Song for this chapter: Star Who Loved Sun (the YouTube video that is attached here)
[That night...]
Ayuda's P.O.V
One of the benefits you got for being the daughter of a rich man was that you could own the most comfortable mattress in Konoha. Every time you sleep you would feel that delightful comfort as if you were embraced by soft yet firm cloud. It eased your mind and body with this one valuable furniture. All of the problems you encountered would be erased from your mind once you relaxed your form on such cozy bed.
However, despite having the most comfortable mattress in Konoha, I still could not forget the incident that occurred a few hours ago. I was rattled after undergoing all of that until now, eventuating in my failed attempt to sleep.
I took a glance at the wall clock. It's 12:36 in the midnight. Great. I've been trying to sleep ever since 9 p.m. and I still can't sleep. What if the C-rank mission begins tomorrow morning? I still haven't gotten any call from Tsunade-sama concerning my mission.
I rolled over to my left side – my back facing the window – and closed my eyes, making another effort to sleep. I shoved all of my thoughts out of my mind and visualized a pitch-black wall, just like Sasuke told me at that moment... when we slept under the same roof.
Oh nooo, now I'm having the flashback of that moment! Stop thinking! Ayuda, empty your mind!
But still... what if Sasuke does something stupid following that battle he had with Naruto?
Oh, come on. He is not foolish enough to do something rash. Plus, he is back in the hospital now.
But how do you know he is in the hospital right now? I mean, I haven't seen him after his match with Naruto.
Of course, he's back in the hospital. He wants to recover as soon as possible and the only way to achieve that is by being a good boy in the hospital.
But... what if he can't wait to grow stronger...?
I scowled at the idea. I sat up and slung my legs over the side of the bed. I finally perceived a thin layer of sweat enfolding me, revealing just how restless I was. Thinking of a way to relax my nerves, I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly and heavily. I performed the uncomplicated action for several times and managed to calm myself down. Even so, I was still unable to thwart these bothersome thoughts from bombarding my mind.
I threw my gaze to the door. Should I take a walk outside?
I stood up from the bed with a determined look. Yeah. Maybe a walk is all I need to calm my mind.
Heading for my wardrobe, I was about to pull it open when I heard two knocks from the window next to my bed. Darting my eyes in that direction, I easily detected a dark silhouette of someone standing in front of the window. His hair looked spiky and also surprisingly familiar. Is that...? No way...!
I careened across the room and drew the curtains apart. My eyes widened immensely upon coming face-to-face with Sasuke Uchiha. He was donning the navy blue, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, and white shorts. His appearance looked just like the old, distant Sasuke, though there were some minor differences this time such as his face had matured slightly and that he wasn't wearing his forehead protector. And the expression on his face looked the same as before – unfriendly and emotionless.
Sliding the window open, a cold breeze swept past me and I asked him softly, "What are you doing here, Sasuke? Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital now?"
Without asking for my permission, he took his legs down onto the floor and walked into the room. Unlike the first time he did this, I was not upset at all. He put his hands into his pockets and responded, "They have just discharged me from the hospital seeing that I am fit as a fiddle. Anyway, I came here to give you something."
I had listened to every single word he uttered, but after noticing a dark spot on his cheek, I forgot everything that he said and I queried with a frown, "Is that a bruise on your cheek?"
He looked alarmed for a quick moment before he recovered his poise and answered, "It's nothing."
I took a step closer to him, consumed by concern. I realized that the lights were turned off because I was supposed to be asleep that time, so the entire room was dark, but we could still see things around us thanks to the bright moon in the sky. I told him, "It is a bruise, Sasuke. And it looks fresh. I'll turn on the light and apply the ointment-"
"No," he sternly demanded as he snatched my wrist. I stared at him with wide eyes and he continued, "Don't worry about this bruise. This is the one I got from the fight I had with Naruto. It will heal soon enough."
I furrowed my dark eyebrows in puzzlement. But it still looks oddly fresh. It's like he was punched by someone merely one hour ago. And if he said he got it from Naruto, why didn't the nurse heal him while they were discharging him from the hospital? Don't tell me... he got into another fight? With Naruto again? Or Kakashi? He said he would have a talk with Sasuke following their showdown.
"Fine," I heaved a sigh, "but you must apply the ointment right now."
