chapter 7 - that fateful night..

The sun was setting, the sky was a mixture of orange and red hues and the village of konoha was bustling with activity. Staring at the hordes of people dressed festively, hair up and in pretty yukatas, hinata gazed admiring the sight. It was the last day of the festival and also it was the day before sasuke's return. Hinata wasn't feeling too well recently and did not go to the festival even once. It was no different today, she didn't want to attend the festival alone.

"Sigh...just one more day to go..." hinata sighed.

Then hinata suddenly blushed bright red as she remembered what sasuke had said."...You would probably be counting down the days till he returned..."

As her head filled with flashbacks of their goodbye she thought, See sasuke -kun...you were wrong...I-i do miss your presence this house is so lonely without you...

Meanwhile a certain black haired ninja was making his way back to his house...

Did she miss me?! Will she be surprised ?! Ugh ! Why am I acting so nervous even though I am THE Sasuke Uchiha! Sasuke thought to himself, increasing the pace of his walk eager to meet his bride.

Never in his whole life did he ever meet a girl who didn't fall for him. With just a push he could make any girl fall for him but with hinata one push could drive her away since she was so shy! Hmph - Whatever ! I like a challenge! Sasuke smirked with his confidence back again.

Sasuke reminisced why he liked her so much in the first place. It was that fateful night...

One painful cold, rainy night sasuke was standing in the middle of the forest drenched in rain washing his sorrows away. After the Great War Sasuke returned home all battered and bruised with only his best friend naruto by his side. No family, nowhere to go and all alone, sasuke was sinking into his depths of despair when...

"S-sasuke-kun! S-stop! W-what are you doing here?! Y-you'll catch a cold i-if you stay out here any longer..." the timid hyuuga spoke emerging from behind a tree.

"Huh...why do you care anyway...Shouldn't you be the one who should be sorrowful...getting tied down to the hated criminal sasuke uchiha..." sasuke glared at hinata with cold eyes.

hinata shivered in fear due to sasuke's cold gaze, but she wasn't going to back down.

"I-I don't hate you..." hinata stuttered boldly.

sasuke's eyes grew wide.

"I-i heard about y-your b-brother...i-if i had to lose my s-sister and family the way you did...I-im sure i would become like y-you..." hinata glared back to sasuke with determined eyes.

"T-that's w-why I won't j-judge you till I know you..." hinata honestly replied.

"A-and a-about the w-wedding! D-don't burden yorself thinking about it...i-it's m-my o-own selfish wish..."Hinata stuttered with tears in her eyes which were still full of determination.

"I-I can't promise my f-feelings for you... b-but I can promise I'll be your support whenever you need me..." hinata spoke drenched in the rain with serious eyes.

For the first time in a long time he felt he wasn't alone... and he wasn't being judged...even though she was the one who was suffering more than he did...she came to ease his pain...

"Please wait for me...it will take me time to adjust..." the hyuuga stated, turning her back to sasuke and leaving for the night.

Hmph! I'll wait forever for you...you who made me feel like I had a family once again...Sasuke confirmed in his mind after he finished remembering that fateful night...