Building a Bridge over your Barrier

[Genkai]

There wasn't much Hinata would let herself get weighed down by as she kept hitting the tree. From time to time, her stance would shift sideways and she would maneuver herself, hitting a new angle. What she needed the most practice was maintaining her bloodline and tapping into its true power. Hinata knew she was a long way away from being put on Neji's level but she would get there in her own time, her path didn't have to be the same as Neji's. Someday she would be worthy to wield the Byakugan and then her head would be held high, without flinching. She could imagine it now, walking down the streets of Konoha, people would look to her with admiration, knowing she was a capable ninja who could protect and uphold the morals of the village. And she wouldn't shy away from them, wouldn't pretend to be invisible, she would be strong and confident, someone who Naruto would smile around. That life was so far out of reach as she slammed her hand into the tree, yet it didn't stop her from dreaming, from showing herself how great the future could be if she kept trying. Hinata wouldn't give up, not herself or anyone else who she felt was just as lost as she was. Her hands had been able to withstand a barrage of attacks against the hardened tree's surface and she was finally breaking past the bark to reach the harder layer. As she worked, she switched trees and waltzed over to another one nearby and began to work on it. Someday she would be able to work on something else, maybe with someone else.

Sensing someone approach, her body tensed up slightly but she forced herself to not be alarmed. While people in the village had vast amounts of chakra, she knew no one them would sneak up on someone and attack them. She recognized the signature of that of Sasuke Uchiha. She was turned away from as she worked, though a moment of confusion flickered through her expression as she kept working, not wishing to falter around him, not when in her mind, so much progress had been made already. Hinata didn't want to show him her weakness, even in training. Hinata wanted to be strong, even if she admitted she was not, even if she admitted she didn't know a lot, she still needed to be strong and okay with herself as it was. The future would come, it would be everything she envisioned and more. 'I wonder what future Sasuke sees when he closes his eyes?' She thought. If she had anymore musings to distract herself, she would have missed the attack he suddenly flung towards her. Hinata heard it, saw it coming for her, she whirled around and used her hand to side swipe the attack so it landed in the tree which she had first been working on. She released her jutsu, her face relaxed back to its soft toned, smoothness. She looked to see Sasuke holding something for her. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was a lunch box. She walked over to him, hands shaking a little. Hinata stopped in front of him and took it, his eyes closed, not looking at her but where he had come from. "Th-thank you...but you didn't have t-to..." She trailed off and took a step back.

Though Sasuke had felt some need to repay her for yesterday's meal, she didn't see it that way. His gesture was still kind and for that, she would be very grateful. Bowing her head, she held the bento to her chest, both hands clutching it. "Um...would you...like to stay?" She asked him, her face blushing for a moment, as if unaware that such words would ever come from her mouth. She closed her mouth but didn't recall the offer as it hung in the air around them, almost strangling them both. Hinata kept her posture tall and without flinching, even if her hands themselves were a bit shaky. She turned back toward the trees and walked over and sat under them, she waited for Sasuke to make up his mind before she unwrapped the bento box. It wasn't anything special yet she thought the thought behind it was what made it even more special. If some of the other Konoha girls saw her eating lunch that Sasuke had given her, there would have been some kind of riot. Hinata set the box down and Sasuke sat beside her finally. It was a surprise to have him join her but she took the chance, not wishing to throwing it away. "It's been...nice weather, the leaves are t-turning color...they're so pretty...I can...s-see them from my room." She said, leaning back to peer up at the trees which were slowly adjusting from summer to fall. Hinata knew her point had yet to be made, but did she have to have one? "I just...I can't imagine...m-missing a Konoha Autumn." She finished and leaned down to pluck a small riceball from the bento. She took a bite and smiled, she then reached down and took the pickled plum out and finished the rest in two small bites. Then she looked at the sour plum between her two fingers. "I always...loved s-saving these for last." Hinata smiled and popped it into her mouth, letting out a small hum of joy.

Simple pleasures in life never seemed to escape the purple haired girl. "I suppose," her mind went back to the leaves. "that no matter wh-where I go...if there are golden leaves, orange leaves, ruby leaves then...it feels like home." Hinata shrugged and went back to picking out the next treat from the lunch. Part of her wanted to ask what Sasuke had that made him feel at home but she wasn't a fool, she knew it was a loaded question so she held it back and ended up picking out a carrot. She munched on it and looked around, assuming she was talking too much or perhaps Sasuke wasn't even listening. Since she had invited him to sit and eat with her, she wanted to see what he had to say as well. She finished her carrot and nudged the box a little. "Please." She gestured, wanting to make sure that if he wanted anything, that he could help himself. He bought it after all. The girl knew places could resemble Konoha but they would never truly be Konoha. When she was older she did wish to travel but she knew where she would belong. While her clan didn't accept her outright, she would belong with them someday. Someday she would be accepted like Kurenai and her team accepted her. "If there's...um anything you want to talk about, I don't mind listening." She tried to tell Sasuke as she licked her lips and thought she sensed someone approaching, like her teacher. Hinata wasn't sure how the sight would be interpreted it someone else stumbled across them. Her eyes slowly looked to Sasuke's as she reached down to take another riceball.

- - -

If Sakura had known that her teacher would be coming over, she probably would have tried to shoo her mother out of the house. As her mother went to the door, Sakura just went back to reading. The table was set for lunch and they were surely about to eat when Kakashi's voice reached Sakura's ears. She dropped her book and looked over to see her mother with her teacher. Sakura blushed deeply and scrambled to pick up the book and place it on the coffee table next to her. Sakura had told her mother and father about her team, including their teacher. Sakura hoped that her mother wouldn't say anything embarrassing. "I can leave right now!" Sakura said, hurrying over to the front door. Any teenage girl knew how dire it was to not have your teacher and mother in same room as one another. But before Sakura could hurry up to her room, her mother spoke up. "Nonsense Sakura, you will both stay and have lunch." Her mother said, not taking no for an answer. "You're both going out on a mission and need to be properly fed." She pressed. Sakura tried to peer around her mother to get a better look at her teacher. As Kakashi kept trying to get out of the invitation, Sakura felt even more compelled to smack her face against the wall but all she could do was give her mother a bit of a look. "Mom, we can eat on the road..." Sakura tried to say but instead her mother ended up pulling Kakashi into their home and shutting the door firmly. Inner Sakura was in terrible turmoil as she was told to go set an extra spot for their guest.

After another place was added, Sakura sat down next to Kakashi as her mother sat at the head of the table. Sakura was ready to eat just as fast as Naruto did if it meant they could leave sooner. For lunch, her mother had made a nice soup with rice, chicken and assorted root vegetables. She also had made some bread to go along with it. Sakura kept her head down as her mother started to talk about how hard Sakura has been studying, even before she entered the Academy. She went on to talk about how much Sakura had enjoyed some of her team's missions. Sakura rubbed her forehead a little and just continued to eat. "Mom...Kakashi-Sensei doesn't want to hear any of this..." She groaned. Well maybe she didn't, but Sakura would bet Kakashi didn't either. 'This is totally inappropriate!' She thought, panicking. As lunch came to a final close, her mother got up and Sakura's eyes went wide. "Mom-" She was cut off by her mother moving between her and Kakashi and opening a photo album. "I think you'd love to see some adorable pictures of Sakura when she just a little girl, oh they grow up so fast..." "Mom, come on..." Sakura muttered as her mother flipped to a picture of Sakura as a five year old playing in the sand. "Okay that's enough!" Sakura got up and pulled Kakashi back out of his chair with all of her strength. "I'm gonna give him a tour and then we really have to go, I'm sure we can see embarrassing pictures of me some other time!" Sakura said quickly. The kunnoichi then grabbed Kakashi's hand and pulled him out of the kitchen area and up the stairs toward her room, her face flushed, her heart pounding.

