"Hn. Neither one of us has any need for something like that." Kaiya blinked, then closed her eyes, her hands balled into fists at her side. Sasuke turned around, his eyebrows creasing slightly. After a moment, Kaiya's eyes opened, and she looked at him pointedly. For once, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. She suddenly grinned, surprising him.

"Heh. You're right," she decided, shrugging. "Friends are…" She stared at the floor somberly. "Friends are pointless."

"Mm." Sasuke wondered if she truly believed that, or if she was just lost on the subject. He didn't figure she'd ask the question if she wasn't searching for a particular answer, or at least hoping he might be wondering the same thing. But friends weren't important to him at all—only one thing mattered, and Kaiya knew what that one thing was. And she wasn't going to try and change his mind about it, especially since she was unsure herself about the importance of companionship.

He turned and continued his trek to who-knew-where, the smallest hint of a smirk hidden behind his bangs. They walked through the compound for a few more minutes, weaving in and out of rooms randomly, dodging broken furniture and glass as they went, inhaling mold and entire dust bunnies, but pretending they were unfazed. Kaiya's oversensitive nose was about to burst. At last, Sasuke stopped at their destination; it was one the two of them knew well, although they had never entered it while they both lived in the estate.

Itachi's room.

Kaiya remembered when she and Sasuke would stand outside this door, waiting for Itachi to come out so they could bug him. No one had ever been allowed to go inside his bedroom. But obviously, that restriction had been lifted when Itachi fled the village. Still, Kaiya didn't know what the point of going in now was, why Sasuke had brought her here, of all places. She lifted an eyebrow, confused. "Why do you want to show me his room?" she wondered in disgust, clenching her fists. "To think that you would even think about going in there…" Her voice shuddered. She didn't know what she expected—an evil lab of experiments, several hundred Sharingan floating in jars, maybe.

"Says the one who went through all the bedrooms in her own house," Sasuke muttered in retaliation, letting the irritation leak heavily through his voice. He opened the door slowly; it groaned in protest, opening its mouth into darkness like a beast. For a moment, neither of them moved. Finally, Sasuke took in a deep breath and took a step inside, prompting Kaiya to follow him. Though it annoyed her, she didn't bother protesting anymore at this point. She held her breath, almost expecting Itachi to form from the shadows and swallow them whole. But nothing happened.

"I came here once before, after…everything. I found something interesting that the ANBU didn't catch. It was hidden, and I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now I think you might be interested to see it." Kaiya still had no idea what Sasuke could possibly be talking about, but he had piqued her interest. She just wished he would stop being so cryptic and tell her already.

He went to the bedside table, where a lamp and an old, dusty photo of Sasuke, his parents, and Itachi sat, though it was lying face-down. Sasuke pretended it wasn't there and that he didn't know what was inside the frame, and Kaiya didn't question it. She had glanced at it once before, when Itachi had slid his door open to tell them to stop annoying him. It made her smile back then, but now it just made her swell with anger.

Sasuke opened the drawer, which was stuck a little from age, and pressed his fingers gently on the bottom, and Kaiya blinked in surprise when it popped open to reveal a secret space beneath it, invisible to anyone who didn't already know it was there. Sasuke pulled out a sealed envelope from the hanger, handing it to her. She hesitantly took it, frowning, wondering why he would give it to her. The envelope was an off-white, its corners crumpled. She stared at it in question, realizing after looking at it closer that her name was written neatly on the front in blue ink.

"This…is this from…?" Kaiya could see Sasuke's eyes darken, even in the dimly lit room. He nodded.

"I never opened it," he admitted, placing his hands back in his pockets. "I was going to, but I was too afraid and angry. And then I was going to rip it to shreds and burn it, but then I decided it wasn't my place to do so. Whatever is in that letter, it's for your eyes to see. I don't know what he could have possibly wanted to tell you, but…" He shrugged indifferently, although the tenseness in his shoulders told her that he was only indifferent for her sake.

