Disclaimer: I do not own the Anime or Manga Naruto, or the characters contained within it. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Through the Darkness
Chapter 6 - To Trust, or Not to Trust?
"I'm not really entirely sure. My mother knows, but it's not as if she really shares much with me. I know that my sister was staying with some really bad people for a long time, and then she suddenly disappeared. I guess she's not associated with them anymore."
"It's getting late, we should all get some sleep."Sasuke interrupted, obviously having no interest in the conversation about your past."Tomorrow night we'll be at Konoha's gates, because we haven't taken any breaks the trip has been much faster."
Sakura and Naruto obliged, both heading into the tent without a complaint. Both of them were exhausted.
"It's not that far, you can crawl."The cold-hearted boy commented upon noticing that you still hadn't moved yet.
"I know, but... I'm not really tired right now."
He grunted, annoyed with the fact that he'd have to deal with your antics for a while longer until you went to bed, and until then he wouldn't be able to accomplish any training. His being annoyed was no secret though, it was plainly obvious that while he didn't hate you he didn't much like you either.
Tilting your head back, you sighed to yourself,"Once the others are asleep, I want to tell you some things, if you don't mind listening. I don't think they'll bore you."
Having caught his attention now, Sasuke didn't mind waiting as much. He only hoped that it was more interesting than the whole conversation you had with Sakura about your family and past.
After fifteen minutes had passed, all the time spent with you staring up at the stars and moon, you could distinguish Naruto snoring. Though you couldn't be sure if Sakura was sound asleep, as she didn't snore, you began regardless.
"When.. We first talked... I told you about... My hands."With every word you hesitated, unsure whether or not you should be saying it."Well, you see... It's not really something that can be used as a weapon, despite what people think. The kekkei genkai itself is just the ability to pass through solid objects."
Though not as interesting as he would've hoped, Sasuke listened silently.
"That ability alone is... Rather useless considering how much chakra it takes to concentrate on being able to do it. You couldn't make your entire body pass through a solid object, if you did you wouldn't have an ounce of chakra left. Perhaps you could do your entire arm safely, though..."
Shoving his hands in his pockets, the Uchiha closed his eyes and simply listened. He prayed it would get interesting soon or that you would finish soon. Either way you'd almost entirely lost his interest; your words were boring him.
You continued, unable to see his expression,"Well, eventually... My ancestors married into a family who had an affinity for healing... That's what created the kekkei genkai you see me using today. Most wouldn't realize it, but... With my hands... I could actually stop internal bleeding... If I were able to control it better... That's why it's so special."
"And? I don't care to be educated on your abilities."
Startled by his sudden interruption, you stuttered,"S-sorry, I just t-thought that should be explained first... I mean.. I thought it would interest you in why I'm here. Last time we talked you wanted to know why."
"Yes, I did, but you didn't tell me then. Why would you tell me now?"
"I think you can help me."
He jerked his head around and glared at you quizzically."Help you?"
Lowering your head, you cupped your hands together,"I don't want the Hokage to know everything. I mean, I don't want her to know the full story. That's why I was hoping you wouldn't tell her anything."Before he could reply, you continued,"But since I don't expect you're the type would tell her, anyways, I have a different favor..."
Staring at you, he didn't say a word.
"That's why I want your help though."With that you looked up at him."I want you... To help me train. Train to become stronger."
"Your hands are too clumsy to wield a kunai,"He replied solemnly without a defining expression on his face that could reveal how he felt,"You shouldn't worry about fighting, you have no reason to."
"Remember? What I said earlier about my sister being mixed in with some bad people? Well.. They're not just bad, they're horrible, and they're powerful. I don't know who or what they are exactly, or how many of them there are... But I do know that they're coming after me because of my kekkei genkai."
Crossing his arms over his chest,"How do you know they are?"
"My sister told us,"You explained,"She always sends letters. They're addressed to me but my mother hasn't let me read a single one. I don't even know the full story, but that is what I do know."
He gave a shrug,"It's not my problem, it's yours. You should learn how to fix it."
"I-I want to..!"You exclaimed desperately,"I want to fix it myself, but I need help to learn how to do it, that's why I'm asking you! Haven't you ever felt so helpless, that you would do anything just to be strong enough?"
