Hey, hey!

Short chapter this time. I'd label this a Naruto X Sasuke bonding chapter. Slowly building their connection. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was late into the night. The conflict between Hinata and her family had subdued and Naruto was back in his apartment. Dry, cleaned and sleeping soundly.

Well trying to sleep soundly. It was rather hard to sleep when someone you know was actively going through something detrimental.

Sasuke and Naruto didn't leave until they overheard the whole conversation between Kakashi and Hinata's father. Naruto and Sasuke got completely soaked standing out there eavesdropping, but it was worth it.

Well, to Naruto it was worth it. He wasn't so sure about Sasuke. Sasuke was so wishy washy over Hinata and Naruto was losing his patience of seeing Hinata endure the 'Sasuke treatment'. How Sasuke treated Naruto, he could get over, but dismissing Hinata over and looking down on her was taking its toll on Naruto.

Obviously Hinata has been through enough. Yet it seemed like Sasuke could care less. Don't get Naruto wrong, he understood why Sasuke was distant. He knew Sasuke's goals and he knew Sasuke's main focus was to get stronger. Naruto knew this, because Sasuke has mentioned it a million and one times.

How Sasuke didn't have time for them. How Sasuke needed to be better than them. How Sasuke had to find his brother and avenge his clan. Like Naruto got. They all understood and supported the goal.

What was wrong with Sasuke supporting their goals?

Naruto felt indifferent to the whole thing regarding Sasuke. Mainly because just like Sasuke, Naruto had his own objectives. His own goals and his own dreams. Right now he didn't have time to deal with Sasuke's mood swings and trauma. Based off of tonight, all three of them have trauma in their own rightful way.

Sasuke lost his family. His own brother massacred his whole clan. Killed his mom and dad. Tortured Sasuke in the process. Sasuke had a heart full of nothing but hate. Darkness and the bitter craving from revenge.

Naruto couldn't imagine Sasuke's pain, because Naruto never had a family. He never had the love a mother could provide. The support a father gives. He didn't have a clan to surround him. Naruto as far as he could remember never had anything.

He's seen Sasuke while they were young with his family. Sasuke knew Naruto to never have a family. To never have anything.

Now Sasuke had nothing. His heart filled with hate. For some reason Sasuke believed Naruto's heart was filled with rainbows and happy shit. Naruto didn't know what filled his heart, but it wasn't all pureness and hope, that's for sure.

Hinata. Up until tonight, Naruto just thought that Hinata was simply a shy girl. That her big home, that held servants and a lot of rooms was living the dream. Hinata never starved. Hinata never needed anything. Hinata was just a shy, timid girl that needed a push.

What Naruto now realized was that Hinata had a horrible family life. Naruto had never seen it before because he never had a family.

Hinata's family life was sick. Naruto never would have imagined a family member talking down to another like how Neji talks to Hinata. It's just insane. Naruto knew it was bad because even Sasuke looked appalled by the way Neji spoke of his own family.

Now that Naruto knew about Hinata's family and how they viewed her. All those training bruises on her. Naruto would never call those marks from training again. Hinata was being beaten. She looked underfed now that he saw her without her jacket on. Now, Naruto couldn't decide what was worse between the three of them.

Having family. Then losing your family by your own brother. Killing them in cold blood.

Having no family at all and being shunned by the village. Being alone. Every day of your life.

Having family, but that family hates you. Abuses you and breaks you down. Every. Single. Day.

Fuck their lives was sad.

The sleeping blonde grumbled when he heard a low knock on his door. Probably some kid playing on his door. This neighborhood wasn't the best, and people did dumb shit late at night all the time. Himself included.

The knock came again, but louder this time. This was so annoying. He had a mission in a few freaking hours. LEAVE HIM ALONE. "Dobe. Open the door already." Naruto's eyes snapped open. Seriously, Sasuke was at his freaking door?! He hated the fact his apartment was designed like a loft.

Naruto stood up and stomp his way to his door. He looked at the clock on his wall as he walked and saw it read 11 at night. They had to be at the gates at seven in the morning, so Naruto wanted to be awake by 5:40 the latest. He swung his front door open and glared daggers at Sasuke, "What the hell is wrong with you?! We have a whole mission in the morning!"

Sasuke pushed pass Naruto and walked in his apartment. Naruto wasn't even sleeping. Sasuke could tell that much. "I said that earlier, but we still ended up sitting on the top of a tree, in the rain, watching our mute teammate fight off her family."

