Thanks for the follows and reviews. So far so good. Some people were confused when Hinata seemed to disobey Tsunade's orders. But you'll see later. One thing I've been dying to mention is I cannot stand Sasuke. He's so depressing, rude and selfish. u_u But he's fun to write and I think the reason I love SasuHina is because their relationship would be a huge challenge. And I looove a challenge. :D Besides, I'm a hipster when it comes to relationships ;P

Enjoy Chapter 3!

It had been a week since Hinata had brought Sasuke the box of scrolls and trinkets from the old Uchiha District. It had been untouched since then, and hidden away under his bed. He really wasn't sure what to think of the box, who had left it for him or why it emitted chakra. It only reminded him that he had failed his clan. Ignoring it suited him just fine for now. The days began to trudge on at the Konoha hospital and Sasuke's condition improved enough for him to use a crutch to get up and walk around. His legs hadn't been used in a month so it felt wobbly the first few times. The first time Sasuke attempted to use the crutch, he fell flat on his face. Sakura was there to help him up, but he refused her help. It was agonizing and embarrassing to go from Konoha's worst nightmare to a baby deer taking its first steps. Needless to say it was a slow process that he finally mastered on his own. According to Tsunade, when Sasuke landed from the blast of the Chidori and Ras-Shuriken, his leg pierced through a broken pipe from a building. The image was enough to make Tsunade's stomach feel sick.

"Why can't you just heal my leg?" He demanded to her one day. She rolled her eyes at him while she changed the bandage on it. It was healing on its own just as it was supposed to and that made her happy.

"Not everything can be that easy, Uchiha. We can only heal so much and then it's up to your muscles and tissue to do the rest of the work." Sasuke remembered scowling at her. Even though he didn't show it, he got a kick out of the visits from the Fifth Hokage. Irritating her was great fun for him and it was something to keep him occupied. There was little to do while he was in the hospital and Sasuke had had enough of resting.

"Why don't you visit Naruto?" Tsunade asked him curiously and looked through his medical sheets. She didn't think he was a danger to Naruto anymore seeing his haste to just get out of the hospital was more of a priority for him. Sasuke stared hard at her like she had just slapped him. Why? He ruined everything. He stuck his nose in my business and well here we are… Tsunade noted his silence as a 'no' and she set down his clip board. The Uchiha was really something—surviving the blast, healing within a month, and not causing any trouble. Yet…

"Well if you ever stop being a brat, then his room is just down the hall from yours… room 118." She said while opening the door to leave. There was no response from him, so he was left to himself. Sasuke leaned back against his pillow and ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted to heal enough to be released from the hospital. Then he would leave and go somewhere far from here. He thought long and hard about where his next destination would take him, but he came up blank. This feeling of having nowhere to go was weighing heavily on his mind. Sasuke always had something to keep him going, to keep him training, and to keep him preoccupied. But now that 'something' was gone. Even Orochimaru was gone. After Kabuto betrayed him, and they battled to their deaths, the curse mark on Sasuke disappeared. Still, Sasuke had to fulfill his revenge with or without the power Orochimaru provided. And he still failed. This thought made his stomach churn with anger. Everything he did on his own…was a complete and utter failure. Sasuke took his pillow and buried his face in it. What will he do now?

Sasuke woke up hours later to darkness. He groggily rolled over and gazed at the clock on the wall. It was late, and the wind howled angrily outside his window. He laid there for several minutes before he decided to get up. Sasuke swung over his legs carefully and sat up on the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes and did a few leg exercises while sitting that Tsunade taught him to help keep his muscles from getting stiff. Then he grabbed the crutch and hobbled to the door. There wasn't a sound coming from the hallway; the nurses must be on the top levels. Sasuke silently slid open his door and, with the help of his crutch, he began to slowly make his way down the hallway until he reached room 118. He stood outside the room for a moment and could feel a new surge of anger pumping through his veins. Itachi... Sasuke opened the door to Naruto's room and stared inside. He was able to make out Naruto's limp body on the bed, and the machines hooked up to him beeped in response to his breathing patterns.

Once inside, Sasuke shut the door quietly and limped over to his bed. Upon getting closer, Sasuke observed Naruto's face. He looked the same as ever: messy blonde hair, drool coming from his mouth, and those whisker marks on his cheeks. However bandages were wrapped around his forehead and down his neck. Seeing Naruto look so helpless struck a memory in Sasuke's brain about their first day as a team together. Then a thought of Itachi flashed in his mind and made him blind with anger. The bandages on his hand began to rip apart as Sasuke formed chakra into the Chidori. He hissed as it burned his raw skin. Electricity ripped through the room as he stared at the limp body.

