First log! Whoo!

[nikushimi_no_hi]

The slight rustle of fallen leaves crunching beneath his feet broke through the silence of the forest. The sharp breeze of the winter wind blew past his body, piercing through his cloak like needles. His shadow reflected off the thin trunks of the trees around him, making odd, irregular shapes on the brown, rough bark. Somewhere a bird cried, the sound stranded and lost into the air.

Sasuke’s sword hung by his side, the metal guard felt cold against his skin, even though there was a layer of clothes separating the two. The black scabbard shone under the orange rays of the setting sun, the cracks and scratches were visible under the Uchiha’s dark eyes. His feet continued on, stepping over the piles of leaves scattered all over the worn path. Another wisp of wind sent the black cloak flying behind him.

When had he last walk by this place?

Most likely when he left Konoha, Sasuke mused. This was the first time he had gotten this close to his place of birth, the place that held so many memories, both joyful and heart-wrenching. He had unconsciously wandered here, without being cognizant of where his feet had carried him.

Just as well.

A little visit couldn’t hurt. And Sasuke didn’t think that anybody would recognize him after all these years.

The setting of the sun told him that he ought to start heading back toward the camp, but Neji’s own stubbornness kept him where he was. His heart was pounding in his ears from the strain of his training, but he ignored it, his eyes falling shut as he concentrated. There was still so much to learn, and he felt he had been trying to teach it to himself for ages.

Never would he learn all there was to know, he knew that, he was not stupid, but it did not stop his own stubbornness from stepping in where logic should have told him that it was alright to slow down. It was alright to take a break. It was alright to not get something down perfectly

But it wasn’t.

It would never be alright.

The pull on his heart and the dreams that plagued his mind told him that easily enough. He was genius by any other standards, teaching himself magic and fighting that should have taken years to learn with a proper teacher. Still, it was not enough, so he continued on. Neji knew that the others tired of his disappearances, but he did not care. As long as he got what he wanted in the end, that was all that mattered.

He lived for only himself, no one else.

Veins pulled around his eyes and he could feel the pressure pushing against his eyelids. He ignored it though, allowing his vision-even with his eyes closed-to expand and venture far out, past through the trees, catching every animal in sight, peeking through the branches and the debris, and allowing him to see everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was impossible, yet he had made it happen.

Then there was movement, just on the edge of his vision, of a dark-haired figure moving toward Konoha-toward the camps. He let the pressure on his eyes dissipate; opening his lids to turn and stare in the direction that he had seen the person. He thought about heading back to where they had set up camp for the night, to warn them or something, but it was not often that you saw someone traveling on their own anymore. The world was too dangerous, and there was nobody you could trust. Not really.

But there somebody was-supposedly alone.

Against his better judgment, Neji secured the cloak around his shoulders, before disappearing through the trees. Whoever it was, he was going to find out before any trouble was made-unintentional or not.

The light quickly died, making way for the darkness filling the sky. His footsteps continued shuffling through the leaves, knowing unconsciously where they’re heading without any source of guidance. It was too familiar for his liking. The trees, the rocks, the leaves, they all seemed so fresh in his mind. It was this forest that he spent days roaming to every corner and caves and crevices. It was this forest that he spent summer afternoons perched on a tree branch and enjoyed the breeze that drifted past his skin. It was this forest that he spent nights laying with his back on the bare ground, eyes gazing at the wide sky above… And a good amount of those times, he was in the company of… Itachi.

No, he would not think about that.

Hands gripped the scabbard by his side tighter as he walked. Maybe he would have to spend the night outside again. The cold might be a problem, but Sasuke was used to it. He had spent a whole winter in a small kingdom in the North, and it didn’t kill him. A night in Konoha forest wasn’t going to do any difference.

Then he stopped. Body still like a statue as his eyes darted back and forth between the trees surrounding the clearance.

He sensed something.

Or someone.

Why did they have to hide?

A light flared from the palm of his left hand, then quickly grew into a small flame, hovering in the middle of his palm. The orange light illuminated the part where he was standing, but not enough to penetrate the dark shadows in the trees. But he didn’t need more.

“Who’s there?” Sasuke called out, dark eyes narrowing.

