Sherby: Hey, long time no see guys. I know this has been ages coming but I wrote it out and then didn't save as I was going (durr) and then my laptop crashed and I lost it all. So I didn't wanna write it all out again...I'm facing it now though lol.
Also, before I start, two quick points. NARUTO SHIPPUUDEN HAS BEGUN! And It. Is. Fit. Go watch it! Secondly; I'm holding a fanart contest for my story – because I like fanart, hehe! Ok, the challenge is; take a moment from this chapter. Yes, only this one. Don't worry, I'll throw in plenty of moments to strike your arty creative minds. Then, draw it. Stick it up on your Deviant art account. Pm me on fanfiction (or on deviant art – look me up, sherbet mayhem). Tell me you want to enter. I'll post the winner of the contest in the intro to the newest chapter. The reward for winning? Second place gets an advanced preview of the next chapter before it comes out. First place gets an advanced preview...and also gets to have THEMSELVES or a character of their choice written into the story! Now, don't get too hopeful gals...I probably won't pair you up with Sasuke...but it would be cool to be part of all the goings on in this story, right? Come on, I can't offer you money. It has to be something different :P
Ok, so, if you plan to enter, let me know in a review of this story. Then I'll know how many people are actually bothering. Your entry doesn't have to be your own drawing either – you can get a friend to draw it if you like. I don't care. I just want some pretty pics of my story :P Whoever sends me the link to the pic gets the reward. So...have fun reading the chap, and try to find a moment you'd really like to draw, one that inspires your mind and your pen! Good luck! Sherby x
Chapter Ten: Hands and Feet
"I see you made it back, then."
Five bedraggled, fairly exhausted ninja dripped mud onto her office. The rising sun lit the window nearby, red and gold reflections cascading from the glass onto the puddles on the stone floor. That floor, she decided, was the bane of her life. Certainly, stone was easy enough to clean; but it was so cold in the winter, especially when she'd been yanked out of bed by an excited looking Shizune and hadn't had time to grab her shoes or slippers.
Tsunade hated early mornings. She remembered Dan trying to convince her of the beauty of the sunrise long ago, pointing out its painted edges groping blindly into the violet of the fading night sky, watching the stars glimmer their last for that night and fade away, overwhelmed by the vivacity of the sun. She had argued with him then and to this day could not understand what was so special about the rising of the dawn. She much preferred the opposite; the time when the sun hid behind the sea on the horizon and the stars made their welcome debut again. It was easier to appreciate a light when all else was surrounded by darkness.
She ran her light brown eyes sleepily over the assembled ninja in her office. Kakashi was the tallest, even slumping over, hair disheveled and skin pasted with mud. Sakura was no better. Grime and grease knotted her normally beautiful pink locks, and beside her, Naruto scowled, hands pressed against his muddy stomach, not letting the world forget that he needed to eat at some point too. To Naruto's left, Sasuke attempted to hold himself upright with some composure, despite dirt and mud darkening most of his features, and his black hair being littered with some sort of white powder; Tsunade's nose told her it was sea-salt. His attempts to look at least half decent failed miserably. Tsunade thought he looked just as bad as the rest.
The girl standing next to Sasuke was the one that caught her gaze and held it steadily. Brown, mucky locks hung around a slim face, and the Hokage could see that with a good wash the girl's hair would glow almost blond in bright sunlight. Her eyes were startlingly dark; not quite the same shade as Sasuke's. There was more brown in them. Softer. With a good scrub up, Tsunade supposed she would turn out well enough. The knot tied loosely around the girl's waist did not escape Tsunade's notice, but she pursed her lips together and did not comment. Desperate times; she understood.
They all looked fatigued. And they'd obviously been in a scrape or two. It wasn't every day Kakashi would return from mission with a tear in his clothing, or Sakura would wear such weary rings of exhaustion around her normally bright eyes. They stunk to high heaven, and Tsunade decided her first order would be for them to all have at least two showers.
"Why are you in such a state?" she asked a little sharply, the beams from the sun slanting through the glass and onto one side of her face. Kakashi raised an arm and scratched his neck.
"We were in a rush. Haven't slept in three days. Had to return the target safely and quickly, Hokage-sama."
Naruto wasn't used to hearing Kakashi speak so formally. He made a note that he would never force his people to speak to him like that when he was Hokage. He continued as Kakashi finished.
"That's right, Grandma! Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep, but we really went all out to get Chiyo back here safely, as you ordered, so cut us some slack!"
Tsunade growled, and to her right, Shizune sighed. Naruto was the most talented person she had ever met at pulling Tsunade's strings. She often wondered how the young man was still alive.
She ran her own eyes over the group, letting her gaze fall on the two Uchihas at the end. Dirty; filthy in fact, dead eyed, barely standing for lack of sleep – Tsunade could not remember a time seeing a member of the Uchiha clan look that way. The degree to which Konoha had changed since her childhood hit her in the way it tended to do; she enjoyed the feeling of newness briefly. Change, in her own opinion, was a good thing.
Still, she didn't like her own villagers to be messy and drip mud all over her floor. Plus, it was too early in the morning for her to be falling deep into her own thoughts. She waved her hand at them.
"You can give me your mission reports in two days. Until then, for goodness' sake, clean yourselves up. You all smell dreadful."
They didn't seem to care. Naruto made to leave, his stomach egging him on.
