Midnight

Chapter Ten

A report was sent the same night to Kakashi explaining everything that had happened with a request to spent some extra days to interview the victim's friend. His hawk came back with an answer around noun the next day. He was giving them the freedom to decide how to proceed and report back to him what they had discovered. It took them three days to pass the outskirts of the land of Rain to reach their destination in Earth Country. She had proposed to hide their tracks and change their identity in case they were followed. He argued that there was no meaning since he was strong enough to deal with every thread and that would probably be better if someone shows. In that case they will interrogated him to find out their motives.
"But you won't be able to learn the story of the man we are about to meet."
His sword was hidden by his black cape as his feet touched the first rocks of the Earth Country. They were able to sneak in without anyone notice. It was due part to her ability to see and avoid people and traps. The other reason was that the borders were not as highly guarded as before. There was a mutual respect and trust between the villages. In the past they would probably killed on sight if they were caught, a danger that was now out of the question.
The terrain here was naturally hostile. The huge rocks that seemed to cover the entire place were murderous enough to kill any foreigners. This wasn't a place meant to welcome outsiders. He thought of how different it was from Konoha. With the big green trees and the wind blowing between the leaves making calming sounds. Or was it him who was seeing it that way. Maybe someone who was unfamiliar with the land would be scared of the endless labyrinth of big trucks covering his way. Maybe the sound he found calming, gave a sense of panic to the untrained ear. Like thousands whispers were heard around with no way to point the location. It might be the case here too. What he was seeing as hostile, the natives might see as magnificent.
It took them a long day to finally reach a smoother ground. They search for a lake or a river so they could wash themselves in order to be presentable. With no luck at first they wondered around for a few hours, when he heard the small sound the water makes when it moves. It was a small, shallow river that came down from a mountain. Their destination wasn't far by this spot so they decided it was the best to stay here for the night. The rocks had formed a natural cave that offered the needed cover.
She stubbornly prompted him to bath and change first. His wounds should be cleaned immediately so they wouldn't infect.
When he came back he wore only his clean trousers, leaving his upper body exposed. Little drops of water were making their way from his hair. It was a sight many girls would blush upon seeing. She just took her stance to start the usual routine. Only when she finished she took a look at his chest. It surpised him at first. This wasn't the image he had for her.
"You have a lot of scars. Some seem lethal."
"Oh, that's what you're staring." He smirked.
She didn't catch the meaning of his comment.
"You didn't treat them right. Some of them would have been healed completely. Like this one."
She touched a mark to point.
"I didn't have time to heal properly Hyuga." He grabbed her palm to remove her hand.
"This one happened three days before I met my brother."
He moved her hand to another spot.
"And this one a week before. This at the beginning of my training."
He holded her hand in one spot.
"This is from the day I finally reached my goal." His voice lacked emotion but he kept pressing the same spot.
"When I killed my brother."
He looked back at her eyes. The blue he was seeing didn't match her. He let go of her hand and moved his gaze a moment later.
"Go bathe. We need to rest."
She walked away and disappeared, completely silent.

At her returning she was wearing a fishnet top and shorts, her previous clothes wet from the river. She carefully placed them on a rock to dry. She had a nice figure that she covered under the baggy jacket she was always wearing. If she wanted she could have a lot of men dreaming about her. But he knew by now that what the people saw was the image she had created for them to see. Hyuga was a master of disguise. She was hiding a lot more than her figure.
She sat on the shallow cave ready to do as she was told, rest. He felt an uneasyness coming from her. Maybe the more reviling clothes she had on her was the reason for that. He laid down not caring enough to ask. He couldn't see her anymore but he heard the sound her body was making when she rest it on the ground. The moon covered by a passing cloud growing the darkness of the night. Sasuke knew he wouldn't sleep. The pitch black would make the shadows come to life, speaking of things he didn't want to hear. He stared the ceiling of the cave trying to focus on finding the pattern as his eyes adjust to the dark.
"I'm sorry." She said unexpectedly.
"For what?"
He waited for an answer long enough to assume it won't come.
"For what happened to you."
"Nothing happened to me Hyuga."
"I mean.."
"I know what you mean." He answered roughly. "Happen is a nice word, isn't it? It almost take the blame and place it to the unknown. But that's not the truth. Nothing happened." He stopped to emphasize his next words. "I did something. And the world seem to care more about everything else but that."
He said more than he intended. He still didn't trust her. He hadn't figure her out. What motives did she had, who she truly was? Her actions never made any sense. He preferred people who were simple to understand. Yet he spoke of a truth that burned him. When he went to trial for his crimes to decide whether he should be forgiven, the most hideous act he had committed wasn't there. He looked at the list many times over to be sure. Itachi's death wasn't consider a crime, even when by then it was revealed the role he had on everything. Even when he saved them again in the war. The world had forgiven him for something he could never forgive himself.
He rolled to the other side afraid he might take a glimpse of her.
"Do you hate yourself Uchiha-san?" Her tone colder than before. "Someone has to, I guess. Because if you don't their deaths would be meaningless. Forgotten."
He didn't turn when he spoke. He had a feeling he would see something horrible.
"You never answered my question. Who leaves these scars in your body?"
"Guilt."
He thought he heard something metal touching the ground.