Towards the Sun

Chapter 4

Yay new chapter!!!? Please vote or i will sling monkey poo at you >:)
Comments are appreciated too
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Chapter 4
The unexpected news seemed to send the whole situation into a state of slow motion. Naruto was in the air, aiming a punch at the Hyuuga girl. Hinata's head had turned to the side to look at the newly arrived Kakashi. Sakura was gazing at Hinata with a confused expression plastered on her face. Only Sasuke seemed aware that Naruto's fist was threatening to make imminent contact with the distracted Hinata's delicate cheek.
A few seconds later, though, it appeared that he was wrong.
Sasuke had managed to get Hinata out of the Jinchuriki's path by leaping to her side and scooping her into his strong arms before swiftly jumping onto a tree branch adjacent to the one Sakura still occupied. In the meantime, Kakashi had appeared next to Naruto, grabbed his protrusive arm and tackled him to the ground.
"Oops," said Kakashi-sensei. He helped a bewildered Naruto up. He then looked over to Hinata, stating, "Judging by the puzzled look on your face, it appears like this is news to you as well. Oh! By the way, Sakura, Hinata-san, I was told to inform you that... tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Hokage's office, there'll be a meeting regarding the medic team for the Chuunin exams." Kakashi-sensei raised an eyebrow.
It took Sasuke a full second to understand Kakashi's silent question. When he did, though, the dark-haired ninja encountered some difficulty to hide the shade of pink now colouring his pale cheeks. He was grateful that the setting sun was casting a warm glow on his face.
Hinata was still in his arms.
After letting the kunoichi down as nonchalantly as possible - this simply came naturally to Sasuke, being an Uchiha - another facet of Hinata was revealed to him: her clumsiness. He was compelled to grab both her shoulders in order to steady the young lady, who had unexpectedly lost her footing on the otherwise broad tree branch. Afterwards, neither of them dared to look at each other.
This also concluded Naruto's training session with Hinata for the day, thus it was now time for Sasuke to spar with an overjoyed Haruno Sakura.
The two took position on opposite sides of the training area. Sasuke scanned the stretch of barren earth, his gaze lingering on a small white rock near the centre. Underneath it, a long shadow thrice the size of the pebble extended outwards, as though striving to reach the surrounding trees. Sasuke had an idea.
"Sakura-chan versus Sasuke-START!" exclaimed Naruto.
As soon as Naruto's words were out, both teammates lurched at one another. In a dexterous movement, Sasuke snatched the stone off the ground and tossed it into the air. He aimed a punch at Sakura's chin, which the kunoichi dodged by leaning backwards. The latter swiftly counterattacked by grabbing Sasuke's wrist to pull him closer and downwards, so that she could knee him in his solar plexus and thus knock the breath out of him. She failed to hit him, however. Sasuke took advantage of the sudden pull to slip his hand behind Sakura's head and proceeded to shove it down onto her raised knee. But he released her at the last moment and drew back just in time to kick the falling pebble back into the air: the airborne stone spiralled on itself, whistling faintly as it gained altitude.
All that physical proximity was making poor Naruto more and more jealous by the millisecond as he observed his teammates from the sidelines. "Sakura-chan looks so small and fragile next to that idiot Sasuke!"Naruto was thinking, panicked. "What if he accidentally wounds her badly?!"
The duel ended when Sasuke pinned a flushed and panting Sakura to the ground, one hand around her slim neck while the other was clenched into a fist, ready to strike. In his closed palm, concealed from the outside world, was the small stone. He was going to keep it, Sasuke decided as he put it away in his weapon pouch.
The two ninjas got back up wordlessly. Sakura clearly looked like she might swoon at any moment and was eyeing the tall and lean figure of her beloved Sasuke dotingly.
He was soon snatched away from her, though. Kakashi-sensei had suddenly called him over.
"The Hokage told me to give you this," said the bored-looking ninja, handing Sasuke a scroll upon which were written his own name and the word "Mission".