"Hold it. Uchiha. You and the girl. Stay behind."
Sasuke resisted rolling his tired eyes. He wanted to sleep so badly; to turn out the burning in his feet that hadn't yet been dispelled or push out the frightening memories from hours and days ago. He almost felt like a child, being dragged inside for a scolding from a stern parent. It was a feeling he'd almost forgotten. Part of him enjoyed remembering it, but the child in him cowered, fearful of a reprimand. Chiyo stood next to him, sagging under the weight of her tired body. He offered her a smile as the others left the room, their sandals clacking on the hard floor, and Naruto's stomach offering a smooth grumble before the doors swung shut.
Chiyo returned the smile sleepily, and then turned to face the Hokage. She scared her; a lot, actually. Chiyo hadn't been truly scared by a single person for a long time. Then had come Orochimaru, and her heart beat to be freed from her chest. That sort of adrenaline didn't hiss through your veins for nothing. Tsunade pushed Chiyo into a different kind of fear; she was worried about saying anything at all, just in case she trod out of line and annoyed the woman. She wanted to appear worth the trouble in this great woman's opinion. She wanted to impress her, and felt it was almost impossible with her slutty attire and messy appearance.
The echo of the door was followed by a short silence, in which Tsunade stared at both of them with hard eyes. Sasuke didn't seem too bothered; he'd borne worse looks than this. Chiyo trembled underneath her kimono. She was thankful for the mud; it hid the paling of her skin under the Hokage's gaze.
"Sasuke." Her voice was clipped too short, like a breath cut off by a choke. "Do you realise that you are still classed as a criminal in this village?"
Sasuke scowled. "I had a feeling this might come up."
He was met with an equally fearsome scowl from the blond, her messy pigtails falling over her shoulders.
"You've caused an awful lot of grief for me, Uchiha. Do you understand that the village elders are howling for your blood? Your behavior those years ago was a disgrace. "
Sasuke stared at the floor, and Chiyo watched him, almost shocked. She hadn't realised him leaving his village would be seen as such a crime. Perhaps it was the manner of his leaving that so badly upset the elders. She made up her mind to question him about it the next time they spoke.
"I've come up with a suitable punishment for you. In light of your returning, and cutting that damned curse mark out of your shoulder..." Chiyo was plainly taken aback now, and Sasuke avoided her eyes, something similar to shame playing across his face. His hand fingered its way up to his sore shoulder. "As well as taking part in Mission Uchiha and returning successfully...your punishment will be fairly lenient. You shall be watched at all times when you are out of the house. You must report to me at least once every other day to reassure me that you are still present and loyal to Konoha. You are a young man rich in ability, Sasuke. I do not wish to see it wasted. The final part of your punishment is that you must take upon yourself the responsibility of bringing this woman beside you back into the community of Konoha."
Chiyo could hardly stop herself jerking in surprise. She swallowed as Tsunade continued.
"She will live with you in the Uchiha complex – it's time you had someone else in there with you. You will provide her with food, bedding, water, and anything else she requires. You won't be going on missions yet, Sasuke; Mission Uchiha was an emergency and you had to be there, but regular missions are off limits for a while. You must fund yourself and this woman on the Uchiha treasury money; I'm aware there is a lot left. Train yourself under the guidance of Kakashi when he is home, and reacquaint yourself, and this young woman, with Konoha. Inform her of your past, and your treacherous actions, so she is entirely aware of her own situation as well as yours. Are we clear, Uchiha Sasuke?"
To Chiyo, Sasuke seemed more relieved than burdened by this news. He watched the older woman almost with disbelief across his messy features.
"That's it?" his mind whirred, searching the plan for any traps. She wanted him to train, get stronger. She wanted him to blend back into the village. She wanted Chiyo to find a home here.
"Why are you being so lenient?" his eyes bled suspicion. Tsunade offered him a crooked smile.
"As I said, Sasuke. You're a talented young man. This village could use somebody with your abilities. You could be an asset if you got your head screwed on right. Helping this woman will help you. Finding your home again in this village will help you. And you being here...will help us. This isn't mercy, Sasuke. There is necessity on all sides."
Her expression darkened. "Life will not always be peaceful for Konoha. We need to be at full strength. I trust I can count on your aid, Sasuke, should the village run into trouble."
Sasuke answered her inquisitive glare by spinning around on his heel. His bare feet made little sound on the stone floor, but Chiyo hurriedly followed him, her dainty shoes clapping along with her little steps. Tsunade chuckled.
"Girl! What's your name?"
Chiyo skidded to a halt nervously as Sasuke yanked open the door. She whipped around hurriedly, keen to make a good impression on what seemed to be a very wise woman at the desk (if not a little cranky). She pushed a strand of fuzzy hair behind her ear and then bowed as graciously as she could manage on slippery, tired feet.
"Chiyo, Tsunade-sama. Uchiha Chiyo."
Shizune flashed her a smile, and the Hokage nodded at her. "Welcome to Konoha, Uchiha Chiyo."