From where Neji was standing, he could see the other boy perfectly. He was turned profile to him, pale skin glowing against the tiniest bit of flame that seemed to be resting in the boy’s palm. Had Neji been any other person, he would not have been able to see the man from where he was, but his eyes-enhanced and far superior to other’s through birth-gave him an advantage that others did not have. Robes of black and white hung off of the boy’s wiry frame, and bands were wound around his wrists.

If Neji had to guess, he would have assumed that this young man, whoever he was, probably was a traveler of some sorts and had probably been for a while. There had been many travelers that had stumbled upon the Rebellion before; some that joined up with them when they heard their story, others that left after being cared for with humble thanks. Then, there were those that would pretend to be their friend and then turn around and betray them for more money than they were worth.

Those people were scum.

White eyes traveled down the boy’s frame to land on his hand. It was cupped, and though he was positive that it was a flame that was causing the smallest of glows, he could see now that it was not a torch, and he doubted that any existed that was that small. That left only one option… The boy there had magic. And he had relatively good control.

Neji had never seen him around before, which meant he was not one of the Rebellion or even one of Citizens, most likely. The white-eyed boy made it a point to remember faces, and a face as unique and obviously powerful as this one he would definitely remember. Even with a sword at the boy’s side, though, Neji felt no threat. It could have been foolish self-confidence egging him on, but basing his opinion on the boy’s skinny frame and thinned face, the Hyuuga imagined that if he were to simply push the boy, he would fall over like a twig. He really was a sad, skinny thing.

He walked forward, pushing his hood down as he went. (Now, he was being foolish. He did not even know who this boy was, and he was already showing him his identity.) He allowed a twig to snap under his foot as he walked to let the stranger know exactly where he was. A clumsy person was never a threat, he was told, and those that made sounds were supposedly clumsy. He knew it was always best to give your enemy-even if he did not know this person’s stance quite yet-a false sense of security before anything was started.

“Who are you?” the Hyuuga asked as he took a step into the small clearing. This boy was walking into his territory, it was only proper that he get his name first.

The flame in Sasuke’s hand grew a little bit larger so that it shone on the stranger’s face. His lips were set in a thin line as his brows fixed in a scowl, a rather curious one, not entirely hostile. The boy stood there, feet fixed on the ground as he studied the person who had been watching him just a moment ago.

The man had a lean body wrapped in a loose weather-worn cloak. Sasuke could make out the outline of the long mane of hair tied to the back of the man’s head. Pale unreadable complexion graced the chiseled face, and the thing that Sasuke felt that was the strangest of the man was those eyes. Purple-ish white. They shone under the weak light of the flame like pearls. Those eyes weren’t normal.

Sasuke knew that he wasn’t in the position to question. It had been such a long time since had wandered anywhere close to Konoha. He assumed that there were a lot of bandits, from what he heard here and there about the state of the kingdom, it hadn’t been in a good state. He didn’t care though. The association with Konoha had been severed five years ago. It would be the least thing to worry about, if Sasuke even gave it a thought at all.

But the man before him didn’t look like a bandit. No robbers would come before him somewhat dignified like that.

“Who are you?” Sasuke’s retorted with the same question of his own. His stubborn and obstinate nature taking control.

“A traveler,” Neji answered easily, letting his eyes take in the form now that he was much closer, “heading toward Konoha.”

It was a default answer that all of the Rebellion had learned to answer by if they were ever asked that. Some of the more active members of the group could never be passed off as anyone else, their faces being too well known, but the younger people-ones that had been practically raised in the Rebellion-were practically ghost among the people. Their faces were not remembered long in the eyes of the civilians or the eyes of strangers.

Closer now, Neji noticed the way the other boy tensed as he neared, and while that in itself was not strange, the way the boy kept his guard up even as he showed himself as meaning no harm was. Looking at the form that the boy protected himself and stood on the defensively so subtlety that it was almost unnoticeable, it reminded Neji of the people from the Konoha. Those who were trained among their family had similar stances.

“We seem to be heading in the same direction; would you like to travel together?”

Curious was this boy, and even more curious was the flame in his hand. He had good control in whatever magic he dabbled in indeed, there was no question about that. As was normal, Neji tried to put himself in a position to watch this young man without the need of stalking him. If the boy refused his company, he would have to do just that to make sure that the camps were not discovered (even if they would be gone by dawn) and to see what this boy’s true intentions were.

