Sasuke emerged out of the tree branch from above, landing his foot on the ground a few feet away from where Hinata was standing.
"That formation of yours...you're not putting in enough chakra." Taking note of her startled expression and her firm stance, Sasuke could tell that her mind and body had shifted into a confused state.
After all, this was her time and her moment to utilize the training ground. But it didn't stop him from choosing to critic her way of practicing.
"What? Am I not allowed to be here?" Responding to her silence, Sasuke glanced at the ground behind her, viewing all the knives that were thrown earlier. All that had missed the target points ahead of her.
Hinata could feel her face wanting to reveal the tint of pink from the embarrassment. The embarrassment of knowing that someone had been watching her all this time and witnessing her awfully miss all her knives.
"W-why are you h-here? I-isn't it my turn today?" Slightly panicking with hesitation and with a delayed response, Hinata immediately made sure it was the correct day mentally, reciting the days of the week inside her head.
"Relax, I'm not here to kick you out or anything. You have my word." Sasuke diverted his gaze back over at the girl in front of him, noticing her palms had slightly loosen their tension in the air.
It amused him to see how worked up someone can get just from the minor things. How shaky one can get whenever they realize themselves getting caught inside certain inconveniences.
Hinata stood in silence, still trying to process his existence before her. Surely, she didn't mind him being there now. Rather, her surprise lingered on why Sasuke would be there to watch her, to judge her, to approach her and provide a hint behind her wrong progression.
"Like I said...you're not putting in enough chakra where it needs to be. If you want to land to anything, you'll have to properly stream your chakra evenly." Sasuke slowly shifted his fingers, grabbing two kunai knives from the small pouch situated on his right leg, and effortlessly landing them at the target point ahead.
Hinata's eyes followed his knives as they both landed on the target point, amazed to see them land at the very center with such high accurately and precision.
"You're straining too much. Keep your aim and throw balanced." Turning his head back to face her stunned expression from the throw, Sasuke remained standing, his brows narrowed, anticipating for a response.
It wasn't in his initial plan to interact with her as he sat quietly on the tree branch above. Hence, why he made sure to conceal his chakra, keeping watch of her progression. However, he didn't expect her to brute force her strikes the way he'd seen them earlier.
"B-balanced..." Hinata diverted her gaze onto her open palms, staring into the kunai she held with one hand. Sasuke was right. She had been focusing a majority of her charka using her Byakugan to aim as accurately as she could that the strength needed to throw the knives were poorly executed.
"Why don't you try again?" Calmly plucking out the two knives he'd thrown earlier, Sasuke moved his body away from the target point, leaning his back onto a nearby tree.
He folded his arms again awaiting for the timid girl in front of him to proceed with her training, hoping that his words had redirected her application.
Hinata curled her palms, gripping the knife by its handle before turning her body to the side, facing the target that lied ahead of her.
The warmth color of the sunset was slowly beginning to fade from their surroundings and she only had about several minutes left in her training session before she was required to be back home.
Inhaling and exhaling, holding her stance firmly and keeping her chakra focused on her kunai, Hinata activated her Byakugan once again. This time she made sure to keep a sufficient yet balanced amount of her chakra on her palms and her eyes as she now released the knife, aiming it directly into the target point.
Widening her eyes from the sight of the knife landing just near the edge of the red mark, Hinata relaxed her muscles, satisfied from the thought that this time, she was able to keep a knife stuck onto the wooden target.
"I-it s-stayed at the mark." Smiling softly with minor panting from the throw just moments ago, Hinata turned her gaze to meet Sasuke's who had already locked his with hers.
"Umm...th-thank you...f-for helping me..." Hinata shot her gaze down at her palms, pinching her thumbs gently, her hands positioned a little bit in front of her as she shyly stood in place. She could still feel the pain emerging out of them from her earlier fall and had gotten used to the look of the scrapes on them.
If she hadn't forgotten to bring her bandages to cover them up, then maybe she would have had a better chance at aiming and landing her kunai directly on point. But this outcome was truly enough to make her happy.
She was progressing, learning, getting stronger. With even just one kunai, it was enough to motivate her to keep trying in the next session.
Sasuke lifted his weight from the tree, moving his hands inside his pockets before proceeding to walk past her on the training ground. Content with the outcome that she was able to apply his advice, Sasuke kept his gaze on her. Something about seeing her smile slightly surprised him. A feeling inside him that he couldn't understand.
