Disclaimer: I’m making a lot of reference to color this chapter. Though I may own a box of crayons and some pencils, I’m sad to say I have yet to find a color to name myself after! XD It’s just taking longer that I expected.

Well expect weird twists and turns to come up! But do enjoy!

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Insert theme song here: Holly Wood Died (Yellowcard)

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Uchiha Sasuke has not been able to see or understand the color white since the age of ten.

One might link the event that triggered such color blindness to trauma and that maybe Sasuke still harbors that pain unconsciously. Once told this, his response was to scoff at the person and call such theory bullshit before stalking off to continue training.

Uchiha Sasuke is not one for sentimental value or empathetic therapy.

The color of innocence.

The color of purity.

The color of cleanliness.

Sasuke has never seen white since childhood. And birds in particular are a group of species Sasuke will never touch or outwardly acknowledge as existing.

Instead Sasuke interprets both color and animal into the color and meaning of blood.

Dying blood.

Sasuke never sees white anymore. The blood that clouds his vision allows no place for innocence, purity, cleanliness, or peace to calm the anger.

The first time his rusted scarlet eyes glared deep into the trembling creamy white of Hyuuga Hinata’s eyes, Sasuke felt his hand push deep into his pocket for the worn and unusual grip of the gun.

He cocked the gun and threateningly pushed the barrel into her back.

His only thought roared aggravated within the cages of his mind.

How dare she look at me with such blood-soaked eyes!

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Wrongly Convicted to Paramour

Chapter Two

Scream of Blood White

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Hinata froze at the feel of a gun barrel stabbing her back –even the trembling stilled. Only the pulsating fever of blood sliding from her brow actively moved.

“Your eyes. . .”

She didn’t attempt to speak or outwardly express the confusion of such a phrase. Her teethe were slowly grating deep into her chapped lips attempting to distract the fear.

The shadow man gripped her mouth tighter, her lip now slick with blood. The gun pressed deeper but she dared not make a sound.

Blood lay heavily on her eyelashes, making them flutter as frantic moths but she dared not close her eyes. If she was to die – after everything she had lived through and before she’d even had a chance to fulfill her promise – she would die with the small shreds of dignity she still had.

“Stop that! Stop staring at me like that! With such bloody eyes!” he harshly whispered into her ear.

Hinata felt her mind blank out from the meaning of his words.

Blood? But they’re . . . white, aren’t they??

She shifted once more in his grasp, uncaring as the barrel of the gun now pointed deep in her gut to stare long and hard at her assailant. The shadow kept still, glaring at her with such a loathsome color he had accused herself of possessing.

When her stare did not relent, he brought the gun to her head and slowly cocked the gun –a single finger rested against the trigger.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you now, woman.”

His tone scared her, containing an unfathomable hatred Hinata did not even want to understand.

The gun pressed harder into the space between her eyes yet the hand that held the weapon barely trembled.

He’s so cold . . .

“Speak now, woman.”

“A-are you re-really going to sh-shoot me?”

He paused, not expecting such a reply but spoke just as coolly as he had before.

“If I have to, I will.”

She slowly nodded, dazed by such fierce and solid determination.

“I . . I actually don’t have a reason to li-live. Except . . .”

Her mind drifted off to a flash of images, all staring the same blonde man that had caused her utter demise and endless unrequited happiness.

“Except to find some . . . someone important. He left me and I have to know why. I’ve been searching for . . . so long.”

Her eyes flashed at the shadow man and with surge of power she hadn’t felt in so long, she grabbed his hand holding the gun. He was taken surprise for only a moment and the two fell to the cramped floor of Hinata’s car, wrestling to control the gun.

With such a blur of motion, it was hard to tell which hand had accidentally pulled the trigger shooting off a deafening bullet that Hinata laid stunned for a moment. This act of shock allowed the man to readjust his grip on the gun and straddle the woman’s waist.

He pointed the gun to a point-blank range on her bloody forehead and glared daggers at her.

“Now I really should kill you.”

He stared hard, looking for any signs of defeat or weakness but the woman only showed a burning ferocity that overwhelmed the man. For a moment, his eyes displaced the color of blood in her eyes for a purer hue he had trouble staring at.

Life is it then? At least you’re not weak. No, not like me at all.

