It was a nice, warm day. The fall leaves fell from the trees, soaring down through the air. The sun was just coming over the hillside, the wind slowly blowing the clothes the ninja wore as if they were flags on a pole.
Sasuke could feel the uneasiness of the day. He knew his foes where hiding after the fight that ended his brother's life, a brother he never knew closely. His life changed forever … and now all he wanted was to stay away from them.
What he didn't know, was that he was helping the enemy. Killing his brother helped almost every one- except for Sasuke himself. It just helped him get the revenge that he was looking for, nothing more.
Sasuke felt the wind blow though his hair, wind from the open window on the wall. It let a little light shine through.
His bed was uncomfortable and wet with blood from his opened wounds.
And Sasuke felt that he wasn't alone; the creepy place felt evil. The other ninja's presence was odd- female- but also harmless, and happy. He heard old wood screech and footsteps on the stairs.
He froze, knowing that after the battle he didn't stand a chance if it were to come to a fight. That would end badly for him...
"Sasuke." the voice said in a soft tone "I'm so glad to see that you're awake!"
"Who are you?" Sasuke said, voice filled with pain.
"I could be your worst nightmare... or I could be your best friend. It's up to you. Sasuke." The voice sounded harmless, soft.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. The voice so light and fragile, sweet, and soft all at the same time...
"Sakura?" he said, his voice full of malice. "How could you be my worst nightmare?"
His rough hand slowly lifted and pulled up his covers. "Are you planning on hugging me to death, Sakura?" He took a deep breath, calming down slightly after the abrupt awakening.
"Sakura, talk to me."
The room was quiet for a minute, with only the sounds from outside heard throughout the room..
Sakura smiled softly as she walked over to Sasuke.
"Sasuke- you're alive!" she said. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it!" The smile on her face grew larger still, until it looked almost impossibly huge.
Sakura changed the bloody blankets and bandaged his blackened burns, with only a small grunt of pain from Sasuke. His face looked like he was running a fever, with sweat running down his sickened face.
He suddenly grabbed Sakura's arm and held onto it.
"Let the fuck go, Sasuke!" she yelled angrily, pulling away.
"I ... I can't go back to the leaf. Sakura- they'll kill me- you've got to understand. You don't want me to die, do you?"
Sasuke talked slowly, his voice uneven, cranky, and dripping with hate.
His pain... was overpowering. Sasuke, of course, didn't say a word. He kept it to himself.
Sakura was surprised, wondering how he was able to take it without pain medication of some sort.
"Sasuke, you need to take these herbs so you can sleep!" Sakura said, grinding some plants.
"I don't need them, Sakura." Sasuke said loudly, but in the end he took them without complaining much. They tasted bitter and nasty and their texture was rough and slimy. Sasuke barely downed them.
Instantly, Sasuke started to feel sleepy, dozing off. Sakura watched his eyes... his beautiful onyx eyes... slowly closing shut. She knew it wouldn't be long before he was asleep.
Sakura put an extra cover on him, and the place was quiet as Sasuke dreamt.
The memories of killing his brother poisoned his dreams, the haunting last touch to his forehead... the bloody fingers slowly moving down as Itachi took his last breath, and slowly dropping to the ground...
Sakura stared at Sasuke's face, admiring his resting state. So perfect and peaceful.
Sakura moved her face closer to Sasuke's, his thin lips relaxed as his whole body. Sakura could easily steal a kiss- but it seemed wrong. And sneaky.
As she straightened up, Sasuke's eyes suddenly opened.
"Next time, I'll put more sleeping herbs in." Sakura said to herself in a whisper
"Not necessary, Sakura." Sasuke said in his usual growling undertone.. "I got plenty of sleep."
"S-sorry... I didn't mean to wake you, Sasuke" Sakura said.
"Hm."
"Sasuke …"
"Why are you here anyway, Sakura? Aren't you support to be back with Naruto in the leaf?" Sasuke said, in an unintentionally gruff voice.
It took Sakura a second to register the words he spoke.. She felt her throat tighten a little.
She'd thought he would appreciate her help.
And so she held back the tears, knew that she was stronger than that, and she had to prove it to him. She had to prove everything to him.
She took a deep breath, and found herself again
"I … I ran away, Sasuke! The whole village is splitting- it's- it's splitting in two! There's no stopping it. It's completely falling apart! Everyone is picking a side. If you chose sides, you're going to end up separated from some of your friends. Danzo is trying to take over. He's killed many ninja already, whatever it takes to gain control of the leaf. It was all part of his plan... and it should be easier to defeat him, but he just won't go down! We've tried to stop him, but... he's too powerful for us to take on alone!"
Sakura took a deep breath
"And... Naruto is off training." Sakura said in a shaky voice.
Sasuke's eyes opened wide with a hope that only he knew.
"Really? Tell me more, Sakura." Sasuke said in an urgent tone.
