Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.

Last Time

His expression might have given away his curiosity for she continued without being prompted. "I kept dreaming I was drowning. I-I'd wake up, but as soon as I fall asleep, the d-dream would continue."

…

A particularly vicious strike from her made Sasuke grunt and she looked up at him, startled. And that was when he saw it.

It was so very brief, but he saw it.

The Sharingan on her own eyes.

…

She pursed her lips at his disbelieving look and said more "I will train more. And then I will become stronger." Her hands fisted at her sides, he saw. "I-I never get back on m-my words. That is my ninja way!"

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Pathways
Chapter 14
And There Was Moon

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It was raining again. It seemed to Hinata that there are only two seasons in Kumogakure. There was cloudy. Then, there was cloudy with rain.

Hinata sat beside the windowsill, watching the rain drizzle down on the empty streets and waiting for Sasuke to return. He had left so abruptly, she wondered if what she said had upset him.

What are you thinking? Of course it had upset him!

But still… she didn't say it to make him mad. She was just…

Just being true to myself.

Sasuke always said that she apologized too often, maybe that was what had set him off? She pouted at her hazy reflection on the window. Still, it was rather shallow to get angry over something like that. Maybe she'd just apologize to him once he got back. Right, that's what she would do.

She'd apologize for apologizing too much… That would really go over well.

Hinata sighed in defeat, the glass in front of her fogging over.

Lifting a finger, she wiped the moisture. Her eyes drifted their focus to the deserted streets, looking, hoping for a glimpse of messy raven hair.

She wished for the rain to stop.

There were days when the sun peeked over the overcast clouds. But those were very rare and very short lived. Few and far between.

It was always cold. Gloomy. The endless sound of pattering raindrops on the roofs and pavements long ago ceased to be comforting. Kumogakure was always gray and the drab scent of rain was overpowering, until it was all she could smell..

Hinata didn't like it here at all.

She missed feeling the sun on her skin. The glow of it behind her closed lids always dazzled her eyes but she loved it.

She liked the smell of the grass as it baked under the sun's rays. She missed the warmth and smell of vapor in the air. She missed the brilliant colors of the trees and flowers glinting under the sunlight. She missed…

Konoha.

Hinata smiled wistfully.

She wanted nothing more than to get back home. To see her family again. To once again laugh with her friends. To once again be able to teach her pupils.

Hinata missed her home.

And through all this, Hinata wondered if Sasuke ever missed it. He had been gone longer than she. She had only been away for a few months, and he had been gone for years.

Did he ever miss their village?

She supposed he did. Hinata remembered his melancholy look back when they were still on their way to Kumo. He looked so alone, as if he was thinking of something—someone?—that was out of reach.

And then she had to wonder, did he ever miss his family?

What a silly question. There's no doubt that he does. He probably felt their absence all the more because he knows he'd never be able to see them. In her case, she knows that her family was safe and sound in Konoha, but that doesn't make her stop missing them.

However Sasuke… Sasuke didn't have that reassurance. He didn't have a family waiting for him. He must miss them.

She could only speculate on the depth of his sorrow. But she wanted to at least ease it up in her own way.

That's why I…

Oh certainly, it wouldn't be hard to escape. Sasuke was always out doing missions for HQ that he wouldn't even know if she decided to just up and run. Hinata was sure he thought she didn't have enough courage to do it, but she does.

There was the one day, a few days after she had signed on to work in HQ, that Hinata was sent outside the village, together with a bunch of civilians, to get supplies. Vividly, she remembered standing at the threshold of the path leading back to the village. It would have been so easy to escape then. To return to the village and forget everything that had happened. Forget any association she may have had with Uchiha Sasuke.

She had hesitated. Torn. She recalled looking back and gazing at the path she could take to her freedom. Then she had contemplated that road back to Kumo, back to the village where the people after her eyes were residing.

Back where Sasuke was.

And that pretty much made up her mind.

What she lacked was reason—motivation really—to escape. It was stupid, and perhaps he had always been right when he told her she was an idiot to fraternize with the enemy, but she didn't want to escape.

She didn't want to leave Sasuke behind.

He…he is…

He was an indifferent jerk. That's what he was. A jerk. Hinata pursed her lips in a thin line, remembering how he had just stood there while she was in nothing but a towel. He even had the gall to peek. He probably thought that he was being sneaky about it too. She had really been mad at him and couldn't help but slam the door on his face. She had apologized right after, not because she was sorry for having slammed the door on his face, but because she had almost squashed his nose in the process.

Yes, he acted apathetic most of the time.

