The electricity in his hand made his body tingle with excitement. He could feel his adrenaline running at full force as Sasuke began to run. Naruto…! It's time. His eyebrows furrowed while his Sharingan circled. Sasuke could see Naruto kneeling down and looking like a helpless child. He didn't care anymore. He had nothing to lose and the nine-tailed fox host was getting closer to him. Sasuke poured the rest of his chakra and being into this one single attack and he struck Naruto at full force. Those lavender eyes stared straight into his soul as Naruto dissolved into the girl he cherished so much. Sasuke couldn't stop, and he watched helplessly as his Chidori tore away at her flesh.
"No…!" Sasuke whispered. The electricity disappeared and her eyes seemed lifeless. He caught her falling body in his arms and looked down at her expressionless face. He panicked as he shook her as if it would help her awaken. "Hinata! Hinata! Wake up!" Her eyes slowly opened. Sasuke felt like throwing up when he saw they now were snake-like. How dare he…! Hinata's soft lips turned into a menacing grin and her laugh sent shivers all the way down to the bone.
"Sasuke-kun…" Hinata growled and Sasuke could feel his heart racing. This isn't Hinata. This is… "Did you miss me?" She laughed once more and her body turned into a mass of slithering snakes. Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger as he dropped them and he stood up.
"Orochimaru… WHERE ARE YOU?" He looked around wildly and Orochimaru's chuckle could be heard.
"You thought that I was gone, didn't you Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke could feel the pain in his head returning like it did the last dream he had. He tried to ignore it but it was almost blinding. Sasuke could hear Orochimaru speaking to him, but he couldn't make out the words. The pain was enough for tears to form in his eyes.
Sasuke woke up to his own screams and he sat up covered in sweat. His room was dark, except for the bright moonlight that shone on the floor. His heart was racing and he looked around to make sure it really was just a dream. The blankets were tangled around his legs and his hair was stuck to his sweaty face. Sasuke fought with the blankets for a moment before he swung over his legs on the edge of the bed. Leaning forward on his knees, Sasuke tried to compose himself. He would never tell anyone, but he was terrified. This dream wasn't the first one since he had been on the run. Orochimaru and Hinata haunted his dreams almost weekly and it was beginning to take a toll on him.
Sasuke took a deep breath and stood up. The moonlight was bright in his room as he staggered over to the sliding door. The cool breeze hitting his sweaty face was heaven and he sat down outside. Uchiha Sasuke had been on the run for eight whole months, and he guessed that his chakra-hiding jutsu was working. It was a forbidden jutsu that he stumbled upon in a room at Orochimaru's hideout and figured it would come in handy while he looked for his brother. He never thought he would use like this.
Needless to say, Sasuke still wondered about if Konoha was looking for him. He currently resided in a small house just a few miles outside of Kusagakure, which was located to the northwest of his home village in a whole other country nonetheless. He tried not to stay in the same place for more than a few months, but he didn't have anywhere in particular he was going. The grass blew in the wind around his house and the smell of the forest nearby calmed his nerves. Sasuke sat up straight and closed his eyes; meditation was helpful when nightmares were running rampant in his brain.
Sasuke didn't trust anyone. He worked under the table doing low-rank missions since there was a sharp decrease of Genin in Kusagakure. In fact, there weren't many ninja at all as they had been called to ally a few bordering countries to the west. That worked out just fine for Sasuke, though. He worked all the small missions and earned a steady paycheck. It was refreshing for him to concentrate on something other than his own life. Besides, it kept him busy and still up to par on his ninja skills. But the weight of his problems still weighed like heavy bricks on his shoulders and he was reminded of it every night. Any normal person would have given in to their own insanity but Sasuke was good about keeping bad experiences locked tight in the little nooks and crannies in his own mind. Working under the table also meant that it kept anyone off his trail and well… so far so good.
Even though Sasuke kept busy throughout the day, at night his mind would race. He didn't know how Itachi could single-handedly take out hundreds of people and live with their blood stained on his hands. Sasuke had killed plenty of innocent people in the past, but there was no bond to rip off. It was disturbingly easy for him to take the life of someone he didn't have a relationship with. Sasuke had almost killed the one person who seemed to understand his silence and his way of life. He would go back and forth with his ego and pride about how it was her fault for getting so close to him… as if he was a wild animal who could attack at any moment. But sometimes he would lie in bed at night and just simply wish she was there. Sasuke always thought of her smile and the way that she would chew on her lip when she was nervous. He even missed it when her long hair would get caught in her eye lashes and she had to shake her head to get it loose. But he would usually scowl those feelings away like it didn't matter even though he knew it did.
