If I had known that all this would have happened, I definitely wouldn't have done it. But what choice did I have? As an avenger - I had to avenge my clan.
***
"Get her, and our plan will slowly fall into place. I can already see it happening!" Lord Orochimaru's voice echoed fiercely.
I nodded my head and left the room with Sasori, in search of the girl called Kimiko. Finally, it had come of time for us to launch our next step in imprisoning the dear girl. It wouldn't be hard - I already knew what she looked like. In fact, we had been observing her since the day she was born. And it was all thanks to our immortal Lord Orochimaru. I headed off towards Getsugakure, the Village hidden under the Moon. It would be a long journey, but it would be worth it.
I coughed slightly as we entered the house. She was at home. We could sense her chakra.
"Sasuke," Sasori whispered.
I shushed him, just in time to duck the spears aimed for my head. This girl was smart.
"It's no use, your blood control techniques won't work on me," I said triumphantly.
I saw her move in the shadows. I signaled to Sasori, telling him it would be alright for him to leave and report back to Orochimaru that all was well.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" She asked, eyeing me warily.
That was the cue - for me to put on my Prince Charming act. She needed to fall in love with me before the plan could proceed. It might take days, months, years, but it would all be worth it. I doubted it would take long though - Ino and Sakura weren't alive without a reason.
"Oh, it's nothing - I've just been...secretly admiring you...from afar. Watching you practice your jutsu is interesting." I blatantly lied. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."
She stepped out of the shadows. I saw her eyes widen ever so slightly as she took in my demeanor. Well, if Sakura and Ino could fall in love with emo boy, she could too.
"Kimiko. Don't have a surname." She finally mumbled. "What do you want?"
"Is being friends too much for a guy to ask?" I ventured, winking at her mischievously, at the same time flashing her the irresistible smirk signature to my clan.
She stared at me, not sure how to react. Bingo.
"I'll take that as your acceptance of my friend request. Tomorrow, waterfall, 8am. Be there." I invitingly commanded her before leaving her house without another word.
***
The next morning dawned bright and breezy. Not that it would actually matter, unless you considered the fact that I was supposed to woo this lady in order to achieve my goal. Indeed, I would be playing with her feelings - but I didn't care. Why should I? She was of no importance to me, just a mere tool of my utter usage. If the plan would succeed, that is.
I sensed Kimiko's footsteps from away. As she inched closer, her footsteps started to halter, as if she was hesitant to come near me.
"I won't bite you," I grunted.
In less than a second, she was right beside me. I was on the verge of jumping in surprise - I hadn't expected that swift arrival, she had been at least a few meters away from me - she had great speed for someone not trained to be a ninja, let alone a shinobi like me.
I looked up at her, only to find myself somewhat...star-struck. She was in normal, everyday attire, yet she looked so - enchantingly captivating. She had long, wavy, red tresses that she had combed back into a tight ponytail, and deep violet eyes.
Thankfully, my daze only lasted less than a second - I could not afford to mess up on my mission.
"Here, have some!" I tossed her a sushi roll.
She caught it with ease and swallowed some of it.
"This is - this is really - good! Where - did you - get this from?" She said in between mouthfuls.
I laughed, "Made it myself."
Now which lady wouldn't fall in love with a guy domestically talented?
She raised her eyebrows.
"So, what do you usually do?" I started off with a common topic of conversation.
We sat by the waterfall, snacking and she continued talking. This was the first thing I had to do. Bond with her, before we could become any closer. I knew that I couldn't ask any old question about her bearings or her personal life yet - she wouldn't be able to trust me so easily.
Strangely, the day passed by rather quickly. Before I knew it, it was already dusk. I had to admit, I slightly enjoyed the chat with Kimiko. It hadn't taken so long to warm up to each other. I walked her home before heading back to my apartment. It was already quite late when I reached home. I lay on my bed, deep in thought.
On hindsight, the "bonding" hadn't been so bad. I had not expected to have any reaction to it, but slightly, just slightly, I felt a tiny ray of enjoyment in it.
It was weird. There was something inside of me - that felt...weird. I couldn't identify it, I had never felt it before. As far as I could remember, the only emotion I could identify and describe, was my sense of vengeance for my clan. Other than that, I had not had any other emotions throughout my entire life. What was this?
