Never Forget

Distance

Yeah, I've been gone for a loooooong time... forgive me! *bows*

I'm a junior this year, which means even less time to do everything else... Calculus is already a killer, and the year's just started! 

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy!

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Chapter 13: Distance

"Alright, set up camp," I said, dropping my pack against a tree. Evening was quickly approaching. "Watches will be Sakura, Neji, Kakashi, and then me. Kakashi and Neji are on rations duty. Sakura and I will build the fire and set out sleeping rolls. Sound good?"
They all nodded mutely. I suspected that they were all a bit shocked over what had happened earlier.

"Okay, let's get to it."

We all scattered, Sakura and I straying not too far away from the campsite and picking up dead branches. I'd purposely chosen a leafy area a good distance from the main road. After setting the pile ablaze with a half-hearted Fireball Jutsu, Sakura then helped me roll out everybody's sleeping pallets.

We were done with our part within about ten minutes.

"Sensei," Sakura finally said, the first word I'd heard her speak since expressing her surprise over Sasuke's disappearance. I glanced up to see her solemn face. "I know this may not be the right time to ask, but you seem to know a lot about Sasuke and what he's been doing. I was wondering if, well..."

"If I've kept in touch with him?" I shook my head. "Not at all. I've only talked to him once since he left, and not necessarily by choice."

But her eyes grew wide. "You talked to him? When?"

I sighed, leaning my back against the tree behind me. "He sought me out when we were in Suna, not too long ago. He'd disguised himself, but it was pretty obvious from the get-go."

Sakura was frowning. "Why would he seek you out, all of a sudden? Is he having second thoughts? Guidance?"

"Not at all," I said, hoping she hadn't gotten her hopes up. "Actually, he asked me to stop meddling with things, because apparently Orochimaru doesn't approve. Obviously, I'm not going to stop anything. Orochimaru is the least of my worries, so if he's caught in the crossfire, then that just sucks for him."

"Right..." Sakura sighed, and it was then that I noticed how tense she was.

"Why are you so nervous?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. "It's just me. We've known each other for years, haven't we?"

She gave a jolt, as though just now realizing this. She instantly relaxed her posture, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Ah, sorry," she said. "I didn't even realize I was doing that. It's just that... I think it's probably because you're not just Kira-sensei anymore. Now, you're vital to the ninja world's survival, and you're always running all these high-risk missions with the leaders of the world... oh! Sorry – I'm just being stupid."

I had never thought of it that way before. Was that what the others were thinking, too? They had slowly become distant toward me, but perhaps not because they disliked me; perhaps it was because they saw me differently now. Was I overdoing things? "Sakura," I said slowly, "I don't know how I'm coming off to you guys anymore, but I haven't changed. Recently, I've been getting the feeling that I'm starting to become isolated, but I didn't realize it until now."

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said, as Kakashi and Neji appeared in our line of sight. "I know you're still the same Kira-sensei as the old days. It's just that times are changing so drastically now that nothing really feels the same anymore."