And as an added incentive, he continued, “The forests are too dangerous to travel alone in at night.” It was partially a threat, and partially the truth. He left the statement open, though, to interpretation.

Some traveler you are.

If the man was just a traveler, then what was the need to hide when Sasuke came near? Either he was paranoid, or there was something else to the man that he needed to hide.

Just like Sasuke. Sort of.

Dark eyes never eased, but fingers relaxed a insignificant bit around his sword. His guard would never be dropped. Not with anyone. Especially to strangers. Strangers who seemed as powerful as himself. Maybe even more.

“No.”

The answer came out immediately. Whether the man was sincere or not, it made no difference. Sasuke was himself, and he alone. Companion was something he scorned upon. He had survived by himself, he had lived all these years with as little human contact as possible. He could spend the night alone.

The leaves rustled again as another breeze blew across the clearing. The chill seeped into Sasuke’s loose coat, but he ignored it. Just another trivial thing was not worthy of his attention. The man before him though, was. There was something about him that intrigued Sasuke. The way he carried himself. The noise that he made when the man revealed himself was obviously intended. If he could conceal himself without Sasuke’s detection, then it didn’t make sense how he could be careless enough to approach an unknown person noisily.

It was intriguing indeed.

“No, you’re not a traveler? No, you don’t want to travel with me? Or no, you don’t think it’s too dangerous?”

Neji knew perfectly well what the ‘no’ was to, but the conversation no longer had any real meaning. He was simply using it to gain information of this boy. With that much control on the fire, the white-eyed boy could only expect the worst-which would be the best out of this stranger. He sidestepped to the left a bit to get a better look at the sword at the man’s side. Sheathed as it was, Neji could not get a good look at it without concentrating, and he had a feeling that the other boy would notice him do any such thing.

“You never did tell me who you are,” he pointed out.

He had answered the boy-sort of-it was only polite that he return the favor. Even if it would be a lie or a very small half-truth, Neji could bet his life that it be one or the other. This man seemed like the smart type, and he doubted he was foolish enough to just throw his name about as though he ruled the world. Or as one that did not, as those in power often either found themselves corrupted or dead. That’s the way Neji saw it, at least.

No leader was ever sacred. Not really.

A corner of Sasuke’s mouth dropped in a deeper scowl.

“Yes, I am a traveler. No, I don’t want to travel with you. And no, I don’t think it’s dangerous.”

Nothing I can’t handle.

Now it was even less likely that the man before him was actually a traveler. No one would be that interested in learning another stranger’s name if they just met them by chance. Sasuke was starting to suspect that there was something more to this place than just a forest. A hideout of some group of sort. Maybe. He wasn’t sure. But he had no intention to find out.

Unless he could find some information about Itachi. But he doubted that it was likely.

“You don’t need to know my name.”

Sasuke wasn’t going to give out his name just because he was asked.

There was no doubt about the fact that the man was definitely not lying in anyway. His face stayed calm the whole way through answering, which just gave Neji more information on him. As inconspicuous as the boy before him was trying to be, the more he talked, the more Neji learned. He did not think it was dangerous? His eyes did not waver the tiniest of bit when he said that; he was confident in his skill. It was possible that it was foolhardy confidence, but Neji did not think so.

From the way the boy’s eyes looked from Neji to the surrounding forest in the most subtle of manners, let the rebel know that the boy was making some inferences about Neji on his own.

That was definitely not a mark of normal, wandering magic-user. Most that he had come across tended to be so caught up in their art that they would walk right into a trap and not know it till they were dead. It was something that made Neji’s respect for most magic dwindle. But this boy was different. He was alert, attentive, and more intelligent than Neji would have liked.

“No name… no travel companions… but you do have magic… and you can defend yourself, obviously…” Neji’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, this time not hiding anything. “What’s your business?”

Ah, now we’re talking.

The man before him had dropped the guise. Now it was clear to Sasuke that there was definitely something else to the forest. Something so secret and dangerous that it had to be protected with all cost? It seemed like it. Nobody would come out and start interrogating a wanderer without a purpose.

“It’s nothing concerning you.”

Again, Sasuke did not give a clear answer. He knew that it wouldn’t alleviate the suspicion that the man had over him, but who cared about that? In a way, it was amusing, skirting around the other’s questions without really answering. Sasuke liked confusing others. He didn’t like to be easily read. The more muddled he made his appearance and person to be, the better. Nobody could understand him anyway.

