ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ？ａｌｗａｙｓ

Chapter Fifteen

Hinata

What is going on with me? I can't help but be a bit concerned. First I'm upset at Sasuke for hurting my friends and I refuse to hurt them in the way he did, then I promise to always stay by his side, and then I finally tell him that I hate the way he does things. Is it because he's making me feel like Naruto did? I feel desperate to tell Sasuke what I really think, and I know he'll listen. But I also feel like I only need to tell him what he wants to hear as I tried to do with Naruto.

"Why do you think Naruto didn't come?" I ask Sasuke. 

"Tch. The dobe is probably either beating himself up, or he's trying to gather up even more people. My guess is Kakashi wouldn't dispatch him on an official mission like he did with Tenten, Shino, and Kiba. He and Sakura get too emotional."

"Y-you're right." I stammer out. After another minute of silence, I speak up again."W-why are we taking the long way to the sound? Wasn't the border right there?" 

"My intentions were to cross the border then head towards one of Orochimaru's hideouts. Crossing the border would lessen their attempts in trying to get us back. But now that we already encountered leaf shinobi, we can just go straight to the base." I don't really understand what he means, but it's fine. I can leave the planning to Sasuke. I mean, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. 

"Are we going to meet those people in the picture?" I ask. 

"Which picture?" He raises an eyebrow. Reaching into the pocket of my jacket, I pull out a carefully folded picture. His eyes are guarded. I can only wonder why. Slowly I open the picture, all the while keeping an eye on his expression. I spot recognition on his face then it's taken over by annoyance. It's a picture of Sasuke with three other people. A sweet-looking guy with orange hair, a red-haired angry girl with black glasses, and a mischievous looking purple-eyes boy grinning at the girl. Sasuke stands in between the arguing pair, as indifferent as ever, but let me tell you his eyes. They have genuine happiness in them. It almost makes me want to swoon like a fangirl.

"Them?" He groans. "Not as of now. I'd rather not go to them." 

"Aren't they your friends?" I ask. I mean Sasuke isn't scowling in the picture, he's just staring at the girl. So I'd say it's one of the happier pictures. 

"No." He scowls. I just raise an eyebrow and cross my arms. "Fine. Not friends. But maybe-" At that he pauses and I just stand there inwardly smirking. "Acquaintances. Nothing more." 

"Okay!" I smile, he just puts his hand out and I stare at it before it clicks. He wants the picture back! Slowly I fold it up and tuck it in my pocket. "For safekeeping." I grin. I have to keep it! It's probably the only picture I'll ever see of Sasuke looking remotely happy. He just watches plaintively and then starts walking. "Sasuke~" I whine and run after him. "Don't just leave! 

"Hina." he stops, "You're starting to sound like Karin." 

"Karin?" I ask innocently, looking up at him through my bangs. 

He sighs then starts, "The girl in the picture. She was quite like Sakura in the sense that they both pined after me." 

"Oh." I stop. "Who else is she like?" I ask as we start walking. I would really like to know more about this girl and everyone else in the picture. They do interest me! 

"You." 

"Me?" 

"Yes, you. You in the way that you both were hurt and scared when you were young and have both created shells to keep yourselves protected." 

"I t-think I w-would like to m-meet her." 

"Oh no, she's not quiet or anything. In pining after people and being annoying, she protects herself." he laughs, not maniacally though. More because he thinks I don't understand. But he's right. I don't. How was she hurt? I want to meet her, help her. It's a sudden urge because she's someone who might understand me, and I might understand her. 

"You really would?" Sasuke asks when I don't say anything. 

Looking up at him I nod, happy and excited. After a while, he sighs. 

"Fine. After we retrieve Orochimaru, and maybe Kabuto." 

"Really?" I ask tentatively.

"Yes." He sighs. I just squeal and throw my arms around him. Why am I so excited to meet a girl I know almost nothing about? I don't know! I just am. I do know that I won't tell Sasuke that the orphanage Kabuto runs is in Konoha because I'd like to wait a bit before going back there.  

Sasuke just puts a hand on my head and slowly wraps another around me.

--

Thanks for reading! This chapter was more character and plot development than actual action, and I mean you might want to expect a bit more of that when I don't know how to continue the action or start a fight.  But I do think character development is important, and I really would like to show the different parts of Sasuke that are brought out due to his new chakra combination. If you're confused at how much a little bit of chakra can do, don't worry I'll explain it either next chapter or the one after that, it just depends on how much talking everyone does. But thanks again for reading! I'll have chapter sixteen up before this Sunday. 

-Ari out