~Chapter 14~

A Fighting Respect

Sasuke decided on stopping at a ramen shop before heading back to his place. Kinata was most likely starving. They sat on stools, side-by-side.

"So…why did you put up with it?" Sasuke had already ordered food for both of them. He leaned forward on the long table which overlooked the kitchen. They had 6 empty stools on their far left, which luckily for the boy were empty. He folded his hands, his eyes scrunched up in wonder at her, almost critically so. She had been dazing off, but her eyes met his right after his question.

"Hmm?" Her lips purred innocently. She's too distracted for a ninja, he thought, biting back a frown, as his eye noticeably twitched. He repeated himself, punctuating each word. She was left confused still. Sasuke closed his eyes to hide his irritation. Of course she would make him elaborate.

"The empty stacks of sake bottle, just tossed everywhere? The sad excuse for a room? The whole place was run down from neglect. Those useless people had no respect for you…and yet you chose to stay there. Why?" He finished like a tee kettle at its boiling point. The more he spoke about it the more he began to piss himself off just thinking about where she had once lived. Kinata stared ahead, clenching her own fists.

"Yeah, I know. It may have seemed stupid." She glared hard at the counter, determination setting in her eyes. She brought them back up to meet his dark set of eyes.

"For the honor of my bloodline and sensei, I had to endure it." She looked away again, and the boy was able to breathe easier. Her gaze had been intense and her sharp feminine features had him wanting to squirm, though he'd never show it. Kinata continued.

"They've lost loved ones too." She lifted her head to the side to catch a glimpse of two older boys teasing a very young boy. She bit her lip at the sight and frowned.

"So have we. Why's that justify their actions?" Sasuke snapped. Kinata kept her eyes on the boys in the street. Sasuke followed her direction of attention.

"There are two types of people in this world: those that endure, and those that give up." He wanted to comment but found her stern yet sad face not in the present, but in the past. She was remembering something dear to her. He let her have a quiet minute to herself, observing the tiny kid get pushed into the ground as the other two walked away laughing. The boy pushed himself up after a second of sniffling into the dirt. The little boy shook his head and then walked away.

"My mother gave me good guidance, and my sensei encouraged those words to help me overcome the worst in life. You can fight all you want, but if all you ever do is fight, you'll eventually give up. Enduring ensures that you have another day to live." Sasuke wasn't sure if he believed in this.

"Why not fight and endure?" Kinata smirked, turning back to him. He had his arms crossed now.

"Maybe you can teach me how that works then." Sasuke let the right corner of his lip curve up, actually enjoying the thought of that. Then it hit him.

"Did you feel sorry for them?" She knew that he was referring to her foster family. She made an effort to avoid his accusing eyes.

"I couldn't help it. Even now, I still understand how they feel. They chose a liquidated medicine to numb away their pain. It's the desperation of never being able to see your loved one that pushes people to revert to such means. I get it. I was able to train, and it distracted me…for the most part. They just chose a different distraction." It was like she was explaining this to herself as much as Sasuke.

He felt his throat tighten as she opened up to him, taking in her torn expression, though it only lasted a split second. The depth of a cursed and difficult path shown in her eyes, and it left the boy to wonder just what she had been forced to go through. More so because of what she'd been enduring on her own behalf at the Iwatsuru place.

"Hmph. Sympathy is unheard of to a ninja." Despite the hypocrisy in his words, he had to remind Kinata that she belonged in the present – with him, not her memories, and that people like her previous guardians were not worth her concern. He too knew how torturous the past could be. Kinata sighed.

"I know." It was said in a clipped tone. It gave Sasuke weird vibes, like she didn't want to deal with his lecturing. By then their food was being delivered. They sat in silence as they ate. Sasuke wanted to ask her more about when she'd mentioned her bloodline but he decided against it. Her mood was currently dampened by their last topic. She brewed over it quietly, staring mesmerized at her bowl of soup. He could only sneak a few peeks, not having any knowledge or practice with positive approaches. He felt frustrated. Why was she so suddenly wrapped up in the past?

It wasn't like he could judge her. He too would accidentally get caught up in the dark times to the point were the world felt like crashing down on him. It was precisely why he wanted to stop Kinata from doing the same. He had to brainstorm and find distracting conversation. Definitely not something he was used to. Once they were finished at the ramen shop, Sasuke moved to stand right by Kinata's side. She barely noticed his presence but when they were far enough from the place she turned to him, surprised to find him so close. The sunlight hit her and she began to rub her eyes, giving him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry for my, err, absent-mindedness. Thank you though, for feeding me. I promise I'll pay you back someday." He waved her off, wearing a small smirk. He was glad to see her acting herself again.