Sasuke walked in and leaned against Naruto's kitchen counter. Naruto did a quick scan and saw that Sasuke too was in his pajama's. "What's this about Sasuke? If this was the morning, I'd be all up for the dramatics and the silent cool guy act. I'm NOT in the mood for it. Now spill it!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto shocked for a moment. He actually wasn't expecting Naruto to be sleepy and to react so harshly. Like Sasuke really was annoying him at the moment. Usually it was the other way around.

Noted. Naruto was not a night person. He was a morning person. "How can you just be sleeping right now? After everything that has happened tonight."

Naruto scratched his cheek tiredly. He was up thinking, but he was trying very hard to sleep. At least relax his body. "Because it's something I can deal with in the morning, and unlike you. I'm not filled with guilt on how I treated Hinata. So, I can sleep just fine teme."

He couldn't sleep fine. This was wrecking his every core in his brain. Hinata didn't deserve this and Naruto couldn't figure out why this was happening to her. No matter how long he stayed up to think about it.

Sasuke didn't look at Naruto, instead he glared at the floor. "Guilt? Guilt for what? I was honest with Hinata the whole time. You're the one who sugar coats everything with her. You thought she was going to be a crappy teammate just like I did. You treated her ten times worse than I did. You pretend that you like her and then at the same time you flirt with every walking female around this village in front of her. Especially that Sakura girl that's on team eight. When clearly it makes our female teammate uncomfortable."

Naruto was so tired. He squinted his eyes at Sasuke like he was insane.

"Whaaattt? What in the entire FUCK are you talking about?! Are you trying to make sense to the fact that you're an entire asshole? I haven't done any of those things! You just mentally made all of that up in your head! Plus, I can't even get a girl to look my way, let alone Sakura. She's so into you that she wouldn't notice another guy for miles. Hinata sometimes included! She's not paying me any attention!"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to look at Naruto like he was insane. "You…cannot be this stupid."

There was no way in hell Naruto was trying to tell Sasuke that Hinata didn't like him. There was just no way. Something had to mentally be wrong with Naruto. Sasuke had concluded this.

Naruto growled in frustration and rubbed his eyes. He was tired and not a night person, and it seemed Sasuke was the opposite of him.

"I treat Hinata like a normal person. So what I talk loud around her? So what I say nice things to her? I treat her how I would anyone else in this world. So Hinata will feel comfortable. I do that because I want to. I have faith in her. You know what? Even before tonight, since we've all been assigned to this team. Hinata hasn't given me one reason to feel as if she can't handle being a ninja. She's been kick ass on every dumb assignment we've been on and she even motivates us! What's your problem Sasuke?"

Naruto's temper just grew each second Sasuke stood there mute and sulking. "What?! You're mad because she talks to me more than you? That she isn't like the rest of the girls in this village and part of the Uchiha fan club, 24/7 of their life! What? You just have to have every one bow down to you and she won't do it all the time."

Sasuke finally looked at Naruto. After being on a team with Sasuke for almost seven months. Naruto finally saw the jealousy, that he had a feeling about, creep onto Sasuke's face. He was green all over. "What? You want her to bow down to you Uzumaki. Is that it? Tsk. You two are the perfect losers together."

Naruto laughed at this. He just couldn't help but to laugh at the ridiculous situation him and Sasuke were in. "Why do you do this? What are we doing right now Sasuke? You came here to insult me and Hinata? Blame us for what? For getting along? For being friends while you sit there and insult us. While you distance yourself from us."

Sasuke walked up to Naruto and grabbed his pajama's by the collar. He looked down at Naruto with anger and that clear sign of jealousy. For once Naruto wasn't combative. For once Naruto was going to let Sasuke get everything off his chest. It was clear something hidden was bothering Sasuke. As his teammate, Naruto would be there for him. He'd be there for Sasuke and Hinata.

"You two distance yourselves from me! You fucking moron! You think I don't see it!?"

Naruto continued to match Sasuke's stare down. Not wavering, "See WHAT Sasuke?" Sasuke paused. His grip on Naruto loosened and he slowly started to back away from Naruto. His control was slipping from him more and more since he's been on this team. Tonight just seemed to push something in him. He had never felt these emotions.

Guilt.

Jealousy.

Butterflies.

Sasuke leaned back on Naruto's kitchen counter again. His arms hung loosely by his sides and he stopped looking at Naruto. His eyes slowly went back to staring at the floor. Looking at nothing. "I don't know."

The two grew quiet. Naruto looking around his apartment for the right words to say. He scratched the back of his head in thought. "I get it Sasuke. I mean. We saw a lot. I never seen…I mean I just didn't know a family could be that BAD. Was umm, was your family like that at all?"

