Author's Notes: (drum rolls) OMG. IT'S THE NEXT CHAPPIE! Lol. Hey, I'm back to working on this story. Been a long time, ne? I hope you guys can forgive me for the long wait. And I want to especially thank you guys for waiting patiently. I LOVE YOU GUYS! Your reviews have been so touching, amazing, understanding, and wonderful. haha, regardless if there any flames or not. Haha. I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATE. I didn't mean it, it's just a HUGE writer's block. But thank u for waiting again. Please REVIEW AND READ and ENJOY especially.

Chapter 4:

To avenge is to seek salvation.

With three days after her absence, Sasuke sat in his apartment, pratically, coughing out blood for the last half hour. For some reason, his body had started to cough out immense blood. Sasuke was over the floor, too caught up in the moment to rush to the bathroom.

Suddenly, it stopped, as Sasuke quickly placed a hand to his mouth and fell to the floor, eyes closed.

If I don't get some damn help, there's no telling what could happen, thought Sasuke, angrily in his mind as his body rested. Hinata would probably be in Konoha right now, or just barely getting there. Though in her state, who knew how long it would take?

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, the light of a window hitting the ground and his face. It was so bright and warm that he wished he hadn't fallen over an area.

This feeling reminds me of Konoha, thought Sasuke weakly. His breathing was soft and slow, like the pace of his heart. He was dying…

"I must get help," said Sasuke, to himself. He didn't know why he had to say it out loud. Maybe it was so that he didn't have to make it feel as if he really was alone. Three years ago, he had made a promise to himself to slay his older brother and obtain the power to do so. He achieved that goal though through Orochimaru, who had taught him the essence of hate and how to harness that power.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk inside at how the old snake man had finally been defeated by the dobe. His so called friend from long ago.

Naruto…thought Sasuke, his eyes tired as he slowly closed and opened them. That dobe had been once heck of an annoying guy: Always shouting out things about greatness, friends, and other stupid things. Sasuke knew that they were rivals until the end. He couldn't stand it to watch Naruto gleam with passion as Orochimaru was finished off: The shock in Sasuke's expression as he watched his 'teacher' die before his very hands.

Where was that power of hate?

As Sasuke watched Naruto stand by the dead body, he couldn't help but wonder if hate was really the power needed. Of course, Sasuke had slain his brother earlier and had avenged his family, but why was it that, Naruto- who could never truly used hate to the extent- defeated one of the three legendary sannins.

It was preposterous. It would defy everything that Sasuke had believed in.

"Hate is power," said Orochimaru, as he stared at his student, Sasuke. They were in his secret hiding place, and it was dark with candles to give a glowed presence. His voice, raspy and wicked. His long black hair covered most of his face, only revealing one of his snake-like eyes. "Use that and you will become greater than your brother. When I was in Akatsuki, I had never seen a person with so much hate in his eyes."

Sasuke nodded," Yes." He than disappeared to train again and work hard to defeat that brother of his.

"Damn you," said Sasuke, imagining the face of Naruto smiling along with everyone else in Konoha. "Why is it that…you can smile…."

He remembered the extremely painful expression on Naruto's face when Sasuke would not come back with him to Konoha after Orochimaru was defeated. It had been an experience for Sasuke as well.

"Sasuke! You idiot! Everyone's waiting for you!" shouted Naruto exasperatedly. He stood across from the Uchiha, but they stood some yards away from each other. Orchimaru's body had slowly disintegrated, due to the too many uses of human bodies he inhabited. It was now carried by the wind, as if whisked away from the face of the world.

Sasuke had his arms crossed and he wore a black coat. His eyes were blazing red in sharingan.

Naruto stopped. It had been a long time since he had seen Sasuke over the years. He remembered the pain he had caused to his friends….

Especially Hinata.

Naruto clenched his fists. He didn't want anyone to put Hinata through that again. She was his friend. Someone who had always believed in him when no one else did. Just watching her pained expression for the two months was excruciating enough.

"You bastard…" said Naruto, huffing and puffing. Apparently, his fight with Orochimaru had not been an easy one. He had several cuts and bruises on himself. "How could you leave…"

"Tch!" remarked Sasuke, looking at Naruto with an eyebrow raised. "Staying in Konoha was like suffocating."

"Why you-!" shouted Naruto, his shoulders tense and his hands ready to punch the Uchiha to get some sense into him. "How can you say that! Konoha is your home! Where you belong-"

"It is not my home!" interrupted Sasuke angrily, his eyes now blazing. 'Never say that. Never!' thought Sasuke, gritting his teeth as his anger began to rise. "What kind of home was I to go to! My clansmen are DEAD! I had to avenge their lives! I HAVE NO HOME!"

How could this dobe possibly understand the torment that he went through each day in Konoha? Watching as Naruto laughed with Sakura. The way the other ninjas smiled happily and had families to go to. The way Naruto, even though had nothing, had people like Iruka to understand him.

Sasuke had no one who would understand his hate and anger. Not even his sensei Kakashi. They would never understand what it felt like to see their parents die by the hands of a close sibling who they admired. NEVER!

Sasuke immediately charged at Naruto with the full power of chidori, anger blazed as his eyes grew intense. 'Never.'

Naruto blocked it as he quickly summoned a clone to do the Odama Rasengan to deflect the attack. Sasuke was quickly blown away to a tree, amazed at the power and how he could be hurt so badly. He coughed out some blood as he stared at Naruto's eyes, his clone had suddenly puffed away. The tree had collapsed and now he was pinned on the tree which was on the floor and Naruto was to of him, his knees bent over Sasuke.

