LAKE

Rating: PG
Genre: G, AU, OneShot
Note: A moment from childhood of Sasuke and Hinata.

He watched his reflection on the clear waters of the lake. The white puffy clouds moved slowly over his head along deep blue sky. The birds chirped around happily while he sat there bending to the water staring himself. A pair of large, deep black pupils looked back him sadly. He felt the burning on his cheeks. A little hand reached to the water making ripples ruining the image of him. He took a palm of water and rubbed it gently on his cheeks trying to easy the pain. He could not even succeeded doing that fire jutsu, proving he was capable of being a good ninja in the future, yet. He had been training since the early hours of the day. His lungs were hurt. He had a burning sensation at his throat.

'He was eight years old when he had his sharingan...'

He recalled his aunt's words for his elder brother, who was graduated from academy at seven and could be able to use sharingan, the special bloodline of their family, at 8, now he was 13 and already an ANBU captain. Everybody was talking about him proudly and with envy. Whoever sees him, the first think they say was about his brother; how a prodigy he was.

He was seven, just began to ninja academy, and could not even have hints of sharingan in his black orbs He could not success throwing kunai and shuriken flawless although all training he had been doing.

Being an Uchiha was not easy, he noticed. People were always accepting the best from him because he was Uchiha Sasuke, the second heir of Uchiha clan. He could not make mistakes. He could not fail. He had to be good because he was Uchiha, the little brother of excellent Uchiha Itachi. He could see expectations in their eyes when they looked at him… except his father. He wondered if his father was even aware of his existence. He was like a ghost to his father, who ignores him always as if he did not see him there standing or sitting in front of his eyes. When he talked to him he was uncomfortable as if his father was disturbed hearing him.

The tiny fists hit the ground frustrated. He envied other children when he saw their parents taking them to the park to play or came to school to fetch them. He felt jealous when the children talked about their parents, what they did with their fathers. The fat guy, sitting in front of him, was telling to his friend what he and his father did at the weekend. The other was complaining about his father falling on him so much.

He took more water. He rubbed his hands on his cheeks after drinking from his palms. Hearing a splashing he held his head and looked ahead. He saw a girl about his age a few meters away from him.

She was sitting on her knees and bending towards the lake as he was. Her black head was bowed so he could not see her face. She was washing her hands in the water. He heard her sob. She rubbed her cheek to her arms while keeping her hands still in the water. He could see the red tracks getting lost in the ripples. She took out her hands and dried them to her black shirt under her light brown jacket. After, she puffed to them as if trying to easy the pain. She sobbed more, the tears running down her pale white cheeks. He could mistake her Uchiha with that coal black hairs and white skin if he did not see her watery white eyes. A Hyuuga. He wondered what she was doing there so far from her house land.

She cried with agony, more than the pain she felt at her hands to the pain she felt in her heart. The harsh and cruel scolding of her father ringing in her little ears; useless, shame, failure… getting annoyed her father let her go when she could not do the moves he was teaching her. Running away she went into the forest. After crying some she tried to train by herself for next time she would train with her father wanting to please her showing she could do them. Her fingers were aching dully and shaking for hitting the hard tree barks for hours. The blood formed on the cuts again but this time she did not mind wiping them.

She wanted to be strong like it was accepted from her, the heir of Hyuuga family. But she was not. She was scared. When her father called her to training she felt like dying. She tried to look strong but she could not help trembling like a leaf under his harsh looks. When he yelled her to correct her position she was messing it more while trying to do it right. When he told her to hit harder, her kicks and punches were getting shaky causing her to find herself on the mats of dojo, backhanded.

She did not want to be a ninja. She did not like to fight. She liked investigate the flowers and plants, being in nature watching it closely. She liked to read books about herbs trying to do something with them herself. But her father did not want her to waste her time on those things and told her to focus on her training and master her bloodline, byakugan, one of the strongest properties among Leaf Ninjas.

She sniffed loudly and dried her face with the sleeve of her jacket. It was nearly noon and she was hungry. She had to go home but she did not want to. Her father was probably thinking she was slacking of her training again.

"Hi." She startled hearing someone beside her. She did not hear them coming. She looked and saw a raven haired, black eyed boy, who should be around her ages she guessed.