"It's no problem. You eat like a bird." She gave him a weird look.

"I do not." She looked away, huphing to herself. He wanted to chuckle at her actions, amazed with how at ease he felt around her.

They finally made it to his place. He moved aside when he opened the door to let a very excited Kinata through. She had been impressed upon walking up to it because of its size.

When inside, the girl stared around wide-eyed.

"This all belong to you? It's incredible!" Her previous depressed state of mind had all but vanished, replaced with pure interest. She reminded him of when he'd brought her to the expansive restaurant. He wanted to smirk at her reaction but the subject made him uncomfortable. The boy still had trouble himself when it came to coping with the family heirlooms that had all been passed down to him – because he was the only one left to receive it all.

"…yeah, I guess…" He wasn't as enthusiastic to answer as Kinata had been when questioning. She realized her mistake the moment he replied. This house had been given to him for the worst possible reasons. She forced herself to calm down, albeit still happy.

"So…this is really where I'll be staying?" Her voice had such disbelief in it, scoping out the elegant and spacious rooms on the first level. Sasuke scoffed.

"Clearly. I wouldn't have taken you to a random house." Her smile never wavered though as she ran up to the unsuspecting boy, embracing him gently. His body naturally tensed but before he could relax in her arms, she let go. He bit back a frustrated growl as she darted off in to the following room, ignoring him completely now. She appeared far more interested in his living conditions that in his actual self. He shook his head, tagging along.

"This is so beautiful!" She remarked, gazing at one of Sasuke's favorite pieces of artwork from his childhood. It was a large painting. He had in fact deliberately gone back to his old home to retrieve it, which had practically traumatized him all over again. It was of a young sage, an old samurai, a blind geisha, and an armless ninja; all of which were leaning next to a pond. A mountain rose in the background with clouds at the base. A fish that was mainly golden but with tiny specks of other colors in it had its head popping out of the water, as if to greet the onlookers. The drawing had such detail and bold colors that it awed the girl. They were now upstairs in the main hall, where he could walk by the picture everyday.

Sasuke stood behind her as he admired it.

"Mm. I guess." She turned, blinking up curiously to him. He raised an eyebrow, prepared for the onslaught of questions sure to come.

"What's the title?" He glanced at the picture.

"Paradox of Life." She followed his gaze.

"It helps me meditate." He added, not sure as to why he did. Kinata eyed him.

"How's it help?" He rolled his eyes.

"Anyone ever tell you?" He was smirking at her confusion.

"…you ask too many questions." He finished for her, making her grin. She stole one last glance at the intricate painting.

"Actually many have. I wasn't ever told to stop looking for answers though." He smirked at her back as she continued down the hall. Something about this girl's warm nature pulled him in, like a firefly to the light. He felt a sense of familiarity now, stronger than before, as if he were going through déjà vu. He shook his head at his ridiculous thoughts.

Downstairs the kitchen led outside to a patio, made of redwood and fenced in to block out a secret passageway, which snuck into the forest. He had taken her to the room across from the kitchen that was a fully equipped training room. When they went onto the other side of the house, he had showed her the small bathroom (near the open dining room) and right next to it the living room. This led into a medium-sized storage, which connected to a closet. To the left of this small closet was a secret weaponry room that had another door that led out to the secret passageway.

"In case of an enemy attack. It also leads upstairs to another storage room." Sasuke had stepped inside, waving her over, to check it out. Kinata was barely able to contain her excitement, truly amazed by the hidden halls. The two were just inches apart since the passage was only so big. Kinata didn't seem to mind, and neither did Sasuke.

"It goes outside by the patio, where you can escape into the woods. It's a long tunnel but the structure is nearly impenetrable." He sounded pretty proud, his arms crossing. Kinata smiled.

"Impressive." She whispered but loud enough for the boy to hear. He nodded and turned around to lead them out, yet Kinata still caught a glimpse of his smirk. Right after they had made their way upstairs, where she had been distracted by the 'Paradox of Life' painting.

He finished the tour by going into his master bedroom across from the opening of the staircase, to which they took a right, where another larger training room was. Beside the bathroom was one guest room, fashioned in red and auburn hues. They turned back down the hall to go the other way, passing Sasuke's room again. They took the right where the other room was. All of the spare bedrooms were loaded up with training equipment, which Sasuke ended up apologizing for.

