CHAPTER 1

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

The air in Sasuke's apartment was crisp. The window had been opened for a few hours and he let the cool breeze of the afternoon captivate him. Sasuke enjoyed sitting peacefully alone in his apartment, it was the only time he could truly be alone with his thoughts and not be interrogated by Naruto asking him what he is thinking of.

Sasuke did not want Naruto to know what was on his mind. More like who was on his mind. Sasuke has always been a strong shinobi, had a tough front, a brave face and a defensive attitude. It was almost as if he didn't want anybody to really get to know him at all accept for one person which he always desired to know. The beautiful Hinata.

Hinata Hyuga was a quiet and simple girl, fairly fragile. Sasuke had barely ever spoken to her before but when he did he could not deny the backflips his stomach performed and that's why he loved his alone time at home so much. So he could be alone with his thoughts of Hinata. Sasuke had not lost a fight in a long time but started to feel that he was losing the one within himself.

To show his true emotions or not to show his true emotions. That was his question. After all, Sasuke had a bad boy image to keep up with and confessing to Hinata would make him vulnerable. Sasuke did not want to seem weak and show that this fragile girl had all this power over him.

The sun began to set and the gentle remains of light beamed through the window of Sasuke's apartment. Sasuke sat on his couch slumped down. In front of him was a bottle of sake that was fairly full and an empty glass with remaining droplets of the alcohol left in it as well as some of his weapons. Sasuke was very good with a kunai knife; he seemed to hit the bullseye every time he would strike.

Angry at himself for being so confused about what to do with his feelings, Sasuke had knocked over the bottle of sake to reach for a kunai knife that he threw at a picture of Orochimaru, which he had on the wall. The kunai landed between his eyes. Sasuke lived alone and did not care about the mess at the moment; he just wanted his head to stop playing games with him. Walking through his apartment to his bathroom, Sasuke placed his hands on either side of his face and mumbled to himself 'Ahh, stop! Stop it! Stop thinking about her so much!' but no matter what he did, images of Hinatas smile continued to haunt him.

Sasuke turned his shower on to hot water and removed his clothing before getting in. The feeling of the water piercing his body was soothing and he had his eyes close to focus on feeling every drop of water that landed on him. This felt good he though. Just as Sasuke thought his mind began to run clear, he had an image of Hinata in the shower with him. Startling himself, Sasuke opened his eyes and sighed almost in fear. Was he really that crazy about her? Something had to be done.

After the long hot shower, Sasuke dried himself then wrapped the towel around his waist. The towel hugged his hips perfectly and if anyone was to be a peeping tom, they would see his tight and perfectly crafted abs.

Sasuke decided to clean up the mess he made of the sake and then get an early night. He had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

It was 7 am when Sasuke awoke to a banging on his door. Naruto Uzumaki. That's the only person it could be and he was right.

'Hey Sasuke! Hey, wake up! We have a mission in an hour and I want to have breakfast before we leave so come on hurry up and get up!'

Naruto annoyed Sasuke every time they saw each other, without fail. In about 2 minutes flat Sasuke walked through his front door to the grumbling sounds of Naruto's stomach.

'Hn. Not exactly the first noise I want to hear in the morning, Naruto.'

Sasuke almost always spoke to him in a displeased manor.

'Err what my stomach grumbling?'

'No. Your voice'

Clenching his fists in the air in frustration, Naruto growled back,

'Ahhhh! Saaaasssukee! You don't always have to be a jerk you know! You are stuck with me and you are stuck with Sakura! We are in the same team!'

A blank sigh escaped Sasuke before he told Naruto how he felt about his team mates.

'Sakura I don't mind as much as you. She at least has a brain but not enough to understand that I don't want her, but you Naruto are just flat out annoying.'

Naruto growled back again but he knew to some extent that Sasuke was right.

'Come on then grumpy lets go meet Sakura and Kakashi for our mission brief. All I know is that we will be working with another trio but I'm not sure who yet'

'I hope we are going to be with Team Kurenai. Hinata is part of that team...' Sasuke Thought to himself.

