Chapter 3 - A Revealed Past

Sasuke was sitting at the end of the dock, his legs dangling over the edge. He was staring out at the water, lost in old memories. He smirked as he remembered the day he and Hiyuri had met.

"Give it back!"she shouted, jumping up with her little arms stretched toward the sky. The four older boys laughed. The one holding Hiyuri's doll threw it to the boy across from him and said, "Why should we? Who cares if you don't have a doll? Aren't you used to having nothing, you poor freak?" The doll was tossed through the air again. "Yeah," said another one, catching it,"Just look at the rags you're wearing. And those eyes! What's wrong with you?" Hiyuri stopped jumping and began to cry as the boys taunted her with foul and repulsive names, throwing her doll to one another. Finally, Hiyuri had enough. Still crying, she ran to the boy holding her doll and started weakly pounding his legs with her tiny fists. The boy became annoyed. He smacked her in the face, then picked her up and tossed her in the water, off the side of the dock they were standing on. She immediatly started drowning because she had not yet learned how to swim. Coming from the Snow Country, it was always too cold. She went underwater and blacked out. But before she did she could have sworn she heard the boys on the dock yelling. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a small, hazy figure standing over her. Am I alive, she thought. The image cleared and she saw a boy, no older then herself. When he saw her eyes open, he kneeled next to her. "Are you okay," he asked. Hiyuri didn't answer, but stared at the boy as though she was frightened. "Don't be afraid," he said smiling. The boy was dripping wet. It was obvious he had jumped in the water to save her. She looked at the small boy, amazed. "Here," he said, pulling something out from behind his back. "Nami!"yelled the girl. She wrapped her arms around the small ragdoll. "So you can talk,"said the boy, smiling. She looked up, embarrassed.The boy had pale skin, the same shade as hers and raven-colored hair. His dark eyes were filled with young and blissful joy that only a child could possess. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Hiyuri realized something. Her head and eyes quickly darted around, searching. At first the boy was confused, but then he smiled. "Are you looking for those boys?" he asked her. Hugging her doll tightly, she nodded. "Don't worry about them. They won't bother you anymore." The boy gestured behind him with his thumb. Hiyuri looked past him and her eyes widened. All four boys were tied to a nearby tree, struggling to get loose. She looked at the boy with wonder, who was smiling as he watched his defeated enemy squirm. As Hiyuri looked at the bullies again, she couldn't help but laugh. It was just too funny. The boy looked at her suprised, then smiled and said,"So you can laugh?" Now Hiyuri was the one smiling. It almost hurt her face, she had't done it in such a long time. "My name is Sasuke."said the boy. At first Hiyuri wasn't going to answer, but she then decided this was someone she could trust. "My name is Hiyuri. I just moved here from the Snow Country."She looked down and blushed. "Thank-you...for saving me." "No problem,"said Sasuke. "And if it makes you feel better," he added, standing up,"I like your eyes."
-----

"And that's how we met," said Hiyuri.

Her and Sakura were standing in front of a vegetable cart in the marketplace. Sakura had found her there and started up a casual conversation, eventually steering the topic to Sasuke.

"Any other questions?"

"Hmmmm........Why did you move back to the Snow Country?"

Hiyuri's smile fell from her face and she turned away. She picked up an eggplant and began examining it.

"You don't have to answer,"said Sakura.

"No," said Hiyuri, "It's fine. It's a long story though, so I'll just sum it up. My grandfather was an important political figure for the Snow Country. My father and him came here to watch the Chunin Exams one year, where my mother was competing. My parents met after the fights, fell in love, and moved back to the Snow Country, where they had me. Three years later, when my grandfather died, we lost possession of the house to my uncle, along with most of our money. So, we moved back here. I was so angry I didn't talk for days, or laugh, or even smile. Then I met Sasuke. I started talking, laughing, smiling. His clan helped my family out financially and even our brothers and parents became best friends. Then, three years later we went to visit my aunt and uncle in the Snow Country. My parents and aunt were murdered one night there. My brother and uncle had been out getting firewood for the next morning and I was asleep in my room. No one knows who...or what did it... So we had to come back, gather our things and say our goodbyes. My brother and I moved in with my uncle at the Snow Country. There was no other choice. Sasuke's family offered to take us in, we loved it in Konoha, but my uncle wouldn't have it. He said we should be with family, but I think he just wanted the money that came with us. He's always been selfish and greedy." Hiyuri put the eggplant she was holding down.

They remained silent for a while. A thought struck Sakura. She doesn't know, she thought sadly, She doesn't know that Sasuke's the last living Uchiha.

------

Naruto was taking a walk when he found Sasuke. He was sitting at the end of the dock, overlooking the lake. Naruto was standing at the top of the hill. What's with him, he thought, Why is he always just sitting there, alone?

"What do you want Naruto?" Sasuke called up, without turning around.

"Wha- You knew I was here," said Naruto suprised.

"I thought I asked you what you wanted," Sasuke said. His usual attitude had an edge to it today for some reason.

"I don't want anything!"yelled Naruto. Man, he thought, And I was just feeling sorry for this guy?

"Then stop staring at me like a gaping idiot, you loser."

Naruto angrily ran down the stone steps on the green hill and along the dock so that he was behind Sasuke.

"What's your problem!"He shouted.

"Let me give you a hint,"said Sasuke, "It has blond hair, wears an orange jumpsuit and lives on ramen."

Naruto gritted his teeth and tried to burn holes through Sasuke with his eyes. Sasuke was still looking foward, facing the still water.

"So,"he said,"What do you want?"

When he didn't get an answer, he asked "Is it another one of your nosy questions?"

"Maybe," said Naruto shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"Well?"

"I...I just wanted to know why you sit down here, all alone all the time."

"Isn't it obvious? You said it yourself. I want to be alone."

"Why do you wanna be lonely? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Not lonely, alone."

"It's the same thing. Isn't it?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head. "They're completely different."

"How?"

"You can choose to be alone. You can choose to stay away from everyone else. Being lonely is different. If you're lonely, you're lonely. You have no decision in the matter. Even surronded by people you can feel lonely, but you're not alone. Being lonely...is painful. Being alone doesn't have to be. Understand?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

"No you don't," said Sasuke, "But you'll figure it out eventually."
He stood up and turned to Naruto. "I'm going to train some more. You coming?"

"Sure."

They walked side by side.

"Hey...Sasuke?"

"What Naruto?"

"How do you know so much about that stuff?"

Sasuke stopped. Without looking at Naruto he said, "If you can't figure that out Naruto, you're more of a loser than I thought."

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