Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 38

It was warm, but not in an uncomfortable way as Mai's eyes slowly drifted open to stare at a pale chest. They were pressed right up against each other leaving next to no space between them. Slowly, carefully she pulled away just enough to lie on the pillow and stare at his face. He looked so... peaceful, if she had to describe a word for it. The older teen never thought she would witness such a sight. Not with all they had been through. Her fingers lightly traced his features before touching the hair that had grown out a bit since their last meeting. It didn't look bad on him.

Calloused fingers began dragging up from the tailbone to the center of the back before pausing between her shoulder blades. Mai watched as his eyes blearily opened before staring down at her.

"You're up early," he muttered lowly.

"I always am," she answered. "I'm usually training by now."

His brow cocked. "And why is today any different?"

She gave him a pointed look, which in turn made him smirk. "You know very well why..."

"How do you feel?"

She'd never admit it openly, even if he could see right through her, that she felt sore. Instead the Phantom Ninja settled for, "Fine."

He examined her features up close, other hand coming up and brushing against a cheek. "But really, how are you?" The older teen blinked at him. "Your mind." A single finger tapped gently at her forehead in an affectionate manner. "Your mentality. I know it's not something you wish to discuss, but you need to. No one knows much about the work you do because your organization is so secretive. I understand what it means to be out there on your own or with a team of people with secrets and hidden motives of their own. Being forced to endure the worst out there beyond the walls without the liberty to explain to others the extent of your mission. To get it all out, your anger, frustration, and suffering whether it be from injuries or the aftermath when against enemies out there that try to toy with you in multiple ways. Trying to break you. Which is why I ask, if you are all right?"

They stared at each other in the eyes. She could say anything, even if Sasuke didn't exactly believe the Be Fong, he wouldn't ask again because both of them knew not to push the other over the edge to get answers. It was their decision to say something or not to the other. If they ever were ready to say anything about what they had witnessed while apart. It was in neither of their nature to admit things, all they had in this world was each other and that trust had been hanging on the edge of a knife for too many years threatening to sever the string that held them together. Now that it was all over... maybe it was time to start again and try to reestablish what was once there. Though it would never exactly be the same. They were no longer children. But he was right, she couldn't keep it all to herself no matter how strong the ninja tried to be.

The Phantom member told him everything about what had happened with the possessed weapon that had fallen into her grasp down to the last detail. The words the demonic entity spoke, the memories that had resurfaced, the images it projected in her mind, the interactions she had been subject to around the others and had forgotten, and realizing that some of the looks she would receive... no one would really understand why she chose this line of work. Why she acted the way she did. Why she felt it was necessary. Why she was struggling to remain grounded to the present and reality instead of getting lost in the act of killing as a ninja to ignore the pain of everything around them. He wasn't someone who would repeat this to others, or tell her to go see a doctor to get her head checked out. Because ninja who experienced half the things Mai did never left the psych ward.

There were other missions she talked about as well. Sasuke listened to every one becoming aware of how absent he had been. What if he had not listened to Obito and continued his quest to start a war with the Shinobi World? What if he had never listened to Orochimaru? Could he have stood beside her the entire time and ascended the ranks to become a member of Phantom as well? Then she would not have had to face any of this alone. Together the Uchiha and Be Fong could have eliminated so many threats, but Mai managed to stand alone the entire time and it left a bad taste in his mouth. He knew the Hokage valued her skill... just not this much.

"Why?" he finally asked when all was silent. The question made the older teen look at him questioningly. "Why us? Why have we always been forced to struggle to survive? Feel the need to claw our way to rise above the rest without taking into account how much it takes from us in the process?"

The question deeply troubled him as Mai sat up, using the elbows to prop up the upper half of her body and catching his eye in the process.

"We were meant to suffer," Mai answered softly, "people like us. It's in our nature. What we've been through, what has happened, and though people say in time it'll get better and that things can change in the future, how you can carve out your own path in life it's easier for them to say that to feel better about themselves. But in reality, it's harder than it looks. It's what makes us stronger... yet prone to breaking in the end."

His hand raised, trying to smooth down the out of place hair that had been tangled during their activities. The look made Mai all that more attractive to him.

"So how do we cope with it?" Sasuke asked.

Mai took a moment to answer, a finger tapping against his chest.

"I guess... you just find comfort and solace with those that have experienced something similar in the past. Then you know you're not alone. Then you can see a future that looks brighter."

"Do you feel that way with me?"

"I'm beginning to, again." His thumb ran along her lower lip lightly. "Please don't leave me again, Sasuke."

Not in the manner of not physically present. She understood in a way his desire to grow stronger and needing to do so outside of Konoha. However, the Phantom Ninja never wished to see him follow the dark path he nearly fell down with Orochimaru and Akatsuki again. Because she might just break all over. To a point she'd never be able to pull herself back together as they shared a heated kiss that spoke volumes to his silent answer. That is wasn't his intention to leave in that manner ever.

Pulling themselves from the bed Mai cleaned up their discarded clothing. She offered him a spare set of black baggy pants and long sleeve shirt. He cocked an eyebrow at it.

"What?"

He continued to look at her.

"Naruto comes around to meditate sometimes, even after missions and he doesn't have enough energy to make it back home. It's a spare he left behind one day. I cleaned it, don't worry."

Shaking his head, the ex-rogue shrugged it on. It was then they got a good look at the home and how much of a mess they made, catching each other's eye while standing side by side.

"We should probably clean this up," Sasuke smirked.

"You know, ANBU was here for months and managed to keep it all in one piece. You're here for a matter of hours and destroyed part of it."

After a moment of silence the two actually began laughing at one another. It felt foreign for a few seconds before fully giving into the feeling to a point they were nearly crying. It was moments like this the Be Fong cherished.

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Naruto was rather surprised when walking around Konoha with Sakura and Sai to find Mai and Sasuke together. They were wandering through the crowd of the weekend market glancing at what vendors had to offer before they met in the middle, pausing all conversation. The knucklehead looked between the two in a curious manner, while the pink-haired shinobi didn't dare to speak and Sai only stared.

"So, you didn't kill each other..." the blonde stated. "Guess that's a good sign. I was worried for a moment there."

The two of them shared a look.

"I'm still angry with him," Mai muttered, pinning a glare on the ex-rogue before looking back at Naruto. "But I'll tolerate him I guess..."

It caused him to smirk, Sasuke rolling his eyes. Sakura seemed to almost sigh in relief that the tense atmosphere had been handled... somewhat.

"Fine then, I'm hungry. Come on guys!" Naruto called. "Let's go!"

The rest of Team 7 swiftly followed after the knucklehead, the Uchiha and Be Fong hanging in the back. They followed at their own pace as their fingers discreetly intertwined for no one to see.