Title: After the Battle was Over
Author: Momos
Rating: K
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

(Notes: I wonder if Sasuke ever went into therapy.)


Konoha can be surprisingly ignorant.

Oblivious.

Plain stupid.

For Sasuke, after the massacre of his loved ones, was left alone.

A small child in such a large village stained with the blood of his family. Cursed with memories and confusion that is rarely ever seen in such a young boy. Calling out for mother, for father, for auntie and uncle.

But there was no one. No one, but himself.

And that was hardly company.

He had talked with the Hokage, a sweet old man, but to Sasuke he looked scary, wrinkled and old, his face hidden by the shadow of his large red hat. His scratchy voice reverberating about the room, saying something. Something… what could it have been? He hadn't listened; rather he looked out the window, at the blue skies and white clouds floating away from him.

Not looking at that hat.

He had gotten pity from everyone, strangers and especially older women, their leathery skin made him shiver as they clutched him. At the end of the day, when the sun had fallen and the village seemed vacant, he was left to himself.

They had given him a new place, it was sterile and cold, all he could think was how he wanted to go home.

He had slept there once, and had hated it. The bed was hard, the smell indefinable and new. He hadn't wanted new, he never asked for new.

He would bring a blanket with him and travel through the alleys and finally through the woods. There was a rock, a place stone cold but he sat there, he lied there, and he watched.

The stars looked down on him, twinkling and blinking.

And he felt at home.

Lying on a too-cold rock with a too-thin blanket, but he hadn't cared.

For although Konoha may have forgotten he was a child, he felt warm underneath the gaze of the heavens.

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