It's a Kid Thing

It's a Kid Thing - One

Disclaimer: I don't own this story. This belongs SOLELY to Miikka-xx from fanfiction.net. I don't own Naruto. If I did, no attractive male character would be wearing a shirt. Or clothes for that matter.

Sasuke's a pompous ass and Hinata doesn't know it. Unrequited SasuHina.

-x-

First day of the Academy sucked, in five-almost-six year old Sasuke's not-so-humble opinion. It was no wonder Itachi and the shadow-masked Kakashi had ditched this place as soon as possible. Then again, the girls back then probably weren't like what these monsters were like. His big brother had mentioned in passing to their mother something about Sasuke not liking girls. Pfft. Darn right, he didn't like girls. It was almost his turn to go up to introduce himself to a class of jealous boys and drooling girls. Did girls their age even know the definitions of handsome, cute and beautiful anyway?

Another girl pranced up, pink hair swinging back and forth to the front of the class. Maybe a cotton candy machine had exploded all over her when she was little and they could never get it out, mused the boy. A blonde kid in the corner cheered, his grin about to split his face in half. Idiot.

"I'm Haruno Sakura! I like flower-picking and hair ribbons and-" she went red as she looked in his general direction (Ahem, insert sigh here), "-a certain someone!" She ended with a fit of giggles, giving a shy wave to him. Sasuke suddenly disliked the general female population. And that cocky long-haired kid that looked like a girl. God, what was He thinking giving the prettiest hair in the world to the cockiest boy in the world?

To his displeasure, the third girl in a row stumbled in front of the class, her eyes the same shade as the stupid gender-confused kid a year older the him. Of course, the difference was startling obvious. She had choppy, short hair (that looked of silk but that was beside the point), a rounder face and the prettiest eyelashes framing her lavender eyes.

"A-Ano, I'm H-Hyuuga Hinata..." she swallowed, face still resembling a cherry, "and I like g-gr-growing f-flowers and p-plants and-," her pale eyes traveled to the blabbing blonde idiot, "-and th-that's me!" she squeaked, flashing a weak smile. Some polite clapping and the next person walked to the front. Well, wasn't that exciting? Hinata pursed her lips and continued to stare at the boastful, dumb blonde as she slipped in her seat, quiet and quaint. Just like a proper Hyuuga.

Not that Sasuke cared, because being Sasuke, being an Uchiha in general, he was gifted with skills, good looks and over-all coolness. And right now, his ego was being slowly being eaten away by a nagging feeling.

"Why doesn't she like me?"

-x-

Month 1, week 2 of class.

Lesson: Handsigns.

Hinata stuffed back her groan of displeasure down her throat. It wasn't polite (plus having the King of All Mannerisms EVER as your father that forced habits down your throat and expected you not to retch it right back out was but a bonus). And being constant partners with an intimidating Uchiha was even worse. He had a name: Sasuke, yes, but she preferred Naruto's 'duck-butt' or 'teme' as a more appropriate term, not that she'd ever say it, Hiashi forbid. Rarely did they have group projects and when they did, the Uchiha would battle the girls and grab her arm or wrist or her the back of her head even, and loudly claim her as his partner.

...

Goodbye, Naruto.

"Hyuuga, that is not how you do the tiger sign," Sasuke said, a bit annoyed. Hinata inclined her head, muttered an apology and looked at her interlaced hands. How did they do it again? She glanced shyly at Sasuke's hands and stared back at her own. Didn't he know that she was being butchered by daggers shooting from girls' eyes? How the heck could she concentrate on making a sign when all her attention was to stop the bleeding pouring out the figurative stab wounds disguised as blushing and apologies and trying to be as small as freaking possible?

Sasuke sighed and picked at her fingers. Really, it wasn't that hard. He knew the long-haired cocky kid could do it, didn't the brat tell her anything? He skillfully interlaced them properly, ignoring how her hands shook when he touched them and how her face looked like a tomato with white eyes and bob-cut dark hair.

"There," Sasuke gave a small smirk of satisfaction of his work. As if Hinata was some clay that he had molded into something beautiful.

"Th-Thank you, U-Uchiha-san." Hinata quirked a smile, her wide eyes crinkling a bit.

Sasuke also tried to ignore the heat climbing up into his cheeks and the slight quickening of his heartbeat.

-x-

Month 2, week 3.

"Get away from me!"

Hinata cringed at the loud voice screeching in the courtyard. Sakura, no doubt. The girl, Hinata knew, was nice, pretty and smart. They were on amicable terms like Sakura was with everyone else... except Naruto. She clutched her bento box, head down and feet walking the familiar dirt path to the big tree abit away from the park.

The courtyard was on the west side of the school. It had a set of double doors where the kids would pour out. At the moment, since they were first-years, it was reserved all for them. This expanse of sand, gravel and a bit of forest area. To simplify the layout, it was but a circle split in half, the forest taking one half and the other filled with stones and sand. There was a path made by many trodden feet, most infamous was Kakashi. Even when the fangirls followed him, he would always disappear into the foliage. But that was another story.

Hinata followed the path into the forested area and found the large tree she liked. Brushing away stray leaves, the girl straightened her clothes and prepared to sit down. Her kimono would get dirty, she knew, from sitting against the tree but she'd clean it off as best as she could in the bathroom in their afternoon break. Sitting snugly against the big tree trunk with her legs tucked underneath her, Hinata popped open her lunch, and neatly snapped her chopsticks even if it did splinter a bit to one side. There, alone in the quiet (if she ignored Naruto's and Sakura's constant yelling in the distance), Hinata enjoyed her lunch.

Sasuke really couldn't help it. He liked watching her trying sit as neatly as possible on the dirt around the tree. His tree. He had found this nice hiding spot away from the girls on a thick branch of the big tree covered with leaves. It was nice, even if a bit cool sometimes when the sun was hidden by the clouds.

He vaguely wondered if Hinata knew that the tree was Sasuke's hiding spot and she was trying to impress him.

...

His ego got a bit bigger.

Unexpectedly, bento box empty and tucked neatly in her arm as if she was cradling a baby, Hinata fished out a badly cut-out heart and smiled with a blush enveloping her cheeks. She hurriedly made a hole with surprisingly experienced hands (from the gardening, Sasuke mused) and dropped the heart before covering it with dirt. The girl then hurried away.

A few minutes of silence and Sasuke jumped down, curiosity taking the better part of him. He fished out the paper heart that resembled more of a square with a dent and read the sloppy kanji.

Naruto

And he ripped it up.