Author note: I do NOT own the OC Tia or the other OCs! They solely belong SugaredCoffee on Quizilla, as this oneshot was requested by her!
Tales as old as time, Songs as old as rhyme. Beauty and the Beast...
"Nagi-nii, why is he leaving?" the voice of a young girl reached her older brother's ears. Swallowing a hard lump down his throat, he considered his answer carefully before responding. The last thing she needed was his opinion forced onto her.
"He is determined," he replied shortly, but directly. That brat! He never understood what was so good about him anyway. Ever since they moved here, all he ever did was being an arrogant smartass who thought less of everyone because they weren't from his clan. At least that was the elder brother, Nagihiko's opinion. He certainly didn't like how his baby sister seemed to favour that guy. He was no good for her. Never was and never would be.
"Of what?"
"It doesn't matter! We're going home now, Tia!" the brunette male snapped, pulling his little sister by her hand. "We're going back to mother now!" he resorted. They would pretend they haven't seen the scene below them unfold. Small pebbles crackled underneath their ninja sandals as they headed off.
"But! Shouldn't we have helped them? They were injured?" Tia questioned as her brother took the lead. Her eyes glued to his back, and soon enough realized that she wasn't going to get an answer from him. Ever since father 'passed away' – as he liked to put it – Nagihiko took the role as the family's leader. Lowering her gaze to the ground below she tried to look for some colourful flowers that would take her mind of what she had just witnessed.
[…]
"Are you going to your mother with those?" a feminine voice spoke behind the tanned teenage girl as she arranged the flowers that occupied her time. Turning her head a little she was met with a pair of blue eyes that held her gaze for a few seconds.
"Yea… they are," the brunette said with a small smile tugged on her lips. A worried look overtook the blonde chuunin's features. She knew how much Tia's mother meant to her, but sometimes, Ino even wondered what good it would do to the dying woman. She heard form Sakura that there was nothing they could do to help her. They could give her some painkillers so she wouldn't feel pain, but that was also about it.
Adding a few pink peonies, Tia left the shop and headed to the hospital. Putting the flowers on the nightstand next to the bed, Tia's eyes drifted to the sleeping woman in the bed. Sitting down on the stool next to the bed, Tia's tanned fingers gently stroked the back of her mother's hand.
"I don't get why you guys are always here. It's not like she will feel better because of it," the sound of her younger brother Haruka echoed in the ward, making the female turn her head with a displeased look on her face.
"Don't speak like that about mother, she is here you know." she scolded with a hush tone.
"Right… sorry." There was a long break where neither of them spoke a single word. There wasn't much else to be said. Nagihiko was out on a mission in Iwagakure on his own, and had been gone for a few days now.
"I don't stand this anymore!"
"Haruka!"
"Oh wait. Before I forget it, this came to you today! See you suddenly, nee-san." After handing over the letter, the younger brother left with hasty steps. A sigh left the dark-eyed female. Her gaze adjusted down to the note in her hands.
[…]
The downside of not being a ninja must be the lack of ability to move fast; you wouldn't be aware of the dangers, nor senses when something was wrong. Once she finally crossed to border to Otogakure, Tia felt relieved in some kind of way. The note was urgent and thus she had picked up the speed to be there in time. On her way to the designated area, her eyes suddenly landed on a person on the ground. His white shirt torn and stained with blood, his face turned towards her and his dark eyes seemingly lifeless. Stopping her tracks, it was almost as if her heart hammered its' way through her chest from the sight. Rushing over to the lifeless body on the ground, she tried to call out to him, however, there was no respond.
"Healing Shield!" ending the hand-sign of 'hare', a light green shield covered the tanned female and the body. Her concentration, however, broke the very second a bang sounded from within the shield. When using her Kekkei-genkai; Healing Shield, it would require her full attention and no interruption due to the massive side-effects this would have.
"No… no way! Wh-" she was cut off before she even managed to utter another word. A cold, sharp metal was pressed to the side of her neck. A rouge ninja? Her heart hammered so much in her chest she didn't know if to breathe or not in fear to anger the person.
"There are both good and bad things about not have ninja skills," a monotonic voice reached her ears, causing them to flutter shut. She was too afraid to even turn around. She was just thankful that her Kekkei-genkai didn't backfire at her. Even if it was only for a fleeting moment, it felt as if Tia had forgotten how to breathe all together. "You're not able to sense an enemy approaching you." The voice resorted behind her. "Have you any idea how difficult it was to get you out here?" that question took her back. It was all just a set-up? But why? Turning her head ever so slowly, her dark eyes looked from the corner of her eye as she managed to get a sneak-peak at her attacker.