Kaiya studied the delicate envelope further, turning it carefully over in her hands. It was a dark yellow, and the ink was fading, evidence that it had been stored in the drawer for years on end. She didn't have any clue how the ANBU could have missed it in their search for answers on why Itachi had committed such a heinous crime, but then again, the secret compartment was well hidden, and it was a wonder how Sasuke had found it by accident. Her eyes narrowed sadly. How long before the Massacre did he write this? she wondered, releasing a heavy sigh. Does it even matter now? Why would he write me a letter and not give it to me?

She shook her head, scolding herself for being so curious about a mass murderer, no matter how much she looked up to him in the past.

"What should I do with it?" The words hung in the air like the dust they had been breathing in for the past several minutes. Kaiya usually wouldn't be so straightforward with such a sensitive subject. But Sasuke already knew what Itachi meant to her, and besides, he had already seen her a mess in her own home. There was no point in hiding her feelings from him now—not that she could have, according to him. Sasuke shrugged again, his expression stoic, as usual.

"Like I said, it's not my place to decide," he replied solemnly, avoiding her eyes. "It's yours, so open it up, rip it to shreds, burn it…" His shoulders sagged. "It makes no difference to me. I just wanted you to have it, just in case it was somehow important." Kaiya stared at him warily. Or maybe he just wants to know what's in it, if it has any answers he's been searching for. Sasuke fell silent, contemplating something. Then, he spoke again. "You asked me earlier if I thought you could really escape the shadow looming over you…" He sighed, meeting her eyes for a moment. A small grin crossed his face.

"After being reminded of what we've both endured up to this point, I think you can, Kaiya. And not only will you escape it, but you'll overcome that darkness. Both of us will. And we'll do it by pressing forward and accomplishing our goals. Never let anything distract you from that."

Kaiya nodded and clenched the parchment in her hand tightly, biting her lip as she considered what to do with it. She was curious, of course. But she was also disgusted and angry. What was the point of opening it now? No past words of encouragement or fondness would mean anything to her at this moment; it didn't mean anything to him, that was clear. Whatever he wrote back then was pointless, and it would only incite her rage for what he'd done. But still. What if it was somehow important and relevant?

"I'll worry about it later," she decided, stuffing it in her weapons pouch. Sasuke nodded. Kaiya sighed, rubbing the cricks out of her neck. She was tired of breathing in the dust and cobwebs of the past. It was making her sick. "Thanks, Sasuke. I know this was hard for you." He looked away, not bothering to reply. "Now, let's get the hell out of here before my lungs disintegrate." She smirked, holding out her hand. He stared at it for a moment, before removing one of his own hands from his pocket, placing it tentatively in hers. "We're wasting daylight." He blinked in question as he was dragged out of his childhood home and estate, towards the center of the bustling village.

Kaiya finally stopped in front of Ichiraku Ramen. Sasuke frowned in confusion. "Ramen?" he said, as she let go of his hand. He slowly put his arm back down at his side, his fingertips numb from having been held, and for so long. Kaiya blushed, showing him a shy grin.

"I'm starving," she admitted. As if on cue, her stomach vibrated like an earthquake had erupted inside her torso, so loud she wondered if the whole village could hear it. Her ears turned a dark shade of red as she chuckled. "See?" A sweat drop slid down the back of her and Sasuke's heads. "It's been a long day, ok, and I thought we could use some fuel for training." She scratched her cheek, avoiding his eyes. Sasuke's gaze narrowed slightly, then he glanced up at the entrance to the restaurant.

"Someone might see us here. Are you really ok with that?" Kaiya frowned, straightening up as she thought about it. If one of Sasuke's fangirls saw them together, they'd flip their shit and hate her even more, if that was possible. Sasuke didn't care what anyone thought of him in any capacity, and Kaiya didn't either, really. But neither one of them wanted drama to follow them. She sighed.

