About a week later, Sasuke had been walking for hours, the last village he visited provided him with enough water for the trip, but for a moment he felt it was not going to be enough. When suddenly, he started seeing the wall that surrounds Sunagakure. A sigh of relief left him.
He was soon in front of the gap in the wall that led to the village. Two guards stood on the sides.
"Identify yourself" one of them said as he approached.
Well, shit, he thought.
"Uchiha Sasuke" he said with a calm voice, the guards gasped.
"I apologize, but we need the approval of the Kazekage before letting you in" one of the guards said, a little nervous. The other guard took a paper, wrote a short sentence quickly, rolled it up in the leg of a falcon they had there and let it go.
The wait was excruciating. It was short, but the heat made everything three times worse.
Ten minutes after, Gaara appeared behind the guards.
"Kazekage!" one of them exclaimed.
"It's okay, he's not a threat anymore" he told them as he looked at Sasuke. "Come, Sasuke" he said tilting his head to the side and walking towards the village.
He followed. Passing in front of the startled guards.
"I must say, it's a surprise having you here" he said as the two of them started walking together. "I thought you'd be in Konoha"
"I won't be there for a while, actually" he explained. His gaze strolled through all the stores and buildings they passed, looking how people smiled and greeted Gaara. He, on the other hand, looked puzzled.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"I…" Sasuke started. "I just want to experience the world, learn its good things again" he explained, saying half the truth.
"Huh" Gaara said. "Interesting" he smiled "That's a good thing" he nodded. "I was actually hoping I'd see you soon." he started, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "For one, I got word that a village near the border was having some problems, but by the time the polices arrived, a certain red-eyed black haired man had already solved it." he said with a smile, taking a quick glance at Sasuke.
"I did what any decent shinobi would've done" Sasuke replied.
"I know" Gaara said "But it was a pleasant surprise to know you were not only in the land of wind, but you were helping strangers" he laughed. "I was right about you"
Sasuke curved his eyebrows even further.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"I always knew you had good in you, you were just like I once was, lost" Gaara explained. "Lost in that horrible darkness. In that hatred" he continued.
Sasuke had forgotten about it, Gaara had also things to regret, actions in his past that he had to deal with, to forgive himself for.
"I know what you must be going through" he said. "The guilt, the shame" his head moving from side to side slowly. "It's not easy"
"Then how?" Sasuke asked.
"Time" he replied. "And support" he continued. "My brothers and the villaged helped the most" he explained. "When I saw all the support and love they still held for me, it just made me strive to be better"
Sasuke looked at the floor.
"You just have to find those people you want to be better for" he added.
Naruto's face popped in his head immediately.
That made him stop.
Gaara turned around with a smile after being just a few steps ahead.
"So, do you want to rest?" he asked, Sasuke looked up to him.
"Honestly, if there's something I can help with" Sasuke said slowly. His mind was still focused on Naruto.
Gaara laughed quietly. "You're more than welcome to go around, there's always lots of people to help around the village"
"Understood" he nodded.
"Just come to the Kazekage tower if you need anything" he said with a smile.
"Sure" Sasuke replied with another nod.
"And Sasuke"
Sasuke looked at him.
"When you find that support, don't ever let it go" he smiled and disappeared in a jump.
Naruto's smiling face was still in his mind as he repeated those words in his head.
He never gave up on me, Sasuke thought. Naruto was the only one that insisted in not letting go of that bond, that never wanted or tried to. All those dark years after that battle Sasuke couldn't stop thinking how he was not able to cut that bond. But it was, after all, the hardest one to break. And deep down he never really wanted to. It was the only bit of light that was left in him. The only proof that he once belonged somewhere.
And that maybe he still does.
His heart starting aching as he walked. He had to take a few deep breaths. He stopped. Sighed.
"No!" a sudden scream made him look ahead.
A huge pile of rocks where coming down from a construction, a little girl was on the bottom.
His body ran faster than his mind could, he covered the girl with his back as his Susanoo appeared around them. The rocks hit the shield with strength and fell to the sides. A cloud of dust covered everything.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked the girl between coughs from the dust a few times.
The kid had a terrified look, but nodded nonetheless.
"Oh my god, Mai!" a woman screamed as she ran for the kid and hugged her.
His Susanoo disappeared as he stood back up.
"Thank you so much, sir" the woman cried as he looked up at him. "Thank you so much"
"It's no problem" he shook his head as he removed some dust from his clothes.
"No, please, come to my shop and have some tea and food on me, it's the least I can do" the woman said as she carried the girl. She pointed across the street, where a small cafe was.
Sasuke was about to refuse but the woman spoke again.
"Please" she had a sad smile on her face.
"Sure" he nodded.
"Here, some ice tea and a slice of my specialty, apple pie" she smiled as she left a cup and a plate on his table. Her shop was as cozy as cafes can get, water sprays were at the entrance, they made the place feel cool and fresh, very different from the outside. It was decorated with sunflowers and a yellow wall at the end.
"Thank you" he replied.
"I'm the one that's thankful" she said with a short bow. "Who knows what would've happened to my little Mai if those rocks got to her" she said with a horrified sigh. "Oh, where are my manners! My name is Kaori" she did another bow.
"Sasuke" he replied, returning the bow.
"What a fine shinobi name" she smiled. "Well, I'll let you enjoy your cake" she kept smiling, made another bow and went to the kitchen.
Sasuke sighed as he looked down to the table. The pie did look delicious.
