~Chapter 12~

Forbearance

As Iruka-sensei droned on, Sasuke's patience grew thin. Kinata hadn't shown up yet. His hands were now clenched white from his pent-up frustration. He hadn't received a second of sleep last night. Instead, only memories of a girl had flooded his mind, the very girl he was waiting to see.

He wasn't sure whether he should be worried or angry. It was obvious to him that her living condition could be – no, were considered abusive. But he was more annoyed that Kinata would allow it. The scenes replayed in the Uchiha's head as it had all through the last 12 hours.

Sasuke wanted to leave Kinata alone for good after having departed the store. His intuition had kicked in though, and strongly. It was an intense nagging that felt wrong, and it had to do with Kinata. He was glad he hadn't ignored it.

So rather than walk home, he had decided on pinpointing Kinata's home. He had reasoned that if she was telling the truth it would sate his curiosity over the girl. So, as silent as his stealth skills could allow, he'd crawled alongside the rooftops of the buildings. He kept a leisure distance from Kinata's figure, but had done well in keeping tabs on her. That was until they came up to a darker neighborhood, and not just considered that for its lighting. That alley was known for low-lifes.

Sasuke had planted a secure spot behind an uprising tower above a run-down apartment complex across from the small house that Kinata had paused at. He narrowed his eyes at her clear hesitation before opening the door.

It wasn't long, perhaps a minute, before yells were heard from inside. Of course Sasuke was concentrating his senses to hear and see just what was happening, but if was still muffled. A shoving noise resonated against the door, and it suddenly broke, causing Sasuke to jump a little. He was on one knee, but had tensed at seeing Kinata on her back, lying on the old wooden door. A woman's voice instantly crossed his hearing.

"Ya ninjas…ya taken everything…" They were slurred words. Sasuke's face scrunched up in disgust. Drunk idiots, against ninjas…when they live in a village founded by them? He watched as Kinata tried to pick herself up only for a man's foot to appear, kicking her in the right side, sending Kinata to her knees. The man stepped out. He was nothing that Kinata couldn't handle, so Sasuke held himself back from jumping down there and kicking the man several times.

"My boy…ye even get it, stupid ass girl! MY BOY…taken…my parents…an' YOU, YOUS all we left with…tch…an' we don' even wantchya."

So his son died? Some fucking excuse! Sasuke thought coldly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the woman's voice came back, along with a face. She was clearly just as drunk as her spouse (so he assumed the two were married, or she was a whore).

"Show 'er, Kigetsu! Show 'er! We mean whats~we's says when we's says DON'T. COME. HOME."

The retched man grabbed her hair and dragged her a few feet into the middle of the alley and slapped her face. Sasuke was brought to his feet by the sight. Why the hell wasn't she doing anything?

"Oh I will! Being a smart ass, no' speaking, like she's be too good fer us, demandin' shit, COMING as she pleases…" Sasuke was ready to intervene, having had enough of Kinata's irresponsive reaction. She could take on both of these sickening humans without even breaking a sweat. And they definitely needed to be put in their places. He couldn't stand to see her taking such abuse. Suddenly he was frozen upon seeing her face after being punched in the left eye.

Kinata was calm, staggering back and falling from the impact. She was breathing hard and biting her lip from saying anything, as if she wouldn't fight them, no matter what. Something was holding her back. Sasuke was breathing hard, his blood boiling. Why? The one word hissed in his head over and over again. This was none of his business. She'd even told him that not even an hour ago. Why did he care about her pathetic situation? Why would he get involved to stop an issue she already could? Why would she NOT stop this herself? He was so furious, until he heard her clear words.

"I didn't want to come. I had to change my clothes." Her voice was deadpanned. Sasuke wasn't sure how to take those two comments. The man apparently didn't either as he crouched clumsily down to her level. They stared hard at one another for a good minute before the guy stood up.

