Disclaimer: Naruto, not mine, Kishimoto's. You know.
A/N: Yeah, I know it's five chapters, but the end's worth it. Promise.
It was one of those days where clouds seemed to hang suspended in the sky above Konohagakure like veins of marble in a globe of lapis lazuli, cushioned in the deep verdant that was the vast forests blanketing all of central Fire Country.
A bird, surveying its territory, would find a sea of green, whispering in the wind, broken only by a perfect circle of gold, like a monolith braving the endless crashing of waves upon its surface. As it flew nearer, the bird would see the golden ring resolving into a shining citadel, resplendent with red-roofed buildings reaching for the sky. Flying even closer would reveal moving figures, on the streets, across the rooftops, through the grass and trees, like a busy hive of bees.
One pocket of inactivity though, would draw the bird in closer out of curiosity. It would dip low on its wing, skimming just above the multitudinous heads, only to be stopped short. Eyes! Onyx eyes of fathomless depth glared through poor creature, piercing through its very soul. With a cry, the bird turned and fled to the sanctuary of its viridian forest.
Sasuke Uchiha watched as the bird flew off, wishing to trade places with it. The crowd around him was growing boring, with its never-ending calls of "traitor" this and "murderer" that. If only he could summon his chidori. Let them sneer at him then! Sasuke sent a wave of chakra to his fingertips then, only to feel nothing, not even a tingle.
He curled his lip in a silent snarl. Damn Tsunade and her seals! His chakra system had been completely and effectively sealed off. He studied the arcane symbols on his arms and wrists and he let his mind wander back to the event that brought him back to this accursed village.
Sasuke could remember it as clearly as if it had been yesterday. Flashes of lightning cut through the darkness of his mind, bouts of freezing rain drenched him to his bones, immense amounts of chakra in the air snapped and crackled around him, as ANBU masks danced in and out of the darkness, in a silent pantomime of death and destruction.
He was torn out of his reverie by a gentle touch to his arm, cool and soothing. Sasuke jerked his had to the right. A girl stood there, about his age and height. She was dressed in a simple sleeveless dress that reached past her knees, shimmery silver with touches of iridescent gold and pink and adorned in patterns of crystal beads. The dress was belted at the hip with a simple black belt with a gold buckle, giving the viewer the sensation of looking at a lake vista as the sun's first rays adorned it. At her wrists were large, golden bangles, and at her throat, a single pink pearl. She smiled at Sasuke, and he noticed her eyes were bluish grey, almost silver, matching her dress and accented by black hair which framed her petite face and flowed freely to her waist. He wasn't sure why his mouth suddenly went dry and his heart rate sped up. Must be relief, a voice in his voice said, erecting a giant wall in his head. He was fine, really.
A gentle push at his elbow again jarred Sasuke back to the real world. He shook his head and followed the girl's lead out of the crowd. Suddenly, he realized that the mob was silent, and even dispersing. He glanced at the nearest man, who now refused to look him in the eye. Searching through his own memories, he vaguely remembered the girl's voice, sweet and lilting, yelling at the crowd.
Che, he thought to himself, so now they feel bad about it, do they? Wait...sweet and-?
He shook his head again and hurried after the girl, who turned and stopped at the change in his pace. They were far from the site of the crowd, out of earshot.
"Hey," he muttered, hands in his back pockets, "thanks for that back there,"
"No problem. Creeps like that need their heads handed to them," she said, laughing and tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, "So, my name's Sakana. What's yours?"
"Sasuke," he said, accepting the proffered hand, "I don't believe I've seen you around here before,"
"Oh," she said, laughing lightly, her voice like a bubbling spring, "I'm new around here. Would you like to show me around town?"
"But of course," he said, puffing his chest.
They both laughed, and set up a time and place to meet again, and Sasuke waved until she turned a corner. It was then that he realized he'd been smiling the whole time. Sasuke frantically massaged muscles taxed beyond human proportions.
What was going on?
Konohagakure-Leaf Village. Will be referred to as Konoha from now on.