Here comes the sequel! So excited! I hope you all like it. Don't own Naruto and I totally wish I did because Kou could be real lol. Here it is the sequel to Dancing Spirits… Darkness Before the Dawn.
The dirt roads had never always been so dusty; in fact he remembered paved streets and cobblestone walk ways. That was before the destruction, the annihilation and the rebuilding. Konoha was incredibly different from what he remembered yet had so many things that felt similar.
Smells and sounds were slowly but surely being recognized by Sasuke's mind, and he began to navigate solely by those alone. Every shop and food stand was rebuilt in the same general location, which made finding his way manageable. He zoned his eyes onto the ground and let his trained senses take over just like when he had been at the Gate Village, blind and helpless. That is until she came along and taught him to use his other senses more effectively.
It was his first day out of prison. Well actually it was night, but he was free none the less. His sentence of two years had been reduced to one, and the remaining year would be spent under house arrest. He was heading to his home now with a tracking device attached to his ankle.
The Uchiha compound had been miraculously unaffected by Pein's attack. Tsunade had given him the option of living in an apartment, but Sasuke felt it was time to truly return home. He had no idea what kind of condition the area was in, but he would manage. Fixing up the place would be a good distraction if he was to be imprisoned in his own home. Then again it beat a small cell with terrible food. Sasuke smirked at the thought of eating his first tomato, he hadn't had one in years and the idea of biting into a juicy red tomato suddenly reminded him that returning wouldn't be all bad.
The last Uchiha had lost weight in prison, but still retained some muscular tone. He had been allowed to train at specific times and under the watch of guards. This had been somewhat annoying but he knew it was better than nothing. His hair remained its usual un-kept, spiky appearance and his eyes were as black as coal. The only thing that had changed was his wardrobe. Tsunade had taken the liberty of buying him new clothes because his old ones were out grown, and he certainly couldn't walk around the village in prison garb.
He wore black ninja sandals that tightened around his ankles and half way up his lower leg. His pants were also black and tucked into the sandals making them bunch up. He was able to keep the blue cloth that he wore hanging from his waist, which covered his backside and reached to the back of his knees, it opened in the front and was tied with a black belt instead of the rope. He had a grey long sleeve top that opened in the front to reveal a black v-neck shirt with mesh underneath. The sleeves reached his wrists and grew wider allowing him to be able to summon weapons from the seal on his wrist. He also wore black fingerless gloves and his father's blue forehead protector was tied around his head, and the Uchiha crest was prominent on the back of his collar.
He was fully grown now and even started having to shave constantly. He had found it annoying in prison to use a small mirror and an almost dull blade, but they wouldn't allow him anything else. He had to shove, bathe, train and sleep in front of constant guarding. Now he would be locked in his house being kept under constant watch. He would only be allowed to leave for food. Training would again be monitored, but he could use the dojo or the courtyard next to his house. Things would still be annoying, but he would be more comfortable. Living at home would also mean he could receive visitors. He hadn't decided this would be annoying or not yet, but in general he was happy to escape the solitude of prison.
He rounded a corner that he knew would lead him to the Uchiha district, his head still pointed towards the ground. The streets were almost empty as the night deepened. He anticipated it was either late night or very early morning. Tsunade had done this on purpose so that he could navigate his way home in peace. Everyone was either at home or drinking themselves into a coma at the bars.
The gate of his home came into his view and he stopped just a few feet shy of the entrance. It was no longer boarded up and taped off. A flood of memories entered his mind as he took out the keys. He stared at the lock on the door for a long time and couldn't bring himself to open it. He knew once this door was opened he would have to face the ghosts of his murdered family, and the haunted images of his past. A breeze made the night air colder and blew his hair a little. The keys made a clinking noise that brought him back to reality… it's now or never.
Just as he stretched his arm to insert the keys into the lock he felt a presence behind him. Sasuke heard swift noise past his ear and felt the wind of a kunai zip along his cheek. He had dodged the object by tilting his head to the side. As he looked at the weapon now lodged into the wooden door he realized it was not made of metal. Instead it was jagged and had the rough texture of some type of rock.
"Guess you kept sharp while you were in prison spoiled brat," said Kou as she began to walk towards the Uchiha.
Sasuke turned around slowly and kept his expression calm. "You're aim still sucks, but I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from a blind bat."