Sure, her mother was proud but this was just crossing the line for Sakura. She let go of Kakashi's hand as she got to her door. "Sorry about her...she can be a bit too excitable." But she did meant well. Sakura opened her door, revealing her simple decor. She had her bed, desk and dresser. Her desk was piled high but neatly organized, with books and papers. Her bed was made, pink comforter of course atop it. She head a picture of team seven on her desk. She had a mirror on her dresser, along with some ninja tools she had laying around in case she needed them. She quickly moved over to where her pack was, always ready to go. Sakura liked to be prepared. "Let's just go now, my mom will take the hint...I'll apologize when we get back." She said, having simmered down a little herself. Sakura sighed and walked over to where her drapes were and pushed them aside. She stepped out onto the balcony and looked down at the street. She grabbed her pack and jumped down to the street level. She slipped her pack on and looked back up and waited for Kakashi to join her. Sakura saw Kakashi had his things with him so they could just head for the gate. "So what's the mission about anyway?" Sakura asked him, as she didn't get to hear about it because her mother decided to butt in. Sakura was told about its importance and how he had insisted she go with him, and no one else. Her face lit up and she took the parcel herself. She really had no idea what to say, well, she did but no words could properly express how honored she was.

"Thank you so much! I swear I won't let you or Konoha down." Sakura told him happily. The good news seemed to help her forget about about how much of a pain her mother had been. Sakura couldn't seem to stop smiling. As they exited the gate, Sakura took a deep breath. It felt weird without Sasuke or Naruto but in another sense, it felt right. She had to be able to trust herself and not have to rely on them, she proved that much in the Forest of Death. Sakura looked to Kakashi as they walked. He would be someone she had to rely on for now, and hopefully he would treat her with the same respect. This boost of courage and empowerment was just what Sakura needed. She felt ready for anything, she and Kakashi were training now and she had a new mission, one that was very important. Sakura wouldn't let anyone down. "So I guess you do believe in me..." She said as they walked along. It really meant a lot to her. She wasn't sure what Kakashi thought of her but this proved that his opinion was pretty high, or perhaps he just wanted to prove he was a good enough teacher but Sakura didn't think that could really be it. "I've never been to Suna...have you?" Sakura asked Kakashi, though she assumed that he had since he was such a well seasoned ninja of Konoha. If the high of being picked for the mission would wear off shortly, she would find herself a little worried about going to the vilalge, after all, Gaara was there and she knew the last time they saw one another, it had gone very well. But they were trying to make peace, it would surely be for the better now. Tsunade-Sama knew what she was doing, Sakura believed in her and wouldn't doubt any intentions that came along with such a prized mission.

[SoleAccord]

When the weight of the lunch had left him, Sasuke believed his job to be done and he could leave her to her training. Turning his back, he had taken two steps towards the path he had just walked when she had invited him to stay with her to eat. Halting in his tracks, Sasuke looked back towards her, eyes open and looking at her blushing form closely. There wasn't exactly anything else he had to do today other than training, and this was as good a place as any to do it. Without any reason to refuse, and having an opportunity to see a Hyuga in training, Sasuke turned himself around to face her just as she had turned to sit just under one of many trees. To his own surprise Sasuke had approached her and, standing beside her for a moment, slowly brought himself into a sitting position. Adjusting his Blade of Kusanagi, he sat himself down to her right in silence and made certain his blade wouldn't slip out of the knot. It's position corrected so to prevent the risk of it slipping out, Sasuke had released the hold on it and looked to Hinata unwrapping and unboxing the lunch. She may have claimed that it was unnecessary to repay her for yesterday, but he repaid her because she held kindness for others without purpose, and that was more than what he could say for most of the other women in the village. In another attempt to initiate some kind of conversation between them, she went on about the approaching of Fall and how the leaves were changing with the season. His gaze went from her, up to the leaves that sheltered them both from the sun. Orange and yellow, with red like ruby, Hinata took great happiness in their appearance. Her mention of Konoha Autumn and how precious it was got him to believing this was going to be yet another attempt to root him to this place, but there was also a vibe that told him she was only speaking on what she loved, and wasn't thinking about such things right now. Still, he held on to that, and remembered she was sent to keep him here by someone.

He lowered his attention to her as she had begun to eat, taking a riceball first and eventually a pickled plum. Watching her like this made him see how delicately she treated her food, eating it as though she were a noble. Ignoring all the talk of how arrogant the Hyuga were, and knowing it from Neji Hyuga's own attitude, Sasuke could see how even when considered a burden Hinata still ate like she was a clan head. Peering down at the lunch, his appetite hadn't come, and he suspected it wouldn't be coming for a little longer. It was in this period of silence he questioned why he was still here. Hinata wasn't bad company, but knowing that someone was using her to get to him somehow didn't sit well. The question wasn't a large burden, but it was becoming something that was at the back of his mind. It made him want to ask, but Hinata wouldn't tell him under these circumstances, and he'd just be repeating yesterday's events. That wasn't progress ..and if he wanted to get the truth, it'd come eventually. Resting back against the tree, he shut his eyes yet again as she resumed her feelings for the leaves that surrounded the village. Being offered from the lunch he was providing her, Sasuke opened his eyes and peered down at it. It wouldn't have satisfied him, but it would have likely done something to make her relax. Reaching inside the lunch, he had taken one of the small rice balls that remained and took a bite from it. No satisfaction whatsoever had come. He wasn't hungry, and less and less his appetite was with him. Too much to consider, like why he wasn't with Orochimaru right now.

Like why Itachi Uchiha was still alive.

"That night.." Sasuke had broken his own silence. Hinata had appeared to pause her verbal collection of feelings based on this place, showing her love of the forests that surrounded her home. Moving his eyes from the rice ball idle in his hand to Hinata's face again, Sasuke had placed it back in the bento box. There were thing's Hinata may have believed were true, but the difference between them was a little clearer than that. Her eyes didn't see as much as she'd have liked to believe. "You said you had admiration for me, for my ambition ...my strength ..my intelligence. If you were telling the truth, then ..I want to know why is it so hard for people like you to accept that what I want isn't within the village?" Sasuke's tone wasn't bitter, but it made thing's heavy between them no doubt. "Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura ...none of them know my hatred enough to try and make this decision for me. But you of all people would understand what it's like to struggle with your own weakness." Hinata had struggled all her life, and wasn't meant to be a shinobi in this world, but she left that exam different than before. Sasuke didn't want to imagine how much worse her stuttering would be if he stayed beside her. His focus left her physical being and he faced forward, not at anything in particular. All the words Hinata ever said held such brilliant kindness to them, but without loss herself she'd never understand what it was like to lose everything at such a tender young age. His mother and father, his aunt and uncle, all killed at the hands of someone he loved so much, someone he aspired to be like. Hinata would never know, no matter how much she tried consoling him or making it better. "I don't hate you for being who you are ..in fact I praise how you're able to be this way. You're beautiful, kind, and have an innocent and encouraging smile."

Sasuke was repaying her for her words that night, offering her the encouragement that she needed to continue growing stronger yet staying true to who Hinata Hyuga really was: all of the above. He was able to admit Hinata was catching his eyes and reasonably the eyes of other men his age, but these compliments that were so rare and few in number had a purpose behind them.

"But one day at least two of those three things will change when you're hurt beyond imagining ..and I hope you never have to endure what I've had to, even if without that pain you'll never truly understand what makes me who I am now." Sasuke slowly got to his feet and stepped in front of Hinata, extending a hand to her. Despite all he might have said, he wasn't pushing her away just yet, even if it might have been wise to do so. When he had taken it, Sasuke would gently pull her up and guide her, hand in hand, back towards the tree she was hitting previously. At this point her hand was released and Sasuke had turned around to look at her again, but this time he had spotted something she seemed too bewildered to immediately take notice of. A stray bit of rice had somehow remained at the corner of her mouth, and with his left hand he gently brushed it away to clear it up once more. He didn't say anything about this moment, but in this light there could be some warmth felt from his harsh truth. People could change at any time, all it took were flames, and a fan to help them spread.