The first place he took her was the graveyard. He wasn't sure why, and he was certain it was more than a little morbid on his part. It hadn't really been a conscious decision, but his feet had pulled him there more quickly than he wanted them to; they should be resting, bathing, healing. Too many blisters. Sakura had been fairly exhausted by the time Kakashi and the group (without Shikamaru and Lee in tow, as they'd decided to continue with their initial mission) had arrived to find the pair of them sleeping, blissfully unaware of the drizzling rain around them. He'd woken up with a shake or two from Naruto, and had been about to scramble frantically away from the sleeping Chiyo when he realised the close proximity of their bodies, but had felt the pain flaring in the soles of his feet and had decided against it. It seemed selfish to ask the already worn-out Sakura to heal him; he only needed to run on his feet, and was sure he could manage. The mud conjured up by the falling rain was soft on his sore skin, and he did his best to simply ignore the throbbing.
Only in the last hours of the run had he begun to seriously limp, and by then it seemed a little pointless to ask anyone for help. Chiyo, unable to keep up with the trained ninja at their excessive pace, sat fairly comfortably on the back of Kakashi, who didn't seem to mind carrying her. Naruto and Sakura chatted in an attempt to lighten the mood...but they were all worried and expectant of yet another surprise attack. They knew their cargo was of the precious type to numerous people. Tension levels amongst them would not drop until they were inside the city walls.
They'd run through the night, and arrived in Konoha just as the sun was rising. Sasuke felt no guilt in raising the Hokage – it was her job to receive ninja into the village, no matter how late (or early) the hour. And now, he and Chiyo were alone once more, weak sunbeams falling onto their faces and blotting out the wet sky.
The Uchiha graveyard lay in a field just to the right of the original clan complex, which stretched for a good mile in either direction. They would have had to pass it anyway to get to Sasuke's house (Sasuke remembered how hellish that first year was, when he had to traipse past those heavy rows and grey slabs to simply get to and from school) but his feet had taken them directly to it. The trees around them were bare and dripped miserably. Water droplets glistened in the garish sun before falling lifelessly off the dead branches.
The graveyard itself was large; as would be expected. It was a little overgrown in places, although mostly it remained fairly well tended. Sasuke didn't do any of this himself and never had done. The Third Hokage had kindly taken care of that for him. Kept on cutting down the tangled grass and blossoming flowers. Kept the grass neat, kept the place bare. Sasuke liked it that way. He didn't like the idea of flowers growing up through his mother's skeleton and surviving in the light while she lay dead, hard, in the floor.
A low wooden fence surrounded the patch of land where the clan lay, but Sasuke had never read it. It was musty and to be honest he had always felt that words could not commemorate his family's memory to any degree of justice. Words. What could words say that dead flowers could not?
His feet followed the route they were used to taking as though he were on autopilot. He could hear Chiyo clacking along behind him, and could sense that she was nervous. Her shoes were loud on the path. He stopped abruptly and turned to the girl.
The sunlight highlighted her cheekbones, made her eyes glitter in a pretty way that the water on the dead trees could not match. However, the sun also brought out the tiredness in her skin, the sallow, pale complexion days on the run had blessed her with. He felt a little guilty for not taking her straight home and offering her hospitality. But this needed to be done; otherwise why would his feet have brought him here?
"Chiyo...could you...uh..." he realised he sounded a little ridiculous, but forced his sentence out. "Could you take off your shoes?"
Chiyo, her kimono ragged and tattered and her hair knotted in clumps around her face, stared at him. He watched her eyes curiously, knowing he looked stupid and exceptionally unreasonable. She glanced down at his feet, and the arch in her eyebrow lowered. Without a word of opposition, she slipped her tiny feet out of the noisy wooden shoes, sliding down onto the cold stone path and offering not a single complaint. Still, Sasuke felt he should explain himself.
"It's just...I always took my shoes off...at home, I mean. My mother scolded me pretty badly if I didn't...and this place is more home to me than that rotten house will ever be..."
He scratched his scalp with dirty fingers. "I sound like the world's biggest moron..."
She nodded, picked up her shoes, and walked to him. "It's alright, Sasuke. I wouldn't want to offend her."
He didn't really know what to say as she pattered past him and approached his parents' tombstone. His having been the most prestigious family in the clan, they had received a large, ominous grey tombstone, whereas most other members of the clan simply had either small, more dappled white stones, or a simple wooden stick rising out of the mud. Personally, Sasuke liked the wooden stick ones, although he could not for the life of him explain why. The deep grey of his parents' tombstone depressed him. He'd seen too much of it, he supposed.
Chiyo knelt before the stone, placing her shoes beside her, and was quiet. Beams of light rebounded from the dewy corners of the stone and fell down in scattered droplets upon the grass beside her.
"I found her, Mother." Sasuke said softly, much too softly for Chiyo to hear, and then he turned his heel, leaving Chiyo kneeling in the soft muddy grass. With her head down and her eyes closed, Chiyo was offering a traditional prayer to the most powerful family in the village. Sasuke's father had been the Chief of ANBU a long time ago, and Chiyo could recall meeting him briefly once or twice in her early years. He had seemed cold and professional, as she had expected. She had never met Sasuke's mother in her life (at least she hadn't been aware of it if she had) but the heavy tombstone commanded respect, and Sasuke's devotion to her memory was touching.
A light rain scattered itself onto her head, and she blinked, realising that there were tears in her eyes. This place, this graveyard, was so sombre, so heavy with angry, leaden dead. It made her feel weighty and awkward. She grabbed her shoes and quickly stumbled to her knees in order to let Sasuke pray. To her surprise, he was no longer behind her. He sat on the fence surrounding the field, sunlight pouring onto his back and causing his hair, no matter how dirty it was, to sheen. The rain began to drop a little heavier, and she ran over to him. He had his knees up casually, and simply watched the rain fall over the graves with sad black eyes.