Sasuke shook his head slowly as he continued to stare off into nothing, "No. I never had anything like this happen. That's why…that's why when my brother did…what he did I was so confused. Family isn't supposed to do this."

Naruto listened and let out a deep sigh. His hands continued to rove through his hair. "Look man. Hinata doesn't hate you. All those times you told Hinata or me that we were losers, a nuisance and a burden. We aren't holding on to it. We're ninja's, we'll survive."

Sasuke continued to look into the void, "She's been living in hell. Being told she was useless and a failure every single day. The only escape she got was being out her house…and then I come along and torture her. Picking up where her family left off."

Sasuke covered his face with one hand. "They…just hit her. Over and over in false training. We saw the damn BRUISES." Sasuke's other hand then covered his face. Everything just crashing onto his young body. "She's the shape of a fucking twig. What kind of father does she have?"

Naruto snapped his head over towards Sasuke. Concern on his face, "Hey. You were just being yourself. Hinata didn't take any offense to you. Shit, she's use to you by now Sasuke."

Naruto didn't even want to address Hinata's family. How she looked. It was scary enough to know you could have a family that would treat you like scum. Usually in the ninja world you earned the title of scum. Hinata didn't even DO anything and they gave her the title.

Sasuke ignored Naruto. His hands slid off his face when he could control his emotions. He was still staring at nothing though. Basically talking to himself at this point, "I fucked up. Who does that to someone…what makes me any different…than the monster that preyed on my family."

Naruto came up to Sasuke and placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. He started to shake Sasuke harshly to snap him back to reality. "HEY!"

After the light slap from Naruto to snap Sasuke back, the young Uchiha finally looked at Naruto. "You're not your brother. You are not HIM. I don't hate you for the type of person you are. That is just YOU Sasuke. Hinata doesn't hate you either. Like…DAMMIT!" Naruto backed away from Sasuke and turned around.

He took several big breaths and looked outside his balcony window. "Come on." Naruto pulled on Sasuke's sleeve and yanked Sasuke with him to go outside. Naruto slid the window open and the two stepped outside for some fresh air. It was chilly at night now, but the night air seemed to do the two good for clearing their heads.

Naruto watched Sasuke take several deep breaths. It seemed this was a good idea and what the two needed.

Naruto took in the night scenery. This village in his district was still lively. Loud and busy. The night life still booming. Naruto had looked up at the night sky and soon leaned his elbows on the balcony rail as he looked down at the night life. Naruto was about five stories up, so he had a good view of the sky and the ground.

"Maybe this mission will do us some good. We'll get out of here. Clear our heads ya know. I mean, me and you, we're not even considered men yet. We're still kids. Hate to admit it, but we still have growing to do." Sasuke closed his eyes and mimicked Naruto as he rested on the railing of the balcony.

Taking in what Naruto was saying. Sasuke was older than Naruto. He was 14, going on 15. While Naruto just turned 14. The two didn't even know when Hinata's birthday was. They had no clue if she was older or younger than them.

"I'm sorry."

Again Naruto chuckled at hearing Sasuke. Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head, "Where is this coming from Sasuke? All these emotions. You yelling and then apologizing. It's so not you. You're usually more…I don't know. In check? More of a douche bag that doesn't apologize. Ha-ha!"

Naruto's attempt at cracking a joke didn't reach Sasuke. The young Uchiha just stared gazing down at the busy streets. "I don't want to end up like my brother. I don't want to be him. My brother tore me down and I just did the same thing to Hinata for months. I…cannot…be like him."

He tore someone down because he was jealous. He should feel nothing but shame.

Naruto stared in awe at the confession from Sasuke. What was he supposed to say to that?

"Then do BETTER Sasuke. I wasn't perfect to Hinata either. You weren't 100 percent wrong. So I tried harder early on. We're a team. We have to get better. Especially if we're being trusted to do more missions outside the village. We're escorting some old man. Granted when I first met him he was annoying and full of himself. That man is still trusting us with his life. So, as a team we have to do better. Not just you. Me and Hinata too."

Sasuke looked at Naruto finally. His teammate words finally reaching him. It was rare, but Sasuke gave Naruto a small gentle smile as he nodded his head in agreement. Naruto smiled back at Sasuke before he started to feel a little awkward. He laughed and scratched the back of his head before he went back to look out the balcony.

That was when Naruto squinted in concentration. "Hey, people our age aren't usually out this time of night in this area alone. That looks like a kid down there. Right?"

Sasuke looked down and followed Naruto's gaze. It was someone around their age. Wearing a cloak. Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was crazy as Naruto started to climb down his fire escape. "What are you doing?"

