"In what version of the story is the beast blue?" Sasori rolled his eyes.

"I think it would be perfect, yeah." Deidara protested.

"I don't think either of us would be good dancers," Hinata's giggle was cut short with a squeak as she felt her leg give way. She put all her weight on her cane and stumbled into the wall. Again?

Sasori grabbed her arm to keep her upright. "Are you okay?"

"I think…" Hinata attempted another step, but when she put her prosthetic down, it buckled under her again. She didn't fall far as Sasori kept her arm firmly in his grasp. "I think it's broken." What could she have possibly been doing to break one of her joint springs?

"You think? How can you not feel if it's broken, yeah?" Deidara looked uncomfortable with the odd way her leg hung uselessly from the knee.

"The fake one, idiot." Sasori pulled her arm over his shoulder, putting his arm around her waist.

"Fake what?" Deidara was ignored.

"I didn't know you knew," Hinata looked at Sasori as he hobbled her down the rest of the way to the workshop, where they were already headed. They were going to show her their latest projects and walk her home, since Kisame was working and Itachi had a family event to attend.

"I'm not oblivious." Sasori helped her over to a chair. "May I?" He hovered his hands over her leg.

Hinata pulled back her skirt just enough to pull the stocking down and detach the strap. "Do you know something about prosthetics?"

"I work on puppets. It's the same idea." Sasori took the loose prosthetic, pulling the stocking down far enough to see the knee joint.

Deidara's jaw hung, eyes flickering between the prosthetic and where it had been. "You only have one, yeah?"

Hinata tugged her skirt down over her stump, nodding.

"A tension rod came loose. It's normal wear. I'll fix it." Sasori started disassembling the joint.

Deidara opened his mouth, but then his lips pressed together into a line. He desperately wanted to ask, but even he knew it was rude.

Hinata showed him some mercy. "Car accident."

Deidara looked relieved he didn't have to live without knowing. "You aren't missing anything else, are you, uh?" Eyeing her hand like it might be fake as well.

Hinata giggled. "No."

"Hinata." Hizashi knocked on her door. Hinata looked up from her homework. The look on her uncle's face was concerning. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Hinata set down her pencil, giving him her attention.

Hizashi closed the door and leaned against it. "Neji is upset about an incident that happened at school." Of course, Neji wouldn't be able to keep quiet about it. "He is usually overreacting, but this sounded a little more serious, so I want to know that you are doing okay in school." Hizashi waited for her answer. She knew that he was genuinely concerned. She could see it on his face. It was always so weird seeing so much caring emotion on the face that he shared with her cold father.

"I think Kisame-san has handled the accusations. I don't feel unsafe. If anything, I feel the safest knowing my friends are behind me." Hinata was sure Neji took the opportunity to throw Kisame under the bus, even if he was protecting her.

Hizashi stepped in and sat on the edge of her bed. "Neji would like me to make you leave that club and go to him for all your problems." Hizashi sighed. "But, I think that you can make your own decisions. You're not a little girl. I'm certainly not going to tell you to turn your back on friends, even if they are a little rough around the edges."

Hinata felt a warmth from her uncle that she was always a little wary of. It felt wrong, like she wasn't allowed to have it, like his face would harden into her father's any moment and take back all the freedoms that he allowed her.

"I think that Hoshigaki boy is a good kid. He has a temper, but I think he certainly cares for you, and that's all I can ask for in the friend you chose," Hizashi looked down at her fidgeting fingers. "You seem surprised."

Hinata flattened her fingers on her knees. "I guess I'm always expecting a lecture."

"I'm not your father, Hinata, but I, of all people, know how he can be." Hizashi started. "I'm not going to control your life. You don't deserve what you've been handed, and I'm not going to make it worse with unnecessary restrictions."

Hinata relished the warm feeling while she had it. "Thank you, uncle."

"Hinata, wait up!"

Hinata turned back to see Itachi's little brother running up to meet her. "Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke jogged to stop in front of her. "You know where Itachi is?"

Hinata shook her head. "No, he was meant to walk me home, but he sent me a text telling me he couldn't make it." She offered her phone to prove her story.

Sasuke waved his hand. "That explains his message to me. He told me to walk you home."

"Oh. That's nice of him, but I can walk home on my own, or I could wait for Neji-san." Hinata was not going to do that second option.

"I wanted to talk to you anyway," Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets.

Maybe she should have expected that. "Well, I guess."

Sasuke took a moment to figure out how to walk with her. Even at his laid-back saunter, his long legs carried him faster than her. Perhaps she should get roller skates. People who wanted to travel with her could just tug her along. "Itachi was rather adamant I not, but I wanted to ask how you were doing."

"You mean since the accident." Hinata clarified.

Sasuke looked down at the ground. "Yeah."

This must be uncomfortable for him. People never really knew what to say."I like to think I'm doing… well."

Sasuke's face twisted, not liking her answer. "Really?" He looked almost judgmental.

This was the first time she had gotten a reaction like that. "I mean, it's hard sometimes, but I can't go back and change what happened. It wasn't even my fault."

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh, looking away. "Itachi says you don't ever talk about your sister."

That's what he was upset about? "No, I don't."

