Sasuke's apartment was located in the Uchiha compound, webbed with cobs and dust. The gardens were frosted with brown, twisted and shrivelled, untouched for years. The pavements were overgrown with weeds, windows fogged over and stains crawling up the sides of the walls from decay.
It was barren, obvious that it had been an estate long forgotten by the village and neglected by civil services. All seemed devoid of life, save for the one small unit. Hinata could see the light on from the street and turne d her head slightly to stare at the back of Sasuke's head. Did he really live in such a big, empty place like this?
"Is this your home, Sasuke-san?" asked the Hyuga as they began to climb some stairs. Sasuke briefly glanced at her from over his shoulder and gave a stiff nod.
He pressed his lips into a hard line and then pushed his front door open. Hinata was frozen at the threshold even after he had completely walked in and, at one point, disappeared around the corner. He frowned at her.
"Well?" he demanded. "Are you coming in or what?"
She jumped slightly at his forcefulness and then hesitantly entered his home. It was warmer than she thought it would be but the walls were plain and white and it was not even a little bit homey. In fact, it looked like no one even lived here and if it weren't for the few dishes atop his counter, she would've thought it to be completely abandoned.
Sasuke scowled at her expression and crossed his arms, "Scared?"
"H-huh?" Hinata said in confusion.
"Never been in the Uchiha compound before?"
She gave him a puzzled look, not entirely sure at what he was getting at.
"Afraid of ghosts?"
Yes, Sasuke had heard the nasty rumours that had spread about his clan and where they once resided. Nobody came here anymore. Only he did. Because the mourning, vengeful and eternally pained spirits of the eradicated and near-extinct clan haunted the streets, and if you strained your ears hard enough you could hear them hissing Uchiha Itachi's name in horror.
Hinata clicked finally and she got an odd grimace on her face that certainly looked odd when she wore it. "Sasuke-san, you shouldn't leave your door unlocked!" she snapped quickly, wanting to remove all misunderstandings as fast as possible. "You are the sole survivor, what if someone wants to kill you?"
The Uchiha was taken-aback as Hinata stepped forward and forward and forward, firmness on her face, but his expression remained never changing.
"Then I'll kill them first," he simply replied and turned on his foot.
He headed for the kitchen and rummaged through some things before finding what he was looking for. Hinata entered further into his apartment, marvelling at its blandness. His bed was located around the corner next to a desk that faced the window.
His bedsheets were dark blue and neatly made with clothes folded tidily atop it. On his desk, there was a lamp, notepad and a small jar of utensils. From out of his window, she could see her own home but only just.
"Here," Sasuke said, suddenly behind her.
She spun around to face him and her eyes widened at what he held out to her.
"My bento?" she asked in shock, receiving it carefully. She turned it around and round in her hands but there was not a single crack visible anymore.
He really had fixed it, like he said he would.
"Don't act so surprised," he grunted. "I said I'd fix it."
It took Hinata a few moments to process what he had done for her and when it all sank in, she pressed a hand to her mouth to hide her giggle. "Oh, Sasuke-san," she said, "Thank you very much! You are so kind to me."
"Mm," he agreed, stuffing his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.
She got a warm look in her eye and she hugged the bento to her chest, extremely grateful for him going through the effort. She truly hadn't believed she'd see the bento box again, and she had come to terms with it. However, Sasuke had proved her wrong and she couldn't be happier.
"Let's go," he said, jerking his head.
"Un," she nodded, following him out of his apartment with a bounce in her step that she didn't realise she had.
He closed the door with a click, not bothering to lock it, and they went on their way.
Sasuke knew of the two locations Hinata trained – more so, the ones he had run into her at – and opted on taking her to the nearest one to her compound. That way, she could drop her bento off home and didn't need to carry it wherever they went.
Nearing the Hyuga estate, Sasuke felt himself tense out of habit. Even more so when he detected an odd chakra signature from within that made his eyebrow tick, and every fibre of his body scream danger. His shoulders went rigid and he glanced at Hinata behind him who seemed to be absolutely oblivious to it.
Just who, or what, were the Hyuga holding behind those walls of hers?
"Eh?" Hinata muttered when they stopped outside her compound. "My home?" she asked him.
"You don't want to bring your bento, do you? I just fixed it you know," said the boy, and her eyes rounded with realisation. Though, had she broken it a second time, Sasuke would've fixed it again easily.
