Black Light (Naruto)

Chapter 11

Hi! Today's an interesting chapter, for me at least! 

Human thought(s)- Mostly Hikaru's

Original: 01/02/2020

Edited: 10/20/2020

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Hikaru walked through the quiet, empty district. The streets were wiped clean, but, for Hikaru, it felt like it was still littered with dead bodies- be it civillian or shinobi. 

In the war, when Konoha was destroyed for the last time, they'd fought right at the point Hikaru was walking. Hikaru still perfectly remembered the engraged look in Sasuke's mismatched eyes as they destroyed his house. 

Of course, Hikaru remembered the way to Sasuke's house in the Uchiha district. Hikaru had gone there many times to pick up Sasuke for training after Pein's attack, or challenging him to a spar when they were genin. A small, nolstalgic smile wormed it's way past his facade. 

His violet eyes closed as he walked down the street, his steps echoing if only slightly, but this was only to Hikaru's sensitive ears. 

He wanted everything back, the times before the war, before he had to worry about the Akatsuki running after him. He wanted Jiraiya back, and wanted so many things that were impossible to get back again, and it hurt. 

Hikaru just wished he hadn't gotten caught up in this mess. 

His knuckles tapped on Sasuke's front door, watching as it opened to an achingly familiar face, yet so young. And while Hikaru has had a week and more to get used to it, it never failed to catch him off guard. 

"Hikaru-san." Sasuke grunted. "Why are you here?"

"I'm picking you up for dinner." Hikaru replied back. "We have to go pick up Sakura. Naruto and Kakashi already know the way."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted again, stepping out the door, his pale arms folded across his chest. Black eyes- almost emotionless but Hikaru could read Sasuke like a book- closed for a second, and Hikaru could see his older self in him, if only for a few seconds. 

"Let's go." Sasuke said, before strolling casually down the street, slouched over and hands in his pockets almost grumpily. Hikaru let the genin lead the way out of the empty Uchiha compound, the silence suffocating between them. But Hikaru let it be, not sure if he would even be able to choke out a word before he burst out crying.

The dinner would be painful. Hikaru was sure of it. Not only had he made the stupidest decision of his life, he'd invited his team over on a heavy flashback day, the team that was somehow still there even though he remembered them being dead. 

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked, his words almost hesitant. 

"My apartment. Sakura lives in the civillain district, and if I remember correctly, your fangirls are widely civillians." Hikaru glanced down at the genin, his mind running through Sasuke's death over and over and over, reminding him of what he had lost. Of what he had done. 

The flashbacks hadn't been this bad earlier, Hikaru was sure of it. 

Still, they walked through empty streets and too his apartment building, Sasuke wordlessly following him up the steps to his floor. Hikaru walked past Naruto's apartment- not sensing the blond in it- and opened the door. 

"Bathroom is the first door to the left in that hallway. Kitchen, then living room. The dining room is in the kitchen. Naruto should be getting here soon." Hikaru made a one-handed seal. "I'll be right back."

He appeared in front of Sakura's door, knocking on it. While the genin didn't remind him very much of the Sakura he'd known at the end of the war, it was still painful to look at her. So when the genin opened the door, he hid his wince very well.