Goodbye, Sadness – Chapter Two

"Sorry, Sasuke," Itachi smiled somberly, his words setting alight confusion and a familiar warmth within the younger Uchiha. "This is the last time." His legs gave way beneath him as he slowly descended to the ground, bloody fingers marking a crimson trail from Sasuke's forehead down to his chin. "The girl in our hideout... please take care of her... I-I did her wrong. I meant for this to be different, for you-" He attempted to continue, but the light in his eyes faded as his battle-scarred body met the bloodied surface of the earth. Itachi's true message went unconveyed as he passed on.

What? The adrenaline began to abate in Sasuke's body, yet he still found his heart beating wildly. Itachi's last request made no sense. Nothing made sense. He defeated Itachi...? The sharingan reversed, his eyes returning to their dark hues as he fell to the ground beside his dead brother. After all that, after all these years- that was all you could say to me, Itachi? You wronged someone... so what? The battle's conclusion left him hollow. With his brother's defeat and death, Sasuke finally secured his revenge, so why was he neither content nor relieved that the slaughterer of his clan was at long last dead? Instead, the beginnings of discord manifested in his heart.

Wearied, Sasuke basked in the rain's steady pour over him, searching for respite and wishing his inner turbulence would be scoured away. But he found none, mind troubled by the mention of this ...girl that his brother had offended by some means. Why did Itachi find her worthy of mentioning moments before his own death? Where did his cruel miscreant of a brother find the compassion to ask him to look after someone- - anyone? Despite the protests of his battered body, Sasuke mustered his strength and made for the abandoned hideout. Perhaps he'd find his answers there.

Disregarding the indecency his robe failed to conceal, Sasuke held her delicate frame securely and careened through dark corridors. He willed his chakra-exhausted body to take him further through narrow forest clearings and searched for signs of his team members. Through sheets of rain, they progressed towards the abandoned village he'd set as a point of rendezvous. He needed to find Karin before the last of his chakra was consumed.

This girl... He stole a glance at her forlorn countenance, briefly studying her was nothing remarkable about her, save for how the fairness of her skin betrayed her inner thoughts by the flush adorning her cheeks. Strands of the hair adhering to her face enhanced her color all the more, their midnight hue accentuating her pallor. He entertained the thought that Itachi might have deemed her attractive, but if Sasuke knew anything about his older brother, it was that biological urges did not take precedence over any other consideration. Then again, maybe I don't know a damn thing about him. The involuntary scoff he emitted startled the girl in his arms, and their eyes met.

He found himself gazing into the lavender depths and the despair they held seemed more than tangible in that moment. He interrupted their gaze, setting his eyes on the stormy skyline, as if ashamed that he'd seen her weep. Or perhaps, he was ashamed that his own kin was the cause of her misery. Discovering her did nothing to pacify his growing apprehension, in fact, it was doing precisely the opposite.

Hinata drew a shaky breath, breaking the thickening silence at last, "Please put me down, Sasuke-kun." Her fingers clenched into fists as she fought to still her racing heart and stop her tears. "I can take care of myself," She murmured, when what she wished to say instead was, I need to be alone. Since she regained consciousness, her anguish hadn't eased off. Her time of tribulation had only begun and being in the presence of an Uchiha was not easing her sorrow. The fact that they had once been neighbors or friends in their early lives was of little significance to her, especially when the suffering she currently endured was caused by someone who'd held close ties with him. H-how could this have happened...? How will I face Father? Realizing that her situation could soon become public knowledge, Hinata dropped her face in her hands. Her family's reputation would be sullied. To see all his efforts for her and the Hyuuga clan ruined by this incident, her father would be angry... or maybe devastated.

"No," Came his curt reply. He didn't particularly like the way she addressed him as if they were closer than acquaintances. Her pale eyes were indicative of her origin, and that was the full extent of what he knew about her. After what she'd been through, the least he could do for the girl was return her to Konoha. It would be the right thing to do and not because Itachi had asked him to look after her.

"Wh-what do you plan to do with me?" Hinata watched him wide-eyed, tensing in his arms. Fearing the worst, she flailed in his hold and forced him to stop abruptly.

"Idiot!" He snapped at her, descending swiftly to the ground. In his state of exhaustion, he couldn't afford to expend energy running and fighting to keep his hold on this stupid girl who failed to realize that he was trying to look after her. "I'm taking you back to Konoha!"

"N-no..." Hinata stammered at first, her slender brow furrowing. "No," She said again, this time, more assertively. She was brought out of her state of self-mourning, forced to stop reflecting on the past twenty-four hours of her life and to think of what the future would hold for her now. No, she wouldn't- she couldn't return to Konoha. Resolve fueled her actions as she leaped out of Sasuke's arms and prepared her escape.

"Do you realize that I'm risking myself to help you get home?" Sasuke stilled, lowering his arms to his sides now that he was no longer carrying the Hyuuga.

White and black eyes were locked in a smoldering gaze.

She'd reflected long enough. Hinata finally spoke after carefully thinking the words, "Don't feel indebted to me for what happened yesterday. You are not your brother. You owe me nothing."

Taken aback, Sasuke remained silent and watched the tenacity intensify in her eyes before she turned on her heel. He stared at her delicate form as she ambled away with an altered gait. The way she favored one side, he deduced that she was injured. This only made him more... concerned for her.

Concerned... He scoffed in disbelief. She's right, I don't owe her anything. Still, he glared at her figure as it began to shrink into the distance.

"Shit," He hissed, finding himself unable to let the Hyuuga leave. At a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, he gained on her and struck her at the base of her neck. He caught and held her unconscious in his arms, and suddenly, Sasuke found himself struggling to remain on his feet. He knew that anymore chakra used would mean certain death. Leaving the forest clearing, he sought to find shelter in the heavy shades of the surrounding trees. Carefully, he laid the girl down before settling down beside her with his legs crossed and bare back pressed against a sturdy tree trunk.

Sasuke directed his calculating gaze at Hinata's features as she remained oblivious. He'd recognized the resolution that burned in her eyes earlier; it was the same kind he saw in himself. She was determined to not find herself in Konoha. No doubt she'll fight me every step of the way there.

'Please take care of her,' Itachi's words resounded clearly in his thoughts as he continued to sit in quiet contemplation.

Who are you? The weary Uchiha scrutinized the girl, his captive now. What were you to him?

He studied her features time and again, trying to stimulate his childhood memories – trying to remember her, a Hyuuga girl whom his older brother deliberated over and victimized. A closer look gave him the opportunity to see the softness of her milky skin, the density of her lashes, the depth in the color of her dark tresses, the familiar shape of her peach-hued lips.

"Hinata," Sasuke uttered her name before he, too, was dead to the world.

To Be Continued

Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'm back (for a bit, anyhow), and trying to get in the groove of writing the way I used to again. I'm so sorry for being on hiatus for so long. I'm sincerely being honest when I say this: I've tried multiple times to write continuations to all of my existing stories. Every time I'd complete one chapter of something, I'd just scrap it because it wasn't good enough. Please let me know your thoughts on this writing style/reading flow or your thoughts on the story overall. I'm reworking the plotline and it's quite different from its previous version. I really appreciate all the reviews/faves that you've given me in the past several years. Your support and encouragement made me decide to buckle up and post something again (finally). :) Love, Mei