"Get da hell outta here girl." He loudly told her as he walked back into the house. The woman stayed outside with an arrogant look on her face. It made Sasuke want to throw a shuriken at her.

"You ninjas…ya makes me sick!" She screeched after spitting near Kinata.

Sasuke was relieved to see that Kinata had finally decided to leave, shaking her head at the drunken woman. Sasuke closed his eyes for a split second to take a deep breath when he heard a bottle breaking. He glanced down over the edge to see Kinata glaring at a large slash going down from the pivot of her shoulder to almost her elbow. At her feet lay a broken glass bottle. His mouth was agape as the woman was already turning inside, mumbling something. He could hear Kinata sigh, but otherwise she was already walking away from the alley in a sluggish manner.

The Uchiha boy had wanted to go after Kinata, actually upset and concerned for her condition (physically and mentally). He couldn't process the right words that would soothe her, as that was far from his forte. Besides that, he didn't want her to actually believe he was a stalker, since he'd begun following her again – though he was determined it was to be the last time. He had made it home only to miss out on a whole night's sleep.

Iruka-sensei began to hand out a morning worksheet. Sasuke swiftly wrote his answers on it, welcoming the distraction. He had mulled over Kinata's predicament countless times but couldn't find a practical connection that would explain what he'd seen. Why would her respectable sensei choose such an abusive foster home? She had even praised them as if they were highly skill shinobi in class, not alcoholics. It did explain the unnatural cuts and bruises, which she had laughed off as her mistakes for being terrible in training.

Sasuke paused in the middle of his assignment when the classroom door opened. He glanced over, only to have his heart drop and his throat tighten.

It was her.

She appeared worse off than Sasuke had imagined.

Her right arm was wrapped in a make-shift tourniquet. Her left eye had puffed up, the light purple and blue discoloration setting into her usually flawless complexion. She had a restless face and a slumped form, causing some of the classmates to even whisper.

Iruka-sensei took one look though and shook his head in irritation.

"Kinata, you're late again! And training on the grounds is NO excuse to miss out on the paper proportion of the academy! Your fellow peers must endure it, and you're no exception. I am getting tired of your tardiness." His ranting was now nothing new to Kinata (or anyone for that matter), having chewed her out on four other accounts.

She'd always blamed coming in an hour or so after class had started on practicing taijutsu. At first it had impressed their teacher who admired her hard work. Yet he'd been forced to intervene when she was making a habit out of it. The class could understand Iruka-sensei's frustration since it was a disruption – Kinata simply couldn't follow basic orders, much like Naruto.

Sasuke on the other hand sat glued to his spot, glaring down at their patronizing instructor with his body rigid. He had a mind to yell out at the man. If he had ANY idea what Kinata had been through last night, he would shut the hell up! Sasuke was so tempted, but kept his cool. That was until Kinata responded. She had glanced down at her feet, sincerely apologetic, with tiny tears forming in the corner of her eyes. It was discomforting for Iruka-sensei, but she covered up her sorrowful mood by smiling in a cheesy way, muttering,

"I'm really bad with my timing…but I can work on that. Cut me some slack, Iruka-sensei, I'm just trying to stay fit."

Some of the girls giggled good-naturally at her diss to herself, while Iruka-sense's eye twitched. Sasuke almost felt his mouth drop.

Are you fucking kidding me? How the HELL does she do it? How the hell does she come to class, with that happy-go-fucking-lucky façade? How can she possible forget EVERYTHING that has just happened to her last night? Sasuke's mind was in overdrive as he watched her take a seat next to Hinata (who by now knew to save her a seat). The two quietly greeted each other happily while Iruka-sensei handed her the same work that the rest were working on. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of her joyful yet stunning performance. Because underneath, he knew her true self and the raw pain that HAD to exist from the neglect and abuse she received consistently. He was blown by her endurance that she kept hidden from everyone…with one exception.

And he was damn ready to let her know. He had to gain her trust.