Something, flashed across his eyes, like a flicker of light amongst the darkness. You were unsure if it was a good sign or bad one, for the expression on his face remained as monotonous as ever. Not only that but he didn't speak a word, only staring at you wordlessly.
Due to the fact that the others had counted on Sasuke to do so, the fire had not yet been extinguished. It remained flickering beside the both of you, protecting you from what would've otherwise been a freezing night.
By the light of the flames you could discern his features much more easily than you had in the past few days you'd been with the leaf-nin. Since you'd joined them you'd never really paid attention, but here in the light when he was staring back at you, you could see.
'Even though he's so young, he looks so old. Those eyes are so worn and cold, and his skin is sheet white... And there's lines below his eyes as though he hasn't had a peaceful nights sleep in ages.'
Finally, his eyes twitched and he seemed to recover from the trance he'd been temporarily consumed by."You should go to bed."
Sighing inwardly, you averted your eyes.
'Of course, changing the subject...'
"You're going to need rest if you ever want to heal that broken ankle of yours. I can't train you until then."Turning away from you, he grasped a bucket of water, pouring it across the fire which screamed in anguish as the last of it's flames dissipated.
Smiling to yourself, you began crawling to the tent, murmuring quietly so his ears could pick up your voice,"Oyasumi... Sasuke-san..."
"Oi! Gray-hairs!"Shaking you rather violently, Naruto bellowed in your ear,"OI! GRAY HAIRS!"
Your eyelids jerked themselves open and you instinctively punched the blonde straight in the face, screaming while committing the act. Tears trickled down your cheeks as you turned your head away, eyes closed.
"Gr... Gray... H-hairs... Time for... Breakf...ast.."He muttered before collapsing upon the end of your sleeping bag, a gigantic bump appearing across his forehead, where you'd aimed your punch.
"Oh! Naruto-san!"Leaning over to examine him, you apologized quickly,"Gomen... Gomen... Gomen..!"
Rubbing his forehead, he lifted himself and mumbled a few curses before turning toward you,"Breakfast, Gray Hairs."
"Gray... Hairs..?"
"You have gray hair."He responded, standing to his feet before dusting off his pants and traipsing out the tent.
Following close behind him, only crawling, you came to find Sakura and Sasuke holding a handful of berries, occasionally popping one into their mouth's. The kunoichi was kind enough to offer Naruto a few from her hand, though somewhat begrudgingly.
"Here. Eat some."Sasuke commanded, barely giving you enough time to cup your hands and catch the berries as he tilted his hands, dropping more than half.
"Sasuke-kun!"Sakura called out, a bit jealous and concerned,"You haven't eaten hardly any yourself. Should you really be sharing that many..?"
"I hate berries."He replied coldly before dumping the remaining berries into his mouth, then chewing a few times before swallowing.
After everyone had finished eating, you found yourself upon Sasuke's back once more, even though he'd told Naruto to do it. The blonde seemed to find your punching him this morning as an excuse for not wanting to carry you. Sakura pummeled him at least a dozen times for not doing it himself, though, but despite that he didn't change his mind.
Sasuke had also insisted that, since he was forced to carry you... (again)... Sakura and Naruto had to carry both of your backpacks. Of course, the pink-haired kunoichi jumped at the chance to carry Sasuke's backpack. Though it seemed, if only to spite her, Naruto took Sasuke's, leaving Sakura to carry yours.
As everyone began heading down the road, you felt a great feeling of excitement welling up in your chest. Knowing that Konoha was closer than every before made you think of all the possible friends you could meet there, besides the ones you made on the way there.
'At least now Naruto and Sakura don't seem to hate me...'
This was what made you the happiest, having been accepted by them. Even Sasuke had become increasingly more... Well, perhaps "friendly" wasn't the term. Though he didn't seem to dislike you as much as before!
"It won't be long... And we'll be in Konoha..."You commented cheerfully before glancing over at Sakura and Naruto."So... How about seeing your families again?"
Naruto grinned, eyes closed as he replied,"Iruka-sensei will definitely treat me to Ramen!"
"Yeah, it will be nice."Sakura said, voice soft as she smiled at the thought of seeing her family again.
Strangely enough, Sasuke remained entirely silent. Though at the mention of family he seemed to tense up, as though the thought of it made him... Unhappy? Sad..? Angry? You couldn't be positive what emotion he was feeling. However you were wise enough not to push the matter either.