Sakura looked at Sasuke with loving eyes, hoping that he could help the village, hoping that he could stop Danzo, before he did to much more damage. So much hope inside her, that Sasuke could help Konoha...
Sasuke's eyes flickered to her as he sat up slowly, trying not to hurt himself. His heart was set on knowing what had happened.
But he knew that Danzo was stronger than he was at this point...
He glanced at the Kunoichi, wondering what had happened- but Sakura seemed to take hours to even start the story.
"Well, The system failed. Sasuke… the Uchiha attack where your brother killed your clan... it was like that. This is the Uchiha attack all over again, only it's Konoha that is being attacked this time.. Danzo's plain worked because he used the Root ANBU … the ones that are closest to Danzo. He has other Nations on his side as well! He and the elders are close, so of course, the Rock and Cloud sided with him! The only one that didn't was Killer Bee- and also, he has the Akatsuki on his side too! I don't know how he got them, but he did, like he's been planning to forever. Sasuke! I … I just don't know what to do!" Sakura wailed, tears streamed down her face in tiny salty rivulets.
Deep inside, Sasuke he felt sad for her- but he dismissed that thought as quickly as it had appeared.
Sakura found the will to stop. She sniffled, reminding herself that Sasuke had to know what was happening. This could be the most important mission of her life.
And Sakura Haruno, the Hokage's apprentice, now needed help from her ex-teammate.
Sasuke fought the effects of the herbs that had not fully worn off yet. He was blinking a bit faster than normal, but he knew that he couldn't just go to bed. He had to know what was happening.
The adrenaline rush from his dreams was wearing off now. He felt his eyes getting heavy with the sleep that he never got.
And he was pissed- Sakura wasn't spitting the words out fast enough for him.
"Sakura, you have to get a grip and just tell me what's happening!" Sasuke said.
Sakura sat on the edge of his bed, looking at his face.
"We only have the Sand as an ally, that I know of." She looked at the floor. "I'm not even sure that they'll help."
She gazed back up at him with hopeless eyes.. "I… I don't think that the…" she stopped, hoping that Sasuke would put the rest of the sentence together.
Sasuke knew that Sakura was not fully ready to tell the whole story.
Suddenly, his empty stomach suddenly growled with hunger.
Sakura heard this and stood up, going to the ether side of the room. She grabbed a plate with rough edges and cracks. It had flowers, a bit rusty-looking.
And with that, she turned around and went out the door.
Sasuke slid back under the warm blankets.. "That bitch." Sasuke muttered under his breath. "I can't eat, then, for some reason."
Ideas flowed through Sasuke's mind as drifted off to sleep, opening the way to terrible nightmares that plagued him all night...
"No... no... NOOOO!" Sasuke screamed in his nightmares, trying to stay alive in this disturbing nightmare world he was in. It seemed so real- the flames eating at him, the fox lunging at him, trying to catch up to him, kill him.
His jutsus were not working on the powerful demon-fox.. The fire in its eyes was trained on him, he could not escape the glare of the beast.
The nine tailed fox's large, bony paw extended, reaching for Sasuke. He moved swiftly to avoid it. It hit the ground and shook it, releasing short, terrifying earthquakes. The place seemed to shake with falling buildings.
"Shit." Sasuke seethed, as the ground started caving in under him. "Shit!"
He started to run, but everywhere he went, the earth was collapsing. Nothing could save him now.
The ground sucked him in.
"FUCK!" he yelled he knew that he was on his last breaths...
The fox stared at Sasuke, looking like it was fighting its self.
Suddenly, the earth gave way. Sasuke tried to hold on, but every piece he grabbed on to crumbled to dust. He felt it, the last piece of ground he would ever touch...
And tumbled into the dark abyss.
His arms moved wildly, trying to grab something, anything, but there was nothing. He heard his brother's voice.
"Sasuke, find the will...!"
Sasuke had no clue what that meant to "find the will". The will of what?
"Sasuke... do it! DO IT NOW!" Itachi's voice echoed in his ear. "DO IT!"
He saw a ghostly version of Itachi falling beside him.
"What-?" Sasuke said. The words meant nothing to him. "WHAT?" he shouted again, pouring his frustration into his voice.
"You will find out, little brother, in time... you will. Soon enough. And when you figure it out, you will know what all this means."
Itachi's ghostly body slowly faded away.
The fox's furry paw suddenly reached down, its sharp claws reaching for Sasuke. He was falling slower now, so it scooped him up and the fist closed tightly around him, pulling him with it as it rose to the surface.
He squirmed, trying to escape its grasp. And as soon as Sasuke's eyes met the fox's, he tried to use his Sharingan... but nothing happened... nothing happened...
A/N thank you my wonderful beta R.L Blackrose :) yea! Finally got this published! REVIEW PLEASE! Also a special thanks to my wonderful sister SADsasukefan for all the wonderful things she does.
