In the quiet aftermath of the 4th Great Ninja War, Sasuke Uchiha returns to Konoha after his long journey of redemption. The village has changed—rebuilding itself, just as its people have begun to heal. The Konoha 9, now older and bearing the scars of battle, have gathered at a local restaurant for a reunion, a rare moment of peace amidst the rebuilding.
Sasuke arrives late, not one for group gatherings, but he still respects the friendships formed during the war. As he enters, the group is already engaged in lively conversation, laughing and sharing stories. He quietly takes the only empty seat at the far end of the long table. No one pays much attention to his arrival, except for Hinata, who slips into the seat beside him—the only remaining one.
At first, the two sit in silence. Hinata, ever shy, keeps her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed ahead. Sasuke, arms crossed, leans back in his chair, listening but detached from the group's excitement. As the evening wears on, however, Sasuke begins to quietly observe the interactions of his friends, noticing small quirks and habits.
A sarcastic comment slips from his lips as Kiba brags about his latest mission. "Must be hard leading a team when your dog does most of the work," he mutters under his breath, just loud enough for Hinata to hear.
Hinata's eyes widen, caught off guard by the unexpected remark. She tries to stifle her giggle, but it escapes in a soft, high-pitched sound. No one else seems to notice, but Sasuke's sharp gaze flickers to her, catching the slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Over the next few minutes, Sasuke continues to make quiet, cutting remarks, aimed at their friends' various antics. "Naruto can't go five minutes without bringing up ramen," he observes as Naruto launches into yet another ramen-related story. Hinata's attempts to contain her laughter become more and more difficult.
Finally, Sasuke turns to her, his voice still low so only she can hear. "You think they'd notice if you started laughing?"
Hinata shakes her head, smiling softly. "I don't think so. They're too... busy."
Sasuke smirks. "Good thing. I don't need Naruto lecturing me about being nice."
Hinata giggles again, glancing at him, surprised to find him more relaxed than she'd ever seen. Their quiet exchange continues as the evening moves forward, the two sharing small, unnoticed conversations. Though no one else is aware, a brief but warm connection forms between them—two individuals who, though different, find a shared humor in the small absurdities of life.
As the gathering begins to wind down, Sasuke stands up first, preparing to leave. He glances down at Hinata one last time, his expression unreadable but not cold. "It was... interesting," he says, before walking away.
Hinata watches him go, her smile lingering as she realizes that, for the first time, Sasuke Uchiha had shared a moment of quiet laughter—with her.
It had been several months since the last reunion dinner with the Konoha 9. The village had been slowly but steadily rebuilding, and life had somewhat returned to normal. The group continued to meet regularly, perhaps more out of a sense of duty to the bonds they had formed over the years than from any particular love for these gatherings. The war had left them all different in many ways, and though the smiles and laughter seemed genuine, there was an undeniable shift in the dynamic.
This time, the dinner was held at a quieter spot near the outskirts of the village, at a restaurant that had survived the war, its walls lined with the scars of battles past but still standing. Naruto had organized the event, as usual, his enthusiasm for friendship gatherings unchanged, if not stronger. Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Hinata, and Sai had arrived on time, filling the table with their lively banter and shared stories.
Sasuke, however, was running late again, though no one seemed particularly surprised by this. It wasn't unusual for him to show up toward the end, if at all. His presence at the previous dinners had been quiet, almost ghostly, but it had become something of an expectation—his silent participation at the far end of the table. Tonight was no different.
He entered the restaurant with little fanfare, the familiar ringing of the doorbell barely registering amidst the chatter. His eyes swept over the group, already settled in and deep in conversation. Without a word, he walked toward the only open chair—at the far end of the table, once again—and sat down. His expression was as stoic as ever, arms crossing casually over his chest as he tuned into the ongoing conversations, his dark eyes scanning the room with detached interest.
As fate would have it, Hinata, who had been quietly listening to Kiba and Shino's latest mission report, found herself seated beside Sasuke once again. She gave him a polite, almost shy nod of acknowledgment as he sat down, but said nothing. She wasn't the type to force conversation, and Sasuke wasn't one for small talk.