The ravenette mulled over this offer for a while before he wordlessly nodded his head. He released my wrist and I walked in the direction of my study table where I had placed the ointment. I found it easily despite the lack of light and ambled back to Sasuke. I handed the ointment to him. Once he got his hand on it, he eyed it expressionlessly. He must've noticed that this is the ointment he bought for me.
He cast his eyes around the room as if looking for something and his gaze eventually landed on a full-body mirror that I owned. And then it hit me. Sasuke wants to smear the ointment on his bruise, but in order to do such action perfectly, he needs a mirror. But unfortunately, due to the lack of light in this room, the area around the mirror was undoubtedly dingy. Thinking the same thing as well, the Uchiha tore his gaze away from the mirror and slid the ointment open. Is he going to apply it without using a mirror?
An idea sprang to my mind. Without saying anything, I pulled him to the bed where the moonlight shone brighter than any area in the room. We plopped ourselves down on my bed and I took it upon myself to apply the medicinal cream on his bruise and he silently allowed me.
While rubbing the cream on the bruise, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. I had an almost irresistible impulse to ask him about it, but I got a feeling that he would snap at me. I did not want to hear more appalling words thrown at me from his mouth. I also desired not to piss him off even further for he had already gone through many things that day. Asking him about his day wouldn't help him at all.
I stole a glance at his face. He was staring into space again, gazing somewhere around my neck. I didn't know if I was over-thinking this or what but I could faintly discern sadness in his onyx eyes. I looked back at the bruise and realized that it was gone. The ointment had done a great job in curing it in such a short time.
"It's done," I informed him as I closed the ointment tightly. I got up and put it back on my study table and turned around to gaze at him, "So? What is it?"
I referred to the reason why he came here. He stood up from my bed and shoved his hand into his pocket and then pulled it out again with something small in his grip. He walked and once he was in front of me, he revealed it.
It was a necklace with a silver ring in the middle. It looked simple yet elegant which was my one of my favorite styles after all. I liked things that looked simple yet gracefully pleasing in everyone's eyes. So, of course, I was instantly mesmerized by the said necklace. I had taken a great liking for this small object at first glance.
"It belonged to my mother," Sasuke's voice rang in my ears, snapping me out of my trance. He added, "She usually wore this when she was young, but as she grew older, she then rarely put this on. You can have it."
My hands were shaking as I took it from his hand as gentle as I could as if the necklace was extremely fragile. Once it was in my soft grasp, I inquired in curiosity, "Why are you giving this to me?"
He fell into silence, staring into space again as though he was forming the right words in his mind. He soon spun around, his back looking out to me, and he answered, "I don't want it to go to waste, so I'm giving it to the one person that I trust and will look good with it... and that's you."
I blushed profusely. Seriously...? He's giving me his mother's necklace?
"Now go to sleep," the ravenette sauntered back to the window, signifying that he would be leaving. Dissatisfaction clouded my features. Of course, he needs to leave. He can't stay here any longer unless he is sleeping here. And since he is not, he has to leave.
"What's the matter?" I looked to see Sasuke standing before the window with one of his foot placed on the windowsill, looking as if he was ready to jump out.
I shook my head, "It's nothing. It's just... I can't sleep."
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, "Have you tried my method?"
"Yeah, many times too, but it's not working."
Then I heard him sigh, "Fine. I will stay here until you sleep."
My eyes widened, "No, it's okay. You don't have to."
"If you can't sleep," he asked, "you would take a walk outside to clear your mind, right?"
I cast my eyes downward, "Yeah..."
"Then I'll stay here until you fall asleep. It's too dangerous for a girl like you to walk around the village this late night."
I reluctantly agreed and, after putting the necklace on my study table, I made my way to the bed. It felt nice to know that he would be staying here for a while, but I still felt guilty at all of this. He was supposed to go back to his apartment but he had to linger here because of me. I was very grateful that he cared about me, but he didn't have to do this, though. I can just go out and take a walk for a quick moment.
I lied down on my bed and pulled the blanket closer. Sasuke was sitting on the windowsill next to me, watching every single movement with those impassive eyes. I closed my eyes, allowing darkness to consume my vision. I could feel Sasuke's presence beside me which somehow soothed my troubled mind.
Yeah... I was so worried about Sasuke after everything that happened today... and now with Sasuke here, I don't have to worry now. He is doing fine. He is here with me. He may have gone back to his old, unfriendly self after seeing Itachi, but I believe he would, in time, go back to the tender Sasuke who called me stupid nicknames, who thought he's better than me, who smirked at me from time to time, who stared at me with such soft eyes, who confessed to me indirectly, and someone who weirdly asked me out on a date. Tomorrow, everything will go back to normal...