Kimiko's POV
I didn't know who this Uchiha guy was. He seemed...cool. I had never really interacted with people so much. Ever since I could last remember things, I had been isolated. People either treated me as if I was insignificant, or as if I was some sort of monster. And in general, I didn't trust anyone. I couldn't. I didn't know why - there was much more to my past than what I knew, the problem was, I couldn't remember any of it.
But what did it matter? I thought. I wasn't going to tell him anything, was I? We were just getting to know each other. He probably didn't even know anything about my past, so it wouldn't matter if I didn't tell him either.
Days passed, and unexpectedly, Sasuke and I grew...closer, in a way. We spent more time doing things together, chatting, having fun... I even...trusted him. When he asked, I told him as much as I knew of my heritage.
But there were some things that nagged at me. Why was he so kind to me? Usually, everyone would ignore me. Yet here he was, wanting to be my friend. And he was. Another crisis - I felt this tinge of ...affection towards him. I wasn't even sure whether it was considered as affection or not. All I knew was that, my heart fluttered every time I saw him. Did he feel the same way? I didn't know.
Sasuke's POV
Done. There. One step closer to my goal. Today had been a frenzy. The arduous love confession had finally been made. It was a pity Kimiko really believed me though... I flashed back to what had happened a few hours earlier.
***
"Kimiko-chan?" I asked her as she sat staring out the window, deep in thought.
"Mm?" She replied in her gently way, her cerulean eyes not leaving the lush scenery.
"I love you," I started. "I really, really love you. Will you be mine?"
***
It was strange - how had it been so easy for me to lie through my teeth? Yes, it was part of the shinobi practice to take all risks and all bends to achieve their goal but lying about love - the fragile, tender and powerful emotion - wasn't something I thought I would've been able to do so easily. Was I really that evil? Perhaps I was. Perhaps I had no such feeling - love. After all, all I needed Kimiko for was to aid me in killing the residents of Konoha. It wouldn't be long before it happened.
But first, she had to gradually get used to seeing the bad side of me. And I would start now.
***
I released my breath and started panting heavily. Was she alright? That was all that mattered at that moment. I laid Kimiko down gently and prayed for her to wake up. I had brought her on another mission - we had been on quite a few already, and I guess she had adapted to my ruthless killing. After all, she would have to do something greater. But just now - in a fight with a group of Anbu trying to pin me down, she had been caught unaware and just when some shuriken grazed her head, I had rushed in front of her, grabbed her and carried her away. However, it was still too late. She had gotten hurt - and who knew whether those weapons were poisoned or not. I didn't know why, but to see her unconscious like this made me worried. My heart beat heavily as I tried my best to revive her. I couldn't pinpoint a feeling, but she had to wake up! She had to...
Just then, I noticed her eyelashes flutter ever so slightly. I suppressed my sigh of relief, trying to mask my feelings. Why? What feelings did I have to mask? I questioned myself, even I did not know why I reacted in such ways. I embraced her in a hug before bringing her to her feet and proceeding with the mission, meanwhile reprimanding myself.
Don't be stupid, Sasuke. Why were you so worried on whether or not she was going to die? You don't like her at all - she's just your tool. Get a grip of yourself... Stick to the plan.
Kimiko's POV
Yet another mission with Sasuke - the love of my life. After bonding and becoming close friends...and well, more than friends, he revealed to me that he would want me to accompany him on his missions, stating that my blood control jutsu and other jutsus that I had learnt myself, despite not being professionally trained as a ninja, were highly powerful and could be of good use. But of course I agreed - after all, Sasuke and I were each other's "significant other" now. And I guess I had gotten used to his tactics while in action. He was quite cruel, but I suppose that was how all ninjas were trained? After all, I had no right to say anything as I had never been trained.
