AFTER DARK | naruto

56 | fire kings speciality

(I forgot to post this chapter on here)

You never ended up attacking Karin. It was unnecessary, and she hadn't done anything wrong to you. Or maybe not attacking anyone else who hadn't done anything to you after Killer Bee, or even after ending your sister's life—was a way of mending your own guilt.

You instead followed her back, and she led you to the location where Sasuke and Shisui were supposed to be,  but it seemed whatever fight she had stressed over was finished.

"I could have sworn I didn't take so long!" Karin said exasperatedly, adjusting her glasses. "Those two... She bit back a groan as she looked toward the floor, "Right after I pinpointed Danzos location, those two sprinted off..."

You were silent, gaze turning toward her. "You can't blame them, can you? They're Uchihas, and he's practically their killer." You explained in broad terms. "No one could forgive their families killer, after all."

Karin looked toward you, a doubtful look on her face. She figured at first that the Uchiha and [Lastname] were nothing alike, but after thinking about it, they weren't different at all.  "Well, I guess you aren't wrong, but—" Before Karin could get the chance to finish her sentence, the ceiling nearly gave in on the two of you. She covered her head with her arms as an automatic response to it.

It was a sudden thing, and you didn't have many defensive techniques too your disposal. You might have been able to register it and react to the falling of the roof caving in, but there wasn't an immediate Jutsu to your disposal to block it, or dodge and get you and Karin out of there safely.  A part of you was willing to accept that, but there was another part of you that didn't want it to end here of all places

The sight of falling buildings was quickly replaced by sand.

Sand. A familiar sight to you, in the worst of places. You turned your head to the direction in which it came from so quickly, you could have nearly snapped your own neck.

"Gaara! What are you doing?!" A familiar blonde said in frustration. "That's the enemy you're helping, not some old friend!" You were hardly worried about what the girl had to say about you or this entire scenario, your eyes were locked onto Gaara.

Who in return, was staring right back at you. His face was still, unmoving as it always appeared to be, as not only the sand above you had dissipated, but the sand that had been above them had, as well.    

Kankuro too had something to say to his little brother. "She's not only an enemy of the Sand now, but of the entire Shinobi world, Gaara." He tried to reason, "You should've let her die when you had the chance!"

Gaara didn't seem to listen to or consider one of their words for a second. His eyes stagnant on you, expression free of conflict. "I understand where you're both coming from..." He admitted, referring to his siblings, but the next moment, he was referring to you. "The darkness you saved me from... Is the same darkness you've fallen into." Gaara looked right into your eyes, and your own eyes widened.

"Even back then, as an enemy of the leaf, there were two who hadn't seen me as such. Be her an enemy of the Sand, or of the entire world, she is no enemy of mine."

There was a silence that filled the air after Gaara said those words—and you were especially caught off-guard by the tear that fell from his eye a few seconds after. Perhaps good karma did exist in the sense that it saved your ass years later.

You weren't sure what to do, you were stunned. Cornered into a silence that you weren't sure how to break out of. "I'll have no regrets for saying such a thing about a close friend of mine, either..." He finished off, lowering his arm.