"I'll help you become stronger, all you need to do in return ..is fight for it."

-


Before Mebuki could even truly respond to him the voice of Sakura from inside had caught his attention, and peering inside he spotted her. She was dressed, and appeared more than eager to get out of the house for whatever reason, but it seemed Mebuki had other plans. Insisting he stay for lunch and eat before this mission, Kakashi had intended to refuse outright when Sakura moved to approach the front door, but it seemed that he couldn't win when it came to a mother like hers. Saying no wouldn't have been impossible, but something told him that no matter what happened here, and no matter what he said, he'd lose this situation and fast. Sakura's protesting meant nothing, and Kakashi was finding himself awkwardly pulled inside and made to sit at the table. In a position that was highly unfavorable, Kakashi could feel the tension from Sakura as she sat beside him. Her mother had no intention of staying too quiet and once the bowls were set before them, begun to speak of Sakura's days at the academy and how much she had worked even before her entry. Kakashi had known Sakura was a smart girl, but he hadn't known that she had been working so hard even before the days in the academy. Glancing towards her momentarily as she tried to accept the outcome of the past few minutes, Kakashi looked back to Mebuki and nodded as she continued. Problem being, she kept continuing. After every pause and attempt Kakashi made to be a good guest and try some of her soup, she had continued, and he lowered the fingers moving to his mask and looked to her again. This process repeated until the other two had managed to finish, and meanwhile he stared at his own full bowl. Well ..it may have been for the best. He had a suitable breakfast and could probably go a few hours without much need to eat anyway. Kakashi exhaled and moved to stand up. "Thank you for the meal, but I think it's time we--" Sakura had cut him off, and turning towards Mebuki she had appeared to be bringing over a ...photo album?

Sitting back down and knowing that this wasn't the opportunity he needed to get out of this, Kakashi appeared very engaged with what Mebuki had to show him. Sakura's first day at the academy in a cute but very formal attire. Sakura with her first A+ on an assignment. Sakura beside her mother and father. Sakura beside her mother and father in cute but formal attire holding an A+ assignment in her hand. Sakura-- well, you get it. By the time they got to the parts where Sakura had played on swingsets and sandboxes, her patience had all but gone out and she had taken hold of him, pulling him out of the seat with a start and then dragging him through her house and up to her room. Just outside the door, Sakura had offered apologies on behalf of her mother and her need to show everyone just how adorable and smart her little girl was. If the mask wasn't in the way, Sakura might've seen the grin he was trying to hide. "It's no trouble ..besides, it was you she was getting to." Kakashi didn't think it was so bad, but then again it wasn't his image Mebuki was affecting. Opening her door, Sakura allowed him entry and stepped inside, examining it closely. The room itself appeared very average and something typical of Sakura to have. Neat and orderly, it was nothing at all like Naruto's messy apartment. Looking towards the desk, the image of Team 7 was present. Naruto glaring at Sasuke, Sasuke looking elsewhere clearly annoyed by Naruto, and Sakura between the two with eyes shut and smile wide. Moving over towards it, Kakashi picked it up and examined it closely. It reminded him of better days, days he hoped one day they could have all gone back to. Setting it back down after a few moments of silent recollection, Sakura had made the intention of sneaking out clear and swore to apologize when she had gotten back. Perhaps it was for the best. Following her out and jumping down to the street, Kakashi had made certain his own pack he carried was secure just as Sakura had asked about this mission.

"It's quite simple." Kakashi had explained to her the situation entirely and left nothing out whatsoever. Sakura would understand why this mission was so important, and the probability of danger itself was on the line of great and minimal. Tsunade had been sending out decoy teams for most of the day to throw off the intelligence of other villages that may have been attempting to keep an eye on them, as well as messenger birds to see if any messages had been tampered with. Most importantly, Sakura knew she was the only person who'd be coming with him. Reaching behind him, he drew the scroll's container from the bag and handed it to her personally, knowing she understood the weight of this mission and how many people it would have affected. Swearing her success, Kakashi nodded in agreement and would set out with her. Leaving the gate and setting out on the road, Kakashi was beginning to realize that this would be the first mission he was taking without the entire Team. He had never been alone with Sakura before and given all she knew, had very little to teach her outside of jutsu and combat strategies. To him it was already beginning to grow a little odd without Naruto's boasting or complaining about Sasuke, or knowing Sasuke would be someone to count on to look out for the other two. Instead of them, he had Sakura, and he trusted Sakura ..but he had never had time with her alone. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, she had begun to bring up her own insecurity about Kakashi being unable to believe in her. He recognized her points and realized he could have been there more, but if it was going to be continually raised up, whether knowingly or innocently, he had a feeling the conversation at the training field would repeat itself.

"Yes, I trust you. You're my student." Pocketing his hands, he looked to the sky and hoped that this mission would have helped prove to her he held faith in her ability as a ninja, but also that there never should've been doubt about his feelings towards her. Sakura had raised the question of his going to Suna at any point in the past, and Kakashi faced forward with that in mind. "A few times when the Kazekage was still living, but back then thing's were a little different. I'm beginning to wonder how it's changed since I've been away." Kakashi wondered if much had changed at all. Given so much sand, the sandstone likely hadn't changed, nor the unforgiving heat and miles and miles of desert. But Sakura would come to understand that soon enough, because this would have been her first experience there. It wasn't going to be as chilly as the Land of Waves could get, and it might've opened up her comfort level a little more. Kakashi had given a small period of silence between them, then looked back towards the village as it grew farther and farther away. "It's strange, isn't it? Without those two with us .." after so long with chaos between the two and Naruto's excitement, Kakashi was finding the intellectual discussion between them a little unsettling. He had expected to hear some complaining by now, but he had to remember that Naruto had left for a while. Sakura's company, without Sasuke's seriousness, and without Naruto's recklessness, would take a little time to get used to. These next few days seemed as good a time as any to know the pink-haired kunoichi more.

"So ..learning under the great Sannin Tsunade, that must've been something else. How did you adjust compared to what I taught you three in my spare time, to what she did for you?"

[Genkai]

She couldn't help but have concern when Sasuke didn't seem too eager to dig into the bento as she was. She supposed he wasn't hungry. One on hand she would feel bad if she forced him to partake in politeness of eating with her when he had other things to entertain himself with. On the other hand, she didn't want to seem rude and just take all of the food for himself. At least he was aware that he could have whatever he wanted if he desired, so Hinata didn't risk any further comment on the bento itself and just looked to him as he finally spoke up. When he first mentioned the night, she wondered if he was talking about the night she stopped him or the night his clan was killed. Her confusion was soon relieved as he then talked about how she had voiced admiration for select qualities of his. What really struck her was when he put her in with a generalized statement, saying that she didn't understand him. Hinata knew she didn't understand him but for some reason, she didn't relish in the fact that he still wished to reference her with all the others, when in her mind, it was just her and him, there was no need to bring in anyone else. His tone wasn't harsh or demanding but her eyes did avert his after he said that, unable to hold his gaze as if offended or guilty. 'He says he wishes for something beyond the village...yet can't he see that the village isn't just a home but a support system, there are few people here who enjoy helping others...and one of them is in Sasuke's team.' She thought back to her history with Naruto, albeit limited.

