Title: Breathe

Author: Hitachiin Hikaru

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: "T"

Genre: Romance/Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Naruto, including characters, cities, towns, scenarios, titles, or anything else about it you can think of. I just want to express my creative intent with this fic.

Summary: And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams. Is there anyone out there? 'Cuz it's getting harder and harder to breathe. Hinata wonders what life would be like if she never met him. HinaIta R&R Please Slight NejiHina in later chapters

A/N: This is definitely not canon, I know that, and I prefer her with Sasuke or Naruto if anything, but I wanted to try my hand at her with Itachi. Be kind, please?

Chapter 1: Friends?

"Shh, it's all right Hinata-chan," a calm voice whispered to the crying girl, squeezing her hand in his consolingly.

That voice is so strikingly familiar that the blue haired Hyuuga thinks she must be dreaming. It is a voice she hadn't heard since she was very young; when her father had lost patience with her inept skills and ordered away for the night.

She was supposed to go to her room, but chose instead to leave the complex altogether. She couldn't stand the disappointed looks the rest of the Hyuugas shot her, knowing that she could never meet their standards. The eight-year-old had traveled to a different part of the village, near the Uchiha district, far away from her own home. Hinata found a moonlit brightened meadow to stop in, and let out a refreshing, dry sob. She buried her face in her hands, angry with herself for being so weak. Why was she so weak? She was a Main House member for goodness sake! She should be strong, like her father.

Hinata sniffed and wiped the water from her face. She didn't know how long she'd been there, only that she was cold and tired, and wanted to go home. Standing up, the little Hyuuga stretched her sore legs and began to walk through the dark woods, feeling along the familiar forest. Her Byakugan wasn't fully developed as of yet, so she had to rely on her knowledge of the woodland area that she had gathered. A few moments after departure, she ran into something, and the thing was so stationary that she rebounded. The girl would have fallen onto her rear had something not reached out and grabbed her arm.

It was a person.

"Are you all right?" a smooth, calm voice questioned, holding her upright. It was a boy, probably much older than herself, and quite a bit taller. A Konoha headband was gleaming on his forehead, so it was obvious he was a ninja. That made her feel a little bit more secure.

She sniffed, "Yes."

He pressed, "Are you lost?"

"No, I-I was j-just about t-to go h-home," she stuttered, her natural shyness getting the better of her. She was tired however, and not sure if she could make it the whole way. Suddenly, she felt herself being scooped up into the ninja's arms, and she blushed, confused and shocked.

"You're dead on your feet," he told her, running quickly out of the forest as the girl clutched to his shirt tightly. As he slowed down, the blue haired Hyuuga glanced up to see a familiar face. She wasn't well acquainted with the boy, but who in Konoha didn't know about the talented, young ANBU: Uchiha Itachi.

"U-Uchiha-san?" Hinata asked timidly, feeling extremely shy right then. She wasn't used to being talked to, nor held by, other people besides her family members. Even then, it was extremely rare, so this was a bit of an unusual experience for her. The thirteen-year-old slowed to a stop and shot Hinata a curious expression. "Wh-what are y-you d-doing out s-so late?"

"Training," he replied vaguely, sitting down on a bench with the little girl resting on his lap. He met her white eyes and then asked, "What about you?"

"Oh." She blushed madly, not wanting to dump her ridiculous problems on someone who most likely had enough trouble on his own hands. Besides, she didn't know Itachi very well, so how was she supposed to explain anything to him? "A w-walk…" It sounded more like a question, and the Uchiha saw right through it.

He chuckled. "Don't lie, Hyuuga-chan. You don't start crying on a walk. Unless you hurt yourself?" His onyx eyes examined her for any possible injury. She shook her head no frantically, and squeezed her hands tightly in her lap. She realized after a moment that he didn't know her name, and tilted her head to look up at him.

"Hinata," she whispered, and Itachi gave her a slightly confused look. "M-My… my name. Hinata." He nodded and gave her a small smile, motioning for her to tell him what was wrong. "I-I'm not hurt," she told him slowly, licking her lips as she contemplated. He seemed nice enough, and that he wanted to truly know what was bothering her. "On the outside. B-But I am h-here." She pointed to her chest, trying to get the older boy to understand her plight. He nodded slowly, watching the Hyuuga. He seemed to comprehend, and she continued, "My heart hurts. M-My father… he wants me to be strong b-but… I'm weak. And h-he doesn't l-like his f-future heir t-to be w-weak…" She felt tears brim at her perfect, pearl colored eyes. "I-I think h-he hates m-me!"