But he's also…

Caring and sweet. In his own indifferent jerkish way. He had cared for her when she was sick, had carried her on his back for miles (although he had called her name weak sounding afterward). He even trained her, albeit for his own personal gain. Still.

Sasuke was not perfect. He wasn't the cool prince the girls back at Konoha fantasized and swooned over. He wasn't kind, he wasn't heroic. He rarely even smiled, if at all.

And he wasn't Naruto.

That was the crux of it. He wasn't her childhood crush. And yet.

Naruto had been a goal, a vision for a weak girl to gaze upon. In her childish naiveté, she had elevated him to a pedestal so high he was more an apparition of her hopes and dreams, than the boy who had sat beside her in class.

Naruto was so different from the dark brooding Uchiha.

And yet.

Hinata couldn't find it in herself to care. He was Sasuke to her; aloof, indifferent Sasuke, with all his faults and emotional baggage.

And it was because of his imperfections that he seemed all the more real. Real enough for her to touch; real enough that she could reach out to him…and perhaps, someday…

He would reach out to her too.

Hinata knew she must be stupid for feeling like this. Could she be a masochist, to wish for such heartache?

But then, could a person control their heart? Could she have done the stupid thing and fallen in love with him? Could there be another explanation for the butterflies in her stomach and the skipping of her heart? She had always felt like this around Naruto… and yet not.

It wasn't completely the same.

And there was no one here, only her thoughts and the darkness. As long as it doesn't come out of her mouth, who would say that it had really happened?

That's why I...

.

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It was near midnight when Sasuke came back. Hinata was inside her room, and already lying on her futon when she heard him come in. She couldn't sleep.

There was a loud thud coming from the wall connecting their rooms. Hinata sat up on her futon and listened. He was probably starting to prepare for bed, she thought. Maybe it was the best time to apologize to him? She chewed on her lip, undecided.

On the one hand, she could just apologize tomorrow. On the other, tomorrow, she might have lost her nerve already.

Then there was the simple matter of being unable to sleep until she had cleared things up between them. Hinata sighed, frustrated with herself.

Kiba would surely have told her to just hustle and get it over with if he was here now. Shino would… he would stare at her until she just went and apologized. Kurenai-sensei would smile and encourage her. Then Akamaru's barks will give her the extra boost in confidence she needed.

She giggled despite herself. Well, it's now or never.

Decision made, Hinata stood up and marched directly to Sasuke's room. She raised her hand to knock, and hesitated. He could already be asleep. What if he got annoyed with her for disturbing him?

But Sasuke just came back; he couldn't possibly be already asleep. Could he? He's a light sleeper, she reasoned. Maybe she didn't have to knock at all.

Perhaps she could just…apologize without knocking?

She chewed her lip again and made up her mind to just give it a go. She knocked. Once.

There wasn't an answer. She knocked again.

Still no answer.

Well…it's not as if she expected any reply, really. Should she just do it tomorrow?

Hinata shook her head. No, she was here now. She's going to finish this.

Her knuckles rapped again on the door, Hinata leaned forward and pitched her voice to be heard over the wood.

"S-Sasuke are you awake?" she started uncertainly, "I-I just w-want to apologize for earlier. I don't regret anything that I said…only that I've offended you in the process." Huh…talking to wood was actually harder than talking to Sasuke—believe it or not. She never realized.

"I-I know that I wouldn't fully understand the things you went through…but…" she let her forehead bump the wood, "Please believe me when I say that I will become stronger. I w-will Sasuke. For my precious people, and that…" Should she say it? Dare she?

"…and that includes you!" It came out a little rushed and angry sounding, but there! She'd said it. And without stuttering too!

There was no telling if he was awake (she was hoping he wasn't) or if he had heard her at all if he was awake. But she'd said it. It wasn't such a big confession, to be sure, but she couldn't help feeling unaccountably pleased with herself.

Now it was just a matter of seeing what Sasuke would do with that information. She was still hoping he hadn't heard anything.

A smile spread on her face, her heart giddy with the rush of confessing (?). Now she could sleep, probably.

Turning around, she made to go back to her room. And collided with a wall. Hinata brought her hands up to push back but was surprised to feel warm flesh instead of cold cement.

Surprised, she blinked up and was met with a pair of onyx eyes staring down at her intently.

Sasuke wasn't in his room at all. Had he been standing there the whole time she was talking to the door? Hinata felt her face flame in mortification.

"Sa-Sa-Sasuke!" her stutter was back, and it was back with a vengeance it seemed. "I-I was…!"