Sasuke recalled laughing in Naruto's face one day about his admiration for Sakura. Ninja don't need love. It only makes things complicated. He remembered saying that as if it were yesterday. He always walked around claiming he didn't care about any of his team mates and he even attempted to kill both of them at some point. He would quarrel mentally with himself constantly because he kept coming to the conclusion that he was wrong every time. Sasuke was wrong for seeking revenge and thinking that Orochimaru could help him. Sasuke was wrong for letting the anger control him to almost killing his friends multiple times. For someone who always claimed to be right, being wrong was a very bitter taste in his mouth.
He was good at not showing the village people his face, and kept much to himself. If he wasn't out working on a mission, Sasuke was at his small house reading old scrolls he acquired from the local library. Sasuke even created his own training area not far from his home in the forest. He had to control his chakra better than usual or else the forbidden jutsu would weaken. Paranoia was now a new feeling he had to work around as well. Even though is face always remained expressionless, there was a swirl of emotion inside his mind. Sasuke opened his eyes to gaze at the early morning rays that were beginning to peak out from behind the grassy hills. Normally the lack of sleep would weigh on a ninja's mind, but he was used to it. Sasuke grew up with nightmares and he was even a light sleeper during his time with Orochimaru as well.
His nerves had finally calmed from the meditation and he no longer shook with fear. Sasuke, satisfied with this, got up to go back inside. Although it was nothing like what Masaru was going to build for him, it was still a functional house. He often thought about what Masaru was doing… He obviously never finished the rebuilding of the district. His three months were up long ago. Even Taro would be on his thoughts whenever he would pass by a young child in the village. Sometimes he missed having something to go after; looking for his brother was something to keep him moving forward and rebuilding the district was also something worthwhile. Now he was just wandering aimlessly in life with no focus. Sasuke recalled thinking about how he might actually settle down once his district was rebuilt. Perhaps he would start a family and keep the Uchiha name alive. Those thoughts were gone now, since he had to hide the identity of who he really was to everyone. If word got out that an Uchiha was in Kusagakure, then Konoha would be immediately notified. He was probably a wanted ninja with a bounty on his head. Just the thought of Hyuuga Hiashi arranging for his capture and possible murder just made his guilt even worse.
Sasuke took a quick shower, letting the warmth of the water bring him comfort. There was little socializing for him and the simplest things like a warm shower reminded him of better days. He knew that he couldn't be on the run forever, but it was the only option at this point. His life had become dull and there wasn't much worth waking up for. But sleeping was also a scary thing just knowing that his dreams would haunt him with his most feared thoughts: Orochimaru and harming Hinata. As Sasuke dried off, he leaned forward on his sink and ran a hand over his fogged up mirror. His dark eyes were dull, a frown line was forming between his eyebrows, and the resemblance of his brother was getting more distinct. The steam from the shower swirled around him as beads of water still slipped down his locks of hair. He heaved a heavy sigh and began to get ready for the day.
The sun was more prominent now and the birds were awake as well, chirping away throughout the trees. Sasuke walked along the path through the forest to get to the village. The walk was usually pleasant for him because it gave him time to observe his surroundings just in case anything was to happen along the way. Sasuke's stomach began to feel strange and he stopped walking. The sun's rays danced between the leaves of the trees and the birds got quiet. He kept a calm composure on the outside, but paranoia was running laps in his head. Did they find me? Sasuke stood there for what seemed like an eternity listening for any signs of a shinobi. He seemed satisfied when nothing more seemed out of the ordinary, so he continued his usual way into the village.
Kusagakure, the village hidden in the grass, was always quiet when he arrived. Sasuke would give them credit that they were smart when it came to tactics used in the field. He remembered reading about them at the Academy and how they were very observant when it came to other countries around them. Perhaps that was why many of the ninja were always at the borders just watching and almost anticipating something. Not all ninja were gone, however. Sasuke noticed a few of the elite in and out which meant that Kusagakure was very secretive and not as vulnerable as they may seem. He found it easy to compare to Konoha and find each pro and con. Perhaps he was just biased.
The village wasn't new to Sasuke. He vaguely remembered Orochimaru having a base here that they stayed in for a short while. His memories of those parts of his life were very blurry, almost as if he was ashamed of it. Perhaps this location was the reason for his dreams, but he'd never know. Sasuke walked the streets and avoided eye contact with the few who were also out that morning. He had to be smart of it—not draw enough attention to cause a stir, but to also not be so much of a stranger that people begin to get in his business. Sasuke entered an old building and inside sat a few empty desks. One, however, was occupied with an older man who was writing things down on a scroll. Sasuke approached the old man with his hands in his pockets.
