Sasuke felt like an idiot. He was forming a bond again with someone. It was something he promised himself never to do. After Hinata had left him standing in the rain, he cursed himself over and over again. This was why he never cared for relationships, or love, because in the end nothing really worked itself out. He basically opened himself up to her and she ran away. He wondered if she would even bother showing up that day. When Sasuke came back from the training grounds yesterday, Masaru had already begun the foundation. The old man even worked in the rain. Sasuke needed to get his priorities back in place—and that was to rebuild his home and pay honor to his clan. Love wasn't a priority and he didn't think it ever would be.
Masaru and Taro arrived that day as usual, and Sasuke watched him work. He felt useless, just sitting there with nothing to do.
"Old man." He said, walking up to him. Masaru stopped hammering a nail and looked over to him.
"What, kid?" He asked, wiping sweat away from his brow.
"Let me help." Sasuke said. Masaru was about to tell him how much easier it would be for him to work alone, but he decided it would be of some use for him to at least bring him the supplies he needed from the trailer. Masaru could tell that Sasuke was anxious to get things rolling. Besides, it was his house, so he should be of some help.
"Alright." He grunted, and stood up looking over to Taro who was feeding the oxen. As soon as the boy set his sights on Sasuke, he dropped what he was doing and ran over to him.
"Hi Sasuke-san!" Taro said and grinned. Sasuke nodded to him.
"I hope Hinata-san comes by today. I have to show her the pretty rock I found!" Sasuke ignored him, and followed Masaru over to the trailer. As he was giving him instructions on what to get, when he needed it, Sasuke tried to concentrate. But the fact that Hinata wasn't there again bothered him. Concentrate, Sasuke. You need to rebuild the house as soon as possible.
The sun shone brightly down on them as Sasuke worked hard to bring the right sheets of wood and cinder-blocks over when asked. It was harder work than he thought, but he gritted through it without showing any emotion. Sasuke kept thinking about how nice it would be to finally have a bed to sleep in, or how nice it would be to shower whenever. But every few minutes, he would think of her and it was really starting to irritate him. Sasuke heard footsteps behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder.
"Ahhh, Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke saw Yamanaka Ino and his face scrunched in disgust. He remembered her being loud, annoying, and pretty useless during missions. In her arms, she carried a few gardening tools and Sasuke was confused for moment. Hinata followed behind her with a basket in her arms.
"What do you want?" He asked while she came up beside him with a large grin. She didn't take the hint of annoyance in his voice which made him hate her even more.
"Well, Hinata asked me to come out and help her get started on the garden you're going to have!" She smiled sweetly, and he shot Hinata a glare when she reached them.
"Hi Sasuke-kun. S-She knows how to till and get gardens started." Hinata said as she shifted the basket in her arms. Sasuke frowned. She was acting as if nothing happened yesterday. That was probably best—at least she was there. Unfortunately she brought some extra baggage.
"Hinata-san!" Taro ran up to greet her with the small rock in his hand. "I've been waiting for you all day. Look at this rock I found!" Hinata set down the basket and knelt down at his level.
"Oh wow, that is pretty. Where did you find it?" She asked as he handed it to her. It was just an ordinary rock, but if it kept him entertained then all the power to him.
"In my backyard. I call it my lucky rock." Taro said proudly and Hinata handed it back to him. She said her greetings to Masaru and then stood back up with the basket. Ino glanced over at Sasuke.
"So, Sasuke-kun, where were you thinking of starting this garden of yours?" She asked. He shrugged his shoulders. Ino scowled a bit and put down the gardening tools. She decided to survey the land. He watched her without emotion on his face, but he was curious.
"Well," Ino said after a few minutes. "Gardens need nice and fertile ground if you want them to be successful. I see some good dirt over there." She pointed about a half a mile from where they were beginning the construction of the house. Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Whatever." Ino scoffed at his response and she picked back up the garden tools. Sasuke watched the two girls begin to walk away over in the direction and he shook his head. He began to get back to work as Masaru was bitching at him to grab him more nails.
"Sooo, Hinata," Ino said curiously as they reached the spot of land she had suggested. "You and Sasuke-kun? That's sure surprising." Hinata felt her cheeks get red and she set down her basket. Ever since yesterday, Hinata felt ashamed. She had left Sasuke standing there in the rain while she addressed her feelings of Naruto for the first time since she fell at the hospital. Hinata had been avoiding the inevitable; she was trying to move on. Naruto would always hold a special place in her heart and she knew that if he ever changed his mind she would be there in an instant. But at this point in time, Hinata needed to focus elsewhere.
