"But you tell me this... how did Sakura come into the middle of a talk about me and my younger self?" Sasuke asked, his confusion slowly turning into something colder.
Hinata looked down at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. She clasped her hands together, her voice barely a whisper. "I mean... she truly loves you, and you should not ignore her... Also..."
Sasuke cut her off. He stood up from the rock, his face now completely blank. "What in the world are you talking about?" he said, his voice flat and hard.
"I came over here to talk about my younger self and you...and you over here are talking about Sakura and her feelings for me? This has nothing to do with any of that."
Hinata clenched her fists tightly. She finally looked up, her eyes watery with fresh tears. "I just... I don't want people to misunderstand us, Sasuke-kun. I don't want to get so close to you that people start hating me and stoptalking to me...!"
A dark, humorless laugh escaped Sasuke's lips. "Heh! Girls like you..." He took a step closer, his eyes boring into hers. "You know, in my whole life, I have never met a girl who does not talk about these useless topics. Always about feelings, and love, and what other people think. It's pathetic."
Hinata looked down at the ground again, her body shaking. "Then feel free to think of me like whoever you want..." she whispered. She took a deep breath, trying to find some strength. "But I am doing this for the best of not only me, but for you also."
This was the final straw. Sasuke's patience snapped. He moved forward, grabbing Hinata's shoulders with both hands. His grip was tight, his face inches from hers. Hinata was shocked and scared, her eyes wide with fear.
"Just who in the world told you that you can lecture me about this sick topic, huh?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Will teach me who i should spend more time with and with whom not." he shouted at her.
"Who told you to do 'good' for me? I never asked you! Then why are you doing this? Why are you always trying to be good?!"
The words "trying to be good" hit Hinata like a physical blow. The dam broke, and she began to cry, the tears finally flowing freely down her cheeks. "Why is everyone telling me that I am trying to be good?" she sobbed. "That's not it! I just want what's good for everyone!"
Sasuke's face showed no sign of sympathy. He released one of her shoulders, but instead of letting go, he pushed her hard to the side. Hinata, caught off-guard, fell to the ground with a small cry.
Sasuke walked away, his back to her, and stopped at the edge of the pond. He glanced over his shoulder at her, a cold look in his eye.
"NO THANKS,"
He said, his voice a flat, final word.
With that, he jumped, a blur of motion in the dark. He flew into the trees and was gone. Hinata was left on the ground, stunned and heartbroken.
She couldn't understand. The man who had just shared his feelings with her... had just pushed her to the ground and left.
Lee was shocked. His foot, which was still in the air, froze. He couldn't move.
'Wait... if I go towards Hinata-san right now, she will understand that I was watching the whole thing. She would be even sadder,' he thought, his mind racing. He took a deep breath.
'But I can't just stand here either, not after seeing what Sasuke-kun did to Hinata-san. I'll just pretend that I was passing by and didn't know any of it. Yes, that's the best plan!'
While Lee was busy thinking up this plan, Hinata had already gotten up and started walking away. When Lee finally opened his eyes, he couldn't see her anywhere.
'Where did she go?' he wondered, his heart sinking.
Just then, he heard the soft sound of footsteps behind him. He quickly turned around and saw Hinata walking back toward the main sleeping area.
'Wait... when did she...' Lee's thoughts were cut short.
Hinata stopped walking. Her back was to him, but she was standing still. Lee felt a wave of guilt. "Hinata-san," he said, his voice quiet. "I was just... I just came to drink some water."
Hinata's head turned slightly, her eye meeting Lee's over her shoulder. "It's okay, Lee-san," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I know the very good reason why you were here." She turned her head back and said, "You don't need to explain yourself."
Then she began to walk again, leaving Lee standing alone and speechless. Lee remained quiet for a long moment, then slowly walked over to the pond.
On a thick, high branch of the very same tree where Lee had been hiding behind, a figure sat perfectly still. It had been watching the entire time. The figure's dark eyes were a deep crimson, with two black tomoe spinning within them.
The figure whispered to himself. "So you have assigned people to keep an eye on me, huh... Hyuga Neji. Let's see how long you can do that for."
With a sudden burst of speed, the figure's body flickered and disappeared in an instant, leaving only the rustling of leaves behind.
It was none other than SASUKE.
