The next day at school, Hinata was sore and had a few bruises. The teachers never asked questions because they knew of her family and that martial arts were part of her everyday upbringing, even long before the academy. What they struggled with was the sunglasses she had to wear sometimes due to eye strain which caused her eyes to become sensitive to the light, but they knew of her doujutsu; they had no choice but to accept it.

Because of this, she was often the target of bullying. They thought she was getting special treatment because of her family name or were creeped out by her eyes. She was more than capable of protecting herself, but because of her name, she couldn't fight back…nor would she want to. She hated fighting and hurting people, even the ones who have hurt her.

Part of her wished she had Uchiha eyes. When their eyes weren't activated, they were a regular dark color and looked like normal eyes. But her doujutsu made her eyes pale with no pupil normally and veins would grow on her temple when activated.

She was tripped often by some girls in her class and constantly teased by the boys. She didn't really have a single friend which helped her focus more on her studies, and while she was thankful for any kind of silver lining, she still couldn't help but want at least one friend.

At lunch, she stuck to the side of the school building and sat underneath one of the many large trees as she meditated. Today was no different until these boys came up to her and started making fun of her for "sleeping" instead of playing because she didn't have any friends.

"It's because you're creepy. That's why no one likes you!" One yelled though she had never asked.

"Yeah! And you can barely speak a full sentence without stumbling, like an idiot! You're a Hyuuga, aren't you supposed to be mighty and smart?" Another one teased as they shoved her head.

Hinata wanted so desperately to continue with her mediation and to ignore them, but she knew from experience that that would make it worse. They would say she thinks she was better than them so she felt she didn't have to answer when that wasn't true. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey," a voice called from behind the boys. They turned back and saw Sasuke Uchiha there glaring at them. "It's obvious she doesn't want you in her face. It's lunch, don't you have food to stuff in your face or something?" He huffed. The boys, knowing that Sasuke was known for his cunning and strength, ran away.

"H…Hello, Uchiha-san. Thank you," she said, bowing her head in respect and thanks.

He bowed his head back. "Why do you let them talk to you like that? You're a Hyuuga."

"Th-that's exactly why. They think I'm creepy or that I… think I'm better than them," she replied. Afterward, she let out a deep sigh, surprising Sasuke. "But I thank you… for helping me."

"Don't sweat it," he said. "Mind if I sit? I'm trying to hide from some people and this tree is big enough to hide both of us." She nodded and scooted over a bit so he could sit.

"Who…Who are you hiding from?"

"Girls," Sasuke spat out like the word itself was disgusting. "And Naruto. I'm tired of beating him already. He's good, but he could be better."

Hinata nodded along when she remembered that he was extremely popular with the girls in her class and his. She turned to look back at the building and saw a group of girls running around like they were looking for someone, and then there was Naruto just swinging on the lone swing by a tree and laughing with their other classmates Shikamaru and Choji. She liked those two because they never bothered her, but she didn't know much about Naruto. He was a bit loud and flirted with Sakura often, but he did well in class and she liked that he would smile at her when they happened to make eye contact. She turned back to the direction of the road and wished so desperately that she could just leave and go home. She loved learning but she didn't enjoy being around others.

If she was to make her clan proud then she would have to strive to be as amazing as Itachi. She wanted to bring honor to her clan and her parents. She wanted Hanabi to look up to her like Sasuke looked up to his brother. She sighed quietly and did her best to shake the negative thoughts away before trying to resume meditation once again when Sasuke started talking again.

"Why are you doing that when you should be eating?" Sasuke asked as he leaned back against the tree. It was cold and snowing, but the two were used to being outside in that kind of weather. Even if their noses and ears were red, they didn't really feel cold.

"It… helps me relax, and I've already finished my lunch," she answered. "...I don't really like being around others sometimes."

"Yeah, I don't really like it either. It's hard to concentrate when girls are constantly trying to get my attention."

"That sounds… difficult."

"Yeah, and if I wasn't here, I would have more time to train with Itachi, too," he sighed. "Do you have a trainer since you don't have an older brother?"

She shook her head. "F-father trains me every day from three to seven," she answered. She usually had an hour after school to finish her school assignments and relax before training. And after training, they had dinner and she had another hour to herself before it was bath time and then bed.

"That's a long time. Is it hard?"

She nodded but didn't disclose any information since she couldn't say anything about her doujutsu training.

Sasuke sensed this and tensed a little bit. "Oh. I guess that sounded like I wanted to know more about it, huh? I was just trying to make conversation. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything."

She smiled at him being semi-formal. "That's all…right."

"I like training with Itachi, but he's busy a lot with leadership training and now Anbu missions, so I'm stuck training with other clan members or just by myself with moves that Itachi showed me. It gets boring, so I guess I just wish I had a different training partner sometimes," Sasuke explained. "And he'll poke my forehead and tell me next time, and it's so annoying!"

Hinata nodded. "I-I understand. I've always only trained with my father, and…he's very strong. I doubt I will ever be able to beat him."

"Not with that attitude you won't," Sasuke shot back.

"Wh-what?"

He sighed. "If you set limits on yourself, you're never gonna be able to pass them. Itachi taught me that." He sounded so prideful in his brother that it was endearing.

Hinata let those words sink in for a moment before smiling softly to herself. "Yes, you're right. I'll try harder."

