~Chapter 24~

Expect the Unexpected

The sheath was unlike any in the world. The black and golden snakes wound around it glowed vibrantly. The sword had a green and golden scaled dragon circling the blade, with red jeweled eyes and diamonds at the base of its neck. Sasuke stared at his hand, which was holding the weapon. He was in the ancient garb again. The other sword was black and gold too, but with a gold and red tiger on it, outlined in black. In the corner of his eye, he could see the woman from before standing calmly next to him. She was staring at him with a soft smile. His mind went hazy and the images faded.

He opened his eyes lazily. It was just barely morning. Kinata was lying in his arms peacefully, still naked. Sasuke's face reddened a bit at remembering how far they'd taken their intimacy last night. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him or even her for that matter. It was like they'd become completely different people. He sighed.

Well, they were officially with one another now. He smirked, glancing down at Kinata.

He had never cared for a girl before. The idea left him nervous. He had been so accustomed to having looked only after himself. Oh well…he thought, bored already about the subject. I'll figure it out. I always do. His confidence was back in full swing. He wanted to think over the odd dream, but his senses were out of it. So instead, he drifted back into a light slumber, waiting for her to wake up.

Kinata felt taller. She was staring at a familiar samurai. The armor was from ages ago and in a shiny silver tone. She glanced at his swords, able to make out the details. He had two. The longer one had a dragon on the tip, surprising Kinata. The other had a tiger. They were in a palace of some grand kind. When she studied his face, she gasped. He reminded her too much of Sasuke, just older. The man looked ahead, in deep concerned thought. His features were more defined and his hair had more depth, cropped out even more than Sasuke's hair-do. It was impossible for her not to see the eerie resemblance. He turned to face her, his eyebrow rising in question.

"Midoriko?" His voice was deep, sending shivers down her spine. He was definitely Sasuke.

"H…how is this possible? How'd you grow up so fast Sasuke?" Her mind couldn't comprehend that she was just having a dream. It felt too real for it not to be. His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

"Sasuke?" He stepped towards her, having only been a few feet away, reaching out to grab her hand. She let him, unable to say anything. So it wasn't him? Maybe it was his older brother…

"Where am I?" He frowned. Having his hand holding hers felt right. She gazed into his eyes.

"Love, I sense that such has had a vision. I myself have just had a lapse of moment. Tis twice now to have ensued both of us. Mysteries of life cannot be answered I fear." He sounded grave but caring, and the fact that he'd called her his love startled the hell out of Kinata. She shook her head.

"No. None of this makes sense. I don't even know who you are!" His frown deepened, and then his eyes narrowed. He definitely looked like Sasuke when he did that.

"Speaking as if one is not who I am familiar with raises much suspicion. My lady Midoriko, an explanation is greatly required." Kinata's eyes widened. Why was this guy calling her that?

"How can I give an explanation when I don't know what's going on? And I'm not Midoriko. My name is Kinata…Kinata Ryukotse." Just as she had blurted out her real last name, his eyes widened. He let her hand go staring suspiciously at her. She hadn't meant to reveal her clan's name, but the situation left her baffled and scared.

"I see now. This then explains it all. Truly an astounding circumstance." It was like he was talking to himself, ignoring her now, staring ahead in thought again. Kinata glared at him.

"Who are you?" He glanced over, his brow lifting up at her features. He must've been shocked to see her so angry. Obviously though she wanted to be clued in on what he now knew!

"I am known as Madaro. I am not blood connected to your clan, but we are connected as you are my betrothed. Lady Midoriko is of the Ryukotse. I am of the Torachiha clan. Lady Kinata, you have taken presence in Lady Midoriko's body. That is of titles and of the circumstance now." She felt her breathing hitch. What was this guy talking about? How could she be in somebody else's body? And was there really a member of her clan who was still alive?

"I thought…I thought everyone in my clan had died?" The man's eyebrows furrowed.

"All in the Ryukotse, perished?" His words were so serious that it caused Kinata to be anxious. She nodded, but just as she went to say more, pain in her temples caused her to keel over. He rushed to help her.

She screamed in agony, as it felt like needles were being pierced in her head. The fire in her eyes wouldn't go away. After a good minute of this she began to black out and in seconds she could hear his voice, but to her relief NOT that Madaro guy.

"Kinata! Damn, please! Wake up!" He was obviously worried. She groaned from the lingering ache. Finally, she was able to open her eyes, wrapped in Sasuke's strong and tight hold. He was sitting up, cradling her half in his lap. His expression appeared strained until he realized she was coming to.