The night finally gave way to morning, but the day was dull and gray. A thick layer of light clouds covered the sky, and no sunlight could break through.
It was a morning that should have felt full of new hope and a fresh start, but the dark, heavy air seemed to whisper that the road ahead was difficult and full of danger, a warning felt by all.
A little later, Neji and Naruto were the first ones awake. Neji went to wake up the others. He moved with a quiet grace, walking toward where Lee and Tenten were sleeping.
He gently nudged Lee's shoulder. "Lee," he said quietly. "It's morning. Time to get up. We have to leave."
Lee's eyes snapped open instantly. Then he closed his eyes for a minute then with a sudden energy he jumped to his feet, full of energy. "Yes, Neji! I am awake! A new day is a chance for new way!"
Neji then walked over to Tenten. "Tenten," he said, and she opened her eyes with a tired sigh. "Mmm... is it morning already?" she mumbled. "I'm so tired."
"We need to keep moving," Neji replied. "And where is Hinata-sama?" He looked around, his eyes searching. He saw her sleeping a little ways away, her face still red from crying. He decided to let her sleep just a little longer.
At the same time, Naruto was busy waking his own team. He shook Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-chan! Wake up! It's morning!"
Sakura groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Wait...but I just slept..."
"No way!" Naruto laughed. "We have to go! We have to find a way out of here, dattebayo!"
He then went to Ino, giving her a gentle shook on the shoulder. "Ino! Get up! We need to go!"
Ino opened her eyes and yawned. "Okay, okay, Give me a minute. Don't be so loud, Naruto."
"We have to be loud to stay awake!" Naruto said with a big grin then he said, "Also wake up Karin."
"You guys have seen Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, looking around. "He's not here or with the others."
Naruto's eyes went wide. "Oh! He must be somewhere around here. Last night he was guarding right?"
Then Ino waking up Karin said, "Yeah"
Naruto looked up and saw someone sitting on a high branch of a nearby tree. It was Sasuke, fast asleep while sitting up. Naruto smiled and began to climb the tree.
As he got closer, he reached out his hand to shake Sasuke awake. But as his hand got close, Sasuke snapped awake instantly.
His dark eyes flew open, and he grabbed Naruto's hand with a brutal grip, not even looking to see who it was.
"Sasuke! It's me!" Naruto cried out in pain. "It's Naruto!"
Sasuke's grip loosened. He looked at Naruto, then let go of his hand completely, his expression cold and empty.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, rubbing his now-red hand. "You're really jumpy! And why didn't you sleep on the ground with everyone else, dattebayo? You could have fallen!"
Sasuke just stared ahead. "Nothing," he said, his voice flat.
He got up from his sitting position and stood on the branch, his body tense. Naruto was still sitting on the branch, looking at him with a worried expression.
Without another word, Sasuke jumped down from the tree and landed softly on the ground below. Naruto stayed on the branch for a moment longer. He stood up, watching Sasuke walk away.
"I wonder what's wrong with him, dattebayo?" he murmured to himself, his happy smile gone. "He seems so far away."
Everyone had woken up and the forest was slowly coming to life. Near the vicinity, Naruto and Neji were checking the area, their eyes sharp and focused.
Sakura, Ino, and Karin were also by the pond, splashing cool water on their faces.
In the middle of the forest, where everyone had slept, Lee, Tenten, and Hinata were sitting together. They were all looking at something.
It was Sasuke. He was standing over his younger self, who was still sleeping soundly. Mini Sasuke was in a bad position, with one arm covering his eyes and his legs spread out in a funny way. Sasuke was trying to wake him up.
First, Sasuke gave Mini Sasuke's thigh a little push with his foot. "Oi," he said in a low voice.
Mini Sasuke just moved a little, getting more comfortable in his sleep. "Wait, I said!" he yelled, half-asleep.
Sasuke's face didn't change. He bent down and grabbed the front of Mini Sasuke's shirt near his shoulder. He pulled hard, forcing the younger boy to sit up quickly.
Mini Sasuke was completely confused, his eyes wide and sleepy, not understanding what had just happened.
Tenten watched this and let out a long sigh. She looked away from them, shaking her head.
Lee did the same. "I wonder what's wrong with him, straight in the morning," he said, his voice full of worry. "It's not very youthful of him."