"Right!" she agreed, "I won't be a second." She hopped forwards and then slowed, facing him. "Will you come in?" she offered.
He paused momentarily, and then agreed. He cared little for the Hyuga themselves but he was curious to see the owner of that awful aura. He wanted to know just why tiny Hinata could withstand that dark ooze so carelessly, and couldn't help but feel a little nauseous.
The Hyuga compound, much to his chagrin, was a flourishing and beautiful place with beautifully intact gardens and koi ponds. The walls weren't riddled with vines and weeds and the outside floorboards were scrubbed squeaky clean.
Suddenly, the aura grew denser.
"Ah! Kimimaro-kun!" Hinata exclaimed in a tone Sasuke had never heard before. He snapped his head to her in a second and, following her line of sight, he discovered the source of that ominous chakra he was sensing.
The oblivious Hyuga raced forwards excitedly and for reason, her eyes were sparkling as she shared conversation with a tall pale boy. He looked so odd and out of place next to Hinata, and there was something off about him that made Sasuke narrow his eyes.
"Kimimaro-kun, there's someone I'd like you to meet," she told the pale boy, and Sasuke pressed his lips into a hard thin line.
Kimimaro's forest green eyes flickered up and took in Sasuke as if he were scrutinizing his every cell. The Uchiha did the same, sizing him up. Tch.
"This is Sasuke-san, and Sasuke-san this is Kimimaro-kun!" Hinata introduced, unaware of the tension that sizzled between the two boys.
A moment of silence swept over them after she finished her sentence, and awkwardness approached. Her face fell, questioning just what was aspiring in front of her.
Noticing her discomfort, Kimimaro was the first to make a move. He smiled and bowed politely at Sasuke.
"Nice to meet a friend of Hinata-sama's," he said. "I hope we get along."
Not likely, Sasuke thought but he, too, forced a smile to please Hinata. "Sure," he replied, and nothing more.
"W-well," chuckled Hinata, anxiously, "I-I'll be right back, ne?" And then she quickly padded off, probably with extra care to return as swiftly as possible, considering how weird they seemed.
Sasuke shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and his eyes were hard. "Who're you? I've never seen you 'round before."
It was true. Kimimaro wasn't a familiar name, and Sasuke was certain he'd recall distinct features like that. Kimimaro tilted his head, as if Sasuke was an amusing small animal, and stretched his smile wider.
"I hail from Otogakure. Recently, the Hokage has placed me under the care of the Hyuga clan until I return to my village," Kimimaro answered honestly.
"Oto?" repeated Sasuke. "Why?"
Kimimaro smirked, and it irked the Uchiha. "You're very nosy."
Sasuke ground his teeth. "Whatever. Tell Hinata I'll be waiting outside for her."
"Going on a date for her birthday today?"
"Shut up," snapped Sasuke, and Kimimaro laughed.
He didn't dismiss the fact that Hinata hadn't told him it was her birthday today from his thoughts though.
(-)
"I don't like that guy," Sasuke said when Hinata had returned with haste. Her cheeks were a little red from rushing (she also had to dodge Hanabi, and some maids who were acting weird when they didn't let her walk through a hall to get to her room) and she taken off guard by his acclamation.
"K-Kimimaro-kun?" she asked, stunned.
"He's creepy," said the Uchiha, "And suspicious. Something's odd about him."
Hinata giggled. "He's only different because he's not from Konoha, Sasuke-san. Kimimaro-kun is a good boy."
Sasuke quietly snorted at her reference of him being a good boy because in some way, she was calling him a dog and he was fine with that. He didn't know what the hell the Hokage was up to, letting someone that weird into their village let alone in the home of Hinata, but he supposed he had to trust it.
He started to walk and she skipped to keep up with his long strides.
"Today," he started, before trailing off.
"Hm?" she pried.
He looked at her, arched eyebrow. "Today..." He paused to sigh and then said, "You didn't tell me today is your birthday."
Hinata blinked at him. "Oh. Well, yes." She fidgeted with her gi. "I prefer to continue as if it were any normal day."
Sasuke watched her for a second and then shrugged, nonchalantly, since he could relate. "Hn." It wasn't his business how she wanted to spend her birthday. He supposed he was a little pleased that she would prefer to refine her abilities as a capable shinobi rather than celebrate her birth.