"There aren't any missions for you today." The old man said without looking up from his work. Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.
"I find that hard to believe." Sasuke said coolly. The old man grunted a sarcastic laugh and looked up to the boy.
"A few forces from the border have been withdrawn and returned last night. I don't need you." Sasuke frowned, but this wasn't uncommon. Kusagakure was very inconsistent with their ninjas, but perhaps that was because Sasuke was on the outside looking in. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his back to leave. The old man said nothing more to the Uchiha. He had mentioned before that it was technically against the rules to allow ninja from other countries to complete their missions. Sasuke of course had to lie about where he was from which got complicated. It was something he did often during his travels with Orochimaru so it was a bit easier for him than before.
Using this free time, Sasuke decided to do a couple of errands while he was in the village. He stopped at the grocery store for a few things and after he left that strange feeling came back in the pit of his stomach. Sasuke stopped to glance around the street in the village. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the endless stream of 'what ifs' plagued his mind. Could this village be spying on me? It wouldn't really surprise him and he wondered if maybe he was due to find another place to run off to. That would take some careful thought and planning. Sasuke left the village with a few bags of food that should last him another few days.
On his walk home, Sasuke would occasionally bring a hand up to his chest. It did feel strange to not have the Uchiha pendant around his neck and he sort of missed having it in his possession. But Sasuke would always remember why he no longer had it, and his thoughts would turn dark. His father would be disappointed to know that the last of the Uchiha clan was on the run. You are an Uchiha, Sasuke. You must be nothing but great. Those words used to fuel his motivation during the Academy days and even when he was training with Orochimaru. But now they just left a sense of worthlessness and even shame.
Just a year ago, Sasuke was searching for Itachi. His life was full of excitement and meaning. Even when he was in Konoha with Masaru and Hinata, there was something there to keep him going. And now, the almighty Uchiha Sasuke spent his days in solitude and constantly looking over his shoulder. It was no way to live. Often his thoughts wandered back to Hinata and he wondered how she was. Sasuke wondered if she ever pulled through and even if she was able to continue being a shinobi. Those thoughts always made him sick to his stomach and he tried to focus on other things.
Sasuke thought of all of these things on his walk back to the house that was a few miles outside of the village. It was enough distance to keep nosy people out, but close enough to get the things he needed. When he did reach 'home', Sasuke put away his groceries and decided training would be a good way to keep his mind off of his past and the terrible nightmares. The training area he set up was just a little ways away from his home, into the forest. It was perfect because there was no one to have to share it with and he could really let loose. He grabbed his pack of kunai, shurikens and his sword before he headed out.
The sun was now at its highest, signifying that it was around noon when he reached the training grounds. It was set up just the way he liked it; targets for throwing practice and a few straw bales set up for taijutsu. The wind blew back the hair away from his face and he tried to concentrate with the forbidden jutsu still something to keep up with. Sasuke began to revert back to training techniques he mastered under his time with Orochimaru. The Chidori Current was a personal favorite, so he began with that using it on the straw bales.
It was a refreshing way to spend his 'day off', but every so often his thoughts would go back to when he helped Hinata with her shuriken throwing or when they sparred those few times. Sasuke even recalled when he tried to kiss her like an idiot. Ch… she would never love me. She would never love a failure. He remembered the nightmare, and this just fueled the chakra and he began to work in kunai into his training. He threw them with exact precision, each landing on the bull's eye on the targets. Sasuke stopped, kneeling down on the ground as he tried to catch his breath.
The feeling in the pit of his stomach returned and before Sasuke could look over his shoulder, a kunai with a paper bomb attached landed right before him. Shit…! He managed to back flip out of the way, and took shelter on a branch in a tree. Sasuke shielded his eyes as the dust from the explosion began to surround him and he tried to see who had just attacked him.
Sasuke could sense someone down below and he moved with lightning fast reflexes to appear behind them. It was a familiar presence, and as the dust settled, Sasuke's eyes widened a little. Before he had a chance to do anything, a gloved fist came at him from the dust and he backed up just in time. Sasuke felt his lips curve downward in a frown. Damnit. They found me. But Sasuke had missed the challenge in his life, so he gladly accepted it from his former team mate.
Haruno Sakura had chakra glowing hands as she came at Uchiha Sasuke in his training area. Sasuke dodged them easily, and he decided he would give her a run for her money before he asked questions. He was aware at how powerful her blows were after receiving training from Tsunade. Not only was she skilled as a medical ninja, but she was also one not to take lightly with her chakra enhanced strength. Sasuke noted that she had improved greatly from their Team Seven days, but she was nowhere near the skill that he was. He didn't even think he'd need to waste chakra on her. Sasuke smirked as she came at him again.
