Ascension (Sequel to Ruination)

[23] An Uchiha's Heart

Here's a pic I found on pinterest. It's how I imagine Takahiro to look. Credits go to the original creator.

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"We found Sasuke Uchiha."

A gasp left her lips as a gust of wind entered the restaurant from the open windows, the ceramic cup shattering beneath her vice-like grip from the immense pressure she had been putting on it. "Ngh," she winced, a stinging pain in her palms where the shards at cut her skin.

"Oh my goodness!" The waitress from before exclaimed, frantically cleaning up the pieces of ceramic and wiping the table clean. Yuzuki told the woman that she didn't need any first aid, she could heal it herself.

"I'm sorry, Captain, please continue," Yuzuki urged him to keep going, a green glow surrounding the small cuts on her hands.

Yamato sighed, "We found Sasuke after following Orochimaru and Kabuto to his hideout. We tried to bring him back but we were unable to reach him."

"What do you mean? Orochimaru got in the way?" She asked, her hands now fully healed. Now she was looking at him, hope glistening in her obsidian irises for the boy she loved. Yamato almost couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth and see the hope fade away from her eyes.

"No... Sasuke refused to come back. He acted like Naruto and Sakura were bonds to be severed." It took a minute for the words to sink in. For the reality to hit her. When it did, it felt like a hand had reached itself inside her ribcage and took a hold of her heart and started squeezing.

"Did... did he say anything about me?" She tapped her fingers on the new cup she had received, this time making sure to not put so much pressure on it. She didn't know why she asked, but maybe if he'd mentioned her or something then maybe that meant he was still thinking about her. Maybe she could bring him home.

"Naruto... he tried to get through to him by telling him that you were still waiting for him to come back, but he didn't even make any move to show that he cared."

"Oh." So that's how it is, huh? He'd forgotten all about her, it seemed.

"That's not it, though. He tried to kill all of us."

"What?! No! You're lying!" Exclaimed Yuzuki, slamming her palms down as she leaned over the table. The table rattled, her sudden outburst startling other patrons in the restaurant. That couldn't be true. Even though he defected, he'd made a promise that she could trust him.

Yamato steeled his expression, growing less soft and more serious by the second, "I'm not lying, Yuzuki. He stabbed me in the chest, and raised his sword to both Sakura and Naruto."

The Hatake's face fell, her eyes downcast to the table. "How could he do this?" She whispered, holding her hands to her chest as she remembered the day he left. Sasuke promised her; he'd never broken a promise to her before.

"Yuzuki," the Captain got her attention. "Naruto seems to think that Sasuke can still be saved. And maybe he can. Maybe if you were on the mission with us you could have made him come to his senses. Do you know what I'm saying?" Although he didn't want to get in trouble with Kakashi, Yamato thought that if Sasuke saw her or interacted with her, she'd be able to reach him.

Nodding, the girl wiped the water from her eyes, "I think so. Thank you for being honest with me, Captain Yamato." She gave him a minuscule smile, one that was obviously fake.