When class was dismissed for lunch, the boy had a lot to think about. Everyone went to their own place, but he noticed Hinata handing Kinata over a dumpling before going to the Hyuga residence alone. Kinata had muttered a grateful "Thanks!" before walking by herself to the park. He was now even concerned about her minor lapses in meals. He shook his head to himself, though the lack of nutrition she got bothered his every nerve just as much as her living conditions.

He was becoming too involved with this girl, but his mind wouldn't let it go.

When they came back, Sasuke had a plan. Kinata was already inside, the first one there actually. Iruka-sensei was reading some old scrolls silently, paying them no mind. Sasuke strode over to the middle seat next to her, casually taking his spot. She had been too consumed in a map to notice his approach, but when she did, she gave him a puzzled look. He ignored it, pulling out some papers to begin writing down the problems on the board. So she too paid no attention to him. Hinata had to sit on the right, away from her friend, and was confused yet again by the Uchiha's decision; but she said nothing much to his relief.

The other girls, as they entered however, did. They were in a frenzy over why he would choose to sit next to her. Sasuke had no problem overlooking them, but he couldn't help how irked he felt at their attitudes to the girl next to him. He admired her, for the exception of how weak she'd been last night. An hour into class he noticed Kinata's physical uneasiness. She squirmed in her seat, something she never did. Her fists were taut for the majority of the lecture (on hand signs) and she barely moved her eyes from their instructor. At first Sasuke had thought it was because of her wounds, until they'd all had a moment to themselves (Iruka-sensei had to step out to discuss some important issue with a chuunin).

Sasuke had moved his body in her direction, expecting her to do the same towards him to engage in conversation, even if negatively to question him. Instead, she used her free time to thoroughly add notes to the sheets over the Hebi and Ryu hand signs. It was evident that she wanted nothing to do with him. Hinata considered this normal behavior. She eyed Sasuke nervously though, picking up on a problem between the two. She was probably piecing the facts together, knowing they'd spent last night together for whatever reason.

The high resentment from the other girls hadn't disappeared. Most of them either appeared disgusted or had icy stares directed at Kinata. Sasuke wanted to desperately stand up and tell them all off. Yet he had forbearance in situations such as these. He was an Uchiha known for his composure.

Kinata scribbled away, keeping her focus on the paper in front of her, still ignoring everyone around her. Sasuke inspected her work, marveling at the painstaking calculations on there. They hadn't even started the link of the signs with chakra and the deductions of levels (while including stamina), yet she'd already went ahead to guess just what Iruka-sensei would ask of them.

When their teacher came back, the class quieted down. Throughout the lesson Kinata hadn't given one opinion – another oddity. Naruto was in the other row from them, having chosen to sit next to Shikimaru to cheat off of him. He had glared and mentioned how "stupid" Sasuke was for sitting next to his friend, but now the blonde kid was throwing worried glances her way. She had an open and friendly mind and would always include herself with the discussions. But for the time her whole demeanor, when it wasn't tense, was spaced out.

As soon as class ended, Kinata had summoned a profound energy to be out of there before anyone. Sasuke swore under his breath, trailing after her. Once he'd caught up to her outside, he grabbed her shoulder (her left, careful not to hurt her right). She jumped a bit, but spun around, causing the long dark strands to blow dramatically passed her face. Her facial expression froze upon seeing him, and then hardened considerably. Sasuke stood for a second, letting his hand drop. He could tell how distraught she was by instinctively withdrawing herself.

"What do you want?" She kept her voice low, but it sounded almost annoyed and hurried. He frowned at her hostile reaction towards him. He kept his cool, like usual, though.

"Hmph. You hardly ate. Figured you might be hungry." She looked ready to retort in an angry fashion, but stopped mid-way. Her face became blank after she seemed to process his words.

"How do you know that?" His frown deepened. She sounded suspicious.

"Wild guess." She returned his frown, making him nervous to continue, appearing cocky on the outside. "I want to finish our conversation from last time."

