Important
He was a sucker, that much was assured. He should have been more firm with Naruto in his refusal. Being around Hinata more than necessary was not something he should do but here he was, carrying bags full of no less than five dozen onigiri. He'd watched Hinata flit around the kitchen for nearly two hours as she tried to prepare lunch for children. Sticky- likely ungrateful- children. She didn't even have to beg him to help.
That's how much of a sucker he was.
He frowned as he followed Hinata into the noisy, makeshift academy. The halls were empty but the sounds from inside of the classrooms more than made up for it. He felt his eye twitch at a loud crash from one of the rooms and shivered. Had they been this insufferable as children?
"Hinata-san! You made it!" an old woman called from just around the corner.
Echo's of 'Hinata' came from around the corner and soon the older woman was joined by five other housewives of varying ages. Hinata was clearly the youngest of their group by at least a decade and the way they doted on her only reemphasized their care for her.
It took a second after their initial greeting but eyes shifted from the petite Hyuuga, excitement faltering when the group noticed the shadow looming behind her. Hinata didn't seem to notice the women's' trepidation at his presence. Or at least she didn't act like she did. Instead, she turned to him and smiled as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke." She said and murmurs erupted among the women. "He will be helping me today."
Sasuke gave the suspicious women a short dip of his head as an awkward greeting. The women plastered smiles on their faces in response. They weren't as bright as before nor as welcoming. They parted their small circle to allow the odd couple to pass into the empty classroom to set up.
"They don't like me." Sasuke said flatly when the empty classroom door closed behind him. Not that he cared but their blatant mistrust was annoying. Hinata shrugged and set her bags on the teacher's desk.
"They don't know you."
"You don't either."
Somehow her unmitigated trust in him was even worse than the women's' suspicions.
"I know enough."
"You are naive."
"Maybe." Hinata sighed, pulling a box of onigiri out of her bag and opening the lid. "I know that you helped to protect this village. I know that Naruto-kun and Sakura-san love you….and…."
She pulled out an onigiri and offered it to him.
"I know that you are important to me."