Memoirs of a Kunoichi • Sasuke Uchiha [ON HOLD]

Scroll Eight • The Traitor

“It is never too late to stray from the path one thought they were permanently destined to walk upon for the rest of their lives.”

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Chapter Eight

Sasuke nodded his head firmly and with those last words, Kakashi Sensei disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving me alone on the street with the last of the Uchiha. Sasuke took a step towards me and almost as an instinct, I backed up away from him, not knowing why he showed up in the first place. A small scowl passed over his features as he continued to close the distance between us; the Uchiha stood before me and I looked away, still slightly embarrassed about the spar we had earlier in the day. He gently grabbed me by the chin and forced me to look into his onyx gaze before he whispered, “I’m sorry.” I forgot how to breathe for a moment as my gaze widened. ‘Did he really just apologize?’ I was skeptical of Sasuke’s apology, not sure why he would bother apologizing to me in the first place. I remained still underneath his touch as Sasuke continued to hold my chin, his touch becoming gentle as he leaned forward. His warm breath grazed my skin as he whispered low enough for me to hear, “I know we’re being watched right now, but I would really appreciate it if you came on a walk with me. There’s some things I’d like to talk to you about, and I would also like to elaborate why I’m apologizing.” My body went stiff for a moment when Sasuke mentioned that we were being watched; it seemed that Konoha’s ANBU wanted a thorough report about me and my abilities. I didn’t question the raveonette’s request as I slowly nodded my head—a sly sparkle entered his gaze for the slightest second—and Sasuke stepped away from me, giving me my own space.

“Well, I’m glad to know your skills as a shinobi are sharp. I was beginning to think that I was the only one who could sense their constant stares burning into the back of my head. And I’m sorry for the way I reacted earlier. I just wasn’t expecting to see you out here and I was kinda hoping I had a few days to actually think of what I wanted to say to you. Kakashi Sensei had me talk to the Hokage today, and all seems to be fine, except that the ANBU Black Ops are continuing to observe me. I feel like this village has very little trust in me, and I don’t know how I can change that. I know I’m an outsider, but does that mean that I have to be treated so unfairly?” I muttered underneath my breath as I began trotting along the stone path away from the Hokage’s building; if I was indeed being followed, I was going to make sure that this conversation wouldn’t be overheard. Sasuke kept up with my pace, his hands deep in his pockets as he casted a glance over at me from the corner of his midnight gaze. Even though I was well aware of the true reason why I lurked within Konohagakure’s walls, I spoke the truth. Even though I was an outsider in the eyes of all the villagers around me, I still felt shunned and the ache in my heart only widened with that knowledge. ‘I was shunned by my own father, so why must I be shunned by these people as well?’ I had to blink several times, unaware that tears were swelling in my eyes and the last thing that I wanted was to cry in front of Sasuke.

“In all honesty, I expected your reaction. I really am sorry for hurting you during that spar though, and I hope that I didn’t leave you with another scar.” The kimono that Kakashi had given me revealed my chest just a bit, and I watched as Sasuke’s gaze lingered over the scar that traveled from my chest and ultimately wrapped around my shoulder blade. ‘A senseless scar. I wouldn’t have it in the first place if I hadn’t been so careless with that explosion. Only seems fitting that I should have a daily reminder of why I need to think plans throughout before I act.’ Sasuke lifted his dark gaze to meet my emerald hues, and a blush immediately dusted my cheeks before I tore my gaze away from his. I had no idea where Sasuke and I were going at this point, but I kept my mouth shut as I allowed our feet to lead us to our destination. “Since you’re a part of Team Seven now, I want to be completely honest with you. Something has been bothering me ever since I met you, and I just want to know more about you in general. I know you have a bloodline trait, a Kekkei Genkai granted to you through clan inheritance. I also know that it can form a barrier around you when the color of your iris changes to a golden shade instead of your normal gem hues. But in all my years of studying in the Academy and traveling with my squad, I’ve never heard of a clan that can grant such incredible powers to one individual. What happened to your clan, Ren? Why is it that I’ve never heard of the Akiyama name before?”