Chapter Text
POV: Hinata Hyuga
On that day, I was only thirteen years old. I had just had another painful argument with my father, who ruled the clan with an iron fist back then. His words were always harsh, and the weight of his exaggerated demands crushed my shoulders. Unable to take it anymore, I fled from home that night. I walked aimlessly through the village, swallowing my tears, desperately searching for an isolated corner where I could just break down.
I ended up stopping at a square on the outskirts of the Leaf Village. The dim street lighting only didn't make the place terrifying because the Moon was shining brightly in the sky. A gentle breeze made my short hair sway lightly, while the fallen leaves danced at their own pace across the stone floor.
I wasn't wearing my standard ninja gear, just casual clothes. At that moment, I didn't even feel like a kunoichi; however, years of dedication kept me minimally aware of my surroundings.
That was when I heard slow, rhythmic footsteps breaking the silence of the night. I looked in the direction of the sound and came across a young man with dark hair and his hands buried deep in his pockets. He seemed not to give a single damn about my presence there. After all, he was Sasuke Uchiha.
POV: Sasuke Uchiha
Training with Naruto was leaving me completely exhausted. And to make matters worse, Sakura wouldn't give me a single second of peace either. After a long, irritating day like that, the only thing I wanted was to clear my head.
As I left my apartment, I closed the door, let out a long sigh, and shut my eyes for a moment. I leaned my head against the wood, trying to hold back, once again, the turmoil burning inside my chest.
"Itachi..." I whispered, clenching my fists in rage.
That damn feeling of absolute isolation was terrifying, and it usually struck me when I least expected it. I started walking aimlessly through Konoha. The night wind brushed gently against my face as I walked with my hands in my pockets. It was already past ten at night and the streets were practically deserted, except for a few couples walking hurriedly back home.
I really didn't expect to find anyone else alone at that hour, but I was surprised to see the heiress of the Hyuga clan sitting there, isolated in the square.
I kept moving forward, pretending to ignore her presence to continue on my way. But I noticed something different about her. Under the silvery moonlight, she looked strangely beautiful.
[...]
When I got within about five meters of the girl, all my instincts flared a warning signal. I stopped abruptly. My eyes locked onto the treetops, which were now swaying aggressively—a movement that the gentle night breeze could never cause. Something was very wrong there.
"S-Sasuke? I-is everything okay?" her voice sounded hesitant.
"Hinata, WATCH OUT!"
I yelled, lunging my body toward her. In that exact same split second, my Sharingan was already active, spinning in my pupils. I drew a kunai before I even touched her and threw it with surgical precision back into the foliage.
"Run! They're after you!"
She froze, in complete shock. With no time to wait for a reaction, I grabbed her arm and leaped toward the branch of a tall tree. In the next instant, an Earth Style jutsu tore through the ground right where we had been standing.
I still couldn't identify who the invaders were, and the situation worsened drastically when a thick mist began to cover the entire square. It was a hidden mist jutsu. Fighting at full strength and protecting her at the same time was going to be nearly impossible.
POV: Hinata Hyuga
Panic had completely taken over me. Sasuke acted with impressive speed, hoisting me up into the trees before the impact, but their counter-attack was relentless. Through the mist, I watched as he was violently struck in the head. The blow knocked him out instantly, causing him to plummet from the branch.
"S-Sasuke!" I tried to scream, reaching out my hands to catch him.
Before I could reach him, hostile arms grabbed me from behind. A heavy impact hit me, and the world went black.
After that, my mind turned into a blur made of fragmented flashes:
The first flash: It must have been midnight when I opened my eyes with difficulty. Four ninjas surrounded me. None of them wore a Konoha headband.
The second flash: My vision returned for a few seconds. We were moving at high speed, leaping from branch to branch through the forest trees.
The third flash: The journey was abruptly interrupted by the sound of combat. I glanced back up at the sky; it was past one in the morning.
The fourth flash: My eyes opened again and I saw figures colliding. Sasuke was there... Had he tracked us down?
The fifth flash: Only two enemies remained. Sasuke was standing, but he was bleeding heavily, visibly battered and exhausted.
The sixth flash: He was facing the last ninja. A bright blue glow and the deafening sound of a thousand birds cut through the darkness of the forest... The Chidori.
The penultimate flash: I was safe in his arms, at the top of a massive tree. The full moon illuminated his face directly. In that split second, observing his sharp features and worried frown, I finally understood what the other girls saw in him. He was... Beautiful.
When I fully regained consciousness, it was already the next day, and I was lying right in front of the gate of my house.
The only certainty I kept from that night was that, when I opened my eyes the next morning, Naruto was not my first thought.