one_long_mission

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If this, then, was home, then for some, it was the only thing they knew.

For one teen girl, the life of a shinobi was all she truly knew. Her mother had died not long after giving birth to her, and her uncle and rest of family did not exactly approve of her suddenly being thrust upon them. Neji was somehow less than their own flesh and blood, and chafed under her reduced station.

If there were a way out, she would take it. As long as she did not dishonor her mother's name, she would take it.

Today was an uncharacteristically peaceful day as she sat atop one of the many tree branches around Michi no Sato. Border guarding was vital, if uninteresting. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she tilted her head; the direction was from the village itself. Likely no threat.

If they wanted her attention, they would request it; if they continued walking, she would have them halt to learn their purpose.

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"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.

"What is it, Sasuke...?" She could only hold him right now, try to listen... but she was missing vital information, there was little she could truly to do analyze the situation.

"I am here. Speak to me, please."

He claimed a deep breath, trying to will his body to stop shaking.

"The tablet...in the temple..."
He recounted how it showed the history of their bloodline,s powers and the founder had left it so anyone could attain the power he had to serve the future generations, and it mentions their katon as the power to bring forth the light of destruction.

The future, he was sure of it, their destiny was inscribed upon the tablet. He had interpreted the ultimate knowledge as a weapon of mass destruction against any foe... but it could also be interpreted as their own end.

"Either... this power I have can turn he tables of war, or... or it's the power that brought forth this night.." there was also the idea that no one could predict the future, but he had cited many similarities. Eerie similarities.

And she just kept holding him as he spoke, listening carefully, analyzing what she could of it. From the description... it certainly seemed that way.

It was a long while after he finished speaking that she finally had something to say, her brow furrowed. "The question would seem then, is if it was a deliberate attack... or an unfortunate accident. Yes?"

He froze within her grasp, feeling his blood go cold.

"...deliberate?" his mind was reeling. "Who could want the death of his whole clan!?" This was far too saddening a thought.

She lowered her head and only held him all the tighter, fingers still gently combing through his hair. "I have no way of knowing, Sasuke. Neither of us do."

"..let.. let me stop..thinking..." who could have done it? Why? Deliberately? What could be so powerful? WHO could be?

That black fire.... was this what had done it? Was it something else?
He didn't want that truth anymore.

He did calm down though...once he had twisted within her grip to hold her tightly, as if he would fall into the deepest abyss if he let go...

"Sasuke..."

She swallowed hard and accepted his hold, one hand twining into the back of his hair, the other wrapped around his back to keep him in together against her.

"No matter what, I will help you. If I can, I will do whatever it takes." She inhaled deeply and leaned down, lightly pressing her nose against his hair. "Please, Sasuke..."

They were a cursed clan... the villagers had always said so.

They had a reason. He wanted to prove them wrong, to rise higher than any of them and protect the village...

This made him feared he might destroy it instead.

She wanted to help... she wanted so dearly, but... "I...don't know how... No one can turn back time."

"You can rebuild." She inhaled and only pressed her nose more firmly against the top of his head. "You can make a clan better than it was before. Far better than my wretched clan, that is for certain.

"And you can continue to search for answers. When this war is over... perhaps you can seek out the rest of your clan. There were those who left, correct? Before all of this."

"....rebuild.." he echoed, the option never having occurred to him. Making a better clan, one that would be -aware- of he mistakes of the past...

Was this, perhaps, the truth?

"...Madara was alone over there. Everyone else was... here..." he murmured, voice amazingly quiet.
Somehow, even if his mind was in turmoil, her body felt nice against his.

"Madara... the name from the book." She exhaled and nodded, holding him close. She didn't know how it'd happened, but somehow... she knew she would do whatever she could to help him succeed. It wasn't even about the clan for her, it was so Sasuke could succeed. More than just him as an asset to the village... but maybe then his nightmares would fade.

"Then it will be you who has that potential, no?" she murmured against his hair, bowing her head. "And I will support you in that endeavor however you will have me."

He gulped a lump, trying to steady his breathing.

Thanks to a tragedy, foretold or not, he was the sole survivor of the clan, and the one with its complete powers.

"I... won't burn everything to nothing..." He had her support, for whatever future he wished to shape...

"I know." So that was the power he had gotten at the temple, the one he had thought to destroy an entire platoon with... the black flames? But where did those stop?

"And you will show everyone here what Sasuke can make of the Uchiha clan."

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