"Who a—" as instant as her eyes met her attacker's face, her eyes felt like they were getting burnt with tears. As If she wasn't confused enough in the first place, but her attacker even had to be no other than Sasuke Uchiha. He was always pretty reserved, that she remembered, but she never imagined him actually being the one in charge of her life – holding it in his hands, able to kill her when he felt like it.
"S-Sasuke…." Her throat dried out. She was emptied for words. The next thing she knew was everything went black.
[…]
Dark irises met a wooden ceiling, which caused her eyes to bang open. Where was she? What happened? She just had a really bad dream – a nightmare. She was sure of it. She had rented a room at an inn and had fallen asleep. Her one arm drabbed over her forehead.
"It's about time you woke up," someone spoke across the room. Jerking her head into the direction from where the voice came, she sat up straight, backing herself against the wall behind the bed.
"What is happening?" she asked softly. Although she wasn't a ninja herself, she was familiar with Uchiha's powerful genjutsu.
"You are stupid, are you not?" was the raven haired teenager's only respond. Tia found herself very conflicted. What was even going on? This wasn't the Sasuke she used to know. He was… holding her back against her free will. "I know you saw me leave that night." He started, not moving an inch from the wall he leaned against. Pursing her lips a little, Tia dwelled if he was speaking the truth or not. She was pretty sure neither of them noticed her and her brother. However, there was something that still prodded her mind.
"What do you want from me?" she finally managed to ask. She had never done anything to threaten him. She was only a healer for hire. It was no secret that she liked him in the past, but after he left and all that – she had gotten over her childish crush on him. And right now – she certainly didn't like how he was treating her. Tia didn't like rude people.
"I want you to join my team." He said boldly. A small frown appeared on her tanned features. Whatever happened between him and Naruto – or happened in general, he was being rather offensive. Still, there was something in the way that he talked to her, that appealed to her in some odd kind of way. A way she couldn't really put her finger on. Her dark eyes sought his gaze. She hated when she wasn't able to look into people's eyes.
To say the least, Sasuke wasn't impressed by her silence. Although he knew she wasn't much of a talker – like himself – he really expected some kind of respond from her. And gradually, it was getting on his nerves. Truth to be told, that he wasn't that kind of patient little boy anymore who'd just sit around and wait for an answer. Not that he was asking her to become a member of his team. No, he was demanding it, but still – he wanted a reaction from her.
"Konoha is not your home," he had to up his game if he was going to win her over. "There is nothing left there for you to return to. Besides, what had they ever done for you? They can't cure your mother, your brothers are still grieving. That village cannot make you stronger. They have nothing to offer you." His voice reached her ears, but somehow it didn't seem like his words sank into her, although he could see, that she heard him clearly. A soft shade of pink tinted her tanned cheekbones. Why was she even reacting this way?
"They can't make you stronger. They are simply won't in fear you become better than them." His voice had an awful cling to it as he said that. Although she was originally born in Kumo, she had always considered Konoha as home. It was his home as well and he was insulting it.
However, something in the way he said it, made her stomach flip; almost as if her mind believed what he said was true. Maybe he was right? Maybe she just never realised the village tried to prevent her from learning more. A frown became readable on her face once again. Averting his gaze, her eyes drifted to the floor. Light taps of footsteps was the only noise in the room. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, he was suddenly very close to her. Very close. Her instincts were telling her to back away as fast as possible, while another wanted her to stay close with him. Parting her lips she inhaled a breath, as if she was about to say something, but soon enough closed her mouth again. The words didn't seem like they wanted to leave her tongue.
"S-Sasuke…" she started in a soft tone, her gaze still lingering on the wooden floor. "I-I can't do such thing."
"And why is that?" the tone he went by gave his voice a more husk. She was a good girl. If she went with him – wouldn't she then be a missing person?
"Because… um… I'm not suitable for that." She declared. Although she wanted to become stronger, she wasn't hungry for power of any sort.
"But that you will be before very long." The raven haired stated. He was getting her exactly where he wanted. He wanted her; he needed her. The stronger a medic-nin he could have on his team, the better was his possibilities. "You have until dusk to decide, then I expect an answer." He resorted before leaving the room. Blinking her thick eyelids a couple of times, Tia looked at the door he just closed behind him. Her heart hammered in her chest alongside her ribcage. What was she supposed to do? He sounded so desperate, and it was against her family's politics to leave the weak behind. He needed her – didn't he? Laying down she closed her eyes, her one arm resting over her stomach. She would give him her answer when she woke up. She would be there for him. Even if he became a brute – she would help him.
Okay so.. that was the first oneshot for a long time! Lily-chan hope you liked it! Please leave a comment!
