traitor

Sakura-is-a-civilian-and-Sasuke-is-a-war-criminal-after-the-4th-shinobi-warAU!

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Being branded a traitor is something Sasuke would not wish upon his worst enemy. The actions that make him so are not what trouble him, but rather the reaction it elicits. Stares follow him no matter what corner of the earth he travels to. They are almost hungry in a way; the same way a starved bitch eyes her own pups as a last resort.

Sasuke was their scapegoat when the war ended. It was not solely his responsibility to carry this weight, but he did so anyway. Like Itachi, he had reasoned. His brother had been burdened with these stares and much, much more, yet he withstood it for the sake of a unified world. Itachi was many things, but to Sasuke he is most honorable. With great responsibility comes great power, or a need for great power in order to endure these responsibilities. Sasuke simply lacks this integrity. He is not Itachi.

Itachi is dead because of him. It was Sasuke's prized blade, his kusanagi that pierced his brother's heart. Sasuke cannot find it in himself to forget the blood that stains his hands, cannot find it in himself to be the man his brother wanted him to be. He is a traitor not only to his home, to Konoha, but to his kin.

Sasuke deserves these stares and much, much more.

He has sworn never to return to Konoha. Sasuke cannot find it in himself to destroy what his brother lived to protect, but he also cannot stay in a place where the Elders orchestrated the tragic familicide that befell the Uchiha. Instead, Sasuke wanders. He leaves behind the lush greenery associated with Fire country, and mindlessly drifts elsewhere. At night, he strays from the dirt road, and sleeps in a tree. Sometimes when he is excessively nostalgic, Sasuke sleeps in a clearing. He looks up at the stars and reminisces pulling out his futon onto the engawa with Itachi and trying to count the infinite numbers. Sasuke is lonely, and more importantly, hurt, but this is something he can bear because his brother endured so much more.

Sasuke is wasting away, but does nothing to halt the thundering hooves that signal his end. He wanders without regard to his health, and does not stop to hunt for food. Before he knows it, Sasuke is in the outskirts of Iwa. It is surprising he has made it this far. His stomach gurgles, and the pain hits. Sasuke had paused to pick out a rock in one sandal when he doubled over and heaved. Bile splattered across the side of the path. Sasuke's knees gave out, and he closed his eyes in resignation. Even when he was dying, he took the coward's way out.

But even as a traitor, Sasuke didn't want to die a miserable death, being watched by the scornful public. He just wants a peaceful passing.

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There is a ringing in his ears he cannot get rid of. Slowly, Sasuke opens his eyes. Everything hits him at once, the scrapes and cuts on his face and palms sting, the light seems too brilliant for his eyes, and his mouth... Sasuke shifts his tongue in his mouth. It is like sandpaper. Dry and rough.

He is alive. Sasuke the traitor and war criminal cannot even die successfully.

Once his eyes adjust, he takes in as much as possible without craning his neck. His view is mostly occupied with the ceiling. From his obscured field of vision, the room Sasuke is staying in is sparsely decorated. The only other thing that fills up some of the emptiness is the thin mattress he lies on. It is itchy, and pokes his back. Most likely a bed of straw with a thin cover over it. Sasuke breathes through his nose and slumps his head back on the mattress.

The shōji slides open, and Sasuke tenses. He had to come to a decision within the next split second. Would he pretend he was still sleeping? It seemed childish, but he didn't know who he was dealing with. Perhaps he would simply shunshin away? No, he didn't have enough chakra.