Sasuke's intense gaze melted into intense amusement. Amusement at her expense, apparently. Maybe he hadn't been standing there the whole time? Hinata desperately hoped so. Maybe he hadn't heard anything?

Her eyes widened when Sasuke reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Goosebumps broke out of her skin when he let his fingers glide down her bare arm and then reach past her elbows towards the doorknob.

A corner of his lips tilted up. His breath, which smelled slightly of alcohol mixed with toothpaste, fanned on her face as he leaned down. "If you were wondering," he bent forward, Hinata felt his hair graze her ears, "I heard all of it," his husky voice whispered near her ear. There was a swarm of butterflies in her tummy again, and Hinata felt faint, light-headed.

The click of the knob turning and Sasuke's murmured, "Excuse me," barely registered to Hinata. Nor the way Sasuke slinked smugly into his room. She definitely didn't notice when he closed the door.

It took a while for her to get her bearings back in order. But when they did, she could only stare mutely at his closed door, wondering if that was a smile on his lips that she saw just then.

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The next day, Yugito accosted Hinata in the file room and asked her if she could take a break as she wanted to show her something.

Yugito led her to an outcropping overseeing the expanse of mountainous ranges enclosing Kumo in a protective barrier. Hinata had known beforehand that Kumo was one of the tightly guarded hidden villages in the Fire Country. But unlike any other ninja village, which relied on its manpower, Kumo relied mostly on nature. Kumogakure was a veritable fortress with its mountain ranges.

"It's nice huh." Yugito stretched her arms out and inhaled deeply. "This is where I go to whenever I want to think. You don't get to hear much whining here."

Hinata nodded in agreement and followed Yugito's example, taking a huge lungful of air and releasing it in a cleansing breath. The sun was at the horizon, casting its orange glow over the treetops. It was actually kind of nice, Hinata thought, especially with the rain having just subsided.

"See those ranges?" Yugito pointed at the mountains. "Those mark the edge of Kumo. No one comes up by this side. It's a hard climb up, not to mention that the area isn't very hospitable to living things."

Hinata marveled at the vastness of it. She was looking a little ways down when she noticed a ledge just below them. "What's under there Yugito-san?"

The Kumo nin hummed. "Oh, that. It leads to a tunnel which was once used to draw up water from below the mountains. A sort of aqueduct." Yugito sighed, "I would go there if I could stand the gloominess, hehe. Anyway!"

Hinata leaned away and gulped when the taller woman leaned down at her. "While we're on the subject…"

The leaf nin furrowed her brows, "Umm…aqueducts?"

Yugito guffawed with laughter. "You crack me up Hina-chan. No, I'm actually talking about your brother."

"You…you are?" Hinata tried to recall if Sasuke's name had come up anywhere in their conversation.

"What do you think came over him? He seems less gloomy than usual." The woman plowed on, oblivious to Hinata's bemused expression. "I swear I even saw him smile once. It's creepy." She faked a shiver.

Hinata felt herself giggling over Yugito's finding Sasuke's "smile" creepy. "Um…are you sure he wasn't just smirking?"

"Eh, now that you mentioned it, he could be. I dunno, the room was kind of dim and it was gone quickly so I didn't really get to ogle it." Yugito shrugged, which Hinata knew by then to interpret as the end of the discussion. "Have you two fixed your sibling spat then?"

Ah…There was always a method to Yugito's random comments. A person just had to keep up to find out, or have patience. In this case, she wanted to make sure that Hinata and Sasuke weren't still arguing. They weren't, as far as last night went.

At this, she couldn't help but flush, which Yugito caught judging by the sly grin now aimed at her.

"Tell me Hinata-chan, do you have someone you consider to be special?"

The question caught her off-guard, she wondered if this was another of Yugito's seemingly random questions. She stared at the orange rays and thought 'why not?', she could answer this. White eyes squinted against the sun and Hinata found herself shielding them from the glare.

"I-I used to…He was like the sun to me, always shining and casting his light." Hinata began.

Yugito leaned her back against the ledge and got comfortable. "Not anymore?"

"He is still my sun but...I couldn't bring myself to look at him. He was too bright for my eyes." It was true. She loved Naruto. Still love him in fact, but not like before.

"I realize that," Hinata paused and turned to smile at her friend, "I could always admire the sun. I don't need to look at it to know that it's there." And that was what her friendship with Naruto was like. They don't always talk or see each other, but she knows that he'll always be there for her. Her love for Naruto would always be there, but it was tempered now, so unlike the burning she felt for him when they were younger.