"H..h..i," she said with a shaky voice looking ground blushed.

"What is your name? I am Sasuke," he said.

"Hinata," she murmured silently after a few seconds. He could miss it if he wasn't bending down his hands were on his knees.

"Your hands are hurt," the boy said checking her hands. She brought together her hands on her lap wringing her injured fingers. "Were you training?" he asked. And without letting her answer he continued. "Are you going to be ninja, too? I will. One day I will one of the best ninjas" he beamed. She smiled shyly back. She looked the small reddish scares on his cheeks.

"Come!" He grabbed her wrist and began to run. She yelped trying to catch with him. They passed some hills and a little wooded area before coming into a compound. She could not see much running fast. He stopped when they came in front of a big house surrounded with white and red fan symbols. He took her inside. She looked around with big curious eyes.

"Mom?" the little boy called opening a paper door.

"Sasuke?" someone called from behind. She turned and saw a beautiful woman. She had long black hairs and black eyes like the guy's. She was smiling nicely. "Who is your lovely friend?" she asked bending towards her. Hinata blushed and began to play with her fingers again looking down.

"Mom." He walked towards them ignoring the girl's shyness. "She hurt her hands." Sasuke grabbed her hands not giving attention to her red face. "Look." He looked her mother with his big black innocent eyes. "Can you cure them?" he asked while holding her hands to his mother. When she put on that cream on his cheeks it felt good taking the pain away. He hoped his mother could help her injures too.

Her mother checked the girl's hands. She remembered the little girl, Hyuuga family's first born daughter. There were several cuts and red bruises. Her fingers were looking sore and going to become swollen. "Okay." She smiled to them. "Let me check them Hinata-chan," she said leading the girl towards the kitchen. The little girl looked up surprised to the woman, who knew her name.

Sasuke bounced after them happily. He sat across Hinata at the kitchen table. Her mother came with first aid kit and began to clean her wounds and bandaging them. Sasuke put his elbows on the table and leaned his chin on her hands but pulled away suddenly feeling the pain. He did same again but this time he was slow and careful to not touch his bruises. The girl giggled him but she stopped and looked down when he looked her pouting.

After taking care of Hinata's hands Mikoto set up the table for them and they had lunch together. Hinata listened Sasuke telling his mother about his training. The delicious smells were causing Hinata to feel her hunger more. She was thankful the meal was ready before her stomach would embarrass her. Hinata was glad it was soup so she did not need to use hashi to eat. She did not think she could do well with her bandaged fingers.

"Onisan!" Sasuke got up and run towards to the guy standing in front of the kitchen door.

"Welcome back Itachi-kun." His mother greeted him even if she knew she would not have an answer back. Hinata eyed the older guy with fear. He was looking at her, expressionless but with his hard black eyes.

"Are you hungry?" their mother asked getting up and taking another cup to put on table.

"Onisan? Are you going to train me today?" Sasuke asked eagerly. Itachi looked down his little brother's hopeful eyes.

"Are you playing with girls, Sasuke?" he said carelessly before turning. "I am not hungry." He waved his hand lazily walking away.

Sasuke pouted staring after his elder brother. "I Do Not Play With Girls!" he yelled, his hands in fists in front of him. Taking his bag he run out leaving the girl, who he dragged along, in the kitchen with his mother.

Hinata was confused staring to her nearly empty bowl. "Hinata-chan, do you want some more?" She turned to the nice woman sitting beside her. She shook her head no.

"Domo.. a .. ari..ga..tou," she mumbled dropping her hand on her lap. "I… should go .. n..now."

"Okay." They got up. "Here, this is for your mother." She gave Hinata a package. Hinata nodded taking it.

"Come again Hinata-chan." She saw the little girl off at the door. Hinata nodded and bowed politely before leaving.

While passing the lake she saw Sasuke on the deck. He was making some seals with his hands and then blowing a big amount of fire from his mouth. He was doing it again and again. Sometimes the size of the fire was being very big and sometimes it could not go far than two meters. Hinata wanted to thank but she could not dare to disturb him. She walked away after some seconds leaving Sasuke to his training.

END