hinata mumbled, Hiashi would lecture her about confidence, but this time, he completely ignored her.
"Hanabi, finish your meal and meet me in my room later, we'll discuss about tomorrow's training." Hiashi set his utensils on the table and walked away. It felt, tense. Hiashi has changed too, for the better or worse, no one knew. Hanabi quickly shove the last piece of dumpling in her throat and followed her father.
Hinata looked down at her bowl of rice, she was left alone. Hiashi had spent less time training with Hinata, and more time with Hanabi instead. He decided Hinata couldn't prove herself strong enough, he gave up on her, as a ninja and as a daughter. Sasuke lowered his view to Hinata's level, she looked spaced out and sadden. Sasuke breathed out with a one side smirk on his face.
"Here." with his chopsticks, he gave Hinata a piece of salmon he was saving later.
"N-No, it's okay..." Hinata politely declined.
"I'm full anyways." Sasuke put on a fake frown on his face. As Sasuke's only childhood friend, she knew Sasuke best. He always leave the best for last, and having smoked salmon for dinner was his request in the first place. Hinata halved the salmon with her chopsticks, she returned the other half to Sasuke.
"We'll share." she smiled and continued her meal.
"Heh." Sasuke sat back up and finished the last piece of delicious salmon on his plate.
Dusk was on it's way, Hinata decided to help Sasuke pack his belongings.
"Please take care of your body, remember to eat and rest well." Hinata helped Sasuke pack, every shirt were ironed the night before.
"I'll be fine. You should take care of yourself too." The two sat behind each other, that laid-back atmosphere returned to it's awkwardness. Even when talking, Sasuke and Hinata did not dare to look into each others eyes. Hinata felt strange and unease around Sasuke, she did not blame her mother's death on Sasuke like the others, but she felt sympathy and guilt was eating her alive. Sasuke on the other hand blamed himself for the death of Hinata's mother, he believed if he noticed her health earlier, she wouldn't have died.
"Here." Hinata handed him a stack of neatly folded clothes.
"Aa." he nodded, then started carefully packed into his luggage. Hinata and Sasuke walked to the entrance together, not a single word was spoken through the journey.
"I...guess this is goodbye." Sasuke's words sounded eternal, he was just living a few blocks away, but that was not how Hinata felt.
"P-Please don't say it like that." Hinata stuttered. Her stuttering habit started just recently, she was loosing confidence in herself. Sasuke was the reason of her stutter, he gave her confidence, but also stripping it down at the same time.
"Here." Sasuke drew out a spare key from his pocket, Hinata accepted it with both hands.
"You can come by anytime. It's not the end of the world." Sasuke forced a smile on his face, it broke his heart to see his childhood friend make such a face. Hinata was looking at him with sorrowful eyes, she had been suffering for so long, it would be so cruel for someone so close to her leave now. She remembered his promise, he promised her he would stay by her side when she needed a shoulder to cry one, but sadly, the bond between the two had continuously crippled, and their promise was not strong enough to last. Sasuke could almost read her mind, he knew all about her thoughts.
"I won't break my promise, so please don't look at me like that." he spoke in a soft voice. Hinata held the key close to her and nodded.
"S-Sasuke, we're best friends forever, right?" her eyes was full with pearls of tears. Sasuke quickly nodded in agreement. The old Sasuke did not disappear as Hinata suspected, she sensed honesty in his tone.
"Ya...Forever." Sasuke held out his right arm and pointed his last finger out. Hinata wiped her tears away and hooked with hers, their pinky curled and locked together.
"Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama summons you." A boy, a year or two older than Sasuke and Hinata stood by the pavement. Neji is Hinata's cousin, he reminded him a lot of Sasuke himself, his eyes full of revenge and hatred. They met a few times passing the corridors, but had never spoke to each other before. Sasuke and Hinata finally bid goodbye, the farewell wasn't as depressing as she imagined, she knew her friendship with Sasuke will not break that easily, he is part of the family.
Hinata's feeling was no longer his number one priority, the first was to avenge his family. His hatred grew stronger, his only reason of living was to gain power, he needed power to kill Itachi. But every time he looked into her eyes, so innocent, weak but determined, he could not bring himself to ignore her feelings, she was and will forever be first priority in his heart. Hinata followed Neji back in after Sasuke walked further away.
Sasuke had unpacked most of his belongings, the last piece from Sasuke's bag, a picture of both his mother, Mikoto and Hinata's with the two children, happily laughing. Itachi took that photo for them, which is why he kept it. Looking at the picture fuel his drive of hatred towards Itachi, and those who look down at him. At the same time, it keeps it sane, remembering the times he spent with Hinata, laid back and worries free.
"I'm coming for you Itachi, just you wait..."
The day Sasuke anticipated arrived, the day he had graduated the academy.
