Disclaimer: Naruto and all related characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Inspired by works by Nalini Singh, Michelle Sagara, and Shakespearian Poetry. Any similarities with other literature, unless directly quoted, was pure coincidence.

Those Who Burn Out the Brightest

a sasusaku alternate universe fanfiction

Prologue

"Which way shall I fly
Infinite wrath and infinite despair?
Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;
And in the lowest deep a lower deep,
Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide,
To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven."

― John Milton, Paradise Lost

Murderers.

Traitors and Defectors.

Liars, Swindlers, Thieves, and Infidels.

Sasuke was familiar with them all. He was The First among the Seraphim, the one who commands Retribution. For centuries, he had punished countless sinners and rule-breakers. He had killed, impaled, and tortured with no mercy; pleas were nothing but passing wind in his ear.

He had the gifts to see through lies and foresee the fate of a soul. There were no guidelines for him to follow with the punishments; he always knew instantly what had to be done.

Then, he met her: a mere angel child just a year over her first decade, with hair in the color of spring blossom, eyes of green sprouting leaves, and a pair of wings in purest white. She was innocent in every way except for the naked longing in her eyes whenever she looked at him. What she felt in itself was not a sin, it was who she direct those affections that makes her an unforgivable.

No form of punishment fit her wrong. Thus, Sasuke did the only logical thing he could think of: he rejected her, cruelly and mercilessly. He told her blatantly that her behavior was unbidden, and she was a failure if she could not erase her feelings for him.

He would never forget the look of utter sorrow on her young face, neither did he ever forget the sight of her tears.

She came back to him years later, a fully grown angel and certified Winged Healer. She was assigned to his unit along with the new batch of Novice that came annually.

In the outside, she was a good soldier: a highly intelligent medic with adequate combat skills. She carried out perfect missions and treated her peers equally with respect, both attitudes had guaranteed a swift ascend in the ranks. By the end of her first decade in the unit, she was Head Medic.

However, his abilities had kept him perceptive. He saw past her perfect pretense to discover something she desperately hid under layers upon layers of masks. She was, in every way but transparent, still loved him with all her heart.

At the beginning, he was wary to directly interact with her, but she displayed none of her past affinity towards him so he eventually relaxed. Sasuke appreciated her will to maintain propriety and acknowledge her abilities as a soldier.

Centuries passed, and she grew stronger and more efficient through hard battles, as he grew to respect her as a trusted comrade. Though she seemed oblivious to his changed perception and continued avoiding direct contact with him.

He was annoyed by her ignorance. He did not like it when she dropped her gaze when he was bluntly looking at her. He especially did not like it when she intentionally talked to another when he was in the room. But somehow, his annoyance was slightly appeased by glimpses of her true feelings during years of bloody battles and near-death situations.

One day, he was steered away from his path to a Tactical Meeting by the sound of her brilliant laugh. He found her in the Central Garden, instructing a group of Novices on first aid treatments. One of the boys (the Third Cherubim's grandson) got ridiculously tangled in a roll of bandage and was unable to get free.

Sasuke took one look at her mirthful tears and he was unprepared for the waves of extreme jealously that left him shaking in fury. That was the first tears she shed in front of him in centuries - the last time was in despair and he was the one responsible.

Irony struck him with retribution, and he found himself smiling. Somehow, he did not know how, she had succeeded pervading his frozen heart. Her smiles, her laughs, and her tears, he wanted them all for himself.

To be continued

Author's Note: Chapter 1 might be up in a few days. This story is written for Mitsukino Tennyo and xx_pinkstar who requested a fic in my LJ page. I feel that I cheated a little with both of your prompts. I hope you don't mind sharing a short novelette instead of individual one-shots.

Review and I'll update faster? :D