"S…sasuke?" He let out a huge breath, trying to regain his composure. He had drifted off to sleep until he'd heard Kinata scream. She wouldn't wake up and her body had started thrashing around. He had tried shaking and calling out to her, holding her down. Nothing had worked. The whole thing had left the Uchiha boy terrified. Now that she was becoming calm, he too eased up. She held his arm to sit up next to him, blushing at her nakedness, and than at his. He held back a smirk, content to see her shyness. Right now though, he knew he would have to talk to her about what had just happened.

"Kinata, are you okay?" She shook her head, holding her temples. Her eyes were closed again and her breathing was still unusual. He tensed, scanning her over. She was still trembling slightly.

"The dream…I don't understand…it was so real…it was so confusing…then it was hurting so much…" She was rambling and Sasuke was trying to piece it together, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. Kinata slowly opened her eyes to stare at him, suddenly laughing. This left the boy even more fazed.

"That! You…right there! You look JUST like him. Right when you do THAT! He looked at me like that. I just…I can't believe it. And it had hurt so much. Ugh, this doesn't make sense." Sasuke pulled her into his arms, trying to hold back his annoyance with his girl that was losing it.

"Kinata, what the hell are you talking about?" He let out a sigh as she hid her head in his neck, sighing right after him. Her nerves chilled, and Sasuke could feel her breathing coming back to normal.

"Who do I look like?" She moved back so that they were staring into each other's eyes. She took a deep breath.

"I remember his name…it was Madaro. He…he knew my clan, somehow. I think, I'm pretty sure that a lady that belongs to my clan is still alive too. Somehow, we must be able to communicate through our minds. Kind of like the mind body disturbance technique. You remember that jutsu, right?" He squinted his eyes in thought and then nodded.

"Yeah. But the name, you said Madaro." She gave him one nod, staring curiously at him.

"Does it sound familiar?" He looked passed Kinata, in deep concentration. Out of nowhere, he tensed, causing Kinata to do the same.

"What?" She asked.

"That," he paused. "He was the guy in my dream." His words had been hesitant and unbelieving. He locked eye contact with her. She had wide eyes.

"That's not possible." She sounded as if she was just saying those words to convince herself. He eyed her, not sure if he wanted to ask anything more. He was feeling unnerved about the whole topic.

"Did you get a good look at his swords?" She felt her mouth drop. How did he know?

"Uh, yeah, I did. The long one had a dragon and the other one had a tiger. They were both black, gold, and red. No, actually, I think the dragon sword had green too." Sasuke sat frozen. Kinata gave him a questioning look.

How…no fucking way…it makes no possible sense…it's Impossible… He had never come across such an insane idea in his life, but somehow, just as he'd predicted the last time when she had mentioned to him about their similar dreams, it had been true. He was right. They were sharing the same dreams.

"Those were the swords that I was wearing." Kinata narrowed her eyes at him, now the one in disbelief.

"That's impossible." He mirrored her eyes.

"Why would I lie to you? You were staring at me in your dream and I was older, right?" She couldn't wrap her head around his words. Her hands were shaking from the shock.

"I…I can't believe this…the man, he didn't sound like you though. I mean his voice did, but the way he talked…it was from a whole different era…almost…or maybe a different land. I'm not sure. He said his name was Madaro, not Sasuke. I had asked him because he did look like you." Sasuke stared hard at her.

"Do you remember anything else?" Kinata let out a frustrated sigh. It was difficult to bring up any details in the dream after the wave of pain that had hit her.

"Not really. At least not right now. I know that he kept calling me by another name…I guess the girl who is a part of my clan. I can't recall it though." She was staring at her hands with intense eyes, trying to conjure up the name. Sasuke pulled her to him, surprising her.

"Hmph. We need to shower and get ready for the day. We'll figure this all out later. Got it?" Her bare back was pressed against his chest and their legs were rubbing. Kinata blushed, nodding.

"Kay." She mumbled, still blown away by their new level of the relationship. Sasuke kissed her neck quickly before climbing out of bed. She watched him, taking in his physique. It was unbelievable how close they'd come in such a short time span. Something was between them that logically couldn't be explained. Maybe her bloodline was naturally attracted to males that looked like him. It would explain why that guy in her dream shared nearly the same features as Sasuke and was in love with the other Ryukotse girl. Kinata smirked to herself as Sasuke went into the bathroom. The Madaro man was incredibly hot. She only hoped that when Sasuke aged, he'd look almost like him.