There were other kinds of love, Hinata knew now. Her childhood love was really just that, a child's love.

Yugito looked at Hinata, and for a moment, she felt that she was being weighed somehow, considered. "You love someone else, don't you?" It was said in a manner that was close to a revelation than that of a statement and Hinata felt herself quite surprised that she agrees.

Her exposed feelings swelled with the rising of her blush and it found herself unable to speak. Spoken out loud, Hinata couldn't find it in herself to deny the truth which echoed around her head and resonated within her heart.

She loved him.

And there should be happiness here somehow, Hinata thought, because Naruto always did make her happy. But then, didn't she just acknowledge that it was a different love altogether? Maybe this…

A hand came up and pressed the place where her heart was. There was an ache there and for the life of her, she didn't understand why. Why did it hurt?

"Hey Hina-chan, don't cry." Came Yugito's soft and panicked voice.

White eyes blinked and Hinata felt her cheeks. Felt the wetness there. She didn't even realize that she had started crying.

Arms enfolded her. Hinata found herself leaning into the warm embrace and sniffled. "There there," Yugito cooed, stroking her hair.

The softness of her friend's embrace made more tears slip from her eyes. She doesn't deserve Yugito's kindness for her deception, but Hinata couldn't find it in herself to push away. Her heart was throbbing painfully, and Yugito's soft comfort lessened the ache.

"A wise person once told me, that when a heart is overfilled with love," Yugito gently cupped Hinata's face a wiped a tear with her thumb, "some may spill from the eyes."

Hinata gave Yugito a teary smile. Through the blur of her tears, she could almost see a whiskered grin intersperse with that of Yugito's. "I th-think you're somehow like my s-sun, Yugito-san. You shine with your own light."

"Heh, does that mean my awesomeness blinds you too?" came the joking reply.

Hinata giggled, wiping her tears. "It dazzles a little."

The smile widened and then it turned contemplative. "I wasn't always shiningly awe inspiring you know." Yugito patted Hinata's head and stepped away. "There was a time when no one would even glance at me. But I persisted. It was hard but I earned their respect in the end." The older woman smiled. "Do you know why the sun shines?"

Hinata blinked at the random question. "Why?"

"Because people need its light." Yugito winked at her. "Someday, I'm sure you'll be your own sun to someone."

Yugito said this with utmost certainty that Hinata found it difficult not to believe her.

.

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Back home, Hinata was preparing supper when Sasuke came in. Her softly uttered 'okaeri' came largely ignored as he silently prowled towards her. Even though he was as silent as always, she could tell that he was clearly in a snit.

His dark brows were furrowed together when he approached her. He leaned over the kitchen counter. "Where were you?" he asked her without preamble.

A little surprised by his proximity, and still rattled by her earlier revelation, Hinata stuttered, "I w-was with Yugito-san. W-were you looking f-for me?"

The question seemed to take him off-guard because his face cleared somewhat and he took a step back. "N-no. Why would I look for you?" he muttered. "Anyway, I was thinking that we should go eat out," he said, eyeing the chopped potatoes in front of her.

Like a d-d-date?

The thought made her blush.

They had been living in Kumo for a while now and not once had Sasuke ever asked her to go out of the house with him, they save for going to HQ together. Had she heard him right? Hinata wanted to ask him to repeat himself but she was afraid he'd deny having invited her in the first place.

He must have taken her silence as refusal because he hurried to say, "I was just wondering." She looked up to see a red tint on his cheekbones, though it could be the lighting in the room because she could swear that Sasuke never blushes. "You don't have to come if you don't feel like it, I could go by myself."

Sasuke looked so uncertain that Hinata couldn't help but find it adorable. She just knew that if she said it out loud, he'd be really annoyed at her.

He glared at her. "Whatever." And proceeded to go back the way he had come.

This time, she couldn't help smiling a little bit. So he really did ask her out, which would also explain why he had been looking for her. Sasuke may be a jerk most days, but he could also be an adorable jerk if he wanted too. Although she wouldn't say that to his face. He might decide to just be a jerk otherwise.

"Wait!" Hinata called out to him once he had his hand on the door. He stopped he turned to glower.

She smiled sheepishly. "Let me j-just cover these potatoes."

His eyes darted to the tubers and frowned. He crossed his arms. "Make it quick."

Hinata beamed at him and proceeded to store the potatoes. She wondered where Sasuke would be taking her. As it was their first time going out together, perhaps he'd take her somewhere private and (blush) romantic.

.