"Getting a better look." Naruto said this so nonchalant. Like it really mattered who this kid was.

Sasuke still looked confused. Naruto didn't stop climbing down but he continued to speak, "When I was in the orphanage, we kind of had a rule that no one was left behind. If someone was lost or wandering, I always tried to help them. Whether they wanted to be around someone like me or not. That's how I met Hinata when we were little."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He immediately started to follow Naruto. There was no way Naruto was going to say something like that and just leave. "What?"

Naruto nodded his head. The two slowly climbing down to not wake other residence, or to scare the person below them wearing the cloak. "Yeah. Funny story. Hinata was getting bullied. These big ass kids were standing around her calling her names. Ya know, because of her eyes and stuff. So, I followed my code. I wouldn't leave her behind. So, I told them to leave her alone and I fought them."

Naruto heard Sasuke scuff at this, "You got beat up didn't you." The long pause in the conversation let Sasuke know he was right. "So what happened afterwards?"

Naruto racked his brain to remember. It happened so long ago. He barely could remember the amount that he did know of the old memory. "I can't really remember. She told me thanks. Ha-ha! She stayed in the snow with me for a while as I sulked for getting my ass handed to me. Hinata, she's always been nice ya know. Sweet and gentle. I never doubted her as a teammate, I just didn't think she really wanted to be a ninja. That this wasn't her real passion. Now that I see and got to know her more. I think she's perfect."

Sasuke waited for Naruto to finish what he was going to say. He looked below and noticed Naruto seemed to be lost in thought. Was he daydreaming? After a solid 30 seconds, Naruto realized what he had done and tried to correct himself. "Teammate and ninja. I think Hinata is a perfect teammate and ninja!"

Sasuke didn't say anything as a reply. Making it seem as if he took the alibi Naruto quickly tried to give him. His only reply was a grunt as acknowledgement.

In reality Sasuke knew Naruto was starting to like Hinata. Sasuke didn't know why basic emotions was such a hard thing for Naruto to understand, but being on a team with someone like Hinata, who was giving Naruto the attention he always craved. Naruto was quickly starting to understand what it means to 'like' someone.

This shouldn't bother Sasuke in the slightest. He could care less what Naruto or Hinata have going on. He had his own main goals and it involved neither or the two.

Yet it bothered Sasuke and the anger from this bothering him just wouldn't go away. Especially the fact Naruto saw that anger. So Naruto KNOWS. Naruto knows and now it's like some silent competition between the two. All for a girl that probably could care less about either of them.

Hinata had enough going on.

When Naruto and Sasuke reached the second floor Naruto crouched down on an empty units balcony. Sasuke right beside him. The two trying to get a closer look at the unknown person. The person was tiny. A female by stature maybe. She was coming from the west side of the village. That was the nicer side. Real nice side.

Sasuke scrunched his brows together. Wait a minute. "Is that Hinata?"

Naruto snapped his head at Sasuke before looking back at the person that was slowly drifting away from them. The person was trying to creep by. So they didn't draw any attention on themselves. Almost like they were scouting out the area to make sure it was clear.

Without looking around though? Seemed pretty advanced for someone their age. Unless they had a special ability to do so.

Naruto and Sasuke watched the person slip into a narrow alley. Sasuke looked back at Naruto, "Where does that alleyway lead you?" Naruto's mouth hung slightly, "Red light district."

Naruto and Sasuke noticed the person pause in the alley. Naruto crouched down a little lower, "No way they saw or heard us." Sasuke slowly started to stand up, "Unless they have the Byakugan."

With that the person started to sprint down into the alley.

Naruto immediately climbed down the last couple of ladder steps and sprinted after the person. Sasuke not too far behind. The person that ran down the alley was about 20 feet away from the apartments, so it was a little bit of a head start.

Naruto noticed how the person held on to their head so their hood wouldn't fall down. Like they didn't want Naruto and Sasuke to see them. "HINATA!"

Hearing Naruto yell the name made the person sprint faster. Jumping over trash cans and clutter gracefully. Naruto was trying to reach the person, possibly Hinata, before they reached the littered red-light district. However, it was too late. The person sprinted into the crowds and it was basically impossible for Naruto and Sasuke to find the mysterious person in this tainted crowd.

Naruto and Sasuke stopped at the entrance of the district. Both out of breath from sprinting in the night. "FUCK!" Naruto yelled in frustration and hit the wall closest to him. Sasuke was hunched over taking in gulps of air.