'And if he were to talk to his friends about his desire and life goals then I see why he wouldn't be able to have a happier life without such hatred present...' She considered. As he mentioned his team, her eyes slowly went back to Sasuke's form. She enjoyed talking to Kurenai-Sensei about her issues and wondered if Sasuke had the same support as she was finding herself to have. She was sure Kakashi-Sensei was happy to talk to Sasuke so she wondered what else could be done for him. Though it wasn't as if her and his issues could be fixed the same way. Then Sasuke said something which caught her attention, he said she of all people would know what it was like to struggle with one's weakness. Never had she considered Sasuke Uchiha weak yet based on his statement and sort-of comparison, he saw himself as weak, but compared to who? Hinata didn't question it and allowed him to speak from his heart, as much as he wanted. He shifted and set his attention away, back in front of them and she just looked down at her lap, unsure of what to say to that. Every time she was with Sasuke, she felt as though every syllable spoken was being analyzed, deconstructed and locked away forever. Hinata chewed on her lower lip and willed the large weight over them to vanish. And when Sasuke opened his mouth, the weight she had been wishing to leave her, vanished within a second and was replaced by something else, something she couldn't describe.

Her face quickly lit up like a tomato and her insides froze. Hinata was so thrown off that she forgot how to even properly his first statement about not hating her. 'Why would he hate me to begin with?' She found herself dimly wondering. Sasuke wasn't like her clan, well they had similarities, but he wasn't pushing her around or ignoring her or dashing her dreams. Her clan hated her, underestimated her. But Sasuke claimed the opposite, that he didn't hate her but fed her praise, words which she rarely heard from anyone who was held in such high regard as Sasuke Uchiha. The girl's stomach clenched slightly and she blinked several times, still speechless by his words. Air seemed difficult to pass through her lips but then he continued and said that at least two of those traits would be gone if she experienced what Sasuke had experienced. Her mind replayed the words and wondered, 'Does he still think I'd be b-beautiful?' She thought. Even in her own mind, considering herself such was difficult. She didn't have the hair like Sakura or the body like Ino or the personality of Tenten. Hinata was just...Hinata but it seemed fine in Sasuke's eyes. That had to count for something. Sasuke got to his feet and she couldn't help but feel slightly discouraged knowing she couldn't understand his pain completely without doing so first hand. And she still didn't know the details. A part of her was growing more interested, almost impatient as he kept dodging the topic but it was clearly a cloud over them. She wanted to know more but he wasn't ready yet. She looked up and saw his hand. She took it and stood up, in front of him.

"Sasuke?" She questioned. Their hands remained connected and he led her back to the tree where she had been training before he had made a sly appearance. Hinata watched him closely for some kind of explanation. He let go of her hand and she looked down at hers, now having fallen back to her body like gravity. Before the girl could really take notice of his movement, the Sharingan wielding boy brushed a small grain of rice from the corner of her lips. She could have sworn she had felt some kind of fleeting warmth from his feathery touch but it was so brief, so sudden that she couldn't be positive. Then he spoke again, his words continuously catching her off guard. Hinata remained silent for a few moments, trying to select her response to his proposal. Even she knew this was some sort of pivotal moment for them, he was agreeing to help her, granted she could keep a blazing fire inside of herself burning brightly. "Of course, I will." She said to him, this time, for the first time her voice sounded stern and proud. In the back of her head, there would be a few insecurities creep up but she was quick in attempt to stomp them out before they spread like a nasty virus. 'Sasuke doesn't hate me, doesn't judge me, he wants to help me. I know this is an honor but I will not defeat myself before progress has even been made.' She told herself, trying not to drown in the fabricated expectations he might have for her as if the mountain was far too high to conquer already. Her biggest weakness was not those around her, but herself. Recently, the Hyuga had been making personal progress.

Like Naruto, she needed to believe in her capabilities and work toward her goal without flinching. At every challenge that was presented to her, Hinata knew she had to be strong for others, but most importantly, herself. In her mind, she had an idea of who she could be but it was a while before she would reach that dream and make it a reality. And now here was Sasuke Uchiha, taking an odd interest in aiding her. Hinata knew she might try to over-think his motives for putting up with her awkwardness but she wanted to just let that go, for as long as possible. She couldn't be distracted, not now. "Thank you." She bowed her head and then looked back up to him, her eyes locking with his darker ones for a single moment. It was in that moment, that Hinata saw something, again, it was something indescribable but enough to pique her interest. The girl needed to know more about him, to peel back the layers he confined himself to. As they continued to interweave their paths together, more similarities began to emerge and somehow it alarmed her. Whether she was excited or concerned had yet to be decided. "I know I...have a long way to go...to get to where I want to be as a ninja." She began to speak, feeling as though it were necessary to break from the speechlessness that had overtaken her. "And as a better person." Hinata added with a deep breath, hoping her next statement wouldn't be received poorly. "I hope our new-found friendship can change us for the better." She then offered him a smile as she then activated her Byakugan. Though Sasuke hadn't said it openly, he had implied that they would be sparring now. A literal, hands on approach to him helping her become stronger.

- - -

The container was kept safe in her grasp as they walked along. So far they were off to a fine beginning. While she had briefly mentioned his faith in her, she hadn't directly meant to end up wandering back to the crux of their flawed relationship as teacher and student. The comment was mostly meant for herself, and only a little, for Kakashi-Sensei. He was quick to sweep over the comment and answered her question about his prior attendance of Suna. She hadn't been outside of the village to see another large village before. While her rotten memories of the Sand Siblings remained, she was still curious about the conditions from where they grew up and thrived in. Still, little else needed to be said about the Village Hidden in the Sand and she kept quiet until Kakashi mentioned how different it was without the others around. 'Yeah, it is...' She thought sadly but said nothing about Sasuke or Naruto just yet which gave Kakashi another window to open up a new topic. Sakura pushed herself passed sadness and thought back to her training sessions with Tsunade-Sama and shuddered noticeably. "Oh she was...a tough teacher to endure." She smiled fondly. While Sakura could have mentioned the lack of training she recalled getting from Kakashi, she didn't and just said, "While I had you and the boys to lean on, it was just me and Tsunade-Sama." She said carefully. "I had to learn fast how to move and stay diligent. I didn't have Sasuke or Naruto to distract me and I think that helped." Sakura replied.

Images of her harsh training flashed in front of her and she swallowed. "Still, I'm really lucky and very appreciative of the attention she gave me, even when sometimes...I didn't really want it." She laughed and rubbed her neck a little with her free hand. Somehow, she got the feeling that this topic of Tsunade's wonderful teaching may make things somewhat weird between them so she changed the topic, finally deciding to double back and address the absence of half of their team. "I guess it is a lot less quiet without Naruto bumbling around but I hardly notice Sasuke's gone." She found herself surprised to admit to freely. "I mean, he was never that vocal unless one of us provoked him." She then frowned and wished things had gone better for everyone. Silence once again fell over them as she just looked off, wondering why it was so difficult to find a topic for them to discuss without things ending horribly? Was there a generation gap? What was it? Sakura kept walked and tried not to become too discouraged. Now she had to decide if silence was better than forced conversation. 'Great, I hope Kakashi-Sensei isn't regretting bringing me along!' Inner Sakura fumed. Something that reassured herself was replacing her with Sasuke and being pretty certain that things would be even more silent if Sasuke and Kakashi had to embark to Suna together. Then again, Sasuke and Kakashi spent nearly a month together off training. But still, there was probably very little chit chat going on between them. The kunnoichi let out a nervous sigh and licked her dry lips, sure that the tone of their mission could be changed, but the real issue was: how.

"Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura started. Part of her wondered if she should ask if his mother ever embarrassed him but then she cast it aside as a bad question. Then she thought about asking the typical questions like one's favorite color or food but knew those were just as bad as asking about his parents or past. Sakura then came up with a decent question. "You know, Naruto and Sasuke and I were really surprised when we heard you and Gai-Sensei were rivals. How did that even happen?" She asked him. "I mean, Ino and I were friends but then..." She didn't feel the need to go there so she didn't. "And well Naruto and Sasuke are rivals as well and having a rival isn't so bad if it helps you improve." Something told her that Kakashi's rivalry with Gai wasn't as intense as Sasuke and Naruto's but it was still something. If anything. At the mention of her blond nemesis, she grew a bit of a smirk and looked up ahead and then looked to Kakashi as they trotted along. "You know, Kakashi-Sensei, now that I'm not training under Tsunade, I bet Ino is going to get some more training so we better make sure that I'm still better than her." In other words, she wanted to make sure she didn't make the wrong choice when it came to switching teachers. This comment was said in a more friendly way but her voice did hold some passionate fire to it. Sakura wanted Kakashi to help become better and to not lose to Ino, no matter what. After that, Sakura kept her mouth shut and removed her intense jade colored gaze from the Jounin and looked back ahead of them, reminding herself of their mission, their goal and the dangers that may lurk around them.

Since she would be tackling the Chunin Exams next go around, Ino was sure to be attending next time too. Sakura hoped she could get a real rematch and prove that she should have been victorious the first time. And that Ino would never out-do her again. Sakura was more than just determined to prove herself to Ino, to show her friend/enemy that she didn't need to be protected or coddled any longer. And that she could have any guy she wanted. Recent events did make the idea of love, of dating, seem so out of reach. She was becoming more realistic with herself, with her and Sasuke. Even so, while Ino perhaps had time to date and train and work at the hospital and even work at the flower shop, Sakura didn't date. The girl hadn't been outgoing, having had to put up with a lot of drama within her team. Part of her was worried that she was missing out on something important, life experience versus love experience. There was a slim, very slim chance that now she was under Kakashi's tutelage, she may find time to date. Maybe Kakashi could help push her in the right direction. Sakura pressed her lips together and tried to ignore the uneasiness welling up inside of her. 'I bet Kakashi is single, most shinobi don't have time for dating.' She noted. She supposed he wouldn't be the best person to ask when it came to getting advice on dating. Perhaps Kurenai would be a better source for that kind of advice. Still, she looked toward Kakashi, wearing a small thoughtful pout of contemplating, hoping she wouldn't end up like Kakashi-Sensei one day, alone and utterly weird. 'If anyone has something to hide, it's him.' She thought. 'I wonder if anyone's gotten close enough to...' She allowed her thoughts to taper off.

[SoleAccord]

As expected, Hinata's head bowed low in thanks to his words. Sasuke didn't really act on the bow, but he also didn't know how he'd feel about it if she continued to do it. As a heir she was no doubt taught how to be respectful and ladylike, but strong and fearsome when the time had come. Sasuke understood what succession in clans meant between leaders and while it was usually different for some, he knew how difficult it could be. The Hyuga before him seemed gentle from the womb and beyond, and didn't appear to be very interested in battle, but it was going to be up to him, the only one other than Naruto, to encourage that hidden potential within her. Her eyes met his and it renewed his own confidence in what she could become, and not once did she avert them shyly elsewhere. It seemed that at last she was finally understanding that she could look at him and not be so afraid anymore. Hinata had admitted that her progress to becoming what she wanted to be was minimal, and that her road was still long in becoming the shinobi she dreamed of. This building of bonds had brought her some courage, those clear eyes of hers having not left his as often as they used to. With one last comment delivered about the state of what she could call a friendship, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as veins protruded around her eyes. He had missed the match featuring the Hyuga clan in both the Chuunin preliminaries and finals, but he recognized that her eyes were in a state meant for battle. "So this is the Byakugan." he muttered, taking two steps back from her as she entered her own stance. Drawing his right foot back and lightly bending his knees, his right hand came to the handle of his Kusanagi blade and parted the sword from the scabbard only slightly. "I won't go easy." with one last warning given, the famed eyes of the Sharingan were revealed, all three tomoe centered towards one lone Hyuga.

Her strikes had come quickly, but initially there was minimal difficulty in avoiding her strikes. With the speed he had gained from training with Kakashi to master the Chidori and with the precognition granted by his Sharingan, her moves were easy to avoid. Within minutes of her attack he was seeing how much the Hyuga relied on close combat to achieve their strengths, but Hinata was outmatched in experience and technique. He was generally silent for the first few minutes, avoiding her blows and only raising his blade momentarily to remind her he could strike at any time yet chose to give her more and more opportunities to impress and strike. Yet as he ducked and sidestepped, she corrected and kept pressing her attack. His eyes weren't missing a thing before him, and his rate of avoidance would let one believe he knew her moves even before she completed them. In a way, that was true. Still Hinata pressed on and the waltz around the field continued, and he had not said a word until she had paused after ten straight minutes of attacking. When she hesitated and appeared to reconsider her own tactics, Sasuke bolted forward with such speed Hinata had locked up and lost him momentarily, but her Byakugan had revealed the truth a moment later. Sasuke was directly behind her, their bodies inches apart, and his sword back in its sheath. "Knowing when to rethink your plan of attack is smart, but keep in mind that your opponent may not always allow you the opportunity to catch your breath." walking forward Sasuke entered his previous stance and beckoned her to come again, and within that moment she came again. In time her determination had shown through, and her energy seemed to be more controlled as she guided her palms towards his torso and face. Sasuke had been calm and patience for the next hour of time Hinata had spent, improving her stamina and helping her attempt new attack patterns she had probably never considered. His eye was kept on her demeanor as well, trying to spot any sign of weakness or quitting in her stance or face.

There wasn't any.

As time went on and with little reason to keep track of it, Sasuke had continued to teach her more and more about how to adapt to the situation at hand. Though he missed out on their battles, the Hyuga as Hinata represented it were hell bent on close quarters and fought to keep the opponent in it. Sasuke could have left it at any time to attempt a more long distance approach, but it wouldn't serve her well. Before she could learn how to fight from afar, she first had to learn how to handle herself up close. Hinata was intelligent and seemed to be attempting new movements in order to catch him, but more and more Sasuke was able to manage to stay out of her path and keep himself away. In time her two teammates had eventually come to watch her work, and with her Byakugan she couldn't help but notice them in time. Sasuke had expected her concentration to wane at this point, but her focus remained on him alone. In the middle of her offensive, an outstretched palm she threw towards his chest, one of many, was avoided. Instead of pulling back in his constant and casual retreat however, Sasuke had this time drew close to Hinata, bringing his face close to hers and thrust his sword towards her chest. Using that instant to make her tighten her gut and comprehend exactly the kind of danger Sasuke was posing her by actually running her through, the blade had diverted course in its last moment and slipped just under her outstretched arm. Pulling away, Sasuke had allowed her to register what exactly his intentions were. In his free hand was her pouch that stored her tools and medicine. "Committing to a strike is good, but not always necessary. When you try to strike me, you extend your arm and leave yourself open to someone faster and more aware." he tossed her her pouch back to her and allowed her to take in his advice to her once again. "Keep trying new things ..and don't be afraid to use ninja tools to your advantage. Without speed and reaction time, you'll struggle." like she was now.