So instead of prolonging his gaze, he immediately picked up his feet, aiming for a path out of the training ground. After all, it was getting late and the sun was finally setting.
Before he made it any further out, Sasuke paused his steps, standing about a few feet past her, their backs now slightly facing one another.
"You should treat those wounds. Leaving it that way will only hurt even more." Glancing to the side of him, he turned his head around until he could get a glimpse of the back part of her dark hair.
Hinata stood silently with her back still facing Sasuke as she could feel her face heating up from the embarrassment of him taking notice of her palms trembling and the wounds that buried themselves.
"This...umm...I will..." Hinata responded softly, gently curling her palms. It surprised her to be hearing him say those words, to feel like he was somewhat attentive to her pain. Not even her own father or her sister would point out her wounds whenever they trained.
It was typical for her trainings to be followed by silence. Silence of disappointment and frustration. Silence without care for all the pain from the bruises she endured.
Hinata picked up her bag, walking around the training ground to make sure she had put away all her kunai knives. She glanced at the spot where Sasuke had stood just a moment ago but now a vanish figure.
Sasuke had already left the site and she couldn't help but feel at ease. She was going to be leaving at the same time he was and instinctively imagined the awkwardness if both were to walk together a majority of the way back to the center of the village.
Hinata slowly tilted her chin up, gazing into the skies above her. How beautiful it was to see the last bit of light dying before the darkness overtook the vast skies.
Somehow she wanted to take her time walking home today. It didn't matter if she was going to be scolded for being late to dinner. It's as if something had transpired in her to overwrite her fears.
Sasuke walked past a few streetlights on the way to the heart of the village, keeping his focus on the path ahead of him. The evening breeze traveled through him, sending a light shiver across his arms and his chest.
He had wanted to pick up his pace in order to get away from the breeze, however, after occasionally hearing the light foot steps of someone from behind, he immediately halted his steps, moderately turning his focus to the side.
"Are you going to keep following from behind?" With a mixed tone of calmness and annoyance, Sasuke narrowed his gaze, turning his head in the direction of a figure who immediately froze in place.
The figure stood quietly, widening their eyes in surprise. They were positive that they had been keeping a great amount of distance from him so that they wouldn't be detected, but after being caught, there was no point in hiding themselves any longer.
"S-sorry...I w-was heading this way too. I didn't want to get in your way s-so..." Fumbling her words, Hinata stood awkwardly, compressing her arms into her body as she gripped the straps of her bag. She kept her eyes shut and her head to the side as she spoke, trying her best to hide the cherry tint forming on her cheeks from the embarrassment.
Sasuke traced the light shining down on her face from the streetlight beside them, keeping a firm gaze on her delicate features.
The way she stood trembling. The way she kept her eyes closed as if harm was right in front of her. The way she uttered her words so softly and unsteadily.
A combination of harsh words and this girl is good as gone. Crumbling into the abyss, tears emitting out of her fragile eyes. A mess of ruins just like before during their first encounter.
But the thought of her determination and the smile that washed across her face today during her training provoked his emotions once again, immediately turning his focus back on the path ahead of him.
"Whatever." Sighing from the mental exhaustion, Sasuke proceeded to walk again unbothered by her presence.
Hinata wasn't sure what to do exactly. The awkward thought of walking near him still lingered in her mind so she maintained her proper distance behind as they both continued to walk through the village.
"Umm..." Hinata uttered, hoping she was loud enough to be heard under her faint voice. A deep silence followed her sound before uttering once more.
"Umm!" Both stopping their trail, Hinata covered her mouth with her palms, a flush of red had developed across her face from the sudden cry.
She had wanted to ask him something related to his ways of training and how he was usually ahead of everyone else in their class. However, now that his attention was back to her once again, her mind immediately blanked out, only leaving her flustered and regretful.
"If you're going to ask something, just speak up. It's not that hard." Sasuke responded. A heavy tone in his voice as he stood staring at the girl trailing from behind.
Hinata kept her mouth covered, holding her breath before deciding to speak again.
"I...how do you..."
"Hinata? Hey, Hinata over here! Huh? Oh, it's you!" Moving his gaze from Hinata over at Sasuke, Naruto kept his eyes intensely focused on his new teammate.
"N-N-Naruto!" Palpitating from his sudden appearance, Hinata couldn't help but want to run away. The way he remembered her name and noticed her from a distance immensely excited her that she could feel her muscles beginning to stiffen.