There was only one female that Sasuke knew that was in their age range that could move so fluidly like that. Mobile, yet at the same time you could sense the anxiety coming off the person. "Do you really think it was Hinata?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he just heard the dumbest thing come out of his mouth. "Who else would run off like that? Then run faster when you called her name. Use your head."

Naruto pulled at his hair in frustration. Hinata wasn't going to get away that easily. They would be having a serious talk with her sooner or later, because this was insane.

Sasuke slept at Naruto's apartment that night. The two prepared for their mission before going to bed so they could sleep in a little longer in the morning. It was Sasuke's idea, and Naruto had to admit Sasuke was good at packing for a mission. A lot of things Sasuke packed, wasn't on the main packing list provided to them. Naruto thought what Sasuke prepared was pretty useful.

Extra clothing, blankets, pain pills, more weapons than necessary. Sasuke overpacked, but to Naruto it was a good idea. Good for 'what if' situations. Plus, all this packing the night before meant Naruto could sleep in and eat a filling breakfast in the morning. So, Naruto had Sasuke to thank for teaching him this new packing method.

Naruto didn't ask Sasuke where he came up with these ideas, because he already knew where Sasuke picked it up from. He's heard Sasuke's brother was a very good ninja for Konoha.

When Naruto and Sasuke approached the gates, they were 20 minutes early and Hinata still beat them there. Hinata sat beside the bridge builder, the person they were escorting. The bridge builder seemed to be chatty with Hinata, when he was beyond disrespectful to Naruto the day prior when they first met him.

Hinata entertained the conversation the way only she could. By small smiles and polite head nods. She probably answered him occasionally before they arrived. Naruto watched the scene and frowned. Memories from last night flooded his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that last night's runner was Hinata. What was she doing out there? She could have gotten herself hurt!

Sasuke watched Naruto walk ahead of him and how he immediately approach Hinata. "Good morning Hinata!" He spoke to her in his typical chipper voice. Like he wasn't boiling in the inside.

Hinata gave Naruto a gentle smile, but Naruto was too focused to fall for Hinata's avoidance tactics. "Good morning Naruto. I'd like to wish you a happy birthday."

Sasuke caught up to the two of them and looked over at Naruto. The young blonde's eyes were twitching at the situation at hand. Hinata respectfully gave him his packaged gift, "Please, I hope you find time to open your gift. I made it myself."

Naruto was silent. Was this what she was doing last night? She had to go out there and get something they didn't really sell in stores? What could they not sell in stores that Hinata would need out in the red-light district so late at night? Naruto looked Hinata over as she smiled at him. He looked at her up and down before his cheeks started to blush heavily.

Birthday gifts weren't common for him.

Sasuke continued to watch Naruto. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he blushing so heavily. "Umm. T-Thanks Hinata. I'll open it later. In private of course. M-Maybe we can open it together?" Sasuke squinted his eyes at Naruto. Did this idiot really think Hinata gave him a perverted gift or something? Did he just forget EVERYTHING that happened last night?

"Dobe." Sasuke left it at that. Now deciding he was going to ignore the two until Kakashi came back. Naruto was under this Hyuga's spell. She could do a million wrong things and Naruto would only acknowledge the one good thing she's done. Sasuke wasn't going to go out like that.

Hinata smiled at Naruto and nodded her head happily, "Yes. Of course. I-I would l-love that Naruto."

Naruto smiled at her. "Thanks, because I'm sure you know. There is a lot to talk about." With that he left it alone.

Hinata eye's widened as Naruto walked by her to continue to wait for Kakashi beside Sasuke. The lone Uchiha was standing alone near the gates when Naruto approached him. He heard what Naruto said and looked just as shocked as Hinata.

Naruto was just playing along with Hinata. Who would have thought.

Hinata didn't say anything else to Naruto or Sasuke. Even when Kakashi arrived she was mute. Their sensei smiled at the bunch, "Sorry for being late. Just had some loose ends to tie up."

Hinata didn't make it noticeable, but she waited for Kakashi to come from the direction of the fallen ninja's memorial. He didn't come from that direction this time. He actually came from the direction she arrived from. The direction of where her house was.

What was he doing in that area? He didn't even live in that direction and the Hokage's office wasn't in that direction.

Kakashi placed a hand on Hinata's head. Like he could read her mind and wanted her to stop trying to put the puzzle pieces together. "Alright. Let's head out shall we."

End of chapter.

So, as you can see the shift. From Naruto and Hinata's bond excluding Sasuke to now Naruto and Sasuke's bond starting to exclude Hinata.

The next few chapters will be the Land of Waves Arc...and it will be a little gory.

So, see you Saturday!