Kou emerged from the shadows and the moon seemed to spotlight her. Sasuke felt himself going almost bug eyed from the surprise of seeing her appearance. The burnt, scarred, and bald girl was no more. The kunoichi had grown her black hair back and kept it in a braid that reached just below her shoulders. A Leaf forehead protector was worn around her head and her bangs were parted to the side covering half of the symbol. Her eyes were still ghostly grey and she did not quite make eye contact with him. She was still short, with the top of her head just reaching his chest. This made him smirk a little at the fact he was now significantly taller than her.
She wore a blue robe, much like Tsunades, that was left open in the front to reveal a white v-neck t-shirt with black mesh armor underneath. Her mother's blood red scarf was tied around her torso like an obi, and she continued wearing her tight, black, short shorts. The blind kunoichi wore no shoes and walked bare foot in order to maintain a constant connection to the earth around her.
"Looks like you're getting smaller," smirked Sasuke as he looked her up and down. He realized she had grown into a woman. Although not incredibly curvy or busty he noticed how her rigorous training seemed to pay off. She had been so thin before and now she was a toned, well trained ninja.
The rock kunai dislodged itself from the door and disintegrated into dirt. It drifted along in the wind for a bit before it scattered around the ground.
"I'm not short, I'm fun size," joked the kunoichi as she gave a little smile. Sasuke was surprised that she was in this good of a mood. Although she was known to be calmer than Tsunade or Sakura, the Uchiha knew there were things that could set her off and her anger could be deadly.
She began to walk closer and Sasuke found himself frozen at this warm reception. Their last encounter had been quite cold and she had been furious with him. Although he knew some of it was deserved, he had turned her over to a psycho path and watched one of his minions burn her alive. This had been part of his plan to gain Madara's trust and eventually join forces with Naruto and the Spirit Guardian in order to save the world. To do that he had needed Itachi's eyes implanted in order to gain more power, and Madara would only do the surgery if he turned over Kou. Things in the end had worked, but his deception had left a deep scar in the kunoichi. One he wasn't sure would ever mend
Just when she was a few inches from him she stopped and he shifted in impatience. What the hell is going on in her head?
She leaned into his body her face inches from his before she leaned her head next to his, and whispered in his ear seductively, "I'm going to warn you right now spoiled brat if you come anywhere near me I'll kill you."
Sasuke smiled and closed his eyes with a sigh, "You came all the way over here to tell me this? Well I'll tell you it was a waste of a trip. I had no intention of seeing you again. Getting bitched out is not on my list of things to do."
Kou leaned away from him and stared in his direction her eyes were looking at his chin, although he could see a strain in her face as she tried to determine what he was feeling. He knew she couldn't see but she had always been able to sense expressions without looking into someone's eyes. He was careful to hide anything and everything.
The kunoichi closed her eyes, smiled and nodded, "Well I'm glad we're on the same page." As a small breeze blew again and she slowly disappeared into dirt as it drifted in the wind. Sasuke stood confused. She had been nice, then almost cruel…typical Kou.
He had lied, he had wanted to see her and try and make amends. He had admitted he loved her during their battle with Madara and he meant it, but it seemed there was no way he could apologize enough for the things he had done. She was too stubborn and he simply wanted her to be happy. If that meant a life without him then he would stay away.
The Uchiha turned and opened the gate to his home. As he walked through the entrance he realized the entire compound had been redone. All the buildings were cleaned, painted, and refurnished. It was empty of human life but Sasuke noticed a large rock sticking out of the ground. Upon closer inspection in had the names of all the people killed in the Uchiha massacre. Next to this was another rock, smaller, and had a Konoha forehead protector tied around it. The metal had a slash through it and a name was etched into this rock as well. Upon closer inspection Sasuke stepped back in shock and realized the forehead protector belonged to his brother, and inscription was none other than Itachi Uchiha.
Sasuke stood motionless and speechless at the realization that Konoha had honored his clan and his brother. They had redone the entire compound in their name. This act of kindness meant only one thing, the world now knew the truth about his brother and his clan. They had honored a true Konoha shinobi and it seemed he would not have to spend the rest of his life trying to clear his brother's name. The last Uchiha composed himself and walked to his house.