Meanwhile, he needed to think of an alias, just in case.

“Are you just going to skirt around my questions all night?” Neji asked, not amused by this game, but definitely intrigued.

It was not often that he came across people as suspicious and potentially dangerous as this man. With the forest all dark and silent but their two figures and the single flame still ignited in the stranger’s palm, Neji knew that his watch was probably approaching. He also knew that his companions were probably starting to wonder where he was. It was a common occurrence for him to disappear, but most of the time-mainly out of common courtesy (what little of it he actually had)-he would return before they had any cause to worry.

Now was about the time when people would start worrying, but Neji felt no need to start heading back. He had grown too curious about this male to turn back now, and if he did end up being a threat, Neji would need to keep a watch on him anyway. It made more sense to stay-or maybe that was just his intrigue talking.

“Maybe.”

Now Sasuke was definitely amused. The flame flickered in his hand, dancing between his fingers. The man was annoyed. And it looked like he had somewhere else to be too. Unlike him, the Uchiha had time to waste.

“You haven’t given me a reason why I have to tell you my name or my business either.”

If the other was going to get an answer out of him, he needed to justify the purpose behind it. Sasuke had met many kinds of people, all good and bad, he was tricked, many times, but he wasn’t naive enough to get caught in the same trap a second time though.

“That would probably defeat the purpose of me trying to get information out of you, then, wouldn’t it? I assume you’ve already come to the conclusion that I am trying to keep you from finding something or that I am trying to protect something from you.”

In the end, his reading of facial expressions and subtle movements were really simply assumptions. Neji could never be one hundred percent sure, but most of the time, he was pretty darn close to be completely correct. Those few times that he had been wrong, his analysis of the situation had led the person to start thinking about what he was describing anyway, so he was almost never wrong. Almost.

“However, I cannot tell you if you are right or if you are wrong, therefore I cannot really tell you why you should state your name or business, except for the simple fact that it would definitely help you out in the long run.”

It would definitely help him out in the long run. Instead of being stopped by members of the Rebellion all the time, his name and business would be known immediately. Though, he would definitely be continued to be watched, it would be less of a hassle for him. Neji was not going to warn him against that, though. He just waited to see his response. Sometimes, strangers surprised them with how cooperative they could be. Other times, they surprised him with their stupid stubbornness.

The scowl before had turned into a half-smirk, as Sasuke’s lips curled up and his eyes flashed. He liked this game.

“Is that so?” The hand on his scabbard moved, swinging the sword up to rest on his shoulder. “But I’m not under any obligation to give you information about myself. And I’m sure you don’t want to do the same, am I right?”

The thought that the man might had comrades lurking nearby to ambush was pushed away from Sasuke’s mind. He didn’t sense any other living beings in a twelve-feet radius around them, so the chance of the guy trying anything without Sasuke knowing was slim. He had nothing to worry about. Not too much. And besides, toying with this man was amusing.

Neji watched the sword be brandished with disinterest. Swords were feeble things that could easily be deflected, but he would say nothing of the sort to this man. It would probably give too much away. As it were, he simply watched as the boy moved it to rest it on his shoulder. Just showing off, then. Just like he thought. Men who felt the need to show off were usually lacking in something or trying to prove something, was what he was always told.

A smirk of his own fell into place, now.

“I certainly don’t want to give you my name,” Neji said with ease, checking the boy’s stance and posture. Almost professional like, but it was rough as though… self taught almost. That was something that Neji could relate too. “And, I guess you’re right; I’d rather not tell you my business either.”

They were toying with each other, now. Neji had no weapon to brandish, no fire to show off. By the boy’s standards, he was rather plain, but anybody with enough intelligence knew those that kept their secrets safe the most tended to have the deadliest of them all. That was the category that the Hyuuga placed himself into. He was good at what he did; he did not need a stranger to be awed by what he knew he could do to know that.

“Well then,” Sasuke distinguished the flame with a wave of his hand, feet starting forward toward the stranger. “Let me find out what would happen if I don’t state my name and business.”

He walked past the man, body moving swiftly, never brushing against the latter’s. Let whatever he had in store for the Uchiha come. It might entertain him until morning, at least?

Sasuke loved a challenge.