one_long_mission

Well, it was worth it to ask, regardless. "It'll be ready in a few minutes... Want tea, or you'd rather have orange juice?"

After, as promised, a few minutes, the appropriate drink was served and the food ready. "Ugh.. Careful.. it's hotter than I thought still." he gave a light hiss, having almost burned his tongue.
The rest of the meal was spent in relative silence. After all, he knew she wanted to make her way back to the compound...

"Tea, please."

She exhaled and moved across the kitchen with surer steps, remembering exactly how far it had been to the table from where she was. Huffing through her nose at the warning, she just shook her head and blew carefully on her mouthful before starting to eat, in no particular hurry to return, though she said she had to.

"...Will you be alright, on your own?"

Perhaps a question better suited for him to be asking her, but she was referring to his nightmares.

She had spent three nights with him in the wild, and one here. She could deduct...

He did not need, nor wish to answer the question. "Will you?" he returned it instead... just because he didn't wish to stay silent.

"I am accustomed to being alone in my own home, and I know where all my things are." She nodded once, holding her teacup and taking a small sip. "My... eyes will not be a problem there."

She paused for a breath, face toward the table as she mentioned, "If you would like to accompany me within the borders of the compound, I would not object."

Well, that sure made him glad his mouth wasn't full, he would have choked to his death in shock.
"You wouldn't object, but I can think of a lotta others that would." these Uchiha-Hyuuga relations were very much strained, and with their eyes, they could undoubtedly see that strange purple chakra flowing thinly into him.

"I am already considered lower than the lowest Hyuuga." She lifted her head, and if there hadn't been a bandage covering her eyes, she'd have fixed him with a piercing stare. "They may object all they like, yet I am still the one in possession of my mother's house. They will not dare do anything against you."

Lower than the lowest.... In his case, he had no one to consider him.

"That settles that. So we can grate on their nerves all we like? I might enjoy that." he gave a light snicker.

She nodded, and in spite of herself, a bit of a smile crossed her lips. These little acts of defiance against her family...

Neji could get used to this.

She's finished with her own breakfast, though she has no way of knowing when Sasuke is, so she just waits, fingers around her teacup.

"I think just me being there is going to seriously tickle at their territorial property." he finished his own tea, gulped down the rest of his soup and collected the empty plates and cups.

"All right. ready?" and since she was, he would waste no time in leading her back to he compound. Of course, he made certain to also take his blade along in case he was needed to join the fray.

She spent the walk over listening more than speaking, trying to hear the bustle of a village preparing for impending assault. Had her eyes been back to top form, she would doubtless have been one of them, using the opportunity to escape her compound. But with Sasuke here...?

She raised her chin high as they entered the grounds. Though she could not see, as soon as she was informed she was beyond the main gate, it was her leading Sasuke forward. Whether her clan members were walking around outside or within their own homes, she could almost feel their stares on her -- more likely, on the Uchiha behind her -- but she paid it little attention, steps as sure as if she could see.

She led him to a small house in the very back of the compound, the edge of what was considered Hyuuga property, and unlocked the door. It was a small, traditional home, and yet far too large for one person. It was obvious a family had been meant to live there, and yet now it was only her.

"Make yourself comfortable," she murmured, closing the door with a decided click behind her. The air within the compound might be more oppressive than elsewhere in the village, but here in this house... this was home. There was little in the way of decor; a few paintings of birds and landscapes against bare walls. She slipped her sandals off to walk across the bare floor, past a low traditional table with a single cushion set for eating, past the couch, to enter her own room.

That's when she tilted her head, listening to see where she'd left Sasuke. Had he followed her here?

When she switched to lead him, he had to admit he was impressed. She apparently did not even need to see to get to her home, and was able to tell exactly how many paces away the door was. Amazing!

The stares he received were sent right back. He may never be able to read feelings or intent as clearly as those with the byakugan, but these people weren't hiding much.

His home was small because he had moved away, not about to inhabit a burned ruin. This house, however... He knew little of Hyuuga history, but he could guess. He made himself as home as she requested, taking off his sandals. He stopped following once it was clear this was her room, and went back to inspect the paintings.

He knew.. not one of those outside would ever have done any of what she did for him. "I almost told'em the autograph session was later, but I didn't want em to be too disappointed."

