Chapter 3
Sasuke never thought he'd be in this situation. Walking someone home? Him? Voluntarily?
But Naruto had practically shoved him in Hinata's direction, saying something about "bonding with friends" and "Hinata's too nice to let you walk alone in awkward silence." So here he was, walking side by side with the Hyuga heiress, the night quiet except for their footsteps on the village path.
To his mild surprise, it wasn't unpleasant. Hinata wasn't overbearingly chatty like Naruto, nor was she prying like Sakura. She simply walked at his pace, occasionally making small observations about the night sky or the gentle breeze.
When they finally arrived at the Hyuga estate, Hinata turned to him with a warm smile.
"Thank you for walking me home, Sasuke-san. I really appreciate it. Have a good night."
Sasuke, still trying to grasp proper social responses, defaulted to what seemed like a polite farewell.
"Rest in peace."
A beat of silence.
Hinata blinked. "U-Uh… what?"
At that exact moment, the front door slid open, revealing a very confused Hanabi Hyuga, who had just walked in on Sasuke Uchiha, standing ominously in front of their house, seemingly sending her sister off into the afterlife.
Hanabi's eyes darted between Hinata and Sasuke. "…Did he just threaten you?"
Hinata, face red from trying to hold back her laughter, quickly waved her hands. "N-No! I think he meant 'good night'…?"
Sasuke, realizing the misunderstanding but refusing to show embarrassment, simply turned on his heel. "Hn. Going now."
Hanabi watched him walk off into the night before slowly turning to her sister. "Did he just… curse you? Do we need a priest?"
Hinata, still giggling, shook her head. "I-I think… this is just his way of being considerate."
Hanabi, deadpan: "That's the scariest thing I've ever heard."