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Sasuke took her to a family diner.

She supposes that it made sense, since they were posing as siblings. Still, Hinata couldn't help the stab of disappointment in her chest. It was stupid to fantasize about a romantic evening with him, especially since he hadn't indicated it was a date. She just hoped it was.

And they were posing as siblings. The dejected sigh that escaped her lips didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke, as he directed a questioning glance at her.

Blushing, Hinata quickly shook her head. Sasuke looked even more intrigued, but thankfully a server arrived at their table and that was that.

Hinata resisted the urge to giggle when Sasuke solemnly ordered rice and seasoned tomatoes. The food wasn't even in the menu.

The thoroughly bemused expression on the face of their server made her lose the battle and a laugh bubbled forth from her lips.

He shot her a blank look. "What?"

"I didn't know you liked t-tomatoes," she said.

"You didn't ask."

"W-Well, now that I know, I'd start m-making them f-for you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "Please don't."

The way he had said it rankled somehow. She face-faulted, "I-It won't be th-that bad."

"So you say. But I'd rather not risk it," he said dryly. "I don't want to have unpleasant memories of my favorite dish."

Hinata pouted. "I-I know I'm not th-that good but it's j-just tomato and r-rice…" How hard could it be?

"The onigiri the other night begged to differ."

She was really starting to take offense but it wasn't until she saw the smirk and the glint in his eyes that Hinata realized he was teasing her.

Sasuke was teasing. The thought had a surreal quality to it. Hinata gaped at him.

"What?" This time, he sounded annoyed, probably fed up with all the undeserved attention.

She smiled guiltily. "It's n-nothing."

It didn't seem like he believed her but thankfully, the food arrived. They ate without really talking to each other. When Sasuke finished the last of his tomato, she couldn't help but ask why he liked such a simple dish.

"They're healthy." He said as if it was so obvious he found it strange she needed to ask.

It was strange. She could think of other foods as healthy, if not healthier, and tastier at the top of her head. Hinata rather thought that he liked rice and tomato because it was simple to cook, among other things, but refrained from commenting.

But Neji always told her that she was a terrible at poker. Her face was too open and showed her emotions.

Sasuke probably saw what her cousin always saw on the rare occasion that she tried to play cards with him because he suddenly looked annoyed again.

"Whatever." He grumbled, leaving ryo to cover their bill and standing up.

Hinata hurried to catch up with him and managed to grab the edge of his sleeve outside of the diner.

"S-Sasuke…" she started to say.

"You better not start apologizing."

Hinata stopped. Right, he had told her to stop apologizing too much. "I…I like chocolate drinks because they're sweet," she said lamely.

Sasuke turned around, amusement in his eyes. "A random statement, if I ever heard one."

She felt her cheeks heat up and she tried to hide it by looking down at her sandals. Sorry…

He patted her head. Awkwardly.

"Listen, the festival's in a few days," Hinata looked up at the uncertain inflection in his tone, "Nii mentioned that it's tradition for women to attend wearing a kimono and…"

Oh.

"…I know you don't have one so we could get one now."

So that was the reason. Somehow, the part of her that longed for Sasuke to return her feelings felt disappointment that he hadn't taken her out to dinner just because he wanted to.

Hinata smiled at him and nodded, accepting his offer. He motioned for her to follow him and together, they walked towards the shopping district.

Yes, she was a bit disappointed. But the larger part of her, the one who loved and expected nothing else in return, was happy to just be able to spend this evening with him. It didn't matter where, just that she was with him.

It was enough.

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To Be Continued.

A/N:

Hei Gaiiiz! I finally got off my lazy bum and updated this story. All your encouragements kept me going. For a moment there, I had half the mind to just chuck this story but I figured, what the heck, I'm done with the draft anyway, might as well finish it!

So I have two pieces of news to you peepz, the good and the bad (uh-oh…). The good news is, this story would now get steady updates, once a month sounds about right. The bad news is, I'm writing it from the draft I made. How is that bad news? Well, it's an old, OLD, draft, meaning there would be a lot of inconsistencies to how I wrote then, to how I write now. And it all boils down to quality, I guess. At this point, I don't want to nitpick the minutiae of the story and produce an update a year later. I'm just going to write what I have already made and be done with it. Seriously, this story is like a sticky note on my proverbial fridge that keeps nagging at me.

Anyway, I finally got to finish this because of a review I received. Something about it tugged at my heartstrings and echoed my sentiments whenever I read unfinished stories I really liked. You reviewers contribute more to an author's morale more than you think :)

Thanks for reading!