Chiyo didn't really know what to say; part of her had been hoping that she could see the resting place of her own parents. It would be here somewhere. There had been an older sister, too; dead now, of course. Chiyo was oddly accustomed to the fact. It didn't really hurt her anymore; there were far darker memories in her mind to keep her awake at night. Still, it might be the right thing to do.
The main problem Chiyo was faced with in this situation was that she did not remember her parents' first names. Their second was "Uchiha", but she had always just called them "Mother" and "Father". Her sister was called "Suki", but it was a fairly common name, and Chiyo knew there could be any number of gravestones or little wooden sticks addressed to that name.
Sasuke seemed to sense her discomfort, and he turned his face away from the graves glaring so vengefully back at him, rain running down his pale skin and pushing through the dirt on his cheeks. He offered her the best smile he could.
"I like it when it rains here. There's too much fire left in these old bones."
She didn't know whether he was talking about himself or the dead bodies all around them. Still, she hauled herself up onto the fence and sat next to him, watching the grass turn a darker shade of green beneath the now heavy rain. A shiver ran through her, but she didn't care. Her family was here, somewhere.
"No...Chiyo...your family is dead...Sasuke is all you have left..."
The thought saddened her heart, and she sighed, hair clinging to her face and dripping down her chin onto her kimono. Sasuke listened to her sigh, and then hopped off the fence with as much balance as he could on blistered toes.
"That's enough here. You've seen it. You can visit it every day, if you want – or you can turn away from it every time you walk past. It's your choice. I had to give you that, right?"
Chiyo smiled back at him sadly, eyes sparkling with something other than tears. "Thank you...what choice do you make?"
The rain pattered onto his face as he thought, not seeming to mind the water falling on him. Chiyo squinted her eyes under the pressure of it.
"I look away, mostly. But...it...this place...these people...they're loaded on my back."
The Uchiha crest flashed fire across her mind, and she nodded, understanding. That symbol was a token, carried always by the avenger. A reminder. An offering. A sacrifice.
"Perhaps I can have one of your shirts, Sasuke," she smiled, a little brighter this time. The sadness on his face lifted.
"I don't see why not."
She was taken aback by the size of his house. Chiyo certainly hadn't expected it to be so spacious; traditional rooms with traditional décor, clipped, clean wooden floors and tatami mats scattered around, rooms bigger than her old house had been. The rain pattered on the windows as Sasuke led her quietly around the house, giving her what she supposed was meant to be the tour. He didn't say much. She imagined that this was the first instance in which he'd really shown anybody around his house in a long, long time. She felt pretty bad when she noticed the mud from her feet staining the immaculate wooden floors, but Sasuke's did the same, and she could always clean it up later. After all, he had asked her to remove her shoes at the graveyard.
What struck Chiyo most about this grand, spacious house was how quiet it was. Her footsteps, however slight, echoed around her ears. The sound of the gritty rain was all Chiyo could hear of the outside world. No ticking clocks. No voices. No television left on by accident. Just the sound of their feet on the wooden floor, and the occasional creak of a door as Sasuke pushed it open to briefly show her a room.
She liked the look of the shower, possibly because she felt so damned filthy. But it sparkled clean, and suddenly the idea of steaming hot water gushing onto her body became very appealing. Sasuke stopped a little way past the shower room.
"This is the bathroom nearest to your bedroom. Would you like to take a shower now, or settle into your room first?"
Chiyo felt awkward all of a sudden, and she didn't quite know why. Was she imposing upon his space? He'd lived here, alone, for many, many years, and had then left. Was this his first time back, too?
He was waiting for an answer, and Chiyo smiled a little weakly.
"If it's alright, could I just see where my room is?"
He nodded and turned quickly. Chiyo wondered if it was hard for him to let her in like this. She didn't really know a lot about him; she knew he'd searched for her desperately and risked his life for her, but did he have interests? Hobbies?
"Apart from killing his evil brother?"
She shook the thought away, frowning at her own callous mind, and hurriedly followed Sasuke as he moved down the narrow hallway. The walls were bare; a light cream colour, but with no pictures or decorations to brighten them. Everything here was so empty.
"We're in the main living quarters now," Sasuke said without turning to her. "The kitchen is down this way, too. This one is your room."
The entrance was a sliding door, and Sasuke opened it easily. He then waited for her to step inside. Chiyo nodded gratefully and entered the room. It was, like the rest of the house, spacious, with a dark wooden floor and a nice big window to let the light in. She smiled at the double bed tucked into the corner with neat, warm looking covers and two plump pillows. There was a wardrobe, a desk, and a mirror, all in matching oak, for her to make use of. Cream walls without any pictures made it look bare, but Chiyo imagined she could brighten it up a little more with some pictures, or perhaps a few plants here and there. A little sink in the corner gleamed ivory, and towels lay folded neatly below it.
"Stop it, Chiyo! This isn't your house to invade! Show some respect!"
"Is it alright?"
His voice was a little softer than usual, and she turned to grin at him to find him still waiting outside the room, watching her examine the place. She nodded vigorously and bowed.