'I hope it's as great as everyone makes it out to be...'
It wasn't until the sun was melting behind the horizon and the darkness spilled across the sky that you finally arrived at the gates of Konoha. Everyone seemed relieved to finally be home, in fact Naruto's reaction could be considered exceptionally ecstatic.
"YEAH!"He screamed at the top of his lungs, punching the air rather dramatically,"RAMEN!"
The kunoichi smiled, seeming rather upbeat herself,"Naruto, before we do anything else we need to take Kana-san to the Hospital and report to Hokage-sama."
A sweat drop clutched the back of his head as he turned around, drool dripping down his chin,"Right.."
After your rather embarrassing entrance into Konoha, Team 7 made their way toward the Hospital. On the way there you earned many glares, and in general odd looks. The strangest thing was the glares came from young females about your age.
"Don't pay attention to them,"Sakura assured.
"Haha!"Naruto busted out laughing every time he saw someone glaring at you,"Yeah! Sasuke's rabid fan girls!"
"Fan... Girls...?"
A little taken aback by your obliviousness to the fact that Sasuke was rather popular, Sakura explained,"Sasuke-kun is Konoha's number one rookie, and the most attractive graduate of the year. It's to be expected that many girls would be interested."
"I guess that makes sense..."
Naruto muttered something along the lines of Sasuke being about as attractive as a mule's ass, which earned him a swift, solid punch to the back of the head from Sakura. This assured that he spoke not another word about it.
"Almost there..."Sasuke muttered as they came to the entrance of the building.
Once inside, you directed toward the proper floor of the hospital where they would heal your ankle. This is where you parted with Naruto and Sakura who left to retrieve the Hokage and bring her to your room. However, with their absence you once again found yourself in an awkward silence.
Even once Sasuke had safely delivered you to the room you had been assigned to, he still didn't speak a word. Nor did he leave, however, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed upon his chest, gaze directed toward the floor.
"I guess you're glad to be back, Sasuke-san..?"
Closing his eyes for a moment, and sighing as if he was annoyed by the fact you always interrupted the peaceful silence, he replied with a solid,"No."
"Oh.."Was all you could manage to mutter, unable to think of what else you could possibly say. However, the curiosity tugging at the back of your mind persuaded you to persist..."Why not?"
Slowly his eyelids parted open and he glanced up at you."There isn't a reason to be glad."
His answers were always disappointing, lacking personal information that would satisfy your curiosity. It almost seemed that toying with people's minds was an amusing game for the Uchiha.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he shuffled toward the door.
"W-wait!"You stuttered, flabbergasted at the fact he had suddenly decided to desert you.
He glanced back silently.
"I.. I don't want to be alone..."You mumbled, a subtle blush tinting your cheeks.
"Tch,"He responded, averting his eyes and continuing toward the door,"You're annoying."
'A-annoying...?'
Your eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly at his insult.
Clutching the handle of the door, he jerked it open before speaking once more,"Sakura has your backpack, and I have fulfilled so I have no obligation to stay here. Don't be so weak."And with that, slammed the door shut after stepping into the corridor.
Falling back upon your pillow, after having been in a sitting position, you laid upon the bed with a perplexed expression plaguing your face. Once again Uchiha Sasuke hadn't failed to surprise you. His behavior and reactions were entirely unpredictable, in all circumstances.
Laying your arm across your forehead, you sighed deeply.
'I wonder... If he'll really train me when my ankle heals up?'
Your thoughts were interrupted by the door creaking open as the Hokage of Konohagakure stepped in, followed only by Haruno Sakura.
Much to your surprise, the Hokage of Konoha, a legendary sannin, had the appearance of a twenty year-old. Not only that, but she was a very elegant and beautiful person, though it seemed she was fairly serious, with her arms crossed over her chest.
"So you are Teitoku Kanako?"
"Oh, I—"
Her eyes narrowed,"I've heard of the Teitoku Clan."
Your eyes widened, and you were once again surprised.
'How does she know... The Teitoku Clan? We're so small... No one could know about us... Right?'
"So, you broke your ankle, eh?"
Approaching you, Sakura set your backpack beside your bed before turning back to the Hokage."Tsunade-sama..."
"You may leave, Sakura."