"W-We're just friends." Hinata said as the wind whipped back her hair. Ino found this amusing as she put her hands on her hips.
"Uh huh. That's not what I heard." She said and smiled mischievously. Hinata widened her eyes. She should know that Ino was always a gossiper but she never knew that Hinata would be the topic around the village.
"What are people saying?!" Hinata's face was beet red and she wondered if the word had gotten to Naruto. Ino laughed rested her hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"Now, now, no need to worry. I mean if there's nothing going on then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I asked him out?" Hinata felt her stomach do a weird flop at Ino's words and it was the same feeling as when she heard Naruto tell Sakura he loved her. Jealousy. She smiled through it and looked over at Ino.
"N-Not at all." Ino smiled and gushed about how much she had missed him since he was gone, and how if only Sakura could see her now. Hinata bent down to pick up the tiller. Ino picked up the other one, and together they worked to unearth the top of the soil. They kept in mind the memorial that Sasuke wanted, one similar to Konoha's for ninja who had died while in combat. The entire time they worked, Hinata would look over in Sasuke's direction. Even though they were far away, she could see him helping Masaru with sheets of wood. Hinata was curious what Sasuke's reaction to Ino wanting to go out with him would be. After about a half an hour, they had gotten a good amount of dirt tilled and Ino wiped her forehead.
"Alright, do you think this is good?" Hinata nodded, and walked towards the basket. Now came the part in planting. They had many different seeds to start with, mainly fruits and vegetables. They divided the work; Ino would dig the holes, and Hinata would drop a seed in and then cover it back it. Both girls made sure enough space was in between depending on the type of vegetable or fruit. They had small talk; everything from Choji managing his own team to Shikamaru working his way in the ranks and becoming a Jonin. Hinata always thought Shikamaru was smart and she knew he would become something great. Ever since Asuma-sensei had died, he became more serious about his work. Ino said she would occasionally see him visiting his grave. It made her feel thankful that her team was so strong.
"Even Temari is visiting more and more frequently." Ino said as she dug the final hole in the ground, and sat down to rest. Hinata smiled as she covered the last seed and sat next to her.
"I saw her with Shikamaru-kun the other day." Hinata recalled, and she hugged her knees close to her chest. Ino smirked and flipped the long locks of hair in her face. It was nice to have some bonding with Ino, even though they had never been close.
"So, Naruto has been awake for a while now." Ino said, looking over to her. Hinata felt her smile fade away and she nodded in response. Everyone around the village knew of Hinata's infatuation with the jinchuuriki, but Ino had noticed an increase of Sakura and Naruto spending time together. She frowned and put an arm around Hinata. Her cheeks flushed at her touch but it was actually something Hinata found soothing. Hinata had many acquaintances, but not many close friends. Kiba and Shino were always there with a shoulder to cry on, but there weren't many girls to confide in.
It was late afternoon now, and Sasuke was drenched in sweat. The house was in its early stages, but things were progressing and that was all he cared about. Masaru rested his hands on his hips and yawned.
"Alright, Uchiha. Let's call it day." Sasuke was about to protest, but he felt exhausted. He looked over in the girl's direction and they were already walking back. Masaru was putting his tools back in the trailer, and Taro was tugging at his pant leg about dinner. Sasuke realized there was a nice routine that had kind of made his life stable. He woke up, helped the old man, ate lunch, resumed working, and then he'd visit the bath house every once in a while. And today was one of those days where he was in dire need of it.
"Sasuke-kuuuuun!" Ino's voice was like nails on a chalk board and he suddenly was very irritated that Hinata had brought her along. Ino was already at his arm, holding it lovingly. "Say, how about we get something to eat? I'm starving." She said with a large smile. Hinata felt her stomach churn once more and her cheeks grew pink. It was something she hated, because just a few months prior Hinata was on missions. She felt she was in a romance novel.
"Get off me." He said and pushed her aside. Ino frowned and they went back and forth for a bit before he finally just ignored her. Hinata decided that she should probably be going. She needed to stop at the grocery store for a few things before heading home.
"Thank you for helping me, Ino. I'll stop by the shop tomorrow and pick up some things." Hinata smiled and handed her the basket.
"Ah it's a shame I have to work or else I'd come help." Sasuke was thrilled hear that she wouldn't be there to bother him again. Ino waved good-bye, which left Hinata and Sasuke alone. She stared at her feet and then looked back at him.
"I-I'm sorry for yesterday." He shrugged his shoulders and began to walk towards the exit of the district. She, of course, followed behind. They walked in silence down the road as they always did. Sasuke wasn't sure if he was mad, annoyed or just tired, but her presence was different today. He wanted to just yell at her and tell her she was wasting her time with Naruto. He couldn't stand seeing her fret. The fact that he was worrying over her made him even more irritated. Hinata could tell something was wrong, but she knew better then to ask. When they were finally about to part ways, Hinata stopped.