"…You." He said to a non-responsive Naruto. Sasuke limped closer with the Chidori still formed in his hand. "You…ruined it. Why didn't you just let me go?!" Still there was no response. The thought of killing Naruto right there and then would have been easy...too easy. He cursed under his breath and the Chidori disappeared from his hand. Sasuke fell like a sack of potatoes into the chair next to the bed. He couldn't do it. Now, there was nothing but the beeps of the machines and the shallow breaths from Naruto. Sasuke expected him to open his eyes and flash his stupid grin. But he didn't. This made Sasuke angrier as he gritted his teeth. He was the victim here, not Naruto.

"You never understood what made me tick. You never understood why I did what I did. I left on my own free will to get my revenge. And now I can't because…" He stopped and lowered his forehead down on the bed. Sasuke was full of rage. What did Naruto know!? He never had those bonds. Sasuke felt as helpless as when he was a child while running away from his brother. Something important was taken from him and there was nothing he could about it. For a while Sasuke sat with his head down on the bed and listened to Naruto breathe. He thought for a very long time. He thought of his mother and the way she hummed while she made tea in the mornings. He thought of his father and how he would mutter under his breath while he read scrolls from work. He thought of his brother in happier days- when Itachi would sharpen his kunai knives and accidentally prick his fingers. Sasuke felt numb at that moment. There was only so much anger he could feel and he felt at his limit. His family flashed in his mind. I failed as a ninja. I failed as a son. I failed as an Uchiha.

Hinata arrived at the Konoha hospital early that morning. She greeted the nurses at the front desk as she did every day.

"Good morning, Hinata-san!" They said in unison as they busied themselves with paperwork. She smiled and waved. There was a routine that she had every day: Wake up, do some light exercise, eat breakfast, visit Naruto at the hospital, and train. Missions were out of the question until Konoha became more stable, so that left a lot of free time for the ninja; which was fine for most since they were all in the process of rebuilding their homes or businesses.

Hinata's footsteps echoed down the hospital wing as she followed the familiar hallway to Naruto's room. She slid open the door and was slightly taken aback. Someone was already there but she couldn't figure out who it was. Hinata bit her lower lip and closed the door behind her. She approached the chair and looked down to see Uchiha Sasuke asleep with his head resting on the bed. It had been about a week since she had seen him and was surprised he was able to be up and moving around. At first she thought about just letting him sleep, but the angle couldn't be comfortable for him. She rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and nudged him gently.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"hmm..." Sasuke opened his eyes and lifted his head slowly. Ugh my neck... He then looked at Hinata confusingly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked leaning back in the chair, still half asleep. More importantly, why am I still here? Hinata glanced over at Naruto and smiled softly.

"I-I visit Naruto-kun often." Sasuke stared at Naruto and frowned. He felt a sudden pang of jealously. Not because she specifically was visiting him but just the fact that he had someone who cared enough to do so. Hinata waited for a response or for him to get up and leave. When he didn't do either, she pulled up another chair to the bed and sat down. For a while, no one said anything. They just stared at Naruto. Sasuke moved his eyes to look at her. She obviously thinks highly of this idiot. Hinata felt awkward as they sat in silence. It took a minute for Sasuke to realize that Naruto's room was full of flowers, 'get well soon' cards, and packs of instant ramen. He furrowed his brows and rolled his eyes. From a hated monster to the hometown hero...

"S-So how are you feeling? I see you can walk now." Hinata broke the silence and offered him a smile. He rubbed the back of his stiff neck.

"I'll live."

"Oh. Well... I hope you get to leave soo-"

"Why do you waste your time here?" Sasuke asked accusingly. He was irritable and he couldn't pinpoint why. Maybe it was his neck or maybe it was because Naruto had all these gifts and people in his life. It really wasn't his business what she did, but it really bothered him that she would plan her day around this place, and around him. Hinata was thrown off by the sudden intrusion of his curiosity and she was silent for a moment. Her eyes gazed back at Naruto and a smile formed on her soft lips.

"Naruto-kun is...a strong person. I always wanted to be like him. E-Even without anyone believing in him as a child, he proved everyone wrong. He still continues to better himself and become an even greater ninja." She said softly. "I used to feel the same way."

"Ch." Sasuke was amused by this which made her cheeks get warm in anger. He knew that he was stronger than Naruto in almost every aspect. Growing up an Uchiha and being trained under Orochimaru's eye were obvious reasons. Hinata's little hands formed tight fists as they rested in her lap. The tone in her voice changed from sweet to dripping with anger.

