Towards the Sun

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"We have to report this attack to the Hokage," stated Sasuke matter-of-factly as he turned around, his back now facing Hinata. If he acted as though his stomach had not just expressed his need for some food, maybe it would give the impression that nothing had happened at all. Well, that failed to appease his reddening cheeks, which provided a sharp contrast with his fair complexion. His body simply didn't seem to understand thatembarrassment was NOT part of an Uchiha's vocabulary.

The hungry ninja pursed his lips into a thin line, frowning at nothing in particular, and made his way to the kunai. According to his Sharingan, it was just a normal weapon with no modification whatsoever, except for a slip of paper attached to the small handle. In plain black ink was written: "WE KNOW".

Was this a warning? A threat?

"Ano... Sasuke-kun...." Hinata's soft voice snapped him out of his train of thought at once. When he looked back at her - to his relief, his blush had finally disappeared - she continued, "Could we... go eat first, please?" The low growl that then emanated from the demure girl's stomach plainly revealed that she hadn't breakfasted either. Her subsequent blush brought an involuntary smirk to the Uchiha's lips.

Sasuke nodded.

However, they had hardly exited the cemetery, with Sasuke in the lead, when Hinata called out his name again. This time though, as Sasuke turned towards her, he was suddenly puzzled by what he saw.

He didn't know whether it had something to do with the morning light which enveloped the two, or the way they were standing on this descending slope, but there definitely was a certain something that made him stop in his tracks. And just stare.

Besides, Hinata looked so pale.

Like a porcelain doll, thought Sasuke. Was she cold or something? That would indeed explain why she was wearing long sleeves.

He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Thank you for saving me..."

Oh. Ah.

"You're welcome."

Wait. Where had that come from? Sasuke had intended a simple "No prob" since his hunger was methodically playing with his nerves, yet his body had suddenly acted on its own accord. Something was definitely wrong with him today.

Sasuke's left eye twitched. Once. Twice.

"SHASHUKHE!" exclaimed Naruto through a mouthful of ramen noodles, an accusatory finger pointed at his dark-haired teammate.

The two hungry ninjas had entered the first small restaurant which they had seen, unsuspecting that they would come across none other than Naruto and Sakura. Sasuke had somehow forgotten that Ramen Ichiraku was Naruto's favourite eating place. He seriously felt like turning on his heel right now and looking for food elsewhere.

Hinata, on the other hand, made a beeline for the love of her life, the blush on her face increasing exponentially with each advancing step. A little white petal winked at Sasuke from one of the pockets of Hinata's lavender-coloured jacket.

Since the ramen shop basically consisted of a bar aligned with single-legged stools, the four ninjas sat in the following order, starting from the left: Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, and finally Sasuke. Needless to say, Sakura looked utterly crestfallen by this seating arrangement.

It was incontestably the most unusual breakfast ever, thought Sasuke as he was reaching the bottom of his bowl. Eating ramen in the morning? He wasn't his tanned friend, Naruto, who could devour three consecutive bowls of those thick noodles per meal. Sasuke had actually witnessed the feat back in his preteen days.