With the return of Sasuke to Kirigakure, Mei couldn't help but wonder if he ever got lonely. He always seemed to travel alone and due to his past "discretions", he certainly wasn't the most popular ninja. That cocky attitude of his didn't help matters either. Overall, she really couldn't blame anyone for not liking him, he could be a real piece of work. Still, he never seemed concerned or even gave the slightest indication of being isolated, or that he cared about such matters. She had to give him some credit, he didn't change for anyone, not even her.
In fact, the only time she could remember Sasuke changing anything about himself was his vow to destroy Konoha. So, maybe the only person he changed for was someone stronger than him. Sasuke's relationship with the great new hope of the shinobi world was a cause for conversation and contention amongst many people. Mei couldn't help but wonder if people who weren't shinobi by profession, gossiped to make up for a lack of excitement in their mundane lives.
Some of the highest level shinobi were world famous celebrities, instantly recognisable wherever they went. Still, it could grate on her nerves when she heard her villagers discuss her personal life. So what if she wasn't married yet, she had plenty of time to meet the perfect guy... right?
"If you're going to space out whenever I'm not here, can you at least have a more dignified look. You have the appearance of someone who set their keys down, lost them and spent three hours looking for them, only for them to be in your pocket the whole time."
Mei rolled her eyes, there was her Prince Charming now. Sasuke came walking out of her bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, drops of water falling from his bangs of hair like a light rain trickling down from a leaf. She greedily took in her fill by viewing his toned chest and abdomen, his travels kept him in good shape.
"Think you can give me a hand when you're done staring?" He asked, a smirk adorning his features.
"Sure, I'll try not to melt your skin and bones this time." She motioned to her balcony and he stepped out onto it. The lights of Kirigakure decorating the night sky, it was a place he could look forward to coming back to from his travels.
"Yeah, we should uh... probably talk about that."
"Oh it was war, we were all trying to kill each other." She waved a hand to dismiss him.
"You were all trying to kill me." He corrected.
"Are you saying you didn't deserve it?" She raised an eyebrow.
"No, but you came remarkably close to killing me."
"But I didn't." She said acidly. "I happen to like that towel, I don't want it to blow it away."
Sasuke sighed, she seemed unwilling to go into the fact that their first interaction was one of violence. She would joke and say that she would have beaten him if it wasn't for Zetsu, or just flat out tell him to shut up. He removed and folded the towel before setting it down, feeling Mei's predatory eyes stalk every movement he made. He once again stepped out onto the balcony and looked at her expectantly. He rolled his eyes when he saw her looking directly down, she was as single and gutter minded as he was.
Mei made some precise hand signs before a draught of warm air hit Sasuke's skin, drying him off. His hair was sent back giving her a view of his Rinnegan before neatly settling back into its original position.
"It always amazes me how your hair knows to go back into that shape. I can't imagine anyone purposely styling their hair to look like a bird's a-"
Sasuke raised his hand and with a small blast of Chakra, sent Mei flying back elegantly onto her bed. She looked at him wide eyed as he sauntered over to her.
"Haven't heard that one before." He muttered.
"What the hell was that?" She asked. She wasn't angry, more genuinely curious.
"A new jutsu I picked up while travelling. Naruto said it was one that Pain had used; Almighty Push, Shinra Tensei, something like that. Now, are you going to tell me what you were thinking about earlier?" He asked while crawling into bed.
Mei got off her bed to go and get ready to join him for the night. She was ashamed to admit that Sasuke might be neater than her, his clothes were delicately folded while she threw hers on the ground without a second thought. The only articles of clothing that she protected were her Kage robe and hat.
"I was actually thinking about you and Naruto."
"In what way?" Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"What?" She asked, puzzled by his sudden anger.
"Listen, yes it's true that we kissed but it wasn't my fault. He fell on me-"
Mei had a look of utter bewilderment on her face and Sasuke realised too late that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"I'm not going to even dignify that with a response. What I was actually thinking about was how much he sacrificed and fought to keep you alive. For a guy who doesn't have a lot of friends, you're very lucky to have someone like him on your side."
"Oh please, I get enough of that from everyone else, I was hoping I wouldn't have to hear it from you as well." Sasuke said irritably.
"Alright, I won't bring it up again, if you explain to me why he would go that far for you, no offence meant."
"None taken." Sasuke muttered before sighing. "Who is Naruto Uzumaki to me? Would you believe me if I told you that we were reincarnations of two brothers who happened to be the sons of The Sage of the Six Paths?"
"Probably, I mean, with all the crazy stuff that's happened, it wouldn't be too farfetched to believe. So what, you're the evil twin and Naruto is the good one?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"Well when you put it like that it sounds incredibly stupid."
