Enjoy.

Just as promised, the next morning Masaru arrived with a giant wooden cart pulled by two oxen. On his shoulders was a young boy about the age of 4, and he seemed very excited to accompanying Masaru to work that morning. Sasuke was up already, sharpening his kunai knives. When he was younger, he remembered watching his father and Itachi doing it every week. The words of his father were implanted in his brain—A dull kunai is a worthless kunai. Remember to take time to sharpen your weapons. If you take care of them, they'll take care of you. Upon hearing the cart pull up to the entrance and the oxen grunting, Sasuke got to his feet. Each day his leg was getting better and now he was to the point where he only needed his crutch if he was walking a far distance. Sasuke wasted no time meeting Masaru and he nodded a slight greeting in his direction. The boy on his shoulders inhaled enthusiastically once his big brown eyes laid on Sasuke.

"Wow!" He breathed and patted Masaru's head. The old man laughed heartily and reached up to set him on the ground.

"This is my grand-son, Taro. Hopefully he will be of some help." He said. Sasuke ignored the kid and looked over at the cart.

"Where are my supplies?" He said bluntly. Masaru rolled his eyes and then patted one of his oxen on the head.

"Keep your pants on, Uchiha. We gotta get rid of as much rubble as we can first." He looked around and frowned. "Ain't got any friends?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulder and shifted his weight on to his good leg. The little boy tugged on Sasuke's pant leg.

"You look so strong. Are you a ninja?" Taro asked as if he was speaking to a celebrity. Sasuke looked down at the boy and nodded. Taro felt his little cheeks get warm and he smiled.

"Grampa, I wanna be a ninja." This got another big boom of a laugh from Masaru and he ruffled the boys jet black hair.

"Your mother wouldn't have any of that. Alright, Uchiha, let's get started. I've got an idea on how to get this done rather easily." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out several paper bombs. "These things are the lowest grade paper bombs and will help blast away the big stuff. Then it'll be easier to start haulin' away." Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. He didn't really care for the idea of making a bigger mess, but if that's how it had to be then he didn't mind. Sasuke wondered how long it would take them to clear out the entire district and he sighed. Maybe he did some help, but who would want to help him? Besides, Sasuke would rather stab himself in the foot with a kunai before asking Naruto or Sakura for help. Masaru spit out some tobacco, and knelt down to Taro.

"Take these and go with Sasuke. He's going to help you put up the paper bombs, but make sure you listen to what he's tellin' you." Taro nodded wide eyed as if he'd been given a secret mission. Sasuke laughed in his mind and it reminded him of when he was little. Itachi was always out doing training or beginning his missions while Sasuke was stuck watching from the side lines. He was always so eager to go to the Academy and learn as much as he could. Masaru slowly got up and rubbed his back.

"Damn, this sucks. Okay, Uchiha. I know it'll be a pain in the ass for you to watch Taro, but he might actually be of some help." Sasuke's face showed signs of dismay but he really didn't mind. Taro looked up at Sasuke brightly.

"Let's go, Sasuke-san!" He said. And so it began—Sasuke and Taro started by putting paper bombs on large walls that never fell down, or on the old foundations of buildings. It was a grueling process, and by the time they had gone around and placed all the paper bombs, Sasuke was wiping the sweat from his forehead. Taro seemed to be full of boundless energy as he would take Sasuke's hand and drag him along to the next area. Of course if Taro couldn't reach, Sasuke would have to lift the boy up so he could set the paper bomb. Sasuke had never been good with kids, and never really cared for them. They were annoying and snot-nosed little brats. But Taro wasn't either—he was eager to learn and he asked Sasuke many questions about his adventures as a ninja. While the two went along the left side of the district, Masaru tackled the right side setting paper bombs. Of course, Sasuke made sure that they avoided the Police Headquarters. He still needed a place to take shelter and that was fine by Masaru. The sun was at its highest point in the sky and it beat down on them hotly.

"All done, eh?" Masaru asked as they ventured back towards the entrance of the district. Taro nodded energetically as he told his grandpa how good of a job he did setting up the paper bombs.

"Taro, go sit behind the cart." Taro didn't question it and once he was out of view, Masaru looked over at Sasuke.

"Ready?" He asked. Sasuke crossed his arms in response. The old man brought up his hands to make the correct seal and within seconds, the paper bombs exploded. The ground rumbled underneath Sasuke's feet and he shielded his eyes as a blast of dust and dirt clouded the area. Once it cleared, he looked across the district. The only building that remained standing was the Police Headquarters and he then looked over at Masaru. He had a look of satisfaction on his face and he chuckled.

