CHAPTER 11

The silence in the room was thick, weighted by the unspoken tension between them. Hinata quietly returned to the bed, pulling her knees to her chest as she watched Sasuke sit rigidly by the door, his katana balanced across his lap. His entire demeanor radiated irritation, his gaze fixed on the floor as if willing the moment to disappear.

Hinata broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. "Sasuke… nightmares can be difficult to face alone. You don't have to—"

"I didn't ask for your help," Sasuke snapped, his tone sharp enough to cut through steel. His dark eyes lifted to hers, narrowed and cold. "What I deal with is none of your concern."

Hinata flinched at the intensity of his words but didn't look away. "I wasn't trying to intrude," she said quietly. "I just… wanted to help."

"I don't need your help," Sasuke said, his voice flat but laced with an edge of irritation. He pushed himself to his feet, sheathing his katana with a practiced motion. "And I don't need your sympathy. So stop pretending you understand."

Hinata's heart ached at his words, but she kept her composure. "You don't have to push everyone away," she said, her voice calm but resolute. "It's okay to let someone in, even just a little."

Sasuke turned sharply, his expression hardening. "Let someone in? Do you think you know me? You have no idea what I've been through—what I've lost."

"I know pain, too," Hinata said, her voice soft but unwavering. "Maybe not the same as yours, but I understand what it's like to feel alone, to carry burdens no one else can see."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. "You don't know anything about my burdens. So stop acting like you can fix me."

Hinata stood, her small frame dwarfed by his imposing presence but her gaze steady. "I'm not trying to fix you, Sasuke. I'm just trying to show you that you don't have to carry it all by yourself."

For a moment, his expression faltered, a flicker of something raw and unguarded crossing his face. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the cold, aloof mask he always wore.

"I've carried it alone for this long," he said, his voice icy. "I don't need you or anyone else to change that."

With that, Sasuke turned away, his back to her as he adjusted his cloak. His movements were stiff, betraying the tension coiled tightly within him. "Get ready. We're leaving."

Hinata watched him for a long moment, her heart heavy. She could see the walls he had built around himself, the way he pushed away anything that might make him vulnerable. But she also saw the cracks in those walls—the pain and anger he tried so desperately to hide.

"All right," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet determination. "But just so you know… I'm not giving up on you."

Sasuke froze for the briefest of moments, her words hitting him harder than he wanted to admit. He didn't turn around, didn't let her see the flicker of doubt in his eyes. Instead, he pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway, his voice sharp and commanding.

"Hurry up."

Hinata followed without another word, her resolve strengthening with every step. She couldn't force Sasuke to open up, but she wouldn't stop trying to reach him. Beneath his cold exterior, she knew there was more to him than he let the world see.

The rescue team reached the outskirts of the village, their pace quickening as Kiba and Akamaru caught the faintest trace of Hinata's scent. Naruto's frustration simmered just below the surface, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"We're close," Kiba said, his voice urgent. "But the trail's getting mixed with the village scents. They were definitely here, though."

"Then we're moving in," Naruto said, his voice determined. "We're not letting him get away."

The morning sun rose high, casting golden rays through the dense forest as Sasuke and Hinata trekked deeper into the wilderness. The silence between them was thick, heavier than the dew on the leaves. Hinata followed closely behind him, her hood pulled low over her head, her lavender eyes watching his every movement.

The tension from their earlier exchange lingered in the air, unspoken but palpable. Sasuke's steps were precise, his posture rigid, while Hinata's gaze occasionally flickered toward him, her thoughts swirling.

"You don't have to walk so fast," she said softly, finally breaking the silence. "I can keep up."

Sasuke didn't turn to look at her, his voice curt. "Then keep up."

Hinata frowned slightly but didn't respond. His dismissive tone grated at her nerves, but she reminded herself of his pain—of the nightmare that had shaken him the night before. He's just protecting himself, she thought. But that doesn't mean he has to treat me like this.

After several minutes, she spoke again, her voice firmer this time. "You're angry."

Sasuke stopped abruptly, turning to face her with a sharp glare. "And you're still talking."

Hinata met his gaze, undeterred by the coldness in his expression. "I'm trying to understand you, Sasuke. Why you push everyone away. Why you think you have to carry everything alone."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "You don't need to understand me. You don't need to do anything except follow my orders."

Her hands clenched at her sides, frustration bubbling up inside her. "I'm not one of your followers, Sasuke. I'm not here to obey you."

"Then stop acting like you care," Sasuke snapped, his voice harsh. "You're just a prisoner. You don't know me, and you never will."

Hinata's chest tightened at his words, but she refused to back down. "You're right," she said quietly. "I don't know you. But I've seen enough to know that you're not as cold as you pretend to be."

His eyes widened slightly, the faintest flicker of something unguarded crossing his face before he buried it beneath his usual stoic mask. "You think you're insightful?" he asked mockingly. "That you can see something no one else can?"

"I don't think it," Hinata replied, her voice steady. "I know it. I saw it last night."

The idea of her soothing him during his nightmare flashed in his mind, and his grip on his katana tightened. He stepped closer, his presence looming. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're in pain," she said, her gaze unwavering despite the fear prickling at the edges of her resolve. "I know you've lost people, that you've suffered more than anyone should. But I also know that pushing everyone away won't make the pain go away."

Sasuke's lips curled into a humorless smirk, but his eyes were dark, haunted. "You think you're so wise, don't you? Like you've figured me out. But let me make this clear—kindness won't save me. And it won't save you."

Hinata's heart pounded as his words hit her, but she refused to back down. "Maybe not," she admitted softly. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying."

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment, his eyes boring into hers as if searching for something. Then he turned away abruptly, his cloak billowing behind him. "We're wasting time."

They continued in silence, the tension between them now sharper, like a blade poised to strike. Sasuke led the way, his pace brisk, while Hinata followed, her thoughts a storm of emotions.

Finally, they reached a small clearing, where Sasuke stopped and turned to her. "We'll rest here for a while," he said curtly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hinata nodded, settling herself on a fallen log. She watched as Sasuke leaned against a tree, his katana resting across his lap. Despite his harsh words and cold demeanor, she couldn't shake the memory of his nightmare, the way he had looked so vulnerable, so human.

You're hurting more than you'll admit, she thought, her gaze softening. But you won't let anyone in.

Sasuke, as if sensing her thoughts, glanced at her sharply. "Stop staring."

Hinata's cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away. "I wasn't—"

"Yes, you were," he interrupted, his voice clipped. "Save your pity. I don't need it."

"It's not pity," Hinata said quietly, meeting his gaze. "It's empathy."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "Empathy won't change anything."

"Maybe not," she admitted. "But it's better than letting yourself drown in anger and loneliness."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, and he looked away, his grip on his katana firm. "You don't know anything about what I feel."

Hinata's heart ached at his words, but she didn't respond. Instead, she sat quietly, her presence a quiet reassurance in the tense clearing.

The rescue team continued their search, following the faint traces of chakra left behind by Hinata and Sasuke. Naruto's frustration was mounting, his pace quickening as the trail grew colder.

"We're so close," he muttered, his fists clenched. "I can feel it."