He could feel his voice fade in the sentence as he took in her now confused face. The students passed them and he could see their curious and baffled expressions. Sasuke had not only chosen to sit next to Kinata, but he was now talking to her outside of school. It was definitely starting a lot of gossip.

"I thought we had." She said softly, throwing him off. Her moods changed like the inconsistencies of weather. What he didn't know was how touched inside she felt for him trying to get to know her better despite having blown him off last time. He surely had guts.

"Tch. For you. Not for me." Her eyes narrowed slightly at his sarcastic comment. She didn't need this right now. She was in a grumpy mood, hungry, and in pain. Kinata turned her head away, watching their classmates walk off, still staring at the two. She didn't answer at first when she closed her eyes, irritating the Uchiha. The wind danced with her hair as she thought.

"No." There wasn't even an explanation to follow, and he waited a half a second for one. Her retort was sharp and unyielding, as were her usually lit up eyes. The response only angered Sasuke, who had his fists clenched.

"Why?" His voice was cold, but inside he cringed at this newfound rejection. Not necessarily that he'd mind a girl who would dismiss him (more so because he had never gave them a chance to) but that she had done it carelessly and without reasoning. Kinata sighed, dropped her hands to the side.

"Why did you sit by me?" The change of subject only irked him more, and now he was showing it. His dark eyes pierced into her golden/brown ones.

"You expect me to answer when you won't?" His tone was icy. So he wasn't exactly the greatest at confrontation when feelings were involved. Kinata shook her head, displaying her equal annoyance with him. Again, it was such a different emotion directed at him that he had to take a deep breath.

"You're insane." Her nonchalant response earned the infamous glare of the Uchiha boy.

"What?" He hissed. I try to take her out…and I get called insane? This is a fucking joke.

"Do you have ANY idea how…how uncomfortable I was, sitting inside there, with all those girls scowling at me…because of YOU!" She was slowly losing her cool too, her voice having risen a bit from her pent up frustration. Sasuke was going to tell her to shove off when he'd registered her words. He almost wanted to laugh at her ridiculous reason. He let her calm down a minute as he re-gathered his confidence. So she hadn't turned him down from preference but simply from the intimidation of his "fanbase." Those stupid fucking girls actually got to Kinata. Damn.

"Ignore them. They mean nothing me." Her face strained in a bothered way.

"That's great. I don't care if they mean nothing to you. To me though, they do. My only opponents should be on the battlefield, from different lands. Not the ones sitting in the same classroom! That's not something I can just…ignore." She said the last part with impetuous scorn. Again, Sasuke felt as if he were standing before the more matured kid. Mixed emotions coursed through him. He admired her for her logic and the confidence behind it, but he was pissed that the situation was ruining his chances with helping her.

"How do you expect to become a powerful ninja if you can't ignore the jealousy of your rivals?" He shot back at her with full force. She winced, stepping away from him. The tension within their conversation was affecting their chakra flow, and it physically made the space around them stiffen with heat. The other students were now gone, leaving the two alone.

"I never wanted to become powerful. And why should they be my rivals? I want nothing that they all clearly do, Sasuke." Her voice was quiet and low. He grit his teeth against the obvious blow to his ego. "Don't assume you know me Sasuke. What I want and expect in life, it's just…it's not the same as what you want and expect. Okay? So please, stop trying to figure me out."

Kinata's eyes were beginning to get watery unpredictably from her muddled explanation, and although her voice had been strong at the start, by the end she sounded miserable. Sasuke wanted to rid his damaged ego so that he could deny her pitiful request after seeing her stand before him, clearly forlorn inside. But the Uchiha had his pride to consider.

"Whatever Kinata." Instant regret bubbled inside him as he saw her flinch from his venomous words, but she spun around to walk abruptly away from him.

Sasuke couldn't move. He couldn't even think. He just watched the hurt girl track down the path to the alley he'd been down last night - the one where she'd been mentally and physically abused.