"Hmph, I'm disappointed." Sasuke said with an amused tone as he leaped out of the way of her fist and she yelled in frustration at him. This boy…!
"Yahhh!" Sakura sent a punch straight to the ground as the immense force sent chakra grumbling through the earth towards Sasuke. He jumped up branches on the trees around him, but it was a short term place to hide as trees were uprooted and a small crater was what remained. Sakura was breathing heavy as her eyes looked around wildly for the Uchiha. The wind and leaves blew past her and she wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Sasuke-kun!" She whispered to herself and then realized there was something behind her. Sakura cursed under her breath.
"Leave me alone." Sasuke growled before she had the chance to leap away. Sakura narrowed her eyebrows and leaped forward just missing the blade from his sword. She whipped around with shurikens in her hands and threw them at him mid-air. The entire training grounds were now completely destroyed and the earth was uneven as they went back and forth.
"Sasuke-kun… you don't understand!" She cried throwing her last kunai, then falling to one knee. Sasuke smirked as he approached her. His usual features had little to no expression and his eyes were dull as he stood before her.
"No, you don't understand. All of you, including your idiot 'boyfriend', can keep your noses out of my business. I never needed any of you to help me." Sasuke said with a monotone voice. Sakura frowned and stood up with more confidence. Her fist got tighter in her glove and she reached up to slap him across the face. How dare he bring Naruto into this… At first, Sakura thought she landed it quite well, but the Uchiha disappeared in a puff of smoke and a log landed at her feet. Her eyes darted around for Sasuke, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Damnit…" Sakura said.
"Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A giant fireball came from Sakura's right side and the air got hot. She shielded her eyes from the heat and tried to move backwards. It was at this moment that she wished she knew actual jutsu's.
"Let's go, Gamatutsu!" Suddenly a blast of water and hot steam erupted as it went up against Sasuke's fire ball. Sasuke, who was hidden to the side behind a mound of over turned rock, stopped his jutsu.
"Ch…" He knew that Naruto had the ability to summon the toads, but using actual jutsu's with them was another story. Naruto ran to Sakura's side and knelt down. His eyes glared over at the Uchiha. Sasuke was beginning to get irritated—now it was getting serious. The last time he saw Naruto was when he watched Hinata being taken to the Konoha hospital. It made his stomach churn at the thought but he ignored it. Sakura stood up and nodded over to Naruto. Sasuke could feel a strange tingle in his body and it was one hundred percent rage. His head was swimming with the question of how did they find him? Sasuke knew that the jutsu was working, and yet here was his former team.
"Sakura-chan… it's time." Naruto said to her. Sasuke raised his eyebrow in curiosity but he soon found out what the plan was. Sakura's fist glowed blue with chakra and she sent another shockwave to the ground beneath straight towards Sasuke. It's gonna take more than that. Sasuke simply leaped backwards, but another blast was coming towards him causing him to almost have to flee the area as it became unstable. He managed to jump onto a branch of a tree that was on the edge of the blast zone as the earth began to up root the forest behind him.
"What is going on!?" Sasuke growled to himself as he ran tree to tree from the small earth quake that was following him. The clearing of the forest was ahead and he could see the tall grass which meant he was getting closer to his home. Sasuke jumped from the last tree on the forest line and slide to his knees. Looking back wildly at what was left of the forest, Sakura had stopped. The air was still, and all was quiet except for the chirping of the birds. With his Sharingan still activated, he felt something strange once again. Sasuke stood up straight, and the earth right below his feet began to crack. But it was different from before. Kakashi... he should know better than that. Just as his former sensei emerged from the ground below, he jumped back, now just feet away from the porch of his home. Sasuke frowned as Kakashi brushed dirt from his sleeves.
"I thought we agreed me leaving was the best situation." Sasuke said dully. Kakashi looked over at him casually and grinned underneath his mask. This is strange. Why are they holding back? He noticed it ever since Sakura first attacked him. If they were really going to try to capture him, then why use the weakest and more vulnerable member of the team? Naruto didn't even bother with his Rasengan or shadow clones. It was painfully obvious that they weren't there to detain or arrest him.
"We did." Kakashi said as he shifted his weight. His half-lidded eye seemed to sparkle secretly. Sasuke frowned watching him closely. With his sword in hand, Sasuke was about to charge when a kunai whizzed from behind and landed in front of him. He turned around, his Sharingan circling and then he saw her.