"What's one more rumor about me going to do?" she decided, showing him a sly grin. "I'll just beat up anyone who has something to say." Sasuke returned her grin and nodded, following her into the stall.

"Ok, but it's your treat," he said with a shrug.

"Huh?! Isn't the guy supposed to pay for the food?!"

"Well, you're the one who brought me here," he pointed out. Sasuke chuckled curtly, a sound that both annoyed Kaiya and made her content somehow.

"Whatever," she muttered, pouting. Teuchi caught sight of Kaiya and Sasuke as they walked in, raising an eyebrow in question. He studied them closely as they sat down next to each other, arguing over who would pay the bill. He didn't care, as long as their quarreling worked up an appetite. So long as someone was paying, it didn't matter who.

"Couples always argue about the most insignificant things, don't they, Ayame?" he asked his daughter, loud enough for the two Genin to hear. She nodded in agreement, a large smile on her face. They paled, refusing to meet each other's eyes as they sputtered and protested.

"We're not a couple!" they cried in unison, slamming their palms on the booth. Teuchi frowned, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Are you sure? Eh, don't worry, I was only kidding." He held up his hands in defense, turning on the pots to boil the water for the ramen. "Still…you two look like you'd be good together, at least." Kaiya groaned and thought she was going to throw up. Sasuke wished he was anywhere else at the moment. This is why they didn't want to be seen in public together.

"…"

Kaiya gave up. "Two Shoyu, please." She fought the bile rising in her throat as she grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the container in front of her. The only thing keeping her from telling the old man a thing or two was the fact that she was starving, and he made the best ramen in the village. Who cares what he said as long as he cooked her dinner?

…

"You're gonna get your ass kicked for making me pay at Ichiraku, Sasuke," Kaiya promised, hitting her open palm with the opposite fist. She smirked as she cracked her neck dramatically. "I've been waiting to tear you a new one for the past hour." Sasuke scoffed, unimpressed, removing his hands from his pockets slowly. They were in the training grounds now, ready to work off all the stress of the day, along with the meal they just ate.

"Tch. Don't make me laugh, Beef Brains." He grinned at the discontent on Kaiya's face as she growled, gritting her teeth like a pissed-off canine. Her eyebrows furrowed, threatening to meet in the middle of her forehead.

"Bastard, you're really gonna get it now," she muttered, sucking in a breath. Without warning, she launched forward, throwing her fist at him as hard as she could. Sasuke managed to block it, surprised at her speed—though he shouldn't be by now. While his right arm blocked her left, she aimed her right fist for his face, but he used his opposite arm to block that as well. Kaiya showed him a cheeky smile, driving her knee into his torso at the same time—a distraction—knocking the breath out of him instantly. He let out a surprised gasp of pain, stumbling backward as he doubled over. Kaiya followed through with a hand chop to his back, sending him to the ground face-first.

Sasuke lay there, struggling to catch his breath. He lifted his head, sporadically spitting out soil and grass, recoiling at the earthy taste. He glared up at Kaiya angrily, blood boiling. "Damn it, Kimura…now I'm pissed." He pushed himself up onto his hands, swinging his legs around and knocking her off balance as his ankle collided with hers.

"Whoa!" It happened quickly, surprising her. As she fell, she caught herself with her hands, shifting all her weight to her arms; the veins in her muscles tensed as she attempted to flip over to her feet. Sasuke jumped up and grabbed onto her ankles before she could right herself, lifting her off the ground, using her own momentum against her.

Kaiya's eyes widened. He's gotten faster, she noted, frantically trying to think of an escape. She knew if she didn't, she was going to be in a lot of pain.

With her upper body flailing around and her lower body secured, Kaiya could only think of one thing to do at that moment. Sasuke attempted to slam her body down on the ground to repay her for before. But there was no way in hell that she was going to let that happen. Before her back collided with the dirt, she threw her upper body over Sasuke's shoulders, taking advantage of the fact he'd let his guard down. It wasn't easy, straining her ribs and spine as she pushed against his back, this time using his momentum against him. She gritted her teeth as her body protested but obeyed. Sasuke let go of her ankles so that his hands would be free to break his fall, and Kaiya flipped her entire body over him, pushing him toward the ground.