Sasuke ignored her. "Who is Naruto Uzumaki to me? First kiss, second brother, third on my list of people to kill after Itachi and Danzo. My other half. Yang to my Yin."
"He completes you?"
"He saved me."
"Hm, well I'll give you some credit for at least having one friend." Mei said sarcastically.
"I have more than one friend." Sasuke said defensively.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "I don't count."
"I wasn't referring to you." He growled, only adding to Mei's amusement.
"Alright, who then, your other teammates?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. His history with both of his teams was tumultuous at best.
Sakura was an enigma to him, he could understand having a crush but what sick, twisted process contorted her mind into thinking that she loved him. Even trying to kill her didn't seem to sway her opinion, though it seemed putting her in a Genjutsu finally snapped her out of her delusions. Rather ironic, now that he thought about it. Still, after he left Konoha to wander the lands, she had not spoken to him. In fact, the past few times he had returned home she didn't even come to see him. Naruto made excuses for her, saying how she had taken over the main hospital duties and was very busy, but Sasuke knew the truth. It would take time for the various wounds he had inflicted on her to heal.
Kakashi had let him go his own way by pardoning him and practically begging him not to commit anymore crimes. He did the old man a favour by not immediately breaking out of custody after the war. Sasuke considered it a sign of good faith on his part, after a few months in a rather cushy cell, the new Hokage and Naruto had managed to convince most people to forgive his past actions.
So that was two friends.
He didn't really know Yamato or Sai well enough to consider them his friends. Yamato didn't seem to bear him any ill will after their initial confrontation... or piercing him with a sword. Maybe, there was a reason he had so few friends after all. Sai was much the same, though he was mercifully more intelligent than Naruto, so there was that.
Two friends, two... acquaintances?
Then there was his other team, the less said about them the better. He had recruited each member personally because they were talented, yet, during their fight with Killer B he realised that he had come to value them more than just tools in his plan to kill Itachi. Travelling from place to place with them had almost been... fun. He hadn't really kept in touch with them after the war but he was sure that they were doing fine, under the watchful eyes of Orochimaru.
Sasuke grimaced, alright maybe not so fine. He made a mental note to go check up on them and make sure that his old teacher was not back to his old malevolent ways.
"I have five friends and two acquaintances." Sasuke declared.
"Congratulations?" Mei shrugged her shoulders.
Sasuke leaned his face close to hers. "You know, you've been mocking me about my lack of friends but I think you're one to talk."
Mei smirked up at him. "I'll admit, I don't have someone who would go to the lengths for me that Naruto went for you."
Sasuke flopped back down onto his side of the bed. "Talking about Naruto is a major turnoff for me."
"Really, I thought you said that you had kissed before?"
Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't like that, he got bumped into- you know what I don't have to explain this to you."
Mei laughed at him. "I guess I should thank Naruto for those tongue skills you possess then. Tell me, is it true what they say about blondes?"
Sasuke growled, causing her to laugh harder at him. He put his hand over her mouth, muffling her laughs.
"You know, if there was one thing you ought to thank Naruto for, it's his convincing me to not kill all the Kage including you." Sasuke said, causing Mei to immediately stop laughing and narrow her eyes at him. "I mean, I wasn't going to actually do it. I just needed him to know that I was serious."
"You were going to kill me when I was under the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
"Well, it makes up for the time that you were going to kill me." He tried weakly. There were probably many other ways he could have gotten her to stop laughing without such severe repercussions.
"Goodnight Sasuke." Mei said icily, as she turned away from him.
"Wait, Mei." Sasuke angled his head towards her ear. "I haven't been home in a while, didn't you miss me?" He whispered.
Mei turned to him and smiled. "Oh Sasuke, of course I did." He returned her smile and moved to kiss her, before she pressed two fingers against his lips. "Unfortunately, similar to how talking about Naruto is a turnoff for you, telling me about how you were going to kill me while I was defenceless, has a way of killing the mood."
And with that, Mei curled her leg and sent Sasuke crashing out of their bed with a kick to his sternum. He spent several minutes wheezing and winded, and when he turned back to look at Mei, she was facing away from him.
Sasuke sighed and laid back onto the carpeted floor. He wasn't sure but he was guessing that Mei was the type to hold long, angry, sexless grudges. It was going to be a long few days, at least he had plenty of time to work on his friend-making skills. Oh who was he kidding, the next few days were going to be spent grovelling for forgiveness.
No, he was Sasuke Uchiha damn it! He grovelled to no one. If she wanted to hold this ridiculous grudge over him, that was fine. He knew her, she was as lust-filled as he was. It was now just a matter of whose libido would break first. Sasuke smirked, he wasn't much of an exhibitionist, but there was a first time for everything.