Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any places, things, characters, or ideas therein. The aforementioned belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Viz Media, TV Tokyo, Shounen Jump, etc. I am writing this fic for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain.

Summary: When Uchiha Sasuke needs a special kind of healing only one unfriendly clan can provide, can he trust them with his future? :Sasuke x Hinata:

Rating: T

Warnings: Violence, kissing

Pairing(s): Sasuke/Hinata, light Neji/Tenten

Spoilers: None

Dedication: To Mama Jo, my mother, my friend, my fellow writer, and my beta - thank you for everything. I hope you have an absolutely awesome Mother's Day!

Author's Note: I wrote the first chapter of this fic almost a year ago, but the idea scared me, so I just quit. But then Mother's Day approached, and I asked my mom (a fellow Naruto fan) what she wanted me to write her for the occasion. She recalled this idea and told me to finish it. So here I am with Blind Faith. It's quite a bit darker than my previous work, Coffee Connections, but I love it in its own way. It's a semi-canonical AU where Sasuke never left the village with the Sound Ninja Four. There will be no Fourth Ninja War in this story. Thank you very much for checking out my story, and I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

*~Blind Faith~*

.:fyd818:.

*~Chapter I~*

~Darkness~

The darkness clawed at his defenses; ate away at his sanity; brought him to the very edge of breaking and left him lying there, vulnerable and alone.

Uchiha Sasuke's hands locked into strangling fists around the rough fabric under his hands. The scratchy blanket, astringent smells, and sound of many voices speaking quietly outside the confining walls of his room told him he was in the hospital. He vaguely remembered someone telling him so the last time he'd been awake - albeit briefly, thanks to the sharp needle prick in his arm and the sedative which had sucked away his awareness.

A nurse later told him he'd been irrational, violent. The latter, he could understand. But he was never irrational. He felt insulted someone had even dared think such a thing of him.

At least the restraints were gone. Lady Tsunade's voice still rang in his ears, informing him the restraints, the ghostly remnants of which he could still feel around his wrists, were to keep him from clawing at the bandages around his eyes. They had to stay in place, she told him, until she was certain the touch of light and air could do no more damage to his eyes.

Sasuke ground his teeth. He was a doujutsu user: which meant he heavily relied upon his Sharingan for nearly every move he made in the field. Without his eyes, he was worse than useless - as a ninja, as a hopeful avenger, as an Uchiha. However Lady Tsunade seemed reasonably certain he would eventually be able to see again, especially since she said she was "exploring" an option that might help rehabilitate his Sharingan and the badly damaged chakra paths leading to them.

But the mere fact the best healer in the five great nations - and beyond - even had to go exploring was bad news. If she couldn't automatically put into practice a piece of her nearly infinite medical knowledge, the chances of his actually being able to see again - let alone use his Sharingan - were minimal at best. He wasn't stupid. He'd heard the uncertainty in Lady Tsunade's voice, even as she'd spoken words he was sure were meant to be reassuring.

He wished she'd just been up-front with him from the beginning. It would have made the already bitter knowledge at least a little easier to swallow.

His heightened hearing, working overtime to compensate for his loss of sight, detected a familiar set of footsteps coming toward the door. He waited until he heard the shouji panel slide open, then calmly turned his face in that direction. No matter what, he wasn't going to let anyone see how weak he really felt. He wasn't going to show anyone how lost and alone he felt in this all-consuming darkness.

"Good news." Lady Tsunade's voice sounded brighter than the last time she'd visited, though Sasuke refused to let his hopes perk up at the sound. Better to expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised than the other way around. "You're being released from the hospital tomorrow."

Sasuke remained silent, waiting for the inevitable other shoe to drop - painfully - on his head.

"Since it's not really a good idea for you to be alone right now, Naruto-"

And there it is. "No."

The deafening silence coming from the leader of Konoha made it clear she did not appreciate being interrupted. "Excuse me?" she asked, tone deliberate. The words sounded as though they'd been chipped from ice, and the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.

He remained unfazed. "I'll stay by myself. I've lived on my own for many years now. I can take care of myself." And the last thing he needed was Naruto hanging around every moment of the day and night, pestering him. Viewing him as weak. Doing things Sasuke was still perfectly capable of doing on his own. "As long as I return to my flat, I'll be fine."

"I see." A rustle of clothing made Sasuke think the blonde had crossed her arms over her chest. "While I appreciate your fortitude, it is not safe for you to be by yourself."

