Hello, dear readers! I am so excited to see that you're already tuned in for what's in store for this story! As I've mentioned previously, this is an old work of mine that's now getting an overhaul. So please be patient for the updates! It'll take me a bit as I figure out the new flow for some of these characters.

Oh! And speaking of 'characters', consider this my official

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the creators of Naruto! All rights are reserved to them!

Now, ONWARDS TO HAPPY READING!

Chapter 3 - Encounter

The sun had just set, and a few stars sprinkled the night sky as Sasuke walked through the empty village streets, on his way to his former district.

Though the inhabitants of Konoha were safely tucked away in their darkened homes, the Uchiha didn't take any chances and pulled the hood of his cloak closely over his raven hair and face. He stayed mostly on the outskirts of town but didn't let his guard down, knowing that ninja patrolled the perimeters each night, in shifts.

He was just passing the training grounds when a faint spike in chakra caught his attention, and he stopped. Ducking into the shadows of a cluster of trees, the Uchiha concealed his own chakra, leapt up to a low tree branch and waited.

For a few minutes, there was nothing.

Maybe he had imagined it…but this thought was dismissed when he picked up another hint of movement in the distance.

It came about two meters off to his left, and wrapping his cloak tightly around him to conceal himself, he dropped soundless to the ground.

Moving as silently as a ghost, He crept forward—being careful to remain hidden—until he sensed the Chakra signature growing steadily stronger as he drew near.

At last, his eyes caught sight of a dark silhouette a few yards ahead, and Sasuke halted halfway hidden behind the trunk of a tall Oak.

"…Damn it."

He barely caught the whispered curse. Closing his eyes momentarily, Sasuke slowed his breathing, concentrated, and focused his senses.

Just then, the silhouette shifted, and Sasuke noticed whoever it was, had collapsed on hands and knees.

As the lone figure pushed up and sat back on their heels, and the pale moonlight illuminated a glimpse of stranger's face...

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened.

It was a woman.

Her long, ebony hair glistened, caught in the light of the pale moon and somehow, the color arrested the raven's attention.

Hinata wiped away the sweat from her brow with the hem of her sleeve. Leaning forwards, her hands pressed heavily into her thighs, pulse racing, and breathing labored.

This was stupid.

Hiding out in the darkness and crying over a broken heart.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips just then; she shook her head, patting her tear-dampened cheeks with the cuff of her sleeve as she sniffed sharply.

This was pathetic…

But she couldn't help the way she felt, and she couldn't ignore it or suppress it anymore. It was a fact; Naruto had chosen someone else—despite knowing of her feelings for him—and he'd done it without even giving her an answer or rejecting her feeling properly.

He probably wanted to spare her feelings…yes. That was it. After all, Naruto had always been such a kind soul. The last thing he would want to do would be to hurt her, one of his dear comrades…

…It just wasn't in his nature.

But it didn't help the excruciating pain that sliced through her heart.

Another barrage of tears threatened to spill over, stinging the corners of her eyes and she bit her lip hard.

Why… why wasn't it enough? Why wasn't I enough?

Hot tears spilled over.

'Why couldn't he have at least…rejected me properly?' Her thoughts lamented. And suddenly, hot shame and humiliation chastened the heartache, 'I've made such a fool of myself!'

She cupped a hand over her mouth, attempting to smother the gut-wrenching sob as all her humiliation, hurt and guilt culminated in a weight that was so crippling, she was nearly brought to her knees once more…

This was humiliating. That one boy's inability to return her feelings could reduce her to this… it was disgraceful. Pathetic.

She was pathetic…

"Hyuga." A dark voice rumbled.

Gasping in shock, the Heiress shot to her feet and whirled around to face the intruder.

Onyx eyes sharper than a crow's wing, met her startled gaze, and the Hyuga princess felt all the air leave her body as she stared back, eyes wide.

