Someone you loved

Chapter 3

Chiasa smirked self-satisfied as the Chunin gawked at her, stumbling a step back and making the path free for them. Wordlessly, she walked through Konoha's large gates, pushing Sasuke lightly so he wouldn't linger. With a click of her tongue, Fumiko ascended into the air, screeching loud and fierce – a warning for everyone – circling her Uchiha one more time before flying away.

Kakashi noticed gleefully how the two Chunin and everyone else nearby, flinched at the unexpected noise.

They walked in alerted silence towards the Hokage Tower, all well aware of the shameless muttering and mumbling of the civilians that caught sight of Chiasa's sharingan. Not that the shinobi they met were any better.

'Actually, they are probably worse than the civilians. You wouldn't think they are trained killers,' thought Kakashi as he noticed another Jounin chocking on their food in shock.

The massacre of the Uchiha Clan had left its scars on the shinobi population; the betrayal of one of their own a heavy fact to accept.

He wondered how long it would take until one of Chiasa's old friends or teammates caught them, not that he knew who they were. He hadn't even really known about the ebony-haired kunoichi until this mission.

The secretary in the Hokage Tower just waved them through, mouth and eyes wide open in disbelieve.

In front of the Hokage office Chiasa stopped, her fingers tightening around her brother's tensing shoulder, and peering at the large doors with something akin to longing. How many times had she stepped into that room to report to the Hokage? How many times had she jumped out of the window, knowingly annoying her Hokage?

Taking deep breaths to calm her raising heart, Chiasa forced herself to accept and move on. A sudden serene aura enveloped the Uchiha, making her appear like the perfectly calm and confident Clan heiress, someone her parents could be proud of.

"Whatever you want, Sasuke, I'll make it happen," she declared assuring and Kakashi only heard the slight hitch in her voice because he was searching for it.

Normally, it was seen as weakness to openly show feelings, to show who you hold dear and precious, to show what could break you. With Chiasa, however, Kakashi felt like this wasn't the case. Instead he had the feeling that the young woman didn't care who knew because she'd fight anyone and anything daring to hurt what she loved. For a moment, he wondered if that same protectiveness applied to Itachi too, which on second thought was ridiculous. She wouldn't consider a mass murderer her family anymore, would she?

"Ma, let's go," he insisted, pushing open the office door and stepping inside, not giving the siblings a chance to prolong the inevitable any longer.

The last time Chiasa had seen the Hokage was on the night of the massacre and now she stood once more before her village leader.

"Hokage-sama." She bowed slightly, just enough that it wouldn't be considered rude.

Hiruzen eyed her smiling, like a father would look at his long-lost child. Her bangs hid her face, but he had already taken notice of her bloodred eyes, a sudden reminder of his actions causing a flood of guilt to fill him.

"Welcome home, Chiasa and Sasuke-kun."

The young Uchiha boy hurried to follow his sister's example, before surveying the Hokage with hidden curiosity. The only time he had seen the Hokage in person had been in the Academy years ago. Sasuke wondered what kind of person the village leader was. He had seen like an old grandpa in the Academy, but that person had also stood by as his family was murdered. Was he really so powerful as everyone said? And could he really believe in the man when he had already been let down once?