"It's beautiful, Sasuke. Thank you."
He yawned in response. "Glad you like it. My room is just down the hallway, if you need me, or anything else, for that matter. Kitchen is at the end of the corridor. I doubt there's anything in yet...I haven't been here in a while...you hungry?"
Chiyo shook her head but her stomach made a liar of her by growling as she did it. She blushed. "I can wait."
Sasuke smiled broadly, and she was surprised by it. He looked so young when he smiled like that, and his eyes glinted happily.
"I can go get some. And I'll pick you up some clothes, too. You can't stay in that dirty kimono."
Chiyo laughed, glancing down at her filthy clothing. "You're no better!"
True, Sasuke's clothes were filthy. There were numerous rips in them, and beneath, Chiyo had noticed dirty bandages peeking through. He flushed under the dirt on his face.
"Yeah, but I already have clothes here."
Chiyo moved to sit down on the bed, but then remembered the state of her clothes, and pitied the cream bedding she was about to muddy up. She stayed on her feet.
"Could I get a shower while you're gone?"
He nodded at her, and his own stomach grumbled. "I'll be as quick as I can. Any particular meal you're wanting? As in, to say 'Welcome back to Konoha'?"
She chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "I...I really like...ramen..."
Sasuke's eyes widened at her and she wondered if she'd said anything to upset him.
"I mean, get what you want, Sasuke! I don't want to impose, or cause you any trouble..."
He was laughing at her now, and she grew uneasy. Was he angry at her? His face had fallen so suddenly moments ago, and now he laughed so easily...
"You can have all the ramen you like, Chiyo."
With that, he disappeared from her doorway, footsteps echoing on the wooden floor. Chiyo stood still for a moment, still trying to figure out what had just happened before she slid the door shut and finally took off her muddy kimono.
He didn't realise he'd bought quite so much. More importantly, he hadn't taken into account how difficult it would be to carry eight bags of groceries and three bags of clothes from the market in Konoha centre back to his own house, and he was having great difficulty making it back without dropping things in the mud. The rain was falling very heavily now, and he'd seen little point in changing his clothing, though he had had the sense to pull on a coat before he left the house. The market people had stared at him a little fearfully; it wasn't hard for him to understand why. He'd betrayed them, cruelly. He'd let the village down and conspired with the very man who had devoted so much time to trying to crush it. For all they knew, he could still be on Orochimaru's side. Sasuke simply grit his teeth and paid for his things quietly. He didn't really see what else he could do.
He'd been a little clueless regarding sizes for Chiyo, too, and he'd been a little bewildered upon entering an indoor clothes shop full of dazzling female attire. He didn't want to appear rude to Chiyo and simply pick up any old clothes, but at the same time, he was prepared to admit he was fairly clueless regarding female clothes sizes. Luckily enough, one of the attendants looked about a similar size and shape to Chiyo (he was surprised with himself that he'd noticed) and so she kindly helped him choosing underwear, robes, and everyday wear. He just hoped he didn't smell too much. He couldn't remember his last shower. He quickly handed over his money and left, a little flustered and aware that he was dripping water onto the floor of the shop.
Sasuke spent much longer in the food market, avoiding the "Ramen in a cup" section and heading towards the fresh food stalls, where he picked up all the ingredients he could come up with to make a decent home-cooked meal: pork, chicken, beef (this was a little on the expensive side), mackerel, turbot, some sweet-fish, onion, radish, lettuce, leeks, mushrooms, stock, tomatoes, and more. He also picked up a few cartons of milk and juice, and had no trouble purchasing two bottles of ginjo style sake – his favourite. Despite being far too young to drink, Sasuke had never really had any trouble acquiring the stuff, and although he wasn't in any way a drunkard, he appreciated the fine taste of rice wine and enjoyed it now and then, especially if he was in a good mood. He wasn't sure whether he was served the sake so quickly because he already looked over twenty years old or whether the man behind the stall was just a little frightened of him. Still, he bagged up his drinks fairly satisfied and moved to the sweets stall. He wasn't a fan; never had been. But his guest might be, and he didn't want her to feel as though he were cheap. On his way out of the market, despite being laden with heavy bags, he stopped at a tea stall and picked up a number of different varieties of tea.
The rain had made the village quiet, and he only passed two people on his way back to the Uchiha complex. He hurried along, partially because of his stomach growling at him, partially because his feet hurt if he walked slowly on them, and mostly because he didn't want to make Chiyo wait for his return. There was no other food in the house, and he'd felt like an idiot leaving her there with nothing to eat despite her being very hungry. When he finally got back, he was practically running, and his back was soaking wet with the rain that had soaked through his coat and his already damp shirt. With a sigh, he kicked the door shut behind him, flung off the shoes he'd grabbed before leaving, and headed towards the kitchen. The brown grocery bags were piled so high in his lean arms that he could hardly see over them, and his dirty black hair fell into his eyes, scratched headband doing little to stop it.
"Chiyo," he called out from behind the groceries, "I'm ba--"
He clunked right into her, causing him to drop one of his grocery bags and for her to stumble backwards in the hallway. Steam rose up from the bathroom, telling Sasuke she'd just finished her shower. He glanced up over the top of his pile of bags to apologise to her. He hadn't known she was just wearing a towel.