She thought back to the first dream, when she'd been in the meadow, now understanding why the samurai had appeared so familiar. It was also the reason the Uchiha boy had acted so strange when she had mentioned the dream – it was because he'd had the same one. It was obviously how he knew about the swords, just as he'd questioned her the first time about them. She wondered why he would've kept that secret though. It was pretty important, more so now that it'd happened twice.

After she'd taken her shower, the two met downstairs to eat.

"I don't get the dreams anymore than you Kinata." She looked up to him with her mouth full of pickled vegetables. When she'd been lost in thought under the steamy water, Sasuke had taken the task of cooking their breakfast. He'd been quick to make some boiled rice and a variety of pickled vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and radishes. He had two small bowls of red miso soup next to the larger dish, with a thick piece of bacon coating a rice ball with a small leek on top. It was unusual for Sasuke to go out of his way to make a proper breakfast, but Kinata wasn't complaining. She was starving.

"But we can look into the names." He laid his chopsticks down, surveying her unsure expression.

"I only remember one name though." He gave a curt nod.

"Yeah, but I can think of two more." This caught her attention. She paused, holding the onigiri by her mouth.

"Really?" He glanced to the side, his face emotionless.

"The first time we shared a dream, it was in a meadow." She set her food down, eyeing the boy before her. So he was finally admitting to the strange occurrence that he should've shared awhile ago.

"Right." He turned to her, his eyes serious.

"That woman, the one you believe is in your clan, her name, I'm pretty sure it was Midiko. She said something to me about a place called Kai." Kinata scrunched her eyebrows up in thought. The name sounded familiar but not quite accurate.

"I don't think so." She could tell she'd offended him, so she raised her hand in defeat.

"Look, I don't know for sure, but it just doesn't sound right. It sounds close though." Sasuke glared slightly at her.

"Then what exactly is it?" Yep, she'd definitely offended him. She sighed, going back to shoving the rice ball in her mouth. He kept his harsh gaze on her. After she gulped it down, she gave him a returning glare.

"I already said I'm not sure." He let up a little, staring down at his own food. He let out a quiet sigh.

"Fine. We'll train outside today, behind my house. I'm not in the mood to run into any of our classmates. It'll help take our minds off the dreams too." She gave him a small smile.

"Kay." He brought his head up, connecting eye contact with her, his face impassive.

"Later this week though, we'll research the names at the Konoha Archive Library." She raised an eyebrow.

"Why the Archives? I'm positive she's still alive." Sasuke eyed her, making her tense.

"I doubt that." Kinata frowned, looking away from him. It hurt to hear that the chances of another survivor didn't exist.

"I don't understand." He stood up, walking slowly to Kinata's side, where he bent his head down, raising her chin.

"Trust me. Let's change for now. I want to test my skills in ninjutsu." He moved in for a swift kiss. She had no time to respond before he was heading upstairs. She stood dazed from his actions and then shook her head, agreeing mentally that it was best not to dwell on the subject.

It was half-way through the day. She had yet again showed him up while physically fighting, though he'd proven that his ninjutsu was far more advanced. He was a natural with the fire element and he'd left several burn marks all over her. Sasuke had instantly regretted the drastic measures, having rushed over to ensure if she was okay.

"I'm fine. It'll heal in no time." He was glaring at the ground.

"Let's call it a day." His words were crisp and cold. If she'd been anyone else, she'd assume he was pissed with her. However, she had come to pick up on his vibes better now. He was simply furious with himself for losing control of his chakra again (though last time it'd been in a physical attack). He began to walk stiffly away when Kinata grabbed his arm to pull him into a kiss. He was taken off guard, giving her a chance to deepen the kiss by digging her tongue into his mouth. It forced him to partake even though he awkwardly had his hands still in his pockets.

It helped that there were no bystanders since they were in the Uchiha training grounds just behind his house. It gave them the privacy that gave her confidence to act so boldly. When she pulled back, he looked borderline bashful and irritated.

"Don't baby me when we train Sasuke. I don't with you. And as a fellow shinobi in training, it's disrespectful." Her serious words only angered him further, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm not." His shoulders went taunt. "It's pathetic." She raised an eyebrow as his eyes darted to the left, still in slits. "I can't keep control. I need more practice on my own. Otherwise, I'm putting you in danger."