"You won't be able to settle in yet. Tomorrow I can start moving things around." She shrugged, not worried, just slightly overwhelmed by the space. It had been some time since she'd occupied an actual home. The last time had been with her mother and Rin. The Kusama family had a huge house but it was more like a gigantic temple, definitely not very homely. She was gracious to the Uchiha boy for opening up his home to her. He brought her back downstairs into the kitchen where he began to silently make tea.

"You can pick whatever room you want." The water started boiling so he brought over the kettle, pouring her a drink. She smiled up at the detached ninja, his tone intending to sound cool and collected.

"Thanks again Sasuke." He glanced up only to meet her appreciative gaze. He shifted his stance, uncomfortable under her deep eyes.

"I told you, it's no problem." He sat down, taking a sip of the steaming liquid. Then he gave her a cocky look. "And that better be the last time you say thanks. I get that you're thankful Kinata. Got it the fourth time you said it."

She gave him a cheesy smile, enjoying his mumbled rants.

"Sorry, I won't. As long as you get it." She eyed him in a serious manner for a second and there was awkward silence as the exchange of expressions had Sasuke's cheeks flushing slightly. There was so much she clearly wanted to thank him for, more than just the room.

"Hmph." He took another drink, staring away from her to try and hide his embarrassment from their shared moment.

"You can sleep in my room tonight." Kinata's head shot up at this, but Sasuke's face was bent down, his full concentration on his cup.

"W…what?" He sighed. She sounded nervous.

"I already told you, none of the rooms are ready for someone to move in. And I'm not in the mood to prepare them today."

"But why?" He gave her an annoyed look.

"Just trust me." She huphed this time, crossing her hands.

"Yeah, but that'll mean we'll have to sleep in the same bed." She could feel her own cheeks burning at just the mention of it. She was only 12! Sasuke shook his head.

"No, it doesn't. I'll sleep on the couch." She frowned, staring down at the tea.

Something about him gave her comfort. She tried to reason that it was simply because he'd helped her out so much. But there was a deeper part of her, in her gut, telling her that there was more beyond her comprehension. Whatever her connection with Sasuke Uchiha, she had to keep reminding herself of who she was.

Kinata Ryukotse…she was part of a clan stained in blood with the curse of death for those near.

It was how Kinata now viewed her bloodline.

To avoid repeats, she would have to keep her distance as best as possible.

Sasuke had convinced her to go shopping with him after they drank their tea. He had explained to her about buying some new kunai knives.

"Let's go here first." He pulled her hand suddenly into a clothes store, surprising the brunette behind him.

"Wha…?" The place had various styles, but the majority was for females. She gave him an odd look, puzzled by his slightly tense stance. He finally stared over to her, his expression trying to be stoic but sadly failing.

"You need clothes." She glared at him, somewhat insulted.

"I have some already." He frowned, having let go of her hand from entering the entrance, folding his arms.

"I'd rather you not walk around my home in hand-me-downs. Besides, I can afford it…so why not?" He had finished in a lighter mood, having noticed that his words were hurting more than helping. Kinata sighed, raking her hand through her hair. Sasuke had a blank look, wanting her to just say yes.

"I mean, ugh. I guess…not that you ever give me a chance to back out." His arrogant smirk was back in place, at least until he began staring around at the female-oriented store. His confidence paled a little.

"Right. You know what you're doing?" He asked her, hopeful. She blinked dumbly at him, shaking her head to his dismay.

"Not really. I never went clothes shopping. At least not like this. I'd buy one or two outfits from street venders. That's about it." His eye twitched.

"Tch. Great." His sarcasm paralleled his mood change, slowly walking the aisles. He was too proud to want to ask one of the store clerks for help. She trailed beside him, a little behind, lost in the numerous colors, styles, and fabrics.

"What about this?" He was holding a one-piece, very skimpy Kunoichi attire, in gold and red silks. She gave him a sardonic 'really?' look, and he put it back on the hanger, shrugging absentmindedly.

"This is pretty cute though." She had spotted a black and red outfit with a dragonfly patched into the shoulders. The symbol reminded her of Gramps-Izu and Grams-Susano. The one long sleeve had golden lining, and the other arm was sleeveless. It would show a bit of skin, but she liked the strong appearance of elegance about it. Sasuke nodded offhandedly.

"Yeah, it's alright." She chuckled at his lame comment.

"Better than the promiscuous dress." He rolled his eyes, digging his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever." He mumbled, moving on.

They picked out three more shorts, four t-shirts, a few pair of jeans, a long v-neck shirt (Sasuke personally told her to get it, as she scolded him that he just wanted to see her cleavage), a new pair of ninja sandals, and some underwear.