"Y-You may be a stronger ninja on paper, but he has a stronger spirit." She blurted out as if she had read his thoughts. Sasuke felt his stomach churn and he glared at her. What does she know?! Before he could fire back at her, the door slid open.

"Oh! Good morning, Hinata." Sakura entered the room with rolls of bandages in her arms. She was also surprised to see Sasuke sitting next to the bed as well. Hinata was grateful for the interruption and greeted Sakura.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan."

"Sasuke-kun, you should really be resting in bed. You aren't fully healed yet." He ignored her while he dug a knuckle into a newly formed knot in his neck. Sakura walked to the other side of Naruto's bed and set down the bandages.

"Hinata... could you help again?" She asked with an apologetic smile. Hinata nodded, and sat on the edge of the bed next to Naruto. She reached down to gently lift Naruto up in a sitting position and Sasuke observed this all the while. Naruto's chin rested on Hinata's shoulder and he could see her cheeks blush. Sakura carefully began to unravel the bandages around Naruto's head and neck. Sasuke watched the entire time with no expression on his face, but his mind was racing with thoughts. The way Hinata held Naruto close to her and the emotion in her eyes bewildered him. He never had the time for petty things like love or companionship because they made things complicated. They made people do things like that. Hinata didn't have any reason to visit Naruto- he was in a coma. He wasn't awake and there was no personal gain to it. It was a waste of time for her but she did it anyway. Sasuke shook his head.

"Alright... all done. His wounds are almost to the point where they don't need to be wrapped up anymore, but better to be safe than sorry." Sakura smiled and helped lay Naruto back down gently. Hinata frowned.

"He still isn't awake." She said softly. Sakura's smile faded and her eyes dulled. No one knew when he would wake up or if he ever would. Tsunade said it could take weeks or it could take months. His brain activity was normal and he was stable.

"...I know. Tsunade-sama says to be patient." She tried to sound confident to Hinata but even she wasn't sure. Hinata nodded. Sakura forced a smile.

"Cherish the peace and quiet because when Naruto wakes up, it'll be gone!" She looked at Hinata and hoped it raised her spirits a bit. "Well, I've got other rooms to get to. Don't forget to sign out, Hinata." Sakura said, grabbing her clip board and heading toward the door. Sasuke noticed she completely ignored him on her way out. It didn't bother him.

Hinata still sat on the edge of the bed and pretended to be interested in a scratch on her finger. Sasuke felt that pang of jealousy again so he decided to go back to his own room. Besides, his neck was killing him. He glanced over at his crutch. It was too far away from him to reach since he threw it down last night. He decided he would try to hobble over towards it because there was no way in hell he would ask her for help. It was a more difficult process than he thought since his good leg was still a bit shaky. Sasuke struggled to stand up, and felt himself losing his balance. Without thinking, Hinata grabbed his wrist and nudged herself under his arm. She hugged his waist for support and groaned inwardly. Hinata sometimes cursed her own kindness. Sasuke almost pushed her away on instinct.

"I don't need your help." He seethed and struggled against her. Hinata felt her cheeks get warm, but she didn't want him to hurt himself.

"I-I know but..." Her soft voice trailed off. "Your muscles will tear again if you aren't careful." He cursed to himself while he took what she said into consideration. The last thing he needed was another week here because he was being reckless.

"Fine," Sasuke gave in, and let his arm rest on her shoulder. "Just...take me to my room." Hinata gulped and helped maneuver him out of Naruto's room. She regretted this decision, but the motherly instinct in her thought it was probably best. Kiba teased her constantly about being so modest, especially around Naruto. There were even times during training that she would get too close to Kiba and could feel his breath on her neck. It gave her goose bumps just thinking of it. Hormones were more of a big deal now as the ninja got older. Sometimes she wondered if it was more a nuisance than anything.

The walk down the hall was awkward and Sasuke ignored the looks of shock from the nurses who walked by. Instead, he was aware of the fact that Hinata was short enough that his chin could rest on the top of her head. Even her vanilla scent didn't even bother him... it was a refreshing change from the bleach smell in his sheets. This scenario would never have happened if it was Sakura because he knew her intentions. The Hyuuga girl was too innocent and he could tell she had little interest in him. It was certainly different considering she might be the only female in Konoha who wasn't standing in line for him.

"Um... is this your room?" She knew it was the right room but the awkward silence was making her feel uncomfortable.