"Damn, I love the smell of explosives in the morning." Sasuke smirked. He could get along with this guy. Taro ran up to them both with a look of awe in his eyes as he began to tug on Masaru's hand. Sasuke watched the smoke cloud disappearing in the wind and he frowned again. Even though the pieces were smaller, how long would it take them to clean this mess up? He heard small footsteps behind them and he looked over his shoulder. He saw Hinata's head poke out from behind the cart as she walked slowly up towards them. Her eyes were wide and he was sure the blast must have made her concerned.

"Oh… I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt…" She said, seeing Masaru and his grandson. Sasuke noticed she had another lunch and water bottle in her hands. This girl was really confusing to him, but the rumble in his stomach didn't seem to care. The envelope that Tsunade had given Sasuke had money in it for him to go out and purchase himself anything he needed. She was a sly woman; since he wouldn't take her help up front, she had to give it to him on surprise. Masaru looked over in the direction of Hinata and smiled.

"You did no such thing, young lady." He said and nodded at her with a smile. Taro's big brown eyes looked at Hinata and he tugged on his grandfather's hand again.

"Wow, grampa she's so pretty!" He said. Hinata felt her cheeks go red and she smiled at the boy. No one had ever called her pretty before so it was a strange compliment for her.

"Thank you. My name is Hinata." She said softly to the boy and he blushed trying to hide behind his grandfather's large hand. Sasuke observed their interaction. She was so much better with kids than he ever would be. Taking care of a child required patience and love; all of which Sasuke had neither of.

"My name…is Taro." Masaru laughed and patted his grandson again on the head.

"It's very n-nice to meet you, Taro." Hinata smiled.

"Are ya hungry, Taro? I'll treat you to some ramen. Just don't tell your mother!" He said as he lifted Taro back onto his shoulders. "Oooh you're getting so damn heavy. Grampa isn't going to be able to carry you on his shoulders forever."

"Sasuke-san! Hinata-san! Are you coming?" He asked with a smile and Sasuke ignored him. Instead he looked at the old man.

"When are you coming back?" There was a lot to do and he didn't want him to drag his feet. Masaru smirked.

"Like I said earlier, Uchiha, keep your pants on. We'll be back soon." With that, he turned and they left to go get some much deserved lunch. Hinata smiled as Taro waved good-bye. He rolled his eyes one last time and began to limp back up to his area in the Police Headquarters. The sun was getting hot and his leg needed a rest. Hinata followed behind him, awkwardly stepping over rocks.

"What do you want, yet again?" He asked as they reached the steps into the building. Hinata hated it when she made him tell her why she was there. He obviously knew the answer; he just wanted to hear her say it. Sasuke wiped the sweat off his forehead as he settled down by his things. She sat down across from him and handed him the lunch without a word. He stared at it for a moment, and then looked back at her.

"You don't need to keep doing this." He said dully while secretly hoping she didn't hear his stomach rumble. Hinata set the wrapped box on the ground in front of him and ran a thumb over her finger nail. She knew she didn't need to visit him or even go through the trouble of bringing him lunch. There was just something about him being all by himself without proper food or shelter that kept her up at night. Hinata would never admit to losing sleep over Uchiha Sasuke, but he was on her mind more and more as the days went by. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and he reached out to grab the lunch. It was a bento box filled with rice balls and fried vegetables. She smiled a little bit as he broke apart his chopsticks.

"I heard Tsunade-sama is helping with your district." Sasuke raised his eyebrow as he picked at the fried vegetables.

"Mmhmm." He opened the bottle of water and took it swig.

"U-Um… do you need help?" She asked. Hinata wasn't athletic or strong and she wasn't sure how she would be of much help in this situation. Besides, Sasuke wouldn't want her in his way, but she felt the need to be of some use.

"Do what you want." He said, picking up a rice ball. Hinata felt her cheeks flush. Sasuke worded it so well- he didn't specifically come out and ask her for help, nor did he accept her offer to help. He would take any help he could get because time was a factor. The old man was only going to help for three months and the faster the better. As he ate, Sasuke found himself stealing more and more glances over at the girl sitting in front of him. He observed her eye movements, her little habits, and the way that her cheeks would turn pink when he spoke to her. There was something about the Hyuuga girl that made her so different than any other girl. It wasn't necessarily that she had zero interest in him romantically, but there was just something he didn't mind about her. He didn't mind her company. Maybe it was because she knew when to shut up. Or she knew when he was angry that he needed his space.

"I c-can help." She said after a few moments of silence.

