Honestly, it had been years since I'd last seen him. How many, I couldn't tell you. I stopped counting at about 3 because in my mind that amount of time meant he was never coming back. So when he finally did. . .I was more than a little bit shell shocked. Of course Naruto and Sakura were thrilled. She burst into tears when she heard the news. Naruto just kept grinning like an idiot and shaking his head like he'd known it would happen all along. Who knows, maybe he did.
Needless to say, I wasn't entirely sure how I should handle the news. Sakura and Naruto were the ones who delivered it to me, quickly running off afterwards to greet their long lost teammate. "Sasuke. . ." I mumbled slowly to myself as I watched the two of them bolt quickly from my apartment. I sighed to myself as Naruto turned slightly to look back, obviously expecting me to follow. Instead I took a deep breath and slowly closed my door. Was I just supposed to go running back into his arms? I'd tried to save him so many times and every single one of those times he'd simply pushed me away and chosen Orochimaru or that group of misfits he'd adopted as his new 'team.' I'll admit it, I was more than a little bitter, but can you blame me? He was the love of my life and then he simply vanished as if I meant nothing to him, power was more important.
I grumbled to myself as I shuffled further back into my apartment, falling onto my cushy bed when I wandered into my room. I shoved my face into my pillow, grumbled some more, and then let out a quiet, frustrated, scream. I was going to run into him eventually, but that didn't mean it had to be today or any time soon. Not willingly in any case. That thought crossing my mind I quickly leaned up and closed the shades in my room, then jumped up and quickly did the same with the rest of the windows in my house. So maybe I was being a little paranoid about him coming to find me. Who was I kidding? He probably didn't even remember the pathetic little jade-eyed girl he'd left behind. There really was no reason for me to be so anxious, but I was never the less. Maybe I was just jumpy because I did know he'd become stronger in his absence. In the few chance meetings we'd had he was almost frighteningly more powerful. It made my skin crawl to think about. His blood red eyes, the vacant expressions, and useless anger and violence. Yes, we were shinobi and that was how we were supposed to operate, but still. . .it was scary how easily he'd fallen into the role of a killer. I was probably just over thinking things again.
Even so, I was still planning on avoiding him at all costs. Unfortunately for me, I had been just about to head into town when Sakura and Naruto had made their unexpected appearance, and I still needed to go. I sighed before pulling on my sandals, grabbing my keys and wandering out the front door and a very leisurely pace. I may have been nervous enough to rival the anxiety of a shaking chihuahua, but I certainly wasn't about to let it show. As I walked closer to town I brushed my long, black hair over my shoulders and pulled it up into some semblance of a bun as I walked. As I grew nearer to my destination I made a mental list of all the things I needed to buy: milk, eggs, toilet paper, cereal, instant ramen, flour, and a few other assorted items that I'd been meaning to pick up.
When I finally arrived at the store I was eerily aware of how everyone was looking at me. It was as if they were all waiting to witness my reaction at the news of his return. I'd be damned if I was going to give it to them, but their stares were certainly a tad bit irritating. I grabbed the items I needed as calmly and slowly as I could force myself to. I even tried to wander a bit around the store, picking up a few items I really didn't need: some interestingly scented shampoo, a few new weapons, random bits that looked interesting. Soon though, I couldn't stand the staring and I made my way to the check out to pay for my goods. As soon as I paid the cashier it took all my energy not to rush out of the store. Unfortunately for me said store was very near the Ichiraku ramen shop, and it smelled too good to turn down on this specific evening. I grumbled inwardly before wandering over to the shop and plopping down on a stool. The owner smiled kindly at me as I did so and I smiled back, "I'd like some miso ramen please? If it's not too much trouble." I asked pleasantly. "Certainly, no trouble at all!" he answered in a cheerful voice as he turned back to the simmering broth and noodles. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding in as he turned his back and leaned on the counter, trying to force myself to relax. I can't say if it was working or not. Not 10 minutes after I sat down I heard the rush of running feet and I tensed, hoping with all my might that it wasn't a certain knuckle-headed ninja. It was. He ran right in and plopped down next to me before I'd even taken my first bite of ramen. "Hey there again, Zakura!" I slurped my first bite of noodles in a rather irate manner and gave him a withering glance out of the corner of my eye, "Hey Naruto." I mumbed around my noodles.
He gave me a face splitting grin before ordering his own food and looking back at me, "Hey, hey, how come you didn't come with us to welcome Sasuke-teme back?" he questioned curiously, in a way only Naruto could. Again, I let out a heavy sigh before setting down my chopsticks and looking over at him, "I really don't want to see him right now Naruto." I said blandly. He nodded, as if he suddenly understood exactly how I was feeling, "Oh I see, I see. Well you should definitely go see him sometime soon though! He's all shaken up about being back, I bet he'd love to see you!" he said in an absurdly cheerful voice. I raised an eyebrow and surpressed a crow laugh, "Naruto, I'd doubt if the Uchiha even remembers my name, let alone who I even am." I said, my voice dripping ever so slightly with distain. I knew it wasn't becoming, especially on me with as feminine as I looked, but I couldn't help it. I was snippy and crass sometimes. He gave me a slightly offended look, "Of course he remembers you!" he argued. I took another slurp of noodles before answering, "Oh really, did he ask about me or make any hint as to the memory of my person?" I said without looking up from my food, which I was thankfully almost finished with.
I could tell he was getting upset with me, and I felt bad for ruining his day, but I didn't need him crawling down my back about a man who didn't want to see me. "Zakura how could you say that? You were one of the most important people to him!" he squeaked out at me. I hated it when is voice got like that, no matter how mature he got when he got upset he still sounded like a scolded five year old. "Naruto, if I was so damn important than why did he leave?! If ANY of us were so important, why'd he leave us all here to rot!?" I shouted at him, smacking my palm onto the counter of the ramen shop and causing my bowl to shake dangerously near the edge. Naruto flinched back and immediately I knew I'd said too much. I let out a shaky breath, laid my money on the counter, and grabbed the things I'd purchased earlier. "Thanks for the ramen. . .sorry Naruto." I mumbled as I pushed my way out of the shop and took off at a fast pace towards my apartment. It was going to be a long week if people kept talking to me that way. I already knew I wasn't as important as they said.