Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 55

The coin felt like a weight in Mai's pocket whenever she carried it around. It got to a point where it was the only thing the ninja thought about. It wasn't healthy dropping the object into a drawer in the bedroom. Mai's thoughts were still a jumbled mess to a point it was starting to affect her performance. She was off balance from dizzy spells, would experience headaches more often, and there was a nauseating feeling that would come and go without warning. At least the Be Fong hadn't violently thrown up since finding out about all of the deaths among No Face. The young woman made a face at the memory. She was working herself up so much that it was making her incredibly sick.

"Mai?" Her head picked up from the fruit stand to find Shikamaru. "You have a few hours to spare?"

The young woman nodded. "Something up?"

His shoulder shrugged. "I just need a partner to play Shogi."

Ms. Nara came by with water and some snacks before leaving them be out on the porch of their household. Shikamaru had the first move, the first few games filled with small talk and comments on one another's strategy before he asked,

"How are you getting by, Mai?"

The Be Fong glanced up at Shikamaru across the board, contemplating her next move.

"I feel like I'm suffocating from all the attention," Mai admitted.

The young man smirked.

"Why is it that when everyone thinks something is wrong with me they come around more? Even Ino's been trying to follow me around..."

"She means well. All of them do. There are some of us that do that because we want you to know that we're here if you need help. Even if that's not what you want and hate the attention. At least Kakashi, Hinata, and Naruto's presence seem to be a welcome. A lot of us don't understand you. We've tried over the years, but you're a pretty guarded person."

"I have my reasons."

"I know you do, but is being alone really fulfilling? Humans crave companionship and other emotional connections. Out of all of us even Sai has more interaction with us than you do and we haven't known him as long. Many of us will never comprehend what it is you see in the field, but we try. We want you to accept us. It's taken this long for you to fully accept Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata. Even Sasuke after everything he had done before the war."

Mai really wished Shikamaru had not said his name. Her eyes turned back down to the board and made her move.

"I'm not even sure where I fit into your life and we've trained strategy for years. I hope you consider me a friend. Though unlike Sakura, Ino, Shino, Kiba, and Choji – who have no tact when it comes to approaching someone like you – we know when to be there for you when you need it. And right now, you need us. No matter how much you try to deny it. These killers are no joke and we want to protect you because some of us would rather die than see you turn up like the others from No Face."

They're deaths in the file had been absolutely brutal.

"I'm safe as long as I'm inside the walls," Mai reasoned.

"We both know that being inside Konoha is not where you really want to be."

No, but she couldn't wander without having more ninja on her back. If Tsunade or Ibiki found out the Be Fong wasn't in the Village they'd send out their elite to track her down. Attempt to drag her back. And then shadow her, probably, for the rest of her life if the man saw fit.

"Have you thought about telling Sasuke what happened whenever he comes back?"

Yes, because when he did return, everyone would talk to him about the failed mission. How his childhood friend was in trouble of being killed. They agreed that he would most likely drop everything and return to the Leaf. Stay permanently if need be until she was safe.