Opposite him, Chiyo blushed as their eyes met. She hadn't meant to him to see her like this; she'd spent far too long in the shower, cleaning every inch of dirt off her body, but had still expected to come out before he was back. She was covered well enough, but was hardly decent, and her face flushed bright.
"Sasuke, I'm—sorry---uh.."
She smiled when she noticed he'd simply lifted the grocery bags to cover his face, blocking his view of her and allowing her modesty to remain preserved. His hands fumbled about with the bags in his arms. After a moment where Chiyo didn't quite know what to say, he held out three bags to her.
"I got you some clothes. Hope they fit."
Chiyo repressed a chuckle at the embarrassed tone to his voice and took the bags, catching a glimpse of his flushed cheeks. His eyes were turned downwards to the floor, not prying or watching her in any way. She smiled.
"Thank you...I'll go try them on."
She hastily stepped back into her own room, sliding the door shut behind her. In the corridor, Sasuke sighed with relief, leaning against the wall for a moment, blush fading from his face. The steam from the shower smelled nice; not just of heat, but it smelled womanly. Chiyo had obviously chosen some sort of fruit scented shampoo, and the smell was carried out on the steam. He inhaled it gladly for a moment before picking up the bag he dropped, heading into the kitchen, and putting the groceries away.
Chiyo watched herself in the mirror. The clothes Sasuke had picked out weren't bad at all; although there was one fairly hideous dark brown skirt, she was hardly in a position to be choosy. The rest of the items he'd bought had been nice enough, and there were even some very beautiful kimonos that would have caught her own eye. She'd been surprised to see he'd picked her up some underwear too; two nice plain bras, one black and one a pretty yellow colour, and some panties. A smile graced her features; she knew full well he would have had no clue what to get. The underwear fit well, although the black bra was a little loose around her back. She threw on a black pair of shorts and a pale blue, long, sort of robe-shirt (similar, she noted, to the one Sakura wore) and left it at that. Sasuke had picked her up a coat, too; a pale green colour with a tie around the middle. That was a stylish little buy indeed. Chiyo was impressed.
The shower had refreshed her spirits, and she felt much better knowing her hair wasn't knotted with clumps of mud or her face wasn't covered with flecks of dirt and grub. After running a brush through her hair, which was starting to dry and curl around her face, she finally sat down on the bed to relax a little. The rain on the windows was soothing, and she began to drift off where she sat, mind rolling gently over the events of the recent days and still soft from the wonderful shower she'd enjoyed moments before.
A crash from down the hallway brought her to her senses, and she started up off the bed in a fright. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and her body, so loose moments ago, tightened up dramatically, as though a switch had been flicked. She knew people were after her. She knew they could be here. Shaking, Chiyo pulled open the door to her room and peered out. The sun offered no light though the windows in the hall, and she felt herself growing more afraid. Some sort of scuffling noise made itself known from the direction of the kitchen, and Chiyo, steeling her nerves, took a breath and headed towards it.
She reached the kitchen and paused before entering in order to steady herself. She was aware she was defenseless if she was being attacked. Clenching her fists, she prepared herself for the worst and stepped in.
The sight that greeted her made her freeze in shock.
The stone floor to the cooking area was littered with chopped onions and radish, and a chopping board lay dormant among the chaos. To her right, a pan full of water and a little stock was bubbling on the stove. Upon the window ledge next to the oven, a large black cat, fat and yellow eyed, hissed in the direction of the kitchen's other occupant. Sasuke. Sat on the floor, surrounded by chopped vegetables, looking extremely sour and annoyed.
Chiyo looked at him in surprise. "What happened?" Her voice was trembling and her fists were still clenched. Sasuke glanced up at her, eying the new clothes momentarily in approval, before answering and rubbing his head.
"That cat...for years that cat has been stalking this house, always sniffing around when I cook. She jumped on me...I was cutting the...she just...took me by surprise..."
Chiyo couldn't stop the laugh from slipping out of her mouth. The very idea of somebody like Sasuke Uchiha being taken by surprise by nothing more than a cat struck her as very, very amusing, and she covered her mouth, eyes sparkling with suppressed giggles. Sasuke glowered at her for a moment, before his face cracked into a smile too, and it wasn't long before the two of them were chuckling away. The cat, feeling the atmosphere lighten a little, crept back into the kitchen and began to munch away on a large chunk of onion.
Chiyo sank to the floor next to Sasuke, still grinning in mirth. Her hair had curled up and hung in semi-ringlets around her face. There was no more dirt on her face and she was fresh and clean, and smelled nice to Sasuke, who watched her for a moment happily. He hadn't been so relaxed in a while.
"Clothes look nice."
She blinked. "They fit well too! I was quite surprised!"
She fingered the light blue shirt she wore, and glanced at Sasuke's clothes. He still hadn't showered. Guilt struck her when she realised that he had been preparing food for her instead of cleaning himself up; although, she noted with some pleasure, he had washed his hands thoroughly before preparing the food. They were covered with numerous little wounds and cuts, but no dirt.
Looking over the boy next to her, Chiyo remembered the bandages she had seen on him as he crawled out of the water next to her own home those few days ago. In one way, that time seemed so long ago, almost years, but on the other hand, it felt like only yesterday she had run to his side and tried to help him. Why had he been covered in bandages? Was he hurt badly looking for her? How long had Team Seven been searching for her?