Deliberately he removed the gun from her head and dragged himself off her. He ignored her coughs and gasps as he wiped the smudges of blood of his gun to stick it in his pocket once more.

Hinata rubbed a hand against her sore throat looking confused at the man.

“Why? Why spare me?” she coughed.

He gave her a bored look then turned his back to resituate himself in the driver’s seat.

“W-why?”

The engine roared to life and she stared at him as he focused the car’s rearview mirror.

“Buckle up, woman. I’m sparing your life for now so be grateful.”

Hinata sat stunned, staring at the man in morbid curiosity.

He ignored her once more to punch the gas for the car to jerk forward into a faster speed. Hinata squealed, attempting to safely sit in the backseat and buckle up without flying through the front window.

“U-uhm?! Ex-excuse me!”

He glanced at her through the mirror, giving her a look.

“What, woman?”

Hinata frowned slightly at the rude title.

“P-please slow down. And it-it’s Hinata.”

He grunted at her request, but eventually eased up on the gas pedal a bit. Hinata sighed in relief to let her fingers slowly unhook from her car’s upholstery. Now not in any mortal danger – besides being in the company of a mass murderer especially one of his own family– Hinata took a glance at the fast moving surroundings out the window.

The sky was still pitched dark but the dim street lights gave her a vague view of the buildings around. And so far, she didn’t recognize anything.

Clearing her throat, she took a look to the driver silent as stone.

“E-excuse me Uc-Uchiha-san but – ”

“How do you know my name?!” came his menacing growl.

Hinata cowered a bit but straightened her spin to speak, “N-newspaper.”

His body relaxed and a solemn nod signaled her to continue.

“Uc-Uchiha-san, where are we going?”

He kept silent, contemplating what type of a liability she would be if she knew.

In the back, Hinata slowly fidgeted her fingers twirling constantly together but froze when he spoke.

“A friend.”

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In life, we only have but a handful of friends we actually need. And the rest?

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The alarm blaringly screeched near his ear, reminding him of the type of woman that never seemed to shut up. Tiredly Shikamaru cracked open his eyes sighing at the ceiling. His hand idly shoved the clock off its nightstand and landed on the floor with a satisfying crash!

He rolled onto his side to get some extra shut-eye when a ringing noise broke the peaceful atmosphere. He groaned glaring at the phone and waited for the noise to stop. After five minutes, he gave up and crawled out of the blankets to answer it.

“Hello?” he yawned.

“Shikamaru!! Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone earlier?!”

He winced pulling the receiver away from his sensitive ears.

“Ino, why’d you wake me up?”

“Did you forget already?! Of course you did! That’s why I’m calling you now!”

“Huh?”

“You idiot! It’s your turn to pick up groceries for Kurenai-sensei!! How could you forget?!!”

He let out a tired sigh, muttering to himself.

“Did you say what I think you said, Shikamaru? Something about a troublesome blonde!?!?”

“No, Ino. Well I’ll go get those groceries now. Bye.”

“Wait – ”

He smirked at the strangled sentence before tossing the phone amongst his apartment. Scratching his loose hair, he snagged a hair tie and the grocery list waiting on his kitchen top.

He yawned once more as he exited his apartment – not bothering to lock the door – and climbed down the stairs. There wasn’t much worth in his apartment for anyone to steal, he’d always reasoned.

Grumbling at troublesome blondes and the amount of baby formula he’d have to buy, Shikamaru ignorantly waltzed past a beat-down Chevy slowly turning into his apartment’s parking lot.

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Take care not to be blinded by the shadows hiding beneath your eyes.

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“Y-your friend lives here, Sasuke-san?”

Sasuke grunted parking the car before glancing at the woman still seated in the back. Her hair fell to her shoulders in tangles and knots as crusty blood flaked from her pale skin. Her thin lips barely colored against the ghostly tone of her flesh. And her eyes . . .

Their color . . . I can’t tell, what exactly is it?

He blinked the thoughts away now noticing her habitual nervous finger twirling. She really was a thin woman.

Too thin.

“Hinata.”

She jumped at her name and pressed herself against the car seat. He only sighed.

“I won’t hurt you right now. I told you, I spared your life.”

She nodded hesitantly.

“Now I’m going to my friend’s apartment, 2nd floor room 234. Got it?”

She nodded once more, still confused by the conversation’s direction.

