Lea's POV

I resisted the urge to turn around as I quickly got away from him. What was wrong with him? Why did he have to make me feel so weird with just one look? My heart was beating uncontrollably and my face was so hot it could boil water.

Still, I rushed away until I was safely around a corner and out of sight. That was when I allowed myself to release my pent up breath.

"What the hell was that?" I asked myself in confusion. Like seriously, what was that? If I hadn't known any better, I might have thought that Sasuke wanted to eat with me. Which was weird because he was Sasuke. The cool, distant, aloof Sasuke Uchiha that was immune to the wiles of other girls. So why did he want to eat with me?

Yeah, I know I'm awesome. Just look at me. I'm so cool. But ... Sasuke? Of all people?

Dismissing it, I continued walking until I found enough trees and bushes clustered together, miraculously untouched by the damage caused by the shadows. I changed as quickly a I could, thinking back to what Killer B had said as a way of getting Sasuke out of my head. It wasn't working much but at least, I was also thinking about more pressing issues. Like these shadows.

Shadows that reduced the village to this. I looked around me, taking it all in. How could shadows do that? What kind of hidden mastermind behind all this was strong enough to create shadows that can cause this much damage? Shadows, for God's sake!

And me. I needed to find the person responsible for attacking me and cutting my hair. Not to get me wrong, I didn't like my hair. I hated it actually. It reminded me too much of what I am. But I could never cut it because it also reminded me of where I came from, my family, my life before he came. And because of that I never touched it, instead allowing it to grow long. Now, someone just comes along and cuts it?? Who the hell was this person?

I'm going to turn this place upside down until I find the culprit. The damn, coward bastard.

I pulled the shirt down and gathered up the dirty robe. Then I dropped it again. What's the use of carrying that around?

I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun will be going down soon. I still had some time to waste until I met Sasuke. Why was I feeling ... excitement? What the ...

Maybe it's because I'm so hungry.

That must have been the reason my feet took me back to the spot I had left Sasuke. I was hungry that's all. Wait, is that Sasuke?

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned around, his hands in his pockets. There was surprise in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" we asked in unison.

"I, uh, I was on my way, um, back to the Raikage's office." Why was I stammering? "Why are you here?"

"I was waiting for you."

Woah, I didn't expect that. "Waiting for me? But ..." I glanced up at the sky. "You said we should meet back here when night falls."

"Yeah, but I decided to wait since I didn't have anything to do until then."

"Oh." This was awkward. Why was this so awkward? This was Sasuke! "So, uh, lunch now?"

This time he grinned, which only served to make me even more confused. "Look around you, Lea. Does it look like there's still a restaurant standing?"

"Oh yeah, you're right." I was too confused and feeling too awkward to be offended by his condescending tone. "Then what are-"

I didn't get to finish because he grabbed my hand and pulled my forward. Heat spread through my face. "Woah, woah! What are you doing, Sasuke?"

"I'm bringing you to lunch, what do you think I'm doing?"

"But, you just said there aren't any restaurants open! Sasuke, don't play with me. I don't play when it comes on to food."

"Don't worry, God you're annoying. You're gonna get your food so just shut up a sec."

"Excuse me?" I dragged my hand from his, both because my heart was beating too hard to be considered normal and because I wanted a level head as I tried to get back to usual. "Sasuke, you've been very disrespectful lately. I should take some time out of my busy schedule to put you back in your place. You know, teach you a well needed lesson."

"You? Teach me a lesson?" He scoffed. "You're so small and skinny, how could you teach me a lesson?"

"Eh???" I grabbed his arm, making him stop. "Hold on a sec." I pushed my shoulder against his. I looked up at him, eyes wide. "When did you get so tall?"

Sasuke chuckled, pushing me away. "Tall? I'm a growing, it's natural. Although it doesn't seem to be happening to you." We continued walking.

"I'm only 4'9. That's so weird. First Kiba, now you. Why is everyone growing past me?" I wondered.

"Why did you have to mention him?"

"Mention who? Kiba? Why not?"

"He's annoying."

"You think everyone is annoying. Including me. So I'm not very surprised."

"Yeah, but he's different. He's ... around you too much."

"So?"

Sasuke looked down at me as if I was stupid. "You don't find that weird? Or creepy?"

