Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟏𝟎𝟎| "Home is where the heart is"

CHAPTER 100 — HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
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THREE YEARS AGO

The night was filled with all kinds of sounds.

It was difficult to find a place undisturbed by the sounds of nature, but such peace was impossible. A world truly silent was a world not worth listening to, for there would be nothing left to relish but isolation. The dark sky was a canvas filled with twinkling, heavenly bodies and Dawn was determined to admire it in its prime as she climbed to the highest branch she could find to get a clear view of a sky undisclosed by the canopy of leaves above.

She hugged her knees to her chest, her gaze refusing to leave the sight before her. Dawn feared the moment she snapped out of her daze, reality would settle in again and the skies would lose its meaning. Sound was apparent, the crickets, the subtle rustling of the leaves and bushes, the wind's unrest, the dwindling campfire below, yet that all somehow added to this feeling of peace. Peace meant that the world would continue to rotate so long there was nothing preventing it from doing so. Such moments were truly rare and a part of her wondered how long it would take until this facade she was living in would finally crumble and the world would stop short and take a look at the chaos that unravelled.

Would the stars still shine bright then? Would the sky still be as clear as it is now?

Dawn felt his presence closing in, but paid no heed to it. In fact, it contributed to the ease, made her muscles relax a little and her jaw no longer tense knowing that she was protected. She knew that soon enough, the tables would drastically turn and it would be her that others needed protection from. But with him? The wildness, the uncertainty, it was tamed and withdrew into its shell.

"What you doing up here?" Sasuke asked, making space for himself on the branch.

She couldn't help but admire the way the moon shedded its light onto his face and refined his features, amplifying the way his eyes glistened whenever they looked at her or the gentle curve of his lips as alleviation swept his mind. Dawn eagerly grasped his wrist and tugged him closer, their shoulders bunched together.

"The stars look brighter up here." Dawn replied with a warm smile playing on her lips as his skin touched hers, her fingers trailed down his wrist and locked firmly with his own hand. Moments like these she cherished. "It isn't usually like this, but I guess tonight is different."

Sasuke looked up, his nose touching the sky as he nodded in agreement, his thumb brushing circles around her knuckles. "You're right, it does look brighter up here."

She didn't respond, both deciding to enjoy the silence and the rare sight before them. Tsunade had sent them on a week long mission to the Land of Waves and it'd been days since they last set foot in the Village, but Dawn didn't seem to mind. In fact, she felt like it was easier to breathe as if there was something in the air beforehand that made her feel suffocated and trapped within the confinement of her responsibilities.

The Leaf made her acknowledge that she was forever bound by a fate that wanted nothing but to separate the two from each other. And as days passed the change became too apparent to ignore and soon enough, it arose questions. Questions she knew she couldn't answer knowing that the consequences would be severe.

It was, to clarify, a selfish part of her that sought happiness from dwindling time. At times she found herself deliberately choosing longer missions and stalling the journey back. Dawn didn't dislike the Konohans, but rather the place in itself filled with parasites crawling all over every indenture.