Age 9/Year 9 [Part Two]

The small 'breaks' I'd often get from school were somewhat comparable to those of my old world. Still quite a bit shorter, though. At these times, I mostly spent my days home, relaxing and just taking in my family's presence. With the whole Uchiha scandal going on, the Hokage's eye was squarely focused on my clan. Thankfully, he was smart enough not to restrict them any further.

It was the distrust and separation that lead to the near-revolt in the first place. Doing the same thing twice would be asking for it. They weren't that dumb, right?

Anyways, my clansmen were somewhat nervous but gratefull for the end result. There were those that felt like traitors, but the smiles of their living children prooved to be enough to sway them. In time, those events would become like a blurry dream. No one would forget, but they'd slowly stop caring. Only those with a burning passion for revenge would truly remember, but I hoped no such person existed.

While I did bleed for this ending, it seems my wild flailing managed to accomplish something good. Tiny as it is, this is a victory I don't wish to let go of.

"Can you please bring me Saeko's bottle, Sasuke?" My mother asked a small, tired look on her face.

"Be right back." I answered, rushing out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Raising children was hard work. She constantly had to look after my little sister and practically turned into a slave.

I was back in a few seconds, bottle extended.

"Here." My mother took the bottle, giving me a soft smile before pressing its tip to my sister's lip. The loud, incessant crying ceased as she began suckling the bottle.

"Were I and Itachi this bad?" I was curious. While my childhood memories are almost all faded, I don't remember crying all that much.

...

At least not as a baby.

While exhaustion and stress cling to her face, the warm, motherly smile on her lip clears any misconceptions I might have. She's happy and doesn't regret a moment of the incredible ordeal known as parenting.

"Itachi, yes." She begins, a small chuckle leaving her lips. "He was nearly as bad as little Saeko at first."

The nostalgic tone sets the mood. I can't help but find myself smiling along with her.

"He stopped pretty soon, but there were many sleepless nights for me and Fugaku."

Her eyes fell on me.

"You were very quiet, though." She says with a giggle. "Gave us quite a fright, but you did cry, only when you were hungry or thirsty, though."

And poop. God, those are the memories I wanted to forget!.

"Oh, and when you pooped yourself." The laugh that leaves her mouth has my cheeks burning. "So much poop. If there's anything you beat your brother in as a baby, it was that."

She has to be doing this on purpose...

"Sometimes, when I looked into your cute little eyes, I felt you staring through me." Most would consider that creepy.. not her. Those eyes spoke only of cuteness and joy.

Blagh!

Mundane as these short days were, I loved all of them. And so my peaceful days continued. I spent some time with Naruko, exploring Konoha, playing a few childish games, training, and just being friends.

Yue was prominent as well. She started working on her own 'training'. The little weights I set up were nothing but a kunai or two with their points dulled or cut off. Seeing her set up her little gym by the house I bought was both adorable and filled me with pride.

Everyone was slowly working toward something.

And so, one of these normally peaceful days, I decided to take a walk through Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the townsfolk were frolicking. Sadly, Naruko was nowhere to be seen today. No matter how much I told her to keep the food in her fridge fresh, she sometimes forgot to clear out the expired stuff. Thus, she was sick at home, most likely on the toilet.

I stopped by a few times, and boy, did she make some noises I never want to hear again. If sounded like a lion!

Suffice to say, I stayed a bit, helped her out, but when it became obvious she wasn't getting better anytime soon... I went into town to buy her some more toilet paper. Thus, I found myself dropping the soft bundle at the doorstep of her bathroom.

Of course, I could only stay inside so long before having to take a breath of fresh air, which was what I was doing right now.

So fresh. So nice. It didn't stink!

I could do this any day, every day!

With that, I strolled through the streets untill I found a familiar face. It was young Hinata. She was walking around, apperantly alone.

Odd. I didn't think her father would let her go to the bathroom alone, let alone wander Konoha's streets.

Curious, I walked closer. The moment she spotted me, a relived, expression burst on her face. It was as if I'd saved her from some horrible fate.

"S-Sasuke." She whispered, scurrying closer to my side. "H-Hi."

I waved back, a small smile on my face.

"Hey, Hinata. What's up? I going for a walk?"

She hesitated.

"N-No. I was walking with my c-cousin, but we got lost." She whimpered. "I don't know where he went."

My brow furrowed.

"How is this cousin?"

She blinked, unsure of my point.

"Umm, maybe twenty-something?"

So he had a working pair of eyes, then?

"Can he use the Byakugan?"

Again, she blinked.

"Oh, um, yes-" The gears in her head went round and round. I'd be pissed, but she was confused beyond imagining. "But.. why? how?"