I am not weak. He locked his jaw against the urge to hurl the words at her with the force of kunai. "I will be fine." He clipped the words out very precisely.

"While I'm sure you will be, I'm afraid being alone is not an option for you right now." The heels of her sandals clicked closer, and he sensed her standing right next to him. "Since you've turned down your teammate's help, there are only two options left to you if you want to get out of this hospital room."

Sasuke allowed his silence to ask the question which he didn't dare to voice aloud.

"The first is to allow yourself to be checked into Konoha's rehabilitation center. There are individual apartments there, which will still allow you freedom without putting yourself in danger."

"And the other?" he asked, dismissing the first option immediately.

Tsunade sighed. "As I told you before, I've been looking into possibilities to help you regain the use of your eyesight, if not your Sharingan. This is truly a unique situation, so I've been hard-pressed to come up with anything that will have even a prayer of working. But, if you're willing to try, there is one possibility."

Biting down on the urge to say "I'll do it!" without first hearing what it was, Sasuke calmly questioned, "What is it? And what are the chances of it being successful?"

"As to the chances, I'd say - if you cooperate - there's a ninety-percent chance you'll get full sight back, and an eighty-five percent chance you'll regain full use of your Sharingan."

Pretty good odds, if Sasuke didn't say so himself. "What are the down sides?" Because something like this had to be too good to be true. That was just the way things worked for him.

"Relatively few in number. There's a two-percent chance it could make the damage to your eyes permanent. But as the person who will be performing this therapy upon you is an expert in her craft, the possibility is so remote I don't put any credence in it." Tsunade did sound confident...

...But the her caught Sasuke's attention, bringing his wariness back to full strength. "Who is this expert?" He had to know that before he agreed or disagreed. It was that simple. He didn't want some simpering female fawning over him every hour of the day, even if she did have the ability to help bring back his eyesight.

Lady Tsunade hesitated - again - before saying, "Hyuuga Hinata."

The hair on Sasuke's arms stood straight up in warning. He knew about the Hyuuga clan, with their secret techniques, and prestigious place in the village, and the eyes in the backs of their heads. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha had never really gotten along that well, so he wondered if this Hinata girl had volunteered for the job, or been ordered into it by Lady Tsunade. Either way, he had to wonder if she'd take advantage of the opportunity to do even more damage to his eyes.

The blonde next to his bed was talking again. "She's successfully used this technique to heal other members of her clan. You should consider yourself flattered, Sasuke. You're the only non-Hyuuga on whom this technique has been - or, I suppose I should say will be - performed. This is the best chance you have of regaining your eyesight and Sharingan abilities."

There was little Sasuke hated more than being stuck between a rock and a hard place; and that was exactly where he'd been planted at the moment. If Lady Tsunade said this was the best chance, it was. But dare he take the risk? "What does the therapy entail?" he asked begrudgingly.

"That I cannot tell you, simply because I don't know myself. The Hyuuga Healing Touch technique is a jealously guarded secret. The only reason why they agreed to use it on you is because you will not be able to see what Hinata is doing." A rhythmic click-click-click made Sasuke think she was impatiently tapping her foot. "So what say you?"

Blowing out his breath, Sasuke nodded his head once, curtly. "Fine." But only because it was his only choice.

"I'll let Hinata know. She'll pick you up here tomorrow and then escort you home." Tsunade's shoes clack-clack-clacked across the floor toward the door, then paused as she spoke one last thing. "She'll also be staying with you for the duration of your therapy, to assist you and render the treatment. We'll talk again tomorrow." And then she was gone, the door slamming shut behind her indicating her quick escape.

For a moment, Sasuke kept his head turned blindly in that direction, then let out a blistering curse.

And across the village, in her bedroom at her family's manor, Hyuuga Hinata sneezed explosively.

The nervous fluttering in her stomach made Hinata wonder if she'd made the right decision. When Lady Tsuande approached her about using her clan's special healing jutsu on Uchiha Sasuke, she felt excited - and, selfishly, a little flattered as well - that her talents were being recognized.

But now, standing in front of the closed door to Sasuke's hospital room, she really wondered if all those accolades were worth this stress. Though she knew Naruto counted Sasuke among his closest friends, the few times she'd encountered the Uchiha, she found him cold, remote, just on the edge of being downright unfriendly. When he'd had call to address her, he had been polite, but she didn't really see him as being either verbose or even companionable.