The Uchiha nin proceeded to open the scroll, already conscious that he would be unable to refuse the assigned mission. The scroll was blank. Puzzled, Sasuke activated his Sharingan to examine it: he was even more perplexed when characters appeared before his eyes on the previously bare paper. As he read on, his task brought a frown to Sasuke's fine features: he had to "Protect Hyuuga Hinata". He deduced that a member of the Hyuuga clan had assigned this task to him despite the anonymity of the sender. He wondered, annoyed, why they couldn't just have one of their own kin do the job instead. Maybe they were taking the opportunity that he was an orphan to appoint life-threatening duties to him.
But what was irking him most was the lack of details of the mission: neither the reason nor the time duration had been provided.
Plus everything had to remain "confidential".
Sasuke was about to point out these details to Kakashi-sensei, but the specification that the task should remain secret immediately defueled his intention. Furthermore, as he lifted his gaze from the scroll, he realised that his teacher had already disappeared.
What the hell?
The young ninja didn't want to go stalking an unsuspecting Hinata, given that she formed part of a noble clan. The Hyuuga would get suspicious. They might think that Sasuke was coveting the elder daughter of the Lord Hiashi, the head of the Hyuuga clan. Even since Hinata's unsuccessful abduction at the age of three, the entire clan had become restless on safety and security, although they maintained their poised demeanour in public. Sasuke vaguely recalled a white-eyed man who would constantly accompany Hinata on her way to school and back home during his Academy days. Now that he thought about it again, it would appear much more natural for the Hyuuga heiress to be followed around by another Hyuuga, since discretion was a must for this mission.
Sasuke decided that he would talk about it to the Hokage first thing tomorrow.
Sighing, he casually walked back towards Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, who were discussing the first stage of the Chuunin exams.
"It shouldn't be too bad," Sakura was now saying, "since only the tenth question will count for the exams. However, they added a rule that you should attempt every question, or they'll kick you out of the examination room. Just before the last question is set, the invigilators will pass round to check each Genin's test paper." She gave Naruto a dark look, "That's all thanks to you, Naruto."
A sweat drop suddenly appeared on Naruto's temple, and he slowly backed away from the glowering kunoichi. The last time that he had participated in the Chuunin exams, the blond had been the only one to submit a completely blank paper. He replied with a nervous laughter, "Oh... so I guess I'll have to study this time around. Ah! Look! It's getting late, the sun has already set. I should get going, see ya guys!" And he took to his heels.
"NARUTO! COME BACK HERE!" Sakura ran after him.
Soon, the two were out of sight.
Which left Hinata and Sasuke alone.
In the dark.
Oh.
"I'll walk you home," said Sasuke as he started towards the village. He inspected the starlit night sky. The moon was just a crescent, casting a feeble light upon the two. In the distance, the Village of Konoha was illuminated with streetlamps, neon banners and lit houses.
"Hai...," replied Hinata absentmindedly, eventually falling into step beside him. The following silence was awkward, yet no one dared to break it.
To Sasuke's relief, he knew where the Hyuuga residence was situated in Konoha - just outside the central part of the village. He had gone to the place once or twice with his family since the Uchiha were also a noble clan, yet he couldn't seem to remember what he had done there. He just recalled its location. A child's memory was so volatile...
"Thank you for accompanying me, Sasuke-kun... And... Sorry for the trouble." They had already reached their destination. The white walls of the fence surrounding the residential compound appeared grey in the dim environment. A single lantern was lit near the entrance gate, above which was carved the Hyuuga clan's name. The orange light of the lantern cast a warm glow on Hinata's features, causing the Uchiha lad to briefly compare this Hinata to the palish girl he had seen this morning.
As Sasuke watched Hinata enter the compound, he noticed a silhouette standing just above the steps leading inside the main house. It was Hinata's father and he looked as stern as ever. The young lad automatically inclined his head in greeting, unsure whether Hiashi Hyuuga would notice it. Upon looking back up, though, Sasuke saw the Hyuuga leader return the gesture. Also, he could almost swear that for a split second the latter's expression had seemed less tense. It was hard to determine in the dim setting. Hinata closed the wooden gate with a soft "Good night".