"Good bye Sasuke-kun." She said as she always did with her soft voice. Sasuke ignored her and took the path to the bath house. His leg was bothering him again and the warm water would help his muscles. Hinata frowned at his lack of response but she was almost used to it now. She watched him walk away, and continued on towards the grocery store. Hinata almost missed going on missions. It was refreshing to get a change in scenery and just spend time with positive people like Kiba and Shino. After being around Sasuke, she felt emotionally drained. But there was something that still kept her coming back to him and whether it was just seeing Masaru and Taro or being there to help Sasuke when he needed it the most…she wasn't very sure of. The day she attended the wedding was very uneventful and the entire time she yearned to be in the Uchiha district.
"Hinata!" She heard her name, and glanced over her shoulder.
"Oh. Hello Sakura." The pink haired girl approached her right outside of the grocery store and she smiled slightly. Hinata always slightly envied Sakura, not just for being the center of Naruto's affections. The girl had such strength and even got to be an apprentice for Tsunade which gave her merit for being medical ninja. Not to mention, Sakura had a unique beauty about her that Hinata always admired. After she cut her hair, it seemed to transform her from a girl to a woman. She wished she had the same confidence that Sakura had. Maybe that was why Naruto loved her.
"It's been so long since I've seen you. I miss our time in the hospital." She said and ran a hand through her hair. Hinata smiled politely. She couldn't hold a grudge against her simply because Hinata wasn't like that. Besides, it was nice to spend time with other girls.
"Y-yes, me too."
"Naruto has been asking about you." Sakura said. Hinata turned her back to Sakura so she couldn't see her red face. After a few seconds, Hinata turned again. She could hear her heartbeat in her chest and it made her feel dizzy. He made her feel dizzy.
"Really?" Her voice was quiet and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Sakura nodded and folded her hands in front of her.
"He's been doing a lot with Tsunade-sama lately, like paper work and such. Since missions on are hold still he's been keeping himself busy." Sakura said. "I think some of it is to start getting his feet wet for being Hokage." Sakura knew the main reason he was doing it, though. Tsunade was keeping a close eye on him and making sure he was leaving Sasuke alone. Hinata looked down at her feet and she suddenly felt embarrassed. Here she was avoiding Naruto and he was actually asking about her.
"Well that's good." Naruto was always striving for something more and that was something she admired about him. Sasuke was slightly different; he also strived for something more but in the wrong way. He went to the darkness and relied on something other than his own strength to achieve his goals. Hinata frowned when she realized he also failed in that aspect as well.
"So… how is Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked quickly as if that was her main reason for the conversation. Hinata looked back up at her. So gossip was spreading around this village.
"Oh. H-He's in the process of getting a house built." She said and Sakura smiled softly. There was sadness in her eyes and she looked down. Hinata frowned. Sasuke never asked about anyone from Konoha, not even Naruto. It was as if Sakura was wishing he had asked Hinata about her. She also wondered if maybe Sakura still had feelings for him. Hinata knew that you couldn't just stop loving someone because they didn't return them.
"I see. Well, stop by and see Naruto one of these days. He'll take any excuse to get out of his work." Sakura laughed half-heartedly. Hinata promised she would and they said their good-byes. Hinata did her shopping, slowly, her mind racing wondering why Naruto was asking about her. Normally she had missions and training to occupy her time, but with missions not being assigned, there was little to keep her busy. Hinata often wondered if she was using Sasuke as an excuse to avoid her own problems, but she'd never admit it to herself. She was a nice person.
Hinata walked home down the path that she usually shared with Sasuke and it was quite lonely. Months prior, she used to enjoy her walks by herself because it gave her time to meditate. Now she would just remember the time that Sasuke almost tripped over a squirrel scurrying by or when a leaf blew into his face and it brought a smile to her face as she reached the Hyuuga mansion.
Later that night, Hinata had a hard time sleeping. She was exhausted from the work her and Ino did in the garden but her brain wouldn't rest. Getting up from her bed, Hinata walked like a cat through the dark hallways of the mansion. She was careful to avoid any squeaks in the floor boards and then walked outside into their yard. The moon was bright in the sky and ever star seemed to twinkle their greetings to her. This was her favorite spot to come when sleep wasn't easy. Meditating underneath the stars was always something that soothed her and made her sleepy. But tonight, Hinata didn't feel like meditating. She hugged her knees to her chest, and shivered when the wind picked up.
