Distant Echoes

51 - Hatch

Sitting in front of the mirror of her room, Hinata tied her hair in a high tail and looked at her skin that continued to be cracked around her nose and eyes. His eyes fell on the two tubes of cream she had bought an hour earlier in the village. Maybe this time it would solve the problem. She constantly needed to moisturize the skin in those cold lands. When they left that country he would have had the opposite problem with all the heat of August. Sasuke was not there, he had gone out perhaps at dawn unable to continue sleeping. There was something that worried her, Hinata knew it, she had heard him cry again, while dreaming about his horrible past and was so sad. It was eleven, he wondered where he had gone, and a quarter of an hour later he almost jumped, when he heard a knock.

- Hey - greeted him.

- Is it very cold outside? - Hinata asked.

- Not more than usual. -

Sasuke looked at all the ivy crap he didn't care if he was there and he was rubbing that stuff in his face. Her long smooth hair glided brilliantly behind her shoulders. Under the rays of the sun, those reflections ranged from blue to purple. In the room there was stuff Hinata everywhere, she saw a lot of clothes, hair accessories, cosmetics, brushes, notebooks. For a moment it seemed to him that they were there, the chaos that produced the ivy was very similar.

- I know what you're thinking - said Hinata, looking at him from the mirror.

- Hmm? -

- I will seal everything before I leave - he said quietly. - So I will not deprive myself of anything. -

Sasuke smiled, Hinata returned to apply the cream.

- Do you know? - she looked at him from the mirror. - You should take a new cape yourself, that poncho is all torn, if you don't want to throw it, at least let me mend it a little. -

Sasuke did not answer, but only observed the poncho he had just laid on the chair, torn and unstitched in several places. He had practically lived the life of a scruffy bum until then and hated the idea that she was making him aware of his negligence.

- My skin is all chapped by the cold outside, you should try this cream yourself. -

- No.-

Hinata raised her eyebrows, not expecting a different answer.

- I have Kakashi's letter - said Sasuke, showing her the small scroll.

- What does it say? -

- Read also. -

Hinata, I'm relieved of my concern now that I know you've found Sasuke, but I have something to order. A week before the end of August you will return to your mission with Sai. Need to see the leaf ninja, for the moment think that you are helping one of the many countries of Tierra del Fuego where none of Konoha is present. So you're gonna have to go back to them so you can keep your cover. You will stay with Sai at least a week. Sasuke will return to Konoha a few days before you can make sure not to arouse suspicion for the absence of both. I will go to your clan again and inform them of his return.

Kakashi

- Actually it makes sense what the teacher says - said Hinata. - For the whole of July nobody has seen me. We still have two weeks off. -

- In two days we turn from here - Sasuke said before sitting and sharpening his katana.