"Mmhm." He said. Hinata gripped his waist tighter in order to maintain the support for Sasuke and still be able to open the door. Sasuke frowned seeing his bland room again. People had brought Naruto flowers and gifts for when he would awaken. Sasuke had nothing. It was a bitter taste in his mouth and he thought of slapping himself. Since when did he care about who visited him or what things he had? Hinata helped him over to his bed and was relieved to have that ordeal over with.

"Do you need anything else...?" She asked quietly. He rolled on his side with his back facing her again and didn't say anything. There was no 'thank you'. There was nothing. Hinata sighed and remembered earlier that this meant the conversation was over. She could tell he wasn't happy and who could blame him? No one was there to visit. He had no family. Uchiha Sasuke was a rogue ninja and enemy of Konoha for over three years. No one cared because he pushed them away. He subconsciously hated the consequences of this. Hinata could see the lonely child in him and she could relate to his sadness. She stood there for a moment before turning and leaving. Sasuke would die before he'd admit it, but he wished she would have stayed.

The next morning, Sasuke woke up and the usual pain in his leg was gone. The bandages on his arms were gone and he figured Sakura took them off while he was asleep. He rolled over on his back and something caught his eye. There was a vase of flowers on his nightstand.

"G-Good morning, Sasuke-kun." He looked over and saw Hinata sitting in the chair next to him. A frown settled on his lips and he wondered if she was watching him sleep. It made Sasuke self-conscious for a split second before he decided it irritated him.

"... The flowers stink." He simply said before closing his eyes again. She bit her lower lip and stared at her hands. Once again, she asked herself why she even bothered with Sasuke. But the thought of him having no one reminded her of the reason why.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry. Ino-chan said you might like them." Sasuke thought about the girl Ino who fought for his attention in the academy days. Girls like her were all the same- useless. It took a lot of effort for Sakura to impress him with her strength. The sun shined into the room and danced through the glass vase. The familiar silence between the two was back, and Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"What do you want?" Sasuke finally asked, glaring at her. Hinata tensed up for a moment. He was so...different and she wasn't used to it. She had never known anyone to be so harsh for no reason.

"A-Ah...I just noticed you never had any visitors. And it's on the way to Naruto-kun's room." Hinata said and forced a smile. If Sasuke could frown any more then he would. Why did this girl admire Naruto so damn much? Why did anyone? It was a strange feeling as the two boys had seemed to switch roles from when they were younger- Naruto got the praise and Sasuke was now a feared monster. He snorted at her and rolled on his side. Conversation over. She sat for a few moments longer before getting up.

"Good-bye, Sasuke-kun." There was no response. He must have fallen asleep... Hinata walked to the door and left. But he wasn't asleep. Sasuke was staring at the flowers and the way the sun shine hit the petals. They didn't really stink.

Sakura noticed the papers on Naruto's clip board becoming thicker. She glanced through them and wrote down his latest stats from the humming machines. Her eyes averted over to Naruto who lay peacefully on the bed. At first she simply called him an idiot for being so reckless, but as the weeks went by without him waking up she truly began to re-evaluate her thoughts. A sigh escaped her lips and she sat down on the chair next to the bed. Worry for her team had begun to show physically on her. Sakura's eyes had dark circles underneath them and she seemed thinner than usual. Her hand moved from her lap and rested on Naruto'.

"...Naruto." She whispered and she felt tears swell in her eyes again. Sakura simply couldn't help but cry. There was nothing she or anyone could do for him and it killed her. Her hand tightened around his as the tears spilled over the edges. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She said quietly. All the medical training with Tsunade did benefit her, but not in the way she had hoped. Sakura always felt two steps behind Naruto and Sasuke no matter how hard she tried to keep up. She felt weak and once again a burden.

"S-Sakura-chan..." Her stomach dropped at those words and for a moment she wondered if she was dreaming. Her eyes widened as he stared up at her, a pained grin on his face. A sob forced its way out of her throat and she squeezed his hand harder.

"Naruto...!"

"Ahh... you're...hurting my hand." He grimaced. She laughed gently through her sobs. Sakura was so relieved, happy, and mad that he had her worry.

"How are you feeling? Does anything else hurt?" He ignored these questions and kept a firm look on her.

"Sakura-chan... you're the reason I made it through." Naruto said quietly. "You already know this but... I think..." He didn't finish his sentence because she DID already know what he was going to say. Her eyes softened and her cheeks became pink. Her heart was surely confused. All the sleepless nights in worry over Sasuke didn't benefit her. Naruto had always been there even when she pushed him away. All she could do was cry. A loud bang outside the room startled them both. Sakura wiped her eyes and got up to investigate. She opened the door to the room to see Hinata passed out on the ground.