Summary:
Some people don't ask questions because they want to hear answers; they ask questions because they want to hear questions. What are you? [AU] [Hinted SasuHina] [Non-Chronological Linked Drabbles]
General Disclaimer For The Entire Story:
I don't own Naruto. If I did, I would've done a reprint of Part I with cleaned-up art, and I would've filled in the glaring plot holes evident in some chapters. Oh, and the cover picture isn't mine, either. Should I change it? (Does anybody actually read this disclaimer?)
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(play-acting under the theatre lights)
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[Age 16]
It's not personal, not really, not anymore.
Maybe it was just a bit personal when he left, maybe he had been a tad angry at him being so easily overpowered, maybe he had been a mite frustrated with himself at his lack of a promotion, maybe he had been a snippet bitter about Naruto and Hinata seemingly still leagues ahead of him with Sakura swiftly closing the gap.
Maybe maybe maybe be as it may.
But it's not personal right now.
Right now, as he stares at the stone over his head, as he prepares for a confrontation, as he thinks and wonders, it's not personal.
He did what he did, and it's done.
Hinata would understand; she'd read the letter and understand, because she'd been the one who pushed him to find guidance for improving himself in the first place all those years ago, and if anyone would understand his choice, it would be the one who sparred and trained and advised and taught him for 4 years.
She'd understand, and perhaps she won't approve, but she'd understand.
Naruto wouldn't understand; he's too emotionally invested in him as his rival-friend-frenemy to understand, because he'd persist in believing the best of Sasuke even through the worst, and if anyone would chase a supposed-traitor to the ends of the earth and back and refuse to kill him in an attempt to 'bring him home', it would be the one who bickered and teased and fought and encouraged him for 4 years.
He won't understand, and perhaps he will sympathize, but he won't understand.
Nobody else would understand either; 'revenge-obsessed', 'greedy', 'cold-hearted traitor', 'betrayer', 'sob-story', 'mislead and misguided', 'confused and desperate', 'pitied orphan', 'last of the Uchiha', 'deserter', 'perfect vessel', 'delusional', 'power-focused', 'rare bloodline', 'potential prodigy', 'lost asset', 'kill-on-sight'.
Titles.
They wouldn't understand, truly.
They wouldn't understand the concept of doing something you dislike, you hate, you loathe, you resent in return for the power to do something.
He knows that Hinata dislikes her Clan, hates her father, loathes the seal, resents the limits locked on her.
Are those feelings well-founded?
Will they stay the same?
Who knows.
But she understands when you have to play a part, as distasteful as it may be, in order to achieve your goals.
So this isn't personal, this isn't some grudge against Konoha, this isn't a rebellion based on imagined slights.
This is just him playing a distasteful part to achieve his goal.
It's all long-term, now, and for the ruse to be discovered too early would be... bad.
Difficult to work with.
Too long-term, though, and he might sink too far into his part.
He's glimpsed Hinata's hidden mini-fits and overheard secretive rambling-mutters to herself, gripping her head like it's a migraine and shouting to nobody in the forest.
He's felt the fear in her eyes whenever she catches herself saying something, thinkingplanningreacting something.
She's afraid her mask of the heiress will cling too tight and one day melt into her skin and she won't be able to get it off.
It's incredibly ironic, really, because Hinata wants strength in order to control her life, while the source she exploited for that very strength is simply given more control.
Method acting...
Should he be equally afraid that his mask of the defector and apprentice will cling too tight and one day melt into his skin?
"Sasuke-kun~! Some of your, ah, friends have come to see if you'd like to play. Are you coming up?"
Sasuke closes his eyes, and when he snaps them open, they're bleeding sunset hue into his vision.
He gets off his bed in an Otogakure base, making his way calmly upstairs, through the silent throngs of readied reinforcementsmeatshieldssacrificeexperimentsssafetyvessels swarming the chilly stone tunnels, their blank eyes following him, moths to a fire that will burn their wings.
"Sasuke-kun~?"
"Let's get this over this," Sasuke cracks his neck from side to side, not missing the Snake Sannin's unholy look of delight at finally seeing how his pet-project will fare against his former (?) allies.
(Get away, dobe. It's useless.)
He steps out the most obvious entrance.
(Help me, Naruto. I'm trapped.)
Sasuke raises his head to meet the judgement in Naruto's gaze.
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.
.
(There is none.)
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Condemnation of a traitor?
No.
Salvation for a friend.
Naruto, you selfless charisma-oozing idiot, you.
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