Relentless (Book 2)

Timeout- Katsu

Katsu woke to a very annoying pounding on her door. Rubbing her eyes impatiently, she stumbled to her feet and moved to slide the door open.

Sasuke stood there, his fist raised in mid-knock. He winked. "Morning, love. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" His black eyes glittered.

Katsu glared at him.

"That's an interesting hair style," he commented.

Katsu huffed, attempting to smooth her tangled mess of hair. "What do you want?" she asked, walking to the small dresser in her room to view its contents. "Really?" she asked impatiently. Every item within it was black.

"What?" he asked, not seeing the problem.

"Everything's black," she said.

"You're welcome," he said with an understanding nod.

"Why  is everything black?" she demanded.

Sasuke shrugged. "I simply chose what looked best for the two of you. And is that any way to speak to someone who just made you breakfast?" he asked, shoving a bowl in front of her face.

Peering into it, Katsu became nauseous. "Fish?" she asked. "It's so early!"

"How ungrateful," he said, shaking his head and sneering. "I made it just  for you."

Katsu narrowed her eyes. He really was going to do everything he could to make her life hard the next few weeks. Perhaps the jutsu she had used to make him listen to her would be more taxing on her than it would be on him.

"UCHIHA!" Kakashi's voice was heard shouting from down the other hallway.

"Ooh, someone's up," Sasuke said, mischief the primary element in his eyes.

Katsu, knowing he had done something, moved to hurriedly approach Kakashi's room. The Uchiha boy followed, marching behind without any guilt.

Slowly sliding the door open, Katsu was met with a cross-armed Kakashi.

Yanking the door open further, Sasuke's laughs turned hysterical.

"Really?" Kakashi demanded. "How old are you?" The white-haired ninja was dressed in clothes that looked much like pajamas, decorated all over with colorful spots and clown cartoons.

"Whoa there, Hatake," Sasuke said after his laughing was back under control, spreading his arms wide. "If they don't fit, I'm sure we can get you another size." More laughing followed. "We could also hook you up with a matching rainbow wig and red nose if that makes you happy."

Katsu stared at him suspiciously. "You already got them didn't you?"

Sasuke smirked. "Top drawer," was all he said.

Kakashi slammed the dresser drawer shut, suddenly advancing on Sasuke who just patiently awaited his arrival.

"Kakashi!" Katsu exclaimed, stepping in front of him.

The white-haired ninja had raised his fist in preparation to punch Sasuke.

When he registered that Katsu had stepped before him, his hand was only several inches from her face. Slowly, he lowered it, his grey eyes on hers. His teeth remained clenched but when she carefully touched his forearm, Katsu noticed the tension slowly leave his jaw.

"Don't let him get to you," she murmured, shooting a glare in Sasuke's direction. "When we go to town today to get paint, we'll get new clothes too."

"Sounds fun," Sasuke said. "Sign me up."

"You get to stay here," Katsu said plainly.

"A timeout?" he asked, leaning against the wall. "I wasn't that bad was I?"

"Yes, you were," Katsu snapped. "And here's no way we're risking you being seen by anyone," she said simply.

"That wouldn't happen. I'll wear a hood and none of those mouthbreathers will be able to tell the difference."

"As unoffensive as that was," Katsu began. "You're not coming. We'll be back a bit later."

"Your loss," Sasuke said with a shrug. "Make sure you get black paint when you're out. Tis place looks much to... light." He shuddered. "It's awful."

* * *

"Time to paint!" Katsu exclaimed when she and Kakashi had returned.

Sasuke arose from the basement and narrowed his eyes at the cans they carried. "What colors are those?" he asked cautiously.

Kakashi smirked. "You tell him, Katsu."

Katsu grinned. "Well I thought this place wasn't 'light' enough! So I chose light purple, light blue, light green, yellow, and pink!"

"Kill me!" Sasuke cried as he sulked and stomped around the house in anger.

* * *

It took them the entirety of the day to finish painting but they did get it done eventually, without much paint left to spare.

"Hang on," Sasuke said, grabbing a half-filled can of paint. "We had black paint?!"

Katsu glanced over at him and shrugged. "Only one can. I painted the basement when you were napping earlier."

"Oh?" he asked, glaring at her suspiciously. "You did, did you?"

"That's right, I did," she snapped back, narrowing her eyes. "A proper person would say thank you."

Sasuke chuckled humorlessly. "I will never be a 'proper person' by your standards."

"I am well aware of that," she said through her teeth. "I was informing you of the right thing to do."

"Then stop wasting your breath," he murmured rather harshly. "And don't expect anything to change here," he growled. "I'll never change for you or anyone else. I live for myself. Nothing you can order me to do and nothing 'nice' you do for me will ever change where you and I stand with each other."

"Good!" she shouted. "I don't want them to! You're a terrible person! Why on Earth would I want a better relationship with you!?"

He smiled cruelly. "Because like me," he said closing space between them until they were too close for her liking. "You will never change. And the part of you that still possesses that desire has not yet disappeared."

Katsu's eyes widened.

He sneered. "And now I see that it is true."

"Shut up!" she shouted, not realizing her eyes had become slightly teary. His mouth instantly shut on command. Anger was apparent in his eyes.

"Don't look at me!" she went on. His head turned sideways.

"I don't even want you thinking of me," she hissed darkly. "And do not come near me unless I have an order for you." She took a deep, wavering breath before saying firmly, "And know this, Sasuke Uchiha. That part of me has  changed. I hate you. Don't ever forget it."

The muscles in his neck stiffened slightly, almost as if he wished to turn his head to look at her but, of course, her binding words prevented him from doing so.

"Leave me be," she said then, and he immediately turned from her to descend into the basement.

Obviously, the orders she had given him, such as not to look at her, would wear off by morning because they were not very specific but that would do well enough. Katsu wanted at least some time to herself. Boys were so confusing.

Image: http://t06.deviantart.net/K8RtRIvgGjwmbUZBcB8Ti0J6caA=/300x200/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre15/6fb2/th/pre/i/2012/307/0/1/zess_by_anodyne5-d5jvvlq.jpg