Dirt scattered everywhere. When the cloud of dust cleared, Kaiya was sitting on Sasuke's back unscathed, while Sasuke was once again kissing the ground. She laughed as sweat trickled down her brow, letting out heavy breaths. This round was over. "You almost had me there, Sasuke!" she cackled, playfully smothering his face into the dirt to further his humiliation. He said something in retaliation, but it was muffled by the fact his lips were squished against the earth. "I can tell you've been training a lot on your own. I'm impressed, Uchiha." Her amused expression faded slowly. "But there's no way I'm letting you catch up to me."

Sasuke's hands clawed at the dirt desperately. It was comical, until Kaiya remembered that he was suffocating. She jumped to her feet, flipping him over onto his back. He glared at her in contempt, gasping for air as his lungs greedily sucked in as much oxygen as they could; his nostrils were filled with dirt, and he released it all in a fit of sneezes. She showed him a sheepish grin, helping him sit up, joining him on the ground.

"Uh…oops. I guess I took the gloating too far." Kaiya chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. Once he'd caught his breath, Sasuke stared at her quizzically. She blinked, confused. "What?" His gaze averted to the nearest tree. He was silent for a moment.

"Taijutsu is the one thing you're better at," he said, wiping the dirt off his chin. Kaiya frowned.

"'One thing'? You make it sound like you're better than me." Sasuke smirked at her offensiveness.

"Heh. Well, that's something we've yet to confirm, right?" It was true. When they trained together, they never went all-out. Their fights were never serious, and they never used ninjutsu against each other. It was just friendly sparring, even though their competitive natures hardly showed it. Kaiya crossed her arms.

"Tch, whatever. Just wait, Uchiha. I'll get better at ninjutsu someday, and then I'll come for you—for real." Sasuke stared at the ground contemplatively. Kaiya had been making that claim for a while now, but her lack of skills proved it was all just talk. He almost smirked at the thought of her going all out on anyone. She liked to pretend she was some badass who would devour anyone who couldn't keep up with her, but he knew that despite her façade, she didn't have a malicious bone in her body. She couldn't hate anyone enough to destroy them, not even the people who betrayed her and left her to pick up their mess. He decided to change the subject, before he said all of this out loud.

"I've been focusing a lot more on taijutsu in my personal training," Sasuke admitted, after a minute of keeping to himself. "Since we're being honest today, I wanted to surprise you with how much work I've done." He chuckled curtly. "Kaiya, if I can beat you, I know that I'm making progress. But…" She hit his arm before he could wallow in self-pity. He looked up at her in question. She was frowning.

"Sasuke, you're always too hard on yourself," she pointed out, rolling her eyes. "You're the top Genin from our class, right?" He didn't respond. She groaned. "Sasuke Uchiha, you were naturally born to be great, weren't you? I thought all you Uchihas thought that." She smirked at his annoyed expression.

"Look, I focus all my energy on martial arts because I'm no good at genjutsu, and I'm only average at ninjutsu. You're exceptional at all three. Don't bum yourself out because I seem physically stronger than you are right now. You are making progress. You had me scared for a second; I thought you had me beat." She laughed. Sasuke blinked, surprised it seemed to come so easy for her now. "I told you a long time ago that I wouldn't lose to you. So, I've been working hard too. Once I get ninjutsu down, then I'll kick your ass."

Sasuke let out a long, sobering breath, rubbing his neck thoroughly. He already knew he'd be sore for days, as was the usual when he fought Kaiya. But that just meant he was up against a formidable foe. After a few seconds, he glanced back at her, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Just wait until next time," he promised, an unusually mischievous glint in his eye. Kaiya narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I'm going to give you the workout of the century as payback." All the color drained from Kaiya's face.

