More training & bonding, SasuHina continuing to get to know each other

Chapter 6: Rock skipper (cross the rivers of my mind)

Sitting on the grassy terrain of the training ground, Hinata stretched out her hamstrings, fingers tenderly massaging the backs of her thighs. She had just finished a shift volunteering at the Konoha community center and the two hours spent on her feet, organizing supplies and handing out food and other necessities to villagers, had brought a certain amount of stiffness to her limbs.

She meditated for an hour, focusing inwards and seeing a heavy, iron door in her mind's eyes. The thick metal vibrated with a steady thrum of chakra, the deep indigo glow of it leaking out around the sides of the door. Hinata held her hand up to it, falling just short of touching the iron door.

On the moon, Hamura had shared his chakra with her. It had been overwhelming. It was only with Naruto's help that Hinata had been able to control it long enough to destroy the tenseigan. Upon returning to Konoha, Hinata had noticed how the new influx of chakra had made it impossible to use her techniques normally. So she'd locked it away deep inside her, keeping only as much as she was used to.

The metal door pulsated violently and Hinata gasped, eyes flying open.

She'd thought about asking Naruto for help to properly harness Hamura's gift, but hadn't had the chance. Naruto's plate was already so full, Hinata was loathe to add to it. Maybe when things calmed down. For now, meditating was the only thing that helped keep the majority of Hamura's chakra under lock and key.

Realizing that the meditation portion of her training was over, Hinata considered what to do next.

It was two days into Naruto's mission and Hinata found herself without a partner for her daily training session as her usual go-tos, Kiba, Shino and Neji, were unavailable. Solo training wasn't necessarily uncommon for her, but it had been getting less so for one particular reason.

She sensed a brief flare of powerful chakra, a greeting of sorts.

"Sasuke-san, good morning."

"Hinata-san," Sasuke returned with a nod. He started to wordlessly take off his cloak in preparation for a spar.

Staying seated, Hinata stared at her own hands as she clasped them together to keep from fidgeting. She had been mulling over Naruto's offhanded remark from lunch two days prior and seeing Sasuke here brought it back to the forefront of her thoughts.

"Sasuke-san…" she said unsurely, "You don't have to…that is, I don't mean to…"

Sasuke paused, hand still on the clasp of his cloak. He gave her his undivided attention and it only served to make her more anxious.

"I…I don't…" Hinata clenched her hands into fists, nails digging into the skin of her palms.

There was a slight shift in the air. When Hinata forced her eyes up, she found Sasuke crouched in front of her.

"Hinata, what is it?" There was a sense of urgency to his voice.

Hinata bit her lip, feeling a frustrated flush creep up her face at her inability to voice her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she made herself uncurl her hands and press them flat on the tops of her thighs.

"Naruto-kun mentioned you weren't able to train with him as often," she said slowly. Hinata took comfort in stating a fact rather than an opinion, a method she'd learned from Shino. "I'm not as skilled as you or Naruto-kun. I…worry that Sasuke-san is taking time out of his day to spar with me when…perhaps that time could be better spent on something beneficial to Sasuke-san." She did her best to keep her voice even and her gaze trained on Sasuke's face.

Sasuke looked dumbfounded for a moment and then scowled. Hinata flinched back at the harsh expression.

"I'm not in the habit of doing things I don't want to when I can help it. And I don't like repeating myself, so I don't want to hear something like this from you again," he said sternly. "If you don't want to be around me, then just say so."

"That's not it at all!" Hinata protested, eyes wide and earnest. Training with Sasuke was exhilarating. He was so strong and quick and kept her on her toes.

Seeing her stricken face, Sasuke softened. "Then that's settled." He got to his feet quirked a brow at her, his hand on his hip. "Come on," he said, so Hinata went.

Sasuke set a swift pace, Hinata scurrying behind trying to keep up with him. She quickly recognized the area and wondered if they would be paying another visit to the Uchiha district. The idea filled her with curiosity rather than alarm. Her time at the old Uchiha home so far had been more thought-provoking than scary, always unlocking some buried memories.

Hinata almost missed a step when Sasuke led them away from the entryway, looping around the side instead. Her lips parted in awe as a dock came into view, clear blue water sparkling in the sun.

Even as Hinata paused to take in the sight, Sasuke strode down the dock with familiarity. He shed his cloak and turned to face her impatiently.

"Sorry," she mumbled, hurrying to join him. She couldn't help but pass an inquisitive gaze around their surroundings.

"It belonged to my family," Sasuke said, answering a question she hadn't asked aloud. "I used to train here every day when I was young. Best place to learn fire-based jutsus."

Hinata tilted her head. "Did you want to train with ninjutsu?" she asked.

Sasuke gave her a dour look. "I realize I was a still a genin up until a few days ago, but I haven't set anything on fire by accident much longer than that. No, we're still sticking to just taijutsu, but I think it's time we upgraded." He gestured towards the water.

When it clicked, she gaped at him. "You want to spar on the water? In this weather?"

