A/N: Okay, so once again, I'm really sorry for leaving you guys hanging like that. No one feels worse than me. Trust. But yes, I have been away for a while, mainly due to school. UGH. But I'm here now, with an update, yay? Yay. Enjoy, and I certainly hope you all had a great New Years! ;)
When he watched as she emerged from the doctors office, he knew immediately that something was not right.
He watched the way she emerged from the building with a large smile plastered upon her lips; one that was quickly erased by the time she set a foot onto the dusty sand-ridden streets. He knew very well that she was hiding something - nothing necessarily new - not to him. It's not as if he kept all of his business in the open either. He couldn't really expect her to do the same. And if there was one thing he knew about her, it was that she didn't take too kindly to intrusion. Especially those on a personal level...not uninvited anyway.
Sasuke pressed his lips together as she approached him with a slight upturn of her lips. Her dark red hair slightly blowing in the wind. And although she had a bit more of a pip in her step than she did when she went in, she looked unsure, apprehensive and anxious. All these things she tried to pull off as untarnished bravado.
It didn't work, but he pretended that it did.
"Well, how was it?" He inquired nonchalantly, pushing himself off of the fence he was leaning on.
She grinned.
Red flag number one.
Since when did she appear happy in the midst of being questioned? Never. And even if she did appear to be okay with a line of questioning pertaining to her personal business? Never. Even if she had somewhat allowed it, it was usually followed by a storm. One rivaling even his greatest jutsu. That, was saying a lot. If only a woman's furry could be bottled.
"You know, he gave me a diagnoses," he watched her face fall from his peripherals, "it turns out that it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be."
"How bad did you think it would be?"
He watched her stiffen; as if she could sense his semi-accusatory undertone, before feigning placidity.
"Well, I didn't think it would be a walk in the park -- turns out that I'm just stressed and dehydrated, nothing more."
He nodded his head in understanding. Though he was grateful nothing else was seriously wrong with her, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something else was. He cared for her, he really did -- some might even call it love. He wasn't sure. But if there was anything he could do to allow them to live like normal people, instead of fugitives on the run, he would do it. Although Suna had provided him with a sense of normalcy he hadn't quite experienced in a while, there was something about knowing that being found out at any moment, that made him just a little bit uneasy. He may be one formidable opponent, one not to be taken lightly, but he wasn't stupid.
"He prescribed me some vitamins and he suggested that I laugh some more -- can you believe him?" she made hand motions with her arms for emphasis, "I mean, what does he think I am, a cold fish or something? Damn."
She looked up at him, as if she was begging for his input. He looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow and an amused look on his face.
She squinted her eyes and looked back to the street, "Don't answer that."
He chuckled mildly at her distaste.
Suddenly, she grabbed onto his elbow and pulled him into another direction, and with one questioning look from Sasuke, she answered him.
"Let's train."
Okay, something was definitely wrong.
It was just all a matter of figuring out what it was.
If there was one place that I knew could get him to soften up before I told him, it was outside training.
Though I did question the validity of my reasoning when the thought managed to wedge itself in my brain, I decided to go along with it anyway.
Because let's face it, telling Sasuke the truth here could go a variety of different ways. Scenario number one, I tell him the truth and he shrugs it off with the promise of tomorrow. Scenario number two, he cracks my bloody head open. Scenario number three, he destroys all of humanity. And to be completely honest, the fates didn't quite look as if they were smiling down upon me. But hell, you never really know unless you try right?
I figured I would try it; but something told me that I was already under severe suspicion.
When we reached the both sandy and grassy grounds on the village, we stopped, deciding to set up shop where we usually trained.
I turned around to face him, and he was already studying me. He had a very calculating look in his already dark eyes -- one that I wasn't able to catch. It didn't take a scientist to figure out that it wasn't good news. He wasn't buying it, that I could clearly tell -- but for whatever reason, he wasn't calling me on it. Something that completely shocked me. Because although Sasuke wasn't quite what one would call a 'social bunny', he certainly wasn't one to hold back on his thoughts -- rude or otherwise. That, I very much had experience in. Certified, in fact.
"Okay, let's start." I said with a smile.
Sasuke mirrored me with his own little version of a smile, with a little something extra in it. Unidentifiable or not, it still managed to cause a tingles from my toes to the top of my head.
He pulled out his kunai; nodding in a condescending sort of way, "Okay Isaaru."
He was humoring me.
There was something about the way he said those words that just gave me the sinking feeling that everything was not going to be alright, and he wasn't going to take this lightly. He may definitely have not known the circumstances, but he sure as hell acted like he did. That was the scariest part. I suddenly felt like that thirteen-year-old girl again back in the village of Sound, that time I had to break that god awful news to him that we were going back to his village of Konoha. It made me feel young, juvenile and helpless. Something that no one would be none too pleased to feel. My confidence level sunk, but I tried my best to mask it.
Little did I know, I had already been unmasked.
I pulled out my kunai and quickly got into a fighting position.
It seemed like the moment I had done that, he lunged at me -- full force.
He was playing my game. But the only thing I wanted to figure out, was why he was playing.
I'm sorry it's short, but I felt it better that I stop there. You can expect a new chapter very soon, because I don't wanna lose my mojo. I hope you enjoyed it -- because we're about to take a dive. TAKE CARE and review if you want another chapter! Haha, I joke. I'd put one up regardless, but feedback is always nice -- and I love replying. Don't take that luxury away from meee! :D Stay tuned, yeah?