Back at home and after a quick shower, Sasuke hit the bed and promptly drifted to sleep. Yet another night without eating dinner.
However, once again, his subconscious took the opportunity to slip a fragment of his childhood into his mind. One he did remember this time.
Sasuke was laughing. He was happy. Looking around, he saw his parents and his elder brother, Itachi. They were smiling. The sole source of light in the dining room was the lit candle atop a big cake on the wooden table in front of him. The number seven towered above a text calligraphed in chocolate: Happy Birthday Sasuke.
"Make a wish before blowing out the candle!" said Mikoto, his mother. Sasuke had inherited her looks while Itachi resembled their father, Fugaku.
The young Uchiha merrily complied. The candle flame was out almost instantly, causing one to wonder whether Sasuke had even spared time to make a wish. He had. But nobody would ever know that.
The room was now plunged into total darkness. Silence had abruptly conquered the cheering voices of Sasuke's family. The young boy stretched out a hand and tried to reach for someone, anyone. His small fingers curled around thin air where Itachi's wrist should have been.
A sentiment of dread blossomed inside Sasuke. He was alone. Everybody had left him. A fragment of the Uchiha Clan Massacre flashed before his eyes - the bodies of his parents lying on the cold wooden floor of their house, Itachi standing behind them. His brother had killed them last, heartbroken, after learning that they still loved him no matter what.
Everything went black once more.
"Sasuke."
No way... This was Itachi's voice, thought Sasuke. Itachi was calling out to him! He looked around frantically, searching for his brother. Darkness stared back at him from all directions.
"Sasuke..."
The deep voice again. But just where was it coming from?
A blinding light.
Sasuke awoke with a start. Shielding his eyes from the intense brightness of an all-too-familiar ray of sunlight, he lay in bed for a while, completely still and frowning at the goddamn darkness within his palm. He made a mental note to buy more competent curtains. Or even better, he would simply purchase blinds.
Now, he just wanted a cold shower.
As he exited his bedroom and walked down the small corridor towards the adjacent bathroom, he glimpsed a little heap on the floor in front of the apartment door. Mail. He went over and picked them up. Leafing through the letters, he noted that most were decorated with small hearts and had been perfumed. Secret admirers... One by one, he dropped them into the trashcan next to the door. Ever since he had been discharged from the Konoha Hospital after the war and had settled at this apartment, he had started to receive love letters. Some were signed "with love" while others thankfully remained anonymous. The inconvenience was that, even though the number fluctuated per day, he would always find two or three of them lying on his doorstep every morning. And this annoyed Sasuke.
The first few days, he had evidently been flattered, like any person his age would have been. But looking at the pastel-coloured envelopes now, he was purely appalled. Too much love kills the love...
At last, Sasuke was left with only one seemingly ordinary envelope. The letter inside it read:
Since you need three people per team for the Exams, I'll present you the temporary member of the team at the Third Training Ground tomorrow morning.
~Hatake Kakashi
"Who could it be?" pondered Sasuke. Moreover, this was bothersome because they had less than a week to prepare for the Exams, and now there would be a new addition to the team. "Hmm...," he mumbled to himself, thoughtful. A glance at the wall clock caused him to discard his musings. It was already eight and he had to see the Hokage as soon as possible.
A quick shower and an even quicker breakfast later, Sasuke set off towards the Academy.
"Yes, I did entrust this to Hatake Kakashi so that he could give this to you," stated Tsunade as she scanned the scroll which Sasuke had just presented to her. All she could see was a stretch of blank paper. The dark-haired ninja had already informed her that the contents could be read using the Sharingan. "As you already know, you are unable to decline any mission to which you are assigned, may it be by myself or, as it is in this case, by the sender himself." Resting her chin atop her interlaced fingers, the Fifth Hokage peered at the young ninja across her office table, which was presently overcrowded with pile upon pile of paperwork. She continued, her eyes locking into a firm gaze at the Uchiha's black eyes, "I believe that you know the consequence of refusing a mission?"