"Sasuke, c-congratulations." Hinata went over to Sasuke's apartment to celebrate. It doesn't feel special for Hinata to be at Sasuke's apartment, she often visit him, and even offer to clean and cook for Sasuke. They had cake and a few finger food prepared enough for the two of them, Hinata wanted to invite others as well, but Sasuke stubbornly refused. Those academy days, officially over. Though, Sasuke did enjoy the times he had to team up with Hinata for shuriken training, but effortlessly a girl would interrupt. And through out those years, Sasuke realized Hinata acting awfully shy around Naruto, his sworn arch-nemesis. He's loud, obnoxious, and everything opposite to Sasuke. Every time in class, Naruto would be the one who came late, always sent to the Hokage's office, and never EVER learn from the pranks he did to the whole of Konoha. When ever Sasuke trained in the woods, Naruto would be there training his ninjutsu, and somewhere behind a tree, hid Hinata, staring at Naruto at daze as if he was Hercules. Sasuke paid more attention to him, because of Hinata of course.
"What's the need to celebrate? We just graduated from the academy, we still have a long way to go." Sasuke took a sip of green tea, since he hated sweet.
"B-But I think you d-deserve it, Sasuke. You achieved top in class! I-I couldn't do it no matter how h-hard I tried..." Hinata had her legs folded and was sitting across Sasuke, she looked down at her fidgeting fingers.
"That's because you don't have the slightest confidence...more tea." Sasuke drank the last drop and asked for more.
"I-I couldn't help it..." carefully, she pours tea into Sasuke's cup.
"If only a portion of confidence from all those annoying girl could be given to you, you'll be the perfect human being." Sasuke paused and realized he almost confessed to her, but knowing Hinata, she just giggled and wouldn't thought of it as just a compliment to make her feel better.
"I-I'm sure they're not that bad...w-what about Haruno-san? She seems nice, she qualified to all of your requirements. L-Long hair, strong, confident, and she's very cute." Sasuke was getting annoyed, he only made up the whole 'liking-girls-with-long-hair' part so those girls would leave Hinata out of their rivalry list.
"You crazy? She talks too much, and very violent." Sasuke laid back against his bedside. Hinata was trying to butter about Sakura because she knew Naruto had a crush on her, Naruto tried every possible plans to impress the cherry head, but all plans failed miserably.
"E-Every girl can be a little violent." Sasuke was right, Sakura is a pink hulk when it comes to Naruto. They two chuckled, Sasuke only chuckled in front of Hinata, no one was worthy enough to see or hear him laugh without worries.
Knock, Knock...
"Someone's at the door." Hinata panicked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, Hinata always panicked when someone's at the door of Sasuke's apartment. She quickly hid he cup and threw her plate into the sink before hiding in the closet.
"You ought to stop this nonsense...so what if someone saw you hanging out with me?" Sasuke walked towards the door.
"T-That's not the problem, I-I don't really mind who sees us, as long as they're n-not one of you fangirls." Hinata pulled the closet door close to her, leaving a small gap big enough for air. Hinata did have a point, Sasuke smirked and sighed.
"Who is it?" his tone changed into a colder voice.
"It's me! Sakura!"
"And Ino too!" two high pitched voice answered.
"Go away." Sasuke yelled without opening the door, he ain't going to take any chances, not since the time a rabid fan girl tricked Sasuke into opening the door, broke into his room, stole a piece of dirty laundry and escaped. She would be an excellent kunoichi with skills like that, if it was used in the right field that is.
"Please, we have something to tell you." Ino pleaded.
"S-Sasuke, if you don't let them in, they'll wait there forever until you do." Hinata whispered from the closet.
"*sigh*...fine...what do you two want?" Sasuke finally opened the door, but did not invite them in.
"We heard you talking to someone, who's there?" Sakura poked her head through, Sasuke leaned to block her way.
"No one, just me." Sasuke grew very impatient.
"We brought something for you, Sasuke-kun. Congratulations on graduating with top marks!" Sakura and Ino pulled out a popper. The confetti fell onto his face and hair, he was enduring the rage.
"No-"
"Oh! You're already celebrating!" Sakura and Ino shove him aside to enter the room.
"So you were celebrating with someone, who is it? Please tell us." Ino grabbed onto his arm.
"No one, now shut up or I'll kick you out." Sasuke brushed her arms away.
"These food are cold, we've brought some desserts! Please have them instead." Sakura started packing away the food Hinata made for Sasuke.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Sasuke yelled out. Sakura and Ino froze in position, they hadn't seen Sasuke yelled with impulse before, even Hinata who hid behind the close was frighten.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I-"
"Get out. Now." Sakura and Ino scrambled out of the room. The closet door squeaked opened, Hinata came out.
"A-Are you alright?" she asked.
"Ya...they just piss me off that's all." Sasuke felt tired, he laid down on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm.
"I'll start cleaning up, I-I'll see you t-tomorrow." Hinata quickly packed, she placed anything left edible in the fridge, did the dishes swiftly and left his apartment with caution. Sasuke couldn't believe it, a peaceful day with Hinata, ruined by his own hands. He just laid there for the rest of the day, until hunger kicked in. He spotted a pink floral box on the floor, must be left by Sakura and Ino. Sasuke looked inside, they were beautifully decorated cakes, each looked expensive and obviously not hand made by Sakura, or Ino. Sasuke took a bite from a slice, artificial sweet, it was disgusting, Sasuke thought. He shove the box into the fridge with the rest of the food he wouldn't eat, and pulled out the last piece of dark chocolate cake Hinata baked for him instead. The real sweetness that came from the baker's heart will always be the best.
Thanks for reading!