"You just forgot her?" Sasuke accused.

How could he even insinuate that? "Of course not."

"How can you act like she never existed?" Sasuke looked at her with eyes that said so much and so little. Pain and betrayal, he barely knew Hanabi.

Hinata stared at him in disbelief. "I don't. I miss her. I loved her, but I can't wallow in her memories. If my sister believed in anything, it was overcoming obstacles in her path. I think that me standing here in front of you is the best memorial I can give her."

Sasuke's eyes became red-rimmed in his frustration. He huffed, turning his head away to hide it. "I don't understand why it would matter to you."

Sasuke swallowed a lump in his throat. His face softened from anger to sadness. "Sometimes, it feels like I'm losing him."

Hinata shook her head. She didn't understand what he meant by that. "Who?"

"Itachi." Sasuke looked back at her, his anger gone. He looked tired. "I'm sure you know that his eyesight going is not an isolated incident."

"I… No. What do you mean?" Hinata felt her stomach twist.

"He's sick. Really sick. Autoimmune something or other. He takes a lot of pills and acts like he's fine. He goes to his appointments alone, so no one knows how bad it is. They say he could live a full life, but they also say he could get worse tomorrow, and there is nothing they would be able to do about it." Sasuke's lip quivered, and his eyes moved to burn a hole in the pavement.

"I had no idea. He never mentioned it." Hinata covered her mouth.

"He acts like he's not dying. He never has time for anything. He comes to my matches, but then he disappears with his band of street trash friends. He comes home late, and then when he is home, he's always working on schoolwork. I don't get why he's trying so hard if he's likely not going to live to use it!" Sasuke barked before clenching his eyes close, trying to reel the rage back in. He must keep this all bottled up.

Itachi was causing him pain, but knowing him, he was probably hiding his own. "Maybe he doesn't want you to worry."

"What?" Sasuke looked like he was surprised she had anything to say at all.

"Maybe he's avoiding you, so you can't see him get worse, so he doesn't have to watch you worry about him," Hinata explained. "Neji-san is constantly worrying about me, and though I appreciate that he cares. I don't need to be reminded that I'm not whole. I am aware. I want to live as normally as I can. I'm sure seeing you worry hurts him. You're his little brother. He's supposed to be worrying about you."

Sasuke chewed on the idea. "I… guess."

"If you want his attention, you shouldn't let him see you worried," A smile came to her face. "Make him worry."

Sasuke considered it, staring at the cracks in the pavement as they walked, and before long, a small smile spread across his face. "Yeah. Maybe I will."

Hinata wasn't sure how the simple suggestion had brightened his mood, but glad she could help. It was comforting to watch the pain wash away for a while.

"You like cake?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

Hinata was confused by the change of topic. "Yes, but I like cinnamon rolls more."

"Good." Sasuke nodded, not explaining, but at least he looked happier. "Can I get your phone number?"

The next morning, she received a text from him. 'You can climb a few stairs, right?'

When Sasuke asked for her number, she didn't actually expect him to text her. 'Yes. Why?'

'Meet me on the roof for lunch? Don't tell Itachi.'

Hinata slid Kisame his bento. 'Sure.' Hinata gathered her own bento and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Kisame wondered, already digging into his bento.

"I have someone I need to talk to," Hinata answered vaguely.

Itachi picked up on her vagueness. "You need someone with you?"

"No, thank you." That was the end of that. Hinata appreciated that her friends were so supportive of her independence. Her cousin would have never let it go.

Sasuke was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps to the roof. "Need a hand?" Sasuke offered her an arm. It was only then she noticed the narrow staircase didn't have a railing.

"Thank you." Hinata took his arm. Sasuke helped her up the stairs and settled to sit against the wall.

The breeze was nice, though she had a suspicion that they were not supposed to be up here. "I got you something." Sasuke set a box in her lap.

It was from a high-end bakery, judging my the box. What she did recognize was the smell. "You got me cinnamon rolls?" Hinata happily peaked into the box.

Sasuke quirked a grin at her excitement. "I thought about what you said. I think you're right. I should be living with him with what time he has, not smothering him. We came to this school because he wanted me to feel what a more normal school with normal people was like. Maybe he just wanted to experience normal while he still could."

"He wanted the chance to see you experience normal while he still could," Hinata suggested.

Sasuke nodded solemnly. "You haven't mentioned it to him, have you?"

Hinata shook her head. "I didn't even tell them who I was coming to see."

Sasuke nodded, resting his head back, and looking out over the courtyard. "Do you like them?"

Hinata looked down at the box and pulled a roll apart with her fingers, taking her first bite. "These are amazing." She said once her mouth was clear.

Sasuke grinned. "You have icing on your nose."

Hinata covered her face best she could, while he handed her a napkin.

Hinata set the leftovers of her gift under her desk. She would have offered the spares, but knowing Kisame couldn't eat them didn't feel fair.

Itachi noticed it when she picked the box up to leave. His face scrunched. "Where did you get those?"

Hinata dodged the question. "It was a gift from the person I met today." Hinata grabbed her things and hurried to catch up with Kisame. Hinata felt Itachi's eyes follow her suspiciously.