Hinata was in awe, her eyes wide open as she walked through the gates of the village. She surveyed the village around her and the people.

Everyone was busy with their work as they ran here and there. It seemed that they were all preparing for a festival or something as she saw some people hanging garlands and lanterns around-- Everywhere! She also spotted a group of people who were carrying musical instruments. She spotted another group who seemed to be dancers, judging by their costumes.

She was still observing as a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to the source and saw the brown haired boy from before.

"You are finally here, Uchiha-san," said the boy as Hinata faced him. The boy looked Hanabi's age, maybe a year older or something. He wore a guard uniform and a blade was strapped on his back. He had brown eyes just like his hair.

Sasuke only nodded in answer. But then he said, "It's good to see you, Yuko." The boy smiled at him then his eyes landed on Hinata. He looked at her with awe and curiosity.

"Hi, I am Yuko. Nice to meet ya!" He introduced himself enthusiasticaly. He reminded Hinata of a certain blonde from Konoha. She smiled at the boy and introduced herself as well.

"I am Hinata Hyuga. It's nice to meet you too." She finsihed as she looked at him.

He had a faint blush on his cheeks and said, "Wow! Your are so beautiful and your voice is like an angel!"

Hinata blushed but chuckled at his comment. "Thank you."

But soon came Sasuke's cold voice as he said, "Don't you have guard duties to do?" He also had a slight frown on his face.

Yuko's smile was gone and he straightened himself as he cleared his throat and said, "Yes, sir. I should be going now." And with that he was gone.

Sasuke then turned to Hinata and informed her that they will be going to meet the head of the village and will be staying here for the next three days. Soon they were walking down the street that led to the head's house. Hinata observed her surroundings once again and a question popped up in her mind.

"What festival is today? What they are preparing for?" she asked, pointing to the garlands and the unlit lanterns hanging around the shops and houses.

"It's the founding day." Sasuke said.

"Founding day?"

"This village was formed four years ago from today. Every year, they celebrate it with great joy and bliss." A small smile tugged on his lips as he serveyed his surroundings, seeing childern wearing comical masks as they ran through the streets, men and women decorating their respective homes and shops. They all looked so happy. It was like Hinata was standing in her own village, Konoha. She took a glance at Sasuke who seemed as if he was reliving a memory.

"They are happy," Sasuke went on, "because they have a home where they can belong. They were all once homeless with no relatives or friends whatsoever. They had lost everything. But they had hope. They hopped that someday they will find their homes and the once who they'd lost. When I first came to this village, it was merely a community, with 100 or so people, and it was raided by bandits. They had no food to eat, water to drink but they still continued to smile and never lost their hope. They made me realize that even though we don't have a family or a home, we can still find happiness if we go look for it. By looking at them, now I see how wrong I was. How wrong I have always been. I tried to do everything by myself, I thought I could bear the burden alone but I was wrong. Its just like how the dobe said. That's what he does, doesn't he? He surrounds himself with the people he care about and it gives him strength."

He finished, his eyes still roaming around the shops and the people. He had a peaceful look on his face that Hinata had never seen as a small smile also played on his lips. Hinata couldn't avert her eyes from the Uchiha as she found herself saying, "Yes, he does."

That sweet and gentle voice brought him back to reality as he blinked and realized what he had just said. His eyes widened at the shock that he had actually said what was in his heart, and in front of, none other than, Hinata Hyuga. He couldn't stop himself as he saw those childern running around, looking so carefree. Hinata never once made any sound to let him know that she was actually here and she had just listened, without any judgement and hatred. Her presence was so soothing and calming that he wanted to just let it out and tell her everything.

He wanted to tell someone or anyone about what he had buried in his heart and mind for so long. But he couldn't tell anyone, not even Naruto. His ego and pride always won that battle and he couldn't say anything. But today, he had just went ahead and shared a piece of his heart to someone without any hesitations or second thoughts. It was like he had taken a step towards a door that he'd kept shut. The door where he had locked his soul and emotions away.

And it actually made him scared--petrified. For the first time in four years, he was afraid. He was afraid that he might let soneone in and one day they will just disappear like the rest of them. He looked at his companion beside him to see any look of surprise or shock or any sort of judgement but he found a smiling face looking up at him. Her smile was so genuine and her eyes held a sort of understanding.

