Yura’s face was worried. She watched him collect his things and nearly fall out of his chair. It was a bit too tall for him. Maybe she should have the old style seating… no what was she thinking about? Did she just not want to face this? She stood up and followed him to the doorway of the kitchen and then toward the front door.

“Wait! Sasuke, wait!” she was still dropping the honorific. 

But he didn’t. He probably wasn’t even hearing her. She stepped outside and then realized she needed shoes and that he hadn’t put on his back on. She quickly shoved hers on and snatched his up. She left and didn’t shut the door. She didn’t even lock the door. Seriously, if ever there was a place THAT would be pointless…

She followed him easily although she wondered if she should. She was certain there was nothing she could say that would help. She thought about things like hugging him but she didn’t know what would happen. And honestly… she wasn’t that comfortable with physical contact with anyone. She WOULD do it though, if she thought it would help. She didn’t know though. Ugh, more things she didn’t know!

But the way he was whimpering as he left. It struck her straight through the heart. There was no way she was letting him go like that. Somehow she’d gotten him thinking and feeling all over again and if she didn’t do something RIGHT NOW to help…

Her strides smoothed out and she caught up to him again, right in front of his house. She was still carrying his shoes but she dropped them and reached for him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Hopefully that wouldn’t scare him or something.

“Please, please wait. I want to help you. I came here to help you, Sasuke.” She chewed on her lip. “You’re all I have left.” 

She sank to her knees, dropping her hand. “This was my clan too…” Tears came to her eyes then and she let them fall. 

What was she doing? This was ridiculous. She was crying to a child, a broken one no less, begging him to be her friend? How had she been reduced to this? She shouldn’t be crying at all. She should get a grip on her life and make the best of it. She should cut her emotions off… forever even. Be a ninja and nothing more. She didn’t know how to save herself or Sasuke’s emotions. However she COULD safeguard their bodies. Feed, clothe, train, protect. Those were obvious and easy tasks. Some villages taught their ninja to live like that. Even certain factions here did as well. But to Yura that wasn’t the Will of Fire. That wasn’t the path of a Konoha Ninja. And she loved Konoha and what it stood for. So she didn’t take refuge in the philosophy of ruthless efficiency. She clung to an ideal instead. It gave her a little backbone back. She wiped at her eyes and took a heavy breath to steady herself, brushing her hair away from her face again too.