Al Calar Della Notte ||Naruto||

Chapter Nine

"You're still upset that the universe is conspiring against you?" Sasuke chuckles.

"It's not the universe, it's just this fucking village," I huff, pointedly lavishing all of my attention onto Yoru.

"Ichiki, you're against marrying me because you don't think that I know how to love anymore. Is that the only reason why?"

"No," I roll my eyes and start walking.

"Why else?"

"Because I'm not marriage material," I reply, walking faster when I notice him following me.

"Care to explain?" Sasuke arches a granite eyebrow, one hand secured around my wrist.

"No, actually, I don't care to explain. Talking to you is annoying enough. Marrying you? Or even just telling you why I'm not such a trophy wife? I have better things to do and bigger issues to deal with, or did you forget that the Akasuki want to use my power as a jinchûriki?"

"Like I could forget that Hidan of all people asked you to have his children," Sasuke rolls his eyes, scoffing as he does so.

"All kinds of disgusting vermin have been requesting all sorts of revolting propositions to me lately," I muse, scratching Yoru between her ears.

Since I've ditched my more kimono-like top, Yoru has been either on my shoulder or on my head. She is presently on my left shoulder, and if Sasuke jerks me anymore? She's gonna go flying.

"Does that include me?" he glares.

"Yes, it does. Kabuto and Kisame haven't bothered me yet, which is worrisome. Naruto-kun said that Kabuto wanted my Mind's Eye..."

"The freak with the glasses?"

"Yes, the now Dragon Sage. He's trying to formulate a counter attack and Kisame just always me that creepy vibe... I wouldn't put it past him to try to kill me and steal my eyes," I shudder.

"Ichiki Kuran, I won't let them touch you. I promise," his grip on my wrist tightens.

I pull my arm free, taking a step back and leaning against the back wall of the Hokage's building. As my foot raises up to also lean against it, I cross my arms and look off towards the mountain. The one with their faces carved into it.

"Fourth imprisoned a nine-tailed demon inside his own son to save the village, which resulted in the death of he and his wife. I can't do anything that extraordinary. If I offed myself, then the Thirteen Tailed Cat would simply be free, which means that she would be a bigger danger. But, at the same time? I'm a danger to all of Konohagakure... Did you know that such a mess would fall upon the Hidden Leaf all those years ago when Team Seven saved me?"

Sasuke looks at the carvings as well, a sigh leaving him as well.

"No, I didn't. I should've known something bad would happen, though. Itachi let you go too easily..."

"Deidara and him... They raised me. My only memories of the Kuran clan are filled with the illnesses that took them away from me..."

"They raised you as a fighting machine, Ichiki. Are you trying to tell me that maybe things would've been better if we'd left you with those rogue ninja?"

"Perhaps... I couldn't speak, all I could do was obey and fight. It was their plans to use me as their secret weapon, even back before the other tailed demons were discovered. When you four found me, I was ten and you were twelve. You were the first one to sense my chakra signature, you were the one who freed me from those chains... I still have the scars from your kunai from all the slips you made," I crack a half-smile, showing him my wrists.

"You were covered in blood!" he jerks his head back towards me, annoyance in his onyx orbs as they burn.

"It wasn't my blood," I roll my eyes.

"Tch," he rolls his eyes.

Pushing off of the building, I close the distance between Sasuke and I. Part of me wants to strangle him and the other part wants to embrace him. However, I settle for flicking his forehead and walking again.

"Either way, it's technically your fault that I'm in this situation now. If you had left me, they would've killed me and kept the beast captive, like what they did to Gaara. Seeing as how their attacked with the One Tail was a flop, I'm almost positive that their attack with the Thirteen Tail would've been even worse. They can't control this power... The power of a monster..."

"You really need to stop looking at yourself like that. Back when I was twelve, that's how the entire village saw Naruto. Just because he had a demon inside him... The adults hated him and their children learned to hate him as well, though it was forbidden to tell him about the beast lurking inside him."

"Who could hate Naruto? Sure, he's loud... But.. he's so... Happy and dedicated," I giggle, shaking my head.

"There was a time when I did," Sasuke admits, now walking next to me again.

"He was your rival growing up... and then you two were best friends. That's when your team rescued me, which ended in us becoming rivals... Truth be told? When my eyes first saw you, I thought that you were a gift from the gods. Even as a child, you were quite handsome and I could tell that you were strong. You seemed like every woman's dream man, until you opened that mouth of yours," I sigh, sheepishly admitting.

"I'm still handsome," he scoffs.

"Your mouth is still ruining it..."

"Hn... You still admitted to having a crush on me when we were younger," he has an air of confidence around him, more so than usual.

"N-nani?! I NEVER SAID THAT! THERE YOU GO, READING BETWEEN THE LINES AGAIN!" I swat the back of his head with my palm.

"HEY!" he cringes, holding a hand over the rising lump.

"Don't try to distract me, Uchiha. Shit is about to hit the fan and I'm not wasting my time with you! Especially not when you're being so arrogant! Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are probably done with their honeymoon, so I'm going to go find them and see if the three of us can come up with a plan to defend this village! As for you? I meant every word of what I said, but that doesn't change anything. I'm still refusing to marry you," my hands dart beneath my top, producing the Uchiha prayer beads, "and I'm returning these since I'm not a gods be damned Uchiha!" I throw them at him.

Catching in one hand, he instantly reaches out to grab my wrist again. Sadly for him, I'm faster. Pulling a substitution jutsu, he finds himself making out with a goat as I run for it.

Running seems to be my only talent...

Other than watching the people around me, the ones that I love, die.

And I refuse to watch Konohagakure perish.