Our Reflection in Each Other's Eyes.

Chapter 20: Discovery

It is already midday and Sasuke-Kun and I still remain naked in bed. The time had passed so quickly after he assured me I shouldn't be worried about losing him. We had been remembering times in our childhood, our tears flowed with those memories but so did our laughter. I learned more about Sasuke-Kun's family and I knew he was really close to them by the way his eyes burned with passion when he spoke of them.

Truthfully, my mind can't grasp the thought of his Nii-San, Itachi, assassinating his clan. From the stories Sasuke-Kun told me of his Nii-San, a man as kind as him had to have gone through a crisis or had to have been threatened to rid of a clan he was proud to be apart of. For something so big to occur from one day to the next, surely there has to be something behind it.

"Kyoko..I don't know what it is, but that day I saw Itachi, I refused to believe he had done it."

"I can't grasp the thought either. Maybe there is something else behind this. You should speak to your brother before you take action toward anything."

"You know I can't do that!" He shouted. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

He looked completely angry by now. I don't understand why.

He stood up and walked away from the bed.

"Sasuke." He stopped. "I don't know why you're so mad. What's wrong with asking for his motives?"

"His motives were to become stronger! If that was his real motive I don't want to hear it again!"

"That's absurd. Were you so naive as to believe that? A man who was proud of his roots wouldn't turn against them for power. It's common sense goddammit!" I shouted to him.

This time I stood up, wrapped around in the covers, grabbed my clothes off the floor, and walked straight past him, out the door. He made no move to stop me and I made no move to apologize. As wrong as it may have been I still stand for it and it's time he thinks under a different light. From a different mindset.

I walked into the restroom and changed into my clothing. I folded the covers and placed them on the edge of the sink, refusing to return them to the room. I fixed my disheveled hair and walked downstairs. I stood at the doorway waiting for something, I don't know what I just felt the need to wait there looking up the staircase. Seeing that nothing was going to happen I turned and walked out the front door.

Kyoko walked outside in the cold snow with no destination, simply in hopes to clear her thoughts and give Sasuke time to cool off.

Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed, dumbfounded by Kyoko's outburst. He dressed himself and walked downstairs to search for her. After having looked throughout the entire house he didn't find a single trace of her. He searched outside in the nearby woods and even spread out his chakra in hopes to find her, but received nothing.

Kyoko continued her path, with her guard up in case the need came. She doesn't know where she's going, she's simply allowing her legs to lead the path they choose.

Sasuke made his way to the rundown village Kyoko had spent some of her childhood in, in hopes to find her there.

Kyoko arrived to the old gates she knew so well. Walking inside she relived the pain over once more. Up ahead she realized a person was sitting on a rock looking down at a book in hands. The person seemed to be of old age and unharming. She walked up to him thinking maybe he was lost.

"Good morning sir. Are you lost?"

"Oh, Good morning young lady. I didn't think I'd find anyone here anymore. I come here often I assure you I'm not lost." He laughed. "But what brings you here?"

"I used to live here. Just recently visited and found the need to come back again."

"It's alluring isn't it? Even though everyone is gone, it still feels like home."

"Yeah it does." Kyoko laughed in agreement.

"I used to live there." The man said while pointing at a collapsed building. "Where did you live?"

Kyoko pointed at one of the few buildings that still stood. The man's eyes widened before he said something that made shivers run down Kyoko's body.

"So you're still alive? How is it you can see me then?"

Kyoko blinked in disbelief at his words and reopened her eyes to see that the man was no longer there. She looked around for him, but found no trace of him. She sat on the rock the man had previously been on and closed her eyes, once she reopened them she was terrified to see all the people who had once lived in this village, wandering around as if their death had never occurred.

Sasuke entered the village and could see Kyoko's figure sitting on a rock from afar. He approached her and began to feel a deadly chakra emitting from her. He tried getting closer, but was pushed back by the chakra that surrounded her. He held his ground and made his way to her once more, this time getting past her chakra.

Kyoko walked through the village as the people greeted her. She found it strange because they still greeted her by her title, 4.

'Have I not changed?' She wondered.

She walked past a window where her reflection was visible and could've sworn she saw another image. Walking back again she realized it was the image of her as a child. Her eyes widened as she continued to gaze at her reflection in disbelief.

Sasuke approached Kyoko's sitting figure and placed his hands on her shoulders only to immediately remove them due to the burning sensation he felt. He placed his hands on her face and discovered her face was at a cooler temperature.

"Kyoko" he called out.

Kyoko wandered the village and began hearing her name being called out. Not 4, but Kyoko, her official name. She turned in all directions, but didn't find the source. She continued walking until the voice became louder.

Sasuke shouted Kyoko's name, but saw no reaction from her. He closed his eyes and was about to turn on his sharingan, but found himself unable to. Instead of opening his eyes to find Kyoko in front of him he opened them to find the rock she had been sitting on, completely empty. He turned to search for her and noticed there was a lot of other people, the village was anew. He walked toward the people in curiosity and was dumbfounded to have them greet him like a child. The man that Kyoko had seen, placed his hand on top of Sasuke's head and asked "Are you lost boy?"

"I'm looking for Kyoko."

"I'm afraid I don't know a Kyoko." He answered.

"She has scarlet red eyes and long black hair, she's also slightly shorter than me." Sasuke unconsciously explained.

The older man laughed at Sasuke's eagerness to find Kyoko and looked down at him.

"By any chance, was she wearing a black cloak?"

"Yes." Sasuke answered eagerly.

"She remains in the world of the living. She probably spoke to you the same way she did to me." The man explained, saddened.

Sasuke was confused, but ignored it and walked away from the man that didn't seem to be of any help. He searched for the place she had lived in, hoping to find her there.

Kyoko continued walking toward the further part of the village and stumbled upon her old home. She entered to find it empty, just like she had seen it earlier. The key she had placed on the coffee table was still there.

"What was I thinking, Sensei is gone." She said to herself.

With tears threatening to escape, she left the house and was met by a young boy wearing a black shirt with his gaze cast downward.