Hinata had shown gradual improvement over the next few hours and put his advice to use in her own way. Her desire to gain approval had released strength only barely tapped, and her fire burned brightly as she chased him down. Allowing her opportunities to catch her breath after considerable time spent trying to strike, she seemed bent on continuing sooner than she needed to. As light began to dim and the blue skies above bled red and orange with evening's approach, Hinata had appeared all but burned out in energy and ideas. Not once did she ask if they could continue at a later time, and time seemed to be of minimal concern to her. He had stopped merely dodging long ago, and had resorted to parrying her attacks with his own hands and using his scabbard only if a ninja tool of some kind was utilized. The durable surface allowed ease of deflection, and would render her tools useless without a plan. This was all very new to her, but she was trying to learn and quickly. Over the course of these few hours together training, Shino and Kiba had eventually departed for the day. Hinata likely never expected her will to train would surpass her own teammates, but that day had come, and if he hadn't done what was coming next it may have never ended for her. The amount of time spent against him was taking its toll, and coupled with the fact she didn't bring much water to refresh herself only meant that she was fighting hot and dry. His amount of exertion was minimal in the constant exchanges with most of his efforts spent parrying and avoiding her various strikes, but Hinata had the hardest job and he knew that as much as she'd likely want to continue, she couldn't keep going for much longer. Edging himself back towards where they had sat together, another thrust of her right palm was not countered this time, but instead caught with his left hand. Fingers slipping through and grabbing her hand, he slipped his foot between her legs and applied sufficient force into kicking either, not enough to bruise but enough to weaken her already waning ability to maintain her stance. Leaning his body back as her balance was thrown off and continuing to hold onto her hand, Sasuke raised it in the air and forced her to consciously lean against him for support. The training was halted, and in this moment of silence Sasuke could properly see the sweat that her effort generated building around her face and neck. Her chest against his, he felt the harsh beating of her heart, and with her head just below his, he could hear her ragged breathing. Coincidentally she happened to be looking up just before she clutched him with her free hand to maintain balance, and the eyes of the Hyuga girl and the Uchiha boy had met for one long instance.

Sasuke hadn't said much about this meeting of the eyes, his expression remained fairly neutral and his Sharingan still watchful. This would be a prime opportunity to land some kind of strike on him, but with these eyes on her Sasuke had a feeling it would have been a little futile given her exhaustion. In her defense she had given him a workout all the same, a light sheen of sweat not equal to her own quantity but present was on his face as well. There weren't words, just her heavy breathing, as well as his own. Having been at this training for so long, it was foreign to not have her openly attacking him now. They could stop and return home, and Hinata could rest happily knowing she had gotten Sasuke Uchiha to physically exert himself to the point of perspiration. This staring between them, the sound of their breathing together, it felt like it was even longer than the training they did for the day but in reality it had lasted thirty seconds. Considerable time without words said, but the only communication they needed was to stand down. Sasuke had allowed his Sharingan to recede, his eyes reverting to the cool natural black she had gotten to know. It was only after they were returning their eyes to original form did he happen to notice he had caught her around the waist. His original intention was to thrust his fingers into her stomach or place them against her neck, but it seemed that her falling had caused him to prioritize her ability to use him as support rather than proving a point. It was only until he felt another pair of eyes other than Hinata's on him did he speak, and at last released her hand. Still she kept it pressed, and Sasuke didn't know what he could say about that. "....We're done for today." his arm fell from around her waist and she pulled her hand away. Like him, she seemed to have caught on that they weren't exactly alone, and that being caught in that kind of a situation would demand some kind of explanation. Sasuke looked off towards the path to and from the Leaf Village, and finding none other than Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata's sensei, standing by with a blush on her face as she caught what happened.

Leaving Hinata to speak with her teacher, Sasuke moved to grab the unfinished bento box and placed the lid atop it. Collecting it and watching Hinata approach Kurenai. There was more stress on her body now than he believed she'd ever had to deal with, and she was visibly having a hard time just walking over without the adrenaline of competition fueling her. He was going to leave her to that and leave on his own, but saw to the weakness of her legs after moving around so frequently as her style demanded. She appeared ready to drop, and Kurenai had hustled forward ready to catch her, but he had beaten her to that punch. With the half-empty bento in his left hand, his right arm came around Hinata shoulders and he pressed her against him, using him as support once again to help maintain her stance. While her breathing was somewhat returning back to its normality, the amount of work she put in today would mean it'd be somewhat hard to move for just a small amount of time. The least he could do for her now after everything, after trying to learn about who Sasuke Uchiha was, was be her support. With his eyes on her, and Kurenai's eyes on the both of them, Hinata and Kurenai could perhaps talk together without fear of Hinata struggling to stay standing.

~-~

Tough might've been an understatement. Kakashi knew Tsunade had a reputation as being a poor gambler, but she was a fearsome opponent in the war, and Sakura had the honor of learning under her even for a short time. Sometimes he was concerned that she had no idea what that kind of thing meant, but she had always shown above average intelligence and all he could do was trust in her judgment. Still, learning under him, he wondered what he could do for her in the long run. A few new ninjutsu could work out, but Sakura had grown stronger in her own right. Compared to Tsunade, Kakashi still doubted his own ability to teach her something that would help her stand out, as his abilities and reputation have also come from utilizing something Sakura could never have; the Sharingan. Sasuke as his student made complete sense, and he was thankful that Sakura had approached Tsunade, but to return back to him ..he was still trying to understand her position. What use was a water technique if your comrade was bleeding out? In defense of new ninjutsu, it could be utilized to prevent that scenario from happening, but the utility of medical ninjutsu far exceeded that of basic techniques. Still, it was good to hear how Tsunade had shaped Sakura in the time they had together.

Naruto's presence was generally loud and unnecessary but it brought a little more excitement within the group and helped distinguish them all. Naruto either bored or impatient, Sasuke passively insulting him if he felt fit to, and Sakura joining him on it based on her crush. Kakashi never approved of it, but Naruto never seemed to be hurt by it for long. He understood Sakura didn't like him as much as Sasuke, but it didn't mean he would have quit trying to impress her all the same. It was that kind of caring that she had to stop overlooking, and taking a look in front of her to see the one who was trying to reach out to her wasn't the talented handsome raven-haired boy, but the boy who had fought for approval for so long. He hoped that in the course of Sakura reaching womanhood she would grow out of this stage of her life and grow stronger, much like Tsunade. That didn't mean giving up her interest in men, but to know what was worth really pursuing, and what was not something to overlook. Eventually he hoped all three of them would come to find happiness, whether together or not. The path ahead didn't seem to get any shorter, but that was likely due to the lack of feet following him. Thing's always seemed faster when Team 7 was together, but alone with Sakura it felt a little emptier than usual. Her reserved nature wasn't unwelcome, but new and unusual to be alone with. Sasuke wasn't much different, but his discussions went beyond casual chatting and more into what he could learn that day. When it came to his students, both Sasuke and Naruto have proven themselves talented and resourceful when the time came. Sakura had yet to prove herself on any mission he had been there to witness, but perhaps this simple document escort mission could be a step in the right direction no matter how minimal the risks they faced. With Tsunade sending out decoy teams to throw potential watchful eyes off, the risk of a small two man team being examined was minimal. Just when he was beginning to enjoy the silence a little, Sakura had spoke once more about his relationship with Gai.

Kakashi recalled his younger years with an eccentric and younger Gai challenging him when he could. Over time, Kakashi had begun to approve of his hard work and began to see that he was more than what he appeared as. Turning his head towards Sakura, his eye was on her as this dirt road was walked on, and her question was answered with ease. "Gai? He was a lot like Lee in his youth, always working his hardest and desiring to challenge the strongest people he could find and showing them what his hard work could accomplish. I excelled faster than anyone else ..graduating from the Academy at five years old, and becoming a Chuunin at the age of six. As you could expect, I beat him ..but it only made him want my approval as his rival. So he worked harder and challenged me again and again. At first I thought he wasn't much of a ninja, but Gai had shown me what his hard work meant each time, and my victories became harder and harder to achieve.I can call him a rival ..someone to stay ahead of, but also someone to count on if the time comes. To me, that's what a true rivalry is." it was something Naruto and Sasuke did have, and something Sakura sort of had herself, only the rivalry seemed to be rooted with love for the same man rather than being a shinobi. Over time that seemed to be changing for Sakura, but it wouldn't be easy to forget how it all began. Kakashi remembered the exact day, the exact time, and the exact location when Gai stepped up to him. Sakura wasn't done yet, and had gone on once more about her sudden desire to be stronger than Ino. Kakashi couldn't say much to her about it, and in fact he let out a small huff of acknowledgment instead of a full answer. He had his doubts about what was really important to Sakura at this time and wasn't sure if indulging her was the right thing to do. Could it have been a mistake to do this? Was it possible this was just something to brag about? Kakashi understood what bragging rights meant to younger shinobi, but he had lost slight confidence in Sakura's desire to get stronger, and if there was more to this sudden request than just being stronger than Ino.

