Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Butterflies

Hinata loved days like this; the temperature in the atmosphere was utterly comfortable and there was not a single cloud grazing against the heart-stopping blue sky. Birds were singing their morning songs and the green grass was glazed with dew. It made Hinata's heart bloom seeing this scene unfolding before her lavender-tinted eyes. The only thing missing was the butterflies. Seeing them flutter about would be the perfect addition. Sadly, they were scarce around this part of Konoha. The living conditions were not suitable for them to thrive, so Shino said.

'Still…it would be nice to see them,' Hinata wistfully thought as she sat down, her back against the trunk of a tall oak tree. She drew her knees to her chest, enveloping her arms around them. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and relaxed. A few minutes passed on by silently and Hinata felt as if she was about to sink into a peaceful slumber when—

"Oi! Hinata!"

'That voice!'

Hinata's eyes snapped open, instantly locking with a pair of ocean-blue eyes that belonged to none other than Uzumaki Naruto, her former crush. Ok, so maybe she wasn't completely over him. After hearing that Naruto and Sakura were together, she wasn't surprised. She saw it coming years before. Even so, it couldn't stop her heart for blooming feelings for him. That traitorous twit of an organ still beats quickly to the tune of Naruto's.

He still had her heart in his hands…and yet, he never realized it. Never knew that something so precious was in his grasp…and Hinata couldn't completely take it back. She wasn't about to muster to courage to ask either.

"What're you doing out here-ttebayo?" he grinned broadly, his eyes taking in the surroundings. A shadow behind him manifested, catching Hinata's eye and before she could voice its existence, the shadowed hand came up and whacked him on Naruto's blonde head.

"She should be the one asking that question, idiot."

The shadow stepped into the sunlight, revealing its identity. Oh, it was Uchiha Sasuke. Hinata nearly forgotten about him; they never spoken or hung out, but his name was not easily forgotten. He DID leave the village, after all. Hinata even attempted to bring him back for Naruto, but failed (due to Naruto's gas problem).

"Damnit, Sasuke!" Naruto seethed, his hand clutching his blonde locks and tears tweaking at the corner of his eyes. "You take every chance just to use me as a punching bag, don't you?!"

"It's not my fault that you act like an idiot every time the chance arises."

Predicting that a fight was about to break out, Hinata spoke up. "U-um…Naruto-kun? How's your t-training going?"

Naruto's short-attention span switched to settle on Hinata and as usual, his ego inflated much like a balloon. Sasuke rolled his eyes, unseen by Naruto. Hinata bit back a smile.

"It's going great-ttebayo! I'm getting ten-times stronger!" he said, striking various fighting poses that would make Gai shed tears of…youth. "At this rate, I'll get twice as powerful as Sasuke!"

At the slight lilt of Naruto's voice, Sasuke scoffed. "Keep dreaming. That'll never happen."

"Hmph! You'll see; I'll make that dream a reality-ttebayo!"

"Then why don't you shut up and train?" Sasuke looked visibly irritated. "You'll never catch up to me if you keep running your damn mouth."

Naruto looked offended, but at Hinata's pleading expression, he chose not to shred Sasuke's duck-like hair with a kunai and simply retorted, "Fine, I will! See you later, Hinata!"

Naruto broke off into a run, his form disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Sasuke scoffed again before taking a seat on a fallen log not too far from where Hinata was. His obsidian eyes observed her lazily, which Hinata found slightly unnerving. She fixated her gaze to the sky, still feeling Sasuke's gaze burn softly on her skin.

"Um…h-how are you, Uchiha-san?"

"Drop the formalities," he monotonously cut in. "I hate them. Just call me 'Sasuke'."

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked out. Sasuke raised a delicate eyebrow, his expression twisting into some unknown.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he shifted casually, his posture laid-back. "Lighten up."

"Sor—"at Sasuke's warning glare, Hinata clamped her lips together, her face a pale shade of blue. Honestly, Sasuke's glare could kill the dead—seventy times over. She suddenly felt sympathy for Itachi. Hinata quickly pushed that forbidden thought into the dark corners of her mind and visibly relaxed as his glare softened into its stoic appearance.

"So…are you adjusting well being b-back home?" she asked, wanting to kill the suffocating silence lingering in the air.

"Not really. Everybody hates my guts," he paused for a moment and then let out a sardonic laugh. "And to think I used to be popular around here."

His words stung more than the fatalistic wounds. Hinata could sense the pain laced within his voice. His anger was evident, but she didn't know what it was directed at. She wasn't about to ask; it was none of her business. Her eyes softened.

"I…I don't hate you."

Sasuke scoffed, unbelieving.

"From what I heard, your cousin nearly died because of me. And Kiba, your teammate," Sasuke paused for a moment before adding, "and Naruto."

Hinata's heart took a sudden clench at the mention of her loved ones, Naruto's especially. She wanted to tear her gaze away from him, but she couldn't. She wouldn't.

"I don't harbor any qualms t-toward you, Sasuke," she rose to her feet, her expression genuine. "I don't blame you for what happened t-to Neji-nii-san…or Kiba-kun and…Naruto-kun."

Sasuke fell silent, but his expression told Hinata that he didn't believe her in the slightest.

"I don't blame you," she repeated. "Besides…they're still alive."

Startled, Sasuke's gaze snapped to Hinata's. While she still had his attention, she repeated once more, "I don't hate you, Sasuke. Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, and Kakashi-sensei don't hate you either."

A sigh was all that passed Sasuke's lips. He stood, towering Hinata about a couple inches, his gaze locked on hers. Hinata wanted to take a step back, yet…something kept her chained to the ground, preventing her from moving.

"Um…"

"I wish I could believe you," he started, "but the way I am now…I'm not sure what to believe in anymore."

There was the pain again, gleaming in his eyes. His stoic expression cracked slightly, enough for Hinata to decipher the look of regret playing on his face. Hinata felt to impulse to embrace him, but thought he wouldn't like to be touched (that and she was too scared to make a move toward him).

"Well…perhaps when your heart m-mends…maybe you'll believe in my words," Hinata watched Sasuke's expression shift into one of contemplation. "Until then, I-I'll be right here waiting."

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction, but just as quickly his stoic visage repaired itself. He lingered in Hinata's presence, pondering over her words. With an inaudible sigh, he turned away and walked off into the shadows. Hinata's eyes looked on with disappointment…

"Thank you."

Hinata's eyes widened at the sudden sound of his voice, echoing softly in the air and she blinked. He was nowhere to be seen. Her stomach fluttered uncomfortably and she absently placed a hand upon it. A smile spread on her face, her fingers digging into the fabric of her jacket.

There are butterflies, after all. She couldn't see them, but she could feel them...

A/N: I fail at angst. Ha ha. I do hope you like this one-shot. I tried to do something a little different.

Hope you all like it. Much love to you all. 3