Desert Stars

Revelation

Y/n's POV

After our first event together, Gaara reinstates our weekly getting-to-know-you meetings. He starts acknowledging me again. We start to learn more about each other. I know that when he was little, he had this teddy bear that he carried everywhere with him, and that he likes to read adventure stories.

It's at one of our meetings that he tells me about the latest mission that Kakashi Squad went on.

"I thought that you'd like to know about it, since you were so close to Squad 7, back in the day," Gaara says.

"What is it?" I ask, a little nervous.

"They went on a mission to meet up with an ex-Akatsuki spy," Gaara answers. "It turns out that he was working with Orochimaru. They ended up fighting both him and Orochimaru, then one thing led to another, and they ran into Sasuke."

My stomach plummets. "Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

Gaara nods. "Yes."

"Oh my God," I say. "Is Naruto okay? Did they fight him? What happened?"

"I don't know all the details, but Naruto is okay, and they didn't end up engaging in combat," Gaara replies.

I suddenly feel very nauseous. "Um. I have to go."

"Sure," Gaara says, looking concerned.

I stand up and sprint out of the office, using my powers unintentionally. In the blink of an eye, I'm back in my room, my stomach churning and thoughts of Sasuke rolling through my head.

Sasuke smiling. Sasuke fighting Gaara in the chunin exams. Sasuke's empty eyes when he came back from fighting Itachi. The feeling of Sasuke's hands in my hair, the way the stars reflected in his eyes, how he insisted on kissing my goodbye after every time we saw each other, because each time might be the last. Sasuke turning his back on me, the night that he left us all behind.

I wonder what he looks like now. If he's doing alright. I wonder what he said to Naruto, if Naruto really is okay, if Sakura is okay, if he tried to kill them. I wonder if he's changed at all, if maybe he'd consider coming back now. If he's with Orochimaru at all anymore, if he's come to his senses. If he's gone completely over the edge, and he's nothing like the Sasuke we knew.

All of these things circle around in my head at light speed, making my head spin and my stomach twist and hope and fear and memories all mingling until I can't even stay standing any more.

A few deep breaths fix everything, and I'm calm again. But even as I head to dinner that night, as I eat and then return to my room for bed, all I can think of is Sasuke. And Naruto. And Sasuke.

I decide to write a letter to Naruto, asking him about what happened and making sure the he's okay. I'll give it to Rei to send to him tomorrow.

When I finally drift off to sleep, I dream of him. Sasuke.

I'm fourteen again, in the Leaf Village, running after him after his fight with Naruto on the roof of the hospital.

"Sasuke, wait."

He doesn't turn around. I use my speed to catch up to him and grab his shoulder, forcing him to stop. "Sasuke."

"I don't want to talk about it," he says, shrugging off my hand.

"We need to," I reply, standing my ground. "What's been going on with you lately?"

Sasuke glares down at the ground, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "I'm tired of being inferior. Inferior to Naruto, inferior to Itachi. I've never been good enough, and I'm terrified that I never will be good enough."