Not Bad

Day 7: Genin Era

There's a song above you can listen while reading
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Sasuke groaned as he lied awake, feeling restless at the hospital bed, its material digging his back.

But that was none of his main concern. He gritted his teeth. He needed to kill Itachi, he needed to get away from this town, a place where he was living his nightmare in broad daylight.

He harshly threw the medical wire seconds ago was needled to his hand.

He wasn't a weakling needing care in hospital for weeks. He had been there for few days and his wounds were healing, he had enough of this, he had a goal he wanted to fulfill. His burning rage wrapped his being the second went by.

The genin boy slammed open the door, surprisingly not broken with the force of wrath that touched it.

Grudgingly, he walked down the almost empty hallway except for the occasionally voices of nurses from distance.

Get away, his goal was that.

But he nearly collide with a small being turned from the corner, hands touching the walls for support.

Sasuke was about to curse the ever so oblivious person who wasn't paying attention to their surrounding when he saw the bandages around their eyes.

Hm, no wonder.

"Tch."

The person flinched. Her unique color hair that got Sasuke confused together with equally unique hair-style jerked back with the sound.

"I-is there someone there?"

He didn't bother to answer. Why would he?

And he continued to analyse this hunched form of the girl, to realise it was the girl from Team 8, the one with Byakugan.

He raised his eyebrows, wondering what happened to her eyes, after all having Kekkei Genkai Dojutsu makes its user prominently vulnerable and protecting it wasn't like taking a walk in the park. It was precious and needed to be well-taken care of, so now why would a Hyuga had a bandage on her eyes?

"Excuse me, can you lead me to nearby bench?" The girl timidly asked him.

Sasuke squinted his eyes, taking in her body language before scoffing.

'And why would I do that?' He only realised he didn't said that one out loud. Just why?

He looked around for someone to take his place in helping the Hyuga girl.

"Hello?" The girl squeaked again.

He groaned in annoyance, took her wrist and took a step.

She let out a small yelp, surprised for the sudden body contact and inertia.

His eyes scanned for a bench, grunting as he wondered the reason for him to help her.

She was just bothersome with her hopeful voice, waiting for his help that he can't shake her off.

What is this.

This Hyuga girl is not bad, he thought.

Hyuga Hinata is not bad, he thought again.

In what way, he didn't quite figure it out yet.

Finally, at exactly left, 7 meters from them was a bench seen.

With confident strike of steps, Sasuke led Hinata there.

Hinata was quiet, this person's hand was hotter than average people, must be a fire nature person, she thought. Her mind went unstrained at any potential person with a voice and irascible personality like the person who was helping her.

"On your right, there's a bench," came a cold yet such soothing voice to her ears. She smiled. She recognised this voice since she heard it frequently albeit never directly.

She pat the wall on her right and slowly pat down to feel the bench then eventually rested her body on top of it.

Her smile didn't went downward, it was consistent when she felt the bench went wobbly a bit, telling her there was another weight settling on the same bench.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

And he would be lying if he said his heart didn't flipped hearing that. Totally not bad.

"What happened to your eyes," why do you care?

Such simple question, yet with so conflicted tone as Sasuke was fighting himself to not add another question that sounded like he cared.

"Eye strain from my training with Neji nii-san." She explained with a hint of cheery voice despite what unfortunate she uttered, making Sasuke turned to her.

What is this girl? Is she happy she injured her valuable quality she has?

In truth, Hinata actually was happy for this was her first time having a conversation with Uchiha Sasuke, the untouchable guy everyone knew and it was actually decent chat. And she was a bit touched that he seemed concern about her, she didn't know he considered her a friend enough to ask. He always looked as if he lost interest in everything else but revenge and feeling of hateful.

Hinata vowed to view him differently from now on. He was more than that. Her smile stretched more.

"Then, why are you alone now?" Another question, unwillingly said from his own throat yet it was futile. Words had been spoken out.

"Oh, Neji nii-san told me to wait while he talks to the doctor, but it was getting a while, so I searched for a bench to sit." She replied, her face slightly turned toward him. Such a shame, he couldn't see her light eyes this close.

He thought that those eyes plus her shy expression would surely captivated him.

Startled by his own thought, he rubbed his face in frustration.

He got distracted by this girl. Not long ago, he was thinking of running away for his revenge.

Hinata made him forget for a while with just her presence alone.

Silence intruding their space, but neither felt the need to break it off. Hinata with her tranquil posture whilst Sasuke with his running thoughts.

"Hinata-sama?" A voice not far away from them, called out.

"Here!" She shouted back and thus the Uchiha blooded boy rose from his seat like it burned him, ever knowing fire can't hurt him.

He walked away with large steps, almost hopping, hoping Neji didn't use his byakugan to locate Hinata and saw her with him.

It was a secret, supposedly, only Hinata and himself should know of, nobody else.

Neji watched the retreating form of Sasuke, feeling uneasy then relief to find Hinata free from any additional injury after he left her.

As Sasuke jumped to avoid nurses chasing after him, his eyes softened.

Hyuga Hinata is not bad.

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Happy Sasuhina Month, everyone <3
This is posted on ao3 too.