Ray of Light, a sasuhina fanfic: CH.3
SUMMARY: Bound by duty and expectations, Hinata and Sasuke form an unlikely bond, one born of quiet strength and shared solitude. In each other, they find the comfort they've always been denied. But Sasuke’s path of revenge drives a wedge between them, forcing the two childhood friends to part ways until the reunite. Shame, regret, and unanswered feelings now sit between them. Sasuke will understand what his brother meant on that snowy day.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As students said their goodbyes to their parents, they trickled into the classroom. Some eagerly sit next to friends and others choose quiet corners to avoid being called on by the teacher. There were students excited to be with familiar faces, and others who were clearly nervous about meeting someone new.
He wasn’t interested in making friends or getting to know anyone. He only had one goal: becoming as great as Itachi so their father would finally acknowledge him. If he wanted that to happen, he couldn’t waste time, everything had to go toward sharpening his skills.
When he stepped into the noisy classroom, the buzz of conversation quickly died down. All eyes turned to him. After all, everyone in Konoha knew the Uchiha name. His father wasn’t just the head of the Uchiha clan, he was also the Captain of the Konoha Police Force.
Sasuke could feel the weight of their stares but didn’t react. He wasn’t surprised. As the son of the Uchiha head, he knew he had to carry himself a certain way: calm, focused, without causing trouble or bringing shame to his family.
His eyes scanned the room, looking for a seat far enough away from anyone who might get in the way of his concentration.
He looked towards a group of girls who looked at him with starstruck eyes. One with distinct aqua eyes and blonde hair, telltale of a Yamanaka. A girl with bright pink hair sat next to her. He’d never seen that color before. She was staring right at him, eyes wide with interest. Sasuke’s stomach sank. He could already imagine the nightmare of girls crowding around him, whispering and giggling during class. Nope. Definitely not sitting there.
He glanced to the top right corner of the room. One kid was already digging into a bag of chips for breakfast, crumbs falling onto his desk. Another, with spiky hair, was snoring softly with his face buried in his arms.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Between the crunching and the snoring, he’d lose his mind trying to concentrate. They were out too.
He kept scanning the room, quietly crossing off options in his head. Then, something caught his eyes, a familiar face.
Hyuga Hinata.
She was quiet and came from a well-known clan, just like him. Proper, reserved—she probably wouldn’t cause any trouble. That was good enough for him. Their eyes briefly met as he walked over, and he took the seat beside her without a word. Hinata offered a small, polite smile.
Sasuke gave a short grunt in response, resting his chin in his hand and looking away. Finally, peace at last - or so he thought.
It only took a few seconds before the chair legs screeched and footsteps scrambled toward him.
“Hey! You’re Sasuke Uchiha, right?”
“Do you really have Sharingan?”
“What kind of girls do you like?”
“What’s your favorite food?”
Sasuke blinked, caught in a whirlwind of voices. He stared at the cluster of girls surrounding his desk, each one asking something different. At just six years old, he was already overwhelmed. He only managed to catch one of the questions clearly through the noise. Figuring one answer might get them to go away, he muttered a reply that was quiet, sharp, and to the point. He hoped that it would be enough.
All of the girls blushed, clearly amused by his cool demeanor and voice.
Behind him, he heard a group of boys scoff, jealous that Sasuke was receiving attention for doing so little. Sasuke didn’t look back.
One of the girls in the group noticed Hinata and whispered loudly to the blonde-haired girl. “Who’s that Ino-chan?”
The girl, Ino, gestured to the girls around her to come closer so she could speak in a hushed tone.
“That’s Hyuuga Hinata. She’s the heiress of the Hyuuga clan. My dad says they’re one of the strongest clans in the village. If you mess with her, her family might come after you.”
The other girls glanced uneasily at Hinata, who kept her eyes forward, pretending she hadn’t heard. But she had. It showed in the small downturn of her lips and the way her shoulders sank ever so slightly. Sasuke noticed. Before he could think more on it, the classroom door slid open and the teacher stepped inside, calling for everyone’s attention as the first lesson of the day began.
“And that's why we don’t leave our socks in the desks. Alright, any questions?”