"It's going to be hard work." Sasuke told her and gave her a hard look. He knew that she was a girl and girls weren't usually strong. But she didn't look useless as she was a ninja. She nodded.

"I know."

"Just don't get in my way. The faster this gets done, the better." He wondered if the old man had a plan or if he was just making this all up as he went. Hinata nodded and they sat for a few more minutes in silence. Normally Hinata wouldn't feel comfortable sitting in complete silence with Sasuke, but it was pleasant. He ate his food and she closed her eyes to meditate. It was very calming for both, even though they didn't realize it. Sasuke looked at her again after he finished eating. Ninja's with eye-centric jutsus always suffered from headaches or eye aches so meditating was a great way for them to rest. Sasuke recalled Itachi meditating for almost a full day after a mission, saying that over-use had its consequences. Even Kakashi had trouble after using his Sharingan. But Sasuke knew very little about the Byakugan—maybe he would ask her about it later.

"Sasuke-saaaan! Hinata-saaaaan!" Taro's voice could be heard in the distance and Hinata opened her eyes as she smiled. She got to her feet and left Sasuke to himself. He frowned and he decided he didn't like when her attention was averted away from him. It was a strange feeling to him, and he quickly dismissed it.

"Hinata-san! Are you going to help us today?" Taro asked as he ran out towards her. She smiled brightly and nodded.

"Mmhmm! I hear you've been a big help, too." Hinata said softly as she knelt down to his level. Taro grinned at her and he felt his cheeks turn a shade of pink. She was used to dealing with children. Her clan was full of them and sometimes if her aunts were tired, she would watch over them for a few hours.

"So you're Hiashi's oldest, huh?" Masaru asked as he got closer. Hinata stood up and nodded. The old man smiled.

"The name is Masaru. Hopefully you're here to help… it's gonna be a long day or two cleaning this crap up…figured the Uchiha kid would have some help around here." He said. Hinata felt her lips form a small frown. That single thought of Sasuke standing alone was ironed into her brain. Not even Sakura had stopped by to see him which was unusual. Naruto must really be taking up her time.

"So…? What's next, old man?" Sasuke asked as he limped up behind Hinata with his hands in his pockets. Masaru glared at him for calling him old and he pulled the burlap sack out of his pocket again for another dip. He brought his thumb up to his teeth to draw blood and then formed the seals boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram. Sasuke knew where this was going and was suddenly curious. Masaru slammed his hand on the ground and with a puff of smoke there appeared almost one hundred rats, and also a rat that was as big as a tiger. His fur was dark brown, and his long tail was curved at the end. He wore a light red vest and a pair of glasses sat at the end of his nose. Hinata watched in awe as the rat stretched and shielded his eyes from the sun.

"Ahh Masaru… getting older and older every time I see you." The rat's whiskers twitched in amusement. The old man felt his face go red in anger and he spat right in front of it. His long tail swished which caused Hinata to have to scurry out of the way before she got hit.

"God damnit, Nezumi. Cut the shit. I've got a job for you guys." Nezumi looked behind him at all the rubble and then he scratched the bottom of his chin. With a sigh, he took off his glasses, rubbed the lens on his vest, and placed them back on the tip of his nose.

"All right, all right." He whistled to the rats squirming at their feet and off they went picking up rocks, cement, wood and debris and carrying them on their backs. Masaru smirked and folded his arms over his chest. Sasuke was floored—the old man was smarter than he looked. His eyes moved over towards Hinata and she had a look of wonder plastered on her face. She had heard of summons, and knew that Naruto and Tsunade-sama could do it- even Kakashi-sensei with his pack of dogs. The area was filled with the sounds of squeaks and with the large amount of traffic from the rats, the ground rumbled slightly.

"Since you ain't got any friends, I brought some of mine." Masaru said and spit. Taro smiled and in an effort to help out, he began to pick up the debris from the rats and tossed them in the big wooden cart they brought. Hinata stopped watching the rats go back and forth and began helping take the rocks from the rats as well. Sasuke refrained from smiling, although he was pleased that it might not take as long as he thought. So the old man knew some jutsus… he wondered just who the hell he was. After a few hours, the district was more walkable now that a large portion of the debris was hauled away. They all worked, even Taro, until the wooden cart was full to the brim with rock, drywall, concrete and cinder-blocks. Masaru wiped sweat from his forehead and clapped his hands together.

"Nezumi! That'll do it for today." He called out to the rat leader. Nezumi nodded and whistled to the rats again. They wasted no time in disappearing with a puff of smoke. Hinata was kind of glad that they were done for the day; her back ached and the sweat was stinging the gash on her forehead. The sun was beginning to set in the sky, and Taro grabbed Hinata's hand.