Sasuke responded with a curt nod. He would be deprived of his status as a shinobi and would thus be restricted to a normal civilian's life. The Fifth Hokage had skilfully manipulated the Konoha Council to reduce the duration of this condition to a mere four - now three years instead of the age of retirement. How she had achieved such a feat was a complete mystery up to this day.
The scroll was handed back to him. He once again scanned the contents, this time down to the very bottom where were written the conditions of the mission contract.
The ghost of a smile flashed across his features. It was gone before either Lady Tsunade or Shizune could even detect its appearance. Sasuke proceeded to reopen the wound on his forefinger, smear the fresh blood onto his thumb, which he used to stain the three remaining finger pads, and press all five fingers onto the hand-sized space provided.
The contract was now complete.
Out of the blue, the scroll furled itself and disappeared into a puff of smoke. It was replaced by a small round object which presently rested in the palm of Sasuke's hand. The young Uchiha peered at it curiously, wondering what this... thing could possibly be. Its colour reminded him of clouds at sunset. He suddenly heard the Hokage sigh.
"You men can be so ignorant...," she muttered under her breath. Now in a louder voice: "This is a rosehip. Was there any mention in the contract? No? Well... it probably contains a jutsu which will track the progress of the mission." The blonde gave Sasuke a loop-sided smile before continuing, "You should stop by the Yamanaka Flower shop on your way back; they are experts in this domain." She seemed to be picturing Sasuke tending to a small plant. He simply didn't look like the caring type, usually maintaining the shut-up-and-leave-me-alone act up in front of others. Regaining a serious composure, she then dismissed the young ninja.
The Academy, found directly at the foot of the famous Hokage Monument Mountain, was halved into the Academic and the Administrative Divisions; the latter consisted of the Mission Assignment Desk and the Hokage's office. It had been a long time since Sasuke's last visit of the Ninja School. He wondered how he would feel if he were to explore this element of his childhood once more. Nostalgic? A normal person would. But then again, the awesome Uchiha Sasuke was not normal. He was awesome.
His sky-scraping level of complacency didn't seem to worry him in the least.
Considering that it was a weekday and still morning, the school was open and full of noisy, hyperactive children. Sasuke was now walking up a small alley lined with tall green trees, their extensive canopies protecting him from the sultry summer sun. At the far end of the path, swaying gently in the occasional breeze, a lone swing hung from the lowest branch of the last tree. It looked as solitary as had been its most frequent occupant, Uzumaki Naruto. But now the happy-go-lucky blond was surrounded by friends that he had progressively made. He had managed to acquire their respect, their trust and their love throughout years of hardship and never giving up in his ideals.
But what about Sasuke?
His focus on revenge and power had led him down a sinister path, causing him to cross out any sort of healthy social life. He would have to work on that as from now.
Sasuke finally stopped in front of the school entrance and looked upwards. The towering building seemed slightly less imposing as compared to the one in his childhood memories. He was presently as tall as his teacher, Kakashi, and silently delighted in the fact that Naruto was an inch shorter. He was well aware that it was quite childish of him, but he had always been the competitive type. Even the most trivial details mattered to him if he wished to surpass everyone else and become the Hokage. Unless he found something else. Hence, Naruto would find peace of mind: the title of Hokage had always been his dream.
The Uchiha lad was about to enter the Ninja School when something unexpected occurred. He bumped into someone. A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he recognised Hinata, who had just come out. Her face was flushed and she was panting. Behind her, the sound of running was growing louder by the second. "E-Excuse me!" she said in a panicked voice, trying to push a stunned Sasuke away with her small hands so that she could escape her apparent pursuers. But it was too late.
In a blink, those chasing her caught up; Sasuke saw Sakura and Ino suddenly skid to a halt as they quickly recognised the gorgeous shinobi standing in the doorway. The two collided with Hinata's back, propelling the latter forward -
Right into Sasuke's arms.

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Next chapter will be out in a day to commemorate the end of Naruto...its been 15 wonderful years...i can't stop crying...:'(
But who is hyped for the new manga "Takejou no Ageha"? Supposed to be the next gen of naruto. In the comments, share your predictions for this manga, like the characters, pairings, etc. DONT FORGET TO VOTE XD