Hyuuga Hinata stood behind him, her long hair flowing gently in the wind. Everything about her was the same as he remembered except his Uchiha pendant hung around her neck. Sasuke simply stared at her and she approached him cautiously.
"S-Sasuke-kun…" Hinata murmured. His legs felt like jelly and his entire body suddenly felt heavy. He didn't say anything for the longest time. What could he say? When she got closer, he could smell her scent and he thought about leaving. He felt like an idiot; ashamed that he almost killed her and embarrassed that he had let his life come down to anger. Her eyes watched him and she looked down to the pendant that lay on her chest. She bit her lower lip and slowly took it off. Hinata felt her hair cascade down her shoulders as she did; it was warm in her hand when she held it out to him.
Sasuke stared at it for a moment and then knocked it out of her hand. Hinata would have been offended if he didn't wrap his arms around her. Her cheeks flushed at the sudden invasion of her bubble, but she didn't care. Hinata felt tears form as she nuzzled his chest and let him pull her close.
"Hinata…" He whispered while his lips brushed her forehead. "I…" She pulled back and looked up at the face she had missed so dearly. It had been eight whole months since that day and she thought about him non-stop. "I'm sorry."
"Sasuke-kun…" Hinata felt her soft lips tug into a smile as happiness was overflowing in her body. "It wasn't your fault." He didn't say anything and her smile flattened out to a thin line.
"Why did you leave?" Sasuke couldn't look her in the eye and he turned his back to her. Because I'm a wanted ninja and my life is a disaster.
"I don't belong there." He simply said as the wind blew his bangs into his eyes. The tall grass seemed dance around them while bugs fluttered by. Hinata took a step forward and grabbed his hand.
"But… your district!" She tried to sound more confident but her emotions made it come out at a squeak. Sasuke felt her small hand grasping his and it only made him realize she deserved so much better. Maybe Orochimaru was right after all.
"I'm not going back." Sasuke said through gritted teeth. As much as he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and return for a happily ever after, that wasn't how it worked in the real world. There were a number of reasons Konoha wouldn't welcome him back with open arms. Hinata was quiet for a long time and she squeezed his hand until he looked back at her.
"Sasuke-kun… I know you won't believe me but I spoke with your mother!" Hinata's soft voice was beginning to gain confidence. He narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I saw her… in a dream! Please… please come back." Sasuke frowned and recalled the time he, too, had a dream involving his mother. No…! I'm not good enough to be an Uchiha. Sasuke forced himself to release her hand and he stared straight at her.
"I'm not going back." He repeated with a more harsh tone. Hinata felt a little light inside of her die and a tear slipped down her cheek. She stared down at her feet. Then another emotion stirred inside of her little body as her hands formed fists.
"Why won't you let anyone care about you!?" She cried, and Sasuke stared at her with surprise at her outburst. He remembered Sakura asking him the same question a year ago when he was in the hospital. His response then was that he didn't need anyone to care for him. The truth was that Sasuke was scared to let his demons out. He didn't know what might happen if he let go of his anguish and pain. He was terrified of the unknown. Hinata felt hot tears in her eyes and these sudden feelings were overwhelming for her.
"Sasuke." Kakashi spoke up from behind him and he ignored it. He knew the lecture was coming. "Hinata spent the past eight months mastering an incredibly challenging jutsu." Sasuke listened curiously even though his face remained emotionless.
"It's a different form of the Byakugan that can detect a certain chakra, but only if they have something as a reference." Kakashi continued and he walked over to pick up the Uchiha pendant. He held it by the chain as the Uchiha symbol seemed to shine. Sasuke frowned at this and he looked away as if disinterested. Kakashi heaved a small sigh.
"Just like my tracking dogs, they need a scent for reference. Hinata needed a reference of chakra and she used your father's chakra inside this pendant. Since you are of the same clan and blood related… they are almost identical." So that's how they found me… Sasuke looked over at the Hyuuga heiress. It must have been a very hard thing for her to accomplish, especially in such a short amount of time. A voice in his head kept saying 'no'. Sasuke didn't need anyone to find him. He didn't need the care and support of them. He was doing just fine on his own. Sasuke would need to keep shutting people out; it was better that way. Hinata deserved better than him anyway.
"Well, congratulations." Sasuke said bitterly. Inside he regretted saying it because the saddest look he had ever seen washed over her face. He was about to walk away when Hinata activated her Byakugan. With quick movements, the Hyuuga formed chakra in her hands and she sent two fingers to a spot on the side of his neck. Sasuke was frozen against his own will as he stared into her Kekkei Genkai. Her face was beginning to get blurry as she put pressure on a chakra point. The last thing he remembered was the look on her face before it turned to darkness.