"Hinata-san… will I get to see you tomorrow?" He asked, staring at her with a smile. Hinata squeezed his hand a little bit and nodded.

"Mmhmm, I'll stop by." Taro beamed, and his grandpa patted his head again.

"Its time to go, kiddo. We'll be back tomorrow." He said, and the boy looked disappointed as he protested. Even though he was an enthusiastic child, Hinata could tell he was also an exhausted child by the way his eyes were drooping. Sasuke gave a nod to the old man as they turned to leave with the cart. Hinata waved good-bye until they were just a dot down the road. She turned to observe their job well done, and the land looked less gloomy now. Hinata wondered what Sasuke was planning to re-build here. Sasuke watched her for a moment.

"Let's go." He said and turned to walk out of the entrance. Hinata felt the breeze rustle her hair and she had a confused look on her face.

"G-Go where?" She asked, and walked a bit faster to catch up to him. Sasuke put his hands in his pockets as they walked down the road.

"Out," He said curtly. Hinata folded her hands in front of her and felt her cheeks get warm. Go out? Like… a date? As if he could read her mind, he interrupted her thoughts. "I'm just repaying you." Her cheeks returned to normal color and she looked over at him.

"You don't need to do that…" She said.

"I'm not a charity case, so if it bothers you that much, then stop trying to help me." Sasuke said and his voice was beginning to sound more irritable than usual. Hinata decided to drop the subject as they walked further into the village. The sun was almost completely down, and Sasuke glanced over at her.

"Where do you like to eat?" Hinata thought for a moment. She disliked anything fishy, which would probably explain why Sasuke was always given fried fish in his lunches.

"Anywhere is f-fine." Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck and didn't say anything. He couldn't put to words just how difficult she was. It wasn't that she was difficult to handle like Sakura, who was hot headed and acted on her emotions too much. The Hyuuga girl was just too easy. She never voiced anything that might challenge him and she would probably eat an entire dish of food that tasted awful just to save the feelings of the chef. Sasuke was different than her (and most)—he was honestly blunt and if he didn't like something, he would say it. By the time they picked a restaurant, the sun was completely hidden behind the mountains that surrounded Konoha. They entered the restaurant, receiving cheerful greetings from the staff. It was rather slow inside, with a few people looking up from their food to see who entered. They picked a small table in the corner, and Hinata sat down anxiously. It was very rare that she went out to eat at a restaurant simply because the Hyuuga mansion was always hustling and bustling with maids and cooks there to cater her during meal time. Besides, Uchiha Sasuke was already a hard person to talk to anyway, so she had a feeling it would be a quiet meal. A rather busty young woman walked up to their table with a notepad in hand and she smiled cheerfully.

"Good evening, ahh such a lovely couple." She said, and slipped a few long blonde strands of hair behind her ear. Sasuke ignored her and Hinata's face turned as red as a tomato. The waitress noticed this awkward pause and she smirked. "What can I get you two?"

"Rice balls with tomatoes and some tea." He said without even having to look at a menu. Hinata wasn't sure what to get. This was the problem when someone was treating her—she was always wary of getting something too expensive. It wasn't necessary to spend a lot of money on her with just a simple meal.

"U-Um… I'll have some red bean soup and some tea a-as well." She said and the waitress nodded.

"Mmhmm, all right you two! I'll have this out shortly." She winked at Sasuke to which he didn't even register as seeing in the first place. Once the waitress left, Hinata stared at her fingers down in her lap. Sasuke kept his arms crossed for a while and they sat in silence. He didn't mind it, and she didn't seem to either. If this was a get-together with his old team, the constant chatter between Naruto and Sakura would have driven him insane. The clatter of plates in the restaurant and quiet conversations were like music to his ears, but something else was bothering him so he spoke up.

"Hyuuga." He said, and she looked up at him. "What area did you find that box?" She was silent for a moment as she recalled when she was sent to the Uchiha district to search the area. It had been a week or two since that had happened so she tried to think hard about where it was exactly.

"It was buried underground… it looked like it used to be someone's home." Sasuke was surprised. They buried it underground? He began to think hard about it. Maybe his father knew what Itachi was up to all along, and hid it before he could find it. The pendant must be something of great importance. Hinata watched him and she could tell he was confused by the way he furrowed his brows. It was a habit of his that she had noticed after observing him in the hospital. But even she was puzzled about the box. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the Uchiha clan and Hinata thought back to when she was helping Shizune organize important documents and scrolls a few months prior to the attack. They were trying to keep them preserved from the moisture in the basement of the Hokage's building. She remembered seeing a lot of different scrolls about the different clans in Konoha—from the Yamanaka clan all the way to her own Hyuuga clan. However she only recalled seeing a few Uchiha scrolls. Both were deep in thought and Sasuke didn't even realize that the waitress was setting down their tea.