It was her turn to glare at him, crossing her arms. They were officially in a stand-off. His words were nothing new to her. She had figured as much. But if he believed he was putting HER life at risk, he was sadly mistaken. It didn't slip passed her of the jeopardy over the situation as cause of her deciding to be with him. He was now a weakness that deadly tracker-ninjas could use against her. It was a prominent fact that was a growing fear every time she thought about it.

"You're right. It is pathetic." He coiled back, as if slapped. His teeth began to grind together. Before he could respond, she continued. "It's pathetic how easily you let it get to you. Get over it Sasuke. Not everyone starts out with perfect control. Even I'm far from perfecting my skills. It doesn't mean I'll give up, calling it a day. I have the strength to push myself, even while sparring." She took a breath, "And I know you can too." The last bit, referring to him, was said more gently but the rest she'd been super defensive and unwavering.

Sasuke's negative aura slowly vanished. He let out a long breath, his left hand coming out of his pocket to brush through his spiky hair.

"Tch. You really have a way with words." His tone was sarcastic but the tiny glint of teasing in his eyes caused her to smile. He shook his head.

"Come one. Let's grab something to eat. I'll get some ointment to treat your wounds. We'll finish up our training after that." She gave him an energetic nod, her toothy smile making him secretly smirk.

That night, they slept next to one another again. This time the two had their clothes on, satisfied with just cuddling. Sasuke had been impressed with her taijutsu when she had demonstrated how to handle her sai knives while dodging several kunai. At first he'd been extremely hesitant, but after she'd reminded him of her lecture, he'd reluctantly given in. It was a whole different perspective concerning her battle techniques. She had let him try out her sai knives, which to his embarrassment he'd had more trouble with the weapons than when he'd first learned how to throw kunai knives. She'd shrugged it off, explaining how troublesome the weights of the blades were and for a beginner, it would take up much time to get used to.

After their training, the two had been left completely drained. They had dropped down on the grass to stare up into the cloudlessly light blue sky. Sasuke had asked her to sing the song she'd first sang to him, and she'd complied, despite having been self-conscious of her dry voice from their mock battles. She'd almost put him to sleep. In that moment, the Uchiha boy had made a major decision.

He would stop acting so cowardly.

He had already made love to her.

It was time he declared such feelings to her.

Sasuke now looked down at her in his bed, her face resting peacefully on his chest.

He swore to himself that whatever happened, he'd go through with his plans.

Tomorrow…after the Academy…I'll take her to our spot, high up on the roof of the shrine, away from peering eyes…and just as the sun sets…I'll tell her...

Sasuke brought his hand soothingly down her back as she was laying more half on top of him. She was pretty light and the extra weight felt comforting. He was proud and excited about his decision from last night. He smiled to himself, remembering the first time he'd set his eyes on her.

She had walked into the classroom, avoiding the students while she kept her eyes on their teacher. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in her direction. He had recalled seeing her a few days ago covered in mud and appearing a complete mess with dry blood and barely noticeable bruises enveloping her. It had been a quick few seconds before she'd turned away to head down a lowlife alley. Now, she was standing in the middle of their class, waiting for Iruka-sensei to notice her.

"Ah! Seems the new student has finally made it." 'So…she IS joining our class.' Something about her unnerved him as their instructor waved her over, though she didn't move.

"Well, come on over and introduce yourself." The girl just stood there like an idiot, shaking her head. Sasuke watched, amused at her odd reaction.

"I'm sorry for being tardy. I couldn't figure out what to wear." The girl sitting next to him, along with a few others, began to giggle.

"Looks like ya did just fine." Iruka-sensei replied, and the two smiled at each other. Sasuke's heartbeat picked up, startling him. She was pretty, sure, but clearly just as ditzy as the girls around him.

"I tried." Those two words sounded misplaced for the thoughts that had just went through his head. Her voice had been mature. She had moved so that she was in front of everyone, scanning the whole class. It caused him to tense. So maybe she wasn't as stupid as the others…

"My name is Kinata Iwatsuru. I hope to graduate alongside of all of you!" Sasuke was silently amazed at the confidence in her tone. He narrowed his eyes at the drastic change in her.

"Can you tell us something about yourself Kinata?" Their teacher's voice droned on.

Kinata Iwatsuru? Just as he repeated her name in his head, her eyes locked with his. There was a weird sense of connection. The intensity was abnormal, and she looked away, clearly uneasy. Suspicion rose in his gut immediately from her actions.

Sasuke shook his head at the memory, having been sole bent on revenge back then. In just a short amount of time, his entire goal had transformed. He mused at the idea, looking down at the brunette beneath him. His goal centered on loving her now…and he was damn sure to let her know today.

