𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 || sasusaku

Chapter Thirty-Five: Interlude-Sasuke's Trial Begins

Sasuke stood in front of his assailants, katana readied the moment they decided to attack. He was conserving his chakra for his visual prowess and judging by the group of men in front, it seems taijutsu would be enough.

He sized them up, there were roughly a dozen of them in front and around. They were wearing traditional wooden masks but those were different from the Anbu in Konoha. They were also holding a scimitar and a dagger around their waist.

Bandits? Probably. This forest is secluded so Sasuke wouldn't be surprise if he encounters one or two group of bandits.

The men in front of Sasuke were on guard, ready to attack. The moment they move their feet, Sasuke would waste no time to draw his sword and strike them. Their move is no match with his sharingan.

But the moment they were about to attack, someone landed in front of them. A man with light brown hair that looks oddly familiar.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" He asked, voice muffled from the mask he was wearing.

Sasuke frowned, but he wasn't entirely surprise that he knew him. He was quite infamous after all. But when the man took off his mask, Sasuke's frown was replaced with realization.

"You're Taisho, right?" He asked, sheathing his katana as the men sheathed their weapons as well.

"I have just received the Hokage's hawk containing the message that you will be coming here." Taisho waved a scroll, Kakashi's message.

Sasuke, looking unamused, narrowed his eyes to the Chief's grandson and looked around the dozen men who were about to attack him just a while ago. Actually, they did attack him.

Sasuke brushed his cheek with his thumb to stop the bleeding. "I would appreciate it if your men welcomed me a little too nicer and not with flying shurikens."

The men bowed in front of them except for Taisho who spoke, "I'm sorry about that. Recently, we've been up on patrol because bandits constantly roam around our borders."

Does Sasuke look like a bandit? And weren't bandits suppose to travel in groups? Sasuke's eyes narrowed again into a glare.

"And suspicious individuals," Taisho added, matching Sasuke's glare.

It seems as though there was bad blood between them when Sasuke only met him briefly during the time he and Sakura helped with the disease.

Sasuke notice that Taisho kept looking around and behind Sasuke as if he was looking for someone. Sasuke's suspicion was answered when Taisho asked a question that almost made the Uchiha lose the remaining nerve he has with this arrogant young man.

"Where is Sakura?" Taisho asked.

For one, he shouldn't be addressing her so casually like they've known each other all his life. Second, it's none of his business. And third, it's still none of his business.

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. "She has her own things to attend to."

Sasuke made sure not to spill too much information regarding Sakura. Who knew what this man would do if he found out Sakura is in Sunagakure.

"Ah, is that so? She's a medical ninja after all. I hope she's not overworking herself."

Sasuke's nerve for this man is starting to disintegrate the longer he looked at him. They started to walk towards the tunnel that connects the inner part of the tribe from the outside world. It's been months since he last came here and the place still has this certain effect on him. It's as if he's standing in the midst of something akin to a paradise. But what would Sasuke know of places like paradise? All his life he's been shut down in the deepest corner of Orochimaru's dark laboratory.