Reaching over, Chiyo pulled down the collar hanging loosely around Sasuke's neck, inspecting the dirty bandages still clinging to his pale skin. He looked uncomfortable with the contact, but did not pull away. The bandages were filthy, and he was aware that his shoulder had been throbbing over the past few days; the wound probably had dirt in it. Aside from his feet, he was still pretty beat up from his escape, and his body, although helped along drastically with the help of the talented medical ninja in Konoha, hadn't really allowed itself any time to recover. Moreover, two deep slits in his back, healed over from years before, were starting to ache. He knew they were still there.
"Sasuke," Chiyo's voice was very quiet, "Looking after yourself is more important than taking care of my stomach. I can cook while you get a shower and clean up. Afterwards, I want to look at these wounds and make sure you're alright."
He suddenly felt so tired again; the adrenaline his body had loaned him to run to town and back for Chiyo's sake seemed to have disappeared. No wonder he couldn't sense the cat coming in through the window. He was exhausted, and his body was still groaning. Nodding, he got to his feet, wincing as he stood on a piece of onion and it pressed sharply into one of his blisters.
Chiyo helped him to the shower, not supporting him at all but her arm resting upon his.
"I'll pass you some clean clothes through, Sasuke, alright?"
He nodded again as he turned on the water, giving it time to heat up while he peeled off his muddy clothes, and, more slowly, took off the dirty bandages which stuck to him like sweat in heat. The shower was not a cubicle but was more like an extended bath, with a crinkled up beige curtain to pull across. The soft sound of the hot water pattering upon the base of the bath was more relaxing than the rain on the window, and steam still floated around the room from when Chiyo had showered. He hissed at the bandages as he pulled them off, his skin stinging and wounds really biting him when he pulled the thin strips off. He dropped them on the floor, not caring that they were bloody and covered in mud, and clambered awkwardly into the shower, drawing the curtain across himself as the water washed his body frenziedly, pushing the mud away into the basin viciously. The liquid stung his wounds fresh and he moaned for a moment, squinting his eyes shut, holding his breath. Seconds later the pain was easing slightly, and he could begin to enjoy the warmth sliding down his chest and onto his knees. He heard Chiyo come in, but was completely covered by the shower curtain and did not need to worry. Instead, he reached for some shampoo and washed his hair vigorously, scowling at the grime that had found its way into his scalp and scratching it away. Chiyo had left the door open, and he could hear pans and plates being clattered about in the kitchen.
"Amazing...she's acting like she's always belonged here..."
Sasuke smiled softly, wondering if Itachi knew what was happening. "You thought this house would always be lonely, Itachi...we beat you."
He could hear Chiyo talking to the black cat, and it occasionally mewed in response. Fifteen minutes had passed pretty quickly and he finished scrubbing up as gently as he could, making sure to rinse the wounds as best as he could without causing them to bleed to much. He stepped out feeling sleepy, the steam caressing him as he reached for a towel. Chiyo had placed two large fluffy ones nearby, and, as well as some loose black trousers and a blue top, had found his white slippers in his room and had left them on the floor. Sasuke loved these slippers; they'd served him well when he was younger. Now, his heels slipped out of the back of them, but they were still as soft as he remembered. He roughly dried off his hair with a towel before venturing out into the kitchen, clean but sleepy. He greeted Chiyo with a yawn, sniffing the air tentatively. Whatever she was making, it smelled really good.
"Nice shower?"
Chiyo smiled warmly at him, and Sasuke noticed she'd found an apron and slung it over her neck, protecting her new clothes. Her face was a little red from the heat in the kitchen; three pans were bubbling away on the stove and she was in the middle of frying some fish. It smelled spicy and Sasuke's stomach growled quietly. He answered her without taking his eyes off the food.
"Great, thanks. And thanks for the slippers,"
Chiyo glanced down at them. "I thought your poor feet could use some relaxing. And before we eat I'm checking those wounds of yours."
Sasuke's face fell, and he looked hard done by.
"But it smells so good..."
Still, they both knew that those wounds could easily get infected, and the clothes Sasuke wore were rubbing into them nastily. He needed some bandages on them, and he could hardly do that on his own. Chiyo reached over to the stove and turned down the heat.
"This will be fine simmering here."
Sasuke sat down on a mat near the dinner table. His kitchen stretched out from the cooking area into a small dining room, neatly decorated but again plain and passionless. Chiyo wondered if Sasuke had removed all of the pictures of his family after they were killed. She had not seen a single photograph.
Pushing her wavy hair behind her ears, Chiyo knelt down next to Sasuke, who looked sulky at being deprived of the tasty smelling food. Any scratches on his face had faded under the pressure of the shower water and his skin was smooth and pale. He hadn't put his headband back on after his shower and his hair, still damp, fell into his dark eyes.
"Sasuke, I can't see your wounds like this."
With a sigh, Sasuke pulled his top off over his head, wincing when the material snagged one of his numerous injuries. Chiyo studied his torso, checking the wounds and prodding them here and there to make sure there was no infection. The wound in his stomach had opened a little, but there was no sign of anything dangerous, so she moved on to the one in his left collarbone region.
"How did you get this?" she said softly as she ran her fingers over the deep gash. It hadn't really healed up much; although it was not bleeding anew, it didn't seem to be scabbing and yellow tinted the edges of it. Dirt had probably entered the wound and begun to infect it. Sasuke answered without looking at her.