"Better motivation to keep dry," Sasuke said with a devilish smirk. He looked so playful that Hinata couldn't help but stare, mystified.

Channeling chakra to her feet, Hinata reluctantly made her way onto the water after Sasuke. It was colder on the water, with few trees to shelter them from the wind, but once they started sparring, Hinata quickly warmed up.

Suimen Hokō no Gyō was second nature to Hinata at this point, but keeping up with Sasuke while also maintaining a flow of chakra that matched the ebb and flow of the water beneath them was certainly a challenge.

Sasuke appeared unaffected, fighting as seamlessly as he did on solid ground.

She had noticed that Sasuke was holding back less and less when they sparred. Speed increasing, moving so quickly that Hinata had to react out of instinct more than anything else. And with every close call, Hinata felt that powerful chakra instinctually rise up, hammering at the iron door inside her.

Soon enough Hinata found herself out of breath and on the defensive, too occupied ducking and dodging to attack. It was after another swipe at her feet had her leaping back that Hinata landed unstably, water rippling around her feet.

The chakra rattled loudly at the door, indigo glow nearly blinding. Hinata fought it back and she felt the corresponding interruption in her normal chakra flow.

Wavering, her eyes widened in surprise as she plunged under the water.

Bursting back through the water's surface within a few short seconds, Hinata gasped more out of surprise than for air. Shivers wracked through her body and wet hair covered her face. Sweeping the midnight blue locks away from her eyes, Hinata was met with the sight of Sasuke smirking in amusement and had to suppress the urge to splash him.

Closing her eyes to concentrate, Hinata was able to drag herself up from the water and regain some semblance of balance on the surface even as she trembled from the cold air hitting her wet skin. Water from her drenched hair dripped uncomfortably down the back of her neck and under her shirt. She pulled her hair back with both hands and squeezed, trying to draw out as much water as she could.

"We'll stop here," Sasuke said.

Still wringing out her hair, Hinata shot him a petulant frown. Before she could respond, his rinnegan flashed and the space in front of him began to distort, turning a deep purple before opening into a circle. Hinata drew in a sharp breath.

Sasuke stared at her expectantly, but she could only return a bewildered look.

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. Hinata could feel the imprint of his firm grip even through the long sleeve of her shirt. He tugged her through the portal, not as forcefully as she would have expected. She blinked in surprise as they stepped into a small apartment. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the portal close behind them, taking the view of the docks with it.

Sasuke left her no time to examine the new location, pulling her behind him. He stopped at a door, finally letting go to step into what appeared to be a bathroom. He came back carrying a towel that he proceeded to drop unceremoniously on her head before leaving her again.

"Dry yourself off."

As she began to towel dry her hair, Sasuke returned with a bundle of clothing. She met his eyes bashfully from under the towel. Bowing in thanks, she took the clothes from him and darted into the bathroom.

She allowed herself a brief moment of embarrassment when she caught her sodden appearance in the mirror. Her eyes landed on a lone toothbrush in a cup by the sink, the same medicinal shade of green sold in twelve-packs in any general store.

Turning her back on her reflection, Hinata peeled off her soaked standard issue chunin uniform. She eyed the shower occupying half the bathroom, but as tempting as a hot shower would be, the thought of bathing in Sasuke's vicinity made Hinata feel faint. Instead, she ran the towel across her exposed skin efficiently and then changed into the clothing Sasuke had given her. They were much too large of course. Hinata had to cuff the pant legs and cinch the drawstrings as tightly as she could around her waist. The long sleeves of the black shirt also had to be rolled up several times, but was thankfully high-necked enough that it didn't slip around her narrow shoulders.

Conscious of the wet strands of hair still sticking to her cheeks and starting to dampen Sasuke's dry shirt, Hinata braided it as best she could, using a hair tie stored in her pouch. She toed off her sandals and held them by their straps.

Carrying her sandals and clothes in an unpleasant wet clump of fabric, Hinata exited the bathroom with nervous steps. Based on the toothbrush and other personal items on the bathroom counter as well as the spare clothes, this was Sasuke's apartment. She felt as nervous as she had going into the Uchiha district, like she was intruding on his personal space.

Sasuke had no patience for her slow pace. He snatched her wet clothes from her arms, disappearing around the corner. Hinata was still standing frozen when he returned, the unmistakable sound of a dryer droning behind him.

Hinata might have stayed in the hallway all day if he hadn't proceeded to drop a pair of familiar lilac slippers at her feet and cock an irritated brow at her. Once she'd hastily stuffed her feet into the slippers, Hinata turned the corner to find Sasuke sitting in a small kitchen at a tiny table with only two chairs. Hinata followed suit, trying to avoid knocking into him in the small space.

Between them, on the limited space of the tabletop, sat a very recognizable, very ornate tea set. Hinata stared at it incredulously.

Either Sasuke owned two identical tea sets or he just carried it around wherever he went.

Drawing her eyes up from the teapot to the boy across from her, Hinata found Sasuke staring back at her coolly. She averted her gaze.

He sighed. "Your clothes will take a while to dry. I suppose I should offer you tea," he said in an almost put-upon voice.