Glancing back at you with a slight smile, Haruno Sakura bowed her head before shuffling out the door, and most likely back to her own house with her own family.
Pulling a chair over to your bedside, the Fifth Hokage took a seat before extending her hand to your ankle and removing the bandages. All the while she remained silent. You were unsure whether she was simply a cold person, or whether she was too busy trying to focus on the task at hand to make small talk.
"Well, it was dressed well, and it's already began to heal. I can finish healing it, but you won't leave this room for two more days."Her voice was assertive, and somehow it reassured you.
With a faint smile and a tilt of the head, you accepted her offer.
Placing her hands against your broken ankle, she crinkled her eyes closed and furrowed her brows in concentration. A bright emerald glow consumed her hands, caressing your skin and flickering furiously. The feeling was soothing, and the minor pain that had resided in your ankle ebbed away.
"A-arigatoo.."You thanked gratefully, eyes closed and consciousness threatening to drift away.
"Kanako."
Your eyes snapped open and you jerked upright at the sound of your full name. No one ever called you by Kanako, save for your mother.
Her hazel eyes seemed to soften, amused at your reaction. However, she quickly got down to business."I know of the conversation you had with Sasuke."
Jaw agape, you stared at her with bulging eyes.
'How could she have known..?'
Narrowing your eyes brows and glancing down at your newly healed ankle, you thought on it. Ravaging your mind for possibilities, you came up empty. At least, until it hit you like a brick in the face.
Sakura!
'That night... When I could only hear Naruto snoring... Sakura must've still been awake, eavesdropping on the conversation. That's why she went to speak with the Hokage about everything...! But... Why..?'
"I'm sure you've figured it out,"She continued, knowingly,"But do not blame Sakura for telling me of the conversation. She was only fulfilling her duty as a kunoichi. Besides, that isn't the important thing."
Clenching your fists, you averted your eyes, glancing at the open window. Beyond it you could see the fiery rays of the sun drowning in the darkness. It had lost it's battle, and was retreating behind the horizon, at least for the night.
"For your own safety, it is not wise to keep things from the people helping you."The hokage explained, somehow able to keep her anger in check. Typically her short fuse was easily set off, especially by lying."I don't know who is after you, and it doesn't seem that you do either. However, anything you do have information about... Tell me. It will only be safer for you that way."
'Sakura... Why..? Why did you have to tell the Hokage? I didn't want her to know!'
You thought grudgingly, a little more than irritable about the fact that she had been someone you thought to befriend, and then... She spilled your secrets the instant she found the chance.
'I suppose... It was because of that childish wish of mine to be accepted...'
"That is all."Finishing, the hokage traipsed to the door, yanking it open before pausing and glancing over at your hunched over figure."The training was a good idea, though,"She commented,"But be careful..."As her voice trailed off, she stepped past the threshold, slamming to the door shut behind her.
What little amber light poured in through the window was fading away, prompting you to lay back in your bed and close your eyes. Despite so many things being on your mind, you hoped to find some solace in sleep.
The sound of the door creaking open in the early hours of the morning aroused you, but in order to be cautious, you kept your eyes closed and feigned sleep.
Footsteps echoed upon the floor for a moment before you heard a voice,"Your breathing isn't slow,"Sasuke commented coldly,"And if you crack your eyes open then it's more than obvious you aren't sleeping."
With a sheepish smile, you sat up,"I didn't know who it was.."
Hands shoved in his pocket, and a cocky smirk upon his lips, the Uchiha looked as arrogant as he always did. Unlike he usually was, he seemed to be in a rather good mood."You're the one who asked a favor of me, to be unprepared it is insulting."
'Favor..?'
"Training..?"
"Mm.."He shrugged his shoulders, but the gleam in his eyes answered your question.
Struggling to untangle yourself from the cover, your tossed your legs to the side of the bed, but paused, remembering the Godaime's words. She had told you that you would be required to rest for at least a day before you began moving again. Even then, she probably wouldn't recommend training.
Tilting his head to the side, he narrowed his eyes,"If you're that hesitant, I won't waste my time."
"W-wait!"You called out to him before he even had the chance to turn around. Rather hurriedly, you placed pressure on both feet, managing to stumble after him,"I don't have shoes..."