"…I hate you, Sasuke," she murmured. His grin widened.

…

After their training, Kaiya and Sasuke continued to wander aimlessly through the village for a couple of hours, and now the sun was setting low in the sky. Normally, Kaiya would have to be home by now. Yoshino didn't like her to be out too late, and neither did the Hokage or her ANBU guards. Someone, whether it be Shikaku or Sarutobi, would send an officer to escort her to the Nara Estate. He—or she—would appear out of nowhere, blocking her path, and stare at her in silence until she followed them back home, arms crossed like they were disappointed she was trying to have fun.

The occasional Black Op would tail her through the trees, watching every angle for any danger that might be nearby. It was annoying, and unnecessary, seeing as everyone in her family was dead. Not to mention they wouldn't care enough about her to come after her anyway. She was told there were other dangers out there, although the specifics were always denied to her (typical Sarutobi). But at this point, Kaiya had gotten used to it and didn't think about it much, unless she was trying to get into trouble.

Now that she had graduated from the Academy, she had a little more freedom. She was still shadowed by the occasional officer, but they could no longer enforce any rules upon her. At Shikaku's encouragement—which Kaiya was sure he had to push far for—Yoshino allowed Kaiya to stay out later every now and then, though she usually had to be in bed early for training the next day anyway.

But not tonight.

The silence between Sasuke and Kaiya was content as they non-verbally agreed where to end their night together. Kaiya folded her hands behind her head casually as they walked, glancing at her walking partner out the corner of her eye. She said, "You know what, Sasuke?" Hands in his pockets, his gaze turned to her in question. "You're a pretty ok guy, for an asshole." Sasuke looked down at the ground, smiling to himself. He scoffed, his gaze returning to the path ahead.

"You're not so bad yourself, come to think of it," he said in return. "Despite the fact you're an angry stalker." He shrugged nonchalantly, unable to hide his smirk. Kaiya stopped walking, looking up at Sasuke in annoyance, who was at least five centimeters taller than her. She glared at him for a few seconds, before walking again. She was silent for a few breaths before letting out a brief laugh, unable to hold it in any longer. It sounded foreign to both of them.

"Ok, I had that coming, I guess." Kaiya laughed again, falling silent once more. Her cheeks were sore from smiling so much. It was annoying, but she didn't hate the feeling. "It's nice when the village is silent, isn't it? No annoying villagers running around." Her voice was quiet and somber, almost like she was just speaking to herself. At first, Sasuke thought she was. She kept her eyes on the Hokage Mountain as they neared it. "Sasuke, I don't mean to sound stupid or anything…"

Sasuke held his breath, curious, as Kaiya let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. She wasn't the sentimental type usually, but today had been strange. "We haven't spent a whole lot of time together since—well, you know—" She stumbled over her words, was silent as she recovered, then spoke again. "But when it's just the two of us, when we're training, or even right now, when we're just walking together in silence, I don't feel so…angry. Or sad." Or scared, she wanted to add, but didn't. "I can just relax, you know? I'm not hiding anything from anybody, because you already know how I feel. Even if you are annoying sometimes."

Sasuke's eyes lowered at Kaiya's confession. The wind whistled through the trees, blowing his bangs around his sullen expression. His fists clenched in his pockets. She waited for him to say something to end the awkward silence.

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Normally, they wouldn't have admitted such a thing to each other. It was a weakness to reveal your feelings, to be vulnerable. People could take advantage of it and exploit that weakness. It's happened before. But right now, things were different. Sasuke had already seen Kaiya at her most vulnerable, in the very place her world came tumbling down.

In the same way, Kaiya had seen Sasuke in the place where he had lost everything he loved. Unlike her, the people he lost—his parents, his clansmen—they all loved him in return. It was different when you had loved and been loved, and then that love had been ripped out of your hands by the cruelty of the world. Sasuke had let Kaiya into his nightmare, showing her the aftermath of his trauma, even though he had no obligation to do so. She was thankful; even without words, he had comforted her, made her feel like someone was in her corner, her turmoil seen and understood. She wasn't completely alone after all.