He took a bite. It was indeed delicious. The apple was so soft it melted in your mouth. And the ice tea was what he didn't know he needed for that horrible heat.
He relaxed for the first time in hours. Closed his eyes and rested on the chair.
A hiss made him open his eyes short after.
"You" he sighed as he opened his eyes. The small snake had crawled up to his knees. The snake leaned back, as rejecting his words. Sasuke's eyebrows curved. "Fine, Saki"
The snake showed his back, in a motion that looked almost joyful.
"Hey, there. Guess who's writing from Kumogakure after meeting with the Raikage.
I'm surprised that little thing found me all the way here!
So, the meeting went well, it was just signing some treaties, we're going back to Konoha tomorrow. But, apparently someone related to the Raikage saw you back in the land of the waves and told him. He was outraged that we let you out of the village, or that didn't we had surveillance on you and shit like that. I insisted that you were different, that you were not going to be trouble anymore, that we trusted you. At the end he accepted it. But I wouldn't recommend coming here anytime soon. Not while he is Raikage at least. The next one is more accepting and understanding, is a cool dude."
A big sigh left Sasuke. He knew some of the high command wouldn't be too happy with this.
At least I have Naruto to back me up, he thought, smiling a little.
"Nothing much has been going on since. Each of us went kinda their own way. I just had to eat udon. Can you believe that? Udon! I walked for 30 minutes in this freezing town and not a single ramen place! I don't know how these people live like this."
His smile grew bigger. Lately, Naruto's letters were one of the few things that made him smile.
"Anyway, I'm done with this country, it's too cold and misty. You might like it, though."
He couldn't stop smiling, damn it. It was not a big smile, but he hadn't smile for so long it was weird. Even if those last words were between a nice thought and an insult.
"I think I'm getting the rhythm of what being Hokage is supposed to look like. And it looks like horrible hard work, but it must feel amazing to make such a big difference for the village. All that paperwork might as well be worth it. Can't wait to go to more meetings.
And about the stuff I erased. You're right, I've never backed down from saying anything, why should I now, right? Especially with you.
That last bit was the one that got erased the most. But I warn you, it's going to sound weird."
His eyebrows curled, his smile was gone, and his heart started beating fast.
"It's just, Konoha feels weird, you know? It already felt weird when you left, even after all that time. But now it feels empty, I think. I don't know how to explain it.
I guess I just miss you.
Naruto"
He snorted, and a short smile started to appear again. His earlier fear was cleared. He still belonged somewhere.
"Is it from a loved one?" the lady said out of nowhere, smiling.
Sasuke jumped.
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you" she kept smiling as she sat down in a table across from him. Sasuke sighed and relaxed in the chair again, looking at the letter. "So, is it from a loved one?" she asked, curious. Sasuke looked up, but said nothing, he was still processing the letter. "Sorry to be so nosy. You just looked so happy reading it, I figured…" she shrugged.
"It's...it's from a friend" he replied, his smile was gone.
Her smile grew bigger. "Of course" she said "How was the pie?" she asked.
"It was delicious, thank you" he said almost in auto drive.
"That's marvelous" she laughed softly. "Hope you keep enjoying your tea, sorry to bother you" she smiled, made a bow and left.
Sasuke went back to the letter.
"I guess I just miss you"
He read again. Those words suddenly made him feel a peace he hadn't felt in a while. The smile appeared again. He grabbed the letter and teared that last part, folded it and hid it in a secret pocket on the inside of his shirt's neck. That piece of paper was now a reminder. A reminder of that portion of light that was still part of him, that never left him. A sign that despite any guilt or shame he could feel, of how undeserving he could feel. There was still a place where he belonged, no matter what, something to be better for.
As Gaara had said, once he'd found it, never let it go.
"Usuratonkachi" he sighed. He shook his head slightly, stood up and turned to the kitchen. "Thank you for the tea, Ms. Kaori" he said with a bow.
"No, thank you, Sasuke" she replied with a smile and returning the bow.
He walked around the village for a few more hours. Helped a lot of construction workers to load and unload materials. Helped an old lady to carry bags from the store, she even gave him a peach for his troubles. Got a little girl's cat down from a tree. He even found a boy that had ran off his house chasing a dog. He found both.
"Thanks, boy!" the man said. He had helped him move some water tanks to the top of his house. The rinnegan made it all too easy. "I don't know how I would've done it otherwise"
"No problem" he replied, as he had done so many times that day.
They bowed to each other and Sasuke walked away.
Everybody had insisted in giving him money, or things, but he refused them all, he felt better that way. Except that peach, of course. How do you say no to an old lady, after all?
He felt like he needed a rest, so he went back to the shop of that lady he was at earlier.
"Welcome back!" she exclaimed as he walked in. "Everybody's talking about you!" she smiled.
His eyebrows curled.
"Yes! You've been so helpful to so many today. We appreciate that." she said. "There's definitely more ice tea and cakes on me for you, young boy"
"It's really no necessary" he tried to deny it.
"Nonsense" she clicked her tongue. "You need to rest and I'll give you ice tea, is the least I can do" she added. "Now sit, please" she insisted pointing at the table at the front.
Sasuke sighed. There was no way of saying no to this.
"Thanks, Ms. Kaori"
He sat down for a while, drank an ice tea and was able to relax.
Suddenly, his hand went into his satchel and pulled out paper and pen. He had to write a reply to Naruto.
I'm in Sunagakure.