"Cold?" Hinata glanced over her shoulder and saw Neji put a blanket around her shoulders. Her cheeks flushed, almost out of embarrassment, and she smiled.
"T-Thanks." She pulled the blanket around her tighter and Neji sat down next to her. He sat with his back straight, and his hands resting in his lap. Neji was always so grown up and carried himself like an adult at all times. Hinata, on the other hand, would play in the rain when no one was looking and she would even waste time during her training to gather flowers to press in her books. She frowned and wondered if maybe she was too childish.
"It is late. Why are you still up?" Neji interrupted her thoughts. The breeze blew back his long hair, and his lavender eyes focused on the bright moon.
"Oh. I'm just not tired." Hinata lied. Neji could tell, because she never stuttered when she lied. He crossed his arms and smiled gently. They sat in silence for a while, and Hinata looked over at him.
"N-Neji-niisan. Do you think…" She stopped a moment, to try to muster up the courage to continue. "Do you think I'm a good ninja?" Neji was surprised by the question and he closed his eyes searching for the correct response.
"You've certainly grown." He finally said after a while. Hinata wasn't sure if she liked that answer or not. True, she had gotten stronger in the years and learned new things to keep up with everyone else. But a ninja needed to be sharp, strong, quick, and have great stamina. Hinata always worried that she wouldn't ever meet those expectations especially according to her father. Neji noticed her lack of response and he frowned.
"Hinata-san, every ninja is different. It is what makes teams work. Lee, for example, focuses on taijutsu because it is what works for him. Naruto focuses on ninjutsu because he is able to use a lot of chakra in a short amount of time. And you, Hinata-san, have great chakra control which makes you excel in using the Gentle Fist and other Hyuuga jutsus." Neji said. Hinata bit her lower lip before she smiled softly.
"T-Thank you." They sat in silence again, and Hinata could feel her body protest at still being awake. She stood up while pulling the blanket closer to her body. "Good night, Neji-niisan." She turned to walk away.
"Be careful around Uchiha Sasuke." Neji suddenly said and she stopped in her tracks. Why was everyone so concerned about her and Sasuke? Hinata could feel her cheeks get red and she nodded.
The next day started as it normally did. Masaru was back to continue on the construction of the foundation. He was actually letting Sasuke do more than just bring him the supplies he needed. They were both working hard to hammer together wood and they didn't even notice Hinata stop by. She had stopped by the flower shop to pick up flowers to plant in the garden so she was carrying quite a bit of things in her arms. She watched them hard at work for a moment and smiled. Hinata didn't want to bother them, so she carried her things the half mile to where the ground was tilled.
Hinata got to work digging up dirt on the other side of the area from where the vegetables and fruits they planted yesterday. She had different flowers and plants that complimented each other and were able to survive through the current weather they were having. As she worked, Hinata tried to focus on things other than Sasuke or Naruto—like her father, Hanabi, and even maybe taking a visit to see Kurenai-sensei. She also missed Kiba and Shino. Her life just a few months ago was completely different than it was now. Hinata was on missions and being a ninja. But now she was cleaning up rubble, gardening and trying to be emotional support to someone who had little to no patience for her. She wondered why she was helping him again. Hinata worked several hours making sure that the flowers were in the right spot, getting enough sun, and she'd need to water them later on.
She sat back, and rubbed her forehead with her arm. Her hands were covered in dirt and her back ached. Hinata leaned back against her arms and let her head roll back. The wind felt good, and she was exhausted. She lay on her back and it felt more comfortable than one would think. The grass blew around her, and she watched a lady bug flutter past her. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she finally gave in to her exhaustion.
Sasuke kept busy all day, and it was refreshing. He had little time to dwell on things as Masaru was constantly yelling commands to him. Masaru threw down his hammer in his tool box and laughed.
"God damn! Good job, Uchiha. Shit is comin' along nicely. I'm outta here." He said and smacked Sasuke on the back. He glared at the old man, but he smirked and nodded at him.
"Don't be late." Sasuke said which caused Masaru to laugh again. He picked up his tool box, and threw it into the back of trailer. Sasuke looked up to the sun and figured it was late afternoon. He glanced over in the direction of the garden, and he could see the colors of the flower. Sasuke scratched the back of his head and wondered when Hinata had come by with the flowers. He didn't remember seeing her, so he decided to venture over to get a look. Normally, Sasuke wouldn't care but if it was going to be a part of the memorial for the Uchiha's then he wanted to have some sort of say. As Sasuke got closer, he saw the tools still lying out, and that was strange. Then he saw Hinata lying there, dead asleep. He stopped and crossed his arms.