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom, his gaze sweeping across the thirty-one students seated before him. It was his first official year as a teacher, and so far, things had gone smoothly. He was genuinely excited about guiding the next generation of shinobi. And yet… a quiet unease tugged at him.
Of course, it had to be his class that received the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki.
When he'd first heard the news in the teacher’s lounge, he couldn’t stop his hand from curling into a fist. Logically, he knew the boy hadn’t personally done anything to him. But that thing sealed inside him, the beast that destroyed the village and took his parents, was harder to separate from the child himself.
He tried to shake the feeling.
The morning had been routine enough: Iruka had gone over the class rules, what the students could expect from their time at the Academy, and now everyone had just finished working on name tags to help learn each other’s names. To lighten the mood, he’d ended introductions with a story from his time as a teaching assistant.
With no raised hands and no lingering questions, Iruka took a breath and moved on to the last topic before lunch.
“Alright, so let’s move onto your very first assignment.”
Iruka picked up a piece of white chalk from the podium and began writing across the chalkboard in clear, bold strokes.
A few students leaned forward to read it aloud under their breath.
“That’s right,” Iruka said, turning to face the class. He rested his hands on the podium, his voice steady but warm.
“For your first assignment, I want each of you to prepare a short presentation.”
He gestured toward the list of bullet points beneath the title.
“You can talk about where you come from: your clan, your family, your guardians, even the village you grew up in. Then I want you to tell us why that’s important to you, and what kind of ninja you hope to become.”
A loud scoff echoed through the room, cutting through the stillness.
It was the Nine-tailed Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.
“I don’t need anyone! I’m going to be an amazing ninja because I’ll be Hokage one day!”
All of the students look at the boy in disbelief.
Iruka looked at him wide-eyed. A Nine-tailed Jinchuuriki as Hokage was a bit laughable to think about for Iruka, especially based on its history with Konoha. However, Iruka couldn’t help but peak interest with the blonde-haired boy.
“Alright, why don’t you tell your classmates more about it, Naruto? Let’s get into groups of three with the people around you and brainstorm.” He gave a smile.
The students discussed amongst themselves about their family and clan. Iruka walked around, listening to the student’s engaging conversations. However, there was a group of students that were awfully quiet while one rambled on.
It was Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto in a group with each other.
Two children from the most prominent clans of the village and the outcast. An interesting trio of sorts. Sasuke gave an annoyed look at Naruto as Hinata listened attentively. Iruka walked over to hear what he was saying.
“So like I said earlier, I’m Uzumaki Naruto, and I’m going to be Hokage dattebayo! I’ll make sure everyone will know what an amazing ninja I am.”
Sasuke looked at him, his ears ringing from Naruto’s loud voice.
“The teacher said to talk about where we come from, not to talk about things that will never happen.” Sasuke said. Naruto shot him an annoyed glare.
“And who are you?” he said.
Sasuke leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed.
“I’m Sasuke Uchiha, my dad is the head of the Uchiha clan.”
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
Sasuke shot him an annoyed glare.
“What’s so good about your clan anyway?” Naruto asked.
“The Konoha Police are led by the Uchiha,” Sasuke said, his tone sharp.
“My dad’s the chief of police. If you want to be Hokage someday, you should at least know the basics about living in this village.”
Naruto slightly recoiled back in his seat.
“I-I knew that already, I was just testing you!” he blurted out, flustered.
Sasuke smirked. “Well, for my presentation, I’m going to talk about my clan. Some people need to be reminded why we’re the strongest clan in Konoha.”
Naruto pressed his lips together in frustration. Iruka stepped in before things could escalate further.
“Alright, that’s enough for now.” Iruka put his hands on his hips.
“I think that’s great you want to talk about your clan Sasuke. There’s many different clans in Konoha so it’ll be great for everyone to talk about what makes their clan special.”
Iruka glanced at Hinata, who had been quietly watching the whole time.
“And what about you, Hinata?”
Hinata blinked, a little surprised by being suddenly put on the spot.
“I’m Hinata Hyuga. And… I want to talk about my mother.” she said in a soft voice.
“That’s wonderful, Hinata. Why did you choose her?”
Hinata nervously fiddled with her fingers, feeling shy under the spotlight.
