Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There were so many funerals to be done after the war.

But there wasn’t a single one that interested Uchiha Sasuke.

Never did he hear a name of someone dead that even tickled the very small area of his mind that included what he thought was interesting. All the sobs of those who’d lost loved ones didn’t strike him as emotional.

He was done with those people. It was his time to leave.

Hyuuga Hinata, however, had a few important people to grieve for. Neji, first of all. Just the thought of him made her heart ache with sorrow. Quite a few from the clan had died during the war, though she was lucky enough to have her parents spared from the slaughter. Lucky enough that her sister was still alive.

Yet, as she looked at everyone else, complete strangers and close friends, she ached for them, too. They’d won, and it was a good thing, but the deaths were being counted up. This would probably be the bloodiest war in shinobi history.

That hurt. And she felt like she could’ve done more.

Getting up, head dizzy with absolute and total exhaustion, she stumbled closer to the medical tent. Cots were set up in there, so she headed towards an empty one, intent on getting some rest. On the way, she bumped right into the Uchiha.

“Hmph.”

“O-Oh, I-I’m so s-s-sorry,” she gasped, over-apologetic as usual. Then she realized that this was Uchiha Sasuke and blinked.

He was watching her with stern but tired eyes. “Watch where you’re going.”

“I… of course,” she rushed. “Um, y-you’re Uchiha S-Sasuke-san, correct?”

“Yes.” His answer was curt and unamused.

“Oh. I-I’m Hyu… Hyuuga Hinata.”

The girl knew he was watching her every move, from the swiping of her hair back to the way her feet shifted when she looked down at them. A small “Hn” was all she heard.

Then he was walking past her, leaving her there with many sleeping shinobi around her. Hinata came to her decision quickly and glanced back at the lone boy.

“Thank you,” she said, and he paused. “Thank you for saving everyone w-with Naruto-kun.”

She expected a “you’re welcome” in return, but he just resumed in his walking after a few seconds. A sigh escaped her after he left and she headed towards the cot she’d had her eye on.

Hyuuga Hinata didn’t expect Uchiha Sasuke to leave. And, honestly, she was a little disappointed to find out he had.

Chapter Text

It had been… she wanted to say three years since the war had ended. The village was still rebuilding, but even that was almost finished. Things were practically back to normal in the citizen’s lives, but there was much going on in the lives of the shinobi.

Sakura was climbing the ranks quickly to head medical nin. Naruto was still hoping to be Hokage one day. Sasuke was nowhere to be found. And Hinata herself spent many days secluded, learning how to act as head of the clan, mentally readying herself for it.

She did manage to get with Kiba and Shino for lunch a few times, and took in every word about the rest of her friends. Everyone was fine, but busy, and they were no exceptions. Hinata explained to them that she was doing fine as well, and hoped to rejoin them soon.

Only after the training was over and she was officially appointed the head of the house would she find out that Naruto and Sakura had started dating. Honestly, it was easier to get over than she thought it would be, and normal life resumed after a day of her moping around.

She was headed out towards the gate with Shino, chatting away with her quiet friend, when they heard a commotion at the gate.

This commotion was a happy one, though, full of joy and laughter and happy tears. The original Team Seven, Kakashi included, were hugging each other and Sasuke, he seemed to be hiding a smile behind a bemused expression.

They stood back, and Hinata smiled. It was just such a happy scene. They looked so joyful and loving and… She adored it.

Of course, ANBU showed up since Sasuke had threatened the entire village, and the moment seemed to end as quickly as it began. It was, again, a little disappointing to her, but she did get her things and head off.

She didn’t see Sasuke again for a few weeks, and when she did, he looked different. Wearing a comfortable kimono, looking tired and annoyed, he walked right past her without any sign of recognition. Just behind him was an ANBU escort, he looked at her when he passed.

Feeling a bit bad for the Uchiha, she wrapped her arms around the books and held them to her chest, heading off towards her compound.

Chapter Text

Hinata only saw the Uchiha in passing for the longest time. She, herself, got caught in a slump. It was coming up on the anniversary of the war, and the villages were still bitter. Not that she blamed them, every time she saw Neji’s eyes glazed over, forehead unmarked, blood streaming down his chin, she felt anger plague her being.