The feeling of ecstasy when he confessed to me was unimaginable. I had never known love before. All I could remember of my childhood was...beings hated, abandoned, avoided, isolated. Since birth my parents had kept me locked up at home, not allowed to venture out into the great outdoors. I didn't know why. But I could remember - when I was 6 I suddenly acquired the ability to control the blood of other people, making them freeze in their tracks, unable to move. This could potentially kill the victim in my grasp within a few minutes. I was so excited - it had been my dream since birth to become a ninja, although I never knew why my parents had never allowed or sent me to be trained as one when all the other kids my age were. I showed it to my parents, using a rabbit as my victim, thinking they would be proud of me. They were far from proud - my father locked me up in my room. After that everything became a blur. I woke up to find myself on the streets of the village. No matter how many times I tried to ask for help, everyone ignored me, even the few people whom I recognized. I couldn't understand anything at all. It was a strange, heartbreaking mystery, for my parents were suddenly - gone. Then one day I overheard someone saying that I was the one who killed my parents, using my blood control jutsu. I felt so accused that I answered back and defended myself, only to earn more shuns. The looks of hatred were unbearable. Every time they looked at me, it was a look of hatred and detest. But now I had Sasuke, he was all I needed.
"We're here," Sasuke's masculine voice bellowed. "Be very quiet. Use your jutsu on the whole village, before we attack the Hokage."
I sensed a slight change of tone in Sasuke's voice. It was something I had never sensed before.
"What? Why are we attacking the whole village? Aren't they all just innocent people?" I asked in confusion. It wasn't like normal missions to have ninjas attacking the whole village. Only in war would such a deed be committed.
"Just. Do. It." Sasuke muttered, clearly hiding something from me.
I was annoyed. I didn't want to use my powers to kill a whole village! Especially not a village full of innocent beings. I demanded an answer. Sasuke remained silent for quite awhile before turning to me and edging nearer and nearer to me. I was terrified - what was this supposed to mean?
"These are not innocent people, Kimiko. Remember your childhood? The cold look in everyone's eyes as they stared at you? Making you feel so alienated?"
I started shivering, why was he bringing up such a sensitive topic at this point? What did it have to do with our attack?
"Darling, you were accused, framed, shunned, spat at, abused, isolated, there are no more words to describe it! The people who killed your parents were from this very village, they were the ones who made you suffer this entire while." I half-lied as I watched her shake.
It was half a lie, indeed, for I knew everything she didn't know. Lord Orochimaru was the one who killed her parents, then made it seem like she was the one who did it - this was to result in Kimiko's abandonment. It was all part of the plan. Kimiko couldn't remember a vast amount of things - she was the princess, the heir of the empress of that time. She was the prodigy of her clan. The successor! We wanted her to get shunned at by everyone, so that we could turn her against the people we wished to harm. She was the only one in a millennium to be blessed with the rare and perilous blood control jutsu. The one that Orochimaru lusted for greatly which would aid in the process of our plan - although we had different motives. It was already the last step, and it would be finished - ambush Konoha, the village that I originated from, but also the one that had marked Itachi and I as S-rank criminals. I didn't blame them - Itachi killed my whole clan, but spared me, and I hated him for that, that's why I wanted to get revenge. But I had learned the truth under Orochimaru, that the Hokage of Konaha village had encouraged and played a part in the encouraging of the fateful night of the massacre. This was why I had left as a criminal - to join the Akatsuki under Orochimaru, not under their intentions, just for their power and Orochimaru's aid in wiping out Konoha as part of seeking out my vengeance on those who had done injustice to my clan. Why Orochimaru wanted to attacking Konoha, I did not know. I didn't care - all I wanted was revenge.
"These people belittled you, and hurt you, Kimiko. You have to do this. They were unfair. Remember their cold, icy stares?"
I knew I had hit the spot. There was nothing more effective than bringing up painful memories of one's tragic childhood and past. The had been bewildered look in her eyes hardened as she nodded her head firmly and we crossed the gates of Konoha, swiftly and silently. She performed the required hand signs, within milliseconds, shrieks and ear-piercing, shiver evoking screams and wails of agony and torture echoed for miles around. You could hardly imagine - the whole village, all except the Hokage, were under Kimiko's fatal jutsu. It was more than painful, it was excruciating. Ignoring the screams, Kimiko and I ran to the Hokage's tower, and broke in through the window. Truthfully, I had no idea who the Hokage was, and I was eager to find out as he was about to get killed, by hook or by crook. I jumped in and beheld a blonde head. I tried to suppress my gasp, but failed.
Naruto.
