This is a Bonus Release Chapter after getting to 100 Power Stones. Thanks a lot everyone! Regular chapter will come later today.
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The solution seemed simple enough to Sasuke. If his suspicions were correct, the small army heading their way was Ygon Oldfather's clan, likely spurred on by the man who he let escape the night before.
He'd seen through Tork's memories the kind of devastation their clan left behind when another clan or wildling band incurred their wrath. Despite how miserable the lives of the people here were, it was about to get a hundred times worse if Ygon's men got their hands on them.
So he turned to the lead ranger. "Qhroin, take the children and go," Sasuke said. "I'll fight them off and catch up with you later."
"No!" Dacey grabbed onto his arm. "You promised you would take me home yourself."
Sasuke shrugged her off. "And I'll keep it."
"You can't keep promises if you're dead," she said, stomping on the snowy ground. It made her look younger than she was.
"Better men have tried to kill me, girl."
Her dark eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him like a puppy begging for him to stay home.
Sasuke sighed. He really didn't know how to deal with crying children. Itachi would know what to do, probably. Sasuke himself had been a bit of a spoiled cry baby as a kid, and his brother had gotten used to dealing with his tantrums.
Until he traumatized him for life, that is.
Before he could give much thought to it, he knelt on the ground so he was closer in height to Dacey, raised a hand, and poked two fingers on the girl's forehead.
"I'll be fine," he told her.
She sniffled. "But there are dozens of them."
Rising to his feet, Sasuke smirked. "They should've brought thousands," he said. "It would've made things more entertaining."
Around them, Calle and the rangers stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.
Rorik was the first one to speak his mind. "You are mad," he said, then turned to the other men of the Watch. "Let's leave the fool already and go. We still have some time before they arrive."
Qhorin nodded. "Aye, you'll do that." He seemed to stand taller after a moment, squaring his shoulders as if he'd just tossed the dice and now had to contend with the number shown. "As he said, take the children and go. I'll stay and fight with the Uchiha."
"What?!" Rorik's mouth gaped open, "Have you gone mad too? You're willing to throw your life a way, for what? 'Cause som wildling bitch asked for help?"
Sasuke grimaced too. Qhorin or anyone else joining him wasn't part of the plan. He didn't really feel like hiding all his powers or some such nonsense. They were as much a part of him as his limbs.
He could no more stop breathing than he could stop using his chakra and his abilities forever. He would even go so far as to say there was something addictive to the nature of chakra usage, and especially when used to power his Kekkei Genkai.
You hadn't truly seen the world until you had seen it through the Sharingan. Obviously, his were the superior eyes, but he imagined this was much like the Hyuuga would think of their own Byakugan eyes. Once your eye prowess expanded your perception beyond that of regular humans, imagining a whole life without it seemed akin to a death sentence.
But that didn't mean he wanted to completely destroy someone's notion of reality in one fell swoop. He was really hoping to have a go at those wildlings alone. He'd deal with them quickly, like swatting down some bugs, and be back before the kids could get too down on themselves.
He was merciful like that. Of course, he wasn't planning on being merciful to the wildlings. He knew what they would do if they reached this village. A quick death would be the height of mercy.
The lead ranger shrugged. "They gave us food and fire, and some men want to kill them for it. Besides, if it's Ygon's men that are coming, then they're coming for us and the children. These people are just in the way. I won't stand aside."
That settles that, then, Sasuke thought. It seemed Qhorin would get a reality check sooner rather than later. It didn't matter much. The world had changed the moment Sasuke's feet first touched the ground. People would learn he was different one way or another.
And besides, who was he to deny a man when his conviction rang so righteous? If anything, he would be rewarding Qhorin for this honorable act. The man thought he was staying back to sacrifice himself in order to buy the people of the hamlet time to flee.
Bain nodded to the ranger. "Aye, Qhorin, it'll be done." He brought a closed fist to his chest in a salute and left toward the horses, Tilda, Dacey, and the children in tow. Tilda threw him a mournful look over her shoulder, while the Mormont girl refused to look at him again.
Daven, the other black brother who kept mostly to himself, repeated the salute. "For the Watch."
Qhorin gave him a nod. "For the Watch."
Rorik was the last one to leave, snarling and shaking his head as he left his leader behind.
"You should take what you can carry and flee, woman," Qhorin told Calle.
For a moment, she looked toward the rangers at the edge of the village helping the children up on the horses with something akin to regret. Then she turned back to them. "The clan's men will fight, I think."
Sasuke shrugged. "Tell them not to bother."
"They will not listen to me, now that Belk's dead." The woman bit her lips. "We are… I am not well-liked here."
His eyebrow rose. What was he supposed to do about that? Make her more likeable? It was clear the woman had something she wanted to say, some secret she wanted to spill. He'd caught that back in the tent when they spoke of the wildling custom of kidnapping women and children.
He wasn't as dense as Naruto, he could put two and two together. But Sasuke wasn't in the business of bringing up people's secrets without them doing so first. Not unless it involved torture or genjutsu.
"So eager to die, Uchiha?" The shadow of a smile came to Qhorin's mouth. "I wouldn't say no to a few more men. It would buy us more time."
Sasuke scoffed. "We're not running out of time, ranger," he said. "The wildlings are. Now let's get this over with."
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