After a few minutes, he rolled out of bed, careful not to wake her. He went downstairs to cook a special breakfast, one that would out-do yesterday's meal. He had it all planned out, wanting to give her a special kunai knife later on which had the Uchiha crest engraved on the handle. It was his sign of commitment to her and to protect her under the Uchiha name. Absentmindedly he acknowledged that it was a rather quick development in their relationship, but each day had felt like a year together.

He made tamagoyaki (rolled omelets), miso soup, steamed rice, hourensou no gomaae (spinach salad with sesame seeds) and umeboshi (pickled plums). He hoped that she would have a hearty appetite since it was quite a bit laid out. He set up the table in a traditional sense, taking out his special dishes. The final outcome reminded him of when his mother would prepare for a big occasion, going above and beyond to impress all that were invited.

He stared at the steaming food, his arms crossed, smirking proudly at the elegant scene.

"Wow, this looks amazing Sasuke." Her voice startled him, though he only snapped his head around to find her dressed and ready to leave for the Academy. He raised an eyebrow.

"Wasting no time in leaving for school, huh?" He teased her.

She stretched, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I thought I was running late. Especially since you weren't in bed." He nodded, keeping his face neutral. As usual, she was beautiful, wearing one of the outfits he'd bought for her. Sasuke had chosen to wear the necklace she gifted him, despite his ego (though he did hide it under his shirt). He felt it suited the exceptional day.

"So, what's all of this about? Or have I found myself a personal chef?" Now she was teasing him.

"Tch. Sit down and eat already." She chuckled at his uncomfortable posture, setting himself across from where she walked up to the table, following suit. Once she did, he gave her an explanation.

"After class, I have something important to tell you." He sounded calm yet serious. Her eyes widened slightly at this.

"Oh. Good or bad?" He smirked at how worried his words made her.

"Good." She relaxed, nodding and smiling his way. She picked up her chopsticks to chow down. He watched, amused as she made her way through the many dishes.

"Kay. Thanks for the breakfast Sasuke. You really are incredible!"

The Uchiha boy's cheeks reddened at her compliment but luckily Kinata was so consumed with the food that she didn't notice.

The two talked here and there but the boy was too preoccupied with how he'd approach the intimate topic later on in the day. He wasn't the romantic type but he wanted the moment to be precious. It was corny in his mind, but he really wanted her to repeat the three words back to him, which meant that he'd have to go about it perfectly. There was so much pressure that it had his stomach clenching. Yet they'd already slept together...made love. It didn't change how the intense feelings swirled inside of him. He took a deep breath as they got up to head out.

Before they walked out of the door, Sasuke grabbed her hand, bringing her to a halt. She turned 90 degrees with an arched eyebrow.

"Sasuke?" He loved hearing his name on her lips. In fact, he loved the shape, the tint, and the feel of her lips. He pulled her to him, right into a deep kiss. He had his hand wrapped roughly into her hair. He had his chest pushed tightly against her and the heat between them sizzled.

When they pulled apart, both were breathing hard. He gave a smirk towards her flustered expression. He slowly moved a wild strand of hair away from her face that he'd messed up. She shook her head, gently smiling his way.

"I can't think straight around you anymore." She laughed.

"Hmph. You're saying you did before?" His arrogant tone had nothing but a pure joke implied in it. She gave him a light punch in the arm.

"More than you ever did!" Their teasing felt absolutely natural. He rolled his eyes, walking beside her into the outdoors. She followed.

"Whatever." They walked next to each other. Sasuke suddenly did the unbelievable, reaching out to hold her hand. She felt stunned to think that he would walk with her like that all the way to the Academy.

However, upon approaching the building, three jounin, an ANBU shinobi, and Iruka-sensei stood solemnly by the entrance gates. They were eyeing the two. Their sensei appeared ill at ease. Sasuke's grip tightened. They could both sense something terrible wrong. When they came near the adults, Kinata was the first to speak.

"Is something the matter?" Her voice was steady. Sasuke held back a smirk, always taken with her confident maturity.

"Yes. A matter that concern you, Kinata Iwatsuru. And only you." It was one of the jounin that had replied. He had a scar going down the middle of his face and appeared intimidating, though he hardly fazed her on the outside. The last words were directed not at her, but at a now pissed off Uchiha which the older man had glanced over at. Iruka-sensei sighed.

"This should not take long. Sasuke, please head inside." The boy didn't budge. Kinata nervously tugged her hand from his. He snapped his head towards her, giving her a questioning stare. He couldn't leave her side, not when something bad involved her.