“My mother always says that even if I’m a Hyuga, that doesn't mean I’m better than anyone. We’re all part of the village. And a village means we’re all family. So I want to be strong and kind like her to protect my family like she did…”
All three of them looked at her. Iruka was impressed with her well-thought answer for a six year old child. It seems like he caught himself a smart batch of students.
Sasuke stared at her. Being strong he can agree with…but kind? Sasuke recalled stories of his father catching perps and others using the jutsus in their criminal acts. If his father was kind to all criminals there would be no way the village would be safe. Sasuke didn’t say anything but silently judged her answer.
On the other hand, Naruto had the opposite reaction. With a wide grin he looked at Hinata and said, “Wow! Hinata you’re so cool!”
Hinata was taken aback by his sudden compliment and sunk into herself a little more as a tinge of red began to cover her cheeks. She gave a small nod and quietly thanked him.
Sasuke watched the exchange in silence. This girl was… weird. Quiet, awkward, and jumpy. But somehow, Naruto’s words made her light up in a way Sasuke didn’t quite understand.
Sasuke frowned. Did he really have to be friends with this girl?
His mother had already told him more than once that he should be nice to her, that she was “a good girl,” and that it wouldn’t hurt to look out for her now and then.
Sure, he understood Hinata mattered to his mother. But did that really mean he had to be friends with her too?
He turned his eyes back toward her. She was still flustered from Naruto’s compliment, fiddling with the ends of her sleeves.
Sasuke let out a small sigh. This was going to be annoying.
“And what about you Uzumaki-kun? How about your family?” Hinata asked.
Naruto’s eyes dipped, and for a brief second, the smile slipped from his face, just long enough to show it wasn’t as solid as it seemed.
Then, almost like flipping a switch, it went away.
“Eheh, just call me Naruto!” he said with a wide grin, puffing out his chest. “I don’t need anybody - I’ll become a super awesome ninja all on my own!”
Hinata’s eyes sparkled with admiration, quietly impressed by his confidence.
The boy looked nothing like the creature sealed inside him. But the moment Iruka saw that too-bright smile and heard those words, something uneasy twisted in his chest.
Alone. Of course he’s alone.
His student file was thin: no known parents. No consistent guardians. Just a trail of temporary caretakers and short-term housing arrangements. He wasn’t sure what he expected from the jinchūriki. But somehow, this wasn’t it.
He exhaled quietly through his nose, straightening his posture.
Then, clapping his hands together with a forced energy, he addressed the class.
“Alright! Let’s get ready for lunch. After that, you’re all dismissed for the day.”
He started toward the door, but paused just before stepping out.
“Ah, one more thing,” he said, turning back to glance at the room.
"Even the best ninja had people by their side. You’re all comrades here, so try to get along and have each other’s backs. I hope you all become good friends during your time at the academy."
Some students blinked blankly, already distracted by the thought of lunch. A few exchanged confused looks, not quite grasping what Iruka meant. They were still too young to understand the weight behind his words. But others like Hinata sat a little straighter, a spark of something hopeful flickering in their eyes. Maybe they didn’t fully understand yet, but the idea of being part of something bigger, of having comrades, stirred something warm in their hearts.
After lunch, students crowded around the playground, excited to make new friends and to show off any jutsus they already knew.
Lunch time was horrible for Sasuke. As soon as he had sat down a group of girls crowded him, talking their head off to him. He decided to avoid them during recess so he could finally have a thought to himself. He managed to get away from the group of girls as he walked behind a small shed. He breathed a sigh of relief. Was this to be his life for the next years at the academy? Sasuke put his hand over his face in exhaustion.
Sasuke turned to the voice, thinking someone was calling out for him. When he looked in the direction he saw three boys surrounding Hinata. They were actually talking to her. Sasuke stayed hidden, watching to see what was going on.
“What's with your weird eyes?” A boy with a mole in his chin asked.
A tall boy with a green durag hit his friend's head.
“She’s a hyuga you idiot. She’s from one of the strongest clans. Never seen a hyuga before?”
His friend rubbed his head. “My first time meeting one.”
A short boy with a unibrow leaned into Hinata's face, his nose almost touching hers.
“Hey that means you have byakugan! Show me!”
Hinata pulled back, feeling uncomfortable.
“I…uh…” she tried to pull words together but her mind was racing at the situation she was in.
