(i dunno. written in fifteen minutes. just getting things out of my head that are taking up room. I have no idea what’s going on here.)
Returning to Konoha had been a mistake. He couldn’t compute what had made him think that he could waltz back into the village riddled with families of shinobi he had either hurt or murdered with impunity.
What a fucking disaster.
Covered in splatters of something- he had a feeling it was overly ripe vegetables from the market- he stormed through the town, letting the rolling rage of his energy carve a path through the crowds. People side stepped and stumbled to get out of the way of the incoming Uchiha, their eyes wide their mouths wider.
Idly and with a lot more aggression than necessary he ripped a piece of something- tomato skin probably- from the side of his face where it had smashed to a stop. Courtesy of angry housewives with no husbands and children with no fathers.
God-fucking-damn it.
Above, the clouds were a blazing white against the azure blue of a summer day. The sun glimmered and sparkled with glory, unaware of spotlighting Sasuke’s humiliation as he ripped through town back towards the abandoned Uchiha district at the outskirts.
Something wet and slimy was sliding down the back of his neck and sucking in a long breath he reached back and studied his hand for a second. Just long enough to ascertain that they had in fact thrown eggs at him as well.
Cutting to the right, he headed towards the river, shooting a glare at a gaping pedestrian before shoving past through an alley and then pumping chakra into his legs jumped onto the roof top, smooth as a cat on a hunt.
Although he felt more like a dog with it’s tail between his legs.
What a fucking disaster he was.
Standing on the surface of the water had a way of soothing nerves she couldn’t grapple with on land. The pulse and lick of the liquid beneath her feet was familiar and calming. Sometimes she wondered if perhaps it reminded her of being in the womb, tightly wrapped and swimming in an ever present hug.
Eyes closed Hinata let the sunshine slide over her skin, the warmth almost a burn on her paleness. She had to be careful practicing her control in the water because without the cover of the trees she could end up blistered and in pain. More than once she had gone home mourning the loss of her smooth white shoulders, given way to freckles and aching red skin.
It was a price she was willing to pay though, to calm the twisting knots of her stomach and the nerves that made her hands shake while speaking.
Pulling her dark hair up into a ponytail she sighed, and keeping her eyes closed shifted her weight back and forth on her feet, feeling the slip and slide of the river lick the top of her foot and then sink back down below as she caused waves to dance along her ankles.
Then with a flourish of her hand she pulled a ribbon from the river in an arc that followed her slender fingers. It sparkled in the light, casting rainbows where the sun shone through before spilling smoothly back into the water’s current on the other side of her body.
Getting a feel for the stream’s mood Hinata smiled, amused by it’s playfulness and lifted another hand, arching it along her body. The water danced in a twirl above her head, sinking back into it’s mother river below with a splash.
Opening her eyes Hinata breathed in deep. Time to work.
Setting her jaw seriously she spread her legs to anchor herself to the heartbeat of the water and extended her arms wide, letting her chakra roll out in a sphere of influence along the molecules of the current.
One by one the dewy beads began to rise to her call, pearls of liquid that tightened and knit into each other in a solid orb of protection, tightening and tightening together to create a womb of safety. Brow furrowed Hinata stitched the water tighter determined that no kunai or jutsu should break through her shield.
As her chakra intensified the river rushed around the glittering ball that shimmered like impure glass, sparkling in the daylight hiding the slim focused form within.
He had never seen something like it before and so for a moment he forgot he was covered in the rotten tomatoes of disgruntled villagers and stared through the last of the trees before the river bed.
The ball was crystal white and reflected the light of the sun in all directions, making it difficult to look at it directly. The river raged around it and tendrils of water snapped and hissed like snakes along it’s surface, hiding further what he thought might be a silhouette within it’s confines.
Curiosity was an innate Uchiha trait and even in his state of dishevelment he found himself inching forward, hand sliding to his katana at his back, fingering the hilt absently.
Black eyes focused he eyed the edge of the river bed where the water shuddered against the smooth rocks and glistened on the sparkling sand. Brow furrowed he slid out of his sandals and stepped into the water, watching with interest as the sphere at the center of the river shuddered and glistened in response.
“What the…”
Idly he lifted a kunai in his hand, cocking his head slightly.
Well fuck, curiosity killed the cat, right?
And he tossed the blade true into the center of the glass orb.
He may as well have picked a fight with a river god.
Grunting he ducked as a solid mass of water shot from the liquid at his feet, aiming for his head, and another coming from his side. Startled now he moved to flip and sucked in a breath, looking down at the water wrapping tighter and tighter around his feet, where he had willingly placed himself at the river’s edge.
Oh shit.
Drawing the katana he narrowed his eyes slicing through the onslaught of prodding jabbing water, watching it disperse and tumble to the ground with every slash, soaking him to the bone rather quickly.
Eyes flickering to the orb he slammed the katana between his feet and glad to feel the release of the chakra binding him to the river bed he snapped onto the water surface and shot forward towards the glittering sphere.
