chapter 5 - an unexpected goodbye

" S-sasuke - kun...w-what do you mean..?" hinata timidly questioned her face filled with worry.

sasuke clicked his tongue because now he was really annoyed. He knew he had started the fight but the fact he had to explain everything to the clueless hinata drove him mad...and also filled him with guilt.

"T-ch! I meant what I said! if it was naruto then you would probably treat him differently!" sasuke shouted irritably with his back turned to hinata, unable to face her.

"Y-you would probably miss him..."

"..you wouldn't be so eager to send him away..."

"..You would be worried about him..."

"...You would probably be counting down the days till he returned..."

"...But because it's me...you…probably-no...you don't feel that way for me..." sasuke softly spoke staring at the ground with solemn eyes, with his fists clenched, realizing his place in hinata's heart...

Hinata's heart squeezed with pain...the somewhat half true accusations pierced her heart...she was mortified almost too dumbfounded to reply...

"T-thats not true s-sasu-!" she desperately cried.

"It's ok hinata...you don't have to explain yourself." sasuke interrupted.

"...Besides…it was me who selfishly forced you to marry me..." sasuke sighed

"Let's just forget this fight and -"

step step step

THUD!

sasuke's eyes widened as he felt warmth on his back as hinata's arms slowly wrapped around his chest.

"T-that's not true s-sasuke-kun..." hinata cried, her face all teary, upset and madly blushing against sasuke's back.

"W-whether its n-naruto- kun or s-sasuke-kun, I-I would never burden either of you with e-emotions o-or selfish feelings before a m-mission..."

"T-thats m-my shinobi way..." hinata cried nervously as her hands clutched tightly onto sasuke's white shirt.

Sasuke froze. He could feel the warmth of hinata's body and could feel the rapid beating of Hinata's heart. His cheeks reddened immediately, he was flustered and was just too shocked to respond. He was shocked she was really hugging him. Actually, more importantly he was shocked that he had wrongly accused her of being cold... when it was just hinata trying to be brave and acting as a shinobi first not a wife.

"H-hinata..I'm s-sorr-" sasuke stumbled.

"I-it's ok...I just didn't want you to leave with a m-misunderstanding..." hinata interrupted as her eyes teared up.

Realizing his mistake sasuke needed to face hinata who was still desperately clinging onto him hiding her face behind his back. He needed to free himself of her grip even if that was not what he wanted to do. As he began to free himself of her grip slowly pushing her delicate arms, hinata became alarmed and squeezed sasuke even tighter.

"W-wait sasuke-kun!" Hinata quickly blurted!

"U-um...E-er..I don't want you to see me like this!...I-it's...really embarrassing ...S-so p-please j-just c-carry on walking towards your mission.." the embarrassed hinata stuttered her bright red face turning to the side in shame.

"I-im letting y-you go now s-so promise me you won't look this way!" Hinata pleaded.

sasuke sighed. He had forgotten how shy hinata was and how bold she could become sometimes...Now he definitely didn't feel like going...he didn't feel like leaving hinata alone...

"Sigh... All right I promise.." sasuke reluctantly sighed.

Finally hinata's arms retreated and their warmth slipped away. Hinata with her face down standing behind sasuke in a blue kimono rubbed her left arm in embarrassment and quietly spoke, " I-i'll be waiting for you... please come back safely..."

"Hmph! Who do you think I am... off course I will come back safely I am Sasuke Uchiha after all." sasuke who had his back turned to Hinata smirked in confidence as finally he knew Hinata cared a lot for him.

As per the promise hinata hurried back to their front patio and leaned against the wooden beam while sasuke didn't turn around.

"Oh and one more thing hinata" sasuke spoke without turning.

"I am sorry I'm going to break your promise. There's no way I'm leaving without seeing you face one last time!" sasuke smirked with a cocky grin and he quickly turned around to gaze at the shy Hinata.

Hinata was shocked and flustered she couldn't hide her embarrassment. As sasuke turned to glance at hinata the wind blew and her silky dark blue hair glistened in the sunlight. The face hinata had desperately tried to hide was of her in pure shyness, her cheeks were madly blushing in a rose tint, her eyes all teary and sparkling full shyness and her eyebrows knitted in worry.

Sasuke just stared in silence, his mouth gaped open.

"Hmph!" Hinata was now annoyed and ashamed and she pouted with her jelly pink lips!

Sasuke was dazed and stunned but hinata's reaction snapped him out of it and he quickly turned away from hinata. sasuke's ears turned red as his heart pounded uncontrollably. Her shyness had rubbed off on him and made him shy too with a hot red blush spreading across his face.

Sliding her silky hair behind her ears with her slender fingers and finally turning her back to sasuke the embarrassed and annoyed hinata entered into the house, her figure slowly disappearing into the distance.

The dazed and feeling slightly warm and fuzzy sasuke began walking towards his mission blown away by the unexpected goodbye...