'Sasuke, what up?' This is why Sasuke liked to be alone sometimes. Naruto always wanted to know what he was thinking.

'Idiot! Nothing. Why do you think you need to know everything about me?! It's one of the most annoying things about you!' Sasuke said as he gave a hard smack to the back of Naruto's head.

THUD

'Heeeyyy! Sasuke! Why do you have to keep hitting me?'

'Why do you have to keep asking me things when I clearly don't want to talk about it?'

'Alright, sheesh I won't pry!' Naruto said as he rubbed his head.

'Come on Naruto, I can see Sakura standing by the academy waiting for us.'

'Late. Late as usual!' Sakura seemed impatient but that was nothing new.

'Sakura come on its 8:30 and we got here on time like we were told to!'

Naruto always had something to say.

'Oh not you Naruto! Why are you so stupid not everything is about you! I'm talking about Kakashi sensei! He is late every time and you know that so just shut up you idiot!'

Sakura shared Sasuke's feelings for how irritating he was. Sakura gave Naruto a smack on the back and was close to grinding her teeth over how frustrating he was.

'Ahh what... What is it with people and hitting me?' Naruto had mumbled to himself.

'Ah! Goo-good morning Sasuke! Isn't the sunshine just beautiful today?'

Sasuke responded with his famous 'Hn' and then crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the ninja academy.

'The sunlight is beautiful'

Sasuke thought to himself.

'I wonder if Hinata can see it'

Team 7 decided to enjoy sitting in the sun together as they would wait for their team leader, Kakashi Hatake.

Sitting in a classroom of the ninja academy, team 8 sat before their instructor Kurenai for their mission briefing.

'So what are we doing today, Kurenai?' Kiba had asked.

'Today our mission is a joined one. We will be working with Kakashi's team'

The three students before her each had a different reaction to Kurenai's answer.

Kiba seemed annoyed 'Ahh man! Are you serious? Ahh I can't believe that Akamaru and I have to put up with that loser Naruto and that arrogant jerk Sasuke!

At the mention of Sasuke's name, Hinata gasped for air but not loud enough for it to be noticed and also no one noticed her blushing. This was lucky she thought. For the longest time Hinata had a crush on the knucklehead shinobi, Naruto Uzumaki but in the past months Hinata noticed how her heart strayed from Naruto and landed onto Sasuke. She did now understand why and couldn't imagine what it would be like to be Sasuke's girl but all she knew was that her feelings for him are much greater than they ever were for Naruto.

Hinata felt it to be easier if the world still thought her heart belonged to Naruto. She would not have to explain anything and she could keep her feelings to herself. There was only one person at this time that Hinata could trust with her life. Someone who has always been there for her and been a mother imagine. It was Kurenai. Kurenai knew all Hinatas secrets even the one about not loving Naruto anymore but instead, having her heart for Sasuke.

'Humph. As long as no body disturbs me and my bugs, I don't care who we are working with' this was about all Shino Aburame ever had to say. His bugs were the most important thing to him and as long as no body tried to come between them, he didn't mind what the mission was.

'I-I-I think I-it will be goo-good to work wi-with a-a-another team' Hinata was one to stutter, she was always so gentle and shy and it caused her to stutter mainly when she was nervous but then it just kind of became natural to her.

A smile upon her face, Kurenai instructed her team further.

'Come on then team! Let's go meet with team 7'

As Kiba, Shino and Hinata followed Kurenai to meet with the others, Hinata couldn't help but to think 'I think I will still pretend to like Naruto for a little longer... I don't think I am hurting anybody and I want to know if I should show that I like Sasuke... So many other girls do... It already is a tough competition and who am I to think I could win? No one knows who he likes, if he has a heart for anyone at all that is! Oh... I don't know... I will just have to wait and see'

Kurenai could see that Hinata was having a conversation with her inner self and decided to wait until the end of the day to approach her.