Chapter 5

Sasuke

Sasuke trudged his way through the unfamiliar streets of Konoha. A lot had changed since he had left and the renovations after Pain destroyed the village were new to him.

No one had bothered to rebuild the Uchiha lodgings. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he remembered how prestigious and magnificent the old architectural buildings had once stood. In its place were now a few stores, a hospital, and different apartment buildings, one of which Sasuke guessed housed his new home.

Kakashi had not even bothered to lead him there, abandoning him by pointing away at a building vaguely. But he had very clearly mentioned that Sasuke would be watched. Sasuke casually flipped his Rinnegan and sure enough, he saw two ANBU guards a few metres away, one of whom had not even bothered to hide her presence.

She was casually clothed but her very demeanour indicated that she was a highly skilled assassin who would shove a dagger in his back in a blink of an eye if he made a single wrong move. Even though Sasuke could teleport just as fast, the casualness of the woman unnerved him, especially when she smiled and waved at him even though Sasuke had not even turned around to look at her or given any such indication that he had even noticed her.

The other was a scouting guard who stood at the rooftop. He was in uniform and he was looking away from Sasuke. Judging by his distance, he no doubt was a ninja with a kekke-genkai with high sensory abilities. He did not even need to keep an eye on him, to keep an eye on him.

Sasuke scoffed angrily. The only reason he was back in Konoha was because of Karin and his dream of resurrecting the Uchiha clan. He was actually contemplating settling down with Karin because she was an Uzumaki, which meant that his descendants would be strong, combined with his Uchiha blood. Who knows, they might even be born with or awaken the Rinnegan on their own. His decision to marry Karin was purely because it was a marriage of convenience, not because he had his heart completely out for her.

He sighed as he walked around. His feet automatically carried him towards the roadside dam where he had spent most of his childhood. Nostalgia rushed at him as memories tumbled over his head, one after the other. His thoughts were mostly those of Naruto, and how simply annoying he was.

"Why the fuck do I have to go to school?" Sasuke had asked him.

"Because, like it or not teme, you are still a genin," Naruto had replied.

"And you?" Sasuke sneered.

Naruto puffed up his chest. "I am a chunin," he said proudly. "And working my way towards being a jonin! They're just roadblocks in my path to become Hokage-dattebayo!"

Sasuke snorted. If that was what he had to do to become Hokage even after proving to be the strongest shinobi in the village, then forget it.

Speaking of the blonde devil...

Sasuke had reached the roadside dam, and surprise surprise. Who else just decided to be there, just like the old times?

He was standing right down there, toying with his feet, arms behind his head. Sasuke sighed, walking along, but stopped short when he realized that he was not alone.

A girl stood across from him, long hair shining in the twilight as tendrils blew across her cheek. Sasuke's heart beat a little bit faster, but not enough to change the expression on his face. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. He was just about to go right on ahead when the girl spoke up, in the softest of voices carried by the wind.

"I... I wanted to talk to you, Naruto-kun," she said, twiddling her thumbs.

Naruto hesitated, trying to avoid eye contact, which was easy as the girl was returning the favor.

He stopped, masking his footsteps so that his approach won't be noticed. He had a reason to believe he was walking in on a confession. He slipped behind a tree, unnoticed, and masked his chakra. He respected personal boundaries, and the girl looked like she would lose her nerve any second. He wanted to pass right on by, but something made him stop to hear what happened next.

Putting his fingers over his left eye, he could clearly see what was happening in the clearing via his peripheral vision, kind of like Gaara could spy. Sasuke mentally cursed himself. Is this what he had stooped down to? Spying on Naruto and a girl who was obviously a Hyuga?

"Yeah?" Naruto replied nervously.

Sasuke wondered why Naruto was nervous. A girl was very obviously confessing to him, and a beautiful girl at that. Sasuke was very used to it, however, and he could have easily brushed it aside. But it was all very new for Naruto.

"I was... Umm..." she stammered.

God her stutter was terrible. She was obviously very shy. Sasuke liked his girls bold and confident, like Karin. Sakura was kind of attractive too. Sure, she was also bold and confident, but she tended to act like a girly sap in front of him, melting into a puddle of lovey dovey goo, going along with anything he said. It annoyed the hell out of him. Perhaps if she actually was more of herself in front of him, he would've given her a chance. For him, she was annoying.

But so were other girls.

Naruto did nothing to encourage the girl in front of him to speak, and she was silent for a full awkward minute before she spoke next.

"You... you never gave me an answer," she finally spoke up, determination on her face as she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Answer... answer to?" Naruto said, acting the fool. He was doing nothing to make her job easier. The expression on the girl's face sunk, and he could tell that she had already resigned to his inevitable rejection, but she carried on.

She sighed. "What I said to you... When Pain attacked the village."

The sharp intake of breath which Naruto took meant that he understood what she was implying, and he could no longer dodge it.

"Well, you see, Hinata-chan..." Naruto began.

She took in a deep breath.

"I... I like you, Naruto-kun," she finally said, letting it all out in a rush.

A few seconds passed before Naruto formed another goofy smile on his face.

"Hinata-chan, I like you too. You're an amazing person, and the best sister any one can ever ask for."

Sasuke flinched. Oh boy...

He could literally hear her heart shattering into a million pieces.

"It's not you, it's me. I just... don't feel the same way. You see, I like someone else. You're a good girl, and I'm sure you'll make any guy very happy, perhaps even the luckiest man in the world. And I'll help you in any way, you know."

Stop talking now, Sasuke wanted to say. Even from here he was, he saw her eyes well up with tears.

"Anyway, if you ever need me, I'll always be here you know?" Naruto said as he ruffled her hair, messing it, but Sasuke very much doubted if Hinata was listening anymore. "I'll always be there for you. You're like a sister to me, and one of my greatest friends. I'll see you soon OK? I uhh... promised I'll meet Sasuke."

Sasuke almost snorted out loud as Naruto hurriedly made his way out of the clearing. What a fucking liar.

She was left alone in the clearing, standing as still as a statuette. Sasuke wondered if he should leave. Why did he care how she coped with her rejection?

She fell forwards on her knees suddenly, sobbing out her heart. Sasuke's heart ached, and he wondered why. Never had a girl made him feel like that way before. He contemplated if he should go comfort her, but he doubted anyone would trust him.

She continued to sob, and Sasuke stood there, helpless. Just as he had almost picked up the nerve to go and lend her a shoulder - something exactly the opposite of his character and ego - he heard a bark in the distance. He knew it belonged to the Inuzuka mutt.

The dog barked as he came and whined, sniffing the girl and followed by the loud call of the Inuzuka ragamuffin whom Sasuke had heard from Naruto to be dating his Sakura.

"Hinata!" the Inuzuka said, shocked as he bent forward to take her in his arms.

Now that someone was here to take care of her, Sasuke had no reason to linger. He should just walk away. But it was with a heavy heart he did, and he surprised himself at his own reluctance.

Hinata, Sasuke tasted her name in his mouth, running his tongue over his lips as he walked away.

Maybe life at Konoha won't be so damn boring after all.

A/N: Yay I finally updated! I hated to do that to Hina-bunny, but it was necessary :( No, Naruto is not a jerk! He just never felt the same way for her, even in canon!