And he hadn't treated her any better. He threw his anger at her when she'd given him justifiable reasons for not wanting to hang out. So rather than compromise with a clear head, he'd resorted to low standards, dismissing her before she could allow any more injuries to his ego, even knowing what she had to endure at her home.

He felt sick with himself.

He could have handled her distancing tactics better. It was only natural that she would try to push him away. Inside, the girl probably felt ashamed and had convinced herself to keep everyone as far away as possible from discovering the humiliating secret. Sasuke growled to himself when she was completely out of sight.

And he had just let her go.

HE, Sasuke Uchiha, had just let the one girl he respected head back to that secret of hers, feeling alone, unaided, and deserted. He knew that deep inside he had felt those same feelings on some nights, due to his brother's heartless actions. No one had come to his rescue? Why should he do so for her? He shook his head at those selfish thoughts. It was for that reason he felt compelled to go after Kinata.

He dug his fists into his pockets, returning to his empty house, desperately trying to keep Kinata from his raging thoughts.

Kinata knew that she had revealed way too much of her emotion than she'd meant to when she'd talked to Sasuke. Her control had vanished when he had started to act so cocky, seemingly knowing what she wanted. Kinata had never been given the chance to even TALK about what she wanted. It was always centered on what she had to do. That usually meant training and to be secretive, keeping her identity safe. It meant moving from place to place, while forgetting the raw pain of having bonds ripped from her over and over again. It meant that the one thing she wanted, she would NEVER get – her mother, her sister and her home.

He had no clue what she wanted. Nobody did. Nobody ever could. Tears ran down her face now. She wouldn't go back to the Iwatsuru family, though she'd uncounsciously went that way. She was stressed out, and her body wouldn't ease up from the physical strain of last night. Right after she'd left their house last night, she'd went to the lake and had just made it into the lake when a jounin had found her while on a routine scouting walk. He had scolded at her, completely overseeing her wounds, believing that she was out late playing around. Kinata had taken off, scared of being found out, only to get lost in the streets. She's passed out by a tree after hours of searching for familiar landscapes. It was rough terrain but from the demanding day, she'd mentally been exhausted and had slept through the rising sun. It had caused her to be tardy at class, receiving a tedious lecture from Iruka-sensei.

He had almost pushed her passed her limits, but she'd found the willpower to keep it together. What had taken its toll on her composure was the persistent Uchiha boy. She was positive that he'd be done with her after her rude comment (and his too). Yet after lunch he'd chosen to sit next to her. She could've easily have had no problem with it (she was great at ignoring him) but for the fact that every single girl in the room had the vibe to kill her. At that point, she'd been fed up with it all.

Why does every person I meet want nothing to do with me, and the one person that I want nothing to do with, WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!?

Her mind felt fuzzy as she finally found a nice spot under a tree a few miles from the academy. She couldn't afford to be late tomorrow. Her body fell down in a heap, getting out a worksheet that Iruka-sensei always handed them. She rarely did them, but it'd be a good distraction for tonight.

Her thoughts couldn't fathom why the popular and elite male seemed fond of her. Maybe not really in the 'I want to date you,' kind of way, but Sasuke had some kind of obsession over her predicament that had her frightened and frustrated. If she wasn't going through so much at the time she would've been almost flattered and grateful, but it was only causing her more problems. If he got close to her, it would make the situation more dangerous – for the both of them. Kinata was done having to see those she became close to die because of her.

And she definitely wasn't proud of the living predicament. Master Yamamoto would recoil if he ever found out about the mistreatment. He would scold her to take action.

But what could she do? She shook her head. That was the issue – there was no answer right now. She just had to wait it out until she graduated. Then she could put in a request for her own small apartment designated for the shinobi, which came out of their paycheck. She'd already researched into it, and knew that she could make it until then.

With an exasperated sigh, she began answering the simple worksheet. She smiled at the thought that with the Ninja Academy and her lessons, she could count on those to be the only easy problems in her life.