Well, at least her tenure as his caretaker/therapist would be a quiet one. Perhaps the break would do her some good, particularly since Team Kurenai had been bombarded with missions lately, and time to herself - let alone silence in general - had been at a premium.

Well, I'm here now. There's no going back. Drawing in a deep breath, long-used to the smells of the hospital from the many times she'd volunteered or spent time there herself, she pushed open the door and took a hesitant step inside.

Her eyes fell immediately on the empty, albeit rumpled, bed. Brow furrowing in confusion, Hinata looked around, half-relieved and half-disappointed to see Sasuke standing by the open window, leaning against the frame. The warm breeze fluttered the dark wings of hair framing his face, giving her brief glimpses of his frowning countenance. The white bandage wrapped around his head, over his eyes, looked all the more dramatic against his blue-black hair.

"It's about time you got here."

That was it. No word of greeting, no gratitude. Just what sounded like a scolding for being late, even though she had arrived promptly at the time Lady Tsunade told her to come. "I..." Unable to find a response - appropriate or otherwise - Hinata weakly trailed off and closed her mouth. And this man was to be her nearly constant companion for the forseeable future.

For another long moment, Sasuke stood still. At last, he pushed off the frame and turned toward her. With superficially confident strides, he crossed the three steps to the bed, right hand briefly tapping the surface of the mattress a couple of times before he caught the strap of his bag and picked it up. "You ready to go?"

Home? Yes. Swallowing back the response, Hinata bobbed her head in a nod before she remembered he couldn't see it. "If you are, yes."

Slinging the strap of the bag over his shoulder, Sasuke ran his hand along the edge of the bed as he walked toward her. "Let's get out of here."

Hinata felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she remembered Lady Tsunade's instructions. Since Sasuke couldn't see - and had refused the assistance of a cane - she would have to take his arm and lead him through the village to his home. Though she genuinely did want to be of assistance, she wasn't sure she wanted to go strolling through the village on - at least by appearances - Uchiha Sasuke's arm. After all, she hardly knew the man.

Swallowing back her anxiety, Hinata reached out and touched Sasuke's arm. Only the twitch of his tight jaw indicated his dislike, but she ignored the reaction and settled her hand in the crook of his elbow. "I won't let you run into anything," she promised.

"Hn." Sasuke's arm felt like stone beneath her hand. Every muscle beneath her touch seemed tense, letting her know how hard this was for him. Her companion had spent the majority of his life being self-sufficient. Having to depend upon someone else for something as simple as walking in a straight line obviously put him on edge.

She tried to think about how she'd feel in his situation as they left the hospital, emerging into the beautiful, warm summer day. Like Sasuke, her kekkei genkai made her rely heavily upon her eyes. The thought of having the Byakugan taken away from her made her shudder.

They walked in silence for a few blocks, the tension stretching between them like a rubber band. Nervous, Hinata licked her dry lips and ventured, "The sun feels good and warm."

"Hn." Sasuke plodded along next to her, his longer stride shortened to match hers, the expression on what part of his face she could see indicating displeasure at the slow pace. "Midday, right?" he asked gruffly.

"Just past." Hinata guided Sasuke around a group of running, laughing children, her mind skipping ahead to when they reached his flat. "Did you have lunch in the hospital?"

"No."

A man of few words. Hinata mentally ran over the checklist of things she'd brought with her from the Hyuuga manor, thinking about what she had on hand which would be quick and easy to fix. "I'll put something together when we get to your apartment. Are there any foods you prefer?"

"I'm not hungry." Sasuke's arm twitched beneath her hand, as if he considered yanking it away.

Already Hinata could envision how things were going to be in the coming interminable days: She doing her best to be of help to him, and he doing everything in his power to make it difficult, even if it wasn't always consciously done. She recalled Lady Tsunade's warning that Sasuke was going to be a very difficult patient, but she hadn't thought he'd be this difficult.

They turned the corner onto Sasuke's street, and Hinata let out a little breath of relief. She was glad Naruto's teammate had moved out of the ghostly remains of his family's district long ago; partly because it would be creepily silent there if it were just the two of them, and partly because they would have had a much longer walk to get that far. "We're on your street," she informed him, trying to inject some cheerfulness into her voice. "Just a little ways farther, and then we'll get to the staircase leading up to your flat."

"Oi! Sasuke, Hinata!"

Even as a shy smile curled up the corners of Hinata's mouth, a frown turned down the corners of Sasuke's. "What's Naruto doing here?" he growled.