Over the course of the next several hours, Kakashi had made some conversation based on water ninjutsu she might have wanted to learn as well as what she could expect from Suna since his last trip. She didn't complain about the length of the trip, nor did she whine about how much her feet hurt, and with that not being much of a topic from her lips they had eventually made camp by a riverside as the sky turned red. A fire prepared for a potentially cold night, he looked to the river, and then back to Sakura as she fanned the fires. "Sakura, come over here for a second." he beckoned her by voice and the steady wave of his hand. Turning around and approaching the river, he molded chakra to his feet and stepped onto the surface. It was a wide river, but clear enough to see the fish that steadily swam below them. "I think given your desire to be better than Ino, that could include catching your own dinner too. A ninja isn't above getting their hands dirty." drawing a kunai from his pouch, he handed it to her. "You're not as trained in ninja tools as TenTen might be, but this is going to be a small exercise in knowing when to strike a foe suspecting or unsuspecting. The fish will likely react to it if you're not adept with using them. On the other hand, you can use your hands for a bigger challenge in trying to catch them. They may slip, but your training with using medical techniques on fish might have prepared you for that." Kakashi found this a good opportunity for her to know what hardship really was for those without chakra control, and it might teach her some humility in the future. Sakura had always taken a large amount of pride in her knowledge and skills, and while this wasn't necessarily meant to take that away, it was meant to have her struggle at least initially and understand hard work from a different point of view. Of course, to her, it'd probably just be him being too lazy to 'do it himself' and a result of him not teaching her, but he could live with that assumption for this evening. He placed a gentle hand on her head, and pressed down slightly. "No matter the approach, you should get your feet wet. When you've caught four fish, you'll be done." dinner was on the line, and if she didn't catch anything, she didn't eat tonight.

Releasing her head, Kakashi turned and reached behind his back, pulling out the unfinished copy of Make-Out Tactics and turning to where he last left off. Before leaving the water's surface entirely, he hesitated mid-step. "Oh, and one more thing." turning around, he closed the book and looked to her hands. "I didn't forbid ninjutsu, but it would go against 'hard work' ..and I won't reward you with another technique for a while if you use it. So it's your physical hunger versus your hunger for knowledge. Let's see what happens.." that being said, he shut his eye as if smiling, and turned back around. He moved to a nearby thick tree base and sat against it, opening the pages of Jiraiya's most recent masterpiece, and had begun to get engrossed in its erotic humor and kinky situations..

[Genkai]

With just a simple acknowledgement of her bloodline, Sasuke followed suit and entered his own position to begin fighting. Hinata's movement were simple and flowed, as the gentle motion of evasion and eventual quick attacks were the Hyuga's trademark style. They eyed their opponent and then moved to make the match tilt in their own favor. She didn't expect Sasuke to go easy on her as she already knew it wasn't in his nature and he seemed more serious with his training to go easy in order to accomplish anything predetermined. Sometimes when she would fight Kiba and Akamaru, they would go easy to allow the other to get used to any sort of new jutsu but she had a feeling Sasuke wanted to see her full power and evaluate her for himself. That idea had to be excavated from her mind as it would only hinder her overall performance. Sasuke was quick to dodge her attacks and after ten long minutes, she showed a brief sign of mental disarray which gave the boy an opening which hadn't been intended at all. Which was probably why he took it and dashed out of her line of sight. Thankfully her Byakugan was able to catch the movement and see him move behind her. Of course her body wasn't able to match her mind as he was already behind her, talking about what she did wrong, which she already knew.

Hinata hung her head for a moment to gather herself so they could continue. 'I won't let that happen again.' She told herself. Hinata went back to her stance as Sasuke moved around and stood in front of her so they could continue. She slipped back into her stance and stared him down, more determined this go around. And for the next sixty minutes or so, she kept pushing herself with the silent aid of Sasuke. She was always quick and used a dancer's agility to move around and change poses and direction. The two shinobi worked together and as her style dictated, she never allowed him to stray too far, as she kept things close when it came to hand to hand combat. While the Byakugan could be used to aid the user to see over great distances, they were better suited for close combat. This gave them few advantages and disadvantages. They seemed to weigh about the same but the clan kept their style as it was. The basics could be altered once a grasp of technique was utilized, Neji was a fine example of diligence and skill. Yet he lacked creativity, something Hinata was learning to use when she worked with Sasuke. Soon her teammates migrated over to see what she was up to after hearing faint sounds of fighting. She saw them with her Byakugan but didn't break from her focus which was on the dark haired Uchiha in front of her. Perhaps she wanted to break away and blush or try to explain why on earth Sasuke Uchiha was helping her, but there wasn't time.

Kiba and Shino's expressions had to be unnoticed for the time being as they soon left with no acknowledgement from either sparring partner. In one instance, Sasuke was able to draw his blade and point out an open spot which he had taken full advantage of. Hinata stepped backward as he explained her error. It was a long tiring process of attacking, dodging, shifting and everything else. 'He's doing this for me, I can't waste his time or mine by worrying about approval, he's just correcting what needs work.' She told herself. As the sun began to set over the lovely day Konoha had fostered, one of her attacks wasn't countered but instead she found herself being caught by the boy. His hand held hers as he swept under her legs, making her legs buckle. Hinata stumbled and was brought against him. In her confusion, she finally stopped to hear herself panting heavily as neither had really stopped to drink or rest. Whenever Sasuke had distanced himself to allow her time to catch her breath, she often charged at him, refusing to waste the daylight hours. As she was pressed against him, she deactivated her Byakugan, getting the sense that they had done enough for the day. Her face was hot, flushed with redness and sweat. She felt like a mess but on the inside, as exhausted as she was, she felt accomplished.

He was slower to deactivate his own Sharingan. She felt his support and listened to their own breathing, she had no idea what to say or even if she could rightfully speak at the moment. As her breathing started to regulate, she felt her teacher approach them and they slowly separated from one another. Hinata moved a bit slower, quite weak after such a session. It seemed Sasuke was even a bit worn out but she knew she had strained much harder than he had. 'At least I didn't bore him, at least he found some use for this, even if it wasn't as great as mine.' She told herself. It was then announced that they were done and she found herself almost being transported back to her childhood, after she had finished her training, she would be dismissed without any praise, just areas of weakness. She offered a small smile to Sasuke and he left her alone with her teacher who was evidently curious as to her sudden interaction with Sasuke Uchiha. As Hinata was about to close the gap she felt her knees give out and she was too weak to catch herself. Before Kurenai could reach her student, Sasuke had beaten her and managed to pull her close with an arm wrapping around her shoulders. Hinata rested against his side and closed her eyes, as if still expecting to fall into the grass. Kurenai stepped back and studied Sasuke, as if wondering if she should trust the boy with her kunnoichi.

"Make sure she gets home safely." She just said. If Sasuke was responsible for Hinata's weak condition, he should ensure she was alright after the training had ended. "We'll talk tomorrow, Hinata." She smiled.

