Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters. c:

Chapter 1

The Stumble

The phrase 12:27 PM flashed lightly before the sleek dark cell phone was flipped shut once again. Sasuke Uchiha swept a pale hand through his dark locks, earning himself a chorus of female sighs from a few seats behind. His eyes shifted, and he resisted the urge to glare back. Don't fuel them, don't look back. The last time he decided to glare back resulted in a rather cruel punishment of being kicked out for "disturbing the frail structure of the educational environment," when in reality a crumpled piece of pink paper had struck his neck and the unfortunate business student had merely wanted to discover the source (or sources) of the assault. Sasuke, throughout his years of study, had grown accustomed to the mass of girls who chased after him, whether it be his fortune or his looks. This massive group in itself lessened after several cruel months, as they eventually discovered more worthwhile hobbies. Yet, there were always those few who remained. His fan-club dwindles to four or five members, but it irritated him to no end nonetheless. He figured that they simply had nothing better to do. In approximately three minutes, class will be over, and the twenty-one year old will follow his usually routine of courteously exiting the classroom and walking to his car in a reasonably calm manner before the crowd of squealing females could reach him, which basically meant: getting the hell out of there.

12:29 PM

One minute left. The Uchiha prepared himself, slinging his messenger bag behind one shoulder, and casually leaned towards the door. Just a few more seconds and..

"Ah, Mr. Uchiha, may I see you for a few minutes after class? It won't take too long, I assure you." The grey-haired business professor looked up expectantly from spectacled eyes and as he did, the bell rang.

Sasuke's left eye twitched. He skillfully hid his annoyance, expertly wiping any trace of emotion. No problem Sasuke, keep it cool.

"Mr. Uchiha, I would just like to commend you on the excellent quality of your research assignment. I, however, am very interested in perhaps, a follow-up on this particular subject. Perhaps, the effects of oil dependency taken to a local level? I would highly recommend a continuation of this topic for the upcoming research assignment."

Sasuke couldn't help the silent internal celebration that ensued afterwards. Born into the well noted Uchiha family, a family of entrepreneur geniuses to be exact, Sasuke had unfortunately discovered that he himself had not inherited the natural skills that accompanied his lineage. The passion, yes, the skills, no. He himself was not one to simply give up though. He studied through the nights in complete darkness and faced the new dawn with his fresh artillery of pure black coffee. He knew what he was working for: Uchiha Co. His brother, though naturally skilled, had refused the executive position on behalf of his passion for photography. He was no major name in the business, but Sasuke had never seen a more satisfied man.

"Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie.

"Oh, oh yes Professor. Thank you, an excellent idea. I'll be sure to consider it." He replied, not an ounce of emotion in his voice.

"Wonderful, and with that, you are dismissed."

Sasuke exited the classroom calmly. As he stepped out into the bright afternoon, however, his spine instantly straightened, and his calm composure was quickly replaced with fierce attentiveness. Something was not right, something that he forgot. The air tensed suddenly. A shrill female scream instantly reminded him. It was after class, and he was not in the safety of his car. Mentally cursing, he bolted. He didn't look back, he didn't stop, he didn't even care that he was going the wrong way; this was a matter of life and death. His record was clean, not once had they had a hold of him, and he would keep it that way.

Were a passerby present, they would have witnessed quite a strange scene indeed. The young Uchiha, face devoid of emotion clutched his black messenger bag, as his long legs flew him across the large campus. His tie flew behind him, matching the movement of his sleek black jacket. Behind him, a group of about three girls quickly followed, screaming his name as they giggled. He saw a flash of pink paper, with a scent of sweet peas from what he could tell, swiftly fly past his cheek. Another giggle followed.

Sasuke looked around for an escape. The library was the closest building, and Sasuke didn't think twice. He dashed up the stone steps and entered quietly, calmly, but not smoothly nor slowly. Almost knocking over a magazine rack, he muttered a quick apology to the now irked librarian, and quickly dashed behind the nearest book shelf. He maneuvered to the back of the library, pausing once as a few giggles rang throughout the still building before quickly being hushed by the librarian up front.