He was the same. But he wasn't like her in the sense that she had people to share it with, because he didn't. His last five birthdays were spent alone and holed up in his room to avoid awkward situations with Ino and Sakura. They never dared to enter the Uchiha compound so he supposed those spooky rumours served a righteous purpose in the end.
"So," Sasuke finally said once they reached the training ground. It was empty and cold and no one in their right mind would train on a day like this. "What do you want to do first?"
Hinata's eyes got shifty for a moment and then she admitted quietly, "W-well...I'm not fast. And I can't throw kunai right. I'm not strong enough for taijutsu and I guess—" She grew flustered before sighing and relaxing. She might as well let Sasuke know what he was getting into. "I'm not good at anything."
She waited for his face to change, for a sneer of disbelief that she - a Hyuga - could be so useless. But it didn't come. Instead he nodded and handed her a weapon.
"Throw it."
"Where?"
"Anywhere."
Hinata hesitated, uncertainty in her gaze as she waddled side ways and faced a large tree. When he nudged, she threw. It landed.
"Was that your target?"
Hinata's eyebrows shot up.
"Was that where you wanted it to go? Was that bullseye?"
Hinata hummed and ahh'd. "It was the throat."
Sasuke sought clarification.
"I pretended it was a person and I was aiming for a vital area. The throat. I hit him in the throat."
The Uchiha snorted. "Then your aim is not nearly as bad as you think."
There was a shortage of sound and Sasuke turned to look at the girl with an arched eyebrow. She had trudged over to the tree quietly and yanked the kunai from the wooden trunk of the tree it had embedded itself in. She looked at her in her hand for a few seconds and then glanced up at the Uchiha.
"Thank you, Sasuke-san, but not nearly as bad as I think isn't what I want."
"What do you want?"
She pursed her lips and smiled ever-so-slightly with her eyes. "I want to be..." Strong. Unmovable. Hyuga. "I want to be like...like..."
He blinked and Hinata saw time slow as his long thick lashes touched his cheek bones then fluttered back open.
"I want to be l-like Uzumaki Na-Naruto."
Immediately, her face warmed and her chest squeezed as a heat spread up her neck and into her cheeks. Ah. Just the name alone made her feel hot all over. Heart pounding and almost embarrassed to admit it, Hinata averted her eyes to the side.
She didn't care for Sasuke's response or even his opinion on her desire but she was giddy from saying the words aloud. She had thought plenty of times but to voice it was odd. It was like a secret she was telling the Uchiha and he didn't even know it.
And then he scoffed loudly, and the thundering of her heart in her ears dulled over as she zeroed in on his face.
"That idiot is your idol?" He snorted. "I suppose it makes sense. His preposterous persistence. His overbearing presence. You're not a masochist, are you, Hyuga?"
"N-no!" she gasped hotly. "S-Sasuke-san, that's mean!"
He raised his hands. "Hey, it was just a question."
Her brow sank rapidly and it was hilarious just how ridiculous her round baby face looked with a scornful scowl. If Hinata could be scornful, that was.
"N-Naruto-kun isn't preposterous or overbearing! He's k-kind and strong and brave a-and he's not afraid!"
The Uchiha fell silent for a moment. Hinata was mad. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her tone and feel it in her aura. Her anger was heavy and direct, and though she wasn't a heated person, her feelings were justified.
"I see now," he understood.
"S-see what?"
"Nothing." He sighed and kicked at the snow with the tip of his shoe. He guessed he'd go along with it anyway. "I suppose Naruto has some redeeming qualities about him. I can't guarantee I'll rub off some of his idiocy on you but I can try. He's got recklessness and unpredictable going for him but I don't think reckless is something you should go for. Let's try..."
He got an idea.
"Let's just get the basics down and then we'll try surprises. We'll do strength training, your arms look like they'll slip right off your body."
Hinata tried. She really did. Despite the cold (and, oh, did it get cold) she still went on. Sasuke was used to it -- to the yards they ran, the muscles exercises they did and the kata they performed. He was practically finished when she had barely gotten half way. He could still breathe with ease where she was gasping for oxygen.
She was trying. Her consistency was surprising, even to him. And the determination never left her face.
She'd scraped up a few cuts and bruises, too - one being on the side of her forehead. She had slipped and landed awkwardly on her face. Nose-bleeding, she smiled through and pushed on.
