Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I don't own Naruto
Author's Notes: I know it is a little bit early to say this. Since this story takes place before and during the war, I will only show you bits and bits of it. What the heck am I even saying?! Never mind forget what I said. Let's just wait till that moment comes. This chap is a little bit longer than the previous one. I hope you don't mind. Oh and I will update this story on Saturday or Sunday. For the time being...
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Chapter Two
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In the eyes of the world, a little boy could be seen teasing his assigned table partner. A few of their classmates - and their teacher as well - were surprised by the spectacle. It was a rare sight indeed.
The girl stared at her crush as he was interacting with the girl he likes. She felt a tiny bit jealous of the pink haired girl. He never noticed her.
The little boy, Uchiha Sasuke propped his chin on his small fist. He was admiring how the girl beside him could blush a different shade of red in just a few minutes - give or take a few seconds. Normally he would not pay attention to any of the girls in the Academy or the village in that matter. They were too annoying. Even some of the grown ups would pinch his cheeks followed by the word 'cute'.
He was not cute. Cute are for girls only.
Sasuke was quite surprised that the little girl beside him did not bother to make a conversation with him unlike some other girls. She only greeted him politely in the morning. Nothing more, nothing less. He secretly thanked the teacher for not placing him next to one of his fangirls.
Under normal circumstances, he did not mind the silence but not today! As and observant child, he did not comprehend how the Hyuuga heiress admire him. Yes, he knew the girl by title. "What's so fascinating about the dobe anyway?" he blurted out one day.
The girl gave a startled gasp. "A-ano..."
"Wait," Sasuke said, choosing his worlds carefully. "Do you like him?"
"I-I don't l-like h-him!" she protested, blushing a darker shade of red.
"I see the way you look at him," he said plainly. He reached out to poke her cheek. He was curious! "It's warmer than I expected. Your cheeks look like tomatoes."
The poor girl had almost fainted at that point. "I am going to call you Tomato-chan," Sasuke declared, grinning.
Hyuuga Hinata smiled softly at the memory. Tomato-chan. It had been years since she heard him calling her that name. No matter how many times she told him her name, he refused to call her anything else other than Tomato-chan.
That was until his whole clan was murdered by his brother's own hand. She had been there with him at the funeral. He broke down crying, calling for his Okasan and Otousan, when she embraced him. Tears were streaming down her face as well.
Its better to grieve than keeping it bottled up in your heart.
The Hyuuga heiress had lost her mother once.
That was the last time he had shown vulnerability. The Sasuke she had known and love died that day. He was replied by a boy hungry for revenge. He called her by her name 'Hinata', not 'Tomato-chan'. Just Hinata.
She never knew how much she enjoyed him calling her by that nickname.
"Sasuke-kun is here in Konoha, Mikoto-san," Hinata whispered, clutching the red and white fan pendent resting on her chest. "He came back to us. He kept his promise."
