[BOOK 1 OF THE SHARING SERIES]
Two different worlds meet. Two existences collide. On the one hand, an orphan learns what love, friendship, and devotion mean. On the other, a young girl realizes the implication of being a civilian kunoichi in a worl...
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Sasuke stares down at his teammate's face, inches away from his, at the whiskers carved deep in his sun-kissed skin and his wet blond hair dripping, stuck to his forehead. His black mane falls on each side of his face, hiding him from the rest of the world and her stirring form on the shore.
He almost killed him, Naruto, the loudmouth, the stupid dead-last, his childish brother. He almost killed him, couldn't control it. And the worst part is that it would have been for nothing. If Orochimaru's right, then Naruto isn't the one able to awaken Sasuke's Mangekyō. He knows it, the snake-man knows it, even Hana knows it. And if he hasn't been able to kill his blond friend, he can't imagine how difficult it would be to hurt Sakura. Sasuke cannot lay a hand on her, let alone kill her. He doesn't understand what he feels for her. It's so new to him and weirdly so good that it has to stop.
He hears the hurried footsteps before the calling of his name. He jerks his head up and watches the silver-haired man as he watches him. The man's headband is up, and his mismatched eyes are taking in Sasuke's new look with growing distress. The black-haired boy glances to the side at his uninjured purple wing.
He's a monster now, just like Naruto.
He returns his gaze to the blond still floating in the middle of the stream. Naruto's been stronger than expected, or perhaps it's proof that Sasuke's still too weak.
More reasons to leave.
The boy jumps to the top of the cliff, his body morphing back to its usual appearance. Standing there, taller than anyone else, he inspects his old team as Kakashi drags Naruto out of the water, the blond not responding to his calls. The man keeps his gaze resolutely low on the ground.
He doesn't want to look at me, Sasuke realizes with a pang in his heart. But that's what I need.
He has to sever those bonds; it's always been the plan.
Sasuke trails his eyes to the pink-haired girl next. She isn't unconscious anymore but kneeling in the mud, with tears streaming down her face and big, pleading eyes resting on him. He activates his sharingan one last time, ignoring his body's protests. He never wants to forget that moment. The moment he jumped over the edge and crossed the invisible line. The moment he broke her heart.
"Good," he whispers, turning his back on her. "Hate me. Or better. Forget about me."
He engulfs his hands in his pockets and proceeds back to Orochimaru's hideout.
"You didn't go soft like I thought you would," Hana says, following suit.
He ignores her, only hastens his pace.
"Are you seriously mad at me? I thought that's what you wanted more than anything, to kill your brother."
Sasuke's fingers play with a soft fabric inside his pocket, his thumb grazing the metal piece at its centre.
"It is. But I wished you'd let me a choice, you and your stupid deal. I wasn't ready."
Hana shrugs.
"You never would have been. Plus, Orochimaru let you an opening. You could have left today, but you didn't."
Sasuke stops before the cave's entrance, taking the blue fabric out.
"You're regretting it?" she asks when she glimpses the headband hanging from his fingers. "I thought Konoha wasn't your home anymore."
"It's not mine," he answers, talking about the headband, village, or both—he isn't sure. "It's hers."
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