"S-Sasuke…" His name fell from her lips in a startled whisper and again, the heiress' pulse raced hot beneath her skin…

It had been years since the conflict, and he'd been gone. Seeing the world some said, while others knew he sought solitude and peace from his demons.

Hinata had been one of these. She believed that deep down, there had always been goodness in Sasuke and despite everything he'd done, she truly believed he was deserving of happiness. She'd prayed for him the day he left, wishing from the bottom of her heart that he would indeed find complete absolution and solace.

Now that he stood before her, she was reminded of this prayer for him she'd held in her heart. Looking at his face, she could detect a difference in him. Something changed…

Something calmer perhaps?

Or maybe it was in his eyes; they looked wiser.

"It is 'Hyuga'?"

She nodded mutely and satisfied for the moment, the Uchiha stepped out fully from the shadows and stood before her, onyx gaze studiously appraising her.

The pearlescent orbs were a dead giveaway; she was definitely a Hyuga, but her first name escaped him. She seemed somehow familiar—perhaps he recalled her from a time before the revolt, but then so many of the Hyuga had lived and fought alongside him, she could honestly be any one of them.

"You…you came back?" she asked softly, surprised.

She caught the corner of her lip, a demure gesture that struck familiarity in Sasuke's memory. He recalled a young, delicate and innocent kunoichi; silent but beautiful, and far too compassionate for the harsh realities of Shinobi.

"Hyuga…Hi—nata, Hinata?"

She seemed surprised he'd remembered her name.

"…Hai."

"Hn. I remember you from the academy. A small, delicate little thing, at times afraid of her own shadow."

There was the barest hint of amusement in his voice, and Hinata averted her eyes, a shadow falling across her features. "Many things have changed since then, Uchiha-san."

Running a hand through his raven hair, he adjusted his cloak and looked at her again. "It's past sundown; I would think the Hyuga princess would be safely locked away behind the walls of her clan's compound by now."

Something changed in her body language at his subtle taunt, and she flinched when he'd put emphasis on the word 'princess.'

"I—I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Uchiha-san."

She avoided his eyes when she spoke, but her voice was steady with an edge of challenge.

"Still. It's late and you shouldn't be out alone when no one knows where you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She challenged, raising her eyes and meeting his steady gaze.

He didn't miss a beat. "I know you're practically born of ninja royalty; you would have a guard or escort with you at all times. At the very least, a relative would chaperone you."

Her lips pinched into a somewhat obstinate line, and she pulled her eyes away from him.

He observed her closely and he could tell something was amiss.

Her chakra flow was disrupted, unbalanced, and her body language was rigid and guarded; her back and shoulders were drawn with tension, and her hands were balled into white-knuckled fists at her sides.

Readjusting his stance, his arms fell to his sides, "So. What's the young heiress' excuse for being out alone at night?"

"I don't see why you care."

"Tch. Don't flatter yourself," His expression was stoic and his voice flat and indifferent.

Turning away from him, she bent down to pick up a few discarded Kunai and replaced them in her pack. "It is nothing. I simply wanted to be out—"

His eyes caught sight of her sleeve…it was torn and dirtied.

"Does 'simply being out' include getting into scuffles, Princess?" He spoke indifferently, reaching out and grasping her wrist.

A sharp hiss and jerk backwards surprised the Uchiha, and his dark eyes flashed up to hers.

Her face was pulled into a grimace and her pale eyes reflected pain.

Something unsettling churned in the pit of his stomach and his eyes slowly fell to her wrist.

It was bruised and following it down to her hand his eyes slightly widened when he saw red.

Carefully turning it over in his hand, he held it gently, examining her palm with narrowed eyes.

The skin of her palm and fingers were nearly shredded to ribbons. Blood oozed from various places as well as dried blood mixing with caked on dirt and filth. Wounds littered her entire hand from front to back, including a few cuts that ranged from shallow to relatively deep.