Kaiya smirked as she stopped at the foot of the great wall of rock overlooking the entire village. From the base, you couldn't see the bold faces of the four Hokage that led the Leaf Village into what it was today. Without a word, she started to climb. Her companion followed her, as per their routine, racing her up the rock face until they were both on top of the Fourth Hokage's head, breathless.

They turned to face each other, cheeks red from overexertion, sweat beading their foreheads. Their eyes gleamed. "I won!" they shouted in unison, snarling at the other's declaration, while at the same time trying not to appear exhausted. "No, I did!" Kaiya pointed below them.

"I had a head start!" Sasuke scoffed.

"Yeah, and I still beat you."

"No way! My foot touched the head first, Sasuke!" The latter growled, stuffing his hands back in his pockets in frustration, letting out a deep sigh as he pouted. He closed his eyes and turned away from her, indicating that he was finished with the argument. It wasn't worth the trouble. He knew Kaiya could argue all night, until the stars faded in the sky and the sun peeked its head over the horizon.

"Tch. Whatever, Kimura," he murmured apathetically. "In any case, I think we've competed enough today." He sat down, facing the west. "I'm exhausted." Kaiya joined him, staring up at the sky as she nodded.

"Ok, fine," she decided. What a sore loser. She released a long, drawn-out sigh, leaning back on her arms. The sun's tip had almost completely sunk into its hiding place in the distance, casting the sky into a kaleidoscope of pink, red, purple, blue, yellow, and orange. Kaiya's eyes glazed over in wonder, and a content grin crossed her face as her body relaxed. She didn't even realize she was doing it.

Sasuke glanced at her, amazed at the same expression she showed every time they watched the sunset. It never grew dull, even though she'd seen it a thousand times; every evening, it was like she was staring up at the sky for the first time. He let a small smile show for a few moments, before he caught himself. He remembered the first time he watched the sunset with Kaiya, a year ago.

"You can see everything from up here," she said, taking in a deep, nostalgic breath as she gazed at the vast sky, irradiated in a plethora of colors. Sasuke stole a curious glance at Kaiya, wondering what was so great about watching the sky. He wouldn't think she would be so enthralled with something that was always there. She didn't seem like the type of person to enjoy anything in life other than beating someone into the ground. He watched how her dark eyes glimmered and reflected the fading rays of the sun, rippling like shards of emerald glass, making him smirk without realizing it. There was something peaceful about the way she looked now, like she was a child again, and they were sitting on the dock in the Uchiha Estate watching the sun's reflection in the water.

Back then, nothing had been more radiant to him. But now…

"I'm sorry for stalking you, Sasuke." Kaiya's voice pulled him out of his nostalgia. "I just…" She squeezed her eyes shut as his gaze refocused. She turned her eyes away from the sunset, and they darkened once more, the familiar reflection of rejection and solitude returning. "You know, my family used to do this all the time—watch the sunset, navigate the stars, all of that. But they always did it without me. I watched from a distance, always wishing that I could be a part…" Her voice faded, and for a moment he could see nothing but pain in her pupils, straining her face as her lip trembled to keep her emotions in check. Then, it all disappeared in one quick motion, like it had never been there in the first place. She released a long, shaky breath.

"My father would always tell the others that looking up at the sky was like connecting yourself to everyone in the entire world. It's just ironic that they weren't connected to someone who was right in front of them." Kaiya's voice was sentimental, and Sasuke wondered why she would be so vulnerable to him about her broken past. His skin crawled just thinking about her being an outcast in her own family and not even realizing it until it was already too late. He frowned in question.

"What do his words mean to you?" he wondered. "Back then and now, how is it different?" Kaiya grinned sadly.