Was this some sort of test I'd stumbled upon? Most likely. Sadly, no matter where we looked, there was no sign of her 'cousin'.

"W-What should I do?"

Such a classic move- letting others, more responsible people make choices for you.

Hmm.

It's obvious Hinata was left alone as some sort of test or a sick joke, something which she's already figured out. Her face falls and shame begins to slither onto her cheeks. What sort of person needs to have a test like this given to them? I'm sure this is the very first question to jump on her mind.

They're telling her that this isn't normal; that she needs to be taught how to wander alone. It's not something any child wants to learn- that they're not normal.

Tiny tears begin peeking out from the edges of the young girl's eyes. I've known her for a bit, and while she was shy, I could always see the determined flame within her. Now, I'm reminded that while she's strong, Hinata was still a child.

It's become so easy to forget how old I actually was. This somewhat peaceful life of mine has dulled the edges, made me more childish. Just thinking about it, when was the last time I  acted like an adult?

...

I can't remember. Right now, I'm nothing but a mature, yet childish boy. And what scares me is how easy it is to fall into that role. I knew trying to be the adult I was will only be met with failure.

What should I do?

Hinata fidgets in front of me, her embarrassment only growing by the moment. What I need to do is obvious.

"So, you seem hungry." I reach out, showing her a metaphorical way out. "Want to go grab something to eat?"

Its as if she were at the edge of a cliff, about to die and I reached out, helping her back up onto solid ground. The pinpricks on her eyes recede and she gives a small, slightly embarrassed smile.

"Y-Yeah. I-I'm a bit hungry." The young Hyuuga heir stutters out.

"Good. I knew a few places." God knows visiting the same ramen place with Naruko gets old fast. Yeah, the other establishments give her the stink eye every now and then, but only the idiots actually speak out. "What are you feeling for?"

While none of the other restaurants have been up to Naruko's standards, I have a feeling Hinata's going to be a bit different.

"Oh, umm, what do you want?" Throwing the question right back at me? The classic move of someone shy who doesn't want to impose. Naruko she is not. Thankfully, I have more than enough experience with a certain someone to know how to handle this situation.

"I-Is something on my face?" Yue asks, cheeks turning a red hue. "Do I have rice in my hair again?" Her little hands rove around, finding nothing.

I shake my head, turning to Hinata a second later.

"Come on, I've been to all of them before. Just tell me what you feel like eating and I'll pick a place."

Her eyes dart to the left, then to the right.

"W-Well, what do you-"

Just like Yue, but far worse. This is going to take a lot more than that.

"If you say the truth, I'll teach you something and even show you something secret."

That catches her attention. Maybe I should feel a little bad about tricking her like this, but this conversation would have kept going back and forth if I didn't. I  know how badly Hinata wants to get stronger. She's quiet but works very hard.

"Really?" She asks, stutter conveniently gone.

"Yep. So, what do you say?"

Her pale eyes narrow in thought. Honestly, the Hyuuga's bloodline is less creepy than mine's thought. The first time I saw those eyes, I couldn't help but stare. Now, they're more like cool contacts than anything else. I've never actually seen them activated, but the veiny face thing is sure to look cool, though, I hear that's frowned upon unless there's a fight or it's related to security.

Believe it or not, X-Ray eyes aren't something people are comfortable being around!

"R-Rice." She finally stutters out. "I-I'd like something with rice and e-eggs."

Huh. That's surprisingly tame.

"Alright! I know a place!" I say, a bright smile on my face. She flinches as I grab her hand and start carrying her along.

Oh, right. I forgot.

"Sorry about that," I say with a chuckle, letting go of her hand. "Come on, it's this way."

I  have to hang out with more people than just Naruko. Her weirdness is spilling over to my other interactions.

Speaking of which, I hope she's ok in that bathroom.

----------------------

"T-Thank you for the food," Hinata said, putting her chopsticks down.

This world needed forks. No- Konoha needed forks.

"You like the food?" Her reply was a meek, but embarrassed nod. The amount she had managed to put away rivalled Naruko's. Seriously, she had more than thrice the number of plates finished than me.

I looked down at my chopsticks and sighed. Thre's only a single pair of forks, but those are at my house. I remember buying them from some trader a few years back. Sadly, he's not returned since.

"So, now that we've finished our meal, want to go out and work off the fat?" She blinked, eyes dropping to her small stomach.

"O-Oh, yes." Hinata answered with an energetic nod.

Damn it, why were children so adorable?

With that decided, we paid for the food and jumped back out into Konoha's streets. The sun was slowly making its way down, but our first stop was the park. Thankfully, there were already a few kids playing ball there.