When he entered the empty building he realized everything was the same just dusty. His bedroom was in the same spot, his brother's across from it, and his parent's was down the hall. The kitchen had all the appliances, dishes and utensils from when he was a child. As he walked throughout the house he ventured slowly into the living room. Everything again was the same, furniture, wood flooring, coffee table, fireplace… What the…
He looked above the fire place and realized a picture set above the mantle. It was the family portrait that had been taken weeks before the massacre. There they were his mother, father, brother all alive, and all smiling.
Sasuke took the picture in his hands and smiled. He looked to the left and saw a smaller picture next to it. Team seven's iconic photograph sat as a reminder of what had been, and what could be again. The Uchiha turned and found himself drained of energy. Walking around his home had been more emotionally draining than he thought it would be.
He showered and changed into a black t-shirt and shorts then lay in his bed. He couldn't bring himself to sleep in his parent's larger one. His last thought before drifting off centered on a certain kunoichi, Naruto and Sakura had to have something to do with this. If they haven't given up on me how am I supposed to give up on you…Kou?
Kou meanwhile had returned to her home in the Leaf village. It was a loft she shared with Naruto in the center of town. The loft had been built for Naruto as a hero's reward, but it was so large that the blond had decided to take the Spirit Guardian as a roommate. For weeks there was speculation that the two were romantically involved, but upon seeing the way they interacted in public people realized they were friends and nothing more. Kou had hated hearing the villagers whispering as she walked past. It didn't take them long to realize she could hear them when the usually collected kunoichi snapped on a group of women who had gossiped about her relationship with Naruto. A small earth quake had ensued and from then on the villagers kept their gossiping to a minimum.
She laughed at the memory as she stood on the roof and turned her face to the moon. Her robe blew in the breeze and she crossed her arms to keep herself warm.
The loft had windows surrounding the living room which was also connected to the kitchen. Kou knew the cabinets were stocked full of instant ramen and only a few were dedicated to anything else. The kitchen had a door which lead to a small hallway with four large bedrooms and two bathrooms, both of which had a shower, toilet and large, Jacuzzi like tub. That was Kou's favorite part about the loft, although she found the living conditions excessive she couldn't complain, the amenities made up for the fact she had to live with an idiot for a roommate. Their loft was nicknamed the Hero House, which their friends found amusing.
These friends were of course the Konoha eleven which she guessed was now labeled the Konoha 12. All of them had just finished the Jonin exams last month and all had passed. Even Hinata, with her timid nature had been able to overcome her self-consciousness. Naruto, Sakura and Kou had made a fantastic team which only came to be under Kakashi's teachings. The masked Jonin had recently been allowed to retire, but never minded training sessions with any of his students.
Kou had made a life for herself in a new place in just a little over a year while Sasuke had been in prison. She had made friends with her fellow newly named Jonin and was beginning to train with different people in order to gain more knowledge in different fighting styles. She and Naruto were debating whether or not to try out for ANBU, and if they decided to do so she would need more variety in her techniques.
Kou entered her room through the balcony door. She undressed and lay awake in bed thinking of a certain Uchiha, "Bastard… why the hell does he have to be so handsome." She turned over onto her side restlessly, "Forget about him he's an ass."
Kou could hear the sound of Naruto snoring across the hall. She smirked and pictured her favorite idiot's room which was completely trashed and covered in empty ramen cups. They had agreed his room could be as messy as he like, but for her sake of needing everything in the same place at all times, they made an effort to keep everything else clean.
"He's so…he's so… grrrr… he's so tall!" screamed Kou into her pillow. It was going to be a long night.
Naruto's snoring persisted and the thoughts and memories of Sasuke continued to flood her mind. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, "If I see that jerk again I swear I will actually kill him." She paused and rolled onto her back placing her hands under her head. "I need to stop feeling these… I don't know I just need to stop loving him, but how?"
Rickets joined the chorus of sounds coming in through her open window. They seem to orchestrate themselves with Naruto's snoring to form a weird song of some sort. The clock on her dresser clicked with the second passing by. "Guess we're just like two dancing spirits that seem to never actually get their shit together and embrace one another as we should... but I just don't have the time to fix that there's work to be done." Exhaustion from their day of training finally consumed her and she drifted into her dreams.
Short I know but I promise the next chapter will be longer and better in general. Till then see ya!