"You are so lucky," said Naruto, hissing at his teeth as he stared straight back at Sasuke, Sweat on his face, Naruto was perspiring. "That your chidori was able to deflect the Odama Rasengan, so partially you felt the power. If not, you would have been dead by now."

Sasuke stared, wide-eyed at Naruto. 'How did he get so strong?' Sasuke thought. His insides hurting burning within.

"You truly have changed, Sasuke," said Naruto, his voice cold but hard. He let go of Sasuke and Sasuke slid to the floor. He than got up as he still stared down at Sasuke. "I won't kill you."

Sasuke looked up, coughing up some more blood. "And why is that?" he smirked at Naruto, his voice groggy. .

"Because you are still my friend even through all of this," said Naruto, looking coldly back at him.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"There are things that may change a person,' said Naruto sternly," into completely something else. But what ever the case, memories preserved that was shared will never be forgotten. Konoha still remembers the old you, Sasuke. We cannot forget. Nor can we forget the pain you gave us when you left." Naruto's fist tightened as he closed his eyes tightly. Sasuke just stared at him, watching or maybe waiting for his friend to cry like he usually did.

Suddenly, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's collar and punched him two times one on each cheek.

"This is for the pain you caused Hinata, you bastard! You don't deserve her after what you did," shouted Naruto, tears in his eyes as he yelled at his old friend. He than got up, stared at Sasuke bloodied face.

Sasuke looked back up. Naurto sneered at his friend before speeding off.

But Sasuke heard the words clearly, the whisper that Naruto made. Maybe he did it on purpose, because Sasuke was always good at hearing.

And those words stung him. Those very words that he hated to hear.

"Maybe you aren't worth to be saved at all."

As Sasuke lied on the floor, he couldn't help the ache in his heart for some reason. Though he had placed hate inside of himself, words like those were the very ones he hated. Because those were the very things he was seeking as an avenger.

To be saved.

To avenge, thought Sasuke, is to seek salvation. He wanted to free the pain inside of him and the nightmares of his brother reenacting the betrayal that night of the Uchiha Clan. He trained everyday for the day he would fight with Itachi.

So why is it that Naruto, of all people, the one who never gave up, was giving up that day after they fought?

Maybe that is what Hinata decided, thought Sasuke, imagining the pained expression on Hinata's face as she poured out her feelings to him.

"I don't want to see you anymore!" shouted Hinata, while crying," I…hate you! I've never hated anyone but you!" She than started to hit him on his shoulder with both of her hands. "You only caused me pain and to others too! You've hurt your friends so much! We never gave up hope! I never gave up hope! But in return, you stabbed us and we are just trying to live our lives happily now! We're trying to be happy." Hinata started to hit his shoulder harder and harder crying. "So let me go!"

Sasuke closed his eyes tightly. She caused me the most pain.

He hadn't expected to fall in love with Hinata. She was by all the least he was interested in when he was twelve. She was shy and he hated people who couldn't stand up for themselves. She was timid and afraid of the world around her.

She was the person he didn't want to be. That was why he never was interested in her.

However, he saw things in her that he never thought he would see. She was gentle, kind, patient, and quiet. He couldn't help but be drawn to her.

But now, things were different. They were different. Now, she had abandoned him as well. He wasn't worth it to be saved.

Sasuke winced as the pain inside of him hurt.

I might still have a chance. Maybe if I get someone else.

Sasuke still needed to live. It was his only way of surviving. Dying was not going to save him rather, he would be even more alone than ever. Life was something he had left to cherish. Everything else had disappeared: His old friends, Hinata, and the people that revered him.

He had to live.

Sasuke was scared of dying. The way of a ninja is to acknowledge that you could die in any battle under any circumstances.

Sasuke had once believed this. Maybe Orochimaru felt the same way… Sasuke felt disgusted just thinking about Orochimaru. Though he was his teacher when he left, he still despised the fool for his wicked ways and just looking at how he took over another person's body.

However, a ninja always died for a cause.

But now, he had no one to die for. Sasuke's cause was completed. He had defeated his brother, damn Orochimaru was dead, and now, Sasuke was strong.

No one needed him.

However, he needed one person. The person who he had come to love over the years and miss also. The person he left behind in Konoha to fulfill his ambition.

The person he abandoned.

Hinata, thought Sasuke, finally falling asleep to rest. His chest was hurting so much now and it was hard for him to breathe. He didn't blame her for leaving. He caused her pain enough already. He had tried his best to forget her, but when those white eyes always stared at him with serenity he was touched.

I thought no one would ever look at me that way again, thought Sasuke. He had always expected the people of Konoha to look down at him after leaving, but when he looked at Hinata's eyes. Her eyes held pain, but had no coldness in them. They were still warm when she looked at him. It was something he needed.

He was human, Sasuke had realized that day after Naruto spoke those words to him.

I thought I could be on my own, thought Sasuke, tiredly, his eyes now closed, but I can't do it by myself.

I need you.

Author's Notes: Hello readers! Thank you for reading and I hoped that you guys enjoyed it. It probably was boring huh? I think it was. But I wanted to write this story from Sasuke's pov because even though Hinata is suffering, I wanted the readers to see how much Sasuke was going through as well. Haha. Please REVEW (pleads). I don't know how good this chapter was, and harsh criticism is allowed. I really want to noe, regardless if you liked it or not. But I hope you guys can understand the reason why there wasn't much action between Hinata/Sasuke in this chapter. Please stay tuned!