"Back then, his words were wisdom above my understanding, gems that were too precious for my lack of knowledge to comprehend, so I held tight to as much as I could, so that someday maybe I could live by them." She scoffed at the thought, biting her lip in frustration. "But then again, he was right about this," she said, sucking a deep breath and counting to ten. It was something the Hokage and a few others had made her practice, in hopes that she might think before she reacted. It worked—sometimes.

"No matter where you are, everyone is always looking up at the same sky," Kaiya explained. "In a sense, you feel closer to the rest of the world, because even if you're a thousand miles apart, you're under the same sun, moon, and stars as someone else. In the grand scheme of things, you're just a sky away. Everyone is connected, even if they don't have anything in common." She blushed, biting her lip. "I, uh…I know it sounds really stupid, especially since it was my father who said it, but when I think about people that are gone now—"

"No." Sasuke shook his head, his lips curving into a half-grin. "It's not stupid, actually. I understand what you mean, Kaiya. The world seems small when you think about it like that, huh? It seems less intimidating." She glanced back up at the sky, a lousy grin on her face.

"Thanks, Sasuke—for not pushing me away earlier. I said all that about watching the sky because, well, in a way, it's the same reason I've been watching you all this time." Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, confused. Kaiya explained, "I just thought that if I watched you long enough, I'd be able to connect with your pain, and I'd learn how to deal with everything like you. You didn't cave like I did; you just keep trying to get stronger to overcome your demons. When my family betrayed the village, I tried to run away from that darkness. But you…you swallowed it and made it part of you, made it part of your reason for living, your purpose to keep going. Don't tell anyone I said this, but I really admire that about you."

Sasuke grinned to himself as he stared at the lights illuminating the village below them. Maybe Shisui was right all those years ago—maybe he and Kaiya were alike after all. Just a little.

From that moment on, Sasuke and Kaiya had spent most days together in secret, training and unavoidably getting to know one another on a deeper level. They'd never admit it—especially to each other—but they needed their connection, someone who understood them, at least on some level. Even if they didn't consider themselves friends, each other's presence was important. Their strange relationship made their loneliness just a little less evident—at least when they were distracting each other.

A few minutes passed, until the last glimpse of sunlight all but vanished. When the moon and a few stars became visible in the oncoming darkness, Kaiya stood to her feet resentfully, and Sasuke followed. He knew she would stay there all night if she didn't have a curfew.

"See you tomorrow, Uchiha," she said, showing him a large, sincere smile. Sasuke blinked—she hardly ever gave anyone a genuine smile, and she had graced him with several in just one day. They were rare, and anyone who received one cherished it, because they knew it would be quite a while before they saw it again. He almost felt special, but that was stupid—she was just grateful to him for getting her out of her earlier funk. He didn't know why her smile was so large now, when he'd sat there with her more times than he could count. But he didn't complain, even as he shifted uncomfortably underneath her strangely soft gaze; an annoying prickling sensation jabbed at his cheeks. He tried scratching them to relieve the pressure, but it did nothing to help him. He looked away.

"Yeah," he replied finally, looking back at her. Their eyes met for a breath, and before Sasuke could move or say anything else, Kaiya did the unimaginable, the unthinkable: she leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. Sasuke froze, too shocked to move at first, as a deep blush appeared and made him unable to think coherently. Kaiya's eyes widened in horror at the realization of what she had just done, and sucking in a deep breath, her face red as a beet, she jumped off the face of the Fourth Hokage and disappeared into the night, like a shadow melting into the darkness.

Sasuke's heart drummed against his chest as his hand slowly lifted to his face. The gesture had been light, like a feather, but the trace it left was heavier than a boulder, sinking into his skin, becoming part of him. He blinked, wondering where she had gotten the balls to do such a thing. He ran his fingers over his cheek lightly, savoring the shiver it sent through him, as his mouth curved into a grin. He would never let her live this down. "Tch. What an idiot."