"Why would I?" I asked, shrugging. What was the big deal? "I'm around you much more than I am with him and I don't find that weird or creepy. And besides, he already told me he likes me." Which I had been very successful in trying to ignore.

Sasuke stopped. I stopped and looked at him. He was staring at me. "He told you he liked you?"

"Yeah, he did." I frowned. Sasuke was starting to look a little ... upset. "What is it?"

"When did he tell you that?" he asked, walking again. I walked beside him, wondering why this was important at all.

"It was when you were in the hospital. We were on a date and-"

"A date?!"

I looked up at him, surprised. "Yes, a date. I-"

"How did he managed to get you on a date?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that?"

"I ... I'm just curious, that's all." He looked as if he was trying to hold back his anger. His jaw was clenching and he kept tightening his fist. Why he would be angry was a mystery to me. So I decided to indulge him. I was over it anyway.

"That time when you had fought Itachi and passed out ... And don't you dare get angry for mentioning that because you were the one who asked!"

"Okay, okay. I won't, I promise. Continue."

"Okay, so Mami and I carried you back to Konoha and we put you in the hospital. Well ... I don't exactly remember what happened after that. I just know that I must have fell asleep beside your bed because I woke up there and Kiba was standing over me with his blasted dog cuddled up on my leg. Anyway, he forced me to go home and I finally did and when we reached, he asked if we could hang out and I said yes."

Before Sasuke could comment, I continued on, "I didn't know it was a date until I was actually on a the date. I didn't even know what a date was. Did you know that when a guy asks to hang out their asking you because they like you? Well, in your case it would be a girl, but still. I had no idea. Anyway, after someone finally told me I asked him if he like liked me and he said yeah."

Sasuke was silent for a moment and I didn't dare look over at him. I could practically feel the dark aura radiating off him. After a long while he said, "So Sakura was right."

I finally looked at him, frowning. "Sakura was right about what?"

"When I woke up, she told me that the reason you had been zoning out in the corner was because Kiba had confessed."

"That little snitch!" What the hell was wrong with Sakura?? Why would she tell Sasuke that? What in God's name prompted her to tell him something like that and why in heaven's name did I care? I was seriously confusing myself right now.

Sasuke didn't answer and so we fell into silence. I found myself glancing up at Sasuke from time to time, liking thee way the setting sun made his face glow. Sort of like a fallen angel or something. Yeah, that fitted him. Sasuke the fallen Angel.

He was looking at me too. Every time his eyes glanced down at me, I quickly averted my eyes so I wouldn't get caught watching him. I think he saw me however, because when we reached out destination he was wearing a small smirk.

"This is it?" I asked, looking around. There was blanket on the ground, on top, there was so much fruit.

Sasuke plopped down on the blanket. "Horo said you shouldn't eat any cooked or processed food, so fruit it is."

"Ugh." I sat on the other side. "Fruit is nothing compared to meat. I want meat. I'm not eating this."

"Stop being such a baby. You were the one who said you were hungry."

"Yeah, hungry for FOOD. Not these sugary watery things." I screwed up my face.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and picked up a red fruit with tiny dots all over it. I looked down at it then up at him. "Try this," he said.

"Nope."

"Lea-"

"Nope. I want meat and-"

I didn't get a chance to finish. Sasuke grabbed my hand and pulled it out from under me, forcing me to lean over to his side then he plopped the fruit in my mouth. I closed my mouth instinctively and bit into it.

"Sasuke!"

"Just try it!" he said laughing. "I promise, it's good."

"Well, you sure are making a lot of promises today," I muttered but I continued chewing anyway. He was right. It was good. I took up another one. "I wonder if Mami would like these."

"Where is Mami anyway?"

"I don't know. Maybe she's busy in the Otherworld. She's still in training so ..."

"Oh right, right." He hesitated with his next words. "Was she there?"

"There?" I continued eating the fruit, popping them in my mouth without thinking.

"You know, there. With Itachi ... when I had passed out."

"Oh. Ohhhh. No she wasn't. I called her when I realized I couldn't carry you back myself."

"Oh."

Okay, here I go.

"What happened anyway? Between you and Itachi?"

