Sasuke had offered to do it himself once: he didn't know if he had it in him to offer again, to walk alone into the dark underground silence of minds unmoored in their own bodies, to -- to do what needed to be done.
To kill them, he thought forcefully: to kill them in cold blood, and he'd need to do more than think it when the time came, even if Obito would be there too. Especially if, because he'd pledged his life and his blade to protect the village and his Kage, and more than that -- to protect his kin. His teacher, who would have taken responsibility for Sasuke's failure alone.
His failure, and the action that had taken advantage of it: his face hardened when Obito mentioned that, a flash of steel cutting through the forced calm. Just a flash, but it was all he had, and he focused on it to still his hands to purpose, to slow his heartbeat, to focus on the task at hand.
"It wasn't far from the seal point," he said once Obito had finished preparing, voice tight but still even. "We can fly from there."
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To kill them, he thought forcefully: to kill them in cold blood, and he'd need to do more than think it when the time came, even if Obito would be there too. Especially if, because he'd pledged his life and his blade to protect the village and his Kage, and more than that -- to protect his kin. His teacher, who would have taken responsibility for Sasuke's failure alone.
His failure, and the action that had taken advantage of it: his face hardened when Obito mentioned that, a flash of steel cutting through the forced calm. Just a flash, but it was all he had, and he focused on it to still his hands to purpose, to slow his heartbeat, to focus on the task at hand.
"It wasn't far from the seal point," he said once Obito had finished preparing, voice tight but still even. "We can fly from there."