I had been away from Konoha for very long, I had not expected that loser's dream to come true - he was the Hokage. Now I knew why Orochimaru wanted him - he was the Nine Tails' Jinchuuriki, the most powerful of all jinchuuriki's and Orochiamaru wanted to extract his power. It was the scope of the Akatsuki to extract the chakra of all the jinchuurikis, Naruto was the only one left. So this was why Orochimaru wanted me so badly to help. I swallowed, there was no time, no time for insensible soppy stories of the past, Naruto had to die immediately, for the sake of my clan.
"Kimiko, now," I ordered.
Naruto stared back at me blankly, that baka still hadn't figured out what I was about to do. I glanced at Kimiko. Why was she not doing anything?
"I'm not hurting him, Sasuke." Kimiko stated flatly. I didn't bother asking, I had a feeling she would explain. "Naruto and I go a long way back - he rescued me once. A life for a life."
"Yeah, I rescued Kimiko once when she was gonna fall down the waterfalls 10 years ago!" Naruto yelled, rubbing the back of his neck, grinning.
That baka. As oblivious to his surroundings as always, he didn't know I was about to kill him! I glared at Kimiko, why wasn't she doing anything?
"In case you didn't know, Kimiko, Naruto and I go a longer way back, now do what the plan instructs!" I was on the verge of raising my voice and killing Naruto myself, but that would be too bloody.
Seeing that she was nowhere near to moving, I had no choice but to activate my sharingan - hypnotize Kimiko.
Kimiko's POV
I saw red - his eyes were fully red. Suddenly, a dream-like effect took over me. And as quickly as it came, it left. I kept silent, for there were too many reasons why my heart was beating and not enough words to explain. I had seen it all. Sasuke. Konoha wasn't the enemy - he was. It turned out that the enemy had always known more of me than I ever did. The Akatsuki were the real murderers of my parents. Betrayal, anger, hurt... Of all the stupid things I could've done, I had accomplished falling in love with a villain. I knew why all this had happened. Sasuke was using me against Konoha for his clan - he had never loved me. And to think, that I did. I couldn't hate him though. I just couldn't. Although he wronged me, I still loved him. But I couldn't kill Naruto either. He was innocent.
Then it happened. I couldn't - no one could - I couldn't escape the sharingan. My hands started shaking. As hard as I tried to suppress it I couldn't. I knew what was going to happen - I was being forced to use the jutsu on Naruto.
If I had to kill Naruto, I'd kill myself too. It wouldn't be worth it to live with Sasuke - I don't care what he will do after I die, but one thing's for sure - Naruto dies, I'll die with him.
The thoughts blundered through my head in moments before it happened.
My hands had no control of themselves. I couldn't stop the jutsu, but I could spread it. As if everything was in slow motion, Naruto dropped to the ground.
So did I.
But before I did, I saw the flicker of the sharingan - and then blood - and I felt him next to me - the warmth of his body and a flash of raven hair - the thud of another body besides mine...
Good luck, Sasuke. Whatever you do in your life from now on - do it with all your strength - make the right choices - no matter what you have done to me, I will always be beside you.
Sasuke's POV
Here I am, now. You are witnessing the last moments of my life.
As I activated my sharingan, I could hear all that went through her head. She wanted to kill herself if she killed Naruto. I didn't believe it. I didn't want to. I heard her thoughts - she didn't hate me. After all I did, she didn't hate me. I watched Naruto fall with a thud, in the slight milliseconds before she was about to hit the ground, I transferred her jutsu onto my own body as well.
I loved her.
She died, and it was all my fault.
I was a murderer.
Of Naruto, our back story too long to be told, nevertheless, I wronged an innocent life of his.
Of Kimiko. I understood it now - I loved her, and to think - I, Uchiha Sasuke, killed the only woman, the only person whom I loved and the only one who had taught me to feel. She had been my first feeling. She had fallen in love with a villain - she knew I was a villain, yet she unconditionally loved me. I would die beside her.
She saw me - I doubt if she recognized it was me. It's only a few moments before I die alongside her. She hears our bodies thud on the ground. I was selfish. But I loved her - I always had. Her last thoughts - she thought I'd be alive. She would never know now that although I had seemed to be using her, I had always loved her. I had not known it myself. This was why it had been so easy for me to "lie" to her - why I had been so concerned for her. Deep down, I had always loved her.
"Forgive me, Kimiko." are my last words.
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