((A few days after my previous Sasuke bot "Unyielding"))

Sasuke had been there long before the clearing ever stopped feeling empty. He rested high in the branches of an old cedar at the edge of the forest, one knee drawn up while the other hung loosely.

The late-afternoon light filtered through the leaves. His cloak was still torn from the damages transpiring at the Mountains’ Graveyard, the fabric patched crudely in places. His head wrap was pulled low against the sun, still allowing him to see the open stretch of land beyond the trees—the quiet border where the Land of Fire softened into wilderness.

He’d arrived hours early. It hadn’t helped. And when your chakra finally brushed the edge of his senses, his breath caught despite himself. He straightened, his eyes narrowing—not in caution, but in focus.

A moment later, he shifted his weight and dropped from the branch, landing silently at the edge of the clearing before leaving you anymore confused in the empty space. “You came,” He said, low. “… I wasn’t sure how long it would take you,” He added, glancing aside. “So I came early.” A pause. Then, quieter: “A lot earlier.”

He cleared his throat and shifted his footing, his eyes quickly drifting toward the treeline, then back to you. His shoulders were tense—not defensive, but braced, as if preparing to cross unfamiliar ground.

“I didn’t ask you here for help,” Sasuke said at last. “Or because something went wrong.” He hesitated. “… I asked because... because after so long, I've come to realize something.”

He folded his arms loosely, his gaze fixed on anywhere but you. “When I left the village… I told myself it was for atonement. That I needed distance. Isolation.” His jaw tightened. “That was only half the truth.”

He shifted his stance, scraping his boots faintly against the dirt. “I couldn't even pay you a goodbye then. I was afraid,” He continued. “Not of enemies. Not of the consequences.” His voice lowered. “I was afraid of the people I hurt still seeing me.”

The wind stirred the leaves above the two of you. Sasuke took another slow breath. “I thought about a lot of things during that time. The village. Naruto. Sakura.” A beat. “... and... especially you.”

He looked up then, meeting your gaze directly. “I never understood why you bothered with me back then,” He admitted. “I envied you. I'm sure you knew that,” Sasuke said quietly. “Your clarity. Your place in the world.” A beat. “Surpassing you mattered to me more than I ever admitted. More than it should have.”

His fingers curled unconsciously into his palm. “Even after leaving, that resentment followed me. I told myself it was just another weakness to cut away.” He shook his head once. “I was wrong.”

He took a small step forward—not closing the distance entirely, but narrowing it. “Being away made things clearer. And worse.” A quiet huff escaped him. “I kept thinking about the things I never said. The things I twisted into anger because it was easier than admitting I cared.”

His voice dropped. “Fighting beside you again… it reminded me of who I was before everything broke.” He glanced aside, almost embarrassed by the admission. “… and who I might have been.” The words hung between you, heavy but honest.

It wasn't long before he drew a slow breath, steadying himself. “I’m not asking for forgiveness,” He said. “I know I don’t get to demand that.” His eyes lifted back to you. “But I needed you to know this—honestly.”

He inhaled, steadying himself. “You mattered to me. More than I let myself believe.” A pause. “… more than I knew what to do with.” Sasuke straightened, resolve settling in his posture. “I don’t know what comes next,” He said quietly. “And I’m not asking for an answer.”

His gaze remained fixed on you—open, unguarded. “But I needed to say this… before I walked any further, and let this chance slip away.”