Manipulating water was not his best skill, even walking on it caused him to flounder and concentrate but whatever the hell that thing was, it wasn’t friendly and he didn’t like leaving fights half finished.
Raising his katana he dragged in a breath and launching himself from the rolling river surface lifting the blade in both hands, aiming to come down at the top of sphere with all the force he could muster.
Hinata frowned within the warmth and security of her water shell, flinching as her chakra writhed violently outside of her defense.
Calm down, Hinata.
Her anxiety was getting the best of her. Fighting opponents that were not even visible with her chakra. The river was playful and responsive to her energy. Hopefully there was no one out there or she would be soaking them to the bone with her uncontrolled flailing.
Grappling with the wriggling water she sighed, and shook her head, finally opening her eyes and releasing the sphere with a wave of her hand. No, why wouldn’t her chakra and the river relax? What was wrong with her?
The orb disintegrated like ice before a fireplace, falling apart at the top and with a gasp she looked up, a shot of electricity running through her as her shinobi senses screamed of threat.
Byuakugan snapping to her face and with her feet sliding out to absorb the blow she cried out, not in fear but a battle cry, raising both hands.
“Hn!”
Sasuke’s katana slammed hard into a blue sheen that looked like water but was solid as steel, the impact sent ripples of pain up his forearms and with a grunt of effort he flipped backwards, using the force of the impact and the incoming blow from the wielder below the shield to vault him back to his feet a few steps away on the river bed, panting.
The shield melted away into the river again in sparkling tendrils of water, revealing the stunned and wide eyed shape of one Hinata Hyuuga, staring at him in shock and confusion, hands raised and at the ready.
“Uchiha-san!” her voice was high pitched and confused as her face. “W-what are you-?”
“Hyuuga.” He stared, as confused and panicked as she was but with a little more control on his face. “What the hell are you doing?”
Hinata didn’t lower her battle stance, Byakugan staring through his skin and into the folds of his chakra. “I… I was training.”
Frowning Sasuke slid his katana back along his back. “Hn.”
At the sight of his weapon disappearing Hinata slowly straightened and breathing deep allowed her Byakugan to fade. “…I…I am so sorry, was my- was I-?” realizing suddenly why her chakra had been so aggressive and unwilling to comply with her demand for calm she closed her eyes, blushing hard. “Was I attacking you?”
Sasuke didn’t move, interested in the fact that she was a little embarrassed.
“You’re not the first today.” He grunted, starting back towards the river bed. “Don’t worry about it.”
Something about his last sentence made her start and taking a handful of steps after him she paused, hands to her lips, suddenly noticing the stains along his shirt and pants, the residue of vegetable skins at his neck and arms.
“Oh….oh no.” she stepped a few waves closer along the river, and he stopped at her voice, glancing over his shoulder at her with a frown.
“What?”
Lips pressed tightly together Hinata searched his face, lifting a hand up with a long slender finger not pointing at him so much as gesturing. A tendril of water rose by his feet and he shifted against it, unconsciously reaching for his katana again.
“N-no… I…” Hinata frowned and the water moved slowly along in a ribbon of pulsing liquid, smoothing along his cheek, washing away the remnants of something thrown at him in hate.
Holding perfectly still Sasuke blinked, focusing on breathing and the feel of her chakra infused river sliding over his skin, wiping away at his shame.
“Who did this?” He had never heard Hinata Hyuuga’s voice so hard, and he wondered that like the water she could be fluid, warm, and gentle, or solid as the shield she wielded against his sword.
“A lot of people.” He managed after a moment.
The water slid back into the river and Hinata walked slowly towards him. Her frown unshakable now on her face. “I’m so sorry.”
Keeping his face still he stared at her some more, curious not just about her expression but the way his heart was reacting, thumping around angrily in his chest.
“Your apology is useless, you did nothing.”
“Well.” She admitted softly. “I… I wouldn’t have let them, if I had been there.”
He stared some more, unable to reply.
“I’m good at…shielding things.” She added and smiled finally, enveloping him in that moment in the warmth of the summer day.
When he didn’t reply she cocked her head, just a little. She couldn’t imagine herself in his shoes, covered in the hatred people had for him, wearing it on his clothing and skin as evidence.
“I…if you stand still, I can wash it off.” She added, and her hands spread wide, the river replying to her call and lifting in ribbons that danced and twisted around her like dragonflies and butterflies and bees all swirling at the silent song of her chakra.
This was usually the moment when Sasuke would scoff, or glare and step away, dismissing the offer with distaste, maybe even a scathing remark.
But her eyes were wide and open, and her smile was warm where he had felt freezing.
He was tired of being cold.
“…okay…” Then hurriedly. “I hardly believe you have that kind of chakra control. You’ll have to prove it.”
Her smile didn’t waver, perhaps because the way he said it was obviously to excuse himself allowing her touch.
“I guess, we’ll see.”
Ink Child Writing 