"No. Not until I know what's going on." He had a deadly tone. The scar-faced jounin raised a curious eyebrow at the brave and defiant child.

"Is that so?" Sasuke glared at him while Iruka-sensei went to scold the boy. Before anything could escalate out of control though, Kinata stepped between them, facing his onyx eyes which were ablaze.

"Sasuke! Please, calm down. I'll be fine, okay? And they said it wouldn't be long, so I'll see you soon enough." He growled and shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes staring deep in to hers.

"Fine." His body was so tense that it seemed like a spring ready to snap. Iruka-sensei walked closer to put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, who glared now at the hand.

"Go on inside. I'll ignore your tardiness just this once. I have a sub who's well aware of this too."

"Tch. As if I care." He was still furious. Kinata sighed as their instructor's eye twitched greatly. Sasuke pulled forward from the hand to stand right in front of Kinata. She gave him a small smile. He felt his stomach coil, as if he wanted to puke.

Something was off. Nothing about this settled right for the Uchiha boy.

After seeing her encouraging face with her unique and bright eyes shining positively into his, his nerves were soothed.

"Thanks Sasuke…for trying to come along. You're always trying to protect me, but I can handle this." She gave him a cheesy smile. She must've been trying to openly apologize for his rude behavior by explaining it better to the naïve adults around them. He stared hard at her. He took a gulp, where a lump in his throat had formed. His face was stern but otherwise expressionless. Again, this wasn't right. But what could he do?

"Yeah. I'll always protect you." The clichéd words had slipped out before he could catch them, feeling embarrassed that the higher-up ninjas had just heard him.

Then again, what did he care? He only cared for Kinata.

She was surprised to hear him say that but regained her composure, barely able to hold back the tears.

She had an idea of what was happening. She'd been fearing it since the moment she had snuck into Konoha on that dreadful, rainy night. They must've somehow found out that she wasn't a citizen of the Leaf Village and thus she would now be interrogated. At least they were leaving Sasuke out of it.

Yet hearing him speak to her like that, it only made her want to impulsively run away with him beside her. It was childish to think that they could outrun highly-skilled shinobi. Besides that, they would have no where to go, with no money or provisions.

She sighed, quickly grasping his hand to plant a smooth kiss on his cheek. He let out a sudden breath, taken off guard by her actions but pleased nonetheless.

"Again, thanks, for everything." With that, and with one last look in his confused, dark eyes, she moved towards the jounin and the two others.

"Sasuke, go." It was the scar-faced jounin who ordered it. They had been patient enough, knowing that the two kids had clearly hooked up (though they had no idea how strong of an extent it went). Most in the village had already made juicy news of this upon seeing them as a couple during the Star Festival. Sasuke was the jewel of Konoha, a prodigy and the last infamous Uchiha left. That he'd found a girl his own age – and for having been elusive when it came to love – it was needless to say that it was brought to various official's attention. After some research, the Hokage himself had discovered the girl's personal background, right after the Festival.

The Hokage had been astonished to discover the details that had been vague, more so the forged paperwork of her citizenship. He knew he'd have to take immediate action.

And he had, though he felt horrible for it. After one day from the occasion, he'd sent out his orders for the retrieval of the girl. To avoid a war, he would do what he had to.

Kinata was pushed gently along by Iruka-sensei, surrounded on each side by the jounin, with the ANBU guy and scar-face (as she was referring to him) in front. She tried to turn her head to glance back at Sasuke, but the men blocked her sight. She felt the tears coming forth, brimming at the corner of her eyes. She conjured up all of her control to hold them back. She had a feeling that it'd be the last time she'd ever see him again.

Sasuke watched as they left with her. He planned to follow, but just as he went to go after them, a firm hand on his shoulder had him glancing up. He stilled when he did. It was the Third Hokage, staring sadly ahead at the group with the girl in the middle, a good distance away from them now. Finally, after a minute of silence, he brought his attention to the Uchiha boy, who was perplexed as to why the old man was right there, and how he'd happen to creep up on him without noticing. The wobbly smile made the boy tense.

"Do you mind, Sasuke, if we have a talk?"

The boy frowned. Despite the question, he hardly had a choice. As their village leader began to walk ahead, he reluctantly followed, glancing one last time at the image between Iruka-sensei and one of the jounin, watching Kinata's long, spiraled dark brown hair swing gracefully behind her back.

And then she was gone.