Author's Note:

Whoever is reviewing and saying "Kill yourself, Ashley." Who is Ashley? And what is your goal exactly? Lol.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

PART ONE

Chapter Five: Home Sweet Home

Sasuke's sight came back sometime that night. He slept restlessly. Between the nightmares of Itachi and his general physical pain, whatever sleep he got felt like nothing. His nightmares didn't use to plague him as badly, but being back in the leaf village seemed to put them in overdrive. Sasuke just hoped that they would subside again, like they did when he was younger.

Sighing, Sasuke rubbed his face in frustration.

It'd been two days since he woke up and he'd only just been able to start moving again, and his muscles were insanely stiff. The nurses were extra handsy with him, which was beyond inappropriate, and weird considering he thought they would be terrified of him.

Apparently his reputation didn't keep women from having some sort of interest in him. Sasuke would have to do something about that as soon as possible. He just wasn't sure what, exactly, he should do to prevent that if being an enemy of the village for the past several years didn't do it.

Women. Sasuke thought bitterly, rolling his eyes.

Sakura had even come by to visit him again yesterday, which had been exceedingly awkward. He didn't dislike Sakura. He just didn't feel the same way about her as she did about him, and he never would. It was plain and simple. Sakura just had a hard time understanding it apparently.

Now he was stuck waiting on her and her mentor.

The thought of Tsunade made his teeth grind. He was still enraged that she and the Hyuuga had sealed his eyes. Something that he felt was the only thing left that connected him to his family. Something that was so integral to his identity being taken from him…

Sasuke could feel his insides boiling with rage.

This woman better watch herself.

"Hello, Uchiha." Tsunade barged into Sasuke's room, disrupting his thoughts. He truly disliked this woman. He wanted to hate her, but a part of him commended her for having the resolve to protect her people the way she did, even if it was at his expense. That didn't mean he wouldn't take a chance to antagonize her every time he could.

Purposefully turning away from the door to his room, Sasuke ignored Tsunade and stared out his window. He did not want this woman to think he felt anything but indifference towards her. He didn't want her to know that she enraged him with her presence. He knew it would only bring her further satisfaction.

"Well, do you want to leave the hospital, or not?"

That got Sasuke's attention. The shock of it made him whip his head around.

Tsunade smirked at him from the doorway, Sakura trailing behind her looking somewhat uncertain if her presence was appropriate. "I just have to give you the all clear, and then you'll be sent home to finish out your probation under house arrest." Tsunade's smile widened.

"Will you be giving my things back then?" Sasuke growled, irritation rolling of him like lightning. "Or are you people just going to keep my sword forever?"

"Now that, I don't actually know." Tsunade smiled, giving Sasuke a quick examination, Sakura following closely behind her. Sasuke knew that Sakura was already a well-trained medic-nin, but here she was following Tsunade like a lost puppy in a new home.

Sasuke hadn't seen Sakura behave that way since they were kids, and he almost felt bad about it. He could only assume it was because he had snapped at her the other day, but most of him felt like she deserved the chastising. It was about time she realized her feelings were unwelcome. If this is what it took to get through to her, then so be it.

Tsunade didn't say what she was going to do like the Hyuuga did. She just did it. Moved him around like he was a doll and was definitely not gentle. He was still sore from the sealing and the whole not moving for a few days thing, but Tsunade didn't really seem to care about that. Sasuke almost missed the Hyuuga.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see when you get your things back." Tsunade grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. The sight made Sasuke mildly uncomfortable. He wasn't concerned for his safety or feeling threatened, it was just disconcerting to see. Especially on a face like Tsunade's.

"Hinata-chan did a good job of checking on your seals the other day. Everything seems in order. I'll have her check on you again soon, just to be sure." Tsunade trailed off, wiping her hands on her pants like she'd just touched something repulsive. Tsunade took a glance around Sasuke's room, amber eyes landing on Sasuke's bed side table,

"It looks like Hinata gave you a jar of healing salve…" Tsunade walked over to the table and picked up the slim jar. "Have you been using it?" Tsunade raised a suspicious eyebrow, not even looking at Sasuke while she spoke to him.

Sasuke, not one to be out done, also didn't give her the respect of making eye contact with her. "I used it on the arm seal, and it felt weird, so I stopped using it."

"Well that's dumb." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Hinata's healing salves are amazing. Whenever she makes them in bulk, I take as many as I can off her hands. They're extremely well made and their use is versatile. Not using it, or getting rid of it would be stupid. You should save any leftovers you have. That salve is like gold around here."

"And why should I trust the people who took my eyes away from me?" Sasuke snapped.

Tsunade glanced at him and shrugged. "Because from what I can tell, you don't have other people."

That stung Sasuke. He didn't need a reminder that he was alone. He already felt that way all the time. It was a constant waiting on him that he carried around in the hollow part of his chest. It weighed him down and sometimes made it hard to breathe.