"Err…do you need, some um, bras too?" She couldn't help but bask in Sasuke's unusually obvious discomfort as they finished up in the store. And she thought he had been bad enough passing the lacey thong aisle.

"Yeah, maybe a few. I wish I didn't…most girls don't have to worry. It's a pain though really." She was ranting quietly on, not realizing that the subject had made the typically put-together Uchiha blush. He hid his flushed face from Kinata by turning sideways to the items causing his embarrassment. Of course he had noticed her feminine growth compared to the other Kunoichi, as they mostly all had flat chests. What guy at the Academy hadn't noticed Kinata's physical difference?

"I'm only a B cup." She informed Sasuke, figuring that he had manned up and wanted to be over with this as soon as possible, helping her find one. He was facing the articles of clothing, but wasn't touching them.

He instead stood awkwardly beside her, his features hardened but having lost its intimidating effect due to the redness in his cheeks. They had a cart behind them with the rest of the clothes. He finally turned to her just as she picked out one. His mind had been distracted with the trailing thoughts of her maturing body, reassuring himself that he was a guy after all. Because of this though, the comment at seeing her choice slipped before he could stop himself. Definitely a first for the Uchiha.

"Tch. That one? Really?" She was holding a plain blue bra. She glanced beside her, seeing Sasuke with a raised eyebrow and annoyed expression. After realizing what he'd just said, he turned his head away, horrified with himself. Why the HELL did I just say that?

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Sasuke closed his lips tightly. She waited for an answer however, dangling the item near him.

"Forget it." His tone was short. She glared at him playfully.

"No. Tell me…please." She was now teasing him, shoving the bra closer to his tense form. He looked at her, returning her glare with a real one.

"It's boring." He shockingly answered, though quickly and as flat as possible. She smirked.

"Oh." She replaced it, instead going for a pink and black laced bra, knowing her actions would further embarrass the Uchiha boy. He refused to make eyes contact with her after that, causing her to laugh quietly.

She couldn't believe how much fun she was having with him, and they were just shopping. She tried to figure out why Naruto had such a problem with him. The blonde friend of hers surely would be mad at her if she told him she was living with his 'arch enemy.' But he'd get over it.

After Sasuke paid for the bundle of clothes, he took her to one of the main weaponry shops.

"Sasuke?" He was kneeling down, inspecting three different kunai knives inside a glass casing, trying to decide on which one to buy.

"Hm?" He asked casually, eyes still set on the metal. Kinata fumbled with her fingers, not sure how to thank him without saying it. He had told her he was tired of hearing it.

"You've spent A LOT of money on me," She was even thinking about the meals too. He snapped his attention to curiously look up at her. "I just…I want to make sure you know that I plan on paying you back, as soon as I can, whether through actual cash or through a favor."

He went to say something but stopped. His eyes softened just a tiny bit but Kinata was now used to his facial expressions that she still caught it. He nodded curtly and went back to gaze at the knives.

"Kay. I'll hold it to ya." His cool attitude was back in full force. She smiled, nodding, though he couldn't see it.

Good, at least I can earn my items rather than see them as charity.

They stopped to pick up some groceries, so by the time they made it home, it was dark. She had wanted to make supper, knowing her cooking with Grams-Susano might impress Sasuke. He was hesitant at first, but finally gave in. He was more interested to see if she was all talk.

"Not bad, huh?" He hadn't said a word after a few bites, worrying Kinata. He stared up, his dark eyes almost glowing in the light.

"Mhm." She bit her lip, staring at her own bow. It was rice, chicken, cauliflower, celery, and home-made sauces with spices. It tasted delicious to her, but then again, she'd eat practically anything. She picked at the meal with her chopsticks, perplexed at his indifference.

"What?" His clipped tone instantly dragged her from her thoughts.

"Huh?" She questioned back. His face drew down.

"Tch, you're clearly upset. What the hell's wrong?" She sighed, letting out a chuckle after realizing how pitiful she was acting.

"Guess I'm just sensitive when it comes to my cooking." He snorted in agreement, staring back down at his food to take in a mouthful. After he swallowed, he muttered,

"Don't see why. Better than what I can make." She barely heard his comment. It made her smile brightly at him, causing yet another minor blush to appear. That was happening more than he cared to admit with this girl. Then again, it had been a personally dramatic day for both of them. Oddly enough, it had brought them already closer. Not that they were ever really close friends to begin with – kind of the opposite actually (Sasuke liked to believe Naruto had a big part to do with that). This day though had simply opened up their eyes to how well they complimented each other. How they could actually enjoy each other's company. Kinata was mentally and physically on his level.

Sasuke could respect that…