"Your hand is mangled." His voice was flat as he inspected it. However, when his gaze found hers, his dark eyes shown with anger.

'Aside from the Byakugan, the Hyuga are well-known for their unique, signature style of taijutsu. I don't know of any other clan who is more efficient at executing such a precise, complex and deadly technique… how could she – the heiress of Hyuga – then treat her hands so carelessly?'

Startled at the flash of irritation she caught in his gaze, Hinata glanced down at her hand. "I—yes it—"

"Who did this?"

The harshness in his voice surprised her and her eyes shot to his face.

"W-what?"

"Your hand. The skin of your palm has been completely shredded. I assume your other hand is—" catching her other hand in his, he frowned when a similar hiss escaped her lips and one look at it had him gritting his teeth.

It was the same as the other, if not worse.

'How could she treat the legacy of her clan's technique, so recklessly?! Her hands were an irreplaceable weapon by which she doubtlessly wielded the technique flawlessly… why then would she…?'

Scowling, Sasuke dismissed the troublesome thoughts for the moment and held both her hands carefully in his as he fixed her with a hardened look, "Did you do this? Were you seriously that reckless – or did someone – "

"I don't—what makes you think that a-anyone—"

"Hyuga. I'm not asking again. This? Is blatant disregard for your skill as a Hyuga. Next to the Byakugan – your family's legacy lays within your hands; your greatest strength you wield here," he indicated to her smaller hands which were still carefully held within his larger ones, with an incline of his head.

Something in his eyes indicated that the Uchiha was absolutely incensed by the state of Hinata's hands. What she couldn't quite decipher, was whether the man was convinced she'd done it to herself, or if he was still deciding the possibility of another culprit.

When he'd eyed her hands with such shock and disdain flashing across his features, she'd wondered then…why would he possibly care at all?

"No one. No one did anything to me, Uchiha-san."

His black eyes narrowed. "This is no accident, Hyuga," he gestured to her hands and was mildly surprised when she nodded in agreement.

"You're right. It was no accident," then biting her lip hesitantly, she lowered her eyes to the ground.

"I—I was training. That is all."

For a long moment, he stared at her, stunned. His expression was stoic, but his obsidian gaze was unrelenting.

"You were training," he repeated flatly.

She offered a single nod.

"You're telling me that this. This is the result oftraining?"

She didn't meet his eyes. "Hai."

He glanced at her mangled hands once more, then released them and fixed his eyes on her bowed head.

"So, you destroyed your hands on purpose?"

Her gaze widened, and she hastened to reply, "Eh, Iie! But…I did push myself. Perhaps…beyond my limits...w-which may have been…ill-advised…" the heiress finished lamely.

As a result of Sasuke's intense scrutiny, the extent of her injuries was becoming very apparent to the Hyuga princess, and she felt a wave of intense shame wash over her as she eyed her hands remorsefully. The Uchiha was right. She'd been so careless.

As for himself, the raven remained silent and said nothing.

His thoughts, however, raced unchecked through his mind as he observed the Hyuga begin to gather herself and her gear.

Though harsh training was often commonplace amongst ninja, there was always a certain level of caution exercised in the care of their hands; the hand was considered a ninja's most deadly weapon, whether it be used on its own to strike an enemy, or to wield a sword or kunai…

Yet this kunoichi had treated hers so carelessly, had neglected to even wrap them beforehand…

Seconds ticked by until at length, he stepped towards her, glancing at her hands briefly.

"I see," was all he said.

In the next moment, he noticed something wet drop onto the back of her hand and trickle down her wrist.

Furrowing his brows, he squinted, catching another drop as it stained the torn cuff of her sleeve…

What is…?

Dark eyes snapped to her face to find glistening streams running down her cheeks.

Tears…

His body stiffened and he stared blankly.

She was obviously distressed, but the reasons why eluded him; a crying woman had never been his forte.

Baffled at this newest development, the Uchiha pressed his lips together and shifted uncomfortably.