"Hinata." She heard her name and opened her eyes. Hinata found herself on a hillside. The sun was setting and there was a big oak tree at the top of the hill. The air was sweet and she followed the voice calling her name up the hill. She saw a woman sitting underneath it with long dark blue hair, and smile that made her feel welcome.
"Hello, Hinata." The woman said, and motioned her to sit next to her. Hinata nodded, and gently sat down leaning up against the tree. It was one of those moments where she knew that she was in a dream, but everything was so peaceful. Usually dreams were scattered and never seemed to make sense, but this felt very real to her. They sat and watched a few birds fly by, until finally the woman looked over at her.
"I want to thank you for taking care of my boy." She said and Hinata furrowed her brows in confusion. Her voice was very soft and kind and Hinata felt like she was in the presence of a queen. The woman picked up her hand and held it. "He might not show it, but you've shown him that he's not alone."
"Sasuke-kun?" Hinata whispered, and the woman nodded with a small smile. Her cheeks grew warm and she closed her eyes. Her eye lashes seemed to tickle her cheek as the breeze relaxed her. This is his mother… It didn't terrify her that she was talking to someone who was no longer alive. It made her sad for Sasuke.
"Continue to be patient with him. I know it isn't easy, but I can tell he enjoys your company." Hinata nodded gently and opened her eyes to gaze at her.
"I-I'll try." She said quietly, and Sasuke's mother smiled. She was a very beautiful woman, and very kind. Her eyes were similar to Sasuke's—dark and mysterious.
"One last thing," Sasuke's mother said and released Hinata's hand. "Make sure Sasuke takes good care of that pendant. It's very important and I know that sometimes he can get careless." Hinata smiled a little and nodded. His mother pushed back some of Hinata's hair away from her eyes, and once again they sat together just enjoying the view. She had a lot of questions to ask, but she felt wasn't her business. What exactly happened that fateful night? Where do you go when you die? What more can I do for Sasuke? But Hinata kept quiet. Besides, it wasn't like anyone was going to believe her anyway. The woman looked over at her and smiled one last time.
"Thank you, Hinata." She said, and within a blink of an eye, there was darkness. Hinata struggled to open her eyes, but when she did, she realized she was snug in a sleeping bag. It smelled nice, like the soap commonly used in the bath houses. It was dark out, and when she sat up, she realized she was in the Police Headquarters at the Uchiha District. Hinata glanced over at the form sitting next to her in the dark, and it was Sasuke. He had fallen asleep sitting up against the wall, and her cheeks blushed furiously when she realized where she was. Sasuke must have found her asleep in the garden and carried her over. He even sacrificed his own sleeping bag for her.
Hinata crawled out of the sleeping bag and over to Sasuke's side. She shook his shoulder gently, and he mumbled a few things sleepily that she couldn't understand. He leaned over towards her, and his head rested on her chest. Hinata's cheeks couldn't get any more red at that point, and his weight was kind of heavy on her. She wrapped her arms around him to keep his head from sliding down into her lap.
"Sasuke-kun…" She said gently. He stirred a bit in his sleep, and slowly opened his eyes. He could smell something nice and he looked up at her groggily.
"Hinata." He said. Her heart raced. He never called her anything but Hyuuga. "You fell asleep." She smiled a little, embarrassed that he had to carry her while she slept. His face was so close to hers so could barely speak.
"T-T-Thank you." She managed to whisper. "I should be going now." Sasuke seemed to resist against her as she lead him over to his sleeping bag. He was half asleep, which made her wonder if he was even aware of what was going on. Hinata made sure he was tucked in, and she was about to get up when he grabbed her wrist.
"Don't." He mumbled with half lidded eyes. She bit her lower lip. Something inside her wanted to watch over him and keep him safe, mainly because of the dream she just had. Hinata suddenly wanted to through her arms around him and tell him how sorry she was that he had to live such a horrible life. But she didn't.
"I can't stay…" She said quietly. Neji would come looking for her and inevitably would try to kill Sasuke. Not to mention people's heads would explode with gossip around the village. She could just hear Ino's cackle and it made her shiver. Sasuke stared at her for a few more seconds before he let go and promptly rolled over. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, and she stood up. Hinata thought a lot about the dream on her hurried walk home. It felt very strange but very real as well.
Hinata reached the gate of the Hyuuga Mansion. She froze when she saw Neji sitting out on the steps, waiting for her. He looked at her with icy eyes as she walked up towards the stairs. Hinata felt like silly, like a child who had broken their curfew. Neji didn't say anything, he just watched her as she passed him, and Hinata exhaled once inside. Once again, he had made her feel small and childish.