"And," Tsunade snorted, twirling the jar of salve in her hands, "I have no reason to lie to you. Especially about Hinata."

Sasuke didn't feel like he could trust Tsunade farther than he could toss her, but the tone of her voice made it clear she was telling the truth. She was actually praising the Hyuuga's skills and telling him to use the salve. That surprised him. He still felt like he probably shouldn't use it, but he took the salve out of her hands and stuffed it into his pocket all the same.

Glancing between Tsunade and a surprisingly quiet Sakura, Sasuke got to his feet, somewhat slowly. "Are you taking me home now or what?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Actually, I'm leaving that honor to—"

"Sasuke bastard!" Naruto yelled, from what Sasuke could only assume was down the hallway. He could hear him quickly running and causing chaos.

"Dammit." Sasuke groaned.

Hinata walked through Konoha's marketplace. She had just returned from debriefing the Hokage about her mission, and she was dead tired.

The sun was bright and was already high. If she went home now, she'd likely sleep until tomorrow, and that felt too much like wasting the day.

Hinata hesitated She decided to run some errands before heading home and resting up a bit. Hinata mentally made a list of all the things she needed to do. Grab some groceries, wanted to visit some shops and friends while she was in town, and she definitely needed to grab some lunch or she'd be dead on her feet.

She hadn't seen any of her friends in a while, or if she had it was only in passing. Hinata didn't remember the last time she had spoken with Tenten, or Ino, or her teammates, or even Kurenai.

Pausing in the street, Hinata realized she hadn't spoken with any of them since Neji's funeral. The thought made her chest ache. Neji would be disappointed in her for not looking after their friends.

Glancing at her hands, Hinata noted how beaten up they were. She'd really been pushing herself and not paying attention to her friends. She'd been so focused on bettering herself and staying true to Neji's memory, that she'd been neglecting her friends and everyone around her.

Hanabi's face came to mind and Hinata felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't been helping her sister as much either. Or really even paying attention to her clan. She'd been shirking a lot of her duties, and only focusing on getting stronger. It felt like the only way to make sure that she didn't lose another friend or family member. Hinata never wanted to go through what happened with Neji ever again.

Losing a friend, teammate, or family member was a part of being a shinobi, but that didn't mean she couldn't do everything within her power to prevent it. That's why she had been pushing herself so hard, and how she was able to reach ANBU level in such a short amount of time after the war. Becoming more powerful so she can protect her people is all that she can think about most days.

A part of protecting those people though, is talking to them and seeing them. Being there for them and letting them be there for her, and she hadn't really done that.

When Kakashi had returned her to active duty, she'd gone straight from being an open wound that stayed away from everyone they loved, to working full time. She still hadn't really even addressed the breakdown she'd had. Hinata had just moved forward and kept on going. Carrying all of her baggage with her and not letting a piece of it down.

Hinata hadn't even talked to Naruto beyond the trial for Sasuke because she was too ashamed. Ashamed of her feelings, of not being enough to save Neji, of the small part of her that wanted to blame someone other than herself, and of the fact that a part of her didn't want to deal with her confession to Naruto at all. She'd been flat out avoiding him while doing the bare minimum to help with Sasuke.

Guilt washed over her in waves.

She wasn't just letting Neji down right now because of her behavior, she was letting everyone she knew down.

Lost in her thoughts and guilt, Hinata didn't notice the chaos that was heading straight her way.

"Stop touching me, idiot!"

"I have to hold onto your arm to make sure you're going the right way! I'm trying to help!"

"I know where my fucking district is, you dumbass." Sasuke hissed.

Naruto gasped in abject horror. "I can't believe you said that to me." Naruto murmured, somewhat hurt. "But you're wrong, because the village has been rebuilt since that last time you've been here. Everything's a little different, the roads certainly are at least."

When Sasuke didn't immediately object, Naruto took his arm again, trying to guide him in the correct direction.

"I said, don't touch me, idiot!" Sasuke snapped, jerking away from Naruto and glaring at him as if his touch burned him.

"I'm just trying to help y—"

"Oof."

"Ugh."

Hinata hit the ground hard. Her head throbbed and was spinning. Maybe she should have gone home first thing instead, or at least gone straight to get food. She normally would have been paying attention, but she was beyond tired, and was distracted by her melancholy line of thought.

Hinata heard someone yell along with a ringing in her ear.

"Hinata-chan, are you ok?"

That voice sobered Hinata up real quick. Somewhat alarmed, Hinata's head popped up, searching for the source of Naruto's voice. She'd been avoiding him for a while now, and it was just her luck that this would be how she would see him again.

"N-naruto?" Hinata asked, beyond confused.

"Get up, idiot."

