Chapter 4

I Promise You

"Good morning, how was your night?"

Nai yawned and sat at a spot at the table as Tazuna's daughter bustled around making her plate. The woman's dark chocolate hair swished a little as she watched the woman, "It was ok. I didn't sleep much."

Nai was pretty sure none of them had gotten any sleep. Especially after the news Kakashi was so gracious to share, "Zabuza is still alive." He had said. Way to ruin a woman's day Kushi.

Nai put her ribbon and forehead protector on the table as her plate was set infront of her.

Tazuna's daughter eyed the silk item, "That boy…"

"Hm?"

"That boy has the same thing on his shirt." She said referring the symbol on the ribbon. She looked at Nai, "Are you two related or something."

Nai stood abruptly from the table and grabbed her things, "I should be catching up with them. Do you know where they went?"

The woman was a bit taken back but smiled anyway, "They went training, in the woods somewhere."

"Thank you."

Kakashi sighed as he comfortably hung upside down in the tree and watched his students run at them. He shook his head as the boys hit the ground.

"This is fun!"

He smiled, as he looked up at Sakura, perched on one of the higher branches. Well, it looks like the female member of the squad has the most advanced chakra control. Good job Sakura."

"Tree climbing huh?"

Kakashi looked down…or up, whichever you prefer, to see Nai standing on the ground, braiding her hair as she looked up at him.

"I figured we'd start simple." The man said.

Nai smirked and brought the finished braid over her shoulder, "Right." She put her hands on her hips, "Are you gonna come down? My neck is killing me looking at you like this."

Kakashi chuckled. Nai shook her head once he rejoined her on the ground, "So how long do you think they'll go at it."

The man sighed and sat down, leaning against a tree, "All night if I don't stop them. But Sakura is pretty much done."

Nai smiled absently, "I can't believe you have students. Hm…how old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

The woman started to crack up and Kakashi playfully glared at her, "What's so funny?"

"Your old! Oh my god I thought this day would never come."

The man pouted, "Forty is old, I'm not forty."

She playfully punched his shoulder, "Whatever…old man."

They just sat in each other's presence for a while until he turned to her, "I missed you you know."

"Don't get mushy on me now. Five years isn't that bad." Nai said, her voice faltering towards the end."

Kakashi followed her gaze and saw that she was watching Sasuke. He took a deep breath then sighed loudly, "We tried to give him to your brother."

Nai turned to him but stayed quiet, willing to listen.

"He said he wouldn't go to anyone but you, he said he'd wait. After about a month he was convinced you weren't coming for him. That you had left him on purpose."

Nai clenched her fists, "And the Hokage let him feel like that. He let him get angrier and angrier."

"Nai don't say that-"

"It's true! To this day I don't know why I was sent away." She looked to Sasuke again and her eyes softened, "To this day, he thinks I abandoned him."

Kakashi reached out to touch her arm, "Nai…"

She roughly brushed him off and stood, "I'm going for a walk."

Sasuke stopped his training for a bit to watch her walk away. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the training at hand.

"I want some more!"

Nai watched boredly out of the corner of her eye as both male genin lent over the table and puked. She rolled her eyes and pushed her food away.

Sakura slammed her hand down in the table, "Don't eat so much if your just gonna puke it up!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, "I have to eat to get stronger."

Naruto glared back, "And I have to eat more then him."

Kakashi sighed, "Well, puking won't help."

Nai stood up and put her hands in her pockets, "Excuse me."

The whole room got quiet as she left the house. Tazuna's daughter threw the retreating woman a sad look, "She's been like that since she came back earlier today." She looked to Kakashi, "Is she ok?"

The man sighed again, "I don't think she is."

Everyone in the house had fallen asleep, "Where is she?", except for two people with an entwined past.

Sasuke sighed loudly and shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged through the dark forest. He came to a clearing and hid behind a tree.

He watched the woman intently. She pulled about five shuriken from her pouch and held them in her open hand. Sasuke's eyes widened as the weapons levitated into the air and started to spin, the speed became deadly and they flew at a tree, smashing the trunk to pieces.

"You said you were gonna teach me that."

Nai looked over her shoulder, "I would if you would let me."

The boy sighed through his nose, "I waited for a long time. You never came back."

The woman turned to look at him fully. The Uchiha finally noticed the liquid in her eyes, "Just like I told Kakashi, to this day, I don't know why I was sent away."

"Sent? You left me!"

Anger flared in both their eyes and Nai stepped to him, "Left you! I would never leave you!"

Sasuke gasped and Nai continued towards him.

"Do you even remember that night?! I fought to get to you and you to me! Do you remember what we were like? I loved you more than anything and it killed me when I was told to leave."

The boy continued to stare at her in disbelief as she got on her knees so she was his height.

"Th-they who?"

Nai shook her head and Sasuke became frustrated, "Who?!"

"I can't tell you that, but I can tell you everything else."

So she did. She told him about her five years in her old home, how much she missed the village. How afraid she was of what had become of him. She told him about how long she had cried, how angry she was and for how long.

And Sasuke absorbed it all, every bit, every tear, every crack in her voice.

When it was over the boy's face was as stoic as always with the exception of the hot tears rolling down his cheeks. Nai grabbed him and hugged him close and he held her back. It felt so good to have someone hold him again and he really didn't want to let go.

"I'll stay by your side Sasuke, no matter who or what tries to rip me from you. I promise."

The boy swallowed hard, "Can you keep that?"

"Yes. I can and will."