Hinata's smile vanished. "He helped me bring my things over," she said. "And he wanted to b-be here to welcome you home." After all, he lived in the building right across the alley, so it wasn't that far a trek for the blond shinobi. And the two men were on Team Kakashi together - didn't it make sense that Naruto would want to welcome his friend and teammate home after time in the hospital?

Sasuke shrugged off her hand and grasped the railing as he started up the staircase. Feeling stung by the rejection - but somehow also relieved - Hinata quietly trailed behind him, gaze focused on each step so she wouldn't have to meet anyone's eyes.

"Go away, Naruto." Sasuke's shoulder impacted the blond's as he pushed past, hand extended so he wouldn't run into walls or the door.

Hinata saw disappointment briefly flare in her crush's eyes; just as quickly, it vanished behind Naruto's usual cheerful smile. "I imagine you're tired, so I'll come back later. I just wanted to welcome you back home, Sasuke. Feel better!" Naruto turned the full force of his grin on her as he started past her down the steps. "See you later, Hinata!" He offered a friendly wave, and then he was gone in a blur of orange and yellow.

To her surprise, Sasuke already had the door unlocked and open by the time she caught up with him. Timidly, she paused in the doorway as he continued on into the flat, his strides more confident since he was back in familiar territory. "Your flat is nice," she ventured.

"Hn." Sasuke's hand lifted and waved vaguely as he indicated doorways. "Kitchenette. Washroom. Facilities. Guest room. My room." He stopped in front of the last door, his face turning slowly in her direction. Even though his eyes were covered in bandages, she felt the chill of his gaze up her spine as he said, "Off-limits. Never come in here, understand?"

Hinata nodded fervently out of habit; remembered Sasuke couldn't see it and forced herself to speak. "I-I understand. I'll respect your privacy. I promise." She didn't have to ask to know he would respect hers, particularly since she knew he didn't even want her there in the first place. She had a feeling she'd spend most of her time being ignored.

"Good." Without another word, Sasuke opened the door to his room just far enough to slip through, then it slammed shut behind him.

Letting out her breath, Hinata finally ventured into the flat and shut the door behind herself. Sliding out of her shoes, she caught sight of the suitcase holding her things sitting in the corner, out of the walkway where it could easily be tripped over. She smiled at the sight, thinking once again how considerate Naruto was of his friend. Grasping the handle, she pulled the rolling case down the short hall to the open door of the guest room - her room for the duration of her stay at Sasuke's.

She stopped just inside the doorway, not really surprised at the room's austere interior. A single bed sat squarely in the center of the opposite wall, beneath the single window. A bureau against the wall next to the door and a bedside table holding a single lamp were the only other pieces of furniture in the room.

No pictures on the wall. No rugs on the floor.

Blinking, Hinata let go of the handle of her suitcase and took a step back, head turning to study the walls of the hall and the main room just beyond. Just like in the guest room, the walls and floor were bare, save for Team Seven's photo sitting on the table next to the door out to the postage-stamp sized balcony overlooking the street below.

Lifting her hands, Hinata rubbed them up and down her arms. She was used to the sterile, ordered interior of the Hyuuga mansion; but compared to Sasuke's flat, it was downright homey. Here, she saw basically nothing to indicate the place's owner saw it as a home, a place of safety, and contentment, and rest.

If she didn't know better, she would almost think no one lived here.

Or, her mind whispered as she scurried back into her guest room and closed the door behind her, no one is planning on living here.

Shaking off the somehow disturbing thought and the lingering chill with it, Hinata set about unpacking. It was time for her to make this space, at least, as much like home as possible.

If such a thing were possible in such an unfeeling, unwelcoming place.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I wrote the first chapter of this fic almost a year ago, but the idea scared me, so I quit after that. But then Mother's Day approached, and I asked my mom (a fellow Naruto fan) what she wanted me to write her for the occasion. She recalled this idea and told me to finish it. So here I am with Blind Faith. It's quite a bit darker than my previous work, Coffee Connections, but I love it in its own way. It's a semi-canonical AU where Sasuke never left the village with the Sound Ninja Four, and in this story the Fourth Ninja War never happened. There will be some action later in the story, but this is very much an emotionally driven fic, so most of the focus will be on developing Sasuke and Hinata's emotions and interactions with each other. Thank you very much for checking out my story, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and I hope to see you again next week for chapter two!