"Hyuga…um,"

"Gomenasai," She turned her back to him, furiously scrubbing at her cheeks, "I apologize, I'm just…"

"Are you in pain?" It seemed like a logical explanation. The pain inflicted from her injuries was doubtlessly excruciating. It would make sense.

"I—Iie." A small smile touched her lips at his concern, miniscule though it may be.

"I'm alright, I just…it's been a long day."

His brows furrowed, unconvinced.

"I imagine…that it must be more than that," he said at length.

Turning to face him again, woman attempted a reassuring smile, "It's nothing, really I—"

Suddenly, Sasuke held a finger to his lips, and Hinata fell silent.

"Somone's coming," he murmured inaudibly.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area carefully—there. Coming up the street along the ridge above the training ground.

Taking hold of Hinata's arm, he gently but swiftly pulled her back with him into the shadows, keeping his eyes fixed on the ridge above them.

It wasn't long before he caught sight of two lone figures ambling up the street together. They were side-by-side and seemed in deep conversation as they passed beneath one of the lanterns and halted their steps.

The chakra signature was telling long before Sasuke even caught a glimpse of the iconic spikey blonde hair.

He squinted his eyes then, catching sight of Naruto's full profile as he ducked his head close to whisper to the young woman at his side.

A shy smile touched her cherry lips, and she began to blush.

The blonde whispered something that must have been amusing, as it caused her emerald eyes to light up with laughter, even as she shyly ducked her head to tuck a tendril of pink hair behind her ear.

Sakura.

He noticed her arm threaded through Naruto's and his brows raised.

Since when were those two so cozy…?

Then it fully dawned on him, and his eyes strayed to Hinata who remained still and silent as his side.

Her body language was stiff and unforgiving – no sound uttered from her lips. Yet, even in her efforts to remain erect and unflinching in her poise, the steady sheen of tears glistening in her eyes was answer enough.

So. Sakura and the idiot were officially going out.

Checking the street one more time, he was satisfied to find it empty. He focused his senses just to be certain. Yes. Sakura and Naruto's signatures were faint which meant they'd moved on a safe distance away. The coast was clear.

Stepping out, Sasuke briefly scanned the area a final time, then turned to Hinata.

"They're out of sight, it seems."

At first, the woman didn't move, and he took a step closer, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Hyuga," turning her towards him, his jaw clenched when he witnessed the tears she'd fought back, break free and course down her cheeks.

The poor thing was miserable.

Sasuke sighed heavily. He wasn't good at this at all.

Curling a finger under her chin, he tilted her face upwards and looked straight in her eyes, his expression serious, "Don't waste your tears on those who doesn't deserve it, Princess."

Catching a stray tear with the pad of his thumb, Sasuke flicked it away.

"If being an outcast Uchiha has taught me anything, it's that 'failure' is just another word for 'opportunity.' If you 'fail', you're just learning another way to grow stronger. To be shinobi is to never allow your enemy to see you defeated; let them see you rise from the ashes. Let the cruelty of this world that is meant to break you and destroy your spirit, build you up stronger than ever before."

Hinata's eyes grew wide as she stared at him in awe; his words struck a resonance within her, and his touch infused a flaming blush upon her cheek before his hand dropped away as he straightened.

"Uchiha-san…" she murmured whisper-soft, breath catching in her throat as the raven suddenly reached for her hand even as his head turned away.

"Come with me," were the only words offered as the onyx-eyed avenger pulled her gently by the wrist till their feet met the dusty road above them.

Silently, he led them in the direction of the old District; no words were spoken between them, yet the grip of his hand upon hers was constant and steady.

Hinata glanced down in wonder at his fingers wrapped around her wrist, and her cheeks flooded crimson.

"U-umm, Uchiha-san," The heiress began at length, "…where are we going?"

"To my home," was the raven's sturdy reply, his dark eyes ever affixed upon the path laid out before them.