Someone New | A SasuHina Story (completed)

chapter nine | training grounds

Hinata got out of bed. She'd been sulking for the past two days and it's about time she'd gone outside.

She got dressed and opened her front door. She stood at her doorframe, taking in the fresh air for a while. She missed the feeling of the cold spring air in the early morning.

Hinata closed the door behind her as she headed for the training grounds. It was early, only 7 am. No one should have been out training at that hour. At least that's what she thought. She had even taken the proper precautions and went to the training grounds farthest from the bustling village. So why had she caught glimpse of a figure the closer she got to her destination?

She inwardly groaned. Turning, she started to walk back in the direction of her home. As soon she started to exit the grounds a kunai came flying at her from behind. She swiftly dodged the attack and activated her Byakugan.

Of course. Only he would be here training at such an hour.

"I'm starting to think you're following me." Hinata said giggling. "I seem to run into you wherever I go lately." She turned to face her attacker.

"It's just your imagination."

Hinata shook her head. Sasuke had always been a bit eccentric.

He went to grab his kunai. It was stuck in a tree directly behind Hinata.

"Was your attack just now also my imagination? You know, you have a weird way of greeting people." Hinata bantered.

Sasuke looked at her. "I couldn't be sure of who you were." He shrugged. "Lucky enough it wasn't anyone else. I had faith you'd dodge." He said.

He couldn't use his Sharingan at the moment. He had spent all night training and had run out of chakra to use.

"Are you done for tonight?" Hinata asked. She didn't mind Sasuke's company but she was intending on training alone.

"No." He answered. He still had extra energy in him.

Sasuke's usual routine was to train for nights on end with no rest and then pass out whenever his body couldn't take it. Sometimes he'd make it to the estate before doing so, other times he'd just black out wherever he was. He slept more soundly that way.

"I'll come back when you're done." Hinata said begrudgingly.

"Don't bother. I'll probably be out here for the next two days." Sasuke admitted nonchalantly.

Hinata eyed the Uchiha. His usual outfit was sprawled across the training grounds in various places. The pants he did keep on we're wrinkled and stained. His hair was messy and and had pieces of debris in it. His sandals were worn out, on the brink of snapping and his face. His face had been sullied with bits of dirt and sand.

"You look like a wreck. Take a little break." Hinata stated bluntly. She didn't wait for Sasuke's response. She took his hand and led him over to the small pond in the middle of the grounds.

She sat him on one of the rocks bordering the body of water and rolled her pant legs up. She took a small cloth out of her pocket and stepped into the pond. She wet the cloth and turned to Sasuke who was looking at his reflection in the water. She went up to him and rubbed the cloth around various spots on his face. She started with the parts that were most dirty, and then worked her way to the rest of his face. After she finished that, she splashed some water on both his and her face, and then sat next to him.

"Better?" Hinata asked sheepishly. The sun was starting to rise and you could make out Sasuke's features more clearly.

"I guess, even though I never asked for it." He replied just above a whisper.

The two sat in silence, watching the sun rise. The sky went through a medley of transformations. From blue to purple, from purple to red, from red to pink, from pink to orange. A beautiful sight indeed.

Due to the bubbly atmosphere around her, Hinata got a burst of energy. She jumped up from beside Sasuke and stretched out her hand to him.

"Let's spar." She said excitedly. She had never trained with a Uchiha before. She didn't know if she'd be able to keep up but she figured it'd be interesting enough.

Sasuke took her outstretched hand. He got up with her help and stared at her for a while. After contemplating for a few moments he shrugged. He didn't have anything to lose.

Hinata took his silence as a yes. They moved away from the pond and got into their fighting stances.

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Hinata was exhausted. She laid on the patch of grass beneath her and tried to control her breathing.

"That" Sasuke said in between heavy breaths "wasn't too bad." He sat up against a tree, shielding himself from the blazing sun.

It was around 11 in the morning now. The two had gone at it for hours. They didn't keep track of how many rounds they did, not stopping until they were satisfied. Sasuke won most of the rounds. Hinata had won a few every so often. Sasuke noted that the girl was very light on her feet.

"You think you'll still have the energy to train for two more days?" Hinata said somehow finding the strength to get up and make her way over to Sasuke.

"No chance. I'm going straight to bed when I get home." He admitted. He had his eyes closed as he rested against the trunk. "That is, if I make it home." He mumbled to himself. He really hadn't expected the Hyuuga to put up such a good fight. He was guaranteed to sleep soundly that afternoon.

Hinata hummed. She sat next to Sasuke and came up with a solution. They didn't have to go anywhere.

She placed her head on Sasuke's lap and looked up at him. He jumped a bit, startled by the sudden contact, but instantly steeled himself again. He looked at the girl beneath him with a raised brow.

"Sleep." She urged. "This way you won't have to walk back home and you won't end up passed out on a street corner." She said smugly. She was also afraid she wouldn't make it back home. It was a good compromise.

"Fine, but not for too long. I have a feeling if your cousin heard about this he'd give me a lot of trouble." Sasuke said. He relaxed, trying to get used to Hinata's pressure on his upper thighs. It'd been so long since he'd been touched. He had to adjust to the feeling.

Hinata closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. She was confused by her actions. It wasn't like she was exactly sociable. It usually took her a while to get used to someone and even longer to feel comfortable around them. Yet here she was, lying in this mans lap. She wondered what possessed her, why her body felt so at ease around him.

They were somewhat similar. Maybe that was why. She didn't feel the pressure of making a good impression and he had no expectations. She felt like she could be herself around him.

Sasuke himself didn't have a very clean track record. It was common knowledge. Those who didn't want to be bothered with him, didn't. Those who did, he accepted. It was simple.

Hinata hadn't judged him or looked at him with distain. She treated him like he was normal.

The two soon drifted off to sleep.