Parallel Lines | Naruto

𝟐| Darker than black

FLASHBACK

Tonight, was one of the many rare nights, where the sky was a blank canvas of darkness with not a star in sight and the visceral, brightness of the moon was obscured by the array of clouds.

His mother used to warn him about dark nights where neither the stars or the moon bestowed the world with its guidance, instead, it chose to hide and watch as the creatures of the night have full jurisdiction of the darkness. She never specified what lurked in the dark, only that it was a darkness that could never be kept at bay without a source of light to guide lost souls down the right path. It was a belief she commonly held that once a soul touched darkness, even the light would yield to its command.

Perhaps, that was why he felt like pieces of his present were slowly chipping away to his past, and the memories he once had of the people he'd known remained merely a picture confined within a frame on his wall.

News had been circulating through the streets of Konoha, another worry to add to the mass hysteria already stagnating development. It was something he had always known and something he was neither surprised or shocked about— that Dawn would leave yet again and like each and every time, Sasuke would never know if she planned on returning, or, if she saw anything worth returning to. It had been deduced that Dawn- or, Sora's escape from the hospital was a planned agenda, that she would kill the nurses and Anbu on duty and- with help of her accomplices- she'd escape.

It was different this time. Dawn had made it known that her loyalties dwelled elsewhere and that the Leaf were only an obstruction in her plans. Leaving, meant that she would no longer be welcomed back, yet, without her, Sasuke saw no worth in staying. However, there was a feeling in his chest, a guttural heaviness that told him he couldn't leave yet and that if he did, he'd regret it.

That was why he found himself lurking in the darkness of the streets, ignoring the warnings of his mother. Sasuke didn't have any idea on what he was doing, only that he needed to be somewhere and judging from the familiarity of his surroundings— he had an inkling on where his destination may be.

The heaviness in his chest only worsened as he stared at the closed shop. The Fugishima bakery, like many other shops along the market, had been shut down due to the recent activity that loitered the grounds. It wasn't safe to even roam around without being swept in the mob of people who desired a greater change than what they were given. But this bakery, it wasn't just a bakery and it took him a while to realise that. It was a home, their home, where memories didn't hang in picture frames but in the smell of cake batter that permeated in the air, in the tables that had been swept clean and the dough that had been kneaded.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Hitomi, but a part of him knew that she wasn't the type of person to just disappear- she was always there if you needed her to be and this was also something he took time to realise. She wasn't just his friend, despite their arguments, she was someone who genuinely cared about him.

"The night seems peaceful today, doesn't it?"

He wasn't startled by her presence, Hitomi had the habit of appearing without making her presence known, but when he looked at her he felt himself pause. She always took pride in her appearance, harbouring an assortment of woven and beaded jewellery and her clothes always consisted of bright, vibrant colours.

But now, it was as if that colour had been overridden by the very darkness that tainted this night. Hitomi appeared beyond tired, as if a lifetime of sleep wouldn't be enough to revitalise her spirit. Her skin was pale and bleak, dark circles beneath her eyes, hands that trembled as if she was scared and yet— she still greeted him with a smile. Sasuke instantly felt sick, the very people he loved were hurting in ways he couldn't imagine and he could do nothing about it.