Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Sometimes everything aligns itself perfectly for just a brief moment; the universe demanding attention, no more subtle hints and obscure signs.

That was how Sasuke felt as he stopped in front of the old farmhouse on a Wednesday evening. He was coming from a meeting that he had with the members of the Downtown Konoha Merchants Association and the Konoha Farmers Society when he noticed the farmhouse.

He had probably passed on this road once or twice in the last six months and he'd be a very lousy ninja if he said that he had never noticed the broken down farmhouse before, but he had never noticed it like this. Sure the bushes were overgrown around it and the house itself looked like it was being held up by spit and a prayer, but something about it caught his eye. Maybe it was the lighting of the day. It was dusk now and the lighting had softened significantly because of the setting sun, casting strong contrasts of light and dark. The trees shimmered in the waning light. He walked further into the abandoned property and headed towards the backyard where the view momentarily stunned him. On the towering hills behind the house were probably some members of the Konoha Farmers Society's crops. There were rice paddies that extended from the valley and then stopped as they slowly rising terraces upon terraces of tea bushes. Acres and acres of land extended until it met up with what must have been the boundary. The sun was setting gloriously, casting a surreal golden glow over the picturesque scene. To his right was a stone pathway that disappeared in a dip hidden by some bamboo. Sasuke followed the path that was framed with sakura and plum blossom trees together with towering birches and underbrush on one side. Sunlight dappled through the leaves and gave his walk a dreamlike quality. He was slightly surprised to see that he came upon the Hyuuga compound. He strode up to the western gates.

Sasuke was escorted through to the wisteria courtyard and was instantly aware of why they named it so. There were wisteria vines hanging from pergolas on all four sides of the courtyard that was already surrounded by bright white evening primrose growing so abundantly that he couldn't see the ground in some places. It was different from other courtyards that were made up of hard, packed dirt. Here a thick and lush lawn covered the courtyard, with wooden benches strategically placed under the pergolas. Hinata was tending to one of these shrubs when he approached. His escort left him and he noticed that he was not announced. Not surprised when dealing with a Hyuuga. She probably spotted him while he was still looking at the farmhouse. She though, was almost camouflaged dressed as she was in a black yukata with white and bright purple flowers, her sleeves held back by tatsuki. She was the garden personified.

"You always garden this late in the evening?" He asked her as he walked nearer to her, leaning against the beam of the pergola. He watched her straighten to greet him fully.

"I was almost finished trimming the deadheads." She said; shears still in hand.

"Don't you have a gardener?"

"I like to take care of the garden myself, well, this section at least. Taking care of the garden for the entire estate would be a full-time job."

"I sometimes forget that you're a ninja."

Hinata's slight and polite smile tightened, alerting Sasuke to the fact that he had insulted her, unintentionally, not that he was going to apologize, but he might explain.

"I hardly hear of you going on missions or seeing you in the mission report room. And dressed in that yukata…"

"I'm off today," was all she said and he couldn't help but notice the overly polite and abrupt way in which she said it. He seemed to have annoyed her. He might as well stop with the small talk, slightly amazed that he even bothered to engage in small talk with her. My, had he changed…

"Who owns the abandoned farmhouse on the hill two hundred yards from your home?"

"The Hyuuga."

"Aa," He should have known. Now he had to be a lot nicer to her.

"Is it for sale?"

"You want to buy it, Sasuke-san?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Why do you want to buy it?"

"I –" Again, he couldn't explain himself. This only seemed to happen around her. She must think him unintelligible, but knowing his history, or lack thereof, with Hinata, she most likely thought nothing of him at all.

"Well, if you're not busy tomorrow morning we could take a look around the property together."

"So it is for sale?"

"When you've made up your mind, the Hyuuga will make up their minds." She responded evasively. Though, he had to admit that she spoke like an heir. He knew that her father never fully recovered from the injuries he sustained in the war. She was not the Clan Head Regent, Hanabi was – and why hadn't she been given the Caged Bird seal – did they get rid of that? – but she acted like it today. He mildly wondered what power play went on in the household, but his mind started to think about the Uchihas and their power plays and he didn't like those thoughts.

Sasuke turned to go, crossing the length of the courtyard, not bothering to let her escort him. He didn't know why he looked back, but he did. Apparently, she still insisted on walking him out, if from a distance of three feet behind him. When he turned around a wind had blown her hair in her face, strands getting stuck in her mouth. Framed against the background of the wisteria and the periwinkles, Sasuke found himself staring. She looked at him in confusion. He forced himself to turn away from her, but found he couldn't. In her desire to escape the awkwardness building between them because of his stare, she did the exact opposite of what she wanted,

"W-would you like to stay for t-tea?"

Why, why invite him to extend his presence, she wondered. Her nerves caused her to stutter. It had been a long time since she felt that uncomfortable.

"No, I have…mumbrl."

"What?"

Goodness! She must think him illiterate! That had never happened to him before. He never mumbled inarticulate ramblings just because he was feeling – heck, he didn't even know what he was feeling right now. All he knew was that he was feeling uncomfortable.

It was getting dark now and her eyes were reflecting the light of the moon. She was like a cat, he uselessly thought.

"I have to go." He said and turned on his heel, this time not looking back as if his life depended on it. Because of that he missed Hinata's sigh of relief.

Sasuke was strange, she thought. And rude. He was strange and rude.