Itachi ruffled her short hair and shot her a sympathetic smile. "I wish I could give you some of my strength. You deserve it more than I do." She shot him a perplexed expression. "And for the record, Hinata-chan, I like you." He gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumb, and she blushed at the close contact. The Uchiha asked her, "Would you like to be friends?"

She perked up. "Tr-Truly?" He nodded at her brightened face. "C-Could I… visit you w-whenever I w-want?" He shot her an answering smile.

"Whenever you're feeling down, or you need to talk, come find me. I'll try to be there even when I'm busy, okay?" Hinata watched the older boy for a moment, attempting to find a lie in his too sweet words. How could anyone be this nice, this caring? Her father was cold to her, like he was to everyone, and she didn't know her other relatives well enough to create a bond with them. Her sister was three, and Neji didn't like talking to her at all. So there was really no one she could form a friendship with. Despite her lack of expertise, she decided she could trust this young ANBU ninja.

"Yeah," she agreed, and yawned widely. The Uchiha smiled at her and stood up, holding the eight-year-old against his chest as he disappeared into the night, heading for the Hyuuga complex. He stopped before Hinata's open window and climbed in, setting the half asleep child gently on her bed. "Night, Itachi-sama," she told him with a sleepy smile, kissing his cheek affectionately before he let her go.

"Good-night, Hinata-chan," he replied, exiting through her window without another sound.

…:oOo:…

"Itachi-sama!" The ANBU glanced up to see his little Hinata running towards him, with a shocked and embarrassed looking Hiashi following behind. She wrapped her small arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. But her father pried his daughter away from the Uchiha, much to Itachi's annoyance. If the girl wanted to hug him, then she had full right to hug him, dammit.

The Hyuuga clan leader apologized, more out of necessity than desire, "I apologize for my daughter's rudeness, Uchiha-san, I don't know what got into her." Hinata flushed with shame at being the source of her father's discomfiture, and Itachi blinked.

"I don't mind, Hyuuga-sama," he told the white eyed man, kneeling down to Hinata's eye level. Itachi added, "Though, Hinata-chan and myself are quite good friends, so I suppose it'd be a normal occurrence wouldn't it?" The man didn't know quite what to sat in response to that, so he felt it to be more diplomatic to simply nod and smile. Hinata smiled shyly, bashful for her rash behavior seconds before. He asked the girl, "Hinata-chan, how has school been lately?"

Her father politely excused himself and entered back into the complex. She replied, looking at her shoes, "G-Good… E-Except…" Her expression fell, and she watched the ground. "A-At school… there's a Father-Daughter D-Day… b-but my Daddy c-can't come…" The Uchiha tapped his chin and shot the girl a smile.

"I'll go with you Hinata-chan," he told her thoughtfully, and she watched him for a moment, her head tilted to the side.

"But," she contradicted, "y-you're not my D-Daddy, Itachi-sama." She looked so defiant with her arms crossed over her chest that the Uchiha had to chuckle.

He asked, "Do you love me?"

She blinked, and then nodded. "You're my best friend."

"Then it's okay. When is it?" Smiling brightly, she pulled a blue colored pamphlet from her bag and handed it to him.

…:oOo:…

"Nii-san," Sasuke called as his brother walked into the door, running up to the ninja with a smile. Itachi nodded at him and shoved the paper into his bag quickly, the move going completely unnoticed by his younger brother. "Welcome home!"

"Hello, Sasuke," he greeted, ruffling his dark colored hair. He walked passed the younger boy into his room, but his mother was in there, putting laundry away for him. He entered the room and the woman turned around, giving him a smile. "Good evening, Mother."

She replied with a cheerful, "Hello Itachi." She put the last couple of pieces of clothing away and exited the room. Closing the door after her, the ninja sat on his bed, pulling the blue sheet out of his pouch and watched it for a moment, then smiled.

The girl's father or male guardian should accompany her to this day of fun. However, if he cannot be present, then a close friend thirteen or older can accompany her.

"I believe I meet those requirements," he commented, smoothing the paper out and placing it in the top drawer of his dresser.