The old library was immense. Arranged in sections, and further divided into more nooks and crannies, the entire design resembled a branching tree. One could easily find peace and quiet, accompanied by a nicely sized table and a comfy chairs at the end of one branch. The grand mahogany walls of the old library were lined with shelves upon shelves of books and dim chandelier lights hung over handsome wooden desks. Students could be seen hunched over desks in the plush chairs, scribbling furiously or snoring slowly. The only things that seemed out of place were the new desktop computers.

By now, Sasuke had arranged himself at the far left corner of the library, in one of the isolated divisions. His back was pressed against the bookshelf and he sneaked a peak from the small enclosure. The three girls dashed by, but did not seem to see him. With a few disappointed sighs, followed by a few muffled giggles, the girls left the library. Sasuke stood in silence for a few moments, making sure that they were far out of range. The sound of giggles and whispers soon disappeared and was replaced by the calm hum of flipping pages and scribbling pencils.

With a composed outtake of breath, Sasuke straightened himself out and took in his surroundings. The little compartment resembled a cubicle, and was roughly the size of one. However, the small sector was surrounded by walls stretching to the ceiling and aligned with countless volumes of books, giving the rather cramped up space a cozy feeling of security. The presence of a simple wooden desk and yet another comfy plush chair made the small enclosure the perfect place to study. Sasuke heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his now wind-blown locks. Throwing his messenger bag on the floor, and spilling some books in the process, he collapsed into the plush chair and leaned his head back, giving him a clear view of the painted library ceiling.

As he stared at the painted loosely clad angels and over exaggerated clouds on the ceiling, a few light footsteps could be heard coming towards his direction. He looked up, and into the cozy bubble came a girl carrying volumes of books in one hand, with her eyes preoccupied on a large book held up by her other hand. Other than the simple brown messenger bag over her shoulder, she was adorned in an oversized grey sweater, the school skirt, and simple black Mary Janes. Her overall appearance was excruciatingly plain; there was nothing unique whatsoever. Sasuke could only assume she was a student.

Sasuke could only widen his eyes in surprise at what happened next. The girl, still preoccupied with her book promptly rushed in the compartment, and sat on his lap.

"Eeep!" The girl immediately tried to jump off Sasuke as he simultaneously tried to push her off, resulting in the plush chair toppling backwards, spilling both of them on the floor. They landed with a rather loud thud with a flurry of books all around. Sasuke lay rather uncomfortable on top of the lopsided chair, arms splayed out, with the girl clutching onto his shirt.

Oh dear lord, no. Please don't let this be a fangirl. Sasuke's face revealed nothing but annoyance.

The girl looked up and her pale white eyes met his dark orbs. Her face heated up and Sasuke swore he had would never see anybody who resembled a tomato more than her at that exact moment. She quickly pushed herself off of him and attempted to right herself. He too, though with more poise, straightened himself up and coolly dusted himself off.

During the uncomfortable silence that ensued, Sasuke evaluated the girl. She had dark locks of hair that reached her mid-back and framed her delicate-looking face. The light hit her hair in a way that streaks of dark lavender could just be made out. Her hair contrasted quite sharply against her porcelain-like skin. She resembled a fragile doll in every way possible, even her size. She appeared to be an entire head shorter than he. He was mildly surprised that she didn't break from their fall.

"I-I.." The girl stuttered.

"You what?" Sasuke's tone conveyed no sympathy. Her stuttering annoyed him.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was already occupied." She muttered, staring at her shoes.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, and let out an internal sigh of relief. Not a fangirl. "People usually look before sitting."

She turned a deeper shade of red. "T-this is my usual spot. Nobody is ever here. I apologize again for disturbing you. I will go somewhere else."

"No, I was just leaving." Sasuke stated, picking up the fallen chair.

"Oh.." She looked up. The blush, though fading, still lingered. "Thank you, um.."

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh. Hinata Hyuuga."

Hyuuga. That sounds familiar. Sasuke thought, but quickly pushed it from his mind.

"I'll be going now." Sasuke said, picking up his books and throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder.

"I apologize again Sasuke-Kun." Hinata watched him leave.

"Hn."