When she returned, she was clad in one of her yukata, something that fit far better than any of Sasuke's robes. From the cut of it, she was fairly certain it was her brown one, but she couldn't be sure. In her hands she had another cushion, this one obviously unused for some time, and set it by the table before glancing toward where she heard his voice.

"Fortunate that you did not, as I do not believe many would take the joke."

"Exactly that. I showed some restraint for their sake~" he gave a snicker and moved to sit, since she had graciously put a cushion out just for his sake.

that yukata did suit her, and fitted her form loosely enough so-- whoa, where were his thoughts going?
"Oh, there's actual cranes at the bottom." he had to marvel at how tasteful it was. He had never bought anything 'tasteful'. His whole wardrobe was functional and aside from bathrobes, ornated with the Uchiha emblem. He, after all, was the last. He had to make certain everyone knew.

"Cranes?" She tilted her head, then lifted her chin in recognition. "I am wearing the blue one, then." Not that it made much of a difference, but it was a minor annoyance that she couldn't tell which one of her yukata she had chosen.

She heard him settling on the cushion before moving to her own, easily kneeling down and relaxing there, hands on her knees. "I enjoy dressing well. One can tell much about a person by what they wear."

"...you said you enjoy dressing well, but I do like that blue one." he admitted. "Unless you wanted to send another message." he didn't overly mind, really.

"I haven't really tried to dissasemble people by looking at what they wear to tell everything about them... but to each their own. It's something that can surely be used, too..."

"Thank you." She could feel her cheek start to flush lightly, and she turned her head sideways as if to hide it, and instead focused on his second statement.

"Normally it is easy to tell profession, preference, social standing, and other such things by style of clothing." She raised a hand to indicate her bandaged eyes. "I take note of many things."

He shifted lightly, leaning on the table. "People would believe I am boring and gloomy, but I actually like he clan's typically dark colors. Tends to attract the sun." he always wore arms or leg warmers when younger, and once older had decided to adopt the typical robes he had seen from his recovered clan's books.

"People would believe you do not like confined spaces from the looseness of your clothing, and the distinct pride you hold in your clan. That is perhaps the most important thing, as then people come to know you first as an Uchiha without looking past that surface."

"They don't need to know more than that. I'm an Uchiha, that's all the world needs to know." he paused. "As for not liking confined spaces... hm... hadn't thought about that. I guess I do favor the wide open spaces, if only because it allows more room to fight. Reduced space is no issue either, only limits my techniques." but he still made-do, really.

He gave a light sigh. "Uchiha were much more plentiful before that attack... and to this day, I keep thinking it was staged. No one but the Uchiha died." he started shaking, features contorted into rage. He had seen it, his father and brother's names.. in that book... Had they seen it too? The truth?

"You are an Uchiha, but that is not all you are. You are also Sasuke."

She didn't need her vision to hear his distress, and immediately pushed herself back to her feet, moving around the table to lightly rest both hands atop his shoulders, pressing a little.

"Who would do such a thing?"

He was not only an Uchiha, but to him, the clan was important. Beyond important as his individuality may be. Still, it was touching that she would say such a thing, to remind him who he was beyond his clan name.

The shaking worsened.

"I-it makes no sense... how could a fire suddenly take everyone? Why only the Uchiha? How wasn't anyone around able to see or sense it till everyone was burned to a crisp?"

She had no response to that -- she had no way of knowing. She had only been a child when it happened, and yet...

Reminding him that his clan specialized in fire techniques was likely something he had already thought of, so instead she only knelt behind him and lightly tugged him back to rest him against her, his head against her chest as she just tried to provide comfort.

He claimed deep breaths, trying to settle himself. Her touch, thankfully, helped him ground himself.

Yes, the Uchiha specialized in fire.. but a technique gone wrong, so powerful and only taking out this specific sector? Smaller burts taking individual spots and spreading?

...he did not like where his mind was going. He did not like it at all, and yet..

...yet it made sense, but was contradictory in itself.

"How... can knowledge wipe everyone out...?"

She only shook her head, fingers coming up to lightly run through the spikes of his hair, wishing she could see his expression.

"I do not know, Sasuke," she murmured, holding him against her and swallowing hard. "I cannot know."

It made no sense at all. "T-this can't be it..." the prophecy... the tablet.. had he misinterpreted it?

Calm down. calm down... just calm down...

"S-sorry. I should... stop thinking... too hard about this." It terrified him, because he knew it all could very well be true...
...that in their search of greater power, the Uchiha may have eradicated themselves on their own, that night.

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