Redemption In Your Eyes

Child Among Giants

Sakura knelt at the kitchen table, her back tingling as though she was being watched. The cushion was soft and didn't do much to shield her knees from the wooden floor, while the coarse fabric chafed her bare skin. Across from her, Sasuke sat with crossed legs and arms, observing her as she settled. She kept her eyes averted, shifting her legs under herself. Finally she looked up at him through her bangs.

"I- I know she's not here, but..." Sighing, she rubbed her forearm.

Sasuke tilted his head. "But what?"

Slowly, she let her eyes wander towards the sandals by the door. One pair stood out, brown soles and brown straps. "It's like she hasn't completely left. Like any moment she's going to walk in and be angry with me for not having brought her back sooner."

"Any moment now," He caught her stare. "Itachi is going to open that door and she'll come in, safe and sound."

She frowned and made to retort, "You don't know-"

"Just trust me."

Laying on his back, Hikaru clutched his chest. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to picture his sister's face. Slowly it came into focus. Her bright eyes closed and her mouth stretched into a grin that covered her face, framed by fiery, loose hair. And then without warning, her expression contorted into a scream, her mouth twisted into an 'o' shape as her eyes flipped open to take in some terror unseen to him.

He bolted up and punched the mattress. It released a horrible metal squeal and wobbled under him. Now, with his eyes open, all he could see was Itachi's placid, unreadable face. You're the reason this has happened to her. If you don't come back with her, you'd better not come back at all. Taking a deep breath, he stood slowly, his body weary with worry and rage. Stomach rolling and blood boiling, he began to pace the small room. The pitter patter of a light rain did little to soothe him. Coming to halt at the singular window in the room, he watched the sky cry the tears he couldn't.

The multi-terraced building stared back at Itachi in a state of disrepair. The journey had been painfully slow. He had taken care not to move too fast, lest he wear himself out and lose the upcoming battle. The growth on the building was no longer neat and clean as in his memories, but wild and reaching. The entrance stood with a fortitude that the doors didn't possess. Gently, he pushed one of the double doors in. The wood was coarse and brittle, crackling as it moved in the frame.

He couldn't chase away the memory of the door's creak in its younger days. He could almost feel the imprint of Shisui's hand, where it had held it open at that fateful meeting. Each step brought him back to the fearful weight of his childhood decision. Without wandering, he knew where the meeting hall was. It was the largest room in the building and it would be where his faceless enemy was waiting, he was sure.

He pulled a torch from the wall and lit it with a small breath. The light danced over cracked and bowed walls. Plaster and paint had begun to crumble, but the ghost of the Uchiha crest lining the walls was still visible. Frowning, he remembered what it had meant to those who had painted it. It had once been a symbol of power, and now it spoke of tragedy to everyone who laid eyes upon it. His steps echoed. Unable to sense another presence, he felt sure someone powerful was in the shadows. His enemy had called for him and he was foolish enough to allow himself to be beckoned. There was no point in trying to conceal his presence.

A second, larger set of wooden doors waited for him at the end of the winding hall. They were heavier and more robust. They had stood against time better than their counterparts. She has to be in the meeting hall. He laid a hand against the still polished wood. With a quick shake of the wrist, he put the torch out. A light blanket of darkness settled over him. It was only then that he noticed light flickering from under the door. Using both hands, he pushed both doors open.