Sasuke smiled a little when he noticed she was barely hesitant in speaking with him now. He didn't mind talking with her, and he figured he should get used to her if she was going to be introduced as Itachi's fiancée right after they graduated. Although she was kind and that made her weak, maybe they could start training together since she was going to have to uphold the Uchiha name.

The teachers blew the whistle to let the kids know that it was time to go back inside. The two bowed politely and then ran off to class to get started on kunai target practice before their taijutsu training began.

On her walk home, Sasuke ended up accompanying her—she was positive it was to scare the other girls off—and she ended up having a nice, brief conversation about kunai training and how tough they've found it.

She knew she wasn't supposed to talk about any training that she does, but everyone she knew did kunai and martial arts training, so she supposed it was okay. Besides, it wasn't like they were talking about their doujutsu, and when they made it into their 3-man genin teams, they would have to train with their jonin-sensei's with their full abilities.

When they made it to the front of her family's estate, she turned to him and gave him a small smile. "Uchiha-san, would you… like to come in for tea?" It was the polite thing to do since he'd seen her home, even if he did it for his own sake.

Sasuke wasn't a big "sit down and have tea formally" type of guy, but it would be rude to decline her offer. She led him inside where they were greeted by a maid who bowed to both of them.

"Welcome home, Hinata-sama. Welcome to the Hyuuga Estate, Uchiha-sama."

They bowed back and were led to a small room that overlooked the garden. It was Hinata's favorite room and one she spent a great deal in with her mother. She was hoping to do that soon. Since the birth of her sister, she hadn't been allowed to see her mother, and she'd only met Hanabi briefly.

She missed her mother greatly.

Once served, they sat in comfortable silence. The maid brought them slices of cake, but Hinata noticed that Sasuke did not touch his.

"Do you not like this kind of cake, Uchiha-san? I-I can ask them to prepare something else," Hinata offered.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I don't particularly enjoy sweets, but thank you for the offer and hospitality."

Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and looked off to the side with a bright red face. Sasuke raised a brow, sensing she wanted to say something but was holding herself back.

"Yes, Hyuuga-san?" He asked, not wanting to wait for her.

Hinata looked around for a moment before leaning in closer, causing Sasuke to do the same, and said, "...Th-then is it okay if I eat it?"

Sasuke blinked. He didn't know what she was going to say, but that was the least expected. He shrugged and slid the plate over. The huge smile on Hinata's face made him grin a little to himself, even more so when she all but scarfed it down. When she finished it, she slid the small plate back over to him and put her finger to her lips.

Just then, the maid came in and took their plates. Sasuke was slightly shocked at how she knew the maid was coming when he hadn't even sensed her. He felt both impressed and frustrated with himself.

"Would you like another slice, Uchiha-sama?" Sasuke noticed how she didn't ask Hinata.

"Yes, thank you. It tasted wonderful, please give my thanks to the baker," he said, smiling at the maid charmingly.

"Yes, of course." Then she left.

"Why weren't you offered?"

"My father has me on a… strict diet," she said. He looked over her face and noted the chubbiness of her cheeks, but because she always wore baggy clothes, he couldn't tell if she had any body fat. "I thought you didn't like sweets?" She asked.

"I figured you'd want it." He turned to look out at the snow-covered garden, missing the smile that adorned her face at his kindness.

When her father got home from a clan meeting, Sasuke had just left, but the maids informed him.

"The youngest Uchiha was here?" He asked her. "Not Itachi?"

Hinata bowed to her father before smiling up at him. "N-no, father. Uchiha-san walked with me from school and… I invited him in for tea and cake."

Hiashi thought for a moment before nodding. "I am happy you seem to have a new friend, Hinata, but do not forget who your fiancé is. You should be spending time with him as well."

Hinata kept quiet but showed her father she was taking his words seriously. Then, "How was your meeting, f-father?"

Hiashi hummed. "It seems like Kumogakure is willing to sign the treaty to finally end the war between our villages. They are to sign the treaty just before the New Year; the era of hate has begun its end." After a moment's pause, he continued, "It is now time for training. We will be working more with your Byakugan to expand your range."

Hinata followed after him, "...Yes, father."

"I hear you finally met your child bride."

At this, Itachi stopped walking and turned around to see Izumi looking at him with hard but nervous eyes. The sun setting behind it made it difficult to see the full expression on her face, but his eyes were adjusting well.

"Izumi-san, hello," he said with a slight bow. "I hear you graduated recently. Congratulations." He was never one to be rude and he typically didn't like fighting if he could help it—physical or verbal.

"Do you like her?"

Itachi thought of this for a moment before humming. "She's very meek but I can see her resolve. I think she will make for a good wife and mother," he replied. "Also, I would like to add that your referring to her as a child bride is demeaning. Hyuuga-san is very much more than that."

Her expression turned sour. "You're defending her already…" she stated.

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't speak up for the person I was going to marry?" He bowed slightly again. "Goodbye, Izumi-san." He turned back around and took off home, never looking back.

Thank you so much for all the follows/favorites, and also to those that reviewed! One of those who reviewed mentioned the characters acting older by the way they spoke, etc. I do want to remind everyone that these are kids from noble clans who have been taught to always represent their clan positively above all else. As a result, these kids do not have the luxury of acting their age (especially the eldest children). Thanks for understanding! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think :)

Next Update: 02/18/23