With a skeptical glare, he outstretched his arm, hand approaching your face. You stood frozen, heart beating quickly, until you realized that he was pointing at something. Turning your head, you noticed a pair of sandals laying beside your backpack. Retrieving them, you placed one upon each foot, praying that your ankle would be able to make it through the day.
'I hope... We don't train so much that it's in pain all night.'
"Come."He commanded, wasting no more time to wait for you and continuing to the door.
"H-hai!"
After exiting the hospital, Sasuke lead you to a remote part of Konoha that he described as a training area. To you, it looked no different than the outskirts of a forest, but apparently the Uchiha thought it to be the perfect place to begin.
Currently standing opposite each other, there was only a short distance between the two of you.
"Show me what you can do."
"What I can do...?"
With an exasperated sigh, he explained,"Ninjutsu. Taijutsu. Do you know anything?"
Blushing furiously, you shook your head, rather embarrassed about not understanding what he meant. That, and not knowing anything about Ninjutsu or Taijutsu.
"This is hopeless.."He muttered, his hand disappearing into one of the pouches on his figure before producing a kunai."At least be able to catch this."With two fingers, he gently tossed the kunai in your direction.
With a scream, you ducked down, allowing the metallic weapon to graze past and collide with the ground.
Eyes as wide as saucers, and jaw dropped wide open, Sasuke stood in complete disbelief, a gigantic sweat drop clinging to the back of his head.
Glancing back at the kunai, you outstretched your hand, grasping the hilt and yanking it free. Standing up straight, you studied the weapon warily."What should I do with this?"
His eye twitched,"You're suppose to be able to catch it... Even Sakura can do that."
"G-Gomen!"You apologized furiously, bowing your head quite rapidly,"Gomen, gomen..."
"Stop apologizing."He snapped, scratching his head irritably. Saying that you were testing his patience was a major understatement. He'd never met someone so incredibly untalented. He suspected that even a mentally retarded person was more skilled than you.
'This... Is going to be a long day..'
The Uchiha thought to himself, mentally berating himself for actually offering to train you in the first place. To say the least, he regretted it.
After a few hours of screaming and dodging kunai, you finally attempted to catch one. Much to Sasuke's surprise, and your luck, you were able to catch it rather deftly. Though the Uchiha merely brushed it off as a fluke, or stroke of luck. Mostly because the next hour was full of failed attempts.
In the late afternoon you begged him to take a break and head back to the hospital. Partly because you were half-starved, but also because your ankle was throbbing with severe pain.
"Sasuke-san..? Are you coming...?"You inquired, noticing that he wasn't following you, nor even looking in your direction.
Glancing back at you, he shoved his hands in his pockets."No."He replied coldly.
Bowing your head, you offered him another thank you before darting off toward the village once more. Stomach rumbling and ankle throbbing, you would be overjoyed when you finally reached the hospital once more
Once back at the hospital, you retrieved the lunch Meriel had packed for you, devouring it quickly. It didn't take long until every last morsel had disappeared within the depths of your stomach, satisfying your hunger.
The rest of the day was spent without interruption, laying upon your bed having peaceful thoughts of how fun Konoha had been already, and how fun it would continue to be. It seemed that this could, in fact, be a place you would belong.
'But Sakura... She betrayed me... If she'd have even bothered to say a word to me about having heard the conversation... It might have been different, but... She just left and told the Hokage everything.'
Clenching your fist, you furrowed your brows. It seemed that your trust could not be so easily given away. For the only person who had truly earned it thus far was Uchiha Sasuke, someone who had been surprisingly patient (Hah! Hardly) and, well, rather kind.
'I suppose that... I shouldn't be foolish enough to trust anyone else. Especially not Sakura again.'
Author's Note: I'm glad we've finally gotten this far, it's been hard trying to keep both Through the Darkness and The Black and White updated on both Quizilla and Not to mention writing on both stories and editting them all within a week to try to get them out. For this reason I am seriously considering closing off my other story for a while, if not until I finish writing this story. I have a bad habit of getting myself in way over my head.
Also, I would like to say that there will be spoilers later on in this series, and I need to put that in the summary. I'm sorry for noting this late, but I have finally decided to include parts in the later manga chapters in this story. Thank you for the reviews, and thank you for your patience. (Maybe I already made a note of the spoilers here, or maybe it was just Quizilla. If I'm repeating myself, oh well.)
Kyori