I caught the look Sasuke gave me and immediately put my hands up. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to! I mean, if you're not ready or if you don't want me to know, I'll understand. I mean, I get it-"

"He killed everyone."

I paused. "Huh?"

"He killed my parents, and all our clansmen." The light and playful Sasuke disappeared and the intense, angry one appeared. He was staring out into the distance, his face hard. His voice was low and I didn't want to ask him to speak up so I scooted closer to him. "I was coming back from the academy when I saw the blood, the bodies. And I saw him. I saw when he killed our parents."

"Oh my God." I didn't know what else to say than that. I felt so much pity, so much anger, so much sadness at one time that it was overwhelming me, so I took his hand. "That's just ..."

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to get stronger and kill him."

"You should."

Sasuke broke out of his haze and looked at me with a slight frown. I shrugged. "I won't tell you it's not the best choice although I don't think it is but ... if it will make you feel any better, you should. And besides, someone who kills his whole clan can't be good, right?"

Sasuke just kept on looking at me, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying. It was starting to get uncomfortable so I looked away and continued eating the red fruit. After a while he looked away too.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"What's your story?"

"What makes you think I have a story?"

"You obviously do. You were found with two guys chasing you, you have crazy nightmares and you sometimes feel as if your being watched. And don't think I forgot the whole Gaara incident."

I was hoping he did. Sighing, I stopped eating and gathered my knees to my chest. I was going to tell him. For some reason, I wanted to. Maybe it was because I wanted to get all this load of my chest and share it with someone and Sasuke was just the right person for the job. Him sharing his past with me made it so much easier.

I took a deep breath. "I was born in Iwagakure."

"In the Land of Earth?"

I nodded. "Yeah. My father was the leader of our clan. I was very happy there. We had this huge house and my parents loved me so much. My mother thought I was a little conceited but she appeased me and put out little mirrors so I could look at myself all the time. I loved my hair especially." I touched my hair wistfully. "I had a best friend named Dan. We did everything together. We played together, ate together, we even slept together. He was the son of one of the servants in our house. I was really happy."

"When I was five, I had a nightmare. My first. I remember it clearly. I was being chased my this big white cat with stripes and she wanted to eat me. I was so scared that I woke up, jumped out of bed and tried to find my mother. While I was looking I noticed that the servants were all lying around, some with their eyes open, but at that time I thought they were sleeping but boy, was I wrong. Then I heard a scream and when I ran towards it, a man was holding my mother by her hair and had a kunai to her neck."

"She was screaming at me to leave but I was too scared. For once, I stopped being a conceited little girl who only thought about herself and was scared for my mother who looked terrified. The man said he killed my father. That he wouldn't kill me but everyone else had to die. I think that's when I realized that the servants hadn't been sleeping. I didn't get a chance to do anything. He killed her right in front of me."

I didn't notice that tears were running down my cheeks until Sasuke wiped them away. I looked at him through the blurriness and saw that there was no sympathy in his eyes, no pity, just plain old anger.

"I'll kill him," he declared softly.

I blinked, shocked, before laughing. I wiped the tears away and smiled at him. "There's no need," I said. "I'm perfectly capable on doing it on my own, thank you."

I was about to scoot back over when Sasuke held my hand, keeping me rooted. I looked down at out hands then up at him with question in my eyes.

"You remember when I carried you home and said you owed me?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

For some reason, it made me whisper too. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'd like to cash in." His eyes fell to my lips. "Lea, can I kiss you?"

"Kiss me? But-" There was no chance to finish. Sasuke leaned forward, locking his lips with mine. My first instinct was to fight it. I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed but he had a good hold on my head, his fingers entwined in my hair.

"Let me kiss you," he mumbled against my lips. "Please."

And that did it. That simple word: please. I softened immediately, slowly kissing back. I ran my hands up his side, splaying my fingers out across his back and sinking my nails in when he dipped me backwards. After a seemingly long time, he pulled away. We were both breathing hard, staring into each other's eyes.

"I love you," he whispered.

What? Did Sasuke just say he loved me? My heartbeat tripled.

"I-"

"Aw, well isn't this cute." Another voice broke into our moment. A high girly voice. Both our heads shot up.

