(DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.)

Chapter 4

"Now what about the devil in you,

Are you gonna cut it loose?"

Strangers - Langhorne Slim & The Law

Or maybe not.

Sasuke sensed the presence of another as soon as he opened the door. His first thought was that it was possibly the young man who owned this place, maybe he was still stocking the cabinets.

That notion was thrown away as soon as he took a breath, however. An odd mixture of sweat and lavender that he had grown used to over the past few months filled the air inside of the home.

She was here. Of all places, that girl was here.

If he had been thinking clearly, Sasuke probably would have realized that her chances of finding such a place were far greater than any normal shinobi, due to her all-seeing eyes - but he was not thinking clearly. Instead, he was convinced that the world was purposely torturing him. Perhaps this was karmic retaliation for all his past crimes?

He briefly wondered if the red-head had shown her the way to the place as well. What if this was all his plan? What if he was the one causing all these unwanted coincidences?

Sasuke had the sudden urge to slap a palm onto his face. He was being foolish. There was no way a boy like that was behind this string of odd and apparently unavoidable events.

Someone had to be, though; and he was going to find them and demonstrate just how annoyed he was at this very moment.

He had yet to look at her. Standing in the doorway, with her scent tingling his nostrils along with the dust particles, he was frozen. He was sure that she was asleep - otherwise she would have noticed his presence by now. Sasuke weighed his options.

On the one hand, he desperately needed supplies. He had made it all the way out to this secluded place with only one thing on his mind, and the growling of his stomach refused to let him ignore it.

He also, desperately, did not want to wake her up.

Sasuke scowled to himself in the darkness. This was such a pain.

His rumbling stomach convinced him to take another step into the house, as gently as he possibly could. Of course, the floors still managed to creak with every light movement.

Black eyes darted around the room until he spotted a leg hanging over the side of the couch. She seemed to still be fast asleep, luckily.

Sasuke continued his mission. With each step he held his breath, careful not to step on a wayward piece of glass from the long-forgotten shattered window.

He paused for a moment. Why the hell was he so nervous all of a sudden?

Sure, it would be annoying to have to explain this whole situation to the girl - especially when she would be half-asleep, which would only add to the annoyance. Yet, Sasuke found himself genuinely dreading the moment she caught him sneaking around his own hideout.

For the life of him, he could not understand why. There was nothing this Hyuuga could do that would have any lasting effect on him; in fact, it was he that had the upper hand in this moment.

The thought brought his eyes back to the couch where she lay sleeping, completely unguarded. Admittedly, even in his worst times Sasuke would have had no desire to hurt an innocent person if it didn't benefit him in some way. So, it wasn't like she was in any real danger. Yet his mind lingered on the possibility.

At some point, his feet had carried him to the other side of the room. Sasuke watched as Hinata slept peacefully, feeling quite creepy when he stopped and thought about what he was , he couldn't bring himself to look away. He was entranced.

She didn't look particularly good by any standards. Her face and hands were covered in dirt and scratches, her hair scattered about her head in messy knots, most likely unwashed for quite some time. Even as she slept, Sasuke could make out the large bags under her eyes from lack of rest. That explained why she had yet to wake from his presence.

Yes, the girl looked like a mess, that was for sure. So, why was he still looking?

Perhaps it was because he hadn't had the chance to study her before, with the lack of speaking to one another and abundance of hasty exits. In the back of his mind, Sasuke knew it wasn't quite so simple; but he was nothing if not stubborn, so that thought remained buried as he tore his eyes away from the sleeping kunoichi.

With a little less care, Sasuke made his way to the cabinet. He was quite annoyed to find that only about half of his normal rations were still there. Sure enough, he spotted the rest by the sink, completely empty and cleaned out. At least she has some manners, he grumbled inwardly. Although he was quite surprised that she had been able to eat so much; how long had she even been there?

With no real other choice, Sasuke grabbed the remaining containers and shoved them in his bag. Usually, he would stay for the night, and he was more than a bit miffed at the fact that he would be missing out on a decent night's rest. That dusty old bed was more comfortable than it looked.

He glanced back at the sleeping woman, wondering briefly why she chose the couch instead. She would be waking up with a sore neck, he mused.

Served her right for eating his food.

After filling up his canteen, Sasuke headed for the door. Still, for some reason, he held his breath every step of the way. It wasn't until he softly shut the door that he was able to let out a small sigh of relief. With a swift leap, he descended the porch and made his way through the dark forest.

Unfortunately, the nervous feeling persisted.

Sasuke knew there was some reason for that. He wasn't prone to feeling anxious about much these days, so it was an annoying addition to the already dreary night.

He decided he didn't want to think about it at the moment.

Instead, he found a sturdy branch and indulged in his dinner. Though he was quite appreciative of the young writer for leaving meals at all, the Uchiha had to admit they were pretty awful. Regardless, he was happy to scarf down his overcooked meal as he tried his best not to notice the growing anxiety in his chest.

As days passed, the rogue ninja felt his anxiety increase.

He had done his best to shove it away, deciding he simply would not give his anxious thoughts the time of day. Of course, it doesn't quite work that way.