"Yeah," Tenten agreed. "I wonder, too."
"I mean, he shouldn't be so hard on a young kid," Lee continued. "He just looks so angry. I wonder why he is in such a bad mood."
"According to me," Tenten said, leaning forward a little, "something happened to him lastnight that he is in such a foul mood."
Hinata, who was listening quietly, looked down at the ground. She knew what they were talking about. She understood her fault and feeling guilty.
"Something happened to him last night'?" Lee asked, confused. "What do you mean, Tenten?"
"I mean, I don't know what happened exactly, but..." Tenten explained, "...something did. I was woken up very late last night by the sound of fighting. I heard some yelling, and I saw that he and his younger self were arguing. I think Sasuke's younger self got a big scolding. I even saw Sasuke hit him two or three times."
Hinata's eyes widened in shock. "What!" she gasped. "Did Sasuke-kun really do that?"
Lee looked at Hinata, seeing the deep worry on her face. He understood now why she was so concerned. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata-san, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm telling the truth," Tenten said, not noticing Hinata's distress. "I wouldn't lie about something like that."
Tears began to fill Hinata's eyes. She put her hands over her mouth, her body shaking. 'It's all my fault... it's all my fault,' she thought.
She quickly got up, not wanting anyone to see her cry. "I'll just go and drink some water," she said, her voice shaky.
"Hinata?" Tenten called out after her.
Hinata didn't turn back. She just kept walking, her tears falling as she went to be alone.
Everyone had come back together and was sitting in the middle of the forest. Mini Sasuke was sleeping while sitting up, his head resting on his knees.
The girls were all there: Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Karin. The air was quiet and tense.
"Hey," Naruto said, his voice cutting through the silence. "We don't have any food left, right?"
As if on cue, Naruto's stomach gave a long, loud growl. Ino sighed. "Well..." she said. "We had some, but not anymore."
Neji's eyes snapped open, looking straight at Tenten. "What do you mean by 'notanymore'?" he demanded.
Tenten looked back at him, annoyed. "Neji, why are you looking only at me? Ino is also at fault... and Sakura is too! It's not just me!"
Neji just clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch!..." "There you go again," Ino shot back. "Didn't you learn a lesson from last time about what happens when you fight with me and Sakura?" "What?!" Tenten yelled. "Are you threatening me?"
Sasuke, who had been quiet until now, suddenly exploded. "The only thing that you useless girls can do is fight with each other!" he shouted, his voice full of cold anger. "You only had one job... to take care of the food.
That one job, you couldn't even do!"
All the girls looked at Sasuke in shock. 'Why is he speaking like that?' Ino thought, hurt by his harsh words. 'Is he in a foul mood that he is taking out all his anger on us?' Sakura wondered, her heart sinking.
Hinata, her eyes wide with sadness, thought, 'It's all my fault.' Tenten finally found her voice. "How dare you?!" she yelled, standing up. "If I say that you only had one job—to be with the whole group, not alone back then—then you weren't able to accomplish that either!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Go on, go on," he sneered. "Don't run your mouth in front of me. If I start speaking, then don't cry like a crybaby."
Naruto, seeing the fight was getting out of hand, quickly put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, a silent signal for him to calm down.
Lee jumped up, his hands raised in the air. "It is useless to fight right now!" he declared loudly. "Right now, we must think of something else to eat so we don't starve!"
Neji looked around the forest, his eyes serious. "Alright everyone, get up. We will search for some food," he said. He looked at the tall, empty trees. "We will probably find something to eat."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Yeah, like a fruit or something! Come on, let's hurry up! I'm starving to death!" he said, his stomach giving another loud growl.
Sakura looked at the thin branches above them with a doubtful face. "I doubt that there would be any fruits here. I mean, look at these thin branches."
"If no fruits, then we will hunt for animals," Karin said with a cold look in her eyes.
Mini Sasuke, who was just waking up, thought to himself, 'Hunt for animals? Gross! They're not going to feed me that!' He lifted one leg, ready to move, and looked over at Hinata, who was sitting alone.
'Nee-san hasn't talked to me since the morning. Maybe I'll approach her first,' he thought. As he started to walk toward her, a hand grabbed his arm tightly.