Still, she was the clan leader. She had a duty to keep and to never let go of. That meant setting aside her personal grief.

Thankfully, there was plenty to go about doing that didn’t require her to think of her cousin. Alliances to secure, finances to calculate, etcetera. She had slowly but surely shed her shy skin, while maintaining a polite and reserved nature. As a teenager, she hadn’t been too comfortable with herself, but now… She could admit to herself that she was pretty, she did deserve love, and she even deserved to be the leader her clan needed.

So, her words would only stumble in introductions and never over her own name. She shook hands with a confident grip and spoke up. It wasn’t anything major, but it was different. And different… well, it was good.

Still, when she’d finally get done what she needed to get done and headed to bed, exhaustion would hit her hard. She’d fall into sleep. If the day was particularly bad, the nightmares would come back. The screaming, the blood, the overwhelming scent of death, hints that she was going to die too.

When she got out of the compound’s hold, her friends would look at her with tired smiles and she knew they suffered the same. Yet, strangely enough, it was never brought up. What an odd thing, she thought, to have the same experiences with people I’ve known all my life, but we can’t even talk to each other.

Another sigh escaped her, somehow feeling comfort that they somewhat understood the predicament. And, yet, her experiences were her own, so she’d never felt lonelier.
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Read, read, read. Check the fine print. Double-check it. Three times. Read the part that had bothered her a bit. Decide it was nothing after all. Sign. Get the next one.

This happened consistently throughout her day. One contract, then the next, then the next. It was getting to the point of being stressful, and her hidden anxiety convinced her one wrong move, and she ruined her clan’s life.

She slowly set the brush down and breathed a sigh, before deciding she’d like to go out for dinner. Maybe to just take some time alone and relax. Yeah, that sounded good.

Pulling her coat off the rack, she pulled it around herself and adjusted the buttons neatly. After giving her hair a once over, Hinata decided to comb through it. That didn’t take too awfully long, and she was heading towards the front door before she knew it.

A knock erupted from the wooden entrance just as she got there, though, making her jump out of her skin. Straightening herself out as she recovered, she moved and opened the door.

“U…Uchiha-san?”

Chapter Text

    “I’m sorry, Neji, that I couldn’t make it earlier.”

    Hinata set down the flowers, then set the candle down next to them. She lit it, watching as the small flame sprouted to life. The rock beneath held Neji’s name, and the light made shadows dance.

    “I’m doing my best,” she said eventually. “I’m trying my hardest to erase the ideas of the main versus branch house. Everyone is just stuck in their ways and it isn’t… I can’t talk them out of their bitterness. We’re not a family, Neji. We’re two opposing armies under one roof.”

    God, how had this even started? Who’d decided that one part of the clan was superior? She didn’t remember anymore.

    “They… hate each other. Completely. A woman from the clan looked at me and said my name as if I’d killed her child.”

    She sighed quietly, playing with the flowers until they laid nicely. “I wish you were here to help. It’s not been easy. It may not get done even in my lifetime, but if I can at least start it…”

    God, the war had taken a toll on everyone. It was getting better, her grasp on the nightmares, but often she’d fall asleep expecting to re-watch her cousin die.

    “It’s not fair,” she said quietly, not talking about the clan dispute anymore. She put her hands to her face, swallowing the tightness in her throat back. Her eyes were watering. “It’s not. Why did you have to do that Neji? Why? The clan needs you more than they ever needed me. It’s not fair!”

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    Hinata left the cemetery still wiping tears and trying to be rid of the useless things. They only stung her eyes and made her cheeks itchy. It was a bit later, the sun had just set and taken the little warmth of the day with it.

    She crossed her arms, rubbing them, and kept going. She just wanted to go home and sleep a little bit, she was exhausted.

    “OI! HINATA!”

    Her head jerked up, snapping to attention as she heard the orange-clad, hyperactive ninja. Sakura was following him, giggling and trying to shush him with a slap to his back. “You probably scared her, Naruto!”

    Behind them, looming like a rainstorm, was Sasuke and his ever-present escort. He rolled his eyes and said something Hinata couldn’t make out, but continued following them.

    “Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun,” she said simply, bowing in greeting. “S… Sasuke-san.”