"I was cursed, a long time ago. And that's where the mark was. To get rid of the curse...I cut it out."
Chiyo stared at him, aghast. "You did that to yourself?"
Sasuke didn't move, didn't look at her. He watched his fingers, which were playing with a loose thread of cotton poking up underneath the mat he sat upon.
"You don't understand."
Although Tsunade had ordered Sasuke to inform Chiyo of his actions in the past, Chiyo could understand that she wasn't about the get any more information from him at this moment in time. She closed her mouth and continued to examine the wound.
"It's on the verge on infection. I need to clean it."
She swung herself to her feet with an energy Sasuke could not comprehend and walked directly into the kitchen, returning with one of the bottles of sake he had purchased and some tissue, as well as a pile of bandages she had found in the bottom drawer of the main kitchen cabinet. He pulled a face at her.
"That sake was expensive!"
She frowned at him. "Would you rather have a pussing, infected shoulder?"
He was quiet as she administered the alcohol to the wound, although she could see his jaw muscles tensing up as he clenched his teeth. She dabbed away, pulling out the infection as much as she could and cleaning it to the best of her abilities. Chiyo was no nurse, but she had looked after herself for a very long time.
"You need bandages, you know."
He nodded, shoulder stiff and face set in a frown. Chiyo, taking that as the go-ahead signal, began to wrap his wounds in clean, soft bandages, pulling them tightly around the shoulder wound especially, which had started to bleed because of her prodding. She wrapped the biggest one on his stomach, trying not to appear rude as she bent down low to fasten the material around his waist. Sasuke obviously was not enjoying this; he was scowling, not at her particularly, but at being babied so much. He looked as though he were thinking about something very hard. Chiyo flashed him a smile.
"I think you're done!" she said, her face down at his stomach as she tied the knot tightly. He looked down at her, staring at her for a moment, black eyes never leaving her own. Chiyo blushed; she hadn't meant for the close proxemics, but how else was she meant to tie bandages around the wound?
A frothing, bubbling noise caught her attention and she broke off her gaze, turning to the stove.
"Oh no! The pans are going to boil over!"
She scrambled to her feet, still flushing, but was turned back by a grip on her wrist. And before Chiyo even think about it, she was pulled into a deep, deep kiss; totally unexpectedly, with his hair brushing into her eyes and his hands running up and down her back. And, without really telling herself to, Chiyo was suddenly pulling him closer into her, her own soft hands brushing themselves through his hair, enjoying his hands on her slim form. She hadn't ever been kissed this way; she'd been paid for, sold off, felt up, gone down; but never had she truly felt wanted by her partner. The men she'd worked for, with wet, big lips and desperate bodies, the ones who dove straight for her vitals and never really pulled her in, the ones who expected her to do the work and keep quiet about it, the ones who had made her sick when they were inside her; none of them had pulled her close this way. None of them had his strong, lean torso, None of them had his soft, dark eyes. None of them sent lightning running from her lips to her insides, none of their hands moved slowly the way his did. And as his hands began to slip around from her back to her front, Chiyo felt herself being pulled further and further in with each little groan that escaped through his lips. And he took his time, and she pulled him in too, sliding her hands all over him, breathing heavily, and when they broke off to look at one another for a moment, Sasuke's eyes had turned red, beautiful red, passion and close, closer than Chiyo had felt before. She wrapped herself around him and turned out the sound of the water in the pots bubbling over onto the stove, choosing to lose herself in the catches of his breath and groans slipping out his body and into hers.
Sakura sat down with a sigh, her weary body worn out. A shower had helped her, but now she knew it was required of her to write a full mission report and address Tsunade with it in the morning. Plus, she also knew that Naruto and Kakashi would probably not bother writing theirs up, and so she had to work even harder on her own report. She took a seat in her living room; her mother and father were eating out, and she had the house to herself. Clad only in a thin nightgown, Sakura pulled out a pen and began to write.
"What are you writing?"
Sakura jumped, flinging the pen into the air and stifling a scream. Standing on the other side of her living room was a man she had never met in her life, smiling at her.
"How---who are you?" Sakura's voice was shrill and frightened. She instinctively covered herself up; the nightgown she wore was only thin and she flushed. The stranger did not seem to have noticed. Sakura watched him, heart pounding, not for a second ignoring the fact that he was very handsome; long, blond hair, braided back and hanging down his back, rich bangs flopping into bright yellow orbs that did not take themselves off her face.
"Just because he's handsome doesn't mean he's not a bad guy!" she told herself frankly, "Be on your guard, Sakura!"
"Forgive me," he said, golden eyes twinkling in the dying sunlight that crackled through the windows. His voice was smooth, and he winked at her.
"My name is Edward. I'm your new team mate."
Sherby: PHEW! That was a HUGE chapter! 16 pages on Word! Wow! A little fluffy in places, and not a lot of action (that will be coming soon, I promise) but still...aw, I do love the fluff. And who is Edward? I'll tell you who Edward is. He's been nicked from Full Metal Alchemist – he's Edward Elric. I decided that he's such a cool character that I want him in my story. So here he is! He offers a huge contrast to Sasuke's dark personality. I like it!
So yeah! Don't forget – art contest! Also don't forget – PLEASE review me :D I worked on this for DAYS!!! Till next time, ja ne! God bless! Sherby x