The Two Known As Uchiha

Chapter 2: Say What???

The next morning I woke up with the sun as I always do. I looked to the clock that hung in the living room high above me on the wall and growled before taking one more shot at fighting the bright sun that woke me before figuring out I had no chance of winning before I wrestled my way off the futon and onto the tatami mat of the living room floor. I slowly made my way up the stairs to the bathroom and opened the curtains to let in the light. After climbing up onto my stool I looked into the mirror only to be greeted by the same matted hair that seemed to form every time I slept through a night. After a long drawn yawn I stretched before brushing my teeth and brushing out my hair to make myself look at least half decent. Giving my self one more look over I smiled to my reflection and made my way down stairs. It was about that time for all the kids of the village to head to the academy. I had no desire to be student at the academy, so mother never enrolled me. Even though when I came of age I was told that I would have to take a final exam whether I was enrolled in the academy or not even though every teacher there I had talked to told me that it would be better for me to enroll I knew I would be okay training on my own. And with my "special" circumstances I decided to train solo.

I suddenly remembered seeing Sasuke leave the village gates every day from the corner of my eye before I left out to gather vegetables and herbs from villagers and the forest. He always headed out around the same time that I did. So while I gathered my things so I could get started for the day I decided that I would meet him at the gate and ask if I could walk with him. I had always wanted company. And it wouldn't be to far considering I passed the academy on my way to my first donor's house anyways! So in my head it all seemed to work out perfectly!

I watched Sasuke run down the way before talking to his aunt and his uncle. I decided to wait not wanting to be rude while he caught up with his family. I found myself pacing back and forth, something I often did whenever I was bored or waiting, before what seemed like an older version of Sasuke turning the corner coming down the way to the gate. I didn't notice that I was staring until the older boy finally made his way up to the entrance of the village where I was standing. I didn't notice him completely until he was only about a foot away from my face. HE had crouched down to where he was at eye level with me and I had to shake my head in order to focus on him.

"Are you lost?" He asked me.

I shook my head while I began to note everything about him. He looked a lot like Sasuke. With the same eyes and the same raven dark hair. But his voice was different. Not soft like Sasuke's but more of a sort of burdened.

"N-no mister. I just got here. I-I'm just waiting for someone." I didn't know why I was stuttering. At first I thought I was scared. But after I took the time to think about it I noticed that it was a more dangerous curiosity.

Then he simply smiled and stood straightening himself. His smile was like Sasuke's too. But some how it seemed more sad while Sasuke's was cheerful.

"Well I'm afraid I must be on my way." He walked past me and all I was left to do was watch as he vanished. I figured that person was probably Sasuke's older brother. He looked enough like him and was older but didn't look like he could be old enough to see Sasuke's father.

I returned to my former task of meeting Sasuke and watched him with his back towards me as he waved to his aunt and uncle. I decided that a surprise was in order. Once he began to turn towards my direction I sprinted towards him and leapt out into the air arms wide and before he knew it I had tackled him to the ground!

"I caught you!" I said happily looking at him with a smile as wide as I could stretch.

He was struggling to get out from underneath me. "Geez Kiana didn't your parents ever tell you it's not nice to knock people over like that?!" He sounded irritated. But I shook my head and helped him up and we began to beat the dust off our clothes.

"I'm sorry." I said after noticing I had angered him. "I hope I didn't hurt you." Was the best thing that I could muster off the top of my head.

"No." He said patting the rest of the dust off the back of his shoulder. "You just surprised me."

I smiled at him. "I see you going to the academy everyday." I decided to cut directly to the chase. "I don't go there but I go in that direction so I was wondering if it would be okay for me to walk with you?" I didn't know why but my face began to feel hot and I could feel myself getting more and more nervous as I spoke. But Sasuke didn't seem to notice.

"I don't mind. I could use the company I guess." He said before he began to walk.

I was really happy that the academy was at least a ten minute walk. I folded my arms behind my back and began to follow him. After about thirty seconds of silence I finally decided to say something to start up conversation.

"I think I met your brother today." I said to him.

He didn't seem to surprised. But he was obviously curious. "Oh yeah? That's my older brother Itachi. He's in the Anbu Black Ops."

Now I was surprised. The only people I knew of that had made it into the Anbu Black Ops were old people but he didn't look that old at all to me. "But he looked really young." I said. And Sasuke smiled as if he had been expecting that.

"He graduated the academy when he was seven. And he even passed the Chunin Exams when he was ten. As a reward for all his high grades and outstanding performances they asked him to join the Anbu Black Ops when he was only thirteen years old..." Sasuke sounded...sad. But also a little angry, and then there was a small hint of joy. It's a weird combination that I had never heard in anyone's voice before that point but he sounded happy. As if Itachi somehow presented a challenge that he craved.

Hearing about his brother was like hearing about a fairy tale. Only instead of this being the entire construct of ones imagination this was real. "Your brother must have been really strong to get into the Anbu Black Ops at the age of eleven." I thought about it and knew that I could never pull something like that off.

"He is really strong. But one day I'm going to become stronger than him." There was a darkness in Sasuke's voice when he said that which seemed to linger in the air around us for a whole minute before dissipating.

Instead of following my gut to tell him that 'that wasn't the most important thing in life' I simply smiled and said "I know you will." But if I had known then it might have made the slightest difference I would have said something to him.

Soon Sasuke and I were walking up to the gates of the academy. I told him all about my training and how I did it alone and about how my mother passed away almost a year ago and just about everything I would have normally never told anyone after having known them for less than twenty four hours. But there was something about Sasuke that just seemed inviting. It was warm and nice. It reminded me of my mother in some strange way. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to him back then.

"Well I should be going." His voice pulled me out of thought and I looked up to see that we were at the entrance building to the academy.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Okay. Well I have a lot of things to do today so I better get started!" I said before clicking my heels together. "Maybe I'll see you later?" I asked before tilting my head to the side not really making it a formal plan but at least keeping it on the table.

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah maybe." He said.

Finally we parted ways. Him off to the academy and me to make my daily runs around the village.

It didn't take me long to admit it to myself. But I was falling for Sasuke Uchiha.