It was Sasuke. He was still talking to the group, his face cold and focused. "Alright then, let's hurry up without wasting any more time." Mini Sasuke's face fell, and he looked down, his plan ruined.
Neji looked at the whole group. "We will wait for five minutes. Everyone get ready until then," he said.
With Neji's words, everyone scattered. Neji and Lee went to check the area, and the girls walked towards the pond to get their last drink of water. Soon, only Mini Sasuke and Sasuke were left alone.
Mini Sasuke quickly pulled his arm free from Sasuke's grip. He rubbed his wrist, a look of frustration on his face.
Sasuke gave him a deadly stare. "If you even try to look ather, believe me, no one is worse than me... Forgetabouttalking."
Mini Sasuke, feeling a surge of courage, looked up at his older self. "You and me, we are not the same," he said, his voice shaky but firm.
"We may have the same name, but our bodies and our personalities are different. And you have no right to control me."
"I know you are my older self, and you are worried about me, but don't..."
Sasuke suddenly started laughing,"Hahaha.." A cold, empty sound that lasted for five seconds. Mini Sasuke looked at him with fear in his eyes.
"Don't make me laugh," Sasuke said, his laughter stopping abruptly. "Let me make one thing clear. The only reason I am looking after you is so that you don't get any information from the future that would spoil my past and future. Do you get that?"
Mini Sasuke's face fell and he whispered to himself. "Would I be so rude in the future?" He then turned back to Sasuke and shouted, "How did you even think that she would do such a thing?"
Sasuke moved closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Don't shout! Another word out of your mouth, Uchiha Sasuke, or else no one would be worse than me!"
Mini Sasuke, his voice full of brave defiance, tried to defend Hinata. "Don't think of her like that. You think she would reveal information of future just to spoil your ot my life....!! She is not a mean per..."
Before he could finish his sentence, there was the sound of a slap.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Author's Note: Chapter 21 - "A Morning of Misunderstood Lies" 💔🌑
Wow. Just wow. 🤯 After the quiet emotions of the night, the morning brought a new kind of darkness. This chapter was a relentless gut punch, wasn't it? 💥
The conversation between Sasuke and Hinata took a devastating turn. His cold words and that brutal moment by the pond shattered the brief connection they had, leaving Hinata completely heartbroken. 💔
But the real emotional war began with the "misunderstood lies." Tenten's wrong assumptions, fueled by Hinata's guilt, created a painful, unseen rift in the group. 😭
The tension was so thick that it exploded, leaving the whole team raw and fractured.
And that ending... The chapter's climax hits harder than any jutsu. The final, shocking moment between Sasuke and his younger self is a chilling reminder of his inner demons and the deep anger he holds. 😨
The misunderstanding has gone from emotional pain to a physical blow.
What will happen now that the team is more broken and divided than ever before? And how will they face the bitter truth of their situation in the cold light of day? 🌅
📜 TEASER FOR NEXT CHAPTER:
The cavern's exit leads to a bitter fight, ⚔️
A frantic race from shadows in the night. 🏃♂️
A distant waterfall, a whisper and a gleam, 🌊✨
A sight glimpsed first, as if in a bad dream. 🌙
But with the dawn, the colors start to show, 🌅
A place they've reached💦🌊 , but where will they go? 🗺️
TALK TO ME! 🤯
Alright, shinobi! This chapter was an emotional battlefield, wasn't it?! 💔 Just when we thought things couldn't get more tense, the morning brought a whole new level of brutal honesty. 😬
That conversation between Sasuke and Hinata took a devastating turn. What did you think of Sasuke's words and his actions? Was his anger justified, or did he go too far? 😡
And let's talk about that "misunderstood lie"! 🤫
Tenten's innocent assumption created a web of guilt and hurt that spread through the whole group. Can this team ever trust each other again after so much misunderstanding? 🤔
And that ending... 😨 After all the tension, the final moment snapped in a way none of us expected. What was your reaction to that final, shocking scene? Who do you think got slapped?
Tell me in the comments what you think the group's next move should be after everything that happened! 👇
I'm all ears for your theories! ✨
SNEEK PEEK LINES 💬
"What you really said that Ino...? Now what would Sasuke-kun think about me?"
"Everyone follow the sound of water and come back"
—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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