A girl, about three years older than me, walked up to us, smirking. She had bright blond hair and dark brown eyes. Her body was very shapely, complemented by her black kimono robe and black high boots. Sasuke quickly leaned back but I was too busy looking at the girl, my eyes wide.

"You..."

She cocked her head to the side, smiling. "Remember me?"

I jumped to my feet. "You're the one who-"

"Who did that incredibly demeaning thing to you, cut your hair and poisoned you? Congratulations, you're correct. I'm quite surprised you're up and moving though. Master will be proud."

Sasuke lept to his feet but I held out my hand. This was my fight. "Who are you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

The girl crossed her arms. "I'm Saiko, and I'm pretty sure you know who sent me."

Oh crap. He found me. My hands fisted so tight, the blood stopped flowing. I struggled to keep and leveled head, however and not show my fear in front of Sasuke and Saiko, although all I wanted to do was run.

"He wants me?" I asked, as if I don't already know the answer.

"Don't ask stupid questions," she said, annoyed. "Of course he does, although I still can't see why."

"Lea, what is she talking about?" Sasuke asked me but I shushed him.

"You don't really think I'll go with you, do you? He must have raised you with better sense than that."

"Oh you'll be going with me alright." She grinned. "Look at your arm."

I looked down. Sticking out of my upper arm was a tiny thin needle, barley visible. A small line of blood was coming from beneath it. I pulled it out and held it up to her. "What do you possibly expect to gain with this?"

"Oh, quite a lot actually. You see, while you and lover boy here was swapping spit, I shot you with it. Can't keep your guard down, don't you know that? You'll be mine in five ... four ... three ... two ..." Then she pointed to me and I was down.

I lost absolute control over myself and I collapsed. Luckily for me, Sasuke was there to catch me.

"What did you do to her?" he shouted at Saiko.

"Calm down, lover boy, I just paralyzed her for a few hours. Come on, hand her over."

I tried to say something, curse, shout, SOMETHING. But she was right, I was paralyzed and there was nothing I could do. My head was already beginning to feel foggy. Saiko sighed, as if she really couldn't be bothered. "Don't let me hurt you, lover boy."

Sasuke didn't say anything, which was weird given how conceited he usually was.

Saiko sighed again then charged. Sasuke didn't drop me when he dodged her attack, which was admirable considering how fast she was moving. He landed on a branch nearby, and I was sure he was about to either put me down and fight or run with me. I didn't get to find out because suddenly she was there, blowing stuff out of her mouth. Nothing came out but Sasuke staggered. He got away from her as quickly as he could but I could see the pain in his face.

"Come on, lover boy, don't do this. Go home, find yourself a nice girl, start over, You're cute, you'll have no problem finding someone."

"Is that you're twisted way of saying you want me?" Sasuke remarked coolly, as we hid behind a tree. I could hear her voice behind us, having not found us yet.

"Oh please, I have my own lover boy. I do not need you."

Suddenly her face was before us, upside down. She grinned. "Didn't anyone tell you that you shouldn't talk when you're trying to hide?"

"Now, do I really look that stupid?" Then he sprang away from the branch, as explosions sounded behind us. That's funny. I didn't even see when he had set that up. Then again, it was getting hard to fight the fogginess. My eyes kept fluttering.

"Smart, lover boy," she called from behind us, "But not smart enough."

When Sasuke landed, she shot of the cloud of smoke and flung her hands out as she was throwing something. Thing was, I didn't see her throwing anything. It was as if she was throwing empty air. Yet, Sasuke went down.

"Damn it," he muttered

I looked up at his face as we laid on the ground and saw that a line of blood was running from the side of his eye. I used all my strength to speak.

"It ... it's okay, Sasuke," I whispered, hoarsely, fighting the darkness as hard as I could to say this. "Sasuke there's ... there's something I ... need to tell you. My name ..."

"Up you go!" My body was suddenly flung upwards and over Saiko's shoulder. "Say goodbye, lover boy. You might not see her again."

"Lea!" Sasuke struggled to move but couldn't. He was bleeding from his cheek and the side of his neck too. "Lea!"

I wanted to scream his name too but couldn't. There was only one thing I could manage to do, using all my remaining strength to do it. I lifted my hand as high as I could, holding it out to him. Sasuke's eyes looked tortured and it tore at me, but that was the last thing I saw before it all went black.

His face.

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