At first, the atmosphere was much the same as before—loud, with Naruto's boisterous voice rising above everyone else's as he recounted an exaggerated version of his latest training session. Sakura rolled her eyes, Ino chimed in with teasing remarks, and Choji simply dug into the appetizers, occasionally laughing along.
Sasuke observed it all with quiet amusement, though he would never admit it. Naruto was halfway through another story when Sasuke's voice, barely audible, cut through the din, directed once again at Hinata.
"I wonder if he realizes half of that didn't happen," Sasuke muttered under his breath, his voice carrying only to her.
Hinata's eyes flickered toward him, trying to suppress the smile that threatened to creep onto her face. She managed a small, almost imperceptible nod, her hand covering her mouth as Naruto rambled on about how many Shadow Clones he'd created that day.
Sasuke leaned back in his chair, the ghost of a smirk on his lips as he continued to listen. Kiba had taken over the conversation, bragging about Akamaru's improved senses and how he'd been essential in sniffing out some missing-nin in the latest mission. Without missing a beat, Sasuke muttered again, "Maybe Akamaru should be on the mission scrolls instead of him."
This time, Hinata couldn't hold back the soft giggle that escaped her, though she quickly stifled it, glancing around to make sure no one had noticed. The others were too caught up in their own conversations to pay attention. Only Sasuke turned his head slightly, his sharp eyes catching the glint of amusement in her gaze.
"You're laughing more this time," he said in a low voice, just loud enough for her to hear.
Hinata blushed lightly, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her sleeve. "I—um, I didn't expect you to say that," she whispered back, still trying to keep her voice down.
Sasuke tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable but not unkind. "They never notice," he said, almost to himself.
Another round of teasing started when Ino mentioned how often Choji ate, and Sasuke made a quiet remark to Hinata about how Choji could probably win a contest against Naruto if it involved food instead of fighting. This earned him another barely contained laugh from Hinata, her eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that hadn't happened in years.
Hinata wasn't sure when she had become so at ease sitting beside Sasuke. There was something disarming about how he spoke to her, quietly, with a wit that was so unlike the serious warrior everyone knew him to be. He made sarcastic, almost biting remarks, but they weren't malicious—just observant in a way that only someone who had been on the outside looking in could see.
The dinner carried on, with no one any the wiser to the quiet exchange between them. Every now and then, Sasuke would lean slightly toward her, making another remark about their friends—how Shikamaru always had his hand on his chin when he was thinking, or how Ino seemed to over-exaggerate every story she told. Each comment was met with a suppressed giggle from Hinata, who was doing her best not to burst into full laughter.
At one point, Sasuke caught her eye after a particularly sarcastic comment about Naruto's obsession with becoming Hokage. "You're not going to laugh out loud, are you?" he asked, his voice low but with the tiniest hint of amusement.
Hinata shook her head quickly, but the smile on her face was undeniable. "No... I won't," she whispered, though the amusement in her voice betrayed her.
The evening passed by with no one the wiser. Naruto and the others were too engrossed in their own stories and arguments to notice the subtle interactions happening at the end of the table. Hinata's eyes sparkled in a way that hadn't happened in a long time, and Sasuke—though as outwardly stoic as ever—seemed more at ease in her presence.
As the dinner drew to a close, the group began to stand, preparing to leave. Sasuke, always the first to go, stood up quietly, his hand brushing against the back of his chair as he prepared to leave. Hinata watched him, feeling a quiet sense of camaraderie with the Uchiha that she hadn't expected.
Before he turned to leave, Sasuke glanced at her, his voice quiet but clear. "Same time next week?"
Hinata blinked, surprised by the question, but then she smiled, nodding slightly. "Yes... next week."
With that, Sasuke walked away, the sound of the doorbell ringing behind him. No one else had noticed the silent exchange that had passed between them throughout the night, but that was fine. It wasn't something that needed to be shared—just a small, quiet connection between two people who had once stood on the outside but now, in their own way, had found a little humor in the simple absurdities of life.
As she stood to leave, Hinata couldn't help but feel a lightness in her step. Perhaps, she thought, these dinners weren't so bad after all.