Sasuke frowned, irritated by her silence. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Why wasn’t she telling them off? In his mind, she had no spine. Whatever - he decided it wasn’t his problem and turned to leave.
But just as he stepped away, he heard one of the boys speak up again, their voices still sharp behind him.
The one in the durag grabbed Hinata’s arm roughly.
“If you’re really from some powerful clan, why do you look so weak?” he sneered.
“Go on, show us your Byakugan if you’re so tough.”
“Hehe. That’s right! Boys are stronger than girls too, no matter what your clan is! There’s no way a girl like you is strong.” the boy with the mole claimed.
Hinata tried to step back, but her feet felt rooted to the ground. Durag boy took a firm grip on her wrist. It hurt.
The others began to crowd around her, jeering quietly, their presence closing in like a tightening net.
“L-Let go…” she whispered, eyes wide.
The boy holding her smirked and leaned closer.
“What was that? Speak up, shortie. I can’t hear you,” he mocked, twisting her wrist.
Hinata winced, biting back a yelp.
Then, suddenly - The boy’s arm was yanked back, hard enough to break his grip.
“What the-?” he snapped, but the words caught in his throat when he saw who it was.
Sasuke stood beside Hinata, his expression sharp and cold.
“She said let go,” Sasuke said coolly, locking eyes with him.
“Are you deaf, or just stupid?”
The boy staggered a step back, momentarily stunned. The other kids backed off too, unsure now that someone was standing up to them. Durag boy scoffed, covering his embarrassment with attitude. He immediately recognized it was Uchiha Sasuke.
“Tch. Acting all tough just ’cause your daddy’s the clan head,” he snapped.
“You think that makes you better than everyone?”
Sasuke didn’t flinch. “No. But, I know I’m better than you.”
Hinata stood frozen, her wrist still faintly throbbing where the boy had grabbed her. She clutched it close to her chest, her heart pounding in her ears. Feeling challenged, durag boy took a step back and raised his fists, puffing out his chest like he was preparing to fight. His friends flanked him, matching his stance.
Sasuke didn’t hesitate, he shifted into a ready stance of his own, his dark eyes narrowed with resolve. He looked smaller than the other boys, but Hinata could sense it: he wasn’t afraid.
'Is he really going to fight them… because of me?' she thought.
Before anything could break out, a rustling noise came from the nearby bushes. Everyone turned toward it.
A boy with a spiky black ponytail emerged, scratching the back of his head and yawning.
“Hnn… I can’t even nap in peace,” he muttered, opening one lazy eye to assess the scene.
He gave the group of boys a flat look.
“If you’re seriously thinking of fighting an Uchiha, maybe don’t. Kid’s been training longer than you’ve been potty trained.”
The unibrow boy bristled. “And who even are you?”
“Just someone trying to take a break,” the ponytailed boy replied with a shrug.
He tilted his head toward Sasuke.
“I saw him practice his fire jutsu yesterday. If you like the idea of being turned into barbecue, then sure. Go ahead.”
“Shikamaru! Did you say barbecue?” a round-faced boy with crumbs on his cheek waddled over, holding a new bag of chips.
“Man, I could really go for some right now. Let’s go to my place afterschool!”
Hinata blinked, overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of these strangers. Faced with the growing crowd (and clearly losing their edge) the group of boys exchanged irritated glances.
“Tch. Whatever.” Durag boy scoffed and turned away. “Let’s go.”
With a final glare at Sasuke, the group retreated, muttering under their breath as they walked back toward the main playground. Hinata let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her hands trembled slightly at her sides.
Before she could say anything to the boy seemingly named Shikamaru and his friend, they walked away as his friend rambled on about barbecue.
“Thank you…” came a soft voice behind him.
He turned to see Hinata standing there, eyes low and voice barely above a whisper. His brow twitched. He stared at her and then frowned.
“Why’d you just stand there?” he snapped, brows furrowing. “You didn’t even try to push them or yell or anything!”
Hinata blinked up at him, startled. She looked down, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves.
Sasuke crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.
“If you don’t fight back, people are just gonna keep picking on you! You gotta say something at least!”
Hinata’s shoulders wilted further. She nodded slowly, eyes shining with a mix of shame and confusion. “…I’m sorry.”