“You go wash that blood off and get something to eat. There’s a grocery store across the street for you to pick stuff up.”

He made a move to open the car door when Hinata stuttered, “W-Wait!”

He stilled, hand resting on the door handle.

“Aren’t you w-worried I mi-might call the police? Or s-something?”

“No. And even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. I’d be gone before they could get here. Why? Do you have reason to?”

Her head bowed slightly, “N-no. Not particularly, I-I guess.”

“When you leave this car, you’re free to do whatever you want. I don’t care. But you’re looking for someone, aren’t you?”

Her eyes perked, listening intently.

“My . . . friend, he can help us. Help us find certain people. 2nd floor room 234. If you decide . . . you know where I’ll be. Good bye.”

He left her stunned in the car, slamming the door as the old Chevy frame rattled slightly.

Without a second glance, a second thought, a second breath, Sasuke entered the apartment building heading straight toward the current resident of room 234.

Sarutobi Asuma, just you wait.

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Strange how we first met?

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The scrubbing had left her skin raw pink, similar to a blush.

When was the last time my skin blushed? When was the last time I felt the need to?

Hinata turned on the faucet to drown the thoughts out and soon dried up. She left the bathroom and stared at all the aisles stocked with prepackaged food products.

Her stomach growled on cue.

She clutched the pain through her thin shirt before skittering off to grab a basket and venture into the cereal box aisle. Her eyes smiled at the numerous brands with their cartoon figures dancing around the covers, tempting for her to reach out.

However the thin press of her wallet in her back pocket reminded her how little she had. Only the essentials would do.

And her number one essential popped into existence two aisles later. The instant cup ramen gloriously stood on the highest shelf, mocking her as she stared longingly at it.

Why do they always put it so high?

Carefully she began to tiptoe, testing the bottom shelf’s sturdiness. When it didn’t collapse under her weight, her feet scaled the next shelf and the next.

She wasn’t too high from the ground but she could feel the items topple from her clumsy grip as she stretched her arm for the prize. Fingers tapped the Styrofoam container, pushing it a little out of reach. She pressed herself closer to the shelf and could feel the ramen within her grasp when a voice shouted, “HEY! WATCH OUT!”

Startled, her balance left her and she flailed her arms backwards as more items came raining down on her. Holding her breath, she fell backwards crashing hard into another warm body.

Moonshine eyes blinked rapidly, puzzling the numbness of pain only to squeak when she realized what lay beneath her.

“Ah! F-forgive me!! I’m so s-sorry, sir!”

She jumped off the man and began throwing loose items away from the crash site until she could pull him standing up only to fall backwards from the effort. He groaned rubbing his pineapple styled hair, frowning.

“Ouch. That wasn’t the landing I was expecting.”

“I-I’m s-so sorry! I mu-must have be-been heavy to have cr-crushed you!!”

“Ah, no not really. You were surprisingly light. But next time try calling for help. Or getting a ladder. That was more trouble than either of us could really do with. Besides what could have been that important to go through all the trouble?”

She ducked her head, sheepishly holding the slightly beaten ramen cup.

“Eh? Well, I guess we all have our personal quirks but whatever. Come on, let’s go before the store clerk kicks us out.”

He outstretched his hand for her to take. Shyly she gripped his hand as he effortlessly yanked her up.

“W-what’s your n-name?”

He rotated his shoulder, thinking for a moment before replying.

“Shikamaru. Nara Shikamaru.”

“T-thank you Nara-san,” she bowed.

He waved it off and turned to walk away when he noticed a slick droplet of bleed dripping from her head. It crawled down the contours of her pale face before dripping off her chin to land on the cluttered ground.

“Oh my. Not again,” said Hinata smearing the blood onto her finger.

She rubbed the blood droplets between her fingers when they were caught in another hand. Shikamaru stared oddly at her as he tugged at her hand to follow him.

“Come on. I live close by here –an apartment across the street. We can get you cleaned up there uh . . . your name?”

She replied without thought, her head slightly swooning from the blood lost just a few hours ago.

“Hinata,” she said dropping the instant ramen cup by the dotting blood trial.

“Hyuuga Hinata.”

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Color gives the world a life that never lasts.

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A.N.: LONG UPDATE!!! I expect the same in reviews!!!