Hinata glanced to her left and saw Sasuke, face to face with her and half laying on her. Glancing to her right, Hinata saw Naruto half laying on her and Sasuke too. The three of them had fallen and gotten so intertwined that it was hard to tell who was at fault, just that Hinata was pinned by both of them.

Needless to say, her face heated up and flushed red to the point that it was nearly beyond recognition. "Uh, um, c-could you please—" Hinata tried to ask them to get off of her but the words wouldn't come, and she could see her vision blurring around the edges. She was definitely about to pass out and she was beyond mortified. She hadn't passed out in years. This predicament though, along with everything else, it was the perfect mess.

And just like that she was out like a light.

"Dammit, Naruto!" Sasuke scolded, causing a scene as he struggled to pick himself up. Naruto was supposed to take him directly to his house, but Naruto had wanted to show him the village first. Which, in all honesty, had pissed Sasuke off. He didn't want to see any part of this village. He didn't even want to be here, but Naruto wanted to act like he was a tourist and this was some sort of fun experience for Sasuke.

Well it wasn't, and now the Hyuuga girl was passed out between them.

So much for a quiet first day back in the village.

"Look at what you did." Sasuke snapped at Naruto, arms waving in frustration. He didn't want anything to do with anyone, and this was definitely the opposite of that. There were also a ton of villagers witnessing this too, which definitely did not help with the whole village being afraid of him thing. Not that he cared what they thought, but he had a feeling that the village's perception of him made a difference in how long he was sealed.

Maybe he should have allowed Sakura to come along, she probably would have kept Naruto a little more in check or would have prevented this entirely.

Sasuke thought about it a little more and realized Sakura being present would probably have made things worse.

"Get up, Naruto." Sasuke hissed.

Looking rightfully sheepish, Naruto slowly got to his feet and scratched the back of his head. He hadn't meant to cause such a scene, but things like this just seemed to happen around him, no matter what he did.

"I didn't see her. I really didn't mean to run into her." Naruto rubbed his head, trying to figure out how this happened.

"I really don't car Naruto, just help me get her up." Sasuke struggled to his feet and rolled his eyes at Naruto's antics. It didn't really matter that they ran into the Hyuuga. The bigger issue was that she had passed out. Now they had to figure out what to do with her.

Sasuke glanced between Naruto and Hinata, his eyes lingering on the Hyuuga for a beat too long. Her long hair was splayed out on the ground around her, hands folded on her chest, and face somewhat serene. She had a light dusting of blush across her face, lips slightly parted, and lashes brushing her cheeks. Hyuuga Hinata looked like a princess.

For some reason, Sasuke found it alarming. He didn't remember her looking like this when he kidnapped her or any of the last times he saw her.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke deadpanned. He didn't know how to express some emotions. He was good with emotions he understood, like anger, rage, indifference, and depression. Everything else didn't really make sense to him and made him feel uncomfortable. He was never sure how we supposed to react to things, especially around females. They always seemed to take everything he did or said the wrong way. It made interactions difficult and limited.

Naruto chuckled. "Hinata faints sometimes, or at least she used to. She hasn't for a long time, so I'm surprised it happened today." Naruto raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "I actually can't remember the last time she passed out."

"I didn't ask for a medical history. I just asked what's wrong with her."

Naruto shrugged, not sure how to respond. "Maybe it's because it's hot out today?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to slap Naruto, and settled for rolling his eyes. He didn't need to add more time to his probation just because Naruto irritated him more than words could express most days.

"Well get up so she can breathe." Sasuke sighed. He did not feel comfortable with this one bit.

Naruto careful extracted himself like he was standing on ice that was about to crack. The blonde looked absolutely terrified, like one misstep would kill them all.

Once Naruto was standing, Sasuke struggled to his feet. He was still sore from not moving for the past couple days, and the sealing. Tsunade had mentioned that he'd likely be sore for the rest of the week. Maybe the salve that the Hyuuga gave him would help.

Sasuke glanced at the Hyuuga's prone figure. Maybe he could get her to make him another salve for being sore. She'd owe him after this. He couldn't just leave her laying there, especially with so many bystanders, but he could make her repay him.

"Pick her up."

"Excuse me?" Naruto blundered.

"You heard me. I can't carry her, not with my chakra as it is. You've got to."

Naruto glanced around the marketplace looking rather alarmed. "I—uh—I… I don't feel comfortable with that."

"What the hell do you—Ugh!" Sasuke let out a frustrated grunt. They really needed to get moving if they didn't want the crowd size to grow any larger. It didn't really look like he had any other choice.

"Fine." Sasuke huffed. "You pick her up, get her on my back, and I'll carry her."

Naruto's bewildered expression almost made Sasuke laugh. Maybe because he didn't expect it, but most likely because the blonde looked absolutely ridiculous. "I guess that's ok." Naruto murmured, hoisting the Hyuuga girl up by her armpits as if she were a child.