Hinata turned back, meeting his eyes once more. "Oh! You don't have to Sasuke-san!" she said, waving her hands in a dismissive gesture.

He gave her a droll look before lifting himself to his feet and taking the teapot with him.

The kitchen counter was so close that Sasuke nearly brushed Hinata's shoulders with every movement. Hinata's curious eyes locked on his missing left arm. It was often hidden under his cloak and when they trained she was too busy trying to escape a foot in the face to take much notice. Sasuke had shed his cloak sometime while she was changing and paired with the plain grey slippers on his feet this was the most casual Hinata had seen him.

Realizing how rude she was being, Hinata forcefully turned away and stared into the joined living room instead.

The entire apartment was minimalistic, both in terms of space and decoration. It was quite impersonal save for the few extraneous items Hinata could spy. Some scrolls and a downturned photo frame on a mounted shelf, a book on a table by the couch. Hinata fixated on the book, recognizing the leather cover of the photo album she had given him.

The muted clatter of a porcelain teapot being set down brought Hinata's attention back to the kitchen. Sasuke placed a saucer with a single daifuku in front of her and Hinata's gasped a quiet "oh" eyes widening in delight.

She waited for Sasuke to sit down as well, an identical serving of daifuku in front of him, before hopping to her feet. "Please let me," she insisted, reaching for the teapot. Hinata gracefully poured tea first into Sasuke's cup and then her own, mindful of his gaze trained on her. At this point, she'd started to grow used to his habit of staring.

Sitting back down, Hinata inhaled the scent of the loose leafed green tea she'd given him. She had included it in addition to a canister of matcha as she thought it might be easier for Sasuke to prepare.

Abiding by tradition, Hinata ate the wagashi first, closing her eyes in bliss at the taste of sweet red bean paste. Sasuke was still looking at her when she opened her eyes, his cup lifted to his lips and his daifuku sitting untouched.

"It's good," she told him. This seemed to satisfy him and he nodded before drinking more deeply from his cup.

Hinata took her own cup in hand, thumb brushing delicately against the beautiful design. She thought of her own set at Naruto's apartment. She had worried about it staining after she'd left it sitting that day, but when she'd returned the tea set had been washed and placed on the drying rack. It had been hard to imagine a distracted Naruto remembering to clean up, but there had been no alternative at the time. Now, having seen Sasuke's comfort in his kitchen, Hinata rethought her conclusion.

Hinata savoured the warmth of the tea. It was steeped a little longer that she would normally prefer, but was delicious nonetheless. She set her empty cup down, the right sleeve of her borrowed shirt unravelling as she did. After folding it up a little tighter, Hinata looked up to catch Sasuke's dark eye sliding from her wrist up to her face.

Remembering herself, Hinata bowed as much as she could while seated. "Thank you for the clothes, Sasuke-san. And for the towel and bringing me here and for the tea and—" she stopped herself, blushing slightly. "Well, for everything," she finished.

Sasuke leaned forward, head cradled in the palm of his hand. "You know, when you thank me for every little thing it makes it seem like you expected me to just leave you in the river. It's kind of insulting when your expectations of me are that low," he said archly. When she started to splutter he huffed out a laugh. "You're welcome, Hinata-san," he said, drawing out the honorific in his usual taunting manner.

Hinata felt herself pout at the teasing, but, as she examined him, her frown slipped into concern. Usually even after an hour or two of sparring Sasuke was unruffled, but today there was a subtle slump to his shoulders that spoke of fatigue.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Sasuke blinked in surprise before waving her off. "I'm fine. Tearing holes in space and time is tiring," he said straight-faced. When Hinata's worried expression didn't clear, he smirked softly. "I can travel much further distances multiple times a day. Going from the docks to here is nothing."

Hinata nodded, mollified. "You're very strong."

Sasuke straightened and looked to the side. "Here," he said, sliding over his plate of daifuku.

"He doesn't really like sweet things."

Hinata lifted her hand to her lips absently, recalling Sakura's words.

An older boy with an out of focus face, bigger and taller than her, but with gentle hands that pet her head and held out wagashi. A boy her age at his side, watching her as she popped the treat into her mouth with a delighted smile.

She looked at Sasuke and he met her eyes expectantly. Slowly, Hinata ate the second daifuku under Sasuke's watchful gaze.

When she was finished, he sat back. "You don't remember much from then, do you?" he repeated, voice hushed.

Taking in the table between them and recognizing the attempted resemblance to a tea ceremony, Hinata hugged her knees to her chest. "No," she whispered, "But maybe more than I realize."

Perching her chin on her knees, Hinata looked up at Sasuke with wondering eyes.

"Will you tell me?" she asked.

Sasuke was silent for a long moment, intent gaze sweeping over her. Then, he leaned forward and began to speak.

"I remember my mother being excited for days before we would visit …"

I really appreciate all the wonderful reviews ^^

I'm doing by best to keep SasuHina in character and build up their friendship/relationship, so I hope that's coming across!

MVH