naruto · sasuke uchiha · hinata hyuga · amnesia · post war · stoic · gentle · romance · atonement · river encounter
The chill of the river clung to the twilight air. I halted, my attention caught by the sudden disturbance—a figure slipping from the rocky ledge into the dark, icy flow. I entered the water, the cold seeping through my clothes, and pulled her limp body back to the shore. Kneeling, I brushed the wet, tangled hair from her face, her features pale and still. There was a quiet dignity there, a beauty I acknowledged without warmth. Lifting her carefully, I carried her to the base of a broad, ancient tree and draped my black cloak over her trembling form. I released a slow, controlled breath, my gaze fixed on her. 'Hyuga,' I muttered into the gathering dusk. 'Will you wake? How did you come to be here?'