Sasuke raised a slight eyebrow at that. Naruto was acting like he was afraid to even touch the girl. Sasuke had been under the impression that they were friends, but perhaps he was mistaken.

Naruto was always willing and ready to do anything for a fellow shinobi, and they had grown up with Hinata. It made sense that before he had been willing to do whatever it took to protect or save a comrade. Yet, here he was acting like being around the passed out Hyuuga was the scariest thing he'd ever done in his life.

Crouching down, Sasuke considered the possibilities for a moment and shook his head. It didn't matter to him who these people were to each other. They barely mattered to him, so there was no reason for him to care.

Once Naruto set the Hyuuga girl on Sasuke's back, Sasuke slowly stood bacl up. Careful to maintain his balance. He didn't need the girl to fall off of him and injure herself further. That would definitely end up somehow being his fault.

"Alright, lead the way, idiot." Sasuke sighed. Resigning himself to the fact that he was going to be carrying the person who had helped seal his chakra and eyes on his back for the next half hour or so. At least he didn't have to be overly considerate. He just needed to be nice enough that he could get what he wanted from her.

With that thought in mind, Sasuke began the long trek to his family's old district with a Hyuuga on his back.

He tried to keep the images of how they had been slaughtered from his mind. Sasuke wasn't sure if he hoped the Uchiha District would be unrecognizable, or exactly as he had last seen it. Neither option sounded like what he wanted. Never going back there felt like a better option, but that wasn't a choice he had anymore.

Worst case scenario, he would just level the place with Tsukuyomi.

Oh wait. That wasn't an option he had anymore either.

Sasuke let out a frustrated grunt.

"Are you ok? Do you want me to carry her?" Naruto fretted, bouncing around trying to make sure that Hinata was ok.

"I'm fine, idiot. What's with the change of attitude? You acted like you were afraid to touch her just 10 minutes ago." Sasuke quipped. He didn't know why, but for some reason Naruto's behavior had really irked him. It was out of character for Naruto to behave that way, and Sasuke truly didn't know what to make of it. And Sasuke liked understanding things and people. He liked being able to predict how they would react to things or how they thought. It made him feel in control and more powerful than he actually was without his kekkei genkai available to him.

Naruto hesitated, looking rather sullen. "Hinata-chan hasn't spoken to me directly since the war…and I have been warned not to interact with her, or I will end up on quite a few people's bad sides."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and adjusted the Hyuuga girl's weight on his back. She was surprisingly light, but she kept slipping down his back so that she ended up breathing on his neck, which didn't particularly bother him, just made him feel weird. This wasn't the first time he had carried the Hyuuga, but this was the first time he did it while being her comrade.

Last time he had been kidnapping her.

"Did she say anything to you about that?" Sasuke winced, realizing the weird feeling he felt was the Hyuuga's breath actually tickling him. That was rather irritating. Plus when he moved her she slid too far forward so that he could now feel her chest bump the back of his head every time she breathed. He had not anticipated that.

"…no."

"Then who told you that?"

"Kiba, Shino, Granny Tsunade, and some people from her clan to name a few." Naruto looked downright miserable. "I think she might blame me for Neji's death."

"Neji?" Sasuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He vaguely remembered Neji to be the Hyuuga prodigy. He didn't know him very well, and he hadn't made an effort to. They guy had somewhat creeped him out when he was younger, but mostly because he reminded him way too much of Itachi.

"Yeah, Neji was her cousin, and he died in the Fourth Shinobi War."

"Thanks. I gathered that much." Sasuke thought for a moment. Did he really care? Did he actually want information about this? He could probably use it in his favor with the Hyuuga at some point, but beyond that he didn't really care. It seemed to bother Naruto a bit, but shinobi dying was a part of the job. It was a part of their life, and they should be used to it by now. Neji knew that too.

It was unlikely that Hinata blamed Naruto, but saying anything about it wouldn't change that until one or the other said something. Sasuke sighed. At least this was a distraction from his problems.

"You could ask her if it's bothering you that much."

Naruto snorted and shook his head. "That's not happening."

Sasuke's motivation to give a shit quickly dwindled down to nothing as they reached the gate to his clan's district. He had no advice for Naruto, and he really didn't care either way anyway. Talking to Naruto at all had just been a way to distract himself. He didn't actually care about the idiot or his feelings.

Or at least that's what Sasuke told himself. Even though there was a very small part of him that knew it wasn't, he would never admit it. Naruto was the closest thing he had left to a brother.

Caring about him was scary, because that gave him something to lose.

Not caring about him meant Sasuke had no one.

A pang of loneliness flashed through Sasuke like lightning. Maybe Tsunade had been right. He really didn't have any people anymore. They were all dead.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading, and don't forget to review!