Eventually, he had to admit to himself that this problem would not be so easily forgotten. So, he began his mission to just get rid of it completely.

Also - doesn't quite work that way.

An Uchiha doesn't give up so easily, though. He did all he could think of: running, training, swimming, and even picking fights with any suitable person he could find. Though none were worth the time. He barely gave any a bruise before they either ran off screaming or completely passed out.

Nevertheless, he could not get rid of the ball of nerves that had taken residence in his chest since that night.

Still, he refused to put much thought into it. He quickly came to the conclusion that any probing into this situation would only make it worse, like a rash that would only go away if you stopped scratching it. So, he tried his best to keep his mind occupied.

That is, until the very thing he was trying to keep out of his mind showed up once again.

She didn't notice him this time, either - which he was both grateful for and annoyed by. Most days she was able to sense his presence even from miles away; but on some days when the rain made the forest seem hazy, he was able to remain undetected as long as she didn't decide to use her Byakugan.

He hadn't been trying to stay out of sight, necessarily. Sasuke had been minding his own business, trying to find something to occupy his time, when he noticed her dashing figure a few yards ahead. Similar to the last few times he was in this predicament, the Uchiha found his feet moving against his will.

He kept enough distance to stay off her radar, watching as she gracefully hopped from one branch to another. He noted that she tended to bounce off each branch as she traveled through the trees, rather than using the momentum to glide in the air for extended amounts of time. He briefly wondered why that was.

Then, he wondered what he was doing. Again.

He forced himself to a quick stop, watching her figure disappear into the rain. He had the urge to hit himself, but decided against it.

Now he was getting tired of this. Never in his life had he been swayed by another person. Well, not completely.

Sure, as a child his anger made him a prime target for those with the wrong intentions; but Sasuke couldn't say he wasn't aware of what he was doing at the time. He simply didn't care - so fueled by rage and hurt that being a good person was the least of his concerns.

As time passed, he remained aware. Orochimaru would give him commands, of course; but the young Uchiha only carried out what he felt was necessary. Never killing the herds of men thrown at him for practice, only making sure they were unable to fight. Always making sure he knew who exactly it was that he was working for, whether they wanted him to or not.

The only times in which he had to struggle for his self-control were due to the curse mark. Yet even then, it didn't take him long to regain himself once again.

Sasuke may have regretted many aspects of his past, but he could safely say that all of his actions were his own.

So, what was he doing?

It was as if every time he saw her, his mind went completely blank; like he could see nothing but her. His body moved of its own will when she was near, as if she had her own gravitational pull. Maybe she was using some sort of magnetic jutsu, he mused.

Regardless of why it was happening, Sasuke was ready for it to stop.

He was momentarily distracted from his thoughts when the ball in his chest seemed to triple in size, causing his breathing to catch slightly. Sasuke focused on his breathing, leaning against the tree for some semblance of support.

Now this was getting out of hand. Sasuke sighed in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair, still unable to catch his breath completely. He hadn't wanted to do this, but it was becoming obvious that he had no other choice.

The Uchiha took note of his surroundings, not taking long to remember which way he should go to reach the destination he had in mind. As he leapt through the trees, Sasuke focused on each breath.

Never did he think he would have to resort to such measures, but for the first time in years, the rogue ninja was at a loss. So, though it went against every bone in his body, Sasuke decided it was time to rely on someone else for once.

Better not regret this, he grumbled inwardly. But when do I not?

Hinata was feeling quite strange.

It all started when she woke up at the "abandoned" home. The night was still young, but Hinata had woken up with a fright. Immediately, she sensed something was amiss.

On reflex, she had activated her Byakugan and scanned the area. To her surprise, she was completely alone - not a soul around for miles. Yet, she was certain that something wasn't right.

A lingering scent, a shift in the air, and a feeling in her gut told her that she had not been alone for long. Deciding not to wait for whoever it was that had been there to return, Hinata hurried to gather her belongings. She was surprised (and quite disappointed) to find that all the rations she had left the night before were missing.

Her stomach sank. That settled it, someone had definitely come into the house when she was sleeping. Not sparing another moment, Hinata had dashed out the door.

As she distanced herself between the not-so-cozy-anymore cottage, the kunoichi's mind raced. Who had been there? Why didn't they harm her, or even take any of her things? Did they even notice she was there? If it was a fellow ninja, they certainly must have.

A hunch told her that it was, indeed, a shinobi - especially since they only took rations. Hinata's eyes widened, was it their rations? She stopped suddenly at the revelation. It made too much sense; after all, no average civilian would have even been able to find the secluded home, so whoever it was must have known where to look.

The thought caused her cheeks to warm, feeling as if she had been caught red-handed. They couldn't have been too angry at her intrusion, though, since they just let her sleep. Hinata put a hand to her head, her mind reeling.

That was too close.

After a steadying breath, the kunoichi had continued on her journey with a lingering sense of unease, though she tried to remind herself there was no reason for it.

Well, until there was.

It had been raining quite heavily for several days, and she was still having no luck on locating a suitable place to rest. She had kept her hood low, moving as swiftly as she could through the darkness.