    The nin grinned at her, waving. “Hinata, what’re you doing out here?”

    “I was…” She considered lying, not wanting to bother the friends while they had their night out, but shrugged the thought off. “I was visiting Neji nii-san’s grave.”

    Naruto’s face fell slightly, Sakura lowered her eyes, and Sasuke did nothing of notice.

    “… Do you want to join us?” asked the pink-haired kunoichi kindly.

    “No, thank you. I’m, um, rather tired,” Hinata mumbled apologetically.

    “If you’re sure,” Naruto sighed. “We’ll catch you ar-OOOHH!”

Hinata jumped at the random outburst while Sakura face palmed.

“Sasuke-teme! You have to meet Hinata!”

The Uchiha seemed less than bemused and muttered, “I’ve already met her. She’s…”

Naruto let a slow grin cross his face as Sasuke racked his brain. Snickers started and the man looked more and more annoyed with each passing laugh.
“Hyuga… Hyuga Hinata,” said the purple-haired girl. “I thanked you, um, after the war.”

“See? We’ve met,” said Sasuke, trying to shut his teammate up.

“It’s… nice to see you again,” murmured Hinata quietly.

“Hn.”

He only replied after Sakura gave him the most venomous look she had, and even then it was a very grudging, “You, too.”

Chapter Text

    Hinata lay in her bed later, curled on her side under the plum-colored comforter. Passing her bangs behind her ear, she stared at the opposite wall, plagued by thoughts of earlier.

    The friends had all gotten into a discussion in front of her, speaking about Sasuke’s life. He’d gotten the job of delivering messages, and he didn’t seem to remember the day he’d stopped outside her door and wordlessly hand her some more paperwork. She’d actually forgotten at the moment, as well, due to her visit to Neji’s grave.

    A small sigh escaped her as she moved to her other side, attempting to keep her eyes closed. She was exhausted to the bone, almost constantly, yet she was not able to sleep at the moment. She moved to her other side, pushing against the gentle weight of the covers to curl up more.

    Well, things weren’t going so well over on her side, but she took comfort in knowing the rest of the rookies were pushing through with her.

    Three weeks passed by, full of debates, disputes, and barely keeping herself together. Why people had to be so rude about something that was right was far beyond her. The main house had to lose the sense of entitlement, and she was fighting for that equality.

    Still, once they decided to cool off for a week, lull the issue over, Hinata was left with nothing to do. There was a lot less paperwork around, and things seemed to be slowing to a normal rate again.

    So, she wandered, getting familiarized with her home village again. There were new additions as well as buildings that were a little taller. Several people were out and about, enjoying the day like she was trying to. It seemed almost surreal, the time off from reading and arguing. She wanted to enjoy it thoroughly.

Stopping by a small café, she lay back and browsed the menu. A smile tugged at her lips when she saw they had cinnamon pastries, and she waited patiently before she could order some. Collecting the little number card, the woman found a nice window booth that allowed her to watch the world. It really was a nice day, with a beautiful golden sun illuminating the world and a few gentle clouds dotting the sky. Maybe she would head to the park after this, or maybe she could go home, change, then train a little.
To her left, she heard an annoyed sigh as someone sat down in a chair with a creak. Glancing over, mostly to check it wasn’t because of her, she spotted the handsome Uchiha.

He sported an unhappy expression like usual, and his ANBU escort was near him like an ever-present shadow.

Hinata quickly ducked her head away so he wouldn’t notice her looking and thought about ignoring the man. Still, it seemed rude, and they weren’t complete strangers. She could at least say hello, couldn’t she?

She straightened in her seat and glanced over at him, clearing her throat softly before speaking up.

“Hello.”

He took his sweet time looking up, and then he seemed more annoyed than ever. “What?”

She flinched, slightly crinkling her nose at the tone of his voice. “I just wanted to say hi.”

“And your name?”

Did he seriously not remember? “Hyuuga Hinata.”

“Oh. Right.” And then he went back to ignoring her. His expression hadn’t changed once.

His rice balls and her cinnamon pastries were delivered at the same time, and they ate silently. He ignored her as she got up, but she was still too polite to just leave.

    “Goodbye,” she mumbled respectfully as she turned and headed towards the door, hoping she hadn’t annoyed him too badly.