"Sasuke?" I called as I lifted my eyelids, looking at Sasuke who still remained in the same spot.
"Hn?"
I rolled over to my side where I could face Sasuke directly. My lips formed a smooth curve, smiling tenderly at the ravenette as I said with a soft voice, "Everything will go back to normal, right?"
A flabbergasted mien appeared on his face. He gaped at me for a few seconds before he relaxed his face, finally regaining his cool composure. He replied with an inscrutable expression, "Yes."
That's enough for me to smile widely and closed my eyes back.
***
Third Person's P.O.V
The raven-haired boy glued his eyes on the sleeping girl without blinking. He was relieved that she didn't find out what had happened to him several hours ago. The only thing she realized was only the bruise. He carelessly thought she wouldn't be able to see it because of the darkness of the night and because the lights were turned off, but surprisingly she did. She hesitantly believed that he got it from Naruto. And she also believed the lie he gave her about the hospital allowing him to leave, when in fact, it's quite the opposite.
Sasuke did not want her and everyone else to know that he was ambushed by four Sound ninjas that were sent by Orochimaru. A short battle occurred, leading to another humiliating defeat and also the bruise on his cheek. Prior to their skirmish, Sasuke was lectured by Kakashi. The Uchiha was almost close to giving up his revenge after listening to his teacher, but once again, he was tipped over the edge after being disgracefully toyed by the Sound Four.
Still sitting on the windowsill, he leaned forward with his right hand reaching out for Ayuda. He softly intertwined his fingers in her hair, feeling and savoring its smooth textures. He stared at her sleeping face as he lightly played with her locks. The corners of his mouth curved into a small, sincere smile as he muttered, "Yes, everything will go back to normal... without me."
He inched away from the clueless girl. After pulling the drapes close, he did a similar action to her window. Gazing at the closed window, he realized that he could not see the girl anymore.
The girl that made him smile a lot.
He could never deny that he had always enjoyed her presence because she was, after all, the only annoying person whose company he could really tolerate.
***
[The next morning...]
"Now we have Neji on the team," remarked Shikamaru Nara.
Chouji interjected, "But Shikamaru, how about Kaito, Kazuki, and Ayuda?"
"Ah, you're right! So that's why I feel like we are still incomplete," Kiba glanced at Shikamaru, "Oi, Shikamaru, why aren't you inviting them?"
Before the Nara boy could reply, Naruto beat him to it, "Yeah, why, Shikamaru?!"
Shikamaru sighed, "Kazuki and Kaito are on a mission now so-"
"And Ayuda?! What about her?!" vociferated Naruto.
The lazy boy shot a glare at Naruto, "Let me speak first. Anyway, Ayuda has been on my mind since the beginning, but the problem is – I do not know where her house is. We don't have enough time to search for her in this big village. So I have no choice but to count her out... unless we know where she lives."
Naruto heaved a sigh, "That's too bad. She was one of the top students in the Academy after all."
"That's why I want her to join us in this mission," opined Shikamaru.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's go to the gate then," announced Kiba, turning around.
"Wait," Neji Hyuuga's voice halted everyone, attracting every pair of eyes to him. With a determined look on his face, he spoke, "Follow me."
That was all he said before he spun around and dashed off into the distance. Shikamaru and the others followed after him as Naruto questioned, "Neji?! Where are we going?!"
Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock, "Don't tell me... you know where Ayuda's house is!"
Kiba queried as he and Akamaru caught up with the Byakugan user, "But how?! Why?!"
"Could it be..." articulated Naruto, "...Neji is her long distance brother?! That explains why their hairs are so long and smooth!"
Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji threw weird looks at Naruto and chorused with a deadpan look, "That's impossible, you idiot."
It took them one minute to reach a giant house that screamed filthy rich. Shikamaru went up and knocked on the door. Luckily for them, it was the youngest daughter of the Makino family who opened the door. Ayuda was wearing an ordinary white bathrobe that covered all of her body parts, except for her head, neck, hands, and the lower part of her legs, indicating that she had just finished showering.
She was staggered seeing them standing in front of her house. She spoke up with a confused frown, "Why are you guys here?"
Shikamaru said, "Ayuda, get ready. Sasuke has defected to Orochimaru and we are going to retrieve him."