DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto; Masashi Kishimoto does.


I could not only see but feel him staring me, burning holes through my eyes and to the back of my head, but the more I tried to look away, the more I kept locked onto his face. There was something about Orochimaru's new (to me) student that was so…devastating. Devastating, yet…beautiful. I tried to read his countenance, to search deep into his eyes for some sort of underlying emotion. I found nothing. There was something wrong, something missing. It was like I was peering into the eyes of a ghost.

What had Orochimaru said his name was? Ah, yes, that's right. Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke.

I took a few steps forward until I was just a couple of yards away from him. I bowed and introduced myself.

"My name is Yuuki. It is my understanding that you came here some time ago, but since I have been away I guess you've not seen me before. Orochimaru said you are to be my new training partner. I hope you don't mind."

I was able to at last look down during the latter part of my abbreviated speech, but I looked back up after it was over.

The dark-haired boy just glared at me, silent, and I wondered if I'd said something wrong. I remembered when Orochimaru told me that a shinobi should never show their emotion to strangers, so I tried to not let the hurt I felt be revealed in my visage.

I had been with Orochimaru for as long as I could remember, and he was something of a father to me. I loved him, it was true, but at the same time I hated him. I hated him for all the terrible things he did to such innocent people. I would never speak of these inner feelings, though, for I knew it would be unwise. He truly gave me care and wouldn't dare think about hurting me. I guess, in an unorthodox way, I was lucky to have him.

Consequentially, I would watch in silence, in the background, through all the years as he recruited and discarded new people of all types. At these times, I never even bat an eyelash at the strangers, but this situation was different.

I had been off for about 2 years on a training escapade, and didn't expect to come back to something so...inexplicable. He radiated greatness, and though I knew it would be very beneficial to train with him, I wasn't looking forward to it.

To put it quite honestly, I was scared of him. I didn't like the way he made me feel when he glared at me with those endlessly onyx eyes, and the way he refused to do anything else.

It was a strange combination of feelings emanating from him…greatness, and terror.

Without a single word to me, he turned his glare swiftly to Orochimaru and spoke.

"How will training with some girl help me to achieve my goal?"

The man that was a father to me hissed with laughter before he replied.

"Oh, but it will, Sasuke-kun. Because, you see, if you refuse to train with her, I will stop training you as well."

Sasuke's horrible glare deepened, if that was possible, and Orochimaru continued laughing as his snake-like tongue grazed his lips. Any other person probably would have been disgusted at the sight, but I was so used to it, it didn't even faze me.

At that, the young Uchiha turned on his heel and stalked off.