The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 50

Satomi P.O.V.

A light sigh escapes my lips as I begin to pack my bag, rummaging through my closet for clothes to take with me. Tomorrow is the day I leave for my two year training period with Ryouichi-sensei, and as much as I hated to admit it, I was really going to miss everyone here in Konoha.

It is my home, after all.

Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei promised to see me off tomorrow at dawn since I said that I couldn't hang out with them today. I have other plans with a certain Hyuga later.

I was also informed that Naruto would be going out of the village to train for two years as well, although he's leaving a little bit later than I am. The Akatsuki is after him, so he needed to become strong enough to defend himself if they were to attack.

Glancing in the mirror hanging from my plain wall, I can't help but pause in my actions to take a better look.

Overall, I looked much healthier than I had when I returned from Sasuke's retrieval mission. My dark hair reached the middle of my upper arm now, and my eyes remained the same onyx color they've always been. The same color as Sasuke's.

Although now, my eyes seemed haunted, a deep sorrow lingering underneath its surface. My headband was securely wrapped around my forehead, like always, a few strands framing my face daintily.

I subconsciously rest my hand on the mirror, the confliction inside of me flaring to the surface. I had the choice to follow Sasuke to Orochimaru's hideout if I had wanted, but I had chosen the village instead. 

What puzzled me, though, was the fact that Sasuke hadn't asked me to join him. I couldn't tell if he was trying to protect me from the dangerous sannin, or if he truly was too blinded by the promise of power to even consider my opinions.

The thought had briefly crossed my mind back when I was battling Sasuke at the Final Valley, but I was too caught up in my despair to give it a second thought. Did I regret my decision of staying in Konoha?

Not at all.

If I had left, I would've been leaving behind my friends that I cared for so much. While I love Sasuke, I just couldn't leave my home when there are people waiting for me, people who I'd even go as far as to consider them a second family to me.

If Sasuke couldn't see what he was leaving behind all for the power to kill his one and only brother, it wasn't my fault. I tried my best to make him see and feel my love and conviction, but he just couldn't comprehend it.

He truly is a fool.

::

My back rested on the gates of the Hyuga Clan compound as I waited for Neji to arrive. I had informed him that I was going to be leaving the village for training for a while when he was in the hospital, so he had insisted on taking me out one last time before my departure once he was released.

We had agreed to meet here, then go out to a Kohi Zeri dessert shop, since that was the same dessert he had bought me during the festival. 

"Took you long enough," I say, breaking the silence that had fallen around me. Neji had body flickered to my side, an annoyed sigh escaping his lips.

"Sorry it took me so long. Guy-sensei decided that he wanted to go out with the team as a celebration for Lee's recovery, but I had to tell them that we have to do it another day and he didn't want to accept my answer," Neji says, his eye twitching at the memory. 

"It's alright. Are you ready to go?" I ask, giving him a closed-eyed smile with a tilt of my head. He returns my smile, taking my hand and leading me to the dessert shop he had decided to take me to.