I'm Telling You Now

So much has went unspoken
Along the way
Hearts have healed
And hearts have broken
In the pain of yesterday
Gone are the shadows
They vanished in the light
Let your heart surrender
Let your soul take flight

Keb' Mo'

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" How many times had she asked him that already? A dozen, at least. He hadn't answered yet, hoping she would take the hint and leave him alone. Physically, he was fine: Kasumi's technique hadn't done any actual harm. But mentally… she'd made it very clear that he'd gotten off lightly. It would have been just as easy for her to fill his heart or his brain with water as his bladder, and killed him in seconds. Less, even. It took her no time, no effort, and there was no counter.

"Call me a chicken if you want," she'd whispered to him after they'd set off after their little confrontation. "But don't be an idiot and think you can beat me."

She'd as good as called him weak. And he was, too. He thought he'd gotten strong, but that encounter with Itachi had shown him just how weak he really was. And now Kasumi had hammered the point home.

"Sasuke-kun…" He turned away pointedly. Kakashi had given him an odd look the first time he refused to answer when spoken to, but had ignored him since. Naruto had tried to get him to talk a couple of times, mostly by insulting him, but seemed to have given up and gone into a patented Naruto sulk. Now if only Sakura would leave off bothering him so he could think.

It wasn't until they had their supper in front of them that he'd settled on what he wanted to say. It was a good time, too, since Kakashi-sensei had gone off to do something else, leaving the three genin to eat with their strange companion. "Kasumi?"

She smiled at him from across the table. "Talking again, little Uchiha boy?" she teased. She didn't seem to have a malevolent bone in her body. She should be at least annoyed with him, for doubting her and making fun of her and then being a sulky pain in the ass all day. And yet… she was smiling and joking as though nothing had ever happened.

"Could you beat Itachi?"

"I doubt it would ever be an issue."

"You're that confident?"

"I don't think he'd fight me." She toyed with her chopsticks. "As far as most of the people in Hidden Mist, and Itachi-kun as well, are concerned, I hardly have enough chakra to manage henge-no-jutsu. Itachi-kun is very proud. He wouldn't fight someone like me."

"But if he did?"

Kasumi was silent for a time. "I actually kind of liked your brother, Baby Uchiha. He was prideful and arrogant and even cruel, and he'd done some horrible things… he's probably done lots more since the last time I saw him… but he was a friend to me when I didn't have anyone else."

"He was sent to spy on you!" Naruto exclaimed angrily.

"Hush. Yes, he was. But he didn't have to be nice to me. Little Uchiha, I don't know what would happen if I faced Itachi-kun, but I hope I never find out."
"What about Orochimaru?"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"One of the Sannin, eh? You're full of questions tonight." Kasumi grinned at him. "Do you want to just hold a tournament for the world's best ninjas? See how I rank?" She poked him lightly in the forehead. "Orochimaru was sneaking around for thirty years before I was born. He might catch me by surprise. If he killed me before I knew he was there…" she let the sentence hang. "But I've always heard that Orochimaru liked to play with his victims before he kills them, and by all accounts he has some interesting techniques. It would be interesting, I'll give you that." She put her chopsticks down. "Goodnight, you three. Don't stay up too late bickering."

After she had gone, it was Sakura that broke the silence. "I can't believe Kakashi-sensei likes her. They're so different."

"How could he not like her?" Naruto wanted to know. "She's so cool, and she's tons of fun to travel with."

"Idiot! I mean really likes her. Haven't you noticed? He's completely smitten." Sakura looked a bit smug at having noticed something the two boys hadn't.

"I don't believe it. Kakashi-sensei isn't Ero-sennin."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be a pervert to like someone." Sasuke noticed she looked at him in a very meaningful way. She's so annoying. "Even if he does read those disgusting books of Jiraiya-sama's."

"Why don't we test it? She's gone to bed, we can do henge-no-jutsu…" which she can't, he added silently to himself.

"Sasuke-kun… that's so…"

"Awsome!" Naruto finished, although Sasuke suspected that that wasn't the word Sakura had been looking for.

"But…"

Sasuke glared at Sakura. "Are you in or what?"

"Of course," she murmured. Now it's only a question of what we're going to get out of this.