Sasuke stared at her. Her face looked all sad and droopy now, like she was about to cry. He scowled and turned away.
“Ugh… this is why I don’t like girls,” he muttered.
Sasuke sat down beside her without a word. Hinata glanced at him, curious, but he didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he simply gave a subtle gesture with his hand, signaling for her to sit. She blinked in surprise at the silent invitation but did as asked. A moment later, she heard a soft rustling as Sasuke reached into his pocket.
Without saying anything, he pulled something out.
He held his hand out to her.
She took out both hands as he dropped a green candy into her hand.
“What’s this?” Hinata asked.
Sasuke felt frustrated having to explain everything to her. Why couldn’t she just figure out what he was doing?
“Some girls gave me some candy. I don’t like sweets. So you can have it.”
Hinata stared at the green candy in her hand. She opened it before putting it into her mouth.
The taste was bitter at first, causing Hinata to scrunch her nose slightly at the sudden sharpness. But she recognized the flavor immediately, matcha. As the bitterness began to mellow, a rich, earthy smoothness spread across her tongue.
It reminded her of freshly whisked matcha tea.
“It’s good.” She looked at him and smiled.
“Hn.” Sasuke stared at her, not knowing how to feel.
An awkward silence hung in the air as Hinata quietly swirled the candy in her mouth. The breeze rustled the leaves above them, casting flickers of light across Sasuke’s face.
He stared up through the branches, half-listening to the wind, half-distracted by a voice in his head.
Tch. Sasuke clenched his jaw. Why did he have to be such a responsible son?
His eyes flicked toward Hinata, who was still sitting quietly beside him.
“So…” he started, voice uncertain.
Hinata looked up, brushing strands of hair away from her face as she finished the last crunch of her candy.
“Why did you pick your mother?”
“For your project. You said you wanted to be a strong and kind ninja.” Sasuke frowned slightly.
“Being strong makes sense. But kind? Kindness and being a ninja… don’t really go together.”
Hinata’s smile faltered, her expression dimming into something more solemn. Sasuke suddenly felt a twinge of guilt twist in his stomach. Had he messed up again? He didn’t even have another candy to give her.
Sasuke had heard the stories. Grown-ups talked about how fierce his father was. How he could make even the worst criminals confess with just a look. They said he never showed mercy, never let his guard down. That’s how justice worked. If you were kind to the enemy, they’d lie… escape… and hurt people again.
That’s what Sasuke believed a real ninja had to be.
But Hinata lifted her head, her voice steady.
“…My father says the same thing,” she said quietly.
She looked down at her sandals as she slowly moved her feet together in the dirt.
“He says being kind makes you weak. That you’ll lose if you stop and care too much.”
“But… I think that’s wrong,” Hinata said softly, but her voice didn’t shake.
“If all ninjas were mean, then there’d only be scary ones left…”
She held her hands in her lap, fingers fidgeting a little.
“…But I know that’s not true. Because the ninjas in the village, they protect us. They protect their families, their friends…the people they love. People like that…they can’t be bad.”
She paused and looked up at the same branches as Sasuke,
“Mama was one of those ninjas, and I want to be like that too.”
Sasuke didn’t say anything right away.
He stared down at a little twig near his shoe, breaking it in half with the tip of his sandal.
She wasn’t wrong. There were ninja who fought to protect the village. His father was one of them. So were the uncles and aunties who worked with him. They didn’t smile much… but they weren’t bad people.
“…I can see what you mean,” he muttered, almost to himself.
Hinata tilted her head, her expression soft.
“Why did you choose your clan?” she asked.
He glanced at Hinata, his expression serious.
“The Uchiha have been part of the village forever. My dad says our clan is one of the strongest, we’ve always protected the village and villagers.”
Sasuke leaned back as a soft breeze swept through his bangs gently.
“I want to be a ninja who makes the Uchiha name even stronger,” he said.
“I want to make my father proud… and not bring shame to my clan.”
He caught a flicker of something in Hinata’s eyes - curiosity, maybe - before she leaned a little closer to him.
“You must really love your family, huh, Sasuke-kun?” she asked, smiling brightly.
Sasuke felt the tips of his ears grow warm. He quickly looked away.
“…I don’t hate them,” he muttered.
Hinata giggled at his answer.
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