She looked like death. And that was putting it lightly.
Hinata had handled well in the beginning but her stamina and endurance was extremely low. She excelled in kata, only because it had been ingrained in her since birth, and in the judo rolls and shrimping they did. Tree climbs were fun until she cut her knee and running kept the blood pumping until her teeth chattered louder than her foot steps.
Evening was drawing on them. As the sun got low, the air frosted over even more so.
Hinata didn't stop.
"Stop."
Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough for today."
He snatched up her hands and inspected her fingertips. They were nearly blue.
"Where are the gloves I gave you?"
She panted. "Huh?" Struggled to catch her breath.
Her hair was sweaty and matted against her forehead, bruise peeking out at him. Her cheeks were rosy and flushed but her lips were going pale, and she was shuddering.
"But I'm n-not done. I still have four laps--"
He turned on his heel, hand still tightly around hers, and he tugged her behind him. They stepped through the pathway they'd created in the snow from their training, and out onto the dirt path that led out of the training grounds.
"W-wait! Sasuke-san?"
She tripped over her feet trying to keep up with his sudden outburst.
"Sasuke-san, why are we st-stopping? Was I doing b-badly?"
The Uchiha didn't slow. "No. You weren't bad." After a pause, he added, "I'm hungry."
And she bought it. She was so gullible, he thought. But unbeknownst to him, she was burying a small smile beneath her scarf. Sasuke really was a kind boy.
She thought he might tear her arm right off her body had she not kept up with his long legs. He reminded her of her Neji-niisan this way. Refusing to look at her and just leading her along without noticing her stumbles. Not that she minded.
Neji-niisan had been like that since forever.
Suddenly, Sasuke stopped. She managed to yank herself to a halt before she slammed into his back and peered out from behind him. It was Sakura and Ino. He released her from his grip almost instantaneously.
Of all days.
He turned to Hinata. At first she was confused and then it dawned on her.
Her permission to run? He had it. And he was gone in a split second, leaving her to face the vultures alone.
"Oh!" Ino was the first the pipe up, jumping almost as if she'd seen a ghost. "Hinata-chan! It's just you!"
Relieved, she clutched her chest and breathed a laugh of relief.
"I thought I saw Sasuke-kun. Ne, Hinata-chan, did you see Sasuke-kun anywhere around here?" the Yamanaka asked and the Hyuga suddenly felt a gaze she was certain belonged to Sasuke pierce right through her.
"Ano..." she started, unsurely. Her eyes flickered over to Sakura who stood with folded arms and a slight pout, eyes averted to the ground and a slight blush on her cheeks. No doubt she was recalling embarrassment from when Hinata had called them out. Ino, on the other hand, couldn't care less. "He...he was here."
A jolt shot up her spine the moment she admitted the truth and she knew it was Sasuke, perhaps cursing her by every Kami's wrath for ratting him out.
"Well. Which way did he go?" queried the blonde.
"Ah..." Hinata looked around. She pointed through a cluster of trees. "That way."
It was the complete opposite way he really went and they were quick to follow her directions. They threw loose thanks behind them and Sasuke's blood lust died down. He didn't reveal himself too soon though, so she began to move forward just in case the girls came back.
She headed for the markets that were lit with lanterns and coloured lights, weaving through the people. Her small size allowed her to manoeuvre quite stealthily through the body masses and then she paused.
A red glint caught her eye. And then she saw it. A red beaded bracelet, a pair, sitting on a display pillow at a stall.
Her attention on it was brief and lingered only for a longing moment before she moved on.
Sasuke appeared beside her when she had freed herself from the crowd.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked her.
"Sasuke-san is kind but I would like to treat you this time," she told him and he was surprised. Not like he'd show it though. "Please choose whatever you want and I will pay."
He frowned at her. "Don't be stupid. It's your birthday."
"I'm not hungry. Isn't the whole reason we stopped because you're hungry?" Her expectant look was irritating.
The Uchiha was silent momentarily. "Right," he sighed in annoyance. "Well. If you're offering, I want takoyaki."
When she just nodded her head in silence, he scowled at her open jacket and loosely hanging scarf.
"Do you want to get sick?" He grabbed the two ends of her scarf and pulled it hard. It almost choked her. "Honestly. Can't you look after yourself?"
"Sorry," she apologised. But he had already turned on his heel and walked away.