"Thank you." Hinata said and then looked to Sasuke, noticing how close her face was to Sasuke's. "And...thank you." She then said. And with that, the genjutsu master left them alone, had Kakashi not have left to go on a mission to Suna, she would tracked him down to talk about the interesting scene she had stumbled upon. As Sasuke began to help her along back toward Konoha's center, she felt her stomach growl. On top of that, she felt rather dehydrated, in need of water. "Um...S-Sasuke...why don't we find someplace to stop and eat so I can rest?" She suggested. "It'll be my treat." She added, wanting to pay for the meal since Sasuke had brought her lunch and stayed to train with her. It was only fair she pay for dinner. He was slow to consider it but finally agreed and they walked into the main district of Konoha. As she limped along, leaning against Sasuke, everyone seemed to stop and stare at them. Hinata had no idea what they were thinking but she was sure some of it wasn't positive. She inhaled softly, his scent filling her nose more than the air around them. Her eyes moved around the buildings and one caught her attention. It was a bustling pizza parlor which had a lot of outside seating. It had a fresh selection of local ingredients and the aroma was wonderful. Considering her high status, Hinata didn't often go out and eat such food but she was interested in it. "Is that alright?" She questioned. He helped her to the entrance and they were put outside at a table.

Taking a seat with Sasuke's help, Hinata plopped down and sighed deeply. "Thank you...again." She said bashfully and ran her hands through her hair and then rubbed her face, sure that her appearance wasn't as tidy as it usually was. Two glasses of ice water were put down at the table and she brushed aside any formalities to take a glass and drink from it until it was almost emptied. She set it down and looked to Sasuke before looking down at the small menus that had been set down for them. "We could...share something if you'd like. Or we can get two different kinds I suppose." She muttered. "I think the four cheese could be good. What do you think?" She looked back up to him.

- - -

It was pretty interesting to hear Kakashi talk about his relationship with Gai, Sakura knew her's with Ino wasn't exactly the same but there with tiny similarities. But maybe females handle competition differently than males did. Had Sakura known her comments had made her teacher reconsider his faith placed in her, she would have certainly corrected herself. Sakura would hate to know that she had shown herself in a poor light, nor did she intend to appear narrow minded or childish or thoughtless. Her intent wasn't to put her efforts solely on her relationship with Ino, which wasn't as sour as it had been back in school. Since she and Ino had worked together, they kept up a friendly rivalry but it was by no means the reason why Sakura pushed herself. She had drive long before Ino and her team but they had helped uncover it. She liked clashing heads with Ino but it wasn't what Sakura consumed herself. And if she knew Kakashi was concerned about it, she would was reconsidered her own choice to train under him if he thought so little of her as a person. While they didn't know each other well, Sakura would hope that he at least knew her better than to take some of her words at face value. All she had wanted was to prove that she more than what everyone thought she was. She wanted to be strong, she had her own reasons which didn't necessarily have to tie to Sasuke or Ino or even Naruto. After that, their conversation was light, not too talkative.

The distance wasn't an issue for her and she didn't find anything to complain about, but on the other side, there wasn't much else she could pull out of her imaginary hat to fill the silence the ensued. The whole Gai-thing was the only thing she could make up to fill the air and now there wasn't anything to talk about. It made things awkward but it was a somewhat mutual awkwardness shared so it wasn't too bad. It wasn't as if one was trying to entertain the other and failing miserably at it. Sakura spent most of the time looking around at the scenery, it was mostly green and touches of brown. But slowly it was changing, not mimicking Konoha's nature entirely. From time to time, Kakashi and Sakura would engaged in small snippets of conversation regarding any water styled jutsu which could be taught to her. And she was interested in the possibilities, knowing that they could work on things once they got back to the village. As the sun was beginning to set, they made time to stop and set up camp for the night. Camping wasn't a wild notion, as team seven had done it many times during past missions. But once again the absence of both boys did linger over them as they set up near a handy river. Sakura wasn't trying to think about all the weird moments the past day or two had brought and instead turned to Kakashi when he motioned her to come over.

She moved away from the fire and over to where he was. "What's up?" She asked him as he walked over the river's surface. She copied him with ease and walked out onto the surface as well, controlling her chakra. Kakashi began to talk about catching fish and the two methods at her disposal. 'Why is he making me do all the work for dinner?' She couldn't help but wonder. 'Sure this might be a lesson somehow about control and precision but four? Whatever.' She mulled over but her teenage brooding was halted when she felt a hand on her head. She blinked twice and looked up to him as he added that she had to get her feet wet, which was just an expression in her mind. It seemed for now her sour mood was brightened up and she gave him a smile but it faltered when he then removed his hand and took out his book. She held back a sarcastic comment and dug a kunai out of her pouch and then a wire and tied it around the hook. She kept the wire's end in her hand and gripped the kunai's handle with the other so she could reel the fish in when she caught one. But before she could begin, Kakashi commented and she looked back to where he had moved. He brought up the idea of using a ninjutsu which was appealing to her but then he forewarned her of the consequences and she frowned, not really happy with the options she had. 'I'm not sure how long it'll take to catch four fish the "hard" way.' She thought to herself. "Got it." Was all Sakura said to the grinning gray haired man.

He moved off to rest under a tree and she looked back down at the river's contents. A few fish were swimming around, unaware of the girl peering down at them with a hunger in her green eyes. With a soft inhale, she aimed her kunai and threw it down at a fish. It almost got its tail but it bolted quickly before she could hit it. She yanked the string back and readied her grip for another try. She threw again, a small contained splash resulted but she had nothing to show for it. She gritted her teeth, beginning to get annoyed. 'Calm down, it's only been two tries, it'll take time but you'll get there and prove that you're willing to take the time to do something than to use any dumb...handy...useful shortcut.' She told herself. Sakura gripped her weapon and waited a bit longer to strike, standing still as the river flowed under her weightlessness. Her eyes kept tracking the motions of a large fish with blue scales. After about two minutes of inactivity. she threw her kunai and landed a hit. "Yes." She cheered softly to herself. Pulling the kunai out along with her first catch, her eyes held a glint of accomplishment. She took the kunia out of the fish's body and looked it over, for a moment her medic mind scrambled to try and heal it. She had worked on birds and fish and other animals before moving onto humans during her training. But sadly the fish's life wouldn't be revived, instead it would go to fuel their own bodies. After silently thanking the fish, she threw it over to the grass by their campsite and went back to looking for her next target.

After her third attempt and first success, Sakura had the drive to continue. On her fifth attempt, she had her second success. On her sixth attempt, she had her third success and on her ninth attempt, she had her fourth success. She looked back over to the pile of four dead fish and then back to where Kakashi was reading. Deciding to continue making the meal she started, she walked back to the dry land. In the process, she did get somewhat wet due to the splashes but her concentration and chakra control had been perfect so she didn't manage to sink into the water or fall with poor footing. She picked out some sticks and put them through the fish once she cleaned them up. She stuck them in front of the fire and sat down by it and looked over at Kakashi. She wondered what she could do while the fish cooked. Curiosity got the better of so she got up and made her way over to where Kakashi was. She leaned over him and took a seat beside him. Having already traveled with Jiraiya and Naruto, she had a feeling his novel's were explicit adult stuff but she was still curious. "Why do you read that stuff?" She asked out of the blue. She wondered if it was because he didn't have a wife or anything, that he just spent his time reading about weird adventures or whatever the pages that Icha Icha held inside of them. She didn't expect a real answer from her teacher and just slipped her knees up to her chest, her hands rested on top of her knees. "Well I finished fishing and dinner's cooking." Sakura hummed. "I can't wait to see what new jutsu I'll be learning." She grinned and looked back to Kakashi. She was clearly pleased with herself, as she should be. Naruto would have likely given up unless he was in a competition with Sasuke. As for Sasuke, he probably would have prefer a jutsu to wasting energy with a rustic technique like she had used.

Part of her wondered if someday, she would be skilled enough to train people while reading some book. If she did teach, she'd probably choose to give her students her undivided attention. The sun was now gone, the red sky having faded into a deep dark blue. "I guess we'll reach the village tomorrow, I'm kind of nervous." She admitted, not sure what she should expect. 'I know they're our allies now but the last thing I remember wasn't very positive.'

She looked over and smelled their fish. "I think it's about time to eat." She just said and headed over, not wanting to get into the topic of Suna over dinner.