She had suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to use her Byakugan. Unfortunately, she had also just drained quite a bit of chakra searching for civilization. Hinata slowed her pace, choosing to conserve energy while trying to assess her surroundings.

She had learned, in recent months, to trust her gut in these situations; so it was unendingly irritating to be unable to do so in that moment.

Using the momentum of the branches beneath her, Hinata bounced through through trees - having to rely on her hearing as the rain poured around her. She could barely discern her own footsteps as it was, so it was no surprise that there was no indicator of someone in pursuit. Yet her stomach twisted, while her eyelids twitched slightly in response to her fierce urge to just see.

Minutes passed, she continued on her path - biding her time until she was sure she could get a glimpse of her surroundings.

Finally, after many agonizing moments, she felt that familiar surge as her blood limit activated - though she felt the strain from her depleted chakra and overall energy.

She stopped in her tracks and scanned the area, sure that someone was somewhere around. Yet, everywhere she looked for miles was filled only with trees and rain; even any critters usually about were nowhere to be found due to the weather.

Hinata rubbed her eyes as the nerves around her eyes relaxed. She must have been losing her mind, after all.

Though she didn't actually believe that.

Try as she may to keep the man from her thoughts, the idea that Sasuke was always lurking in the shadows consumed her from that day on. She continuously checked her surroundings, took odd routes and tried her best to stay away from any civilization. The kunoichi could feel her paranoia and fatigue wearing on her every step, but she refused to stop even for a moment.

Had she taken the time to catch her breath, it's possible the Hyuuga would have realized the irrationality coursing through her veins every day she ignored her own needs. The lack of sleep affected her ability to truly assess her surroundings, making her jump at every squirrel and leaf that passed by as she kept going, and going.

Perhaps, had she taken a moment to rest, she also would have noticed the source of her nerves following closely through the trees.

However, her senses were being overloaded from lack of sleep; she could barely even feel her feet touching the ground beneath her anymore, let alone sense the Uchiha as he kept a close distance in the darkness.

Hinata kept going, but she was starting to realize how reckless she was being. Mostly due to her reeling head, which was causing her to stumble over twigs and pebbles as she slowed her pace. She felt the cloud in her mind, taking over all rational thought and feeling.

All she could think of was how heavy her body felt - since when did gravity weigh so much?

Hinata leaned against a tree, pressing her face against the rough bark. Well, she assumed it was a tree. In her state, she could have been cuddling with a dragon and would never know any better.

Yet, despite her sluggish gait and clouded head, she heard the snap of a twig behind her as clear as day.

She didn't turn, either because she didn't have the energy or because she didn't trust herself if she did. Hinata knew who was behind her, even in her weakened state she could smell him when he was so close.

He smelled like sweat. She wanted to throw up.

Hinata felt something churn in her stomach as she listened to him approach, still unmoving in her spot.

The urge to throw up grew stronger with each step he took, but it wasn't just that. The normally pleasant kunoichi felt a darkness seething inside of her. It was hot, it was angry, and it demanded freedom.

She recognized the feeling vaguely. She had felt something similar before she left Konaha, whenever she looked at Sakura holding Naruto's hand. A darkness bucked inside of her at that time, causing her to physically recoil at the sensation. Hinata had squashed the feeling down immediately, not allowing herself to delve any further. It wasn't long before she had left, thinking that she had left the darkness behind her.

She was beginning to realize that was not the case.

He was almost right behind her now. She was trembling. Was it because of her weakened muscles, or because of the chill in the late night air?

God, she wanted that to be it.

She knew it wasn't, though.

As if in slow motion, Hinata felt a hand raise behind her, landing on her shoulder much more softly than she expected.

The Hyuuga had no time to give any more thought to that matter, however.

As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, it was as if a gate had been thrown open inside of her. Hinata felt the darkness explode as she turned on her heel and raised her right hand, hearing a loud slap as it collided with Sasuke's cheek.

Hinata blinked, as if realizing what she had done only after the fact. Which was, sort of, the case; the rage that she felt in that moment was, indeed, blinding.

The Uchiha looked more surprised than she had ever seen him - possibly more surprised than anyone had seen, really.

Against her own will, Hinata felt a smirk slide onto her face at his expression, a laugh escaping her throat.

"And that's what you get for being a creep," the Hyuuga boasted with a slight slur. She broke down in laughter then, forgetting that she had just slapped the most dangerous man she had ever known.

Hinata's rage, soon replaced with giddiness, began to wane suddenly, and she briefly realized that her body was on the verge of giving out on her.

She looked up and saw Sasuke's still-surprised expression and laughed once again, lifting a finger to his face and doing something that surprised the rogue ninja even more than a slap in the face.

"Boop," Hinata mumbled, pointer finger tapping the tip of Sasuke's nose. He visibly jumped, but didn't have much time to dwell on the odd gesture, for a second later he was catching Hinata as she passed out from exhaustion.

Sasuke looked at the girl in his arms awkwardly, trying to decide whether to dwell on the stinging pain on his face or the unconscious girl that just caused said pain.

With a sigh, the Uchiha rolled his eyes and adjusted Hinata in his arms.

"What a nuisance."