"Food should be out shortly." She said and walked away. Sasuke almost choked on the amount of perfume she was wearing. Even Sakura seemed to drench herself in it. He remembered when he could smell Hinata's vanilla scent… it was much less noticeable and he liked that. Hinata picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. It felt good on her parched throat and a satisfied smile was revealed. Sasuke uncrossed his arms and he, too, took a drink of his tea.

"How are you feeling?" Hinata decided she had had enough silence, and she watched him set down his cup.

"Not good enough for training." Sasuke said. He missed being able to get up in the mornings, find a secluded area, and work on his jutsu's. Although now with Itachi being dead, there was little to fuel his motivation. Hinata frowned a bit. If Sasuke had stayed in the hospital like a normal person, his leg might have been all healed up by now. At least he wasn't using the crutch as often as he used to. Sasuke did still have a slight limp with drove him insane. The waitress returned shortly with a tray full of their food and Hinata suddenly felt her stomach growl. It had been a long day and she was relieved their food was here.

The rest of their meal was quiet. Sasuke didn't care about bringing up topics to discuss and Hinata was just fine eating her soup. He felt quite content as they finished and scratched the back of his neck. It was completely dark outside, and the usual chatter in the restaurant was beginning to dissipate. The busty waitress brought their check and Sasuke handed her a few notes from what Tsunade gave him. Hinata thanked him once, then twice, and a final time as they exited the restaurant. As they walked back down the road, Hinata yawned into her small hand. This tugged a smile from Sasuke's lips and he caught himself. He quickly turned it into a frown.

"Are you coming tomorrow?" He asked. Sasuke didn't mind her around, but it wouldn't bother him much if she wasn't there. He was more curious to know how much extra work he would have to do if she wasn't there.

"Mmhm. Taro seemed eager to help us." She said and smiled.

"Hmm." He said. The Hyuuga mansion was coming into view and Hinata was looking forward to a hot bath and then going to bed early. Sasuke was in dire need of a bath, and he wondered if the hot springs would feel good on his leg. He considered going there. They reached the gate of the Hyuuga mansion and Sasuke stopped for a moment. Hinata smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun." She said softly, and turned, walking down the walk-way to the entrance. Sasuke could feel someone's eyes on him, and he watched Neji come out to meet her. His eyes were like daggers at him and Sasuke smirked. Hinata entered the mansion, and Sasuke pushed off his good leg to continue walking. All the while, he sensed Neji following up behind him so he stopped.

"What is it, Hyuuga?" He asked with an annoyed tone. The wind blew back Neji's brown hair and he stopped in front of Sasuke.

"This is the second time I'm hearing of you being with Hinata-san. I'm watching you, Uchiha." Neji said without missing a beat. This got a sharp laugh out of Sasuke and he smirked.

"Whatever it is you think is going on between me and her is all wrong. And don't think I haven't noticed your Byakugan on me. I've got my own set of eyes." Sasuke said. Neji hmphed and turned to walk away. Sasuke was amused, so he continued to poke at his ego.

"Say, didn't you lose to that idiot Naruto at the Chuunin Exams?" Neji stopped walking to turn around to Sasuke. His anger was beginning to bubble, but he didn't show it on his face.

"He was a worthy opponent, unlike you who cheats his way through getting power." Neji said quietly. This made Sasuke laugh again and he got close to Neji.

"What do you call that damn nine-tailed fox chakra? Eh?" Sasuke spat, and his Sharingan activated. His blood was boiling and his adrenaline was creating a high in his brain. I fucking dare you, Hyuuga. Even though Neji was angered, he kept his calm composure.

"Naruto has stopped relying on the beast and uses his own strength. In fact, you should know that better than anyone. His fate wasn't optional." Neji said coolly.

"Tch." He was done. Before he did something he regretted, Sasuke turned around to walk away. He decided Neji wasn't worth his breath or his chakra.

"If you lay a finger on Hinata-san…" He warned, and then left that open for Sasuke's imagination. But Sasuke didn't care. He continued to walk away, the Sharingan deactivating. Sasuke wasn't interested in love. Lust was a different thing—he was a young man with hormones but he had yet to act on it. Love is a waste of time. He said it over and over in his head even though a small voice told him to stop lying to himself.