Fading Light

Chapter 8: Gaara of the Desert

"Kankuro--!"

"What's the matter Kankuro? You look like you don't like me?" I smirked, cutting Temari off. I took a step towards him, my Sharingan coming out. This made him flinch back. "Or are you more scared of the Sharingan? Which is it?" I chuckled as I saw the sweat drop from his forehead. I made the Sharingan fade away and backed off. "You're all talk and no bite." I turned on my heels and started to walk away. 

"Why you little--!"

"Kankuro!" Temari's yell alerted me to the oncoming punch. My Sharingan came back into my eyes as I turned quickly and kicked him in the chest, into the tree Sasuke was in. 

"I don't appreciate you coming into my home and acting all high and mighty." I spat at him, menacingly. 

"That's enough, Kankuro." Gaara said as his brother attempted to get up for another round. "We didn't come here to fight. I'm sorry for his behavior." He said, looking at me now. 

"As long as you keep him under control we'll be fine." The Sharingan faded away once more as I turned to walk away with Shikamaru and Choji.  

"Your eyes..." I froze when I heard Gaara speak again. I didn't look back, I felt chills going down my spine. "They're exactly like mine." 

"W-what?" I muttered and finally worked up the courage to look at him. 

"Eyes filled with hate." He finished and I felt everything inside of me chill. I thought of Itachi and looked at Sasuke, who looked just as disturbed as I did. 

"Gaara, Kankuro let's go." Temari pulled Kankuro after her as they walked past. Gaara walked past slowly and I felt like he was never going to vanish until finally they turned the corner and were gone. 

"Is everything alright?" Choji asked when he saw my face. 

"I'm fine." I shook away the sudden chill.

"Let's just go eat." We walked away slowly. 

"Wait! Amaya!" Sasuke's voice spoke to me for the first time before our clan was slain.  I stopped, I wanted so badly for this to be about being friends again after so long. But I knew that wasn't what this was about. "When did you master the Sharingan?" I sighed. 

"A long time ago."

"How old were you?" He demanded. 

"Chill out Sasuke, you don't have to be so rude to her." Shikamaru started to defend me. 

"Its okay Shikamaru. I was eight when the Sharingan manifested. I mastered it by the age of nine. Is that all?" I said coldly. 

"Just like my brother..." 

"Yes."

"Why? What makes you so special?" I gave a small smile, knowing he couldn't see it. I felt the salty tears slide down my cheeks. 

"I ask myself that question every day. I have ever since my family was murdered, my friends murdered, my life shattered into nothing but a cycle of darkness." I turned and looked at him sharply. "You aren't the only one who lost something to Itachi Uchiha. Just because he was your brother doesn't mean that other people weren't hurt that day. I lost my only other family alive, all my friends were killed as if they were no better than bugs underneath our feet, and yet..." I trailed off, wiping the tears away. "You have never once spoken to me since it happened. We come from the same clan, the same bloodline and yet you act as if I'm the one that murdered everyone. If anyone here should be to blame for the Uchiha clan fading away...its not me." I left him with that walked away with Shikamaru and Choji in tow. 

"Are you going to be alright?" Shikamaru asked from my right.

"I'll be fine. You two go on without me. I think I'm going to go and lay down for a bit."

"We don't have to go eat, we can go home." Choji stated. I smiled. 

"I appreciate the gesture, but I think I just need to be alone for a little bit. A lot on my mind and I don't want to take anything out on you two. I'll see you two later." I walked off and jumped away towards the Nara household. I didn't know why I was going here, but I was. I sat down at the pond Shikamaru and I had sat at. 

I had hoped I would have gotten through life without telling him the truth. That I was exactly like Itachi. I had hoped it wouldn't have gotten out. I made a mistake...running into Temari again caused all this. these exams were the cause of Sasuke's newfound hatred of me.