"Hey! You guys mind if we join?" I asked, shocking Hinata.

"T-Their n-normal kids, though." How she could tell that was up in the air, but also true. None of them wore clan markings and weren't moving around like the students I knew. Still, there was nothing wrong about playing with normal kids. I blamed her family.

"It's fine." I reassured. "It's not like we're fighting. Just hold back a little bit and let's have some fun. We can partner up."

With a hesitant nod, she followed me into the crowd. The small children gave bright smiles and agreed to let us play with them.

The game?

Freeze tag.

"You're it!" One of the kids shouts. He's about my age and has a head of jet black hair. Unlike me, he's just a normal kid. I grin and give chase.

"Not for long!" I roar, feet carrying me forward. The small amount of chakra I can use to augment myself vanishes. He's faster than me.

"Slowpoke!" The boy taunts, tongue sticking out.

W-Was I always this out of shape?!

Gritting my teeth, I move my little legs even faster. He turns his head for a moment, and that's enough of an opportunity for me to strike.

"W-Wha-" Bam! I palm strikes his back with a meaty thwack. He tumbles and falls down. I stand over him, lungs screaming out in pain.

"G-Got you." A grin splits my face.

Grumbling, the boy stands and gives me a dirty look.

"I guess. But not for long." He smiles and freezes in place.

I take a deep breath and calm my racing heart. Around me, about half a dozen kids lay in a similar state. It had been a bit unlucky to be made 'it', but I managed fine.

"Yeah!" A happy shout has my head snapping around. There! I rush forward, intent on catching both the sneaky devils. Hinata leaps to the right, eyes wide as saucers and cheeks tingling with a red hue. The boy on her right rushes away, forcing me to make a choice.

"S-Sorry." My friend whispers, feet carrying her away at lightning speed.

"Smell ya later!" The boy jokes, moving away far slower than the swift Hyuga. Suffice to say, I aim for the weak link, catching him in a few seconds. "Aww man..."

Unfortunately, this is a losing battle.

"Yes!" One of the other "frozen" children shouts. The little girl sticks her tongue out and runs toward one of my captives. Hinata looks away, cheeks still red; the rising smirk on her face is something I nearly miss.

Hesitant at first, my little friend was unsure of what to do. She was the first to be caught, however, the others wouldn't let that stand. They had freed her the instant I took my eyes off the young girl. Perhaps it was that kindness that let Hinata move so boldly. Wherever I went, she followed, taping my captives before I could catch them all.

The worst part was how damn fast she was! She was as slippery as an eel and would just avoid my swipes!

For someone so small, Hinata had a surprising amount of endurance. She was more physically fit than me!

"Go for it Hyuga girl!"

"Free us all!"

The other kids roared.

That was it. I knew if she didn't fall, then this unending game of can and mouse would tire me out. Taking one more breath, I rushed Hinata. Her eyes widened; she was like a deer caught in a car's headlights. However... that didn't last for long. Each swipe was expertly avoided, and while my attention was on her, all the other kids were freed.

Nearing the end of my endurance, I gave it one last try.

Sadly, even though her movements were sluggish due to our constant battle, mines was even more so. The other children had stopped running, deciding to just sit back and watch the two of us dance around the park. I fail.

"G-Gwah." I fall to the ground, muscles sore and out of energy. A second later, a panting Hinata joins me- her rear smacking into the sand.

"I-I win?" She asks, unsure of the outcome.

"Yeah." I joke as my lungs scream. "T-To fast."

Her lips explode into a wide smile, yet she stays quiet.

Everyone else rushes in, shouting in joy.

"Yes!"

"We beat the Uchiha!"

"Woo!"

"Take that!"

I refrain from pointing out the obvious and just lay back.

It was fun.

------------------------

After relaxing a bit, I go for one more round. This time, it's Hinata's turn to be it. Suffice to say, that was a quick game. And so, as that one comes to an end, everyone splits ways and heads home.

"T-Thanks for going with me," Hinata mumbles, walking by my side.

I give a tired smile and nods.

"W-What are f-friends for, right?"

So tired...

She gulps and nods.

"Y-Yeah. W-Were friends." Smiling like the sun, she keeps walking forward. Eventually, the two of us arrive at her clan's compound.

"W-Well, I got to go." Naruko's sure to be waiting for me. She's going to complain...

"B-Bye. A-And thanks again." Giving me a quick bow, Hinata scurries off into her home.

I smile, knowing she had fun.

Now, I've got a meeting with a stinky girl.

...

Blarg.

[Reward: Hinata Friendship up!]