She said to him as she looked up at the Uchiha with a smiling face, "And you want to protect this village. Because you have finally found a place where you can belong. Where you can be who you want to be. No one will ever judge you or look at you with hate or disgrace. That's why you hold this place, this village, close to your heart. You feel at home here more than you ever felt in Konoha. But you still can't abandon the leaf village because you care about it and its people no matter how they treat you. You still care. And it's not selfish at all to think that this village is actually your home. This village gives you the peace that you had lost a long time ago. There is no shame in feeling that way."

She finished, that smile never left her lips as she stated out what was in the Uchiha's heart like she was reading a book. And at that moment, a new emotion started to swirl in his heart as he saw the young woman beside him. Her smile, her eyes, it brought a peace to his cold heart.

Hinata had noticed his wide eyes and that look on his face which he only showed for a split second, and she just wanted to make him... comfortable. So she just let her heart say what she thought of him after hearing him. After she had finished, she could tell that he was surprised, maybe because she had said alot or beacause what she'd said was true. She didn't know. She just wanted to comfort him, she finally knew how he felt and now she wanted him to be at ease.

Back in Konoha, she didn't know how to comfort him but she did now. She went ahead and grabbed his hand in hers, and gently squeezed a bit. As if reassuring him that he was not alone here. Sasuke looked at her with slightly wide eyes as he then stared at their hands.

Hinata smiled and said, "You are a good man, Sasuke-kun. And you deserve happiness as much as any of us. So please don't think that you don't."

Wind blew past them, making their hair ruffle and sway in the wind. Neither of them talked or uttered any words, they just stared at each other. After a moment-- which seemed like an eternity, Sasuke opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted by a female voice.

"Sasuke-kun!!"

Hinata and Sasuke, they both blinked and came back to the real world as that voice got even louder. They turned in the direction of the voice and found a red haired woman coming this way. She was wearing red glasses and a blush was evident on her face.

"Slow down, you hot-head," came another voice. This time a man's voice. He had white hair and his teeth were pointed. He followed behind the red woman as he muttered something under his breath, he looked very annoyed.

"Sasuke! It's been such long time since you were here!" said the woman as she looped her one arm around sasuke's and looked at him in a sudective manner. Sasuke cringed. Then her eyes went to their intertwined hands and an angry expression formed on her face. Hinata noticed this and immediately retreated her hand away.

"Let go of me, Karin." Sasuke said in his usual cold tone as he frowned. Karin pouted but then looked at Hinata as she marched forward towards her and looked in her face.

"And who might you be? Why were you holding hands with my Sasuke? Are you his girlfriend or what?" Karin bombarded Hinata with questions and Hinata couldn't help but feel nervous at her angry and jealous gaze. She couldn't say anything as her personal space was being invaded at the time. She hated it when someone invaded her personal space because it made her very timid and nervous.

"N-n-no, i-itts... I-I-I..."

"Who is this stuttering mess, Sasuke?" said the man who eyed her curiously. Hearing what that man said, Hinata's face heated with embarassment as she looked at Sasuke for help.

Sasuke sighed and pulled Karin back and gave her a glare that made the poor woman sweat buckets. The white-haired man snickered at them.

"Her name is Hinata Hyuga. She and I are on a mission." Sasuke said in a monotone.

"Hi, I am Suigetsu and the red-haired ugly is Karin," he said as he pointed towards the woman who was still glaring at Hinata and when she heard what Suigetsu had called her, she gave him a punch staright to the face but he easily dodged it. He seemed to be experienced in this as if he knew beforehand that a punch would be coming his way.

He stepped forward and came closer to Hinata and said in a flirty tone, "You are a beautiful lady. Are you single, gorgeous?" Hinata backed away as she chuckled nervously.

"Back off, Suigetsu. She is not interested," Sasuke said in a cold tone that sent shivers down their spines.

"Geez, what a bore," Sauigetsu said as he rested his arms behind his head and looked away. "Let's go, we came here to escort you to the head. Jugo is there too."

Sasuke nodded and gestured Hinata to follow him, and then they all started to walk down the street to their destination.