Chapter 4: The Girl who is Everyone and No One

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were sitting eating their lunches, provided by Kakashi, while he was out running errands. Sasuke, with a little unintentional help from Naruto, had been the only one to succeed at grabbing a bell from Kakashi. Sayuri had aided in a failed attempt at grabbing the bells, but other than that she generally stayed away from the rest of the team and made little contact. Sayuri was now sitting on a fallen tree a couple meters away from where Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke now sat, eating a lunch that she had provided for herself. Her long, black hair was being tossed by the wind.

"Sasuke-kun, are you OK?" Sakura asked, as she had noticed that Sasuke kept glancing up at Sayuri as if he was waiting for her to do something.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about going over there to talk to her…"

"I don't think that's a good idea Sasuke-kun. You heard sensei when he left. He told us to not bother her if she decided to sit away,"

"Still there are some questions that I want answered…"

Naruto just sat there and continued eating. He did not wish to discuss the topic of Sayuri. He felt uneasy every time she was around and could not bring himself to talk to, or about her.

"I'm going," Sasuke said as he started to stand.

Naruto choked on his food and Sakura looked taken aback.

"Look Sasuke-kun I know that you're curious but I don't think it's a good idea," Sakura pleaded.

"Yeah listen to Sakura-chan Sasuke," Naruto said finally swallowing the last of his food.

"I'm going," Sasuke said, looking off towards Sayuri.

"Sasuke…" Naruto started

"You can't change my mind Naruto," Sasuke said looking over at Naruto, slightly disturbed by the dread in Naruto's eyes as he stared off in Sayuri's direction.

"I know," he said tearing his gaze away from Sayuri, "just be careful…"

Sasuke nodded and headed over towards Sayuri. As he approached he notice a mark on the lower part of Sayuri's neck. He didn't get a good look at though because she had just swung her legs over the tree and turned around. What was that mark that Sasuke had seen?

Sasuke stopped and stared at Sayuri who stared right back. Her face was just as expressionless as his own. They waited there, just staring at each other as the wind blew. Sayuri smiled and Sasuke felt something stir inside him. She was so beautiful.

"I suppose you've come to ask me some questions?" she said and Sasuke nodded, "I suppose it's expected of you to feel curiosity about something that you don't know much about. I can't blame you for that, but you should know that there are many questions that I cannot answer…"

"How do you know us?" Sasuke asked.

Sayuri smiled again, "No I suppose no one would remember me much, after all I was very quiet. I was always told not to bring attention to myself so I didn't. I knew you from the academy. Before I left I was there until I was six. I was always very quiet and I sat in the back of the class. I had never had any friends,"

Sasuke felt the loneliness emanating from Sayuri after her last statement. He had a sudden urge to comfort her. A sudden urge to take her in his arms and tell her that she was not alone.

"What about your family, and your background? We still have not heard your last name"

"That is because I don't have one…" she replied and looked away from Sasuke, the wind blowing her hair in her face.

Sasuke just stood there for a moment. He didn't plan on saying anything but it kind of just slipped. "I…understand…" was all he could say, as he thought about his own past.

"No you don't," she said and she jumped down from the tree, "there is still a difference between you and me, no matter how much we have in common. You had a family once, and you have friends that care for you now," she looked passed Sasuke towards Naruto and Sakura, and Sasuke followed her gaze, "Those are things I have never had, and I never will have…as I said I am no one. My existence is pointless, and I'm am nothing but a tool, a tool of war, and I shall never be anything more than that,"

She looked back at Sasuke who also returned his gaze to her. A single tear fell down her face, even though her voice had not once shaken.

"You have a chance, a chance to be somebody, a chance to love and be loved, no matter how broken you feel. You are only broken because at one point you were whole, and that wholeness may return to you someday, no matter how unlikely it seems. I on the other hand cannot be broken, because I was never whole. I…was never anything, and I am doomed to be nothing. No one will ever care for me, because I am incapable for returning the feelings. I will die…and I will be forgotten. Enjoy your freedom Sasuke, because in the end it's the only thing you have,"

They stood there for a moment, just looking into each other's eyes. Sasuke was lost for words. The wind tossed her hair and again Sasuke felt that need to comfort her. What did she mean no one had ever cared for?

"You, must have something…someone," he started but she shook her head.

There was a moment of silence and than finally, "I do not even have myself," she responded and then she walked away into the forest.

Sasuke stood there unable to move. Who was this girl? What were the feelings that Sasuke had for her? He could not determine what they were for he had never felt that way before. He turned and started back towards Naruto and Sakura.

"What did you find out Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as he approached.

"Nothing," he replied as he sat and began to eat.

Nothing…she isn't nothing he thought to himself and I'll make her see that.

Sayuri walked alone in the forest for a while before she decided that she had better return before Kakashi got back.

Sasuke saw the seal she thought to herself as she raised her hand towards her neck. This cursed thing. She would sooner rip it off herself than live another day with it. If only it had not been placed in such a place that if she were to dig it out of her skin it would probably cause her to die. Again she cursed the First rule and the man who made her what she was today. How she longed for freedom.

She wanted just one thing that was her own. She was bits and pieces of Ninja's around Kohona and she had nothing to herself. She didn't even have her own chakra to call upon. She didn't have free will, and not one of her special abilities was unique to her.

I am truly everyone and no one she though to herself.