"Do you really hate me that much?" Karui froze and felt her heart stop. For the moment she was speechless. Her mind went into overdrive trying to think of what to say, it shouldn't have been that difficult. It was an easy question, wasn't it.

Before she could stop herself her body went limp and she hung her head feeling the kunai at her neck bite into the wound she received a few days before. A few days ago she would've given him a quick and simple answer accompanied by some dramatic show of violence. But now, 'This stupid village is messing with my head.'

"I know what happened to your clan, why you betrayed the village." Karui said softly. Since her mind wouldn't cooperate she decided to let her mouth do as it pleased.

Sasuke's breath hitched and his grip tightened slightly.

"I understand why you did it, but it doesn't justify your actions." She kept her eyes fixed on the ground.

"After my father died and I became a genin, Bee-sama was the one who kind off filled that spot. I'm not saying he replaced him, no one ever could. But he helped me move on, encouraged me to honor my fathers memory." She took a deep breath before finishing, "I don't hate you, but I guess...I'm still angry."

Sasuke didn't say anything, didn't move. Just stood perfectly still breathing against her neck. She waited, her head hung low although the kunai was getting a little harder to ignore. Suddenly he moved closer to her ear staying still before he whispered.

"I'm sorry."

Karui didn't know what to say. She wanted to say thank you, to say that he was forgiven but none of these seemed like appropriate responses. After all Uchiha Sasuke wasn't the type to apologize and she certainly didn't want to seem like she's just been waiting for him to do so. So she went for something a little more... unconventional.

"Are you gonna let go of me now asshole or are you just going to hang onto me, like those fan girls of yours hang onto you?"

"Hn. So you have been stalking me." He replied if Karui was facing him she probably wouldve seen him smirking at her.

"In your dreams, now let me go!" She started struggling again.

"No." He said calmly

"No?! Why the hell not?" She asked still struggling

"Because your a loser, Loser."

Her anger spiked momentarily forgetting the conversation they just had. "FOR THE LAST TIME, DON'T CALL ME THAT!" She elbowed him in his side causing him to release her. Spinning on her heel she turned and lunged at the Uchiha only for him to duck and catch her wrist pulling her against him.

"Karui." He said staring down at her.

"Now was that so hard bast-" Karui's mind shut down and refused to start up again, because before the redhead could finish her sentence Sasuke had lowered his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers. "And what's my name?" He whispered against her lips. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, so she closed it feeling stupid for letting him do that to her. "Sasuke." He said before pressing his lips against hers sliding an arm around her waist, her eyes drifted shut and she leaned into the kiss.

When he pulled away she opened her eyes, "Sasuke." The name fell from her lips before she could stop herself. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she had done. Sasuke smiled a genuine smile, one that Karui knew she would probably never see again. So she smiled back softly.

He let go of her wrist, letting the hand around her waist slide up to her head cupping her head slightly before slipping the hitai-ate bandanna off her head. Crimson red bangs slipped onto her face covering her forehead and the sides of her face.

"I like you better this way." Before she could reply he walked past her back the way they had come.

"Hey! Give that back!" She yelled seeming to snap out of shock.

"Make me, Loser." He said without a shred of emotion.