The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

77: Party Plans

[OP: "I have Made Mistakes"--The Oh Hellos]

Sasuke told Shine about the "fight", for lack of a better word.

He didn't notice that he'd become comfortable with her enough to tell her this without much prodding; she really only had to ask him what the commotion was about for him to spill.

And he owned up to being puzzled by it.

"I preferred them to stop trying," he said, "but their anger is unusual. It doesn't make any sense to me. Being angry before, when I was out to kill them, that would have made sense. But now I've done nothing to them--for the most part--and now they are angry."

"So it's not that they're angry at you," Shine said. "It's that the reason is one that doesn't make sense."

"Yes." He believed it at least.

Shine laughed lightly. "You know, as I like to say, 'all get what they want; they do not always like it.' We can't always choose the time and manner we'll make people angry, but if it was your goal, you were likely to succeed sooner or later. Or was your goal just to be left alone?"

"Not much hope of that." Sasuke frowned. "Even if they're angry, they won't just leave me alone."

"I suppose not..." Shine tilted her head. "I know why they're angry now, if you want me to tell you. But only if you want me to."

"I know you will anyway. And I think you're going to say it's because something is different. But nothing is that different. The curse mark was only...finishing something."

"That has very little to do with it," Shine said. "Don't you think that you're different than before?"

"No." With a dark look. "I'm the same."

Shine had to choke back another laugh. "All right, fine, but this difference is one you might appreciate, if that helps: Maybe they think you're less fragile than they used to."

She was right--that answer would have be one he would like--except that it made no sense at all.

"How is that an answer?" Almost Iike she was stupid. "I should be weaker than before, the curse--"

"We established that really wasn't a strength," Shine cut in.

"And failing," Sasuke added. "This is the time they would have the most reason to..." He stopped.

"Pity you? Yes...I suppose you always knew they pitied you. I don't need to tell you that, do I?"

That was it...that was the looking in their eyes and the hint in their tones that had driven Sasuke crazy all these years...pity.

Often it was mingled with other things, but pity was all he got in the way of sympathy from them--it was never true understanding.

Suddenly he realized that Shine never acted like she pitied him (whether she felt it or not). Was that why her approach had been easier to accept?

And none of the heroes acted like they did either. That always managed to annoy him less no matter how badly he wanted to hate them.

"Pity," he said, distastefully. "I suppose that is how they felt."

"And you hate that, don't you?"

"Does anyone like it?"

"People who see themselves as the victim use pity to get what they want, but I never really pegged you for that kind of person," Shine shrugged. "And I don't like to be pitied either, often, though there are times it's better than being hated, I think. But I'd rather just have compassion shown to me, not pity. There's a difference between the two. Pity sees you as pathetic or weak because something bad happened to you... Compassion just sees that you should be helped, it has nothing to do with if you're strong or not. Strong people need help also. It's not the same thing. Pity is not always wrong, but it can be quite frustrating. Is that about right?"